New York, Feb 6 : Confirming 12 cases of coronavirus in the US, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spearheading the US response said that they are preparing to battle the coronavirus outbreak "as if it is a pandemic". Nikhila Natarajan New York, Feb 6 (IANS) Confirming 12 cases of coronavirus in the US, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spearheading the US response said that they are preparing to battle the coronavirus outbreak "as if it is a pandemic". "We are preparing as if it is a pandemic, while hoping it is not," Nancy Messonnier, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters on Thursday. The 12th and latest case in the US comes from Wisconsin. The patient is a woman who travelled to Beijing and "interacted with family members who had coronavirus". All US patients are "clinically improving", Messonnier told IANS. She said the CDC has developed a coronavirus diagnostic kit and the first 200 will be despatched to the US domestic laboratories and another 200 will be distributed to selected international laboratories. "Each test kit can perform 700 to 800 patient samples," she said. The novel coronavirus, which initially broke out in China, has infected more than 28,200 people globally. The term 'pandemic' itself does not speak of the severity of the coronavirus in the US. "The data from China suggests that patients who are older with underlying illness are more at risk for severe disease and severe outcomes, including death," according to the CDC. "We believe this is the beginning of what could be a long response. Right now we're aggressively working to contain introduction (of the virus) in the United States," Messonnier said. She pointed out that despite years of planning, governments need to "remain humble" and accept that they may not be able to plan for everything. She said the "pandemic planning" the US has done for influenza is the foundation for the response to novel coronavirus. Coronavirus is the umbrella term for a large group of viruses, including ones that can cause common cold. Messonnier said the "immediate risk" from coronavirus in the US is low. "We do not recommend the use of face masks for the general American public," she said. Replying to a question, she said "fever and respiratory symptoms" have been dominant among US patients. CDC is recommending global best practice of "wash hands, cover your cough and stay home when you are sick." "We do not recommend people to wear face masks, we just don't think it's indicated in that situation," Messonier said. Responding to a question on the stigma being reported by some Asians in the US, she said, "There's no reason for the American public to fear Asians in our community and it really saddens me to hear these stories." ( can be contacted at @byniknat) Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) CARROLLTON, Texas, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Executive team and members of the management team from FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS, the leading sign, graphics and visual communications franchise, will attend and share their expertise during the 2020 International Franchise Association (IFA) Convention being held in Orlando, Fla. from February 8 through February 11. "The IFA Convention is always a very important event for the franchising community, and my team and I make it a priority to attend and serve in a leadership capacity whenever possible," said Catherine Monson, CEO of FASTSIGNS International, Inc., incoming Chair of the IFA, Chair of the FranPAC Task Force and a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE). "I am making the investment in our team and their continued development by having 13 of our corporate staff members attend the convention this year. I know all 13 will come back with greater knowledge and new ideas; I am also proud of the impact we will make." Monson will moderate the "C-Suite Think Tank and Forum Exchange" session that provides an interactive environment for franchisors and their C-Suite leaders, to address and brainstorm solutions for the many challenges often faced. As a member of the IFA's International committee which will meet at this conference, Mark Jameson, Executive Vice President of Franchise Support and Development for FASTSIGNS International, CFE, will share his expertise as a speaker at the "Best Practices in Global Franchise Development" panel for the International track session. Jim Howe, Vice President of Franchise Support will facilitate a Business Solution Roundtable. Jameson and Howe will also each serve as mentors and subject matter experts during the IFA's four-hour Emerging Franchisor Bootcamp. Ron Herbert, Chief Financial Officer for FASTSIGNS International, will be a panelist in the session on ASC 606, which will offer information on the new revenue recognition rules for franchisors in regards to initial franchise fees. During the IFA Convention, Steve Ritley, Sr. Franchise Development Director for FASTSIGNS International, will be recognized among the 2020 CFE recipients. His certification makes him the eighth CFE on the FASTSIGNS International team, and now all Development Directors at the company hold the title of CFE. Upon the close of this year's convention, Monson will officially assume the role of the IFA's Chair for 2020. About FASTSIGNS FASTSIGNS International, Inc. celebrates its 35th anniversary in business in 2020 as the leading sign and visual communications franchisor in North America, and is the worldwide franchisor of more than 700 independently owned and operated FASTSIGNS centers in 9 countries including the United States and Puerto Rico, Canada, Chile, England, Grand Cayman, the United Arab Emirates, Malta, France and Australia (where centers operate as SIGNWAVE). FASTSIGNS locations provide comprehensive signage and visual graphic solutions to help companies of all sizes and across all industries attract more attention, communicate their message, promote their products, help visitors find their way and extend their branding across all of their customer touch points. FASTSIGNS has been ranked the #1 franchise opportunity in its category in Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 for the past four years, a 2019 Top Franchises for Veterans by Franchise Business Review and a 2019 America's Best Franchises to Buy list by Forbes magazine. Learn more about sign and visual graphic solutions or find a location at fastsigns.com . Follow the brand on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/fastsigns , Twitter @FASTSIGNS or Facebook at facebook.com/FASTSIGNS . For information about the FASTSIGNS franchise opportunity, contact Mark Jameson ([email protected] or call 214.346.5679). About the International Franchise Association Celebrating 58 years of excellence, education and advocacy, the International Franchise Association is the world's oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the more than 733,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 7.6 million direct jobs, $674.3 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy and 2.5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology and business development. Contact: Jayme Nelson FASTSIGNS Corporate Communications 214.346.5676 [email protected] SOURCE FASTSIGNS International, Inc. Related Links http://www.fastsigns.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 23:41:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close JAKARTA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian police and military have commenced taking stern actions against those who have illegally mined in upstream areas of rivers in West Java province after fatal floods and landslides. The police have nabbed four miners who have financed and managed operation of illegal mining in the province's district of Bogor, Chief of the District Police Muhammad Joni said on Thursday. "One of the four persons is the boss and the others are buyers and distributors for the output of the mines," he said. The arrest was made after Indonesian President Joko Widodo ordered to close all the unlicensed mining firms whose activities have triggered deforestation and environmental damage. Such activities were blamed for the floods and landslides in and around the Indonesian capital of Jakarta during the New Year, which killed over 67 people, massively destructed infrastructure facilities and forced nearly 400,000 people to flee home, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. Head of the Mining Unit at the Energy and Mineral Resources Office in West Java Tubagus Nugraha said the number of illegal mining activities in the province reaches 417. Meanwhile, Senior Commissioner Stephen M Napium, head of the operation unit at the provincial police headquarters, said so far the police have closed operation of 23 traditional mining firms, media reported. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 16:55:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close U.S. Senate votes President Trump not guilty on impeachment charges, and political tussle will continue between Republicans and Democrats. WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- A sharply-divided U.S. Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump on Wednesday on both articles of impeachment the House approved late last year, putting an end to a months-long proceeding that has been fueling partisan tensions. However, the political tussle between Republicans and Democrats, neither of whom appears in the mood to mend fences, is poised to continue, as the nation's election battles this year are heating up, according to experts and pundits. A protester holding a poster stands in front of the Capitol in Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) IMPEACHMENT DRAMA On the final day of the Senate trial of Trump's impeachment, U.S. senators voted 52 to 48 to reject the first charge of abuse of power, and 53 to 47 against the second charge of obstruction of Congress, both not enough to convict the president and remove him from office. The acquittal was widely expected as Republicans, largely unified during the impeachment proceeding, control the Senate, making it almost impossible for the 67-vote conviction threshold to be reached. U.S. President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) There was also a surprise: Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah, broke from the party by voting "guilty" on the abuse of power charge against Trump, becoming the only member of the chamber who crossed party lines and the first in the U.S. history to convict a president from the same party in an impeachment trial. The vote of Romney, an outspoken Trump critics and the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, drew the ire of the White House, which, in a statement, lashed out at Romney over standing with Democrats to support what it called "manufactured impeachment article." Trump, in a tweet after the votes, said that he will make a public statement Thursday at the White House to discuss what he calls the nation's "VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who led the chamber's impeachment drive against Trump, said in a statement that the president and Senate Republicans "have normalized lawlessness and rejected the system of checks and balances." "By suppressing the evidence and rejecting the most basic elements of a fair judicial process, the Republican Senate made themselves willing accomplices to the President's cover-up," Pelosi said. The Pelosi-led House impeached Trump in December after an inquiry triggered by a whistleblower complaint that raised concerns about the White House's interaction with Ukraine. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks during a press conference following a vote in the U.S. Senate to acquit President Donald Trump on impeachment on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 5, 2020. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua) The U.S. public remains split on Trump's impeachment case. According to the latest national NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, 46 percent of registered voters say Trump should be removed from office as a result of the Senate trial, whereas 49 percent say he should remain. "We've been through an impeachment inquiry in the House, a trial in the Senate, and America's attitudes about Donald Trump have hardly budged," said Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt of Hart Research Associates. PARTISAN BITTERNESS Monday's votes came less than 24 hours after Trump delivered his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill. In the 78-minute, campaign-style speech, Trump mostly focused on his policy results of the first term, making his case for another four years without directly mentioning it, triggering applauses from Republicans and boos from Democrats. Though the president refrained from taking advantage of the nationally-televised occasion to bash Democrats over his impeachment, he held back touching upon unity, a topic highlighted in his first two State of the Union speeches. Meanwhile, barely did he talk about bipartisanship. Dan Mahaffee, senior vice president and director of policy at the Center for the Study of Congress and the Presidency, told Xinhua that the speech "reflected a closely divided nation and the rancor" between the political parties. Two stunning moments may well capture the deteriorating relationship between the two sides: Trump, before starting his remarks, appeared to snub Pelosi's offer of a handshake; when the president finished speaking, the House's top Democrat ripped up her copy of the speech. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (R, back) tears up what appeared to be a copy of the president's speech during U.S. President Donald Trump's (front) State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) "The manifesto of mistruths presented in page after page of the address tonight should be a call to action for everyone who expects truth from the President and policies worthy of his office and the American people," Pelosi said in a statement on Trump's speech. The White House and Republicans blasted Pelosi, who, was re-elected as the House speaker last year, after Democrats regained a majority in the chamber in the 2018 midterm elections, for tearing up her copy of speech, with some demanding an apology. "Impeachment has completely soured relations between the parties," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua. "Neither side trusts the other and that will not change any time soon. The extreme partisanship likely will continue for the foreseeable future." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (R, back) reaches out to shake the hands of U.S. President Donald Trump (front), which the president ignored, during Trump's State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C., the United States, Feb. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) ELECTION YEAR The endgame of the impeachment trial and the State of the Union address coincided with the kick-off of the nation's 2020 presidential primary. Iowa, a Midwestern state, held Democratic and Republican caucuses Monday night, the first-in-the-nation nominating contest that brought tens of thousands of Iowa's registered voters to churches, public libraries and school gyms for discussions about their presidential preferences. Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, speaks at a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the United States, on Feb. 1, 2020. (Photo by Joel Lerner/Xinhua) Trump won the Republican caucuses in a largely symbolic vote as he was facing no significant challenge. In the 2016 presidential election, he won "The Hawkeye State" by 9.5 percentage points against his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. On the other side, a "coding issue" in a mobile application used to collect data for the Democratic caucuses in Iowa has caused a delay in announcing the full results. With 96 percent of Iowa's precincts reporting, Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, is leading with 26.4 percent of state delegates, closely followed by Senator Bernie Sanders standing at 25.7 percent. Senator Elizabeth Warren and former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden round out the top four with 18.3 percent and 15.8 percent, respectively, while Senator Amy Klobuchar, garnering 12.2 percent, takes the fifth place. No other candidates received double-digit support. Democratic presidential candidate and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders speaks at a rally at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the United States, Feb. 2, 2020. (Photo by Joel Lerner/Xinhua) Addressing impact of Trump's impeachment on the presidential election, West said he believes it "has mobilized the base within each party" in the short run, while stressing that major issues, such as economy, will determine the election. As the nation is awaiting the full Iowa Democratic caucuses results, the presidential race has already shifted to New Hampshire state, with a still crowded field of Democrats blanketing the state ahead of its Tuesday primary. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, former U.S. vice president, attends a caucus night rally with his wife Jill Biden at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, the United States, Feb. 3, 2020. (Photo by Joel Lerner/Xinhua) Trump will also go on campaign trail next week -- he's scheduled to attend a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Monday. (Video Reporters: Sun Ding, Hu Yousong; Video editor: Chen Sihong) Photo: When Anna Nguyen, 10, arrives on Saturdays at Cole Speech and Therapy with her rabbits, kids rush to greet Fluffy and Snowball, whom theyve gotten to know during Nguyens regular visits. Nguyen and her lionhead rabbits are registered through the non-profit Pet Partners as a volunteer therapy animal team. When they visit the facility, Anna and her floppy-eared friends spread out on a gymnastics mat so the kids can pet them and watch them frolic. The pet-and-handler team also visits a River Oaks memory care facility, where they offer comfort to patients with dementia and Alzheimers. People always wonder what kind of animals it is, Annas mom, Duyen Nguyen, says of the unusual-looking breed. Theyre amazed by them. At the speech facility, kids verbal exchange with the rabbits is designed to improve speech skills, she says. Nguyen, who is a physician, first encountered therapy animal teams at Texas Childrens Hospital. She remembers the joy patients experienced when animals made the rounds. Its a long day, she says. Having a visitor makes a whole lot of difference. When Anna became old enough Pet Partners allows kids to register when they are 10 Nguyen encouraged her to begin the process of becoming a volunteer. She says Anna has a shy personality and she thought the volunteerism would help to improve her communication skills. As a mom, Nguyen was impressed by the rigor of the organizations on-board process. It was pretty intense, she says, explaining that Anna spent about 10 hours studying for and completing the Pet Partners online exam. The questions verify that the handler knows how to safely introduce his or her pet into certain settings. The Nguyens veterinarian gave clearance that the rabbits were healthy for visits, and a local Pet Partners volunteer visited their home to evaluate Anna and her pets. At these visits, Pet Partners screeners create a simulated therapy visit, says Elisabeth Van Every of Pet Partners, which was established in 1977 in Belleville, Wash. The screening ensures the pet is adaptable to meeting new people and being petted by strangers, she says. The screener gauges an animals reaction to sudden sounds, such as beeping from a machine they might encounter in a medical facility. Sharing cuddles and cuteness For pet owners considering becoming a therapy animal volunteer, Van Every impresses the importance of a pets personality. Your animal has to want to do this, she says. You cant force them to enjoy meeting new people and going new places. Those who volunteer, she says, do it because an animal has had a big effect on them personally and they want to be able to share that effect on other people. Pet Partners volunteers visit hospitals, long-term care and rehab centers, senior facilities, veterans services and hospice settings. At some, therapy animal teams provide comfort for both patients and healthcare providers. Dogs are most commonly registered through the organization. Cats, rabbits, miniature pigs, guinea pigs and birds mainly parrots and doves are also in the registry. Volunteers have registered their pet llamas, alpacas and especially in Texas miniature horses, too. Pet Partners volunteers visit work places, airports and university campuses during exam time. Volunteers have been dispatched at mobile sites in the wake of disasters, including Hurricane Harvey. In libraries and school settings, therapy animal teams help to improve childrens literacy by allowing kids to read aloud to animals. Animals make for a non-judgmental audience, Van Every says, which gives confidence to a new reader. There are a lot of warm and fuzzies, both literally and emotionally, Van Every says. Furry friends Van Every says research shows that interaction with animals helps to manage stress, reduce blood pressure and reduce the perception of pain and anxiety, particularly when someone is receiving medical treatment. Therapy animal encounters have been proven to decrease agitation in children with autism and patients with dementia, she says. Kids in particular seem to be motivated with the idea that theyre supporting their communities, she says. We see a lot of passion among young people. Theyre typically very dedicated to their pets. For the Nguyens, Annas weekend volunteering has become a family affair. Dr. Nguyen supervises Annas visits, a requirement of Pet Partners, and her younger sister Sophia likes to tag along. We always try to teach them to give back to the community, Nguyen says. They say they want to become doctors when they grow up, and volunteerism helps them see the things you can do to help other people. Anna eagerly looks forward to volunteer visits. She likes to see how her rabbits help other people, her mother says. It becomes a routine, so they feel they are doing something good. Allison Bagley is a Houston-based writer. Pet Partners Details: $95 fee for an adults two-year Pet Partners registration. $50 for handlers under 18 years old; petpartners.org Joyce Mitchell released from prison 5 years after helping convicted killers escape originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Former prison worker Joyce Mitchell was released from prison Thursday morning after helping two convicted murderers escape years earlier. Mitchell, 55, was released from the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Westchester County, New York, to community supervision, according to the Department of Corrections. She'll be supervised in Franklin County until June 2022. MORE: 2 years ago, a pair of killers made a prison break straight out of 'Shawshank Redemption' Mitchell was convicted for providing material support to Clinton Correctional Facility prisoners Richard Matt and David Sweat in a dramatic case that eventually became the plot for the 2018 Showtime miniseries "Escape at Dannemora." PHOTO: Handout from New York State Police of convicted murderers David Sweat, left, and Richard Matt. Matt, 48, and Sweat, 34, escaped from a maximum security prison June 6, 2015 using power tools and going through a manhole. (Handout/Getty Images) Mitchell was charged with promoting prison contraband in the first degree -- a felony -- and criminal facilitation in the fourth degree -- a misdemeanor -- and sentenced to to between 2 1/3 and 8 years in September 2015. She admitted to charges of promoting prison contraband and was also ordered to pay $80,000 in restitution for damages incurred during the escape. PHOTO: File photo: Joyce Mitchell, left, appears with her lawyer Stephen Johnston before Judge Buck Rogers in Plattsburgh City Court on June 15, 2015, in Plattsburgh, New York. (File-Pool/Getty Images) The story gained national attention as authorities spent 22 days searching for the escaped upstate New York killers. PHOTO: File photo: A task force of U.S. Marshalls and police officers go door to door searching for two escaped convicts on June 16, 2015 outside Dannemora, New York. (File-Andrew Burton/Getty Images) PHOTO: File photo: Corrections officers search a field as the manhunt for convicted murderers Richard Matt and David Sweat continues on June 24, 2015 in Malone, New York. (File-Scott Olson/Getty Images) The June 2015 manhunt came to an end when Matt was shot and killed by authorities and Sweat was shot and apprehended. It was later revealed that the inmates had seduced Mitchell, who worked as a prison tailor, as a part of an elaborate scheme. MORE: Prison worker Joyce Mitchell cries at sentencing: 'If I could take it all back I would' In 2015, Mitchell allegedly agreed to flee with Sweat and Matt and helped collect items including guns, ammunition, camping gear and a compass, according to a report from the New York inspector general. "She professed her love for Sweat in notes she secretly sent him," the report said, but she also allegedly "engaged in numerous sexual encounters with Matt in the tailor shop." Story continues PHOTO: This Nov. 6, 2015 file photo shows Joyce Mitchell, a former prison employee who provided the tools that two murderers used to cut their way out of a maximum-security facility in northern New York, in Plattsburgh, N.Y. (Gabe Dickens/Press-Republican via AP) Mitchell allegedly smuggled hacksaw blades, chisels and other tools into the prison in frozen hamburger meat, which a guard later gave to the inmates. She also allegedly bought six hacksaw blades and gave them directly to Matt, according to the inspector general report. The inmates used power tools to cut through the back of their cells, broke through a brick wall, cut into a steam pipe and then slithered through it, finally emerging outside the prison walls through a manhole, officials said. They had arranged hoodies and other clothing in their sheets to make it appear as if they were in their beds, officials said, leaving behind a note that read, "Have a nice day." MORE: Joyce Mitchell arrested in Dannemora New York prison escape case, police say Mitchell had planned to meet the inmates on the outskirts of the prison with a getaway car, but she got cold feet and didn't show, forcing the escapees to regroup. At her sentencing in 2015, Mitchell told the judge, "If I could take it all back I would." PHOTO: In this June 15, 2015 file photo, Joyce Mitchell appears at Plattsburgh City Court for a hearing in Plattsburgh, N.Y. (G.N. Miller/NY Post via AP, Pool, File) "This is by far the worst mistake I have ever made in my life. I live with regret every day and will for the rest of my life," Mitchell said. "Escape at Dannemora" -- named after the town where Clinton Correctional Facility is located -- was directed by Ben Stiller and won several awards. Patricia Arquette, who played Mitchell, won a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild award and Critics' Choice Television award for the role. Stiller won a Director's Guild award for best miniseries or TV film. The miniseries was also nominated for seven Emmy awards. A facial reconstruction of the man, carried out by Dr Christopher Rynn from the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee, in Scotland A SILVER key has unlocked the mystery of the identity of a man whose remains were found in a Co Galway wood six years ago. His body was found in Rusheen Bay Woods in Barna by a man out walking his dog on September 27, 2014. The weather had been good for the few weeks before the discovery, and gardai were hopeful people out walking would have noticed someone matching his description in the area. No form of identification was found on the man and he had very few items in his possession some sterling and euro currency, a watch and clothes believed to have been bought in the US or Canada, as well as a single silver key with EPA inscribed on it. The death was treated as a personal tragedy but after extensive efforts to figure out who this man was, including a national appeal for information, and searches of local and international missing persons databases, gardai were no closer to finding out his identity. A DNA profile was generated by forensic scientist Dr Dorothy Ramsbottom and a dental chart was compiled by a forensic oral surgeon. A facial reconstruction was carried out by Dr Christopher Rynn from the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification at the University of Dundee in Scotland, but gardai were still no closer to solving the mystery of who the man was. But after almost six years it was a seemingly innocuous clue which unlocked the mystery the single, silver inscribed key. Gardai made a number of appeals for information but nothing came of them. That was until recent weeks when two Polish men heard of the appeals and contacted gardai. They told officers another Polish man had been living with them in a house in Galway for a brief period in late September 2014. He told them to rent out his room after a certain period of time if he did not return. Since that time, the men had changed the locks in their home, but luckily had retained the old locking mechanism. Having kept the key, gardai checked if it worked, and as the lock opened, the case was finally closed. This led to a definite line of enquiry as to the persons identity, and this week a DNA comparison, carried out via Interpol in Poland, confirmed the man to be a Polish national. Gardai understand the man travelled from Poland to the US in the early 1990s and, in 2014, travelled to Ireland weeks before his body was found in Rusheen Bay Woods. Arising from the lack of a formal identity, the State made arrangements for a burial to take place in Bohermore Cemetery in Galway city. The mans relatives have now been contacted and a file will now be prepared for the local coroner. Despite the passage of time and lack of any leads, gardai in Salthill never closed their investigation and this has ensured the mans family now have some closure. Garda Superintendent Patrick McHugh said: The circumstances of this case are sad and tragic. The family and An Garda Siochana are grateful to the individuals who came forward to provide us with the key to solving this matter. Chalmette Refining ranked eighth among the nation's refineries in the level of cancer-causing benzene emissions measured at fenceline monitors, according to a report released Thursday by the Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Integrity Project, the New Orleans-based Louisiana Bucket Brigade and other environmental groups. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency started tracking the self-reported fenceline monitoring results in 2018, requiring refineries to determine whether average annual emissions at the monitoring sites exceed 9 micrograms per cubic meter and, if they do, to reduce them. The Chalmette facility is one of 10 refineries in the country out of more than 100 tested that were above that threshold as of September, the report found, with a net concentration of 12.3 micrograms per cubic meter. Louisiana has 17 refineries, four of which were mentioned in the report. Chalmette Refining, owned by PBF Energy, notified the state Department of Environmental Quality in November that it had developed a corrective action plan aimed at reducing benzene emissions, based on its own high fenceline monitoring results. The refinery said it will modify a centrifuge used to deal with sludge created in the refining process, with the work to be completed by March 31. In its letter, the company pointed out that while the emissions levels were above the EPA's trigger levels, none of its monitors showed average concentrations above the states benzene emission standard which is 12 micrograms per cubic meter, well above the threshold set by the EPA. A similar disclaimer appears on the company's website page dedicated to fenceline monitoring. But the environmental groups point out that, while emission levels above the EPA threshold are not a violation of federal law, the state's standards still exceed the risk levels for chronic and acute exposure developed by the EPA and other states. The Environmental Integrity Project, formed by former EPA enforcement attorneys, public interest lawyers and community organizers, pointed out in its report that the EPA's limits are based on benzene human health risk information developed by the agency and by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, an arm of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These results highlight refineries that need to do a better job of installing pollution controls and implementing safer workplace practices to reduce the leakage of this cancer-causing pollutant into local communities, EIP Executive Director Eric Schaeffer said in a news release announcing the study. EPA in 2015 imposed regulations to better monitor benzene and protect people living near refineries, often in working-class neighborhoods. Now, EPA needs to enforce these rules. The 2018 rule changes were the result of a lawsuit filed in 2012 by EIP, the Bucket Brigade and other environmental groups over the EPA's failure to set standards for benzene and to require fenceline monitoring. The Bucket Brigade's fights over emissions at Chalmette Refining go back much further, including a 2005 federal court judgment that required the company to reduce some emissions and install some fenceline monitoring. Anne Rolfes, founding director of the Bucket Brigade, said the EPA fenceline rules don't go far enough, as they are aimed only at refineries and also don't measure a list of other potential cancer-causing substances released by refineries and petrochemical plants. "If we had a more robust monitoring program, we'd be better able to solve the pollution exposure problem," she said. A key part of the problem, she said, is the reluctance of the DEQ to take the lead in pushing industry to reduce emissions, including benzene. "The technology exists to understand what's being released by all of these plants," Rolfes said, but the state has a limited number of monitors, and they don't monitor most hazardous chemicals. "Why would we be using an 8-track tape player when we can be using streaming music?" she said. "And the state's monitors, they're really using a Victrola." In responding to the report, a refinery trade association pointed to its members' history of spending "billions of dollars" to reduce emissions. PBF Energy is a member of the group, the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers. The group said that between 1990 and 2003, refiners reduced hazardous air pollution by two-thirds, and specific "criteria pollutants" by three-fourths. "Our members share the publics concern for the environment, health, and safety," the group said in a statement. "We work hard to operate in a safe and environmentally responsible manner." 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 association said other refiners have responded to high benzene levels with fixes similar to those being put in place by Chalmette Refining. It disagreed with the report's conclusion that the benzene amounts detected translate to elevated risk to the public. "EPA intended the fenceline monitoring data to be used as a tool to assist a facility in measuring potential leaks and to assure that emission sources at facilities are effectively controlled," the statement said. "It is not intended as a measure of community exposure or health risk and could inadvertently provide misleading results to the public." And in a response to questions about the report, Chalmette Refining issued a statement saying that the EPA "did not establish the fence line monitoring program as a risk reduction step..." "Rather, the fence line monitoring requirements are a development of practices that will provide additional information on the status of emission sources for refineries and the public. It is also important to note that the fence line monitoring program is not an appropriate tool for monitoring and assessing emergency releases since the data from the monitors are not immediately available," the statement said. But in announcing the 2015 settlement that resulted in the monitoring requirement, then-EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said the monitoring requirements and requirements to identify and reduce emissions were directly related to their potential health effects. "These updated Clean Air Act standards will lower the cancer risk from petroleum refineries for more than 1.4 million people and are a substantial step forward in EPA's work to protect the health of vulnerable communities located near these facilities," McCarthy said. "The act requires a healthy environment for all communities, and this rule delivers on EPA's commitment to environmental justice by reducing toxic air pollutants that impact families living near refineries by requiring, for the first time ever in an EPA air rule, monitoring of emissions at the fenceline and requiring action be taken if standards are exceeded." EIP and the Bucket Brigade also cited the monitoring's potential to reduce the health effects of benzene. According to the EPAs Integrated Risk Information System, chronic lifetime exposure to benzene concentrations as low as 13 micrograms per cubic meter is likely to add one cancer case for every 10,000 people exposed. The EIP report said areas near the 10 refineries that exceed the EPA's benzene threshold could see as many as four additional cancers per 10,000 people exposed. The group also pointed out that Californias Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has set its own chronic exposure level for benzene at 3 micrograms per cubic meter, one-third of the EPA standard and one-fourth the Louisiana threshold. Only when emissions are below that level, the California agency says, would people avoid all potential health effects from emissions. Above the 3 microgram level, chronic exposure could result in decreased white blood cell counts and increased risk of blood disorders and disease, the group said. The report pointed out that the refineries are not the only source of benzene people are exposed to. Others include motor vehicles and other petrochemical plants. State and federal agencies also have developed short-term, or acute, exposure limit recommendations for benzene that are based on the potential that such exposures could harm the human blood system, and cause developmental delays in young children. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry has established a minimal risk level for acute inhalation exposure of about 30 micrograms per cubic meter over 14 days. Chalmette Refining ranks sixth among the refineries examined on that metric. Twice in 2019, monitors found a maximum two-week net concentration of 97 micrograms per cubic meter. Three other Louisiana refineries also had fenceline emissions above the acute risk level: Placid Refining Port Allen, with 57 micrograms per cubic meter, measured once during the year; the Shell Norco Manufacturing Complex, with 37 micrograms per cubic meter, measured twice; and ExxonMobil's Baton Rouge Refinery, with 31 micrograms per cubic meter, measured once. None of those three exceeded the EPA levels for chronic risk, according to the report. Louisianas refineries remain well below the three refineries at the top of the EIP list of acute risk, in New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Texas. Mark Schleifstein covers the environment and is a leader of the Louisiana Coastal Reporting Team for The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. Email: mschleifstein@theadvocate.com. Facebook: Mark Schleifstein and Louisiana Coastal Watch. Twitter: MSchleifstein. The United States Senate acquitted US President Donald Trump on two articles of impeachment -- abuse of power and obstruction to Congress -- giving him a major political and moral victory in an election year. IMAGE: Demonstrators in favour of US President Donald Trumps removal of office conduct a protest in the Rotunda of the US Capitol. Photograph: Alex Edelman/Getty Images The Republican-majority Senate voted 52-48 to acquit him of abuse of power and 53-47 to acquit him of obstruction of Congress, thus preventing the Democratic move to overthrow him, for which they required two-thirds of votes in the 100-member House. The ruling Republican party has 53 seats while the Democrats have 47. Republican Senator Mitt Romney, a bitter critic of Trump and who was the party's presidential nominee in 2012, voted against the president on the first charge, but followed the party line on the second article of impeachment. Rest of the members voted on party lines. "The President is pleased to put this latest chapter of shameful behavior by the Democrats in the past, and looks forward to continuing his work on behalf of the American people in 2020 and beyond," the White House said soon thereafter. Trump announced on Twitter that he will make a public statement on Thursday noon from the White House "to discuss our Country's VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!" The White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham slammed the Democrats. "Today, the sham impeachment attempt concocted by Democrats ended in the full vindication and exoneration of President Donald J Trump. As we have said all along, he is not guilty," she said. "The Senate voted to reject the baseless articles of impeachment, and only the President's political opponents -- all Democrats, and one failed Republican presidential candidate -- voted for the manufactured impeachment articles," Grisham said. Trump 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale said, "The do-nothing Democrats know they can't beat him, so they had to impeach him. This terrible ordeal was always a campaign tactic to invalidate the 2016 votes of 63 million Americans and was a transparent effort to interfere with the 2020 election, only nine months away." The Democratic party accused the Republican-dominated Senate of ignoring the facts, "the will of the American people and their duty to the Constitution". IMAGE: Protesters gather outside the US Capitol following the acquittal of US President Donald Trump in his Senate impeachment trial in Washington, DC. Photograph: Tom Brenner/Reuters Said Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, "Today, the President and Senate Republicans have normalised lawlessness and rejected the system of checks and balances of our Constitution." "The President will boast that he has been acquitted. There can be no acquittal without a trial, and there is no trial without witnesses, documents and evidence," Pelosi said. "By suppressing the evidence and rejecting the most basic elements of a fair judicial process, the Republican Senate made themselves willing accomplices to the President's cover-up," said the top Democratic leader. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer described it as a sad day for the republic. "The United States Senate, acting as a court of impeachment under our Constitution, did not remove a president who abused his power and invited foreign interference in the upcoming election to benefit himself personally," he said. "The bipartisan vote in favour of holding him accountable and preserving, protecting, and defending our Constitution against a clear, impeachable offense was, unfortunately, not enough to overcome a partisan firewall of senators who chose loyalty to President Trump over loyalty to their oaths," Hoyer said. In her statement, Grisham said it was yet another witch-hunt that deprived the President of his due process and rights and was based on a series of lies. "Rep Adam Schiff lied to Congress and the American people with a totally made up statement about the President's phone call. Will there be no retribution? Speaker Nancy Pelosi also lied to the American people about the need to swiftly pass impeachment articles they dreamt up, only to sit on them for a month before sending over to the Senate," she said. "In the Senate, the Democrats continued to make their political motivations clear -- Rep Schiff proclaimed the issues 'cannot be decided at the ballot box' -- proving once again they think they know better than the voters of this country. This entire effort by the Democrats was aimed at overturning the results of the 2016 election and interfering with the 2020 election," Grisham said. 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. BEIRUT - Israel carried out airstrikes early Thursday near Damascus, wounding eight soldiers, Syrian state media said, while an opposition war monitoring group said the strikes targeted army positions as well as Iran-backed fighters, killing 23. State news agency SANA said Syrian air defences shot down most of the missiles in the suburbs of the capital and the countrys south before they reached their targets. It said the Israeli warplanes fired the missiles while flying over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and neighbouring Lebanon. SANA quoted an unnamed military official as saying that eight soldiers were wounded in the airstrikes, adding that they also caused material damage. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the Syrian war through a network of activists on the ground, said the airstrikes took place after midnight. They hit Syrian army positions and those of Iranian-backed militiamen west and south of the capital, as well as the Mazzeh military air base in Damascus. the Observatory said. A large number of missiles hit multiple positions in these areas, triggering a fire at the Scientific Research Center in the Damascus suburb of Jamraya, according to the Observatory. The Observatory said the strikes killed 23 Syrians and non-Syrian Iran-backed fighters, adding that the deaths happened in the southern province of Daraa and suburbs of the capital Damascus. It said the dead included three Iranian fighters as well as eight Syrian soldiers. There was no immediate comment from Israel. Israel does not usually comment on reports concerning its airstrikes in neighbouring Syria, though it has recently acknowledged striking Iranian targets there. Iranian-backed fighters, including those of Lebanons militant Hezbollah group, have joined Syrias war and are fighting alongside Syrian President Bashar Assads government forces. Philadelphia rapper Meek Mill and his former partner Nicki Minaj publicly reignited their years-long feud this week with an explosive Twitter exchange that included allegations of abuse. Minaj, 37, appears to have kicked off the online shouting match Wednesday afternoon with a Twitter message showing a photo of Mill, 32, staring at his cell phone. Mill, Minaj wrote, is obsessed with the Queen, adding trigger fingers turn to #TwitterFingers a reference to a 2015 diss track by Drake that was targeted at the Philly native. What prompted Minajs initial tweet is not clear, though Complex indicates that the Chun-Li rapper may have been agitated by Mill having liked a meme that mocked her husband, Kenneth Petty. In a later tweet, Minaj wrote that Mill has been tweeting bout my man for a year now and that he should move on. Last month, the trio also got into a real-life shouting match in a high-end clothing store in West Hollywood, TMZ reported. Following her tweets, Minaj took the beef over to her Instagram page, where she wrote that Mill, whom she referred to as #TwitterFingers, beats women, scared of men. Minaj later claimed in a follow-up tweet that Mill beat your own sister and taped it and kicked me in front your mother and sent her her to the hospital. The only way you can try to kill my career is to say I beat women, Mill responded from his own Twitter account. Talk about ya brother convicted of rape and you been knew and paid for his lawyerya little brother touched that lil girl too! You know I know. Minajs brother, Jelani Maraj, last month was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after having been convicted of predatory sexual assault for the rape of an 11-year-old girl, USA Today reports. Mill later claimed Minaj knew your brother was raping that little girl thats why I got away from you, referencing the pairs 2017 split. In response, Minaj seemed to claim that Mill knew her brothers case involved extortion, writing that the rapper wont tell ppl the mother [of the girl] is on tape asking me for $20 million to make the charge go away. Many tweets from the exchange have since been deleted. In one, Mill wrote that Minaj picked a great time to be saying I ever put my hands on youya bag getting low so you wanna destroy me. Mill seemed to close the matter by indicating in a tweet that he would not be discussing Minaj in any future interviews. For clarification I dont hit women and I wont let my interviews be filled with question about her or any situation to do with her when I come out to do press for my new album, Mill tweeted. No devils tricks. Warning: Distressing content The man accused of Victorias alleged koala massacre says he has been subject to a campaign of death threats after the incident that sparked a global online outcry. But Keith Troeth whose mother Judith Troeth was a senator for Victoria and parliamentary secretary for forestry in the Howard government says he has done nothing wrong and will return to Victoria to face wildlife authorities, who he labelled "fascists". A koala injured in the logged blue gum plantation at Cape Bridgewater. The animal was later euthanised after being found to have a broken arm. Credit:Helen Oakley Investigators from Victoria's Conservation Regulator were still in the Cape Bridgewater area on Thursday, interviewing witnesses after at least 40 koalas were found dead and more than 140 were rescued from the former blue gum plantation after it had been logged and then bulldozed. WASHINGTON The Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the Mississippi prison system after a string of inmate deaths in the past few months, officials said Wednesday. Federal prosecutors are looking into the conditions at four state prisons following the deaths of at least 15 inmates since December. Many died amid violent conflicts between inmates. Some were suicides. The investigation is examining whether state corrections officials are adequately protecting prisoners from physical harm and will also look into whether there are adequate healthcare and suicide prevention services. The investigation, by the Justice Departments civil rights division, will specifically focus on conditions at the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman, Southern Mississippi Correctional Institute, Central Mississippi Correctional Facility and the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility, the Justice Department said. Some of Mississippis prisons also have had longstanding problems with holes in cell walls, broken sinks and toilets in cells and widespread mold in showers. Matthew Charles is a former Tennessee prisoner who advocates for sentencing reform for a national group called FAMM, previously known as Families Against Mandatory Minimums. He says Mississippi needs to offer better programs to rehabilitate prisoners. Theyre not learning anything while theyre incarcerated because theres no real programming that is able to benefit them so they can actually get out, get a job and make a living wage, Charles said this week at the Mississippi Capitol. Mississippis prison population decreased between early 2012 and early 2016 because of some policy changes. But the prisons population has crept back up in the past four years because some former inmates are returning to custody for violating terms of their parole, said Circuit Judge Prentiss Harrell, who leads a group that evaluates the states criminal justice system. The use of federal investigations examining the patterns and practices of law enforcement agencies has been curtailed under the Trump administration compared with their use during the Obama administration. Michael Balsamo and Emily Wagster Pettus are Associated Press writers. The Trump administration has immediately barred New York residents from enrolling in trusted traveller programmes (TTP), in retaliation for a new state law which blocks federal immigration officials from accessing motor vehicle records. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed the move on Thursday, the morning after acting homeland security secretary Chad Wolf first announced the measure on Fox News. The drastic change came just hours after Mr Trump attacked New Yorks sanctuary city status during his State of the Union address. Sanctuary cities are localities that provide added protection to immigrants and refuse to cooperate with federal officials and federal law enforcement, which has only escalated since Mr Trump took office. In a three-page letter, DHS said the New York legislation, dubbed the "Green Light" law, prevents federal agencies from protecting residents from "menacing threats to national security and public safety". 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 law, which went into effect in December, allows people without legal permission to be in the US to apply for driver's licences. It also included a provision prohibiting state DMV officials from providing any of its data to entities that enforce immigration law unless a judge orders them to do so. The law blocks US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which patrols the US-Canada border in New York and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from obtaining the vehicle's owner information. Mr Wolf called New York's new law "disappointing" during a Fox News interview with Tucker Carlson late on Wednesday night. He said the suspension of Global Entry and similar TTP initiatives was effective immediately. The programmes allow quick clearance at select airports for pre-approved travellers who are considered low risk by CBP upon arrival in the US. Members enter the country through automatic kiosks in order to reduce waiting time. "They (New York residents) can't enrol or re-enrol in these trusted traveller programmes that customs and border protections offers because we no longer have access to make sure that they meet those programme requirements," he said. A senior adviser to New York governor Andrew Cuomo, Rich Azzopardi, said the move by DHS was politically motivated. "This is obviously political retaliation by the federal government and we're going to review our legal options," Mr Azzopardi said. President Donald Trump holds up newspaper that reads "ACQUITTED" at 68th annual National Prayer Breakfast Mr Cuomo, a Democrat, approved the Green Light law last summer, allowing individuals to use foreign-issued documents to prove their age and identity so they can apply for driving privileges. Lawmakers and Mr Cuomo became worried that ICE and CBP would be able to easily obtain information about people seeking a licence, and possibly making it easier for them to be deported. Since becoming president, Mr Trump has routinely attacked New York; a liberal state which opted by more than 20 points for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. Last month Mr Trump attacked the city over plans to build sea barriers to protect the region from rising sea levels. "A massive 200 Billion Dollar Sea Wall, built around New York to protect it from rare storms, is a costly, foolish & environmentally unfriendly idea that, when needed, probably wont work anyway," Mr Trump tweeted. "It will also look terrible. Sorry, youll just have to get your mops & buckets ready!" Additional reporting by AP New Delhi/Islamabad, Feb 6 : Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan, who was responsible for the terror attacks on Malala Yousafzai and at the Peshawar Army School, has escaped from the custody of military in Pakistan. Aarti Tikoo Singh New Delhi/Islamabad, Feb 6 (IANS) Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan, who was responsible for the terror attacks on Malala Yousafzai and at the Peshawar Army School, has escaped from the custody of military in Pakistan. In an audio recording released on Thursday and shared via an online private messaging platform, Ehsanullah claimed that he along with his family had managed to escape from the custody of Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies on January 11. Sources in Pakistan confirmed that Ehsanullah has escaped from a safe house where he was detained along with his wife and two daughters. The Pakistan Army got to know about his escape on January 12 and soon after raided his home in Sagibala village in Mohamand tribal district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. His father Sher Mohamad, brother Shafiq and uncle Sher Badshah were arrested and are being interrogated, sources said, adding that an investigation into the matter has also been initiated. Ehsanullah, also the spokesperson of another dreaded group Jamaat ul Ahrar, is responsible for several terror attacks in Pakistan and had a bounty of $ 1 million on him. In 2012, he was involved in the attack on Malala, who later won the Nobel prize for peace. She was shot in the head for defying Taliban diktats and pursuing her education and highlighting the atrocities of the militant outfit. Ehsanullah is also a prime accused in the 2014 attack on the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar which killed 134 school children and 15 staff members. Ehsanullah was involved in the suicide bombing of Shiites in Rawalpindi and Karachi, killing of nine foreign tourists and their guide in Gilgit-Baltistan area, twin blasts targeting peace committee volunteers in Mohmand agency, suicide attack near the Wagah border and the 2016 bombing of an Easter gathering in a Lahore park that killed at least 75 people and injured more than 300 others. In 2017, he surrendered before the Pakistan Army under "mysterious circumstances". Soon after his surrender, a Pakistani TV channel was allowed to interview Ehsanullah who at the time claimed that he was working for India's external intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). However, after three years in custody, Pakistan Army was yet to file a charge-sheet against him, sources in Islamabad said. The sources also confirmed that the audio clipping was Ehsanullah's voice. Speaking in Urdu, Ehsanullah claimed that he had followed the law in the last three years but Pakistan's dishonest and corrupt institutions had betrayed him. Ehsanullah said he was forced to give statements, perhaps alluding to the TV news interview, under an agreement between him and Pakistani authorities but none of the promises were kept. The agreement had been arranged by an influential person, he said, adding that he would soon answer all the questions related to his confinement and also expose all the plans of the Pakistani intelligence agencies. New Delhi, Feb 6 : Smart factory adoption rate is highest in the automotive industry and automotive is set to increase investment by over 60 per cent in the next three years, which could result in productivity gains up to $167 billion, a new report said on Thursday. According to a report by Capgemini Research Institute, auto industry plans to make 44 per cent of its factories smart in next five years. The report pointed out that 3 out of 10 automotive factories have been made smart in the past 1.5 to 2 years. For instance, Bosch invested 31 million euros in an Indian plant that features the latest industry 4.0 solutions. However, the report warned that companies must also invest in skills and systems to take full advantage. Accoreding to Seshu Bhagavatula, President, New Technologies and Business Initiatives at Ashok Leyland, he opted smart factory initiatives to improve the productivity of old factories, deal with the quality issues that are difficult for human beings to detect and to incorporate made-to-order or mass-customization capabilities. "Cloud computing, 5G, advanced automation are considered as the enablers of digital transformation for auto manufacturers," the findings showed. Other technologies used in the factory include virtual assembly technology, autonomous ground vehicle, driverless floor conveyor, remote maintenance portal, metal 3D printing center, collaborative robots and drones, etc. "Eighty per cent of automotive manufacturers believe 5G would be key to their digital transformation over the next five years," said the report. By 2023, the research estimated that smart factories could have delivered a productivity gain in the region of $135 billion (average scenario) to $167 billion (optimistic scenario), an annual improvement of 2.8 per cent-4.4 per cent, and an overall productivity gain of 15.1 per cent-24.1 per cent for the industry as a whole by 2023. "For instance, Mercedes-Benz Cars has achieved a fourfold reduction in rejection rate on some key components through its use of advanced data analytics to create self-learning and self-optimizing production systems," the report said. For the report, Capgemini surveyed 100 automotive executives from large automotive OEMs and suppliers, 98 of which have existing smart factory operations, across 11 countries, with revenues of more than $1 billion. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text European Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan returned to Washington on Thursday for talks with US counterpart Robert Lighthizer designed to improve transatlantic ties as the threat of auto tariffs looms. Hogan first visited the United States as EU trade chief three weeks ago, declaring at the time that the European Union's bid to reset EU-US economic relations had got off to a good start. However, US President Donald Trump said after meeting European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen in Davos a week later that he would impose tariffs on imports of cars from the European Union if no trade deal were struck. Hogan had been due to address a conference on the digital economy in Brussels on Thursday morning, but abruptly changed his plans. A European Commission spokesman said Hogan would hold talks in Washington with a number of US administration officials, including Lighthizer. "These meetings are part of the regular bilateral contacts being held at technical and political level in the framework of the discussions for a positive bilateral transatlantic trade agenda, launched by the European Union and the United States in July 2018," the spokesman said. In July 2018, Trump agreed to hold off on imposing car tariffs while Washington and Brussels discussed ways to improve economic ties. The EU has since agreed to boost imports of soybeans, liquefied natural gas and beef from the United States. A father with a terminal brain tumour stabbed his 13-year-old son to death because he feared his wife would not be able to raise the boy by herself, say reports. Oleg Drachev, 40, has been detained on suspicion of murder in Moscow, police said. He also tried to stab his wife - whose name was not given - but she managed to lock him in the bathroom and call police. Oleg Drachev, 40, pictured with his wife and young son, was said to be a devoted father before his terminal diagnosis, after which 'he went crazy' according to his mother The couple and son, Ilya, were known as a happy and devoted family until his recent diagnosis with an incurable brain tumour, say reports. Drachev, a design engineer who formerly served in the army, spent all his spare time with his son, according to his family. They went hiking and swimming, and together constructed outbuildings at their summer house, and a kennel for their dog. Left: Oleg Drachev (second from the right) with his son Ilya (third from the right) out for a hike with friends. Right: Ilya, 13, pictured with family dog. Oleg and Ilya built their dog a kennel together He feared that no-one could take his place in raising his son when he died, he told interrogators, reported Moskovsky Komsomolets. He did not see how his wife could pay their mortgage and bring up the child, he said. He stabbed his sleeping son after she had gone to work. When they didn't answer phone calls, she rushed home, broke in through a window, and found her son dead in bed. Drachev then attacked her with a knife, but she fought back and locked him in the bathroom. Devoted father before 'he went crazy': Oleg Drachev and his son Ilya swimming in a pool together. According to his family, he spent all his time with his son Oleg Drachev had previously served in the Russian army and is now a design engineer His mother told Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper: 'You cannot even imagine how he loved his son. 'He never punished him. Mostly his mother told him off. 'But after the cancer diagnosis, he went crazy.' The detained father is undergoing an examination at a secure psychiatric hospital in Moscow. [February 06, 2020] Sharon Laboratories capitalizes on Deinove to sustain its development activities Sharon Laboratories capitalizes on Deinove to sustain its development activities The signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covers the development and marketing of an exclusive range of bio-based ingredients for personal care from DEINOVEs platform. This decisive and unprecedented agreement, to be finalized by the end of March 2020, will have an initial term of 3 years and provides for partial financing of activities and royalties on sales. Even before the conclusion of the contractual agreement, Sharon Laboratories demonstrates its commitment with the immediate payment of $200k, being only a part of the substantial upfront payment to be paid after the signing of the final agreement. DEINOVE (Euronext Growth Paris: ALDEI), a French biotech company that uses a disruptive approach to develop innovative antibiotics and bio-based active ingredients for cosmetics, announced having signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Israeli group Sharon Laboratories, a specialist in preservative solutions for personal care. It aims at entering into an exclusive partnership for the development and marketing of a range of new bio-based solutions, including bioactives, arising from DEINOVEs platform. Expanding the potential of DEINOVEs platform towards advanced bio-based applications Sharon Laboratories is a world leader in preservative solutions for personal care. Driven by the growing consumer and brand demand for naturally and sustainably sourced ingredients, Sharon Laboratories wishes to entrust DEINOVE with joint development of a new range of bio-based and differentiated solutions. This collaborative R&D program will benefit from DEINOVE's accumulated expertise in leveraging the properties of its collection of rare microorganisms. It will expand the potential of DEINOVE's biotechnology platform to a substantial and promising market, building on Sharon Laboratories 40 years of experience in the personal care preservation field. The global cosmetic market is seeking natural solutions to replace existing synthetic ingredients. As the natural cosmetics segment continues to grow, the demand for such ingredients will grow with it. The draft agreement grants an exclusivity in various ingredient and functions to Sharon Laboratories, keeping DEINOVE's free to develop additional collaborations. A path-breaking partnership DEINOVE and Sharon Laboratories have signed an MoU for an agreement to be finalized by the end of the first quarter of 2020. This decisive agreement has an initial term of 3 years and provides for the regular payment of significant milestones, amounting to several millions of dollars, as well as royalties on sales once commercialied. Sharon Laboratories demonstrates its commitment with the immediate $200k payment. "This upcoming decisive and unprecedented agreement with Sharon Laboratories underlines the quality and versatility of our technological platform. Expanding into the demanding and promising new fields and functions is a great opportunity for DEINOVE. Doing so in the framework of an exclusive agreement with one of the main industry leaders, who shows his commitment already today, would ensure our success", says Charles Woler, CEO of DEINOVE. "We are excited to enter into this new field which we believe is the future of the cosmetic industry. Sharon Laboratories created a strong foundation for expedited growth, and we find DEINOVE to be the right partner to join us in this journey. We believe DEINOVE's technology, know-how and people align well with Sharon's strong capabilities and growth strategy", says Ari Melamud, CEO of Sharon Laboratories. ABOUT SHARON LABORATORIES Sharon Laboratories is a global supplier of preservative solutions for personal care, and specialty ingredients for the food industry, delivering innovative solutions to customers worldwide. Sharon Laboratories customers enjoy full service and support throughout the development, production and product marketing phases, with emphasis on innovation, quality, flexibility and technical support. This enables manufacturers to supply the consumer with safe products that meet the strictest market and regulatory requirements and regulations. For over 40 years, Sharon laboratories has been an approved supplier to many global companies and industry leaders and has an established network of local distribution channels in over 50 countries. ABOUT DEINOVE DEINOVE is a French biotechnology company, a leader in disruptive innovation, which aims to help meet the challenges of antibiotic resistance and the transition to a sustainable production model for the cosmetics and nutrition industries. DEINOVE has developed a unique and comprehensive expertise in the field of rare bacteria that it can decipher, culture, and optimize to disclose unsuspected possibilities and induce them to produce biobased molecules with activities of interest on an industrial scale. To do so, DEINOVE has been building and documenting since its creation an unparalleled biodiversity bank that it exploits thanks to a unique technological platform in Europe. DEINOVE is organized around two areas of expertise: ANTIBIOTICS, New-generation anti-infective drugs : A first antibiotic candidate is now in Phase II. The Company is also pursuing the systematic exploration of biodiversity to supply its portfolio with new leads, drawing notably on partnerships with bioMerieux and Naicons (AGIR program supported by Bpifrance). : A first antibiotic candidate is now in Phase II. The Company is also pursuing the systematic exploration of biodiversity to supply its portfolio with new leads, drawing notably on partnerships with bioMerieux and Naicons (AGIR program supported by Bpifrance). BIOACTIVES, Active ingredients of natural origin with cosmetics as the first market and potential in nutrition and health: DEINOVE is already marketing a first cosmetic active ingredient, a second in partnership with Greentech and plans to launch new assets in 2020. Several other cosmetic actives are in development, including with Oleos (Hallstar Group) and Dow. It also runs a program in animal nutrition with Groupe Avril. Within the Euromedecine science park located in Montpellier, DEINOVE employs 60 employees, mainly researchers, engineers, and technicians, and has filed more than 350 patent applications internationally. The Company has been listed on EURONEXT GROWTH since April 2010. CONTACTS Investors Coralie Martin Communication, Marketing and Investor Relations Ph.: +33 (0)4 48 19 01 60 [email protected] Media ALIZE RP Caroline Carmagnol Ph.: +33 (0)6 64 18 99 59 [email protected] Attachment PR in English [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Artist Ben Quilty was compelled to create his latest work while making a pilgrimage to a sacred site for the Gundangara people. He and his 13-year-old son Joe had been visiting a waterhole in the Southern Highlands regularly when one day Joe pointed out a plaque that read, People have been enjoying this place for the past 150 years. Gundangara women had in fact been visiting for at least 65,000 years, making the long trek across the Blue Mountains to the south coast of New South Wales, arriving in time to give birth. '150 Year, Rorschach' (2019), oil on linen, panels, 111 x 888 cm, showing as part of Ben Quilty's 150 years show at Tolarno Galleries in Melbourne. Credit:Andrew Curtis The centrepiece of Quilty's new show, opening tomorrow at Tolarno Galleries, is a response to that sign. Called 150 Year, Rorschach, its almost 9 metres wide and while it depicts the beauty of the landscape, it is covered in feral animals - a cat, a toad, a fox and a goat. "In a sense I see myself as one of them," he says. He is driven to point out this erasure, "that callous deletion of the history of who we actually could be if we were willing to acknowledge the truth". Sanna Marin, the newly-appointed Prime Minister of Finland has made a lot of significant changes since she has come into power. The Finnish government, led by Marin, is showing the world what woman power can do and what tectonic changes can be brought about under their leadership. According to CNN, Finland on Wednesday announced a new policy that will grant equal parental leaves to both mothers and fathers. The parents will get around seven months of paid leave and pregnant partners will get an extra one month leave before the child is born. Well, the basic idea behind this new policy is to uplift and improve gender equality and also enable an increase in the declining birth rate in Finland. The Minister of Health and Social Affairs in Finland, Aino-Kaisa Pekonen said, "This enables better equality between parents and diversity among families. Also, Finlands coalition of five parties led by all-women leaders has made gender equality a priority. Heres how people on the internet are reacting to the new policy of equal parental leaves- We agree. This is what happens when women lead. When women lead, policies that help families get prioritized. Finland's Prime Minister @MarinSanna has a majority female cabinet and is extending #PaidFamilyLeave to 14 months with both parents receiving equal leave quotas. https://t.co/RBasjxpjQD Amy Diehl, PhD (@amydiehl) February 6, 2020 Indeed. Very true. Monib Usmani (@monibusmani001) February 6, 2020 Equality for all is the dream. True Vinod Sharma Bansi (@Vinod_Bansi) February 6, 2020 According to Al Jazeera, The number of newborns in Finland declined by a fifth between the duration of 2010 to 2018. There were only 47,577 babies in a country where the population was approximately 5.5 million people. Countries such as Sweden and Iceland have seen a boost in the birth rate after the introduction of leave policies for fathers. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below. LONDON, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Britain's Metro Bank has hired a law firm to help it investigate payments routed through the bank that breached U.S. sanctions, a regulatory filing showed. One Metro bank customer was subject to U.S. sanctions on Cuba, while another received payments from Iran, the bank said. The Evening Standard newspaper reported on Tuesday that Metro Bank appointed law firm DLA Piper to conduct the review, which will look into how the lender's internal controls were breached. DLA Piper did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Metro Bank declined to comment. The bank notified U.S. regulators in 2017 about the sanctions breaches, according to a prospectus it released in September while raising funds. Metro could face a fine proportional to the amount of money handled. The disclosures follow a turbulent period for Metro Bank, after a major accounting error disclosed last January triggered a share price crash and the departure of its chairman and chief executive. Metro Bank shares have fallen 90% since it disclosed the problems. (Reporting By Iain Withers and Sinead Cruise, writing by Lawrence White; Editing by Toby Chopra) One of the questions the National Democratic Congress (NDC) asked the Electoral Commission during a recently held Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) meeting was whether the current voters register is credible. However, Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan has described the question as useless. A couple of weeks ago, the EC, together with the Advisory Committee of Eminent Persons and the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), held a meeting to find common grounds on the need to compile a new voters register. The meeting, however, ended in a stalemate. The NDC and other political parties were, are still fiercely opposed to the decision by the election management body - (EC), to conduct this year's election with a new voters register. Present at the meeting were the Chairperson of the EC, Mrs Jean Mensah; representatives of some political parties including the ruling New Patriotic Party, Convention People's Party (CPP), People's National Convention (PNC), Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), aLL pEOPLE'S cONGRESS (APC), Democratic People's Party (DPP), the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) and some Civil Society Organisations (CSOs). It was at that meeting that the biggest opposition party sought to find out whether the current register is credible. "They shouldnt have asked that question; its a very useless question," Kwamena Duncan said while speaking to the controversies surrounding the compilation of a new voters' register. He believed the question was malice-induced; "it was just a trap for the EC; useless question. All registers are credible and they produce credible results and so they shouldnt waste our time". Watch 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 James Nielsen, Staff / Houston Chronicle Ric Campo, chairman of the Port of Houston Authority, testified before Congress Thursday morning on the importance of widening and deepening the Houston Ship Channel. And doing it quickly. The traditional federal process of getting approval and funding would have this project completed in the 2030s. And that's simply too long, Campo said, which is why the port has partnered with companies that use the Houston Ship Channel to help fund the project and hopefully accelerate its timeline. The Supreme Court will pronounce on Monday its order on the maintainability of reference order in review jurisdiction in Sabarimala temple matter. A nine-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde will also simultaneously pronounce the issues which would be taken up for hearing by a new bench. A nine-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court today heard the arguments on the issue whether the apex court can refer questions of law and what can be the composition of the law on the issue of the review petitions pending before it. "We will pronounce the order in Monday," the Apex Court today said, after hearing arguments from all the respective parties. The apex court will pass the order in Monday as to the limited question of "Whether the court can refer questions of law to a larger bench in a review petition". Besides the CJI, the other eight judges in the bench are -- Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan, L Nageshwar Rao, Mohan M Shantanagoudar, S Abdul Nazeer, R Subhash Reddy, B R Gavai, and Surya Kant. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central government, told the court that there are questions in the matter which require to be adjudicated by this court and the issue has to be dealt with in a proper manner. "You are my lord. You have to take a decision keeping on the point on a larger view. The case can be considered on a larger perspective so that the matter can be put to a final settlement and the issues raised out of the controversy in the case can be addressed," Mehta said. "Legal compulsions can't be limited, new areas calling for judicial scrutiny can be taken into consideration," Mehta told the court. SG Mehta said that besides Senior Counsel Fali Nariman it is nobody's stand that reference was made in the Sabarimala review. The bench is hearing matters relating to discrimination against women in various religions including Kerala's Sabarimala temple, mosques, the practice of female genital mutilation in the Dawoodi Bohra community and Parsi women married to non-Parsi men being barred from its holy fire temple. Last year, a five-judge Constitution bench had referred to a larger bench the issues relating to the constitutional validity of religious practices like barring entry of women and girls into a place of worship. It had observed that the issue of the constitutional validity of religious practices like barring entry of women and girls into a place of worship was not limited to the Sabarimala case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NEW HAVEN A Danbury man who admitted he fatally stabbed his girlfriend in her Meriden apartment pleaded guilty Thursday in state Superior Court in New Haven to a reduced charge of first-degree manslaughter and will serve 29 years in prison. But the parents of the victim, 21-year-old Alyssa Guerrero, said after court adjourned that officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, could have prevented her death if they had deported the defendant, Mateus Nascimento-Dacosta, for repeatedly violating a protective order. The victims father, Ciro Guerrero of Brookfield, said ICE representatives had learned of the protective order charges against the defendant and placed a detainer on him because he was in this country illegally. Three times he was arrested for violating a protective order, Guerrero said. But ICE told Brookfield police, Its OK to release him, let him go. Tell him to stay out of trouble. It was a petty crime in ICEs eyes. But then on May 2, 2018, Alyssa Guerrero was killed. Nascimento-Dacosta fled the scene but drove to the Waterbury Police Department and told them what he had done. He said he had stabbed someone in Meriden, Assistant States Attorney Reed Durham told New Haven Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Clifford Thursday. He provided the details. According to the arrest warrant, Nascimento-Dacosta said he stabbed the woman with a steak knife. Nascimento-Dacosta, 21, originally was charged with murder. But as part of the plea agreement, he pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge. Ciro Guerrero, who watched Nascimento-Dacosta plead guilty Thursday, said afterward, If he had been deported, our daughter would still be alive. A message was left with ICE officials for comment on the case. The victims mother, Jeannie Guerrero, told Clifford the family reluctantly accepted the plea deal, But she said they preferred he be convicted of murder and receive a life sentence. They should make an example of people like this, Jeannie Guerrero said. They shouldnt just get a slap on the wrist. If it were up to us, Ciro Guerrero said after court adjourned, he would spend the rest of his life in jail. Nascimento-Dacostas attorney, John Bowdren, acknowledged the defendant is not in America legally. He is a Brazilian national, Bowdren said after court adjourned. Bowdren said Nascimento-Dacosta will face a deportation hearing when he is released from prison. He said the man will be eligible for parole in 24 years. When asked to comment on the sentencing agreement after the court hearing, Bowdren said, It was really the best we could have expected, given everything he was faced with and the risk of going to trial on a murder charge. Clifford scheduled the sentencing hearing for April 23. Nascimento-Dacosta also pleaded guilty to a second charge of violating a protective order. That order, and the other two, had been designed to protect Guerrero. He was harassing her, Ciro Guerrero said. He said his daughter had lived with them in Brookfield until she moved out to rent her own apartment in Meriden. She moved out of our house one month before she died. Durham recalled during the court hearing Thursday the events of May 2, 2018. There was an argument and she started to leave. He grabbed her and carried her back inside. She went into the bedroom. The defendant held her down with one hand and stabbed her in the upper chest. She bled to death. Clifford said the agreement calls for Nascimento-Dacosta to receive 20 years for first-degree manslaughter and nine years for violating a protective order. He also will be sentenced to a year in prison for violating probation but this will be made concurrent with the rest of the sentence. The defendant, who was dressed in gray prison garb, conferred with Bowdren during the hearing to clarify how long he will serve under the agreement. He has been held in lieu of $3 million bail. According to state judicial records, Nascimento-Dacosta also was convicted and sentenced, in September 2017, on five counts of sixth-degree larceny and three counts of violating probation. randall.beach@hearstmediact.com There are almost 1 million people in India with a cleft palate or cleft lip who have not received any treatment to remedy their condition. Every year, almost 35,000 infants are born with cleft lip and palate, reports Geetanjali Krishna. *IMAGE: Miss Universe 2010 Ximena Navarrete plays with a child with a cleft lip at a hospital during an Operation Smile event in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Photograph: Paulo Whitaker/Reuters Some believe it's a sign of bad luck or bad karma. Others believe that it is caused when a pregnant woman is exposed to an eclipse. A recent conversation with Pankaj Raisingh Dodhia from Gujarat's Dahod district made me realise that the biggest problem with the condition of cleft palate/lip is the lack of awareness about it. "When my daughter Mital was born, we had no idea what was wrong with her, let alone how to help her," he told me. The newborn had a split in her upper lip, she was unable to be breastfed. The midwife who attended to the home birth hadn't a clue; neither did family elders who hadn't seen anything like that before. The distraught couple didn't even think of consulting a doctor for what they mutely accepted as their daughter's unfortunate deformity. The Dodhia couple isn't alone. Estimates suggest that in India, there are almost 1 million people with cleft palate or cleft lip who have not received any treatment to remedy their condition. Every year, almost 35,000 infants are born with cleft lip and palate. Many of them face difficulty in breathing and speaking and newborns, like Mital, inevitably are unable to be breastfed. Sadly, the lack of awareness and superstitions surrounding the condition disfigure the lives of people with cleft lips or palates even more than their condition does. "We would look at her innocent face and wonder if she was paying for the sins of an ancestor," said Dodhia. "Although she was luckily able to eat and speak normally as she became older, we used to worry about what was to become of her." Life started looking up when Mital started school. An alert teacher suggested to her parents that they could seek medical help to correct her condition. The Dodhias found that surgery and subsequent follow ups with plastic surgeons, orthodontists, pediatricians and even speech therapists could actually correct her cleft lip. However, it could cost upwards of Rs 45,000 for the initial surgery alone -- money that Dodhia, a farmer with limited means, could ill afford. Mital's teacher suggested they look out for free surgical camps instead. Dodhia managed to connect with the Muthoot Pappachan Foundation-funded Mission Smile, a Mumbai-based NGO that promotes awareness about cleft lip/palate and organises free surgical camps where screened patients are treated. A camp from January 19-23, 2020 had been scheduled in partnership with Vadodara's Isha Hospital. Mital was evaluated and found to be a suitable candidate for surgery. When I spoke to Dodhia, his daughter was recovering from the operation. Doctors had assured him that it had been successful. "We are immeasurably grateful and relieved because finally Mital has the chance to live a normal life," he told me. The Mission Smile camp has performed as many as 60 corrective surgeries. While 60 lives have undoubtedly been transformed, the fact remains that as long as a killer combination of superstition and ignorance continues to shroud this condition, there will be many Mitals who will not benefit from corrective surgery in time. As Dodhia said in parting to me: "If Mital's teacher had not made us realise that her cleft lip could be medically repaired, we also might have gone through life never knowing anything could be done about it.". Instead, they now have a reason to smile. *Kindly note the image has been posted only for representational purposes. 'India is growing at the lowest rate in the last decade.' 'If it continues on that path, then the jobs and prosperity that has been promised by this government and on the basis of which it was voted in, will continue to elude us,' says Aakar Patel. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com The Gujarat Model was based on a particular narrative. It was that under Narendra Damodardas Modi, there would be a departure from the way that government in India was run. It would be made more efficient, leaner, less corrupt. The existing bureaucratic apparatus would be mobilised under firm leadership to deliver the results it was capable of, and had not been delivering because of failures of previous leadership. These results would show themselves above all in economic growth. This is what brought Modi to the attention of the global media (and also national media). There have been some differing views of what exactly the growth rate was in Gujarat in the period before the BJP period (late 1990s to present) and specifically under Modi. However there has been no dispute that there was a determination to push economic growth. When I met him in that period, Modi said he wanted Gujarat's GDP to grow at 15% a year so that India could grow at 10%. He said that seriously, and he meant it. It cannot be disputed that in this same period there was also a departure in the way that the state was governing its population and its justice system. The violence of 2002 was never put behind, and Modi was the only leader in India's history to have been in power during a major riot and then remained in power after that. But through all of this, his stated intent was to provide strong economic growth for 'all five crore Gujaratis'. It appears to me that this focus on trying whatever was possible to push the economy has gone missing now from the Modi outlook. I hope I am wrong in assuming this, but it is difficult to see it and read it in any other way. The recent thrust from the government has been on an issue that has not been demanded by anyone and does not help the country in any particular way. I mean of course the three laws and actions being pursued by the National Democratic Alliance. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the National Population Register and the National Register of Citizens. The ministry of external affairs made light of the fact that the European parliament tabled a motion condemning the CAA. We were told the resolution is not binding on India and that is true. But the government nonetheless took it seriously enough to try and ensure that the vote on the resolution was postponed by six weeks. Left unsaid was the fact that this was the first time that India's internal policies were being assessed and condemned by such an important international body. Other than this effort from India to delay the criticism, nothing was done to protect India from the allegation that it was going down a path that was worrying the rest of the world. This is of concern because India is dependent on the world viewing it positively so that it can attract global capital. An economy cannot be healthy and cannot grow at optimum rates if the State is at war with a large number of its citizens and views millions of them with suspicion. The Budget that was announced on Saturday, February 1, did not seem to take the view that there was a problem with the economy. It did not please those who wanted to see some initiative. This could have come through the recognition that something was wrong and then an attempt at fix it. India is growing at the lowest rate in the last decade. If it continues in that path then the jobs and prosperity that has been promised by this government and on the basis of which it was voted in, will continue to elude us. It has become clear that Modi is keen on pushing the ideological aspect of the BJP agenda and much of that has already been achieved. The three big issues on which the BJP was built were Ayodhya, Kashmir and the civil code. The temple has been gifted to it by the Supreme Court, and Kashmir has been annexed to very little resistance from the court. The criminalisation of triple talaq has also happened and that means that only polygamy remains to be struck down for the BJP to declare full victory. Given all of these developments, what is the need for Modi to continue down the majoritarian path? Why take on a new front, the CAA-NRC, when you have already delivered what you promised you would do in your manifesto for three decades? This is puzzling given his own history in Gujarat and his ambition for India. One is awaiting a sign from Modi that the attention of his government and of him personally has comprehensively shifted away from ideology towards the economy. The Budget that was presented did not send out that message. Aakar Patel is a writer and columnist. You can read Aakar's columns here. Vermonts Socialist and presidential wannabe, Sen. Bernie Sanders, in a bill introduced last week that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) helped craft would ban fracking nationwide by 2025, a death sentence if passed for the American economy. Like fellow political lemmings Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bloomberg, Sanders has swallowed the lies the greenies have fed him about fracking, as shown in a statement he released supporting his legislation shortly before the disastrous Iowa caucuses: "Fracking is a danger to our water supply. It's a danger to the air we breathe, it has resulted in more earthquakes, and it's highly explosive. To top it all off, it's contributing to climate change," Sanders said in a statement. "If we are serious about clean air and drinking water, if we are serious about combating climate change, the only safe and sane way to move forward is to ban fracking nationwide," he added. Environmental expert Ocasio-Cortez from the fracking-free and declining state of New York echoed his sentiments and this attempt to legislate into law a major part of her Green New Deal: In a statement, Ocasio-Cortez said fracking is a contributor to "our climate emergency." "The science is clear: fracking is a leading contributor to our climate emergency. It is destroying our land. It is destroying our water and it is wreaking havoc on our communities' health." Not only is none of this nonsense true, it is actually the reverse of what is true. The American technology of fracking has helped the United States lead the world in curtailing carbon dioxide emissions and therefore is a leading contributor to climate stability and to the quality of the air we breathe. We are in more danger from the carbon dioxide released during one of Bernies speeches as he crisscrosses the electoral map in private jets. In addition to cleaning the air we breathe of those nasty carbon emissions, like the carbon dioxide that comes out our polluting nostrils, fracking creates jobs that pay for food and shelter, improving the health of our communities on many levels. As President Trump noted in his recent speech at the Shale Insight Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, our booming economy is being led by a booming energy industry allowed to use the latest technology to free a seemingly endless supply of oil and natural gas from the earth under our feet. The conference was staged by some very appreciative energy groups such as the Marcellus Shale Coalition, the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, and the West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association. This energy abundance has put downward pressure on energy costs for consumers and industry, made us energy independent and immune from Middle East instability, quite possibly preventing a global oil recession or major war with the likes of a belligerent and aggressive Iran. While noting that he has opened up ANWR in Alaska for exploration and development, exited the job-killing and economy-choking Paris Climate Accord, as well as greenlighting the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, he pointed out the economic benefits shale development in general and the Marcellus shale formation stretching beneath Pennsylvania in particular as the most significant energy development, as important to the economy as tax cuts and regulatory reform. Trump warned that the Democrats want to take away our energy as well as our guns, and the current prosperity spawned by shale and fracking could end. As noted by David Lenery at The Center Square: A thriving energy industry [is] an enormous benefit to citizens all across our country, all across our land, Trump said. According to the Council of Economic Advisers, who cannot even believe the numbers and the success that we're having, the astonishing increase in production made possible by shale, and the shale revolution, saves Americans $203 billion every year, or $2,500 for a family of four in lower electric bills, lower prices, and at the gas pump. Many politicians in our country are targeting your industry and your jobs for literally total destruction, he told the shale industry workers assembled at the conference. Whether you like it or not, that's where they're going Virtually every leading Democrat is pledged to entirely eliminate fossil fuels, wiping out American production of oil and coal and natural gas, and by the way, jobs. These Democrat plans would obliterate millions of American jobs, devastating communities across Pennsylvania, and bankrupting families all across our nation. Leading that pack of Dark Age advocates is Sen. Elizabeth Warren In contrast, David Spigelmyer, president of the Marcellus Shale Association, noted on Fox and Friends the success of Trumps unleashing American energy: not long ago, the United States was "60 percent dependent on foreign sources of energy. Today, the country is "awash in natural gas" and moving toward energy independence. It was an honor to have the president here in Pittsburgh again to talk about now an area thats supplying a third of the nations natural gas supply," he said. According to a 2016 report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found, the economy would suffer dramatically if lawmakers banned fracking: "A fracking ban would be a disaster for the U.S. economy, exceeding the economic harm caused by the financial crisis, the housing bust, and the Great Recession -- combined," the report said. "Those concurrent events cost the United States around 8 million jobs. A ban on fracturing would destroy more than 14 million jobs, all while raising costs for families and considerably reducing American energy security." A 2019 report by the National Association of State Energy officials noted that thanks to fracking the natural gas industry employed directly some 625,000 Americans in good, high-paying jobs. Those jobs would vanish under a Warren ban. The consequences of a fracking ban would be economically devastating. According to the Washington Free Beacon: The spike in energy prices would raise the cost of living by $4,000 a year, and household incomes would drop by $873 billion. The report concluded the U.S. gross domestic product would be reduced by $1.6 trillion. Texas (1,499,000 jobs lost), Pennsylvania (466,000), Ohio (397,000), and Colorado (215,000) would see more than a combined 2.5 million jobs lost from a fracking ban alone over that span, the report said, taking into consideration its effect on energy prices, incomes, manufacturing, and energy security A separate report from the American Petroleum Institute concluded bans on fracking, fossil fuel production, and other "keep it in the ground" policies would cost 5.9 million jobs and a cumulative GDP reduction of $11.8 trillion. The trade group found the losses would stem from lower economic growth due to lower domestic energy production. Fracking does not cause earthquakes, nor does it taint well water. The allegedly toxic mixture used to fracture shale is in fact a benign blend of 90% water, 9.5% sand and 0.5% chemicals such as the sodium chloride, or table salt, and the citric acid of the orange juice you had for breakfast. Shale formations in which fracking is employed are thousands of feet deep. Drinking water aquifers are generally only 100 feet deep. There is a lot of solid rock between them. It is fracking that has produced a boom in the production of natural gas, a fossil fuel that has produced a significant reduction in the U.S. of so-called greenhouse gases. In 2016, the Obama administration tried to take credit for a 20-year low in carbon emissions while failing to give the fracking revolution any credit. As the Washington Times reported: White House senior advisor Brian Deese cheered the falling carbon dioxide levels at a Monday press conference without mentioning the outsize role played by natural gas, as the cleaner-burning fuel increasingly overtakes coal in electricity generation. For those of you who are not breathlessly following the most recent data that has come out, I would note recent data that weve seen suggests or finds that for the first half of 2016, energy sector emissions in the United States are actually down 6 percent from last year, and 15 percent from 2005, said Mr. Deese. And theyre at their lowest level in nearly 20 years. He said nothing about the U.S. natural gas boom, an omission that critics say has become par for the course as the Obama administration highlights renewable energy and emissions restrictions without acknowledging the role of fracking in natural gas extraction. The carbon emission reductions have continued as the Trump administration has removed the last barriers to fracking expansion: Thanks to President Trumps regulatory reform agenda, the economy is booming, energy production is surging, and we are reducing greenhouse gas emissions from major industrial sources, EPA acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement. Earlier this year, the Energy Information Administration reported that per-capita greenhouse gas emissions hit a 67-year low during Trumps first year in office. The Democrats have no case, moral or otherwise, for banning fracking, which would ironically hurt the environment they allegedly want to heal, while creating an economic collapse. The American people like the prosperity fracking has helped bring and opposition to it in 2020 could bring electoral disaster, particularly in states like Pennsylvania. If they insist on advocating, they will be caught between shale rock and a hard place. Daniel John Sobieski is a former editorial writer for Investors Business Daily and freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in Human Events, Reason Magazine, and the Chicago Sun-Times among other publications. When longtime Republican state Sen. Jim Merritt announced his candidacy for mayor of Indianapolis in January 2019, he and members of his campaign team began brainstorming an idea that would eventually help guide the election season and spark a conversation about Black Indianapolis many felt was overdue. Interviews with Merritt and some of his former campaign staff, as well as Black leaders who were engaged with Merritt throughout the election, revealed a sincere attempt to capture the imagination of Black voters and show what a more equitable city might look like. That idea ultimately became a Black agenda the official document is called An Agenda for the African American Community of Indianapolis which helped propel more conversations about Black issues than many remember from past mayoral elections. According to Dountonia Batts, who did community outreach for Merritts campaign and was one of the chief architects of the Black agenda, the original idea was more broad and included African Americans, poor and brown people in an attempt to create an all-inclusive Indianapolis. That shifted over time into a more specific Black agenda, thanks in part to meetings with the African American Coalition of Indianapolis (AACI), Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis and Baptist Ministers Alliance. There were also the everyday encounters with people who influenced the agenda. Merritt said in an interview there were places in Indianapolis hed never been to, and Batts took him there, from the churches to the neighborhoods plagued by poverty. His face was literally in shock, Batts remembered of some of the times they were out together. He could not believe that it was that neglected or that untouched, that people actually were living in the conditions that were described. To actually see it I think was a shock. That wasnt necessarily a humbling process, Merritt said, but it was educational. He saw food insecurity, poverty, even hopelessness up close and decided those people werent being represented. Bill Benjamin, former Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department deputy chief of investigations, helped construct the Black agenda. He also accepted Merritts offer to become police chief if Merritt had won. Benjamin could not be reached for comment. Whitley Yates, who served as Merritts press secretary and is now director of diversity engagement for the Indiana Republican Party, was also a central figure in developing the agenda. The press secretary for the Indiana Republican Party, Holly Lawson, declined to make Yates available for an interview and did not respond to a request for a statement from Yates. Despite making inroads with the AACI and Concerned Clergy and Baptist Ministers Alliance, despite broadening his community outreach to unfamiliar parts of Indianapolis, and despite being the only candidate to develop a Black agenda, Black voters declined the invitation for change and largely stuck with Hogsett. An October 2019 poll from Indy Politics, conducted less than a month before the election, showed 85% of African American voters supported Hogsett, and only 3% supported Merritt. I dont have the answer of why, Merritt said. I made contact, but I was not able to complete the deal. I told them what I stood for, I told them what I was gonna do, and we werent able to register their vote in my column. Most of the people interviewed for this story believe the most likely reason Black voters stayed away from Merritt was because hes a Republican. It didnt help to have that R by your name, said Rev. David Greene, pastor at Purpose of Life Ministries and president of Concerned Clergy. Batts thought it also could have been a lack of enthusiasm among middle and upper class African Americans, who she said dont necessarily identify with many of the issues that were contained in the Black agenda. If true, that would have been especially consequential in a city election that already doesnt draw many voters (voter turnout was 24%, according to state data), and research suggests wealthier people are more likely to vote. Batts also said it would have been better to start developing a Black agenda as much as year earlier in January 2018, rather than 2019, so fewer voters would see it as a ploy to get their vote. Merritt, who was running for Senate reelection in 2018, said he was trying to recruit a Republican to run for mayor while he served as county chairman for the party and eventually decided he would be the one to do it, but that was in January 2019. Merritt also said he doesnt see myself running again for mayor in 2023. Back in his role as a state senator, Merritt said he learned from his run for mayor about how to be a more effective lawmaker at the Statehouse. I think I look at legislation through different lenses today, he said. Merritt is one of the authors of Senate Bill 39, which would allow courts to grant driving privileges to those who have their license suspended so they can still get to work, for example. The bill passed in the Senate and is in the House of Representatives. He is also a co-author of Senate Bill 67, which would require township trustees in towns with more than 10,000 people to place homeless residents in county homes or give them township assistance. The bill passed to the House. Its part of a post-campaign commitment Merritt said hes made to those who helped shape his run for mayor. Merritt met with Greene shortly after losing the election and said he wasnt gonna walk away from what he had promised, according to Greene. Marshawn Wolley, policy director for AACI and a columnist for the Recorder, said hes continued to talk with Merritt since the election about issues including the unbalanced relationship between landlords and tenants. He said he wasnt gonna leave the Black community, Wolley said, and from what I can tell, hes not. Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick. Indiana Sen. Jim Merritt speaks to a group of ministers and other community members about his plans for African Americans in Indianapolis as a Republican candidate for mayor Oct. 14 at Central Library. (Recorder file photo) While several polls still show Sen. Bernie Sanders with a commanding lead in next Tuesdays New Hampshire primary, new surveys showed Pete Buttigieg gaining ground and picking up a multi-point boost since his strong showing Monday in an Iowa contest that remains undecided. The polls show former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren either slipping or holding on to third or fourth place. An Emerson College and 7 News poll showed the Sanders with 31% of support from 500 Democratic and Independent New Hampshire voters, but Buttigieg surged to second place at 21%, with former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren in a distant third place at 12% each. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota garnered 11% support. NH @7News/ Emerson College Tracking Poll Night 4: Sanders 31% (-1) Buttigieg 21% (+4) Biden 12% (-1) Warren 12% (+1) Klobuchar 11% (0)https://t.co/mPZihwee2F pic.twitter.com/nZPzMLjgEF Emerson College Polling (@EmersonPolling) February 6, 2020 Sanders support from Tuesday into Wednesday dropped by a point. Meanwhile, a new Boston Globe/WBZ-TV/Suffolk University poll showed Buttigieg surging from 11% on Monday to 19% as of Wednesday. Sanders still led in that poll, at 25% support. Biden had dropped from 18% to 12%, just edging out fourth-place Warren at 11%. The poll still showed openings for Warren and Biden to gain back some steam, or Sanders or Buttigieg to pull away past the margin of error, with 14% of voters saying they were undecided. Buttigieg, the 38-year-old former mayor of South Bend, has frequently pitched his candidacy as a force for generational change in Washington, D.C. But Sanders continues to draw strong support from younger voters, just as he did in 2016 when he won the New Hampshire primary. In the Emerson poll, 43% of New Hampshire voters under the age of 50 back Sanders, the poll found, compared to 15% for Buttigieg. Older voters, meanwhile, supported Buttigieg by a six-point margin, 27% to 21% for Sanders. According to the Globe/WBZ/Suffolk poll, Buttigiegs eight-point bump came along with a rise in support from voters over 65 years old, from 12% to 16%, just as Bidens support from older voters dipped from 27% to 19%. People belonging to the Muslim community gather at the Chandni Chowk in Shivajinagar as part of a peace protest demonstration condemning Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and India's new citizenship law, in Bangalore on Jan. 21. (Manjunath Kiran/AFP via Getty Images) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union Minister Giriraj Singh said that the protest in Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act has become a breeding ground for suicide bombers. Giriraj, who has notorious for making controversial remarks, remained defiant of his statement, he told news agency ANI, "I have tweeted what is happening across the country and is reality." The statement from the Union Minister came in reference to the death of a four months old infant named Mohammed Jahaan due to cold recently at the protest site. "A child dies due to cold in Shaheen Bagh and the mother says that his son has made the sacrifice. If this is not a suicide bomb then what it is? If we have to save the country, we should prevent these suicide bomb and khilafat Andolan type protests. The country must be careful of such protests," he said while speaking to news agency ANI in Delhi. The minister received flak on Twitter for his controversial statement: Giriraj Singh, Beta Verma, Tejaswi Surya, Yogi and so many others are trying to be the 'next Modi' by painting themselves as Modi ver. 1998 to 2007. https://t.co/bjBEwrictg Sachi Mohanty (@sachi_bbsr) February 6, 2020 BJP Minister Giriraj Singh Said Women Of Shaheen Bagh Will Become Suicide Bombers...ILYAS SHARAFUDDIN SLAVE OF ALLAH https://t.co/hjeXCwSjWj ABUBAKR ILYAS (@abubakr_ilyas) February 6, 2020 "Suicide bombers are being created at #ShaheenBagh."-MP Unleashing vile accusations on protestors, leaders lay bare their fear of common man winning! Holding public office comes with its own dignity& with such trite remarks,they desecrate public trust!https://t.co/3xsmgUzpgW Indian Muslims (@_IndianMuslims) February 6, 2020 BJP MP Giriraj Singh says there are suicide bombers in #ShaheenBagh. Right. I am shocked at why the Delhi Police which so eagerly deputes a DCP rank officer to influence elections hasn't made a single arrest in #ShaheenBagh. Update- Complaint against Giriraj Singh filed in EC Saahil Murli Menghani (@saahilmenghani) February 6, 2020 Jahaan, who use to accompany her mother to the Shaheen Bagh demonstration, died last week after developing severe cold and congestion and getting exposed to the winter chill at the protest site. The infant breathed his last on the morning of January, 31. Nazia has been regularly attending Shaheen Bagh protest since December 18 and has two more children including 5-year-old girl Ayat and two-year-old Noor Nawaj. Nazia, however, continues to attend the protest, as she puts it, "was for the country." Protests have been going on at Shaheen Bagh since December 15 last year against the Citizenship Amendment Act due to which Kalindi Kunj road has been shut for traffic movement. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (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. The second highest-up person in the Department of Homeland Security said on Thursday that New York has 'reintroduced the problem that caused 9/11' by giving undocumented migrants driver's licenses. The Trump administration this week banned all New York state residents from applying to or renewing their membership to Global Entry and other Trusted Traveler Programs because of a new state law which allows undocumented migrants to obtain driver's licenses. The programs speed up travel times in airports and require an interview, passport check and fingerprint check before approval. The law, dubbed the Green Light Law, also contains a provision that states the New York DMV does not have to share any driver's information with federal law enforcement and specifically ICE unless they are ordered to by a judge. It means the state of New York will have more access to information about the number of migrants living there and who they are than the federal government - something Trump's administration is irate about. Scroll down for video Acting Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state supported migrants and that the Trumpadministration does not On Thursday, in a call to reporters where he defended the decision to block the Trusted Traveler program access, Ken Cuccinelli, the senior official performing the duties of acting secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, said New York was inviting trouble with the bill. 'It was embarrassing to us in Virginia, that the majority of 9/11 terrorists used Virginia driver's licenses to help accomplish their evil mission, and we set about to fix that. And we did fix that. 'Here we have one of the other targets of 9/11, who are walking backwards, quite intentionally, in the other direction to bar the sharing of law-enforcement-relevant information like vehicle registration, matching driver's licenses to identifications, and, critically, criminal records which are kept up to date, and DMV databases,' he said. He called it the 'the main problem ... that allowed 9/11 to happen'. Seven of the 19 9/11 terrorists had obtained Virginia identification cards which they obtained to make checking in for the flights they hijacked easier. 9/11 hackers Mohammed Atta (right) And Abdulaziz Alomari (center) passing through security at Portland International Airport in Maine Abdulaziz Alomari (L) and Ahmed Algahmdi (R) both obtained driver's licenses in Virginia Afterwards, Virginia changed its laws to make it more difficult to obtain identification cards or driver's license. New York's Green Light Law is a sanctuary policy that allows undocumented migrants to apply for a license using a passport from their home country rather than a US document. It also bars the DMV from sharing that information with ICE and Border Protection, meaning illegal immigrants are safeguarded from deportation - even if they have a criminal record. The Trusted Traveler Programs - or TTPs - include Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST. If you currently have access to one of the programs, you will not be able to reapply under the strict guidelines. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf has ruled that nobody from the state can apply for programs that expedite entry into the United States from abroad because authorities cannot properly vet them. 'In New York alone, last year ICE arrested 149 child predators, identified or rescued 105 victims of exploitation and human trafficking, arrested 230 gang members, and seized 6,487 pounds of illegal narcotics, including fentanyl and opioids. The Trusted Traveler Programs - or TTPs - include Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST. Wolf has ruled that nobody from the state can apply for programs that expedite entry into the United States from abroad because authorities cannot properly vet them 'In the vast majority of these cases, ICE relied on New York DMV records to fulfill its mission,' he added. The ban will also affect those who need to re-apply for membership of a traveler program when it expires after five years. 'Because the act prevents DHS from accessing New York DMV records in order to determine whether a TTP (trusted traveler program) applicant or re-applicant meets program eligibility requirements, New York residents will no longer be eligible to enroll or re-enroll,' Wolf wrote. As soon as the Green Light law was signed in December 2016, immigrants were seen lining up at DMVs around New York to get their hands on licenses. The move came just a day after Trump attacked so-called sanctuary cities in his State of the Union address, singling out New York for particular criticism. Trump highlighted the case of Reeaz Khan, 21, an illegal migrant from Guyana accused of raping and murdering 92-year-old Maria Fuertes in Queens. ICE has accused New York authorities of denying a detainment request they placed on Khan because of his immigration status after he was arrested six weeks earlier for assaulting his father with a broken coffee mug. ICE argued the state's sanctuary policies were to blame for the release. Trump used his address to call on Congress to pass the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act, which would allow victims of crimes committed by illegal migrants to sue sanctuary cities. Wolf argued that, since ICE and CBP cannot properly vet New Yorkers for trusted traveler programs, nobody will be allowed to access them. As soon as the Green Light law was signed in December 2016, immigrants were seen lining up at DMVs around New York to get their hands on licenses (above) The move came just a day after Trump attacked so-called sanctuary cities in his State of the Union address, singling out New York for particular criticism He added: 'The United States of America should be a sanctuary for law-abiding Americans - not criminal aliens.' Wolf made his announcement about the traveler programs in a letter to New York authorities the following day. He also noted that exporting vehicles that are registered in New York 'will be significantly delayed and could also be costlier' as a result of the DMV limiting access to its records. Rich Azzopardi, adviser to New York governor Andrew Cuomo, told CNN that the letter is being reviewed by the state. 'This is obviously political retaliation by the federal government and we're going to review our legal options,' he said. File image The Union cabinets decision on Wednesday to give more teeth to the Reserve Bank of India to regulate cooperative banks through an amendment in the Banking regulation Act is welcome. It marks the beginning of an important chapter in the history of Indian banking sector as larger cooperative banks will now be regulated like commercial banks . With this amendment, the RBI will have more power to audit the books of urban co-operate banks, appoint Chief Executive Officers and audit co-operative banks. On 20 January, Moneycontrol had done a story on how dual regulation between the RBI and Registrar of Co-operative Society (RCS) was worsening the mess at Indias opaquely run co-operative banks. The government has finally woken upto the problem and has addressed this issue following the collapse of Maharashtra-based Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative bank (PMC). In last year, the multi-state urban co-operative bank faced a major crisis following major financial irregularities and financial fraud. The RBI, in September, superseded the board of the PMC bank. But why not rural co-ops? So far, it looks like the proposed changes in the Banking regulation Act will cover only the urban cooperative banks and not the rural co-operatives. Regulation of UCBs is split between RBI and the Registrar of Co-operative Societies, while that of smaller co-operative banks is divided between National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) and RCS. RCS reports to the central government. With the changes in the Banking Regulation Act, the RBI will finally get more power over UCBs. While this is good news for UCBs, question arises why rural co-operative banks have been left out of the regulatory overhaul. In fact, the problem of misgovernance and frauds are more in smaller co-operative banks since these entities are largely run by local politicians. Often, these banks dont follow processes and engage in dubious transactions. According to the latest available data on RBI site, India has 1,551 urban co-operative banks (UCBs) at end-March 2018. These banks managed Rs 4.5 lakh crore deposits at end March, 2018. In rural, there are three types of cooperative banks--primary credit co-operative banks, district level cooperative banks and state-level cooperative banks. As on end March, 2017, there were about 33 state co-operative banks with Rs1.2 lakh crore deposits and , 370 district central co-operative banks (Rs3.3 lakh crore deposits) and 95,595 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (Rs1.15 lakh crore deposits). In other words, if one looks at the quantum of deposits, the combined figure of rural co-operative banks is higher than that of UCBs. While rural co-operatives have a combined deposit base of Rs 5.65 lakh crore, UCBs have about Rs 4.45 lakh crore as per latest available data on RBI site. It is important that the government provides enough power to the RBI to govern rural co-operative banks as well to ensure stricter scrutiny and good governance. Actor Vicky Kaushal has an interesting line-up of films, with his horror flick Bhoot Part 1: The Haunted Ship releasing later this month. He will begin shooting for Takht too from February. It is now being reported that he will train for four months as prep for his new film, The Immortal Ashwatthama. According to a report in Bollywood Hungama, the actor will train in mixed martial arts, Israeli martial art Krag Maga and Japanese martial art, Jujitsu for The Immortal Ashwatthama, to be directed by his Uri director Aditya Dhar. The report says that since he is already learning horse riding for Takht, that skill too shall come in handy. In addition, the actor will also learn archery, sword fighting and spear fighting for the film. Not just that, the actor is likely to beef up for the role. For Uri, he went up to 90-95 kgs but for The Immortal Ashwatthama , he is likely to weigh 110 to 115 kgs. The film, to be produced by Ronnie Screwvala, will be extensively shot across the world in places as diverse as New Zealand, Namibia, Tokyo and Greenland. The films VFX will be done in the US. For the uninitiated, Ashwatthama was the son of Guru Dronacharya, the teacher of the Kauravas and Pandavas. In the battle of Mahabharata, he fought on the side of the Kauravas, like his father. He is one of the seven immortals or chiranjivis in Hindu religion, along with Hanuman, Parashurama, Rishi Vyasa, Vibhishana, King Bali, and Acharya Kripa. Ashwatthama was born with a jewel on his forehead that gave him protection against hunger, thirst and fatigue. During the battle of Kurukshretra, Lord Krishna tricks Dronacharya into believing that Ashwatthama had died, in an attempt to digress his attention and stop him from creating havoc in the Pandava camp. Also read | Bigg Boss 13: John Cena shares Asim Riazs pic, fans say only a winner in life can identify the true winner Speaking about his fascination with the character, Aditya had told Mumbai Mirror, Ashwatthama is one of the most powerful and mysterious characters from the Mahabharata. Being Dronas son, he is a brilliant warrior but also arrogant and egoistic because he is immortal. In comparison to other warriors like Arjuna and Karna, not much is written about him in various versions of the Mahabharata. He is not perfect but then none of us are, which is what I love the most about him. Follow @htshowbiz for more If I will die, let it ... / -- ValueLabs Australia has announced a $10,000 donation to the "Victorian Bushfire Appeal" to help address the most immediate priorities of affected communities, including the rescue and rehabilitation of local wildlife. Established in partnership with the Bendigo Bank Community Enterprise Foundation and the Salvation Army, the Victorian Bushfire Appeal will provide support to impacted Victorians as they begin to rebuild their lives. The funding will also provide support to carry out events in bushfire-affected communities and assist households and communities to prepare for bushfires and other natural disasters. Biju Madhav, Sr. Vice President & Regional Head for ValueLabs Australia, said: "Our thoughts are with the impacted families, wildlife, firefighters and people contributing to the recovery effort. We are committed to supporting Australian communities, especially in this time of need." 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, 150 clients worldwide, and recorded an industry-leading client Net Promoter Score (NPS) of over 75 in 2019. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1022046/ValueLabs_LLP_Logo. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) " " Cesar Chavez is perhaps best known as an American union builder during the furious 1960s and a relentless advocate for the rights of abused farmworkers. Library of Congress The fight for human rights is never done alone. It's borne by a multitude of visionaries, carried on by armies of believers and waged in a variety of ways. Through, for a few examples, the quiet and peaceful dignity of Mahatma Gandhi. The soaring eloquence of Martin Luther King Jr. The fervor of Susan B. Anthony. The certitude of Malcom X. The unbending reason of Nelson Mandela. The persistence of young Greta Thunberg. Among those icons old and young, past and present, a special place is reserved for Cesar Estrada Chavez, whose humility and resolute belief in La Causa made him a hero to millions. "Why were they drawn to him?" asks Marc Grossman, Chavez's speechwriter and personal aide for the Cesar Chavez Foundation. "Because he had great faith in them. He had faith they could do great things." Advertisement Who Was Cesar Chavez? Chavez is perhaps best known as an American union builder during the furious 1960s and a relentless advocate for the rights of abused farmworkers. But the way in which he carried out his work, and the people he reached with his message of hope, made him so much more. He was a devout Catholic who believed in the goodness of his fellow humans and the power of nonviolent resistance. He was friends with Bobby Kennedy. He exchanged telegrams with King. And to this day, Cesar Chavez remains a darling of America's counterculture, a soft-spoken, sly-smiling, immovable object standing in the path of the country's rich and powerful. The child of Mexican American parents, Chavez was born in 1927 in Yuma, Arizona, into the back-wrecking life of a migrant farm family in the Southwest United States. He and many others commonly worked 10- to 12-hour days, often bent over a short-handled hoe el cortito for wages that would barely keep them alive. He estimated that he attended 65 different schools as a kid. He never got past eighth grade. Chavez enlisted in the U.S. Navy after the end of World War II, before it was desegregated, but soon returned to California, where he started a family of his own. By the early 1950s, he was introduced to organizers in the Community Services Organization, and by the late '50s he had become its national president. By the early 1960s, Chavez already was in full dispute with the moneyed growers who saw him and his swelling group of followers as a threat to their financial well-being. He traveled the fields of California, signing up workers to join his fledgling National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), later to become the United Farm Workers. And soon, bolstered by his belief in La Causa, Chavez would transform the lives of thousands. " " Cesar Chavez is seen speaking at the Delano United Farm Workers rally, in Delano, California in June 1974. Calliopejen1 /Wikimedia Commons/(CC BY 3.0) Advertisement Fighting the Good Fight Though Chavez lacked a full, formal education, he was a voracious reader. He followed Gandhi and King and took from them lessons of nonviolence. He also read the works of union organizers like Eugene V. Debs. His belief in the workers, and their worth, pushed him. And their belief in him sustained his work. "You know, many people, for a hundred years before Cesar Chavez, tried and failed to organize farmworkers. People who had a lot more resources and money and had a much better education, tried and failed. For a hundred years," Grossman says. "And he succeeded, I think, because he was one of them. It was not an academic pursuit for him." Chavez endured government investigations and death threats from the rich and powerful. He often traveled with two fierce-looking German shepherds Boycott and Huelga (Strike) who became both friends to Chavez and deterrents to those who might wish him harm. (They also were an inspiration. He credited his dogs with his decision to become a vegan, and he became an animal rights activist later in his life.) As he did in the fields as a young man, Chavez put in long, hard hours organizing workers, traveling from town to town, pushing for better wages, insurance and improved working conditions. He employed the threats of boycotts and strikes and, in fact, went beyond mere threats to try to better the lives of those he represented. In 1965, Chavez and the NFWA joined forces with a group of Filipino grape workers in the Delano (California) grape strike. It lasted five years and included a boycott of table grapes that spread throughout the nation. Chavez insisted with an acute awareness of the violence that roiled the country that decade that the protest remain nonviolent. But as it wore on, many workers grew impatient. To focus strikers on staying strong without using violence, and to show those throughout the country their resolve, Chavez went on a 25-day fast. Thousands streamed into the tiny windowless room near Delano to see him during his fast. He lost 35 pounds (15 kilograms). King sent a telegram, which said in part: Your past and present commitment is eloquent testimony to the constructive power of nonviolent action and the destructive impotence of violent reprisal. You stand today as a living example of the Gandhian tradition with its great force for social progress and its healing spiritual powers. Bobby Kennedy was there as Chavez finally broke the fast, calling him, "one of the heroic figures of our time." In a statement, Chavez said, "To be a man is to suffer for others. God help us to be men." It took some more time, but in 1970, grape growers signed their first contracts with the union that provided workers better pay and benefits. " " Cesar Chavez at the national headquarters of the United Farm Workers Union, talking with grape boycott leaders in Keene, California. Library of Congress Advertisement Beyond the Union Battle Chavez stepped outside union activism, too. He came out strongly against the Vietnam War in the 1960s and in the '70s was active in the struggle for gay rights. The Delano fast was not the only one that Chavez would undertake over his long career. He went for 36 days without food in 1988 to protest the threat that pesticides posed to farm workers and their children. (He was, in effect, an early environmental activist, too.) Chavez continued to work and organize for the UFW throughout his life. He was in Arizona in 1993, helping to defend the union in a lawsuit, when he died, peacefully, at the home of a longtime friend. He was 66. Some 45,000 people attended his funeral in Delano, California. He is now buried in Keene, California, where he lived and labored for the last quarter-century of his life and where the Cesar E. Chavez National Monument is now located. Throughout his life, Chavez fought for farmworkers. But he came to realize or, perhaps, he knew it all along that the fight was larger than that between workers and employers. "And that meant tackling the dilemma in the community," Grossman says. "It had to be more than wages, hours and working conditions. It had to be more than money for your own people." In 1984, in a carefully crafted speech in front of the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco (his first time speaking from a script), Chavez laid out his vision. Buoyed at the time by impending demographic changes that promised to strengthen Hispanic political power, Chavez sounded less like a union organizer than a full-blown civil rights icon. An excerpt: Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. Our opponents must understand that it's not just a union we have built. Unions, like other institutions, can come and go. But we're more than an institution. For nearly 20 years, our union has been on the cutting edge of a people's cause and you cannot do away with an entire people; you cannot stamp out a people's cause. Regardless of what the future holds for the union, regardless of what the future holds for farmworkers, our accomplishments cannot be undone. "La Causa" our cause doesn't have to be experienced twice. Advertisement His Lasting Legacy Today, the University of California-Berkeley has a student center named after Chavez. High schools, elementary schools, streets and parks bear his name. So does a Navy ship. In 2003, the U.S. Postal Service issued a stamp with his likeness. President Barack Obama christened the national monument in 2012 where Chavez is now buried. More, the thousands of people who flocked to meet him, the millions more who knew of him or have learned about him, continue to carry on his work and his dreams. Grossman cites a couple of examples off the top of his head: a young teacher's aide in California who now is a school district superintendent. A young paralegal who now is a superior court judge in the state. "He saw the greater good of helping people fulfill their dreams. And some of them were dreams that many of them didn't even know they had," says Grossman. "He really instilled hope and confidence in people who never had them before." " " The fountain at the grave marker of Cesar Chavez honors the United Farm Workers' five martyrs , including Nan Freeman, Nagi Daifallah, Juan De La Cruz, Rufino Contreras and Rene Lopez. National Park Service NOW THAT'S INTERESTING In August 1994, a little more than a year after his death, Chavez was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton in a ceremony at the White House. "The farmworkers who labored in the fields and yearned for respect and self-sufficiency pinned their hopes on this remarkable man, who with faith and discipline, with soft-spoken humility and amazing inner strength, led a very courageous life; and in so doing, brought dignity to the lives of so many others and provided us for inspiration for the rest of our nation's history," Clinton said. Chavez's widow, Helen, received the award. Advertisement Originally Published: Feb 6, 2020 Scientists from Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU, Vladivostok, Russia), together with colleagues from FEB RAS, China, Hong Kong, and Australia, manufactured ultra-compact bright sources based on IR-emitting mercury telluride (HgTe) quantum dots (QDs), the future functional elements of quantum computers and advanced sensors. A related article is published in "Light: Science and Applications". FEFU scientists, together with colleagues from the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and foreign experts, designed a resonant lattice laser printed on a surface of thin gold film that allows to control the near- and mid-IR radiation properties of capping layer of mercury telluride (HgTe) QDs. The near- and mid-IR spectral range is extremely promising for the implementation of optical telecommunication devices, detectors, and emitters, as well as sensor and next-generation security systems. Recently developed semiconductor QDs represent promising nanomaterials emitting light exactly in this range. However, the main issue is associated with fundamental physical limitations (the Fermi golden rule, Auger recombination, etc.) dramatically decreasing intensity of the IR-emitting QDs. Scientists from FEFU, and Institute of Automation and Control Processes (IACP FEB RAS) together with foreign colleagues for the first time overcame this limitation by applying a special resonant lattice of nanostructures. Scientists formed the lattice by ultra-precise direct laser printing on the surface of a thin film of gold. "The plasmon lattice we developed consists of millions of nanostructures arranged on the gold film surface. We produced such lattice using advanced direct laser processing. This fabrication technology is inexpensive comparing to existing commercial lithography-based methods, easily up-scalable, and allows facile fabrication of nanostructures over cm-scale areas. This opens up prospects for applying the developed approach to design new optical telecommunication devices, detectors, and emitters, including the first IR-emitting QD-based microlaser." - said the author of the work, Aleksander Kuchmizhak, a researcher at the FEFU Center for Virtual and Augmented Reality. The scientist explains that the resonant lattice converts the pump radiation into a special type of electromagnetic waves referred to as surface plasmons. Such waves, propagating over the surface of the patterned gold film within the capping layer of QDs, provide their efficient excitation boosting photoluminescence yield. "For the visible spectral range, quantum dots have been synthesizing for several decades. Just a few scientific groups in the world, though, are capable of synthesizing QDs for the near and mid-IR range. Thanks to the plasmon lattice we developed, which consists of plasmon nanostructures arranged in a special way, we are able to control the main light-emitting characteristics of such unique QDs, for example, by repeatedly increasing the intensity and photoluminescence lifetime, reducing the efficiency of non-radiative recombinations, as well as by tailoring and improving emission spectrum." Said Alexander Sergeev, a senior researcher at IACP FEB RAS. The scientist noted that quantum dots are a promising class of luminophores. They synthesized by a simple and cost-effective chemical method, this material is durable and unlike organic molecules does not suffer from degradation. ### The study supported by grants from the Russian Science Foundation (No. 17-19-01325), the Center for Functional Photonics, City University of Hong Kong, and the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Government of Hong Kong (No. ITS / 402/17). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41377-020-0247-6 Iowa, you have shocked the nation, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg proclaimed Monday night, in one of the weirder victory speeches youll ever hear. He was right, though not in the way he intended. Inconsistencies in the data from the Iowa caucuses led to delays Tuesday morning there still were no results, which is what made Buttigiegs claim so odd. (#MayorCheat was a top-trending hashtag on Twitter on Tuesday morning.) And those inconsistencies led to a media meltdown on Monday night, as anchors, pundits and talking heads struggled to fill the air time. Where are the results that were promised us? seemed to be the prevailing attitude. 'Its so awkward, so embarrassing so unfair' What happened at the Iowa democratic caucus? Results are still pending. But one things's for sure: Wolf Blitzer's near-meltdown on CNN won the night. Not to pick on CNN suddenly having to tread water in what was supposed to be a huge breaking news story that's ground to a halt is a tall order for all the networks but thats where dudgeon ran most high; its talkers seemed to take the delay as a personal affront. Wolf Blitzer and, especially, political director David Chalian sounded like a couple of guys annoyed to have missed a dinner reservation. Its crazy, whats going on, Blitzer said as results continued to not trickle in. Then, later: Its so awkward, so embarrassing so unfair. Veteran Iowan journalist: Parties must dump the Iowa caucuses, a facade of democracy Settle down. Take a breath. Chalian shouted a lot; it brought to mind the line from Lloyd Dobler in the great film Say Anything YOU MUST CHILL. Good luck with that. How a weird night got even weirder Conspiracy theories immediately started zipping around social media. Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) were particularly keen on these, as is their wont. There were stories that a new smartphone app for reporting results had malfunctioned, or had been hacked, and definitely hadnt been tested enough. (The Iowa Democratic Party denied this, saying the delays were simply due to a reporting issue.) Story continues In other words, it was a weird night that got weirder, at least in how media covered it. Iowa has a long tradition as the start of the political process; presidential candidates spend months, if not years, there, trying to get off to a good start. There used to be something even I could admire: I used to cover Republicans who are cowering to Trump. I don't recognize them now. But its an unorthodox, complicated system to begin with. As the networks sent reporters out into the precincts, with precinct captains basically calling for a show of hands among supporters, it looked more like how you would choose the captain of the middle-school safety patrol than a candidate for the president of the United States. Everyone getting together in cliques in a school gymnasium, then getting picked on when they dont have enough friends, Bloomberg reporter Ryan Teague Beckwith tweeted. The Iowa caucuses are basically dodgeball. A surreal moment during a phone interview Around 8 p.m. MST it was clear something was up. Of course, a slight delay is nothing that unusual, so there was a little vamping, which led to theories about what might be slowing things down. As the networks got more and more of nothing, no one knew exactly what to do not least of all the candidates. There was a surreal moment in which Blitzer was conducting a phone interview with a precinct secretary named Shawn Sebastian, who had been on hold for more than an hour trying to report his results. He was talking to Blitzer when a woman finally picked up on the line; as the discussion continued with CNN the woman, apparently hearing nothing on her end, moved on. They hung up on me, Sebastian said. Ive got to get back in line on hold. So frustrating, indeed, Blitzer said. You think? 'Its like an Oprah victory speech night' Around 9 p.m. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar bailed out the networks by making a speech, lack of results notwithstanding. Then former Vice President Joe Biden spoke to his camp and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren to hers at the same time, forcing the networks to pick one or the other. Boy, at that point, the night just couldnt have been going any better for Democrats in Iowa. Sanders rallied his troops, as well. Its like an Oprah victory speech night You get a victory speech, you get a victory speech, Brett Baier said on Fox News. All the speeches were positive, all were optimistic about the mysterious results, whatever they might be they acknowledged the lack of numbers. "I have a strong feeling that at some point the results will be announced," Sanders told his crowd, drawing laughs. Then Buttigieg spoke. We dont know all the results, he said. But we know by the time its all said and done, Iowa, you have shocked the nation. Because by all indications, we are going on to New Hampshire victorious. Huh? What indications? He didnt say, and no one on the networks (or anywhere else, presumably), knew either. You might think that by Tuesday, things would had settled down. But you would be wrong. A quick surf of channels found Blitzer saying, Were getting some new information on what went so horribly wrong in Iowa. This story is developing, as they say. Just not fast enough for the people covering it. Bill Goodykoontz is a media critic at The Arizona Republic where this column originally appeared. Follow him on Twitter: @goodyk. 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 Arizona Republic: 2020 Iowa caucus: How CNN's Wolf Blitzer's near-meltdown won the night Update February 7: Nathan Bolton has been found safe and well Earlier: A teenage boy has gone missing from his home in Co. Wexford. Gardai are looking for help to find 17-year-old Nathan Bolton who is missing from the Gorey area of Wexford since yesterday. He is described as being six foot tall with black hair, a regular build and brown eyes. Anyone with information on his whereabouts are asked to contact Gardai in Gorey Garda Station on 053 9421222. ST. PAUL The U.S. Senate rebuffed efforts to remove President Donald Trump from office on Wednesday, Feb. 5 in an impeachment trial centered on his alleged abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Voting mostly along party lines, the Senate declined to convict Trump on those articles of impeachment. Sens. Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven, both R-N.D., voted to acquit the president on both articles, as did Sens. John Thune and Mike Rounds, both R-S.D. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, both D-Minn., were the only senators for the region who voted to convict Trump on both articles. In a statement issued after the acquittal, Thune expressed a desire for the Senate to move on from the impeachment process to other policy issues. "This has been a highly disruptive process for the American people, and Im as eager as they are to get back to the agenda they elected us to pursue," he said. All told, the Senate acquitted Trump of the abuse of power charge by a vote of 48-52, and of obstruction of Congress 53-47. The acquittal was expected in the Republican-controlled Senate, where a two-thirds vote is required to convict and remove a sitting president. It put an end to a process that began in the majority-Democrat U.S. House, which voted in January to impeach Trump. ADVERTISEMENT The two articles of impeachment brought against Trump stemmed from accusations that he pressured his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, now a candidate for president, and his son Hunter. In his remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday morning, Cramer decried the impeachment process as a partisan attack on Trump. He defended the Senate's handling of the trial, in which no new witnesses or documents were considered. "The Senate conducted a complete, comprehensive trial resulting, in my view, in a crystal-clear conclusion," he said. "The Democratic-led House of Representatives failed to meet the most basic standard of proof and has dramatically lowered the bar for impeachment to unacceptable levels." Like his colleagues, Hoeven called in his remarks for the Senate to move on from impeachment to focus on other policy issues. If Trump is to be removed from office, he said, he should be removed by voters in the 2020 election. In a tweet, Rounds lauded the conclusion of the trial. "We have overwhelmingly rejected the articles of impeachment and can get back to doing the work Americans sent us here to do," he said. "And we have lots of work to do!" Smith, in a string of tweets sent after the trial's conclusion, said that "the work of reinforcing the American values of fairness and justice will continue" despite Trump's acquittal. Klobuchar, herself a candidate for president, said in a tweet that the Senate failed to hold Trump accountable. "History will remember that the majority in this body did not seek out the evidence and instead decided that the Presidents actions did not even require a second look," she said. Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Superior set January water level records. This marks the first month Lake Michigan and Lake Huron have set record water levels in the overall Great Lakes rapid water rise in the past seven years. Lakes Michigan and Huron are essentially the same lake for water level purposes because water flows between the lakes at the Straits of Mackinac. Lake Michigans and Lake Hurons water level for January 2020 was benchmarked at 581.56 feet. The previous record level for January was 581.30 feet. Lake Michigan and Lake Huron cracked the old record by 0.26 of a foot, or 3.12 inches. One inch of water on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron is 800 billion gallons. January crushed the previous water level by 2.4 trillion gallons. Now look at the new forecast for the next six months. Lake Michigan and Huron past water levels and the forecast for the next six months. In the graph just above, the green dashed line is the forecast for the next six months if the supply of water into Lakes Michigan and Huron is near normal. The black marks at each month are the record levels for those months. The current forecast has Lakes Michigan and Huron several inches above record levels right on through July. We know the weather has been far from average over the past year. We have been in a wetter-than-normal pattern. The forecast shows a wet scenario too with the top line of the red dashed cone area being the highest possible outcome on very wet weather. If the top end of wet weather outcomes occurs, Lakes Michigan and Huron will rise to levels never recorded in modern times back to 1918. In fact the upper end of the forecast puts Lakes Michigan and Huron six inches higher than the highest monthly level in October 1986. Lake Superior also set an unexpected record Lake Superior averaged 602.72 feet on its water level benchmark, with the previous record being 602.69 feet. Lake Superior set a new January average water level record by one-third of an inch. Its not much of a record, but thats a lot of water on Lake Superior. Lake Superior's recent water levels and the six month forecast. Lake Superiors forecast is to most likely hover just below record water levels. If Lake Superiors drainage basin got into much wetter than average weather, Lake Superior could ride just above record water levels. Lake Erie is about 2.5 inches below record water levels in January, but is expected to rise to record levels in February. Lake Erie could also go higher than ever recorded in modern times if really wet weather settles in. Lake Ontario was 4.3 inches below record levels in January 2020. The average forecast keeps Lake Ontario below record water levels through July. A wet scenario could take Lake Ontario to record water levels by March. Right now the sand dunes and structures along the shorelines of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron look most susceptible to damage from high water in the next six months. READ MORE: Birdseye view of Lake Michigan shore shows impact of erosion Home on edge of Lake Michigan bluff demolished to avoid collapse Mr Yakubu said the Edo governorship election will hold on September 19, while that of Ondo State will hold October 10. He added that details of the elections would be published and made public both on the INEC website and across its social media platforms. The INEC chairman said the declaration is in pursuance of the provisions of Section 178(2) of the 1999 Constitution that states that INEC cannot hold earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of office of an incumbent Governor. According to him, the tenure of the governors of Edo and Ondo states will end on November 12 and February 24, 2021 respectively. The commission has fixed Saturday 19th September 2020 as the date for the governorship election in Edo State and Saturday 10th October 2020 for Ondo State. Detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the two elections will be published on our website and social media platforms shortly. The date is in Pursuant to the provisions of Section 178(2) of the 1999 Constitution and Section 25(8) of the Electoral Act 2010, elections cannot hold earlier than 150 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of office of an incumbent Governor. The INEC chairman also urged governorship candidates to desist from electoral violence. I wish to remind all parties and candidates that violence during party primaries and election campaigns, and the snatching of electoral materials and deployment of thugs against INEC officials, observers, the media and security personnel at polling units are punishable under our electoral rules, he said. More polls The INEC chairman also said the commission would conduct bye-elections in three constituencies on Saturday, March 14. He said the elections were a result of the deaths of some serving members of the National and State Assemblies. He said the elections would hold simultaneously in Kwara, Sokoto, and Niger states. The Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives has declared a vacancy in Magama/Rijau Federal Constituency of Niger State. The Honourable Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly has declared a vacancy in Patigi State Constituency while the Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly has declared the Kebbe State Constituency vacant. These bye-elections will hold simultaneously in the three (3) States of the Federation on Saturday 14th March 2020. Again, the detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities will be published on our website and social media platforms shortly, he said. An Illinois man who works as a U.S. government contractor has been kidnapped in Afghanistan by Taliban-affiliated militants. Mark R. Frerichs, 57, was kidnapped while working in Afghanistan's southeastern province of Khost last Friday, U.S. officials told Newsweek. The officials believe the kidnapping was orchestrated by the Taliban-aligned Haqqani militant group. Mark R. Frerichs, 57, was kidnapped while working in Afghanistan's southeastern province of Khost last Friday. Pictured above are U.S. soldiers in the same region where Frerichs was captured Frerichs, who is from Lombard near Chicago, is the managing director of a contracting company called International Logistical Support. According to his LinkedIn, Frerichs is a civil engineer who has been living, working and consulting in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan and other conflict zones for the past decade. He has previously worked on conflict zone logistical contracts with U.S. military, government and NGO funded projects. He is also a former U.S. Navy diver. Officials say no one has claimed responsibility yet for Frerichs' abduction and it isn't clear how he captured. Both the state and defense departments, as well as the FBI's Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, have been helping in the search. Officials have said the state department often brings in the FBI to handle kidnapping and hostage situations. The FBI and the departments have not commented on the case involving Frerichs. The Haqqani network has been behind the kidnapping of several other Americans in Afghanistan. Immediate past governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Raji Fashola has backed the ban of Okada riders on Lagos roads by stating that commercial motorcycles were never part of the states plan. Fashola, who is now the minister for works made this known at a public lecture organised by the United Action for Change (UAC) on Thursday in Lagos. If you care about security, you should back your governor on Okada ban. As a centre of excellence, Okada cannot be part of the plan. Ive always held this position. Motorcycle has always been a conduit pipe for the opioid crisis among youths. We must act to eliminate anonymity. I was robbed in my home, in fact on my bed in 1999. Organised crime is dynamic, criminals are aware that people dont keep money at home again, now they diversified into kidnapping people for ransom. We must have data to identify people. You have SIM cards on your phone. Its called subscriber identity module which can be tracked everywhere in the world. The attorney-general of each state and legislators should act. In those days, we used to have licence for bicycles. Surfing legend Mick Fanning has broken his silence on his accused stalker who allegedly wrote a love letter saying she had thoughts about killing him. Sarah Anne Foote, 38, allegedly wrote several love letters to the three-time world champion before breaking into his Gold Coast home on February 2. On Thursday, Fanning, 38, spoke for the first time about his alleged run-in with the accused. 'When someone walks into your house, it's concerning, so that's why I called the police,' he told the Gold Coast Bulletin. Surfing legend Mick Fanning has broken his silence on his accused stalker who allegedly wrote a love letter saying she had thoughts about killing him. Fanning is pictured with his American model girlfriend Breeana Randall Sarah Anne Foote (pictured), 38, allegedly wrote several love letters to the three-time world champion before breaking into his Gold Coast home on February 2 'I know the details of it, I was there, I look after people in my house and that's what I am doing. 'It is what it is, it's done, she was arrested. It's in the court's hands, it's in the police hands.' On Thursday morning, Foote appeared in Southport Magistrates Court charged with two counts of stealing, unlawful stalking and enter dwelling with intent. The court heard that one letter she sent to Fanning was about how the woman had thoughts of killing him, while another was titled: 'Sarah loves Mick'. Police allege that Foote had an 'unhealthy infatuation' with Fanning. Fanning discovered the letters after returning from a three-week holiday. Meanwhile, Foote is accused of unlawfully stalking the three-time world champion surfer between January 29 and February 4. Foote wrote a letter to Fanning was about how she had thoughts of killing him, while another was titled: 'Sarah loves Mick', Southport Magistrates Court heard on Thursday. She is charged with two counts of stealing, unlawful stalking and enter dwelling with intent Foote allegedly broke into the 38-year-old's Gold Coast home on February 2 with the intent to commit an offence. Fanning's neighbour allegedly spotted Foote in his own backyard, climbing over the fence onto the surfer's property. The surfer and his friends allegedly discovered Foote inside before she ran off after spending an unknown amount of time in his house. Foote was remanded in custody and will return to Southport Magistrates Court on Friday. Fanning retired from competitive surfing in 2018, finishing second to Brazilian Italo Ferreira in his final contest at the Rip Curl Pro Bell's Beach. The 38-year-old ended his career with 22 elite tour wins and was famously attacked by a shark while competing at Jeffrey's Bay in South Africa in 2015. This will be the Trump campaign agenda throughout 2020 if Mr. Biden gets the Democratic nomination not to portray himself as ethical, but to get voters to say, Well, both of them have scandals, so whatever. And some political journalists will feel compelled to acknowledge the accusations against the Bidens. Theyll offer caveats, of course, as one news story from 2019 did, saying, Theres no evidence that Hunter or his father acted improperly or violated any laws. But the arrangement, government ethics experts say, raises concerns. The raises concerns part is the key it will be just enough to plant seeds of doubt in voters minds about the Democrats ethical commitments. But the Trump approach is nothing if not flexible. Hed use it against any Democratic nominee. If Mr. Sanders is nominated, Mr. Trump might pull from many things in the senators long political history. For one, Mr. Sanders honeymooned in the U.S.S.R. in 1988. It wouldnt take too much effort for Mr. Trump to suggest that Mr. Sanders did something untoward or un-American during that 10-day trip, and he has friends in high places in the Russian government who could help in this regard. If its Pete Buttigieg, hell accuse the former mayor of being racist through his leadership in South Bend, Ind., or of being corrupt through his consulting work with McKinsey. If its Elizabeth Warren, hell accuse her of racism, of fraudulently using ancestry claims to get into schools and of taking millions of dollars in shady legal consulting fees. My argument here is not that Democrats should focus on picking a clean nominee who cant be smeared with scandal. The leading Democrats are all pretty clean. Rather, Im saying that Mr. Trump and his Republican allies will attempt to make the nominee look dirty, legitimately or not, no matter who it is. Thats his one go-to campaign tactic. Now, its not obvious that this tactic works all that well. According to John Sides, Michael Tessler and Lynn Vavrecks study of the 2016 election, Identity Crisis, media coverage of the general election was a net negative for Mr. Trump. Even while tearing down Mrs. Clintons reputation, he was still at a disadvantage. On the other hand, the relentless focus on the email scandal most likely pressured James Comey, the F.B.I. director at the time, to announce the agency would review new material in the investigation of Mrs. Clinton in late October of 2016, and that may well have influenced the elections outcome. But once Mr. Trump starts going after the Democratic nominee this way, Democrats shouldnt kick themselves for not picking a cleaner champion. No matter who it is, Mr. Trump will find a scandal. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered five agencies to work on a plan to redevelop the Mile Long property in Makati, three years after the government took back the lot from a private firm. Duterte directed the Department of Finance, the Department of Budget and Management, Bureau of the Treasury, Privatization Management Office (PMO), and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) to form a technical working group and craft a redevelopment and privatization plan for the two-hectare property through Administrative Order No. 21 issued on January 29. The PMO has been in charge of the property along Amorsolo Street in Legaspi Village, which used to be occupied by Sunvar Realty Development Corporation. The company reportedly owes 1.676 billion in unpaid rent, excluding interest, to the state. Sunvar is owned by the Prieto and Rufino families. They also own the Philippine Daily Inquirer, a broadsheet often criticized by the President. RELATED: Prieto-led Dunkin' Donuts franchiser facing tax evasion complaint Solicitor General Jose Calida previously said that Sunvar occupied the prime lot in the Makati Business District since 1982 under a lease agreement that expired in 2002. The company continued to rent out the space for 14 years without paying anything to the government, instead lodging a legal battle for the space. RELATED: Gov't to retake Batangas lot leased by Chevron next year Sunvar tenants have been told to vacate the property three years ago by order of the Court of Appeals. The government took over in August 2017, with the Finance department collecting an average of 6.7 million per month from leases. The DOF said there are 309 available spaces for lease in the building, plus parking areas. The President said he wants to use these collections to pay military pensions, which have risen significantly as these are benchmarked on the salaries received by soldiers in active duty. "The development of the Mile Long property, considering its location in one of the country's premiere business districts, will greatly contribute to the generation of revenues for priority programs of the government, including, among others, the pension program of military and uniformed personnel," the order read, which was released Thursday. Malacanang instructed the PMO to sign a deal with BCDA that will allow the latter to manage and redevelop the property before it is eventually sold to a private owner. BCDA has been in charge of converting military bases in Clark, Pampanga, the New Clark City in Tarlac; the Bonifacio Global City; and McKinley Hill in Taguig into business districts. READ: Gov't to retake Batangas lot leased by Chevron next year Locals of Gorakhpur took precautionary measures against Coronavirus. Tourists from other countries were asked to wear a mask in public places. A visitor from Nepal said he was concerned with the epidemic and was taking good care of himself. An Australian Instagram model and blogger known for her breathtaking travel photos has stunned her fans by announcing she has split from her long-term partner. Cleo Codrington has built a following of almost 160,000 on the social media platform by sharing her and her partner Mitch Cox's experience globetrotting around the world. The couple regularly shared photos of them in Australia and beyond embracing on a scenic clifftop, setting up a fire on the beach or driving their campervan through the wilderness. Well-known Australian Instagram model Cleo Codrington (pictured) has stunned her fans by announcing she has split from her long-term partner Cleo Codrington and Mitch Cox (both pictured) have a combined 245,000 Instagram followers In a post to her Instagram page on Wednesday, Ms Codrington revealed she and her partner Mitch - who appears in many of her far-flung photos - had decided to go in different directions after six years together Ms Codrington said the split was meant to allow both of them time to 'figure out who you are completely and utterly by yourself' But in a post to her Instagram page on Wednesday, Ms Codrington revealed she and her partner had decided to go in different directions after six years together. 'Just over a month ago, Mitch and I decided we both needed to focus more on ourselves - to regain our independence from both one another and our relationship,' she said. 'I won't try and go into the how's and why's... but after 6 incredible and life-changing years together as a couple, as best friends and as a team - we realised that ever since we met at uni, we hadnt spent any proper time apart from each other or had any space to work on ourselves as individuals.' Ms Codrington underlined further down her post the importance of having time to 'figure out who you are completely and utterly by yourself'. 'I could have never survived van life for as long as we did with any other, and I look forward to seeing where this time takes us,' she said as she concluded the post. Her Instagram page still includes multiple pictures of the pair travelling together despite the split. The model's followers praised the couple for forging their own paths. The couple regularly shared photos of them in Australia and beyond enjoying downtime in their camper van or embracing on a scenic clifftop 'Ive enjoyed your travels for years. Best of luck to you both,' one person wrote. 'Best of everything to both of you,' another added. 'May your new journey be as wonderful.' Last year, Ms Codrington denied illegally swimming in a sacred natural spring after her photos sparked a worldwide backlash. This is the image that sparked controversy last year as Ms Codrington (pictured) appears to be posing in New Zealand's Blue Springs, where swimming is banned She posted snaps of her paddling in pristine waters on New Zealand's North Island last week - but did not reveal her location. Thousands of commenters said they recognised the Te Waihou Blue Springs where swimming is banned to protect the local wildlife and criticised her for swimming there. She said the backlash she copped has been 'soul-crushing' - but still refused to say where she actually was. She said the backlash she copped has been 'soul-crushing' - but still refused to say where she actually was 'This IS NOT Blue Springs, but a completely unrelated river system and area in NZ, and yes, the locals and owners said we could swim!' her post read. 'When lies are published falsifying your character and everything you stand to believe - it can be slightly soul crushing.' Swimming in Te Waihou Blue Spring, in the South Waikato, has been banned since 2016 as it has a 'negative impact on the vegetation in the riverbed and on the banks'. The couple have posted images of their travel adventures, which has included Vanuatu, Western Australia and New Zealand Ms Codrington and Mr Cox hit back, claiming they had been in a different river more than 120km away. 'This was at the Tarawera Falls River NOT Blue Springs' Ms Codrington shared with her 132,000 Instagram followers. 'I didn't want to reveal the location because I'm a big believer in preserving the hidden gems and the environment, not all places should be geo-tagged. Veteran actor and Kolkata's first cabaret dancer Aarati Das passed away at an age of 77 on Thursday following a cardiac arrest. The dancer better known by her stage name Miss Shefali took her last breath at her residence in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district. Besides her career in dancing, Das has also acted in several Bengali films including two films by legendary filmmaker Satyajit Ray - Pratidwandi and Seemabaddha. Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee expressed grief over Das's demise later in the day and tweeted, "Saddened at the passing away of actress Arati Das, famous under her screen name, Miss Shefali. She appeared in two of Satyajit Ray's films, Pratidwandi and Seemabaddha. Condolences to her family and her admirers." The late dancer has also worked for stage dramas and some of her noted dramas include 'Ashlil', 'Samrat o Sundari' and 'Saheb Bibi Golam'. An autobiography of the dancer by the name of 'Sandhya Rater Sefali' was published recently. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SBC observes Racial Reconciliation Sunday with goal of making churches more diverse Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Southern Baptist Convention will be observing its annual Racial Reconciliation Sunday on Feb. 9, with this years emphasis being on the cultivation of multiethnic churches. The SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission posted a link on Twitter to a bulletin insert written by pastor Jamaal Williams for congregations to use this Sunday. Titled Intentionally Cultivating Multiethnic Churches, Williams briefly described his experience of becoming senior pastor for a predominantly white congregation. The pursuit of diversity is not an easy path, he wrote. Not only does it challenge heart-level issues of prejudice, but it challenges lifelong preferences regarding music, expressiveness in services, preaching style and more. Williams gave three pieces of advice on how pastors can handle the issue: be careful when directing a church toward more diversity, listen to congregants, and ask for forgiveness and grace. Many of the challenges weve had to overcome are the result of the man in the mirror. Sometimes weve gone too fast or too slow, and weve spoken too strong and too soft, continued Williams. One of the greatest apologetics in the next 20 years will be multiethnic churches. As cultural divides continue, and likely deepen, I believe people will ask Why? when they look at our churches and see blacks and whites, Hispanics and Asians, young and old, women and men, rich and poor, standing, living, laughing, weeping, walking together. Initially known as Race Relations Sunday when it was first observed in 1965, in 1998 the SBC voted to change the name of the observance to Racial Reconciliation Sunday. The SBC was originally formed in 1845 as the pro-slavery church for Baptists, holding its inaugural meeting at First Baptist Church of Augusta, Georgia. In 1995, the Southern Baptist Convention issued a formal apology for its earlier support of slavery and segregation. More recently, SBC leadership has made efforts to advance racial reconciliation and to reach out to historically African American churches. For example, in 2015 then SBC President Ronnie Floyd took part in a summit on racial unity held in Jackson, Mississippi, alongside Jerry Young, president of the National Baptist Convention, USA. In 2016, Floyd participated in panel discussion titled "A National Conversation on Racial Unity in America" in St. Louis, Missouri. The sin of racism is a spiritual stronghold in this nation and now is the time this wall must come down, wrote Floyd at the time. As we repent of it personally, repent of it in our churches, and repent of it in our nation, we will perhaps see the next great spiritual awakening in our generation. Last June, current SBC President J.D. Greear preached to about 1,000 people at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, about horrible history of racism in Western churches. You see, the Gospel teaches us that there's only one kind of person: human, said Greear, as reported by the Baptist Press at the time. We all got one common problem: sin. We only have one hope: the blood of Jesus. And that means all people red and yellow, black and white all alike are precious in His sight because all are afflicted with the same problem; all require the same solution. Editor's note: CNN's series often carry sponsorship originating from the countries and regions we profile. However, CNN retains full editorial control over all of its reports. Our sponsorship policy. AL MADAM, United Arab Emirates The village of Al Madam is being gradually reclaimed by the desert. Outlines of former homes are still visible, but the all-consuming sand rolls in like waves, pouring through the windows, filling the courtyards, and sweeping away the furniture. Less than an hour's drive from the city of Dubai, just over the border into Sharjah, this neatly planned outpost featuring two rows of homes and an elegant mosque has been left to its fate. There are indications that inhabitants may have departed in a hurry: doors wide open, personal effects left in a jumble. These haunting memoirs have fueled stories that Al Madam is a "ghost village" where the residents fled from supernatural forces. Not a soul remains to tell its story. But Al Madam has become an increasingly attractive destination for thrill-seeking visitors. Badly kept secret Members of Dubai's expat community have taken the village to their hearts. Reddit forums buzz with advice for making the trip. YouTubers record their adventures at the site. Tour operators are happy to service demand. "The 'ghost village' is currently not a broadly established destination," says S.Y. Sunil of Dubai-based Desert Safari Tours. "(But) it is gradually becoming a favorite spot for explorers." Al Madam is a badly kept secret, says British travel blogger Vanessa Ball, who visited in 2019 after friends discovered the village on an off-road trip. "There is growing interest, and quite a lot of people know about it," she says. Part of the appeal is that the village is so open for exploration and contains hidden treasures for explorers to find. "Most of the doors are open, and some houses don't have doors," says Ball. "Some of the houses have lovely mosaics, and one has a wallpaper mural of a landscape on the back wall." Ball hopes the village can remain in relative obscurity. "It will lose beauty when it's full of people," she says. "Right now, there is no perimeter you can just drive up to the rows of abandoned houses." Despite its growing popularity, the local authorities have no plans to either cash in or restrict access to the site. "There are no plans to develop Al Madam as a tourist attraction at present though tourists are welcome to visit," says a spokesperson for Sharjah Tourism. Sand or spirits? In the absence of definitive information on the cause of the village's abandonment, rumors of supernatural influence have circulated widely. Residents of nearby villages share stories about an evil djinn, or genie, haunting Al Madam, specifically Umm Duwais, a female spirit with cat's eyes and machetes for hands. In 2018, the Sharjah Art Foundation (SAF) conducted a public consultation to trace the history of the village. The SAF shared transcripts of interviews with respondents from the local area with CNN, including a man who claimed to have been married in Al Madam, suggesting the village was built in the mid 1970s. In several cases these attribute the villagers' departure to ferocious sandstorms that rendered the village uninhabitable. An alternative explanation comes from Yasser Elsheshtawy, a professor of architecture at Columbia University. Elsheshtawy has extensively studied the introduction of "Sha'bi housing" in the UAE from the late 1960s, the government's nationwide program to provide modern public housing for its nomadic Bedouin population as part of the wider modernization drive following the discovery of oil reserves. "The government wanted to create a state, and to provide a functioning state you need people living in cities and settlements, rather than Bedouins roaming the desert," says Elsheshtawy. "The traditional way of life was associated with poverty and hardship, and when the UAE state was formed (in 1971) and oil became more prolific they wanted to move away from that." Al Madam is an archetypal example of Sha'bi housing, the professor says, based on a "compound model" with enclosures around open courtyards and standardized rooms. Some of the new settlements were assembled so rapidly that infrastructure was not always in place, says Elsheshtawy, which may have led to Bedouins abandoning them. The SAF's interviews indicate that Al Madam lacked electricity. "What we came across a lot through our research was families complaining that they had moved in (to a new settlement) and lived for months without water or electricity," he says. "In this instance if the infrastructure was not provided, people may have moved in initially and then left." The mystery of the abandoned village may never be conclusively resolved. But a growing number of explorers are keen to investigate for themselves. Getting there From Dubai, the abandoned village is about 70 kilometers away, or 43.5 miles, along the E44 road, just south of Al Madam town. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Weather Alert SUB-ZERO WIND CHILLS LATE TONIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING Wind chills of near 0 to 10 below zero are likely late tonight into Tuesday morning. This will be from temperatures around 5 to 10 degrees across the interior areas combined with northwest winds of around 10 to 15 mph. For coastal areas, this will be from temperatures around 10 degrees combined with northwest winds of around 15 to 20 mph. If you need to be outside, be prepared for the wind and cold, and dress in layers and wear a hat, heavy coat, as well as gloves or mittens. Frostbite can occur in a short amount of time, so dress in layers and make sure all exposed skin is protected. Ireland is set to be battered by Storm Ciara as the nation goes to the polls this weekend, with a risk of coastal flooding, heavy rain, and even snow. Storm Ciara, which is brewing in the North Atlantic, was named by the UK Met Office yesterday. UK forecasters have issued a severe wind warning for the entire UK with gusts of up to 130kmh. The warning comes into force from 6pm on Saturday until midnight on Sunday. Met Eireann is tracking the storm's progress and may yet issue its own warnings. The combination of Storm Ciara and cold air moving from Canada will bring very unsettled weather across Ireland, according to Met Eireann's Matthew Martin. "It looks like Sunday will see the worst of the weather with some very severe winds and then later in the weekend we could see some wintry showers into Sunday and Monday," he said. "Unsettled weather is expected to develop across Ireland and north-west Europe this weekend. A further spell of heavy rain is expected on Saturday and this will be accompanied by strong and gusty winds with a possibility of Status Yellow warnings. "Weather conditions are expected to deteriorate further on Sunday as Storm Ciara tracks to the north of Ireland. Ciara is forecast to be a vigorous Atlantic storm system." Mr Martin said a range of factors meant it was likely there would be coastal flooding, as well as ice and snow. "The change will occur as very cold air sweeps out of Canada into the North Atlantic creating a sharp temperature contrast in the atmosphere over the ocean," he said. "It's possible that there could be some snowfall, particularly in the west. "The country will enter a period of spring tides this weekend. This will coincide with high seas, as well as extremely windy or stormy conditions later in the weekend and will result in an elevated risk of coastal flooding, especially along western and southern coasts. The unsettled weather is likely to produce significant rainfall over the weekend. This will result in an increase in river levels and may cause some localised flooding. "Next week, conditions will remain very disturbed across Ireland and the UK. It will remain very windy and turn much colder with the chance of wintry showers and ice in some parts," he added. Impeached for abuse of power, President Donald Trumps acquittal by the Senate is just the latest escape for the real estate tycoon turned politician who has repeatedly defied the odds. The following are some of the events that could have torpedoed his political fortunes: Grab em On October 7, 2016, one month before the presidential election, a decade-old recording is released on which Trump is heard talking about women in extremely crude terms. The now infamous Access Hollywood tape features Trump -- then the billionaire host of the hit reality show The Apprentice -- boasting that his celebrity gave him license to grope women with impunity. When youre a star, they let you do it, he said. You can do anything. Grab em by the pussy. You can do anything. As prominent Republicans voiced their disgust, the scandal appeared set to derail Trumps White House bid -- as pundits widely predicted it would cost him the womens vote. They were proven wrong. Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton to win the presidency the following month, ultimately garnering 52 percent support among white women voters. At least 17 women have accused Trump of sexual harassment or sexual assault -- accusations the president has denied. Charlottesville On August 12, 2017, white supremacist, neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic groups -- emboldened by Trumps election on an anti-immigration platform -- gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia for a rally. Counter-protesters flocked to the city and clashes broke out. One neo-Nazi deliberately ploughed his car into a crowd of protesters, killing a 32-year-old woman. Trump reacted to the clashes by saying there were very fine people on both sides. His comments sparked a wave of indignation including in his own Republican Party. But the outrage soon faded, and Trump was able to move on from the incident. The porn star A year into Trumps presidency, in January 2018, a former porn star known as Stormy Daniels -- real name Stephanie Clifford -- came forward to allege she had a tryst with Trump a decade earlier, and that he paid her to keep quiet. Trumps longtime lawyer Michael Cohen later admitted paying Clifford $130,000 in hush money just weeks before the 2016 election. But while Cohen has since been jailed for violating campaign finance laws, Trump escaped largely unscathed by the lurid revelations -- which did little to dent his support even among religious conservatives. Mueller investigation In May 2017, former FBI director Robert Mueller was named as special counsel to investigate whether any members of Trumps presidential campaign conspired with Russia to get him elected, as well as subsequent efforts by the president to obstruct justice. The Mueller probe uncovered a trail of misdeeds that led to charges against half a dozen former Trump associates including his former campaign manager Paul Manafort, confidant Roger Stone, former top aide Michael Flynn and Cohen. Rejected by Trump as a witch hunt, the probe cast a long shadow over the White House throughout the first half of his presidency. Although the 22 month investigation did not exonerate Trump, Mueller adhered to a Justice Department policy against charging sitting presidents -- which ultimately allowed Trump to declare himself cleared. The elusive tax returns Trump is the first US president since Richard Nixon not to have made his tax returns public, claiming they are under audit by the Internal Revenue Service. In October 2016, The New York Times revealed that Trump reported over $1 billion in business losses in 1995 -- potentially allowing him to avoid paying income tax for two decades. Democrats in the House of Representatives have since turned to the courts to force the release of Trumps tax returns and other records in cases that are considered a crucial test of the separation of powers. But the president has so far managed to rebuff their demands, with the cases tied up in the US court system. Sammy Wilson at the General Election count at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast. Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker DUP MP Sammy Wilson has called for Conor Murphy to resign or for his party to sack him. The DUP has so far stopped short of calling for the Sinn Fein Stormont finance minister to stand down after he apologised for branding IRA murder victim Paul Quinn a criminal almost 13 years ago. DUP leader Arlene Foster, during a Stormont committee on Wednesday, said the apology was the "right thing to do". However when she was asked if he should no longer be a minister in the Stormont power-sharing Executive, she said it was a matter for Sinn Fein. DUP MLA Paul Frew called for Mr Murphy's resignation on social media. "He shouldnt have time to get his coat," he tweeted late on Wednesday night. His posts on the matter were retweeted by fellow MLA Jonathan Buckley and Councillor Paul Porter. "If they (Sinn Fein) have any decency," said Sammy Wilson, "Conor Murphy should be required to resign or be sacked." The East Antrim MP denied he was going against the party line, saying Arlene Foster was correct to state Mr Murphy's position was ultimately a matter for him and his party. "And if he continues on, it will make it difficult for Sinn Fein to preach to others about integrity and transparency. It will come back to bite them," he told the Belfast Telegraph. Asked about his party's position in the Executive should Mr Murphy not resign, he said they had no choice but to share power with Sinn Fein. "We have to live with them because the law says we have to be in government with Sinn Fein. If we could volunteer to be in government with anyone it would not be with them." By his own criteria he has fallen short. He needs to admit his mistakes and resign Sammy Wilson He added: "They have preached to everybody to have integrity, respect, transparency from public representatives and ministers. "Now Conor Murphy has had to apologise but only because of the political pressure he and his party has been under. "By his own criteria he has fallen short. He needs to admit his mistakes and resign." Mr Wilson added: "If we are to have a new start, a new decade and a new approach - ensure we can trust the people in government - then if that is the case we all have to abide by the exact same standards." Paul Quinn, a 21-year-old from Cullyhanna in south Armagh, was beaten to death by a gang of around a dozen men in a farm shed across the border near Castleblayney, Co Monaghan. The IRA were blamed, but Sinn Fein has long denied republican involvement. A month after the 2007 murder, Mr Murphy, who was Newry and Armagh MP at the time, claimed Mr Quinn was involved in smuggling and criminality. Mr Murphy apologised on Wednesday for the comments. The brutal murder of Mr Quinn, and Sinn Feins response to it, has become a major issue in the Irish General Election campaign, with rivals claiming it is proof of the partys continued defence of IRA violence. Mr Quinns parents Breege and Stephen have said Mr Murphys apology did not go far enough and have called on him to explicitly state that their son was not a criminal. Both Sinn Fein's president Mary Lou McDonald and vice president Michelle O'Neill stated Mr Quinn was not a criminal. The BBC's Stephen Nolan show said it received a comment from the party, stating: "Paul Quinn was not a criminal." However, when asked if the comments could be attributed to Conor Murphy, the show was told "no". Asked for a comment, Sinn Fein told the Belfast Telegraph Conor Murphy "unreservedly withdrew his remarks made in the aftermath of Paul Quinn's death and apologised to the family". Mr Murphy said: "I very much regret comments I made in the aftermath of Paul's murder which have added to the grief felt by the Quinn family. I apologise for those remarks and I unreservedly withdraw them. Once again I offer to meet the Quinn family at a time and place of their convenience. The DUP has also been approached for comment. The goli maro slogan, the raising of which had resulted in two senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders being banned by the Election Commission from campaigning for the February 8 Delhi assembly elections, resurfaced briefly during the partys last leg of campaigning in Hari Nagar and Rohini on Thursday. In west Delhis Hari Nagar constituency where Union home minister Amit Shah led a 3.5km roadshow from Subhash Nagar to Hari Nagar, a group of supporters suddenly erupted into chants of Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro... (shoot the traitors). However, the group was immediately stopped by campaign organisers and taken to a side. The police who were escorting Shahs security, also told these supporters to stop the sloganeering. However, when asked about the incident at the end of the roadshow, organisers denied that any such slogan was raised. It is difficult to pinpoint what slogans were raised and who raised them in a roadshow. To my knowledge, no such slogan was raised, an organiser of the BJP roadshow in Hari Nagar said. In west Delhis Rohini, BJP leader and Union minister Anurag Thakur Thursday participated in a tiranga yatra organised by a group of lawyers in support of BJP candidate Vijender Gupta. The procession started from near Rohini court and as soon as it reached near Madhuban Chowk, amid chants of Jai Shri Ram and Bharat Mata Ki Jai, a small group of lawyers suddenly chanted the goli maro slogan. However, Thakur and his supporters immediately asked the group to stop the sloganeering. Thakur was banned by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for three days for encouraging such incendiary slogans at a public meeting in Rithala last month. By Express News Service KOLKATA: A slice of the BJPs workforce in West Bengal has thrust itself into Delhis poll maidan, fanning out to the citys pockets having a sizeable contingent of Bengali-speaking voters and making them aware of the states plight on the watch of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. A team of 20 members from Mahila Morcha, the BJPs womens ping in Bengal, are camping in areas such as Gandhinagar, Karol Bagh, Dwarka, Tughlakabad and Greater Kailash, which are home to Bengali settlers, urging them not to vote for Mamatas friend (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal. A group of 12 leaders, representing the youth wing of Bengal BJP, are also in the national capital canvassing for party nominees. Khogen Murmu, the sitting BJP MP from Malda (North) constituency has already addressed a public meeting at Karol Bagh. If the BJP is elected in Delhi, we will highlight the support of the Bengali community in our campaign back home, a BJP leader from Bengal said. Sitting Bengal MPs Locket Chatterjee and Dilip Ghosh, who also heads the state BJP unit, have also been canvassing for party candidates in Delhi after attending Lok Sabha sessions. Other prominent Bengal leaders, including Rahul Sinha and Mukul Roy, made recent campaign visits to the Capital. Our youth wing workers are visiting pockets home to Bengali settlers, seeking their opinion on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The interviews are being video-graphed. Well study the pattern of questions as it would help us approach the people ahead of the municipal elections in Kolkata and the 2021 Assembly elections, a BJP leader in Kolkata said. Union minister and MP from Bengals Asansol district Babul Supriyo has also sent some of his loyalists to the Capital in a bid to read the minds of voters. A member of the BJPs Bengal youth wing said, Weve been highlighting the plight of Bengals goldsmiths during our interactions with Bengali-speaking voters here. ALBANY, N.Y. The Trump administration will prohibit New York residents from enrolling in programs that expedite border crossings, escalating an ongoing battle over the state's new law allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. The Department of Homeland Security's decision late Wednesday will keep New Yorkers from signing up for Global Entry, NEXUS and two other programs that allow vetted, low-risk travelers to more easily enter the U.S. or cross its borders, including the various Canadian border points in New York. The new federal policy is in response to New York's Green Light Law, which took effect in December and allows immigrants to seek driver's privileges regardless of whether they entered the country legally. That law, which Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers approved in June, also prohibits the state Department of Motor Vehicles from sharing any data with federal authorities that enforce immigration law, including ICE and Customs and Border Protection, without a subpoena or court order. That information had been used to help identify and vet people seeking to join the border-crossing programs, according to DHS. "Obviously, we would urge New York to undo that law and to restore some sanity to its own attempts to help preserve public safety," DHS Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli said on a conference call Thursday with reporters. "This law that New York has introduced has made our law-enforcement officers less safe on an individual basis. It has also made New York less safe." Four of five Trusted Traveler Programs affected The Trump administration's decision applies to four of the federal government's five Trusted Traveler Programs: NEXUS, Global Entry, SENTRI and FAST. It does not apply to TSA PreCheck, which is used for air travel from U.S. airports. The decision is expected to immediately affect 80,000 people who were in the process of joining the programs; their applications will now be denied, according to Cuccinelli. Story continues By the end of 2020, about 175,000 will be removed from the programs as their memberships expire, he said. The decision drew outrage from New York's top Democrats, who accused the Trump administration of being blatantly political. Cuomo, a Democrat, suggested the federal government is trying to extort the state into changing its law. This is unbounded arrogance, disrespect of the rule of law, hyperpolitical government, and this is another form of extortion," Cuomo said on WAMC-FM. "This is what Trump did with Ukraine, and now this is the ethos of his government. Rich Azzopardi, Cuomo's senior adviser and spokesman, said the governor's office is reveiwing its legal options in light of the federal decision, which Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announced Wednesday night on Fox News. ICE lost access in December Federal immigration and customs agents all lost access to the New York DMV databases in mid-December, days before the Green Light Law first took effect Dec. 17. The databases contain information about driver's license holders including their photo, age, height and address, as well as vehicle registration information and "some aspects of an individual's criminal history," Wolf wrote. State lawmakers inserted the data-blocking provision into the Green Light bill about a week before it passed, which made it illegal for the DMV to hand over data to federal immigration authorities in most circumstances. The measure was in response to concerns raised by immigrant organizations and Cuomo, a Democrat who questioned whether granting driving privileges to undocumented immigrants would inadvertently make it easier for ICE and Border Patrol to obtain their information and target them for deportation. In his letter, Wolf said federal authorities have routinely used the data to build cases against child predators, human traffickers, gang members and drug smugglers. "In the vast majority of these cases, ICE relied on New York DMV records to fulfill its mission," Wolf wrote. "ICE also needs New York DMV information to safeguard Americans' financial and intellectual property rights." Along with the traveler restrictions, DHS will also slow the processing of exporting used vehicles from New York since it's now more difficult for the federal agency to verify who owns the title to a vehicle without access to the DMV data, according to Wolf's letter. Cuomo accused the Trump administration of trying to use the Green Light Law as part of a larger push to use immigration laws to divide the electorate. "They disagree with our Green Light Law," Cuomo said. "It triggers the immigration debate that theyre so fond of using to divide the people of this nation, which theyve done so successfully." A U.S. Customs and Border Protection truck Trusted Traveler Programs allow quicker crossings The federal Trusted Traveler Programs allow people to use expedited lanes as they cross a border or pass through airport security. Applicants for the programs have to pay a fee and submit to a vetting process. If approved, their membership is good for five years. Applicants for the programs have to pay a fee and submit to a vetting process, which includes an in-person interview. If approved, their membership is good for five years. The four programs affected by the new federal decision all have to do with international travel, including NEXUS, which applies to entry into the U.S. from Canada by air, land or sea. NEXUS is often used by people who frequently cross the U.S.-Canada border, including those who live on one side and work on the other. There are long wait times for acceptance in the program as the federal government deals with a backlog of applications, with some applicants waiting six months or more for an interview appointment. The FAST program short for Free and Secure Trade applies to commercial trucks entering and exiting the U.S. from Canada and Mexico. Global Entry applies to people entering the U.S. from international destinations. Travelers who are currently enrolled in the programs would be able to continue to use their membership until it expires. But they wouldn't be allowed to re-enroll until the state and feds end their standoff. NEXUS applicants turned away DHS' decision was abruptly implemented Thursday. Rita Schultz, a New York woman, traveled to Niagara Falls for a NEXUS interview Thursday morning, which was months in the making after she started the application process in July. When she arrived, an agent asked which state she resided in. When she answered, she was turned away and told her $50 application fee would be refunded, Schultz said. "He said, 'You're no longer eligible and your appointment has been canceled,'" Schultz said. Democratic officials in New York denounced DHS' decision, with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand saying its "true design" is to "punish New York for embracing diversity and inclusion." The New York Immigration Coalition, an immigrant advocacy organization, noted New York is one of 14 states to allow undocumented immigrants to receive driver's licenses. "The fact that Trump is targeting New York proves that this is about politics, pure and simple," Steven Choi, the group's executive director, said in a statement. Rep. Tom Reed, R-Corning, called on the state Legislature, which is controlled by Democrats, to act. "The Department of Homeland Security provides many services to New York not provided to other states," Reed said in a statement. "Albany must repeal the Green Light Law before the federal government is forced to take further action. Cuccinelli said the decision was borne of the Green Light Law's data-blocking provision, which he said puts federal law-enforcement agents at risk. "It is particularly incredible to see a state that was one of the targets on 9/11 reintroduce ... the main problem that we decided existed that allowed 9/11 to happen, and that was the failure of information sharing across entities of government," he said. Jon Campbell is a New York state government reporter for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at JCAMPBELL1@Gannett.com or on Twitter at @JonCampbellGAN. This article originally appeared on New York State Team: Trump, DHS bans New York drivers from Global Entry, Trusted Traveler HONG KONG, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Asia-based edtech firm Studycat Limited is donating free use of its award-winning Fun Series language learning apps teaching English, Chinese, Spanish, French and German to families in regions affected by school closures related to the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. To sign up, those interested should visit: https://studycat.com/in-this-together/ Access to the apps is effective immediately. If schools close in other locations as the epidemic continues, Studycat will extend this initiative. In suitable cases, the company will also offer complimentary use of its product designed for educational institutions, Fun English for Schools. All languages are available in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan on both iOS (via the App Store) and Android (via Google Play). In mainland China all languages are available on iOS (Apple devices) and English is available for Android devices. Mark Pemberton, co-founder of Studycat, said: "The accelerating coronavirus epidemic is scary, with many people getting sick and with very disconcerting casualties. For all people affected, we sincerely hope for a speedy resolution to this crisis. With schools closed at short notice, we parents face a practical challenge of educating our younger children as this situation unfolds. We need easy-to-use resources to provide productive activities for our kids to do at home. It is essential at this time to keep our young ones motivated, active, engaged in their education and with their minds occupied by things other than worrying news about a developing epidemic." "We are deeply concerned for anyone impacted by this virus outbreak. As a company that has built its business in Asia, we are determined to do our part, helping to mitigate some of the burden brought on by school closings", added Mateo Solares, co-founder of Studycat. "We are committed to helping families affected, making a positive impact for young children at this time, allowing them to learn new things while having fun, turning their minds to something constructive. This region is resilient. We can and will beat this thing. We're all in this together!" Studycat enables safe and convenient home learning of foreign languages, literacy and critical thinking. Its huge variety of fun online games, puzzles, songs and interactive exercises encourage creativity and collaboration. The company's website, studycat.com, also offers hundreds of creative worksheets to help fill time productively, which families in affected areas will have access to as well. Established in 1999, Studycat was started by Asia-based educators Mark Pemberton, Mateo Solares and Jason Bakkum. They began their journey as a bricks and mortar language school before moving into game-based digital learning in 2006 and app stores in 2011. About STUDYCAT Studycat is an international leader in children's online language education, empowering young children around the world to enjoy learning a foreign language with innovative learning applications that connect homes and schools. The company's consumer solutions help children aged 3-8 learn English, Chinese, Spanish, French and German effectively, achieving superior outcomes by using a blended approach of online and offline games and exercises. Studycat's English-language learning content is aligned with Cambridge Young Learners, a well-recognized academic curriculum and exam system. Built on the premise that young children learn most effectively through play and are motivated to study by having fun, Studycat's apps have been downloaded more than 11 million times worldwide. Connect with Studycat on Twitter @Study_cat, Facebook @ Studycat.net. and LinkedIn or visit studycat.com Press Contact: Mark Pemberton | [email protected] | +886 939626382 SOURCE Studycat Sorry! This content is not available in your region Usually, the coldest part of the day is just before dawn. But on Thursday, sunup will be greeted by rising temperatures, according to meteorologists at WeatherWorks in Hackettstown. So, conditions at 4 a.m. were as bad as they were going to get, according to Zach Chabala and Mark Miller. And at that hour it was basically wet across the region. The Lehigh Valley avoided an ice storm because ground surfaces heated by a very warm Monday and Tuesday never got cold enough to freeze the falling light rain on contact, Chabala and Miller said. The air temperature is measured about two meters above the ground, Chabala explained. It was 32 degrees in Hackettstown at 4 a.m and the ground was even warmer, he said. At 3:51 a.m., the official temperature at Lehigh Valley International Airport was 35 degrees. For the cities across the southern portion of the Lehigh Valley there will not be any issues, Chabala said. And even with the air temperature dipping to freezing in Warren County and other portions of the Lehigh Valley, no major icing was expected, he said. The coldest part of the night passed about 3 a.m. -- something thats very atypical," Miller said. I think at this point, if we havent seen icing, its very unlikely, Miller said. Its already not that cold. Almost no forecast sleet fell earlier in the night, denying another cooling element for the ground. Miller had recently driven from the Lehigh Valley and across Warren County and didnt encounter any icing on the car or the road as the dashboard temperature hovered at 34. Radar at 4 a.m. showed precipitation already east of the Lehigh Valley. There were some school delays listed in Monroe County, WFMZ reported. But in Northampton County, only Faith Christian School of Roseto announced a two-hour delay. The National Weather Service at 4 a.m. was beginning to cancel winter weather advisories as most temperatures were above freezing and there was a lull in precipitation. Checks with Pennsylvania and New Jersey State Police in Northampton and Warren counties and Northampton County emergency dispatch indicated that roads were wet and there were no significant crashes as of 3:30 a.m.. State police barracks in Stroudsburg and Fern Ridge in Monroe County reported some freezing rain but no big problems with the roads, that could be slick, troopers said. Rain could be on and off during the day as temperatures rise into the mid 40s and heavy rain is expected overnight into Friday, Miller said, but there will be zero chance of icing as the temperature isnt supposed to go below 40. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. By Abdul Kerimkhanov The two-day meeting on January 28-30 of the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Geneva prompted a storm of criticism among Armenian experts who believe that negotiations or intensive discussions are going on in an unfavorable direction for their country. OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs Igor Popov, Stephane Visconti, Andrew Schofer and Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office Andrzej Kasprzyk had also participated at the meeting. In particular, Armenians are concerned about the statements of the former head of the Armenian Special Service David Shakhnazaryan who said that negotiations in Geneva included discussions over the creation of zones of co-existence of Armenians and Azerbaijanis, and that for the first time, the expression "elected representatives of Karabakh" was mentioned during the meetings. The term "elected representatives of Karabakh" is certainly unnerving to the political circles of Armenia. Indeed, earlier, in its statements and documents, the Armenian side used the so-called term "Karabakh authorities" and it was after the Geneva meeting that Armenia was forced to abandon its principle for the first time and replace it with the term "representatives of Karabakh." However, let us understand the difference between the expression "elected authorities" and "elected representatives?. Armenian expert Karen Vrtanesyan believes that by using the term elected representatives, Armenia officially abandoned the state of Karabakh and pointed out the illegitimacy of its leadership. Indeed, if the current Armenian leadership is interested in resolving Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, then it should stop idling speculations about the "independence" of Karabakh and intimidating the international community by claiming that if the conflict is settled within the framework of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, the people living in this territory are "in danger." It is noteworthy that the ambassadors of France and the U.S. met with the head of the Azerbaijani community of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region Tural Ganjaliev recently. Moreover, the meeting with the U.S. ambassador took place on the very day of the meeting of Azerbaijani and Armenian FMs in Geneva, which, of course, cannot be considered a coincidence and indicates the prospect of the Azerbaijani community joining the negotiations. Regarding the outcome of the meeting in Geneva, Armenian media outlets reported that the quotes voiced by PM Nikol Pashinyan at the press conference in Armenia's Qafan on January 25 with regards to the process of negotiations around the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, have caused serious concerns among the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs who in turn voiced their concern to the Foreign Minister Mnatsakanyan. Thus, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Armenia to delay the process of negotiations. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Steel, copper, gas producers have had shipments stalled as Chinas manufacturing activity slows due to virus outbreak. The most influential metal workers association in the worlds largest steelmaker has sounded the alarm about the industrys outlook, warning of transport snarls, weaker demand, and a situation this quarter that does not look optimistic as the coronavirus crisis rips through Chinas economy. Companies are facing restrictions in logistics and transport, trades have been muted, prices of raw materials and steel have slid, which is causing the markets value to decline, the China Iron & Steel Association said. The viruss effects on the steel industry will be concentrated in the first quarter, the association said in a statement. Steelmakers should appropriately adjust production schedules based on orders, finances, ability to transport materials, it said. The sector should: Avoid malignant competition, manage traders, and strictly not sell at low prices and disrupt the market. Copper producers as far away as Chile are also affected, as Chinas buyers ask miners to delay shipments due to port shutdowns. While the suppliers have not reported any contract breaches, they have verbally agreed with clients to reschedule some deliveries, according to Victor Garay, market coordinator for Cochilco, the copper commission in Chile the worlds biggest miner of the metal. Just like airlines dont want to go to China, ocean freight companies dont want to either, Garay said in a Bloomberg interview on Wednesday. Copper prices rose on Thursday, with three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange (LME) rising as much as 1.6 percent to $5,813.50 a tonne, the highest since January 27. LME aluminium rose 0.3 percent to $1,722.50 a tonne and zinc increased 0.3 percent to $2,220 a tonne. Not only is the demand side impacted, but also the supply side. If the outbreak situation does not improve, some smelters may consider cutting production, a China-based metals analyst told Reuters News Agency. Copper is joining shipments of everything from oil to crops that have been disrupted by the spread of the deadly virus, which originated in China. The nations largest utility postponed plans for some purchases of the metal last month, and fears that the outbreak will dent industrial activity had exacerbated a record slump in prices recently. Chinas biggest buyer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) also rejected shipments, telling some suppliers that it would not accept delivery of cargoes because of constraints caused by the coronavirus. China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) declared force majeure on some contracts, a clause that excuses it from fulfilling the contracts if it is affected by circumstances beyond its control, sources told Bloomberg. Nobody answered several calls by Bloomberg to CNOOC, and its listed unit Cnooc Ltd. did not respond to a request for comment. This is among the first cases of the contractual clause being invoked in the global commodity market as a result of the coronavirus. China said last week that it would offer support to its companies that are seeking to declare force majeure on international contracts. CNOOC sent the force majeure notice to firms including Royal Dutch Shell Plc and Total SA, according to the people, who said it covers prompt shipments. Shell declined to comment to Bloomberg. Woodside said it is closely monitoring for potential impacts on the market. Total did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Israel's military and other security services undergo largest rearmament in years Spain PM calls for a debate to consider COVID-19 endemic disease Flyone Armenia and Pegasus receive permission for Yerevan-Istanbul-Yerevan flights Pope condemns "baseless" ideological misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines Arab foreign ministers to visit Beijing Azerbaijanis stoned an Armenian car on the Stepanakert-Goris road Armenian FM has a phone call with his Polish counterpart Macron travels to French Riviera to discuss internal security issues Artsakh Foreign Ministry: Azerbaijan's aggressive behavior aims to disrupt Russian peacekeepers' activities US COVID-19 cases reach 60 million European Parliament President hospitalized due to immune system dysfunction Washington and Ankara discuss normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey WHO excludes emergence of deltacron strain In Karabakh Azerbaijanis shelled tractor Indian Defense Minister tests positive for COVID-19 US-Russia talks on security guarantees lasting for seven hours already NEWS.am daily digest: 10.01.22 Pashinyan appoints Hayk Mkrtchyan as Deputy Governor of Kotayk province Blast in eastern Afghanistan kills nine children Pashinyan: One of key priorities of Armenia presidency at CSTO is strengthening of crisis response mechanisms Internet cut off in Kazakhstan Armenia, Kazakhstan ombudspersons confer on Armenian communitys rights Armenia, Russia defense ministers discuss Kazakhstan Turkey defense minister meets with their envoy in process of normalization of Armenia relations Iranian Foreign Ministry reports progress in Vienna negotiations Dollar continues going up in Armenia New attempt by migrants in Belarus to storm Poland border Skat Airlines resumes Yerevan-Aktau and Aktau-Yerevan flights New Covid-related restrictions to be introduced in Armenia Karabakh police: Firefighters also targeted by Azerbaijan shooting (PHOTOS) Artsakh Defense Army has not fired on Azerbaijan positions Azerbaijani military are protesting amid military awards deprivation Azerbaijanis open fire in Nagorno-Karabakh Karabakh MFA: Events in Kazakhstan are result of actions planned by Turkey Armenia army General Staff has new deputy chief Australia to buy US $ 2.5 billion of armored vehicles Artsakh emergency service: Search for soldiers remains continued during holidays Kazakh Colonel Nazanov dies after heart attack Australia begins to vaccinate children aged 5-11 with COVID-19 vaccine Putin: Peacekeeping contingent to stay in Kazakhstan for a limited period Armenia 2nd-President Kocharyan v. premier Pashinyan lawsuit court session is closed Azerbaijan commandos conduct military exercises Part of the Great Wall of China collapsed due to earthquake Armenia MP: Turkey, Azerbaijans regional calculations have mixed up Copper prices decline Armenia ex-President Kocharyan v. PM Pashinyan lawsuit trial resumes Gold is getting cheaper EU is ready to support in addressing Karabakh crisis 126 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Fire in residential building in New York leaves 19 people killed National Center for Infectious Diseases Yerevan branch employees protesting outside center Karabakh President: Radical Pan-Turkic circles are actively involved in process in Kazakhstan Oil is getting more expensive Mars helicopter Ingenuity preparing for difficult 19th flight Interior ministry: About 8,000 people detained in Kazakhstan Earthquake hits Armenia-Azerbaijan border zone Researchers create substitute for egg whites from fungus Kazakhstan official information channel removes message about 164 casualties EC says construction of new nuclear power plants in Europe will require 500 billion in investment Ghost ship that sank 343 years ago discovered in US Post-COVID-19 antibodies may attack healthy cells, scientists say Pope says he was praying for Kazakhstan Media: 164 people die in Kazakhstan during riots Peskov: CSTO session does not plan to sign documents yet Criminal cases launched after bomb threat in Armenian, Belarus embassies in Moscow Norwegian military surrender panties before demobilization Iranian MFA says Tehran is ready for talks on downed plane of UIA Ukraine Russian defense minister says information war is on all fronts Several strategic objects in Kazakhstan transferred to CSTO contingent under protection David Minasyan elected head of Armenia's Parakar community Bloomberg: US is considering issue of limiting supply of high-tech products to Russia Armenia reports 142 COVID-19 new cases Council of Elders meeting continues in Armenia's Parakar White House speaks on Blinken statement on Russian peacekeeping troops Armed people detained at border in Kazakhstan Kazakhstan talks stabilization of situation in all regions of country Azerbaijanis demand Armenian soldier change his faith by taking away his cross, Ombudsman says Armenian painter Mher Mansurian dies in France At least 17 killed in Egypt road accident NATO chief announces Russia forces continued buildup in Ukraine Armenian militarys transfer to Kazakhstan is completed Azerbaijan opens fire on military positions near Armenia village Unidentified persons report threat of explosion at Armenia, Belarus embassies in Moscow Putin confers with Pashinyan, Lukashenko on situation in Kazakhstan Zakharova: OSCE has not provided real assistance to reporters who were attacked in Kazakhstan Lukashenko, Putin discuss situation in CSTO member countries Russia's Putin has telephonic conversation with Kazakhstan's Tokayev Quake hits waters off Chile President Tokayev declares national mourning in Kazakhstan on January 10 US diplomats do not leave Kazakhstans Almaty yet 1 more person dies of coronavirus in Karabakh Artsakh resident, 91 found dead near village Russia MFA reacts to Blinken's words about Russian military in Kazakhstan 195 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Kazakhstan security committee ex-chief detained Kazakhstan interior ministry: There are foreigners among those detained in Almaty region Russia continues transporting its peacekeepers to Kazakhstan Kazakhstan launches investigation into 180 retailers of liquefied petroleum gas BMW introduces concept vehicle that can change colors Shootings continue in Kazakhstans Almaty General Secretary of the Egyptian Communist Party Salah Adly Abdelhafiz (Photo: CPV) Under the leadership of the CPV, the Vietnamese people have increasingly prosperous, happy and developed lives. It is also the desire of many peoples and many Communist Parties in the world. So said General Secretary of the Communist Party of Egypt Salah Adly Abdelhafiz, during an interview granted for the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) on the occasion of the CPVs 90th anniversary (February 3rd). Reporter: As a close friend of the Vietnamese people, how do you evaluate the development of Vietnam? Mr. Salah Adly Abdelhafiz: We highly appreciate and hope that Vietnam will develop more and more. The socialist market mechanism has provided Vietnam with firm development in the context of globalization. That shows how Vietnam successfully implemented the renewal process and built a socialist country. Reporter: How do you assess the CPVs leading role in the development of Vietnam at present? Mr. Salah Adly Abdelhafiz: The CPV has led the country of Vietnam to comprehensive successes, especially in building socialism and promoting the development of the people. All of this is thanks to the proper leadership of the CPV. That has brought the success of Vietnam in recent years. Many Communist Parties want to learn and implement the policies and experience from the CPV, especially the relationship and consensus of will between the people and the Party. Reporter: How can you talk about the solidarity between the CPV and the Communist Parties around the world at present? Mr. Salah Adly Abdelhafiz: Vietnam was a poor country in difficulty after the war. However, it has developed strongly and gained prestige in the region and in the world. The CPV always struggles and protects the nations of the world against injustice and oppression. It also stands side by side with other brother Communist Parties. That is a respectable effort of the Vietnamese people and the CPV. We always pay great respect to the CPV and Vietnamese people, especially in the struggle against invasion and oppression in accordance with the way of the great President Ho Chi Minh, as well as in the struggle for national freedom and independence. Vietnam today is in the process of building and developing a modern and innovative country. Reporter: Thank you./. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) -- The remains of the Chinese man who succumbed to novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection may just be buried in a public cemetery if no crematorium will accept it, Health Secretary Francisco Duque said Thursday. Duque said the department has still not found a crematorium that would receive the body. He added he has instructed the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila to coordinate with a public cemetery on a burial without cremation. "The crematory owners have decided not to (cremate) for not very clear reasons, so I have instructed the medical executive from San Lazaro Hospital to coordinate with the public cemetery and see if the corpse can just be buried there," he said in a media briefing. The secretary did not identify the cemetery. Duque said they would still need to clarify matters with the Chinese embassy given that Chinese health officials have opted for cremation for coronavirus victims. China's health ministry has even banned burials and funerals to prevent the spread of the virus. "They (San Lazaro Hospital) have to also get in touch with the Chinese embassy because the initial agreement was for cremation to be undertaken," Duque said. "So now if it's not going to be cremated and buried instead, I don't know what the protocol is with regards to that." The 44-year-old patient passed away on February 1. A number of crematoriums, mostly run by Chinese operators, have since backed out, causing delays in disposal. Henry Lim Bon Liong, president of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc., said it is a common practice not just among Chinese-operated crematoriums but also Filipino businesses to refuse infected cadavers. "They are all in one single industry practice [which] does not allow them to cremate people dying of infectious disease, so we want to clear with you, it's really the norm," Liong told CNN Philippines' On The Record. Liong said the Health department could have just disposed the body in a government crematorium instead. Meanwhile, World Health Organization Representative Rabindra Abeyansighe deferred the matter of cremation to "national rules." On the possible health risks from not burning the body, he said, "Ideally the virus wouldn't be surviving so long in a cadaver." However, he added that the corpse must be sealed inside a body bag since it hosted an infectious disease. "We don't want to expose health workers and other workers to unnecessary threat, " Abeyasinghe said. The 2019-nCoV has killed more than 560 and infected over 28,000 people. The WHO maintained that the virus' mortality rate of two percent is significantly lower than previous infectious diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The mortality rate for MERS in 2009 was at 34 percent while for SARS in 2002 was at 14 percent, Abeyansinghe shared. [February 06, 2020] Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc. Prices Public Offering of $360.0 Million of 3.750% Unsecured Notes Due 2025 Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: GSBD) announced today that it has priced an offering of $360.0 million aggregate principal amount of 3.750% notes due 2025 (the "Notes"). The Notes will mature on February 10, 2025 and may be redeemed in whole or in part at the Company's option at any time at par plus a "make-whole" premium, if applicable. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of this offering to pay down debt under its revolving credit facility. The offering is subject to customary closing conditions, and the Notes are expected to be delivered on or about February 10, 2020. BofA Securities, Inc., Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., ICBC Standard Bank Plc, MUFG Securities Americas Inc., R. Seelaus & Co., LLC, SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. and SunTrust Robinson Humphrey, Inc. are acting as joint book-running managers for this offering. BMO Capital Markets Corp., BNP Paribas Securities Corp., CIBC World Markets Corp., Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, ING Financial Markets LLC, Raymond James & Associates, Inc. and Wells Fargo (News - Alert) Securities, LLC are acting as co-managers for this offering. Investors are advised to carefully consider the investment objective, risks, charges and expenses of the Company before investing. The preliminary prospectus dated February 6, 2020, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC (News - Alert)"), contains this and other information about the Company and should be read carefully before investing. The information in the preliminary prospectus and this press release is not complete and may be changed. The preliminary prospectus and this press release are not offers to sell any securities of the Company and are not soliciting an offer to buy such securities in any jurisdiction where such offer and sale is not permitted. A registration statement relating to these securities is on file with and has been declared effective by the SEC. The offering may be made only by means of a preliminary prospectus, copies of which may be obtained from BofA Securities, Inc., NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd floor, Charlotte NC 28255-0001, Attn: Prospectus Department, or by calling 1-800-294-1322, or email [email protected]. ABOUT GOLDMAN SACHS BDC, INC. Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc. is a specialty finance company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. GS BDC was formed by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ("Goldman Sachs") to invest primarily in middle-market companies in the United States, and is externally managed by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P., an SEC-registered investment adviser and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Goldman Sachs. GS BDC seeks to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation primarily through direct originations of secured debt, including first lien, first lien/last-out unitranche and second lien debt, and unsecured debt, including mezzanine debt, as well as through select equity investments. For more information, visit www.goldmansachsbdc.com. Information on the website is not incorporated by reference into this press release and is provided merely for convenience. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "expect," "anticipate," "project," "target," "estimate," "intend," "continue," or "believe" or the negatives thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology. You should read statements that contain these words carefully because they discuss our plans, strategies, prospects and expectations concerning our business, operating results, financial condition and other similar matters. These statements represent the Company's belief regarding future events that, by their nature, are uncertain and outside of the Company's control. There are likely to be events in the future, however, that we are not able to predict accurately or control. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release speaks only as of the date on which we make it. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ, possibly materially from our expectations, include, but are not limited to, the risks, uncertainties and other factors we identify in the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and it is not possible for us to predict or identify all of them. We undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005987/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Several downtown streets in Charleston, South Carolina's largest city, were closed after construction crews found a Civil War artillery shell, police said. The crew called 911 around 10am on Wednesday to report the shell in downtown Charleston, just over a block from the Old Slave Mart where dozens of vendors sell merchandise, Charleston police said. The police department called the US Air Force to dispose of the shell and closed several nearby roads for about three hours as a precaution. Several downtown streets in Charleston, South Carolina's largest city, were closed after construction crews found a Civil War artillery shell (pictured, above and below) The crew called 911 around 10am on Wednesday to report the shell in downtown Charleston, just over a block from the Old Slave Mart where dozens of vendors sell merchandise, Charleston police said Police said roads were reopened just before 1.15pm. Thomas George, who owns the building where the shell was found, told local channel WCSC-TV the shell was discovered in the cellar amid renovation works. 'Because it had been there for so many decades, we hadn't really thought much about it,' he said. Thomas George, who owns the building where the shell was found, told local channel WCSC-TV the shell was discovered in the cellar amid renovation works 'We just realized it was pretty important to call the authorities and just make sure it was safe. It's an exciting project and hopefully won't find anything else like this.' No injuries were reported. Investigators initially said the shell appeared to be newer than the Civil War, but after further investigation, concluded it was left over from the war between the Union and the Confederacy between 1861 and 1865, police spokesman Charles Francis said in a statement. RICHMOND, Va. - Democratic lawmakers in Virginia are set to try to advance legislation to ban assault weapons despite pushback from members of their own party. A state House committee is scheduled to take up legislation backed by Gov. Ralph Northam on Friday that would ban the sale of certain semi-automatic firearms, including popular AR-15 style rifles. But the bill would not require current owners of assault weapons to turn them in or register them with state police, as some earlier proposals required. This is a compromise that takes into account folks concerns and is still a good bill that will help reduce mass murders in the commonwealth, said Del. Mark Levine, a Democrat sponsoring the legislation. Heated debates over guns have dominated this years legislative session, as Virginia has become ground zero in the nations raging debate over gun control and mass shootings. Guns were a key topic of last years legislative elections particularly after a mass shooting in Virginia Beach claimed a dozen lives and gun-control groups heavily funded Democratic candidates. Democrats won full control of the legislature for the first time in a generation and have promised to pass a slate of gun-control laws. Some of the fiercest pushback has centred on the proposed assault weapons ban. An estimated 8 million AR-style guns have been sold since they were introduced to the public in the 1960s. The weapons are known as easy to use, easy to clean and easy to modify with a variety of scopes, stocks and rails. Gun owners are descending on local government offices to demand they establish sanctuaries for gun rights. More than 100 counties, cities and towns have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries and vowed to oppose any new unconstitutional restrictions on guns. And last month, tens of thousands of guns rights activists from across the country flooded the state capitol and surrounding area in protest, some donning tactical gear and carrying military rifles. The Senate has already spiked legislation banning assault weapons after several Democratic senators indicated they wouldnt support it. And while the House has already passed several gun control measures backed by Northam with relative ease, it has put off debate on a proposed assault weapon ban. The deadline for each chamber to pass its own legislation is Tuesday. Its unclear if the latest House version will have enough support to pass both chambers. I doubt it, but well see, said Democratic Sen. John Edwards, a moderate Democrat who leads the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee. Democrats have a slim 21-19 majority in the state senate, giving them little margin to lose members on key votes like an assault weapons ban. Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, a Democrat, casts votes in cases of a tie. US President Donald Trump drew on staunch Republican support Wednesday to defeat the gravest threat yet to his three-year-old presidency, winning acquittal in the Senate on impeachment charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Only the third US leader ever placed on trial, Trump readily defeated the effort to expel him from office for having illicitly sought help from Ukraine to bolster his 2020 re-election effort. Despite being confronted with strong evidence, Republicans stayed loyal and mustered a majority of votes to clear the president of both charges by 52 to 48 on the first, 53 to 47 on the second falling far short of the two-thirds supermajority required for conviction. Two-thirds of the senators present not having pronounced him guilty, the Senate adjudges that respondent Donald John Trump, President of the United States, is not guilty as charged, said Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who presided over the trial.- One Republican, Senator Mitt Romney, a longtime Trump foe, risked White House wrath to vote alongside Democrats on the first count, saying Trump was guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust. He voted not guilty for the second. The verdict, never truly in question since the House of Representatives formally impeached Trump in December, cleared out a major hurdle for the president to fully plunge into his campaign for re-election in November. Trump had repeatedly dismissed the probe as a hoax and a witch hunt but argued he had the right as president to pressure Ukraine, while refusing to comply with Congressional subpoenas for testimony and documents. Forever impeached Democrats were dejected but not surprised, after an intense 78-day House investigation that faced public doubts and high-pressure stonewalling from the White House. Anticipating the likely party-line vote by the senators, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi repeatedly said that, whatever happened, Trump would join two previous presidents as being tarred with the impeached label. The vote closed a political chapter that many Democrats had been reluctant to enter. Pelosi originally rejected pressure early last year to impeach Trump on evidence compiled by then special counsel Robert Mueller that he had obstructed the Russia election meddling investigation. But her concerns that it was a hefty political risk for Democrats less than two years before national elections melted after new allegations surfaced in August that Trump had pressured Ukraine for help for his 2020 campaign. Though doubtful from the outset that they would win support from Senate Republicans, an investigation amassed with surprising speed strong evidence to support the allegations. The evidence showed that from early in 2019, Trumps private lawyer Rudy Giuliani and a close political ally, Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, were scheming to pressure Kiev to help smear Democrats, including Trumps potential 2020 rival Joe Biden, by opening investigations into them. Adam Schiff, who led the House investigation, said the fact that it came after Muellers investigation showed that Trumps 2016 campaign had actively sought help from Russia forced Democrats to act. We must say enough enough! He has betrayed our national security, and he will do so again, Schiff argued on the Senate floor this week. He has compromised our elections, and he will do so again, Schiff said. Driven by hate Trumps defenders were not seen as having undermined the facts compiled by Schiffs probe, and several Republican senators acknowledged he did wrong. But his lawyers and Senate defenders argued, essentially, that Trumps behavior was not egregious enough for impeachment and removal. And, pointing to the December House impeachment vote, starkly along party lines, they painted it as a political effort to destroy the president in an election year arguing that voters should be allowed to decide Trumps fate. Your hatred of Donald Trump has blinded you to the obvious. This is not about protecting the country, this is about destroying the president, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said before the vote. The only way for this to end permanently is for the president to get reelected. SOURCE: AFP | PHOTO: AFP A new citizenship law isnt against minorities isnt against minorities and protests against it are based on "lies and falsehood," Prime Minister Narendra told Parliament on Thursday in a speech accusing the Opposition of anarchy. "Those who have been removed from office by the people of India are now doing the unthinkable. They see citizens on the basis of their faith. Much has been said about CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), ironically by those who love getting photographed with the group of people who want Tukde Tukde of India," he said, ... Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) Two solar panels used to monitor the activity of the active Mayon Volcano have been stolen, state volcanologist Phivolcs said on Thursday. Phivolcs said this will affect the monitoring of the volcano, which is on Alert Level 2, as no data will be transmitted from its Mayon Resthouse station. It warned that Republic Act 10344 penalizes the stealing and tampering of government risk reduction and preparedness equipment. "The public is strongly encouraged to help in taking care of our monitoring instruments and to promptly report any untoward incidents," it said in a statement. A crater glow was observed at Mayon Volcano this week. Phivolcs said this could mean that "remnant magma" may be silently rising to the shallow levels of the volcano. As Mayon was still showing "moderate levels of unrest," Phivolcs said alert level 2 was still over the volcano. It said while the volcano has calmed down since a magmatic eruption in 2018, slight changes have been observed since February 2019. An American tourist has died while paragliding with friends in Colombia. Investigators are exploring the possibility he could have passed away while in the air. The incident took place in the area known as Damasco, in the municipality of Santa Barbara, in the southwestern Colombian department of Antioquia where the tourist, named in reports as Rafael Thomas Zakota, was paragliding. An American tourist named as Rafael Thomas Zakota in local media reports has died while paragliding in Colombia as investigators explore the possibility he could have passed away while in the air Head of the local firefighter department Nicolas Villada said it's possible he could have died 'of natural causes' while in the air. Zakota's body has been sent to forensic scientists but the results of their examinations have not yet been revealed. Villada sais: 'The paraglider apparently died in the air and then fell, according to the images we have, with no vital signs.' Some reports suggest he may have suffered a heart attack, however others speculated that strong winds could have caused him to fall. Antioquia police commander Luis Fernando Arcos, said Zakota had arrived in Colombia with five other people, whose nationalities were not revealed, to go paragliding together. Paragliders over Santa Barbara mountains. Head of the local firefighter department Nicolas Villada said it's possible the victim could have died due to natural causes while in the air Police officer Luis Fernando Arcos said Zakota had arrived in Colombia with five other people, whose nationalities were not revealed, to go paragliding together He said: 'The group lost communication with the victim who finally died. Their hypothesis is that the winds caused him to fly low and caused his death'. He added: 'We do know that the paragliding jump in Santa Barbara was not authorised, they did it independently as they had not communicated it or requested authorisation to do so'. It reportedly took several hours to find the victim's body as he fell in an area which is difficult to access. Reports state the process of repatriating the victim's body has begun. Michael O'Daniel (pictured above and below) died in a paragliding accident in the municipality of Jerico, also in the Antioquia area on January 29 Local paragliding expert Felipe Arboleda told local media: 'Tropical countries, including Colombia, are places where the conditions are difficult to fly, it is not calm especially in the afternoon 'You can find more turbulence, problems that will require more control, and need more experience,' Felipe said Villada said the area is known for the Cerro Amarillo take-off spot for paragliders and added: 'Twenty days ago we had another accident with a person who also fell, and was injured, but he did not die and was taken to Medellin.' The incident comes after another US citizen Michael O'Daniel died in a paragliding accident in the municipality of Jerico, also in the Antioquia area on January 29. Local paragliding expert Felipe Arboleda told local media: 'Tropical countries, including Colombia, are places where the conditions are difficult to fly, it is not calm especially in the afternoon. 'You can find more turbulence, problems that will require more control, and need more experience.' Amid coronavirus outbreak, China has reportedly thrown the travel industry into chaos, threatening billions of dollars in losses while keeping millions of travellers at home. As per reports, the outbreak has already claimed 565 lives and infected more than 28,000 people. The outbreak took started in Wuhan earlies this year and many countries have started evacuating their citizens and decided to restrict the entry of foreigners returning from China. According to international media reports, 30 airlines have suspended services in China and nearly 25,000 flights were also cancelled earlier this week. Reportedly, hotel rooms in China are largely empty and with many tourists cancelling travel to Asia while many are taking a wait-and-see approach. Asia, which attracts 75% of Lunar New Year travellers, has also seen a decline even though the Chinese New Year is one of China's major travel periods. READ: Chinese Student Lies At Immigration, Sneaks Into Australia Despite Coronavirus Ban Amid the deadly virus, Disney further reportedly said that it could lose $175 million if its parks in Hong Kong and Shanghai remained closed for the next two months. Thailand, on the hand, said that they expect to $9.7 billion in tourism income from Chinese travellers through June. Destinations further from the outbreak are also feeling the loss of Chinese tourists and many countries have banned visitors from mainland China. Earlier, the WHO has also warned the international public health authorities that the Wuhan Virus was of a significant threat to the nations outside mainland China and the disease's pandemic nature enforced a global response to the outbreak. Authorities also banned Chinese nationals from travelling into their territory, suspending airlines and halting the visa issuance as well as immigration facility. The health authorities around the world are further taking action to prevent a global epidemic, with cases reported in Australia, France, the United States and several Asian countries besides China. READ: Coronavirus Outbreak: China Confirms Virus Death Toll Now At 593 Precautionary efforts Macau has denied entry to visitors from China's Hubei province unless they can provide documentation showing that they are not infected with the virus. The Macau government said that they will also not allow those who visited the province 14 days prior to their arrival. China's immediate neighbour, Mongolia has further closed all universities and educational institutes until March 2 to prevent the spread of the deadly Coronavirus. Citing a cabinet meeting, Mongolian state media also said that it has closed the border crossings for motor vehicles and pedestrian traffic from January 27 and called for public gatherings to be cancelled. On the other hand, Hong Kong's land and sea crossings with China have been closed and Chief Executive of Hong Kong Carrie Lam has also announced the suspension of train and ferry services. READ: Amritsar Suspects First Case Of Coronavirus, Patient Kept In Isolation Ward READ: Hong Kong Confirms 22nd Case Of Coronavirus In Semi-autonomous Region The government holds 90 per cent stake in ITI which is valued at Rs 7,550 crore. Poor response has prompted ITI to withdraw its Rs 1,300-crore follow-on public offer (FPO), a move that is unprecedented by a government company. ITI is a technology solutions provider to the telecom sector. While the FPO wasnt part of the governments disvestment programme, it underscores the challenges when it comes to diluting stakes in public sector undertakings that are not in the limelight. The company has decided to withdraw the issue, due to the prevailing market conditions, ITI said in a statement The FPO had garnered only 62 per cent subscription, data provided by stock exchanges showed. ITI had extended the closing date twice and also had lowered the price band to attract investors. The FPO, was to originally close on January 28. The closing date was first extended to January 31 and later to February 5. The price band was lowered to Rs 71-Rs 77 per share from earlier band of Rs 72-Rs 77 per share. Shares of ITI rose nearly 5 per cent to end at Rs 84 on Wednesday as the share sale overhang ended. Through the FPO, ITI was looking to issue 181.8 million fresh shares. The issue would have led to dilution of 20 per cent, weighing on the secondary market price. The government holds 90 per cent stake in the company. ITI is valued at Rs 7,550 crore, currently. BOB Capital Markets, Karvy Investor Services and PNB Investment Services were the investment bankers to the FPO. In the past, government-owned entities such as Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and State Bank of India (SBI) had bailed out PSU after a share sale. The failure of ITIs FPO indicates that the government wanted to raise funds supported by organic demand, said bankers. Analysts said steep pricing and uncertain business outlook could have hurt investor demand. Besides the pricing, investors were concerned over the drop in profitability of the company in the last financial year and the business outlook falling. "Most of ITIs business comes from state-owned telecom companies which arent in great shape, said an analyst. ITI was looking to utilise the FPO proceeds to retire debt and fund its working capital. Analysts said ITI will have to look for other means of fundraising, such as private placement. Photo credit: Michael Thompson From Popular Mechanics A Russian satellite called Kosmos 2542 made a series of maneuvers in late January to get closer to the National Reconnaissance Office satellite USA 245. A graduate student at Purdue University pointed out the move on Twitter. Experts believe the inspector satellite may be trying to collect intel of its own. Kosmos 2542, a Russian inspector satellite, synchronized its orbit with a U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) satellite called USA 245 , and is now trailing the classified satellite from a distance of about 186 miles, MIT Technology Review reports. Michael Thompson, a graduate student in astrophysics at Purdue University, first raised the alarm about the set of maneuvers on Twitter . Experts believe the Russian satellite may be collecting intel about the U.S. spy satellite. Something to potentially watch: Cosmos 2542, a Russian inspection satellite, has recently synchronized its orbit with USA 245, an NRO KH11. A thread: pic.twitter.com/LqvYiIYBMd Michael Thompson (@M_R_Thomp) January 30, 2020 Prior to the repositioning, the two satellites were in the same plane, but had different orbital periods, meaning they orbited the Earth at the same altitude (in low Earth orbit, between 171 and 630 miles above Earths surface), but they only passed each other periodically, maybe every 11 to 12 days, according to Thompson. Then, on January 20, the Russian satellite used its onboard thrusters to perform the first of four maneuversthe rest occurred over the next three daysto position itself closer to USA 245. Raising even more suspicion, the two satellites are farthest away from each other in Earths shadow and at their closest when in the sunlightprime conditions for surveillance. Thompson notes that evidence is purely circumstantial at this time, but experts agree the move is suspicious. Story continues Things do move around in low Earth orbit, but to expend your valuable propellant in this way to perfectly position yourself to view another satellite like this to me is just beyond the pale, Thomas Roberts, who was an aerospace security fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told MIT Technology Review. Its not a coincidence. Kosmos 2542 launched from Russias Plesetsk Cosmodrome in November 2019, while USA 245 has been in orbit since the NRO launched it in August 2013. Russia maintained at the time of Kosmos 2542s launch that it would only monitor its own satellites, as part of a satellite inspection program. What Are Inspector Satellites? Inspector satellites are a type of satellite that are designed to surveil other satellites in orbit. This is not unique to Russia, space policy expert Brian Weeden, of the Secure World Foundation, told MIT Technology Review. It doesnt happen every day, but its a capability that China, the U.S., and others have been testing out over time. During the Cold War, for example, the U.S. developed a number of antisatellite programs like the Satellite Inspector (SAINT) project, which included a series of four such satellites ready for launch. These satellitesequipped with sensors to monitor radioactivitywould be on the front lines, ready to track and possibly destroy targets selected by the Department of Defense. These days, the technology is far more advanced. While experts wont speculate as to what Kosmos 2542 may have onboard, modern inspector satellites can analyze the instrumentsoften camerasaboard the satellites theyre following in order to pinpoint what those satellites might be targeting back on Earth. In 2015, a Russian satellite called Luch saddled up between two U.S. communication satellites and hovered near them for several months. China has also sent up inspector satellites, which the country says have been used to monitor its own equipment in geostationary orbit. One of the big concerns is that we dont have any agreed rules or norms about how these close approaches should be done, Weeden told the The Verge . That means an increased risk someone might get the wrong perception about whats going on, perhaps even mistaking it for an attack. Now, we watch and wait. You Might Also Like - EU officials reported to be looking to amend MiFID II by walking away from concessions they made to the UK back in 2018 - Pound Sterling slips below $1.30 despite further signs of a post-election economic recovery. - The Pound to Euro exchange rate is -0.2% lower @ 1.17900 on 6/1/2020 - The Pound to US Dollar exchange rate is -0.16% lower @ $1.29744 on 6/1/2020 Pound Sterling dipped on Wednesday with potential MiFID changes cited as one factor for the reversal of initial gains as the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published a consultation paper on potential changes to MiFID II. What is MiFID II? MiFiD stands for Markets in Financial Instruments Directive. According to the Investopedia definition; MiFID is a legislative framework instituted by the European Union (EU) to regulate financial markets in the bloc and improve protections for investors. Its aim is to standardize practices across the EU and restore confidence in the industry, especially after the 2008 financial crisis. MiFID II was introduced early in 2018 and one of the primary aims of the legislation is to reduce the amount of trading done through unofficial channels and exchanges. ESMA has put the paper out for consultation and wants responses by March 17th. The official aim of the review is to improve regulation and continue to cut the number of transactions conducted outside of official exchanges known as dark pools. This is an extremely technical issue with the ESMA consultation document running to over 150 pages. Why are markets taking notice? Normally, such technical changes would receive scant attention in currency markets, but Brexit has changed that. Following the UK withdraw from the EU, a new set of rules for cross-border trading in financial services will need to be agreed. There are important concerns that the EU will look to change the rules to its own advantage and seek to boost the importance of Frankfurt and Paris at the expense of London. In particular, there are concerns that the EU will look to remove previous concessions made to the City of London. In order for the UK to secure access, the EU will demand equivalence with the UK needing to prove that its own rules are stringent enough and at least as robust as the EU. There will, therefore, be fears that the EU will look to use technical changes as a smokescreen to undermine UK access and also look to curb the influence of major US investment banks at the same time. According to Nathaniel Lalone, partner at Katten law firm in London: Combining the MiFID review with equivalence allows them the possibility to move the goalposts for equivalence, which could very well give the EU more leverage. There is a risk that the MiFID review could be misused for political ends, which could ultimately, and regrettably, serve to frustrate access to EU markets by City firms. Others are more optimistic, however, with Barney Reynolds, a lawyer at Shearman and Sterling, were talking predominantly about detail. This shouldnt affect the achievability of enhanced equivalence based on meeting high level internationally-defined outcomes. He added There are all sorts of reasons to remain confident that such a deal will end up being agreed, he added. Unease will persist throughout 2020 Another concern is that the UK will find it very difficult to allocate sufficient time and resources to tackle the issue under tight time constraints, especially as the government has to hold multiple trade negotiations at the same time. There needs to be a trade deal with the EU before the end of 2020 and negotiations will also be needed with other major economies including the US and Australia. The UK currency did move lower on Wednesday, although wider US dollar strength was a more important factor as confidence in the US economy strengthened. What is certain is that regulatory and trade issues will continue to be monitored very closely by markets and will tend to act as a drag on Sterling unless satisfactory deals can be secured. The Pound-to-Dollar exchange rate (GBP/USD) failed to regain 1.3000 on Thursday, trading near 1.2970, with the Euro-to-Pound exchange rate (EUR/GBP) at 0.8480. United States President Donald Trump was acquitted of all charges by the US Senate in the impeachment trial here on Wednesday. First, in a 52-48 vote, the US president was found not guilty of the charge of abuse of power. Then again he was acquitted of the second impeachment article: obstruction of Congress with 53-47 vote. Earlier in the day, Republican Senator Mitt Romney said that he will vote to convict United States President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Republican Party holds a 53-47 majority in the chamber and conviction required a two-thirds majority. This meant if all Democrats voted to convict, then 20 Republicans were required to vote for Trump to be convicted and removed from office. Last week, Republican Senators rejected Democrats' efforts to call witnesses and documents during the impeachment trial. The voting paved the way for President Donald Trump's acquittal on two articles of impeachment passed by the House. This is the third time in the country's 244-year history that a President has been impeached and targeted for removal from office. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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 The building of Moscows Nikulinsky District Court caught fire after unidentified perpetrators had thrown petrol bombs at it, a law enforcement source said, adding that the fire had been extinguished. "The perpetrators threw several petrol bombs at the Nikulinsky Court, causing a small fire on the first floor, which was quickly extinguished. Police are working on the site," TASS cited the source as saying. A court spokesperson, in turn, confirmed the incident, but declined to provide further comment. TD Banks decision on Tuesday to lower 5-year fixed mortgage rates may have been partly due to pressure from regulators, experts say. Earlier this week, the bank announced it was cutting its posted rate for 5-year fixed mortgages from 5.34 per cent to 4.99 per cent, a move most analysts expect to be followed by other major financial institutions. Its not a coincidence the move came just a few weeks after the Office of the Supervisor of Financial Institutions (OSFI) announced it was considering replacing the Bank of Canadas 5-year fixed rate as a benchmark to be used in the stress test, said mortgage broker Robert McLister. The Bank of Canadas rate is based on an average of the Big 6 banks posted 5-year rates. OSFI was basically saying to the banks bring your posted rates down or well change the system, and now were seeing that happen, said McLister, founder of rate-monitoring website Ratespy.com. If the other banks cut their posted rates, that will mean more people can meet the stress test. OSFI introduced the stress test as part of regulation B20 in 2018, amid concerns Canadas real estate market was overheating and that Canadians were already too heavily in debt. Critics, including realtors and many would-be borrowers, have said the regulation made it too difficult to qualify for a mortgage. Under the rules introduced by OSFI in 2018, for uninsured mortgages, borrowers must prove they can afford a mortgage that is two percentage points higher than what theyre offered, or the Bank of Canada benchmark 5-year rate, whichever is higher. Given that banks have been offering discretionary rates more than two points below the posted offerings, that has effectively meant most borrowers would need to prove they could afford to pay at the posted 5-year rate, said McLister. For mortgages insured by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (requiring at least a 20 per cent dowpayment), buyers need to prove they can afford the rate theyre offered, or the Bank of Canada 5-year benchmark. In a speech Jan. 24, OSFIs assistant superintendent Ben Gully said the posted 5-year rate had historically been around two percentage points higher than most banks discretionary rates, which was why OSFI had decided to use it as a benchmark. The benchmark has been widening more recently, suggesting that the benchmark is less responsive to market changes than when it was first proposed, Gully told his audience at the C.D. Howe Institute. We are reviewing this aspect of our qualifying rate, as the posted rate is not playing the role that we intended. As always, we will share our results with our federal partners. This will help to inform the advice OSFI might provide to the Minister. A chart accompanying Gullys speech showed that the spread between posted rates and discretionary rates averaged almost 2.3 percentage points in 2019. Veteran Toronto-based realtor Larry Cerqua said that while OSFI might be hoping to loosen the stress test a bit, it likely wont make much of a difference for most borrowers. I really dont think this will have nearly as much of an impact as they hope it will. Its just not big enough, said Cerqua, whos also the Ontario regional director for the Canadian Real Estate Association. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Gov. Kristi Noem drafts bill limiting 'action civics' This legislation prohibits colleges and schools from directing, requiring or compelling students to protest or lobby as part of a grade or a class. Technavio has been monitoring the ethyl alcohol market and it is poised to grow by USD 21.23 bn during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of 6% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005414/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global ethyl alcohol market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Increasing demand for ethanol in the food processing industry has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, increasing demand for electric vehicles might hamper market growth. Request a free sample report Ethyl Alcohol Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Ethyl Alcohol Market is segmented as below: End-user Automotive Food and Beverages Personal Care Pharmaceutical Others Geographic segmentation North America APAC Europe South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR40046 Ethyl Alcohol Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our ethyl alcohol market report covers the following areas: Ethyl Alcohol Market size Ethyl Alcohol Market trends Ethyl Alcohol Market industry analysis This study identifies growing demand for ethyl alcohol in the automotive industry as one of the prime reasons driving the ethyl alcohol market growth during the next few years. Ethyl Alcohol Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the ethyl alcohol market, including some of the vendors such as Advanced BioEnergy LLC, Archer Daniels Midland Co., BP Plc, Cargill Inc., Green Plains Inc., INEOS Group Holdings SA, LyondellBasell Industries NV, Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corp., Pacific Ethanol Inc. and Solvay SA. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the ethyl alcohol market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Ethyl Alcohol Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist ethyl alcohol market growth during the next five years Estimation of the ethyl alcohol market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the ethyl alcohol market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of ethyl alcohol market vendors About Us 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/20200206005414/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ GCSE pupils science curriculum is a female-free zone, analysis has found. No trailblazing women feature in the national guidelines, compared with 14 men whose names or discoveries are routinely covered in classrooms. GCSE students learn about Lord Kelvin, developer of the Kelvin scale of absolute temperatures, and French physicist Charles-Augustin de Coulomb but not Marie Curie, who developed X-rays, or Rosalind Franklin, who helped uncover DNAs double helix structure. GCSE pupils science curriculum is a female-free zone, analysis has found (file image) GCSE students learn about Lord Kelvin, developer of the Kelvin scale of absolute temperatures, and French physicist Charles-Augustin de Coulomb (left) but not Marie Curie (right), who developed X-rays Across three major exam boards test guidelines, 40 men are mentioned but just two women Miss Franklin and Mary Leakey, an archaeologist who discovered human-like fossils supporting Charles Darwins theory of evolution. Teach First, which commissioned the analysis, warned that STEM subjects science, technology, engineering and maths will continue to be dominated by men unless girls learn about identifiable role models. Shelley Gonsalves, the charitys executive director, said: Weve overlooked that there are too few women celebrated in these subjects... this leaves talent unlocked, which exacerbates our STEM skills shortage. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has dialled back his criticism of India after it sparked a boycott of Malaysian palm oil, his chosen successor Anwar Ibrahim told Reuters on Thursday, urging New Delhi to note the change in tone. India, the world's biggest buyer of edible oils, last month imposed curbs on refined palm oil imports and informally asked traders to stop buying from Malaysia, the world's biggest producer and exporter of the commodity after Indonesia. Sources said the move was in retaliation for Mahathir speaking out against a new citizenship law which critics say discriminates against Muslims. Mahathir has also angered India by accusing it of invading and occupying Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region whose autonomy New Delhi took away last year, and is disputed by Pakistan. Anwar, who expects to succeed the 94-year-old Mahathir later this year under a deal worked out with his former foe, said the Malaysian leader may have gone beyond diplomatic expressions of concerns in his condemnation of the Indian government. "Countries will not take strong objections when you express concern, but of course in this regard Tun Mahathir has been quite tough and strong," Anwar said in an interview, using an honorific for the premier. "But since then in the past few weeks, he has tried his level best to contain and try to make the necessary adjustments. I'm sure the leaders in India will take cognisance of the fact that Mahathir did say it, but then he has now refrained from repeating it in the sayings or tone." Anwar said he and Mahathir had discussed the tension with New Delhi and that it was important to maintain good economic and trade relations with countries like India and China without necessarily having to agree with each other's policies. Anwar said he would have crafted any criticism of India over Kashmir or the new citizenship law differently than Mahathir. India's January imports of Malaysian palm oil may have plunged 80% from a year earlier to 40,400 tonnes, according to Refinitiv. India bought 4.4 million tonnes of Malaysian palm oil last year, according to the Malaysian Palm Oil Council. India's arch-enemy Pakistan, meanwhile, has pledged to buy more palm oil from Malaysia to help offset lost sales to India. Pakistan may have bought around 135,000 tonnes of Malaysian palm oil last month, a record high, India-based dealers who track such shipments told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo of Manila is encouraging prayers and solidarity in the fight against coronavirus, saying plagues have been stopped not only through medical means but also through prayers and great acts of charity. By Robin Gomes While acknowledging the seriousness of the coronavirus outbreak, a Philippine Catholic Church official is calling on Catholics not to panic but rather to take care of themselves and others, including through prayers. To be concerned, however, does not mean to be afraid, much less to feel helpless, said Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo of Manila. Timely, true information In a post on social media on February 4, the bishop, who is chairman of the Episcopal Commission on the Laity of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, noted that timely and true information is needed to avoid this. False news can cause panic on one hand, and it can also create complacency on the other hand. The outbreak of the new strain of coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Chinese health officials on Thursday said that 563 people had died from the virus, up from nearly 500 people the day before, and that 28,018 cases had been confirmed. On Wednesday, Chinese state run media reported a newborn had been diagnosed with the virus, just 30 hours after birth. While urging the people to follow safety measures and habits to avoid contagion and maintain a healthy lifestyle, Bishop Pabillo stressed that the common good and the safety of the people should be the primary consideration of governments and institutions, not political expediencies, much less, profit concerns. Also good news True and timely information for all, he said, includes not only the extent of the spread and the death caused but also those who have recovered and the cures that are being discovered. In fact, he said, We need not only bad news but also good news, and the latter also abound. People should be informed about the initiatives taken to show solidarity and concern to all. In this regard, he described as very heart-warming the move by the Vatican to supply more than 600,000 medical masks to the provinces of Hubei, Zhejiang and Fujian. Inspiring gestures such as these should multiply and create global solidarity, he said. Prayer and solidarity Bishop Pabillo also urged Christians to make their contribution through prayer. He noted that all through history we have seen that plagues have been stopped not only through medical means but also through prayers and great acts of charity. Wherever we are, in whatever state of life, in sickness and in health, we all can pray, he said, urging prayers for those who have died and comfort for the bereaved. The power of solidarity in prayer and in charity, he said, is a big resource that Christians have. On February 2, the Philippines reported the first coronavirus death outside of China. The Philippine Department of Health (DOH) said that the 44-year-old Chinese man from Wuhan was admitted to a hospital in Manila on Jan. 25 with fever, cough and sore throat before he developed severe pneumonia. His female companion also tested positive. The 3rd confirmed case of coronavirus was reported on Wednesday. The Philippine Catholic Church had earlier announced the oratio imperata (obligatory prayer) initiative for people affected by the virus and to prevent a global epidemic. (Source: AsiaNews) New Delhi, Feb 6 : In yet another initiative to boost business amid an economic slowdown, the Modi government and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) together on Thursday launched India-Central Asia Business Council. The nominated chambers from India, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan came together to formally declare their association to collaborate and provide an industry view to the governments of the six countries. The Council will also share its recommendations on how to promote business in the region and with each other. External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar who was present at the launch called it a "significant step" especially in view of the fact that "despite excellent bilateral relations, it is a matter of concern that India's combined annual trade with the five Central Asian countries remains well below two billion US dollars." He recommended the Council to examine the viability of establishing air corridors between and Central Asia to boost trade in perishable goods, agricultural and food products. Recalling that India shares both geography and civilizational relationship with the region, the minister said the government hoped the Council will help promote investment and opportunities which have remained untapped. The Council, he revealed, has prioritized discussions on energy, pharmaceuticals, automotive, agro-processing, education and urban infrastructure and transport, civil aviation, IT and tourism. Though energy sector is a top priority but the lack of land route connectivity between India and Central Asia due to hostile relationship with Pakistan and instability in Afghanistan, remains a major hurdle. It has delayed the much-awaited Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline. Jaishankar acknowledged that there is a challenge of lack of efficient overland connectivity, which he said, will be overcome through the Chabahar port in Iran. It will be the "fulcrum of connectivity for Indian goods to reach Afghanistan and further north and for the landlocked Central Asia to find access to the ocean," he said. In the Union Budget, the government has allocated Rs 100 crore for the port this year. India will also continue working on International North South Transport Corridor (NSTC) and the Ashgabat Agreement, he said. GRAND BLANC, MI Two men who claim a former Flint-area Catholic priest sexually abused them as boys -- including a man who said Vincent DeLorenzeo raped him at least 10 different times -- took to the witness stand in court on Tuesday, Feb. 5. The alleged victims shared their stories during a preliminary examination in Genesee District Court in Grand Blanc for DeLorenzo, 80, who is facing multiple first- and second-degree criminal sexual conduct charges involving two children under the age of 13. Per a court order, neither of the men are being identified. One of the alleged victims, now 30 years old, was a student from 1995-2000 at Holy Redeemer in Burton. He testified during questioning by Assistant Attorney General Danielle Hagaman-Clark of getting to know DeLorenzo through weekly mass, as well as his baptism and first communion. The pair got closer as the alleged victim trained to become an altar server. This is when I had encounters with him in his office, the man said. He also testified that DeLorenzo asked him about his family and his behavior. (It was) sort of one-on-one counseling. There was also the religious element, the teachings and things like that with the Catechism. Flint-area Catholic priest sexually abused boy for 5 years, affidavit says He testified DeLorenzo began to take the close contact opportunities during prayer to touch and grope him, first on his head then eventually down to his back and genital area. I thought it was tickling, I thought it was fun. He sort of turned it into a game, at first, he said. I remember incidents after that when I would be sent over by my teachers in which I would have to do penance prayers, he would have me saying Our Father, Hail Marys, things like that while he was groping me, touching me. DeLorenzo would maintain normal conversation and directed the boys attention to his face during the alleged incidents, he testified. I recall my belt being unbuckled, the man said. I recall the sound of the belt buckle rattling while he wascaressing me and fondling me. The incidents began in first grade -- when he was 6 or 7 years old -- and took place at the church. When the boy became disruptive in class, hed be sent over by his teacher to DeLorenzos office rather than the principal, the man testified under cross-examination by Michael Manley, DeLorenzos attorney. The encounters soon went beyond fondling. The man testified there were at least 10 instances of rape. .... I would usually fixate on a particular item in the room, such as a bookcase or the wall or some depiction on the wall, some religious depiction, he testified. I would draw my attention to that. The incidents took place until he and his family moved out of the area. He reached out to the Diocese of Lansing in 2018 about the alleged abuse. A victim services coordinator recommended he submit a tip to Michigan State Police who began an investigation along with Burton police. When asked by Hagaman-Clark if certain things still trigger memories of the alleged abuse, he said the smell of frankincense. The smell of the church, he testified. It was a mix of candle and frankincense which was burned in the church. His testimony was followed by a second man who was 5 years old in May 1987 when he claims DeLorenzo touched him following a funeral for the boys great-grandmother at a Flushing home. DeLorenzo allegedly wanted to speak with the boy, who is now 38 years old, after noticing he was crying and upset. While at the boys grandparents home, the boy caught DeLorenzo masturbating in an apartment on the grounds. Former Flint-area priest faces new rape charge for second victim During the encounter, DeLorenzo allegedly showed the boy how to masturbate and fondled him, according to testimony. I was actually mad. The reason I was mad is because he threatened me not to tell anyone, the man testified. He said if you tell anyone your uncle will not become a priest. The alleged victim didnt contact law enforcement about the incident until 2003 after speaking with his parents and hearing the story about abuse at Holy Redeemer. Flushing police and the Genesee County Prosecutors Office investigated the claim at the time, but no charges were pressed until the case was picked up by the Michigan Attorney Generals Office. Genesee District Judge Christopher R. Odette bound over DeLorenzo to Genesee Circuit Court after hearing testimony he called beyond disturbing. Former Flint-area priest bound over on rape charges Its disturbing enough that it involves an adult and a child, said Odette. Its even more disturbing that he abused his position of authority to accomplish that." The judge raised DeLorenzos bond from $100,000 to $200,000 cash or surety bond after hearing the testimony. Manley said the testimony was an important part of allowing the alleged victims to share their story. Its part of the healing process, he noted. But it still comes down to what a jury thinks, Manley added. Whether or not that story is true has to be decided by 12 citizens of our community," he said. He pointed to some factual inconsistencies during the testimony. It may be memory. It may be untruthfulness. It could be a lot of things, said Manley. I dont make those decisions, but when people give certain versions of the events that are inconsistent with what theyve said before in the past or dont make common sense, I think thats where people who arent biased have to make those calls. Manley was disappointed the bond was raised, saying DeLorenzo has complied with the conditions. But Manley also said, given the allegations made in court, he understood the move. It was a very professional, fair and honorable hearing today, he said. The case will now move on into Genesee Circuit Judge F. Kay Behms courtroom. A Flint native, DeLorenzo was ordained in 1965 and served as pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Flint Township from 1976 to 1983 and of St. Robert Parish in Flushing until 1988. He also spent time as an associate pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in East Lansing, St. Joseph and St. Augustine Catholic churches in Kalamazoo and St. Casimir in Lansing, according to MLive-The Flint Journal records. In June 1988, he moved to Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Burton. DeLorenzo abruptly resigned from Holy Redeemer in January 2002. A letter by DeLorenzo was read to parishioners at Good Friday services in 2002 after his resignation in which he admitted to having inappropriate sexual contact with a minor, according to Flint Journal records. Charges have not been brought in connection with that incident. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, Feb. 6 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: A meeting of experts from the Caspian countries ended in Ashgabat, Trend reports referring to the Turkmen Dovlet Khabarlary state news agency. The draft protocol on cooperation in the fight against poaching in the Caspian Sea was discussed at the meeting. Representatives of relevant ministries and departments of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan attended the event. The document is intended to supplement the Agreement on Security Cooperation in the Caspian Sea, signed at the 3rd Summit of the Caspian states held in 2010 in Baku, Azerbaijan. During the meeting, special attention was paid to the topic of preservation of marine fishery resources, regulation of fishing in the sea. The Caspian states have not been recently engaged in the commercial production of sturgeon species. The ban on commercial fishing of sturgeons was extended for 2020 during the meeting of the Commission for the Conservation, Rational Use of Aquatic Biological Resources and the Management of Shared Stocks in Tehran, Iran in December 2019. While discussing the forms of joint fight against poaching, the participants emphasized the importance of close coordination of actions in this sphere of the border services, law enforcement services, fish protection services and environmental services of the coastal countries. The protocol is closely related to the agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of aquatic biological resources of the Caspian Sea. The agreement, adopted at the 4th Caspian Summit in Astrakhan, entered into force in May 2016 after the implementation of the necessary domestic procedures. Mainstream parties reacted sharply to the slapping of the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) on three Kashmiri politicians and said the move belies the Centre's claim of normalcy in the union territory. National Conference leader and former minister Ali Mohammed Sagar, former NC legislator Bashir Ahmed Veeri, and Sartaj Madani, the maternal uncle of PDP chief and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti, were on Thursday booked under the PSA. They were under preventive detention since August last year. Reacting to the development, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) said the BJP-led government at the Centre is "testing the patience" of the people by such "undemocratic moves". Jammu and Kashmir unit of the CPI(M) also condemned the slapping of the PSA on the three prominent Kashmiri leaders, while the Congress termed the decision as "unfortunate". A PDP spokesperson described the slapping of the PSA on the three leaders as "most condemnable" and said the Union government is "testing the patience of the people of Jammu and Kashmir by such undemocratic steps". "If everything is normal in Jammu and Kashmir, why the mainstream leaders are treated like criminals?" he asked. "The BJP is misleading the country about Jammu and Kashmir," the spokesperson added. Senior CPI(M) leader and former legislator M Y Tarigami said the decision puts a question mark on the Centre's claim that the situation is normal in J and K post the abrogation of special status and bifurcation of the erstwhile state into UTs on August 5 last year. "On one hand, the BJP within and outside Parliament is claiming that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is normal, on the other it is resorting to the use of draconian laws against prominent leaders. "What is the meaning of slapping the PSA on the leaders after six months? They (government) are claiming that the situation is normal and improving and are releasing the detained political leaders," he said. Tarigami said the local administration is preparing to hold elections to nearly 13,000 vacant posts of panches and sarpanches but the decision to slap the PSA does not go well with the democratic exercise. "The elections should precede release of political detenues and political activity but they are slapping the PSA. There are already many people in jails or under house arrest, including the three former chief ministers. The claims of normalcy are completely farce," he said. Chief spokesperson of Jammu and Kashmir unit of Congress Ravinder Sharma termed the slapping of the PSA on the three leaders as "unfortunate". "There is no justification for it...the mainstream leaders served the erstwhile state in different capacities," Sharma said, adding the latest move does not match with the claims of normalcy by the BJP and comes at a time when it is encouraging a section of mainstream opposition leaders for political activity. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP on Thursday questioned those who are vying for the release of the three former chief ministers -- NC president Farooq Abdullah, his son Omar and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti -- who have been under detention since August 5 last year. "Though the BJP opposes prolonged detention of any individual but has no hesitation to support the same if it contributes to peace and restoring normalcy," BJP spokesperson Brig (retd) Anil Gupta said in a statement here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Newser) The bodies of a young couple who hadn't been seen since Jan. 29 have been found near a Southern California hiking trail. Officials say the bodies of Paul Arthur Stockwell Jr., 29, and his girlfriend, Ria Gabriella Williams, 27, were found around 1:30pm Monday. Deputies who were looking for the two had discovered Williams' vehicle earlier Monday in the parking lot off of the Cougar Crest Trail in Fawnskin, near Big Bear Lake, per a San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department release cited by KTLA. The bodies were found about a half-mile into the forest. story continues below Williams was last seen on Jan. 29 while in the Big Bear area with Stockwell; a co-worker reported her missing when she didn't come to work two days later. Stockwell's father reported him missing that same day. The Los Angeles Times notes it's not clear how long Williams' car had been sitting in the parking lot. Per People, the Cougar Crest Trail is considered a "moderate" hike, with the first mile deemed a "gentle uphill climb." Autopsies are being conducted, and homicide detectives are investigating. (Read more missing persons stories.) The Daily Beast Fox News White House correspondent and perpetual nemesis of Jen Psaki thought he had Joe Bidens press secretary cornered on Monday when he asked her why the president is still referring to COVID-19 as a pandemic of the unvaccinated when so many people are getting breakthrough infections. He was wrong.I understand that the science says that vaccines prevent death, Doocy began, before undercutting that basic truth. But Im triple-vaxxed, still got COVID. Youre triple-vaxxed, still got COVI Amazon warehouse workers have revealed the shocking conditions they endure including one ex-con who said he preferred prison. A catalog of damning testimonies from those who pack items to be shipped across New York and the surrounding area reveals the working conditions of employees who are monitored by computers to keep track their productivity. Employees in the New York City warehouse, called JFK8, on Staten Island claimed Amazon bosses 'care more about robots than about the employees'. They suggested the company's founder eff Bezos wold not be able to complete one of their shifts. One former worker even said he quit after just three days because working at the sprawling facility reminded him of prison and he would 'rather go back to a state correctional facility'. Other employees have complained about getting injured at work and that despite a report about safety, not much has changed in the warehouse except video cameras have been installed. A woman working at a packing station. Some employees have complained of having their productivity constantly monitored by computers Jimpat Lacewell, who started working at Amazon in Staten Island in November, quit after three days because it reminded him of prison. He also said CEO and founder Jeff Bezos could not finish a shift at the warehouse if he took part in the Undercover Boss reality TV show. Lacewell told the Guardian: 'I would rather go back to a state correctional facility and work for 18 cents an hour than do that job. 'I'm sure Mr Bezos couldn't do a full shift at that place as an undercover boss.' Rita Cummings, who works as a sorter on the outbound ship dock in three 12-hour shifts every week, has to scan a 1,800 Amazon packages an hour, which works out at around 30 every minute. She claimed a manager asked if she was 'sure you can't see?' and tried to place her in unsuitable job tasks, despite her visual impairment disability meaning she can only perform certain roles. She told the Guardian: 'I had a manager ask me: are you sure you can't see? 'There are days I say I'm just at the mercy of God. There has been no real change. There are still injuries. They were saying the report [into safety] is not accurate, but it's just a way for them to avoid responsibility.' The warehouse, which opened in 2018, sits at the corner of Gulf and Bloomfield Avenues inside the Matrix Global Logistics Park in Staten Island, New York A man works at a conveyor belt at the Staten Island warehouse in a file image. One employee claimed Amazon bosses 'care more about robots than the employees' Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was challenged by a former employee to work a shift at the Staten Island warehouse Another packer at the Amazon JFK8 warehouse, Raymond Velez, worked from October 2018 to November last year. He said he had to pack at a rate of 700 items per hour and that his colleagues were regularly fired for missing rates. Velez told the Guardian: 'That's all they care about. They don't care about their employees. 'They care more about the robots than they care about the employees. I've been to Amcare [the company's on-site medical unit] a couple times for not feeling well, and you'd get an aspirin and sent back to work.' Stower Ilya Geller claimed workers were being watched by surveillance cameras so managers can monitor their productivity rates. He told the Guardian: 'You're being tracked by a computer the entire time you're there. You don't get reported or written up by managers. You get written up by an algorithm. 'You're keenly aware there is an algorithm keeping track of you, making sure you keep going as fast as you can, because if there is too much time lapsed between items, the computer will know this, will write you up, and you will get fired.' Some warehouse workers complained of a lack of safety in that some violations were 'brushed aside'. A man working at a distribution station in Staten Island. One former employee said he would rather go back to prison than face another shift at the New York warehouse An Amazon spokesperson said in a statement: 'Like most companies, we have performance expectations for every Amazonian and we measure actual performance against those expectations.' And on safety, the company said: 'Any effort to paint our workplaces as unsafe based on the number of injury recordings is misleading given the size of our workforce. 'While many companies under-record safety incidents in order to keep their rates low, Amazon does the opposite we take an aggressive stance on recording injuries no matter how big or small. 'We believe so strongly in the environment provided for fulfillment center employees, including our safety culture, that we offer public tours where anyone can come see for themselves one of our sites and its working conditions first-hand.' Last August, Bezos was slammed on social media for throwing a multi-million dollar concert for certain head office employees not long after warehouse workers went on strike over pay and conditions. He was spotted partying with celebrities such as Katy Perry and Lil Nas X backstage at Amazon's Post-Prime Day concert for employees in Seattle. Chances are, youve crossed a bridge deemed by the federal government as structurally deficient in Houston, along with thousands of other drivers each day. Six of the top 10 Texas bridges deemed structurally deficient are in Houston, according to Federal Highway Administration data analyzed by the American Road and Transportation Builder Association. A Colombian tourist has been named as the woman killed in a horrific crash in the Sydney Airport tunnel. Leidy Rincon was in the back seat of a car heading citybound for work at 5.40am on Thursday when the car she was traveling in was hit by a Ford Falcon going the wrong way in the tunnel on General Holmes Drive at Mascot. The 29-year-old died at the scene, with three other women in her car injured, including one who is still fighting for life. Scroll down for video Leidy Rincon died after a horror car crash on General Holmes Drive in Mascot on Thursday morning 'Paramedics did everything they possibly could for her but unfortunately she lost her life at the scene,' NSW Ambulance Superintendent Katherine Rallings told 7News. The three injured women women will remain in hospital until at least next week. Christian Lozada's mother and girlfriend were traveling with Ms Rincon in the car, and he was seen rushing through grid lock traffic to check they were safe. Mr Lozada remembered Ms Rincon as a 'lovely girl.' 'She's gorgeous, very kind, she just comes here to get out there to try and make a better future for herself,' Mr Lozada said. Ms Rincon had only been back in Australia for a week after visiting her family in Colombia. Hashem El-Asmar was the driver of the Ford Falcon, and was treated on the scene for a punctured lung and bone fractures by paramedics. Hashem El-Asmar being treated at the scene by paramedics, with his injuries including a punctured lung The 34-year-old allegedly veered onto the other side of the road heading southbound before the incident. 'When he recovers well go to talk to him and interview him appropriately but well also do so after we get the results of his blood test,' NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy said. Investigators are also testing substances that were allegedly found in Mr El-Asmar's car. The crash occurred on a confusing section of General Holmes Drive, where during peak hour one lane of outbound traffic becomes a citybound lane. Russian studies senior lecturer Ginzbursky-Blum awarded for excellence in teaching Award winner: W&M Russian studies senior lecturer Bella Ginzbursky-Blum was awarded the 2019 Excellence in Teaching (Post-Secondary) Award from the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages. Courtesy photo Photo - of - Hide Caption Jan. 26 marked the 39th anniversary of Bella Ginzbursky-Blums immigration to the United States from the Soviet Union. She has vivid memories of that journey with her family to New York when she was a teenager. Arriving in the United States was incredible, said Ginzbursky-Blum, a senior lecturer of Russian studies at William & Mary. It was exhausting. It was disorienting. It was scary. It was a lot of things. That passage opened up many opportunities for Ginzbursky-Blum and led to a long and rewarding career at W&M. She has been a part of the William & Mary Russian and Post-Soviet Studies Program for 27 years as a lecturer and advisor, and she was rewarded for her work with the 2019 Excellence in Teaching (Post-Secondary) Award from the American Association of Teachers of Slavic and East European Languages. Ginzbursky-Blum will accept the award Feb. 7 during the AATSEEL annual conference in San Diego, California. Bella is the first member of the W&M faculty ever to receive this prestigious national award, said Russian and Post-Soviet Studies Program Director Alexander Prokhorov. It is a nationwide recognition of Bellas contributions to teaching Russian in this country. We, her colleagues in Modern Languages and Russian and Post-Soviet Studies, are very happy for and proud of our beloved colleague. Ginzbursky-Blum received ample support from her peers at W&M, which made winning the award particularly special. It feels wonderful, she said. After giving this many years to the profession, it's incredibly rewarding, but I'm also incredibly honored because it's my colleagues from across the nation who nominated me. My colleagues wrote letters of nomination on my behalf for this award, and it's a wonderful feeling to feel valued and respected. Elena Prokhorova, director of Russian studies, said Ginzbursky-Blums impact is felt in many ways, from her role as director of the W&M study abroad program in St. Petersburg, Russia, to her work as advisor to the Russian Language House since its opening in 2002 and advisor to the W&M chapter of the Dobro Slovo National Honor Society, which she started in 1994. Bella is a superb teacher, a dedicated mentor and academic advisor and an exemplary colleague contributing to the internationalization mission on William & Marys campus and beyond, Prokhorova said. Ginzbursky-Blum was in graduate school in New York when she became interested in teaching Russian. I learned that it was really amazing to interact with learners, and I also had an amazing professor who taught pedagogical courses and courses that had to do with linguistics, the structure of the Russian language and the history of the Russian Language, she said. I was really inspired by her and her work. Ginzbursky-Blum came to William & Mary in the fall of 1992, and it didnt take her long to feel right at home. It was kind of a dream place for me to work, she said. Honestly, it has exceeded all my expectations. From my very first year, I got very connected to the program and the students and the classes, and it has been wonderful ever since. During her time at William & Mary, Ginzbursky-Blum has taught classes at all levels of Russian language, including some in which only Russian is spoken and written, as well as Russian Myths and Legends and Soviet Animation. I would say that the Russian and Post-Soviet Studies program is like a little gem at William & Mary, Ginzbursky-Blum said. We are a small program, but I believe a very successful program. A number of our students have gone on to Ph.D. programs. A number of our students have gotten Fulbright Scholarships to teach English. Our students just continue to amaze us every year. Ginzbursky-Blum said her AATSEEL award is validation for all her work, and it also serves as motivation to continue to provide the best educational experience for W&M students. This is a great honor, she said. AATSEEL is one of our two major professional organizations in the United States, and to win an award from such an organization is humbling. CHICAGO, Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As one successful era ends, another is just beginning in the heart of the 2020 Nissan Frontier. At a media reception tonight, Nissan revealed the 2020 Frontier which features an all-new, powerful 3.8-liter direct injection V6 engine and all-new 9-speed automatic transmission both of which will be key elements in the next-generation, all-new Frontier coming soon. The 2020 Frontier, which marks the last model year of the current generation, will feature best-in-class horsepower1 while also providing improved fuel economy and emissions performance. It will go on sale in spring 2020. Helping celebrate the transition to the next-generation Frontier was Brian Murphy and his 2007 Frontier, which just last week crossed the 1 million mile mark a true testament to the durability and reliability of the Nissan Frontier. The 2020 Frontier lays the groundwork for the exciting, next-generation Frontier an all-new pickup truck slated to arrive soon, said Tiago Castro, director, Commercial Vehicle Business Unit, Nissan North America, Inc. While looking ahead, were also celebrating our strong heritage including the innovations, versatility and reliability of past models, such as the 2007 Frontier that Chicago resident Brian Murphy has driven for more than one million miles. 2020 Nissan Frontier The 2020 Frontier, with its standard 3.8-liter V6 and 9-speed automatic transmission, focuses on the needs and demands of truck owners in the U.S. Nissans all-new engine is using 93 percent new or redesigned parts, and the powerplant underwent extensive testing in North America. The engine will be assembled at Nissans advanced engine facility in Decherd, Tenn., next to the full-size TITAN pickups 5.6-liter Endurance V8. Along with the 49-horsepower improvement over the previous Frontier V6, fuel economy is expected to increase2. Also contributing to the 2020 Frontiers improved acceleration and fuel economy is the all-new 9-speed automatic transmission designed to maximize powertrain efficiency and provide an enhanced acceleration feel. From its roots tracing back more than 60 years, to the current model, Frontier has had a lasting impact on the compact and mid-size truck segments in North America. As Nissan transitions to the next chapter, we celebrate both a proud past and a bright future with the heart of the next Frontier, added Castro. For more information on the 2020 Frontier and the complete lineup of 2020 Nissan vehicles, please see www.NissanNews.com . The Million-Mile 2007 Frontier Chicagoland delivery man Brian Murphy bought his two-wheel-drive, 4-cylinder 5-speed manual Frontier King Cab pickup in June 2007 with one goal: to put 1 million miles on it3. The red Frontier passed the million-mile mark on January 27, 2020. According to Murphy, the original clutch lasted 801,000 miles, the timing chain was replaced as a preventative measure at 700,000 miles, and the radiator and alternator lasted about 450,000 miles each. Even the drivers seat lasted a half-million miles but has also been replaced. To celebrate Murphys incredible accomplishment and loyalty, Nissan announced it would give Murphy a new Frontier once the 2020 model begins production later this year. I never imagined Id be given a new truck, especially since my Frontier is still running strong. It will be a real treat to have an efficient V6 engine, but I guess Ill have to find another way to exercise now that Ill have an automatic transmission and power windows, said Murphy. For regular maintenance, the truck has been serviced at MLady Nissan in Crystal Lake, Illinois, the same dealership where Murphy purchased the vehicle new in June 2007. Murphy insists on doing his own oil changes every 10,000 miles. About Nissan North America In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at www.nissanusa.com and www.infinitiusa.com , or visit the U.S. media sites nissannews.com and infinitinews.com . About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2018, the company sold 5.52 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 11.6 trillion yen. Nissans global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia & Oceania; Africa, the Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999 and acquired a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors in 2016. The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance sold 10.76 million vehicles combined in calendar year 2018. For more information about our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit nissan-global.com . You can also follow us on Facebook , Instagram , Twitter and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube . Media Contacts: Josh Clifton Nissan Product Communications 615-725-1767 josh.clifton@nissan-usa.com Kevin Raftery Nissan Product and Lifecycle Communications Office: 615-725-5236 kevin.raftery@nissan-usa.com Comparison based on 2020 Frontier S vs. latest in-market Wards Small Truck segment. Base models compared. Based on manufacturers website. Final fuel economy figures will be available at a later date. Brian Murphys achievement of driving one million miles in his Nissan Frontier is unique and not guaranteed for other Nissan vehicles. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6d8f4820-5660-4abe-b7a0-15b477a8a399 By JeongWon Bourdais Park and Dahoon Chung JeongWon Bourdais Park Dahoon Chung After the end of the Cold War, an alternative international system emerged easing the rigid ideological confrontation. In the process, the former Soviet bloc independent states had a double burden of reconstruction and adapting to the abruptly reorganized international order. Among those, there were countries which "accidentally" became nuclear states. In particular, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Belarus were naturally at the crossroads to retain their nuclear status or renounce it. Kazakhstan, which is the focus of this article, effectively utilized the country's decision of nuclear renunciation to successfully shift its image to a peace-loving stable country, and gain security and economic sovereignty of its rich natural resources. The purpose of this piece is to share insights into the relatively under-researched case, for the current stalemate that stakeholders are facing in dealing with North Korea. Insomuch as similarities exist, differences can be informative. In essence, three tenets are noteworthy for an analogy, namely "strong leadership," "shifted state identity" and "multi-dimensional strategic foreign relations." These factors altogether helped gain a funding opportunity and the state's control over valuable natural resources, thus shrewdly filling the high-risk security vacuum with materializing economic sovereignty, both internally and externally. Authoritarian leadership in foreign affairs In 1991, Kazakhstan was on the verge of independence and had "gained" 1,410 nuclear warheads. Four years later in April 1995, Kazakhstan voluntarily declared a complete transfer of all its nuclear weapons to Russian territory followed by the dismantling of its nuclear facilities and test areas. The political leaders' agile choice enabled a timely appeal to public sentiment aspiring to a de-Sovietized transition. Considering the unnoticed but surely growing rumors and discontent about radioactive contamination affecting ordinary people's lives in North Korea, the leader may one day consider reformulating his political rhetoric on nuclear power to secure a long-term legitimacy. Unfortunately, however, this seems unlikely in the near future. Kazakhstan's conviction can possibly be attributed to the fact that any instability around security was more or less resolved. Nevertheless, this favorable political milieu was neither automatic nor the result of external stakeholders. Kazakhstan, at a juncture as a newly independent state, quickly understood realpolitik and took full advantage of geopolitical dynamics amid the changing world order. Meanwhile, North Korea is still self-imprisoned in the bygone de-Stalinized communist world all alone. Shifting state identity for a smooth transition Secondly, Kazakhstan's abrupt independence urgently required an alternative national identity, concurrently in need of foreign investment and aid for economic growth. Kazakhstan sought to maintain a distance from both sides, the U.S. and Russia, and to generate amicable foreign partnership based only on its national interests. This willingness of the Kazakh government has been highly appraised in that it expedited denuclearization compared to Ukraine and Belarus. Kazakhstan continues to actively promote multilateral cooperation with organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Nuclear Supply Group (NSG), the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Initiative (PSI), and the Global Nuclear Terrorism Initiative (GICNT) as a constant reminder. In Kazakhstan's case, the political elite could easily preserve legitimacy and secure support for "denuclearization" from the country's citizens. North Korea, however, is different in that nuclear weapons have been used as a central means for government propaganda and domestic solidarity, calling it "a treasured sword of justice." Nonetheless, a meaningful implication for North Korea would be the fact that Kazakhstan's opportune identity shift was the crucial foundation to secure political stability and economic growth afterwards. Multidimensional strategic foreign relations Lastly, Kazakhstan's strategic foreign policy catalyzed the country's opportunity to induce funding and establish economic sovereignty over the country's rich natural resources. Kazakhstan had to accept the reality of reconstructing a whole new state under time pressure, and urgently needed economic support from the West in return for realignment with the international trade orders via capitalist reform. The dismantling of nuclear weapons in Kazakhstan is divided into two periods: the first eight years from 1991 to 1999 and 2000 onwards until it was recognized by the IAEA as a denuclearized country. During the first eight years, Kazakhstan promptly secured funds for economic modernization. This period witnessed the establishment of the U.S. Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, and in total, the U.S. spent $344 million from 1992 to 2008, in a variety of sectors. In 1994, Kazakhstan's Defense Minister Tokpakbayev and U.S. Secretary of Defense Perry signed an agreement to transform the military sector into a civilian sector, and many Kazakh military companies have since converted. North Korea also possesses high potential for rapid industrial development. Once opened, the county may quickly attract considerable external aid and investment as a rare not-yet-exploited territory with rich and inexpensive human resources. The case of Kazakhstan serves as a counterexample of Libya, Cuba and Iraq that North Korea frequently cite as references. By adopting friendly foreign relations with all major countries, Kazakhstan could take advantage of the country's geopolitical position and gain bargaining power through its natural resources. As Kazakhstan is a predominantly inland country, there are limitations to exporting energy resources by sea, and a dependence on pipelines is absolute for transporting crude oil or gas to overseas markets. Notwithstanding the country's existing oil and gas pipelines, after independence, the production of the Tangiers Oil Field in the Caspian Sea region expanded enormously and handling transportation was beyond capacity. In addition, with the discovery of the offshore Casgan Oil Field in the Caspian Sea, all of Kazakhstan's foreign oil exports were to transit through Russian territory, which would have increased Russian influence. To avoid this, Kazakhstan precipitated negotiations with the U.S. and the U.K. and secured $3.6 billion to build the BTC line excluding Russia's influence and carrying the Caspian Sea oil to foreign markets. Alternative way to secure sovereignty North Korea currently being isolated from international markets, suffers from natural resource exhaustion due to devalued prices from monopolized trade relationships with a handful of pro-North Korean countries. The Kazakh experience, as a relatively vulnerable state surrounded by superpowers, demonstrates an alternative way to secure state sovereignty as a normal trading partner with the international community. U.S.-led international pressure on North Korea becomes harsher, driving the country to a deadly impasse, instigating the leader's enduring nuclear obsession. The system will not be sustained if Kim's aspiration of "byeongjin" continues, simply because that strategy requires "full" state sovereignty which, technically, no country possesses in this globalizing world. Kazakhstan today has not completely overcome its insecurities, due to the accelerating rivalry between China and Russia, the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, competition among CIS countries, and concerns about terrorism, etc. Nevertheless, these security risks are unrelated to denuclearization, and retaining nuclear weapons would have aggravated the situation by generating unnecessary military tensions among the influential countries surrounding Kazakhstan. Dr. JeongWon Bourdais Park holds a doctorate from the London School of Economics and Political Science (U.K.). Dr. Da Hoon Chung received her Ph.D. in Chinese politics and diplomacy from Peking University, China. The authors are currently serving as Associate Professor and Visiting Assistant Professor, respectively, at the department of international relations and regional studies at KIMEP University (Almaty, Kazakhstan). Oglala Sioux Tribe members will vote in March on whether marijuana should be legalized on the Pine Ridge Reservation and whether alcohol should be served in its casinos. Voters will answer three separate questions on March 10. Should medical marijuana be available on the reservation and what about recreational marijuana? Also, should alcohol be sold at Prairie Wind Casino and at the East Wind Casino at Martin? The referendums require a majority of votes to pass and the decisions would be binding, meaning the tribal council must implement them, according to Elections Commission executive Sandra Old Horse. The Oglala Sioux Tribe owns and operates the Prairie Wind Casino and Hotel in Oglala, South Dakota. Photo: Prairie Wind Casino and Hotel The question of whether to approve the sale of alcohol on the Pine Ridge Reservation has come up over the years several times. A referendum to legalize the sale of alcohol was approved in the 1970s and again in the 1990s. Each time the initiative was never implemented. This time the vote to approve, if passed, would be legally enforceable. There has been a longstanding debate on the reservation about the sales of alcohol. The Lakota Times and Indian Country Today supported the sale of alcohol after the first casino was opened at Oelrichs. Folks who gamble usually enjoy a beer or cocktail while gambling and we felt at the time that the casino would draw more customers if alcohol was sold. There has been a store selling alcohol in Martin for many years. The store is sanctioned by the State of South Dakota and so purchasing alcohol in Martin has never been a problem. Lakota citizens like Evette Little White Man of Kyle wrote a letter to the Native Sun News Today newspaper last week expressing his opposition to the sale of alcohol or the approval of recreational marijuana. He is vehemently opposed to it simply because he has been a witness to the severe damage both have done to the people of the reservation for many years. And he is not alone. It all comes down to a disagreement about the sale of alcohol between the traditional Lakota and the more progressive. That has always been the sticking point. Contact the Editorial Board of Native Sun News Today at editor@nativesunnews.today Copyright permission Native Sun News Today Join the Conversation Former Jersey City Board of Education Trustee Matt Schapiro filed a complaint with the state Department of Education seeking to remove Trustee Mussab Ali from the school board. Schapiro, who resigned in July to move to California, said Ali shouldnt be serving on the nine-member board because he currently lives in China and state law requires board members to live in the districts they serve. I did it because there has been a lawless environment among the Jersey City Board of Education, Schapiro said. People have just been doing whatever they want, making it up as they go. State law requires each member of any board of education to be a citizen and resident of their district. School board members have to have lived in their district for at least one year immediately preceding their appointment or election. Complaints like the one Schapiro filed are typically heard by the Department of Educations Office of Controversies and Disputes, which handles non-ethics complaints. The case is then sent to an administrative law judge in the Office of Administrative Law, who hears the matter and makes an initial decision. That decision then goes to the Commissioner of Education, who can accept, reject or modify it. Ali called the petition nothing more than a distraction at a time the BOE needs to work together to solve a budget crisis. I have been in attendance at every official board meeting and have been committed to the students of Jersey City Public Schools, Ali, who calls in for board meetings, said. Furthermore, I continue to engage in initiatives that can benefit the global and international education of New Jersey students, ensuring they are more competitive, robust and informed about the world, and the influences that shape it. Ali was there in person for the Jan. 30 board meeting. Former Board President Sudhan Thomas, who is now facing state and federal charges, said the boards counsel approved Alis request to continue serving on the board while studying in China. He said Ali has not missed a single board meeting or committee meeting through December 2019. In 2017, Ali became the youngest person elected to the Jersey City school board. In 2018, he was accepted into a prestigious masters degree program at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Ali, a 2015 graduate of McNair Academic, was one of 147 people chosen for the Schwarzman Scholars program at Tsinghua University. He studied biology and economics at Rutgers University-Newark, amd was reelected to a second term on the Jersey City Board of Education, which ends in 2021. Schapiro said he still feels a responsibility to those who voted for him, especially since he only served half his term. I wouldnt feel right about it myself to know all these things about whats happening at the Board of Education and then not do the right thing by telling people about them, Schapiro said. "I feel a responsibility to continue to continue to make things better as much as I can from here. But Jersey City Education Association President Ron Greco said Schapiro should just focus on his new life in California. I guess he misses Jersey City, Greco said. 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 Dutch Eating Place | Photo: John D./Yelp Looking for a delicious breakfast and brunch meal near you? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best affordable breakfast and brunch restaurants around Philadelphia, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to satisfy your cravings. 1. Andonio's Diner photo: janice r./yelp Topping the list is Andonio's Diner. Located at 9244 Krewstown Road in Bustleton, the diner and breakfast and brunch spot is the highest-rated affordable breakfast and brunch restaurant in Philadelphia, boasting four stars out of 66 reviews on Yelp. On the menu, look for fried egg sandwiches, French toast and high protein platters topped with beef patties, eggs, fruit, veggies and cottage cheese. Other bites include sandwiches, burgers and pies. 2. Dutch Eating Place photo: austin b./yelp Next up is Center City's Dutch Eating Place, situated at 1136 Arch St. With 4.5 stars out of 737 reviews on Yelp, the breakfast and brunch spot, which offers sandwiches and juices and smoothies, has proven to be a local favorite for those looking for a low-priced option. The site can tell you a thing or two more about Dutch Eating Place. As to what the business is known for, "Since 1991, Dutch Eating Place has been serving the people of Philadelphia true Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine as it was meant to be," it writes on Yelp in the section highlighting specialties. "Our homemade dishes start with farm fresh, locally sourced ingredients and are rooted in tradition, with many of our recipes coming from our grandmother. Get a taste of our blueberry pancakes or our apple dumplings." 3. Mt Airy Breakfast & Lunch photo: matt m./yelp Mt Airy Breakfast & Lunch, a breakfast and brunch and traditional American spot in Mount Airy East, is another affordable go-to, with four stars out of 51 Yelp reviews. Head over to 6709 Germantown Ave. to see for yourself. The site has lots more information about Mt Airy Breakfast & Lunch. As to what the business is known for, "Opened since 2006, this spot offers breakfast all day, including platters like omelets, home fries, pancakes, French toast, waffles, along with lunch, sandwiches and burgers," it notes on Yelp in the section highlighting specialties. 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 government has decided not to lower the economic growth target despite the possible impacts of the new coronavirus epidemic. "The impact of the epidemic on economic growth this year is very serious," Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Tran Quoc Phuong said at a press briefing Wednesday. He presented two scenarios for economic growth after factoring in the epidemic. In the first scenario in which the epidemic could be contained within the first quarter of the year, growth this year could be around 6.27 percent, he said. If it takes until the second quarter GDP growth would be just 6.09 percent, he warned. Vietnams GDP growth reached 7.02 percent last year. But these numbers are only current estimates and could change depending on the government's policies and stewardship of the economy, he said. Head of the Government Office, Mai Tien Dung, said however that despite the epidemic, "The government will not adjust or lower economic growth and development targets." Vietnam targeted its GDP to grow by 6.8 percent this year. Regarding the possibility of providing economic bailout packages to offset the negative impacts of the epidemic, he said this "needs to be considered and depends on many factors." "Vietnam's situation is not that serious yet and so for now it is not being considered. [It will only be considered if] the epidemic situation worsens." Phuong said bailout packages are part of the plans proposed by his ministry, but the current priority is to commit resources to preventing and controlling the nCoV epidemic. The bailout also depends on many factors such as the availability of resources and the target of the assistance, he said. Vietnam has so far reported 10 cases of nCoV infection, three of whom have been declared healthy and discharged from hospital. As of Thursday the epidemic had killed 565 people, mostly in mainland China, and infected more than 28,200. Residents of Tangra in Kolkata shoved currency notes into the pockets of policemen on Thursday, protesting against alleged inaction in the attempted kidnap of a woman and mowing down of her father-in-law. A police team visited the area to collect evidence in the case when locals started protesting with some of them "offering" money to the officials, alleging that they were trying to shield the accused. "The police are trying to protect the culprits. They have taken money from them. We are also giving the police money so that they work for the truth and punish the miscreants," said a woman who was among those agitating. Police, however, denied the allegations and assured that the culprits will be punished. "We are doing our best," said a senior officer of the Kolkata Police. Gopal Pramanik, 55, was run over and killed while trying to foil an attempt by some unknown ambulance-borne miscreants to abduct his daughter-in-law when they were returning home after attending a wedding in the locality on Tuesday night. The driver of the ambulance, Sheikh Abdur Rahaman, and another person, Tajuddin, have already been arrested. The ambulance has also been seized. The police team, which visited the area, collected forensic evidence from the spot and also spoke to the woman as the crime scene was reconstructed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Another cruise ship is facing a coronavirus lockdown after Japan today closed its doors to foreign passengers on a vessel feared to be carrying a virus patient. Japanese leader Shinzo Abe said no foreigners on board the MS Westerdam would be allowed to disembark in the country. Tokyo said one passenger aboard the ship, which stopped in Hong Kong and is carrying 2,257 people, was believed to have the deadly virus. However, the Holland America cruise line denied that there were any known cases of coronavirus on board the vessel. Japan is already holding one ship - the Diamond Princess - in quarantine in Yokohama with at least 20 passengers infected. Japanese leader Shinzo Abe said no foreigners on board the Holland America cruise liner MS Westerdam (pictured) would be allowed to disembark in the country Passengers on the Diamond Princess look out from their balconies in Yokohama today with the cruise ship being held in quarantine More than 2,600 passengers on board the Diamond Princess (pictured in Yokohama today) are facing a two-week lockdown over coronavirus fears Passengers on the Westerdam say the ship has already been refused entry to the Philippines and Taiwan over the virus fears. One tourist, Stephen Hansen, has voiced fears that the ship will endure the same two-week quarantine which Diamond Princess passengers are facing. In its most recent update, the cruise operator said passengers would now be disembarking in Yokohama rather than in Shanghai as originally planned. But Japan appears to have wrecked those plans today by announcing that it would use immigration laws to block entry to foreign passengers. Holland America insisted on Thursday that 'the ship is not in quarantine and there are no known cases of coronavirus on board'. 'We are quickly working to develop alternate plans and are keeping guests updated on board as information becomes available,' a statement said. 'We are closely monitoring the evolving situation with respect to coronavirus that originated in mainland China.' Guests who have recently travelled from mainland China, Hong Kong, or Macau or had contact with a suspected coronavirus patient will not be allowed to board, the company said. Passengers will also be subject to medical checks before they board, with any suspected cases reported to nearby health authorities. The ship's 14-day cruise began in Hong Kong on February 1, although nearly 700 guests were already on the ship and stayed on from a previous voyage. For breakfast yesterday, the coronavirus-stricken cruise ship served eggs, coffee, fruit muesli, a muffin and a croissant Pictured: Lunch for the quarantined cruisers yesterday at the port of Yokohama included stir-fried tofu and vegetables Another dinner option aboard the quarantined cruise ship yesterday was chicken and rice with a selection of meat and cheese Ambulances wait to transfer patients who tested positive for the new coronavirus from the Diamond Princess cruise ship at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama today Passengers aboard the Diamond Princess wave to those on the shore as the media assembled to take photographs at Yokohama port More than 2,600 passengers are confined in their cabins on board the Diamond Princess, which has been held off the coast of Yokohama since Monday night. Japan quarantined the ship after an 80-year-old former passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong last month tested positive for the virus. All the passengers and crew were screened for the virus and hundreds selected for further tests, some of them after showing possible symptoms. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato told parliament on Thursday that results for 102 people had now come in, with 20 testing positive. The quarantined ship has been shuttling between Yokohama Bay and the open sea, where it is collecting seawater to be converted for use in showers and drinking water. One of the cabins on board the Diamond Princess, where passengers have been told to stay in their rooms and are banned from even going into the corridor The Diamond Princess cruise ship with some 3,700 people on board arrives at Yokohama port on Thursday to resupply. People on board have described confusion and boredom after being confined to cabins following the decision by Japanese authorities to quarantine the vessel. British passenger David Abel has provided regular updates from his ninth-deck cabin with tourists facing another 12 days of quarantine. Mr Abel yesterday described how luxury dinners had been replaced with rationed food delivered by staff in face masks. Some passengers have shared pictures of their food including bread rolls with cheese and meat, plates of chicken with rice, and a chocolate dessert. One cabin had a sign on its door with a request for English Breakfast teabags. Meanwhile in Hong Kong, 3,600 people were preparing to spend a second night confined aboard the World Dream after eight former passengers tested positive. Port health official Leung Yiu Hong said yesterday that more than 30 crew members had symptoms such as fever, coughing or a sore throat. City health officials in Hong Kong said passengers would only be allowed off the World Dream after tests were completed. An ambulance and Japan Coast Guard members in protective outfit prepare for the arrival of infected passengers who were on board the Diamond Princess Despite some of the ship's 3,700 passengers complaining of 'prison' like quarantine conditions they were seen on the colossal ship's balconies on Thursday A woman waves Australian flags as she stands on her cabin's balcony on the colossal vessel. Despite passengers complaining about the draconian quarantine conditions it appears they can chat to each other on the gallery Cruise ship Diamond Princess is off the shore of Yokohama today where passengers are facing a two-week virus lockdown On Wednesday, Hong Kong authorities announced that anyone arriving from the Chinese mainland from Saturday would face a mandatory two-week quarantine. The move is the city's strictest measure yet amid ongoing strikes calling for the border with mainland China to be completely sealed. The city's chief executive, Carrie Lam, has suspended some links with the mainland and closed some border crossings but she has left three open. The health scare comes after months of violent anti-government protests in Hong Kong sparked by fears that its autonomy was being eroded by Beijing. Some pro-democracy protesters have come out in support of the strike, with some demonstrations beginning to resemble the wider protests. The outbreak has rekindled memories in Hong Kong of a 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), another coronavirus that began in China and killed nearly 300 people in the city. Hong Kong health workers and members of other trade unions have demanded the border with the mainland be completely sealed. Two dozen countries now have confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus that emerged from a Wuhan market selling exotic animals at the end of last year. As of Thursday, China had 563 virus deaths and 28,018 confirmed cases on the mainland. Two other virus deaths occurred in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Police are searching for the gunman who shot two people Wednesday night inside a northeast Houston motel, killing one of them and critically injuring the other. The pair were staying inside a motel in the 9700 block of Lockwood Drive when at least two suspects forced their way into the room, police said. At some point, at least one of the suspects pulled a gun and started shooting, striking the man and woman multiple times each. SPRINGFIELD The City Council on Monday approved $1 million in spending for the purchase of 20 new police vehicles as part of an ongoing effort to upgrade the aging fleet. These replacements will protect officers safety, save money on repair costs, and reduce the amount of time vehicles will be out of service, said Timothy J. Plante, the citys chief administrative and financial officer, in the submitted request for council approval of city bond funds. The vote to approve the spending was unanimous. The list of vehicles includes: 13 Ford Interceptors at a total cost of $643,361; five unmarked administrative vehicles costing $133,925; and two Ford Interceptors for supervisors, costing $93,649. There was also $123,457 set aside for radios and computer equipment. Costs were higher for some vehicles that included features such as caging, officials said. In a separate vote, the council approved plans to allow the city to advertise for a contract of up to five years for a new computer aided dispatch system for the Emergency Communications Department. The new system will handle calls for police, fire and other emergency services. The mayor and city departments need approval from the City Council before soliciting contracts longer than three years. Plante said the new system will have cutting edge technology and is needed to replace the existing, outdated system. The specific details are being drafted, aided by a consultant, to receive competing proposals for the new system, officials said. The request for the longer contract, sponsored by Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, said it is "more cost efficient and operationally effective to offer a five-year contract. In another vote Monday, the council unanimously approved the sale of a deteriorated, tax-foreclosed house at 74 Irvington St. in Forest Park to a company that will use private and public funds for renovations. The city accepted a bid of $5,000 for the property submitted by Campagnari Construction LLC, of Springfield. Three bids were submitted, with Campagnari recommended as the most favorable proposal by a review committee. The company is planning extensive renovations, aided by a city incentive of $75,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant money, and its own investment of more than $100,000 in private funds, officials said. The house will be sold after renovations and be owner-occupied, as required, officials said. New Delhi, Feb 6 : The Thursday List of Business in the Rajya Sabha will see further discussion on the Presidents' address, a discussion on the Union Budget and tabling of papers. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, and Department of Atomic Energy; and Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao, Minister of State for Communications and Ministry of Human Resource Development will lay papers on the table. Further discussion on the Motion moved by MP Bhupender Yadav on the February 4 and the amendments moved there to -- "that an address be presented to the President in the following terms: That the Members of the Rajya Sabha assembled in this Session are deeply grateful to the President for the address which he has been pleased to deliver to both Houses of Parliament assembled together on January 31, 2020.'" The Upper House will also see a general discussion on the Union Budget, 2020-2021 BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 By Eldar Janashvili Trend: Electronic Agriculture Information System (EAIS) is the best platform for providing farmers with the necessary services, Azerbaijans Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ilhama Gadimova said at a meeting of representatives of Agency for Agro Credit and Development (AKIA) and the Agency for Agrarian Services with suppliers of fertilizers, seeds and pesticides, Trend reports. The new e-agriculture will provide farmers with a wide range of fertilizers, seeds, pesticides, veterinary, and phytosanitary services. EAIS allows suppliers to find and get in touch with farmers registered in the system, turning them into their customers by offering the right price, quality and product range. The system offers both suppliers and farmers great advantages of choice, taking them to a new level and is convenient not only for farming, but also for its regulation, and also promotes the development of production in agriculture, Gadimova said. The meeting was attended by about 2,000 suppliers of fertilizers, seeds and pesticides. The module for registering suppliers in the EAIS was presented at the meeting, during which explanations were given on the final stage of the preparation process for the provision of subsidies. Since the beginning of 2020, new rules for subsidizing agricultural production came into effect in Azerbaijan, according to which agricultural subsidies will be issued to farmers through EAIS. The e-agriculture related to agricultural support measures serves to increase accountability, transparency, ensure the efficient use of budgetary funds, as well as simplify the process of farmers' contacting and the provision of subsidies to them. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @eldarjanashvili President Donald Trump rightly touts the economy-wide savings from his deregulation initiatives. But one federal agency didn't get the memo. Some members of the Surface Transportation Board, which has oversight over the nation's network of freight railroads, wants to resurrect price controls on the industry. It is a truly awful idea, and to understand why, it is vital to harken back to the bad old days of the 1960s and 1970s, when almost all modes of transportation operated under the stranglehold of Soviet-style price regulation. These rules nearly bankrupted the freight railroads, and a government takeover of the industry seemed inevitable. Instead, in the late 1970s and 1980s, Congress acted to lift the price controls on the airlines, the shippers and the railroads and allow the market to set shipping rates. The Staggers Rail Act deregulated prices and saved the dying freight trains, although it led to dramatic consolidation. Remarkably, these laws were even initiated by liberals such as the late Sen. Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts and economists in the Carter administration. (Yes, Jimmy Carter got something right.) The Reagan administration accelerated the process. Today, nearly everyone agrees that the deregulation movement in the transportation sector was an unqualified success. ADVERTISEMENT Airline deregulation cut airfares for passengers by 50%, 60% and in some cases, 90%. According to a 2000 study by the Surface Transportation Board, "rail economic regulatory reform resulted in significant economic efficiency benefits, most notably rapid productivity growth, that enabled railroads to become financially stronger while lowering average rate levels." Thomas Gale Moore of the Hoover Institution found that for rail customers, "freight rates fell by 45 percent," and even though the industry consolidated, it has remained "intensely competitive." Intensely competitive is an excellent way to describe today's freight industry -- including the transport of everything from Amazon deliveries to oil and gas from the wells to the service stations to crops, lumber, steel and semiconductors. Consumers and producers greatly benefit from our world-class delivery of products. Rail competes with ships, truckers, airlines, pipelines and now drones. That isn't to say there aren't some stranded producers who can face monopolistic pricing, but in 2020, that is rare. So it is puzzling that in a Sept. 12 announcement, the Surface Transportation Board sought feedback on a plan to apply "a rate increase (price) constraint ... to long-term revenue-adequate carriers." A recent report from the Surface Transportation Board's Rate Reform Task Force suggests that it "create separate rate standards for revenue-adequate and non-revenue-adequate railroads," according to Supply Chain Dive. It is a backdoor plan to bring back price controls of yesteryear. It would do so through an antiquated provision of the Staggers Rail Act known as "revenue adequacy," which mandates a bottom-floor level of revenue for the industry. It was meant to ensure the survival of the railroads. The board now would turn that provision on its head and define "adequacy" criteria as an excuse to impose not a floor on prices but a revenue ceiling. Kennedy must be rolling over in his grave. Under this scheme, once rail shippers reach a specific revenue target, the government could deem them as having "adequate" -- i.e., enough -- funds and arbitrarily cap the rates on additional products they ship. It is similar to the government telling a diner owner, "Once you sell your 500th hamburger, you can't make a profit on the next 200 that people buy." The problem, of course, is that regulators lack the knowledge and foresight to know what "adequate" revenue is. Rail shippers' profits and operating costs fluctuate year over year and can ebb and flow with the health of the overall economy. Also, because this is designed to limit rail profits, economists at the Phoenix Center found that a revenue ceiling would significantly reduce railroad investment at a time when we should be incentivizing more, especially in automation. Such a command-and-control pricing model characterizes regulated industries such as water and electricity. This has been an enormous failure that shields consumers from the benefits of competition, such as more innovation, better prices and more options. ADVERTISEMENT It also flies in the face of the economic revival strategy of the Trump administration, which is to deregulate industries aggressively and let markets clear, to the benefit of consumers. Some at the transportation board think Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is president. Back in the late 1970s, when the airlines were deregulated, then-chairman of the Civil Aeronautics Board Alfred Kahn, also known as the "father of airline deregulation," shut the agency down after airlines were allowed to set their prices. It was a clever way to ensure that the regulations would never come back. The Trump administration may want to do the same with the transportation board, which is now trying to justify its existence by bringing back the 1970s regulatory structures. We suspect that some of the shipping industry's customers may be behind the call for price controls to squeeze lower prices out of the rail industry. The 2020 fishing closed season is likely to be observed from July to August this year instead of the May-June period observed last year, a stakeholders meeting held in Accra has suggested. During the meeting hosted by the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development on Tuesday, representatives of the various fisher groups hinted their backing to the Scientific and Technical Working Groups proposal of July-August as the best period to observe the closed season by all fleets for maximum impact. The meeting was the first of the series to be hosted by the Ministry to solicit views of the fishers on the 2020 closed season. Nana JoJo Solomon, National Executive member, the Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council (GNCFC), Mr Daniel Yaw Owusu, Coordinating Secretary/ Administrator, National Fisheries Association of Ghana (NFAG), and Mr Oyeman Ofori-Ani, Executive Board Secretary of the Ghana Industrial Trawlers Association (GITA), and representatives of some Non-governmental organisations, who attended the meeting, all threw their weights behind the closed season. They believed that it had come to stay. They said they were all ready to go by any scientific findings that would help in revamping and boosting the sector and in ensuring that fisheries was done sustainably. Nana Solomon said members of his Association, which is the largest fisheries group, all believed that the annual closure of the sea would go a long way in helping restore the dwindling fish stock. He commended the government for its perseverance and its stand to introduce the closed season and also applauded the fishermen for supporting the move and efforts at sustaining their livelihoods. Mr Ofori-Ani, said aside the closed season, other measures like closed areas and co-management should be adopted in addition to the annual closed season for a more effective result. Mr Owusu, on his part, said NFAG as the Apex fisheries body, was also prepared to support the Sector Ministry in ensuring that fisheries was done right. Mrs Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, said she was overwhelmed by the massive expression of support to the closed season by all the fisheries groups that attended the maiden meeting. She said although there were challenging issues within the sector that is not to say that they cannot surmount these challenges. If we put efforts together and work assiduously, I believe that the re-trogression within the sector could be resolved. She said the closed season was a major governments efforts in saving the dwindling sector, adding that other meetings would be held to engage those who were not able to attend so that their views could be taken before the 2020 season was declared. She said the Ministry was also ready to work with the Scientific Community to ensure that the right things were done to secure the fisheries sector. Mrs Quaye said the various efforts made so far reduced the incidence of illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing that continued to rock the sector. She said she believed IUU could not be stopped entirely, but could be reduced drastically. She announced that the co-management policy was presently at Cabinet level and would be ready by early March to help in managing the sector. Ghana was also working hard to purchase a fisheries research vessel and more patrol boats for the sector. 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 4.9k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Donald Trump and his supporters frequently attack their critics as snowflakes, but they spent Wednesday earning that label themselves after Mitt Romney courageously voted to convict the president. To demonstrate just how triggered the MAGA world was by Romneys surprise vote, Trump released an attack ad against the former GOP presidential nominee and current Utah senator. The video called Romney slick, slippery, and stealthy, and accused him of being a Democrat secret asset. Then, of course, since this is Trump, the ad played a highlight reel of the 2016 election results, comparing them to the 2012 campaign in which Romney lost to Barack Obama. Video of the bizarre ad: Not to be outdone, Donald Trump Jr. spent the hours after Romneys vote throwing a tantrum that would embarrass even the most poorly developed grade schooler. In a blizzard of tweets and retweets, the eldest Trump son took aim at Romney, calling him bitter and jealous and saying he should be expelled from the GOP conference. Trump was completely stunned by Romneys vote Its clear by Donald Trumps behavior on Wednesday that Mitt Romneys decision to put country over party completely stunned the White House and Senate Republicans as they hoped for a party-line vote on the two impeachment articles against Trump. Instead, Romney became the first U.S. senator to vote to convict and remove a president of his own party and he gave cover to Democrats in purple and red states to vote in favor of removal. In other words, there was a bipartisan vote to remove Donald Trump from office and a partisan vote to acquit him on Wednesday something that happened in large part because Mitt Romney put country over party. No wonder MAGA world is in meltdown mode. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter Mumbai, Feb 6 : The crew and passengers of ships arriving from China or certain other South-East Asian countries have been barred from entering Mumbai port as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus, official sources said here on Thursday. The Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) has also restricted the entry of crew and passengers who visited China in the past one month and banned all shore leave/excursions for them. "We are also obtaining self-declaration from Chinese crew/passengers and those with a history of recent trips to China," an official said. Till date, MbPT health authorities have screened 177 persons, including 158 crew, from ships arriving from China or with a history of recent travels to that country. However, none tested positive, but strict preventive measures continue, the official added. All crew/passengers with a history of travel to China or other affected countries are being screened with a thermal scanner at the port. Besides, captains/masters of all foreign vessels arriving in Mumbai harbour from China, Singapore, Thailand have been mandated to inform MbPT authorities with full details in advance about crew or passengers suspected of coronavirus infection. The MbPT had acquired N95 protective masks and other personal protective equipment for medicos, pilots or other officials who may come in contact with any affected vessels/crew. Signages on the new coronavirus have been put up, an isolation ward set up at the Port Trust Hospital, standard operating procedures framed and circulated to vessel agents and others. Labor Lawsuits, New Legislation Attempt to Push Back on New AB 5 Rules A growing chorus of voices across California from affected Uber and Lyft drivers and newspaper delivery truck operators to freelance writers, photographers, musicians and other artists are all rising up to oppose Assembly Bill 5. The new labor law that reclassified millions of California freelancers as W-2 employees is jeopardizing their livelihoods and preventing them from supporting their families, they say. Assembly Bill 5 took a sledgehammer approach to an employment problem that required a scalpel, which consequently hammered many Californians who truly wish to remain their own bosses, said Sen. Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel). ADVERTISEMENT Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill, introduced by Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego, into law last September. The legislation codifies into law a 2018 California Supreme Court ruling commonly called the Dynamex decision. Supporters argue that the law closes loopholes employers relied on to underpay workers and deprive them of benefits like health insurance, minimum wage, paid parental leave, etc., that state law requires for full-time employees. Last week, Bates introduced two new pieces legislation: SB 867 and SB 868. She says the bills would help newspapers and freelance journalists continue to operate in California by exempting them from the states new anti-independent contracting law. The Legislature can begin to fix some of AB 5s flaws by helping Californias newspapers and journalists continue to operate normally as they have in our state. Passing my legislation will help preserve quality journalism in many communities, the senator said. Then, last month, the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Inc., (ASJA), a national professional organization that represents independent non-fiction authors, filed a lawsuit in federal court against the state of California to prevent AB 5 from impacting its members. ADVERTISEMENT We have no choice but to go to court to protect the rights of independent writers and freelance journalists as a whole, said Milton C. Toby, president of ASJA. The stakes are too high, and we cannot stand by as our members and our colleagues face ill-conceived and potentially career-ending legislation. In the Sacramento area, as in many other electoral districts across the state, people are organizing to oppose AB 5. If you hate this bill and live in Sacramentos boundaries, please email our Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, Sacramento resident Andrea Sparkles shared in a mass email. I stopped by his office and spoke with his legislative director about how this bill has good intentions but is taking over 150 professions down with it, including all artistic professions, small theaters, musical groups, etc. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 By Matanat Nasibova - Trend: The prestige of the Council of Europe has fallen significantly in the region and the world, as a result of the unprincipled position of this international structure, which it has been unequivocally demonstrating in recent years, a famous Russian expert and a prominent public figure and publicist Dmitry Verkhoturov told Trend. The Russian political analyst noted that this international organization is in a serious crisis, as evidenced by unjustified criticism and manifestation of a policy of double standards in relation to various countries. In fact, this European organization is unable to exert any influence on the processes taking place in the world; nevertheless, it periodically promotes the dissemination of false and completely unreasonable information regarding certain countries that isnt confirmed by real facts, said Verkhoturov. For example, if we talk about the PACE resolution regarding the allegedly existing political prisoners in Azerbaijan, in this matter, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is completely right in his assessments. This resolution is unproven and legally insignificant, the political analyst added. In essence, these are rumors. PACE and the Council of Europe claim that they uphold the principles of law. So they should have been guided in this matter by the principle of law, in particular the fact that the burden of proof lies with the accusing party, and doubts about guilt are interpreted in favor of the accused. If PACE or the Council of Europe believes that there are political prisoners in Azerbaijan, then they should have: a) presented their list; b) provided a legal opinion that in their cases there is no corpus delicti envisaged by Azerbaijans Criminal Code; c) provided a legal opinion that these people were convicted in violation of Azerbaijans Criminal Procedure Code, Verkhoturov noted. Then there would be a completely different issue, said the political analyst. However, the reality is that neither of these things happened. If they dont even have a list of persons, then these are just rumors that arent even subject to discussion. Therefore, I believe that the unfounded accusation, and any sanctions arising from it, is no longer a defense of the law, but political repressions quite in Stalinist style. The expert added that the rumors spread by the Council of Europe regarding Azerbaijan are deprived of logic and reason. The Council of Europe is an international organization that was created to facilitate cooperation among its members, states and countries of Europe in the field of standards of law, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural interaction. Moreover, unlike the decisions by the European Union, decisions of the Council of Europe are not binding. - Queen Elizabeth II is now already the world's fifth longest-reigning monarch, as she surpasses the record of the 19th-century emperor of Austria Franz Joseph I - The queen surpassed the emperor's record as she has spent 67 years and 356 days on the throne - The revered monarch beat Franz Joseph I, who spent 67 years and 355 days on the throne - Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Queen Elizabeth II of England has moved to number 5 in the list of world's longest-reigning monarchs. The queen reached the new milestone when she surpassed the record of the 19th-century emperor of Austria Franz Joseph I. YEN gathers that the queen surpassed the emperor's record when she spent 67 years and 356 days on the throne, while Franz Joseph I was in power for 67 years and 355 days on the throne. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: 2 foreign nationals test negative Recall that the queen who is respected across the world currently holds the title of the world's longest-living reigning monarch. She is also the longest-reigning British monarch. Louis XIV of France is the world's longest-reigning monarch, having ruled for 72 years and 110 days, followed by Bhumibol Adulyadej who ruled for 70 years and 126 days. Johann II of Liechtenstein is the third world's longest-reigning monarch, having ruled for 70 years and 91 days, followed by seventh-century Mayan ruler K'inich Janaab' Pakal who spent 68 years and 33 days on the throne. PAY ATTENTION: Read the best news on Ghana #1 news app. Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh previously reported that Queen Elizabeth II announced that she would be backing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to step down as senior members of the Royal Family. The queen in a statement to British media houses on Monday, January 13, said that she and the royal family were fully in support of the duke and duchess of Sussex's move. In a statement issued by Buckingham Palace, the queen and her entire family agreed to a period of transition during which the Sussex Royals will split their time between Canada and the UK. READ ALSO: Cristiano Ronaldo gets Mercedes class G 63 jeep AMG from Georgina as birthday gift The statement read: "Today my family had a very constructive discussion on the future of my grandson and his family. My family and I are entirely supportive of Harry and Meghan's desire to create a new life as a young family." Harry and Meghan announced their desire to step down on Wednesday, January 8. Ghana News Today: First Female Police Officer Turns 90, Reminisces Her Days In Service | #Yencomgh READ ALSO: Bob Marley would've been 75 today: 7 facts about the music icon 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 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Christian Berthelsen (Bloomberg) Thu, February 6, 2020 13:02 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062ebcfd 2 People jeff-bezos,defamation-case Free The brother of Jeff Bezoss girlfriend is refusing to back down from a defamation claim against the founder of Amazon.com Inc. Michael Sanchez, whose sister Lauren is dating Bezos, sued him in California state court last week. According to the lawsuit, the billionaire and his security consultant Gavin de Becker told journalists that Sanchez was the one who provided intimate photographs of Bezos to the National Enquirer, which revealed his affair as Bezos and his wife announced the end of their marriage. Bezos responded on Monday with a request that the case be dismissed. He said the suit failed to point to a single instance of him making the claims Sanchez alleged. Michaels lawsuit speaks for itself, his attorney, Enoch Liang, said in response to Bezoss dismissal request. Court files show a hearing on the dismissal request has been scheduled for June 16 in Los Angeles Superior Court. The case is Sanchez v Bezos, 20STCV04212, California Superior Court, Los Angeles County (Los Angeles). Actor Kirk Douglas, a star of Hollywood's Golden Age, died Wednesday at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 103. Douglas played a boxer in 1949's Champion, the movie that propelled him to stardom, and created his own film company, Bryna Productions in 1955. He starred in more than 80 movies before retiring from film in 2004, including 1960's Spartacus, serving as a producer and working with blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo. He was nominated three times for the Best Actor Academy Award, and received an honorary Oscar in 1996. Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch Demsky in Amsterdam, New York, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants. He worked as a janitor to pay his way through St. Lawrence University, and served in the Navy during World War II. Amid the height of his fame, Douglas was a goodwill ambassador for the U.S. State Department, and he received the Medal of Freedom from former President Jimmy Carter. He was also a philanthropist, launching The Douglas Foundation in 1964. Douglas survived a helicopter crash in 1991 and suffered a debilitating stroke in 1996. Married to his wife Anne since 1954, his 11th and final book, Kirk and Anne: Letters of Love, Laughter, and a Lifetime in Hollywood, was published in May. In a message posted online Wednesday afternoon, son Michael Douglas wrote, "To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the Golden Age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to." More stories from theweek.com Report: White House considering dismissing Vindman from National Security Council Trump officially opens formerly protected Utah national monuments for business The real State of the Union Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid and her Finnish counterpart, Sauli Niinisto, discussed bilateral issues, climate neutrality and energy during a meeting in Helsinki, the Finnish president's office said on Thursday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th February, 2020) Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid and her Finnish counterpart, Sauli Niinisto, discussed bilateral issues, climate neutrality and energy during a meeting in Helsinki, the Finnish president's office said on Thursday. The Estonian leader is in Finland on a working visit. Apart from talks with the country's head, Kaljulaid is set to visit the European Center of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats, a Finnish intergovernmental think tank, and the innovative programming school Hive. "President Kersti Kaljulaid ... met with her Finnish colleague President Sauli Niinisto today in Helsinki to discuss Baltic-Nordic cooperation, common goals for renewable energy and climate neutrality, and the Three Seas Initiative summit," the office said in a statement. The statement went on to cite Kaljulaid as saying that the two countries had several opportunities to deepen their cooperation. The Estonian president added that both states had "a common understanding of the importance of protecting the Baltic Sea and the Arctic, and reducing carbon emissions." The Three Seas Initiative is a high-level forum gathering 12 Central and Eastern European countries of the EU. The meeting was initiated in 2015 and aims at boosting cooperation, especially in the economy, and dialogue between the states. Congress MP on Thursday said the President's address to the joint sitting of Parliament was "disappointing" and "uninspiring" as it did not talk about the current economic situation and job crisis. Participating in a debate on the Motion of Thanks on President's Address, the former Union minister attacked the government for creating an atmosphere of fear in the country following the enactment of the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA). The President's address is far from the ground reality and tried to portray a rosy picture of the country as if there were no problems. He charged the government with "a monumental mis-management of the economy" and said it has embarked on a "grand sale" of assets created over decades to finance the revenue deficit. The government, he said, was running away from the real issues. According to him, the Modi government has breached the promises it had made to the people. He also criticised the government for using the defence forces for political agenda. On the amended citizenship law, Sharma said it was unfortunate that the government was tom-tomming the CAA as an achievement in the President's address. "The jury is still out. The matter is pending with the Supreme Court. There is anxiety in several states," said Sharma. From the treasury benches, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar took on the Congress party and asked how the Population Register (NPR) was good when the UPA government brought it and became an issue when the NDA dispensation was updating it. G V L Narasimha Rao of the BJP said Opposition parties could criticise the BJP, but should not oppose the country. MapmyIndia is showcasing the C.A.S.E. (Connected, Autonomous, Shared and Electric) suite of software, hardware and mapping products and solutions the key enablers for a smart, location aware, intelligent, intuitive and two-way voice enabled (talking) transport systems at the MapmyIndia Pavilion: Hall 12, Stall N34 India Expo Mart, Greater NOIDA, during the Auto Expo 2020 (Feb 5-12). Mr. Rohan Verma, CEO & ED, MapmyIndia, said, See, hear and learn how your vehicle and driving experience transform from a mere utility to a far more enriching one. Travel becomes better, smarter, safer, quicker, more efficient and a lot more fun than it ever was! To cater to the evolving needs of todays demanding customer, MapmyIndia has reimagined and reinvented Mobility & Maps to build our unique C.A.S.E. suite of automotive solutions powered by the INTELLIGENT DIGITAL VEHICLE TWIN and LIVE 4D DIGITAL MAP TWIN OF THE REAL WORLD. These will convert your vehicles into intelligent travel companions. This Make in India solution is made for the world and will enable automotive OEMs to create product differentiation and offer higher value to their customers, helping prep-up demand in these challenging times. By layering AI/machine learning, IoT, EV and other technologies with, MapmyIndias latest 4D maps the most real-time, dynamics, hyper local, precise, reliable time & space maps of India, the company has developed the C.A.S.E. suite of products and solutions with a simple yet powerful objective of MAKING YOUR CAR TALK INTELLIGENTLY. Just like a companion whose words can make your day, the vehicle will be able to initiate a conversation with you and respond whenever needed. The vehicle, equipped with various sensors, gadgets, AI, cloud connectivity and interfaced with your phone (via MapmyIndia C.A.S.E. suite) will enable a experience similar to traveling with a good friend or a reliable assistant. Someone you can trust and rely on, at all times! The location and situation aware components of the platform, sensors could assess the mood, health, possibility of an accident, or any other need like hunger etc. of the passenger and suggest a solution accordingly. It can be a simple, Hello! All set for a bright new day. or You dont look so good today. Shall I book an appointment with the Dr. Sinha? or Be careful! Pothole ahead! So what makes the car Talk MapmyIndias C.A.S.E. platform integrates with the vehicle. The cloud connected software and the IoT-enabled cameras, infotainment, and EV batteries/powertrains, form a bridge seamlessly linking your car, gadgets and the outside world, helping develop the kind of intelligence that will enable your car to talk delivering a highly personalized C.A.S.E. experience to the customer and enabling OEMs to equip their products with it. The key components of the platform include: C onnected (& Intelligent) This connected vehicle cockpit and cluster platform and super app offers a multi-screen, voice-first, real companion-like interface that seamlessly the connects the customer with the vehicle before, during and after the drive. Behind the scenes an interplay of sensors, IoT, cloud, analytics, AI and real-world real-time mapping data holds the whole ecosystem together, generating live, real-time navigation, diagnostics, driver alerts, vehicle over-the-air updates etc. A utonomous (& Safe) MapmyIndias ADAS (advanced driving assistance system) & technologies deliver a safer and accident-free drive. It is not just aware of the current location, the surroundings, the path but also of any upcoming obstacle/danger, prompting the driver well in advance to take preventive action. In case of emergency like the driver not being able to apply brakes in time, the system can communicate to the vehicle to autonomously apply brakes. It includes Collision detection, Computer vision, Long term path planning: navigation, Short term path planning: safe route (pothole, breaker, sharp turn ahead), During driving: Preventive ADAS (Actuate MapmyIndia provides inputs to the actuator), V2V & V2X: automated sensor-driven/ community-driven notification to alert nearby vehicles/ riders and communication with nearby traffic lights and road signs, as well as emergency response control rooms The vehicle is equipped with self-diagnostic capabilities. It can monitor its health, part failure, predictive maintenance and battery parameters. Thanks to diagnostics IoT your car can as well complain, Have been due for service since a week. Performance is going down. Gotta visit XYZ Motors this coming Sunday? S hared (& Economical) Shared mobility or Mobility as a service makes sense cost effective, energy efficient, environment friendly etc. and it is inevitable. The next wave of growth in the automotive segment may not come from retail sales, but from fleet sales. Changing mindsets will force automakers to adapt and modify their product offerings. Millennials view mobility/travel as a service and are not bothered with asset/vehicle ownership. This is a great opportunity for app based taxi hailing/bus shuttle services, travel solutions providers etc. But this may lead traditional OEMs into the trap of commoditisation. They need to adopt new technologies (this comes naturally to tech-first companies) to create credible service differentiation. The offering should be high on experience, as efficiency, speed and accuracy would be hygiene. Just like business class travelers in a airline. And what better way to begin, than by greeting the traveler personally as she takes her seat, Welcome Ms. Malini! How are you feeling today. Shall it be Mozart or would you like to finish the movie you were watching yesterday? E lectric (& Efficient) The future is electric and MapmyIndia is at the forefront of accelerating electrification of mobility in India, providing EV solutions including: EV charging station locator that enables users to locate the nearest charging station with a compatible plug. Users can book a slot and also know whether it is a fast charging point or a slow charging one that is available. EV navigation, battery efficient routes, accurate remaining distance range and EV Spider Maps that tell you the maximum your vehicle will be able to travel with the current charge. Armed with this intelligence your vehicle will suggest the best path to be taken. In case the destination cannot be reached by taking any of the alternate routes, then it will say, Lets go for recharge. The nearest compatible charging station is 2 kms, and by the way it also has a nice coffee shop. Care for a quick snack! Smart, Shareable EV batteries and powertrains: MapmyIndia is building and providing end-to-end IoT-enabled and battery range-enhancing EV battery management systems, battery packs, and powertrain hardware solutions for fleets, end users and OEMs, to ensure the best Make in India EV solutions are readily available at scale for EV localisation demand. MapmyIndia is disrupting and building cutting-edge car-tech with a blend of Hardware, Software, AI, ML, BIG DATA, Analytics Engineering Technology, automotive IOT etc. By adopting these technologies the automakers will be able to successfully address the mismatch between the mobility market and the evolving consumer needs and expectations, vis-a-vis the vehicles, technologies and mobility solutions they are offering currently. The traditional OEMs could proactively counter the threat of commoditization, emanating from the entry of large mobility solution providers and tech-first mobility solutions companies. The C.A.S.E. suite will enable them to quickly fill in the technology gap and catch up with the new age mobility solutions providers, adds Rohan. Greater Noida, Feb 6 : India's leading bicycle company Hero Cycles is willing to collaborate with Chinese conglomerate Xiaomi for procuring components for its e-cycles, Pankaj M Munjal, Chairman and Managing Director of Hero Cycles said during the ongoing 'Auto Expo 2020' here on Thursday. Xiaomi sells couple of electric bikes and e-cycles in China under various brands like HIMO T1 electric bicycle, Yunbike (foldable bicycles) and Qicycles, among others. "We are an integrator and procure components from various manufacturers and can also get those from Xiaomi. We can work in synergy with the Chinese company on e-cycles," Munjal told IANS. Among the major highlights of the bicycle major at the expo are soon-to-be-launched concept bicycles, electric folding bike and an electric fat bike. Its existing portfolios in the urban e-bike segment under the brand Lectro have products like Townmaster, Glide and E Zephyr. "We can buy battery management system from Xiaomi. They are good cellphone maker anyway," said Munjal. Xiaomi last year launched a new electric bicycle called Himo T1 which is the third electric cycle under the Himo brand. The key highlights of the e-bike are single-button start, multi-function combination switch and a digital display. Himo T1 packs a 14,000mAh Li-ion battery with a nominal voltage of 48V. The 14Ah option of the cycle can travel up to 60 kms on one charge. The 28Ah version can give up to 120 kms. "Our competition is with e-cars and people globally are fast shifting from e-cars to e-bikes. We will not call it competition but rather a migration," said Munjal. According to the company, as it works to fulfill its vision of capturing a 10 per cent share in global electric bicycle manufacturing, Hero Cycles will display a series of upcoming products that highlight a new dimension in the field of the Indian bicycle industry. (Md Waquar Haider can be reached at waquar.h@ians.in) (Newser) President Trump lashed out at his impeachment foes and trumpeted his acquittal Thursday morning, and he kept up the themes during a public appearance in the afternoon at the White House. "This is not really a news conference," said Trump, per Politico. "It's a celebration." During the hour-plus event, he also called out his opponents as "some very evil and sick people." Coverage: Strong words: One of the lines getting the most attention: "It was all bull----." Trump made the assertion as he ticked off a series of what he views as unfair attacks and investigations. "We first went through Russia, Russia, Russia," he said, before making his BS comment, reports the New York Post. The New York Times calls it a "rare presidential use of profanity on camera in the East Room." One of the lines getting the most attention: "It was all bull----." Trump made the assertion as he ticked off a series of what he views as unfair attacks and investigations. "We first went through Russia, Russia, Russia," he said, before making his BS comment, reports the New York Post. The New York Times calls it a "rare presidential use of profanity on camera in the East Room." A headline: "We went through hell, unfairly, did nothing wrong," said Trump. "But this is what the end result is," he said, holding up a copy of the Washington Post with a "Trump Acquitted" headline to sustained applause. "It's the only good headline I've ever had in the Washington Post," he said, joking that he might get it framed. Later: "Now we have that gorgeous word," per ABC News. "I never thought a word would sound so good. It's called 'total acquittal.'" story continues below The targets: There were many, including former FBI chief James Comey. Trump called him a "sleazebag" and said if he hadn't fired Comey, "it's possible I wouldn't be here right now." Trump also singled out Mitt Romney, the lone GOP senator to vote against him on impeachment. Romney "used religion as a crutch," said Trump. "Things can happen when you fail so badly running for president." And of Nancy Pelosi: "I doubt she prays at all," he said, referring to her public statements that she prays for the president. There were many, including former FBI chief James Comey. Trump called him a "sleazebag" and said if he hadn't fired Comey, "it's possible I wouldn't be here right now." Trump also singled out Mitt Romney, the lone GOP senator to vote against him on impeachment. Romney "used religion as a crutch," said Trump. "Things can happen when you fail so badly running for president." And of Nancy Pelosi: "I doubt she prays at all," he said, referring to her public statements that she prays for the president. His family: I want to apologize to my family for having them have to go through a phony, rotten deal by some very evil and sick people, Trump said of his wife and children. "This was not part of the deal. ... But they stuck with me." He made a rare mention of his youngest son, Barron, notes the Daily Caller. He also brought daughter Ivanka on stage as well as first lady Melania. I want to apologize to my family for having them have to go through a phony, rotten deal by some very evil and sick people, Trump said of his wife and children. "This was not part of the deal. ... But they stuck with me." He made a rare mention of his youngest son, Barron, notes the Daily Caller. He also brought daughter Ivanka on stage as well as first lady Melania. Critical take: The Washington Post notes that Trump showed "no remorse" over the accusation that exerted improper pressure on Ukraine's leader for an investigation into political foes. Some GOP senators who voted to acquit called his actions inappropriate. The Washington Post notes that Trump showed "no remorse" over the accusation that exerted improper pressure on Ukraine's leader for an investigation into political foes. Some GOP senators who voted to acquit called his actions inappropriate. A contrast: The AP describes Trump's Thursday as a "scorched-earth victory lap" and notes that before Trump spoke in the morning, at the National Prayer Breakfast, conservative think tank leader Arthur Brooks urged the crowd to "love your enemies." When Trump spoke, he said, "I don't know if I agree with you," and then, per the AP, "proceeded to demonstrate it." (Read more President Trump stories.) Kaneko brings with him his experience managing agent and broker relationships for major national carriers. He also has experience serving as a wholesale insurance broker, with a background in commercial lines, underwriting, retail agency, and other leadership roles. Read more: Worldwide Facilities welcomes new assistant vice-president and broker Last month, Worldwide Facilities hired Juliet Carrillo to serve as assistant vice-president and broker. Carrillo joined the companys property department in Los Angeles. One of the main goals of the Every Student Succeeds Act is to spark a richer dialogue between parents, administrators and school board members about their districts needs by providing them all with richer data. That now seems to be occurring in several districts across the country as more states roll out school spending data, according to local media reports. But concerns remain about the accessibility and accuracy of the data, states limited publicity about the datas release, and whether states will meet a looming deadline to have the data published before the end of this school year. In the last few weeks, Alabama , Alaska, and Kansas have now all published school spending data . That brings the total to 26 states that have published school spending data, according to Elizabeth Ross, a research associate at the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, an research group that pushes for more fiscal transparency and has assisted states in complying with the law. In years past, district administrators and the general public understood school spending as per-pupil average expenditures within a district leading to sweeping (and faulty) conclusions about how billions of federal and state dollars were spent within districts. In Kansas, theres a widespread debate now about how $400 million of new state aid meant for at-risk students (or academically struggling and impoverished students) is actually being spent after a state audit showed a big chunk of that money is being deployed in schools with few at-risk students. School spending amounts were released shortly after the audit was published. In Alabama, reporter Trisha Powell Crain pointed out that , while the majority of the states money is being spent on schools that serve poor students, there are some anomalies: The average total spending at schools in Alabama not serving specialized populations was $9,374. That spending ranged from a low of $4,593 per student at Eufaulas Moorer Middle School to a high of $20,020 at Lee Countys Loachapoka High School. As to why spending is so high, Lee County Superintendent Mac McCoy said Loachapoka is a small high schoolfewer than 250 students in seventh through 12th gradeswhere nearly all students are in poverty. Providing the basic instructional program requires higher levels of local support and more programming, he said. And in Wisconsin, amid a widespread debate about funding inequities between suburban and rural school districts and whether districts should be allowed to dissolve, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty has asked why the states department of public instruction has yet to publish school spending amounts, even though the state has published academic outcomes. DPI is dragging their feet on this, said Libby Sobic, WILLs director and legal counsel of education policy. A paper published by the Wisconsin Policy Institute in November said the state plans to publish the school spending numbers in June. WILL is not the only organization alarmed by states progress in complying with the federal law. Ary Amerikaner, a vice president at the Education Trust, a national advocacy organization that pushes for heavier accountability of schools, said in a New York Times editorial that state departments arent presenting the school spending data in a legible way. Just finding these reports, many of which have been buried several clicks inside a states website, is challenging, Amerikaner wrote. We are in the midst of a major missed opportunity. All 50 states...should think of this as more than a compliance exercise: Its an opportunity to prompt new, meaningful debates about educational equity. Follow us on Twitter @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Politics K-12 reporters @EvieBlad @Daarel and @AndrewUjifusa . LONDON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hampshire Trust Bank (HTB) has launched a new specialist business providing deposit solutions for large businesses and corporates. The team will be led by Lionel Ross, who brings over a decade of experience in the industry to HTB. Prior to joining HTB, Lionel held senior positions at leading UK banks, including Aldermore Bank and Investec Bank plc. At HTB, he will be responsible for delivering a relationship-based service to corporate depositors that offers consistently competitive rates, same day on-boarding and efficient investment administration. The new business will complement the existing personal and business savings proposition, headed by Stuart Hulme, Director of Savings and Marketing. Stuart Hulme said: "We are delighted to welcome Lionel to the team. His wealth of experience and market knowledge will be invaluable as we look to drive our corporate deposit proposition. At HTB, every client relationship is a partnership and we are here to support our customers for the long term. I am looking forward to working with Lionel and building out our offering in this market." Lionel Ross added: "With an established reputation for being a specialist, HTB is perfectly poised to provide a premium service to this underserved niche in the market." "I'm delighted to join an organisation that places such an emphasis on client engagement and service excellence. It is an ethos that will resonate with corporate depositors and I look forward to delivering a market leading proposition to our clients." To read more on HTB's corporate deposit solutions click here. Notes to editors Hampshire Trust Bank is a specialist bank, staffed by experts focused on helping UK businesses realise their ambitions. Our dedicated Specialist Business Finance, Development Finance and Specialist Mortgages divisions ensure that businesses receive the outstanding service, lasting relationships, integrity and expertise they need to prosper. We also provide savings accounts to individuals and businesses and since we lend only to businesses, our savers can be sure their money will be used to boost the British economy. The bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority and the Financial Conduct Authority. For more information, please visit our website: www.htb.co.uk. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1086593/Lionel_Ross_HTB.jpg The BJP in Puducherry on Thursday opposed the Congress government's move to table an anti-CAA resolution in the assembly in the coming sitting, claiming such a course would be violative of Constitution. A delegation of BJP MLAs, led by its leader V Saminathan, submitted a petition in the office of assembly Speaker V P Sivakolundhu urging him not to permit the government to table any motion to protest the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the House scheduled to meet on February 12. The petition was signed by all the three legislators - Saminathan, S.Selvaganapathy and K G Shankar. Saminathan later told reporters that both the Houses of Parliament had already passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill which had since become an act with the President's assent. Puducherry functioned under the direct administrative control of the Union Home Ministry and therefore there could be no tabling of any motion againstCAA in the assembly and any debate thereto will be violative of the Constitution, he said. Besides, the Union Territory Act 1963 also laid down that theterritorial assembly can debate only matters that fell in the domain of the State or concurrent lists of the Seventh schedule of the Constitution. As citizenship fell under the purview of the Central list, the territorial assembly has no power to discuss it,he said adding any motion to opposethe CAA would be an infringement on the Constitution under which all the MLAs had taken the oath and pledged to uphold it. Chief Minister V Narayanasamy has recently said the government would move a resolution opposing the CAAin the assembly on February 12 'come what may'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) P ete Buttigieg clung on to his narrow lead over Bernie Sanders after a new batch of votes in the Iowa caucuses were released, but the race still remained too close to call. The former South Bend Mayor was ahead of the Vermont Senator by less than one percentage point with 92 per cent of precincts reporting by late on Wednesday night. Elizabeth Warren was in third and former Vice President Joe Biden and Amy Klobuchar further behind in a race that has been marred by delays after the Iowa Democratic Partys app for reporting results crashed. The chaos surrounding the reporting breakdown has undermined the impact of the Iowa's election, which typically rewards winners with a surge of momentum heading into subsequent primary contests. Pete Buttigieg waves with his husband Chasten Buttigieg / Getty Images The two early leaders Mr Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Vermont Senator Mr Sanders - are separated by 40 years in age and conflicting ideology. Mr Sanders, a 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist, has been a progressive powerhouse for decades, and his rival, a 38-year-old former municipal official, represents the more moderate wing of the Democratic Party. Mr Buttigieg is also the first openly gay candidate to earn presidential primary delegates. Bernie Sanders speaks to supporters at a caucus night campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa / AP President Donald Trump branded the Democrats' efforts to pick a candidate to challenge him at the 2020 US Presidential election "an unmitigated disaster". Iowa is the US state that traditionally kicks off a presidential election campaign that culminates this year on November 3. Why Is Victory In Iowa Important For The Democratic Candidates The Democrats' primary fight intensified in New Hampshire on Wednesday as Mr Biden took aim at both Iowa front-runners. The former vice president suggested that Mr Sanders was unelectable and would hurt other Democrats on the ballot this fall should he represent the party in the general election. He also charged that it would be "a risk" to nominate Mr Buttigieg because he hasn't been elected to a higher office than South Bend mayor. We started chatting and before you know it marriage! Uche and George / Lauren Maccabee Uche, 45, and George, 60, met attending church. They have been in love for 16 years. Uche: We met at our church, The Ultimate Charismatic Centre in Tottenham. A friend of mine invited me to a church program. We got talking about a place in Nigeria and it happened that he had lived there. After talking, it clicked from there. We started chatting and before you know it marriage. We fell in love. George: I wasnt yet a reverend by then; I was a church worker. We got on and went out for a meal to see if our friendship could blossom into more. It was a process that resulted in our twin girls. We were so nervous around each other. But here we are Alix and Dani / Lauren Maccabee Alix, 38, and Dani, 27, met four and a half years ago working at a nightclub. They reconnected on Instagram five months ago and have been in love for three months. Dani: He slid into my DMs. I like to call it the modern day love letter. Alix: That does sound a lot better Dani: I didnt even realise Alix would follow me because I thought he wouldnt like me. Hes so quiet and we were both so nervous around each other because we had never really spoken. But here we are. She tried to ghost me! Elliot and Daisy / Lauren Maccabee Elliot, 27, met Daisy, 25, when she stopped to pet his dog, Bizzy, in the street on two separate occasions. They have been in love for three and a half years. Elliot: After we met through Bizzy, Daisy tried to ghost me. Then one night I was out with my friends and I got a call. She said, Im out with my sister, and I asked, Oh, Lucy? She was like, Yeah! Howd you know? I said, What do you mean? Your sister is obviously called Lucy, Ive met her. I said Ill go and hang with them later and she went, Thats a bit forward. I was like, What are you talking about? This is Daisy? Daisy Bird? She said, No, its Daisy Bowes. Turns out I thought it was my housemate named Daisy. We first met at infant school Kit and Peter / Lauren Maccabee Kit and Peter, now both 89, met in 1935 while attending infant school. They have been in love for 67 years. Kit: We first met at infant school in Essex, but we fell in love at a social club aged 22. When he proposed I cant say he went down on one knee I think by the time wed started getting together we already knew each other so well it just fell into place. Thats the potted history. Weve been to some very nice places for holidays and special occasions in our time. Our favourite place to go is Vienna weve been more than 20 times. Without sounding cringe, I knew straight away Reva and Jadah / Lauren Maccabee Reva and Jadah, 25, met on a dating app. They have been in love for two years. Jadah: We met on a dating app not to be named. Reva: We have loads of friends in common though thats how we try to justify it. Jadah: We talked once or twice and met up a week later. We were supposed to go to one pub but we ended up going to five and a chicken place. Now were married. Reva: Without sounding cringe, I knew [I wanted to be with you] straight away. There was this empty bathtub we sat in for hours, talking Adam and Elliot / Lauren Maccabee Adam, 18, and Elliot, 17, met at school, talking about their love of rock and metal music. They have been in love for 16 months. Adam: One of the first times we met, there was an empty bathtub outside on a porch near our school we sat there for hours talking. We fell in love talking about metal and rock bands like Judas Priest and While She Sleeps, who we went to see last night. Elliot: Were looking forward to finishing school and hopefully moving in together. Its illegal to be gay in the Middle East, so wed have covert dates Sunil and Gaar / Lauren Maccabee Sunil, 34, and Gaar, 32, met front row at a Scissor Sisters concert in the Middle East and have been in love for eight years. Sunil: The Scissor Sisters were playing in the Middle East, which is strange because it doesnt seem like the kind of place they would play. Our friendship groups merged front row, our eyes met and that was that. Gaar: We totally knew the chemistry was there immediately. Friendship chemistry for the first five seconds and then it was like, Oooh, I really, really like this guy Dating was difficult its illegal to be gay in [much of] the Middle East so wed have covert dates, business meetings. Sunil: We used to shake hands instead of kissing in public, as if to say, That was a good business meeting. I was just sitting opposite her and said, Lets go out! Shonali and Farhan / Lauren Maccabee Shonali, 22, and Farhan, 22, met in the college canteen in Mumbai. They have been in love for four years. Farhan: We were the same year at college, but she was studying commerce and I was doing science. I saw her in the canteen and I got her number from a friend. On our first date I was just sitting opposite her in the canteen. I said, Lets go out! After a bit of persuasion she said shed come with a friend. So she came with her friend and we went to a little cafe. After a week or two I took her out on her own. Thats how it all started. When she left, she hugged me twice, so I was like, Alright Gigi and Piper / Lauren Maccabee Gigi,18, met Piper, 18, via her ex-boyfriend. They have been in love for almost a year. Piper: Her ex-boyfriend went to my sixth form and I always knew about her because when youre our age, you just know everyone through Instagram and stuff. I think she followed me on Instagram and then we just started messaging each other. Then after a week she said, When can you see me? We went to the Tate and then met some friends at the pub. When she left, she hugged me twice. So I was like, alright, there is definitely something going on here. Our eyes met. Then I woke up in his bed Dwayne and Sarah / Lauren Maccabee Dwayne, 41, and Sarah, 33, met at rock music bar Big Red on Dwaynes birthday. They have been in love for almost six years. Sarah: We both got dragged out that night. My housemate brought me to a party and it was rubbish. Then my friend said I should come to the Big Red. Dwayne was there and our eyes met. Then I woke up in his bed. He said this at our wedding I was like, Mum, shut your ears! But nothing happened. I was just really drunk and passed out. In the morning I was like, Oooh, who are you? We went for breakfast and sat in this cafe for hours and chatted about everything. It was a real Sliding Doors moment Gavin and Sotos / Lauren Maccabee Gavin, 51, pointed out that 48-year-old Sotoss tail lights werent working on his car. They have been in love for 26 years. Sotos: We literally met on the street in Crystal Palace. I parked the car, went into an off-licence, and when I came back someone went, Oh, your tail light is not working. That was 26 years ago. UP government slammed by Muslim outfit for granting land for Mosque away from Ayodhya India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 06: Muslims organisations slammed the decision of the UP government to give land for a Mosque away from Ayodhya. The organisations urged the Sunni Waqf Board not to accept the 5 acre land earmarked for building a Mosque. "Nobody will take that land. The Sunni Waqf Board is a government institution. How will they say 'no'? If you ask the (Muslim) community, no one wants that land. I do not think a mosque will ever be built there; and even if it is, nobody will ever go there to offer namaz. I think this is a desperate move ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections," Zafar Islam Khan, former president of the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushwrat said. The UP government on the advise of the Supreme Court allotted land for the Mosque at a place 18 kilometres from Faizabad district HQ. The land is 200 m from the Lucknow-Gorakhpur highway. On Wednesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the government has formed a trust for the development of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The trust is called Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi announced in the Lok Sabha. The PM's announcement was followed by chants of Jai Shri Ram in the House. The PM said that after the verdict on Ram Janmabhoomi, the people of India displayed remarkable faith in the democratic process. I salute the 130 crore people of the country, Modi also said. 1 Dalit among 15 trustees in Ayodhya Ram Temple trust: Amit Shah The Supreme Court in its recent order while clearing the way for the construction of a Ram Temple had ordered that a Trust be set up in three months time. The Supreme Court said that the Central Government shall, within a period of three months from the date of the judgment, formulate a scheme, under the Acquisition of Certain Area at Ayodhya Act, 1993. The scheme shall envisage the setting up of trust with a board of trustees or any other appropriate body under Section 6, the Bench further held. The scheme to be framed by the Central Government shall make necessary provisions in regard to the functioning of the trust or body including on matters relating to the management of the trust, the powers of the trustees including the construction of a temple and all necessary, incidental and supplemental matters," the court had said while delivering its verdict on Saturday. According to the order, the land would be handed over to the Board of Trustees. According to the Act, the centre has the power to appoint a trust or a body for managing the 60.70 acre land that surrounds the 2.77 acres of land that was in dispute. He recently celebrated the seven-year anniversary of his and wife Sally Humphreys' wedding, weeks before she welcomed her 42nd birthday. And Ronnie Wood, 72, looked every inch the family man on Wednesday, when his wife shared footage of the star teaching the couple's three-year-old twin daughters, Gracie Jane and Alice Rose, to hula-hoop during their holiday in the Bahamas. In a brief clip uploaded to Instagram, the Rolling Stones legend is seen standing on the veranda of an upscale beachfront residence shortly before going shirtless while hitting the shores alongside his wife and their twins. Moves like Jagger: Ronnie Woods' wife Sally has uploaded footage of the rocker teaching his daughter Alice Rose to hula-hoop during their holiday in the Bahamas Wearing a white button-down shirt and green linen trousers, the British musician is seen showing off his impressive agility as he's says: 'Look, Alice!' Sharing the clip on Instagram, Sally wrote: 'Holiday hula-hooping #seriousbusiness.' Theatre producer Sally also uploaded a series of adorable images, which showed the happy couple posing for loved-up snaps, the girls enjoying a trip to a local chocolate factor, and the family enjoying strolls along the Bahamas' golden shores. Playful: The parents held their daughters upside down for a playful shot shared on Instagram Agile: Wearing a white button-down shirt and green linen trousers, the British musician is seen showing off his impressive agility as he's says, 'Look, Alice' Living the good life: Sally shared footage and snapshots of the family's idyllic getaway with Alice and her twin sister Gracie Jane Loved up: The couple, who recently celebrated their seven-year wedding anniversary looked loved up as they posed together in their sun-drenched surroundings Splash of colour: Included in the collection were snaps of the family wandering through the colourful local streets The images also served to further prove that Ronnie is showing no signs of slowing down, as he was seen going for a bicycle ride and going shirtless on the beach. Ronnie's family holiday comes weeks after his wife's January birthday, which the family celebrated with a pair of birthday cakes and helium-filled balloons. In December, veteran musician Ronnie shared beautiful throwback snaps of his and Sally's wedding day - seven years to the day after they tied the knot. The picture showed the moment one of the couple's best men, Rod Stewart, put Ronnie's ring on him as his equally famous counterpart Paul McCartney watched on. Beach: Ronnie showed no signs of slowing down as he lounged shirtless on the golden beach Having a wheel good time: The Rolling Stones legend also hopped onto a bicycle ahead of going for a ride with his little girls Hair we go: Sally posed for a selfie as she explained that the humidity had left her hair frizzy A radiant Sally beamed in her wedding dress as rocker Rod, 74, put Ronnie's ring on his finger. In a caption on the picture, Ronnie wrote: 'How time flies! Us with our best men back in 2012 XXR @sallywood1 xx.' Ronnie also shared a close-up snap of him and Sally, with Beatles star Paul seen just behind them. Producer Sally glowed in the black and white picture as Ronnie held her close. Sweet! The girls enjoyed a tailor-made sweet treat as they visited a local chocolate factory Work: They quickly got into the spirit of things as they tried their hand at working in the factory Delightful: The rocker's offspring appeared to be impressed with the culinary delights on offer On the lookout: Sally, 42, wrote of their excursion, 'If theres a chocolate factory, we will find it' Sally and Ronnie tied the knot in December 2012 and welcomed daughters Gracie and Alice into the world in May 2016, two days before the musician's 69th birthday. Ronnie is also father to Jesse, 42, whom he shares with his late first wife Krissy, who he was married to from 1971 to 1978. The Rolling Stones rocker married second wife Jo Wood, 64, in 1985 and the former couple had two children together; daughter Leah, 41, and son Tyrone, 36. He also adopted Jo's son, Jamie, from a previous relationship. Ronnie and Sally first met just over a decade ago, when she was working at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, while Ronnie was still married to second wife Jo. Playground: Doting mother Sally carefully guided one of her daughters through a playground Great time: The girls appeared to be in their element as they embraced the activities on offer Cooling dip: Following their trip to the Bahamas, the family made their way to the US, where the girls posed in full protective swimming gear ahead of enjoying a cooling dip Ronnie divorced former model Jo in 2008 and he and Sally became involved three years later. The couple wed in an intimate ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel in London in December 2011 after a six-month romance, with Rod Stewart serving as the groom's best man. On expanding their family, brunette beauty Sally said in an interview with The Mirror newspaper: 'I'd love to have twins again. 'We'd be very happy if more arrive. Twins are much easier because they play together. Twins again and then we have double everything. We are good to go. I'm 40 now but you never know.' Special occasion: The family holiday comes weeks after Sally celebrated her 42nd birthday with a pair of birthday cakes and helium-filled balloons Special day: In December, Ronnie shared beautiful throwback snaps of his and Sally's wedding day, in which his best men, Rod Stewart (centre) and Paul McCartney (left) Heartfelt: In a caption on the picture, Ronnie wrote, 'How time flies! Us with our best men back in 2012 XXR @sallywood1 xx' In love: Ronnie also shared a close-up snap of him and Sally, with Beatles star Paul behind them In the past: The Rolling Stones rocker married second wife Jo Wood, 64, in 1985 and the former couple had two children together (pictured: The couple in 1984) In this age of social media, photo filters, and face enhancement treatments, how does one define the real meaning of beauty? Is it by having tantalizing eyes, pointed nose, defined jawlines, kissable lips, or perfectly toned body? People set their standards of beauty, but if we get to ask science, Robert Pattinson is the most beautiful man among them all. According to cosmetic surgeon Dr. Julian De Silva, the British actor has a pretty perfect face based on the Golden Ratio of Beauty Phi. This particular equation was initially being used by artists and architects during the European Renaissance to rule out a perfect masterpiece. Later on, it was adopted by scientists to explain what makes a person beautiful. The result shows that the 33-year-old "Twilight" star got a 92.15 percent score, which can be translated to physical perfection. It simply means that Pattinson's eyes, nose, lips, chin, jaw and eyebrows -- and even the spacing in between his facial features -- came closest to the ancient Greek idea of perfection. "Robert Pattinson was the clear winner when all elements of the face were measured for physical perfection," Dr. De Silva told the Daily Mail. The cosmetic surgeon, who runs the London-based Centre For Advanced Facial Cosmetic And Plastic Surgery, explained that they used the "golden ratio" through a new computer mapping technique that solves the mystery of physical beauty. "He (Pattinson) was in the top five for nearly all the categories because he has such classically shaped features and a wonderfully chiseled jaw," Dr. De Silva said. De Silba revealed that the future "Batman" actor only got a below-average score for his lips, which he describes as "a little thin and flat." Based on the "golden ration," Pattinson's face is so perfect that he even beats all-time Hollywood charmers such as Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, George Clooney and David Beckham in the said list. Coming in the second spot is "The Witcher" actor Henry Cavil with 91.64 percent. "Henry Cavill was a close second. He had the highest overall score for his lips and forehead and also scored very highly for the matching ratio of nose and lips and his eye position," Dr. De Silva said. However, it turns out that Cavil's eye spacing scored poorly and did not meet the standard of Greek gods in terms of perfection. Apart from Pattinson and Cavil, the top five most handsome men on the list include Bradley Cooper with 91.08 percent, Brad Pitt with 90.51 percent and George Clooney with 89.91 percent. Dr. De Silva said that the result shows that both "A Star is Born" and "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood" actors weak points are the overall shape of their nose and face, while the 58-year-old veteran actor lost points due to the sagging around his eyes. Meanwhile, the sixth to 10th most beautiful men spot goes to Hugh Jackman, David Beckham, Idris Elba, Kanye West, and Ryan Gosling. All of them scored below 89.64 percent. Do you agree with Dr. De Silva's ranking? Sound off your thoughts in the comments section. READ MORE: Selena Gomez Announces Rare Beauty Makeup Line: Everything You Need To Know Sunshine and Shadow: a momentous narrative that shares the authors moments of hardship that pushed him to strive to find meaning in his life and achieve it through determination and will. Sunshine and Shadow is the creation of published author Kermit Olson, an impassioned writer of Scandinavian descent. Olson shares, The story of a family and their struggle to lead a safe and comfortable life in the mid-twentieth century in America. The story begins in Montana but leads to Washington in the search for opportunity for Vic and Gina and their six children. Kermit was their fourth baby, and this book portrays his struggles to find peace and meaning in a tumultuous, sometimes terrifying, home. He finds peace and self-identity in travel as well as fulfillment in serving others. His quest leads him to two years of service in West Pakistan in the Peace Corps, several trips to South America with World Gospel Mission, several work trips to Central America with Habitat for Humanity, and three trips to Kenya, volunteering for Kaimosi Friends University. He understands God has a special love for poor people, thats why he made so many of them. Though he studied agriculture at university, his major lifes work was as a buyer in a business environment. He has purchasing experience in airplane manufacture, steel fabrication, and hospital supply. His story shares his desire to find satisfaction and fulfillment in hobbies, recreation, travel, and family life. He shares with the Psalmist, God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear (Ps. 46:1). Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Kermit Olsons new book is a noteworthy example of mankinds unyielding hope to thrive in a world fraught with odds. This book ultimately imparts the wisdom of faith in anticipating and appreciating every challenge as an opportunity to be better individuals of tomorrow. View the synopsis of Sunshine and Shadow on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Sunshine and Shadow at traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Sunshine and Shadow, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Roddy Alves stepped out in London's Mayfair on Wednesday night, on her way to dinner at swanky Chinese eatery Park Chinois. The reality star, 36, looked sensational in a daring plunging red dress, which accentuated her tiny waist and ample bust - two weeks after undergoing implant surgery on her chest at the Comfort Zone Surgery in Istanbul. The outfit featured a high hem and puffed sleeves, and Roddy put on a leggy display as she stepped out of her car and strutted into the restaurant. Roddy in red: Roddy Alves stepped out in London's Mayfair on Wednesday night, on her way to dinner at swanky Chinese eatery Park Chinois She completed the look with strappy black heels and statement earrings in red, matching this with a loud pop of rouge to her pout. Make-up was flawless and her blonde locks cascaded around her sultry features. But Roddy - who came out as transgender recently - has more up her sleeve, with plans to fly to Belgium next week for one of the most important parts of her transition. She told MailOnline that the 25k surgery will 'make me look like a super model!' 'Life never felt so good as a woman, I wish that I started my transition a long time ago!' she went on. 'And according to my doctors my body is responding very fast and positively to the hormones therapy. 'My skin is very soft, my hips and butt are getting bigger and my hair is growing so fast!' Sartorially savvy: The reality star, 36, looked sensational in a daring plunging red dress, which accentuated her tiny waist and ample bust - two weeks after undergoing implant surgery on her chest at the Comfort Zone Surgery in Istanbul Sensational: The outfit featured a high hem and puffed sleeves, and Roddy put on a leggy display as she stepped out of her car and strutted into the restaurant Teasing what comes next in the process, Roddy told us: 'I will be having a face feminisation surgery [FFS] with Dr Bart Van de Ven. 'This is a combination of surgical procedures through which the masculine facial features are reduced to give your face a feminine look. FFS is applied to both bone and the soft upper tissue covering the bone. 'Dr Bart Van de Ven will open my forehead and shave my brow bone and eye bone, then he will shave my jawline and my chin to reduce my face and give it a V look. He will also give me an eye and a brow lift. Got the look? She completed the look with strappy black heels and statement earrings in red, matching this with a loud pop of rouge to her pout 'After that he will remove my Adams apple in my neck.' Roddy went on: 'I am really excited! Once a heal I will be changing my passports and my gender and my name to a female name which is still a secret!' Roddy admitted that she loves everything about being a woman, especially the sartorial options. 'I have always loved fashion and as a woman I have many more options of outfits to chose from, I am still trying to figure out what type of woman I am! 'I takes me three hours to get ready to go out. I try many outfits and obviously two weeks after my 825cc breast implants I really want to show then off!' Preened to perfection: Make-up was flawless and her blonde locks cascaded around her sultry features She recently revealed her 'life is so much better with breasts!' after having the implants. She made her debut as a transgender woman on Italian chat show Live Non e la D'Urso earlier this month. 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.' The Central government last month issued a preliminary information memorandum (PIM), initiating the process to divest its entire stake in Air India Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said on Wednesday it is "too early" to take a call on Air India, in which the government has decided to sell its entire 100 percent stake "It is too early..." Chandrasekaran told PTI when asked if Tata Group would be putting a bid for Air India stake purchase at the Auto Expo in New Deli. The comments came in the wake of reports in a section of media saying that Tatas appear to be moving closer to a decision to bid for Air India in partnership with Singapore Airlines. The Tata group has already started working on the structure for such buyout, including a merger of AirAsia India, in which they hold 51 percent in Air India Express, a 100 percent subsidiary of the government-owned national carrier. The Central government last month issued a preliminary information memorandum (PIM), initiating the process to divest its entire stake in the national air carrier. Earlier this week, there were news reports that the Tata Group may be moving closer to partner with Singapore Airlines to make an offer for Air India. A deal structure is said to be in the works and the Tata Group is likely to merge Air India Express with AirAsia India, the report in The Times of India said. Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines own full-service airline Vistara as a joint venture (JV). Tata Sons owns a 51 percent stake in AirAsia India while Malaysia-based AirAsia Berhad owns the remaining holding. The government opened the formal bidding process for Air India on January 27 offering its entire 100 percent stake, putting its entire 100 percent stake in the airline on sale. The Tata group has approached AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes for his green signal on the Air India Express acquisition, sources told TOI. The non-compete clause in the agreement between AirAsia and Tata Sons does not permit either party from being involved in another low-cost airline. Meanwhile, Tony Fernandes stepped aside as AirAsia CEO on February 3 for at least two months as Malaysian authorities investigate allegations of Airbus bribing the airline for an aircraft order. Senior company executive Tharumalingam Kanagalingam has been appointed as acting CEO. Fernandes was also recently summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in relation to charges of criminal conspiracy and money laundering. The Tatas founded Air India in 1932 as Tata Air Services and owned it till it was nationalised in 1947. --With PTI inputs Asia Thailand Scraps China-Led Project to Blast Open Mekong River A sticker opposing development of the Mekong River is seen on a vehicle on the Thai side of the Mekong River between Laos and Thailand in 2017. / Reuters BANGKOKThailand has scrapped a Chinese-led project to blast rapids on the Mekong River that had been opposed by local people and environmental groups, a government spokeswoman said on Wednesday. China initiated a plan to dredge the Mekong River in 2001 to make room for large ships to carry goods from its landlocked southern province of Yunnan to ports in Thailand, Laos and the rest of Southeast Asia. The plan had been opposed by conservationists and communities in Thailand living along the Mekong River. They feared it would harm the environment and benefit only China. The Thai cabinet agreed to scrap the dredging plan during a weekly meeting on Tuesday. The communities affected and non-profit groups were against the plan, fearing it would affect the way of life, and China also had no funding for it So we ended the project, said Trisulee Trisaranakul, a deputy government spokeswoman. It didnt take off yet. We were only doing environmental and social impact assessments, she told Reuters. The Chinese Embassy in Bangkok was not immediately available for comment. A Thai cabinet document said that China had in any case informed countries on the Mekong River last year that it was not planning to pursue the project, but work had continued on stretches of the river in Laos and Myanmar. The Mekong flows from China, where it is known as the Lancang River, through five Southeast Asian countries. You may also like these stories: China Quietly Pushing Myanmar to Back Its Development Plan for Irrawaddy River Busan Summit to Reinforce Partnership Between the ROK and ASEAN Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Thu, February 6, 2020 08:00 705 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062cfa0e 2 World #USA,#politics,Donald-Trump,impeachment,acquittal Free Impeached for abuse of power, President Donald Trump's acquittal by the Senate is just the latest escape for the real estate tycoon turned politician who has repeatedly defied the odds. The following are some of the events that could have torpedoed his political fortunes: 'Grab 'em' On October 7, 2016, one month before the presidential election, a decade-old recording is released on which Trump is heard talking about women in extremely crude terms. The now infamous "Access Hollywood" tape features Trump -- then the billionaire host of the hit reality show "The Apprentice" -- boasting that his celebrity gave him license to grope women with impunity. "When you're a star, they let you do it," he said. "You can do anything. Grab 'em by the pussy. You can do anything." As prominent Republicans voiced their disgust, the scandal appeared set to derail Trump's White House bid -- as pundits widely predicted it would cost him the women's vote. They were proven wrong. Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton to win the presidency the following month, ultimately garnering 52 percent support among white women voters. At least 17 women have accused Trump of sexual harassment or sexual assault -- accusations the president has denied. Charlottesville On August 12, 2017, white supremacist, neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic groups -- emboldened by Trump's election on an anti-immigration platform -- gathered in Charlottesville, Virginia for a rally. Counter-protesters flocked to the city and clashes broke out. One neo-Nazi deliberately ploughed his car into a crowd of protesters, killing a 32-year-old woman. Trump reacted to the clashes by saying there were "very fine people" on both sides. His comments sparked a wave of indignation including in his own Republican Party. But the outrage soon faded, and Trump was able to move on from the incident. The porn star A year into Trump's presidency, in January 2018, a former porn star known as Stormy Daniels -- real name Stephanie Clifford -- came forward to allege she had a tryst with Trump a decade earlier, and that he paid her to keep quiet. Trump's longtime lawyer Michael Cohen later admitted paying Clifford $130,000 in hush money just weeks before the 2016 election. But while Cohen has since been jailed for violating campaign finance laws, Trump escaped largely unscathed by the lurid revelations -- which did little to dent his support even among religious conservatives. Mueller investigation In May 2017, former FBI director Robert Mueller was named as special counsel to investigate whether any members of Trump's presidential campaign conspired with Russia to get him elected, as well as subsequent efforts by the president to obstruct justice. The Mueller probe uncovered a trail of misdeeds that led to charges against half a dozen former Trump associates including his former campaign manager Paul Manafort, confidant Roger Stone, former top aide Michael Flynn and Cohen. Rejected by Trump as a "witch hunt," the probe cast a long shadow over the White House throughout the first half of his presidency. Although the 22 month investigation did not exonerate Trump, Mueller adhered to a Justice Department policy against charging sitting presidents -- which ultimately allowed Trump to declare himself cleared. - The elusive tax returns - Trump is the first US president since Richard Nixon not to have made his tax returns public, claiming they are under audit by the Internal Revenue Service. In October 2016, The New York Times revealed that Trump reported over $1 billion in business losses in 1995 -- potentially allowing him to avoid paying income tax for two decades. Democrats in the House of Representatives have since turned to the courts to force the release of Trump's tax returns and other records in cases that are considered a crucial test of the separation of powers. But the president has so far managed to rebuff their demands, with the cases tied up in the US court system. Less than a third of families still eat dinner together [Photo: Getty] Time-poor parents will appreciate spending time together as a family can be tricky, with dinner time often presenting one of the only opportunities. But sitting together at the table has also slipped down the must-do list with new research revealing less than a third of families gather together for their evening meal. The poll, of 2,000 adults by Travelodge, revealed a mere 28% of British families still get together round the table to eat. In fact, according to the data, almost half (43%) of families opt for TV dinners most evenings. The research, which offers an indication into the busy lives of parents, also found as many as one in 10 (9%) of adults claim they are so tired, they often eat dinner in bed. Overall, 7% eat their evening meal in the office before leaving work, while a time-strapped one in 20 (5%) have eaten their evening meal in the car or on the commute home. Its little wonder therefore that eight in 10 Brits believe TV dinners are a good option for their busy modern lives. READ MORE: Should children stand up for their teachers when they enter the classroom? Almost three quarters (73%) also believe children and parents eating separately can make life easier all round. Despite the decline in family meal times, many still appreciate the positives of getting together at the table with 43% saying eating together is the best way to bond and feel close to their family. Yet 23% admit that when they do gather round the table, the main topic of conversation is how tired everyone feels, with a further 15% claiming that how stressed they feel also dominates the talk. It seems technology is having an impact on the table talk too with 7% of British families admitting they dont actually chat while eating dinner together because everyone is glued to their phones. Technology is disrupting family meal times [Photo: Getty] The benefits of eating together Previous research by Old El Paso echoed the latest findings with results revealing only 20% of UK families getting together to eat throughout the week and almost a third admitting they sit in silence at dinner time. Story continues But with so many distractions disrupting family life, eating together can be critical to feeling more connected. With that in mind Dr Linda Papadopoulos has put together some tips on getting the most out of family mealtimes: Ask the right kinds of questions If questions are too broad like how was school? or what did you do today? you are more likely to get vague answers like 'fine' or 'not much'. And if they are closed ended like 'what time did you get in today?' you are only going to get a one word answer back. So the key is to ask questions that are open ended but specific. That way you get longer responses back and this makes it easier for conversation to flow. READ MORE: Finland to offer dads the same amount of parental leave as mums Talk best and most challenging bits A great way to focus the family on sharing is to go around the dinner table and ask about the best and most challenging things about their day. This serves two purposes. Firstly it focuses the mind on what is working and what they are happy about so they are more likely to feel good about sharing. Secondly, it allows you to share challenges in a safe non-judgemental environment and reinforces the idea that you are all their for each other with regard to any challenges you may be facing. Share a memory One of the best ways to instigate discussion and indeed closeness in families is to share a memory. Telling a story that you all remember is a great way to get everyone talking and sharing. Make dinner a gadget-free zone Get rid of phones, turn off the TV and focus on each other and being together. There is something very powerful about being present for each other and getting rid of tech and other distractions. It sends the message that what matters most is being together and sharing not only a meal but time, thoughts and feelings. Keep it positive As much as possible try and keep the conversation positive. While for parents it may seem like a good opportunity for a lecture or angry discussion, try and avoid this. The point of meal times should be to foster communication and connection but using them as a time for discipline can shut this down. Directed by: Taika Waititi, who wrote an adaptation of Christine Leunens' book "Caging Skies." Starring: Roman Griffin Davis as Jojo, Scarlett Johansson as Rosie and Thomasin McKenzie as Elsa, with Waititi and Sam Rockwell in supporting roles as Hitler and a Hitler Youth leader, respectively. Why it could win: "Jojo Rabbit" won the Toronto International Film Festival's audience award when it premiered in September, an accolade often used to predict Oscar nominees. Of the past 12 festivals, 11 films that won TIFF's audience award have also received best picture Oscar nominations; four ("Green Book," "12 Years a Slave," "The King's Speech" and "Slumdog Millionaire") ended up winning. The feel-good nature of "Jojo Rabbit" also works in its favor, as the academy tends to embrace movies about people overcoming their differences. (For another example of the "we're not so different, you and I" cliche, consider last year's best picture winner.) It could also be seen as the film that made supporting actress Johansson a double nominee, given that she was all but guaranteed to land a nod for her leading role in Noah Baumbach's "Marriage Story." Electronic Health Records Market: Global Size, Trends, Competitive, Historical & Forecast Analysis, 2019-2025- Increasing need to improve the safety or quality of healthcare delivery and increased use of healthcare settings in a medical environment is expected to grow the electronic health records market. Global Electronic Health Records Market is valued at USD 24.82 Billion in 2018 and expected to reach USD 37.13 Billion by 2025 with a CAGR of 5.92% over the forecast period. An Electronic Health Record (EHR) is an electronic version system which is maintained by healthcare professionals and it includes combination of administrative data such as demographics, progress notes, problems related to medications, past medical history, laboratory data and radiology reports. EHR contains a real-time patient-centered records that makes the information available more securely and immediately to authorize users. EHR is aimed at improving better management care for patients by providing accurate, up-to-date, and appropriate information about patients at the point of care. It assists to diagnose patients with fewer amounts of errors, more reliable prescribing and reduces the cost through decreased paperwork, improved safety and improved health. An EHR gives patients a great deal of convenience where patients can fill out their intake forms electronically from their home or from anywhere else. For example; specialized EHR software offers quick data entry recovery for all patients in every treatment scenarios. Get Sample Copy of This Premium Report @ https://brandessenceresearch.com/requestSample/PostId/602 Electronic health records market report is segmented on the product, application, end-users and regional & country level. Based upon product, electronic health records market is segmented into cloud-based software and on-premise software. On the basis of applications, the market is segmented into clinical application, administrative application, reporting in healthcare system, healthcare financing, and clinical research application. Furthermore, based upon end user electronic health records market is segmented into hospitals, clinics, specialty centers, and others. The regions covered in this Electronic Health Records Market report are North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. On the basis of country level, market of Electronic Health Records Market is sub divided into U.S., Mexico, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, China, Japan, India, South East Asia, GCC, Africa, etc. Key Players for Electronic Health Records Market Report Some major key players for electronic health records market are 3M Company, Toshiba Medical Systems Corp., Hyland Software, Siemens Medical Solutions, McKesson Corporation, Henry Schein, Inc., Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc., WRS Health, Medical Information Technology, Inc. (Meditech), Cerner Corporation, Quest Diagnostics, GE Healthcare, Epic Systems, SequelMed, Kofax Limited and others. News Siemens Medical Solutions Announced Partnership Agreement with Relaymed. On May 19th, 2017; Siemens Medical solutions signed a definitive partnership agreement with Relaymed to deliver the test results to physician EHR systems through point of care instruments. This partnership with Relaymed enables the users to access securely and allow for the automatic delivery of patient test results without need for manual input. This exclusive agreement extends the connectivity offerings for Siemens to meet the expectations of healthcare facilities which are burdened with excessive administrative tasks. Request for Methodology @ https://brandessenceresearch.com/requestMethodology/PostId/602 Increasing Diabetic Patient Population and Growing Need Of Monitoring Patients Safety is Expected to Fuel the Global Electronic Health Records Market Growth. The key factors driving the growth of electronic health records are growing need for improving health record portability, immediate accessibility of accurate billing & coding and increasing complexity of handling administrative records. For example; primary-care physicians have realized that, EHR has usually led to improve quality of care with nearly 63% and most of them are satisfied with their current EHR systems. For example; American Hospital Association (AHA) and AHA Annual Survey Information Technology reported that, in 2017, around 94% of hospitals used electronic clinical data from their EHR system and they have realized that EHR system is largely being implemented in order to support quality improvement with nearly 82% and monitor the patients safety with 81%. In addition, the government bodies are significantly passed some requirements regarding the required use of electronic records or else they must face monetary penalties. However, various certification and license needed for installation of EHR software as well as data privacy issues are arises during operations and this can turn out to be one of the restraining factors of this market. New innovative EHR technology will help in the interoperable applications and work intelligently upon complex healthcare information, all of which can offer lucrative opportunities for EHR market in the coming years. North America is Expected to Dominate the Global Electronic Health Records Market. North America is accounted for the largest share in electronic health record market owing to continuous progress in healthcare facilities in this region for last few years. Additionally, increasing expansion of healthcare IT infrastructure for better quality of care is also driving the adoption of electronic health record market in this region. For example; with more than 75% office based clinicians and around 96% of hospitals based in the U.S. are using EHR systems. In 2017, across the U.S. 99% of large, 97 % of medium, and 93 % of small rural non-federal hospitals had a certified EHR system in operation. Europe is the second most leading region for EHR followed by Asia pacific due to European countries have increasingly promoted the development of EHR systems and several government organizations aimed at improving the patients safety. Key Benefits for Electronic Health Records Market Report Global market report covers in depth historical and forecast analysis. Global market research report provides detail information about Market Introduction, Market Summary, Global market Revenue (Revenue USD), Market Drivers, Market Restraints, Market opportunities, Competitive Analysis, Regional and Country Level. Global market report helps to identify opportunities in market place. Global market report covers extensive analysis of emerging trends and competitive landscape. Get Full information of This Report @ https://brandessenceresearch.com/healthcare/electronic-health-records-market-size-and-share Global Electronic Health Records Market Segmentation: By Product: Cloud-Based Software On-premise software By Applications: Clinical application Administrative application Reporting in healthcare system Healthcare financing Clinical research application By End-User: Hospitals Clinics Specialty Centers Others By Regional & Country Analysis: North America U.S. Canada Europe U.K. France Germany Italy Asia Pacific China Japan India Southeast Asia Latin America Brazil Mexico Middle East and Africa GCC Africa Rest of Middle East and Africa Table of Content Chapter 1 Global Electronic Health Records Market: Summary and Quantitative Analysis 1.1 Report Description 1.2 Global Electronic Health Records Market Revenue Overview 1.3 Global Electronic Health Records Market Revenue (USD Billion) and Growth (%) Rate, 2015- 2025 Chapter 2 Global Electronic Health Records Market: Overview and Qualitative Analysis 2.1 Executive Summary 2.2 Market Drivers 2.2.1 Increasing need to improve the process in order to comply with new standards is anticipated to witness a high growth of Electronic Health Records Market 2.3 Market Restraints 2.4 Market Opportunities 2.5 Market Trends 2.6 Global Electronic Health Records Market: SWOT Analysis 2.7 Global Electronic Health Records Market: PEST Analysis 2.8 Global Electronic Health Records Market: Attractiveness Analysis 2.8.1 Global Electronic Health Records Market: Attractiveness Analysis by Type 2.8.2 Global Electronic Health Records Market: Attractiveness Analysis by Grade 2.8.3 Global Electronic Health Records Market: Attractiveness Analysis by Regional Chapter 3 Competitive Analysis 3.1 Global Electronic Health Records Market 3.1.1 Global Electronic Health Records market Revenue (USD Billion), By Players 2018 3.1.2 Global Electronic Health Records Market Revenue Share (%), By Players 2018 Chapter 5 Global Electronic Health Records Market: By Types Chapter 6 Global Electronic Health Records Market: By Application Chapter 7 North America Electronic Health Records Market Analysis Chapter 8 Europe Electronic Health Records Market Analysis Chapter 9 Asia Pacific Electronic Health Records Market Analysis Chapter 10 Latin America Electronic Health Records Market Analysis Chapter 11 Middle East & Africa Electronic Health Records Market Analysis Chapter 12 Competitive Analysis 12.1 3M Company 12.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors 12.1.2 3M Company Total Company Revenue 2015-2018 12.1.3 3M Company Total Company Revenue, By Segment of Business 2015-2018 12.1.4 3M Company Total Company Revenue, By Region 2015-2018 12.1.5 3M Company Global Electronic Health Records Product Category and Description 12.1.6 3M Company Recent Activity 2015-2019 12.1.7 Main Business/Business Overview 12.1.8 Business Strategy 12.1.9 SWOT Analysis 12.2 Toshiba Medical Systems Corp 12.3 Hyland Software 12.4 Siemens Medical Solutions 12.5 McKesson Corporation 12.6 Henry Schein 12.7 Allscripts Healthcare Solutions About us: Brandessence Market Research and Consulting Pvt. ltd. 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Contact Global at: +44-2038074155 or mail Global at alan@brandessenceresearch.biz Website: https://brandessenceresearch.biz Website: http://www.themarketstatsnews.com Related Report: Medical devises Industry Reports 2019 Facility Management Market Global Size, Trends, Competitive, Historical & Forecast Analysis, 2019-2025 Epoxy Adhesive Market Global Size, Trends, Competitive, Historical & Forecast Analysis, 2019-2025 Electric Discharge Machine Market Global Size, Trends, Competitive, Historical & Forecast Analysis, 2019-2025 Dry Shampoo Market Global Size, Trends, Competitive, Historical & Forecast Analysis, 2019-2025 DRAM Market Global Size, Trends, Competitive, Historical & Forecast Analysis, 2019-2025 The United States warned Russia over its Syria policy and reportedly accused them of violating the terms of a de-confliction agreement by challenging US presence in northeastern Syria. James Jeffrey, US Special Representative for Syria Engagement and Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, reportedly said that the United States was very worried about the dangerous conflict and urged Russia to change its policies. US President Donald Trump had earlier announced the decision to withdraw troops from Syria but backtracked after facing severe criticism from Congress, including some Republican leaders. Though the US has kept around 600 troops in northeastern Syria, the vacuum in northwestern Syria has provided Russia with an opportunity to increase its presence. Read: Syrian Air Defences Intercept Israeli Missiles Over Damascus, Claims State Media 'Appalled by unrelenting assault' Speaking at an interactive online press briefing LiveAtState on January 30, James Jeffrey said that he was appalled by the reports of Bashar al-Assad regimes unrelenting assault on Idlib supported by Russia and Iran. Jeffrey said that it was a violation of resolution from 2015 and the several ceasefire accords that Russia had agreed to but is now ignoring. It indicates that the regime does not want a compromise solution, but rather a military victory, said the envoy, said Jeffrey. We had a setback temporarily in Syria back in October with the Turkish incursion, but were back doing full operations with our local partner, the Syrian Democratic Forces, he added. Read: Islamic State Steps Up Attacks In Syria & Iraq After Losing Territory: UN Experts Earlier, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights had condemned the ongoing Syrian crisis with numerous civilian casualties despite the announcement of a ceasefire. Michelle Bachelet said that though the pursuit of a ceasefire is to be encouraged, it has failed to protect the lives of civilians. It is deeply distressing that civilians are still being killed on a daily basis in missile strikes from both the air and ground. Women, men and children simply carrying out everyday activities at home, the workplace, in markets and at schools are being killed and maimed in senseless violence. said that the UN High Commissioner in a statement. Read: 'Won't Allow Them To Run ISIS-like Module At Shaheen Bagh And Turn Delhi Into Syria': BJP Read: UN Report Says, More Than 38,000 People Flee Northwest Syria Amid Bombardments (With inputs from agencies) Reliance, Chevron defend against U.S. criticism of oil business with Venezuela FILE PHOTO: A sculpture is seen outside a building of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA in Caracas By Nidhi Verma and Timothy Gardner NEW DELHI/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Reliance Industries and U.S.-based Chevron Corp on Thursday defended their business with Venezuela from White House criticism, noting that their marketing agreements and operations in the OPEC nation have been approved by Washington. The White House imposed sanctions early last year on state-run oil company PDVSA as part of efforts to oust President Nicolas Maduro. The socialist president remains in power despite deep unpopularity and a years-long economic crisis. Venezuelan exports declined sharply in early 2019, but have since ticked back up to roughly 1 million bpd, as several oil companies resumed marketing or buying the country's oil. The White House has yet to enforce secondary sanctions announced in August aimed at non-U.S. companies buying Venezuelan oil. The White House on Wednesday warned several oil companies, including Reliance, Russia's Rosneft , Spain's Repsol and Chevron, to tread cautiously in their activities in Venezuela, in an attempt to ramp up pressure on Maduro. The suggestion of retaliation surprised those companies, according to executives from joint ventures with state-run PDVSA. A Reliance spokesperson told Reuters that the refining firm is "in frequent communications with U.S. government officials regarding Venezuela and continuously keep them apprised of our actions." Maduro's re-election in 2018 was viewed as a sham by most Western Hemisphere nations. The White House on Wednesday hosted opposition leader Juan Guaido, whom Maduro refers to as a puppet of the United States, even as dozens of nations recognize him as the rightful president. MORE SANCTIONS PROMISED On Thursday, Elliot Abrams, the top U.S. envoy for Venezuela, declined to discuss Washington's conversations with Rosneft, but promised more sanctions overall. "We see that sanctions have had and are having significant impact and sanctions will increase," he said, without elaborating. Story continues Abrams said Moscow may soon find that its support for Maduro "will no longer be cost-free." Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday criticized U.S. sanctions policy in a press conference in Mexico City, adding that interference could make things worse in Venezuela. "The U.S. believes it is allowed to do anything and meanwhile threatens interlocutors with punishments and sanctions," Lavrov said. Prior to sanctions, Venezuela exported roughly 1.5 million barrels of crude and processed fuels per day. The sanctions cut off Venezuela's top purchaser, the United States. The White House announced secondary sanctions in August targeting non-U.S. companies buying Venezuelan oil, but its pressure campaign waned in the second half of 2019, and companies interpreted the announcement differently. COMPANIES NOTE COMPLIANCE Reliance, among PDVSA's largest customers, in October resumed direct purchases of Venezuelan crude after a four-month pause, helping the state-run company reduce mounting inventories of unsold oil. Reliance said at that time that it was supplying PDVSA with fuel permitted under sanctions in exchange for the Venezuelan oil. Reliance's representative added that the company does not operate as an intermediary for sales of Venezuelan oil to third parties. "All Venezuelan crude sourced by Reliance is for processing in Reliance's refineries only." Chevron resumed marketing of Venezuelan oil in October for the first time since sanctions were imposed, in tankers bound for Asian destinations, according to PDVSA records and Refinitiv Eikon vessel tracking data. "We remain focused on our base business operations, in full compliance with all applicable laws and regulations," said Ray Fohr, a Chevron spokesman, adding that crude marketing is permitted under a license by the U.S. Treasury to pay for expenses related to the maintenance of operations. Chevron said that shipments of Venezuelan crude taken by the company represented about 2 percent of the country's total exports in 2019. "If Chevron is forced to leave Venezuela, non-U.S. companies will fill the void and oil production will continue," it added. Repsol declined to comment. Rosneft and PDVSA did not immediately respond to requests for comment. China's state-run CNPC suspended loadings of Venezuelan crude at PDVSA's ports last year. It has not resumed them after Washington pressured Chinese energy companies to halt trade with PDVSA. The U.S. administration has issued waivers for U.S. service firms and some of PDVSA's joint venture partners to continue operating in the South American nation. The permits are not specific about trade transactions with Venezuelan oil. (Reporting by Nidhi Verma in New Delhi, Timothy Gardner in Washington and Marianna Parraga in Mexico City; Additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk in Washington, Isla Binnie in Madrid and Olesya Astakhova in Moscow; Writing by Marianna Parraga; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Steve Orlofsky and Daniel Wallis) | By Nora Samaranayake The Global Virus Network (GVN), headquartered in Baltimore and representing 53 Centers of Excellence, including the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM), and nine affiliates in 32 countries comprising foremost experts in every class of virus causing disease in humans and some animals, is holding regular strategic discussions with its members regarding the growing novel coronavirus, known as 2019-nCoV, which originated in Wuhan, China, in December. GVN has identified areas to support its centers and work with international organizations addressing the growing epidemic. GVN Centers of Excellence and Affiliates, with strong working relationships among them, are poised to engage in any outbreak situation by providing the worlds only network of top basic virologists from around the globe covering all classes of human viral threats, said Christian Brechot, MD, PhD, president of GVN and a professor at the University of South Florida. Many members of the GVN are initiating various projects regarding diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics to combat this rapidly expanding, novel, outbreak. However, there are still resource needs and information gaps that need to be filled, and GVN is helping to serve as that important resource. In particular, we have engaged GVN Africa to foster collaborations on diagnostics and other important resource needs. Robert Gallo, MD We are organizing a workshop for the diagnosis of 2019-nCoV in Dakar for 15 countries in a joint partnership with Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention [Africa CDC] in collaboration with the World Health Regional Office for Africa and the West African Health Organization before the epidemic arrives, said Amadou Alpha Sall, PhD, general administrator, Institut Pasteur in Dakar, the regions top biomedical research facility, and member of GVN. We are contributing to build the Africa We Want in 2063 Africa agenda, while making sure that we anticipate the threat rather than reacting to it. This is a new model of work for Africa under the leadership of Africa CDC catalyzed by Ebola and other outbreaks that may change the public health practice in Africa in the coming years. 2019-nCoV has spread to other global regions, including Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Republic of Korea, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam. As of Thursday morning, Feb. 6, there are over 28,000 infected and more than 560 dead, while the rest of the world reports more than 260 confirmed cases and two deaths outside of mainland China. The numbers are likely higher. On Jan. 29, the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute), a GVN Center of Excellence in Melbourne, announced that, for the first time outside of China, it successfully grew 2019-nCoV from a patient sample in the laboratory and was the first to share the virus with public health laboratories globally and the World Health Organization (WHO). This provides those laboratories, including those within GVN, with crucial information to help combat the virus. Mike Catton, PhD, deputy director of the Doherty Institute and member of GVN, said that possession of a virus isolate extended what could be achieved with molecular technology in the fight against this virus. The Doherty Institute-grown virus is expected to be used to generate an antibody test, among other uses, which allows detection of the virus in patients who havent displayed symptoms and were therefore unaware they had the virus. "An antibody test will enable us to retrospectively test suspected patients so we can gather a more accurate picture of how widespread the virus is, and consequently, among other things, the true mortality rate, Catton said. On Jan. 23, after Chinese researchers published the sequence of 2019-nCoV, a GVN partner, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), announced that it will fund three vaccine initiatives with $12.5 million, including GVN Center of Excellence, the Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centere at the University of Queensland (UQ). Further, on Feb. 3, CEPI and GSK announced that GSK will make its established pandemic vaccine adjuvant platform technology available to enhance the development of an effective vaccine against 2019-nCoV. Adjuvants are added to a vaccine to boost the immune response to produce more antibodies and longer-lasting immunity, thus minimizing the dose of antigen needed. The University of Queenslands molecular clamp technology provides stability to the viral protein that is the primary target for our immune defense, said Paul Young, PhD, head of the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences at UQ, Australia, and a member of GVN. The technology has been designed as a platform approach to generate vaccines against a range of human and animal viruses and has shown promising results in the laboratory targeting viruses such as influenza, Ebola, Nipah, and MERS coronavirus. The availability of the GSK adjuvant will enable us to carry out important pre-clinical experiments designed to assess vaccine effectiveness. Other GVN researchers are sourcing their MERS and SARS coronavirus expertise to advance vaccine development for this new outbreak. With our experience and novel contributions to the MERS and SARS outbreaks as well as the deadly zoonosis influenza viruses, H7N7 and H5N1, we are working to develop a vaccine against this new novel coronavirus, said Ab Osterhaus, PhD, DVM, director of the Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonosis (RIZ) at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hannover, Germany, a center director of GVN, and CEO of Artemis One Health Foundation, Germany. Specifically, we are poised to study T-Cell and IgM antibody response using our expertise in animal models. Linfa Wang, PhD, director of the Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases at Duke-NUS Medical School and a center director of GVN, Singapore, is developing diagnostics for 2019-nCoV with collaborators in China. Wang, who sequenced and named Australias bat-borne Hendra virus more than 25 years ago, has obtained multiple isolates of the virus and is focused on studying serology and cross-reactivity and contamination on diagnostics. Wang believes the deadly new coronavirus appears to be more infectious than the 2003 SARS coronavirus. Further he warns, Despite the possibility for criticisms of an overreaction, it is imperative that we act quickly and effectively, as the alternative of an underreaction could potentially lead to more deaths worldwide. We are funneling resources towards this new novel virus research on animal infection, transmission, and reservoirs, said Joaquim Segales, DVM, PhD, researcher from the Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Spain and a center director of GVN. We also have a number of reagents against MERS available and are waiting to receive isolates of the virus, hopefully from our GVN colleagues. Our GVN colleagues in Melbourne at the Doherty Institute are shipping a sample of this new novel virus as we speak, said Johan Neyts, PhD, professor of virology, Rega Institute for Medical Research at the University of Leuven and a center director of GVN. We are researching a potential vaccine, based upon our Plasmid Launched Live Attenuated Virus [PLAV] technology based upon other viruses, including yellow fever, Lassa and rabies. Further, we are a leading research center developing antiviral compounds and will apply our research to develop therapeutics for 2019-nCoV. The GVN wishes to help and collaborate with other scientists globally, and especially to include the China GVN and China CDC, whose scientists, under the leadership of Dr. George F. Gao, have made important initial contributions to the genomic characterization and epidemiology of this deadly virus, said Robert Gallo, MD, co-founder and chairman of the International Scientific Leadership Board of GVN. Gallo is also The Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine and Director, IHV, at UMSOM, a GVN Center of Excellence. About the Institute of Human Virology Formed in 1996 as a partnership between the state of Maryland, the city of Baltimore, the University System of Maryland, and the University of Maryland Medical System, IHV is an institute of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and is home to some of the most globally recognized and world-renowned experts in all of virology. IHV combines the disciplines of basic research, epidemiology, and clinical research in a concerted effort to speed the discovery of diagnostics and therapeutics for a wide variety of chronic and deadly viral and immune disorders most notably HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. For more information, visit www.ihv.org and follow us on Twitter @IHVmaryland. About the Global Virus Network (GVN) The Global Virus Network (GVN) is essential and critical in the preparedness, defense, and first research response to emerging, exiting, and unidentified viruses that pose a clear and present threat to public health, working in close coordination with established national and international institutions. It is a coalition composed of eminent human and animal virologists from 53 Centers of Excellence and nine affiliates in 32 countries worldwide, working collaboratively to train the next generation, advance knowledge about how to identify and diagnose pandemic viruses, mitigate and control how such viruses spread and make us sick, as well as develop drugs, vaccines, and treatments to combat them. No single institution in the world has expertise in all viral areas other than GVN, which brings together the finest medical virologists to leverage their individual expertise and coalesce global teams of specialists on the scientific challenges, issues and problems posed by pandemic viruses. GVN is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, please visit www.gvn.org. Follow us on Twitter @GlobalVirusNews. Saudi Telecom Co (STC) must offer to buy the 45% of Vodafone Egypt owned by Telecom Egypt if it goes ahead with a $2.4 billion purchase of Vodafone Groups stake in the company, Egypts financial regulator said. STC struck a preliminary deal on Jan. 29 to buy Vodafone Groups 55% stake in Vodafone Egypt. Another 45% is held by Telecom Egypt, itself owned 80% by the Egyptian government and 20% as free-floating shares on the stock exchange. With 44 million subscribers and a 40% market share, Vodafone Egypt is the countrys biggest mobile operator. In a letter released on Wednesday by Telecom Egypt, Egypts Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA) confirmed the STC offer would be subject to a 1992 law requiring a mandatory tender for any outstanding shares. Telecom Egypt is closely following the aforementioned potential transaction to consider all of its possible investment options and opportunities, Telecom Egypt said in a stock exchange disclosure on Wednesday. Telecom Egypt may well be tempted to sell at least part of its stake, analysts said. Wael Ziada, a former telecoms analyst and now head of investment company Zilla Capital, said STC would have little problem absorbing the extra cost and that Telecom Egypt could use the extra funds after having launched its own mobile network in 2017 under the brand We. Setting up a separate mobile network has been very expensive for Telecom Egypt and sent it from being a cash rich operator into one with debt of over 15 billion Egyptian pounds ($950 million), Ziada said. It may be tempted to have an injection of cash. Allen Sandeep, head of research at Naeem Brokerage, suggested Telecom Egypt might opt to sell at least a portion of its stake. Selling all of its stake could be a good move from a near-term perspective, retaining part of it might not be a bad move either, he said. Vodafone Egypt is the most profitable telecom operator in the country. Search Keywords: Short link: Burma Myanmar Army Generals Attend Shan National Day Event at RCSS' HQ for First Time Restoration Council of Shan State troops conduct a security patrol prior to the Shan National Day commemoration at Loi Tai Leng, the RCSS headquarters, on Feb. 6, 2020. / Nyein Nyein / The Irrawaddy LOI TAI LENG, Shan StateHigh-ranking Myanmar military generals and government representatives have for the first time traveled to Loi Tai Leng, the headquarters of the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) near the Thai border, to attend the 73rd anniversary of the Shan National Day, which falls on Friday. Union Attorney-General U Tun Tun Oo and Defense Services Inspector Lieutenant General Aye Win were among the 11-member delegation that arrived at the RCSS headquarters on Thursday. The move is unprecedented, marking the first ever attendance by a senior military general and the Union attorney-general at commemorations of the Shan National Day in rebel-held territory. Attorney-General U Tun Tun Oo is also the vice chairman of the National Reconciliation and Peace Center. For the past few years, the governments representation at the Shan National Day commemoration has been limited to a few members of the Peace Commission. The high-ranking officials visit to the RCSS-led event is the result of RCSS chairman General Yawd Serks one-on-one meetings with State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and army chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing last month in Naypyitaw. Their talks followed a session of the Joint Ceasefire Implementation Coordination Meeting (JICM), considered a gateway to resuming the formal peace process, which was stalled throughout 2019. The RCSSs armed wing, the Shan State Army, has been fighting against the government for equality and self-determination since the 1960s. It entered a bilateral ceasefire in 2012 with the previous government. The RCSS signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in October 2015 and is currently in peace negotiations and political dialogue with the National League for Democracy government, serving as the leader of the 10 signatories to the NCA. The first Shan National Day was held in February 1947, when Shan leaders, as well as the Shan saophas (the former ruling hereditary princes) and public formed a united Shan State and agreed on a Shan national flag and anthem during the Panglong Conference from Feb. 3-12 that year. Gen. Yawd Serk on Thursday stressed that at the 1947 summit, Feb. 7 was set as Shan National Day. It was the day work began toward achieving the Panglong Agreement, which was signed on Feb.12now Myanmars Union Day. The pact was signed between some of the countrys ethnic leaders and the Burman representative, the late General Aung San, promising equality in a future independent, federal Burma. Since then, Shan people across the state and elsewhere in Myanmar celebrate Shan National Day annually. This year, the RCSS invited government and Tatmadaw representatives, as well as the ethnic armed organizationsregardless of their NCA signatory statusdiplomats and international organizations. The EAO leaders and the international and domestic visitors have been making their way to Loi Tai Leng since Feb. 5 to join the festivities. A plane carrying Canadian citizens home from the centre of the global novel coronavirus outbreak has landed in Vancouver. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Summer Wu and her one-year-old son Felix wait on a plane destined for Canada to leave the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport early in the morning on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020 in this handout photo provided by Wu's husband Michael Schellenberg. Michael is in Wuhan in Hubei province with his wife Summer Wu and their one-year-old son Felix. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Michael Schellenberg *MANDATORY CREDIT* A plane carrying Canadian citizens home from the centre of the global novel coronavirus outbreak has landed in Vancouver. 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 evacuation flight organized by the federal government departed from Wuhan, the Chinese city where the outbreak originated. The plane was originally due to take off on Wednesday, but was delayed due to bad weather. Several dozen more Canadian passengers left China on board a United States government flight that departed a few hours later. All evacuees from Wuhan will spend 14 days under quarantine at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, where they will be monitored to see if they have contracted the virus. Canadian officials have documented five cases of coronavirus in the country so far and say the quarantine is necessary to ensure the virus doesn't spread further. More Coming Tesla's stock tumbled 17 per cent on Wednesday, hitting the brakes on a dramatic rally as a senior executive said the coronavirus outbreak in China would delay deliveries of its Model 3 cars and analysts warned of its high valuation. Tesla Vice President Tao Lin said on the Weibo social media platform that car deliveries from its new Shanghai plant would be temporarily delayed and that the company planned to restart production on February. 10. The $2 billion factory is a key part of Chief Executive Elon Musk's plan to make more than half a million automobiles this year. Tesla shares fell back sharply on Wednesday, but only after an astonishing rise. They soared nearly 40 per cent over the first two days of this week, at one point hitting a record of $969 With Tesla still up more than 25% since the company posted its second consecutive quarterly profit a week ago, Canaccord Genuity cut its rating on Tesla to 'hold' from 'buy,' further shrinking the already small number of analysts who recommend buying the stock. Needham analyst Rajvindra Gill, who recommends selling Tesla, warned in a report that Tesla's stock is trading at extreme price-to-earnings multiples compared to many leading technology companies. Even after Wednesday's drop, Tesla is trading at about 55 times expected 2021 net income, compared to Amazon at 49, Apple at 22 and Alphabet at 23, according to Refinitiv data. 'We've never seen a stock rise that much that fast with such little regard to past fundamentals or track record,' Gill wrote. A look at Tesla stock over the last five days show how shares rallied and then began to slump On Wednesday, shares dropped by 17% in just one day wiping out two days of gains Looking over the past six months, Tesla stock has had an astonishing performance, particularly since the new year when shares began to rise in value Shares of Tesla have had rallied by over 60 percent since the car maker run by CEO Elon Musk posted its second consecutive quarterly profit last week but they slumped on Wednesday Musk is pictured with current girlfriend, The Canadian musician Grimes who is 25 weeks' pregnant Tesla last week said it expected a delay of up to a week and a half in the ramp-up of Model 3 production at the Shanghai plant after the Chinese government ordered it to shut down the factory due to the outbreak. The coronavirus outbreak has disrupted business across China, with the government there saying that the death toll had reached 490 as of Tuesday, up 65 from the previous day. 'Given the 3,000 per week China Model 3 production expectations in a country that remains on lockdown, we feel a reset of expectations in Q1 is likely and thus needs to be reflected in the valuation,' Canaccord analyst Jed Dorsheimer wrote in a report, leaving his price target unchanged at $750 per share. The stock was last down 17% at about $734. Wednesday's drop followed a sudden selloff in the final minutes of a rally on Tuesday that still left the stock up almost 14% in that session. Tesla's rally of over 300% since early June has been a vindication for Musk, who has transformed a niche car maker with production problems into the global leader in electric vehicles, with U.S. and Chinese factories. Still, many investors remain skeptical that Tesla can consistently deliver profit, cash flow and growth in the face of competition from established rivals including BMW and Volkswagen. Even many Tesla bulls question the stock's valuation following its recent, electrifying surge. Tesla has seen healthy growth in revenue and posted quarterly profits the past two quarters Cutting edge: But there are questions over whether Tesla can maintain a competitive advantage as mainstream car makers get into electric Barclays analyst Brian Johnson maintained his 'underweight' rating on Tesla while raising his price target to $300 from $200. 'We continue to believe TSLA is fundamentally overvalued - but nevertheless concede that the recent price action opens up the possibility of raising capital cheaply, and hence reduces that chance of a stalled business,' Johnson wrote in a client note. Following Canaccord's downgrade, nine analysts recommend buying Tesla's stock, while 11 analysts are neutral and 15 analysts recommend selling, according to Refinitiv. The median price target of analysts is $390. From transport to banking, energy efficiency and healthcare, the speed at which technology is transforming our lives is truly amazing. It does come at a price - and that is the price of our privacy and security. Tech platforms are hoovering up private information and using it to target us with advertising. More sinister players are also looking for our data - hackers seeking out the service providers we use that have weak cybersecurity defences. As information technology increasingly becomes operational technology and the Internet of Things becomes the Industrial Internet of Things, it is absolutely critical that manufacturers, healthcare and energy providers have robust cyber defences to withstand hacking from criminal and state actors. In Ireland, we witnessed a 2017 attack on our energy grid by a state actor testing our vulnerabilities and suspected of trying to take down the electricity supply. A malicious cyber event on our grid could have a devastating impact on data storage and the operations of big tech firms here. Ahead of the International Fraud Prevention Conference 2020 in Dublin on March 11, where we will be discussing emerging cyber threats and how to combat them, I visited Beer Sheva. Once a small Bedouin town in the Negev desert dependent on agriculture, now it's Israel's 'cyber city'. In a nondescript office park on the outskirts lies the home of one of Israel's biggest exports: cyber tech. Cyber businesses who locate here get 20pc of staff wages back in tax breaks - encouraging the likes of IBM, Dell, PwC and Deutsche Telekom among others to relocate research teams here, with close relations to the nearby university. Of course, being outside the scope of EU privacy laws may help too, I suspect. One of the interesting encounters was with Oleg Brodt, the R&D director of cyber at Ben Gurion University. Brodt described how they seek out youngsters in primary school who have an aptitude for maths and nurture them all the way up to college. We see how a 17-year-old student hacks into the 3D printer for a drone and inserts a design flaw that ensures after a few minutes of flight the drone drops out of the sky. More frighteningly, we hear about the threats of cyber attacks on our healthcare systems. Brodt says in 2018, clinics and hospitals were hit with numerous cyber attacks. "Attackers can alter 3D scans to remove existing or inject non-existing medical conditions," he reveals. Why? "An attacker may do this to remove a political candidate or leader, sabotage or falsify research, perform murder or terrorism, or hold data ransom for money," he says. To prove the point, students test hospital security - with the permission of one institution. Their ease of access is frightening. While medical staff are busy, the students insert a $40 (36) hacking device into a floor cable and, in seconds, breach the hospital's computer system. From the waiting room area, they are able to change the CT scan of a patient by 'inserting' a tumour. They also 'remove' a tumour from another scan, making the patient appear cancer-free. The fake scans are so real that by "using deep learning, an attacker can fool expert radiologists and even state-of-the-art AI, 98pc of the time in the case of lung cancer". Similarly, hackers can change the blood type records of a patient, which would have catastrophic consequences in the event of a transfusion. After this sobering display of the risks posed to healthcare records, a short walk brings us to another nondescript building. We are at the Israeli cyber command centre - the National Cyber Directorate. Teams in several security operation centres attempt to stop hacking into the health, energy, banking, telecoms and transport infrastructures. The agency operates a '119' hotline where anyone can report a suspected cyber incident - which allowed advance warning of the Wannacry event. "The most immediate technological challenge confronting Israel is to protect artificial intelligence-based vehicles from being hacked," says Yigal Unna, the directorate's chief. "Artificial intelligence is the new battlefield that will accompany us in the near future," says Unna. "The immediate challenge before us is artificial intelligence vs artificial intelligence (adversarial AI) - attempts to cause AI-based vehicles to act contrary to their programming in order to cause damage." He claims the body and other agencies have blocked every single cyber attack on critical infrastructure in 2019. During the visit, local media reported 700 attempts to hack into systems at Tel Aviv Airport, as hackers tried to disrupt flights of international leaders at Holocaust memorial ceremonies. Later, the head of the electrical company reported 11,000 attacks every second in 2019 - all foiled by cyber defences. From an Irish context, what may be most applicable is the free hotline to report suspicious incidents. The free cyber defence capabilities offered to banking and energy sectors are also relevant, along with the pipeline of technical expertise from colleges. Certainly, as the home of so much EU data and the European HQ of Big Tech, Ireland's cyber defences should very much be a strategic imperative. 'It does not look like unemployment is a priority for the government.' 'If there was one external factor which could have made an impact on low investment and low jobs, it was the Budget and it has not made any difference.' '2020 is going to be a difficult and challenging year.' IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi at DefExpo2020 in Lucknow, February 5, 2020. Photograph: Press Information Bureau In December 2019, India's unemployment rate rose to an alarming 7.7%, the highest in the last 45 years, according to a report released by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy. Just two years earlier, in 2017, it was 3.8%! Is there anything in Budget 2020 to address one of the most serious issues the economy faces? "The finance minister says the youth are not looking for jobs. She categorically says today's youth is entrepreneurial, that they are not job seekers, they are job providers. This, in my opinion shows a lack of understanding, or at least a lack of appreciation, of the problem the data is showing... If you have such high unemployment rate among the youngsters of the country, it is going to show up in anger," Mahesh Vyas, CEO and managing director, CMIE, tells Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier. Early last year we spoke about unemployment resulting in social unrest. With the unemployment rate as high as 7.5%, do you think the protests and unrest we see on campuses and many cities, as an outcome of that? It could have played a role, for sure, in the social unrest we see around. The unemployment rate is around 7.5% currently which is the highest in 45 years according to NSSO numbers. Therefore, unemployment might have played a role in the social unrest we see today, particularly on the campuses. It could have played a bigger role as unemployment in young graduates is even higher. Your report says the unemployment rate is a staggering 60% among graduates in the 20 to 29 age group. Yes, and it is 43% among the graduates in the age group of 20 to 24, which is quite high. If you have such high unemployment rate among the youngsters of the country, it is going to show up in anger in some ways. Though the social strife is not caused by unemployment, it has played a major role. Are we looking at a situation similar to what happened in the 1970s when unemployment was extremely high? Unemployment in the 1970s manifested itself into a political movement. It resulted in the Navnirman movement in Gujarat, and then to the JP movement which lead to the Emergency. Whether the current unemployment rate will channelise into something similar politically is something that I do not have a view on. From the way it impacted Indira Gandhi's very strong government shows that even a government with a huge majority can be rattled by unrest among the youth. It has impacted the current government, and it had to take cognisance of this. It is fighting this in the Delhi election currently. It has an impact on the political space and it has impacted the government, and they are trying to douse the fire. The Uttar Pradesh government is taking extremely strong and aggressive action to deal with the opposition. So, whether it leads to anything as dramatic as an Emergency and a fallout is difficult to say. Is there anything in the Budget that addresses the issue of unemployment? Unfortunately, the answer is no. There is no money on the table for employment schemes, and they are not taking unemployment seriously. The government has reduced the allocation for MNERGA now. It has also reduced allocation for jobs and skills. So, the two direct schemes that can impact the unemployment problem have not been given resources equal to what they had done last year. Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi came to power promising lakhs of jobs to the youth. Do you feel it is not a priority now? It is for the government to answer whether this is a priority or not. But it does not look like the unemployment problem is a priority for the government now. The finance minister in her speech says the youth are not looking for jobs. She categorically says today's youth is entrepreneurial, and that they are not job seekers, they are job providers. This, in my opinion shows a lack of understanding, or at least a lack of appreciation, of the problem the data is showing. Do you think the government is in denial about unemployment? Yes, it is a clear denial of the problem of unemployment. With unemployment rate at 7.8%, are we in a crisis right now? It depends on what we define as a crisis. India is so large that there are some people who will always be very happy. For example, the urban upper middle class will not be impacted by these things. It is the lower middle classes and the less privileged people who get impacted. And for them, I believe it has been a crisis for many years now. We see the stock market going up. We see private equity deals happening, and people becoming Unicorn. I think inequality is increasing big time, and that is a silent crisis underway. Because of globalisation? No, it is not because of globalisation. It is our own making. It is entirely our own making that we have not paid attention to the requirements of the underprivileged. We have seen people who get rich on the basis of riches and is causing inequality. For example, when the rich gets tax benefits, the wage earners do not get tax benefits. There is a conflict between people with capital and people with wage labour. So, there is an inequity arising through our own doing, in terms of giving preference to capital earners as against wage labour providers. Do you think the MSME sector getting affected the maximum by demonetisation is one of the main reasons for the high unemployment rate? It has impacted what is called the labour participation rate. A bigger problem than the unemployment rate is the labour participation rate. For example, you had to shut shop after demonetisation and you are middle aged. Or, you are a worker in a shop. What are you going to do? You look for a job for some time and when you find none, you lose hope, and quit the labour market. What happened after demonetisation and GST was a lot of women who were working in the labour market just exited the labour market. So, the labour participation rate particularly amongst women, fell. This is a very silent crisis of a fall in the labour participation rate in India. A gender inequality is happening? Yes, there is gender inequality, and there is a fall in the labour participation. People are not even looking for jobs. Only when people come to look for jobs and do not find jobs, it will be shown as unemployment. But when people do not even look for jobs... What do they do? Try to start something of their own? No, they sit at home. That's what happened to women. They sat at home. Women exited the labour market. The youngsters who are going into the labour market at the age of 20, 22 and 24, have also exited the labour market to either study or do something at home. They are postponing coming to the labour market because there are no jobs. The CMIE report says while the unemployment rate among urban youth is 9%, it is 6.8% among rural youth. Were you surprised by this? This is not surprising at all. This has been a fact of India from the beginning. Right from the 1950s, the unemployment rate in rural India is always low. That is because when you are in rural India, you could be doing some work in your farm. When he goes back to his village, he helps his father or uncle as there is some work on the farm. It may not be a fruitful activity, but he does some work. On the other hand, the urban youth has no such option. He cannot go to somebody else's shop and work. So, he sits at home. Rural India gives the youth disguised employment while urban India gives less disguised employment. Should the government not be worried about the 9% unemployment rate among urban youth? It should be very worrisome! At least it worries me! I think the government is giving less attention to the economy than the economy deserves. So, the goal of a $5 trillion economy is very far away? It is one thing to make an attractive statement like making India a $5 trillion economy. If you had not done any damage to the economy, the economy could have grown enough to be $5 trillion. But what we have done is damage the economy. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly difficult to reach $5 trillion. It is important to ensure that we don't cause damage to the economy. By damage, do you mean demonetisation and bad implementation of GST? That is the biggest problem. But even now, not giving resources in the central Budget to MNERGA and job development schemes, for example is a problem. And diverting attention to other social and nationalistic issues become very highly divisive and they are digressions. Are digressions not transient? Won't the reality strike people one day? I am surprised that we have not reached that point already. After the problems of demonetisation and GST, and now the social strife coming up all over the country, I thought we had reached a point where it was necessary for the government to take cognisance of the problem and pay greater attention the economy. But the recent Budget denies such hope. Last year, when we spoke, you had said India was not producing enough good quality jobs. Would you say now, India is producing no jobs at all? I would say, we are producing worse quality jobs! We used to produce jobs for engineers and doctors in the 1960s and 1970s and the 1980s. In the 1990s, we produced more jobs for the sales people, then more jobs for the BPOs and KPOs and IT engineers which was not bad, but the jobs in the call centres and BPOs were poor quality jobs. Now, we have moved down to delivery boys in the retail sector. That is the biggest growth in the job scene. But we have exhausted even that. In between, we created some construction jobs, but even that have gone. Now, the only jobs we are creating are jobs in agriculture which is the worst kind of job. This is the big fall in the quality of jobs from the 1960s, 1970s and the 1980s to today. The other day, Natarajan Chandrasekharan, chairman, Tata Sons, said we could create 70 to 100 million jobs in the formal sector if we could formalise the informal sector where a majority of the jobs are right now. He said it was possible if we put our minds to it. It would be a wonderful thing if any enterprise were to do that. For example, if I have a job as a delivery boy which is not a formal job and not done on a formal contract, I may not have job security, I may not have provident fund services, ESI services, etc. If all companies can formalise these kinds of jobs and they are ready to engage everyone they hire formally with all the benefits, it will be great. I would take it even further and say that all the drivers and the maids who work at home should be given these facilities. I would further say that formalisation is the only way jobs should be provided. It will change the employment scene, and the quality of jobs leading to better lives in a very big way. What do you foresee for 2020? I see 2020 to be a challenging year. The Budget has disappointed. Therefore, I don't see investments picking up. Therefore, I don't see jobs coming up. If there was one external factor which could have made an impact on low investment and low jobs, it was the Budget and it has not made any difference. Therefore, investments are going to remain low and jobs are also going to remain low. So, 2020 is going to be a difficult and challenging year. She was booted from the series in May 2019 after her husband David Eason shot and killed her family's dog. Now Jenelle Evans is officially done with her reality series Teen Mom 2. The 28-year-old reality star confirmed on Tuesday that her contract with MTV would be finished in the spring, according to E! News. End of an era: Jenelle Evans, 28, confirmed her Teen Mom 2 contract with MTV would be finished in April; pictured in 2017 'I'm officially out of contract with MTV in April,' she explained. 'That was the only thing I was waiting on to move forward. Once April comes around, I can start talking to other networks, thank God!' According to a source, Jenelle and MTV had been in negotiations for months over her fate on Teen Mom 2, but the networks seems to have decided to cult all ties. 'MTV told Jenelle her contract with them is over for good in April. Jenelle won't be renewed come April,' the source said. 'This is the final word from MTV. Contractually she can't officially pursue opportunities with other networks until then.' The end: 'I'm officially out of contract with MTV in April,' she explained. 'That was the only thing I was waiting on to move forward. Once April comes around, I can start talking to other networks, thank God!'; pictured in 2019 The source also claimed that Jenelle 'feels like she's been strung along' and 'has been in this holding pattern waiting for their final answer.' Though should would have preferred to stick with the show, she 'is looking forward to being able to officially explore other TV options come April' and has already been in talks with other outlets. 'Regardless of the finality of the situation with MTV, she is really looking forward to seeing what new opportunities are out there for her,' they added. MTV merely reused a previous statement in response to the reports. 'MTV ended its relationship with David Eason over a year ago in February 2018 and has not filmed any new episodes of Teen Mom 2 with him since,' it reads. 'Additionally, we have stopped filming with Jenelle Eason as of April 6, 2019 and have no plans to cover her story in the upcoming season.' Freedom: 'MTV told Jenelle her contract with them is over for good in April. Jenelle won't be renewed come April,' the source said. She'll soon be able to talk with other outlets; shown in September Splitsville: Jenelle announced that she had split from her husband David Eason back in October 2019, two years after they were married; pictured together in 2017 Jenelle seemed unsure of her place with MTV back in September. 'I hear that, you know, Im not fired,' she told People in a joint interview with her husband David. 'So, I mean, Im confused, because I only talk to one of my old producers, but no one else will speak to me, so I dont know. Things have been very hush-hush.' Jenelle announced that she had split from David back in October 2019, two years after they were married. Fatal shot: Her marriage was thrown into turmoil after her husband shot and killed their French Bulldog Nugget, allegedly because it bit their daughter Ensley, three; shown in September She addressed the split in a statement on Instagram. 'Ive mostly kept off social media the past few days because Ive been focused on making some big life decisions,' she wrote. 'Ive lived my life on camera since I was 17 years old. And a lot of it hasnt been pretty but its been my life. 'Like anyone else I want whats best for my kids and I want to be happy. With the time I took away from Teen mom Ive started looking at my life differently and I know I need to make changes. Im starting now,' she wrote. 'The kids and I have moved away from David,' she continued. 'Nobody gets into a marriage expecting it to end but I know thats what is best for me, and for my kids. Today I have filed papers to start that process.' Jenelle didn't get into her reasons for divorcing, but her marriage and career were thrown into turmoil after her husband shot and killed their French Bulldog Nugget. He claimed to have shot the small dog after it nipped at their daughter Ensley's face. Three's company: In addition to Ensley, Jenelle has a five-year-old son Kaiser with her ex Nathan Griffith and a 10-year-old son Jace with her ex Andrew Lewis 'I just want to do my own thing': Jenelle Evans revealed she was 'single as hell' while updating fans on her life in a YouTube Q&A video David and Jenelle shared three-year-old Ensley, while she also has a five-year-old son Kaiser with her ex Nathan Griffith and a 10-year-old son Jace with her ex Andrew Lewis. The TV star recently dropped a restraining order she was granted against her soon-to-be ex after she filed for divorce in the fall. In a recent YouTube video, Jenelle said she was 'single as hell' as she continues her divorce proceedings. The former couple were spotted together in Nashville with their daughter Ensley, though they have no plans to reconcile. PLATTEVILLE, Wis. Two area residents were among the graduates honored at the University of Wisconsin-Plattevilles 203rd commencement ceremonies Dec. 14, 2019. Honorees included Ashley Peck, of Granite City, in Biology, and Hannah Hoppa, of Highland, in Health and Human Performance. Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. (OTC Pink: ZENYF) ("the Company"), an emerging graphene technology solutions company with a focus on the development of graphene-based nanomaterial products and applications. CEO of the Company, Dr. Francis Dube, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly. Jolly began the interview by noting that Dube was appointed CEO of the Company in early 2019 and asked about his background with the Company. Dube explained that he has been a long-term shareholder of the Company, which eventually led to his position as its CEO. "We really liked the asset that this company has - the very rare graphite deposit in Ontario - as it is able to transform or exfoliate into graphene products easier than other graphites around the world," explained Dube. "With the graphene markets predicted to be 5 Billion dollars by 2030 and the Quantum Dots market supposed to be 30 Billion dollars by then as well, this created a big opportunity for this company." "We really wanted to bring a science and business approach to this mining project," he continued. "There was a lot of work to do on the science front, so we brought in a lot of smart people around us," said Dube, adding that the Company has partnered with numerous universities and is leveraging their research dollars. "There is no other graphite like it; It came up as a liquid intrusion into the host rock. When you compare that to regular graphite, which comes from millions of years of heat and pressure, it's a very different formation and because of the way it was formed it really gives us a natural advantage in the graphene space," said Dube. "That's why I got involved and we've done a lot of great things since we took over about 21 months ago," he shared. Jolly then commented on the Company's new facility and asked about their plans for this space. "The grand opening of the new facility is actually March 3rd. So, it's very new and we're just getting into the space," said Dube, adding that the Company has ordered equipment for the facility, which has recently started to arrive. "The goal of that facility is to start producing some of these nanomaterials - graphene, graphene oxide, and graphene quantum dots," explained Dube. "These materials at the research level have a lot of excitement around them. They also come at a very high price," he added, noting that graphene quantum dots sell for around $4,000 per gram. Dube then explained that given the facility's ability to produce these high-end materials, the Company has the opportunity to develop a steady cash flow by supplying them to universities. "This does a few things for us. Number one, it's a proof of concept," said Dube. "Number two, we can actually start generating some revenue, which for a company like us is very exciting," he continued. "This gives us the potential to start earning enough revenue to offset our expenses." "The biggest thing is it starts creating some opportunities for us to start partnering with universities, to work with end users that are partners in those universities, and create a sales funnel for us," said Dube. "So, we're pretty excited to get that facility up and running," he shared. Jolly then asked about the progress of the Company's recent licensing agreements. "We have three universities that we are working with," said Dube. "We have signed a non-exclusive agreement with one them to use their patented process to make graphene," he explained. "We're pretty excited to work with them and scale up this process," said Dube, adding that the Company is also working with an additional university through an exclusive licensing agreement to develop and scale up processes to produce graphene oxide. "One of the advantages there is that the processes in place, which have been developed for the last seven or eight months, really work with our graphite and only our graphite," said Dube. He then shared that the Company is also working with the University of British Columbia on numerous projects. "Your flagship property, the Albany Graphite Deposit, what is going on over there at this moment?" asked Jolly. "In 2019, we raised the necessary money to start the baseline studies and completed the first year last year. We're actually starting the second year of that baseline work now, and as an industrial mineral under provincial jurisdiction, we have to do two years of that," said Dube. "We're gonna be looking at those results and hopefully jumping right into permitting after that," he explained. "We're moving the project along as fast as we can from that perspective." To close the interview, Dube shared that the Company will be beginning the production of nanomaterials and will also have a web store set-up by the end of the month, which will allow users to purchase the products. "We're hoping to start generating some revenue starting in March of this year. So, we're really at an inflection point for us as a company right now," said Dube. "I don't think there has ever been a better time to start looking at our company," closed Dube. To hear the entire interview with Dr. Francis Dube, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/7497655-zen-graphene-solutions-ltd-ceo-dr-francis-dube-is-featured-on-the-stock-day-podcast Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/ About ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd. ZEN is an emerging graphene technology solutions company with a focus on the development of graphene-based nanomaterial products and applications. The unique Albany Graphite Project provides the company with a potential competitive advantage in the graphene market as independent labs in Japan, UK, Israel, USA and Canada have independently demonstrated that ZEN's Albany PureTM Graphite is an ideal precursor material which easily converts (exfoliates) to graphene, using a variety of mechanical, chemical and electrochemical methods. For further information: Dr. Francis Dube, Chief Executive Officer Tel: +1 (289) 821-2820 Email: drfdube@zengraphene.com To find out more on ZEN Graphene Solutions Ltd., please visit our website at www.ZENGraphene.com. A copy of this news release and all material documents in respect of the Company may be obtained on ZEN's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.ca. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although ZEN believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. ZEN disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by 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 for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. About The "Stock Day" Podcast Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America. Stock Day recently launched its Video Interview Studio located in Phoenix, Arizona. SOURCE: Stock Day Media 602-441-3474 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52189 By Express News Service BELAGAVI: It was an unprecedented clash. Two groups, united by their ideology and devotion to the Goddess Margai, but divided by old rivalry, tore into each other while performing rituals at the jatra dedicated to the goddess, at Angol in Belagavi on Tuesday night. At least five people, including a policeman, were injured in the heavy stone-throwing that followed. Sources said that the two groups, of a similar religious dispensation, are also neighbours. Two processions taken out by residents of two different lanes for performing rituals of the Margai goddess, ran into each other, with the devotees unfurling saffron flags and dancing to devotional music. A verbal clash broke out after one saffron flag hit another flag and was damaged. The irked youths were forced to switch off the music, being played on the Dolby sound system, as the clash turned violent. It was a free-for-all, as the groups attacked each other with stones and sharp weapons. According to sources, old enmity between the two saffron groups is said to be the reason behind the violence. It was a strange turn of events in an area known better for communal clashes. Police inspector Vinayak Badiger of Tilakwadi Police Station and his team rushed to the spot, and were forced to use their lathis to bring the situation under control. They succeeded after about 30 minutes, but by then, window panes of several houses and vehicles parked by the roadside were damaged. Police rushed the injured to hospital. Suraj Suresh Birje (30), a resident of Patil Galli, is undergoing treatment at the district hospital, Sanket Sortekar (23) of Rajhans Galli, who was severely injured, was admitted to KLE Hospital in Belagavi, and another person was admitted to a private hospital. A policeman escaped with minor injuries. Police are checking CCTV footage of cameras installed in and around the area to nab the culprits responsible for the violence. They have taken a few youths into custody for questioning. City Police Commissioner B S Lokesh Kumar also visited the spot and inquired with the local police. Meanwhile, rumours that communal clashes had broken out and a few persons were killed in Angol, kept up tension all night. Several commercial establishments, which usually remain open into the late hours, kept their shutters down. Stephen and Breege Quinn at their son Pauls graveside (Liam McBurney/PA) THE family of Paul Quinn want former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams to apologise for remarks that suggested the murdered 21-year-old was involved in criminality. Meanwhile, the young man's mother Breege Quinn said she was left disappointed by a phone call she had with the party's current leader Mary Lou McDonald this evening. She said Ms McDonald offered her no commitment that another senior Sinn Fein politician - Conor Murphy - would explicitly say her son was not a criminal. Sinn Fein's treatment of the Quinn family has become a major controversy in the closing days of the election campaign after Ms McDonald was confronted on the issue on RTE earlier this week. Mr Quinn was beaten to death in 2007. Every bone in his body was broken in the horrific attack by a gang that's believed to have included members of the IRA. Mr Murphy has apologised and withdrawn his comments he made in 2007 when he claimed that Mr Quinn was "involved in smuggling and criminality". But Ms Quinn this evening told Independent.ie that the family still want him to say the words: "Paul Quinn is not a criminal". Expand Close Stephen and Breege Quinn at the graveside of their murdered son Paul (Liam McBurney/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Stephen and Breege Quinn at the graveside of their murdered son Paul (Liam McBurney/PA) Meanwhile, she said they want Mr Adams to apologise for similar comments he made shortly after her son's death. Mr Adams claimed in October 2007 that there was "no republican involvement whatsoever in this man's murder. "The people involved are criminals. They need to be brought to justice." He also claimed: "It's fairly obvious to me this is linked to fuel smuggling and to criminal activity." Expand Close Sinn Feins Conor Murphy, Michelle ONeill, Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald at Leinster House ahead of a meeting about powersharing last night. Photo: PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Sinn Feins Conor Murphy, Michelle ONeill, Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald at Leinster House ahead of a meeting about powersharing last night. Photo: PA Ms Quinn said the family is asking Mr Adams to apologise for this remark. She said that Ms McDonald shouldn't have to ask him to do that adding: "He was the leader of the party. Hes a big enough man to come out and say it without having to be asked. Hes no child." Ms Quinn said Ms McDonald offered her no commitment that Mr Murphy would say in clear terms that her son was not a criminal. She said: "I know he apologised for what he put us through for the past 13 years but he didnt say that Paul wasnt a criminal. "She said shed be talking to him but no matter how much I pressed her on it she didnt say that he would say those words." Ms Quinn said she found Ms McDonald "nice to speak" to in the phone call and they had a "mother-to-mother conversation". However, she was left disappointed that she had not offered that commitment. She said that Ms McDonald told her Mr Murphy's apology was "truthful and sincere". "I said 'yes but he still didnt say the words we need to hear.'" Sinn Fein has been contacted for comment but didn't immediately respond. The idea of giving import duty exemption was floated at the government press briefing yesterday Deputy Minister of Finance Vu Thi Mai said at yesterday's government press briefing that masks, materials for local mask production, and water disinfection are in short supply. The government has asked the Ministry of Finance to work with other ministries to exempt these products from import duty. We are working with the Ministry of Industry and Trade on compiling a concrete list of product codes to receive the exemption to facilitate businesses in customs clearance. On February 6, we will receive comments from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Health (MoH) before submitting the list to the prime minister for approval, Mai added. Recently, a working group of the MoH led by Deputy Minister Truong Quoc Cuong visited manufacturers of gauze masks, protective apparel, and medical devices in Hanoi to urge production to ensure a plentiful supply for the prevention and fight against the coronavirus outbreak. Local manufacturers reported a grievous lack of input materials for mask production. At present, the local production capacity of gauze masks is about three million units a day on average. 3M, a famous gauze mask brand for which Vietnamese people and those in high-risk areas have been hunting for in recent days, is increasing the global production of respiratory protection products as quickly as possible in response to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. In China and around the world, 3M is working with customers, distributors, the government, and medical officials to help get supplies where they are needed. As a leader in personal protective equipment, 3M is committed to supporting the public health and governmental response to the coronavirus to help protect and treat people, a representative of 3M told VIR. 3M has donated medical supplies, including respirators, surgical masks, and hand sanitizer in affected areas in China, and we will continue to work with our humanitarian aid partners such as Wuhan Red Cross, Direct Relief, and MAP International to donate supplies. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have not made any recommendations for personal protective equipment (PPE) use, including respirators, by the general public. Healthcare workers are advised to wear PPE in certain situations. According to the latest update from the Ministry of Health, as of 7:30 am February 6, the epidemic was detected in 27 countries with the total number of cases of infection reaching 28,276, including over 28,000 in China. The deadly virus killed 565 people, including 563 in China, and two outside mainland China. The coronavirus was detected in 258 patients outside of China, including 10 in Vietnam. Japanese mask sold for VND2.7 million on Shopee A Japanese single-use mask product is sold at the price of VND2.7 million ($117.39) on Shopee, while not long ago it went for only VND250,000-300,000 ... Price of masks and hand-wash going up due to Coronavirus As red flags are being raised everywhere over the coronavirus, the price of masks and hand-wash is going up as pharmacies are running out of ... WHITESTOWN, N.Y. -- Deputies are investigating a fatal accident in Oneida County. The deadly accident happened Thursday morning on Route 69 in the town of Whitestown. Multiple departments, including the Oneida County Sheriffs Office, were called to the crash at 6:43 a.m. on Route 69 near Utica Street, Oneida County 911 dispatch logs show. At least one person was killed, deputies said in a news release. A stretch of Route 69 is closed between Utica Street and the Eastern Star Daycare Center just past Eastern Star Drive. The road will remain closed while deputies investigate the accident. More information about the deadly accident will be released later, deputies said. Roads across Central New York, including in Oneida County, are slick with snow and ice, a state Department of Transportation travel map shows. 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. Donald Bowers/Getty Images for The Weinstein C The Girl Scout cookie rush is coming to San Antonio restaurants, distilleries and ice cream parlors. Several local businesses are partnering with the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas to create new bites, drinks, and pairings inspired by the famous cookie flavors. The inaugural Girl Scout Cookie Flavor Fest will take place from Feb. 24 to March 1. READ ALSO: New Girl Scout cookie promises to 'lift your spirits' Menu items include a Mexican chocolate cake filled with Tagalong-crusted cheesecake at Mi Familia de Mi Tierra and a triple-layered bar with Samoas and Thin Mints at Cereal Killer Sweets. San Antonians can wash the dishes down with a Thin Mint Alexander cocktail from Dorcol Distilling + Brewing Company. While the items will only be available for the length of the event, the Flavor Fest will also serve up a year's worth of free cookies for a lucky winner. To enter, take a photo of yourself enjoying one of the cookie concoctions at a participating eatery and post it on social media with one of the contest's hashtags: #GirlScoutCookieFlavorFest or #GirlScoutsBuildsLeaders. 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 Shelton, Connecticut, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- International medical imaging IT and cybersecurity company Sectra (STO: SECT B) has signed a contract with Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa to add cardiology to their existing enterprise imaging solution. This new configuration will provide physicians a complete patient overview and standardize all imaging on one platform. "It is very rewarding to have long-time radiology customers, such as Hillcrest, grow their enterprise imaging platform with Sectra. As we increase our market presence in cardiology, we look to our existing users who appreciate our extraordinary customer service and support," says Mikael Anden, President of Sectra, Inc. Hillcrest Medical Center is a 620-bed hospital offering a wide-range of inpatient and outpatient services including Oklahoma's most comprehensive heart program. All cardiology studies will utilize the existing radiology archive for efficiency and economies of scale. The cardiology contract signed in December 2019 includes workflow for cardiac catheterization, ultrasound echo, nuclear medicine and invasive vascular studies. Sectra's enterprise imaging solution provides a unified strategy for high production environments and supports the goal of shortened report turnaround times, enhanced result distribution workflows, and improved communication between departments. Read more about Sectra and why Sectra PACS is 'Best in KLAS' at https://medical.sectra.com/. Meet Sectra at HIMSS 2020 Visit booth #6248 at HIMSS to learn more about the complete enterprise imaging solution with Sectra VNA and our Best-in-KLAS PACS for radiology, pathology and cardiology at its core. For more information and to book a meeting, visit: https://medical.sectra.com/himss About Sectra Medical Imaging Solutions With 30 years of innovation and approaching 2,000 installations worldwide, Sectra is a leading global provider of imaging IT solutions that support healthcare in achieving patient-centric care. Sectra offers an enterprise imaging solution comprising PACS for imaging-intense departments (radiology, pathology, cardiology and orthopedics), VNA, and share and collaborate solutions. Contact: Andrea Sowitch, Vice President of Marketing Sectra, Inc. E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +203-925-0899 ext. 268 Torbjorn Kronander President and CEO Sectra AB E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +46-705-23-5227 SOURCE Sectra, Inc A third patient with coronavirus confirmed in the UK is being treated at a London hospital. Chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty said in a statement on Thursday that the individual did not acquire the virus in the UK. It is understood the patient arrived at Guys Hospital in London Bridge on Thursday afternoon and that the virus was contracted in an Asian country, but not in China. The patient is thought to have been diagnosed in Brighton before being transferred. Two other patients are still being treated at the Royal Victoria Infirmary infectious diseases centre in Newcastle upon Tyne. Chinese workers manufacture protective clothing as the third UK case of coronavirus was confirmed (Costfoto/Sipa USA) Passengers who have arrived from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau, should contact the NHS 111 service. Professor Whitty said: The patient is being transferred to a specialist NHS centre, and we are using robust infection control measures to prevent any possible further spread of the virus. The NHS is well prepared to manage these cases and we are now working quickly to identify any contacts the patient has had. NHS ambulances parked outside the accident and emergency (A&E) department of St Thomas' Hospital in central London. PA Photo. Picture date: Wednesday February 6, 2020. See PA story HEALTH Hospital. Photo credit should read: Victoria Jones/PA Wire The Guardian reported the patient was diagnosed in Brighton and is being transferred to London, where there are infectious diseases units at Guys and St Thomas and the Royal Free. The two other confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK were confirmed on Friday last week. One is a student at the University of York and the other is one of their relatives. They are being treated at the Royal Victoria Infirmary infectious diseases centre in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Dr Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, backed the claim that the NHS is equipped to deal with the third case. He said: It is not surprising to see a third case, it has been expected that the UK would see more than just the two previous cases. Therefore, public health and NHS authorities will be well prepared to deal with and follow-up on this news. He added: Clearly the outbreak is at a very important point, both globally and here in the UK. It looks at this stage like the infection is imported, rather than acquired through human-to-human transmission within the UK. Story continues So far, outside of China, there has been very limited human transmission of the coronavirus, which is good news in terms of potentially being able to contain the international spread. By Thursday, the worldwide death toll from the virus had risen to 565, with 28,273 confirmed cases. The majority of deaths have been in China. More than 80 UK citizens and family members who were the first to be quarantined at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral have been told they can leave next Thursday. The group is spending 14 days in isolation but will be released as long as they remain symptom-free. Meanwhile, 78 people with British passports including crew are currently in quarantine on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan, sources told the PA news agency. EDWARDSVILLE Three local elected and business officials are traveling to Japan as part of an exchange that has begun to show positive results for the region. Ronda Sauget, executive director and CEO of the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois; Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler; and OFallon Mayor Herb Roach are heading to Japan March 22-28 as part of an exchange program called GEN-J which brings American business leaders to Japan to learn about business practices, culture and other factors. The program pays for the visit. The trip comes after an October visit by U.S. representatives of Keidanren also referred to as the Japan Business Federation as well as the the Japan External Trade Organization Chicago, a nonprofit organization providing business support for Japanese companies, and the Japanese Consulate in Chicago. The local tour was put together by the Leadership Council and AllianceSTL after a series of meetings in Chicago and Washington, D.C. At the time, Japanese officials talked about inviting local officials and business leaders to Japan. Those plans are being finalized. We hope to continue getting to know the Japanese businesses and communicating with them the advantages of doing business in the Metro East and Southwestern Illinois, Prenzler said. They just dont have a presence in this area. We think we have a lot of advantages, and we want to highlight those. Sauget said one of the things they are doing to prepare for the trip is having new business cards printed in English on one side and Japanese on the other. Exchanging business cards is an important part of the Japanese business culture and includes its own specific rituals. Prenzler added that he has been given homework in the form of several articles on Japanese business culture. I have the utmost appreciation for the Japanese people and Japanese culture, he said. They have a lot of great companies and we want to be part of that. During the Japanese delegations October visit to the area, Motohiro Hayami, consulate-general of Japan in Chicago, talked about the enthusiasm they have seen locally to bring Japanese companies here. We are eager to join you, he said during a presentation to the Leadership Council. He talked about Japanese investment in Illinois, which includes 730 facilities employing 47,000 people. Eighty percent of them are in manufacturing, mostly in automotive and electronics, he said, adding Missouri-based Japanese companies are predominately automotive. Hayami said the trend is for Japanese firms to expand through mergers and acquisitions, noting direct investment in the U.S. is has reached $484 billion. Sauget this week said the October visit also has had other positive results, including contact with an Osaka-based firm seeking a manufacturing site in the U.S. to produce parts for the transportation industry. She said she expects to meet with them soon. It also brings an opportunity to partner with a local company, she said. In addition, Sauget said she is going to Chicago this month for a celebration of the Japanese emperors birthday. Were getting lots of opportunities to engage, and many of them are coming from the Japanese, she said. Weve had tremendous interactions with them. Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447. People wearing face masks are pictured on Parliament Square, on Brexit day, in London, Britain, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Simon Dawson/Reuters) British Citizen Contracts Coronavirus Outside of China The third confirmed case of coronavirus in the United Kingdom was not contracted inside of China, British health authorities said. The individual did not acquire this in the UK, Englands Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said in a statement on Thursday. The patient, whose gender and age werent given, was being transferred to a National Health Service (NHS) special facility. We are using robust infection control measures to prevent any possible further spread of the virus, Whitty said. The service was prepared to manage the confirmed cases and health workers are working on identifying any contacts the patient has had. Whitty said that the new patient acquired it in Asia but not in China. Because of that, it is probably now prudent to slightly widen the geographical area where doctors in the UK and NHS know they should test people if they come with the right symptoms. He did not name the country from where the patient had returned. He said a wider list of countries would be released shortly from which people who developed symptoms should self-isolate if they showed any of the coronavirus symptoms. The other two confirmed patients, who are being treated at a hospital in Newcastle, caught the virus in China. 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 upon Tyne, England, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images) Some two dozen countries have reported confirmed coronavirus cases in addition to China, where the majority of the cases and most of the deaths have occurred. Twelve cases have been confirmed in Germany, the European country with the highest number, and six in France. Russia and Italy have each reported two while Finland, Spain, Sweden, and Belgium have reported one each. The 2019 Novel Coronavirus is a new respiratory illness not previously seen in humans. Coronaviruses typically appear in animals but in rare cases leap to humans, with previous outbreaks including SARS and MERS. Experts have not confirmed the origin of the new coronavirus but some studies have indicated a link to bats. The virus has spread in some countries from person to person, including Germany, the United States, and Japan. NHS recommends on its website for people to contact the service if theyve returned from Wuhan or Hubei Province in the last 14 days, even if they dont display symptoms of the virus. People returning from other parts of mainland China in the last 14 days were advised to contact health authorities if they begin coughing or have a fever. This means staying at home for 14 days after arriving from Wuhan or Hubei Province (or other parts of China if you have symptoms) and not going to work, school or public areas. Try to avoid having visitors to your home, but its OK for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food. While the risk to the UK population remains low, these steps are recommended to limit the potential spread of infection, the service stated. People returning from Wuhan or Hubei Province or those returning from other parts of China, if they have symptoms, were told not to use public transportation or taxis until two weeks after they return. They should self-isolate at home and ask a friend, family member, or delivery service to bring them food and run other errands. The countrys chief medical officers raised the risk to the public to moderate from low but say the risk to individuals remains low. Reuters contributed to this report. Wuhan coronavirus THE CENTRAL HOSPITAL OF WUHAN VIA WEIBO /via REUTERS A coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China, has killed at least 494 people and infected more than 24,000 other people since December. So far, the coronavirus has infected very few children. A children's hospital in Wuhan said this week that a 30-hour-old infant whose mother has the coronavirus tested positive for the virus too. While it's possible that the coronavirus jumped from the mother to the child in the womb, one expert said it was more likely the infant caught the illness after birth. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A 30-hour-old infant born in a children's hospital in Wuhan, China, has become the youngest person to catch the new coronavirus. The newborn's mother has the coronavirus, the South China Morning Post reported on Wednesday, citing the state broadcaster CCTV. The baby's case raised the possibility that the new virus could jump from person to person via vertical transmission, or when a person passes a virus to their child in the womb, during childbirth, or via breast milk. Video: What if You Survived the Apocalypse? "We should be concerned about the possible new transmission route of the coronavirus," Zeng Lingkong, a senior physician at the Wuhan children's hospital's neonatal department, told the Post, adding that pregnant people should stay away from people with the coronavirus. CCTV said the infant's vital signs were stable, according to the Post. A picture published by China's People's Daily newspaper showed the infant in an incubator. However, Stephen Morse, an epidemiologist at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, told Business Insider that an in-utero transmission was improbable. "It's more likely that the baby contracted the virus from the hospital environment, the same way healthcare workers get infected by the patients they treat," Morse said. "It's quite possible that the baby picked it up very conventionally by inhaling virus droplets that came from the mother coughing." Story continues There is no evidence that the two other coronaviruses that have caused major outbreaks severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, and Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS are capable of vertical transmission. The infant probably contracted the virus after birth Other viruses, like HIV and Zika, can pass through the placenta and infect an unborn fetus. During labor and delivery, a newborn can also contract HIV through exposure to infected blood and bodily fluids. "A lot of the transmission that we saw in HIV was actually not in utero but exposure of the baby while being born," Morse said. The infant that got the new coronavirus could have been infected during birth in a similar way, he added. But unlike HIV, this coronavirus is a respiratory infection and doesn't jump from person to person via blood, but via phlegm and saliva droplets. wuhan coronavirus infant Anthony Wallace/AFP/Getty "For a respiratory virus, it would be pretty unusual," Nancy Messonnier, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Center for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said on Wednesday of the possibility of in-utero transmission. "This is really the first such report that we've seen." Xinhua, China's state-run press agency, said a woman with the coronavirus gave birth to a healthy child in Heilongjiang province on Monday, Newsweek reported. Few children have contracted the coronavirus so far From December 31, when the outbreak was first reported, to January 22, no cases were recorded in children under 15. In total, the coronavirus has killed at least 494 people and infected more than 24,000 other people. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested that "children might be less likely to become infected or, if infected, may show milder symptoms" than adults. Wuhan virus China Beijing railway station Kevin Frayer/Getty Images A few cases of the virus among children have been reported in the past two weeks, however. On January 26, a 9-month-old girl was diagnosed in Beijing. Days later, a child in Germany whose father was diagnosed with the coronavirus tested positive. On Tuesday, health officials in China's Guizhou province reported that a 1-month-old infant had been diagnosed with the virus there. Still, the coronavirus seems to primarily affect an older population. In a recent study of 99 people with the coronavirus, their average age was 55.5. Another study reported that the median age of 17 people who had died was about 75. Many of those people had other health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, or Parkinson's disease. Aria Bendix and Hilary Brueck contributed reporting to this story. Business Insider BOZEMAN -- For over 100 years, scientists have studied the heat-loving microbial life in pools and springs on the surface of Yellowstone National Park. But what lives below the surface? A prestigious $1 million grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation will help a team of researchers led by Eric Boyd at Montana State University answer questions about microbial life in the subsurface of Yellowstone, including its extent and processes that allow it to thrive. "I would be wholly surprised if there wasn't life down there," said Boyd, an associate professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the College of Letters and Science and the College of Agriculture at MSU. Numerous lines of evidence from surface hot springs have suggested the presence of microbes that eat minerals in hot underground water, but scientists have never isolated those organisms or observed them in their subterranean abodes. "Every piece of evidence that we and others have collected over the years points to the presence of a subsurface biosphere in Yellowstone," Boyd said. "The intriguing question then becomes how that life is sustained." The Keck grant will support three years of research by Boyd's interdisciplinary team and fund the design and construction of a specialized instrument triggered by earthquakes to collect samples from deep within existing boreholes. The research will bridge the gap between biology and geology to determine how Earth's natural processes influence microbial life. "The research has the potential to significantly impact our understanding of how geological forces drive microbial evolution," said Mark Jutila, head of MSU's Department of Microbiology and Immunology. "The efforts of Dr. Boyd and his team in securing this grant are impressive. It is a testament to the impact and recognition of Dr. Boyd's research and leadership." At the surface, life is generally supported by energy from the sun. In the absence of the sun, Boyd explained, microbial life can still flourish with a supply of nutrients such as hydrogen. In rocky environments, such as the Earth's subsurface, hydrogen can be generated when water reacts with certain minerals. Imagine if you were to drop an iron nail in a glass of water. That nail would rapidly oxidize, forming a thin coat of rust (oxidized iron) and releasing bubbles of hydrogen. However, that coat of rust also protects the metal from further oxidation. Without fresh minerals capable of reacting with water, the potential for how much life can be supported by such nutrients becomes limited. That's where earthquakes come in. Earthquakes shear rock and open new fluid flow paths that together expose fresh mineral surfaces to subsurface water that is 100 degrees Celsius or more. Boyd postulates that Yellowstone's seismic activity is at the heart of the interplay of geologic processes that sustain heat-loving microbes known as thermophiles in the subsurface of Yellowstone. Now his team will try to prove it. To study this process, the researchers have engineered and fabricated the Kinetically Activated Subsurface Microbial Sampler. This sophisticated unit will be lowered several hundred feet into boreholes that were initially drilled more than a decade ago as part of an unrelated study of North America's tectonic activity. The sampler synchronizes the collection of subsurface water samples with earthquakes of a specified magnitude, those powerful enough to shear rocks in the subsurface. It is fully autonomous and can collect and preserve six sets of samples before a researcher must visit the site to retrieve them for chemical and biological analysis. Boyd's grant proposal integrates hypothesis-driven science with engineering innovation. The new equipment and extreme conditions make the project speculative, but potentially transformative for the field. "It's an exciting opportunity," Boyd said. "One of the things that is neat about the W.M. Keck Foundation is they specifically target research that traditional funding mechanisms wouldn't normally support. The foundation is geared toward high-risk, high-reward research that leads to paradigm-challenging discoveries that shape the future of scientific discourse." The award is made in memory of W.M. Keck's granddaughter Tammis A. Day of Sula, Montana, a poet, playwright, actress, horsewoman and sister to foundation Chair and CEO Robert Day. The project will be based at MSU, but includes researchers from Princeton University, the University of Colorado, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, the United Geological Survey, the National Park Service, Salish Kootenai College, Dine College and the private engineering firm Class VI Solutions. Much of the funding will support graduate research positions and summer research internships for undergraduate American Indian students from Salish Kootenai and Dine tribal colleges, a demographic that Boyd said is underrepresented in microbiology research. Summer research internships are aimed at exposing these students to authentic research experiences, with the goal of removing barriers toward their pursuit of an advanced degree in a STEM discipline. "Keck grants are truly an innovative approach to funding novel, high-risk high-reward research and unique educational opportunities," Jutila said. ### Based in Los Angeles, the W. M. Keck Foundation was established in 1954 by the late W. M. Keck, founder of the Superior Oil Company. The foundation's grant making is focused primarily on pioneering efforts in the areas of medical research and science and engineering. The foundation also maintains a Southern California Grant Program that provides support for the Los Angeles community, with a special emphasis on children and youth. For more information, please visit http://www.wmkeck.org. For the first time ever, a quantum computer has performed a computational task that would be essentially impossible for a conventional computer to complete, according to a team from Google. Scientists and engineers from the companys lab in Santa Barbara announced the milestone in a report published Wednesday in the journal Nature. They said their machine was able to finish its job in just 200 seconds and that the worlds most powerful supercomputers would need 10,000 years to accomplish the same task. The task itself, which involved executing a randomly chosen sequence of instructions, does not have any particular practical uses. But experts say the achievement is still significant as a demonstration of the future promise of quantum computing. (Bruno Coelho/Dreamstime/TNS) Some parents at George and Veronica Phalen Leadership Academy have been upset this school year because of issues related to staff accountability and poor communication from leadership. The school took disciplinary action against three staff members and has added three new positions to help support principal Troy Lane, whom the two parents interviewed for this story blamed for the problems. Annekia Mitchell and Whitney, both of whom have two children at the K-7 school, told stories of inappropriate behavior from teachers and said they feel ignored when trying to talk to school leadership. The Recorder is not using Whitneys last name because she is worried about how her children might be treated. Whitney said a gym teacher cursed at students, and a music teacher yelled at students. According to Whitney, the music teacher told students a story about disobedient children who had their feet put in boiling water, in an apparent attempt to intimidate students into better behavior. Both of those teachers, along with a classroom teacher who no longer works at the school, were disciplined, according to Nicole Fama, Phalen Leadership Academys regional director. Fama, who is also the principal at Phalen Leadership Academys high school, said she could not go into detail about the disciplinary action because it was a human resources matter. I hear what the parents are saying, Fama said. When youre running a school, you try to make sure youre meeting everyones needs. If a teacher is not performing to standard, we have no problem removing them. We hear what people are saying. Mitchell said her daughter was harassed on Instagram and reported it to the school, but school leadership didnt do anything about it. Lane then asked her daughter to text him screenshots of what happened, according to Mitchell. Lane did not respond to a request for comment. Fama said the school learned it was a case of teasing in both directions, not targeted bullying. Asked if it was appropriate for an administrator to ask a student to text screenshots, Fama said she hadnt heard anyone complain about that before. Mitchell also said a student tried to sell her son marijuana on the bus, but Fama said the school talked with witnesses who said the student was showing Mitchells son marijuana and not trying to sell it. Fama said the student was disciplined. Both parents said Lane is not responsive to their complaints, and Whitney added Lane, who is white, would not be able to do this in Carmel since that is a mostly white school. (George and Veronica Phalen Leadership Academy is 93% Black, according to state data.) Both parents said they have heard from other parents with similar complaints, but the Recorder was not able to learn who those parents are. The school has since added three positions an assistant principal, climate and culture person and behavior specialist in order to lighten the load on Lane. The new staff members were added over a period starting shortly before winter break and ending Jan. 27, according to Fama. Lane faced some unique challenges as a first-year principal. Originally a K-6 school, George and Veronica Phalen Leadership Academy added seventh grade class this school year, but Lane didnt have the necessary staff around him from the start for such an expansion. The school had 216 students for the 2018-19 school year, according to state data, but added 151 students for the current school year. Whitney said she will most definitely pull her children out of the school at the end of the school year unless Lane leaves. Mitchell said shes considered pulling her children out. Contact staff writer Tyler Fenwick at 317-762-7853. Follow him on Twitter @Ty_Fenwick. US officials have confirmed the country's 12th case of coronavirus in Wisconsin, where a patient is quarantined at home after coming into contact with an infected person while travelling in China. The patient was not ill enough to require hospitalisation and is "doing well". Six coronavirus cases were confirmed in California, two in Illinois, and one case each in Arizona, Massachusetts and Washington. The latest patient is an adult with a history of travel to Beijing prior to becoming ill, according to Wisconsin Health Department officials. State health office Jeanne Ayers asserts that the risk of getting sick front the virus in that state is "very low" while health agencies are "responding aggressively" and monitoring developments. Reported deaths related to the flu-like respiratory illness have spiked to nearly 500, all in China, where an outbreak of the illness has spread to more than two dozen countries, sickening more than 24,000 people. 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 Three cases were recently reported in California, where a 57-year-old man who travelled to China exposed himself and his wife to the virus. The state's health department officials also confirmed a Bay Area patient who recently returned from outbreak epicentre Wuhan. The US government has imposed drastic travel restrictions to prevent travel into the US from China, denying entry to foreign nationals who have recently visited the country and subjecting travellers to quarantine for up to two weeks after returning to the US. Travel restrictions follow suspended flight services from most commercial airlines. All remaining Chinese travel to the US is being funnelled into seven US airports, where passengers will face additional screening and possible self-quarantine. This week, several planes carrying passengers from Wuhan into the US will be directed to three military bases, where passengers will be screened, monitored and evaluated by personnel from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before they're quarantined for two weeks. CDC officials have assured that the risk of coronavirus exposure to the general public in the US remains low. Doosan Bobcat EMEA has announced two new product management appointments for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. Jaroslav (Jarry) Fiser has been appointed as the new product line director for the Bobcat compact loader range in EMEA, while Robert Husar is the new product line manager for Bobcat mini-excavators. Based in the Dobris headquarters in the Czech Republic, Fiser is now responsible for leading the skid-steer and compact track loader, backhoe loader and future loader product lines in the EMEA region. In this new role, he will develop and implement the long-term strategies for the product lines, facilitate the development of business opportunities and collaborate globally with the various regional resources within Doosan Bobcat to continue the development of world-class products, said the statement from the company. Fiser joined the company as a design engineer 22 years ago in 1998. He has worked in various product engineering and concept development positions, originally involved with the Backhoe Loader line and since 2005 with Bobcats Mini-Excavator products. In 2013, he made a change in his career and accepted a new product management director role. For the last seven years, he was responsible for mini-excavator business development and product strategy in EMEA. In 2008, he was made in charge for the launch of the best-selling one-tonne mini-excavator in its category - the Bobcat E10 - and since then, the company has sold over 10,000 of these machines. Another milestone was the launch of the revolutionary R-series excavator line-up in 2018, designed to maximise operator comfort and productivity, the company said in a statement. One of Fisers last projects as the product line director for mini-excavators was the development of the E10e - the worlds first battery-powered mini-excavator in the one-tonne class which came off the production line at the end of last year, it stated. Now reporting to Fiser are Gul Nalcaci, Gabriella Arena, Jiri Karmazin and John Chattaway, all of whom who are product managers for loader products. On the other appointment, Doosan Bobcat said Husar, in his new role, will use his vast portfolio of skills to further enhance the product strategy and business development, work globally on the long-term product plan, developing the current portfolio of 17 mini-excavators and drive activities to achieve Doosan Bobcats market share targets. Miroslav Konas, the product manager for Bobcat mini-excavators, will be reporting to Husar at the Dobris HQ. Joining the company in 2005 as a sourcing specialist, Husar had spent the next 10 years in various sourcing functions, including a three-year assignment in Doosan Bobcats facility in Bismarck in North Dakota in the US. After his return to Dobris, he joined the mini-excavator product management team as a product manager, further enhancing the already diverse background of the group. Husar, alongside other milestones in the Bobcat mini-excavator product line, is responsible for the development of the award-winning A-SAC system (Advanced Selectable Auxiliary Control).-TradeArabia News Service This is the shocking moment an Arizona State University student screams 'Slash Republican throats' on the university campus after Donald Trump was acquitted in his impeachment trial on Wednesday. The young male, dressed head to toe in dark clothing and with yellow headphones around his neck, rages on the ASU's Tempe campus in front of a table of students promoting Trump. The footage, which had 2.2 million views by Thursday morning, shows the man irately screaming, 'slash his throat!', while making a slashing gesture across his own neck. He then shouts, 'suck my f******g b***s', before walking away. The young male, dressed head to toe in dark clothing and with yellow headphones around his neck, rages on the ASU's Tempe campus in front of a table of students promoting Trump The footage, which had 2.2 million views by Thursday morning, shows the man irately screaming, 'slash his throat!', while making a slashing gesture across his own neck A voice which appears to come from the person filming the incident then says 'say that one more time'. In response, the man turns and shouts: 'Slash Republican throats! Slash fascist throats!' Another person is heard replying with: 'Have a good one.' The video was posted on Twitter just before 5.30 pm by the account 'Students for Trump at ASU', the university group for Trump supporters. He then shouts, 'suck my f**king b**ls', before walking away. A voice which appears to come from the person filming the incident and one of the people campaigning for Trump on the campus then says 'say that one more time' In response, the man turns and shouts: 'Slash Republican throats! Slash fascist throats!' The video was posted on Twitter just before 5:30 pm by the account 'Students for Trump at ASU', the university group for Trump supporters The tweet brands the man as a 'crazy leftist' and insists that they 'will NOT let the left silence us!' The post said: 'CRAZY LEFTIST ON COLLEGE CAMPUS 'Watch as a tolerant leftist threatens to 'slash the throat' of @realDonaldTrump and every Republican. 'We will NOT let the left silence us! @TrumpStudents #KeepAmericaGreat' The tweet brands the man as a 'crazy leftist' and insists that they 'will NOT let the left silence us!' The account said the incident happened on Wednesday when students from the group were holding a table promoting Trump on campus ASU police said they are investigating the video of the individual making threats ASU spokesman Jerry Gonzalez said the university was also investigating the events The account said the incident happened on Wednesday when students from the group were holding a table promoting Trump on campus. People took to Twitter to slam the verbal attack, which had been retweeted 3,000 times as of Thursday morning. One person tweeted: 'Surely the ASU Security has this individual on camera and will take action to the appropriate agencies. This individual is way over the edge of mental/emotional control. The verbalized ideations are alarming!' Another post said: 'Sounds like a terroristic threat. Local police should be alerted of his location.' 'That seems like a potential school shooter. Has he been identified yet?' another wrote. ASU police said Wednesday night that they are investigating the video of the individual making threats. 'We are aware of a video circulating on social media where an individual appears to be making threats. We are working with the University to address the matter,' the department tweeted. ASU spokesman Jerry Gonzalez said the university was also investigating the incident. 'We are looking into this video posted to Twitter that shows a young male screaming at a couple of other people on campus about political leanings. Not sure when it was recorded, but it appears to have been uploaded to social today,' told The Arizona Republic. People took to Twitter to slam the verbal attack One post called for ASU Security to step in Another post likens the individual to a 'potential school shooter' The viral video was posted shortly after Trump's four-month long impeachment trial came to a close Wednesday, when a 4pm vote in the Senate acquitted the president on the two articles of impeachment over his dealings with Ukraine. His acquittal came as little surprise in the Republican-controlled Senate. However, Mitt Romney broke ranks and became the only Republican to vote to convict Trump on the abuse of power charge. He voted to acquit him on the obstruction of Congress charge. Trump blasted Romney in a video posted on social media, in which he accused Romney of being a 'Democrat secret asset'. The president will make a statement about his acquittal at noon on Thursday at the White House. The Senate floor pictured during Wednesday's roll call vote. Trump's four-month long impeachment trial came to a close Wednesday, when the 4 pm vote acquitted the president on the two articles of impeachment over his dealings with Ukraine Chief Justice John Roberts adjourns the court of impeachment after the Senate voted to acquit Trump of both charges Trump's acquittal came as little surprise in the Republican-controlled Senate (above). However Mitt Romney broke the line and became the only Republican to vote to convict Trump on the abuse of power charge. He voted to acquit him on the obstruction of Congress charge Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the opposition parties for their stand on the issue of Population Register (NPR). "Census and NPR are normal government procedures, which have been carried out earlier as well. But when the vote bank politics is a necessity, then those who carried out NPR earlier are spreading misinformation about it now," said Modi in his reply in the Rajya Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address. "Some questions have been taken out or added even in every consequent Census conducted in the country. Do not spread misinformation over it," he said. This remark of Prime Minister Modi led to an uproar in the Upper House as the Opposition members objected to his words. However, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu managed to restore order in the House. "You are spreading misinformation. You started NPR in 2010. We have been here since 2014. We have the records of the NPR conducted by you and no atrocities were conducted on any person based on the date from the exercise done by UPA," said Modi, further attacking the Opposition members. "We updated the NPR data in 2015 to provide benefits to the underprivileged under schemes such as PM Awas Yojana and other schemes. We used it in a positive scheme. We want to update it further in 2020 to make the schemes more effective and reach more people. But just because you are in the opposition, you are now seeing problems in it," he added. The PM also claimed that all states had earlier approved the NPR by 'Gazette notification' but some have now taken a 'T-turn and are creating roadblocks in its process. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [February 06, 2020] Parks Associates Announces Advisory Board for 7th Annual Connected Health Summit, With Executives From Alarm.com, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Great Call, Humana, MDLIVE, Papa, and PeoplePower DALLAS, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Research firm Parks Associates today announced the topics and early advisory board members for the seventh annual Connected Health Summit: Independent Living and Wellness, September 1-3 at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California. Connected Health Summit, with early sponsorship from Alarm.com, Rapid Response Monitoring, and Sprosty Network, addresses consumer health and wellness solutions aimed at improving quality of life, with a focus on crossover opportunities among smart home solutions and independent living. Recent research from Parks Associates finds one-third of consumers in US broadband households are interested in wearables monitoring their health, including 20% who are very interested. The executive conference examines smart home platforms, on-demand services, voice assistants, and wearables that empower consumers, caregivers, and providers with new insight into patient health. This presents a vast market opportunity for industry players with a footprint in the home willing to expand into the connected health space. "The US healthcare industry is in the midst of transformation, with the rise of informed and increasingly empowered consumers and the ongoing overhaul of its information infrastructure from physical to digital with AI capabilities," said Elizabeth Parks, President, Parks Associates. "Providing consumers with positive, on-demand healthcare experiences is no longer a selling point but a necessary component of healthcare solutions in both clinical and residential environments. We are excited to announce this year's advisory board who will help shape the agenda for our annual health conference." Confirmed Advisory Board Members: Tori Ames , Telehealth, Cincinnati Cildren's Hospital Medical Center , Telehealth, Cincinnati Cildren's Hospital Medical Center Michael Farrell , SVP & GM Hospitals and Health Systems, MDLIVE , SVP & GM Hospitals and Health Systems, MDLIVE Florin Fortis , Director of Products and Partnerships Development, Humana Wellness Solutions, Humana , Director of Products and Partnerships Development, Humana Wellness Solutions, Humana Chuck Hector , Chief Revenue Officer, Papa , Chief Revenue Officer, Papa Sarah Jones , VP of Commercial Product, Great Call , VP of Commercial Product, Great Call Lainie Muller , Director, Health & Wellness, Strategic Sales, Alarm.com , Director, Health & Wellness, Strategic Sales, Alarm.com Dr. Yuri Quintana , Director, Global Health Informatics, Beth Isreal Deaconness Medical Center, Harvard Medical Center , Director, Global Health Informatics, Beth Isreal Deaconness Medical Center, Harvard Medical Center Gene Wang , CEO, PeoplePower Topics: Connected Health Business Models: Direct-to-Consumer, Fee-for-Service, and Value-Based Care Artificial Intelligence and Personalization in Connected Health Independent Living: Opportunity for Smart Home Platforms Impact of Tech: Reducing Social Isolation among Seniors Tech Giants: Driving Healthcare Innovation Technology Enablers: Interoperability and Data Integration Future of Connected Health: VR, AR, Robotics, and 5G Employee Wellness: Driving Engagement through Partnerships Remote Monitoring: Extending Healthcare Services Evolution of Telehealth Services: New Use Cases and Impact of Reimbursement Seniors and Caretakers: Serving a Massive Population at Home Channel Growth: Connected Healthcare Direct-to-Consumer Marketing in a B2B Healthcare Market Consumer Devices and Integration with Enterprise Health Applications Connected Health for Families: Telehealth and Services Smart Home, Healthy Home: Water, Air, and Sleep Parks Associates is accepting submissions to speak at Connected Health Summit through June 1 at www.parksassociates.com/chs-speak. Registration is open, and media are invited to attend. To schedule an interview with an analyst or to request specific data, contact Elizabeth Parks at [email protected], 972-490-1113. About Connected Health Summit Parks Associates' seventh annual Connected Health Summit: Independent Living and Wellness is an executive conference focused on the impact of connected devices and IoT healthcare solutions on consumers at home. Connected Health Summit provides insights on new business models, IoT technologies, consumer behaviors, and deployments relevant to consumer healthcare solutions. The conference addresses opportunities for new solutions, including smart home platforms, on-demand services, voice assistants, and wearables. www.connectedhealthsummit.com Contact: Elizabeth Parks Parks Associates 972.996.0202 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/parks-associates-announces-advisory-board-for-7th-annual-connected-health-summit-with-executives-from-alarmcom-cincinnati-childrens-hospital-medical-center-great-call-humana-mdlive-papa-and-peoplepower-301000297.html SOURCE Parks Associates [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Hackers have finally done what bond issuers may have feared most from cyber criminals. A ransomware attack on Pleasant Valley Hospital in West Virginia was partly responsible for the hospitals breach of its covenant agreement, according to a notice to the hospitals bondholders from the trustee, WesBanco Bank. It appears to be the first time a cyber attack triggered a formal covenant violation, according to research firm Municipal Market Analytics. The virus entered the hospitals system via emails sent 10 months before the cyber criminals asked the hospital for money, said Craig Gilliland, the hospitals chief financial officer. The information the criminals held for ransom did not contain patient data or confidential data, so it was more of an annoyance, he added. Because of the attack, the hospital was forced to spend about $1 million on new computer equipment and infrastructure improvements, Gilliland said. That cost, along with declining patient volume, caused the hospitals debt service coverage for the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30 to fall to 78%, below the 120% the loan agreement requires, according to the material notice to bondholders. When we had the cyber attack, we didnt have the sophisticated anti-virus software that we needed, he said. Cyber attacks are effective on smaller hospitals and smaller government agencies who do not have the resources and do not spend the money to proactively get ahead of the curve. The hospital did not miss any payments to bond investors. Gilliland said he is not aware of whether or not payments were made to the perpetrators because the attack was managed by a cyber liability insurance carrier Beazley Group. Mairi MacDonald, who manages media relations for Beazley Group, said via email that the company does not comment on specific client matters. The resolution of the situation will likely cost the hospital via monetary settlements and security hardening, making a financial rebound a bit more difficult than otherwise, MMA said in its report. Pleasant Valley highlights cyber risks as, at least so far, primarily a worsener for most municipal credits. Cyber risk is a growing concern for the municipal market. There were 133 publicly reported attacks against health-care providers since 2016, 47 of which occurred in 2019, according to data collected by threat intelligence company Recorded Future, Inc. Healthcare providers are at particular risk for cyber attacks because patient care is disrupted, so there is an expectation the hospital will pay to remedy that quickly, said Allan Liska, an intelligence analyst at the company. Health-care providers also use unique software that is often managed by vendors, leaving updates to the software out of their hands. You have hospitals and doctors offices that are often forced to run outdated and old software that makes them at risk for these ransomware attacks, Liska said. Others at Risk And its not just health-care providers that are at risk. In 2019, state and local governments reported 106 ransomware attacks, nearly double what was reported a year before, according to data collected by Recorded Future. Among them were the Syracuse School District, which said it experienced a cyber attack that could impact its financial position according to a July 31 regulatory filing, and the city of Baltimore, which disclosed a cyber attack to investors in its bond offering documents when it borrowed last year. For Pleasant Valley Hospital, the insurance company Beazley Group connected the Hospital with other vendors to settle and remediate the issue, according to the statement to bondholders. To address the decreasing patient volume, the hospital has lowered its labor costs and plans to convert doctor offices into two rural health clinics and to offer a new medical withdrawal inpatient service. The threat to credit will get worse in the public finance realm before it can be alleviated, said Geoffrey Buswick, an analyst for S&P Global Ratings. Issuers can do all the right things, like protect their network and have proper insurance in place, and still find it difficult to fully offset cyber risks, he added. The various actors out there, be it a nation-state or criminal organization or just a rouge hacker, seem to have advanced technologies that are changing quickly, Buswick said. With assistance from Amanda Albright and Danielle Moran. Topics Cyber Medical Professional Liability WICHITA, Kan. - A Wichita woman was convicted Thursday of first-degree murder in the decapitation death of her ex-boyfriends mother, whose head she left in the kitchen sink. Prosecutors said Rachael Hilyard cut off the head of 63-year-old Micki Davis using two steak knives on April 9, 2017. Davis had gone to Hilyards home with her 9-year-old grandson to collect her sons belongings, at Hilyards insistence. The child ran away before his grandmother was beheaded and called for help. Hilyards lawyer acknowledged his client killed Davis but said it was not premeditated, which is required for a first-degree murder conviction, The Wichita Eagle reported. Hilyard, 38, attacked the older woman without provocation then grabbed a knife to finish what she started, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said during closing arguments. He said Hilyard used a second knife after the first blade broke. For her own reasons, Rachael Hilyard had had it with Micki, Bennett said. Hilyards attorney, Quentin Pittman, said Hilyard thought Davis was dead when she severed her neck. Testimony during the trial indicated Davis may have been unconscious but was alive when Hilyard decapitated her. Pittman insisted there was no premeditation but he didnt ask the jury for a lesser charge. The jury could have found Hilyard guilty of second-degree intentional murder, second-degree reckless murder or involuntary manslaughter. What we have are bad decisions and horrible consequences, Pittman said. Hilyard testified Wednesday that she thought Davis was already dead and that she cut off her head to free her soul from her body. Prosecutors said police found Davis body in Hilyards garage and her head in the kitchen sink. Hilyard, who was treated at a state psychiatric hospital before she was declared competent for trial, said she was discussing a painting with Davis when she lost her temper. I just freaked out, and we were wrestling into the garage, and we got into a fight, she said. But prosecutors noted a police interview in which Davis grandson described Hilyard jumping on and beating Davis with no warning. Sentencing is set for March 27. 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). We'll use ROE to examine California Water Service Group (NYSE:CWT), by way of a worked example. Our data shows California Water Service Group has a return on equity of 8.9% for the last year. Another way to think of that is that for every $1 worth of equity in the company, it was able to earn $0.09. View our latest analysis for California Water Service Group How Do I Calculate Return On Equity? The formula for ROE is: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity Or for California Water Service Group: 8.9% = US$67m US$758m (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 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 the capital paid in by shareholders, plus any retained earnings. You can calculate shareholders' equity by subtracting the company's total liabilities from its total assets. What Does ROE Mean? ROE measures a company's profitability against the profit it retains, and any outside investments. The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. A higher profit will lead to a higher ROE. So, all else equal, investors should like a high ROE. That means ROE can be used to compare two businesses. Does California Water Service Group Have A Good Return On Equity? By comparing a company's ROE with its industry average, we can get a quick measure of how good it is. Importantly, this is far from a perfect measure, because companies differ significantly within the same industry classification. You can see in the graphic below that California Water Service Group has an ROE that is fairly close to the average for the Water Utilities industry (8.9%). NYSE:CWT Past Revenue and Net Income, February 6th 2020 That's neither particularly good, nor bad. ROE tells us about the quality of the business, but it does not give us much of an idea if the share price is cheap. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Story continues The Importance Of Debt To Return On Equity Companies usually need to invest money to grow their profits. The cash for investment can come from prior year profits (retained earnings), issuing new shares, or borrowing. In the first and second cases, the ROE will reflect this use of cash for investment in the business. In the latter case, the use of debt will improve the returns, but will not change the equity. Thus the use of debt can improve ROE, albeit along with extra risk in the case of stormy weather, metaphorically speaking. California Water Service Group's Debt And Its 8.9% ROE California Water Service Group does use a significant amount of debt to increase returns. It has a debt to equity ratio of 1.27. The company doesn't have a bad ROE, but it is less than ideal tht it has had to use debt to achieve its returns. Investors should think carefully about how a company might perform if it was unable to borrow so easily, because credit markets do change over time. 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. All else being equal, a higher ROE is better. Having said that, while ROE is a useful indicator of business quality, you'll have to look at a whole range of factors to determine the right price to buy a stock. The rate at which profits are likely to grow, relative to the expectations of profit growth reflected in the current price, must be considered, too. So you might want to check this FREE visualization of analyst forecasts for the company. But note: California Water Service Group may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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. PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-06 10:46:07 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 620 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 6, 2020 / Blue Lagoon Resources Inc. ("Blue Lagoon" or "Company") (CSE:BLLG)(FSE:7BL)(OTCQB:BLAGF) is pleased to announce that the Company has commissioned and is funding a National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report on behalf of Quebec based Mag One Operations ("Mag One"), a company in which Blue Lagoon has the right to acquire a 70% joint venture interest.The purpose of the technical report is to establish a current mineral resource for magnesium oxide (MgO) at the Normandie tailings pile site located near Thetford Mines, Quebec. Mag One has the right to remove and process up to 60 million tonnes of tailings from tailings piles owned by Asbestos Corporation Ltd. in the Thetford Mines area, including the Normandie tailings pile. The tailings piles host an historic resource of 60 million tonnes grading 37.60-38.96% MgO, including 26.2 million tonnes grading 36.80% MgO in the measured and indicated categories at the Normandie tailings pile, as reported in a NI 43-101 technical report prepared for Nichromet Extraction Ltd. in 2007. The historic resource is based on 11 drill holes totalling 595 meters, and 30 test pits dug for sampling. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as a current mineral resource. Blue Lagoon is not treating the historical estimate as a current mineral resource."Funding this initial report is an important step for the advancement of Mag One's project because it will give the company and its investors reliable information on the quantity and grade of magnesium oxide in the tailings pile," said Rana Vig, President & CEO of Blue Lagoon Resources. "The patent pending process being tested by Mag One allows for the cost effective extraction magnesium and other minerals from these magnesium rich tailings in order to produce high purity Magnesium Oxide," he said.The patent pending process uses all of the mineral, essentially becoming a zero waste process. The fine grained, high purity Magnesium Oxide is used in the chemical industry where, depending on the application, it can be sold for up to $1200 USD/ton. Target high end applications include additives in rubber and cement as well as a flame retardant.Technical content of this news release was approved by William Cronk, P.Geo., and a Qualified Person.For further information, please contact:Rana VigPresident and Chief Executive OfficerTelephone: 604-218-4766Email: rana@ ranavig.com The CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the completion of due diligence and completion of the joint venture with Mag One. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "intends", "believes", "plans to", "expects" or "it is expected", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on information as of the date such statements are made and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, to be different, including that additional work will result in a current mineral resource being delineated for the Normandie pile, or that proprietary processes may not yield the anticipated results at larger scale of testing or processing. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward looking information. Blue Lagoon does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.SOURCE: Blue Lagoon Resources Inc. President Trump is delivering remarks on his impeachment one day after the Senate acquitted him on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The president will address dozens of reporters from the White House East Room on Thursday. Posted: Feb 6, 2020 9:22 AM Posted By: CBS Technology Homeless ordinance Collaboration with ICE (TNS)Defying the perception that a growing population leads to an increase in crime, violent incidents fell in 2019 compared with the previous year, Clark County Sheriff Joe Lombardo proudly proclaimed Wednesday in his fifth-annual State of the Department address."We have a good story to tell," said Lombardo, prefacing his one-hour speech to Metro Police's top brass at the Myron's Cabaret Jazz at The Smith Center.Overall, violent crime in 2019 was down 12%, Lombardo said. Homicide detectives investigated 83 criminal slayings last year -- about a 40% dip from the 119 in 2018.The homicide unit, led by Lt. Ray Spencer, had a solvability rate of 92% as of Wednesday morning, making Metro a model agency for police departments across the U.S. where the average clearance rate is 62%, according to FBI statistics.Knowing there's a likelihood of being captured and ultimately put behind bars could lead some potential suspects to reconsider their actions, Lombardo said.Robberies decreased 22%, and sexual assault dropped 10%, an atypical feat for a crime that usually sees increases because of the "casino environment and the party environment" in the Las Vegas area, Lombardo said.Lombardo summarized the agency's crime-fighting strategy as, "follow up, focus and policing with a plan." He emphasized that "more cops" make the community safer, and his agency hired 247 patrol officers last year. Dozens of events at Metro substations have also re-enforced positive civilian relationships.Property crimes, however, were beginning to tick up, and the 16 traffic fatalities in Metro-patrolled roads this year is an increase from 10 during the same time period in 2018, Lombardo said."It's important for you to educate yourself on the daily basis," he reminded Metro personnel.After Lombardo's speech, attendees viewed a video in which officers spoke about Metro's future. "The future of Metro is strong," the sheriff repeated as the presentation ended.ShotSpotter, a system of acoustic sensors that detects gunshot sounds, has helped officers respond to more shootings that may have gone unreported in the past, Lombardo said. The technology, not a 911 call, alerted officers to a slaying in December in the central valley. An arrest was made two days later.Following a sexual assault in a Strip hotel room a few days before Wednesday, Lombardo said, facial recognition technology helped led detectives to the alleged suspect, who was taken into custody less than 24 hours after the reported incident.Although some jurisdictions have banned police use of facial-recognition technology for privacy and race bias concerns, Lombardo emphasized that Metro's system is limited to a database of booking photos in its incarceration records. Once there's a match, officers don't use the information as probable cause to make an arrest, but as reasonable suspicion -- which isn't enough to make an arrest -- to continue their investigation."We are considered best practice," Lombardo said.Lombardo briefly touched on homelessness, which he deems one of the city's major issues.In an interview after the event, Lombardo said he supports the homeless ordinance passed by the Las Vegas City Council in November, but only because it forces the hand of decision-makers in government and the private sector to come up with funding for longer-term solutions.The law makes it a misdemeanor to sit, sleep or camp in most of downtown and its surrounding neighborhoods. It is punishable with a fine or jail time.But jailing and citing those sleeping in the streets who don't listen to officers' orders to seek resources can only be feasible short-term, he said. Officers aren't enforcing differently than before the ordinance as it's still illegal to block sidewalks, obstruct traffic, erect unsafe dwelling structures, start campfires, and create waste, he said. The ordinance, he said, simply gives his officers enforcement tools.Lombardo is hopeful the homeless community is self-policing and seeking resources. He said his officers had made no arrests over the weekend, when the ordinance went into effect."Everybody has their constitutional right to be treated appropriately no matter what their economic situation is or their mental capacity or anything, and I think our officers are adept at that," he said.Lombardo said he hasn't heard from officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement since Metro in October suspended a jail-based agreement to hold undocumented immigrants following a federal court ruling. A Sept. 27 federal court ruling in California said ICE could not place holds on inmates in states without immigration statutes specifically authorizing the arrangement. Nevada has not passed such a statute.He said in the interview that Metro still collaborates with the federal government to remove the "people we need to remove," meaning those with violent criminal histories, whom he refers to as the "worst of the worst."With the federal mandate, which expanded the groups of undocumented immigrants deemed deportable, ICE didn't have the resources to remove everyone either, Lombardo said. "It makes it easier for them, too."In fact, Lombardo said, there are thousands of county jails, but only a few dozen agreements between local and federal immigration authorities, because the government doesn't have the resources to mass deport. Hollywood Legend Kirk Douglas Dies at 103, Michael Douglas Confirms Hollywood actor Kirk Douglas, who appeared in Spartacus and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, died at age 103, according to his son, actor Michael Douglas. It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103, Michael Douglas said in a statement on Instagram. To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to. Douglas, who was born Issur Danielovitch in New York in 1916, also served in the U.S. Navy in World War II. He is survived by Michael Douglas, his wife of 65 years, Anne, as well as two other sons, Peter and Joel. Michael Douglas added in his statement: But to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great-grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband. Actor Kirk Douglas (L) and his son actor Michael Douglas attend SBIFFs 2011 Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence In Film honoring Michael Douglas at the Biltmore Four Seasons in Santa Barbara, California, on Oct. 13, 2011. (Michael Buckner/Getty Images) Kirks life was well-lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet, the Wall Street actor added. Let me end with the words I told him on his last birthday and which will always remain true. Dad- I love you so much and I am so proud to be your son. In 1996, Kirk Douglas was awarded an honorary Oscar for 50 years of being involved in the motion picture industry. Douglas was nominated for the Best Actor Academy Award three times for 1956 film Lust for Life, 1952 movie Bad & the Beautiful, and the 1949 film Champion. In 2017, Michael said that his father is completely inspirational before adding that you finally reach an age when youre not feeling like you have to compete with your father and you can look at him [as an equal]. Of course, that took me until I was 60, according to the Hollywood Reporter. When appearing on the Tonight Show in 1988 to promote his book The Ragmans Son, Douglas said he drew on personal experience when he worked on movies. What I found out when I wrote this book is I have a lot of anger in me, he said, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Im angry about things that happened many, many years ago. I think that anger has been a lot of the fuel that has helped me in whatever Ive done. Father-son actors Kirk Douglas, left, and Michael Douglas in New York in 1976. (AP Photo) Cameron Douglas, Kirk Douglas, and Michael Douglas pose at the Michael Douglas Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame ceremony on Nov. 6, 2018 in Hollywood, Calif. (Gregg DeGuire/Getty Images) Health official: 'Regardless of variant, the protective measures are the same' local Daniel Hutchinson From The Hutch There are a lot of problems to solve this week in our beautiful but tortured land. The Bay of Plenty has become just that lately plenty of crime, plenty of rough sleepers and beggars and plenty of people buying face masks in case they are struck down by an unfamiliar virus. So, here in The Hutch picture a cave-like headquarters in the bowels of the city I have gathered together the finest minds to solve these problems. Firstly, our intelligence gatherers have discovered that perfectly healthy people are buying up face masks at a phenomenal rate so they are protected against the Coronavirus. See pages 4-5 for that. Now, it is important to understand a few things about these kinds of outbreaks and it goes something like this. Initially a virus gets a cool name often it involves an animal like a swine or the more attractive bird flu. Only rarely does this name stick around, like the really scary Ebola Virus. Cool name though. It means Black River. Im not sure how this latest one escaped the Bat Virus moniker but it got named after a popular beer instead. Either that, or the beer got named after a type of virus but Im not sure why you would do that. Anyway, the scientists always come up with a boring name for it like H1N1 or H5N1. In the case of the Coronavirus (this is just the latest coronavirus by the way. SARS is another famous one), it is now called 2019 NCov. Very catchy. Once it has a boring name, people relax a bit but the problem is, by now all the healthy people have all the face masks and the people who actually need them on a day-to-day basis cant get their hands on them. Our answer to this is the same as the previous councils answer to begging and rough sleeping in Tauranga City. We will simply ban the virus from entering New Zealand. Catching this disease is also prohibited and anyone caught catching this disease will be fined and turned invisible. Problem solved. Its a bit rough The only fly in the ointment for this simple solution is that the new Mayor and council is actually having second thoughts about banning begging and rough sleeping from shop fronts. The Mayor of Tauranga City is making the bold claim that you cant simply ban destitute people and they have formed a committee of highly intelligent people to solve this problem. I wasnt invited onto this committee, which is clearly an oversight, but I will offer my $300-an-hour worth anyway. We should set up an area specifically for rough sleeping and begging. Somewhere central, but not too central. Somewhere where even the trees have woolly jumpers. Somewhere like Greerton would be ideal (see story on page 24-25). People will clearly need to be part of an organised begging group. They can either get together and make a new group or join an existing gang. That way we know they are homeless because a disreputable organisation said so. These people can then list Greerton as their address and they will qualify for government assistance. Then they wont have to ask passers-by for money anymore. Problem solved. Crime is rife The dark underbelly of crime has spread far and wide across our province in the last few weeks, with shoot-ups and burn-downs, stabbings and other less than satisfactory behaviour. See Sunlive.co.nz for updates on these things as they happen. Our answer to this is to gather together a large group of people, arm them, give them all uniforms and set them to work fighting crime. They will drive fast cars, catch the baddies and lock them away somewhere until they are good again. When it comes to the worst offenders we should get investigators to study their family history, specifically to look for family links to Australia. Everyone has a cousin or an aunty who lives in Australia so that shouldnt be too hard. Once the link is established, we then deport these people back across the ditch where they will live happy and productive lives, working as pub bouncers and parking wardens. Problem solved Now, if you dont like any of our solutions, its a free country and you are allowed to speak your mind. You can either have a massively offensive rant on social media, under a false name, or you can email your solutions to letters@thesun.co.nz with your proper name. That way you get credit for the idea. For those rare individuals that have paper and a pen and know how to use them, you can even write us an actual letter, PO Box 240, Tauranga. daniel@thesun.co.nz Dyfed-Powys Police said it has become the first police force in the UK to use DNA evidence from a stolen cow (PA) A farmer has been fined 4,000 after DNA evidence was used to prove he had stolen his neighbours cow, police have said. David Owens, 51, had re-tagged the 3,000 heifer and claimed it as his own after it escaped from a neighbouring field in St Clears, Carmarthenshire. Dyfed-Powys Police said it has become the first police force in the UK to use DNA evidence from a stolen cow in a resulting criminal court case at Swansea Crown Court on Monday, which saw Owens plead guilty to theft. The cows real owner reported one of his 300 cows had been stolen in December 2017 after spotting it on Owenss field, despite the farmer denying he had seen it. We are proud to be the first force in the UK to use a cows DNA in a criminal case, and will continue to use innovative methods to get justice for victimsPC Gareth Jones, Dyfed-Powys Police Owens provided police with a cow passport, listing ear tag numbers for the cow and the animal Mr Owens claimed was its mother. A warrant was issued for the cow and blood samples taken from it were successfully matched with other cows from its original farm, and Owens was charged. During the investigation, Owens started proceedings against the police force over the way blood samples were taken from the cow without his permission, but a judicial review found it was lawful in doing so. PC Gareth Jones, the officer who took charge of the case, said his force was proud of its achievement and vowed to continue using innovative methods to get justice. He said: This has been a long and protracted enquiry, and it has taken a lot of work and patience to get to this point. Without the use of the heifers DNA, we would not have been able to prove that it had been stolen by Mr Owens, and that he had tried to alter identification tags to evade prosecution. We are proud to be the first force in the UK to use a cows DNA in a criminal case, and will continue to use innovative methods to get justice for victims. Owens, of Salem Road, St Clears, was fined 4,000 fine and told to pay 400 costs. Boston College Assistant Professor of Biology Emrah Altindis has received a three-year, $300,000-grant from the G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation for research into Type 1 diabetes. Altindis and his team will explore the roles gut microbes and viruses play in triggering the autoimmunity of Type 1 diabetes. According to Altindis, molecular mimicry is one autoimmune mechanism in which the immune system cannot distinguish between a foreign antigen that shares a structural similarity with a host protein and the actual host protein. Altindis recently discovered viral insulins and bacterial insulin epitope mimics. Altindis' lab is looking for evidence that Type 1 diabetes is caused by a molecular mimicry mechanism, where exposure to a microbial insulin or insulin epitope mimic elicits an autoimmune response, which attacks both the microbial insulin and our own normal insulin and causes Type 1 diabetes. "The main focus of our lab's research is to understand the role of microbial mimics of human hormones in human disease and health," said Altindis. "We are very grateful to receive this award and recognition of our work in this early stage by the Mathers Foundation. This awarded project is at the center of our research program. It will allow me to ask some high risk/high reward questions that have the potential to better understand the cause of Type 1 diabetes." The Mathers Foundation sponsors scientific research to advance knowledge in the life sciences, with potential translational applications. ### Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday held bilateral talks with his Malagasy counterpart Lt Gen Rokotonirina Richard on the second day of Defence Expo 2020 in Lucknow. During the discussions, Singh stressed upon enhancing ties in maritime security cooperation in the region. He noted that India and Madagascar, being maritime neighbours, should be responsible for a secure environment to ensure a flourishing and prosperous trade and commerce in the region. In the light of the President of India's state visit to Madagascar in March 2018, the Defence Minister said that the historic visit had reaffirmed the excellent bilateral relationship between the two countries. Apart from further strengthening defence ties, Singh hoped that the Defence Expo 2020 would provide a platform for both the countries to explore various areas of mutual engagement. In his remarks, Lt Gen Richard said India has a great role to play in preserving security in the Indian ocean maritime region. He expressed his government's sincere gratitude for 'Operation Vanilla,' wherein the Indian Navy had provided assistance to the affected population of Madagascar post devastation caused by Cyclone Diane. The visiting dignitary invited Singh to attend the Independence Day celebrations of the East African country this year that is commemorated annually on June 26. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maldives police have arrested three suspected Islamic extremists over the stabbing of three foreigners in the upmarket tourist destination. Two Chinese men and an Australian were in a stable condition after being stabbed Tuesday, just two months after security officials warned of the presence of violent radicals inspired by ISIS. Authorities said they were investigating a video released on social media claiming the attack had been carried out by a local group sympathetic to the terror group. 'The Maldives police service has arrested three suspects under a court warrant in relation to the stabbing of three foreign nationals,' police said in a statement. They were not identified. Late last year the Maldives arrested a local man described by the United States as a recruiter for ISIS in Syria and Afghanistan. An Australian man (pictured) was stabbed in the terror attack and rushed to hospital on the back of a moped in the Maldives. Two Chinese men were also wounded during the attack on the island of Hulhumale, in the north atoll of the Maldives, at 7pm on Tuesday On Thursday, Maldives police arrested three men and were probing their suspected links with Islamic State after a radical group took responsibility. Pictured: Hulhumale island He was also suspected of being involved in a crude bomb attack in the capital Male in September 2007 which injured a dozen tourists. In June last year the nation of 340,000 Sunni Muslims called for international help to rehabilitate up to 160 of its nationals thought to be held in Syrian detention camps. Maldives parliamentary Speaker Mohamed Nasheed has said that the Maldives was keeping a close watch on any attempt to radicalise its population, which practises a liberal form of Islam and relies heavily on luxury tourism. An Australian man was rushed to hospital on moped after being stabbed in a terror attack in the Maldives. Footage of the Australian bleeding from his shoulder on the back of a moped while being driven to get treatment in footage was filmed by a local man. Once at the hospital, he hobbled through the emergency room doors while clutching his right shoulder. A 44-year-old Australian man is in Hulhumale Hospital (pictured) after the incident yesterday, according to ABC. All three victims are in stable condition, police said Little is known about the Australian victim, other than he worked in Hulhumale. One of the Chinese men also worked in the city while the other was a tourist. On Thursday, Maldives police arrested three men and were probing their suspected links with Islamic State, officials said. A Maldivian radical group linked to the Islamic State took responsibility for the attack in a video posted online, on Wednesday. One masked man, speaking in the local language Dhivehi, accused the Maldivian government of being run by infidels and warned of further attacks in the clip. 'As for what will follow (of attacks), you fail to perceive where and when it will take place', he said in the video. He also accused Maldivian politicians of stealing the wives and children of extremists and said the attacks were revenge for this. Police said they were working to confirm the veracity of the video. In a statement, Maldives Police said: 'We are continuously monitoring the status of the victims of this heinous attack. Their condition is reported to be stable. 'We are also establishing the validity of a video circulating on social media claiming to be related to this attack. 'The Maldives Police Service is working closely with all relevant stakeholders in this matter and assures the public of our continued efforts to ensure the safety and security of all those in Maldives.' Last year, a 35-year-old man identified as a leader for Islamic State in the Maldives by the U.S. authorities was arrested for allegedly leading Islamic State recruitment in the mainly Sunni Muslim nation. The Maldives Police Service described the attack on Twitter as 'an act of violence perpetrated by suspected extremists against three foreign nationals' The archipelago in the Indian Ocean derives much of its income from tourism. ISIS claimed responsibility for deadly bombings in Sri Lanka in April last year, and has been looking to bolster its presence in the sub-continent after being driven out of its self-styled caliphate in Iraq and Syria. The Maldives parliament has given sweeping investigative powers to counter-terrorism agencies, and authorities have stepped up operations against hardline Islamist groups. The small island nation lies southwest of India and Sri Lanka and 1,000 kilometres of the Asian continent. The 2008 constitution states that the republic 'is based on the principles of Islam' and that 'no law contrary to any principle of Islam can be applied'. Non-Muslims are prohibited from becoming citizens and the public practice of a faith other than Islam is forbidden. A team of doctors and scientists from the Champalimaud Clinical Centre in Lisbon, Portugal, and the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam, has shown that patients with "low" rectal cancer (that is, very close to the anus) who show no sign of their tumors after a course of radio- and chemotherapy can safely choose to postpone invasive and complication-prone surgical procedures. These results have been published in the journal Annals of Surgery. Agreeing instead to submit to a very close and strict surveillance of their condition during a period of at least two years, in a "Watch-and-Wait" strategy, they might even totally evade surgery without any negative impact on their health outcome, since the majority (around two-thirds) of these patients does not show any regrowth of the tumour after the first two years of "Watch-and-Wait". What's most important, according to the scientists, is that of the remaining patients (around one-third), whose tumor does regrow within those first years and who undergo exactly the same surgical procedure as was initially planned for them, 97% show the same outcome as if the surgery had been performed immediately after radio-chemotherapy. In other words, no precious time will have been wasted by waiting and watching the patient. Surgery still is, today, the frontline classical treatment protocol for rectal cancer cases - which represent about 30% of all colorectal cancers, or about six million new cases per year worldwide, according to 2018 estimates. But the fact is that, for certain particularly complicated locations of the tumor in the rectum, a previous course of radio-chemotherapy before surgery is required. Why? Because in these cases, it is necessary to reduce the size of the tumor that might already be invading the pelvic wall structures or even other organs. This pre-operative treatment comes with its own side effects, increasing the probability of urinary and sexual dysfunction, worse bowel function or even deficient healing process. These could, in turn, have devastating post-operatory consequences, such as suture defects leading to peritonitis. "For rectal tumors located less than seven centimeters from the anus, the patient is often submitted to radiochemotherapy during five weeks, having a subsequent recovery period of another eight to ten weeks before the surgical intervention", explains Nuno Figueiredo, head of the Champalimaud Surgical Centre and a colorectal surgeon at the Digestive Cancer Unit of the Champalimaud Clinical Centre, who is one of the co-authors of the new study together with his colleagues Marit Van der Sande and Geerard Beets, from the Netherlands Cancer Institute. Moreover, in more than half of these low rectal cancer cases - which represent 30% to 40% of all rectal cancers, that is, around two million new cases per year worldwide, according to the same 2018 estimates -, the surgery may require removal of the rectum and surrounding tissue (abdominoperineal amputation), a condition that implies permanently redirecting the colon towards an incision made in the abdomen (colostomy). In these cases, the patient is fitted for life with a "bag" to collect stools directly through that artificial orifice. For all the above reasons, surgery is potentially a very invasive procedure in low rectal cancer. But what if there was a non-invasive option to surgery that did not put eligible patients' lives at risk? The new study shows that this may actually be the case. Unnecessary surgery? The Watch-and-Wait strategy for rectal cancer was pioneered by surgeon Angelita Habr-Gama at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, some 20 years ago. Habr-Gama observed that, when patients with low rectal cancer were irradiated to prepare them for surgery due to the proximity of the tumor to the anus, histology results (biopsy) of the tissue harvested during the surgery often showed absolutely no trace of cancer cells. And she wondered whether the surgery, with its cohort of potential complications and life-long impact on patients' quality of life, had actually been necessary in those cases. In the mid-2000's, surgeons in the Netherlands started proposing the alternative protocol to eligible patients. And in 2013, the Champalimaud Clinical Center and the University of Manchester in the UK were some of the first institutions in the world to follow suit. "Today, 53 centers around the world are using the same Watch-and-Wait protocol", says Figueiredo. "And in 2013, we created the International Watch-and-Wait Database to collect all the data generated by these centers." The protocol consists in performing, eight to ten weeks after the chemoradiotherapy course, a series of diagnostic tests before deciding if surgery is warranted. "We use clinical and radiological observations to decide whether surgery is needed or not", says Figueiredo. "We perform three exams: digital rectal examination, endoscopy and magnetic resonance imaging." And if the patient's clinical response is "complete" - that is, if the tumor does not show up in any of these exams -, the patient is then told that they can enter the Watch-and-Wait (W&W) protocol. "One hundred percent of our patients at the Champalimaud Center choose this option", Figueiredo points out. Before they make their decision, the patients are told that if, at any time during the following 24 months, any sign of tumor reappearance (or "regrowth") were to emerge, that would necessarily mean undergoing immediate surgery to remove the tumor in the exact way as initially programmed. But if the cancer does not regrow during those first 24 months, the patient will then go on to be examined, at least every six months, for three additional years. After that, if it still doesn't reappear, the exams will continue at a rate of once a year. Is it wise to wait? Criticism of this protocol has focused, in particular, on the possibility of wasting precious time, during which the tumor could become, if not metastatic, possibly uncontrollable and impossible to remove surgically. It is this deferment of the surgery that the team has now shown to be safe in 97% of cases of tumor regrowth. The new study involved 385 patients from both centers (83 from the Champalimaud) that were diagnosed between 2005 and 2018 and found to have a complete clinical response following chemoradiotherapy. Of those 385 patients, 89 (23 from Champalimaud) - or around 25% - had tumor regrowth during the first 24 months. And of the patients who experienced regrowth, "97% were rescued, which means operated on as initially programmed", says Figueiredo. In other words, the W&W period did not compromise the outcome for those patients. The final result was the same they would have obtained if the surgery had been performed immediately. There were also some patients included in W&W (3%) who were either too frail or too old to sustain a major abdominal operation - or who, experiencing a regrowth after the W&W period, refused to have surgery. These patients were then given the best possible palliative care. Another line of criticism has to do with the possibility that waiting to see what happens could increase the risk of developing distant metastases, that is, of the initial tumor spreading to other parts of the body, in particular to the liver and lungs. Figueiredo points out that this study was not designed to answer this question. However, what these researchers have effectively observed is that, compared to historical rectal series in the literature, for which 25% of the patients with rectal cancer go on to develop metastases, this only happened to 8.2% of the patients submitted to the W&W protocol. According to Figueiredo, this could simply reflect the fact that eligible patients for the alternative protocol have a much better prognosis than the general population of rectal cancer patients - and start out with a reduced risk of metastases. Two next steps, he adds, are already ongoing, namely at the Champalimaud. One is to intensify radiation oncology protocols in order to increase the number of rectal cancer patients who reach a clinical complete response and become eligible for W&W - that is, to contemplate radio and chemotherapy as a standard standalone treatment for these tumours and not just a precursory step for surgery. The other is to improve the diagnostic accuracy of MRI and endoscopy exams in order to reduce the number of "false negatives" - that is, the number of apparently complete responses in which the tumor is actually still there after chemoradiotherapy but fails to be detected. ### Advertisement One of Britain's most decorated war heroes was today bid an emotional final farewell by hundreds of strangers after he passed away at the age of 95 with no surviving family. Brave and brilliant British bombardier Jim Auton, MBE, who was awarded a total 19 medals for his brave RAF exploits during the Second World War, died aged 95 on January 18. He was believed to have been the last British survivor of the perilous Second World War Warsaw Air Bridge mission, a Government-sanctioned operation to drop supplies to Polish fighters in 1944. More than 200 people lined the streets to pay tribute to the war veteran at a service held at his local Newark Parish Church, in Newark, Nottinghamshire RAF top brass this week launched an appeal for mourners to attend his funeral, after fears Mr Auton, who has no surviving family, would not get the fitting send-off he deserved. Today, more than 200 people lined the streets to pay tribute to the war veteran at a service held at his local Newark Parish Church, in Newark, Nottinghamshire. He was given an RAF guard of honour as his coffin, draped in the Union Jack, was led into the church by pallbearers which included Air Force officers past and present. Jim Auton (middle, back row) is pictured with members of the Warsaw Air Bridge, the crew who flew to Warsaw and sent secret supplies to resistance fighters in Poland, 1944 The service began with the song 'Nimrod' by Elgar before tributes were made by Dave Baliolo Key and Leszek Rowicki, the Consul General of Poland in Manchester. Mr Rowicki, reading a letter from the Polish Government, said: 'I want to express our sorrow. Jim was a friend of the Polish people. He was a hero who served for the benefit of British and Polish people. 'He built bridges between Britain and Poland. I had the honour of meeting him and knowing him personally.' Jim Auton (pictured) was awarded the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland last year, shortly before his death, by President Andrzej Duda, which is the highest honour a foreigner can receive 'He was a real hero for me. I last saw him in December 2019 where I decorated him with the Order of Merit of Poland on behalf of President Duda. 'He spent 50 minutes circling the city of Warsaw, where he saw the fires and devastation. I would call him a hero and a friend of Poland. I would like to thank Paul Trickett for being his friend and caring for him.' Reverend Paul Franklin, who presided over the funeral, said gloriously in his eulogy: 'We have come here today to remember Jim. We have come to commit his body to the ground and comfort one another in our grief. 'Jim and I prayed together in his final days. We don't need to fear death or that dark place. We give thanks to Jim for all that was good in his life. We also give thanks for the memories we treasure today.' Mr Auton previously said: 'Being a pilot in the Royal Air Force was the only thing I wanted to do with my life. As a youngster, I used to pretend I was flying a plane and as soon as I could I joined up. It's all any lad my age wanted to do... to become part of that elite members' club - the flyers, the men at the very top of the chain' Mr Auton risked his life twice to carry out daring low-level drops of supplies during the 68-day 1944 Warsaw Uprising, a revolt against Nazi occupation that cost the lives of 18,000 Polish fighters and 180,000 civilians. He flew 37 wartime missions with the 178 Squadron and was awared 19 medals for bravery and valour, making him one of Britain's most decorated servicemen. Mr Auton grew up on RAF bases as his father was a member of the ground crew who maintained some of the RAF's earliest aircraft. He joined the Air Force in 1941, and, having seen the devastation poured on British cities caused by the Luftwaffe, hoped to do his bit. Initially, he wanted to be a Spitfire pilot but was later re-trained as a bomb-aimer. Speaking previously, he said: 'Being a pilot in the Royal Air Force was the only thing I wanted to do with my life. As a youngster, I used to pretend I was flying a plane and as soon as I could I joined up. It's all any lad my age wanted to do... to become part of that elite members' club - the flyers, the men at the very top of the chain.' The Warsaw Airlift Bombardier Jim Auton was believed to have been the last surviving member of the Warsaw Airlift, a British-led operation to re-supply the besieged Polish resistance Home Army in the Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis. Under orders from Winston Churchill, the British government chose to intervene in the crisis as the USSR turned its back to the fighting. The Airlift took place between August 4 and September 28, 1944. It was executed by Polish, British, Canadian, New Zealand, and South African airmen from Italy. Allied aircraft dropped 370 tons of supplies in those weeks, though half of these fell into German hands. Advertisement On August 1, 1944, after five years of Nazi rule, Polish resistance groups in Warsaw rebelled in an effort to overthrow their oppressors. Within the next few days, around 180,000 Polish civilians were killed, including an estimated 60,000 children, with supplies running low. Winston Churchill sent over 200 low-level RAF supply drops to the besieged city in an operation known as the Warsaw Airlift. On August 12, 1944, Mr Auton and his crew flew to Warsaw to drop 12 containers with essential weapons, ammunition and medical supplies. During a six-hour flight to the beleaguered city, he witnessed one of their aircraft shot down before they found the drop zone. His crew all agreed they would not return home until the Armia Krajowa (Home Army) soldiers received their supplies. Speaking previously about the operation, Mr Auton, who wrote a book about liberating the Eastern Front, said: 'We must have been mad. 'Planes were being shot down all around us. I said we had not come all this way to drop the supplies in the wrong place.' Two nights later, he and his crew would return to drop further supplies. RAF top brass this week launched an appeal for mourners to attend his funeral after fears he would not get the a send-off Leszek Rowicki, the Consul General of Poland in Manchester, said: 'I want to express our sorrow. Jim was a friend of the Polish people. He was a hero who served for the benefit of British and Polish people. He built bridges between Britain and Poland' Reverend Paul Franklin, who presided over the funeral, said in his eulogy: 'We have come here today to remember Jim. We have come to commit his body to the ground and comfort one another in our grief. Jim and I prayed together in his final days. We don't need to fear death or that dark place. We give thanks to Jim for all that was good in his life' On his 37th military mission, Mr Auton was seriously wounded, suffering damage to his lungs and losing an eye. After the war, he became fluent in six languages and was even asked to spy for British intelligence, but refused. Mr Auton built a profession in engineering and spent 30 years working alongside both the Polish and Czech presidents. He also launched his own companies - in the UK and abroad - buying and exporting goods. He was awarded the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland by President Andrzej Duda, which is the highest award a foreigner can receive. Mr Auton was also bestowed an MBE from Prince Charles for his charity work. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- This column will not render a verdict on whether the White House decision last week to suspend immigration from Nigeria the worlds seventh most-populous nation and five other countries was mainly an expression of bigotry from an administration led by a man who once likened African nations to latrines, or if it was a legitimate reaction to security concerns. It will, however, tell you some things you might not know about Nigerian immigrants in the U.S. To start, theres a fair number of them (which is why Im focusing on Nigeria and not Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Sudan or Tanzania, the other five countries hit by the new ban). An estimated 374,311 Nigerian-born people were living in the U.S. in 2018, which put the country in 27th place as a source of foreign-born Americans, behind Pakistan and ahead of Japan. These and a lot of the numbers to follow are based on the American Community Survey that the U.S. Census Bureau sends out to 3.5 million households every year, so theyre subject to margins of error (19,648 for the number cited above), plus the inevitable strengths and limitations of self-reported statistics. For example, the Census Bureau says there were an estimated 462,708 people of Nigerian ancestry in the U.S. in the 2018, but thats based on what people put on the survey, not the sort of genealogical investigation that would surely reveal that there are millions of Americans whose forebears were brought across the Atlantic against their will in past centuries from the region of West Africa that is now Nigeria. Still, for our purposes the census survey is probably better, in that it restricts the scope mostly to recent immigrants and their kids. The members of this group have more than doubled in number since 2007, and they are for the most part doing quite well. The median income for households led by someone of Nigerian ancestry, for example, was $68,658 in 2018, compared with $61,937 for U.S. households overall. Here are a few other informative comparisons: Story continues Nigerian-Americans are more likely to have jobs than the rest of us, and much more likely to have college degrees. Theyre also much less likely to own their homes, and slightly more likely to be below the poverty line although theyre less likely to collect the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits commonly known as food stamps. Nigerian-Americans are younger (median age is 31.6, compared with 38.2 for the U.S. overall), more likely to live in big cities (at least, thats how I interpret the relatively high share of public transportation users), more likely to work in education and health care (there are a lot of Nigerian-American doctors) and slightly more likely to be married. The percentage of Nigerian immigrants 16 and older with jobs ranked them 10th among immigrant groups in the U.S. in 2017 (the Census Bureaus new data portal is still going through some growing pains that prevented me from assembling these rankings for 2018). Nigerian immigrants also came in 10th place for the percentage with college degrees. Australia, Bulgaria and Nigeria are the only countries to make it into the top 10 on both rankings, which to me indicates a sort of integration sweet spot. Nigerians who come to the U.S. usually speak English before they get here, they tend to be well educated or in the process of becoming so, and they dont seem to have much trouble getting jobs or otherwise fitting in. I dont think these are the only things immigrant success should be judged by, and theres something more than a little creepy about passing such judgments upon people by their country of origin. But since immigration policy in general and the new immigration bans in particular do just that, it does seem relevant that Nigerian-Americans are clearly among the most successful immigrant groups in the U.S. Also relevant is that Nigerians feature prominently on the Department of Homeland Securitys rankings of people who stick around longer than their visas allow. Here are the numbers for business and pleasure visas: Among those with student and exchange-program visas, the numbers are smaller, with 1,664 Nigerian students suspected of overstaying their visas in fiscal year 2018. But that makes for an even higher share (18.6%) of those that U.S. authorities had expected to depart. (Nigeria has been moving up in the ranks of countries sending students to U.S. colleges and universities, to 11th place in 2018-2019, according to the Institute for International Studies.) One way to look at this data is that Nigerians need to be kept out of the U.S. or theyll never leave. This has in fact been the reaction of the current administration, which in March of last year suspended a visa-interview waiver program that allowed Nigerian applicants for some visas to apply by mail, and in August jacked up visa fees for Nigerians. Big surprise: The number of Nigerians visiting the U.S. fell by 21% in the first 10 months of last year, the biggest drop of any country, according to Quartz Africa, which has been all over this story. Another way to think about the visa-overstay phenomenon, though, is that the U.S. isnt supplying nearly enough immigrant visas to Nigerians. The demand is clearly there, and Nigerian immigrants have a track record of great success here. I would guess that those who stick around after their visas expire are less successful than those who come on immigrant visas, but in theory at least they too are represented in all the above statistics from the American Community Survey, which dont differentiate by visa status. And yes, if the U.S. allowed a big increase in the number of immigrants from Nigeria, their education levels and success rates might fall. But banning immigration from Nigeria outright, as the administration has now done, seems like a pretty big step in the wrong direction. This step was taken, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad F. Wolf said Friday, because Nigeria and the other five countries subject to the new ban lack either the will or the capability to adhere to new screening and vetting criteria imposed by the U.S. government since March 2017. Now, I am perfectly willing to believe that the Nigerian response to U.S. demands has been somewhat shambolic, especially given how some Nigerian officials reacted to the news. The travel ban is a wake-up call, a rude one at that, on the need for us to be alive to our responsibility to our people and ensure that we have citizenship integrity, Ajibola Basiru, chairman of the Nigerian Senate Committee on Diaspora Affairs, told the Punch (a leading Nigerian newspaper) over the weekend. At the moment, we are a nation of anonymous citizens. We dont have records of our citizens and anybody can claim to be a Nigerian. The Nigerian government will now surely react with more alacrity to the U.S. push for information-sharing, and may well succeed in getting this latest visa ban revoked as occurred with neighboring Chad in April 2018. But resolving this situation ought to be a policy priority for the U.S. as well. Nigerian immigrants are great. We need more of them, not fewer. (Corrects sixth and seventh paragraphs of article published Feb. 4, as well as the description on the charts titled High-Employment Immigration Groups and High-Education Immigrant Groups, to reflect that the data are reported by country of birth.) To contact the author of this story: Justin Fox at justinfox@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Stacey Shick at sshick@bloomberg.net This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Justin Fox is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering business. He was the editorial director of Harvard Business Review and wrote for Time, Fortune and American Banker. He is the author of The Myth of the Rational Market. 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. U.S. president claims 'victory' and tweets fake Time mag cover of 'Trump prez forever' This still image taken from a U.S. Senate webcast shows senators voting during the impeachment trial of U.S. president Donald Trump on February 5, 2020 in Washington, DC. The Senate acquitted Trump of both impeachment charges, following a historic two-week trial. (AFP PHOTO/ US SENATE TV) WASHINGTON: U.S. president Donald Trump drew on staunch Republican support to defeat the gravest threat yet to his three-year-old presidency on Wednesday, winning acquittal in the Senate on impeachment charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Only the third U.S. leader ever placed on trial, Trump readily defeated the Democratic-led effort to expel him from office for having illicitly sought help from Ukraine to bolster his 2020 re-election effort. Trump immediately claimed "victory" while the White House declared it a full "exoneration" for the president -- even as Democrats rejected the acquittal as the "valueless" outcome of an unfair trial. Despite being confronted with strong evidence, Republicans stayed loyal and mustered a majority of votes to clear the president of both charges -- by 52 to 48 on abuse of power and 53 to 47 on obstruction of Congress -- falling far short of the two-thirds supermajority required for conviction. "Two thirds of the senators present not having found him guilty of the charges contained therein, it is therefore ordered and adjudged that the said Donald John Trump be, and he is hereby, acquitted," said Supreme Court chief justice John Roberts, who presided over the trial. The months-long impeachment of the 45th US leader shone a harsh light on America's political divide, with Trump's core support base united behind him in rejecting it as a "hoax." One Republican, senator Mitt Romney, a longtime Trump foe, risked White House wrath to vote alongside Democrats on the first count, saying Trump was "guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust." He voted not guilty on the second charge. But the verdict was never truly in question since the House of Representatives formally impeached Trump in December, and has now cleared out a major hurdle for the president to fully plunge into his campaign for re-election in November. Trump to speak Thursday Responding to the verdict, Trump announced he would deliver a formal statement Thursday from the White House "to discuss our Country's VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!" Shortly before, the president tweeted a montage depicting a fake cover of Time magazine declaring him president for all eternity. The White House declared that Trump had obtained "full vindication and exoneration."But Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker and top Democrat in Congress, said that by clearing Trump, the Republicans had "normalized lawlessness." "There can be no acquittal without a trial, and there is no trial without witnesses, documents and evidence," she said. "Sadly, because of the Republican Senate's betrayal of the Constitution, the president remains an ongoing threat to American democracy, with his insistence that he is above the law and that he can corrupt the elections if he wants to." Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said the acquittal was "virtually valueless" since Republicans refused witnesses at his trial. 'Forever impeached' The Democrats' intense 78-day House investigation faced public doubts and high-pressure stonewalling from the White House. Concerned about the political risk for the party, Pelosi rejected a call early last year to impeach Trump on evidence compiled by then-special counsel Robert Mueller that he had obstructed the Russia election meddling investigation. But her concerns melted after new allegations surfaced in August that Trump had pressured Ukraine for help for his 2020 campaign. Though doubtful from the outset that they would win support from Republicans, an investigation amassed with surprising speed strong evidence to support the allegations. The evidence showed that from early in 2019, Trump's private lawyer Rudy Giuliani and a close political ally, Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, were scheming to pressure Kiev to help smear Democrats, including Trump's potential 2020 rival Joe Biden, by opening investigations into them. "We must say enough -- enough! He has betrayed our national security, and he will do so again," Adam Schiff, who led the House investigation, argued on the Senate floor this week. "He has compromised our elections, and he will do so again," Schiff said. 'Colossal' mistake In the trial, Trump's defence was not seen as having undermined the facts compiled by Schiff's probe, and several Republican senators acknowledged he did wrong. But his lawyers and Senate defenders argued, essentially, that Trump's behaviour was not egregious enough for impeachment and removal. And, pointing to the December House impeachment vote, starkly along party lines, they painted it as a political effort to "destroy the president" in an election year and insisted voters should be allowed to decide Trump's fate. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell said impeachment will benefit Republicans. "Right now this is a political loser for them. They initiated it. They thought this was a great idea. At least for the short term, it has been a colossal political mistake." Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday asked the government to find a solution to the "nuisance and unethical" practice of defection of elected political representatives from parent parties to others. Naidu made the suggestion after Rajya Sabha DMK MP P Wilson raised the issue of defection during the Zero Hour. "Unfortunately, people are saying now it's not defection, it's only affection and they are doing it with perfection. We must put an end to this. It is a very important issue across the country. "Cutting across party lines, we must come forward to suggest some alternative to end this nuisance or nonsense or unethical acts of defection," said Naidu. The chairman said the issue of defection was very important as even the courts have commented on it. "...But everybody is taking time. The presiding officers are taking time, courts are also taking time and then we are helpless," he said. The Rajya Sabha chairman was apparently referring to a Supreme Court observation made recently. He asked Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to look into the issue. "I am not asking the minister to reply but apply your mind and see to it that this issue is taken up at the appropriate level in consultations with all the concerned," he said. Prasad, who was present in the House, said that with great respect to the Supreme Court, "those sweeping comments" against the presiding officers were "surely avoidable". "We need to have institutional respect for all the institutions of the country. The presiding officers of the legislatures are equally important functionary in the constitutional process, that I must place on record," he said. Echoing the sentiments, Congress leader Anand Sharma described it as a "serious matter." "It is a transgression. The constitution is clear in its scheme of things and the division (apparently, the separation of powers between the various wings)". Recently, a conference of presiding officers of Parliament and state assemblies was held. The 10th schedule to the Indian Constitution, which is also popularly referred to as the anti-defection law, was discussed at length on the concluding day of the conference. The discussion on the 10th Schedule assumes importance in the wake of the Supreme Court's observation about a growing trend of Speakers of legislative bodies acting against the constitutional duty of being neutral. The top court made the observation while upholding the disqualification of 17 lawmakers, whose resignations from the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government in Karnataka allowed the Bharatiya Janata Party to return to power in the state. Sixteen of the 17 joined the ruling BJP and 13 of them were fielded in the bypolls in Karnataka after the court allowed them to contest the polls. Eleven of the 13 were re-elected. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CALIFORNIA - A Shasta Trinity National Forest Aviation Officer, John Casey, is headed to Australia to support fire suppression efforts, according to the Shasta Trinity National Forest. The NF shared via Twitter that Casey is leaving Friday, Feb. 7, to help. Casey will be working as an Air Tactical Group Supervisor. He will be responsible for managing the incident airspace and coordinating the fixed-and rotary-wing aircraft operations over an incident. The U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of the Interior continue to deploy wildfire personnel to assist with fire suppression efforts. Both the departments said they have sent over 200 firefighters since November of 2019. 2019 marked Australia's hottest and driest year on record, with their fire season that started in late July, according to the U.S. National Forest. In November, the National Resource Sharing Centre requested U.S. support to help battle the crucial wildfire and aviation shortfalls in New South Wales and Victoria. "It was humbling to observe the Australians resilience, the response in Australia, and level of support from our agency, said Forest Service Director of Fire and Aviation Management Shawna Legarza. We will continue to learn from each other in this complex fire environment. This announcement comes just after 20 firefighters from California returned to the United States after spending nearly a month battling wildfires in Australia. RELATED: California firefighters who volunteered to battle flames in Australia returned home Thousands of paid and volunteer firefighter have been working around the clock as they battle the brushfires. In 2018, nearly 140 firefighters from Australia and New Zealand were deployed to California, Oregon, and Washington for nearly a month. They relieved exhausted firefighters battling the deadly Carr fire near Redding, California, and assisted with helicopter operations. The last time US firefighters worked in Australia was 2010. The growth of co-working spaces is helping use up surplus office space but Perth still rates as the worst capital city in the nation for vacancies, a new report by the Property Council has revealed. The Perth CBD office vacancy rate fell to 17.6 per cent in January 2020, down from 18.4 per cent six months ago. WeWork opened two office spaces in Perth last year. It was the sixth consecutive fall in vacancy, measured every six months, but the citys rate still sits well above the Australian average of 8.3 per cent. In the past six months, 32,738 square metres of office space was leased, most of that coming from the higher end of the market. Singapore confirms 4 more cases of Wuhan coronavirus, 3 of which linked to local transmission Singapore confirmed four new cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection on Wednesday, February 5. This brings the total number of infected cases in the country to 28. Of these, three cases are linked to the cluster of local transmission announced on February 4, and one is an imported case involving a Chinese tourist from Wuhan. There is as yet no evidence of widespread community transmission in Singapore, said Ministry of Health (MOH) in a statement. Negative Pressure Rooms at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases. Photo courtesy: NCID Case 25: A 40 year-old male Singapore Citizen who has no recent travel history to China. He is the husband of Case 24, a 32 year-old female Singapore Citizen. The man reported that he developed a fever on 24 January. He visited Hougang Polyclinic with his wife on January 30, and self-presented at NCID on February 3, where he was immediately isolated. Prior to hospital admission, the case stayed at his home at Buangkok Green. He worked at Diamond Industries Jewellery Company at Harbour Drive which was visited by the same tour group from Guangxi. He indicated that he had visited Pasir Panjang Hawker Centre and had travelled by public transport. Case 26: A 42 year-old female Chinese national who arrived in Singapore from Wuhan on January 21. She is the daughter of Case 13. As she was symptomatic, she was conveyed by ambulance to NCID on the same day as her mother, and immediately isolated. Cases 27 and 28: They are family members of Case 19 and have no recent travel history to China. Case 27 is a 45 year-old male Singapore Citizen who is the husband of Case 19. Case 28 is a six month-old male Singapore Citizen who is the child of Cases 19 and 27. Diamond Industries Jewellery Company. Photo courtesy: Vu Hao Tran MOH said in its statement that the local cluster of transmission (involving Cases 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27 and 28) can be traced to contact with a tour group from Guangxi . The group comprised 20 tourists who visited Singapore from January 22 to 23, and on 27 January 27 (transit from 3 to 6am). Health authorities in China have confirmed that two travellers from the group have since been confirmed with 2019-nCoV infection. The places that the tour group visited include: Yong Thai Hang (24 Cavan Road), Diamond Industries Jewellery Company (Harbour Drive), Meeting You Restaurant (14 Hamilton Road), Royal Dragon Restaurant (2 Havelock Road), T Galleria by DFS (25 Scotts Road) and DResort @ Downtown East (1 Pasir Ris Close). MOH has reached out to 142 contacts at these places, and all but one are well. The person has been isolated as a suspect case and test results are pending. John Bercow has told how he became extraordinarily drawn to Enoch Powell in the 1980s. Powell was sacked from the Tory shadow cabinet in 1968 for his rivers of blood speech which warned of the dangers of unchecked mass immigration. He later quit the party. The former Speaker 5ft 5ins tall said he may have been drawn to far-Right ideologies because of his physical inadequacies. He writes in his biography Unspeakable, published today, that his shameful decision to join the hard-Right Monday Club aligned to the Tory Party led to him sidling up to racists. John Bercow (left) has told how he became extraordinarily drawn to Enoch Powell (right) in the 1980s Mr Bercow wrote that in the early 1980s I became interested in Powell and read his speeches. Foolishly...I was extraordinarily drawn to Powell. His eloquence, his intellect and the rigour of his thinking all appealed to my young and impressionable mind. Mr Bercow described his decision to join the Monday Club as the most shameful I have ever made. He said: So here I was, a Jewish boy...sidling up to racists. Last night he told Channel 4 News his former links with racists were outrageous and disgraceful. In his book, Mr Bercow also revealed that it was his Labour-supporting wife Sally who encouraged him to stand as Speaker because it would annoy David Cameron. Exuding a Mediterranean mood, the Italian influence can be seen in the beautifully woven fabrics, textured weaves, soft pastel palette and contemporary cuts. Available on the 6th February, the menswear collection comprises luxurious Italian blazers, beautifully tailored summer suits, exquisite silk accessories and smart separates. The womenswear collection features luxuriously lightweight cotton shirts, the brand's signature blouses updated with whimsical watercolours and seasonal prints and sharp executive cotton shirts that exude power and professionalism. Touker Suleyman, CEO of Hawes & Curtis says: "The SS20 collection reinvents Hawes & Curtis' classic formalwear in new invigorating ways to create versatile pieces that are smart, modern and perfect for the warmer seasons." About Hawes & Curtis Hawes & Curtis is a quintessentially British brand specialising in fine tailoring and accessories for men and women. Founded in 1913 by Ralph Hawes and George Frederick Curtis, the brand continues to deliver the promise of exceptional quality, innovation and outstanding value. Hawes & Curtis opened its first store in the Piccadilly Arcade and has had many distinguished clients through its doors, including the Duke of Windsor, Lord Mountbatten and Fred Astaire. As a result of Hawes & Curtis' commitment to impeccable service and product excellence, the brand has been awarded four Royal Warrants. Hawes & Curtis operates more than 20 stores in the UK and a store in Germany. The flagship store remains on London's Jermyn Street, famous for its resident shirtmakers. www.hawesandcurtis.co.uk Notes to Editors For more information please contact: Amelia Williams - Content & Communications Marketing Manager at awilliams@hawesandcurtis.com, +44 (0) 207 298 2700 Related Links http://www.hawesandcurtis.co.uk SOURCE Hawes & Curtis AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / February 6, 2020 / Thermon Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:THR) (the "Company," "Thermon," "we" or "our") today announced consolidated financial results for the third quarter ("Q3 2020") of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020 ("Fiscal 2020"). Q3 2020 highlights, as compared to the three months ended December 31, 2018 ("Q3 2019"), include: Revenue of $100.5 million, a decrease of 16% compared to $119.4 million Fully diluted GAAP earnings per share ("EPS") of $0.20 per fully diluted common share, a decrease of $0.09 compared to $0.29 Non-GAAP Adjusted EPS of $0.28 per fully diluted common share, a decrease of $0.12 compared to $0.40 Generated $22.3 million of cash provided by operating activities, an increase of $14.6 million as compared to $7.7 million "We were pleased with the continued strong free cash flow generation in the quarter of $19.9 million, and we continue to see strength in our pipeline of opportunities. While we projected weaker capital projects in the second half of the fiscal year in comparison to a record second half of fiscal 2019, results fell below expectations on weaker year-end discretionary spending during the third quarter. Due to the lower incoming order rates in the last two quarters, we now expect Fiscal 2020 revenues in the range of $383-390 million," said Bruce Thames, Thermon's President and Chief Executive Officer. During Q3 2020, the Company generated revenue of $100.5 million versus $119.4 million in Q3 2019, a decrease of $18.9 million or 16%. During Q3 2020, new facility construction (or "Greenfield") and facility maintenance, repair and operations and upgrade or expansion ("MRO/UE") activity from our legacy heat tracing business accounted for 38% and 62% of revenue, respectively, which compares to 45% and 55% in Q3 2019. Gross margin during Q3 2020 was 43.3%, as compared to 42.6% in Q3 2019. Q3 2020 total orders were $99.0 million versus $105.7 million in Q3 2019, a decrease of $6.7 million or 6%. Q3 2020 backlog of $102.5 million represents a $33.4 million decrease, or 25%, as compared to Q3 2019 backlog of $135.9 million. Q3 2020 net income attributable to Thermon and GAAP EPS were $6.5 million and $0.20 per fully diluted common share, respectively, compared to $9.7 million and $0.29 per fully diluted common share, respectively, in Q3 2019. After taking into account the impact of an income tax rate reduction in the Netherlands and intangible amortization related to prior acquisition activities (see table, Reconciliation of Net Income attributable to Thermon to Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS), the Company generated Adjusted Net Income in Q3 2020 of $9.5 million and Adjusted EPS of $0.28 per fully diluted common share compared to $13.3 million and $0.40 per fully diluted common share, respectively, in Q3 2019. Adjusted EBITDA was $20.9 million in Q3 2020 as compared to $26.0 million in Q3 2019, a decrease of $5.1 million or 20% (see table, Reconciliation of Net Income attributable to Thermon to Adjusted EBITDA). During the first nine months of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020 ("YTD 2020") the Company generated revenue of $295.1 million compared to $298.4 million in the first nine months of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 ("YTD 2019"), a decrease of $3.3 million or 1%. YTD 2020 orders were $274.9 million compared to $275.3 million in YTD 2019, a decrease of $0.4 million or 0%. YTD 2020 net income attributable to Thermon and GAAP EPS were $14.9 million and $0.45 per fully diluted common share, respectively, compared to $16.0 million and $0.48 per fully diluted common share in YTD 2019. After taking into account the impact of income tax rate reduction in Alberta, Canada and in the Netherlands and intangible amortization related to prior acquisition activities (see table, Reconciliation of Net Income attributable to Thermon to Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS), the Company generated Adjusted Net Income in YTD 2020 of $23.8 million and Adjusted EPS of $0.72 per fully diluted common share compared to Adjusted Net Income of $28.5 million and Adjusted EPS of $0.86 per fully diluted common share during YTD 2019. As of December 31, 2019, the Company had $181.7 million of gross outstanding debt and $37.1 million of cash and cash equivalents representing net debt of $144.6 million. Based on the trailing twelve month Adjusted EBITDA of the Company, our net debt to trailing twelve month Adjusted EBITDA ratio was 1.9x as of December 31, 2019. At the time the THS acquisition closed on October 30, 2017, our net debt to trailing twelve month Adjusted EBITDA ratio was 3.4x. Outlook Given our Q3 2020 results, we are reducing our Fiscal 2020 revenue guidance to $383-390 million. With our net debt to trailing twelve month Adjusted EBITDA ratio currently below 2.0x, we intend to continue to prioritize our capital allocation towards additional debt reduction and potential M&A opportunities. Conference Call and Webcast Information Thermon's senior management team, including Bruce Thames, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Jay Peterson, Chief Financial Officer, will discuss Q3 2020 results during a conference call today at 10:00 a.m. (Central Time), which will be simultaneously webcast on Thermon's investor relations website located at http://ir.thermon.com . Investment community professionals interested in participating in the question-and-answer session may access the call by dialing (877) 407-5976 from within the United States/Canada and (412) 902-0031 from outside of the United States/Canada. A replay of the webcast will be available on Thermon's investor relations website after the conclusion of the call. About Thermon Through its global network, Thermon provides safe, reliable and mission critical industrial process heating solutions. Thermon specializes in providing complete flow assurance, process heating, temperature maintenance, freeze protection and environmental monitoring solutions. Thermon is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more information, please visit www.thermon.com . Non-GAAP Financial Measures Disclosure in this release of "Adjusted EPS," "Adjusted EBITDA," "Adjusted Net Income" and "Free Cash Flow" which are "non-GAAP financial measures" as defined under the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), are intended as supplemental measures of our financial performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). "Adjusted Net Income" and "Adjusted EPS" (or "Adjusted fully diluted earnings per share") represent net income attributable to Thermon before costs related to the consolidation of our operating footprint in Canada, amortization of intangible assets, the tax benefit from income tax rate reduction in Alberta, Canada and in the Netherlands and the income tax effect on any non-tax adjustments, per fully-diluted common share in the case of Adjusted EPS. "Adjusted EBITDA" represents net income attributable to Thermon before interest expense (net of interest income), income tax expense, depreciation and amortization expense, stock-based compensation expense, income attributable to non-controlling interests and costs related to the consolidation of our operating footprint in Canada. "Free Cash Flow" represents cash provided by operating activities less cash used for the purchase of property, plant and equipment, net of sales of rental equipment and proceeds from sales of land and buildings. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures are meaningful to our investors to enhance their understanding of our financial performance and are frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties to compare our performance with the performance of other companies that report Adjusted EPS, Adjusted EBITDA, or Adjusted Net Income. Adjusted EPS, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Net Income should be considered in addition to, not as substitutes for, income from operations, net income, net income per share and other measures of financial performance reported in accordance with GAAP. We provide Free Cash Flow as a measure of our liquidity. Our calculation of Adjusted EPS, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income and Free Cash Flow may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. For a description of how Adjusted EPS, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income, and Free Cash Flow are calculated and reconciliations to the corresponding GAAP measures, see the sections of this release titled "Reconciliation of Net Income attributable to Thermon to Adjusted EBITDA," "Reconciliation of Net Income attributable to Thermon to Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS" and "Reconciliation of Cash Provided by Operating Activities to Free Cash Flow." Forward-Looking Statements This release may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws in addition to historical information. These forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding our industry, business strategy, plans, goals and expectations concerning our market position, future operations, margins, profitability, capital expenditures, liquidity and capital resources and other financial and operating information. When used herein, the words "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "budget," "continue," "contemplate," "could," "should" "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "possible," "potential," "predict," "project," "will," "would," "future," and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify forward-looking statements in this release. Forward-looking statements reflect our current expectations regarding future events, results or outcomes. These expectations may or may not be realized. Some of these expectations may be based upon assumptions, data or judgments that prove to be incorrect. In addition, our business and operations involve numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could result in our expectations not being realized or otherwise materially affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Actual events, results and outcomes may differ materially from our expectations due to a variety of factors. Although it is not possible to identify all of these factors, they include, among others, (i) general economic conditions and cyclicality in the markets we serve; (ii) future growth of energy, chemical processing and power generation capital investments; (iii) our ability to deliver existing orders within our backlog; (iv) our ability to operate successfully in foreign countries; (v) our ability to effectively integrate THS product lines into our existing sales and marketing channels; (vi) tax liabilities and changes to tax policy; (vii) our ability to protect data and thwart potential cyber attacks; (viii) our ability to bid and win new contracts; (ix) our ability to successfully develop and improve our products and successfully implement new technologies; (x) competition from various other sources providing similar heat tracing and process heating products and services, or alternative technologies, to customers; (xi) our revenue mix; (xii) changes in relevant currency exchange rates; (xiii) a material disruption at any of our manufacturing facilities; (xiv) potential liability related to our products as well as the delivery of products and services; (xv) our dependence on subcontractors and third party suppliers; (xvi) our ability to comply with the complex and dynamic system of laws and regulations applicable to domestic and international operations, including U.S. government tariffs and the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union; (xvii) our ability to continue to generate sufficient cash flow to satisfy our liquidity needs; (xviii) our ability to obtain standby letters of credit, bank guarantees or performance bonds required to bid on or secure certain customer contracts; (xix) our ability to remediate the material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting; (xx) our ability to attract and retain qualified management and employees, particularly in our overseas markets; (xxi) our ability to protect our trade secrets and intellectual property; (xxii) the extent to which federal, state, local, and foreign governmental regulations of energy, chemical processing and power generation products and services limits or prohibits the operation of our business; and (xxiii) other factors discussed in more detail under the caption "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 12, 2019 and in any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q that we have filed or may file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any one or a combination of these factors could materially affect our furture financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and could influence whether any forward-looking statements contained in this release ultimately prove to be accurate. Our forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results and future performance may differ materially from those suggested in any forward-looking statements. We do not intend to update these statements unless we are required to do so under applicable securities laws. CONTACT: Kevin Fox (512) 690-0600 Investor.Relations@thermon.com Thermon Group Holdings, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations and Selected Balance Sheet Data (Unaudited, in Thousands except per share amounts) By 2019 Myanmar was four years into a telecoms boom that has dramatically changed the physical and technological landscape of the country, since the sector was opened to foreign competition in 2014. Sydney, Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communications focus report on Myanmar (Burma) outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets. Click here to access the report : https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Myanmar-Burma-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses Five years ago, Myanmar remained one of the last underdeveloped telecommunication markets in Asia, however this gap is being bridged quickly with a focus on mobile and mobile broadband services and exploding growth in that sector. By 2019 Myanmar was four years into a telecoms boom that has dramatically changed the physical and technological landscape of the country, since the sector was opened to foreign competition in 2014. Fixed broadband penetration in Myanmar remains extremely low mainly due to a limited number of fixed lines as well as the dominance of the mobile platform and an unwillingness by operators to invest in fixed broadband infrastructure. However, by 2019 a number of new fixed broadband service providers were emerging, installing fibre below or above ground for fixed line broadband access. One factor behind home broadband pricing falls is the entry of the telcos into the home broadband market to compete directly with existing ISPs. Over the next five years to 2023 the market is expected to grow very strongly but overall market penetration will remain extremely low compared to other nations. Myanmars mobile market has experienced very rapid growth in recent years, driven by the entry of three new competitors in the market, increasing the number of operators from just one to four. This has dramatically increased market competition. By 2019 the mobile market was approaching saturation and was seeing increased competition over data prices. Average revenue per user dropped further with the entry of a fourth operator- Mytel. Story continues Mobile broadband has experienced rapid growth over the past five years, driven by rapid growth in the mobile sector. Because telco reform came very late Myanmar, it has essentially leap frogged past fixed broadband access to mobile devices access for internet services. Strong growth is predicted over the next five years however at a slower rate due to increasing maturity in the market. The mobile broadband market will be driven by increasingly faster speeds offered by the mobile operators as they roll out 4G and eventually 5G networks. Key developments: MTP has launched the countrys third m-banking platform. Telenor Myanmar and Ericsson trialled NB-IoT on Telenors LTE network in Mandalay. Ruckus Networks installed a Wi-Fi-based fixed-wireless network for Myanmar Net. The number of mobile operators has increased from one to four over the past few years. This has dramatically increased market competition. The fixed broadband market remains highly underdeveloped, but is now gaining momentum Mobile broadband has experienced very strong growth over the past few years. In 2019/2020 an important telecoms development is occurring for Burma with the launch of the Kacific-1 satellite. Companies mentioned in this report Myanmar Post and Telecommunications (MPT); Telenor Myanmar; Ooredoo Myanmar; KDDI; Sumitomo; SingTel, Digicel; Qatar Telecom; Viettel Group; Vodafone, Myanmar National Tele & Communications (MNTC). Table of Contents Key statistics Country overview Telecommunications market Market Overview and Analysis Regional Asian Market Comparison Regulatory environment Regulatory authority Market liberalisation process Telecommunications Law 2013 Telecom Master Plan Licensing Fixed Services Telecommunications infrastructure Fixed-line statistics Fibre networks Universal Service Strategy International infrastructure Satellite Submarine Terrestrial cables Smart Infrastructure Internet of Things (IoT) Fixed-line broadband market Broadband Statistics and Forecast Fixed Broadband Service Providers Fixed Wireless Broadband Service Providers Fixed-line broadband technologies Wi-Fi Mobile market Mobile Statistics and Forecast Mobile Broadband Statistics and Forecast Regulatory issues SIM cards Spectrum Mobile infrastructure 3G 4G 5G Major mobile operators Operators Myanmar P&T (MPT) Ooredoo Telenor Myanmar National Tele & Communications (Mytel) Digital economy Overview e-Payments Digital Media Online Video Related reports List of Tables Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities 2018 (e) Table 2 Percentage of Population Covered by Type of Mobile Network Table 3 Key Metrics - Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) - 2018 2023 Table 4 Fixed-line subscribers and penetration 2006 2018 Table 5 Historic - fixed-line subscribers, penetration, annual change 1990, 1995 2005 Table 6 Fixed Broadband Subscribers and Penetration (with Forecast) 2008 2023 Table 7 Internet User Penetration 2007 2018 Table 8 Historic - Internet users and penetration 1999 2016 Table 9 Internet household penetration 2003 2018 Table 10 Proportion of households with a computer 2007 2018 Table 11 International internet bandwidth 2000 2018 Table 12 Lit/Equipped International Bandwidth Capacity 2014 2018 Table 13 Mobile Subscribers and Penetration (with Forecast) 2006 2023 Table 14 Historic - mobile subscribers, penetration and annual change 1995 2005 Table 15 Mobile Broadband Subscribers and Penetration (with Forecast) 2009 2023 Table 16 Mobile operator by system launch Table 17 Mobile subscriber market share by operator 2018 Table 18 MPT launch and system Table 19 MPT subscribers 2008 2018 Table 20 Ooredoo mobile subscribers 2014 2018 Table 21 Telenor mobile subscribers 2014 - 2018 List of Charts Chart 1 Mobile, Mobile Broadband & Fixed Broadband Penetration 2018; 2023 Chart 4 Telecoms Maturity Index Central Asia Chart 5 Fixed-line subscribers and penetration 2007 2018 Chart 6 Current mobile subscriber and mobile broadband penetration rates in countries to benefit from the Kacific-1 satellite Chart 7 Fixed Broadband Subscribers and Penetration (with Forecast) 2008 2023 Chart 8 Mobile Subscribers and Penetration (with Forecast) 2008 2023 Chart 9 Mobile Broadband Subscribers and Penetration (with Forecast) 2009 2023 List of Exhibits Exhibit 2 Central Asia -Key Characteristics of Telecoms Markets by Country Click here to access the report : https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Myanmar-Burma-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses Nicolas Bombourg nbombourg@budde.com.au Within Australia (02) 8076 7665 Outside Australia +44 207 097 1241 Given the state of the economy, where consumption levels are declining, it was widely anticipated that the government would come up with some path-breaking initiatives that would leave more disposable income in hands of taxpayers and drive up consumption. However, Budget 2020 has not brought any substantial tax benefit to individual taxpayers, though there are many proposals that can benefit them. Here is a look at the most important proposals that will have an effect on your personal finance. Income tax slab unchanged - If your gross income is above Rs 5 lakh and you have been using various exemptions and deductions like standard deduction, house rent allowance (HRA), leave travel allowance (LTA), home loan interest and principal, Section 80C investments and expenses, health insurance premium, National Pension System (NPS), and so on, to bring down your net taxable income substantially, the Budget may not have any new relief for you. New reduced tax rates have been announced but are applicable only if you forego all the deductions and exemptions. Budget 2020: Key Takeaways Income tax slabs remain unchanged for those who wish to use existing deductions and exemptions. Reduced income tax rates for various income levels; applicable if deductions/ exemptions not availed. Dividend distribution tax abolished; mostly benefits investors in lower income tax brackets. The Rs 1.5 lakh benefit on interest paid on affordable housing loans extended by a year to March 2021. ESOP tax payment deferred for five years for start-ups. Insurance cover on bank deposits raised from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh to help depositors. New limit of Rs 7.5 lakh on employer contribution to PF, NPS and superannuation fund. This adversely impacts people earning higher salaries. Owners can sell property for up to 10 per cent lower value than the circle rate. This means if you have been taking deductions of Rs 3-4 lakh or more, there is hardly any reason for you to opt out of the existing tax slabs and switch to the new ones (See Table). Option of reduced tax rate, but with trade-off - The Budget has introduced new reduced tax rates for incomes between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 15 lakh for those who do not use exemptions or deductions (see Quick Glance). "With the removal of several allowances such as LTA, HRA, perquisites, transport allowances, the income tax regime is no longer 'simplified' and taxpayers will have to choose between the two regimes and check which one is more beneficial," says Archit Gupta, Founder and CEO, Cleartax. "The optional instance will complicate it for taxpayers. Those committed to long-term investing or tax saving via 80C (through Sections 80C, 80D, etc) may put off decisions until they have seen the outcome of the options available to them," he adds. Dividend distribution tax abolished for companies - While the Budget did not have clear announcements in favour of taxpayers, it did announce a move that will benefit retail equity investors - abolition of the dividend distribution tax (DDT). The tax was paid at the rate of 20.55 per cent, including education cess and surcharge, by companies while giving dividend to investors. But with no DDT to pay, companies will be more willing to share their profits with investors. Investors receiving dividend will, however, pay income tax on this income depending upon their tax slabs. This will be great for those whose tax slab is lower that the 20 per cent DDT rate, explains Gupta. "So, this is a welcome relief," he adds. For those in the higher tax bracket, "things may be more complex and they may require assistance with figuring out the tax due on dividends earned. It may also impact exit strategies for some," he adds. Additional home loan deduction extended - To boost the flagging real estate sector, in Budget 2019, the government had introduced an additional deduction of Rs 1.5 lakh on home loan interest payment if you purchased a new house between April 1, 2019, and March 31 2020. The Budget has extended this by a year. What this means is that you can claim this deduction if you buy a new house between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, and meet the eligibility conditions. This is in addition to the Rs 2 lakh deduction available under Section 24b. To be eligible for this additional deduction, the value of the house should not be more than Rs 45 lakh. You should also not hold any other house on the day the loan is sanctioned. "With houses bought by most first time buyers in the Rs 30-60 lakh range, and people buying these being in the Rs 10-25 lakh salary bracket, the biggest home buying segment is likely to increase the demand for affordable homes," says Sunil Mishra, Chief Executive Officer, TRESPECT, a B2C residential brokerage. Enhanced protection on bank deposits - The recent crisis in PMC Bank, where many depositors were unable to withdraw their savings, brought forth the inadequacy of the deposit insurance cover of just Rs 1 lakh. This had remained unchanged since 1995. The Budget 2020 has addressed this by raising the insurance cover to Rs 5 lakh. Retirement contribution by employer capped at Rs 7.5 lakh - Earlier, salaried employees who were in the highest income tax bracket had the flexibility to restructure their salary in such a way that the employer could make higher contribution towards Employees' Provident Fund (EPF), NPS or superannuation fund. But this year's Budget has limited the exemption on such contributions to Rs 7.5 lakh in a financial year. "Tax saving by optimising the salary structure using NPS and superannuation may no longer be valid given the proposal on a combined limit to employer contributions to provident fund, superannuation fund and NPS. The employers may have to revisit their compensation policies in view of the proposed amendment," says Sudhakar Sethuraman, Partner, Deloitte India. Relief to start-ups on ESOPs - To support start-ups in their talent retention efforts through employee stock options (ESOPs), the Budget has allowed tax deduction on these instruments to be deferred by five years. "In case of stock options issued by eligible start-up companies, it is proposed to defer tax deduction to the time of sale of shares or leaving of company or 48 months from the end of the relevant assessment year, whichever is earlier. This aims at protecting individual taxpayers from immediate tax outflow at the time of exercise of ESOPs despite holding the shares," says Sethuraman of Deloitte India. NRIs to pay income tax on India income - The Budget took a step towards bringing in more NRIs into the country's tax net. As per the proposal, an Indian citizen who is not liable to pay tax in any other country or territory due to his domicile or residence or any other criteria of similar nature shall be deemed to be resident in India and, hence, liable to pay tax on his income in India. Explaining the objective behind the new NRI taxation provision, the Finance Bill states, "Tax laws should not encourage a situation where a person is not liable to tax in any country. The current rules governing tax residence make it possible for HNWIs and other individuals, who may be Indian citizens, to not be liable for tax anywhere in the world. Such a circumstance is certainly not desirable; particularly in the light of current development in the global tax environment where avenues for double non-taxation are being systematically closed." So, people who have gone abroad for employment and have not become a citizen of any other country may be required to pay tax on their income in India. One must note that there are many NRIs who will not be affected by this new provision. "NRIs who are tax residents of the US and other countries having worldwide tax will certainly not be impacted by the above change. Even in case of countries which have territorial taxation such as Singapore or Hong Kong, this should not have application as the residents are subject to tax on their local income. However, this has once again brought to the forefront the meaning of the words 'liable to tax', particularly in cases where the countries, such as the UAE, do not impose personal tax," says Suresh Surana, Founder, RSM India, a consultancy firm. If you are an NRI and want to save on tax, then you have to take note of the number of days you stay in India. "It is also critical that individuals holding an Indian passport or persons of Indian origin regularly visiting India for various purposes should ensure that their stay in India is less than 120 days in any financial year as against 182 days earlier," says Surana. Relief on selling property at corrected price - Over the last three years, the real estate sector has witnessed unprecedented correction and stagnation in property prices. However, there are many localities where the circle rate has not seen any revision or correction. As a result, the market value of the property is much less than the stipulated circle rate. The seller thus had to record the transaction at the circle rate, which was higher, and then pay higher stamp duty due to higher transaction value. In a move that would give relief to such property sellers, the Budget proposal allows them to sell their property and record the transaction at a value which is up to 10 per cent less than the corresponding circle rate. @naveenkumar80 and Bulgarian company Arsenal signed an MoU on Thursday to manufacture small arms and ammunition in India, according to a press release. "Kalyani Strategic Systems Limited (KSSL) and Arsenal will be aggressively developing a manufacturing capability in India for the 'AR' 7.62 x 39mm assault rifle and the 'MG' 7.62 x 51mm machine gun series," it added. KSSL is the defence arm of Pune-based and Arsenal is a joint stock company from Bulgaria. The "strategic" alliance is also actively participating in the projects for meeting the Army's requirement of certain types of ammunition over a "10-year program", the release noted. Arsenal's small arms have been in active operations in India for "decades" and have a "proven record" of performance, it mentioned. Rajinder Singh Bhatia, Chairman, KSSL, said We are very excited to enter the small arms segment. This strategic alliance will combine Arsenal's proven technology, knowledge and experience as an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) with world class design, development and manufacturing capabilities of the CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Proposed hydropower dams in Gabon pose a substantial threat to the African nation's most culturally and economically important fishes, according to a new study. The study, published today in the journal Ecosphere, is the first of its kind to predict the distribution of fishes throughout central African freshwaters by linking museum records to ecological data. That synthesis allowed the study's authors to infer how the nearly 40 dams planned for construction in Gabon might affect its many fish species. Many of the culturally and economically important fish species in Gabon move from the ocean into rivers, with some known to swim up to 250 miles upstream into pure freshwaters. Gabon has some of the world's most pristine unimpeded river systems and high freshwater biodiversity. The proposed dams will block access to much of the freshwater habitat that is also suitable for marine species and will impact at least 350 fish species, said Brian Sidlauskas, study co-author and associate professor at Oregon State University. "Our modeling found that particularly in Gabon's second-largest river, the Nyanga, dam development could cut marine fishes off from 60% of the most suitable freshwater habitats, representing 392 river kilometers," Sidlauskas said. Previous research shows that freshwater ecosystems are among the most imperiled in the world and approximately 20% of the assessed freshwater fishes are threatened with extinction, and that dams are causing major shifts in species distribution and abundance, including extinctions. There are three free-flowing rivers at least 500 kilometers in length in Gabon: the Ivindo, the Nyanga, which is currently undammed, and the Ogooue. While the 38 proposed dams in Gabon, including 28 in the Ogooue watershed, can increase energy production, they would fragment and alter relatively pristine river systems, according to the study co-authors. Potentially impacted fish species include the Giant African threadfin, snappers, croakers, bonga shad, mullets, Atlantic tarpon and tongue soles. Though these fishes are known to enter rivers regularly as adults or as juveniles, most of the 38 potential dam sites have never been scientifically surveyed for their presence, and no previous formal studies of fish movement within Gabon's freshwater ecosystems had been conducted. For their study, researchers at OSU and University of California, Santa Cruz, compiled records for fresh and brackish water fishes of Gabon and Equatorial Guinea from three databases, and grouped them by guilds. An ecological guild is any group of species that exploits the same resources, or that exploit different resources in similar ways. The research team used a geographic information system to record river data to create two connectivity scenarios: one under existing dams and one with the proposed dams. The model used guild data, which included traits and prevalence; topography, including tree canopy cover, waterfalls or steep changes in elevation, and other hydrological information. The model predicted marine-associated fishes had a high likelihood of occupying the Nyanga and its major tributaries and much of the Ogooue's main channel, as well as portions of its major tributaries. Construction of all the proposed dams might lead to a loss of access to 7% of highly suitable habitats, or 466 stream kilometers. These losses were largest on the Nyanga, Ogooue, Mvoung, Lolo, Komo and Okano rivers. ### Study lead author Joe Cutler recently earned a doctorate in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UC Santa Cruz. Co-authors included Ivan Arismendi, assistant professor at OSU, and J. Andres Olivos, a Ph.D. student at OSU. Sidlauskas, Arismendi and Olivos are all in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife in OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences. The Nature Conservancy partially funded the study. SSP arrests five armed subjects posing as Merida police officers Merida, Yucatan Five subjects were arrested by police in Merida for assaulting elements of the Secretaria de Seguridad Publica (SSP) with a firearm. The events occurred during the early morning hours in the streets of the Francisco I. Madero neighborhood. Reports say the five attempted to pose as officers, wearing badges and accessories similar to those of the SSP. Their goal was to impersonate investigative agents and thereby commit crimes and blame the corporation, discrediting it. Upon their arrest, police also found the group in possession of a balaclava, equipment waist belt and a taser gun in their van. Police report that while surveying streets in Francisco I. Madero, they ordered the van to stop when one of the subjects, who began speaking with the officer, pulled a gun and threatened to shoot him. Police support units arrived at the scene that finally secured and detained all five subjects. No detonations are reported by the elements. Arrested were 32-year-old Eric Xavier M.P. from Yucatan, 34-year-old Oscar Amilcar Z.B. of Veracruz, 25-year-old Juan Daniel and 35-year-old Jose de Jesus G.C. both from the State of Mexico. Also taken into custody was 39-year-old Gaspar Eduardo K.X. from Yucatan who recently left prison after serving a conviction for drug trafficking. They identify him as the leader of the band. Gaspar Eduardo is also said to be associated with the public placement of threat signs last year placed in the south of the state. The individuals were made available to ministerial authorities. The five-acre land at Dhannipur village on the Lucknow-Gorakhpur highway in Ayodhya district was selected for allotment to the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board for construction of a mosque due to a number of reasons. Some of these reasons included the sites proximity to a highway, the population mix of the nearby Raunahi town and the history of communal harmony in the area. The site is nearly 25 kilometres from the place where Ram temple will come up in Ayodhya. Announcing the allotment, state government spokesman and UP energy minister Shrikant Sharma said, The land is 200 metres from the highway and has easy access. Its the best spot in view of maintaining communal harmony as well as law and order. Also Watch l Watch: PM Modi announces formation of Ram temple trust in Lok Sabha Some locals said the demand by a few Ayodhya saints that the mosque should be situated outside the main parikrama routes also appeared to have been taken into account. The state government had initially selected three spots on highways near Ayodhya before the central government zeroed in on the Dhannipur site near Raunahi town, an official said. While finalizing the land for the mosque, the government ensured that it was located in a Muslim-dominated area so that disputes between the two communities could be minimized, said the state government officer, who refused to be named. The area has no history of communal violence and members of both communities have been living in harmony, the officer said. Mohammad Arshad, a madarsa teacher in Faizabad in Ayodhya district, said, Its not the only criterion for selection of the spot. After the Supreme Court had ordered for allotment of five-acre land for the mosque in its Ayodhya verdict on November 9 last year, sadhus, saints and mahants of temples and mutts in Ayodhya had demanded that the land should be allotted outside the panchkosi parikarma and 14 kosi parikarma areas of the temple town, he said. Dhannipur was outside the parikarma area, he said. Mahant Raju Das of Hanumangarhi Ayodhya said, The government has fulfilled our demand to allot land for mosque outside the parikarma area. The officer also said the Ayodhya district administration scanned land on highways crossing the temple town, including Lucknow- Ayodhya highway, Ayodhya-Gonda, Faizabad- Azamgarh, Ayodhya-Basti and Faizabad- Sultanpur highway. Three sites on Faizabad-Azamgarh, Ayodhya-Basti and Lucknow-Ayodhya highways were shortlisted. The first two spots were near the parikarma route, so the government zeroed in on Dhannipur, the officer said. As much as 60% of Raunahis population consists of Muslims. The land has been allotted near the mazar of Sufi saint Shahgada Shah. Al-Jame-atul- Islamia, a noted Islamic seminary of the Sunni Barelvi sect that enjoys considerable influence among the Muslims across the country, is also located at Raunahi. Ramesh Yadav, 32, the village head of Dhannipur, said, Now, whosoever comes to visit the grand Ram temple that is expected to come up in Ayodhya will, out of sheer curiosity, visit our village too where the BJP government has chosen the agriculture departments land for the mosque. I guess the land where the mosque could come up traverses two villages, Dhannipur and Sheikhpur Jafar. Since there is a substantial Muslim population in and around Dhannipur and the adjoining villages, I guess the land is well positioned to cater to the religious needs of minorities, said Yadav, a graduate, on the phone. Firoz Khan, a graduate who runs a common service centre (CSC) in Dhannipur, said, So far, we had two mosques, but now we may get another one. The two mosques in Dhannipur were enough for our village, which doesnt have a big population. But, the new mosque would surely bring us attention, footfalls and consequently development. Immediately after the Supreme Courts Ayodhya verdict on November 9 last year, the Dhannipur gram pradhan was approached by revenue department officials who had measured the vacant government land in the village. The officials arrived again on Wednesday to make further measurements. Dhannipur has 77.70 per cent male literacy rate and 62.34 per cent female literacy rate, according to the 2011 Census. Its true that the literacy rate and awareness is impressive in a village which doesnt have any history of communal bitterness, said Firoz Khan. In November 2018, the Yogi Adityanath government had approved the renaming of Faizabad division as Ayodhya and had said it would comprise Ayodhya, Ambedkarnagar, Sultanpur, Amethi and Barabanki districts. Marvel has managed to get back their old house star as Sam Raimi is possibly returning to direct 'Doctor Strange 2'. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed that the filmmaker who helmed the original 'Spiderman' series between 2002 and 2007 is in talks with the house to overlook the upcoming project 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' The news was another surprise after the initial shock of Scott Derrickson who helmed the 2016's first installment of 'Doctor Strange' exiting the from the second part due to creative differences. However, Scott has agreed to hold on to his executive producer position for the film. 'Doctor Strange 2' stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Sorcerer Supreme alike the first film. The film will also connect the dots between the upcoming Disney+ series 'Wandavision' which is scheduled to reach the audiences in December 2020. Raimi had introduced Tobey Maguire as and in 'Spiderman' but over the years had shifted to produce films like 'Crawl' and 'Don't Breathe'. He had also directed some of the commercially successful movies such as 'Oz the Great and Powerful' and 'Drag Me to Hell'. Apart from 'Doctor Strange', Cumberbatch has also portrayed the character in 'Thor: Ragnarok', 'Avengers: Infinity War' and 'Avengers: Endgame'. Makers of 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' have planned for a release date of May 7, 2021, and are aiming to start production in May this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (ANSA) - Rome, February 6 - An initial test on one of the 56 Italians airlifted back from the Chinese city of Wuhan and currently in observation at the Cecchignola military facility on the outskirts of Rome has indicated he may have the coronavirus, ANSA sources said Thursday. Further tests for positivity to the coronavirus will now be conducted, the sources said. The man will be moved to the Spallanzani infectious-disease hospital in Rome after the initial tests raised the suspicion he has the coronavirus 2019-nCoV. Tests on 35 Italians on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship of the Carnival Japan line, quarantined off Japan, have come out negative, the foreign ministry said. A meeting of a technical committee at the health ministry Thursday said further measures of prevention for citizens returning from at-risk areas would be taken. The final 87 Italian students taking part in an Intercultura programme in China will return to Italy by Friday evening. A Chinese couple in a critical but stable condition at the Spallanzani are being treated with HIV and Ebola drugs too, sources said Thursday. The total number of global coronavirus deaths has now risen to 565. Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas presents the Ruby Chocolate Special promotion to celebrate Valentine's Day season. / Courtesy of Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas By Jun Ji-hye As Valentine's Day nears, hotels here are rushing to roll out new packages and events, which are luxurious yet relatively affordable, to captivate the hearts of guests and visitors. Officials at hotels said their promotions focus on romantic getaways for those who want to spend memorable time with their sweethearts on the special day. The Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas' Lobby Lounge welcomes the Valentine's Day and White Day, presenting the Ruby Chocolate Special promotion. During the promotion, The Lobby Lounge will give away diamond-shaped ruby jewelry chocolates and its signature dessert featuring ruby chocolate from Barry Callebaut, which received FDA approval in 2019. The hotel's popular strawberry dessert buffet, Strawberry Gourmet Boutique, which is currently running, also accommodates the promotion for a limited time only for five weeks from Valentine's Day falling on Feb. 14. On Valentine's Day, it is available twice at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. as part of the dinner service to maximize the romantic atmosphere. Ruby chocolate, which was newly introduced to Korea at the end of last year, is the fourth type of chocolate officially approved by the FDA in the United States in 2019, following dark, milk and white chocolate. Made without artificial colors, ruby chocolate has a natural red and pink shade, boasting a refreshing fruity aroma different from the unique natural elements in the ruby cocoa bean. The popularity comes from its color and unique flavor, and it is gaining increasing recognition as an ingredient of various desserts. Diamond-shaped ruby jewelry chocolate is available only on Valentine's Day and White Day. The Ruby Chocolate Special held by Strawberry Gourmet Boutique at The Lobby Lounge is available at the same price, 69,000 won ($58) per person. JW Marriott Hotel Seoul will present its Love Is Sharing menu at The Margaux Grill located on the seventh floor to offer guests and visitors a chance to enjoy this most special and romantic of dinners with their significant other on Valentine's Day. JW Marriott Hotel Seoul presents its Love Is Sharing menu consisting of six courses to help guests and visitors have romantic dinners with their significant other on Valentine's Day. / Courtesy of JW Marriott Hotel Seoul Available from Feb. 14 for three days, the Love Is Sharing dinner set menu will consist of six courses, starting with the seafood tower that includes crab, pomegranates, lobster, prawns and abalone. The main course features the Margaux Grill's house-aging method, and the Spanish brand Josper's charcoal oven cooked to taste T-bone steak which boasts the highest quality and taste, with signature sauces. The dinner will include a sommelier-recommended glass of wine that maximizes the flavor of the meal, while dessert will be cheese cake and strawberry ice cream topped with a caramel-flavored surface to complete the romantic dinner sweetly. In addition to meals, a beautiful and carefully handmade hall cake is offered as a special gift for people to take away and continue the celebration of the special day in their rooms or at home. The Love Is Sharing set menu is available from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and is priced at 195,000 won per person. JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul is offering its The Whole You spa package for couples who want to celebrate Valentine's Day with a premium experience. JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul offers The Whole You spa package to couples for a premium experience on Valentine's Day. / Courtesy of JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul Labour leadership hopeful Lisa Nandy has set out proposals to channel billions of pounds in economic funding directly into the hands of councils. She also said she couldnt disagree more with deputy leadership candidate Richard Burgons plan to give party members a veto on military action. In a speech on Thursday fleshing out her vision of local government, she proposed diverting cash currently going to local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) straight to local authorities in England. LEPs are voluntary partnerships between councils and local businesses intended to drive economic growth in an area, taking over many of the functions of regional development agencies, which were scrapped in 2012. Lisa Nandy was fleshing out her proposals on local government policy (Danny Lawson/PA) She also raised the issue of misogyny, saying it had to be called out. On Wednesday, Mr Burgon recalled the disastrous and illegal Iraq war as he put forward a plan for a members vote on military action except where there was an issue of national security or when there was UN-backing. Asked for her views during a meeting in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, Ms Nandy said: I think Robin Cook would be ashamed of where we may end up as a party. I couldnt disagree with him (Richard Burgon) more. At times in our history, there have been moments where we have had to stand up and go and protect people all over the world. Giving the example of the devastating civil conflict in Rwanda, in the 1990s, she said: Those people cannot wait for us to ballot Labour party members. Ms Nandy was also asked how she would improve womens engagement in the party. She praised shadow culture secretary Tracy Brabin, who recently faced criticism on social media for her off-the-shoulder dress, during a House of Commons appearance. Ms Nandy said: I was watching Tracy Brabin yesterday, stand up to these online bullies, who have more interest talking about her shoulder than they were about the fact the media was being silenced in this country. Story continues Shame on the media, those sections, that reported about what she was wearing rather than reporting about the fact that they are being gagged by their Government. She said when first elected a decade ago she always told young women to go into politics so their voice could be heard. Over the last 10 years, Ive started to hesitate before I say that to young women, she added. Because I dont know whether I want them to put themselves through what I see a lot of women go through, not just at parliamentary level but at council level as well. Tracy Brabin raising a point of order in the Commons on Monday. (House of Commons/PA) The only way this will change is if we encourage more women into politics. Speaking from a personal experience, she added said that on announcing her leadership bid she was told by some in Parliament that I wasnt ready. They then went on to nominate somebody who had less than half the amount of parliamentary experience that I have, she added. There is a misogyny behind that that has to be understood and has to be called out. Turning to her policy proposals, she would abolish the youth rate of the minimum wage as it had only provided an excuse for cheap labour. Ms Nandy would also replace Universal Credit, which she said was a system that is designed to make life so hard for people on it that they just give up. She said Labour had to become the party of a system that lifts people up and not just a party of paternalism that just gives hand-outs to people and thinks weve fixed it. On economic funding, she said: LEPs in England have had over 12 billion to drive economic growth in their local areas but there is clear evidence many LEPs have under-spent that allocation. Ms Nandy added: Under my leadership the money currently allocated to LEPs will be handed directly to local authorities democratically accountable to the people they represented. She said that under her leadership, party councillors would have the right to make collective nominations for the leader and deputy leadership contests. She would also invite the leader of the Local Government Association Labour group to attend shadow cabinet meetings along with the partys elected leaders in Scotland and Wales. NHS scrutinizes puberty blockers amid complaints, lawsuit against Tavistock clinic Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Amid an ongoing legal challenge against the United Kingdom's lone gender clinic, The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust, the National Health Service is now giving greater scrutiny to experimental puberty-blocking drugs prescribed to gender-confused children. The NHS announced that it has examined the use of experimental hormone drugs in children who say they desire to undergo a medicalized gender transition. The findings of this official review, conducted by a former president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and her team, will be published later this year, The Guardian reported Sunday. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) is also involved in the formal review and will advise Dr. Hilary Cass' team. This is a fast-developing area of medicine with emerging evidence and high public interest. I look forward to chairing this independent group, bringing together medical and non-medical experts with a range of perspectives, to make evidence-based recommendations about the future use of these drugs, Cass said. She will lead a team of 20 experts. The Tavistock clinic maintains their approach is "evidence-based" and that they work with each patient on a "case-by-case basis." A clinic spokeswoman said they welcome the review. The increased scrutiny of these practices is in part due to the testimony of Keira Bell, 23, who underwent a medical gender-transition during her teens and is a claimant in a lawsuit against the Tavistock clinic, brought by former NHS psychiatric nurse Sue Evans. Bell, who is now known as what is called a "detransitioner" someone who once lived and identified as the opposite sex but no longer does and in many cases regrets their transition said in a statement last week that she does not believe minors are capable of giving informed consent to using experimental hormone drugs. "The treatment needs to change so that it does not put young people, like me, on a torturous and unnecessary path that is permanent and life-changing, Bell said. Bell's lawyer noted during court proceedings that she "seriously regrets the process and feels that the way it was handled and her involvement in it was not appropriate. Evans and others, such as former Gender Identity Development Service-Leeds clinical psychologist Kirsty Entwistle, have in recent months gone public with their concerns about the internal practices within the Tavistock clinic, particularly the speed with which young people were being referred for hormone blockers. In July, Entwistle noted in an open letter to Dr. Polly Carmichael, who runs the Tavistock clinic, that an "unspoken rule" existed within the facility, that clinicians were never to inform families that their children were not transgender. Children and their families were also told that puberty-suppressing drugs used to transition youth were "fully reversible," when in fact the long-term effects on developing bodies and brains are unknown. In June it was documented that in less than 10 years the numbers of youth referred to the clinic for gender identity disorders have skyrocketed, a 1,460% increase in referrals of boys and a 5,337% increase in girls. U.S. critics of the medicalization of gender often point out that, despite assurances that blockers are reversible, the relevant research on the subject show that the vast majority of patients who start using blockers continue further down the pathway and take cross-sex hormones and undergo surgery, which results in sterility among other grave health complications. In Ireland, it was reported Monday that doctors who have objections to puberty blockers are having their concerns about the safety of the hormonal agents suppressed. According to The Irish Independent, concerns over the standards of clinical care and governance were brought up at a meeting of doctors and hospital officials in Crumlin last March, including some who called for the gender identity meds to be "terminated with immediate effect." Some discussed that children had been started on hormones when it did not appear to be suitable. Yet their concerns were omitted from draft minutes of the meeting, the outlet reported. The administration of gender identity medicine in Ireland occurs through two Tavistock clinicians who fly in from London and treat the children at Crumlin Children's Hospital. It is estimated the 291 children have been treated there since 2015. "There was usually no clear record of how or when the decision to commence treatment was made," said Dr. Paul Moran, a consultant psychiatrist who expressed concerns. Moran also reportedly raised questions over the clinical governance of the GIDS service, and noted the funding for it was irregular, utilizing money streams from outside the country. Steven Dillingham, the director of the Census Bureau, was four hours late. His charter plane had been delayed by a winter fog common in Toksook Bay, the remote Alaskan town that he was visiting. The villagers were waiting, prepared to welcome him with a potluck and the performance of a traditional dance. But when the flight finally touched down last month, Dr. Dillingham had business to take care of. Leaving the airstrip on the back of a snowmobile, he made straight for the home of the villages oldest resident. There, Dr. Dillingham greeted the woman inside and officially began the governments decennial attempt to count every person in America. According to the 2010 census, 590 people lived in Toksook Bay. State demographers expect the total to rise by about 100 people when census results are published next year. There has to be an increase in the count. We know we are growing, said Robert Pitka, a tribal administrator who is leading census outreach in Toksook Bay. Every person matters for federal funding. But Toksook Bay, along with thousands of other small places around the country, may end up with an inaccurate population count. The law requires individual census records to be kept confidential for 72 years. Fearing that data brokers using new statistical techniques could de-anonymize the published population totals, the bureau is testing an algorithm that will scramble the final numbers. Imaginary people will be added to some locations and real people will be removed from others. The more the algorithm muddles the results, the more difficult it will be, for example, for a data scientist to combine a set of addresses and credit scores with census results to learn the age and race of people living on a certain block. While the algorithm helps protect respondents confidentiality, a test run on the last census shows it may produce wildly inaccurate numbers for rural areas and minority populations. According to the official 2010 census, 90 people lived in Kalawao County, on the northern coast of the Hawaiian island of Molokai. At the time, Kalawao was Americas second-smallest county. Results using the privacy algorithm, however, showed 716 people living there in 2010 almost an eightfold increase. Large populations mostly stayed the same size under the privacy algorithm. Small populations were affected more by the algorithm. Some doubled in size; others were halved or even disappeared. Black people in counties Counties Places 10,000,000 people in 2010 1,000,000 100,000 10,000 Only tiny Kalawao County showed a major change, increasing from 90 people to 716. Toksook Bay 1,000 100 10 1 No change No change No change 2 4 8 2 4 8 2 4 8 Large populations mostly stayed the same size under the privacy algorithm. Counties 10,000,000 people in 2010 1,000,000 100,000 Only tiny Kalawao County showed a major change, increasing from 90 people to 716. 10,000 1,000 100 10 1 No change 2 4 8 Small populations were affected more by the algorithm. Some doubled in size; others were halved or even disappeared. Black people in counties 10,000,000 people in 2010 1,000,000 100,000 10,000 1,000 100 10 1 No change 2 4 8 Places 10,000,000 people in 2010 1,000,000 100,000 10,000 1,000 Toksook Bay 100 10 1 No change 2 4 8 Large populations mostly stayed the same size under the privacy algorithm. Counties 10,000,000 people in 2010 1,000,000 100,000 Only tiny Kalawao County showed a major change, increasing from 90 people to 716. 10,000 1,000 100 10 1 No change 2 4 8 Small populations were affected more by the algorithm. Some doubled in size; others were halved or even disappeared. Black people in counties 10,000,000 people in 2010 1,000,000 100,000 10,000 1,000 100 10 1 No change 2 4 8 Places 10,000,000 people in 2010 1,000,000 100,000 10,000 Toksook Bay 1,000 100 10 1 No change 2 4 8 These charts use a log scale, which zooms in on smaller populations. Black population figures include only respondents who identified as black or African-American alone. Source: IPUMS In Toksook Bay, the population dropped from 590 people to 540 in the test run. Mr. Pitka said that a decrease in the count due to the privacy algorithm would be disappointing and hurtful. The list of uses for census data has grown since 1790, when Thomas Jefferson supervised the first enumeration. Knowing the size of small communities lets researchers track public health crises. Lawyers use counts of minority populations to ensure their vote isnt unfairly split across voting districts. And during a natural disaster, state officials may dispatch emergency workers using maps of where the elderly live. Getting a slice of tax revenue may be the primary concern for many local governments. The decennial census will shape the allocation of $1.5 trillion in government spending. In Toksook Bay, federal grants helped pay for a permanent path to the nearby village of Nightmute, according to Mr. Pitka. Now people arent making their own trails and tearing up the environment with their A.T.V.s., he said. Some weaknesses in the privacy algorithms implementation are only just now coming to light. A recent analysis by Randall Akee, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that on reservations with fewer than 5,000 people, the algorithm decreased the population of Native Americans by an average of 34 percent. Under the privacy algorithm, almost all small- and medium-size reservations showed fewer Native American inhabitants. native americans on reservations 10,000 people in 2010 1,000 100 10 1 2 4 8 No change Under the privacy algorithm, almost all small- and medium-size reservations showed fewer Native American inhabitants. native americans on reservations 10,000 people in 2010 1,000 100 10 1 No change 2 4 8 Native American population figures include only respondents who identified as American Indian or Alaskan Native alone. Source: IPUMS When a small tribe puts its own money into getting all members to participate and it gets back information that it has a population of zero, its certainly not going to be willing to promote the census in the future, said Norm DeWeaver, a consultant for Native American tribes on data issues. The census begins in January for Toksook Bay and other remote Alaskan villages so that enumerators can count residents before they leave in the spring for fishing grounds. To size up the threat of so-called reidentification attacks, the Census Bureau tried to reverse-engineer the 2010 census results. Officials were able to correctly identify just 17 percent of the original 309 million records. John Abowd, chief scientist at the census, thinks the risk could grow, and argues that in any case, the bureau has a legal obligation to put the algorithm to use in 2020: Were already under a statutory mandate to enforce confidentiality protection, he said. We dont have the luxury of rolling it out after we get it perfected. But the stakes are too high for the census to add more errors to a survey that already misses millions of Americans. Census results are so important that some cities have even expanded their borders in advance of the count, increasing their populations to gain more federal funding. And government agencies wont have access to the original, unmodified census counts when they distribute that money. Census officials have already exempted state population totals from the algorithms effects, so congressional apportionment will remain as accurate as possible. Dr. Abowd said that the census plans to increase accuracy for the populations of some small areas, such as reservations, and that the undercount of Native Americans in the test run is unacceptable. There is still time to modify the algorithm the bureau has more than a year before it releases results to the states for redistricting. The goal of the Census Bureau is to count everyone once, only once and in the right place. Trudging through the snow, enumerators in rural Alaska are helping the government reach that standard. But if the bureau uses its privacy algorithm without hearing from small communities like Toksook Bay, it risks undermining their efforts and damaging the censuss reputation for decades to come. A man who caused a serious fire in Edgeworthstown by lighting a piece of tissue and pushing it through the letterbox of a house in April 2018 after consuming several pints of beer and a number of lines of cocaine has been sentenced to six years in prison, with the final four years and six months suspended. James Carroll, with an address at 3 Cloverwell, Edgeworthstown, appeared before Judge Keenan Johnson at the January sessions of Longford Circuit Court, and pleaded guilty to the charge of arson contrary to section 2 of the Criminal Damage Act 1991. The court heard that on April 20, 2018, the accused embarked on an alcohol and drug-fuelled binge whereby he consumed 13 to 14 pints of beer and eight or nine lines of cocaine. Mr Carroll and a friend returned to Edgeworthstown at approximately 3am on April 21 and went looking for a house party in Pairc Na hAbhainn, Edgeworthstown. Due to their level of intoxication, the pair were turned away by the owner of the home and, on passing the house of Colette Conway at 33 Auburn Park, the accused lit a piece of tissue paper that he had in his pocket and attempted to put it through the letterbox of the house. The letterbox, which had a draft excluder fitted with nylon brushes, quickly caught fire, with the flames catching on the PVC door of the house. Ms Conways 21-year-old son, Aaron Parker, who was asleep in the house at the time, happened to wake up and, smelling the smoke from the fire, he ran downstairs to see the door was in flames. Mr Parker immediately ran back upstairs, grabbed his keys and used them to open the burning door and run outside, the court heard. Having alerted the neighbours, including a fireman who lived a number of doors down, Mr Parker ran back into the home to get his clothes before exiting again through the door which, at this stage was engulfed by flames. After escaping the house, Mr Parker was suffering from smoke inhalation and was given water and an inhaler by a neighbour. The fire brigade and an ambulance were promptly called and Mr Parker was taken to hospital. The fire and smoke damage caused to the house resulted in an insurance claim of 25,835, the court heard. This was paid by Zurich, who insured the house. It is clear that this was an extremely serious offence and it is fortunate that Aaron woke up when he did as, otherwise, the court could be dealing with a case of serious injury and even fatality, said Judge Keenan Johnson. It is hard to understand how the accused could have been so reckless in doing what he did. It is also difficult to understand that the accused, realising what he had done, made no effort to contact the emergency services. A victim impact statement submitted to the court by Colette Conway indicated that the fire left her and her two sons without a home. Ms Conway and her 10-year-old son were obliged to stay with a friend while her 21-year-old son Aaron Parker stayed with his grandparents until the family secured a new home. She described the effect of the fire as being hard on her son, Aaron, who suffered from anxiety and whose sleeping pattern was adversely affected as a result. In her victim impact statement, Ms Conway explained that the incident had turned her family upside down and resulted in them being separated which was very emotional. She also described having to start from scratch, which caused her a lot of stress and caused her hair to fall out. The court can fully accept what a frightening and terrifying experience the offending was for Ms Conway and in particular her son Aaron, who was on the premises, said Judge Johnson. It was extremely fortuitous that Aaron woke up when he did and became aware of the fire. One shudders to think what might have happened had Aaron remained asleep and the fire caught hold while he was still on the premises. Even if the fire was caught before the house was engulfed, the smoke could have been enough to cause serious brain damage to Aaron if he inhaled it while he was asleep and indeed could have resulted in his death. The court hopes that Ms Conway and her sons can move on from this horrifying and frightening incident and it also hopes that todays sentence will give them some form of closure, Judge Johnson added. In determining a sentence in the case, Judge Johnson took into account the gravity of the offence and the culpability of the accused, accepting that the defendant acted recklessly rather than intentionally setting out to commit arson. Nevertheless, the level of recklessness displayed by the accused was significant and reflective of a high degree of culpability, said the Circuit Court Judge. Aggravating factors in this case, Judge Johnson continued, included the fact that, upon setting the fire, Mr Carroll made no effort to alert anybody who might be inside the house or to ring emergency services. The effect on the victims was also an aggravating factor, as was the fact that the accused endeavoured to cover his tracks by burning the clothes that he was wearing at the time he committed the offence. An early plea of guilt, which saved the State the time, cost and expense that a criminal trial would have entailed, however, attracted significant mitigation, Judge Johnson explained. The accused also expressed remorse for his offending and furnished a letter of apology to the victims, which the court accepted as sincere and genuine. A number of character witnesses, which described the accused as hardworking, reliable and pleasant were also taken in mitigation. The accused was also assessed by the probation officer who reported that he was at moderate risk of re-offending and that any previous convictions were minor and related to road traffic offences. It is clear that, at the time of the offending, the accused was in the throes of alcohol abuse and drug addictions. The court is advised that the accused is now drug-free and that should significantly reduce his risk of re-offending, said Judge Johnson. It was also revealed to the court that Mr Carroll is the father of four small children, the youngest of which are three-month-old twins. Obviously, any incarceration of the accused will negatively impact on his relationship with his partner and children and will, because of his absence, punish both his partner and children who are all blameless for the offending, said Judge Johnson. The accused also told the court that he would borrow the sum of 5,000 from his father, to be made payable to the victim, and offered to pay a further sum of 5,000 as compensation for Ms Conway and her sons. It is clear that the accused is ashamed by his behaviour and the distress it has caused not only the victims, but also his parents, partner and his family. He appreciates that his offending has brought shame not only on himself, but also on his family, said Judge Johnson. Turning to the issue of sentencing, Judge Johnson said that the offence carried a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Taking into account the mitigating factors outlined, Judge Johnson explained that he was prepared to reduce that sentence to six years. The Judge imposed the sentence of six years, but suspended the final four years and six months for a period of ten years, subject to a number of conditions, one of which was to remain drug free for the duration of the suspended sentence and to provide Gardai or the probation service with urine analysis to confirm compliance with this condition. Another condition was that the accused pay, by way of compensation, the sum of 10,000 to the victims, in two instalments - 5,000 to be paid forthwith, and a further sum of 5,000 to be paid within one year of his release from prison. Judge Johnson concluded by backdating the sentence to January 16, 2020 - the day Mr Carroll went into custody. KEARNEY Libraries offer more than just books. This is a place where people can come and experience lifelong learning, whether its from books or movies or even a book club, said Kearney Public Library director Matthew Williams. People can gather and express opinions in a civil way. That exchange enriches our community by making room for different ideas. And libraries are moving toward more hands-on experiences, whether its working with computers or crafts or knitting, Williams added. One service, Book a Librarian, allows patrons to get help from a staff member on a variety of topics such as on in-depth instruction, an introduction to the librarys catalog or beginning research on a topic requiring databases. This service, by appointment only, usually lasts about 30 minutes. The library also presents concerts of music, classes on art activities and writing workshops with authors. Nebraska author Jonis Agee will meet with aspiring writers during a two-hour workshop April 20. On the same day, Agee will present at the annual Book Club Festival. [February 06, 2020] Vermont Mutual Insurance Group Implements Guidewire InsuranceNow Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, an A.M. Best A+ rated insurer and perennially recognized as a Top 50 P&C insurer by Ward Group, and Guidewire Software, Inc. (NYSE: GWRE), provider of the industry platform P&C insurers rely upon, today announced that Vermont Mutual has successfully implemented Guidewire InsuranceNow to increase business agility by eliminating unnecessary complexity and enabling faster speed-to-market for new products and rate changes. The company implemented InsuranceNow, through its SUMMIT legacy transformation program, for its dwelling fire line of business in the states where it operates and is currently extending the implementation to the rest of its personal and commercial lines of business in those states. Vermont Mutual also deployed SmartCOMM from Smart Communications for customer communications management. Guidewire is a reseller of Smart Communications, a Guidewire PartnerConnect Solution and Ready for Guidewire program member. "The initial InsuranceNow implementation to our dwelling fire line of business has been a significant milestone for us," said Bryan A. Mjaanes, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Vermont Mutual. "Guidewire has grown to become a true partner to us. Our teams continue to enhance our working relationship to the point where we are working as a cohesive unit throughout the entire implementation project. We challenge each other to improve and have developed a deep partnership as we move forward with our progam." Donna Melendy, SUMMIT Business Lead at Vermont Mutual, said, "InsuranceNow has enabled us to modernize our processes, providing functionality to our agents that we had not been able to offer in the past. The user experience has been positive. Our underwriters now have the information they need through a single dashboard, workflow has significantly improved for our claim handlers, and we have been able to migrate most of our policies without any issues." "We are grateful for our partnership and collaboration and congratulate Vermont Mutual on its successful InsuranceNow implementation," said David Burns, vice president, Professional Services, InsuranceNow, Guidewire Software. "We are thrilled that InsuranceNow is providing Vermont Mutual with a value-based P&C core Software-as-a-Service (SaaS (News - Alert)) platform to fulfill its mission of providing financial security to its policyholders and agents through quality products and outstanding service." About Vermont Insurance Vermont Mutual Insurance Group is a trade name of Vermont Mutual Insurance Company, Northern Security Insurance Company, Inc. and Granite Mutual Insurance Company. Chartered in 1828, Vermont Mutual is one of the ten oldest mutual property/casualty insurers in the United States and provides coverage throughout New England and upstate New York. Through more than 400 independent agencies, the Group insures over 315,000 policyholders with a direct written premium of more than $500,000,000. The group is rated "A+ Superior" by A. M. Best and a Ward's Top 50 performing property/casualty insurer in the U.S. for the past eleven consecutive years. About Guidewire Software Guidewire delivers the industry platform that Property and Casualty (P&C) insurers rely upon to adapt and succeed in a time of accelerating change. We provide the software, services, and partner ecosystem to enable our customers to run, differentiate, and grow their business. As of the end of our fiscal year 2019, we were privileged to serve more than 380 companies in 34 countries. For more information, please visit www.guidewire.com and follow us on twitter: @Guidewire_PandC. NOTE: For information about Guidewire's trademarks, visit https://www.guidewire.com/legal-notices. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005175/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A teenager ripped clumps of hair from a former classmate she hadn't seen in three years during an unprovoked attack at a karaoke night. Anneeka Jane Cooke was inside Blue Bar, at Alexandra Headland on the Sunshine Coast, when her former fellow Burnside High School student arrived at the venue with her friends on January 8. The 19-year-old verbally attacked her victim by labelling her a 'f***ing s***' and then latched on to her hair at about 2am, Sunshine Coast Daily reported. The attack only ended when bystanders intervened and released Cooke's hold on the victim's hair. Anneeka Jane Cooke (pictured) ripped clumps of hair from a former fellow student she hadn't seen in three years during an unprovoked attack at a karaoke night Cooke had not seen her victim since they were both in year 10, the Caloundra Magistrates Court was told. Police Prosecutor Phillip Stephens told the court Cooke's victim doesn't feel safe at her house since the assault as her attacker knows where she lives. 'From her perspective, the attack on her was so aggressive and forceful, she was concerned that she would do it again because she had some kind of grudge,' he said. 'The physical injuries she received on the night were slapping to the face, physical bruising, bald spots on her head where her hair had been pulled, her shoulder was swollen and bruised internally and she had to wear a sling.' Duty lawyer Greg Lee said Cooke, who has no criminal history, was drunk at the time of the assault. Cooke intends to continue studying midwifery at university, Mr Lee said. Cooke was inside Blue Bar, at Alexandra Headland on the Sunshine Coast, when her former fellow Burnside High School student arrived at the venue with her friends on January 8 The 19-year-old pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm on Wednesday. The attack was described as 'bullying' by Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist. 'You've been able to able to grab hold of the victim's hair, punch her with the same hand multiple times to the back of the head,' Mr Stjernqvist said. Mr Stjernqvist said Cooke then used her other hand to punch the victim in the head and shoulders multiple times. The victim required treatment at Sunshine Coast University Hospital. Cooke was sentenced to prison for six months, suspended for 12 months. Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill on Thursday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his speech at the Motion of Thanks for President's Address in the Lok Sabha. Taking to the microblogging site, Shergill said that PM Modi's sashan and bhashans (Governance and Speech) has become stale and stagnant. Shergill also called PM Modi as a 'Propaganda Minister.' PM sashan & bhashans have become stale & stagnant -he is clearly driving governance by looking in rear view mirror rather then focusing on road ahead, once again he spoke like a Propaganda Minister rather than a Prime Minister Jaiveer Shergill (@JaiveerShergill) February 6, 2020 READ | PM Modi Fires 'Tukde-Tukde' Jibe; Says 'Opposition Doing What Pak Wants' On CAA PM Modi in Lok Sabha Addressing the Lok Sabha on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack at the Congress and asked the latter to get a better knowledge of the Constitution. There has been a constant war of words between BJP and Congress, where the latter has accused the Narendra Modi-led government of disrespecting the Constitution. "Who brought the Emergency? Who trampled over the Judiciary? Who has brought the most amendments to the Constitution? Who imposed Article 356 the most? Those who did the above, need to get a deeper knowledge of our Constitution, said PM Modi. Further attacking the Congress, PM Modi said that "Congress should say this 'save Constitution' 100 times in a day." READ | Cong Speaks Of Saving Constitution, Forgets Emergency?: PM Modi Hits Back In Parliament PM also gave a befitting response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "Danda remark." He said: "I was hearing the remark made by one of the Congress leaders that I will be lathi-charged within few months. I have been "Gaali proof" after hearing so much abuse. Now, I will do Surya Namaskar for six months and toughen myself up to bear the blows. I am humbled that they have announced it beforehand so now I will exercise and make myself fit for it." Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made the contentious remark in his campaign rally for the Delhi Assembly election on Wednesday. He claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not be able to step out of his house after some months as the young people of the country were extremely angry with him. READ | Union Budget 2020: Jaiveer Shergill Taunts Anurag Thakur Over 'Goli Maaro' Remark PM Modi lashed out at Opposition parties for talking against Citizenship Amendment Act and supporting anti-CAA protests saying they are the ones who "take photos beside tukde tukde chanters". In a flurry of sharp attacks, PM Modi accused Opposition parties of toeing Pakistan's line to provoke Indian Muslims. Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the motion of thanks to President Kovind's address, PM Modi said, "Some people say, what was the need to bring CAA so early? Some said this government is discriminatory on the grounds of religion. Some said we are trying to break India; ironically by those who love getting photographed with the group of people who want Tukde Tukde of India." READ | VIRAL: 'I'll Never Let Anything Happen To Your Unemployment,' Says PM Modi To Opposition On the back of Safer Internet Day on 11th February 2020 celebrated globally, OLX studied the behaviour of close to 7500 netizens between the age groups of 18-55 to understand the state of awareness and cyber safety preparedness, thereby raising the need towards creating a safer and inclusive internet for everyone. The survey reveals a startling gap in digital literacy and cyber safety practices exercised by the netizens. The second edition (1st edition was launched in Feb 2019) of the annual report titled OLX 2020 Internet Behaviour Study is an initiative by OLX to foster awareness around making the internet a better place for everyone. Lavanya Chandan, General Counsel, OLX India, said, Safer Internet Day provides us with an opportunity to examine our online behaviour and emphasises upon the need to close the gap in digital literacy in general and cyber safety particularly. Cyber safety is a shared responsibility where internet users, internet companies, government and decision-makers are all in one ecosystem. This study has been devised to study these gaps in order to address the same in the coming time. Safeguarding ourselves and ensuring that we focus on making the internet an inclusive place for all is our foremost vision and we aim to drive continuous conversations around the topic. At OLX, it has been our continuous endeavour to advocate the cause of cyber safety into the mainstream consciousness and provide netizens with the right tools to safeguard their online presence. Overall, the survey indicates that even though we have come far in digital transformation in our daily lives, the majority of people in India prefer to transact offline and even if they do transact online, they do it for money transfer, online shopping and paying utility bills. Only 48% of the people surveyed would want to report the fraud if they were defrauded and they accept having missed exercising basic precautionary measures like not sharing personal and confidential information publicly or reading safety privacy tips and terms on websites and apps. The findings in 2020 are akin to the similarly alarming findings in 2019. Last year, 57 per cent of respondents show negligence towards their own safety both online and offline, while 60 per cent admit to not monitoring the content their kids view online. Key Insights 52% of respondents have publicly shared their phone numbers/personal addresses online while 26% have admitted to sharing sensitive OTPs (one-time passwords) with others. The remaining 22% of respondents admit to sharing bank account passwords, UPI pin, credit & debit card details with others. 73% of respondents said they actively skipped the terms & conditions/safety-legal guidelines owing to the fact they were cumbersome to read and too complex to understand. This figure was 67% in 2019. Only 27% admitted to actively reading them prior to signing up for online platforms or services. While 61% of respondents transact online more than 5 times a month primarily for money transfer and online shopping, only 37% admitted to frequently changing their online banking passwords regularly. Of these, almost a third said they cannot even recall how long it had been since they had last changed their banking account passwords. Unsurprisingly, 66% of these respondents have been victims of online financial frauds with spamming and phishing attacks combined together to form a trio of the most common forms of online frauds faced by netizens in India. Apprehension towards dealing with the hassles of filing a complaint with law enforcement authorities led to 52% of respondents not filing a complaint at all. While online payments have gained mainstream popularity, yet 51% of respondents expressed confidence in making payments offline vs using any digital means(mobile wallets, cards, UPI). Most common types of new-age online frauds perpetrated by cyber fraudsters are UPI fraud The UPI platform is used by fraudsters to trick netizens into sending money to them instead of receiving payment. This kind of fraud is prevalent mostly across digital payment platforms. QR code scan fraud A payment QR code is used by fraudsters to trick netizens into sending money to them instead of receiving payment. Fraudsters usually crop out the account identifier details from the QR Code or tend to mislead netizens about the same while perpetrating this fraud. Social engineering frauds Sellers gain the trust of the buyer by providing spurious identification documents/sounding extremely convincing via persuasive techniques and soliciting payment in advance Contradictory to this overall neglect that netizens show towards cyber safety measures, there exists a high level of cybersafety awareness towards certain internet behaviours. 72% were cognizant of the fact that conducting banking transactions over unsecured WiFi networks could jeopardize their own safety. Admitting the inevitable need for public and private institutions to work jointly in safeguarding the netizens, 50% of the respondents listed collaboration between public & private institutions, a better approach by the law enforcement authorities towards affected complainants and better user education as a remedy to the malaise of cyber fraud. In 2019, 60% parents admitted to not supervising the content their kids viewed online while in 2020, 66% parents actively monitored their kids internet access. Key insights from the metro and non-metro cities Palestinian farmers who cultivate tomatoes and cucumbers in greenhouses in the Jordan Valley always keep one eye on their crops, which provide their livelihoods. But they also look toward the city they revere and fear losing. Massoud Abu Thabbet worries the peace plan put forward last week by U.S. President Donald Trump will mean he'll lose the land his family has farmed for generations. He rejects Trump's promise that the deal would improve the Palestinian economy. "Even if they paved these roads with gold, we will not accept. How can we have streets full of gold and then I cannot get to my Jerusalem to pray?" said Abu Thabbet. Jerusalem is home to the third-holiest site in Islam, the Noble Sanctuary, where the al-Aqsa mosque sits. Known also as the Temple Mount, the site is considered the holiest place of worship for Jews. For Palestinians, al-Aqsa is a national as well as a religious shrine. They insist that any future Palestinian state would have East Jerusalem as its capital and would include the mosque. Palestinians say the status of Jerusalem is the main obstacle to their acceptance of Trump's plan. Irris Makler/CBC There are other elements that it would be difficult for them to sign onto, including the recognition of Israel as a Jewish state and the decision not to allow the return of any Palestinian refugees to their ancestral homes inside Israel. But they say the most painful proposal is the decision to designate Jerusalem as Israel's capital. This part of Washington's plan is not accepted internationally, as most countries, including Canada, consider that Jerusalem's status should be settled by negotiations between the parties. The plan, which Trump has long called the "deal of the century," proposes granting the Palestinians limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank, while allowing Israel ultimately to retain the settlements it has built there and also to annex the Jordan Valley. 'Declaration of war' Story continues The Palestinians rejected the plan outright, with President Mahmoud Abbas saying "1,000 times no" and PLO official Elias Zananiri declaring it "nothing less than a declaration of war on the Palestinian people." Abbas had already broken off contact with this Washington administration when it recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in 2017. After that, there was no Palestinian input into the negotiations for the Trump plan, and no Palestinian presence in the East Room in the White House when the plan was announced. Susan Walsh/The Associated Press Some Israeli analysts have suggested that Trump's deal was in fact geared towards Israeli annexation of the Jordan Valley and other areas of the West Bank. Barak Ravid, diplomatic correspondent for Israel's Channel 13 news, argued this was the case because no Palestinian leader, no matter how moderate, could agree to Trump's terms. "It's a non-starter. So you could infer that the aim of this plan is to enable Israel to annex the Jordan Valley and the Jewish settlements in the West Bank, while everything else stays the same," he said. "And that has been the response from many on the Israeli right." The Jordan Valley is an arid region covering almost one-quarter of the occupied West Bank, bordering the Kingdom of Jordan. It's sparsely populated, with around 52,000 Palestinians and about 8,000 Jewish settlers, according to separate figures from Israeli and Palestinian official surveys from 2018 and 2017 respectively. Irris Makler/CBC Israel argues that, as the gateway to Jordan, Iraq and Saudi Arabia, the region is of strategic importance. Announcing his intention to annex it last month, Netanyahu said the Jordan Valley was vital to Israel's security. "This is our essential safety belt in the east. This is the eastern defensive wall." But Israel did not take this step at any time since it captured the West Bank in 1967 because of international opposition, including from Jordan across the border, one of only two Arab countries to sign a peace deal with Israel. 'Best deal' Amos Gilad, a former chief of Israeli military intelligence, declared Trump's plan to be the "best deal" any U.S. president has ever offered Israel. "Israel should grab this deal with both hands," said Gilad, director of the Institute for Policy and Strategy at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya. Both Israel's largest political parties, the right-wing Likud party and the centrist Blue and White party, have said they favour annexing the Jordan Valley, even before upcoming elections in March 2020. Washington has so far put a brake on unilateral Israeli actions. Trump's senior adviser, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, said they did not want to see any annexations before the Israeli elections. Complex relations The Jewish settlement of B'kaot is perched on the ridge above the mosque in the village of Frush Bet Dajan, where Massoud Abu Thabbet's greenhouses are located. Relations between Jewish settlers and Palestinian villagers, both mostly farmers, are complex. Hazem Abu Muntaser sings the call to prayer at the mosque every Friday. He also runs a grocery store across the road. There's a TV in the corner, but no cash register. He collects the money in a drawer. Irris Makler/CBC "The 'deal of the century' annexing the Jordan Valley will make a siege around us. Tomorrow, if it happens, they're going to say, 'You have to be back at 7 p.m.,' they're going to interfere in our life," said Abu Muntaser. His son, Nur, agreed. "Look what they do to us now. Imagine how it will be if we are part of them. There are Israeli soldiers patrolling here all the time and the settlers want our water and our land. They are already charging us for water now. What will happen next?" Traditional diplomatic formula Days after Trump unveiled his plan, the Palestinians called for an emergency meeting of the Arab League in order to respond to it. Abbas spoke at length and said he knew he couldn't agree to the plan when Washington announced East Jerusalem was part of Israel. "It will not be recorded in my history that I gave up on Jerusalem," he said. The Arab League fell in behind the Palestinians and unanimously condemned Washington's deal, reverting to the traditional formula of a peace deal based on the two-state solution. Two days later, the Organization of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) also rejected the Washington plan. Irris Makler/CBC Washington had been hoping that it had some Arab support, as ambassadors from Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates had attended Trump's news conference in Washington. In off-the-record briefings, Washington officials criticized this "old-fashioned" thinking. In the Palestinian village of Frush Bet Dajan on the first Friday after Washington released its plan, the number of worshippers at their small mosque was swelled by visitors from other towns. Irris Makler/CBC Farrah Ghaleb made the 70-kilometre round trip from his home in Ramallah. "This week I'm coming here, and many Palestinians are coming here, to let the world know that this is our Palestinian land and that Trump doesn't have the right to give it to Israel or to Netanyahu," Ghaleb said. When he moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem in 2018, Trump said he had taken the issue of Jerusalem "off the table." But the strength of Palestinian reaction to Trump's new deal, and the breadth of Arab support for the Palestinians, show how much the issue of Jerusalem remains at the heart of the conflict. By PTI MUMBAI: A photojournalist with a city tabloid was allegedly beaten up by the police at an anti- Citizenship (Amendment) Act protest here on Thursday. An inquiry had been ordered, a senior official said, while Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh promised strict action against those involved. Ashish Raje, who is also a joint secretary of the Mumbai Press Club, was covering 'Mumbai Bagh', a sit-in protest on the lines of Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, by women in Nagpada area. The protest is going on for the last 12 days. ALSO READ: UP police files FIR against 135, arrests 20 for anti-CAA protests in Azamgarh Raje was allegedly pushed and assaulted by two police officials when he was walking to the protest venue. A video of the incident also went viral on social media. Another photojournalist who was present during the incident said that Raje was taken to a hospital and was found to have suffered an injury to his thigh. "We clicked pictures where the policemen are seen thrashing him. We had left the protest venue to have tea and when we tried to return, the policemen asked us for ID-cards. We were ready to show our cards but for no reason one of the officers lost temper and attacked Raje," he said. "We are looking into the issue," said Additional Commissioner of Police Viresh Prabhu when reached for comment. Mumbai Press Club chairman Dharmendra Jore said in a statement that the police authorities should sensitise the officials. "We are not your enemies. We are messengers. Fights with media don't yield anything. Merely looking into the matter won't suffice. Take those two unruly officers to the task," Jore demanded. The TV Journalists Association also condemned the incident. "Additional Commissioner of Police (Central region ) is conducting an enquiry into the matter," said the Mumbai Police Spokesperson late in the evening. Home minister Deshmukh tweeted about the incident, calling it "appalling". "This is an appalling act and I will personally look into the inquiry of this matter. Strict disciplinary action will be taken against those involved," he said. A petition was on Thursday filed in Delhi High Court seeking contempt proceedings against Delhi government and police for allegedly not maintaining the restrictions imposed on the use of loudspeakers by the Supreme Court. The petition, filed by Supreme Court lawyer Sanjjiiv Kkumaar, stated that the restrictions imposed on the use of loudspeakers should strictly be maintained for religious places like temples, mosques, gurudwara, church, etc as well. According to the petition, the Supreme Court had imposed a ban on the use of loudspeakers from 10 pm to 6 am. The petition also demanded that if anyone is found using loudspeaker during the restriction period, the district magistrates and station house officers of the areas should be held responsible and appropriate action should be taken against them. The petition stated that as the time for burning firecrackers has been limited in Diwali, the deadline for use of loudspeakers for Azan should also be fixed. It said that mosques across Delhi are blatantly flouting noise rules. The petition sought directions to the Delhi government and police to ban the use of loudspeakers in all mosques across Delhi for "Azan" as it violates Delhi Court order and Supreme Court order prohibiting the use of the same. It also sought directions to the Central government to send the directive to all States and Union Territories to comply with the noise pollution rules. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Klaus Iohannis proposed once again the chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Ludovic Orban, for the office of Prime Minister. "Going back to the electorate is the correct solution, it is the solution that satisfies the need for democracy in Romania. To put it simply, going back to the electorate means early elections. Early elections are my first option, I have presented to the parties this option. (...) It is natural and I can understand that most parties need internal discussions in their fora to make a decision in this regard. This, I hope, will happen very quickly. But until then I think we can take the next step. The next very concrete step is the appointment, on my part, of a person in charge of forming a new Government. Therefore, after conferring with all the parliamentary parties and formations, I am appointing Mr. Ludovic Orban to form a new Government and to appear in Parliament," Klaus Iohannis announced at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.The president also gave a brief presentation of his vision on the current political situation."We have a Liberal government that came with a reformist agenda, that wanted to reform many programs, to come up with improvements to the electoral legislation, economic measures, social measures, all in the interest of Romania and Romanians. It also wanted to repair the mistakes that, obviously, were made by the PSD [Social Democratic Party] governments (...). On the other hand, we have a PSD that still has many parliamentarians and that opposes these changes. So, on the one hand, a Government that wants to move things forward, on the other hand - a PSD that wants to hinder things," said Iohannis.He gave as an example the attempt of the Orban Government to bring about improvements to the legislation on local elections, by the election of mayors in two rounds."The PDS did not want this, they filed a motion, the motion passed yesterday. Today we have consultations," Iohannis brought to mind. AGERPRES Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 21:08:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Iranian media on Thursday aired two videos claiming that they display the debris of a drone belonging to the United States which was downed by Iran in June 2019. The 45- and 17-second videos are shown for the first time after the remain of the drone were taken from the Gulf waters, according to Khabar Fouri news channel. The videos also showed the homemade Khordad-3 missile system which was used to target the drone. On June 20, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps announced that its air force downed "a U.S. RQ-4 Global Hawk spy drone" when it entered Iran's airspace near Mobarak Mountain region in southern Hormozgan province. "After a comprehensive, nationwide search that attracted significant interest from a diverse group of impressive candidates, we're delighted to announce Dr. Wooten as the ninth president of Simmons University," said Regina M. Pisa, Chair of the Simmons Board of Trustees. "Dr. Wooten's clear strategic vision and creativity, seasoned leadership experience, strong academic record and collaborative style make her ideally suited to advance our university during this critical period. She brings with her not only a deep understanding of higher education, but as a business school Dean, a strong appreciation of how to manage and lead complex organizations through the inevitable changes that are facing all institutions of higher learning today. Dr. Wooten is uniquely suited to lead and advance the transformation that has begun at Simmons under President Drinan's leadership. We're thrilled to welcome her to Boston and to the Simmons community." Drinan led a transformational chapter of Simmons' history. Under her leadership, Simmons reconfigured its undergraduate curriculum with a focus on leadership development, became a university in 2018, developed world-class coed online graduate degree programs, and cemented its status as a premier institution for women scholars. Dr. Wooten is a scholar and academic, and throughout her career she has assumed a number of leadership positions. Most recently, she served as the David J. Nolan Dean and Professor of Management and Organizations at Cornell University's Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. "With its robust graduate programs and commitment to educating the next generation of female leaders, Simmons University plays a significant role in today's world," said Dr. Wooten. "The university's model with its focus on liberal arts and professional development is the future of higher education. I couldn't be more excited to join this community and to further the institution's distinctive and vital mission." Dr. Wooten's expertise lies in crisis leadership, positive organizing routines, strategic human resource management, workforce diversity and competitive advantage, and development of emerging leaders. She has been a prolific author of journal articles and has published two books Positive Organizing in a Global Society: Understanding and Engaging Differences for Capacity Building and Inclusion (2015), and Leading Under Pressure: From Surviving to Thriving Before, During, and After a Crisis (2010). Her scholarship also includes 15 edited, authored and coauthored book chapters, including the recently published chapter, "The Glass Cliff: African American CEOs as crisis leaders." She has also authored or co-authored 28 scholarly articles, including a 2016 research briefing, "Creating an organization of leaders: A positively deviant approach," which appeared in the journal Progress in Pediatrics. Dr. Wooten's research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, and she has been published in journals such as Academy of Management Journal, American Behavioral Scientist, Human Resource Management, and Organizational Dynamics. "I've had the opportunity to work with Dr. Wooten and experience firsthand her passion and commitment to higher education," said Dr. Alison Davis-Blake, president of Bentley University. "She's a strategic thinker and an excellent communicator. I also can't think of anyone better to make diversity, equity and inclusion the centerpiece of a campus, and I look forward to collaborating with her here in Massachusetts." Dr. Wooten is Simmons University's first African American president. Her appointment is the result of a comprehensive search process, driven by the nationally-respected search firm Isaacson, Miller and a 19-member search committee representing a cross-section of the Simmons community, with student, faculty, administration, alumnae/i, board members and the community participating. The process featured input from a wide swath of the Simmons community, including dozens of listening sessions and online survey participation. After interviewing a number of semifinalists and finalists, the search committee unanimously recommended Dr. Wooten to the Board of Trustees, which voted unanimously to select her as the institution's ninth president. "Dr. Wooten is an outstanding choice to lead Simmons University as president," said Dr. David A. Thomas, president of Morehouse College. "She is a transformative leader with a proven record of scholarly and administrative achievements. With her experience in higher education, and her commitment to excellence, Simmons will soar to new heights." Prior to her position at Cornell, Dr. Wooten served on the faculty at the University of Michigan for nearly two decades, where she was the University of Michigan's Senior Associate Dean for Student and Academic Excellence and Clinical Professor of Strategy, Management & Organizations at Michigan's Ross School of Business. Dr. Wooten grew up in Philadelphia and is an alumna of the University of Michigan (PhD). She received her undergraduate degree from North Carolina A&T State University, where she graduated as valedictorian, and her MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. She is an active member in a number of national volunteer leadership organizations, including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Jack & Jill of America, Junior League, and The Links Inc. In addition, Wooten currently serves as an advisory board member for the Aspen Institute's Business and Society Program and is a board member for the Center for Effective Philanthropy and University of Michigan Alumni Association. She is married to David Wooten, a chaired marketing professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business, and they have two children Justin and Jada. About Simmons University Located in the heart of Boston, Simmons is a respected private university offering more than 50 majors and programs for undergraduate women and graduate programs open to all on campus, in blended formats, or entirely online in nursing and health sciences, liberal arts, business, communications, social work, public health, and library and information science. Founded in 1899, Simmons has established a model of higher education that other colleges and universities are only recently beginning to adapt: the combination of education for leadership in high-demand professional fields with the intellectual foundation of the liberal arts. The result is a Simmons graduate prepared not only to work, but to lead in professional, civic, and personal life a vision of empowerment that Simmons calls preparation for life's work. Follow Simmons on Twitter at @SimmonsUniv , and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/school/simmons-university/ . Media Contact Laura Wareck [email protected] | o: 617-521-2611 | c: 978-660-9587 SOURCE Simmons University Related Links http://www.simmons.edu Haiti - Politic : Important bilateral meeting on the development of a prosperous border Wednesday, February 5, representatives of private sector organizations and representatives of the Government of Haiti and the Dominican Republic met at the CODEVI industrial park located in the free zone of Ounamithe, to continue discussions on the development of a safer system and a prosperous border for both Nations. This was the third such meeting convened by the United States Government in the past eight months, which was attended by both US ambassadors and State Department staff and officials. Customs representatives from both countries, the Haitian National Police (PNH) and the Specialized Land Border Security Corps (CESFRONT) also actively participated in the meeting. The discussion focused on best practices from the private sector to increase transparency and formalize cross-border trade and on improving coordination between the customs and security officials of the two countries. This initiative is part of broader efforts to increase trade and security along the border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The Group is committed to continuing its efforts to transform the common border into an engine of economic prosperity for the region. SL/ HaitiLibre The SBU says several ministers have passed a lie detector test. Chief of Ukraine's SBU Security Service Ivan Bakanov says that searches in a Channel 1+1 office in Kyiv were conducted as part of a probe into the leak of illegally obtained audio recordings of Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk. "This situation has nothing to do with pressure on journalists of TV Channel 1+1 or the violation of the right to free speech in Ukraine. It is out of the question. We're speaking about an impartial and comprehensive criminal investigation into the illegal wiretapping of the head of government. And the investigative actions took place not only at 18 Kurenivska Street, but also at other addresses of the persons being probed," the SBU press service quoted Bakanov as saying. Read alsoPM Honcharuk on leaked audio recordings allegedly with his voice: "You do not scare us" The SBU said that as part of the case, investigators checked ministers, representatives of state agencies and the State Security Administration. Several ministers passed a lie detector test. "The pretrial investigation into the illegal use of special technical means of obtaining information in the premises of the Cabinet of Ministers is under way under Part 3 of Article 359 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine," it said. As UNIAN reported earlier, SBU officers on Wednesday, February 5, conducted searches in an office of the 1+1 Media Group where journalists of the Groshi (Money) and Sekretni Materialy (Secret Materials) projects of Channel 1+1 are based. Later, it became known about SBU raids conducted in the flats of journalists Yevhen Kuksin and Denys Danko. At some point, the national Democratic Partys leadership will discover a backbone and summon up the courage to sever its connection to Hillary Clinton. Continued eye-rolling and hand-wringing each time Clinton delivers another critique of the partys current field seeking the presidential nomination merely reinforces the timidity of the party establishment in dealing with the antics of its last presidential candidate. Aside from muted murmurings of concern, the lack of any serious pushback to her rhetorical bomb-throwing stems from a lingering fear of the Clintons or the hope that she will recognize the damage shes causing and desist. Fat chance. Clinton is the epitome of self-absorption, stubbornly blaming others for her 2016 defeat while gleefully diminishing those now reaching for the prize she fumbled away. Her assault on Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders currently in first, second or third place in the nomination competition was stunning in its personally insulting tone. Nobody wanted to work with him nobody liked him he got nothing done it was all baloney, she said of the time she shared in the Senate with him, adding that it was unfortunate that people got sucked into it. She went on to characterize him as a career politician, seemingly blinded to the irony of the comment uttered by someone whose spent eight years as First Lady, eight more as U. S. Senator from New York, four years as Secretary of State and who twice sought her partys presidential nomination. She spent the bulk of her adult life holding or seeking public office. Her attack on Sanders followed her bizarre accusation that Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard a National Guard major who served in both Iraq and Kuwait was a Russian asset. It was a claim she also directed at Jill Stein, the Green Party presidential candidate in 2016. Gabbard, the first Samoan-American to serve as a voting member of Congress and the first Hindu to serve, has since brought a lawsuit against Clinton, claiming that the comments defamed her, caused significant economic harm and was an effort to undermine her presidential candidacy. In light of Clintons long public record, Gabbards description of her as a cutthroat politician was superfluous. Clinton has loathed Sanders since 2016 when he opposed her in the Democratic presidential primary and came surprisingly close to overtaking her. She clearly never forgave him, first because he ran against her and second because of delaying an endorsement of her. He was among those she blamed for her loss to President Trump, lumped in with former FBI Director James Comey, Wikileaks, Russian hackers, and the media. She has retained the support of long time sycophants whove attached themselves to the Clintons like barnacles on the hull of a harbor scow, either out of a sense of blind loyalty or the need to keep the monthly paychecks flowing. She sent shivers through party leaders when she flirted publicly with the notion of entering the race last year, boasting shed defeated Trump once winning the popular vote and would like nothing better than to do it again. At the time the Democratic field numbered more than two dozen and her public utterances were widely viewed as an effort to clear out the field, scare off lesser candidates, and produce a draft Hillary movement the establishment couldnt resist. Nothing of the sort occurred, relegating her to spectator status but giving her the opportunity to roam free and deliver potshots at the remaining field. She is a divisive, destructive force in the party, driven not by policy differences or the current dispute over progressivism versus moderation as the path to defeating Trump. Hers is a far more personal obsession proving conclusively that victory was unfairly denied her four years ago, that she lost only because of the ineptitude or malfeasance of others. Despite dozens of analyses and insider books that reject her assertions, she has refused to concede that her campaign was badly organized, strategically flawed, and poorly executed. Her increasing visibility in this years campaign bodes ill for Democrats, not only as a reminder of the demoralizing loss to Trump but the ongoing potential for her to trash Sanders and others at a time when the party is already broken into factions driving cohesion and unity further away. Whether its an individual like national chairman Tom Perez or a delegation of the partys heavy hitters, its time to stiffen the spines and deliver a blunt message to Clinton retire, write, lecture, do another book tour, enjoy your grandchildren and cease mucking around in this years campaign. Carl Golden is a senior contributing analyst with the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University in New Jersey. He can be reached at cgolden1937@gmail. 'The Bachelor' recap: Tammy and Mykenna square off, as 4 ladies are sent home originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com The special two-night "The Bachelor" event concluded on Wednesday with Peter and the remaining ladies heading to Chile, where two squared off for the right to stay in the competition. First, Hannah Ann's commitment to marriage came under scrutiny during the first one-on-one date when the 23-year-old model revealed that she's never been in love before. When Peter asked Hannah if she was "100% ready" to make a lifetime commitment, she seemed to tell him what he wanted to hear, instead of what was in her heart. Sensing his disappointment, she finally opened up, and assured Peter that she was starting to fall in love with him. It's what he wanted to hear from Hannah, and he gave her the date rose. MORE: 'The Bachelor' preview: Mykenna confronts Tammy with an emotional speech Back at the villa, Mykenna, vented her frustration once more of getting constantly passed over for a one-on-one date and feared that Peter doesn't see anything in her. She also threatened to quit the competition. A group date included Sydney, Natasha, Kelsey, Victoria P., Madison, Tammy, Kelly and Mykenna, who starred in their own telenovela, a Latin-American drama called, "El Amore de Pedro." In the scripted drama, it's Mykenna who won Pedro's heart, and suddenly, the Canada native, who just a night earlier was ready to call it quits, was on cloud nine. It was a different story for Victoria P., who was sent home after learning that she was more confident in their relationship than him. PHOTO: Scene from 'The Bachelor.' (Francisco Roman/ABC) Meanwhile, a new battle heated up between Tammy and Mykenna, after Tammy deemed Mykenna's mood swings "immature." Tammy then brought into question whether the 22-year-old was ready for an adult relationship. Peter happened to overhear the two arguing and decided "enough is enough." To have things settled once and for all, he had them square off in an impromptu two-on-one date. Story continues After hearing both ladies' tell their sides of the story, Tammy was sent packing. MORE: Peter Weber addresses all the house drama on 'The Bachelor' Elsewhere, another one-on-one date went to Victoria F, a second for the 25-year-old sales rep from Virginia. She and Peter spent a fun day together, learning how to train horses from a real Chilean horseman, or huaso, as they're known locally before enjoying a rodeo. The laughs turned to tears though when Victoria revealed her fears over the possibility of a future with Peter, leaving him worried she might end up breaking his heart. In spite of his fears, he offered her the date rose, which she accepted. That brought us to another rose ceremony, and with the field now paired down to eight, Peter's choice was harder than ever. Sydney and Mykenna were devastated to learn they're being sent home, the latter of whom felt confident about her position in the competition only a short time earlier. The six remaining women after week four are: Hannah Ann, 23, a model from Knoxville, Tenn. Kelley, 27, an attorney from Chicago Kelsey, 28, a professional clothier from Des Moines, Iowa Madison, 23, a foster parent recruiter from Auburn, Ala. Natasha, 31, an event planner from New York Victoria F., 25, a medical sales representative from Virginia Beach, Va. "The Bachelor" returns Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Ian Acheson, the England-based counter-terrorism expert who gave countless interviews to newspapers and broadcasters across the world in the wake of this week's Islamist knife horror in London, can't disguise the emotion in his voice as he talks about another atrocity nearly three decades ago in Enniskillen. For Ian is from the Co Fermanagh town and his father Mervyn was the first ambulance driver to arrive on the scene of the Remembrance Day bombing in November 1987 and had to dig friends, alive and dead, from the rubble with his bare hands after the no-warning IRA attack. Ian who's also a poet, journalist, radio presenter, former prison governor and one-time prospective election candidates for the Ulster Unionists and New Labour, knew many of the 11 people killed on that dreadful day and he was so upset by the outrage that he flew home from his studies at Durham University to be with his family and friends. He was at the Cenotaph shortly afterwards for the re-run of the aborted Remembrance Day ceremony which was attended by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, though he can't remember her presence. The 51-year-old former Portora Royal School pupil says: "My abiding memory is looking down the street towards the courthouse and seeing an endless sea of flags from the Royal British Legion who had members there from every branch in Britain. "It was an extremely moving show of solidarity and I am still moved by the fact that so many people seemed to care about us." Ian went on to help Enniskillen Together, a charity which brought Protestant and Catholic children together in the town and he also led a trip to Romania. Ian doesn't think his late father was ever the same after the massacre and he adds: "If you were an ambulance driver in Fermanagh in the Seventies and Eighties you would have seen a lot already, but Enniskillen had a devastating effect on him." In a recent tweet Ian responded to a video of the aftermath of the attack which showed an ambulance after the bombing and he also addressed subsequent widely-reported attempts by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to blame the bombing on Britain's 'occupation' of Northern Ireland. In his tweet, Ian said: "If anybody is interested in why I find #Corbyn not only a risk to national security but also an odious fool, my father was driving that ambulance." Expand Close The scene of the Enniskillen bomb seconds after the IRA blast / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The scene of the Enniskillen bomb seconds after the IRA blast Ian who describes himself on his Twitter page as an Irish unionist and 'not that big Ian' has had a remarkably varied career after leaving university, with his experiences of nearly 10 years in the prison service having made him a much sought after commentator on the way Britain's jails are run. After Sudesh Amman was shot dead by police on Streatham High Road just after he was released from jail, Ian consistently argued on TV and radio that root and branch changes were urgently needed in the handling of Islamist and right-wing inmates by the prison system to protect people from extremists once they were released back into the community. He told a radio interviewer this week: "I don't think if you were trying to construct an incubator for violent extremism and radicalisation you would do much more than create our current prison conditions where violent and credulous young men searching for excitement and meaning are in close proximity to highly charismatic Islamist and right-wing extremists who want to seduce them into a mindset that explains their grievances to them." Within minutes of his first broadcast his phone was red hot. "I had 150 calls that I couldn't even answer on the day," he explains. "They came from Seattle to Germany and all points in between." What made his interviews carry more weight than most was the fact that four years ago Ian carried out an independent review of Islamist extremism in prisons and his report found that there were "serious deficiencies in every aspect of the management of terrorist inmates". Only eight of his 69 recommendations were finally accepted. Some of the Islamist prisoners who are currently in the British prison system represent threats similar to Amman and another freed terrorist, Usman Khan, who was responsible for the London Bridge killings last year, says Ian, whose life could have been so very different from the one he leads today. After university, a none-too-successful stint in Coutts's bank in England ended with officials "telling me that they weren't even sure I could count". At one point in the Maze I said I would like to walk down the H-blocks and talk to some prisoners. A senior officer said he would check if that was okay and I assumed he would ring up the control room but he actually went to the prisoners' O/C and asked if it was alright for me to go there Ian tinkered with journalism for a time. He'd always enjoyed writing and submitted articles to his local newspaper, the Impartial Reporter, before contributing his weekly "sometimes funny" take on politics for BBC Radio Ulster's Across the Line programme, whose producer Mike Edgar later linked up with him to present a documentary. "That was called the Forgotten Frontier," says Ian. "It was about Castlederg and the terrorist onslaught there, particularly against the unionist community. I think it had the distinction of being the only documentary that was ever censured by the council in Strabane for telling what I considered to be an inconvenient truth." Ian toyed with the idea of joining the RUC but was talked out of it by relatives who were in the force and instead he applied for and was accepted onto a graduate trainee course with the prison service across the water. He rose to the rank of governor where he had to cope with a number of serious incidents in jails including hostage negotiations and the threats posed by IRA terrorists behind bars. Working from service's headquarters, he had an input into an investigation into the armed escape of five IRA men and an armed robber from Whitemoor prison in Cambridgeshire in the early Nineties. One of the tasks was to establish if anything could be learnt from the experiences of the prison service in Northern Ireland to stop terrorist inmates manipulating staff. Even though Ian was from the province, what he saw on his visits to the Maze shocked him even more than he ever imagined they could. He says: "It was extraordinary to see how little control staff had over a terrorist prison. I'd been governor of Wandsworth prison in England where we were totally in charge of 1,600 prisoners. "At one point in the Maze I said I would like to walk down the H-blocks and talk to some prisoners. A senior officer said he would check if that was okay and I assumed he would ring up the control room but he actually went to the prisoners' O/C and asked if it was alright for me to go there." Ian's criticisms of the prison service in England and Wales have been scathing. "I've called their approach a mixture of arrogance and ineptitude. They think they can manage the Daesh generation and network of Jihadists the same way they quite badly managed the IRA prisoners in Britain in the Nineties. "What has been happening today has been foreseeable. And overseeing all that is the instability in general which is not confined to lower category prisons where governors are struggling day to day to manage all those other threats from organised crime to drugs and the violence that's associated with them. "Then there's overcrowding and insufficient numbers of staff which is creating an environment where violent extremism will flourish." In the wake of Streatham, the Government has announced it is introducing legislation to end the early release of Islamist prisoners. But Ian is cautious, though he accepts it's right the public should demand substantial sentences for terrorist offenders to reflect the gravity of their crimes. He says: "We shouldn't react with ill-thought through legislation. It's not about the quantity of years you add to a prisoner's sentence, it's the quality of the interventions and confinement which is much more important. If you don't do anything with these people they are going to come out as bad if not worse than they were when they went in. "Prisons are ideal places to magnify grievances and alienation to provide networks for people to reinforce beliefs and enable them to descend to the dehumanisation that is required to let the likes of Amman and Khan to do what they did. "We've got to change the way we manage terrorists in custody. We've got to become much more assertive and that was never the case in Northern Ireland. The Maze was just a great big concrete box to keep people in and nothing was done with the prisoners at all. In fact, there would have been resistance to moves like that. "But after the Maze escape, what kept people in prison I would say was the certainty that they would be shot dead by the Army if they tried to go over the top again." On leaving the prison service Ian was appointed director of the international prison charity Prisoners Abroad, supporting British citizens detained overseas. He later worked for the Government's Youth Justice Board and moved to the Home Office, and in 2016 he was appointed as executive director and chief operating officer for the Equality and Human Rights Commission. He has now left public service to set up his own business - and though he's been approached to become a politician he has so far resisted. He says: "I am proud to say that I am an Irish unionist and while I am related to Arlene Foster's husband and I completely disagree with a lot of how the DUP see the world I think I understand her psychology after all that she went through. "David Trimble once had a surreal conversation with me about me standing in an election in Fermanagh and South Tyrone. He told me I would be a great MP but it never happened. "I was also about to become a New Labour candidate in an unwinnable seat in the Blairite years but I dropped out after I was told what to say and think about some very important issues including Iraq and fox-hunting." Ian, who is married with two sons, has had articles published in the Spectator magazine about his experiences of growing up amid the Troubles in Fermanagh - and about Brexit. He has also had poetry published. He still has relatives in Northern Ireland and has done some advocacy work for the South East Fermanagh Foundation, who campaign on behalf of victims of the Troubles. "I've been supremely lucky to have avoided the personal trauma that many people endured like the family of Paul Maxwell, the young Enniskillen boy who was killed along with Lord Mountbatten in Mullaghmore," he says. "I used to play with his brother. "My wife will tell me that I am still slightly changed around the time of the Enniskillen anniversary every year. I don't think of myself as a terribly emotional person but It just brings back those feelings from 1987 after I heard the news in Durham and felt that I had to go home." Event To benefit attendees, HTNG is partnering again for the second year with Integrated Systems Europe to produce the Hospitality Tech Summit. The 2020 Hospitality Tech Summit will be held on 13 February in Amsterdam. The HTNG Hospitality Tech Summit is a one-day event being held at the Okura Hotel during the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show, which will range from 11-14 February at the Amsterdam RAI. More information coming soon! To learn more about the full Integrated Systems Event, click here. HTNG's Hospitality Tech Summit is organized by Spencer Platt, Staff / Getty Images Avangrid, the U.S. subsidiary of the Spanish power utility Iberdrola, said it began operating a new 307-megawatt wind farm near Corpus Christi at the end of the year that will supply power to municipally owned Austin Energy and the sporting apparel company Nike. Avangrid, which is based in Connecticut, said the Karankawa Wind Farm has 124 turbines on 18,000 acres in San Patricio and Bee counties near the Gulf Coast. The turbines will sit on land owned by 60 property owners. Power producer SJVN has tied up finance for its 900 MW hydropower project, which will cost around Rs 11,000 crore Nepalese rupees (INR 6,880 crore), a release said on Thursday. Representatives of SJVN Ltd signed agreements with banks during a ceremony here, the company release said. The SJVN Arun3 Power Development Company (SAPDC) will invest NPR 11,000 crore in the next five years, it said. The Memorandum of Understanding for the execution of the project was signed with Government of Nepal on (BOOT) Build Operate Own and Transfer basis in March 2008. The SAPDC Pvt. Ltd. was accordingly incorporated and registered on April 25, 2013 as a private limited company under the Nepalese Companies Act. The Project Development Agreement for the execution of the project was signed between SAPDC and the Investment Board of Nepal under Government of Nepal on November 25, 2014, according to the press release. The project was started by laying foundation stone jointly Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Nepal KP Oli on May 2018. "As on the date the construction work on all fronts is going on in full swing round the clock," informed N.L. Sharma, chairman and managing director of the SJNV Ltd. Five Indian banks and two Nepalese banks are involved in providing finance for the project. SBI, EXIM, PNB, CANARA and UBI are from India while Everest Bank and Nabil Bank are from Nepal. Nepal government will get 21.9 per cent free electricity supply from the project after the construction is over. The project will be handed over to Nepal 25 years after its completion. Nepal government will get a total of NPR 33,866 crore financial benefits from the project within the period of 25 years before handing over to Nepal by the SAPDC. The project is aimed at exporting electricity to India after its completion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A record 90 migrants were intercepted and brought to Dover in eight small boats today. The figure - which includes 15 minors - is the most for a single day and eclipses the 86 who arrived in one day last August. In the first incident off the Kent coast at 2.15am, a Border Force vessel intercepted a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB) carrying five West African men from Senegal, Mali and Guinea. In another incident around the same time, 21 men who said they were Syrian, Yemeni and Egyptian were also picked up on a RHIB. All 26 migrants were taken to Dover, where they were medically assessed before being taken for questioning by immigration officials. Later, at around 7.40am, a group of 12 men and women were intercepted by a cutter and said they were Iranian and Iraqi. More than 70 migrants are thought to have been intercepted off the coast of Kent on Thursday morning (pictured arriving in Dover) In the fourth incident around the same time, 16 Iraqi and Iranian men were picked up on a boat. An hour later, Border Force officers caught a group of 12 people whose nationalities have not yet been established. Five more were detained at Shakespeare Beach and Samphire Hoe Beach, Dover, around 9.20am. They said they were Yemeni and Iraqi. An hour after that, an RNLI lifeboat picked up an inflatable boat carrying 12 men and two women who said they were Iranian and Iraqi. Finally, five suspected illegal immigrants were detained by police in Dover town centre at around 11.20am. Almost 1,900 migrants - a record number - arrived in Britain on small boats last year. The Home Office said: 'All those found, apart from the group detained by Kent Police, were taken to Dover where they were medically assessed before being transferred to immigration officials to be interviewed. 'A total of 15 people from today's eight incidents claimed to be minors and, subject to age assessment, will be transferred into the care of social services. 'The cases of all 90 people found today will be dealt with according to the immigration rules.' HM Coastguard responded to 'a number of incidents' in the English Channel, along with Border Force, Kent Police and other agencies (pictured men with blankets at Dover on Thursday) Border Force officers are said to be dealing with around eight inflatable boats, with the first one detected around 5.30am (pictured is the port of Dover on Thursday morning) Seen among the arrivals in Dover were several children, with some wearing orange life jackets as they were walked towards an ambulance Four young children were seen being escorted by immigration officials at the port this morning - including one aged around four or five who was holding hands with an adult. Another child was seen carrying a doll after making it ashore. A large red inflatable boat some of the migrants are thought to have crossed in was seen with a smaller dinghy inside it this morning. A group of men migrants wrapped in grey blankets were spotted at the Port of Dover around 7.15am. Red jerry cans and life jackets were left in a boat that had been abandoned on the nearby Samphire Hoe Beach, while rubber boots and clothes were left on a nearby pathway. A bearded migrant using a crutch and wearing a hoodie, jeans and waterproof jacket was pictured with a Coastguard worker. Several men were grouped together with grey blankets over them as Border Force officials kept watch on Thursday morning The migrants (left and right) were wrapped in a blankets after being brought ashore in Dover It is thought that more than 70 migrants have arrived in Kent today, with one cutter believed to have carried around 28 people (pictured is one man wrapped in a blanket in Dover) Natalie Elphicke, MP for Dover and Deal, insists more must be done after the latest crossings - which happened less than a week after Brexit Day. She said: 'It is essential that we put a stop to this appalling trafficking trade and protect vulnerable people from making these dangerous crossings. 'A fresh approach is needed, so wherever boats are picked up in the English Channel they are returned safely and securely to France. 'We already have territorial agreements for border controls and these should be extended. It's in France's interest too because they don't want Calais to become a migrant magnet again. Another man, thought to be a migrant, was seen using a walking stick as he was escorted by an official in high-vis Inflatable boats were seen stacked on top of each other inside the Kent port on Thursday 'Today's crossings demonstrate why talks on this should progress immediately.' Tony Eastaugh, the Home Office's director for crime and enforcement, said: 'We are tackling illegal migrant crossings on all fronts with every agency including Border Force, Immigration Enforcement, NCA (National Crime Agency) and policing teams working in tandem with the French and Belgian authorities. 'We have extra patrols on French beaches, drones, specialist vehicles and detection equipment which has been deployed to stop small boats leaving European shores. 'And it's working. Last year one hundred people smugglers were convicted for a total of 320 years.' Thursday's rescue comes after almost 200 migrants tried to cross from the continent to Britain between January 20 and January 26 (pictured Border Force in Kent today) The boat was left on the shore after the migrants were intercepted trying to get to Britain Clothes and shoes were also seen littered around the beach during the incident on Thursday Since January 2019, more than 135 migrants who entered the UK illegally via small boats have been returned to Europe. It comes after nearly 200 migrants risked their lives to try and cross the English Channel in just one week last month. At least 180 migrants tried to cross from the continent to Britain between January 20 and January 26, according to figures from UK and French authorities. This is despite repeated warnings about the dangers of making the trip in a small boat. More crossings over January 25 and 26 brought the total number of migrants picked up by Border Force and brought to the UK in seven days to at least 94. On Saturday 25 January a Border Force vessel was alerted about 5.30am to a boat entering UK waters which was carrying a group of 26 males and two females who have presented themselves as Pakistani, Afghan, Iraqi, Iranian and Syrian nationals. Officers helped some of the migrants get medical care after they arrived in Dover, Kent A lifeboat is seen approaching a small craft thought to be carrying migrants on Thursday Around a dozen people were seen wearing lifejackets as they were brought ashore on the upper deck of the Border Force vessel Searcher A red dinghy was seen on a Kent beach with items still inside during the operation on Thursday morning The group was taken to Dover in Kent, where they were to be medically assessed, before being interviewed by immigration officials. The English Channel is the world's busiest shipping lane, with 500-600 ships passing through the narrow strait every day. Last August saw a record 86 migrants arrive in one day - during a year in which around 1,900 asylum seekers reach Britain. On New Year's Day it was revealed that 1,900 migrants reached UK soil after crossing the Channel during the year. However more than 2,300 were blocked in the Channel as they tried to get to Britain illegally in 231 small boats laid on by people smugglers. Natalie Elphicke, MP for Dover and Deal, has today insisted more must be done after the latest crossings - which happened less than a week after Brexit Day. A striped brown scarf and blue jumper were among the items of clothing seen in Dover A man in a high-vis jacket was seen helping another man with a blanket over his shoulders in Dover on Thursday after the inflatable boats were intercepted Assisting Border Force with the rescue on Thursday morning (pictured) were RNLI lifeboats from Dover and Littlestone and an HM Coastguard Search and Rescue Helicopter from Lydd The English Channel is the world's busiest shipping lane, with 500-600 ships passing through every day (pictured is a lifeboat approaching a small craft on Thursday) Last August saw a record 86 migrants arrive in one day (pictured is a Border Force boat with a red inflatable behind it at Dover on Thursday) She said: 'It is essential that we put a stop to this appalling trafficking trade and protect vulnerable people from making these dangerous crossings. 'A fresh approach is needed, so wherever boats are picked up in the English Channel they are returned safely and securely to France. 'We already have territorial agreements for border controls and these should be extended. It's in France's interest too - because they don't want Calais to become a migrant magnet again. 'Today's crossings demonstrate why talks on this should progress immediately.' A Coastguard spokeswoman said today: 'HM Coastguard is coordinating a search and rescue response to a number of incidents off Kent this morning, working with Border Force, Kent Police and other partners. 'Border Force vessels Searcher, Speedwell and Alert have been sent, along with RNLI lifeboats from Dover and Littlestone, a fixed wing aircraft and an HM Coastguard Search and Rescue Helicopter from Lydd. 'HM Coastguard is only concerned with preservation of life, rescuing those in trouble and bringing them safely back to shore, where they will be handed over to the relevant partner emergency services or authorities.' Coastal Farm and Ranch plans to open a Corvallis store this fall. Coastal, whose corporate headquarters is in Albany, also plans to open Salem and Monroe, Washington, outlets this year, which would bring the company to 20 stores overall. Coastal has purchased the old Kmart building on Northeast Circle Boulevard and is working with the city of Corvallis on building permits for planned remodeling. Coastal and city officials held a predevelopment meeting Dec. 24 to discuss the permitting process, said Kevin Russell, the citys development services manager. No public process is expected for Coastal to complete the project. Weve been looking for the right opportunity in the Corvallis area for the past few years, said Byron Baule, operations manager with Coastal. What makes Corvallis so attractive is that the city and surrounding area are a unique combination of a thriving farm and rural community, balanced with a strong urban center. Corvallis benefits from being home to Oregon State University, one of the leading agricultural universities in the Northwest. A key factor in the companys search for a Corvallis outlet was finding a building of the right size, Baule said. The owners wanted to be there for a long time, Baule said. When a building of that size opened up we had to take advantage of that. The sales floor of the new Coastal outlet will be 50,000 square feet, with the rest of the building used for storage. The 50,000 figure is about average for Coastal outlets, Baule said. Coastal is planning a complete interior remodel, Baule said, including flooring, paint and fixtures. It will end up looking like our Albany store. Thats our model," Baule said. Baule said the Corvallis store, which will include an outside yard, will be divided essentially into thirds. One-third will be devoted to clothing, one-third hardware, tools, welding and automotive and one-third animal health, farm equipment, tack, feed and animal supplements. Its the kind of store you have to experience firsthand, he said. We really have something for everyone. We are excited to be coming to Corvallis, Baule said. We look forward to continuing to support the people, schools and farms of this area. The Corvallis store will hire 50 to 60 employees. The addition of the Salem, Monroe, Washington, and Corvallis stores will put the company over the 1,000 employee mark, Baule said. Other Oregon stores in the company include Klamath Falls, White City, Redmond, Roseburg, Eugene, Albany, Woodburn, Oregon City, Cornelius, Gresham and The Dalles. Washington stores are in Yakima, East Wenatchee, Auburn, Marysville, Mt. Vernon and Sequim. Contact reporter James Day at jim.day@gazettetimes.com or 541-812-6116. Follow at Twitter.com/jameshday or gazettetimes.com/blogs/jim-day. Love 20 Funny 3 Wow 7 Sad 0 Angry 11 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. For the first time, Houston City Council members publicly floated proposals Wednesday for how the city can better protect its residents from explosions like the one at Watson Grinding & Manufacturing, which killed two people and damaged hundreds of homes. Among the ideas: tighter thresholds for reporting chemicals, more inspectors for the fire department, or requiring companies to pay for and submit their own third-party inspections. The suggestions raised at the Public Safety and Homeland Security hearing marked the start of what Mayor Sylvester Turner has promised will be a long, transparent discussion about how the city can better balance the safety of its neighborhoods with the citys robust chemical industry. He said last week that he hopes that conversation will produce policy changes by the end of the year. The region has had six major chemical fires since last March. This is only the beginning of a much-needed conversation on the issue of neighborhood safety when it comes to not only manufacturing plants, but the storage of chemicals and other potentially dangerous materials, said council member Abbie Kamin, the committees chair. Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena told the committee that Watson Grinding & Manufacturing, which had a 2,000-gallon tank of the chemical propylene that investigators have said fueled the Jan. 24 blast, was not functioning as a high hazard business, according to thresholds laid out by the International Building Code. The facility fell into other categories, Pena said. They included business, storage and factory designations, according to the IBC standards. The company was also up to date on all permits, he said. It doesnt mean that the other ones are not hazardous, it just doesnt meet a certain threshold, he said. Those details perturbed council member Karla Cisneros, who voiced a concern shared by many residents in Houston after the blast. One of most terrifying things about this to me was that this was not operating as a high-hazard building, Cisneros told Pena. Its alarming that this was not considered a dangerous facility. It just raises questions about, how safe are we? Pena said tightening those thresholds within the city could be one tool to lessen the risk of such disasters in the future. In addition to the IBC business occupancy thresholds, the federal Environmental Protection Agency sets margins for reporting hazardous chemicals in what are called Tier II inventories. Watsons storage of propylene did not meet that threshold for disclosure. Those might fit well for more sparsely populated areas, but in a high-density urban environment, we need to look at whether those laws that exist at the federal level are enough to ensure that we are finding out what is being kept in our neighborhoods, Pena said. He said its sometimes safer to live next to high-hazard facilities because theyre better regulated. The city has had stronger disclosure requirements in the past. Then-Mayor Bob Lanier ordered that warehouses must publicly disclose their contents after a 1995 Pleasantville fire. The city also launched its first database for hazmat permits after that blaze. The order had been rescinded by 2016, when a raging chemical warehouse fire sparked several explosions. On HoustonChronicle.com: Lack of restrictions make Houston residents, hazardous industries uneasy neighbors Pena said there are currently 29,000 permits in the city for varying kinds of chemical storage and businesses. Among those, he said, 179 are considered a high-hazard occupancy, and 514 are classified as hazardous. Cisneros asked Pena if the fire department could adjust its inspection schedule. Council member Robert Gallegos asked if theyre short-staffed. Pena said the department reported being 10 inspectors short in 2017, when the city implemented a new risk-based inspection system. Adding those personnel would help, he said. If the city lowered its thresholds for disclosure, it would need even more inspectors, the chief said. Council member Michael Kubosh asked if the city could place the burden of inspections on companies, not the fire department, by requiring them to get third-party inspections and submit them to the city. Pena said that had been discussed as an option. During the meeting, the chief also revealed new details about the blast. He said that Watson was combining the propylene in the 2,000-gallon storage tank with oxygen in a process to thermally coat materials like valves. The propylene was then transferred into the factory using a system of pipes. Investigators believe the leak that caused the blast, which was ignited by an electric spark, was in one of those pipes. The storage tank was not damaged during the blast. A final report on that investigation is expected in the next 60 days. Pena praised the departments hazardous materials teams that were first to enter the site on the morning of the explosion, securing valves at the factory before the sun came up. I cannot put into words the amazement and pride that I have for the work that they do, he said. The hearing didnt result in any immediate policy changes or recommendations. Instead, it was the start of a longer process that Turner has said he hopes will result in changes this year. Kamin, the chair of the committee, said they will hold another hearing with the Regulatory and Neighborhoods Affairs Committee on March 26. Im very happy to see that momentum is moving in the right direction in terms of how we look at neighborhood safety for our residents and for our city, Kamin said. Charleston, South Carolina - February 6, 2020 (Investorideas.com Newswire) 1st Prestige Wealth Management (OTC Pink: FPWM), announces it will now operate under its new name, Charlestowne Premium Beverages Inc. The rebrand follows the acquisition of the developer and wholesaler of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages that share the same name. Image: Papa Vodka 0Enjoyed straight, on the rocks, or expertly mixed into a cocktail, Papa is the premier vodka for a smooth taste, intriguing texture, and clean finish. "The decision to change the Company name comes as part of the acquisition of Charlestowne Premium brands and a desire to reinforce the symbiotic relationship we have with the brand. We are looking at a new direction as a Company and have set our sights on the alcoholic beverage market where we hope to carve a niche within the CBD infused beverage landscape. The CBD market is growing extensively in the US, so that presents a huge market opportunity," added Martin Ustin, CEO at 1st Prestige Wealth Management. "We are entirely aligned in terms of mission and goals, so it made sense to unite the company under that name. I look forward to announcing our short-term plans in the next few weeks and keeping our investors and stakeholders up to date through our corporate communications and press releases." Although the company name will change, the market ticker will remain the same under FPWM. About Charlestowne Premium Beverages Inc Charlestowne Premium Beverages Inc (OTC Pink: FPWM) is a company that develops, produces, markets, and distributes alcoholic beverages worldwide. The Company's portfolio showcases spirit brands such as Papa Vodka, Crocodile Tears Vodka, Proprietor's Reserve Whiskey, and Lord Proprietor's Special Reserve Whiskey. Charlestowne Premium also has Wholesaler and Import permits from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau - the governing body for spirits in the U.S. under the Department of the Treasury. To learn more, please visit www.charlestownepremiumbeverages.com and follow us on Twitter at @CharlestowneCB1 Safe Harbor Statement: This release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E and or 27E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are based upon assumptions that in the future may prove not to have been accurate and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including statements as to the future performance of the company and the risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward- looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Although the company believes that the expectations reflected in its forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations or any of its forward- looking statements will prove to be correct. Factors that could cause results to differ include, but are not limited to, the company's ability to raise necessary financing, retention of key personnel, timely delivery of inventory from the company's contract manufacturers, timely product development, product acceptance, and the impact of competitive services and products, in addition to general economic. Contact: ir@ctpbev.com 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. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investment involves risk and possible loss of investment. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Contact each company directly regarding content and press release questions. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Disclosure : this news release FPWM 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 The Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has approved a proposal by the municipal Department of Education and Training to extend the school break through February 16 in a bid to prevent the possible spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The citys K-12 students will resume school on February 17, according to a decision signed by the local administration on Thursday afternoon. All kindergarteners and school students were previously asked to stay home for one week from February 3, when they had been slated to get back to school after the weeks-long Lunar New Year holiday. They were supposed to resume school on February 10, according to a previous decision made by the municipal Peoples Committee. However, the Department of Education and Training in the southern metropolis put forward a proposal on Thursday to further postpone the back-to-school date to February 17. In the wake of the complicated development of acute respiratory infections caused by a new strain of the coronavirus, in order to prevent the possible spread of the disease in schools and ensure students health, the Department of Education and Training asks for approval from the Standing Committee of the municipal People's Committee to extend the temporary break for schools in the city through February 16, 2020, the department wrote in its proposal. Elementary school students wash their hands during school in the north-central province of Nghe An on February 5, 2020. Photo: Doan Hoa / Tuoi Tre All but two out of 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam have allowed K-12 students to stay home in light of the 2019-nCoV outbreak in the country. The north-central province of Nghe An and the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre remain the only two localities in Vietnam where students have returned to school after the Lunar New Year holiday. Over 60 universities and colleges nationwide have also granted their students at least a week off after the Lunar New Year holiday. The novel coronavirus, which first surfaced in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has killed 565 people and infected more than 28,200 globally as of Thursday, according to the South China Morning Post. It has spread across mainland China and to 31 other countries and regions, according to a Reuters tally based on official statements from the authorities involved. Vietnam has confirmed ten cases so far, including seven Vietnamese, one Vietnamese American, and two Chinese. Among them, one Chinese and two Vietnamese have fully recovered and been discharged from hospital as of Thursday. They were all treated for free. The World Health Organization has declared the new coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The CRO Services Market size is slated to hit USD 90,926.3 million by 2026, displaying a CAGR of 11.4% during the forecast period. Rising number of clinical trials across the globe will be the primary force propelling this market in the forthcoming years. Contract research services are provided by organizations that specialize in providing outsourced clinical research services to biotechnology, medical devices, and pharmaceutical companies. The demand for CRO services is on the rise owing to the increasing number of clinical trials worldwide. According to the report, the value of this market was at USD 38,396.4 million in 2018 and will register a CAGR of 11.4% between 2019 and 2026. Other highlights of the report include: Microscopic study of the various factors driving and restraining the market; Careful classification and research of the market segments; Accurate computation of market figures; Comprehensive analysis of the CRO Services Market with regional dynamics and competitive landscape. The report provides Contract Research Organization Services Market analysis to give a broader overview of the key players in the market. In addition, the report also covers key strategic developments of the market including acquisitions & mergers, new product & service launches, agreements, partnerships, collaborations & joint ventures, research & development, and regional expansion of major participants involved in the market on a global and regional basis. Key Features of CRO Services Market Report: Overview, Industry Life Cycle Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis CRO Services Market Size, Trends, Growth Drivers, Constraints, SWOT Analysis, Forecast Analysis Competitive Landscapes: Market Share, Product Portfolio, New Product Launches, etc. Market attractiveness and Associated Growth Opportunities Strategic Growth Opportunities for the Existing and New Players Key Success Factors Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts:https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/contract-research-organization-cro-services-market-100864 Regional Dynamics: North America to Occupy a Commanding Position in the Market; Europe to Follow Closely Among regions, North America is set to dominate the contract research organization services market share in the coming decade owing to increasing investment in R&D activities by government organizations in the region. In addition to that, development of advanced therapies, spreading health awareness, and rising incidence of chronic diseases will further drive this regional market. In Europe, the market will be primarily driven by high R&D investment by large pharmaceuticals biotechnology giants operating in the region. Asia-Pacific is foreseen to grow at an impressive CAGR on account of availability of diverse people for clinical trials and increasing prevalence of chronic and infectious diseases. Key Companies and Manufacturers Covered: Covance Inc. PSI ICON plc IQVIA Medpace Parexel International Corporation KCR S.A PRA Health Sciences, Inc. Clintec Pharmaceutical Product Development, LLC Industry Developments: May 2019: Altasciences and WuXi AppTec teamed up to provide full backing to drug development programs using WuXis Investigational New Drug (IND) platform. The system would the collaborators to support clinical drug studies from the point of conception to the final document preparation and submission for commercial launch. Altasciences and WuXi AppTec teamed up to provide full backing to drug development programs using WuXis Investigational New Drug (IND) platform. The system would the collaborators to support clinical drug studies from the point of conception to the final document preparation and submission for commercial launch. February 2019: Happy Life Tech and Pharmaceutical Product Development, two CRO leaders in China, entered into an agreement with each other to develop a novel offering for Chinas drug development market. The product would enable delivering of data science-powered clinical trials and empirical evidence of drug efficacy, value, and safety. Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: Detailed Market Segmentation: By Application Oncology Cardiology Infectious Disease Metabolic Disorders Others By End User Pharmaceutical & Biotechnological Companies Medical Device Companies Academic & Research Institutes Others By Geography North America (United States- New York, California and Canada) Europe (United Kingdom- England, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, and Rest of Europe) Asia Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, Southeast Asia, and Rest of Asia Pacific) Rest of the World Reasons to Purchase this Report: Detailed business profiles including product offerings, recent developments, key financial information, and strategies employed by main Contract Research Organization Services Market players. Analysis of various regions and countries that includes the demand and supply based actions, which consequently have a major influence on the markets expansion. 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Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data. Contact Us: US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email:sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com A murdered drug dealer fought her way out of a toolbox but was caught and forced back in before being dumped in a creek, a Queensland court has been told. Iuliana Triscaru and Cory Breton's decomposing bodies were found in February 2016 after police dragged the large metal box from Scrubby Creek, south of Brisbane. The pair had been lured to a unit in Kingston 18 days earlier and assaulted by a group of men after Mr Breton told a friend he had a photo of a fellow drug dealer on his phone, the Brisbane Supreme Court has heard. Prosecutor David Meredith says this photo of Stou Daniels, who was giving the orders at the home, is central to the murder trial of Tuhirangi-Thomas Tahiata, 28. Iuliana Triscaruf ought her way out of a toolbox but was caught and forced back in by her captors in February 2016 Tahiata has pleaded not guilty to both murders. But another drug dealer, Lelan Harrington, says Tahiata helped load the toolbox with the pair inside onto a ute and returned later saying "it's done". In the hours before that, the pair was bound, gagged, bashed with a metal pole and knifed, Mr Harrington said. "There was blood on the floor. There was blood on the couch," he told the jury. Cory Breton's decomposing body were found in February 2016 after police dragged the large metal box from Scrubby Creek, south of Brisbane Police use a crane to pull the tool box out of the Scrubby Creek, south of Brisbane where they uncovered the bodies of Iuliana Triscaru and Cory Breton The duo was then told to get inside the two-metre-long toolbox, he said. "I remember when (Ms Triscaru) was trying to stop the lid from closing, Stou (Daniels) was slashing at her forearms with the knife that he stabbed Cory with." Mr Harrington said at one point in the afternoon, Ms Triscaru fought her way out of the box but was pinned to the ground by two men in the unit. "They put a zip tie around her hands and feet "(One of the men) grabbed a zip line and tied it around her neck and she was coughing and choking on her own blood "They picked her up, placed her in the toolbox and closed the lid," he said. Police take the tool box in as evidence after pulling it out of the river south of Brisbane in February 2016 Mr Harrington said as the box was loaded onto the ute, blood flowed out of it. "There was blood all the way out to the entrance," he said Later, Tahiata and a man named Trent Thrupp drove off with the toolbox, he said. He next saw Tahiata later that night. "He jumped out (of the ute), he had no shirt on and had mud splattered up his chest and said it was done," he said. The trial continues. T en more people among thousands quarantined on board a cruise ship in Japan have been infected by coronavirus, with more than 170 passengers still waiting for results. About 3,700 people are facing at least two weeks quarantine on the Diamond Princess vessel in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, after 10 people were initially confirmed with the virus and moved to medical facilities. The total of number of passengers with the deadly illness now stands at 20, with the number of patients in Japan amounting to 45. The 10 new cases included four Japanese, two Americans, two Canadians, one person from New Zealand and one from Taiwan. Quarantine operation was under way on the cruise ship Diamond Princess in Yokohama / via Reuters The latest developments came as the death toll in from the virus in China, where the virus first broke out, rose to 563, with the number of confirmed cases jumping to 28,018. Carnival's Diamond Princess was caught up in the global coronavirus epidemic after an 80-year-old Hong Kong man tested positive for the virus after disembarking late last month. The ship arrived in Yokohama on Monday after a 14-day round trip. David Abel, who is on board the Diamond Princess with his wife Sally, said passengers would be confined to their cabins for a fortnight. Coronavirus: Britons in mainland China urged to leave Mr Abel, of Woodford Halse in Oxfordshire, said: "The positive thing in this is... our balcony is facing the sun. "If we don't come back with a suntan then there's something wrong. We are allowed onto our balconies, so I think most of my day will be spent writing, researching and being absolutely lazy. "Naturally, we want to be home. We are missing our little Yorkie dogs. But two weeks, it'll go quite quickly I hope." Wuhan, China: Convention Centre turned into a hospital for Coronavirus 1 /16 Wuhan, China: Convention Centre turned into a hospital for Coronavirus The view of the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center on February 4th.2020 in Wuhan.Hubei Province,China. Wuhan epidemic prevention headquarters started converting three existing venues, including a gymnasium and an exhibition center, into hospitals to receive patients infected with the novel Coronavirus Getty Images Reuters AP REUTERS AP Getty Images Getty Images Getty Images AP AP AP AP Another passenger said the vessel docked in the port to take on supplies, with food delivery to rooms very slow. "Its surprising how the ship that was turning out 5,000 gourmet meals three times a day has found it difficult to deliver sandwiches and one hot meal. Where did they put the Escargot and sushi?" Gay Courter, a 75-year-old American said. "Of course our biggest worry is that we have been infected at some point," she added. "We are hopeful that the US government will be sending transport for the Americans on board its better for us to travel while healthy and also if we get sick to be treated in American hospitals." The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a global appeal for 520 million in donations as it seeks to combat the spread of the virus. A preparedness and response plan has been launched by the WHO, which is requesting the sum in order to support countries with weaker health systems. Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said "urgent support" was needed to help countries detect, diagnose and care for people with the virus to prevent further human to human transmission. It is understood that the British Government is currently considering its contribution, while the Irish Government pledged half a million euros (425,000) to the WHO, who is spearheading the international response. [February 06, 2020] Specs, pricing to help next-gen Samsung Galaxy S20 continue growth trend NEW DELHI and MUMBAI, India and HONG KONG and SEOUL, South Korea and SAN DIEGO and LONDON and BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The next-generation Samsung Galaxy S20 series smartphone will be unveiled at the company's Galaxy Unpacked event which takes place on February 11. We expect 2020 shipments to exceed 40m units, driven by the rumored camera and hardware spec improvements, default 5G, and competitive retail pricing. Shipment numbers will also reflect an expected 2020 smartphone market recovery, resulting in another year of growth for a Samsung flagship release. Much of the Galaxy S20 focus has been on the cameras, with the base model rumored to have 12MP main, 10MP front-facing, 64MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and 12MP ultrawide angle camera; with the S20 Plus having an additional ToF camera. The top-end Galaxy S20 Ultra is likely to come with a 108MP main, 40MP front-facing, 48MP telephoto with 10x optical zoom paired with a possible 100x digital zoom, providing for powerful hybrid functionality. The Ultra model is also expected to come with a market-leading 16GB of RAM, positioning it as the industry standard for 5G. Sujeong Lim, research analyst at Counterpoint Research, states: "High-definition live video, high-end cloud gaming, and XR are important use cases in the early 5G era, and Samsung's 16GB of high RAM capacity is considered as a preparation to provide a good user experience for these 5G applications." The S20 base model's expected price tag of US$850 comes in at US$50 less than the S10 equivalent at launch, and should ease some resistance potential buyers will feel from premium prices. This, coupled with more 5G network rollouts "will have a positive effect on pulling up sales volume as 5G commercialization expands in the US, Europe, and other regions," according to Sujeong Lim. The S20 line could also come with LTE variants, allowing even lower pricing in regions where 5G has yet to make significant commercial inroads. One risk to Counterpoint Research's forecasts comes from the coronavirus situation. Although Samsung closed its Huizhou handset production line in 2H19, mitigating some of its production risk, retail sales could be hit as public events and marketing activities are scaled down due to virus fears. This is especially true in China where, so far, many cities have effectively shut down in efforts to contain the virus. For press comments and inquiries please reach out to [email protected] Analyst Contacts: Sujeong Lim [email protected] Follow Counterpoint Research [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/specs-pricing-to-help-next-gen-samsung-galaxy-s20-continue-growth-trend-301000249.html SOURCE Counterpoint Research [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Homework. Its one of the most contentious issues in the primary school yard. Many parents demand more, others less, and teachers and kids are often stuck in the middle. Recent reports of Australian school children slipping in international measures for literacy and numeracy has fuelled the pro-homework side among parents. Research shows that homework has little to no academic benefits in primary school. Credit:Stocksy In 2019, Australian students went backwards in the OECDs Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) which measures the reading, maths and scientific literacy of 15-year-olds. For the first time we failed to exceed the OECD average in maths. But is loading up kids with homework, particularly in the early years of schooling, the answer to improving our standing in international rankings as many parents passionately believe it to be? Recent data from the Kaspersky Security Network (KSN) showed nearly 4 million Internet-borne threats were detected in computers of Kaspersky users based in the Philippines who surfed the web from October to December in 2019. This has placed the country in the top spot in Southeast Asia and seventh place worldwide in Kasperskys 2019 ranking, climbing six notches up from its 13th spot in the same period in 2018. The KSN is a complex distributed infrastructure dedicated to intelligently process cybersecurity-related data streams from millions of voluntary Kaspersky users around the world. From its Q4 report, a total of 3,906,410 web threats were found in computers of Kaspersky users in the Philippines which is 31.6% overall. Top global list Meanwhile, the report also showed fewer local threat incidents among Kaspersky users in the country. These are malware attacks on computers from removable media such as USBs, CDs, DVDs and other offline methods. The Philippines is currently at 64th place globally with only 8,998,044 detections in Q4 of 2019 which is a significant drop from its 74th place with 11,757,863 detections in Q4 of 2018. Threat sources also went down to 76,900 incidents in Q4 last year from 453,788 incidents in the same period in 2018. Threat sources are locations of detected malware shared from servers hosted in the Philippines. The last quarter of the year is comprised of the ber-months or the Christmas season in the Philippines. For the past years, this is the time when Filipinos begin going on online shopping sprees and becoming too active on social media reaching its peak in the holiday season in December. Being one of the worlds top Internet users, I think theres no stopping the Filipinos from utilizing the web as a part of their modern way of life. Were hoping that as they completely embrace this technology, so too will their practice of cyber hygiene as long as they go online, said Mary Grace Sotayco, Territory Manager for the Philippines at Kaspersky. The significant drop in local threat infections tells us that theres good news here. Filipinos are slowly understanding the risks, which the numbers reflect. We recognize the challenges which are almost similar across the region. Shifting the mindset is a collective effort and well continue doing our part in sharing our threat intelligence and expertise to the public and to our partners in the government and private sectors, said Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky. SEA ranking for 2019 and 2018 In order to be secured against the evolving threats online, Kasperskys security experts advise the following basic but important steps: Carefully check the link before visiting a site, especially for misspelling or other irregularities, even if you think its a site youve visited regularly before. Enter your username and password only over a secure connection. Avoid logging in to online banks and similar services via public Wi-Fi networks. Be aware that URLs that begin with the https may not always be secure. Dont trust emails from unknown senders until you can verify the authenticity of their origins. Always run a system with a quality, up-to-date anti-malware program such as Kaspersky Internet Security. Our advanced solution will help you solve most of the problems automatically and alert you if something went wrong. For companies, Kaspersky recommends the following: Erin and Brody Barrett met at a bonfire in high schoolyou could say there were sparks. More than 10 years later, while the couple was wine tasting with family and friends at Domaine Carneros in Napa, Brody got down on one knee, a grand gesture that was somewhat unexpected. "Brody is very private," says Erin, who never imagined such a public display. The day would inspire the feeling for their eventual wedding day: "We wanted our wedding to feel feminine, relaxed, and romantic." www.youtube.com The couple kept with a vineyard theme, selecting Livermore Valley's picturesque Wente Vineyards for their ceremony and reception. A light-up marquee-style sign of their initials announced the event and also served as a remembrance of Erin's late fatherthe sign was created using his tools; this was his "gift" to them. Their event was swathed in a sweet neutral palette, with bouquets of blooming blush peonies, white roses, and eucalyptus. Ivory candles, faceted pink goblets, and touches of gold in the place settings and on the three-layer wedding cake added a bit of sparkle. The couple exuded easy California glamour, Erin in an embroidered lace gown with a plunging neckline, Brody and his groomsmen in dark grey suits. The bridesmaids' pale pink dresses echoed the florals. For the ceremony, they kept it simple, with a single sash hanging over the arch and lanterns placed along the petal-strewn aisle. In the most meaningful moment of the entire day, the couple walked, on all four legs, down the aisle together: See, Brody had lost one of his legs in an accident a few years ago. "While he was in the hospital, I remember wondering if we would ever get the chance to walk down the aisle side-by-side," Erin said. The couple made it happen. Erin adds a reminder for couples on their wedding day: "Have fun! This is the beginning of your new life togetherenjoy every moment, because the day goes by so fast and it's over before you know it." Venue: Murrieta's Well Winery Makeup: Bay Area Beautiful Hair: Jessica Barrow Dress Designer: Galia Lahav Dress Salon: Kinsley James Couture Florist: Amy West Floral Design Rentals: Pleasanton Rentals DJ: AG Productions Photography: Catherine Leanne Photography Videography: Goodfolk Film Co Lucknow: Seven people, including three children, were killed in their sleep at a carpet manufacturing factory following a poisonous gas leak from a neighbouring chemical factory at Biswan in Uttar Pradeshs Sitapur district on Thursday, officials said and added the tragedy forced the evacuation of residents from a nearby village. Police superintendent L R Kumar said they had a tough time entering the unit due to the pungent smell when they rushed to the scene after being informed about the leak. ...we managed to recover seven bodies including that of three children, said Kumar. He added a murder case will be registered soon. District magistrate Akhilesh Tiwari said there is a chemical factory named Balaji Rasayan Udhyog near the carpet unit. Preliminary probe revealed that large containers of chemicals were cleaned in a small canal, which flows along with the carpet factory... He added poisonous chemicals in the canal probably caused the deaths. The state pollution control department has picked up samples of the chemicals and sent them to a laboratory. According to an employee of the chemical factory, it was registered with the sales tax department in August last year. There were hydrochloride and sodium peroxide in the containers cleaned in the canal on Wednesday, he added. When the water was released after cleaning the containers, it flowed down to the canal. Villagers said a pungent smell woke them up early in the morning. It seems some of them tried to run but could not, said a local resident Imran Mohammad. A magisterial probe has been ordered into the incident, the district magistrate said. Deputy commissioner (industries) Ashish Gupta said this chemical unit is registered in the name of Sukesh Gupta. Bisvans sub-divisional magistrate, Suresh Kumar, said, The affected area has been evacuated. He added the factory owner was on the run. A doctor at Sitapurs district hospital, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the cause of the deaths was asphyxia (suffocation). In Lucknow, Uttar Pradeshs additional chief secretary (home), Awanish Awasthi, said the seven include five from a family. He identified them as Atiq, 45, his wife, Saira, 42 and children Ayesha, 12, Afroz, 8 and Faisal, 2. Besides them two others, Motu, 75 and Pahalwan, 70, also died, said Awasthi. He added all of them were from Kanpur. Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath offered condolences to the families of the seven and said he has directed officials to provide all possible help to the affected people and initiate strict action against the guilty. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of those who died in the mishap, a statement from the chief ministers office said. It added Adityanath has instructed the NDRF and the State Disaster Response Force teams to join the relief and rescue operations. A detailed investigation will be conducted and the people responsible for it [the tragedy] will face consequences. Necessary legal action will be taken, the statement added. An American gangster has been jailed for life for shooting a man for urinating on his Newark block shooting him in the chest while he begged for mercy. Surveillance footage shows Rasheed O.J. Olabode, 27, begging Christopher Poole, 26, not to shoot him on April 26, 2018, but he pulled the trigger and killed him. The incident occurred around 10:45 a.m. when Olabode, a photographer and recent Nigerian immigrant, was out running errands with two of his friends. Olabode needed a restroom, so he jumped out of the car on the 700 block of South 20th Street and began urinating behind the vehicle. Poole, who lives on the block, apparently incensed at the sight of the victim urinating, walked into his house across the street and retrieved a gun. READ ALSO 82 Year Old Man Gets Life Sentence For Raping 8-Year-Old Kid He walked over to him with the gun and shot him in the chest, all while he begged for his life and his friends watched from the car a short distance away. When Poole walked away, Olabode ran to the car, where his friends flagged down a police officer and called an ambulance. He was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. It wasn't an easy decision to make and one Director of Public Services Karen Murphy said she has been procrastinating announcing. Tuesday night at the regular meeting of the Parks and Recreation Commission, Murphy announced a proposal to demolish the historic Currie Stadium, located in Emerson Park in Midland. At about 78 years old, the fast pitch softball stadium has been subject to several floods, which have caused the concrete structure to deteriorate and become dangerous. Even with $150,000 that went into the stadium in 2013 for repairs, the structure has only gotten worse. "We don't want anybody underneath that stadium - we don't want our own staff under there; we don't want an umpire under there so, we don't want ballplayers," Murphy said. In addition to the condition of the stadium, fast pitch is no longer as popular as it once was, Murphy said. "Softball at one time was a huge sport for Midland - we were the softball capital of the world. We hosted many many large tournaments, both nationwide and local-wide tournaments and it was an amazing time to be in softball from the '40s all the way up to the early '90s," Murphy said. However, the number of Midland fast-pitch teams has dwindled over the years. For these reasons, Murphy said the city can no longer justify putting taxpayer money into the stadium. And to rebuild the same kind of stadium in a floodplain just wouldn't be feasible financially. "This is not an easy decision for us to come to and it won't be popular with everybody in the community as Currie Stadium is such an iconic piece of Midland's history," Murphy said. "I always said I wanted to retire before we had to come to this point because I didn't want to be the Midland kid who said it's time to take the stadium down, but here I am, the Midland kid, saying it's time." Murphy said she has already spoken to the Gilbert Currie family, who donated the stadium in 1942, about the proposal. The demolition will cost about $130,000 and Murphy said there are still a lot of unknowns surrounding the project, such as whether the storage, electrical feeds and irrigation system currently housed under the structure could all be relocated. However, the demolition likely won't happen this year, but rather once funding becomes available. Until then, the underside of the stadium will be closed off to employees and visitors for safety, and the bleachers will remain usable. Though the stadium will be removed, the field is proposed to remain, allowing fast pitch players to still use it. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 19:27:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- China has lodged solemn representations to the United States regarding the recent officials exchanges between the United States and Taiwan, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Thursday. Spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks at an online news briefing when answering a question about Lai Ching-te's visit to the United States. China firmly opposes any form of official exchanges between the United States and Taiwan, Hua said, stressing that China's position is consistent and clear. China has lodged solemn representations to the U.S. side for allowing Lai's visit, urging the U.S. side to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, stop official exchanges with Taiwan, and cut off all forms of contact between Lai and U.S. leaders, government officials and Congress members, said Hua. She said the United States should handle Taiwan issues prudently and properly and stop sending wrong signals to the "Taiwan independence" forces to avoid serious damage to China-U.S. relations. Meanwhile, there have been no reports on whereabouts of the former "prime minister". Vladimir Pashkov, a Russian national, who until 2015 held a post of deputy governor in Russia's Irkutsk region, has become a so-called "prime minister" of the unrecognized "Donetsk People's Republic" in eastern Ukraine's warzone. Meanwhile, there have been no reports on whereabouts of the former "prime minister", Ukrainian journalist Denys Kazansky wrote on Facebook. "A little more about the 'civil war'," he wrote in his post, mocking the Kremlin's narrative about own non-involvement in the war in eastern Ukraine. Read alsoExperts on children's "upbringing" in occupied Donbas: This somehow resembles "Hitler Jugend" "There was 'prime minister' Ananchenko in the DPR. And now he's gone without much hustle. They just write without any explanation that the acting prime minister is Vladimir Pashkov. Lol, well, right, why should they explain anything to ordinary people in the 'people's republic', right? Everyone understands anyway that there is really no 'prime minister', only a tarred and stuffed scarecrow. Today there's one name, tomorrow there'll be another. And it does not matter what name it is," the journalist wrote. "So now the real occupation government is already openly working in Donetsk," Kazansky wrote. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement Tuesday night following President Trump's State of the Union address. Read her remarks below: "We are always hopeful when a President makes a State of the Union address. We welcome any opportunity to extend the hand of friendship to find common ground on behalf of the American people. The issue of major concern to most Americans is health care. Tonight, House Democrats brought scores of guests to the State of the Union who have powerful health care stories, whether it is families with pre-existing conditions, families struggling to afford the prescription drugs they need, or families relying on Medicaid even though they have private insurance. We had been told the President would have a positive message on health care. "However, President Trump's address tonight gave no comfort to the 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions or the families struggling to afford the prescription drugs they need. Once again, President Trump was not truthful about his actions in court to destroy pre-existing condition protections. Once again, President Trump pulled his punch on his promise to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices, which House Democrats delivered with the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, H.R.3. "Next week, when the President presents his budget, the American people will see the stark reality of his agenda. A federal budget should be a statement of our national values, and the President has sadly shown that he does not value the good health of the American people. Democrats continue to urge the President to abandon his assault on seniors and families and to join us to deliver real progress in lowering the price of prescription drugs and making the bold investments needed to rebuild America's infrastructure in a green and modern way. "The manifesto of mistruths presented in page after page of the address tonight should be a call to action for everyone who expects truth from the President and policies worthy of his office and the American people. The American people expect and deserve a President to have integrity and respect for the aspirations for their children. "Americans were uplifted by the positive message and vision for progress for all communicated by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Congresswoman Veronica Escobar of Texas. In the election, Democrats ran and won on a pledge For The People: lower health care costs, bigger paychecks, clean up corruption in government. And we will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of progress for hard-working families across America, For The People." The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact the Parsons Sun office at (620) 421-2000 if you have any questions A man whose daughter died after she jumped or fell from a moving car is suing an Oregon wedding venue for overserving alcohol to the womans mother, who was driving at the time of the incident, according to a lawsuit filed last week. Anton Tony Cordie filed a lawsuit seeking nearly $1 million from Yamhill County-based Heiser Farms Events LLC, which he accused of negligence in the hours before his daughter, Meighan Cordie, fell to her death, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Jennifer Weathers, Meighan Cordies mother who changed her name to Jennifer Jaeger after the incident, was visibly intoxicated at the Aug. 18, 2018, event, according to the lawsuit. Jaeger, Cordie and Cordies young daughter left the venue. The next day, Jaeger called a non-emergency dispatcher to report that she was kind of worried about Cordie. Cordies body was found down an embankment Aug. 23, 2018, in Dayton. An autopsy showed she suffered two broken or severed vertebrae and died instantly upon hitting the roadway. Police and prosecutors originally investigated whether Jaeger should be charged with a homicide but Yamhill County District Attorney Brad Berry said there was insufficient evidence. The state medical examiners office ruled Cordies death accidental. Jaeger completed a five-night sentence for driving under the influence of intoxicants on the night her daughter died. In October, Tony Cordie filed a $500,000 lawsuit against Jaeger. In last weeks lawsuit, he accused the venue of negligence. The venue did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Oregon The Defense Department is expected to offer the Department of Health and Human Services the use of more military installations near major airports in case the health department needs to quarantine more evacuees for the new coronavirus. Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Thursday announced that 11 bases could house additional passengers coming from China "should HHS facilities become filled," the DoD said Thursday. The Pentagon stressed that the locations have been named as precautionary backup locations. The installations are: March and Travis are already hosting evacuees. The Pentagon has also named Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in California; Fort Carson in Colorado; Lackland Air Force Base in Texas; and most recently, Camp Ashland in Nebraska, as principal installations to quarantine and treat people evacuating from Wuhan in China's central Hubei province, where the coronavirus is believed to have originated. Related: Pentagon Adds Another Base for Quarantining Coronavirus Evacuees "Under the request, DoD support at each location will be limited to providing housing support for up to 20 people as they undergo a period of quarantined observation," the Pentagon said of the newly announced installations. Charter flights have been leaving China throughout the week. Nearly 200 evacuees arrived at March last week. On Wednesday, roughly 350 passengers aboard two jetliners landed at Travis. Though none of the evacuees have shown symptoms of the virus, they will be quarantined at the California base for the next two weeks, according to The Sacramento Bee. Similar restrictions are in effect at the other installations. According to the Pentagon, military and DoD personnel cannot be in direct contact with evacuees. HHS is responsible for all care, transportation, and security of the evacuees, the DoD said. HHS officials must ensure "that no evacuated personnel are transferred to any DoD installation if they are infected or ill," the Pentagon said earlier this week. The same policy applies to all bases being used for the quarantine effort. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Read more: Pentagon's Lethality Task Force Is 'Dead' if Army Put in Charge, Top Adviser Says Landing, a San Francisco, CA-based company offering a flexible leasing membership for long-term living, secured $30M in new funding. This included a $20M Series A led by Greycroft with participation by Maveron and Abstract Ventures, alongside a $10M debt facility. The company, which has raised $45M in total funding, intends to use the funds to continue its expansion to additional U.S. markets and beyond this year. Founded in 2019 by Bill Smith, Chief Executive Officer, Landing operates a network of finished urban apartments to offer members an all-inclusive, flexible living experience. Members have access to Landings studios, one, and two-bedroom apartments with an on-call concierge service and a host of additional amenities from bespoke furniture to kitchens stocked with essentials and an on-call concierge service. Apartments are currently available in Austin, Birmingham, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington D.C., with plans to be in 30 cities by the end of 2020. FinSMEs 06/02/2020 U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) and Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov (R) at the C5+1(five Central Asian states+U.S.) Ministerial meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Feb. 3, 2020. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool/Reuters) Pompeo in Europe, Central Asia Trip, Promotes Fair Economic Cooperation, Warns of Chinas High Risk Business Practices Secretary of State Mike Pompeos tour to the UK, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia was focused on bilateral economic and security cooperation and warning the visited countries about Chinas unfair, state-led trade, and investment practices. Secretary Pompeo traveled to London a few days before Britains departure from the European Union where he met with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to re-affirm the Special Relationship between the UK and the United States after Brexit and discuss strengthening their bilateral ties, including negotiating a free trade deal. UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab meets U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the Foreign Secretarys Residence in London, England on Jan. 29, 2020 (Peter Summers/Getty Images) Pompeo also discussed with his UK counterpart Raab the security of U.S. intelligence sharing with the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, through the Five Eyes privileged sharing system. The UK announced granting the Chinese telecom giant Huawei a role in building non-sensitive parts of Britains next-generation wireless network. The United States warned Britain repeatedly during past months that such a decision could pose a high risk to the security of its networks, and the United States would have to reconsider intelligence sharing with allies that use Huawei. This is an extension of the Chinese Communist Party with a legal requirement to hand over information to the Chinese Communist Party, Pompeo said about Huawei ahead of his arrival in London. Raab explained at a press conference that the UK made its decision after three years worth of analysis. He believes the UK can protect its security as well as the security of information exchange with its allies, through the Five Eyes. He also brought up a point that it was a market failure where only three major vendors make kit suitable for 5G networksHuawei, Ericsson and Nokiaand we, as a government, as a country, take some responsibility for [that]. After the meeting, Pompeo said both countries would find a way to ensure the high security of their systems to avoid cutting intelligence sharing. Pompeo was also optimistic regarding the future of the Special Relationship post-Brexit. He said that the core set of relationships built upon decades will remain. We will be able to reduce transaction costs and share in ways that we could not do when the United Kingdom was part of [the EU] Some of this will be worked out through the free trade agreement. Some of it will be worked out by entrepreneurs just kicking it and getting it right, Pompeo said. 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) Visiting Eastern Europe Pompeo continued his tour by visiting Ukraine and Belarus in Eastern Europe, and Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in Central Asia. All four countries were once part of the former Soviet Union and upon its dissolution in 1991 declared their independence. The United States almost immediately recognized their independence. In Kyiv, Pompeo met with Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky and Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko, a few days after the United States imposed a fresh round of sanctions related to Russias annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. Pompeo re-affirmed the Crimea Declaration issued by the United States in 2018, which states that Crimea is a part of Ukraine and the United States will never recognize Russias attempts to annex it, at a joint press conference with Zelensky. He also said that the United States supports a diplomatic solution to the Russia-instigated conflict in east Ukraine. We will never accept anything less than the full restoration of Ukraines control over its sovereign territory, Pompeo said. The United States has provided $1 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since 2017. Zelensky said that it was mostly military aid that included supplying arms and equipment like anti-tank Javelin missiles and training for the Ukrainian military. Zelensky said that his country is also interested in increasing investment and trade cooperation with American companies in developing Ukraines infrastructure, including building railways, roads, and bridges, as well as in the natural gas and oil sector. Pompeo said they discussed these trade and investment opportunities. Still, the prerequisite for Ukraine to attract American investment is to increase the rule of law and transparency the very things that President Zelenskyy and Ukrainians are fighting for. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko greets U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo during a meeting in Minsk, Belarus, on Feb. 1, 2020. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool/Reuters) When visiting Belarus, Pompeo met Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and the Foreign Minister of Belarus Vladimir Makei about a month after Russia stopped supplying oil to Belarus after both countries failed to renegotiate an oil price for 2020. [link] Belarus turned to import oil from Norway in January. The United States offered to supply Belarus with all of its oil and gas needs at competitive prices, said Pompeo at a joint press conference with Makei. Pompeo and Makei agreed that both countries have the will to develop bilateral relations starting with the returning of the ambassadors after the 12years break. U.S. relations with Belarus worsened in 2006 when the United States imposed sanctions on Belarus after a presidential election that violated international norms, according to a statement. The United States wants to help Belarus build its own sovereign country, said Pompeo. The Belarusian government has already signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense and the FBI on cooperation in information exchange on security threats, border security, cybersecurity and countering narcotics. Both countries want to increase economic cooperation, but Pompeo said that Belarus needs to create conditions for American businesses to enter their market. The country needs to enter the World Trade Organization, develop further its private sector, make legal and regulatory changes, Pompeo said. For the United States to lift the sanctions, Belarus needs to improve its human rights record, which includes further steps in countering human trafficking and improving religious freedom. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addresses the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly at UN headquarters in New York City, on Sept. 24, 2019. (Eduardo Munoz/Reuters) Visiting Central Asia Following his visit to Belarus, Pompeo traveled to Central Asia, first to Kazakhstan and the next day to Uzbekistan where he also participated in the C5+1 Ministerial meeting. In Kazakhstan, he met with Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, First President Nursultan Nazarbayev, and his counterpart Mukhtar Tleuberdi. He warned them of Chinese influence and investment that comes with a cost to sovereignty and may hurt, instead of help, the countrys long-term development. While fully supporting Kazakhstans freedom to choose companies the country wants to do business with, Pompeo advised doing business with American companies as this can bring benefits like job creation, transparency in contracts, and care of the environment. Among American companies investing in Kazakhstan are Tyson Foods, Chevron, and Exxon Mobil. He also said that further strengthening the rule of law is needed to expand economic cooperation further. Pompeo also commended Kazakhstan for repatriating nearly 600 its ISIS terrorists and providing access to Afghanistan. In Uzbekistan Pompeo met with Uzbekistani President Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov. He recognized the progress made by Uzbekistan over the past three years in respecting human rights, religious freedom, liquidation of forced labor and child labor, and the creation of the conditions for freedom of speech, but stressed that further strengthening the rule of law is needed. Currently, the total American investment in Uzbekistan exceeds $1 billion, and the 20 major deals with U.S. companies signed by Uzbekistan in 2018 will create thousands of jobs in both the United States and Uzbekistan, Pompeo said in a statement. Uzbekistan also cooperates with the United States to secure its border with Afghanistan to prevent the movement of foreign terrorist fighters, narcotics traffickers. Pompeo also warned Uzbekistan about the potential threat of Chinese investment and influence, particularly 5G within Huawei and the 5G networks. American companies investments in Uzbekistan create wealth, opportunities, and jobs; the companies obey the local law, do not pollute the environment, and support Uzbekistans sovereignty. If other nations invest in the same countries following the rule of law and transparency, the United States welcomes such competition. The United States only warns against doing business with companies that make state-sponsored, politically driven transactions of the kind favored by China, Pompeo said. In both Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Pompeo discussed in his private meetings the Chinese Communist Partys repression of Uighur Muslims, Kazakhs, and members of other minority groups in Xinjiang, urging both countries to call on China to stop this persecution. At the end of his trip, Pompeo participated in a C5+1 Ministerial meeting in Uzbekistan with the foreign ministers of five Central Asian states, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, The participants of the Ministerial Summit agreed to foster regional projects aimed at promoting trade, transport, logistics, and infrastructure ties, promoting entrepreneurship, as well as expanding business and investment contacts between businesses in the participating countries and the U.S., says the joint statement adopted at the meeting, as reported by UZ Daily. The participated countries will join their efforts to support the peace process and political settlement of the situation in Afghanistan, as well as cooperate in fighting terrorism, illegal immigration, human and drug trafficking, the statement says. Epoch Times reporters Bowen Xiao, Zachary Stieber and The Associated Press contributed to this report [link] A puppy in Thailand has been named Kevin, a popular one-eyed minion cartoon character after it was born with just one eye in the middle of its head. The puppy was born with a physical deformity on February 2 in Chachoengsao province of central Thailand. According to media reports, owner Somjai Phummaman noticed that his Aspin dog had given birth to two puppies and when he was shifting them in a basket he saw the fascinating mutation in one of them. Read: Nazriya Nazim's Pictures With Her Pet Dog Oreo Are Too Cute To Handle; See Pics Kevin, the one-eyed dog International media reported that when the news spread across the village people came to see the unique puppy and said that it is a lucky sign. People also started using the date of birth as their lottery number as they thought it was lucky to do so. Media reports suggested that the owner want to keep the puppy even though it was born with a physical deformity. It is not yet clear whether the single eye of the puppy will perform properly as it takes two months for dogs to develop their eyesight. Read: Nagarjuna's Next 'Wild Dog' Schedule Postponed Due To Coronavirus Outbreak In Thailand Phummaman's entire family was delighted to have the newborn puppy including his wife Amphan and daughter Parn. Footage shows the newborn puppy wriggling around while being held by one of his owners. The newborn puppy can also be seen snuggling up to his mother while being sniffed by his brother. Read: Chiefs' Derrick Nnadi Pays Adoption Fees For Over 100 Dogs To Celebrate Super Bowl LIV Win In another incident, a video sparked outrage among netizens that show a disabled dog being abandoned by its owner in Portugal. In the clip, a woman can be seen halting a white car and letting out two dogs. While a black dog is ushered in soon after, the woman is seen shooing away the white dog which appears to have a disability in both of its front paws. The woman also shooed him away when he tries to enter the car. Read: Danger To Aircraft Once Every 10 Days From Birds & Stray Dogs On Goa Runway: CM Sawant The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledged Wednesday to commit up to $100 million for the global response to the novel coronavirus epidemic that has claimed nearly 500 lives and struck 12 people in the US. The funding will be used to strengthen detection, isolation and treatment efforts, the foundation said, including protecting at-risk populations and developing vaccines and diagnostics. About $20 million of the funds will be allocated to governmental and international agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its Chinese analogues. Some $60 million is designated for vaccine, treatment and diagnostic development, and $20 million will be contributed to nations in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia that have been particularly hard-hit by disease outbreaks. Earlier this week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) notified Congress it would likely need to transfer an additional $136 million to fight the coronavirus outbreak as US health agencies quickly burned through the $105 million allocated to them for emergencies like the ongoing one. Co-chair and Trustee of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, speaks in New Delhi, India in November 2019 Also on Wednesday, the first case of coronavirus in Wisconsin became the 12th in the US 'Multilateral organizations, national governments, the private sector and philanthropies must work together to slow the pace of the outbreak, help countries protect their most vulnerable citizens and accelerate the development of the tools to bring this epidemic under control,' said Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman. The amount includes $10 million previously pledged in late January. It comes as governmental agencies around the globe are ramping up efforts at prevention, containment, diagnostics, treatments and vaccines. WHO representatives have praised the expedient response of China, and Americans surveyed by PBS, NPR and Maris said they felt reassured by the US's efforts to contain the outbreak. But those swift and comprehensive measures are costly. The 2003 outbreak of another severe coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), stemming from China, cost the world an estimated $40 billion in the span of just six months. In those days, China contributed a significantly less to the global economy than it now does. And because the current coronavirus outbreak - temporarily dubbed 2019-nCoV - has spread so much more quickly, US officials are preparing for a potentially long haul battling the virus. Not only does combating the outbreak drain governmental resources, the spread of the virus to 27 countries and territories outside China has strained the global economy. Stocks tumbled as the case numbers surged last week. Some economists have even have even suggested that the outbreak could be a 'black swan event' - an unpredictable occurrence with wide ripples and potentially financially devastating consequences. And every component of confronting a new disease is jaw-droppingly expensive. Vaccine development and production alone, for example, is estimated to cost somewhere in the range of $200 million to $2.1 billion, depending on the particular shot. In addition to the $60 million in funding the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation says it's willing to commit to 'accelerating' vaccine, diagnostic and treatment work, the philanthropic institution said it would 'use its R&D funding to help global partners, such as the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, identify and prioritize research needs, address gaps in the R&D landscape, incentivize product development by biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and ensure that resulting products are safe, effective and made widely available.' It also said that the money it's committing to help the US deal with the outbreak should shorten the timeline of funding necessary containment efforts while 'international agencies and national governments appropriate the resources necessary to fund ongoing operations.' [February 06, 2020] Record-Setting NASA Astronaut, Crewmates Return from Space Station WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- After setting a record for the longest single spaceflight in history by a woman, NASA astronaut Christina Koch returned to Earth Thursday, along with Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency). The trio departed the International Space Station at 12:50 a.m. EST and made a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 4:12 a.m. (3:12 p.m. Kazakhstan time) southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Koch's extended mission will provide researchers the opportunity to observe effects of long-duration spaceflight on a woman as the agency plans to return humans to the Moon under the Artemis program and prepare for human exploration of Mars. Koch launched March 14, 2019, alongside fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin. Her first journey into space of 328 days is the second-longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut and also places her seventh on the list of cumulative time in space for American astronauts with one or more missions. Supporting NASA's goals for future human landings on the Moon, Koch completed 5,248 orbits of the Earth and a journey of 139 million miles, roughly the equivalent of 291 trips to the Moon and back. She conducted six spacewalks during 11 months on orbit, including the firstthree all-woman spacewalks, spending 42 hours and 15 minutes outside the station. She witnessed the arrival of a dozen visiting spacecraft and the departure of another dozen. For Parmitano and Skvortsov, this landing completed a 201-day stay in space, 3,216 orbits of Earth and a journey of 85.2 million miles. They launched last July with NASA's Andrew Morgan. Morgan also is participating in an extended duration mission on the orbiting laboratory and will return to Earth April 17. Completing his second mission, Parmitano now has logged 367 days in space, more than any ESA astronaut in history. During his time in space for Expeditions 60 and 61, Parmitano conducted four spacewalks, totaling 25 hours and 30 minutes. He has now conducted six spacewalks in his career, totaling 33 hours and 9 minutes. Parmitano was commander of Expedition 61. Skvortsov completed his third mission and a total of 546 days in space, placing him 15th on the all-time spaceflight endurance list. Following post-landing medical checks, the crew will return to the recovery staging city in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, aboard Russian helicopters. Koch and Parmitano will board a NASA plane bound for Cologne, Germany, where Parmitano will be greeted by ESA officials for his return home. Koch will continue home to Houston. Skvortsov will board a Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center aircraft to return to his home in Star City, Russia. The Expedition 61 crew contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences and technology development, including improvements to the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer in an effort to extend its life and support its mission of looking for evidence of dark matter and testing 3D biological printers to print organ-like tissues in microgravity. With the undocking of the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft with Koch, Skvortsov, and Parmitano aboard, Expedition 62 officially began aboard the station, with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Morgan as flight engineers and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos as station commander. They will remain on board as a three-person crew until early April, when NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Nikolai Tikhonov and Andrei Babkin will launch to the station. To learn more about the science Koch's mission enabled, access video and images from her mission, and read her expectations for her readjustment to Earth, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-astronaut-s-record-setting-mission-helps-scientists-for-future-missions View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/record-setting-nasa-astronaut-crewmates-return-from-space-station-301000181.html SOURCE NASA [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Two political stalwarts from National Conference and its archrival PDP were booked under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) by the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday, officials said here. Earlier, the officials had said that three politicians had been booked under the PSA, but later clarified that only two were handed over the PSA warrant. National Conference general secretary and former minister Ali Mohammed Sagar, who wields a support base in downtown city, was served with a PSA notice public order by the authorities. Similarly, senior PDP leader Sartaj Madani was booked under the PSA. Madani is the maternal uncle of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. Both Sagar and Madani were detained in the aftermath of August 5 crackdown by the Centre on politicians following abrogation of special status of the erstwhile state, besides its bifurcation into two union territories. Their six-month preventive custody was ending on Thursday. Earlier, the officials had said that former NC legislator Bashir Ahmed Veeri was also booked under the PSA but later it turned out that he had been released. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A South Korean designer making waves in the men's fashion world may have been called a 'rising talent' by Vogue but while his clothing is innovative, he doesn't seem to understand how cell phone works. Seoul-born designer Kee Kim, a former graphic designer, launched his brand Keenkee in 2018, and on February 3 debuted his Fall 2020 collection at Men's Fashion Week in New York City. During the show, models walked down the catwalk with old-school mobiles like flip-phones and clunky Nokias but rather than holding the phones to their ears for a chat, they had the devices stuck to their mouths. The not-so-smartphone! Men's brand Keenkee debuted Fall 2020 collection at Men's Fashion Week in New York City on February 3 No butt dialing here! Models walked down the runway with old cell phones affixed to their mouths Gives new meaning to 'bluetooth'! The phones were 'mouth plugs' and includes a piece that went inside each model's mouth Call me, maybe? Some wore just one phone, while others wore two or three The male models wore one, two, or even three separate phones on their faces, covering their mouths. One had a single blocky early-90s cell phone with an antenna covering the bottom half of his face, while others had two flip phones a piece criss-crossing over their lips. One had two Razr flip phones, the first closed over his mouth and the second open and vertical, obscuring the left side of his face. Not one seemed to acknowledge with facial expressions that this was an odd thing to do. Keenkee hasn't posted anything from the show on Instagram, and hasn't offered up any sort of explanation for the styling choice. However, two people have taken credit for the phones on Instagram: @mal.co.lm and Shalva Nikvashvili. That's not how they work! The phones were relics of the early '90s to mid-00's 'We provide series of tweaked conventions and filtered surreal extremes in multiple scales relevant layers,' the designer said Hello? Two people have taken credit for the phones on Instagram: @mal.co.lm and Shalva Nikvashvili The designer added: 'The brand will introduce fresh wardrobe which the wearers could freely interpret with their own language' The two call the phones 'mouth plugs,' implying that they're adhering to the models' faces not with adhesive but a plug inside their mouths. Kim, the designer, is into pushing boundaries. 'We provide series of tweaked conventions and filtered surreal extremes in multiple scales relevant layers,' he told the CFDA last year. 'We believe in personalization in which each person may create their own system and logic within a mixed-up situation, and the process should be playful. Ambivalence is normal, and we play with it. 'The brand introduces new textiles and graphics. Unorthodox details and conventions are injected within menswear vocabulary, and even sometimes proportions and details come from that of womenswear. 'The brand will introduce fresh wardrobe which the wearers could freely interpret with their own language.' Pope Francis sends a video message to participants in the Arab Media Convention for Human Fraternity, which is taking place in Abu Dhabi. By Vatican News In his message, the Pope celebrated the first anniversary of the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together. He said the anniversary is a chance to renew hopes for a better future for humanity, a future free from hatred, rancor, extremism, and terrorism, in which the values of peace, love and fraternity prevail. The Pope expressed his appreciation for the support offered by the United Arab Emirates to the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity, which is tasked with promoting the values set out in the document. Pope Francis also said he was pleased to participate in the presentation of the International Human Fraternity Award, which aims to encourage all virtuous exemplars of men and women who in this world embody love through actions and sacrifices made for the good of others, no matter how different they may be in religion, or ethnic and cultural affiliation. The Pope closed his message asking God to bless every effort that benefits humanity and helps us move forward in fraternity. A translation of the Popes video message is below: I greet all of you present, and I greet especially all the people in humanity who help their poor, sick, persecuted, and weak brothers and sisters, regardless of religion, color, or race. A year ago, my brother, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Dr. Ahmad al-Tayyib, and I signed a document on human fraternity in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. Today we celebrate the first anniversary of this great humanitarian event, as we hope for a better future for humanity, a future free from hatred, rancor, extremism, and terrorism, in which the values of peace, love and fraternity prevail. Today, on this first anniversary, I express my appreciation for the support offered by the United Arab Emirates for the work of the Higher Committee for Human Fraternity. I thank you for the initiative led by the Abrahamic House, and for the presentation of the Human Fraternity Award. I am therefore pleased to be able to participate in the presentation to the world of the International Human Fraternity Award, in hopes of encouraging all virtuous exemplars of men and women who in this world embody love through actions and sacrifices made for the good of others, no matter how different they may be in religion, or ethnic and cultural affiliation. And I ask Almighty God to bless every effort that benefits the good of humanity and helps us to move forward in fraternity. Thank you. You may have heard of celebrities or multibillion-dollar companies donating money to cover students lunch debt. But Keoni Ching from Vancouver, Washington, is just your normal 8-year-old who wanted to help his schoolmates. With his handmade key chains that go for $5 each, Keoni raised $4,015 to erase the lunch debt of students from his school and six others. It all started because Keoni wanted to do something special for Kindness Week at his school, Benjamin Franklin Elementary. With his mother, April, and father, Barry, by his side, Keoni thought about projects that would truly reflect kindness. San Francisco 49ers player Richard Sherman ultimately inspired Keoni. The cornerback, who previously played for the Seattle Seahawks, donated more than $27,000 to cover students lunch debt. Keoni, for the record, is a Miami Dolphins fan, he said. Keoni said he decided to make key chains because I love key chains. They look good on my backpack. Once word of Keonis key chains and his heartwarming cause got out, people from all over the country started sending in their requests for one of the custom key chains. We have sent key chains to Alaska, Rhode Island, Minnesota, Arizona, all over the country, April Ching told CNN. There was one lady who said she wanted $100 worth of key chains so that she could just hand them out to people. There were several people who bought one key chain and gave (Keoni) a hundred bucks. It was absolutely amazing how much support the community showed for his whole project. With the help of not only his parents but also his grandparents, Keoni made and sold more than 300 key chains. Keoni delivered the $4,015 check to Franklin Elementary last week. Of that amount, $1,000 will go to the school to pay off the $500 lunch debt and for any future debt incurred. The rest will go to six other nearby schools, which will get $500 each to clear their own lunch debts. Lunches here are about $2. But if you have two or three kids and for whatever reason, youve missed (paying for) a week of lunch or breakfasts, that adds up pretty quickly, Franklin Elementarys Principal Woody Howard said. This type of a gift takes a little bit of pressure off of your family. School lunch debt is an increasing problem in the US. In the 2017-2018 school year, 75 percent of school districts reporting to the School Nutrition Association had unpaid student meal debt. The median amount of unpaid meal debt per district has risen by 70 percent since the 2012-2013 school year, according to SNA. Stories of children being lunch shamed grabbed the nations attention last year. A boy from Ohio had his lunch taken away on his birthday because of his unpaid balance. A school in Rhode Island said it would serve only butter and jelly sandwiches to kids with lunch debt. The outrage surrounding these stories prompted many states to pass laws that ban the act of denying a hot meal to students with unpaid lunch balances. Keoni doesnt know much about the politics of Americas lunch debt problem, but one thing he knows is this: Helping others is important because it just makes the world a better place, Keoni said. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. A New Jersey mother and her two young children were found dead inside their apartment on Wednesday, shortly after the body of the woman's estranged husband was discovered in nearby woods in a suspected case of triple murder-suicide. Family members have identified the victims as Ruth Reyes, 30, her five-year-old daughter, Euriany, and two-year-old son, Eury. Reyes' deceased husband has been identified as 54-year-old Eugenio Severino. Friends said the wife took out a restraining order against Severino last month because he had threatened to kill her. Scroll down for video Police in New Jersey believe Eugenio Severino, 54 (center), killed his wife, Ruth Reyes, 30 (left), and their children, ages 5 and 2, before taking his own life Severino was reportedly found hanging from a tree in the woods in Carneys Point, NJ Police in Penns Grove performed a welfare check at Severino's apartment (pictured) and found his family stabbed in the bathroom The tragic incident began unfolding on Wednesday morning when a passerby came across Severino's body hanging from a tree in the woods off of Sportsman Road in Carneys Point, reported CBS Philadelphia. Local police officers looked up the man's address in nearby Penns Grove and contacted their colleagues there, requesting a welfare check at his apartment on Helms Cove Lane. When Penns Grove cops made their way inside the unit, they found Reyes stabbed to death in the bathroom alongside her children, the Spanish-language news site Diario Libre reported. Reyes' employer at La Cuchara restaurant, where the mom-of-two worked as a server, told NJ.com that she and Severino had been married in their native Dominican Republic before arriving in New Jersey two years ago. Reyes' employer said she and Severino had been married in their native Dominican Republic (pictured together with their children) Reyes took out a restraining order against her husband two weeks ago after he threatened to kill her. She also kicked him out of their apartment Those who knew Reyes described her as a great mother to her children and a kind person Restaurant owner Johnny Solano said he knew that Reyes and Severino's already strained relationship took a turn for the worse two weeks ago, when the husband threatened to kill the wife and she kicked him out of their apartment. Reyes then went to court and obtained a restraining order against Severino. Next-door neighbor Elibeth Ortiz said she, too, was aware of the couple's marital problems. She said Severino was 'too possessive' and the pair sometimes could be heard arguing. Those who knew Reyes described her as a great mother to her children and a kind person. 'She was always there for her kids, always working,' friend Keyla Padilla told 6ABC. 'If not working, she was in her house. She was very humble and stayed to herself. Very friendly.' New Delhi: Kidnapped while playing outside his home in north Delhis Bhalaswa Dairy last week, a four-year-old boy was sold thrice before being rescued by the police from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, police said. Investigators said a couple who finally paid Rs 4.5 lakh for the boy had wanted a healthy child since their own 18-year-old son is physically challenged. The kidnapped boy lives with his parents in Bhalaswa Dairy. His father does odd jobs while his mother is a homemaker. On January 31, he was playing outside his home when he went missing. His mother approached the police after which a kidnapping case was registered and the investigators began scanning CCTV footage, said Gaurav Sharma (outer north district). Footage from one of the cameras showed a woman taking away the child. We identified her as 28-year-old Rummy, who lives in the same neighbourhood, said the DCP. Rummy told police she had allegedly kidnapped the child at the behest of a man, Kapil, who lives in Hapur. The police went on to arrest Kapil and his wife and from them learnt that they had sold the child to a man on whose demand they had outsourced the work to Rummy. Kapil had been paid Rs 70,000 for this work, police said. That middleman is on the run, a reason why the police did not identify him for the media. But following the chain, the police reached a couple in Bulandshahar who had finally bought the child for Rs 4.5 lakh, the DCP said. While the husband remains on the run, the 50-year-old wife, Sunita, was arrested and the boy rescued at her instance on Tuesday. Another investigator said the couple had been wanting a healthy son. Whether this couple asked the middleman to kidnap a child or arrange one by other means will be confirmed when we arrest the two absconding suspects, said the investigator, adding the middlemans arrest and interrogation will shed light on whether he was operating a child-lifting racket. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Agustinus Hari (The Jakarta Post) Manado Thu, February 6, 2020 13:11 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062ecc0e 1 National North-Sulawesi,manado,coronavirus,Chinese-tourists Free Concerns over the coronavirus outbreak have begun to take a toll on tourism in North Sulawesi a popular destination for Chinese visitors as the province reported declining international tourist numbers in the past week. The Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA) chairperson in North Sulawesi, Merry Karouwan, said concerns regarding the viral outbreak had caused foreign arrivals in the province, particularly those coming from China, to plummet. Direct flights from China to Manado have been temporarily grounded, directly affecting tourism in North Sulawesi. I hope this will all pass soon, she said on Wednesday. She said the current situation had left the province with just 30 percent of the usual international arrivals, directly impacting local businesses, including hotels that have been rendered largely vacant, as collective anxiety over the deadly virus grows. Financial circulation in the region has sputtered. Restaurants, coffee shops, chartered buses, tour guides and other sources of revenue have been hit hard amid the coronavirus outbreak, she said, adding that the province had also recorded declining numbers of tourists from countries other than China. Read also: Govt to lure more citizens to visit local destinations as tourism copes with virus fears Aston Hotel representative in Manado, Sven, said the present outlook stood in stark contrast to the thriving business climate just a few weeks ago, when the management handled an influx of Chinese tourists as usual. Chinese tourists usually account for 10 percent of foreign visitors staying at our hotel. [The current situation] has had quite an impact on our income, he said. The countrys tourism sector has been trudging through a tumultuous period since the government grounded all flights to and from mainland China due to the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province. Thousands of Chinese tourists are at risk of being stranded in Bali as a result of the governments decision. Many are hoping to get a visa extension as the Wuhan coronavirus continues to spread back home. However, the viral outbreak has yet to have any significant impact on a number of destinations in the country that are less popular among Chinese tourists, such as East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Read also: Chinese tourists' favorite places in Indonesia Our tourism is free from any disruption caused by the deadly virus, as Chinese tourists only represent a small number of foreign visitors in NTT, said ASITA chairperson Abed Frans. Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Wishnutama said the government would focus on attracting domestic tourists to popular destinations in the country to ensure that the sector remained lucrative and healthy. I, along with the transportation minister [Budi Karya Sumadi], will discuss the matter with about 30 airlines that are probably able to reroute to domestic destinations and, therefore, support local tourism, he said on Tuesday. He estimated that the country would lose about US$4 million as a result of flight cancellations to mainland China. Chinese tourists made up the second-highest number of foreign tourists visit to Indonesia, after Malaysia, last year. Around 1.9 million Chinese tourists visited Indonesia from January to November 2019, representing nearly 13 percent of overall foreign tourist visits, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS). (rfa) 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 The United States on Wednesday announced the launch of a 27-nation International Alliance, which will try to adopt a collective approach in protecting and preserving across the world. It is an Alliance of "like-minded partners who treasure, and fight for, international for every human being", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in his address during the formal launch. Among the prominent countries to join the alliance are Austria, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Israel, Ukraine, the Netherlands and Greece. "Defending the right of all people to live their lives according to their conscience is one of this administration's top priorities," Pompeo said in his address. "Indeed, we must affirm, and fight for, that truth now more than ever. More than eight in 10 people in the world today live where they cannot practice their faith freely," he said. "We condemn terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities, whether they are Yezidis in Iraq, Hindus in Pakistan, Christians in northeast Nigeria, or Muslims in Burma," Pompeo said. "We condemn blasphemy and apostasy laws that criminalize matters of the soul. We condemn the Chinese Communist Party's hostility to all faiths. We know several of you courageously pushed back against Chinese pressure by agreeing to be part of this Alliance, and we thank you for that," Pompeo said. "Finally, our Alliance is off on the right foot as countries do their parts to advance this mission," the top American diplomat said. During the launch meeting, according to a senior State Department official, participating countries are to discuss kind of areas that they are going to work and focus on. "The areas will include things like technology and religious oppression, blasphemy and apostasy laws, for instance. Toolbox will include things like, whether it's putting out statements, actions that can take place in international bodies that the group can come together and hopefully come behind, the possibilities of sanctions being used," said the official. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that it is a consensual body. Every nation is not bound to join in each of the items that come forth. "But as countries look at this and say that's something we're interested in, then they can join. And if they decide, look, that's not one we're interested in, then they won't, and there is no penalty or foul for any of participation or nonparticipation," the official said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Musicians Jonathan Rivera and Jay Herrera combined two of their passions a few months ago and opened one of Union Citys most singular stores, Arawax Records & Teas. Located at 601 11th St., just off Bergenline Avenue, the small shop offers vinyl records as well as a collection of organic teas, art, books and apparel. It also hosts DJ sets by local emcees and a video podcast called "Shop Sessions.'' On Friday, Feb. 7, Arawax will participate in a tribute to the late rapper J. Dilla by sponsoring a free show at 414 38th St., Union City, with DJ sets and live music. We decided to take everything we care about and turn it into this store, co-owner Rivera said. Were really into vinyl and we both have our own collections. We just wanted to do something that reflects what we want to do with music as our careers. Were just spreading the musical knowledge we have to the community. But Arawax is much more than a record store. Stop by and you can enjoy a hot cup of herbal tea on the premises, or buy it in bulk to take home. We basically just didnt want to have to work other jobs anymore, co-owner Herrera said. Were musicians, but we have to pay the bills. Tea is something were also very much into, along with a healthy lifestyle. Weve been vegan for 10-plus years, and were all about plant-based health and sharing that knowledge. The tea shop seemed like a creative way to make our record store seem cooler. In addition to a large selection of herbal organic teas made from ingredients like turmeric, ginger, sassafrass, and other health-giving herbs and plants the store also offers a free weekly consultation with an herbalist. Theres also a small selection of art, urban apparel and plant-based remedies for sale. The community has really embraced us, the reaction has been much, much better than we expected, Rivera said. We really want to try and make Union City part of the local music community around here, just like Jersey City and Hoboken and everywhere else. We want people to come here and see what we can offer. The record store offers a mix of genres, although the New Arrivals bin seems primarily devoted to hip hop. We have people from the immediate neighborhood come in and want Spanish records so we have those, but we have rock and hip hop and a good mix here, Herrera said. The record and tea shop represents the tip of the iceberg as far as River and Herreras future plans are concerned. Theyve already set up a recording studio and plan to turn Arawax into a record label, primarily showcasing local artists. Were just getting started with that, but its something that we very much plan to do, Rivera said. Arawax Records & Teas of Union City will present Dilla Day at 414 38th St. on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020, at 8 p.m. The showcase on Friday will feature an Arawax Records deejay set and live performances by the soulful June & The Pushas from Jersey City; New Brunswick rockers Professor Caveman; and the music, art, rhythm, love and freedom vibes of North Jerseys Rokys Reign. The show is part of a national celebration of J. Dilla Day, Rivera said. Dilla, a major figure in the 90s rap scene, died at a young age of a rare blood disease. The Union City show was moved from the store to the larger venue on 38th Street. Thats actually a restaurant and club with a stage, Herrera said. But we want to put on shows like this on a regular basis to reach out to the community. Besides music, the event will offer tarot readings, Coralemons doughnuts, and a fashion boutique. June & The Pushas, featuring Jersey City soul legend Junestar Mr. Blackman, will perform a special set with the rap group BMR (Billion Man Rebellion.) Im really excited about this show, Junestar said. Weehawken, Union City, Secaucus, North Bergen, they all come to Jersey City all the time, why cant we go to them? It should all be connected. BMR, Junestar explained, is a rap collective comprised of many people, including CF, Dontique, Animal Crackers, and others. Its a billion of us, he said. CF and Dontique are the main guys who steer the group. Lots of other artists work with them. About a year ago, we started talking about putting our music with live instrumentation, so this Arawax show will be the first time well be able to do that in a flush, full on capacity, and were really looking forward to it. The Pushas will be performing tracks from The Art of Navigation, the groups first release since 2015. Well be releasing that soon and itll be about 10 tracks, and were very excited, so we plan to be playing out a lot more, Junestar said. And were hoping to do a lot more shows with BMR, too. Be sure to look for #juneandthepushas, @cf201, and @dontique on Instagram to keep up with what weve got going. If you go ... Arawax Records & Teas, 601 11th St., Union City, is usually open on Thursdays to Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call 201-453-3133 for more information. The Dilla Day NJ showcase takes place Friday, Feb. 7, at Union City Social, 414 38th St. Showtime is 8 p.m.; admission is free. MORE AREA VENUES CLOSE FM Bar & Lounge isnt the only local venue thats fallen on hard times. Downtown Jersey Citys LITM recently closed, and the venerable D.C.s in Hoboken a comfy dive bar favored by generations of local rockers that featured DJ sets and occasional live music over the years has announced it will be going out of business. Although the owners havent announced a closing date, DJ Pat Longo announced online that Thursday, Feb. 6, would be the final installment of his First Thursdays Night, and the bar has deactivated its Facebook page. This column has been updated to correct the first reference to Arawaxs address. He tested out a Landing apartment in Austin, Texas, this fall before making the move there from New York City in January; he paid just under $3,000 a month for a very spacious one-bedroom apartment. He plans to get his pilot license while in Texas but hopes to spend some time visiting friends in San Francisco as well. If Landing starts to lease apartments in Seattle, hell head there for a spell. Midland County Sheriff's Office A Midland man has been charged with aggravated assault against a public servant, a first-degree felony, in connection with an officer-involved shooting that occurred early Thursday morning. Department of Public Safety Communications Officer Oscar Villarreal said Brian David Rubin, 46, is in custody at the Midland County jail. His bond has not yet been set. Australian courier and logistics company, Toll Group, is gradually returning to its usual operations after a ransomware attack devastated its IT systems late last week. Toll has regularly updated its customers with information about the cyber incident that disrupted business. We became of the issue on Friday 31 January and, as soon as it came to light, we moved quickly to disable the relevant systems and initiate a detailed investigation to understand the cause and put in place measures to deal with it, Toll said. After locking down affected systems, Toll was forced to rely on a combination of automated and manual processes to continue operating. We have also increased staffing at our contact centres to assist with customer service, Toll said. Notwithstanding the fact services are being provided largely as normal, some customers are experiencing delays or disruption and were working to address these issues as we focus on bringing our regular IT systems back online securely. A banner on Toll's website informed its customers of the problems. The transportation company confirmed that it was infected by a strain of the Mailto ransomware and has shared samples of the malicious software with law enforcement, the Australian Cyber Security Centre, and cyber security organisations to help identify and limit the potential of future infections. The company also said there has no indication that any personal data has been lost in the attack but it has not yet explained how the ransomware came to infect its systems. Toll has no intention of paying the ransom, according to the Australian Financial Review. AKA Netwalker So named because it locks affected files into an unusable mailto format, the Mailto ransomware has also been known as Netwalker after a related decrypter bearing that name was found by malware researchers. The ransomware is still new, with early sightings of it going back to October last year. Mailto/Netwalker ransom note. Source: id-ransomware Self-proclaimed Ethical hacker, Vitali Kremez, told Bleeping Computer that the Mailto/Netwalker ransomware has one of the more granular and more sophisticated configurations observed. It is thus far unknown whether or not files encrypted by Mailto/Netwalker can be decrypted, or how easy that task is. The attack on Toll is the first known case of Mailto/Netwalker taking on enterprise-level systems. Although Toll appears to have mitigated the effects on its business operations, ransomware can be absolutely crippling for businesses. Recently, global currency exchange Travelex was knocked offline by what it initially referred to as a virus. A week after first going down, Travelex revealed it had been hit by the Sodinokibi ransomware. Many of Travelexs websites are still down more than a month later. Representative image Rajeev Bhattacharyya The demand for Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Assam goes back several decades and has been renewed by prominent civil society groups in the past couple of months or so. The immediate reason is the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the ILP will keep the state out of the purview of the CAA, which would be similar to five other states of the Northeast. This apart, the ILP is also viewed by many in Assam as a mechanism to check the influx of outsiders from the mainland. Of late, concerns have been raised over the purchase of land by a large number of non-Assamese businessmen along the national highways. There is a high possibility that the Clause 6 Committee that was formed by the government to recommend policies for safeguarding the indigenous communities in Assam would include the demand of an ILP. This was apparent from recent statements by leaders of the All Assam Students Union (AASU) whose adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya is a member of the committee. This is one of the most significant clauses in the Assam Accord signed in 1985 that has yet to be implemented. However, the recommendations of the committee are not binding upon the government. It remains to be seen if the Centre would accept the demand given that this issue was broached by the pro-talks faction of the ULFA after talks began in 2011. It was turned down after several rounds of negotiations. Besides, the Centre would have granted the ILP to Assam when it decided to include Meghalaya and Manipur in the regime after anti-CAA protests erupted in the twin states. Instead, as it seems, the plan for implementing the major recommendations of the committee has been firmed up as it would also help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to recover lost ground in Assam. There is a vast difference between implementing the ILP in Assam and in smaller states of the Northeast such as Manipur and Meghalaya. Being centrally located and connected to the mainland and the rest of the six states, Assam has too many entry and exit points facilitating the movement of large chunks of people every day. In most likelihood, the law would be rendered redundant and difficult to implement. An infrastructure many times larger than the existing mechanism in the hill states must be erected in Assam this would include the airport and railway stations. The ILP could impede inflow of investments into Assam at a time when industrialisation is being promoted. Whether the path of economic progress in Assam lies in industries is a debatable matter, but theres no gainsaying that the government has been making efforts to convince corporate houses to invest in the state. In addition, jumbo plans have been finalised by the Centre for the Northeast, and Assam will be the intersecting point of a network of arteries through air, rail and water linking the landlocked region to distant capitals in Asia. In the twin projects Bharatmala and Sagarmala, the Northeast is envisaged to develop as a commercial hub. The historic National Highway-39, which links Assam with Nagaland and Manipur, will be part of Asian Highway-1 originating in Tokyo all the way to the border of Bulgaria. Most importantly, the ILP in Assam has the danger of shifting the focus from evolving long and short-term policies for and setting up a regime of preventive measures against the influx of foreign nationals in Assam. The government, and especially the ministry of home affairs, has not yet understood the import of preventive measures which is why kneejerk reactions to detect foreign nationals are apparent at regular intervals across India. There are too many issues to be resolved with the different categories of foreign nationals in the country but the ministry has always ignored them this was apparent from the revelations by former home secretary GK Pillai at a seminar in India International Centre on June 22. Deadlines for fencing the India-Bangladesh border have been missed continuously for the past decade or nobody is sure about completion of the project. Since fencing the entire border is not viable, other imperative measures as recommended in the report of former Assam governor Lt Gen (Retd) SK Sinha should have been executed long ago. New Delhi, Feb 6 : Debunking the politics of hate and use of the divisive Hindu versus Muslim hate card, incumbent Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is certain of securing a second term. The combative yet candid Kejriwal was dismissive of polarising politics asserting that his model of 'kaam ki rajniti' will work. Citing proof of concept as his credo, Kejriwal was categorical that his 'bijli', 'pani', 'swasth' and 'shiksha' template was not based on subsidy, but by saving money through rooting out corruption which existed in the system. In an extensive conversation with IANS leadership team of Sandeep Bamzai and Deepak Sharma, he said that the 'bania' last 'dimag' and skillsets learnt from pursuing mechanical engineering and his stint in the revenue service have given him the necessary heft to administer effectively. Excerpts: Q: You have been given many labels in the course of your political journey like 'anarchist', 'agitationist', 'urban guerrilla' and now even 'terrorist'. Please tell us about your journey? A: Greetings to u all. This election will establish a new kind of politics in this country. When our government started working five years back, we knew nothing about politics, we still don't. People used to ask us if we were mad to improve schools and hospitals instead of securing the votebanks of Brahmins, Banias, scheduled castes, Muslims and Hindus. But this is not what we came here to do. We continued to work on schools, hospitals, water and power. This election is being fought on these basic issues. You can send your camera team on the streets and ask people and all those who say they will vote for AAP will tell you the list of things we have done for them. If we are successful in these polls, it will herald a new kind of politics called 'Kaam ki rajniti' (politics of public welfare). These are the kind of issues people will vote for all over the country. This is what our opponents do not want. They have put in all their might to defeat us. I'm up against 200 opposition MPs, 10 CMs and 70 Union ministers and a cross section of several parties like Congress, BJP, RJD, BSP, Akali Dal and LJP, as they do not want this new type of politics to be successful. They are hurling all kinds of abuses against me, calling me 'traitor', 'terrorist', 'anti-national', 'Raavan' and 'thug'. Q: Arvind, you say you are a greenhorn in politics but you are giving a tough fight to the 'Chanakya' of Indian politics. He has told people to press the EVM button so hard that the electric shock is felt all the way to Shaheen Bagh. Is he targeting you? A: You see, our opponents were given the mandate to take care of the municipal corporations by the people, while our task was to improve the schools. They couldn't handle it, they reduced Delhi to a garbage dump in 15 years of their rule. They were responsible for controlling crime, but again they failed. So they have nothing positive to show to the people. They also cannot find any fault with our work. They tried to show fake videos of our schools and Mohalla Clinics. Now they are just left with the Shaheen Bagh issue and the same old Hindu-Muslim divisive politics. I say I will build schools and hospitals, but they keep chanting 'Shaheen Bagh'. What is the real issue in Shaheen Bagh? There is this road where these protesters have gathered. They have to be shifted away somewhere where they can continue to protest, because ordinary people are facing a lot of inconvenience. School buses and ambulances cannot pass through that road. But a powerful Home Minister like Amit Shah cannot get that road vacated? No one is going to believe that Amit Shah cannot get a single road cleared. Shah will have nothing to talk about and it is all dirty politics. They are just raking up the issue and troubling the people of Delhi. Q: Your four pronged campaign of water, power, education and health has been quite successful. But has the BJP managed to upstage you in the past few days of the campaign? You seem to have peaked too early while the momentum has shifted to the BJP? A: They come on TV and say this, but I am not sure they have won people's hearts. A BJP supporter was asked on TV, who he will vote for and he said though he was a traditional BJP voter, he would vote for AAP this time. He said he was a poor man and a nation can progress only when the less privileged section of the society progresses. He also said 'Kejriwal cared about me and my child's education'. He was asked about Shaheen Bagh and he said it is all the BJP's doing, and only Kejriwal will work for us for the next five years. These opposition people can only appear on TV. Q: Do you think you have lost the momentum in the last few days due to the BJP's aggressive campaigning? A: The public understands everything. They know Shaheen Bagh is of no use to them. It is a political drama. They are deliberately not clearing that road as it serves their political interest to keep the public in trouble. Q: There are other opposition leaders also, but why are they hell-bent on destroying you? Are you so important? A: The politics is important as our work in schools and Mohalla Clinics is being discussed around the world. So, they are afraid of that. Delhi is the only state to give 24-hour free electricity. This is a wonder and they can't match it. Q: Are you following good politics but bad economics over this subsidy model? A: The Gujarat CM has spent Rs 190 crore on a new aeroplane, while I used Rs 190 crore to make water and power cheap. So you can compare. Q: Amit Shah says you are bankrupting Delhi with the 'freebies' model of governance? A: The CAG has itself said that Delhi is the most profitable state in the country. All other states are in losses despite not giving any freebies. We slashed taxes, didn't take any loans, but we curbed wasteful expenses and went after corruption and used the money saved to provide facilities to the people. Q: Did a 'Bania's' mind benefit you? A: Yes, a 'Bania's' mind was good for me and also that of a mechanical engineer. Q: Had the court verdict come earlier, would it have helped you? A: Yes, as we have got the powers in the last one-and-a-half years only. The verdict was very helpful for us. Q: Are these ideas of free water and power your own thinking or did someone suggest them to you? A: See, I am a common man. You have been to my flat in Kaushambi. I know the pain of the common man. You must have also faced it when water, power bills came and kids' education bills had to be paid. I have also faced them and I'm trying to solve these problems of the common man. Just to give him some relief. Q: The first three years must have been miserable for you with all the cases against your MLAs and you, till the final verdict came. How did you cope? A: It was very tough... False cases were slapped on me. In fact, there are 33 cases on me. All false cases. The police and other officials were rebuked by the courts also. They spared no effort to crush us and our party, as we were new. They just wanted power alternating between the BJP and the Congress. But God was with us and they failed to crush us. Q: If you return to power, what will be your priorities... like statehood, Jan Lokpal? A: In many things we have to cooperate with the Centre. Other things like free water... Those we will give. Roads can be improved and cleaned. Pollution can be curbed and transportation can be improved. Q: You have been accused of giving biryani to protesters in Shaheen Bagh and funding them? A: If the BJP is benefiting from the issue, why should I help them (protesters)? I am not a fool. Q: Has the BJP succeeded in polarising the elections? A: As the BJP supporter himself has said, it is all BJP's drama. But the public is smart. Q: Has anti-CAA protests hurt the BJP? A: They should resolve the issue, and the concerns. But it will have no impact on Delhi polls. Q: Your base mainly comprises the poor. Did BJP's move on illegal colonies' regularisation hurt your image? A: There are two separate issues of jhuggies and illegal colonies. Now, the BJP has suddenly remembered jhuggiwallas. Same thing used to happen with the Congress. They would remember these poor people only before elections. I gave houses to 10,000 jhuggiwalas. They just make hollow promises, while we actually give houses to the poor. We have improved facilities in 1,281 'kucchi' colonies. They promised registry to 40 lakh people, but only 20 lakh got it so far. Even that is fake. They are only obsessed with Shaheen Bagh. Q: AAP is a unique phenomenon in last 20 yrs of Indian politics, can you explain this phenomenon. People say Kejriwal is an autocrat not a democrat, with a close coterie? A: Who is a democrat? Modi? Shah? Rahul Gandhi? Sonia Gandhi? This all nonsense. People are fed up of all these parties. AAP brought a fresh energy to politics. In 2015 people voted for honest politics and this time they will vote for 'Kaam ki Rajniti', a new kind of politics different from Congress and BJP. Q: PM Modi says Kejriwal and Mamata refuse to implement central schemes like Ayushman Bharat? A: Not correct. If the scheme is good we will implement it. But there has to be a debate. Yo cannot thrust it on anyone. We have our own health care scheme for 2 crore Delhiites. Even you can get free treatment on Delhi Government hospitals with free medicines and free surgery. For rich and poor alike. We will bear all the costs. But the Centre has imposed such conditions so as to implement only their schemes. Q: Where do u get your resources and funding from? You are on I present on hoardings, newspapers and radio? A: All thanks to the kindness of people like yourself. We might even ask you for a donation after this interview. Q: What is your estimate of how many seats you will win? A: I'm confident people of Delhi will give us a good mandate. I appeal to the people through your channel to again vote for us like they did last time when they gave us 67 out of 70 seats. This time also they should give us the power of their vote so that we can keep doing our work. Q: You must have done an internal survey, any estimate or number you can give us? A: I really have no idea. The people are smart and they will decide. I am confident of my work and I think we will get a good majority. I am also confident that BJP and Congress supporters will vote for us. I want to tell them that we have worked very hard in the past 5 years, so please remain with your party but vote for us this time. Because if you vote for others then all our work in education and health will suffer. Q: There has been a 'Parivartan' in you like the NGO you worked with. Now you are smarter and don't allow loose balls to your opponents to hit for a six? So u think I am better now or worse (laughs)? Who do you give credit for the work done by your government? A: All the 2 crore people of Delhi are our volunteers. The parents of children we put in school will want us to return to power. They will spread the word about our good work. All people who now get 24-hr power. All these are our campaigners and volunteers. They are our real power. Q: Do you think you could have done more in improving Delhi's infrastructure? A: We have created a lot of infrastructure, Signature Bridge, 27 flyovers were built, Metro was expanded but schools and hospitals were highlighted as on one had worked to improve them before. Yogi Adityanath came here telling people that Kejriwal has destroyed schools and hospital and that his party will make them like schools and hospitals of Uttar Pradesh. People laughed at him. Haryana CM ML Khattar also came but had to beat a hasty retreat. Latest updates on Howdy Modi Houston New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recommitted himself to the city he has led for six years, declaring in his annual State of the City address that the city needs to be saved from a affordability crisis. This is a plan to save our city, he said on Thursday. We have to save ourselves from the forces of greed. We have to save ourselves from laws that no longer serve us. De Blasio has long been criticized for his national ambitions, which have often drawn his attention away from the five boroughs. That tension came to a head in 2019, when de Blasio mounted a failed four-month presidential campaign that ended with him dropping out of the Democratic field in September, long before any votes were cast. But de Blasio adopted some campaign tactics for his address, delivered in a temporary theater-in-the-round, surrounded by seats in a hall at the American Museum of Natural History on Manhattans Upper West Side. De Blasio seemed comfortable, speaking with only sparse notes and largely improvising the address to the room of elected officials and administration figures and allies. The speech, conducted underneath the museums famed hanging lifesize model of a blue whale, was a far cry from his past addresses, all given in theaters while standing behind podiums. The theme and accompanying hashtag of #SaveOurCity received a bit of mocking from New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, a leading 2021 mayoral candidate who quipped to City & State after the speech that after six years, its like (de Blasio is) saving our city from himself. But de Blasio showed some humility, acknowledging that he has failed to make serious progress on fighting inequality and unaffordability in the city. You can talk about an affordability crisis, but that doesnt even capture the depth of it, de Blasio said. We thought the tools wed applied would work but more and more, this feels like one of those diseases that becomes resistant to antibiotics. The mayor offered new ideas to correct that, proposing a host of policies aimed at increasing the citys affordability for residents and small business owners. Among the proposals was to offer new renters in city-financed buildings the option to forgo paying a lump-sum security deposit, instead paying a monthly fee toward renter security insurance. The mayor also committed to pushing for new laws to expand the policy to all renters. Together with the Wednesday announcement from Gov. Andrew Cuomos administration that effectively outlawed brokers fees, the average upfront cost to renters looking for new apartments could drop significantly, continuing the states shift towards more tenant-friendly laws, to the detriment of lenders and developers. De Blasio also announced he would move to legalize basement apartments and accessory units, a move favored by affordable housing advocates who have been monitoring a pilot program that began last year in East New York, Brooklyn. For commercial tenants, de Blasio proposed providing free legal representation to small business owners negotiating leases and applying for low-interest loans. Just days after his property tax reform commission released its first report, he proposed creating a blue ribbon commercial rent control commission to tackle the tricky issue that supporters claim could keep more beloved mom and pop businesses open in the city. And the mayor proposed investing $500 million of New York Citys pension funds in small business. Thats a rounding error for the citys $215.5 billion in assets spread across five pension funds, but it could mean a lot more for the small businesses getting the money. That initiative would pull from the pension funds rather than from the city budget, which seems like a sharp political move from de Blasio, whose preliminary budget introduced last month was nearly devoid of new spending amid an expected increase in Medicaid spending imposed by the state. Of course, the mayor will face pushback for a number of his initiatives. He reconfirmed support of a commercial vacancy tax which failed to pass in Albany last year. And Stringer, who manages the citys pension funds, didnt immediately sign on to the mayors investment plan. We look forward to discussing the proposal with the mayor and the trustees, Stringer spokeswoman Hazel Crampton-Hays told City & State. But de Blasio was able to take some actions on his own. In a theatrical flourish, the mayor brought a young climate activist on stage with him while he signed three executive orders to tackle the existential threat of climate change that endangers the city. Immediately, he said, the city would stop the use of plastic bottles on city property, stop building all new fossil fuel infrastructure and move towards making all city vehicles run on electric power by 2040. Those actions, among other proposals aimed at sustainability, earned praise from New York League of Conservation Voters President Julie Tighe. The mayor presented some really good ideas on confronting the climate crisis, she said after the speech. Its showing leadership. That was exactly the tone de Blasio hoped to strike in the speech, as he counted down the time left until hes term-limited out of office at the end of 2021. This is not a time to fear, this is a time to fight. We have two years of urgent work ahead of us, he said. Im going to devote myself for the next two years to get all of these things done. DECATUR The chairman of the Macon County GOP on Wednesday said the Senate's acquittal of President Donald Trump shows the entire impeachment process was "a sham." "The American people are not stupid and they have seen this for what it is," said Bruce Pillsbury, of the Republican Central Committee. Reaction in Illinois to the historic trial broke along party lines. Senators rejected claims that Trump violated his oath of office by prodding Ukraine to investigate a political rival. Laura Zimmerman, head of the Macon County Democratic Party, weighed in after the final vote. Fire department: 3 dogs, 1 cat rescued from Decatur house fire Firefighters rescued three dogs and one cat from a Decatur house fire on Wednesday, successfully reviving two of the dogs at the scene. Republican senators have admitted he abused the powers of his office and that was wrong of him to do so, and yet they refuse to hold him accountable for his actions, Zimmerman said. This only enables him to further undermine our democracy and integrity of our elections. Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker in a statement said the "Republican Party now has confirmed it is captive to a political ideology that denies the truth and refuses to hear the witnesses that legal and moral precedent demand and that the vast majority of Americans hoped to hear from." "Here is the undeniable truth: President Trump used our tax dollars to help his reelection campaign by refusing to give an ally needed aid until they helped his political operation," Pritzker said. Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who is his party's deputy leader, on the floor of the Senate urged lawmakers to consider what acquittal meant. We will also have found for the first time in our history that an impeachment proceeding in the Senate can be conducted without any direct witnesses or evidence presented on either side of the case and that a president facing impeachment can ignore subpoenas to produce documents or witnesses to Congress," he said. Durbin also entered into the Congressional record a letter signed by about 290 constitutional law professors and scholars about how abuses of power and non-criminal acts are impeachable. Said Durbin: As divided as our nation may be and as divided as this Senate may be we should remember America has weathered greater storms than this impeachment and our current political standoff. Duckworth in a statement said Trump's "defense counsel relied on long-debunked conspiracy theories." Despite the clear and conclusive case that the President is guilty, I believe the American peopleand the senators serving as jurors in the casedeserved a more full and fair trial that included witnesses and evidence, and Im disappointed we didnt get that," she said. "The sad truth is, the information from these witnesses will eventually come out and then the country will come to understand just how meaningless and inappropriate todays acquittal is. U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, said the the acquittal means "it's time to move on." "We need to learn from this and stop these partisan fights that get in the way of solving issues critical to this country. There's a long list of issues that need our attention. Its time to work together to lower health care costs, fix our crumbling infrastructure, address the opioid crisis, invest in workforce training, find innovative solutions to student debt, and other issues that directly impact the lives of the people we serve," he said. Pillsbury, the local GOP official, said he believes this will hurt the Democratic Party in the November Presidential Election. For them to follow through with the impeachment process with just democrat support from the house goes against the grain of impeachment. It is supposed to be a bipartisan process, Pillsbury said. I think it will reflect on the Democratic Party in the fall. PHOTOS: The Trump impeachment hearings Contact Analisa Trofimuk at (217) 421-7985. Follow her on Twitter: @AnalisaTro Love 1 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 14 Miguel Angel-Villegas, 29, (pictured) from New Haven, Connecticut forced his girlfriend to drive him from Connecticut to New Jersey in a bid to evade police in his home state A man is accused of attempted murder after allegedly ordering his then-girlfriend to drive him to New Jersey at gun point, before exchanging gunfire with a police officer and getting into a vehicle crash. Miguel Angel-Villegas, 29, from New Haven, Connecticut, kidnapped his girlfriend and forced her to drive him from Connecticut to New Jersey in a bid to evade police in his home state. He allegedly threatened to kill her if she refused to comply with his demands. On the morning of November 21, 2019, a Tuckerton police officer pulled over the car driven by Angel-Villegas' girlfriend, with him in the passenger seat. Angel-Villegas ordered his girlfriend to tell the officer a fake name and instructed her to drive away from the officer. As they sped away, their car struck another vehicle, injuring its driver. Angel-Villegas then got out and began firing at the officer, according to Ocean County prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. Angel-Villegas escaped the scene on a blue tricycle, before boarding a train through Union County Angel-Villegas escaped the scene on a blue tricycle, before boarding a train through Union County, prosecutors allege. Local schools were placed on lockdown as authorities hunted for the suspect. He was eventually arrested at New York Penn Station that evening. He has been charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, two counts of aggravated assault, burglary, resisting arrest, hindering apprehension and three gun charges, including possessing a weapon after a conviction. He remains in the Ocean County Jail awaiting trial. 05.02.2020 LISTEN Earlier this year, Peter Tabichi, a Catholic Franciscan brother from Kenya who gives away 80% of his salary to help the poor, won the annual $1 million Global Teacher Prize. Established in 2014 by the education-focused Varkey Foundation, the prize is presented to an exceptional teacher who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession. Tabichi was selected from a list of 10 finalists from around the world. His achievements include more than half the students in his underprivileged school qualifying for college or university and doubling enrolment in three years. Tabichi was also declared the UN in Kenya Person of the Year. He spoke to Africa Renewals Zipporah Musau about his future plans. These are excerpts: Africa Renewal: Can you give us a brief background about yourself? Peter Tabichi: My name is Brother Peter Mokaya Tabichi. I am a maths and physics teacher at Keriko Secondary School in Nakuru [County], Kenya. I teach in a school that is under-resourced and without adequate facilities. It is quite challenging for us to teach in such an environment, but we try as much as possible to be creative. I also mentor my students and help them unlock their potential. What has brought you to New York? As the Global Teacher Prize winner, Im here on a special missionto talk about the teaching profession. I am here to tell the world that teachers are very important people in the society and deserve recognition. The teacher prize is a great initiative in promoting the teaching profession. Im also here to promote science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), especially in Africa. Why are you rooting specifically for STEM? I promote STEM because I believe it can empower the young generation, our students. STEM is a great way of unlocking the potential of Africas youth. It also equips them with other important skills such as communication, problem solving, teamwork and how to be creative and innovative. This way they will be able to solve some of the challenges we are facing in Africa today, such as climate change and food and water shortages. We dont need others to come to Africa to solve our problems for us. We have the ideas and the power. Every child has a unique talent, but sometimes they dont realize their dreams because they are not given proper support or granted the opportunity. I believe STEM is one way of helping them discover their respective talents. But we also need ideasan integrated approachon how we should all support it What does this award mean to you? It means a lot. The award is not just for me alone, it shows that what teachers do is really important in society, that teachers are doing great work which deserves recognition. At the same time, it shows that students also can achieve a lot. It is because of my students achievements that I was able to get this recognition. I want to use this platform to inspire the poor in the community. Quality education is not just about academic knowledge. Its also about character formation, creativity, communication skills and discovering the talents of young people. Regardless of where students come from, every single child has a gift and needs to be given opportunities. As teachers we need to be aware of that. How do you plan to use the $1 million that you won? I want to use this award to empower and inspire others, starting within my school, and then the local community where I teach and beyond. My school has no lab equipment, no internet connection, no kitchen, no dining hall. These are some of the things I will ensure that we have. I will also make sure that we get computers so teachers can integrate ICT [information and communication technologies] in their lessons, and that the school has access to clean drinking water. For the rest of the community, I want programmes that can address food security. I know I cannot solve all the challenges, but I will do what is within my ability. What led you to become a teacher? I come from a family of teachers. My father and some of my cousins are teachers. I was inspired to pursue teaching because I saw firsthand the important role played by teachers. My father, who is now retired, also inspired me in so many other aspects of life, ensuring that I grew up in a Christian setting with values such as honesty and integrity. What, in your view, should African countries do to improve their education systems in Africa? I believe every country should have a system that ensures quality education. For example, in my country, Kenya, the government is currently introducing a new competency-based education system to ensure that young people can become independent, productive, innovative and creative. Also, to learn life skills that will enable them to promote peace and unity in the society. I am so happy that this is happening in Kenya now, and feel it is an opportunity for us in Africa to promote that kind of system. We have a young generation that can achieve a lot and become famous in the future. These young Africans have the potential of becoming great scientists and engineers recognized globally. What are your future plans? Now that I have the platform, I really look forward to inspiring othersto promote what I believe is going to make us achieve our dreams, and to talk about the significant role teachers play in society. I want to promote peace and unity, not only in Kenya, but also in Africa and globally. What is your message to other teachers? I believe one of the best methods is to be creative and use technologyintegrating ICTin our teaching. Be a good listener because you are going to change the lives of so many young people. Teachers have a deep responsibility in the society, and they should be aware of that. Teaching is not only about incentives, but about commitment, passion and being able to go beyond the classroom. What is your message to young people? Every child has a talent, try to discover what your talent is. Young people should also learn teamwork, creativity and respect for one another. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 20:56:23|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close Community staff member Han Shaojian publicizes knowledge on the epidemic prevention and control of the novel coronavirus at a community in Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, Feb. 6, 2020. Nanhuan community in Taiyuan has made an audio to publicize the knowledge on epidemic prevention and control of the novel coronavirus. As a community staff, Han carried a loudspeaker every day into the community to act as a "mobile broadcasting station". (Xinhua/Cao Yang) PROVIDENCE, R.I., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE: UNFI) ("UNFI") today announced a number of changes within the Company's senior management team. The Company also disclosed that it has extended the employment agreement of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Steven L. Spinner through July 31, 2021. "Our vision for industry transformation is taking hold as we continue to integrate and provide our customers with scale, services and differentiated distribution alternatives. Development of our talent and succession planning are part of my and the UNFI Board's responsibilities and we are confident the leadership changes being announced will serve as an enabler towards long-term success," said Spinner. Senior management appointments and changes are: John Howard , who has served as Interim Chief Financial Officer since August 2019 , has been appointed Chief Financial Officer, effective February 9, 2020 ; , who has served as Interim Chief Financial Officer since , has been appointed Chief Financial Officer, effective ; Eric Dorne , who serves as the Company's Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and oversees the Company's Integration Office and Canadian Business, has been appointed Chief Operating Officer, effective March 8, 2020 ; , who serves as the Company's Chief Information Officer (CIO), Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and oversees the Company's Integration Office and Canadian Business, has been appointed Chief Operating Officer, effective ; Sean Griffin , currently UNFI's Chief Operating Officer, has announced his retirement effective July 31, 2020 . Griffin will focus on continuing the Company's business transformation as well as supporting other key business initiatives. He will remain with the Company as an advisor until November 2020 ; , currently UNFI's Chief Operating Officer, has announced his retirement effective . Griffin will focus on continuing the Company's business transformation as well as supporting other key business initiatives. He will remain with the Company as an advisor until ; Chris Testa , President and Chief Marketing Officer, will take on additional responsibilities leading UNFI's professional services, supplier services, customer care and the Company's Canadian division, and will report directly to Spinner. Commenting on the leadership changes, Spinner said, "I am pleased to recognize the contributions of John, Eric and Chris with these new appointments and expanded responsibilities. John quickly earned the respect of our finance and leadership teams while serving as our Interim CFO and he has a great vision for directional changes he is ready to implement as we continue to strengthen our finance organization. Eric has consistently delivered strong results in his nine years as part of the UNFI team and I have great confidence that he will continue to do so in his new role as COO. Lastly, since joining UNFI a decade ago, Chris has established a track record of driving sustainable growth and I look for more of this in the future. I am excited to continue working with each of them in their new roles as we continue to position UNFI as the distributor of choice across the United States and Canada." "I truly appreciate Sean's leadership and dedication during his 10 years at UNFI, and particularly over the past 18 months as we have successfully integrated SUPERVALU at a faster pace than originally anticipated," Spinner said. "Sean agreed to extend his time with UNFI following the acquisition of SUPERVALU and we charted our path forward with his guidance. Sean is a tremendous leader and great friend, and we all wish him all the best in his retirement." The Company also today announced additional leadership news: Paul Green , currently UNFI's Chief Supply Chain Officer, will take on a new role as President, Fresh, where he will lead the Company's meat and produce merchandising teams and will report directly to Spinner. Green will continue serving as Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO) until a successor is named. currently UNFI's Chief Supply Chain Officer, will take on a new role as President, Fresh, where he will lead the Company's meat and produce merchandising teams and will report directly to Spinner. Green will continue serving as Chief Supply Chain Officer (CSCO) until a successor is named. Mike Stigers , currently CUB CEO and Executive Vice President, Fresh, will transition UNFI's Fresh teams to Green, once he has completed his move to his new role. Stigers will focus on leading CUB and continuing the sale process for the Minnesota -based grocery retailer and will also report directly to Spinner. , currently CUB CEO and Executive Vice President, Fresh, will transition UNFI's Fresh teams to Green, once he has completed his move to his new role. Stigers will focus on leading CUB and continuing the sale process for the -based grocery retailer and will also report directly to Spinner. The Company has searches underway for a new Chief Information Officer and Chief Supply Chain Officer, both of whom will report to Dorne. The Company is also creating a new Senior Vice President, Brands role to further build its differentiated and exclusive private brands offerings and oversee UNFI corporate branding initiatives. This position will report to Testa. About John Howard John Howard joined UNFI in July 2019 and has served as Interim Chief Financial Officer since August 2019 after having joined the Company as Senior Vice President, Finance and Accounting. Howard brings more than 20 years of experience leading finance teams including senior finance positions with the Valspar Corporation prior to its merger with Sherwin-Williams in 2018. He holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science, Accounting degrees from the University of Virginia. About Eric Dorne Eric Dorne joined UNFI nine years ago after having spent extensive time in the retail sector. As COO, Dorne will continue to oversee the Company's Integration Office and UNFI's Information Technology (IT) team, as well as oversee UNFI's supply chain which includes distribution center operations, procurement and transportation. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration & Economics from Sacred Heart University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Massachusetts. About Chris Testa Chris Testa joined UNFI in 2009 as President of the Company's Blue Marble Brands division, bringing his more than 15 years of experience in consumer brand marketing to the Company. Testa was appointed UNFI's Atlantic Region President when the company transitioned to a regional structure in 2016. As President and Chief Marketing Officer, Testa has overseen the U.S. and International Sales organization, including Regional, National and Military Sales. He is also responsible for UNFI's consumer Brands+ division and Corporate Branding team. About United Natural Foods UNFI is North America's premier food wholesaler delivering the widest variety of products to customer locations throughout North America including natural product superstores, independent retailers, conventional supermarket chains, ecommerce retailers, and food service customers. By providing this deeper 'full-store' selection and compelling brands for every aisle, UNFI is uniquely positioned to deliver great food, more choices, and fresh thinking to customers everywhere. Today, UNFI is the largest publicly-traded grocery distributor in America. To learn more about how UNFI is Moving Food Forward, visit www.unfi.com. FOR INVESTORS: Steve Bloomquist, 952-828-4144 [email protected] FOR MEDIA: Jeff Swanson, 952-903-1645 [email protected] SOURCE United Natural Foods, Inc. Related Links https://www.unfi.com A woman who was raped and sexually assaulted by her then boyfriend multiple times while she slept has been awarded a total of 1m in damages by a High Court jury. Niamh Ni Dhomhnaill told the jury in evidence she felt unsafe everywhere as a result of the actions of Magnus Meyer Hustveit. She was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, had been unable to continue her much-loved teaching job, left Ireland for several years, and had tried at one stage to take her own life. Becoming tearful during her evidence, she said: There has never been a part of me that has not been profoundly impacted. The impact of the assaults on Ms Ni Dhomhnaill was about nine to nine-and-a-half out of 10 on a scale of severity, a psychiatirst told the jury. Ms Ni Dhomhnaill, with an address in Dublin, took High Court civil proceedings seeking damages against Hustveit, with an address at Jens Bjelkes Gate Apartments, Oslo, Norway. He was given a 15-month prison sentence following a finding by the Court of Appeal in 2016 his original wholly suspended seven-year sentence was unduly lenient. Hustveit had pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to one count of rape and one count of sexual assault committed against Ms Ni Dhomhnaill between 2011 and 2012. The offences happened when both were in their twenties. In imposing a 15-month prison term, the Curt of Appeal (COA) said the combination of factors - including Hustveits cooperation, voluntary return to Ireland to be charged, previous good character and positive life he was now leading in Norway justified and required a sentence appreciably less than would be normal in cases of multiple rapes. File photo of Magnus Meyer Hustveit. In her civil proceedings, Ms Ni Dhomnhnaill, represented by Niall Buckley BL, instructed by solicitor Matthew Kenny, sought damages for multiple acts of sexual assault on dates unknown between May 2011 to the end April 2012 at an apartment at Belvedere Place, Dublin. She sought damages for personal injuries, loss and damage caused by the assault, battery, rape, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional harm on his part. Judgment was entered in default of defence and the jury was told by Mr Justice Max Barrett today their task was to assess damages only. Having heard evidence from Ms Ni Dhomhnaill, her mother and a psychiatrist, the jury assessed damages in a total sum of 1m, comprising 350,000 general damages, 400,000 aggravated damages and 250,000 punitive damages. In her action, Ms Ni Dhomhnaill said she was in a sexual relationship with Hustveit from May 2011 and they had moved in together into the Belvedere Place flat around September 2011 until the relationship ended around April 29, 2012. She said Hustveit had repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted her while she was asleep. She said Hustveit had admitted on April 29, 2012, he had raped her and this had been going on for some period of time. She received an email from him on May 27, 2012, admitting he penetrated her, touched her and kissed her while she was asleep over a prolonged period of time and used her body for his own gratification. Receiving the email was "extremely shocking" and disturbing as it detained in a clinical manner how she had been repeatedly violated in her sleep by him. The "quite chilling" detail demonstrated his "absolute awareness of what he was doing". During the relevant period of time, she also discovered a large fist-sized bruise on the inside of her upper thigh which took about a week to heal. She attempted in September 2013 to take her own life in the aftermath of the rapes and sexual assaults. She had attended weekly therapy sessions and a psychotherapist, had issues around food and excessive exercising and abusing laxative tablets and had at times struggled to leave her bedroom and home. All her relationships and friendships had been affected and she continues to feel frightened about trusting people, including her parents. Unable to continue in her much-loved teaching job, she left Ireland for London where she sought to lose herself in studying psychology. She was concerned she began overachieving "to compensate" for what had happened. She continues to have disturbing nightmares and could not say how she would be in 10 years. Her mother Josephine McDonald said she had noticed changes in her daughter over the period in question. From being independent, active and very articulate, she had become distant and withdrawn. "I could feel an anxiety about her," she said. Her concerns were confirmed when her daughter told her in August 2012 she had been raped, she said. While she has achieved a lot since, she "is not back to my Niamh yet", she said. A Suffolk farmer has been handed a suspended prison sentence after he was found guilty of risking the spread of bovine TB on his farm. Wayne Parker failed to appropriately dispose of farmed animal remains, Ipswich Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday (5 February). The 32-year-old, from Mildenhall, of Wayne Parker Farming pleaded guilty to 8 counts of animal health offences. He was charged on counts under the Animal Health Act 1981, the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013 for contravening disposal requirements, the Cattle Identification Regulations 2007 for failing to keep records, notifying movement and deaths. Amongst his offences, Mr Parker moved large quantities of cattle without following the required processes, including bTb testing. This disease is mainly spread into new herds through the movement of infected cattle that have not been detected. The court also heard he risked the spread of the disease by failing to dispose of animal by-products in the correct manner. When sentencing Mr Parker, the magistrates bench said: The court finds the matters serious and custody is warranted, [the offences are] of such high risk and economic harm. A Suffolk County Council Trading Standards spokesperson said: There are many potential dangerous consequences to Mr Parkers actions, one of the most serious being the contravention of the Tuberculosis (England) Order 2014. Bovine TB is contagious amongst cattle, other mammals and humans. It is a disease which is taken very seriously by us. His disregard for keeping the required records and movements of cattle, has impacted other people in the supply chain. 18 other businesses had cattle passports withdrawn due to lack of traceability, and as a result may suffer significant financial loss. Mr Parker was given a 12-week custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was ordered to pay a 122 victim surcharge and Suffolk County Council Trading Standards were also awarded full costs. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark celebrated her birthday on the piste in Verbier with husband Crown Prince Frederik and pals - after dropping the children at school. The mother-of-four, who turned 48 yesterday, glided down the slopes and queued for lifts with other skiers and snowboarders in the Swiss resort. The royal couple and their friends took advantage of the sunny, crisp winter day and looked very relaxed as they made the most of the fresh powder. Meanwhile the couple's children Prince Christian, 14, Princess Isabella, 12, Prince Vincent, nine, and Princess Josephine, also nine, were at Lemania-Verbier International School, which they have been attending for a month. Crown Princess Mary of Denmark celebrated her birthday on the piste in Verbier, Switzerland yesterday Princess Mary was joined by her husband Crown Prince Frederik and pals - after dropping the children at school The royal couple looked relaxed as they queued for lifts with other skiers and snowboarders in the Swiss resort Princess Mary sported a relatively low-key ski outfit, donning a blue-grey jacket and black salopettes, but jazzed up her look with exotic floral goggles and a gold metallic helmet. Yesterday the palace shared an age-defying portrait of the Tasmanian-born princess looking the epitome of elegance in a navy blue wrap dress by Issa London, aquamarine diamond drop earrings and an Orit Elhanati necklace. The photograph was taken by Copenhagen-based photographer Daniel Stjerne and shared on the Danish Royal Family's Instagram page. Last month Princess Mary and Prince Frederik came under fire after revealing they have made money from a private Swiss ski lodge they have secretly owned for 10 years. The couple chatted as they blended in with members of the public also enjoying a day out on the slopes While in the queue for the lifts, Crown Prince Frederik took a phone call and looked in high spirits Last month Princess Mary and Prince Frederik came under fire after revealing they have made money from a private Swiss ski lodge they have secretly owned for 10 years The news caused consternation in their home country's parliament when Prince Frederik announced they would be spending their 12-week stay in Switzerland at their personal villa. He went on to explain that they have owned the property in Verbier, one of the world's most exclusive ski resorts popular among the British royals, for a decade and rent it out when they're not using it. When it was purchased, Princess Mary registered it under her maiden name, Mary Donaldson, The Daily Telegraph reported. Her husband referred to himself as Prince Frederik of Denmark on documents pertaining to the property, the publication reported. Princess Mary sported a relatively low-key ski outfit, donning a blue-grey jacket and black salopettes, but jazzed up her look with exotic floral goggles and a gold metallic helmet Keen skier Princess Mary of Denmark moved effortlessly across the snow, carrying a blue backpack The couple and their friends made the most of the sunny winter day in Verbier, where they own a luxurious ski lodge It later emerged the couple charged guests 7,290 a week to rent the luxurious wooden lodge which boasts three bathrooms, a sauna, spa and a heating room for guests to dry out their ski gear after a day on the slopes. The Verbier property can sleep up to 10 people and was rented on Airbnb prior to the revelation it was owned by the royal couple. Pictures advertising the property surfaced after a spokeswoman for the couple confirmed it would no longer be available to rent due to privacy concerns. Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik were joined by a couple of pals yesterday for the birthday outing Crown Prince Frederik showed off his skills as he glided down the slopes on the fresh powder yesterday The couple's children Prince Christian, 14, Princess Isabella, 12, Prince Vincent, nine, and Princess Josephine, also nine, usually attend the Tranegard School in Gentofte, Denmark, but are attending a Swiss boarding school for three months in Bagnes to give them a more international experience The secluded chalet features a fireplace, timber walls, ceilings and floorboards, as well as large windows looking onto the ski resort. The Danish royal family lives on a public allowance that is only allowed to be spent on foreign assets with the approval of lawmakers. Their children usually attend the Tranegard School in Gentofte, Denmark, but are attending a Swiss boarding school for three months in Bagnes to give them a more international experience. Princess Mary is staying with them while they are in school, and Prince Frederik will travel between there and Denmark for his official duties. Workers set up beds at a Fangcang hospital in Wuhan, China on Feb. 4, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) China Builds Makeshift Hospitals to Treat Coronavirus Patients, but Expert Expresses Concern about Sanitary Conditions The central Chinese city of Wuhan has set up 11 new makeshift hospitals as of Feb. 5 in order to accommodate the large numbers of coronavirus patients. Wuhan is the capital of Hubei Province. According to the provincial government-run media Hubei Daily, the 11 new facilities have a total capacity of 10,100 beds. They are mostly set up within stadiums, exhibition centers, and school gyms within the city. The citys Wuhan Coronavirus Command Center released regulations on Feb. 5, explaining that coronavirus patients with mild or moderate symptoms would be sent to the makeshift hospitals. Patients in severe condition or who are older than 65 would stay at the 14 hospitals and two newly-built hospitals designated for treating the coronavirus. Patients suspected of having coronavirus and some confirmed patients with mild symptoms will be isolated in community quarantine centers, most of which are hotels converted in response to the outbreak. State-run media Xinhua reported that there are plans to build 12 more of such makeshift hospitals in Wuhan. Commonly known in China as battlefield hospitals, these facilities are often used during wartime or natural disasters to efficiently care for the wounded and sick. Beds are arranged row by row in an open space. State media revealed photos and videos of the facilities, which showed that the beds did not have any physical barriers separating them, save for several boards to wall off a group of about a dozen beds. Chinese netizens expressed concerns that cross-contamination could take place. On Feb. 4, Chinese state-run media dismissed those claims, saying doctors would ensure it would not happen. But Sean Lin, a U.S.-based expert in microbiology and former virology researcher for the U.S. Army, explained that such makeshift facilities should have been set up earlier in the response to the outbreak. Lin said that in a situation where thousands are infected and many residents cannot get treatment due to overfilled hospitals, such venues could allow medical staff to take care of more patients efficiently. For example, a nurse can distribute medicine more easily using a cart, delivering to dozens of patients within several minutes. But the Wuhan government is too late. It should have set up these hospitals before locking down the citya measure that indicates the disease had already spread widely and could not be contained, Lin said. Upon observing the facilities photos and videos, Lin noted that the distance between the beds was too close, risking cross-infection. The distance between two beds should be at least three feet. Workers set up beds at a Fangcang hospital in Wuhan, China on Feb. 4, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) He added that medical staff should be alert about patients whose conditions are worsening, as they are likely to be more contagious due to active viruses in his body, which could potentially spread through bodily fluids, airborne particles, or stool. Once a patients condition turns to severe, medical staff must remove this patient to a designated hospital as soon as possible, Lin said. The Wuhan government first reported the outbreak on Dec. 31, 2019, though official data shows that authorities knew of a human-to-human transmission prior to that date. The virus has since spread all around China and to more than 20 other countries. A view of the Dixie Red Rock at Pioneer Park, above the city of St. George, Utah. (Mikayla Whitmore for The Post) The name abounds here, but that is slowly changing in the city of St. George though not without resistance. A criminal complaint was on Thursday filed in a Delhi court against Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia for allegedly spreading fake news that Delhi Police personnel were setting a DTC bus on fire during violence at Jamia area. The complaint was filed by Supreme Court advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava before a special MP/MLA magistrate court in Delhi seeking registration of FIR against Sisodia under various sections of IPC and IT Act. The matter will come up for hearing on Friday. In his complaint, Srivastava alleged that Sisodia took to Twitter to spread fake news by accusing Delhi Police personnel of setting a DTC bus on fire during violence at Jamia Nagar on December 15 last year. It said that despite lapse of more than one and a half months, the police have not yet registered FIR against the accused and sought directions for immediately registering an FIR against Sisodia under Sections 153, 153-A, 504 and 505 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and relevant sections of Information Technology Act. Sisodia had on December 15 shared pictures and videos purportedly from Jamia Nagar in which police officers were seen carrying barrels and pouring liquid onto the DTC buses. He had alleged that the BJP had used the police to set buses on fire during the incident. At least three DTC buses were set on fire in the Bharat Nagar area of the capital on December 15 after a demonstration against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) turned violent in the area. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NASA astronaut Christina Koch has made all of mankind proud, inspiring millions of women dreaming to be an astronaut like her. She has landed safely on Earth after a record breaking longest single spaceflight by a woman, spending 328 days on the International Space Station, during which she was also part of the first all-female spacewalk with fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir. A Soyuz spacecraft capsule carrying Christina Koch, along with European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov, safely soft-landed near Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, earlier on Thursday. Christina Koch earned the new world record for the longest single spaceflight in zero gravity by a woman earlier on December 28th, where she eclipsed the record held by fellow NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson who spent 288 days in space from 2016-2017. Memorable space trip During her record-breaking mission on the space station, Christina Koch completed as many as six spacewalks, spending a total of 42 hours and 15 minutes outside of the station. Apart from conducting several scientific lab experiments in microgravity, Christina Koch's biggest accomplishment undoubtedly has to be subjecting her own body to almost a year in zero gravity space. NASA will no doubt learn a lot from Koch's physiology and the effects of space on a female body -- something that will power the knowledge of future human spaceflights. christina koch twitter Christina Koch's 328 days in space just falls short of fellow NASA astronaut Scott Kelly's all-time record of 340 days in space. Just hours before preparing for her ride back to Earth, NASA astronaut Christina Koch posted a glorious picture of the earth on her Twitter profile, saying she will definitely miss seeing the "exquisite beauty of both the planet Earth and this marvel that its amazing people created," referring to the International Space Station which hovers 400 km above the earth. Epidemic prevention and control is the top priority for the moment. Many cities have shut their external and internal public transportation systems. Most companies are closed, paying a huge economic price. Citizens are suffering from limited freedom of movement. In order to fight the novel coronavirus, Chinese society has been more mobilized than it was during the SARS period. It has become an unprecedented public health war. An increasing number of southern cities heavily plagued by the epidemic are on lockdown or in a similar state. Citizens there are required to stay at home and only one family member is allowed to go out to buy necessities every other day or longer. All people there have paid the price. However, most people are responding to the call of the country and local governments. Although they have some complaints, this hasn't prevented them from being united and the fight against the novel coronavirus has generally been carried out in an orderly way. The temporary lockdown doesn't mean the cities are paralyzed, but a part of the highly organized anti-epidemic campaign. But we have found some problems in the ongoing battle. One of them is that many places have reported cases in which people deliberately concealed their travel history to Wuhan city or Hubei Province and infected many locals. The non-cooperative acts of a few have caused great harm. While people across the country are jointly fighting the epidemic, such actions should be strongly condemned. Criticism of such behavior should be intensified so that those who are still doing the same or intend to do so would be deterred. As the post-holiday peak passenger flow is coming, it is now urgent to strengthen the rules of disclosing these people's travels and contacts. We support the legitimate investigation and punishment of those who deliberately conceal their travels to Wuhan or contact with anyone from Wuhan. Through these cases, we need to let the public understand that during such an epidemic, it would be considered criminal to cause serious harm by refusing to cooperate. Epidemic prevention and control is the top priority for the moment. Many cities have shut their external and internal public transportation systems. Most companies are closed, paying a huge economic price. Citizens are suffering from limited freedom of movement. All those measures aim to detect infected people, confirming their previous trajectory of contacts with others and blocking their future contacts with the outside world. At this point, if anyone deliberately conceals his or her dangerous trips and contacts with people, willfully interacts with others and causes severe consequences of infection, the behavior can be considered a crime. According to official figures, 8 million people are set to return to Beijing. Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou are also facing a large-scale return of people. Before that, we must complete two tasks. First, we must find out most infected patients and carriers. Second, some carriers cannot be detected in time, so there must be strong mechanisms to keep abreast of their health situation to minimize the risk. Everyone is faced with tests in this people's war. Let us all keep pace with the national mobilization rather than hinder the battle against the virus. We will eventually be awarded for jointly fighting the epidemic. Source: Global Times Chinese pastor in Wuhan issues urgent call to prayer as Coronavirus cases rise above 20,000 Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A Chinese pastor living Wuhan the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus outbreak has penned a powerful letter urging the international faith community to pray as the number of confirmed cases rises above 20,000 in the country. The Christian leader, identified as "A Wuhan Pastor" by China Source, penned a lengthy letter in which he revealed that fellow pastors from around the world have been reaching out, asking how they can support him. It is readily apparent that we are facing a test of our faith, the pastor wrote. The situation is so critical, yet [we are] trusting in the Lords promises, that his thoughts toward us are of peace, and not evil (Jeremiah. 29:11), and that he allows for a time of testing, not to destroy us, but to establish us. Therefore, Christians are not only to suffer with the people of this city, but we have a responsibility to pray for those in this city who are fearful, and to bring to them the peace of Christ. The pastor emphasized that while Christ has given us His peace, that peace is not to remove us from disaster and death, but rather to have peace in the midst of disaster and death, because Christ has already overcome these things. [When] disaster strikes us, it is but a form of Gods love, he contended. Spoken for today, Wuhans pestilence cannot separate us from the love of Christ; this love is in our Lord Jesus Christ. The pastor urged the international community to pray for Gods mercy upon this city, and bring peace upon this city through our prayers and testimony. I believe this is the command of God calling those of us living in Wuhan, he said. We are to seek peace for this city, seek peace for those who are afflicted with this illness, seek peace for the medical personnel struggling on the front lines, seek peace for every government official at every level, seek peace for all the people of Wuhan! The pastor concluded his letter by urging readers to turn their eyes upon Jesus, adding that only through the hope of the Lords mercy will this city be saved. The pastors letter comes as the number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus rose above 20,000 in China, prompting Chinese authorities to quarantine several major cities. The virus originated in Wuhan, a city of 11 million in Hubei province, and can lead to respiratory illnesses, deadly in some cases. On Monday, Hong Kong reported its first death from the virus, which has killed at least 425, all but two of them in mainland China. The United States recently recorded its 11th case of the virus. Last week, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency. Persecution watchdog International Christian Concern notes that in this time of desperation and fear, Chinas Christian community has stepped up to provide hope and refuge to those suffering. A video shared by Father Francis Liu from the Chinese Christian Fellowship of Righteousness shows that encouraging sermons are being broadcast to their communities through speakers placed on balconies. According to ICC, a Christian rode his bike to a pharmacy where people gathered and played a sermon through a portable speaker. Another video circulated on social media shows Christians distributing face masks and Gospel pamphlets to passersby on the streets as a sermon plays in the background. Additionally, Christians from other provinces have offered their homes to host people fleeing from Hubei province who face housing discrimination. Human Rights Watch notes that 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. Brother Jia Xuewei and sister Shu Qiong, from the heavily persecuted Early Rain Covenant Church in Sichuan, are among a number of Christians who opened up their homes to escapees and offered to cover room and board until Hubei lifts its quarantine. Speaking to Fox News, Doug Perez, an American who resides in Wuhan, described the situation as a "scary experience," like "something out of a sci-fi movie." He said that beyond the virus, he worries about the Chinese government's reaction. "The government here has taken a very, very strict, very strict and very proactive response ... to this coronavirus," Perez said. "It wouldn't surprise me if there are some problems in the future, especially, you know, food shortages or civil unrest." Signature Flatbreads brand Deli Kitchen has rolled out new savoury and sweet brioche-style wraps. The sweet and savoury wraps are made with vegetable oil spread, making them vegetarian and vegan-friendly. They combine the buttery sweetness of French brioche with the softness and versatility of a Mexican tortilla, said the company. The wraps were aimed at answering the consumer need for new and exciting bakery products to alleviate mundane mealtimes, it added. The launch will be supported by a marketing campaign with above-the-line advertising, in-store point-of-sale and a social media campaign. Our Deli Kitchen brand leads the way in product innovation within the bakery sector and this is demonstrated by the success of this latest launch and securing a new listing at Tesco, said David Laurence, managing director at Signature Flatbreads. The wraps are available in Tesco stores nationwide for 1.35. The retailer is also stocking Deli Kitchen Greek Flatbread for 1.35. Articles Sorry, there are no recent results for popular articles. A teenager who was allegedly involved in the brutal bashing of a schoolgirl has filmed a disgusting video where she threatened to attack the victim again. The girl, 14, posted her rant to Instagram on Wednesday after she was released on bail over the alleged assault of a 13-year-old Adelaide high school student. In the footage she complained about the victim raising $19,000 on GoFundMe to cover her medical costs after her teeth were knocked out. 'Did you see how much that little s*** got for lying on Facebook? She got about, like, $15,000 all 'cause, like, everyone felt sorry for that little s***. 'Wait 'til I see her again little s*** is gonna get caved in again.' The victim was allegedly set upon by two girls, aged 14 and 15 outside a McDonald's restaurant on Tuesday. She had her front teeth knocked out and suffered spinal injuries during the alleged attack. On Thursday the Adelaide Youth Court heard how the 15-year-old admitted to attacking the girl and even laughed during a police interview, ABC reported. 'She did make full admissions. And quite concerningly, at some point throughout the record of interview and discussing this information with police, she laughed about the allegations,' the police prosecutor told the court. The attack was allegedly in response to a racist comment which was made on Instagram. The 15-year-old has been denied bail and is due to appear in court next week. The girl, 14, posted her rant to Instagram on Wednesday after she was released on bail over the alleged assault of a 13-year-old Adelaide high school student In footage of the alleged fight, which has been shared on social, the thugs can be heard threatening to drag the victim by her hair. The victim's mother opened up about the heart-wrenching phone call she got from her daughter shortly after the bashing. 'All I could hear was this bloodcurdling noise screaming 'Mummy, help me,' and I couldn't do anything about it,' she told The Advertiser. 'I could hear her screaming from the car park she was covered in blood. When I got there, I was hysterical.' The Education Department said the school was investigating the incident. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says dozens of Iranian journalists have been interrogated, threatened, searched, and forced to close social-media accounts since a Ukrainian passenger plane crashed in Tehran last month, killing all 176 people aboard. At least 21 journalists across Iran have been summoned and questioned by intelligence officials working for the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) or the Intelligence Ministry, RSF said in a statement on February 6. The Paris-based media freedom watchdog said the journalists had dared to express anger after reporting a state lie about the January 8 plane tragedy as the truth. Iranian journalists are the twofold victims of a state lie, said Reza Moini, the head of RSFs Iran desk. The entire world is discovering how the suppression of media freedom has helped to institutionalize lies and serious, repeated human rights violations in Iran, he added. The Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) Boeing 737-800 crashed after taking off from Tehrans primary international airport, with the Iranian authorities initially denying any responsibility for the accident. But three days after the tragedy, the IRGC admitted the plane had been shot down "unintentionally." Irans January 11 admission led to days of protests in Iranian cities, with demonstrators chanting slogans against Irans clerical leadership. Meanwhile, 80 Iranian journalists issued a joint statement expressing regret that they had helped to spread a state lie. All newspapers, in coordination with the state radio and TV, and in the absence of any independent investigation, repeated this great lie, and have then been outraged and despised when the truth came to light, they said. Intelligence officials have since searched the homes and offices of many journalists, seizing computers, mobile phones, books, documents, and manuscripts, according to RSF. None of the journalists have been arrested but some have been warned by their employers of the need to be careful with what they say on social media, RSF said, adding that some have had to close their Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook accounts, or to stop posting on them. After Iranian security forces used force to disperse protests triggered by Irans admission it had downed the Ukrainian plane, the authorities stepped up their pressure on the media, banning the publication of anything that did not toe the government line, RSF said. Efforts in at least three states to close online charter schools are drawing concern from parents of hundreds of students, and stoking a passionate debate over the merits of school choice and online instruction. The seven-member Chicago Board of Education voted unanimously in December to rescind the charter for the Chicago Virtual School, which enrolls 520 students who attend class in person one day a week and learn remotely the rest of the week, according to reports in the Chicago Tribune . The school has filed an appeal with the Illinois State Board of Education, which could authorize the charter over the Chicago boards objections. Chicago Virtual School is the only online charter school for K-12 students in Illinois. Lawmakers in Pennsylvania, meanwhile, are pondering more drastic action. In October, Pennsylvania House of Representatives member Curt Sonney (R) proposed a bill that would close all 14 of the states online charter schools by 2021. The 37,000 students affected by the closures would be transferred to newly developed virtual programs run by schools in their home districts, the bill says. Lawmakers held a hearing on the bill last month, according to a WHYY report . And in Nevada, the State Public Charter School Authority Board voted last week to close a fully online middle and high school, Nevada Connections, following the mandatory closure of its low-rated online elementary school, according to a Nevada Current report . The board previously shut down two other online charter schools, the Current reported. Whats the concern with online charter schools? The criticisms can be divided into two overlapping categories: concerns about charter schools and concerns about online education. The former encompasses: frustration with per-pupil fees districts pay when parents choose charter schools over local public schools research that points to low or inconsistent academic performance at charter schools objections to schools that take public money but dont abide by the same rules and procedures as traditional public schools Critics of online education contend that: the lack of an in-person presence of an instructor means students arent getting a valuable learning experience scattershot oversight prevents students from being held accountable for academic misconduct or truancy A 2019 report from Stanford University found that cyber charter schools were producing subpar results for Pennsylvania students. The debate is further complicated by for-profit school providers like K12 Inc., which served as the operator for Chicago Virtual School until 2018. According to the Tribune report, some parents felt that the schools academic quality went downhill after it moved to a self-managed model. Others have raised objections to the involvement of for-profit companies in providing education to students. What would happen if these charter schools close? The Pennsylvania bill requires districts to expand their online offerings. A growing number of schools in the state have begun offering online courses of some kind, though in general public schools lag behind charter schools when it comes to robust online programs. The options for the Chicago students are less clear-cut. The Tribune reported that city school officials will work with families on finding appropriate options for students. Advocates for the embattled charter school say parents will be frustrated if their childs school option suddenly isnt available to them anymore, particularly if they made that choice out of frustration with a public school option. Usually people who are least successful in a traditional setting tend to be the ones who first go and sign up for an online or cyber option, said Jeanne Allen, founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform, which advocates nationwide for educational innovation, school choice, and the charter movement. Some lawmakers have pointedly drawn a distinction between closing charter schools and opposing experimentation. I am the one whos asking and looking for innovation in different school models, Nevada state school board member Sami Randolph said, according to the Current. But we want school models that can correlate with and improve academic performance. Allen points to the widespread adoption of online learning in higher education and corporate training as evidence that K-12 schools could benefit from a more Internet-based approach. Unlike the Pennsylvania lawmakers who support transitioning students to online offerings at public schools, she argues public schools arent equipped to take that approach as nimbly or with as much variety as charter schools, which are less regulated. If those lawmakers terminate these programs, the parents are going to find another online alternative, or frankly theyre going to go to private schools, Allen said. Image: Getty "Policies that signal that the state is not welcoming to everyone put our collective economic success at risk," the letter said. "We ask that lawmakers not pursue any futher legislation what would target or exclude LGBTQ people, which would do harm to Tennesseans and create unnecessary hurdles to economic competitiveness." CNN has reached out to the governor's office for comment but has not yet heard back. GLAAD Chief Communications Officer Rich Ferraro, told CNN that one of the largest companies -- FedEx -- with its headquarters in Tennessee, refused to sign the letter. In a statement, FedEx told CNN, "While FedEx is frequently approached to support advocacy efforts on a range of issues that often align with the company's policies and practices, we prefer to demonstrate our values through the civic and charitable relationships that we support and the important work those organizations do for communities around the world. FedEx is as diverse as the world we serve, and we strive to provide an inclusive workplace in which all team members feel safe and respected." Here are anti-LGBTQ related Tennessee bills, and their current status. HB 1572/SB 2077: Transgender students in sports Could a close association with President Barack Obama, beloved among New York City Democrats, be enough to win the 2021 mayoral primary? Could an association with former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, whom many city Democrats continue to blame for everything, be enough to sink his bid? Shaun Donovan will test both prospects. He served as Bloombergs commissioner of housing preservation and development, then worked as Obamas housing secretary before being tapped to direct the White House Office of Management and Budget. Now, after years of rumored interest, the Brooklynite opened a campaign committee on Monday to start fundraising for a likely run for mayor. City & State talked to Donovan the day after his announcement, and he made sure to align himself more with Obama than Bloomberg and pointedly declined to endorse either his former boss or Obamas former vice president, Joe Biden, in the Democratic primary. In the growing mayoral field, Donovan is positioning himself as a data-driven expert with years of experience in housing and homelessness. This is Donovans first run for public office, and hes starting at a serious disadvantage in terms of name recognition, fundraising and political support. But with more than 16 months until the expected June 2021 primary, he has a lot of time to make up the difference. You've been an architect, the New York City HPD commissioner, U.S. HUD secretary, and White House budget director. Which of those are you going to present to voters? Well, first and foremost, I'm a New Yorker. Born and raised here. The through line between all those jobs is I did them because of growing up in New York City. I witnessed as a child the homelessness crisis exploding, people fleeing the city, neighborhoods falling apart. That more than anything else was what drove me to start volunteering in a homeless shelter, to come back to the Bronx after studying housing, and work for a nonprofit in the Bronx that was trying to rebuild neighborhoods. I have a 30 year record in everything I've done of fighting not just for housing and better neighborhoods, but for social justice, to really help people and communities that have been too often left behind. One piece of that record is that you were a force behind upzoning areas like Williamsburg during the Bloomberg administration, which a lot of folks blame for increasing inequality and making housing less affordable. Do you think that was the best way to solve the issues at the time? I'm proud of the work that I did as housing commissioner in the city. I was behind the most aggressive affordable housing plan in the country and we created and preserved a huge amount of affordable housing that has benefited tens of thousands of families. But I would also say that, while I deeply respect Mike Bloomberg as a strong leader and as a great manager, there are also places that we disagreed. I left to go join the Obama administration. I deeply share the values that President Obama displayed as president and as a person, as a dad, and enormously proud of that record, too. Are you personally supporting anybody in the presidential race? All of my attention is focused on New York City right now. Obviously, the most important thing is that we defeat Donald Trump. I've always loved public service and feel a deep passion and commitment to serving New York and to serving the country, and it makes me deeply angry to watch this president turn public service into self-service. You were in government for more than a decade, until 2017. Have you been politically involved since leaving the Obama administration, either nationally or locally? One of the things that distinguishes me in this potential race is that I'm a public servant, not a politician. Since I left the administration, I've been focused on a range of ways to help make New York City and other places more equal, to fight inequality, to help families in many different ways. For example, I've been working with a range of community organizations and residents to try to fix the decline in public housing and the terrible conditions that too many families are living in. I've been working closely with a range of community organizations, neighborhood groups, local citizens to make sure every New Yorker is counted in the 2020 census. And one of the areas where I developed real expertise at HUD and OMB is how to rebuild places that have been hit by climate change and terrible storms, other natural disasters, to better protect them from climate change. And so local organizations, a range of foundations asked me to come help in Puerto Rico. Can you just give me a brief history of yourself? You were born and raised in Manhattan, right? My grandfather was one of 11 dirt poor Irish kids growing up on the south side of London. He worked the docks as a teenager. My dad came to the U.S. to get educated, came to New York for his first job. He had enough money to buy stationery to start a small computer company what you would call programming today, but this was before the word ever existed. And he spent his entire career building that company here in New York City. And so one of the reasons in many ways the primary reason I'm so passionate about New York City, why I feel that deep gratitude and responsibility to the city, is my dad came here and lived the American dream. And everything that this city gave him, that it gave me, in terms of opportunity, is why I throughout my career have wanted to give back to this city. And frankly to help families who didn't have the same opportunities that I did. You're in Brooklyn now. What neighborhood? So, I have lived in Boerum Hill since about 1995. It's the very first place my wife and I moved. It's where I raised my kids. And, but for going to work for President Obama, where I would have been every year since 1995. I think that's a decent excuse for leaving New York. I think most people are gonna be OK with that. I thought so. My mother-in-law wasnt so sure when I took her grandkids for a few years, but now she's got em back, so it's OK. (Laughs.) You were chairman of the president's Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force. What do you think is the best way to protect New York from future storms? And do you support the seawall proposal? There is no silver bullet. Unfortunately, I've seen disasters and had to respond to them tornadoes, floods not only all over the country, but all over the world, and developed deep expertise in the ways that we can better protect communities from climate change and extreme weather. There is no single answer. It is deep and sustained work with local communities. And one of the most important things is that if you just focus on the once-in-a-lifetime storm, the one-in-a-hundred-year storm, you're missing an opportunity to improve neighborhoods every other day of those hundred years when that storm doesn't hit. The other important lesson I learned is that those who are most vulnerable from storms and climate change are those who are most vulnerable in everyday life. So our first priority as we're thinking about protecting cities and communities has to be for low-income folks, for seniors, for a whole range of other groups that are vulnerable every day of the year, not just when bad weather comes. I was reading The Real Deal's coverage of your campaign announcement, and it seemed like the real estate industry can barely contain its glee. Are you going to be positioning yourself as more friendly to the to the real estate industry than the current crop of mayoral candidates? Let me go back to my history and my record. I started working at the National Coalition for the Homeless. I worked at a nonprofit organization in the Bronx, rebuilding neighborhoods that had been devastated by the crisis I watched as a kid growing up in New York City. And I spent my entire life making sure that housing wasn't just a private market good, which was making somebody as much money as possible. Good housing is something that determines all the opportunity in a person's life. It not only determines whether your child has a safe place to sleep at night and to get their homework done where you live determines where your kids go to school, your opportunity for jobs, your public safety, your health care. And so I am considering this run for mayor because I am deeply committed to making sure that housing is first and foremost something that allows New Yorkers to be in New York, to stay in their neighborhoods and to afford this city. And that's what my entire career has been about. Mayoral candidates Corey Johnson and Scott Stringer are both declining contributions from real estate, and Johnson is also declining money from lobbyists. Are you planning to decline any type of donation? I filed only yesterday. I have not gotten into the tactics. I don't want to get into the tactics of the race here. So I'd be happy to talk about that at a later point when it makes sense. I found in an old biography that you were on the bridge team at Dalton. Are there any other politicians who you think could beat you at bridge? It's been a long long time (laughs). I'm not sure I'd even remember how to play a hand at this point. But look, I was budget director. I'm definitely a numbers guy. I oversaw a $4 trillion budget for the United States of America. And I am somebody who's deeply committed to evidence-based management in government and making government work by managing by the facts. When I was at HUD, one of the reasons that we were able to cut homelessness dramatically across the country is I started something called HUDStat, which was modeled on the original CompStat from New York City. But I also saw that at the end of the day, I could only give those tools (to municipalities). Local government is where the rubber meets the road. It's where the actual decisions are made that decide whether a place makes progress on issues like homelessness or not. And it's one of the things that has made me look seriously at running for mayor in New York City. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said this election will be "one of the most important for generations" and warned voters not to back populist promises and amadan economics. As he hosted Fine Gael's final campaign press conference in Carlow, flanked by ministers, he cautioned against people writing the obituary just yet for his party. Fine Gael has set out what it would achieve in the first 100 days, if re-elected to government. Mr Varadkar played down reports his ministers and TDs are at risk of losing seats in several constituencies and said he would be fighting for votes right up until polls close on Saturday night. It is going to be a very tight election. I'm sure of that with the three major parties competing for first, second and third place. In many ways, it makes it one of the most important elections in generations, a decision for people as to whether we continue to go forward or whether we go back with Fianna Fail. There's definitely an appetite for change. But we have to ask ourselves what type of change do we want? "Is it the kind of change that continues to bring our country forward or the kind of change that brings us backwards and risks everything? Not just our economy but even the democratic institutions of our state. And that's what makes this election so crucial, in my view. We've seen Brexit in Britain, and the vote for Donald Trump in America and the rise of populism and extremism in many European countries. He added that he felt more worried about the country now than anytime since the crash. The Fianna Fail manifesto had contained typos and the party had "flip-flopped" on rent freezes, he said, while Sinn Fein was offering voters the "biggest con job" since the Fianna Fail 1977 manifesto with promised tax cuts but extra charges for businesses. We all know that doesn't work. It didn't work in East Germany, it didn't work in Venezuela. All it does is drive business and jobs into the ground, as the economy and other revenue isn't there to pay for all the crazy promises that were made in the first place. Toaiseach Leo Varadkar and Fine Gael candidate Pat Deering (right) are confronted by a man on health issues while canvassing in Tullow, Co Carlow, today And that was amadan economics, he insisted. Amid questions from reporters about his TDs and ministers potentially losing their seats, Mr Varadkar told people to not write the obituary just yet about Fine Gael. He also rejected Fianna Fail's criticism of Fine Gael EU Affairs Minister Helen McEntee's ability and said it was "bang out of order." Meanwhile, he said in an interview with Virgin Media News that Paschal Donohoe, the finance minister, would make a "good future Fine Gael leader". He also admitted that there were "good people" in Sinn Fein who he had worked with but this was different from the notion of entering a coalition with them. New York City is the greatest city in the world, but many New Yorkers have real fears that the city they love is slipping away, the mayor said. From making pre-K universal to creating the safest big city in America, we have accomplished so much together, but we need to go much farther. The mayor pledged to legalize basement apartments to increase the citys supply of affordable housing and to take more aggressive measures to improve street safety. He also wants to help mom-and-pop shops by reducing fines and approving a tax on landlords who keep storefronts vacant while waiting for high-end tenants like banks and chain pharmacies. The speech had a format that mirrored the dozens of town halls the mayor has held while in office. Mr. de Blasio encouraged feedback from the audience, which was seated beneath a 94-foot-long blue whale at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. He asked them to raise their hands if they were afraid that they would be the last generation of their family to be able to afford living in New York and if a store in their neighborhood had gone out of business. Many raised hands and nodded heads. This is a plan to save our city, the mayor said as he announced new community centers and an expansion of free preschool. And I thought long and hard about whether those words were called for, but they are. Still, the theme raised some questions: Save the city from whom or what exactly? (Forces of greed, for starters, the mayor argued.) And why didnt Mr. de Blasio, a Democrat in his second term, start the battle earlier in his administration? Government has announced that it will show evidence of fulfillment of its promises to Ghanaians during a grand town hall meeting in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, on Tuesday, February 11, 2020. The Deputy Minister of Information, Pius Enam Hadzide, who disclosed this, said Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia would lead evidence on how government has matched up to its promises over the past three years. This is in partial fulfillment of transparency and accountability governance requirement set out by the Akufo-Addo administration to account to the people, he added. Speaking at a press briefing in Kumasi, the Deputy Information Minister stated that the present government had unmatched achievements, and it was ready to account for its stewardship to the citizenry. No government has ever performed better in its first four-year term than the Nana Addo administration, he stressed and continued that the upcoming town hall meeting would feature the government's results fair during which pictorial and video evidences would be exhibited. He explained that the showcase would offer citizens the opportunity to ask questions on achievements from infrastructure to service delivery. Mr. Hadzide noted that government took a serious view of the upcoming town hall meeting because it affords government the opportunity to provide the evidence of its achievements as far as manifesto promises are concerned. The Deputy Minister entreated residents of the region to attend the town hall meeting to witness at first hand a presentation of the evidence. Also be informed that chiefs across the length and breadth of this region have been invited, he said and added that all opinion leaders in all the 43 districts in the region had been invited. ---Daily Guide By Azernews By Laman Ismayilova When it comes to animation, it is equally enjoyable for both kids and adults. In Azerbaijan, this visual art of making a motion picture arises interest in native and foreign viewers thanks to the country's first International Animation Festival (ANIMAFILM). The large-scale event receives worldwide recognition for its contribution to this art form. Since 2018, the festival introduces a variety of works expanding the scope of animation. The festival, headed by film director Rashid Aghamaliyev brings together talented artists and their films to display their talents. In his interview with Azernews, Rashid Aghamaliyev shared the amazing story behind the festival. Like all of us, Aghamaliyev showed a great interest in animation from a very young age. His childhood passion revived after a major obstacle. "My interest in animation revived a couple of years ago when I was in the hospital after a heart surgery. So, I started watching cartoons out of boredom," he said. However, his childhood passion has grown into large-scale festival, one of its kind in Azerbaijan. Looking back, one can see how far the festival has come since its establishment. Last year, the festival aroused great interest among spectators. "Our main goal is to contribute to the development of national animation. We have created a platform for professionals working in this field, as well as for ordinary viewers. We hold this festival for the second year in a row, show dozens of interesting cartoons and bring together animation professionals from abroad... said Aghamaliyev. Last year, the festival was attended by animation professionals from France and Greece. Moreover, the festival organizers created ANIMAFILM School, where they are teaching children and adults animation. "ANIMAFILM School will operate year-round. The first lesson was held in December last year and aroused great interest in both children and adults. Permanent lessons will begin from the end of February, classes will be free and anyone can sign up for them. It is enough to inform us by email: [email protected]," the festival's director said. The 2nd ANIMAFILM Baku International Animation Festival started its work with a large conference devoted to Azerbaijani animation - its past and present. The history of Azerbaijani animation was also highlighted in a book. The total number of authors was 13 people, including Honored Art Worker Aydin Kazimzade, film historian and writer Sevinj Azimova, Aygun Aslanova, Aliya Dadasheva, Kamala Rzayeva, Andrey Hovanec, Dadash Mammadov, Leyla Novruzi, Elchin Orujev, Gennady Tischenko and Rashid Aghamaliyev himself. "As I graduated from the film studies department, I always wanted to write a historical work about the Azerbaijani cinema. I had plenty of time in the hospital and I began to study the history of Azerbaijani animation and found that nothing had been written about it yet. So the idea of ??the book was born. However, very soon I understood that I couldnt finish it all by myself. So, I asked for help from other film experts, both Azerbaijani and my friends from the Czech Republic, Iran, Turkey and Russia. And we started working on the book in a large team. As a result, we got a 400 pages publication, which tells about the history of Azerbaijani animation from the 30s of the last century to the present days," he said. "In a word, this book has become an international project. The book Azerbaijani Animation is not an encyclopedia or a catalog, but a publication written in a popular scientific style that will be interesting to both professionals and a wide range of readers, including children. The book is published in Azerbaijani and Russian. Thanks to the research of Azerbaijani and European film experts, the reader will learn a lot about the development of this art form in Azerbaijan. The book first published unique materials provided by Azerbaijani film directors and artists," he added. Now, the preparations for the 3rd AN?M?F?LM festival are underway. The festival will take place in Baku on October 14-18. The theme of the festival will be French animation. The event is supported by the Azerbaijan Union of Film-makers, the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, French Institute, the French Embassy and the Czech Embassy in Azerbaijan. Speaking about his favorite films, the film director noted the works of Yuri Norstein (Tale of Tales), Michael Dudok de Wit ( The Red Turtle), and Jiri Trnka (The Hand). I am also inspired by a lot of young film directors who send their works to the festival. While selecting films for the festival, I have to watch 500-600 works a year. That's why I become very picky... But several films are sure to remain in my memory and most often they win at international festivals. The film "Daughter" by Daria Kashcheeva, who is the winner of our festival, proves that", said Aghamaliyev. As for himself, the film director prefers deep thoughtful films. He is also a big fan of stop-motion technique which breathes life into motionless objects. "I really like animation, I want animation industry to be established in our country and I hope to make my contribution to the development of this beautiful art form in Azerbaijan. I believe that animation and art in general can bring many wonderful moments to our lives," he concluded. WINSTED When the Mad River Market co-op, a community grocery store with shareholders, opens in Winsted, members hope it will offer produce, meat and other products from local farms. To expand on that idea, co-op members held a forum, Farmers, Food Producers & Mad River Market, at Little Red Barn Brewers on Lake Street this week. About 20 people representing farms from around Winsted attended, most of whom were curious about their role in the market. To date, the co-op has 323 members. Each person joined as a shareholder with a check for $200. Co-op board President Glen Zeh told the group that to lease or purchase a space in town will require about 1,000 shareholders. But we feel like weve really gained momentum, said Philip Allen, co-founder and project manager. People are excited about it, and motivated to make it happen. I live in the area, and I think (Mad River Market co-op) is an awesome idea, said member Janet Cosgrove. Winsted is growing ... its a whole new life for the town. The forum also welcomed more potential members couples and single people who wanted to learn more before joining. Nils Johnson, owner of Little Red Barn Brewers, opened his tap room for the meeting. Its pretty exciting to see so many people show up for something like this, he said. Since we opened, our success has far exceeded our expectations, and it just keeps going. Whenever a group reaches out for an event, we host it without any hesitation. Were part of this community now. When the co-op began in 2017, members hoped to use the Winsted Super Saver, which was about to close. The space eventually was sold to Community Health & Wellness Center of Greater Torrington, and the co-op for Mad River Market is keeping its options open. Members are eyeing a space behind the brewery on Lake Street, board member Meg Raino said, with about 6,700 square feet available. If someone comes along before were ready, they may lease the space ahead of us, but its something were interested in, Raino said. Mark Orth, manager of Birdseye and Tanner Brook Farm in West Cornwall, was one of the many farmers who attended the forum. We got an email about it, and decided to come down and see what its all about, he said. Hopefully well be able to be part of it. Anita Barden of Barden Farm in New Hartford also attended. Anita is Barden Farm, Allen said. Shes been incredibly supportive of us since this all got started. The group of members, farmers and visitors broke into several groups to discuss what types of products the farms sell, and gave the farm representatives a chance to ask questions about their role. Since so much is in the planning stages, everything suggested was written down by co-op board member Sherry Perugini. Farmers who attended raise beef, lamb and pork, grow tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, popcorn and vegetables. Another small farm focuses on culinary and medicinal herbs, while another young man said his farm makes maple syrup, homemade pesto and other sauces, and raises their own pigs. The group represented towns including Winsted, Barkhamsted, Colebrook, Norfolk, New Hartford, Canaan and West Cornwall. Many of the food growers said they participate in farmers markets, and said they liked them because it gave them a chance to connect with residents outside of work. It fosters a sense of community, one woman said. How do you plan to do that? Zeh said the farm market concept was something the co-op would pursue, by featuring a vendor a day or a week. He also said the market could have a large eat-in area, where customers could have a meal, and meet the people who grew the food they were eating. We could focus on the food providers, and have different themes of food each day, Zeh said. Theres ways to build relationships between the customers and the providers, maybe by having farmers in the store one day a week to meet the public. About where she does her shopping, Kelley Babbin, owner of Howling Flats Farm in Canaan, said, My freezer. Babbin raises beef cows and pigs. We need a local grocery store, she said. We need good food. Sarah Tracey, who grows medicinal and culinary herbs, said she was happy to be part of the co-op plan. Its exciting to be part of something like this, she said. On Feb. 13, the co-op is holding a membership drive at the Parrott Delaney Tavern in New Hartford. Its a party, but its also about getting people to join, Allen said. For information about the Mad River Market co-op, call 860-469-2259 or visit http://www.madrivermarket.coop/. "Congratulations to MIA for closing out the decade with another record-setting year for passenger and cargo traffic," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. "In addition to MIA growing by nearly one million passengers over 2018, it is now serving 10 million more passengers annually than it did 10 years ago. As MIA turns the page to a new decade and embarks on a new $5 billion, airport-wide capital improvement program, the future is bright for our County's largest economic engine." Contributing to MIA's growth was the addition of five new international passenger routes: Low-cost carrier Norwegian launched first-ever service at MIA on March 31 with daily nonstop service to London Gatwick Airport; Moroccan national carrier Royal Air Maroc launched the first-ever Miami-Casablanca route on April 3, giving MIA its first passenger flights to Africa since the year 2000 and Florida's only nonstop service to the continent; On June 1, LOT Polish Airlines launched the inaugural Warsaw-Miami flight, which creates the only nonstop route between Florida and Eastern Europe and the airport's first-ever service to Poland; Hub carrier American Airlines started four weekly flights to Cordoba, Argentina on June 7; and French airline Corsair launched service at MIA on June 10 with four weekly flights to Paris Orly Airport. More new service is already on the way for 2020. American Airlines announced last year that it will launch: a third daily flight to Lima, Peru on April 7; twice-weekly seasonal service to Jackson, Mississippi and Des Moines, Iowa on June 4; a second daily flight to Santiago, Chile in the winter; and a third daily flight to Sao Paulo, Brazil, also in the winter. Low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines announced in December that it will establish a 130-employee crew base and launch eight additional routes at MIA in 2020, including first-time international service for the airline from Miami to: San Salvador, El Salvador; Guatemala City, Guatemala; and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The new routes will expand Frontier's network to 22 nonstop destinations from MIA in June its most ever. Most recently, Delta Air Lines announced on January 17 that this summer it will add 13 new daily nonstop flights from MIA, including new daily service to Orlando, Raleigh-Durham, Salt Lake City and Tampa. With its expanded network, Delta will offer 41 daily non-stop flights between 10 U.S. airports and MIA. "Last year was very successful for MIA in terms of passenger and cargo growth, as well as in the expansion of our route network into new markets," said Lester Sola, MIA Director and CEO. "A number of our airline partners have announced plans for continued air service expansion at MIA in 2020, which has us very excited about the year ahead." The year 2020 has already brought MIA its busiest day ever for total passengers on January 5 with more than 158,000 passengers, and a record day for departing passengers on February 3 with nearly 80,000 travelers, thanks to Super Bowl LIV. Miami International Airport offers more flights to Latin America and the Caribbean than any other U.S. airport, is America's third-busiest airport for international passengers, boasts a lineup of more than 100 air carriers and is the top U.S. airport for international freight. MIA, along with its general aviation airports, is also the leading economic engine for Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida, generating business revenue of $31.9 billion annually and welcoming nearly 60 percent of all international visitors to Florida. MIA's vision is to grow from a recognized hemispheric hub to a global airport of choice that offers customers a world-class experience and an expanded route network with direct passenger and cargo access to all world regions. MIA is committed to sustainable practices. Learn more at www.MIAefficiency.com . Follow us online: https://www.facebook.com/IflyMIA/ https://mobile.twitter.com/iflymia https://www.instagram.com/iflymia/ http://www.miami-airport.com/ MEDIA CONTACT: Greg Chin 305.876.7017 [email protected] www.miami-airport.com SOURCE Miami International Airport Related Links http://www.miami-airport.com Iraqi Protesters Clash With Sadr Backers In Deadly Najaf Standoff By RFE/RL February 06, 2020 At least eight Iraqi protesters were killed in clashes after supporters of influential Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed an antigovernment protest camp in the southern city of Najaf, medial officials and activists say. Medical officials said at least 52 others were injured in the unrest on February 5. The fighting marked the deadliest clash yet in the escalating tensions between Sadr, a militiaman-turned-politician, and the largely leaderless rallies that have demanded the resignation of what they term government "elites." The populist Sadr initially backed the demonstrations but split with them over the past few days, endorsing Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, who has been designated the country's prime minister. Iraqi President Barham Salih on February 1 appointed Allawi in hopes of ending more than two months of political deadlock. Allawi will run the country until early elections are held. He has a month to form a new government. In November, Adel Abdul-Mahdi resigned as prime minister amid the protests over corruption, falling living standards, and foreign influence in the country, particularly by Iran but also the United States. Nearly 500 protesters have been killed in a deadly crackdown by security forces. In the latest clash between the rival groups, security sources told AFP that supporters of Sadr -- known as "Blue Hats" for the caps they often wear -- had attempted to clear the area of antigovernment protesters when fighting broke out. Sadr later appeared to attempt to calm his supporters, saying, "The 'Blue Hats' have a duty to peacefully secure schools and service centers, not to defend me or suppress the voices that chant against me." Allawi condemned the violence and in a Twitter posting called on the country's caretaker cabinet to "protect protesters." Sadr has said he opposes all foreign interference in Iraq, but he has aligned himself more closely with parties backed by Tehran in recent months. He has backed Allawi's candidacy in an agreement with Iran-backed parties that dominate Iraq's government and state institutions. With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iraq-protesters -clash-sadr-najaf/30419598.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 NEW DELHI A 5-year-old girl was raped by a neighbor on the grounds of the United States Embassy in Indias capital, the police said on Thursday, reviving a debate about sexual violence against women and children in the country. The 25-year-old son of a housekeeper at the embassy was detained in connection with the assault, which took place on Saturday in living quarters reserved for support staff, according to Pragya Anand, the assistant commissioner of police in Chanakyapuri, the capitals diplomatic area. The girls parents were away when the assault took place, officials said. The girls father worked in a support-staff role at the embassy, according to the police. The heavily fortified compound, one of the biggest American missions in the world, is topped with barbed wire and sits in one of New Delhis most secure neighborhoods. Her parents filed a case against the man on Sunday, and he was taken into custody on charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses. The 2012 law introduced stricter punishment including the death penalty for those convicted of crimes against minors in India. : With an amputated leg and shattered dreams, she has been a living embodiment of political violence for Keralites for the the last 20 years. But, that little six-year-old girl, whose right leg was shattered in a bomb hurled by an RSS worker while playing in front of her house, has now become a medical doctor fighting years-long ordeals of life with her willpower and confidence. After completing MBBS and house-surgency, Asna has now joined as a doctor at the family health centre in her home village Cheruvanchery in politically volatile Kannur district. Proud Asna was all smiles when she came to join the village hospital as a doctor on Wednesday. "Everyone supported me. It is a dream come true for me. I am more happy as I could begin my career in my home village," she told reporters. Four-year-old Anvay Swaroop, a village boy, was her first patient at the hospital. Asna was playing at the courtyard of her house when the crude bomb, hurled by the RSS worker as part of a fight with the local CPI(M) cadre, exploded on September 27, 2000, maiming her for life. After the horrific incident, she had to spend many months at the government medical college hospital in Kozhikode district. She could have easily given up her dreams as any other village girl most likely would have, but Asna, who came out of the hospital with an artificial leg, decided to fight her ordeal and make her childhood dream - becoming a doctor - a reality. When her poor parents and a group of noble-minded people had supported her whole-heartedly, Asna could clear her medical entrance test and join the Kozhikode Medical College, where she had spent months suffering pain, for her MBBS course. When Asna had found it difficult to reach her classroom which was at the fourth floor of the medical college building, the then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had taken the initiative to instal an elevator by spending Rs 38 lakh. Generous people had collected around Rs 15 lakh for her to meet her educational expenses. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The 22-year-old man, Lethaniel L. Anderson, was taken to Franciscan Health Olympia Fields where he was later pronounced dead. The Cook County medical examiners office later ruled the death a homicide as the result of a gunshot wound to the head. Nigerian Government says American rapper, Lil Wayne, is welcome to visit the country anytime he wants in reaction to the rappers revelation that he traced his original roots to Nigeria. KanyiDaily had published a video where Lil Wayne revealed that he checked his ancestral background and found out that he is 53 percent Nigerian. Lil Wayne also showed an interest to visit Nigeria snd see how the country is. Reacting on her Twitter page, the chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri, said the Nigerian government is looking forward to welcoming Lil Wayne anytime he decides to come. Our Nigerian brother . Many doing their DNA and identifying their roots. We look forward to welcoming him home someday soon, she wrote. Our Nigerian brother . Many doing their DNA and identifying their roots. We look forward to welcoming him home someday soon https://t.co/pSKluJhGmb Abike Dabiri-Erewa (@abikedabiri) February 5, 2020 KanyiDaily recalls that the Nigerian government also showed interest in having American female rapper, Cardi B, in the country. Cardi had declared her intention to seek Nigerian citizenship following the killing of Irans Quds Force Commander, General Qasem Soleimani in an airstrike that was ordered by President of United States, Donald Trump. Popular Nollywood actor Yul Edochie took to his Twitter handle to state that it is best for Catholic priests to be allowed to get married. Recall that the actor recently revealed how sex for role destroyed many men in Nollywood. Also Read: Nollywood Actor, Yul Edochie Queries Lagos Govt On Okada Ban The actor expressed that as grown man he is of the opinion that Catholic Priests should be allowed to get married. He tweeted: Now that Im older and wiser, I believe its best for Catholic priests to be allowed to get married. Dont ask me why. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has already arrested nearly 80 percent of the total number of arrests it made in China-related cases this year as it did in all of 2019, officials said Thursday, identifying the Asian superpower as the biggest law enforcement threat to the U.S. FBI counterintelligence chief John Brown told a conference at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington that the bureau had already arrested 19 people in cases in which the Chinese government was involved in the first 37 days of 2020, compared to 24 in all of last year and 15 five years earlier. We believe that no country poses a greater threat than Communist China, Brown said. Today investigations related to China make up a greater percentage of our counterintelligence workload than at any other time in the FBI's history. The FBIs director, Christopher Wray, said the bureau currently has around 1,000 open investigations of Chinese technology theft pending in its 56 regional offices, which he said span just about every industry sector. China takes advantage of academic openness in the U.S. to steal technology using campus proxies and through the establishment of institutes on our campuses, he said, referring to the Confucius Institutes that the U.S. Senate permanent subcommittee on investigations said last year should be shut down if there is no improvement in transparency around their dealings with U.S. universities. Wray called for a coordinated effort by the U.S. government to battle the growing threat of China to U.S. law enforcement. China is targeting defense information, technology used in renewable energy and electric vehicles, and high-end medical technology through hacking and the recruitment of people with access to such research and trade secrets, the officials said. Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center William Evanina, who has estimated that Chinese theft of trade secrets costs the U.S. hundreds of billions of dollars annually, warned at Thursdays event that the long-term existential threat to the security of our nation is real. China Initiative In 2018, the U.S. Justice Department created an effort known as the China Initiative to battle the threat of Beijing-backed espionage. Last year, authorities expelled two Chinese diplomats who have been accused of accessing a military base in Virginia, and also jailed former U.S. intelligence officials on China-related espionage charges. In January, authorities arrested head of Harvard Universitys chemistry and chemical biology department, Charles Lieber, and charged him with making false statements about his involvement in the Chinese government-backed Thousand Talents Program that offers incentives to mainly Chinese scientists abroad to bring their research back to China. In an emailed statement to Reuters news agency, the Chinese embassy in Washington called the allegations made at Thursdays conference entirely baseless, and countered that the people-to-people exchange between China and the U.S. is conducive to stronger understanding between the two peoples and serves the fundamental interests of our two countries. According to a report by the Associated Press last year, the FBI had been reaching out to colleges and universities across the country to warn them of the threat of economic espionage on their campuses. The budget just presented by the hon'ble Finance Minister touched on 3 thematic areas, Aspirational India, Economic Development for all and a Caring society which are key for the youth of India and opportunities for them. It was stated that by 2030 the working age population of India will be the largest in the world. Providing job opportunities and ensuring continued jobs for all in a world of disruptive changes will be paramount for which skill development and re-skilling will be important. Farm sector action plan for facilitating an enabling ecosystem for improving farm productivity, processing and logistics for faster reach to market provides entrepreneurial and job opportunities across districts. Skills will need to be built at the district level in farming and allied sectors so that requisite capacity is there for implementation. The boost in planned infrastructure spending is expected to result in new job opportunities in construction as well as operation & maintenance of assets and facilities developed for which skill development will be a key requirement for successful implementation. It was stated that the National Education Policy will be announced which is expected to bring in transformative changes in India's education system and get aligned to global standards. Talented teachers and better laboratories & facilities will be key. Allowing external commercial borrowings for funding modernising facilities is a positive move. Teacher training for adopting the new teaching and learning methodologies across the country will need to be funded. To better the employability of students in the general stream, 150 higher education institutions are proposed to have embedded vocational courses to increase their expertise for targeting jobs of the future. The internship programme for graduate engineers at the Urban Local Bodies not only gives them a great opportunity to gain experience but also helps augment the capacity of the urban local bodies to provide better service delivery leveraging smart technologies. To improve reach and access of quality education to deprived sections of society across the country proving online degree courses from the top 100 ranked Indian institutes is a key move. This ensures quality of such online courses as well as acceptability of degrees.The shortage of doctors at districts has sought to be addressed through setting up medical colleges attached to existing district hospitals in states that opt to participate. The medical colleges will be built in PPP mode with Central Government providing viability gap funding. For youth seeking opportunities abroad, in areas of nurses, paramedics and caregivers the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship will jointly develop a special training package for bride courses to bring equivalence to standards of other countries. As a policy direction, this budget gives opportunities for employment, but the challenge will be in implementing at the ground level benefitting every district of the country. (The author is Partner, Deloitte India) Also read: Budget 2020: Govt's Infra push critically dependent on project preparation and private sector participation Also read: Budget 2020: 5 personal taxation rules announced in FM Nirmala Sitharaman's speech explained And now the big one: the US Senate has declared Trump "not guilty" on two articles of impeachment , allowing him to claim he has been cleared of wrongdoing in his dealings with Ukraine. President Donald Trump has been acquitted in his Senate impeachment trial. Credit:AP Then his prime-time State of the Union address, which he used to brandish his accomplishments and taunt his political foes. First came the Democratic Party's embarrassing tech meltdown in Iowa. If Trump wasn't already a billionaire, you'd tell him to immediately run out and buy a lottery ticket. The verdict draws a curtain on an unedifying and often tedious process that felt light years away from the administration of impartial justice. The saga failed to arouse the passions of the vast majority of Americans, and there's no evidence it changed a single voter's mind. Those who thought Trump was a menace still do; his fans remain in his corner. Trump's acquittal does not mean that he did nothing wrong or that his legal team mounted an impressive defence of his actions. Lucknow, Feb 6 : The Yogi Adityanath government has decided to initiate a 'Project Leopard' in the state to deal with the growing population of the big cat and increasing incidents of man-animal conflict in the state. According to official sources, the state government has decided to set up five leopard rescue centres in Meerut, Pilibhit, Chitrakoot, Etawah and Gorakhpur. The first leopard rescue centre will be opened in the Etawah Lion Safari and permission for this has already been obtained by the Central Zoo Authority. A forest official involved in preparing the blueprint for the project said, "Whenever a leopard is caught, there is a problem of keeping it in a safe place. The zoos in Lucknow and Kanpur are already overcrowded and we have no choice but to release the big cat in the forest from where it invariably comes back to the villages to hunt." The leopard population, according to the 2018 census, was 415 in Uttar Pradesh but wildlife experts claim that the population may have crossed 600 by now. "If we take into account the frequent cub sightings in forest areas in the Terai region, we can say that the leopard population has grown considerably, may have even doubled," said wildlife expert R.N. Singh. In western UP alone, there have been six leopard attacks and three big cats have been beaten to death by the local people. At times, leopard attacks have even caused a law and order situation in the region. Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite-Burke (Ret) Why I Support District Attorney Jackie Lacey I became acquainted with Jackie Lacey while I was on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. She had worked her way up in the DAs office and accompanied the Supervisors in their forays to Washington to identify funds for innovative programs to improve our Justice system. I am keenly aware how hard it is for an African American Women to move up the ladder in Law Enforcement and most States have no African American District Attorneys. About a year ago I became aware of the kind of programs she has initiated to help young girls and young boys as well that are subject to sexual predators. Her program to monitor internet sites and using technology to identify predators that lure teenagers from all over the country to Los Angeles with promises of meeting movie stars and attending glamorous parties that most often result in tragic results. Her office has received National acclaim for this program and has resulted in the arrest of numerous sexual predators. If you have experienced telephone scams trying to get your Social Security Number or suggestion you havent paid your water bill you know how important her present campaign is to safeguard vulnerable communities from fraud. Her bi-monthly fraud alerts seek to educate the public about scams and Medicare rip-offs. She has received national recognition from the National Association of Counties for this alert system. ADVERTISEMENT She has implemented reforms for people with mental illness. She has been at the forefront in developing and implementing a comprehensive diversion program that provides alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders. Her project secured $15 million in funding to open urgent care center as an alternative to jail for certain arrestees. She has taken a strong position working to replace the Broken Cash Bail System, expressing concern that our jails are crowded with nonviolent offenders who remain in custody because they cannot afford bail. She supported Senate Bill 10, a pioneering law passed in 2018. This Bill substituted a pretrial release program to avoid often innocent people from remaining in jail sometimes losing their jobs because of the cost of posting bail. Jackie is just as vehement in her opposition to Private Prisons and has repeatedly expressed her opinion that Private Prisons have allowed a few business people to make money by increasing the size of the incarcerated population. Jackie Lacey has proven that she is not out to go public and in the media every day. Lets not punish her for diligently doing her job, working hard and maintaining a high-quality office. She is endorsed by Mayor Eric Garcetti and the mayor of San Francisco London Breed and four members of the Board of Supervisors and mayors and councilmembers throughout the country. EUGENE, Ore. -- A month ago Microsoft announced that they are no longer providing technical assistance, software updates or bug fixes for Windows 7. This news is leaving less tech-savvy consumers at risk of being contacted by scammers who are claiming to be with Microsoft and offering to help with their expired Windows license, said Danielle Kane with the Better Business Bureau. This is an impostor scam where people pretend to be Microsoft, Kane said. How the scam works is the scammer will claim to be from Microsoft, and they will say they can help you upgrade, but they need remote access to your computer. They have the ability to call you and say Windows 7 doesnt work anymore, let me help you. Give me remote access, and I will upgrade it. So you just gave this hacker remote access to your personal information, said Kane. There are a few ways to protect yourself from this scam, such as do not trust unsolicited callers. The BBB says reputable companies dont usually call consumers without their permission. Also never allow a stranger remote access to your computer. If you need help, go straight to the source. Call Microsoft tech support directly and double check you are on their official website before calling a number or sharing personal information. For more information, click here. A hot potato: Clearview AI has found itself in a sticky legal situation by allowing law enforcement access to a facial recognition database full of images it has scraped from the internet. Tech companies are distancing themselves from the service by demanding the company stop collecting data from their websites. Facebook has become the latest company to "demand" that Clearview AI stop scraping its platforms for its facial recognition database. The social media giant has sent the company several letters asking it to stop using user data from Facebook and Instagram but has not yet issued a formal cease and desist letter. "Scraping people's information violates our policies," a spokesperson for Facebook told CBSNews on Thursday. "Which is why we've demanded that Clearview stop accessing or using information from Facebook or Instagram." Facebook has not decided whether to take its demand to the next level yet, but other companies already have. Twitter sent Clearview a C&D letter in January. YouTube and Google have also issued legal warnings to the startup earlier this week. Clearview's database contains more than three billion images obtained from the internet. Its intended purpose is to aid law enforcement in identifying suspects in crimes or other "persons of interest." The company maintains that it is above-board on the data that it collects. Clearview AI CEO Hoan Tan-That said in an interview, "If it's public, you know, and it's out there, it could be inside Google search engine, it can be inside ours as well." As Google pointed out, there is a big difference between indexing websites, which it does with the website owner's permission, and scraping images and information on private individuals without their consent. "Comparisons to Google Search are inaccurate. Most websites want to be included in Google Search, and we give webmasters control over what information from their site is included in our search results, including the option to opt-out entirely. Clearview secretly collected image data of individuals without their consent and in violation of rules explicitly forbidding them from doing so." Tan-That also claims his company's practices are protected by the First Amendment, a claim that he will likely have to prove in court if the situation escalates. It is easy to forget that the Bill of Rights is a set of restrictions placed on the government to protect the people. The First Amendment restricts the government from enacting laws or taking action that infringes on the individual's freedom of speech. It does not mention any other types of impediments, such as a company adding restrictions to the language used on its premises or platform. In this case, Clearview collects data without the individual's knowledge or permission, and it ultimately ends up in the hands of the government (law enforcement). One could easily argue the company's data collection is a violation of a person's Fourth Amendment right to privacy and protection from illegal search and seizure. If Clearview AI persists, it will very likely end up in court with a very shaky Constitutional defense. ZDNet notes, the startup is already facing a class-action lawsuit in Illinois for violating the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act. We'll have to wait and see just how many legal challenges the company is willing or able to withstand. Editorial credit: Frederic Legrand - COMEO via Shutterstock YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Three soldiers have been remanded into custody over the criminal case launched into the death case of soldier Vahram Avagyan, the Investigative Committee told Armenpress. Three soldiers have charged under Article 359 (3) of the Criminal Code of Armenia, that is, breaching the rules of conduct of servicemen in the absence of subordinate relations between them, which negligently caused grave consequences. Artsakh Defense Army serviceman Vahram Avagyan has been killed from a gunshot wound on January 30 at a military base. Later it was revealed that Vahram Avagyan fired at his own chest from his AKM rifle. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan Australian holidaymakers could travel to Europe for less than $900 this year if an airline boss makes good on a promise to win a price war with a rival. Malaysian carrier AirAsia plans to launch a budget flight to Prague in the Czech Republic later this year. Last month, its Singaporean rival airline Scoot offered one-way flights from Australia to Athens for as low as $329. However, AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail said his airline 'can do much better' on Thursday. Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia plans to launch a budget flight to Prague (pictured) in the Czech Republic in late 2020 Last month, Singaporean rival Scoot offered flights from Australia to Athens for as low as $329. However, AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail said his airline (pictured) 'can do much better' 'That ($329) seems expensive I think we can do much better than that. The fare has to be what will attract people in, and it would definitely be in that ballpark, if not better,' Mr Ismail told Escape. AirAsia X is the long-haul branch of AirAsia with plans to expand into more European destinations such as Prague, London, Vienna and Barcelona. The airline's long-haul flight to Prague will depart from Bangkok's Don Mueang airport later this year, meaning Australians will need to make a connecting flight to Thailand. Flights from Australian cities to Bangkok are as low as $150 each way on budget airlines - which means you could fly return to Europe for as little as $900. AirAsia X is the long-haul branch of AirAsia with plans to expand into more European flights to Prague, London (pictured), Vienna and Barcelona. When AirAsia used to fly to London, 30 per cent of passengers were Australian, indicating a huge demand for European travel Mr Ismail said there was a high-demand for European flights from Australian travellers. 'We are expecting Australians to make up a large number of passengers on these new routes,' he said. 'When we flew into London years ago, 30 per cent of all passengers connecting onto the flights in KL (Kuala Lumpur) were Australians.' Next year, Air Asia will launch flights from Kuala Lumpur to Prague and introduce other European cities to the mix. Using Prague as a stepping stone, Australians can cheaply travel to a number of European cities. RyanAir flights from Prague to Barcelona (pictured) are as low as $28 However, using Prague as a stepping stone, Australians can cheaply travel to a number of European cities. Using Skyscanner to search for the best deals shows flights from Prague to London, Copenhagen, Brussels and Milan are as low as $17 with RyanAir. Meanwhile, travellers can get to Barcelona or Paris for as little as $28 from Prague. By Eurorail, holidaymakers can reach the home of the schnitzel Vienna for $24 or the historic Berlin for just $32. AirAsia's new route from Bangkok to Prague will launch in late 2020. We have nothing. We dont have that kind of money they are asking for. Those were the words of one of the nephews of couple Narine Maraj, 62, and Mattie Maraj, 52, who were kidnapped on Saturday evening after leaving their Madras, St Helena, home to tend to their animals at a family-owned farm in Piarco. Businesses line the sides of the entrance of the port office in the Chinese city of Dandong bordering North Korea in northeastern China's Liaoning Province, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. Despite the novel coronavirus (nCoV) epidemic in China, North Korean workers who returned home for the Lunar New Year holiday are returning across the border in large groups, sources familiar with the situation told RFA. Sources say that the workers are being placed in harms way because North Korea is desperate for foreign currency. A group of young women who looked like North Korean workers arrived here in China at about 3:00 p.m. yesterday, a resident of the city of Dandong, on the Sino-Korean border, told RFAs Korean Service Wednesday. The source, who lives in an apartment building across from the Dandong maritime customs office, said the office was totally empty when they arrived because of the coronavirus outbreak. About 50 of the workers got on a large bus and a van that was waiting in front of the customs office and left for somewhere, the source said. Their legal status in China should have expired sometime before the Lunar New Year (Jan. 25), so they probably returned to North Korea. So they are believed to be reentering China, the source added. New Years Exodus Prior to the Lunar New Year holiday, the source said there was a mad dash for many North Koreans in China to get home. An average of more than 500 North Korean workers per day were returning to North Korea between Jan. 20 to 24, said the source. They went home to renew their visas to stay in China, even though the coronavirus situation [exploded], the source said. The source believes that a steady stream of North Koreans will continue to show up in Dandong in the coming weeks. I expect that North Korean workers that complete the visa renewal process will continue to come to China, said the source. Even though people are prohibited [by the North Korean government] from traveling to and from China, because of the virus, it seems that workers who earn foreign currency will be granted exceptions, the source said. RFA reported on Jan. 29 that trade was suspended between Dandong and Sinuiju, the North Korean city on the southern side of the Yalu. A Chinese citizen living in Sinuiju told RFA Wednesday that the group of female workers had been spotted there prior to the Lunar New Year. They entered Sinuiju en masse about a week before the New Year, and they were put in isolation, nine to a single hotel room, the second source said. The reason they are going back to China in the middle of the coronavirus epidemic is because they are in a hurry to earn foreign currency. On top of that, they need to vacate the isolation rooms for the next group of workers, said the second source. The second source was critical of North Korean authorities, who have very publicly tightened up the border and placed many people in quarantine over the past few weeks. I would like to ask why they are sending the workers to China when the virus is still totally out of control. Are they not interested in the safety of these young women? said the second source. It seems pretty obvious at this point that the authorities are only initiating quarantine procedures to protect Kim Jong Un and the Pyongyang elite [rather than the people.] After the initial breakout in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, China has seen the number of confirmed nCoV cases nationwide balloon to 24,405, with 492 deaths as of Wednesday afternoon. Outside of China there are 226 confirmed cases and two deaths. North Korea has not reported a confirmed case. Reported by Joonho Kim for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Saudi ship on suspected weapons voyage arrives in France Cherbourg, France, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2020 A Saudi cargo ship on a suspected mission to collect weapons for use in the war in Yemen arrived in the French port of Cherbourg on Thursday. The Bahri Yanbu arrived at around 5 pm (1600 GMT) in Cherbourg, where dozens of activists held a protest over the sale of arms to Riyadh given its involvement in the brutal Yemeni conflict. The activists held aloft placards with slogans such as "Stop illegal arms sales" and "War crimes in Yemen - 230,000 lives". In a statement 19 NGOs and left-wing parties, including Amnesty International and Oxfam France, accused Saudi Arabia of "waging a merciless war on the people of Yemen" and "perpetrating unspeakable atrocities against a defenceless people". "We cannot accept that the port of Cherbourg be used to serve this conflict, in the name of the interests of arms dealers and their clients," they said. NGOs had succeeded in preventing the ship from docking in France last May, when it was set to receive a weapons shipment for Riyadh that sparked a similar outcry. The nearly five-year war in Yemen has claimed tens of thousands of lives, most of them civilians, according to nongovernmental groups. The UN has classified the conflict as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Saudi Arabia intervened in its southern neighbour to support the government against Iran-backed Huthi rebels. NGOs have called on France to identify what will be loaded onto the Bahri Yanbu, which they say has an exclusive contract with the Saudi defence ministry. If the load is weapons, the NGOs demand "the guarantees France has that they will not be used illegally against Yemeni civilians." There has been no official comment on the ship from the French government. Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest purchasers of French military equipment. Islamabad: Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan`s (TTP) spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan, who was responsible for the terror attacks on Malala Yousafzai and at the Peshawar Army School, has escaped from the custody of military in Pakistan. In an audio recording released on Thursday and shared via an online private messaging platform, Ehsanullah claimed that he along with his family had managed to escape from the custody of Pakistan Army and intelligence agencies on January 11. Sources in Pakistan confirmed that Ehsanullah has escaped from a safe house where he was detained along with his wife and two daughters. The Pakistan Army got to know about his escape on January 12 and soon after raided his home in Sagibala village in Mohamand tribal district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan. Live TV His father Sher Mohamad, brother Shafiq and uncle Sher Badshah were arrested and are being interrogated, sources said, adding that an investigation into the matter has also been initiated. Ehsanullah, also the spokesperson of another dreaded group Jamaat ul Ahrar, is responsible for several terror attacks in Pakistan and had a bounty of $ 1 million on him. In 2012, he was involved in the attack on Malala, who later won the Nobel prize for peace. She was shot in the head for defying Taliban diktats and pursuing her education and highlighting the atrocities of the militant outfit. Ehsanullah is also a prime accused in the 2014 attack on the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar which killed 134 school children and 15 staff members. Ehsanullah was involved in the suicide bombing of Shiites in Rawalpindi and Karachi, killing of nine foreign tourists and their guide in Gilgit-Baltistan area, twin blasts targeting peace committee volunteers in Mohmand agency, suicide attack near the Wagah border and the 2016 bombing of an Easter gathering in a Lahore park that killed at least 75 people and injured more than 300 others. In 2017, he surrendered before the Pakistan Army under "mysterious circumstances". Soon after his surrender, a Pakistani TV channel was allowed to interview Ehsanullah who at the time claimed that he was working for India`s external intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). However, after three years in custody, Pakistan Army was yet to file a charge-sheet against him, sources in Islamabad said. The sources also confirmed that the audio clipping was Ehsanullah`s voice. Speaking in Urdu, Ehsanullah claimed that he had followed the law in the last three years but Pakistan`s dishonest and corrupt institutions had betrayed him. Ehsanullah said he was forced to give statements, perhaps alluding to the TV news interview, under an agreement between him and Pakistani authorities but none of the promises were kept. The agreement had been arranged by an influential person, he said, adding that he would soon answer all the questions related to his confinement and also expose all the plans of the Pakistani intelligence agencies. Isa Pantami, the minister of communications and digital economy, has directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to revise th... Isa Pantami, the minister of communications and digital economy, has directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to revise the policy on subscriber identification module(SIM) card registration and usage. This was contained in a statement signed by Femi Adeluyi, the ministers technical assistant on information technology. According to Adeluyi, the updated policy are expected to include the following provisions: Ensure that the national identity number (NIN) becomes a prerequisite for Nigerians registering new SIM cards (while for foreigners, their passports and visas should be used), while already registered SIM cards are to be updated with national identity number (NIN) before December 1, 2020; Ensure that only fully accredited agents support the SIM card registration process without pre-registering SIM cards themselves, while the eventual registration should be done by the operators; There should be a maximum number of SIM cards that can be tied to a single individual, possibly a maximum of 3; Ensure that no unregistered SIMs are ever allowed on mobile networks; Ensure that subscribers can easily check the number of SIM cards registered to their name, along with the associated phone numbers and networks; Ensure that mobile network operators fortify their networks against cyberattacks and ensure that they adhere to the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR); and Ensure that SIM cards that have been used to perpetrate crimes are permanently deactivated. Clarifying the provisions, Pantami said the maximum number to be registered by a person will be determined by the NCC and stakeholders. MIDDLETOWN Members of the Connecticut AFL-CIO Health & Safety Committee will hold this years memorial service this weekend to honor the six workers who died in the Kleen Energy power plant explosion a decade ago. Friday will mark 10 years since the deadly blast, which happened Feb. 7, 2010, at the River Road facility at about 11:15 a.m. Initially, five workers were killed and dozens more hurt on Super Bowl Sunday. One additional worker later died from his injuries. The remembrance will be held Sunday at 11 a.m. at the memorial just outside the plant at 1349 River Road, Middletown. On February 7, 2010, the Kleen Energy power plant exploded in Middletown at 11:17 a.m. near the Connecticut River. The incident could be heard in other states, including New York, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The victims were: Ronald Crabb, 42, of Colchester; Peter Chepulis, 48, of Thomaston; Raymond E. Dobratz Jr., 58, of Old Saybrook; Kenneth Haskell, 37, of New Durham, N.H.; Chris Walters, 48, of Florissant, Mo.; and Roy Rushton, 36, of Hamilton, Ontario. All died after a welding torch ignited natural gas pooled on the ground at the construction site near the pipe outlets. The plant reopened for business in July 2011. Speakers will include U.S. Reps. Joe Courtney, D-2; and Rosa DeLauro, D-3; Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, Middletown Mayor Ben Florsheim, Connecticut Building Trades President Dave Roche, IUOE Local 478 Health & Safety Director Kyle Zimmer, and Connecticut AFL-CIO Health & Safety Committee member Ron McLellan, according to a release. Retired Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 777 member Paul Venti will serve as master of ceremonies. Some of the families of the deceased workers are expected to attend the remembrance, the release said. Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 21 out of New York will bring along bagpipers and drummers, and members of the Middletown Fire Department / IAFF Local 1073 will serve as color guard. This years event was moved to the weekend to make the observance more worker-friendly, Venti said. It will be held rain or shine. Venti urges people to attend in order to help keep our fallen brothers legacy alive. On that Sunday morning, my garage door rattled. Understand how much gas had to come out to explode, uncompressed, other than by the atmosphere, to shatter foundations across the river, John W. Olsen, a former president of AFL-CIO, who lives about 25 miles away from the plant, said during last years observance. Why did it take that long to understand we couldnt do those kinds of things? he asked rhetorically. (Natural News) When Democrats passed and President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, critics immediately attacked it as intrusive, unnecessary and patently unconstitutional. According to Investopedia, the act is a massive piece of financial reform legislation that came in response to the Great Recession of 2007-2008. The roughly 2,300-page act, which was implemented over the course of several years, established a number of new government agencies tasked with overseeing the various components of the act and, by extension, various aspects of the financial system, Investopedia noted. During his 2016 campaign, President Donald Trump pledged to repeal this big government monstrosity and, true to his pledge and thanks to majority Republicans, he managed to roll back significant portions of the law in 2018. But one of the most onerous creations of the Dodd-Frank law was the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Championed by far-Left 2020 Democratic presidential contender Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), the CFPB was given the job of preventing predatory mortgage lending (reflecting the widespread sentiment that the subprime mortgage market was the underlying cause of the 2008 catastrophe) and make it easier for consumers to understand the terms of a mortgage before agreeing to them, Investopedia noted. That sounds noble and even necessary, given that the Great Recession came about from a collapse in the housing finance sector following decades of bad loans. But, as Alden Abbott, a judicial and legal expert at the Heritage Foundation, noted in 2016, the CFPB was intentionally structured to be all-powerful and completely unaccountable even to Congress the only federal agency created to date that was given such status. The bureau was designed to evade the checks and balances that apply to most other regulatory agencies. Its very structure invites expansive rulemaking, as does its misappropriation of the emergent theory of behavioral economics that drives bureau decision making, he wrote. It deems consumers prone to financial irrationality and thus ill-equipped to act in their self-interest. Consequently, the CFPB is compelled to intervene in consumers personal financial transactions, he added. This is just like the system Communist China uses And therein lies the problem: Too much invasiveness and too much power to wield against certain American demographic groups that, shall we say, fall out of favor of the elites. As Infowars reported, Democrats recently ensured that the CFPB will continue to wield the kind of unaccountable power it was given in Dodd-Frank. Specifically, the news site reported, House Democrats voted against an amendment that would have prevented the agency from demanding that credit bureaus evaluate consumer credit scores based on political, religion, and other very personal qualities. The amendment would have prevented the CFPB from forcing credit score firms to make use of information related to political opinions, religious expression, or other expression protected by the First Amendment, whether obtained from a social media account of a consumer or other sources. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) noted that if the GOP-controlled Senate were to pass the legislation as is, without the proposed amendment, then the agency would be given unchecked authority on credit score modeling, without any built-in measure to stop potential abuse of power or violation of our constitutional rights. The system would then more resemble one used by Chinas Communist government; that system bans citizens from traveling, living in certain areas, and places other restrictions on any citizen deemed to have run afoul of the authoritarian state in some way(s). There is a terrifying parallel to the practices of Chinas Communist regime, McCarthy said, which is to control the actions of their populations with a social credit score. Its telling that Democrats voted against a measure that would prevented violation of a citizens constitutional rights so blatantly. That said, its also par for the course. Sources include: Infowars.com Investopedia.com NewsTarget.com By Express News Service SHIVAMOGGA: The 33-year-old techie Amrutha Chandrashekhar, who in the wee hours of Sunday allegedly killed her sleeping mother and then stabbed her younger brother before fleeing and mysteriously vanishing, has been arrested along with her 35-year-old boyfriend Sridhar Rao in Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands on Wednesday. Both have been brought to Bengaluru for interrogation. A special team was formed soon after the incident came to light. KR Puram police first examined CCTV footage around the residence in Akshaya Nagar, 2nd Block, in Ramamurthy Nagar, where the crime was committed. They learnt that Amrutha had left on a two-wheeler ridden by Sridhar Rao immediately after the crime. Police tracked their movements using a series of CCTV cameras and discovered that the duo had reached Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) on Sunday morning. A senior police officer from Whitefield Division police said, They had planned to fly out of the city. So the investigators contacted airport authorities and airlines offices at KIA and learnt that Amrutha and Sridhar had booked tickets for a flight to Port Blair several days before February 2, the day the crime was committed. While Amrutha managed to kill her 54-year-old mother Nirmala, she could not kill her brother Harish, 31, who at 4am on the fateful day, was awakened when Amrutha was rummaging through a cupboard in his room after killing her mother. A little later, Amrutha had attacked her brother with a knife and injured him, but he survived with stab wounds and is under treatment. Harish, also a techie, reportedly told the police later that when he asked her why she was attacking him, she had said she had borrowed Rs 15 lakh from a few persons who had threatened to come home on Sunday to collect the money. Fearing this would humiliate the family, she had hatched a plan to kill her mother and brother. Their father had passed away a few years ago. Amrutha had told her family that she had got a new job in Hyderabad and that they should visit the city for a tour before moving there. Police are yet to establish the exact motive behind Amrutha killing her mother and attempting to kill her brother. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- If youre looking to rent an apartment but dont have enough cash for the sometimes hefty brokers fee, youre in luck -- thanks to a new law. A recent revision to the the Department of States (DOS) pro-tenant rent reforms, which became law in 2019, eliminates the listing brokers commission for renters. Traditionally, if you rent a home, there are often two brokers involved -- the buyer broker and the listing broker. Prior to the new law, often the fee -- usually one months rent -- was split between the two Realtors in New York City. Now, landlords will be saddled with the fees. We believe that the change will merely require that rentals be handled the way sales transactions are done, said Sandy Krueger, CEO of the Staten Island Board of Realtors (SIBOR). This is the way rentals are handled in most other parts of the country, he added. While the elimination of the fee may help renters -- especially first-time apartment-dwellers -- get into a space faster, real estate professionals say this will hurt their bottom line. Already, we have many potential home buyers telling us that they will not entertain purchasing a two-family, due to all the new laws and restrictions, said Christine J. DeHart, broker with the Castleton Corners-based Salmon Real Estate. Now, they [landlords] are seeing that no notice has to be given before enacting a law that can affect so many parts of home ownership. If a tenant hires a broker to search for an apartment, he or she may still be charged a fee, according to DOS. WILL RENTS RISE? Some Realtors predicted that the new law will cause landlords to raise rents. If the property owners are going to have to pay a fee, the landlord may start charging more rent to make up for the cost of the fee, said Jon Goldstein, broker/owner of Hometime Estates, Westerleigh. This is really going to hurt renters because landlords are not going to want to pay the fee. Said Frank J. Rizzo, broker/owner of the Annadale-based Cornerstone Realty: We all can agree that housing costs in the city are high, and we would like to see those costs come down. However, this is not the most effective way to accomplish that aim. Large landlords will increase their rents to offset their costs and mom-and-pop landlords -- like your neighbor who is renting that apartment to offset [his or her] mortgage payment -- will take the apartments off broker sites and MLS sites to save that one month of rent that they have already included in their budget. LANDLORDS MAY USE REALTORS LESS Goldstein, who is also a landlord, said he may try to do the brunt of the advertising and marketing of the property on his own to avoid paying a fee. However, some landlords said they dont mind paying the brokers fee. In the last two decades, I have come to an understanding that the landlord business in New York City is difficult, complicated and expensive, said John Salis, real estate developer and property owner. My goal is to offer a nice, clean and safe place to the prospective tenants to live, and in exchange, receive a market rate value for my product. For anyone who wants to enter this business, there is a cost to pay, and I agree with the new law about landlords paying for a commission. ...On the other hand, I also feel that eventually the rents will spike by the landlords in order to cover that extra cost paid to the brokers," he added. LESS IMPACT ON STATEN ISLAND Some real estate professionals said this will impact the other four boroughs more than Staten Island, since there are less rentals here. Certainly this will impact the other boroughs far more directly than it will Staten Island. I think any time the intent is to mitigate barriers that keep people from living in the type of housing they are seeking, it is well-intended, said James Prendamano, CEO of Casandra Properties Inc., which has two Island-based offices, Landlords, for the most part, have the resources to simply build these fees into the rents and push the costs and others back onto the consumer in which these laws are often intended to protect, he added. FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER The coronavirus outbreak could wipe 10 per cent off the Australian National University's total revenue, Chancellor Julie Bishop has warned. Ms Bishop said about 5,000 Chinese students are enrolled for this year, but only 1,000 were already in Australia when the travel ban was put in place. 'So there are about 4,000 students that we will be supporting to continue to deliver courses to them while they're overseas, but hopefully they'll be there in time to start either the first or second semester,' she told ABC Radio on Friday. The coronavirus outbreak could wipe 10 per cent off the Australian National University's total revenue, Chancellor Julie Bishop (pictured) has warned 'We certainly don't want to penalise them for matters that are outside their control.' The university has the capacity to quarantine students on campus but it has not yet had to do so. The university is investigating a number of options for affected students, including online courses, summer and winter intensive courses and deferrals without penalty. Ms Bishop said the virus could impact up to 10 per cent of total revenue in the worst-case scenario. 'That would depend very much on whether we can continue to deliver the courses that the students have enrolled in,' she said. She denied the university was too reliant on the Chinese market, saying it worked to attract students from all over the world. There are roughly 164,000 Chinese students who attend university in Australia, pumping billions of dollars into the national economy. Democrats cited polling that showed the public broadly favored summoning witnesses to Trumps impeachment trial, and argued it was only fair to hear from Trump administration officials whom the White House had summarily blocked from testifying before the House, some even under a subpoena. But most Senate Republicans, many of whom took no public issue with the presidents conduct, said it was not their responsibility to secure witnesses and documents, particularly when House Democrats didnt exhaust their options to obtain them, such as going to court. BOSTON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jack Cunningham, a Marine who served in the Combined Action Program (CAP) in Vietnam, has teamed up with Dr. Keith Ablow to get the word out to about his story and those of his fellow Marines. Cunningham is the founder of www.capveterans.com. Soldier The CAP program, sometimes called a "Peace Corp with Rifles" was a fascinating program that placed Marines inside South Vietnamese peasant farming villages where they lived with residents 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week, often for many months. The Marines teamed up with the South Vietnamese militia to defend the villages from the Viet Cong and other hostile forces, but also rendered crucial services, like first aid, to villagers. Extremely close bonds developed. Many CAP Marines maintain contact with village leaders or return to their villages to visit, even today. CAP Marines prized being assigned to the program, despite the inherent danger of Communist sympathizers living in villages, because they cherished the opportunity to so boldly demonstrate the alliance between America and South Vietnam. "We lived that alliance, every day," Mr. Cunningham said. "We risked our lives for the villagers and, not infrequently, they risked their lives for us. Ours was a true mission that relied on the best qualities of human beingsboth courage and compassion." Generally, just 11 Marines and one Navy Corpsman lived day in and day out with thousands of villagers. Dr. Ablow is a former Fox News Contributor and the author of 16 books and several screenplays. He is the founder of Keith Ablow Creative. Recently, he and Mr. Cunningham called on television networks to embrace the goal of creating a drama series that would showcase the Combined Action Program. Jack Cunningham has written about one of the times CAP Marines had to fight not only the Viet Cong, but also the elementsduring typhoon season: There were howling winds and rains all through the night and, by the next to last watch, the water reached the school house floor where we were taking shelter, along with our friends from the South Vietnamese Popular Force. That was the highest point in the village, but it seemed like it might not be high enough. We could be swept away, or the Viet Cong could use the typhoon to stage an unexpected attack. Before long, the water was a foot deep in the school house, and climbing. It reached our waists. We piled school desks on top of each other and helped each other climb on top of them. The rising waters invited snakes into the school housesome of them poisonous. We literally had to shoot them with M16s as they swam through the water. Our sergeant called for a helicopter to evacuate all of us, but it was a death-defying act getting to the roof and helping our Vietnamese friends do the same. There was literally a Marine on the chopper, being held by his feet, stretching his arms out to grab hold of each of us as we leapt for him to pull us into the chopper. We made sure the Popular Front guys got on the helicopter before us. We would never have allowed ourselves to go first. "The Combined Action Program was an inherently dramatic undertaking and one of the real success stories of our military," Dr. Ablow said. "It has all the makings of a television drama series. And it would go a long way to further reducing the terribly wrong-minded stigma that complicated the lives of Vietnam veterans on their return to this country. These Marines were doing God's work." Media Inquiries: Keith Ablow 978.462.1125 [email protected] Related Links https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/network-television--its-time-to-tell-the-story-of-cap-marines-300986464.html www.capveterans.com http://www.keithablow.com/ SOURCE Keith Ablow Creative Related Links https://keithablowcreative.com/ An ex heavyweight boxer who was awarded the George Medal after saving Princess Anne from a gun-toting kidnapper has revealed the Queen paid off his mortgage to thank him for his bravery. Ronnie Russell, 72, was shot at after he punched fanatical loner Ian Ball twice in the head as he tried to take the princess hostage at gunpoint in central London in March 1974. He was awarded The George Medal medal but is now reluctantly selling it to help provide for his future after his health deteriorated following several strokes. The former boxer has now revealed how, before he was due to receive his medal at Buckingham Palace, police visited his home in Strood, Kent, on which he was struggling to pay his mortgage. Ronnie, second right, with the Queen and Anne (right) at Buckingham Palace event rewarding the heroes who stepped in to protect the princess from Ian Ball Former heavyweight boxer Ronnie Russell (left in 1974) awarded The George Medal (right) after he thwarted the attempted armed kidnap of Princess Anne is to go under the hammer Speaking to the Daily Mirror, he said: They were looking round my home and saying, Oh this is a nice house. They asked if I had a mortgage and I said, Yes, yes, why? They said, We are telling you this a bit early but the Queen is going to pay off your mortgage as a gift for what you have done. I thought that was wonderful. I was actually close to repossession at the time. So I dug myself out of that one. Mr Russell, who now lives in Bristol, is reluctantly selling the George Medal as he is in poor health, having suffered several strokes, and wants to be able to provide for his future. He said: It was something I said I would never, ever do. I am so proud and honoured to have done such a thing and be involved in it that I would never, ever sell it. Ive been very unwell and I had sepsis. Its been very, very hard and I have been realising that I have to make provision for a funeral at some stage. Ian Ball had blocked the princess's car with his own as it drove along the Mall back to Buckingham Palace, and fired a series of shots through the rear window as he tried to kidnap Princess Anne The aftermath of the incident, where Ball had shot out the windows of Anne's car on the Mall When he was awarded the gong by the Queen, she told him: 'The medal is from the Queen, but I want to thank you as Anne's mother.' Mr Russell, of Bristol, said: 'It was something I said I would never, ever do. 'I am so proud and honoured to have done such a thing and be involved in it that I would never, ever sell it,' he said. 'I have always believed from that day on that the life of a member of the royal family was more valid and important that mine. 'I still considered it was well worth my while getting shot as opposed to Princess Anne. 'What I would like is whoever does eventually buy the medal, I would hope they might invite me somewhere to tell them an after-dinner story about what happened on the night.' Mr Russell, 72, was shot at after he punched fanatical loner Ian Ball (pictured after his arrest) twice in the head Ian Ball had blocked the princess's car with his own as it drove along the Mall back to Buckingham Palace, and fired a series of shots through the rear window as he tried to kidnap the princess. The princess and her then husband, Captain Mark Phillips, were unhurt during the late-night ambush. But her personal detective, chauffeur, a police constable and a journalist were all shot by Ball, who was armed with two revolvers. Mr Russell was then a 28-year-old 6ft 2in 17-stone former boxer who trained at the same club as the Kray twins in Bethnal Green. The area cleaning manager was heading home to Kent when he saw the incident unfold and rushed to the newly married couple's aid. Ronnie, seen in 2010, said this week he is selling his George Medal as he needs the money The Daily Mail's coverage of the attempted kidnap attempt in March 1974 Princess Anne's car pictured after the attack, showing the glass from one of the windows on the floor 'It was very fast moving but it is as clear to me now as it was the day it happened,' Mr Russell said. 'I punched him twice. The first time was when I got out of my vehicle and I thought it was a road rage incident. 'He shot PC Hills and I went to hit him around the back of the head, and he turned and shot at me and it went through the windscreen of a taxi.' Mr Russell said Ball was trying to drag Princess Anne from her car while her husband was pulling her back. 'She was very, very together, telling him, 'Just go away and don't be such a silly man',' he said. 'He stood there glaring at me with the gun and I hit him. I hit him as hard as I could - if he had been a tree he would have fallen over - and he was flat on the floor face down. 'PC Edmonds then dived on top of him and he was arrested.' Princess Anne carrying her saddle and followed by Captain Mark Phillips at the Burghley Horse Trials at Stamford Ronnie, pictured as a 28-year-old with his son The bizarre plot failed and is perhaps best known for the princess's reaction to Ball's request for her to get out so he could claim the 3 million ransom money. She is reported to have said: 'Not bloody likely.' He was later sent to a psychiatric hospital by an Old Bailey judge. The Princess's car was unaccompanied because police did not think the Royal Family was a target. But Ball's actions led to a major overhaul of security arrangements for all VIPs. The medal is going under the hammer at Dix Noonan Webb in central London next month. It is estimated to sell for between 15,000 and 20,000. It will be sold with related items, including a letter from 10 Downing Street informing Mr Russell of the award, a telegram from Princess Anne and a letter from the Met Commissioner. Auctioneer Oliver Pepys, from Dix Noonan Webb, said: 'We have sold several George Medals in the past but most have been linked to the Blitz and bomb disposal in the Second World War, so to be offering this peacetime medal, with such a cracking story, is a huge honour. 'A wide variety of gallantry medals were given to the 'Magnificent Seven' after the event but to my knowledge this is the first to come to auction.' BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 Trend: The next ceasefire monitoring exercise on the line of contact of the Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, conducted by the Office of the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, in accordance with its mandate, in the territory of Azerbaijan's Terter district on Feb. 6, ended with no incidents, Trend reports with reference to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. Personal Representative (Andrzej Kasprzyk), his field assistants Mihail Olaru and Martin Schuster carried out the monitoring from the territory of Azerbaijan. The Personal Representative's field assistants Ognjen Jivic, Ghenadie Petrica and Simon Tiller carried out the monitoring exercise on the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan occupied and controlled by the armed forces of Armenia. 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. Workplace Romance in America study reveals the most romantic careers, companies with the most available professionals, departments with the best work-dating life balance Blind, the anonymous workplace network with more than 3.2 million work-email verified users, today announced the results of its Workplace Romance in America survey. The survey polled thousands of employees from some of the countrys most prominent companies to discover just how willing people are to explore extracurricular relationships with coworkers. It turns out, employees who work in the Human Resource department are most likely to date co-workers. We often hear the advice to not date coworkers, but that wisdom might be based on unrealistic expectations, said Kyum Kim, Blind co-founder. We spend so much of our time at the office and communicating with colleagues that its only natural for relationships to blossom. One-third of employees noted discussing their dating life with their peers while one-quarter of has dated a co-worker. Human Relations Departments More Likely to be in Human Relationships Employees in the Human Resource department seem to be most predisposed to finding love in adjoining cubicles. 42 percent of people who work in HR departments have dated coworkers at some point, compared to one-quarter for the entire sample. Nearly 8 percent of HR people are currently dating coworkers, nearly double the total of those surveyed. The Marketing and Communications department is the next-most excitable group at work. Almost 39 percent have dated a coworker, and 54 percent talk about their dating lives at work, the highest mark of any department. Thirty-six percent of those working in Sales, Service and Support departments have also dated coworkers. Work-Dating Life Balance Does Exist, Just not for VPs For 45 percent of employees, work does not interfere with their dating life. However, some rungs of the corporate ladder are more likely to feel otherwise. In particular, VPs and executives might be doing a bit more swiping than expected. Having a balance between work and extracurricular activities such as dating might allow employees to feel more comfortable at work, Kim notes. Keeping employees content will reduce the likelihood of turnover. Thats why it's so important for companies to understand the impact of work on their employees' lives outside of working hours. People who listed themselves as VP or above are the second-most likely group (30 percent) to feel that work very much interferes with their dating lives. This group is also more likely than (31 percent) the sample as a whole (26 percent) to be active on dating apps or websites. People who record themselves as a manager are the most likely (32 percent) to report that work interferes with their dating lives. Dating is hard but working at these companies makes it even harder. Wayfair, Apple, Uber, Microsoft, Visa, and Amazon have the lowest scores when it comes to work dating-life balance. For those looking for a dating-life balance, employees at these companies reported that work does not interfere with their dating life. 1. Indeed (65 percent) 2. Oracle (57 percent) 3. WeWork, Spotify, Intuit (55 percent) 4. Google (52 percent) 5. Booking.com (52 percent) 6. VMware (51 percent) 7. Salesforce, eBay, JPMorgan Chase (50 percent) 8. Goldman Sachs, Expedia (48 percent) 9. Facebook (47 percent) 10. Bloomberg (46 percent) Finding Love Might Be Easier at These Companies If you are looking for love and dont mind potentially sharing a cubicle with your partner, there are a few places you might want to apply. Out of the 4 percent of the population currently dating a coworker, these companies have the highest rate of employees dating each other: ExxonMobil (14 percent) Symantec, StubHub, Booking.com (13 percent) DigitalOcean (11 percent) Splunk, American Express (10 percent) Indeed.com, Credit Karma, Twitch (9 percent) Dating Apps: To Use or Not to Use? For many, swiping left or right has become a second job. The majority of those surveyed (74 percent) have opted not to swipe to find romance. Nearly 4 percent are currently dating coworkers while 25 percent have dated a coworker in the past. Michele Leung, Head of Brand Marketing suggests, that initial in-person meeting that most people prefer is something that even the most advanced dating apps cant replace. And given how much time people spend at work, its not surprising that some would seek out those in-person interactions there. The companies with the least amount of employees on a dating app are: VMware, JPMorgan Chase, eBay, Oracle, PayPal, SAP, Adobe, and Salesforce. 77 percent of Indeed.com employees are not using dating apps, while nine percent are currently dating coworkers. 5 percent of Microsoft employees are currently dating coworkers, and a greater-than-average proportion (79 percent) are not using dating apps. NVIDIA and WeWork both feature workforces where 5 percent are dating coworkers and 77 percent are not using dating apps. Wayfair, IBM, Capital One, and Goldman Sachs have over 43 percent of employees active on dating apps. Discussing Dating at Work People in some industries are more likely than the entire sample size to discuss their dating lives. For example: People who work in tech (everything from Apple to Cisco) and for consumer goods companies (like Juul, eBay, and Groupon) are more buttoned-up about their dating lives. Just 34 percent of consumer goods industry people say they discuss their dating lives at work, compared to 38 percent for all respondents. Folks who work for Goldman Sachs are extremely hush-hush about their dating lives. Just 28 percent of respondents talk about their romantic endeavors at the office. Companies with the majority of employees trading dating stories and advice include: 1. Tesla (65 percent) 2. DocuSign (60 percent) 3. Digital Ocean (56 percent) 4. Spotify (55 percent) 5. Box, Overstock (53 percent) 6. Qualtrics (52 percent) 7. Zillow (51 percent) 8. Indeed.com, Mailchimp, ExxonMobil, Flexpoort, Bank of America (50 percent) 9. Yelp (48 percent) 10. Workday (47 percent) The survey was conducted from January 17th - January 29th, 2020. Blind received survey responses from a total of 8,754 users. For more study and survey results as well as the latest employee sentiment findings, follow Blind on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Join your companys conversation at teamblind.com. ABOUT BLIND Founded in 2013, Blind is an anonymous professional network where more than 3.2 million verified professionals connect to discuss workplace matters. Blind provides private company channels, where users communicate with co-workers, and an open forum, where users can communicate across companies and industries. Because it is anonymous, Blind users share information like job offer details, honest company feedback, and direct advice, without fear of judgment or retribution. Blind is a platform for change, encouraging transparency in corporate culture by breaking down professional barriers empowering employees with knowledge. The company has raised $24M in funding from Softbank Ventures Asia, Storm Ventures, ID Ventures, and DCM Ventures. Contact: Michele Leung Head of Brand Marketing - Blind Michele@teamblind.com Or Tiffany Schramm Behany BOCA Communications for Blind blind@bocacommunications.com A jealous husband confessed to using a razor blade to slash his pregnant wifes throat while they were in the middle of having s.e.x, police in Brazil said. Marcelo Araujo, 21, claimed under questioning that he killed his wife, 22-year-old Francine dos Santos, after they rowed about her becoming pregnant for the third time. The couple already had two children, a daughter, four, and a son, two. He reportedly admitted that he didnt want any more children, resented sharing his wife with them and hated the financial burden it placed on him as a young dad. The suspect was found seriously injured after the crime, with cuts to his neck and wrists, in the family home in Varzea Paulista, a municipality in the State of Sao Paulo. Cops said he had apparently tried to take his own life. Investigators told Brazilian news outlet G1 that the admission came following more than six weeks of interrogation during which the accused gave several versions of what happened. According to detectives, the suspect claimed that on December 22 last year, the couple started off discussing plans for their family Christmas dinner but matters escalated and it turned into a blazing argument about the pregnancy. Shortly after the disagreement the pair appeared to resolve their differences and headed for the bedroom to make love. But during the intimate session the suspect apparently stabbed his wife, a make-up artist, with a knife several times before slashing her throat with a blade. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Healthy Babies and Misleading Numbers From Cuba Commentary For years, we have been told that Cuba has a lower infant mortality rate than the United States. In other words, their babies survive at a higher rate than American babies. The Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is defined as the proportion of children dying before their first birthday. In 2017, Cubas IMR was 4.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, in contrast to 5.7 in the United States. In 2016, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), Cuba had an under-5 child mortality (U5M) of 5.5 per 1,000 live births, while the United States had a rate of 6.5 per 1,000. Cuba was better in both categories. Those Cuban statistics have been cited to promote the Cuban models for both medical schools and health care clinics. Theyve been offered as reasons to support socialized medicine. Theyve even been offered as a defense for other shortcomings of the Cuban government. Thats a message that people can appreciate. Its impactful. Cubas success with its health care system, however, seems inconsistent with everything else we know about the nation. International human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have frequently accused Cuba of arbitrary imprisonment, unfair trials, and other human rights violations. The laws of that nation restrict the press, free speech, assembly, and movement. Moreover, Cuba has serious economic problems. Gross domestic product (GDP) measures the national income and output for a given countrys economy. Its equal to the total expenditures for all final goods and services produced within that country in a given time period. Cubas GDP dropped by one-third with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Venezuela propped it up for a while, but now, that support is gone. Cuba regularly faces shortages of all kinds. Energy shortages are common. Frequent electricity outages and low fuel supplies mean that delivery of all kinds of consumer goods, from canned vegetables to toilet paper, is hampered. Quite importantly, Cubas health care spending per capita is substantially lower than that of the United States. How does the government in a nation like that manage to provide health care results that are superior to the United States? Well, maybe it doesnt. While the official international statistics come from the WHO, someone has to report the numbers to it. Presumably those someonesone way or anotherare accountable to the Cuban government. That means that they may have reason to make their statistics look better than they might actually be. In 2015, economist Roberto M. Gonzalez explained in the journal Cuban Studies that Cubas actual IMR is substantially higher than reported by authorities. According to Gonzalez, Cuban early neonatal deaths are often reported as late fetal deaths. In other words, the births arent counted. That has the effect of artificially reducing the IMR. He estimates that Cubas true IMR in 2004, for instance, was much higher than the reported 5.8. He puts it between 7.45 and 11.46, far higher than the number in the United States or other developed countries. Health care and child mortality rates certainly were part of the ideological battle between the superpowers during the Cold War. During the 1970s, for instance, the Soviets saw a significant growth in infant mortality rates, which affected overall life expectancy as well. This was a blow to propaganda efforts for the Kremlin and its apologists. Academic articles were written explaining that this was a temporary negative consequence of rapid progress in the areas of industrialization, employment of women, and socialization of child care, and promising that improvements in public health education, the quality of child care facilities, and the manufacture and distribution of infant formula will contribute to the rapid resolution of this problem. Similar concerns could shape reporting today. In a 2005 article from the Chicago Tribune entitled Disinformation Superhighway, Jeff Lyon reported that while Cuba had a lower infant mortality rate than the United States, its abortion rate was nearly quadruple the U.S. rate. Concurring with other observers, Lyon also concluded that Cuban doctors were far likelier than ours to count newborns who die on their day of birth as a fetal death. Both of those facts can skew the numbers, but this might be seen as a legitimate difference in categorization. Some other factors are more clearly intended as disinformation. In a 2018 article published in the journal Health Policy and Planning, authors Gilbert Berdine, Vincent Geloso, and Benjamin Powell revealed how this data has been manipulated to put Cuba in a better light. They, in fact, asserted, Physicians often perform abortions without clear consent of the mother, raising serious issues of medical ethics, when ultrasound reveals fetal abnormalities because otherwise, it might raise the infant mortality rate. In addition to underestimating the Cuban IMR, a paper written by economists Amy Chen, Emily Oster, and Heidi Williams argues that the U.S. IMR may well be overstated. They set forth the possibility that the higher IMR in the United States is driven by a delay of deaths in the U.S. If hospitals in the U.S. are better at keeping very low birth weight newborns alive for a slightly longer period of time, this could show up in the data as low neonatal mortality and excess postneonatal mortality. Its true, of course, that in some countries, doctors dont work as hard to save babies born very prematurely (say, prior to 24 weeks) or with severe birth defects. U.S. doctors, on the other hand, often go to extraordinary lengths to try to save these lives even when the outlook is bleak. Often, such children dont have much of a chance to survive. When they die, that death adds to the totals and contributes to the misleading comparison between American and Cuban IMRs. An interesting 2014 analysis published in the journal National Vital Statistics Reports excluded births before 24 weeks of gestation. Using numbers from 2010, the researchers found that, in that case, the U.S. IMR fell from 6.1 to 4.2, a number quite comparable to Cubas artificially deflated number. Americans are just starting to learn about disinformation. When you see a tweet or a post that seems inconsistent with what you already know, especially when it can be traced to a suspect source, you need to do a bit of work to see whether the claims hold up. The claim about Cubas health care system and its IMR is one of those things that seems inconsistent with what we already know. It also can be traced to suspect sources. On closer investigation, it may not hold up very well. At the very least, we ought not be making decisions about our nations future based upon that information. Ronald J. Rychlak is the Jamie L. Whitten chair in law and government at the University of Mississippi. He is the author of several books, including Hitler, the War, and the Pope, Disinformation (co-authored with Ion Mihai Pacepa), and The Persecution and Genocide of Christians in the Middle East (co-edited with Jane Adolphe). Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Electric Wheelchair Market Overview: Electric wheelchairs get power from an electric motor that comes attached with the electric wheelchair. These wheelchairs offer great mobility and are light in weight. These are very compact in size and can be used in narrow pathways. The global electric wheelchair market is expecting substantial market growth during the forecast period (2019-2023). Market Research Future (MRFR) made a claim recently that the global electric wheelchair market can surpass the existing market valuation with relative ease. The electric wheelchair market is expecting strong support from various pointers for a better market growth. It is expecting strong growth due to competitors participating more and more in the market to take the market ahead with their strategic moves. Its easy application is fast gaining momentum. Latest innovations are also helping the global market in its growth opportunity. However, high price and maintenance complexity can deter the global electric wheelchair market growth in the coming years. Get a FREE Sample Copy of Report with Complete TOC @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/6618 Electric Wheelchair Market Segmentation: MRFRs report of the global electric wheelchair market has an in-depth eye on segmentation that can impact the market in the coming years. Such a segmentation has its roots in the value-wise and volume-wise analysis of factors that can impact of the market. Based on the product, the electric wheelchair market comprises electric outdoor chair, electric indoor chair, center wheel drive chair, dual-purpose chair, front wheel drive chair, rear wheel drive chair, standing electric wheelchair, and others. The electric indoor chair segment has substantial market coverage. In many countries, lack of outdoor infrastructure can put some restraints on the expected market growth. Based on the end-use, the electric wheelchair market comprises home care settings, hospitals/clinics, and others. The home care settings market is gaining remarkable coverage with many patients are looking for recovery from such setups. Electric Wheelchair Market Regional Analysis: The Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), and the Middle East & Africa (MEA) are the key markets discussed in the MRFR report for an electric wheelchair. This region-specific segmentation allows a better coverage of growth pockets that can impact the global market. The Americas has substantial market coverage and the region is expected to take the lead owing to a lot of factors like better availability of technological support, variety in the product, high investment capacity, and others. People are quite aware of the product and reimbursement policies, along with various other facilities are expected to inspire the regional market growth. Europe has similar features like that of North America. The region is also spending substantially for the research and development activities. Spain, France, Germany, Italy, the U.K. are countries that can be taken into consideration while analyzing the regional market. The APAC market is enjoying wide-scale growth in the coming years. Several countries are showing extreme growth with their industrial sector getting rapidly overhauled. The huge patient pool and geriatric population can also take substantial onus to take the regional market ahead. China and India are two countries that can impact the regional market growth. The MEA market is expecting substantial growth but the Africa region can deter its progress rate due to lack of affordability in poor economies. Electric Wheelchair Market Competitive Landscape: The global electric wheelchair market is gaining strong traction from the competition between new entrants and already established markets. The market report includes participation from those who are making the maximum profit. MRFR recorded these names and profiled them for a better analysis of trends in the coming years. These companies are eDrive Medical Ltd., GF Health Products Inc., Karman Healthcare, MEYRA GmbH, Medical Depot, Inc., OttoBock Healthcare GmbH, Pride Mobility Products Corp, Sunrise Medical Limited, Invacare Corporation, Quantum Rehab, Hoveround Corporation, Permobil AB, Whill Inc., LEVO Ag, and Permobil AB. In August 2019, Droom launched their new electric wheelchair in Chennai with a target to cover the Indian market in the coming years. Get More Information on Electric Wheelchair Market Research Report-Global Forecast till 2023 @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/electric-wheelchair-market-6618 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by 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. In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members. Contact: Akash Anand Market Research Future +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Amid a recent trend in the military of service members being discovered with links to white supremacist or neo-Nazi ideology and activity, one lawmaker is pushing for the services to take a more interventionist stance, stepping in with action and education as problems emerge. Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Maryland, vice chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, submitted language in the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act requiring a question on routine command-climate surveys regarding troops experience of these behaviors in their work environment. A version of his amendment did make it into the final policy bill, but the language was, to him, disappointingly watered down. My amendment said, Hey, let's ask some specific questions about whether or not you've experienced or observed or been the target of racism, white nationalism and white supremacy. And it got watered down to ... just extremism, Brown told Military.com during an interview this month at his Capitol Hill office. The enacted text of the bill requires troops to be asked in Defense Department-administered surveys whether they have experienced or witnessed extremist activity in the workplace or reported such activity. Related: Congress Wants the Military to Report Extremism in the Ranks. Why that Will Be Tough That term, he added, was broad enough to invite misinterpretation or confusion for the troops taking the surveys. You ask soldiers about racism, they understand what racism is. You ask them about white nationalism, white supremacy, they know what that means, Brown said. You know, they've seen that someone has left a noose at their workstation or where someone is putting, you know, an anti-semitic swastika on their desk or something like that. So, I'd like to go back and I will take another run at it. Brown, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a retired colonel in the Army Reserve, was, while lieutenant governor of Maryland from 2007 to 2015, the most senior U.S. elected official to have served a tour in Iraq. The issue of racist and supremacist ideology cropping up within the military ranks is drawing growing scrutiny from Congress. Next week, the House Armed Services Committee plans to hold a two-panel hearing on the matter, with testimony from military criminal investigation officials, as well as outside experts. On Thursday, Military Times published the results of a reader survey that found more than half of minority troops and more than one-third of active-duty troops overall said they had personally witnessed examples of white nationalism or ideological-driven racism within the ranks. The poll was conducted between Oct. 23 and Dec. 2, 2019. While military leaders have emphasized that racial extremism and white supremacist behavior is not tolerated in the ranks and is a disqualifier for service at the entry level, few internal initiatives have been announced to better police this behavior. In a recent sampling of events, one Marine was investigated and separated last year after sharing Nazi-sympathizing materials on social media; a report emerged linking five service members to white nationalist organization Identity Evropa, prompting an investigation; and Coast Guard officer Christopher Hasson was sentenced to more than 13 years confinement on drug and firearm charges after a cache of materials was found linking him to supremacist ideology and an alleged terror plot. Brown said he again plans to submit language pushing not only for more clarity in command-climate survey questions to diagnose white supremacism and racial hatred, but also for intervention and education when concerns do come to light. These climate surveys are to give a commander a broad sense of what's happening in their unit, he said. I [can] see that, Hey, there's an uptick over last year in concerns or claims about racism in my unit. Let me bring the interventions in; I can bring the experts in that can educate and do the outreach into my unit to address it across the whole unit. So I think it's important that we do that, and I'm going to take another run at it next year. A White House budget request for the Defense Department is expected to roll out Feb. 10; Brown said lawmakers will be submitting their priorities for the fiscal 2021 defense budget this month and next. -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck. Read More: Ousted SEALs Wife Says Navy Put Family at Risk with Public Firing Danny Glover Talks Pan African Film and Art Festival and the Spotlight Film, The Last Black Man in San Francisco The Pan African Film and Art Festival (PAFF) is soon to kick-off at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. Critics, creators and more join one another in sharing their love of film amongst the Black community. Beginning February 11-23, PAFF will debut over 150 films, host panels and multiple celebratory events all open to the public. Spotlight films this year include Hero, Zulu Wedding and The Last Black Man in San Francisco, which co-founder of PAFF Danny Glover appears in. The Last Black Man in San Francisco stars Jimmie Fails and Jonathon Majors centers around a young man attempting to reclaim his childhood home a now expensive house in a gentrified San Francisco neighborhood. Glover shares his connection to the film both on a professional and emotional level, growing up in San Francisco, he remembers the effects gentrification had on his neighborhood. Mentally traveling back to when he was 29, working for the city government overlooking the changing dynamics of the neighborhood he once held a responsibility to as a child. ADVERTISEMENT I live in the house I lived in since I was 11-years-old. I thought about that in a relationship with The Last Black Man because this is emotional, he said as he sat in front of his childhood home. The home which he now owns and purchased from its original owners through his parents. There were four houses, including the house I live in, with the people who knew my parents and worked at the post office. An identity that they embraced themselves. Being homeowners and being gainfully employed, adding emphasis, Not renters homeowners. Still, reminiscing he shared, Theyre all gone now. Im the only one left on the block and I was 29-years-old. Now at 73, he added, Whats so tragic about this; none of the gains that they have received, the blessings they have retained, were passed on down to their children, he continues, San Francisco is gentrified. If I had to buy this house right now, I couldnt afford it. However, for Glover and like the main characters, the film, the attachment to their home remains. I love this city. I love the feel of this city; I loved it, he stated. The sentiment being a strong emotional note carried throughout the film, which critics deemed a special film after watching just the first opening scenes. The Last Black Man in San Francisco won multiple awards at Sundance Film Festival, however, at PAFF the movie will be presented in an intimate fashion. Following the premiere scheduled for February 12 at the festival, a panel not only featuring actors Danny Glover and Jimmie Fails, but also community leaders Damien Goodman from the Crenshaw Subway Coalition and political strategist Jasmyne Cannick to complete the lineup. Together they will discuss the topic of gentrification and how to fight back against the displacement and alienation of people within the community. As the purpose of PAFF is to allow the community to have involvement in the film industry, the panel perfectly seals the mission of the organization. Glover expressed, [The panel] is going to be really exciting to add to the flavor of the film. ADVERTISEMENT As far as the festival itself, Glover is still proud and happy to have a stake in the magic created on a yearly basis. His connection to the film world but also the community and colleagues drives his purpose and keeps him going. Ayuko Babu and his incredible staff year in, year out presents such an extraordinary package of films, Glover states speaking of his friend and fellow co-founder. Its unlike a lot of film festivals you go to. Just normal, regular people, citizens of Los Angeles, citizens of that community in which the festival has its home; come and see and be a part of our extended family and increasingly extended family. To gather more information about Pan African Film and Art Festival, buy passes and tickets, or learn about volunteer opportunities visit https://www.paff.org/. The Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh chief ministers offices did not respond to requests for comment. New Delhi: South Koreas Kia Motors is discussing with Tamil Nadu the possibility of moving a USD 1.1 billion plant out of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh only months after it fully opened, due to policy changes last year, sources close to the talks told Reuters. Kia inaugurated the Andhra plant, its first in the worlds fifth-largest car market, in December after two years of construction. It has an annual capacity of some 300,000 units and created 12,000 direct and indirect jobs. However, Kia is now in talks with the nearby state of Tamil Nadu, home to many major autoparts suppliers, about potentially relocating the plant, a senior state government official and a second source familiar with the discussions said. (Kia) are facing problems (in Andhra Pradesh), they have been in preliminary negotiations with us ... There is a secretary-level meeting next week, we might have more clarity then, the official told Reuters on Wednesday. Kia, however, said in a statement that it has a long-term commitment to the Indian market and it aims to utilize the full capacity of its Andhra plant before considering further expansion. We do not have any plans to shift the manufacturing facility from the current location, it said, without commenting on any policy concerns or talks with Tamil Nadu, which are at an early stage. Rajat Bhargava, special chief secretary in the Andhra Pradesh industries department, said in a statement, We strongly condemn the news that there is a proposal to move the Kia unit out of Andhra Pradesh. Kia and the government of AP are working together. The source cited by Reuter, a state official of Tamil Nadu, said Kia is being represented in the talks by executives at its sister company Hyundai Motor Co, which is Indias second-largest automaker and has all its car production facilities in Tamil Nadu,. Hyundai did not respond to a request for comment. The Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh chief ministers offices did not respond to requests for comment. Kia has been troubled by a new Andhra state law on local hiring and by the new state government wanting to review the incentives given out by the previous administration to encourage the company to set up the plant, the second source and a third person with knowledge of the discussions said. Moving the plant to Tamil Nadu could also help Kia in reducing logistics costs as it would bring it closer to some of its parts suppliers, the second source added. It was not immediately clear how swiftly Kia could move production lines from a plant in one state to another, or what sort of disruption that would entail. The sources declined to be named as the talks are private. State policy changes Kia started building the new plant in 2017 and formally inaugurated it in December, when it said the 23 million square foot facility would manufacture vehicles like its Seltos SUV for both the Indian and overseas markets. It said the facility would become a vital part of its global production network in the long term. But considering relocation within months of the inauguration highlights the challenges foreign investors face while dealing with policy changes at federal or state level in India. Kia was caught off guard in July after the new state government in Andhra mandated companies to reserve 75% of all jobs for locals from the state, making it much harder for the company to find suitable employees, two of the sources said. Kia has also been unnerved by the new state governments bid to review certain financial incentives - such as breaks on electricity tax and deferred land payments - given to the company by the previous administration, one of the sources said. After taking control of Andhra in 2019, a new government has decided to review agreements signed with several companies, including from the renewable energy sector, sparking concerns among foreign investors around sanctity of contracts in India. The Japanese ambassador to India, given Japanese companies interest in the region, told Andhra Pradesh not to renegotiate renewables contracts as it would hit business sentiment in the region, an Aug. 7 letter seen by Reuters showed. Prime Minister Narendra Modis federal government is separately working on a foreign investor protection law to safeguard against policy changes, Reuters has reported. This is a problem for all companies including Kia ... the cost of moving the plant would be too high and would set the company back by about two years and they have made huge investments, said one of the sources aware of Kias concerns. The Lord of the Rings alum Liv Tyler channeled her inner hippie in green tie-dye pants on the Los Angeles set of Fox's 9-1-1: Lone Star on Wednesday. The 42-year-old SAG Award winner was also wearing a black blouse and motorcycle boots selected by 9-1-1 costume designer Eileen Cox Baker. The Ad Astra actress portrays chief paramedic Michelle Blake, who's haunted by the disappearance of her sister, in the 10-episode Texas-set spin-off of 9-1-1 starring Angela Bassett. Action! The Lord of the Rings alum Liv Tyler channeled her inner hippie in green tie-dye pants on the Los Angeles set of Fox's 9-1-1: Lone Star on Wednesday Deep in the heart of Texas? The 42-year-old SAG Award winner was also wearing a black blouse and motorcycle boots selected by 9-1-1 costume designer Eileen Cox Baker That same day, the Austin-Travis County EMS jokingly posted on Facebook that they did not approve of Liv's poor medical techniques as Michelle and they 'suspended her credentials.' Among the Office of the Medical Director's allegations listed against Tyler's skills were 'chest tube insertion with suction tubing on a picnic table' and 'foley catheter insertion in a bar.' The Austin-Travis County EMS previously tweeted a funny medical advisory on January 22: 'You are all neither credentialed nor authorized to do anything you see on 9-1-1: Lone Star. Anything. That is all.' Boho: The Ad Astra actress portrays chief paramedic Michelle Blake, who's haunted by the disappearance of her sister, in the 10-episode 9-1-1 spin-off Citation: That same day, the Austin-Travis County EMS jokingly posted on Facebook that they did not approve of Liv's poor medical techniques as Michelle and the Office of the Medical Director 'suspended her credentials' The Austin-Travis County EMS previously tweeted on January 22: 'You are all neither credentialed nor authorized to do anything you see on 9-1-1: Lone Star. Anything. That is all' The Harlem-born brunette confessed on the January 21st episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live: 'I don't know anything about being a paramedic. I'm learning' 'I don't know anything about being a paramedic. I'm learning...I had to come in and cut somebody open,' the Harlem-born brunette confessed on the January 21st episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! 'It was really scary. I had to walk in and be like, "I know what I'm talking about."' Meanwhile, the daughter of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler's castmate Rob Lowe Insta-storied a clip of himself dancing beside his driver on Wednesday night. Silver fox: Meanwhile, the daughter of Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler's castmate Rob Lowe Insta-storied a clip of himself dancing beside his driver on Wednesday night Bored on set: The 55-year-old Brat Packer - who produces and stars as Austin firefighter Owen Strand - bobbed his head to rapper Dr. Dre's 2000 hit The Next Episode The 55-year-old Brat Packer - who produces and stars as Austin firefighter Owen Strand - bobbed his head to rapper Dr. Dre's 2000 hit The Next Episode featuring Snoop Dogg, Kurupt, and Nate Dogg. The first-responder series - created by Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuk - also features Ronen Rubinstein, Sierra Mcclain, Jim Parrack, Natacha Karam, Brian Michael Smith, Julian Works, and Rafael Silva. On next Monday's episode - titled 'Studs' - of 9-1-1: Lone Star, Liv's character winds up on a stretcher herself after a 'brawl at a male strip club, a fire at a bull semen factory, and a protest.' Boris Johnson convened his Cabinet in 10 Downing Street this morning for the last time before what is expected to be a brutal reshuffle next week. Nervous ministers were pictured filing through the famous black door for what could be their last appearance at the top table. Mr Johnson has been widely tipped to make sweeping changes to his Cabinet now that the UK has left the European Union. The Prime Minister wanted to wait for Brexit to be in the books before reshaping his administration. The shake-up is expected to see the PM get rid of numerous long-serving ministers as he looks to promote some Tory rising stars. Nicky Morgan, pictured arriving in Downing Street this morning, is widely expected to be replaced as Culture Secretary Andrea Leadsom, pictured walking along Downing Street alongside business minister Kwasi Kwarteng, could be ousted as Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, pictured alongside Chief Whip Nick Spencer, had previously been tipped for the sack after a disastrous general election campaign for the Commons Leader If it had not been for Brexit, the PM may have immediately moved to change his ministerial team in the immediate aftermath of his crushing general election victory in December. His 80-seat Tory majority and continuing election honeymoon period mean the premier does not need to worry too much about the potential repercussions of sacking lots of ministers. However, Number 10 will be keen to get the reshuffle right because Mr Johnson will only have one chance to set the direction of his new government. Numerous ministers are widely expected to be fired, with Nicky Morgan frequently named in recent weeks. Ms Morgan did not stand at the general election but was then elevated to the House of Lords to allow her to serve as Culture Secretary. That appointment was always due to be a temporary arrangement with Ms Morgan having previously outlined her desire to step away from frontline politics. Others tipped for the sack include Business Secretary Andrew Leadsom, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox and Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey. Many had predicted Jacob Rees-Mogg would also be axed after a disastrous election campaign for the Commons Leader. But he is thought to have repaired much of the damage to his reputation with a series of solid performances in the Commons in recent weeks. Meanwhile, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak has been tipped for a big promotion. Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey and Attorney General Geoffrey Cox could also be moved next week But Rishi Sunak, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has been tipped for a big promotion Mr Sunak is a favourite of Number 10 and it would not be a surprise to see him handed a bigger job next week. Steve Barclay, the former Brexit secretary who lost his job last Friday when the UK left the EU, is also likely to make a quick comeback to Cabinet. There had been speculation that Chancellor Sajid Javid was in danger of losing his job after clashes with the PM's top aide Dominic Cummings. But Mr Javid's allies believe he is now 'pretty safe' after apparently receiving a private assurance from Mr Johnson that he will not be moved. Top comedian-turned-lead Tamil actor Yogi Babu got hitched to Manju Bhargavi at his native Vazhaipandhal in Arani. It was an arranged marriage, which took place in a traditional manner at a temple to the kuladeivam or deity specially worshipped by the actors family. It was a private affair and only close friends and relatives of the bride and groom attended the wedding ceremony. Sources say the actor is planning to host a grand reception in Chennai in March. Recently, Yogi completed the shooting of Dhanushs Karnan under Maari Selvarajs direction. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 08:27 705 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062d0c9b 1 Environment lion-cubs,South-Africa,kruger-national-park,baboon Free A rare happening was captured on camera at the Kruger National Park in South Africa, when a male baboon was seen carrying a lion cub. After taking him to the branches of a tree, the baboon groomed the cub as if it was his own. The scene was captured by safari operator Kurt Schultz who later posted the video on Instagram on Saturday. At first, Schultz thought it was a female baboon which was pampering its baby. After a closer look, he realized that it was a male baboon grooming a male lion cub. Interestingly, the baboon groomed the lion cub with care and love. The male baboon gave a grooming to the lion cub just like how a female baboon would do to a baboon baby, Schultz said as quoted from Newsweek on Monday. "In 20 years of guiding southern and east Africa, and being in the Kruger for close on 20 years, I have witnessed baboons viciously killing leopard cubs and have heard of baboons killing lion cubs but have never seen the care and attention given to a lion cub in this manner," he said. In the video, the cub appeared exhausted but not injured, while there could be possibilities of internal injuries. "I don't see a chance of this poor cub surviving. The troop of baboons was large and a lion would not be able to get the young back. Nature is cruel and survival of young predator cubs is not easy, Schultz said. Despite his concerns for the cubs survival under the care of his unnatural mother, he said it was important not to intervene. "Nature has its own ways. We cannot get involved, he said. (gis/wng) 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 With Russia being the 'focus country' of the 44th International Kolkata Book Fair, four eminent writer-poets from the nation will be here to take part in a three-day literary meet, beginning on Thursday. Eminent Russian author and book critic Galina Yuzefovich, during a session on the opening day, would talk about the "literary ties" that bind the two countries, Sujata Sen, the director of Kolkata Literature Festival (KLF), said. There will be a second meeting involving writers Anna Goncharova and Natalya Volkova who will share their insights on modern-day fairy tales, she told reporters on Wednesday. Congress leader and former diplomat Shashi Tharoor, who has several fiction and non-fiction titles to his credit, is scheduled to visit the city on the third and the last day of the meet to address a session - 'Disorder, darkness and the Tharoor Way' - Sen said. Among others, sociologist Ashis Nandy, historian Aparna Vaidik and former CEO of Prasar Bharati, Jawhar Sircar, would also take part in debates and discussions at the three- day literary meet, she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nigerians say the US presidents move unfairly targets them and infringes upon their rights. Lagos, Nigeria Ikenna is in a bind. On the one hand, the US green card holder has been advised not to travel outside the United States for a year to avoid the risk of failing to meet the eligibility criteria for citizenship. On the other hand, his newly wedded wife in Nigeria cannot visit him. She had applied for a tourist visa days before the US suspended a drop box procedure in May 2019 that allowed frequent visitors to reapply without being subjected to the interview process but her application was denied. The healthcare professional said his wife was told that since she was married to a permanent resident, he should file an immigrant visa application on her behalf instead. As such, Ikenna quit his job in Nigerias capital, Abuja, and relocated to the US in late July to begin the process. In the meantime, his spouse applied for a business visa in October to no avail. And now things have become even more complicated. Last week, the White House said immigrants from Nigeria and five other countries will no longer be eligible for visas allowing them to live in the US permanently, expanding its controversial travel ban policy. A presidential proclamation on January 31 cited Nigerias failure to comply with security and information sharing requirements, and its high terror risk to the US as reasons for imposing the restriction. I filed for her (immigrant visa application) in November and now the ban has been announced, says a frustrated Ikenna. Ive been a beneficiary of the long, tedious, nebulous process to obtain my legal permanent residence, and now Im experiencing the same process to get the visa for my wife. He remains unconvinced about the ban, arguing non-immigrant visa applicants were less scrutinised and therefore more of a threat to US security than those applying for immigrant visas. The [US government] is not just punishing Nigerians, he said about the travel restrictions, scheduled to come into effect on February 21. Theyre punishing American citizens, he added, referring to the thousands of other Nigerians processing immigrant visas for their immediate family members in Nigeria. That sentiment also rings true for Chienye, a product marketing manager who is currently petitioning for an immigrant visa for his mother in Nigeria. He feels the ban is unfair and infringes on his rights as a US citizen. Melania Trump herself used the same immigration method to bring her parents to the United States, he said of the wide of US President Donald Trump. Thats one of the luxuries of being a citizen. You can extend that and bring close family members to come be with you here. A citizen since 2018, 37-year-old Chienye says he was excited about bringing his mother over as she has never visited in the 15 years he has lived in the US, first in Minnesota and then Washington states. It was something he had hoped to change now that he was financially solvent to pay for her trip. My mum is getting old and I want to bring her here to relax and enjoy herself even if its for a few months. While non-immigrant visa applicants remain unaffected, Nigerian student Onyinye is worried about the bans knock-on effect. The mother of two is completing her nursing prerequisites in Maryland. I dont want a situation where I have to renew my papers and cant because of the ban, she said, speculating on the possibility the US government might unofficially limit the numbers of student visa issued to Nigerians. I just dont want to be undocumented here. In 2018, Nigerians were issued a total of 7,922 immigrant visas, the second highest among African nations. Over half of that number went to immediate relatives of US citizens. Incidentally, following visa fee hikes and suspension of the interview waiver Drop Box application last year, applications for non-immigrant visas dropped by 21 percent. Approximately 30,000 Nigerians overstayed their non-immigrant visa in 2018, making them the third-largest defaulters behind Venezuelans and Brazilians, according to data from the US Department of Homeland Security. Some insist this may have informed the recent restrictions. Others maintain the ban is a ploy to further curtail the number Nigerians coming to the US. I think the Trump administration is trying to limit immigration from black and brown countries, argued Chienye, adding most Nigerians in the US are educated and dismissing the security reasons cited for the move. The only reason Trump is banning Nigerians is that he doesnt want black immigrants in the United States, and Nigerians make up a huge portion, he said. For Onyinye, the right to live and work legally in the US supersedes the possibility of acquiring citizenship in the long run. And though she counts herself fortunate that her husband and children live with her, she wishes she could bring her mother over. If thats not possible, Ill have to work more so I can visit Nigeria to see her more often, she said before acknowledging the ban might prevent her from re-entering the US. Until thats cleared up, I guess no trips for me. 170630193723118 According to immigration lawyer Leila Mansouri, who has handled cases for Iranians and Iranian Americans affected by the 2017 Muslim ban that restricted travellers from Iran and several other Muslim-majority countries, the text of the recent travel ban is not clear on whether Nigerians with non-immigrant visas are barred from applying for permanent residency. Based on how the [US government] handled it for Iranians, I think that [Nigerians] already in the US will be able to naturalise or get married and adjust their status, she said, adding that those who leave the US might find it difficult to re-enter. Last week, the Nigerian government announced it had established a committee to address the updated requirements. On Tuesday, Nigerias Foreign Affairs Minister Geoffrey Onyeama appeared in a joint news conference in Washington with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, stating Nigeria had been blindsided with the announcement of the visa restrictions. He maintained, however, the country was in the process of fulfilling the demands and had already ticked most of the boxes. Essentially, there were security measures that were taken with regards to electronic [and] lost and stolen passports, noted Onyeama, adding Nigeria was working to make data for the aforementioned and information on suspected terrorists available to the US and member countries of Interpol very soon. Like many in Nigeria and the US, Onyinye is hopeful both countries will reach a resolution. I reckon the ban will only be for a short time, she said. Michelle Baumbach was one of the first attendees to enter the ballroom for Wednesday nights Women For Trump event in East Pennsboro Township. Baumbach claimed her spot smack dab center and front of the podium from where Vice President Mike Pence would deliver his speech. The Steelton resident wore a black T-shirt emblazoned: Donald Trump did nothing wrong. Pointing to her shirt, Baumbach spoke with enthusiasm about President Trump, reeling off a slew of reasons for why she supports him. Once an independent voter who in 2016 registered Republican to support Trump, Baumbach said nothing the president has done has diminished her support for him. In fact, she said that everything from the economy, his immigration policies and the policies regarding the military and national security, have further bolstered her endorsement for the president. Personally I think everything he says is blown out of context, Baumbach said. They just give you a clip of what they want you to hear. Just minutes after the U.S. Senate voted to acquit the president of impeachment charges, and fresh off what many pundits are labeling a triumphant State of the Union address for the president, the women who filled the Radisson Camp Hill ballroom for Pences appearance pointed to several overarching themes they said underpin their support for the president: the economy, the crackdown on immigration, jobs, healthcare, and the presidents brazen Washington outsiders approach. Hes the best thing thats happened to this country, said Joan Gentile of Waynesboro, who attended the event with her daughter, Barbara Rothman. I had no idea how bad things were until I listened to this man, Rothman said. I just went along blindly. Ive learned more about government from him....he is fantastic. Scores of Democratic women on Tuesday night sat in the House gallery for the presidents State of the Union address wearing white and refusing to clap or stand. But at this Women for Trump event, the fashion statement was decidedly red or pink MAGA hats and T-shirts, and the applause was loud and boisterous every time Pence punctuated his speech with accolades for the president. The American economy is booming and its a blue-collar boom Pennsylvania, Pence said. In this booming economy, women are leading the way. " The vice president noted that the president has said that 70 percent of all new jobs have been filled by women. "Women are winning under the leadership of President Donald Trump under this economy, Pence said. Pence was introduced by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Senior administration spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway had been billed to also appear, but there was no mention of her at the event. Pennsylvania is firmly expected to play a pivotal role in the 2020 election, and women are poised to tip the results, particularly white working-class women. Throughout his 2016 candidacy and presidency, Trump has been dogged by robust scrutiny from critics, including accusations of sexual assault by multiple women, misogyny and genital-grabbing boasting. Yet, for his loyal female base, at least the members at this central Pennsylvania venue, the presidents policies and accomplishments in office far outweigh his course language and off-color remarks about women in public office. I dont agree with some of the statements he makes, especially on Twitter. In fact, I wish he would back off Twitter, but he has been wonderful for our country, said Jill Costopoulos of Perry County. Its why Im going to vote for him again. Women on the center to the left of the political spectrum have excoriated the president for being anti-women, but for the conservative women of his base the presidents policy is what matters most. I have health insurance again, said Olivia Lancaster. I couldnt afford it under Obama. Lancaster, who is self-employed, said her health care costs went up from $500 to $2,500 a month under the Obama Administration, and that was on top of a $12,000 deductible. We got royally hurt by Obama, she said. Melissa Posey of Enola said that for her it was all about the economy. This country has not seen an economy like this in forever, she said. That Trumps approval rating hovers at its all-time high on the strength of voter optimism about the economy was palpable here tonight. I feel he is a business person and our country is a business, said Beth McDermott of Camp Hill. She said she is better off now than she was nearly four years ago: that includes her 401K, tax cuts and her paycheck. Those are tangible things I personally see, McDermott said. But Trumps support among women remains riddled with weak spots. In fact, his overall unfavorable rating among women as a whole base have him trailing Democratic presidential hopefuls, according to the latest Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll. The survey finds a clear and persistent gender gap 53 percent of men approve of the presidents performance in office, compared with only 40 percent of women. Women will be crucial to the outcome of Pennsylvania in 2020, and our numbers show this is a group that Trump is losing ground with, especially when it comes to his handling of the economy. If he continues to threaten programs like Medicare, Social Security and Medicaid, all of which disproportionately benefit women, hes not going to win these voters back," said Nandi OConnor, of Priorities PA, a Democratic state focus group. According to Priorities PA, Trump is showing signs of weakness, especially with regards to the economy. For example, in October, when asked how satisfied they were with their or their familys economic situation, 34 percent of white non-college women described themselves as satisfied, down 13 percent from May. Among white college women, 48 percent described themselves as satisfied, down 2 percent over the same time period. The president continues to trail in the support of college-educated women, a sector he could not shore up in 2016 when he trailed among young white women by 27 points, a bloc that Mitt Romney won with 52 percent in 2012. More recently, the president and the GOP have seen a suburban revolt of sorts with major defeats in the Philadelphia suburbs, along with Kentucky and Virginia. Among millennial voters, Trumps job approval rating remains in a flux. A recent Hill-HarrisX poll found that the support for Trump among registered voters between the ages of 18 and 34 has not broken through the 40 percent mark, dipping at one point as low as 30 percent. Still, Trump is bolstered by the booming economy, and certainly among his base the economy emerges as his greatest asset: 60 percent approve of his economic policy. Im better off now, said Rothman, a home health care nurse from Waynesboro. I have a bigger paycheck, I got to write off taxes. Things are much better for me. I see it with my family. People are seeing it with their wallets. Ultimately, many of these women say that contrary to popular assessment of the president, Trump is a pro-woman president. Look at the women he has hired, Costopoulos said. I respect his family. His children are all professionals. I respect that. Listen to the latest episode of PennLives new political podcast Battleground Pa. on your favorite app including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts. Battleground Pa. examines the changing political climate across the Keystone State leading up to the 2020 election. 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. And people still have a lot of feelings about influencers. According to the people who attend it professionally, is fashion week pointless? That's the question we sought out an answer for in our latest survey, prompted by what has felt like a growing disillusionment with the whole thing. Nearly 500 people working in the fashion industry, from editors to buyers to influencers, gave us their perspective on the biannual event. (If you participated, THANK YOU!) Looking solely at the numbers, respondents were divided. Asked how much they agree with the statement "Fashion week is pointless," the biggest group of respondents, 36%, said they "somewhat agree," while an only slightly smaller cohort of 33% said they "somewhat disagree." On top of that, the majority of respondents about 73% said they personally enjoy fashion week, even if nearly the same amount said it took too much of their time and resources. What became clear is that, of course, it's not that simple. While, yes, some people believe that fashion week should entirely cease to exist, others see value in specific aspects of it, or see potential in it if the format were to change. Read on for the biggest takeaways. A waste of time, resources and environmental impact Extinction Rebellion protestors at London Fashion Week. Photo: Niklas Halle'n/AFP/Getty Images Is a full week or month if you're traveling to Europe trekking from show to show from morning 'til night really necessary? The vast majority of respondents said fashion week takes up too much of their time and resources. (38% strongly agreed while 36% somewhat agreed.) This was especially true of fashion editors, beauty editors and critics: Over half of each group strongly agreed with that statement "It all seems like a waste of money and time that just leaves you feeling bad about yourself at the end of the week," commented an editor. "If I'm not writing, I'm not earning," said a fashion critic, "and it's tough getting the work done when youre running around Milan, Paris and London for a month." Story continues A lot of respondents also reported feeling guilt about the toll their fashion week travel, and fashion shows themselves, takes on the environment: 34% somewhat agreed and 27% strongly agreed. Beauty editors appeared most cognizant of this issue, with 80% of them agreeing in some capacity. Stylists, meanwhile, were pretty evenly split on the issue. "There are too many people attending the shows who don't need to be there and causing too much waste and unsustainable environmental damage," one Australia-based editor wrote. "I don't think fashion shows are the most responsible option for fashion brands these days." "If fashion shows didn't already exist, would ANYONE be calling for fashion week?" posited one freelancer. "No. It's inefficient, expensive for all involved, and the ROI is low. Plus, again, Australia is on fire, the ice caps are melting, and this industry is the #2 polluter. WE NEED TO CHANGE." "Our planet is actually on fire," echoed another. "We all need to take a look at the world and stop being so selfish. I don't think that I can continue to support fashion until it finds a way to exist responsibly." "The logic behind using up so many resources to make four collections a year and to stage fashion shows which hundreds of people must fly around the world to see needs to be examined," said another respondent. "No matter how many trees you plant or carbon off-sets you buy, fashion shows are not sustainable." Related Articles Fashionista's New Survey Suggests That Bullying Is Still Alive and Well in the Fashion Industry Jeremy Scott Drops Out of New York Fashion Week Did Designers Finally Get the Climate Crisis Memo This Fashion Month? A toll on mental health CBD, anyone? The majority of respondents said fashion week is damaging to their mental health with 36.5% somewhat agreeing and 22% strongly agreeing. This seemed especially true for fashion editors, critics, beauty editors and freelancers, while buyers are apparently pretty chill about the whole thing: Nearly 40% strongly disagreed with this statement. (Stylists and influencers were both pretty evenly split.) And it's not just about the stress of running around to shows and fulfilling responsibilities. For many, fashion week creates an environment that breeds insecurity and pressure to appear a certain way. "From an industry perspective, it's useful to get all our up-close beauty reporting, model interviews etc. out of the way in a concentrated week," wrote one freelancer. "But every show and event feels like a very perverse version of the Harry Potter sorting hat, like, where do I belong or did I not even get a Hogwarts owl?" "Fashion week has become a bi-annual stress and anxiety fest, making it one of the hardest times of year both mentally and physically," wrote on editor. "It feels silly to complain about it, but all of the comparisons about which invite you got or didnt get and figuring out if you look chic enough, can totally be damaging." "I should just look at the clothes and take in the moment, but instead I'm looking at everyone else, mentally drained and feeling like I'm never good enough," said another. "The cost and pressure to 'keep up' have taken a toll on my health," said one respondent. "This year, I'm only attending the bigger shows and not doing full weeks." "You can feel so worthless so easily at fashion week, and it can be kind of defeating," said another. The rare magic of a live runway show Marc Jacobs's Spring 2020 runway show. It doesn't happen often, but every season there are a few special shows that you feel lucky to witness IRL. Most respondents (30.6%) strongly disagreed that there was nothing they get out of a live runway show that they couldn't get from looking at the photos online or attending a showroom appointment on their schedule; and only 4% of respondents said fashion shows have no value. And this brings us back to the division there was over whether fashion week is pointless. When asked what value, exactly, live runway shows do provide, most respondents (66.57%) indicated it was a "better understanding of the designer's vision." "If we are going to respect and understand the clothing we put on our bodies, we need to see it in-person," wrote an editor. "Yes, the shows have become a circus, but amidst the chaos there are still real designers making important garments who deserve our time and attention." "When a designer presents a collection that is stunning, thought-provoking and truly inclusive, there's nothing like the feeling of being in the room to witness that firsthand," wrote another. "That leaves an impression much stronger than a photograph in my inbox." One respondent even went so far as to describe fashion shows as "an escape from the mundane world." Another feels this type of show no longer exists. "McQueen is dead and so is my interest for fashion shows," they wrote. Some respondents voiced their support for live runway shows with caveats. "The energy, inspiration, and feeling of a whole community coming together is amazing," wrote an influencer. "The excessive amount of events, unsustainable traveling, and ridiculous street style outfits that people don't actually ever wear is really silly and not worth it." "If the overall brand concept and/or brand identity isn't shifting the culture like Pyer Moss, Christopher John Rogers and Telfar what's the point," said a freelancer. "Some shows could stand to be relegated to just virtual, but others are works of art that need to be seen in person," wrote another respondent. "The problem is hardly any designers/brands will acknowledge their work falls in the former category." "I do think it's worth it (for some designers) because you get a better vision, it's the atmosphere, and getting to know great designers and artists," wrote another. "But now it's turned into a contest of clout and followers, and a game of 'who can mask their anxiety' with the most expensive clothes." That brings us to our next topic... A networking and social media opportunity If you've been feeling like fashion shows have become all about the 'gram, you're not alone. The second-most popular answer selected for the question of what value live runway shows provide was: a social media content opportunity. But in the comments, we learned that, for many, the fact that shows are often geared towards social media isn't a positive. "Fashion week is not designed for people who are reporting on it but only for social media content," wrote a beauty editor. "These spectacles are made for Instagram and are unnecessary," added a freelancer. An editor wrote, "Apart from the obvious costs to the environment, fashion shows now have less to do with the clothes and more to do with celebs, influencers and social media ops." Meanwhile, "networking" was one of the most common write-in answers. For many industry professionals, fashion week is the only time of year they see and interact with others in their field on a regular basis, and this socializing can create or strengthen valuable connections that ultimately lead to jobs or other professional opportunities. "Fashion week gives the increasingly fragmented industry some sense of (a chaotic!) community," wrote a freelancer. "I think it's vital to be at fashion shows because so much networking and inter-publication bonding goes on during Fashion Month," said another. "Relationships develop that can truly further your career, or even change your friend group." One respondent wrote, "It's worth to attend shows to strengthen your relationship with the designers, brands and PR agencies." Influencers... Influencers being photographed outside a Nina Ricci show. Circling back to the topic of social media, many of our respondents seem frustrated with the growing presence of influencers at fashion shows, and the ways brands cater to them, drumming back up a seasons-old argument. "Fashion week was worth attending before it became a spectacle," wrote an editor. "It used to be focused on the clothes, the buyers, the models, now it's focused on everything AROUND fashion week. I blame influencers. I understand that brands want social media presence, however, when a fashion influencer is sitting front row over a Macy's buyer (someone who can actually support sales for the designer), it's problematic." A freelancer wrote, "It often feels like a bunch of influencers and even thirstier aspiring influencers jockeying for the best IG Stories content, selfies, etc instead of an essential live experience for people that actually work in, and hold power in different respects, in the fashion industry." "I don't feel anything about not being seated front row, but stylists, buyers, and editors are definitely getting worse placements versus buzzy influencers and random celebrities," noted a stylist. A solution? A few respondents, frustrated with the disorganization and chaos of Fashion Week, attempted to offer ideas for what a better-functioning version might look like. "I think there are too many shows and it goes on for far too long," wrote an editor. "Maybe if they happened in shorter amounts of time in more central locations so there's less flying and driving?" "I wish it was all in one central location so it would actually be easy to get to things," wrote a freelancer. "I think fashion month has value as an industry-facing 'conference,' but the consumer-facing models and influencer-saturated FROWs are beyond irritating at this point," added a critic. Wrote one respondent, "I dont know what the solution is entirely - perhaps a 'salon viewing' with models, music, celeb or rich people can attend but us working girls + companies with budgets, an 'in salon' show would be lovely, reduce costs for everyone, and reduce major major carbon footprint for the world." "I think we need to reframe the purpose of Fashion Week," wrote on influencer. "The world and industry has changed a lot since the idea of Fashion Week was introduced and since its heyday. We no longer need to preview collections in this way to style, edit, buy for the upcoming season. But instead of throwing out the baby with the bathwater, we can actually restructure the purpose of coming together for a common goal. We can build community, tell stories, support creativity, encourage responsible manufacturing, and be a connector for the industry." Never miss the latest fashion industry news. Sign up for the Fashionista daily newsletter. West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday said farmers of the state are being deprived of the benefits of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme while others across the country are enjoying its advantages. The Mamata Banerjee government has not implemented the PM-KISAN scheme and it has its own schemes for farmers. He requested the state government to send details of farmers of West Bengal to the central government so that they can start getting their share to their bank accounts, as per norms of the scheme. Under the PM-KISAN scheme, an annual income support of Rs 6,000 is provided to all farmer families across the country in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 each every four months. "The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi is a revolutionary scheme. Farmers all over the country are getting Rs 6,000 annually and till date Rs 43,000 crores have been released benefiting 8,000 farmer families. On January 2, Rs 12,000 crores money was directly transferred to 6,000 farmer families," the governor told reporters on Thursday. Addressing a programme here in Birbhum district, Dhankhar said he was pained to see that farmers of the state are not getting the benefits of the central scheme. "I am deeply pained to see that farmers of West Bengal are not getting their share of a scheme, which is fully funded by the central government," he said. The farmers not getting this money also has an effect on the economical condition of the country, he said. "I do not see any reason (why the farmers in Bengal are not getting their share)," Dhankhar said. When contacted, state Agriculture Minister Ashis Banerjee, hailed the schemes run by the TMC government. "The policies of Mamata Banerjee are much better than the central schemes. All our schemes ensure overall development and security of the farmers," he said. West Bengal government has schemes for farmers and farm labourers in the state. Every farmer gets Rs 5,000 per acre every year in two instalments from the agriculture department in one scheme, while the family members of a farmer would get Rs 2 lakh if he dies due to any reason including suicide. The state also has a crop insurance scheme for farmers where the government pays the full premium. The state government also has waived tax on agricultural land. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Emami Group on Thursday said it has entered into a binding agreement with Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Limited, part of Nirma Group, to sell 100 percent equity in Emami Cement Limited at an enterprise valuation of Rs 5,500 crore Kolkata: Emami Group on Thursday said it has entered into a binding agreement with Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Limited, part of Nirma Group, to sell 100 percent equity in Emami Cement Limited at an enterprise valuation of Rs 5,500 crore. The promoters of the city-headquartered company have been seeking to pare group-level debt and had initially sought much higher valuation. #JustIn | Emami Group enters into a binding agreement with Nuvoco Vistas (part of Nirma Group) for the divestment of its 100% equity stake in Emami Cement for an enterprise value of Rs 5,500 cr pic.twitter.com/bXT8Mp0wND CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) February 6, 2020 Aditya Birla flagship UltraTech, Nuvoco Vistas (formerly Nirma Cement), a LafargeHolcim company and Star Cement were in the race for taking over the 8-million tonne capacity cement business of Emami Group. Emami Cement operates one integrated plant and three grinding units with a total capacity of around 8.3 million tonnes per annum. Emami Cement has operation in West Bengal, Odhisa, Chhattisgarh and Bihar. Survival may more than double for adults with glioblastoma, the most common and deadly type of brain tumor, if neurosurgeons remove the surrounding tissue as aggressively as they remove the cancerous core of the tumor. This discovery, reported in a retrospective study headed by researchers at UC San Francisco, is welcome news for those in the glioblastoma community, which celebrated its last breakthrough in 2005 with the introduction of the chemotherapy drug temozolomide. Removing the "non-contrast-enhancing tumor" -- so called because it does not light up on MRI when a contrast agent is injected into the vein -- represents a paradigm shift for neurosurgeons, according to senior author and neurosurgeon Mitchel Berger, MD, director of the UCSF Brain Tumor Center. "Traditionally, the goal of neurosurgeons has been to achieve total resection, the complete removal of contrast-enhancing tumor," said Berger, who is also affiliated with the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences. "This study shows that we have to recalibrate the way we have been doing things and, when safe, include non-contrast-enhancing tumor to achieve maximal resection." Mutant Tumor Type Indicative of Longer Life Some 22,850 Americans are diagnosed each year with glioblastoma -- one of the most relentless adult cancers and one that may be best known for claiming the lives of senators John McCain and Edward Kennedy, and the son of Vice President Joe Biden. The average survival for the 91 percent of glioblastoma patients whose tumor is characterized by IDH-wild-type mutations is 1.2 years, according to a 2019 study. However, the remaining 9 percent have a type of glioblastoma classified as IDH mutant, with average survival of 3.6 years. In their study, which publishes in JAMA Oncology on Feb. 6, 2020, the researchers tracked the outcomes of 761 newly diagnosed patients at UCSF who had been treated from 1997 through 2017. The patients, whose average age was 60, were divided into four groups with varying risk based on age, treatment protocols, and extent of resections of both contrast-enhancing and non-contrast-enhancing tumor. They identified a group of 62 patients whose average survival was 37.3 months (3.1 years). These patients had IDH-mutant tumors, or were under 65 with IDH-wild-type tumors and had undergone both radiation and chemotherapy with temozolomide in virtually all cases. Each had resections with a median of 100 percent of contrast-enhancing tumor and a median of 90 percent of non-contrast-enhancing tumor. In comparison, their counterparts -- 212 patients under 65 who had received the same therapies, but had more modest resections of the non-enhancing tumor -- survived only 16.5 months (1.4 years) on average, or about half as long. These results were verified with patient cohorts at the Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic's Ohio Brain Tumor Study. Resecting Non-Enhancing Tumor Evens Survival Between Tumor Types Among the group of longer-surviving patients, those with IDH-wild-type tumor did approximately as well as those with the IDH-mutant variant when a portion of the non-contrast enhancing tumor was removed, the authors noted. "The difference was that the patients with IDH-wild-type tumor declined more rapidly after the three-year mark," said first author Annette Molinaro, PhD, from the UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery, and the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. The researchers caution that maximal resection should only be achieved when it can be safely performed using techniques such as intraoperative brain mapping. This means that areas of the brain responsible for speech, motor, sensory and cognition are tested during surgery to ensure that these functional areas are preserved. "There is a survival benefit for maximal resection for patients with glioblastoma, but as surgeons we must remove them in a manner that limits injury to the rest of the brain," said co-author and neurosurgeon Shawn Hervey-Jumper, MD, of the UCSF Brain Tumor Center and of the Weill Institute for Neurosciences. Brain Mapping Is Critical for Aggressive Surgery "Although these data show a survival benefit associated with maximal resection, it remains critically important that we do our best to remove tumor in a manner that will not harm the patient," Hervey-Jumper said, noting that about 80 percent of medical centers do not offer brain mapping. While maximal resection of both enhancing and non-enhancing tumor should always be considered, Molinaro said that we are a long way from achieving a cure for glioblastoma. "It's a complex tumor to treat for a number of reasons," she said. "One challenge is that the blood-brain barrier -- the network of blood vessels that acts as the brain's gatekeeper -- effectively blocks many cancer agents from reaching their target. Another challenge is that these are heterogenous tumors driven by multiple mutations -- if you target one mutation, others will thrive." ### Co-Authors: There were 41 authors from seven institutions: UCSF; Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland; Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston; University Hospitals of Cleveland; Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minn. A full list of authors, funding and disclosures can be found in the published article. Funding: The study was supported by funding from the National Institutes of Health, Loglio Collective, Stanley D. Lewis and Virginia S. Lewis Endowed Chair in Brain Tumor Research, Robert Magnin Newman Endowed Chair in Neuro-Oncology, and donations from families and friends of John Berardi, Helen Glaser, Elvera Olsen, Raymond E. Cooper and William Martinusen at UCSF. Disclosures: Six authors reported that they had received funding from the following organizations: National Cancer Institute, Clinical and Translational Science Center and Case Cancer Center, Loglio Collective, Brain Tumor SPORE, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb, AbbVie, Inc., Genentech/Roche, Merck & Co. and Novartis International AG. About UCSF: The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is exclusively focused on the health sciences and is dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care. UCSF Health, which serves as UCSF's primary academic medical center, includes top-ranked specialty hospitals and other clinical programs, and has affiliations throughout the Bay Area. Learn more at https://www.ucsf.edu, or see our Fact Sheet. (Newser) Ten more people were sickened with a new virus aboard one of two quarantined cruise ships, health officials in Japan said Thursday, as China reported 73 more deaths and announced that the first group of patients were expected to start taking a new antiviral drug. In Yokohama, health workers said 10 more people from the Diamond Princess were confirmed ill with the coronavirus, in addition to 10 others who tested positive on Wednesday. The latest infections included four Japanese, two Americans, two Canadians, one New Zealander, and one Taiwanese, the AP reports. Most were in their 60s and 70s. They were dropped off as the ship docked and transferred to nearby hospitals for further tests and treatment. story continues below The 3,700 people still on board the Diamond Princess face a 14-day quarantine in their cabins. "I'm calling it 'cabin arrest' as opposed to house arrest," Canadian passenger Paul Mirko tells the CBC. "It's a three-meter by five-meter room and we can't leave." He says he feels lucky that at least he and his wife have a cabin facing the outside, with a balcony. The 3,600 people aboard a ship quarantined in Hong Kong, the World Dream, are also being screened after three passengers on a previous voyage were diagnosed with the virus. According to the latest figures early Thursday, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in China jumped by 3,694 to 28,018, and the death toll rose to 563. The number of those "discharged and cured" stood at 1,153. (A baby in Wuhan was born with the virus.) Workstations and high-content screening systems automate the workflows to help researchers generate invaluable insights PerkinElmer, Inc., a global leader committed to innovating for a healthier world, introduced new workstations and a high content screening system at SLAS2020 International Conference and Exhibition, being held on January 2729, at Booth #929 at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California. These technologies automate workflows so that disease research and drug discovery professionals can improve productivity, increase reproducibility, and garner key insights. PerkinElmer highlights these new systems, along with several key offerings from its comprehensive portfolio of instruments and reagents at SLAS2020: JANUS G3 Blood iQ Workstation: for biobanking workflows, it offers front end reformatting of plasma and buffy coat layers from centrifuged blood tubes, enabling highly reproducible, downstream genetic analysis. Sciclone G3 NGSx HT Workstation: helps simplify the miniaturization of NGS library prep. Coupled with a new NEXTFLEX Rapid XP DNA-seq kit, this library preparation workflow is designed to enable researchers to increase their NGS throughput while decreasing their cost per reaction. Opera Phenix Plus High Content Screening System: for fast response analysis of physiologically relevant model systems, this enhancement to PerkinElmers high content imaging platform adds fast frame rate image capture for assays such as cardiomyocyte beat rate monitoring. It also offers an optional liquid handling module to enable assays like Ca2+ flux, important to the study of neurological diseases such as Alzheimers, Huntingtons and Parkinsons. Designed to drive more relevant testing earlier in the drug discovery process, the Opera Phenix Plus system can also be used with two cell cultures, primary cells, 3D organoids, spheroids and microtissues. PerkinElmer is showcasing additional technologies that enable disease research and life sciences: LabChip GX Touch Nucleic Acid Analyzer; explorer G3 Integrated Workstations; MuviCyte Live-Cell Imaging Kit; VICTOR Nivo Multimode Microplate Reader; EnVision Multimode Plate Reader; and EnSight Multimode Plate Reader. SLAS attendees learn about PerkinElmers industry-leading no-wash assay technologies including the Alpha, LANCE Ultra and HTRF assays. The Alpha CETSA assays combine PerkinElmers Alpha and Pelago Biosciences' Cellular Thermal Shift assays (CETSA), which enable the assessment of target engagement in cell-based assays and generate more physiologically-relevant results. These products are for research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. Advancing disease research and bringing new drugs to market quickly is often supported by innovative testing and analysis solutions that deliver fast, more accurate and reproducible results and novel insights, said Alan Fletcher, VP/GM, Life Sciences at PerkinElmer. These new offerings will help scientists and technicians meet key needs across critical lab workflows as they leverage our robust portfolio, spanning from instruments and software, plate readers and integrated workstations, to assays, reagents and services. PerkinElmers experts delivered the following presentations at SLAS2020: The Importance of Sample Management in Precision Medicine: A High-Throughput Biobanking Workflow Solution, An Automated Deep-Learning Workflow for Analyzing HCS Screens, Technical and Workflow Considerations for cfDNA Applications, Taking the Guesswork Out of NGS Library Prep Reaction Miniaturization Syria's air defences on February 6 reportedly intercepted Israeli missiles over the capital city of Damascus. According to reports, the targets of the Israeli missiles were not specified. The missile attack took place from over the Golan Heights region, Levant and also Lebanon's airspace. Syrian air defences countered majority of the Israeli missiles According to reports, the Syrian air defences countered majority of the Israeli missiles before they attacked the set targets. Although, there were no immediate reports of any damage or casualties. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, numerous missiles were fired on the Syrian government forces and Iranian militias located near the capital city of Damascus, including the town of al-Kiswa and Mezze military airport. The SOHR also stated that at least three government and Iranian positions located near Damascus were targeted. #Syria air defense downed missiles fired fm #Israel occupied Golan. 3 waves of aggression. Western Damascus countryside, Artouz, Khan al-Sheeh, and Sa`saa, and the southern Damascus countryside in al-Kiswa and Marj al-Sultan in Eastern Ghouta, and up to the south of Izraa, Daraa pic.twitter.com/7NO18V1bBy vanessa beeley (@VanessaBeeley) February 6, 2020 Read: Islamic State Steps Up Attacks In Syria & Iraq After Losing Territory: UN Experts Read: 'Won't Allow Them To Run ISIS-like Module At Shaheen Bagh And Turn Delhi Into Syria': BJP Israel has time and again attacked Iran-backed militia in Syria According to reports, Israel has time and again attacked Iran-backed militia located in Syria, with a statement that its aim was to eradicate the presence of Iran's military in the region. In a previous incident, Syria's army stated that Israel attacked their Tiyas Military Airbase(T-4 airbase) located in Homs Governorate, north of Tiyas, adding that their air defence mechanism countered numerous aerial strikes that caused minimal damage. According to reports, its air defences also intercepted missiles that were fired from Israel's direction aimed at targets located on the outskirts of the capital city of Damascus. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights(SOHR) is a United Kingdom-based information office whose aim is to catalogue cases of human rights abuses in Syria. Since the year2011, the SOHR has mainly focused on the Syrian Civil War. Read: Israel PM Netanyahu Meets Sudan's Leader To Discuss 'normalisation' Of Relations Read: Chinese Ambassador To Israel Compares Coronavirus Travel Bans To Holocaust, Faces Flak (with inputs from agencies) OXFORD, England and HELSINKI, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Valo Therapeutics Limited (Valo Tx), an immuno-oncology company developing tumour antigen-coated oncolytic viruses as therapeutic vaccines, today announced that it had received additional funding, triggered by positive pre-clinical data, to progress its PeptiCRAd platform into first-in-human clinical trials. The in-vivo data demonstrated a synergistic improvement in tumour clearance when checkpoint inhibitors were combined with Valo Tx's platform. Dr Michael Stein, CEO of Valo Tx, commented, "With our latest funding from existing investors, of EUR1.1m, we've now raised a total of over EUR 10m, which will enable us to further validate our platform to develop antigen-coated oncolytic viruses as therapeutic vaccines. This funding gives us a strong financial basis to progress the GMP manufacture of our lead oncolytic adenovirus using PeptiCRAd into clinical trials in Q1 2021. Our first clinical trial will target melanoma, lung cancer and triple negative breast cancer. To help translate our exceptional science into effective treatments for patients with cancer, we plan to complete a Series A by summer 2020." PeptiCRAd (Peptide-coated Conditionally Replicating Adenovirus) is an innovative way of combining the best features of two clinically proven cancer immunotherapy approaches, an oncolytic adenovirus and a peptide vaccine. PeptiCRAd uses immunogenic viruses as active carriers of tumour-specific peptides to direct the immune system to specifically target and kill cancer cells. Valo's EUR 10m funding comprises the recent EUR 1.1m from existing investors, a non-dilutive loan from The Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation (Business Finland, previously Tekes), and seed capital from private investors. About Valo Tx Valo Therapeutics (Helsinki and Oxford) is an immunotherapy company that is developing antigen-coated oncolytic viruses as anti-cancer therapeutic vaccines. The Valo Tx platform, PeptiCRAd (Peptide-coated Conditionally Replicating Adenovirus), was developed out of the laboratory of Professor Vincenzo Cerullo at the University of Helsinki. It turns oncolytic adenoviruses into targeted tissue specific cancer vaccines without the need to generate and manufacture multiple genetically modified viruses. The company is also developing PeptiENV, among other neoantigen strategies, in collaboration with Professor Cerullo. PeptiENV is expected to improve the therapeutic response to enveloped oncolytic viruses in the treatment of multiple forms of cancer. A film explaining the PeptiCRAd technology can be found here. Contacts Valo Therapeutics Matthew Vaughan Email: [email protected] Scius Communications Katja Stout [email protected] SOURCE Valo Therapeutics Limited More than 900 lab tests for the flu in Chicago came back positive between the end of September and the end of January, compared with 240 for the same time period last year, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health. Because not everyone gets tested, the actual number of cases is likely much higher, officials said. Islamabad: Ehsanullah Ehsan, the former Pakistan Taliban spokesman who was responsible for the shooting of Malala Yousafzai in 2012 and carrying out the deadly Peshawar Army school terror attack in 2014, has escaped from prison, according to a audio clip released by him. In the audio clip, which surfaced on social media on Thursday, Ehsan said that he escaped the confinement of Pakistani security agencies on January 11, claiming Pakistani forces failed to keep their promises made to him during his surrender in 2017. "With the help of God, I succeeded to escape on January 11, 2020 from the confinement of the security forces," he is heard saying in the clip. It would be a big blow to Pakistan and its campaign to eradicate the remnants of Taliban if the clip is proved to be authentic. Without revealing his current location, Ehsan said that he would make a detail statement about the days of his confinement in the coming days as well as about his future plans. Malala, 22, the youngest Nobel Peace prize winner, was shot by a gunman for campaigning for female education in 2012 in Pakistan's Swat Valley. Ehsan was also involved in the one of the most gruesome attacks on children anywhere in the world when 8-10 suicide attackers wearing paramilitary Frontier Corps uniforms on December 16, 2014 entered the Peshawar's Army Public School and went from classroom-to-classroom shooting indiscriminately, killing 149 people including 132 students. Ehsan in the audio clip said that he surrendered to the Pakistani security agencies on February 5, 2017 under an agreement but the forces failed to keep their promise made before the surrender. "I followed the agreement for about three years. But these shrewd security institutions put me in prison along with my children in violation of the agreement, he said, adding that he finally decided to flee from the forces. The authenticity of the audio and veracity of the Ehsan's claim was not verified by the security forces or the Pakistan government. Sunday morning, Pennsylvanias own world-famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil once again predicted an early spring after he did not see his shadow, a prediction so rare that it has only happened 20 times in the 134-year history of Groundhog Day and never two years in a row. Residents of Punxsutawney and visitors from across the nation gathered to see Phil make his highly-anticipated weather prognostication, during Pennsylvanias unique Groundhog Day celebration. Groundhog Day is a beloved Pennsylvania tradition that has been embraced wholeheartedly by communities across the country, said Gov. Tom Wolf. We are honored Phil has called our commonwealth his home for more than 100 years and look forward to continuing to share his prediction with visitors, residents, and the millions watching from their homes. The event now attracts up to 30,000 visitors to Punxsutawney, Jefferson County, located about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Phil has predicted six more weeks of winter weather 104 times while forecasting an early spring 20 times. The story of the holiday tradition declares that if the groundhog emerges early on the morning of February 2 and sees his shadow, we will have six more weeks of winter weather. Should he not see his shadow, we will have an early spring. The annual event began in 1886, when a spirited group of groundhog hunters dubbed themselves The Punxsutawney Groundhog Club and proclaimed Punxsutawney Phil to be the one and only weather prognosticating groundhog. Knowing that the world looks forward to Punxsutawney Phils prognostication every year brings joy to our hearts, said Groundhog Club Inner Circle President Bill Deeley. At only 22 inches and 20 pounds, Phil might be small, but he is still Americas favorite furry weather forecaster. Punxsutawney was originally a Native American campsite. Its location is situated halfway between the Allegheny and Susquehanna rivers, which made it convenient for travel. In fact, the town is located on the earliest known trail to the east, the Shamokin Path. Punxsutawney was officially incorporated as a borough in 1850 and has a current population of nearly 5,500. Avigdor Liberman, the hawkish chair of the Yisrael Beitenu party, is changing direction. In a Feb. 4 interview with the Ynet news site, he proclaimed with complete certainty, I know there won't be a unity government, but a Zionist and liberal government." When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival, Blue and White party Chair Benny Gantz, were trying, each to no avail, to form a government following the September 2019 elections, Liberman was the one who insisted he would not join either one of them unless they formed a unity government. He even presented a four-stage plan for such a coalition government, which would entail forming a team of Likud, Blue and White and Yisrael Beitenu representatives to formulate guidelines on defense, economic and social issues, and on the issue closest to his heart relations between state and religion. Other parties, according to his blueprint, could join the trilateral coalition only if they adopted the agreed guidelines. Presumably, the guidelines that Liberman meant to stipulate would have left the ultra-Orthodox, Arab and hard right parties (except for the Likud) out of the unity government. After all, he has been waging almost daily war against all of them. Liberman even generously declared over and over that he is fine with staying out of a unity government if the Likud and Blue and White decide to go it together, without any others. In the ensuing months, Libermans circumstances have changed. Netanyahu withdrew his request for Knesset immunity from prosecution and the bribery indictment against him was filed Jan. 28 in the Jerusalem District Court. Libermans already hostile relationship with Netanyahu has deteriorated further, and US President Donald Trump unveiled his deal of the century for Israeli-Palestinian peace, which pulled the rug out from under one of Libermans main agenda items exchanging lands and populations of Israeli Arabs, as set out in his partys vision. His partys 2015 election campaign slogan was, Ariel for Israel, Umm al-Fahm for Palestine (in reference to the West Bank settlement town of Ariel and the Arab-Israeli town of Umm al-Fahm). Two points are worth noting in Libermans 2015 slogan. One is that he spoke of Palestine, meaning the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. The second noteworthy point was his mention of Umm al-Fahm and other towns and villages in the Wadi Ara region as if no Israelis lived there. At the time, it sounded like an absurd, radical plan of a desperate politician, but to his surprise, and perhaps amazement, Netanyahu stole his land swap idea. Haaretz reported Feb. 4 that back in 2017, Netanyahu proposed to senior Trump administration officials that they include the transfer of Arab residents from the so-called Triangle region of central Israel to Palestinian control as part of the deal of the century. That proposal would have included even more citizens and towns and villages than the one Liberman originally envisioned. If Liberman sticks to his newly adopted position ruling out a unity government, he will probably be the one who crowns Gantz prime minister after the March 2 elections. After the September voting, Liberman rejected a request to support a minority government led by Gantz. Now that Liberman is certain a unity government will not be formed, and given his barely veiled enmity for Netanyahu, the foregone conclusion is that Liberman plans to support Gantz as leader of a coalition government comprised of parties he defines Zionist and liberal." And in a Feb. 5 radio interview, the hawkish politician did not rule out partnership in a government comprised, inter alia, of the left-wing, Zionist Meretz party. The Arab Joint List is still waiting for Gantz to disavow the Trump plan, or at least the chapter that discusses the population transfer option. Party sources told Al-Monitor that Gantzs thundering and disappointing silence on this issue prove that Gantz and Liberman are in cahoots. A party source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he does not have concrete evidence of any deal between Blue and White and Yisrael Beitenu, but the Joint List believes Gantz has adopted a strategic decision to prefer Liberman to the alliance of Arab parties in order to obtain his support for forming a government after the elections. Indeed, that is how it looks. Gantz expressed support for the Trump plan unveiled Jan. 28 and even promised to bring it to the Knesset for approval. As I wrote here previously, the Joint List was quick to threaten it would withdraw its support for Gantz, would not recommend to the president that he be tasked with forming Israels next government and would not even support a Gantz-led government in Knesset votes but Gantz did not address the transfer issue. He maintained his silence even in the face of protests from some in his party Knesset members Yair Lapid, Yael German and Ofer Shelah creating the impression that he had decided to abandon residents of the Triangle and Wadi Ara, so that he would be able to form a government with Liberman but without the Joint Arab List. Gantz is obviously aware of the latest polls. The heads of the Joint List believe, based on their impressions of the campaign trail, that they will surprise everyone and improve their showing in March, getting 15 or even 16 seats in the next Knesset (compared with 13 in September 2019). Even if it only maintains its current support, Gantzs silence on such a germane issue is an admission that he is giving up the support of Israels Arab parties in favor of Libermans. Thus, even before the first vote has been cast in Israels third round of elections within less than a year, Liberman is once again the man holding the keys to the establishment of Israels next government and to the identity of Israels next prime minister. Gantz is wrong if he believes he can wait until after the elections to voice his reservations about the deal of the century and then reconcile with the Arab Joint List and things will work out. By then, he may even have lost potential voters, supporters of the political center and left, who refuse to vote for an advocate of transferring the countrys Arab citizens to another state. Deciding to start estrogen or testosterone treatment is a more serious decision. They cause cosmetic changes that are difficult to reverse, including body fat redistribution and voice changes. For this reason, medical guidelines recommend that they generally not be provided until age 16, or at the earliest, 14. Though the evidence is still emerging, all existing data suggests that access to estrogen or testosterone is associated with improved mental health for these kids. There has been growing attention to the idea that some youth who start estrogen or testosterone will later choose to stop it. That appears to be rare. Our group from Harvard Medical School recently published a case of an adolescent who started estrogen and chose to stop. That young person told us they did not regret the trial of estrogen and that it helped them to better understand their gender identity, even though they now have some cosmetic changes to their body (mostly body fat and hair redistribution). In other cases, kids de-transition because their communities place so much pressure on them to be cisgender that they feel they have no choice. While conservatives highlight that youth may later regret the physical changes from estrogen or testosterone, the doctors who take care of these patients know it is far more likely that a young transgender person will have regrets when physicians refuse to provide the medical care to pause the puberty that is actively distressing them. The potential benefits of providing gender-affirmative care typically outweigh the minor risks associated with treatment. These medications are administered only after thoughtful conversations between patient, family and physician. Medical interventions are not started without all three being on board and understanding the risks and benefits. Legislation that puts these decisions in the hands of the government instead of families and physicians is dangerous. Conservatives also like to use phrases like sex change surgery to scare the general public. Under current medical guidelines, genital surgeries for transgender patients are never offered before adulthood. The only surgeries that are sometimes considered before the patient is an adult is the removal of breast tissue. It is something that requires careful evaluation before proceeding. Furthermore, youth who need this surgery are generally those who were not able to obtain puberty blockers, subsequently developed significant breast tissue, then had strong negative emotional reactions to their chest. Easier access to puberty blockers in the first place could eliminate the need for this kind of surgery. State legislators need to educate themselves about these young people and their medical care before introducing legislation that will hurt them. They need to reach out to physicians and professional medical societies for input. They need to talk to the researchers in this area, and most important, they need to bring in the transgender youth themselves. If their bodies are going to be legislated, they should have the opportunity to be heard by the legislators who would do this to them. The medical profession has made it clear: This kind of legislation is dangerous and should not become law. Dr. Jack Turban (@jack_turban) is a resident physician in child and adolescent psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital, where he researches the mental health of transgender youth. The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. Wed like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. A primitive turtle species found in modern-day France managed to survive the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago. Remains of 70 separate Laurasichersis relicta turtles were found fossilised in a quarry that dates back to around 56 million years ago. The study proves the bizarre and diminutive animal was the only primitive turtle to survive the mass extinction event in the Northern hemisphere. Experts believe these animals were around 24 inches (60cm) long and could not retract their head within their shell. Researchers studying the fossils are still unsure what allowed this species to survive when so many others died out. Scroll down for video Laurasichersis relicta is a primitive species of turtle. It existed in the Northern hemisphere around 56 million years ago (pictured, an artist's impression) Experts believe these animals were around 24 inch (60cm) long and could not retract their head within their shell. Skull fragments and shards of shell and limbs were found in a french quarry WHAT WAS LAURASICHERSIS RELICTA? Laurasichersis relicta is a primitive species of turtle. It existed in the Northern hemisphere around 56 million years ago. The only evidence for its existence lies in 70 fossils found in modern-day France. Experts believe these animals were around 24 inch (60cm) long and could not retract their head within their shell to protect themselves from predators. They had a heavily armoured shell and hard spikes on its neck, legs, and tail to fend of predators. Advertisement 'The reason why Laurasichersis survived the great extinction, while none of the other primitive North American, European or Asian land turtles managed to do so, remains a mystery,' the sole author of the study Dr Adan Perez-Garcia from the National Distance Education University (UNED) in Madrid, Spain said. More evolved turtles, which are similar to what we see today, also survived the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction triggered by a meteor impact. But primitive turtles, which lived at the same time, were less able to adapt to the rapidly changing environment. The difference between the two types of turtles lies in their physical capabilities. Primitive turtles had shells made up of several different pieces and were unable to retract their head inside their shells for protection from predators. Modern turtles are able to hide their head inside their shell for protection. Several of these species survived the cataclysmic fall-out following the meteor that crashed into what is now modern-day Mexico and formed the famed Chicxulub crater. New research published in the journal Scientific Reports found remnants of shells, limbs and skulls of the primitive turtles, and a decade-long project endeavoured to learn about their lives and evolutionary history. It revealed adults were around two foot (60cm) long and had a heavily armoured shell and hard spikes on its neck, legs, and tail to fend off predators. Laurasichersis relicta is a primitive species of turtle. It existed in the Northern hemisphere around 56 million years ago. The only evidence for its existence lies in 70 fossils found in modern-day France (pictured) Primitive turtles had a shell made up of several different pieces and were unable to retract their head inside their shells for protection from predators. Analysis of the shell shards (pictured) revealed it was more complex that many modern turtles Pictured, a graphic showing how the different turtle species evolved. the pale yellow lineage is the modern turtles that lived in the north and south and survived the extinction. Laurasichersis relicta is seen existing after the ass extinction event (horizontal yellow line) and descending from a long-extinct ancestor Sichuanchelyidae The sole researcher Dr Adan Perez-Garcia at National Distance Education University (UNED) in Madrid, Spain says the species lived in Laurasia which eventually fractured and became the entire Northern hemisphere. However, no other sites have been found with surviving fossils of the species, which means how long they lived and what caused their eventual extinction is a mystery. Primitive turtle species were abundant before the mass extinction. But in the Northern hemisphere, none had been found that survived the extinction event. However, in the Southern hemisphere, one of these archaic turtles also endured the volcanic fallout. In what was then Gondwana, before the contents split into what we recognise today, a horned primitive turtle also survived the extinction, It flourished in the ensuing millions of years and only died after the last ice age around 10,000 years ago when prehistoric humans hunted it to extinction. DETROIT - On the morning after the Iowa caucuses, as the nation awoke to news of another electoral debacle, Mike Bloomberg stood on a stage in an old warehouse here, feigning little concern. "I hear something happened in Iowa - or didn't happen, I don't know which," the billionaire and former New York City mayor told the crowd, adding that he had been asleep on a plane to Michigan as the results were supposed to be coming in. When he awoke, Bloomberg recalled, he asked someone the outcome, "and the guy said, 'Nothing.' I still can't figure it out." While the rest of the Democratic field tries to recover from Iowa and pivot to New Hampshire, Bloomberg is seizing the moment to gain an advantage - doubling his television spending in key states, expanding his staff to more than 2,000, and traveling the country to introduce himself as a competent and accomplished manager. The sheer size and machine-like efficiency of Bloomberg's campaign, for which he has already paid more than $200 million of his own fortune, is distinct compared with the troubling performance of party leaders in Iowa and stumbling by former vice president Joe Biden. Bloomberg, 77, began his campaign too late to qualify for the early primary states that often make or break presidential candidates. Instead, he has focused on delegate-rich Super Tuesday states, which will vote in early March, hoping to nudge Biden aside as the moderate alternative to Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. Former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg, who finished strong in Iowa, is also vying for the moderate mantle. Bloomberg in recent weeks has rolled out repeated endorsements, including from several prominent African American mayors. His TV ads are airing in 27 states, including California, Michigan, Florida and Texas. And he is now in fourth place in a Washington Post average of polls, with support from 8% of Democratic voters nationally. The muscle of Bloomberg's campaign was on vivid display in Philadelphia, where he traveled after Detroit, as he staged a rally at the National Constitution Center that featured a laser show and a buffet that included free wine, beer, pasta and sandwiches. "Bloomberg 2020, make some noise, Philadelphia!" a DJ shouted as the grand entrance hall to the center filled with people, a crowd that his campaign said exceeded 2,000 and was the largest it had seen. No fewer than eight introductory speakers - some wearing "I Like Mike" T-shirts - portrayed the former mayor as a veritable savior-in-waiting who can restore civility in Washington. When it was his turn to speak, a moment for which the lights dimmed and he was twice introduced as the next president, Bloomberg said Democrats need a candidate who can "unite the party and go toe-to-toe with Donald Trump." While his rivals were racing from Iowa to New Hampshire for Friday's debate and next week's primary, Bloomberg was flying to Michigan and expressing little interest in what was happening anywhere else. "I'm here in Michigan because this is a state we absolutely must win in November if we're going to beat Donald Trump," he told the crowd in Detroit. Bloomberg's stops in Philadelphia and Detroit were part of a 48-hour whirlwind tour that began in California as he intensified his effort to distinguish his unorthodox, self-funded campaign from those of his Democratic rivals. Over the course of the trip, which included stops in Sacramento, Fresno and Compton, California, Bloomberg never mentioned his Democratic opponents by name, saying only that if there's another nominee - "God forbid," he interjected each time - he would support them. Instead, Bloomberg spoke as if he were already the Democrats' choice, devoting the bulk of his focus to singling out the president, whom he described as a bully and a liar while declaring himself "the Un-Trump." "There's nothing that Donald Trump can do or say that can hurt me," Bloomberg said, a line he repeated to applause at each event. "He's not going to bully me, and I'm not going to let him bully you." Bloomberg, in an interview in Detroit, said he does not name his Democratic rivals during his speeches because that would only help them. "Why give them the courtesy?" he asked. "I'm running against Donald Trump. To the extent these people are running against me, my polls are going up while theirs are going down." Bloomberg's Philadelphia appearance was a show of force in the city where Biden's campaign headquarters is located. It also came a day after the former vice president's weak showing in Iowa. Yet Bloomberg waved off the suggestion that he is counting on Biden faltering. "It's true if some people aren't in the race it would be easier," he said of Biden, whom he described as a "very nice guy" and a "business friend." "I think you have to assume he's going all the way, and we've got to make a better case," Bloomberg said. "I would never criticize him, and I assume he would never criticize me." Asked about Sanders, he said, "Conventional wisdom is that Sanders and Warren are bad and when they get a good story in the paper, the stock market does go down a little bit." "Maybe after the nomination they can change their spots," he said, envisioning a scenario where either is the Democrats' candidate in the fall. "People do that all the time." For the most part, Bloomberg's audiences greeted him warmly, except for a man who showed up in Compton with a sign that said, "Billionaires should not buy elections," and who shouted, "No more billionaires!" If they weren't yet sold on Bloomberg, many voters said they were intrigued, viewing him as a New Yorker like Trump who has the money and mettle to challenge the president. "They're on the same playing field," said Fran Pollack, 70, a retired legal assistant who turned out for Bloomberg's appearance in Philadelphia. "He's a formidable opponent for Trump. We need someone who can take him on." Her husband, Stan, a retired salesman, was also checking out Bloomberg, if only because he has lately found himself questioning whether Biden "would be viable if you put him up in a debate against Trump." "Is Biden tough enough?" he asked. "The thing I like about Mike is that he's tough." Others were curious but unwilling to commit to a candidate they said they know little about, despite his ubiquitous commercials and their unceasing mantra, "Mike Will Get It Done." "I'm checking out Bloom-Bloom-," Nina Cole Davis, 74, said, struggling to remember his name after he spoke at a community center in Compton. "I'm impressed with" - she paused for a moment - "Bloomie?" Her candidate, she said, is Biden, "because of his relationship with former president Barack Obama. There was a brotherhood there that's very moving." Bloomberg's appearances were on time and tightly choreographed as he stuck to remarks he read off teleprompters. At moments, he appeared to ad-lib, though not always with ideal results, such as in Compton when he referred to the pop star Shakira as "Shareka." Everywhere he went, an entourage of advisers, aides and reporters followed, traveling on a plane chartered by the campaign, the journalists' expenses reimbursed by news organizations. If Trump is often boastful and bombastic, Bloomberg is self-deprecating and droll. Speaking in a soft nasal voice, he described himself not as the owner of grand homes in New York, London and Bermuda but as a man who grew up "middle class" and who financed college by parking cars and taking out loans, "all of which I've paid back." At moments, he talked as if he were a mere spectator to a campaign he has funded with his personal fortune. "How many offices do we have in California - does anyone know?" he called out to his staff from the stage during a stop at a Sacramento coffee shop. Recalling the large crowd that turned out for him in Phoenix recently, he said, "You want to pinch yourself, they're all here to see you." Then he added that they had turned out because of what he had accomplished, "the people I put together." At every appearance, he made sure to list his accomplishments as New York City's mayor, never failing to mention teacher raises, the construction of affordable housing and that he took over a "tattered city" after the 9/11 attacks. "We began to write a comeback story," he said. As he listened in Compton, Gregory Hayes, 63, recalled another aspect of Bloomberg's mayoralty - the "stop and frisk" policy that led to police officers stopping a disproportionate number of African Americans. Just before announcing his presidential bid, Bloomberg apologized for supporting the policy. "We don't want an apology," said Davis, a retired bus driver. "We want us something of substance - money, cash - so people can buy a house and send their kids to school because you stopped their dreams. We want someone to repair the harm done to them people." Marjorie Shipp, a retired teacher who attended Bloomberg's Compton appearance, said she received a mass mailing from his campaign recently and was delighted that it did not ask for a contribution. "That's the first time that's ever happened," Shipp said. "He sounds like a good guy. But they all do. I'll keep listening." - - - The Washington Post's Emily Guskin in Washington contributed to this report. Tiger Shroff is back as the rebel in his greatest battle as the actor dropped the explosive action-filled trailer of 'Baaghi 3' on Thursday. The 29-year-old actor shared the trailer on Twitter and wrote, "The rebel is back & this time he's up against a nation to fight his greatest battle! Catch the explosive" #Baaghi3Trailer #SajidNadiadwala" The three-minute-forty-one second trailer shows Ronnie (Tiger) crossing boundaries to fight evil elements for his brother Vikram, essayed by Ritesh Deshmukh who is a cop. The two brothers share a lovable bond. Vikram is seen travelling to Syria for an exam where he is held hostage by a group of terrorists. It depicts the journey of Vikram to save his brother amid the hardships. It also features Shraddha Kapoor who essays the love interest of Vikram. Earlier, Tiger released the poster of the flick in which, Tiger is seen facing a tank with a rifle in his hand. The subhead to the poster reads "This time he is up against a nation" giving a hint about what Ronnie (Tiger) has to deal with in 'Baaghi 3'. 'Baaghi 3' is the third installment of the action-thriller franchise 'Baaghi'. Helmed by Ahmed Khan, and produced by Fox Star Studios India the flick is expected to release in March 2020. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) is making himself busy. He is planning to hold a series of meetings in the coming days. The Chief Minister is holding District Collectors conference at Pragathi Bhavan on February 11. After that he will meet elected representatives of local bodies. Apart from Ministers and Legislators, the participants include Mandal Parishad presidents, Zilla Parishad chairpersons, Municipal Chairmen and Mayors of Municipal Corporations and their respective deputies. According to estimates, the gathering will be around 5,000. Will attend TRS sources said initially KCR proposed to invite even MPTCs and ZPTCs to the meeting before eventually dropping the idea. TRS leaders are planning to hold this meeting at Kongara Kalan, although KCR is yet to take a call on the venue. Before the 2018 Assembly elections TRS held a massive Pragathi Nivedana Sabha at Kongara Kalan. In the Collectors meeting, the Chief Minister will explain about proposed new Revenue Act and governments priorities. Meanwhile, local body representatives will be enlightened about the new Municipal Act, according to which public representatives of local bodies will lose their posts if they make mistakes. KCR will caution them against goof-ups, deliberate or otherwise, and urge them to live up to the expectations of the people. They will also be advised to ensure implementation of various government schemes without indulging in any form of corruption. Apparently, he realises that the welfare schemes have benefited the people, and that is the reason they are voting for TRS in every election. Meanwhile, the Budget session of the Assembly was scheduled to commence from the last week of the month. Sources said that the session may be postponed to the first week of March. KCR will hold a TRS Legislature Party meeting to discuss the strategy to be adopted in the Assembly. The Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) has called on the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine to amend draft law No.2590 On amendments to certain laws of Ukraine on citizenship so that to implement practical security mechanisms under the conditions of the Russian Federations aggression, and the continued engagement of the Ukrainian diaspora in Ukraines development and international support. The relevant statement is posted on the UWC website. The issue of citizenship involves important security and political considerations and is, therefore, a very sensitive topic both for Ukrainians in Ukraine as well as Ukrainians living abroad. The UWC is prepared to continue working with the relevant Verkhovna Rada committees on drafting the outlined proposals, stated UWC President Paul Grod. In a letter to Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Dmytro Razumkov and leaders of party factions and groups, UWC President Paul Grod emphasized UWCs consistent call for the liberalization of laws on citizenship and underscored the importance of creating effective safeguards in the interest of national security. In particular, the UWC proposals include: simplification of the citizenship process for individuals who have the status of Ukrainian living outside Ukraine to further enable their participation in Ukraines development; the provision of opportunities for Ukrainians living outside Ukraine to work in state and municipal administrations of Ukraine; the implementation of effective security measures: the introduction of a pledge of allegiance to Ukraine upon first receiving a Ukrainian passport. iy $675 million appeal to stop coronavirus in its tracks, as deaths rise 5 February 2020 - The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) appealed on Wednesday for $675 million to boost international measures to counter the new coronavirus epidemic, as deaths from the outbreak neared 500. Speaking in Geneva, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that latest data indicated 24,363 confirmed infections in China and 490 deaths from the respiratory disease (2019-nCoV), which was declared on 31 December. "In the last 24 hours, we had the most cases in a single day since the outbreak started (3925 new cases globally)," he said. Noting the concern generated by the virus, Tedros added that "we must not forget how difficult it is for the people of Wuhan", in reference to the city at the epicentre of the outbreak in central China. Outside China, 191 cases have been reported in 24 countries and there has been one death in the Philippines, the WHO Director-General told journalists. Of that number, 31 cases are people with no travel history to China, he explained, but all of them are close to contacts of confirmed cases, or to someone from the hotspot city of Wuhan, where the epidemic originated. 'Window of opportunity' to stop transmission This "relatively small number" of infections outside China which is home to 99 per cent of cases, with 80 per cent of these in Hubei province alone has presented a "window of opportunity" to prevent the outbreak from developing into a global crisis, the WHO Director-General insisted. Highlighting that the UN health agency's major concern is that the virus could reach countries without the capacity to detect infections, Mr. Tedros urged the international community to show solidarity political, technical and financial to ensure that it does not spread further. "My biggest worry is that there are countries today who do not have the systems in place to detect people who have contracted the virus, even if it were to emerge", he said. "Urgent support is needed to bolster weak health systems to detect, diagnose and care for people with the virus, to prevent further human to human transmission and protect health workers." 'Only as strong as our weakest link' "We are only as strong as our weakest link", he said, adding that the WHO has released $9 million from its emergency financial reserves to help combat the epidemic. In addition, WHO has distributed some 500,000 facemasks, along with 350,000 medical gloves, 40,000 respiratory kits and around 18,000 isolation gowns to 24 countries. The agency has also sent some 250,000 test samples to more than 70 laboratories around the world to speed up virus detection. "But we need to do more", he said, before outlining how the $675 million strategic preparedness and response appeal would support countries to protect their populations with better prevention measures and speedier diagnosis. "We understand that people are worried and concerned, and rightly so," he said. "But this is not a time for fear this is not a time for panic. It's is a time for rational, evidence-based action and investment while we still have a window of opportunity to bring this outbreak under control." No proven therapeutics to treat virus To date there is no proven drug to treat the coronavirus, Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, told journalists. Confirming that a small WHO team of international epidemiology experts was expected to visit China "to learn from Chinese counterparts", Dr Ryan noted that the infection predominantly affects older patients with pre-existing conditions. "Providing respiratory support (to affected individuals) is very important," he added, noting that while some deaths were linked to multiple organ failure, very sick patients will survive if they receive sufficient and timely care. The WHO believes that the outbreak poses a "very high" risk in China and a high risk regionally and globally. Its risk assessment is based on factors including the likelihood of further spread, the potential impact on human health, and the varying levels of effectiveness in national preparedness and response measures. Accelerated action, as called for in Wednesday's appeal, can address these risks and areas requiring support, the agency said in a statement. UN food agencies offer support to China The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) wrote to the Chinese premier on Wednesday, jointly expressed solidarity and offering support as the country battles the outbreak. In a joint letter to President Xi Jinping, the heads of the three agencies - FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, President of IFAD Gilbert Houngbo, and WFP Executive Director David Beasley - paid tribute to the resilience of the Chinese people and praised the efforts made by the country dealing with the emergency. Describing the outbreak as a "health challenge for China and the rest of the world," the three Rome-based agencies pledged readiness to provide support, based on their respective areas of expertise, to China's efforts to alleviate the impact of the virus on the population, particularly in rural areas. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DALLAS, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Securus Foundation is honored to announce their participation in the upcoming Hope Summit for restoring hope for returning citizens this week in Dallas, Texas. The Securus Foundation along with their CEO and President Dawn Freeman will be a title sponsor at the summit. "One of the goals of this event is to engage candid conversation about our justice system with individuals and organizations who work in the Public Safety sector," CEO and President of The Securus Foundation, Dawn Freeman said. "Through this conversation the hope is to collectively develop solutions leading to systemic change and criminal justice reform within the State of Texas." The Hope Summit is a pivotal overview of the present state and future plan for prison and criminal justice reform, with the added purpose of offering hope, resources and restoration to all justice involved individuals. The Securus Foundation supports the importance of this Hope Summit and the potential impact it will have throughout the community. What: In partnership with State Rep. Carl Sherman, When: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7. Where: Cedar Valley College will host the Hope Summit In addition to The Securus Foundation, Hope Summit participants include, but not limited to, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot, Texas Workforce Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez III, community advocate and author Letitia Scott-Jackson, and local pastors George Mason and Dr. Rickie Rush. "We are privileged to work with these notable participants for such a worthy cause that is near and dear to our hearts," Freeman said. "We look forward to the summit and the community response to the call to action from these efforts." The event will have four breakout sessions on topics ranging from career pathways and life within the justice system to support reinvestment. The purpose of the summit is to bring together community leaders and elected officials to form a plan of action to better meet the challenges of returning citizens reintegrating into society and the reform process as a whole. The Hope Summit will take place in Building E in the Performance Hall at Cedar Valley. To register to attend, search Eventbrite or follow: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hope-summit-tickets-80503047783 . The event is free, but tickets are limited. About The Securus Foundation: Headquartered in Carrollton, Texas, the vision of The Securus Foundation is to modernize the reentry process to increase successful community reengagement. The Securus Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization, formed exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. The Securus Foundation's primary function is to develop, organize, and/or streamline services in conjunction with government agencies, service providers, non-profits, faith-based organizations, community partners, colleges and universities, and formerly incarcerated individuals that desire to establish or improve reentry processes to reduce recidivism across the United States. To learn more about The Securus Foundation, please visit www.thesecurusfoundation.org. Contact: Dawn Freeman [email protected] SOURCE Securus Foundation Related Links https://www.thesecurusfoundation.org/ Ayodhya, Feb 6 : A phone call from Union Home Minister Amit Shah appears to have pacified the saints of Ayodhya who were in an agitated mood over the constitution of the "Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust by the Modi government. The saints, after an assurance by the union home minister, have postponed their meeting scheduled to be held at Digambar Akhara on Thursday evening. "We have postponed the meeting for now," said Mahant Kamal Nayan Das. Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, who had earlier said that the exclusion of saints from the new trust announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, was an 'insult to the people of Ayodhya', later told reporters that he was ready to 'give some time' to BJP leaders on the issue. The local BJP MLA Ved Prakash Gupta who had earlier been turned away, also met the Mahant and pacified the saints. The saints are upset over the fact that the saint community has not been given adequate representation in the 15-member trust. A large number of saints had collected at the Maniram Chavni ashram of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, the chief trustee of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, on Thursday morning to express their disapproval of the trust. The saints had been demanding that Mahant Nritya Gopal Das be appointed as head of the new trust. The Centre, however, has named K. Parasaran, the main lawyer of the Hindu side in the Supreme Court, as the head of the trust. Mahant Nritya Gopal Das also expressed 'surprise' at the formation of the trust. "Those who have made sacrifices for the temple movement have been completely ignored. This is an insult to the saints of Ayodhya," he told reporters. Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, designated successor to Nritya Gopal Das, said that the Vaishnav Samaj had been completely ignored in the trust. "We do not accept this trust," he said. Commenting on the inclusion of Bimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra, the Ayodhya Raja, in the trust, the saint said that he was a political leader who had contested election on a BSP ticket. He said that Mishra had nothing to do with the Ayodhya movement. Mahant Suresh Das of Digambar Akhara has also voiced his opposition to the new trust which "includes those who were nowhere in the temple movement." Mahant Paramhans Das of Tapasvi Chavni, who had put forward the name of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat as head of the trust, has started an indefinite fast in protest at the Bilardeeh Shiva temple in Chandauli. Register with JOC.com and receive 5 free pieces of content for the first thirty days. After thirty days, you will receive 3 pieces of content and after sixty days you will receive 1 piece of content. To receive full access, Subscribe Today . You can also subscribe to our daily newsletter. Register Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-07 00:16:26|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ABUJA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Up to 250 militants of an extremist group were killed in a combat operation by the police in Nigeria's central northern state of Kaduna, a police spokesman said on Thursday. High profile members of the outlawed Ansaru extremist group were among those killed when a combined team of the police forces, backed by helicopters, launched the operation on Wednesday against the group's hideout at Kuduru Forest in Kaduna, Frank Mba, the national police spokesman said in a statement made available to Xinhua in Abuja. The operation in the Kuduru forest in the neighborhood of Birnin Gwari in Kaduna lasted for several hours, Mba said. "The operation, which commenced in the early hours of Wednesday, was necessitated by actionable intelligence linking terror and criminal elements in the super-camp to series of terror-related violence, kidnappings, gun-running, cattle rustling and other heinous crimes across the country," Mba said. One police helicopter, which provided aerial and intelligence cover for the ground troops was hit by the militants using "sophisticated anti-aircraft rifles", he said. The police spokesperson said the pilot and the co-pilot successfully landed the aircraft at the air force base in Kaduna, and both officers who "sustained non-life threatening injuries" had received treatment. Mba said the Ansaru group had been terrorizing citizens in the northern part of the country, killing and kidnapping citizens, as well as other violent crimes. According to local media, Ansaru announced its existence in 2012,and has since carried out a spate of kidnappings, particularly of foreign nationals. Reports said the group was a splinter from Boko Haram. Enditem BATON ROUGE, La. - More than 20 Louisiana state fire marshal employees are heading to Puerto Rico on Thursday to help with earthquake recovery efforts. Gov. John Bel Edwards announced the plans Wednesday after signing off on the deployment request from Puerto Ricos governor. We have our fair share of natural disasters in Louisiana, and because of our experience with destruction and devastation, our first responders are second to none, Edwards said in a statement. The Democratic governors office said Louisiana is sending 23 people from the fire marshals office, including deputies, building inspectors, plan reviewers and specialists in urban search and rescue. The group will help assess the thousands of damaged buildings for safety issues and is expected to be in Puerto Rico for 16 days. Puerto Rico has been shaken by continuing earthquakes for more than a month. Louisianas assistance will be reimbursed through a co-ordinated emergency assistance compact among U.S. states and territories. When 18-year-old Joseph bought a pill at a fun fair in the French Riviera resort of Cannes, he was convinced it was morphine. He didn't know that it contained the powerful opioid painkiller fentanyl, a few milligrammes of which can be lethal. Joseph died of an overdose later that evening in December 2016. He'd already taken an antianxiety medication earlier on and the cocktail of drugs killed him. Such tragedies have become commonplace in the United States, where, according to the government, fentanyl and other synthetic, or man-made, opioids killed 32,000 people in 2018. Until now, Europe has managed to avoid a crisis of this scale, but police and experts warn that the continent could yet be hit. More fentanyl is on the market and is leading to surges in overdose deaths in some countries. "Outside of really specific circumstances, such as people in the final stages of cancer, taking fentanyl is worse than playing Russian roulette," Joseph's mother, Juliette Boudre, said. Her son first became addicted to tranquilizers, before gradually turning to painkillers such as codeine. "The disturbing thing about fentanyl is the profile of consumers," Les Fiander, head of Europol's drugs team, said. "The consumers are quite young and they don't know what they're taking, because fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs, with heroine, with cocaine. "That represents a big potential danger for individuals who have no tolerance to opioids," he said. - Serial killer - Months earlier, music icon Prince had also died, aged 57, after an accidental overdose involving fentanyl. His death symbolises the devastation wreaked by the substance which in the US has become a veritable serial killer. The drug is available on prescription as a pain relief patch, a nasal spray or a pill to dissolve under the tongue. Many patients overdose after misusing prescribed fentanyl, or after buying fentanyl or other opioids under the counter. Fifty times stronger than heroin and up to 100 times more potent than morphine, the opioid is also produced illegally, mostly in China and Mexico. It can be ordered on the dark net, arriving through the post in the form of powder or tablets. The yellowish substance is then smoked, sniffed, injected or transformed into a tablet. Fentanyl can be lethal from as little as two milligrammes, equivalent to a few grains of sand. But traffickers and users are rarely capable of measuring quantities so precisely. The epidemic in the US was sparked by doctors, lured by some in the pharmaceutical industry, overprescribing opioid pain medication. President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a "public health emergency" in October 2017. The situation in Europe, however, is different, experts told AFP. Doctors are careful not to overprescribe opioids such as fentanyl to patients who don't need them, Paul Griffiths, scientific director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), said. Nevertheless a number of opioids prescribed in Europe are beginning to cause concern, notably tramadol which can lead to dependency and overdoses when misused. The crisis in the US has also made hard drug users in Europe wary, said Magali Martinez, a researcher for the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT). "Most of them consider fentanyl to be dangerous because of the high risk of overdosing." But, she added, the drug is also perceived as "uninteresting", as "its effect is described as debilitating rather than euphoric". - Descent into hell - Addiction to fentanyl in Europe is rare, but cases do exist. Jacques, whose name has been changed for this story, became hooked on the opioid despite working in the health sector and being aware of the risk of addiction. A regular cocaine user, the 50-year-old French man turned to the substance after his divorce and a motorbike accident that left him with several fractured bones. It marked the beginning of a descent into hell, Jacques said. The first few hits were satisfying, giving him the illusion of happiness and connection to other people. But soon he began needing more, going from two to three sniffs a day, to a daily dose of five or six small spray bottles. The symptoms gradually got worse. Drowsiness at work, sweating fits, dizzy spells, nausea, constipation and sharp pain in the legs plagued his days. He used his professional status and a few tricks to access the drug for five years. Twice, Jacques overdosed. His friends saved him, but despite the close calls he couldn't stop himself. "I was trapped. I couldn't get any pleasure out of it, only suffering. "The last two years, every three days I would tell myself 'I quit'. But my whole life was focused on the next fix." He hasn't touched fentanyl for 12 months now, which he credits to daily meetings at Narcotics Anonymous. - Sophisticated networks - The EMCDDA does not have figures for deaths specifically related to fentanyl in Europe. For 2017, it recorded 8,200 overdose deaths in the continent taking all types of drugs into account. Of these, about 70 percent were linked to opioids, and out of those, the majority were attributed to heroin, Griffiths said. But an overdose is rarely due to a single drug, and a lack of precise data could mean that the role of fentanyl and its multiple derivatives -- substances with very similar molecular structures -- is slipping under the radar, the EMCDDA says. That's a fear shared by Joseph's mother. At the time of his death, there was no investigation. Fentanyl was only detected several weeks later when Boudre managed to get one of the pills that had been hidden by her son analysed, thanks to a friend in the police. In Europe, seizures of the drug are on the rise. Police intercepted more than 15 kilos (33 pounds) in 2017, compared to one kilo the year before. That would be enough to make millions of doses, according to Griffiths. Some European countries have seen spikes in overdose deaths. Britain recorded 75 deaths related to fentanyl in 2017, a 29-percent increase from the previous year, officials say. In Sweden, a report by the EMCDDA and Europol noted that fentanyl and its derivatives have caused at least 370 deaths since 2014, making it more lethal than heroin. And a shortage of heroin in Estonia at the beginning of the 2000s saw fentanyl become the most used opioid among drug addicts, Griffiths said. According to EMCDDA figures, there have been 1,600 overdose deaths in the small Baltic country since 2001, the majority due to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. "Last year they took out one criminal group and fentanyl almost disappeared" from the country, Griffiths added, saying both health sector and police efforts were beginning to pay off. In France, the substance's impact remains limited, with fewer than 10 deaths a year directly linked to fentanyl, and seven deaths related to fentanyl derivatives and analogues, developed to imitate a drug, over the three years between 2015 and 2018, according to the OFDT's Martinez. But 10 million people in France are prescribed opioids, which vary in strength, the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety said in a recent report. "Caring for people in pain creates a permanent risk of a health crisis," said Matthieu Noel, head of strategic analysis at the French anti narcotics unit, Ofast. Anti-drug units have dismantled small laboratories in Estonia, France, Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden in the last few years. But "most of this stuff comes from China, normally through the dark net, and it's brought to Europe by parcel post," said Europol's Les Fiander. "It's quite an anonymous process? and it is very hard to detect." The networks are "very sophisticated operations, organised like a pharmaceutical or commercial company, with people responsible for the logistics, orders and the website." The European police agency doesn't "want to be alarmist", he added, but it is taking the threat seriously and is working closely with US authorities. Thirty-four of the 49 new synthetic opioids detected in the last 10 years on the European market are derived from fentanyl. Six appeared for the first time in 2018. - Antidote access - But the development of organised crime in Mexico is worrying Europol the most. "Recently we've had Mexican criminals identified within Europe, actually involved in producing methamphetamines," Fiander said. "Perhaps in the future they could switch to fentanyl. That would be a very serious situation." For traffickers, fentanyl is a very profitable enterprise, said Griffiths, of the EU?s monitoring centre. According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, a kilo of illegal fentanyl can generate at least $1.5 million. "Synthetic drugs will become more and more important as it becomes harder to find places in the world where you can grow coca and opium poppies," Griffiths said. "There's a real market advantage in synthetic drugs that are highly potent and fentanyl fits very much in that model," he added. The substance and its derivatives have already been found in fake Xanax pills and in some e-liquid cartridges for electronic cigarettes, according to Europol and EMCDDA. Confronted with this multifaceted danger, EU health services want to facilitate access to an antidote in the case of an overdose, naloxone, formerly only available on prescription. Almost a dozen EU countries have a programme to put ready-to-use kits on the market, which take the form of injections or nasal sprays and would not require first having seen a doctor. But its availability in pharmacies isn't nearly sufficient, specialists say. Europe has managed to avoid a fentanyl crisis on the scale seen in the United States, but police and experts warn that the continent could yet be hit In the US, President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a "public health emergency" in 2017 A heroin shortage in Estonia at the beginning of the 2000s saw fentanyl become the most used opioid among drug addicts, Paul Griffiths, scientific director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction said According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, a kilo of illegal fentanyl can generate at least $1.5 million Photo: Mirrorpix/Getty Images Kirk Douglas, one of the most famous actors of all time, died today at the age of 103. People was the first to report the news, which was confirmed to them in a statement by one of his sons, the actor Michael Douglas. It read in part: It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103. To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to. But to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband. He also posted the message to Instagram with photos of his late father. Born Issur Danielovitch in Amsterdam, New York, Douglas changed his name before entering the Navy in World War II. He was nominated for three Oscars during his film career and received an honorary Academy Award in 1996. He starred in major movies from what is considered the golden age of Hollywood, including Champion, The Bad and the Beautiful, Lust for Life, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and Spartacus, the last of which Douglas hired Dalton Trumbo to write, despite his having been blacklisted by the industry during the McCarthy era. Once Douglas was firmly established in Hollywood, he started making movies through his own company, Bryna Productions, which he named after his mother. The actor suffered a stroke in 1995 but had been mostly healthy since that time. He was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and numerous humanitarian awards and wrote a dozen books, both fiction and autobiographical. Douglas retired from acting more than a decade ago; his last feature-film role was in 2004s Illusion. The mother and sister of a previously confirmed new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) patient in Vietnam have tested positive for the virus, becoming the 11th and 12th cases of infection in the Southeast Asian country. N.T.D., a 23-year-old woman from the northern province of Vinh Phuc, became the sixth confirmed case of 2019-nCoV infection in Vietnam last Friday. D. was among an eight-people group that recently returned to the Southeast Asian country after having attended a vocational training program in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the viral outbreak. Five of the eight group members have been confirmed to catch the novel coronavirus. D. showed the first symptoms of the viral infection on January 25, after she had interacted with many family members and relatives since her arrival in Vietnam on January 17. On Tuesday, an aunt of D. was confirmed as the 10th patient infected with 2019-nCoV in Vietnam. On the same day, D.s 49-year-old mother and a 16-year-old sister also showed pneumonia-like symptoms including coughing, fever, and fatigue and were sampled by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology. Test results that returned on Thursday afternoon showed that both of them are positive for 2019-nCoV. Others who had been in close contact with D. since her arrival in Vietnam are being monitored and sampled, according to the Ministry of Health. The novel coronavirus, which first surfaced in Wuhan in December 2019, has killed 566 people and infected nearly 28,400 globally as of Thursday evening, according to the South China Morning Post. It has spread across mainland China and to 31 other countries and regions, according to a Reuters tally based on official statements from the authorities involved. Vietnam has confirmed twelve cases so far, including nine Vietnamese, one Vietnamese American, and two Chinese. Among them, one Chinese and two Vietnamese have fully recovered and been discharged from hospital as of Thursday. They were all treated for free. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the new coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern. WHO said on Thursday it was too early to say that China's coronavirus outbreak was peaking, but noted that Wednesday was the first day that the overall number of new cases in China had dropped. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Montana State Representative Rodney Garcia has called for socialists to be shot. His statement was made in Helena January 31 during the kickoff meeting for the state Republican election campaigns. When asked Saturday by a reporter from the Billings Gazette to clarify his remarks, Garcia doubled down, claiming, So actually in the Constitution of the United States (if) they are found guilty of being a socialist member you either go to prison or are shot. He continued Theyre enemies of the free state. What do we do with our enemies in war? In Vietnam, (Afghanistan), all those. What did we do? Montana State Representative Rodney Garcia, Republican of Billings While Garcia did not name anyone in particular, his diatribe was no doubt in part directed against Amelia Marquez, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and his opponent in the 2018 state election in District 52, in the city of Billings. Marquez has made no mention of Garcias comments on her official candidate Facebook page, and neither she, the DSA nor the Montana Democratic Party responded when contacted by the WSWS about whether or not they feared violence incited by Garcia against their former candidate. Garcias threats of violence come in the context of mounting attacks on socialists by Republican politicians. New York Representative Elise Stefanik recently attacked her states Democrats as far-left for their horrible and dangerous agenda. Iowa Senator Joni Ernst trumpeted during her first reelection campaign meeting that America is under attack by the radical left spreading socialism from coast to coast. For their part, the Montana Republicans warn on their website of a take-over by liberals that will turn America into a socialist nation. These sentiments have been most loudly espoused by President Donald Trump, who regularly denounces socialism in his campaign rallies, and included such a diatribe in his State of the Union address last year and again on Tuesday night. Trump appeared at a Republican campaign rally in Billings in September 2018, where he made his usual appeals to the ultra-right over immigration, gun rights and abortion, among other issues, while supporting both state-wide candidates like Matt Rosendale, who was defeated by incumbent Democratic Senator Jon Tester, and local candidates like Garcia. Trump has also tweeted support for numerous right-wing gatherings, including the gun-rights rally held in Richmond, Virginia in January and the fascistic march in Charlottesville in 2017. After anti-fascist counter-demonstrator Heather Heyer was murdered by a neo-Nazi at the Charlottesville event, Trump declared that the far-right marchers were very fine people. The leadership of the Montana Republican Party responded to Garcias remarks by calling for his resignation. In a letter signed by Speaker of the House Greg Hertz, Speaker Pro Tempore E. Wylie Galt and House Majority Leader Brad Tschida, the state party leadership wrote, Your actions have irreparably undermined the body in which you serve and irrevocably broken the trust of those you were elected to represent. That is to say that they are not concerned as much with what was said, but how it will be perceived by working class voters in the coming elections. Their indifference is underscored by the fact that there will be no formal action against Garcia for inciting violence against political opponents. Hertz claimed that it would cost $50,000 to call a special session of the Montana legislature in order to sanction the fascistic representative. Nor did the Montana Republicans respond to a question from the WSWS as to why they condemned Garcias remarks and not similar calls for violence made by Trump. Garcia, 64, was previously a state representative in 1985-87 before going on to work in Montanas oil fields. Garcia has cited the reduction of jobs in the Bakken Formation as one of the main reasons tax revenue has decreased in the state. He ran in 2014 and 2016 for state senator in different Billings seats and is again currently running for state senator, using his election campaign to legitimize his threats of violence. Garcia stated to the Associated Press, Im going to run for the Senate and Im going to win. People are going to have to eat their words. In previous election cycles, he was forced to return a $3,000 illegal campaign contribution and was widely criticized for accusing the states Child Protective Services of kidnapping children. He also attempted to have the state of Montana raise $500 million to buy the aging four-unit coal-burning Colstrip power plant. It was likely that it would then be sold to NorthWestern Energy, which wanted the cost of the plant reduced by $300 million. He has also been arrested and convicted for a domestic dispute involving his ex-wife. The uproar after the Iowa Democratic Party caucus reporting software failed was a harsh reminder for programmers of how bad things can get. Counting up a few simple votes isnt as complicated as building an autonomous car, training an AI to recommend movies, or even updating a bank database safely, yet the programmers couldnt pull this off. One particular damning tweet read, Hard to believe we put men on the moon. The thing is that the comparison to flying to the moon isnt really fair. Even though guiding the Apollo lander to the moon seems much harder than tabulating a few thousand votes, all of the extra work wrapped around the modern vote tally is what makes it much more complex. Some parts are getting easier. The new so-called serverless option promises to let us write the most essential logic and be finished, but were not there yet. Sure, writing the functions is simpler, but the rest of the time were wrestling with configuration options. We spend hours writing hundreds of lines of YAML, spelling out decision after decision, but for some reason that isnt considered coding. Coding or not, all of this thinking adds up. The non-programmers wont understand thisand I want them to understand the reasons offered as an explanation, not an excusebut crafting software is dramatically more difficult and complicated today. Here are five reasons why. Code was simpler then The best way to get a feel for what NASAs job was like is to read some of the code, now immortalized in a GitHub repository. Choose a file at random. GROUND_TRACKING_DETERMINATION_PROGRAM.agc, for instance, has 204 lines and more than 85 of them are comments. Each of the lines consists of only one operation, unlike modern languages, which can pack dozens of operations with multiple options into one line. The simplicity becomes obvious as you page through the files. Even though the code looks impressive when its printed out and put in binders, as it is in the famous photo of Margaret Hamilton, there are only several hundred files and most of them are short and filled with comments. They had to be. The Apollo Guidance Computer had only 36k of ROM to hold the compiled version. That meant the programmers could easily brush off feature requests and concentrate on only the most important steps. The code itself will look positively inscrutable to most modern programmers because very few developers today learn to read assembly language or machine code. Even fewer learn to write it. While it looks quite cryptic, the semantics are much simpler. After all, the machine had just a few registers, some RAM, and some IF-THEN options for branching. Compare these to the rules that modern programmers must master to handle abstractions like closures or recursive object data. The Java team is rolling out version 14 now, and every new version along the way came with clever new mechanisms to be grokked. Even ideas that are intended to make programming easier, like callback functions in JavaScript, require quite a bit of abstract thinking. Once you figured out the cryptic instruction names of assembler, it was actually much easier and simpler to write. Security was simpler Yes, security was tight at NASA for the launch, but the programmers didnt have to worry about writing code for a machine connected to the Internet. The Apollo Guidance Computer talked only to Houston, and only infrequently. Today, every smartphone is constantly interacting in the background with dozens of websites and services that might be secretly malicious. This makes shipping code today a security nightmare. Deploying a basic container requires juggling a special file full of passwords and secrets that keep everything secure. Android and iOS app developers have to manage multiple secret keys for signing their app before it can be uploaded to the various stores. If any of these secrets slip out, anyone with a connection to the Internet might be able to break in and have their way with the machine. The modern Internet is a cesspool of bad actors, and the spammers, clickjackers, and phishers are the nice ones. There are plenty of worse actors working serious cons and evendramatic Hollywood pausemurder. Aside from the Soviet Luna 15, a craft rushed into space just three days before Apollo 11, the programmers back then didnt have to worry about anyone else. Function was the focus Back then, there were no design committees pondering whether a button should be moved over a pixel or two. There were no splash screens, moving icons, background shading, or millions of fonts. Heck, IBM didnt launch the Selectric with changeable fonts until 1961. While a modern programmer can leverage nice standards like HTML, CSS, and SVG, and untold millions of lines of libraries like React or Vue, the same programmer must also live up to their standards. The astronauts were just happy that the little glowing vacuum tubes were still glowing. They didnt care about the shade of green. Fewer moving parts Mechanical engineers tend to count the number of moving parts and use it as a proxy for the complexity. The Lunar Landers guidance computer had one very important job, tracking the position, and thats about it. The modern smartphone does a bazillion things at the same time, many of which are taken for granted by an unthinking and uncaring populace of ingrates who will uninstall an app if it doesnt respond in milliseconds. All of this complexity adds up. Yes, automated build code, well-defined APIs, and endless libraries mean that programmers can let the magic elves in the continuous integration pipeline do most of the work, the complexity is still there. A Go app compiled with version 1.7 that only prints Hello World is 1.6 megabytes alone, and the Go world was totally thrilled with this news because it was 2.3 megabytes before. Consider Isaac Newtons line about standing on the shoulders of giants. Modern programming feels a bit like being on top of one of those human pyramids built by the most insane cheerleading teams. Sure, everyone below you is doing much of the heavy lifting, but just keeping your balance is a feat. Freedom from lawyers According to my count, there are 22 thousand words in the basic Terms of Service for renting a machine in Amazons cloud. There is also an entirely different TOS for using the website to rent the machine. Then each individual product often has its own TOS, like this one for Activate. Add them up and theyre much longer than the 36 thousand instruction words in the ROM in the Lunar Landers computer. The Apollo programmer didnt know that the movie Aliens would come along with the tag line, In Space, No One Can Hear You Scream, but they understood the idea well and knew this meant that no ambulance chasing lawyer would hear you, either. And if the lawyers did get involved, the principle of sovereign immunity is a beautiful tool for brushing aside all of the legal hassles that confound modern programmers. eddiesimages/iStock(WASHINGTON) -- Alarmed by a string of murders, suicides and cellblock riots, the Department of Justice is launching a civil rights probe of the Mississippi prison system. DOJ officials said its Civil Rights Division's Special Litigation Section will look into the conditions at four prisons, including the penitentiary in Parchman, the state's oldest and most notorious lockup. "The investigation will focus on whether the Mississippi Department of Corrections adequately protects prisoners from physical harm at the hands of other prisoners at the four prisons, as well as whether there is adequate suicide prevention, including adequate mental health care and appropriate use of isolation at Parchman," the DOJ said in a statement. The federal investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Acts, which gives the DOJ authority to investigate violations of prisoners' constitutional rights that result from a "pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of such rights," the DOJ's statement reads. Besides Parchman, the DOJ plans to investigate conditions at the South Mississippi Correctional Institution in Leakesville, Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Pearl and the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility in Woodville. At least 15 inmates have died in the prisons since late December when four prisoners were killed in what state officials described as "major disturbances" at Parchman and two other prisons that were orchestrated by suspected gang members. While most of the deaths since December have resulted from prisoner-on-prisoner violence, several inmates have died by suicide, officials said. Amid the violence, two prisoners escaped from Parchman, but were captured within days 100 miles away from the penitentiary leading investigators to suspect they received outside help, officials said. The DOJ probe comes about a month after 11 prisoner advocacy groups -- including the American Civil Liberty Union of Mississippi, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP -- sent a 23-page letter to the DOJ asking the federal government to investigate the state's prison system. "Mississippi is deliberately and systematically subjecting people in its care to a substantial risk of serious harm due to understaffing, in violation of the rights secured and protected by the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution, and it is no exaggeration to say lives will be lost absent of immediate intervention," reads the letter, which was also signed by U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi. Lisa Graybill, deputy legal director for the Southern Poverty Law Center, welcomed the DOJ investigation, saying that problems need to be addressed as quickly as possible to "end the violence and ensure humane living conditions." "Dozens have died and hundreds of others live in squalid conditions withstanding sewage in freezing temperatures as a result of Mississippi's neglect," Graybill said in a statement. "Mississippis prisons are overcrowded, understaffed, and arent safe for anyone." The problems in Mississippi prisons have also attracted the attention of hip-hop artist Yo Gotti and music mogul Jay-Z, who supported a federal lawsuit filed last month on behalf of 29 Mississippi prisoners who accused state correctional officials of doing little to stop the violent outbreaks. "Plaintiffs' lives are in peril," the lawsuit said. "These deaths are a direct result of Mississippis utter disregard for the people it has incarcerated and their constitutional rights." New Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has made fixing the prison system a top priority of his administration. One of Reeves' first acts after taking over as governor on Jan. 14 was to visit the penitentiaries. He announced a series of "common sense" changes he's already begun implementing, including a crackdown on contraband cellphones, which, he said, have been used to coordinate violence throughout the prison system. He's also seeking a process to weed out guards who are corrupt or have gang affiliations. In his first state-of-the-state address, Reeves said he's instructed the Mississippi Department of Corrections to close Unit 29 at Parchman prison, where an inmate was killed and several others injured when a riot broke out Jan. 2 and prompted a temporary statewide prison lockdown. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. A local woman's attempt to ban horse carriages in downtown San Antonio isn't phasing those behind the decades-old attraction. Jessarae Bailey, 31, said she created a petition on change.org last Friday after realizing she isn't alone in thinking the practice is outdated. The horse carriages have been a downtown fixture since the 1980s. "It's just something I've had an issue with for a really long time, and then it came up in conversation with some work colleagues that also work downtown," she said. "I don't think it's an appropriate attraction for our city and we should be far more progressive and care about our wildlife a little more than that." Bailey's petition, which has 766 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon, says the horses are subject to air pollution, excessive heat, improper handling by drivers, injury and even death. RELATED: 15 things you didn't know about San Antonio's downtown horse carriages There are five horse carriage companies that operate downtown Lollypop Carriages, Bluebonnet Carriages, Lone Star Carriages, Yellow Rose Carriages and HRH Carriages. All work together to keep the attraction "thriving," said Kevin Dodd, owner of Bluebonnet. "There have been different petitions at different times so it's not surprising that there is one," Dodd said. "I think a lot of it is educating people about the life of the carriage horses. I think there is a lot of misconceptions people have." Dodd said many wrongfully believe the horses are pulling carriages in triple-digit weather. The horses are not allowed to be downtown if the weather is above 95 degrees, he said. As for the horses' health, Dodd said the companies are overseen and inspected by the San Antonio Police Department's ground transportation unit and the city's Animal Care Services. There is also a San Antonio carriage ordinance the companies need to abide by. "As the owners of the carriage companies, we want to take care of these horses, as we have a huge investment in them," Dodd said. "We don't want to see them abused and we don't want to see them harmed in any way." READ ALSO: San Antonio-area family seeking help after young girl's rodeo barrel horse shot and killed Bailey suggests the carriage companies should consider operating outside of the downtown area, which she says is crowded by drivers, cyclists and scooters. "Although there haven't been a lot of recorded incidents in San Antonio, death of horses do happen in other cities that have this attraction," she said. Dodd acknowledged accidents occur, but added the number of incidents are "very few." He said taking the horses out of service to "throw them" to pasture is barbaric, adding that they would not get the level of care they're accustomed to. While Dodd acknowledges people want what's best for the horses, he said the owners of the companies do as well. "We spend thousands of dollars on the vet and the care. We are not going to ever harm these guys, they are just wonderful animals," he said. Bailey points out that other Texas cities she has lived in, such as Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin, don't have horse carriages. "San Antonio has been trying to be really progressive lately, so I would hope this is a real consideration on their part," she said. 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 On Jan. 29, Vedro informed the board in an email that he would submit a complaint regarding the meeting to the district attorney. The complaint alleged that language regarding the closed session agenda items was not specific enough to be legally sufficient in informing the public what would be discussed. The agenda items stated that the board would enter closed session to Discuss Lighthouse Complaints and Threatened Litigation. Closed session pursuant to: Support Local Journalism Your membership makes our reporting possible. {{featured_button_text}} 19.85 (1) (f): Considering preliminary consideration of specific personnel problems or the investigation of charges against specific persons which, if discussed in public, would be likely to have a substantial adverse effect upon the reputation of any person referred to in such histories or data, or involved in such problems or investigations, and for the purpose of Conferring with legal counsel for the governmental body who is rendering oral or written advice concerning strategy to be adopted by the body with respect to litigation in which it is likely to become involved. In a letter to Vedro on Monday, Assistant District Attorney Rick Spoentgen said he found the meeting notice and agenda to be proper under state statute. Natasha Spencer turned to a rumoured ex-boyfriend for support while filming Married At First Sight last year. The 26-year-old financial analyst was busted calling Eden Dally on her mobile phone outside the apartment she shared with her 'husband', Mikey Pembroke, during the experiment on October 6. She had a conversation with the former Love Island contestant, whom she is said to have once dated, while strolling through Sydney's CBD. What about Mikey? Natasha Spencer was busted calling Eden Dally while filming Married At First Sight in Sydney last year. Pictured on Sunday, October 6 Natasha decided to call Eden at a time when she was living with Mikey, 29, in an apartment at Skye Suites Sydney, just weeks after their wedding on September 10. They spoke for more than 10 minutes. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting there was anything romantic going on between them in October, and it's likely Natasha was just calling her friend for support. Caught out! The 26-year-old financial analyst had a conversation with the former Love Island contestant, whom she is said to have once dated, while strolling through the CBD A lot to discuss? Natasha called Eden at a time when she was living with Mikey Pembroke in an apartment at Skye Suites Sydney, just weeks after their wedding on September 10 Eden was once Natasha's personal trainer and they were reportedly in a relationship between 2016 and 2017, although this has not been confirmed. Eden, who appeared on the first season of Love Island Australia in 2018, is no stranger to Married At First Sight drama. Last year, he was involved in a public feud with Jessika Power over their supposed hook-up, which she strenuously denied. Afterwards, he started dating Jessika's co-star Cyrell Paule, with whom he is expecting a baby boy any day now. History: Eden (left) was once Natasha's personal trainer and they were reportedly in a relationship between 2016 and 2017, although this has not been confirmed. Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting there was anything romantic going on between them in October He gets around: Last year, Eden had a rumoured hook-up with former MAFS star Jessika Power, and is currently expecting a child with her 2019 co-star Cyrell Paule (left). Pictured in January During Thursday's episode of Married At First Sight, Natasha and Mikey grew closer on their honeymoon in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains. 'Our relationship was a bit of a struggle initially, but seeing him on honeymoon has blown me out of the water,' she said, before they jumped into bed together. Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine Success... so far! During Thursday's episode of Married At First Sight, Natasha and Mikey (left) grew closer on their honeymoon in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains One suspected anti-talk ULFA(I) cadre was arrested on Thursday for planting two improvised explosive devices in the state capital ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's day-long visit to Assam. Modi is scheduled to visit Assam on Friday and address a public rally at Kokrajhar after the Bodo peace agreement, which was signed in New Delhi on January 27. Guwahati Police Commissioner Munna Prasad Gupta told PTI that the two IEDs were found in the busy Paltanbazar and Panbazar areas of the city late on Wednesday night. "The bomb squad took the IEDs away from the populous location and those were detonated safely later. We suspect it is the handiwork of ULFA(I)," he added. The police team immediately launched an operation and arrested one suspected cadre of ULFA(I), Gupta said. To queries whether these bombs were planted targeting Modi's visit to the state, Gupta said, "We cannot say immediately that the IEDs were planted targeting to the PM's visit. We are investigating". Police had recovered another five IEDs from Panikhaiti area, near here on the same day. Modi during his visit to Assam has no programme in the city. He will reach the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport here from Delhi and leave for Kokrajhar by a chopper. On the way back he will reach the airport here by a chopper and leave for the national capital in the plane, officials said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Note: This story has been changed to reflect a correction in the phrasing of a question asked by Health Board member Dr. Seth Cornell. The EPA and the Butte-Silver Bow Health Department assured stakeholders Wednesday that Butte babies are healthy and there should be no concerns about heavy metals present in their meconium. Nikia Greene, EPA remedial project manager and EPA toxicologist Charlie Partridge came to an early-morning meeting of the Butte Board of Health Wednesday to discuss their agencys review of a study on the metals content of meconium, or first bowel movement, of infants born in Butte. Wednesday night, they repeated their presentation to the Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners. The researchers, Dr. Suzanne McDermott and Jamie R. Lead of University of South Carolina-Columbia and Dr. Katie Hailer of Montana Technological University, conducted a pilot study more than a year ago to measure levels of copper, manganese, zinc and arsenic in the meconium of Butte babies. The pilot study had a very small sample size 15 babies in Butte and 17 in a control group in South Carolina. The researchers found levels of zinc, manganese and copper in Butte infants' meconium to be 1,883 times higher for zinc, 1,650 times higher for manganese and 1,792 times higher for copper than the samples taken from a control group in South Carolina. The study then concluded that "there is an urgent need for further research to understand the mechanisms and the human consequences of this potential public health emergency. That conclusion drew criticism from the local scientific community and some stakeholders. On Wednesday, Greene explained to the Board of Health that it was a part of his job to do due diligence on looking at independent research, looking at these different studies, that make claims that heavy metals, historic heavy metals, here in Butte are causing health effects. Now that's something that EPA takes extremely seriously, said Charles Partridge, toxicologist for the agency's Region 8. Partridge led the presentation of the agencys review of the meconium study. We've only declared (a public health emergency) once under Superfund. That was in Libby, Montana where we actually had dead bodies. For the last two months, Partridge said, he and colleagues from the EPA and federal, state, and local agencies worked together to review and analyze the McDermott-Lead-Hailer study. When this paper appeared in the peer-reviewed literature in the Science of the Total Environment Journal, we wanted to look at it, said Partridge. EPA committed that we will review all new information concerning her health or environmental studies, which may affect public health, especially as it pertains to Superfund. The EPA reviewed the scientific literature on meconium and heavy metals and found 17 studies dating back to 1955, including the three studies referenced in the McDermott-Lead-Hailer 2019 study. Partridge noted that the EPA paid close attention to the three meconium studies referenced in McDermotts study because in the body of the text of the [McDermott] paper, there's a statement that the levels in South Carolina were consistent with what they found in the literature. However, he said, the EPA has not been able to match the South Carolina levels in the McDermott-Lead-Hailer study to the reportedly similar levels in other studies. The EPA then compiled the meconium data from the 17 studies and compared them to the Butte and South Carolina meconium data reported in the McDermott-Lead-Hailer study. But first, Partridge said the EPA had to make sure they were comparing apples to apples. We've taken any results that we have from these 17 studies and we've put it into micrograms per gram, or parts per million, Partridge said. Since the study by McDermott, Hailer, and Lead reported the concentrations of heavy metals in the meconium as parts per billion, Partridge said the EPA converted the units to parts per million to make the comparison easier. Another step in the EPAs analysis, Partridge said, was to convert the data in the McDermott-Lead-Hailer study from a wet weight to a dry weight measurement. Thats because the 17 other studies for comparison present the data using dry weights. The vast majority of the other studies that we saw in the literature did present the results as dry weight, Partridge said. There are conversion factors where you can take the results from wet weight and then convert it into a dry weight. To ensure consistency in the data across studies for comparison, the EPA made some assumptions to convert the wet weights presented in the McDermott-Lead-Hailer study to dry weights. So thats what we did...and it essentially increases the levels by between three- to four-fold, Partridge explained. But not all the studies in the scientific literature reported the meconium metal concentrations the same way. Partridge said one study reported the meconium in terms of infant body weight and another study presented the total metals as a ratio expressed in concentrations reported by the mass of the stool. To address that issue, the EPA had to make other assumptions and conversions to make the data comparable. So all the data that we're presenting have the same units of micrograms per gram, and they're all based on dry weight, Partridge said. The EPA created a table summarizing the metal concentrations in the literature, and presented a series of graphs comparing the Butte and South Carolina meconium data the from McDermott-Lead-Hailer study against the data found in the scientific literature. In comparing manganese, copper, zinc, arsenic, and lead levels in meconium, the EPA found that the Butte concentrations from the McDermott-Lead-Hailer study were either within range or similar to the other concentrations found in the scientific literature. Meanwhile, the EPA found that the South Carolina concentrations in the McDermott-Lead-Hailer study were more than 1000-fold lower than the observed scientific literature concentrations for manganese, copper and zinc. After the presentation, Dr. Seth Cornell, a Board of Health member, asked whether it was true to say that the EPA doesn't have any concerns about Hailers methodology. Partridge said that was a fair statement to make. McDermott said Wednesday that one of the co-authors of the study, Dr. Jamie Lead of the University of South Carolina, is leading a scientific literature review of all the meconium studies but its going to take months before itll get published because the work will need to go through a peer-review process. McDermott added that she and Lead are carefully, slowly, and precisely converting the different measures, and will carefully analyze all the data. The EPA's analysis was not peer-reviewed. The EPA should replicate our study, McDermott added. They should hire independent researchers to replicate our studies and they should fund the studies. Asked whether the EPA will replicate McDermotts study, Partridge said we really don't believe so at this time. ... There's no reference population for us to look at, to say, what does that mean? Karen Sullivan, Butte-Silver Bow County health officer, said the county concurs with the EPA that there's no public health emergency in Butte related to the meconium study. As the health officer, I want to convey to our general public that they can rest assured that Butte newborns are doing fine, Sullivan said. Love 4 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 16 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. If you consider a prank a Jedi mind trick, Noel Hecht is clearly strong with the force. Hecht, a freshman at Haddon Township High School, pulled off a masterful Star Wars-themed prank. He hung scores of fliers around South Jersey and Philadelphia advertising a Chewbacca roar contest, asking fans of Han Solos furry friend to call a number and leave a voicemail with their best Chewie impression, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. He offered a $50 reward. The number belonged to one of Hechts unsuspecting friends, who had a voicemail box filled with roars and growls. Hecht told The Philadelphia Inquirer he picked a friend, Seamus Taulane, as the target of the prank because he knew he was good at taking jokes, thought hed find it funny and would actually listen to the voicemails. The idea came to Hecht in late January, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, and prompted him to make 50 fliers and place them with two friends all over Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs. How many people would actually respond to the flier? Hecht though maybe 100, if he was lucky. More like 500 calls and 150 voicemails, Taulane told The Philadelphia Inquirer. People are very determined when it comes to free money. As Han Solo once said, Its unwise to upset a Wookie. But it turns out, its hilarious to pretend to be one. The prank gives Star Wars fans something to laugh about after Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker underwhelmed to the tune of a 52% Rotten Tomatoes score. On the bright side, at least Chewbacca (spoiler alert) survived after appearing to be killed by Rey! 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. China complained to Boris Johnson's father about the Prime Minister's response to the coronavirus outbreak, according to emails accidentally made public by Stanley Johnson himself. The green campaigner and former reality star, 79, met with the Chinese ambassador Liu Xiaoming earlier this week in a 90-minute meeting to discuss environmental issues. He then proceeded to email environment minister Lord Goldsmith - to his personal email address - to inform him that the ambassador had expressed concerns that the PM had not sent a personal message of support to Beijing over the virus. However, Mr Johnson had apparently accidentally copied in the BBC to the email exchange. Downing Street said that Mr Johnson was a private citizen and was not acting for the Government in any official or unofficial capacity. The use of private email accounts to discuss matters relating to government business is likely to spark security concerns. Stanley Johnson met Chinese Ambassador Liu Xiaoming for environment talks on Tuesday He then proceeded to email environment minister Lord Goldsmith - to his personal email address - to inform him that the ambassador had expressed concerns that the PM had not sent a personal message of support to Beijing over the virus (Artist's impression of exchange is pictured) Mr Liu tweeted to thank Mr Johnson for 'expressing your sympathy and to support to the Chinese people' over the coronavirus Mr Johnson reportedly wrote in the email: 'Re the outbreak of coronavirus, Mr Liu obviously was concerned that there had not yet - so he asserted - been direct contact between the PM and Chinese head of state or government in terms of a personal message or telephone call.' He also said he had raised the possibility of his son visiting China in October to attend an international conference on biodiversity, COP15, which will be held in Kunming. Lord Goldsmith wrote a reply from his personal email address saying: 'Thank you so much Stanley. That is extremely useful.' Both men were seemingly oblivious to the fact that the BBC had also been sent the messages. The government insisted it had been in 'close contact with the Chinese authorities since the start of the outbreak' of the coronavirus. Mr Liu also thanks Mr Johnson for his 'encouraging words' about China's efforts to boost biodiversity Mr Johnson, pictured with his son Boris in June last year, accidentally made public his account of the meeting with Mr Liu after emailing comments to Lord Goldsmith and copying in the BBC Stanley Johnson's 90-minute meeting with the ambassador took place on Tuesday and was not official government business. Mr Liu tweeted a picture of the meeting and said: 'Thank you Mr. Stanley Johnson for expressing your sympathy and support to the Chinese people who are fighting the novel coronavirus. 'With the support of British friends, we have the confidence and capability to beat the virus!' He also tweeted: 'Appreciate Mr. Johnsons encouraging words: China made great achievements and contributed significantly to international efforts in climate change and biodiversity protection. COP15 and COP26 represent a clear sharing of agenda for UK & China.' China blasts UK government for 'over-reacting' to deadly coronavirus outbreak by urging ALL Brits to flee the country - as Beijing's ambassador confirms Boris Johnson STILL hasn't spoken to premier Xi Jinping about crisis China's ambassador to the UK today accused the British government of 'over-reacting' to the coronavirus outbreak as he suggested ministers had unnecessarily sparked public 'panic'. Liu Xiaoming criticised the government after earlier this week it suggested all 30,000 UK nationals in China should leave the country if they are able to. Mr Liu said that while the UK had been helpful in official talks with Beijing he believed the country's 'words do not match with the deeds'. He also appeared to confirm that Boris Johnson is yet to speak or send a message to Chinese premier Xi Jinping about the deadly epidemic. China's ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming today accused Britain and other nations of 'over-reacting' to the coronavirus outbreak Mr Liu also appeared to suggest that Boris Johnson, pictured in Downing Street yesterday, is yet to speak to Xi Jinping about the crisis The Foreign Office has actively urged Britons to leave China in a bid to protect their health amid fears the coronavirus crisis could worsen. Numerous countries around the world, including the US and Australia, have barred foreign travellers from China but the UK is still permitting arrivals. Mr Liu told a press conference in London that Beijing believed many countries had 'over-reacted' to the outbreak. He said: 'It is understandable that there are concerns in the UK and the rest of the world about the epidemic. Some people are worried that it might have a negative effect on Chinas economy or even the world economy. There are also over reactions by individual countries, panic among the public and even insulting and discriminatory remarks and behaviour targeting the overseas Chinese community. He added: It is our hope that the governments of all countries including the UK should understand and support Chinas efforts, respect the professional advice of WHO, avoid overreaction, avoid creating panic and ensure the normal cooperation and exchanges between countries. Mr Liu said China had cautioned the UK against issuing the updated travel advice for Britons to leave the country because it believes the coronavirus outbreak is now under control. The ambassador suggested the UK's official communications with China did not tally with its actions as he said he would 'like to see their words... meet their actions'. His address to the media came after it emerged that China had complained to Mr Johnson's father, Stanley, about the lack of contact from the PM to Mr Jinping. Stanley Johnson met Mr Liu on Tuesday to discuss environmental issues but the former subsequently sent an email to environment minister Lord Goldsmith to inform him that the ambassador had expressed concerns that the PM had not sent a personal message of support to Beijing. The email was made public after Stanley Johnson accidentally copied in the BBC to the exchange. Mr Liu was asked today if he was unhappy with Mr Johnson's response to the outbreak. The ambassador appeared to suggest that the PM was yet to speak to his counterpart about the crisis. He said: With regard to whether I am satisfied or not satisfied with the British government response, I would say we are very pleased and thankful to British government. Since the outbreak the two governments maintain very close contact. Secretary Raab and Cabinet Secretary Sedwill have had telephone conversations with their counterparts. The British side spoke highly of the prevention and control measures put in by China and also offered to help and we appreciate that. There is no such issue with regard to disappointment, displeasure, discontent with regard to British governments response.' KYODO NEWS - Feb 6, 2020 - 23:50 | All, World, Japan, Coronavirus Another 10 people on a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama have tested positive for a new coronavirus originating in China's Wuhan, the health ministry said Thursday, bringing the number of infected passengers on the vessel to 20. The Diamond Princess, carrying around 3,700 passengers and crew from 56 countries and regions aboard, has been kept in quarantine at anchor off a pier in the Kanagawa Prefecture capital, south of Tokyo, after an 80-year-old passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong was found to be infected with the virus. The 10 newly diagnosed passengers, in their 50s to 70s, were hospitalized. Four are Japanese, two American, two Canadian, one a New Zealander and the other from Taiwan. None came into close contact with the originally infected man from Hong Kong. With virus test results on some 170 people pending, the cruise ship docked at Yokohama Port on Thursday to replenish food and other supplies such as masks, thermometers and medicine. The Defense Ministry plans to send up to 80 Self-Defense Forces personnel in addition to medical officers to the ship. Japan remains vigilant against the spread of the pneumonia-causing virus with confirmed cases in the country standing at 45. Related coverage: Experts warn risk of viral spread in confined space high 10 on quarantined Japanese cruise ship infected with coronavirus Japan may expand ban on foreigners from China amid virus outbreak Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Japan will take an additional precautionary measure from Friday, denying entry to foreigners on a different cruise ship that has left Hong Kong, bound for Japan. The decision came amid concerns about new coronavirus infections aboard the Westerdam, which a Japanese land ministry official says was on the way to its final destination, Yokohama port, provided no changes have been made to the original itinerary. "We will adopt the same step (to ban entry to foreign nationals) if similar cases emerge," Abe said at a meeting of a government task force on the virus. Japan has been stepping up its efforts to block the virus from entering its shores. Even without symptoms, foreign nationals who have been in Hubei Province, where Wuhan is located, two weeks prior to their arrival, and holders of Chinese passports issued in the province, are barred from entering the country. The government is also seeking to evacuate Japanese citizens in the central Chinese province who wish to return home. A fourth chartered aircraft to bring home about 200 Japanese nationals and family members left Tokyo on Thursday night, adding to the 565 Japanese that have already been repatriated on previous flights. The plane, a Boeing 767, is scheduled to return to Tokyo on Friday morning, according to the Foreign Ministry. A Japanese government official said China is likely to allow Chinese spouses to board the plane to Japan with their partners. The Chinese authorities have generally prohibited citizens from leaving Wuhan amid the virus outbreak, but Tokyo asked Beijing to allow Chinese spouses to accompany their Japanese partners "from a humanitarian standpoint," according to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga. Japanese authorities have taken samples from 120 people aboard the Diamond Princess, who have shown symptoms such as coughing and fever, as well as 153 others who were in close contact with them. To date, 82 of the 102 test results have come back negative. The number of people infected with the virus on the Chinese mainland has topped 28,000, with the death toll reaching 563, according to the country's health authorities. The epidemic has hit the Japanese tourism industry reliant on foreign travelers, particularly from China, sent consumers buying masks, and raised concern about the world's third-largest economy. Abe has stressed that the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will be held as planned this summer. On the Diamond Princess, all passengers who are expected to remain isolated through Feb. 19, have been asked to wear masks, stay in their cabins and maintain a distance of about 2 meters from others when eating. Despite the fresh discovery of people infected with the virus aboard the ship, the health ministry said the two-week quarantine period will remain the same as measures have already been implemented to prevent the infection spreading. The elderly Hong Kong man flew to Tokyo in mid-January and boarded the cruise ship in Yokohama on Jan. 20. He disembarked in Hong Kong on Jan. 25. After departing Yokohama on Jan. 20, the Diamond Princess stopped at Kagoshima two days later before arriving in Hong Kong. It then traveled to Vietnam and Taiwan before calling at Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, on Saturday and then returned to Yokohama on Monday night, according to its operator. The ship passed quarantine in Naha but the ministry decided to repeat it following the discovery that the Hong Kong man had been infected with the coronavirus. A medical expert said the number of infected people on the ship could grow as the new virus is believed to be just as contagious as the common cold or influenza. "There is a possibility that those without symptoms have been infected, but the virus cannot be detected unless it propagates inside a body and is excreted," said Hiroki Takakuwa, professor at Kyoto Sangyo University. He added it is pointless to test all aboard as there is an incubation period in which symptoms are not present. While there is no drug to treat the coronavirus infection, starting symptomatic treatment early tends to lead to a faster recovery, according to medical experts. A Sydney psychiatrist who posted "bizarre" alt-right conspiracy theories he claimed were the directives of US President Donald Trump to his practice's official website has been struck off the medical register. Dee Why doctor Russell Everard McGregor claimed Trump had taped evidence of a global Satanist paedophile network, that 9/11 was faked, and that the ABC is part of an international deep state network covering up the crimes of the elite. Russell Everard McGregor has been struck off the medical register. Credit:Jim Rice Many of the 300-plus posts from 2018 onwards related to the debunked QAnon conspiracy that suggests Mr Trump is leading a crusade against "deep state" forces who protect satanic paedophile rings. "Fight with your keyboard, knowledge and pen," McGregor wrote in one post in January 2018. US House speaker, Nancy Pelosi US House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi has frowned at the acquittal of President Donald Trump by the Senate. Democrats had alleged he withheld military aid to Ukraine and asked the country to move against Joe Biden, his political rival. They impeached President Trump in the House after he was impeached in the House of Representatives. But on Wednesday, Senators voted that he was not guilty of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Mitt Romney was the only Republican to vote against Trump in the 52-48 vote. The Senate needed a two-third vote to remove Trump from office. In her reaction, Pelosi called him a rogue president and said he was a threat to America. She said: Our Founders put safeguards in the Constitution to protect against a rogue president. They never imagined that they would at the same time have a rogue leader in the Senate who would cowardly abandon his duty to uphold the Constitution. President Trump was impeached with the support of a majority of the American people a first in our nations history. And now he is the first President in history to face a bipartisan vote to convict him in the Senate. The President will boast that he has been acquitted. There can be no acquittal without a trial, and no trial without witnesses, documents and evidence. Because of the Republican Senates betrayal of the Constitution, the President remains an ongoing threat to American democracy, with his insistence that he is above the law and that he can corrupt the elections if he wants to. The House will continue to protect our Constitution & #DefendOurDemocracy, both in the courts of law and in the court of public opinion. U.S. Marines take part in military exercises with their Philippine counterparts north of Manila, April 11, 2016. The Philippines could weaken its security shield as a South China Sea nation should Manila scrap a military pact with the United States as President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened, his foreign and defense secretaries said Thursday. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Defense Secretary both appeared for a hearing before the Philippine Senates foreign relations committee, as lawmakers questioned them about ending the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the U.S., a security accord that took hold in 1999. Terminating the VFA would negatively impact the Philippines defense and security arrangements, as well as the overall bilateral relations of the Philippines with the United States and perhaps even on the subregional and multilateral level, Locsin said. The pact allows for large-scale joint military exercises between the two longtime allies after the United States vacated two of its largest overseas military installations the Subic Bay Naval Base and Clark Air Base, both located northwest of Manila in the 1990s. In January, Duterte threatened to terminate the agreement unless Washington restored a U.S. visa it reportedly had cancelled for Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, the former national police chief who had enforced the presidents much-criticized drug war. Last month, dela Rosa told reporters that the American embassy sent him a letter saying his visa was no longer valid. The letter gave no reason for the cancellation, he said. The U.S. State Department did not respond to emails from BenarNews seeking confirmation that dela Rosas visa had been revoked as well as a response to Dutertes threat to cancel the military pact. The Pentagon had referred questions about the VFA to the State Departments press office. Locsin: Duterte did not seek advice Duterte, as chief executive, had the right to express displeasure with another country, according to Locsin. But the president, Locsin conceded, did not seek his advice as the nations top diplomat before issuing his angry threat. Without the Visiting Forces Agreement, Manilas decades-old Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States would be like a deflated balloon, Locsin said. The treaty, signed in 1951, stipulates that both nations would support each during an attack by an external party. The absence of a VFA would result in [the] severe curtailment of defense engagements with the Philippines, and the cancellation of cooperative defense activities, Locsin said, noting that the VFA had enabled Filipino troops to be trained to combat non-traditional threats, such as human trafficking, terrorism and illegal drugs. American soldiers had also provided vital intelligence support in 2017 that enabled Philippine troops to defeat Islamic State (IS) militants who had taken over the southern city of Marawi for five months. Manila has the prerogative to terminate the VFA at any time, Locsin said, emphasizing that the continuance of the agreement is deemed to be more beneficial to the Philippines compared to any benefits were it to be terminated. He said that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defense Secretary Mark Esper had vowed that Washington would come to Manilas aid during an external attack because of the Mutual Defense Treaty. But scrapping the VFA would dilute [the] U.S. commitment, Locsin said. While Locsin did not mention any country, China has been locked in a bitter territorial dispute with the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries in the South China Sea, which straddles vital shipping routes and is believed to lie atop rich mineral deposits. Locsin said he had prepared the notice of termination for the VFA, but stopped short of sending it to Washington. He said he would only transmit it once he got a personal order from the president and no one else. During his appearance before the committee on Thursday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Philippines stood to lose vital military support should Duterte abrogate the VFA. Since 1998, the military had received $1 billion in military funding from the United States, he said. Washingtons assistance to the Philippines had been a big help in combatting IS militants, Lorenzana said, adding that U.S. soldiers were also helpful during natural disasters. The U.S. forces are always there in times of calamities, he said. But, he also said, I think we do not need VFA indefinitely. According to Sen. Richard Gordon, a vice chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, Dutertes threat may have been ill-timed. Is it a national interest to abolish the VFA at this point? he asked. We dont enter into an agreement just because we want to, but because we need to. Without the defense agreement, Gordon said, the Philippine military risked being all air and no force, and all coast and no guard. The people must know that our military has been bereft leaving us dependent on our relationships with other countries, he said. Strengthen the military, enrich the country. We have to look at the interest of our nation. The call came in on a Friday for the city director of parks and recreation: A caravan of almost 30 buses was on its way to Albany. Brimming with followers of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead, the exodus from Ontario, Canada where the Dead had just recently performed would soon arrive in all its tie-dyed glory to bring downtown to life in the capital city for the next few days. Related: Dead & Company plans Aug. 3 show at SPAC "Half those white-collars wish they could be like us because we travel around the country doing what we want," said Steve, a Schenectady resident who was offering the Times Union his opinion on office workers ogling the crowds of Deadheads in March of 1990. (Steve declined to give his last name.) The Deadheads made the most of their stay that year in Albany, as well as in the following years when the band returned to the Knick to rock the city. There were egg rolls being fried along the Hudson waterfront and there was marijuana smoke wafting down North Pearl. Vendors sold their wares outside the Greyhound bus station and would-be concertgoers raised signs beseeching passers-by for tickets. But the revelry remained mostly peaceable, and the city was kind enough to set aside Corning Preserve for the legions of Grateful Dead fans to set up camp. "For the number of people who are here, things are calm," Albany Police Detective Lt. Edmund Flint told the Times Union. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The makeshift tent town of music-lovers radiated an abundance of gratitude and warmth to make up for the low temperatures. "Albany's giving us camping space, and has been much kinder to us than most cities," Christian Sterling said of the Deadheads reception. The 24-year-old Cleveland man, who was selling egg rolls he had fried in a gas wok for a dollar apiece, was traveling the country to hear the Dead play and working as a restaurant cook. "This is a great city, he said. It's just cold here." Based on reporting from the Times Union archives. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) - AJN Resources Inc. (CSE: AJN) (FSE: 5AT) ("AJN") announces that on January 18, 2020, AJN signed a Memorandum of Understand (MoU) with Societe Miniere de Kilo-Moto SA ('SOKIMO') whereby SOKIMO proposes to obtain from AJN the conversion of its rights to a direct participation in various gold licences held by SOKIMO into shares in AJN. The gold licences are located within the Kilo-Moto gold province in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo ('DRC'). The gold licence numbers and equity interests to be secured include: Project Name Licence Number ("PE" Permis Exploitation) Interest Kibali Gold Mine 5052, 5073, 5088, 11447, 11467, 11468, 11469, 11470, 11471, 11472 10% (free carried) Zani-Kodo 5077, 5078, 5079, 5081 30% Giro Goldfields 5046, 5049 35% (free carried) Wanga (Tendao) 5045, 5050, 5054, 5056, 5069, 13062 35% (free carried) Nizi 5109, 5110 30% (free carried) Kibali South 13176 30% (free carried) Transaction AJN intends to raise a minimum of $CDN 20,000,000 via the issuance of securities in the capital of AJN. AJN can secure the direct participation rights in these gold projects held by SOKIMO in consideration of AJN issuing common shares equal to sixty percent (60%) of the issued and outstanding shares of AJN post-financing. The transaction is an arm's length transaction. On completion of this financing and satisfaction of all conditions, including but not limited to the delivery of all the securities, recordable assignments and related documents representing the rights to direct participation being transferred by Sokimo to AJN, AJN will issue common shares in the capital of AJN equal to sixty percent (60%) of the issued and outstanding common shares of AJN post-financing. All shares issued to SOKIMO under this transaction will be subject to a statutory 4 month hold period and will be so recorded and may be subject to regulatory escrow requirements as imposed by Canadian regulatory authorities. AJN and SOKIMO (the "Parties") will conclude a legal and technical due diligence within 90 days of signing of the MOU prior to obtaining all regulatory approvals (including approvals from the Canadian Securities Exchange "CSE") and execution of a final agreement before closing. The financing as well as the transfer to AJN of SOKIMO's entire right, title and interest in and to the equity position in the projects shall be completed at a closing (the "closing"). The time and place of the closing will be mutually agreed to by AJN and SOKIMO and will be subject to regulatory approvals. At closing the board of Directors of AJN will consist of 2 nominees from SOKIMO and 3 current directors of AJN - Klaus Eckhof, Sheena Eckhof and Mark Gasson. The finders of the projects will be entitled to a 10% finders fee payable at the close of the transaction on the acquisition of the Projects, which will be settled by the issuance of AJN common shares payable as follows: 6.5% of the finder's fee will be paid to Dathomir Mining Resources SARL (an arms-length party to AJN) and 3.5% will be paid to Klaus Eckhof, CEO, President and a Director of AJN. Prior to the closing of the transaction, AJN intends to conduct an interim financing to raise up to $2.0 million at $0.40 per share for general working capital. AJN is also pleased to announce a convertible debenture financing to raise up to $1,200,000. The convertible debentures will be priced at $1000 per convertible debenture. Each Convertible Debenture is convertible at any time at the option of the holder into fully paid Common Shares at the rate of 2,500 Common Shares for each Convertible Debenture representing a conversion price of $0.40 per share. If the Company's common shares trade at a closing price of $2.00 or higher for a period of 10 consecutive trading days, then the Company shall have the right to require each holder to convert his/her/its Convertible Debentures into fully paid Shares. The Proceeds will be used for general working capital. Mr. Klaus Eckhof, CEO and President of AJN commented, "With our management's track record in the DRC, we believe that we are close to delivering a portfolio of gold projects which underpin the making of a significant new gold player in DRC. We believe that not only do the 6 gold projects contain excellent potential for further gold mineralisation they also have the potential to alleviate poverty in the area though job creation within the local community. We note that the adjacent Kibali Gold Project employs 1,400 DRC nationals and 2,800 DRC contractors and that $38 million was spent on local contractors during Q1, 2019." Figure 1: SOKIMO Mining Estate and Relevant Joint Ventured Projects To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5922/52198_79805e5654995988_001full.jpg Kibali Gold Mine (10% free carried) AJN will acquire SOKIMO's 10% free carried interest in the Kibali Gold Mine. The remaining 90% is held in a joint venture between Barrick Gold Corporation (45%) and AngloGold Ashanti Limited (45%). Barrick Gold acquired their 45% stake in the Kibali Gold Mine via their acquisition of Randgold Resources Limited in 2018 for USD$6.5 billion.[1] The Kibali Gold Mine consists of 10 granted exploitation permits, PE5052, PE5073, PE5088, PE11447, PE11467, PE11468, PE11469, PE11470, PE11471, PE11472, covering approximately 1,836km2. The mine is located in the north-east of the DRC, approximately 220km east of the capital of Haut Uele Province, Isiro, 150km west of the Ugandan border town of Arua, and 1,800km from the Kenyan port of Mombassa. Zani-Kodo Project (30%) AJN will acquire 30% of SOKIMO's Zani-Kodo Project located in the eastern part of the Moto-Zani Goldfields in the north-east Congo Craton, host to the Kibali Gold Camp. The Zani-Kodo Project consists of 4 granted exploitation permits, PE5081, PE5077, PE5079, PE5078, covering ~1,605km2. The deposit has a shear related mineralisation style with a total strike length of 5km. The main mineralised zone is between 20m and 30m thick, continues 900m down dip (remains open) and continues some 600m along strike to the NNW, where it appears to pinchout or be fault displaced. The main zone consists of silicification in sheared greenstone and banded iron formation with gold mineralisation associated with sulphides.[2] Figure 3: Geology of NW-SE Zani-Kodo trend To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5922/52198_figure3_enhanced.jpg Drilling also suggests grade improves with depth with deepest hole KD0DD072 reporting 24m at 10.08g/t Au. Figure 4: Endowment and Upside at Trend and SE Extension To view an enhanced version of Figure 4, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5922/52198_figure4_enhanced.jpg Giro Goldfields Project (35% free carried) AJN will acquire SOKIMO's 35% free carried interest in the Giro Goldfields Project, with the remaining 65% owned by Amani Gold Limited. The Giro Project is located 35km west of the Kibali Mine and demonstrates a similar style of mineralisation and structural setting as at the Kibali Deposit. The project covers 497km2 in the Moto Greenstone Belt and consists of two main deposits, the Kebigada and the Douze Match deposits. Figure 5: Location of the Giro Goldfields Project To view an enhanced version of Figure 5, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5922/52198_figure5enhanced.jpg Drilling at the Kebigada deposit has confirmed the "main zone" mineralisation exists over 1.3km to 1.5km with widths of up to 350-400m and depths exceeding 300m. Mineralisation is strongly associated with silica flooding, quartz stringers and sulphides (pyrite and chalcopyrite). High grade mineralisation (>3g/t Au) is associated with east-west trending quartz stringers and pyrite/chalcopyrite laminae. Mineralisation has an apparent plunge to the north which highlights the underground potential. Amani gold states they now expect to complete a Feasibility Study at the beginning of 2020. Mineralisation at Douze Match occurs within a north-east trending mineralised corridor of around 2.6km length and up to 600m width. This mineralisation is from surface down to depths exceeding 190m. Douze Match occurs within a 6km x 2.5km gold-in-soil anomaly, with artisanal mining in the area possibly highlighting more exploration potential.[3] Wanga (Tendao) Project (35% free carried) AJN will acquire SOKIMO's 35% free carried interest in the Wanga Project, with the remaining 65% owned by Wanga Mining Company SARL. The Wanga Project consists of six granted exploitation permits, PE5056, PE5054, PE5045, PE5069, PE5050, PE13062, covering approximately 1,400km2 and is located in the Kilo-Moto Greenstone Belt of the Haut Uele Province in north-east DRC. The project area covers the western boundary of the Kilo-Moto Gold Belt host to the Kibali Gold Mine, owned by Barrick and Anglogold Ashanti, situated 35km to the east of the project. Within the Wanga Project area there are numerous sites of historical bedrock and placer gold mining. Many of these locations are now being exploited by local artisanal gold mining activities. Figure 6: District Geology and Adjacent Properties To view an enhanced version of Figure 6, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5922/52198_79805e5654995988_014full.jpg Locally, the Wanga Project area is comprised of volcano-sedimentary rocks with intermediate intrusives and accompanying granitic rocks. Gold mineralisation has been observed to occur in several styles: Associated with quartz vein networks proximal to contacts of volcanoclastic sediments and intermediate intrusions; Quartz veins associated with the greenstone-granite contact; Gold associated with hematite veinlets within mafic rocks; and Alluvial gold Historic mining in the project area was originally performed by the Belgians in the early 1900's around the Ao and Tendao areas, with the Belgians and more recently artisanal mining concentrated over a broad 4km long, WNW trending zone in the Tendao area. Recent artisanal bedrock mining is focused within two broad structural domains, namely the NNE trending Mondial workings and the north-west trending CPA workings. Figure 7: Tendao Prospect area showing the broad WNW trending 4km zone of Belgian and recent artisanal workings and the currently active Mondial and CPA workings To view an enhanced version of Figure 7, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5922/52198_figure7.jpg Work to date by previous owners has identified approximately one kilometre of strike extent to the intrusion which is around 200-300 metres wide at the Mondial workings. Quartz veins in an Fe-rich host rock occur along the contact of the dioritic intrusive. Individual quartz veins have reported grades of up to 1m at 27g/t Au whereas the intrusive itself is of lower gold grade, with previous explorers quoting up to 3g/t Au in this unit. The Belgian drilling results over the same contact zone reported 6.4m at 17.53g/t Au, 4m at 2.55g/t Au, 3m at 3.60g/t Au and 4m at 8.45g/t Au from a drill section as shown in Figure 9. Only zones with visible mineralisation in quartz veins were sampled and the wall rock, now known to be mineralised, was not sampled routinely by the Belgians. Figure 8: Belgian diamond drill section across a Mondial pit To view an enhanced version of Figure 8, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5922/52198_figure8_enhanced.jpg It should be noted that any historical results, including results generated by Belgian drilling or previous explorers have not been validated by AJN and such validation will be part of future work programs. The CPA artisanal working is a recent artisanal discovery where mining is focused along a broad north-west trending shear zone to the north of Mondial. Gold mineralisation is concentrated in a close spaced network of several millimetric sized quartz and ferrigenous stringers in an iron rich saprolite. Artisanal mining is focused over a width of approximately 50m across the structure. Sampling by previous owners returned significant results, including 13m at 3.36g/t Au. In 2012, New Resolution Geophysics flew almost 8,000 line kilometres of heliborne magnetics and radiometrics for Mineral Invest International AB. Geophysical data was reviewed and interpreted by SRK ES. Seven priority targets were the result of this interpretation which now form the basis for several drill ready targets identified by previous explorers. Nizi Project (30% free carried) AJN will acquire 30% free carried interest in the Nizi Project from SOKIMO, with the remaining 70% to be owned by SOKIMO. The Nizi Project consists of 2 granted exploitation licences, PE5110 and PE5109, located in the Ituri District of the Kilo-Moto Goldfields, some 26.5km NNE of the regional centre of Bunia and 6.5km north of the nearest village of Nizi. Figure 9: Location of the Nizi Project To view an enhanced version of Figure 9, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5922/52198_figure9enhanced.jpg The Nizi Project, formerly known as the King Leopold Gold Mine, is an abandoned underground gold operation with a focus on up to 7 known major quartz gold veins within a mafic to intermediate volcanic setting on the faulted contact of a dioritic intrusive. The mine was developed underground over a strike of some 600m and to a depth of approximately 160m to 180m and operated intermittently for approximately 12 years between 1913 and 1931. Intermittent and limited exploration of the licence area has been conducted since 1931 by SOKIMO and international mining company, Ashanti Goldfields Limited, in the form of an aerial geophysics program of the joint venture licence area. SOKIMO, however, secured return of the area under licence PE5110. Figure 10: Geology map at Nizi showing extent of known quartz veins and general geology. To view an enhanced version of Figure 10, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5922/52198_figure10enhanced.jpg Significant potential exists to define gold resources within: Historical workings, where a 1920's cut off grade of 10g/t Au was used Vein set 5, 6, 7 where little exploration work has been carried out and artisanal activity is concentrated Within the Nizi Diorite, where a bulk tonnage lower grade resource potential exists based on surface auger sample results to date with a maximum of 7.8g/t Au reported More recent grab chip samples reported up to 34g/t Au from the Nizi Number 1 Vein Kibali South (30% free carried) AJN will acquire 30% free carried interest of Kibali South from SOKIMO, with the remaining 70% owned by SOKIMO. Kibali South consists of the granted exploitation permit, PE13176, covering approximately 15km2 and is located in the Kilo-Moto Goldfields of the north-east of the DRC, approximately 560km north-east of the city Kisangani and 150km west of the Ugandan border town Arua. The licences are located immediately to the south and adjacent to the Kibali Gold Mine. Figure 11. Plan View of Metallurgical Testing and Results To view an enhanced version of Figure 11, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/5922/52198_79805e5654995988_023full.jpg The mineralisation is an up-plunge projection of mineralisation below the Kibali Gold Mine 9000 lodes and the sulphide mineralised component is refractory in nature. Some upside potential does exist within the licence area from previous work completed on surface sampling down plunge of that already defined. Salt Wells Lithium Project AJN is also pleased to announce that it continues to work on its salt wells lithium project in Nevada. AJN will be focusing on doing further work on the claims when weather permits. Further projects are also under consideration and will be announced once secured. About AJN Resources Inc. AJN is a junior exploration company. AJN's management and directors possess over 75 years of collective industry experience and have been very successful from exploration, to financing, to developing major mines throughout the world with a focus on Africa and especially the DRC. About SOKIMO SOKIMO is a DRC state owned parastatal entity that has been involved in the research, development and treatment of precious mineral deposits, as well as the joint venturing of several projects and deposits and sale of processed product. For further information, please contact Investor Relations: Sheena Eckhof Director, Investor Relations sheena@eckhofconsulting.com Visit us at www.ajnresources.com TEL: (778) 218-9638 On Behalf of the Board of Directors Klaus Eckhof CEO and President klauseckhof@monaco.mc QP Statement Mr. Nigel Ferguson, (FAusIMM and MAIG), Director of AJN Resources Inc. and qualified geologist, is a qualified person (QP) under NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements The information in this news release includes certain information and statements about management's view of future events, expectations, plans and prospects that constitute forward looking statements. These statements are based upon assumptions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Because of these risks and uncertainties and as a result of a variety of factors, the actual results, expectations, achievements or performance may differ materially from those anticipated and indicated by these forward looking statements. Although AJN Resources Inc. believes that the expectations reflected in forward looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurances that the expectations of any forward looking statements will prove to be correct. Except as required by law, AJN Resources Inc. disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward looking statements or otherwise. [1] Barrick Gold News Release - Barrick and Randgold Combine to Create Industry-Leading Gold Investment Vehicle, 24 September 2018 [2] Randgold Resources Technical Report on the Kibali Gold Mine, DRC, Report NI 43-101, 18 September 2018 [3] Amani Gold (ANL.ASX) publicly available information To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52198 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) - International Lithium Corp. (TSXV: ILC) (the "Company" or "ILC") is pleased to announce the receipt of a technical report from strategic partner Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd., ("GFL") and (GFL and ILC together the "Companies"), that contains an updated mineral resource estimate for the Mariana lithium brine project (the "Project") located in Salta, Argentina. Highlights The resource estimate contained in the technical report, detailed in the table below, includes: 4,410,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate ("Li 2 CO 3 ") equivalent (LCE) in the Measured and Indicated Resource categories, an increase of 253% over the 2017 estimate of 1,248,000 tonnes of Indicated Resource 49,700,000 tonnes of potash ("KCl") equivalent in the Measured and Indicated Resource categories an additional 786,000 tonnes of Li 2 CO 3 and 9,260,000 tonnes KCl in the Inferred Resource category The weight of contained lithium within the Measured and Indicated Resources represents a 253% increase over the 2017 Mineral Resource estimate, and the contained lithium within the Inferred Resources represents a 32% increase over the 2017 figures. Technical Report - Mariana Lithium Brine Project, Argentina Further to the Company's news releases dated March 8, 2017, and April 20, 2017, ILC has received a technical report for the Mariana lithium brine project containing an update to the maiden resource estimate for the project. Geos Mining Minerals Consultants ("Geos") based in Sydney, Australia prepared an independent lithium brine resource estimate for the Companies' Mariana lithium brine deposit in Argentina and prepared the technical report in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (the "Technical Report"). The Technical Report, entitled "Update of Lithium Brine Mineral Resources; Mariana Project, Salar de Llullaillaco, Argentina" and dated January 12, 2020, is now available on the Company's website and under the Company's profile at www.SEDAR.com. The effective date for the resource estimate is August 23, 2019, which represents the date of the most recent data that supports the brine estimate in the Technical Report. The following highlights taken from the Technical Report, and set out below, should be considered in the context of the detailed information of the Technical Report. Resource Category Brine Volume (GL) Li (mg/L) K (mg/L) Li (kt) LCE (kt) K (kt) KCl (kt) Measured 1,680 314 9,710 528 2,810 16,300 31,200 Indicated 960 316 10,100 303 1,600 9,730 18,500 Inferred 470 328 10,340 154 786 4,860 9,260 Measured + Indicated 2,640 315 9,860 831 4,410 26,030 49,700 Notes: A cut-off grade of 230 mg/L Li has been applied for comparative purposes with other operations in Argentina where lithium recovery from brine is undertaken by evaporative processes. The Measured Resource stated as 1,680GL grading 314 mg/L lithium equates to 528,000 tonnes of contained lithium or 2.8Mt of lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ), using the conversion factor of 5.324. Using a process recovery estimate of 86%, an estimate of recovery from processing is 2.4Mt of Li 2 CO 3 from the Measured Resource. CO ), using the conversion factor of 5.324. Using a process recovery estimate of 86%, an estimate of recovery from processing is 2.4Mt of Li CO from the Measured Resource. The Indicated Brine Resource grades 316 mg/L lithium. The potential recoverable brine volume from this Indicated Resource, based on the same criteria as for the Measured Resource, is estimated at 960GL. This equates to 303,000 tonnes of contained lithium or 1.4Mt of lithium carbonate (Li 2 CO 3 ). CO ). Brine resources are tabulated and reported for average specific yield (SY) of 15% and a cut-off value of 230 mg/L Li. The report states that aquifer volume is still open at depth in the majority of the salar and that there is potential to extend and define additional aquifer volume proximal to the salar margins and throughout the salar at depth below the current resource drilling level. Brine deposits are unlike the majority of mineral deposits in that they are fluid. Fluids within a brine deposit can move and can mix with adjacent fluids when exploitation of a brine deposit begins. Evaluation of such deposits therefore requires special considerations that are not, in general, applied to other style of mineral deposits. In preparing these resource estimates, Geos considered and applied processes to be appropriate for brine style deposits, using the principles set out in National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101"), Joint Ore Resources Code JORC (2012) for mineral projects, and CIM Best Practice Guidelines for Resource and Reserve Estimation for Lithium Brines. The Company cautions the reader that the only economic studies carried out on the Project are based on the maiden resource noted in the Company's news releases dated December 6, 2018 and January 22, 2019 with the corresponding technical report, "Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Mariana Lithium Brine Project" (or "PEA") with an effective date of November 15, 2018, filed on SEDAR. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves as defined by the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and the Company cannot guarantee that the resources reported here will be converted to mineral reserves. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. John Wisbey, Chairman and CEO of ILC stated: "This more than 250% increase in measured and indicated resources from the 2017 resource estimate is an excellent resource estimate for Mariana, and 4.41 million tonnes of LCE equivalent makes it one of the larger lithium brine deposits in South America. We believe that this will have a positive impact on the economic potential of the project given that the 2020s seem likely to be the decade of battery metals. Our partners, Ganfeng Lithium, who have managed Mariana for the last three years, continue to experiment with the optimum process methodology for the project, and this now looks likely to be based on solvent extraction. Previously Ganfeng had favoured concentrating brine through natural solar evaporation and shipping the concentrated brine to China, and the economic study dated November 15, 2018 was based on that assumption, but this method has now been ruled out. As was publicised at the time, ILC had in 2017 favoured using a selective membrane technology approach. This was considered, but is also now unlikely to be adopted. We are still months away and possibly a year away from getting an updated economic study or feasibility study on Mariana based on this change in the PEA's scope to solvent extraction. We have been informed by Ganfeng that their goal for this year is to fast track a production decision based on the studies currently being carried out, that envision using the solvent extraction process. A production decision is likely to be based on the receipt of an exploitation permit from the Argentinian authorities which would be granted following the submission of a feasibility study and environmental impact report. ILC has been made aware that the reports submitted to the Argentinian authorities are not required to and therefore may not meet NI 43-101 standards for a technical report. If this is the case, ILC may be unable to announce the details of the economic study or feasibility study when we receive it, because Canadian securities laws on mining industry disclosures will not allow us to do so without a report to NI 43-101 standards. This could in the future present ILC's board with some serious decisions to make as we might be unable to disclose to the market the very material fact of the economic basis on which the board of ILC and the board of Ganfeng had made a production decision, and consequently the expected economics of one of ILC's key projects. Also, given our own duty to investors, we continue to do what we can to establish reliable timescales for bringing Mariana to production. We still expect this to happen by the end of 2024, but inevitably this is largely going to be decided by Ganfeng in the light of their own priorities and access to funds, the lithium market and the revised economics of Mariana. With these caveats, we are very excited by the potential of Mariana highlighted by the new resource estimates." The following Qualified Person (QP's) are responsible for preparation of the Technical Report: Llyle Sawyer, Senior Consultant, Geos Mining; Murray Hutton, Principal Consultant, Geos Mining; and Greg Curnow, Senior Consultant, Geos Mining. Llyle Sawyer is an independent senior geological consultant with over 20 years of experience in geology, mineral exploration, mineral resource estimation and mineral project assessment. He is a Registered Professional and is currently a Member of the Australia Institute of Geoscientists (member number 3512). Llyle Sawyer is an independent technical consultant contracted by Geos Mining and has worked on similar lithium brine salar deposits in Argentina and other brine style deposits within Australia. Geos is an independent consulting firm recognized for providing expertise in geological, mineral exploration, resource modelling, and mining advice; as specialists in the fields of geology, exploration, mineral resource and mineral reserve estimation and classification, and project valuation. Litio Minera Argentina S. A. ("LMA") (the joint venture company formed by the Companies to advance the Mariana project in Argentina) engaged Geos to prepare this independent preliminary resource report for the Project. Afzaal Pirzada, Geological Consultant of the Company, and a "Qualified Person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. About International Lithium Corp. International Lithium Corp. believes that the '20s will be the decade of battery metals, at a time that the world faces a major turning point in the energy market's dependence on oil and gas and in the governmental and public view of climate change. Our key mission in the new decade is to make money for our shareholders from lithium and battery metals while at the same time helping to create a greener, cleaner planet. This includes optimizing the value of our existing projects in Canada, Argentina and Ireland as well as finding, exploring and developing projects that have the potential to become world class lithium and rare metal deposits. In addition, we have seen the clear and growing wish by the USA and Canada to safeguard their supplies of critical battery metals, and our Canadian properties are strategic in that respect. A key goal in the new decade is to become a well funded company to turn our aspirations into reality. International Lithium Corp. has a significant portfolio of projects, strong management, and strong partners. Partners include Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd., ("Ganfeng Lithium") a leading China-based lithium product manufacturer quoted on the Shenzhen and Hong Kong stock exchanges (A share code: 002460, H share code: 1772) and Pioneer Resources Limited, quoted on the Australian Stock exchange (ASX:PIO). The Company's primary strategic focus is now on the Mariana project in Argentina and on the Raleigh Lake project in Canada. The Company has a strategic stake in the Mariana lithium-potash brine project located within the renowned South American "Lithium Belt" that is the host to the vast majority of global lithium resources, reserves and production. The Mariana project strategically encompasses an entire mineral rich evaporite basin, totalling 160 square kilometres, that ranks as one of the more prospective salars or 'salt lakes' in the region. Current ownership of the project is through a joint venture company, Litio Minera Argentina S. A., a private company registered in Argentina, now owned 86.297% by Ganfeng Lithium and 13.703% by ILC (percentages are estimates and subject to audit). In addition, ILC has an option to acquire a further 10% in the Mariana project through a back-in right. The Raleigh Lake project, now consisting of 3,027 hectares of adjoining mineral claims in Ontario, is regarded by ILC management as ILC's most significant project in Canada. It is 100% owned by ILC, is not subject to any encumbrances, and is royalty free. Complementing the Company's lithium brine project at Mariana and rare metal pegmatite property at Raleigh Lake, are interests in two other rare metal pegmatite properties in Ontario, Canada known as the Mavis Lake and Forgan Lake projects, and the Avalonia project in Ireland, which encompasses an extensive 50-km-long pegmatite belt. The ownership of the Mavis Lake project is now 51% Pioneer Resources Limited (ASX: PIO, "Pioneer") and 49% ILC. In addition, ILC owns a 1.5% NSR on Mavis Lake. Pioneer has an option to earn an additional 29% by sole-funding a further CAD $8.5 million expenditures of exploration activities, at which time the ownership will be 80% Pioneer and 20% ILC. The Forgan Lake project will, upon Ultra Resources Inc. meeting its contractual requirements pursuant to its agreement with ILC, become 100% owned by Ultra Resources (TSXV: ULT), and ILC will retain a 1.5% NSR on Forgan Lake. The ownership of the Avalonia project is currently 55% Ganfeng Lithium and 45% ILC. Ganfeng Lithium has an option to earn an additional 24% by either incurring CAD $10 million expenditures on exploration activities or delivering a positive feasibility study on the project, at which time the ownership will be 79% Ganfeng Lithium and 21% ILC. With the increasing demand for high tech rechargeable batteries used in electric vehicles and electrical storage as well as portable electronics, lithium has been designated "the new oil", and is a key part of a "green tech" sustainable economy. By positioning itself with solid strategic partners and projects with significant resource potential, ILC aims to be one of the lithium and battery metals resource developers of choice for investors and to continue to build value for its shareholders in the '20s, the decade of battery metals. On behalf of the Company, John Wisbey Chairman and CEO www.internationallithium.com For further information concerning this news release please contact John Wisbey at +1 604-449-6520 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. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information or forward-looking statements in this or other news releases may include: the effect of results of the preliminary economic assessment of the Mariana Joint Venture Project, timing of publication of the PEA technical report, anticipated production rates, the timing and/or anticipated results of drilling on the Raleigh Lake or Mavis Lake projects, the expectation of feasibility studies, lithium recoveries, modeling of capital and operating costs, results of studies utilizing membrane technology at the Mariana Project, budgeted expenditures and planned exploration work on the Avalonia Joint Venture, satisfactory completion of the sale of mineral rights at Forgan Lake, satisfactory completion of the purchase of additional mineral rights at Raleigh Lake, increased value of shareholder investments, and continued agreement between the Company and Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd. regarding the Company's percentage interest in the Mariana project. Such forward-looking information is based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those discussed in the sections entitled "Risks" and "Forward-Looking Statements" in the interim and annual Management's Discussion and Analysis which are available at www.sedar.com. While management believes that the assumptions made are reasonable, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking information. Forward-looking information herein, and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking information are based on expectations, estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the time of such statements, are subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circumstances or management's estimates or opinions change. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52180 Ahmedabad police on Thursday defended the continuous imposition of Section 144 of the CrPC in the city, which prohibits assembly of more than four persons, saying that a stay on its implementation would lead to "chaos". The city police, in its affidavit filed before the Gujarat High Court also asserted that although the right to freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental one, it is not absolute. The police's reply was in response to a petition filed in December last year by professor Navdeep Mathur of IIMA along with four others against the repeated imposition of Section 144 CrPC, which prohibits assembly of more than four persons without police permission. The police also said that the provision does not take away the right to freedom and expression. The affidavit, filed by Ahmedabad city police, added that such restrictions under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) is necessary to maintain law and order in the city, which often witnesses violent protests. "The right to freedom of speech and expression is a fundamental right. However, it is not absolute and there are restrictions...The petitioner has not given a single instance which shows that the freedom and liberty or any constitutional right of any citizen is taken away," the reply stated. After taking the reply on record, Justice Umesh Trivedi posted the matter heading on February 13. Mathur, who teaches at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, was among the 50-odd persons detained by city police on December 16 for taking part in a peaceful protest outside IIMA campus against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and against the police crackdown on the students in Delhi. The petitioners had sought quashing of orders passed by the city police commissioner under section 144 of CrPC. The petition also sought a stay on the implementation of any such order currently in force. The petitioners had stated that the police order banning assembly of more than four people needs to be quashed "to enable them, the residents of Ahmedabad, exercise their right to freedom of expression, right to peaceful assembly and right to move freely under Article 19(1) of the Constitution". It was also contended that people in general do not even know that police have issued such notification banning such assembly. Petitioners argued that orders are passed in a routine manner, as a new notification is issued with almost same text as soon as the tenure of the old notification comes to an end. In their defence, Ahmedabad police said that any stay on the implementation of the notification would "lead to chaos in law and order situation in the city" and "there is always a requirement of maintaining law and order situation in the city". "The city had witnessed several protests, agitations and rallies in the past, the latest being those against as well as in favour of the CAA. Despite heavy police deployment, some protesters assaulted on duty police officers and damaged public and private property," it said. "If the police starts using its powers, then protesters would be behind bars in such situation and a number of FIRs would be lodged. But due to the restrictions imposed under section 144, the police controls the unlawful assembly and only detains them," the affidavit said. It added that even some of the petitioners, who had organised the rally without permission (outside IIMA in December) were detained and released without any FIR registered against them. "This provision is not used for restricting public rallies. Permission was given by the police for 10 anti-CAA rallies and even today two protests against CAA are going on at different locations in Rakhiyal area," the reply said. Replying to the allegation that people are not aware that such restrictions are in place, the police said the notifications are displayed at all the police stations and it is also shared on social media. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bhopal, Feb 7 : The RSS leadership is alarmed at the rapid disillusionment of the tribal supporters of the Sangh Parivar in recent times and has asked its cadre to take early remedial steps in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. On Thursday, the RSS leadership asked its workers to spread out among targeted groups and show results. The top leadership of the parivar took stock of the its shrinking base in the two key states where it ruled for 15 years. One of the key take-ways from the three-day deliberations of the Sangh affiliates is the resolve to revive their connect with the rural voters. The leadership, however, seemed to be stating the obvious. The IANS had analysed the BJP's losses during Assembly elections and subsequent by-elections in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Congress' victory in Chitrakot and Dantewada Assembly bypolls in Chhattisgarh in a span of a month in underlined the trend. BJP has been wiped out of the Tribal divisions of Sarguja and Bastar. The bypoll to Chitrakot was caused by the resignation of Congress MLA Deepak Bais who was elected to the Lok Sabha from Bastar. BJP had nurtured the tribal region of Bastar since the 1970s in its avatar as Jana Sangh. RSS had formed Vanwasi Kalyan Parishad to sow seeds for the party's growth. Formation of Chhattisgarh was partly aimed at realising the RSS plans to gain power in the new state. It succeeded with Ajit Jogi's failure to make the most of the first term as Chief Minister. BJP's 15-year rule marked spectacular growth in the urban Chhattisgarh but the Raman Singh government mostly used its anti-Maoist plans to eliminate political adversaries. By joining hands with discredited leaders like Ajit Jogi BJP handed the advantage to Congress. Now all 12 seats in the Maoist-infested Bastar division are held by the Congress, keeping to the party's slogan of "BJP-mukt Bastar". In Madhya Pradesh too the BJP's defeat in Jhabua Ratlam region. The Sangh is also concerned over the shrinking ground among the Dalits and has asked the affiliates to cultivate them through a fresh outreach. The BJP might launch a campaign to counter the growing influence of Bhim Sena leader Chandrashekhar Azad. One of the suggestions was to install statues of Babasaheb Ambedkar and publish calendars. The Sangh has also reacted to the sudden change of heart among the Muslim members of the minority cells in BJP. Numerous resignations have forced the RSS to take notice. The leadership is learnt to have told the BJP to groom the community again in a state like Madhya Pradesh where there is a sizeable minority vote. One RSS functionary claimed there were thousands of Muslim students in the Saraswati Shishu Mandirs that are run by the RSS. They will be mobilised to reclaim the place in the community. All 33 affiliate organisations of RSS will reach out to the people during the next three months to build a favourable mindset on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and convince all those opposed to it whoever is in opposition, will talk to them about positive side of the CAA and remove all misgivings. Bhagwat asked all related organisations including Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Vidyabharati, Shiksha Bharti to devote their time to this task. SPRINGFIELD Addiction has a ripple effect. A substance user not only harms themselves but also their parents, siblings, spouses, children, friends and communities. It can be difficult for families to function while their loved one is struggling with a disease that often controls every choice they make. People come to us afraid, said Peter Babineau, regional manager for Learn to Cope, a peer-led nonprofit organization for the families and loved ones of those suffering from substance use disorder. Im afraid my loved one is going to die, Im afraid my marriage is going to end, Im afraid my other children are suffering and at our meetings they are able to share with other people who are experiencing similar crises in their families. Learn to Cope was one of a dozen organizations that participated Thursday in American International Colleges substance use and recovery fair, which featured some of the regions leading organizations offering services to those battling addiction and the people who care for them. At the start of the fall semester, AIC faculty members launched an interdisciplinary forum series titled Advocates, Issues, and Community to address serious concerns affecting communities locally, nationally and globally. Throughout 2019-20, the focus is the opioid crisis. With this fair we wanted to highlight the amazing work that is being done in the community to support individuals who are impacted by substance use, whether its a person struggling with the disorder or family members who are impacted by their loved ones substance use, said Melinda Moreno, an adjunct professor at AIC and substance use councilor for the state Department of Children and Families. The fair was open to the public, but was also an opportunity for students and faculty members to learn about the organizations. The opioid crisis is not only occurring across the United States, but in our communities as well, said Lina Racicot, director of the graduate psychology department at AIC. We want to make sure our students are front and center with whats happening and how they can help, and we can only do that if we educate them. Racicot, who has been teaching psychology for more than 14 years, said the perception of addiction is starting to change, but there is still a long way to go. There has always been some talk of it as a disease, but in the past few years it has become important to focus on substance use as a brain disorder, she said. Racicot will team up with the Springfield Police Department on a presentation Feb. 20 at 11 a.m. We are going to talk about the effect of substance use on the brain and how that in turn determines someones behavior on the street when their brain is in dysfunction because of their addiction," she said. Racicot said she lost a loved one eight years ago to an overdose. The loss never changes, the hurt does not go away, she said. There are a lot of people who think those who are addicted can never change, but I believe in recovery and I believe he would have recovered if he had the proper resources, many of which are on display here today. The college did not track who attended the event, but Morenos hope is that along with students and faculty there were community members who attended. The message I want to get across to people is that we are all impacted by this, she said. Whether you have a substance use issue or your family member does, its important that we have an awareness of the resources we have, because Western Massachusetts is an incredible place doing incredible work in this area. As for the participating organizations, most are hoping to connect with people who need help. The biggest impediment to people getting help is the idea of stigma and discrimination, Babineau said. People are so afraid to come forward and speak about what is going on because of the real discrimination that follows that in so many cases. Learn to Cope offers weekly meetings across the state including in Greenfield, Pittsfield and Holyoke. A Spanish-language meeting will be offered soon in Springfield, Babineau said. The meetings offer peer support, education and resources for families dealing with addiction and recovery. They are a safe place for members to share their experiences, ask questions, learn about addiction and listen to guest speakers who are either in long-term recovery or professionals in the field. Overdose education and Narcan training is also available at every meeting in Massachusetts. We are an organization that believes in all paths to recovery, that everybody needs to find their own path that works for them, Babineau said. People talk about what they are going through. We let them rant if they need to rant, say what they need to say, and then try to offer them our own experience. We dont tell people what to do, we are not a tough-love organization, we try to provide information, experience, comfort and hope. We are not professionals, we are moms and dads, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles of people with substance use issues and we are supporting one another through this." Sen. Bernie Sanders supporters should be thanking Pete Buttigieg right now. Sure, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, hogged the spotlight Tuesday night, declaring himself victorious before any of the actual results had been reported, and Sanders still very much appeared to be competitive. That move is looking ever-dodgier as the actual numbers have dripped in: Sanders not only leads the popular vote by a comfortable margin but is close to pulling ahead on Iowas traditional measure of state delegate equivalents. Advertisement A bit of stolen glory, however, is really a small price to pay for the service Buttigieg is providing the Vermont senators campaign. Mayor Pete seems to be clearing Sanders path to the Democratic nomination by crippling their common rivals without actually carving out a clear route to win himself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sanders campaign has always faced two key questions. First, could he consolidate the partys left wing behind him, or would he and Sen. Elizabeth Warren undermine each other by splitting that vote? Second, even if Sanders could win the battle for the partys progressives, would that be enough to overcome Joe Biden, who seemed to have a lock on moderate and minority voters? Buttigieg has helped on both fronts by sapping support from both Warren and Biden, whom his backers consistently list as their second choice candidates. His performance in Iowa pushed the Massachusetts senator to third and the former vice president to fourth. Next weeks primary in New Hampshire could very well be a repeat performance. Both Sanders and Buttigieg appear to be rising in the polls there. Meanwhile, Biden is sinking toward third, and Warren is in a distant fourth. Advertisement Advertisement If the final vote shapes up that way, it will be a dream scenario for Sanders. Its not clear that Warrens campaign can survive consecutive disappointments in the first two nominating contests. Shes already polling well behind in South Carolina and Nevada, and losing more momentum wont help. Sure, its possible that Warren could limp to Super Tuesday after a string of third- and fourth-place finishes, but even if she does, many of her supporters might defect to Sanders, since hell be the progressive with a promising chance of winning. As for Biden: He might still be able to pull out a win in South Carolina, but hell still look weak, and between Buttigieg and Mike Bloombergwhose entire strategy is premised on a strong performance on Super Tuesday, and thus is 100 percent guaranteed to be around for itBiden wont have the moderate lane to himself. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In short, Buttigieg is helping to consolidate the left and split the moderates, creating ideal conditions for a Sanders win. Meanwhile, theres still little sign the man from McKinsey has a real shot himself. Even with his recent success, hes still polling at fifth nationally, now behind Bloomberg, and hasnt shown a pulse with minority voters yet. If he does somehow manage to knock out Biden entirely, it might actually be counterproductive. According to Morning Consult, the most popular second choice among the ex-VPs voters is Sanders, followed by Bloomberg, and then Warren (this is your regular reminder that Americans dont vote strictly based on ideology). Theres a reason that FiveThirtyEight is giving the democratic socialist a roughly 50 percent shot at the nomination right now, versus 1 in 30 for Buttigieg. Advertisement Advertisement Buttigieg doesnt deserve all the credit for kneecapping Sanders competition. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who campaigned as a moderate with both comprehensible syntax and a decent election record, also helped drag down Bidens performance in Iowa.* In South Carolina, Tom Steyer seems to be cutting into Bidens lead. And Bloomberg himself is starting to look like the most well-funded spoiler candidate in history. Advertisement Advertisement What makes Buttigiegs role a bit unique is that hes the one candidate who was positioned to wreck things for both the true moderates and Warren. Last year, Warren seemed as if she might become the front-runner by establishing herself as the left-wing candidate who least threatened the Democratic establishment. But Buttigieg helped stop the Massachusetts senators rise by attacking her support for Medicare for All on the debate stage and presenting himself as an alternative for voters who wanted an eloquent wonk with sterling academic credentials. Never mind that Pete himself seemed to flip his position on Medicare for All early in the campaign so he could compete in the moderate lane. He was the guy who could both attack Warren over it and pilfer a substantial share of her potential voters. His effort might now deliver the nomination to Sanders. Buttigiegs younger, pro-Bernie self would probably be proud. Finland moves to give fathers equal leave: Finland's female-dominated government unveiled a plan to give both parents the same amount of fully paid parental leave in an effort to push dads to take time off from work to spend more time with their children. Social Affairs Minister Anna-Kaisa Pekonen said paternity leave with full pay in the Nordic country would be extended to nearly seven months and on a par with what mothers get. In addition, a separate pregnancy allowance would entitle women to a month of paid pregnancy leave before the expected date of birth. (Left to Right) Mayor Jim Kenney, Councilmember Helen Gym, and Margaret Chin, PCDC Board Chair, have lunch together on Thursday at Ocean Harbor Restaurant in Philadelphia Chinatown. Read more News about the coronavirus is changing quickly. Go to inquirer.com/coronavirus for the latest information. Call it an act of moral, political, and culinary support. As the deadly coronavirus kills more people in China, and businesses in Philadelphias Chinatown feel the harsh ripple of fear, rumor, and lost business, Mayor Jim Kenney sat down to lunch Thursday in the figurative heart of the regions Asian community. Come back to Chinatown and eat its great, the mayor said before taking a seat at Ocean Harbor restaurant, a dim sum emporium just a block from where Chinatown was founded in 1870. Chinatown is safe. The city is safe. America is safe. Everybody should relax. No case of the virus has been reported in Pennsylvania or New Jersey. But even as the mayor efficiently worked a pair of chopsticks, attacking a fresh order of shrimp dumplings, Chinatown residents said worries about the coronavirus were apparent in empty tables at restaurants. That financial loss filters down to cooks and waiters who lose work, and to local grocery stores that miss out on selling supplies. READ MORE: Coronavirus outbreak: Philadelphia-area businesses are beginning to feel the sting Ocean Harbor workers told people that four banquets had just been canceled a big loss at the Lunar New Year, a time when Chinatown is typically bustling, noted Margaret Chin, board chairperson of Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp., the neighborhood-improvement group. The mayor was accompanied by Managing Director Brian Abernathy, Health Commissioner Thomas Farley, and City Councilmember Mark Squilla, whose district includes Chinatown, and Councilmembers Helen Gym and Bobby Henon. They ate with several leaders of the Chinatown business community. Kenneys arrival echoed an earlier visit by an earlier mayor in an earlier, equally nervous time. Back in 2003, as Chinatown merchants saw business halved by fears around the SARS epidemic, then-Mayor John Street and 30 senior administration officials had dinner at the very same restaurant, likewise trying to show people it was safe. We came to eat, Street pronounced. Theres great eating and theres nothing to be afraid about. READ MORE: Surgical masks become fear-informed fashion | Elizabeth Wellington Today, in the weeks since the virus emerged from China, believed to have risen from an animal market in the Hubei province capital of Wuhan, Asians across the globe have recounted episodes of discrimination. Amid quarantines, travel alerts, and cancellations, fear has spread faster than sickness. Even without a single case of the illness, the impact in the Philadelphia region has been dramatic. College students studying in China or hoping to do so here have had their semesters upended, a church serving Chinese Americans asked members who recently returned from China to avoid Sunday services, and organizations that were preparing for festive Lunar New Year celebrations instead dropped their plans. Memories linger in Chinatown of the economic damage caused by rumors around SARS. On Wednesday health officials in Wisconsin confirmed the states first case of coronavirus, raising the total number of American cases to 12 in six states. Test results are still pending in 76 others, according to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention. READ MORE: Chinese scientists ask for patent on U.S. drug to fight virus In China at least 563 people have died, with more than 28,000 others infected, according to the China National Health Commission. Authorities there also reported that 261 patients were cured and released from hospitals. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Fujian Association of Greater Philadelphia corrected its report that a Chinese person wearing a surgical mask was pushed on a SEPTA subway platform on Monday by someone frightened of coronavirus. The incident actually occurred in Washington, the spokesperson said, the confusion occurring as news was rapidly shared over WeChat, the Chinese multipurpose messaging, social media, and mobile payment app. Asians here say theyve been blamed on social media for causing the epidemic, becoming the focus of unnerving stares and jokes in a country that has a long history of anti-Chinese and anti-Asian racism. READ MORE: I didnt want to write about coronavirus and racism. Then I got harassed twice. | Perspective Asian people have pushed back on Twitter, starting the hashtag #IamNotAVirus and condemning racist comments. Cecilia Moy Yep, affectionately sometimes called the godmother of Chinatown for her decades-long roles in Chinatown improvement, was among those who dined with Kenney. She doesnt blame people for following the news or paying attention to the spread of the virus, she said. But its important to separate fact from fiction. Not one case in Chinatown. Not one suspected case. Were all concerned, Yep said. But on the other hand, you cant live in fear. The Election Commission of India on Thursday issued a notice to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh for making distorted and unverified allegations against the BJP. The poll body gave him time till 12pm on Friday to explain his position. The Commission is, prima facie, of the view that by making the aforementioned distorted and unverified statements, you have violated the above said provision of Model Code of Conduct, apart from the fact that said statement could create confusion and panic among general public and electors, EC said. Sanjay Singh, the ruling AAPs Rajya Sabha member, had in January accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to defer the February 8 Delhi elections by creating disturbances in the Capital. Singh had claimed that the BJP would do something bad on February 2 to instigate violence and alleged that the opposition partys leaders were making hate speeches to vitiate the atmosphere. The AAP leaders comments came after a gun-wielding teenager had fired a bullet at those protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and injured a student. He had also hit out at Delhi Police, which is under the Union home minister Amit Shah, saying the policemen were unable to pin down the man for some time. Since Amit Shah has taken over as the home minister, the law and order situation has deteriorated, Singh said. The hands of the police are tied by Shah, he added. The bitter election campaign, which has seen the AAP and BJP indulge in name-calling and hurl accusations at each, will end on Thursday ahead of the voting on Saturday. The votes will be counted on February 11. Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka in 1957 Reaffirming the cordial bilateral relationship that has always existed between Egypt and Sri Lanka, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi has extended his warm congratulations to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on the occasion of the 72nd Independence Day of Sri Lanka. A statement issued by the Embassy of the Arab Republic of Egypt quoted President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi as saying it is his sincere hope that the ties of friendship and cooperation between both countries will be further consolidated in a vast array of domains for the best interest of the friendly peoples of both countries. Egypt was the first Arab and African country to establish diplomatic relations with Sri Lanka in 1957. Both countries have enjoyed excellent relations throughout history and across governments. Today, Egypt and Sri Lanka are bound by more than twenty bilateral Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding in the fields of trade, investment, culture, arts, tourism, education, civil aviation, political consultation and security. The two countries successfully concluded a round of high-level bi-lateral political consultations in Cairo, Egypt in December 2019, which aimed at preparing the groundwork to revitalize and elevate the multifaceted bilateral relations between the two friendly nations to new heights in the ensuing years. In its 50-state review, the AP asked the attorneys general if they had considered how states could use the lists of credibly accused clergy members to better protect children. Some said they wanted to focus on investigating any possible criminal charges, but others said they have started to consider the role they could play in eliminating the gray area for people who have been credibly accused but not prosecuted.The AP investigation published in October explored the case of former priest Roger Sinclair, who had been accused of abuse in at least two other states but who had never been criminally charged when he moved to Oregon, where he was arrested and convicted for abusing a vulnerable adult. Oregon's attorney general, Ellen Rosenblum, said her office was looking at appropriate next steps. "This AP story sheds light on an important aspect of clergy sexual abuse horrors-how easy it has been to continue the abuse in other states from where the initial offending conduct occurred," Rosenblum said. "That is absolutely unacceptable, and the fact that the Sinclair case occurred right here in Oregon drives home the importance of addressing this issue." Associated Press reporters Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri; Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska; Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia; Mike Casey in Concord, New Hampshire; Gillian Flaccus in Portland, Oregon; Caleb Jones in Honolulu; Jeff Karoub in Detroit; Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia; Jennifer McDermott in Providence, Rhode Island; Wilson Ring in Burlington, Vermont; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; David Sharp in Portland, Maine; Mike Sisak in New York; Terry Tang in Phoenix and Don E. Thompson in Sacramento, California contributed to this report. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 1 Council officials have apologised after mistakenly writing to a dead woman asking her to carry out repairs to her own headstone. The lady, who passed away in 2011, was buried in Belfast City Cemetery next to her husband. Belfast City Council sent the letter to the west Belfast family home asking the deceased to "contact a monumental sculptor" to "make the memorial safe". Speaking to the Andersonstown News, a family member - who did not want to be named - said it was "a bit of a shock" when she opened the letter. "Everyone can make mistakes but this is one that could so easily have been avoided with a bit of sensitivity and professionalism," she said. "City Hall keeps records of deaths so obviously nobody bothered to do any cross-checking. "It would have been a very simple matter for the workers inspecting the headstones to take a note of who's in the plot as an extra precaution. "Many if not most of the graves in the cemetery are family plots and somebody should have taken that into consideration before this process started. "It's just a lack of thought and care in my opinion, and it was totally avoidable. "I would ask them now just to do what they can to make sure their process is tightened up to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen to any more families. I'm sure it's happened before and it will certainly happen again unless the system is improved." The letter, which was from the director of city services, said that while the council does "not wish to cause any further upset" to bereaved families, it must "make sure" its cemeteries are "safe places" for workers and visitors. Belfast City Council is carrying out a memorial inspection programme after an eight-year-old boy was killed by a falling headstone in Scotland in 2015. A council spokesperson said it was "sincerely sorry" for the hurt caused to the family. "Some of the information we hold may not have been updated by relatives or family members, hence this administrative error has occurred," the council continued. "We recognise this will have been very upsetting for those receiving the letter and apologise for the error." However, the family member said loved ones should not be required to update information for the council as it is available "at their fingertips". When asked if updating the council's records after the statutory death registration process was the responsibility of the deceased's family, the council said: "While we make every effort to ensure the information we have is accurate and up to date, which can be challenging given the passage of time, on this occasion details were missed. "We will review the process of writing to deed holders to ensure further checks are in place to try to prevent any similar errors or upset for another family." [February 06, 2020] QURAS Partners with Leading African Blockchain Association, BNUG QURAS, a next-gen blockchain protocol that enables anonymous, private-protected transactions, has announced a partnership with the leading blockchain non-profit associations in Africa, Blockchain Nigeria User Group (BNUG). By partnering with BNUG, QURAS looks to expand its community and developer base beyond Asia to greater Africa ahead of its mainnet launch in early April. Headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria and started in 2016, BNUG's vision is to champion blockchain technology education, development, and adoption in Nigeria and across Africa. BNUG works with all levels of government, including SEC (News - Alert) Nigeria, to support business growth and career opportunities in blockchain technology while promoting community development initiatives, increasing industry competitiveness, and enhancing consumer safety. The association provides its members with a range of services and programs focused on education and training, best practices, networking, and advocacy. BNUG has over 5,000 active members today. Recently, BNUG launched the #BlockchainDev1000 initiative aimed at providing participants with the foundational knowledge of blockchain decentralized application development and multi-platform exposures for building smart contracts. BNUG is currently training participants on Ethereum, IBM (News - Alert) Hyperledger, Tezos and ViteLab platforms. By partnering with QURAS, initiative participants will also be trained on the QURAS platform. The #BlockchainDev1000 initiative empowers BNUG to help develop the skillsets that will be relevant in building the decentralized future and transforming Africa while working wthin a pro-innovation regulatory framework. With this partnership, QURAS is looking to bring its self-sustaining ecosystem to Africa, one that shares all transaction fees with project owners and, in turn, supports protocol adoption and long-term viability. When asked about partnership merits, BNUG's leader, Chimezie Chuta said, "The partnership will provide QURAS with massive brand exposure in Africa. Secondly, our local developers will be exposed to the QURAS privacy-focused blockchain platform and they will be able to learn how to build solutions on the platform." Chimezie continued, saying, "It shows social responsibility when a brand, like QURAS, identifies itself with the noble causes instilled in BNUG's vision. It has a way of deeply engaging the project with the greater community, which in turn will increase usage and participation. You will see the QURAS project grow organically not only in Nigeria, but across Africa. Nigeria has a population of 200 million people, and breaking into such market gives open access to the greater emerging market economies of sub-Saharan Africa." When interviewed, Shigeki Kakutani, QURAS' CEO, said he is very excited to collaborate with BNUG and a build a bridge between Asia and Africa. "Currently, there are more than 500 blockchain engineers in BNUG and we envision the association to reach their target of 1,000 engineers. A strong and growing developer community is very important for QURAS as these engineers will lead the future development of applications on our platform," said Shigeki. "The QURAS team already has a Community Manager living in Lagos who will help manage partnership efforts between our organizations. I am grateful to be partnering with such a great association." About QURAS As a secret contract platform for 'Privacy 2.0', QURAS aims to lead the revolution of information protection by using cutting-edge blockchain technology. With QURAS, the utilization of public blockchains in industries that require confidentiality becomes possible. QURAS expects to improve the continuity of blockchain projects with transaction fee sharing taking into account project operators. QURAS was founded in 2017 and is currently listed on three digital asset exchanges, Bithumb Global, BiKi, and CoinTiger. For more information, please visit: https://quras.io/ Twitter (News - Alert): https://twitter.com/qurasofficial About BNUG Founded in November 2016, Blockchain Nigeria User Group is a vibrant community of blockchain and cryptocurrency developers, enthusiasts, and investors. The association's vision is to champion blockchain technology education, development and adoption in Nigeria and greater Africa. BNUG is a member of the Organization of Blockchain Technology Users (OBTU), a dually-registered and incorporated trust with Nigeria's Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). For more information, please visit: https://blockchainnigeria.group View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005827/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] What is it about the circumstances of our politics now the pressures that both parties put on their members to fall in line that meant Mr. Romney would be the only one? Republican politics in Washington in the time of Donald Trump is a vise grip. Loyalty has never been a more important virtue in the party than it is now. The Republican Party has shrunk a lot, by weeding out the Trump-ambivalents. A lot of the Republicans who broke with Donald Trump in 2016 are no longer Republicans. Mr. Romney is a Mormon. On the Senate floor today he said that as a juror in the trial, he had sworn an oath before God to act impartially. He cited a Mormon hymn in explaining his decision on Fox News. The example of his father, George Romney, who was very active in the Mormon Church and who was the moderate Republican governor of Michigan, was very powerful to him. George was also a lonely dissident voice in the Republican Party during the Vietnam War. He paid a big price for it. To this day, Mitt says he reveres his father for that. Mitt used to say when he was running for president that when he went up to the debate lectern, he would write the word dad to remind himself of the example his dad set. He said to me this morning that George Romney was an example he looked to regularly in the process of making this impeachment decision. He told you he thought there would be unimaginable consequences to his vote. What do you think he meant? He is as lonely a voice inside the G.O.P. as there is right now in the Senate. It takes different forms, like being heckled in grocery stores, which happened to him in Florida over the weekend. God knows what people say about you on social media. There are calls for his expulsion, led by Donald Trump Jr. He said he was prepared for it. He said he was willing to do this for the privilege of voting his conscience. The Prince of Wales has visited TK Maxx for the first time, and hailed the budget retailer as amazing. Charles met young people who have participated in the companys Get into Retail programme with The Princes Trust on the shop floor in Tooting, south London. The prince told one staff member that he did not expect the store to be so bright and luxurious as he walked through the clothing and homeware aisles. A huge crowd had gathered on the street outside and when he left there were dozens of people keen to shake his hand or take a photo. Instead of heading straight for his car, he embarked on a mini walkabout and was soon completely surrounded by people. The Prince of Wales meets with employees who are Princes Trust alumni during a visit to the TK Maxx store on Tooting High Street (Jeff Spicer/PA) On his way out, he said: Im really worried weve stopped all the customers coming in. Rachel Crawford, 29, from London, is a team leader in the Tooting store and chatted to Charles about her experience of doing a six-week retail course in conjunction with The Princes Trust before taking up employment in TK Maxx. Speaking about what Charles thought of the store, Ms Crawford said: He walked in and said it was amazing. He didnt expect it to be so bright and so luxurious, the way everythings displayed. He said it was very fresh. And he liked how the layout of the store looked. The Prince of Wales is greeted by members of the public (Philip Toscano/PA) He was happy with the layout of the store. She said he asked her how she manages not so friendly customers, adding: I said I kill them with kindness, I give them this smile. He laughed. Ms Crawford said if she was to bring Charles to a particular section of the store she would bring him to the ladies department so that he could get a nice hat or scarf for the Queen, adding that there has been a lot of cashmere in lately. The Queen would love to wear that, she said. Ms Crawford also said Charles had very soft hands, and said she would have liked to have asked him what moisturiser he wears. Im so privileged that hes actually come out of his own personal time to come to the store, to meet us one on one. The Prince of Wales meets with employees (Jeff Spicer/PA) It must be a very busy schedule, she said. Charles also joined a discussion with young people to hear about what it is like to be a young Londoner and the challenges they have overcome to gain stable employment. The Princes Trust has helped more than 950,000 young people since it was founded by Charles in 1976. TK Maxx has supported The Princes Trust since 2013 and operated a partnership with the charity that has helped more than 1,000 young people through the Get into Retail programme. It has offered specialist training and roles to over 700 of these young people, many of whom remain employees in TK Maxx stores. Kirk Douglas, the intense, muscular actor with the dimpled chin who starred in "Spartacus," "Lust for Life" and dozens of other films, helped fatally weaken the blacklist against suspected Communists and reigned for decades as a Hollywood maverick and patriarch, died Wednesday, his family said. He was 103. Douglas lived in New Orleans briefly as a Navy ensign in World War II. During Mardi Gras in 1984, he donned a crown and reigned as Bacchus. "This is the most unique experience in my life," Douglas, then 68, was quoted as saying in a UPI wire report published in newspapers across the country the day after his March 4, 1984, ride. "I thought fighting 2,000 Romans in 'Spartacus' was something, but this is something I'll never forget." It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103, his son Michael said in a statement on his Instagram account. To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to. Kirk Douglas' death was first reported by People magazine. His granite-like strength and underlying vulnerability made the son of illiterate Russian immigrants one of the top stars of the 20th century. He appeared in more than 80 films, in roles ranging from Doc Holliday in "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" to Vincent van Gogh in "Lust for Life." He worked with some of Hollywood's greatest directors, from Vincente Minnelli and Billy Wilder to Stanley Kubrick and Elia Kazan. His career began at the peak of the studios power, more than 70 years ago, and ended in a more diverse, decentralized era that he helped bring about. Always competitive, including with his own family, Douglas never received an Academy Award for an individual film, despite being nominated three times for "Champion," "The Bad and the Beautiful" and "Lust for Life." But in 1996, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded him an honorary Oscar. His other awards included a Presidential Medal of Freedom and a lifetime achievement award from the American Film Institute. He was a category unto himself, a force for change and symbol of endurance. In his latter years, he was a final link to a so-called Golden Age, a man nearly as old as the industry itself. In his youth, he represented a new kind of performer, more independent and adventurous than Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy and other giants of the studio era of the 1930s and 1940s, and more willing to speak his mind. Reaching stardom after World War II, he was as likely to play cads (the movie producer in "Bad and the Beautiful," the journalist in "Ace in the Hole") as he was suited to play heroes, as alert to the business as he was at home before the camera. He started his own production company in 1955, when many actors still depended on the studios, and directed some of his later films. A born fighter, Douglas was especially proud of his role in the the downfall of Hollywood's blacklist, which halted and ruined the careers of writers suspected of pro-Communist activity or sympathies. By the end of the 50s, the use of banned writers was widely known within the industry, but not to the general public. Douglas, who years earlier had reluctantly signed a loyalty oath to get the starring role in Lust for Life, provided a crucial blow when he openly credited the former Communist and Oscar winner Dalton Trumbo for script work on "Spartacus," the epic about a slave rebellion during ancient Rome that was released in 1960. (A few months earlier, Otto Preminger had announced Trumbo's name would appear on the credits for "Exodus," but "Spartacus" came out first.) "Everybody advised me not to do it because you won't be able to work in this town again and all of that. But I was young enough to say to hell with it," Douglas said about "Spartacus" in a 2011 interview with The Associated Press. "I think if I was much older, I would have been too conservative: 'Why should I stick my neck out?'" Douglas rarely played lightly. He was compulsive about preparing for roles and a supreme sufferer on camera, whether stabbed with scissors in "Ace in the Hole" or crucified in "Spartacus." Critic David Thomson dubbed Douglas "the manic-depressive among Hollywood stars, one minute bearing down on plot, dialogue and actresses with the gleeful appetite of a man just freed from Siberia, at other times writing not just in agony but mutilation and a convincingly horrible death." Douglas personal favorite was the 1962 Western Lonely are the Brave, which included a line of dialogue from a Trumbo script he called the most personal he ever spoke on screen: Im a loner clear down deep to my very guts. The most famous words in a Douglas movie were spoken about him, but not by him. In Spartacus, Roman officials tell a gathering of slaves their lives will be spared if they identify their leader, Spartacus. As Douglas rises to give himself up, a growing chorus of slaves jump up and shout, Im Spartacus! Douglas stands silently, a tear rolling down his face. As Michael Douglas once observed, few acts were so hard to follow. Kirk Douglas was an acrobat, a juggler, a self-taught man who learned French in his 30s and German in his 40s. Life was just so many walls to crash through, like the stroke in his 70s that threatened but only threatened to end his career. He continued to act and write for years and was past 100 when he and his wife published Kirk and Anne: Letters of Love, Laughter, and a Lifetime in Hollywood. Living and working in Ireland less than two years, Matt Elliott is a man in a hurry. The Yorkshire native, who took up the role of chief people officer of Bank of Ireland early last year, has already made a number of changes at the financial institution and is vocal in his views on the bankers' pay cap. In the wake of the bank bailouts that followed the economic crisis the State imposed new regulations with a pay cap of 500,000 across the main banks here and an 89pc 'super-tax' on incentive pay in the sector. Elliott, like the bank he works for, argues the salary limits should be abolished. "We have been pretty clear as an organisation that we believe we should bring back variable pay. I think that does involve a discussion about a pay cap," the ex-Virgin Money executive says. He recognises that it is "a difficult debate" in Ireland "for all the reasons that we know about over this past decade". "We do take that very seriously. Those are issues that can't be repeated. I think the sector is quite proactive in terms of changing culture but also announcing accountability," he says. Changes to pay and incentives are needed in order for banks to be able to compete not just against each other for talent, but also against the tech giants operating in Ireland, according to Elliott. "Being able to pay competitively for the right talent for Bank of Ireland is appropriate and is more widely healthy in terms of this institution, and given its importance to the country as well. "My job is more demanding in terms of attracting [certain] skill sets ahead of LinkedIn or Amazon, Facebook and those kinds of organisations, as much as banking competitors, and so that's the shift." In addition, the likes of tech companies have the edge in terms of being "really attractive brand-wise" to younger people. "It is a very competitive environment and it is becoming increasingly so for certain types of specialist skills, and that's where the more intense focus is coming from," Elliott adds. The bank is currently implementing a digital transformation programme. On the back of this, its staff requirements are shifting. There will be changes to some of the roles that currently exist. In order to facilitate this, the bank has set up a central team to manage matching people from where they may not be needed in the future to a role the firm knows it will want. "It is a team that has just been put in place and their line of sight is to the whole company," Elliott says, adding that changes "will involve some skills development". However, while some roles that are currently in existence may not be around in the future, he says the bank, which employs just over 11,000 people, has no plans to make compulsory redundancies. "We are being proactive around managing [changes] through with any colleagues that are affected, supporting them in that transition, and if they want to remain with the organisation, we are going to be supporting their skills and careers to enable that to happen." Nonetheless, voluntary redundancy will be an option for employees. "We always have some sort of a programme going on if there is a business change in the bank around VR," he says. "We recognise there will be less people than there are today in the organisation come the end of the year." Along with the tech upgrades that are taking place at the Francesca McDonagh-led bank, Elliott is keen for a change in culture to occur. "I have arrived into the organisation as we are continuing our commitment to get to a much better place in terms of the culture here," he says. "When we started looking at colleague feedback a couple of years ago, we weren't strong enough in terms of listening and listening carefully, and I think it's like any healthy relationship; there has got to be good communication. This is something I have seen improve significantly." In addition, the bank is endeavouring to be more accommodating in terms of its flexible work offering. Encouraging staff to work differently rather than the typical 9am-5pm has been "quite a cultural change", he says. Nonetheless, it is catching on and about one third of the organisation is now using flexible workspaces, where individuals use laptops to enable remote working. Elliott himself practises what he preaches, with the father of two commuting to and from Dublin each week from his home in Sheffield. The bank has also piloted four locations for hubs outside of Dublin so that staff are not required to commute into the city every day. The hubs are currently being rolled out in Mulligan, Naas, Dundalk and Gorey. While Elliott would not say whether he thinks Dublin has become too expensive for companies to locate in, he feels there is "an over-reliance" on the city centre. "There is a balance to be had. Often we have great properties we can reuse [for flexible working]." The benefit, he says, of being less Dublin-concentrated is that colleagues have a better work-life balance, while for the bank, the likelihood is it will mean less property in central Dublin. Another potential change for the bank concerns apprenticeships, which it will consider introducing this year. "I'm mindful of the unemployment rates around school-leavers who have left without a qualification. It is something like three times higher than the norm for the age 18-24 group in terms of the CSO stats at the moment," Elliott says. "We have an apprenticeship scheme in place in Northern Ireland. It is part of our plan this year to see how we can roll out an apprenticeship scheme in Ireland; we just need to find the right way to do that," he adds. In addition, Bank of Ireland has recently updated its recruitment policy and removed the Minimum Education Requirement as a standard application requirement. Elliott is an assured operator, confident in his brief. However, despite his eight-year stint at Virgin Money, he struggles when asked about cultural differences between the Richard Branson-founded company and Bank of Ireland. "I don't want to search out an answer just for the sake of it. The reason I can't come up with one thing immediately says that there isn't a significant difference," he says. Elliott says he was "very thoughtful" about coming and working in Ireland. "If I have heard one thing from my colleagues in the organisation, it is that people can tend to be too nice and not level what they really think, but I have not actually seen that in practise. It is the perception that is held in Ireland, rather than the reality that I have seen," he says. In terms of society, however, Elliott says there is "a significant different level of interest in Irish people than there is in the UK". "There are more radio shows during the day that are well-informed in terms of the debate that goes on. I see a different level of interaction with politics and general awareness than I do in the UK. I think it is really healthy," he says. For the Sheffield Wednesday fan, it means "quite a difference" in taxi conversations, which he says "are just on a different level here". Three persons, including a village sarpanch, were arrested on Thursday for allegedly being part of a violent mob that killed a man and injured six others on suspicion of being child-lifters in Madhya Pradesh, while policemen, too, faced action for dereliction of duty. Six policemen, including the Manavar police station in charge in Dhar district, under whose jurisdiction the incident took place, were suspended for negligence in duty, an official said. A 35-year-old man, Ganesh Patel, was lynched while six of his friends were seriously injured on Wednesday when a group of local residents attacked them amid rumours that a gang of child-lifters was on the prowl in Baroli village, around 60km from Dhar town, police have said. All seven were farmers. Three persons, including a village sarpanch, were arrested in connection with the mob attack and charged with murder, police said. They were identified by the police only as Ramesh, Satya and Galyan. Chief Minister Kamal Nath's media coordinator Narendra Singh Saluja claimed Ramesh, the sarpanch of Junapani village, is a BJP worker. However, the police have not yet confirmed this. The two others arrested in the case are residents of Bhutia village, Dhar district's superintendent of police (SP) Aditya Pratap Singh said. Six policemen - the Manawar police station in-charge, a sub-inspector, an assistant sub-inspector and three constables - were suspended on charges of negligence in duty, he said. A special investigative team (SIT), headed by additional superintendent of police Devendra Patidar, has been constituted to probe the matter and the arrested accused have been booked for murder, the SP said. Meanwhile, Saluja claimed the opposition BJP is politicising the issue despite the fact that it's own party worker had "incited" people to attack the victims. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath termed the incident as "very unfortunate" and added that such things cannot be tolerated. Nath directed the administration to thoroughly probe the incident and take stern action against the culprits. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from all quarters with former BJP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleging that the Nath-led Congress government had made the state "Talibani". "People are being beaten and stoned to death. The incident is unfortunate as those killed had given prior information to the police that they are going to recover their money in the village, as they faced threat over there, but police remained asleep," he claimed. Speaking to reporters, state BJP president Rakesh Singh said, "If anyone is responsible for this incident, it is the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh." Asked about the Congress claim that one of the accused is a BJP worker, Singh said, "Crime is crime. A criminal can't be spared even if he belongs to a particular political party. But the Congress cannot shirk its responsibility by pointing out one person from a mob of 500. Will this end crime?" On Wednesday, the victims, farmers hailing from Indore and Ujjain, had gone to Baroli village, around 60km from Dhar town, in two cars to recover money from some local farm labourers when they were attacked. The farm labourers had spread rumours that the seven men were child-lifters to avoid returning the money they had taken as advance from one of the victims, police have said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 60 Years Ago: Students Launched Sit-In Movement February 1, 2020, marks the 60th anniversary of the launch of the historic Sit-in Movement, when four African-American freshmen from North Carolina A&T State College (now University) in Greensboro, NC sparked the non-violent and student-led wave of protests that ultimately resulted in the desegregation of F.W. Woolworth and other racially discriminatory stores. The brave freshmen from NCA&T, who would later be adorned with the iconic label of the Greensboro Four, consisted of David Richmond, Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and Ezell Blair Jr. (Jibreel Khazan). On February 1, 1960, the Greensboro Four bought items at Woolworths, then sat at the Whites-only lunch counter and refused to leave until they were served. Although waitresses refused to serve them, in accordance with the stores racist policies, the four would continue their protest and in the following days and weeks would be joined by more students from NCA&T, the nearby all-womens HBCU Bennett College and students from other nearby colleges and high schools. In a 2003 interview, Khazan (formerly Blair, Jr.) reflected on the daily threats of violence and verbal assaults from White antagonists, as one caller reached him on the dorm hall phone and bellowed, executioners are going to kill you niggers if you come back down here tomorrow, you and your crazy friends. ADVERTISEMENT White student allies who protested alongside Black students were not immune from death threats either, as Khazan recalled a White student protester explaining that their college president was threatened by an anonymous caller saying, if those nigger loving bitches come downtown again and sit with those niggers, we going to kill them and burn your school down. The Greensboro students persisted nevertheless, and soon, the protests that flooded the lunch counters of the segregated store would spread to other cities throughout the South beginning in North Carolina cities such as Elizabeth City, Charlotte and Winston-Salem, in addition to cities in Virginia. In Virginia Virginia played a primary role in the Sit-in Movement, as Hampton, Virginia became the first community outside of North Carolina to experience sit-ins on February 10th. Initially, three students from Hampton Institute sat-in at the downtown Woolworths lunch counter in Hampton and were refused service. As a testament to the veracity of the movement, within two weeks, over 600 students in Hampton were sitting-in. On February 12, sit-in protests spread to Norfolk, as 38 Black protesters staged a sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counters on Granby and Freemason streets. ADVERTISEMENT Similar demonstrations were held in Portsmouth, in the mid-city shopping center at lunch counters in Roses Department store on February 12th and at Bradshaw-Diehl department store later that week. Led by students from I.C. Norcom High school, the Portsmouth sit-ins would be one of the few cities that experienced violence, albeit initiated by White anti-protesters armed with chains, hammers, and pipes and resulting in retaliation from the Black students after being attacked. Violent episodes were the exceptions and not the rule of the massively spreading Sit-in Movement. In nearly all sit-in cities, Black protesters made immeasurable efforts to avoid violence at all cost since the movement and training centered on non-violent demonstrations in confronting inequality. Edward Rodman, high school activist in Portsmouth, admitted they were initially unorganized and untrained in passive resistance, which played a role in their reactions to the violent anti-protesters. The Congress for Racial Equality (CORE) connected with the Portsmouth student protesters and over the next few days conducted intense and successful non-violent workshops with the young people. Soon after, the Portsmouth students reignited their movement without incidents of retaliation toward violent antagonists. North of Hampton Roads, Richmond, Virginia experienced sit-ins as well as Baltimore, MD, and dozens of other cities by the end of February. By mid-April, sit-in protests reached all southern states involving thousands of Black student activists and sympathizers. The coordinated demonstrations of thousands of Black student protesters and sympathizers put insurmountable pressure on Woolworths, as it became nearly impossible for regular customers to purchase items, eat at the lunch counters and even enter the store in many instances. On May 25th, the sit-in movement received a major victory as lunch counters at Woolworths in Winston Salem, NC desegregated. Soon after, Woolworths in Nashville, TN and San Antonio, TX, also integrated. Finally, on July 25, ground zero, Woolworths in Greensboro integrated its lunch counter. With the possibility of facing bankruptcy, F.W. Woolworth totally acquiesced and desegregated all of its lunch counters throughout the nation by the end of the summer of 1960. The Legacies And Larger Significance Of The 1960 Sit-in Movement, Sparked In Greensboro Similar to the successful 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott, the students triumphant coordinated protests in 1960 further demonstrated how mass economic boycotts could lead to desegregationist social victories, particularly when targeting businesses that relied heavily on Black patronage. The Greensboro Four only set out to challenge and change the discriminatory practices of the local Woolworths, yet their movement expanded exponentially to ultimately bring about the desegregation of all Woolworths lunch counters in the country. The students of the Civil Rights era suddenly possessed a new weapon, the mass sit-in, which would continue to be used in Greensboro and around the country in various forms. The sit-ins combined with the freedom rides led to Black students establishing their unique value and niche to the larger Civil Rights Movement. Black students understood their unique, collective power and desired to harness their efforts under a national apparatus. Consequently, another major legacy of the student movement that emerged in Greensboro was it also directly led to the birth of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in April of 1960 in nearby Raleigh, NC on the campus of Shaw University. SNCC would soon emerge as one of the most formidable organizations of the decade, elevating students to the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement. After marveling at the magnitude and effectiveness of the student protesters during the sit-ins, major Civil Rights organizations such as the NAACP, SCLC and CORE pressured the students to collapse their meteoric movement into the youth wing of one of their institutions under their supervision. The students however, decided to remain autonomous and formulate their own student-led organization, while still adhering to non-violent principles. The students decision to remain student-led received noteworthy support from several key adult Civil Rights leaders in Greensboro in addition to Ella Baker from SCLC. SNCC would prove to be an indispensible organization that not only championed directly confronting Jim Crow racism on numerous levels through organized protests and massive voter registration drives, but SNCC also further popularized the concept of participatory democracy and was the first major Civil Rights organization to evolve toward seriously embracing principles of Black power ideology under Stokely Carmichaels (Kwame Ture) leadership in 1966. Another legacy of the 1960 sit-in movement was that it offered the inspiration and blueprint for the second and more colossal wave of mass student protest in Greensboro in 1963. The 1963 student demonstrations in Greensboro would be even more locally successful than their predecessor as they desegregated all remaining businesses in downtown Greensboro and the student leader of the second wave of sit-ins, Jesse Jackson, would parlay his leadership in the student protests onto the national Civil Rights stage throughout the 20th century. Similar to Greensboro, other cities throughout the South would experience a second and even third wave of similar protests to successfully desegregate other remaining businesses throughout the decade. Ultimately, all mass student protests of the 1960s and thereafter owe their viability to the student-led Greensboro protests of 1960, including student Black power activists and anti-war activists of the late 60s and 70s. Although its origins predate 1960, even one of the largest and most noteworthy national student organizations, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), owe its resurgence and major elements of its effectiveness to the spark ignited by the Greensboro Four on February 1, 1960. Even recent episodes of student activism exhibited in the Ferguson, Missouri protests of 2014-15, as well as the student protests led by Black students at the University of Missouri in 2015, which ultimately led to the resignation of the chancellor, have attributes that correlate to the 1960 student movement. The student movement of 1960, ignited by the Greensboro Four, provided a blueprint for future students to build upon, perfect, and utilize in a variety of ways for a plethora of circumstances. Most importantly, what happened in 1960 showed young people the power they possessed to address their grievances and ultimately bring about change on both local and national levels if they organized themselves and remained committed. Unique Weapons for Non-violent Students In addition to the typical traits that come along with youthfulness such as idealism and impatience, student success during the 1960 sit-ins and thereafter was directly affixed to two distinct assets possessed by students juxtaposed to their older adult activist counterparts. The first asset is condense demographics, as student-body populations were primarily located on campuses and/or nearby the colleges. The fact that hundreds to thousands of students in a college town lived within a square mile of each other led to the expeditious mobilization of large numbers of people and efficient dissemination of information and strategy. Although Black churches proved to be invaluable throughout the Black Freedom Struggle from Reconstruction to the Civil Rights Movement, there was still no equivalent amongst the older Black generation to the college campus effectiveness as both a meeting place and as a domicile for housing and dispersing the shock troops of the movement. The second major asset specific to students would be the relation between arrest and reprisal. At some of their demonstrations prior to 1960, older Black activists strategically triggered their arrests for charges such as trespassing or loitering as a way to dramatize unjust treatment via media coverage and to pressure White officials to change discriminatory laws. Once mobilized per the sit-ins however, student activists were able to invite and withstand incarceration for far longer periods of time and in extremely larger numbers. Students vastly elevated this critical strategy of the overall movement. During 1960 and beyond, the enormous numbers unleashed by Black student activists put unyielding pressure on local law enforcement, political officials and jail facilities. In many cities like Greensboro, there were not enough jail cells for all of the students arrested, particularly since the students refused bail and chose to remain incarcerated. This action severely drained local municipalities of money and resources, forcing local governmental, business and law officials to dramatically adjust policies and sometimes change discriminatory laws. Student activists were able to perfect this strategy because they could endure prolonged imprisonment without fear of major job or housing reprisal. Comparably, many older activists, whose families depended on their incomes, could not sacrifice prolonged periods of incarceration, as it would threaten their livelihood. Furthermore, angry employers or landlords, who disapproved of their protest activities, could threaten to fire them or abruptly remove them from property they were renting. Students were not confronted with the same ramifications of these economic, employment and housing reprisals, as the majority of them lived on campuses and perhaps had part-time, albeit replaceable, minimum wage jobs, often with no dependents. Drawing the contrast between student activists versus the older activists is not synonymous with drawing divisions, as the older activists understood the assets that students solely possessed to further the movement along. In fact, many of the older activists encouraged the younger activists and actively supported them in numerous ways. For example, when Bennett College students, who were the heroines on the 1963 Greensboro protests, were arrested and refused bail during the 1963 sit-ins in Greensboro, their professors came to the jail facilities and gave them their classroom and homework assignments every week. This scenario personifies the symbiotic relationship between both generations in the fight against racism, as the professors showed their appreciation for the young peoples unique and valiant position for the benefit of the entire race and future generations, yet not removing the students from their responsibilities and academic requirements. Altogether, students endured countless hardships that included incarceration, verbal assaults and physical violence. Sometimes, attacks from White antagonists were compounded by disproportionate responses from law enforcement, as Portsmouth activist, Edward Rodman explained, the fire department, all of the police force and police dogs were mobilized. The police turned the dogs loose on the Negroes-but not all the Whites. Students also understood that they could pay the ultimate price for protesting against the status quo of racial inequality, as numerous activists were murdered throughout the Civil Rights era. Nevertheless, over 50,000 Black students and sympathizers participated in the sit-ins of 1960. As historian Clayborne Carson highlighted, Nonviolent tactics, particularly when accompanied by rationale based on Christian principles, offered Black studentsa sense of moral superiority, an emotional release through militancy, and a possibility of achieving desegregation. A movement within a movement was born on February 1, 1960 and that movement evolved into its own distinct force by the middle of the decade. Soon after the sit-ins began, students realized their collective prowess, as student activism consistently helped define the decade of the 60s in forcing monumental political, legal and social changes throughout the nation. Finally, the Black student activists of the 1960 sit-ins did three important things, albeit unintentional: they helped lay the foundation for all collective student activism in the 60s and beyond, they played a legendary role in the larger African-American Freedom Movement that began as early as Africans arrival to colonial America, and they cemented a valuable place in one of Americas most significant traditions, the protest tradition, which has continuously defined and propelled our country since its inception. Our society, and all post-1960 social movements, have undeniably benefited from the audacity of those four brave freshmen and their actions on February 1, 1960. Dr. Kelton Edmonds is a Professor of History at California University of Pennsylvania. His primary research is on Black Student Activism in the United States. He is a native of Portsmouth, VA and graduated from I.C. Norcom High school in 1993. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in Secondary Education-History from North Carolina A&T State University. He earned his Ph.D. in 20th Century US History from the University of Missouri-Columbia. U.S. Space Force, signed into law as the military's newest service just last December, has a lot to sort out, including uniforms, an official rank structure and what to call its members. The Pentagon is crowdsourcing ideas from individuals already assigned to the fledgling service with a very simple question: What would you like to be called? Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Vice Commander of the U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. David Thompson said that, while the process to decide on a nomenclature is still in the works, a "couple of really strong options" are on the table. "[There are] some pretty strong opinions," he said. "But what we'd like to do is ensure we've thought as broadly as we can and have gotten the opinions of the people who matter, and those are people like ... the young folks ... and consider it as best we can before we land on a name." Related: Great-Grandson of Tuskegee Airman Wants to Join Space Force Thompson's comments come as an internal Space Force email has circulated on the popular, but unaffiliated Air Force Facebook page Amn/Nco/Snco asking its members to submit name ideas. A defense official confirmed the authenticity of the email to Military.com. "What should the enlisted E1-E9 ranks in the Space Force be called? Must be gender neutral," says one bullet point in the email, per the Facebook post. "What should the collective group of members serving in the Space Force be called? Some names floating around already are Guardians, Sentinels, and Vanguards. Feel free to create a brand new word for those who are linguistically inclined," says another. "We are currently in the research phase to explore options for the many characteristics of culture that will define the U.S. Space Force," said Maj. Will Russell, a Space Force spokesman. "We are following a deliberate process to ensure the name of our Space Force professionals accurately represents the excellence and heritage of the men and women of the U.S. Space Force. We will send out more details to the military space community through official channels to solicit feedback," Russell added. The Air Force has previously used the official "Air Force Ideas" webpage, a common access card-enabled database that airmen are encouraged to use if they want to submit new concepts or solutions at the squadron level. But Thompson said the service isn't relying solely on submissions. "We're taking steps to broaden our aperture and bring a larger set of groups" into the conversation, he said. That includes officials from the language department at the U.S. Air Force Academy and the Defense Department's Defense Language Institute, as well as other English language centers who've also been involved in the process. "There are a couple of really strong options," Thompson said, but did not elaborate. Names aside, Space Force has yet to announce a rank structure or a full system of uniforms. Last month, President Donald Trump unveiled its official seal, which includes the words "Department of the Air Force," making clear that Space Force falls under the service, just as the Marine Corps falls under the Navy. That announcement closely followed a uniform update: The service's official Twitter account posted a teaser photograph Jan. 17 appearing to show a variant of the Operational Camouflage Pattern used by the Army and Air Force. Above the left breast pocket in Navy-colored embroidery read: U.S. Space Force. Officials are on the hook to get answers to lawmakers: Top Air Force and Space Force officials must brief lawmakers every 60 days until at least March 31, 2023, on the status of the new branch's implementation, according to the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act signed into law in December. The Pentagon delivered its first report to Congress on Feb. 3, Thompson said. Roughly 16,000 active-duty and civilian personnel who used to make up Air Force Space Command are now technically assigned to the Space Force, following Trump's signing of the fiscal 2020 NDAA. Officials on Wednesday reiterated an earlier clarification on Space Force manning: An airman who is "assigned" is a "person who performs work in support of a specific mission, in this case the U.S. Space Force; a 'transferred' individual in this situation is someone who has changed their enlistment or appointment as an officer from one particular branch of the Armed Forces to another," according to a service-outlined document that coincided with the NDAA enactment. So far, technically only one member has transferred and sworn an oath to the U.S. Space Force: Gen. John "Jay" Raymond, the first-ever chief of space operations, Thompson said. Of the Space Force's ultimate goal of 16,000 personnel, it plans to transfer at least 6,000 people in by year's end, Thompson said. "We expect more than that 6,000," he added. Because commissioning and enlistment are specific to each military branch and bound in part by laws and statutes, the Pentagon must coordinate with Congress to "have them provide authorization" for specific individuals to transfer over to the Space Force, Thompson said, adding that appointing members must also be tied to adequate benefits and pay systems. "This will go over a series of months," he said. The career fields that will likely fully transfer are those with space-specific missions: space operations, space training, space intelligence, space acquisition, space engineering, space communications and space cyber, said Maj. Gen. Clinton E. Crosier, director of the Space Force planning task force. Soldiers, sailors and Marines who support space operations and want to be a part of Space Force may request an interservice transfer. While that adjustment is pending, there are Army and Navy personnel working on the planning team at the headquarters, Crosier said. "We have 24 Army members and 14 Navy members embedded on the team," he said. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214. Read more: Morale Is in Trouble at Some Army Bases. Heres What the Service Plans to Do About It Five arrested, 100,000 meth pills seized in Krabi PHUKET: A series of raids in Ao Luek, Krabi, netted five suspects and more than 100,000 methamphetamine (ya bah) pills as well as 300 grammes of crystal meth, police have announced. drugscrimepolice By The Phuket News Thursday 6 February 2020, 02:26PM More than 100,000 ya bah pills and more than 300 grammes of crystal meth were seized in the raids. Photo: PR Dept / Krabi More than 100,000 ya bah pills and more than 300 grammes of crystal meth were seized in the raids. Photo: PR Dept / Krabi More than 100,000 ya bah pills and more than 300 grammes of crystal meth were seized in the raids. Photo: PR Dept / Krabi More than 100,000 ya bah pills and more than 300 grammes of crystal meth were seized in the raids. Photo: PR Dept / Krabi More than 100,000 ya bah pills and more than 300 grammes of crystal meth were seized in the raids. Photo: PR Dept / Krabi More than 100,000 ya bah pills and more than 300 grammes of crystal meth were seized in the raids. Photo: PR Dept / Krabi More than 100,000 ya bah pills and more than 300 grammes of crystal meth were seized in the raids. Photo: PR Dept / Krabi Krabi Governor Lt Col ML Kitibordee Prawit explained to the press yesterday (Feb 5) that the raids were carried out by officers from the Border Patrol Police together with law-enforcement officials attached to the Internal Security Operations Command Krabi office. The announcement was made at a press conference held at Krabi office of Internal Security Operations Command. Last Saturday (Feb 1), police arrested Eakkawat Im Humyuso, 33, with seven pills of ya bah at a house in Moo 3, Tambon Sai Thai, Gov ML Kitibordee explained. That same day, Eakkawat confessed that he obtained the drugs from dealers in another house nearby where police later arrested other four suspects: Suthat Nor Khamak, Niphan Baen Keboot, Pairat Chui Socheua, and Nanthawat Arrip Salayrat. At the house, police also found 6,330 pills of ya bah and 302.1g of ya ice. After his arrest, Niphan told police that he bought the drugs from a dealer network in Trang, Gov ML Kitibordee said. Further investigation by police discovered 100,000 pills of ya bah, packed in 50 plastic bags, by the side of the eastbound lanes of Route 44 in Moo 4, Tambon Klong Hin, Ao Luek District. Route 44 is the four-lane highway that joins Ao Luek, Krabi, with Surat Thani, on the Gulf of Thailand. All five suspects were taken to Krabi City Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell, Gov ML Kitibordee said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Budi Sutrisno (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 17:30 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206300492 1 City transjakarta,Jakarta-transportation,public-transportation,public-transportation-in-Indonesia,public-transportation-in-Jakarta,bus,anies-baswedan,hair Free City-owned bus operator PT Transjakartas management team shaved their heads on Wednesday as part of the celebrations of the companys success in breaking the record of serving 1 million passengers in one day. PT Transjakarta made Jakarta public transportation history by serving over 1 million passengers on Tuesday, up from 987,583 in the previous week. Read also: Achievement unlocked: Transjakarta breaks record for serving one million customers in a day Acting president director Yoga Adiwinarto said the head-shaving was in response to a challenge from Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan who issued a dare to the directors and managers after they set a record of 500,000 customers on March 20, 2018. Yes, the governor challenged us to [shave our heads] if one day we reached 1 million passengers. Alhamdulillah [praise God], we did it today, Yoga said in a media statement on Wednesday. PT Transjakarta Director of Operations Prasetya Budi (Courtesy of/TransJakarta) Yoga also made a video call with former president director Agung Wicaksono to express his gratitude for Agungs dedication and leadership during his time at the company. Thank you, Pak Agung. [This is] all thanks to your hard work and we present this as a gift to you, said Yoga in front of Transjakartas directors, managers and employees. Agung had stepped down from his position as president director on Jan. 23 after helming Transjakarta from October 2018. He is widely considered to have successfully built the foundations for the integration of public transportation in Jakarta from Jak Lingko angkot (public minivans) to rail-based transportation. Thank you. I wish you all success, Agung replied. The bus operator has made great strides over the past few years with the number of Transjakarta passengers increasing to 264.61 million from 188.98 million in 2019. Berlin: A German state premier was elected with the support of the nationalist Alternative for Germany and Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives on Wednesday, shattering the post-war consensus among established parties of shunning the far right. Thomas Kemmerich, a little-known liberal Free Democrat, became the first state premier elected with the support of the AfD, with whom Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats sided to the disgust of her national coalition partners. AfD parliamentary party leader Bjoern Hoecke, right, and Thomas Kemmerich of the Free Democrats in Erfurt, Germany. Credit:AP The CDU and all the other established parties have previously ostracised the AfD over what they say are racist views held by some of its members. Merkel's Social Democrat national coalition allies accused her CDU of backtracking on a pledge never to cooperate with a far-right party. The CDU rejected the accusation, saying it was not responsible for how AfD lawmakers voted. Wednesday's ballot was secret. by Ross Jared Joswick | Nuggets Correspondent | Thu, Feb 6th 1:29am EST Jamal Murray racked up 31 points (12-26 FG, 4-9 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four assists, two rebounds and one block in 42 minutes of work on Wednesday night. Fantasy Impact: Jamal Murray logged a enormous minutes share on Wednesday night versus the Jazz. He didnt disappoint either, not too far removed from an injury that sidelined him for 10 games. Murray equipped his shooting touch against a stout defensive unit in the Jazz. Murray lead his team with 31 points and even though he failed to post highly in other categories, a 30-point showing is always appreciated. Murray has come out swinging since his return from injury and owners would be wise to continue to feature him in what is a banged up Denver squad. The only thing to monitor is his injury situation, which could potentially rear its head. PELHAM, ONT.A former family doctor practising in the Niagara Region is facing a number of sex charges involving multiple patients. Niagara Regional police say they first laid charges against Charles Duncan last year after a 16-year-old girl and 39-year-old woman filed complaints. At that time the 76-year-old was charged with three counts of sexual assault and one count of sexual exploitation. But police say three more alleged victims have since come forward and Duncan is now facing four additional sexual assault charges. They say the alleged incidents took place between 1994 and 2018 and involved patients at his practice in Pelham, Ont. Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to come forward. Boris Johnson has reportedly nominated Ken Clarke and Philip Hammond for peerages despite expelling the pair from the Conservative Party after they rebelled on key Brexit votes. The former chancellors, who defied No 10 and voted to block the prime minister pushing a no-deal exit from the EU last autumn, both left the House of Commons after decades of service at the December election. Mr Hammond, who served as foreign secretary and chancellor under David Cameron and Theresa May respectively, often clashed with Mr Johnson and previously said the party was suffering a convulsion under his leadership. Mr Clarke the chancellor under John Major has been highly critical of the prime ministers Brexit plans, and urged him after his decisive general election victory to stop campaigning and get on with governing. According to the BBC, the prime minister is also expected to nominate the former Scottish Tory leader, Ruth Davidson, for a peerage in his dissolution honours list. 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 Despite being often billed as a potential future leader of the Conservatives, she stepped down from frontline politics last year and also said Mr Johnson was taking a big risk by expelling 21 Tory colleagues over Brexit. And in a move that will infuriate the pro-Corbyn wing of the Labour Party, Mr Johnson will also hand peerages to two of the leaders most prominent critics Ian Austin and John Woodcock. The two former Labour MPs spoke out repeatedly against Mr Corbyns leadership and during the December election urged voters to stop him becoming prime minister and return Mr Johnson to Downing Street. Mr Austin, who is now expected to become a non-aligned peer in the Lords, told the Today programme in the early days of the election campaign: Theres only two people who are going to be prime minister on 13 December, Jeremy Corbyn or Boris Johnson. And I think Jeremy Corbyn is completely unfit to lead our country. Mr Corbyns dissolution honours list was leaked last month, detailing plans to his ex-chief-of-staff Karie Murphy and the former speaker, John Bercow, to the House of Lords. David Leakey, who served as black rod, one of the most senior Commons officials, said that granting Mr Bercow a peerage, however, would be a scandal that parliament would struggle to live down over bullying allegations the former speaker denies. It also comes after the Lords speaker called for a moratorium on the appointment of new peers in order to combat the excessive size of the upper chamber - now one of the largest legislative bodies in the world, surpassed only by Chinas National Peoples Congress. It is both unsustainable and unfair for peers to retire, only to find that they are immediately replaced by a prime minister who appoints more than the number who have departed, he said. The dissolution honours are now all but water under the bridge but, after that, I would advocate an effective moratorium on new appointments until the commission has completed its work. Downing Street declined to comment when approached by The Independent. One of the most sought after tourist destinations in Asia, "the God's Own Country" Kerala has been hit by coronavirus scare just when it was on the recovery path after the Nipah outbreak and back-to-back flood havoc in the past three years. Kerala's serene beaches, tranquil stretches of backwaters, lush hill stations and exotic wildlife offer an enchanting experience to travellers worldwide and the tourism industry is a major contributor to the state's economy. The industry was gearing up to beckon more visitors to showcase its unexplored inland locales, trekking trails and new romantic destinations in 2020, when it suffered the latest setback with all three positive cases of coronavirus in India being reported from the state, triggering "mass cancellations" of bookings. The Nipah outbreak of 2018-19, two consecutive monsoon floods in 2018, the worst in a century, and last year had hit hard the state's tourism sector and it was slowly on the path of revival with new products before the novel coronavirus came as a bolt from blue. Three medical students from the state studying in Wuhan university in China, have tested positive for the infection and 2,528 people put under home quarantine. Ninetythree people are in isolation wards in various hospitals according to the latest figures. Key players in the field have claimed that mass cancellations of hotel bookings and tour packages have already begun across the state. After the Kerala government declared the coronavirus outbreak as a 'state calamity', as the three positive cases were detected from Thrissur, Alapuzha and Kasaragod, Tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran admitted that the sector had suffered a hit. The sector had aggressively launched promotional advertisements in the domestic and international markets after the floods to revive the sector. However, all the efforts took a beating as there has been mass cancellations of hotel bookings after the outbreak of the infection in the state was reported. According to the Tourism department sources, during the 2019 calendar year, it was projected that there would be an 18 per cent growth in the domestic and 8 per cent in foreign tourist arrivals. In the first nine months of 2019, (January to September) domestic visitors to the southern state touched 16.48 per cent against 4.8 per cent in the foreign tourist arrivals. The peak season for foreign tourists is from November- February while for the domestic guests it is during April-May, August-September (Onam festival) and December-January. Noted travel and tourism entrepreneur E M Najeeb said tour programmes and packages are being cancelled widely from the state. Declaration of the epidemic as a 'state calamity' by the government would adversely impact the economic situation in the state, he said. "We completely appreciate the steps taken by the government to protect the infected persons, create awareness among the public and tackle the situation. But, as far as tourism industry is concerned, such measures will scare the people. Not only tourism but all the business activities of the state will be affected," Najeeb, also senior Vice President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), told PTI. While Najeeb said "overreaction" would not augur well for the state, Jose Dominic, a key player in the hospitality industry, felt there are cancellations of hotel bookings but not as much as was being projected by the media. Dominic said he personally felt that the state's reputation of having a robust healthcare system would help in such situations. "We cannot say that there is no cancellation of hotel bookings. There are 15-20 per cent cancellations after the reporting of the coronavirus cases. But there are bookings also...," he told PTI. Though people were worried about the development, the state generally has a reputation that the safest place to be in India, especially during the time of a health calamity, is Kerala, he said. "We have a reputation that we will put travellers' health first before commercial interest," Dominic, CEO of Kochi-based CGH Earth, added. Meanwhile, a senior official of the state Tourism Department said the exact number of cancellations were not yet available, but he agreed that the repeated instances of flood and other epidemics were affecting the industry. "As of now, the exact numbers are not available. But industry sources told us that many hotel bookings, including that of KTDC (Kerala Tourism Development Corporation) have been cancelled", he told PTI. The help desks of Kerala tourism at various centres were receiving several enquiries from people wanting to know the situation in the state, he said "As of now, the situation in Kerala is under control. There is no need to worry. But still the people are worried and some have cancelled their bookings," the official said. However, Praveen Muraleedharan, who runs a couple of resorts in the state, said an uncertainty was looming over the industry due to the virus scare. "We are getting lots of cancellations. Many confirmed hotel bookings, event, conferences have got cancelled. Industry is extremely worried about the business. There is an uncertainty looming over the industry. We don't know from when we can start taking bookings," he said. Muraleedharan said the industry was also affected by the hartals or strikes even as the government had claimed that the protests will not affect the tourism sector. "Earlier hartals used to affect our industry. Even now, the situation is not different. Sabarimala protests, two consecutive floods and landslides in Wayanad, Nipah, anti-CAA protests and now this coronavirus. All are directly affecting the tourism industry. Inflow of inbound tourist and the domestic tourism movement are affected," he said. According to T K Manzoor, Managing Director of the Bekal Resorts Development Corporation (BRDC), despite the floods and Nipha, they had recorded a remarkable increase in tourist arrivals. There is 40 per cent growth in foreign tourist arrivals in 2019 (upto september) in North Kerala districts of Kasaragod and Kannur, he said. "We hope to manage the present catastrophic situation due to the Coronavirus. In the coming fiscal, Malabar Tourism is expected to record an uptrend though more efforts have to be put in," he said. Kerala Tourism attracting international and domestic tourists plays a significant role in the economy of the state by contributing to over 10 per cent of the GSDP and providing employment to over 1.5 million people in the State. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) LONDON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- For SS20 Jermyn Street brand Hawes & Curtis designs a collection that sees traditional British tailoring reinvented with an Italian flair. The collection incorporates Hawes & Curtis' iconic British aesthetic with contemporary Italian silhouettes and prints in an elegant, summer palette. Both timeless and relevant, it is extremely wearable and suits the city just as well as the Riviera. Exuding a Mediterranean mood, the Italian influence can be seen in the beautifully woven fabrics, textured weaves, soft pastel palette and contemporary cuts. Available on the 6th February, the menswear collection comprises luxurious Italian blazers, beautifully tailored summer suits, exquisite silk accessories and smart separates. The womenswear collection features luxuriously lightweight cotton shirts, the brand's signature blouses updated with whimsical watercolours and seasonal prints and sharp executive cotton shirts that exude power and professionalism. Touker Suleyman, CEO of Hawes & Curtis says: "The SS20 collection reinvents Hawes & Curtis' classic formalwear in new invigorating ways to create versatile pieces that are smart, modern and perfect for the warmer seasons." About Hawes & Curtis Hawes & Curtis is a quintessentially British brand specialising in fine tailoring and accessories for men and women. Founded in 1913 by Ralph Hawes and George Frederick Curtis, the brand continues to deliver the promise of exceptional quality, innovation and outstanding value. Hawes & Curtis opened its first store in the Piccadilly Arcade and has had many distinguished clients through its doors, including the Duke of Windsor, Lord Mountbatten and Fred Astaire. As a result of Hawes & Curtis' commitment to impeccable service and product excellence, the brand has been awarded four Royal Warrants. Hawes & Curtis operates more than 20 stores in the UK and a store in Germany. The flagship store remains on London's Jermyn Street, famous for its resident shirtmakers. www.hawesandcurtis.co.uk Notes to Editors For more information please contact: Amelia Williams - Content & Communications Marketing Manager - at awilliams@hawesandcurtis.com, +44 (0) 207 298 2700 Wet weather caused chaos for commuters and dumped more than 200 millimetres of rain across some parts of southern Queensland on Thursday, during the peak of a system that quickly slipped south of the border. A total of 106 millimetres recorded in Brisbane's east at Lytton was the highest rainfall in the state's south-east. Near the airport, Luggage Point had a total of 104 millimetres. The early-morning downpour stranded motorists on one South Brisbane road and flooded a number of others, leading to crashes, hour-long bus delays through the city and leaving almost 5000 homes and buildings without power across the south-east. A combination of lingering troughs means the rain is set to remain over parts of the state into next week, including the south-east, with another peak forecast for the region on Monday. Saigon students get another week off in novel coronavirus fight A teacher at a primary school in HCMC's Go Vap District wears face mask as she cleans up her class to prepare for students' coming back after the Lunar New Year break, February 2, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Manh Tung. Two million Saigon students will get another week off until February 16 with authorities deeming it a prudent move amidst the nCoV epidemic. The decision was taken soon after a proposal to the effect was made by the municipal Department of Education and Training, which said the extended school break was a necessary measure to prevent the deadly epidemic from spreading into schools and ensuring the safety and health of students. The extra week would help limit crowds as also the spread of the virus, the department said. Earlier, the students had been allowed to stay away from classes until this Sunday, also as safety considerations related to the 2019-nCoV epidemic. According to data from the Ministry of Education of Training, 62 out of 63 localities across the country, except Ben Tre Province in the Mekong Delta, had allowed their students to stay at home until this Sunday. Quang Ngai in central Vietnam was the first province in the country to approve a further extension until next Sunday. As of Thursday afternoon, 33 universities and colleges across the country had postponed and rescheduled their classes until February 16. Hanoi's education department is also asking for the city chairman's approval to add another week break. Mai Tien Dung, Chairman of Government Office, had said at a press conference Wednesday that Vietnamese students can have one to two more weeks of holiday as authorities are expecting the nCoV pneumonia outbreak to peak in about two weeks. If the school break had to be extended further, the school year could also go past the normal schedule of May 31, he said, adding that the schedule of the national high school exam could also be adjusted as the new situation demanded. From January 23, when Vietnam recorded its first confirmed nCoV infections, a total of 10 people have tested positive for the virus to date, three of them in HCMC. The country has so far had 409 suspected nCoV cases, of whom 347 have tested negative for the virus. 349 others who had close contact with infected patients are being closely monitored. As of Thursday morning, the global nCoV death toll had hit 565 and confirmed infections risen to over 28,200, of whom 1,270 had recovered. Ovidiu Raducanu will appear again before the court on March 18 A man has appeared in court charged with 15 ATM frauds in which the cash a customer seeks to withdraw does not come out of the machine but is later stolen using an implement. The machine is effectively tricked into thinking the cash was not taken. Ovidiu Raducanu (35), of Pinebrook Glen, Huntstown, Co Dublin, appeared at Dublin District Court where he was charged with 15 counts of theft from AIB ATMs in Crumlin, Killiney, Clonskeagh, Firhouse, Rathfarnham, Omni Shopping Centre Santry, Artane, Littlepace in Clonee and Carpenterstown between January 6 and 10. The value of the withdrawals was 8,520. Reversal Judge Ann Ryan was told by Det Gda Garvan Lennon that Mr Raducanu made no reply when charged at Lucan Garda Station. Mr Raducanu was arrested in the Dublin 15 area by officers from the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) as part of an investigation into so-called ATM transaction reversal frauds. He was detained in Lucan Garda Station for questioning. Judge Ryan granted bail on condition Mr Raducanu signed on at Blanchardstown Garda Station three days a week; obeyed a curfew between 10pm and 7am; surrendered his ID used for travel purposes; resided at his address in Pinebrook Glen; provided a phone number to gardai on which he could be contacted 24 hours a day; and stayed away from all ATMs. He was granted legal aid and will appear again before the court on March 18. The investigation into transaction reversal frauds was reported by a financial institution in Dublin 18 area on January 13. It was reported that 18 ATM machines had been targeted, resulting in the theft of money from customers' accounts and damage to the ATMs. Transaction reversal fraud happens when the amount of money sought by an ATM user is not dispensed. Thieves then use an implement to retrieve the cash, thus damaging and shutting down the ATM machine. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Noting that the Chinese government and people are currently doing their utmost to fight the pneumonia epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus, Xi said: "A friend in need is a friend indeed as the Cambodian people stand with the Chinese people at this special moment." Xi said Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and his mother, former Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, had specially extended sympathy and support to the Chinese side. Moreover, the Cambodian prime minister had expressed strong support to China on many occasions and even made a special tour to China on Wednesday, which demonstrated unbreakable friendship and mutual trust between the two sides and showcased the essence of building a community of shared future of the two countries, said Xi, adding China deeply appreciated Cambodia's such moves. Xi stressed that the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government had adopted the most thorough and strict prevention and control measures in a highly responsible manner toward the Chinese people and the international community in dealing with the epidemic. "At present, the prevention and control work is achieving positive results," said Xi. Xi said the Chinese nation had overcome adversity through its development and therefore it has confidence and capability to win the fight against the outbreak of the epidemic. "We will continue to strengthen cooperation with other countries, including Cambodia, in an open and transparent manner to effectively deal with the epidemic and maintain global and regional public health security," said Xi. "We will take good care of Cambodian citizens in China, including Cambodian students studying in China, and protect their lives and health as we treat Chinese citizens," said Xi. Xi said that in 2020 China will maintain close high-level exchanges with Cambodia, implement the action plan on building a community of shared future of the two countries and uplift China-Cambodia relations to new heights. Hun Sen said when China was in a difficult time, the Cambodian people stood firmly with the Chinese people to undergo and overcome common difficulties, and the two countries are truly "steadfast friends." Hun Sen said that he decided to make a special visit to China with an aim to showcase Cambodia's support to China in fighting the outbreak of the epidemic. The prime minister expressed gratitude for China's care of Cambodian citizens in China, expecting this tour to reinforce their confidence. In the face of the epidemic, some countries have adopted some extreme restrictive measures, which are not desirable. What is more terrible than the epidemic is the panic itself, he said. Hun Sen said Cambodia will continue to carry out normal cooperation and exchanges with China and is committed to working with China to build a community with a shared future of the two countries. 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. Unhappy with Plurality Winners Reducing the Spoiler Effect Any Faster Than Iowa? Reader Feedback It doesnt take much to convince many Americans that there are serious problems with the U.S. electoral system. The bungled Iowa caucus vote count appeared to offer further proof that something has gone seriously wrong with a fundamental about democracy finding out who has the most support.With the Iowa caucuses, an outdated mode of voting can cast real uncertainly about the outcome, says Nick Troiano, executive director of Unite America, a political reform group.Problems ranging from the disputed Florida presidential recount of 2000 through attempted hacks in 2016 have left many Americans dissatisfied with traditional methods of running elections and counting votes.Even before the Iowa caucuses got underway on Monday, allegations of voter registration fraud were spreading fast on social media, driven by Judicial Watch and Turning Point USA, two conservative groups whose posts and tweets traveled a lot farther than the attempts by Iowa Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate to debunk them.These problems cause a drip, drip, drip of voter mistrust in the election system, wrote Rick Hasen , author of, a new book about threats to democracy. In this hyperpolarized atmosphere, it doesnt take a lot for people to suspect the worst.Against this backdrop, theres growing popular support for voting methods that provide some sort of alternative to the traditional system of winner-take-all plurality voting. What were seeing is that people are dissatisfied with the outcomes of our political system and are looking at root causes, Troiano says. Theyre looking at our election system, the way we elect the people we do elect.Like some other advocacy groups, Unite America promotes the idea of ranked choice voting, a form of instant-runoff voting where voters express a preference not only for a first choice but also other candidates they might support. Under ranked choice voting (RCV), if no candidate receives a majority of first-preference votes, the candidates with the lowest levels of support are gradually eliminated until someone does receive a majority.This method, which has been used in Australia and Ireland for about a century, has been adopted in several U.S. cities, including San Francisco, Oakland and Minneapolis. Its reach is spreading. In November, New York City voters approved a ranked choice voting measure by nearly 3-to-1. The number of cities that have gone to ranked choice voting has doubled in the last five years, says Rob Richie, president of FairVote and a longtime RCV proponent. I wouldnt be surprised if five to 10 cities went to it next year.Ranked choice voting is now moving to larger stages than municipal elections. Maine voters approved ranked choice voting in 2016, becoming the first state to use it in 2018. New measures are likely to be on the ballot this year in Alaska and Massachusetts.Nevada, which holds the second presidential caucuses on Feb. 22, will use ranked choice voting for early voters. (Rather than seeking a majority, Nevada will use RCV to eliminate candidates who dont reach the 15 percent threshold of support.)Five other states will use RCV in Democratic presidential primary voting, including three on April 4. Assuming theres no Iowa-style screwup, this will give ranked choice voting its highest-profile test yet in this country.It feels like a boom industry right now, when people feel like theres the need for reform in the electoral system, Richie says. People are receptive to hear about them because of the national mood.Academic studies have poured cold water on some of the promises RCV supporters make about its likely effects, such as reducing polarization. And there is pushback against the idea. Memphis voters have twice supported RCV measures, but the method hasnt been implemented there due to legal questions and state opposition. On Tuesday, the Maine Republican Party announced it was launching a campaign for a November ballot measure that would repeal the states ranked choice voting law.Still, popular support for ranked choice voting and other electoral methods shows that there is a good deal of appetite for overhauling the way elections are structured.Frustration is bubbling over across the country right now, says John Palmer, who serves on the board of the National Association of Nonpartisan Reformers. The system isnt working and the people are really disgruntled with the two parties.It wasnt a surprise that Maine became the first state to adopt ranked choice voting. The 2016 measure was approved while Republican Paul LePage was serving the second of two terms as governor both of which he won with plurality support, failing to garner a majority either time.Some residents affixed 61 percent bumper stickers to their cars, a reference to the share of voters who opposed LePage in 2010. When there are three or more candidates, the one with a plurality might be heartily disliked by a majority of voters, says Jack Nagel, a retired University of Pennsylvania political scientist.In both Alaska and Massachusetts, the states likely to consider ranked choice voting this year, the governors elected in 2014 each won with plurality support. In Alaska, no candidate for U.S. Senate has taken a majority of the vote since 2002.One of the central selling points of ranked choice voting is that the eventual winner will have gotten support from a majority of voters, even if he or she was not everyones first choice.The fact that ranked choice voting is supposed to produce a majority winner may appeal to some people who have seen presidents win with less than a majority of the vote, says David Kimball, a voting expert at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.Still, its not necessarily the case that the winner under ranked choice voting will receive majority support. When there are especially large fields, theres a problem with exhausted voters who fail or refuse to express preferences for more than two or three choices.Something similar happened in Iowa. The problems there stemmed from problems with an app and a phone-in system that were supposed to allow precinct captains to report results easily to the state Democratic Party. But when candidates at each caucus failed to receive 15 percent, their supporters are supposed to realign and shift their support to viable candidates. A lot of people just went home instead.Ranked choice voting does produce a majority winner, Kimball says, but because some votes are exhausted by the time you get there, there may not be a majority of people who voted in the first place.Ranked choice voting is more complicated than expressing preference for a single candidate, says Jason McDaniel, a political scientist at San Francisco State University who has studied the method.Its also unlikely to result in some sort of broad consensus among the electorate against more ideologically extreme candidates who can get elected under plurality voting, he says. Other methods that held out the promise of promoting more moderate candidates, such as Californias top-two primary system, which sends the top two primary votegetters on to the general election, regardless of party, have failed to result in the election of more moderates.If people want to adopt ranked choice voting because they want to ameliorate partisan polarization, I think theyre probably going to be disappointed by the results, McDaniel says.Kimball notes that ranked choice voting seems to cut down on negative campaigning. Candidates cant viciously tear down their opponents if they hope to be the second choice of their supporters. There have been examples of candidates forming alliances, telling supporters vote for me and then vote for her.Ranked choice voting also cuts down on the spoiler effect. Rather than worrying about having to support a Democrat or a Republican as the only plausible winners, people can vote for their favorites, knowing that the eventual winner wont sneak in because votes were wasted on an independent or minor party candidate. It allows people to vote their conscience, but makes sure we have a majority winner, says Alex Kaplan, vice president of policy and campaigns at RepresentUs, an election reform advocacy group.Because many Americans believe the political system is broken, theyre more open to new ways of doing things, he says. For so long, weve been told theres one way to decide our winners, Kaplan says. People are seeing there are alternatives that make sense.RepresentUs supports ranked choice voting, but Kaplan says its time to try new solutions in general. One other idea thats slowly gaining attention is called approval voting.As with ranked choice voting, under approval voting people can support multiple candidates. Rather than ranking their preferences, however, they would simply vote for as many candidates as they like. If there are four candidates on the ballot, citizens could vote for one of them, or for two, or for the whole lot. The person with the highest total would win.Approval voting has been used by associations and nonprofits in selecting their own leadership, but its never been used for an election in the United States. In 2018, a ballot measure to adopt approval voting in municipal elections passed in Fargo , N.D.It was presented as a test case, showing that the idea could garner popular support and that the method could work. Supporters of the idea are currently collecting signatures in St. Louis, with the goal of putting a measure on the August ballot. Approval voting is simple; its easy to understand; its easy to tabulate, says Tyler Schlichenmeyer, steering committee chair for STL Approves, which is sponsoring the measure.As in states considering ranked choice voting, St. Louis has seen some citywide elections decided by narrow pluralities. In 2017, Lyda Krewson won the all-important Democratic primary for mayor with less than a third of the vote, barely outpacing her nearest rival. St. Louisans are hungry for a leader with broad support in the community, Schlichenmeyer says.Early polling suggests considerable support for approval voting and no organized opposition has yet emerged to fight the proposed measure. Nonetheless, there are reasons to be skeptical about the method, says Nagel, the Penn professor, especially because the St. Louis measure would allow a subsequent runoff.There is an incentive in St. Louis to cast approval not for the people you approve of, but the person you like the most, plus another candidate you dont like at all who you think would be a pushover opponent, Nagel says.A frequent complaint about approval voting where its been used is that theres a strategic temptation to truncate your approvals. Voters dont check a box for all the candidates they like because they want the vote they do cast for their favorite to have more weight. If most voters cut back to just one, the system is the same as what we have now, Nagel says.The problem in Iowa was not an inaccurate count, but a slow one. Ranked choice voting wont necessarily speed up the process. Tabulating and retabulating votes can take days.That could be a factor in the presidential race. In 2016, Democrat Hillary Clinton carried Maine, but with 48 percent of the vote. (Republican Donald Trump carried Maines 2nd Congressional District; Maine, along with Nebraska, awards some of its Electoral College votes by district.)This year, Maine will use ranked choice voting for president for the first time. If theres any significant third-party candidate in the race, its likely the vote there will go to a runoff, which would not be decided quickly.There are risks aside from speed, warns Jack Santucci, a political scientist at Drexel University. Last year, Vineyard and Payson, two small cities in Utah, used a form of ranked choice voting for multi-member districts. Their block preferential method spreads support differently than ranked choice voting systems in places like Maine, allowing only candidates from given groups a single party, say, or a racial group to win all the seats.Its complicated, but the upshot is that it could make elections less competitive. People like it because it looks and smells like ranked choice voting, but the point is to give every seat to one party, Santucci says.Over the past century, Santucci says, politicians have been able to grab the halo of reform and then pick and choose the parts of voting systems that allowed them to perpetuate their own power. Voters are presented with ballot measures that purport to rage against the machine, while actually keeping the machine in place. When reform is hot like this, everything is on the table, Santucci says.A century ago, major election changes such as ballot initiatives and popular election of U.S. senators were driven by concerns about corruption and machine politics. Today, its polarization thats making people open to new approaches.Ranked choice voting and approval voting may have their flaws, but its clear that many people are now open to alternatives to the old plurality method.Theres a climate that happens where theres a realization that voting is in play and we have to talk about changes, says Richie, FairVotes president. Id be shocked if, by the end of the 2020s, there werent some really significant changes, like in the 1910s.Governing welcomes reader responses to our journalism.We received this letter from Bob Litz, the auditor in Minnehaha County, S.D. It was never intended that one actor would play the brothers Harrison and Spur in the 1982 film The Man From Snowy River, but once Kirk Douglas got the idea in his head there was no turning back. Phar Lap director Simon Wincer, who was an executive producer on the film, recalls the meeting in the Beverly Hills home of Douglas, who died this week aged 103, in which the actor first pitched the idea. Kirk Douglas as Harrison, with Sigrid Thornton as his daughter Jessica, in The Man From Snowy River. Credit:Hoyts It was the Saturday afternoon before the election between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, Wincer says. And halfway through this meeting he started peeling off all his clothes, and he was down to his bloody underpants. Then he disappeared behind a door and then reappeared with a peg leg, and yelled, And Ill play Spur too, my brother. Barely had the Australians taken this in when Douglass maid appeared at the door, braving his wrath didnt I tell you we were not to be disturbed? to tell him the President was on the phone. It was Jimmy Carter, wanting him to appear at a rally the next day. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 20:43:55|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MOSCOW, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Russia will continue close coordination with Turkey and Iran to achieve lasting stability and security in Syria's Idlib, where violence has surged dangerously, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Thursday. "We reaffirm our commitment to the agreements and mutual understandings reached within the Astana format, providing for the need to fight terrorist groups in Syria with respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country," it said in a statement. The Astana process was launched in January 2017 by Russia, Iran and Turkey in Astana, later renamed Nur-Sultan, to bring warring parties in the Syrian conflict to the table to find a political solution to the crisis. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that terrorists have intensified their attacks on the positions of the Syrian government forces and nearby cities in Idlib. In the last two weeks of January alone, more than 1,000 attacks were recorded and hundreds of Syrian troops and civilians, as well as some Russian and Turkish military experts, were killed, according to the ministry. Syrian government forces were forced to respond in order to protect numerous Syrians from terrorist attacks, it said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened on Jan. 31 to launch military action if the situation in Idlib is not resolved immediately. Earlier on Thursday, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin may hold talks to discuss the issue, according to media reports. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday that there are not yet concrete arrangements in place for such a meeting, but he did not rule out the possibility. The business tax incentives plan, called Imagine Nebraska, is designed to replace the Nebraska Advantage Act, which will expire at the end of the year. "Imagine Nebraska benefits set a base level of assistance for all projects and rewards higher wage projects and increased capital investment with additional incentives," according to a summary of the revised legislation. "The program benefits existing businesses across the state by rewarding high-wage job growth, keeps Nebraska competitive to attract new growth opportunities to the state and provides incentives for companies to modernize their operations to increase competitiveness." The legislation is designed not only to attract jobs and business investment, but also to keep jobs here, Kolterman said. The new rural manufacturing component, which deals with concerns raised by rural senators who have expressed some reluctance to continue a program that may primarily benefit urban areas, is aimed at bringing new manufacturing jobs to rural counties with populations of less than 100,000. The original bill "didn't go far enough in addressing pressing needs in rural Nebraska," Kolterman later told the committee. Speaking in the Lower House, Modi acknowledged the criticism offered by MPs like Shashi Tharoor and Danish Ali, Modi said that he understands that the norm was to tread the traditional path Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday replied to the Motion of Thanks in the Lok Sabha. Acknowledging the criticism offered by MPs like Shashi Tharoor and Danish Ali, the prime minister said that he understands that the norm was to tread the traditional path. However, he added that the people voted for a change at the helm because not only did they want a new government but also a new ethos. "It is the time for those people, who love to tread the untrodden path," Modi said. Continuing the allegory, Modi said that if the BJP government had continued on the same path as Congress, neither Section 370 would have gone away, nor would the government be able to outlaw the practice of triple talaq and ensure justice for Muslim women. "Had we continued with the same thinking as Opposition, Ram Janmabhoomi would continue to be a disputed issue; had we continued on the Congress path, we would still be waiting for next generation fighter plane and the appointment of a Chief of Defence Scheme," Modi claimed, adding that the government was trying to think and work outside the box. Replying to a debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, the prime minister said the people of the country have seen his government's work between 2014 and 2019 and gave a bigger mandate in 2019. Modi further asserted that his government has worked with an increased momentum, because the country was tired of waiting for things to change. "People were wondering why is the government in a rush to change things around, but because we were working at a high speed, people have given more power to us in these elections, to carry on with the same momentum," the prime minister added. He said, his government not only displayed determination, but also pressed forward with decisiveness; not only was the Central government sensitive to people's issues, but also interested in providing them with solutions. "NDA govt's aim is speed and scale; determination and decisiveness; sensitivity and solutions," Modi said. The prime minister also referred to the discussion over the Bru agreement and the Bodo Peace Accord signed by the Centre recently. Modi said, "People are reminding us that what happened in North East is nothing new. When did I ever say that it is a novel idea. It did happen before, only the intent was missing. Half-hearted attempts were made, which is why the efforts were never result driven. Now it is for the first time that the Bodo accord categorically mentions that all demands related to the Bodo issue, have been finally resolved." "Whatever was done earlier was for meeting political ends and hence it remained confined to papers," Modi added. "For the North East, Delhi was always a distant force, but in the past five years we have worked in a way that now Delhi is standing at the doorstep of North East," Modi said. He said that a lot of people spoke about farmers' issue also. "But the discussion was coloured in a way... I don't know whether it was done due to ignorance, or out of spite.." Modi said taking potshots at the Opposition. He claimed that under him, the agro budget was increased five fold since 2014 when he came to power. "Agri budget, which was earlier Rs 27,000 cr, has now been increased by five times to about Rs 1.5 lakh crore. Till now 45,000 crore have been directly credited to farmers' account under various government schemes, including Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojna (a pension scheme for small and medium land holding farmers)." "PM-KISAN Samman Yojana is transforming the lives of many farmers. Several farmers have benefitted due to this. In this scheme there are no middlemen and no extra file-work. And we have implemented more than 99 farmer welfare schemes," Modi said. He also hit out at non-BJP governed states for allegedly obstructing the PM Kisan scheme. "Driven by politics, some states are not allowing farmers to benefit from PM-Kisan Scheme. I appeal to them- let there be no politics in farmer welfare. We all have to work together for the prosperity of farmers of India," Modi said. Prime Minister's speech littered with barbs against Congress While the first half of the prime minister's speech was aimed at recounting his government's policies and making subtle digs at his critics, in the second half, he spoke on present contentious matters and took stinging potshots at Rahul Gandhi and the Congress. At the beginning of his speech, some Congress MPs raised slogans hailing Mahatma Gandhi with party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury saying, "it is just a trailer". At this Modi shot back: "Mahatma Gandhi may be a trailer for you, but he is life for us." These comments, ironically, come in the wake of a controversy surrounding BJP's Anantkumar Hegde, who is under Opposition fire for describing the Gandhi-led freedom struggle as "drama" and claiming that it was "staged with the consent and support of the British." "The country's politics of the last 70 years has been such that no Congress leader can be self-sufficient," Modi said while taking dig at Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who was rising repeatedly to disrupt the prime minister's speech. He also reserved some barbs for Rahul. Referring to his '6 mahine me Modi ko dande marenge' comment, the prime minister said, "I am thankful for the warning issued in advance because it is a tough job, it takes time. But now, I will also increase the number of Surya Namaskars in my daily workout to strengthen my back to bear the burden of further such insults. In any case, I have been abused so much for the last two decades that their negativity hardly matters." Rahul, at this point, rose to intervene, but the prime minister sent another retort his way and said, "I was speaking for the last 30-40 minutes but it took this long for the current to reach there. Many tube lights are like this." He also referred to the Congress' 'Save Democracy, Save Constitution' protests. "Congress is chanting save Constitution, save Constitution these days. I am happy, because they should be chanting that mantra because it was Congress party that abused the Constitution the most. If they have forgotten, they I must remind them... what were your thoughts about Constitution in 1975?" Modi asked, referring to the imposition of Emergency by Indira Gandhi government. "Save Constitution mantra is a must for those who dismissed several state governments," he added. Attacking the Congress, Modi said a person who was associated with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was made as chief minister. "Does a party that keeps talking about secularism not remember 1984 and the anti-Sikh violence? It was shameful. In addition, they did not make efforts to punish the guilty," he said. Modi also kept up with his tradition of attacking Jawaharlal Nehru, although he did not name the late former prime minister unless he was quoting him. "Some people wanted to become prime minister, and it is good to have such lofty aspirations. However, for one person's ambition to become the prime minister of India, a line was drawn on the map and India was divided into two. After the Partition, the way how Hindus, Sikhs and other minorities were persecuted is unimaginable," Modi said implying that Nehru's wish to head the Independent India was what caused the Partition of India and Pakistan. The claim, unsurprisingly, evoked huge uproar and chants of 'shame shame' from the Opposition, while thunderous applause from the Treasury Benches. Coming on to more contentious topics like Citizenship Amendment Bill which dominated the bulk of discussion on Motion of Thanks, the prime minister questioned the Congress party's ideological position by quoting Nehru and Hindu freedom fighters who chose to remain in Pakistan. In a sarcasm laden comment, Modi also 'thanked' the Congress party for revealing its true colours on CAA. "I'm thankful to the Congress and their ecosystem for creating a fuss around CAA. If they did not oppose it, the country would not have seen through their real face. Now the country has seen who stands for Dal (party) and who stands for Desh (country)" Modi on CAA Modi taunted Opposition members who said the government hurried up a sensitive matter like CAA and rushed a legislation for political gains, without fully understanding its implications. "Some people asked what was the hurry with CAA? They accused us of communally dividing the country. They have deployed all resources to prove this. This is being said by people who stand along with people who want to divide the country. For decades Pakistan has been speaking this language. Pakistan has been trying to provoke Muslims and now the same is being done by the opposition. For them, Muslims are Muslims. For us they are Indians," he said. He also claimed that even Nehru had acknowledged need to protect religious minorities in Pakistan, but Congress was now doing politics on the issue and provoking people against the government. "In 1950, the Nehru-Liaquat Agreement was signed for the protection of minorities living in India and Pakistan. Religious minorities were mentioned in this agreement. Nehru was such a big thinker, then why did he not include all the citizens there in the agreement instead of the minorities there? What we are saying today, was the same thing with Nehru ji," Modi said. "Pandit Nehru himself was in favour of protecting minorities in Pakistan, I want to ask Congress, was Pandit Nehru communal? Did he want a Hindu Rashtra?" he asked. I want to tell the 130 crore people of India with full responsibility that CAA will not affect any citizen of India in any way, he said. Modi makes nationalistic pitch on Kashmir issue Modi's response to concerns raised over Jammu and Kashmir, abrogation of Article 370 and detention of Kashmiri politicians was equally fiery. While he mentioned the subject of detention of mainstream politicians since past 185 days, Modi evaded a clear response on questions raised on the treatment meted out to three former chief ministers of the state, one of whom is also a serving Parliamentarian in the same house. He instead, quoted their remarks in the wake of abrogation of the state's special power, to question Congress that how can it stand with people who speak in 'Pakistan's language' Slamming former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah for their remarks, Modi said Kashmir's identity was buried on 19 January, 1990, when Kashmiri Pandits started leaving the Valley due to militancy. "Who made Kashmir only about land grabbing? Who made Kashmir's identity only about bombs and guns? Can anyone forget that dark night of January? In reality, Kashmiri identity is closely linked with harmony," he said. He also quoted excerpts from Omar, Farooq, and Mehbooba's reaction on the abrogation of Article 370 and said, "I would like to recount these speeches for the 'protectors of Constitutions'. Their souls would realise some day that they were wrong in supporting these people, that is if they have one." On the economy, the prime minister said the government has kept the fiscal deficit in check, price rise is also under check and there is macro-economic stability. He said the PM-KISAN Samman Yojana is transforming the lives of many farmers. Several farmers have benefited due to this. In this scheme there are no middlemen and no extra file work. Modi said the FDI in April-Sept 2018 stood at $22 billion, while in April-Sept 2019 it increased to $26 billion. This reflects confidence of foreign investors in India, he said. Hillary Clinton has refused to rule out taking on the job of Vice President if the Democrats win the election in November. The former Secretary of State, who has run two failed campaigns to become president herself, said she 'probably won't be asked' to take the role by whoever becomes the Democrat nominee this time around. But, speaking to Ellen DeGeneres on an episode of her show due to air Thursday, she added 'never say never' - recalling how she turned down Obama's offer of leading the State Department twice, before accepting and serving for four years. Clinton, 72, also hailed Mitt Romney's decision to vote to convict Trump of abuse of office at his impeachment trial while all other Republican senators voted to acquit. Hillary Clinton has refused to rule out taking on the job of Vice President if the Democrats win the election in November and she is offered, while speaking with Ellen DeGeneres She said it is now up to voters to hold Trump accountable at the election, urging them to kick him out of office. Romney was the only Republican to cross party lines and vote to convict Trump of abuse of office - the first time in American history that at least one senator from both parties has voted to convict on an impeachment charge. The vote means that Trump remains in office, a fact that was quickly celebrated by the President amid calls for Romney to be kicked out of the Republican party. To a round of applause from the studio audience, Clinton said: 'I was disappointed that not more of the Republican senators took the stand that Mitt Romney took. '[He] gave an extraordinary speech on the floor of the Senate talking about why he felt the weight of history on his shoulders and he was going to vote to impeach on one of the articles of impeachment. 'The evidence was really clear by the time that it was all presented that actually the president done what he was accused of, in fact he admitted that he'd done what he was accused of, he just didn't think anyone would hold him accountable. The former Secretary of State, who ran two unsuccessful campaigns for president, said she 'probably' won't be asked before adding: 'Never say never' Clinton also spoke about a new documentary in which she recapped the Monica Lewinsky scandal, confessing that it was 'emotionally draining' to go over it again 'We're now moving on but I hope that voters and Americans of all political stripes pay attention and say to themselves "he has to be held accountable", and now the way to do that is in the election.' Drawn on who she prefers as a candidate to beat Trump she refused to say, but asked voters to 'look carefully' at who they think can win the election and who can government most effectively after they have won. Confronted over her recent comments that 'nobody likes' Bernie Sanders - who emerged from the Iowa caucaus as joint-frontrunner with Pete Buttigeig - she refused to back away from them. Instead, she said: 'You've got to be responsible for what you say and what you say you're going to do. 'We have to rebuild trust in our fellow Americans and our institutions and if you promise the moon and can't deliver the moon that's going to be just another indicator of how we can't trust each-other. Clinton also praised Mitt Romney (right) for voting to convict Donald Trump of abuse of office, despite the remaining Senate Republicans voting to acquit Trump led calls for Romney to be kicked out of the Republican party following the vote, which will see him remain in office 'Maybe it's not good theater, maybe it's not good politics anymore, but I think you have to tell people what you mean, mean what you say, and have some sense of responsibility for how you would get anything done that you talk about.' Clinton also spoke about an upcoming Hulu documentary, called 'Hillary', in which she was interviewed at length about her life including the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Recalling the fallout from the affair, she recounted how she was vilified by members of the public who continued supporting her husband. She added: 'It was a really emotionally draining experience to go through it again but I have to say: once I saw the whole four-hours of the documentary, I hope that our talking about this, my willingness to address all of this, really does help other people. 'There are lessons from my life from our times because people need to be thoughtful about the decisions they make in their lives and we should be kinder and more supportive to everyone who makes the best decisions that they think they can make.' The Ellen DeGeneres Show featuring Hillary Clinton will air Thursday, February 6th, at 4pm EST on NBC Channel 4 OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- As has been the longtime custom, the Ocean Springs Elks Mardi Gras parade will mark the kickoff of carnival season in Jackson County. The parade, now in its 45th year, is a staple of the slate of yearly special events in Ocean Springs -- the third-largest hosted by the city behind only Cruisin the Coast and the Peter Anderson Festival. Elks Parade Chairman Phil Quigley said Thursday they are expecting some 80 units to participate, similar to last year, with about half of those once again floats. The theme of this years parade is Shipwrecked." Quigley said many of the floats are going with costumes or decorations with a Gilligans Island or Castaway theme in keeping with the overall parade theme. Reigning as Elks royalty this year as King Fidelity and Queen Charity are Wayne McMurtray and Stacey Robertson, respectively. McMurtray is a retired United States Marshal who served as the Elks parade grand marshal in 2017. Robertson is the wife of past Elks king Matthew Robertson and is a past ladies auxiliary president. This years Grand Marshal is Heather Eason, a former school teacher turned community activist who founded the Comeback Coolers relief effort and was instrumental in the foundation of the Ocean Springs Carnival Association and its now-annual night parade. Bob Delaney is serving his 17th consecutive year as Elks Parade Captain. Unsurprisingly, Quigley said they are keeping a watchful eye on the weather forecast, which as of Thursday afternoon was calling for perfect parade weather -- little chance of rain, temperatures at parade time in the mid-60s. The weathers going to be really good, so Im expecting a good crowd," Quigley said. "Last year, the weather was sketchy, but this year the forecasters say itll be dry -- and Ive been watching every weather forecast there is. Saturdays parade, which starts at 1 p.m., will as always follow the traditional route: from Front Beach Drive up Porter Avenue to Washington Avenue, then north on Washington to Government Street, then east on Government until it ends at Ocean Springs Upper Elementary. Police will begin closing off streets along the route at noon. The closures include: Porter Avenue from the Ocean Springs Yacht Club to Washington Avenue Washington Avenue from Porter Avenue to Government Street Government Street from Washington Avenue to Holcomb Boulevard Southbound traffic on Washington Avenue from U.S. 90 will be diverted to DeSoto Street. Roads will reopen after the parade when police determine it's safe to do so. Parking on private property is not allowed and vehicles will be towed, but only as a last resort once attempts to contact the owner have been unsuccessful. OTTAWAConservative leadership hopeful Peter MacKay is already looking to bring in new blood to his leadership campaign less than two weeks after launching a bid to replace Andrew Scheer that has been dogged by missteps. Three sources told the Star on Wednesday the MacKay campaign is disorganized and doesnt have a formal structure, with frustration growing among insiders working on his leadership bid. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal campaign matters. The internal frustration among MacKay backers comes after a series of unforced errors put the perceived front-runners campaign on the defensive, including staffers shutting down an on-camera interview with CTV earlier this week. Sources tell the Star that Nick Kouvalis, the veteran organizer who played senior roles on both Rob Fords and John Torys mayoral bids in Toronto, has been in discussions to join MacKays team. Julie Vaux, a former spokesperson for Stephen Harper and former chief of staff to Rona Ambrose, is now MacKays director of communications and will be travelling with the candidate. Rachel Curran, Harpers former director of policy who worked on Pierre Poilievres aborted leadership bid, has also been floated as a possible addition to MacKays team. But there are serious structural challenges within the campaign, multiple sources said, including no formal organizational hierarchy and a lack of communication from MacKay to the broader team. If things dont change quickly, one source said, the campaign risks losing talented operatives who hope to install MacKay as the next Conservative leader. In a statement to the Star, the MacKay campaign did not address questions about frustration within its ranks. Instead, his spokesperson pointed to MacKays fundraising success the campaign says hes raised nearly $500,000 so far, with more than 3,000 signatures of support. Peter has been speaking to packed rooms across five provinces over 10 days and (has) brought together 1,500 volunteers in a very short time, wrote Vaux in an email, crediting those volunteers with the campaigns successes to date. We are ready to win this leadership campaign. MacKay officially entered the race to replace Andrew Scheer on Jan. 25, but had long been reported to be preparing a bid after the Conservatives disappointing election loss in last Octobers federal election. The Star reported Saturday that MacKays team had already raised the required $300,000 and obtained the 3,000 endorsements to satisfy the Conservative partys steep requirements to contest the leadership. But despite his front-runner status, MacKays campaign has been disrupted by a series of missteps poor French in his campaign launch speech, an ambiguous statement about his position on Israel that later needed clarification, and, most publicly, his staff cutting short an on-camera interview with CTV Toronto. On Monday, MacKay told a CTV reporter that he wanted to do politics differently with more compassion and civility. When the reporter asked him about a recent post on his personal Twitter account criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for expensing yoga and spa sessions to his Liberal leadership campaign which MacKay later disavowed and said he didnt vet before posting MacKays spokespeople quickly shut down the interview. Shes just doing her job. Shes a journalist, MacKay said before the interview ended. MacKay was also forced to clarify that he supported moving Canadas embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem which has been party policy since 2018 after giving a confusing interview to a right-leaning politics website. The website interpreted his comments as refusing to commit to moving the embassy. Despite the missteps, Conservative insiders still see the leadership race which includes MPs Erin OToole, Marilyn Gladu and Derek Sloan, as well as businessman Rick Peterson and former staffer Richard Decarie as MacKays to lose. Conservative members will select their next leader at a convention in Toronto on June 27. Robert Benzie is the Stars Queens Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: @robertbenzie Read more about: Theresa May has been tipped by supporters as the potential next boss of a major UN climate change summit after David Cameron and William Hague turned the job down. There is a vacancy for the president of the COP26 summit, due to be held in Glasgow in November this year, after former Tory minister Claire Perry O'Neill was sacked. Downing Street offered the prominent role to former prime minister Mr Cameron and former foreign secretary Lord Hague amid calls from campaigners to appoint a 'big hitter'. Allies of Theresa May, pictured at an EU summit in December 2018, believe she 'has the stature' to be the president of COP26 in Glasgow But neither man wanted to take on the task leaving Number 10 still searching for a replacement for Ms O'Neill. However, it could be a case of third time lucky for the government with allies of Mrs May now mobilising to push for her to be given the job. Mrs May put environmental issues at the heart of her time in power and her backers believes she 'has the stature' to take on the role and boost the profile of the summit, according to The Telegraph. There are also suggestions that taking the role could improve Mrs May's chances of being given a peerage in the future if and when she decides to step down as an MP. She quit as PM last July after failing to get her Brexit deal through Parliament. But she opted to stay on as an MP, contesting the general election in December as she was re-elected as the representative for Maidenhead. David Cameron and William Hague were both offered the chance to head up the climate change summit but both declined Ed Miliband, the former Labour leader, has also been touted as a potential new head for the summit. The government is now scrambling to get the organisation of the summit back on track after Ms O'Neill was sacked by the PM's top adviser Dominic Cummings. She responded to being ousted by accusing Mr Johnson of a failure to deliver on green 'promises' he had made and of a lack of leadership on the issue. She also claimed Mr Johnson 'doesn't really understand' climate change. Napoleon Perdis has made a shock comeback just one year after its collapse left hundreds of employees out of work. The iconic Australian beauty brand went bust in January last year while millions of dollars in debt, before being bought by KUBA Investments four months later. Mr Lee and his business partner, retail investor Livia Wang, took over at the helm of the company. Napoleon Perdis, who started the Sydney-based makeup brand in 1995, said at the time he would stay as the company's creative director. However, he has since parted ways with his eponymous label. The iconic Australian beauty brand will make a public comeback with a partnership at the 2020 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia in Sydney. Pictured: creator Napoleon Perdis with his daughter Lianna in 2017 But the once-thriving company will make a public comeback in May with a partnership at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia in Sydney. On Thursday the label announced it is 'stepping into 2020 with a big statement: we are here to stay and we are better than ever'. CEO Henry Lee said the illustrious collaboration will help re-establish the brand within the fashion industry. 'As MBFWA celebrates its 25th anniversary, we are excited to bring the artistry that has defined Napoleon Perdis to the event,' he said. 'We look forward to sharing our creative expertise and continued passion for the fashion and beauty industry as Australia's leading professional makeup brand.' The Napoleon Perdis Group has an exclusive agreement with pharmacy Priceline, after launching in over 200 stores in August 2018. The company extended its presence overseas in 2004, predominantly in the US. Press Release February 6, 2020 CNN THE SOURCE INTERVIEW Coronavirus | NGCP | VFA CORONAVIRUS Q: Let's start with the novel coronavirus. Third case is a 60-year old woman from Wuhan. I feel this is a little tricky because she already left the country so she arrived in January 21 from Wuhan to Cebu to Bohol. She had herself checked in a hospital and let her out then found out that she's positive of the virus. How do we address situations like this? SEN WIN: Well, I think my initial reaction is capability and I was listening at the reports of the DOH. Apparently, for the third one, this person tested negative then tested positive. This goes to show that we don't have this capability yet to determine positively and quickly, the most important here is the pace and speed because that will also dictate how fast we can dictate and how fast we can track the people who were in contact with this person. This goes to show that we lack capability and we need to show invest in capability and also the process whenever this type of epidemic or pandemic will happen later on. Q: In the Senate hearing, it was found out that then that two days ago, 17% of the 300 plus were contacted. That's a small percentage so you have your co-senators saying na medyo mabagal ang DOH dito. SEN WIN: In this particular case, this is a very technical and medical case, and the President will rely on medical experts to advise him and this was exploding during December to early part of January. The DOH should have already flagged the President because if you look at statistics, in 2019, we have close to two million Chinese tourists entering the country. This is because of the increase in bilateral relationships with China and the Philippines. Tourism is growing and you have the POGO also growing. In other words, two million Chinese are coming in the Philippines. Without curving that, we have an influx of Chinese from all over China coming into the Philippines. Meaning that DOH should have been prudent. This has already been coming and this has becoming a national or a global crisis. DOH should have advised the President. Siguro unahin muna natin to curve the flights or to stop the flights from Wuhan or Hubei and later on it still becoming an issue, stop the flights from China, Hong Kong and Macau. Q: So you feel like nagkulang ang DOH sa pag-alalay sa Pangulo? SEN WIN: The President is not a doctor. He will rely on experts on this particular case because this is very technical and very medical in nature. So the DOH should have been prudent. Now that we have identified three people, it is very difficult to track people who have been in contact with these persons especially if we have this person was in three flights, Manila to Cebu going to Dumaguete to Manila. So we are talking about 600 passengers. Locating 600 passengers is no easy fit because these people are all over the country. Knowing our system, we don't have national ID system in place. It is very difficult to track them. It will take time but then again, this should have not happened. Q: Do you actually think the DOH was on top of this? Why? I say that, because they were saying that the airlines weren't cooperating. SEN WIN: This should have not happened. We should have taken precautionary measures, it's either reducing the flights or banning flights from China. Q: Did you call for that before, though? When? SEN WIN: I did. The first instance that we had coronavirus in the country. Q: So the female, that was January 30. However, it was February 1 when they banned the flights. SEN WIN: But then again, we have to rely on experts. In fact, in the medical field, this is actually a very specialized field. Now this type of occurrences has becoming quite often. We had SARS, Mers-CoV, H1N1 virus. It goes to show that our capability needs to be strengthened. Q: How would you describe the way the DOH is handling the situation? Kulang ho ba? SEN WIN: I'll divide this into two processes. The first one is the prevention. Bakit nakapasok itong virus na ito sa atin considering, again, we have two million Chinese coming in the country. And this is a large amount of warm bodies coming in the country so this should have been red-flagged already within the DOH system. Second, the response. Nangyari na yan dito and the first step should be immediate travel ban to curve the influx of potential carriers in the country. So in short, the prevention, I really feel that we were slow in doing so. In this case, it is the responsibility of the DOH to advise the President. In the response, we were also slow in doing so because it took us time to ban the flights. Again, these are all technical terms and experts should be listened to, even specialize experts in the medical field and the President should be advised accordingly. Q: So let us move forward, I wanna go back just very briefly to contact tracing. SEN WIN: It is very difficult. Dapat hindi na umabot doon eh because once it enters into the country, tracing all 600 passengers or more is a very difficult task. We live in an island, we are an archipelagic country and it is very difficult to track them. Q: That's why I bring up the third woman who is positive of the nCoV who's back now in China. If you look at it, she arrived in January 21 and again, se tested negative and when she left, it was found out that she's positive. Now, we will have to go back to those passengers who were with her in Wuhan to Cebu. SEN WIN: Correct. In this time of occurrences, I don't claim to be an expert but from what I observed all over the world and I think when SARS and Mers came in, I was a local government official at that time. We were trying too to simulate the situation, paano kung nangyari ito sa amin, how do we track all of these people? It is very difficult that is why the strategy here is to prevent carriers to come in especially when this type of virus is already spreading like wildfire in other countries. Q: But do you think we have the capability to contact trace? SEN WIN: We have the capability but it takes time because if you look at it, just do it yourself--the addresses, you have to validate whether they live there and you're not even sure if they put in the right addresses. There is no penalty if you don't put the right address. If they don't put the cell number, it is hard for us to contact this person and just contacting one family to the other is very difficult. Q: So it is difficult to trace these people? SEN WIN: Yes, it is very difficult so the strategy here is really to prevent it. Because once it hits here, the amount of time, effort and resources to track all of them, it will take time. SCHOOLS & CORONAVIRUS Q: So prevention now. You are also calling on schools to tighten security, protocols on schools. What should schools be doing because even in the past, you already have schools suspending on their own without even then the secretary knowing about it? SEN WIN: Well, unofficially, we have half a million POGO workers here so if these workers come here and bring their families, their kids go to school. So the schools need to make sure that they know their students, they know where they are from and implement preventive measures. I have to commend the Chinese schools for being ahead of the preventive measures. They suspended classes for a week, two weeks before first coronavirus indication so I commend them. They are very conscious of their students, they are very conscious where they students came from. Q: In fact, they went a step further because it was reported that it was Uno High School and Chiang Kai Shek--? SEN WIN: Correct, all the Chinese schools in that corridor. Q: Ang maganda pa dun Senator is, I think it was Uno who said that those who came from countries infected with the virus should do self-quarantine. SEN WIN: Correct, that's a protocol. But what's the admirable part there was they were conscious of what's happening. They did not wait for the government to tell them what to do. Q: And you support that? SEN WIN: I support that. That's proactiveness. Q: They don't need to wait for the DOH to tell them. SEN WIN: Correct. Some of the schools suspended. In fact, some of the airlines suspended flights ahead of the government's declaration. In fairness, some of the foreign airlines also cancelled their flights from China. So a lot of private companies were already very conscious on doing this. The private sector should be equally conscious of what's happening, and they could implement preventive measures to prevent the spreading in their own organization. OFWS AND CORONAVIRUS Q: There's a problem on Filipinos here in Manila who want to go back to Hong Kong. Gusto nilang ipagpatuloy ang trabaho nila sa Hong Kong. May mga kababayan din tayong nasa Macau na gusto nang umuwi. There's a lot of complications there. What's a good solution because they are appealing for some flights? SEN WIN: That is where the DFA will play a heavy role. In fact, the DFA made a lot of pronouncements in the early part of this year, middle part of January in terms of preparation. I remember, as soon as America declared that they will bring home a lot of their constituents from Wuhan, the DFA also responded the same. It is up to our consulate in our embassies to make sure that our OFWs are well-taken care of in that area, to give them financial assistance or assistance for them to come back home, and to also implement quarantine in their area. Those OFWs who are clear, they should be allowed to come back home. The DFA should also be ready too charter flights to bring them back. In this case, the DFA has been quite responsive. In fact, there were regular updates no less than from our DFA Secretary who loves to tweet so we get regular real time updates on what the DFA is doing. Q: You seem to be satisfied to that. If I'm not mistaken, the lockdown in Wuhan happened in January 21 or 22. 14 days later, February 5, we are finally bringing back our kababayans from Wuhan. There are 40 of them who's supposed to arrive this Saturday. So you feel that they've been on top of the situation? SEN WIN: The most important part here is information, the DFA has been constantly giving information to the general public on who to call, what to do and the tracking also of our kababayan in Wuhan and the rest of China. The consulate and embassies, from what I read on Twitter and social media, has been quite active in giving information so proactiveness from the DFA is very important because we want to know how to respond and where to go. NGCP Q: We need to talk about the NGCP. The Energy Committee, which you have, found grounds to possibly: one, to review; two, to possibly revoke the franchise of the NGCP. Just a summary Senator, please tell us why. SEN WIN: Let's put this on context first. Why is the national transmission grid important to all of us? This is the only one of its kind. Isa lang ito sa buong bansa natin. It transmits electricity to Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao so if something happens to our grid, we have no electricity. We all know that we cannot live any second without electricity. Our economy will collapse without electricity. So it is important that our electricity grid-- our transmission lines and transmission grids are reliable and especially secure in this day and age. Cyber terrorism and cyber security is clearly in present danger. It happened in Ukraine in 2015 and 2016 where hackers attack their grid and collapse their transmission lines and widespread blackouts happened in Ukraine. It can happen to us. It can be implemented by the state actors or non-state actors. These are the cyber terrorism, so to speak. So importante ang integrity at security ng grid natin. Our Constitution plays safeguards there. One of which, 60% should be owned by Filipinos. Meaning, Filipinos should own this national grid. Second, Filipinos should maintain and manage executive position and this is where the problem happened. During the hearing, Senator Gordon pointed out that a certain Wen Bo signed contracts in behalf of the national grid as their Chief Technical Officer, which is the second highest-ranking official in NGCP. Q: SIya yung number two boss? SEN WIN: Yes. At hindi lang ordinaryong number two, it controls operations in maintenance in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Hindi lang supporting role. This is an operation role. So meaning, he can dictate the operations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao and all of its activities there. The Constitution is very clear, management and executive positions should be with the Filipinos. So the first question is, bakit pinayagan ng local shareholders na isang foreigner will occupy the second-highest position in NGCP. Q: But how sure are you that he's a foreigner? SEN WIN: Because we have contracts that he signed and they admitted on record, we asked them, we didn't even point out the nationality, we asked them, did you allow the foreigner to occupy the second highest position in NGCP, at any point of your concessionaire agreement which started in 2009 and the answer was an affirmative. So this is clearly a violation of the Constitution and when Congress enacted the franchise, the basis is the Constitution. So Congress gave the franchise, one of the basis of the franchise is the Constitution. Q: You're right, section 11 article 12 of the 1987 Constitution, provided that all Executive, Managing Officers of such corporations and associations must be citizen of the Philippines. So here's my question Senator, at the beginning of that Senate hearing, heading that Senate hearing, Senator Gordon said there is a Wenbo that signed, they said yes, at some point did this, if you said it is clear violation, why are you just threatening, you have until February 10 to allow the DOE to audit you? Why? SEN WIN: There is also a mechanism there where government can exercise a check and balance rule, of course, NGCP said they are doing their job, they have all these cyber security projects but that's from their point of view. Government cannot validate and government, since 2009 haven't validated any of the projects that they have mentioned because there are no inspection that happened ever since--2009 when they started. Meaning government should exercise check and balance role and part of it is the validation process, to look at the documents, to look at the records, to talk to the NGCP employees, that's part of the concession agreement. Meaning, government should be playing its role as the check and balance mechanism of this transmission grid. The transmission again, is no ordinary business, this is not a small business, this is a huge monopoly business-- Imbued with national security interest. Yung ang pinaka mahalaga, its one of its kind, it's a monopoly of our country. So we have to treat it with extra care, with extra diligence and government should exercises its check and balance to ensure that the grid is secure and protected. Q: So when is the inspection? SEN WIN: Well we gave them until Feb. 10 Monday to answer the committee because I know for a fact that they have to talk to their board, they have to talk to their management but this is government's exercising its check and balance and DOE is the alter-ego of the President and the President Chairs the National Security Council (NSC) so meaning in the context of national security the President can delegate powers and DOE since it's the technical arm and the general supervisor of the power system or the power industry it's the DOE role to make sure the grid is protected. Q: But in their franchise agreement does it not state that the ERC is the who's supposed to look into it and not the DOE, is that their concern? SEN WIN: In the concession agreement there were a lot of provisions there that would allow government to inspect. ERC when it comes to rates, pricing, TransCo and PSALM when it comes to performance, when you say performance it's a very broad term, the integrity of the grid should be part of the inspection. Q: The infrastructure (of the NGCP) its owned by the government? Which is TransCo? So you want the DOE to review it, not just a technical audit but also management audit, so if you see anomalies, what's next? SEN WIN: The proper procedure is to go and conduct the audit, inspect the records, through DOE cause DOE has a technical capability and DOE can delegate its inspection process to TransCo who was previously the operator of this transmission line. So they have the engineers, they have the technical people and validate the records because in the concession agreement, TransCo is given the authority to validate the records, titignan natin yung record kung meron talagang violations for example in terms of personnel, in terms-- Q: So there is a violation? SEN WIN: If there is a violation in the Constitution then there's grounds to revoke the franchise. Q: And if you revoke who is going to run this? SEN WIN: TransCo, babalik sa TransCo, TransCo has been running ever since and they have the technical capability. In fact TransCo technical capability remains in TransCo. Q: The cyberattacks came out in the Senate hearing-- SEN WIN: Actually we were all surprised-- Q: You almost fell off your seat that they've been attacked 100 times? SEN WIN: This is a real manifestation that we're vulnerable. It's not very clear where the attacks is coming from but it came as a surprise to all of us as we speak for being attacked and that people can cause havoc in our electricity grid. So government need to know all of this so that we will put measures in place to prevent and to protect our electricity. Even DICT didn't know about it, katabi nila DICT nagulat din sila. Q: And I think your question was, where? And from whom? SEN WIN: Correct. But without any details it's very difficult to analyze what's going and especially the experts, government experts such as the DICT should be consulted because DICT is the authority that will implement the cyber security strategy. VFA Q: VFA are you inclined to support the sentiments of the Senate, SP Sotto said, Sen. Drilon, Sen. Lacson, wanting a review of the VFA before its cancellation. SEN WIN: I think the proper process is to review independently and objectively. Definitely there are a lot of issues in the VFA, for example, the issue of fairness, are we being treated fairly in the VFA? and the effectivity of the VFA. We've seen a lot of exercises, we've seen a lot of interoperability exercises but we don't know the effectivity of this and we need to know in the context of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) where the VFA is and how effective it is and what are the measurable goals in terms of its effectivity. Q: So you are not inclined to cancel it? You want to review it? SEN WIN: We have to review first. Admittedly there are things that we need to amend in order to make it fairer for our country and our countrymen and the process there is to review it independently and objectively. Q: But was the cancellation of the Visa of Senator Bato Dela Rosa a good reason to review the VFA? SEN WIN: it's a continuous review, in my point of view we have to continuously review all agreements not limited to VFA but also the EDCA and even the MTD in light of new technologies, new geopolitical scenarios we have to continuously review all these. Q: How about the timing of the review? And the cancellation of Senator Bato? SEN WIN: This should be treated separately in my point of view because the VFA has been there a long time ago and it needs to be reviewed and there was no review process so to speak and this is a perfect time to review it. In fact, today at 10 AM we will have a Senate hearing to review the VFA and to advise to recommend what to do next. Q: Headed by Senator Koko Pimentel, Senator Win Gatchalian always a pleasure maraming Salamat. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) Despite strong statements from President Rodrigo Duterte that he wants the Visiting Forces Agreement terminated, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin, Jr. revealed Thursday that he is still awaiting the President's direct order to start the formal process. Under the two-decade military pact between the Philippines and the US, the VFA can be terminated via a written notice from either of the countries. Expiration will come 180 days from the time either party notifies the other. "I have prepared a notice of termination but it has not been sent upon the orders of the President," Locsin said in a Senate hearing that tackled resolutions related to the VFA, including calling on Duterte to reconsider his decision to end it pending impact assessment. In his opening statement, Locsin highlighted the benefits the Philippines has been getting from the VFA: military assistance, financial grants, and deterrence against possible attacks from other countries, among others. EXPLAINER: The Visiting Forces Agreement He said the continuance of the agreement is "is deemed to be more beneficial" for the Philippines, noting that abrogating it may also affect other important deals with the US, including the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). The MDT states that each country would come to the defense of the other in case of an attack by a foreign country, while the EDCA which Senate Minorirty Leader Franklin Drilon said was "merely an implementation of the VFA" allows the US military to use and control five bases in the Philippines. 'Vigorous review' instead? Despite numerous advantages to keeping the VFA, Locsin said a "vigorous review" is called for, following American senators' repeated calls for the release of Senator Leila de Lima an opposition lawmaker detained on drug charges. The Duterte administration sees US Senate resolutions concerning De Lima as an insult to the country's sovereignty, saying she is being tried by the country's independent courts. "There is value in revisiting the VFA to address matters of sovereignty such as jurisdiction and custody and early resumption of clarificatory talks should serve as basis, as well as jump off point for a review of the VFA, Locsin said. "Perhaps, we should review the VFA, certainly we should do that because I dont believe that because we need them, we should suffer insults to our sovereignty," he added. Locsin said he will "insist on" negotiating controversial provisions of the VFA during the review, including the lax visa and passport policies for American troops and the authority granted to the US government to retain jurisdiction over military personnel if ever they commit crimes in the Philippines. Locsin, however, clarified that the Department of Foreign Affairs has no formal stance whether it is preferring a termination or a review of the VFA, adding that they have to be briefed first by security and defense officials. The Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs held an executive session after the public hearing to discuss sensitive matters. Threat or order? On January 23, Duterte threatened to scrap the VFA a drastic response to the US' cancellation of Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's tourist visa. He gave the US government a month to reverse the move. Malacanang later revealed, however, that Duterte already ordered to "start the process" of terminating the VFA that same night. Locsin said he quickly coordinated with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana to heed the President's order. Locsin then said they would also discuss the issue with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, since the VFA is considered by the Philippines as a treaty requiring Senate concurrence for its passage while the US treats it as an executive agreement. Whether the Senate needs to concur with the termination of the treaty is still unclear, as the Constitution only says that the upper chamber's nod is needed for a treaty to come into force. This question is also the subject of petitions before the Supreme Court assailing Duterte's withdrawal of the Philippines from the International Criminal Court. On January 29, Duterte said he had made up his mind about terminating the VFA and is no longer waiting for the US to renew Dela Rosa's visa. I am terminating the VFA. I was not joking. The day I said it was the day that I decided it should be terminated, Duterte told reporters. Theres no doubt that studying abroad is beneficial to every young adults university career. Students who go abroad are more likely to graduate, find a job faster, and earn an average of $7,000 more in their starting salary. But studying abroad can be incredibly expensive; a typical semester costs $18,000. With the mounting student debt crisis, crossing an ocean to study could be too much of a strain on many students already tight budgets. Not all study abroad locations are pricey, however. In fact, you might be surprised at how affordable some study abroad destinations can be. Here are six countries that offer a combination of free or low tuition and a reasonable cost of living. The 6 Most Affordable Places To Study Abroad Turkey Not only does Turkey offer free university tuition, the cost of living is among the lowest in the world. An average one-bedroom apartment in a city center is just $227.72 per month, and a meal in a restaurant typically costs $4.18. Public transit is equally cheap, with a monthly pass priced at $30.09 thats just $1 per day. Poland Poland is another country that doesnt charge its students for public university tuition. At $487.70 per month, rent is extremely affordable, and eating out is only $5.94. Transportation costs average just $25.81 monthly. Estonia In recent years, Estonia has become known as one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world thanks to its creation of an almost entirely digital society. What better place to study abroad? University tuition is free and a one-bedroom apartment is just $514.75 per month. Although a meal in a restaurant is slightly more expensive at $8.83, a monthly transit pass is only $25.39. Hungary Hungarys capital city of Budapest is a popular cheap study abroad destination. Tuition costs in this country are nominal, just $753 per year. Rent averages $421.75 per month, with transit passes priced at $31.21. A dinner out will cost only $6.57. Portugal If studying abroad in a sunny destination is appealing to you, Portugal is the place to go. While tuition costs more than some other countries at $1,124 per year, other living costs are very low. You can expect to budget $683.97 for rent, $38.63 for transportation, and $8.28 for a meal. Austria Austria is very friendly to international students on a budget. Tuition at its public universities is just $914 per year. Living costs are slightly higher than other countries on our list, but still affordable. A one-bedroom apartment averages $794.39 per month and transit passes are typically around $51.88 per month. Eating in a restaurant costs an average of $13.25. Finding an internationally accredited study abroad program If youre investing in a study abroad program, you probably want to make sure that the course is accredited and will be recognized by U.S. universities and employers. The International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education is an organization with 300 worldwide members that work together to evaluate the quality of education. Partnered with UNESCO, this organization is the best resource to evaluate a potential study abroad program. South Africa: Limpopo Foot and Mouth Disease under control The outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Limpopo is under control and the ban on gatherings of cloven hoofed animals remains in place, Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development said on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister, Thoko Didiza, appeared before the Portfolio Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development to give progress regarding the FMD outbreak in Molemole Municipality, Limpopo. Didiza assured the committee that the veterinary services team is doing everything possible to ensure the situation does not cause any further economic harm. Since the outbreak in November 2019, the team has followed up on over 140 properties with possible links to specific auctions and affected properties. To date 130 properties have been investigated and precautionary quarantine notices lifted on 87 properties, Didiza said. Didiza noted that the matrix that links the two implicated auction houses to affected properties, demonstrate the complexity of the outbreak, and the risk that congregations of animals of unknown health status poses. She also warned that the risk does not only apply to Foot and Mouth Disease, but it has been demonstrated that the recent African swine fever outbreak had the same mode of spread. Other diseases, including Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, Bovine Leucosis - have also been highlighted as risks that livestock owners should be careful of, when buying from sources whose health status is unknown. We do not take the decision to ban all gatherings lightly and we are fully aware of the economic as well as social implications of these measures. I assure you that it [measures] is meant to be temporary in order to curb the spread of the disease, and this remains the intention, the Minister said. To date, Didiza said 18 positive cases have been confirmed and reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). All of these cases are in Limpopo Province with links, direct and indirect to the two identified auctions. Slaughter of cattle from affected properties has commenced and this is closely monitored by the Provincial Veterinary Authorities. The Minister further highlighted capacity and concurrent functions, as some of the challenges in managing animal health and controlling disease outbreaks. I note the concerns raised by the portfolio committee on the ban on auctions and I will engage with the steering committee on Foot and Mouth on the uplifting of the ban, sooner for their consideration, Didiza said. Didiza has reassured all citizens that the meat, and other products from FMD infected cattle is safe for human consumption, and any products which are discarded from the slaughterhouse is purely to manage the disease and prevent further spread. Consumers are reminded to only buy meat from reputable outlets as it would have gone through meat inspection and certified fit for human consumption, Didiza said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-02-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Republican lawmakers have called for the removal of one of the commissions Democratic members, Sen. Terry Link of Vernon Hills. The Tribune and other outlets have reported that Link wore a wire for federal investigators and was the senator Arroyo is charged with bribing in order to benefit one of Arroyos City Hall lobbying clients. Link, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing, has vehemently denied being the cooperating witness. English French THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. LA PRAIRIE, Quebec, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In response to the findings of mining and exploration consultants InnovExplo, Vanstar (TSX-V. VSR) is pleased to announce the launch of a selection process to acquire a number of mining exploration projects in Quebec. The focus will be on areas deemed highly favorable, with similar characteristics to the notable Nelligan gold deposit located in the Chapais-Chibougamau region. In 2019, the Nelligan gold deposit was the subject of an initial mineral resource estimate and a joint IAMGOLD - Vanstar NI 43-101 Technical Report documenting inferred resources totaling nearly 3.2 million ounces of gold for almost 100 million metric tons (see news release dated October 22, 2019). The current work on Nelligan aims to reclassify the resource as the specified category and to verify the depth extensions and extensions to the west of the deposit. Following the NI 43-101 report, Vanstar commissioned InnovExplo to target favorable regions across the Abitibi geological subprovince for disseminated gold deposits hosted by metasedimentary rocks (Nelligan-type gold mineralization). Nelligan gold mineralization is clearly distinct from most Abitibi tardi-orogenic gold deposits (i.e. distinct from conventional shear zones and quartz-carbonate veins). Nelligan is characterized by widespread and pervasive silica alteration and disseminated gold mineralization with a low pyrite content (15%) hosted in the metasedimentary rocks of the Archean Caopatina Formation. Nelligan's geological context and mineralization style is unusual when compared with other Abitibi gold deposits, but has several similarities (and some differences) with the Canadian Malartic style or even with Carlin-type mineralized systems. In order to select potential new sectors at a regional level, the approach used also drew on key features such as: geological characteristics specific to the Nelligan deposit; the presence of large sedimentary basins; local and regional structural elements; the spatial relationship with syntectonic intrusions; the metamorphic gradient; the metal association; the magnetic signatures. Based on these specifications, Vanstar has map-staked an initial group of 35 cells over an area of approximately 1982 hectaresthe Felix Projectand another block of 40 cells in an area of approximately 2264 hectares the Amanda Project. The latter was purchased from three independent prospectors for a total of $60,000 and the issuance of 470,000 common shares. The sellers did not receive any royalties (NSR or otherwise). The company plans to use map staking to increase the number of cells for each of these projects. The Felix Project The Felix Project is based in the Chicobi Basin, northeast of the municipality of La Sarre, Abitibi. To date, very few boreholes have been made for this project. The majority of those that have been completed are in the northern part of the project to test iron formation. However, borehole 728-06-01 (GM 33270) intersected a sedimentary sequence in contact with the iron formation that contained several anomalous gold values. The company plans to carry out a geological and geophysical survey here early next spring. The Amanda Project The Amanda Project is based in Jamesie and contains several gold showings. Historic data has made it possible to trace several gold showings for this project, including the Arianne, Ti-Beu, Rockn Hammer, La Mire and Kog-1 showings. Some drilling conducted by Virginia Mines in the late 1990s also allowed for the cross-cutting of different gold structures containing significant gold values. This included the AC-97-31 drill hole, which revealed 2.42 g/t Au over 4 meters and 5.40 g/t Au over 7 meters with 12.1 g/t Au over 3 meters (GM 55430). The geology of the Amanda sector can be summarized as a sedimentary stack located in the heart of a large fold, bordered by volcanic rocks. The sedimentary sequence consists of wackes, iron formations and local conglomerates. There are also shear zones, major flaws and folds in this environment. The Amanda Project rocks have undergone two major stages of deformation. This project is also characterized by the presence of a large fold forming a complex structural pattern. The combined effect of these two folding stages is to multiply the different lithostratigraphic units. A combined geological and geophysical mandate will be awarded to an external consultant in order to determine the various targets for next summer. Several other proposed targets are currently under consideration. Some of these targets will be map staked over the next few weeks. The company's management prioritizes sectors in regions with as few constraints as possible. The company intends to join forces with potential partners seeking new ideas and/or create a subsidiary that could test this new conceptual approach. Stephane Faure, Senior Geologist and Qualified Person under Canadian National Instrument 43-101 has read and approved this news release. The TSX Venture Exchange and its regulator (as defined in the TSX Venture Exchange policies) accept no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of its content. The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Bono Regional Chairman, Kwame Baffoe popularly known as Abronye DC has advised Ghanaians to reject former President John Mahama in the upcoming 2020 elections. Abronye DC said this while reacting to the Airbus Bribery Scandal which cited some Ghanaian government officials who ruled Ghana between 2009 and 2015. The unnamed Government Official 1 in the ruling, according to Abronye DC claimed is John Mahama, insisting he was on record as having been investigated over the purchase of an aircraft by the late President John Mills. "Mahama is the first elected Government Official 1 so the President at the time cannot be absorbed from blameit is John Mahama and he is very corrupt," he stated. The controversial Bono Regional Chairman alleged that former President John Mahama was the most corrupt person in Ghana and should not be allowed to govern this country again. "Mr. John Mahama is the most corrupt person to have ever ruled Ghana, he should not be allowed near the presidency againhe will auction Ghana when offer the opportunity to come any close to the presidency again," he made this claim in an interview with this reporter. Abronye seized the opportunity to urge Ghanaians to support the Special Prosecutor to go to UK High Court to know the name of Government Official 1 but he still believes the name is former President John Mahama and nothing else. Background Airbus, Europe's largest airplane manufacturer, admitted to paying bribes in Ghana and other countries between 2011 and 2015 in a sweeping investigation dating back to almost a decade. The company has been fined 3 billion pounds for bribing public officials and fixers over a string of hidden payments as part of a pattern of worldwide corruption to facilitate the sales of its wares. "The planemaker agreed to pay the penalties on Friday after reaching settlements with investigators in the UK, France, and the US to end inquiries that started four years ago, UK's The Guardian newspaper reported. The report follows the outcome of UKs Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation that Allison Clare, for the SFO, told the court the company had paid bribes in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Taiwan and Ghana between 2011 and 2015. Airbus is accused of hiring and disguising payments to a close relative of a government officials in Ghana with no aerospace experience in connection with a sale of military transport planes, the SFO said. The SFO noted that the bribery was intended to obtain or retain business or advantage in the conduct of business for Airbus. According to the court document between 2009 and 2015 an Airbus defence company engaged an unnamed person, only identified as Intermediary 5, a close relative of a high ranking elected Ghana government official (also not named but referred to as Government Official 1), as its business partner in respect of the proposed sale of three aircraft to the government of Ghana. A number of ofAirbus employees knew that Intermediary five was a close relative of Government Official 1, a key decision-maker in respect of the sales. However, a number of Airbus employees made or promised success based commission payments of approximately 5 million to Intermediary 5. False documentation was created by or with the agreement of Airbus employees in order to support and disguise these payments. The payments were intended to induce or reward improper favour by the Government Official 1towards Airbus, the document suggests. The document, sighted by Pulse.com.gh, said between 2009 and 2015 an Airbus defence company engaged an unnamed person, only identified as Intermediary 5, a close relative of a high ranking elected Ghana government official (also not named but referred to as Government Official 1), as its business partner in respect of the proposed sale of three aircraft to the government of Ghana. A number of ofAirbus employees knew that Intermediary five was a close relative of Government Official 1, a key decision-maker in respect of the sales. However, a number of Airbus employees made or promised success based commission payments of approximately 5 million to Intermediary 5. False documentation was created by or with the agreement of Airbus employees in order to support and disguise these payments. The payments were intended to induce or reward improper favour by the Government Official 1towards Airbus, the document said. It will be recalled that the Ghana Air Force acquired three aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space between 2011 and 2015. It will also be recalled that in 2012, Martin Amidu (now Special Prosecutor) revealed that late President Mills set up a Committee of Enquiry to investigate the acquisition of aircraft for the Armed Forces negotiated by President John Mahama. Martin Amidu was the Attorney General under ex-President Mills before he was dismissed from office for an alleged insubordination. New Delhi, Feb 6 : Judiciary, one of the three pillars of the democracy in India, is facing major crisis due to the twin plagues of "vacancies" and "inexperience." As per statement given by nominated Rajya Sabha Member P. Wilson on Tuesday, the High Courts in the country are running at fifty per cent of their sanctioned capacity. Pointing out the alarming emergency, Wilson said, "Due to retirements and elevations, the vacancies continue to increase. Therefore, in my view, if this situation continues, the functioning of the High Courts throughout the country will be totally crippled, which does not benefit national interest," Wilson said. "Access to justice is an inalienable fundamental right of citizens. This right is defeated if our higher judiciary is crippled due to vacancies. People should not lose faith in the judiciary and adopt extra-constitutional methods due to the delay in disposal of cases," he added. On the contrary, while responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha on the judicial vacancies, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad responded that "there are 395 number of posts of the judges vacant in various High Courts." "The proposals recommended by High Courts Collegiums for appointment of Judges are under various stages of processing with the Government and Supreme Court Collegium as per the procedure prescribed in Memorandum of Procedure (MoP). "Filling up of vacancies in the High Courts is a collaborative and integrated process, between the Executive and the Judiciary. It requires consultation and approval from various Constitutional Authorities both at the Centre and states. Hence, total time taken in the process of appointment cannot be indicated," Prasad said. While the vacancies in the Indian Judicial System remains a poignant issue, another such problem which is hindering the light of justice in the country is the inexperience of the trial court judges. A recent report by think tank Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy claimed that Civil judges and judicial magistrates in India are too young and consequently they lack "significant life experiences". The report titled - Schooling the Judges: The Selection and Training of Civil Judges and Judicial Magistrates, stated, "The average age of new judges who are being appointed as Civil Judges and Judicial Magistrates, as per our calculations, based on one year's data is between 26-27 years except in Kerala where the average age is 33 years. Not only are such candidates likely to have little to no experience at the bar, they are also unlikely to have significant life experiences having lived a sheltered experience with their parents or on a university campus." "Even though the lowest tier of the judiciary is the first point of contact for most litigants and handles the largest volume of cases, systemic issues in this tier are not given as high a priority as they deserve," the report read further. The report penned by Prashant Reddy, Reshma Shekhar and Vagda Galhotra concluded, "RTI responses and transcripts of personal interviews of sitting judicial officers, and concludes with a qualitative compilation of how academies are ill-equipped to train judges, methods of teaching utilized towards training, and the inadequacies of clinical legal education in these academies." A South Jersey man is going to prison for illegally storing hazardous waste and has been fined millions to pay back the federal government for cleaning up his mess. Thomas Toy, a 75-year-old resident of Elmer, was sentenced Wednesday to 30 days in prison and ordered to pay $4.2 million in restitution by Judge Renee Bumb in U.S. District Court in Camden, said U.S Attorney Craig Carpenito and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Jean E. Williams of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Bumb also sentenced Toy to an additional 30 days of house arrest and three years of probation. Vincent Sarubbi, Toys lawyer, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Toy had pleaded guilty to one count of storing hazardous waste in violation of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, a federal law enacted in 1976 that manages the handling and disposal of hazardous waste. Toy had been indicted for the crime in January 2018. Toy broke the law while running the Superior Barrel and Drum Company, which used a facility on the border of Elk Township and Glassboro to bring in drums from industrial customers, clean and process those drums, then resell them. Many of the drums imported by Superior contained hazardous waste with toxic chemicals like benzene and lead despite the company never having a permit to store such materials. Between September 2013 and September 2014, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency removed thousands of drums of waste from the property, much of which was hazardous material. The waste removal cost the EPA $4.2 million. Toys fine is restitution for that cost. In October 2013, after the EPA had begun removing the toxic waste from the Gloucester County site, Toy was accused of running a similar operation in Delaware. Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. 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 family and supporters of 5-year-old Hartley Anderson sat quietly in the courtroom Tuesday afternoon as the trial began for the man accused of beating her to death. The scene was markedly different from raucous earlier court proceedings. Clark County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Snider had warned those in the gallery that any outbursts could lead to a mistrial. Opening statements in Ryan M. Burges murder trial began Tuesday, following 1 days of jury selection. More than a dozen people filed into the courtroom for the start of trial. Burge, 38, is accused of first- and second-degree murder in Hartleys death. She suffered severe head trauma and died at a Portland hospital. Vancouver police responded about 5 p.m. Nov. 2, 2018, to the Madison Park Apartments, where emergency responders were treating Hartleys injuries. The girls mother, Nataasha Luchau, called 911 and said that Hartley reportedly threw herself into a wall and was unresponsive, according to court records. Burge, Luchaus live-in boyfriend at the time, had been babysitting Hartley all day while Luchau worked and her sons were at school. Senior Deputy Prosecutor James Smith asked jurors to picture a little girl with her whole life ahead of her, alone in an apartment with Burge. While in his care, she suffered more than 20 blows to her head and face. Her body was covered in bruises and lacerations injuries no child should suffer, Smith said. As he spoke, jurors looked at a photo of Hartley dressed as a vampire butterfly for Halloween. The picture was taken days before her death. Burges defense attorney, Renee Alsept, urged the jury not to view the case with emotion. She argued that not everything is always as it appears, and said Burge did not murder Hartley; she hurt herself. The defense maintains that Hartleys injuries were self-inflicted the product of a violent temper tantrum. Smith argues they were caused by Burges reaction to the girls tantrum. Burge had told investigators that Hartley smashed her head into the wooden frame of a bed and into a wall, Smith said. Investigators found multiple impacts in the drywall inside the apartment, and strands of her hair were collected from some of the impact sites. Alsept said Hartley frequently threw tantrums, and her mother had sought medical care for her on multiple occasions over the years, long before Burge was in the picture. They make this leap of assumption, she said of investigators. Smith argued for the prosecution that common sense and the evidence will show Burges claim is not plausible. Multiple medical experts will testify about the nature of Hartleys injuries, including the medical examiner, who found them to be too numerous, bizarrely placed and violent to be self-inflicted, he said. Burge, seated at the defense table, slightly shook his head as Smith said Hartleys injuries were inflicted by a full-grown man. After the prosecutions opening statement, Alsept moved for the dismissal of the first-degree murder charge. She argued theres no evidence of premeditation. Smith countered that Burge only had to reflect for more than a moment in time about what he was doing, to satisfy premeditation an issue for the jury to decide. The defenses motion was denied. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A staff measures body temperature of passengers arriving at Tan Son Nhat Airport in February 2020. Photo courtesy of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam. HCMC has refused entry to 286 flight passengers since January 30 because they had stayed or transited in China prior to their arrival. As of Wednesday, authorities at the Tan Son Nhat International Airport had refused to let 286 passengers enter Vietnam after they arrived in Ho Chi Minh City via 16 different flights, two of them operated by a Vietnamese airline. Of these passengers, 218 had came to HCMC from Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific flight B777. 43 of the remaining passengers came from Malaysia, 10 from Thailand and four from Singapore. After they were refused entry, airport authorities sent the passengers to one gate area that has been restricted and set up particularly to check body temperatures before having the carriers take them back to their original destinations. The airport so far has quarantined three people suspected of being infected with the nCoV. Two of them have tested negative and results are awaited for the third. Since Vietnam suspended all flights to and from nCoV-hit areas in China since February 1, the Tan Son Nhat airport has canceled 40 flights each day on average on such routes. Vietnam has so far confirmed 12 nCoV infections, including three in HCMC. Of the patients, three have been discharged by the hospitals, one from the citys Cho Ray Hospital. The country has recorded 409 suspected infection cases so far, and 347 have tested negative for the virus. 349 others who had close contact with infected patients are being closely monitored. As of Thursday afternoon, the nCoV death toll had jumped to 565 and confirmed infections to over 28,300, of whom 1,322 had recovered. Former Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams wants the High Court to order the BBC to hand over more information he says he requires for a defamation case he is taking against the broadcaster. He is suing the BBC claiming it defamed him when it falsely alleged he had sanctioned the killing of former Sinn Fein official Denis Donaldson who worked for decades as a spy for the British. His action is being brought in the Dublin High Court over a 2016 BBC "Spotlight" programme in which the allegation was made. The BBC denies defamation and says it can provide certain research materials it used in the making of the programme, but says other categories of court discovery sought by him are too broad. In his action, Mr Adams says he suffered damage to his reputation as a result of what he says is the false allegation made by an anonymous source in the programme that he sanctioned the killing of Donaldson (aged 55) who worked for Sinn Fein in Stormont but also was a spy for M15 for two decades. Donaldson was shot dead at his isolated cottage near Glenties, Co. Donegal, in April 2006. The anonymous source, referred to as "Martin" in the programme, said he was also was a paid State agent while a member of the IRA. Thomas Hogan SC, for Mr Adams, said court-ordered discovery of information and particulars held by the BBC is sought because the material provided so far is too vague and inadequate. Also sought is information about the extent of the broadcast of the programme as well as the extent of publication of a follow-up BBC website article in which the same allegation was made. Counsel said that in the Spotlight programme said shootings were sanctioned at the top of the republican movement. It also stated, while Adams had stepped aside as a member of the IRA army council by 2006, he continued to be consulted in relation to shootings. Asked by the presenter who he was specifically referring to, Martin said "Gerry Adams, he had the final say." Mr Adams was quoted in the programme as denying any knowledge of the shooting or that he had the final say. Counsel said the dissident Real IRA three years later claimed responsibility but Martin told Spotlight this was not true and was done to "get more kudos" for the dissidents. Mr Hogan said the BBC had denied the words used in the programme or article meant Mr Adams sanctioned the murder of Donaldson which was "somewhat extraordinary in the circumstance of the case." The BBC claims the programme/publication was put out in good faith during the course of discussion on a subject of public and vital interest and that it constituted responsible journalism which was the result of careful investigation. The BBC was willing to give material in relation to research and materials used in the making of the programme but was not prepared to go beyond that, counsel said. In order to test whether the programme acted responsibly and whether it should be protected by privilege, his side required to see material which it may have had which could have cast doubt on or contradicted the allegation. "The defendant has to put all its cards on the table to succeed in this defence," he said. Paul Gallagher SC, for the BBC, said much of the material has already been provided. Mr Adams' side would not be surprised by anything involving allegations about his reputation when the case came to trial. One of the categories of material sought by Mr Adams was so broad that it would involve searches of material in the BBC's huge archive that it would be oppressive and onerous to require the defendant to do so, he said. The case had been "fully particularised in every way required and meets our obligations," he said. Mr Justice Charles Meenan reserved his decision. Hillary Clinton has said she agreed to talk about her husband's affair with Monica Lewinsky in a new Hulu documentary about her life because it would you 'couldn't do a film' about her life without bringing it up. The documentary does not air until March 6 but in an interview on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that will air on Thursday, Clinton discusses the production process. She called it 'draining' and told how the director was adamant no topics would be off-limits once she and Bill had agreed to it. 'Staying in my marriage was the gutsiest personal decision I ever made. 'So for me, revisiting that, talking about it, for my husband also to agree to be in the film and also to be asked, made it a bit difficult, there's no doubt about it. Scroll down for video Hillary Clinton on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Thursday discussing the documentary Bill Clinton had an affair with Monica Lewinsky when she worked at the White House from 1995 until 1997 'But you couldn't actually do a film about my life and not cover something that everybody knew about because you could read about it, and everybody had an opinion about (it),' she said. Lewinsky's affair with then president Bill Clinton led to him being impeached in 1998 and then acquitted. He at first denied they had any sexual contact. Hillary stood by him, holding his hand at press conferences. She was condemned for the decision by some women, and praised by others. In the Hulu documentary, both she and Bill are interviewed about the scandal. 'It's fascinating because as you go through the film, some of the women who have been my friends and who have supported me personally and every other way, they talked about how so many women would be really upset because I chose to stay with my husband. Hillary said standing by Bill was the 'gutsiest' choice of her life given the public uproar the scandal caused. They are pictured during a 1998 press conference after he had been impeached Hillary and Bill hold hands with their daughter Chelsea after another press conference about the scandal 'A lot of the women would say, "I can't support her, I don't like her because she stayed with her husband." 'And they would say, "OK, why is that?' And people would talk and pretty soon they would say that happened to my sister, that happened to my friend, and I always said everybody needs to make the best decision for you and your family. 'It was such a strange conversation because some of the very same people who would say, "I could never support her," would say literally in the next breath, "but I love her husband, I love Bill Clinton."' Clinton said she hopes that by addressing it, she can help others. 'It was a really emotionally draining experience to go through it again, but I have to say, once I saw the whole four hours of the documentary, I hope that our talking about this, my willingness to address all of this, really does help other people,' she said. 'People need to be thoughtful about the decisions they make in their own lives, and we should be kinder and more supportive to everybody who makes the best decisions that they think they can make,' she said. Clinton herself gave 36 hours worth of interviews for the film. It will air on Hulu on March 6. It is unclear how much she was paid for it. The following letter was written before the verdict in President Trumps impeachment trial in the Senate. To the Times: I have placed several calls to your office in hopes of learning your position on the current impeachment proceedings. It appears I have gotten my answer via your votes on the first day of Senate hearings when you and every other Republican senator voted against allowing new witnesses or new evidence to be included in these hearings. I hope I am missing something. I, along with a large majority of Americans, am of the opinion that a trial requires witnesses and documentary evidence. Since the White House forbade testimony by key witnesses and withheld every bit of evidence during the House investigation, is seems essential that the Senate hear these witnesses and view all pertinent evidence in order to arrive at an informed verdict. As I watch the Senate hearings, I am reminded of the considerable and credible evidence brought forth during the House impeachment hearings, all of which seems to point to the distinct possibility that President Trump was applying pressure on an ally in order to obtain advantage in his re-election bid and that the White House was actively obstructing Congress investigation thereof. We recently learned that the GAO concluded that President Trump broke the law by withholding funds from Ukraine that were approved by Congress. These, of course, are the funds at the heart of the impeachment. The presidents defense team has provided little or no substantive rebuttal to any incriminating testimony or evidence. It seems the presidents lawyers are focused more on what they claim are procedural shortcomings rather than anything substantive to do with the voluminous evidence provided during the House investigation, which resulted in two articles of impeachment against President Trump. If in fact, as President Trump repeatedly claims, the phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky was a perfect phone call, then there can be no good reason to deprive the American people of the opportunity to learn as much as possible, in order for us to feel confident that the president should be exonerated. This is the only way to bring this matter to an appropriate conclusion. It is difficult to understand why the president would not want those who had first-hand information about his perfect phone call and could exonerate him, to testify under oath in public. I would think that the president himself would be anxious to have his name cleared on the record, rather than as a result of an acquittal without a trial. I would greatly appreciate hearing directly from you where you stand on the issue of an actual trial with witnesses and documentary evidence being made public versus an acquittal without any trial, which looks for all intents and purposes like an attempt to keep the American people in the dark. I may not understand all the legal and procedural nuances of these hearings, but from what I have been able to discern, you and all your Republican colleagues voted against every single amendment proposed by Democrats to allow witnesses and/or documents. Please let me know if I am mistaken in my conclusion. Lastly, yesterday I was stunned to hear President Trump tell reporters, I got to watch enough I thought our team did a very good job. But honestly, we have all the material. They dont have the material. I hope you took the time to view this shocking video admission. I know of no other way to interpret this except as President Trump describing obstruction of Congress. I hope you and your Senate colleagues will find the courage and patriotism to stand up for our Constitution and not simply for your partys leader who insists he is above the law. Many, including China's judicial authorities in a rare rebuke of the police, have wondered whether the epidemic could have unfolded differently had Dr Li not been silenced at a critical juncture around the Lunar New Year holiday in late January. Guan Hanfeng, an orthopedist at Wuhan's Tongji Hospital, and Luo Yu, a technology industry executive who was one of the deceased doctor's university classmates, broke the news of Dr Li's death. Chinese doctor Li Wenliang has died in Wuhan. "The Wuhan government owes Dr Li Wenliang an apology," Mr Luo wrote in a widely circulated post on Weibo as tributes flowed in. Chinese authorities on December 31 informed the World Health Organisation's China office of the mysterious pneumonia cases in Wuhan. But it would be weeks before Chinese health officials acknowledged the seriousness of the outbreak and began to take unprecedented measures to lock down tens of millions of people in Wuhan and surrounding areas. Mike Ryan, the executive director of the World Health Organisation's health emergencies program, told reporters in Geneva on Thursday: "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr Li Wenliang. We all need to celebrate work that he did." Loading Dr Li was released from detention on January 3 after signing a police document admitting that he had committed an illegal act by making "untrue statements" on social media and promising that he would "earnestly reflect" on his mistakes. After they detained Dr Li, Wuhan police appeared on Chinese state television to warn the public about the dangers of spreading rumours. In a co-ordinated state media push that same day, they urged internet users across the country to not believe online rumours and help build a "clear and bright cyberspace". Days after he was released, Dr Li returned to work, receiving patients who were beginning to flood into Wuhan's hospitals. He began coughing on January 10, he later recalled. On February 1, three weeks after he checked himself into his hospital, he told his social media followers that he had finally been tested: he was indeed infected by the coronavirus. As he spent his final days in Wuhan Central's intensive care unit, Dr Li began publicly sharing how he had sought to warn friends about the new virus, his ordeal with the police and his fight with illness. He revealed that he lived with a pregnant wife and a young child and had quickly quarantined himself as soon as he suspected he was infected. His mother and father were now hospitalised for fever, he said, without disclosing whether they or his wife and child had contracted the coronavirus. But he maintained an upbeat presence on social media and assured his followers that he had kept his medical licence and hoped to leave the hospital as soon as possible. Loading "I've seen the support and encouragement so many people online have given me," he wrote. "It makes my feel a little more relaxed in my heart." As word of his passing trickled out on Thursday night, his followers left messages on his Weibo account pleading in vain for him to post one last update. Hours after his death was confirmed, Chinese users began repeating a literary verse to express their gratitude for a man they felt their country did not deserve. "He who holds the firewood for the masses," they wrote, "is the one who freezes to death in wind and snow." Workers wearing protective suits spray disinfectant inside a subway in Seoul, South Korea. Credit:Bloomberg WHO issues appeal for US$675 million to fight novel coronavirus (Coronavirus Source: Getty images) "Today we're launching a strategic preparedness and response plan .... We're requesting US$675 million to fund the plan for the next three months," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a news conference in Geneva. "Our message to the international community is invest today or pay more later," Tedros said, adding that the funding appeal was "much less than the bill we will have to pay if we do not invest in preparedness now". Tedros said US$60 million of the funds would be for WHO operations while the remainder would go to countries requiring assistance to guard against the deadly virus. He said WHO was sending 500,000 masks and 40,000 respirators to 24 countries from its warehouses in Dubai and Accra. Tedros also hailed a US$100 million donation from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced earlier on Wednesday for virus testing, treatment and vaccine research. Asked about Britain's call for its nationals to leave China, Tedros said: "That blanket approach may not help. We encourage all countries to make decisions based on evidence." Dismissed Prime Minister Ludovic Orban responded to Victor Ponta's accusations regarding the necessary approvals for the adoption of the 25 emergency ordinances (OUG) passed in the last Government meeting, saying that all the respective normative acts will have the necessary approvals so they can be published in the Official Journal of Romania. "The adoption of the emergency ordinances can be done without the approval of the Legislative Council as well. They all go to the Legislative Council. Obviously, the ordinances are approved only with the inclusion of the Legislative Council's observations. This is [happening] as that someone wants to make a little fuss (...) I don't know where Ponta has the pieces of information from. Eventually, all the ordinances will have the necessary approvals so they can be published in the Official Journal," Ludovic Orban told Digi 24 private broadcaster on Wednesday.Pro Romania Chairman Victor Ponta argued on Wednesday that, out of all the 25 emergency ordinances adopted by the Government in the last meeting, only six got the necessary approvals and the other 19 might not come into force because the Government was been dismissed and the decision is already published in the Official Journal. Gardai are investigating after a memorial wall in Glasnevin cemetery in Dublin was vandalised. It commemorates those who died in the Irish revolution. Gardai are reviewing CCTV footage of the incident which happened in the early hours of Tuesday morning. When contacted, gardai said they are "investigating an act of criminal damage that occurred at Glasnevin Cemetery on Tuesday 4th February at approximately 3:40am." The added: "The memorial wall suffered significant damage during the incident. No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing." Intruders used sledgehammers and threw paint over the memorial wall which includes names of all those who died in the Easter Rising in 1916 to the end of the Civil War in 1923. The vandals used sledgehammers to remove the names of the British soldiers who were killed during this time according to The Irish Times. But in doing so they also damaged the names of some of the Irish volunteers who were killed. This is the second time the wall - which was unveiled in 2016 to mark the centenary of the Rising - has been damaged. Containers from Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd in the freight yard of Berlin's Behala west harbour on 5 February. Photo: John Macdougall/AFP via Getty Images Industrial orders in Europes largest economy were down by 2.1% in December, the biggest decline since February 2019 and the worst monthly performance since 2008 for the sector. According to data released on Thursday by the federal economy ministry, new orders fell in eight out of the last 12 months, and manufacturing companies are facing a subdued outlook in 2020. A combination of Brexit uncertainty and trade conflict hit the manufacturing industry, the backbone of the export-driven German economy. Orders from abroad were down by 4.5% in December from the month before. Demand from Germanys eurozone neighbours plunged by almost 14% in the last month of the year, from November. A 1.4% rise in domestic orders was not enough to offset the general drop. Chances of a quick bottoming out of the manufacturing slump are getting smaller, said ING Germany economist Carsten Brzeski, who described the latest figures on the sector as a horror show. Instead of a turnaround, the drought in order books and the manufacturing slump is getting worse, he said. Brzeski notes that 2019 was not only the worst year for industrial orders since 2008, it was also the first time since 2002 that German order books shrank for two years in a row. The coronavirus outbreak from China is expected to have a noticeable impact on the German economy in the coming months. German engineering companies and automotive manufacturers are highly dependent on China for orders. Most of them also have multiple factories or production bases in China. On Thursday, Germanys IfO (Institute for Economic research) said that if the coronavirus caused a drop of one percentage point in Chinas economic growth, then Germany could expect a 0.06% contraction. We cannot make the short-term outlook for the German industry look any better than it currently is: dire, said Brzeski in a note. OMAHA, Neb. - Hundreds of Americans being evacuated from China over a viral outbreak will be quarantined in Texas and Nebraska, officials said Thursday, stressing that it was unlikely that anyone will arrive there with signs of illness. Officials said about 70 Americans will be flown into Omaha and quarantined at a nearby Nebraska National Guard training base. In Texas, Lackland Air For Base in San Antonio was preparing to quarantine as many as 250 people who could arrive as soon as Friday, said Dr. Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the Centers for Disease Controls division of high consequence pathogens and pathology. All passengers will be arriving from Wuhan, China, the centre of the new coronavirus outbreak. McQuiston said the plane bound for Texas will stop first at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California where other evacuees from China are already under quarantine and that anyone showing symptoms would be taken off the plane and remain there. Its actually very unlikely that on the flight that lands here, there will be somebody with active signs of illness, she said. University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Jeffrey Gold also said that all the evacuees should be healthy when they arrive at Eppley Airfield, which could happen as soon as Thursday. Evacuees will be quarantined for 14 days and monitored closely for any signs of illness. Anyone who shows signs of illness would be brought to a hospital for treatment and isolation. Nebraska National Guard officials have been preparing to house evacuees in three buildings with 85 hotel-style rooms at the camp. Guard officials have said the evacuees wont interact with guardsmen or employees there. The new virus is in the coronavirus family that includes Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS, and severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. It causes fever, cough, shortness of breath and, in severe cases, pneumonia. It has sickened more than 20,000 people and killed nearly 500, virtually all in China. ___ Associated Press writer Paul Weber in Austin, Texas, contributed to this report. NEW HAVEN A city man was sentenced to four years in prison Wednesday for his role in a local drug trafficking ring, according to federal officials. Tyrese Hargrove, also known as T.Y., 38, also was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to five years of supervised release, according to federal officials. Advertisement The world's biggest iceberg is about to enter the Southern Ocean after breaking free from the Antarctica more than two years ago. The iceberg, called A68, measures nearly 2,300 square miles (6,000 square kilometres), making it about four times the size of Greater London and almost the same size as the US state of Delaware. The enormous berg, which weighs one trillion tonnes, broke off from the Antarctic in 2017 and has been steadily travelling north ever since. A68 is currently at about 63 degrees South latitude, but once it reaches the open ocean it's likely to break down due to rougher waters. It's being carried north by currents and in the last year has started to accelerate in its journey northwards towards South Georgia, an island in the southern Atlantic Ocean. The western edge of the famed iceberg A-68 (TOP R), calved from the Larsen C ice shelf, is seen from NASA's Operation IceBridge research aircraft, near the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula region The A68 has made impressive progress in its drift towards the Southern Ocean but scientists say it will struggle to maintain its integrity when it reaches the ocean's rougher waters The berg broke away due to iceberg calving the breaking away of masses of ice from the edge of a glacier. Rising waters and air temperatures caused by global warming are triggering instabilities along the coasts of Antarctica and Greenland, accelerating melting and increasing the rates of calving. However, scientists are hopeful that the berg breaks down as it travels further towards the equator and reaches choppier waters. 'With a thickness to length ratio akin to five sheets of A4, I am astonished that the ocean waves haven't already made ice cubes out of A68,' Professor Adrian Luckman glaciologist and professor of geology at Swansea University, told the BBC. 'If it survives for long as one piece when it moves beyond the edge of the sea-ice, I will be very surprised.' One of the largest icebergs ever to have existed, A-68 is on the move and new footage compiled from satellite images tracks its more than 155 mile (250km) journey towards South Georgia. At 2,239 sq miles it is roughly the size of Delaware (2,490 sq miles), or four times the size of Greater London 580 sq miles, and its volume is twice that of Lake Erie Since it calved from Antarctica's Larson C ice shelf two years ago, the iceberg has rotated 270 degrees and drifted 155 miles north, carried by the ocean current known as the Weddell Gyre. Pictured: A-68 in it begins to break away from it's starting position Objects as big as the A68 have to be constantly tracked as they could pose an obstacle or even a threat to ships. 'If it becomes a risk really depends on the route the iceberg follows, but I guess that also the smaller bergs will be tracked and their location will be communicated to ships,' Sef Lhermitte, professor of geoscience and remote sensing at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, told MailOnline. Since it calved from Antarctica's Larson C ice shelf two years ago, the iceberg rotated 270 degrees and drifted 155 miles north as of last summer, carried by the ocean current known as the Weddell Gyre. At 2,239 square miles (5,800 square km) it is roughly the size of Delaware (2,490 square m / 6,450 square km), or four times the size of Greater London 580 square m (1,500 square m), and its volume is twice that of Lake Erie America's fourth largest lake. THE TOP FIVE LARGEST ICEBERGS EVER B15: 4,200 square miles (2000) A38: 2,664 square miles (1998) B15A: 2,471 square miles (2002) A68: 2,239 square miles (2017) C19: 2,123 square miles (2002) Years in parenthesis note the date the bergs were recorded. All the top five calved from Antarctica. A68 is the only one that remains, making it the worlds largest iceberg as of 2020. Advertisement Professor Luckman had previously published an animation of the glacier's movements between January 6, 2018 and July 10, 2019 on his blog. 'For an object weighing around one trillion tonnes, Iceberg A68 appears to be quite nimble,' Professor Luckman wrote. 'Following a year of staying close to its parent ice shelf, in mid-2018 A68 became caught in the Weddell Gyre, a clockwise ocean current, which spun it through 270 degrees and carried it 250km north. 'The iceberg is 100 miles (160 km) in length yet only 656 ft (200 m) thick a similar ratio to a credit card so it is surprising how little damage it has sustained in its journey so far.' The fissure that caused A68 seemed relatively stable until January 2016, when it began to lengthen, according to the ESA, which reported the breaking off of A68 in July 2017. When it first split, scientists expected the iceberg to quickly break apart and disintegrate, but it has remained mostly intact. In March 2018, a British expedition intended to sample marine life at A68 which contains about the same amount of water as Lake Ontario in North America but it had to turn back due to thick sea ice that slowed them down. Major growth of cracks spotted by the EU's Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites of the Pine Island Glacier, which is responsible for about 25 per cent of Antarctica's ice loss with New fractures showing up, others growing more than 3.1 miles (5 km) in six days. Left shows the fracture on 26 January 2020 and right shows the same fracture on February 1 2020 Professor Luckman has also been observing the Pine Island Glacier in the West Antarctic, which is ridden with cracks and could split apart this year. Major growth of cracks spotted by The European Union's Copernicus EU Sentinel-2 satellites, with new fractures growing more 3.1 miles (5 km) in six days. When it does break off, the 115 square mile (300 square km) berg will break up into pieces soon after, Professor Luckman said. WASHINGTON - An indignant House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaled Thursday she was in no mood to reconcile with President Donald Trump and his congressional Republican allies a day after the Senate voted to acquit him of impeachment charges. Instead, Pelosi launched into a fierce attack on Trump's State of the Union address, his economic and health care record, his response to the months-long impeachment process, and the swipes he leveled Thursday morning at the National Prayer Breakfast at the faith of his political enemies. And she defended her own decision to publicly tear up a copy of Trump's speech Tuesday night in the moments after he concluded his speech, saying she did not "need any lessons from anybody, especially the president of the United States, about dignity." "It's appalling the things that he says. And then you say to me: 'Tearing up his falsehoods, isn't that the wrong message?' No, it isn't," she said, adding: "I feel very liberated. I feel that I've extended every possible courtesy. I've shown every level of respect." Those remarks came as the GOP continued using Pelosi's shredding of the speech to fuel political attacks. House Republicans made plans to force a vote Thursday afternoon reprimanding Pelosi for her conduct, and one Republican congressman, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, said he would file an ethics complaint. Earlier Thursday morning, at the Prayer Breakfast, Pelosi sat on the same dais as Trump as the president suggested his political enemies were being dishonest in invoking their faith in opposition to him. Pelosi, a Catholic, says frequently that she prays for Trump, and, on Wednesday, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, cited his own deep Mormon faith in deciding to convict Trump on one of two impeachment articles - abuse of power. "I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong. Nor do I like people who say, 'I pray for you,' when they know that that's not so," Trump said. Speaking to reporters, Pelosi bristled at the remarks: "He's talking about things that he knows little about, faith and prayer." She praised Romney - "God bless him for his courage" - and called Trump's attacks on him "particularly without class" then said her own prayers for the president were both genuine and needed. "I pray hard for him because he's so off the track of our Constitution, our values, our country, the air our children breathe, the water they drink and the rest," she said. "He can say whatever it wants. But I do pray for him and I do so sincerely and without anguish." Pelosi touched briefly on the concluded impeachment proceedings, speaking roughly an hour before Trump himself marked the occasion in the White House with a raucous event celebrating his acquittal. There, Trump called Pelosi "a horrible person" and continued questioning her sincerity: "She may pray but she prays for the opposite. But I doubt she prays at all." Pelosi said Trump will always be known as an impeached president, the third in the nation's history. "He's impeached forever, no matter what he says," Pelosi said. "You're never getting rid of that scar. History will always record that you were impeached for undermining the security of our country, jeopardizing the integrity of our elections and violating the Constitution of the United States." She also did not rule out continuing House investigations into the Ukraine affair that sparked the impeachment or other alleged Trump misdeeds. But her sharpest remarks were reserved for Trump's raucous State of the Union performance, which at times resembled a campaign rally, with chants of "four more years" from the assembled GOP lawmakers and made-for-TV moments that included reuniting a deployed soldier with his family and the awarding of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to radio talk show host and conservative firebrand Rush Limbaugh. Pelosi called the spectacle "beneath the dignity of the White House" and "an insult to the Congress of the United States and the American people." Rather than a State of the Union address, she added, Trump had offered "a state of mind that had no contact with reality whatsoever." "We will not allow any president to use that Capitol, that chamber of the House of Representatives, of the People's House, as a backdrop," she said, before referencing the Limbaugh episode: "Do it in your own office. We don't come in your office and do congressional business. Why are you doing that here?" Limbaugh this week announced he has been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer, and when Trump made mention of a cancer diagnosis in his address, Pelosi said, she thought he was about to honor Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., an acclaimed civil rights figure who is battling pancreatic cancer. "A hero in our country," she said of Lewis, before detailing her decision to tear up the speech. Pelosi could be seen on camera as he spoke flipping through the copy of the address that Trump had handed her as he climbed the rostrum. She told reporters she read quickly through the speech and decided she had to send a message. "I started to think: There has to be something that clearly indicates to the American people that this is not the truth," she said. "He has shredded the truth in his speech. He's shredding the Constitution in his conduct. I shredded his 'state of his mind' address." Christina Koch did not set out to break records on her first spaceflight, but with her return to Earth after nearly a year in orbit, her mission is now one for the history books. Koch, a NASA astronaut, landed on the snow-covered steppe of Kazakhstan on Thursday (Feb. 6) with two of her International Space Station (ISS) crewmates, Expedition 61 commander Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (ESA) and cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos. Descending under a parachute and further slowed by braking thrusters, the three touched down aboard Russia's Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft southeast of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan at 4:12 a.m. EST (0912 GMT or 3:12 p.m. local time). Related: The science of Christina Koch's near-year in space in photos In Photos: See the Soyuz landing in pictures in these amazing images NASA astronaut Christina Koch, newly back on Earth after a record 328 days in space, gives a "thumbs up" upon exiting the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft on the Kazakh steppe on Feb. 6, 2020. (Image credit: NASA TV) Russian recovery forces, as well as NASA and ESA medical personnel, arrived quickly at the landing site to assist Koch, Parmitano and Skvortsov out of the space capsule and to conduct brief physical exams as the three crewmates began adjusting to the pull of gravity again. "Everyone says that getting back into gravity is such a surprise, because you suddenly have to work to raise your own arms and, of course, your legs," Koch said in a media interview a few days before experiencing her first landing. "I haven't even had to hold up my own body weight in a long time, so we will see how that goes." Koch, Parmitano and Skvortsov all appeared to be in good spirits, as they felt the chill of the open air for the first time since leaving Earth. "I'm so overwhelmed and happy right now," Koch said a few minutes after landing. Related: Record-Breaking astronaut Christina Koch talks female space records The landing brought to an end Koch's 328 days in space, a new duration record for a single space mission by a woman . Parmitano and Skvortsov, who launched after Koch , returned to Earth after 201 days. "There are many people on the ground [who] are taking counts of what we have done how many EVAs [extravehicular activities or spacewalks], how many hours of work, how many experiments, how many days we have spent up here none of those are important," said Parmitano, addressing his station crewmates during a change of command ceremony on Wednesday. "What is important is what you achieved. You, as the crew, made all of this possible. It has been your incredible, incredible dedication that has made it all possible." Parmitano, Skvortsov and Koch undocked their Soyuz at 12:50 a.m. EST (0550 GMT). Their departure from the Poisk mini-research module (MRM-2) marked the official end of Expedition 61. Cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka and NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan remained on the station to begin Expedition 62. Related: The amazing spacewalks of Expedition 61 in photos NASA astronaut Christina Koch, cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano rest in chairs after landing from the International Space Station on the steppe of Kazakhstan on Feb. 6, 2020. (Image credit: NASA TV) Koch arrived aboard the orbiting laboratory on March 14, 2019, to join the 59th expedition crew. Originally slated to to return to Earth after just six months, her stay was extended to collect data about the physiological effects of long-duration spaceflight. In December, Koch surpassed the previous record set by a woman 289 days by NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson in 2017 and has now completed the second longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut after Scott Kelly, who logged 340 days in 2016. During her time as a member of the Expedition 59, 60 and 61 crews, Koch participated in more than 210 science investigations, including research into how the human body adjusts to the stresses of spaceflight and protein crystallization growth in support of developing cancer treatments. She also assisted in the robotic capture of uncrewed resupply spacecraft, including SpaceX's 19th Dragon and Northrop Grumman's 12th Cygnus cargo vehicles. In addition, Koch performed six spacewalks, totaling 42 hours and 15 minutes, to upgrade the batteries for two channels of the space station's solar arrays. She conducted three of the excursions with Meir, setting another record for the first-ever extravehicular activities by an all-women team. "When we first got the go to come out of the airlock ... we were holding onto a handrail and we just caught each other's eye, we knew [then] how special that moment was and I'll never forget that," said Koch of her first spacewalk with Meir on Oct. 18, 2019. Over the course of the 328 days, Koch orbited Earth 5,248 times, traveling 139 million miles (224 million kilometers), or the equivalent of about 291 round trips to the moon. Russias Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft seen after landing in Kazakhstan with Alexander Skvortsov, Luca Parmitano and Christina Koch from the International Space Station on Feb. 6, 2020. (Image credit: NASA TV) "Milestones are important, and I think they are important for a couple of reasons," said Koch. "They get the conversation going about where we are in the state of the art of human exploration." "The second aspect is inspiration," she continued. "I think some people draw inspiration from milestones and from things they have seen someone work hard to achieve." Koch, who now ranks seventh on the list of U.S. space travelers with the most time in space, was not the only record-setter who returned to Earth on Thursday. Completing his second mission, Parmitano has now logged a total of 367 days in space, more than any ESA astronaut in history. Parmitano also now holds the record for the most time on EVA by a European at 33 hours and 9 minutes. Four of his six career spacewalks were devoted to the repair of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer cosmic ray detector, which involved the most complex EVA work since the servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope. Russias Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft undocks from the International Space Station's Poisk mini research module to return crewmates Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos, Luca Parmitano of ESA and Christina Koch of NASA to Earth, Thurs., Feb. 6, 2020. (Image credit: NASA TV) Skvortsov, who has spent 546 days off the planet on three missions, now ranks 15th on the all-time spaceflight endurance list. From their landing site the three will be flown by helicopter to Karaganda, where they will be greeted by a traditional Kazakh welcome ceremony. From there, Koch and Parmitano will board a NASA jet for Cologne, Germany, where Parmitano will be met by ESA officials before Koch continues to Houston. Skvortsov will be flown by a Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center aircraft to his home in Star City, Russia. Soyuz MS-13 was the 59th Soyuz to launch for the International Space Station. It traveled 85.2 million miles (137 million km) completing 3,216 orbits of Earth. Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @ collectSPACE . Copyright 2020 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved. Vietnam's 10th Case of Coronavirus Confirmed as Authorities Expand Quarantine 2020-02-05 -- As Vietnam's Ministry of Health Tuesday announced that the country now has its 10th case of novel coronavirus (nCoV), the government is making preparations to quarantine massive numbers of citizens returning home from China. The 10th coronavirus patient is Vinh Phuc, 28, who contracted nCoV from a relative who had traveled to Wuhan, the Chinese city at the epicenter of the now global outbreak. Vinh's case is the third human-to-human transmission of nCoV in Vietnam. The other two cases involved a Chinese man transmitting the virus to his son and a receptionist at a hotel in Nha Trang. But cases could rise dramatically in the coming weeks. The military has been asked to quarantine 950 Vietnamese who are scheduled to return to Vietnam from China soon. The 950 will stay isolated for a period of 14 days at a military camp located in the outskirts of Hanoi, after their arrivals at Hanoi's Noi Bai airport and Quang Ninh's Van Don airport. Also Tuesday, 145 Vietnamese were placed under quarantine at a Sino-Vietnamese border gate in Lang Son province. The 145 are workers in China that were sent back home by the Chinese government. Field hospitals In preparation for what the government expects will be thousands of Vietnamese returning from China, authorities are hastily making field hospitals to accommodate large-scale quarantines. In Hanoi Wednesday, the director of Vietnam's health department Nguyen Khac Hien said during a press conference that there is a proposal to convert Thanh Do University, located in the suburbs of the city, into one such field hospital. If the epidemic spreads, Hanoi has the option of building another field hospital with a capacity of about 1,000 beds in Hanoi's Me Linh district. Currently two military facilities in the city have already been turned into quarantine centers able to treat about 1,500 people. Meanwhile in Ho Chi Minh City, authorities are planning two field hospitals in Cu Chi and Nha Be districts, with a collective capacity of 500 beds. They are expected to be completed before Feb. 15. Health leaders Wednesday said the country was preparing for a worst-case scenario. State media, meanwhile, reported that two Chinese tourists who had traveled to Nha Trang between Jan. 23 and 28 had tested positive for nCoV. Chinese health authorities said Xu Jianjiang and Dai Chunxia were confirmed cases upon their return to China. They had entered Vietnam on a Vietnam Airlines flight Jan. 23. Battle against "fake news" Vietnam's Information and Communications Minister Nguyen Manh Hung asked the agency to work with Facebook and Google to remove fake news about coronavirus. Minister Nguyen said fake news about the virus could create anxiety for the public. He asked the agency to tighten control and to punish those who post fake video clips and information about nCoV. The minister mandated that Vietnam IT firms use artificial intelligence (AI) to discover fake news and to helping the health ministry by ensuring its website would not be overloaded by the spike in demand for coronavirus information. Vietnam's police ministry said at a press conference Wednesday that it summoned more than 170 people accused of spreading fake news. The ministry said about 40 others are being monitored and could be subject to criminal charges. RFA reported last week that at least six Facebookers were reprimanded for posting what the authorities allege is "fake news" about the virus, fining them between 10 million and 15 million dong (U.S. $433-$650). State media reported Wednesday that there were at least nine fined exactly 12 million dong ($516) last week, and they were also forced to remove their posts about coronavirus. Reported by RFA's Vietnamese Service. Translated by Huy Le. Written in English by Eugene Whong. 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 February 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 23:38:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WARSAW, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Polish authorities have discovered around 220 tonnes of non-recyclable waste that had been transported illegally from the United Kingdom (UK) to Poland and arranged for their return. According to local media reports on Thursday, 150 tonnes of the waste had already been deposited in Bogaczew, a town in the northeast of the country, and another 70 tonnes were about to be transported there. The waste, made up mostly of unrecyclable materials such as cartons, bottle tops or aluminium foil, had been brought into Poland under the guise of being taken here to be recycled, according to a representative of the police in Elblag, which investigated the case. He said the transporters had documentation meant to fool Polish authorities. Polish and UK authorities are cooperating on the case. Seventy tonnes of the waste have already been returned to the UK at the expense of the British side. The rest of the waste is also scheduled to be returned. Under Polish law, the illegal transport or depositing of waste is punishable with up to five years imprisonment. Enditem On Wednesday, Jamie Lynn Spears continued to celebrate the 'miracle' third anniversary of daughter Maddie Briann Aldridge flipping her ATV and nearly drowning in their Louisiana pond. 'I want to acknowledge all the nurses, doctors, and first responders out there who go above and beyond every day to save lives,' the 28-year-old former child star - who boasts 3.3M social media followers - wrote on Instagram. 'I am forever grateful that God sent these 2 angels to us on this day 3 years ago, because the life saving decisions they made in the critical moments was a big part of Maddie still being here. Thank you John and Victoria, and thank you to all the heros out there doing what you do today and everyday.' 'I am forever grateful': On Wednesday, Jamie Lynn Spears continued to celebrate the 'miracle' third anniversary of daughter Maddie Briann Aldridge flipping her ATV and nearly drowning in their Louisiana pond (pictured in 2017) Acadian Companies then thanked Jamie Lynn for the 'positive' memory and replied via Instastory: 'Great work to John and Victoria, who are now a flight paramedic and paramedic.' The lucky 11-year-old was only 8 when she was airlifted to Children's Hospital New Orleans and 'made a full recovery' after spending five days convalescing there from her injuries. TMZ later revealed the manufacturers of the Polaris RZR 170 restricts anyone under age 10 from operating the ATV, so it was technically illegal for Maddie to be driving her 7th birthday present. At 48, Spears' hunting husband Jamie Watson is 20 years older than her, and the May-December couple will celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary on March 14. The 28-year-old former child star wrote on Instagram: 'God sent these 2 angels to us on this day 3 years ago, because the life saving decisions they made in the critical moments was a big part of Maddie still being here. Thank you John and Victoria' (pictured in 2017) Acadian Companies then thanked Jamie Lynn for the 'positive' memory and replied via Instastory: 'Great work to John and Victoria, who are now a flight paramedic and paramedic' Rocky recovery: The lucky 11-year-old was only 8 when she was airlifted to Children's Hospital New Orleans and 'made a full recovery' after spending five days convalescing there from her injuries (pictured in 2017) The Mississippi-born blonde and the Advanced Media Partners owner are parents of 22-month-old daughter Ivey Watson. Jamie Lynn made headlines when she discovered she was pregnant, age 16, with Maddie while in a gas station bathroom with her ex-fiance Casey Aldridge, who was 18 at the time. Nickelodeon canceled Spears' teen sitcom Zoey 101 (which aired from 2005 to 2008) over outrage about her being a bad influence to their young, impressionable viewers. Any day now the kid-friendly cable network will air an episode of sketch comedy show All That reuniting the former teen mom with her Zoey 101 castmates. Negligent: TMZ later revealed the manufacturers of the Polaris RZR 170 restricts anyone under age 10 from operating the ATV, so it was technically illegal for Maddie to be driving her 7th birthday present (pictured in 2017) Celebrating six years of marriage on March 14! At 48, Spears' hunting husband Jamie Watson is 20 years older than her, and they're parents of 22-month-old daughter Ivey (pictured July 21) After a 12-year acting hiatus, Jamie Lynn also took on the role of Noreen Fitzgibbons in the South Carolina-set 10-episode romantic drama Sweet Magnolias, which soon streams on Netflix. 'Mama's going back to work y'all!' Spears gushed on July 1. 'Can't wait for y'all to meet Noreen! I fell in love with this story, and so excited I get to be a part of telling it.' But the Sleepover songstress is probably best known as the little sister of pop diva Britney Spears. 'All That... and a little more!' Nickelodeon will soon air an episode of sketch comedy show All That reuniting the Mississippi-born blonde with her Zoey 101 castmates (pictured November 21) After a 12-year acting hiatus: Jamie Lynn also took on the role of Noreen Fitzgibbons in the 10-episode romantic drama Sweet Magnolias, which soon streams on Netflix (pictured August 21) Last Friday, the 38-year-old Grammy winner opened Britney The Zone, a 30K-square-foot 10-room immersive interactive experience celebrating her music, to LA fans willing to pay $59.50-$64.50. Britney's limited-time pop-up featuring new merchandise will be open six days a week through April 26 at the corner of Fairfax Avenue and 3rd Street in West Hollywood near The Grove. And Chicago fans can catch Once Upon a One More Time, a Broadway-bound musical featuring music from Spears, when it finally opens April 14-May 17 at the James M. Nederlander Theatre. Nepotism: But Spears (L) is probably best known as the little sister of pop diva Britney Spears (2-R, pictured in 2018) Oregon 5-year-olds readiness for kindergarten has remained stubbornly unchanged over the past few years, even after the state modestly expanded free preschool for low- and moderate-income children, figures released Thursday show. Tested individually during their first days in kindergarten, the states youngest students knew, on average, the sounds made by about eight of the 26 letters in the English language and could perform 11 of 16 simple counting and math tasks, the Oregon Department of Education reported. The degree to which this years kindergartners demonstrated those and other early signs of academic readiness were, on average, virtually identical to the 2019 results and no better than the previous two years. Kindergartners are asked to show early math and literacy skills, and their teachers also rate behaviors linked to school success such as taking turns, following multi-step directions and getting along with classmates. Oregons Preschool Promise program, begun in 2016, provides 1,300 3- and 4-year-olds in families earning up to about $50,000 with high quality early learning opportunities. Children who attend those programs, Head Start and Oregon Pre-K programs should arrive at school primed to learn. But research showing the value of quality preschools, both in Oregon and nationally, has found that the payoffs are not necessarily reflected in early test scores but more in later-in-life success rates such high school graduation, employment rates and avoiding incarceration. Miriam Calderon, who directs Oregons Early Learning System, cautioned that the effects of the three main state- and federally-funded preschool programs are diluted in statewide averages on the kindergarten readiness test. Together, those programs reach about 9,500 4-year-olds, according to her office. Thousands of eligible children in Oregons kindergarten class of 41,000 students didnt get to attend one, she noted. As was the case in previous years, some groups of kindergartners showed higher levels of readiness than others. Teachers noted only narrow differences in behaviors linked to school success but noticeable gulfs in familiarity with names and sounds of English letters. Asian 5-year-olds on average could name 20 capital letters, for instance, while Latinos could name nine. Latino, Native American and Pacific Islander children all trailed the state kindergarten average at knowing the sounds letters make, an essential step toward learning to read. Those groups arrived knowing just four or five letters sounds, on average, compared to nine for white kindergartners and 12 for Asians. Anyone can download an Excel spreadsheet from the Oregon Department of Education to see results by district and school. Calderon said in a statement that the state must do more to support families with young children. Opportunity gaps for children begin at birth. Our kindergarten assessment results continue to underscore that our youngest children do not have access to the quality early learning they need, she said. She noted that the new business tax for education will pump about $140 million a year into free preschool programs, including early intervention programs for students with developmental delays, Oregon Pre-K and Preschool Promise. Weve started to move this needle, she predicted. Under the Student Success Act, passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2019, the funds will be distributed to expand those early childhood programs starting this fall. -- Betsy Hammond; betsyhammond@oregonian.com; @chalkup Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. A caution sign that signals the isolated area for patients suspected with nCoV infection at Khanh Hoa Hospital for Tropical Diseases. Photo by VnExpress/Xuan Ngoc. Khanh Hoa Province has quarantined 268 people because they had interacted with a Chinese tourist who later tested positive for the novel coronavirus (nCoV). Authorities took the action after ascertaining that the tourist, during his five-day stay in the central province's popular beach town Nha Trang, had come into contact with 121 employees and 124 guests at two hotels, 18 hospital staff members and five interpreters and drivers, said Bui Xuan Minh, director of Khanh Hoa Health Department. These individuals would have to stay at home for the duration of the quarantine and would be monitored on a daily basis, while the two hotels the Chinese tourist had stayed at have both been disinfected, Minh said. The 46-year-old Chinese man was part of a group of tourists who had traveled on a Vietnam Airlines charter flight from China's Zhengzhou City in Henan Province to Nha Trang on January 23 and flew back home on January 28. He developed a fever during the return flight and was quarantined upon landing and tests confirmed he was infected with the deadly virus. Khanh Hoa is one of Vietnam's four localities that have recorded nCoV infections, the others being Ho Chi Minh City, the northern province of Vinh Phuc and the north-central province of Thanh Hoa. Vietnam has so far reported 10 cases of nCoV infection, three of whom have been declared healthy and discharged from hospital. As of Thursday, the nCoV epidemic had killed 565 people and infected more than 28,200 globally, mostly in mainland China, of whom 1,170 have recovered. When you get above a postdoc level, everybody applies to every country in the world, said Tim Byrnes, an assistant professor of physics at N.Y.U.s campus in Shanghai, who received a Thousand Talents grant in 2016. People are crossing borders all the time, and eventually congregate where there is the most money. China is now pouring huge amounts of money for research. Like the other grantees who were interviewed, Dr. Byrnes said he had never had to submit any reports on his research to the Chinese government, and that all his research is published in academic journals. He said Thousand Talents was similar to other international grant programs. Its only because its from China that everybody has this kind of opinion of it, he said. Already, he said, any affiliation with the program is damaging the prospects of scientists seeking funding from the United States government. If I write this information down, immediately the probability of the success of this or that grant sort of plummets, he said. Dr. Antilla, the organic chemist who relocated to Tianjin, said there were indeed ethical minefields for recipients holding positions in China and the United States, and that he eventually decided to move his work entirely to China to avoid them. Particularly thorny, he said, is the practice of maintaining laboratories in both China and the United States. There are questions about intellectual property how do you share data, if you share it at all, said Mr. Antilla, now a professor of chemistry at Zhejiang Sci-Tech University. It could be tricky. What are the rules? But he said he was always scrupulous about reporting the money he received to his employers in the United States. It worried him, he said, that Thousand Talents was getting a bad name. A 38-year-old New Hampshire man was charged in federal court with driving to Massachusetts to have sex with a young girl, but instead he was actually talking with an undercover investigator. Donald Gibson, of Nashua, New Hampshire, is facing charges of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a person under 18 years of age, distribution of child pornography and transportation of child pornography in Boston federal court. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Gibson spoke with an undercover agent using text-messaging apps and devised a plan to meet at a hotel in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, on Wednesday in order to have sex with a 13-year-old girl. The undercover agent pretended that the fictitious girl was his daughter. Authorities accuse Gibson of sending child pornography to the undercover agent. Gibson, according to investigators, drove to the Tewksbury hotel on Wednesday. Law enforcement agents were there waiting and found him with a newly purchased box of condoms and $90. Gibson made comments to the effect of, This is the end of my life and Im not going home tonight, when he was caught, according to federal records. Federal agents watched Gibson leave his home in New Hampshire Wednesday. He left in a car registered to his wife, drove to her workplace and then headed to Tewksbury, according to investigators. Authorities said Gibson admitted to having a significant amount of child pornography on his cell phone, which was seized by investigators. He also admitted to having a collection of child pornography on a hidden drive in his home computer, records said. Investigators discovered child pornography on Gibsons iPhone, records said. Gibson was detained after appearing in federal court Wednesday and will return to court Friday in Boston for a detention hearing. Frequent moves are one of the best -- and worst -- parts of military family life. On the one hand, you have a chance to see corners of the country or even the world that you might not have seen otherwise. On the other hand, moving is stressful and potentially pricey. The good news is that moves do get a little easier over time. But whether you're an old pro or brand new to the military moving game, there's always something to learn about PCSing. That's why we put together this easy PCSing 101 guide for you. What is a PCS and how do I do it? A permanent change of station (PCS) is military jargon for "moving." How you get your stuff from one corner of the country or world to another depends on where you are headed and what kind of move you want to do. For contiguous United States moves, known as CONUS (aka the lower 48 states), you have several moving options. You can select a personally procured (also known as do-it-yourself or DITY) move, for which the military will reimburse you through a complicated calculation that doesn't always seem entirely accurate. You also can select to let military orchestrate and conduct your pack out and move through teams of packers and movers. Or you can do a combination of those two things called a "partial DITY" in which you are reimbursed for moving some of your own items while allowing military-hired movers to do the rest. You can learn more about personally procured moves here and read some great tips for making it go smoothly here. Or, if you're going to allow the military to move some or all of your household goods, you can learn about that process here. For overseas moves, known as OCONUS (including Hawaii and Alaska and U.S. territories that aren't part of the lower 48), things get a little less complicated in some ways, and a little more complicated in others. If you're going to a foreign country, you're going to need passports and possibly visas for your entire family. You can read about getting those here. Since there are tighter restrictions on how much stuff you can take with you, the military will pay for you to put some of your belongings in storage while also paying to ship the rest of them. It'll also pay for you to ship one car overseas. It won't, however, pay for you to move your pet, and there are some other considerations with moving pets, as well. Moving overseas can be daunting and scary, but these two sets of tips here and here should make it a little bit easier. Getting ready for your first PCS? These eight tips may be just what you need. Is a PCS as expensive as it sounds? If you're thinking "wow, moving with the military sounds kind of pricey," you're right, it can be. While the military pays up front or reimburses you for most of your PCS costs, a lot of cash may leave your bank account before the check comes through. That's why experts recommend that you keep a PCS savings fund handy, as well as a variety of other good financial practices. You may also be able to access a pay advance for the move, although that may not be a good idea for everyone. Here are six easy PCS savings tips that everyone can use. If your service member has a Government Travel Card, you may be required to use it to pay for reimbursable PCS expenses. Just remember: You may still have to pay off the bill out of pocket if the government doesn't reimburse you quickly enough, so having a PCS savings fund is always a good idea. What if my stuff breaks? Bad moves happen to everyone at least once, and items you did not think could break will break. The military has a claims process for your items to be fixed or paid for through its Move.mil portal, but using it can be tricky. Find more information here. How in the world am I supposed to get a job if we keep moving? We've got you've covered -- check out our awesome Military.com spouse employment help page. What is the best way to make it through a PCS with my sanity? PCSing is hard on everyone, including the kids. Take our advice, though, and don't make these stupid mistakes. Keep Up-to-Date for Your Next PCS Get the inside information from those who know. Get PCS help and all the news and benefits information you need delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for a free membership today. Effective employee onboarding is about more than making them feel welcome. It can help employees feel like highly productive and valuable contributors to your mission and success from the start. Plus, when employees have a successful onboarding experience, theyre more likely to feel like members of your team, and this can contribute to employee retention. Some of the best onboarding processes are unique, creative and a little bit unexpected. If its time to change up your onboarding program, you might find the inspiration you need from these 10 effective techniques. Related: How to Improve Your Startup's Onboarding Process 1. Get coffee During a new hires first few weeks with your company, have them get coffee individually with all of their future team members. This works especially well with small businesses, where relationships are crucial. Enjoying coffee outside of the office setting helps to take some pressure off, letting a new employee communicate freely and get to know your staff in a low-pressure setting. 2. Send them on a scavenger hunt Give new hires a list of tasks, like finding an employee whos been with the company for over a decade or who likes to cook. This can make for a fun icebreaker activity. If you have multiple new hires, you can make this into a competition. 3. Schedule team meetings Any new hire's first day will most likely include meetings with human resources, orientation sessions and new-hire paperwork. But you should sit them down with different teams so that each member can introduce themselves and explain how they contribute. This is a valuable strategy in companies with many different teams that work together. New employees can simultaneously put faces to names and gain an understanding of how each group works internally, as well as how the company functions as a whole. 4. Take them to lunch Have a new employees manager or team take them out to lunch during their first week. This can make for a valuable team-building experience, since youre likely to see more of an employees personality and learn about their interests when theyre not physically in the office. 5. Schedule a happy hour Create a more casual setting with a happy hour during an employees first week of work. Invite the whole team to the fun get-together. 6. Give them a meaningful gift Give new employees something that ties them to the company, ideally some sort of gear or clothing that features your branding. If theres a certain laptop bag or travel mug that all employees use, make sure the new hire gets it. You can even buy printed stickers and give them to new team members. These company-branded gifts can help bind an employees personal brand to the business, establishing a valuable connection. 7. Schedule a one-on-one meeting During the first week, budget time for a new employee to meet with the CEO for a check-in. This will make the them feel valued right away, which can further help build their emotional ties to your organization. Related: How to Breathe Life Into Your Formal Onboarding Process 8. Set them up right It might sound simple, but take the time to ensure that employees are set up with all of the right software, a functional email account, login accounts and passwords and Slack channels. Ideally, do this before they arrive for their first day. If new employees lack these important tools, it can lead to frustration, delays and a slow start. 9. Help them set up their calendar Navigating a new calendar isnt always simple, so help with the setup to ensure that new employees have the tools they need to succeed. This is a great time to talk about meetings, conference calls, remote work, an employee handbook or any other helpful communication or information that new hires should have. 10. Give them some immediate goals Dont hold off too long before letting people get started in their new roles. Give new team members some immediate projects to work on and goals to meet. Even if these are smaller projects or part of a training program, employees will feel more useful and productive if they have work to do from day one. This also gives you a chance to learn about an employees work style and to give them some feedback and establish a working relationship from the beginning. When you put some careful thought into your new employee onboarding process, you can transform it into a useful tool that helps you learn about who you're hiring. Plus, your new hires can learn about your company and its teams. Workers can tell when their hiring process has been carefully planned. Remember, team members aren't only focused on making a good impression. Many of the more savvy new employees will be looking to see if your company can make a good impression on them during the onboarding process, too. Related: The 3 Questions Entrepreneurs Should Ask Before Making Tough Decisions 10 Must-Follow Company-Onboarding Techniques From Bootstrapped to Funded: How This CEO Landed a $150 Million Investment On Her Terms Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved USS Gerald R. Ford Passes Aircraft Compatibility Testing Navy News Service Story Number: NNS200205-01 Release Date: 2/5/2020 9:22:00 From USS Gerald R Ford Public Affairs Norfolk (NNS) -- The aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) completed Aircraft Compatibility Testing (ACT) Jan. 31, following 16 days at sea, during which the crew launched and recovered 211 aircraft, testing five different airframes, using first generation, state-of-the-art flight deck systems. The testing phase included the first-ever underway catapult launches and arrested landings for the T-45 Goshawk and E/A-18G Growler from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23); as well as the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and C-2A Greyhound, from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 20 (VX-20). Crews also tested F/A-18F Super Hornets from VX-23, which earlier had conducted initial compatibility tests on board Ford in 2017. This second and final round of testing validated the ship's capability to launch and to recover aircraft with ordnance loadout and fuel states mirroring deployed requirements and operating tempos, using the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG)two Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) systems unique to Ford. By completing T-45 testing, the Ford will be able to provide carrier qualification support to the Training Command and to student naval aviators in the jet/E-2/C-2 pipeline. "There are so many firsts happening, and many of them we frankly don't even really realize," explained Ford's Air Boss, Cmdr. Mehdi Akacem toward the end of the testing evolution. "We've had the first ever T-45, EA-18 Growler, E-2D Hawkeye, and C-2A Greyhound, and there are pilots on board this ship right now who will forever be able to say that their contribution to the Navy was to be the first pilot or NFO [Naval Flight Officer] to come aboard the Gerald R. Ford-class in that type aircraft." Capt. Kenneth Sterbenz, program manager of the ALRE office (PMA-251) that oversees EMALS and AAG, noted that ACT's success test demonstrates the capability and versatility of the ship's EMALS and AAG systems. "This success is the result of the hard work and collaboration of the men and women in the entire ALRE team, including our government personnel and industry partner General Atomics, and fleet," said Sterbenz. "I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished together, and am fully confident in our ALRE systems moving forward, especially with the backing of our highly dedicated and professional ALRE team." During ACT, test pilots from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20 and VX-23 conducted catapult launches and arrested landings in order to verify EMALS and AAG performance mandates. The shipboard events confirmed more extensive testing previously conducted ashore in Lakehurst, New Jersey, ensuring the operational safety of both aircrew and flight deck Sailors. ACT began on Jan. 16 and concluded with 211 successful launches and arrestments using EMALS and AAG technology. The Gerald R. Ford now has 958 total traps to date and will likely surpass 1,000 launches and arrestments during the upcoming Flight Deck Certification (FDC) phase, currently scheduled for March, when her crew and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) Eight will take over all aspects of flight operations. The crew is fully prepared for FDC, having already received hands-on experience with EMALS and AAG via several training and test events. ACT also allowed the crew and embarked test personnel to qualitatively evaluate the effect of the Ford-class air wake, or burble, and its compatibility with all types of fleet aircraft the Navy uses on an aircraft carrier. Aircraft were launched and recovered in different environmental conditions and sea states, and with varying aircraft weightsfrom heavy aircraft in light wind conditions to light aircraft in heavy wind conditions. "At this point we've proven time and time againthis underway with 211 launches and recoveries on-and-off the deckthat we're ready to shoot and catch all aircraft," said Chief Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Equipment) Louis Mountain from Ford's Air Department. "We're happy to show the fleet that we're ready to start slangin' and bangin' and get aircraft on-and-off the deck. Ford is ready." The information captured during ACT will continue to inform improvements and modifications for the Gerald R. Ford and follow-on Ford-class aircraft carriers. Coupled with the historic aspect of this ACT, the culmination of this testing phase was not lost on Ford's Commanding Officer, Capt. John J. Cummings. "(The crew) came into ACT as pioneers; we wrote the book for the Ford-class for the rest of its history," said Cummings. "By supporting the five aircraft that came to Ford to validate launch and recovery wind and weight envelopes, our Sailors are fully aware of the importance of this historic event. This was itthe book will be written and our crew's name will be stamped on it." Akacem explained that ACT was more than a test and evaluation eventit was also a learning opportunity for Ford Sailors who have never had the opportunity to train on these new systems at sea or who may have never seen flight operations on board the Navy's newest carrier. "There's no simulator for an aircraft carrier," said Akacem. "There's a lot of learning going on end-to-end, and we are learning a ton about how to operationalize these new technologies, and that's the benefit of finally being out here at sea. "We're seeing the ship come to life. Just over the last few weeks, we've got salt air on the flight deck, we've got skid marks on the flight deck, and it's really starting to feel like an aircraft carrier." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In the past several months, federal and state courts have ruled in favor of creative professionals seeking the freedom to promote viewpoints they believed in. In August 2019, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit upheld two filmmakers First Amendment rights. And in September, a painter and calligrapher won at the Arizona Supreme Court. Free speech is winning. Why is this significant? In the past decade, one legal question has preoccupied Americans. Does the government have the power to force creative professionals to speak messages that violate their religious beliefs? Often, this battle has centered on a creative professionals right to decline to create custom art celebrating same-sex wedding ceremonies. In the summer of 2018, cake artist Jack Phillips won at the U.S. Supreme Court. But, still, there were unanswered questions in the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission decision. The state of Colorados hostility towards Jacks religious beliefs was so egregious that the Supreme Court didnt decide the free speech aspect of his case. Now, some federal courts and state high courts are beginning to answer the questions Masterpiece left behind. And these answers are important to people like Chelsey Nelson, a wedding photographer and blogger in Louisville, Kentucky. Chelsey is truly an artist. Building a personal relationship with each client is important to her. So first, she meets with a couple to get a sense of their style and of the story about their upcoming wedding. She loves learning about the personal details that make her photographs so special. For example, one couple she photographed got married in the same church as the brides parents had 32 years earlier. So Chelsey did her best to capture that wedding by showing the parallels between the brides parents and the couple. Chelsey invests so much personally and artistically in each wedding she photographs, so she wants to make sure she can fully participate in and celebrate each wedding she photographs. As a Christian, she believes that marriage is a union between one man and one woman. She also believes that everything she does in life i ncluding her business must honor God. For that reason, Chelsey cannot use her artistic talents to express messages that go against her beliefs. For example, she will decline to photograph a zombie-themed wedding for anyone regardless of how they identify because she believes it undermines the seriousness of marriage. Chelsey also does not photograph same-sex weddings. She serves all people regardless of who they are. There are just some messages and events she does not promote for anyone. But Chelseys First Amendment right to create messages consistent with her beliefs is being threatened. Officials in the city of Louisville are interpreting a local ordinance in a way that will force Chelsey to blog about or photograph same-sex weddings if she does the same for weddings between a man and woman. The law even prohibits her from directly explaining to clients and potential clients how her religious beliefs about marriage affect the photographs she can and cannot take. This is clearly a violation of Chelseys First Amendment rights. So, with the help of her attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom, Chelsey has challenged this ordinance in court. Free speech is winning and it should win in Chelseys case as well. As the recent victories for creative professionals have affirmed, free speech is for everyone not just for those who agree with the government. A woman who fought fires for Atira Systems GST of Oregon is suing for gender discrimination, claiming she was forced to share a hotel room with male colleagues, according to court documents. Michelle LaPage, who is identified in the documents as being from Deschutes County, was hired by the private company in August 2018 and immediately told Steven Haddix, a company executive, that as the teams only woman she was uncomfortable sharing a room with men. Haddix told LaPage she would be able to sleep in a tent rather than share a room, the lawsuit says. Two days later, Haddix told LaPage she needed to share a room and was forced to do so for more than two weeks, the lawsuit states. LaPage in the documents said two men in the room were rude and condescending and made her uncomfortable. When she complained to Haddix, the lawsuit alleges, he reiterated she needed to share a room. When she complained a second time, Haddix called her profane and derogatory names and made unsubstantiated claims about her mental health before firing her, the suit claims. Haddix also told LaPage she would be responsible for covering the costs of transporting a replacement worker to the job site, the suit claims. In a recorded phone call after her termination, Haddix called LaPage mentally ill, catatonic, a wacko a mental case, the suit says, and that she suffered from a split personality disorder and was bipolar. LaPage has no history of mental illness, according to the lawsuit. Haddix told The Oregonian/OregonLive that LaPage never complained to him about having to sleep in the same room as the male firefighters. He said the Forest Service had Atira employees stay in the room of an elementary school, and that LaPage never told him she had an issue with the arrangements. He said LaPage was terminated from the company for gross insubordination," and said that she was disrespectful to other Atira employees and U.S. Forest Service employees. An investigation by the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries found there was substantial evidence that an unlawful practice or unlawful employment practice occurred, according to documents from the agency. LaPage is seeking $475,000 for gender discrimination and wrongful termination. -- Kale Williams kwilliams@oregonian.com 503-294-4048 @sfkale Jayati Ramakrishnan contributed to this story. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Days after PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported how Olabisi Olaleye, a lecturer of the Department of International Relations, demanded sex from a student, another staffer is currently enmeshed in an alleged sex scandal, sources and the school management have said. The scandal emerged at the universitys Centre for Distance Learning (CDL). PREMIUM TIMES gathered that a tutor, Monday Omo-Etan, who teaches Chemistry at the CDL took advantage of a CDL student who mistakenly sent her nude to her class WhatsApp page. Unconfirmed reports said the student, whose name has not been made public, meant to send the pictures to her boyfriend. According to our findings, the pictures were shared by several colleagues and later uploaded in other Whatsapp groups. Mr Omoetan, who is also on the WhatsApp group, where the nude was first sent, reportedly summoned the victim and took advantage of her. According to an audio recording, which PREMIUM TIMES is unable to verify its authenticity, the lecturer reportedly demanded sex from the student. The tutor also ordered the student to suck his private parts. In a voice call obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, the student called Mr Omoetan to express how she felt afterwards but the tutor responded saying she should remain discreet. Efforts to reach the indicted tutor for comments on Wednesday were unsuccessful. Management Meanwhile, the management of OAU in a statement made available to PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday evening said the lecturer has been suspended. The spokesperson of the institution, Abiodun Olanrewaju in a statement said: the University has suspended a staffer of the Universitys Centre for Distance Learning for sexually molesting a 19-year-old female student. He also said the tutor has been arrested by the police. The management has reinstated her commitment to the total eradication of any form of sexual harassment, molestation or other social vices, Mr Olarewajus statement read. PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately confirm if the suspect was already in police custody. Trend In 2018, a lecturer of the same university, Richard Akindele, was caught in a sex tape. He was first suspended and later dismissed. The ICPC also filed suit against him and he is currently serving two years jail term. PREMIUM TIMES recently exposed Mr Olaleye who also demanded sex from a student. Sex-for-marks is a scourge yet to abate in many Nigerian universities. Ham-hungry Australians have helped supermarket giant Coles report stronger-than-expected sales over the Christmas period, with the retail giant telling investors to expect bigger profits for the first half of the financial year. In a surprise trading update on Thursday, the ASX-listed company said the strong growth it had seen in its supermarkets division towards the end of last year had continued into December, driving comparable sales growth to 3.6 per cent in the second quarter. Coles has reported a surprise upgrade to first-half trading, driven by a better-than-expected Christmas trade period. Credit:Louie Douvis This was above analysts' expectations of 2.3 per cent growth for the quarter and the strongest increase since the company's 5.1 per cent lift on the back of its Little Shop campaign in the first quarter of 2019. This bumped the company's overall comparable sales growth for the half to 2 per cent, a result Coles said was fuelled by a Christmas advertising campaign which "exceeded expectations". Hong Kong Medical Workers Stay on Strike For Total Lockdown 2020-02-05 -- Thousands of Hong Kong medical workers look set to continue their strike at public hospitals on Thursday, saying that recent quarantine measures announced by the city's government weren't enough to protect the city from the coronavirus epidemic. Hong Kong's leader Carrie Lam announced on Wednesday that all new arrivals from mainland China, including Hong Kong residents, would be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine to rule out infection with the coronavirus that has paralyzed central China since the beginning of the year. But Winnie Yu, head of the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance, said the move wasn't good enough. "These measures by the Hong Kong government won't work, because it is not a complete shutdown of the border," Yu told journalists. "Wuhan pneumonia carrier[s] may still be able to come into Hong Kong." Chief executive Lam said she had brought in subsidiary legislation by executive decree requiring anyone arriving in Hong Kong from mainland China, regardless of their nationality, to be subject to mandatory quarantine for 14 days. "Even if they are entering from other places, if they have visited the mainland over the past 14 days, mandatory quarantine will still be applicable upon their arrival," the government said in a statement. However, the measures won't come into effect until midnight on Thursday, which the healthcare workers said would likely prompt a surge in arrivals ahead of the new restrictions. "The government has confirmed with the major suppliers that the supply of food products remains normal and there is no shortage of food," the government said. "There are sufficient stocks of staple foods including rice and pastas. There is no need for the public to worry." Schools remain suspended, civil servants are working from home where possible and non-essential government services have shut down, however. "The spokesman appeals strongly to members of the public to stay at home as much as possible, refrain from going to crowded places and pay attention to personal hygiene," the statement said, calling on employees to allow flexible working arrangements during the epidemic. It pledged a H.K.$10 billion fund to assist businesses affected by the curbs. 'She is wrong about this' Civic Party lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki, who is also a medical doctor, called for a total shutdown of the border. "She insists on not shutting down the border even though she knows very well she is wrong about this," Kwok said. "The measures will only take effect from Feb. 8, but what about tomorrow and the next day?" "People in the mainland are going to move heaven and earth to get to Hong Kong in the next couple of days, and they'll disperse across Hong Kong," he said. "How many Hong Kong will people have to die or bury their loved ones before the chief executive gives way?" A number of other labor unions said on Wednesday that they could join the strike to get Lam to shut the border. Carol Ng, chairwoman of the Confederation of Trade Unions, said a strike by its members was "really imminent." "This is an issue that affects the whole of society and the quickest thing the government can do to address everyone's concerns is to temporarily close the borders," Ng told government broadcaster RTHK. She said other unions are starting to hold meetings about whether to take industrial action in support of the medical workers. Reported by Li Zhizhi, Jia Ao and Tam Siu-yin for RFA's Mandarin and Cantonese Services. 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 February 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 BUCKS COUNTY >> Police in Northampton, Lower Southampton and Upper Makefield townships report the following incidents and arrests: Lower Southampton THEFT >> In the early morning hours on Monday, Jan. 10 two individuals made off with the entire change machine from the Feasterville Laundromat along Bustleton Pike. The male appears to be "cracking himself up" while he hatches his scheme... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marchio Irfan Gorbiano (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 20:07 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063060f2 1 National death,finance-minister,finance-ministry Free Prominent New Order finance minister and member of the so-called Berkeley Mafia JB Sumarlin passed away at the age of 87 in Jakarta on Thursday. Finance Ministry acting spokesman Nufransa Wira Sakti confirmed the news. The Finance Ministry has lost our role model who played an important role in improving Indonesias economic situation nearing the end of the 1980s, Nufransa said as quoted by tempo.com. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani also expressed her deep condolences upon hearing the news. He used to be my lecturer when I studied at the University of Indonesia. He was a very committed teacher, Sri said. We learned a lot through his past decisions, such as when Indonesia suffered from rising oil prices during the Iran-Iraq War." Sumarlin was laid in repose at Siloam Semanggi Funeral Home on Thursday evening and will be buried at San Diego Hills Cemetery on Feb. 10. Former president Soeharto appointed Sumarlin to head the Finance Ministry from 1988 to 1993. He rose to prominence after issuing his famous Gebrakan Sumarlin (Sumarlin Breakthrough), a deregulation policy package in the monetary, financial, and banking fields in 1988. Sumarlin and fellow senior economists of the time such as Widjojo Nitisastro, Emil Salim and Ali Wardhana were dubbed the Berkeley Mafia as a result of their United-States educations. Thanks to Sumarlins reforms, Indonesia's economy managed to grow by 5.7 percent in 1988, surpassing the original target of 5 percent. (dpk) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) The country stands to lose billions of pesos worth of United States assistance if it terminates the Visiting Forces Agreement, Foreign Affairs Secretary Tedoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin, Jr. said on Thursday. During a Senate hearing on military agreements with the US, Locsin highlighted "direct benefits" from the VFA, including military assistance and financial grants. Locsin said the US plans to spend more than $200 million, or around 10 billion, over the next two years to provide the Philippines with aircraft, training equipment and help in the construction of facilities. "Without the VFA, the US departments of State and Defense will be hard put to get funds from the US Congress... for the defense assistance programs to the Philippines," he said. The VFA is a 1998 agreement between Manila and Washington on the protocol for American military personnein the country. Among its controversial provisions are the lax visa and passport policies for American troops and the authority granted to the US government to retain jurisdiction over military personnel if ever they commit crimes locally. EXPLAINER: The Visiting Forces Agreement Duterte threatened to scrap the VFA in January in response to the US cancellation of Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's visa. A Senate resolution has urged the President to reconsider the move to allow senators to assess the withdrawal from the treaty. Locsin said the continuance of the agreement is "is deemed to be more beneficial," noting that abrogating it may also affect other important deals with the US, including the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). "There would essentially be no practical use for an EDCA in the absence of VFA which is the legal framework for the presence of US military personnel and military exercises and actual military responses under the MDT. Without them, the MDT is just a piece of paper," Locsin said. The MDT states that each country would come to the defense of the other in case of an attack by a foreign country, while the EDCA which Senate Minorirty Leader Franklin Drilon said was "merely an implementation of the VFA" allows the US military to use and control five bases in the Philippines. Locsin said the VFA also ensures the "operability" between Philippine and American forces in joint activities. Through the years, US forces have been "instrumental" in countering security threats, Locsin said, adding that they have also provided humanitarian assistance during disaster reponse. He further warned that backing out of the VFA could put the Philippines in a bad light as it affects the country's "credibility to deliver mutual arrangements." "While the VFA is a bilateral agreement, there may be repercussions in the way other SS allies or other US-friendly countries perceive and/or conduct their foreign relations with the Philippines," Locsin said. The senior diplomat said there would be an impact on bilateral trade, investments and tourism considering that the US is the Philippines' biggest source of grants, third largest trading partner, and fifth source of investments. Despite numerous advantages to keeping the VFA, Locsin said a "vigorous review" is called for after American senators "insulted" Philippine sovereignty in repeatedly calling for the release of Senator Leila de Lima an opposition lawmaker detained on drug charges. However, he noted that preferring a review over termination is not the formal position of the Department of Foreign Affairs, which is awaiting Duterte's green light before it sends the US a notice to terminate the VFA. Under the two-decade military pact, the VFA can be terminated via a written notice from either of the countries. Expiration will come 180 days from the time either party notifies the other. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 By Ilhama Isabalayeva Trend: The Azerbaijan Food Safety Agency appealed to the entrepreneurs in connection with ensuring food security in the country and protection from animal diseases that can be disseminated from abroad, Trend reports on Feb. 6 referring to the Agency. Given the widespread epidemic of coronavirus in the world and the epizootic of highly pathogenic bird flu, the Agencys regional branches, as well as the laboratories of the Food Safety Institute, have begun to work intensively. Coronavirus and epizootic of bird flu impose a certain responsibility on entrepreneurs and citizens to protect biological safety in the country. In this regard, the Agency appeals to the entrepreneurs working in the field of import of animals and animal products for them to review veterinary requirements for the import of these products and take them into account before importing the products into the country. The entrepreneurs can obtain information on import requirements on the Agencys website http://afsa.gov.az/en/home. Preliminary information on the epizootic situation in relation to a number of animal diseases in various countries can be found on the website of the World Organization for Animal Health www.oie.int. The Agency states that animals and animal products must be loaded onto a vehicle in the country of origin only after appropriate approval by the Food Safety Agency. Otherwise, these entrepreneurs bear the responsibility for any possible negative consequences. WASHINGTON - An American citizen has been kidnapped in Afghanistan by a Taliban-affiliated group, a U.S. official said Thursday, and authorities are working to rescue him. U.S. officials believe Mark Frerichs of Lombard, Illinois, was kidnapped by the Haqqani network, according to an official who was not authorized to discuss the case by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. It was not immediately clear why Frerichs was in Afghanistan or where precisely he was picked up, though Newsweek which first reported the kidnapping said he was taken into custody last week in Khost province, in the eastern part of the country, and that he is a contractor who has worked as a civil engineer in different conflict zones over the last decade. The investigation is being handled by the FBI-led Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, a multi-agency effort created during the Obama administration amid criticism over the governments response to hostage-taking. Art Frerichs, who identified himself as Frerichs father, told an Associated Press reporter on Thursday that he believed the Newsweek report was true. I dont want to say any more now for security reasons, he said. I have the utmost faith in President Trump and the FBI. The Taliban said it had no information on the kidnapping and nothing to say about it. No one has claimed responsibility for kidnapping Frerichs. The kidnapping comes as the United States and Taliban try to reach an agreement that would reduce hostilities in Afghanistan and open a window to signing a peace deal to end Afghanistans 18-year war, bring U.S. troops home and start negotiations between combatants on both sides of the conflict to decide the face of a future Afghanistan. Khost province is the headquarters of the Haqqani network. In November, Anas Haqqani , the younger brother of Sirajuddin, the Talibans deputy head and chief of the Haqqani network, was freed in exchange for the release of American professor Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks. The two professors at the American University in Afghanistan were kidnapped in 2016 in the Afghan capital, Kabul. _____ Associated Press writers Kathy Gannon in Islamabad and Don Babwin in Chicago and researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report. Through a Business Transfer Agreement Eurofins, through Eurofins Advinus, acquires all assets of Gomti Life Sciences Private Limited through a Business Transfer Agreement. The assets include a fully equipped state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Bidadi Industrial Area, Bangalore, India, with cGMP pilot plant, intermediate area and ISO class 8 clean rooms and a total reactor capacity of about 45 KL. With this acquisition, Eurofins Advinus will be able to manufacture RSMs, intermediates, APIs and NCEs. The company can now support drug substance requirements from multi-kilogram to MT scale for Toxicology studies, clinical trials and launch quantities. Rajiv Malik, MD of Eurofins Advinus Limited commented: This acquisition could be a game-changer for Eurofins Advinus as it enables the group to enter clinical development and commercial supply part of the Pharma R&D value chain through cGMP API supplies of NCEs. This addition is also a part of a larger foray of the Eurofins group into CDMO / CRAMS market. The Uttar Pradesh Police's Special Task Force (STF) on Thursday arrested from Mumbai the suspected shooter in the murder case of right wing Hindu outfit leader Ranjeet Bachchan in Lucknow, an official said. Based on the information provided by the suspect, two others have also been detained, the official said, without specifying the places from where they were taken into custody. Bachchan, 40, who had founded the Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha, was shot dead by an unidentified assailant when he was out on a morning walk on Sunday, a couple of kilometres away from the high-security Uttar Pradesh legislature complex in Lucknow. "Based on specific information, the UP Police's STF, with the help of their counterparts in Mumbai, arrested the suspected shooter from Mumbai on Thursday," the official said. "During their investigation, the STF had got a tip-off about some suspects. While going through the call detail records and mobile phone locations of the suspects, one of them was found to have fled to Mumbai in train," he said. Accordingly, the UP STF team reached Mumbai on Wednesday night and arrested the suspect with the help of Mumbai Police, the official added. "During his interrogation, police found that he had allegedly fired at the Hindu outfit leader. Based on the information provided by him, police have also detained two more persons in connection with the case," he said. Besides the trio, a few more persons are suspected to be involved in case, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CONCORD, N.H. - Pete Buttigieg was just hours removed from his strong showing in Iowa when he confronted a question about whether it would last. Bruce Barnes, a 52-year-old white voter from Henniker, New Hampshire, pressed Buttigieg on what he was doing to improve his standing among voters of colour who are critical to winning the Democratic presidential nomination. This isnt about how to win. This is about how to deserve to win, Buttigieg responded before detailing at length his plans to invest in minority communities. Weve got to recognize that right now, this is two different countries, in so many ways, because of your race. The resonance of those comments will determine whether Buttigiegs performance in Iowa was a blip or the beginning of a historic march to the Democratic nomination. Such a trajectory would almost certainly require Buttigieg to make dramatic inroads with black voters, who have largely sided with former Vice-President Joe Biden in the early days of the contest. And with Democrats obsessed with finding a candidate who can assemble a multiracial coalition to defeat President Donald Trump in the fall, Buttigiegs gap with minority voters is a glaring vulnerability. Ive been following the polls, and from what Ive heard, hes not making too many inroads with that very important voting bloc, Barnes said after the Buttigieg event. We need to get the base electrified and get them out there. Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, faces stiff competition heading into Tuesdays New Hampshire primary. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders dominated the state during the 2016 primary, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is from a neighbouring state and Biden is a well-known name. But the biggest challenge will come later this month during the Nevada caucuses and South Carolina primary. Both states have significant minority populations, and Buttigieg has lagged in the polls there. Buttigieg has faced pointed questions from black voters about his dismissal of South Bends first African American police chief. Hes also been criticized for his handling of the shooting death of an armed black man by a white South Bend police officer over the summer. Buttigieg has argued the best way to start building credibility with nonwhite voters is to show he can win, and he pointed to his strong showing in Iowa. I do think having that proof point, even though weve got a lot of work to do ahead, it helps us open new conversations and get folks who may have been skeptical of the very idea of this campaign to take another look at us, he told reporters Tuesday night in New Hampshire. His campaign has also worked to signal he has support from diverse voters. On Sunday, Ryann Richardson, who is the reigning Miss Black America, joined Buttigieg on stage in Des Moines, Iowa. He was also endorsed by Quentin Hart, the black mayor of Waterloo, Iowa, the states most racially diverse city. Maryland Rep. Anthony Brown is the only member of the Congressional Black Caucus to endorse him. In South Carolina, where roughly two-thirds of voters in the first-in-the-South Democratic primary are black, Buttigieg has been gradually assembling a team of younger black staff and supporters, including Walter Clyburn Reed, the grandson of South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn. A day after the Iowa caucuses, 10 black elected officials in South Carolina endorsed him. Buttigieg will also likely need to expand his reach in the Democratic Party in other ways to win the nomination. In the Iowa caucuses, voters 45 and older, those with a college degree and self-described political moderates held majority shares among Buttigieg supporters, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of voters who said they planned to take part in Mondays Democratic caucuses. In New Hampshire, 20-year-old Annie Carr said she believes Sanders, not Buttigieg, is the candidate who appeals to future generations. She cited the 78-year-old Sanders positions on climate change and free college as reasons for supporting him. She said Buttigieg, whom she saw at an event earlier in the primary, is too moderate and seemed too scripted to win her support, though she said shed vote for him if hes the Democratic nominee. AP VoteCast shows just 9% of voters in Iowas Democratic caucuses were nonwhite. Only Sanders stood out as a clear leader among that group, earning the support of nearly 4 in 10 nonwhite voters, according to VoteCast. Buttigiegs performance with minorities was significantly lower and comparable to the performances of Biden, Warren and businessman Andrew Yang. ___ Beaumont reported from Des Moines, Iowa. Associated Press polling writer Hannah Fingerhut and AP National Political Writer Steve Peoples contributed to this report from Washington. ___ Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, Ground Game. Congratulations, backgroundwallpapershd.com got a very good Social Media Impact Score! Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Backgroundwallpapershd.com scored 71 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 3.5/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 12 Dec 2012, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. backgroundwallpapershd.com is very popular in Facebook. Furthermore its facebook page has 142 likes. Add a widget like this on your site: click here The total number of people who shared the backgroundwallpapershd homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the backgroundwallpapershd homepage on Delicious. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the backgroundwallpapershd homepage on Twitter + the total number of backgroundwallpapershd followers (if backgroundwallpapershd has a Twitter account). 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The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. Domain and Server DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE English (United States) UTF-8English (United States) DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER LiteSpeed (PHP/5.2.17) OPERATIVE SYSTEM The language of backgroundwallpapershd.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Type of server and offered services. Operative System running on the server. Character set and language of the site. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for backgroundwallpapershd.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK FOUND FACEBOOK PAGE www.facebook.com/pages/Wallpaper-Collections/138323662952070 DESCRIPTION High Definition Wallpaper LIKES 142 PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT 0 PAGE TYPE Community TIMELINE PAGE TIMELINE Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The type of Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The URL of the found 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. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Zhou Minhua salutes the military surgeons and medical workers battling the novel coronavirus in his oil paintings. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] A 61-year-old veteran in Chongqing has created several oil paintings depicting Chinese military surgeons and medical workers heading for Wuhan, Hubei province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak. Zhou Minghua, born in Yunnan Province, joined the army in Jiangjin district, Southwest China's Chongqing, in 1977. And he settled in Jiangjin after retirement, where marshal Nie Rongzhen (1899-1992) was born. Zhou loves to draw very much, with most of his works featuring landscape paintings. Since the recent outbreak of the epidemic, stories of numerous military surgeons and medical workers fighting at the front line regardless of their lives have deeply touched and inspired Zhou. New Delhi, Feb 6 : The Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy meet on Thursday offered major policy steps which would support the slowing real estate sector. To boost growth and lift sentiment, the RBI has eased cash reserve ratio (CRR) requirement of commercial banks for sectors with multiplier effect including the residential housing segment. The other sector which would benefit from the deicision are automobiles, and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME). "It has now been decided that scheduled commercial banks will be allowed to deduct the equivalent of incremental credit disbursed by them as retail loans for automobiles, residential housing and loans to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), over and above the outstanding level of credit to these segments as at the end of the fortnight ended January 31, 2020 from their net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) for maintenance of cash reserve ratio (CRR)," RBI's Statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies said on Thursday. This exemption will be available for incremental credit extended up to the fortnight ending July 31, 2020. Further, the apex bank also extended the date of commencement of commercial operations of project loans for commercial real estate which have been delayed for "reasons beyond the control of promoters" by another one year without downgrading the asset classification in line with treatment accorded to other project loans for non-infrastructure sector. "This would complement the initiatives taken by the government of India in the real estate sector. The detailed instructions will be issued shortly," said the RBI statement. The decisions brings a sense of relief for the cash-strapped housing sector. Real estate stocks rose post the announcements. Market players and experts lauded the decisions. Commenting on the extension of restructuring of project loans by a year, Anuj Puri, Chairman Anarock Property Consultants said: "This is a big move and will bring the much-needed relief to the cash-starved real estate sector and to both developers and the HFCs from the liquidity perspective." It will help ease out the time for maintaining and managing cash flows for cash-strapped developers and help them to complete several stuck projects, Puri said, however adding that it will not address the other main issue prevailing in the real estate sector, that of continuing low demand. However, the decision to keep repo rate unchanged, although expected, has disappointed a few market players. Ramesh Nair CEO & Country Head, JLL India said: "The RBI's move today to ease rules for projects delayed for reasons beyond the control of promoters by one year will provide the much-needed elbow room for developers." With the lower provisioning requirement for retail loans extended to housing segment, Shishir Baijal, Chairman and Managing Director of Knight Frank India said that there are hopes that the new measure would translate into lower cost of loans for home buyers as well. "The encouragement also comes to the development side of the business where the long-standing industry demand for asset classification has been addressed. This will augment liquidity situation for developers too. With these two significant initiatives by the RBI, the real estate sector will hope to make a faster comeback," he added. Top recruits from biotech and healthcare join Theradex Oncology LONDON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Theradex Oncology, a clinical research organization specializing in cancer drug development, announced today that Dawn Stephenson has been appointed Regulatory Affairs Director at Theradex Oncology and Dr. Farheen Ahmed has joined the clinical team as Head of Pharmacovigilance, both appointments will strengthen the company's European and international operations. Theradex Oncology has designed and managed more than 300 early and late-phase oncology trials over the past 4 decades. As a full service clinical CRO, the Theradex team has deep experience assisting its clients in developing successful strategies for new cancer treatments. Meg Valnoski, CEO at Theradex for more than 20 years says: "The successful recruitment of both Dawn and Farheen further strengthens Theradex Oncology's ability to support our clients' oncology drug development needs in Europe and globally. Our mission is to ensure that new cancer treatments have the very best opportunity during drug development to demonstrate safety and benefit in patients with a vision to improve treatment and make cancer a survivable disease. Our new Theradex Oncology team members will substantially contribute to this mission." DAWN STEPHENSON, DIRECTOR REGULATORY AFFAIRS Dawn is a regulatory professional with extensive background in regulatory affairs, product and portfolio development spanning 25 years in the pharmaceutical industry. Prior to joining Theradex Oncology, Dawn has held positions at GSK, Pfizer, Grunenthal and PPD. Dawn has led project teams to develop strategic clinical and regulatory plans that ensure the most effective and efficient pathway to drug approval. She has significant experience working with developing oncology products with expertise in paediatric and rare diseases including regulatory strategy and preparation of early development submissions for expedited programmes (e.g., PRIME and Break Through Designation). Throughout her career she has authored, led and successfully delivered numerous clinical trial and marketing authorization applications in the EU, US and ROW, participating in key agency meetings. In her new position of Regulatory Affairs Director, Dawn will manage the regulatory function within Theradex Oncology globally. Dawn Stephenson, states: "I am excited to be part of a company with a positively aligned vision and values with respect to oncology development. Supporting and partnering with our clients to drive the development of novel innovative therapies to deliver much needed products to patients driven by the science and doing the right thing." DR FARHEEN AHMED, HEAD PHARMACOVIGILANCE EUROPE & MEDICAL MONITOR Farheen joins Theradex as a pharmaceutical physician with extensive experience in early clinical drug development across all phases of clinical trials for a wide range of therapeutic areas such as oncology, immunotherapy, vaccines, respiratory diseases, neurology, dermatology and sleep disorders (insomnia). Farheen has experience working as a principal investigator and lead study physician for several early phase studies. In oncology she has been involved in the clinical research for Prostrate, Ovarian, Hepatocellular carcinoma, Malignant Melanoma and Head and Neck cancers mainly at Royal Surrey County Hospital and Guys and St Thomas Hospital London. She has contributed to over 50 studies (phase I - III). Farheen Ahmed, states: "Working at Theradex will give me immense exposure to the overall conduct of global oncological research and development with growing challenges in a variety of cancer therapeutic areas. It will be a privilege working together with Theradex team and combining our expertise for safe and effective development of cancer therapies which may bring about a positive impact and overall improvement on the quality of life of cancer patients." ABOUT THERADEX Theradex Oncology is a full-service CRO, conducting early- and late-phase oncology trials in the U.S, Europe and Asia. Theradex Oncology was founded in 1982, when we were awarded the Clinical Trials Monitoring Contract for the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Our ongoing association with NCI continues to be a strong basis for our operations. Our focus is cancer. We fully understand the science behind each potential cancer therapy and the challenges that come with moving therapies from mice to man. Theradex Oncology has designed and managed more than 250 early- and late-phase oncology trials to date. Our mission is to assure that new discoveries in cancer drug development have the very best opportunity to be of benefit to mankind with a vision to improve treatment and make cancer a livable disease. LOCATIONS US Address: Theradex Oncology 4365 US-1, Suite 101, Princeton NJ, USA, UK Address: The Pinnacle Station Way, Crawley, RH10 1JH West Sussex, UK. WEBSITE www.TheradexOncology.com In a big embarrassment for Pakistan, its persecution of religious minorities was called out by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday. Speaking at the launch of International Religious Freedom Alliance, he highlighted the plight of Hindus in Pakistan. Moreover, he stated that 8 out of 10 people in the world faced problems in practising their faith freely. Similarly, he condemned the Chinese Communist Partys hostility for all faiths. 27 countries including the UK, Israel, Australia, Brazil and Greece are part of this Alliance. Read: 200 Hindu & Sikhs Families Flee To India From Pak; Akali Dal Seeks Citizenship For Them Mike Pompeo remarked, Together, we say that the freedom of religion is not a Western ideal, but truly the bedrock of societies. Thats clear from the Declaration of Principles. It is grounded in the International Declaration of Human Rights. Every human being has the right to change their faith or hold no faith at all. More than 8 in 10 people live in a world today where they cannot practise their faith freely. We condemn terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities whether they are Yazidis in Iraq, Hindus in Pakistan, Christians in north-east Nigeria and Muslims in Burma. We condemn blasphemy and apostacy laws that criminalise matters of the soul. We condemn the Chinese Communist Partys hostility to all faiths." Read: Temple Vandalised & Scriptures Desecrated In Pakistan's Sindh, Imran Khan Silent: SAD Families demand asylum in India This indictment comes even as reports emerged of 200 Hindu and Sikh families crossing over to India through the Wagah border recently. As per officials, they came on a visitors visa but are now unwilling to go back due to alleged religious persecution. Most of these families hail from Pakistans Sindh province. The Shiromani Akali Dal has urged the Centre to extend help to these people. Read: PM Modi Launches Blistering Attack On CAA Opposers: "Why Can't You See Pak Persecution?" Parliament passes CAA The statement of the US Secretary of State also assumes significance in the wake of the Parliament clearing the Citizenship Amendment Act. Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted in Parliament that the rationale for introducing the legislation was the fact that Pakistan had failed to take care of its minorities. Furthermore, he claimed that the percentage of minorities in Pakistan had drastically dropped over the years. 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: Assam Minister: 'Impossible To Provide Proof Of Religious Persecution Under CAA' STAMFORD The newly hired attorney for Michelle Troconis is seeking to have a judge remove many of the restrictions of her release on bond, including required drug testing, electronic monitoring and house arrest, according to court documents filed Wednesday. The documents reveal a look at the 45-year-old Troconis' life after being accused of conspiring with Fotis Dulos to kill his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos, who was last seen May 24 and is presumed dead. The conditions of Troconis release on a total of $2.1 million bond are "unconstitutional, excessive and unrelated to any legitimate purpose that permits court-ordered non-financial conditions of release," attorney Jon Schoenhorn, who was hired by Troconis this week, wrote in the motion filed in state Superior Court in Stamford. Troconis had previously been free on $600,000 and $100,000 bonds and monitored by a GPS tracking device for two counts of tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution in the case. Troconis was ordered to be on house arrest when she was released on an additional $1.5 million bond on the conspiracy to commit murder charge last month. Schoenhorn contends that Troconis was illegally held after she was arrested on Jan. 7, because she was precluded from posting bond until after her arraignment on Jan. 9. Troconis is required to submit to periodic drug testing, even though she has no history of drug use, Schoenhorn said. "There was no reasonable basis to believe, nor was any information provided at any time, to suggest that Michelle Troconis is or was drug-dependent," the attorney said. "The court's imposition of mandatory drug testing as a condition of release is, therefore, unsupported, unreasonably punitive, and serves no other purpose besides humiliation and punishment." Troconis cannot leave her 1,000-square-foot condo except for prearranged church services, medical appointments and attorney meetings and has not been able to work or shop for herself since being placed on house arrest last month. Fotis Dulos, who was charged with felony murder, murder and first-degree kidnapping in the case, was allowed to continue to work and shop for himself while on house arrest," Schoenhorn said. Schoenhorn is seeking the removal of many of the restrictions, which he contends also ban Troconis from taking her 15-year-old daughter out during their visits. Shoenhorn also pointed out his clients daughter attends school out of state. The conditions of Troconis release are also hampering her efforts to participate in her own defense and she has no prior criminal record other than the three pending cases related to the disappearance and death of Jennifer Dulos, Schoenhorn said. Schoenhorn also filed a motion Wednesday to have his clients cases moved to Hartford Superior Court because the crimes she is accused of occurred in that jurisdiction. Now that Fotis Dulos has died, defense attorneys say the states attention has nowhere to turn but to his alleged accomplices, Troconis and his close friend and former attorney, Kent Mawhinney. 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. Mawhinney, 54, remains jailed on $2 million bond on a conspiracy to commit murder charge. 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. According to arrest warrants, Troconis and Mawhinney attempted to establish an alibi for Fotis Dulos while police say he was in New Canaan that morning. Troconis and Dulos also created alibi scripts that police found in their Jefferson Crossing home, according to arrest warrants. However, Troconis and Mawhinney provided contradicting statements when interviewed by investigators, the warrants said. Troconis eventually admitted to lying and told investigators Dulos wasnt home when she woke up that morning, according to the warrant. Troconis provided an alibi for herself by taking selfies with the Stop & Shop robot in Simsbury and visited two friends that morning, according to the arrest warrants. Police said two people resembling Fotis Dulos and Troconis were captured on video in Hartford later that night around the time Jennifer Dulos was reported missing. A man police contend is Dulos was seen on the videos dumping bags that were later determined to contain his wifes blood and clothing, the warrants said. A separate arrest warrant said Dulos and Troconis took a red Toyota Tacoma pickup truck belonging to a Fore Group employee to a car wash in the days after the disappearance. Police said in the warrant that they believe Dulos drove the truck to New Canaan the morning of the disappearance. Dulos also urged the employee to remove the seats, which were later found to contain his wifes blood, according to the warrant From a standing start two weeks ago Councillor Michael Collins is being tipped to take a second seat for the Fianna Fail party in Limerick County. Newstalk presenter Ivan Yates was among the first to call it for the first time Dail candidate. Michael was added to the Fianna Fail ticket in Limerick just hours before the deadline for candidate registration but has made up enormous ground since. You can listen to the podcast here Catching the mood for change in the county the hardworking councillor has gathered huge support as his energetic campaign has taken him to all parts of the county. Health, jobs and housing are the issues people are talking about on the doorstep, Michael says, they are fed up with the constant and consistent failure of the current government in relation to all these issues. In the last week I find people to be particularly scandalised that 20m can be found to bail out the FAI while disability services across the board are struggling. God only knows what money has been diverted from the health sector and a wide range of projects in Limerick to fund the massive overruns being incurred in the building of the National Childrens Hospital. People want to see the back of this government and its failures, he said. Support for Collins is coming not just from former government supporters and floating voters, he is also getting huge support from Fianna Fail people who are re-engaging with the party after being inactive for a number of years. I have been on the council since 2009 and have earned a reputation as a hard worker and a straight talker. I deliver what I say Ill deliver, Michael concluded. It's been... a week. The mythic Iowa Democratic Caucus has devolved into a conspiracy theory-charged shitstorm, with multiple candidates offering victory speeches, despite the lack of a clear winner after four days. The impeachment hearings have come to a haunting end, with all but one Republican Senator voting to acquit President Trump of trying to meddle in the 2020 election, without calling a single witness. All of the above did a neat job of undermining Americans' increasingly nonexistent faith in democratic processes. Trump and Nancy Pelosi got into a catfight on the floor of the Capitol, before the President gave an extremely cursed State of the Union in which he failed to mention climate change, but found time to award Rush Limbaugh a Presidential Medal of Honor (former recipients include Rosa Parks, Toni Morrison, Cezar Chavez, Martin Luther King and Harvey Milk.) Related | 10 Democratic Representatives Share Their Top Priorities PAPER headed to Washington D.C. for a media row with Democratic representatives: some of whom were at the forefront of the impeachment, some of whom are surrogates for 2020 hopefuls, and some of whom are leading efforts on issues like healthcare, racial equality and the environment. We asked six congresspeople about their priorities for 2020, the State of the Union, political cynicism, and if the Democratic party can (or should) be unified. What are your biggest priorities in congress for 2020 if Democrats win back the Senate, or if you continue to work in a divided congress? Maxine Waters, California Congressional Black Caucus Our first priority is winning the House again, taking control in the Senate and hopefully the presidency. Then, we'll have an opportunity to advance our policy priorities. For example, healthcare and prescription drugs. We have got to focus on education and the fact that many of our young people are graduating from college with so much debt, that they can't move on having a quality of life. People aren't getting married they owe too much money. We have to focus on healthcare, on education. I also have sleepless nights about homelessness. That is one of my big priorities in my committee, I have a 13 billion dollar bill that I have initiated to get rid of homelessness in America. When we look at these issues, we also have to understand that housing and infrastructure must be dealt with. We must make sure that the bridges are safe, that water systems are safe, that the highways and streets are safe. All of these are issues that have been neglected for far too long, we've arrived to the point where we are desperate and having to do something about them. So these are the top priorities of mine and the Democrats. Mark Pocan, Wisconsin Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus We sent a ton of bills over to the Senate, well over four hundred bills. Three hundred of them have languished in the Senate unfortunately, Mr. McConnell appears to put them in the back of a pickup truck, drive them to Kentucky, and bury them in a backyard so they don't see the light of the day. Everything from reducing prescription drug pricing, to raising minimum wage, to protecting people's pre-existing conditions for healthcare. This week we are working on the biggest labor bill that's probably been introduced in decades in congress. There are lot's things that we can get done. Unfortunately, we need a partner in the Senate and they need to let us. Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas Congressional Black Caucus I am very invested in climate issues because I come from Texas, we experienced Hurricane Harvey. We are still trying to overcome the infrastructure and housing damage. Texans are living with environmental injustice. We are finding cancer in certain neighborhoods in people living around chemicals. Just a few days ago, in Houston, there was a major chemical explosion in a neighborhood where two people died. Also, something most people are not familiar with, but which I am committed to having passed and educating people about, is the vibrant and necessary HR 40: the commission to study reparations and proposals. It is legislation to help America to reconcile with two hundred and fifty years of holding people in bondage, enslaved Africans without compensation, without health insurance, without workers comp, without retirement, which helped build the wealth of this nation. The commission is to assess, how do we reconcile this, how do we address this in 2020, when it's clear the disparities in our community came about through this extended period of slavery? Val Demings, Florida House Impeachment Manager The number one priority is healthcare. When I was elected, the President's top initiative was to eliminate the Affordable Care Act. When I talk to people in my district and around the nation, healthcare is still the number one priority: making sure that we continue to fight for affordable healthcare, making sure we cover people with pre-existing conditions, getting the cost of prescription drugs down. What good is it to see a doctor if you can't afford medication that you need, life saving medication? However, having served as an impeachment manager, accountability is still so very important to me and making sure we send a message that everybody counts but everybody is accountable. And that accountability should start with the Commander in Chief, the President of the United States. Jan Schakowsky, Illinois Senior Chief Deputy Whip My priority is to pass bills that will give Americans a vision of what it would be like to actually have not only a progressive House of Representatives but also the Senate. Frankly, the Senate are digging themselves a hole. Eighty percent of Americans thought that we should have a fair impeachment trial with witnesses: Democrats, Republicans, Independents. This administration is part of a lawsuit that would overturn the Affordable Care Act meaning everybody with a pre-existing condition which, until the Affordable Care Act, included women, would not be covered. We just want to show the world that there is another choice here. It's existential, we have to win life or death. "Compromise is fine. But we should not capitulate." - Al Green, Texas Al Green, Texas Congressional Black Caucus All of us in Congress have a responsibility to do what we can with regards to climate change. It's not going away, and it's going to impact society across the globe. That's at a lofty level. At the level of everyday people, I want to see us pass a law for a living wage. It's very important that working people, people who work full time, not live below the poverty line. Every person in this country ought to have pre-existing conditions covered. I think that people who are with child, and have children born into their family, ought to have time with their families. Paid leave is important for the family. I think that it's important for us to do what we can to assure people who are coming to this country, fleeing harm's way, that their babies are not put in cages. It's unacceptable that we would tolerate the caging of children who are fleeing from harm. I look forward to working with my colleagues across the aisle to get all this done but I don't look forward to capitulating. I think compromise is fine. But we should not capitulate, to the point where working people are having to pay the way for people who make millions and billions of dollars. Billionaires are going to have to pay their fair share of taxes, I don't think that's asking too much. In the wake of the Impeachment, what can be done to restore Americans' faith in Democratic processes? Val Demings The framers had this brilliant idea where they wanted a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. The people are the ones who have the power and they built a system that had three equal branches of government, where one could check the other. The people should be angry when someone invites a foreign power to give themselves an advantage. When we see someone trying to cheat, voters should flood the polls and remind whoever that person is that we are a government of the people. Related | Republicans are Targeting Trans Kids Again Mark Pocan I spent a lot of time in Iowa the last few weeks with Bernie Sanders. So often, people tell healthcare-related stories that you get. The average person is still struggling in many ways, while the top one percent is doing really well they got a giant tax cut under the President. But for most people, they are just trying to still get by. Our message is just to get out there, be active, vote. If you are not happy, which I think many people aren't, you can change who's in the White House and who's running the Senate. If we do that, then I think we can really be in a lot better place to get some of these real priorities done. There's a huge diversity of beliefs within the Democratic party. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently commented that she and Joe Biden don't belong in the same party. Do you think the Democratic Party can and should be unified? Maxine Waters There is always room for change and improvement. Certainly the Democratic Party offers more hope for all the citizens than the Republican party. We've shown we care about healthcare, education, a social security system that keeps our seniors safe, that we want to protect tour veterans, that we want the children to have a decent quality of life. There is such a great difference between us and the Republican party. When you see divisiveness maybe in the Democratic Party democracy is about challenging each other for who can prevail based on their ideas, their philosophy, and what they are willing to do. I am not bothered by even the differences that may exist now, as we go through this campaign. Because I know that any one of those candidates, should they get elected, will do the right thing on these issues. "Democracy is about challenging each other for who can prevail based on their ideas, their philosophy, and what they are willing to do." - Maxine Waters Mark Pocan Absolutely. The contrast to Donald Trump is huge. Even if we have differences between Democrats on how we get to everyone healthcare, we can figure that out. The good news is the American people are generally with the progressives on these issues, basic minimum wage, the Green New Deal, Medicare for All these are all sixty to eighty percent sort of issues. All we have to do is mobilize people and tell them we mean it, that we are really going to do it. So often people talk about getting back the Obama-Trump voter, getting them back. But it's the non-voter, who already agrees with us, it's convincing them we really want to do this and it's not just political rhetoric. If we do that, we are going to win and we are going to get all these things done. That's why I like Bernie's campaign. Building a movement that's not about a candidate, it's about all of us. I think that's what the Democratic Party can still do. Al Green I do believe we have a great organizing tool this time, called President Trump. I think a good many people have had enough of his behavior, of what he has done to corrupt society, of how he's corrupted the Justice Department, the Senate, which is engaged in a coverup with the president currently. While he talks about there being fine people among the racist and bigots in Charlottesville, he's banning people from entire countries because of their religions. All of these things are corrosive and corruptive and for our society. I believe that these things alone will motivate people and I do think we will find the unity that escaped us last time, because people are ready for a change. And that change is the president not having a second term. "I want an administration that speaks against racism and white nationalism. I want an administration who speaks for the importance of education, that believes in the Violence Against Women Act... Mr. President, will you talk about those things?" - Sheila Jackson Lee Trump called his State of the Union "The Great American Comeback." What would you say to viewers about the narrative of the country he's offering? Sheila Jackson Lee Be weary of what you hear. I don't think the President realizes the enormity of poverty in this nation. The many people who are still earning seven dollars an hour. As I walked into this room and a woman pleaded with me to raise the minimum wage to fifteen dollars an hour. The lack of affordable housing in this country, the needs of the homeless in this country you cannot ignore people because you think their vote doesn't count. I want an administration that speaks against racism and white nationalism. I want an administration who speaks for the importance of education, an administration that believes in the Violence Against Women Act, which I wrote but is languishing in the Senate, and of course, one that attacks poverty head on. Mr. President, will you talk about those things? Val Demings I think viewers should lean in and pay good attention. As the president talks about how great he is, people should ask themselves the question: 'Is my life better? Am I worried about the future? Can I send my children to college? Can I afford the house I would like to have? Do I make enough money on the job? Is my minimum wage enough to pay my bills? Can I rest at night?' The country may be good for some, we know from the tax break that he pushed through, which benefits the wealthiest of people in this country. I would say to people, 'Do your own analysis and see if you are reaping the benefits of the President's leadership.' "As the president talks about how great he is, people should ask themselves the question: 'Is my life better? Am I worried about the future? Can I send my children to college?" - Val Demings Al Green The President will talk about jobs created, but he won't talk about the fact that a good amount of people have to work two jobs, because you can't make a living wage with one. He will talk about his successes. But he won't acknowledge that, with his trade agreement, Democrats were willing to work with him so that he can help the country to a richer, better place. But that he won't work with us by appointing judges who will respect Roe vs. Wade. He uses his lack of civility to take advantage of our civility, in so doing he is harming society, but we have to take the high road. We cannot allow for him to decide that he is going to wake up one morning and just ban certain people from the country. I do believe that we can overcome the harm that he's doing and unify ourselves, and that is going to start at the top by electing another person as president. Young people have organized en mass around climate inaction, gun violence, candidates they believe in, but many still feel their voices drowned out by traditional political influencers. What would you say to young people who feel cynical about having their voices heard by the government? Mark Pocan At least in my area, younger people are hugely outspoken advocates on the Green New Deal, climate change, gun violence prevention, a number of issues that indicate they are worried about their futures. They just want to be heard. Having just spent a lot of time in Iowa you can see that candidates who actually went out and listened, have a lot of support coming from young people. If young people don't vote, we don't increase our voter turnout, we are not going to win. So it really is a constituency that we got to prove that we are really going to do something about the issues they care about. I have seen that though, in the presidential campaign, I feel like people are connecting, mostly candidates, and I think we can make that happen for us in 2020 so we can change who is in the White House. Related | Why Everyone Is Thirst Trapping For Bernie Sanders Val Demings "I represent Orlando. I am reminded daily of the Pulse nightclub shooting where forty nine people lost their lives, and many more injured with visible and invisible wounds. I understand why people are disappointed and discouraged. But if we look back to some of the greatest leaders in our history they were young people who refused to accept the status quo. Dr. Martin Luther King was twenty six years old when he got involved with the Southern Christian Leadership Movement. Young people have always been, not just now, but always, been the energy, the strength, the talent, and the intellect behind serious movements, whether it was voting rights, women's rights, equal rights, housing. I would say take your disappointment and pain and turn it around. Become activists, be more dedicated and stronger than ever, because there is a roadmap from the past. "Young people have always been... the energy, the strength, the talent, and the intellect behind serious movements." - Val Demings Jan Schakowsky I think that the voices of young people, not just millennials, but Gen Z, like my grandson who took part in the school walk-outs for the climate. These things actually matter. Participating in these kind of activities is noticed. Since Florida, high school kids have gotten really involved and you know, they were so smart, that they went to Chicago and went right to the African American community to say, "See, it's not just from rich white kids get shot in their classroom but it's the everyday shootings that we see in Chicago, look at the loss of hope young people have because their world is so dangerous." I think there is more attention than ever, so getting involved it makes a difference. Kids can intern on campaigns or they can get active on a gun violence issue or the climate. Getting involved matters and works. Photos via Getty A mother-of-three who was called a 'paedophile' and told to 'kill herself' for breastfeeding her three-year-old toddler in public has argued that it's more normal than giving your child takeaway food, pharmaceuticals and dairy milk from a cow. A photograph of Sarah Mills, 33, holding her son Morrison on the floor of a Target store while he fed went viral last week, with parents divided over whether the child was 'too old' to be breastfed. Sarah, who lives on the mid north coast of New South Wales, said she had settled onto the floor after getting 'anxiety' during the annual back to school shopping spree. A photograph of Sarah Mills, 33, (pictured) holding her son Morrison on the floor of a Target store while he fed went viral last week During this time her son said he was hungry so she happily settled him down while her daughter Monroe, seven, snapped the now famous image During this time her son said he was hungry so she happily settled him down while her daughter Monroe, seven, snapped the now famous image, which was later uploaded to her blog Amongst the Stars. In response to others telling Sarah that she should hide herself while breastfeeding in public, the mum conducted a hilarious photoshoot around her local Target store in all the places that the trolls told her to go. 'My whole existence is my children. I would give my life to ensure they are safe and cared for,' she said. In response to others telling Sarah that she should hide herself while breastfeeding in public, the mum conducted a hilarious photoshoot around her local Target store in all the places that the trolls told her to go With some labeling her a 'child abuser' and 'sex offender' Sarah, who also has a 10-year-old son named Hendrix, was 'torn to shreds' for feeding a child older than one 'How backwards we have become in the year 2020. Parents can load their children up with takeaways, pharmaceuticals, over the counter meds, dairy milk laden with cow pus and sugary soft drinks... but a woman nurturing and comforting her child is child abuse?' With some labeling her a 'child abuser' and 'sex offender' Sarah, who also has a 10-year-old son named Hendrix, was 'torn to shreds' for feeding a child older than one. 'How sick and disturbing to attack a woman for doing the most selfless and natural thing on this earth,' she said. 'I went and "tried out" some of the suggestions from the internet about how I should breastfeed my child. I didn't like them, so I'll keep feeding anywhere and everywhere I choose.' The comments from other parents were extremely disturbing and not at all supportive of her choice to breastfeed in public (pictured) 'How sick and disturbing to attack a woman for doing the most selfless and natural thing on this earth,' she said Sarah said that Morrison had a condition that meant he could easily choke on food. As a result the toddler will at times refuse to eat an adequate amount of food because he has a fear of choking, so Sarah is happy to breastfeed him to keep him healthy and nourished while they work to improve his eating habits. 'So much malnourishment and chronic illness, along with an array of other issues in our western children these days, could be curbed and improved with extended breastfeeding,' she said. Overall Sarah was most disturbed by the shaming and abuse coming from 'the sisterhood'. 'How on earth can we as women demand respect from men when we aren't even respecting each other?' She said. 'You can't claim girl power but only for things that align with your views. You can't start a sentence with "I support breastfeeding but"... you either support it or you don't.' MANILA, Philippines Filipinos who will be repatriated this week from Chinas Hubei province, which was hit by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) will be quarantined at the New Clark City in Tarlac, the Department of Health (DOH) said on Thursday. We plan to bring back our fellow Filipinos here in the country as seamlessly and efficiently as possible. Procedures were set into place from the moment our OFW kababayans board the plane up until their arrival at New Clark City, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said in a statement. Authorities earlier said that more than 40 Filipino workers from China are expected to arrive at the Clark International Airport in Pampanga on Saturday. The DOH said that before the arrival of repatriated Filipinos, they will first be oriented on the quarantine process, and will be asked to fill-out health cards and other necessary documents. Upon alighting the plane, returning Filipinos from Hubei will be screened by the Bureau of Quarantine, Duque said. Those who will be found exhibiting symptoms of the virus, including cough, colds, fever, and difficulty in breathing, shall immediately be admitted as patients under investigation (PUIs) at identified hospitals. While asymptomatic Filipinos or those who are now showing any symptoms of the disease will be transported to the quarantine facility, Duque said. The Health chief assured that all luggage, vehicles, and aircrafts used in the transport of returning Filipinos will be disinfected by the Center for Health Development (CHD) Central Luzon. During the quarantine period, one room will be allotted per person to ensure the patients safety and convenience. The room can also accommodate a family of three. The health department also said that quarantined persons will have limited movement inside the building. Packed lunch will be served and prepared for them every day within the facility, Duque said. He added that the DOH will be managing the entire quarantine process and that hospitals under the agency, especially those near the New Clark City, will be asked to deploy medical teams in the quarantine area. Story continues We will be providing the needed medical logistics including hygiene kits, disinfectant solutions, transportation, and other things that will be needed in the quarantine process, Duque said. Upon completion of the 14-day quarantine period, discharged persons will be facilitated by the Overseas Workers Welfare Authority in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs. Rest assured that all our kababayans will be treated with utmost care and dignity as they go through the whole process of repatriation, Duque said. The Fort Magsaysay Drug Rehabilitation Center in Nueva Ecija was earlier reported to be among the proposed venues for the mandatory 14-day quarantine of repatriated Filipinos. According to Duque, the Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases finalized the venue as well as the protocols relating to the repatriation and quarantine process after they inspected the facility in Capas, Tarlac on Thursday. The post Filipinos repatriated from virus-hit China to be quarantined at New Clark City DOH appeared first on UNTV News. Amnesty International on Thursday accused Nigerian government and Cross River state government of manipulating the criminal justice system in order to keep detained Nigerian journalist, Agba Jalingo behind bars. The human right group said Mr Jalingos detention, besides being a stain on Nigerias image, shows just how far (Nigerian) authorities can go to silence critics. Mr Jalingo, the publisher of CrossRiverWatch, was arrested on August 22, 2019, over a report alleging that Cross River governor, Ben Ayade, diverted N500 million belonging to the state. Mr Jalingo, who is facing treason charges, is detained in Calabar prison. The court has refused to grant him bail. If convicted, he could face up to life in prison or the death penalty, Amnesty said. Amnesty is among the several organisations within and outside Nigeria putting pressure on the Nigerian government to free the journalist declared a prisoner of conscience last year by the human right group. While Agba Jalingo is detained for his critical opinions, both Cross River and federal governments are collaborating, through the manipulation of the criminal justice system to keep him behind bars, the Amnesty spokesperson, Sanusi Isa, told reporters in Calabar. Other officials of Amnesty present at the press briefing were Damian Ugwu and Ayoola Emmanuel. Amnesty said Mr Jalingos trial falls short of international standard of fairness and has exposed the weakness of Nigerias criminal justice system. Twice Agba Jalingo was denied bail. We are concerned that Agba Jalingos trial falls short of international standards of fairness, especially because the court has allowed witnesses to be masked and the trial to be held in secret. The flawed charges and sham trial of Agba Jalingo have exposed the inadequacies and manipulation of the Nigerian criminal justice system and an unacceptable contempt for human rights and the rule of law, Mr Isa said. Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State and the government of President Muhammadu Buhari must stop filing bogus and politically motivated charges against critics and start listening to what they have to say. READ ALSO: The case of Agba Jalingo is just one of many cases of blatant violations of the right to freedom of expression and media freedom in Cross River state and several parts of Nigeria. Joseph Odok was also unlawfully detained and later charged with terrorism solely for expressing critical opinion on social media. This pattern of repression in Cross River state flagrantly violates the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 (as amended) and international and regional human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights to which Nigeria is a state party. The Cross River state authorities must stop the repression. The authorities must respect, protect, promote and ensure the right to freedom of expression and media freedom, the group said. Amnesty said it would continue to push for Mr Jalingos immediate and unconditional release. It said it would also work with other NGOs to hold the Cross River state government to account for the increasing assault on human rights. Governor Ayade recently broke his silence on Mr Jalingos case, saying it is the federal government, and not Cross River state government, that is detaining the journalist. In court, it is Federal Government versus Agba Jalingo, not Cross River State, Mr Ayade told reporters on January 27 at the presidential villa, Abuja, where he went to meet President Muhammadu Buhari. Hes in court for treason, a state does not have power to try anyone for treason, its not me. Mr Ayade said the journalists arrest and trial are in connection with Omoyele Sowores #RevolutionNow protest. Mr Jalingo, the governor said, wanted to overthrow the government of President Buhari. Advertisements Mr Ayade described Mr Jalingo as his brother. He said he had been rendering help to the detained journalist until he (Jalingo) turned against him and began blackmailing him because, according to him, he was unable to give him some money he requested. Please dont get it wrong, Agba Jalingo is not just from Cross River State, hes not just from Obudu, where I also come from, hes my brother. Please ask Agba Jalingo, that CrossRiverWatch, the first person to give him money to set up the office was myself. His official vehicle, it was me. I dont have to list all of these, he knows that I have funded and supported him, but journalism stops where blackmail becomes part of your strategy. Today you need something, then Ayade is a good man and you start writing all the good things, but if I take my phone and show you our WhatsApp communication, you will call me a godly man. Today I need money to set up a computer school, tomorrow I need money to feed my birds, the other day I need to be INNOSONs sole distributor in Cross River State, I do all that. But when I dont get a thing right you go to the social media and write something as careless as Governor Ayade has taken N500 million to Russia. You impugned my fathers name, my character, my family name, for just a personal request that Ive not met, out of many that I have met, Mr Ayade said. The governor, however, said he was working behind the scene to get Mr Jalingo released from detention. Coronavirus outbreak to hit Vietnams pangasius, shrimp exports in short-term by Toan Dao February 06,2020 | Source: SeafoodSource The spread of the deadly coronavirus is drawing concern from fisheries authorities and seafood exporters in Vietnam as it begins to cause delays in the countrys trading with China. However, Vietnamese seafood companies and executives interviewed by SeafoodSource said they are still projecting the impact of the outbreak will not hinder trade for long. Seafood exports from Vietnam to China will face headwinds in the first quarter of this year, as many importers in China have notified exporters in Vietnam that they are unable to receive goods before 9 February due to restrictions on transportation in China, according to a statement from Navico, one of Vietnams top pangasius producers. Exports of pangasius to China are likely to slow down in early 2020 due to the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, Navico said in a 3 February statement. According to Navico, Vietnam exported pangasius worth USD 728.6 million (EUR 656.5 million) to China (including Hong Kong) last year, up 37 percent from 2018. Navicos sales to China (including Hong Kong) were USD 45.5 million (EUR 41 million) in 2019, soaring 57 percent year-on-year, making China the biggest buyer of the companys pangasius. The coronavirus epidemic could actually turn into an opportunity for seafood to gain greater market share in China, according to Navico. Once the virus is brought under control, demand for pangasius could rise sharply, as it has a reputation for being disease-free and is priced reasonably. Additionally, it is plentiful, which will be an important factor following the catastrophic impact of swine flu and a growing outbreak of bird flu in Chinas Hunan Province, which have caused shortfalls in pork and chicken. Navico said it is monitoring the Chinese market closely and can increase its shipments to China with less than one weeks notice. However, the immediate impacts of the coronavirus outbreak are being seen in the stock prices of Vietnams publicly traded seafood firms. The VN-Index fell for its third consecutive session on 3 February, with the index down 0.91 percent to 928.14 points, its lowest mark since 11 February last year, due to the coronavirus contagion. Top pangasius exporters saw their shares plunge, including Vinh Hoan, down 6.88 percent to VND 32,500 (USD 1.40, EUR 1.26) per share; Navico, down 6.99 percent to VND 17,950 (USD 0.77, EUR 0.70) per share; and I.D.I., down 6.86 percent to VND 4,210 (USD 0.18, EUR 0.16) per share. Shrimp exporters shares also fell, with Minh Phu falling 1.45 percent to VND 20,400 (USD 0.88, EUR 0.79) and Fimex losing 2.75 percent to VND 24,800 (USD 1.00, EUR 0.96) per share. Fimex (Sao Ta) Chairman Ho Quoc Luc told SeafoodSource on 3 February that the impact on the companys shipments to China may last for up to a few months. He expects the development of a vaccine for the coronavirus to be released soon, which will stem investor fear and help eventually convince the authorities in China to lift travel and import restrictions. But Luc played down the potential of any significant long-term impacts on Vietnamese shrimp exports to China. As of now, I see no clear impacts on sales of Vietnamese shrimp, said Luc, also the former chairman of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP). Luc said demand for shrimp from China will likely drop during the epidemic between now and April. But Vietnam is not able to provide a massive supply to China during this time period anyway, because the new farming season is just beginning in the Mekong Delta. Moreover, Vietnam can easily export its giant tiger shrimp, still the favorite choice of Chinese buyers, to other markets if difficulties in shipping to China continue, he said. Nonetheless, Vietnamese trade authorities are on high alert as they seek to navigate the shifting marketplace. Senior government officials held an urgent meeting on 3 February, after which Vietnamese Agriculture Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong said the countrys agro-forestry-fisheries sector of Vietnam will be hit the hardest from the shut-down of the Chinese market. Last week, the Import-Export Department of Vietnams Ministry of Industry and Trade warned that due to strict anti-epidemic measures put in place by China, transportation of goods between provinces and cities across China has become extremely difficult. Anticipating possible hurdles from exports to China, the Agriculture Ministry will dispatch delegations to Dubai on 15 February, the United States on 22 February, and Brazil in March to explore opportunities for expanding exports of agro-forestry-fisheries products to these markets, the ministry said. China is the top market for agro-forestry-fisheries products from Vietnam, with sales value of USD 8.47 billion (EUR 7.63 billion) last year, down 2.6 percent from 2018. Vietnam exported seafood worth USD 1.23 billion (EUR 1.11 billion) to China last year, up 23 percent from 2018. In 2019, China became the largest buyer of its pangasius, and it was also a top importer of Vietnamese shrimp. Exports of seafood products from Vietnam to China mainly travel via land-border gates and ocean shipping. VASEP has called on authorities to tighten controls over shipments via land borders to prevent fraud. As of October 2019, between 80 and 90 percent of seafood products from Vietnams major suppliers were now traveling to China via ocean shipping, with the remainder being shipped by smaller companies overland, VASEP Chairman Truong Dinh Hoe has said. The rapid outbreak of the coronavirus, with an origin reportedly tracked to a seafood market in Wuhan, China, has killed more than 350 people in mainland China and has spread to more than 20 countries, the South China Morning Post reported 3 February. Minh Phu Chairman and CEO Le Van Quang told SeafoodSource on 3 February that making market predictions is dificult at the moment. Difficulties will arise but opportunities will come along, Quang said. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade on 4 February, the shutdown of McDonald restaurants and many others in China has negatively affected consumption of fish fillets and other species. VASEP Deputy General Secretary Nguyen Hoai Nam told a government meeting on 3 February that Chinese buyers have not canceled but have delayed seafood cargoes from Vietnam due to transportation restrictions in China. This has resulted in growing stockpiles, adding to costs for major exporters in Vietnam. A number of shipping companies have also stopped receiving cargoes to China. Nam said he expects the demand for frozen seafood in China will rise and demand for live species will go down in the next three to five months, once the outbreak is contained. Therefore, exporters should be prepared at that time to boost shipments of frozen goods to China, Nam said. 2020 Diversified Communications. All rights reserved. Theme(s): Others. Matthew Davies, 47, of Dunfermline, Scotland, pleaded guilty on Jan. 17 to assault and robbery in the case of a bumbling Bank of Scotland holdup in September, the Daily Record reported. On that day, Davies charged into the bank with a meat cleaver in hand and a pillowcase over his head. Unfortunately, he had neglected to cut eye holes in the pillowcase and therefore couldn't see -- so he had to take it off. Undeterred, Davies used the cleaver to batter a glass partition on the counter and eventually took off with almost 2,000 pounds, casually wandering toward home, even stopping to pet a dog along the way. One brave customer of the bank followed Davies to his home and alerted police; there they found cash and the pillowcase, along with a stun gun. He'll be sentenced in February. It just keeps going and going .... Antoine McDonald, 21, of Altamonte Springs, Florida, became famous last year for dressing up as the Easter Bunny in Orlando, but he found his costume unhelpful on Jan. 16 after ramming his motorcycle into a carport, which collapsed on a car parked there, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The motorcycle then hit a fence and flipped over, and a neighbor observed the Easter Bunny limping away from the scene. When officers caught up with McDonald, lying in the back seat of a car, he denied involvement in the crash: "I wasn't in any crash. I'm the Orlando Easter Bunny. Google it," he claimed. "The bunny appeared to be alive," officers reported, according to the Orlando Sentinel, and they asked him to remove the costume before arresting him and transporting him to the hospital for rib and leg injuries sustained in the crash. Dumping ground A mystery was solved on Jan. 22 in Natick, Massachusetts, when police arrested Andrea F. Grocer, 51, of Ashland, on suspicion of defecating in front of the Natick Outdoor Store eight times over the last four months. Henry Kanner, the store's owner, had reported the incidents to police in December, and officers first thought an animal might be the culprit -- until they found "toilet paper and other wipes," Natick police spokesperson Lt. Cara Rossi told The MetroWest Daily News. Some of the incidents had been recorded by surveillance video, but police hadn't been able to identify a license plate. During extra patrols of the parking lot, they spotted Grocer at 6:51 a.m. as she prepared to leave her mark again, police said. "I have no idea who she is," Kanner said, adding that he knows of no connection she has with the store. Grocer's lawyer described her as a "pillar of the community." Gassed up United Press International reported that an unnamed man in Orlando, Florida, got a little mixed up as he tried to fill his boat's gas tank before a fishing trip on Jan. 27. Rather than putting the gas nozzle into the fuel tank, the man inserted it into a fishing pole holder and pumped 30 gallons of gas directly into the cockpit. Orange County Fire Rescue was called to the 7-Eleven, and a hazmat team siphoned most of the errant gas from the boat before the fisherman filled up the actual tank and went on his way. Oops! In June 2019, the city of Roubaix, France, proudly announced it had installed 187 solar panels to generate electricity for the city's library, and paid a local company about $113,000 for the "green" equipment. But during the installation of a wind turbine to supplement the clean energy effort in December, workers noticed the solar panels had never been connected to the library's electrical network. Oddity Central reported the panels were intended to supply about a quarter of the library's needed power, but "we realized this was not the case," admitted Alexandre Garcin, the city's deputy mayor, who did not elaborate on why it took six months to figure out the oversight. Creepy Houston mother Emily Madonia's nightmare began in 2015, when the Elsa (from "Frozen") doll her daughter received for Christmas 2013 began reciting lines from the movie in both English and Spanish; originally it had only spoken English. Next, the doll began speaking and singing randomly, even when her on/off switch was in the OFF position. In December 2019, Madonia threw the doll out, Click2Houston reported, but she and her husband later found the doll in a bench inside their home. So they double wrapped the doll in plastic bags and "put it in the bottom of our garbage can," Madonia wrote on Facebook. Days later, her daughter found the doll again in the backyard. Finally, Madonia sent the doll to a friend who lives in Minnesota, where it remained at press time. In the meantime, Madonia has been contacted by paranormal investigators and the Travel Channel. Coattails Ben Lilly, 40, on his way to Halifax in West Yorkshire, England, on Jan. 25 passed an object in the road that looked like a dead animal -- a leopard, to be specific. Lilly stopped and turned around, carefully approaching the large cat. He told Metro News his heart was racing and he was afraid his face might be "ripped off" by the beast. "I saw the markings on it. It had the tail bit on it, too," Lilly said. "But as soon as I looked at it from the other angle, I started laughing." It turned out to be a leopard-print jumpsuit, complete with tail. Lilly speculated on Facebook it might be "some tart's coat from last night. ... It was Saturday morning and Halifax is a bit of a drinking town." Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 [February 06, 2020] Aurora, IL's Mayor Irvin hosted the grand opening of Simplify Healthcare's new office Simplify Healthcare, a leading healthcare solutions company providing end-to-end solutions for Health Plans, announced the opening of a new office in Aurora, IL. Coming off a record growth in 2019, the new office space doubles the office footprint and supports the company's continued rapid expansion in 2020 and beyond. To celebrate the opening of this new and exciting space, Simplify Healthcare held a Grand Opening on the afternoon of February 5. As a significant new player in the region, Aurora, IL's Mayor Richard Irvin joined the celebrations and welcomed Simplify Healthcare as an exciting technology company in the area. Along with this, the Mayor presented our CEO, Mohammed Vaid with the Mayor's Award of Excellence. "Simplify Healthcarehas seen rapid growth since its inception in 2008. We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new Aurora office as this is a significant milestone for us". - Mohammed Vaid, CEO/Chief Architect, Simplify Healthcare ABOUT SIMPLIFY HEALTHCARE Simplify Healthcare is a rapidly growing technology solutions company that addresses the toughest challenges facing Health Plans in today's competitive marketplace. Simplify Healthcare was awarded the Deloitte (News - Alert) 2018 Technology Fast 500, recognized in the 2018 Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest-growing private companies, listed as a sample vendor in 2018 Gartner (News - Alert) Hype Cycle for value-based reconciliation solutions, won the 2018 Corp! Magazine Michigan's Bright Spot award and Corp! 2016 Technology Innovation award, was named the sole leader in IDC's (News - Alert) Health Plan Product/Plan Benefit Configuration Solutions Vendor Assessment in 2016 and voted the Best Newcomer for 2014 at the Healthcare IT Summit. For more information, please visit www.simplifyhealthcare.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005829/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Story Highlights Americans' satisfaction with personal life highest in four-decade trend Two in three Americans say they are very satisfied, also a new high High-income households, Republicans, married adults the most satisfied WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Nine in 10 Americans are satisfied with the way things are going in their personal life, a new high in Gallup's four-decade trend. The latest figure bests the previous high of 88% recorded in 2003. These results are from Gallup's Mood of the Nation poll, conducted Jan. 2-15, which also recorded a 20-year high in Americans' confidence in the U.S. economy. The percentage of Americans who report being satisfied with their personal life is similar to the 86% who said in December that they were very or fairly happy -- though the happiness figure, while high, is on the low end of what Gallup has measured historically for that question. Despite some variation, solid majorities of Americans have reported being satisfied with their personal life over the past few decades, with an average of 83% satisfied since 1979. The historical low of 73% was recorded in July 1979, as the effects of that year's oil crisis took a toll on U.S. motorists. During that poll's fielding dates, then-President Jimmy Carter delivered his "malaise speech," which was interpreted by some as placing blame on Americans themselves for the rough economic spot the country was in. A 2019 survey on 10 aspects of Americans' lives found that they are most satisfied with their family life, their education and the way they spend their leisure time -- and least satisfied with the amount of leisure time they have, their household income and their job. Two in Three 'Very' Satisfied With Direction of Personal Life Gallup has asked a follow-up question since 2001 to measure the extent to which Americans are satisfied or dissatisfied with their personal life. The 65% of U.S. adults who are currently "very satisfied" marks a new high in the two-decade trend. The more nuanced satisfaction ratings reveal that the relatively small four-percentage-point drop in personal satisfaction from 2007 to 2008 -- as the global economic crisis unfolded -- obscured greater movement (12 points) in the percentage "very" versus "somewhat" satisfied. Income, Political Party, Marital Status the Biggest Factors in Satisfaction Household income, political party affiliation and marital status are associated with the largest subgroup differences in Americans' satisfaction with their personal life. Roughly 95% of Americans who live in high-income households, who identify as Republicans and who are married say they are satisfied with their personal life -- and about three in four among each of these groups are very satisfied. Meanwhile, adults in low-income households are the least likely to say they are satisfied with their life, followed by Democrats and unmarried adults. Among each of these groups, small majorities report being very satisfied. Low-income Americans hold the distinction of having the lowest percentage very satisfied. Smaller differences in personal satisfaction are seen by race and gender. Whites are a bit more likely than nonwhites to say they are satisfied (92% vs. 86%, respectively) or very satisfied (67% vs. 59%) with their personal life. And men report slightly higher levels of satisfaction than do women. U.S. Satisfaction With Personal Life, by Subgroup Ranked by % Satisfied Satisfied Very satisfied % % $100,000+ 96 76 Republicans 93 80 Married 93 74 College graduate only 93 71 Men 92 67 Postgraduate 92 66 Age 18-34 92 62 $40,000-<$100,000 92 66 Whites 92 67 Age 55+ 90 67 Have children under 18 90 68 Have no children under 18 89 64 Some college 89 63 Independents 89 60 Age 35-54 87 63 High school or less 87 62 Women 87 63 Nonwhites 86 59 Unmarried 86 56 Democrats 86 56 <$40,000 80 54 Gallup, Jan. 2-15, 2020 Bottom Line It's likely no coincidence that Americans' heightened satisfaction with their personal life comes as confidence in the U.S. economy and their personal finances are also at long-term or record highs. That two in three Americans are very satisfied is reflective of this upbeat moment in time, and whether these sentiments carry through the coming decade will be something to watch. The vast majority of Americans in all major demographic and political subgroups are content with the way their lives are going, but the additional question on how satisfied they are provides more insight. Some groups -- wealthier households, Republicans, married people -- report especially high levels of satisfaction, while lower-income Americans, Democrats and those who are unmarried report more tepid satisfaction. View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. MIAMI Six American oil executives under house arrest in Venezuela were rounded up by police hours after President Donald Trump met Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduros chief opponent at the White House, according to family members of the men. Alirio Zambrano said early Thursday that the executives of Houston-based Citgo were abruptly taken from their homes last night by the SEBIN intelligence police. Zambrano, the brother of two of the six detained men, said their current whereabouts are unknown. We demand to know they are safe but more importantly their freedom! Zambrano said on social media, adding that he was very worried about the detainees. The State Department and Maduros government have yet to comment. But the move comes two months after the men were granted house arrest and just hours after Trump welcomed opposition leader Juan Guaido to the White House in a show of support for his flagging, year-old campaign to oust Maduro. In Washington on Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stood alongside Guaido and called for the release of the American oil executives. Maduro condemned Trumps embrace of Guaido while socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello, who is widely seen as the second most powerful person in Venezuelas government, vowed to retaliate for the meeting. Every time they do something, were going to turn harder to the left and see who squeals, Cabello said Wednesday night in his weekly TV program. The six men were hauled away by masked security agents while at a meeting in Caracas just before Thanksgiving in 2017. They had been lured to Venezuela in order to attend a meeting at the headquarters of Citgos parent, state-run oil giant PDVSA. The group flew out on a corporate jet. They included Tomeu Vadell, vice president of refining; Gustavo Cardenas, head of strategic shareholder relations as well as government and public affairs; Jorge Toledo, vice president of supply and marketing; Alirio Zambrano, vice president and general manager of Citgos Corpus Christi refinery; Jose Luis Zambrano, vice president of shared services; and Jose Angel Pereira, the president of Citgo. In recent weeks, speculation has swirled that Maduros government may release the men in a bid to mend ties with the Trump administration, which has been aggressively pushing for his removal. The men are awaiting trial on corruption charges stemming from a never executed plan to refinance some $4 billion in Citgo bonds by offering a 50% stake in the company as collateral. Prosecutors accuse the men of maneuvering to benefit from the proposed deal. But many believe the men, five of whom are naturalized U.S. citizens and the other a legal resident, are being held as political bargaining chips as relations between the U.S. and Venezuela have deteriorated. They cite as evidence of irregularities the decisions by Venezuelan Judge Rosvelin Gil to postpone 15 straight times a preliminary hearing. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in April called for the mens release after meeting with family members at the White House. We are going to stand with you until they are free and until Venezuela is free, he said at the time. Its unclear whether Guaido discussed the men during his meeting Wednesday with Trump. A senior U.S. official briefing reporters in advance of the visit didnt mention the detention. Family members in the U.S. last spoke to the men Wednesday afternoon, according to a person familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity and wasnt authorized to discuss the matter. Shortly after, the men were all rearrested during raids within a short span of one another, the person said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram New York, February 6, 2020 Tajikistan authorities should immediately release journalist Daler Sharifov, drop all charges against him, and allow him to work unobstructed, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Police in Dushanbe, the capital, raided Sharifovs home on January 28 and confiscated a computer and several books, according to a report by the independent regional news website Fergana. Later that day, authorities summoned him to a local police station and detained him for questioning, according to that report. Sharifov is an independent reporter who often writes about the lives of Muslims in Tajikistan, according to Saymuddin Dustov, an exiled Tajik journalist and chair of the European Congress of Tajik Journalists and Bloggers, a freedom of expression group, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app. On January 30, Sharifovs family learned that the Tajik state security agency, the State Committee of National Security, was holding the journalist in pretrial detention, according to Dustov, who is a friend of Sharifovs and who has been following the case. The Tajik prosecutor-generals office issued a statement on February 1 announcing that Sharifov had been charged with inciting ethnic, racial, and religious hatred. The charges stemmed from more than 200 articles and commentaries containing extremist content he published between 2013 and 2019, according to that statement. The announcement did not specify which articles allegedly contained such content. Tajikistan is set to hold parliamentary elections on March 1, according to news reports. Tajikistan authorities should immediately drop the absurd charges against independent journalist Daler Sharifov, release him from custody, and allow him to continue his reporting, said Gulnoza Said, CPJs Europe and Central Asia program coordinator. Tajik officials have already driven nearly all independent voices out of the country, so this prosecution is a clear attempt to silence ahead of elections one of the few media critics that remain. Sharifov could be jailed for up to five years if found guilty, according to Tajikistans criminal code. The journalists father, Abdumannon Sharifov, denied the charges and said they were retaliation for his sons writing, according to Fergana. Dustov told CPJ that a judge filed the charges against Sharifov on January 30 and ordered the journalist to be held for two months pending trial. Sharifovs lawyer, Abdurakhmon Sharipov, was able to see the journalist only after he was charged and after signing a non-disclosure agreement on the case, Dustov said. From 2013 to 2019, Sharifov worked for the independent news website Ozodagon, which closed in 2019 after years of harassment and intimidation, according to regional news website Eurasianet. He also contributed to the now-defunct news website Rushnoi.tj and the Tajik service of the U.S.-Congress funded broadcaster Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, according to news reports and an article with his byline on RFE/RLs website. The Tajik prosecutor-generals office did not respond to CPJs emailed request for comment. In May 2012, unidentified assailants brutally beat Sharifov, who then worked for the state TV channel Safina, according to CPJ research. Universal Peace Federation Hosts World Summit 2020 SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the global panic around the coronavirus outbreak, 7,000 heads of state, entrepreneurs, academics, media and religious leaders journeyed to the KINTEX Exhibition Center in Korea from February 3-5 for peace talks to contribute their expertise to bringing solutions to conflict on every level of society. The Universal Peace Federation (UPF) has been the architect behind these talks with industry heavy hitters for the past 14 years. UPF is an NGO in General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Founded in 2005 by Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, it is a global network of individuals and organizations dedicated to building a world of peace centered on universal spiritual and moral values. More than 2,000 national and 5,000 regional representatives of governments, parliaments, religions, media, academia, the private sector and civil society, representing 171 nations, discussed how to be better custodians of our world and advocates for peaceful solutions to the many problems we face. In his opening plenary, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon commended UPF for its many inclusive programs and activities that bring together people of diverse backgrounds and faiths and encourages peaceful resolutions to the world's complex challenges. Newt Gingrich, former U.S. Speaker of the House, acknowledged the uniqueness of the occasion. "It is a reminder of how connected we all are. We are all bound together out of a common concern. The recent coronavirus outbreak and the wildfires in Australia are a reminder of why we need a movement of people working together in a peaceful way." Dr. Moon said in her Founder's address that the first step towards peace "is to understand God's essence and follow His will." She continued, "The way to solve the world's critical problems is by becoming true filial sons and daughters to God, our Heavenly Parent." Other esteemed speakers included the current prime minister of Cambodia Hun Sen, the vice president of the Philippines, current Deputy Speaker of Korea's National Assembly Hon. Lee Joo Young, Leni Robredo, former heads of state and government Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, Stephen Harper of Canada, Chuichi Date of Japan, Felipe Gonzalez of Spain, Dominique de Villepin of France, Carl Bildt of Sweden, Enda Kenny of Ireland, Enrico Letta of Italy and Jose Manuel Barroso of Portugal. "Without Mother Moon's vision, leadership and her absolute commitment-her love for God, her love for humanity-UPF's work would not be possible," said Dr. Thomas Walsh, Chairman of UPF International. Extra precautions were taken to ensure the safety and health of all participants. For further information visit www.upf.org Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1087082/UPF_World_Summit.jpg Burma Karen Rebel-Backed Firm, Govt to Study Industrial Estate Proposal in Myanmar's Deep South Soldiers of the Karen National Union (KNU) patrol during the 70th annual Karen National Revolution Day in Kaw Thoo Lei, Kayin State, on Jan. 31, 2019. / REUTERS YANGONThe Tanintharyi regional government and a company backed by a Karen armed group have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to conduct a feasibility study on a strategic industrial estate project on Monday that aims to link with two major regional economic corridors, one backed by China and the other by Japan. Five hours by road from Dawei, the capital of Tanintharyi Region in southern Myanmar, the Mae Tha Mee Khee Industrial Estate Project will cover nearly 5,000 acres (about 2,020 hectares) of land under the control of Myanmars oldest ethnic armed organization, the Karen National Union (KNU). The KNU signed the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) in 2015. Despite this, it is still involved in one of the longest-running conflicts with the Myanmar military, spanning nearly70 years. The project was covered in MOUs signed in December 2016, between the KNU-owned company Noble Prince; the privately held Sun and Rainbow company; and the Chinese state-owned company Power China. The agreement includes the construction of the Mae Tha Mee Khee Industrial Estate Project to develop production-based industrial facilities, and the Tanintharyi Renewable Energy Power Project to construct a dam on the Tanintharyi River. The project also includes several smaller related projects, including construction of a small port project in Myeik and a road that will link Htee Kee on the Myanmar-Thai border with Ka Net Thi Ri in Tanintharyi Region. The regional government said it had signed an agreement with Mae Tha Mee Khee region Industrial Co. Ltd to conduct the feasibility study. According to the Directorate of Investment and Company Administrations registration records, Mae Tha Mee Khee region Industrial Co. Ltd is a consortium of two companies: Noble Prince and Sun and Rainbow. The project is in a strategic location in southern Myanmar that is expected to link with both Japans Southern Economic Corridor connecting central Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand to the Dawei SEZ in southeastern Myanmar; and the China-backed Myanmar-Laos-Thai economic corridor. Chinese media have praised the project as a possible hub for exports to India and a place where manufacturers from Thailand can set up operations. It is a long-delayed project. As far as I know, the project proposal has also been submitted to the National Reconciliation and Peace Center [NRPC], Daw Yi Yi Cho, regional minister for planning and finance, told The Irrawaddy. We have to hold further detailed discussions on implementation, Daw Yi Yi Cho said. Last year, regional parliament members carried out a ground report including gathering views from the local community. In September 2018, the regional government signed approval for the project and submitted a proposal to the NRPC and Union government. Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win, the vice chairman of the KNU, told The Irrawaddy, The project is just an FS [feasibility study]; it will take time for the rest of the process to get off the ground. Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win said further implementation of the industrial zone will be managed by the KNUs Brigade 4 (Myeik-Dawei Region). In 2016, over 300 civil society organizations demanded the KNU show more transparency and consult with local Karen communities about projects. According to one of the previous MOUs, a KNU-owned company will own the projects, while private company Sun and Rainbow will operate the facilities. Moreover, Power China will be involved in providing the finances. The profit-sharing agreement and investment ratio amount have yet to be decided, according to the regional government. You may also like these stories: KNU to Elect New Leaders Military, KNU Leaders Hold Informal Talks in Yangon USDP Congratulates Newly-elected KNU Leaders MBABANE - MTN Spotlight champion Nsika Mazibuko who goes by the moniker Llucid has signed a record breaking deal with Kingdom Tales Records. He was born in Hlatikhulu. According to Head of Operations at Kingdom Tales, Melusi Zox Dlamini this is the biggest contract ever signed by a local artist. Dlamini revealed that when an artist signed with a music label, that label advanced the artist some of the money be projected to be made by the artist. This is part of the recording deal that Llucid won as first prize for the MTN Spotlight competition. Announce Im ecstatic to announce that my musical home will be Kingdom Tales Records and I am looking forward to a great and lucrative relationship with them wrote the artist on his Instagram page. Dlamini announced the signing on Tuesday on his Facebook page where pictures of the signing were also shared. He said they were excited as a recording label to welcome Llucid to the family who won the hearts of many during the MTN Spotlight competition which ran last year. We are a very small family where the only signed artist was Sands, who also serves as the labels director, however, we are pleased to grow our family and welcome Llucid. Dlamini revealed that the artist would be officially managed by Kingdom Tales Head of A & R Steven Mtetwa. Mtetwa was a founding partner at Claiming Ground Records, where he resigned a year ago to pursue other business interests. He has also worked with a host of local talents including Nomalungelo Dhladhla, Qibho Intalektual and Mozaik the Producer. He will now focus his energy exclusively on growing Llucid. Respect We know what he is capable of, we have great respect for his work ethic. His passion for music and hip hop in particular is evident as he is also one of the directors of Kingdom Tales and undoubtedly one of the best artist managers in the country, added Dlamini. It is anticipated that as one of his first projects with the label, Llucid would record an album which will be produced by Kingdom Tales Executive Producer and shareholder Mlungisi Mil G Ndwandwe, one of the most prolific producers of our time. Mil G received an honorary award at the MTN SWAMA awards in 2019 which was the Presidents Award. The signing ceremony was held at the MTN Mahlalekhukhwini house in Ezulwini this past Saturday with the then acting Chief Execuitve Officer, Sibusiso Nhleko. Efforts to get a comment from MTN Senior Manager Meshack Maseko proved futile as his phone rang unanswered until the time of going to print. Three attempts were made to reach Maseko. Karly B who was one of the judges at the MTN Spotlight said he was not in a position to comment on the issue as this matter involved a big corporate company. As federal officials prepare to receive evacuees from China at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland later this week, city health officials worked to allay concerns Wednesday that the people could be potential carriers of the novel coronavirus. Colleen Bridger, assistant city manager, said at a news conference that the city has received an influx of questions about the evacuees, who could arrive in San Antonio as soon as Friday. While the quarantine at JBSA-Lackland is federally run and federally overseen, Bridger said that the city would provide transportation should anyone require medical care of any kind at a local hospital. Bridger said there have been a number of hospital facilities that have been identified for different problems that might arise, but she declined to disclose which ones. When they do get here, and if they do need transport to a hospital, we know exactly where they would go, and it will depend on what they need, she said. Michelle Vigil, a Metro Health spokeswoman, said those facilities are not being publicly identified due to federal patient privacy laws. Officials in China say the virus has killed 563 people. The number of confirmed cases reached more than 28,000 in 25 countries, including 12 in the U.S. but none in Texas. Health officials stressed that the evacuees arrival in San Antonio poses a low risk to the general public. Bridger said the lack of confirmed coronavirus cases in Texas indicates that the virus is not something hugely worrisome at this point for the people of San Antonio. Ten thousand people in the United States have died this year from the flu, an illness that we have a vaccine to prevent, an illness that we are very comfortable with and very familiar with, Bridger said. But that is a much bigger threat to the publics health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said up to 1,000 people being transported from China to the U.S. will be screened for the deadly virus after arriving at Travis AFB in California. The agency said anyone exhibiting fever or other symptoms will be taken to a hospital, and only healthy passengers would fly on to Lackland, where they would remain under quarantine in room blocks at the bases Gateway Inn. CDC representatives have said that the people in quarantine will have no contact with anyone on base or in the community. In a statement Wednesday, the agency said the passengers being transported to Lackland have been screened, monitored and evaluated by medical and public health personnel every step of the way. They will be issued quarantine orders in effect for up to 14 days after their departure from Wuhan, the city in Chinas Hubei province that is the virus epicenter. On Wednesday, federal officials held a town hall at Lackland to answer questions from military personnel and families, but they barred the media from attending. A CDC spokesperson did not respond to questions about the reasoning behind the decision. On ExpressNews.com: Americans evacuated from China to be quarantined at JBSA-Lackland Now Playing: Empty lodging facilities at JBSA-Lackland are being prepared for people who may have been exposed to the coronavirus in China. Video: Department of Defense U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro criticized the Trump administration on Wednesday for failing to give his office any warning about a quarantine at Lackland which he said shows a stark disregard for the people of San Antonio. Castro, a Democrat whose congressional district includes Lackland, said he and his staff only learned of the plan through media reports. Initially, they were unable to address residents questions about the plan. He said his staff has since been in touch with federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the State Department, Health and Human Services, the CDC and others, and were going to continue now that weve engaged them to get more info for the people of San Antonio about whats going on. Thats the kind of lack of preparation, disrespect, lack of coordination by which this administration operates, Castro said. In addition to supporting the federal quarantine efforts at Lackland, city officials are also responsible for actively monitoring any people returning to San Antonio after visiting China. So far, no one has. . lcaruba@express-news.net | ben.wermund@chron.com After weeks of uncertainty, Montrealers Megan Millward, Lie Zhang and their two young children will come home on the first government flight repatriating Canadians from the region of China that is at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak. It was all thanks to a mistake, the couple says, that led them to drive into the wrong parking lot and enter the wrong door of the airport in Wuhan, which allowed Zhang to join the family for screening. "It was just a fluke. They said, 'Oh, you're in the wrong place, but we'll get you to the right place," Millward said in an interview with CBC News Network as the family waited to board the flight. Because Zhang is a permanent resident of Canada and not a citizen, the government had not included him on the flight manifest. The federal government had initially said it would only allow citizens on the flight, which led to confusion over who would accompany children who are citizens but whose parents are permanent residents. Officials then said they would allow permanent residents to travel with otherwise unaccompanied minors. Still, that did not get Zhang on the list because Millward is a citizen. For days, the family struggled to find out if there would be a way to guarantee him a spot on the flight. "We were very stressed. Very nervous," Millward said. Submitted by Megan Millward The family had access to a car and Zhang has a Chinese driver's license and so was able to act as their driver in getting through the multiple checkpoints set up on roads in the region as a result of the quarantine. Once they had access to Canadian officials at the airport, Zhang and Millward explained their situation. Watch Zhang and Millward speak from the Wuhan airport: "I thought there might be a chance that I would be able to get on the plane," Zhang said. "So, I waited and waited and we told them our situation, that our kids are so young and we really hope that we can stay together." Zhang and Millward's children are two and six years old. The family had travelled to the countryside outside Wuhan in January to visit Zhang's relatives for the Lunar New Year, before the city was put under quarantine. Story continues Submitted by Megan Millward "Finally, they confirmed, 'Yes, you are able to go,' so that was great, great news," he said. "We're very happy, very relieved that we'll be able to get back on Canadian soil." The Canadian plane is expected to land at the Canadian Forces Base in Trenton, Ont. It will stop in Vancouver to refuel, but passengers will not be permitted to disembark. The passengers will spend 14 days in quarantine at a hotel in Trenton, where they will be monitored by medical staff. The Russian Foreign Ministry said that Russian and Turkish military experts died in Idlib in the past two weeks. "In mid-January, the Russian and Turkish militaries made another effort to introduce a ceasefire in the Idlib de-escalation zone. However, instead of reducing their military activities, terrorists increased attacks," TASS cited the statement as saying. "Russian and Turkish military experts have died tragically. Drone attacks on Russias Hmeymim Air Base are ongoing," the ministry noted. Yves here. Emergency room doctors already have difficult jobs.the thought of having them made draining by too often poorly-fitting routines. By Melissa Bailey, a Boston-based correspondent on the KHN enterprise team, whose stories have appeared in The Washington Post, TIME, USA Today, PBS, the Chicago Tribune and other publications. She was a Nieman Journalism Fellow and previously reported for Stat. Originally published at Kaiser Health News Dr. Keith Corl was working in a Las Vegas emergency room when a patient arrived with chest pain. The patient, wearing his street clothes, had a two-minute exam in the triage area with a doctor, who ordered an X-ray and several other tests. But later, in the treatment area, when Corl met the man and lifted his shirt, it was clear the patient had shingles. Corl didnt need any tests to diagnose the viral infection that causes a rash and searing pain. All those tests? They turned out to be unnecessary and left the patient with over $1,000 in extra charges. The excessive testing, Corl said, stemmed from a model of emergency care that forces doctors to practice fast and loose medicine. Patients get a battery of tests before a doctor even has time to hear their story or give them a proper exam. Were just shotgunning, Corl said. The shingles case is one of hundreds of examples that have led to his exasperation and burnout with emergency medicine. Whats driving the burnout, he argued, is something deeper a sense of moral injury.SIGN UP Corl, a 42-year-old assistant professor of medicine at Brown University, is among a growing number of physicians, nurses, social workers and other clinicians who are using the phrase moral injury to describe their inner struggles at work. The term comes from war: It was first used to explain why military veterans were not responding to standard treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. Moral injury, as defined by researchers from veterans hospitals, refers to the emotional, physical and spiritual harm people feel after perpetrating, failing to prevent, or bearing witness to acts that transgress deeply held moral beliefs and expectations. Drs. Wendy Dean and Simon Talbot, a psychiatrist and a surgeon, were the first to apply the term to health care. Both wrestled with symptoms of burnout themselves. They concluded that moral injury better described the root cause of their anguish: They knew how best to care for their patients but were blocked from doing so by systemic barriers related to the business side of health care. That idea resonates with clinicians across the country: Since they penned an op-ed in Stat in 2018, Dean and Talbot have been flooded with emails, comments, calls and invitations to speak on the topic. Burnout has long been identified as a major problem facing medicine: 4 in 10 physicians report feelings of burnout, according to a 2019 Medscape report. And the physician suicide rate is more than double that of the general population. Dean said she and Talbot have given two dozen talks on moral injury. The response from each place has been consistent and surprising: This is the language weve been looking for for the last 20 years. Dean said that response has come from clinicians across disciplines, who wrestle with what they consider barriers to quality care: insurance preauthorization, trouble making patient referrals, endless clicking on electronic health records. Those barriers can be particularly intense in emergency medicine. Corl said he has been especially frustrated by a model of emergency medicine called provider-in-triage. It aims to improve efficiency but, he said, prioritizes speed at the cost of quality care. In this system, a patient who shows up to an ER is seen by a doctor in a triage area for a rapid exam lasting less than two minutes. In theory, a doctor in triage can more quickly identify patients ailments and get a head start on solving them. The patient is usually wearing street clothes and sitting in a chair. These brief encounters may be good for business: They reduce the door to doc time how long it takes to see a doctor that hospitals sometimes boast about on billboards and websites. They enable hospitals to charge a facility fee much earlier, the minute a patient sees a doctor. And they reduce the number of people who leave the ER without being seen, which is another quality measure. But the real priority is speed and money and not our patients care, Corl said. That makes it tough for doctors who know they could be doing better for their patients. Dean said people often frame burnout as a personal failing. Doctors get the message: If you did more yoga, if you ate more salmon salad, if you went for a longer run, it would help. But, she argued, burnout is a symptom of deeper systemic problems beyond clinicians control. Emergency physician Dr. Angela Jarman sees similar challenges in California, including ER overcrowding and bureaucratic hurdles to discharging patients. As a result, she said, she must treat patients in the hallways, with noise, bright lights and a lack of privacy a recipe for hospital-acquired delirium. Hallway medicine is such a [big] part of emergency medicine these days, said Jarman, 35, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at UC-Davis. Patients are literally stuck in the hallway. Everyones walking by. I know it must be embarrassing and dehumanizing. For example, when an older patient breaks an arm and cannot be released to their own care at home, they may stay in the ER for days as they await evaluation from a physical therapist and approval to transfer to rehab or a nursing home, she said. Meanwhile, the patient gets bumped into a bed in the hallway to make room for new patients who keep streaming in the door. Being responsible for discharging patients who are stuck in the hallway is so frustrating, Jarman said. Thats not what Im good at. Thats not what Im trained to do. Jarman said many emergency physicians she knows work part time to curtail burnout. I love emergency medicine, but a lot of what we do these days is not emergency medicine, she said. I definitely dont think Ill make it 30 years. Also at UC-Davis, Dr. Nick Sawyer, an assistant professor of emergency medicine, has been working with medical students to analyze systemic problems. Among those theyve identified: patients stuck in the ER for up to 1,000 hours while awaiting transfer to a psychiatric facility; patients who are not initially suicidal, but become suicidal while awaiting mental health care; patients who rely on the ER for primary care. Sawyer, 38, said he has suffered moral injury from treating patients like this one: A Latina had a large kidney stone and a huge amount of pain but could not get surgery because the stone was not infected and therefore her case wasnt deemed an emergency by her insurance plan. The health system is not set up to help patients. Its set up to make money, he said. The best way to approach this problem, he said, is to help future generations of doctors understand how decisions made at the systems level impact how we care about patients so they can stand up for whats right. Whether these experiences amount to moral injury is open for discussion. Cynda Rushton, a nurse and professor of clinical ethics at Johns Hopkins University, who has studied the related notion of moral distress for 25 years, said there isnt a base of research, as there is for moral distress, to measure moral injury among clinicians. But what both of these terms signify, Rushton said, is a sense of suffering that clinicians are experiencing in their roles now, in ways that they havent in the past. Dean grew interested in moral injury from personal experience: After a decade of treating patients as a psychiatrist, she stopped because of financial pressures. She said she wanted to treat her patients in longer visits, offering both psychotherapy and medication management, but that became more difficult. Insurers would rather pay her for only a 15-minute session to manage medications and let a lower-paid therapist handle the therapy. Dean and Talbot created a nonprofit advocacy group called Moral Injury of Healthcare, which promotes public awareness and aims to bring clinicians together to discuss the topic. Their work is attracting praise from a range of clinicians: In Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, Mary Franco, who is now 65, retired early from her job as a nurse practitioner after a large corporation bought out the private practice she worked in. She said she saw a dramatic shift in the culture there, where revenue became all-important. The company cut in half the time for each patients annual exam, she said, down to 20 minutes. She spent much of that time clicking through electronic health records, she said, instead of looking the patient in the face. I felt I short-shrifted them. In southern Maine, social worker Jamie Leavitt said moral injury led her to take a mental health break from work last year. She said she loves social work, but I couldnt offer the care I wanted to because of time restrictions. One of her tasks was to connect patients with mental health services, but because of insurance restrictions and a lack of quality care providers, she said, often my job was impossible to do. In Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, Dr. Tate Kauffman left primary care for urgent care because he found himself spending half of each visit doing administrative tasks unrelated to a patients ailment and spending nights and weekends slogging through paperwork required by insurers. There was a grieving process, leaving primary care, he said. Its not that I dont like the job. I dont like what the job has become today. Corl said he was so fed up with the provider-in-triage model of emergency medicine that he moved his ER clinical work to smaller, community hospitals that dont use that method. He said many people frame burnout as a character weakness, sending doctors messages like, Gee, Keith, youve just got to try harder and soldier on. But Corl said the term moral injury correctly identifies that the problem lies with the system. The system is flawed, he said. Its grinding us. Its grinding good docs and providers out of existence. The Kerala government on Thursday said it will comply with the Supreme Court order over the possession of sacred ornaments of Lord Ayyappa, but said it was already under police security at the Pandalam palace. Devaswom Minister Kadakamaplly Surendran said the government was ready to strengthen the security further, if the Apex Court wanted it to do so. "The government has not said that it would take the sacred ornaments in its custody. But if the Supreme Court gives a direction in this regard, the government would abide by it. There is no need for the government to take in its custody the sacred ornaments of Lord Ayyappa. It is kept in pandalam palace under the government security. If the Supreme Court says more security is needed, that will be done," the Minister told reporters here. He said this in response to queries on the Supreme Court directive to the Kerala government on Wednesday to suggest measures to safeguard the sacred jewellery of Lord Ayyappa. A representative of the Pandalam palace also said the sacred ornaments are kept under police security cover and the palace was not concerned about its safety because of the kind of latest security measures being provided to it. Taking serious note of internal bickering and litigations in the Pandalam Royal family, which is the custodian of sacred ornaments of Sabaraimala temple, the Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Kerala government to suggest measures to safeguard the jewellery. The top court said the jewellery does not belong to any family but to Lord Ayyappa and it may appoint a responsible person for the custody of ornaments till the disputes are resolved. It has asked senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, appearing for Kerala government, to take instructions with regard to safeguarding the ornaments and listed the matter on February 7. According to legend, Pandalam place is where Lord Ayyappa, the presiding deity of Sabarimala, had his human sojourn as the son of the Raja of Pandalam. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Still, for the worst impeachment moment, Im going with Susan Collins. The idea that Donald Trump had learned any lesson is ridiculous. Collins knows the whole world knows that Trump is a man with a learning curve that resembles a garter snake. On the same day she delivered her theory as an excuse for voting for acquittal, the president discussed his Ukraine-related behavior at a lunch with television anchors. What do you think he said? A) All of life is a learning process. B) Maybe I might concede I could possibly have done a little better. C) It was a perfect call. Yeah, its C. You do know your president, dont you? Collins had made a splash by voting in favor of calling witnesses during the Senates impeachment trial. We live in times when agreeing to listen to people who know a lot about the matter youre debating is an act of extreme daring. Of course, the witness thing failed. Some dark minds believe that Collinss moment of independence came only because McConnell knew he had enough votes to kill the proposal without her. Collins is heading toward a tough re-election in Maine this fall, and she needs bipartisan support. Perhaps, people of Maine, you havent noticed that your senators political independence tends to work best when the matter at hand is meaningless. Could be worse. At least she respects you enough to pander. Bengaluru: A Bengaluru woman allegedly killed her mother and grievously stabbed her brother after which she went to Andaman and Nicobar Islands from where she was arrested on Wednesday (February 5, 2020). The woman who works as a techie in a Bengaluru-based private software company had committed the crime and Monday. Deputy Commissioner of Police MN Anucheth told press agency PTI that a police team was sent to Andaman and Nicobar Islands after an investigation showed that she has fled Bengaluru and was in the archipelago. "Our team went to Andaman & Nicobar Islands and arrested the woman there," Anucheth was quoted by PTI. She was produced in an Andaman and Nicobar court on Wednesday and a transit remand was sought to bring her back to Bengaluru for further investigation. Anucheth added that police will interrogate the woman to find out the motive behind the gruesome murder and the attack on her brother. Police got the clue about her whereabouts after her grievously injured brother, who was admitted to a Bengaluru hospital, gave a statement giving vital information. Kolkata fake travel company One person has been arrested for allegedly operating a fake travel company website and duping people with a false promise of tours, police said on Tuesday (February 4, 2020). The accused identified as Ankit Kumar (26) was picked up from Uttar Pradesh on February 1, for allegedly creating a fake travel company website and an email address and posting lucrative offers for tours to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a senior police officer said. "The accused had induced the complainant to deposit Rs 64,000 in a bank account. But the tour programme did not materialise," police said. "We located him through the IP access log, IMEI trace result and tower locations and other technical methods. We nabbed him from UP. We are investigating whether he had duped other people or not. We are also trying to find out whether he is part of a gang," the officer said. (With inputs from PTI) Fourteen agreements were inked on Thursday between Russian defence majors and Indian military firms providing for joint production of spare parts of a number of military platforms and weapon systems. The MoUs were signed under a framework of an inter-governmental agreement (IGA) sealed between India and Russia in September last year. The armed forces have been facing difficulties due to long delays in supply of spare parts of Russian origin military platforms and systems. Russia has been a leading supplier of military hardware to India for last six decades. The agreements were signed on the second day of DefExpo, India's premier biennial defence exhibition. A total of 14 MoUs were exchanged between the Russian manufacturers and the Indian companies at the 5th round of India-Russia Military Industrial Conference (IRMIC) that took place on Thursday at DefExpo, a government press release said. The first 'Request for Proposal' for manufacturing of parts in India under the provisions of IGA was also handed over by the Indian Navy to the "identified Indian industry", said the release. "The (both) sides acknowledged that this would pave way for more cases and contracts for joint manufacturing of spares parts in the days ahead," it added. The IGA provides framework for partnership of Russian defence companies with Indian industry for manufacturing of spare parts of Russian origin equipment that are being used by the Indian defence forces. Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar, who was co-chair of the conference, elaborated that the Indian side has taken a number of steps to expedite the collaboration between the Indian and Russian companies and looks forward for "expeditious commencement of manufacturing in India", according to the release. Russian Deputy Industry Minister Oleg Ryazantsev said that the Russian side would "actively participate" in the collaborations under the ambit of the IGA and take all necessary steps to facilitate manufacturing of parts in India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Past a certain hour, the drinks started flowing faster and the lobby turned into a whos who of fixtures in Mr. Trumps circle. At one table, Mr. Lewandowski held forth with Eric Bolling, a host for the Sinclair Broadcast Group. Mr. Bolling echoed some supporters by focusing on Senator Mitt Romney, Republican of Utah, whose vote to remove the president from office prevented Mr. Trump from being able to say his acquittal had been cast along purely party lines. Mitt Romney should be removed from all of his leadership roles and should consider switching parties, Mr. Bolling declared. When asked if he believed the president would fixate on Mr. Romneys decision, Mr. Bolling paused. I hope not, he said. This is often the best way to describe the atmosphere at even the best pro-Trump bash: celebratory, but with a palpable amount of spite. Sweet and bitter the Negroni, as it were, of Senate acquittals. The perpetual hint of defiance that permeates a crowd like this was even more on display given that the hotel had been a regular gathering place for many of the figures involved in the impeachment proceedings. It was what Lev Parnas, a Soviet-born businessman who played an integral role in the campaign to pressure Ukraine to investigate Mr. Trumps political rivals, called a breeding ground. This, of course, did little to encourage Republicans to shift their support of the president, or the family business, throughout impeachment or otherwise. The Republican National Committee has paid more than $440,000 to the hotel since Mr. Trump was elected about 24,400 glasses of the hotels house white wine. America First Action, a super PAC that supports Mr. Trumps causes, has spent $505,000 at the hotel since 2017. As the evening unfolded, the party began to creep out into the open or at least to the steakhouse adjacent to the lobby. Ms. Guilfoyle and the younger Mr. Trump held court with a merry band of supporters, including Representative Matt Gaetz, Republican of Florida, who has dipped in and out and is presumably in again of the Trump fold. Even as he socialized with the presidents family, Mr. Gaetz announced on Twitter that he had filed an ethics complaint against Speaker Nancy Pelosi for tearing up the presidents State of the Union address. Nobody is above the law, he wrote. She must be held accountable. Against a wall stood Nigel Farage, the former leader of the U.K. Independence Party and one of the so-called Bad Boys of Brexit whose perpetual presence at the hotel suggests he should have a punch card. Six police officials were suspended on Thursday after a group of villagers lynched a man to death over child-lifting rumours in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district. The Director General of Police (DGP) of the state, VK Singh, said apart from the police, crowed is also responsible for the incident. The people should have stopped the act instead of videotaping the incident. "Apart from cops' dereliction of duty, the mob was also responsible for killing the suspect," said VK Singh, the state Director General of Police (DGP). Singh also informed that three people have been arrested and of the six officials suspended, one is a Station House Officer (SHO) and another a Sub Inspector. The mob lynching incident happened on Wednesday when some people in the Manawar village thrashed six people after rumours about a child-lifting gang got spread in the area. The angry villagers beat up thrashed six men out of which one succumbed to his injuries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Emotions ran high Wednesday after a detention hearing for the suspect charged with killing a 19-year-old in Elizabeth late last month. George Thompson, 22, of Newark, and a 17-year-old not named by authorities because of his age, were arrested last week in Haneef "Chino Brockingtons killing. Thompson and the juvenile each face a first-degree murder charge and weapons offenses. Brockington, of Elizabeth, was shot multiple times around 10:45 p.m. on Dec. 29 at an EZ Quick gas station on the 300 block of Morris Avenue, authorities say. Thompson on Wednesday consented to be detained through a public defender in Superior Court of Union County. The detention hearing was the first time Brockingtons family came face-to-face with Thompson, who has a neck tattoo depicting a hand giving the middle finger. You raised an animal, the victims father, Tyrone Brockington, shouted in the hallway towards a group of women who sat in court to support Thompson. It set off a heated shouting match outside of the courtroom. You lost yours and I lost mine! the woman yelled back. The woman shouted that Brockingtons son had been in a gang, a claim his family has vehemently denied. His family sat down with NJ Advance Media last month to call for justice in Brockingtons killing and remembered him as a hardworking teen who had hopes of joining the military. Nobody else is gonna be hurt, said Deborah Thomas, Brockingtons mother, of Thompsons continued detention. But at the same time, theyre kids too. Its sad. Everybody loses. Brockingtons family said he was living at home with his ill grandmother when he went to walk to the store up the block for a snack. Police found him with multiple gunshot wounds in the parking lot of the gas stations convenience store, where authorities say he was pronounced dead. The affidavit of probable cause, which Superior Court Judge Frederic McDaniel read in the courtroom, says an individual identified as N.A. was driving the vehicle that drove near Brockington at the gas station. The criminal complaint says Thompson handed over a handgun to N.A., who then shot Brockington several times. Eyewitnesses describe the victim screaming for help and described Thompson as complaining that N.A. had used all of the ammunition, Daniel read from the affidavit as some of Brockingtons family cried in the courtroom. Investigators are still looking for information in the case. Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to contact Prosecutors Office Sgt. Andrew Dellaquila at 973-274-5771 or Detective Nicholas Falcicchio 908-721-8186. Thompsons next court appearance is scheduled for March. Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @BeccaPanico. No sites exist in the United States, despite an opioid epidemic that continues to grow. In Chicago, there have been more than 3,400 opioid-related deaths since 2015. Despite the increasing access to naloxone, the number of fatal overdoses each year in the city has climbed 100% from 2015 to 2018. In Cook County last year, more than twice as many people died from opioid overdoses than from gun violence. by Melani Manel Perera The Association was established in France by Fr Pierre-Bienvenu Noailles. The students of the Holy Family Convent Girls School in Bambalapitiya are grateful for the blessings received in recent years, including vocations. They pray for the for the country for the similar blessing. Colombo (AsiaNews) Hundreds of students celebrated the School Day of the Holy Family Sconvent School last Monday together with teachers, nuns and representatives of the Association. The event was held at the Holy Family Convent Girls School in Bambalapitiya, Colombo, in conjunction with 72nd anniversary of Sri Lankas independence in 1948. In his homily, Fr Daya Shelton Welikadaarachchi urged the students to "live and proclaim the beauty of the Holy Family's way of life, in school, at home, in the parishes, so as to show the Christian spirit to the world. Festivities began with a Eucharistic procession, followed by adoration of the Sacrament and finally Mass. During the procession, participants held a red water lily in their hands, whilst ten students dropped white flowers as the priest walked on. Some students held clay lamps in accordance with the Tamil fire ritual of Aarti. In her address, school principal Sr Deepa Fernando talked about the associations foundation and its five vocations: apostolic nuns, contemplative nuns, consecrated lay people, priests and secular members. During the prayer, schoolchildren thanked God for the five vocations received over the years and the blessings received by the whole country. The principal told AsiaNews that the Holy Family was founded by Fr Pierre-Bienvenu Noailles in France, immediately after the French Revolution. It was a time when the Church was in turmoil and most Christians had abandoned the faith. Even the priests and religious had left the congregations. This year we are celebrating 200 years of our foundation. For this, we are grateful to the Lord. Agents on a U.S. Customs and Border Protection boat rescue a woman and child who got stuck attempting to cross the Rio Grande into the United States illegally at Eagle Pass, Texas, on Feb. 16, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) New Trend Shows Brazilians, Cubans Crossing Southern Border in Droves The floodgates opened for illegal border crossings in fiscal 2019. During that year, Border Patrol apprehended more than 850,000 illegal crossers along the southern border. The largest numbers came from the obvious countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Those four countries made up 91 percent of apprehensions for the year, which is on par with recent years. However, a sharp increase in illegal crossings from several other countriesincluding Brazil, Cuba, and Haitiis a new trend. In fiscal 2019, Border Patrol apprehended almost 18,000 Brazilians on the southern border. In the previous year, however, only about 1,500 were apprehended, which was just above the average for the previous 12 years. The vast majority (almost 95 percent) apprehended in fiscal 2019 crossed into El Paso, Texas. To help mitigate the influx, the Department of Homeland Security expanded its Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) program to include Brazilians at the end of January 2020. The program, also known as Remain in Mexico, began a year ago and had only applied to Central Americans. Under the program, aliens are sent back to Mexico to await their immigration court proceedingsrather than just being released directly into the United States to live for years until their court cases are complete. The program has been a pivotal factor in the dramatic drop in illegal crossings of Central Americans over the past six months. Cubans, Africans, Chinese Cubans, who have traditionally made it into the United States via coastal routes, are now heading through the U.S.Mexico border. The same is true for Haitians, who have traditionally first traveled to Puerto Rico, rather than taking the overland route. In fiscal year 2018, only 194 Cubans were apprehended by Border Patrol107 of them along the coast, 74 on the southwest border, and 13 on the northern border. In fiscal 2019, almost 12,000 Cubans were apprehended; all but 153 were along the southern border. The trend is ongoing, with an even higher uptick in the first months of fiscal year 2020, which began on Oct. 1, 2019. The apprehension of migrants from countries such as Brazil, Haiti, China, and countries of Africa have increased significantly this fiscal year [2020], said Del Rio Sector Chief Raul Ortiz, who has also just been tapped as deputy Border Patrol chief. So far this year, I think weve had about 585 Haitians and a little over 500 from the African continent. You name itfrom the DRC, Congo, Angola, and all other different countries. The number apprehended from Angola, Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo combined in fiscal 2019 was 1,025 people. However, the average total over the previous 12 years for the three countries combined was around eight apprehensions per year. Last June, in the southwest Mexican border city of Tapachula, more than 5,000 Africans were at an immigration center waiting for paperwork to travel north. Del Rio, Texas Ortiz said the Del Rio Sector has become a favored crossing spot for many Africans and Haitians, but agents have arrested people from as many as 38 countries in the first few months of fiscal 2020. And weve seen some Chinese nationals. And whats really odd about the Chinese nationals is theyre crossing in our Comstock area, which is our farthest west area, its in the middle of nowhere, Ortiz said. So we think that is certainly attributed to a smuggling organization thats recruiting them. And then, of course, weve seen folks from Afghanistan and all the other special-interest aliens. Thats been something thats a little concerning to me, but were working on that. Ortiz said the information that agents have gathered from the aliens they apprehend suggests that theyre crossing in the Del Rio sector because it has been deemed a safer route on the Mexican side, and theres a high possibility theyll get processed quickly once on the U.S. side. He said it has also become a more established route due to word of mouth. Most of the Africans and Haitians cross the river right near the ports of entry in Eagle Pass and Del Rio. What if you get stuck on the highway in a storm? Here are some tips Anna Paquin only has one line over three and a half hours in The Irishman. When Martin Scorseses crime drama made the festival rounds last fall, critics and reporters took note, not just of the dearth of speaking time for Ms. Paquin, but the directors male-heavy oeuvre as a whole. Mr. Scorsese, Deadline reported, dismissed the issue. The question was a waste of everybodys time, he said, adding his films feature a female lead if a story calls for a female lead. The Irishman is a historical drama spanning several decades beginning in the 1950s and follows the crime dealings of the World War II vet Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro). It goes deep into the worlds of mob bosses, politicians and labor unions which during those years were indeed predominantly male and white with only brief detours into their domestic lives. To some extent, Mr. Scorsese has a point. But also: Why do so few of his films call for female leads? When it comes to filmmakers guarding themselves against critiques for telling the same-old stories about white men, history is a powerful shield. A quick glance at the best picture Oscar nominees reveals just how impenetrable that armor is: Of the nine films in this category, all but two spend the majority of their running times at least 39 years in the past. Each of these period pieces is overwhelmingly homogeneous when it comes to race, gender or both; the fact that they are set firmly in the past seemingly allows them to exist without much pushback. Strong political leadership will be required if Britain is to deal with the challenges it faces after last weeks exit from the European Union On 1 February 2020, Britain ceased to be a member of the European Union and left the organisation for good. The sky didnt fall, trees didnt die, a famine didnt strike the nation, and shortages of commodities were not reported, despite the doom and gloom scenarios that had been preached by some politicians and media after the original vote to leave. However, the celebrations by thousands of leave voters, thrilled that their goal of exiting the European Union had finally been achieved after the Brexit vote in June 2016, may be premature. It took more than three-and-a-half years for Britain to exit the EU after years of domestic feuds, postponements, and apparently endless negotiations with the European Commission over the state of relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Britain is in uncharted waters after the official exit from the European Union, the country having yet to sign any major economic deals with main trading partners such as the European Union and the United States. From early indications, these deals will be accompanied by hard negotiations, especially from the EU. The US, despite the enthusiasm of US President Donald Trump for a major deal with the United Kingdom, has announced stringent positions concerning products sold to the UK and their pricing, including pharmaceuticals. The US has demanded that the British National Health Service pay higher prices for drugs imported from US pharmaceutical corporations, for example, and the UK will likely have to accept certain exporting practices from the US, including on the export of chlorinated chicken. This procedure aims to provide protection against bacteria, but it is not accepted as standard by the EU. The potential slowdown of the Chinese economy as a result of the spread of the coronavirus also does not spell immediate potential for Sino-British economic cooperation. However, despite the ferocity of the spread of this virus, the Chinese state has endured much worse calamities in its 5,000-year history, and it is likely to overcome this hurdle, too, which will be good news for trade. British companies are tasked with exploring untapped markets, and there may be no better untapped market than the African one. The United Kingdom organised the UK-Africa Investment Summit in London in January as a result, and at this summit numerous African heads of government met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson with a view to turning the African continent into a potential long-term partner for Britain. Positive economic signs from the African countries, including Egypt, may be exactly what the British economy needs in order to face the turbulent economic positions of its traditional partners, including the countries of the EU, which have seen near-recession numbers in terms of growth, almost nearing zero in 2019. However, the British will have to contend with a ferocious competitor in the shape of China for the African market. Chinese bilateral trade with Africa reached $209 billion in 2019 compared to the UKs $48 billion. The Chinese are providing their African partners with long-term investment and loans along with cheaper products that Britain will have a hard time contending with. But the potential for the British economy in Africa is still likely to be huge, especially in industries where Britain excels such as gas and oil exploration, heavy industry and clean-energy and transportation projects. In the post-Brexit era, the British government will not be able to afford to treat Africa as just another option as it has done for decades, but instead it will need to see the African countries as necessary partners in filling the economic gap created by Brexit. Moreover, the British will need to do their utmost to secure a trade deal with the European Union, especially as this has been the countrys biggest trading partner for decades. Trade with the EU provided the foundations for the re-establishment of the British economy after World War II, and without a suitable deal the United Kingdoms biggest trade partner could turn into its greatest competitor. Economic woes aside, there is also the question of Scottish independence, which is likely to dominate the scene in the upcoming weeks and months. Scenes of Scottish MEPs in the European Parliament in tears after having to bid farewell to their European counterparts were prevalent in the media on 1 February, and the Scottish National Party (SNP) led by Scottish first Minister Nicola Sturgeon is adamant in demanding that the Scots be given a second independence referendum from the UK after the first one in 2015 failed to deliver the independence vote wanted by the SNP. Unlike the former position of the European Union on Scottish independence from the UK, this time round there is likely to be more European enthusiasm for Scotland leaving the UK and joining the EU as a separate country. This position was hinted at in a BBC interview with former president of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy last September when he said that the EU would consider a Scottish application for EU membership very seriously. This position has been a welcome boost for the SNP leadership, which believes that staying within the EU was a key factor in the Scottish peoples voting to remain part of the UK in 2015. The situation has changed dramatically since then, and the Scottish nationalists will likely capitalise on the Brexit issue and the welcoming vibes from European politicians to turn a potential second referendum on independence into a successful one. There is no reason for celebration at what could turn into a historical blunder by the UK as a result, especially by the likes of the former leader of the UK Independence Party Nigel Farage who has displayed less than dignified behaviour over Brexit, which he deems as a glorious moment in British history. The clock is ticking for British politicians to try to use the countrys new potential to remedy the expected avalanche of new challenges facing the British nation. Promises of the greatness awaiting it after leaving the EU are not enough when these have yet to be turned into action. Johnsons steps towards signing trade deals with the African countries, the US, China and other global partners are just first steps in controlling the situation. Other challenges include the exodus of international corporations from Britain and the potential shortage of foreign investment, and they must be faced immediately if the country is to survive this critical moment in its history. At no other time in modern British history since World War II has the country faced the kind of challenges that it faces today, and these will require strong leadership if encouraging results are to be found in a short space of time. The writer is a political analyst and author of Egypts Arab Spring and the Winding Road to Democracy. *A version of this article appears in print in the 6 February, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: The new Childhood and Adolescent Immunization Schedule and the Adult Immunization Schedule for 2020 is out, just released by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). This is an annual event following its yearly revision. Image Credit: Jes2u.photo / Shutterstock The layout While the basic format remains the same, the cover page gives instructions on the use of the schedule to identify the vaccination needs of adults and gives the list of vaccines that are routinely recommended. There are also online links to an app containing CDC vaccine schedules. Each section gives information on the routine vaccines, special instructions, vaccine indications and doses with the recommended frequency intervals. Some vaccines have revised or new recommendations. The schedule also equips healthcare providers with links to information on how to maintain surveillance of vaccine-preventable disease, which means identifying cases and responding to disease outbreaks. Links to vaccination requirements for travellers and information about vaccines are also provided. It also gives advice on the right way to report cases suspected of having these diseases to the relevant authorities. Instructions on reporting vaccine-associated adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System are also included. It also describes the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. Reactions to the changes A new color, blue, has been added to indicate vaccines to be given after shared decision making. This is one change that has not been generally acceptable. It may be relevant in vaccines such as that used to prevent herpes zoster. But with some like PCV13 that are not even disease-causing agents in the USA of today, shared decision-making is irrelevant. Many doctors think this takes too much time, since they are typically in a far better position than the patient to decide if the vaccine is required or not. Changes for children and teenagers The changes that have been made in the present schedule include: Hepatitis A vaccine now recommended as a catch-up vaccine for all people 2-18 years old, rather than an option for older children. Meningococcal B vaccine should be discussed with adolescents between 16 and 18 years who are not at increased risk for the disease. Any child aged 10 or above must receive a booster dose if at least a year has passed since the vaccine course was completed. Catch-up vaccination is advised for vaccines covering serogroups ACWY. Changes for adults Table 1 shows both routine and catch-up immunizations by age for adults. There is only one column for adults aged 19-26 years, and for HPV vaccination, males and females are treated alike. The blue bar for shared decision making in the new schedule applies to; HPV vaccination between 27-45 years Meningococcal B vaccination between 16 and 23 years for people not at increased risk PCV13 vaccination in healthy seniors aged 65 years or more Meningococcal B vaccine Patients between 19 and 23 years are now not routinely recommended to take the vaccine, but participate in shared decision making. Adults who are at increased risk, such as those with complement deficiency, who are on complement inhibitor therapy, without a spleen, and for clinical microbiologists with risk of laboratory exposure, should now receive a meningococcal B booster at 1 year after the vaccination is complete. If still at risk the dose should be repeated every 2-3 years. The schedule states that the same product should be used each time. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine PCV13 With the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine PCV13, people above 65 years who have normal immunity should be told about the vaccine and asked if they want to take it. It is not routinely recommended in the schedule, because the strains that the vaccine protects against are no longer widespread. It is still recommended for those with weakened immunity, cochlear implants, and cerebrospinal leaks. In certain groups, it may be regularly offered even now because of the potentially increased risk for exposure to the vaccine strains and the above-average benefit expected. These include: Residents of long-term nursing or care facilities Residents in areas where few children have received PCV13 Travelers visiting places where childhood vaccination does not include PCV13 It may also be considered, though without evidence of much benefit, in people with chronic heart, lung and liver disease, diabetes or alcoholism, smokers and people with multiple health issues, who have a higher-than-average burden of pneumonia and sepsis with PCV13-type strains. Meanwhile, older adults (65 years and above) should still receive the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine PPSV23. Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine Human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine can now be advised up to the age of 45 in some patients. Also, adult males and females are recommended to have catch-up HPV immunization up to the age of 26 years, up from the previous upper limit of 21 years for males and 26 years for females. In most cases sexually active adults between 27 and 45 years who have had multiple partners are already infected with the strains found in the vaccine, which makes it not useful. However, new infections are more likely in any individual who has a new sex partner, especially if the previous partnership was monogamous on both sides. Doctors should discuss the vaccine and allow the patient to help decide whether to take it or not. The most effective preventive measure is to be in a monogamous relationship with another partner who is also monogamous. Hepatitis A vaccine Individuals with HIV above the age of 1 year should be vaccinated against Hepatitis A because infection with the latter in an HIV-infected patient stimulates HIV replication. Moreover, the hepatitis A virus lingers much longer in an HIV patient, encouraging higher rates of transmission. Hepatitis A vaccine is no longer required for patients receiving clotting factor disorders because of the safe and effective sterilization methods now used for recombinant clotting factor concentrates. This means their risk is no higher than that of other people. Influenza vaccine Routine influenza vaccination is recommended for all individuals 6 months or above lacking contraindications for the 2019-2020 season. Hepatitis B vaccine In addition to previous indications, Hepatitis B may now be considered in pregnant women who are at risk for this infection, or who may have a related pregnancy complication. Td, Tdap vaccines Tdap vaccine may now be substituted freely for Td booster vaccine. HOLYOKE Two men accused of dressing up as cops, breaking into a home and robbing a family of four at gunpoint are being held without bail on multiple charges including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. The two men were arrested immediately after the suspected crime occurred thanks to the work of several police officers and dispatchers who responded quickly to a call for help, Police Lt. James Albert said. Jahmal Brangan, 47, and Jose Alberto Santana, 29, both of Holyoke, were charged with home invasion, impersonating a police officer, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, breach of peace while armed and armed robbery, Albert said. They were arraigned in Holyoke District Court on Tuesday and are being held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing. Brangan is known to police, Albert said. Dispatchers received a 911 call at about 9 p.m., Monday, but no one responded when they answered. In the background they could hear a horrendous disturbance and traced the call to a multi-family apartment building at 47 Vernon St., he said. While officers were speeding to the location, dispatchers kept them updated on what they were hearing on the phone, Albert said. Officers Mark Gubala, Erik Martin and Andrew Urbanski pulled up at the same time and spotted two men running out of the building. They immediately apprehended the men and secured them until police could sort out what was taking place, he said. The officers then found two parents and their two children in a third-floor apartment. The family said the two men broke into their apartment dressed as police officers, held them at gunpoint and robbed them. During the alleged home invasion the men allegedly hit one of the family members, threatened the other three and tried to tie them up using zip ties, he said. They started shedding their gear as they were running down the stairs, Albert said. In their investigation, the three officers and Detectives Jessica Roy and Joseph Zurheide found an air pistol, which looked like a real gun, and vests with Police written across them similar to what officers wear. They also had gold police badges, were carrying radios that were on and sounded real, flashlights and other equipment that officers carry, Albert said. Albert did not disclose what they took from the family since the case remains under investigation. Im extremely proud of these guys, they did a good job, he said of the officers. We credit the good work of the dispatchers. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Flash Russia has called on all countries involved in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, or the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), to preserve the agreement. "We urge all participants to put aside the issue of the dispute resolution mechanism and focus on the main thing: the formation of the environment and prerequisites in order to begin to struggle for the preservation of the JCPOA," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement released Wednesday. The point of no return has not yet been reached, the statement said, adding that to ensure the viability of the JCPOA, the strict implementation of its obligations by all parties involved is required. The JCPOA was reached in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- the United States, Britain, Russia, France, China, plus Germany) and the European Union. Tehran agreed to roll back parts of its nuclear weapons program in exchange for decreased economic sanctions. In reaction to the U.S.' withdrawal from the landmark deal in May 2018 and the subsequent sanctions, and in response to Europe's sluggishness in facilitating Iran's banking transactions and oil exports, Iran has been gradually moving away from its nuclear commitments since May 2019. The ministry said that recent statements made by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell could make the impression that an agreement on extending the time range for resolving disputes and postponing the relevant dates has been reached by all participants of the JCPOA. However, at the moment, Borrell has only received a joint appeal from Britain, Germany and France about their decision to launch a dispute resolution mechanism, the statement said. This did not go further, as the JCPOA does not contain any explanations about how and when the mechanism is activated, it said. The ministry also said that Borrell pointed that the JCPOA member countries were reluctant to push themselves into tight time frames. Russia fully agreed that it is not worth starting a process that will lead the JCPOA to a complete collapse, it said. Flash Russia-U.S. relations should be based on the principles of equality, respect for sovereignty and non-interference in each other's affairs, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in Moscow on Wednesday. "Peace and security on the planet largely depend on the state of relations between Russia and the United States, their stability and predictability," Putin said during a ceremony attended by ambassadors of 23 countries, including the United States. Russia is ready for a meaningful dialogue with the United States in the fields of arms control, maintaining strategic stability, fighting terrorism and peacefully resolving regional crises, Putin said. He added that he believes the return of bilateral cooperation to a normal and constructive channel would be in the interests of not only Russia and the United States, but the whole world. Bangladesh: Masterplan drafted to curb river pollution: Water resources state minister February 06,2020 | Source: The Daily Star State Minister for Water Resources Zahid Faruque today told parliament that the government has taken an initiative to formulate a masterplan for curbing river pollution across the country. As per the instruction of the prime minister, an initiative has been taken to formulate a masterplan in order to curb pollution of the rivers across the country, he said in reply to a query from ruling Awami League lawmaker Moazzem Hossen Ratan from Sunamganj-1. The masterplan includes short-, medium-, and long-term plans and will be implemented within the next ten years, said the state minister. A draft of the masterplan has already been finalised and it aims to bring navigability, check pollution in and encroachment on the major rivers like Buriganga, Sitalakhya, Turag, and Balu in Dhaka and the Karnaphuli river in Chattogram, he said. The junior minister said that stopping illegal encroachment and pollution have been prioritised under the masterplan. He also said the shipping and water resources ministries have begun a joint programme to free the banks of the Karnaphuli and Buriganga rivers from illegal encroachment. The eviction programme is already going on, he added. 64 freshwater fish species under threat State Minister for Fisheries and Livestock M Ashraf Ali Khan Khosru today informed parliament that about 64 species of freshwater fish are under threat in the country. Of those, nine fish species are critically endangered, while 30 are endangered and 25 are vulnerable, he said. The junior minister came up with the statistics citing a report of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) while replying to a question by ruling Awami League MP Manjur Hossain. He also said about 13 species of fish at Kaptai Lake in Rangamati and in Khagrachhari districts are on the verge of extinction. Although peoples per capita daily fish demand is 60 grammes, the countrys per capita daily fish intake stands at 62.58 grammes, Khosru said. Despite the self-sufficiency in fish production, businessmen are importing some fish varieties from different countries, including India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Uruguay, Thailand, China, Japan, Vietnam, Oman and United Arab Emirates (UAE), to meet the demands of the affluent section of people, the state minister added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday will reply in Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks for President's Address around 12 noon. This comes after a day earlier the Prime Minister had apprised the house over the formation of the Ram Mandir trust. He will also reply in the Rajya Sabha at around 5 pm. On January 30, addressing the joint sitting of both Houses at the beginning of the Budget session, President Ram Nath Kovind said that the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A of the Constitution "paved the way for equal development of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh". "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. Fast-paced development of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, protecting its culture and traditions, transparent and honest administration and boosting the democracy, is among the priorities of my government," Kovind said. READ | Chandrayaan 2 Stimulated Youth's Interest In Technology: President Kovind Mahatma Gandhi's wish President in his address also mentioned the CAA as Mahatma Gandhi's wish that 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. "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 | No Of Girls In Higher Education Exceeded Boys For First Time: President Kovind Hajj process The President also said that a record two lakh Indian Muslims performed Hajj this time and India is the first country in the world where the entire process of Hajj was done digitally. "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. 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. READ | Nirbhaya Case: President Kovind Rejects Convict Akshay Singh's Mercy Petition READ | India First Country To Entirely Digitise Process Of Hajj Pilgrimage: President Kovind (with ANI inputs) Gaborone (Botswana) (AFP) - Botswana on Friday will hold its first major auction for trophy elephant hunting quotas since controversially scrapping a hunting ban last year, a wildlife official said. President Mokgweetsi Masisi's government in May revoked a moratorium, just a year after he succeeded Ian Khama, an avid environmentalist, who introduced a blanket ban in 2014 to reverse a decline in the population of wild animals. Masisi fended off criticism of his government's decision, saying the move would not threaten the elephant population. The government will issue seven hunting "packages" of 10 elephants each, confined to "controlled hunting areas", a wildlife spokeswoman Alice Mmolawa told AFP on Thursday. In a text message, she said hunting would help areas most impacted by "human wildlife conflict," a reference to elephants roaming off game parks into communities. The 2020 hunting season is expected to open in April. Bidding is open to "companies that are either owned by Botswana citizens or are registered in Botswana," she added. Bidders must deposit a refundable of 200,000 pula ($18,300) to participate. The lifting of the hunting ban was praised by local communities but derided by conservationists and ignited tension between the Khama and Masisi. - Overpopulation - Masisi has defended his decision to end the hunting ban saying Botswana has an overpopulation of elephants, and pledged to regulate the practice. His predecessor Khama was bitter. "I have been against hunting because it represents a mentality (of) those who support it, to exploit nature for self interest that has brought about the extinction of many species worldwide," he told AFP in a phone interview. He said allowing commercial hunting could "demotivate those who are engaged in anti poaching, who are being told to save elephants from poachers but the regime is poaching the same elephant and calling it hunting". Story continues Audrey Delsink, Africa's wildlife director for the global conservation lobby charity Humane Society International said "the Botswanan elephant hunting auctions are deeply concerning and questionable". "Hunting is not an effective long-term human-elephant mitigation tool or population control method," she said. Neil Fitt, who heads Kalahari Conservation Society in Botswana, views hunting as a new source of revenue for the country, but cautioned it has to be practised "ethically and properly". With unfenced parks and wide-open spaces, Botswana has the world's largest elephant population with more than 135,000 animals -- about a third of the African continent's total. Most of the animals are in the Chobe National Park, an important tourist draw. But the marauding elephants invade villages located near wildlife reserves, knocking down fences, destroying crops, and at times killing people. HOLMDEL, N.J., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation (NYSE: MNR) reported Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders of $3.5 million or $0.04 per diluted share for the three months ended December 31, 2019 as compared to Net Loss Attributable to Common Shareholders of $32.4 million or $0.36 per diluted share for the three months ended December 31, 2018, representing an increase of $35.9 million or $0.40 per diluted share. The large increase in our net income was due to an accounting rule change which became effective at the beginning of our prior fiscal year, in which unrealized gains and losses in our securities investments are reflected on our income statement. During the three months ended December 31, 2019, we recognized a $3.6 million unrealized loss or $0.04 per diluted share as compared to a $42.6 million unrealized loss or $0.47 per diluted share for the three months ended December 31, 2018. Funds from Operations (FFO), which excludes unrealized and realized gains or losses from our securities portfolio, for the three months ended December 31, 2019 were $19.3 million or $0.20 per diluted share versus $21.4 million or $0.24 per diluted share for the three months ended December 31, 2018, representing a $0.04 decrease in FFO per diluted share. Adjusted Funds from Operations (AFFO), which also excludes unrealized and realized gains or losses from our securities portfolio, for the three months ended December 31, 2019 were $19.9 million or $0.21 per diluted share versus $21.0 million or $0.23 per diluted share for the three months ended December 31, 2018, representing a $0.02 decrease in AFFO per diluted share. The $0.02 decrease in AFFO per share was primarily attributable to the issuance of $103.3 million in preferred equity since the end of the prior year quarter not being fully deployed, which increased our preferred dividend expense by $1.7 million or $0.02 per diluted share, as well as a reduction in dividend income of $1.1 million or $0.01 per diluted share, partially offset by an increase in Net Operating Income of $2.1 million or $0.02 per diluted share. A summary of significant financial information for the three months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands, except per share amounts) is as follows: Three Months Ended December 31, 2019 2018 Rental Revenue $ 34,870 $ 32,617 Reimbursement Revenue $ 6,830 $ 5,605 Net Operating Income (NOI) (1) $ 34,467 $ 32,319 Total Expenses $ 22,469 $ 18,900 Dividend Income $ 3,238 $ 4,368 Unrealized Holding Gains (Losses) Arising During the Periods $ (3,635) $ (42,627) Net Income (Loss) $ 9,625 $ (27,943) Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Common Shareholders $ 3,528 $ (32,364) Net Income (Loss)Attributable to Common Shareholders Per Diluted Common Share $ 0.04 $ (0.36) FFO (1) $ 19,322 $ 21,429 FFO per Diluted Common Share (1) $ 0.20 $ 0.24 AFFO (1) $ 19,934 $ 21,022 AFFO per Diluted Common Share (1) $ 0.21 $ 0.23 Dividends Declared per Common Share $ 0.17 $ 0.17 Weighted Avg. Diluted Common Shares Outstanding 97,006 90,660 A summary of significant balance sheet information as of December 31, 2019 and September 30, 2019 (in thousands) is as follows: December 31, 2019 September 30, 2019 Real Estate Investments $ 1,686,099 $ 1,616,934 Securities Available for Sale at Fair Value $ 181,841 $ 185,250 Total Assets $ 1,947,127 $ 1,871,948 Fixed Rate Mortgage Notes Payable, net of Unamortized Debt Issuance Costs $ 784,048 $ 744,928 Loans Payable $ 80,000 $ 95,000 Total Shareholders' Equity $ 1,057,509 $ 1,011,043 Michael P. Landy, President and CEO, commented on the results for the first quarter of fiscal 2020, "We are pleased with the continued growth and strong performance of our high-quality property portfolio. During the quarter, we: Increased our Gross Revenue by 6% over the prior year period to $44.9 million ; ; Increased our Net Operating income by 7% over the prior year period to $34.5 million ; ; Maintained a conservative AFFO dividend payout ratio of 81%; Increased our gross leasable area (GLA) by 6% over the prior year period to 22.9 million square feet; Entered into commitments to acquire five new build-to-suit properties containing 1.2 million total square feet for a total cost of $178.5 million ; ; Acquired one property leased to Amazon for 15 years for $81.5 million comprising 616,000 square feet; comprising 616,000 square feet; Maintained a high occupancy rate of 99.2% throughout the quarter and subsequent to the quarter end, leased a previously vacant facility increasing current occupancy by 40 bps to 99.6%; Renewed two of the five leases scheduled to expire in fiscal 2020. The two lease renewals, comprising 157,000 square feet resulted in a 15.0% weighted-average increase in GAAP rent, and have a weighted-average lease term of 5.9 years; Entered into a $4.0 million contract to sell one of the properties whose lease is scheduled to expire in fiscal 2020. The sale is expected to result in a realized gain of $1.8 million ; contract to sell one of the properties whose lease is scheduled to expire in fiscal 2020. The sale is expected to result in a realized gain of ; Maintained a long weighted average lease maturity at 7.6 years; Maintained our weighted average debt maturity on our fixed-rate mortgage debt at 11.5 years; Reduced our Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA to 6.1x from 6.3x in the prior year period." "Thus far in fiscal 2020, we have acquired one building comprising 616,000 square feet for a purchase price of $81.5 million. This property, located in the Indianapolis MSA, is leased to Amazon for 15 years. Our $178.5 million acquisition pipeline currently contains five new build-to-suit properties comprising 1.2 million total square feet. These properties have a weighted-average lease term of 13.4 years. In keeping with our business model, these projects are all leased to investment grade tenants." "At quarter end, our weighted-average lease maturity was 7.6 years and our weighted-average mortgage debt maturity was 11.5 years. We continue to maintain a conservative credit profile with our Net Debt to Adjusted EBITDA at 6.1x, our Fixed Charge Coverage at 2.3x, and our Net Debt to Total Market Capitalization at 32%. Our occupancy rate has been over 98% for five consecutive years and our weighted average lease maturity has provided over seven years of lease term for the past six consecutive years, illustrating the strength and visibility of our income streams." "During the quarter, we renewed leases for two of the five leases that are set to expire this fiscal year. These two lease renewals represent 38% of the 410,000 square feet expiring this year. These lease renewals have a weighted average lease term of 5.9 years, and a weighted average lease rate of $5.61 per square foot on a GAAP basis and $5.28 on a cash basis. This represents an increase of 15.0% on a GAAP basis and an increase of 2.3% on a cash basis. Of the three remaining properties, one is under contract for sale and the other two are currently under discussion with our existing tenants." "U.S. industrial real estate has experienced a protracted period of cap rate compression. It is estimated that industrial real estate values have more than doubled during the past ten years and have increased by 15% in the past year alone. Consequently, the value of our properties has appreciated substantially. Our new annual report is now featured on our website. This report represents an excellent resource for understanding our Company and our outlook. We strongly encourage you to read it. Please contact our Investor Relations department if you would like to receive a hard copy. We look forward to reporting continued progress throughout the year." Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation will host its First Quarter FY 2020 Financial Results Webcast and Conference Call on Friday, February 7, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Senior management will discuss the results, current market conditions and future outlook. Our First Quarter FY 2020 financial results being released herein will be available on our website at www.mreic.reit in the Investor Relations section, under Filings and Reports. To participate in the Webcast, select the 1Q2020 Webcast and Earnings Call "Link to Webcast" on the homepage of our website at www.mreic.reit, in the Highlights section, which is located towards the bottom of the homepage. Interested parties can also participate via conference call by calling toll free 1-877-510-5852 (domestically) or 1-412-902-4138 (internationally). The replay of the conference call will be available at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, February 7, 2020. It will be available until May 7, 2020, and can be accessed by dialing toll free 1-877-344-7529 (domestically) and 1-412-317-0088 (internationally) and entering the passcode 10137259. A transcript of the call and the webcast replay will be available at our website on the Investor Relations homepage, www.mreic.reit. Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation, founded in 1968, is one of the oldest public equity REITs in the world. We specialize in single tenant, net-leased industrial properties, subject to long-term leases, primarily to investment-grade tenants. Monmouth Real Estate is a fully integrated and self-managed real estate company, whose property portfolio consists of 115 properties containing a total of approximately 22.9 million rentable square feet, geographically diversified across 30 states. In addition, we own a portfolio of REIT securities. Certain statements included in this press release which are not historical facts may be deemed forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and involve various risks and uncertainties. Although we believe the expectations reflected in any forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, we can provide no assurance those expectations will be achieved. The risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from expectations are contained in our annual report on Form 10-K and described from time to time in our other filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Notes: (1) Non-U.S. GAAP Information: FFO, as defined by The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT), represents net income attributable to common shareholders, as defined by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (U.S. GAAP), excluding extraordinary items, as defined under U.S. GAAP, gains or losses from sales of previously depreciated real estate assets, impairment charges related to depreciable real estate assets, plus certain non-cash items such as real estate asset depreciation and amortization. Included in the NAREIT FFO White Paper - 2018 Restatement, is an option pertaining to assets incidental to our main business in the calculation of NAREIT FFO to make an election to include or exclude mark-to-market changes in the value recognized on these marketable equity securities. In conjunction with the adoption of the FFO White Paper - 2018 Restatement, for all periods presented, we have elected to exclude unrealized gains and losses from our investments in marketable equity securities from our FFO calculation. Prior to the adoption of the FFO White Paper 2018 Restatement, we defined Core Funds From Operations (Core FFO) as FFO, excluding Unrealized Holding Gains or Losses Arising During the Periods. NAREIT created FFO as a non-GAAP supplemental measure of REIT operating performance. We define Adjusted Funds From Operations (AFFO) as FFO, excluding stock based compensation expense, depreciation of corporate office tenant improvements, amortization of deferred financing costs, non-recurring severance expense, effect of non-cash U.S. GAAP straight-line rent adjustments and subtracting recurring capital expenditures. We define recurring capital expenditures as all capital expenditures that are recurring in nature, excluding capital expenditures related to expansions at our current locations or capital expenditures that are incurred in conjunction with obtaining a new lease or a lease renewal. We believe that, as widely recognized measures of performance used by other REITs, FFO and AFFO may be considered by investors as supplemental measures to compare our operating performance to those of other REITs. FFO and AFFO exclude historical cost depreciation as an expense and may facilitate the comparison of REITs which have a different cost basis. However, other REITs may use different methodologies to calculate FFO and AFFO and, accordingly, our FFO and AFFO may not be comparable to all other REITs. The items excluded from FFO and AFFO are significant components in understanding our financial performance. FFO and AFFO are non-GAAP performance measures and (i) do not represent Cash Flow from Operations as defined by U.S. GAAP; (ii) should not be considered as an alternative to Net Income or Net Income Attributable to Common Shareholders as a measure of operating performance or to Cash Flows from Operating, Investing and Financing Activities; and (iii) are not an alternative to Cash Flows from Operating, Investing and Financing Activities as a measure of liquidity. FFO and AFFO, as calculated by us, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other REITs. The following is a reconciliation of the Company's U.S. GAAP Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Common Shareholders to the Company's FFO and AFFO for the three months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands): Three Months Ended 12/31/2019 12/31/2018 Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Common Shareholders $3,528 $(32,364) Plus: Unrealized Holding Losses Arising During the Periods 3,635 42,627 Plus: Depreciation Expense (excluding Corporate Office Capitalized Costs) 11,380 10,438 Plus: Amortization of Intangible Assets 508 500 Plus: Amortization of Capitalized Lease Costs 271 228 FFO Attributable to Common Shareholders 19,322 21,429 Plus: Depreciation of Corporate Office Capitalized Costs 53 40 Plus: Stock Compensation Expense 156 129 Plus: Amortization of Financing Costs 435 317 Plus: Non-recurring Severance Expense 786 -0- Less: Recurring Capital Expenditures (218) (557) Less: Effect of Non-cash U.S. GAAP Straight-line Rent Adjustment (600) (336) AFFO Attributable to Common Shareholders $19,934 $21,022 The following are the Cash Flows provided (used) by Operating, Investing and Financing Activities for the three months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 (in thousands): Three Months Ended 12/31/2019 12/31/2018 Operating Activities $19,098 $21,912 Investing Activities (81,967) (153,079) Financing Activities 59,073 134,611 SOURCE Monmouth Real Estate Investment Corporation Related Links http://www.mreic.reit The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, welcomed on Thursday, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), Eric Stewart, Executive President of the American Romanian Business Council, context in which he requested his interlocutor to elaborate an inventory of interest topics for American companies, which would offer more concreteness to the discussions with the AMRO mission this year. According to a release of the MAE, Minister Aurescu and Eric Stewart reviewed, with this occasion, the stage and perspectives of Romanian-American cooperation, the strong interest of the Romanian Government and the American business environment for the consolidation of the economic dimension of the Strategic Partnership between Romania and the USA being emphasized. "These aspects are to be developed also on the occasion of the mission that AMRO intends to organize in Romania in the second half of 2020, to which representatives of numerous American companies manifested an interest in joining, both those present in Romania already, as well as companies that wish to explore investment and business opportunities offered by our country," the release shows. The source mentions that both the Foreign Affairs Minister and the AMRO representative emphasized the depth of the cooperation developed in recent years, made concrete both in AMRO support for raising awareness in the USA about the importance of Romania as a strategic partner, as well as in strategic sectors of the economy, such as the defence industry and energy. Aurescu and Stewart also underlined, at the same time, the importance of amplifying collaboration relations between companies in the US and in Romania, starting from existing successful examples. The agenda of the discussions also featured the topic of Romania's candidacy to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), objective actively supported by AMRO and relevant for foreign investors and the foreign partners of companies in Romania. The continuation of the support campaign of AMRO for this objective was discussed. Furthermore, Minister Bogdan Aurescu reiterated the importance of making progress in what regards including Romania in the Visa Waiver Program, another objective actively upheld by AMRO, the MAE release also shows.AGERPRES CBC/Radio-Canada Chooses Dejero for Field Contribution Technology Dejero to provide CBC with transmitters, receivers, cloud and connectivity services as part of multi-year agreement Waterloo, Ontario( ) Dejero, an innovator in cloud-managed solutions that provide award-winning video transport and Internet connectivity while mobile or in remote locations, announced today that it has once again been selected as the primary field contribution solutions provider for Canada's national public broadcaster, CBC/Radio-Canada (CBC). As part of this renewed multi-year agreement, Dejero will help with CBCs transition to IP workflows. A major project that CBC is currently undertaking is relocating the broadcaster's French Services HQ to the groundbreaking all-IP 'Maison de Radio-Canada' (MRC) broadcast center in Montreal. Upon completion later this year, the new SMPTE ST 2110 compliant MRC will stand as one of the most advanced, state-of-the-art IP broadcast facilities in the world, supporting CBC's multiplatform and ever-increasing digital strategy. As a long-time partner of CBC in the area of field contribution, Dejero is supporting the all-IP infrastructure at the MRC by providing the national broadcaster with the latest Dejero solutions including WayPoint 204 SMPTE ST 2110 receivers, EnGo 260 mobile transmitters, rack-mounted PathWay transmitters, and the LivePlus mobile app for iOS and Android devices across the network. Dejero is also providing CBC with connectivity and cloud-management services. Dejeros proven track record, partnership, and ongoing support have been invaluable to CBC over the last decade," commented Francois Vaillant, executive director, engineering solutions at CBC/Radio-Canada. "Some of the key factors that stood out for us when we examined Dejeros technology during the selection process, were that their solutions clearly met CBCs needs and expectations, being reliable and agile, particularly when broadcasting in bandwidth-constrained scenarios from the field." We are thrilled to have been re-selected as the field contribution technology partner of CBC/Radio-Canada, a close relationship we have cultivated for over a decade," said Bogdan Frusina, founder of Dejero. We look forward to continuing our support of CBC/Radio-Canada as it transitions to IP workflows and completes its groundbreaking project in Montreal. This announcement comes on the back of a successful year for Dejero that saw the company being awarded a second prestigious Technology and Engineering Emmy Award recognizing its innovation in the industry, thanks to its Smart Blending Technology and unique hybrid encoding approach. Last year, Dejero was awarded its first Technology and Engineering Emmy Award for 'excellence in engineering creativity', honoring a decade of achievements in the field of live transmission driven by its vision of reliable connectivity anywhere. www.dejero.com This is an opinion tribute drawing. From Carol Robinsons story for Al.com: Kimberly police officer Nick ORear was fatally shot Tuesday night during a pursuit on Interstate 65 South, according to authorities. He was pronounced dead at 1:10 AM Wednesday. ORear, 33, was a father of two with a third on the way. ORear had been a Kimberly police officer for a year or less. Everybody loved him, Kimberly Mayor Bob Ellerbrock said. He was a tremendous asset to our community. The death of the Kimberly officer is the first law enforcement line of duty death in Alabama in 2020. Statewide, six police officers were shot to death in the line of duty in 2019. A Monroe County deputy also died in 2019 when he lost control of his patrol vehicle and hit a tree. ORear began his law enforcement career at the Ashville Police Department before joining Kimberly roughly a year ago. He had recently trained to be K9 handler and was partnered with Stella, a drug-sniffing dog. "He was a very good person, a very good officer,'' said Warrior Police Chief Ray Horn. In fact, we tried to hire him away from Kimberly. That goes on a lot here we all work really close together. Love, peace and prayers to Officer ORears family and colleagues at the Kimberly Police Department. Rest in peace, Officer ORear. More tributes by JD Crowe Malinowski said he was performing at the Jackson station, 230 S. State St., around 1:35 pm Tuesday when Johnson approached and unplugged his amplifier. Then she started to push him and pull at his hair and tried to shove him onto the subway tracks. Malinowski said he pushed back at Johnson, trying to create space between them, but she continued pursuing him, prosecutors said. A farmer was killed and five seriously injured in a vicious mob lynching in a village in India after false rumours were spread that they were 'child thieves.' Shocking video footage shows villagers in a frenzy attacking the six men, beating them with sticks and stone slabs and smashing up their cars in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. Ganesh Khasi died and two others are fighting for their lives after yesterday's attack. Police arrested three men today and charged them with murder and arrested 15 others. Police said the wealthy farmers had been trying to collect 150,000 rupees (1,600) they had paid in advance to three labourers from the village of Khirkiya who failed to carry out work they had agreed to do. Shocking video shows the farmers being beaten by a mob with sticks and stone slabs in India The farmers were dragged from their cars and the vehicles were smashed by the mob Dozens of villagers gathered and filmed the horrendous attack on their mobile phones The farmers were told by the labourers to come and collect the money but were attacked by a gang of men when they arrived and then chased in their cars to the village of Borlai 20 miles away. When they got stuck in a traffic jam, the workers leapt out and shouted that the farmers were fleeing after abducting children from Khirkiya, whipping up a murderous frenzy. Dozens of other villagers gathered to watch the brutal attack and filmed it on their mobile phones. The farmers were dragged from their cars and relentlessly beaten. One video shows a uniformed police officer trying to stop the mob but being ignored. Shocking video footage shows villagers in a frenzy attacking the six men with sticks and slabs Two of the farmers cower in terror as they are surrounded by villagers beating them Police were called and found the men lying unconscious and they were taken to hospital The farmers were lured to the labourers' village of Khirkiya, in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh Police superintendent Aditya Pratap Singh said: 'Provoked by the rumour, the mob of villagers attacked the six men in two cars with stones and rods. 'All six men were dragged out of their vehicles and attacked brutally. 'Our officers meanwhile got to know that some men were being attacked on suspicion of child theft. 'Cops rushed to the spot and managed to bring them to Manawar hospital. One of the critically injured men was rushed to Indore, but died midway,' The victims had tried to flee in their cars but got caught in a traffic jam and dragged out One of the farmers is seen lying unconscious on the ground and after being beaten by the mob The mob beat the men in a frenzy after rumours were spread that they had abducted children Mr Singh said the farmers had paid wages in advance but the workers failed to turn up claiming they had to go to a wedding. He said: 'They had paid 250,000 rupees (2,700) to the three labour contractors recently, but the contractors didn't supply the promised labour. 'The contractors returned 100,000 rupees (1,000) to the farmers and asked the farmers to come to Khirkiya village for getting the outstanding 150,000 rupees.' Chief Minister Kamal Nath said: 'Such incidents shame humanity and should not be tolerated. 'Instructions have been issued to take strict action against those found guilty.' Police named Avtar Singh, Bhuvaan Singh and Jaam Singh as the three men charged with murder. The farmers had been trying to collect wages they'd paid in advance to labourers Kathmandu, February 6 British Ambassador to Nepal Nicola Pollitt on Thursday met the ruling Nepal Communist Partys executive chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal at his residence in Khumaltar of Lalitpur. According to Dahals secretariat, the two talked about the bilateral relationships between the two countries, along with political and economic developments in Nepal and the peace process in the country. However, the details of the talk regarding the peace process have not been disclosed by either of the party. Dahal talked about and lauded Britains role including the help of the British people in Nepals development. Nepal and Britain have a relationship that is centuries-old. I believe the relationship will strengthen in your tenure, the secretariat quoted Dahal. He also mentioned that Britains help would be inevitable in Nepals path towards economic prosperity. The British ambassador recalled her experience in Nepal about 20 years ago for trekking in the Annapurna region and expressed commitment that Britan would continue to extend its help to Nepal. Google Maps was launched 15 years ago this week (in beta, of course). Not surprisingly, Google is using this as an opportunity to launch a few new updates to its massive mapping service. For starters, Maps has a new icon, a four-color take on the location "pin" that has been part of Google Maps for years now. More meaningful to users though are some changes to the Google Maps app that make it a bit simpler and smarter. Google Maps new logo The main thing you'll notice in the app is a five-icon navigation system down at the bottom of the screen, like so many apps have now. There are two new tabs: saved, which pulls up all the lists and locations you've bookmarked, and contribute, which prompts you to add photos and reviews to places you may have visited. With this change, Google also got rid of the old "hamburger" menu where a lot of these features were previously hidden. Given how robust the Google Maps list features are, I'm definitely glad to have easy access to them from anywhere in the app. Google Maps update There are a few new features crowdsourced from Maps users that'll show up when you're looking at transit directions, as well. For a while now, you've been able to see specific transit lines in many cities as well as estimated arrival times and some info on how crowded a train or bus might be. Google is expanding the info that you'll be able to see by adding details shared by other passengers, including temperature, accessibility, whether there's security onboard or a women's only car and how many cars a train has. Google will gather this info by asking Maps users to contribute details from their trips, something it already does to get data on how crowded trains are. It'll take a bit before Google has enough info to populate all these attributes for all available transit systems, of course, but it's something to keep an eye out for. Google Maps update The last new features of note involves Live View, the AR-powered walking directions that Google launched last year. Initially, Live View overlaid giant blue arrows to show you exactly where you were going, but the new implementation simplifies things a bit. It drops a big red pin to show where your destination is relative to your position and tells you how far away it is. If you need turn-by-turn directions, you can still get those details along with the big blue arrows. But if you just need to get oriented in the right direction when coming off the subway, for example, this new Live View feature should help with that. These updates should all be rolling out to both the iPhone and Android phones today -- except the Live View updates, which Google says are coming soon. It's certainly a coincidence, but these updates also are coming just a week after Apple finished completely revamping its own maps. It's been years since Apple Maps was a bad service, at least here in the US, but improvements like the ones Google announced today go a long way towards keeping Google Maps the default option for so many people. Calais has launched an ambitious plan to woo Brits keen to take advantage of the return of duty-free shopping after Brexit, it was revealed today. The Channel port's mayor Natacha Bouchart wants a tax-free area created that takes in the whole city and takes sales away from the Eurostar and ferry terminals. She wants to recreate the heydey of the 1980s and 1990s when millions of Britons crossed the Channel to stock up on cigarettes and alcohol and other cheap goods. EU rules outlawed duty-free sales in 1999 and while shoppers could still travel to France to get comforts at lower prices than at home they were still more expensive than before. EU rules outlawed duty free sales in 1999 and while shoppers could still travel to France to get comforts at lower prices than at home they were still more expensive than before The Channel port's mayor Natacha Bouchart wants the current tax free area extended from the port and Eurotunnel terminal to take in the whole town The UK and EU have until December 31 to agree a new cross-border regime, which could bring back duty-free on cross-channel transport. How the duty-free rules have changed In the 1980s and 1990s millions of Brits crossed the Channel in search of cut-price beer, wine, spirits and cigarettes and other pleasures of life. The rules at the time limited people to 200 cigarettes, two litres of wine, one litre of spirits and 60cl of perfume, plus a 75 cap on other goods - although this was often But this was all changed by the creation of the single market in 1992. In 1999 tobacco and alcohol bought aboard ships and at terminals of the then new Eurotunnel were subject to national tax rates. Although this meant French-bought goods were still cheaper, they were no longer as cheap as they had been before, although the limit on the amount you could bring back was lifted, so you could buy in bulk. Advertisement But the creation of a wider free port area could potentially spark a price war locally that could benefit buyers. 'Our mayor is fighting for the whole town of Calais to benefit from the same duty-free rules as the ferries,' said Philippe Mignonet, one of Bouchart's deputies. Calais authorities are also exploring the option of tax rebates that would allow visiting Britons to reclaim VAT on hotel stays and restaurant meals, Mignonet said, a move aimed at encouraging them to spend more time and money in the town. EU rules allow private individuals to carry unlimited amounts of alcohol and cigarettes across the bloc's internal borders provided they are not for resale. But after Britain ended its 47-year membership of the EU on Friday, it now has until December 31 to negotiate a trade accord that will determine what tariffs, if any, Britain and the EU levy on each other's goods, and caps to duty-free commerce. The tradition of the booze cruise was captured in a series of TV dramas starring Martin Clunes, Neil Pearson and Mark Benton in the early 2000s The programmes followed their adventures as they headed across the channel to stock up on alcohol Last year, as he sought to put pressure on the EU, Chancellor Savid Javid said that under a No Deal Brexit a holidaymaker could save more than 12 on two crates of beer. Mr Mignonet said junior budget minister Gerald Darmanin had so far pushed back against the proposed city-wide duty exemptions for alcohol and tobacco in the town centre because of smuggling concerns. 'I don't think they'll budge on those,' he said, but added it could be applied to goods such as chocolate, perfumes and electronic goods. Calais authorities are also exploring the option of tax rebates that would allow visiting Britons to reclaim VAT on hotel stays and restaurant meals The looming trade talks between London and Brussels will be closely watched by the owners of the cavernous wine stores dotted along the highway leading out of Calais, where signs are in English and prices quoted in sterling. 'The worst case scenario? That would be to limit the huge volumes that British clients can take back with them to England,' said Oliver Versmisse, owner of the Oliver, Vin et Compagnie store that overlooks the Eurotunnel terminal. Several million Britons used to make day trips across the Channel every year during the heyday of the booze cruise, local officials say, before duty-free shopping ended in 1999 following the creation of the EU's single market. Its renaissance on board vessels and in the ferry terminal would be 'very good for the port', said Calais port director Jean-Marc Puissesseau, who is overseeing a 700 million euro expansion that will double the port's capacity from early 2021. Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at Opposition parties for talking against Citizenship Amendment Act and supporting anti-CAA protests saying they are the ones who "take photos beside tukde tukde chanters". In a flurry of sharp attacks, PM Modi accused Opposition parties of toeing Pakistan's line to provoke Indian Muslims. Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the motion of thanks to President Kovind's address, PM Modi said, "Some people say, what was the need to bring CAA so early? Some said this government is discriminatory on the grounds of religion. Some said we are trying to break India; ironically by those who love getting photographed with the group of people who want Tukde Tukde of India." Interesting to note that the Union Home Ministry had clarified in January that it had no information regarding the term Tukde Tukde gang, in response to an RTI query on the same. PM Modi went on to hit the Opposition saying, "Pakistan didn't leave any stone unturned to provoke Indian Muslims. Pakistan played every trick to deceive Indian Muslims." Referring to Congress-led UPA's ouster from power in 2014, PM Modi added, "I am shocked that those who were voted out of power are doing what Pakistan wants." READ | LS Erupts At Modi's 'Speaking 30 Mins, Current Reaching Some Tube Lights Only Now' Jibe PM Modi on President's vision for New India During his Lok Sabha address, PM Modi also briefly spoke about President Ram Nath Kovind's vision for 'New India.' The Prime Minister said, "President has highlighted the vision for a New India. His address comes at a time when we enter the third decade of the century. President's address instils a spirit of hope and presents a roadmap for taking the country ahead in future." "Citizens of India have not only changed the Sarkar. They want the 'Sarokar' to be changed as well. If we had worked according to old ways and thoughts then-Article 370 would never have been abrogated. Muslim women would have kept suffering due to Triple Talaq," PM Modi added. READ | 'Danda-fight' EXPLODES In Parliament: Watch What Rahul Gandhi Said & What Modi Replied PM Modi tears into Rahul Gandhi The PM gave a blistering reply to Rahul Gandhi over his 'danda' jibe, saying he been abused sufficiently in the last 20 years that his back has become 'danda-proof', and he will further strengthen it. PM Modi said, "I heard a Congress leader say that youth will hit Modi with sticks in 6 months. I have decided that I will increase my frequency of 'Surya Namaskar' so that my back becomes so strong that it can bear the hit of so many sticks." WATCH: Rahul Gandhi Asked To Reply To PM Modi's Fiery 'danda' Counter; Here's What He Said READ | PM Modi Launches 'Photo-op' Attack On Opposition, Highlights Govt's Success In North East On February 2, the New Zealand government announced it would refuse entry to any foreign travellers who leave or transit through mainland China. Similar restrictions have been put in place by the US and other countries, in response to the outbreak of novel coronavirus, which began in Wuhan, but has already spread to many countries beyond Chinas borders. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (Credit: Governor General) Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stressed that the travel ban was temporary: it will last 14 days and be reviewed every two days. However, should the virus continue to spread there is every chance the ban will be extended. So far, there have been no cases of coronavirus in New Zealand. A government-chartered flight from Wuhan arrived in Auckland on Wednesday, with about 200 people, mostly NZ citizens and residents, who will be quarantined at a military base for two weeks. The Labour Party-led government is ignoring the advice of the World Health Organisation, whose director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reiterated on February 3: There is no reason for measures that unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade. The WHO has warned that such measures fuel distrust and impede a rational, globally coordinated effort to contain the virus. It has also warned against actions that promote stigma or discrimination. New Zealands travel ban is a highly political move that sets a nationalist tone for this years election, to be held in September. Labour, its coalition partner NZ First and their supporters are escalating their long-running anti-China campaign, which aims to divide the working class, stoke nationalism and demonise Chinese people, in order to prepare the country to back US warmongering. Predictably, the ban has rapidly escalated tensions with China and is threatening New Zealands economy. Chinas consul general in Auckland, Ruan Ping, told Radio NZ that Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters had previously assured the Chinese government that New Zealand would maintain normal exchanges and people flow between the two countries. However, overnight New Zealand changed its mind. Significantly, the Ardern governments position changed after travel bans were imposed by the US and Australia, New Zealands main allies. The Trump administration is using the virus as a pretext to ramp up its economic offensive and preparations for military confrontation with China, which it sees as the main obstacle to US global hegemony. Successive New Zealand governments have built strong trade ties with China, while simultaneously strengthening the military and intelligence alliance with the US. In recent years, New Zealand has come under intense pressure to align with Washingtons military build-up and economic measures against China. Arderns government, in which the anti-Chinese NZ First Party plays a major role, declared, in a 2018 strategic document, that China and Russia were the main threats to the international order, echoing the US. Foreign Minister Peters, the leader of NZ First, has urged the US to boost its military presence in the Pacific to push back against China. Health Minister David Clark has publicly denied that the coronavirus travel ban was influenced by the US or Australia. Consul General Ruan, however, bluntly accused New Zealand of joining the efforts to isolate the Chinese economy. He warned that this would negatively impact New Zealand because China remains its largest trading partner. Last year NZ exported $16.9 billion worth of food products to China, 4.5 times the value of exports to the US. Moreover, China accounts for nearly half the foreign students in New Zealand, thousands of whom have been affected by the ban ahead of the new academic year, which begins at the end of February. In 2018, there were 15,000 Chinese people studying in New Zealand. The University of Auckland estimates 50 to 75 percent of its Chinese students are currently stuck overseas. China is also New Zealands second-largest source of tourists, and the flight ban comes in the middle of the peak tourism season. Tourism Industry Aotearoa told Stuff the sector would lose approximately $94 million over the next fortnight. The chaos caused by the virus within China is also disrupting New Zealand exports. The forestry industry, which sends about 80 percent of its exports to China, is reportedly at a near-standstill. Forest Owners Association president Peter Weir told Radio NZ that coronavirus had caused delays in processing logs in China, leading to an oversupply. Thousands of NZ workers could lose their jobs if the hold-up continues. Meanwhile, the travel ban is fuelling xenophobic and racist attacks on New Zealanders of Chinese and Asian background, who make up about five percent of the population. These are just a few examples: Doctor Linda Lum told Radio NZ that after she sneezed on an Auckland bus an older man shouted at her: Go back to China or were all going to die. She said this wasnt her first experience of racism, but lately with this coronavirus situation, people just feel emboldened to say what they really feel on social media and in public. Rotorua Lakes councillor Fisher Wang told the media he had been approached in public and received racist messages on Facebook, saying we should send all the Chinese back to where they came from. Police are investigating, after an email was sent to a number of Chinese parents at a school in Rolleston, Christchurch, saying: Our Kiwi kids dont want to be in the same class as your disgusting virus spreaders! Far-right extremists and racists have been emboldened, not simply by the coronavirus panic, but by years of anti-immigrant and xenophobic propaganda by the political establishment. The Labour Party and NZ First, along with sections of academia and the media, have scapegoated Chinese and other Asian migrants in particular, for low wages, the lack of affordable housing, and other social problems caused by capitalism. Pro-US academic Anne-Marie Brady has waged a campaign, backed by the corporate media and NZ First, against the opposition National Partys ties with Chinese business figures. She has demanded an investigation by the intelligence agencies into the partys Chinese-born MP Jian Yang, whom she claims, without any evidence, is a Chinese Communist Party agent. Yangs office was vandalised last month by the fascist group Action Zealandia, which similarly denounced him as a traitor. Similar anti-Chinese propaganda is being spread by the liberal, pro-government Daily Blog, which is backed by three trade unions. On February 4, the blogs editor Martyn Bradbury hypocritically criticised people attacking Asian NZers in a racist manner over this virus. In fact, he has called for major cuts to Chinese immigration, praised the governments military spending and denounced Chinese people as a threat to social stability. Raising concerns over the spread of deadly coronavirus, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday suggested that a contingency plan should be prepared to deal with the impact of the virus on the economy. Meanwhile, the RBI in a statement said the outbreak of coronavirus in China and its spread across geographies will impact tourist arrivals and global trade, and has triggered sell off in equity as well as crude oil markets. The sixth bi-monthly monetary policy statement 2019-20 noted that global financial markets remained resilient in December 2019 and most part of January 2020 as thawing US-China trade relations and improved prospects of an orderly Brexit buoyed investor sentiment. "Equity markets rallied across advanced economies and emerging market economies, turning bearish towards end-January with the outbreak of coronavirus as markets braced up for the likely adverse impact on growth prospects, particularly in China," it said. However, equity markets in most economies recovered some of the losses in early February. Talking to reporters, Das said the extent of impact of coronavirus is still uncertain and unfolding, as he made a case for preparing a contingency plan to deal with the situation and its impact on the economy. The RBI statement further said crude oil and gold prices shot up in early January sparked by the US-Iran confrontation, but both softened from mid-January as geo-political tensions eased. By end-January, crude oil prices dipped sharply due to sell-offs triggered by the outbreak of coronavirus. Gold prices, on the other hand, inched up towards end-January because of safe haven demand. On domestic front, the RBI noted that likely increase in private consumption, easing of global trade tensions, and Budget initiatives may help in GDP growth, while the outbreak of coronavirus may impact the economic activities. "The breakout of coronavirus may, however, impact tourist arrivals and global trade," the RBI said after a three-day deliberation of the rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee. The coronavirus scare has affected air travel as several airlines across the world, including in India, have curtailed flight operations to China. In the wake of the virus outbreak in Hubei province, India has also put restrictions on the movement of people to and from China, like many other countries, as part of precautionary measures to contain its spread. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A two-year-old boy who went missing overnight has been found safe after a U.S. Postal Service worker recognized him from news reports amid a desperate hunt that started last night. Ethan Adeyemi followed an adult of the home on the 7800 block of Blue Stream Drive in Elkridge, Maryland around 10.20pm Wednesday and was found around 8am Thursday on the side of I-95 northbound just before Route 103. The postal worker said he stopped and took the child into his vehicle until emergency responders arrived and police said he 'appears to be in good health' was transported to hospital for checks. The child has not been formally diagnosed with autism but is believed to be on the spectrum. Relatives said he is non-verbal but claps in response to his name. Two-year-old Ethan Adeyemi went missing around 10.20pm Wednesday. He hasn't formally been diagnosed but is believed to be on the autism spectrum Adeyemi ran out of the home on the 7800 block of Blue Stream Drive and fled as family members tried to bring him back Adeyemi fled his home as family members desperately tried to chase after him Wednesday night but he suddenly vanished in the dark. Police issued an alert around 1.30am Thursday, just hours after he went missing. Alongside fire personnel and K9 units, Howard County Police searched the area with concerned neighbors, images from Fox 5 show. Police said they were unable to send out drones and couldn't be assisted in the search by helicopters from agencies in neighboring jurisdictions as they were grounded due to weather conditions. Loved ones worried as he was not wearing socks or shoes when he left the property, just burgundy sweatpants and a blue sweatshirt with white writing. Temperatures in the area hit a low of 27 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday. One neighbor who joined the search via a late-night bike ride, was concerned about the cold weather at this time of year as the child remained vulnerable. Alongside fire personnel and K9 units, Howard County Police searched the area with concerned neighbors 'I was helping the officers, pretty much telling the geography of the land. Where the ponds are lakes...' He described the community as quiet but tight-knit one and said neighbors would often hang out together around the pool. Police had asked neighbors to turn on their property lights and search around their homes. They asked the community to call 911 with any leads. It wasn't immediately clear what happened to Adeyemi before he was found Thursday. One neighbor who joined the search as he went for his nightly bike ride, was concerned about the cold weather at this time of year as the child remained vulnerable Billionaire Badgers John and Tashia Morgridge announced another gift to their alma mater Thursday that will support up to $70 million in matching donations for faculty recruitment and retention at UW-Madison. The money raised will establish or add to endowed professorships or chairs, creating a predictable and sustainable revenue source to attract researchers to and keep top talent at the university. Those faculty positions are one of our best tools in making sure we maintain the quality of faculty we want, UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank said at Thursdays UW Board of Regents meeting. Faculty recruitment and retention has been somewhat of a sore spot for UW-Madison, which has weathered budget cuts and controversial changes to tenure policies a few years ago that university officials attributed to a decline in the number of new faculty hires and a spike in other institutions poaching UW-Madison professors. The latest data indicates recruitment and retention of professors has somewhat rebounded, though UW-Madison faculty compensation still lags behind most of its peer institutions. The one-to-one matching gift will also help UW-Madison amid a changing revenue picture for public universities, Blank said. Many of the strategies UW-Madison has pursued to make up for declining state support have limits. You can only expand so many professional masters programs, she said during her annual State of the University address. You can only grow so fast before you hit limits with dorms and classrooms and were close to that. You can only raise out-of-state tuition so much and were close to our limit on that. The Morgridges, who graduated from UW-Madison in 1955, are among the universitys most prominent philanthropists. A previous $125 million Morgridge match raised $250 million to endow 158 faculty positions. The latest matching campaign began in late 2019 and will run through the end of this year. Roughly $17 million has been secured from other donors so far, bringing the total to $34 million, according to the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association. UW-Madison has 300 endowed professorships and chairs, more than double the number it had before a five-year fundraising campaign kicked off in October 2015 with a goal to raise $3.2 billion by the end of 2020. Blank also announced Thursday that the campaign, known as All Ways Forward, surpassed its goal with almost a year left in the fundraising drive, reaching $3.3 billion from more than 223,000 donors to date. The Morgridges support the university in other ways, too, including a program that helps students from developing countries attend UW-Madison, a center that supports students entering public service careers and a nonprofit biomedical research institute. John Morgridge is a former chairman, president and CEO of networking and telecommunication equipment manufacturer Cisco Systems. Tashia Morgridge is a retired special education teacher. Both are Wisconsin natives and live in California. 40 notable people who attended UW-Madison Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar's former chief hitman Jhon Jairo 'Popeye' Velasquez has died of cancer today at the age of 57. Velasquez served a life sentence after admitting to killing 300 people and ordering the deaths of 3,000 more as he violently enforced Escobar's legendary reign of terror. The heartless assassin - who once described killing as 'like a day at the office' - was jailed in 1993 - the year Escobar was gunned down by police in his home town of Medellin - but was released in 2014. Velasquez then went into hiding for several years fearing reprisals from his victim's families and members of the Medellin Cartel he helped to convict in return for a lighter sentence. He was arrested again in May 2018 on suspicion of extortion and conspiracy and had been back behind bars since then. Colombia's National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (INPEC) confirmed that Velasquez died in the early hours of the morning in the National Cancer Institute in the capital Bogota. He had been diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus which had spread to his lungs, liver and other organs and had been hospitalised since December 31. Drug lord Pablo Escobar's former chief hitman Jhon Jairo 'Popeye' Velasquez has died today at the age of 57 Drug lord Pablo Escobar's (left) with his former chief hitman Jhon Jairo 'Popeye' Velasquez 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 The killer had been held at the maximum-security Valledupar prison in the northern Colombian department of Cesar. Velasquez was the leader of the hitmen of the Medellin Cartel run by Escobar until his death in 1993 when he was shot dead on a roof top in his home town in Colombia by a specialist police unit. Escobar had previously been found guilty of terrorism, drug trafficking and murder and served time behind bars before escaping and going on the run. Velasquez helped plan the homicide of former presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galan, who was shot to death in 1989, and the bombing of Avianca Flight 203 which killed 107 people in 1989. He referred to himself as 'Pablo Escobar's trusted assassin' but tried to paint himself as a reformed character after his release from prison in 2014. Killer: By the time Vasquez (right) was arrested in 1992, he had killed 250 people - including his own girlfriend - and detonated over 250 car bombs Heartless: Escobar's right-hand man, Vasquez (as a young man, left and in 2015, right) says he feels no guilt for the hundreds he murdered because they were all casualties of 'the war' He said: 'I'm also a victim of Don Pablo. I was not responsible for the assassinations. I was a professional killer and nowadays I have reconsidered it. I am a repented and reformed man.' As Escobar's head hitman, 'Popeye' executed - either personally or on his orders - thousands of people deemed to be a threat to his cocaine trafficking empire, including policemen, journalists, politicians and judges, while innocent civilians were also inevitably caught up in the carnage. After meeting Escobar through a childhood friend when he was 18, Vasquez's first 'contract' was to kill a bus conductor in Medellin who had enraged Escobar after he didn't help a friend's mother who fell as she got off the bus and died. The cold-hearted killer, who was paid 25,000 for the hit, later said: 'I made some enquiries, found the guy and killed him. I felt nothing. That idea that a person cannot sleep for thinking about dead people doesn't apply to me. 'Neither did I need to take drugs, or smoke, or take pills to calm myself down. The deeds that I have done don't deprive me of sleep.' In an interview from a mountain hideout in 2015 - where he was in fear of his life from relatives of his many victims - he insisted all those he killed w ere just 'casualties of war'. He said Escobar - once ranked by Forbes magazine as the world's seventh-richest man - was far more powerful than anyone had imagined before he was finally gunned down by US DEA agents after a rooftop showdown in 1993. Velasquez being taken into custody in May 2018 on suspicion of extortion and conspiracy to commit a crime Velasquez being taken into custody in May 2018 on suspicion of extortion and conspiracy to commit a crime Velasquez, aka 'Popeye', visits the tomb of his former boss Pablo Escobar at the Montesacro Cemetery in Medellin in 2015. Escobar was shot dead by police in Medellin in 1993 As well as hundreds of other murders, 'Popeye' achieved notoriety for a string of attacks on well-known members of the Colombian government. He kidnapped and tortured a future Colombian president and vice-presidents, he killed an Attorney General, and helped plot the murder of Colombian presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galan, the only murder out of thousands for which he was actually convicted. By the time he was arrested in 1992, he had killed 250 people with his own hands - including his own girlfriend - detonated over 250 car bombs, and was linked to the 1989 bombing of an Avianca jet, which killed 107 people, just to assassinate one traveller, another presidential candidate. In December he told from behind bars how the cartel smuggled the bomb onboard in the briefcase of an unsuspecting young man who thought he was merely recording some DEA agent's conversations on board. As he opened the briefcase the bomb detonated. He told the Daily Beast from inside prison: 'That briefcase was a work of art.' Murder: Vasquez was linked to the 1989 Avianca jet crash (pictured) in which 107 people died. A bomb detonated on the plane was meant to kill presidential candidate Cesar Gaviria but he changed his travel plans at the last minute Absolute power: Vasquez claims the infamous drug lord Escobar, who was gunned down by United States Drug Enforcement Administration agents in 1993 (pictured), was more powerful than anyone had ever imagined But despite having taken so many lives, Vasquez claims he had no choice but to obey Escobar's orders and feels no guilt for the crimes. He said in the 2015 interview: 'I'm also a victim of Escobar. I was not responsible for the assassinations.' Of the plane bombing, Vasquez admitted: 'I took part, but Pablo Escobar planned it. 'I handed over the money to plant the bomb, but I've already paid for that.' The atrocity failed to kill its target after presidential candidate Cesar Gaviria changed his travel plans at the last minute. Vasquez claimed the attack, and many others, was only possible because Colombia's intelligence agency the DAS - provided security to state institutions, politicians and other figures - was under Escobar's control. He said: 'Without the involvement of DAS in the 1980s the murders of many politicians, as well as drug traffickers who were enemies of the Medellin Cartel, would not have happened.' 'King of Cocaine': Netflix series Narcos charts the rise of Medellin cartel boss Escobar (played by Brazilian actor Wagner Moura, pictured) Victims of the war: A bloodied corpse lies near the Colombian Congress building where, in 1989, an explosion allegedly set off by the Medellin cartel injured several people At its peak, the Medellin Cartel supplied 80 per cent of the worldwide cocaine market and generated at least $420million (270million) in weekly revenue. Escobar's brother once revealed the organisation was making so much cash that they used to spend 1,200 a month on rubber bands just to hold it in bundles. At Escobar's palatial estate, the drug lord lived an extravagant lifestyle. As well as a private zoo, including a herd of 50 hippos imported from Africa, he also flew in beauty queens and famous musicians for entertainment and would reportedly sent helicopters to pick up his favourite hamburgers. But outside, his ruthless cocaine monopoly turned his home city Medellin into a war zone and made Colombia the murder capital of the world, as the gang mercilessly killed anyone who tried to stop him. Tools of terror: This image of various guns on Popeye Vasquez's Facebook page comes with the caption: 'Weapons that have been confiscated from Pablo and his people at the Museum of national police in Bogota' Velasquez was the cartel's 'head of operations' and plotted most of its high-profile slayings, often in public places and with no concern for the lives of innocent passers-by. The group's message to those in power was 'plata o plomo' - silver or lead - which colloquially translates to 'take the bribe or end up dead' . When, in 1991, Escobar gave himself up after being linked to the assassination of a presidential candidate, authorities granted his wishes not to be extradited to the US and even let him build his own 'prison' on the outskirts of Medellin named La Catedral, complete with a football field, waterfall, Jacuzzi and dolls' house. His loyal hitman went with him and continued to murder on his behalf as he ran his drugs empire behind bars. When the under-pressure government announced plans to move Escobar to a tougher jail, the drug lord simply walked out of the back gate and vanished. In fact it was Escobar's failed assassination of Cesar Gaviria in the aeroplane explosion which proved to be the drug lord's undoing. Velasquez was the cartel's 'head of operations' and plotted most of its high-profile slayings, often in public places and with no concern for the lives of innocent passers-by Velasquez, aka 'Popeye', visits the tomb of his former boss Pablo Escobar at the Montesacro Cemetery in Medellin in 2015. Escobar was shot dead by police in Medellin in 1993 The presidential candidate went on to win the 1990 election and proceeded to launch an anti-drug crusade, which Escobar answered with a bloody war on the government that ended when the kingpin was killed in a rooftop gunfight with police in Medellin three years later. In October 1992, with the noose tightening around Escobar, 'Popeye' handed himself in and confessed to his 3,000-plus body count. In jail, he cooperated with the authorities to secure the conviction of other Medellin members, studied for degrees and acted as a mentor for younger prisoners, encouraging them not to return to a life of crime on their release. After 22 years behind bars, Vasquez walked free in August 2014, escorted by 200 police in five vans and on 10 motorbikes. At the time he thought there was 'an 80 per cent chance of me being killed. Twenty per cent chance of making it.' W. Bank Palestinian policeman dies after clashes in Jenin Injured previous night, 'shot by Israeli army' (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, FEBRUARY 6 - Palestinian police officer Tariq Badwan, 25, died Thursday morning after being injured the previous night during clashes with the Israeli army in the West Bank city of Jenin. Reports were from doctors cited by the news agency WAFA, which added that the young man had been ''seriously injured by bullets from the occupation forces when he was inside the police headquarters of the al-Basatin area''. A Palestinian protestor was killed in the same clashes. (ANSAmed). Contributed photo 230 Old Gate Lane, LLC, is planning a new truck dealership at 230 Old Gate Lane, in Milford, announced Jon Angel, president of Angel Commercial, LLC, a commercial real estate firm based in Southport. They have purchased a 40,809 square foot building on 9.26 acres for $4,200,000. Previously owned by CLS Milford LLC, the property is in a prime commercial area with immediate access to I-95, exit 40, and surrounded by both retail and industrial companies. It neighbors the Connecticut Post Mall on the opposite side of the highway. CARMIEL, Israel, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: PLX) (TASE: PLX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, production and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins produced by its proprietary ProCellEx plant cell-based protein expression system, and its development and commercialization partner, Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A. (Chiesi), an international research-focused healthcare group, today announced an agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the Initial Pediatric Study Plan (iPSP) for pegunigalsidase alpha, or PRX-102. The companies reported the news after completing discussions with the FDA and receiving confirmation in an official "Agreement Letter" which outlines an agreed approach to address the needs of pediatric patients with Fabry disease. PRX-102 is the Company's plant cell-expressed recombinant, PEGylated, cross-linked -galactosidase-A candidate for the treatment of Fabry disease. PRX-102 has the potential to be approved for adult patients with Fabry disease under the FDA's Accelerated Approval pathway. "Proceeding with the pediatric study plan for PRX-102 marks an important milestone in our goal of bringing an alternative to the Fabry patient community which is in need of better treatment options other than those currently available," said Dror Bashan, Protalix BioTherapeutics' President and Chief Executive Officer. Together with our partner Chiesi, we value this pediatric study as a new opportunity to potentially bring a new treatment option to the entire Fabry community." said Dr. Raul Chertkoff, Protalix BioTherapeutics' Vice President, Medical Affairs. The Company and Chiesi have previously reported that they expect to submit a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the FDA under an Accelerated Approval pathway. Based on prior discussions with the FDA, the companies believe that the nonclinical data, the clinical data, the safety database and manufacturing data are sufficient to support the BLA submission. About Fabry Disease Fabry disease is an X-linked inherited disease that results from deficient activity of the lysosomal enzyme -galactosidase-A resulting in progressive accumulation of abnormal deposits of a fatty substance called globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) in blood vessel walls throughout a person's body. Fabry disease occurs in one person per 40,000. Fabry patients inherit a deficiency of the enzyme alpha-galactosidase-A, which is normally responsible for the breakdown of Gb3. The abnormal storage of Gb3 increases with time and, accordingly, Gb3 accumulates, primarily in the blood and in the blood vessel walls. The ultimate consequences of Gb3 deposition range from episodes of pain and impaired peripheral sensation to end-organ failure particularly of the kidneys, but also of the heart and the cerebrovascular system. About Pegunigalsidase Alfa Pegunigalsidase alfa (PRX-102) is an investigational, plant cell culture-expressed, and chemically modified stabilized version of the recombinant -Galactosidase-A enzyme. Protein sub-units are covalently bound via chemical cross-linking using short PEG moieties, resulting in a molecule with unique pharmacokinetic parameters. In clinical studies, PRX-102 has been observed to have a circulatory half-life of approximately 80 hours. The Company designed PRX-102 to potentially address the continued unmet clinical need in Fabry patients of continuous disease progression, infusion reactions and immunogenicity. About the Chiesi Group Based in Parma, Italy, Chiesi Farmaceutici is an international research-oriented group with over 80 years' experience in the pharmaceutical sector and is present in 28 countries. The Group researches, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in respiratory disease, special care and rare disease therapeutic areas. The Group's Research & Development center is integrated with six other important research and development groups in France, the USA, the UK and Sweden, to promote its pre-clinical, clinical and registration programs. The Group employs around 5,700 people. Chiesi Group is a certified B Corp. For more information, please visit www.chiesi.com. About Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. Protalix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins expressed through its proprietary plant cell-based expression system, ProCellEx. Protalix was the first company to gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a protein produced through plant cell-based in suspension expression system. Protalix's unique expression system represents a new method for developing recombinant proteins in an industrial-scale manner. Protalix's first product manufactured by ProCellEx, taliglucerase alfa, was approved for marketing by the FDA in May 2012 and, subsequently, by the regulatory authorities of other countries. Protalix has licensed to Pfizer Inc. the worldwide development and commercialization rights for taliglucerase alfa, excluding Brazil, where Protalix retains full rights. Protalix's development pipeline consists of proprietary, potentially clinically superior versions of recombinant therapeutic proteins that target established pharmaceutical markets, including the following product candidates: pegunigalsidase alfa, a modified version of the recombinant human -galactosidase-A protein for the proposed treatment of Fabry disease; OPRX-106, an orally-delivered anti-inflammatory treatment; alidornase alfa for the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis; and others. Protalix has partnered with Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., both in the United States and outside the United States, for the development and commercialization of pegunigalsidase alfa. Forward-Looking Statements To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, all such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The terms "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "project," "plan," "should" and "intend," and other words or phrases of similar import are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual future experience and results to differ materially from the statements made. These statements are based on our current beliefs and expectations as to such future outcomes. Drug discovery and development involve a high degree of risk and the final results of a clinical trial may be different than the preliminary findings for the clinical trial. Factors that might cause material differences include, among others: failure or delay in the commencement or completion of our preclinical and clinical trials which may be caused by several factors, including: risks that the FDA will not accept an application for accelerated approval of PRX-102 with the data generated to date or will request additional data or other conditions of our submission of any application for accelerated approval of PRX-102; slower than expected rates of patient recruitment; unforeseen safety issues; determination of dosing issues; lack of effectiveness during clinical trials; inability to monitor patients adequately during or after treatment; and inability or unwillingness of medical investigators and institutional review boards to follow our clinical protocols; the risk that the results of the clinical trials of our product candidates will not support our claims of safety or efficacy, that our product candidates will not have the desired effects or will be associated with undesirable side effects or other unexpected characteristics; risks related to our ability to maintain and manage our relationship with Chiesi Farmaceutici and any other collaborator, distributor or partner; risks related to the amount of our future revenues and expenditures; the risk that despite the FDA's grant of fast track designation for PRX-102, we may not experience a faster development process, review or approval compared to applications considered for approval under conventional FDA procedures; risks related to the FDA's ability to withdraw the fast track designation at any time; our dependence on performance by third party providers of services and supplies, including without limitation, clinical trial services; delays in our preparation and filing of applications for regulatory approval; delays in the approval or potential rejection of any applications we file with the FDA or other health regulatory authorities, and other risks relating to the review process; the inherent risks and uncertainties in developing drug platforms and products of the type we are developing; the impact of development of competing therapies and/or technologies by other companies and institutions; potential product liability risks, and risks of securing adequate levels of product liability and other necessary insurance coverage; and other factors described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The statements in this press release are valid only as of the date hereof and we disclaim any obligation to update this information, except as may be required by law. Investor Contact Chuck Padala, Managing Director LifeSci Advisors +1 646-627-8390 [email protected] Media Contact Brian Pinkston LaVoieHealthScience +1 857-588-3347 [email protected] SOURCE Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. James E. "Bookie" Turner was a colorful and controversial law enforcement officer and politician in Hamilton County from 1958-1975. He was one of eight children and was a student at Chattanooga Central High School. He was a Navy Veteran who served on the battleship USS Tennessee during World War II. His nickname Bookie allegedly came from his other siblings who claimed that, although he professed a love of reading, he also used that as an excuse to get out of family chores. Bookie was co-founder of Turner Funeral Home with two of his brothers. Eugene Turner became a colorful and also controversial politician in his own right. In 1940 Bookie was appointed Hamilton County coroner and claimed to the youngest person to hold that position in the United States. He defeated Republican V.W. Red Maddox in 1958 to become Sheriff of Hamilton County and served three two-year terms before being elected to the position of Fire and Police Commissioner for the City of Chattanooga in 1963. In 1971 he was defeated by former FBI agent Gene Roberts and lost his final race for mayor against Pat Rose in 1975. He was re-elected for another term in 1967 while under indictment in Federal Court at Chattanooga for allegedly taking bribes for allowing the entry of moonshine whiskey into Chattanooga. According to the government, he was paid 50 cents per gallon for each quantity being delivered into the municipality without fear of criminal prosecution. Turner was indicted for a conspiracy that included Gordon G. White, Sherill E. Penney, George G. Buddy Hendricks and 37 other unindicted (not charged) co-conspirators who were participants in the lucrative scheme. Bookie hired famed Watergate and successful Jimmy Hoffa prosecutor James F. Neal of Nashville. His co-counsel was the widely respected civil attorney John K. Morgan of Chattanooga. The government was represented by two Department of Justice prosecutors from Washington, D.C. and local United States Attorney J.H. Reddy. Because some of his three co-conspirators had lengthy criminal records and Turner had none his lawyers tried unsuccessfully to get a separate trial from them on the grounds of unfair prejudice. Bookie had refused to make any public statement but, on several occasions, claimed that he would tell his story when he took the stand. The trial took over three weeks and the government presented a barrage of participants in the moonshine industry including manufacturers, drivers, distributors and purchasers of the illegal product that was sold in good time houses and to private citizens and clubs. The government, relying upon Bookies repeated pronouncements that he would tell his story to the jury when he took the stand, made the fatal mistake of putting on just enough to overcome a Motion for Judgment of Acquittal at the end of the government proof to get the case to the jury and was saving all of its strong evidence to cross-examine Turner when he testified. Senior District Judge Robert L. Taylor from Knoxville recessed the court until the next day and instructed the defense to meet and decide what would be their order of proof of witnesses. The defendants and their lawyers met as ordered and what occurred has been substantiated by two independent sources. This history is not intended to be a criticism of Bookie Turners lawyers, James Neal and John Morgan. They had professionally attacked the governments case. An old-time lawyer (Crawford Bean) suggested the strategy that had the effect of the government being unable to further prove the case against Bookie by cross-examining him or by putting on what is known as rebuttal proof to contradict his testimony. Juries acquit defendants for two reasons: 1.) they believe the accused was not guilty; or 2.) the prosecution failed to prove the guilt of the defendants beyond a reasonable doubt pursuant to the instruction given to the jury by the judge. According to sources in the room when the defendants and their lawyers met, Neal and Morgan asked each attorney if they were going to put their defendant on the witness stand. Crawford Bean, attorney for George G. Buddy Hendricks, replied that his client was not going to testify because he had a criminal record. Bean, after stating that his client was not going to testify, shocked the group by saying that Turner would be a fool to testify because the prosecution had produced very little evidence against him. Bean said that if Bookie took the witness stand, he would be devastated and convicted on the evidence they were holding back to use on his cross-examination. This statement produced a turmoil with Neal and Morgan stating that their client had to testify because of his previous claims to exonerate himself from the witness stand. After much discussion and attempted efforts by his lawyers to have him take the stand, Turner shocked the crowd and said, Im going with Crawford (Not to testify). Neal and Morgan, in order to protect themselves in the event Turner got convicted over their urging to testify, had Bookie write out a document that stated that they had advised him to testify and if he was convicted that he had not taken their advice. Said document has been lost in time. Turner was acquitted and his co-conspirators were convicted. The reader can reach his or her own conclusion as to whether Bookie would or would not have been found guilty if he had taken the stand to testify. Neal and Morgan remained great lawyers throughout their illustrious careers. But for one case an old timer like Crawford Bean better understood the thinking of the 12 jurors who decided James E. Bookie Turners fate. * * * BUCHAREST -- The Romanian president has asked outgoing Prime Minister Ludovic Orban to form a new government, moving a step closer to snap general elections. President Klaus Iohannis made the announcement on February 6, a day after Orban's center-right minority government was dismissed after losing a no-confidence vote brought by the leftist opposition. Both Orban and Iohannis have said they want early elections, but the president can only dissolve parliament if two attempts to install a new executive within 60 days fail. On February 6, lawmakers toppled Orban's Liberal minority government in a vote of no-confidence put forward by the opposition Social Democrats (PSD) and the ethnic Hungarian UDMR party. Orban's cabinet took power on an anti-corruption ticket in November after the Social Democrats were ousted from government in October. The PSD and UDMR had criticized Orban for pushing to alter electoral laws without public debate ahead of a mayoral ballot scheduled in late spring. With reporting by AFP and Reuters The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has been acquitted of both charges in his impeachment trial. He was cleared by the U.S. Senate on Wednesday in Washington. In the first charge abusing power of office the Senate, mainly controlled by the Republican party, voted 52-48 while in the second charge obstruction of congress the Senate voted 53-47. To vote the president out, two-thirds of the majority vote is needed. Mr Trump was charged by the Democrats in December with pressuring the Ukrainian government to further investigate former vice president Joe Biden, a move that is said would enhance his chances of winning the 2020 elections. If he had been convicted, he would have had to turn over his office to Vice President Mike Pence. President Trumps reaction Throughout the impeachment trial, Mr Trump has denied doing anything wrong. In his reelection campaign, he said in a statement, President Trump has been totally vindicated and its now time to go back to the business of the American people. The do-nothing Democrats know they cant beat him, so they had to impeach him, he added. The statement further read that this impeachment hoax will go down as the worst miscalculation in American political history, Mr Trump also tweeted, I will be making a public statement tomorrow at 12:00pm from the @WhiteHouse to discuss our Countrys VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax! Trumps impeachment vote Only one Republican, Mitt Romney, indicted the president on the charge of abuse of power. Some Republican senators, although criticising Mr Trumps behaviour, concluded that impeaching him was too harsh a judgement. What did Donald Trump do wrong? In December 2019, the U.S. president was accused of attempting to withhold military aid to Ukraine and pressure its government to investigate former vice president Joe Biden. He was also accused of obstructing Congress for refusing to participate in the impeachment inquiry. Democrats reaction The Democrats according to BBC expressed concern that acquittal would further embolden a president whom they depicted as a demagogue. Meanwhile, a displeased Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker, said that the president is an ongoing threat to American democracy and his acquittal showed that both the Senate and Republicans normalised lawlessness. A Springfield police officer whose credibility was questioned in two 2018 arrests is now being sued in federal court by two men who said the officer and several of his colleagues violated their civil rights by using unnecessary force against them in other arrests. Jubal Chaplin and Caleb Daniel Beechem filed the suit in U.S. District Court in Eugene against the city of Springfield and Springfield Officer Ryan Stone as well as other officers. The Lane County District Attorneys Office earlier called Stones credibility into question after his accounts of a February 2018 arrest significantly conflicted with evidence caught on video of the encounter and his police chief found he used excessive force in an April 2018 arrest, according to court records. Lane County prosecutors shared police reports about those cases with defense lawyers as part of its obligation under the 1963 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brady v. Maryland, requiring them to disclose any material that could impeach the credibility of a government witness. Amber Fossen, a Springfield spokeswoman, said Wednesday the city is reviewing the allegations in the suit, filed last Friday, and declined further comment. According to the suit, Chaplin was a passenger in a car stopped for a traffic violation on Feb. 2, 2018, by Stone and another officer. After the driver was arrested on an outstanding warrant, Stone and Officer Julio Garcia-Cash approached Chaplin and ordered him out of the car. Before Chaplin could get his second foot on the ground from exiting the vehicle, the officers jumped him, grabbed him, and took him down to the ground, stomping on him while all the while telling him to stop resisting, his lawyer, Brian Michaels, wrote in the suit. Chaplin, now 51, of Christmas Valley, was handcuffed and taken to the Springfield jail on allegations of using marijuana in a public place, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. He was bailed out of jail by his family and all charges were dismissed, his lawyer said. Chaplin sought treatment at an urgent care clinic and still suffers from injuries to his back, shoulders, legs, knees and head, his lawyer said. In the other case, Caleb Daniel Beechem, was the subject of a 911 call placed last July 24 by his neighbor who told officers that her security camera caught Beechem on his porch shouting, I hate you and Youre an evil neighbor while shining a light at her home. She told police she felt intimidated, that she had a restraining order against Beechem for his odd behavior and alleged he suffers from a mental illness, the suit says. When police contacted Beechem at his home after the 911 call, he admitted he shined the light because he wasnt pleased with the restraining order or his neighbors security camera. Police said Beechem physically resisted being arrested for allegedly violating a restraining order, according to a police report. I had to deliver numerous focused blows to Beechem in order to gain compliance, Officer Bronson Durrant wrote in a report, according to the suit. He also had to be tased. I received an injury to my right hand that required several stitches. Beechems lawyer says Stone, Durrant and two other officers beat his client repeatedly until he lost consciousness and arrested him unnecessarily. Beechem, now 23, was taken by ambulance to McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center, where he received more than a dozen stitches to his lips and was treated for a broken wrist and deep bruises to his head, the suit says. The state dismissed a resisting arrest charge against Beechem in October. He was found to have been in contempt of the neighbors restraining order. The officers used force that wasnt objectively reasonable in light of the facts and circumstances confronting them, the suit alleges. The suit contends the city of Springfield is liable for allegedly failing to train its officers on appropriate force and how to de-escalate encounters with people suffering from mental illness. It cites an Aug. 1, 2018, memo from the Lane County District Attorneys Office to defense lawyers documenting other past problems involving Officer Stone. In a second February 2018 case, the Springfield police chief found Stone improperly detained a motorist in handcuffs without justification for nearly 11 minutes before letting the driver go on a citation accusing him of failing to signal a lane change. There was no indication that the driver was hostile or huffy, as Stone argued, based on audio and video evidence of the stop, the chief wrote. Stones handcuffing of the motorist was unreasonable, the chief found. Springfield Police Chief Richard L. Lewis recommended a one-day suspension without pay, but its unclear if that happened. In June 2018, the chief found Stone used excessive force against a pedestrian who suffered rib injuries after Stone appeared to have tackled him. Though Stone said the man landed on the grass, investigators said it appeared it more likely happened on paved sidewalk based on video evidence. A state police trooper who came upon the scene said Stone delivered blows to the suspect while he was already on the ground and then fired a stun gun at the man though he wasnt resisting, according to police reports. The pedestrians disorderly conduct and resisting arrest charges were dismissed. The police chief found that Stone had used excessive force, but it was overturned during a union challenge, according to Michaels. Stone argued that he acted to prevent the suspect from reaching beneath his body where he might have a weapon. Investigators found the justification weak, considering Stone had thoroughly patted the man down and found no weapons before taking him to the ground, according to the police records. On Tuesday, Stone filed an amended civil suit in Lane County Circuit Court against the city of Springfield, alleging the Springfield police retaliated against him after he raised concerns about other officers misconduct. Hes seeking $475,000 in damages. -- 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 Santiniketan, Feb 7 : West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday made a veiled attack on the Mamata Banerjee administration over the state's peasants not getting the benefits of the PM Kissan Samman Nidhi and appealed to the government not to "do injustice" to farmers. Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for conceiving and implementing the scheme, Dhankhar said Rs 43,000 crore has been directly transferred to the bank accounts of eight crore peasants, "with no middleman involved...without any advertisement." Speaking after inaugurating a rural fare close to this campus of Visva-Bharati University in Birbhum district's Bolpur, Dhankhar then turned to the peasants in Bengal not getting a "single paisa" from the scheme. "70 lakh peasants in Bengal didn't get a single paisa. I feel sad. It is their right. Why didn't they get over Rs 4,000 crore? Who has come in-between? They shouldn't have come. "I request with folded hands, we must not do injustice to farmers. There should not be any politics where development is involved. Even if they take steps now, then there is still a chance of Rs 4,000-5000 crores reaching the accounts of the peasants.. That will change the economic and social status of our farmers," he said. The PM Kisan Samman Nidhi is a fully centrally funded scheme providing beneficiaries an income support of Rs 6,000 per year. The entire responsibility of identification of beneficiary farmer families rests with the state/Union Territory governments. Despite lakhs of Kisans applying under the scheme, the Banerjee government has refused to clear their names, holding the schem as a propaganda vehicle for the Modi government. The Banerjee government has come up with its own peasants' income support schemes. Countering Dhankhar, state Agriculture Minister Ashish Banerjee said it was "unfortunate" that the Governor was making the remarks without being fully aware of the issue. "The peasants get all forms of financial help. The Governor's statement backing the anti-people policies of the Centre is very unfortunate," he said. Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. Cape Town, February 6, 2020; The Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe revealed on Tuesday that the government is looking forward to creating a new entity with the ability to generate power independently from Eskom. He communicated to the audience that the government will provide license-free permission to mining companies to generate power for their own consumption. It is imperative to note that Eskom, the state-owned power utility company, has amassed a massive debt without providing any path toward profitability at current prices. This has resulted in continuous power load-shedding and inability to repay the debt. During his briefing following his address, Mantashe revealed that an invitation has been sent to various investors interested in either partnering up with the government or making a private investment to create alternative power generation sources. According to the minister of Mineral Resources and Energy: "By this time next year, we hope we can say we have a site for energy generation outside of Eskom. We want people to sell energy through the transmission. We want to take the pressure off of Eskom." The minister believes that any such venture should ideally be a government and private investor partnership enabling both parties to consolidate their resources. Working in tandem will enable them to deploy a diverse variety of technologies and power generation modes, including gas, solar power, and clean coal. The minister further divulged that the idea of creating alternative power generation was inspired by a model from the Netherlands which is expected to enhance the competition to close the energy gap while reducing prices for commercial as well as residential consumers. This presents a great opportunity for African investors to become a constituent of a highly profitable energy sector where demand is only going to increase in the coming years. Eskom's current theoretical capacity is slated at 45,000 MW; however, the state-run power venture has failed to generate more than two thirds of its capacity. This implies a deficit of 15,000 MW to be offset and industrialists, miners and other stakeholders are willing to pay a reasonable price in this regard. This particular investment opportunity entails financial gains along with forging strategic alliances within government ranks. According to Eskom's CEO, Andre de Ruyter , it may take more than a year for the company to repair the power stations in an endeavour to alleviate the shortage. The severe power cuts in December 2019 have put the South African incumbent government on the defensive with mounting pressure from all the stakeholders. As such, investors will possess an extensive amount of leverage to strike a favorable deal. As it stands, the government has already announced to waive off the condition of a license. Now, more than ever, is the time to attend the Africa Energy Indaba where attendees will be privy to the latest insights and opportunities relating to the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energys latest announcement. Since its inception in 2009, the event has been pivotal in imparting prevalent and elucidating sectoral news and this year will be no exception. The forum appeals to anyone interested in capitalising on the opportunities presented by the energy sector in Africa. The latest energy news and developments will feature I the conference and set the springboard for the way forward in the African and South African energy sector. This premium event provides the quintessential platform from which ground-breaking energy related topics will be thoroughly unpacked, addressing the associated challenges and discussing the various solutions thereof. ABOUT AFRICA ENERGY INDABA 2020 Theme: African Energy Catalysing Investment and Business Opportunities The Africa Energy Indaba is the continents definitive energy event, providing an agenda that influences energy policy for Africa. Attended by Ministers and decision-makers, the prestigious event serves as the ideal platform for achieving Africa's energy vision for a sustainable energy future and keeping abreast of global energy competitors in this dynamic landscape. The event has proven its success year on year, demonstrating extreme efficaciousness in addressing key issues impacting the African energy sector while devising solutions to best mitigate these pressing concerns. Strategic partnerships with the World Energy Council, the South African National Energy Association and the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency ensure the event is backed by leading energy drivers. The symposium provides invaluable business growth opportunities for the continent's energy realm, subsequently inspiring much-needed transformation within the sector. Malawian President Peter Mutharika has slammed a decision by the Constitutional Court to annul his re-election but promised to run in a fresh ballot ordered by the judges. The southern African nation made history on Monday when the top court ruled in favour of an opposition bid to cancel last May's presidential election results over allegations of fraud. After six months of hearings broadcast on public radio, the judges declared Mutharika was "not duly elected". They cited what they called massive and widespread irregularities, especially the use of correction fluid on ballot sheets, and ordered a fresh poll within 150 days. Parliament on Thursday said it would comply with the court orders and would pass the necessary laws by February 24 to enable the staging of fresh polls. Mutharika, 79, has already vowed to appeal against the annulment to the Supreme Court. He has six weeks in which to submit the challenge. He went on the offensive on Wednesday, blasting the verdict as a "serious subversion of justice" that marked the "death of Malawi's democracy". "We are not appealing to stop the next election," he said during an address to the nation from the capital Lilongwe. Supporters of the UTM party headed by Malawi's reinstated vice president, Saulos Chilima, dance for joy after the court ruling. By AMOS GUMULIRA (AFP) "We are ready to campaign and win as we have always done." The president added that he was appealing to correct "fundamental errors in the judgement" and to "seek justice". "Let us not be carried away by this court ruling because it is not the end of everything," he added. It is the first time a presidential election has been challenged on legal grounds in Malawi since independence from Britain in 1964, and only the second African vote result to be cancelled after the 2017 Kenya presidential vote. Lazarus Chakwera, the leader of the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP), who came a close second to Mutharika, hailed the verdict as a win for democracy. "The future is bright," he tweeted late on Wednesday. His party spokesman scorned Mutharika over his reaction to the court ruling. "We are surprised that the president, being a constitutional law professor, has reacted in such a manner," MCP spokesman Eisenhower Mkaka told AFP. "We thought that the court was just and fair and the president should have been the first one to appreciate that," he added. Mutharika was declared the winner of the May 21 election with 38.5 percent of the vote, with Chakwera losing by just 159,000 votes. Malawi. By Jean Michel CORNU (AFP) Chakwera said he was robbed of victory and went to court to challenge the result. He was backed in the legal challenge by the former vice president Saulos Chilima, who fell out with Mutharika and contested the election on an opposition ticket. The constitutional court judges concurred that "the irregularities and anomalies have been so widespread, systematic and grave... that the integrity of the results has been seriously compromised." The court said only 23 percent of the results sheets had been able to be verified, and that the outcome announced by the electoral commission "cannot be trusted as a true reflection of the will of the voters". 'Future is bright' Allegations of vote-rigging sparked protests across the normally peaceful country last year shortly after results were announced. Several of the demonstrations turned violent. Mutharika on Wednesday called on all Malawians to "keep calm" adding that the judgement was not the end of "litigation in the May 21 elections case". Mutharika will remain president until the new election, the court ruled, with Chilima as his deputy. Parliament has meantime begun to prepare the legislative changes ordered by the court, including amending the current first-past-the-post electoral system for choosing a president. The court interpreted the constitutional provision of "majority of the electorate" as meaning that a candidate should be chosen by more than 50 percent of the ballots cast. "What parliament is being asked to do is to bring the enabling legislation," parliament speaker Catherine Hara told a news conference in Lilongwe on Thursday. The zero customs duty on open-cells for LCD/LED panels used for televisions may get a temporary extension. The government is studying a proposal to extend the nil duty by another six months. Currently, this is valid till September 30. Imposition of customs duty would lead to an immediate hike in prices of televisions. This is because open cell is what makes the LED/LED screen of a television function effectively. The entire open-cell component is imported from South-East Asian markets. LED TVs comprise one of the largest segments under the entire domain of Appliance and Consumer Electronics, accounting to a volume of almost 15 million with an estimated sale value of almost Rs. 40,000 crore. "While the emphasis is on Make in India, the government is cognisant of the fact that key components for products like televisions do not have local manufacturing capacity," said an official. In September 2019, the Ministry of Finance had said the open-cells for LCD/LED panels will not attract any customs duty. The ministry had said that it will be valid till September 30, 2020 post which local manufacturing of open cell could be incentivised. In her Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that it has been observed that imports under Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are on the rise. "Undue claims of FTA benefits have posed threat to domestic industry. Such imports require stringent checks. In this context, suitable provisions are being incorporated in the Customs Act. In the coming months we shall review Rules of Origin requirements, particularly for certain sensitive items, so as ensure that FTAs are aligned to the conscious direction of our policy," she had said. It is to be noted that televisions are also a category where FTAs are being used in a small way to source products/parts from outside. This will also be under review. She also said that the custom duty exemptions shall be comprehensively reviewed by September, 2020 for taking a view on their relevance. Currently, the zero customs duty is applicable for open-cell (15.6 inches and above) used in the manufacture of Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) TV panels. Further, components like the chip on film, printed circuit board assembly and cell used in LCD/LED TV panels will also be exempt from customs duty. Open-cell is a critical component used in manufacturing television sets. At present, there is no local manufacturing of open cell in India so a higher customs duty meant that TV prices stayed high. The LED TV industry is also one of the biggest employers with estimated employment of 50,000 people directly and many more indirectly through the ancillary units. The industry has sought a policy to enable phased manufacturing of TVs and end-to-end manufacturing of televisions in the country. Three men have been arrested after Gardai seized more than 43,000 worth of drugs, an imitation handgun and 4,500 in cash in Dublin. Seven flats were searched in the Hardwick Street area of Dublin City Centre at around 4pm this afternoon. Around 70,000 Nationwide customers are set to receive a slice of a 900,000 payout, the Competition and Markets Authority has revealed. The move comes after the CMA found Britain's biggest building society had failed to warn customers they sent text messages to that they faced being slapped with fees if they dipped into their unarranged overdraft. This marks the second time in six months that Nationwide has been forced to dish out cash to customers for failing to abide by the warning text message rule. Cash payout: Around 70,000 Nationwide customers are set to receive a slice of a 900,000 payout, the CMA said today Under the rule, which came into force in 2018, current account customers are meant to receive a text alert that they are about to be charged for entering into an unarranged overdraft. The rule was introduced to give people 'time to take action and avoid unexpected fees', the CMA said. Adam Land, a senior director at the CMA, said: 'Banks and building societies that fail to send customers text alerts saying they will be charged if they enter an unarranged overdraft are breaking the rules.' He adds: 'The fact that Nationwide is a repeat offender makes it even more serious. 'Following our action, it will now repay all affected customers, and quickly. 'This is exactly the sort of issue we would expect to fine companies for in future, if the Government gives us the increased powers we've asked for.' Around 70,000 Nationwide customers were affected by the building society's latest text messages failings. Crucially, the affected customers were 'known to the building society as having difficulty managing their accounts and so at a higher risk of entering unarranged overdrafts', the CMA added. The CMA said Nationwide has already 'begun refunding' affected customers and has appointed an independent auditor to 'review its processes.' The refunds affected customers will get 'cover all fees incurred' from going into their unarranged overdraft. In August, Nationwide agreed to refund 320,000 of its customers a total of 6million after the CMA found it had broken the law by not letting customers know it was charging them for unarranged borrowing. The CMA found the group, which is Britain's biggest mutual, had broken a rule 20 times, affecting nearly a third of a million people who dipped into the red. Sara Bennison, chief marketing officer at Nationwide, said: 'The CMA Directions, issued to Nationwide in August 2019, required the Society to complete an independent review of its processes in relation to text alerts. 'While all members received their texts on each and every occasion, this review identified that alerts sent to members who were in Collections did not explicitly state that they would be charged an unarranged overdraft fee. 'While these members haven't been overcharged, we appreciate these texts are designed to help people avoid unarranged overdraft charges, so we apologise that on this occasion we didn't meet the high standards we set ourselves. 'We are contacting impacted members and will be automatically refunding the charges back into their account. 'From 11 November 2019, the Society removed unarranged overdraft charges, so this issue will not occur again in the future.' The move comes as overdrafts have come into the spotlight in recent months. Nationwide was the first major bank or building society to reveal its new 39.9 per cent blanket overdraft rate. Since then, all of the big names have revealed similar plans. Most recently, Lloyds Banking Group unveiled plans to charge some 49.9 per cent. Because of the backlash, The Financial Conduct Authority has written to the banks to ask them to explain why they have set their overdrafts at nearly 40 per cent and what they plan to do to help customers left worse off by their changes. Technavio has been monitoring the global heart valve repair and replacement devices market since 2014 and the market is poised to grow by USD 7.02 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of almost 16% during the forecast period. Request free sample pages This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005605/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global heart valve repair and replacement devices market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Read the 127-page report with TOC on "Heart Valve Repair and Replacement Devices Market Analysis Report by Product (Heart valve replacement devices and Heart valve repair devices), Surgery (Minimally invasive surgeries, Transcatheter surgeries, and Open surgeries), Geography (Asia, Europe, North America, and ROW), and the Segment Forecasts, 2019-2023". https://www.technavio.com/report/global-heart-valve-repair-and-replacement-devices-market-industry-analysis The market is driven by the growth in medical tourism in emerging economies. In addition, technological advances are anticipated to boost the growth of the heart valve repair and replacement devices market. The cost of heart valve replacement treatment procedure is significantly low in developing countries compared to developed countries. Hence, patients from developed countries such as the US and Canada travel to countries such as Singapore, India, and Thailand to avail premium medical services at lower prices. In addition, improvements in the quality of medical services and healthcare infrastructure and the availability of well-trained surgeons have further led to the growth of medical tourism in these countries. This will be a crucial factor in driving the growth of the market during 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 Heart Valve Repair and Replacement Devices Market Companies: Abbott Abbott operates its business through segments such as Established Pharmaceuticals, Nutritionals, Diagnostics, Cardiovascular and Neuromodulation, and Other. The company offers a wide range of heart valve repair and replacement devices. Some of the key offerings include Epic Mitral Valve, Mitraclip Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair, and Trifecta GT Aortic Valve. Boston Scientific Corporation Boston Scientific Corporation operates its business through segments such as Cardiovascular, Rhythm and Neuro, and MedSurg. The company offers a wide range of heart valve repair and replacement devices. LOTUS Edge Aortic Valve System and ACURATE neo Aortic Valve System are some of its key offerings. CryoLife, Inc CryoLife, Inc operates its business through segments such as Products and Preservation services. On-X Ascending Aortic Prosthesis and On-X Prosthetic Heart Valves are the key offerings of the company. Edwards Lifesciences Corporation Edwards Lifesciences Corporation operates its business through segments such as Transcatheter Heart Valve Therapy, Surgical Heart Valve Therapy, and Critical Care. Some of the key offerings of the company include PASCAL Transcatheter Valve Repair System, Cardioband Mitral Reconstruction, and Cardioband Tricuspid Valve Reconstruction System. LivaNova PLC LivaNova PLC operates its business through segments such as Cardiovascular, Neuromodulation, and Other. Perceval, Solo Smart, and Valsalva Conduit are the key offerings of the company. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Technavio has segmented the heart valve repair and replacement devices market based on the product, surgery, and region. Heart Valve Repair and Replacement Devices Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2019 2023) Heart valve replacement devices Heart valve repair devices Heart Valve Repair and Replacement Devices Surgery Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2019 2023) Minimally invasive surgeries Transcatheter surgeries Open surgeries Heart Valve Repair and Replacement Devices Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2019 2023) Asia Europe North America ROW 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 Healthcare are: Global Ventricular Assist Devices Market Global ventricular assist devices market by geography (Asia, Europe, North America, and ROW) and product (left and right ventricular assist devices and bi-ventricular assist devices). Global Urology Laser Surgical Devices Market Global urology laser surgical devices market by product (portable laser surgical devices and table-top laser surgical devices) and geography (Asia, Europe, North America, and ROW). 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. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005605/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 www.technavio.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 18:15:34|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close CHANGSHA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Humans are not the only species suffering from the novel coronavirus outbreak, as animals have been hit hard as well. The ongoing epidemic has caught many pet owners in China unprepared, and even separated them from their beloved four-legged friends. Two days ago, a young woman using the screen name "Miss UniqueHW" posted a message on the Weibo account of the small animal protection association of Changsha: "Please save my dog (a 9-kg black poodle). The poor thing has been locked at home for 15 days. I'm very concerned." Miss UniqueHW lives in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province. She was trapped in her rural hometown due to epidemic control measures. "Dog food is likely to have run out. I don't know whether it has died or not. I love my dog. Please help me," she wrote. The association soon launched an initiative, calling for volunteers in Changsha to offer food and water to pets that had been left at home by their owners. In just a few hours, messages poured in to the association's WeChat and Weibo accounts. "I live near the neighborhood and can look after the dog," said a volunteer. "I'm downtown and can help take care of pets in need," said another. With the location information provided by Miss UniqueHW, volunteers found the poodle safe and sound. They fed the dog food and water and took it for a walk. "I'm very grateful for what they did. My dog is safe and in good condition. I hope to be a volunteer myself to pass on the love and hope," Miss UniqueHW said. The small animal protection association of Wuhan has also been sending volunteers to help left-behind pets since Jan. 27 when the traffic in and out of the city was suspended. "We visited 300 homes in six days, and there are 400 more pets to visit," said a volunteer with the association. "Without food and water, most pets won't last a week. We must hurry." Inspired by Wuhan, the Changsha branch launched its own initiative, receiving a number of help-seeking messages. According to the association, volunteers are required to take protective measures before visiting pets. With the consent of pet owners, they can contact lock companies or landlords to open doors, and film the whole rescue process. Over 70 pets have been successfully rescued in Changsha as of Wednesday. In the meantime, the story of a baby golden retriever and its window-to-window neighbor in another building in south China's Guangdong Province warmed the hearts of many Chinese netizens. In a short video filmed by the neighbor, she noticed the dog whining through the open window, and fed the dog using a long stick with meat attached to the end of it. She cut open a plastic bottle, filled it with water and hung it on the stick as well. Her video generated a large number of views, and many left comments offering advice. Soon she learned that the owner had been stuck in Wuhan for a week. But thankfully, the neighbor reached the dog owner, who asked a relative to check on the dog and send it to a pet center. Similar stories have been posted and reposted by Chinese netizens in recent days. "I was moved to tears by what those people did for those animals. They offer me comfort and confidence at such a difficult time," said a WeChat user under the golden retriever story. At 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Shi Shi, a volunteer in Changsha, came back home after a busy day. She has driven about 40 km back and forth daily for the past few days. The association has set up several WeChat groups for pet owners to "place orders" and volunteers to "take orders" based on the principle of proximity. "I wear masks, gloves and a raincoat as a protective suit, and bring disinfectant when I go out," Shi said. After entering a pet owner's apartment, she found the house was a mess, and the dog she was supposed to help was starving. "The dog was cute and obedient. It was drooling at the mouth but still waited for my order to eat," she said. Although volunteers were only asked to feed the pets, Shi couldn't help doing some cleaning, for she wanted the dog to stay in a clean environment. "Their grateful eyes are the best reward," she said. YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy on Thursday hit out at Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu for "politicising" the issue of state capital in Parliament despite knowing it is the prerogative of the state to decide its capital. Reddy also accused Naidu of forcibly grabbing the land from farmers in Amaravati and the surrounding area in the name of land pooling. "He is politicising the issue of state capital at Lok Sabha through his MPs though he very well knows that capital is a state issue. How can Chandrababu Naidu criticise even when some of the farmers met with Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy?" he said. "Jagan will definitely do justice to the farmers in the Amaravati region, but Chandrababu is speaking like a village level leader. How can Naidu call those farmers who met the CM as 'Paid Artists'?" the YSRCP MLA added. "None of the farmers of Amaravati had cooperated with the former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, but he had forcibly grabbed farmlands from them in the name of land pooling. Is 1.06 lakh acres of land really needed for constructing the capital? Does the capital need 648 sq km of acres," he further said. Reddy's attack came days after TDP MP Jayadev Galla has moved a privilege motion against a number of Andhra Pradesh police officials, including the Director-General of Police (DGP), for allegedly manhandling him during the three-capital agitation last month. The YSRCP government and opposition are at loggerheads since the state Assembly passed the 'Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill 2020 in January. The Bill proposes to have a legislative capital at Amaravati, executive capital and Raj Bhavan at Visakhapatnam and judicial capital at Kurnool. Continuing his tirade against the TDP chief, Reddy accused Naidu of misusing all officers, including the then DGP RP Thakur during his stint as the chief minister of the state. "Naidu had misused all officers, including the then DGP RP Thakur. Now the same Chandrababu is threatening the officials and police, only for the fear that his misdeeds would be exposed. His insider trading practices in the Amaravati region will definitely be unearthed," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SDLP committee member Justin McNulty described the figure "astonishing", particularly given the EA has estimated that 90m of the total maintenance bill is required for "critical" works The repair bill for the backlog of school maintenance in Northern Ireland currently stands at 400m - although another 400m is needed to keep the under-pressure education system going as it is. The stark figure was presented to the Stormont education committee yesterday by the Education Authority (EA). The committee heard that the 400m maintenance cost to ensure all schools operate at a modern standard equates to 1,600 schemes yet to be completed. SDLP committee member Justin McNulty described the figure "astonishing", particularly given the EA has estimated that 90m of the total maintenance bill is required for "critical" works. Speaking afterwards, Mr McNulty said urgent action is needed to address the issue. "Our school estate must be fit for purpose. Children deserve to be taught in a modern, safe and appropriate environment," he said. "Teachers and staff deserve to work in a safe environment with the resources they need." The development comes after Education Minister Peter Weir recently warned that schools here require an extra 400m per year to address a teachers' pay dispute, improve special needs provision, bolster schools' operating budgets and finance a planned childcare strategy. This represents a 20% rise on the current annual education budget of around 2bn - 99% of which is spent directly in schools, according to the EA. Its chief executive Sara Long echoed Mr Weir's financial assessment, insisting the extra investment is required to run the sector at a basic level. "The 400m is in order to continue the system as it is," she said. However, she added that for radical reform of the education system "key policy changes are needed" in areas such as the Department of Education's home-to-school transport scheme, the 14 to 19-year-olds strategy and early years intervention. Committee chairperson Chris Lyttle expressed surprise at the 400m maintenance figure, adding it is the same amount education requires annually overall. "Can I ask how this (school maintenance backlog) impacts schools?" the Alliance MLA said. An EA official replied that it can affect schools in various ways, such as electrical works to outdated heating schemes. The committee also heard that schools here will exceed their budgets by 30m this year. The EA chief insisted principals are working under an "intolerable strain" to operate their schools amid increasing demands and fewer resources, particularly meeting the requirements of children with special education needs. "School deficits continue to rise despite the actions taken by school leaders," Ms Long told the committee. Seamus Wade, EA's assistant director of financial services, stressed that it had been their "absolute priority" to avoid cuts at school levels. However, he said the financial situation is not improving for schools, insisting the problem could not be resolved in a year. Ms Long also told the committee the EA had "continued to drive forward" as best it could during Stormont's three-year absence but action was now required. In response Mr Lyttle said there was a need for political leadership going forward. Thank you for reading! To read this article and more, subscribe now for as little as $1.99. PPL Corporation PPL is set to release fourth-quarter 2019 results on Feb 14, before market open. The company has trailing four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 1.40%, on average. Lets see how things are placed ahead of the upcoming quarterly announcement. Factors to Consider PPL Corp is focused on modernizing and reshaping its infrastructure as well as technology to strengthen grid resilience and improve service quality. Thus, the company consistently makes investments in infrastructure. It has the ability to recover more than 80% of its investments within 12 months. These are likely to have made a positive impact on the companys performance in to-be-reported quarter. In third-quarter earnings call, the company announced that PPL Electric Utilities had nearly completed a $470 million multi-year advanced meter replacement project in Pennsylvania. Also, PPL Corp had completed construction of a new community solar facility in late July. These developments are expected to have boosted fourth-quarter results. PPL Corporation Price and EPS Surprise PPL Corporation Price and EPS Surprise PPL Corporation price-eps-surprise | PPL Corporation Quote Q4 Estimates The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter earnings is pegged at 53 cents, which indicates a rise of 1.92% year over year. Earnings Whispers Our proven model doesnt conclusively predict an earnings beat for PPL Corp this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. But thats not the case here. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Earnings ESP: The companys Earnings ESP is 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Currently, PPL Corp carries a Zacks Rank #2. Other Stocks to Consider Investors can consider the following players from the same industry that have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in the to-be-reported quarter. Duke Energy Corporation DUK is slated to release fourth-quarter 2019 results on Feb 13. It has an Earnings ESP of +0.38% and a Zacks Rank #3. Ameren Corporation AEE is set to release fourth-quarter 2019 numbers on Feb 26. It has an Earnings ESP of +2.73% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. CenterPoint Energy, Inc. CNP is scheduled to release fourth-quarter 2019 results on Feb 27. It has an Earnings ESP of +1.09% and a Zacks Rank #3. More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone! It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market. Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2020. Click here for the 6 trades >> 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 CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) : Free Stock Analysis Report PPL Corporation (PPL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ameren Corporation (AEE) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. British MPs voted last month to deny refugee children the right to be reunited with their families. Unaccompanied child refugees must be allowed to be reunited with their families, activists urged the UK government on Wednesday. A group of students from Oaklands School in east London accompanied a group of refugees and human rights workers walking to the Home Office on Wednesday to hand over a 75,000-strong petition demanding child refugees in the UK be permitted to live with their families. The law currently allows adult refugees in the United Kingdom to sponsor their families to join them here, but children do not have that right. The cruel and restrictive rules needed to be removed and that child refugees needed to be made a priority, said Tom Davies, campaign manager at Amnesty International UK. Here in the UK, there are many vulnerable children who need to be with their families and being separated from them is not a good thing and the government is doing that intentionally. 200122183233868 Amnesty International said the petition asked the government to allow child refugees in the UK the right to sponsor their close family an expansion on who qualifies as family so that young people who have turned 18 and elderly parents can join their relatives. They also want funding to be allocated in legal aid for refugee family reunion cases. The human rights group, in collaboration with 52 other refugee organisations, has campaigned on the issue of child refugees since 2017. Horrors endured The march organised by Families Together Coalition, of which Amnesty is a member came after MPs voted against a Lords amendment to the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill that would have guaranteed refugee children could join relatives in the UK after Brexit. Amnestys Davies revealed the horrors endured by some refugees, including a Sudanese teenager named Habib, who fled his country and sought refuge in the UK after being arrested over his fathers political campaigning. He said he was tortured, and left for Libya on a boat where he claimed to have witnessed the murder of a baby by a smuggler. He was then on a boat to come to Europe and it sank and he saw people drown, said Davies. Horrific, horrific experiences both in his home country and on his journey to the UK and then to be separated from his loved ones because of these rules is beyond cruel. SNP MP Angus MacNeil, who marched with the students, told the PA news agency: The pressure is on the government to make this change. In nearly all countries in Europe, children have the same rights of family reunion as adults do. Bizarrely the UK doesnt do that, and its been resisting to the Tory government has been resisting to give children the same rights and have their families with them. Its not a big ask, actually, he added. Unfortunately, the government isnt going to take any action unless pressure is placed on them. MacNeil said former leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom, and whip Rebecca Harris were of no help with his proposed legislation on the issue, but he hopes for a change of heart, and that the right thing is done in the end. DETROIT, High school students, gorilla emojis and the N-word launched a local outcry in Saline, Michigan, last week. Then a parent stood up at a community meeting to recount times his now-adult son was called taco and enchilada at school, leaving him in tears. Then why didnt you stay in Mexico? responded another man. Now, the small but burgeoning city south of Ann Arbor is making national headlines next to the word racist. For residents and business owners like Ron Schofield, 61, the two recent incidents one reported by Saline Area Schools and one on full display during a school meeting are both a disturbing revelation and a symptom of underlying racism nationwide. Speaking a few hours before nearly 250 anti-racism marchers took to the street Wednesday, Schofield, co-owner of the Salt Springs Brewery on the citys main drag, said Saline has been a tight-knit community with the type of people that take care of each other. To say, shocking, I dont know if thats appropriate, he said of the incidents. Its disturbing that people are this comfortable being this open about their feelings that are just racist. Thats the hardest thing for me to wrap my head around. N-word, gorilla emojis at majority white school district Saline Area Schools became aware of a racist incident involving high school students a little over a week and a half ago, said Pittsfield Township Director of Public Safety Matthew Harshberger. Though the district covers the 4-square-mile city of Saline, it has students from surrounding townships and the high school rests in Pittsfield Township. School officials contacted police, who responded to the school on Jan. 27, spoke to students and uncovered a thread of conversation on the social media app Snapchat. Among other things, the N-word was used, he confirmed. So were gorilla emojis. None of it was criminal in nature, he said. It was definitely offensive and racial, as the schools have identified, but not criminal, so it did not fit the elements of ethnic intimidation or hate crime. Story continues Superintendent Scot Graden, in a letter Jan. 27, acknowledged an incident of offensive and inappropriate racist comments and said the damage to the community needed to be repaired. He noted the restorative justice program at the school, used in conjunction with discipline with both the harmed and those doing the harm. Emotion tumbled out the following day at a school board meeting and on Monday during a school community meeting on diversity and inclusion, MLive and The Ann Arbor News reported. As Adrian Iraola, owner of the Chelas Restaurant and Taquerias in Ann Arbor and Dexter, discussed the abuse his son faced in the 88% white school district, a man identified as Tom Burtell questioned why Iraola came to the U.S., MLive reported. After audible gasps and shouts for Burtell to leave, Iraola said, Because this is the greatest country in the world, MLive reported. 'I am Saline' Saline had a population a little over 9,000 in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But on the city website, it boasts roughly 250,000 working-age people within a 20-minute commute. With Saline's roots as a rural farm community, Schofield said, farm equipment makes its way past his brewery around harvest time each year. But theres the Toyota Technical Center nearby and the automotive parts plant, Faurecia, down the road. Walking the few miles to his job at Faurecia on Wednesday, Michael Hearn, 47, said hes only heard rumor of one racist incident during his three months living in Saline. It involved police and wasnt one that made national headlines. Saline Police Sgt. Jay Basso said Wednesday he wasnt immediately aware of an incident matching the description provided. Originally from Detroit, Hearn moved to Saline to cut down on his commute. An African American man, he said he was wary he might run into racism in the small town. However, hes mainly been overwhelmed with kindness. Everybody is so sweet, so nice, thats its like a horror movie on the down-low, he said with a chuckle, noting how nice characters first seemed in the movie, Get Out. Its like you never know when somebody is going to jump out and change on you, he said. I mean, Im hoping that never happens, but Ive never been anywhere where everybody is just so nice. Not everyone has felt that kindness, however. A week before the comment Then why didnt you stay in Mexico? one woman at a school board meeting revealed her childrens noses and African clothing were mocked, MLive reported. Others pointed to lack of inclusion and policy issues when it came to gender identity and sexual orientation. Hundreds gathered to march against the racism boiling over in the community Wednesday. With posters denouncing discrimination, such as No room for racism, they walked up and down Michigan Avenue in the cold before stealing inside to give a chance for community members to speak. Residents of multiple ages and races explained the support, hatred, fear and worries they felt in the community. One sign-bearer, Valerie Casarez Helmer of Saline, had a message for racists. For those who have loved me and embraced me, I thank them, and then for those who do not embrace me and my culture, Id just like them to know they need to get used to it. I am Saline, get used to it, her sign said. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan diversity meeting: 'Stay in Mexico' leaves community reeling Boeing and American safety officials refused to cooperate on Thursday with a new inquiry by Dutch lawmakers into a deadly crash near Amsterdam in 2009 that had striking parallels with two more recent accidents involving the manufacturers 737 Max. Members of the Dutch parliament wanted to question the Boeing chief executive, David Calhoun, about the companys possible influence over the original Dutch investigation of the accident, which killed nine people on a Turkish Airlines flight. The National Transportation Safety Board also refused lawmakers request to participate. The legislators initiated the review in the wake of a New York Times examination of evidence from the 2009 crash that found that Dutch safety authorities had either removed or played down some criticisms of Boeing in their accident report, after pushback from an American team that included the manufacturer and officials from the N.T.S.B. and the Federal Aviation Administration. The Dutch authorities had also declined to publish an expert study that blasted Boeing for design shortcomings and other missteps. The investigating agency, the Dutch Safety Board, had said the study was confidential, but later posted it online after The Times detailed its findings. Health officials in Ghana said on Wednesday they are investigating two suspected cases of coronavirus in the capital, Accra. The suspected cases involve two men, a Chinese and an Argentinian, who live together, but travelled on different dates from China. They reported themselves to the emergency unit of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital on Wednesday after being turned away from an unnamed private clinic. They complained of malaise, muscle pains and flu symptoms. The Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association in Accra, Dr William Baah said the two patients have been quarantined as their blood samples are being analyzed. Theyve all developed some symptoms that fits the case definition but it doesnt mean they have [coronavirus] though, Dr Baah said. Also on Wednesday, Ugandas ministry of health says over 100 people who arrived at Entebbe International Airport from China have been placed under a 14-day quarantine to prevent the spread of a coronavirus outbreak. The country has intensified screening at its major border points and made it mandatory for all travelers from China to provide personal details for follow-up visits by health workers. According to the Minister of Health Dr Jane Aceng, 44 of those quarantined are Chinese nationals. She also said the ministry was not aware of any Ugandan who is either suspected or confirmed to have coronavirus. Kavya Narayanan On 30 January 2020, a group of doctors at the University of Munich argued in a letter published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NJEM), that the fast-spreading, deadly novel coronavirus could be "transmitted by people without symptoms." The study has since been discredited by a branch of the German federal health ministry, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), citing "major flaws" in their arguments. The main criticism by RKI researchers is that a Chinese woman believed to have unknowingly brought the virus to Germany on a visit, had "no signs or symptoms of infection" while transmitting the infection. RKI called the German study "highly-misleading", according to a DW report. LMU didn't speak to the woman who brought the virus to Germany before sharing their findings. Instead, they purely went by information they took from the four other patients interviewed. "They told us that the patient from China did not appear to have any symptoms," Michael Hoelscher from LMU's Munich Medical Center told Science. "If I was writing this today, I would phrase that differently." News outlets in China reported that scientists not associated with the LMU group of doctors, too, shared a similar opinion that infected individuals without any symptoms could be contagious. That said, there still isn't any evidence to support the claim something the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Public Health Agency of Sweden, too, clarified. The researchers did offer explanations for why they jumped the gun and published the report knowing it needed more clarification. "I feel bad about how this went, but I dont think anybody is at fault here," virologist Christian Drosten from the Charite University Hospital in Berlin, one of the authors who also contributed to the lab work for the study, said. "Apparently the woman could not be reached at first and people felt this had to be communicated quickly." Just because the paper doesn't prove transmission without symptoms is possible, doesn't mean it can't happen. Some researchers in the German team of doctors, in fact, still believe it does. Even so, asymptomatic transmission isn't something that plays a big hand in the overall epidemic, according to WHO. What's worrisome is direct transmission from an infected to health person through cough or sneeze droplets. The viral outbreak, which began in the city of Wuhan in China, has killed 565 people and infected at least 28,000 more. With more than 30 years experience in the financial services industry, Abu Arif's insights and knowledge will be a tremendous asset. Community Health Charities (CHC) announced today that Abu M. Arif, President of Ameriprise Bank FSB and Ameriprise Certificate Company in the Advice Wealth Management segment, joined the CHC national board of directors, adding his significant expertise to an impressive roster of top executives in health and social impact. With more than 30 years experience in the financial services industry, Abus insights and knowledge will be a tremendous asset, said Thomas G. Bognanno, CHC president & CEO. We draw on the deep expertise of our board to help us strategically expand the impact and scope of our mission, building stronger, healthier communities. In his current role as Ameriprise Bank President, Arif has general management responsibility of all cash, lending and personal trust products offered in the Advice Wealth Management segment. He also serves as an Internal Director on two boards for Ameriprise. Previously, Arif worked with American Express in the international division, spending over ten years in Asia, including Pakistan, Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong. During those assignments, Arif was responsible for managing a variety of operations, finance and business development functions at the regional and national levels. Arif earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Karachi, Institute of Business Administration. At the last board meeting, Arif was elected to the national board of directors by unanimous vote and will begin his official duties at the next board meeting hosted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in March 2020. About Community Health Charities Community Health Charities has been raising awareness and resources and empowering people to take action to improve health and wellbeing for over 60 years. We support education, treatment, and prevention for those with health challenges; bring organizations together to improve community health; provide individuals with opportunities to get involved; and increase the capacity of nonprofit organizations. Visit https://healthcharities.org or @healthcharities. 23:47 Communist Party of India leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Friday rued that sedition charges were being "distributed freely like prasad" though a police officer arrested along with terrorists was not deemed fit to be booked for treason. The former JNU student leader, who was booked for sedition four years ago, was referring to suspended Jammu and Kashmir DSP Devinder Singh. "Sedition charges are being distributed freely like prasad. Social workers are being booked.... In Karnataka, school children have been booked for merely staging a play. And this is when a police official arrested along with terrorists is yet to be charged with the same," he said while addressing a rally in Bihar's Katihar as part of his state-wide "Jan Gan Man Yatra" against the CAA-NPR-NRC issue. Kumar, who made an unsuccessful electoral debut in the Lok Sabha polls last year against BJP's Giriraj Singh, termed the saffron party as 'Godsewadi', followers of Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse. "These Godsewadis, these rioters have placed guns in the hands of youths while (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah has secured the plum post of BCCI secretary for his son. "The people in power send their children to Oxford, Cambridge and other elite institutions abroad while the ordinary young men and women in the country have to contend with an educational system wherein a three-year degree course takes five years to get completed," he said. A person who becomes a member of any legislative body for just one term is guaranteed a handsome pension for life, while government employees get post-retirement benefits irregularly after a lifetime of service, Kanhaiya said and termed this "unfair". Charging the NDA government with adopting a "provoke and mislead" policy, he wondered why the need for a fresh amendment was felt by the Centre despite the citizenship law having been amended by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Kanhaiya sought to defend the use of epithets like "takloo" (the bald one) and "tadipaar" for Shah (an allusion to the Supreme Court order whereby the BJP leader was asked to stay out of Gujarat a decade ago) by claiming "I do so to make things easier to understand. I do not wish to use foul language against anybody." "I am often accused of claiming to be a student despite being in my 40s. Let me make it clear, I am no more with the JNU, having completed my PhD. And I am only 35. But the problem with my friends who are supporters of the BJP is, they have fallen in love with Modi. And love makes you blind, prevents you from seeing reason," he added. -- PTI Algonac property owners are advised to plan now to protect their homes and take measures to prevent water from their property from adversely affecting their neighbors or public streets. The Army Corps of Engineers continues to predict that 2020 water levels will be higher than last year, city officials said in a news release. The city of Algonac local flood emergency declared in June 2019 is still in effect per city ordinance 10-281. Excess water cannot be discharged into the sanitary sewer system. The wastewater treatment plant in Algonac is designed to handle the disposal of wastewater from the sanitary sewer system, not to drain property due to flooding. It is illegal to connect a sump pump or any other pump to drain water into the sanitary sewer, use open cleanouts to drain yards into the sanitary sewer and lift manhole covers to allow surface water entry into the sanitary sewer. Increased flows to the sanitary sewer can cause sewer backups in homes and pollution into the St. Clair River upon discharge. The city of Algonac will be focused on preventing injury or loss of life and assisting with the reduction of public and private property loss due to flooding, officials said. Information will be provided via the city website, Facebook and press releases to inform the community of flood conditions and related information as necessary. Frequently asked questions regarding sandbags, such as when and where they can be used, sizing, the amount to use, how to fill them, how to stack them and how to dispose of them, can be found at cityofalgonac.org. Frequently asked questions about flood insurance, such as who is eligible, who to contact, what is covered, how long it takes to go into effect and more, can also be found at the website. The recent high water levels have been a challenge for everyone, officials noted in the release. If the whole community comes together, if neighbors work cooperatively, we can successfully prepare for these exceptional conditions. For more information, email afd@cityofalgonac.org or dpw@cityofalgonac.org. Emily Pauling, MediaNews Group OTTAWA - Newly released documents show Ottawa has spent more than $8 million in legal fees in the ongoing human rights case over First Nations child welfare. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/2/2020 (705 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Cindy Blackstock, Executive Director of First Nations Child and Family Caring Society holds a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016. Questions are being raised about the amount of money Ottawa has spent over the last 13 years in legal fees in the ongoing human rights case over First Nations child welfare. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick OTTAWA - Newly released documents show Ottawa has spent more than $8 million in legal fees in the ongoing human rights case over First Nations child welfare. Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, which filed the human rights complaint close to 13 years ago, obtained the documents through the Access to Information Act. The total amount, first reported by APTN, differs from the $5.2 million cost estimate tabled recently in the House of Commons by Justice Minister David Lametti. Blackstock says she believes the government has likely spent even more than $8 million on this case since she filed the complaint in 2007, and expressed disappointment that so much has been spent in court rather than immediately compensating Indigenous children and families. "I was disappointed because I thought about how this money could have been better spent on actually ending the inequality." The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled last fall that the federal government "wilfully and recklessly" discriminated against Indigenous children living on reserves by not properly funding child and family services. As a result, children were sent away from their homes, families and reserves because, if they lived off-reserve, they would be covered by better-funded provincial systems. Others were removed from their families because authorities couldn't provide supports to help keep them together. The tribunal ordered Ottawa to compensate the children and their families. The government has agreed its actions were discriminatory and has said compensation will be paid, but Ottawa is still challenging the ruling. The $5.2 million cost estimate for legal work on this case was tabled in Parliament in response to a question about costs from NDP MP Charlie Angus. The Justice Department stands by this figure. Department spokeswoman Meaghen McKenna said in a statement Wednesday the amount includes all legal fees related to the case, including a calculation to account for services provided by lawyers, notaries and paralegals who are salaried public servants. The amounts account for spending up to Dec. 2, 2019. But Angus says he is "deeply concerned" about what he charges is a deliberate misrepresentation of the actual amounts spent. "David Lametti needs to tell us how much money is he going to spend and why is he misrepresenting basic facts that he's obligated to be truthful about in something that is so important to the political discussion in the country, which is the future of these kids and the broken child welfare system," Angus said. "This is literally about the future of children and they have to do better than this." Meanwhile, legal proceedings involving the case and two other different, but related, legal challenges continue. In November, Ottawa announced it intended to deal with a wider-scale compensation for Indigenous families harmed by the under-funding of the child welfare system by pursuing a settlement in a separate class-action case brought in 2019. One of the plaintiffs in that lawsuit, Xavier Moushoom, an Algonquin man from Quebec, was moved in and out of 14 foster homes from the time he was nine until he was 18, in the 1990s. He claims the federal government knew it was inadequately funding child welfare services on reserves and did nothing about it. Another man, Jeremy Meawasige, was also added as a plaintiff and the lawsuit's claim was raised from $3 billion to $6 billion. The 25-year-old from Nova Scotia was born with cerebral palsy, spinal curvature and autism and had to fight Ottawa to get adequate funding for essential services. Two weeks ago, the government moved to contest the certification of this class action despite a public announcement by Lametti and Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller in November saying Ottawa would move forward with certification. David Sterns, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, called this a "significant reversal on their part." "It flies in the face of their public statements and their public declarations that they were going to try to approach the class action with a view to resolving this on a global basis," Sterns said. But Miller says the government remains committed to compensating First Nations children and families harmed by the child welfare system. Consultations are ongoing with all parties regarding the tribunal compensation ruling, with all submissions to be filed by Feb. 21. Also, a new class action lawsuit was filed last week by the Assembly of First Nations in British Columbia. Reaching a settlement that works for everyone in all these cases will be complex, but something the government still hopes to achieve, Miller said Wednesday. "I've asked my deputy minister, Valerie Gideon, to engage with the parties and start working on some of the elements that would allow us to proceed without having to continue litigation, regardless of the nature," Miller said. "I'm cautiously optimistic, but I think there's a lot of discussions that remain to be had." He wouldn't go into detail about exactly what's on the table for negotiation, because he said he committed to keep those conversations confidential. Blackstock says more clarity is needed for the children and families at the heart of these disputes. "The bare minimum that Canada owes them is to be clear in what it's doing and not using this as a public relations or political campaign, but really being sensitive to the duty of truth that it owes to these victims." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2020. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said the Canadian Human Rights Commission had ruled against the federal government in the First Nations child welfare case. It was in fact the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. Scotlands finance secretary has been suspended from the SNP over allegations that he sent hundreds of messages to a 16-year-old boy, Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed. Speaking at first ministers questions (FMQs), Ms Sturgeon said his conduct falls seriously below the standard required of a minister and he had been suspended from both the party and the SNP parliamentary group at Holyrood pending further investigation. The first minister now faces calls to investigate his predatory behaviour after Mr Mackay resigned as finance secretary after it was reported that he befriended the teenager on Facebook and Instagram and sent him 270 messages. Ms Sturgeon said: Derek Mackay has apologised unreservedly for his conduct, and recognised as I do that it was unacceptable and falls seriously below the standards required of a minister. I can also advise that he has this morning been suspended from both the SNP and our parliamentary group pending further investigation. In a statement this morning, Mr Mackay said he took full responsibility for my actions. Scottish finance secretary Derek Mackay resigned after allegations emerged that he sent hundreds of messages to a 16-year-old boy (PA) The father of two, who came out as gay in 2013, added: I have behaved foolishly and I am truly sorry. I apologise unreservedly to the individual involved and his family. I spoke last night with the first minister and tendered my resignation with immediate effect. Serving in government has been a huge privilege and I am sorry to have let colleagues and supporters down. Mr Mackay had been due to unveil the Scottish governments budget for the next financial year on Thursday. It will now be presented by public finance minister Kate Forbes. First minister Nicola Sturgeon accepted Derek Mackay's resignation (PA) Mr Mackays resignation and suspension came after the Scottish Sun alleged that he contacted the teenager over a six-month period and offered to take him to a rugby game and out to dinner. The newspaper published a string of messages, including one in which the boy tells the former finance secretary that he is 16. In one message Mr Mackay is alleged to have asked And our chats are between us? and when the boy agrees told him: Cool, then to be honest I think you are really cute. Story continues READ MORE Government to introduce emergency terror law one day before offender is due to be freed MP claims Extinction Rebellion left 20 tonnes of rubbish on streets after protest The Renfrew constituency office of Scotland's former finance secretary Derek Mackay (PA) Acting Scottish Tory leader Jackson Carlaw asked Ms Sturgeon at FMQs if the reputation of the Scottish parliament could survive while Mr Mackay remained a member. She said: Clearly there are issues that Derek Mackay will need to reflect on. Based on what I knew last night it was clear to me that Derek Mackay remaining in government was simply not an option. Having seen the fuller detail further action has been taken in relation to his membership of the SNP and the parliamentary group. There are very serious matters for me to have to deal with and there will be matters that Derek Mackay will be reflecting on and will continue to have to reflect on. Clearly there are issues that Derek Mackay will need to reflect on, says Nicola Sturgeon Mr Carlaw also read aloud the NSPCC definition of grooming, before asking the first minister if she believed Mr Mackays behaviour could be considered as such, asking: How difficult is it to reconcile (Mr Mackays) conduct with the very worst connotation? Ms Sturgeon responded: Im not sure if Jackson Carlaw has been paying close attention to my answers I am in no way minimising the seriousness of what we are discussing today. The first minister also said due process would need to be followed in the case of the former finance secretary. Scottish finance secretary Derek Mackay is alleged to have contacted the boy over a six-month period (Getty) Meanwhile, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said Mr Mackay should now step down as the MSP for Renfrewshire North and West. He told ITV Border: It is really about the standards that we would expect from MSPs at this time and I think Derek Mackay has not behaved in the standard that we would expect from a member of the Scottish Parliament. I think it would be time for him to resign now. Derek Mackay should step down as MSP, says Willie Rennie Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: Derek Mackay has acted beyond foolishly his actions are predatory and must be thoroughly investigated. He has abused his position of power with a vulnerable adolescent. The nature and the gravity of these allegations demands decisive action. Earlier in the day, Mary Glasgow, CEO of the childrens charity Children 1st, said: By resigning Derek Mackay has acknowledged that his behaviour was inappropriate. Children 1st has always been clear that children and young people are vulnerable in situations where there is a significant difference in age, power and status between them and another person. Society should recognise by now that it is never acceptable to exploit that vulnerability. SPRINGFIELD, Mo., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- "Cliffs throughout America had stories of Indian princesses jumping to their death when their dictatorial chieftain fathers forbade their marriage to a brave of another tribe," related Crystal Payton, co-author of the new book, Lover's Leap Legends: From Sappho of Lesbos to Wah-Wah-Tee of Waco. This Lens & Pen Press 352-page all-color book is illustrated with vintage souvenirs and current photographs of obscure and well-known Lover's Leaps. Noccalula Falls Park, Gadsden, Alabama Front cover of Lover's Leap Legends. Husband Leland explained, "Long ago, courting couples flocked to these overlooks. Curiously they found these tragic tales moving and romantic, even though skeptics doubted their authenticity." "When we visited some of the most famous Lover's Leaps we saw couples holding hands, even embracing and kissing'trysting,' as their grandparents called it," Crystal related. "These excessively sentimental stories say much about the cavalier treatment of Native Americans in popular culture, the nineteenth century cult of romantic suicide, and possibly the desire of girls then to choose a life partner without the usual parental interference," reflected Leland. "But jumping off a cliff because Dad disapproves of your boyfriend seems extreme." For a quirky Valentine Day (or anytime) visit here are a few publicly accessible Lover's Leaps. The views are sensationaljust don't get too close to the edge: LOVER'S LEAP PARK, HANNIBAL, MISSOURI A great place to begin a tour of Mark Twain's scenic hometown is Lover's Leap City Park. From it you have a panorama of the town and sweeping view of the Mississippi River. Its Indian legend is cast on a bronze marker. ROCK CITY, CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE Yes, the mega-promoted tourist attraction has kitschy gnomes peering out from the flowerbeds and from behind boulders but the view from its Lover's Leap cliff is truly awesome. CAMERON PARK, WACO, TEXAS It has incredible sculptured cliffs and a great view of the Bosque River, but the Indian legend of Wah-Wah-Tee's leap is so hokey that folklorist J. Frank Dobie left it out of his authoritative Legends of Texas. NOCCALULA FALLS PARK, GADSDEN, ALABAMA It's a pretty place and the eleven-foot tall bronze sculpture of Noccalula poised on the edge of the gorge to jump must be seen to be believed. "Lover's Leap Legends is the definitive visual sourcebook for an American tradition that is as disturbing as it is amusing." - Jared Farmer, author of On Zion's Mount: Mormons, Indians, and the American Landscape Reviewers Bookwatch wrote: "An inherently fascinating, beautifully illustrated, impressively informative, expertly organized and presented study, Lover's Leap Legends: From Sappho of Lesbos to Wah-Wah-Tee of Waco is an extraordinary, unique, and unreservedly recommended addition to personal reading lists, as well as community and academic library collections." Available on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com and publisher's website, hypercommon.com which has more about other Lover's Leaps you might visit across America and their legends. Leland and Crystal Payton have collaborated on more than a dozen books on popular culture and the Ozarks. They have two sons and live in Springfield, MO. LOVER'S LEAP LEGENDS: From Sappho of Lesbos to Wah-Wah-Tee of Waco Leland & Crystal Payton ISBN: 978-0-9673925-9-2 352 pages 7.5x10 545 color illustrations $35.00 Contact: Leland Payton LENS & PEN PRESS Email [email protected] Tel 417 886 7124 Cell 417 894 4030 www.beautifulozarks.com www.hypercommon.com/press-kit Related Links http://hypercommon.com/ SOURCE Leland and Crystal Payton Related Links http://hypercommon.com/ Has human civilization reached its zenith? If you ignore politics, social issues, and other things that actually matter, the answer just might be yes. At what other point in history could we have a movie where Vin Diesel and John Cena play angry brothers with rocket cars and magnet planes? More importantly, when else could you see almost all of humanitys greatest works, from culture to architecture to tradition, gathered in a single city? Yes, Im talking about Orlando: the modern-day fertile crescent. Only instead of creating things it just sort of recreates them. Universal Orlando sums up the majesty of Orlando perfectly. Where else could you visit Harry Potters London, Jimmy Fallons New York, Homer Simpsons Springfield, and E.T.s home planet in the same hour? In one afternoon you can eat in Dr. Frankensteins lab, party in Dom Torettos garage, and get a photo with your head inside the mouth of Jaws. (Not Richard Kiel, unfortunately, but the shark. You know the one.) Combine this with some of the other popular tourist destinations in the theme park capital of the world, and you could hit pretty much the whole planet in under a weekif you can handle the lines. Part of Universals attempt to cram as much of the world as possible into its theme parks is its annual Mardi Gras celebration, which is running at Universal Studios Florida every day through April 2. Mardi Gras is known for its food, music and parade, and youll be able to find all of that at Universal Studios during that time, with concerts from a diverse line-up of current hitmakers and all-time legends. If you cant make it to New Orleans, it might be the next best thingand even if you can, you still wouldnt be able to hop on the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster in the Big Easy. So consider it a push between the real Mardi Gras and Universals fun replication of it. Heres what to expect from Universals Mardi Gras celebrations. When you get down to it, pretty much all traditions and human interactions boil down to the food we eat during them. Universal fully embraces the Cajun heritage of Mardi Gras with a full slate of seasonal treats, ranging from snacks to full meals. Youll be able to grab a delicious beignet or king cake donut when youre feeling like something sweet, pick up some crab etouffee or fried gator bites when youre in the mood for a sitdown meal, or even just munch on a po boy on the go. Expect a wide range of Mardi Gras specialties at the French Quarter Courtyard, including a colorful variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails. The daily Mardi Gras parade has a new flotilla of gorgeous floats, each one with a dazzling light display and a story to tell. One float looks like a giant treasure map, complete with the face of a sky god blowing great gusts of wind across the sea. The map on the floats side actually foreshadows the other new floats to come, from a giant pirate ship (complete with dueling pirates onboard), to another float that depicts that ships inevitable final resting place at the bottom of the ocean. Universal devoted the same level of craft and attention to these floats as they do to designing their rides and other theme park environments, making them a spectacle that needs to be seen. Universals Mardi Gras celebration also includes a series of concerts from top performers from the past through today. And dont worry if youre not that big on zydeco musicthese shows might be pegged to Mardi Gras, but they arent just about Mardi Gras music. The lineup includes concerts from Diana Ross, TLC, the All-American Rejects, Marshmello, and more. The shows happen on select Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays now through March 29, and are free with park admission. So you can watch Brendan Fraser get killed off in the coda to the amazing roller coaster The Mummy Returns, and then see Diana Ross herself sing Theme from Mahogany just a few feet away. If that aint progress, I dont know what is. For the first time Universal has created one of its tribute stores for Mardi Gras. If youre familiar with the similar tribute stores theyve opened during Halloween Horror Nights, you probably know what to expect: its an elaborately designed, minutely detailed retail space that captures the look and feel of some of New Orleans most legendary spaces. Youll enter through an homage to Preservation Hall, and find yourself in the midst of Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. Instead of the long-gone citizens of New Orleans, though, these crypts are full of bargainsor at least of t-shirts and Mardi Gras masks. From there you enter into the heart of the bayou, with a small wooden shack amid lush vegetation and the sounds of frogs and insects. Dont worrythat witch doctor on the porch wont hurt you. This store is so beautifully designed that it made me wish Universal would cook up a full attraction based on New Orleans, whether its a ride or a walkthrough exhibit. Its definitely the most stylish (and skull-heavy) way to buy an enamel pin in the theme park. If Universals Mardi Gras celebration sounds like something youd love to check out, youve got a couple of months to make it down: it runs through April 6, almost a good six weeks after the real Mardi Gras wraps up. For more on Mardi Gras at Universal Studios, go here. Senior editor Garrett Martin writes about videogames, comedy, travel, theme parks, wrestling, and anything else that gets in his way. Hes also on Twitter @grmartin. Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov has sent a letter to his Norwegian counterpart, Ine Marie Eriksen Sreide, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Spitsbergen Treaty. The message says that the treaty not only formalized the unique international legal status of the archipelago but also guaranteed the rights and legitimate interests of the other parties to that international treaty, including Russia. Its signing created the foundation for the cooperation of the concerned states in the interests of the development and use of the Archipelago's vast territory. "The traditions of peaceful coexistence and neighborliness were not interrupted even during the Cold War and, in general, remain valid to this very day. Science and education are actively developing on the Archipelago. Coal mining, which constituted the basis of economic operations on Spitsbergen for years, is being increasingly complemented with tourism and the service sector," a press release on the Foreign Ministry website reads. It is also pointed out that "Russia is the only country, apart from Norway, that for decades has conducted economic operations on Spitsbergen, and we do not intend to curtail our presence there. On the contrary, we have long-term plans for strengthening, diversifying and modernizing it. The Russian Federation is interested in developing lasting and constructive cooperation with Norway on Spitsbergen and in promoting a dialogue on practical matters." At the same time, Moscow again urged Norway to comply with the letter and spirit of the 1920 Treaty when it comes to the guarantees of "equal liberty of access and entry" to the Archipelago and the possibility to conduct commercial and economic operations there "on a footing of absolute equality." In particular, Russia is concerned about the restrictions on the use of the Russian helicopter, the new deportation procedure, the unlawfulness of Norway's fisheries protection zone, and the unreasonable extension of nature protection zones where economic operations are limited, as well as several other problems. Russia invites its Norwegian partners to conduct bilateral consultations to lift these restrictions. "We expect a positive reply from the Norwegian side," the message says. The BJP on Thursday accused RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav of misogyny for his remarks berating Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi and asking them to replace Kumar in their names with 'Kumari', often used with the names of girls. Yadav, the elder son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, put his foot in the mouth at an anti-CAA, NRC, NRP rally where he flayed the JD(U), which is headed by Kumar and BJP, to which Sushil Kumar Modi belongs, for the dramatic realignment of the two parties in July, 2017. "I therefore say Nitish Kumar, whom my father had aptly named palturam (turncoat), can also be called Nitish Kumari. And his companion Sushil Kumar Modi, the bearer of the saffron flag, called Sushil Kumari Modi. They cannot take us head on ... they sit in their homes wearing bangles," Yadav jeered before the crowds. The RJD rally was held at Masaurhi in rural Patna late on Wednesday night and video clips of it were beamed by local TV channels. BJP spokesman Nikhil Anand reacted angrily, demanding an apology from the RJD leader. He reminded Yadav of the allegations of domestic violence that his estranged wife has levelled against him. "Was Tej Pratap trying to say that those whose names are suffixed with Kumari and who wear bangles deserve no respect? His tasteless remarks and the applause they received from his supporters are proof that misogyny runs deep in the RJD," Anand said. He said Yadav's "misogynistic" remarks lend credence to the charges his wife has levelled against him. He demanded that the RJD leader apologize to the chief minister and his deputy. "If he is trying to emulate his uncouth father, he must beware he may similarly land in jail one day, the BJP spokesman said. Yadav had tied the knot with Aishwarya Roy, daughter of RJD MLA Chandrika Roy, in May 2018 but filed a divorce petition six months later. Two months ago, his wife, who had chosen to stay back at the residence of her mother-in-law Rabri Devi, a former chief minister, in a bid to salvage her marriage, filed a police complaint accusing the mother and the son besides eldest sister-in-law Misa Bharti of domestic violence. RJD national vice-president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, a founding member of the party and an old associate of Prasad, also expressed his disapproval when asked about the young leaders remark. "This is not right. In politics, there must not be any place for derogatory remarks. People get carried away and end up with egg on their face, only to repent later, the former union minister said. JD(U) spokesman Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said the remarks were in "poor taste" and many senior RJD leaders felt embarrassed. Kumar's JD(U) had contested the last assembly elections in 2015 as part of the 'grand alliance' which also included the RJD. The alliance drubbed the BJP-led NDA and Kumar became the chief minister. He, however, broke ranks with RJD and formed a coalition government with the BJP in 2017, leaving Lalu's party crying betrayal and feeling bitter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The following report compiles all significant security incidents confirmed by New York Times reporters throughout Afghanistan for the month. It is necessarily incomplete as many local officials refuse to confirm casualty information. The report includes government claims of insurgent casualty figures, but in most cases these cannot be independently verified by The Times. Similarly, the reports do not include Taliban claims for their attacks on the government unless they can be verified. Both sides routinely inflate casualty totals for their opponents. Feb. 21-27, 2020 At least 34 pro-government forces and seven civilians were killed in Afghanistan during the past week. Although American and Taliban officials agreed to a seven-day reduction in violence beginning on Sunday, The Times confirmed 12 separate attacks that resulted in casualties between the start of the temporary truce and Thursday evening. The deadliest attack took place in Balkh Province, where a Taliban red unit attacked a security outpost in Para Barat village of Charkint District, killing five pro-government militia members and two civilians. Four militia members and one civilian were also wounded in the battle. In Sar-i-Pul Province, the Taliban attacked Korak-e-Arabia village security outposts in the provincial capital, killing four security forces and wounding 10 others. A federal probe found conditions at a Columbia-area facility for youth offenders run by the state's Department of Juvenile Justice might violate the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. Officials concluded that conditions at the Broad River Road Complex fail to protect youth from violence, and that youth are placed in "punitive, prolonged isolation," according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees "reasonable safety from harm," said Eric Dreiband, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "Our investigation found reasonable cause to conclude that youth in the facility are at substantial risk of serious physical harm from other youth and that youth are regularly subjected to harmful isolation," Dreiband said. "The Justice Department hopes to continue to work with South Carolina to resolve the departments concerns." Authorities provided the facility with a written notice of the supporting facts for the alleged conditions and a list of measures needed to correct those conditions, the Justice Department said. The Broad River facility is run by the S.C. Department of Juvenile Justice, and is the agency's long-term commitment facility. In 2018, the agency announced it planned to shift its operations in order to house youth offenders closer to their homes rather than at the centralized Broad River facility. CHICAGO, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- HSN is the latest marketplace to feature the StrongArm Comfort Cane, whose patented design shifts weight-bearing duties from a patient's fragile, wobbly wrist to the stronger forearm. The result is a more stable and more comfortable walking cane something that is sorely needed as the population ages and the $2.2 billion walking-aids market continues to grow. "Customers tell us they're more comfortable because they avoid putting pressure on their wrists, and can lean into the cane's cushioned forearm cradle for stability. They feel much steadier and more confident on their feet," said Chris Pesek, president of Peak Degrees, which manufactures StrongArm. "They find themselves walking more, standing taller and moving more confidently." A Mayo Clinic quality review asked 23 patients who needed an assistive device to walk to try both a StrongArm cane and a traditional cane. Participants consistently reported feeling more secure and stable with the StrongArm cane. While it weighs only 1.75 pounds, the StrongArm Comfort Cane has been factory tested to withstand 500 pounds of pressure. It offers 12 height adjustments, so it can comfortably fit everyone from the most petite grandmother to the tallest athlete recovering from injury. The StrongArm Comfort Cane is covered by Medicare, in most cases, under Part B. "The design supports the wrist instead of putting all of the force through the wrist," said Andrew Hoffman, M.D., a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. "I see a lot of patients going on to rehab and recovery, and I find that the StrongArm cane gives better support and ease of use. It seems to be a better tool for people looking to regain mobility." The StrongArm Comfort Cane's Stand Assist feature helps patients stand up from a seated position more easily. The hexagonal tip is designed to maximize traction, while the offset bend centers the hand grip over the floor tip for improved balance and stability. The cane can be used singly or in pairs, depending on a patient's needs. "Finally, there's real innovation in walking aids," Pesek said. "StrongArm Comfort Cane blends the simplicity of a cane with the support, stability and control of a crutch." HSN will demonstrate the StrongArm Comfort Cane's features and offer it for sale on Monday, February 10 at 7 am EST. The cane is also available through the StrongArm website and on Amazon.com. CONTACT: Carina Daniels [email protected] (510) 847-1617 SOURCE StrongArm Comfort Cane Related Links https://strongarmcanes.com A Washington state high school principal was placed on leave Tuesday after a post in which she called the death of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant as karma [catching] up with a rapist, according to Kelly Moyer of the Camas-Washougal Post-Record. The Camas School District reportedly took the action while citing online threats made against Camas High School principal Liza Sejkora and community concerns about the post, for which Sejkora has apologized. According to KGW8, students of the school had planned a walkout for Wednesday, but postponed it to Thursday after the threats. In the post on her private personal Facebook account, Sejkora wrote Not gonna lie. Seems to me that karma caught up with a rapist today, then ended it with a shrugging emoji. The post refers to sexual assault allegations made against Bryant in 2003 from an incident in a Colorado hotel involving a 19-year-old employee. Criminal charges against Bryant were dismissed when his accuser stopped cooperating after months of high-profile hearings, investigations and leaks about her personal life, including her name, from Bryants defense team. Bryant released a statement, negotiated by lawyers, in which he recognized the woman did not view their sexual encounter as consensual and later settled a civil lawsuit with the woman. Sejkora reportedly deleted the post after an hour, telling KGW8 it was a visceral reaction to reports of Bryants death posted quickly before receiving additional information. News later emerged that Bryants 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others including two other children had died in the crash. A Washington state high school principal is facing an outcry over a post calling the death of Kobe Bryant "karma." (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images) Screengrabs of Sejkoras post would soon make the rounds, sparking a community outcry. Camas police and district officials have reportedly reviewed threats made against Sejkora. While no credible evidence was reportedly found, an additional police presence is staying at the school. District superintendent reportedly sent a letter to families Tuesday explaining the decision to put Sejkora on leave: Story continues Our priority is always the safety of our students and staff, Snell wrote in his letter to families Tuesday night. In light of threats to (Sejkora) and concern from our community, (Sejkora) has been placed on administrative leave today pending the outcome of our investigation. Sejkora also sent a letter to school staff and families. A part of the statement, from the Post-Record: You may be aware that a copy of a social media post I made on my personal Facebook page is circulating digitally in our community. Today, I apologized to my staff, and now I apologize to you, Sejkora wrote. After news broke (about) Kobe Bryants death, I made a comment to my private social media, which was a personal, visceral reaction. I want to apologize for suggesting that a persons death is deserved. It was inappropriate and tasteless. Further, I apologize for the disruption it caused to our learning environment today. More from Yahoo Sports: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met with visiting Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing Wednesday. Prime Minister Hun Sen's visit at this time reflects Cambodian people's friendliness toward the Chinese people and their support for China's fight against the epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus, Li said. China attaches great importance to this visit and is willing to work together with the Cambodian side to continuously enrich bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperation. Stressing that the Chinese government and people are doing their best to combat the epidemic, Li said the people's safety and health always come first. China is taking epidemic prevention and control as the most important task at present, striving to guarantee supplies of key medical materials and people's daily necessities, to safeguard normal life for all people in China. During this process, China has continued to release information about the epidemic in a timely, open, transparent and responsible manner and is willing to actively enhance international cooperation, said the premier. "The Chinese government and people have confidence, determination and capability to win the battle against the epidemic," Li said. For his part, Hun Sen expressed condolences to the people affected by the epidemic and appreciation to the Chinese government's care for Cambodian students and diaspora in China. "We will stand firm with the Chinese government to eliminate panic and overcome difficulties together," the prime minister said, expressing his belief that the Chinese people would surely win the fight against the epidemic. Cambodia is willing to strengthen pragmatic cooperation with China in various fields and continuously promote bilateral relations to a new high, he said. By IANS SRINAGAR: Tainted DSP Davinder Singh along with three accused including Hizbul Mujahideen Commander Naveed Babu and his accomplice Mohammad Rafi and law school dropout Mohammad Irfan will be produced in NIA special court in Jammu on Thursday to extend his remand, sources said. Davinder Singh, whose police remand ends on Thursday, is likely to be brought to Delhi in the next few days. Currently, NIA teams are questioning Singh in Jammu. Last month DG NIA, Y.C. Modi reviewed the investigations in the case in Jammu. On January 11, police arrested Singh on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway when he was transporting Naveed, Rafi and Irfan to Jammu. After initial investigations by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the case was handed over to the NIA. Police sources had said that the two terrorists and the lawyer had planned 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 and Kashmir Police in Srinagar and was part of the security staff that had received a group of foreign diplomats who visited Kashmir last month. TORONTO, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - An increasing number of institutional investors are requiring their hedge fund managers to incorporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in the course of their investment activities. Such investors now see ESG investing as serving their own long-term interest as much as those of wider society. These are among the key findings of a new report, Sustainable investing: fast forwarding its evolution, published by KPMG, the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA), Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst Association (CAIA) and CREATE-Research. The report was launched today at the Cayman Alternative Investment Summit, Grand Cayman. Involving 135 institutional investors, hedge fund managers and long-only managers with total assets of USD$6.25 trillion in 13 countries, the survey shows that increasingly, investors now expect their asset managers to deliver attractive financial returns while considering the environmental and social risks associated with their investments. "Thus, the traditional risk-return equation is being rewritten to include ESG factors," said Anthony Cowell, Head of Asset Management, KPMG in the Cayman Islands and co-author of the report. "In the hedge fund industry, ESG has gone from being a nice-to-have to a must-have." Some 45 percent of institutional investors now base their investments in ESG-based hedge funds on the view that they offer opportunities to generate alpha, while also offering a more defensive portfolio that looks beyond the blind spots in markets that are slow to price in ESG risks. Hedge fund managers have duly responded by advancing in the familiar ESG adoption cycle. Currently, 15 percent of the surveyed hedge fund managers define themselves at the 'mature' stage, where ESG is implemented across the firm via appropriate policies, committees, research and data. A further 44 percent are at the 'in progress' stage, while 31 percent are still at 'awareness raising' stage; leaving the remaining 10 percent as 'no implementation to date'. "Sustainability is set to reshape the ecosystem of capital markets and the behaviors of their participants. It requires mindset shifts from the way investing has been done historically," said Andrew Weir, KPMG Global Head of Asset Management, KPMG International, and a partner with KPMG China. "It will become the gold standard in investing." In the process, three avenues have been principally used by the surveyed hedge fund managers; incorporating ESG factors into investment process (52 percent), excluding securities that sit uncomfortably with the personal values of investors (50 percent) and shareholder engagement (31 percent). Currently, 29 percent of hedge fund managers and 11 percent of institutional investors report positive outcomes. The scale of adoption and the outcomes so far have been hampered by the difficulties in creating a direct line of sight between ESG factors and their investment outcomes. "Creating the necessary infrastructure of data, skills and technology is proving challenging," added Amin Rajan, CEO, CREATE-Research and the report's co-author. "Progress may not be enough, but it remains exponential. Investors and their managers are having to climb a steep learning curve via learning-by-doing." On the upside, however, the resulting price anomalies offer opportunities to generate alpha for those who are progressing fast on the learning curve. Markets usually price in progress only when it is in the rear-view mirror. Winds of change Winds of change are evident, according to the report. Data vendors are experiencing rapid consolidation. The rise of big data and machine learning is improving the quality and timeliness of information. Above all, better engagement with the investee companies is also serving two essential aims: bolstering the available data with a better picture of the reality on the ground and providing an information edge. Under institutional pressure, managers are now increasingly expected to act as agents of change by taking their stewardship role more seriously. Indeed, a 'carrot and stick' approach to corporate engagement is emerging. Under it, investors and managers have increasingly collaborated with their peers and external advocacy groups in promoting ESG-related goals among the target companies. Where their efforts appear to bear no fruit, some managers now explore other options with the most extreme, albeit rare, including divestment. Such a pragmatic activist approach is part of a broad thrust that aims to minimize greenwashing by demanding better data, complying with industry codes of practices, improving reporting and enhancing transparency. The survey report concludes that ESG investing across the broader financial services is poised to gain further traction with governments, regulators, asset owners and asset managers collectively pulling in the same direction. ESG concerns are the biggest challenges of our age. Leaders can make a huge difference. About KPMG International KPMG is a global network of professional services firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. We operate in 147 countries and territories and have 219,000 people working in member firms around the world. The independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"), a Swiss entity. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such. About AIMA The Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) is the global representative of the alternative investment industry, with more than 2,000 corporate members in over 60 countries. AIMA's fund manager members collectively manage more than $2 trillion in hedge fund or private credit assets. AIMA draws upon the expertise and diversity of its membership to provide leadership in industry initiatives such as advocacy, policy and regulatory engagement, educational programmes and sound practice guides. AIMA works to raise media and public awareness of the value of the industry. AIMA set up the Alternative Credit Council (ACC) to help firms focused in the private credit and direct lending space. The ACC currently represents over 170 members that manage $400 billion of private credit assets globally. AIMA is committed to developing skills and education standards and is a co-founder of the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designation (CAIA) the first and only specialised educational standard for alternative investment specialists. AIMA is governed by its Council (Board of Directors). For further information, please visit AIMA's website, www.aima.org. About CREATE-Research CREATE-Research is an independent research boutique specializing in strategic change and the newly emerging business models in global asset management. It undertakes major research assignments from prominent financial institutions and global companies. It works closely with senior decision makers in reputable organizations across Europe and the US. Its work is disseminated through high profile reports and events that attract wide attention in the media. Further information can be found at create-research.co.uk. SOURCE KPMG International Related Links www.kpmg.com "At some point we need to be serious about not just reflecting the division in the country, but trying to heal it. I was struck at the comments tonight by the two leaders -- McConnell and (Senate Minority Leader Chuck) Schumer-- that they were almost mirror opposites about what happened," Sen. Chris Coons, a Democrat from Delaware, told CNN. "It's up to us ... neither our President nor our leadership are going to do it. We have to do it." When lawmakers return next week, they will pivot back to nominations, and many members argue there are a series of legislative proposals that are ripe for bipartisan agreement including infrastructure, a transportation bill, an energy bill and efforts to lower prescription drug prices. "I hope there will be a return to normalcy, that people will put their spears down. Let's get back to work," said South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the Republican whip. "It's an election season I get that and that will be spirited too, but I think both sides have things to get done they want to take to the voters." Back up cameras have somewhat become a necessary feature in vehicles. Sure, you can always rely on your mirrors to park just like before, but rear cameras have made life and parking easier. Such features are staples in a lot of brand new vehicles today, particularly for top-spec models... but not for the Fortuner. Launched by Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) in 2016, the Fortuner did not come with a backup camera at the time. However, in keeping with the times, the automaker updated the 6.5-inch touchscreen head unit to include Android Auto and Apple CarPlay last year. Interestingly, a rear camera was not included in the update. Not all stars get along. In fact, astronomers spotted the colorful remnants of what they concluded was a violent confrontation between two stars. The gas cloud that resulted from the stellar fight was captured by a telescope in Chile, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), according to the European Southern Observatory. The different colors in the ALMA image represent speed. The blue represents gas moving fastest toward us and the red gas moving the fastest away from us. The fighting pair can be seen as a bright green dot in the middle of the complex gas structure. This new ALMA image shows the outcome of a stellar fight: a complex and stunning gas environment surrounding the binary HD101584. Using data from the ESO-operated Atacama Pathfinder EXperiment (APEX), astronomers determined that the larger star puffed into a red giant and grew so large that it tried to swallow the smaller star. In response, the smaller star spiraled in toward the giants core triggering an outburst that left its gas layers scattered and its core exposed. Scientists are calling the star system HD101584. HD101584 is special in the sense that this death process was terminated prematurely and dramatically, said lead author Hans Olofsson of the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden in a press release Wednesday. Space Force or 'Star Trek?' Trump unveils new logo, draws comparisons to 'Star Trek' Starfleet Command Co-author Sofia Ramstedt of Uppsala University in Sweden said astronomers knew the death processes of many sun-like stars but were never able to explain why or how it happened. HD101584 gives us important clues to solve this puzzle, she said. But more questions remain. While the telescopes were able to capture the movement of gas around the star system, the fighting stars are too close together and too far away to study thoroughly. Olofsson says a new, larger telescope under construction in Chiles Atacama Desert will allow astronomers a closer look at the two stars and might provide information on the heart of the object. Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Space image: Astronomers spot violent battle between two stars KYOTO, Japan, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrated Japanese chef Yoshihiro Murata has been named the recipient of the prestigious American Express Icon Award 2020 as part of the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards programme. Voted for by the 300-plus members of the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Academy, the award honours culinary icons who have made an outstanding contribution to the restaurant industry. Chef Murata will be presented with the American Express Icon Award in Takeo, Saga Prefecture, on Tuesday 24th March during the eighth annual Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. Considered the master of Japanese kaiseki, Yoshihiro Murata is the third-generation owner and chef of Kikunoi, the highly revered ryotei in Kyoto. Murata reinforced his reputation when he opened Roan Kikunoi (also in Kyoto) and Akasaka Kikunoi (Tokyo). Throughout his career, Murata has dedicated himself to educating diners on Japanese culinary traditions and nurturing the next generation of Japanese chefs. In 2004, he founded the non-profit Japanese Culinary Academy to facilitate educational programs and cross-cultural exchanges between Japanese and Western chefs. Murata has also authored definitive guides to his national cuisine, including Kaiseki: The Exquisite Cuisine of Kyoto's Kikunoi Restaurant (2006). Accepting the honour, Murata said: "I am grateful that the members of the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants Academy appreciate my work. I hope I can inspire younger Japanese chefs to explore the diversity of locally grown ingredients and educate others on authentic Japanese cuisine." William Drew, Director of Content for Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, said: "Yoshihiro Murata has earned the respect of the world's most celebrated chefs. This year, the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony will be hosted in Saga Prefecture and we are thrilled that one of Japan's most distinguished chefs will be celebrated at the event with this prestigious award." "Chef Yoshihiro Murata has beautifully paid tribute to the traditions of Japanese cuisine, while also innovating and expanding upon it globally for generations to come," said Seiji Kiyohara, President of Consumer Services for Asia, American Express. "We are so pleased to honour Chef Murata with this year's American Express Icon Award". The American Express Icon Award was introduced to the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards programme in 2019, when Chef Seiji Yamamoto of Nihonryori RyuGin in Tokyo was named the inaugural winner. For details on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants voting process, visit: http://www.theworlds50best.com/asia/en/our-manifesto.html Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1085423/50_Best_Asia_Restaurants_Logo.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1085424/Yoshihiro_Murata_Portrait.jpg Contact: CatchOn, A Finn Partners Company, asias50best@finnpartners.com, +852-2566-8988 BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 By Samir Ali Trend: The Azerbaijani Resource Analytical Information Center has published the results of research in connection with the early parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, Head of the center, political expert Rasim Guliyev said. The center was registered in August 2019, Guliyev said, Trend reports referring to the Analytical Information Resource Center. "The centers goal is to research and analyze the ongoing events in the country, region and the world, head of the center added. We conducted the research in connection with the parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan. Some 5,238 voters, as well as a big number of MP candidates were registered as part of the elections," Guliyev said. The voter turnout was 42 percent during the parliamentary elections in 2005, 46 percent in 2010 and 55 percent in 2015. During the municipal elections, voter turnout was 32.2 percent, the head of the center added. As this institution of local self-government is relatively young, the populations awareness of this issue is not high. So, the interest in municipal elections is not high enough. The voter turnout during the recent parliamentary elections was 55 percent, while during the presidential election - 85 percent." Ensuring of transparency in the process of nomination, registration of candidates, meetings with voters show that all conditions have been created for candidates amid the upcoming elections, the head of the center said. According to the results of our monitoring, no big offenses were registered, Guliyev said. There were minor violations made by individual candidates, which were caused by lack of information. Such cases are observed all over the world. However, this is an undesirable fact. The interesting facts were registered during our research, the head of the center added. As part of the upcoming elections, 2,431 people from 19 political parties, one union and two blocs appealed to the district election commissions, 1,637 candidates of them were registered. Later, 312 people withdrew their candidacies. The ruling New Azerbaijan Party nominated candidates from almost all constituencies. If we pay attention to the age of the candidates, it is possible to say that the interest of young people in this process is growing, Guliyev said. This time, 82 candidates aged 18-28, 407 candidates aged 29-39, 542 candidates aged 40-45, 251 candidates aged 56-66 and 43 candidates older 67 have been registered. Eight 22-year-old candidates were registered, which testifies to an increase in confidence in the elections, the head of the center said. The candidacies of two 82-year-old people were also registered. The society has great confidence in the current elections, the head of the center added. This year, 22.58 percent of the total number, that is 299 candidates, are women, which is a record high. Most of those who want to take part in the elections are intellectuals. This time, journalists are very active." The main factor contributing to the transparency of elections in Azerbaijan is the stable state building in Azerbaijan in 2005-2020, as well as maintaining this stability, Guliyev said. Stable development in the country positively affects the living standard of the population, the head of the center said. As the parliamentary elections will be held almost immediately after municipal elections, all constituencies are ready for this process. Preparation for the elections is carried out at the highest level, Guliyev added. The individuals involved in the elections, in particular, candidates from opposition parties, acknowledge that preparation for the parliamentary elections is carried out in accordance with the modern standards and there are no obstacles for the candidates." The parliamentary elections will be held in Azerbaijan on February 9. San Francisco, CA In a move designed to placate state officials who are not on board with its bankruptcy overhaul plan, the nations largest utility is promising to refresh its board of directors. In its latest court filing Pacific Gas and Electric is clearly attempting to address Governor Gavin Newsoms recently reiterated scathing directions to make a from the top-down transformative change to its entire company, culture, and approach to customer service, beginning with replacing its entire 14-member board and CEO Bill Johnson. Newsom is also insisting that the utility lessen its debt load so it can afford to invest $40 to $50 billion in bringing its aging infrastructure up to date. Johnson has been roundly criticized over the past months for insisting PG&Es Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) events were in customers best interests despite leaving millions in the dark for several days last fall during forecasted high-wildfire risk conditions. The plan filed Friday stated the company was rapidly evolving, and that the company that emerges from bankruptcy will be a changed company with an enhanced focus on safety, improvement, customer welfare, and operational excellence.However, it did not indicate it would dismiss the entire PG&E board of directors of which all but two have been in place less than a year. However, in recruiting new board members, PG&E affirmed in a nod to Newsoms direction that it would seek to comprise it of mostly California residents. It also described using a skills matrix in its vetting of candidates to ensure the board would focus on an understanding of safety, climate change, renewable energy, technology, finances, and community leadership. The plan also maintains a significant debt load, explaining that it anticipated long-term savings through refinancing and additional plans to shift more debt from the holding company to its utility-operating subsidiary. Newsoms office has not yet officially responded to PG&Es latest blueprint and bondholders agreement to withdraw their alternative way out of bankruptcy. He and the chief regulator must give their stamps of approval to the final plan, which is due by June 30 to qualify for coverage from the states a wildfire insurance fund that legislators set up last summer. The fund is essential to the plan PG&E drew up in the face of loss claims for its part in deadly 2017 and 2018 wildfires. Totaling billions of dollars, the mounting lawsuits triggered the companys 2019 bankruptcy filing. Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan voiced frustration over the OIC's silence on Kashmir Islamabad: Pakistan's bid to call an immediate meeting on Kashmir by Saudi-led Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) seems to have failed after Riyadh showing reluctance to move, according to a Pakistani media report on Thursday. In December, there were plans to convene a meeting of the foreign ministers of the OIC on Kashmir by Saudi Arabia, in an apparent move by the kingdom to please Pakistan which skipped a recent summit of Muslim nations in Malaysia seen by Riyadh as an attempt to create a new bloc to replace the 57-member grouping led by it. Prime minister Imran Khan had confirmed Pakistan's participation in the summit hosted by Malaysia but skipped the event at the eleventh hour due to pressure exerted by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, key financial backers of the cash-strapped country. The report by Dawn News came ahead of the bloc's senior officials' meeting in Jeddah on 9 February to make preparations for the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM). Islamabad's feeling of unease with the OIC over its failure to get the CFM's meeting appears to be growing, as Riyadh was showing reluctance to convene the meeting on Kashmir on Pakistan's request, the report quoted a diplomatic source as saying. The Jeddah-headquartered bloc, which is the second-largest intergovernmental body after the United Nations (UN), has usually been supportive of Pakistan and often sided with Islamabad on the Kashmir issue. Khan voiced frustration over the OIC's silence on Kashmir during his visit to Malaysia. "The reason is that we have no voice and there is a total division amongst (us). We can't even come together as a whole on the OIC meeting on Kashmir," he said this week. Pakistan has been pushing for the foreign ministers' meeting on Kashmir since India abrogated the special provisions of Kashmir in August last year. Although there has been a meeting of the contact group on Kashmir on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York and a report by the OIC's Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission on the alleged rights abuses in Kashmir, no progress could be made towards the CFM's meeting. Foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, while underscoring the importance of CFM for Pakistan, said it was needed to send a clear message from Ummah (community) on the Kashmir issue. Support from Riyadh is considered a must for any move at the OIC, which is dominated by Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries from the Gulf. The kingdom has made several proposals to Pakistan to avoid the CFM including holding a parliamentary forum or speakers' conference from Muslim countries and, according to a source, a joint meeting on Palestine and Kashmir issues. Pakistan has persisted with its proposal so far. Saudi Arabia, soon after Pakistan's absence at the Malaysia summit, showed flexibility in December on the proposal for the CFM on Kashmir. The Saudi flexibility, however, was short-lived as Riyadh reverted to its position. India, in a major diplomatic achievement in March last year, addressed the OIC meeting in Abu Dhabi for the first time. India's participation came despite strong demand by Pakistan to rescind the invitation to then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to address the grouping of the OIC which was turned down by the host UAE, resulting in Pakistan's foreign minister boycotting the plenary. Law enforcers started enhanced duty not to allow the violations of the public order The protest of farmers, who want not to allow the adoption of the law on the land market, takes place near the Verkhovna Rada. The MPs might vote for it today and lift the moratorium on the land sale, as 112 Ukraine broadcasted. Initially, the protesters demanded to postpone the law and hold the referendum and adopt the norms, which provide the state and local self-government bodies to buy the shares. Now, they urge the MPs to extend the moratorium. During the second reading on February 9, the bill was amended. According to the amendments, the foreigners will be able to buy Ukrainian lands only referendum. Besides, the restriction on the land sale to one person was changed. The norm was reduced 20 times from 200,000 to 10,000 hectares. According to Chair of Ukrainian Agrarian Council Andriy Dykun, the land market will be opened for legal persons and individuals at the first stage and it is the threat. All our neighbors from the countries of Eastern Europe warn us: it is impossible to simultaneously open land market for legal persons and individuals. It should take place gradually. Gradually, we open the market, begin with individuals, work for a few years, if everything is ok, there is no anti-raiding, the court works, we can move to the legal persons, he said. Dykun also noted that during the last months the government asks the farmers not to worry and promised to finance the farmers for the land market but no one sees the real tool. The National Police stated that law enforcers along with the National Guard employees started enhanced duty not to allow the violations of the public order and provide peace holding of planned rallies in downtown Kyiv. On November 13, 2019, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine supported the committee bill on the opening of the agricultural land market 2178-10 as a basis. On December 28, 2019, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Agrarian and Land Policy completed the consideration of all amendments to the draft law on the land market and recommended that MPs adopt it in the second reading. [February 05, 2020] SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS FSCT, MAT, TCNNF INVESTORS of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuits NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors of pending deadlines in the following securities class action lawsuits: Mattel, Inc. (MAT) Class Period: 8/2/2017 - 8/8/2019 Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: February 24, 2020 SECURITIES FRAUD To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/nasdaq-mat-3 Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (TCNNF) Class Period: 9/25/2018 - 12/17/2019 Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: February 28, 2020 SECURITIES FRAUD To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-trulieve-cannabis-corp-securities-litigation Forescout Technologies, Inc. (FSCT) Class Period: 2/7/2019 - 10/9/2019 Lead Plaintiff Motion Deadline: March 2, 2020 SECURITIES FRAUD To learn more, visit https://www.claimsfiler.com/cases/view-forescout-technologies-inc-securities-litigation If you purchased shares of the above companies and would like to discuss your legal rights and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact us toll-free (844) 367-9658 or visit the case links above. If you wish to serve as a Lead Plaintiff in the class action, you must petition the Court on or before the Lead Plaintiff Motion deadline. About ClaimsFiler ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations. To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com Abel Ochoa (pictured) was convicted of killing his wife, two young daughters and other family members in 2002 A Texas murderer convicted of killing his wife, two young daughters and other family members after smoking crack cocaine is scheduled to be executed after 17 years on death row on Thursday. Abel Ochoa, 47, is to be killed at the states death chamber in Huntsville at 6pm CST after he was found guilty of capital murder in 2003, despite recent efforts to appeal his execution with the U.S. Supreme Court. Ochoa was sentenced to death in the fatal shootings of his wife, Cecilia, 32, 7-year-old daughter, Crystal, and his 9-month-old daughter, Anahi. He also killed his father-in-law, 56-year-old Bartolo Alvizo; and sister-in-law Jacqueline Saleh, 20. Alma Alvizo, another sister-in-law, was shot and seriously injured. On August 4, 2002, 20 minutes after smoking $10 worth of crack cocaine, Ochoa used a .9mm Ruger handgun to shoot Cecilia, Anahi, Bartolo and Jackie inside the familys living room. He then reloaded the handgun and chased young Crystal into the kitchen, where he shot her four times in the back. Although gravely injured, Alvizo managed to escape the house and desperately ran to a neighbors home in search of help. She would subsequently spend three months in a hospital and lose a kidney. Ochoa fatally shot several family members, including his wife, two young daughters and three in-laws on August 4, 2002 Pictured: seven-year-old Crystal Ochoa's grave where she was buried after her father shot her four times The incident began after Ochoa, who had been struggling with addiction for two years, returned home from church with his family. Due to his addiction, Ochoa spent up to $300 a week on cocaine, stole money from his wife and took out small loans to support his drug habit. It also cost him his job as a truck driver, which he held for more than a decade, leaving him out of work for several months before the murders. Court records say Ochoa had undergone rehabilitation for his addiction, but soon began using again after his release. On that August morning, Ochoa had gone 10 days without smoking crack cocaine and had become desperate for another fix. Ochoa had convinced his wife to help purchase crack cocaine to satiate his physical cravings and proceeded to smoke the drug in his backyard while his family gathered inside the home. But the temporary fix wasnt enough. While I was lying on the bed my body started wanting more crack. I knew if I asked my wife for more money to buy some more crack she wouldn't let me have it,' Ochoa said in his confession to police. Ochoas attorneys say that he killed his family in a cocaine-induced delirium. The gun was already loaded, and I walked into the living room where my family was. I started shooting while they were all sitting on the couch, Ochoa told police, The Texas Tribune reports. Ochoa then took his wifes ATM card and drove the familys car to Wynnewood Village Shopping Center to withdraw money to purchase more drugs. Authorities later stopped his vehicle and arrested him. Ochoa told the arresting officer that the gun he used was at his house on the table, that he could not handle the stress anymore, and that he had gotten tired of his life, court records showed. Troubles for Ochoa began in 1997, after learning that his wife had a child with another man before the two married. Alvizo said in court that the couples relationship was difficult and Ochoa had pointed a gun at Cecilia just three weeks before the killings. In court, Ochoas defense argued that his drug used prompted the slayings in an effort to sway the jury towards a life sentence instead of the death penalty. Ochoa fatally shot Jacqueline Saleh in the family's living room after attending church in August 2002 Ochoa's attorney's argued that he was in a crack cocaine induced delirium during the murders Mr. Ochoa was intoxicated and in a delirium. Five people did not die because Cecilia had lied to Mr. Ochoa and he happened to find out about it five years prior to the murders, his attorneys said in a 2010 briefing. A psychiatrist testified that Ochoa was in a drug-induced delirium during the murders, citing brain damage and saying abstaining from crack cocaine for 10 days would bring on a state of psychosis. A separate psychiatrist who testified for the prosecution said the small amount of drugs Ochoa smoked was quite unlikely to have caused delirium. I think its a matter of anger. I think he was extremely frustrated with his situation, Richard Coons, the states forensic psychiatrist, said. In Ochoas most recent appeals, he argued that his execution should be halted because a sheriffs deputy didnt return a receipt of the execution warrant to the district clerk. On Monday, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied the motion. His defense also argued that the prison system didnt allow him to be videotaped for his clemency petition. Mr. Ochoa presented a compelling case for commutation to a life sentence given his deep and sincere remorse for his crime, the positive impact he has had on guards and other inmates, his personal story of redemption, and his remarkable faith and relationship with God, his attorney wrote to the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday. Given his unique story, Mr. Ochoa retained a professional videographer to conduct a filmed interview with Mr. Ochoa to present to the Clemency Board. A federal judge allowed the recording last month, but have maintained that this does not override his conviction. Ochoa will be the second inmate in Texas and the third in the U.S. to be executed in 2020. In 2019, Texas executed nine prisoners and, in total, has executed more people than any other state since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. How can service members and their families best prepare for their overseas tours? Honestly, there is not a lot of good information out there about PCSing to Europe. The nuggets you do find on official websites can be confusing or raise even more questions. That's why I started blogging about the overseas experience. As a family member, a soldier and then as a spouse, I have been through numerous tours in both Germany and Belgium. As a result, I put together more than two dozen tips that will be more useful for your PCS to Europe so you can be more ready that you ever dreamed possible. Decide whether to live on or off post. Choosing a home will be the most important decision you make. Each kaserne and base will be different. Your first choice will be whether to live on or off post. If you choose to live off post or the wait is too long for on-post housing, you'll need to visit the Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) calculator to find out what your cap on rent is. Army installations still require those E-5 and junior to live on post. If you are on an Air Force installation, that rule does not apply. Ship one or two vehicles. The military will pay to ship one vehicle. There is endless debate on whether to bring a super large vehicle like a full-sized truck. I say, if it is paid for, bring it. You will learn how to deal with narrow roads and parking spaces and parking garages that have lower ceilings (know the height of your vehicle). Many folks buy their second vehicle on post with European specs, meaning it can't be taken back stateside. Others ship a second vehicle on their own dime -- anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 to have it shipped. If you have a lien on your vehicle, you may not be able to ship it. Check with your lender to find out more details and find out on my blog how to combat that particular obstacle. Decide which belongings to store and which to ship. This is a tough one. On post, you'll have at least one room-size storage room in the basement or a shed. Off-post housing consists of smaller and awkward room sizing. People sometimes have problems getting a queen-sized box spring up the stairs -- so buy split box springs. Stairways can be narrow and steep here. There may not be room for sectional sofas or even a complete dining room set. We left all of our 110-volt stand mixers, our expensive vacuum and 110-volt holiday decorations in storage, although on-post housing in most locations will have both 110- and 220-volt outlets. If you have a GSM cell phone with a SIM slot, bring it. There is no use for CDMA technology (like Verizon phones). Don't bother bringing those. As long as your cell phone is unlocked, you will be able to use it in Germany. Do talk to others and find out which provider has the best coverage in your area. You may even wait to see which provider has the best coverage in your new home. Until then, there are 10-20 Euro prepaid cell phones you can give to your kids or guests to use or that do double duty as a backup cell phone. Research TV watching options. If you live on post, you automatically get AFN TV straight out of the wall with no set up required. Off post requires the purchase of an antenna and receiver costing hundreds of dollars. Look for a secondhand set and make sure it is a digital model. Or you can do what we did and purchase an Apple TV or Roku device (or other smart TV or receiver) and watch your favorite shows on your TV. You will need a VPN service to unlock certain subscriptions and websites such as Netflix and Hulu Plus. Find out how you will pay your bills. I recommend keeping your current bank account and getting a local on-post account to handle ATM cash transactions and the paying of your German bills. Definitely get ADAC roadside assistance. The cost is less than 100 Euros a year and the benefits are priceless. Without it, a simple tow from a few miles away can cost over 100 Euros ... one way. Some stateside providers do provide roadside assistance overseas, but many times it is not generous enough and you may find yourself looking for your own towing company and then filing for reimbursement later. Stock up on routine car parts. I purchased things like oil filters, snow tires, windshield wipers and other typical car parts to bring with us overseas. There is typically a car care center on-post just like stateside. You won't totally be on your own. If you go off post, know that American car parts are super expensive AND there can be a long wait involved in getting those part. Each military community has an auto crafts center and many will have folks who can do the work for you or have someone on-hand who can walk you through an oil change or other simple repair. Stock up on favorite products. I'm a big fan of the big box stores and knew I would miss that experience, so I stocked up on our favorite paper products. Most of my stockage lasted only six months, but it was worth the trouble. The commissary will have case lot sales a few times a year, but the product choices are limited. German products are different for the most part. It is nice though that you can find good substitutions for most items, especially food and laundry items off-post. Find a great Facebook page for your new duty station. There is always a wealth of information to be found there, and you'll find a handful of folks always ready to answer that next question. Study for the driving test. Technically, you are not even allowed to drive a rental car on-post without your USAREUR driver's license. Before you take the test, be sure to memorize road signs and speed limits and then go ahead take the class and test within the first week of arrival. Practice tests are available online, and you'll find directions on the blog. Make your lodging reservation as soon as you have your assignment instructions. This is critical as there is limited space in on-post lodging, much of it fairly new with kitchen facilities and American-style beds and customer service. Some have pet rooms that fill up quickly. Even if you don't know your exact dates, be conservative with your dates, then narrow it down later. You do not need orders to make reservations. Many posts will require you to have a statement of non-availability from on-post lodging before making your own arrangements or take the risk of not getting reimbursed! If staying off-post, try to choose a world-wide hotel chain with generous reward points. I can tell you we stayed free all over Europe with our points that were racked up from moving and my husband's TDY trips. Know your benefits. Every single move we've had, there has been a mistake in what money we received back from the government to pay for the move, lodging and food. You will file for your Temporary Lodging Assistance every 10 days during your house hunt or your wait to move in on-post. Make sure you can sign in online and check your servicemember's LES and always follow up with what you think you should be getting paid. If you have pets, start the process now. Make sure their rabies vaccine is within one year but not less than 30 days before flying. Try to use a military vet on-post who can do the needed USDA paperwork and stamp. Once you have orders in hand, immediately make that flight reservation and make sure your pet is included in your record. Each airline is different and you need to read through their international requirements. The cheapest way is always via military air. Always. Think through your unaccompanied baggage. Factor at least 30-60 days in a hotel or temporary lodging and before having access to your household goods. Consider the weather. Think about what items you need short term and know there are resources like loaner furniture and the ACS lending closet to help you out. If your children will start school soon, I'd suggest purchasing basic school supplies and backpacks before you move. That stuff is limited and expensive at the Exchange on-post and German school supplies are very different. Go the newcomer's page for your new duty station. You will be surprised at how thorough some communities are in arming you with the basic information you need. You will most likely find out how the housing process works on the newcomer site as well and find out more about any newcomer and in-processing classes. I urge spouses to go too. Make sure your kids have current physicals and register them at your CDC to get that childcare taken care of immediately, allowing you to in-process as well. Renew your stateside driver's license and keep it current. Each state has different rules for military and dependents driver's licenses. Know what the rules are. Some will allow you to have an expired license as long as you are out of state and have a valid military ID. Others will let you renew once or twice online and then through the mail after that. A few states still do everything the old-fashioned way through the mail. Put the expiration dates in your calendar and renew as needed. Some will charge you a late fee if you renew after expiration. Do the same for your passports! Many countries will not let you enter without having at least six months left before your passport expires and realize that your government-issued SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) passport will NOT let you travel over Germany's borders (except back stateside). Investigate purchasing a tourist passport before you leave. Make sure you have renter's insurance. You should have this anyway even while living in on-post quarters. The government typically will not reimburse you should your items get lost, stolen or damaged. It is very cheap insurance for the peace of mind. Bring your 110-volt lamps. You can change the lightbulb to a 220-volt one along with a plug adapter, and you're done. Do watch the wattage of that lightbulb, as you don't want your lampshade burning up. Most lampshades list the max wattage on the lampshade somewhere. Know your internet options. There are so many internet options for your home. Germany has many third-party providers. You not have to go with what is offered on-post. You can get the current provider on-post to sign off on paperwork to get an off-post provider. Do know what the different is between DSL and cable, as not all housing on- and off-post will have either or both. Find the deals for overseas travel. There are a host of milspouse travel Facebook pages where advice is shared and questions are answered. You'll never pay full price. There will be certain things you wish you had brought over and didn't. Life Lessons of a Military Wife readers wish they had brought drying racks, memory foam mattress pads, extra bedsheets, two cars, area rugs, Slingbox and smaller bakeware that can fit in European ovens. Bring your best parenting. You may need to do a little research on traveling for eight hours on a plane with a baby or toddler. You might have a teen who refuses to move overseas. You aren't the first. Since kids are so important to military families, you will find lots of advice online on the blog. Do what is best for you. Attend the in-processing briefs at your new duty station. You might be tempted to let your service member do the inprocessing while you catch up on your sleep. Don't. At those briefs, you meet the kind of people who can actually help you settle in better. Meet the school lady and the housing guy, the Tricare person and the trainer from Army Community Service (ACS). Real people are your best resource when moving overseas -- and in-processing is the time to meet them. Eating out in Europe can be more expensive than stateside. Schnitzels and beers for the family can run you $115. When you have to eat on the economy, know that there are cheaper options like your local Donerkebab Stand, the local Volksmarch or even your favorite IKEA. APO mail service overseas is a bit different than stateside mail. Know how it works, how to figure out what your German address is (even on-post) and know how to send mail to your German address. Know what a VAT form is and how it can save you money. This can be especially useful if you spend a long time in an off-post hotel. Amazon.de is very popular in Germany, and you can save the VAT tax when you have things sent to your German address. This list of 27 things covers the highlights to allow you to hit the ground running when you PCS to Germany, Belgium or other European locations. -- Raquel Thiebes has been blogging about living overseas since 2007. She recently PCSed with her family from Germany to Belgium and back again. Black History Spotlight Kenneth Glover, the Singing Missionary Kenneth Glover continues to be one of the most gifted and talented gospel vocalists to grace the local and international stage. Known around the world as the Singing Missionary, Glover has inspired hundreds of thousands of people for decades with his creative renditions of traditional hymns. His delivery of songs like I Can Feel the Spirit in This Place, Without Him, His Eye is on the Sparrow, He Knows How Much We Can Bear, and Just a Closer Walk With Thee remain fan favorites whenever he appears in concert. Since the mid-60s, growing-up in the Mount Moriah Baptist Church, I had the privilege of having a front-row seat in the timeless career of Kenneth Glover, said Quaford Coleman. This year, he is celebrating 70 years of singing gospel music and his voice, his music and his singing ministry is still timeless. Looking back over his long career, Glover is quick to give God all of the credit. Whatever I have is a gift from God. I try to sing as beautifully as I can [because] this is my mission in life, he said. I feel that God gave me one gift to touch people through singing. ADVERTISEMENT And Glover sings everywhere at churches, hospitals, senior centers, correction facilities, training schools and military installations. According to his manager, the Rev. William Green, Kenneth once sang before an audience of 10,000 youth and more than 3,000 of the young people were inspired to accept Christ as their Savior after hearing him sing. Glovers albums, especially those he recorded in the 1960s and 1970s, are still available. Among the most popular LPs are He Touched Me, God Holds Tomorrow, If I Can Help Somebody, Lord Here I Am, and Saved. Before I sing, I pray God, help me sing the way You want me to sing. So, I really dont see people when Im singing. Im really concentrating on letting God speak through me, Glover said. A native of Newark, New Jersey, Glover was encouraged by his mother, Mrs. Florine Glover, to focus on his vocal artistry. Although hes never received any formal music training, he learned to develop qualities such as breathing control, intonation and other skills to perfect his singing. His selfless sharing of his incredible voice have led to many commendations and awards. Glover has been honored by the cities of Los Angeles, Newark, and Washington, D.C., along with the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, the California State Assembly, the Sugar Ray Robinson Foundation and countless faith-based and community organizations. In addition, Pastor Rikki Ferrell, Jr. and the members of Greater New Bethel Baptist Church will salute Glover at the churchs Black History Month celebration. The tribute will take place on Sunday, Feb. 9, at 10:30 a.m., in the edifice located at 601 Flower St., in Inglewood. ADVERTISEMENT As for the future, Glover intends to share his gift whenever and wherever possible. I must sing the songs that I feel will bring people closer to God, he insisted. I see myself as Gods instrument and I want to keep myself in tune with Him, so that He can use me. Currently, re-growing forests comprise roughly 21% of previously deforested areas in the Brazilian Amazon. However, these forests, referred to as secondary vegetation, have been little studied, despite occupying a total area similar to that of the United Kingdom. Now, researchers led by the University of Leeds, the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE), and Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (EMBRAPA) have examined 14 years of data on secondary vegetation formation and cutting in the Brazilian Amazon based on the TerraClass Amazon mapping project. Their study, published in Nature Sustainability, has found that secondary forests account for an increasing proportion of overall forest loss in the Brazilian Amazon, rising from 32% of total deforestation in 2000 to 72% in 2014. However, while secondary forest cutting has increased in recent years, deforestation of old-growth primary forests in the Brazilian Amazon remained stable. This suggests that secondary forest loss has eased deforestation pressure on primary forests and their irreplaceable biodiversity and carbon storage. Study lead author Yunxia Wang, from the School of Geography said: "There in an ongoing demand for new pasture and agricultural land in Brazil. Our study shows that this demand has increasingly been met by secondary forests, providing a buffer that has stalled deforestation of primary forests. "But the strength of this buffer depends on the area of secondary forest available. The limited legal protection means that secondary forest loss is largely unregulated. "Not only would easing the strain on secondary forests help Brazil meet climate change targets, as they accumulate carbon very rapidly, but future deforestation would likely lead to increased loss of primary forests once easily accessible secondary forests are diminished." Brazil has committed to restore 120,000 km2 of forest land by 2030 as part of its Nationally Determined Contribution for the Paris Agreement. The authors suggest that a cost-effective way to do this would be to allow part of its existing Amazonian secondary forest area to recover naturally. Study co-author Dr David Galbraith, Associate Professor in Earth System Dynamics at Leeds said: "Managing this ecosystem sustainably to maximize the conservation value of these forests, while not intensifying pressure on primary forests, requires an integrated strategy that includes active monitoring of secondary forests in Amazonia and strengthening of their governance in Brazilian law." ### The paper Upturn in secondary forest clearing buffers primary forest loss in the Brazilian Amazon was published on 27 January 2020 in Nature Sustainability https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0470-4 Further information: Images: Photo 1: Secondary forest conservation, July, 2014 in Sao Felix do Xingu. Credit: Nelton Cavalcante da Luz & Douglas Rafael Moraes Vidal Photo 2: Secondary forest clearings (1) July, 2014 in Sao Felix do Xingu Credit: Nelton Cavalcante da Luz & Douglas Rafael Moraes Vidal Photo 3: Secondary forest clearings (2) July, 2014 in Sao Felix do Xingu Credit: Nelton Cavalcante da Luz & Douglas Rafael Moraes Vidal Full list of paper authors: Yunxia Wang, Guy Ziv, Marcos Adami, Claudio Aparecido de Almeida, Joao Francisco Goncalves Antunes, Alexandre Camargo Coutinho, Julio Cesar Dalla Mora Esquerdo, Alessandra Rodrigues Gomes and David Galbraith For additional information, contact University of Leeds press officer Anna Harrison via a.harrison@leeds.ac.uk or +44 (0)113 34 34196. University of Leeds The University of Leeds is one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK, with more than 38,000 students from more than 150 different countries, and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. The University plays a significant role in the Turing, Rosalind Franklin and Royce Institutes. We are a top ten university for research and impact power in the UK, according to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, and are in the top 100 of the QS World University Rankings 2020. The University was awarded a Gold rating by the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework in 2017, recognising its 'consistently outstanding' teaching and learning provision. Twenty-six of our academics have been awarded National Teaching Fellowships - more than any other institution in England, Northern Ireland and Wales - reflecting the excellence of our teaching. http://www.leeds.ac.uk Follow University of Leeds or tag us in to coverage: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Instagram By Abdul Kerimkhanov The situation in Azerbaijans Armenian-occupied Nagorno-Karabakh region was at a record low in 2019 in terms of casualties, in particular, non-combat losses, suicides, intentional homicides, theft, evasion of military service, as well as by the number of crimes committed on the basis of unregulated relations. These losses in the army were due to the arbitrariness of officers and abuse of office. In 2019, a number of measures taken by the army command to prevent crimes in military units did not yield any results as the number of negative incidents were on the rise. The largest percentage of crimes were observed in relation to the violation of the charter, beatings, torture of soldiers and psychological pressure. Crimes of this nature especially often occur in the 5th, 6th, 7th mountain rifle regiments and in the 9th motorized rifle regiment of the occupying army. During the reporting year, some 75 facts of unauthorized abandonment of a military unit and evasion of military service were recorded in the Armenian army. In addition, last year as many as 12 mass fights took place on the grounds of parochialism between Armenians living in the country and Karabakh, as a result of which dozens of military personnel were injured and prosecuted. Seeing the growing scale of the ongoing negative incidents, the command of the combined arms army tried to solve the problem by dismissing commanders and other officials. However, this did not bring the desired result, as the army was involved in a number of losses resulting from unbearable working conditions, unfair treatment of soldiers, terrible food supplies and low level of medical services. For 2019, the occupation army recorded 21 facts of violation of combat duty and internal army routines, 7 facts of drinking alcohol and taking drugs by officers and soldiers, 119 facts of intentional killings, killings by negligence and harm to health. The command also failed to prevent crimes such as coercion of acts of a sexual nature, sexual exploitation, violence, indecent behaviors towards local residents. Some 29 cases of giving and receiving a bribe, abuse of power, 12 facts of incitement to suicide and attempted suicide occurred in military units of the 1st Combined Arms Army in 2019. As a result of more than 100 incidents related to careless handling of weapons, mines and a grenade, the occupying army suffered numerous losses. A large number of fires in military units and car accidents are another indicator of the irresponsibility and lack of professionalism of the Armenian military in occupied Nagorno-Karabakh. In protest of the arbitrariness, unbearable conditions and disorder in the occupying army, the parents of the soldiers in Armenia repeatedly complained, refusing to send their children to military service in the occupied territories. According to some sources, the number of people under various pretexts of evading service is about 10,000. Noted that in 2019, some 49 troops were killed and 32 facts of injuries were recorded in the Armenian army. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A powerful winter storm raked the Southeast on Thursday with high winds, rain and floods that killed at least four people and injured several more across a dozen states. Rescue crews repeatedly pulled people from cars that got stuck in high water, but couldnt reach a person whose vehicle disappeared into a rain-swollen creek. The storm front destroyed mobile homes in Mississippi and Alabama, caused mudslides in Tennessee and Kentucky and flooded communities that shoulder waterways across the Appalachian region. In Florida, high winds prompted the closure of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge spanning Tampa Bay, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Tornado watches were in effect Thursday night from northern Florida up through North Carolina. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam declared a state of emergency Thursday evening because of heavy rains and extreme flooding in several areas. More than 500 people in and around Richlands, in southwestern Virginia, were displaced by flooding and needed rescue from their homes, he said in a statement. In Harlan County, Kentucky, two mobile homes floated away as dozens of families were evacuated amid rising water, authorities said. Its a very bad situation that continues to worsen by the hour, said Harlan County Judge Executive Dan Mosley. Rain kept falling over a path of splintered trees and sagging power lines that stretched from Louisiana into Virginia. School districts cancelled classes in state after state as bad weather rolled through. One person was killed and another was injured as high winds destroyed two mobile homes near the town of Demopolis, Alabama, the Storm Prediction Center reported. The victim, Anita Rembert, was in one of the homes with her husband, her child and two grandchildren, said Kevin McKinney, emergency management director for Marengo County. The man was injured but the children were unhurt, he said. High winds there left roadsides strewn with plywood, insulation, broken trees and twisted metal. The National Weather Service was checking the site for signs of a tornado. Weather-related crashes left at least three people dead and numerous authorities pleaded with motorists to avoid driving where they couldnt see the pavement. A driver died in South Carolina when a tree fell on an SUV near Fort Mill, Highway Patrol Master Trooper Gary Miller said. The drivers name wasnt immediately released. In North Carolinas Gaston County, a driver was killed after his pickup truck hydroplaned in heavy rain, plunged down a 25-foot (8-meter) embankment and overturned in a creek, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol said, according to news outlets. Terry Roger Fisher was pronounced dead at the scene. An unidentified man died and two others were injured Thursday when a car hydroplaned in Knoxville, Tennessee, and hit a truck, police said in a news release. In Pickens, Mississippi, the ceiling caved in and furniture flew around 64-year-old Emma Carters mobile home. She considered herself lucky after surviving an apparent tornado. Carter, her two daughters and two grandsons were inside when the strongest winds hit Wednesday afternoon. Her grandson, DeMarkus Sly, 19, told everyone to lie flat and cover their heads as aluminum sheeting from nearby structures slammed into the home. We are blessed that nobody got hurt, that nobody got killed, Carter said. Flooding, meanwhile, forced rescuers to suspend their search for a vehicle missing with a person inside it in north Alabamas Bucks Pocket State Park. As the car started shifting because of the water we noticed what appeared to be an arm reaching out, witness Kirkland Follis, who called 911, told WHNT-TV. The vehicle quickly disappeared Wednesday in waters too dangerous for divers to search. In Tennessee, 36-year-old teacher Brooke Sampson was killed and four people were injured Thursday when a rain-soaked tree fell on a van carrying Sevierville city employees, officials said. The crash, though still under investigation, appeared to have been weather-related according to preliminary information, said Lt. Bill Miller, a spokesman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Tree limbs and fences were toppled when a confirmed tornado hit the Birmingham suburb of Helena, officials said, and some roads and parking lots were covered by floodwaters. A yellow taxi was abandoned in high water early Thursday on an interstate ramp in Birmingham. Anyone who lives near rivers and lakes in the Tennessee Valley should prepare for rapidly changing water levels, said James Everett, senior manager of the TVAs river forecast centre in Knoxville, Tennessee. He said the TVA is managing water levels behind 49 dams to avert major flooding, but with more rain expected next week, the agency may have to release water downstream. In Kentucky, Harlan, Bell and Knox counties declared states of emergency. Bell Judge-Executive Albey Brock said the heavy rains washed out roads and led to rock slides and water rescues. In Georgia, a tree crashed onto the interstate in Dunwoody, north of Atlanta, crumpling a car but causing no serious injuries, authorities said. Huge trees toppled and snapped in the states northwestern Gordon County, smashing a home and blowing roofs off outbuildings. Students were told to shelter in place while tornado warnings were in effect in the Atlanta suburbs and at the University of Georgia in Athens. Children in the Lawrenceville area huddled in school hallways as the weather moved through. In southern West Virginia, residents at a nursing home were asked to remain inside after a road leading directly into the facility buckled during heavy rains. The airport in North Carolinas largest city evacuated a control tower and advised people to shelter in place because of a tornado warning. Charlotte-Douglas International Airport later tweeted that an inspection of its airfield showed no damage. More than 460 flights into and out of the airport were cancelled Thursday. More than 110,000 homes and businesses were without power across the South, according to poweroutage.us, and the rain was forecast to continue into Friday across much of the region. ___ Associated Press staffers Rogelio Solis in Pickens, Mississippi; Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, S.C.; Bobby Calvan in Tallahassee, Fla.; Jeff Martin and Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta; Adrian Sainz in Memphis, Tenn.; Becky Yonker in Louisville, Ky.; John Raby in Charleston, W.Va.; Kevin McGill in New Orleans; and Jonathan Drew in Raleigh, N.C.; contributed to this report. This article, Iowa caucus results further slowed as Trump supporters spam hotline, report says, originally appeared on CNET.com. The results of the Iowa Democratic caucuses were further delayed after supporters of President Donald Trump reportedly clogged the hotline being used to report results after trolls posted its phone number online. The number was posted to a right-wing message board on 4chan and urged Trump supporters to "clog the lines," according to NBC News. The Iowa Democratic Party confirmed on Thursday it received "an unusually high volume of inbound phone calls to its caucus hotline." some of which came from Trump supporters. "The unexplained, and at times hostile, calls contributed to the delay in the Iowa Democratic Party's collection of results, but in no way affected the integrity of information gathered or the accuracy of data sets reported," Mandy McClure, the party's communications director, said in an emailed statement. Posters in several threads on 4chan denied they had participated in the prank calls. Multiple posters reposted screenshots of the original message, saying it was a plant by Democrats to provide an excuse for the delayed results. Earlier this week, the Iowa caucus were thrown into confusion after a smartphone app malfuncitoned. The app had been developed to tabulate and report results. The debacle was caused by a coding issue that caused the app to report only partial data, Iowa Democratic Chairman Troy Price said in a statement earlier this week. As of Thursday morning, the vote total still hadn't been completed, with Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez calling for a recanvass of the state due to the delay, as reported earlier Thursday by Washington Post. This would mean the worksheets at each caucus site would be reviewed "to ensure accuracy," Perez said. "Enough is enough," Perez tweeted Thursday. "In light of the problems that have emerged in the implementation of the delegate selection plan and in order to assure public confidence in the results, I am calling on the Iowa Democratic Party to immediately begin a recanvass." The Iowa Democratic Party said it's prepared for any recanvass requests from presidential candidates. "In such a circumstance, the IDP will audit the paper records of report, as provided by the precinct chairs and signed by representatives of presidential campaigns," the party said in a statement Thursday. "We are committed to ensuring the results accurately reflect the preference of Iowans." Originally published Jan. 18, 11:37 a.m. PT. Update, 11:49 a.m.: Adds comment from the Iowa Democratic Party; 12:05 p.m.: Adds material from 4chan posters denying involvement; 1:23 p.m.: Adds report about Perez calling for recanvass; 2:24 p.m.: Adds response from IDP about recanvass. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 18:15:34|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's national associations of various industries and chambers of commerce have been asked to avoid gatherings at present until the novel coronavirus outbreak is effectively contained, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said Thursday. They are urged to work and communicate online to help reduce risks of the virus spreading, according to the ministry. The ministry asked all national associations and chambers of commerce not to enter epidemic-affected areas in central China's Hubei Province unless required by special circumstances. Personnel who go to epidemic-hit areas to help battle the virus should apply sound protective measures and carry out personnel isolation and vehicle disinfection in a timely manner following their return, the ministry said. Associations and commerce chambers are called on to mobilize their member organizations and other aspects of society, especially manufacturers of healthcare and epidemic control necessities, to resume production of medical supplies, including protective clothing, goggles and disinfectant, at an earlier date after the Spring Festival holiday ends, so as to meet the country's epidemic prevention and control needs. They are also asked to cooperate with authorities to maintain market order amid the virus battle and resolutely reject illegal activities of hoarding and cornering products as well as making and selling fake or inferior drugs, medical tools and materials, according to the ministry. The cast of Little Women delved into the historical setting of their film by taking part in an 1800s-inspired photoshoot. The novel of the same name, written by Louisa May Alcott and published in two volumes in 1868 and 1869, follows four sisters as they navigate life in America in the 19th century. In Greta Gerwigs 2019 film adaptation of the tale, a large part of the sisters characterisation lies in their distinctive ensembles, with the feature receiving an Oscar nomination for costume design. While the film was still in production, photographer Wilson Webb visited the set to capture nine members of the core Little Women cast, using a method first invented in the mid-1800s called the collodion process in order to paint each character in an old-fashioned light. The Twitter and Instagram accounts for the film shared the images online, outlining how Webb worked with production designer Jess Gonchor to find different backgrounds that might correspond with each character. The actors were very accommodating and enjoyed seeing the process of making each image, Webb stated. I explained what I was doing and they could see the image fade up from black as it developed. Emma was especially intrigued and said she wanted a wet-plate studio in her house. The Little Women social media accounts outlined that the collodion process, which was invented circa 1851, is also known as tin type or wet plate photography. The photo has to be taken while the tin or plate is wet with light sensitive chemicals and exposed before the plate dries or else the process will not work, it stated. Around 25,000 Watt-seconds of flash was used for each photo. It was so bright that you could feel and smell the heat of the light, similar to a thunderstorm. The description of the process stressed how so much care must be taken when it came to selecting clothing and backgrounds of particular colours, as warm colours appear darker than usual and cool colours become light when the photographs are developed. The camera lens used to photograph the cast of 'Little Women' is 139 years old (Courtesy of Wilson Webb) Every image needed around 10 minutes to prepare, expose and develop, with another half an hour required to clean, dry, and then seal with varnish and an open flame. Each plate is an ordinal, a one of a kind. This process did not allow for copies to be made, it stated. Webb explained that the actors needed to sit very still for their individual photographs, not because the exposure was long but because the amount of image in focus is less than one inch deep. It takes 10 to 20 seconds to set up the plate to be exposed so if someone moved slightly the photo would be out of focus, the on-set photographer said. For the photo shoot, lights and backgrounds were set up on the set of the March sisters family home. The cast, which includes Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh and Emma Watson, would sit for their photographs when they had a few minutes to spare during filming. The best films of 2019 Show all 20 1 /20 The best films of 2019 The best films of 2019 20. Minding the Gap One of the years biggest cinematic curveballs occurs at the midway point of this stirring documentary. Billed as a film about small-town US skate culture, Bing Lius Minding the Gap grows into a haunting depiction of class and masculinity, and how once inseparable groups of friends tend to untangle and diverge as they come of age. Few of 2019s films cast quite as long a shadow. Adam White Hulu The best films of 2019 19. The Farewell The Farewell rips your heart out of your chest. Then it hands it back to you, wrapped gently in cotton wool. Director Lulu Wang loosely adapts a chapter in her own life, as we follow a young woman (Awkwafina) travelling back to China to say goodbye to her terminally ill grandmother. Delving into all the intricacies of immigrant identity and family politics, its a comedy of warmth and bracing honesty. Clarisse Loughrey A24 The best films of 2019 18. Us An opportunity for Jordan Peele to cement his status as one of horrors modern maestros, Us reels us in with old-fashioned thrills. Then it leaves us with the terrible dread of realising weve been looking into a mirror this whole time. Lupita Nyong'o delivers two of this years best performances in one film, both as our hero and as her sinister doppelganger one of an army of Tethereds that emerge from underground seeking vengeance. Clarisse Loughrey Universal Pictures The best films of 2019 17. Pain & Glory All of Pedro Almodovars films feel autobiographical in one way or another, but Pain & Glory couldnt be more lived-in if he stepped out in front of the camera to introduce every scene. A lushly romantic ode to cinema, shared history and cruelly interrupted love, it features a career-best performance from Antonio Banderas Zorro at his most tender and vulnerable. Adam White Sony Pictures The best films of 2019 16. Vox Lux Vox Lux is 2019s most damning filmic portrait of American culture. We begin with a teenage girl (Raffey Cassidy), who survives a school shooting and ends up a pop star. As an adult, shes played by a breezy, vicious Natalie Portman. Her strut is one part Sia, two parts Lady Gaga. Its an ugly, despairing film that comes gift-wrapped in sequins, presenting art as the cavernous pit we throw our traumas into. Clarisse Loughrey Neon The best films of 2019 15. Under the Silver Lake A paranoid puzzle box of a mystery, Under the Silver Lake is far more interested in the directions down the rabbit hole than allowing star Andrew Garfield to crawl his way out of it. Thats also the most pleasurable aspect of David Robert Mitchells film, a sunny LA noir which is sinister, hilarious and (potentially ruinously) male. Its probably 2019s most polarising film, adored and reviled in equal measure, but undeniably a work of striking creative autonomy. Adam White Mubi The best films of 2019 14. High Life High Life has its silly sub-Barbarella moments (Juliette Binoche testing out the spaceships very own orgasmatron machine) and clearly wasnt made on a Hollywood budget. Nonetheless, veteran French auteur Claire Deniss first English language film is a typically provocative and subversive affair. Binoche plays Dr Dibs, a scientist on board a ship full of criminals and trying to harvest healthy foetuses. Geoffrey Macnab A24 The best films of 2019 13. Ad Astra Ad Astra is a space movie with an Oedipal undertow. Brad Pitt gives a fine, understated performance as the introspective astronaut trying to save the world and find his father at the same time. Writer-director James Gray throws in references to Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now. This is a slow-moving but beguiling film with an unexpected emotional kick. Geoffrey Macnab Fox The best films of 2019 12. Happy as Lazzaro A bee keepers daughter, Italian director Alice Rohrwacher is one of European cinemas visionary young talents. Happy As Lazzaro, her best film yet, is a magical realist fable that combines hard-hitting social comment about the exploitation of rural workers with flights of astonishing lyricism. The film also has one of the best performances of the year from newcomer Adriano Tardiolo, an 18-year-old economics student who plays the holy innocent, Lazzaro, with an ingenuousness which rekindles memories of Peter Sellers in Being There. Geoffrey Macnab Simona Pampallona/Netflix The best films of 2019 11. Burning Based on a Haruki Murakamis short story, Burning from South Korean maestro Lee Chang-dong is a meditation on dealing with isolation and the tricks being alone might play on your memory. Jong-su (Ah-in Yoo) is forced to play detective when Steven Yeuns affluent bachelor rolls into town an event that coincides with the disappearance of a schoolfriend. Burning is a searing drama whose central unanswered mystery unnerves long after the credits role. Jacob Stolworthy Thunderbird Releasing The best films of 2019 10. For Sama News coverage has hardly been short of harrowing, violent footage of the Syrian Civil War. But too often missing are the human moments inbetween the bombings and the bloodshed. In Waad Al-Kateabs first person account of the uprisings aftermath, her cameras gaze never flinches from the horrors it sees as she and her husband try to maintain a rebel hospital amid a reign of bombing from President al-Assad but nor does it stop rolling while she falls in love, has a baby, and jokes around with her friends and neighbours. This is the story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It is an important, powerful, astonishing documentary. Alex Pollard Republic Film Distribution The best films of 2019 9. Can You Ever Forgive Me? It feels almost blasphemous to be glad of Julianne Moore stepping down from a role, but Lee Israel the cantankerous, lonely literary forger who found herself the target of an FBI investigation in the Nineties feels like a part Melissa McCarthy was born to play. Nimbly directed by Marielle Heller (who was shunned by the Oscars in the Best Director category), Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a sharp, funny and deeply compassionate examination of loneliness and self-destruction. Richard E Grant and Dolly Wells give wonderful supporting performances, too. Alex Pollard AP The best films of 2019 8. Booksmart As deeply indebted to the teen movie genre as it is formally and narratively rebellious, Booksmart grounds its traditional night-before-graduation plot (teenagers eager to crash a party) in touching character-driven drama. Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever, both instant stars, convey the ever-shifting dynamics and heightened dramas of adolescent best-friendship perfectly. Behind the camera, meanwhile, actor-turned-director Olivia Wilde demonstrates a staggering amount of emotional empathy and technical mastery for someone so green. Adam White Annapurna Pictures The best films of 2019 7. The Irishman Comparisons to Martin Scorseses previous films (Goodfellas, Casino) are unfounded considering The Irishman is unlike any other gangster film youll see. With his three-hour-30-minute-long opus, Scorsese places the harsh spotlight on mortality. Instead of tracking the rise of Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) from regular family man to seasoned hitman with glitzy panache, we see him shamefully confess his crimes as an elderly man ruminating on his past in a nursing home. The result is an unsettlingly moving character study unafraid to ask the big questions.Jacob Stolworthy Netflix The best films of 2019 6. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood With his ninth feature, Quentin Tarantino took a breath and crafted an unhurried, oddly heartwarming fable, one that came with a career-best performance from Brad Pitt. Its release rolled around with the usual smattering of discourse-steering controversy but, for all the complaints about the directors depiction of his film star subjects, including the scant usage of Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate, the fact remains that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is one of the filmmakers most accomplished films a freeneasy sun-soaked delve into Sixties Hollywood, whose much-discussed final 20 minutes provided topics of conversation all summer long. Jacob Stolworthy Andrew Cooper/Sony-Columbia Pictures via AP The best films of 2019 5. Eighth Grade For too many years the internet was exclusively evil in movies, something for tech boffins to hack, or used to steal Sandra Bullocks identity. Bo Burnhams Eighth Grade felt so comparatively real because it felt like the real internet, which has been as toxic and terrifying as it has been helpful to a generation of young people. Elsie Fisher, as a 13-year-old girl chronicling her confidence and anxieties in a vlog, is an adorable delight here, in a film that is devastatingly, heartbreakingly and endearingly human. Adam White Rex The best films of 2019 4. The Favourite Yorgos Lanthimoss delightful, subversive vision has shaken the cobwebs out of costume drama. Set in the 18th century, it follows a trio of women two cousins, Sarah (Rachel Weisz) and Abigail (Emma Stone), and the ruling Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) as they vie for power over each other and England. Desire, savagery, and manipulative vulnerability all become weapons in the hands of those who have no choice but to fight dirty. But, then, Colmans childless, gout-ridden Queen Anne tenderly reveals her shattered soul its an Academy Award-winning performance that brings a slice of tragedy to an otherwise sublime farce. Clarisse Loughrey AP The best films of 2019 3. If Beale Street Could Talk The marriage of disparate talents united to ensure If Beale Street Could Talk is worthy of mention alongside Barry Jenkins previous film, Moonlight The Independents film of the decade. With his film, Jenkins takes the words of James Baldwin and translates them into visual poetry. From Nicholas Britells mesmerising score to Regina Kings towering supporting performance (that Oscar was well deserved), the result is a creative tour de force. Jacob Stolworthy Photos Annapurna Pictures The best films of 2019 2. Marriage Story Here is a love story about divorce. Noah Baumbach writes and directs this aching, empathetic depiction of a couple whose marriage has fallen apart. As ruthless divorce lawyers driving a wedge between two people already hanging by a thread, Ray Liotta and Laura Dern are magnificent, while Scarlett Johansson gives her best performance in years as a woman trying to do the right thing without knowing what that is. But the real star is Adam Driver, who hulking as he is makes himself seem small and fragile. For his rendition of Sondheims Being Alive alone, Marriage Story deserves all the awards coming its way. Alex Pollard Netflix The best films of 2019 1. Little Women Greta Gerwigs adaptation of Louisa May Alcotts 1868 novel the story of four Massachusetts sisters coming of age during the American Civil War may be a period piece, but there is nothing staid or stuffy about it. The girls, played by Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Emma Watson and Eliza Scanlen, talk and clamber over one another, their hair messy, their dresses scorched, their ambitions unfettered. It is a lively, profound adaptation. Alexandre Desplat provides the exuberant score, and Yorick La Sauxs cinematography is lush and textured. I didnt want it to be beautiful at the expense of being real, said Gerwig. But I did want it to feel like you wish you can jump inside and live in there or eat it. I remember trying to explain that to the gaffer, who was like, You want what? I was like, I want them to want to eat it. And how delicious it is. Alex Pollard Sony Pictures Entertainment In Ronans portrait, she sits at a table with sheets of paper underneath her left hand, in keeping with her character Jos profession as a writer. Meanwhile, Pugh stands with what appears to be a bust or vase in the background, a nod to her skill set as an artist. To read The Independents review of Little Women, click here. Taylor Swift has signed a new global publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. The You Need to Calm Down hitmaker previously inked a recording agreement with Universal in November 2018, after departing Big Machine Records, and the new publishing contract sees the pop superstar reunite with former Sony/ATV Nashville boss Troy Tomlinson, who became chairman/CEO of UMPG Nashville in July 2019, and first worked with Taylor when she was just 14. The Blank Space hitmaker announced the news by sharing a picture with Troy and Chairman and CEO of UMPG, Jody Gerson, and Universal boss, Sir Lucian Grainge, in which she was holding her beloved pet cat. Back on: Taylor Swift has signed a new global publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group. The new publishing contract sees the pop superstar reunite with former Sony/ATV Nashville boss Troy Tomlinson, who became chairman/CEO of UMPG Nashville in July 2019, and first worked with Taylor when she was just 14 'I'm proud to extend my partnership with Lucian Grainge and the Universal Music family by signing with UMPG, and for the opportunity to work with Jody Gerson, the first woman to run a major music publishing company,' said Swift. 'Jody is an advocate for women's empowerment and one of the most-respected and accomplished industry leaders. 'Troy Tomlinson has been an amazing part of my team for over half my life and a passionate torchbearer for songwriters. A good day: The Blank Space hitmaker announced the news by sharing a picture with Troy and Chairman and CEO of UMPG, Jody Gerson, and Universal boss, Sir Lucian Grainge, in which she was holding her beloved pet cat In harmony: 'I'm proud to extend my partnership with Lucian Grainge and the Universal Music family by signing with UMPG, and for the opportunity to work with Jody Gerson, the first woman to run a major music publishing company,' said Swift 'It's an honour to get to work with such an incredible team, especially when it comes to my favourite thing in the world: songwriting.' Jody commented: 'We are honoured to welcome Taylor Swift to UMPG. 'Using her power and voice to create a better world, Taylor's honest and brave songwriting continues to be an inspiration to countless fans. 'We look forward to further amplifying Taylor's voice and songs across the globe.' While Troy, who is Chairman and CEO of UMPG Nashville, added: 'I've had the distinct pleasure of working with Taylor since she was 14-years-old, and she still amazes me daily. 'The true definition of a multigenerational artist and songwriter, Taylor's songs, vision and unwavering determination have always been an inspiration. Behind the scenes: In the trailer for her Netflix documentary, Miss Americana, she said: 'Throughout my whole career, label executives would just say, 'A nice girl doesn't force their opinions on people, a nice girl smiles and waves and says thank you' Her challenge: 'I became the person that everyone wanted me to be. Nobody physically saw me for a year, and that was what I thought they wanted,' said Swift 'I am so happy and so proud to continue representing Taylor and her music, and I am confident that UMPG will be the best, most creative partner in providing unparalleled opportunities for her songs.' Universal is now the music partner for Taylor, while UMG's Republic Records will serve as her label partner in America. The move comes after her well-documented spat with former Big Machine label head, Scott Brochette and Scooter Braun, who acquired the firm, over the master recordings of her first six albums. Bad blood: The move comes after her well-documented spat with former Big Machine label head, Scott Brochette and Scooter Braun (seen with Justin Bieber in January), who acquired the firm, over the master recordings of her first six albums She claimed she was not given the chance to buy back the rights to the music. Taylor recently admitted she feels so much better now she is no longer 'fighting for people's respect' and focusing on her own happiness. In the trailer for her Netflix documentary, Miss Americana, she said: 'Throughout my whole career, label executives would just say, 'A nice girl doesn't force their opinions on people, a nice girl smiles and waves and says thank you.' One of her very rare disappointments: At the premiere of Cats which failed to make audiences meow 'I became the person that everyone wanted me to be. Nobody physically saw me for a year, and that was what I thought they wanted. 'I had to deconstruct an entire belief system. Toss it out and reject it. It woke me up from constantly feeling like I was fighting for people's respect. It was happiness without anyone else's input. I want to do this. I need to do to be on the right side of history. It feels f***ing awesome. 'I feel really good about not feeling muzzled anymore. And it was my own doing. There's nothing that feels better than this moment.' Cotton Closes Black on Monday Barchart - Mon Jan 10, 4:48PM CST Cotton futures were off their high at the closing bell on Monday, but were still 10 to 40 points in the black. New crop cotton also bounced on Monday, ending the session 40 to 76 points firmer. The Seam... CTH22 : 115.20 (-0.02%) CTK22 : 113.00 (-0.06%) CTZ21 : 111.55s (+0.25%) Wheat Markets Close Mixed Barchart - Mon Jan 10, 4:48PM CST Mondays wheat market ended with winter wheat gains to HRS weakness. Spring wheat futures ended the session a nickel to 9 cents in the red. March MPLS wheat has posted losses in 9 in the last 11 sessions... ZWH22 : 758-4 (-0.46%) ZWPAES.CM : 7.2051 (+0.47%) KEH22 : 775-6 (-0.32%) KEPAWS.CM : 7.5951 (+0.45%) MWH22 : 914-4 (unch) Corn Weakens out of Weekend Barchart - Mon Jan 10, 4:48PM CST Mondays corn trading session left prices 5 1/2 to 7 cents weaker. May futures were able to hold above the $6 mark, while Marcha and July closed less than a penny under. New crop futures were fractionally... ZCH22 : 600-4 (unch) ZCPAUS.CM : 5.8670 (-1.13%) ZCK22 : 601-6 (unch) ZCZ21 : 588-6s (+0.77%) ZCPZ21US.CM : 5.7930 (-0.49%) Chart of the Day: KLA-Tencor - A Tech Stock Still Worth Looking At Barchart - Mon Jan 10, 4:37PM CST I wanted to find out if there were still any tech stocks that were worth buying so I screened the NASDAQ 100 Index stock for the highest Weighted Alpha and technical buy signals and found one. My Barchart... KLAC : 418.73 (+0.44%) MEMBERS of the minority bloc at the House of Representatives filed on Thursday, February 6, a resolution seeking to investigate the alleged questionable disbursement of a P300-million confidential and intelligence fund of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). The alleged irregularity was bared by former DICT officer-in-charge Eliseo Rio Jr., who resigned as undersecretary for operations on January 30, 2020. Rio was reported to have questioned the disbursement of P300 million for confidential expenses on cybersecurity activities under DICT Secretary Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan. The resolution seeking an investigation was introduced by House Minority Leader Bienvenito "Benny" Abante, Jr., Makabayan bloc members and nine other representatives. The Makabayan bloc is composed of Bayan Muna Representatives Carlos Zarate, Ferdinand Gaite, and Eufemia Cullamat as well as ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago. Other members who supported the resolution are Quezon City 6th District Rep. Jose Belmonte, Marikina 1st District Rep. Bayani Fernando, Probinsyano Ako Rep. Jose Singson Jr., Marikina 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo, Apec Partylist Rep. Sergio Dagooc, Agusan del Norte 1st district Rep. Lawrence Fortun, A Teachers Rep. Victoria Umali, Kalinga Rep. Irene Saulog, and Recoboda Rep. Godofredo Guya. In an official statement released on February 5, the DICT addressed the issue saying that the budget was used for cybersecurity. "Under existing laws, rules, and regulations, the Confidential Expense item is for lawful monitoring and surveillance of systems and networks to support the DICTs functions, which include cybersecurity, the formulation and effective implementation of the National Cybersecurity Plan, and international cooperation on intelligence on cybersecurity matters," the agency said. "The DICT is mandated to protect the security of consumers and business users in ICT-related matters and render technical assistance to other government agencies on ICT-related enforcement and administrationall in line with the States policy to secure our critical ICT infrastructures, the information assets of the government, businesses, and individuals; to oversee all agencies governing the ICT sector; and to safeguard consumer welfare, data privacy, and security," it added. Story continues DICT also noted that the country is currently facing a cyber threat problem at an alarming rate. "From 2018 to 2019 alone, cybersecurity firm Kasperskys ranking of countries at the most risk of online infection saw the Philippines climb from 17th to 12th place. Kasperskys Q4 2019 Security Bulletin also reportedly placed the Philippines as the 7th most attacked in terms of cyber threats in the web. This increasing problem in cybersecurity needs to be addressed immediately and effectively. To do this, the expenditure of the funds, allocated as it was by Congress for that purpose, was both necessary and indispensable," DICT said. The agency said the P300-million cash advance has already been liquidated at the Commission and Audit (COA). Of the 2019 GAA Confidential Expense item for the Department, P300 million was disbursed in three tranches of P100 million each of which were liquidated with the COA. The COA did not disallow the disbursements, its recommendations were procedural, pertaining mainly to the timeframes for disbursement. Simply put, the COAs main concern is for the Department to be more efficient in processing the relevant documentsall of which the Department has addressed," Rio had criticized the agency's statement, saying that it is not possible for the agency to liquidate a huge amount in a span of two months. "They would like us to believe that the agency was able to conduct a confidential operation for around two months, spending all P300 million and liquidating this amount within that two months time. Intel operative will tell you that this is NOT possible, Rio said. Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles earlier said that President Rodrigo Duterte is open for talks with Rio. "He can go to the President. Its really up to him. What Im saying is the President has always said that Malacanang is always open and he is open to receiving any complaint," Nograles said. Under Republic Act (RA) 10844, or the DICT Act of 2015, the department is mandated to be the primary policy, planning, coordinating, implementing, and administrative entry of the Executive Branch of the government that will plan, develop, and promote the national information and communication technology development agenda. (SunStar Philippines) GD Goenka Public School, Vasant Kunj, had the privilege of hosting the inaugural ceremony of Bricsmath.com, an international online Mathematics competition for students of the BRICS countries. BRICS brings together five major emerging economies, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The initiatives taken by the BRICS forum nurture the Mathematical skills of children and build their reasoning, critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills. FICCI Arise partnered with bricsmath.com to launch an online Mathematics competition in 2017. Bricsmath.com is an annual international online Mathematics competition for students of Grades 1 to 12 in Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. This year G D Goenka Public School, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, hosted the launch of the third bricsmath.com competition. The inauguration was attended by dignitaries including Nikolay Rishatovich Kudashev, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of India; Mikhail Ktitorov, first secretary, embassy of the Russian Federation; Alexei Illyuviev, second secretary, embassy of the Russian Federation; Andre Correa do Lago, ambassador of Brazil in India; Sec. Pedro Ivo Ferraz da Silva, the head of science, technology and innovation section at the embassy of Brazil; Zhu Xiaohong, chancellor of the embassy of the Peoples Republic of China; Sun Meixing, officer, educational department, embassy of the Peoples Republic of China; Fyodor Rozovskiy, counsellor and head of the cultural department, embassy of the Russian Federation and director of Russian Centre of Science and Culture (RCSC); Ludmila Filippova, consultant, information and culture, RCSC, Pushkar Vohra, joint secretary academics, CBSE; Kunal Kishore, business consultant; Vaarun Sharma, general manager, India, ISIC; Divya Sharma, manager, strategic partnership, India, ISIC; and Samreen Ghauri, project manager, FICCI and the Bricsmath.com team. The young artists of G D Goenka presented a classical Bharatnatyam dance. Meenakshi Bhakuni, principal of GD Goenka Public School, Vasant Kunj, welcomed everyone and exhorted the students to participate in Bricsmath.com in large numbers. She expressed the belief that the entire cosmos functions on the basis of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and Maths has helped us to solve many mysteries of life and will continue to do so. Bhakuni said she hoped this competition would imbue a passion for learning in many more students. HE Kudashev evinced his joy that bricsmath.com, the brainchild of a Russian company, was serving the purpose of uniting the students of so many different countries, cultures and backgrounds. HE Andre Correa do Lago was excited about the venture. He encouraged the students to participate in large numbers. Zhu Xiaohong conveyed the best wishes of her ambassador and said the BRICS forum provided an excellent platform for economic, political and cultural cooperation. Vohra conveyed the best wishes of the board for the competition and informed everyone that the CBSE had already issued an advisory to schools informing them about the competition. Children were vomiting and passengers were panicking on board the evacuation flight from Wuhan to New Zealand. Almost 200 people wore facemasks on the 11 hour flight and cabin crew wore surgical masks and gloves. Passengers liberally applied hand sanitiser and avoided contact during the 'nerve-wracking' journey. Twenty-three Australians were on board and are waiting to be transferred to Christmas Island after the flight touched down in Auckland on Wednesday evening. Scroll down for video Passengers arrive at the Auckland international airport on Wednesday night Ground crew were kitted out in serious protective gear as they checked passengers St John Ambulance medical director Tony Smith, who was on the flight, said people were very stressed and children were being sick. Although none of the passengers were displaying symptoms of the coronavirus. He also said that several people had failed the temperature test because they were wearing six or seven layers to protect themselves against China's extreme winter. 'So we put those people aside, we got the layers off, we waited half an hour, we re-measured the temperatures, and they had all come back down and they were all asymptomatic,' he told Radio New Zealand. The flight touches down at Auckland International Airport after departing from Wuhan, China on Wednesday night 'And those people were very worried that they might not get on the plane.' Chinese officials banned one person from taking the flight, and another 60 simply failed to show up with no explanation When it touched down the 193 evacuees went through border control and medical screening before being loaded onto shuttle buses to be quarantined. After touching down one of the passengers described the relief of arriving back in New Zealand, writing 'home sweet home' on Facebook. Passengers were ushered into waiting shuttle buses with blacked out windows to take them to quarantine facilities in New Zealand Several passengers aboard the flight posted on social media to announce their arrival on home soil Another passenger, New Zealander Aaron Mahon told 1 NEWS everyone was excited to be home. 'Everyone clapped when we landed, such a wonderful feeling,' he said. 'The staff are amazing, so personal and so helpful. Every person was so safe on the flight.' However Sydney real estate agent Daniel Ou Yang wasn't so positive about the experience. Sydney real estate agent Daniel Ou Yang (pictured) documented the evacuation on social media, describing it as 'nerve-wracking' He documented the evacuation through social media, filming himself leaving Wuhan and sharing descriptions of the flight experience. 'Everyone's wearing masks, and it was nerve-wracking being around so many people in such close proximity,' he said. 'Everyone is just trying to avoid contact with each other as much as possible and constantly using hand sanitisers.' But even he was happy to be on the long journey back to his normal life. 'We've just touched down in Auckland and then we're going to Christmas Island in quarantine. It's not home but it's definitely one step closer. It feels good.' he said. Once again, Roy Exum went on a diatribe regarding his feelings on how women should behave. Women can act however they choose and his archaic notions on what is acceptable in society cannot and will not change that. We were not put on this Earth to make men comfortable. But while we are pontificating about ladies and gentlemen lets point Mr. Exums high standard of behavior to the White House, since it is apparent that he never will. Gentleman is defined as a chivalrous, courteous, or honorable man. Is Trump chivalrous? Lets ask his third (and current) wife, who is constantly left behind as Trump plods ahead of her, usually holding their only umbrella to keep him and only him dry. How many times have we seen him exit a car without helping his wife? Tut, tut, thats certainly not very gentlemanly. Is he courteous? Shall we ask the Prime Minister of Montenegro who Trump roughly shoved out of his way at a NATO meeting in 2017, so that he could be in front of the group? Or how about the people hes tagged as little or lyin or low-energy? One only has to scroll his Twitter feed for 45 seconds to realize he is rude, shallow, and ill-mannered. He openly mocked a disabled reporter on national television. I could certainly bring up his infamous conversation with Billy Bush, but his language in it was so ungentlemanly that The Chattanoogan probably cannot print it. Is Trump honorable? Shall we ask his wives? Or the women who have credibly accused him of sexual harassment? Or if youd rather, lets ask the people who were victims of the Trump University fraud or the people who donated to the Donald J. Trump Foundation whose charity was funneled into use for Trumps personal gain. Would they say he is honorable? I understand that men of a certain age grew up with the expectations that women be demure, man-pleasing, and silent, but todays ladies are confident, powerful, and independent. We do not need nor want your approval, especially given the extreme double standard you perpetuate. Jennifer Bethwell * * * So Roy suggests Pelosi is no longer this mythical dainty lady because she tore up a speech, but guys who giggle like grade school bullies on a playground and shout You Lie! while a president is giving a speech get a free pass and remain gentlemen? Roy, do you not recognize your own hypocrisy? Brenda Washington * * * Its distressing to hear people defend Nancy Pelosis recent behavior. Those making excuses for her tearing up the Presidents speech say it was because her handshake was rejected. Its true he didnt, but he didnt shake the hand of VP Mike Pence and Pence didnt tear up his copy. This state of animus didnt begin with handshakes. Traditionally at the SOTU, the Speaker of the House says, Members of the Congress, I have the high privilege and distinct honor of presenting to you the President of the United States. Speaker Pelosi broke tradition and said, Members of Congress, the President of the United States. Clearly meant to be an affront to Trump but it resonated with all watching. Later during Trumps recognition of invited guests, Pelosis attitude was one of boredom as she possibly practiced ripping the pages. One could only imagine the nuclear fallout by the media if Barrack Obama had been so disrespected. For those who need to defend Pelosis churlish antics, its necessary to recall that with Pelosis blessing, the House of Representatives had just impeached Trump to remove him from office and undo a presidential election without ever charging him with a crime. Pelosis pals have since lined up on TV to continue to blast Trumps incivility while defending Nancy. What none of them said was on Jan. 6, 2019, as reported by ABC News, Nancy Pelosi said, I dont want to see him (Trump) impeached, I want to see him in prison. She said she wanted the President of the United States in prison. Thats not idle chatter easily overlooked while accusing your opponent of incivility. A year later she gleefully signed the articles of impeachment handing out souvenir pens, bearing her name, to her fellow collaborators. Shes declared repeatedly that Trump is impeached forever. Yet no crime was ever alleged. Pelosi acts as if she had the power to stain him throughout eternity. Shes called it the power of the gavel. And yet Trump was charged with abuse of power? Given that history, it explains her anger seeing Trump in front of her-a man acquitted forever. All she affected was to raise his poll numbers. Make no mistake, she knew that. And she was painfully aware of the Iowa debacle with the potential for charges of obstruction to the Bernie Sanders campaign. After the pitiful showing by Biden, Pelosi had to wonder how much the Ukraine revelations contributed to sinking Joes canoe. After all he had two weeks to wander around the state with little competition. Nancy Pelosi is likely on her way out, if not Congress, as speaker. The Bolshevik wing of her party wants her out and it appears they are gaining control. And that portends a win for Republicans in 2020 perhaps with added assistance from Nancys little tantrum. Ralph Miller * * * Nancy displayed that she isn't any lady. Roy hit the nail on the head when describing ladylike behavior. I support having manners no matter what the situation is. That's also known as self discipline. Gentlemen know how to treat ladies and ladies know how to react to gentleman. It's a lot easier to accept the graciousness of a gentleman. I hope all gentlemen continue to do what is so perfectly right. Mark Reagan * * * Roy - your recent article on examples of ladies is interesting to say the least. You cite sayings and anecdotes of women acting as ladies. Just before the State of the Union annual speech, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi extended her hand to President of the United States, Donald Trump. This was a sign of respect for the Office of the Presidency being extended by Speaker Pelosi to President Trump. Yes? Donald Trump, a terribly flawed person, ignored this simple act of respect. Speaker Pelosi, despite her political differences with President Trump, at that moment was the better person. True? Now, I would argue that Speaker Pelosi, tearing up the State of the Union Speech, at the conclusion of President Trumps address, was disrespectful of the Office of the Presidency. But no more than that simple act of disrespect. She is still a lady. Edward Mahn * * * Before Roy left to have his surgery I wished him well and hoped he would use the time off to break some more Budweiser bottles to use to rip out some more hearts as I so enjoy it when he does. (A Lewis Grizzard nod to Jimmy Breslin). None of his victims have deserved to be skewered more than that nasty woman and national embarrassment who disgraced herself on national TV and will forever be remembered for it. Every morning I wake up grateful that Trump is my president for the next five years. I also wake up knowing that the Trump Derangement Syndrome liberal sob sisters will wake up knowing this, also, and can only scream at the sky as Trump leads this country back from the disaster of the last administration. It's a glorious thing. Dennis Wooden * * * Mr. Miller, What is distressing to me is Republicans in Washington and around this country letting this President get away with everything. Ever since he came down that escalator almost five years ago, he has done nothing but bully fellow Americans and our countrys allies on Twitter, tweeting mostly lies and conspiracy theories, and out of the three years he has been in office spent almost a year of that time at his properties playing golf. The reason Nancy Pelosi torn up his speech is because it was full of lies, not because he didnt shake her hand. You say we defend Nancy Pelosi, but you and people like you defend his lies and vile actions all the time. You say she was disrespectful and what would have happened if it had been President Obama. If I remember correctly, a Republican yelled out You lie. when he was giving a State of the Union speech. Was that respectful? Donald Trump impeached himself with his own actions. He held back financial aid from an ally, who is at war with an enemy of the United States, trying to bribe them to announce an investigation on a political rival and fellow American. People are dying, and he was holding money that they needed. Donald Trump believes he should be able to do anything he wants to, lawful or not, and no one should question him. He has said so many times and the Republican party is letting him. He is a danger to our country, national security, and our democracy. Rebecca Gentry * * * I am an older conservative woman and agree wholeheartedly with Mr. Exum. Nancy Pelosi acted like a petulant child and not like a grown woman or a lady for that matter. I was around during all the bra burning women's lib movement of the 1970's and never felt compelled to join them. Why? Because my mother was a living example of a liberated woman. She did not need to roar or shout down men or burn her bra. My mother life was a testament to strong women who still retained their ladylike manners and be liberated. She went back to school to become a nurse while running a household with three small children. Of course a lot of credit goes to my father who supported her and became cook, maid, and nanny during the time she was in school and beyond. I guess what I am trying to say is we women are strong enough to be both lady and liberated. We just have to remind ourselves that men are not the enemy, but it is those that create the division between us. I would like to say for the record, that President Trump's actions or words are not an excuse for anyone else to be cruel or unladylike. We should take responsibility for our own actions. Connie Chadwick East Ridge No longer Raptor 13: Senior Constable Andrew Murphy has been booted from Strike Force Raptor No nonsense cop Raptor 13 has been booted from his elite strike force and put in an administration role, as his commanders punish him for 'serious misconduct'. Daily Mail Australia can exclusively reveal Senior Constable Andrew Murphy has been disciplined over a video where he threatened and abused two women last April. Mr Murphy's in-your-face tactics have made him the star of several viral videos, winning him praise from shock jocks but dividing the community over the past two years. But NSW Police has now confirmed he has been kicked out of New South Wales's bikie-busting Strike Force Raptor - losing the right to his prized codename, Raptor 13. The final straw was a scathing report from the police watchdog, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC), over a 'threatening and bullying' road stop in Parramatta, in Sydney's west, last April. In footage that sparked massive uproar, Raptor 13 and his squadmate were seen pulling over a P-plate driver, 24, and her stepmother passenger. But it was this incident with two Afghan women which drew the attention of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC), finding him of 'serious misconduct' Mr Murphy berated the driver as 'the most stupidest person I've ever met' and threatened to send her passenger, a new migrant, 'back to jail'. He told the driver: 'Don't argue with me love or you'll be going back in the paddy wagon as accessory to bloody murder.' The watchdog described Raptor 13's behaviour as 'intentionally intimidating, abusing, threatening and bullying' and slammed it as 'serious misconduct'. The LECC recommended he be disciplined under s127 of the Police Act 1990 - and it can now be confirmed that Mr Murphy has been punished. A NSW Police Force spokeswoman today confirmed 'management action' has been taken following an internal review. 'The officer has transferred from the Criminal Groups Squad to a non-public facing unit,' she said. That means he will essentially be doing administrative police work, and only working with his fellow officers. Daily Mail Australia has confirmed he is no longer part of any of the eight specialist squads that make up State Crime Command - which includes Strike Force Raptor, the Homicide and Organised Crime Squads. The development comes amid dissension in the ranks of the Raptor Task Force, which is feared for the unconventional tactics it uses against outlaw motorcycle groups. 'NO NONSENSE' COP: CONTROVERSIAL RAPTOR 13 Senior Constable Andrew Murphy first caught the interest of the public about two years ago when videos of his stand-offs with members of the public began to go viral. The hard-nosed officer is part of an anti-gang police enforcement squad named Strike Force Raptor, which targets outlaw motorcycle groups and uses unconventional tactics. He sparked headlines for confronting mourners on their way to the burial of slain Comanchero boss Mick Hawi, waving a metal pole near a man's head and getting in an elderly man's face. One of Raptor 13's first viral incidents occurred when he waved a metal pole at a member of the public's head Two of the many tense standoffs involving Raptor 13 which have gone viral: Left, he inspects a motorbike. On right, he confronts a 'veteran' in an angry stoush 'Move it ... I'm not asking, I'm telling you,' he told the latter man. Mr Murphy has been praised on talkback radio for his 'no nonsense' tactics - and videos circulating through Facebook show he rarely backs down in tense stand-offs. But he has also become a hate figure and the target of vile online abuse, including rape and death threats. Advertisement The Daily Telegraph claimed this week that two of the squad's most senior officers have quit the squad, and others have 'applied to leave', after officers were benched over a car pursuit. Feared as the squad may be, none of the officers have the public profile of Senior Constable Murphy - who has been deluged with death and rape threats, and more than 37,000 members of the public have signed petitions calling for his sacking. Raptor 13's infamously stopped mourners travelling on their way to the burial of slain Comanchero boss Mick Hawi. He went viral for waving a metal pole near a man's head, pushing a member of a 'veterans' motorcycle group and this final stoush with the Afghani women. The women who complained to the police watchdog have been briefed over Raptor 13's new role and a NSW Police spokeswoman said the news was 'well received'. But Ahmad Shady, a migration agent who started the most successful petition calling for Mr Murphy to be sacked, said Raptor 13's disciplining was not enough, given his 'colourful history'. 'He still keeps being on the police payroll, police benefits and pension,' Mr Shady said. 'That's not a sufficient deterrent to other officers on the street from doing the same actions again.' Do you know more? daniel.piotrowski@mailonline.com STAMFORD A Superior Court judge refused to lower the bond set on a Norwalk man accused of attacking his father and showing an interest in mass shootings, citing parallels between the defendant and the Sandy Hook gunman. Brandon Wagshol, 22, was arrested Saturday after police said he attacked his father with a 23-inch lead pipe after an argument over him playing his video games too loudly. Defense attorney Darnell Crosland asked Judge Richard Comerford to lower Wagshols $500,000 bond at his arraignment Thursday because the victim in the assault, Abraham Wagshol, felt his son needed a loving environment in his battle with mental health issues. Hes been struggling with mental health issues since he was 8 years old. Hes doing the best that he can, Crosland argued. We have an individual that needs our help and putting him back in jail wont address that. On Monday, Abraham Wagshol told a state Superior Court judge in Norwalk that he felt no threat from his son, even after the attack. But the judge Thursday wasnt convinced love was the answer. Im sure hes a loving father Adam Lanzas mother was loving, too, Comerford said in dissent. Comerford said the severity of the crime, coupled with the four counts of illegal possession of large-capacity gun magazines that Wagshol was already facing, warranted the high bond. He could be charged with the attempted murder of his father, Comerford said. He could have killed him. Assistant States Attorney Daniel Cummings said the state is considering upgrading the charge to first-degree assault due to the severity of the alleged attack. If convicted of first-degree assault, Wagshol could face 5 to 20 years in jail and up to $15,000 in fines. Comerford also placed a full protective order against Wagshol that prevents him from contacting his father, with an exception for communications regarding psychiatric and medical matters. Wagshol who had been on house arrest since last year on charges of possession of illegal high-capacity gun magazines after police say he showed an interest in mass shootings was charged with second-degree assault, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief after he allegedly attacked his father during a dispute. Police were called to the Wagshols Bedford Avenue apartment around 5 a.m. Saturday when police say neighbors reported loud commotion coming from the apartment. On Monday, Crosland blamed the attack on the unintended side effects caused by a change in the dose of his medication. Last year, Wagshol, a former Central Connecticut State University student, was arrested after the FBI received a tip from a family member who said he was trying to buy magazine clips, officials said. An investigation revealed that Wagshol had shown interest in mass shootings as early as sixth grade, according to a search warrant for Wagshols fathers apartment. At the residence, police found a .40-caliber handgun, a .22-caliber rifle, a rifle scope with a laser, firearm optics, a firearm flashlight, body armor with a titanium plate, a full camouflage outfit, a ballistic helmet, tactical gloves, a camouflage bag, computers, and numerous .40-caliber, .22-caliber weapons and 300 blackout rounds of ammunition, according to the search warrant. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Asip Hasani (The Jakarta Post) Jombang, East Java Thu, February 6, 2020 A rape case allegedly involving the son of a prominent Muslim cleric in Jombang, East Java, has advanced into a new phase with the Shiddiqiyyah Islamic boarding school, which was founded by the suspects father, resisting the legal process. On Jan. 14, more than 500 of the Shiddiqiyyah Islamic boarding school students and members of the Shiddiqiyyah tarekat (spiritual fraternity) flocked to the street in front of the Jombang Police office to show their support for the suspect, Moch Subchi Azal Tsani, 39. He is the son of Mochammad Muhtar, 91, an influential Muslim cleric, who is the founder of the school and is the supreme imam of the Shiddiqiyyah tarekat. The next day, the East Java Police announced it was taking the case from the Jombang Police. 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-07 03:27:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close CHICAGO, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) on Thursday reported net income of 2.7 billion euros (about 3 billion U.S. dollars) in 2019, declining 19 percent year on year. The Italian American automaker underlined strong sales of its Ram pickup trucks and Jeep SUVs last year. Still, its worldwide shipments were pegged at 4.418 million units, down 9 percent, primarily due to dealer stock reduction in North America and lower China joint venture shipments. FCA said that favorable model mix and positive net price pushed up its margin in North America to 9.1 percent, a record high. According to its 2019 financial results report, FCA sales in the Asia and Pacific region were 149,000 units, down 29 percent, primarily due to lower China joint venture volumes. FCA has less than 1 percent share in the Chinese market, while its American peer General Motors is the second largest foreign automaker there. FCA and its Chinese partner GAC (Guangzhou Automobile Group) in 2019 reformed the organizational structure of their joint ventures. They merged GAC Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Company and GAC Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Sales Company into one. FCA has hoped that the streamlined management "will accelerate the integration of industrial and commercial operations, more rapidly respond to changes in the Chinese market environment and enable delivery of even more competitive products and services to its customers." Mike Manley, CEO of FCA, said in 2019 that with such a deeper integration of the business between FCA and GAC, and the next steps in improving competitiveness in China, they will be able to "better react to the demands of the Chinese market." Last month, FCA confirmed that it's in talks with major electronics manufacturer Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd., to set up a joint venture in China. The proposed joint venture is to develop and build electric vehicles and to engage in the IoV (Internet of Vehicles) business, FCA said in a statement. David Zalkaniani about severe conditions in occupied regions at the meeting in Washington - GeorgianJournal Advertisement Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have upped the security at their 11 million Canadian hideaway just weeks after moving to north America after they stepped back from front line royal duties. The couple have installed cameras and tarps outside the property in Vancouver Island in order to add an extra layer of privacy to their lives away from the British monarchy. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been staying at the property that already had a camera on the beach which reportedly has a wandering lens. New photos obtained by TMZ show the extra tree tarp and the camera which have been installed for extra security alongside a sign which reads no trespassing. Tarps are seen outside the gate to the property in Vancouver Island where the couple have been staying Cameras and fences were installed outside the property in order to give the couple privacy and security Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex depart Canada House on January 07. This was one of the last times the couple were seen in the UK together before moving to Canada Luxurious getaway: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle spent their first Christmas with baby Archie in Mille Fleurs, 11 million waterfront mansion near Victoria, British Columbia Prince Harry was last seen on January 20, arriving in Canada to be with his wife and his son Archie. Meghan and Archie had stayed behind in Canada while Harry tied up loose ends in the UK. Earlier that day Meghan had been seen out walking her dogs with baby Archie strapped to her in a carrier. She beamed as she walked through the park, despite the presence of photographers. The property has a sign outside which says 'private property no trespassing - thank you' The signs are also featured in the wooded areas around the property where the family have been staying The couple first stayed at the property over the Christmas period, with Page Six reporting that it had been loaned to them by Canadian billionaire Frank Giustra. Giustra firmly denies this, however, and the identity of the homeowner remains a mystery. It is not known whether the couple are still residing at the property in Vancouver, but it is understood that they were loaned the property free of charge. The couple have refused to admit who the property belongs. The multi-millionaire who owns the home has declined to identify himself voluntarily ahead of new legislation in the Canadian province which will make it compulsory for the owners of properties to be publicly named. Giustra is close friends with David Foster, who arranged for the Duke and Duchess to stay at the imposing home. Music producer Foster is the husband of Broadway star Katharine McPhee, a friend of Meghan's since their school days. An association with someone who goes to extraordinary lengths to hide their identity will raise questions over judgment as they pursue earning opportunities in their attempt to 'work towards financial independence.' Prince Harry and Meghan may have taken the extra security measures after The Deep Cove Cafe which is close to the property, and that the couple have frequented many times put a sign up on January 24 stated that no media were allowed inside. Reporters from various media outlets had been using the cafe to work from in order to cover the ongoing story. Security guards were pictured outside the cafe holding coffee cups on January 30 and have since claimed they have been 'treated like skivvies' for the couple. The Duke and Duchess's security is estimated to cost taxpayers in Canada and the UK between 3 million and 6 million a year, as staff work round the clock two weeks at a time. A team of 15 guards has been flown to guard the couple and their nine-month-old son Archie at their secluded Canadian bolthole, after they stood back from royal duties. Guards are believed to escort them when they leave the property and it is also believed that two are stationed inside the house. Security staff pictured holding coffee and sandwiches next to a cafe close to the Sussex's Canadian mansion. One source said they feel they are carrying out 'menial tasks' like errands Speaking to the Sun over the weekend, a source said: 'While the guys are happy to be out there doing the jobs, there is a feeling they are carrying out menial tasks, like picking up takeaways and groceries. 'They are close protection officers - and should be sticking solely to close protection rather than running errands. 'It is dangerous for one thing, because if something were to happen it would not be good if one of them was away running an errand or picking up coffee.' The PSNI have said they believe a bomb bound for a ferry to Scotland was planted by the Continuity IRA. The bomb was discovered on a lorry on Tuesday at a commercial premises in Lurgan. Elsewhere, Belfast Harbour Police were in attendance at Clarendon Dock on Thursday night. Several Harbour Police vehicles were seen entering the dock and searching lorries, however it is unclear if the operation is connected to the Lurgan incident. Assistant Chief Constable George Clarke declined to give specific details on the Lurgan bomb find, but said it was a viable device that could have caused death or serious injury. He said a warning call was made to a media outlet last Friday, warning that a device had been left in a trailer in Belfast docks. The lorry trailer had, in fact, never left Lurgan and remained undiscovered over the weekend. The call was also claimed the bomb would explode on a midnight ferry, which did not exist. Police at this time carried out a search on a ferry that left Belfast at around 11.15pm. "It's very important to note that information was exceptionally sparse and limited. There was a police response in relation to that," ACC Clarke said. I strongly condemn the actions of those who placed a bomb on a heavy goods vehicle in Lurgan. Their reckless attempt to cause serious harm to the public and damage to the business community will not stand. The community are united against these actions. Simon Byrne (@ChiefConPSNI) February 6, 2020 A further call was made to same outlet on Monday with "substantially more detail". This gave the name of a commercial haulage company, indicating the device had been left on a trailer connected to the company. It was also claimed the intention was for the device to explode on Friday evening around the time the United Kingdom left the EU. The PSNI worked with the owners - carrying out "a substantial clearance and investigative operation" - to identify the vehicle in Lurgan, discovering the device on Tuesday. Expand Close Assistant Chief Constable George Clarke provides an update at PSNI head quarters on Thursday, in relation to the explosive device at Silverwood Industrial Estate, Lurgan Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Assistant Chief Constable George Clarke provides an update at PSNI head quarters on Thursday, in relation to the explosive device at Silverwood Industrial Estate, Lurgan Pic Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker ACC Clarke said the second call indicated the bombers had intended the lorry would travel to Belfast. He said those responsible needed to explain their exact intentions, but that they had "recklessly and callously" sought to put the device "on a public road, in a public place and expose members of the public to a very real risk of harm and death". He confirmed the PSNI believe the dissident republican group, CIRA, made both warning calls and were responsible for planting the bomb. ACC Clarke added there would be an increased security presence around ports in Northern Ireland as well as "covert activity" to keep people safe. The potential damage which could have been caused and loss of life either here in Northern Ireland, on board a ferry or in Great Britain do not bear thinking about DUP leader Arlene Foster He also stressed the risk to life caused by leaving the bomb undiscovered for days. "During that period of time, a viable bomb is in a commercial yard posing significant risk to anybody who comes within range of it." DUP leader Arlene Foster said the discovery of the bomb highlights that there are those in Northern Ireland who "still attempt to drag us backwards into terrorism and violence". "We understand there will have been good operational reasons that more details were not made public until now, but those that information is an even more chilling reminder of the threat posed by these terrorists," she said. "The potential damage which could have been caused and loss of life either here in Northern Ireland, on board a ferry or in Great Britain do not bear thinking about. "It is significant that information was available which meant police could search the ferry and ensure it was able to sail safely. The disruption of such potential attacks can save lives and we owe a huge debt of gratitude to all those working to keep the public safe and thwart the efforts of terrorists." Expand Close Belfast Ports (Darren Kidd/Presseye.com) Mandatory Credit Darren Kidd/Pre / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Belfast Ports (Darren Kidd/Presseye.com) At a meeting of the Northern Ireland Policing Board today, the UUP MLA Alan Chambers added his "condemnation and outrage" to the incident. You talk about that if it had exploded on the M1 or the Westlink or the harbour estate the risks posed to not bear thinking about," he said. We could have been in a catastrophic position here and we need to realise that. It may have been the worst-case scenario but it's a possibility that that's what would have happened Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly The possibility was that had it been loaded onto that ferry and exploded at sea the consequences could have been horrendous. Speaking after the meeting, the DUP MLA Mervyn Storey said: There are still organisations out there who have the intent and capability of carrying out these type of atrocities. On the information they have given us to date, clearly there was intent to have a viable device that was going to cause some disruption and if possible to take life. I think it is very serious." The SDLP MLA Dolores Kelly said the terrorists had shown "complete wanton disregard" for the safety of the community, including lorry drivers and ferry passengers. These people couldn't care less and then for it to end up in an industrial estate in close proximity to a residential area and over so many days," she said. If the dissidents or whoever was responsible, and I believe that it was dissidents, had any greater concern for the people then it wouldn't have taken them three days to give more specific details about where the bomb was attached to to have helped the police, if they were putting people first. That's never their consideration and they have learned no lessons from the Omagh bomb where there was misinformation. It's appalling and it's such evil." Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly said: They believe it was dissidents. This trailer could have been on a ferry and you can imagine how many people would be on a ferry if it have of went off in the middle of the sea. We could have been in a catastrophic position here and we need to realise that. It may have been the worst-case scenario but it's a possibility that that's what would have happened." He added: All elected representatives are one voice over this and condemnation came collectively from the board. I am adding to that condemnation personally and also as a spokesperson for Sinn Fein, they need to desist and they need to move away. If anybody has any information about this, they should hand it over to police. NEWS FLASH Croatia, which is holding the six-month European Union presidency, has proposed amending the rules on compensation for airline delays and cancellations at talks among EU governments on revising passengers rights that are due to start in the coming weeks. Under existing EU rules, travellers are entitled to up to 600 euros if a flight is delayed by at least three hours or cancelled less than fourteen days before departure. They can also receive compensation if they are denied boarding. However, some national authorities and courts have criticised the rules, saying member states struggle to process the large number of claims they receive, and airlines compensation payments have grown because the number of delays and cancellations have risen. In an informal document circulated among member states, Croatia has proposed keeping the level of compensation the same as now for passengers but suggested increasing the minimum flight delay for which airlines must make payments. Zagreb made the proposals in order to take account of the high financial burden for airlines and of the fact that delays are less and less imputable to airlines, the document said. However, Croatia did not say what it wanted the new minimum delay to be for passengers to claim compensation, or how long before departure flights would have to be cancelled for travellers to be reimbursed. Ehsanullah Ehsan, the former Pakistan Taliban spokesman who was responsible for the shooting of Malala Yousafzai in 2012 and carrying out the deadly Peshawar Army school terror attack in 2014, has escaped from prison, according to a audio clip released by him. In the audio clip, which surfaced on social media on Thursday, Ehsan said that he escaped the confinement of Pakistani security agencies on January 11, claiming Pakistani forces failed to keep their promises made to him during his surrender in 2017. "With the help of God, I succeeded to escape on January 11, 2020 from the confinement of the security forces," he is heard saying in the clip. It would be a big blow to Pakistan and its campaign to eradicate the remnants of Taliban if the clip is proved to be authentic. Without revealing his current location, Ehsan said that he would make a detail statement about the days of his confinement in the coming days as well as about his future plans. Malala, 22, the youngest Nobel Peace prize winner, was shot by a gunman for campaigning for female education in 2012 in Pakistan's Swat Valley. Ehsan was also involved in the one of the most gruesome attacks on children anywhere in the world when 8-10 suicide attackers wearing paramilitary Frontier Corps uniforms on December 16, 2014 entered the Peshawar's Army Public School and went from classroom-to-classroom shooting indiscriminately, killing 149 people including 132 students. Ehsan in the audio clip said that he surrendered to the Pakistani security agencies on February 5, 2017 under an agreement but the forces failed to keep their promise made before the surrender. "I followed the agreement for about three years. But these shrewd security institutions put me in prison along with my children in violation of the agreement, he said, adding that he finally decided to flee from the forces. The authenticity of the audio and veracity of the Ehsan's claim was not verified by the security forces or the Pakistan government. (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 News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 19:35 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206303d9c 1 Politics prostitution,Gerindra-Party,Padang,Andre-Rosiade,west-sumatra,sex-workers,lawmaker,police,Komnas-Perempuan,Ombudsman Free Gerindra Party lawmaker Andre Rosiades efforts to catch a prostitute in flagrante has drawn criticism from rights activists and watchdogs, who said that the West Sumatra politicians stunt did little to address underlying social problems. On Jan. 26, Andre told West Sumatra Police that a sex worker was meeting a client in a Padang hotel room. The polices cybercrime unit raided the room, where they arrested a 27-year-old woman, identified only as NN, who they suspected of being a prostitute. The police did not, however, arrest NNs alleged client, who NN said had "used" her sexually. Saya bersama aparat kepolisian, membongkar kegiatan praktek prostitusi online di salah satu hotel di Kota Padang. Ini kedepan harus menjadi pelajaran dan bahan evaluasi bagi kita. Ini bukan PR polisi saja. Namun PR kita semua. pic.twitter.com/G2ctKoUh5W Andre Rosiade (@andre_rosiade) January 27, 2020 Andre recorded the aftermath of the raid and posted it to his Twitter account the following Monday, saying that the he and the police had exposed the practice of online prostitution at the hotel. He later said that a local resident had been the one to order NNs services but that his aide had provided the hotel room where she was eventually arrested. He went on to say that the raid was important because online prostitution was rampant in Padang, and many people believed that it was one of the reasons why natural disasters hit the area. "Do we want earthquakes in Padang? Do we want tsunamis in Padang? he asked on Wednesday, as quoted by kompas.com. Not everyone appreciated Andres accomplishment, however. The National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas PA), for example, condemned the raid and accused Andre of acting as a morality police and using NN for his own political benefit. Sacrificing a prostitute automatically makes someones image look better by comparison, Mariana Amiruddin, a Komnas PA commissioner said on Tuesday, as quoted by covesia.com. [Andres] goal is not to overcome the real problem of prostitution, but rather it is to improve [his] image. Fellow Komnas PA commissioner Siti Aminah Tardi echoed Marianas comments, adding that the Criminal Codes article on prostitution was aimed at pimps rather than the sex workers themselves. Its odd that NN was arrested on a prostitution charge, because Article 298 [of the Criminal Code] is aimed at people who benefit from prostitution, and that means the pimps, she said. Indonesian Ombudsman official Ninik Rahayu agreed with Siti, saying that the police should investigate whether or not the raid followed the proper procedures. We are all agreed that we should eradicate human trafficking, but we shouldnt forget about victim protection, and there certainly shouldnt be any arbitrariness in the process, Ninik said in a statement on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Padang womens group Nurani Perempuan Womens Crisis Center created an online petition calling for the West Sumatra Police to free NN. NN is a victim and we support her, the petition said. Andre, however, denied trapping the woman and said that the raid had followed the proper procedures. The police will not name a person a suspect when there is not enough evidence, Andre said, as quoted by covesia.com. NN, who is still in West Sumatra Police custody, said she hoped she would soon be free as she had left her child with her neighbor before she went to the hotel. (hol/kmt) RFI's David Coffey meets with Larry Sanders, older brother of US Democrat hopeful, Bernie Sanders, who lost the ticket to represent the Democratic Party in 2016 to Hillary Clinton. .On Wednesday the US Senate voted to drop two impeachment charges against incumbent president Donald Trump. On largely party-line votes, the Republican-controlled Senate cleared Trump of charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, keeping him in office and setting up a nine-month battle for the White House against the eventual Democratic presidential nominee. With hindsight, and the rise of Donald Trump as the Republican nominee in the run up to the elections four years ago, many to the left within the Democratic party believe that if Sander's had not been prevented from getting the nomination by the more conservative core of the Democrats, the USA and the world would be a much different place in 2020 under President Bernie. Larry Sanders was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1935. The sons of Polish Jewish immigrants, both Larry and his younger brother Bernie, experienced the precarity of never knowing whether their father would be able to provide for them, as he was a salesman working on a commission basis. The Sanders boys were also aware of their family back in Poland, and their subsequent fate at the hands of the Nazi regime - something that was only whispered in the Brooklyn household. In France this week to promote the Global Presidential Primary, under the auspices of France for Bernie, Larry explains why his brother Bernie Sanders is the best choice for president. "I think what Bernard has done is be so clear about the things you can do, that a government and a society can do together, to make life better for people. He hasn't convinced the whole country, but he's convinced a large part of it. And he's so obviously honest and consistent that I think it breaks through and people understand that 'Oh it isn't that we have to take whatever comes, we can make a difference'. Story continues "So I'm not convinced. They keep saying 'Oh, Bernard hasn't been hit hard enough'. Well there are not many people in America... I think there are three people in Alaska... that don't know he's a socialist! "Basically people know who he is." For Larry Sanders, the clear and present danger is climate change. But when asked if America has ever been so divided in living memory, Larry recalls the communist witch-hunts of Senator Joe McCarthy and the blacklisting of intellectuals, celebrities and politicians in a wave of anti-Communist paranoia that swept the USA exactly 70 years ago this weekend. But as it stands, it seems to be a long-shot for President Donald Trump to lose to a divided Democratic Party candidate, as the hopefuls jockey to get the nomination to stand against the incumbent in November of this year. So is Sanders the only viable choice to stand up to the impending vitriol of the Trump 2020 re-election campaign? Click on the audio link above for the full interview. The Ontario Progressive Conservative government plans to streamline the environmental assessment and land expropriation processes for new transit projects, a move it says is necessary to speed up construction of new lines but which is likely to inflame opposition from residents living near proposed routes. At a speech to the Economic Club of Canada at the Fairmont Royal York Thursday, Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney outlined the intended changes, which the government plans to introduce when the legislature resumes sitting in two weeks. She provided few details about what she described as the governments practical and responsible plan, but pledged that if passed it would enable us to build transit faster by getting shovels in the ground sooner. The suite of measures would require new legislation as well as regulatory changes, and would apply only to the provinces four priority transit projects in the GTA: the Ontario Line, Yonge North subway extension, Scarborough extension, and Eglinton West LRT. Mulroney said the current environmental assessment regime does not offer the flexibility required to get new transit projects built quickly. I want to be very clear: this does not mean we intend to relax any environmental protections, she said, asserting the government is simply looking to improve the efficiency of approvals. By provincial law, environmental assessments are required for all large-scale transit projects. The reviews are designed to determine projects environmental effects, but also take into account economic and social factors and set out consulting requirements. Existing regulations allow for transit assessments to be completed within six months. On expropriations, Mulroney said its crucial that contractors have timely access to land required to build stations and tunnels, and delays to acquiring property have historically been an impediment to getting projects built on time. She said the government is looking at modernizing the provinces authority to assemble project lands while remaining committed to treating landowners fairly. The government is also planning to tackle delays to relocating underground utilities such as gas and phone lines, fibre-optic cables, and water mains in the path of new lines, and would also require landowners to get a permit for any development work that could affect nearby transit projects. Mulroney claimed if all the proposed measures had been in place earlier, construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT could have been completed three years sooner than its official scheduled opening date of September 2021. Residents in Leslieville, Cabbagetown and other communities along the proposed path of the Ontario Line have already expressed concerns about how quickly the province is pushing ahead with that project. The $11-billion line that Premier Doug Ford announced in April 2019 would stretch 15.5 kilometres between Exhibition Place and the Ontario Science Centre. Fords government has pledged to complete the Ontario Line by 2027, a timeline many experts believe is overly optimistic. The government hopes to open its other three priority projects between 2029 and 2031. Paul Cnudde lives near Minton Place and Pape Avenue, near where provincial transit agency Metrolinx is planning a tunnel and bridge to allow the Ontario Line to cross the Don River valley. He fears his home will be expropriated for the project. He called the provinces proposal to speed up approvals and expropriations really concerning. We know the timeline for the Ontario Line project is really aggressive, and to me thats a concern, that they just want to kind of steamroll over the expropriation process, he said. If I do have to sacrifice my home, how am I going to know that Im going to be adequately compensated? Ontario NDP transit critic Jessica Bell said she wants to see details of the governments proposal, but criticized the plan to speed up assessments. I have a hard time seeing how making an environmental assessment less rigorous will lead to a higher quality transit project, said Bell (University-Rosedale). In order to build right, you have to plan well. 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: FARMINGTON Police were called to the home of Fotis Dulos Thursday after a moving truck was spotted in the driveway of the property thats in foreclosure and estate proceedings. No law enforcement action was taken as the issue was deemed to be a civil matter, Lt. Timothy McKenzie said. The home has been in foreclosure proceedings for months, but attorneys for Fotis Dulos and his mother-in-law have been sparring in court motions after his apparent suicide last week. He died Jan. 30 as he was facing murder charges in the death and disappearance of his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos. Fotis Dulos family, who flew from Greece to be with him in his final hours at a New York hospital, were allowed to stay at the palatial 14,000-square-foot residence until Friday, according to court documents. But they were not allowed to take any furniture from the home until probate matters and his estate has been settled, according to attorney Richard Weinstein. Weinstein is representing Jennifer Dulos mother, Gloria Farber, in the foreclosure action and in the $2.5 million lawsuits she filed against her son-in-law in 2018. Weinstein has now filed two motions asking a judge to prohibit anyone from taking the personal belongings of Fotis Dulos, including furniture, from the house until an administrator of his estate can be named. Weinstein said Farmington police instructed the family to put the furniture back in the house. There has been no inventory made of the house, Weinsteins motion said. There needs to be an exercise of control of the disposition of the personal property for the benefit of the Fotis Dulos estate and the plaintiff. Weinstein was called about the moving van by the court-appointed caretaker of the home who he instructed to notify police to stop Dulos' family from removing any items of value. Weinstein filed a motion for an emergency ex parte order after the incident for the court to issue an order preventing anyone from taking items from the house. Weinstein said a temporary administrator for the Dulos estate is expected to be appointed during a probate court hearing on Tuesday. "At this point, the issue exists as to the contents of that house and the rights to that personal property," Weinstein said in the motion. The court-appointed caretaker of the home has come under fire this week after he was accused of distributing to the media graphic photos of the garage area where the apparent suicide occurred. Dulos was struggling financially due to his two-year acrimonious divorce, the lawsuits and then the criminal cases filed against him in connection with the disappearance of his estranged wife. Friends and attorneys say there will be little left from his estate that can go to his five children who have been in Farbers care. The most recent dispute over the contents of the house, "thus illustrated the soulless quality of the litigation directed at the Dulos family, said attorney Norm Pattis, who represented Fotis Dulos in the criminal cases. On Jan. 7, Fotis Dulos was charged was murder, felony murder and first-degree kidnapping in connection with the death and disappearance of his estranged wife who was reported missing May 24, 2019. The couples contentious two-and-a-half-year divorce was dismissed by the court on Tuesday. Photo: The Canadian Press Col. Gene Spaulding, center, director of the Florida Highway Patrol, speaks at a press conference from the Martin County Sheriff's Office on the shooting death of FHP Trooper Joseph Bullock near a rest stop along I-95, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Stuart, Fla. The agency says the suspect who shot Bullock was then fatally shot by a passing police officer. Authorities say Bullock had stopped Wednesday to help a stranded motorist when the man pulled a gun and shot him. (Eric Hasert/TCPalm.com/USA Today Network via AP) A stranded motorist fatally shot a Florida Highway Patrol trooper alongside Interstate 95 on Wednesday before he was killed by a passing police officer, the agency said. Trooper Joseph Bullock, 42, died in a shooting about 10:15 a.m. near Palm City, about a 45-minute drive north of West Palm Beach, said Col. Gene Spaulding, the agency's commander. He said a passing police officer from Riviera Beach fatally shot the suspect, whose name has not been released. Riviera Beach is about 30 miles (48 kilometres) from Palm City. Officials declined to say why the officer was in the area. City officials also declined comment. The FHP had issued a statement earlier to the South Florida Sun Sentinel saying the suspect had died by suicide. Spaulding said that Bullock, a 19-year veteran, had been with the shooter for several minutes before the shooting. He released no further information, saying the shooting is under investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Spaulding said Bullock is the 49th Florida trooper to die in the line of duty since the agency was founded 80 years ago. Trooper Tracy Vickers had been the last, dying in a September traffic crash near Orlando. People don't realize when you approach a car, even a disabled vehicle or a car on a traffic stop, you are worried about not only what is inside that car and what danger is waiting for you, you are also worried about the 80,000-pound (36,000-kilograms) tractor-trailers that are barrelling down the highway behind you, he said. The shooting prompted authorities to close Interstate 95 in both directions in the area for hours. It reopened Wednesday night. Haiti - News : Zapping... Father Rene Irilan released Father Rene Irilan of the Diocese of Anse-a-Veau and Miragoane, kidnapped in the evening of January 30, 2020 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29927-haiti-flash-kidnapping-of-father-rene-irilan-of-anse-a-veau.html in Delmas 75 by unidentified individuals who demanded a ransom for his release was released by his kidnappers. It is not known at this time under what condition this release took place and if a ransom was paid. Presidency rejects opposition conditions Guychard Dore, Political Advisor to President Moise, rejects the proposal that the Prime Minister should come from the opposition, believing that, on the contrary, there must be an open Head of Government who can cooperate with the President and not create a situation of permanent conflict with the President. As for the proposal to reduce the President's mandate, he said that it was not envisaged and that the Constitution should be respected. Demonstration announcement Andre Michel, the spokesman for the radical opposition of the so-called "Democratic and Popular" movement, the President's fierce opponent, announces an anti-government mobilization from February 7 to continue to demand the resignation of President Moise. For his part, former senator Nenel Cassy (Fami Lavalas) reiterates his determination to overthrow the Head of State, with a view to organizing in particular a sovereign national conference. The RDNP accuses Moise of being responsible for everything Wednesday in a press conference, Eric Jean-Baptise the Secretary General of the Rally of National Progressive Democrats (RDNP) said that the Head of State is in his 3rd year of failures and that his record is catastrophic, criticizing all the projects of the Head of State and affirming that the bad decisions of Moise are responsible for food insecurity and the proliferation of armed gangs and its consequences. Coronavirus: The Minister on all fronts Marie Greta Roy, the Minister of Public Health organized this week a working meeting with medical directors, hospital officials and Ministry officials in order to give clear guidelines to prepare health institutions to detect and manage possible cases of coronavirus in Haiti See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29955-haiti-health-surveillance-measures-are-deployed-in-the-country-s-ports-and-airports.html Writer Edwidge Danticat winner of the Vilcek Prize Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat, born in Port-au-Prince, was named Laureate in Literature for the 2020 year of the Vilcek Prize. The award ceremony will take place next April in New York. Edwidge Danticata will receive a check for 100,000 dollars and a sculpture by Stefan Sagmeister on this occasion. HL/ HaitiLibre STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 17-year-old Staten Island Technical High School senior took the trip of a lifetime to pursue her passion for music in an international setting. Iandra Ramos, of Dongan Hills, and 11 other Young Peoples Chorus members traveled to Jerusalem for the World Holocaust Forum for a week, performing at the international commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and Birkenau. The Young Peoples Chorus was the youngest group to perform at the international commemoration, attended by French President Emmanuel Macron, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and King Philippe of Belgium. Ramos, who occasionally sings with her high school glee club, said she endured three weeks of rehearsals before boarding the plane to Jerusalem. The World Holocaust Forum was what made this trip so meaningful, Ramos told SILive.com. I think that celebrating it and performing in front of really important world leaders made this trip so important to me. It has really changed my life. Outside of the performance, the chorus toured historic sites and explored Jerusalems culinary scene during the week-long stay. This trip wasnt just about going on a tour, Ramos said. It was about experiencing the country and all its beauty as well as getting closer to people in my chorus I didnt really talk to as much before. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRIP, AS TOLD BY TEENS Jerusalem has always been a place Ive found interesting, said Aidan Metz, 15, of Long Island. We were there for a purpose and I knew that we were going to give it our all on stage. It was a lot of pressure but I was just focused on the music while on stage." I think the best part of the trip was interacting with the other groups because we were singing with a Russian group, a French group and a British group along with a Russian orchestra, said Elliot Sadoff, a 17-year-old member of YPC. "Although we didnt all speak the same language, music brought us together. It was beautiful to witness. There were other highlights for the students, as well. My favorite memory of this trip was the food tour, said Michaela Duryea, 17, of Queens. I love experiencing food from all around the world. Its my favorite thing to do when I go somewhere new. Other students said they enjoyed the scenery and culture of the city. The most memorable part was definitely touring the old city of Jerusalem, said Victoria Manning, 17 of the Bronx. In the city here, were around tourists all the time, so it was cool to go somewhere new and be on the other end of it. HOW TO WATCH THE YOUNG PEOPLES CHORUS OF NYC The Young Peoples Chorus of New York City is in the thick of rehearsals for its upcoming gala, set for Tuesday, March 10. The performances will be held at Lincoln Center, hosted by singer-songwriter Jason Mraz. For more information on how to attend, visit YPC.org. A Bandidos bikie who bludgeoned the mother of his child to death with a fire hydrant cover has insisted he did not assault a prison guard. Lionel John Patea, pleaded guilty to the murder of his ex-girlfriend Tara Brown in September 2015 and his part in the murder of Gold Coast man Greg Dufty in July that year. Patea who is serving two life sentences was transferred from Lotus Glen Correctional Centre to Townsville Correctional Centre in January 2019 and is accused of assaulting an officer on the day he was moved. 'I pleaded guilty to two murders because I did it, I didn't do this,' Patea said at Townsville Magistrates Court, The Townsville Bulletin reported. Lionel John Patea pleaded guilty to bashing his former girlfriend Tara Brown (pictured together) in September 2015 Patea said he was frustrated after a CD player that did not belong to him was taken away after he had spent six months in solitary. He was then taken to his cell but began swearing and threatening officers. Prison guards were trying to put Patea in handcuffs and move him to the detention unit. Patea was caught on CCTV footage headbutting and kicking his cell door and after officers entered the cell he allegedly hit a guard who was carrying a shield. 'I wasn't in the best headspace, but I tell you right now, I didn't assault someone,' Patea said. Patea has been accused of assaulting a corrections officer at Townsville Correctional Facility in January last year 'If you're trying to tell me I elbowed old mate (the corrections officer), I want to see a clearer version of it, because I didn't (elbow him).' Patea argued the footage showing him attack the officer was unclear. He has pleaded not guilty to common assault. Magistrate Cathy Wadley said she is yet to make a decision and a future court date has not been set. During the time of Ms Brown's death, she had been hiding from him at a safe house and friends' homes. She had taken a domestic violence order against him just days earlier. In September, 2015 he ran Ms Brown off a road down an embankment before bashing her to death with the hydrant cover. The pair had been in a relationship for four years. Investigators have helped a Monmouth County business recover about $70,000 of the $90,000 it lost in when a 27-year-old man tricked the company into sending its rent payments to an account he controls. The Monmouth County Prosecutors Office announced Wednesday that it charged Darryl Moss, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, with second-degree theft. Moss set the Eatontown company an email that mirrored the legitimate monthly email the business received for its lease payment, prosecutors said. The email, however, fraudulently provided a new bank account number for a different bank in what authorities described as an email compromise scam. The company sent its monthly payment of $45,379.04 in both April and May 2019 before learning that the email didnt come from the leasing company and that it never received the payment. Eatontown police and the prosecutors office traced the account in the scam email to Moss and arrested him. He faces up to 10 years in state prison if convicted. Its important for corporations and agencies, whether in the private or public sector, to be vigilant with sending money to unknown sources or new banking institutions. You cannot take anything for granted, cautioned Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said in a statement. Business email compromise scams are increasing and they are frighteningly good scams with terrifyingly bad results." Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. 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. Christoph Bonsmann is a pharmacist and board member of Action Medeor (The emergency pharmacy of the world) According to him, Africa is one of the most important trading partners for China. A correspondingly large number of Chinese fly there, even during the Corona crisis. We asked Christoph Bonsmann, CEO of Action Medeor, (The emergency pharmacy of the world) vulnerable Africa is. China is more present in Africa than any other country. Across the continent, China is involved in the operation of government buildings, railway lines, airports, but also barracks and refineries. For years, the volume of trade between the two sides has also been in the three-digit dollar range. In 2018, China's head of state Xi Jinping also announced that he intended to invest 60 billion dollars in Africa's economic development within three years. No wonder, then, that many Chinese travel to Africa for business reasons, even now, during the Corona crisis. We asked Christoph Bonsmann, CEO of Action Medeor, three questions about the situation: How vulnerable is Africa in the Corona crisis? Christoph Bonsmann The problem is that one billion people live in Africa, but there are only two laboratories on the entire continent that are able to test samples for the coronavirus. In addition, the early warning systems that countries have developed in the past because of Ebola do not work with corona. Ebola was only transmissible if symptoms such as fever were detectable. However, there are many patients with corona who are ill but show no or hardly any symptoms. So it is very difficult to act quickly when cases occur. At the same time, this would be the only way to prevent a strong spread. You could say that Africa is our blind spot in the Corona crisis. So Africa must be expecting a major breakout? Bonsmann Not necessarily. But Africa is one of the most important trading partners for China. Accordingly, many Chinese travel there and stay in Africa. I've seen that myself on my recent travels. The airport in Addis Ababa, for example, is a major hub in Africa. But unlike many other airlines, Ethiopian Airlines has not stopped flying between China and Africa. The possibility that the virus could spread in Africa is therefore quite real. How are the country offices of Action Medeor (The emergency pharmacy of the world) preparing for this? According to Bonsmann, you can't prepare properly. Protective suits are mostly sold out, face masks are useless. Washing your hands works best. We store alcohol-based disinfectants for that. They are easy to use, no matter where you are. Also, people affected must be isolated immediately and the contacts they had must be traced. Francis Tawiah (Duisburg - Germany) The United States says new leadership in Central Asia and better interstate cooperation are opening up more opportunities for Washington to deepen ties with the resource-rich region. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells said on February 5 that the United States had updated its regional strategy to take into account new developments over the past five years. "We absolutely see that we are in an era of new possibilities," Wells said a day after she returned from a trip to the region with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The administration of President Donald Trump is seeking to expand U.S. influence in Central Asia -- a key land route between Europe and Asia filled with large oil and gas deposits -- in part as a counterweight to global rivals Russia and China. The administration is also leaning on Central Asia for support as it tries to end the nearly two-decade-old war in neighboring Afghanistan. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoev, who took over the region's largest nation by population in 2016, has used his "visionary leadership" to drive internal reforms and interstate cooperation, Wells said. The five leaders of Central Asia -- which also includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan -- met on their own in 2018 to discuss cooperation for the first time in a decade and followed that up with another meeting the following year, a development Wells called important. "We have simply seen a sea change in attitude toward a regional identity," she said. Lisa Curtis, who oversees Central and South Asian affairs at the White House National Security Council, said such interregional cooperation "would not have happened five years ago." The officials said the United States was supporting projects that will help weave the region tightly together, like the formation of a unified electricity grid. It is also working with the five countries to standardize visa and customs procedures and lower nontariff trade barriers to boost cross-border relations and business. They expressed hope for plans to export hydropower from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to Afghanistan and Pakistan, which could help bring economic growth and stability to Afghanistan as it recovers from war, a key tenet of the U.S. strategy. The U.S. officials said the overarching goals of Washington's strategy toward Central Asia remained the same -- to ensure the region is stable and free from dependency on any one power. China's leverage over the region has increased as Beijing finances infrastructure projects that poorer countries like Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan can struggle to pay back. Washington is offering assistance to the countries to determine whether infrastructure projects are worth the debt burden. The officials said increased foreign investment into Central Asia will depend on the countries carrying out further reforms to strengthen the rule of law. Curtis called on the leaders to improve democratic freedoms with "inclusive political systems including regular elections." The country's biggest office landlord, Dexus, has upgraded its full-year earnings guidance as record-low vacancy rates and strong demand across its office and industrial property assets boost rents. The company's first-half result was bolstered by new leasing activity at its tower at 80 Collins Street in Melbourne and the signing of retailers, including luxury retail brand Valentino, to the upgraded MLC Centre in Sydney. An artist's impression of the new luxury Valentino store at the Dexus-owned MLC Centre, Sydney. The group reported an adjusted funds from operations, the most accurate measure of performance for real estate investment trusts, of $295.3 million for the six months to December 31, a rise of 4.7 per cent over the same period last year. The group upgraded its forecast of distribution-per-security growth from 5 per cent to 5.5 per cent for the 12 months to June 30. Analysts said the result was in line with market expectations and expect improved earnings from ongoing developments in Melbourne, Sydney's Circular Quay and Brisbane's waterfront. Dexus' funds management business also grew with the addition of the new healthcare funds. Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) chairs a House Committee on Foreign Affairs Asia and Pacific subcommittee hearing concerning the coronavirus outbreak, in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on Feb. 5, 2020 in Washington. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) House Panel Holds First Hearing on Coronavirus Outbreak A congressional hearing aimed at assessing the recent coronavirus outbreak, and the response to it was held on Feb. 5. Its the first hearing of its kind, as numbers affected by the virus continue to grow, mostly in China. The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation heard testimony from three health policy experts, including Jennifer Nuzzo, associate professor and senior scholar from Johns Hopkins University; Jennifer Bouey, a senior policy researcher at RAND Corporation; and Ron Klain, the former White House Ebola response coordinator. Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.), chairman of the subcommittee, said in his opening remarks that fighting the virus is a bipartisan initiative. As of Feb. 5, there have been 12 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, with the latest being reported in Wisconsin by state health officials. A lot of things in Washington, D.C., are partisan; this is not partisan. We as congress understand how rapidly this is moving, Bera said. We also understand that we want to make sure that the administration has all the tools and resources that they need right now. Also, on Feb. 5, federal officials announced that laboratories across the United States would receive coronavirus testing kits this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In her testimony, Nuzzo noted that the trajectory of this epidemic is hard to predict with certainty. Several major Chinese cities, including Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Zhengzhou, have recently announced new rules to enact partial lockdowns. Evidence is mounting each day that it may not be possible to contain this virus, she said. What this means is that if its not possible to completely stop disease transmission, we must plan for how we will mitigate the impacts of the virus as it spreads. Slow Chinese Response During the hearing, ranking member Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) dedicated a portion of his remarks to criticize the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) overall response to the virus. The CCP continues to endanger people throughout Asia by using the WHO to advance its political agenda through the exclusion of Taiwan, he said in his opening remarks. Officials in Taiwan say they are receiving little information from WHO. Yoho said the Chinese regime has failed to work collaboratively with other nations to fight the virus. Despite the severity and infectiousness of this virus, the Chinese government has so far refused to fully cooperate with the global community, he said. We hope this is something that does not become politicized. Yoho brought up how Chinese scientists were able to share the sequence of the strain with international partners. However, he noted that it only happened after the scientists bypassed government censors. So far, China has spurned the help of CDC and refused to provide biological samples to the United States, he said. The slow updates of information and assessments from China also do not help response efforts, Yoho said. The Chinese regime is tightening its grip on information about the coronavirus outbreak, as it seeks to control the narrative on the worsening epidemic that has seen daily surges in infection and death numbers. [It] not only hurts the credibility of China but also hinders our ability as an international community to prevent the further loss of life and spread of the disease, he said. Various courts across China have issued regulations or guidelines clamping down on spreading rumors about the illness. Meanwhile, two jets carrying about 350 Americans fleeing the virus zone in China arrived on Feb. 5 at an Air Force base in Northern California. Officials said 178 of them would be quarantined at a hotel on the base for 14 days while others will be quarantined at a Southern California military base. Epoch Times reporter Cathy He and The Associated Press contributed to this report. The charges against California surgeon Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley, who were accused of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women, are being dropped by the Orange County district attorney due to insufficient evidence. Robicheaux and Riley faced decades in prison if convicted. DA Todd Spitzer said attorneys in his office have reviewed extensive evidence, including audio and video recordings, text messages and documents, and concluded there was no way to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. Spitzer said his predecessor Tony Rackauckas used the case to try to get reelected. "It's a blatant abuse of power," Spitzer said. Robicheaux, who appeared on a reality TV show, and Riley were accused of using their good looks to lure the women back to his Newport Beach home. In 2018, Raukaukas alleged thousands of videos and images were found on the surgeon's phone. "The women in the videos appear to be highly intoxicated," the former district attorney said at the time. But Spitzer disputed that claim. "There is not a single piece of evidence or video or photo that shows an unconscious or incapacitated women being sexually assaulted," he said. In a statement, Rackauckas said, "Even if all of (the) allegations against me were true, and they are not, the remedy should not be dismissal. My heart goes out to the women who had the courage to come forward with their complaint, because I believed their complaints based on the evidence I had." (Read his full statement below). Seven "Jane Does" were named in the complaint. The attorney for one of them says his client insists a crime was committed."She feels like that she was in fact sexually assaulted by the defendants," attorney Michael Fell said. Attorney Phil Cohen, who represents Robicheaux, said the "mere filing of this case has destroyed irreparably two lives."Spitzer said he has referred Rackauckas' handling of the case to the state bar for review and has opened an internal personnel investigation. He also apologized to both defendants and promised to meet with the alleged victims to explain why the evidence did not satisfy the burden of proof. Story continues Rackauckas issued the following statement in response to Spitzer: "I just feel terrible for the women who had the courage to come forward and give their evidence to the authorities in this case. It's hard for them to make these reports about things that were so very humiliating in the first place then have to relive the pain. Certainly, any prosecutor should think long and hard before dismissing such a case where multiple women have independently come forward and subjected themselves to the hard process of bearing their souls to the authorities. I just hope they're not being sold down the river for some twisted political motive. Paul Walters, Chief of the OCDA bureau, brought this case to the attention of the executive staff, including me, in 2018 after the case was initially investigated. After the press attention, dozens of complainants came forward with allegations of drugging and/or sexual assault. I reassigned the case to a senior deputy district attorney who gave a fresh and thorough review to the case. This experienced prosecutor filed the complaints that will now be dismissed. I have had no information or involvement in this case since I left the office more than a year ago. I understand that the current district attorney conducted multiple reviews of the case and initially determined that the case was good. He eventually removed the senior prosecutor and any other prosecutors assigned to this case. I also learned from his press conference that a district attorney investigator has now been put on leave. It is possible that new evidence was developed and certainly I have dismissed cases (People v. Angela Diaz), and even reversed convictions when I did not have confidence in the evidence (People v. McKinney). However, considering the complaint contained seven Jane Does, it is too bad the public now does not have the chance to explore the truth during a preliminary hearing. Further, it is my understanding that the Jane Does in this case were not afforded the dignity of being notified about the dismissal prior to today's press conference. I hope the dismissal of this case was not based on the district attorney's relationship with one of the criminal defense attorneys, nor due to his political vendetta against me. Even if all of his allegations against me and my former chief of staff were true, and they are not, the remedy should not be dismissal. My heart goes out to the women who had the courage to come forward with their complaint, because I believed their complaints based on the evidence I had before leaving office." WorldView: New Zealand flooding, Lesotho first lady's murder charge, and more Faceboook fights spread of coronavirus misinformation Robert Pattinson is world's most handsome man, according to "Golden Ratio" New York Fashion Week started on a gloomy note Thursday, with a Chinese designer showcasing its wares to a partially empty room amid fears the coronavirus could force labels from the Asian giant to cancel their catwalks. "Mukzin might be the only Chinese brand you will see at this New York Fashion Week," said an announcer, before introducing the autumn-winter 2020 collection of designer Kate Han. The compere referred to the deadly virus that has killed more than 560 people and sparked global alarm as it spreads around the world as "a disaster and a sad, sad story." "We're not here only to present the great pieces of the design but also we're showing Chinese people and the people around the world we have strong will and strength and love through all difficulties and hardship," she added. There were rows of empty seats, a rarity for New York Fashion Week, at the beginning of Han's parade of designs which fuse traditional Chinese influences with a modern twist. A cloud is hanging over the involvement of Chinese designers, buyers and journalists this week due to the deadly coronavirus. Chinese label Sheguang has said its New York show will go also ahead and Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), which helps run Fashion Week, says it has no information about possible cancellations. But Chinese fashion houses Angela Chen, Ricostru and Hui have already canceled runway appearances at Milan Fashion Week later this month because of the virus. Around 1,000 Chinese buyers, journalists, stylists and other industry staff are also going to miss the event, Italian officials have said. "I felt very confident and very safe here to make the show," said Han. A model walks the runway for Mukzin x Harbin fashion show during New York Fashion Week Empty rows at Spring Studios Mukzin X Harbin by Chinese brand Mukzin on February 6, 2020 in New York. It was the first show of the first day of New York Women's Fashion Week [February 06, 2020] Hillcrest Medical Center Adds Cardiology to Sectra Enterprise Imaging Solution LINKOPING, Sweden and SHELTON, Connecticut, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- International medical imaging IT and cybersecurity company Sectra (STO: SECT B) has signed a contract with Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa to add cardiology to their existing enterprise imaging solution. This new configuration will provide physicians a complete patient overview and standardize all imaging on one platform. "It is very rewarding to have long-time radiology customers, such as Hillcrest, grow their enterprise imaging platform with Sectra. As we increase our market presence in cardiology, we look to our existing users who appreciate our extraordinary customer service and support," says Mikael Anden, President of Sectra, Inc. Hillcrest Medical Center is a 620-bed hospital offering a wide-range of inpatient and outpatient services including Oklahoma's most comprehensive heart program. All cardiology studies will utilize the existing radiology archive for efficiency and economies of scale. The cardiology contract signed in December 2019 includes workflow for cardiac catheterization, ultrasound echo, nuclear medicine and invasive vascular studies. Sectra's enterprise imaging solution provides a unified strategy for high production environments and supports the goal of shortened report turnaround times, enhanced result distribution workflows, and improved communication between departments. Read more about Sectra and why Sectra PACS is `Best in KLAS' at https://medical.sectra.com/. Meet Sectra at HIMSS20 and ECR 2020 Sectra's enterprise imaging solution, including Sectra PACS and Sectra VNA, will be showcased in March at HIMSS (booth #6248) and at ECR (booth #D11). Book a meeting at HIMSS >> Book a meeting at ECR >> About Sectra Medical Imaging Solutions With 30 years of innovation and approaching 2,000 installations worldwide, Sectra is a leading global provider of imaging IT solutions that support healthcare in achieving patient-centric care. Sectra offers an enterprise imaging solution comprising PACS for imaging-intense departments (radiology, pathology, cardiology and orthopedics), VNA, and share and collaborate solutions. For further information, please contact: Dr. Torbjorn Kronander, CEO and President Sectra AB, +46-(0)-705-23-52-27 Marie Ekstrom Tragardh, Executive Vice President Sectra AB and President Sectra Imaging IT Solutions, +46-(0)-708-23-56-10 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/sectra/r/hillcrest-medical-center-adds-cardiology-to-sectra-enterprise-imaging-solution,c3025695 The following files are available for download: https://news.cision.com/sectra/i/sectra-cardiology-imaging,c2744149 Sectra Cardiology Imaging [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Healthcare of Armenia Arsen Torosyan held a telephone conversation with Minister of Health of Kazakhstan Yelzhan Birtanov, the Armenian ministry told Armenpress. The two ministers discussed the national and international efforts for fighting new coronavirus that was first detected in China. The Armenian minister thanked his Kazakh counterpart for transporting one of the Armenian citizens from the Chinese city of Wuhan to Nur-Sultan via a Kazakh plane, as well as for organizing the citizens accommodation and medical treatment until the latter will return to Armenia. The ministers also talked about the healthcare agenda of Armenia and Kazakhstan within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), in particular the single regulation of tobacco product types. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan Film fraternity has lost one of the greatest actors of all time, Kirk Douglas, on Wednesday (local time). Bollywood actor Ali Fazal and director Madhur Bhandarkar remembered the late actor and paid tribute on social media. The actor from the golden age of movies passed away at the age of 103. The 'Fukrey' actor recalled 'what a man', the late actor was and shared a monochrome picture of Douglas on Twitter. "What a man. RIP #KirkDouglas", the tweet read. In 1950, Kirk received the first Academy Award nomination for 'Champion' and was nominated again in 1953 for 'The Bad and the Beautiful' and once more in 157 for his performance in the biopic 'Lust for Life' as Vincent Van Gogh. Another name from the Bollywood industry, director of the 'Fashion' movie, Madhur Bhandarkar, also remembered the legendary actor and tweeted: "Goodbye to the Hollywood Legend. #KirkDouglasRIP" Kirk Douglas became a superstar even before the term was coined, as he had more than 92 acting credits, including some 75 movies. He was also awarded an honorary Oscar for 50 years as a creative and moral force in the motion picture community in the year 1996. In his autobiography 'The Ragman's Son, Douglas', Douglas was told to be born the poor son of an illiterate Russian-Jewish immigrant. Douglas, who was then known as Izzy, had 40 jobs growing up in New York, including newsboy, before acting in high school plays sent him on the course that would eventually make him a household name. He studied at Manhattan's American Academy of Dramatic Arts. His first role movie role was in 'The Strange Love of Martha Ivers' opposite Barbara Stanwyck in 1946. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Coleman World Wide CEO Jeff Coleman is reputedly the frontrunner in a GOP primary to replace Rep. Martha Roby in Congress. He says his experience in the moving business prepared him for public office, having taught him how to lighten peoples loads. However, a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Justice Department accused his company defrauding the U.S. military by bumping weights of shipments, mostly for military families moving from one deployment to the next. Multiple employees of Colemans companies testified under oath they had been instructed to falsify shipping weights. Separately a Department of Defense shipping and receiving facility at Pearl Harbor got suspicious and weighed shipments it received from Colemans moving companies. What they found: Colemans companies consistently reported shipping weights greater than the actual weight of the shipments. Colemans companies settled the lawsuit with the DOJ for $5 million and a manager at an Augusta, Ga., warehouse went to prison. And yet, Coleman admits doing nothing wrong. Instead, he calls the lawsuit frivolous and blames President Obama. Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for AL.com. Follow his work on Facebook and Twitter at The War on Dumb. The War on Dumb is a thing on Facebook now, too. Expect better, demand better, come help Alabama do better. https://t.co/B2JeYkFWSf pic.twitter.com/GugqXDdsMC Kyle Whitmire (@WarOnDumb) December 18, 2019 More by Kyle Whitmire The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) collaborated to introduce security surveillance system a system of various cameras/videos installed in a building to record movement of a person on the map along with time, in the DefExpo 2020 being held here from February 5-9. The system will detect any abnormal human behaviour and identify the visitors faces using artificial intelligence (AI). Its USP is that even when a person is not in the cameras view, his movement on the premises will be continuously tracked through Internet Protocol (IP) camera and if he enters into a restricted zone or a high-security area, red zone movement alert will show on the device. The wireless security tracking can be used in public as well as private establishments for prevention of crime, check violation of privacy and protection of a process etc. The app will include features like location tracking for security purposes, military intelligence used for border-patrol and suspicious activity detection. Director, IIT Roorkee Ajit K Chaturvedi said, We are delighted to collaborate with BEL to introduce the security surveillance system. Prof Kamal Jain, department of civil engineering, IIT Roorkee said, We are getting a great response from different defence sectors and other agencies partnering BEL. Various defence manufacturing companies from across India and abroad will showcase their products and services on a single platform. The main theme of this years event is India:The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub and the focus will be on Digital Transformation of Defence. Prof Jain said, The value of our recent research has enabled our experts to demonstrate their in-depth understanding of the efficient security surveillance infrastructure. The collaboration with BEL will streamline the operations, improving business efficiency and cutting costs. How does the system work? Through IP camera we are able to track movement of a person and send it to the database. His movement pattern helps the security system to identify abnormal behaviour and acknowledge the red zone movement alerts, Prof Jain said. This surveillance system was a great addition for all high security areas such as the defence sector and specific power authorities in private and public domain like airports etc, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A five-year-old girl who has spent her whole life in a 12,300-a-month medical clinic will be put into care after her wealthy Russian parents refused to take her home, a judge ruled today. Judge Natalia Karzhavina heard that when Tatiana Maximova, 44, was told to care for six-year-old Sasha, she blamed the medics for saving her when she was born premature. Karzhavina has ruled that Sasha - who has never been to a park or seen the world outside the Mother and Child Perinatal Clinic in Moscow - is placed in an orphanage or given up for adoption. Sasha was born prematurely in 2014 and initially needed intensive medical care. After she was cleared of her health issues over a year ago, the parents continued to pay 12,300 a month at the elite clinic so she could stay put. An undated photo shows 44-year-old mother Tatiana Maximova (right) meeting with representatives of the childcare department at the Moscow clinic An undated photo shows six-year-old Sasha colouring in with her crayons at the 12,300 a month Moscow clinic, where she has lived for six years The youngster can be seen sitting on a bed in the Moscow clinic in an undated photo Sources say the couple never took her on visits outside the hospital and rarely visited unless social services were inspecting. In court, Maximova claimed the child is still unwell and needs to stay so she can be treated by nurses. The lawyer for the hospital, Anatoly Kleimenov, told the court today that Maximova had 'rudely' told medics she hadn't asked them to resuscitate the child. He added she said they are now responsible for her because they revived her. Since July 2017 she had 'hardly any' visits from her family, Kleimenov added. Sasha is pictured playing with a toy at the Moscow clinic in an undated photograph The 12,300 per month Mother and Baby Medical Centre is pictured in an undated photo According to medics at the Moscow hospital, Sasha (pictured in an undated photo), is perfectly healthy When police tried to find Maximova and her businessman husband Yury Zinkin, they found they had moved to a new address. The hospital said that Maximova claimed she was looking for a job and had been receiving chemotherapy when questioned on why she'd abandoned her daughter. Maximova and Zinkin are in the process of a divorce and have another three children, who live at home with their mother. Judge Karzhavina said today that the parents' rights would be terminated and the child placed under the guardianship of authorities. The parents were not in court. The lawyer for the father, Yury Zinkin (who was not present in court today) is pictured surrounded by media personnel in Moscow today The hospital's lawyer, Anatoly Kleimenov, is pictured at today's hearing in Moscow Nina Savinykh, the lawyer for the father, said: 'Our clients have told us they do not refuse to take the girl away, as soon as they receive medical confirmation about her health condition. 'They fear something may happen to the girl.' The parents are concerned Sasha may suffer from apnoea the sudden stopping of breath at any moment if released. But the hospital insists she is healthy and cannot be deprived of a normal life even though nurses care for her well. 'This child has never seen a park or a cinema,' said one source. The parents have one month to lodge an appeal. During this time the child will stay at the hospital. The relatively short 12-page text aims to set up a new institution in the Central African Republic originating from the 2015 Bangui Forum and considered one of the pillars of the February 2019 peace accord. Even though the three-month deadline for launching it has been completely missed, provisions for elaboration of the bill have been respected with national popular consultations organized in the seven big administrative regions. A total of 1,977 participants from different components of society (religious groups, minorities, political parties, etc.) were consulted and the results compiled in a report serving as a basis for the bill. The reports conclusions have been largely respected in bill, of which Justice Info has obtained a copy. According to this text, which still has to be approved by parliament, the Truth, Justice, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TJRRC) will be a new institution which does not have judicial power. It will, however, have autonomy and independence of action. It will have a four-year mandate (can be extended for one year) and will be composed of 11 commissioners, from all seven regions of the country and including at least four women. They will be appointed by presidential decree after selection by a committee. This committee is to be composed of 7 personalities, including one from parliament, one from the government, three from civil society and two international observers (United Nations and African Union). The commissioners will work full time for the Commission and meet every week. An ambitious mandate (1959 to 2019) The bill provides that the TJRRC be organized around three organs the plenary Assembly (bringing all the commissioners together), the Secretariat and the sub-commissions. It will be tasked with investigating, establishing the truth and situating responsibilities concerning the serious national events from 29 March 1959, date of founding president Barthelemy Bogandas death, up until 31 December 2019. This is nothing if not ambitious. The national consultations report has already established a long list of the events to be covered: the coups dEtat in the country, with or without the involvement of foreign forces; foreign military interventions; use of mercenaries; serious violations of human rights; and political governance. One might ask what pressure the Commission could exert on France, Russia, China or even the CAR authorities to make them reveal the truth about these events. In addition, the TJRRC is to organize thematic hearings on the major violations committed and the role played by state or private institutions, such as the army, police, justice, education, the financial sector, the media, political parties and their affiliated movements, religious denominations, associations, armed groups and other organizations. However, its time is limited to a maximum of 5 years. Hence perhaps the bills lack of precision on the historical angles of investigation, something specified in the consultation report. But researchers and historians say the desire to facilitate collection and archiving of vestiges and data of armed conflicts in the CAR is one of the measures provided for in the bill. On reparations, the concepts included in the bill are taken from the national consultation report, which envisaged symbolic (memorial), collective, or individual reparations. While the Commission will not have judicial power, everything in the description of its future investigative work looks like it could be mistaken for that. It starts with the filing of a complaint. Without prejudice to the right of any individual to go to the courts for the defence of their interests, any group of persons suffering from an individual, collective or massive violation of human rights can seize the TJRRC by filing a complaint, says the bill. This complaint is to result in a document bearing the name and status of the complainant and of the suspected perpetrator(s), as well as a description of what happened. The complainant can choose if he or she wants to appear in public hearings or behind closed doors. The Commission can also take up a case on its own initiative, and all proceedings before the TJRRC will be free of charge, says the draft law presented to President Touadera. Extensive investigative powers The Commissions scope for action is quite interesting. The commissioners, who are to have immunity within the context of their mandate, can call upon any person who will then be freed from professional secrecy, including people benefitting from immunities or privileges. The Commission may access any information or public archives for the fulfilment of its mandate, which confers on it a power of injunction. In the same vein, it is to be able to visit any place or premises with the accord of the local judicial authorities, or require their services to carry out searches. Pragmatically, however, the TJRRC bill provides for a mechanism of conciliation between victims and perpetrators. If the recommendations of the TJRRC [] duly notified to the parties, are actionable for them, and if the reparation is carried out according to the friendly settlement procedure with the consent of both parties, then this reparation is to be considered res judicata, says the text, which adds that if one party does not conform, the other one may seize the courts and tribunals according to common law to obtain implementation by force. The bill also covers matters of forgiveness. It envisages organization of a ritual for certain cases of national reconciliation and the possibility of using traditional and neo-traditional reparation and reconciliation mechanisms, saying that victims may grant their forgiveness if it is freely done, without any kind of interference. This also raises questions about the kinds of pressure that victims in the interior of the country, still largely controlled by armed groups, may be under to grant their forgiveness. Cooperation with the courts Whereas the national consultations report was relatively precise about the possibilities for cooperation between the TJRRC and the Special Criminal Court or national courts, the bill remains fairly vague on this point. The Commission, says the text, works with the Special Criminal Court and national jurisdictions in the search for truth and justice and can make recommendations on the transfer of case files to the Special Criminal Court and other competent jurisdictions. Finally, the bill raises the key question of the Commissions budget but remains quite evasive. It provides for an allocation from the State budget, saying at the same time that bilateral, multilateral and other partners can also contribute to the budget. This point is crucial, since the creation and effective operation of a TJRRC mooted since 2015 will depend largely on the resources put into it. A paramedic lost his daughter after discovering she was trapped in a house fire he was responding to, fire officials said. The fire started on Feb. 3 morning near Elon, North Carolina. While responders with the Altamahaw-Ossipee Fire Department were on the way to the house, they were notified that one person was stuck inside, according to a statement posted to the departments Facebook page. Eddie Thomas, who has been a paramedic with the department for more than 30 years, was one of the responders that morning. It was his house that was on fire, and his daughter who was inside. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they rescued Thomass 40-year-old daughter, Candice, from the burning home. They initiated CPR on the scene before Candice was transported to a local hospital, where she died later that day. While the fire is still under investigation, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family with medical expenses, funeral costs, and property damages from the fire. The department is also collecting donations for the family. Were just trying to get [Thomas] what he needs, Chief Edward Lipscomb told CNN. Make sure hes taken care of. Losing everything you got is unimaginable, losing your daughter in the event isI dont even know how to comprehend that. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. This is the moment an MI5 officer on a motorbike is seen following terror attacker Sudesh Amman moments before he stabbed two shoppers. Amman was shot dead after grabbing a knife from a shop and attacking two bystanders in Streatham High Road, south London on Sunday. A third person was injured by flying glass during gunfire from police. Today, new CCTV footage has emerged showing 20-year-old Amman strolling along a road around 15 minutes walk away from where he carried out his shocking attack. Two or three minutes later a plain-clothed police officer who was trailing the attacker on a blue motorbike appears in private home video, obtained by Sky News. Amman, who had been jailed for possessing and distributing terrorist documents in December 2018, is wearing a hat and coat and carrying a white bag in the footage. A plain-clothed police officer who was trailing the attacker on a blue motorbike appears in the private home video Sudesh Amman was shot dead by armed police on Streatham High Road on Sunday The blue motorbike the police officer was using is later seen next to the body of Amman, who was shot dead by police during his stabbing spree He was put under police surveillance after he was freed automatically halfway through his prison sentence less than a fortnight ago. Amman was also found to be wearing a fake suicide vest - part of a growing trend seeing terrorists using a method dubbed 'suicide by cop' as they try to achieve supposed martyrdom. The footage comes as the Government faces a race against time to pass emergency legislation following the Streatham attack in a bid to stop any more terrorists being automatically freed from prison. A target of February 27 has been set to rush the Bill through Parliament - a day before the next terrorist is expected to be freed. The news comes as police chiefs warned that the threat of terrorism is 'not diminishing'. A Whitehall official said: 'If the legislation is passed by February 27 we can prevent the automatic release of any further terrorist suspects who might pose a threat to the public.' It is understood that Sunderland shopkeeper Mohammed Zahir Khan is due to be released on February 28, while around five other terrorists are expected to be let out in March unless the new law is in force. Khan was jailed for four-and-a-half years in May 2018 for posting messages and material that was supportive of IS on social media. Armed police shot dead terrorist Sudesh Amman, who was wearing a fake suicide vest, after he grabbed a knife from a shop and a female nursery teacher and another man The father-of-one, originally from Birmingham, had previously served long sentences for drugs supply offences and moved to the North East to make a break from gangs. Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, head of UK counter-terror policing, said the 'threat is, despite our best efforts, not diminishing', after a third attack in as many months. The UK's terror threat level is currently set at 'substantial', meaning an attack is likely. It was downgraded from 'severe', the second highest rating, in November, shortly before the London Bridge attack. Convicted terrorist Sudesh Amman wore a fake suicide belt as he grabbed a knife from a shop in Streatham High Road, south London, on Sunday, before stabbing two bystanders. The 20-year-old had been jailed for possessing and distributing terrorist documents in December 2018, but was freed automatically halfway through his sentence less than a fortnight ago. He was put under 24-hour police surveillance on his release after it is understood security services regarded him as an 'extremely concerning individual'. Mr Basu said: 'Police and the security services knew the attacker posed a significant risk and we were, unfortunately, proved right in our decision to place him under surveillance. 'But with 3,000 or so subjects of interest currently on our radar, and many convicted terrorists soon due to be released from prison, we simply cannot watch all of them, all the time.' He welcomed plans announced on Monday by Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, who said the urgent legislation was needed to make sure that offenders serve two-thirds of their sentence before they are considered eligible for release, at which point their case would be considered by a panel of specialist judges and psychiatrists at the Parole Board. There are 224 terrorists in prison in Britain, with most thought to be holding Islamist extremist views, according to the latest published figures to the end of September. As many as 50 terrorists could be freed from jail this year, figures suggest. Met Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu (pictured) said the sheer scale of the challenge meant that officers needed the public's help to stop future terror attacks Police investigate at the scene on Monday following the terror attack in Streatham on Sunday The Whitehall official said the attack in Streatham highlighted an issue surrounding terrorists with relatively short prison sentences. 'There aren't many terrorist offenders who will be in that similar kind of scenario but if there are any then that's too many and that's what we are looking to fix,' the official said. The Government plans to introduce the legislation in the Commons on Tuesday next week, with the aim of clearing the House by the time it rises for recess on Thursday. The Bill will then go to the Lords on February 25 with the aim of getting royal assent on February 27. 'There are no terrorist offenders who are due to receive automatic release before that date,' the official said. The source said the Lords, where the Government does not have a majority, should 'wish to carry out its scrutiny quickly' as 'we cannot continue to be in a position where the state has no power to block the release of terrorists who continue to pose a threat to the public'. Streatham terrorist Sudesh Amman is pictured as a young boy while holding a vacuum cleaner in his living room According to right-leaning think-tank the Henry Jackson Society, a number of convicted extremists may be due for release in March. They include Mohammed Ghani, from Barnet, north London, who was sentenced to two years and four months in prison in May last year after threatening to kill police officers. There is also radicalised chemistry teacher Jamshed Javeed, who was jailed for six years in March 2015 for planning to travel from his Manchester home to Syria to join the so-called Islamic State (IS); and Mohammed Khilji, from north-west London, who posted beheading videos on WhatsApp. According to the Times, Britain's youngest terrorist, a boy known only as RXG who plotted to murder police officers in Australia, is due for release this month. He received a life sentence with a minimum term of five years in 2015. The newspaper also reported that Atiq Ahmed, from Oldham, who was arrested after hurling abuse at staff at a school in the town and was later found to have IS propaganda on his phone, is due to be released in March. The Government has not ruled out derogating - effectively suspending - the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in order to apply the new measures. Lawyers have warned that the move would open the Government up to legal challenges from those already behind bars who were sentenced under the current rules. But officials said they are confident they have the flexibility to change how an offender serves their sentence, by extending the time they spend behind bars rather than on licence. The Haryana government has decided to formulated a rehabilitation policy for Tibetan refugees on the lines of a similar policy adopted by the Centre, and it will extend government benefits to their children, a state minister said here on Thursday. Education Minister Kanwar Pal said the benefits will allow the children to enrol in government schools, mid-day meal scheme, to have text books and uniform free. Pal said in a statement a Tibetan individual should be residing in India for a minimum of 182 days to avail the benefits. The claim would be approved by the administration of the district they are living, he said. He said the individual or family members of Tibetan refugees should also be in the possession of the Registration Certificate issued by the Central Tibetan Relief Committee. The minister said the state government will organise Aadhaar enrolment camps at least twice in a year for the refugees to get the cards so that they don't face any hardship in availing the benefits. The Tibetan administration-in-exile is based in Himachal Pradesh's Dharamsala town. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TORONTO, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terra Firma Capital Corporation (TSX-V: TII) ("Terra Firma" or the Company), a real estate finance company, is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Y. Dov Meyer as the new Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Meyer, currently Executive Vice Chairman and the former Chief Executive Officer of the Company, will be replacing Mr. John Kaplan, who has been Chairman since 2013. Mr Kaplan will also be stepping down from the Board of Directors. The change in positions at the board level will be more reflective of the current ownership, long term commitments, and day-to-day involvement in the Company and its continued growth. The appointment will be effective February 14, 2020. "We are very thankful to John for his contribution to the Company over the years. He joined the board at a very pivotal time for the Company and was extremely supportive as we built our book of loans in Canada. During his tenure as Chairman our loan and mortgage investments grew from just US$34 million to approximately US$140 million and the equity of the Company increased by almost four times. During this period, we also transitioned the Company to focus primarily on the U.S. market which requires a different skill set and network. John is very well known in the Canadian real estate market and to the extent we invest locally he will continue to be an important resource, said Y. Dov Meyer, the New Executive Chairman. As founder, and one of the largest shareholders, I am very excited to be leading the Company together with our CEO, Glenn Watchorn, and the rest of the team including our new executive, Jeremy Scheetz, who recently joined Terra Firma, as we continue our growth trajectory, he added. About Terra Firma Terra Firma is a full service, publicly traded real estate finance company that provides real estate financings secured by investment properties and real estate developments throughout Canada and the United States. The Company focuses on arranging and providing financing with flexible terms to real estate developers and owners who require shorter-term loans to bridge a transitional period of one to five years where they require capital at various stages of development or redevelopment of a property. These loans are typically repaid with lower cost, longer-term debt obtained from other Canadian financial institutions once the applicable transitional period is over or the redevelopment is complete, or from proceeds generated from the sale of the real estate assets. Terra Firma offers a full spectrum of real estate financing under the guidance of strict corporate governance, clarity and transparency. For further information please visit Terra Firmas website at www.tfcc.ca . The TSX-V has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. The TSX-V does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Certain information in this news release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are contained in this news release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. These statements generally can be identified by use of forward looking word such as may, will, expects, estimates, anticipates, intends, believe or could or the negative thereof or similar variations. The future business, operations and performance of Terra Firma could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such forwardlooking statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations, as well as risks relating to market factors, competition, and dependence on tenants financial conditions, environmental and tax related matters, and reliance on key personnel. Forwardlooking statements are based on a number of assumptions which may prove to be incorrect, including that the general economy, local real estate conditions and interest rates are stable, the absence of significant changes in government regulation, and the continued availability of equity and debt financing. There can be no assurances that forwardlooking 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 forwardlooking statements. The cautionary statements qualify all forwardlooking statements attributable to Terra Firma and persons acting on its behalf. Unless otherwise stated, all forward looking statements speak only as of the date of this Press Release and Terra Firma does not assume any obligation to update such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable Canadian securities laws. For further information, please contact: 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. NASA taps SpaceX to launch PACE satellite to study Earth's oceans, climate change by Elizabeth Howell SpaceX has won a NASA contract to launch an Earth science satellite that has fended off cancellation from the Trump administration three separate times. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will loft the PACE satellite (its name is short for Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) ) spacecraft into orbit in December 2022, NASA announced. The launch will take place from Cape Canaveral, Florida using a Falcon 9 whose first stage has launched at least one mission in the past. "SpaceX is honored to continue supporting NASA's critical scientific observational missions by launching PACE, which will help humanity better understand, protect and preserve our planet," Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX's president and chief operating officer, said in a company statement. It's been a long road to get PACE ready for launch. The Trump administration tried to cancel the ocean-watching mission in budget proposals for 2018, 2019 and 2020 to save money. But PACE which was named one of the top priorities in the National Research Council's 2007 Earth science decadal survey has persisted. In all three cases, Congress voted to include additional funds to support the mission. Most recently, in December 2019, Congress authorized $131 million for PACE in fiscal 2020, according to SpaceNews. NASA's overall fiscal budget for 2020 is $22.629 billion, a five percent increase over 2019. NASA's budget in 2020 represents approximately 0.48% of all U.S. government spending, according to the Planetary Society. PACE focuses on examining the oceans, clouds and aerosols (small air particles) of Earth. This will allow the mission to figure out the diversity of phytoplankton, which are tiny plant-like organisms in the ocean that are the base of the food chain. These organisms are at the base of the food chain and can help scientists understand how climate change is affecting the environment and Earth's species. PACE will orbit Earth at about 1.5 times the altitude of the International Space Station; the science mission will be at about 420 miles (675 kilometers), while the space station's orbit is typically 250 miles (400 km) in altitude. The top tool of PACE is the Ocean Color Instrument, which continues work from previous ocean-color studies. PACE will examine the ocean's color in wavelengths ranging from long ultraviolet to short infrared, NASA says. Since PACE will be in a sun-synchronous orbit, this will allow for consistent daylight conditions for imaging making it easier to compare different regions, or the same region over long periods. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, New York, NY 10036. Theme(s): Others. A 50-year-old Dalit woman was set ablaze by a man when she tried to resist his move to enter her house in Maharashtras Aurangabad district, officials said on Wednesday. The woman, who suffered about 95 per cent burns in the incident that took place in Andhari village of Sillod tehsil on Sunday midnight, was battling for life at a government hospital here. Her condition was critical, authorities at the hospital said. The accused, Santosh Mohite (50), also a resident of the same village, was arrested late Tuesday night, an official at Sillod (rural) police station said. The woman, who is married and has two daughters, lived alone in her house and Mohite tried to enter the place around 11 pm on Sunday, the official said, adding that the motive behind his act was yet to be ascertained. When she tried to prevent his move, Mohite forcibly entered the house, poured kerosene kept in the premises over her and set her on fire, he said. He then locked the door from outside and ran away, the official said. On hearing cries of the woman, some of her relatives staying in the vicinity rushed to the place and took her to a local hospital, from where she was referred to the government- run Ghati Hospital in Aurangabad city. Her condition is critical. She has suffered 95 per cent burns. She is presently on oxygen support, said medical superintendent Suresh Harbade. Meanwhile, the accused has been booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 452 (house-trespass with preparation for causing hurt to any person) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace). The Founder and Leader of the Seventh Day Congregation of Theocracy, Apostle Dr. Kadmiel Agbalenyoh, has called on Ghanaians to always be morally upright with the attitude of doing right and consistently telling the truth irrespective of the consequences. Apostle Agbalenyoh made this statement during the end of the year address in Accra. He stated that the society ought to value core values such as respect, honesty, tolerance, cleanliness and kindness and respect the nation with its institutions and laws and the culture. He said Ghana is a multicultural society in which every citizen enjoys fundamental human rights. The young ones must respect the elders so that the elders will spur them on to achieve their aims and aspirations. Apostle Dr. Kadmiel Agbalenyoh, an anti-homosexuality and anti-lesbianism advocate and a philanthropist observed that our society is bedeviled by cases of homosexuality, lesbianism, kidnapping and rampant killings which have resulted into the present insecurity which the nation is faced with. He added that Ghana is a sociable conservative country where homosexuality is illegal and punishable. Apostle cautioned that unless Ghanaians feared to sin against God and parents remained committed to imbibing good family values, the country would remain to face insecurity. He also called on the authorities to ban the operations of Okada. The harm that Okada operations bring to the people is so huge; many homes are broken because bread winners are killed through Okada accidents He called on leaders of Trade Unions to be circumspect and tactful in their decision on strikes. "Strike should not be the last resort to address industrial disputes. Strike does not resolve problems but rather bring untold hardships to both workers and employers." He said sometimes the feud or mistakes are caused by the previous government. Apostle Dr. Agbelenyoh also cautioned drivers to observe traffic regulations. Dont drink while you drive and dont drive while you drink. Always have it in mind that you are holding the lives of others and yours. Apostle Dr. Agbalenyoh praised the President, His Excellency Akufo Addo for the introduction of the Free Senior High School and added that the idea of getting a good education for the youth would be more progressive if parents would send their children to school. Failure of parents to send their children to school could bring a failure to the presidents foresight. He also commended the Planting for Food and Job policy because the introduction of the policy has attracted many youth who were hitherto seeking white collar jobs which are not coming. He advised the youth to take agriculture as a business and make a living out of it. The Apostle also advised chiefs and the family heads whose custody our lands are, to give lands to the youth who have embraced the Planting for Food and Jobs policy of the Government. He observed that the present ills in our society are also due to indiscipline and too much love for material wealth. After the U.S. Senate voted to clear President Trump of impeachment charges, Pennsylvania lawmakers offered reactions ranging from relief to resignation Wednesday. In a historic vote, the Senate found the president not guilty of abuse of power and obstruction of justice. At a Women for Trump event in Cumberland County Wednesday night, Vice President Mike Trump denounced Democrats for their effort to remove Trump, calling it a failed attempt to overturn the will of the American people. Pences appearance came about an hour after the Senate vote. After the vote, lawmakers explained their votes and positions on the impeachment trial. U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey The Republican senator from the Lehigh Valley, Toomey voted to acquit the president of charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress. Toomey had said Tuesday he would vote to find Trump not guilty. The Constitution sets a very high bar for impeachment and removal of a sitting president, Toomey said in a statement after the vote Wednesday. While some of President Trumps actions were inappropriate, they did not come close to meeting the very high bar required to justify overturning the last election, removing him from office, and kicking him off the ballot in an election that has already begun," he added. "In November, the American people will decide for themselves whether President Trump should stay in office. In our democratic system, thats the way it should be. U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. The Scranton Democrat did as he said he would, voting to find Trump guilty of both charges. On Tuesday, Casey said House managers met and exceeded all reasonable standards in proving their case. Over the course of two weeks, House Managers presented substantial, persuasive evidence that President Trump abused his power and obstructed Congress," Casey said in a statement before the vote. It is unfortunate so many of my Republican colleagues voted last week to overrule the will of the American people and block additional witnesses and documents that would speak directly to the Presidents conduct. America deserved a fair trial and it got a cover-up. As many Republican Senators now admit, the House Managers proved their case, Casey added. It is clear: President Trump abused his power and obstructed Congress investigation. Rep. Madeleine Dean, D The freshman Democrat from Montgomery County voted to impeach the president. President Donald Trump is forever impeached," Dean said in a statement Wednesday. Know that I am confident in my role in the historic impeachment of this President for grievous wrongdoings and believe my vote will stand both the test of time and my grandchildrens review, she said. "And now that the Senate has acquitted President Donald J. Trump with a narrow majority, even in the face of his clear misconduct, the responsibility to check the President now rests with the American people. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D A freshman Democrat from Delaware County, Scanlon said the vote represented a sad day for our country. Today, the Senate turned its back on our Constitution and the rule of law," she said in a statement. In the face of overwhelming evidence of impeachable offenses, the Senate chose to put party before country, and to stand behind a president who has abused the power of his office, invited foreign interference into our elections, and betrayed the American people." I am disheartened and scared of what this president will do knowing that, with few exceptions, the Republican Party is unwilling to challenge his misconduct." Rep. Daniel Meuser, R The Republican freshman, who represents Berks, Lebanon and several other counties, denounced Democrats for their goal of impeaching a President despite the absence of evidence. Todays vote in the Senate concludes an impeachment characterized by a lack of evidence and clear political motivation," he said in a statement. "Despite Democrats attempt to prolong the trial in an election year ploy, our country can now move past this ordeal and the people can choose the next President based on merit instead of on hearsay and political theatre. Rep. Scott Perry, R Perry, a York County Republican, has been a staunch ally of President Trump and a vocal critic of the impeachment effort. His district includes all of Dauphin County and part of Cumberland County. After hours of testimony, the Democrats clearly had no evidence of treason, bribery, or other high crime and misdemeanor the basis for the impeachment of a President, Perry said in a statement. Despite zero evidence, the House Democrats decided to drag the American People through a months-long, partisan hit job - not to mention a reprehensible waste of time and money. Im glad to see the facts of this case prevail in the Senate, resulting in the acquittal of President Trump. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R Smucker, a Republican representing Lancaster County and part of York County, was ebullient on Twitter. Acquitted For Life!" @realDonaldTrump is not guilty of impeachment charges and will remain in office. Truth always wins! I am glad this political sham is finally over. It is time to get back to work, we have much to do for the American people," Smucker wrote on Twitter. Rep. Fred Keller, R Keller, whose district includes Perry, Juniata and several other counties, criticized Democrats who attempted to railroad the president. I thank the United States Senate for voting to acquit President Donald Trump," he said. "It was the only just and appropriate result from the baseless impeachment articles sent over from the House. For over four full months, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the leaders of the impeachment movement needlessly divided our country as their contempt for President Trump and the people who elected him overshadowed the fact that they had no facts and no evidence on which to base their sham impeachment." Rep. John Joyce, R Joyce, whose district includes part of Cumberland County and several other counties, denounced what he called the impeachment sham. As the President said in his State of the Union address last evening, the only victories that matter in Washington are victories that deliver for the American people,'" Joyce said in a statement. "Moving forward, I encourage my colleagues to accept the outcome of the Senate trial, put aside political differences, and come together to deliver commonsense solutions for the American people. From lowering the cost of prescription drug costs and bolstering our national security to ending the national drug crisis and strengthening the economy, we can make a difference for the hardworking families that we serve. More from PennLive Pence doesnt go soft in working to pull Pa. women to Trump As Women for Trump event in central Pa. shows, Trumps base of conservative, white women remains loyal Listen to the latest episode of PennLives new political podcast Battleground Pa. on your favorite app including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts. Battleground Pa. examines the changing political climate across the Keystone State leading up to the 2020 election. 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. 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! The Arole Oduduwa & Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, has called on Nigerians especially Yoruba descendants to show genuine concern for humanity by assisting the poor and other vulnerable members of the society. Comrade Moses Olafare, the Director of Media & Public Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday that Ooni Ogunwusi made the call on Monday while receiving a joint delegation of Jack-Rich Special Support Initiative, Belema Oil J.V & BELEMA Aid & Foundation led by the wife of founder of the groups, Mrs. Elizabeth Jack Rich on a courtesy visit to the ancient palace. Ooni, the Co-Chairman of National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria(NCTRN) lauded the Jack Rich family for helping countless individuals through their Jack-Rich Special Support Initiative, BELEMAOIL as well as BELEMA Aid & Foundation, describing Mr Tein TS Jack Rich as a down to earth detribalized Nigerian philanthropist. My dear daughter, Your husband is a detribalized Nigerian philanthropist who has led these wonderful organizations to do several projects in the South south, South East and in the Northern parts of Nigeria. I want you to also make the southwest your next destination for philanthropic projects. "Am so happy to have you and your team here. We all must be concerned about the well being of our neighbours, let us emulate the kind gesture of the lovely Jack Rich's family whose investment in human development and capacity building are so incredibly massive. They have executed several projects towards making the world a better place for all and they are still working on many others. They appreciate nature, they value culture and I am so happy to host the wife who is a daughter of Oduduwa from Ondo state. Ooni noted. Earlier in her speech, Mrs Jack Rich expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the Ooni, describing the African foremost monarch as her respected father. Kabiyesi, you are my father by virtue of your position as the the head of the land of Oduduwa. You are also the father of my husband because he is married to your daughter. "This is my first visit to Yorubaland apart from Lagos since I was born. Jack Rich is bringing projects to Yorubaland and we are starting from Ile-Ife because this is the source and ancestral home for all of us in Yorubaland. "I am so overwhelmed with what I have seen here today and I want to say that I am proud as a Yoruba daughter. His Majesty has really done a lot for the entire continent of Africa through the promotion of the prestigious Yoruba culture and through his youth development programs. I am so proud to identify with him., my husband loves him so much and the entire family of Belema Oil JV, Jack Rich Special Support Initiative and BELEMA Aid Foundation ably led by my husband are so happy to be his children." She said. The Jewish father and Yoruba mother born Mrs Jack Rich also in her speech mentioned selfless service, poverty alleviation passion and human capital investment as a great meeting point between Ooni Ogunwusi and the Jack Rick family. "Kabiyesi, we love you in our family, My husband and I value you so much, the Nigerian youths have so much confidence in you. My husband too is coming here very soon to see how best to work with you in all of your programs because both of you have one thing in common. Selfless service to humanity is the the thing and that's your major meeting point". She added. Some of the social performance & National development projects executed by Belema Oil JV in collaboration with the Jack-Rich special support initiative and Belema Aid Foundation are; the provision of potable water for rural communities in Katsina, Borno, Bauchi, Sokoto and Gombe states. In infrastructural development, the Jack-Rich initiative renovated and even constructed roads with drainage system in Bauchi and Rivers states as well as the construction of several flats for students, Nigerians Army and Hospitals among others. In human development and capacity building, this unique Nigerians award scholarship annually for undergraduates and graduates across all field of study, engages in the training and retraining of interested persons to acquire entrepreneurial skills. For instance, 384 students across Rivers State benefited from BELEMAOIL JV Scholarship in 2018, while a total of 1,100 women were trained in diverse vocational areas in the same year. The PSNI is wrestling with a 53million deficit ahead of the end of the current financial year, according to the Chief Constable. Simon Byrne revealed the figure at Thursdays Policing Board meeting when he was asked by DUP MLA Mervyn Storey about the current state of the PSNIs finances. The budget constraints could possibly threaten the forces current recruitment drive as Mr Byrne admitted that is the only line under the PSNIs control. It was only on Tuesday that police launched their new campaign to recruit 600 officers at its training college, Garnerville, in east Belfast. Speaking on Thursday, Mr Byrne said it is his duty to balance the budget by the end of March but he cannot do so without the necessary support. Ultimately we cant resolve this, the only line we can address is in our people which ironically means a threat to recruitment in police officers or police staff If he does not get that support the effects could be quite dramatic. There are a series of individual cost pressures that sound like a lot of money when you round them up but line by line we are limited in the effects we can do to mitigate that, he told the Policing Board. For example, we have had to review the cost of ballistic body armour, which is a reflection of the security environment here and even today with a further reckless planned attack by dissident republicans [regarding the bomb that was discovered in Lurgan on Tuesday]. I have a duty to provide officers with that sort of equipment but at the moment the contract is halfway through so I dont want to stop doing that because of the health and safety. The police chief explained that the PSNI is preparing a contingency to try and reduce costs if necessary but the majority of the money saving plans are marginal. Ultimately we cant resolve this, the only line we can address is in our people which ironically means a threat to recruitment in police officers or police staff, added Mr Byrne. Commenting on Tuesdays recruitment campaign, the Chief Constable hopes that 600 people can be employed to keep pace with projected retirements. In order to make the campaign as effective as possible, Mr Byrne said a number of measures have been taken to attract people to the roles including reducing the age of those who can apply. We have streamlined the application process to try and make it quicker from the point of initial submission into the website, he explained. We have simplified the requirements so we have five GCSE passes or equivalent and we have taken the maths requirement out which can have a disproportionate affect on people. We have also pushed back the start age that you can apply to join. You can apply to join at 17 and youll be 18 by the time youre through the process. Speaking after Thursdays meeting, Mr Storey said that while he can be critical of the PSNI, police must be given the necessary resources to do the job. You cant ask teachers or nurses to do their jobs without the resources and you certainly cant ask police officers, said the North Antrim MLA. The police service will not be left at the bottom of the pile as far as Im concerned. If you needed a leading man to put any film over the top in the past three decades, Denzel Washington would have been a good pick almost every time. After getting his break on NBCs St. Elsewhere in 1982, Washington quickly became a fixture in feature films and annual award shows. In fact, recognition from critics and his peers came almost immediately once Washington began landing major parts. For his portrayal of activist Steve Biko in Cry Freedom (1987), Washington received his first Golden Globe and Oscar nominations for the years best supporting actor. Two years later, after playing Private Trip in Glory (1990), Washington received another round of nominations at the major award shows. That time, however, he didnt go home empty-handed. But it wasnt the only time Washington won an Oscar. Denzel has received 9 nominations as of 2020 Denzel Washington poses with his Best Supporting Actor Oscar award for his performance in Glory. | CHRISTOPHE D YVOIRE/Sygma via Getty Images After he took home the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his work in Glory, Washington didnt wait long to get back in the running for another Academy Award. Three years later, the Academy nominated him again this time, for his work in a leading role. Washingtons portrayal of Malcolm X in the eponymous film by Spike Lee got him right back in the running for more awards. But Washington ran into some bad luck at the 93 Oscars. That year, the Academy decided to give Al Pacino a long-overdue Oscar for Scent of a Woman. By the end of the decade, Washington was once again up for the Best Actor Oscar after playing boxer Rubin Carter in Hurricane (1999). At the 2000 Oscars, Kevin Spacey walked home with the Academy Award for his work in American Beauty. But Washingtons run of box-office success and critical acclaim simply couldnt be stopped. For his work as a crooked cop in Training Day (2001), he received his fifth of whats become nine Oscar nominations thus far in his career. And he won his first Best Actor Oscar for that role. Denzel has won 2 Oscars to date Denzel Washington | J. Vespa/WireImage At the 2002 Oscars, Washington had to beat Sean Penn, Russell Crowe, and Will Smith to win his second Academy Award. And he succeeded. After that win, Washington used some of that Oscar capital to direct his first feature film. That picture, Antwone Fisher, arrived in 2002. American Gangster, in which Washington plays Frank Lucas, followed in 2007. (That picture grossed over $250 million worldwide.) More big-budget hits came after, but Washington kept giving critics films plenty to chew over. In 2012, his work as Whip Whitaker in Flight earned him his sixth Oscar nod. The seventh and eighth nominations of his career came in 2017 for both producing and acting work in the August Wilson-penned Fences. Then Washington earned himself a ninth for his work in Roman J. Israel, Esq. Though he turned 65 in December 2019, theres no reason to think Washington will leave it there. Expect him back in the running for a third Oscar in the near future. Film fans (and everyone who profits from the industry) wouldnt have it otherwise. Also see: 2020 Oscar Voter Reveals the Sort of Biases Academy Members Have NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Douglas Elliman Real Estate, the largest brokerage in the New York Metropolitan area and the second largest independent residential real estate brokerage in the United States by sales volume, is pleased to announce that Ann Conroy has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer of the firm's Long Island Division. Conroy, who served as president of the region for Elliman for a decade, is largely credited with turning the firm into the number one brokerage by sales volume on Long Island. In her new role as CEO, Conroy is charged with the strategic expansion of the firm's Long Island footprint, agent retention and recruitment and implementing the firm's new technological and brand platforms being rolled out in March. "Ann works diligently each and every day to execute strategies to keep Douglas Elliman Long Island ahead of the competition," said Howard M. Lorber, Executive Chairman of Douglas Elliman Realty. "Her hard work and loyalty to our brand and our agents are inspiring and I look forward to Ann's continued success as CEO." With over 35 years of experience in the residential real estate business, Conroy is known for her passion for the industry, her love of the agents, her respect for the consumers, and her pride in the Douglas Elliman brand. "I carry the Douglas Elliman brand in my heart," said Conroy. "My senior management team, managers and agents are the best in the business, and they make me look good every day. I'm honored to take on this new role with the company I love." Conroy was recognized as Realtor of the Year in May 2018 by Long Island Press, selected as one of Long Island's 100 Most influential People by Long Island Press in 2019, won the Lifetime Achievement award for Top Real Estate Executive by Richner Communications Herald Community Newspapers in 2019, and was selected as one of Long Island's 100 Most Influential People by Long Island Press. She is also a member of the board of advisors with BWG Strategy. "We are proud of Ann and all of her accomplishments and are thrilled to make this appointment," said Scott Durkin, president and Chief Operating Officer at Douglas Elliman. "Ann is a true professional whose leadership is steeped in intelligence and integrity and I look forward to her continued successes as we enter this new year and decade." Ann attributes her success to her family discussions around the dinner table about business, politics and real estate, as well as her parents' love of buying and selling houses. She openly acknowledges that real estate is the greatest business on earth, and her happiest hours are those hours spent with the best and the brightest managers and agents, solving problems, overcoming objections, sharing ideas and implementing cutting edge programs for the offices she serves. About Douglas Elliman Real Estate Established in 1911, Douglas Elliman Real Estate is the largest brokerage in the New York Metropolitan area and the second largest independent residential real estate brokerage in the United States by sales volume. With more than 7,000 agents, the company operates approximately 120 offices in New York City, Long Island, The Hamptons, Westchester, Connecticut, New Jersey, Florida, California, Colorado, Massachusetts and Texas. Moreover, Douglas Elliman has a strategic global alliance with London-based Knight Frank Residential for business in the worldwide luxury markets spanning 60 countries and six continents. The company also controls a portfolio of real estate services including Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, Douglas Elliman Property Management and Douglas Elliman Commercial. For more information on Douglas Elliman as well as expert commentary on emerging trends in the real estate industry, please visit elliman.com. SOURCE Douglas Elliman Real Estate Related Links http://elliman.com The Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) is unable to say how much it has spent on its 10-year investigation into Irish Nationwide Building Society and its former chief executive Michael Fingleton. Premium articles will soon be available only to Independent.ie subscribers. The part of the inquiry relating to Mr Fingleton (82) was controversially shelved last December due to his ill health. A subsequent freedom of information request from the Irish Independent for records outlining the costs of the inquiry was rejected, with the Central Bank claiming that gathering the information would take too long and would "unreasonably interfere" with the work of its staff. Mr Fingleton, who retired in 2009 with a pension pot of 30m, could have faced a fine of up to 500,000 if he had been found to have breached banking rules. But the three-member panel conducting the inquiry found the module could not be concluded in the absence of written or oral submissions from him. The costs of the inquiry are believed to be substantial, particularly since it began public hearings in 2016. Documents previously seen by the Irish Independent showed 3m in legal and administrative costs in an 18-month period alone. But this is thought to be a fraction of what has been paid out to date. A legal practitioner team which assisted the inquiry and led the questioning of witnesses had four barristers, including Brian O'Moore and Niamh Hyland, who both recently became High Court judges. The Central Bank's enforcement unit was also represented by three counsel. In addition to this, law firm Arthur Cox was hired to provide administrative support to the Central Bank's regulatory decisions unit and assistance to the inquiry on procedural matters. The Central Bank previously disclosed the three inquiry panel members were being paid 150 an hour, subject to a maximum of 750 per day. The panel comprises solicitor Marian Shanley, barrister Ciara McGoldrick and Geoffrey McEnery, a former CEO of Lloyds TSB in Asia. They have been examining seven "suspected prescribed contraventions" by former executives at the dissolved lender, which got a 5.4bn bailout from taxpayers. In response to the Irish Independent request, the Central Bank said retrieving and examining the information sought would "substantially exceed" the "ceiling limit" prescribed under freedom of information rules. In other words, it would have taken longer than 35 hours to gather and examine the records necessary to calculate the overall costs rung up since its investigation began in 2010. The Central Bank claimed this would also "cause a substantial and unreasonable interference" in the work of its financial control, enforcement and legal divisions, where the records are held. In a subsequent statement, the Central Bank said it intended to release "comprehensive details" of the costs after the inquiry has concluded. It is not the first time the Central Bank has refused to release information on the costs of the inquiry. In 2018, it declined to provide information following a request from 'The Irish Times', claiming that to do so would "undermine" its work and encroach on the right to privacy of lawyers involved. The Central Bank faced criticism over the manner in which the Fingleton decision was announced. A notice was quietly placed on its website shortly before Christmas, but was not press released. An Indonesian woman who doctors say should receive psychiatric treatment was acquitted on Wednesday of blasphemy charges for taking a dog into a mosque. Suzethe Margareth was released after a panel of three judges at Cibinong District Court in West Java province absolved her of the charges because of her mental health. The defendant cannot be convicted because of her inability to take responsibility as she has psychiatric disorders, presiding judge Indra Meinantha Vidi said in the ruling, What she has done was part of her mental illness. Many Muslims consider dogs to be impure. A video that circulated online in Muslim-majority Indonesia last July shows a dog running around a mosque in the West Java district of Bogor while a visibly upset Margareth argues with shocked worshipers. Angered conservative Muslims pressured police to bring the case to court. Blasphemy is a criminal offence in Indonesia with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. The dog, which was chased out of the mosque, died a day later when it was hit by a car as members of an animal welfare group tried to capture it. As #AutoExpo2020 kickstarts on 6th Feb 2020 in Greater Noida, Twitter joins forces with key automakers to launch and showcase their vision for the future. Connecting audiences with the latest conversations and developments from the Expo, Twitter is working with leading auto brands such as Maruti (@Maruti_Corp), Morris Garages India (@MGMotorIn) and Hyundai India (@HyundaiIndia). On-ground activities will amplify how audiences on the platform experience the event on their timelines. According to third-party research data commissioned by Twitter, 80% of urban Indians own a car, and 92% of the population on the service are likely to act upon auto-related content on the platform, such as visiting the manufacturers websites. Findings from the study suggest that trends and car launches in the auto industry are some of the most sought after content on the platform. More than one million conversations were reported around sustainability and environment on Twitter India in 2019. This year, #AutoExpo2020 puts top gear on exploring the world of mobility with cleaner and greener technologies. In order to provide audiences with a much deeper perspective on the topic, the Maruti Pavilion at the Expo will accommodate a #TwitterGreenZone where renowned auto influencers share their views on the evolution of the Indian auto industry. Audiences on Twitter will have first-hand access to the conversation from the Maruti Pavilion as this content will be published first on Twitter. Morris Garages India (@MGMotorIn) and CNBC (@CNBCTV18News) will be producing a series of three videos at the Twitter Tech Zone in the Morris Garages Pavilion. In addition, Rajeev Chaba (@rajeev_chaba), MD and President MG Motor India will be at the Morris Garages Pavillion to talk about the companys focus on green mobility initiatives. Hyundai India (@HyundaiIndia) has partnered with Twitter to utilise the recently launched Promoted Trend Spotlight, which allows brands to be highly visible on Twitters Explore tab. Hyundai will be showcasing some of its premium cars such as the next-gen Creta, the Grand i10 Nios 1.0, and will be launching the much awaited Hyundai Tucson facelift. Twitter audiences will be the first to read reviews and watch the series auto X-Factor via the autoX (@autoX) handle. Jagran News (@JagranNews) will also feature Twitter-first bilingual content to engage audiences live and exclusive from the #AutoExpo2020. Over the years, auto brands have leveraged Twitters customisable advertising solutions to drive impactful communications with their audiences. In line with this, the #AutoExpo2020 is expected to generate highly engaging conversations and buzz on the platform. US President Donald Trump met with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, CNN reported. "Today, President Donald J. Trump will welcome Interim President Juan Guaido of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to the White House," a White House press statement said just hours before the planned meeting. "The visit is an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to the people of Venezuela and to discuss how we can work with President Guaido to expedite a democratic transition in Venezuela that will end the ongoing crisis." A spokesman for the US administration said that Washington will take new action against Venezuela in the next 30 days. Earlier, the US Treasury Department expanded the list of sanctions against Venezuela at the expense of seven citizens of the country, including well-known parliamentarians, such as Luis Parra, who was elected to the post of speaker of the Venezuelan parliament instead of Guaido, who illegally declared himself the interim head of state. Mass protests began against President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, on January 21, 2019 shortly after being sworn in. The head of the National Assembly, controlled by the opposition, Juan Guaido illegally proclaimed himself the interim head of state. A number of Western countries led by the US recognized him. While Russia, China, Turkey and several other countries supported Maduro as a legitimate president. (Newser) Epic Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff asked a federal judge Wednesday to grant him a "compassionate release" from his 150-year prison sentence, saying he has terminal kidney failure and less than 18 months to live, the AP reports. Madoff's attorney filed court papers saying the 81-year-old has end-stage kidney disease and other "chronic, serious medical conditions," including hypertension and cardiovascular disease. "There's no cure for my type of disease," Madoff told the Washington Post by phone, expressing remorse for orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history. After spending over a decade behind bars, Madoff said his dying wish is to salvage his relationships with his grandchildren. "I've served 11 years already," he said, "and, quite frankly, I've suffered through it." story continues below The US Attorney's Office in Manhattan declined to comment. Prosecutors are expected to file a motion in response to the request in the coming days. Madoff pleaded guilty in 2009 to 11 federal counts in a fraudulent investment scheme involving billions of dollars, admitting he swindled thousands of clients over decades. A so-called compassionate release would allow Madoff to "receive end-of-life care in the community, which would be more efficient, timely, and less burdensome" on the US Bureau of Prisons, Sample wrote. The Bureau of Prisons denied Madoff's request for release in December, according to court papers, saying it would "minimize the severity of his offense." The agency lists Madoff's release date as Nov. 14, 2139. (Read more Bernie Madoff stories.) Belfast Telegraph reporter Leona ONeill, who witnessed the killing of her colleague Lyra McKee, has received "vile and dangerous threats" according to her union. The threats, in the form of graffiti, appeared in the Creggan area of O'Neill's home town Derry, Northern Ireland on 4 February. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) stands by its affiliate the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in support of Leona ONeill and strongly condemns the threats. Journalist Leona ONeill, a freelance journalist and columnist for the Belfast Telegraph, posted a picture on Twitter on 4 February showing graffiti accusing her of being an informant for MI5, the security services in Nothern Ireland. According to reports, the threats appeared after ONeill reported that a republican flute band with ties political group Saoradh, had taken part in Bloody Sunday commemorations in the city last weekend. Saoradh is a political party affiliated with the New IRA a merger of groups opposing the peace process in Northern Ireland. Leona ONeill had previously endured an avalanche of threats after she revealed that she witnessed the killing of her friend and fellow journalist Lyra McKee, in April last year. The day after McKees murder, ONeill faced an online hate campaign, accusing her of fabricating her account of the killing and even being responsible for it. A joint statement by Michelle Stanistreet, general secretary of the NUJ, and Seamus Dooley, assistant general secretary, said: We strongly condemn this vile and dangerous threat. It is a clear attempt to intimidate a hard working, committed journalist. Leona has proven herself to be a journalist of resilience with a strong passion for Derry. We would call on civic and community leaders to support journalists and to defend media freedom. IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger, said: We fully stand by our colleague Leona ONeill, who continues to receive threats from those who accuse her of taking sides in the conflict. We call on the authorities to find those responsible for the threats and to protect all journalists and media workers. In November 2019, the IFJ launched new guidelines to support media and unions in providing a collective answer to online trolling. The guidelines are a part of an IFJ campaign Online trolling: You are not alone!, launched on the International Day to End Violence Against Women and Girls. The novel coronavirus will not spread beyond a health camp, where people evacuated from China are undergoing a quarantine, even if any of them is diagnosed with the infection, head of the Russian Federal Service for the Oversight of Consumer Protection and Welfare Anna Popova said. "The necessary measures have been taken so that nothing happens beyond the building, no matter how the situation develops," she told the Rossiya-24 TV channel. According to Popova, medical staff who will monitor the evacuees will not leave the camp for 14 days. On February 5, 144 people evacuated from China arrived in the Siberian city of Tyumen in two military planes. Popova pointed out that all of them were well and showed no symptoms of respiratory diseases caused by the novel coronavirus. According to recent data, over 28,500 cases of patients infected with the virus and 563 deaths have been confirmed in China. Over 1150 patients have recovered from the virus. LONDON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Getronics (the "Company"), the global IT services group, has recently received further financial backing from its lenders to invest in transformation initiatives to drive long-term growth. In connection with this announcement, Rogier Bronsgeest (COO of Getronics) and Hugo Eales will be co-leading the international business under the Getronics brand. Their focus will be on transforming the business while ensuring a continued commitment to employees, customers, and suppliers. Rogier will continue to serve in his role as Chief Operating Officer, with responsibility for managing the excellent service Getronics provides to its customers and ensuring they are at the forefront of this change. Hugo, former CFO of COLT Technology Services, has been appointed Chief Financial Officer. As previously announced, the North American business of Getronics will be relaunched under its legacy brand, Pomeroy. The North American and international businesses will continue to collaborate to serve clients globally. Rogier commented, "We are committed to operating our business with our usual high standards and continuing productive relationships with all of our customers and business partners during this period of transition at Getronics. I would like to thank our outstanding team for their dedication to providing our customers with essential capabilities and unmatched user experiences to succeed in the dynamic digital business environment. We look forward to emerging as a stronger company, better positioned for the future." "With the support of our stakeholders, we are taking proactive steps forward to improve our capital structure while continuing to provide our customers the differentiated services and solutions they expect from Getronics," said Hugo. "Getronics has a strong underlying business and the new investment will provide the financial flexibility to unlock value for all Getronics stakeholders. It reflects our stakeholders' confidence in our business and our team as we continue to execute our transformation strategy to improve cost management, drive revenue growth and enhance Getronics' global competitive position." About Getronics Getronics is a global ICT integrator with an extensive history that extends over 130 years. Our vision is to become the preferred partner in business transformation using technology and exceptional people, with a unique focus on happy clients by enabling happy employees. With nearly over 7,000 employees in 23 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, North and Latin America, Getronics' Transformation portfolio brings a strong capability and expertise around managed workspace, applications, industry specific software solutions, multi-cloud management, unified communications and security services to provide a proactive, end-to-end portfolio to enable the digital user business or consumer, in both public and private sector. SOURCE Getronics Related Links https://www.getronics.com CHICO, Calif. After a two-month search, deputies have arrested a man from a vehicle pursuit that happened at the beginning of December. The Butte County Sheriffs Office arrested 29-year-old Joshua Masterson. Deputies said on Dec. 11, they attempted to conduct a traffic stop near West East Avenue in Chico. The vehicle failed to stop and sped off. The vehicle eventually turned into a residential area, hit a citizens wooden fence, and then drove head-on into a Butte County Sheriffs Office patrol vehicle. After hitting the patrol vehicle, the car backed up and sped off. The pursuit continued to the area of West 11th Avenue, the suspect eventually left the car and ran off on foot, according to deputies. Through investigation, deputies found surveillance video from a local store and identified the driver of the vehicle to be Joshua Masterson. Detectives said they obtained an arrest warrant for Masterson for felony assault with a deadly weapon and felony evading. Masterson was also on active California State Parole and have been attempting to locate Masterson for the past two months. On February 3, Special Agents from the California Department of Corrections said they served an arrest warrant in the 15000 block of Vierra Road, Rackerby. BCSO provided air support while the warrant was served. After an extended period of time law enforcement located Masterson in the attic of the residence. Masterson was placed under arrest and booked into the Butte County Jail on the evening of Feb. 3. The Sheriffs Office is asking anyone with information about this investigation to contact Detective Vaj Thao at 530-538-7671. Shell be the worst thing that ever happened to you is the tag line for this very promising first feature written and directed by Whitney Wright. Gianna Dior dominates the movie as the femme fatale who messes with the lives of her psychotherapist, his wife and another patient. Wright draws excellent performances from her cast. Codey Steele convinces as a compassionate shrink, as does Khloe Kapri as his loving partner. In their sex scene, they take their time and enjoy each other, like real people do. Addy Santoro, in the person of Gianna, walks into Steeles house insolently and makes herself at home. She seduces a sensitive fellow patient, Seth Gamble, after taunting him. Gamble conveys much of the crazed intensity that marked his AVN Award-winning turn in Perspective. His scene with Gianna is rough but also almost tender. Next on Addys agenda is seducing Codey's wife, which she goes about with steely control as the aggressor. The two women are sensuous and appealing. Codey catches them at it and tells Addy to get the fuck out of my house now. He confronts Addy at her own rather creepy place and berates her. But he just cant resist her allure, which coming from Gianna is considerable. Adelaide seems to have gotten what she wanted, at everyone elses expense. Wright has her look straight into the camera lens as if to say, Youre next. By Kang Seung-woo Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha said Thursday that Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Korea in the first half of 2020 is still expected to go ahead despite the outbreak of a new coronavirus in China. "The agreement between the two countries that President Xi will pay a visit to Korea in the first half of the year is still effective," Kang said during a press conference at the foreign ministry in Seoul. "In close coordination with China, we are set to push forward the diplomatic schedule without any disruption." When President Moon Jae-in travelled to Beijing last December for a trilateral summit with Japan and China, it was agreed that Xi would visit Seoul in the first half of the year. This would be the first trip to Korea by Xi in six years since the Chinese leader's last visit in July 2014. Although the government has yet to specify the date, Xi was expected to come in March or early April. However, the Chinese government has had difficulty in containing the newly identified coronavirus, raising speculation that the fast-spreading epidemic could derail the visit. The foreign minister remained cautious regarding growing calls for the government to impose an extended entry ban on foreign nationals coming from areas of China outside Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. Currently the government has banned the entry of foreigners who have traveled to Hubei Province within the past 14 days. "The government has been continuing to check the situation based on a comprehensive review of the spread of the virus in China, international trends and our domestic quarantine response," Kang said. "If necessary, the government will consider taking additional action." The minister added the government also needs to consider recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO). Although the WHO declared the coronavirus as a global health emergency, its chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there was no need for measures that "unnecessarily interfere with international travel and trade" as part of global efforts to contain the coronavirus. With regarding to the stalled negotiations on defense cost-sharing between Seoul and Washington, Kang said the gap between the two countries was "still big," but they now have a better understanding about each other and are working to reach an agreement. Last month, the United States Forces Korea notified its 9,000 Korean employees of a possible furlough starting April if an agreement was not reached. The minister said, "We can't predict when a deal will be made, but we'll keep up with the negotiations while fully noting the need to protect the Korean workers' interests." A German state premier who was voted into office with the help of the far right - sparking outrage in the country - has today resigned and called new elections. Thomas Kemmerich was elected as leader of Thuringia yesterday but has now demanded a new poll to 'remove the stain of the AfD's support'. The anti-immigrant AfD had backed the liberal Kemmerich in Wednesday's vote in order to oust the left-wing incumbent Bodo Ramelow. The AfD's backing for Kemmerich was a purely tactical ploy but the result sparked anger in a country haunted by its Nazi past, where mainstream parties have vowed never to work with the far-right group. Thomas Kemmerich (pictured) was elected as premier of Thuringia yesterday with the help of the far-right AfD - sparking outrage which has led to his resignation 'We want new elections to remove the stain of the AfD's support from the office of the premiership,' Kemmerich told reporters today. 'Democrats need democratic majorities,' he said, adding that his resignation was 'unavoidable'. Christian Lindner, national leader of Kemmerich's FDP party, said he was right to free himself 'from dependency on the AfD'. But Lindner has also pre-empted a challenge to his leadership by calling a confidence vote for tomorrow amid a huge political storm over Kemmerich's victory. Yesterday's vote came after an inconclusive state election in October which left no clear path to a governing coalition. Ramelow's left-wing coalition came first but lost its majority, with the AfD second and Kemmerich's FDP only just making it into parliament. All the other parties refused to work with the AfD, while Angela Merkel's CDU would not work with Ramelow's party, which is descended from the former ruling Communists. The stalemate ended yesterday when the AfD backed Kemmerich, putting him over the line by 45 votes to 44. Kemmerich insisted that he had not asked the AfD to back him, but his victory broke a long-standing taboo against any kind of alignment with the far-right party. Josef Schuster, the president of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said he was 'horrified' by the outcome. Protesters hold a demonstration against the result outside the state chancellery in Erfurt today, with signs saying 'not my premier' and conflating the parties into the label AFDP German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who criticised members of her own party for aligning with the AfD, arrives for a weekly cabinet meeting in Berlin yesterday Thuringia is in former East Germany, where the far right is strongest and the traditional governing parties are weakest Kemmerich initially rejected to calls to resign, but gave way after less than 24 hours amid mounting pressure. Protesters outside the state chancellery in Erfurt held up signs asking if the F in FDP stood for 'fascist' and conflating the names of the two parties into the label 'AFDP'. Angela Merkel earlier called the vote 'unforgivable' and said the result 'must be reversed'. The chancellor called Wednesday's vote 'a bad day for democracy' and criticised some of her own CDU lawmakers for joining in the coalition which elected Kemmerich. 'We must now do everything we can to make clear that this can in no way be reconciled with what the CDU does and thinks,' she said. Thuringia is in former East Germany, where the far right is strongest and the traditional governing parties are weakest. The AfD in Thuringia is led by Bjoern Hoecke, one of the party's most radical figures who has called for a '180 degree turn' in Germany's atonement for Nazi crimes. A picture of Hoecke shaking hands with Kemmerich after the election win was splashed across the front pages of several German newspapers. On social media, the picture was quickly twinned with one of Adolf Hitler shaking hands with German president Paul von Hindenburg in 1933. Others recalled that it was in Thuringia in 1930 that a Nazi minister was first allowed into government. Members of the two government parties, the CDU and the centre-left SPD, organised a crisis meeting in Berlin on Saturday to discuss the issue. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has directed Vietnamese commercial affair offices abroad to connect with businesses to search for raw materials for face masks production in Vietnam. Deputy Minister Dang Hoang An made the statement at a meeting with the national steering committee for the novel coronavirus prevention and control on February 4. The ministry had worked with the Ministry of Health to implement solutions to respond to the deadly outbreak, An said. "Prices for raw materials to produce face masks are increasing, but we still have to buy them to fight against the epidemic, he said. The deputy minister also instructed textile and garment enterprises to focus on manufacturing masks from antibacterial fabrics, which are washable and reusable but still meet requirements of epidemic prevention. In emergency cases, if required, these companies should stop exporting garment products to focus on producing antibacterial masks," he noted. Production capacity may reach 30 million products per day in this case, he added. The deputy minister also said the Ministry of Industry and Trade had implemented many solutions to prevent the hoarding of goods, increasing prices and smuggling of masks. Statistics from Lang Son Department of Customs showed its border gate customs office cleared procedures for exporting 3.9 million Vietnamese medical face masks worth 92,137 USD to China from January 1 to February 3 this year. Face masks produced by Dong Xuan Knitting Company (Doximex) began being sold in Hanoi at 5pm on February 4. The products are sold at Vinatex showrooms at 25 Ba Trieu and 57B Phan Chu Trinh streets 70,000 VND for 10 masks. It is expected the company will supply the market from 300,000 to 400,000 products per day in the near future. Additionally, TNG Investment and Trading JSC in Thai Nguyen province has sent a sample of a nanometer fabric mask to the National Institute of Medical Devices and Construction to apply for a licence. If approved this week, TNG will provide one million masks for the province. The current domestic daily production scale was about three million masks on average, said Deputy Minister of Health Truong Quoc Cuong. The deputy minister worked with companies in Hanoi on producing and supplying equipment for the prevention of coronavirus on February 3. To help cope with the demand for epidemic prevention equipment, the Ministry of Health and related units had organised a working visit to urge domestic producers to accelerate production and supply of medical masks, protective clothing and medical materials, said the deputy minister. Tanaphar Joint Stock Company said the production scale of the enterprise reached 70,000 masks per day. The companys workers worked at full capacity for from January 30 to accelerate production to meet the needs of the people. Le Xuan Hien, director of Dai Uy Joint Stock Company, said the most important part of the masks was the filter. The company still had about 600 kilogrammes of filter material, if the machines operated for three shifts per day, the production scale would be nearly 100,000 masks daily, he said. However, if this progress was continued, the company would run out of raw materials for production in 10 days, he noted. The company still sells three-layer masks at 30,000 VND per box including 50 masks as before without raising prices, said the director. Both production companies said that the biggest difficulty now was finding sources of raw materials to ensure production. Therefore, the companies expected to be supported to find raw materials to increase production capacity at full capacity. They also proposed to adjust price following the increasing price of input materials./.VNA Still, the organization has recommended that its members abide by the new guidance. Since brokers would still be able to collect fees from landlords, experts said landlords would in many cases probably pass on those costs to tenants by increasing the monthly rent. Tenants would avoid paying a large, one-time brokers fee, but, over time, they could end up paying more: Instead of just paying when they move in, tenants could face paying a higher rent with the brokers fee baked in even after a tenant renews a lease. But though owners of market-rate units might be able to pass on the cost to tenants, landlords of the citys nearly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments would not. Those rents are strictly regulated by the government. The real estate industry warned that many brokers could lose their jobs or stand to make less money. Jed Wilder, a real estate broker at Compass, said that when brokers collect fees from a landlord, not the tenant an atypical arrangement in New York the fees are usually no more than one months rent. Tenants typically pay more, between 10 and 15 percent of the annual rent. Sarah Saltzberg, a broker who runs Bohemia Realty, a brokerage firm based in Harlem, said the public has a misconception about brokers. Her rental agents, she said, typically make $45,000 to $60,000 a year. These are hard-working New Yorkers that are quite frankly able to stay in this city because they have this job, she said. The agents are out there, pounding the pavement, going up and down stairs, looking at apartments that may not have been treated for bed bugs, doing some really hard work. IMAGE: US Consul General in Mumbai David J Ranz pays tribute to founder of RSS K B Hedgewar. Photograph: Courtesy @rajeshpadmar /Twitter United States Consul General in Mumbai David J Ranz on Thursday visited the memorial of K B Hedgewar, founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, in Reshimbagh area in Nagpur. He was accompanied by RSS's Nagpur unit chief Rajesh Loya as he paid tribute at the 'Smriti Mandir'. The US envoy is also expected to visit Deekshabhoomi in the city where Dr B R Ambedkar converted to Buddhism with lakhs of his followers in 1956, government sources said. Chang Wen Lai is certainly driven. In just five years, the 32-year-old entrepreneur has built up a multimillion-dollar international express delivery business responsible for delivering a million parcels a day on behalf of some of Southeast Asia's biggest retailers. But it wasn't always an easy ride for the Ninja Van CEO. In fact, it took three abandoned corporate careers and one failed fashion line for Lai and his co-founders, Boxian Tan and Shaun Chong, kick-start their entrepreneurial vision. "It's been a long journey," Lai recently told CNBC Make It. Starting up It all started back in 2015. Lai had recently quit his job as a Barclays trader to capitalize on Singapore's booming e-commerce market and launch a men's online fashion line with friends Tan and Chong. "Every time we had an online customer we went 'wow, that's really easy to get a customer, no shop, nothing required," said Lai. But as the young founders soon found out, making sales was just the beginning. Foolishly I said: 'Why don't we open a logistics company to solve this problem.' Chang Wen Lai co-founder and CEO, Ninja Van "The pain only hit after that when we had to deliver the parcel," said Lai, who relied on local couriers to get his orders out. "I think the entire logistics industry was not set up for e-commerce at that point in time." So, he decided to do something about it. "I thought 'how hard can it be?' Just get a load of trucks, make sure you deliver on your promises and get it done. So foolishly I said: 'Why don't we open a logistics company to solve this problem: It should be easy, in a year we should be done and let's find something else to do,'" Lai recalled. Hitting the road Weeks later, the trio were up and running, pooling their savings to buy a second-hand van and leaving behind stable jobs in finance and engineering to create a technology-driven delivery service. Initially, they ran the company, named Ninja Van, in tandem with their fashion line, figuring it was "highly synergistic" to have one business generating volume for another. Ninja Van's co-founders deliver their early orders with a second-hand van. Ninja Van But after a year of juggling both, something had to give: The friends shut down their clothing business to focus on Ninja Van full time. "We realized that the fashion business wasn't necessarily our forte," joked Lai. "We decided let's focus on a business which we felt could scale a lot better and not just in Singapore, but across the region." A growing opportunity Though he didn't know it then, Lai was onto something. Back in 2014, Southeast Asia was home to one of the world's fast-growing e-commerce markets, thanks to rising internet penetration and an expanding middle class. Yet, when it came to delivering orders, the region was lagging behind. I would say I knew more about the micro aspects than the macro trend when I started it. Chang Wen Lai co-founder and CEO, Ninja Van According to the World Bank, Southeast Asian nations, with the exception of Singapore, consistently rank poorly for logistics infrastructure due to the region's fragmented geographic landscape and poor government planning. "I would say I knew more about the micro aspects than the macro trend when I started it," noted Lai. "It was: 'I'm an e-commerce seller, I know the pain points, I know how to solve it," he continued. "We thought a bit less about 'this is a big macro trend, e-commerce is going to grow in ways we never imagined." Fast expansion The founders soon found they weren't the only ones looking for a modernized delivery solution. Months after launching the service in Singapore , Ninja Van expanded to Malaysia and Indonesia in 2015. By 2016, the business was live in Vietnam, the Philippines and Thailand. The company now claims to have 100% coverage in each of those markets, and plans to go live in Brunei later this year. Ninja Van's co-founders Boxian Tan, Chang Wen Lai and Shaun Chong. Ninja Van Lai said he believes that has everything to do with Ninja Van's technology-led model, which has enabled the business to scale quickly and empower its drivers, known as Ninjas, to efficiently sort and deliver orders even in the most remote locations. Indeed, in 2014, Ninja Van became the first logistics company in Singapore to provide real-time tracking updates. It later harnessed algorithms to optimize route deliveries and save on fuel. "The less people have to think, the more scalable a business gets, the more consistent a business gets," said Lai. Dealing with competition Those innovations will be crucial if the company is to grow its customer base as competition heats up. Ninja Van is one of a host of logistics firms, including GoGoVan, Lalamove and Logivan, to launch over Asia in the last few years and they show no signs of abating. In fact, Southeast Asia's third-party logistics market is expected to grow at an annual rate of more than 5% over the next five years to be worth $55.7 billion by 2025. I think continuing to focus on growing their revenue at a sustainable rate will put them in the right position to take advantage of any opportunity. Kuo-Yi Lim managing partner, Monk's Hill Ventures But the CEO said he's confident he can set his business apart. That includes by directly employing his fleet of 20,000 drivers, who, unlike the freelancers used by competitors, Lai said have a vested interest in ensuring the business is built to last. "The reality in our business is it is not as though one day we have a million parcels and the next we have 10. There's a baseload requirement," said Lai. "The baseload requirement is best served by people who know they are being taken care of, by people who are experienced in their job, by people who are tech-enabled." Sustainable growth As the three entrepreneurs continue to expand the company, reaching profitability will now be a key goal. Lai said the company is profitable in some countries; in some others it is "close." Kuo-Yi Lim of Monk's Hill Ventures, one of Ninja Van's early investors, told CNBC Make It that's a target he set for the founders early on. Lim, who took a stake in 2014, said he told the founders then to focus on two things: Growing revenues and doing so sustainably. "I think continuing to focus on growing their revenue at a sustainable rate will put them in the right position to take advantage of any opportunity from a financial perspective," he said, highlighting possible future initial public offerings or strategic partnerships. Ninja Van staff assembled at the express delivery company's Singapore warehouse. Ninja Van HOUSTON, Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kirby Corporation ("Kirby") (KEX) announced today that Kirby will present at the Stifel 2020 Transportation & Logistics Conference on Wednesday, February 12, 2020. Specifics of the conference presentation are as follows: Stifel 2020 Transportation & Logistics Conference Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2020 Time: 9:55 a.m. Eastern / 8:55 a.m. Central Presenters: David Grzebinski, President and CEO Bill Harvey, Executive VP of Finance and CFO Location: Miami Beach, FL A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available to the public and a replay will be available for 90 days after the presentation by visiting Kirbys website at http://www.kirbycorp.com . A copy of the materials prepared by Kirby for the presentation will be available on Kirbys website at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, February 12, 2020. Kirby Corporation, based in Houston, Texas, is the nations largest domestic tank barge operator transporting bulk liquid products throughout the Mississippi River System, on the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, coastwise along all three United States coasts, and in Alaska and Hawaii. Kirby transports petrochemicals, black oil, refined petroleum products and agricultural chemicals by tank barge. In addition, Kirby participates in the transportation of dry-bulk commodities in United States coastwise trade. Through the distribution and services segment, Kirby provides after-market service and parts for engines, transmissions, reduction gears, and related equipment used in oilfield services, marine, power generation, on-highway, and other industrial applications. Kirby also rents equipment including generators, industrial compressors, railcar movers, and high capacity lift trucks for use in a variety of industrial markets, and manufactures and remanufactures oilfield service equipment, including pressure pumping units, for land-based oilfield service customers. Contact: Eric Holcomb 713-435-1545 In 1838, Georgetown University sold 272 people to Louisiana to save the university from bankruptcy. Among those that were sold were my ancestors. That university would not be here today had it not been for my grandparents. That was a long time ago, but the effects of that are still felt today. There are disproportionate negative outcomes for those who are descendants of slaves that can only be explained by the fact that this enslavement happened, reparation didnt happen, and now is the time. In October, Georgetown University announced that they would raise $400,000 a year for the descendants of the 272 enslaved Americans that were sold to Louisiana. They said this money will be spent beginning in the fall of 2020. My family might be making history in the United States. I might become one of the first in the history of America to receive reparations. Mechanicville is the area that is heavily populated with Georgetown descendants, including myself where I grew up. And Mechanicville is less than a half a mile away from where the plantations were where our ancestors were enslaved. I mean, you had people on very low income. Sometimes, they didnt have any income. Some of us have done well if we were able to get out and get an education, and a lot of us havent. And they could really use some assistance or help. Mom? Hm? We might be the first that receive some form of reparations for slavery. It may start with you. Well, I think it would be a wonderful thing. Start out with me and then continue on with everybody who would be in need. There is so much I missed out on, but from the goodness of God, Im still here. My mom I will never forget had one dress. Shed wash that dress out at night and hang it on the back of her chair to the fireplace to dry to have it to put on the next day. And my mom patches on top of patches. So what do you think that just maybe one thing you think that Georgetown should do? Well, my house could be upgraded, for one thing. In my community where I grew up, reparations would definitely help. If I was given reparations, I would definitely set some of that money aside for my sons future. My first thing is to get something for the elderly people. I would feel that my ancestors are rejoicing in heaven. Its $400,000. For each family? No. [CHUCKLING] Its just $400,000 for over 7,000 people. Oh my. Not much. Do you think $400,000 comes close to what we need as a people? So its $400,000. Yes. O.K., so the descendants thats living now you put that at how many, about 8,000? Theres about 8,000. Theres probably more. Equal $50. $50. Its a slap in the face. Not just a slap in the face, thats a kick in the behind also. Georgetown University is currently deciding how this money will be spent, but said it will go towards projects that support descendant communities. I think Georgetown has such an opportunity here to take the lead on this. I dont think they should go bankrupt, but $400,000 is not going to do it. Someone in authority at Georgetown needs to come down and actually meet with each descendant and see what each descendant needs. We dont need to make white people wrong. We dont need to make Georgetown wrong. We need to ask ourselves, what do we need to do to ensure that all of Americans have full access to every right that it means to be an American? Sesa sen By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Kolkata-based diversified conglomerate Emami Group has agreed to sell its cement unit to Nuvoco Vistas Corporation Ltd -- a subsidiary of Nirma Group -- in an effort to pare debt. In a regulatory filing, the group on Thursday said it has entered into a binding agreement with Nuvoco Vistas for the sale of Emami Cement Limited (ECL) for an enterprise value of Rs. 5,500 crore. The transaction is subject to approval from the Competition Commission and is expected to be completed in the next 3-4 months, the company said. Emami Cement operates one integrated cement plant in Risdah, Chhattisgarh; and grinding units in Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha with a total installed capacity of 8.3 million tonnes per annum; and with mining leases in Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh. We believe this is an important step in our groups objective of becoming debt-free and with this transaction we will substantially achieve this objective, said Manish Goenka, director at Emami Group. Earlier, RS Agarwal and RS Goenka, promoters of Emami Group, had said it aims to become debt-free by May this year. As part of its deleveraging plans, promoters had sold 20 per cent stake in listed flagship fast moving consumer goods company Emami Ltd last year. The promoters also sold a 10 per cent stake in the company for Rs 1,600 crore in February and followed it up with another 10 per cent for Rs 1,230 crore in June to reduce their debt. According to analysts of Investec Securities, the deal will reduce Emanis debt significantly and will bring down pledged shareholding to 32 per cent compared with 72 per cent before the transaction. Total debt of the company stood at Rs 2,600 crore as of August 2019. The acquisition will bring Nuvoco's total cement capacity in Eastern, Northern and Western India to 23.5 million tonnes (which includes the ongoing capacity expansion project in its Jojobera plant) and over 60 ready-mix plants. The combined operations will span three facilities in Chhattisgarh, two each in Rajasthan and West Bengal, and one each in Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Haryana. Emami Cement will enable us to take our Cement business to the next level and continue to serve our customers with innovative and high-quality products that they trust, said Hiren Patel, chairman of Nuvoco. Nuvocos cement sales will spread across 12 states: Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, NCR region, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. An auctioneer discovered a drawer full of valuable coins as he walked through a ruined cottage located in a remote West Country Valley. The coins were reportedly in mint condition and were sold for 80,000 at Wotton Auction Rooms. John Rolfe who had no expectations when he began exploring the dilapidated establishment, told an international news agency that it was 'mind-blowing' and that he 'felt like a pirate in a grotto'. Rolfe had found an entire drawer full of valuable coins, he even found a coin in sugar cubes in a bowl. All the coins were later removed from the cottage near Stroud, in Gloucestershire. However, the precise location of the cottage along with the coin collector who had died a few months ago have not yet been disclosed on the request of the family. But, according to reports, it is understood that the person was a former City of London worker who then lived alone after retiring. Read - 'Masterchef India' Feb 1 And 2: Auction Of Ingredients And The Chocolate Challenge Most valuable coin set of the lot The hoarder of such precious coins reportedly had an eye for gold and therefore all coins were kept in great condition. Most of the pieces were also kept in their original plastic along with the receipts. Out of all the coins Rolfe found, the most valuable lot was No 210, a 1937 specimen coin set comprising a 5 coin and sovereigns in a Morocco leather case, which singularly was reportedly sold for 8,000. Read - Mario Buatta's Personal Collection Sold For $7.6 Million At 2-day Auction According to international reports, there were also some coins commemorating royal occasions, historical events and figures along with some celebrating great artists and marking sporting events. There was also an entire set minted for the Queen's jubilee in 2002 along with box and paperwork that was sold for 5,000. An individual also paid at least 3,400 for a set of Channel Islands gold coins that were produced to mark the 150th anniversary of Duke of Wellington's death. Rolfe later also explained how he got to know about the cottage from the solicitors for the family of the deceased. In for a penny, in for a pound! The January catalogue is now live and features 150 lots of coins from an unreserved private collection.https://t.co/vgRhCWrxaL#auction #coins pic.twitter.com/dv6FHdqzDm Wotton Auctions (@Wotton_Auctions) January 22, 2020 Read - Greece Starts 15-year Bond Auction As Market Rates Favorable Read - 'Harry Potter' First Edition Hardback Bought For 28p Auctioned For 28,000 Supr Daily, a daily grocery delivery service, has launched its first brand campaign called #BeSuprDaily. Designed around four short digital videos, the campaign focuses on the introduction of a new category of daily grocery delivery that enables customers to buy fresh and eat fresh, every single day. The films were rolled out on 4th February, 2020 across the brands digital and social media platforms. The videos depict what the family setup in a new, young India looks like: the new age father for whom taking care of kids is a part of being a parent; the home where a woman working is not something to celebrate, but the norm. The narrative of these videos focuses on real people and real stories. Stories inspired by Supr Daily customers. Through these insights, Supr Daily realised that their service is most useful to families in more ways than one. Whether it is a large family deciding what to get for breakfast the next day, a father who wants to make eating fruits fun for his child, or a working mom who worries about her familys needs even when shes out of town. Commenting on the launch, Puneet Kumar, Founder & CEO, Supr Daily, said, At Supr Daily, we are aspiring to revolutionise the way India shops for groceries; ensuring that our customers not only buy fresh, but eat fresh too. We truly believe in offering consumers the convenience of no minimum order, delivering even a single apple or just a pack of curd. We understand that our customers lead very busy lives, and we want to do our part by simplifying it, enabling them to order as late as 11 pm, and delivering by 7 am the next day. This campaign does a beautiful job of establishing the category and highlights Supr Dailys key offerings in our customers mind. With over 2 lakh daily orders across six cities, Supr Daily has established itself as the market leader in a very short span of time. With strong operations in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai, Supr Daily has witnessed a 20-fold increase in monthly users in the last 10 months alone. The company has also recently refreshed their brand identity and launched a new logo to signify the brands core essence of helping the customer experience more, with less. The #BeSuprDaily campaign was conceptualized and created in collaboration with Famous Innovations & Chaser Films. The video ads have managed to quickly establish a strong connect with the target audience, who took to social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to show support for the campaign. Police in Lesotho fear the prime minister's current wife could flee to South Africa while on bail after she was charged this week of murdering the premier's estranged wife. Maesaiah Thabane, 42, was detained and charged this week for the murder of Prime Minister Thomas Thabane's estranged wife Lipolelo, who was shot dead near her home in the capital, Maseru, on June 14, 2017, at the age of 58. Her lawyer claims Maesaiah needs to travel to South Africa for medical reasons. The deputy police commissioner (DCP) said he is concerned the 42-year-old could escape justice if allowed to travel. Her lawyer Rethabile Setlojoane said she would not comment on the allegations as she has yet to enter a plea. Maesaiah Thabane, wife of Lesotho's Prime Minister Thomas Thabane, is pictured in court yesterday charged with murdering his previous wife two days before he took office in 2017, in Maseru, Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane last month said he would leave office on the grounds of old age but gave no time frame for his departure (pictured at the UN in September last year) The prime minister and Maesaiah married a few months after Lipolelo's murder in 2017 Maesaiah was remanded in custody on Tuesday along with eight others in Lesotho and South Africa for the 2017 murder, police confirmed. Deputy police commissioner Paseka Mokete said that there was a 'strong case' against the first lady and that investigations had been 'satisfactorily completed'. Thabane absconded after being summoned as part of an investigation into the killing. Thabane and his first wife were involved in bitter divorce proceedings when the 58-year-old was gunned down outside her home in Lesotho's capital, two days before her husband's inauguration. New evidence surfaced in early January, when a letter from Lesotho's police chief was made public alleging that communication records from the day of the crime picked up the prime minister's mobile number. This undated photo shows Lesotho's first lady Maesaiah Thabane, addressing a crowd in Lesotho's capital Maseru Lipolelo Thabane (pictured in an undated photo), whose death sent shockwaves through the country, was assassinated outside her home in Maseru in June 2017 Thomas Thabane, who is now 80, has since bowed to pressure and offered to resign at a date not yet disclosed. He has also been questioned by the police over the killing. But his current wife vanished when the police called her in to testify last month, prompting the issuing of an arrest warrant. The murder of Lipolelo Thabane sent shock waves through the tiny mountain kingdom, which is ringed by South Africa and has a long history of political turmoil. Senior members of the ruling All Basotho Convention (ABC) party have accused the prime minister of hampering investigations into the killing. A picture taken in Maseru, Lesotho, on February 2, 2020 shows the exterior of the Palace of Justice of Lesotho Thabane last month said he would leave office on the grounds of old age but gave no time frame for his departure. Hundreds of opposition supporters marched through the streets of Maseru on the day the prime minister was quizzed by police, demanding he step down with immediate effect. Maesaiah Thabane was picked up on the border with South Africa following an arrangement between her lawyer and the police. Flash A total of 21 countries and the United Nations Children's Fund have donated epidemic prevention and control supplies to China, a foreign ministry spokesperson said Wednesday. Those countries are the Republic of Korea (ROK), Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Hungary, Belarus, Turkey, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand, as well as Trinidad and Tobago, spokesperson Hua Chunying said at an online press briefing. Some other countries have also expressed their willingness to donate supplies, and people in many countries have offered support in various means, Hua said, adding that China welcomes and thanks the understanding, support and help from the international community. Noting that Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has recently commended and appreciated China's anti-coronavirus measures again in Chinese on twitter, Hua said it demonstrated the sincere and traditional friendship between people of the two countries. Iran has provided 3 million surgical masks and expressed readiness to offer more assistance for China to fight against the virus, Hua said. Hua noted that ROK President Moon Jae-in, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and many other state leaders and people from all walks of life have expressed their understandings to China as well. She said China would continue to share information and strengthen cooperation with other countries in an open, transparent and responsible manner to safeguard the health of Chinese people and contribute to global and regional public health security. "We have full confidence and capability in winning this battle at an early date," Hua said. DES MOINES, Iowa - The Associated Press said Thursday that it is unable to declare a winner of Iowas Democratic caucuses. Following the Iowa Democratic Partys release of new results late Thursday night, former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg leads Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders by two state delegate equivalents out of 2,152 counted. That is a margin of 0.09 percentage points. However, there is evidence the party has not accurately tabulated some of its results, including those released late Thursday that the party reported as complete. The APs tabulation of the partys results are at 99% of precincts reporting, with data missing from one of 1,765 precincts, among other issues. Further, even as the Iowa Democratic Partys effort to complete its tabulation of the caucus results continued Thursday, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez asked the Iowa Democratic Party to conduct a recanvass. That is not a recount, but rather a check of the vote count to ensure the results were added correctly. Perez sought the recanvass following days of uncertainty about the results reported by the Iowa Democratic Party, which includes technology problems with the mobile phone app used by the party to collect results from caucus sites, an overwhelming number of calls to the partys backup phone system and a subsequent delay of several days of reporting the results. The Iowa Democratic Party suggested it may not comply with Perezs request, issuing a statement that said it would conduct a recanvass if one was requested by one of the candidates. The Associated Press calls a race when there is a clear indication of a winner. Because of a tight margin between former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders and the irregularities in this years caucus process, it is not possible to determine a winner at this point, said Sally Buzbee, APs senior vice-president and executive editor. The AP will continue to monitor the race, as well as the results of any potential recanvass or recount. A Chinese man has caught the killer coronavirus within just 15 seconds of standing next to an infected woman at a market. The unidentified 56-year-old, known only as 'patient five', stood close to 'patient two' a 61-year-old carrier of the deadly SARS-like infection. Jiangbei Health Commission, the man's local authority, revealed neither patient wore a face mask to protect themselves. Officials have confirmed the man caught the virus which has struck nearly 30,000 people worldwide after his brief encounter with the infected woman. More than 560 people have now died in the outbreak, which has spread to almost 30 countries or territories outside of China, including the UK and US. It comes as scientists announced today they are finally on the verge of naming the never-before-seen virus, which can spread through coughs and sneezes. The unidentified 56-year-old, known only as 'patient five', stood close to 'patient two' a 61-year-old carrier of the deadly infection at the Shuangdongfang market (pictured) in Ningbo The man, who is thought to be from the coastal city of Ningbo, stood inside a booth with the infected woman at 7.47am local time (pictured, the market) Almost 30,000 people have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus, which has devastated China. Most cases around the world are among people who caught it in China and then travelled out of the country WUHAN CORONAVIRUS: WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR What is this virus? The 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 500 people have so far died after testing positive for the virus. What are the symptoms? Some people who catch the Wuhan coronavirus 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. 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. CLICK HERE TO SEE MAILONLINE'S FULL Q&A ON THE CORONAVIRUS Advertisement Officials are tracking the 14-day history of the 56-year-old man, who caught the virus at the Shuangdongfang market on January 23. The man, who is thought to be from the coastal city of Ningbo, stood inside a booth with the infected woman at 7.47am local time. It is unclear how officials know he only stood next to her for 15 seconds. Doctors claim he had had no previous contact with animals and was not acquainted with any other confirmed carriers of the virus. After his encounter with the infected woman, he visited two more supermarkets and finally a restaurant before he was diagnosed on February 4. Jiangbei health officials said 19 individuals who had close contact with the patients among 18 carriers in the city of Ningbo have been quarantined. China is scrambling to find bed space for thousands of newly infected patients, it was revealed today. The locked-down city of Wuhan, in the coronavirus-ravaged Hubei province, is due to open a second field hospital offering 1,600 beds. The first hospital, with 1,000 beds, opened earlier this week to allow doctors more space to treat the thousands that have been struck down. Authorities have said they are converting public buildings into temporary medical facilities to deal with the influx of sick people. It was also revealed today that Tencent, the second largest company in China, may have inadvertently leaked the true extent of the coronavirus death toll. The tech conglomerate reportedly listed figures for the coronavirus showing 154,023 were infected and 24,589 dead on Saturday. Tencent's webpage titled 'Epidemic Situation Tracker' was swiftly updated to reflect the official figures of 14,446 infected and 304 dead, Taiwan News reported. It comes amid widespread speculation that the Communist Party in Beijing may be suppressing the ravages of the deadly flu-like virus. Although the subject of news articles, social media posts and political discussions throughout the past month, the coronavirus that is rapidly sweeping the world has not yet got an approved name. It has been dubbed 2019-nCoV, which means it is a novel (new) type of coronavirus discovered in 2019, but this is just a temporary placeholder. Experts say the difficulty of containing the coronavirus is that so many patients have mild, cold-like symptoms and don't realise they have the infection but it can quickly turn deadly HOW MANY CASES ARE THERE IN EACH COUNTRY? CHINA JAPAN SINGAPORE THAILAND SOUTH KOREA HONG KONG AUSTRALIA GERMANY MALAYSIA US TAIWAN MACAU VIETNAM FRANCE UAE CANADA INDIA PHILIPPINES UK ITALY RUSSIA BELGIUM SWEDEN SPAIN FINLAND NEPAL SRI LANKA CAMBODIA WORLD TOTAL 28,086 45 28 25 23 21 14 12 14 12 11 10 10 6 5 5 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 28,346 Advertisement Other unofficial names for it have emerged, including the China coronavirus, Wuhan coronavirus and even the inaccurate 'snake flu'. But scientists at the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) say they have chosen a name for the bug and submitted it for official approval. The experts have not yet revealed the name they settled on but say it could be announced within days. It must not contain geography, human names or cultural references to avoid abusive backlash or potential racism. Yesterday, it was revealed that a Chinese baby born to a Wuhan coronavirus patient had been diagnosed with the deadly disease 30 hours after being delivered. Doctors in China said they feared that the infection could be passed from mothers to their babies in the womb. The news came after experts claimed that the virus might also be spread by faeces. The infected child, whose gender was not been revealed, was born in Wuhan on Sunday. Their mother had been confirmed to have the coronavirus before going into labour. Medics gave the baby a test 30 hours later and the result turned out to be positive. The baby was then transferred to the Wuhan Children's Hospital, which has been appointed by the government to treat all infected children. The three-day-old baby's condition was stable and it was being closely monitored, the hospital announced through a post on its official social media account today. We've lost count of how many times insiders have accumulated shares in a company that goes on to improve markedly. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Prima Industrie SpA (BIT:PRI). What Is Insider Buying? It is perfectly legal for company insiders, including board members, to buy and sell stock in a company. 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 Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year. Check out our latest analysis for Prima Industrie Prima Industrie Insider Transactions Over The Last Year Over the last year, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Executive Chairman Gianfranco Carbonato for 83k worth of shares, at about 16.76 per share. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of 16.32. Their view may have changed since then, but at least it shows they felt optimistic at the time. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when an insider has purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price. Gianfranco Carbonato was the only individual insider to buy shares in the last twelve months. Gianfranco Carbonato purchased 10.00k shares over the year. The average price per share was 16.62. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction! BIT:PRI Recent Insider Trading, February 6th 2020 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. Story continues Insider Ownership of Prima Industrie Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. It appears that Prima Industrie insiders own 10% of the company, worth about 17m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders. So What Does This Data Suggest About Prima Industrie Insiders? There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Insiders do have a stake in Prima Industrie and their transactions don't cause us concern. Of course, the future is what matters most. So if you are interested in Prima Industrie, you should check out this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. 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. With four small children running around, were sure things can get very hectic in Kim Kardashian and Kanye Wests home. Though the makeup mogul and the rapper manage to keep their minimalist Calabasa mansion looking spotless that doesnt stop accidents from happening. In fact, though the A-list couple has tried to maintain the pristine common areas in their home while allowing North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm the freedom to do as they please in their bedrooms and in their playroom, disasters and scary accidents still happen. In fact, Kardashian just revealed an utterly horrific accident that left her youngest daughter, Chicago, with a massive scar on her face. Do Kim Kardashian and Kanye Wests children get along? Its no secret that Kimyes eldest child, six-year-old North, was not a fan of her little brother Saint, after being an only child for so long. In 2017 while appearing on Live! with Kelly and Ryan, Kardashian revealed, She does not like her brother. Its so hard for me. Luckily, North is above that now, and she often just ignores her siblings instead. North acts like an only child at all times, the KKW Beauty mogul told People in 2019. I think shes a little confused. Shes beyond jealousy now. Shes just like, Its my world. She said to me the other day, Mom we just need to have another baby brother so that Saint can just leave me alone so the girls can be on this side of the house and the boys can be on that side of the house. She has a sign on her door that says, No boys allowed. She wont even let Saint step foot in her room. If he does or if hes with me and I have to take care of both of them its like full war. Thankfully North seems to be enjoying her siblings more these days. Chicago West just celebrated her second birthday Though her older siblings might have their tiffs Kimyes youngest daughter, Chicago is a carefree middle child who just celebrated her second birthday. Kardashian and West threw little Chicago a gorgeous Minnie-Mouse- themed tea party that including painting stations for the kids, pink and gold decor as well as tea, macarons, a Minnie Mouse cake and tons and tons of pink roses sprinkled. Unfortunately, just weeks after her adorable birthday celebration, Chicago took a nasty fall and had to get stitches in her face. This is how Chicago West cut her whole face As an aspiring attorney, beauty mogul, businesswoman, mother, wife and reality star, Kardashians days are stuffed full. The whole day is chaotic, but Im very micromanaging., she explained on Good Morning America. I get up at 5:40 [am], in the gym by 6:00, done by 7:00. They wake up, I get them up at 7:05. Breakfast at 7:30. Out the door by 7:55. Like, its super micro-managed. However, everything cant be planned especially when terrifying things happen.The other day, my daughter, Chicago fell out of her high chair, [and] cut her whole face, the Skims founder revealed. Stuff happens, and you just got to roll with it. Thankfully despite having a scar, Chicago is going to be perfectly fine. For more than half a century, scholars have maintained that prosecutors convicted the wrong men in the assassination of Malcolm X. Now, 55 years after that bloody afternoon in February 1965, the Manhattan district attorneys office is reviewing whether to reinvestigate the murder. Some new evidence comes from a six-part documentary called Who Killed Malcolm X?, streaming on Netflix Feb. 7, which posits that two of the men convicted could not have been at the scene that day. Instead it points the finger at four members of a Nation of Islam mosque in Newark, N.J., depicting their involvement as an open secret in their city. One even appeared in a 2010 campaign ad for then-Newark mayor Cory Booker. SAN MATEO, Calif., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, a U.S. federal court judge in Northern California confirmed an arbitration ruling in favor of 1955 Capital against China Fortune Land Development ("CFLD", 600340.SS) and its subsidiary Global Industrial Investment Ltd. (GIIL). The judge upheld an arbitrator's ruling that CFLD and GIIL's commitment to invest $200 million into 1955 Capital's funds constitutes a valid and ongoing contractual obligation. CFLD's attempts to obtain a return of its initial deposit of $80 million were rejected, and the funds are secure and continue to be available to 1955 Capital for investment. The arbitrator also awarded the venture capital firm more than $9.3 million in attorneys' fees and costs as the prevailing party, which GIIL has not paid to date. "Judicial confirmation of the arbitrator's carefully reasoned 140-page award is an important victory, but was exactly what I think everyone expected," said Robert Varian of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, who represents the funds. "The award that the court confirmed rejected a myriad of unfounded attacks that had been made in an attempt to invalidate the underlying contracts. The validity of the investment agreements, and the limited partners' obligations under them, were reaffirmed." The judge upheld the arbitrator's ruling that CFLD and GIIL, Chinese investors in 1955 Capital's funds, had breached their contracts with 1955 Capital and acted in bad faith. The arbitrator rejected a series of false accusations and meritless legal claims that were asserted by CFLD and GIIL in a failed attempt to evade their obligations and invalidate the investment contracts. He confirmed that the contracts between 1955 Capital and GIIL are binding on both GIIL and on CFLD, GIIL's corporate parent. "We will continue as active partners with our portfolio companies, which are achieving great things, and aim to make more promising investments," said Andrew Chung. "Our portfolio companies have progressed well, and despite all of CFLD's efforts to frustrate our operations, we expect the funds' performance to be strong. Because we called a significant portion of investor capital into escrow upfront, we have ample funds with which to move forward. We remain steadfast toward our original goal of inventing a new global future with 1955 Capital, and we are grateful to everyone who continues to stand by us." 1955 Capital has asserted counterclaims against CFLD and GIIL in a second arbitration for, among other things, CFLD's continued bad faith conduct in attempting to thwart the purpose of the Funds, for violation of CFLD's confidentiality obligations by disclosing confidential information related to the Funds, and for damages arising from CFLD's interference with 1955 Capital's relationships with existing and prospective portfolio companies. Claims made by GIIL in this second arbitration related to 1955's investment mandate are baseless and refuted by CFLD's own public shareholder notices and communications with 1955. "Recent accusations made publicly by CFLD after they lost the initial arbitration are categorically false. It is a renewed attempt to escape their contractual obligations by either repeating very narrow claims that were already litigated or continuing to fabricate new ones. The key dispute was resolved with the victory from the first arbitration, and we expect to prevail on any future claims," said Andrew Chung. The arbitration ruling affirming the validity of the investment contracts, and the ongoing contractual obligations that CFLD and GIIL have under them, has been converted to a federal court judgment. More information is available at www.1955.capital/litigationfaqs. About 1955 Capital 1955 Capital was founded by Andrew Chung to invest in companies that can address the developing world's most pressing challenges related to energy, healthcare, food, agriculture, education and sustainable manufacturing. With over a decade of experience investing in these sectors at leading global firms like Khosla Ventures and Lightspeed Ventures, Chung has experience in identifying technologies with significant impact potential in developing countries and supporting entrepreneurs in developing mutually productive partnerships. The firm is based in San Mateo, California. Contact: Robert P. Varian Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP 415-773-5934 [email protected] SOURCE 1955 Capital Related Links http://www.1955.capital An internet prankster led a residents' WhatsApp group on a merry dance by announcing someone had broken into his home - only to reveal the fictional intruder merely 'hid his TV remote'. The Twitter user, who goes by the name Sir Michael, is an Irish online personality known for his elaborate text ploys, which sees him infiltrate group chats and cause chaos. His latest scheme saw him join a well-meaning community Whatsapp group he'd found on Facebook. He sent his mobile number to be added to the group for residents of a particular street in his native city of Waterford. 'Was the victim of crime today but I received very little sympathy from the members of this group chat I found on Facebook,' Michael tweeted on Tuesday 'Was the victim of crime today but I received very little sympathy from the members of this group chat I found on Facebook,' Michael tweeted on Tuesday. He attached screen grabs of the hilarious conversation that ensued between him and its members, racking up nearly 45,000 likes and almost 9,000 retweets. Michael began by messaging the group chat asking if any of his fellow residents saw anything 'suspicious' on the street as someone had 'robbed his house'. The prankster, who said he was 'looking for clues', was inundated with support, with one person asking whether he has CCTV installed at the fictional address. 'Yeah, I have 12 security cameras but nobody showed up on them,' he said, adding that the police were 'refusing to help' so he's conducting his own investigation. The Waterford-based comic attached screen grabs of the hilarious conversation that ensued, raking in nearly 45k likes and almost 9,000 retweets Responding to an actual resident who said he should let them know 'if there's anything we can do', cheeky Michael proceeded to request an alibi from each of them. 'Am not accusing anyone, just want to eliminate you from all my inquiries. Thanks (sic),' he wrote, turning up the heat a bit. The person who had been responding to Michael most, a man called Conor, said he was at work on the morning of the fictional crime and urged Michael to pursue his inquiries elsewhere, as the people in the group 'are all decent'. Determined Michael pushed on, writing: 'What's the number of the place you work? Just want to give them a quick call to confirm your whereabouts.' A woman called Grace then entered the fray, offering to help with any clean up operation and urging Michael not to 'accuse' anyone despite his 'stressful' situation. The Twitter user, who goes by the name Sir Michael, is an Irish online personality known for his elaborate text ploys, where he infiltrates group chats and causes chaos Michael then offered a 'quick update' on his 'investigation'. He wrote: 'Turns out they didn't "steal" the remote control as such. They just hid it between the cushions of my sofa.' He was promptly removed from the group chat 'No, they didn't make a mess. They just took the TV remote control,' he told Grace, prompting a bewildered response from her and another group member called Caoimhe. Caoimhe then chipped in: 'Sorry, no one breaks into a house and only steals the remote,' with Conor acting the amateur detective and adding: 'Also, they weren't seen on any of the 12 security cameras,' alongside a monocle emoji. Comedian Michael shot back: 'I don't know if you're being deliberately obtuse but remote controls are easier to carry than TVs so it makes sense.' 'I'm not being obtuse it's just that a remote control is no use without a telly,' replied a perplexed Caoimhe. Michael then reasoned: 'I know but they might have been planning to buy the same TV and now they can get a discount because they won't have to buy the remote control for it.' Michael sent his mobile number to be added to the group for residents of a particular street in his native Waterford, prompted by this post he stumbled across on Facebook Tadgh then entered the discussion with a sensible question, asking: 'Michael, was there any sign of a forced entry, broken window/door?' There wasn't, said Michael, who then theorised that the supposed thief must have 'used the chimney'. Conor, clearly rattled by the situation, wrote: 'Excuse my language but for f**** sake. You had the whole neighbourhood panicked about a burglary because you lost a remote control?' Michael responded: 'Sorry, I hadn't realised it only qualifies as a burglary if a Ming vase and a couple of Picassos get stolen. You 1%ers are so out of touch.' Conor, still rattled, responded with: 'Didn't say that, did I? Just don't think anyone stole your poxy remote control,' asking for a second time where exactly Michael lives on the street. 'Notice you didn't answer earlier,' he quipped. 'And I notice you didn't answer when I asked everybody to provide alibis for their whereabouts this morning. Interesting,' Michael retorted. In response, Conor fumed: 'I told you I was at work you nutter. Have you even looked for your remote control or you just prefer accusing people?' Despite agitating every member of the WhatsApp group, Michael won new fans on Twitter Michael then offered a 'quick update' on his 'investigation'. He wrote: 'Turns out they didn't "steal" the remote control as such. They just hid it behind the cushions on my sofa. Which is even worse when you think about it. 'Why would someone want to mess with me like that? There are some real sickos out there, in my opinion.' He was promptly removed from the group. Despite leaving its members agitated, Michael won a host of new fans on Twitter. 'I just discovered you four minutes ago and you're already my favourite person,' one woman wrote in response to the hilarious exchange. A second person tweeted: 'Where have you been all my life? I'm unfollowing everyone and devoting myself to your feed only.' A third penned: 'I just love you Michael. Can you start a podcast and do prank calls or something. Please.' Michael has previously left signs up offering his services as an artist doing free portraits of families. When unwitting suitors replied, the prankster would draw them in a childish style. Israel recently suffered some unusual damage to eight of its F-16 jets when an unusual 5:30 AM flash flood, caused by half an hour of intense rainfall and two overflowing streams hit the F-16 airbase and flooded several low lying reinforced hangers, partially submerging eight aircraft. At first, the potential damage was thought to be extensive and might cost $10 million dollars or more to repair. After a few days, it was found that only three of the jets suffered extensive water damage and the repair bill would be less than a million dollars in maintainer time and replacement parts. The components most at risk are electronic ones that are installed to prevent any rainwater from reaching them. The IAF (Israeli Air Force) sought to keep the flood damage a secret but a photo of one of the jets with water nearly up to its cockpit canopy reached the Internet and forced a public admission of what had happened. All the aircraft were back in flying condition within a week. The five least affected aircraft were back in service within a few days. If a flash flood was anticipated the aircraft could have been moved to higher ground and covered with tarps to avoid water damage. Flash floods are not unknown in southern Israel, where most of the rainfall each year comes in the rainy season that lasts from December to February. Sometimes weather forecasters can predict the possibility of flash floods but these are so rare that there is not enough data to base an accurate prediction on. While aircraft are built to handle heavy rain, submersion in water, especially saltwater, can cause extensive damage. Aircraft that regularly operate from aircraft carriers are modified to limit the saltwater damage from waves that often break on the flight deck in bad weather. Submersion in any kind of water is a more serious matter. The most serious problem is water getting into electronics, which combat aircraft have a large quantity. There is also the problem of water getting into parts of the aircraft that normally stay dry even when the aircraft encounters heavy rain in flight or on the ground. Even jet engines normally suck in a lot of water when flying in the rain and so are well protected from water damage but can suffer water damage if submerged for any length of time. Even freshwater can cause long-term corrosion problems if it gets into portions of the aircraft protected from rainfall. The heavy cost of freshwater submersion initially comes from the maintainer personnel having to take apart many components to check for water. Just using external test equipment to see if all components are operational is not sufficient because water getting into normally rain-proof equipment will, unless found and removed, remain there causing corrosion damage or eventually getting to water-sensitive electronics when the aircraft carries out combat maneuvers during training or combat. Jets are built to roll over in flight and generally move around a lot, enabling any remaining water to reach other water-sensitive components. A submerged combat aircraft is thus in danger of having many expensive components replaced. This is especially true if the submersion lasts more than a brief period. The submersion of the eight F-16s was discovered quickly and the aircraft towed out of the standing water. It was not surprising that maintenance officers initially thought the damage might be extensive and cost millions of dollars per aircraft to repair. After the disassembly and inspection began it was found that only three of the aircraft were thoroughly soaked and in need of expensive repairs. Benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty extended their winning streak into the fourth consecutive session on February 6 after the Reserve Bank of India announced measures that are being perceived as positive for bank, auto and real estate sectors. "RBI announced various measures for real estate, auto and MSME sectors and tweaked maintenance of CRR norms which will improve the lending environment by easing the liquidity flow and reducing the banks cost of funding," said Siddhartha Khemka, Head - Retail Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services. Sensex ended the day at 41,306.03, up 163 points or 0.40 percent while Nifty closed with a gain of 49 points or 0.40 percent. Experts said technical indicators are signalling at a pause in the recent uptrend. "Today's formation of high wave-type candle pattern at the resistance could indicate an absence of sharp upside momentum at the highs. This pattern could be considered as an early signal of pause in the recent uptrend. Any weakness below the immediate support of 12,080 levels could trigger short term downward correction in the market. Intraday resistance is placed at 12,180," said Deepak Jasani, Head Retail Research, HDFC Securities. 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 12,094.93, followed by 12,051.87. If the index continues moving up, key resistance levels to watch out for are 12,170.83 and 12,203.67. Nifty Bank Nifty Bank closed 0.97 percent up at 31,304.05. The important pivot level, which will act as crucial support for the index, is placed at 30,990.63, followed by 30,677.17. On the upside, key resistance levels are placed at 31,544.13 and 31,784.17. Call options data Maximum call open interest (OI) of 23.95 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 12,400 strike price, which holds 16.73 lakh contracts in open interest, and 12,200, which has accumulated 14.23 lakh contracts in open interest. Significant call writing was seen at the 12,100 strike price, which added 3.51 lakh contracts, followed by 12,500 strike price that added 2.7 lakh contracts and 12,300 strike price, which added 1.95 lakh contracts. Call unwinding was witnessed at 11,900 strike price, which shed 2.6 lakh contracts, followed by 12,000 which shed 1.62 lakh contracts. Put options data Maximum put open interest of 31.13 lakh contracts was seen at 12,000 strike price, which will act as crucial support in the February series. This is followed by 11,700 strike price, which holds 18.31 lakh contracts in open interest, and 11,800 strike price, which has accumulated 17.95 lakh contracts in open interest. Put writing was seen at the 12,100 strike price, which added 5.42 lakh contracts, followed by 12,000 strike, which added 2.61 lakh contracts. Put unwinding was seen at 11,900 strike price, which shed 65,400 contracts, followed by 11,800 strike price which shed 52,725 contracts. Stocks with a high delivery percentage A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in these stocks. 41 stocks saw long build-up Based on open interest (OI) future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which long build-up was seen. 19 stocks saw long unwinding Based on open interest (OI) future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which long unwinding was seen. 37 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. 45 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 ACC, ADF Foods, Alkem Laboratories, Ashoka Buildcon, Britannia Industries, Corporation Bank, Daulat Securities, Emami, 3i Infotech, 63 Moons Technologies, Abbott India, NCC and NTPC are among the companies that will release their quarterly earnings on February 7. Stocks in the news Wipro: Company bagged multi-year strategic IT deal from Marelli. Hero MotoCorp: Q3 profit rises 14.5 percent to Rs 880.4 cr, revenue drops 11 percent to Rs 6,996.7 cr YoY. Aurobindo Pharma: Q3 profit dips 1 percent to Rs 705.3 cr, revenue rises 11.9 percent to Rs 5,895 cr YoY. Bata: Q3 profit rises 13.6 percent to Rs 117.2 cr, revenue increases 6.5 percent to Rs 829.6 cr YoY. Akzo Nobel: Q3 profit jumps 27.5 percent to Rs 77 cr, revenue dips 7.2 percent to Rs 727 cr YoY. FII and DII data Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth Rs 560.36 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares of worth Rs 304.01 crore in the Indian equity market on February 6, provisional data available on the NSE showed. Fund flow Stock under F&O ban on NSE At the Governments regular meeting for January in Hanoi, he repeated that some economic growth could and should be sacrificed to protect peoples health and lives. Although Vietnam shares a long borderline and undertakes a great trading volume with China, where the outbreak of nCoV originates and is spreading the most, the country has so far kept the epidemic under control. Vietnam has recorded 10 infected cases so far, three of whom having fully recovered, none of which are in life threatening conditions, according to the Prime Minster. In the spirit of fighting the disease like fighting an enemy, PM Phuc stressed the need for strong measures to combat the nCoV. He noted the nCoV outbreak has strongly affected economic growth in Vietnam and other countries around the world, especially in the fields of aviation, agriculture, securities, tourism, and export. Besides, the Lunar New Year holiday in January was long. As a result, gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the first quarter could be influenced considerably, he said, estimating that the growth rate for Q1 could be reduced by 1 percent. Though difficulties have come up right from the onset of 2020, the Government leader emphasised that the revision of the growth target for this year hasnt been put on the table. As quick response teams have been set up to cope with the nCoV, similar teams in terms of economy, finance and production should also be established to respond to economic growth slowdown, he said. He called for strong efforts to overcome any difficulties to drive the Vietnamese economy forward to meet the peoples aspirations. The PM requested sectors and localities to keep working to ensure macro-stability and major economic balances and promote production and production activities. During the one-day meeting, Government members will discuss further ways to combat the nCoV while balancing and achieving the socio-economic development targets at the same time. They will listen to the Ministry of Health reporting on the nCoV prevention and control, and the Ministry of Planning and Investment reporting on growth scenario updates and proposing solutions to carry out development tasks amid the nCoV outbreak. They will also discuss some draft laws, resolutions and law making programmes for 2020 and 2021. Bostons first retail pot shop and Massachusetts first minority-owned marijuana business was approved Thursday, more than a year after the first shops opened elsewhere in the state. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Entrepreneurs Kevin Hart, of Randolph, Mass., left, and Kobie Evans, of Boston, right, speak to reporters after attending a meeting of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, in Worcester, Mass. The commission voted in favor of licenses for a number of cannabis shops, including Pure Oasis, a soon to open pot shop in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood by Evans and Hart. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) Bostons first retail pot shop and Massachusetts first minority-owned marijuana business was approved Thursday, more than a year after the first shops opened elsewhere in the state. The states Cannabis Control Commission on Thursday voted to give final license approval to Pure Oasis, a pot shop proposed by two local black entrepreneurs. The approval comes more than three years after voters approved the nations first marijuana law aimed at encouraging black, Latinos and other people harmed by the war on drugs to participate in the new industry. Commission Chairman Steven Hoffman called the vote an important milestone and wished the company luck. Kobie Evans, a co-owner of Pure Oasis, said the shop hopes to open its doors in about a month in the city's diverse Dorchester neighbourhood. Its been a long, challenging journey, but it's all been worth it," he said after the vote. Were excited to be where we are right now, but we'd also like to see more opportunities for people like us so that its not such a challenging road for people that come after us. Entrepreneur Kobie Evans, of Boston, center right, listens as the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission votes in favor of final approval for licenses for a number of cannabis shops in the state, including Pure Oasis, while attending a commission meeting, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, in Worcester, Mass. Evans is working with co-entrepreneur Kevin Hart, among others, on Pure Oasis, a soon to open pot shop in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) Black and Latino groups have voiced their frustration for months at the slow pace of approvals for minority-owned businesses, both in Massachusetts and nationwide. Pure Oasis joins 118 marijuana companies that have earned a final state license following Thursdays meeting, which included votes on dozens of other applicants. More than 300 others have also secured conditional approvals, but only 11 of those are companies like Pure Oasis that have been certified under the states equity programs for minority and disadvantaged marijuana businesses, according to the commission. Marijuana activists in Massachusetts and elsewhere have also voiced concern about the low number of minorities working in the industry at large. Nearly 75% of Massachusetts' marijuana workforce is white, while Black and Latino people represent less than 12%, according to statistics released Thursday by the commission. Kevin Hart, the other co-owner of Pure Oasis, believes the local industrys demographics will improve as more pot businesses are opened in Greater Bostons more diverse communities. Massachusetts currently has more than 30 retail marijuana locations, but only one is in Greater Boston: New England Treatment Access, in the affluent suburb of Brookline. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, who has faced criticism for his citys slow rollout of pot shops, also signed into law last year an ordinance overhauling the local process for vetting marijuana businesses. Among other things, the new law creates the states first equity fund aimed at assisting minority entrepreneurs hoping to break into the industry. 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. Walsh tweeted Thursday that he was proud that Boston would be home to the state's first Economic Empowerment Candidate, and said his administration will continue to prioritize equity, diversity and local ownership in this new industry. Hart, meanwhile, said Pure Oasis committed to recruiting workers from minority and disadvantaged communities. The company, which is also proposing two other retail locations in the Boston area, has been holding job fairs in and around Dorchester, a neighbourhood where more than 40% of residents are black, as it plans to hire about 30 workers for its first shop. Its bittersweet. Its a great feeling to be first, but we know that also comes with a level of responsibility, Hart said. Its our responsibility to take this win we got today and make sure people of colour realize they have the same opportunities. ___ Follow the APs complete marijuana coverage: https://apnews.com/Marijuana Scientists have told the BBC that after grappling behind closed doors they are close to an announcement. It has infected thousands of people, closed borders and put parts of China into lockdown. But the virus causing the outbreak of illness does not yet have a proper name. It has been referred to as the coronavirus. But that is the name of the group of viruses it belongs to. It has also been given the temporary title 2019-nCoV. But just saying that is a mouthful. A group of scientists has been grappling behind closed doors to find a proper term. Now they have told the BBC they are close to announcing it. So why has it taken so long? "The naming of a new virus is often quite delayed and the focus until now has been on the public health response, which is understandable," says Crystal Watson, senior scholar and assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. "But there are reasons the naming should be a priority." To try to distinguish this particular virus, scientists have been calling it the novel or new coronavirus. Coronaviruses are named for their crown-like spikes when viewed through a microscope. The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the temporary name 2019-nCoV, which includes the year it was discovered, "n" to denote new or novel, and "CoV" for coronavirus. But it has not exactly stuck. "The name it has now is not easy to use and the media and the public are using other names for the virus," says Dr Watson. "The danger when you don't have an official name is that people start using terms like China Virus, and that can create a backlash against certain populations." With social media, unofficial names take hold quickly and are hard to take back, she says. The urgent task of formally naming the virus is the responsibility of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). Previous outbreaks provide cautionary tales for the team. The H1N1 virus in 2009 was dubbed "swine flu". This led Egypt to slaughter all of its pigs, even though it was spread by people, not pigs. Official names can also prove problematic. The WHO criticised the name Mers (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) in 2015. "We've seen certain disease names provoke a backlash against members of particular religious or ethnic communities, create unjustified barriers to travel, commerce and trade, and trigger needless slaughtering of food animals," it said in a statement. As a result, it issued guidelines. According to these, the name for the new coronavirus should not include: Geographical locations People's names The name of an animal or a kind of food References to a particular culture or industry It says the name should be short and descriptive - such as Sars (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). But for the name to stick it also needs a hook, says Benjamin Neuman, a professor of virology who, along with 10 other people, sits on the ICTV study group that has been deliberating the new name. "It has to roll off the tongue a little faster than the other names out there." The team began discussing a name about two weeks ago and took two days to settle on one, says Prof Neuman, who is chair of Biological Sciences at Texas A&M University-Texarkana in the US. They are now submitting the name to a scientific journal for publication and hope to announce it within days. As well as helping the public understand the virus, the ICTV hopes it will allow researchers to focus on fighting it by saving time and confusion. "We will find out in the future whether we got it right," says Prof Neuman. "For someone like me, helping to name an important virus may ultimately end up being longer-lasting and more helpful than a career's worth of work. It's a big responsibility." BBC A San Francisco police officer was injured on his patrol motorcycle Wednesday afternoon after colliding with a car that attempted an illegal U-turn in the citys South of Market neighborhood. Witnesses and police said the crash occurred shortly before 2 p.m. when a black Toyota sedan driving down Mission Street attempted to turn around in the middle of the block between 5th and 6th Streets. Dublin, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Destination Market Insights: Caribbean" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Caribbean is one of the fastest growing destinations in the world. The rapid rise in tourism flows has brought a number of benefits including jobs and incomes. However, given that the nations of the region are among the most tourist dependent countries in the world, there are a number of issues which need to be addressed if growth is to be sustained. From creating unique and diverse tourism offerings, to fostering regional collaboration and investing in infrastructural projects, this report sheds light onto how Caribbean nations can leverage their strengths and capitalize on new trends to ensure the future success of the sector and economic prosperity. This report provides in-depth analysis of a tourist destination, in this case for the Caribbean region. The countries included in this report are the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Barbados, Haiti, Guadeloupe, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia, Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada, St Kitts & Nevis, and Dominica. The report uses regional and country focused analysis to explore inbound tourist markets, infrastructure and attractions, as well as risks and opportunities. The report provides clear insight into current and future tourism developments in the region. Key Highlights With 6.5 million international arrivals in 2019, the Dominican Republic is the largest tourist market in the Caribbean and is the second largest country in the region. In 2019, Cuba welcomed 5.1 million visitors, this is a decrease on the previous year which was 5.3 million visitors. This is because US President Donald Trump imposed new and stricter restrictions which made traveling to Cuba difficult for US citizens. With 4.3 million tourists visiting Puerto Rico in 2019, the country is the third most popular destination in the region. Visiting is particularly easy for US citizens as the island is a US territory. Reasons to Buy Obtain a clear and detailed insight into new developments in a fast growing tourist destination. Use data and analysis to explore future trends related to international arrivals, airlines, niche tourism, and hotel developments. Gain a strong understanding of the opportunities in the market, as well as the risks, to support better business decisions. Key Topics Covered 1. Overview 2. The Countries of the Caribbean 3. Country Snapshot The Caribbean in 2019 Key Trends New Developments New Projects New International Flights 4. Types of Tourism Sun and Beach Eco Tourism Cruise Tourism 5. Country Focus: Dominican Republic 6. Country Focus: Cuba 7. Country Focus: Bahamas 8. Regional Risk & SWOT Analysis Companies Mentioned Southwest Airlines JetBlue Delta Mandarin Oriental Andaz Royal Caribbean MSC Cruises Bahamasair For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/re8mub Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Look out world: liberal legal eagle Kim Kardashian is on a mission. The reality star about to take her first bar exam spoke about her desire to reform the US criminal justice system as she simultaneously launched a new line of shapewear. Boris Johnson better hope the unstoppable Kardashian doesnt turn her attention to the UK. The prime minister is hoping to rush through emergency legislation to keep terror offenders in jail longer. But he had better shape up. Johnson must hurry if he wants to get it done by the end of the month before more of those prisoners are up for automatic release. Im Adam Forrest, and welcome to The Independents daily Inside Politics briefing. Inside the bubble Our political editor Andrew Woodcock on what to look out for today: Edinburgh, Feb 6 : Scotland's Finance Secretary Derek Mackay quit on Thursday, hours before delivering his budget over claims that he messaged a 16-year-old boy on social media. The development comes after the Scottish Sun newspaper said in a report ON wEDNESDAY NIGHT that 42-year-old politician contacted the boy "out of the blue" over a six-month period, and told him that he was "cute", the BBC reported. The newspaper detailed allegations that Mackay, who came out as gay in 2013 after leaving his wife, sent the boy about 270 messages on Instagram and through Facebook. While confirming that he was stepping down, Mackay said in a statement that he had "behaved foolishly" and took full responsibility for his actions. He also apologised "unreservedly" to the boy and his family. The newspaper also published a list of conversations involving Mackay and the boy, in which its says the Scottish Nationalist Party member invited him to dinner and to attend a rugby event. In one of the exchanges it was claimed that Mackay told the teenager he was "cute" and in another the boy confirmed he was 16 and tells Mackay "not to try anything". The paper also quoted the boy's mother calling for Mackay to be removed from his post. The allegations come on the same day he was due to present the Scottish government's spending plans for the next years at Holyrood - a major set piece event, said the BBC report. Mackay, who had been widely tipped as a future First Minister, signalled his intention to spend more on projects to tackle climate change in his budget, but will need the support of other parties to pass his plans. Microsoft has posted a security advisory that will record all updates to its new Chromium-based Edge browser, giving customers a way to monitor whether the company keeps up with Google's patching of Chrome. "This advisory will be updated whenever Microsoft releases a version of Microsoft Edge which incorporates publicly disclosed security updates from the Chromium project," the Redmond, Wash. firm wrote on the support document. As of mid-day Wednesday, only one listing populated the advisory. The item, dated Jan. 17, called out four CVE-identified vulnerabilities. (CVE, for "Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures," is the most-used bug-naming standard.) The advisory also noted the Edge version number that included the patches and the corresponding version of Chromium that also quashed the bugs. Because Chrome assumes Chromium's version numbers without change - for some reason, Edge does not - the advisory was the first way Computerworld found to link a specific version of Edge to one of Chrome. Microsoft This security advisory is supposed to list all Edge security updates. Comparing the version number of Edge to that of Chrome lets customers monitor whether Microsoft has kept up with Chromium's/Chrome's fixes. Google released Chrome 79.0.3945.130 - the Chromium version listed in the advisory - on Jan. 16, saying here that the interim update included patches for 11 vulnerabilities. As usual, Google only identified four of the 11 by CVE. The quartet matched the four CVEs that Microsoft said were addressed in Edge. Meanwhile, the Edge update, which Microsoft released Jan. 17 - one day after Chrome's - was marked as version 79.0.309.68. (That's not the most current Edge; Microsoft updated the browser again on Jan. 23 to 79.0.309.71. However, there was no sign that that version patched any vulnerabilities. For a complete listing of Edge updates, users can steer to the Microsoft Update Catalog; Computerworld has pre-filtered the results to show only those for the Stable build of the browser.) Edge 79.0.309.68 thus equals Chrome 79.0.3945.130. Microsoft patched Edge just a day after Google refreshed Chrome, indicating that the former browser will not substantially lag behind the latter. If it had, attackers might have been able to use the interval to reverse engineer a patch, uncover the vulnerability and craft an exploit. Still unknown is the size of the gap between Google promoting a new version of Chrome to the Stable branch and Microsoft following suit with Edge. On Tuesday, Google released Chrome 80 - specifically, version 80.0.3987.87 - with new features as well as 56 security fixes. Google listed 37 of the 56 with CVE identifiers. Ten of the 37 were marked "High," the second-most-serious ranking in Chrome's four-step rating system. As of 2 p.m. ET Wednesday, Microsoft had not updated Edge to reflect the Chrome's shift to version 80. Computerworld will continue to monitor Edge and how, or even if, it keeps pace with Chrome. US Army Expanding Stockpiles of Combat Equipment in Europe, Pacific Sputnik News 19:00 GMT 05.02.2020 American Army prepositioned stocks (APS) in the Pacific will receive an upgrade following an upcoming US-led, multinational exercise with NATO allies, according to the head of US Army Materiel Command (AMC). Gen. Gustave "Gus" Perna, the commanding general of AMC, revealed to attendees of a Tuesday Defense Writers Group event in Washington, DC, that APS will be expanded in the Pacific after DEFENDER-Europe 2020. "As of right now, I am actually building an additional set that I have been directed to build" for the European theater, Perna said on February 4, as reported by Military.com. "We are already working on ways to expand APS out in the Pacific." APS is a program which offers combatant commanders around the globe the ability to restock from additional equipment sets in nearby regions, ultimately reducing deployment timelines. "We also position it so that those who are always watching us know that we are ready, that we have capabilities around the world, and it's a matter of just getting on a plane and drawing that equipment," he explained to reporters. The upcoming DEFENDER-Europe exercise, which is set to take place in May and June, includes 37,000 troops from 18 countries. It is anticipated to be the "largest deployment of US-based forces to Europe for an exercise in more than 25 years," according to the US Army Europe website. Perna told the Defense Writers Group that he can "envision where [DEFENDER-Europe] 2020 might illuminate several things: Is it in the right place, do we need to adjust, do we want to set up alternate sites to keep everybody guessing about what we are doing, is there a better place to put things for a better advantage?" The four APS draw sites utilized by the upcoming exercises will be in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Additional sites are located in Poland and Italy. The commanding general expressed that he hopes the service can learn more about what capabilities are needed in particular locations. "We want to show our enemies ... we are not going to sit around and wait for you to start; we are going to be ready when you start," Perna said. "It's not just put it in a warehouse and high-five ourselves - it's get it there, exercise it and demonstrate that we can maneuver around the Pacific." According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the enemy is not one power in particular. "Defender Europe is not directed against any particular country," Stoltenberg told AFP, as reported by Euractiv. "Russia has every right to feel safe within its borders, but so do our member states," he added, noting that Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia will host portions of the DEFENDER-Europe exercises in their countries. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 04:32:07|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Tunisians take part in a rally to protest against the U.S. Middle East peace plan in Tunis, capital of Tunisia, on Feb. 5, 2020. Hundreds of Tunisians on Wednesday marched in the center of Tunis in protest of the newly unveiled U.S. Middle East peace plan, also known as the Deal of the Century. (Photo by Adele Ezzine/Xinhua) TUNIS, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Tunisians on Wednesday marched in the center of the capital Tunis in protest of the newly unveiled U.S. Middle East peace plan, also known as the Deal of the Century. The protesters include members of civil society, professional organizations and political parties as well as independent activists. "Palestine is not and will never be for sale," said Noureddine Taboubi, secretary-general of the Tunisian General Labor Union, organizer of the march. "Al-Quds (Jerusalem) is the eternal capital of the Palestinians," he added. Taboubi called for "criminalizing all those who maintain relations with the Zionist entity and condemning all attempts to bring Israel closer to the Arab world. On Jan. 28 , U.S. President Donald Trump announced the peace plan in Washington in the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The U.S. vision of the Israeli-Palestinian peace process includes annexing the disputed holy city of Jerusalem as Israel's undivided capital while the Palestinian capital will cover areas on the outskirts of East Jerusalem. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday quoted renowned socialist Ram Manohar Lohia to attack the opposition, especially the Samajwadi Party for taking a stand against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). "I refuse the fact that we should not care about the Hindus of Pakistan since they are Pakistani citizens. Irrespective of citizenship of Pakistan's Hindus, it is our duty to protect them like we protect Indian Muslims and Hindus," the Prime Minister said in his reply in the Rajya Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address. "It is not said by a BJP or a Jan Sangh leader but Ram Manohar Lohia said this. I urge Samajwadis to not ignore Lohia," he said. Modi said the opposition ruled states are passing resolutions against CAA in their state Assemblies for the 'vote bank' Attacking the opposition parties, Prime Minister Modi said: "Is it okay to misguide and misinform the nation? Can anybody be a part of a campaign that does the same? The path being taken on CAA by many opposition parties is unfortunate." "All the colleagues should ask themselves questions about whatever is being said about the CAA. We should stop the tendency to misinform and misguide the country ... Opposition members are very enthused these days, those who were silent have become violent," he said. Kerala, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh have passed anti-CAA resolutions in their Assemblies so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Reese Witherspoon seemed to be taking a big risk during her morning jog in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Thursday morning. The 43-year-old Oscar-winning actress chose to run on a busy street and not the sidewalk putting herself in front of a moving car. The mother-of-three appeared to be alone as she wore all black - even her cap and shoes were black - and no bright colors to help drivers see her. Uh-oh! Reese Witherspoon seemed to be taking a big risk during her morning jog in Los Angeles on Thursday morning In 2011, Reese was reportedly hit by a car when jogging through an unmarked crosswalk at 20th Street and Georgina Avenue in Santa Monica, California. In Los Angeles the death rate of pedestrians is very high. According to a report from the Los Angeles Police Department, at least 128 pedestrians and 19 cyclists were killed in 2019. Combined, they accounted for more than 60 percent of all traffic deaths. Witherspoon also had on a hat, sunglasses and earbuds that likely limited her awareness of an oncoming car. Behind you! The Oscar-winning actress chose to run on a busy street and not the sidewalk putting herself in front of a moving car This comes after new that Witherspoon is 'sending endless support and strength' to those who have shared their stories as part of the Time's Up movement. The Big Little Lies star - who is a supporter of the movement - has thanked the 'silence breakers' for 'igniting an unstoppable movement.' Taking to Twitter, she wrote: 'To survivors everywhere who spoke out and to those who continue to break their silence ... I'm sending you endless support and strength. Thank you for your courage, for igniting an unstoppable movement and for so bravely sharing your stories. #silencebreakers.' She should wear neon green: The mother-of-three appeared to be alone as she wore all black - even her cap and shoes were black - and no bright colors to help drivers see her Meanwhile, Reese previously admitted she feels a responsibility to stand up for 'voiceless' women around the world. Asking whether she expects to see major changes in light of the Hollywood sex scandal, Reese - who previously admitted to being assaulted by a director when she was 16 - said: 'I feel a shift, completely, a reckoning of people who have been silent for so long finally coming forward and speaking out even if their voice shakes, as I know mine did when I told my story. 'The female leaders within every industry have to stand up for those who are voiceless and silent, and we have to do better to create more balanced cultures with female leadership and leadership with people of colour. She runs a clothing and accessory company too! Here the siren modeled a stunning pink dress from Draper James 'It's just profoundly overdue ... The majority of women - if they came forward - were stigmatised for reporting and in some cases lost their jobs. 'There was simply no reason to share your story if the results would be so punitive. 'That's why I've been working very hard on an initiative called Time's Up with more than 400 women in my industry to raise money for women to have better resources for on-the-job-harassment lawsuits in their own industries. 'We are trying to level the playing field for all women and men who have suffered from discrimination, harassment, and abuse.' A federal judge has stripped a terrorist of his naturalized U.S. citizenship, siding with the government in the case of a Pakistan-born man convicted more than 15 years ago of plotting to destroy New Yorks Brooklyn Bridge. Defendant Iyman Faris, once a truck driver in Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced in 2003 for aiding and abetting the al-Qaida terrorist group by scoping out the bridge as part of a plot to cut through cables that support it. His case was among the first and highest-profile terrorism cases after the Sept. 11 attacks. Faris met with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and worked with Sept. 11 architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, although some critics questioned how realistic the plot was, given post-Sept. 11 security in New York. The government argued that Faris lied on immigration papers before becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1999 and that his terrorist affiliations demonstrated a lack of commitment to the U.S. Constitution. Faris entered the United States using the passport and visa of someone hed met in Bosnia, the government said. He was a wolf in sheeps clothing who took advantage of American generosity with plans to terrorize and murder, Steven Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, said in a statement. He does not deserve the honor of being an American citizen. Two years ago, Judge Staci Yanle rejected a similar request by the government, saying at the time there wasnt enough evidence to prove Fariss misrepresentations influenced the decision to grant him citizenship. In a ruling on Jan. 31, she said the government had proved its case. The United States of America has produced clear and unequivocal evidence that Defendant Iyman Faris obtained his naturalization unlawfully, Yanle wrote. Faris, 50, is currently housed in a federal prison in Marion, Illinois, with a release date in August. Faris was known as Mohammad Rauf before becoming a U.S. citizen. He worked as a truck driver in Columbus and was married to an American woman for a while. Over the years, he talked about a book he was going to write detailing his adventures, once telling a girlfriend he was going to earn a million dollars from his writing. Fariss attorney has argued that the governments request violated the terms of Fariss 2003 plea agreement, which never included the possibility of denaturalization or deportation. Chicago defense attorney Thomas Durkin said Wednesday it was disappointing not to be able to make their case in a trial, which had been scheduled for next month. At that trial, the governments war on terror tactics and promises could be fully aired, Durkin said. This is a dangerous precedent being set that could well have serious consequences for all U.S. citizens. By Andrew Welsh-Huggins The former director of Mississippis welfare agency was arrested on charges that he took part in a scheme to embezzle millions of dollars for personal use and to pay for a former professional wrestler to go to a luxury drug rehabilitation center, the state auditor announced on Wednesday. The director, John Davis, who retired in 2019 from the Department of Human Services, was one of six people charged in what the state auditor, Shad White, said was the largest embezzlement scheme that the office had seen in at least 20 years. All six people charged are Mississippi residents, including the former W.W.E. wrestler Brett DiBiase, 31, who state auditors said was paid with welfare funds for teaching classes about drug use. Mr. DiBiase never gave those classes, auditors said, because he was being treated for an opioid addiction at the Rise in Malibu rehab center in California. Mr. White said the arrests stemmed from an eight-month investigation into the misappropriation of funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which the state welfare agency administers. Why it matters: That Google likes to play with AI to identify people is evident from its Mannequin Challenge from last year. However, the search giant isn't happy about Clearview AI scraping images and video from Google Search and YouTube, as it violates its content policies. Earlier this week, YouTube sent a cease and desist letter to Clearview AI, a startup company that's infamous for gathering photos of people's faces. Google demands that data collection be stopped and the already collected images be deleted from the database. The social giant says that Clearview AI violated YouTube's terms of service, which forbid any individual or company from collecting data that could be used to identify a person. After Twitter sent its cease and desist letter, Google followed in its footsteps, especially since Clearview AI has publicly admitted to scraping user information from public profiles. During an interview with CBS News, Clearview AI CEO Hoan Ton-That explained that while his company is tackling the legal letters, the service it runs is covered by the First Amendment. Hoan argues that it is his right to collect what's publicly available, in much the same way that Google indexes all public information on the web. He notes that "if it's public, you know, and it's out there, it could be inside Google search engine, it can be inside ours as well." Google doesn't agree with Hoan's assessment of his use case, noting that "comparisons to Google Search are inaccurate. Most websites want to be included in Google Search, and we give webmasters control over what information from their site is included in our search results, including the option to opt-out entirely. Clearview secretly collected image data of individuals without their consent, and in violation of rules explicitly forbidding them from doing so." Officially, Clearview AI's database includes around three billion images, but the more worrying aspect is that the company confidently claims a 99.6 percent accuracy for its algorithms. And while the company markets itself almost entirely to law enforcement, a series of leaked emails show Hoan encouraging users to "run wild" in testing the software on family, friends, and coworkers. Clearview AI was also hit by a class-action lawsuit in Illinois for breaking the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), which is a law that safeguards against having your biometric data used without explicit consent. Among the main concerns is the risk of false matches, as well as the possibility that people could abuse the service to stalk others. Facebook told CBS News that it, too, is reviewing the company's controversial practices, but so far hasn't made any decision on what to do about it. The social giant is on thin ice when it comes to facial recognition, after being brought to court for silently doing it in the background using photos uploaded by its users. Actor Kangana Ranaut, who is currently shooting for Jayalalithaa biopic Thalaivi, has revealed her wish to do a film on popular Tamil legend Kannagi. Kannagi is the central character of Tamil epic Silapathikaram, and is described as a chaste woman who avenged her adulterous husbands wrongful death by burning down Madurai. In a media interaction, Kangana revealed her interest in playing Kannagi, a legendary Tamil character from Silapathikaram. Apparently, Kangana learnt about Kannagi through Thalaivi director Vijay. Inspired by the story of the legend, she even asked Vijay to prepare a script on Kannagis life and even expressed her wish to portray the character on screen. However, nothing has been made official yet about whether Kangana will work on this project immediately after the release of Thalaivi. Thalaivi will be made in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu. It has been titled Thalaivi in all the languages. Kangana, who was last seen in Panga, spent close to six months on prepping for this project. She underwent Bharatanatyam classes, learnt Tamil and even spent hours in the prosthetic make up sessions. Also read | Bigg Boss 13: John Cena shares Asim Riazs pic, fans say only a winner in life can identify the true winner The project was announced along with its title and first-look poster last year on February 25, on the 71st anniversary of Jayalalithaa. Its worth mentioning that when Kangana was announced for the titular role, the choice was received with some backlash. Soon after the announcement, Vijay clarified his stand on roping in Kangana and why shell justify the character. The film has music by GV Prakash Kumar while Nirav Shah will crank the camera. Veteran writer Vijayendra Prasad of Bajrangi Bhaijaan fame has been roped in to oversee the writing process. The project has been on floors despite Jayalalithaas niece J Deepa filing a civil suit in the Madras High Court to restrain the team from making a biopic based on her aunts life. Follow @htshowbiz for more ott:10:ht-entertainment_listing-desktop Lawyers for Ivory Coast's former president Laurent Gbagbo argued on Thursday that he should be released without conditions while awaiting the prosecution's appeal against his acquittal at the International Criminal Court. The ICC, the world's first permanent war crimes court, acquitted Gbagbo on crimes against humanity charges on Jan. 15, saying prosecutors had failed to prove any case against him. He was then conditionally released from detention after more than seven years in custody to Belgium. He was not allowed to return to Ivory Coast and has to remain in Belgium and report to the court whenever a hearing in his case is called. "The defence is of the view that in principle no restriction should be placed on a person who has been acquitted," Gbagbo's lawyer Dov Jacobs told the court. The defence has indicated that Gbagbo would like to return to Ivory Coast and possibly participate in some form in October's presidential election. Gbagbo has not said whether he intends to run again for the presidency. Ivory Coast's government has submitted arguments to the ICC saying Gbagbo's possible return to the country could cause unrest and that he continues to pose a flight risk. In October last year the ICC prosecutor asked the appeals judges to reverse the acquittal and to declare a mistrial, resetting Gbagbo's legal process. (REUTERS) A manufacturing plant based in Danang High-Tech Park has handed out face masks and measures the body temperature of its workers on a regular basis The steering committee is chaired by Pham Truong Son, director of the Management Board, and consists of members who are deputy heads of the Management Board and heads of the functional departments and infrastructure development companies under the Management Board. Accordingly, the steering committee is responsible for the prevention and control of acute respiratory infections caused by nCoV, according to Official Letter No.79-CV/TW dated January 29, 2020 of the Central Secretariat, Directive No.05/CT-TTg dated January 28, Directive No.06/CT-TTg dated January 31 of the prime minister, and Official Letter No.3942-CV/TU dated January 31 of Danang Party Committee, as well as regulations and guidance from the Ministry of Health. The committee will be actively co-ordinating with the Department of Health and related units to propagate disease prevention activities for employees at enterprises based in the High-Tech Park and industrial zones in the city. The committee will be actively co-ordinating with the Department of Health and related units to propagate disease prevention activities for employees at enterprises based in the High-Tech Park and industrial zones in the city. Currently, the Steering Committee members have overseen the situation of the disease at Danang High-Tech Park and many other industrial zones to be able to promptly report cases of suspected infection to the Danang Department of Health. Earlier, the Management Board issued Document No.199/BQL-QLDN&LD on February 3, 2020, requesting businesses and investors at industrial parks and high-tech parks in Danang to take urgent measures to prevent the disease from spreading. This included taking care of workers health, isolating those returning from the pandemic areas for 14 days. When the disease was announced in Vietnam, the Management Board had temporarily suspended the granting of work permits to foreigners in the areas where the pandemic was detected. China has become an increasingly important story for Texas since President Donald Trump launched a trade war last summer, threatening one of the most important markets for the states energy and agricultural industries. So when I received an email from a public relations firm in New York last summer asking if Id be interested in joining a trip to China organized by the nonprofit China United States Exchange Foundation long before the coronavirus outbreak grabbed headlines I was immediately interested. Established by Tung Chee-hwa, a Hong Kong shipping magnate who was later appointed chief executive of Hong Kong by the Chinese government, the foundation runs regular trips to China for American journalists, academics and politicians, with the hope of improving understanding of China within the United States. After some paperwork and discussion with my editors about potential conflicts of interest we decided we would reimburse the foundation for the cost of the trip I boarded a flight in Washington, D.C., in mid-November for the 18-hour trip to Beijing. So began a 12-day tour that took me and three other journalists from the heavily surveilled streets of Beijing to a farming village turned half-empty city named Binhai. Then it was on to Suzhou, a clean-energy and biotech manufacturing hub with a passing resemblance to Silicon Valley and Shanghai, a modern metropolis where futuristic skyscrapers tower over 19th-century colonial architecture left over from the French and British authorities who once occupied the city. Like most everyone visiting China for the first time, I was shocked by its scale and frenetic pace. In Suzhou, the highways are lined with neon lights, like something out of a science-fiction movie. Cash and credit cards are out of fashion, replaced by money apps that even can be used to make donations to beggars wearing QR codes around their necks. And with construction cranes dotting the horizon, theres little sign its stopping anytime soon. After stepping off a train in Shanghai as other trains zoomed by at more than 200 mph I explained to a woman from Beijing how governments in the United States and Europe were struggling to build high-speed trains because of debates around land rights and costs. She laughed and said, Democracy does not equal efficiency. As we made our way down Chinas coast, there was meeting after meeting with Chinese officials wanting to talk about the trade dispute, something they were eager to bring to an end as long it didnt mean doing away with their protectionist economic policies, as the United States and Europe want them to do. Meanwhile, the foreign businessmen we met were simultaneously excited to take advantage of Chinas fast-growing economy and wary that the government wouldpull the rug out from under them at any moment. That image of a manipulative, protectionist state is very different from how the Chinese government likes to present itself, with its ranks of Western-educated officials and tuxeoded attendants welcoming visitors to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing. As a trade attorney explained upon my return to Washington, there are many competing visions of China, none entirely correct or incorrect. -James Osborne 203,449 security vulnerabilities were reported in total (500 per day), which is a 32% year-to-year growth security vulnerabilities were reported in total (500 per day), which is a 32% year-to-year growth 101,931 vulnerabilities were fixed by website owners, showing a 30% growth compared to the previous year vulnerabilities were fixed by website owners, showing a growth compared to the previous year 5,832 new security researchers joined the community, taking the total number of researchers and security experts to 13,532 new security researchers joined the community, taking the total number of researchers and security experts to 383 new bug bounty programs were created by website owners, now offering 657 programs in total with over 1,342 websites to test Can you imagine launching a global bug bounty platform with almost 500,000 submissions and 13,000 researchers without consuming a cent from venture capitalists? If not, this success story is for you.The once skyrocketing bug bounty industry seems to be not in the best shape today. While prominent security researchers are talking about a growing multitude of hurdles they experience with the leading commercial bug bounty platforms, the latter are trying to reinvent themselves as "next-generation penetration testing" or similar services. You be the judge of how successful they will be.Generous venture funds have poured many millions into rapidly spending bug bounty startups that have not replaced Managed Penetration Testing (MPT) services (as some declared). However, these startups have positively improved the price/quality ratio of pen testing services on the global market.Amid the uncertainty for the future of commercial bug bounty platforms, the not-for-profit Open Bug Bounty project has demonstrated quite impressive growth and traction in its annual report from 2019:Just in 2019 the non-commercial, ISO 29147 based, bug bounty platform reported the following:Today, Open Bug Bounty already hosts 680 bug bounties, offering monetary or non-monetary remuneration for security researchers from over 50 countries. Global companies such as Telekom Austria, Acronis, or United Domains run their bug bounties at Open Bug Bounty.Among happy website owners, who thanked the researchers for coordinated and responsible disclosure via the platform, one can find Dell, IKEA, Twitter, Verizon, Philips, several governmental institutions and international organizations, some law schools and law firms, and even the American Bar Association (ABA) not to be confused with beer-drinking though.Initially, Open Bug Bounty accepted submissions of XSS, CSRF, Improper Access Control, and other security issues on any website condition to strictly non-intrusive testing, coordinated disclosure and respect of their code of conduct:In 2019, the situation evolved by enabling anyone to launch a bug bounty for his or her website without any fees or commissions, accessible to all 13,000 researchers:Open Bug Bounty later announced the enhancement of the existing DevSecOps integrations with new tools and instruments, supplementing the already available SDLC integrations with Jira and Splunk.Interestingly, the 2019 report also mentions growing interest from cybersecurity companies in partnering with or even acquiring the project, however, it clearly states that the platform will always maintain its openness and integrity.We managed to get an exclusive interview with the Open Bug Bounty team about the future of the project:We will pursue our relentless expansion by adding new features, options, and integrations. We carefully listen to our community and try to implement all improvements beneficial for website owners and security researchers. Agility, simplicity, and reliability are all key priorities for us when building new features.We are open to proposals that will help us improve the project, maintaining an open and cozy place for website owners, and security researchers, that is governed by respect and fairness.We are a small group of cybersecurity enthusiasts, spending our spare time on the project between family life and work. For the moment, we feel pretty comfortable with the workload and even managed to refresh the design making it brighter and cheerful. We purposely don't accept donations and do not display commercial ads, given that our community is foremost driven by a dream to secure the Web.Our researchers and website owners are probably the best people to answer this question. From our side, we see an increasing number of cybersecurity students who start their practice with Open Bug Bounty, software developers helping their peers to maintain better security and professional bug hunters seeking a more transparent alternative to commercial bug bounty platforms. We drive attention to application security, promote the OWASP project, and try to raise global web security awareness amid website owners and software developers.No, we rather complement each other in one way or another. It's like open source software and commercial software. Their philosophy is fairly different, but they coexist in harmony and add value to each other. The more offerings that exist on the market, the better off consumers and other actors will be.There is a secure web form on our website. Drop us your contact details there, and we will get back to you.On behalf of The Hacker News, we sincerely wish the Open Bug Bounty team a well-deserved success in what they do to improve global web security.Next Steps: Weather Alert ...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Kentucky...Illinois...Missouri... Ohio River at Paducah. Ohio River at Cairo. Ohio River at Olmsted Lock and Dam. .Recent heavy rainfall and snow melt will continue to keep water levels on the lower Ohio River in or near minor flood this week. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov. && ...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Ohio River at Paducah. * WHEN...Until early tomorrow afternoon. * IMPACTS...At 39.0 feet, Minor flooding occurs affecting mainly bottomland and surrounding low lying areas. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 7:00 PM CST Monday the stage was 38.6 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to rise to a crest of 39.0 feet tomorrow morning. - Flood stage is 39.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood && The baby in Wuhan may have contracted the virus in the womb, or immediately after birth. A Chinese newborn has been diagnosed with the new coronavirus just 30 hours after birth, the youngest case recorded so far, state media said. The baby was born on 2 February in Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus. The baby's mother tested positive before she gave birth. It is unclear how the disease was transmitted - in the womb, or after birth. Only a handful of children have come down with the virus, which has killed 563 people and infected 28,018. State media outlet Xinhua reported news of the infection late on Wednesday. It added that the baby, who weighed 3.25kg at birth (7lbs 2oz), was now in a stable condition and under observation. How could the baby have been infected? Medical experts say it could be a case where the infection was contracted in the womb. "This reminds us to pay attention to mother-to-child being a possible route of coronavirus transmission," chief physician of Wuhan Children Hospital's neonatal medicine department, Zeng Lingkong, told Reuters. But it is also possible that the baby was infected after birth from having close contact with the mother. "It's quite possible that the baby picked it up very conventionally - by inhaling virus droplets that came from the mother coughing," Stephen Morse, an epidemiologist at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, told Business Insider. Is it common for children to get the virus? Very few children have tested positive in this recent outbreak, which is consistent with other coronavirus outbreaks in recent history including Sars and Mers. A report by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) said the median age of patients for the current outbreak is between 49 and 56 years, adding that cases in children "have been rare". Similarly, during the Mers outbreak in 2016, the World Journal of Clinical Paediatrics said the virus was rare in children, though it added that the "reason for [this] low prevalence is not known". A six-month old baby in Singapore is known to have tested positive for the new coronavirus, as well as an eight-year-old from Wuhan who is currently in Australia. The virus has spread overseas, with 25 nations confirming a total of 191 cases, although there has so far been only two deaths outside mainland China. The coronavirus causes severe acute respiratory infection and symptoms usually start with a fever, followed by a dry cough. Most people infected are likely to fully recover - just as they would from a flu. What else is happening as a result of the virus? The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak a global health emergency. Its chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Wednesday appealed for $675m (520m) to fund a three-month response plan. The vast majority of the funds would go to nations that need help to protect against the virus. Some 500,000 masks and 40,000 respirators would be sent to 24 countries. Other recent developments include: India has cancelled all visas for Chinese citizens. They will have to apply for new visas and will be reassessed Ten more people on a quarantined ship docked in the Japanese port of Yokohama have tested positive for coronavirus, bringing the total to 20. About 3,700 people on the ship are on lockdown after a previous passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong tested positive Around 3,600 people onboard another cruise ship docked in Hong Kong have also been confined to the ship after three previous passengers were found to have the virus Taiwan has banned all international cruise ships from docking at the island, says a Reuters report. It has also banned the entry of mainland residents Saudi Arabia has suspended the travel of its citizens and non-Saudi residents to China A group of almost 350 Americans airlifted out from Wuhan have been placed under quarantine in two military bases in California Car maker Tesla warned that the virus could delay deliveries within China of its Model 3 vehicle Chinese officials say they have stepped up efforts to control the outbreak, particularly in Hubei province where Wuhan is located. Two hospitals have been speedily built and 11 public venues transformed into makeshift wards. A Wuhan official on Wednesday warned there still was a shortage of beds and medical equipment and said authorities were looking to convert other hotels and schools in the city into treatment centres. Millions in Hubei and Zhejiang provinces have been told only one person per household can go outside every two days.BBC Aviation regulator DGCA has told CEOs of all airlines to strictly follow the Vishakha guidelines to deal with the cases of sexual harassment in their respective organisations, according to an official communique. The DGCA, in a letter to the CEOs on Wednesday, stated that it has received "numerous" complaints from women working as pilots, cabin crew and in other technical areas regarding sexual harassment by their senior colleagues. "All the airlines are hereby advised to ensure strict compliance of the Vishakha guidelines. They should also give wide publicity about this committee among the employees to facilitate hassle-free reporting and disposal of matter in accordance with relevant national regulations," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said. The regulator told the CEOs that the Supreme Court, in the Vishakha case, had laid down the guidelines for dealing with "such situations". It pointed out that one of the Vishakha guidelines requires all organisations to have a "Complaint Committee" consisting members from a "third party". "Action taken in the matter please be intimated within two weeks from the date of the issue," the DGCA instructed. Along with its one-page letter to the CEOs, the aviation regulator also attached a four-page copy of Vishakha guidelines. In 2019, Air India and its subsidiaries Alliance Air and Air India Express received 10 sexual harassment complaints in total, Union Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on Thursday. As per Puri's reply, of the eight complaints Air India received in 2019, seven of them were disposed of. Air India Express and Alliance Air received one complaint each and they were disposed of in 2019 itself. Puri stated that as per the DGCA rules, the airlines need not submit their details of their compliance with the 2013 law of sexual harassment. "However, all the private domestic airlines have constituted Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to investigate the complaints of alleged sexual harassment made by the women employees of the airline companies, in compliance with the (2013) Act," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Lawyer for Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, the founder of now-defunct uniBank, has debunked reports that his client is on the run and refusing to subject himself to questioning by investigators. Charles Puozuing said Mr. Duffuor has been in the country and has already engaged some investigators over the collapse of his bank. Some media reports last week indicated that the Ghana Police Service was on a nationwide manhunt for the Kwabena Duffuor Snr, former Chief Executive Officer of the bank, and a former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Dr Johnson Asiama. The reports also said the individuals have refused to honour several invitations extended to them by police officials. But Charles Puozuing who was speaking on Eyewitness News said the idea of his client hiding from the police is false. My client has always been in the jurisdiction. Anytime my client is not in Accra, he is either in the village attending a funeral or as a citizen of the republic, solving other peoples problems. He is in Accra as we speak. I have been in touch with him. I spoke to him personally, I was with him on Wednesday. He has not left the jurisdiction, he is available, ready for the police. We met the Special Investigative Team on Monday morning, the lawyer said. Kwabena Duffuor Snr including eight others are facing charges over the respective roles they allegedly played in the eventual collapse of uniBank. The defendants were sued by the banks receiver, Nii Amanor Dodoo in September 2019 to retrieve some cash from them to pay depositors. The plaintiff, among other reliefs, prayed for an order for the recovery of some 5.7 billion cedis it claims was unlawfully taken from the bank. The plaintiff listed several assets and properties of the defendants and prayed the court to restrain them from selling, disposing of or dealing with same. The prosecution has already slapped Mr. Duffuor and the eight other persons with new charges such as conspiracy to commit a crime, fraudulent breach of trust, and money laundering. Revocation of license The central bank merged uniBank with other insolvent banks to form the Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited in 2018. Announcing the consolidation of uniBank along with the other banks on August 1, 2018, the Governor of the BoG, Dr. Ernest Addison said reports from the official administrator, KPMG stated that uniBank was balance sheet insolvent. Among other things, the bank's interest income and other sources of income are insufficient to cover the associated cost of funds of underlying borrowings and liabilities, as well as overheads of about GH0.31 billion per annum. These claims have, however, been challenged by the bank's directors. citinewsroom The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) government introduced the Kalyan Lakshmi Shadi Mubarak scheme in 2014 to provide financial assistance for marriages of the poor. Hyderabad: The Central government has given a clean chit to the Telangana State government in the much publicised allegations of Aadhaar fraud in the Kalyan Lakshmi Shaadi Mubarak scheme. Replying to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Arvind Dharmapuri in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the Telangana State government has reported that there is no rampant Aadhaar fraud in the Kalyan Lakshmi Shaadi Mubarak scheme. He said no investigation was initiated by the central government. The Union minister said that to ensure security of Aadhar data, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has a well designed, multi layer, robust security system in place which is being constantly upgraded to maintain the highest level of data security and integrity. He said that various policies and procedures have been defined and are reviewed and updated continually, thereby appropriately controlling and monitoring any movement of people, material and data in and out of UIDAI premises, particularly the Aadhar centres. He said that the security assurance of Aadhar ecosystem has been strengthened with enactment of the Aadhar Act which has stringent penalties and punishments for offenders. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) government introduced the Kalyan Lakshmi Shadi Mubarak scheme in 2014 to provide financial assistance for marriages of the poor. An amount of rRs 1,00,116 is disbursed. There were several allegations that the scheme was misused. Keeping this in view, BJPs Nizamabad MP Arvind Dharmapuri asked the Union Minister whether the central government has taken note of the fraud and whether the central government has initiated any investigation in this regard. Health insurance providers on Wednesday, February 5, said they will not honour bills from the Nairobi Womens Hospital following an expose indicating the hospital was inflating costs. The communication was made in a statement released by the Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) and several insurance firms as a resolution of the scandal remains pending. READ ALSO: Donald Trump survives impeachment Health insurance providers said they will not honour bills from the Nairobi Womens Hospital following an expose indicating the hospital was inflating costs. Photo: Daily Nation Source: UGC READ ALSO: Meet Kenyan shy philanthropist who has been feeding 40k people for the past 12 years All medical insurers have from February 5, 2020, suspended Nairobi Womens Hospital from their list of accredited service providers. This follows recent accusations made in the media against the institution, said AKI in a statement. The news came after the hospitals board of directors issued a statement saying that it had commenced an internal probe into the extortion claims. The leaked conversation showed how the hospital bosses set daily targets for the number of patients that should be admitted to the facility. READ ALSO: Meet Richard Akoto, hardworking teacher who taught Microsoft Word without computer The messages show that the revenue, commissions, admissions and discharge were being monitored hourly, every day, and day and night by CEO Felix Wanjala. Here is a list of the health insurance providers who have now cut links with the health facility 1: Old Mutual In a statement signed by the General Manager Health Business Jeff Ogollah, the health provider notified its clients that credit services at the health facility had been suspended. It further warned that cash payments to the hospital may not be eligible for reimbursement. READ ALSO: Desperate Limuru woman arrested for sneaking into school to visit son she last saw 10 years ago 2: CIC group. A statement by the CIC Group also said it had suspended services at the hospital effective February 5, 2020, due to some administrative concerns. 3: Britam The health provider requested its members to seek services from alternative hospitals in their provider panel. READ ALSO: Brookside Dairies ordered to pay ex-employee KSh 3.2m for slavery, illegally using his photos 4: AAR Insurance 5: First Assurance 6: Jubilee Insurance 7: GA Insurance 8: APA Insurance 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 want to give away my baby - Esther Kimotho | My Story | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) - Canuc Resources Corporation (TSXV: CDA) ("Canuc" or the "Company") is pleased to provide results of a sampling program that was focused along the Company's San Javier mineral trend at it's 100% owned San Javier Silver-Gold Project. A program was undertaken to sample artisanal workings at various locations within the property to confirm the hypothesis of vein continuity along the extent of the Company's 3 km contiguous claim holding. Between 2010 and 2019 the Company acquired a total of 17 claims covering 3 km of strike and down dip extensions of silver and gold veins that had been the subject of small-scale historical mining. Results from an exploration program conducted by Canuc in 2017 and 2018 established a geological model consisting of stacked, subparallel veins. A small drilling program defined multiple, independent veins containing high to bonanza grades of silver and gold. Also reported with exploration results (see News Release May 22, 2018) were two distinct breccia zones found on surface which yielded robust grades of silver and gold over widths that were much wider than simple vein deposits. The most recent sampling program has been designed to confirm the hypothesis of vein system continuity along the 3 km mineral trend. This was done with a view to preparing the Company for an upcoming drill program on the 17 contiguous claims of the San Javier Silver-Gold Project. "We are pleased with these results and believe that these high-grade silver and gold samples, taken from several locations along the 3 km of strike extent of the San Javier Silver-Gold Project, confirm our hypothesis of vein continuity along the trend of the Company's claims." "Our most recent results confirm that high grade silver and gold veins are evidenced along the full 3 km extent of the San Javier Silver-Gold Project. This validates our strategy of acquiring and combining claims along the strike length of the San Javier Mineralized Corridor." "The Company has 17 contiguous claims, covering 3 km of strike length and the down dip projections of surface veins, and has now been able to confirm silver-gold mineralization along the extent of the Mineralized Corridor," stated Chris Berlet, President & CEO. The samples were collected and delivered to Bureau Veritas Mineral Laboratories in Hermosillo, Mexico, a certified, internationally recognized assay laboratory. Gold analyses were completed using a Fire Assay AAS Finish on a 30-gram sample at the Hermosillo Laboratory. All samples were also analysed for a multi element suite (ICP) from pulps sent to their Vancouver laboratory. Fifteen of the sixteen samples exceeded the ICP upper detection limit for silver (>100 ppm) and were subsequently analysed by Fire Assay - gravity finish in the Hermosillo laboratory. All samples were chip samples, which are reasonably representative of the bedrock exposures and suitable for the purposes described herein. Table 1 Sample assays from the San Javier Mineralized Corridor SAMPLE Number WIDTH (M) Au g/t Ag g/t DESCRIPTION 1 0.6 1.8 11 Southwest extent of the claims up-dip 2 0.6 0.33 114 Southwest extent of the claims up-dip 3 0.8 17.9 111 1,200 meters along strike Northeast 4 1.1 11.6 99 1,200 meters along strike Northeast 5 0.4 3.1 138 1,200 meters along strike Northeast 6 1.1 4.13 197 1,200 meters along strike Northeast 7 0.6 0.65 170 1,500 meters along strike Northeast 8 0.9 0.06 44.9 1,500 meters along strike Northeast 9 0.4 0.28 262 1,650 meters along strike Northeast 10 0.3 0.24 243 2,000 meters along strike Northeast 11 0.5 0.02 182 2,700 meters along strike Northeast 12 0.9 0.02 195 2,700 meters along strike Northeast 13 0.3 0.19 399 2,700 meters along strike Northeast 14 1.5 0.13 239 2,700 meters along strike Northeast 15 1.4 0.02 705 2,400 meters along strike Northeast 16 1.6 0.02 578 2,400 meters along strike Northeast Figure 1 Sample locations from the San Javier Mineralized Corridor To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2906/52152_3d250f92e455e98d_001full.jpg About Canuc Canuc is a junior resource company holding the San Javier Silver-Gold Project in Sonora State, Mexico. The Company generates cash flow from natural gas production at its MidTex Energy Project in Central West Texas, USA where Canuc has an interest in eight producing gas wells and has rights for further in field developments. Canuc also has exclusive rights, through a Partnership Agreement with Ioticiti Networks Inc., to sell Industrial IoT applications and infrastructure in the Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada and in the State of Texas, USA. Seymour M. Sears, B.A., B.Sc., P.Geo is the Qualified Person for the Company, as defined by NI 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the contents of this press release. For further information please contact: Christopher Berlet Chief Executive Officer and Director (416) 525 - 6869 cberlet@canucresources.ca Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Statements Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of this release. This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the Transaction, including statements regarding the terms and conditions of the Transaction. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements depending on, among other things, the risk that the parties will not proceed with the Transaction, that the ultimate terms of the Transaction will differ from those currently contemplated, and that the Transaction will not be successfully completed for any reason (including the failure to obtain the required approvals or clearances from regulatory authorities, including the Exchange). If the Transaction is not completed, and the Company continues as an independent entity, there is the risk that the announcement of the Transaction and the dedication of substantial resources of the Company to the completion of the Transaction could have an adverse impact on the Company's existing business and strategic relationships, operating results and business generally. When used in this news release, the words "estimate". "project", "anticipate", "expect", "intend" "believe", "hope", "may" and similar expressions, as well as "will", "shall" and other indications of future tense, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and apply only as of the date on which they were made. The statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in Canuc's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which are available at www.sedar.com. Completion of the Transaction is subject to Exchange acceptance. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52152 NEW YORK, Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed against Sasol Limited (Sasol or the Company) (SSL) and certain of its officers. The class action, filed in United States District Court for the Southern District of new, and indexed under 20-cv-01008, is on behalf of a class consisting of all persons and entities other than Defendants who purchased or otherwise acquired Sasol securities between March 10, 2015 and January 13, 2020, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), seeking to recover damages caused by Defendants violations of the federal securities laws and to pursue remedies under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act) and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, against the Company and certain of its top officials. If you are a shareholder who purchased Sasol securities during the class period, you have until April 6, 2020 to ask the Court to appoint you as Lead Plaintiff for the class. A copy of the Complaint can be obtained at www.pomerantzlaw.com . To discuss this action, contact Robert S. Willoughby at rswilloughby@pomlaw.com or 888.476.6529 (or 888.4-POMLAW), toll-free, Ext. 9980. Those who inquire by e-mail are encouraged to include their mailing address, telephone number, and the number of shares purchased. [Click here for information about joining the class action] Sasol was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa. Sasol operates as an integrated chemical and energy company in South Africa. The Company operates through Mining, Exploration and Production International, Energy, Base Chemicals, and Performance Chemicals segments. On October 27, 2014, Sasol announced the construction of a of an $8.1 billion ethane cracker and derivatives complex in Lake Charles, Louisiana, dubbed the Lake Charles Chemicals Project (LCCP). According to the Company, the LCCP includes seven manufacturing units, some of which are in continued development, including the low-density polyethylene (LDPE) facility and Ziegler alcohol, ethoxylates and Guerbet alcohol facilities, among others. Story continues The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Companys business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Sasol had conducted insufficient due diligence into, and failed to account for multiple issues with, the LCCP, as well as the true cost of the project; (ii) construction and operation of the LCCP was consequently plagued by control weaknesses, delays, rising costs, and technical issues; (iii) these issues were exacerbated by Sasols top-level management, who engaged in improper and unethical behavior with respect to financial reporting for the LCCP and the projects oversight; (iv) all the foregoing was reasonably likely to render the LCCP significantly more expensive than disclosed and negatively impact the Companys financial results; and (v) as a result, the Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. On June 6, 2016, Sasol reported that the expected total capital expenditure for the [LCCP] could increase up to US$11 billion, including site infrastructure and utility improvements; a slower rate of capital resulted in an extended project schedule and contributed to further project cost increases; [t]he expected returns for the project have reduced due to changes in long-term price assumptions and the higher capital estimates; and [t]he increase in the estimated LCCP capital cost and extended schedule will reduce the expected project returns by approximately the same amount as the Companys lower long-term price assumptions. Following these disclosures, Sasols American depositary receipt (ADR) price fell $3.53 per share, or 10.99%, to close at $28.60 per share on June 6, 2016. On May 22, 2019, during pre-market hours, Sasol disclosed that the cost estimate for the LCCP has been revised to a range of $12,6 to $12,9 billion which includes a contingency of $300 million. Sasol cited a $530 million change in the projects cost forecast because of a [c]orrection for duplication of investment allowances of approximately $230 million; a [c]orrection for certain contracts and variation orders managed by Sasol, outside the primary engineering, procurement and construction contract, of approximately $180 million; and forecast improvements that were not expected to be realised and adjustments for potential insurance claims and procurement back-charges of approximately $120 million. Following these disclosures, Sasols ADR price fell $4.50 per share, or 14.93%, to close at $25.64 per share on May 22, 2019. Later, on August 16, 2019, during pre-market hours, Sasol issued a press release disclosing that it was delaying the announcement of its 2019 financial results because of possible LCCP control weaknesses. On this news, Sasols ADR price fell $0.74 per share, or 4.02%, to close at $17.67 per share on August 16, 2019. Then, on October 28, 2019, Sasol disclosed that its review of the LCCP control weaknesses had brought to light errors, omissions, and inaccuracies in the [LCCP] cost estimate, and a number of unethical and improper reporting activities that took place at the highest level of management. Sasol also announced the resignation of, inter alia, its Joint Presidents and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), effective November 1, 2019, and Senior Vice Presidents and others previously in charge of the LCCP. Finally, on January 14, 2020, Sasol issued a press release confirming that on January 13, 2020, the Company experienced an explosion and fire at its LCCP low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit. Sasol stated that [t]he unit was in the final stages of commissioning and startup when the incident occurred and has been shut down and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident, the extent of the damage and resulting impact on the LDPE units [beneficial operation] schedule. Following these disclosures, Sasols ADR price fell $1.70 per share, or 7.84%, over the following two trading days, closing at $19.99 per share on January 15, 2020. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com CONTACT: Robert S. Willoughby Pomerantz LLP rswilloughby@pomlaw.com This winter was unusually wet and cold, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which also said that northwest and central India reported significantly high rainfall between October and January. The November rain in northwest India was the highest since 1951, and many stations made new rainfall records, according to IMDs climate diagnostics bulletin. These include Barmer and Churu in Rajasthan; Canning in West Bengal; and Kukernag, Kupwara, Srinagar and Baderwah in Jammu and Kashmir. Three intense low-pressure systems (two depressions and one cyclonic storm named Pawan) formed over the Arabian Sea in December, which is a record for the month since 1891, according to the bulletin. The northern plains and adjoining central India experienced unusual cold day conditions during the second half of December. Maximum temperature over northwest India was 17.5 degrees Celsius, 3.2 degrees below normal and the second lowest since 1901. The cold spell killed 57 people in north India mainly between December 27 and 30. Rains were way above normal in the winter months because of an unusually high number of western disturbances (WDs) affecting the northwestern region from November, according to experts. We have had at least nine intense WDs since November 3 with most cyclonic circulations forming over southwest Rajasthan and adjoining Pakistan. The frequency and intensity of WDs also was very high this winter, said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president, climate change and meteorology, Skymet Weather. The total rainfall received in western Rajasthan may not be very high because the normal rainfall expected during this season is minuscule but its unusual for the region. High rainfall recorded in central India is unseasonal also. M Mohapatra, director general, IMD, said: We had 10 western disturbances in January alone. The northeast monsoon season was also very active. Its a cumulative impact. K Sathi Devi, head of national weather forecasting centre, said: Rainfall has been particularly high this winter mainly because of several weather systems impacting the region. There were cyclones over the Arabian Sea in October and November which brought good rains to the peninsular and western region. On an average, only one cyclone is expected over the Arabian Sea annually. Then there have been nine to 10 western disturbances with some very intense ones since January which also brought rain to the northwestern and central region. Its too early to say if high frequency and intensity of weather systems is because of climate change. We have to see if this was a one off winter. Over the Arabian Sea, cyclone Kyarr formed on October 4 and affected Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa; Maha formed around October 30 and turned into an extremely severe cyclonic storm; and cyclonic storm Pawan formed around December 2. The northwestern region received 302% excess rains in November while central India received 99% excess rains in October, according to IMD data. In January, northwest and central India received 70% and 84% excess rains, respectively. Western Rajasthan, which is among the countrys most arid regions, received 145% excess rains in October, 837% excess rains in November, 73% excess rains in December, and 159% excess rains in January. Rainfall over the country was 44% excess in October, 3% excess in November, 10% excess in December and 46% excess in January, the weather department said. Featured guests Feb. 4 on Good Morning New York were, from left: Michael Weinstein; Leah Caro; Richard Haggerty; host Vince Rocco; Elise Ehrlich; Jordan Shea; and Phil Horigan New York Citys residential real estate professionals face myriad challenges, navigating an ever-changing landscape with industry disruptors as disparate data plagues the industry and costs precious time and money. Most cities and regions in the U.S are serviced by a local multiple listing service, so why has it been so difficult to establish a single, comprehensive shared database for New York City? asked Vince Rocco, host of Good Morning New York, an online radio show focusing on real estate trends in NYC. It comes down to one word change, said Richard Haggerty, CEO of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, Inc. (HGAR), and president of OneKey MLS, the New York metro areas first regional MLS. It is extremely difficult for active agents to do their job servicing consumers in a very hectic market. When you factor in change, learning new ways of entering listings, new ways of doing business, that can be intimidating. Haggerty was a featured guest on Roccos live show February 4 alongside a panel of industry experts to discuss the need for a unified MLS. Prior to OneKey MLS, Haggerty noted, other entities had stepped into the void the real estate platform StreetEasy being the most notable and taken advantage of the lack of an MLS and became the de facto MLS in New York City. While certain platforms are attractive because of their ease of use, the problem is often the quality of the listings data, Haggerty said. Thats why were making this push ... for a unified MLS in New York City, Haggerty said, noting OneKey MLS goal to be the most trusted source with listings from Manhattan to Long Island and through the Hudson Valley into the Catskills. Joining Haggerty on the panel were OneKey MLS chairperson Leah Caro, president and principal broker of Park Sterling Realty in Bronxville, N.Y.; NYC real estate photographer Michael Weinstein; Elise Ehrlich, Halstead; Jordan Shea, Douglas Elliman; and Phil Horigan, Frele and Leasebreak.com. The panel cited politics and a fear of losing control as reasons why some larger firms have embraced a unified MLS in other markets but have resisted one for New York City. Theyre losing that edge already, because theyre a slave to StreetEasy, said Caro. You are giving up your data and buying it back, which makes no economic sense, long-term. I think the folks who are scared are angry at the more progressive, technologically based real estate companies who have bought into the new (OneKey) MLS. There are these holdouts who are not ready for that. Its narrow vision. Caro shared HGARs efforts over the past several years to partner with the Long Island Board of Realtors to create OneKey MLS, which has already attracted a number of prestigious members, including Compass. Were bringing the solution on a platter, yet there is some pushback, said Caro. I think there are some protection issues, not just fear. OneKey MLS brings uniformity of the data to the market. This is the method to the madness. Horigan questioned whether firms would want to pay for another service: I dont know how we get to a solution if its not a free solution. Haggerty added theres no such thing as free ... theres technology behind it and he cited HGARs investments into data collection to ensure the highest quality information. What were trying to propose is that the MLS concept works in every single part of the country and its easy to use. So why wouldnt it work in New York City? We think it will. About OneKey MLS OneKey MLS is 42,000 plus subscribers strong and serves Manhattan, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Orange, Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx. It was formed in 2018, following the merger of the Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service and the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island. About The Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS The Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS is a not-for-profit trade association representing more than 13,000 real estate professionals in Manhattan, the Bronx, Westchester, Putnam, Rockland and Orange counties. It is the second-largest Realtor Association in New York, and one of the largest in the U.S. Portland will appeal a Multnomah County judges 2019 ruling that ordered the city to stop charging excessive fees for routine email and document searches to fulfill public record requests. The City Council voted 4-0 to appeal Circuit Court Judge Shelley D. Russells order to the Oregon Court of Appeals. Mayor Ted Wheeler said Wednesday the city will challenge Russells order to get more clarity about the rulings intent. He said he thought associating the appeal with the city being against transparency was a ridiculous comparison. The only way to get clarification on the meaning of the word excessive is to appeal, he said during a council meeting. Id love to be able to take the judge out, have a beer and have this clarified, but that is not the process we have here in America. The case stemmed from a September 2018 lawsuit filed by attorney and activist Alan Kessler, who claimed the city overcharged him by requiring he pay $311.67 for metadata from emails between a member of Portlands Historic Landmarks Commission and four employees at the citys Bureau of Development Services. The city has until Friday to give official notice to challenge the ruling. Russell wrote last November that Portland often uses high-paid employees to conduct public records request searches, which can drive up the costs for the requester. The judge also said trial testimony from Bureau of Technology Services employees showed the city made requesters like Kessler pay the full worst case estimate before the records are turned over, and didnt have a method to refund money to requesters when they are overcharged when the actual labor is less than what was estimated. A November trial resulted in Russells ruling and her injunction against future high search charges. The city gave Kessler a $52 refund on Oct. 31, acknowledging it had overcharged him by overstating an employees hourly pay. The judge could also order the city to pay Kesslers attorney fees, which the city said added up to around $120,000. Chief Deputy City Attorney Karen Moynahan said the concern is that the city could be held in contempt for any erroneous overcalculation of fees or if a judge of any future challenge disagrees with who the city chooses to do a public records email search. Moynahan described the injunction as problematic because people could go straight to circuit court to request a judge hold the city in contempt, rather than go through the current process of appealing to the Multnomah County District Attorney and then going through the court system. It could be a nightmare, Moynahan said. She told the council certain employees are chosen to perform email searches because they could come across sensitive information. She said the judges order reads as if any employee can do it, which would ignore employees with security clearances. An Oregonian/OregonLive investigation in 2018 found people seeking Portland police reports must pay at least $30 up front and face long delays, even if they are seeking the report as a victim. In 2017, the average wait for a police report was about 4 and a half months. Wheeler announced later that year that the city would stop charging crime victims for copies of police reports. Jenifer Johnston, a senior deputy city attorney who oversees Portlands public records requests, said she provides monthly trainings for city staff related to public inquiries. She said the city attorneys office is in the process of hiring another employee focused on aiding in requests for electronic records searches such as for texts and email. She said the city is looking to implement test searches to help requesters narrow requests to reduce costs for reviewing the records and to better provide the records that people are actually seeking and not records that are less useful to them. She said the city does waive request fees for records that take staff less than 30 minutes to search. Johnston said the technology services bureau has since changed the way it calculates refunds to make sure the city is refunding people who are overcharged and that they are charging the lowest rate for a person available to perform record searches regardless of which employee actually does the work. The city receives over 30,000 public records requests a year, and more than 22,000 of them are for records sought specifically from the Portland Police Bureau. She said the city gets the most public records request of any other entities in the state. Emily Green, a member of the Oregon chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, said the organization urged the council to reconsider challenging the judges ruling and instead focus on improving its public records request process. The state Society of Professional Journalists believe the judges ruling is clear, said Green, who is also a senior staff reporter at Street Roots. She told the council that the citys appeal appears to send the message of doubling down on government secrecy. As a reporter in this city, I am often baffled with the difficulty and high cost of obtaining public records, especially as it compares to other large cities, Green said. -- Everton Bailey Jr; ebailey@oregonian.com | 503-221-8343 | @EvertonBailey Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. By ANI NEW DELHI: Tiger Shroff is back as the rebel in his greatest battle as the actor dropped the explosive action-filled trailer of 'Baaghi 3' on Thursday. The 29-year-old actor shared the trailer on Twitter and wrote, "The rebel is back & this time he's up against a nation to fight his greatest battle! Catch the explosive" #Baaghi3Trailer #SajidNadiadwala" The three-minute-forty-one second trailer shows Ronnie (Tiger) crossing boundaries to fight evil elements for his brother Vikram, essayed by Ritesh Deshmukh who is a cop. The two brothers share a lovable bond. Vikram is seen travelling to Syria for an exam where he is held hostage by a group of terrorists. It depicts the journey of Vikram to save his brother amid the hardships. It also features Shraddha Kapoor who essays the love interest of Vikram. Earlier, Tiger released the poster of the flick in which, Tiger is seen facing a tank with a rifle in his hand. The subhead to the poster reads "This time he is up against a nation" giving a hint about what Ronnie (Tiger) has to deal with in 'Baaghi 3'. 'Baaghi 3' is the third installment of the action-thriller franchise 'Baaghi'. Helmed by Ahmed Khan, and produced by Fox Star Studios India the flick is expected to release in March 2020. Aldis Ramparts Road, Dundalk Project Fresh store has reopened its doors to customers following an extensive renovation project which has seen the store completely refurbished as part of Aldis 160m investment in its Irish store network. Aldi has committed 100m to constructing and opening 20 new stores, while Project Fresh sees Aldi invest a further 60m in revamping the layout and design of all of its 141 stores nationwide. The newly refurbished store has received a full makeover in line with Aldis award-winning Project Fresh design. Aldis Project Fresh store layout was recognised at the Checkout National Retail Supplier Awards, by scooping the Best New Store Build award for Aldis Ennistymon store, one of Aldis first Project Fresh stores. Featuring the new layout, Aldis Ramparts Road, Dundalk store offers a wide selection of fresh food at the front of the store, hi-spec fixtures and fittings and new signage that provides a more efficient and hassle-free shopping experience. The store will be powered by 100% green electricity. Aldi has invested heavily in improving its energy management systems and its entire store network is now powered by 100% wind-generated energy. Aldi was the second retailer in Ireland to achieve ISO 50001 accreditation in recognition of its efforts to improve energy efficiencies. Operating four stores in Co. Louth, Aldi has become an established part of Louths retail landscape, proving very popular with shoppers for bringing greater competition, choice and value for money. Aldis Ramparts Road, Dundalk store participates in Aldis national partnership with FoodCloud, donating surplus food to local charities daily. The store has donated over 28,700 meals to its charity partners to date. Aldi Ramparts Road, Dundalk is also part of Aldis Community Grants network, with Special Needs Active Parents just one of several charities availing of the 500 bursary grant this year. Speaking at the reopening, Slawomir Sulikowski, Aldi Ramparts Road, Dundalk Store Manager said: The Project Fresh revamp of our store is great news for our customers. Its new spacious design makes for a very easy and enjoyable shop. Our commitment to our customers is we will never be beaten on price and will always provide the best value. Our Swap and Save campaign continues and the goal of this campaign is to remind shoppers about the saving that can be generated by swapping their weekly shop to Aldi. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 13:34:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NANJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- When a slogan in a sweet, soft childish tone blares out from a community loudspeaker, the tense look of local residents amid the epidemic seems to relax. "Hello everyone, this is a little reminder that it would be safer to stay at home, and there's no need to be too nervous about the novel coronavirus," the voice is from 8-year-old Cookie Jiang, in Xuanwu District in Nanjing, east China's Jiangsu Province. As the whole nation is making every effort to curb the spread of the new pathogen, community staff have taken over an important task in spreading scientific knowledge of coronavirus prevention, and using loudspeakers to patrol in the community has become an effective method. But the community is limited in manpower, so they put out a call for volunteers. "The volunteers are from all walks of life and of all age groups. As more cases of infections are reported, people are getting more upset, and we think letting the kids read out the slogans will help ease their mood," said Li Xiaowei with the community committee. "When I heard the cute and adorable voice from the broadcast, I couldn't help but smile from the bottom of my heart," said Kang Yan, a local resident. "Some of them tried to copy an adult's tone, while some are more in a light vein, both of which amused us under the shadow of the virus outbreak." Authorities at every level in China are using their wits to popularize knowledge of the prevention and control of the novel virus. Two anchors in the city of Suqian have used local dialect and refuted with good humor 10 folk remedies that falsely claimed to be helpful in treating the virus. "Can garlic function as a medicine to cure the coronavirus? No, it can't. But its smell can make you feel alone in the crowd," said the anchor. "It's quite normal to feel anxious and panic when a public health issue appears," said Zong Wei, a head nurse with the psychological department of Nanjing Brain Hospital. She has received many calls seeking psychological counseling since the outbreak. "Most expressed worries about the novel coronavirus when they saw the number of confirmed cases continue to rise," said Zong, "and that excessive anxiety may lead to insomnia and weaken people's immune system." Therefore, the Jiangsu suicide prevention hotline, which is usually only open on weekdays, is now also available on weekends and holidays. The province also set up a 24-hour online platform for those who are mentally affected by the epidemic, which has now become a common practice in many provinces and municipalities in China. "Regular rest and paying more attention to personal hobbies can help alleviate pressure, and staying positive is the most important factor of all," said Zong. "We should all believe that the epidemic will end and spring is coming." A former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, has denied claims he said Nigerias president, Muhammadu Buhari, and Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, are the chief sponsors of bandits in the North. Mr Ribadu on Thursday described the statement being circulated on social media as devilish insinuations. The alleged statement quoted Mr Ribadu to have said: Bandits were created by Gen Mohammadu Buhari Rtd to oust Jonathan. He allegedly said Mr Buhari assembled his ardent supporters, promoters and strategists in April 2014 to determine how to remove President Goodluck. Prominent amongst them were El-Rufai, Gen Danbazo (Rtd). Specifically, Gen Buhari, in his address, told the fighters that the British handed Nigeria over to us, the Fulanis, at independence. The land (Nigeria) belongs to us. We must reclaim what belongs to us. Mr Ribadu, in a statement on Thursday, disowned the viral message and appealed to security agencies to investigate the genesis of the fake message and fish out the perpetrators. The statement shared around social media platforms attributed to me (giving) devilish insinuations on alleged origin of banditry in parts of Nigeria. The former EFCC boss said he initially ignored what was clear inanity and cheap blackmail, as I thought no right-thinking person will fall for such mischief. READ MORE: He said, I have never, at any time, wrote or said those words being attributed to me. I have no knowledge contained in the disjointed propaganda message in circulation and I urge the public to disregard it, he added. He said purveyors of fake news, more so, one that is clearly a threat to national security, should not be allowed to thrive. Millennials don't want to buy homes, the conventional wisdom goes. They think it's cheaper to rent. Or they simply prefer to rent, even if they can afford a house. And when they do purchase, more than half have buyer's remorse. No wonder only about one in three millennials owns a home nationally, what with all the happy renters out there. But a new survey finds that plenty of millennials (defined for 2020 as those aged 19-35) are highly motivated to own a home and are willing to make sacrifices to do so. Clever Real Estate commissioned a study of 1,000 people from baby boomer, generation X and Millennial generations who said they are considering buying a home in the next year. The survey compared each group's preferences and their ability to afford what has for years been considered a keystone of the American Dream. In the gallery above, we cover some of the takeaways, including how each generation values various desirable features such as a large kitchen or hardwood floors and how willing they are to buy a home that has some red flags like a crumbling foundation or close proximity to a highway. Despite polls that view millennials as "spoiled," "lazy" or "entitled," this study found that millennials are less picky than other generations and more likely to take a chance on a house that might come with some baggage. On the whole, Millennials haven't saved enough, and it's not because of their supposed avocado toast habit. Personal income hasn't kept up with the rise in housing costs, which are inflated in many areas due to lack of inventory. Many are trying to pay off staggering student loans. Finding the funds for a downpayment for a house under such circumstances can be next to impossible. According to the survey, more than 25 percent of Millennials planning to purchase a home in 2020 have less than $1,000 in savings and nearly 60 percent have less than $10,000. For a home valued at $210,000 (virtually nonexistent in the Bay Area), a downpayment would run about $42,000. For many, the math doesn't add up unless they get help from their family via loans, gifts, inheritances or trust funds. About 27 percent of the Millennials in the survey said they were counting on a lifeline. Some are living with their family in order to save up to buy a house. By comparison, baby boomers and gen X'ers had it relatively easy when they purchased their first home. And they're in no hurry to leave the homes they now own. ALSO: Bay Area city makes list of hottest cities for millennials looking to buy homes Boomers are living longer and staying in their homes longer partly because the houses they would downsize to cost too much. So they are "aging in place," resulting in an 80 percent ownership rate, which effectively keeps the housing inventory low, according to the Berkeley Economic Review. Boomer homes that should be going to market to meet the rising demand of Millennials are not being listed. Ironically, in a few decades when those boomer homes are finally unloaded, an oversupply of houses could swamp the market, causing a housing crash. Economists worry that real estate prices could nosedive in certain areas of the country. For the immediate future, however, bargains in the housing market will be difficult to come by. Perhaps that's one reason Millennials appear to be losing faith in their dream of homeownership. In 2019, 84 percent of Millennials surveyed by Clever Real Estate believed owning a home is part of the American Dream. A year later, only 70 percent felt the same way. --- Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate The Italian Trade Agency (ICE) has announced the opening of an office in Bahrain after signing an agreement with the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), on the sidelines of an official delegation visit to the Italian Republic. The Bahraini delegation was led by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander, and First Deputy Prime Minister. The agreement seeks to enhance trading and investment opportunities and cooperation between both countries strategic economic sectors, including manufacturing and logistics, financial services, information and communication technology, tourism, construction, and oil and gas, said a statement. The agreement, which is expected to further develop bilateral economic cooperation between Bahrain and Italy, is one of the many agreements worth a total of 330 million ($362.98 million) signed during HRH the Crown Princes official visit to the country. Khalid Humaidan, chief executive of the Bahrain EDB, said: Italy and Bahrain have longstanding trade and economic ties and this weeks official visit aims to strengthen that relationship by providing a platform for collaboration, partnership, and shared opportunities. That is the spirit in which we sign todays agreement, which will pave the way for trade and investment cooperation between companies in the Italian Republic and Bahrain, he added. Roberto Luongo, managing director at the Italian Trade Agency, said: Todays agreement will advance even further the already formidable economic and trading partnership enjoyed by Italy and Bahrain. I look forward to working closely with the Bahrain Economic Development Board to identify and create opportunities between Italian and Bahraini companies, facilitating business relations and investments across an increasingly wide range of sectors, he said. The agreement marks the latest chapter in a long history of economic and trade ties between Bahrain and Italy, first established in 1973. Since then, a number of agreements across a range of sectors have been signed, including those covering the protection of investments and the mutual exemption of taxes on air and sea transport. Bahrain is currently home to more than 60 Italian commercial enterprises, with the largest concentration of firms in the manufacturing sector. With its flexible regulatory environment, world-class physical and digital infrastructure, and some of the best-value operating costs in the region, hyper-connected Bahrain is increasingly the destination of choice for companies from all over the world seeking to access the growing $1.5 trillion Gulf markets, it stated. TradeArabia News Service See Queen Elizabeth's First Public Engagement as Monarch After Ascending to the Throne 68 Years Ago As Queen Elizabeth was mourning the death of her father, she was also stepping into her role as monarch. King George VI died on February 6, 1952, making his 25-year-old daughter the new Queen. Less than two months later, Queen Elizabeth appeared for her first public engagement of her reign: a Maundy Service at Westminster Abbey in London. The distribution of Maundy money is a tradition dating back to the 13th century, making it a fitting occasion for her monarch debut. And her husband, Prince Philip, was there by her side to support her on April 10, 1952. As seen in footage from the occasion shared by the Royal Familys official Twitter page on Thursday, Queen Elizabeth warmly greeted the clergy after handing out the money to 26 men and 26 women, an event which takes place annually on the Thursday before Easter. PA Images via Getty The Queen also held Nosegays, a bouquet made up of daffodils, primroses, stocks, purple statice, freesias, ivy, hebe and the herbs rosemary and thyme. The flowers were originally used to disguise odors as the monarch washed the feet of recipients. #Onthisday in 1952, The Queen acceded to the throne on the death of her father King George VI. Her Majesty was in Kenya on an official Royal tour when she learnt that she had become Sovereign. In this video, The Queen is seen on her first engagement as the Monarch. pic.twitter.com/hZ5yTgGu0M The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) February 6, 2020 RELATED: What Really Happened the Moment Elizabeth Discovered She Was Queen The Queen, now 93, continues to take part in the annual tradition and last year, her granddaughter Princess Eugenie assisted her in the distribution at St. Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle. Each recipient of Maundy money one male and one female for every year the Queen has been alive was given two small leather purses, one red and one white. The first contains a small amount of coinage which symbolizes the monarchs gift for food and clothing this year in the form of newly two minted cousins: a 5 piece, commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria and a 50p coin portraying Sherlock Holmes. The white purse contains Maundy coins up to the value of the Queens age. Recipients at the 2019 service were given 93p in silver Maundy coins. Story continues Queen Elizabeth | PA Images via Getty 7638539 | Fox Photos/Getty Early in her reign, the Queen decided Maundy money should not just be distributed to the people of London, and so she now travels to various cathedrals or abbeys to give gifts to local people. The recipients were chosen in recognition of their service to the community. As of 2017, the Queen has now visited every Anglican Cathedral in England for the Maundy Service. Princess Eugenie and Queen Elizabeth take part in the 2019 Maundy service | Steve Parsons/PA Images via Getty Images Known as Accession Day, the Queen normally spends it in quiet, somber reflection at Sandringham House, as it marks the death of her beloved father as much as the day that her public life changed forever. Around the time, she often takes part in a low-key engagement close to her estate in Norfolk. Soon after the date passes, shell head south to London and Windsor Castle for a fuller set of public and behind-closed-doors work, such as audiences with diplomats and meetings with the U.K. Prime Minister. Cant get enough of PEOPLEs Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more! By the sudden death of my dear father I am called to assume the duties and responsibilities of sovereignty, she said in her speech to the accession council. My heart is too full for me to say more to you today than I shall always work as my father did throughout his reign, to advance the happiness and prosperity of my peoples, spread as they are all the world over. Queen Elizabeth on her Coronation Day | Getty In June 1953, several months after her fathers death, Elizabeth was crowned at Westminster Abbey. The next milestone? Her 94th birthday on April 21. Coronavirus: Huawei India has indefinitely suspended travel to and from China to deal with fatal novel coronavirus infection. The company has also quarantined its Chinese employees along with their families who are currently in India and have travelled to China recently. "The recent outbreak of respiratory illness caused by novel coronavirus (nCoV) first detected in Wuhan, China, has concerned Huawei. In accordance with instructions from authorities, Huawei has initiated contingency plans to help contribute to the health and safety of our staff and the communities in which we operate," Huawei India said in a statement. Also Read: Why China's telecom major Huawei might be on tenterhooks in India The company has established a dedicated epidemic prevention and control emergency response team. "Preventive and control measures include suspending indefinitely all trips to and from China at the first signs of the outbreak. Quarantine of all Chinese employees recently dispatched on overseas assignments, along with with their family members and any other who has close contact with them," the statement said. The company said it has prepared comprehensive policies and materials designed to manage the threat of an epidemic under Huawei's business continuity management system. The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak rose to 490 in China on Tuesday, while the number of those affected by the deadly disease has crossed 24,000. Also Read:Coronavirus causes temporary shortage of Asus ROG II smartphone One death was reported earlier this week from the Philippines. So far, the virus has spread to Thailand, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Macau, Philippines, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, the US, Canada, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Russia, Finland, Spain, UAE and Sweden. India has reported three confirmed cases of nCoV so far from Kerala, where nearly 2,000 people are under observation in hospitals and homes. Three medical students of Wuhan University, all natives of Kerala, who recently returned to India have tested positive. As many as 401 people have been quarantined at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police facility in Delhi's Chhawla area since the last week after they were brought in two batches from Wuhan onboard separate Air India flights. Also Read: Huawei thanks India for 5G trials permission, says full confidence in Modi govt (With inputs from PTI) On Target Laboratories Inc., a privately held biotechnology company developing the use of Purdue University-discovered fluorescent markers to target and illuminate cancer during surgery, has announced the results of a multi-institutional Phase 2 clinical trial in which outcomes were improved for 26% of patients undergoing pulmonary resection for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The results of the treatment, called OTL38, were presented at the 56th annual Meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), held last month in New Orleans, and were featured in a plenary session as a J. Maxwell Chamberlain Memorial Paper for General Thoracic Surgery, considered to be among the top-rated abstracts at STS. The treatment was developed in the Purdue laboratory of Philip Low in the Purdue Institute of Drug Discovery. Low is the Presidential Scholar for Drug Discovery and Ralph C. Corley Distinguished Professor of Chemistry-Biochemistry in the Department of Chemistry. Currently, there are 288 clinical trials performed or in process using Purdue-developed medical treatments at 4,841 sites across the globe. Our goal is to provide surgeons with new technology to help them provide a more complete resection to more patients. This gives patients the best chance of improved outcomes after surgery." Christopher Barys, president and CEO of On Target Laboratories Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Pulmonary resection, either a wedge resection, segmentectomy, or lobectomy, is recommended for most patients who have operable stage I-II non-small cell lung cancer. Intraoperative molecular imaging (IMI) -- also referred to as fluorescence-guided surgery -- may increase the likelihood of a more complete surgical resection, which could translate into increased survival for patients and reduced re-operations or adjuvant treatment for hospitals. Conducted over 18 months, the study included 92 patients eligible for analysis. There were no drug-related serious adverse events and 24 patients, or 26%, were impacted during pulmonary resection, with 8% of patients having a change in their stage due to the use of IMI. The study showed that IMI improved localization of small and peripheral lesions, which can be difficult for surgeons to identify visually or through manual palpitation, and enabled localization of otherwise unlocalizable lesions in 11 patients, or 12%. Further, 10 additional cancers were found in seven patients, or 8%. During the Specimen Check Phase, when the surgeon confirms that the nodule is in the specimen and analyzes the margins, surgeons thought all margins were adequate, yet back-table inspection using IMI revealed inadequate margins in eight patients, or 9%. "OTL38 is the first technique that is specific to imaging adenocarcinomas of the lung, which is one of the most common types of invasive lung cancer," said Dr. Inderpal (Netu) S. Sarkaria of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "Near-infrared imaging with OTL38 may be a powerful tool to help surgeons significantly improve the quality of lung cancer surgery by more clearly identifying tumors and allowing the surgeon to better see and completely remove them -- one of the most vital components in the overall care of patients with this disease." OTL38 is under development in two Phase 3 clinical trials for lung and ovarian cancer indications. Both trials are being conducted under a special protocol agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. OTL38 also has received a fast-track designation for both the lung and ovarian cancer indications and an orphan designation for ovarian cancer from the FDA. Low is a co-founder of On Target and the technology is licensed through the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology of Commercialization. The Purdue Institute of Drug Discovery is situated near Discovery Park District, a $1 billion-plus long-term enterprise to support a transformational center of innovation on the western edge of the Purdue University campus. The district includes the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration, where startups, entrepreneurs, innovators and companies can collaborate with Purdue to address global challenges in health, sustainability, IT and space. The district already includes a public airport with a 7,000-foot runway, and partnerships with international companies including Rolls-Royce, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and Saab. Visit Discovery Park District. Personal protective equipment packs will be issued to GPs and health centres as part of coronavirus preparation measures being taken by the HSE. It will take between a week to 10 days for the health authority to distribute the packs to around 4,500 different sites. HSE assistant national director of public health and child health Kevin Kelleher said the health authority would start distributing the packs on Friday. They are the appropriate personal protective equipment required by the clinician in the community if they have a patient come in to see them, he said. It is basically a gown, gloves, mask and goggles, said Dr Kelleher during a media briefing. It is for the GP or relevant person to use if they get contacted by somebody who comes in to see them in the surgery. Chair of the Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group and director of the National Virus Reference Laboratory Dr Cillian De Gascun said test results were available about eight hours after the sample arrived in the laboratory. Director of the HSE's Health Protection Surveillance Centre Dr John Cuddihy said there was no confirmed case of novel coronavirus in Ireland. Dr Kelleher said they are able to confirm within 24 to 36 hours whether or not someone had the disease. He also said the health authority had been very careful in how they described the disease. It was not a Chinese disease and it was very inappropriate for some people to describe it in a way to discriminate against people. He warned that it could cause people who have caught the virus not to come forward. Asked was it inevitable that there would be cases in Ireland, Dr Kelleher said the World Health Organisation was hoping to contain the virus within China. Countries outside of China were making sure there was no sustained transmission of the virus. All the evidence is that outside of China, particularly at the moment, there is no such sustained transmission, said Dr Kelleher. He said people who have returned from China and who have symptoms should get in touch with their doctor by phone as a first step. Dr Kelleher said the clinicians would get in touch with his colleagues in public health and they would decide what needed to happen next. We are able to say that as of lunchtime today there are no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Ireland. Asked about the two suspected cases in Cork and Kerry, Dr Kelleher, said they did not talk about individuals. When asked if there were adequate isolation facilities in the country's acute hospitals, Dr Kelleher said they had been working "very hard" to ensure that they were prepared to isolate patients with the disease. Meanwhile, there have been 75 deaths from flu and 3,242 people hospitalised with the virus. Two Detroit businessmen acted as FBI informants and secretly recorded San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru and restaurateur Nick Bovis, helping the government build a sweeping public corruption case that jolted City Hall last week, The Chronicle has learned. Under the threat of a pending federal investigation, Samir Mashni and Noureddine Dean Hachem began cooperating with the FBI and recorded phone calls and in-person meetings with Bovis and Nuru for months beginning in January 2018, according to a federal complaint and sources with knowledge of the investigation. The probe led to fraud charges against Bovis and Nuru while revealing at least five alleged schemes, including the centerpiece of the governments case: an alleged plot to bribe an airport commissioner. The Chronicle used an FBI affidavit and confirmed the identity of the informants with sources to piece together new information in the wide-ranging case that has prompted additional investigations and calls to reform city government. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity, which The Chronicle granted in accordance with its anonymous sources policy. The revelations offer a window into how federal agents investigate public corruption over months or sometimes years, flipping informants in their pursuit of bigger targets. You try to develop sources and some of them are not just sources they are targets, said Rick Smith, a retired FBI special agent who runs a private investigation firm and is not involved in the case. You turn those people to provide more information on people higher up in the chain. If you have people that are wired and confidential sources, thats a bad combination for a defendant. Nick Otto / Special to The Chronicle Mashni and Hachem operate Midfield Concession Enterprise Inc., an airport concession business that, according to its website, has 34 locations in seven airports around the country, including Roasting Plant Coffee at San Francisco International Airport. Its unclear why Mashni and Hachem are being investigated. Messages to Roasting Plant Coffees headquarters in New York were not returned. While the complaint doesnt name the men and their business, the FBI affidavit describes two confidential human sources who made the recordings and worked with an undercover agent to document the alleged schemes. One of the sources was previously arrested and charged with conspiracy to transport and sell stolen motor vehicles, receipt of a stolen motor vehicle, and trafficking in a motor vehicle with altered identification number, FBI Special Agent James Folger wrote in the affidavit. Federal court records show Hachem was indicted in Michigan in 2001 and was later convicted on the same charges. Mashni has no criminal record and is a licensed attorney in Michigan. The confidential human sources described by the FBI had previously worked with Bovis, who owns Lefty ODouls, in a failed attempt to open a restaurant inside the airport, according to the affidavit. One man did not disclose an incident involving a prior bribe to a public official before he began working with the FBI, according to the affidavit. The men are not charged with any crimes in the San Francisco case. The FBI said it could not comment on anyone who is not charged in the case. Mashni and Hachem did not return numerous messages and requests for comment. The FBI may have also been trying to flip Nuru when agents arrested him on Jan. 21 and told him to keep quiet about the case that was still under seal at the time. Nuru, however, allegedly told City Administrator Naomi Kelly, his boss, about the investigation and was arrested again on Jan. 28 and hit with an additional charge of lying to the FBI. Its not clear if federal agents had their sights on anyone else in their investigation. Nuru is also accused of accepting gifts from a billionaire Chinese developer and receiving free and discounted work on his Colusa County vacation home. He and Bovis face 20 years in prison if convicted. Bovis attorneys, Mike Stepanian and Gil Eisenberg, said they could not comment on pending litigation. Nick Bovis is a very nice guy, a family guy, who has done a lot for our city through the years, Stepanian said. Nurus attorney, Ismail Ramsey, said his client welcomes and looks forward to addressing the governments allegations in court. The defendants are due back in court on Thursday for a bond hearing. While the federal charges continue to reverberate around San Francisco, and the FBI moves forward with its investigation, including raiding the office of building permit consultant Walter Wong last week, the origins of the case were more low-key. The investigation began to intensify on Jan. 24, 2018, during an outreach meeting for a food and beverage concession lease in Terminal 1 at San Francisco International Airport. Bovis and the two confidential sources, identified to The Chronicle as Mashni and Hachem, who were already cooperating with the FBI, left the airport and went to Bovis restaurant, Broadway Grill, in Burlingame, according to the affidavit. The FBIs sources were recording as the men discussed submitting a proposal to get Bovis restaurant, the Spinnerie, into lease No. 5 that was reserved for a chicken quick serve restaurant, according to the complaint. Bovis brought up Nuru as one of his resources in San Francisco city government who works side deals that could potentially help them secure the lease, the FBI said. Bovis described a previous failed restaurant bid by the three men in which he tried to get late Mayor Ed Lee involved, saying, I thought I did everything right, but I dont know what happened, according to the affidavit. 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. In the weeks that followed, one of the FBIs sources recorded conversations with Bovis, including a discussion about how Nuru helped set up a meeting with an airport commissioner, later revealed to be Linda Crayton, to help make it happen, the FBI wrote. Inside the newsroom Anonymous sources:The Chronicle strives to attribute all information we report to credible, reliable, identifiable sources. Presenting information from an anonymous source occurs extremely rarely, and only when that information is considered crucially important and all other on-the-record options have been exhausted. In such cases, The Chronicle has complete knowledge of the unnamed person's identity and of how that person is in position to know the information. The Chronicle's detailed policy governing the use of such sources, including the use of pseudonyms, is available on sfchronicle.com. See More Collapse Crayton resigned a day after the charges were unsealed last week, citing a struggle with multiple, severe medical conditions for several years. During one conversation, Bovis brought up the idea of giving Crayton $5,000 bucks cash along with paying for a trip to the city where the businessmen were based to take a quick airport tour to see their operations, Folger wrote. The plot came to a head on April 4, 2018, when the men identified as Mashni and Hachem, with Bovis, Nuru, Crayton and an undercover FBI agent, posing as a representative for potential investors, met for dinner at Broadway Grill. The group discussed their previous failed attempts to get into the airport and prepared to hand Crayton an envelope with $5,000 cash, but Nuru at the last second canceled the plan, according to the affidavit. Theres no indication Crayton was ever aware of an alleged plot to bribe her. Man, you make me carry $5,000 in my pocket for nothing, the FBIs source allegedly said. Man, I did you a favor, Nuru allegedly responded. Ill have Nick put it in a safe for you. In the days after the meeting, Bovis other business partners, who were apparently not working for the FBI, began looking into the undercover agent over concerns about his investors. They hired San Francisco private investigator Jack Immendorf, who ran a background check on the agent, which raised concerns. Hes a ghost, Bovis was recorded saying, according to the affidavit. Theres no, he just has a recently new number, a new domain name, a new email. Just created in March. So its sort of hard to, were going to waste our time if we go before the airport with him as our finance. Three months later, on July 10, 2018, the Airport Commission awarded the contract to a different company, Tastes on the Fly, which licensed local company Starbird, for Lease No. 5. Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky New Delhi: With the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) agitation having spread to the whole country with Delhis Shaheen Bagh protests being the fulcrum of dissent against the law, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose the floor of Parliam-ent to pour scorn on the so called tukde gang associated with the opposition, whom he blamed for provoking the protests against a notified law. In his almost 100-minute speech in the Lok Sabha, the Prime Minister repeatedly took digs and made cryptic comments against Mr Rahul Gandhi and the leader of the Congress in the lower house Adhir Ranjan Choudhury. The comments, often sarcastic and even tauntingly personal, left the treasury benches constantly in splits, as he compared Mr Gandhi to a tubelight, saying that it took the Congress leader around half-an-hour to react to his speech, when the former got up to question Mr Modi on unemployment. Mr Modi, who was replying to the motion of thanks on the Presidents address first in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday afternoon and then later in the Rajya Sabha in the evening, said that for him every citizen was an Indian and not somebody belonging to a particular religion or community, adding that Muslims were being misled by those who speak the language of Pakistan. He chose to emphasise that CAA was not against any minority community and no citizen of the country would be endangered by the law. He ridiculed the Congress and attacked it for imposing the Emergency, partitioning the country in 1947 and instigating the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. Mr Modi said that it was due to these misdeeds of the Congress that the people had shown it the door and it has failed to perform its duty as a responsible opposition. Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Mr Modi in his reply referred to the Congress leaders comments he had reportedly made about youth beating Modi with sticks over the lack of jobs, and said he would increase the number of Surya Namaskars (a yoga exercise) so that his back can bear the sticks. In 70 years, no Congress leader has ever become self- sufficient. I heard one leaders manifesto yesterday. He said We will beat Modi with a stick in six months. I can imagine that it is a difficult prospect, so it will take six months to prepare. In these six months, I will do more surya namaskar so that my back is ready for the beating. I have been subjected to abuses in the past 20 years, I will make myself gaali-proof (abuse-proof) and also danda-proof (stick- proof), Mr Modi said. Mr Modi, repeatedly took on Mr Choudhury, who was constantly interjecting his speech with protestations. The Prime Minister said that the Congress leader was openly publicising the governments Fit India campaign in Parliament. Responding to Mr Chowdhury on the issue unemployment, Mr Modi said he will resolve unemployment in the country but not his and of his partys. Aapki berozgari nahin hatne denge, he quipped. When the opposition sought to question him on the governments achievements in the agriculture sector, he said that he had learnt from farmers. Farmers, he said, toil hard in the fields under scorching heat but sow the seeds when the time is right. Similarly, he added, I have created the space in your (oppositions) minds and gradually I will start sowing the seeds in them. Responding to Congress leader Shashi Tharoors criticism of the governments measures regarding Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Modi suggested that Mr Tharoor should have some soft corner for Kashmir, after all he was son-in-law of the region, referring to his late wife Sunanda Pushkar, who was a Kashmiri. Mr Modi warned that street protests and arson against decisions of Parliament and state assemblies and peoples refusal to accept laws will lead to anarchy, as he accused the Congress and other opposition parties of inciting protests against the CAA and the NPR. Stoutly defending the CAA and the updation of the NPR, Mr Modi told Parliament there is an attempt to cover undemocratic activity under the garb of protests and that no one is going to get political benefit. As soon as Mr Modi arrived in Lok Sabha, the Congress MPs countered the BJP lawmakers Jai Shri Ram chants with Gandhiji Amar Rahein, in an apparent reference to the controversial remarks made by BJP MP Ananthkumar Hegde against Mahatma Gandhi. [February 06, 2020] Generex Biotechnology Subsidiaries NuGenerex Immuno-Oncology and NuGenerex Diagnostics Working to Address the Coronavirus Pandemic and Emerging Risk of Avian Flu Using Ii-Key Peptide Vaccines NuGenerex Immuno-Oncologys Ii-Key technology is clinically proven to activate the immune system against numerous viruses including H5N1 avian influenza virus Ii-Key peptide vaccines offer real potential for a cost effective, rapid response vaccine that can provide immunity to the 2019-nCOV and Avian influenza (Bird Flu) NuGenerex Diagnostics using peptides to develop a rapid test for 2019-nCOV in respiratory and blood samples using its proprietary NGDx Express II rapid diagnostic technology MIRAMAR, Fla., Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Generex Biotechnology Corporation ( www.generex.com ) (OTCQB:GNBT) ( http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/GNBT/quote ) today announced that the company is working with third party groups and government agencies to reactivate the previously robust research and development to generate Ii-Key peptide vaccines against pandemic viruses. The patented NuGenerex Immuno-Oncology (Formerly Antigen Express) Ii-Key technology uses synthetic peptides that mimic essential protein regions from a virus that are chemically linked to the 4-amino acid Ii-Key to ensure robust immune system activation. In particular, the Ii-Key ensures potent activation of CD4+ T cells, which in turn facilitates antibody production to ward off infection. This Ii-Key modification can be applied to any protein fragment of any pathogen to increase the potency of immune stimulation (up to 100-fold) while maintaining absolute specificity of response. The peptides and Ii-Key are made from naturally occurring amino acids, ensuring an excellent safety profile for Ii-Key peptide vaccines. Also, there are many companies with existing facilities that can make clinical-grade synthetic peptide vaccines in hundred-kilogram quantities, providing a scalable, economically feasible rapid-response vaccine to pandemic viruses; a kilogram of Ii-Key peptide vaccine would be enough to vaccinate roughly 1 million people. Unfortunately, when these pandemics fade out, everyone forgets about them until the next one. When the SARS scare waned, we focused all of our resources on developing Ii-Key immunotherapeutic peptide vaccines for cancer. Generex has been on the forefront of immunotherapy using our proprietary Ii-Key peptide vaccine technology. NGIO has extensive experience with the design of viral and cancer vaccines. We designed a series of vaccine peptides for the potentially pandemic H5N1 avian influenza virus that were tested in over 120 volunteers as part of a Phase I trial. The vaccine peptides were safe, well tolerated, and generated a specific immune response as designed. In addition to the H5N1 study, peptides with the same Ii-Key modification have been used in multiple clinical trials in patients with early stage cancer, including breast and prostate cancers. To date, all Ii-Key peptide vaccine studies demonstrated excellent safety as well as specific and long-lasting immune responses. Avian influenza has recently been identified in animals in Wuhan, China (the region where the coronavirus started), so the Ii-Key-H5N1 vaccine, with human safety data is ready to be deployed in the clinical setting to inoculate people against another potential pandemic. Based on our experience from the H5N1 virus Ii-Key peptide vaccine program, we have developed a strategy to design, screen and identify vaccine peptides to any novel pathogenic virus within 5 months, and we are initiating efforts to develop a vaccine against 2019-nCOV. About our Rapid Diagnostic Testing Technology: NuGenerex Diagnostics (NGDx) has developed the Express II, an innovative, patent-pending, point-of-care rapid diagnostic platform. The proprietary Express II kit design is complex enough to detect a wide range of analytes including antigens, antibodies, or protein biomarkers tat are found in infectious diseases, cancer, metabolic diseases and a host of other medical conditions. Though complex, the Express II is simple enough to be performed in the physicians office or even at home by consumers. Using the Express II platform, NGDx has developed point-of-care rapid diagnostic tests for HIV, Hepatitis B Hepatitis C, Tuberculosis, Syphilis and three Malaria-specific assays. Our syphilis assay, The Express II Syphilis Treponemal Assay, which has been has been approved for commercialization in Europe through the European CE Marking regulatory process, is a rapid point-of-care diagnostic assay for the detection of syphilis antibodies in primary and secondary syphilis with an accuracy equal to or better than standard laboratory assays for syphilis, with sensitivities and specificities of over 99%. The Express II diagnostic platform has major advantages over other point-of-care devices because of its simplicity of use, which include fewer steps of operation, the elimination of loops or pipettes for transferring samples, the elimination of unnecessary sample pickup pads, and its ability to be utilized in office settings, remote field use and for individual in-home use directly by consumers who can conduct the test by themselves in privacy. The results of any assay conducted using the Express II platform are available in 15-20 minutes, allowing clinical and therapeutic decisions to be made immediately and, if positive, appropriate patient counseling can be initiated on site. Currently, NGDx is initiating a project to adopt the Express II platform in the development of a diagnostic point-of-care test for the rapid diagnosis of the novel Wuhan Coronavirus (2019 nCoV) infection which has been declared a worldwide public health emergency by the World Health Organization. This test will allow the detection of the Wuhan Coronavirus directly in respiratory samples taken from the nose and throat of individuals and can be used for screening of travelers at national border entry points, or for direct diagnosis of suspected infected persons with symptoms, with results available in 15-20 minutes. It requires minimum training and can be used by national security agents, airline employees and any other appropriate authorized individual in all commercial and medical settings. Sometimes a small biotech company has to work harder to be noticed for their valuable work. Generex has a wealth of valuable technology that has been built with over $50 million in dollars in research and development expenditures, said Joseph Moscato, President & CEO of Generex Biotechnology. We had a large and successful infectious disease program a decade ago when our subsidiary NuGenerex Immuno-Oncology (then Antigen Express) was developing Ii-Key hybrid vaccines against a range of pathogens including HIV, bird flu, swine flu, Ebola, and SARS, another coronavirus. Our technology is based on old-fashioned technology that for 100 years has been used to develop vaccines with antigen proteins and peptides from pathogens. Our Ii-Key supercharges peptide vaccines to activate the immune system, and because we make synthetic peptides, they are cheaper, safer, and easier to use than the research stage vaccines that are currently being funded in response to this coronavirus outbreak. Plus, we are further along than those other companies, having significant human safety data that will allow us to test our vaccines in human clinical trials. We have vaccinated over 400 people with Ii-Key vaccines to prove their safety and their effectiveness in activating the immune response against viral infections. Additionally, our experience with antigen/epitope prediction and peptide chemistry translates directly to the development of new, point-of-care rapid diagnostic tests using our patent pending Express II diagnostic kits. With the 2019-nCOV coronavirus pandemic spreading across the globe, we are offering our Ii-Key peptide technology to partners and governments seeking a real solution rather than a hopeful research project. Our Ii-Key peptide vaccines can be rapidly deployed for population vaccination as they have been proven safe in humans. Our peptide vaccines are easily and economically manufactured at commercial scale using standard solid-state peptide chemistry and currently available facilities. Plus, we have identified a potential partner that has identified a series of epitopes from the 2019-nCOV virus sequence, so we are positioned to rapidly develop and test 2019-nCOV specific Ii-Key-hybrids vaccines. We welcome inquiries from interested parties that have proprietary antigen/epitope products that can be linked with the immune system activating Ii-Key to build new vaccines against this global threat. Governments, health ministries, and large pharmaceutical companies need to take a look at our data from all of our research and clinical development work on pandemic vaccines. See how far along we are; ask the questions; and partner with us as on preventing the spread of the 2019-nCOV virus. The world needs a vaccine, and we see our Ii-Key technology as a viable solution if funded and provided the necessary resources to develop and commercialize a vaccine for all. About Generex Biotechnology Corp. Generex Biotechnology is an integrated healthcare holding company with end-to-end solutions for patient centric care from rapid diagnosis through delivery of personalized therapies. Generex is building a new kind of healthcare company that extends beyond traditional models providing support to physicians in an MSO network, and ongoing relationships with patients to improve the patient experience and access to optimal care. NuGenerex Immuno-Oncology (formerly Antigen Express), a subsidiary of Generex Biotechnology, is a clinical stage oncology company developing immunotherapeutic peptide vaccines based on the CD-4 T-Cell activation platform, Ii-Key. NuGenerex Immuno-Oncology (NGIO) is being spun out of Generex as a separate, independent public company to advance the platform Ii-Key technology, particularly in combination with the immune checkpoint inhibitors. NGIO is currently engaged in a Phase II clinical trial of its lead cancer immunotherapeutic vaccine AE37 in combination with pembrolizumab (Mercks Keytruda) for the treatment of triple negative breast cancer. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This release and oral statements made from time to time by Generex representatives in respect of the same subject matter may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by introductory words such as "expects," "plan," "believes," "will," "achieve," "anticipate," "would," "should," "subject to" or words of similar meaning, and by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements frequently are used in discussing potential product applications, potential collaborations, product development activities, clinical studies, regulatory submissions and approvals, and similar operating matters. Many factors may cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements, including inaccurate assumptions and a broad variety of risks and uncertainties, some of which are known and others of which are not. Known risks and uncertainties include those identified from time to time in the reports filed by Generex with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which should be considered together with any forward-looking statement. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future results or events, and one should avoid placing undue reliance on such statements. Generex undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Generex claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements that is contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. Generex Contact: Generex Biotechnology Corporation Joseph Moscato 646-599-6222 Todd Falls 1-800-391-6755 Extension 222 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Pune, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Influenza Medication Market size is projected to reach USD 993.7 million by 2026, exhibiting a CAGR of 2.2% during the forecast period. Increasing global burden of influenza will be one of the central forces driving the growth of this market. Influenza, or the flu, is a virus that infects the human respiratory system, that is, the throat, lungs, and nose. Usually, the infection subsides on its own, but sometimes it can turn severe and even prove to be fatal. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year influenza epidemics around the globe affect around 3 million to 5 million people and cause respiratory deaths between 290,000 and 650,000. The developed nations are also bearing the impact of this deadly virus. For instance, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that since 2010, the occurrence of influenza-related illnesses in the US have been between 9 million and 45 million. In 2016-17, the CDC estimates that hospitalizations resulting from influenza alone will be around 500,000. Thus, such exponential rise in the prevalence of this infection will raise the influenza treatment market demand in the coming years. For more information in the analysis of this report, visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/influenza-medication-market-101843 In its new report, titled Influenza Medication Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Treatment (Baloxavir marboxil, Oseltamivir phosphate, Others), By Influenza Type (Influenza A, Influenza B), By Route of Administration (Oral, Others), By Distribution Channel (Hospitals Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, Online Pharmacies, Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026, Fortune Business Insights states that the value of this market stood at USD 889.2 million in 2018. The report also contains: Exhaustive research into the different market segments; Comprehensive assessment of the various drivers and challenges influencing the market; 360-degree analysis of the competitive landscape (company profiles, strategies, and product offerings); and Careful study of the regional dynamics shaping the market. Rising Threat from Risk Factors for Influenza to Propel the Market Prominent among the Influenza Medication Market trends is the threats posed by the risk factors inducing or worsening the effects of influenza infection in humans. According to the CDC, the people most at risk for flu complications include pregnant women, diabetics, asthmatics, adults aged 65 or older, young children, HIV/AIDS patients, cancer patients, and people suffering from chronic lung or heart condition. For example, congestive heart condition in a person can worsen if she contracts the flu infection. The influenza drugs market growth is further bolstered by the rising prevalence of these risk factors. For instance, the WHO estimates that approximately 235 million people worldwide are living with asthma currently, while 18.1 million new cancer cases were reported worldwide in 2018, the WHO states. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/influenza-medication-market-101843 Strong Support to R&D Activities to Fuel the Market in North America North America is anticipated to dominate the Influenza Medication Market share in the forecast period as the region generated a revenue of USD 527.3 million in 2018. Financial and regulatory support to academic institutions and private companies for R&D for studying influenza virus mutations will be the primary growth factor for the market in the region. Other than this, high incidence of different types of influenza along with rising awareness about the disease will also expand the regional market. Government initiatives, increasing disposable income, and growing awareness about the dangers of the infection will accelerate the Influenza Medication Market revenue in Asia-Pacific. In Europe, influenza research is gathering momentum which is driving the market in the region, while in the Middle East and Africa, availability of subsidized drugs will augment the market. Regulatory Support to Novel Therapies to Fire up Competition Major players in this market are intensely engaged in developing new and unique therapies for influenza and regulatory authorities are providing the necessary support to the efforts, according to one of our leading analysts. Not only is this widening consumer choice, but it is also enhancing the market potential, as per the Influenza Medication Market analysis. Industry Developments: October 2019: Shionogi & Co., the leading Japanese drug maker, submitted supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil) to the Japanese government. The application is based on the companys Phase III BLOCKSTONE study which evaluated the efficacy of Xofluza in the post-exposure prophylaxis in household members of influenza patients. Shionogi & Co., the leading Japanese drug maker, submitted supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) for Xofluza (baloxavir marboxil) to the Japanese government. The application is based on the companys Phase III BLOCKSTONE study which evaluated the efficacy of Xofluza in the post-exposure prophylaxis in household members of influenza patients. March 2019: GlaxoSmithKline announced that it received positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the companys intravenous zanamivir therapy. The therapy is designed to treat influenza A or B infection in adults and children at or below 6 years of age. Key Players Covered in the Influenza Medication Market Report: Alvogen Amneal Pharmaceuticals LLC Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. GlaxoSmithKline plc Seqirus (CSL) Genentech, Inc. Macleods Pharmaceuticals Ltd. Zydus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Zydus Cadila) Lupin Limited BIOCRYST PHARMACEUTICALS, INC. Shionogi & Co., Ltd. Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/influenza-medication-market-101843 Detailed Table of Content: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Overview of Influenza Epidemiology Analysis of Disease Burden of Influenza, By Key Regions New Product Launches Pipeline Analysis Analysis of the Impact of the Launch of Generics on the Influenza Medication Market Key Industry Developments Global Influenza Medication Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Treatment Baloxavir marboxil Oseltamivir phosphate Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Influenza Type Influenza A Influenza B Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Route of Administration Oral Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Distribution Channel Hospital Pharmacies Retail Pharmacies Online Pharmacies Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa TOC Continued.! Request for Customization: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/influenza-medication-market-101843 Have a Look at Related Reports: Vaccines Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Recombinant/Conjugate/Subunit, Inactivated, Live Attenuated and Toxoid), By Route of Administration (Parenteral and Oral), By Disease Indication (Viral Diseases and Bacterial Diseases), By Age Group (Pediatric and Adults), By Distribution Channel (Hospital & Retail Pharmacies, Government Suppliers and Others) and Region Forecast, 2019-2026 Recombinant Vaccines Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Subunit and Live Attenuated), By Route of Administration (Parenteral and Oral), By Disease Indication (Human Papillomavirus, Hepatitis B, Rotavirus, Herpes Zoster, Meningococcal B, and Others), By Distribution Channel (Hospital & Retail Pharmacies, Government Suppliers and Others) and Geography Forecast, 2019-2026 Influenza Vaccine Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Inactivated and Live Attenuated), By Valency (Quadrivalent and Trivalent), By Age Group (Pediatric and Adults), By Distribution Channel (Hospital & Retail Pharmacies, Government Suppliers and Others) and Geography Forecast, 2019-2026 Veterinary/Animal Vaccines Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product (Inactivated, Live Attenuated, Recombinant, Others), By Animal (Companion, Livestock), By Route of Administration (Oral, Parenteral, Others), By Distribution Channel (Veterinary Hospitals, Veterinary Clinics, Pharmacies & Drug Stores, Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Nuclear Medicine/ Radiopharmaceuticals Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Diagnostic Radiopharmaceuticals, Therapeutic Radiopharmaceuticals), By Application (Neurology, Cardiology, Oncology, and Others), By End User (Hospitals & Clinics, Diagnostic Centers, and Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Human Insulin Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Analogue Insulin, Traditional Human Insulin), By Diabetes Type (Type 1, Type 2), By Distribution Channel (Retail Pharmacy, Hospital Pharmacy, Online Pharmacy), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Germany Pneumococcal Vaccines Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product Type (PCV10, PCV13, and PPSV23), By End User (Hospitals, Clinics, and Others) and Region Forecast, 2019-2026 Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Bivalent and Polyvalent), By Disease Indication (HPV Associated Cancer and Genital Warts), By Distribution Channel (Hospital & Retail Pharmacies, Government Suppliers, and Others) and Geography Forecast, 2019-2026 Veterinary Therapeutics Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis By Product Type (Drugs, Vaccines), Animal Type (Companion, Livestock), Route of Administration (Oral, Parenteral, Topical), Distribution Channels (Veterinary Hospitals, Veterinary Clinics, Pharmacies & Drug Stores) and Regional Forecast, 2018 - 2025 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Our reports contain a unique mix of tangible insights and qualitative analysis to help companies achieve sustainable growth. Our team of experienced analysts and consultants use industry-leading research tools and techniques to compile comprehensive market studies, interspersed with relevant data. At Fortune Business Insights we aim at highlighting the most lucrative growth opportunities for our clients. We, therefore, offer recommendations, making it easier for them to navigate through technological and market-related changes. Our consulting services are designed to help organizations identify hidden opportunities and understand prevailing competitive challenges. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Fortune Business Insights LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs Kristin Smart, a 19-year-old student at California Polytechnic State University, was last seen walking back to her dorm room from an off-campus party. That was nearly 24 years ago. On Wednesday, the authorities investigating Ms. Smarts disappearance executed search warrants at four locations in California and Washington State and recovered some items of interest, said Tony Cipolla, a spokesman for the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office. The discovery of the items, which Mr. Cipolla declined to describe, raised hopes that the case might finally be solved. We will now analyze those and see how they relate to this case, Mr. Cipolla said in an interview. We would like nothing more than to bring closure to the Smart family in this case. One endeavors to be as fair as possible, to judge what is on the plate on its own merits, which can aspire to the heights of haute cuisine, or CARLINVILLE Michael Layfield has joined Carlinville Area Hospital as interim CEO following the retirement of Ken Reid on Jan. 31. Layfield is a hospital CEO with more than 35 years in the health care industry. He has worked in both for-profit and not-for-profit hospitals as regional vice-president, CEO and CFO with a major focus on quality care, patient experience, employee and provider engagement, and financial results. According to HealthTechS3, Layfield has spent his last 15 years working in small-town, 25-bed critical access hospitals. Reid was CEO at the facility for the past 14 years, overseeing the expansion and development of the Carlinville campus, the growth of the rural health clinics in Carlinville and Girard, the financial stability of the hospital and the recruitment of physicians and advanced practice nurses. Carlinville Area Hospital had the good fortune to find a highly qualified healthcare professional as our chief executive officer for the past several years who also happened to grow up in Carlinville, said J. Richard Schien, Board Chair at Carlinville. Ken was already well respected as a healthcare executive with Springfield Clinic before he accepted the role of CEO at Carlinville Area Hospital. Kens leadership skills were front and center as the decision was made to build a new hospital and then only a few years later to add a medical office building attached to the hospital, he said. His leadership allowed us to secure favorable financing for the facility projects while also adding new services such as the recently added MRI suite. Neil Todhunter, President of HealthTechS3, said working with Reid over recent years has been a privilege and an honor. Ken never fails to treat people with dignity, thoughtfulness, and respect, he said. His work at Carlinville, in the community and with the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network, was terrific. HealthTechS3 is searching currently for a permanent replacement CEO. Nine jail guards, including a prison's surveillance chief who was in charge of securing the escape Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's cartel chief financial officer, last month, have been formally charged. The announcement was made Wednesday, after Victor Manuel 'El Vic' Felix Beltran, Luis Fernando Meza and Yael Osuna were busted out of the Reclusorio Sur jail on a prison inmate transfer van on January 29. The Mexico City prosecutor's office said prison officials waited two hours and half lapsed before reporting the missing detainees, all of whom were expecting to be extradited to the United States on drug charges. During a court appearance last Saturday, prosecutors revealed that Roberto Barenque Medina, one of 11 prison guards implicated in the jail break, offered another prisoner $10,600 to remain silent about the presence of the escapees inside the van and to say that he was 'asleep' while he was being taken to a local hospital for a doctor's appointment. The Mexico City Attorney General's office said that Barenque Medina also received numerous phones calls from the Sinaloa Cartel a month prior to the shocking jail break and was told he and his family would be killed if he did not participate in the plan. Barenque Medina proceeded with the criminal organization's plot to free 'El Vic', who served as the financial expert for El Chapo's sons, and the other two cartel members. The judge has given the prosecution three months to bring its case forward to trial. Roberto Barenque Medina (circled) is one of 11 guards charged by Mexican government officials for assisting Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's cartel chief financial officer escape from prison last month Victor Manuel 'El Vic' Felix Beltran (pictured), who was the chief financial officer of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's Sinaloa Cartel, escaped from a Mexico City jail with two other cartel members. Court documents show that the head of the prison's surveillance obtained a transfer approval to take El Vic to a local hospital last Wednesday before he went missing The top ranking jail official also also provided correction officer uniforms for the three men. The thought out plan also included taking a fourth prisoner, Victor Briseno, who reportedly was sick to Ruben Lenero Hospital for an appointment last Wednesday. Briseno told investigators that Barenque Medina instructed him to say that he 'had fallen asleep' or risk being killed along with his family. El Vic, who was sentenced to four years in jail in October 2017 for overseeing the finances of El Chapo's sons, along with Meza and Osuna were spotted by surveillance cameras freely walking out of their unlocked cell. They then passed through five different prison gates that were left unprotected while the rest of the inmates were sleeping. Osuna, Meza and El Vic, who were housed in the seven, eight and nine cellblocks, respectively, made it to the jail's sixth cell block and advanced past a yard and then cut a barbwire fence before climbing over it. They reached getaway van in just six minutes. Security camera footage provided by the Mexico City government last week showed the moment Barenque Medina and another prison guard having a conversation with a correction officer. They subsequently stepped into the vehicle before driving off when a guard opened the exit gate. The guard, however, never inspected the vehicle, per prison rules. Street surveillance cameras registered the moment Barenque Medina, who was accompanied by other two guards identified as Daniel Rivas y Antonio de Meza, drove through traffic. Yael Ozuna (left) and Luis Fernando Meza (right) joined fellow Sinaloa Cartel member Victor Manuel 'El Vic' Felix Beltran in a daring prison escape January 27 Eleven prison officials are have been formally charged after three members of El Chapo's old cartel escaped a Mexico City jail January 27 Pictured in the red circle is the van that was used by Sinaloa Cartel members to escape a jail in Mexico City on January 27 El Vic, Meza and Osuna were dropped off at an undisclosed location about 50 minutes later and reportedly boarded a getaway vehicle. The Mexico City government said that city and private building surveillance cameras did not capture the moment they left the van. The three men were expected to be handed over to authorities in the U.S. where El Chapo is serving a life sentence. Meza Gonzalez and Felix Beltran were held on drug charges and Osuna Navarro was in jail for alleged criminal association. El Vic replaced his father, Victor Manuel 'El 69' Felix, as El Chapo's consigliere after the older man was apprehended by Mexican security forces in 2011 and extradited to California in 2017. He was sentenced to 14 years in jail. A Chicago federal court indicted El Vic in 2015 and slapped him with a money laundering charged and also accused him over overseeing the cartel's production and export of heroin from Mexico to Chicago. TERMS OF USE Welcome to the santafenewmexican.com website (this "Site"). Use of this Site is conditioned on the acceptance, without modification, of these terms and conditions ("Terms of Use"). 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Contacting AP 10.1 Requests for the archiving, republication or retention of any item of Content accessible on the Site should be submitted by You in writing to The New Mexican at the following address: Web Editor/Copyright Team, The New Mexican, 202 E. Marcy St., Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA or by email to webeditor@sfnewmexican.com 10.2 If You have any queries regarding the Site, please submit your query to The New Mexican by email to: webeditor@sfnewmexican.com Watertown, NY (13601) Today Scattered snow flurries and snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low -8F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 30%.. Tonight Scattered snow flurries and snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low -8F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 30%. On the surface, Pamela Hargan and her daughters seemed to lead an enviable life. Fueled by a desire to escape her small-town Illinois roots, as a young woman Pamela moved to the East Coast, quickly rising through the ranks of Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and becoming a top human resources executive there and later, at defense contractor SAIC. A divorced single mom, Pamela traveled often for her demanding but well-paying job that enabled her to take her family on beach vacations and afford a $1.3 million house in the upscale Washington, D.C., suburb of McLean, Virginia. Though she was eying retirement, at 63, Pam was no empty nester. Her oldest daughter, Megan Hargan, now 37, and Megans 7-year-old daughter, had been living with Pamela for several years, though Megan was married to a man in West Virginia. It was bizarre, Pamelas sister, Tamara North, 59, tells PEOPLE of the Megans long-distance marriage. In the spring of 2017, Pamelas youngest daughter, Helen Hargan, 23, moved back in with Pamela after graduating from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, while she waited for construction on a new home to be finished before starting grad school. RELATED: Va. Woman Allegedly Killed Mom and Sister then Staged Scene to Look Like Murder-Suicide Megan was less than pleased. Over the years, Megan had become very hateful, says North. Not only did Megan and Pamela clash often, but Megan hated Helen, even though she and middle sister Ashley watched Helen when Pamela traveled for work, says North. It was an about-face; how could you hate the little sister you raised? says North. 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. Despite a seemingly happy public facade, behind closed doors, the relationship among the Hargan women had been troubled for some time, says North. Story continues On one summer afternoon in 2017, North tells PEOPLE, Something went very, very wrong. On July 14, 2017, police rushed to the Hargans home responding to a 911 call about a possible shooting. Inside, officers found Pamelas blood-spattered body in her laundry room, dead of a gunshot wound to the head. The home in McLean, Virginia, where Pamela and Helen Hargan were found shot to death. | Tom RousseyWJLA-TV Helens body was found in an upstairs bathroom, with a rifle muzzle resting on her abdomen and the butt between her feet. What shocked North and others was that police said it was Helen who killed her mother before turning the rifle on herself. It was just so horrible, says North. But I knew right away that something was very wrong. Her instincts proved right, according to authorities. What initially appeared to be a tragic murder-suicide turned out to be a ruse to hide the unthinkable: a double murder, say officials in court records obtained by PEOPLE. More than a year after the slayings, authorities announced theyd arrested Megan, who was charged on Nov. 9, 2018, with two counts of first-degree murder. Megan Hargan, 37 For more on the tragic murders of a mother, daughter and the woman accused of killing them, subscribe now to PEOPLE or pick up this weeks issue, on newsstands Friday. Police say otherwise. They allege that jealousy and greed led Megan to kill her mother and sister and stage it to look like a murder suicide. On the day of the murders and the day before, Megan allegedly tried to transfer money from her mothers bank account, say police in an unsealed affidavit. Megan Hargan being questioned by police. | Fairfax County Police Megan was allegedly using the money to buy a house, the documents state. Pamela, says North, had bought Helen her new home, but said no to buying one for Megan. Looking back, North says, Never in a million years would I have dreamed that something like this would happen in my family. Never. I just want justice for my sister and Helen. Subscriber content preview SEATTLE An industrial property at 3408 First Ave. S. in Sodo sold for a little under $3.5 million, according to King County records. The deal was worth about $134 per square foot. The almost 1.7-acre property is on the corner of South Hinds Street, just north of the Spokane Street Viaduct. Abbott Construction leases all or most of the property, having moved there in 2009. . . . George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Thornton has come under increased scrutiny in the past two years. A recently formed board in Delaware County signaled, for the first time, that it may return the jail to public control. Read more The Delaware County Council has signaled for the first time that, after 30 years, the embattled George W. Hill Correctional Facility may become a publicly run jail. At its monthly meeting Wednesday night, the five-member, all-Democratic council unanimously voted to commission a study to see what would be required to carry out the shift, and how much the process would cost. George W. Hill, the only privately run county jail in the state, is operated by the GEO Group, a Florida-based, international private-prisons conglomerate. We continue to have the ignominious status of having the only private prison in Pennsylvania, said County Councilman Kevin Madden, who has been a vocal critic of the prison. There should be no debate about that. The idea of any organization viewing maintaining people incarcerated as being a source of recurring revenue, that doesnt work. That doesnt work for what our interests are, which is to rehabilitate folks and to work as a community to get people back on their feet. Its not immediately clear how much returning the prison to county control would cost. In a study commissioned last year by the defunct Board of Prison Inspectors, the Phoenix Group estimated that such a switch would require at least a $1 million investment from the county. In addition to the salaries and benefits of roughly 500 correctional officers and staff members, GEO also handles legal liability in claims filed against the facility, and covers the costs of medical and food services at the jail. GEO is locked into a five-year, $259 million contract with Delaware County. The deal, inked in December 2018, includes a clause that allows county officials to terminate the agreement with 180 days notice. A spokesperson for GEO said in a statement Thursday that the company values its "long-standing partnership with the county and will continue providing high quality services that maintain a safe and positive environment for our staff and those entrusted to our care at the facility. The nearly 1,800-bed facility has been mired in controversy for the last two years, when the first two Democrats elected to the county council began raising concerns about it amid increased activism from residents. Those councilmen, Madden and Brian Zidek, repeatedly lobbied for the creation of the new Jail Oversight Board, made up of residents, judges and county officials. It replaced the previous, politically appointed Board of Prison Inspectors in November. Madden, the chair of the new oversight board, said the vote to explore de-privatization is the first step in an ongoing process. It follows high-profile incidents at George W. Hill, including five heroin overdoses that occurred there on Christmas. One of the overdose victims, Fatima Musa, died after fellow inmate Kathleen Fisher had her son smuggle in the narcotic during holiday visitation hours, according to sources familiar with the incident. A month earlier, George W. Hills longtime superintendent, John Reilly Jr., retired the day after an investigation by The Inquirer and Caucus detailed previously undocumented accusations of what current and former prison workers described as his abusive and racist behavior. Reilly has denied the allegations. READ MORE: Boss of Delaware Countys private jail accused of racism, abuse of power Brian Corson, one of the members of the Jail Oversight Board, said Thursday that he welcomed the commission of the study, given the recent debate about the facility. For me, before I vote for anything, this is exactly what I would like to see: a report done by an outside party that has everything in there, he said. There are a lot of moving parts at this facility, and I dont want to be a part of any decision that doesnt do its due diligence. Islamabad, Feb 6 : Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is scheduled to arrive in Islamabad on February 13, will address a joint Parliament session on February 14. Confirming the Turkish President's address, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said Erdogan would also hold talks with various parliamentary leaders, reports The Express Tribune. This will be the fourth time that Erdogan addresses the Pakistani parliament, a Dawn news report said. The Turkish President was scheduled to pay an official visit to Pakistan on October 23, 2019. But the visit, however, was postponed after Turkey's involvement with a military offensive against Kurdish militants in Syria that raised tensions with Washington and other Western nations. Erodgan last visited Pakistan in 2016, during the PML-N-led government, when he had addressed Parliament. By Park Moo-jong Fifty-three years ago back in 1967, The Beatles released "When I'm Sixty-Four," written by Paul McCartney, on their album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." He expressed in the song an apparent concern about getting old. He wrote it at the age of 16 when his father was 64. The British rock band sang: "When I get older losing my hair many years from now, will you still be sending me a valentine, birthday greetings, bottle of wine? If I'd been out till quarter to three, would you lock the door? Will you still need me, will you still feed me when I'm 64?" In 1967, the age of 64 was indeed old. In Korea, particularly, one's 60th birthday used to be one of the most celebrated events for his or her longevity. But now in 2020, even people aged between 65 and 75 are not treated as elserly. They are dubbed "yold" or "young old" as the Japanese call them. They are not just any group of old people. The Economist, a British weekly in London, reported in "The World in 2020," its annual edition that looks at the year ahead, in December 2019: The new year "will mark the beginning of the decade of the 'yold' or the the 'young old.' The height of the baby boom, the period of high fertility in rich countries after the Second World War, was 1955-60." Not to quote the weekly, the world is getting old rapidly. The Republic of Korea is no exception. The eldest of the baby boomers born between 1955 and 1963 becomes 65 this year to become legally senior citizens. They number 710,000, compared to 400,000-500,000 a year in the past. The registered baby boomers number 7.27 million at the end of 2018, similar to 7.65 million over the age of 65. The problem is that most of the baby boomers have already retired, although they are still young/old enough to work. The explosive increase of the young old has brought about multiple social problems like the sharp rise of medical expenses, the increase of health insurance premiums and worsening poverty among the elderly with no job after retirement, to name a few. The "yold" are the healthiest elders in history with the increase of their life expectancy by up to five years on average. They are still healthy enough to maintain their productivity despite their "old age" of between 65 and 75. The "yold" are more numerous, healthier and wealthier than previous generations of seniors. They are striving to extend their retirement age, seeking jobs to continue their social and economic activities. There still remains a long life ahead for them. They are challenging traditional expectations of the retired such as people who wear slippers and look after their grandchildren. Working is one of major elements that is helping the elderly stay healthy longer. A German study found that people who remain at work after the normal retirement age manage to slow the cognitive decline associated with old age. Already in Europe, this challenge is giving rise to a new labor structure as the number of working senior citizens over 65 exceeds 20 percent of the population. Unfortunately, however, our government lacks policies to meet the demand of the increasing number of senior citizens in this aged society. The administration has to change its policies boldly. In particular, there must be a drastic change in public attitudes toward older citizens. So far, people in their 60s have been expected to put their feet up and retire into the background quietly in this society where the legal retirement age is still set at that number. Still many companies discriminate against older workers, only offering part-time jobs, for instance. The government is employing similar policies. The increase of the "yold" means a big hole in the economically active population aged between 16 and 64, namely the worsening labor shortage. Ever falling birthrates are making matters worse. The second generation of baby boomers born between 1968 and 1974 will become the "yold" one after another in 13 years, thus aggravating the shortage in the workforce. It is common sense that the decrease in the number of people who should be active in production and consumption could pose a major challenge for the country in regaining its economic vitality. The economic growth rate is feared to go down further. Before it's too late, the government ought to cope with the aging of baby boomers more positively in such a way as to extend the retirement age and the legal age for senior citizen as well. How about changing the Beatles song to "When I'm Seventy-Four?" The "yold" have long miles to go before they sleep. Park Moo-jong (emjei29@gmail.com) is a standing adviser of The Korea Times. He served as the president-publisher of the nation's first English daily newspaper from 2004 to 2014 after working as a reporter since 1974. EeVe India on Thursday said it expects to clock sales of upto 15,000 electric two-wheelers this year as it expands its product portfolio in the country. EeVe, which is run by Odisha-based OmJay EV Ltd, has sold about 1,200 units since the launch of its two-wheelers in October last year. "Our products are doing well in the eastern part of the country and we are now talking to dealers across the country to increase coverage," OmJay EV co-founder and Director Harsh Vardhan Didwania told PTI. He added that currently the company's products are available at about 45 dealerships and this is expected to touch 200 by year-end. "Since launch in October, we have already sold 1,200 units. By year-end, we are targeting sale of 12,000-15,000 units," he said. Didwania said the vehicles are manufactured in Odisha. "We have invested about Rs 70 crore in our business so far. Our plan is to pump in another Rs 150 crore in manufacturing, product development and other areas," he added. The company currently has four electric two-wheelers in the market and will add two more in the coming months. Showcased at Auto Expo here, the e-bike 'Tesoro' and a retro e-scooter 'Forseti' are expected to be launched around the festive season. The company, however, did not comment on the pricing. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia As the 9 a.m. flight from Dubai arrived at the international airport in Ethiopias capital on Wednesday, four government health specialists in face masks and protective glasses worked their way to the line of incoming passengers to check their passports. The health specialists found what they were looking for two passengers who had just returned from China and pulled them aside to check their temperatures to see if they might have been infected by the coronavirus. The two passengers had normal temperatures, so were allowed to continue on their way, a government policy that does not account for an incubation period that is up to 14 days. As the coronavirus wreaks havoc in China and has spread to countries around the world, experts are increasingly concerned that Africa is particularly vulnerable. Researchers at ETH Zurich and ETH spin-off Inositec have developed a new substance to prevent vascular calcification, which affects many patients suffering from chronic kidney disease. As their metabolism is impaired, calcium salts may deposit in soft tissues, such as blood vessels or even the heart valves, causing them to stiffen. This often leads to severe, potentially fatal cardiovascular diseases. However, before patients can benefit from the substance further research and tests must be carried out. "Calcification occurs when calcium phosphate crystals are deposited in tissue," explains Jean-Christophe Leroux, Professor of Drug Formulation and Delivery at ETH Zurich. "The compound adheres to calcium phosphate crystals, inhibiting their growth." Derivative of a natural substance The new molecule is structurally related to inositol hexakisphosphate, also known as IP6. Occurring naturally in legumes and cereals, IP6 binds phosphate and various minerals, such as calcium, magnesium and iron. The plants use the molecule in their seeds to provide the seedlings with a sufficient supply of these substances. It has been known for some time that IP6 also has an effect in the human bloodstream. The molecule has to be injected as it cannot be absorbed after oral ingestion. Other scientists are currently conducting clinical trials to study how effectively IP6 prevents vascular calcification. Screening the collection of molecules "The problem, though, is that IP6 is not particularly stable and is metabolised by the body very quickly," Antonia Schantl says. A doctoral student in Leroux's group, she is the lead author of the paper that has been published in the journal Nature Communications. In order to overcome this problem, Leroux and his colleagues sought to stabilise the molecule by making specific chemical modifications. They developed a series of related molecules, which ETH then patented. To be able to market one or more of these derivatives as medication in the future, ETH Professor Leroux and others involved founded the spin-off Inositec, which acquired the licence from ETH to use the molecule family. Leroux's group at ETH subsequently collaborated with Inositec and researchers from other universities to screen this collection of molecules in a project that was co-financed by the Swiss innovation agency Innosuisse. The scientists conducted in vitro experiments to study the molecules' ability to inhibit the growth of calcium phosphate crystals in the blood and check their stability. They also tested their effect in a disease model in rats. The studies singled out one of the molecules in the collection as particularly suitable. For the next stage, the ETH scientists will work with Inositec and third parties to clarify various issues, such as drug safety and the optimal dosage. For this project, the researchers from ETH Zurich and Inositec collaborated with researchers at Lausanne University Hospital, the Universities of Antwerp and Edinburgh and McGill University in Montreal. Space News space history and artifacts articles Messages space history discussion forums Sightings worldwide astronaut appearances Resources selected space history documents advertisements Astronaut Christina Koch lands on Earth after record-setting mission February 6, 2020 Christina Koch did not set out to break records on her first spaceflight, but with her return to Earth after nearly a year in orbit, her mission is now one for the history books. Koch, a NASA astronaut, landed on the snow-covered steppe of Kazakhstan on Thursday (Feb. 6) with two of her International Space Station (ISS) crewmates, Expedition 61 commander Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency (ESA) and cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos. Descending under a parachute and further slowed by braking thrusters, the three touched down aboard Russia's Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft southeast of the Kazakh town of Dzhezkazgan at 4:12 a.m. EST (0912 GMT or 3:12 p.m. local time). Russian recovery forces, as well as NASA and ESA medical personnel, arrived quickly at the landing site to assist Koch, Parmitano and Skvortsov out of the space capsule and to conduct brief physical exams as the three crewmates began adjusting to the pull of gravity again. "Everyone says that getting back into gravity is such a surprise, because you suddenly have to work to raise your own arms and, of course, your legs," Koch said in a media interview a few days before experiencing her first landing. "I haven't even had to hold up my own body weight in a long time, so we will see how that goes." Koch, Parmitano and Skvortsov all appeared to be in good spirits, as they felt the chill of the open air for the first time since leaving Earth. "I'm so overwhelmed and happy right now," Koch said a few minutes after landing. The landing brought to an end Koch's 328 days in space, a new duration record for a single space mission by a woman. Parmitano and Skvortsov, who launched after Koch, returned to Earth after 201 days. "There are many people on the ground [who] are taking counts of what we have done how many EVAs [extravehicular activities or spacewalks], how many hours of work, how many experiments, how many days we have spent up here none of those are important," said Parmitano, addressing his station crewmates during a change of command ceremony on Wednesday. "What is important is what you achieved. You, as the crew, made all of this possible. It has been your incredible, incredible dedication that has made it all possible." Parmitano, Skvortsov and Koch undocked their Soyuz at 12:50 a.m. EST (0550 GMT). Their departure from the Poisk mini-research module (MRM-2) marked the official end of Expedition 61. Cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka and NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan remained on the station to begin Expedition 62. Koch arrived aboard the orbiting laboratory on March 14, 2019, to join the 59th expedition crew. Originally slated to to return to Earth after just six months, her stay was extended to collect data about the physiological effects of long-duration spaceflight. In December, Koch surpassed the previous record set by a woman 289 days by NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson in 2017 and has now completed the second longest single spaceflight by an American astronaut after Scott Kelly, who logged 340 days in 2016. During her time as a member of the Expedition 59, 60 and 61 crews, Koch participated in more than 210 science investigations, including research into how the human body adjusts to the stresses of spaceflight and protein crystallization growth in support of developing cancer treatments. She also assisted in the robotic capture of uncrewed resupply spacecraft, including SpaceX's 19th Dragon and Northrop Grumman's 12th Cygnus cargo vehicles. In addition, Koch performed six spacewalks, totaling 42 hours and 15 minutes, to upgrade the batteries for two channels of the space station's solar arrays. She conducted three of the excursions with Meir, setting another record for the first-ever extravehicular activities by an all-women team. "When we first got the go to come out of the airlock ... we were holding onto a handrail and we just caught each other's eye, we knew [then] how special that moment was and I'll never forget that," said Koch of her first spacewalk with Meir on Oct. 18, 2019. Over the course of the 328 days, Koch orbited Earth 5,248 times, traveling 139 million miles (224 million kilometers), or the equivalent of about 291 round trips to the moon. "Milestones are important, and I think they are important for a couple of reasons," said Koch. "They get the conversation going about where we are in the state of the art of human exploration." "The second aspect is inspiration," she continued. "I think some people draw inspiration from milestones and from things they have seen someone work hard to achieve." Koch, who now ranks seventh on the list of U.S. space travelers with the most time in space, was not the only record-setter who returned to Earth on Thursday. Completing his second mission, Parmitano has now logged a total of 367 days in space, more than any ESA astronaut in history. Parmitano also now holds the record for the most time on EVA by a European at 33 hours and 9 minutes. Four of his six career spacewalks were devoted to the repair of the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer cosmic ray detector, which involved the most complex EVA work since the servicing of the Hubble Space Telescope. Skvortsov, who has spent 546 days off the planet on three missions, now ranks 15th on the all-time spaceflight endurance list. From their landing site the three will be flown by helicopter to Karaganda, where they will be greeted by a traditional Kazakh welcome ceremony. From there, Koch and Parmitano will board a NASA jet for Cologne, Germany, where Parmitano will be met by ESA officials before Koch continues to Houston. Skvortsov will be flown by a Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center aircraft to his home in Star City, Russia. Soyuz MS-13 was the 59th Soyuz to launch for the International Space Station. It traveled 85.2 million miles (137 million km) completing 3,216 orbits of Earth. NASA astronaut Christina Koch, newly back on Earth after a record 328 days in space, smiles as she is helped out of the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft on the Kazakh steppe, Feb. 6, 2020. (NASA/Bill Ingalls) NASA astronaut Christina Koch, cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano rest in chairs after landing from the International Space Station on the Kazakh steppe on Feb. 6, 2020. (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Russia's Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft seen landing in Kazakhstan with Alexander Skvortsov, Luca Parmitano and Christina Koch from the International Space Station on Feb. 6, 2020. (NASA/Bill Ingalls) Russia's Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft undocks from the International Space Station's Poisk mini research module to return crewmates Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos, Luca Parmitano of ESA and Christina Koch of NASA to Earth, Thurs., Feb. 6, 2020. (NASA TV) Soyuz MS-13 crew mission patch. (Roscosmos/spacepatches.nl) Two locals on horseback arrive at the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft shortly after it landed in a remote area near the town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan with crew members Christina Koch of NASA, Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos, and Luca Parmitano of ESA, Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020. (NASA/Bill Ingalls) 2022 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved. It's too soon to say that the coronavirus outbreak has peaked in China, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday - but it acknowledged an encouraging drop in cases in the country where the virus originated. This marks the first time since the outbreak began in Wuhan in December 2019 that the number of cases in China has declined. Yet the death toll has surged by 76 since yesterday, with 566 fatalities now reported. More than 28,000 people are now infected in China, with cases increasing by nearly 4,000 between Wednesday and Thursday. Dr Mike Ryan, WHO's top emergencies expert, said it was very difficult to make predictions on the course of the disease first reported in the central city of Wuhan in late December, noting: 'We are still in the middle of an intense outbreak'. More than 28,000 have been sickened by coronavirus in China, contributing 80 percent of all worldwide infectiosn 'There are cycles of transmission, and we may see those cases increase in the coming days. But at least for the moment, things are stable,' Ryan said during a news conference. 'But 4,000 cases or nearly, 3,700 coronavirus cases confirmed in a single day, is nothing to celebrate and is certainly still a great worry,' he said. Dr Ryan noted that the number of infections in Hubei, the province in which Wuhan is located, continues to consistently rise, accounting for 80 percent of all cases. Other provinces and territories have not seen commiserate upticks, however. Even with these insights, it's notoriously difficult to predict the trajectory of an epidemic, and coronavirus is no exception. EPIDEMIC ARC PREDICTIONS ARE RARELY ACCURATE BUT MAY BE HELPFUL Predicting 'peak virus' is often destined to fail. But that's not to say it is pointless. Many health, policy and economic experts worldwide are now trying to do just this with the epidemic of coronavirus disease spreading from China. They are working together to map the curve of the outbreak, but warn there are too many holes in the data to reliably predict when it will reach its peak - when the number of new daily cases starts to decline consistently. 'If anybody tells you when it will peak, it's not worth it,' said Dr Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota in the United States. Robin Thompson, a mathematical epidemiology specialist at Britain's Oxford University who has published predictions about this outbreak and is actively working on updating them, agrees. 'In a situation like this where there are so many unknowns, it's fair to say it's impossible to predict with any kind of precision at all when the peak is going to happen,' he said. Indeed, the China Daily newspaper reported this week that Zhong Nanshan, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Engineering who it said was part of the team tackling the outbreak, had amended his previous January 28 prediction that the epidemic would peak in seven to 10 days to a new forecast that it would now peak within 10 to 14 days of February 2. It gave no details on what had changed the prediction. In China, many people wear masks wherever they go in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus - even though the CDC does not recommend doing so at this time Chinese authorities said on Thursday the death toll in mainland China jumped by 73 to 563, with more than 28,000 infections confirmed. Economists at Fitch ratings agency said on Wednesday that the disease outbreak would have an impact China's economic growth. Their range of possible scenarios, however, was broad. 'In a scenario where the virus peaks soon and starts to be contained within the next couple of weeks - causing panic to fade rapidly and official restrictions to be dismantled swiftly - there could be a smaller impact,' the Fitch report said. 'Alternatively, if the epidemic is not contained until well into the second quarter, growth could fall more steeply.' Still, the high likelihood of being vague, or plain wrong, doesn't render the prediction process redundant. MODELLING EPIDEMICS IS NOT JUST MEANT TO PREDICT THE PEAK BUT PREPARE FOR THE NIGHTMARE SCENARIO For everyone, from policymakers and hospital builders to airline schedulers, modelling an outbreak and manipulating predictive models with potential interventions is crucial to strategy planning. The fundamentals of a disease epidemic model could include factors such as number of known infections, time passed, frequency of travel or human contact, the transmissibility, and any potential mitigating controls like quarantine or screening. Thompson's modelling, for example, looked at the potential risk of sustained transmission whenever a case of infection with the new coronavirus arrives in a country outside China. It made a number of key assumptions, including that the imported case is similar to cases in China and that the new coronavirus is similarly transmissible to the virus that caused SARS. It then predicted the likelihood of sustained human-to-human transmission under degrees of surveillance - detection, diagnosis and reporting - from low-level or ineffective surveillance, to intense surveillance. 'This emphasizes the importance of surveillance efforts in countries around the world to ensure the ongoing outbreak will not become a large global epidemic,' Thompson explained. 'All of these things are what we desperately want to know as public health officials,' said Joe Bresee, an epidemiologist at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a deputy incident manager on the outbreak. Mike Tildesley, who develops mathematical models to simulate the disease spread at Britain's University of Warwick, said one of the mantras of his discipline is that: 'All models are wrong, but some are useful.' And a model's potential utility ultimately comes down to what the agency or department using it is seeking to do. 'If you are interested in mitigating the effect of a really large outbreak, it's important not only to look at the average of times when it might peak, but also to look at the worst-case scenario,' he said. (Writing by Kate Kelland; Editing by Pravin Char) She has been a reality star for over a decade and just last year founded her own lifestyle brand. So it comes as no surprise that Kourtney Kardashian was all business on her latest outing. The 40-year-old Keeping Up With The Kardashians star donned a brown leather suit after leaving a studio in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Making money moves: Kourtney Kardashian donned a brown leather suit after leaving a studio in Los Angeles on Wednesday No doubt she was getting plenty done as she carried along a Goyard laptop bag with her on the outing after a day of filming. Her entire outfit was the same shade of brown leather and included a jacket, trousers and cropped top. Kourtney's brunette tresses were worn down in a middle-part as she had natural, complementary make-up on her face. Showing off: No doubt the 40-year-old star was getting plenty done as she carried along a Goyard laptop bag with her on the outing after a day of filming The outing came just days after she finally shared the name of her new Golden Retriever in a new social media post. The TV vet called her three month old pooch Cubs in a caption. The pinup posted a photo on Instagram of her youngest son Reign, aged five, as he made breakfast with his mom and Cubs. 'Good Morning from Chef Reign and Cubs,' she said in the post showing the little one in his pajamas. In the photo, Reign rocked a pair of green pajamas with white dinosaurs on them. He stood on a small white chair as he stirred his breakfast with his long hair trailing all the way down his back. As he cooked, the newest member of the family, Cubs, sat close by waiting to catch some scraps from Chef Reign. Breakfast time! The outing came just days after she finally shared the name of her new Golden Retriever - Cubs - in a new social media post Adorable: In the photo, Reign rocked a pair of green pajamas with white dinosaurs on them Little helper: He stood on a small white chair as he stirred his breakfast with his long hair trailing all the way down his back This marks one of the few times fans of the star have seen the Golden Retriever since she was gifted to Reign on Christmas morning. But users on Instagram weren't thrilled with the star when she announced her newest edition after asking if she also had her other dog, a Pomeranian named Honey. 'WTF where's honey,' users online commented on the photo of Kourtney revealing her Christmas puppy. Waiting patiently: As he cooked, the newest member of the family, Cubs, sat close by waiting to catch some scraps from Chef Reign Play time: After breakfast, Kourtney took to her Instagram story to share a clip of Cubs playing in the backyard with another dog Woof Woof! Cubs appeared to be playing with another puppy and got some of her energy out Others online called out the star for getting a new puppy just to 'throw them out in 3 months.' Another went on to say she should name the dog 'temporary' because 'you never keep your dogs.' But, the Poosh founder wasn't having any of the drama on her feed and quickly snapped back at one critic writing: 'Of course we still have Honey, our baby Pom Pom.' Where's Honey? The small dog wasn't their other dog Honey who is a Pomeranian gifted to her daughter Penelope Big boy! Cubs later got to play with a beautiful black and white Great Dane Honey honey: Haters asked where Honey was; Kourtney said the canine was just fine But then, when things got too out of hand, Kourtney stepped up her game. 'Wow so much negativity. we still have Honey, but thanks for your assumptions,' she snapped back. 'I'll assume Santa wasn't good to you, hence your vibes.' Christmas puppy: The star revealed that Cubs was a Christmas present on Christmas morning showing off the Golden hanging out with all the presents Snuggles: She shared this photo of herself in her Christmas PJs while giving love to her new four-legged friend So sweet: Her oldest Mason also cuddled with the new pup while rocking his Christmas PJs TWO military ships with Philippine troops on board have arrived in Oman as part of the repatriation process for Filipinos who wish to go home amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The Philippine Navy said the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS16) and BRP Davao Del Sur (LD602), which carried the Naval Task Force 82 contingent headed by Colonel Noel Beleran, docked at Sultan Qaboos Port on Wednesday afternoon, February 5, 2020. The two navy vessels will serve as a sea-based platform for the government to process and facilitate the repatriation of displaced OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers), the Navy said in statement. Specifics and other details about the repatriation are expected to be finalized after the scheduled joint AFP-PNP command conference to be presided by the commander in chief, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in Malacanang in which NTF 82 will take part via video teleconferencing together with Philippine envoy to Oman, Ambassador Narciso Castaneda, it added. Meantime, Beleran said the troops are all in high spirits. "The troops are very happy and in high spirits since this event serves as another milestone for our Navy that we can already transcend across the deep waters of Indian ocean or the Arabian Sea," he said. Tension between the United States and Iran continues to simmer following the killing of Irans top general Qassem Soleimani during a US strike in January 2020. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/SunStar Philippines) Colin OBrady became an international celebrity in 2018 after completing the first solo, unsupported trek across Antarctica. News organizations across the world heralded the then 33-year-old Portland adventurers accomplishment. And now he has written a book about the experience, The Impossible First: From Fire to Ice -- Crossing Antarctica Alone, which Kirkus Review calls a brutally sublime tale of derring-do that transports as well as teaches. But National Geographic this week published a highly critical look at OBradys signature accomplishment. The headline: The Problem with Colin OBrady. What exactly is the problem with Colin OBrady? The 131-year-old geography-and-history magazine says key details of Bradys account of his Antarctica sprint do not withstand scrutiny, particularly whether he passed through what he calls off the map areas where no one would have been able to rescue him. The magazine also says there are inflated claims on the upstart adventurers website. OBrady did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Oregonian/OregonLive, but he wrote on Instagram Thursday that a couple of days ago I was stunned to see a confusing article in Nat Geo about my expeditions, insisting they got the facts so twisted around. He added: Its as if the journalist may not have read my book. This much is beyond dispute: OBrady skied some 900 miles across the planets southernmost continent in 2018, pulling a 375-pound sled of supplies. He received no food drops and didnt use a motorized conveyance. He pushed himself across the great white nothingness of Antarctica with nothing more than muscle and grit. That is, he did it unsupported. The criticism hes receiving is about whether he exaggerates parts of his Antarctica crossing in his book -- and whether he took, for lack of a better phrase, the easy way across the continent. OBrady claims his accomplishment as a first. But the reason no one had done it [before]," fellow American adventurer Eric Larsen says in the National Geographic article, is because no one thought it was worthwhile, in the sense of being anything record-breaking. What Larsen means is this: OBrady traipsed 932 miles in 54 days, completing his adventure just ahead of Britains Louis Rudd -- thus giving his journey an American-exceptionalism hue. But the trek wasnt some Last Great Polar Journey, Australian explorer Eric Philips says in the article. Rather, it was a truncated route that was a first in only a very limited way. National Geographic points out that, back in 1997, a Norwegian named Borge Ousland traveled across Antarctica alone -- 1,864 miles over 64 days. Ousland fans say the Norwegian deserves the first-solo title that OBrady now claims. (He doesnt get it because some experts in the field consider Ouslands feat supported -- because he created a makeshift kite or sail that pushed him along at times. OBradys critics, meanwhile, say OBradys trek should be considered supported too, because at one point he used an established vehicle path.) OBrady, again in his Instagram post, pointed out that he gave Ousland huzzahs in his book, quoting himself as writing in The Impossible First: Ousland in many ways defined the terrain of astonishing modern Antarctic feats He added in the social-media post: Ousland used a parawing (kite) and traveled much farther than I did. I was completely human powered, crossing just [Antarcticas] landmass. Apples and oranges. OBrady said hes writing a letter to National Geographics editor in hopes the magazine will issue a correction. Because there are a number of errors, he wrote, its going to take me a few days to finish it. OBrady is scheduled to appear at Powells City of Books on Friday at 7:30 p.m. -- Douglas Perry @douglasmperry Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. SPRINGFIELD U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, who has called east-west passenger rail in Massachusetts a priority and has begun laying the groundwork for federal funding, has a message for folks experiencing sticker shock over estimates that put the cost in the billions. Remember what we all pay for the MBTA system in Boston, which is now calling for a multibillion-dollar program of improvement and infrastructure, Neal, D-Springfield, said Thursday from his office in Washington. Think of South Coast Rail. Think of improving the Green Line. Part of our job here is to compare and contrast. State officials on Thursday released six cost estimates for passenger rail service between Boston, Worcester, Springfield and Pittsfield. On the low end was a roughly $2 billion estimate to add new train service from Springfield to Worcester, as well as several bus connections. On the high end: $25 billion for a fully electrified high-speed rail line running parallel to the Massachusetts Turnpike. "The last big investment in east-west strikes me as having been the Turnpike," Neal said. Neal, chairman of the powerful House Ways & Means Committee, has already said an east-west rail project is a priority in the five-year, $760-billion federal infrastructure package he and his fellow Democrats introduced in the House last month. He was briefed by Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack earlier this week, prior to a Springfield meeting Thursday when the new cost estimates, and ridership numbers, were revealed to the public. I also think there is a chance to let some of what was released today marinate. Let people get an idea of what it would mean, and also what it would cost, Neal said. Pollack told reporters Thursday that any east-west rail project would need an infusion of federal cash. Springfield Mayor Domenic J. Sarno echoed her perspective, calling a federal partnership key to the project." I know the state can pick up some," Sarno said. "But we need the federal government . Lets see some bipartisanship in Washington. But can there be bipartisanship given that Neal, a close ally of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, backed the impeachment of President Donald J. Trump and is locked in a federal court battle over Trumps refusal to release his taxes. Neal said no one can pretend his relationship with the president is warm and fuzzy. But Neal said he has a respectful business relationship with members of Trumps cabinet. Hell meet Friday with Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin to discuss transportation and infrastructure spending. So, I think it was Donald Trump who promised an infrastructure bill for the American People and it was President Trump who volunteered a $2-trillion figure, Neal said. VANCOUVERCorpses lie on the ground near hospitals. People kill their pets for fear the animals will spread disease. Mobs chase down people without masks and angrily force them to cover up. These are the scenes flooding social media in China as the country grapples with the novel coronavirus that has prompted the World Health Organization to declare a global emergency. But how much of what the Chinese people and international observers are seeing on social media is true? Public mistrust of government authorities in China has reached such a severe level, observers say, that many Chinese people have turned to alternative online sources of information often of questionable veracity. Many Chinese people are well aware of the governments long track record of censoring information about threats to public health, said Sarah Cook, director of the China Media Bulletin at human rights research group Freedom House. This fuels deep mistrust in official updates and undermines efforts to reduce fear and anxiety, she told The Star. Theres history to the earned mistrust. In the first few months of the SARS outbreak in 2003, the Chinese government tried to keep it a secret. By the time the new virus was publicly reported, five people had died and hundreds had already fallen ill. It was a health disaster that led to heaps of global backlash, and China sacked its health minister and the mayor of Beijing in apparent contrition about the mishandling. While central government authorities in Beijing were much quicker to publicly report the new coronavirus, the local Wuhan city government initially censored the first reports of a new illness emerging in the city last December. Medical experts said in a research paper published in The Lancet that theyve found new evidence that the origin of the outbreak may not have been a seafood market in Wuhan as the Chinese government reported, and the first human infections may have occurred in November. Li Wang is among those glued to social media. The economics researcher at the University of New Brunswick and former Canadian student is currently on lockdown in Wuhan after flying home to visit family during Lunar New Year. To pass the time, he was one of millions of Chinese glued to their screens watching a livestream of a hospital being built in ten days to house patients that have overwhelmed Wuhans hospitals. The government says a crew of 7,000 worked around the clock to build the 1,000-bed hospital, and vowed to build another this week. Everyone is afraid to go outside ... Almost everyone I have talked to online are panicked, Wang said. Because he is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, hes not able to board the chartered flight Canada is sending to bring back Canadians from the city. Chinas control of social media is a factor that adds to the confusion. Many people are familiar with mainland Chinas Great Firewall, the internet censorship apparatus that automatically blocks international social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram as well as many news outlets and the entire suite of Google services. Chinese authorities are continually developing and fine-tuning their ability to censor social media posts on domestic websites such as the Twitter-like Weibo blogging platform. They even have the ability to surveil and automatically block parts of private conservations on chat apps such as WeChat. WeChat is the preferred platform for many in China during the coronavirus outbreak because the chat groups there tend to be small or medium-sized groups where some users know each other personally. People are getting at least some information from individuals they personally know and trust (on WeChat typically), but that doesnt make them insusceptible from the spread of false information, said Cook. But for those who personally know the original source say a relative who is a nurse in Wuhan her information will likely appear very credible and believable to them and possibly rightly so. However, like all social media platforms, the quality of what a user sees depends on the quality of the people they have in their circles. A WeChat user who is friends with many doctors and nurses would likely get more reliable information. Perhaps aware of the communication challenges government control over the scarce number of independent media outlets in China has seemed to lighten over the past several weeks. As a result, members of the public in China are turning to respected Chinese publications like Caixin to read quality journalism about the outbreak. The magazine recently published a four-part series produced by dozens of journalists including a detailed account of the Wuhan governments coverup of the crisis. So are the images on social media real? Yuri Qin, an editor at the Berkeley-based China Digital Times, a bilingual website that monitors the Chinese internet, says that unfortunately, some of the horrible videos and photographs might be real, although they are difficult to verify. Authorities in Wuhan have imposed some brutal measures to prevent the spread, and because of the panic some people are cruel to each other and sometimes they use extreme means to drive out or detain suspected carriers of the disease, Qin told The Star in an email. She says the loss of credibility of the local government has seemed to exacerbate paranoia and fear among citizens of Wuhan. However, its also helpful to keep in mind that among the hundreds of millions of Chinese social media users, some have retained their sense of humour even during a health crisis. Some videos that have gone viral are jokes, and likely stem from people trying to make the best of their situations. What are some reliable sources of English-language translations of Chinese social media posts on coronavirus? The China Digital Times verifies and translates blog posts and diary entries from people living in China dealing with the coronavirus enforced quarantines and health checks. The website Whats on Weibo tracks and analyses viral social media posts on Chinas most popular platforms. Bill Bishops Sinocism newsletter regularly compiles and comments on Chinese-language media sources on a variety of news topics. 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: New Delhi, Feb 6 : Congress leader Manish Tewari here on Thursday said the Indian economy was in "fragile state" as all its fundamentals were down. Taking part in discussion on the budget in the Lok Sabha, Tewari said the economy was "affected with coronavirus" and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was claiming its improving and prescribing cough and cold medicine. He asked if the government didn't understand that the economy won't be back on track without rise in consumption of 90 crore people. "Last year, the government gave Rs 1.45 crore sops to capitalist, instead of 66 per cent rural population who are the biggest consumers." Tewari accused the government of failure in providing "economic justice" to people and said the budget focused on wealth creators. "The government of 125 crore Indians is only for 101 billionaires. 70 per cent of the wealth is owned by 1 per cent," Tewari said. Referring to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's forecast, Tewari said if an economics professor was saying the economy was not in a good shape it must be taken seriously. Over 27 million people were lifted out of poverty in 10 years by the United Progressive Alliance government through a systematic plan, not by any "magical stick", said the Congress MP from Anandpur Sahib in Punjab. By PTI NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at the Congress in Lok Sabha over its opposition to the CAA and asked if first premier Jawaharlal Nehru could be described as "communal" for seeking citizenship for religious minorities from Pakistan. Replying to a debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, Modi said that even Nehru had wanted Indian citizenship for religious minorities from Pakistan as he defended the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He said the first prime minister of India (Jawaharlal Nehru) wrote to the first chief minister of Assam (Gopinath Bordoloi), saying there was a need to differentiate between Hindu refugees and Muslim migrants. Modi said Nehru was of the view that even laws can be changed in this regard. He said Nehru had wanted to defend minorities in then West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). "Was he communal, did he want to create a Hindu Rashtra. I want to ask the Congress," the prime minister said. ALSO READ| 'Some tube lights': PM Modi's jibe at Rahul Gandhi's sticks' remark in Lok Sabha "He said Nehru was a big thinker. Why did he not include all citizens but mentioned only religious minorities in the Nehru-Liaquat Agreement?" Modi asked. Liaquat Ali Khan was the them prime minister of Pakistan. He said his government is saying today what Nehru had said decades ago. Modi said the government was fulfilling the wishes of the founding fathers. While referring to the Citizenship Amendment Act, President Ram Nath Kovind in his address to the joint sitting of Parliament on January 31 had said that Mahatma Gandhi was in favour of bringing back religious minorities facing persecution in Pakistan. ALSO READ| CAA will not impact any citizen: PM Modi slams Congress, Left in Lok Sabha Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks, Shashi Tharoor of the Congress had said Mahatma Gandhi was only partially quoted by the government to defend the amended law. The prime minister went on to cite examples of Bhupendra Kumar Dutta and Jogendra Nath Mandal, two freedom fighters who decided to stay back in Pakistan after the Partition. Modi said Dutta told the constituent assembly of Pakistan that Hindus were being targeted in that country. Dutta later migrated to India before his death. Mandal was the first law minister of Pakistan and he too flagged systematic ethnic targeting of religious minorities in Pakistan, Modi said. The prime minister said that he in his youth had touched the feet of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (popularly called Frontier Gandhi in Pakistan) and named other greats such as Ashfaqullah Khan, Begum Hazrat Mahal and A P J Abdul Kalam to assert that they were all Indians. Eleven Eleven | Photo: Theresa H./Yelp Looking to satisfy your appetite for Italian fare? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best high-end Italian restaurants around St. Louis, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to venture when cravings strike. 1. J Devoti Trattoria photo: dan g./yelp Topping the list is J Devoti Trattoria. Located at 5100 Daggett Ave. in the Hill, the wine bar, New American and Italian spot is the highest-rated high-end Italian restaurant in St. Louis, boasting 4.5 stars out of 181 reviews on Yelp. The menu features items like vegetable pizza and house-made ravioli. If you're curious for more, we found these details about J Devoti Trattoria. "Formerly Five Bistro from 2006-2018, Chef Devoti has evolved his farm-to-table bistro to include a focus on Italian cuisine," the business explains in the history section of its Yelp profile. "J.Devoti Trattoria is a tribute to his Italian heritage as well as the Hill neighborhood where his grandmother once lived." As to what the business is known for, "We have concentrated on the flavors of our region by using quality ingredients from neighboring farms," it states on Yelp in the section about specialties. "This has afforded us the opportunity to embrace whole animals with nose-to-tail cooking. Our mission is to bring our guests back to a time where you knew where your food came from as well as the farmers that worked so hard to raise sustainable and ethical products." 2. Eleven Eleven photo: travis s./yelp Next up is Lafayette Square's Eleven Eleven, situated at 1111 Mississippi Ave. With four stars out of 510 reviews on Yelp, the wine bar, New American and Tuscan spot has proven to be a local favorite for those looking to indulge. Look for stuffed mushrooms, grilled chicken and a turkey panini on the menu. If you're hungry for more, we found these details about Eleven Eleven. "Named after the street address, Eleven Eleven Mississippi is renowned in the St. Louis culinary scene for serving award-winning Tuscan/Californian cuisine since 2003," the business writes on Yelp, this time in the bio section of its profile. "Once a part of the historic International Shoe factory, the restaurant takes advantage of the open space and natural elements of wood and brick to create a stunning yet comfortable dining environment that has been a St. Louis favorite since opening. Paul and Wendy Hamilton designed the menu from their numerous trips to the wine regions of Tuscany and Northern California." Story continues As to what the business is known for, "Eleven Eleven is one of the most recognized restaurants in St. Louis for delivering exceptional service and innovative cuisine," it states on Yelp in the section about specialties. "During our first year, the restaurant was included in Zagat's America's Top Restaurants and was voted 'Best New Restaurant' in local publications." 3. Carmine's Steakhouse photo: greg r./yelp Downtown St. Louis's Carmine's Steakhouse, located at 20 S. Fourth St., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the fancy steakhouse and Italian spot four stars out of 221 reviews. The menu features crab cakes, toasted ravioli and lobster bites. The site can tell you a thing or two more about Carmine's Steakhouse. "The Lombardo Family's legacy of fine food at moderate prices goes back almost 75 years, and the tradition continues today," according to the history section of the business's Yelp profile. 4. Dominic's Restaurant Dominic's Restaurant, an Italian spot in the Hill, is another pricey go-to, with four stars out of 110 Yelp reviews. Head over to 5101 Wilson Ave. to see for yourself. The menu offers calamari, lobster ravioli and rack of lamb. The site has lots more information on Dominic's Restaurant. "Dominic Galati emigrated to the United States from Sicily in 1964, bringing with him a passion for food and life," per the history section of the business's Yelp profile. "He settled in St. Louis and, after learning the business, opened Dominic's on the Hill in 1971. He and Jackie, along with their extended family, have worked tirelessly to make Dominic's one of the finest Italian restaurants in the country." Want to know more? "Since its debut in 1971, Dominic's gourmet Italian cuisine has become famous in St. Louis and beyond," the business states in the bio section of its Yelp profile. "On the corner of Hereford and Wilson in the historic Italian neighborhood known as the Hill, chef Dominic Galati and his wife Jackie serve up continental Italian cuisine with an emphasis on traditional regional dishes in an elegant atmosphere." 5. Tony's photo: jeany p./yelp Downtown, check out Tony's, which has earned four stars out of 185 reviews on Yelp. Treat yourself at the Italian spot by heading over to 410 Market St. The menu features roasted salmon, filet mignon and tartare. Joan G. noted, "How do you go to Tony's and not give them five stars. The service was impeccable, the food is to die for and the atmosphere is lovely." Yelper Brian S. wrote, "Fantastic experience. A story, a wise journey with capable guides that bring you home safe." 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. Topic A in New York City: a state law that eliminates broker fees for renters. Tenants are thrilled; landlords and brokers, not so much. Send us your thoughts. (Want this in your inbox each morning? Sign up here.) Google reportedly weighs divesting a big ad business As antitrust regulators turn up the heat, the company is reportedly considering a sale or spinoff of its third-party ad tech unit, Keach Hagey and Rob Copeland of the WSJ report, citing unnamed sources. The context: The Justice Department has increasingly focused on Googles third-party ad business, which was built largely on the companys 2008 acquisition of the ad-technology firm DoubleClick, Ms. Hagey and Mr. Copeland write. Googles ad-tech business consists of software used to buy and sell ads across the web. Critics say Google unfairly bundles these tools together and uses them to help its own services, like search and YouTube. YPG terrorists surrender to Turkish forces Since Jan. 1, the number of terrorists who surrendered to Turkish security forces rose to 24 with the latest additions. Five YPG/PKK terrorists surrendered to Turkish security forces in southeastern Turkey, the country's Interior Ministry announced on Thursday. ONE OF THE TERRORISTS WAS ON THE GREY LIST In a statement, the ministry said Turkish security forces persuaded the terrorists to surrender in Srnak province. It added that one of the terrorists was on Turkey's wanted list in the grey category and with a bounty of up to 500,000 Turkish liras (roughly $84,000). The wanted list is divided into five color-coded categories, with red as the most wanted, followed by blue, green, orange and grey. GRAND RAPIDS, MI A man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for enticing young teens to take sexually explicit photos of themselves in exchange for marijuana. Kevin Allen Wilson, 39, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a minor. He was sentenced Tuesday, Feb. 4, by U.S. District Judge Janet Neff in Grand Rapids. Wilson had two Ottawa County girls produce sexually explicit photos of themselves in 2011 and 2012, the government said. The victims were a friends daughter, then 13 and 14, and the girls 13-year-old friend, Assistant U.S. Attorney Davin Reust said. He said Wilson should be classified as a repeat and dangerous sex offender. Wilson pleaded guilty to a single charge of sexual exploitation of a minor. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed a second sexual-exploitation charge and a charge of possession of child pornography. The defense said Wilson in 2012 pleaded guilty to state charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor based on allegations in the federal case. He pleaded guilty and received 30 days in jail, defense attorney David Kaczor wrote in a sentencing memorandum. He thought at the conclusion of his incarceration, he had paid the penalty for his crime. He had absolutely no idea that eight years later a CD would be left on the porch of one of his victims mother and that he would be indicted in federal court facing anywhere from 180 months to 360 months in prison, Kaczor said. He said his client did not touch the victims. They used his cellphone to take photos. He indicates that he made bad choices eights yeas ago, and that he has not repeated them, Kaczor said. He said his client, who grew up in the Grand Rapids area, developed a drug habit and lost direction in his life when his father died in a 2006 motorcycle crash. Most of Wilsons previous criminal convictions have been theft-related. In a hand-written letter to the judge, Wilson asked for mercy. He said he wanted to start a new life in New Orleans and work with his cousins. He said he has not re-committed the crimes that brought him to federal court. I was partying and messing around, he wrote. Its just not something I do. I dont do crimes like that. It will never happen again. Read more at MLive: Police find remains, possible connection to 1980s cold case Neighbor tried desperately to save mother and her kids in fatal fire Suspect in 2 stabbings arrested in return to the scene Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal From agitationist to anarchist to terrorist, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals short political journey has seen many upheavals and sobriquets heaped on him. With just two days to go for polling in the capital, a combative Kejriwal met the IANS leadership team of Sandeep Bamzai and Deepak Sharma and categorically told them that he believes the time has come for Kaam ki Rajniti rather than the divisive politics of hate by playing Hindus versus Muslims. Excerpts: Q: The BJP says AAP will provide free water and power only for a few months if it comes back to power? A: Till Kejriwal is there, it will all remain free. I am saying it on record to IANS. It is there in our manifesto and I give you my guarantee. Water, power, hospitals, schools, travel for women, pilgrimages for senior citizens, all will remain free till our government remains in power. There is no financial burden for us as the Budget is now showing profit while earlier in Sheilaji's (ex-Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit) time it used to be in losses. Taxes have also been cut. I have saved all this money by reducing corruption . Q: If the ballot boxes opened on February 11 show a 'sweep' by the AAP 'jhadu', what is the message this will convey to the electorate and to Indian democracy? A: It is not a message from me but by the people of Delhi, which is that now people will vote only on issues like water, schools and hospitals, so this Hindu-Muslim issue will not work as people will reject it. They will reject caste politics. If I'm a 'Bania', I don't ask all Banias to vote for me. I only tell them that I have provided education for your children. Vote for me if you want good education for your kids, if you want good medical care for your families, if you want 24-hour power. These are the people who are my votebank. This is how we will build the new India of the 21st century. But this new India will not be built by hurling abuses and by doing Hindu-Muslim politics. 'The Echo of Soviet Azerbaijan. Carpet. Fancywork. Poster' exhibition was organized at the State Museum of Oriental Art with the support of the Russian and Azerbaijani Ministries of Culture, the Heydar Aliyev Foundations representative office in Russia, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Moscow and the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum. Director of the museum Shirin Melikova told Vestnik Kavkaza about the exhibition and the carpets. - That's not your first collaboration with the Museum of Oriental Art, is it? - We have been holding exhibitions together with the State Museum of Oriental Art for the second year. This time we are moving from the ornamented, aesthetic space of a traditional Azerbaijani house of the late 19th century, which was shown in April 2019, to a new era. This is the Soviet era, 1920-1970s. This year we present exhibits from the collection of the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, from the collection of the State Museum of Oriental Art, and posters from the collection of the Mardjani Foundation. Many of these exhibits are on display for the first time. And the whole composition it is an unprecedented project. The Soviet period is well represented in our collection. We brought here monumental, luxurious rugs that reveal all the day-to-day activities, leisure activities of Soviet people. - What is the difference between the carpets of the Soviet era from the traditional ones? - The carpet art developed at all times, preserving its canons, traditional forms. We see traditional compositions in these carpets. Azerbaijani carpets are based on clear symmetry, the rhythm of both composition and color. Several border stripes surround the central field. These are medallions and cartouches. All these elements of the Azerbaijani carpet, including a luxurious ornamental culture, were preserved during the Soviet era, being transformed and getting new ornamental forms. The novelty of the Soviet era was carpets telling stories, which are closely related to the great style of that era. And the leading artists of that time took part in the creation of these very picturesque compositions. Carpets have always been closely associated with the work of outstanding artists of that time. When we talk about the Safavid period, this is Sultan Mohammad. When we talk about the Soviet era, this is Latif Karimov - the number one expert on oriental carpet in the world, the initiator of creating the world's first carpet museum, our National Carpet Museum in Baku, the author of the fundamental work 'Azerbaijan Carpet', which is an Azerbaijani carpet encyclopedia to this day. He was also a weaver and designer, he headed the "Azerkhalcha" - a production association with its own artels throughout the republic established in 1927. Being the main artist, Latif Karimov became, one might say, the author of the Soviet carpet. Not only ornamental painters, but also outstanding painters of that era were on his team. Since the 1930s, these were Azim Azimzadeh, then Salam Salamzadeh, Mikayil Abdullayev, Kazim Kazimzade, Gazanfar Khalykov and other artists. Their paintings were remarkably translated to the carpet language. All these huge carpets were created by special state order. The largest carpet in our collection depicts Lenin. This carpet is 10x7m, it has 37 million knots. Can you imagine how hard it was to make it! This exhibit is stored at the Carpet Museum, we do not show it in Moscow, as it's very difficult to transport it. We are very happy that now we present these Azerbaijani carpets in Moscow, especially since the exhibition is held in honor of the 10th anniversary of the inclusion of the Azerbaijani carpet in the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. - On what basis was the exhibition formed? - Behind me there is a wonderful 1969 'Oil workers' carpet. Here we see the traditional composition peculiar to the Azerbaijani carpet. There is no medallion, but there is a central plot composition, that depicts people of a new formation. These are an oil worker, a collective farmer, a pioneer, a free woman who has took off her veil and received her education. I think that she is an engineer - the builder of a new life. We see this global picture against the backdrop of an industrial landscape. This is also a symbol of this progressive era - airplanes in the sky, the developing oil industry. Cartouches depict historical monuments, the historical heritage of Azerbaijan, as well as various industries, fishing, leisure of an Azerbaijani family. But the most interesting thing is that a rhythmically repeating ornament depicting an oil pipeline is inscribed in its small border. This is a completely new detail that fits into the language of a traditional carpet. We wanted to talk about this, raise this issue. After the Soviet Union collapsed, many exhibits that bear the mark of that era are not shown in permanent compositions. They are on display in our museum, but they are mainly stored in collections, unfortunately, they are little studied. Many people experience mixed emotions about it; many see only ideological aspects in it. - Why did you take a risk? - I do not think that that was a risk. We are art experts, art historians, we study the developmental stages of various types of art, in this case I mean the most traditional types of art. These are artistic embroidery and carpet, which, it would seem, should be less susceptible to all kinds of revolutions, but nevertheless we see that even these forms of art were used for certain ideological propaganda purposes during the Soviet era. Now we dont perceive them like that. We perceive them as works of art, because they are, which is quite obvious. Many kinds of applied art were lost when the Soviet Union collapsed, when the picture of life, the way of life changed, when spiritual values shifted. Now we are reviving lost crafts. But the development of the carpet, a symbol of Azerbaijan, has never stopped. Throughout our people's history, the Azerbaijani carpet has always been a mirror of its era, as well as the wonderful carpets and embroideries from the Museum of Oriental Art. The casinos are caught in the crosshairs of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, but one options trader is betting that a strong earnings report from Wynn could right the ship. The gaming giant comes into Thursday afternoon's report down nearly 4% in 2020 despite a 5% run higher over the last week. Other casino stocks, such as MGM and Las Vegas Sands, haven't started the year on a good note either, but Wynn remains the worst performer of the three so far thanks to its Macao exposure amid the ongoing outbreak. However, if the bulls are right, Wynn could be on the verge of flipping the script in 2020. As OptionsPlay chief strategist Tony Zhang pointed out Wednesday on "Fast Money," the options market is implying a post-earnings move of more than 6% in either direction. That dwarfs the 2.7% average move the stock has made following its last four earnings reports. "I think this reflects the market's fear on the coronavirus and [Wynn's] exposure in China," said Zhang. One trader is taking the other side of that bet, though, and sees a strong earnings report doing much more for Wynn than a typical post-earnings bounce. "What we saw earlier was a fairly large 806-contract risk reversal trade," said Zhang. "The seller sold March 20 110-puts, which are fairly out of the money, for $1.73, and used that premium to pay for a March 150-call, which also is fairly far out of the money, for $1.78." The way this trade works, Wynn will have to move at least 14% higher between Wednesday's close and Mar. 20 expiration for this trader to break even on their bet. However, they won't see any losses unless Wynn plunges at least 9%. As Zhang explained, though, there is plenty of time between now and Mar. 20. "Before expiration, the trade acts pretty much like a stock. So, this trader has a notional stock value of about $3.5 million, while putting just a small amount of capital at risk to take this long stock exposure going into earnings," said Zhang. Wynn was trading about 1.5% higher in Thursday's session. Disclaimer : Indias continued buoyancy in sustainable seafood exports in the face of stiff global competition would be on full display at the 22nd India International Seafood Show (IISS) here from February 7-9, officials said here on Thursday. Also showcasing the latest technological interventions in the aquaculture sector, the event would witness industry leaders and experts deliberating on policies and actionable roadmaps to achieve the countrys marine products export target of USD 10 billion by 2022, they said. Blue Revolution: Beyond Production to Value Addition is the theme of the three-day marine industrys biennial event being jointly organised by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the nodal agency of the Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and the Seafood Export Association of India (SEAI). Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan would inaugurate the show here on Friday. Minister of State Commerce and Industry Som Parkash would present the awards a day later. Billed as one of Asias largest seafood fairs, the IISS is being held in Kochi after a gap of 12 years, they said. MPEDA chairman K S Srinivas said the IISS 2020 offers a platform to all stakeholders to deliberate on various aspects of the seafood industry for striking business deals. It also provides tremendous scope for tapping new avenues and introducing various technologies and products to the global market. A major objective of the event is to highlight the countrys commitment towards sustainability in the entire value chain of seafood products such as primary production, processing and transportation, he told a press conference here. The event also offers a platform for all stakeholders to discuss new techniques in processing and traceability and value addition to products for export, he said. IISS 2020 would have 1,500 delegates, with 50 of them from 12 foreign countries. Entry would be open to the public on February 9 with a fee of Rs 100. SEAI national president Jagdish V Fofandi said Indias seafood industry is poised for stronger focus on value addition of the products. During 2018-19, India exported over 14,37,000 tonnes of marine products worth over USD 6.70 billion as per provisional figures. With a multi-pronged strategy, addressing capture fisheries and aquaculture, it is expected to achieve an export turnover of $ 15 billion in the next five years, Fofandi said. Internationally acclaimed experts from France, Singapore, the UK, USA, Japan, the Netherlands, Germany and Fiji besides India would address technical sessions on topics of current interest such as Prospective Markets & Regulatory Environment, Certification, Traceability & Value Addition, and Tuna export value chain - Better harvest practices. India is the second largest aquaculture producer in the world, largest exporter of shrimp to USA. India is also exporting significant volume of shrimp to Europe and other markets in South East Asia. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) She was among the high-profile models to hit the catwalk when legendary fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier hosted his final fashion show in January. And Paris Jackson drew inspiration from her runway look as she went into bohemian mode for 90210's Sara Foster's birthday dinner in Hollywood on Wednesday. The daughter of the late King Of Pop Michael Jackson created a 1970s hippy vibe in a maroon tie-dye shawl and dark green flares. Paris Jackson created a 1970s hippy vibe in a maroon tie-dye shawl and dark green flares as she attended Sara Foster's birthday dinner in Hollywood The cover girl, 21, showed off her toned midriff and arm tattoos in an orange crop top and accessorised with several necklaces and charm bracelets. Her hair was styled long, with slightly unkempt look, and was parted in the middle. Paris gave an animated smile as she stood outside the party at the San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood to have a cigarette. Night out: The cover girl, 21, showed off her toned midriff and arm tattoos in an orange crop top and accessorised with several necklaces and charm bracelets Leggy wonder: Paris was a hit as she wore a stunning multi colored outfit during Jean-Paul Gaultier's final fashion show in Paris, France in January She was joined on the late night out by Hollywood A-listers including Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox, who enjoyed a Friends reunion, as well as actresses Demi Moore and Kate Hudson. Jennifer, 50, looked typically stylish in a smart black blazer and matching faux-leather trousers while leaving exclusive enclave San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood. A lilac scarf gave an otherwise subdued colour scheme an added splash of vibrancy, while a simple black handbag served as her only notable accessory. Here she comes: Jennifer Aniston was spotted enjoying a late night out as she joined the party at the San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood Looking good: The actress, 50, looked typically stylish in a smart black blazer and matching leather trousers while leaving the exclusive enclave The actress was flanked by security guards as she made her way onto the street after helping Sara, best known for her role in US teen drama 90210, celebrate her special day. The event turned into something of a Friends reunion, with former co-star Courteney Cox also in attendance on Wednesday evening. Courteney, 55, looked chic in a mint green sweater and high-slung pinstripe trousers as she left the venue. She was seen alongside jewellery designer to the stars Jennifer Meyer, who created Jennifer Aniston's wedding ring for her marriage to Justin Theroux. Stepping out: The event turned into something of a Friends reunion, with former co-star Courteney Cox and jewelry designer to the stars Jennifer Meyer also in attendance Other celebrity guests on the night included Oscar-winning actress Demi Moore, who caught the eye in a sophisticated monochrome cape. The garment was draped across her shoulders as the 57-year old made her way outside in a smart brocade print skirt and loose fitting blouse. Elsewhere Kate Hudson, 40, looked elegant in a blue silk gown with tasteful spotted pattern as she rubbed shoulders with her fellow attendees. In attendance: Demi Moore (L) and Kate Hudson (R) also made their presence known at the event put on for 90210's Sara Foster While surveillance cameras didnt capture the inside of the cell, footage from a camera on the tier if zoomed through a window of the cell showed an inmate inside raising his arm up and down repeatedly as if beating another detainee beginning at about 1:05 a.m. when a light turned on in the cell, Murphy said. The inmate is also seen grabbing the other man by his long hair and dragging him violently, he said. Three men charged with the murder of 20-year-old university student PHUKET: Police confirmed yesterday (Feb 5) that they have apprehended all three assailants involved in the fatal stabbing of a 20-year-old university student at a Saphan Sarasin New Year party and charged them with the murder. crimedeathmurderviolence By Khunanya Wanchanwet Thursday 6 February 2020, 02:11PM Noppamas Baitong Ngenyangthong, a 20-year-old student from Phuket Rajabhat University, died from stab wounds in the attack. Photo: Supplied The incident happened on Jan 4 at an event organised by Mai Khao Subdistrict Administrative Organisation (OrBorTor), held at the Sarasin Bridge. Noppamas Baitong Ngenyangthong, 20, originally from Prachuap Khiri Khan was stabbed several times and died of her wounds on the way to hospital. One of the attackers, 23-year-old Kerkkiat Songsaeng from Khok Kloi in Phang Nga province, had surrendered himself to police the day after the incident on Jan 5. His two accomplices did likewise a few days later on Jan 7. Col Parinya Tantasuwan, Chief of Tha Chatchai Police Station, confirmed that the two men surrendered themselves and all three are in custody facing multiple charges. They are being held in jail at the Phuket Provincial Court and face separate charges of murder, attempted murder and carrying weapons in public, Col Parinya said. The charge of attempted murder relates to additional attacks the three made on four friends of Miss Noppamas, who were treated at Thalang Hospital and later released. (See the story here). The three attackers had a disagreement with someone in Miss Noppamas group and got into a struggle which led to the stabbings, Col Parinya added. He declined to provide the specific details of the two attackers such as name and age but confirmed the three were originally from Phang Nga and had travelled to Phuket for the New Year celebration that evening. Taiwan Issues Ban on Intenational Cruise Ships Docking at Island Sputnik News 04:05 GMT 06.02.2020 Due to the new coronavirus outbreak, which originated in Hubei province, Taiwan has banned all travellers who have been to mainland China from entering the island without special permission. The Taiwan authorities say they have imposed a ban on international cruise ships docking at the island beginning on Thursday, over the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, the island's Central News Agency reported citing local authorities. Additionally, those who have been to mainland China, Hong Kong or Macao will be put on quarantine. Earlier, Taiwan also banned the entry of travellers who had visited mainland China after24 January. The new virus, dubbed 2019-nCoV, was first registered in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December and has since spread to more than 20 countries. In China, the death toll from coronavirus has reached 563, the number of people infected stands at 28,018. Outside China, one fatality was registered in the Philippines. Out of precaution, airports around the world have introduced security measures to screen incoming passengers for the disease. Several airlines have also suspended traffic with China. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address He may have become Hyundai's corporate brand ambassador in over two decades after starting off endorsing a single product, but Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan says he still remained "the Santro wala". Khan, who 22 years ago signed up to endorse Santro as the South Korean auto major made its entry into the Indian market, says till date the 'tall boy' hatchback has remained his favourite. Interacting with the media here on the sidelines of the Auto Expo, the actor who unveiled the company's upcoming all-new Creta SUV also gave credit to the company and its products for their long-lasting relationship. "I always tell them, everybody, MD and everyone, that I am the Santro wala," Khan said when asked what was his favourite product from the Hyundai stable. He further said, "Now I am the corporate brand ambassador and have to talk about Creta and everything. But still my all-time favourite car is Santro." Explaining why he loves the model, he said, "One, I love the name.I think certain things have a great name. Santro just had a great name. I am sure Creta is very good and all of them are very good but Santro had a ring to it. Because the advertising of 'Santro wala' it was very nice." Recollecting how he felt when he first signed up to endorse Santro, Khan said, "To be able to become a brand ambassador at that time for Santro, for me was a moment of bigness for me. It was not only an honour and you felt that you have done well in your life."That was the time when he just started being in Mumbai becoming an actor, Khan said, adding at that time there was no concept of brand ambassadorship or even modelling for products. "When I was to be the ambassador, for me it was, confidence invoking and I felt very important," he said. At the same time, Khan admitted that he was very worried also as when Hyundai started nobody knew how it was going to pan out. "An international brand which was coming to India, thinking I wasgood enough to be their ambassador but one didn't see 22 years later we'd be still working together, having this kind of a journey," he said. When asked about the secret of his long relationship with Hyundai, he said, "I have also been personally very clear that when you sign up a brand or a brand signs you, it should be thought from a long-term and it can only be long term when your brand is doing well." He further said, "Becoming a brand ambassador may be fashionable and very cool but I think a brand ambassador cannot help if the product is not good." "I am with them for 22 years because for 22 years they have been able to do something good with their cars," the actor said. Commenting on the future of mobility, he said it is going towards electric but thought must also be applied towards battery disposal and related lifecycle management of such vehicles. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NEWTON, Mass., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Examity, the Boston-based learning validation provider recently recognized as America's fastest-growing education technology company, today announced the appointment of Kathy Glebus as Vice President, Human Resources. With nearly 15 years of experience in HR leadership, including senior roles at TripAdvisor, MOO, and Intralinks, Glebus will oversee the company's HR operations both in its Newton headquarters and across the United States. "Examity's rapid expansion over the past few years reflects broader shifts in the education and training landscape, as online learning becomes increasingly popular for both colleges and employers," said Michael London, Founder and CEO of Examity. "Kathleen brings not just expertise in recruiting and retaining top talent, but also a passion to inspire and motivate her colleagues." Glebus has led HR, talent, and recruiting efforts for startups and technology companies since beginning her career at Cowen and Company in 1990. She spent nearly a decade at Newton-based TripAdvisor, where she was the company's Director of HR, and most recently served in senior HR leadership roles at MOO and Intralinks. "Examity has a well-deserved reputation in the region as a company with a strong mission orientation, significant growth potential, and a passionate, dedicated team," said Glebus. "I'm excited to join that team -- and support the continued growth of one of the Boston area's most dynamic companies." Widely recognized as one of the fastest-growing education technology companies in the United States, Examity was recently named to Deloitte's 2019 Fast 500 list for the second straight year, and has also been honored for two consecutive years as one of Massachusetts' top ten fastest-growing businesses by the Boston Business Journal. The company's learning validation platform, designed to meet an increasing need for security in online education, offers a variety of proctoring styles, from automated through to live. Examity supports a diverse cross-section of universities, employers, and certification providers worldwide, including Boston University, Adobe, the University of Arizona, Texas A&M, and the College Board. About Examity Examity was founded to meet the needs of colleges, employers, and certification providers looking to ensure integrity. Since 2013, Examity has partnered with hundreds of organizations worldwide to provide a cost-effective and flexible online proctoring solution. For more information, visit Examity.com or follow the company on Twitter @examity. SOURCE Examity A security guard checks the temperature of a woman wearing a protective mask at the entrance of a park in Beijing, China on Jan. 31, 2020. (NICOLAS ASFOURI/AFP via Getty Images) Chinese Top Official Orders Wuhan, Epicenter of Coronavirus Outbreak, to Screen Every Residents Body Temperature In an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus, Chinas vice premier mandated on Feb. 6 that the Wuhan city government screen each residents body temperature by visiting their homes one by one. Wuhan, where the virus first broke out, has roughly 11 million residents. Experts are skeptical that this new rule would be effective in containing the disease, while Chinese netizens are worried that the new regulation may inadvertently cause the virus to spread even more quickly. New Order Vice Premier Sun Chunlan is in charge of womens and childrens affairs, education, health, sports, and veterans affairs. At a Feb. 6 meeting on the outbreak response, Sun requested that the Wuhan government use the whole citys resources and visit each family, to find the four types of people by taking their body temperatures. The four types were referring to: diagnosed coronavirus patients; suspected patients; patients who have a fever and have yet to be diagnosed for the virus; and those who have close contact with diagnosed and suspected patients. You cannot miss any family, or any single person, Sun said, according to state-run media. Sun used wartime to describe Wuhans current situation, adding that all four types of people must be sent to the citys quarantine centers or hospitals. She threatened Wuhan officials that they would be punished if they miss any resident. 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 novel coronavirus, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China on Feb. 5, 2020. (China Daily via Reuters) Concerns But experts were concerned that the working staff who will visit each household could incidentally spread the fatal coronavirus, if they come into contact with an infected person and the virus lands on their protective suits. Sean Lin, a U.S.-based expert in microbiology and former virology researcher for the U.S. Army, surmised that the authorities gave out this order in order to detect super spreaders, or patients who can transmit the virus easily to healthy individuals. However, her order worries me because the government cares more about politics than disease control, medical treatment, and humanitarian assistance, he said. Netizens seemed to agree. Yanan, a Wuhan neitizen posted on Weibo that he and his family members have not left their home since Jan. 23 and are healthy so far. Now you [the government] will arrange a person from the outside to enter our home and measure our temperature by using a thermometer from the outside [which may be contaminated with the virus], Yanan said. He added that because his household does not have disinfectant products, he may not have the proper tools to prevent the virus from spreading when the staff takes their temperatures. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that healthcare workers frequently disinfect their gloves when caring for patients suspected or confirmed with contagious diseases. Other experts, such as U.S.-based China affairs commentator Ai Li, were skeptical that taking body temperatures can accurately identify coronavirus patients, particularly as Chinese medical experts have already confirmed that some people infected with the virus may not exhibit symptoms during the incubation perioda timespan of up to 14 daysbut can still spread the virus to others. She also questioned the authorities decision to send suspected patients to quarantine centers, as they could cross-infect each other. If you see the videos [that Chinese netizens filmed] of the quarantine centers and makeshift hospitals, you will know immediately that even healthy people will be sick in that environment, Ai said on a Chinese-language commentary show on YouTube. Wuhan netizens shared videos of the conditions at those facilities, saying that there is no medicine, no medical staff, very limited food and drinking water, as well as cold, unsanitary environs with unstable electricity. The 2019 novel coronavirus first broke out in Wuhan in early December 2019, and has since spread all around China and dozens of countries. Chinese authorities reported almost 30,000 total infections, but experts and local residents believe the true number is far higher. DETROIT -- A former employee at Detroit Metropolitan Airport was sentenced to 10 years in prison Wednesday for his role in a kickback scheme that earned him more than $6 million. James Warner, 53, was indicted on charges of feeding inside information to contractors, inflating invoices and demanding kickbacks if those contractors got the work, according to the Associated Press. In one instance, Warner -- who worked as an infrastructure supervisor at the airport -- approved an invoice of $938,000 from a contractor for an asphalt job that actually cost $275,000. Another time, Warner slid a kickback number to a contractor on a napkin and then ate the napkin after the contractor saw the cash demand. Mr. Warner robbed the citizens and taxpayers blind and had no qualms doing it, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton Brown. In describing the depth of the scheme, Brown called it one of the largest in the country. Authorities seized nearly $4 million from Warner as part of the investigation. During sentencing, Warner apologized to his family, friends, the airport and the judge for his actions. Federal prosecutors sought a prison sentence of 25 years as they argued Warners actions were similar to those of ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. However, U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts declined that stiff of a sentence citing the web of corruption in Kilpatricks scheme and how it contributed to the financial issues in Detroit. His name was a household name across the country, Roberts said of Kilpatrick. DMK president M K Stalin on Friday exuded confidence that Superstar Rajinikanth will change his pro-CAA stand if he realised the "trials and tribulations" behind the contentious legislation. Taking part in an ongoing DMK-led signature campaign against the CAA, National Population Register and National Register of Citizens, he said all these went against the interests of people and in particular the Muslims and Sri Lankan Tamil refugees. Protests were continuing across the country seeking repeal of the CAA and halting the NPR and NRC processes, he told reporters here. Pointing out that a number of States had passed resolutions against the Citizenship Amendment Act, he hit out at the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu for not heeding to his party's call for a similar move in the state Assembly. To a question on Rajinikanth backing the CAA, the DMK chief said: "Rajinikanth should take a decision (on supporting the CAA and NPR) after a scrutiny of its flip side. It is saddening that he has not come to know the trials and tribulations and ordeals involved. If he got to know about it, I believe, he will change his stand." On Wednesday, Rajinikanth had supported the CAA and asserted that the legislation was no threat to Muslims and backed the NPR exercise as "very essential." Meanwhile, BJP national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao accused Stalin of protesting for the cause of citizenship for Muslims from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, which was "not acceptable and misleading."Speaking to reporters in Coimbatore, the senior BJP leader welcomed Rajinikanth for extending support to CAA, and said his party would carry out door-to-door campaign in every village to create awareness on CAA, Kashmir issue and Ram Temple from next month. The Centre reiterated in the Lok Sabha on February 4 that no decision has been taken on preparing a nationwide NRC. Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai told the House: "Till now, the government has not taken any decision to prepare the National Register of Indian Citizens at the national level." On February 2, Stalin launched a 'one crore signature campaign' against the CAA, NRC and NPR. Led by DMK, its allies including the Congress are participating in the drive. The campaign is expected to be completed by February 10 and the signatures will be submitted to President Ram Nath Kovind by party MPs, according to the party. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) PHILIPSBURG:--- On Monday, February 3rd, 2020, the Human Trafficking & Smuggling Unit of the Sint Maarten Police Force (KPSM), together with the help of the Alpha team, arrested a male at the Princess Juliana International Airport, who was trying to leave Sint Maarten, in connection with an ongoing case of Human smuggling named Eagle. After the arrest, the suspect J.A.P. was brought to the Police Headquarters in Philipsburg, where he was questioned by the detectives of the Human smuggling unit and remains in custody. Due to the preliminary investigation, the Sint Maarten Police Force will not give any further information at this moment. This investigation is being carried out by the Human Trafficking & Smuggling Unit, which consists of members of the Sint Maarten Police Force and the Royal Dutch Marechaussees (KMar). Combating human smuggling and human trafficking is one of the priorities of the Sint Maarten Police Force and the Prosecutor's Office. The Unit Human Trafficking & Human Smuggling can also be reached on working days between 8 am and 4 pm to report these serious types of crime, call on 542 22 22 Ext. 604 or 614. Or call 911 for immediately assistance if you see suspicious or criminal behavior. See something? Say Something! KPSM Press Release. WASHINGTON President Donald J. Trump has been acquitted, but some Democrats want to keep investigating the events that lead to his impeachment. Stymied in their quest for more evidence in the Senate trial, some Democrats want more answers about Trumps overtures to Ukraine and his related actions domestically. Others, including the Speaker of the House, appear wary of that approach. In fact, the question of more investigations into the Ukraine matter is one that seems to divide Democrats. "Oversight is as necessary as ever if not more so now," said U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., who sits on the House Judiciary and Oversight committees, on Thursday. "The real issue is how we expose the most dangerous corruption and criminality that are taking place when we have oversight responsibility to the American people. Obviously, the election is a central object of our concern. The Ukraine shake-down was all about dragging foreign powers into our election in order to disadvantage the president's opponents. And he has not shown any repentance." In contrast, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., backed away from the idea of more investigations after the Senate vote Wednesday. "That's a decision for committees of jurisdiction," she said. "I don't have any further questions about it, but they may." U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, said Thursday he also had many remaining questions about the Ukraine matter, but did not specify what steps he thinks Democrats should take next. Tonko noted polling indicated that the public supported the Senate calling witnesses and documents and said Congress should gather the information the public wanted. With more information perhaps coming down, I think wherever our responsibilities are called for, I think they should added to the process, Tonko said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday we have no plans for specific Ukraine actions, including subpoenaing former National Security Advisor John Bolton, whose book manuscript, that was leaked in part during the impeachment trial, contained more information about Trumps quest for corruption investigations in Ukraine. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., declined on Wednesday to say whether the House should subpoena Bolton or anyone else. "That will be up to them," Schumer said. "I thought they did a very fine job. I don't have any second guessing of them." U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., on Thursday called on the non-partisan Government Accountability Office to assess whether the Trump administration is improperly classifying documents to keep them secret. The extraordinary transcript of Trumps call with the president of Ukraine in July was moved to a classified server by the administration, before it was released publicly. But as for subpoenas, it is now an open question about when and how Democrats will go after more information. "All of the investigative committees are in the process of where to go from here," Raskin said. "It's a dialogue." Spokespeople for the House Intelligence Committee declined to comment on whether the committee possesses more documents from its Ukraine investigation that it has not released. In January, the committee published a trove of new information that it obtained from Lev Parnas, an associate of Trump's private attorney, Rudolph Giuliani, including text messages between Parnas and a Connecticut candidate for Congress. When asked this week if the House Intelligence Committee has Ukraine-related documents it has not released yet, committee member Rep. Jim Himes, D-Conn., said, I think so, but qualified he is a little behind on what has been released and what we have. He added that he would support more investigations. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. I think theres lots of stories that have not been told, Himes said. Congress has a duty to continue to undertake oversight. Thats not optional. Thats what we do. Were far from clear in telling the whole story. Himes noted that he wanted to hear more about the actions of Giuliani and the State Departments treatment of the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and other diplomats. Republicans have repeatedly criticized Democrats for endless investigations, including before the impeachment inquiry. Between the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the impeachment inquiry and numerous other examples of congressional oversight into Trumps campaign, businesses and governance, many Republicans feel the president has already been subjected to undue and unfair scrutiny. Trump, for his part, has blasted such investigations at various times as a witch hunt. I believe the American people are tired of the endless investigations and false investigations that have been coming out of the House from the beginning, White House Counsel Pat Cipollone said earlier this week. It is a waste of tax dollars, it is a waste of the American peoples time. ... What you could be doing, what the House could be doing working with the president to achieve those things on behalf of the American people is far more important than the endless investigations, the endless false attacks, the besmirching of the names of good people. Democrats are also waiting for answers on inquiries they issued months ago. The Supreme Court is expected to rule in March in a case involving Trumps refusal to turn over his tax returns to congressional investigators. The U.S. Court of Appeals is also expected to issue a decision in a case involving the House Judiciary Committee's fight to subpoena testimony from former White House Counsel Don McGahn. Outside the courts, Democratic U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Kamala Harris of California and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island are waiting to hear from the Department of Justice Inspector General about whether Attorney General William Barr had received or acted upon pressure from the president or the White House to open investigations into any individuals. The senators sent a letter demanding the inspector general investigate that question in November. The letter was a follow-up after Harris made the same request of the inspect general back in May. The senators have not yet received a response, Blumenthals office said Wednesday. RAM Truck Territory: Ram is returning, giving rides in its 1500 light duty and 2500 heavy trucks along a 28,000-square-foot course with such features as a payload demonstration to experience four-corner air suspension, a stability demonstration on a "high banked wedge" structure taller than 6-feet and 70-feet in diameter with a 30 degree tilt, and a towing demo of Ram 1500 BIC Hemi V8 powered trucks as they hitch to the 24-foot-tall Ram "Tow Power Tower" and lift a weight to simulate towing 12,000-pounds, Enright says. They'll also traverse a series of steel culverts and experience hill descent technology on "Ram Mountain," a 13-foot high, 30-foot long course element with 30-degree approach and departure angles. Northern Irish police said Thursday they had found a bomb attached to a truck which was intended to go off as the UK left the European Union. The Continuity IRA (Irish Republican Army), a dissident paramilitary group, were blamed for planting what detectives said was a viable device. Dissident republicans like the Continuity IRA seek Northern Ireland's integration into the Republic of Ireland through violent means. Police said a sketchy warning call was made to a media outlet on January 31 -- the day the United Kingdom left the EU -- about a device on a truck in Belfast docks, due to take a ferry to mainland Britain. Searches were conducted and nothing was found. But on Monday, a more detailed warning call said the device had been attached to a truck trailer belonging to a particular haulage company. It was found inland at an industrial estate in Lurgan, southwest of Belfast, and was made safe by British army bomb disposal experts. Police believe the Continuity IRA thought the trailer was destined for a ferry to Scotland but had selected the wrong vehicle as the one containing the bomb did not leave the premises at all. The bomb "could have caused death and very serious injury," said the Northern Irish police's temporary assistant chief constable George Clarke. Those who created the bomb "did intend that the device would explode at around the time the UK left the EU", he added. The UK deems the Northern Ireland-related terror threat level to be severe -- the second-highest of five levels -- meaning an attack is considered "highly likely". The United Kingdom left the EU on January 31, with a major sticking point in three years of withdrawal agreement negotiations between London and Brussels. A solution had to be found that would keep the UK's only land border free-flowing between and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state. An open border was a provision of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that largely ended more than three decades of violence in In a transition period, Britain will adhere to EU rules until the end of the year, when a controversial dual customs system is introduced in Northern Ireland. The Republic of Ireland has a general election on Saturday. Mainstream republicans Sinn Fein topped the last opinion poll. Northern Ireland's police chief Simon Byrne gave the force's oversight body a briefing on the incident at their monthly meeting on Thursday. "This could have ended up on a ferry," Sinn Fein board member Gerry Kelly told the UK's Press Association news agency. "If it had exploded, you are talking about catastrophic loss of life. When 18-year-old Joseph bought a pill at a fun fair in the French Riviera resort of Cannes, he was convinced it was morphine. He didn't know that it contained the powerful opioid painkiller fentanyl, a few milligrammes of which can be lethal. Joseph died of an overdose later that evening in December 2016. He'd already taken an antianxiety medication earlier on and the cocktail of drugs killed him. Such tragedies have become commonplace in the United States, where, according to the government, fentanyl and other synthetic, or man-made, opioids killed 32,000 people in 2018. Until now, Europe has managed to avoid a crisis of this scale, but police and experts warn that the continent could yet be hit. More fentanyl is on the market and is leading to surges in overdose deaths in some countries. "Outside of really specific circumstances, such as people in the final stages of cancer, taking fentanyl is worse than playing Russian roulette," Joseph's mother, Juliette Boudre, said. Her son first became addicted to tranquilizers, before gradually turning to painkillers such as codeine. "The disturbing thing about fentanyl is the profile of consumers," Les Fiander, head of Europol's drugs team, said. "The consumers are quite young and they don't know what they're taking, because fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs, with heroine, with cocaine. "That represents a big potential danger for individuals who have no tolerance to opioids," he said. - Serial killer - Months earlier, music icon Prince had also died, aged 57, after an accidental overdose involving fentanyl. His death symbolises the devastation wreaked by the substance which in the US has become a veritable serial killer. The drug is available on prescription as a pain relief patch, a nasal spray or a pill to dissolve under the tongue. Many patients overdose after misusing prescribed fentanyl, or after buying fentanyl or other opioids under the counter. Fifty times stronger than heroin and up to 100 times more potent than morphine, the opioid is also produced illegally, mostly in China and Mexico. It can be ordered on the dark net, arriving through the post in the form of powder or tablets. The yellowish substance is then smoked, sniffed, injected or transformed into a tablet. Fentanyl can be lethal from as little as two milligrammes, equivalent to a few grains of sand. But traffickers and users are rarely capable of measuring quantities so precisely. The epidemic in the US was sparked by doctors, lured by some in the pharmaceutical industry, overprescribing opioid pain medication. President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a "public health emergency" in October 2017. The situation in Europe, however, is different, experts told AFP. Doctors are careful not to overprescribe opioids such as fentanyl to patients who don't need them, Paul Griffiths, scientific director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), said. Nevertheless a number of opioids prescribed in Europe are beginning to cause concern, notably tramadol which can lead to dependency and overdoses when misused. The crisis in the US has also made hard drug users in Europe wary, said Magali Martinez, a researcher for the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT). "Most of them consider fentanyl to be dangerous because of the high risk of overdosing." But, she added, the drug is also perceived as "uninteresting", as "its effect is described as debilitating rather than euphoric". - Descent into hell - Addiction to fentanyl in Europe is rare, but cases do exist. Jacques, whose name has been changed for this story, became hooked on the opioid despite working in the health sector and being aware of the risk of addiction. A regular cocaine user, the 50-year-old French man turned to the substance after his divorce and a motorbike accident that left him with several fractured bones. It marked the beginning of a descent into hell, Jacques said. The first few hits were satisfying, giving him the illusion of happiness and connection to other people. But soon he began needing more, going from two to three sniffs a day, to a daily dose of five or six small spray bottles. The symptoms gradually got worse. Drowsiness at work, sweating fits, dizzy spells, nausea, constipation and sharp pain in the legs plagued his days. He used his professional status and a few tricks to access the drug for five years. Twice, Jacques overdosed. His friends saved him, but despite the close calls he couldn't stop himself. "I was trapped. I couldn't get any pleasure out of it, only suffering. "The last two years, every three days I would tell myself 'I quit'. But my whole life was focused on the next fix." He hasn't touched fentanyl for 12 months now, which he credits to daily meetings at Narcotics Anonymous. - Sophisticated networks - The EMCDDA does not have figures for deaths specifically related to fentanyl in Europe. For 2017, it recorded 8,200 overdose deaths in the continent taking all types of drugs into account. Of these, about 70 percent were linked to opioids, and out of those, the majority were attributed to heroin, Griffiths said. But an overdose is rarely due to a single drug, and a lack of precise data could mean that the role of fentanyl and its multiple derivatives -- substances with very similar molecular structures -- is slipping under the radar, the EMCDDA says. That's a fear shared by Joseph's mother. At the time of his death, there was no investigation. Fentanyl was only detected several weeks later when Boudre managed to get one of the pills that had been hidden by her son analysed, thanks to a friend in the police. In Europe, seizures of the drug are on the rise. Police intercepted more than 15 kilos (33 pounds) in 2017, compared to one kilo the year before. That would be enough to make millions of doses, according to Griffiths. Some European countries have seen spikes in overdose deaths. Britain recorded 75 deaths related to fentanyl in 2017, a 29-percent increase from the previous year, officials say. In Sweden, a report by the EMCDDA and Europol noted that fentanyl and its derivatives have caused at least 370 deaths since 2014, making it more lethal than heroin. And a shortage of heroin in Estonia at the beginning of the 2000s saw fentanyl become the most used opioid among drug addicts, Griffiths said. According to EMCDDA figures, there have been 1,600 overdose deaths in the small Baltic country since 2001, the majority due to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. "Last year they took out one criminal group and fentanyl almost disappeared" from the country, Griffiths added, saying both health sector and police efforts were beginning to pay off. In France, the substance's impact remains limited, with fewer than 10 deaths a year directly linked to fentanyl, and seven deaths related to fentanyl derivatives and analogues, developed to imitate a drug, over the three years between 2015 and 2018, according to the OFDT's Martinez. But 10 million people in France are prescribed opioids, which vary in strength, the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety said in a recent report. "Caring for people in pain creates a permanent risk of a health crisis," said Matthieu Noel, head of strategic analysis at the French anti narcotics unit, Ofast. Anti-drug units have dismantled small laboratories in Estonia, France, Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden in the last few years. But "most of this stuff comes from China, normally through the dark net, and it's brought to Europe by parcel post," said Europol's Les Fiander. "It's quite an anonymous process and it is very hard to detect." The networks are "very sophisticated operations, organised like a pharmaceutical or commercial company, with people responsible for the logistics, orders and the website." The European police agency doesn't "want to be alarmist", he added, but it is taking the threat seriously and is working closely with US authorities. Thirty-four of the 49 new synthetic opioids detected in the last 10 years on the European market are derived from fentanyl. Six appeared for the first time in 2018. - Antidote access - But the development of organised crime in Mexico is worrying Europol the most. "Recently we've had Mexican criminals identified within Europe, actually involved in producing methamphetamines," Fiander said. "Perhaps in the future they could switch to fentanyl. That would be a very serious situation." For traffickers, fentanyl is a very profitable enterprise, said Griffiths, of the EUs monitoring centre. According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, a kilo of illegal fentanyl can generate at least $1.5 million. "Synthetic drugs will become more and more important as it becomes harder to find places in the world where you can grow coca and opium poppies," Griffiths said. "There's a real market advantage in synthetic drugs that are highly potent and fentanyl fits very much in that model," he added. The substance and its derivatives have already been found in fake Xanax pills and in some e-liquid cartridges for electronic cigarettes, according to Europol and EMCDDA. Confronted with this multifaceted danger, EU health services want to facilitate access to an antidote in the case of an overdose, naloxone, formerly only available on prescription. Almost a dozen EU countries have a programme to put ready-to-use kits on the market, which take the form of injections or nasal sprays and would not require first having seen a doctor. But its availability in pharmacies isn't nearly sufficient, specialists say. Iraq protesters defiant as they bury 7 killed in overnight clash Najaf, Iraq, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2020 Young Iraqi protesters pushed on with anti-government rallies across the country on Thursday as they buried seven fellow activists killed overnight in violence blamed on supporters of powerful cleric Moqtada Sadr. Sadr -- a militiaman-turned-politician with a cult-like following -- had backed the rallies demanding the ouster of the entire political class when they erupted in October but has since then changed course. In supporting ex-minister Mohammad Allawi as Iraq's new premier, Sadr split with the rest of the popular movement, and his diehard followers have turned on rival protesters. Late Wednesday, Sadrists raided a protest camp in Iraq's shrine city of Najaf where demonstrators had been chanting against Allawi. Seven anti-government protesters were killed by bullets to the head or chest, medics in the city said, and dozens more were wounded. On Thursday morning, the dead were wrapped in white shrouds and carefully laid in coffins draped with Iraqi flags, then carried in a funeral march through the city. Young Iraqis, sobbing, grasped at the coffins as they were carried past. Despite the bloodshed, Iraqis gathered for renewed rallies, with hundreds of students flooding Baghdad's Tahrir Square. "Whether ten or 100 die, I won't abandon this cause!" they chanted, as a girl stood silently nearby with a banner that read, "Our martyrs are our candidates". High school student Tayba walked into Tahrir alone, an Iraqi flag tied around her shoulders. "We've finally got used to it," she said somberly, of the violence in Najaf. "In fact, we're even more determined. Before, the students used to hold just one demonstration a week, now there are three." - 'Masks have fallen off' - Nearly 490 people have been killed and 30,000 wounded since October, most of them demonstrators, according to a count compiled by AFP from security and medical sources. The demonstrators have demanded a total overhaul of the ruling system and have rejected Allawi -- nominated on February 1 to replace Adel Abdel Mahdi, who stepped down in December -- as too close to the political elite. Sadr's endorsement of Allawi prompted a sudden escalation in tensions with other demonstrators, which spilled over on Monday when an anti-government protester was stabbed to death in Hilla, south of the capital. Sadr has ostensibly tried to calm the tensions in the days since but for those in Tahrir, the damage was done. "Did you see what happened in Najaf? The masks have fallen off," said Mohammad, a university student who has skipped class every day since October to protest. "We've even told the Sadrists here that they were supposed to secure the square and their guys are the ones doing this -- but they don't listen to us," he told AFP. For demonstrators in Nasiriyah further south, the deaths in Najaf are only the latest episode of their bloodstained uprising. "Demonstrators were shot dead, kidnapped, assassinated, and now their camps are attacked in broad daylight under the watchful eye of the security forces," said Adnan Dafar, a protester. "The armed factions do whatever they want just so they can end this revolution." - Allawi speaks out - In Diwaniyah, protesters added Sadr to their chants denouncing the Hashed al-Shaabi, an Iraqi military network led by Hadi Ameri which many have blamed for violence against protesters. "No Moqtada, No Hadi! My country will stay free!" they repeated. On Thursday, the United Nations' top representative in Baghdad condemned the bloodshed in Najaf. "Protection of peaceful protesters should be guaranteed at all times, not when it is too late," she said. The US embassy, closed to the public for more than a month after a pro-Hashed mob laid siege to it, said it was "reprehensible that armed groups continue to be permitted to violate Iraq's rule of law with impunity". Allawi made a televised statement on Thursday afternoon calling the situation "not acceptable at all". "The next government's priority will be serious investigations into the violations against protesters and security forces and holding whoever was behind them responsible, whoever they may be," he said. Allawi even hinted at a possible resignation, saying such attacks would make it "impossible to continue with the task assigned to me." When he announced his candidacy, Allawi had extended a hand to protesters and urged them to keep up their rallies. He has since met with representatives of the movement, pledging to release anyone detained for demonstrating, compensate the families of those killed in protest-related violence and work with the UN to implement demonstrators' demands. Allawi also pledged to include demonstrators as he seeks to form his cabinet, which he must do by March 2. Until it is confirmed by parliament with a vote of confidence, Allawi remains PM-designate. New Delhi: Jamia Millia Islamia students, who have been staging protest outside the varsity against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, on Thursday said they would shift the protest venue to another gate for two days in view of the Delhi Assembly election. "Respecting the Model Code of Conduct that prohibits canvassing by political parties within 100 meters of a polling station, we have decided to move our protest to gate number 4 of the university, even though we are not a political party," the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) said. "It is only for the February 7 and 8 and the protest shall continue at gate no 7 after that," it added. Live TV The Jamia Millia Islamia appealed to its students on Thursday to not be a part of an "agitating crowd" protesting against the CAA outside its campus, days after the Delhi Police urged the university administration to remove protesters from the road near one of its gates. Jamia Nagar station house officer (SHO) wrote a letter to the university registrar, stating that some students, former students and locals were sitting on the Okhla Road outside gate number 7 and protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Following the request, the varsity appealed to its students to not be a part of an agitating crowd on a public road and endanger their safety and security. The university stated that the request of the local police needs to be taken "seriously and its gravity must be understood". "The university is responsible for the safety and security of its students within the domain of the campus and can protect the students and staff when they, as a group, are independent of the crowd which is not a bonafide part of the university," it said. "The parents are also being approached and their support in personal capacity is also solicited to guide their wards in adhering to basic precautions to be confined within the premises of the university campus. The proctorial paraphernalia available to the university is limited, hence a collective effort is the need of the hour," it added. The varsity had on Saturday prohibited students from holding any protest meeting or agitation inside the university campus, warning them of strict action. The varsity administration also directed students to report to it any unauthorised entry of outsiders in campus to avoid "disruption of peace". Ferroelectric materials possessing high photoelectric, piezoelectric and dielectric response are widely applied in industrial products, such as transducers, capacitors and memory devices. However, as the development of technology, miniaturization, integration and flexibility are of great importance, which could hardly be fulfilled by traditional bulk ferroelectric materials. Hence, nanoscale ferroelectric domain walls (DWs), with recently found dramatic mechanical, electrical, optical and magnetic properties aside from ferroelectric domains, have become a hotspot. Despite intriguing properties ferroelectric domain walls have, to put them into use, understanding DW dynamics and developing DW manipulation approaches are urgently needed. It is known that external stimuli, such as electric field, mechanical strain and temperatures, could manipulate DW morphology and stability. Besides, the DW movement could also be affected by inertial properties of the sample as well as intrinsic characteristics of DWs. However, the impact of bound charges, which is one of the foremost characteristics of DWs, is mostly studied theoretically. In a new research article published in the Beijing-based National Science Review, scientists at the Nanjing University in Nanjing, China, Rutgers University in New Jersy, USA and at Chinese Academy of Sciences in Shenzhen, China provide direct experimental insight into DW dynamics of differently charged DWs under electric field. It is found via atomic force microscopy that the mobility of differently charged DWs in bismuth ferrite films varies with the electric field. Under lower voltages, head-to-tail DWs are more mobile than other DWs, while under higher voltages, tail-to-tail DWs become rather active and possess relatively long average length. This is attributed to the high nucleation energy and relative low growth energy for charged DWs. Based on these results, researchers designed a two-step poling approach. They polarize ferroelectric thin films with lower and higher electric field by scanning the surface of the sample with the atomic force microscopy tip. Arrays of well-aligned stripe tail-to-tail DWs are successfully produced as conductive paths, while the orientation of DWs could be changed by varying the scanning direction of the tip. In this way, they achieved the oriented growth and configuration control of ferroelectric DWs. "Our work unveils the remarkable impact of charge accumulation around DWs on DW mobility, providing a generalizable approach for DW dynamic studies in ferroic materials. The methodology proposed here for the advanced tunability of conductive DWs makes significant progress towards their applications in functional nano-devices", they claim. ### This research received funding from the National Key Research Program of China, the State Key Program for Basic Research of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions. See the article: Shuyu Xiao, Yaming Jin, Xiaomei Lu, S W Cheong, Jiangyu Li, Yang Li, Fengzhen Huang, and Jinsong Zhu Dynamics and manipulation of ferroelectric domain walls in bismuth ferrite thin films Natl Sci Rev; doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwz176 https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwz176 The National Science Review is the first comprehensive scholarly journal released in English in China that is aimed at linking the country's rapidly advancing community of scientists with the global frontiers of science and technology. The journal also aims to shine a worldwide spotlight on scientific research advances across China. A man arrested over the alleged brutal home invasion murder of a yoga teacher may never be well enough to be charged over the horrific crime. Xochil O'Neill, 28, remains in hospital under police guard in a serious condition after he allegedly killed Maud Steenbeek in her Heidelberg West, Melbourne, home last week. Daily Mail Australia can reveal O'Neill sustained life-changing injuries after he was allegedly caught inside Ms Steenbeek's home by her son Adam. Maud Steenbeek and her beloved dog Buddha. Ms Steenbeek was allgedly brutally murdered in her own home just outside of Melbourne last week Xochil O'Neill, 28, was seriously injured after he allegedly tried to attack Ms Steenbeek's son Adam, who rushed to her home after being warned she was in trouble Ms Steenbeek's son Adam is questioned by police outside his Heidelberg West home. He was allegedly forced to defend himself from an intruder inside Adam's uncle Theo Steenbeek has told a Dutch news site his nephew was forced to defend himself after he allegedly caught O'Neill in the act. Ms Steenbeek had been on a video call with her youngest brother when he allegedly saw someon creep up from behind and the call went dead. 'He heard how she was being attacked and immediately called Maud's son,' Mr Steenbeek said from the Netherlands. He also hit out at suggestions his nephew had ruthlessly bashed O'Neill in an act of sheer rage upon seeing his dead mother. Footage of the distraught son running towards a television camera at the scene was aired across the country last week. Mr Steenbeek claimed Adam was forced to defend himself after O'Neill turned on him. He too was taken to hospital for injuries sustained in the alleged attack. It was further revealed Ms Steenbeek - once a fit yoga instructor - had been in little shape to defend herself. The 61-year old had been seriously ill from a bout of Chemotherapy to battle a recently diagnosed cancer. Maud Steenbeek, 61, was allegedly murdered in her own home while on a video call to a relative The house in Heidelberg West where a 61-year old woman was allegedly murdered last week Only weeks earlier she had spent precious time with her family back in the Netherlands, from where she left to migrate to Australia some 35 years earlier. 'We rebooked her ticket so that she could fly back to Australia in business class,' Mr Steenbeek said. His beloved sister will now return to her home town of Sneek, in the Netherlands, where she will be buried. But as Melburnians mourn the loss of another woman lost to violence, disturbing new information about her alleged killer is coming to light. Daily Mail Australia can reveal those closest to O'Neill had desperately tried to save him from mental illness. A shocked friend has told Daily Mail Australia O'Neill 'did not have a violent bone in his body'. Xochil O'Neill portrays himself as a cat lover who appears to have great affection for himself Xochil O'Neill, 28, was reportedly bashed after he was allegedly found inside Ms Steenbeek's home 'I honestly knew him as a very gentle, kind, if not deeply deeply sad boy,' she said. 'Because hes never been violent. Always kind. Always gentle with animals. Really loving gentle cat person.' O'Neill's friend said Ms Steenbeek, her family and O'Neill himself had been let down by Australia's struggling mental health system. 'Theres a chance that he wont be waking up and if he does he wont have all the cognitive functions he used to have,' she said. The friend claimed O'Neill had been battling unaddressed mental health issues, emotional upheaval, volatile family dynamics and social isolation in the lead-up to the alleged murder. Xochil O'Neill, 28, remains in hospital under police guard 'People have breakdowns,' she said. 'His friends and family knew he had issues and they honestly did try to help him but theres only so much a person is able to do to help someone whos not really willing or wanting to address those issues.' Last week, Ms Steenbeek's sons shared similar concerns about Melbourne's mental health crisis. 'It would be easy for us to feel hate and anger in this moment, but we know you would remind us to always try and see the bigger picture and find compassion".' Victoria Police has been contacted by Daily Mail Australia for comment. A council's plan to grow its own Christmas trees has been scuppered after an expert cautioned against it A council's plan to grow its own Christmas trees has been scuppered after an expert cautioned against it. Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council had considered planting conifers on grassland overlooking Billy Neill Playing Fields. However, officers advised against the idea based on guidance from the ex-chair of an Irish Christmas tree organisation. They instead proposed that the land be leased to the Woodland Trust to plant 20,000 trees. A council report found cultivating Christmas trees required "more knowledge and year-round input than expected". Trees need plant passports, take up to 20 years to grow and harvesting can be difficult. Letting the land to the trust would save the money council spends mowing the grass. It would also all but meet the council's aim to plant 20,210 trees in 2021 to mark the 100th anniversary of Northern Ireland. Councillors will vote on the plan next week. Modern Living with kathy ireland with Factory Connection Modern Living with kathy ireland is pleased to announce an exclusive interview with Factory Connection President/CEO Steve Williams to discuss bringing the latest fashions to small-town America for less. Modern Living with kathy ireland is pleased to announce an exclusive interview with Factory Connection President/CEO Steve Williams to discuss bringing the latest fashions to small-town America for less. Factory Connection specializes in providing the latest fashion apparel for customers in small to medium size markets. With more than 300 stores in 17 states and growing rapidly, Factory Connection is a destination shopping experience. Factory Connection offers a wide selection of brand name fashions for juniors, misses, plus, men and young men, along with accessories and shoes. Buying from the industry's leading fashion manufacturers allows Factory Connection to offer name brand and specialty store fashions at prices that are 25 to 70 percent below regular retail. Williams says that Factory Connection stands out as a premier shopping experience because it offers great discounts on top-quality products. He explains, "The off-price concept has really been part of the retail landscape for decades. It started out with companies selling last year's leftover merchandise at steep discounts. What Factory Connection has done throughout our evolution is refined that process by adding current, on-trend items as well as name brands that you'll find in most department stores. Our buyers are constantly searching the marketplace and looking at the latest trends and fashions. They're making monthly trips to either New York, Los Angeles or Las Vegas in search of those treasures. We then immediately pass on those finds to our customers." For more information about Factory Connection, visit Factory-Connection.com and tune in to WE tv as sponsored content on Thursday, February 13, 2020 and February 27, 2020 at 7:30am EST and internationally on Bloomberg Television on Saturday, February 8, 2020 and February 22, 2020 at 7:30pm GMT and Sunday, February 9, 2020 and February 23, 2020 at 10:30am D.F. and 3:00pm HKT. About Modern Living with kathy ireland Modern Living with kathy ireland is an independently produced television series airing domestically on WE tv as sponsored content and on Bloomberg Internationally. Hosted by lifestyle influencer and business mogul Kathy Ireland, the series features the latest in lifestyle and B2C trends, breakthroughs, and solutions, while highlighting companies from around the globe in a unique and credible format. For more about Modern Living with kathy ireland, visit modernlivingtv.com and check out the series on social media! Today, 44 Central Ave., Albany, is an office building, home to the Preservation League of New York State. Its exterior brick is worn, and its profile plain, especially compared to its immediate neighbor, 40 Central Ave., which boasts a fresh coat of burgundy paint, a fancy cornice and bay windows. But both four-story buildings, built circa 1817, play important roles in Albany history, and only 44 has remained largely unaltered as two centuries passed and the city changed radically around it. The buildings stand at the intersection of Washington and Central avenues and Henry Johnson Boulevard an island amid concrete and asphalt. In the early 1800s, this spot was on the western edge of Albany, along what was called the Western Turnpike a major thoroughfare for travelers and farmers bringing their goods to market and the perfect spot to open a store. In a report she prepared for the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, researcher Amanda Lewkowicz describes how the utilitarian construction of the building points to its original purpose: processing raw materials into animal feed and flour. On the fourth floor, the first owners of the building installed a hoist, called a windlass. It is a wooden wheel, 11 1/2 feet in diameter and connected to a cylinder. Two operators dangled the rope out of a large window, and once it was connected to a load waiting below in a wagon, they turned the wheel which rotated the cylinder, drawing the rope (and its payload) up and inside the building. It was a way of lifting heavy weight in a time before electric motors and forklifts. A similar windlass is part of a new exhibit at the State Museum, "Enterprising Waters," about the Erie Canal, where the hoists were also used. It is rare to find a windlass in its original location now just above where Shelley Carr, executive assistant to Preservation League President Jay DiLorenzo, has her desk. Grain hauled in on the top floor would become more refined as it descended to the ground floor, through the use of hoppers built into the ceilings and floors. The building was a grain and feed store from the time of its construction until 1941, when it was last listed as a flour and feed store. Shoemaker Anastas Demo owned the building next. Artifacts from a cobbler's trade mingle in the attic of 44 alongside the screens and grinders used by the grain purveyors. The first-floor storefront was also home to Niagara Duplicator Company (think copier machines), Albany Diamond Cab and Bernard Jewelers. In 1982, philanthropist Matthew Bender bought the building and paid for significant renovations before turning it over to the Preservation League, which in turn leased space to the Historic Albany Foundation. By 1998, each floor had a different tenant: Bytner Travel Agency, New York Planning Federation, the Preservation League and the New York Main Street Alliance. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. In 2012, Assemblywoman Pat Fahy's campaign headquarters was on the first floor. After she moved out, the Preservation League, by then occupying the second, third and fourth floors, turned the space into a conference room/gallery space. While giving a tour of the building, the league's vice president for policy and preservation, Erin Tobin, pointed out signs of a "Victorianization" of the space in the latter part of the 19th century: a carved banister and a second-story oriel window (a type of bay window) that creates a nook in the office space of a league staffer. The league has done no cosmetic work to the interior since the 1980s. Its mission is to help others preserve buildings, not to spend money on new carpet. But recently, the league has raised $400,000 through a state grant and additional money from the Roger and Peggy Gerry Charitable Trust; they are fundraising to bring in another $50,000, which the Gerry Trust has promised to match. DiLorenzo described a two-phase plan. The building needs to be stabilized both to stop water from leaking into the basement and to fix the bricks, mortar, windows and woodwork. The league is working with preservation architect Mark Thaler to fix well-intentioned but inappropriate work done decades ago that resulted in holes drilled through floor joists and structural supports, especially visible in the basement. Brick work was also shored up with modern mortar, which over time has caused the bricks themselves to crumble. Once the essential work is done, the league will update bathrooms and carpeting. lhornbeck@timesunion.com 518-454-5352 @leighhornbeck Posted on Thursday, February 06, 2020 Texas A&M University-Kingsvilles Wind Symphony has made the list of semi-finalists in the American Prize National Nonprofit Competitions in the Performing Arts. The organization announced the semi-finalist bands and wind ensembles for the year 2019 to 2020 on Jan 29, 2020. The Wind Symphony, directed by Dr. Scott Anthony Jones, is one of seven ensembles to make the university division list. The ensemble is the premiere concert band at A&M-Kingsville and serves the region through concert tours, clinics and its High School Invitational Concert series. The Wind Symphony has been previously recognized for its outstanding performances at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention and the College Band Directors National Association Southwest Division Conference in Houston. The American Prize was established in 2009 and has been growing in stature as a prestigious national performing arts competition. "The TAMUK Wind Symphony members are thrilled to make the semi-final round in the Wind Band Division," Jones said. This recognition further demonstrates the outstanding musicianship of our students, the dedication of our faculty and the unwavering support of our administration. We are proud to represent Texas A&M University-Kingsville on the national stage as one of the finest wind bands in the country!" According to the contest, the finalists, runners-up and winners will be announced on the organizations social media accounts. To learn more about the prestigious national competition, visit www.theamericanprize.org. New York Citys Metropolitan Opera is a long way from Enid and the church choir where she first sang publicly as a child. But thats exactly where Leona Mitchells talent, which was too big not to share with the world, would eventually take her. She became a leading soprano at the Met for 18 seasons and one of its most popular performers. The opera legend has been a frequent returnee, though, to her home state, which has honored her multiple times through the years. Shes a member of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame and in 2003 was named an Oklahoma Cultural Ambassador. Tulsa audiences last got to enjoy Mitchells talents in 2017 at Tulsa Operas Puccini to Pop performance. It was her first appearance with the Tulsa Opera in more than 30 years, having sung the title role in the companys 1985 production of Aida. Tim Stanley 918-581-8385 tim.stanley@tulsaworld.com Twitter: @timstanleyTW 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. New Delhi, Feb 6 : Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah has held 35 rallies and nine road shows in the national capital in the last 13 days in an attempt to build support and draw votes for the saffron party candidates contesting the February 8 Assembly elections. The campaign for the Delhi Assembly elections came to an end at 6 p.m. on Thursday. The BJP's election campaign was mainly anchored by Shah and newly appointed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Jagat Prakash Nadda. Shah has held 47 election meetings that included 35 rallies and nine road shows. Besides, Nadda took part in around 40 meetings and road shows. In the last leg of the campaign leading to the polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also campaigned for his party. Modi, arguably the biggest crowd puller for the BJP, while targeting the Opposition, mainly Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, compiled a list of all major decision and action taken by his government during a public rally at CBD Ground in east Delhi's Karkardooma on Monday. He also took part in another rally in Dwarka on Tuesday. In the last two weeks, the BJP's election campaign was completely taken over by Shah. Between January 23 and February 6, Amit Shah campaigned for 13 days in Delhi, conducting a total of 47 election meetings, road shows and programmes. Shah even went door-to-door for a day to seek votes and also addressed booth workers in Talkatora. The BJP, latching on to the Shaheen Bagh anti-CAA protests issue, also sought the services of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to collect votes. Adityanath campaigned mostly in the Purvanchali-dominated areas of the national capital. Besides, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari also organised five election meetings while Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was a part of nine such meets. The election for the 70-member Delhi Assembly is scheduled to be held on February 8. The votes will be counted on February 11. Checking the alcohol level in the blood and breath of drivers is essential, but testing methods must strictly comply with guidelines to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, stated a representative of the WHO in Vietnam. A traffic police officer in Hung Yen Province uses a breathalyzer to determine the alcohol content in the breath of a driver The National Traffic Safety Committee on January 31 wrote to WHO Vietnam, seeking recommendations for the Committees draft guidelines on the execution of traffic safety regulations while the threat of infection with the new coronavirus exists, reported VietnamPlus. In response, Dr. Kidong Park, WHO Representative to Vietnam, stated that Vietnam should keep following its traffic safety regulations and other legal practices, including banning drivers from driving under the influence. The WHO Representative stressed that protective measures to avoid spreading the new coronavirus, which was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, should be adopted efficiently to ensure safety and reduce the risk of disease transmission to traffic police, drivers and the community during blood/breath alcohol testing campaigns. According to him, local traffic police should wear face masks and use alcohol-based hand sanitizer while on duty. The breathalyzer or testing device should be held and used by only one traffic police officer per shift to avoid cross-contamination, and the device must be disinfected before, during and after each shift. He also recommended the use of single-use mouthpieces for breath tests. Used mouthpieces should be collected and treated as biohazardous waste. The Health Ministry on February 5 also wrote to the Government Office, airing its opinion on the risk of infection with the Wuhan virus during breath-testing activities, which must be conducted in line with prevailing regulations and the ministrys health warning. Strict compliance with the outlined preventive measures will lower the likelihood of infection, according to the ministry. SGT "The optics are not great. You hold a special technical meeting to look like you're ahead of the situation. Now you're in a muddle about what happened," said Helima Croft, head of global commodities strategy at RBC. "We have two competing narratives. One, they agreed on a 600,000 barrel cut, and the other that the Russians rejected it." OPEC's regular meeting is set for March 5, but there were expectations it could hold an emergency session with Russia and other non OPEC allies next week. An earlier meeting was still possible, but there has been no announcement. However, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said time is needed to weigh any impact on the oil market from the virus, which has led to a steep decline in energy demand due to a massive shutdown of transportation within China and elsewhere. A committee advising the producers met for three days in Vienna and on Thursday recommended a 600,000 barrel a day reduction in production to bring relief to the oil market, according to reports. The Joint Technical Committee, made up of representatives of producing countries, is not a decision making entity, and it only makes recommendations to the ministers of OPEC countries and its allies, including Russia. Led by Saudi Arabia, other OPEC producers and Russia were considering an emergency meeting to cut production in response to the impact of the coronavirus, but it's not now clear whether that will happen. Russia's reluctance to jump on board a bigger OPEC production cut may signal a potential fissure within the oil producer alliance, known as OPEC plus. Croft, speaking from Vienna, said it is not unlike Russia to act "like a runaway bride" and come to the "altar at the last minute." But the lack of a coherent message does raise questions about the group's commitment to its longer term relationship. International Brent crude futures, initially higher in Thursday trading, lost about 1.5% to just under $55 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate futures were off about 0.4% and were barely holding above $50 a barrel. "OPEC gets itself into these predicaments where the market forces its hand, and this is one of those times," said John Kilduff, partner with Again Capital. "They're going to have to come up with a significant production cut, even if it's for a limited tim. Someone is going to have to tighten the spigot." Kilduff said Saudi Arabia is making it clear it will not go alone with the cuts. "The lack of unity calls into question, really the whole scheme now. Even though the Russians agreed the last time around, there were real questions whether they were going to participate." Russia was slow to join OPEC's decision to extend the current cuts in December. "Is the bloom off the rose?" said Croft, of the Russia-OPEC alliance. "Their [Russia's] compliance has been challenged If they are going to go against the will of some of the most powerful members of the organization, it raises questions of what is the health of the union." Russia and Saudi Arabia drove the alliance between the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and non members, like Russia, that was formed in December, 2016. At the time, it united the world's two biggest oil producers and others, in an effort to curb a glut in the world oil market, fueled in part by the growth of U.S. shale oil. The U.S. has since surpassed both Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world's largest producer. The U.S. industry continues to grow, pumping as much oil as is economically feasible, while the OPEC+ group has struggled a production cut of 1.8 million barrels a day. Now with the coronavirus reducing world energy demand, the pressure on OPEC+ is more intense and oil is sliding below price levels that many producers need to support their budgets. At $50, oil prices become challenging even for Russia's industry which has opposed the production cuts from the start. "At first, it looked like they came up with a recommendation, and it would hold us over to the next meeting, but now there's back and forth on what the Russians agreed to or not agreed to. There's an information vacuum, and someone is going to have to fill it," said Croft. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman are said to have personally guided the alliance. On the ground, the partnership was initially fronted by Novak and former oil minister Khalid al-Falih, until MBS replaced him with his half-brother Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman last September. "Novak's just playing coy. He's waiting to hear what Putin directs," said John Kilduff, partner with Again Capital. Kilduff said Putin and MBS were reported to have spoken earlier this week. Oil prices have fallen more than 20% from their early January high, and the sharp drop in demand from China comes as the market was already seeing softness. China has cut off transportation in a number of major cities and grounded all flights. Airlines have cut back flights both to China and Hong Kong. Earlier Thursday, there were reports that China National Offshore Oil Corp. declared force majeure, which means it won't take delivery of some liquefied natural gas cargoes because the coronavirus limits its ability to move import the fuel. "There are rumors in the market of all other sorts of force majeures being declared as well," said Kilduff. He said he expects oil demand to temporarily fall by 1 million to 2 million barrels a day. Shares of Gujarat Gas advanced 2.33% to Rs 303.15 after consolidated net profit soared 30.5% to Rs 197.30 crore in Q3 December 2019 (Q3 FY20) as against Rs 151.23 crore reported in Q3 December 2018 (Q3 FY19). Net sales advanced 18.4% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 2,506.19 crore in Q3 FY20. The result was announced after market hours yesterday, 5 February 2020. Profit before tax jumped 33.1% to Rs 264.15 crore in Q3 FY20 as compared to Rs 198.39 crore posted in Q3 FY19. Current tax expenses, for the quarter, witnessed a 23.7% surge to Rs 65.61 crore YoY. The company had accounted a net exceptional loss of Rs 12.49 crore in Q3 FY19. During the quarter ended as on 31 December 2019, Gujarat Gas' total sales volume stood at 857 mmscm (Million Metric Standard Cubic Meter); out of which Industrial sales volume contributed 654 mmscm, CNG sales volume contributed 139 mmscm, domestic sales volume 53 mmscm and commercial sales volume contributed 11 mmscm. Shares of Gujarat Gas advanced 2.33% to Rs 303.15. The scrip traded in the range of Rs 305 to Rs 297.90 so far. Gujarat Gas is engaged in the natural gas business in Gujarat. The company is engaged in city gas distribution, including sale, purchase, supply, distribution, transport, trading in natural gas, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other gaseous form through pipelines, trucks/trains or such other suitable mode for transportation/distribution of natural gas, CNG, LNG, LPG and other gaseous form. The Governor of Gujarat holds 6.53% stake as of 31 December 2019. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Clorox has not seen an increase in demand amid the coronavirus outbreak, but the company has plans in place to keep shelves stocked with its cleaning products should sales pick up, CEO Benno Dorer told CNBC's Jim Cramer on Wednesday. "We're not seeing an impact on sales just yet, but what we are focused on is educating consumers on the proper use, on ways to prevent [contracting the virus] and getting ready to have products in place by building inventory, should consumers, customers and communities need it," he said in a "Mad Money" interview. The comments come one day after Clorox reported quarterly results where the company's top-line numbers were in line with Wall Street estimates and the bottom line topped expectations. Executives said on the conference call that concerns about the novel coronavirus and flu season did not play a role in the quarter ended December. "What I can tell you is that we're leaning into inventory to be ready, just in case," Dorer explained in the interview. "We are known to be more agile, now, in terms of our ability to build inventory, and we're going to be ready to do that. But like I said it's hard right now to speculate where this will go because it's so rapidly evolving, but at this point we're not seeing any inventory risk at all." The coronavirus, which originated in late 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has shaken up global markets as the flu-like disease spreads worldwide. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 27,000 cases and 560 deaths have been recorded worldwide, though a large percent of those affected are in China. U.S. health officials have confirmed a dozen cases in the U.S. from coast to coast. Five people were tested for the disease in New York City earlier Wednesday. Because a remedy for the disease has yet to be developed, consumers are expected to load up on disinfecting wipes, sprays and bleach in efforts to kill germs. An increase in demand "would certainly add meaningful value to our investors the top line and the bottom line except that though what we will never do is try to benefit from fears or concerns that consumers have," Dorer said. "We're here to serve the communities and we're taking the lead from our customers, communities, from nonprofit organizations, which we have started to reach out with, and importantly from health organizations like the EPA [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency] and the World Health Organization." Clorox reported fiscal second-quarter revenue of $1.43 billion and $1.46 in earnings per share, which beat analyst expectations by 15 cents. The company said it expects that its gross margin will continue to widen this year. Revenue fell 1.5% from the year prior, according to FactSet. Clorox's revenue is projected to grow in the current quarter. The stock is up 6% to $165.34 since the company reported. Mexican national, Erick Diaz, 26, was shot in the face by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who was attempting to arrest his mother's boyfriend A 26-year-old Mexican national was shot in the face by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who was attempting to arrest his mother's boyfriend. ICE agents were in the process of serving a deportation order to undocumented immigrant, Armando Gaspar Avendando-Hernandez, 36, of Mexico, when his girlfriend's son, Erick Diaz, allegedly intervened. Diaz reportedly got into a scuffle with the officer on 12th Street in Gravesend, Brooklyn, around 8.15am Thursday morning, according to ABC 7. The officer then fired his weapon. A bullet went through Diaz's cheek and became lodged in his neck. Diaz was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Avendando-Hernandez was then Tased and taken into custody. But Diaz's brother, Kevin Yanez Cruz, recalled the incident differently. He said it all unfolded when he arrived at the home to pick up his mother's boyfriend. Yanez Cruz said the two were on their way to work when Avendando-Hernandez realized he forgot something at home. ICE agents were in the process of serving a deportation order to Armando Gaspar Avendando-Hernandez, 36, when his girlfriend's son, Diaz, allegedly intervened. Investigators at the scene on Thursday They went back to the residence and as Avendando-Hernandez was rushing toward the door, Yanez Cruz claims that the ICE agents tackled him in the yard. Hearing the commotion, Diaz ran outside to see what was happening. According Yanez Crus, one of the agents 'thought he [Diaz] was going to get involved' in the arrest and pulled out his gun. 'He pointed the gun at my brother and didn't even hesitate and pulled the trigger,' Yanez Cruz said. Yanez Cruz explained to reporters that his brother had just came to the US from Mexico with his girlfriend. The couple planned to stay in the US for six months before heading back to Mexico. ICE released a statement hours after the incident occurred, claiming the agents were attacked while trying to arrest Avendando-Hernandez. ICE released a statement hours after the incident occurred, claiming the agents were attacked while trying to arrest Avendando-Hernandez. Investigators are seen where the incident occurred 'A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Fugitive Operations Team discharged at least one firearm in Brooklyn, New York, Thursday morning when officers were physically attacked while attempting to arrest Gasper Avendando-Hernandez, a twice-removed illegal alien from Mexico with a 2011 assault conviction in New York City. The agency was referring to an arrest that occurred on February 3 when New York police officers took Avendando-Hernandez into custody for 'possession of a forged instrument'. That particular instrument was a forged Connecticut license plate, authorities said. 'ICE attempted to lodge an immigration detainer after his most recent arrest, however the subject was released from local custody before ICE could lodge a detainer. This forced ICE officers to locate him on the streets of New York rather than in the safe confines of a jail,' ICE added in the statement. Avendando-Hernandez is currently in ICE custody. Authorities said the investigation is ongoing. 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. RFI African football chiefs on Sunday told sides competing at the Cup of Nations that they will not be able to use mass coronavirus infections in the squad as an excuse and will have to play their fixtures as long as 11 players are fit. The continents most prestigious national football team tournament starts on Sunday afternoon with hosts Cameroon taking on Burkina Faso in Group A at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde.The match is followed by the second clash in the pool between Ethiopia and Cape Verde. Tom Waterhouse Credit:John Shakespeare Tom Waterhouse likes to describe himself nowadays as the punter's friend. And all it took was the non-compete clause he signed when he sold his William Hill betting business to Matthew Tripp's CrownBet two years ago to make him see the light. But while the racing industry isn't known for straight-shooting, Waterhouse's latest move is something else entirely. "I'm no longer a bookie, so now I can give you the secrets of betting," Waterhouse wrote, enticing customers to his race tipping business. There, for between $20 a week and $120,000 a year, punters get access to the best tips from the son of racing royalty Gai and Robbie Waterhouse. With the quick development of industrial technology, the energy crisis caused by the shortage of fossil energy has been a growing headache. The renewable and green energy source systems such as fuel cell and metal-air batteries are regarded as the reliable alternatives to fossil fuels. Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are paramount semi-reactions in these applications. The noble metal catalysts are widely used for both ORR and OER. However, their scarcity, high cost, and poor durability strongly impede the large-scale application. Therefore, a rational design of bifunctional non-expensive oxygen electrocatalysts is highly desired. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), a new class material with special chemical and physical properties, have attracted tremendous attention in recent years for their versatile potential applications. Recently, applying MOFs in electrochemical reactions has been an emerging research field because the high surface area of MOFs can maximize active site density, and the special chemical structures of MOFs provide a tailored microenvironment for controllable reaction within the pores. However, it is rarely reported to use MOFs directly in the electrocatalysis field due to their low ion transport and unfavourable electrical conductivity. Encapsulating nanoparticles into hollow mesoporous carbon sphere (HMCS) is a classical design. This design is helpful to stabilize catalytic active sites, increase electrical conductivity and reduce mass transport lengths. The yolk-shell structure design such as metallic nanoparticles@carbon, metal oxide@carbon has been widely used in lithium batteries, catalysis and other flieds. However, the design of MOFs@HMCS yolk-shell structured hybrid material has not been reported yet. Therefore, it is believed that the elaborate combination of MOFs with HMCS to construct a yolk-shell structured hybrid material will effectively overcome the aforementioned shortcoming of MOFs materials in electrocatalysis field. In response to this challenge, recently, the research team led by Prof. Cao Rong from Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter of the Chinese Academy of Sciences designed a yolk-shell structured ZIF-67@HMCS hybrid material by using ZIF-67 as core and hollow mesoporous carbon spheres (HMCS) as shell innovatively. The particle size of ZIF-67 is well controlled by utilizing the spatial confinement effect from HMCS, which shortens the diffusion paths and enhances the ion transportation. Encapsulating ZIF-67 in HMCS also increase its conductivity prominently. Moreover, the typical hierarchical pore structures of HMCS guarantee the diffusion of reactive species to the exposed active sites of ZIF-67 quickly and efficiently, and thus improve the electrochemical activity. The ZIF-67@HMCS hybrid material exhibits superior bifunctional electrocatalytic activity towards both ORR and OER. What's more, the assembled Zn-air battery by ZIF-67@HMCS as air-cathode also presents impressive performance and long-term stability. This bifunctional yolk-shell structured hybrid material could be a promising candidate as electrocatalyst in fuel cells and electrolysers for renewable energy applications. This work also paves a new way toward designing stable MOFs used directly as high efficiency electrochemical catalysts in promising energy storage devices to meet the growing demand of stable energy supply. ### This research received funding from the the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. See the article: Wanfeng Xiong, Hongfang Li,* Hanhui You, Minna Cao, Rong Cao* Encapsulating metal organic framework into hollow mesoporous carbon sphere as efficient oxygen bifunctional electrocatalyst Natl Sci Rev, doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwz166 https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwz166 The National Science Review is the first comprehensive scholarly journal released in English in China that is aimed at linking the country's rapidly advancing community of scientists with the global frontiers of science and technology. The journal also aims to shine a worldwide spotlight on scientific research advances across China. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Miami, February 6, 2020A proposed law introducing the so-called right to be forgotten in Uruguay could have negative implications for the work of journalists and access to information online, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 22, the National Party of Uruguay, whose candidate Luis Lacalle Pou won the November 2019 presidential election, published a draft urgency law (Ley de Urgente Consideracion) on its website ahead of the new government taking office on March 1. Uruguays Constitution allows the president to propose urgent laws which pass automatically if not rejected or substituted after an abbreviated debate of no more than 90 days in the legislature. Among hundreds of provisions, the draft establishes the right to be forgotten, which would allow individuals who find online information about themselves that they consider inadequate, inaccurate, outdated or excessive to ask search engines to suppress it in relevant search results. The bill says the nature of the information and the public interest would be taken into account, but does not expand on how this would work or who would prevent possible abuse. CPJ has found the ability to scrub personal information from the internet can weaken one of journalisms most powerful research tools and harms journalists by enabling the censorship of links to their work. Several regional free expression organizations have called on the incoming lawmakers in Uruguay to postpone discussion of the provision to allow more information and analysis time, as well as a robust debate with the participation of multiple stakeholders. The so-called right to be forgotten is deeply problematic for journalists, and naming it in this law without procedure or guidance introduces significant scope for abuse, said CPJ Central and South America Program Coordinator Natalie Southwick in Asuncion, Paraguay. Uruguayan officials risk damaging the countrys record as a free expression champion in the hemisphere, and instead could set a dangerous precedent for the rest of the region. CPJ emailed a request for comment to an address on the National Party website, but received no response before publication. Standards for a Free, Open and Inclusive Internet established by the office of the special rapporteur for freedom of expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, indicate that the right to be forgotten can only be adopted on an absolutely exceptional basis. Laws should be clear, specific, and limited in order to respect the rights to freedom of expression and access to information, according to the standards. CPJ has hailed Uruguays legislative record in recent years following the passage of laws forbidding censorship, decriminalizing defamation, and making strong guarantees for freedom of expression. The Lake County Council approved a resolution Thursday in support of a bill in the Indiana Legislature, which would give police officers the option of issuing a summons to appear for most misdemeanor charges instead of arresting and booking an individual. The council approved the resolution in place of an ordinance violation for marijuana possession, which would give officers the discretion to issue tickets to anyone stopped with less than 30 grams of marijuana. (Alexandra Kukulka / Post-Tribune) Braxton Miller has goals for 2020. He wants to get rid of the eye patch that is protecting his right eye while it heals from a corneal abrasion. He wants to get strong enough to use the zipline at physical therapy. He also wants to show his dairy steer and turkeys at the Erie County Fair. Its been six months since the accident that paralyzed 9-year-old Braxton and injured his three sisters. Last summer, Braxton and Abbygail were supposed to show their animals at the Erie County Fair. It was Braxtons first time raising a dairy calf and turkeys for 4-H. But the four Miller children and their mother, JanMarie, were in a car accident July 24, two weeks before the fair was set to open. The children were unable to attend the fair. Other members of their 4-H club showed the Millers animals for them. When it came time for the small project auction, Braxtons turkeys and Abbygails chickens sold for a combined $23,000, thanks to enormous support from the community. A family member bought Braxtons calf back at the auction, so he can continue raising it and show it again next year. Welcome home Braxton spent about two weeks in the intensive care unit after the accident. Braxton had a spinal cord injury, broken pelvis and a head injury. He is paralyzed from mid-chest down, but has full use of his arms. Then he was moved to the Cleveland Clinics Childrens Hospital for Rehabilitation, where he spent more than three months. He was really almost infant-like. From the injuries he had, he couldnt sit up. He had a trach in. He was on a ventilator, said John Miller, Braxtons father. It was rough on everyone while Braxton was in Cleveland. He was undergoing intense therapy to regain some of the function hed lost after the accident. He was away from his family. It was harvest time too. John Miller works full time on the family farm, where they raise corn, beans and wheat and make straw. John Miller said he would try to spend the night at the hospital every other night, then go back home during the day to harvest. It was a 74-mile drive one way. That was hard, he said. Being a farm kid, [Braxton] understood that youve got to get stuff done. Braxton came home, to Castalia, Ohio, Nov. 25. When he went back to Margaretta Elementary School, Dec. 2, he was welcomed by hallways lined with classmates holding signs and cheering him on. It made me feel good, Braxton said. They did a lot of stuff for me. Braxton is getting physical therapy during the day at school and at a facility in town. John Miller said Braxtons school has been incredibly accommodating to their new reality. Hes also thankful for everyone who donated money, sent cards and letters and supported the family after the accident. Moving on up Braxtons calf, Buck, was tagged for the 2020 Erie County Fair, Dec. 10. Braxton has been to the barn to see Buck a few times since he got home. He likes to be petted. Hes a good cow, Braxton said. John Miller said Braxton was grinning ear to ear the last time he visited the calf. He has a batch of turkeys coming in March. Raising animals and getting them ready for the fair is hard work, but its something Braxton enjoys. Its a lot of work, but its fun, Braxton said. How he will walk Buck around the showring is still a question. They want to get Braxton some kind of all-terrain, powered wheelchair that would allow him to get around easier. Thats something theyre currently raising money to buy. Monetary donations to help Braxton get an all-terrain wheelchair may be sent to: Castalia Miller Kids, P.O. Box 1, Castalia, OH 44824 Paypal to CastaliaMillerKids@gmail.com Were trying to get him as mobile as he can be, John Miller said. To keep up with his siblings, his dad built Braxton a bike that he can pedal with his hands. He also got him a hoverboard for Christmas with an attachment so he can ride while sitting. He still has his spirit, John Miller said. I have to remind him sometimes to slow down. (Reporter Rachel Wagoner can be contacted at 800-837-3419 or rachel@farmanddairy.com.) Is it too early to contemplate a search for a clone of Donald Trump for the 2024 election? Maybe not! But is Trump replaceable? The man who restored Americas pride, dignity, optimism and hope after a devastating eight dismal years of Barack Hussein Obama! Trump officially entered the Republican Presidential race on June 16, 2015 with a simple yet powerful message: Make America Great Again. Trump stirred up the hornet's nest that is Washington D.C. when no other President has dared to even go there. This resulted in a strong reaction from the media, the Democrat Party, Hollywood, the elitists and globalists, even worldwide socialists. Trump was not a politician, but in his line of work he had to deal with them. So, he understood corruption existed, but not to the extent that we have witnessed recently. Also, unlike previous Republicans, President Trump fights back, and fights hard. Some have suggested that Trump is the political version of Floyd Mayweather, a counterpuncher who turned opponents attacks into his opportunities. Nothing is ever certain in politics, with that in mind and assuming President Trump will win the 2020 election, what happens when he leaves the office in 2024? Who is well suited to continue his unmatched legacy of keeping America safe, strong and powerful while dealing with the massive corruption that is eating the very fabric of our society and institutions? How to get the public trust back? Some serious domestic issues that have been divisive may take years to heal. The political upheaval that Obama generated in his eight-year leadership (or lack of it), has left America domestically more divided than at any time in our history. i.e., the race issue. Obama revived a racial divide that had been gradually disappearing in American society. The damage Obama left behind will take generations to correct. Looking ahead, the 2024 Republican nomination looks wide open. The most logical successor would be Trumps vice president, Mike Pence, who has devotedly remained in the background of a passionate man for nearly three years in office. Pence is a careful career politician and a day and night contrast to Trump. We should never rule him out. His dedication and loyalty to the President in addition to being the vice president is no minor achievement. One historical roadblock stands in Pences way: Vice Presidents have trouble directly succeeding the presidents they served. It's only been done twice, by Vice Presidents Martin Van Buren, in 1836, and George H.W. Bush, in 1988. Several others in recent decades have tried but come up short, including Hubert Humphrey in 1968 and Al Gore in 2000. At this early stage, only a few Republicans have shown interest or have been mentioned by others. Nikki Haley, former Ambassador to the UN, is shrugging off questions about a future White House bid. But thats not keeping fundraisers from billing her as the early frontrunner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. Shes clearly the frontrunner. First woman POTUS and first child of immigrant parents to rise to commander-in-chief. Shed win handily, regardless of whom the Democrats nominate in 2024. As an ambassador to the UN she did a fabulous job. She demonstrated that she is tough, knowledgeable and articulate. However, during the 2016 Republican presidential primary Ms. Haley endorsed Marco Rubio, the poster boy of the Gang of Eight. That was very disturbing to me. Even Jeff Flake endorsed the Gang of Eight co-member Macro Rubio. According to a USA Today interview with Niki Haley, she denies that she plans to run in 2024. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley has also been floating the idea of running in 2024. I think hes the future of not just the conservative movement, but the Republican Party. I view him as a Trump 2.0 candidate someone who can fill Trumps shoes, said Terry Schilling, executive director of the American Principles Project, a Virginia-based socially conservative group that gave Hawley an award at its annual gala last year. Ron DeSantis, the new governor of Florida, has also established himself as a contender for 2024 election. Another well-known name that has been circling around in the political arena, is Sen. Ted Cruz. I must confess, in the 2016 election Cruz was my first choice and Trump was second. The minute Senator Cruz ended his campaign, I fully supported Donald Trump. It is no secret that in the primaries, you support your candidate with all you got, but you stand with the winner of party nomination in the end. "Look, I hope to run again," Cruz said in September. "We came very, very close in 2016. And it's the most fun I've ever had in my life." Politics makes strange bedfellows is not just a cliche. Everyone knows the political vendetta between President Donald Trump and Ted Cruz during the 2016 election was one of the nastiest in recent history. Trump called Cruz "lyin' Ted" and attacked his family. That was then. This is now -- "Lyin' Ted" is now Beautiful Ted. In October 2018 Trumps rally in support of Sen. Cruz at the Toyota Center in Houston, both men embraced. "You know, we had our little difficulties," Trump told the crowd. "It got ugly... But nobody has helped me more." said Trump. Trump is right -- Cruz has become the most powerful voice for Trump, not for political reasons, but because he genuinely believes in the Presidents agenda, his accomplishments and for doing something that most political pundits believed impossible. I do not know how many people will end up running in 2024. But I do know Senator Cruz well and have met him in person several times. My feelings about him have not changed. I still believe Cruz is one of the most fearless, brilliant, and articulate politicians in America. He has displayed courage, integrity, and leadership. He fights for truth, for the Constitution, and for freedom. He is perhaps the only person who can continue with President Trumps legacy. Just as President Trump has kept his promises, Senator Cruz will do precisely the same. He has done it for Texas, and he will do it for America. I believe a Cruz-Haley ticket is a winning ticket in 2024. In short, we do not need to search for a clone of President Trump, when we have Beautiful Ted. (Natural News) Its now clear the coronavirus pandemic has broken containment and is self-replicating beyond control. As the corporate-controlled media still pretends the coronavirus pandemic doesnt exist, it has already spread beyond any reasonable hope of containment, health experts are now warning. China cannot contain it. Instead, they lie about it, and the left-wing media follows suit, pretending that lying about a pandemic is somehow a treatment to stop it. Denial is not a treatment for a pandemic. Denial doesnt stop the spread. In fact, it encourages it. Thats why the left-wing media, the tech giants, the WHO and the governments of the world are all now complicit in the worsening of this pandemic. They refuse to even tell the world whats happening, and they pretend they can somehow cover this up long enough that no one will notice when their own friends, family members or co-workers start dropping dead in cities all around the world. Even the WHO is now pretending the pandemic no longer exists, even when just a few days ago, that same WHO declared an emergency global pandemic was under way. As explained in my podcast, below, denial is not a solution for any pandemic: World health experts warn the coronavirus can no longer be contained It is not a matter of if it is a matter of when, said Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security and a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America, as reported by Bloomberg News. There is not a doubt this is going to end up in most countries eventually. Notice that Adalja is not parroting the usual lie. Hes not saying we have this all under control, theres nothing to worry about, go back to drinking your Starbucks LGBT latte. Instead, hes warning that this is already set to go global. And hes not alone. This is about mitigation at this point, and keeping the global spread as minimal as possible, said Rebecca Katz, a professor and director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University, also via Bloomberg News as linked above. Bloomberg also states: Just a couple of weeks ago, scientists held out hope the new coronavirus could be largely contained within China. Now they know its spread can be minimized at best, and governments are planning for the worst. Got that? Behind the scenes, away from public view, government are planning for the worst. Those same governments, however, are lying to the world, telling their own citizens everythings fine and under control. This tactic, of course, helps governments gather all the supplies they need without having the public competing for those supplies. In exactly the same way China has already stated its willing to sacrifice the lives of millions of people to save 11 key cities, the governments of the world have no qualms about keeping the public in the dark as long as possible so that continuity-of-government programs can be fully stocked and ready to survive the global pandemic apocalypse. And yes, its a biological warfare weapon, as confirmed in a multitude of ways. Watch this stunning interview with Francis Boyle to learn the full details: Brighteon.com/5601ba62-edfd-4f92-92e2-ec9c04883af5 CDC now admits the coronavirus pandemic cannot be stopped; former CDC Epidemic Intelligence Offer tells us the outbreak is beyond control Even the CDC is now admitting the obvious: The coronavirus pandemic cannot be stopped. Via Bloomberg: Total containment isnt in the cards, said Nancy Messonnier, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Given the nature of this virus and how its spreading, that would be impossible. Our goal is to slow this thing down We are preparing as if this were the next pandemic. Whats especially noteworthy about this quite from Messonnier is that shes a product of the military wing of the CDC. Her previous title was Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer with the Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases (DDID). If that sounds like a military branch, thats because it is. The entire CDC is a military operation, and CDC officials wear full blown military uniforms and follow a military code of conduct. Well cover this in more detail in an upcoming article. The rise in the number of confirmed infections of coronavirus is already mapping out an exponential increase as depicted in the chart below: And the explosive spread of coronavirus infections has already dwarfed any growth rate seen in SARS: This next short video gives you a quick summary of the horrifying rise of the coronavirus pandemic and the current situation in China, where much of the country has now been turned into, effectively, a quarantine prison camp: Brighteon.com/ab02e9da-9a2c-4fae-8e6c-b27c641c8a3d Backtracking about two weeks, a study published in the medRxiv journal on January 23rd estimated that by Jan. 29th, China would already have over 105,000 infected victims of the pandemic (see bottom of page 4 of the PDF). Authored by Jonathan M. Read, the studys conclusions appear to have been accidentally confirmed by the Chinese government itself, which accidentally leaked a hidden data set that seems to reveal 154,000 known infections as of yesterday, with nearly 25,000 deaths. Publicly, the Chinese government is only releasing official numbers which are much lower, of course. You are being kept in the dark so that the continuity-of-government operations can buy up all the supplies first The upshot of all this is that now, even as the CIA-controlled media continues to lie to the public about the severity of this pandemic, many top health experts are openly warning us all that the coronavirus has broken containment and cannot be stopped. Chinas quarantine has failed. Symptomless carriers are spreading this pandemic even now, to dozens of countries and hundreds of cities around the world. The efforts to contain this deadly pathogen have failed, and its only a matter of time until the full force of this pandemic is felt around the world. Prepare accordingly. One day, the media, the WHO and the governments of the world will no longer be able to cover this up. By that time, it will be too late for most people to prepare. But dont worry, theyll have hospitals ready for you (i.e. quarantine prison camps with bars on the windows and doors of each individual room), or bulldozers and ditches to quietly dispose of your body once you succumb to the infection. Read Pandemic.news to stay informed, and watch new videos at Brighteon.com each day. Sudan's cabinet said on Thursday that the country's leader General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had made no promise to Israel's prime minister of "normalising ties" between the two countries. Burhan, who heads Sudan's ruling sovereign council, met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for previously unannounced talks in Entebbe on Monday that appeared to signal an end to Sudan's long-standing boycott of the Jewish state. Soon after their meeting, Netanyahu announced that the two leaders had agreed to cooperate towards normalising ties. Sudan's transitional cabinet said on Thursday that meeting Netanyahu was Burhan's "personal initiative" and he had made no promises to the Israeli premier. "The chief of the sovereign council told us ... he did not give any commitment and did not talk of normalising relations," government spokesman Faisal Mohamed Salih told reporters early Thursday. "He did not give a promise of normalising or having diplomatic relations." Salih said the issue of relations with Israel was something the current transitional government was not mandated to decide. "This government has a very limited mandate. The issue of relations with Israel is beyond its mandate," he said. The transitional government headed by Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok was formed months after the ouster of longtime despot Omar al-Bashir amid nationwide protests in April last year. Burhan heads the ruling sovereign council, a joint civilian and military body tasked with overseeing the country's transition to civilian rule. Sudanese top brass have backed Burhan's initative in holding the meeting, saying it will help boost national security. The cabinet says it was not informed of the meeting in advance. Israel remains technically at war with Sudan, which supported hardline Islamists -- including, for a period, Al-Qaeda -- during Bashir's rule. After their meeting, Netanyahu's office said the Israeli premier believed that post-Bashir Sudan was headed "in a positive direction". It said he and Burhan had "agreed to start cooperation leading to normalisation of the relationship between the two countries". The Palestine Liberation Organization called Burhan and Netanyahu's meeting "a stab in the back of the Palestinian people". Sudan has long been part of a decades-old Arab boycott of Israel over its treatment of the Palestinians and its occupation of Arab lands. In the wake of the Six-Day War of 1967 in which Israel occupied the Palestinian territories and seized the Golan Heights from Syria, Arab leaders held a historic meeting in Khartoum to announce what became known as the 'three nos' -- no peace, no recognition, no negotiations with Israel. On Thursday, veteran Sudanese politician Sadeq al-Mahdi, who was prime minister when Bashir seized power in an Islamist-backed coup in 1989, spoke out against normalising ties with Israel. "We reject this meeting as it will impact our national interest negatively. We are against it strongly," Mahdi told reporters. "We close the door completely for normalising of relations with Israel. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) GREENSBORO, N.C., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Dynamic Quest, a managed service provider offering IT and cloud services to enterprises and businesses, completed the acquisition of Cohn Consulting Corporation ("Cohn Consulting"), a Marietta, Georgia-based managed services provider. Founded in 1994, Cohn Consulting offers managed IT, disaster recovery and hosting services to small and medium sized businesses across a wide variety of verticals. Approximately 70% of Cohn Consulting's revenue is recurring with a strong, loyal customer base. Cohn Consulting President, Dan Cohn, and Vice President, Jon Czerwinski, will join Dynamic Quest's Atlanta office. Javier Gomez, CEO of Dynamic Quest relayed, "We are thrilled to add Cohn Consulting to our Dynamic Quest family. Dan and Jon have built a great company and we look forward to taking the next step of growth together." The transaction will enhance Dynamic Quest's market share in Georgia and provide the ability to cross-sell some services to Cohn Consulting's customer base that are not currently offered. Dynamic Quest will look to leverage its infrastructure including its data center, Philippines remote delivery team and sales and marketing initiatives to enhance service solutions for end clients and accelerate growth. About Spire Capital Spire Capital (https://spirecapital.com/) is an active and experienced private equity firm with an investment focus in small market companies within the technology enabled business services, media, communications and education sectors. Spire Capital was founded on the principle of partnering with management teams and founders to help effectuate the next stage of growth for their companies. Spire professionals have a broad array of past operating, investing and advisory experiences they leverage to help portfolio companies accelerate growth, guide strategic direction and execute their business plan. Spire Capital is a New York-based investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. About Dynamic Quest Founded in 2000, Dynamic Quest is a managed service provider for IT services to enterprises and mid-sized businesses. Dynamic Quest offers a broad set of services including hosted cloud services, disaster recovery, managed IT, service plans, application support, virtual CIO and security services. The Company's headquarters is in Greensboro, North Carolina and houses a data center facility that was built in 2007. Dynamic Quest currently has satellite offices in Winston-Salem and Cary, North Carolina, Marietta, Georgia and Clark, Philippines. For more information, visit https://dynamicquest.com/. About Cohn Consulting Founded in 1994 and based in Marietta, Georgia, Cohn Consulting is a managed service provider for IT services to small to medium sized businesses. For more information about Cohn, visit the company website https://www.cohnconsultingcorp.com/. SOURCE Spire Capital Partners Prime Minister on Thursday said for years the northeastern region was ignored but things changed under his government, and it has now become a growth engine. Replying to a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the president's Address in Lok Sabha, Modi also said many problems in the northeast were resolved only for meeting political reasons and remained confined to papers. "Let us talk about the Bodo accord. Despite many efforts, the issue was unsolved for years. The Bodo accord signed now is special because it has brought all stakeholders together and we are moving towards a more peaceful era," he said. The Bodo accord was signed on January 27 by the government with four factions of the Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), All Bodo Students' Union and a civil society group for bringing a lasting peace in Bodo-dominated areas in Assam. The prime minister said for years, distance became a reason to ignore the northeast and things have changed now. "The northeast is becoming a growth engine. Great work has been done in so many sectors. Ministers and officials are regularly visiting the region," he said. Owl & Company Bookshop | Photo: Zoe L./Yelp Looking to try the top bookstores around? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best affordable such businesses in Oakland, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list. Read on for a rundown. 1. Walden Pond Bookstore Photo: ann s./Yelp Topping the list is Walden Pond Bookstore. Located at 3316 Grand Ave. (between Elwood and Lake Park avenues), it's the highest-rated inexpensive bookstore in Oakland, boasting 4.5 stars out of 201 reviews on Yelp. We looked there for an overview of the business. "Walden Pond is Oakland's oldest independent bookstore," it states in the history section of its Yelp profile. "The name comes from Henry David Thoreau's 'Walden or Life in the Woods,' as our first location was a combination book and plant store. The store has expanded twice, initially in 1976 and finally at our current location in 1986, in our beautifully arched building." Now in its third generation of family ownership, the store's extensive offerings include such genres as new and used fiction, politics, poetry, children's books, cookbooks, mystery, science fiction, religion and more, according to Yelp. 2. Owl & Company Bookshop photo: lissette m./yelp Next up is Owl & Company Bookshop, at 3941 Piedmont Ave. (between Montell Street and Monte Vista Avenue). With five stars out of 54 reviews on Yelp, the bookstore has proven to be a local favorite for those looking for an inexpensive option. If you're curious to know more, we found these details about Owl & Company Bookshop. According to Yelp, the store is a secondhand bookshop that features "a wide assortment of vintage, antiquarian and modern books in all subjects" within its floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. There's also a selection of Spanish-language literature available. 3. Bookmark Bookstore/Friends of the Oakland Public Library Photo: hari P./Yelp Jack London Square's Bookmark Bookstore/Friends of the Oakland Public Library, at 721 Washington St., is another top choice. Yelpers give the inexpensive bookstore five stars out of 49 reviews. Story continues As to what the business is known for, its Yelp profile notes it "is a primarily volunteer-run bookstore" that provides "used, rare and out-of-print books at discount prices." Proceeds from the bookstore go toward the Oakland Public Library. 4. Spectator Bookstore Photo: Jingguo W./Yelp Last but not least, Spectator Bookstore is another much-loved, low-priced go-to, with 4.5 stars out of 90 Yelp reviews. Head over to 4163 Piedmont Ave. (between 41st Street and Linda Avenue) to see for yourself. Yelper Isabella A., who recently reviewed the business, wrote, "Very cute mom-and-pop bookstore. It looks small from the outside, but goes back pretty far. I also noticed that they have a small used VHS and DVD section, which is pretty cool." Blake S. noted, "I love this book store. I happened to stumble upon it while running errands one day. Great selection of books. I went in looking for one book but came out with four. Adorable store." 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. Dear Prudence, My wonderful husband has become a shell of his former self, and I feel both conflicted and responsible. We discussed the possibility of children before marrying. He always wanted them, and I was very unsure. I told him I have deep-rooted abandonment issues and PTSD from violent past relationships, and hes been very patient and kind with me. After some soul-searching, I realized I was ready to have a child. But I really only want one. He was devastated. Only one? Thats almost as bad as not having any! Now he wont look at me, he wont touch me, and he doesnt smile anymore. Its been a month, and Im walking on eggshells. Advertisement He says he still loves me and that its not a deal-breaker, but my decision has left him unmotivated at work, at home, and everywhere else. I make significantly more money than him. I purchased the house we live in and could carry our mortgage if he lost his income. However, if I let go of my demanding career, we would not be able to make ends meet. Because hes a small business owner, I hardly see him. He recently revealed that he dreams of making enough money to allow me to stay at home and raise multiple children, while also paying for his parents and relatives retirement. Although I applaud his selflessness, this isnt what I envision for myself. And if I do think of being a full-time caretaker, my thoughts selfishly drift into business concepts I could pursue in my free time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement He blurted out last night that he feels like hes a failure. He said he failed to sell me on his vision and that if he had done a better job of painting a picture of our future that I would be open to it. Am I being too practical or cold? I feel absolutely horrible seeing him so down. I also feel guilty, knowing that if I would just say yes to his dream, he would be over the moon. What next steps can I take to improve his morale and outlook? Out of Alignment Im deeply concerned that you feel preemptively selfish for merely thinking about wanting to work in a future where you quit the job you clearly enjoy and give up your financial independence in order to satisfy your husbands desire for a stay-at-home wife and mother. Your husband is capable of having a rational, respectful conversation about children, and you are entitled to ask it of him. Yes, its an emotional topic, but a month of the silent treatment and maudlin, self-pitying declarations is absolutely ridiculous. Hes already succeeded in making you feel selfish and worry youre being cold, even though youre the only person whos compromised on the subject. Moreover, hes convinced you that its somehow selfless that he fantasizes about you staying at homea thing that, it bears repeating, you did not express interest in doing. Your concern should not be improving his morale and outlook; he is having a tantrum and does not need to be coddled out of it. Please talk to your friends and a therapist about how you can effectively advocate for yourself in this relationship without falling prey to his manipulative tactics and guilt. Its possible that your husband will realize his sulking is counterproductive and unhelpful and decide instead to find a workable compromise with you. But if he doesnt, I think its time to reconsider whether you want to have even one child with him. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dear Prudence, I am a young woman and physician in training. I am terrible with names and work with a rotating team of nurses, social workers, nursing assistants, and other physicians. I work at several hospitals on several teams. I tend to refer to people as my dear or my love. This includes everyone: my patients, other doctors I work with, social workers, etc. The other day at work, I was speaking with a staff member. I said, Thank you so much, my dear, for your help earlier. Later that day she told me she doesnt like nicknames and asked me to call her by her name. I apologized and thanked her for telling me. In the future, I will call her by her name (which I wont forget)! Is this a practice I should stop for everyone? I mean it kindly, and my intention is to be warm. I am cognizant of my role as the doctor with nurses and social workers (even if I am in my first year of training) and dont want to come across as patronizing or make anyone uncomfortable. This interaction has made me second-guess myself. Am I no worse than a creepy male boss?! Is there a kind term of endearment that would be more neutral? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have no interest in ranking you on a scale of creepy male bosses, but yes, you should stop calling other people who work at these hospitals my love. And you definitely shouldnt be calling your patients my love, eitherthat goes beyond warm and friendly and into pet names for a significant other territory. Just say Thank you so much when you dont know someones name, or ask them for a reminder of their name. You dont have to apologize to everyone youve ever used a term of endearment withjust knock it off. You can maintain a sense of warmth by using eye contact, smiling, and saying thank you, but leave the my dears and my loves for your friends and loved ones. Advertisement Advertisement How to Get Advice From Prudie Send questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. (Questions may be edited.) Join the live chat every Monday at noon. Submit your questions and comments here before or during the live discussion. Call the voicemail of the Dear Prudence podcast at 401-371-DEAR (3327) to hear your question answered on a future episode of the show. Dear Prudence, I am a bisexual man who recently got engaged to my wonderful boyfriend, Pete. Before that I was married to my high school girlfriend, Kate. We got married after an accidental pregnancy and faced enormous family pressure. (Both our families are evangelical Christians.) We both loved our daughter, but the marriage was never happy, and we divorced when she was 4. Now were great friends and co-parents, and our daughter is 14. Both Kate and I like each others partners. Everything should be great, but both Kates family and mine are behaving outrageously. Obviously they handled my coming out as bisexual after the divorce very badly, but wed at least settled into a frosty silence on the subject, which was fine by me since I only see them a few times a year. Advertisement Advertisement Now that Im engaged, all bets are off. My parents received the news coldly and immediately wanted to know if I understood how tacky it would be to have a big second wedding. We do want to have a big wedding! My parents and sisters have started spamming me almost daily with emails and Facebook messages linking to articles with titles like Top 10 Tacky Wedding Behaviors and How to Have a Second Wedding With Class. My former in-laws got angry with my daughter for being excited about our wedding and told her it wasnt a real wedding and she shouldnt attend. Kate has roundly scolded them for it and isnt sure she wants to speak to them again. Our daughter doesnt want to see any of her grandparents. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I just feel terrible. I have tried for so long to keep the peace with my complicated extended family. My fiance has met them exactly once and is not keen to repeat the experience. Now I am wondering if it would be OK to just cut them all off or if that would be a bad thing for my daughter. Ive always encouraged her to have an independent relationship with her grandparents, whatever my problems with them may be. Im scared to send her to see my parents next week. How should I handle these people, and whats the best thing to do for my daughter? Advertisement Advertisement Is It Tacky? People who use the words classy and tacky do not have good taste and can be safely, routinely ignored. I understand your desire to make sure your daughter can have a relationship with her grandparents, but at a certain point, her own values and desires have to come into play. Shes a teenager, and her feelings of anger and hurt are totally understandable. Her grandparents have insulted her father and her family, and she has the right to say shes not ready to see them yet. When she is ready to see them, check in with them before your daughter goes to make sure they can agree to not criticize or badger her for supporting your wedding. If they cant, dont send her over. Advertisement You can set a boundary with your in-laws and parents (for example, Until you can refrain from criticizing my sexuality or telling me I have to have a tiny, shame-based wedding, we wont be able to get together) while still leaving the door slightly open for future reconciliation should they decide to start behaving themselves. Not all estrangements are permanent, and it may be that a solid, sustained consequence like not seeing you for a while will teach them to keep quiet when they cant say anything nice. It may even lead to an eventual change of heart. Advertisement And tell them why youre blocking their emails and social media messages. Then block them! My God, you dont have to put up with that sort of nonsense for another minute. Have a wonderful, splashy wedding. Advertisement Help! Do We Have to Speak Kindly of My Cruel Father-in-Law at His Funeral? Danny M. Lavery is joined by comedian Josh Gondelman on this weeks episode of the Dear Prudence podcast. Dear Prudence, My boyfriend of seven years and I both want to get married one day, probably soon. However, it was always my plan to live in a small town close to nature as soon as I graduate medical school. I despise life in the big city and have always looked forward to escaping it. He doesnt want to live in a small town ever, and his career really wouldnt allow for it. Plus, he loves the big city. This is the biggest of several differences in our life plans. Im ready to give up my dreams to be with him, but however deeply I love him, I think Ill be miserable. I dont want to lose him. Will this doom us? What can we do? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Urban vs. Rural This feels like a helpful corrective to the first letter. Although I cant guarantee you two will work it out, at least so far neither of you has attempted to bolster their position by sulking, withdrawing, throwing out passive-aggressive barbs, or making the other person feel responsible for their misery. The most important thing you two can do now is have a completely honest conversation about what you are and arent prepared to do about your future living situation. Since youve lived in a big city, hate it, and sincerely believe youd be miserable, I dont think that youve failed to give cities a try. What kind of partner could you be to your boyfriend if you were constantly miserable? Would it be worse to lose him while parting ways lovingly and respectfully, or to lose him because you grow so choked with resentment that your relationship became unbearable? Dont let the conversation be dominated by wishful thinking or what you hope the other person wants to hear. Only you two can determine what compromises are worth trying. Be honest, be realistic, and only make decisions you think you can really live with. Advertisement Advertisement Dear Prudence Uncensored My fear is that he is trying to guilt and manipulate you into becoming financially dependent on him. Danny Lavery and Nicole Cliffe discuss this letter in this weeks Dear Prudence Uncensoredonly for Slate Plus members. Dear Prudence, People often comment on my son, saying, Oh, what a beautiful little girl! I usually respond cheerfully with, Thanks! Hes a boy, but I understand why you say thathes really pretty! He is almost 2, and I dont dress him in especially girly clothes. His hair has gotten long, so we put the bangs up in a small ponytail on top of his head, which he loves. Is this OK for now? We arent anchored to gender stereotypes, so we dont mind if he looks ambiguous as a toddler. But will he mind getting called a girl at some point? Should I dress him in more standard boy clothes or cut his hair or have a stronger response to strangers comments? Advertisement Cute Toddler Problems It would be weirder if you started dressing your toddler against both your own tastes and his inclinations in the interest of getting strangers to call him a boy when they pay him compliments in passing. The fact that lots of toddlers dont look immediately and legibly like boys or girls is entirely neutral, and you dont need to start buying him gingham button-downs from the J. Crew baby collection just because every once in a while someone says, Oh, what a cute little girl. As he gets older, strangers may stop reading him as a girl, at which point the problem you fear will never come to pass. Or maybe he doesnt mind at all. If it does bother him and he would like to get a haircut or have more input on his outfits, you can chop the ponytail or give him more say in what clothes he puts on in the morning (which youd probably already do, because as kids get older they naturally start to exert more autonomy in small-scale decisions, like what shoes they wear). But youre not doing anything wrong, and you dont have anything to worry about. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [See how Rumaan Alam answered this question in Tuesdays Care and Feeding column.] Dear Prudence, Ive never been in a relationship of any kind. I recently ended things with a guy I had been on a few dates with but didnt especially like. Im starting to suspect dating just isnt in the cards for me. I dont know if I even really enjoy itit always feels like a chore. My friends think Im being too pessimistic and Im too young to shut myself off to all aspects of modern dating. Im in my early 20s, and Im not going to swear off dating forever. I just want to focus on myself and doing the things I actually enjoy. Is this normal? If so, how do I explain to my nosy friends and relatives why I never bring a date? Advertisement Single, Not Looking The great thing about deciding not to date is that at any moment you can change your mind and start dating, if you decide you would like to! If your friends ask Why didnt you bring a date tonight? you can answer I didnt want to, and then enjoy yourself. If they seem desperate for an explanation, you can walk them through the difference between pessimism and self-awareness: I dont think its pessimistic to prioritize the things I enjoy, like my friendships and my hobbies and time spent alone, over something that feels like a draining chore, like dating. If you enjoy dating, I hope you get to do it often, but at least for right now, its just not for me. Classic Prudie My wifes younger sister has at times flirted with me, which my wife has laughed off, even when her sister said something about wanting to have my baby. Well, this sister just got kicked out by their parents, and at the moment is living with us. Ive never cheated, but Im not sure I can trust myself here. I am, after all, a guy. How can I tactfully express to my wife that we need to figure out something else ASAP? The businesses in Liaoning were acting on government instructions to delay the reopening of businesses in the most of the country to February 10 at the earliest in response to the coronavirus outbreak which has infected over 20,000 people. The Chinese magnesia market has been stagnant since before the Lunar New Year holiday that began on January 24. Most market participants have not returned to work and and Chinas domestic transportation network has ground to a halt. As a result, Fastmarkets' spot price for magnesia, dead burned, 90% MgO, lump, fob China was stable week on week at $170-200 per tonne on Tuesday February 4, unchanged since November 5, 2019. The magnesia, dead burned, 97.5% MgO, lump, fob China price was unchanged at $400-450 per tonne on February 4, a level it has maintained since December 17. Most market sources said they are awaiting clearer direction on price after February 10, when operations are currently expected to resume. "We havent resumed production for the moment, and our customers currently have no specific requirements on booking materials as well. Chinas government is taking measures to control the coronavirus, and I believe it will all return to normal soon," a producer in Haicheng told Fastmarkets. "Our customers currently havent placed new orders and all waiting for clear direction. They havent noticed any specific requirements on exporting materials, and we will see that the market is after February 10," a second producer said. Meanwhile, a trader source was bearish on the effect of the coronavirus on an already weak magnesia market. "I think the coronavirus will have a negative impact on the short-term magnesia market as it makes the weak market worse with most downstream sectors slowing down purchasing," a trader said. The magnesia market has had a sluggish year with prices falling sharply due to oversupply and reducing demand from downstream buyers. The 90% dead burned magnesia price was $240-270 per tonne at the start of 2019, while the 97.5% assessment was at $1,100-1,300 per tonne at the same time. Chinas producers have continued lowering prices to boost sales and cash flow, bringing spot prices down. Adding to this, magnesia orders after the Lunar New Year have not met forecasts due to the suspension of business. Fine Gael TD Pat Deering has slammed the posting of fake election leaflets bearing his face to voters across Carlow. Deputy Deering described the letters - which have Croatian stamps on them - as "dirty tactics" and said he was disgusted to hear that the material had been delivered to potential voters. The fraudulent "public notice" wrongly claims that Mr Deering was going to close his constituency clinics to attend the controversial RIC commemoration in Dublin last January. The Carlow TD says he had no intention of going to the event and was not even invited. He said: "I am disgusted that fake leaflets purporting to be from me have been delivered to houses in the town of Rathvilly. Let me be clear, these letters are not from me nor are they from anyone associated with my campaign. "This is an organised attempt to mislead the people of Carlow, to damage our democratic process and those responsible should be ashamed. "The people of Carlow know that this is a close race. Voters should make up their minds on my record of delivering for Carlow, not a campaign of dirty tricks." Mr Deering added: "I am dismayed to see this type of 'campaigning'; people must have a lot of time on their hands to go to this trouble to do up this fake leaflet, address the envelopes and then post them. "Some people are obviously panicking if they have to stoop to this level to try and damage my campaign." (Bloomberg Opinion) -- With Mitt Romney the sole Republican voting to remove the president from office, the Senate fell well short of convicting Donald Trump on two articles of impeachment today. I agree with my Bloomberg Opinion colleague Noah Feldman that the senators speeches, particularly those of Republicans who were voting to acquit him, were important. What the senators said about their votes matters to history, but more important it will matter right now: Trump will hear what the Republicans said and know what he can get away with for the rest of his presidency, whether its for a year or five years. But I mildly disagree with my colleague about what Republicans should have done. Feldman argues, sensibly, that a little hypocrisy would be helpful here, and so the best speeches would simply pretend that Trump didnt do what he obviously did. The virtue of that approach would be that they wouldnt have to deal with the presidents arguments that abuse of power is not legitimate grounds for impeachment and removal. Unfortunately, the evidence of Trumps behavior as presented in the trial and the decision by those Republican senators to hear no new evidence made that approach untenable. The several Republicans who claimed Trump didnt do what he was accused of doing were in effect choosing him over their own lying eyes. No, the only responsible avenue available for Republican senators who wanted to acquit on the abuse of power article was more narrow, and only Maines Susan Collins came close to it. It was to say that Trump did it; what he did was wrong; abuse of power is certainly grounds for impeachment and removal; but and heres the catch it just didnt rise to the standard of high crimes and misdemeanors. This is the only justification for an acquit verdict that tells the president that even though the senators didnt vote to remove him, they still want him to know there are real limits to presidential behavior. Its the only explanation that defends the constitutional process for removing a president without using it right now. Story continues Collins basically said all that, but unfortunately cited the coming election as a further excuse, which tends to weaken the power of impeachment. On the whole, the Republican senators statements justifying their votes to acquit were all nonsense. We got to hear again from multiple senators about the pens House Speaker Nancy Pelosi handed out when signing the resolution sending impeachment to the Senate. We heard again that Representative Adam Schiff at one point paraphrased the presidents words and that the House took depositions in a basement room. Republicans repeatedly told us that impeachment was illegitimate because some Democrats have wanted to impeach the president for a long time, without mentioning that there were real grounds for impeachment during that time. That some Democrats were overly eager to impeach had nothing to do with whether these particular charges (and the presidents overall behavior) meant he should be removed from office. A handful of Republican senators, including Tennessees Lamar Alexander, at least acknowledged that Trumps behavior was far from perfect. Most did not. Some Republicans backed away from the Alan Dershowitz argument that impeachment for abuse of power cannot be legitimate. Most did not. And most of the Republicans who did leaned heavily on the claim that elections are the only way to remove a president. The impeachment power is weak, but it will be weaker in the wake of how Senate Republicans conducted this trial and how they explained themselves. Does anyone now doubt that Trump will be even more likely to ignore the law (contrary to Collinss hopes)? That puts the U.S. Constitution in grave jeopardy. In particular, it puts the integrity of the 2020 election in serious doubt. Even if nothing else happens, it will already tend to undermine the strength of U.S. democracy. Does anyone think Trump will hesitate to seek further foreign interference in the election? The good news? Mitt Romneys vote to convict, along with the united Democratic votes, means that it was more than strictly partisan. It at least hints that Trumps behavior could put his presidency in some danger. And, of course, nothing is stopping Susan Collins, Lamar Alexander and every other Republican senator from fighting back against whatever Trump does after the trial ends. They have done that occasionally up to this point not often enough and not effectively enough, but it has happened. Perhaps theyll find the ability to do that more often. Perhaps theyll even be inspired by the example of their partys 2012 presidential nominee. To contact the author of this story: Jonathan Bernstein at jbernstein62@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Katy Roberts at kroberts29@bloomberg.net This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering politics and policy. He taught political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio and DePauw University and wrote A Plain Blog About Politics. 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. Oleksandr Babikov, who had worked for Yanukovych, landed the job of SBI deputy director. Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Riaboshapka has said that even a "flood poses a threat" to the Maidan case, in response to the question of whether the appointment of Viktor Yanukovych's ex-lawyer as the first deputy head of the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) jeopardized the case. Riaboshapka said this after a meeting of the parliamentary committee on law enforcement, hromadske correspondent reports. It emerged on January 20 that Oleksandr Babikov, who had worked for Yanukovych, officially landed the job of the deputy director of the SBI. Information about the possible appointment of Babikov appeared earlier. Soon after, the public organization "Families of Heroes of the Heavenly Hundred" opposed the appointment of Babikov because of a conflict of interest. At the same time, in her earlier address, acting director of SBI Iryna Venediktova assured that there would be no conflict of interest, and criticism of Babikov's appointment was "manipulation." Riaboshapka himself evaded the question of whether there was a conflict of interest in Babikov's appointment at the agency currently investigating the Maidan case. Read alsoYanukovych's ex-lawyer appointed SBI's first deputy director "We should ask the person that appointed Babikov about the appointment of Babikov. The head appointed Babikov, and according to the law on corruption prevention, it is the head who determines whether there is a conflict of interest or not. Therefore [she] took some measures to avoid a conflict of interest," the prosecutor general said. Riaboshapka added that "as far as he heard", Venediktova had bumped Babikov from cases related to the Maidan events. "It depends on how the SBI investigators or our prosecutors behave. The case can even be endangered by floods, there might be a flood and cases might sink to the bottom," he summarized. As UNIAN reported, on January 20, a lawyer for victims in the Maidan violence case, Yevhenia Zakrevska, said that Babikov's appointment to the post of SBI first deputy director could lead to the collapse of criminal cases targeting the disgraced ex-president, Viktor Yanukovych. Young people make intensive use of digital networks to read, write and comment on literary texts. But their reading behavior varies considerably depending on whether the title is from the world of popular or classic literature, as revealed by a new study that takes the reading platform Wattpad as an example. This computer-aided analysis under the direction of the University of Basel was published in the journal PLOS ONE. Time and time again, people complain that young people no longer read enough - with the habit of deeper reading, in particular, becoming lost. But this overlooks the fact that young people not only read printed books, but also use several different forms of media to read and write literature. Many teenagers turn to networks such as Goodreads, BucherTreff and LovelyBooks in order to read literature, discuss it with other readers and even write their own literature. This is termed "social reading." The phenomenal scale of "social reading" is clear from the Wattpad platform, on which more than 80 million predominantly young people worldwide exchange some 100,000 stories in more than 50 languages every day. Fanfiction, in which fans write continuations of famous stories such as Harry Potter, is a particularly popular genre. Computer-aided analysis For the first time, a team of researchers from Switzerland and Italy have researched the use of the digital reading platform Wattpad in greater detail. Their research incorporated computer-aided techniques, such as network analysis and sentiment analysis, in order to detect patterns in reading behavior within the millions of datasets. Using statistical techniques, the researchers analyzed which books young people around the world read and comment on, and also write themselves on platforms such as Wattpad. The analysis looked at reading preferences, the emotionality and intensity of comments made about books, the networking between young readers and the potential educational impact. Passionate reading This revealed how intensively young people read not only youth literature - "teen fiction" - but also classic literature by, for example, Jane Austen or Hermann Hesse, commenting on individual sentences up to several hundred times and using the works as a model for stories of their own. It is also striking to see that the young readers are highly emotionally involved in this process. Nevertheless, there are clear differences depending on whether a text is classified as popular literature or belongs to the classical literary canon. For example, teen fiction is read and commented on much more frequently on Wattpad than classic works. The researchers also observed that readers often stop reading classic works after the first few chapters, whereas teen fiction manages to captivate readers over longer sections of the plot. Another aspect that varied by genre was the degree of interchange between users: readers of teen fiction formed networks with strong social bonds, with frequent interaction. Among readers of the classics, on the other hand, the researchers identified a more cognitively oriented style of interaction, in which users helped one another to understand and interpret the works. A new understanding of culture "For the first time, we're able to analyze reading behavior almost in real time," says study leader Professor Gerhard Lauer, from the Digital Humanities Lab at the University of Basel. "Social media is ushering in a revolution in our understanding of culture. Platforms such as Wattpad, Spotify and Netflix enable culture to be understood in a density and accuracy that goes way beyond previous approaches in the humanities and social sciences." ### The study was carried out by researchers from the University of Milano-Bicocca, Sogang University, the University of Verona and the University of Basel, with support from the Swiss National Science Foundation and the EU's research and innovation program Horizon 2020. Further information Prof. Dr. Gerhard Lauer, University of Basel, Digital Humanities Lab, Tel. +41 61 207 56 33, E-Mail: gerhard.lauer@unibas.ch Theres no place like home. Jim Harrison is certain of that. The mayor of Quinte West says he has been involved from the beginning with plans to repatriate 194 Canadians from China who were stranded for weeks at the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak. The flight is scheduled to refuel in Vancouver before heading to Canadian Forces Base Trenton, where it is expected to land early Friday. Harrison hopes that the comfort of being back in Canada will help the evacuees. Home is one beautiful place, he told the Star in a phone interview Thursday. He doesnt remember another quarantine happening at CFB Trenton, which is about a two-hour drive from Toronto. The base is well prepared, they have additional security (arranged). Every municipality in the area is working with the base to help them any way we can, Harrison said. All evacuees from Wuhan are expected to spend 14 days under quarantine on the military base. Harrison said hes not worried about an outbreak on the base. The Public Health Agency of Canada is looking after additional health resources, Harrison said, noting that the multiple sets of vigorous health screenings the evacuees have had to go through has given him confidence that no one landing at CFB Trenton is infected with the virus. A security fence has been added to the base so that the people in quarantine will have space to use if everything is well, Harrison said. The fencing serves another purpose: to keep curious onlookers away. Were putting everything in place to control the traffic around the base, Harrison said. This is not a zoo. These people are Canadians . . . They deserve to be treated with respect and dignity the same as any other Canadian. Every community organization has come together to prep for the arrival of the evacuees. One person floated the idea of a fireworks show, but they have ultimately passed on that, Harrison said. We may do . . . a cheering campaign at the end of the 14 days, but right now were trying to make sure people show respect. There will be no shortage of help on hand, said MP Neil Ellis (Bay of Quinte). Ellis explained that passengers will be processed through customs, much like a regular flight, once the plane lands in CFB Trenton. Then, the evacuees will be quarantined, as will the flight crew. Theyll go through extensive medical screening, and those who show any symptoms will be transported to local health facilities in the area. The safest place for them is on the airbase, Ellis said. On the base, the evacuees will have access to all daily necessities. Morale and welfare services have been arranged for them through the Canadian Red Cross, though its not yet clear what that entails. The group will be housed at the Yukon Lodge, a hotel used by the military that is located on the base. Minister of National Defence Harjit Sajjan told reporters Monday that six Armed Forces personnel, two doctors and four nurses would be on the flight to provide medical assistance as required, including health screening of the passengers before, during and at the conclusion of the flight. Trenton was chosen for its ability to accommodate large numbers of people within a short timeline, Sajjan explained. At this point, the evacuees are all healthy. Were hoping there are no problems, Ellis said. If there are, though, he says they have assistance lined up from all levels of government. This will not be the first time that CFB Trenton has opened its doors to civilians. In 1999, 5,000 refugees fleeing war in the Balkans entered Canada, with many of them landing in Trenton before continuing to their new homes. In 2015, the base prepped itself again: this time, to open its doors to Syrian refugees though they ultimately were housed in hotels near Torontos Pearson airport. This time the base is a quarantine zone, where the Canadians are set to wait out the incubation period of a deadly coronavirus that was first discovered in Wuhan, China. The municipalitys long-time mayor has no doubts that the team on the base will do everything that they can for the people arriving. The community is with them. Feb. 6, 2020 Update: This story has been updated from a previously published version with the latest information that 194 Canadians are flying back home, not 211 people as originally reported. A young girl has died from crystal meth poisoning after drinking water allegedly left out overnight in a water bottle her mother used as a bong. Sophia Larkson, 5, is understood to have drunk the tainted liquid allegedly left out by her unemployed mother Stephanie Alvarado. It is understood Sophia, from Rifle, Colorado had become thirsty in the middle of the night and consumed the water from a bottle her mother had been using as a pipe for crystal meth. Sophia Larkson, 5, (pictured) died from crystal meth poisoning after drinking water allegedly left out overnight in a water bottle her mother used as a bong Sophia Larkson, 5, is understood to have drank the tainted liquid allegedly left out by her unemployed mother Stephanie Alvarado Alvarado, 26, had lost her job at a dental office due to her drug use. On the night of her daughter's death on December 10, she and two cousins Daniel Alvarado, 27, and Bertha Karina Ceballos-Romo, 28, had been smoking the crystal meth at her house. Daughter Sofia went to bed at around 10.30pm before awaking in the night thirsty and came across the bottle containing about an inch of the toxic water. She immediately noticed the taste was wrong and spat some of it out, saying 'yucky'. Sophia began hallucinating but rather than seek medical help, Alvarado and the two other adults prayed and read her passages from the bible, court documents allege. One of the adults read a passage out of the Bible about 'taking a spirit out of a possessed boy,' the affidavit said. Stephanie Alvarado, 26, (pictured) didn't take her daughter to hospital straight away because she feared losing custody of her, it's claimed Alvarado also wrapped her daughter in a blanket and gave her milk, fearing reprisals if the emergency services were alerted. Her condition deteriorated and after losing consciousness, Sophia was taken to another apartment and given oxygen through a tube before they finally took her to Grand River Hospital, where she was pronounced dead in the early hours of December 11. Garfield County Coroner Robert Glassmire said the girl had 'very, very high' levels of methamphetamine in her blood. Alvarado, Ceballos-Romo and Alvarado were arrested and charged with child abuse resulting in death, possession of a controlled substance and reckless endangerment. Daniel Alvarado, 27, (left) and Bertha Karina Ceballos-Romo, 28, (right) were arrested alongside Sophia's mother and charged with child abuse resulting in death, possession of a controlled substance and reckless endangerment Officers found plastic bags full of white powder and pipes and bongs, as well as drug residue on a dollar bill during a search of Alvarado's home. Sophia's devastated father Alec Larson, who shares custody of the child, told Fox 31: 'I miss her every second, every day.' He lamented the fact that Alvarado failed to take their daughter to hospital straight away, saying: 'If they would have taken her when they saw my daughter drank that, she may have been a little slow and not right in the head - but my daughter would still be here with me today.' Tonight, Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren reminded us why they are both still in the top tier of the primary race, despite the early reports of their disappointing finishes in the Iowa caucuses. And more importantly, they showed us that a President can have a soul. They showed heart and humanity. And they showed that the challenges people are facing in this country impact them personally. Not with lengthy point by point policy proposals -- there is a time for those as well. But with raw emotion. Joe Biden had one of his best moments on the campaign trail to date when a young man with a stutter asked him how he overcame his own. In response he talked about how he dealt with stuttering growing up, from the influence of his fierce mother to practicing with a flashlight in the front of the mirror. He delivered a powerful message about how to treat people. "(Mocking) things that people cannot control, is not right. No one has a right ... to mock it and make fun of it." Quite a contrast to the current occupant of the Oval Office. This was the Joe Biden who was often running late for events when he was Vice President because he spent so much time shaking hands backstage with local employees and taking an extra question from the kid on the photo line. This was the Joe Biden with a huge heart and deep empathy for people and the struggles they have gone through, who has remained appealing to a large swath of the electorate despite uneven debate performances. We saw a hint of someone who felt like he had nothing to lose -- and he doesn't. For Elizabeth Warren, the reminder of her humanity came during a question about immigration and the border that led her to get visibly choked up. She recounted her own visit to a DHS detention facility where she saw kids and nursing moms fenced powerlessly in enclosures. "We cannot be a nation that treats people who come to us -- people who are desperate, people who are afraid for their lives -- and treats them with anything other than humanity." She was shaken by it. And she was at her best. This was the Elizabeth Warren who tirelessly answers questions at town halls about topics ranging from climate change to Iran policy and then spends hours on selfie lines doing pinky swears with little girls. Running for President is exhausting, relentless and even harder when you don't win. So for the candidates to get themselves up and ready for an hour-long televised town hall after having a disappointing performance in Iowa, nevermind a couple of days on the campaign trail in New Hampshire and a trip back to Washington for Senator Warren, was not easy. Don't get me wrong. The town hall performances probably won't move their poll numbers. They both have uphill climbs. For Biden, he needs to stay ahead of Pete Buttigieg in New Hampshire or Nevada, and he needs to pull off a convincing win in South Carolina. Without all of the above, he won't be raising enough money to compete. And he needs to show he has the stamina and can generate the enthusiasm needed for the long haul. For Warren, she needs to beat Bernie Sanders somewhere, whether it is New Hampshire or Nevada. She needs to convince more voters that she is not just a better version of Bernie, but she is capable of appealing to moderate voters in a way that he is not. Democrats are not going to beat Donald Trump by outmaneuvering him at his own game of anger, distortion and pathological lying. But the raw emotional reaction to the deep challenges facing so many people in this country that Vice President Biden and Senator Warren showed tonight -- and that Mayor Pete Buttigieg has shown when he talks about his own struggle to feel accepted -- is what people connect with and ultimately what will help Democrats win in November. Uzbekistan has evacuated 251 people from China amid the coronavirus outbreak and quarantined them on arrival in Tashkent, the Central Asian nation's state airline said on Thursday. Uzbekistan Airways said in a statement that the flight, its third this week, was the final one aimed at repatriating Uzbek citizens. Former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said on Thursday that the incident of lynching in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district showed that people were not happy with the state police's functioning. Three persons, including a village sarpanch, were arrested on Thursday for allegedly being part of a mob that killed a man on suspicion of being child-lifters. Ganesh Patel (35) was lynched and six of his friends were injured on Wednesday at Baroli village, 60 km from Dhar. The villagers apparently believed they were part of a gang which abducted children. Speaking to reporters in Indore, Mahajan said the incident showed the people were not happy with the police in the Congress-ruled state. "We have to ponder why our society is losing cool over petty issues and indulging in violence. Common people are dissatisfied with the police," the former Indore MP said. "This tendency of mob violence is increasing, and it is obviously not a good thing. We have to remain human," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bernie Sanders has by far the best chance of any candidate to be the Democratic Partys nominee for president, according to the Nate Silver model. Moreover, the odds that Sanders wins that prize outright are twice as good as the odds for a brokered convention in Milwaukee, in Silvers view. Sanders has a better chance than anyone else to win the Nevada caucuses, according to Silvers site, FiveThirtyEight, and a better chance than Joe Biden to win the South Carolina primary. California? Sanders. Texas? Sanders. North Carolina? Sanders. Virginia? Sanders. Massachusetts? Sanders. Minnesota? Sanders. Colorado, Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Utah, Maine, Vermont, Michigan, Washington, Missouri, Mississippi, Idaho, North Dakota, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Hawaii, Alaska, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island? Ibid. At the moment, Silver gives Sanders a 44 percent chance of winning Delaware, against 40 percent for Biden. Could Silver be wrong? Of course. Could Sanders slip? Certainly. Could Biden regain his momentum? It could happen. Could voters take a second look at Mike Bloomberg (whom Silver gives less than a 1 percent shot at winning the nomination)? Sure. But at the moment there is little doubt that Bernie Sanders is your Democratic Party frontrunner. When I wrote the words, Joe Biden is done last March, I was wrong. He wasnt done. I badly misread the temperature of the media, which I thought was at a fever pitch for a far-left candidate. But what weve seen in the coverage is this: The media think like a standard Democratic Party voter, not like a clamorous activist. Despite their woke gesturing, the thing they really want is not to upend the health-insurance system, much less capitalism or white privilege. They simply want any Democrat who can defeat Donald Trump. Biden actually suits them fine. I thought the media would tear apart Biden, but they didnt. You have to marvel at the delicacy with which they tiptoed around the fact that the influence-peddling actions of Bidens own son in Ukraine provided the predicate for the phone call that led to the impeachment of Donald Trump. Story continues Alas, people noticed anyway that the Bidens as a family were the clear and obvious beneficiaries of corruption, because, folks, thats what it is when a foreign company gives a large paycheck to the son of a sitting vice president for no other reason than that he is the son of a sitting vice president. The ex-veep implicitly acknowledged that it was wrong for him to allow Hunter to take the no-show job with Burisma when he promised he wouldnt allow such a thing to happen should he regain a job in the White House. Yet Biden still has no satisfying response on the (exceedingly rare) occasions when a reporter gently inquires about the Burisma debacle, because how could he? For the same reason, Hillary Clinton had no satisfying response on the matter of having caused classified information to be removed from official channels and having deleted thousands of emails that might have been required to be produced to the public. Biden and Clinton both did wrong and everyone knows it. So I was wrong to say the media would destroy Biden; such destruction as has occurred was brought about by Biden himself, for allowing his son (and other family members) to cash in on his public-official status and also for coming across as a befuddled nincompoop in his increasingly dicey public appearances. Bernie Sanders, on the other hand, is not corrupt. (Writing a bestselling book, not influence peddling, is how Sanders got rich.) Hes not incoherent. His message is now and always has been perfectly clear and consistent. Sanders wants to turn the U.S. into 1970 Sweden. Thirty or so percent of Democratic primary voters agree. That could be enough to power him to the nomination. What does this mean for the rest of us? Bernie could win, say some of my colleagues, envisioning Sanders in the Oval Office. I disagree. Bernie cannot win. Bernie will not win. If Bernie Sanders is the choice of my country to be president, I do not know my country. The agitational wing of one party may want the things Bernie wants, but the country doesnt. The country doesnt want its private health insurance to be made illegal. The country doesnt want rich kids to see their college debts canceled, or to pick up the tab for their four-year frolics on leafy campuses. The country likes capitalism, albeit in a grumbly sort of way, and mostly admires rather than despises our most successful citizens. Economic confidence hasnt been this high in many years. Unemployment hasnt been this low in many years. Large numbers of Americans may find Trumps personality irritating, bordering on rebarbative, but the Democrats are mistaken if they think that means Americans want federal policy turned inside out. Moreover, when it comes to personality, Sanders is . . . irritating, bordering on rebarbative. Barack Obama was able to infuse his core followers with a near-religious level of devotion while striking moderates as a gentle incrementalist. Sanders cant pull off the latter trick and based on his history to this point, he wont even try. For the Democratic Party to pick him would be to load a revolver and aim it at its own head. I say fire away. More from National Review SANTA ANA, Calif., Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Judicate West, one of Californias leading providers of private dispute resolution services, welcomes recently retired U.S. District Judge Andrew J. Guilford to its roster of neutrals. Judge Guilford will be based in the Santa Ana office and is available for mediations, arbitrations and private judging assignments nationwide. Andy Guilford has built an incredible resume over the course of his career. He has done so much during his more than 45 years in the legal arena, especially in the Orange County community, that if there were an Orange County legal hall of fame, hed be a first ballot certainty. He has been a leader and a difference maker in all he does, and to say we are excited to have him on the Judicate West team would be an understatement, said Alan Brutman, President of Judicate West. With nearly 14 years on the bench, which followed more than 31 years as a trial lawyer, Judge Guilford has overseen numerous jury and bench trials involving many areas such as intellectual property, securities, unfair competition, finance and professional liability. As a judge, he has been very involved with many class actions and multidistrict litigation matters. Following U.S. Senate confirmation, Judge Guilford was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California in 2006 where he served by designation with the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. He also served as a Patent Pilot Program Judge and on the Multidistrict Litigation Panel. Additionally, Judge Guilford served on the Ninth Circuit Jury Instructions Committee. Before his appointment, he served as an arbitrator and Judge Pro Tempore for the Orange County Superior Court. Active in his professional community, Judge Guilford currently serves on the board of directors for the Federal Bar Association, and from 2011 to 2017, he served on the Committee on Codes of Conduct of the U.S. Judicial Council. He served as president of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL) of Orange County from 2000-2001 and the Orange County Bar Association in 1991. With a strong dedication to pro bono service, Judge Guilford served on the State Bar Commission on Access to Justice from 2008-2013 and as president of the Public Law Center from 2004-2006. In a testament to his early trial activity, in 1992, at the age of 42, he was one of the youngest to be elected to the American College of Trial Lawyers. Judge Guilford has received numerous awards during his judicial career, including the Orange County Bar Associations Franklin G. West Awardthe organizations highest honor, presented to outstanding attorneys and judges whose lifetime achievements have advanced justice and law. He has also been recognized on the Daily Journals Top 100 Attorneys list five times, and he was honored as the Business Litigation Trial Lawyer of the Year by the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association. Additionally, Judge Guilford has received the Distinguished Public Service Award in 2016 from the Los Angeles Intellectual Property Law Association (LAIPLA) for his service to the local IP community. In 2018, he was presented with the Professionalism Award by the American Inns of Court in a ceremony at the U.S. Supreme Court. During law school, Judge Guilford externed for the Hon. Lester Roth of the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District, and he served as an associate editor for the UCLA Law Review. He received both his J.D. (1975) and his A.B. (1972), summa cum laude, from the University of California, Los Angeles. About Judicate West Judicate West is one of Californias leading providers of private dispute resolution services with a distinguished roster of proven neutrals, including retired state and federal court judges plus attorney mediators and arbitrators from a wide variety of practice areas. Founded in 1993, the firm prides itself on maintaining the utmost integrity in delivering innovative solutions to all types of civil disputes. The firms successful formula involves top-tier neutrals, a great company culture and an experienced team of ADR professionals dedicated to delivering gold standard service in alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Judicate West has offices in Santa Ana, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco. She is a top model, businesswoman, activist and philanthropist. And on Wednesday night, Iman was feted at the annual amfAR New York Gala which heralds the start of New York Fashion Week. The 64-year-old Somali-born beauty looked sensational in a figure-hugging full-length black dress. In the spotlight: Model, businesswoman, activist and philanthropist Iman was feted at the amfAR New York Gala which heralds the start of New York Fashion Week on Wednesday night The outfit had white lapels along the v-neckline and white cuffs at the end of its long sleeves. Iman whore her chin-length bob sleekly styled and accessorized with statement pendant earrings. Her makeup included smokey eye-shadow and glossy lip color. Stylish: The 64-year-old Somali-born beauty looked sensational in a full-length black dress that had white lapels along the v-neckline and white cuffs at the end of its long sleeves Natural beauty: Iman whore her chin-length bob sleekly styled and accessorized with statement pendant earrings. Her makeup included smokey eye-shadow and glossy lip color Each year, the amfAR Gala New York honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS. The black-tie event included dinner, auction, musical performances and a special tribute to Iman. She was presented with her award by editor-in-chief of British Vogue Edward Enninful. Honored: Iman received her amfAR award from editor-in-chief of British Vogue Edward Enninful Sad time of year: Just a few weeks ago, Iman poignantly marked what would have been her late husband David Bowie's 73rd birthday followed by the fourth anniversary of his death Just a few weeks ago, Iman poignantly marked what would have been her late husband David Bowie's 73rd birthday followed by the fourth anniversary of his death. Bowie passed away from liver cancer on January 10, 2016, just two days after turning 69. The couple had been married for 24 years and had a daughter Lexi, now 18. 'Sometimes, I dont want people to know how sad I am,' she said in an interview with Net-A-Porter. 'People say to me, Oh, youre so strong..... Im not strong I am just trying to keep it together.' Vi: Indian telecom giant Vodafone Idea rebrands itself, all you need to know Vodafone Idea to drop brand 'Idea' from postpaid services India pti-PTI New Delhi, Feb 06: Telecom operator Vodafone Idea will drop brand name "Idea" from its postpaid services, according to an announcement made by the company on Thursday. The company's prepaid customers will, however, continue to get services under both Vodafone and Idea brands. "Vodafone RED postpaid plans will be available to customers from all stores and digital channels of both Vodafone and Idea brands. "While all new postpaid customers will be on-boarded directly to Vodafone RED plans as per their usage and preference, all existing customers of Idea Nirvana, the postpaid offering under the Idea brand, will be migrated to similar Vodafone RED plans," the company said in a statement. Vodafone India and Idea Cellular merged their mobile businesses in August 2018 to create Vodafone Idea Ltd. Both the brands are synchronising their entire business. The move to migrate postpaid customers to Vodafone Red is a part of the company's synergy plan. "Beginning with Mumbai, this initiative will be rolled out in a phased manner to cover all circles over the next few months," the statement said. The change is applicable to enterprise Idea postpaid customers as well. "Prepaid products will continue to be offered under both Vodafone and Idea brands nationally across all circles via respective retail and digital channels enabling customers to enjoy a rich portfolio of services and benefits under their preferred brand," the statement said. Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/06/2020 -- Dental burs are the modern dental tool that helps in maintaining the shapes of teeth. It is tiny drilling equipment that is used on cutting hard tissues such as bones and teeth. These are used by a wide number of people so that they can keep the teeth in proper shape. There is a large number of burs available in the market in various types and shapes. The growing awareness regarding dental aesthetics for all groups of people is one of the major factors that is conducting the market. Advance Market Analytics released a new market study on Global Dental Burs 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 Dental Burs Forecast till 2025*. Some are the key players taken under coverage for this study are Tri Hawk inc. (Canada), Komet (Germany), MANI, INC (Japan), 3M (United States), Kerr Dental (United States), Prima Dental Group (United Kingdom), Brasseler USA (United States), Zimmer Biomet (United States), BSN Medical (Germany) and Dentsply Sirona (United States). Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/23914-global-dental-burs-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 the report "Tri Hawk inc. (Canada), Komet (Germany), MANI, INC (Japan), 3M (United States), Kerr Dental (United States), Prima Dental Group (United Kingdom), Brasseler USA (United States), Zimmer Biomet (United States), BSN Medical (Germany) and Dentsply Sirona (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/23914-global-dental-burs-market Market Trend - Adoption of Latest Technologies, Dentistry Techniques, and Cutting-Edge Research Market Drivers - The Rising Dental Problems such as Dental Aesthetics is Driving the Industry - Increasing Awareness Among the People to Maintain their Teeth Shape Opportunities - The Growing Number of Dental Schools and Dentists in Developed Countries is one of the Critical Reasons - Increase Awareness of dental health is encouraging the adoption of equipment such as dental burs Restraints - Lack of Skilled Dental Professional in Developing Regions - High Cost Associated with these Burs Challenges - Numbers of Difficulties Faced by the People who Used Burs in their Daily life To comprehend Global Dental Burs market dynamics in the world mainly, the worldwide Dental Burs 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/23914-global-dental-burs-market 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 Dental Burs, by Market Segmentation and Geography (value, volume**) (2013-2018) ------ USD1400 Global Dental Burs By Type: Long Straight Shank (HP), Latch-type Shank (RA), Friction Grip Shank (FG) By Application: Surgical, Orthodontic, Laboratory, Other By Material Type: Diamond Burs, Carbide Burs, Stainless Steel Burs Global Dental Burs 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 Dental Burs - 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 Dental Burs, 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. About AMA 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. One of the most-sought-after tourist destinations in Asia, God's Own Country Kerala has been hit by the coronavirus scare just when it was on the recovery path after the Nipah outbreak and back-to-back flood havoc of the past three years. IMAGE: Medical staff dispose garbage outside an isolation ward for coronavirus at a hospital in Kochi. India has so far reported three cases of the novel coronavirus, all of them from Kerala. Photograph: PTI Photo. Kerala's serene beaches, tranquil stretches of backwaters, lush hill stations and exotic wildlife offer an enchanting experience to travellers worldwide, and the tourism industry is a major contributor to the state's economy. The industry was gearing up to beckon more visitors to showcase its unexplored inland locales, trekking trails and new romantic destinations in 2020, when it suffered the latest setback with all three positive cases of coronavirus in India being reported from the state, triggering "mass cancellations" of bookings. The Nipah outbreak of 2018-19, two consecutive monsoon floods in 2018 -- the worst in a century -- and last year had hit the state's tourism sector hard and it was slowly on the path of revival with new products before the novel coronavirus came as a bolt from the blue. Three medical students from the state studying in Wuhan university in China, have tested positive for the infection, and 2,528 people have been put under home quarantine. Ninety-three people are in isolation wards in various hospitals, according to the latest figures. Key players in the field have claimed that mass cancellations of hotel bookings and tour packages have already begun across the state. After the Kerala government declared the coronavirus outbreak as a 'state calamity', as the three positive cases were detected from Thrissur, Alapuzha and Kasaragod, tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran admitted that the sector had suffered a hit. The sector had aggressively launched promotional advertisements in the domestic and international markets after the floods to revive the sector. However, all the efforts took a beating, with mass cancellations of hotel bookings after the outbreak of the infection in the state was reported. According to tourism department sources, during the 2019 calendar year it was projected that there would be an 18 per cent growth in the domestic and 8 per cent growth in foreign tourist arrivals. In the first nine months of 2019 (January to September), domestic visitors to the southern state touched 16.48 per cent against 4.8 per cent in foreign tourist arrivals. The peak season for foreign tourists is from November-February while for the domestic guests it is during April-May, August-September (Onam festival) and December-January. Noted travel and tourism entrepreneur E M Najeeb said tour programmes and packages are being cancelled widely from the state. Declaration of the epidemic as a 'state calamity' by the government would adversely impact the economic situation in the state, he said. "We completely appreciate the steps taken by the government to protect the infected persons, create awareness among the public and tackle the situation. But, as far as tourism industry is concerned, such measures will scare the people. Not only tourism but all the business activities of the state will be affected," Najeeb, also senior vice president, Indian Association of Tour Operators, told PTI. While Najeeb said "over-reaction" would not augur well for the state, Jose Dominic, a key player in the hospitality industry, felt there are cancellations of hotel bookings but not as much as was being projected by the media. Dominic said he personally felt that the state's reputation of having a robust healthcare system would help in such situations. "We cannot say that there is no cancellation of hotel bookings. There are 15-20 per cent cancellations after the reporting of the coronavirus cases. But there are bookings also," he told PTI. Though people were worried about the development, the state generally has a reputation that the safest place to be in India, especially during the time of a health calamity, is Kerala, he said. "We have a reputation that we will put travellers' health first before commercial interest," Dominic, CEO of Kochi-based CGH Earth, added. Meanwhile, a senior official of the state tourism department said the exact number of cancellations were not yet available, but he agreed that the repeated instances of flood and other epidemics were affecting the industry. "As of now, the exact numbers are not available. But industry sources told us that many hotel bookings, including that of KTDC (Kerala Tourism Development Corporation) have been cancelled," he told PTI. The help desks of Kerala Tourism at various centres were receiving several enquiries from people wanting to know the situation in the state, he said. "As of now, the situation in Kerala is under control. There is no need to worry. But still people are worried and some have cancelled their bookings," the official said. However, Praveen Muraleedharan, who runs a couple of resorts in the state, said uncertainty was looming over the industry due to the virus scare. "We are getting lots of cancellations. Many confirmed hotel bookings, events, conferences have got cancelled. The industry is extremely worried about the business. There is an uncertainty looming over the industry. We don't know from when we can start taking bookings," he said. Muraleedharan said the industry was also affected by the hartals or strikes even as the government had claimed that the protests will not affect the tourism sector. "Earlier, hartals used to affect our industry. Even now, the situation is not different. Sabarimala protests, two consecutive floods and landslides in Wayanad, Nipah, anti-CAA protests and now this coronavirus. All are directly affecting the tourism industry. Inflow of inbound tourist and the domestic tourism movement are affected," he said. According to T K Manzoor, managing director of the Bekal Resorts Development Corporation, despite the floods and Nipha, they had recorded a remarkable increase in tourist arrivals. There is 40 per cent growth in foreign tourist arrivals in 2019 (upto September) in North Kerala districts of Kasaragod and Kannur, he said. "We hope to manage the present catastrophic situation due to the coronavirus. In the coming fiscal, Malabar Tourism is expected to record an uptrend though more efforts have to be put in," he said. Kerala Tourism, which attracts international and domestic tourists, plays a significant role in the economy of the state by contributing over 10 per cent of the GSDP and providing employment to over 1.5 million people in the state. The Senates ethics committee has done the right thing by recommending that Sen. Lynn Beyak be suspended once more from the Upper House. Its now up to the full Senate to carry through and make sure Beyak is ejected from the red chamber. They should do so without delay. Those who have followed the saga of the Independent senator from Ontario over the past three years may be a tad confused at this point. Didnt the Senate already suspend Beyak without pay? Indeed it did. But that was last year, after she refused to remove racist letters about Indigenous people from her website and apologize for posting them. She had already been kicked out of the Conservative caucus, and the Senate voted to suspend her for the rest of the legislative session. That came to an end with last falls election, and Beyak returned to the chamber when Parliament went back to work. Now the ethics committee has ruled that she failed to meet the terms imposed to resume her position in good standing. The committee ordered her to attend anti-racism training, but it found that she didnt take it seriously and didnt offer a sincere apology for papering her website with letters running down Indigenous people and arguing they should be grateful for residential schools. It gets worse. The people organizing the Indigenous cultural competency training that Beyak attended last fall told the Senate ethics officer that the disgraced senator actually claimed out of the blue to be Metis something she had never before mentioned publicly. Apparently, according to that account, Beyak explained that her Metis identity resulted from her familys adoption of an Indigenous child (her adopted sister). This bizarre claim, quite naturally, appalled actual Metis people. The vice-president of the Metis National Council called it insulting and shameful and demanded an apology from the senator. Beyak herself blamed it all on the media, and denied the whole thing. I am not now, never was, and never will be Metis, she said on Wednesday. I have never claimed to be Metis at any time, in any way, to any one, in my life. Who to believe? Beyak at this point has so little credibility that anything seems possible from her. In the end, though, it doesnt matter. Whether or not she claims to be Metis, shes shown no awareness of the damage she has done by using her official position to promote and facilitate claims that can only be considered racist. At a time when Canada is trying to tread the path of reconciliation, she embarked on a campaign to rehabilitate the legacy of the residential schools system. And she used her official Senate website to promote views that smear Indigenous people in the most vile way. Given an opportunity to apologize fully and turn the page, Beyak conspicuously failed to take it. She was given a second chance and she booted it. She wont listen to anyone and refuses to learn any lessons from this sorry episode. The Senate has never expelled a member in its history, and it can do that only for very specific reasons, such as failing to show up for work at all. It appears it doesnt have the power to throw someone out simply because her behaviour is disgraceful. The most it can do is suspend a senator, without pay, for the duration of a legislative session. The full Senate should take up the ethics committees recommendation and move to do that in Beyaks case as quickly as possible. Once she realizes she is excluded from the chamber indefinitely and is a senator in name only, its possible she may do the decent thing and resign. Given her track record so far, though, we wont be holding our breath. Companies in the resource-rich Middle East region are on track to offer more tech-oriented jobs in the coming years in a sign that government-led initiatives are boosting the adoption of emerging technologies. The UAE, one of the largest economies in the region, has been at the forefront of this transformation. According to a recent Linkedin report, 11 of the 15 top emerging jobs in the country are within the technology field. The role of data scientist is set to be most in demand in the tech field, followed by digital marketing specialist, and cybersecurity specialist, among others. Ali Matar, the head of Linkedins MENA and EMEA Emerging Markets, said in an emailed statement that the findings of the report reflected the successful efforts of the UAE to move its workforce towards digitization and AI. The Gulf hub has set several digital transformation goals under its Smart Dubai 2021 program. Since 2016, the government has launched a number of strategies to spur exploration and adoption of blockchain and AI in the public and private sectors. Tech sparks job displacement The broader region has been going through major job displacement as technologies like artificial Intelligence, automation, and robotics reach maturity. Meanwhile around the world, 1 billion jobs, or almost one-third of all jobs worldwide, are likely to be transformed by technology in the next decade, according to the World Economic Forum. The Middle East is a region with a very diverse economy, comprising rich oil-producing countries, middle-income states, and underdeveloped countries the technical automation potential varies across these countries and different industries, said Chetan Choudhury, an advisor at the Prime Ministers Office, Dubai. One thing that is common among most countries in the region is the role played by governments in creating jobs. According to the International Monetary Fund, about five million workers are entering the Middle East job market annually. Both the government and the workers need to prepare themselves for the challenges and adapt themselves according to the demand of emerging technologies, Chaudhary said, adding that workers will need to develop the right skillsets. Some governments have stepped up their efforts to equip their workforce with the required technical skills. Last year, Microsoft said it would open an AI Centre of Excellence for Energy in the UAE a global first for the company to help organizations in the industry accelerate digital transformation, equipping the workforce with AI skills, and address sustainability and safety challenges. Training is key for new careers This came after Bahrains largest public university announced a tie-up with Amazon Web Services to offer a one-year cloud computing course and a four-year bachelors degree. With the program, the institution said it expected to equip students with skills and hands-on experiences to prepare for careers including cloud architecture, cybersecurity, software development and devops development and operations, the automated collaboration between IT staff and software developers. The initiatives are aimed at addressing a widening skills gap exposed by the fast-changing technological landscape. The World Economic Forum estimates that in contrast to 2015, 21 percent of core skills required across all occupations will be different in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries alone by the end of 2020. By 2025, this shift in required skills could result in as much as 945,000 additional full-time equivalent jobs across the MENA region. Globally, blockchain topped Linkedins list of most in-demand hard skills for this year. The list also includes cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and analytical reasoning. While the soft skills valued by companies tend to change gradually, the most sought-after hard skills evolve lickety-split, pushed largely by the relentless transformation of modern technology, the company said in a statement. Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes released data this week showing how Californias SB54 sanctuary law allowed for over 2,000 illegal immigrants with outstanding ICE detainers to be released from custody over the last two years, with 411 of those later rearrested for additional charges. Barness data drew praise from acting ICE Director Matthew Albence, who released a statement Wednesday saying that this is exactly what ICE has said time and again. These policies do nothing but ensure that criminals are released back into the community, where many re-offend, instead of being turned over to ICE, Albence said. These are preventable crimes, and more importantly, preventable victims. As the data released by Sheriff Barnes clearly demonstrates, all communities are safer when local law enforcement works with ICE. Californias SB 54 restricts law enforcement from notifying, transferring, and communicating with ICE regarding certain offenders. The Trump administration has petitioned the Supreme Court to strike down the statute Barness data shows that in 2019, 1,015 illegal immigrants were released from Orange County Jail with outstanding ICE detainers, with 238 of those over 23 percent later rearrested on additional charges. In 2018, a total of 1,106 inmates were released without notification given to ICE, and 173 of those ended up being rearrested by local law enforcement. Barnes said the data proved that SB 54 has made our community less safe and that the two-year social science experiment with sanctuary laws must end. He also slammed the policy as leaving police unable to protect our immigrant community. The law has resulted in new crimes because my deputies were unable to communicate with their federal partners about individuals who committed serious offenses and present a threat to our community if released, he said. More from National Review 2k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Republican Senator Mitt Romney is the punching bag through which President Trump is conveying his mob-like message that anyone who dares to cross him by cooperating with investigations or voting in accordance with their oath to the United States will be dragged, pummeled, and relentlessly attacked from all sides until they learn their lesson that Donald Trump is King. So the brutalization of Romney is also about telegraphing what awaits Republicans who express any such misgivings, Greg Sargent concluded at the end of an opinion piece in the Washington Post, in which he included quotes from former CIA official and NSC Spokesperson Ned Price about the possible reasons the Trump White House appears to be directing the NSA to withhold information from Congress. Price is referring to the Democratic Rep. Adam Schiffs suggestion that the NSA and possibly the CIA withheld evidence pertinent to Trump and Ukraine from the House, and that Schiff believes the information was withheld on direction from the White House. So, two things: Why would this information be withheld, and what does it mean if Donald Trump now has the power to order our intelligence community to refuse to share pertinent information about our national security and election security with Congress, which is a violation of its statutory obligation. WHY: Price told Sargent one plausible scenario is that this information comprised intercepted conversations among Ukrainian officials about Trumps shakedown. If the Ukrainians felt pressured to announce a bogus investigation into Biden, Price explained, that would demonstrate that they understood a direct link between the two. Sargent continues with Prices observation that it is likely the White House counsel who directed the NSA not to comply: This would have been very pertinent information, Price told me. Price noted its likely the White House counsel who led Trumps impeachment defense could have instructed NSA officials not to cooperate with House demands. By law, the NSA is required to provide pertinent information to congressional overseers, Price told me. Blocking that would require a deliberate intervention from the White House. Ned Price is the person who quit the CIA in 2017, writing Despite working proudly for Republican and Democratic presidents, I reluctantly concluded that I cannot in good faith serve this administration as an intelligence professional. WHAT IT MEANS: Not only did the House not have all of the information about Trumps Ukraine extortion plot, but more broadly, this would be a huge power grab and attempt to undermine the few foundations of our democracy that have clung to reality as Trump gaslit the nation. Price warned in 2017 that the Trump administration has little need for intelligence professionals who, in speaking truth to power, might challenge the America First orthodoxy that sees Russia as an ally and Australia as a punching bag. Thats why the presidents trusted White House advisers, not career professionals, reportedly have final say over what intelligence reaches his desk. Price explained then that intelligence is supposed to inform policy, that is how it always worked in the past. Intelligence informing policy this is how the system is supposed to work. I saw that up close for the past three years at the White House, where I worked on loan from the CIA until last month. The details are unclear for a variety of reasons, but when respected officials are warning that our intelligence community has been or is being poisoned by Trumpism, it deserves all attention. (Price worked for both Democrats and Republicans, but did donate to Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Adam Schiff is the Chair of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, a Democrat with a history of backing his claims up with facts.) The intelligence community, the free press, and a Democratic-led House have been the only institutions upholding reality and the rule of law under Trump. Without the intelligence community, we are left only to the limited powers of the House and the rather easily dismissed reporting of investigative journalists in the age of Fake News. Trump has managed to undermine all tenets of reality and truth-telling, in order to fashion a staged atmosphere that centers around his conspiracy beliefs and refusal to concede to reality, let alone his complete disregard for what has always made the United States great. The Trump cult fever is reaching an all time high, infecting every part of our institutions. Only time will tell if they will hold under such pressure, but make no mistake, Donald Trump is attacking the fundamental buttresses of our democracy. Growing numbers of Irish people enduring lockdown conditions in coronavirus-hit China are frustrated at what they believe is poor communication and support from the Department of Foreign Affairs, it emerged yesterday. In Wuhan in Hubei province, the epicentre of the virus, food and medicine shortages are a growing concern. Meanwhile, Greg McDonough, a native of Listowel in Co Kerry, who lives in the neighbouring Anhui province, said the Department of Foreign Affairs is providing them with little information other than to "check our website". The department's website earlier this week asked Irish people still in China to consider leaving, and to go to a travel agent if their presence was not essential, due to the coronavirus threat. However, Mr McDonough, who is mostly confined to his home with his wife Wang Xuan and son Joseph (2), said a large Irish group in China who are in contact through WhatsApp want the Irish Embassy to do more. "Restrictions are getting worse. Only one person a day from a house is allowed out to go to a supermarket," he said. Expand Close The Diamond Princess has been quarantined. Photo: @daxa_tw/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Diamond Princess has been quarantined. Photo: @daxa_tw/PA Wire "The website recommended going to a travel agency, but that is unrealistic because of the lockdown." He said a key concern for Irish people with Chinese partners is that they be allowed to travel with them should they decide to leave China. "They do not want to leave them behind. The embassy needs to secure an agreement with Chinese authorities to permit them to travel," he said. They also want the Irish officials to plan for repatriation if the situation deteriorates and if a plane was sent to Shanghai, it might be possible for Irish people in neighbouring provinces to travel there. Uncertain Mr McDonough said the roads out of the town where he is are currently blocked off. The Chinese Spring Festival was extended for a second week and the hope is that the roads will reopen on Monday. However, the future continues to remain deeply uncertain, as deaths from the virus near 500 in China with no sign of slowdown in its spread. A Foreign Affairs spokesman in Dublin said its embassy has been liaising with other countries on options for supporting Irish citizens in China. It is in contact with remaining Irish people in China. Separately, two Irish passengers who were on a luxury cruise face two weeks of quarantine and confinement to their cabins after an outbreak of the coronavirus on board. They are among thousands of passengers who have been ordered to stay in their cabins aboard the Diamond Princess, docked off Japan, after 10 people tested positive for coronavirus. The virus, which has infected more than 24,300 globally, continues to cause major disruption and havoc across the world. Meanwhile, another patient suspected of having the virus was placed in isolation in University Hospital Kerry yesterday. The person - understood to be a woman who may have been in contact with people who travelled to China recently - presented at the hospital with respiratory problems. As a precautionary measure, the woman was immediately placed in isolation. The Department of Health yesterday declined to say if she was cleared of risk, but said that nobody in Ireland had tested positive for the virus. China's Juneyao Airlines has opted to postpone the March 29 launch of its service from Dublin to Shanghai amid the ongoing concerns over the virus. The route - announced in late November - was a major coup for Dublin Airport following the decision by Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines to axe its six-month-old route to Shenzhen last August, and put its Dublin-Beijing service on ice until this year. When it comes to this style of music, sometimes I feel like Im the only one left, said Trippie Redd, the rappers voice pitching down to an almost hushed tone as he discusses a weighty subject. The oft-emotional emcee, who got his start on SoundCloud and makes emo-toasting hip-hop, is only 20 years old, but with a trio of the most notable peers in his genre having passed away in recent years Lil Peep, XXXTentacion and most recently, Chicago native Juice WRLD he feels lately as if hes guarding the legacy of an entire genre. Bollywood star Emraan Hashmi says he can never conform to set notions of how a Bollywood hero should be though he tries to strike a balance for his viewers. The actor said his audience is divided in two segments, one that want him to experiment more and the others who love him in his comfort zone. Hashmi, who has featured popular films like the "Murder" and "Jannat" franchise, "Once Upon a Time in Mumbai" and later appeared in edgy movies such as "Shanghai", and "Ghanchakkar", said it is a struggle to do the balancing act. "It is a struggle to balance the audience. They always want to see you in a particular thing and then when you step out of that, a lot of people get upset about it. This is very true to our audience, not international audience," Emraan told PTI. The actor said there are some "set notions" of what a leading man should or shouldn't do in India. "In the end of 'Ghanchakkar' when I am getting beaten up, the audience was angry, a lot of distributors said why are you doing this? I was being honest to the character. "But this is how Indian films are. They want to see the hero do certain, stereotypical things. Be that hero who does that time and again, I find that exhausting. That's why, I took a departure," he added. Hashmi said looking back at his career, he can see that he did a lot of films that he would not watch as a viewer. "My palette of films that I watched weren't remotely close to the ones I did. So identification with some films was difficult, but I took it upon myself that I have to be truthful to the material." The 40-year-old actor said it was also hard to come out of his image. "Initially in your career, you are not in a place to choose films. The films choose you. If they are successful, it has to be done to death. That's how the trade functions, they see a safety net, a cash flow so they juice it out. "Sometimes you play to that and then after a certain amount of success, you want to get out of that trap. But they don't want you to get out of the trap, they constantly want you to bring in the moolah with that," he said. The actor will be next seen in Sanjay Gupta's "Mumbai Saga" and "Chehre", which also co-stars Amitabh Bachchan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon has opened two new probes into Google and dating app Tinder's owner Match Group. The latest Google investigation relates to concerns the company's processing of user location data and transparency around the process could violate EU privacy rules. The probe was launched following complaints from various consumer organisations across the EU, Ms Dixon's office said. The separate investigation into Match Group is into "ongoing processing of users' personal data" gathered on Tinder and regarding the company's response to subjects' data rights requests. The Commission has more than 20 ongoing investigations running into possible privacy breaches by big tech firms including Facebook, Twitter and Apple. The two most advanced cases concern WhatsApp's transparency around data sharing with its owner Facebook and a probe into Twitter. In the wake of revelations that scores of Roman Catholic priests and religious workers credibly accused of child sexual abuse are living unsupervised in communities across the country, state officials face a quandary: Should they screen former clergy members who seek licenses for jobs that put them in contact with children? And, if so, how? An Associated Press investigation last fall found nearly 200 accused clergy members had been granted teaching, mental health or social work licenses, with roughly six dozen still holding valid licenses to work in those fields in 2019. Since then, at least 20 states have started using church-released lists of priests and employees who faced credible allegations to screen applicants or check for current state teaching, foster care and therapy licenses -- and, in some cases, have revoked credentials. As part of the church's attempt to be more transparent about its ongoing sexual abuse crisis, more than 170 dioceses and religious orders have publicly released lists of clergy members they found to be credibly accused of abuses ranging from rape to child pornography. Over 5,300 priests, clergy members and a handful of lay employees -- more than 2,000 of them still living -- are on the lists. But because most were never convicted of a crime, the allegations of child abuse never appeared in licensing background checks, the AP's investigation revealed. Church and law enforcement officials have said there is little they can do to monitor or restrict the nearly 1,700 mostly former clergy members the AP found living without supervision because many voluntarily left the church or were laicized, which means they are permanently restricted from the priesthood and return to private citizenship. For close to two decades, the group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests has been advocating for church officials to report allegations to law enforcement, child protection and other state agencies, but it says state agencies haven't figured out their role in responding to the clergy abuse scandal. "These agencies need to refocus their priorities," said David Clohessy, the former executive director of SNAP, who now leads the group's St. Louis chapter. "They're here to protect the public from predators, not to make getting a license to be a shrink or doctor easier." AP reporters called agencies in all 50 states, determining that dozens have started discussions, checked their lists of licenses for named clergy or begun using the diocesan lists released in their areas to flag applications. The license reviews and background check changes have come across all areas of state licensing -- from foster care to education boards. In Ohio, Gov. Mike DeWine ordered the state Department of Job and Family Services to review how county-level child service agencies and private placement agencies could incorporate the diocesan lists into background checks used to determine where children are placed. A spokesman for DeWine said the directive came after the AP published its investigation, calling the action "warranted to protect Ohio's children." Conducting a comprehensive review is complicated because no official national master database of accused clergy exists, meaning states have to choose how many of the more than 170 lists to consult. Pennsylvania's education licensing department has conducted perhaps the most comprehensive search of its licensing database, checking for nearly 500 clergy members' names that were released in three state or local grand jury reports over the last decade. The department revoked or accepted the surrender of three licenses from former clergy members and is investigating a dozen other licensees. But the first effort did not encompass lay church employees named on diocesan lists and former priests who might have moved to Pennsylvania from other states and sought licenses. Dylan Klapmeier, spokesman for the Montana Department of Public Instruction, said his agency checked its list of credentialed teachers against the names issued by two Montana dioceses and found no matches. He lamented the lack of a national list to further consult, noting that "there are lots of places to hide here." For many education or licensing departments, using the diocesan lists can be difficult because of state statutes governing what can be considered when deciding to issue or revoke a license. Some agencies allow only for criminal background checks, while others also permit a check of the state's child abuse and neglect database. A half-dozen child and family services departments responsible for licensing and screening foster parents -- including those in New Hampshire, Oklahoma and New Mexico - told the AP that they have checked the local diocesan lists to see if any former priests were approved foster care providers. Among license-providers, it's easiest for state education departments to use the lists to remove licenses or background new applicants. At least 20 state educational licensing agencies the AP contacted had checked the credibly accused clergy lists released in their states against the rosters of licensed school workers, with at least eight finding former priests with active or expired licenses. Many of those states have acted to remove those licenses or put holds on them to prevent their renewal. While most states have not yet considered law changes, at least 20 state attorneys general are conducting investigations of how church officials handled abuse allegations, including reporting them to civil law enforcement, largely in the wake of Pennsylvania's 2018 grand jury report. In its 50-state review, the AP asked the attorneys general if they had considered how states could use the lists of credibly accused clergy members to better protect children. Some said they wanted to focus on investigating any possible criminal charges, but others said they have started to consider the role they could play in eliminating the gray area for people who have been credibly accused but not prosecuted.The AP investigation published in October explored the case of former priest Roger Sinclair, who had been accused of abuse in at least two other states but who had never been criminally charged when he moved to Oregon, where he was arrested and convicted for abusing a vulnerable adult. Oregon's attorney general, Ellen Rosenblum, said her office was looking at appropriate next steps. "This AP story sheds light on an important aspect of clergy sexual abuse horrors-how easy it has been to continue the abuse in other states from where the initial offending conduct occurred," Rosenblum said. "That is absolutely unacceptable, and the fact that the Sinclair case occurred right here in Oregon drives home the importance of addressing this issue." Associated Press reporters Summer Ballentine in Jefferson City, Missouri; Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska; Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia; Mike Casey in Concord, New Hampshire; Gillian Flaccus in Portland, Oregon; Caleb Jones in Honolulu; Jeff Karoub in Detroit; Denise Lavoie in Richmond, Virginia; Jennifer McDermott in Providence, Rhode Island; Wilson Ring in Burlington, Vermont; John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; David Sharp in Portland, Maine; Mike Sisak in New York; Terry Tang in Phoenix and Don E. Thompson in Sacramento, California contributed to this report. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Close Irish election: When is Ireland going to the polls and what are the key issues? Ireland is voting on Saturday 8 February in an unpredictable general election which looks set to shake up the political consensus in the country. As current Taoiseach Leo Varadkar hopes to retain power for his Fine Gael party, he is facing opposition from Fianna Fail, and an unexpected surge in popularity for Sinn Fein - who have overtaken both of the traditional two big parties in recent days. The big issues of this campaign have been the crises in housing and health, much as Varadkar had hoped to be rewarded for his work on Brexit and the economy. In recent days, media focus has quickly shifted to Sinn Fein's fitness for office, as their popularity shows no signs of waning. Follow our live blog of all the events in these crucial final days below: Usha Reddi, Indian-American Manhattan city mayor who is running to enter the Senate from the US state of Kansas, has raised over USD 100,000 in campaign donation. Reddi, 54, who is seeking nomination from the Democratic party, migrated to the US along with her parents in 1973 from Andhra Pradesh when she was eight. She was sworn in as the Mayor of Manhattan city in Kansas last month. The current Republican incumbent Senator Pat Roberts has announced not to seek re-election, making it an open seat this November. Kansas, a Republican stronghold, has never elected a Democrat since 1932. Four candidates including her are running for the Democratic party primaries to be held on August 4. Seven Republicans are vying for the Republican primary. By vocation a teacher and education union leader, Reddi has twice been elected to four-year terms on Manhattan's City Commission. On January 7, she began her second term as a mayor. In July 2019, 40 years after her father Venkata Yeleti, 77, assaulted her, he was convicted of felony rape and was sentenced in Virginia. Reddi strongly feels that it is important to embrace her past and take control of her destiny. "If I can put my dad away after 40 years, everything else seems OK," Reddi recently told Kansas City in an interview. Running for the US Senate from a Republican bastion is considered to be an uphill task. I understand it's an uphill battle, but everything in my life has been an uphill battle," she said. The first Indian-American to serve as a mayor in Kansas, Reddi is the first Kansas mayor to simultaneously run for the US Senate. She is also the first woman of colour to run for an office representing the entire state. According to a statement issued by her campaign, Reddi has so far raised more than USD 100,000 in her Federal Election Commission. "It's an honour to engage with Kansans on the important issues we face. I believe their support is based on the trust built through these contacts," she said in the statement. Last month, she received the Elected Women of Excellence Award from the National Foundation of Women Legislators. Reddi was first elected to the Manhattan City Commission for a four-year term in April 2013 and re-elected in 2017. She first served as the Mayor in 2016-2017 and now again in 2020. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) After being buzzed into the gates of the property, visitors may feel as though theyve stepped into another world when they pass a full-scale TARDIS and accompanying Dalek. These Doctor Who tributes, the large Stone Chapel and a small train circling the grounds are just a few features that catch the eye before entering the doors of Lanier Theological Library. The Lanier Theological Library is preparing to celebrate 10 years of service in the northwest Houston community. Mark Lanier, founder of the Lanier Law Firm, opened the library in October 2010. The 17,000-square-foot building carries books and resources for a variety of religious denominations. The library offers lectures, as well as space for studying and educational purposes. Related: Peace Light ceremony celebrates unity with 1,000-year-old flame Lanier said the library has more in store for this year such as new 10-week series of religious services in the nearby chapel modeled after a Byzantine chapel from 500 A.D. He also hopes to complete additions to the library including new classrooms and a research area for students and scholars who frequent the facility. Building a library: The history of LTL Lanier originally built a cemetery for his family on the property. He later expanded on the idea by adding a chapel and library to better utilize the space, he said. The Lanier Theological Library is modeled after architecture from the University of Oxford. Lanier said he was inspired while visiting his son, who spent 10 years at the English university. Lanier sketched the designs for the library on graphing paper before a general contractor, Curtis Miller, built the library according to his specifications. I took all of these measurements and pictures of these incredible buildings and libraries at Oxford and just mashed up my favorite features from them into one big library, Lanier said. The library has collected more than 100,000 volumes and accrued valuable artifacts over the past decade through purchases, donations, other libraries and personal collections, Lanier said. We started trying to find scholars who were retiring or who died and we tried to acquire their libraries, Lanier said. That was the way we built a lot of the inventory up and it worked out real well. Since its inception, the library has been a resource for theologians and people just looking for a quiet place to work. The facility attracts local residents, as well as international students and scholars wanting to study rare works found only at Lanier Theological Library. The librarys visitors and speakers have included Muslim scholars, Jewish rabbis, and government officials such as late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. Related: Sixth annual festival in Spring area celebrates Islamic art To encourage visitors to delve into the knowledge and space available in the building, Lanier said he put bait in the library. These interest-sparking items include first-edition C.S. Lewis books and maps of Narnia from Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia series. The library is home to rarities such as fragments of Dead Sea Scrolls and an original She Bible, a misprinting of the Bible that erroneously uses she in place of he once in the Book of Ruth. The people will come in and understand theres a weight of paper, he said. You can actually pick up books and there is merit and an ability to study with books beyond that of a computer. We have wicked fast internet here. Weve got access to all of the electronic accounts and all of that kind of stuff for people, but we have the actual books. As for other aspects of the property, items like the Doctor Who tributes are among many quirky, coincidental collaborations that have happened for the library. The TARDIS covers the propertys water supply, while the Dalek was a contribution from one of Laniers church friends who was a fan of the series. A statue of a young jogger by sculptor Glenda Goodacre, as well as a statue gifted by Laniers wife are present on campus as well. Looking to the future Lanier said he would like to continue expanding the concept of Lanier Theological Library as a mecca for education. In the future, he said, residential space may even be added in which researchers and students could stay for limited periods of time. I built this with an eye towards 100 years from now, or 200 years from now, it should be standing, he said. I built it with an eye toward if it ever becomes something on a university level, a seminary level, a grad school level, you could actually put such a beast here. Im thrilled to see what may happen. With Lanier Theological Library entering a milestone year, Lanier said he is looking forward to upcoming endeavors such as the library additions, and a trip to the Holy Land in the Middle East in March 2021. He intends to keep his family pet project going for his community and beyond with help from volunteers, employees, scholars and friends. The Lanier Theological Library, located at 14130 Hargrave Road, Houston, is hosting a lecture by Orthodox Rabbi Joseph Shulam Feb. 8 in the chapel. Although no plans have been made, Lanier said a 10th anniversary celebration may be held in October. For more information, visit www.laniertheologicallibrary.org/ . chevall.pryce@chron.com Here are todays top headlines from select sources around the world. Trump appeared to snub Pelosis offered handshake. She ripped up his speech when he was done. President Donald Trump ignored or didnt see House Speaker Nancy Pelosis attempt to shake his hand before Tuesdays State of the Union address in an apparent snub that comes more than a month after House Democrats impeached Trump. Coronavirus news and live updates: Death toll soars to nearly 500 CNN The virus: The coronavirus outbreak has killed 492people worldwide, the majority of which are in China, and infected more than 24,500people across 25 countries. Crisis in China: Close to 60 million people remain under lockdown in China, with three cities reporting over a thousand confirmed cases. Lesothos First Lady is charged with murdering husbands ex-wife The First Lady of Lesotho, Maesaiah Thabane has been charged with murdering her husbands ex-wife in a crime that has gripped the tiny mountainous kingdom. David Camerons bodyguard left a loaded gun in the toilet on a commercial flight, reports say David Camerons police bodyguard is under investigation after reports emerged that he left a loaded handgun and the former British Prime Ministers passport in the toilet on a commercial flight. Palestinians say Trumps deal is racist. But their leaders are bereft of ideas on how to fight it Palestinians have pronounced Trumps Mideast plan dead on arrival and are refusing to even entertain it. But their leadership appears to be struggling with what to do next. Barcelona in crisis after Lionel Messi lashes out at clubs hierarchy Barcelona is in crisis after captain Lionel Messi lashed out at the clubs Sporting Director Eric Abidal for accusing the players of not working hard enough under Ernesto Valverde. Teslas stock is out of this world up 114% this year Teslas stock soared on Tuesday, continuing a remarkable rally in which the stock has soared for days, weeks and months. Artist uses 99 phones to trick Google into traffic jam alert Written by Rory Sullivan, CNN An artist in Berlin has tricked Google Maps into creating traffic jam alerts by pulling 99 phones with their location services on slowly around the German capital in a handcart. Kenya school stampede: Students fell on top of me A bell rang. It was time for Class Five pupils in Kakamega Primary School, in Kenyas western region, to go home. But something went wrong, and a stampede ensued. In the aftermath, at least 14 schoolchildren nine girls and five boys died and dozens others were injured, some critically. Trump hails American comeback in Congress speech President Donald Trump has hailed the great American comeback in a speech to Congress on the eve of his expected acquittal in his impeachment trial. At his annual State of the Union address, Mr Trump struck a tone of optimism as he set out his case for another four years in office. Coronavirus outbreak hits cruise ship off Japan At least 10 people on board a cruise ship docked in the Japanese port of Yokohama have tested positive for coronavirus, health authorities said. Almost 300 of the 3,700 people on the Diamond Princess have been tested so far. The number of infected could rise as testing continues. Surprising images from inside North Korea BBC Reel You need to enable JavaScript to run this app. 29 January 2020|Photography A journey to the worlds most recondite and hard to access places be it because of their remoteness, danger, or exclusivity. How brave judges rejected a second-rate election Opposition supporters in Malawi have been celebrating after a panel of five top judges annulled the results of last Mays presidential election. Many of them said this was a victory for democracy after the two main losing candidates argued in court that there had been irregularities in the vote that saw President Peter Mutharika narrowly elected for a second term. Stephen Colbert goes to absolute town on Iowa caucus voting app disaster Iowa, what the hell happened? You might have have heard, but vote-counting was severely delayed in the states 2020 Democratic race on Tuesday, thanks to inconsistencies with the app used for reporting caucus results. It was a big mess. Samsung Galaxy S20 leaks again, this time on Samsungs own website Were less than a week away from Samsungs big Unpacked event, and the leaks will not stop coming. The big draw at Unpacked this year is the Samsung Galaxy S20 line of flagship phones. Dyson files patent for air-purifier headphones that would deliver fresh tunes and fresh air Sometimes you need to make sure the air youre breathing wont kill you, but you dont want to interrupt a podcast. It turns out Dyson might have a plan for this. The company most famous for its line of vacuum cleaners filed a patent in the UK for over-the-ear headphones that double as a wearable air purifier, Bloomberg reported. Watch an Iowa caucus workers perfect response after a voter discovers Pete Buttigieg is gay The results of the Iowa caucus are still rolling in, after the results reporting turned into an omnishambles of tech malfunctions and phone queues. But the real winner is this precinct captain for the Pete Buttigieg campaign, who is seen here being incredibly patient with a caucus-goer whos somehow only just learned that Mayor Pete has a husband, and is not thrilled about it. By Express News Service BHOPAL: A day after a mob attacked six farmers, killing one of them and injuring the five others over rumours of them being indulgent in child lifting in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, ongoing police investigations have revealed that a BJP worker-village sarpanch had allegedly led the mob in the attack. Four men, including alleged BJP worker Ramesh (sarpanch of Junapani village) were arrested by police on Thursday, but the three men, including Avtar Singh, Bhuvan Singh and Jam Singh, who had actually masterminded the series of incidents that led to mob attack, are yet to be arrested by Dhar district police. According to Dhar district police superintendent Aditya Pratap Singh, Four men have so far been arrested. The arrested foursome, include Ramesh, the sarpanch of Junapani village. Investigations based on the video footage of the mob attack have revealed that Ramesh had led the mob in Borlai village to attack the six farmers following rumours of them escaping after child lifting. Besides the three men, who had actually masterminded the series of incidents (they are yet to be arrested), the police have also identified 10-15 others, including the four men who have been arrested. Also, keeping in mind the seriousness of the entire episode as well as statements of victims who alleged that cops reached the spot late, the Manawar police station in-charge and five other cops have been suspended. Besides, an SIT headed by the additional SP has been constituted to probe the entire mob attack and related aspects. The accused have been booked for murder, attempt to murder and rioting, the SP Dhar said. Meanwhile, the arrest of the alleged BJP worker and Junapani village sarpanch Ramesh in the case gave the ruling Congress ammo to target the opposition BJP. While tweeting an old picture of ex-CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan with arrested village sarpanch, Congress leader Narendra Saluja (who is also CM Kamal Naths media convener) wrote, BJP leaders denying any role of BJP worker/leader in the mob lynching need to see this picture. Saluja also claimed that the arrested BJP man was in the race for getting the BJP ticket from Gandhwani seat of Dhar district in 2018 assembly polls. Importantly, the ex-CM and BJP national vice president Shivraj Singh Chouhan, had on Wednesday termed the mob attack as an example of how the state was turning into a Talibani state under Congress rule. Reacting to the Congress targeting BJP over their party workers arrest, state BJP president Rakesh Singh said, The Congress is alleging BJP workers hand in the incident to play down the seriousness of the matter. Its immaterial who is the accused, the law should take its own course and a high level probe needs to be instituted in the matter, said Singh. Importantly, six wealthy farmers from Ujjain and Indore district had gone to Khirkiya village in adjoining Dhar district to recover outstanding Rs 1.5 lakh from three labour contractors on Wednesday. Once in the village, the two cars boarded by the six farmers were attacked by the labour contractors and aides. The farmers fled in their two vehicles, but got stuck in traffic jam in Borlai village (30 km from Khirkiya). The labour contractors who were chasing the six farmers reached Borlai and spread the rumour that the six farmers were fleeing after lifting a child. Provoked by the rumour, a mob of villagers subsequently pulled the farmers out and attacked them with stones, sticks and rods, killing one of the farmers and critically hurting the five others President Donald Trump begins to deliver his State of the Union address to a joint session of the Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, on Feb. 4, 2020. (Leah Millis/Reuters) Trump SOTU Speech: No Parent Should Be Forced to Send Their Child to a Failing Government School President Donald Trump urged Congress during his State of the Union address Tuesday night to pass a pro-school choice plan that has been pending since it was introduced in the House of Representatives almost a year ago. The next step forward in building an inclusive society is making sure that every young American gets a great education and the opportunity to achieve the American Dream, said Trump. Yet, for too long, countless American children have been trapped in failing government schools. The president then introduced two of his 11 guests, Stephanie Davis, a single mother from Philadelphia, and her daughter Janiyah Davis, a fourth-grade student who has sought a way out of her low-performing public school through Pennsylvanias school-choice program, which provides tax credits to individuals and businesses in exchange for donating to scholarships for students to attend private schools. Stephanie Davis and her daughter Janiyah, attend the State of the Union address in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives, on Feb. 4, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) But last year, that future was put further out of reach when Pennsylvanias governor vetoed legislation to expand school choice to 50,000 children, Trump said, referring to a 2019 Pennsylvania bill that would have expanded the states school choice program. Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, vetoed that bill. Janiyah, I have some good news for you. Because I am pleased to inform you that your long wait is over, Trump said, announcing that a scholarship had become available for the girl. It was not immediately apparent to which scholarship fund he was referring. Now, I call on the Congress to give 1 million American children the same opportunity Janiyah has just received, said the president. Pass the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act, because no parent should be forced to send their child to a failing government school. First championed by Education Secretary Besty DeVos in February 2019, the Education Freedom Scholarship calls for up to $5 billion in federal tax credits that would provide a dollar-for-dollar match for contributors of school-choice programs in participating states. Under the Trump administration plan, the federal tax credit would be capped at 10 percent of a taxpayers gross income and 5 percent of a business taxable income. Tonight, the President delivered a strong message in support of Americas students and their futures, DeVos said in a statement after the presidents remark. Every student, parent, and teacher should be excited by this bold agenda to free them from a government system that limits their success. Im grateful to the President for his strong support of this proposal from day one and look forward to Congress acting quickly on this bipartisan issue and putting students needs above everything else, she said. FBI Director: 2019 'Deadliest' Year for Domestic Terrorism By Masood Farivar February 05, 2020 FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Wednesday that 2019 was the deadliest year for domestic terrorism since the Oklahoma City truck bombing in 1995, adding that he'd raised combating racially motivated violence to a national priority for the bureau. "The spate of attacks we saw in 2019 underscores the continued threat posed by domestic violent extremists and perpetrators of hate crimes," Wray said in prepared testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. "Such crimes are not limited to the United States, and with the aid of internet like-minded hate groups can reach across borders." Terror attacks carried out by white supremacists and other domestic extremists have been on the rise in recent years. According to the FBI, domestic violent extremists killed 39 people in five separate attacks during fiscal 2019. That compares with four victims in four extremist attacks during fiscal 2018. In the deadliest attack on Latinos in American history, a 21-year-old white supremacist last August killed 22 people and injured 24 others at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas. In April, another white extremist went on a shooting rampage at a synagogue in Poway, California, killing one worshipper and injuring three others. The Oklahoma City bombing, which killed 168 people and injured more than 680 others, remains the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in modern U.S. history. For years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, the FBI was single-mindedly focused on fighting international terrorism first on threats posed by al-Qaida, and then on Islamic State-inspired attacks. With the fall of Islamic State, domestic terrorism, sometimes mimicking the tactics of its international variety, has grown in lethality. Its underlying drivers range from white supremacy to anti-Semitism to Islamophobia. Internal investigative body In recent years, the FBI has redoubled its efforts to combat domestic terrorism. Last spring, the bureau created an internal investigative body made up of subject matter experts from its criminal investigations and counterterrorism divisions. The bureau's more than 200 joint terrorism task forces around the country "have domestic terrorism squarely in their sights," Wray said. In addition, Wray said he has "elevated" racially motivated violent extremism as a national priority on a par with Islamic State during fiscal 2020. The FBI investigates four categories of domestic violent extremism: racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism; anarchism and anti-government extremism; abortion violent extremism; and environmental extremism. Racially and ethnically motivated extremists remain the top threat, Wray said. "[They] were the primary source of ideologically motivated lethal incidents and violence in 2018 and 2019, and have been considered the most lethal of all domestic extremists since 2001," Wray said. 'This threat is real' The FBI has more than 1,000 active domestic terrorism investigations in all 50 states. "This threat is real, and it affects communities big and small," Wray said. Last month, the FBI arrested three members of a violent white supremacist group called The Base. Wray testified before the congressional panel for the first time since a Justice Department inspector general report blasted the bureau in December for its handling of former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page's surveillance in 2016. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A body was found inside a burned van at Prentice Cooper State Forest on Thursday. The case was being investigated by the TBI and the Marion County Sheriff's Office. A number of investigators went to the scene. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) made clear in an interview with The Atlantic on Wednesday that he will not vote for President Trump's re-election in November. Driving the news: Romney sent shockwaves through Washington after announcing he would vote to convict Trump in the impeachment trial becoming the only Senate Republican to break ranks and vote for the president's removal from office. "The president delayed funds for an American ally at war with Russian invaders," Romney said in a speech on the Senate floor. "The president's purpose was personal and political. Accordingly, the president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust." Yes, but: Romney also stated that "under no circumstances" would he vote for Sens. Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren, who could face off against Trump in the general election. Romney wrote in his wife's name on the ballot in 2016. "Shell probably get [a] second vote," he told The Atlantic. Go deeper: Mitt Romney shunned from conservative conference after impeachment vote CAMEROON, Cameroon - The chief architect of the U.S. blueprint to resolve the decades-old conflict between Israelis and Palestinians on Thursday blamed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for soaring tensions and violence in the occupied West Bank since the plans release last week. Jared Kushner, the son-in-law and adviser to President Donald Trump who spent nearly three years working on the plan, said leaders who are ready for a state dont call for days of rage and encourage their people to pursue violence if theyre not getting what they want. He said he thinks Abbas was surprised with how good the plan was for the Palestinian people, but he locked himself into a position by rejecting it before it came out. The Palestinian president is going to different forums and putting forward old talking points when the situation on the ground has changed and this might be the last chance that they have to actually resolve it in a good way, Kushner said. Abbas is scheduled to address the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday and then appear at a news conference with former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, an opponent of the U.S. plan who was forced to resign a decade ago ahead of a corruption indictment that later sent him to prison for 16 months. Kushner called Olmerts appearance almost pathetic. Leaders who had their chances and failed should be encouraging other peoples efforts in trying to make peace, as opposed to trying to grab a headline when youre irrelevant and try ... to get involved in a situation to get some attention, Kushner said. It comes from a lot of jealousy that they couldnt get it done themselves, he added. After briefing the U.N. Security Council at a private lunch at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, Kushner told a small group of journalists that the U.S. proposal may be the last chance because the rate of expansion of Israeli settlements may preclude a contiguous Palestinian state. Right now, Kushner said, its very, very difficult to have a contiguous state where you can drive from the top to the bottom. If you look at the rate of expansion of Israeli settlements and if you look at the aspirations of the Palestinian people youre about to get to a crossroad where you almost cant come back, he said. He said the 180-page plan was what we got Israel to agree to and the most constructive thing the Palestinians can do is to sit down with the Israelis and go over it line by line. If they would like to meet, were happy to do it, but were not going to chase them, Kushner said. He called his meeting with the Security Council very constructive, with lots of questions. British Ambassador Karen Pierce, reflecting the comments of other members, called it interesting and productive. The U.S. plan, unveiled by President Donald Trump on Jan. 28, envisions a disjointed Palestinian state that turns over key parts of the West Bank to Israel, siding with Israel on key contentious issues including borders and the status of Jerusalem and Jewish settlements. The Palestinians seek all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war for an independent state and the removal of many of the more than 700,000 Israeli settlers from these areas. But under terms of the peace vision that Kushner oversaw, all Israeli settlers would remain in place, and Israel would retain sovereignty over all of its settlements as well as the strategic Jordan Valley. The proposed Palestinian state would be demilitarized and give Israel overall security control. In addition, the areas of east Jerusalem offered to the Palestinians for a capital consist of poor, crowded neighbourhoods located behind a hulking concrete separation barrier. Kushner, who will continue to oversee the peace plan, said he and his team will follow up with the announcement shortly that a U.S.-Israeli commission is being established to turn its conceptual map into a detailed map with the goal of making sure you can have contiguous territory for a Palestinian state. It can take a couple of months for technical teams to come up with a map, Kushner said, and during that time he and his team plan to consult with European and Middle Eastern governments to further explain the plan. He said that theres a ton of cracks in European unity on the U.S. proposal. The European Union was not able to get a consensus statement on this, which shows that theres a lot of people ... interested in working on a new approach, which is good, Kushner said. In the Arab world, he said, you saw a wide range of statements. A lot of people put out neutral statements, which is good. You saw people put out supportive statements, which was good. And you saw very few critical statements, which I thought was very interesting. Arab leaders want to focus on tackling radicalization and extremism and providing economic prosperity for their people, and the international community is tired of this issue and wants to see it resolved, Kushner said. Looking back at the lengthy process of drafting the plan, Kushner said that during four meetings with Abbas, I never felt like he was willing to get into details, either because hes not a detail oriented person or because he didnt know what he wanted to accomplish. He liked high-level principles, but you cant solve problems in high-level principles and so they chose not to meet with us again, Kushner added. Calling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the hardest problem in the world to solve, he said the peace plan is a good first step to start a discussion that leads to a better pathway. Not doing anything was not an option, Kushner said. I think the noble thing is to pursue peace and to try to figure out how do you take a complicated problem and make badly needed progress. At first, the number seems huge: The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has paid out nearly $39 million to 181 sexual-abuse victims through the compensation fund it opened last year. Wow, you might think to yourself. Finally, the institution whose leaders allowed generations of children to be destroyed by the sexual depravity of countless priests while bishops and monsignors helped cover it up, is paying up from the treasury it so immorally had fought to protect. But dont be fooled. This is a mammoth number only when you consider how difficult victims have found securing just compensation in one of the nations largest Catholic dioceses thanks to resistance by the church itself. Accountability has arrived, yes. But at discount rates. The $39 million tally, provided to me this week about the clergy-abuse compensation fund created after the 2018 grand jury report into Catholic clergy abuse in Pennsylvania, is well below what the five-county archdiocese would likely have paid in court if it had not helped block a state law that would have allowed a flood of lawsuits. The archdioceses Independent Reconciliation and Reparations Program (IRRP), which is still processing claims it accepted last year and might not be done for another 12 months, has paid 181 so far, totaling $38,925,000, former U.S. District Judge Lawrence F. Stengel, chair of the funds independent oversight committee, told me. That averages out to about $215,000 each. Meanwhile, victims in Los Angeles received an average $780,000 in 2007 and a single civil trial verdict that same year in Rockville Centre, N.Y., resulted in a $3.4 million settlement, according to the abuse clearinghouse Bishopaccountability.org. If remaining awards are doled out at this or lower levels before the funds work has ended, the archdiocese will have significantly limited its financial liability. It is not a lot of money compared to the harm thats been done, said victims lawyer David Inscho, who helped settle for an undisclosed amount one of the few recent clergy-abuse civil court settlements with the Philadelphia Archdiocese allowable under Pennsylvanias punishing civil statute of limitations. He estimates that if every victim had been given the option of suing, I would safely say that the 180 claimants would be paid four times that amount. Just how relatively inexpensive is this cleanup operation shaping up to be? For perspective, I looked to a story I wrote a few years back about settlements paid by the far smaller Diocese of Wilmington. Wilmington was slammed by lawsuits after Delaware law was changed to allow child sexual-abuse victims to sue years after the statute of limitations had expired. Unlike Pennsylvania, lawmakers there gave victims the retroactive right. The diocese ended up settling for $77 million while religious orders, whose priests may have worked in diocesan schools or churches, paid an additional $31.3 million. In all, about $110 million went to some 150 clergy sex-abuse victims. And that was with the diocese preempting jury verdicts by declaring bankruptcy. The Philadelphia fund was announced in late 2018 to avoid its own version of a Wilmington payout scenario. The Republican-controlled legislature in Harrisburg was under enormous pressure to allow retroactive lawsuits in the wake of a 2018 state grand jury report about church abuse across Pennsylvania. The creation of the fund helped defuse that. The deadline has passed but there are still a large number of claims still being processed, Stengel told me last week. My sense is that the Archdiocese has been transparent in its dealings with victims. Its a terrible tragedy. The archdiocesan leaders acknowledge that. And I think this independent reparations program and the independent oversight committee have been successful. ... The offers that have been made through the program have almost all been accepted. On Tuesday, Stengel told me the fund received 614 claim requests last year. The program, however, is not considering claims involving priests who belonged to religious orders. That is another way that the fund limits justice for the abused in a way that civil courts would not. In Delaware, the church had $2.1 billion in assets that they protected. Thats little Delaware, not Philadelphia or anything. And they paid out $110 million," victims lawyer Thomas S. Neuberger, deeply involved in that process, said when I called him Tuesday. "Calculate the percentage on that. Thats what they protected. Theyre doing the same thing in Pennsylvania. Theyre protecting 95 percent of their assets through this publicity stunt. Thats all it is a publicity stunt. Of course, $39 million is a heck of a lot more money than zero, and it has given some victims great relief to have the option of getting something without a court battle. Especially given how hard the archdiocese had worked for years against them to protect its purse. As The Inquirer reported as far back as March 2002 three years before the first major grand jury report into Catholic clergy abuse in Philadelphia and its four surrounding counties: In one well-known case, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia countersued a victims parents, contending they were, in part, at fault for the abuse because they were negligent in supervising their child. The archdioceses spokeswoman said that decision was dictated by the churchs insurer a circumstance that experts in the field say is not uncommon. In that chilling context, you may be forgiven for thinking $39 million is a far bigger penalty than it really is. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar insisted he would try to remain as Fine Gael leader irrespective of the General Election outcome, as he mounted a frantic bid to save Dail seats yesterday. Fine Gael TDs were privately fearful the party was facing into significant losses this weekend with existing seats at risk and its chance of adding second TDs in many constituencies now evaporating. Mr Varadkar stopped in four counties and canvassed in Dublin Mid-West, Meath West, Longford-Westmeath and Cavan-Monaghan yesterday, and Fine Gael sources in all of them acknowledged the party needs to shore up its vote in the coming days just to hold what it has. It came as the Taoiseach's leadership of Fine Gael was thrown into question after former finance minister Michael Noonan made a highly unusual intervention to back his successor Paschal Donohoe for the party leadership in the future. He told 'The Floating Voter' podcast that he has "no doubt at all" that Mr Donohoe will someday be leader while backing Mr Varadkar for re-election. Asked about those remarks in Dublin, Mr Varadkar denied the debate on his own future had begun. "I listened to the podcast and Michael endorsed me to continue as Taoiseach and Paschal to continue as finance minister. We expect and we certainly hope that after the election Fine Gael will emerge once again as the largest party," he said. "The opinion polls are within the margin of error. So this can be won, but if that doesn't happen for some reason I have indicated that I will seek to stay on as Fine Gael leader." Asked whether this was in all circumstances, he responded: "Yes." Mr Varadkar visited a school in west Dublin and met voters in the towns of Enfield, Mullingar and Castlepollard before attending a Fine Gael rally in Virginia, Co Cavan. There is now a fierce internal battle under way in constituencies across the country as Fine Gael seeks to hold onto Dail seats. One sitting TD, who thinks they are likely to lose their seat, said: "I feel sorry for some people who probably only realised in the last week their seat was in trouble." A long-serving Fine Gael politician admitted after nine years in government "everyone is tired" of the party. A party figure said even Minister of State Damien English was "clinging on" in Meath West, where it is feared the fact he has two running mates could split his vote. Councillors Noel French and Sarah Reilly were added when Fine Gael had a chance of a second seat - a possibility that is now viewed as unlikely. With Fine Gael polling at between 20pc and 21pc in recent days, the party is, on these numbers, heading for a worse result than the 2002 General Election where it won 23pc of the vote and took just 31 seats. The 2002 result triggered the immediate resignation of Mr Noonan as party leader - but Mr Varadkar has now clearly stated he will look to stay on and lead the party in opposition. Tanaiste Simon Coveney, who lost out to Mr Varadkar in the 2017 leadership contest but continues to be linked with the position, said on Tuesday: "There is no question mark over Leo Varadkar's leadership." Crossing the intersection of Kearny Street and Columbus Avenue. Popping into House of Nanking in Chinatown. Chatting with a camera crew in front of a Muni bus in North Beach. On Wednesday, Keanu Reeves made several appearances in downtown San Francisco while in town to shoot the fourth installment of The Matrix series otherwise known as "Project Ice Cream" alongside co-star Carrie-Ann Moss, and some locals were lucky enough to bump right into him on their walk to work. Erin Carlson, editor of the Nob Hill Gazette, told SFGATE she was strolling down Columbus Avenue during her morning commute when she noticed a medium-sized crowd had formed around people filming. "What could draw this much interest from otherwise jaded, seen-it-all San Franciscans? KEANU," Carlson said in an e-mail. The sequence was being shot across the street from the Sentinel Building and Cafe Zoetrope, an area Carlson described as "steeped in film history." Francis Ford Coppola reportedly bought the building in 1973 after he wrote the screenplay for "The Godfather" inside the restaurant. The top floor continues to serve as a space for his film studio, American Zoetrope, which produced George Lucas' pre-"Star Wars" sci-fi thriller "THX 1138" and some of Coppola's own works, including "Apocalypse Now" and "Bram Stoker's Dracula." Fans swarmed the area during filming for "Matrix 4," after which Carlson said some seemingly exasperated crew members handling crowd control shooed them away from Reeves. She quickly snapped a photo of him chatting with the crew as a city bus drove by. "He looked amazing, with perfect hair and skin," said Carlson. "A crew member said, 'We're trying to work.' I walked away wanting to know his skincare routine." Elsewhere in Chinatown, Reeves was seen sauntering past Wayne's Liquors and ducking into Grasslands Bar & Lounge in a video released by ABC7. Between takes, fans eagerly looked on and attempted to take photos as he paused to sip some coffee and smoke a cigarette. Instead of Neos typical dystopian all-leather look, though, Reeves blended in with the business casual crowd, sporting a t-shirt under a blazer with jeans and a black beanie something John Wick would surely be more likely to wear which puzzled some fans. Would there be a crossover universe? RELATED: Major movie to film in downtown SF for three weeks in February Others were simply happy to see the actor, regardless. It was beautiful, one of them said of the spectacle in an interview with NBC. While the scenes being shot this week appear to be fairly low-key, some particularly action-packed moments are scheduled for filming over a two-day period later this month on Sansome Street. Periodic filming will take place through Sunday, March 31, and the movie will come out on May 21, 2021. Amanda Bartlett is an SFGATE associate digital reporter. Email: amanda.bartlett@sfgate.com | Twitter: @byabartlett His comments, including his usual campaign litany of economic boasting, was a clear sign that the post-impeachment Trump is emboldened like never before as he barrels ahead in his reelection fight with a united Republican Party behind him,. Republican senators voted largely in lockstep to acquit Trump on Wednesday, relying on a multitude of rationales for keeping him in office: He's guilty, but his conduct wasn't impeachable; his July telephone conversation with Ukraine's President was a "perfect call"; there's an election in 10 months and it's up to voters to determine his fate. For Trump, there was one overriding message to draw from his acquittal: Even at a time of maximum political peril, it's his Republican Party. Trump avoided talk of impeachment in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night. By the next day, he was already moving to use impeachment as a 2020 rallying cry. Trump tweeted after the Senate vote that he would mark his acquittal with a statement at noon on Thursday to "discuss our Country's VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!" The President's supporters were being invited to join him in the East Room. The President and his allies sent giddy tweets needling his accusers and Democrats. In his first message once the trial closed, Trump posted an animated video using a Time magazine cover to suggest he would remain in office "4EVA." Democrats handed some more good news to Trump. The Iowa caucuses, the nation's first presidential nominating contest, was thrown into disarray by a tabulating mishap. That deprived any candidate of a clear victory and allowed Trump to paint the Democrats as incompetent and corrupt. Trump's tenuous relationship with the GOP establishment has been a consistent theme of his political life in recent years, and he has repeatedly put the party's values to the test. Still, most Republicans have grudgingly stuck with him, through the revelations of the "Access Hollywood" tape, in which he was heard boasting about sexually assaulting women, and Charlottesville, where he defended white supremacists during a racial clash in the Virginia college town, as well as Helsinki, where he sided with Russia's Vladimir Putin over US intelligence agencies about Moscow's 2016 election interference. Now, they are giving him the victory he's been waiting for and lashing their fates to his like never before. Throughout the impeachment process, Trump drew satisfaction as Republican senators, many of whom opposed his long-shot candidacy and still dismiss him in private, overwhelmingly defended him and defied convention, tradition and public opinion polling in the process. While Trump is among the least popular presidents in modern history, he has nonetheless maintained wide support among Republicans, with 83 per cent approving of his job performance in a January poll from The Associated Press-NORC Centre. Taking their cues from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, with whom Trump has a respectful, if not particularly close, relationship, GOP senators fell in line to block new witnesses and documents in the trial. The final vote on Wednesday was no different: Only Romney, a longtime Trump critic, voted for removal. Romney seemed to anticipate retribution, telling Fox News: "I have broad enough shoulders to bear the consequences." With the impeachment trial behind him, Trump loses a reliable foil. But he will soon gain a replacement with a general election foe. The President told confidants during the trial that he was impressed not just by the robust defence offered by his lawyers, but by the TV interviews offered by GOP senators outside the chamber, according to three White House aides and Republicans close to the West Wing who were not authorised to discuss private conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity. He crowed to advisers about the loyalty being shown to him and predicted the show of force bodes well for party enthusiasm in November's election, the people said. "I have never seen the Republican Party as Strong and as Unified as it is right now. Thank you!" Trump tweeted during the trial. Loading Trump has benefited from a new class of Republicans in Congress who have proved to be more partisan than their predecessors. Party members also know that Trump rains retribution on those who cross him. For all of Trump's talk about how Democrats stick together, he's got the Republicans in his fist. "We've never had a president, as I said, who's as vindictive and nasty as this one and he strikes fear in the hearts of a lot of people," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said last week. Trump's sky-high approval ratings within his own party acted as a deterrent that kept nearly all Republicans from breaking ranks. The fear was palpable among GOP senators worried not just about being the target of an angry tweet but about a Trump-backed primary challenger or a revolt among strong Republican supporters. Still personally stung by impeachment, Trump is betting that he can sell his acquittal to the American people as a vindication, that he can activate his supporters and mollify even his sceptics in the centre. Democrats are left with the more challenging task of explaining the details of the Ukraine case to the American people, and the White House believes Trump's less complicated message will prevail. The decision assumes significance in the wake of a scam in the PMC Bank affecting lakhs of customers who are facing difficulties in withdrawing their money due to restrictions imposed by the RBI. New Delhi: In order to protect the interest of depositors, the Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an amendment to Banking Regulation Act to strengthen cooperative banks and avoid PMC Bank like crisis. There are 1,540 cooperative banks with depositor base of 8.60 crore having total savings of about Rs 5 lakh crore. The proposed law seeks to enforce banking regulation guidelines of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in cooperative banks, while administrative issues will still be guided by Registrar of Cooperative, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said while briefing media about the Cabinet decisions. Observing that the changes will help strengthen financial stability, he said qualifications would be set for appointing CEO of cooperative banks and the RBI permission would be sought before appointment as followed in case of commercial banks. The audit would be as per the RBI guidelines and the central bank can also supersede the board if any cooperative bank is under stress, he said. Cooperative bank will be given time to comply with the RBI guidelines in phased manner, he added. The cabinet approval is in line with the Budget announcement made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday. "To strengthen the cooperative banks, amendments to the Banking Regulation Act are proposed for increasing professionalism, enabling access to capital and improving governance and oversight for sound banking through the RBI," she had said in the Budget 2020-21. The decision assumes significance in the wake of a scam in the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank affecting lakhs of customers who are facing difficulties in withdrawing their money due to restrictions imposed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Javadekar further said this is the second important measure taken by the government to protect the interest of depositors within a week. Sitharaman proposed in the Budget to raise the insurance cover on saving deposits five times to Rs 5 lakh. "I wish to inform this august House that robust mechanism is in place to monitor the health of all Scheduled Commercial Banks and that depositors' money is safe. "Further, the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) has been permitted to increase Deposit Insurance Coverage for a depositor, which is now Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh per depositor," she said in Budget 2020-21. At present, bank depositors get an insurance cover of Rs 1 lakh on their amount by the Deposit Insurance and credit Guarantee Corporation if a bank fails. However, deposits maintained with different banks are not clubbed. President Xi Jinping has ordered resolute efforts be made to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), and stressed putting people's safety and health as the top priority. The Chinese people are the true creators of history and heroes. The Communist Party of China strives to be a servant of its people through its traditions and precious experience in continuously achieving goals. Thanks to this, China has overcome the SARS epidemic, the Wenchuan earthquake and other natural disasters and emergencies. And the unknown soldiers of this battle - Chinese medical workers have spared no effort, leaving their families to tirelessly continue their struggle day and night as if they were on the front line of a war. Here, the meaning of humanity and belonging to the homeland are obvious. It is worth noting the companies and individuals who gave their support at no cost, which shows who the true friends of China are. The media has a supporting role, as the Chinese media releases information about the epidemic situation and how to prevent it 24 hours a day. This helps give people moral support and shows the true image of China to the world. But unfortunately, some foreign media have tried to stereotype and isolate the Chinese people. Most of these media platforms are from societies that pride themselves on being objective, yet they have broadcast news about the current humanitarian situation using old videos that are not related to what is happening now in the face of the epidemic. If China is the eye of the storm for the novel coronavirus, then other countries are the eye of the storm for the virus of non-verification and arrogance towards the Chinese, and the carrier of this epidemic is, of course, the media. China is facing a difficult humanitarian ordeal, and this is not the time for countries or individuals to link past events with what is happening now. Describing China or some Chinese regions as ghost towns is an exaggeration, and the truth is, in such cases, this is routine procedure to control the spread of the virus. If this epidemic occurred in our homeland and we were isolated from the world, we would understand the meaning of these preventive measures. We deeply regret what our Chinese friends have recently been subjected to repeatedly and how they have sometimes been harshly harassed abroad only because they are from China, although many of them have not been to China for over a month, long before the virus spread. This aggressive behavior is absurd and inhumane. The cure for this epidemic lies in each and every one of us. The cure for this epidemic is to truly support the efforts and morale of the Party and the Chinese people, embrace them and stand on their side. Our Islamic religion teaches us that our relationship with people is to be either a brother in religion or a counterpart to you in morals. During my 16 years in China, I have never experienced any racism or hatred. On the contrary, I found love, tolerance and simplicity in dealing with the people. I love them as I love my country and my family. When I read about the increase in the number of infected people and the seriousness of the matter, I felt I had failed in my duty towards them, and from the moment I arrived in Jordan until today, I have tried to do everything possible for my second country, China. We send and ship medical supplies from Jordan to our Chinese friends with the participation of Jordanian businessmen, who are active members of the Arab Businessmen Forum in China. Whatever we give to China, we will never be able to fulfill our duty to it. The great Chinese nation today, with its arms, minds and qualitative capabilities, is fighting with valor, boldness and courage, as it wages a fierce battle against (Satan) as the Chinese president describes the novel coronavirus. We, as foreigners living in China, need to show our serious stance and participate in the campaign of awareness to spread brotherhood, coexistence and respect for each other, and we stand strongly in the face of fake news and bullying through social media and other platforms by shedding more light on the consolidation of bonds of solidarity and cooperation through our participation in communicating the right image and the truth, which will make a strong impact on the whole world. I ask the world to stand with China morally, financially and through the media, as this stand will save your family, your country and the entire world, not just China. Finally, we pray to God to heal and recover all of humanity. Nader Shahrouri is the Secretary of the Jordanian Community in China. Advertisement For more than a century, art experts have tried to get inside the mind of Vincent van Gogh. Now fans of the troubled Dutch painter can at least step into his world. The Meet Vincent van Gogh exhibition at London's South Bank lets visitors tour life-size recreations of the inspirations for his most famous works. They include Bedroom In Arles, the subject of three paintings in 1888 and 1889. Yesterday the artist's great-great-nephew Willem van Gogh, an ambassador for the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam which put together the interactive exhibition, posed in the room. Hundreds of letters that Van Gogh, who killed himself aged 37, wrote to his art dealer brother Theo are used to recreate his life 'in his own words'. Visitors will also be able to take home a souvenir of the experience replicas of Van Gogh's works made using 3D technology will be on sale for 17,500. The exhibition runs from today until May 21. Adult tickets cost 18. Willem van Gogh, who is the great grand-nephew of the famous Vincent van Gogh, sits in an interactive recreation of the artist's Bedroom in Arles at the art exhibition at London's South Bank. The exhibition was created by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam The 'Meet Vincent Van Gogh' exhibition allows art enthusiasts to tour life-size reproductions of the iconic artist's works. Pictured: Willem van Gogh at the new exhibition Visitors will be able to follow Van Gogh's footsteps through life and learn how he expressed his emotions through his artwork During his time in Arles, France, Van Gogh, who killed himself aged 37, painted his bedroom (pictured) inside the Yellow House which featured a simple bed and furniture Willem van Gogh (pictured), who is also an advisor to the board of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, promotes the new exhibition at South Bank in London on February 6 Guests at the interactive exhibition will be given a free headset to wear and be greeted with a narration by the artist himself. Pictured: Willem van Gogh observes the Dutch artist's work The exhibition will take art lovers through the stages of Van Gogh's life and provide a glimpse of his thoughts and emotions. Pictured: A gallery assistant looks at the vibrant works during a press view of the exhibition Pictured: A member of staff sits on a bed inside a re-created scene depicting Van Gogh's bedroom in Arles, France Fans of the great artist will tour life-size recreations of his most famous works and replicas of Van Gogh's works will be on sale for 17,500. Pictured: A gallery assistant sits at the 'Meet Vincent van Gogh' exhibition in London The exhibition has used the hundreds of letters that Van Gogh wrote to his art dealer brother Theo to recreate his life 'in his own words' Opening to the public on February 7, visitors will be able to enter a recreated version of the artist's bedroom in Arles. Pictured: A visitors takes a photo inside Van Gogh's recreated bedroom The show, which will also feature Van Gogh's iconic sunflowers, will also allow visitors to take home a souvenir of the experience. Pictured: An employee observes Van Gogh's Sunflowers By using 3D technology, the creators of the exhibition were able to bring the famous artist's work back to life and showcase the artist's highs and lows The exhibition, which will also reflects on Van Gogh's personal challenges during his short life, runs until May 21 this year by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, February 6, 2020 A new media agency has entered the Out-Of-Home sectorNew York-based Quan Media Group, billed as an agency for the modern brand, and one with a sharp focus on attribution. The shop launched with a number of charter clients including Banza, Contiki, Dagne Dover, Daily Harvest and Ro. The agency has also cemented strategic partnerships with advertising and marketing firms including The Boathouse Agency and Farrynheight. Quan was founded by OOH veteran Brian Rappaport who serves as CEO. Previously he served as group director at RapportWW (IPG), where in addition to overseeing OOH strategy for brands including JetBlue, Royal Caribbean and Zelle, he was also responsible for building a direct client roster. He helped scale efforts for brands such as Casper, Daily Harvest, Ro, Luminary and FreshDirect among others. advertisement advertisement Earlier Rappaport served in key roles at Zenith Media (Publicis) working across several media channels including print, OOH and sponsorship evaluation. Rappaport stated, Todays brand marketers need a more personalized, measurable and flexible approach to OOH buying and planning as well as cutting-edge solutions to help them win market share at a scale consistent with their growth requirements. Quan is able to deliver on both of those opportunities because our model recognizes that success in OOH isn't defined by how much money is spent on a given campaign, but by a true understanding of each clients unique audiences and goals. At a time when most traditional media continue to shrink or stagnate, OOH is growing significantly. Magna reported 6% growth for the medium in 2019 driven by a 20% spurt in digital OOH revenues. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 17:47:31|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's civil aviation regulator has required all domestic airlines to strive to ensure services of international routes amid the coronavirus outbreak. Many Chinese airlines are trying their best to find ways to overcome difficulties, said Yu Biao, an official with the Civil Aviation Administration of China, at the daily press briefing Thursday in response to reports that many foreign airlines have suspended their flights to China. Yu took Air China as an example, noting that the carrier is applying to open international multi-stop flights to pick up more passengers, which could be a good choice at such a hard time. The administration also worked with the foreign ministry to send out a notice to the civil aviation regulators of over 70 countries to introduce China's prevention and control measures on outbound flights, customs and quarantine, Yu said. "We hope this could eliminate unnecessary worries of those countries," Yu added. Yu said the authorities in some countries and regions have expressed their trust that the measures are safe and effective and responded positively to the resumption of flights. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Kokrajhar in Assam on Friday to participate in an event to celebrate the signing of the Bodo agreement. This will be the prime minister's first visit to the Northeast since protests erupted against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act last December in which three people were killed. "Tomorrow, I look forward to being in Assam. I will be in Kokrajhar to address a public meeting. We will mark the successful signing of the Bodo Accord, which brings to an end a problem that had been persisting for decades. It marks the start of a new era of peace and progress," he said in a tweet. The Bodo accord was signed on January 27 by the government with four factions of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), All Bodo Students' Union and a civil society group for bringing a lasting peace in Bodo-dominated areas in Assam. A cultural programme of ethnic groups of Assam is being organised to showcase the diversity of the state, the statement said. In a recent tweet, the prime minister had termed the day the accord was signed "a very special day for India" and said that it "will lead to a transformative results for Bodo people, ushering in a new dawn of peace, harmony and togetherness". Over 1,615 cadres of different factions of the NDFB surrendered their arms and joined the mainstream within two days of the signing of the agreement. In his latest 'Mann ki Baat' radio address, the prime minister had appealed to all those on the path of violence to return to the mainstream and lay down their arms. A summit meeting between Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, scheduled to be held in Guwahati in December, was cancelled due to the anti-CAA protests. Modi was also invited for the inauguration of the recently-concluded 'Khelo India' games in Guwahati but he did not attend it. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Good Morning America The Biden administration's plan to send 500 million at-home tests to Americans for free is an historic undertaking, but one that will take weeks or months to fully execute, recently released contracts and interviews with seven test manufacturers suggest. Contracts for the first two batches of tests were announced on Friday, one for 13.3 million kits from a health technology company and another for an undisclosed amount from a distribution company in Virginia that had extras on hand -- all to be distributed in an effort to reduce the massive testing shortage in the U.S. Tests won't be available to be ordered through a government website until later this month, the official said, meaning it's unlikely the average American will get free tests delivered in time for the January peak of omicron cases predicted by most models. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Adelia Pratiwi and Dwinanda Ardhi Swasono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 14:53 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062f3e6b 3 Opinion natural-disaster,finance,BNPB,budget,financing Free Besides being naturally prone to disasters, based on the World Risk Index, Indonesia is also among the riskiest places in the world due to a lack of coping and adaptive capacities. An important resilience factor to improve is financing effectiveness. Every year, the government spends around Rp 4 trillion (about US$285.70 million) on programs to improve disaster resilience. This amount, even if added with support from international communities, still could not cover the actual economic loss of extreme events like Acehs earthquake and tsunami of December 2004. As such capacity is limited by fiscal regulation, Indonesia should work toward improving the current financing capacity. This requires a thorough examination of the institutional and instrument readiness Indonesia already has with its framework for disaster mitigation, Law No. 24/2007. It highlights the importance of actions before, during and after natural disasters. The law, however, does not specify disaster risk financing strategies. It only states that we have funds through the central and local government and National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) budgets. However, breakthroughs through financial instruments are still needed. One principle of disaster finance is readiness of funds in emergencies. Development of financial instruments in this area includes insurance types of financing. Typically, such instruments can facilitate the transfer of risks. With an insurance mechanism, we would have a standby fund that could be used anytime. Indonesia has already implemented the insurance model in emergencies for assets or goods owned by state-owned companies and local governments. A disaster risk insurance scheme can become a solution in Indonesia. However, properties or capital goods, for instance, have not been adequately covered by insurance. There are two challenges behind this gap, which are low awareness on properties insurance and the slow process of claim settlement one claim can be processed between one and two years. Besides building awareness on the need to insure properties against catastrophe risks, Indonesia needs to also develop alternative solutions to address the problem. One potential solution is to introduce creative instruments such as catastrophic bonds. Catastrophic bonds have been used in many countries due to their practicality. Mexico, for instance, has used this scheme to anticipate long payouts. The catastrophic bond will allow the government to immediately get funding in the event of disasters. The government pays interest based on pricing. The success of this type of bond depends on how one would structure it so it can be executed efficiently. There are many underlying models that can be applied, such as the parametric model. For example, Mexico used such a model by linking payouts with financial costs or damages. Failure to define the triggering event will result in inability to get quick funding. This requires sound data management. In Mexicos case, the payment could take an average of 103 days. Assessing if a disaster event meets the criteria to receive funding is thus a considerable challenge. A huge cost will occur if the triggering event does not meet the criteria for payment as the government will have to keep paying interest and fees of the bonds. One of the main challenges related to state budget management in Indonesia is the low quality of spending. If the government wants to implement some new initiatives to increase the disaster management budget through disaster risk insurance and catastrophic bonds, it needs to make sure that the money will be spent in the most effective way possible. First, there should be a specific account like an escrow to ensure that the money does not go to general financing and only to disaster recovery measures. From here, the effectiveness and accountability of disaster budget expenditures would be improved. Second, the government should always work closely with local key stakeholders, such as NGOs, local leaders and residents. The central government can have a national disaster management plan, but a significant role of the local government will always be needed. Every local government needs to translate the national plan into local plans, which should focus on bringing people to work together in disaster management plans. This promotes a sense of urgency and a strong foundation on which residents could maintain cooperation in difficult times and also shape their perceptions of risk for better preparedness. Third, the government can allocate a budget for programs to preserve local wisdoms, which should be an important part of the disaster management plan, especially at the local level. In Aceh, ancestors had passed down their experience of earlier smong (tsunami) through songs and poems including directions to run up hills in the event of earthquakes followed by receding tidewater. This local knowledge saved some people from the tsunami in 2004. Another example is the paseduluran (brotherhood) concept in Bantul, Yogyakarta. After the earthquake, the value of closeness among locals based on this concept encouraged people to help each other rebuild homes. These local wisdoms should be preserved for example by integrating the values into the curriculum. Last but not least is the allocation of funds to supporting research and innovation related to disasters. It is great that PetaBencana.id, a web-based platform for emergency response and disaster management created by the BNPB, won at the United Nations Public Service Awards in 2019. However, we need more innovations by strengthening coordination such as with other countries, especially Southeast Asian neighbors. All the above suggestions also need comprehensive evaluation for effective spending. *** The writers are economists at the Finance Ministry. The views expressed are their own. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Mike Bloomberg, the billionaire former mayor of New York City, announced Thursday that his presidential campaign will host more than 1,200 events in 30-plus states on Saturday and Sunday, just days before other candidates compete in the New Hampshire primary. Bloomberg said the so-called Weekend of Action would feature events such as office openings, roundtables, house parties, volunteer trainings, canvasses and phone banks in all Super Tuesday primary states. The events come as Bloomberg works to expand his operation to 125 offices across the country after entering the race late and foregoing the Iowa and New Hampshire contests. The campaign, which has outspent other Democrats on advertising by a wide margin, says it has hired more than 2,100 staff across 40 states and territories. Bloombergs poll numbers have recently seen an uptick, placing him near third place nationwide alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts behind former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. While the other Democratic campaigns are busy relocating to New Hampshire and arguing about the Iowa results, were running a national campaign and taking the fight directly to Donald Trump in the states that will actually decide this election, Bloomberg said in a statement. To win in November, Democrats need to build a broad, diverse coalition of voters all across the country. Thats exactly what were doing and thats what will be on display this weekend. SALT LAKE CITY - Even though Mitt Romneys status as one of few Republicans willing to publicly criticize President Donald Trump is well known is his adopted home of Utah, his unequivocal speech before his impeachment vote Wednesday caught many by surprise. In a state where Republicans are unusually divided on the president, the reactions to Romneys choice were also at odds. Some were heartened to see him cast what Romney described as an agonizing vote dictated by his conscience, though there was plenty of frustration and anger from Trump supporters. Still, with four years to go before any re-election campaign, Romney has a long time to explain his status to an electorate with a deep well of goodwill that gives him a celebrity-like status in the state. There will be ramifications in terms of his support, said Jason Perry with the University of Utahs Hinckley Institute of Politics. But people do ultimately care about what he says, even if they dont agree with him. Romney appeared emotional during his speech on the Senate floor. He told reporters that hed been waking up in the early-morning hours as his mind churned over what to do. He cited a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints hymn about doing the right thing despite the consequences, and he said his vote will likely have blowback in the party for him and his family. Though theres no provision in Utah law to recall a sitting senator, one state lawmaker has recently introduced a bill that would create one. Republican sponsor Rep. Tim Quinn has said it is not aimed at Romney, and his bill would require a significant effort to put a recall proposal to voters. The bill hasnt gotten a hearing yet, and if it passes its unclear whether it would be constitutional. Romneys key role in saving the troubled 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City paired with his status as the first major-party presidential candidate from the states predominant faith widely known as the Mormon church has made him well-known and liked in the state where he moved after his failed 2012 presidential run. Many Utah voters share Romneys wariness about Trump. A nationwide Associated Press survey of midterm voters in 2018 found that while two-thirds of church members voted Republican, just over half approved of Trumps job performance. The VoteCast survey also found that 64% of Utah voters wanted to see the senator confront the president. Shelly Cluff, a 33-year-old stay-at-home mother in suburban Riverton, is a Republican whos never been a fan of Trump. She was pleasantly surprised at Romneys stance. I was greatly impressed by his integrity, his willingness to put so much on the line in order not to violate his conscience, in order to stand with a clear conscience before God, Cluff said. Still, she knows that not all her neighbours feel the same, including several who didnt vote for him in 2016 but have since come around. Ive been taken aback by how many people have been really upset and disappointed in Mitt Romney, she said. Count among those voters like Ray Clark, a 71-year-old electrical contractor in rural Kanab. He said hes furious about Romneys vote, and chalks it up to the senators personal dislike of the president. Still, hes not sure if Romney will ultimately suffer any true political consequences in Utah. Right now, Id say he doesnt stand a chance. Four years from now, who knows? he said. Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Daily Briefing Online on February 6, 2020 2020/02/06 First, I'd like to share some data with you. According to the latest data this morning from the National Health Commission, between 00:00 and 24:00, February 5, 261 cured and discharged cases and 73 fatal cases were newly reported in China's mainland. As of 24:00 February 5, a total of 1,153 cured and discharged cases and 563 fatal cases have been reported in China's mainland. Newly reported confirmed cases in China excluding Hubei declined for a second day starting from February 4. Q: Some media informed that maybe the number of confirmed cases and dead persons are higher as the official figures are saying. What's your comment about it? A: The Chinese government puts people's life and health as its top priority. Acting with openness, transparency and a high sense of responsibility, it has been sharing information in a timely manner, enhancing international cooperation, putting in place a nation-wide scheme, pooling national resources and taking the most strict and thorough measures to fight the outbreak. The National Health Commission and the Wuhan health authorities hold daily briefings to keep the public updated. China's openness, transparency and high sense of responsibility, and its decisive and effective measures have been recognized by the international community. We have noted some rumors and lies on this epidemic, which are worse than the virus itself. You may have noted that even WHO Director-General has repeatedly called on people to not believe in rumors or spread them. In some countries, relevant departments have been stepping up efforts to bring to justice those creating and spreading rumors about the epidemic. Q: Media reported that China is likely considering invoking the disaster-related clause in the Phase One trade deal with the U.S. and launching consultations on the matter due to the coronavirus outbreak. Can you comment on whether China is deliberating such a step? A: I have no information on that. I would refer you to the competent authorities. Q: Reports show that Taiwan official William Lai, during a personal trip to US, visited the White House and had a 70-minute meeting with US National Security Council officials. Does China see this as another sign of warming political and security ties between Taiwan and the US? What effects will it have? A: China firmly opposes official exchange between the US and the Taiwan region. This position is clear and consistent. We have made stern representations to the US side regarding the US allowing Lai Ching-te to attend activities in the US. We urge the US to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques and stop official exchange with Taiwan. It shall not arrange for contact of any form between US leaders, government officials, Congress members and Lai. It should prudently handle issues relating to Taiwan and stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces to avoid causing serious harm to China-US relations. Q: Some countries have gone to the extreme of suspending flights with China. What is your response? A: Since the onset of the outbreak, the Chinese government has taken the most thorough and strict prevention and control measures, and such measures are increasingly showing their effects. WHO lauded China's strong measures and stressed many times that it does not recommend and even opposes imposing restrictions on travel. As some countries have taken such excessive steps as suspending flights, ICAO has also issued bulletins and encouraged all countries to follow WHO recommendations. We deplore and oppose those countries who went against WHO's professional recommendations and ICAO's bulletins and have lodged stern representations with them. Their actions, which sowed panic among the public, will not help prevent and control the epidemic. They have gravely disrupted normal personnel exchanges, international cooperation and order of the international market of air transportation. We urge the relevant countries to think carefully, not to overreact, nor restrict flights operated by airlines of the two sides, with bilateral relations and cooperation in mind. They should immediately correct their policies and wrongdoings in reference to recommendations of the WHO and ICAO and take concrete actions to support China's battle against the epidemic. Q: A Bloomberg report says that China sealed off Hubei province to save the world form the novel coronavirus outbreak. It analyzes that "the idea of sacrificing one's self for a greater, national goal is deeply-embedded in Chinese culture, and is invoked by the country's leaders in times of hardships". I wonder if you can give a comment? A: I've noticed this article. It reminds me of a popular Chinese song Nation with the line "a family is the smallest cell of a nation while a nation is thousands of families put together". Indeed, as the lyric puts it, sacrificing one's family for all and putting the country before oneself has always been a spiritual hallmark of the Chinese nation ingrained in our genes. This is a strong bond uniting all Chinese people. After the onset of this epidemic, the Chinese government, putting people's health first, has done its utmost to make sure every patient receives timely treatment. At the same time, we have seen so many touching stories of people sacrificing themselves for the greater good. The Chinese people's sense of responsibility to the country has been fully displayed in this joint fight against the outbreak. Just as President Xi pointed out while meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sun yesterday, the Chinese nation has experienced hardships and difficulties. China has the confidence and the capacity to win this battle. We will continue to enhance cooperation with the international community for the sake of Chinese citizens' health and global public health. It has been snowing for two days in Beijing. However, the Beginning of Spring, the first of the 24 solar terms, has already come. As winter retreats and spring advances, everything will come back to life. The Chinese people, fighting united as one, will surely defeat the epidemic. Q: Officials in some countries suggest their citizens should leave China as soon as possible because there might not be commercial flights taking them to other countries in the next few weeks due to possible travel restrictions. I wonder if you have any comment? A: That's just baseless assumptions. After the epidemic outbreak, the Chinese government attaches high importance to the life and health of all people in China, Chinese and foreign nationals alike. We have taken the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures against the novel coronavirus, many of which have far exceeded what WHO and International Health Regulations required. Currently the security, health and living standards of foreign nationals in China is guaranteed. The Civil Aviation Administration of China has taken effective measures to minimize the possibility of virus spreading in airplanes and to ensure travelers' safety and health on international flights. We hope all countries can assess the epidemic situation and China's efforts in a calm, objective and rational manner and do not overreact. China's position is clear: China's civil flights will not be suspended, and the Chinese government will take Chinese nationals home wherever they are. Q: You talked about the number of foreign nationals confirmed of 2019-nCoV in China and the services China has provided for foreigners to know about the epidemic. Is there any update on the number now? What other measures do you take to address foreign nationals' needs? A: We put the life and health of Chinese and foreign nationals in our country as the first priority and have mobilized enormous medical supplies and daily necessities to fight against the virus. According to data from the competent authority, as of noon February 6, 19 foreign nationals have been confirmed of 2019-nCoV pneumonia, among them two have been cured and discharged from hospital while 17 are receiving treatment in isolation. China attaches high importance to addressing the concerns and demands of foreign nationals in China, especially those in Wuhan, Hubei Province. The Chinese government has provided timely, multilingual information and advisory services on epidemic prevention and control to foreigners in China. The foreign ministry and relevant local governments hold briefings on the situation of epidemic prevention and control for foreign embassies and consulates in China to respond to their concerns in a timely manner. Hubei province has strengthened the epidemic prevention and treatment concerning foreigners, and provided guidance to foreign patients in accordance with the tiered diagnosis and treatment system and as required by the community grid management. We have strengthened the protection and assistance for foreign citizens. Many provinces and cities have included foreigners living there in the working mechanism of local governments and communities to meet their needs in life, epidemic prevention and treatment and to offer support to them. Many foreign nationals in China applaud the care and assistance they receive and other measures taken by China. China will continue to care about the safety and health of foreigners in China as much as about its own citizens and guarantee their working and living conditions. Q: Yesterday the Wall Street Journal carried an article "China Is the Real Sick Man of Asia", attacking China with the novel coronavirus outbreak. Do you have a comment? A: We have seen this report. Walter Russell Mead, you should be ashamed of your words, your arrogance, your prejudice and your ignorance. I want to draw Mr.Mead's attention to the following facts. The H1N1 flu that broke out in the US in 2009 has a mortality rate as high as 17.4%, and according to the report by the US CDC issued at the end of January, the 2019-2020 seasonal influenza in the US has infected 19 million people and killed at least 10,000 people. Compared with the current pneumonia outbreak in China, Mr. Mead, anything more you'd like to say? Q: The IPC has now told foreign journalists they are required to self-quarantine for 14 days after their return from a place outside their city of residence. Under what health regulation is this requirement being made? Are such requirements being made of all Chinese and non-Chinese citizens, or only of foreign journalists? A: China is at an unusual time as we are fighting an all-out war against this epidemic. Putting people's safety and health first, Beijing and other localities have all issued notices on strengthening epidemic prevention and control efforts. We have the understanding, coordination and cooperation of all Chinese people. Out of concern for the foreign journalists stationed in China, the IPC kindly reminds them to take special care and mind personal hygiene, comply with local regulations and arrangements on their interview outings, and protect themselves from infection. Many foreign journalists thanked us for the considerate and kind reminders. They have also been most understanding and cooperative. Q: Considering the coronavirus outbreak, is China considering delaying the annual meeting of the "two sessions"? A: I haven't heard of that. We are doing our best to fight the epidemic for an early victory. Q: China reportedly took home 147 Wuhanese from Singapore yesterday. Are you arranging evacuation of other Chinese citizens from anywhere else in the world? A: After some countries resorted to extreme restrictions such as suspending flights despite WHO recommendations and ICAO bulletins, some Chinese nationals have ended up stranded overseas. The Chinese government attaches great importance to addressing this situation. The MFA and Chinese diplomatic missions overseas have been assisting them in getting back home by changing flight or transiting in another country. At the same time, we have also been trying to get flights resumed to bring them home. I must stress that certain countries' ill-advised decisions to suspend flights to and from China are neither cool-headed nor rational. It has had direct impacts on bilateral personnel exchange and cooperation. China expresses strong concern and deplores that. We hope relevant countries will bear in mind overall relations and people's interests and resume normal operation of flights to guarantee normal people-to-people exchange and cooperation. I want to stress again that China's civil flights will not be suspended. China will continue to do its utmost to bring home Chinese citizens stranded overseas. Q: Would China consider banning entry of travelers coming from a country seriously affected by the coronavirus? A: We believe that what is imperative at the moment is to unite and cooperate to achieve an early victory. As far as I know, China's visa-issuing authorities abroad and port visa authorities are functioning normally. Foreigners have no problem entering China in accordance with China's relevant laws and regulations. If you have any inquiries, please refer to the official website, WeChat and Weibo accounts of China's National Immigration Agency or dial 24h hotline 86-10-66265110. Q: Is the government working to keep education partnerships and study abroad programs despite fears of the coronavirus pushing some to weigh cutting back academic programs and cooperation with China? A: We have confidence in winning the battle against the epidemic as soon as possible and will continue international exchange and cooperation in education and other areas. Q: Considering the steps being taken to contain coronavirus, is China looking at a timeline to bring the epidemic under control? A: With the concerted efforts of the Chinese people and close cooperation with the international community, we hope we'll win the battle against the epidemic as soon as possible. Q: We notice that Chinese Consul General in New York expressed gratitude to some people in the United States, and especially the NBA, for providing support for China's efforts to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Does this suggest that the Chinese government's position and attitude changed on this issue? A: After the onset of the outbreak, people from all walks of life in many countries, including American companies, institutions, organizations and individuals, all supported China in this fight. We thank all the sincere and kind assistance and support from the international community. Q: Video of an Indonesian policeman singing the "Jiayou Wuhan" song goes viral in Indonesian social media. He also prayed for Wuhan people. He has never been to China before but is able to sing some Mandarin songs. What's your comments? A: The virus is cold but there's warmth in humanity. During this difficult time, Wuhan city and China is cheered on through the social media by so many lovely people from all corners of the world like this Indonesian policeman. "Come on, Wuhan" is ringing across the globe and known by all. Let this friend from Indonesia know that the epidemic will pass one day, and when that day comes, we welcome all who support Wuhan and China to visit China, especially Wuhan. Q: I heard Prof. Huang Xiqiu, a designer of Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, was born in Indonesia 79 years ago. Indonesian netizens are proud of him. What's your response? A: Thank you for your care and attention for us. Prof. Huang was born in Indonesia and brought up in China. He claims great esteem in architecture, especially in medical architecture and has made important contributions to our battles against SARS and this epidemic. Thanks for noticing this detail and we believe that Mr. Huang also hold fond memories of his birthplace. We hope China-Indonesia friendship will deepen and yield more fruitful outcomes. Q: The Indonesian students who returned from Wuhan recently are reportedly in good conditions in Indonesia. So far Indonesia had no coronavirus case. What is your opinion on this? A: Since the outbreak of the epidemic, China has spared no efforts to ensure the safety and health of foreign nationals in Hubei Province, including in Wuhan city. We also offered necessary assistance and facilitation for them. I am glad to hear that the Indonesian students are in good condition, and when the epidemic is over, they are welcome to return and resume their study and life in China. We heard that some people in Indonesia panic about these students coming back from China. This is completely unnecessary. WHO has made it clear that the 2019-nCoV is not a pandemic. We hope that everyone can assess the epidemic situation in a calm, rational and science-based manner and do not buy rumors or overreact. Q: The measures announced by the Beijing municipal government three days ago say those returning to Beijing - people who are not returning from Hubei - "can go to work" if their body temperature is normal. What is the regulatory basis for telling foreign journalists to self-quarantine if they return from travels anywhere outside Beijing? A: Everyone should take responsibility for their health and those around them. It is everyone's duty to society. We need all-in efforts to win this battle. IPC's kind reminder is out of concern for the health of you and people around you. Don't you agree? Thank you, Madame Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, for tearing up your copy of President Trumps State of the Union address in public. This self-aggrandizing and House-impeached Bully in Chief was speaking only to his evangelical base during this address. His self-congratulatory and often misleading words were not worth the paper that they were written on. Jennifer Erickson-James, San Francisco Disrespectful behavior It is clear that its time to find a new speaker of the House of Representatives. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis conduct during and after the presidents address to a joint session of Congress was appalling, disrespectful and even un-American. All Americans deserve a speaker who is respected, respectful of all Americans and not combative and divisive. At this stage and age of her tenure as leader, its time to find someone else to lead the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives. Gregory OLeary, Stockton Neglectful address The State of the Union address was as expected, and I thought that the praise of Rush Limbaugh would be the low point. But even lower than that was when President Trump listed the generations and the individuals that had worked to make America great and made no mention of the African Americans who contributed equally and more though deprived of their god-given rights. This would have been the ideal occasion to apologize for this gross injustice. By neglecting to do this he has compounded our nations sin. Stephen Campi, Walnut Creek Posthumous pardon Regarding Newsom pardons gay civil rights leader (Feb. 5): Thank you, Gov. Gavin Newsom, for issuing a posthumous pardon to Bayard Rustin, who was an adviser to the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. People like Rustin, who were convicted of consensual same-sex encounters back in the 1940s and 1950s, lived at a time when homosexuality was considered a mental disorder. He was very courageous for living as an openly gay man despite the prospect of being imprisoned for his private behavior. Rustin and many others who were branded criminals in the past should have their convictions expunged in the present. As a member of the LGBTQ community, I appreciate any actions that move our society toward equality for all of our citizens. Sasha Englander, San Rafael Archaic system Concerning No more, Iowa (Editorial, Feb. 5): Not only are the caucuses a political corn maze, theyre also relics of a bizarre primary system that should have been scrapped decades ago. And my sentiments are the same about the antiquated Electoral College. Why should this multi-ethnic nation of over 320 million people continue to give several states with small homogeneous populations the ability to influence or determine the outcomes of our most important elections? Carla Innurato, San Bruno A worse experience Regarding Seamless transit? Chiu: It can be done (Feb. 4): I support Assemblyman David Chius goal of making trains and buses faster and more convenient than driving. But I fear that the way our state and local government officials will accomplish that is by making the driving experience worse, not public transit better. For many years, Ive advocated a simple but effective solution to the woes of Muni that we ordinary people must endure: require the mayor, supervisors, and all of their staff to rely solely on public transit to get around the city, whether on official or personal business. Im sure that within about six months, Muni would be the best transit system in the country. Emmett Stanton, San Francisco Limbaughs not a patriot How could we have done this to ourselves? How could we have elected Donald Trump as our American president? In How to not lose hope (Letters, Feb. 5), the writer feels such dismay that she said, When you enjoy life, Trump loses. This is the man who gave Rush Limbaugh the 2020 Medal of Freedom. Cancer ridden or not, Limbaugh is no American patriot. For those who didnt bother to vote in the past presidential election, I am pleading: Please vote in the coming election so we can dump the creature in the White House out of office! Margaret Stortz, El Cerrito Excellent reporting Regarding Wherever the mayor went, the cleaning happened (Feb. 4): I want to compliment and thank you for the fine reporting by Heather Knight regarding the story of our so-called San Francisco Public Works. This is real journalism. No wonder the city is having such problems on our streets. Keep this up. We might get somebody who is willing to do the job. Charles Leyes, San Francisco Start with the DMV The recent articles of Gov. Gavin Newsom, state Sen. Scott Wiener and others calling for the state to take over Pacific Gas and Electric Co. have me rather worried. The state agency I have had to deal with most recently is the Department of Motor Vehicles, to get my drivers license renewed and get a Real ID. The soonest appointment available was three months away. Despite having an appointment, the application completed online and all paperwork ready, my visit to their office lasted over two hours. Two of the DMV employees I had to deal with were extremely rude. By contrast, last year I had PG&E come to my house to check my heater. The appointment was within two days, their representative arrived on time, was pleasant and thoroughly explained what was happening with the heater, which required a repair company to fix it before the pilot flame could be left on. I have not had my house burned down or my power turned off, but in my opinion, PG&E is a model of efficiency when compared to the DMV. I suggest that state officials get the DMV operating efficiently at all locations before they start trying to take over another company as large as PG&E. Charlotte Seekamp, San Francisco Not good for business California politics, like most politics, are nonsensical and have turned off the American voter, including the travesty of trying to remove a standing president from office due to political agendas. I truly believe until career politicians (attorneys) are finally replaced with business people that our system and especially Californias long-term health is going to be on a major decline. Our state continues to spend money they dont have to raise taxes, to put nothing into California infrastructure and to tax us at an unprecedented rate, with no checks and balances. What I witnessed with House Speaker Nancy Pelosis childish antics is a perfect example of why businessmen and women should replace these bloated, self-serving politicians. As a small business owner, this state takes more out of my pocket without any benefit to the small business owner. Theres a reason that the people are starting to flock outside of our state to conduct business. Although I enjoy living in California, it doesnt make financial sense as a business owner to maintain a business in California anymore. Its a shame that such a wonderful place to live is not worth living in anymore. Its truly a sad state of affairs. What he really needs to do is pick one or two things and devote all of his energy to that, said Bill Cunningham, who served as communications director for Mr. Bloomberg. That means he has to stop the caricature of He doesnt seem to be working. He needs to change that visual and be seen like Mayor La Guardia, his hero, who was everywhere all the time. The mayor has no shortage of hot-button issues to focus on, including pressing matters related to public safety. Crime and traffic deaths have generally been dropping during his tenure, but murders were up last year, leading to doubts over the mayors policing strategy, and new rules on bail passed by state lawmakers have raised concerns about crime. Pedestrian and cyclist deaths also increased, prompting calls for more bike lanes and enforcement of drivers. Other legacy-building ideas have been floated, from reimagining the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway as a smaller highway, or perhaps trying to wrest more control of the subways from the state. But the broader question is whether the mayor has the political capital to get any of it done. There is little historical precedent for New York mayors to be highly productive at the end of their terms, said Kenneth Sherrill, a professor emeritus of political science at Hunter College. While there are some things the mayor can do on his own, many Council members are searching for their next job and have little reason to work with the mayor. They have no need to ingratiate themselves with him, and he doesnt have much to dangle before them, he said. The Council speaker, Corey Johnson, is also running for mayor in 2021, and has his own agenda. And Mr. Cuomo, as always, is a wild card: He could upend the mayors budget by forcing the city to pay more toward Medicaid. Briarpatch, a noir crime drama starring Rosario Dawson, premieres tonight, Feb. 6, at 10 p.m. ET on the USA Network. Dawson, who also appeared in the show Luke Cage, stars as government worker Allegra Dill who returns to her hometown in Texas for the first time in 12 years to investigate her sisters murder. Her sister, a cop, was blown up by a car bomb. As Allegra pulls up in a cab to the town limits, she sees a deer shot by a cowboy-hat wearing cop. She finds out that the zoo has had a mass break-out and zoo animals pop in throughout the trailer. The mystery has dark humor baked in. Based on a book of the same name by Ross Thomas, the series was created by Mr. Robot creator Sam Esmail and written by former movie critic Andy Greenwald. Who did it? is kind of the most boring question you can ask, writer Andy Greenwald said in an interview with The New York Times. It seems like the most important question, but its really just the engine that fuels the deeper dive into the weirder, richer emotional lives of the characters and the community. What channel is the USA Network on? You can find which channel USA is on by using the channel finders here: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV and Dish. Where can I watch it if I dont have the USA Network? You can watch it on Hulu + Live, fuboTV (7-day free trial) or Sling. New Delhi, Feb 7 : The CBI on Thursday arrested a Delhi government officer, said to be the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia in an alleged bribery case of Rs 2 lakh, officials said. A senior CBI official said that it has arrested Gopal Krishna Madhav, a senior Delhi government officer, in the evening for allegedly receiving Rs 2 lakh bribe. The CBI official said that the officer has demanded Rs 2 lakh to settle an issue of tax. After arresting him, the CBI sleuths took him to the agency's headquarters in south Delhi's Lodhi road for questioning. The arrest comes two days before the crucial Assembly election for the 70-member Delhi assembly on February 8. According to the Delhi government's website, Madhav is currently posted as OSD to Sisodia. In the early 1980s I worked for nearly four years as a junior editor at Simon & Schuster. During that time, Alice Mayhew was the companys executive editor. She taught me to read the newspaper every day, particularly the editorials and obituaries. Learn the layout of the paper so that you can always find what you need to know, she told me. When I read that she died at her Manhattan home on Tuesday, I happened to be walking past her apartment building that very afternoon. I had felt the impulse to look through the door and into the lobby, hoping for a glimpse of her. Whenever I ran into her, walking south along Fifth Avenue or on her way to the Lions Head Bar on Christopher Street, she would ask what I was doing. She was doing serious work editing books about presidents and world wars, covert spy operations and biographies of Nobel Peace Prize recipients. CONCORD, N.H. - New Hampshire voters rarely rubber-stamp the results of the Iowa caucuses. And they wont follow the lead of Iowas chaotic caucuses when votes are counted and reported from the states first-in-the-nation primary, state officials said Thursday. Both New Hampshire officials and outside experts agree the state is unlikely to experience the problems that plagued Iowas Monday contest for a variety of reasons: The New Hampshire primaries are run by towns and cities, not the political parties. Voters mark paper ballots, which are counted by hand or by machines that are not connected to the internet. Local election officials announce results to the public and the media on election night, and their handwritten tallies are delivered to the secretary of states office by state police the next morning. As Secretary of State Bill Gardner is fond of saying, You cant hack a pencil. Weve kept it simple. Ive always preached that the more moving parts that you have in the election process, the more room there is for something to not function right, he said earlier this week. At a news conference Thursday, Attorney General Gordon MacDonald and others described the states election preparedness and security for the Feb. 11 primary. New Hampshire has more than 6,000 local election workers who are trained by the secretary of states office. On Election Day, inspectors from the attorney generals office will visit each of the states 300-plus polling places and will have a team of attorneys responding to calls to a hotline for reporting problems. The 2020 presidential primary will take place against the backdrop of New Hampshires long history of conducting elections that are fair, with complete integrity, well run and with a very high level of voter participation, he said. Iowa kicked off the presidential nominating contests, but the results remained muddied days later by reporting delays. Officials initially attributed the delays to technical problems with an app that precinct chairs were supposed to use to record votes, then to backlogs as those volunteers tried to call in their totals. Eddie Perez, global director of technology development for the OSET Institute, an election technology research organization, said he expects things will be different in New Hampshire because so many of the process failures that happened in Iowa and the uncertainty that resulted were really due to the uniqueness of the mobile app they were using, which of course is not going to be operative in New Hampshire. If something big goes wrong, the Statehouse will be opened that night to the media and campaigns so officials can keep the public informed, said Deputy Secretary of State Dave Scanlan. But he and others said that was highly unlikely. Not only has New Hampshire had the first presidential primary for 100 years, it also elects its governor and 424-member Legislature every two years, meaning local election officials get lots of practice. What youre hearing today about the incredible details that go into this process, the checks and the balances ... this is typically how New Hampshire runs its elections year after year after year, said Republican Gov. Chris Sununu said. We do it right, and frankly we do it better than anybody else does. David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, agreed that New Hampshire almost certainly will not have problems like Iowa, in large part because the primary is run by state and municipal election officials. But he does see room for improvement. Most other states that use paper ballots perform audits to check results before certifying them, he said, but New Hampshire does not. Its very good to have a check on the machine, not just for malware, but for the much greater likelihood that machines sometimes malfunction, he said. Michele Courser, the town clerk in Warner, said she doesnt anticipate any problems. The town has about 2,100 registered voters, and poll workers count ballots by hand. Theres always pressure, but we know how were supposed to be running it, so as long as were running it that way, were not going to have issues, she said. In Tamworth, former longtime town moderator George Cleveland said he did sometimes worry about elderly eyesight coupled with poor lighting as poll workers counted ballots. And there was that one year when the ballot box went on a bit of an adventure. Cleveland, the grandson of President Grover Cleveland, said election officials had a long-standing tradition of going out to eat after the polls closed and before counting ballots. One year, he put the box in the police chiefs car, figuring that was as safe a place as any. It was a great idea, until the chief got called away to respond to a car accident, and drove off with the ballots. After that, we started having dinner brought in, he said. ___ Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, Ground Game. Photo credit: Getty Images From Harper's BAZAAR Superstar Madonna posted a clip to her Instagram talking about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's new life abroad in Canada. The Queen of Pop offered her NYC apartment to the royal couple, claiming that Canada is too "boring" of a place for the family to lay roots. Madonna is the latest celebrity offering a warm welcome to Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan's transition to life abroad. The megastar shared a video to her Instagram talking about the royal couple and captioned the clip with the question, "Do Megan and Prince Harry want to sublet my apartment on Central Park West??" Both Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step down as senior members of the royal family last month, much to the dismay of the world and the rest of the royal family. The couple are expected to split their time between North America and the United Kingdom going forward. In the clip, however, while Madonna is seemingly preparing for her concert in London, she openly persuades the Sussexes to reconsider their decision to lay down roots in Canada. "Don't run off to Canada. It's so boring there," quips Madonna. "I'll let them sublet my apartment on Central Park West. It's two bedrooms. It's got the best view of Manhattan." Madonnain her traditonal daring fashioneven makes a quick jab at the couple's former life as part of the royal family. "Buckingham Palace has got nothing on CPW." You Might Also Like (Kitco News) - Artificial intelligence is playing a larger role in the mining space, with one company taking on the task of collecting and sifting through large data sets for miners. Denis Laviolette, CEO of GoldSpot Discoveries, said that there are some common misconception around the term A.I. The overall field of data science, everyone sort of coins as A.I. In reality, were not building a computer that is a sentient entity, its really a list of tools, a toolbox if you will, of data analytics, Laviolette told Kitco News on the sidelines of the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference. A.I. used to analyze big data is a risk-reducing tool in the mining industry, Laviolette said. Its so expensive, its so risky to drill deposits and exploration dollars are drying up and tightening up and everyones so conscious about that so A.I. can really help that. It can really help companies be more responsible, he said. Commercial real estate investment in France and Germany in 2019 was at an all-time high, driving the second strongest year on record for real estate in EMEA While investment across the region as a whole mirrored that of 2018 at 254 billion, continental Europe saw volumes rise 9 percent to 204 billion the highest year on record. The strong continental European market helped mitigate dips caused by sectoral and geopolitical uncertainty. Global capital continues to be deployed across Europes major markets, says Christian Denny, EMEA capital markets associate at JLL. While France and Germany both reached new highs, we have also seen more meaningful allocations of capital into non-traditional sectors and geographies in search of yield. In Germany, investment hit 60 billion, up 6 percent on 2018, with offices and hotels performing well, and mixed-use assets seeing a large increase compared to the previous year. Investor confidence in German real estate remains high, despite stalling economic growth, Denny says. Germanys labour market is performing well, with wage growth sustaining the appeal of the countrys big seven cities and in particular the office and logistics sectors. In France, where investment hit 39 billion, activity was driven by the strength of domestic SCPI and OPCI funds with capital to deploy in their search for secure income, as well as South Korean capital. Large transactions swelled Frances figures four deals took place above 900 million, explains Alexandra Fortescue, EMEA research director at JLL. Repeating the performance of 2020 might be a challenge for the French market given the size of transactions in 2019. However, if there is sufficient supply, investors' appetite for the French market will make it possible to match last years investment volumes. Other European markets also continued to draw in capital throughout the year, with Sweden and the Czech Republic both recording significant increases in total investment, up by 38 percent and 26 percent respectively year-on-year. While Italy, Ireland, Norway, Belgium and Switzerland all saw double digit growth in investment volumes. While continental Europe saw gains, caution prevailed in the UK as investors waited on the sidelines for the outcome of the countrys general election and Brexit bill. Investment was down 26 percent from 2018. Political stability following Decembers general election came too late in the day for the UK, says Denny. Its likely that confidence in UK property recovers and the investment outlook could be somewhat improved come the half way point of 2020. The popularity of continental Europe remains, despite record low prime yields. The average net office yield is now down to 3.6 percent and as low as 2.65 percent in Berlin. Many of Europes major cities saw office yields tighten over 2019, says Denny. Yield compression continues, taking for example, Amsterdam office yields to below three percent for the first time. Looking forward, capital raised for real estate investment will continue to seek out opportunities across both the UK, where yields have risen, and continental Europe, says Fortescue. However, 2020 may not see a repeat of the new highs reached last year by France and Germany. This article originally appeared on JLL. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest all industry news and trends. Subscribe 2022 Hospitality Trends AIR Aerial Fitness made the case that the location they want to fill is unfit for retail uses, according to the petition submitted to the city. The space faces an alley, meaning it cannot be seen from the street, has little to no pedestrian traffic and has been unsuccessful for the retail uses there in the past, the petition said. Bosky Khanna By Express News Service BENGALURU: The best of Karnatakas grapes are finding their way to dozens of countries across the world in the form of raisins, owing to demand and commercial considerations.Grape farmersmost of whom are from the triangle region of Belagavi, Bagalkot and Vijayapura districts see more profits in the raisin business compared to the fruit and wine sector, according to horticulture department officials. Currently, the area under grape cultivation in Karnataka is 26,600 hectares. Last year the grapes harvest was 5.24 lakh tonnes, KB Dundi, additional director for fruits and vegetables at the horticulture department told The New Indian Express.Though money is a crucial factor, it is also because of temperatures and demand. A kilo of raisins fetches between Rs 250- 350 and has a round-the-year market. But grapes have demand only during season. The best quality of grapes are from the triangle region. Around 80 percent are dried to produce raisins. The ones consumed in homes are grown in Chikkaballapur, Doddaballapur, Devanahalli and other areas on the outskirts of Bengaluru, Dundi said.SV Hittalmani, retired additional director, horticulture and expert, said Karnataka last year produced 75,000 tonnes of raisins and Maharashtra one lakh tonnes. These two states are the largest exporters of grapes and send to 75 countries, including Afghanistan and Iran, which were once the largest producers of raisins. In the last 3-4 years farmers have started shifting to raisins, but this year the number is higher. At present over 10,000 farmers from the triangle region alone are growing grapes for raisins only. A raisin mandi has also come up in Vijayapura where buyers from across India gather to make purchases and make bookings, he said.Hittalmani added that since the temperatures are very high in the triangle region, the grapes grown there are of good quality, high sweetness and idea to be dried and processed. Around 1,000 tonnes of the Anab-e-Shahi seeded variety grown in Gouribidanur and Chikkaballapur is sent to Mumbai for making medicine annually. T Somu, Managing Director, Karnataka Wine Board said that while the existing farmers had switched over to raisin production, many farmers have begun grape cultivation and 2,050 acres is exclusively growing grapes for wine-making. The number of wine-making units in the state have also increased from two to 17 between 2007 and 2019. Rosmah Mansor, right, wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, arrives at Kuala Lumpur High Court in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. The graft trial of Rosmah has begun, with a top prosecutor saying she wielded considerable influence. (AP Photo) KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) The wife of Malaysian ex-Prime Minister Najib Razak went on trial Wednesday for alleged corruption in the same courthouse as her husband, with a top prosecutor saying she wielded considerable influence due to her overbearing nature." Although Rosmah Mansor holds no official post, deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram said she placed herself in a position where she was able to influence decisions in the public sector." Evidence will show she was actuated by a corrupt intention" at all times in seeking and receiving bribes related to a 1.25 billion ringgit ($303 million) solar energy project, Sri Ram said. She occupied no official position. However, she wielded considerable influence by reason of her overbearing nature, he said. Rosmah, 68, pleaded not guilty last year to two charges of corruption linked to a project to supply and install solar energy panels in 369 schools in eastern Sarawak state on Borneo island. She was accused of soliciting bribes from a manager at Jepak Holdings for her help in securing the contract and receiving a total 6.5 million ringgit ($1.6 million) in cash. The Education Ministry awarded Jepak the contract without any open tender. Separately, Rosmah was also charged with laudering illegal proceeds and tax evasion in a multibillion-dollar graft scandal that led to her husbands shocking electoral loss in May 2018. Rosmah didn't speak to reporters at the courthouse, where her husband Najib was in the dock for a graft trial at another courtroom on the same floor. At one point, he walked into the courtroom to support his wife. Sri Ram said Rosmah met two officials from Jepak through a meeting arranged by her former aide, Rizal Mansor, at her private home in 2016. He said a Jepak official was prepared to offer a large sum of money to Rosmah for her help in the form of a political donation" to her husband. The accused knew that the so-called political donation was meant as a bribe for her. Payment was contingent on her using her influence to obtain the solar hybrid contract" for Jepak, Sri Ram said. Story continues He said Rosmah had initially asked for 17% of the project value, or over 200 million ringgit ($58.5 million), but later agreed to take 187.5 million ringgit ($45.4 million), or 15% of the contract value. She used Rizal Mansor to make her demands and to negotiate the bribe that was to be paid to her, Sri Ram said. Rosmah was given 5 million ringgit in cash when Jepak won the contract and another 1.5 million ringgit when Jepak received payments from the Education Ministry, he added. Rizal was initially charged alongside Rosmah but prosecutors dropped charges against him, in move that will likely see him turn a prosecution witness. Anger over government corruption led to the May 9 election loss for Najib and his coalition, ushering in the first change of power since Malaysias independence from Britain in 1957. Rosmah's opulent lifestyle was thrown into the public spotlight after police conducted raids on residences associated with her family. Police seized hundreds of boxes of Hermes Birkin handbags, 423 watches, 14 tiaras and other jewelries plus cash estimated to be worth over $267 million. Several other former high-level officials have also been charged with corruption. Emraan Hashmi's son Ayaan was diagnosed with first-stage cancer at the age of four in 2014. Together, as a family, they fought cancer. After five years of a brave battle with the deadly disease, Emraan Hashmi shared the news that his son was declared cancer-free last year. He had taken to Twitter to share the good news. He had written, Today, 5 years after his diagnosis Ayaan has been declared cancer-free. It has been quite a journey. Thank you for all your prayers and wishes. Love and prayers for all the cancer fighters out there, hope and belief go a long way. You can WIN this battle !!! #thekissoflife. 10-year-old Ayaan is now an inspiration for many who think that cancer is the end of life. On World Cancer Day, Ayaan, a cancer survivor, was among the speakers at the Nargis Dutt Foundation event hosted by Priya Dutt. Shutterstock Ayaan's moving speech impressed many, including fellow cancer-survivor Sonali Bendre, who was headlining the event in Mumbai. Ayaan took over the stage with utmost ease and confidence. He began his speech by saying, Yesterday was my birthday, surprisingly today is cancer day. I think it is a coincidence. So my first day I was doing this was at the Tata Memorial Hospital event. That was pretty good too. But I think this one is going to be a little bit better because I am going to say something about cancer. Talking about his brave fight with cancer, he added, Cancer is horrible, it hurts you in every way, mentally and physically but after I survived cancer, my whole life has changed. I was strong, I was a fearless leader. For (fighting) cancer, you need to have a few qualities and that everyone over here has. You need to be strong. Everyone is strong over here. Fearless and fighter. He ended the speech by saying, To end my speech, I will only say one sentence Cancer is curable. Sonali Bendre was moved by his speech and calling him her "youngest motivator", she wrote, "I met my youngest motivator, Ayaan Hashmi, who is just 10 years old and is truly a canvas of positivity! The way he spoke about his journey was far beyond his age!" After the event, Emraan Hashmi's wife and Ayaan's mother took to social media to thank the organizers for giving such a platform to Ayaan. Parveen said, "Thank you, Priya Dutt and Nargis Dutt Foundation for giving Ayaan this opportunity." Emraan was a supportive father throughout his son's journey with cancer and they had also co-written a book titled The Kiss of Life: How A Superhero and My Son Defeated Cancer along with Bilal Siddiqi. The Earned Income Tax Credit supplements incomes through the tax code, awarding thousands of dollars each year primarily to low-wage workers with kids. But theres a problem: a huge population of eligible workers fails to file their taxes and get the money each year. In 2018, the state of California and the California Policy Lab, an interdisciplinary think tank of scholars from various University of California schools, started trying to solve this problem, and they commissioned one of the most fascinating experiments in nudging weve seen in a while. Nudges are simple, low-cost interventions aimed at gently guiding people to make better decisions. For example, making retirement plans the default option when you join a job, which has been shown to significantly increase the likelihood you save more for retirement. The California Policy Lab and its partners decided it would try and nudge workers to claim the EITC by sending them letters and text messages. The solution seemed like a no brainer: inform people how they can get free money, and theyll get that free money! If only it were that simple. We found a very precise zero effect, says Elizabeth Linos, a behavioral scientist at UC Berkeley who was also behind the study. Many of those who received the messages, she says, did visit the website advertised in the messages to help them sign up for the EITC. But in the end, they didnt fill out the forms to receive their credit. They turned down free money. We werent able to increase the rate at which people file for taxes and we werent able to increase the number of households that claim the EITC, Linos says. Linos and Rothstein believe our tax system is too complicated, and that we should make claiming the EITC, and filing for taxes more generally, much simpler. Linos says the good news is that other countries provide examples of systems that dont require mind-numbing paperwork to file for taxes or receive government benefits. A dark view of the findings might write off this population as doomed to poverty because of bad decision-making and self-destructive behavior. But psychologist Eldar Shafir and economist Sendhil Mullainathan suggest a more charitable lens, which they call the psychology of scarcity . Their research suggests the poor bear a unique cognitive burden that hurts their decision-making. They work long hours. They have higher stress. Theyre consumed with thinking about paying their rent, getting their kids medical care, and putting food on the table. Shafir and Mullainathan find these stresses lower their mental bandwidth, and it might help explain why so many low-income Californians are turning down free money. Read the whole story: NPR Karnataka's Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services on Thursday issued guidelines for testing, isolation, hospital admission and discharge in view of the outbreak of Novel Coronavirus (nCoV) in Wuhan city of China, a virus that has infected nearly 20,000 globally and has killed more than 500 in China. According to the guidelines, the sample of any passenger, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, with a history of travel to or residence in Wuhan city of China in the last 14 days, has to be collected and tested. And the sample of any health personnel, who develops symptoms of the virus after being associated with the infected persons, has to be collected. The circular further says that the clinical sample of any suspect/probable case of nCoV will be sent to the laboratory confirmation and the case will be kept in isolation. If tested positive, the treatment has to be provided as per the existing guidelines. All 645 evacuated from Wuhan test negative The Union Health Ministry on Thursday said all 645 people evacuated from China's Wuhan city, who were kept in isolation at Army Base and ITBP camps, tested negative for coronavirus. It added that as of February 6, 1,38,750 passengers from 1,265 flights had been screened for the novel coronavirus but no new case was detected. READ | China's nurses get mask marks after treating coronavirus patients, netizens hail 'heroes' India has so far reported three confirmed cases of Coronavirus from Kerala. Three medical students studying at the Wuhan University who returned to India recently tested positive for the virus. Besides, 510 samples were tested by ICMR network laboratories, of which all had tested negative except for the three already reported positive cases. The three cases are clinically stable, the ministry said in a statement. READ | Global tourism drops as travel to China and other Asian countries halts amid coronavirus Death toll in China crosses 550 The coronavirus death toll in mainland China jumped by 73 to 563 on Thursday, its third consecutive record daily rise. Experts have intensified efforts to find a vaccine for a disease that has shut down Chinese cities and factories and could damage the world's second-largest economy. Hubei province, the epicentre of the epidemic, reported 70 new deaths on Wednesday and 2,987 new confirmed cases - more than 80 per cent of the total, reported by Chinese authorities. READ | UK confirms third positive case of coronavirus as death toll surges in China READ | 'Do not overreact' says China amid suspension of international flights over coronavirus (with ANI inputs) The Edo State Government has received the report of the All Progressives Congress (APC) 41-man member Mobilisation Committee in the state with a promise to firmly expeditiously understudy it. The Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, who received the report on behalf of Governor Godwin Obaseki on Thursday in Benin City, commended the committee for a job well done. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo had in January set up a 41-man member mobilisation committee to increase the membership of the party ahead of the 2020 governorship election in the state. The committee was inaugurated to help mobilise the partys members across the 18 local government council areas in the state ahead of the partys gubernatorial election and to upturn the fortunes of the party in Edo. I thanked the mobilisation committee for a great job; I know that a lot of energy has gone into this report presented before this great meeting. Your duty is to woo new members into the party, who will be received genuinely into our great part. The party members in the state are more united than ever, and that the governor has given the party officials direction on how new members would be welcomed to the party. Obaseki is determined to moving the state forward. We want our party to be bigger. We have structures on how new members will be welcomed into the party, he said. Mr Shaibu expressed the belief that the party in Edo would increase in numbers by the time it started receiving the new members into the party. READ ALSO: He, however, said that members would only be admitted into the party through the right process. Mr Shaibu said the party would always facilitate, encourage, provide adequate and appropriate enlightenment that would promote training and enforce discipline within the party. He said this had become necessary so that the new members would derive the best benefits to equip themselves as responsible members of the party and responsible citizens for life. The state Chairman of the party, Anselm Ojezua, earlier commended the committee members for a job well done and their dedication towards the development of the party. Mr Ojezua said the membership drive had become imperative because 2020 is a very key year for the party and there is a need to increase the strength of the partys membership as it would form the basis of winning the forthcoming elections. The party chairman expressed his satisfaction towards members for working in line with the terms of reference to achieve the objectives for which the Committee was set up. Mr Ojezua, however, urged party members in the state to take February 12 to fast and pray for the crisis rocking the party in the state. (NAN) UK says it wants to draw global talent but denies residency to Asiya Islam, who has lived in the country for 10 years. London, United Kingdom A Cambridge University research fellow, who has lived in the United Kingdom for 10 years and is widely celebrated as an exceptional sociologist, has been denied permanent residency. Academics have rallied behind 31-year-old Asiya Islam, who is originally from India, saying her case sets a worrying precedent and does not appear to match up with Prime Minister Boris Johnsons bid to attract global talent in the wake of Brexit. Islam received the news in November, with the Home Office denying her indefinite leave to remain, an immigration status that would have meant there was no time limit on her ability to stay in the UK. As a migrant in this country, you are always on edge about these things, Islam told Al Jazeera. If you want to attract global talent, you have to make the country hospitable for global talent. My case shows its not. Ive been here for 10 years. This is where my life is. My work is here, but my life is also very much here. Islam spent a year in New Delhi between 2016 and 2017 completing research for her PhD. Before travelling, she informed Cambridge University that she was planning to apply for permanent residency. Staff at the university then consulted the Home Office, and were assured that authorised travel, regardless of the length, would not automatically disqualify her. According to UK immigration rules, permanent residency applicants cannot spend more than 180 days at a time or 540 days in total abroad over the course of 10 years. However there are special cases under Home Office guidelines, time abroad could be waived for visa holders who were absent for academic research purposes. The University of Cambridge later supplied letters for Islams permanent residency application, confirming that the fieldwork was necessary. Yet in its rejection, the Home Office argued that Islam failed to provide any exceptional reasons to support a time-abroad exemption. Islam, who said the Home Office has refused to engage with the evidence she has provided, then began trying to appeal the decision. However, her previous visa would soon end. If she were to overstay, she would have been unable to work or rent her home, so she dropped the appeal to avoid becoming jobless and homeless. She is now on a temporary visa, which will run out in less than three years, when her employment contract ends. Widespread support Earlier in February, Islam handed a protest letter signed by more than 2,000 academics to the Home Office. Asiya is an outstanding young academic with a promising career in the UK, the letter says. Her research is an asset to the UK and its academic community, yet her very success in academic fieldwork is now being held against her. Islam said this letter has been met with silence from the Home Office, while Home Secretary Priti Patel has failed to respond to people advocating for her. In a statement sent to Al Jazeera, the Home Office did not address these claims, but confirmed Islam was now on a temporary visa. There is plenty of evidence to show that my trip was authorised by Cambridge University, said Islam. They (the Home Office) have been silent on my case. Its now completely impossible for me to plan anything long-term. This puts me right back to square one, living from visa to visa. Academics at Cambridge University and the London School of Economics (LSE) are among those who have backed Islam. Nikhil Goyal, a US sociologist, tweeted: This is the legacy of Tory (Conservative) Britain: disgraceful, racist treatment of young academics like Asiya Islam. The African Studies Association of the United Kingdom (ASAUK) joined the protest, saying on Thursday it has written to Patel, the home secretary, requesting an urgent review of Islams case and that of Furaha Husani, a postdoctoral researcher who was denied a visa last year. We have cautioned that these cases cause serious damage to the UKs reputation and its ability to attract global academic talent at an important time for its relations with the rest of the world, ASAUK tweeted. Uncertainty among expatriates is mounting as the UK grapples with its immigration infrastructure, following its departure from the European Union on January 31. While the ruling Conservatives have promised to lower the number of unskilled migrants from Europe, PM Johnson said at the end of January that he wants to attract the most talented minds as he announced a new fast-track global talent visa scheme for scientists, mathematicians and researchers. There is a discrepancy between whats being said and what is being done, Islam said. Its not a new thing, she added, referring to the global talent visa, its just a rebranding of the [existing] exceptional talent visa. Its pretty bad. Everyone is watching this case they (the Home Office) are not doing what they are saying. Aspire Design Tour, the traveling symposium created specifically for design industry professionals, is coming to Miami, Florida on February 6, 2020. The event will be hosted by BoConcept, the global leader in the design of bold, stylish furniture, at its Coral Gables franchise location from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. BoConcept Coral Gables is located at 342 San Lorenzo Avenue, Suite 1110 in Coral Gables, Florida, 33146. BoConcept is a global brand with 300 locations worldwide, and we are proud of our Coral Gables store to gain the opportunity to host the Aspire Design Tour. This national event brings together people from all over the country who have a true appreciation for fine home design, said BoConcept Director of U.S. Marketing Steen Knigge. It is truly an honor to be part of such a major design event and we look forward to bringing high profile designers into our store. Aspire Design Tour offers a combination of cutting-edge education and networking events to design professionals and design enthusiasts across the country. Collaborating with both regional and national fine home design and furnishing brands, Aspire Design Tour delivers unique and fully complementary programming featuring prominent and highly published designers, lifestyle experts and influencers. From panel discussions and CEU courses to consumer incentives, Aspire Design Tour offers something special for everyone seeking the sublime in living. This years topic for the Miami event is titled Managing Client Expectations. The speakers include Michael Wolk of Michael Wolk Design, Chris Cawley of Christopher Cawley Landscape Architecture, Billy Ceglia of Billy Ceglia Design, Thomas Divero of Dunagan Diverio and Sharon Gilkey of Montanna Design. The panel of distinguished designers will discuss why understanding and managing client expectations is critical to the success of design projects and businesses. The speakers will explain why establishing a mutual and realistic understanding of the entire design process, including budgets and timelines, will build trust and positive designer-client relationships. The experts will share their strategies to best handle the process for alignment from contract to communications. Being a locally-owned franchise, we at BoConcept feel strongly about getting involved in the communities in which we live and work, and Aspire Design Tour is a great way to have a presence at an amazing event in our own backyard of Miami, said BoConcept Coral Gables store manager Kore Knudtoft. Aspire Design Tour is a key fashion industry event and BoConcept is a go-to place for stylish, bold and functional design. BoConcept was originally founded in Denmark in 1952 and began franchising in Paris in 1993. Today, BoConcept boasts a franchise footprint of more than 300 locations in 65 countries. The brand continues to expand the business and aims to reach 600 stores globally. About ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME Aspire Design and Home is the seeker and storyteller of the sublime in living. Presenting exceptional in-person experiences worldwide is purposefully and passionately woven into the very fabric of our mission. Because connecting directly with our community enables us to further discover as well as celebrate the sublime in living. To that end, we produce meaningful live events that enlighten and encourage the creative spirit within us all. About BoConcept Since opening its first franchise in Paris in 1993, BoConcept has become a global leader in the design of bold, stylish furniture, boasting nearly 300 locations in 65 countries around the world. Founded in Denmark in 1952, BoConcept differentiates itself by offering premium quality, modern designs that elevate interior spaces to achieve their full potential. The company remains focused on creating functional furniture for the urban consumer through partnerships with the worlds leading interior designers. Backed by a proven global concept and strong franchise support system, BoConcepts 15 U.S. locations include a flagship store, which opened in December 2017 on New York Citys famed Madison Avenue. For more information please visit http://www.boconcept.com. To inquire about franchise opportunities, please visit https://www.boconcept.com/en-us/boconcept/franchise. When the train is approaching, lights start flashing and the gates come down. Instead of the train blowing its horn and filling everything around with sound, the wayside horn would just warn traffic, because thats really where the need is, he said. Robert Albritton with Quiet Zone Technologies also addressed the small crowd and said that these horns would be activated by the same circuitry that activates lights and gates at a train intersection. A wayside horn, to meet [Federal Railroad Administration] regulations, would need to reach 92 decibels at 100 feet from the center line of the track, across each roadway, he said. Lights atop the horns would remain constantly flashing whenever the horns are in good working order. Should the horns malfunction, Albritton explained, the lights would shut down, and train conductors should know to sound their engines horn. Born on October 6, 1893 in Shaoratoli, which is a village located in the Dacca district (that corresponds to modern-day Dhaka in Bangladesh), Meghnad Saha was the fifth child born to Jagannath Saha and Bhubaneswari Devi. Education Despite facing dire economic difficulties, the couple educated their children. Having passed middle school, Saha enrolled at the Collegiate School in Dacca in 1905. While in school, mathematics and history were his favourite subjects. In 1911, he cleared the intermediate examination with the third rank, while the first position went to Satyendra Nath Bose, who eventually became a great scientist. Saha joined Presidency College, Calcutta, where Bose was his classmate once again. At Presidency, he was taught by Prafulla Chandra Ray and Jagadish Chandra Bose, both great men of science who also excelled in multiple fields. Keeping alive his quest for academic excellence, Saha completed BSc in mathematics in 1913 and, two years later, wrapped up MSc in Applied Mathematics. Career In 1916, Saha was appointed as lecturer in the Department of Applied Mathematics at the University College of Science, Calcutta. His former classmate, SN Bose, also joined the same university. In 1919, he obtained the Doctor of Science degree from the Calcutta University and the coveted Premchand Roychand Studentship for a dissertation on the Harvard Classification of Stellar Spectra. The scholarship enabled Saha to travel to Europe for two years to conduct research. (Apart from Saha, many Premchand Roychand scholars who eventually became national celebrities included Sir Asutosh Mookerjee, Srimati Bibha Sengupta and Asima Mukhopadhyay.) After a stint with renowned British astronomer Alfred Fowler in London, that lasted a few months, Saha shifted to Berlin for scientific work at the lab of Walther Nernst, who won the Nobel Award for Chemistry in 1920. In 1923, Saha became the professor of physics at the University of Allahabad, where he remained for the next 15 years. During that period, his work in astrophysics earned recognition and, in 1925, he was made the president of the physics section of the Indian Science Congress Association. Achievements Saha achievements included formulation of the famous equation that he termed as an equation of the reaction isobar for ionization, which later became known as Sahas thermo-ionization equation or the Saha Equation. It links the composition and appearance of the spectrum with the temperature of the light source and can be used to determine either the temperature of the star or the relative abundance of the chemical elements investigated. In 1920, he published four papers on his astrophysical research in the Philosophical Magazine. His thesis won the prestigious Griffith Prize instituted by the Calcutta University. Saha was also actively involved non-academic pursuits. He was a strong supporter of the peaceful use of nuclear energy. In 1952, he contested and won the parliamentary election as an independent. And in 1956, it was largely thanks to his efforts that the Saka Calendar or the Indian national calendar, was adopted. INTERESTING FACTS 1. Meghnad Sahas work relating to the reform of Indian calendar is considered to be a very significant work. Saha was the chairman of the Calendar Reform Committee which was appointed by the Union government in 1952 under the aegis of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. It was formed in order to prepare an accurate calendar based on scientific study, which could also be adopted uniformly throughout India. 2. When Governor Sir Bampfylde Fuller visited the erstwhile East Bengal, Saha and a few other students boycotted the formers visit. As a result of that, the institution forfeited Sahas scholarship and cancelled his admission. He was then enrolled at the Kisori Lal Jubilee School, a stint during which Saha cleared the entrance test of the University of Calcutta and was the topper among the students from East Bengal. 3. Saha founded the Indian Science News Association in Calcutta in 1935 and the Institute of Nuclear Physics in 1950. He is also credited for drawing up the original plan of the Damodar Valley Project. SOURCE: thefamouspeople.com, Wikipedia Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 20:01:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- More Chinese provinces and cities have rolled out policies to support firms, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, to reduce the impact of the novel coronavirus epidemic. China's Fujian, Liaoning, Sichuan and Hainan provinces, and cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, and Nanning announced a series of measures including rental reduction or exemption, tax reduction, and financial support to help firms tide over during the epidemic. Hainan, Liaoning and Sichuan promised to exempt small and medium-sized firms from housing rent up to three months if they have rented state-owned properties. Nanning and Hainan proposed to return half of unemployment insurance premiums paid in the previous year to employers that lay off fewer or no workers. Meanwhile, Sichuan, Fujian, Liaoning, and Nanning required that local banks should enhance financial support to firms that face temporary difficulties amid the coronavirus outbreak, and not suspend or withdraw loans to them. The slew of supportive policies came as experts warned that small businesses, a major force in the job market and livelihood-related services, are more susceptible to the economic repercussions of the epidemic. The fuel gauges at some Co-op service stations in Winnipeg are registering empty after a lengthy lockout at the cooperative's refinery in Saskatchewan begins spilling across Manitoba. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The fuel gauges at some Co-op service stations in Winnipeg are registering empty after a lengthy lockout at the cooperative's refinery in Saskatchewan begins spilling across Manitoba. At least four Red River Co-op stations in Winnipeg -- 1850 Brookside Blvd., 1101 Logan Ave. at McPhillips St., 1621 St. Mary's Rd., and 3755 Portage Ave. near the Perimeter Highway -- had zeros on their main signs on Thursday, indicating they were out of gas. And Red River's five Cardlocks -- as well as Cardlocks operated by other cooperatives across the province -- were also operating at limited capacity after Federated Co-operatives Ltd. (FCL), set fuel purchase limits. Cardlocks are automated, unattended fueling sites designed for commercial fleet vehicles. Kelly Romas, Red River Co-op's director of marketing, said it's all because the union Unifor has not only blockaded the refinery complex in Regina, where Red River buys its fuel, but also set up picket lines at the Shell and Esso fuel terminals in Winnipeg, where the refinery sends the fuel via pipeline, and where the co-op picks up the gasoline to then truck to its stations. "Red River Co-op has no Unifor members under our employ, but they have brought their illegal blockades to the Winnipeg Shell and Esso fuel terminals in an attempt to block fuel from getting to Red River Co-op members and customers," Romas said on Thursday. "Unifor is solely concerned about their union employees in Regina, employed by the refinery. They have shown zero respect for Red River co-op employees who are simply trying to go to work and take care of their families, pay bills, and keep a roof over their heads... these illegal blockades and dangerous behaviour exhibited by Unifor members has been brought to Winnipeg and Unifor is holding our co-operative hostage. "We stand by FCL and support the fair deal they are offering these refinery workers." But Paul McKie, Unifor's Manitoba/Saskatchewan director, said the picket lines in Winnipeg are "secondary pickets which have been upheld by the Supreme Court. "We're allowing the businesses to operate. We're not stopping workers from going to and from work, we are not stopping trucks going in or out, we are only picketing the co-op. Their trucks get stopped. "We're not allowing them in." The more than 700 refinery workers in Saskatchewan were locked out by the company in December and the union set up barricades on Jan. 20, preventing trucks from transporting fuel out of the facility. Unifor has blockaded the refinery complex in Regina. (Michael Bell / Canadian Press files) On Wednesday, FCL set purchase limits per day, per card holder of 300 litres of diesel and 100 litres of gasoline at Cardlocks in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. McKie said the union in Winnipeg began picketing at the Esso fuel depot on Henderson Highway last week, but pulled down the line when both sides went back to the bargaining table. But McKie said the lines went up again this week after talks broke off when it became clear the company was refusing to budge on its demands to change the workers' pensions from a defined benefit plan to a defined contribution plan. "We understand this has become a hardship on farms and rural residents," he said. "This is a result of an employer who does not want to bargain... this is a membership-based company, but they are being more hardnosed than any other oil company." Bill Campbell, Keystone Agricultural Producers president, said the longer the lockout goes on, the more concerning it will be for farmers. "There are numerous communities where the co-op is the only fuel supplier and station in town," Campbell said. "If they run out it will impact rural residents and farmers." 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. Campbell said right now most farmers have parked their farm equipment for the winter, but six weeks from now seeding will be starting and they'll need the fuel to operate the machines. "We hope they come to some terms of agreement and get back to work and deliver fuel to western Canadians," he said. Jordan Cook, general manager of the Interlake Co-op which operates the only service station in Arborg as well as a Cardlock in Eriksdale, said they are beginning to run low on fuel. "It's very scary," Cook said. "We need fuel out here. In the next couple of days it could get serious... we'll have to make some tough decisions." kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca There has been a great deal of discussion around the Capitol lately about the necessity of implementing a state-wide tolling system. The Governor and the Democrat leadership have been clamoring for tolls as a solution for funding our transportation needs while simultaneously diverting money earmarked for the Special Transportation Fund (STF). Funding had been available to pay for road and bridge projects, but was ultimately diverted by legislative Democrats and the Governor to pay for other items in the budget. In the 2020-21 biennium budget $171 million was diverted, defying the law that was enacted through the passage of the bipartisan budget in 2017. Part of the reason I supported the 2017 budget was that the legislation prevented money collected from the states vehicle tax revenue from being used for other line-items within the General Fund, which was further bolstered by the Constitutional Lockbox passed by the voters. In 2017, the legislature approved the overall phase-in of vehicle tax revenue to the STF. Currently, the vehicle tax revenue is collected and deposited directly into the General Fund. For those dollars to go to the STF, legislative action is required to appropriately allocate the earmarked resources. The legislative majority has not taken the appropriate action to move the allocated transportation dollars to the STF. A similar practice occurred with the collection of the gas tax. From 2000 to 2015, the state took in $4.1 billion in gas tax revenue, but only deposited about half into the STF. All residents should be aware of this deceptive budgeting practice while considering transportation pitches that depend on additional revenue from tolls. Clearly, based on past practice, there is no guarantee that the money collected from tolls will actually go to the roads. While it is true that the Democratic leadership and the Governor did allocate some vehicle tax income from the General Fund to the STF in the recently enacted biennial budget, it was not at the required 33 percent in 2020, and 56 percent in 2021. Initially, Gov. Lamont brazenly sought to freeze the transfer amount at 8 percent, when he released his first budget proposal in 2019, which would have resulted in short-changing the STF by $1.19 billion. Ultimately, he decreased the amount of the transfer from the required 33 percent to 17 percent, and in the 2021 budget from the required 56 percent down to 25 percent, which results in $171 million less for transportation projects. Instead, these funds have been misappropriated to Democrats pet projects while deceiving taxpayers that more revenue must be raised through tolls to provide the undeniably much-needed road and bridge repairs. So much for the Constitutional Lockbox enacted in 2019. Since the vehicle tax revenue was never deposited into the STF, despite prior legislation mandating such, the Governor and Democrat leadership claim they have not breached the Constitutional Lockbox. You decide. Elections are in November. What is evident to me is that the state does not have a deficiency of resources, but a clear issue of being able to prioritize and allocate them for the intended purpose. The budget in 2017, which set the allocation for our transportation needs as noted above, had strong bipartisan support. Part of the bipartisan agreement hinged on regaining the trust of the general public after the state had failed to be a good-faith steward of transportation funding. One budget cycle later with a super Democrat majority now controlling the allocation of transportation dollars, the spirit of that bipartisan legislation has devolved into a fiction which is a prime example of why the public has no faith that the state will responsibly handle its financial responsibilities. This is just another reason I am against the hasty installation of any state-wide tolling plan. Its important to use dedicated transportation tax dollars for their intended use, namely bridge and road repair projects, and nothing else. With the new legislative session convened Wednesday, I am hopeful that the legislature can, once again, come together to form a sensible solution that will actually fund the STF to its statutory required levels without further financially burdening Connecticut residents. State Rep. Richard A. Smith is a Republican who represents the 108th District of New Fairfield, Sherman, New Milford and Danbury. GUADALAJARA, Mexico, Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V., (NYSE: PAC; BMV: GAP) (the Company or GAP) announced preliminary terminal passenger traffic figures for the month of January 2020, compared to traffic figures for January 2019. During January 2020, total terminal passengers at GAPs 14 airports increased by 13.1%, compared to the same period of the previous year. Domestic passenger traffic increased by 11.9%, while international passenger traffic increased by 14.5%. Domestic Terminal Passengers 13 airports (in thousands): Airport Jan-19 Jan-20 % Change Guadalajara 803.2 878.0 9.3% Tijuana* 455.3 510.7 12.2% Puerto Vallarta 122.4 148.7 21.5% Los Cabos 134.5 152.1 13.1% Montego Bay 0.6 0.6 -4.3% Guanajuato 163.4 168.0 2.9% Hermosillo 126.2 148.8 17.9% Mexicali 92.3 110.4 19.6% La Paz 72.2 79.3 9.9% Morelia 38.6 48.6 25.9% Aguascalientes 46.8 53.7 14.7% Los Mochis 28.3 32.2 13.8% Manzanillo 8.9 9.1 2.7% Total 2,092.7 2,340.3 11.8% International Terminal Passengers 13 airports (in thousands): Airport Jan-19 Jan-20 % Change Guadalajara 382.1 423.7 10.9% Tijuana* 259.3 300.4 15.9% Puerto Vallarta 409.1 405.8 -0.8% Los Cabos 325.6 354.8 9.0% Montego Bay 439.2 445.2 1.4% Guanajuato 66.1 66.8 1.2% Hermosillo 6.6 7.9 18.4% Mexicali 0.5 0.6 27.5% La Paz 1.0 1.1 4.2% Morelia 37.5 42.9 14.4% Aguascalientes 17.6 21.2 20.3% Los Mochis 0.7 0.6 -10.6% Manzanillo 11.3 10.9 -4.2% Total 1,956.7 2,081.9 6.4% Total Terminal Passengers 13 airports (in thousands): Airport Jan-19 Jan-20 % Change Guadalajara 1,185.3 1,301.7 9.8% Tijuana* 714.6 811.2 13.5% Puerto Vallarta 531.5 554.4 4.3% Los Cabos 460.2 506.9 10.2% Montego Bay 439.8 445.8 1.4% Guanajuato 229.4 234.9 2.4% Hermosillo 132.8 156.7 18.0% Mexicali 92.7 111.0 19.7% La Paz 73.2 80.4 9.8% Morelia 76.2 91.6 20.2% Aguascalientes 64.5 74.9 16.2% Los Mochis 28.9 32.8 13.3% Manzanillo 20.2 20.0 -1.2% Total 4,049.4 4,422.2 9.2% *Passengers in Tijuana who use CBX in both directions are classified as international. CBX Users: Airport Jan-19 Jan-20 % Change Tijuana 255.5 297.2 16.3% Kingston Airport (in thousands): Passengers Jan-19 Jan-20 % Change Domestic N/A 0.8 N/A International N/A 158.5 N/A Total N/A 159.2 N/A Total Passengers 14 airports (in thousands): Passengers Jan-19 Jan-20 % Change Domestic 2,092.7 2,341.1 11.9% International 1,956.7 2,240.3 14.5% Total 4,049.4 4,581.4 13.1% Highlights for the Period: Seats and Load Factors: In January 2020, the number of seats available increased by 11.3% compared to January 2019; while load factors for the month decreased by 140 basis points, from 81.2% in January 2019 to 79.8% in January 2020. In January 2020, the number of seats available increased by 11.3% compared to January 2019; while load factors for the month decreased by 140 basis points, from 81.2% in January 2019 to 79.8% in January 2020. Kingston: The Company assumed control of the Kingston Airport on October 10, 2019. Historical figures are presented for comparison purposes, for a total of 159.2 thousand passengers at January 2020, a 13.1% increase compared to January 2019. The Company assumed control of the Kingston Airport on October 10, 2019. Historical figures are presented for comparison purposes, for a total of 159.2 thousand passengers at January 2020, a 13.1% increase compared to January 2019. Coronavirus: On January 9, 2020 the Mexican Center for Disease Control released a Preventive Travel Warning to China. The alert did not impact GAPs passenger traffic. Any effects in passenger traffic and operations related to this situation will depend on the length of the sanitary crisis and perception by tourism passengers over the control of this epidemic. Company Description Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. (GAP) operates 12 airports throughout Mexicos Pacific region, including the major cities of Guadalajara and Tijuana, the four tourist destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, La Paz and Manzanillo, and six other mid-sized cities: Hermosillo, Guanajuato, Morelia, Aguascalientes, Mexicali and Los Mochis. In February 2006, GAPs shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PAC and on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GAP. In April 2015, GAP acquired 100% of Desarrollo de Concesiones Aeroportuarias, S.L., which owns a majority stake in MBJ Airports Limited, a company operating Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In October 2018, GAP entered into a concession agreement for the operation of the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica. In October 2018, GAP entered into a concession agreement for the operation of the Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica and took control of the operation in October 2019. This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are statements that are not historical facts, and are based on managements current view and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance and financial results. The words anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, plans and similar expressions, as they relate to the company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations and the factors or trends affecting financial condition, liquidity or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends or results will actually occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. In accordance with Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and article 42 of the Ley del Mercado de Valores, GAP has implemented a whistleblower program, which allows complainants to anonymously and confidentially report suspected activities that may involve criminal conduct or violations. The telephone number in Mexico, facilitated by a third party that is in charge of collecting these complaints, is 01 800 563 00 47. The web site is www.lineadedenuncia.com/gap . GAPs Audit Committee will be notified of all complaints for immediate investigation. The first Long March 5B carrier rocket arrives at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province on Wednesday for prelaunch preparations. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] The first Long March 5B carrier rocket arrived at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province on Wednesday for prelaunch preparations. The rocket's components were carried by two rocket transportation ships Yuanwang 21and Yuanwang 22-- from Tianjin, a northern coastal municipality and home to the launch vehicle's manufacturing complexes. It spent about a week on the trip to the southernmost island province, according to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in Beijing, the leading rocket developer in the country. Long March 5B is the first variant of the Long March 5, which conducted its third mission at the Wenchang center in December. It will be tasked with sending large spacecraft to low-Earth orbit, the academy said in a statement. The rocket is 53.7 meters long, with a diameter of 5 meters. It will be propelled by liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen and kerosene and will have a liftoff weight of about 849 metric tons. Li Dong, the rocket's chief designer, said that the craft will be pollution-free and will be the most powerful rocket when it comes to carrying capacity to the low-Earth orbit it will be capable of placing 22 tons of payloads in such an orbit. The designer said research and development of the rocket started in 2012, adding that the first Long March 5B passed quality examination on Jan 19. At the launch center, the rocket will make ground drills with the prototype of the Chinese space station's core module to verify the launch sequence for the space station. After the drills, it will carry out the debut flight in April to launch the prototype of the country's new manned spaceship, said the China Manned Space Agency. The growth of brain cancers can be better understood with the help of a new computer platform developed by international scientists coordinated by Newcastle University. The unique platform which can be used to help develop better treatments for glioma is freely available: https://biodynamo.org/ Publishing today in the journal Methods, the team from Newcastle University, the University of Cyprus, UCL and CERN describe how they have developed the three-dimensional model which brings together the macroscopic scale of tissue with the microscopic scale of individual cells. This allows the platform to realistically model cancer mechano-biology while maintaining the resolution power which makes it cost-effective. Dr Roman Bauer from the School of Computing said: "Built on top of the latest computing technologies, the BioDynaMo platform enables users to perform simulations on an increased scale and complexity making it possible to tackle challenging scientific research questions." Although many specialised software tools exist, establishing this high-performance, general-purpose platform is a major step forward. Jean de Montigny, PhD student from the Faculty of Medical Sciences said: "The advantage for scientists and medics is that BioDynaMo can be used on standard laptops or desktop computers and provides a software platform which can be used to easily create, run and visualise 3D agent-based biological simulations." Glioma Glioma is a broad category of brain and spinal cord tumours that originate from neural stem cells and glial cells that support neurons. Treatment for patients (who tend to be older adults) involves surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. By modelling the growth of a glioma, clinicians can better understand how a tumour may develop and progress. Cancer researchers could use however such models in the future to improve the outcome of pertinent therapeutic procedures. This paper develops a three-dimensional in silico hybrid model of cancer, which describes the multi-variate phenotypic behaviour of tumour and host cells. The model encompasses the role of cell migration and adhesion, the influence of the extracellular matrix, the effects of oxygen and nutrient availability, and the signalling triggered by chemical cues and growth factors. Involving CERN, which contributed its deep knowledge in large-scale computing to this collaboration with Newcastle University, the project has been supported by Intel. Moreover, the University of Cyprus and UCL investigators contributed with their expertise in multiscale modelling. Biodynamo is an international collaboration partially funded by the CERN Budget for Knowledge Transfer to Medical Applications, through a grant awarded in 2016. ### Reference: An in silico hybrid continuum-/agent-based procedure to modelling cancer development: interrogating the interplay amongst glioma invasion, vascularity and necrosis. Jean de Montigny, Alexandros Iosif, Lukas Breitwieser, Marco Manca, Roman Bauer, Vasileios Vavourakis. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ymeth.2020.01.006 Codes & data freely available from: https://biodynamo.org/; https://figshare.com/projects/In_silico_hybrid_FEM-ABM_model/67343 Google is upping its Canadian presence with a plan to open three new offices, giving it enough space to accommodate 5,000 employees by 2022. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Google Canada employees return to the Google office in Toronto following a walkout in Toronto on November 1, 2018. Google Canada plans to build three new offices in the country that will be able to accommodate up to 5,000 workers by 2022. The tech behemoth says new facilities in Montreal on Viger Avenue and in Toronto on King Street East will replace existing offices in both cities. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cole Burston Google is upping its Canadian presence with a plan to open three new offices, giving it enough space to accommodate 5,000 employees by 2022. The tech behemoth revealed Thursday that it will build a trio of new facilities in Montreal at 425 Viger Avenue, in Toronto at 65 King Street East and in Waterloo across from its current space on Breithaupt Street. The Montreal and Toronto offices will replace Google's existing facilities in those cities. "There is extraordinary momentum up here. You put against that the extraordinary, homegrown talent, the openness of the Canadian market and the strength that we have," said Ruth Porat, the senior vice-president and chief financial officer at Google, in an interview with The Canadian Press. "We are excited to bring it together as one announcement that really underscores how we are looking at the Canadian market." Porat expects the offices to build on some of Google's work around its cloud business, ads offerings, gaming service Stadia and artificial intelligence ventures worked on by Geoffrey Hinton, a University of Toronto professor emeritus long called a "godfather" of AI. Google currently employs more than 1,500 people in Canada, including engineers, sales leaders and AI researchers. The company's presence in the country has grown significantly since it began operating in Canada in 2001 with a Toronto office and a lone employee there. Google's new offices may not be the end of its plans for real estate in Toronto. Over the last year, one of Google's affiliates, Sidewalk Labs, has proposed building a Canadian headquarters in a smart city it wants to build on the city's waterfront, but its plans for the neighbourhood have been met with criticism around its potential data policies, privacy measures and intellectual property plans. The trio of new Google spaces in Canada doesn't necessarily quash Sidewalk's hope of having a waterfront headquarters, Porat said. "With Sidewalk it is not an either or," Porat said. "Sidewalk is continuing their discussion with (project partner) Waterfront Toronto and if it makes sense, we are very much still focused on Google's Canadian headquarters being there, so both can happen." Google's interest in Canada comes as the country is experiencing a tech office boom. Shopify Inc. said last week that it will open its first permanent Vancouver office in 2020 and hire 1,000 people in the city. The Ottawa-based e-commerce company announced last year that it will lease about 23,597 square metres of space at The Well complex in Toronto to be built at Front St. West and Spadina Ave. Meanwhile, Mastercard and the federal government will partner to open the Intelligence and Cyber Centre in Vancouver, storytelling platform Wattpad will bring an office to Halifax, and Amazon Inc. will bring its first fulfilment centre in Quebec and 12th in the country to Montreal's Lachine neighbourhood by the end of 2020. 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. Commercial real estate services and investment firm CBRE Group said in 2019 that strong demand from tech companies for spaces in Canada had driven down the office vacancy rate to a record low. Google, however, has set its sights on more than real estate and expanding headcount. Porat also revealed that the company will launch its first accelerator program in Canada in Kitchener-Waterloo. The accelerator will strive to help high-potential seed and Series A Canadian tech startups by running a three-month program offering mentorship, technical project support and workshops around product design, acquisition and leadership development for founders. The company has opened applications for the first of two cohorts it will accept to the accelerator its 12th globally this year. Google will also give $2.5 million for information technology and automation scholarships to NPower Canada, a charitable organization that helps young adults find meaningful and sustainable careers. The scholarships, Google said, are meant to "equip Canadians with in-demand tech skills to land new jobs in Canadas booming digital economy." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2020. Before Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube made their entry in the media market, the PatnaDaily had already registered its presence in... A Nigerian government official has welcomed American rapper Lil Wayne to the country after he disclosed his ancestry test results. The chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission Abike Dabiri called Wayne our Nigerian brother. Ms Dabiri said she was looking forward to welcoming the rapper to Nigeria. Wayne told Revolt TV in an interview that he was 53% Nigerian, citing an ancestry test, and that he was looking forward to visiting the West African country. Nigerians online were excited and also welcomed the star. Lil Wayne is 53% Nigerian? I always knew he was a brother. My instincts are strong. Snopp Dogg and 50 Cent may have strong DNA connection to Nigeria too, Ihuoma wrote. The way some foreign celebrities are claiming to be Nigerian ehn.. Even lilwayne.. Its like theyre seeing what we are not seeing, Reedpablo tweeted. So @LilTunechi just revealed he's 53% Nigerian, I knew it from the start, I mean we all knew it, he's definitely Igbo, but Reginae looks Yoruba tho, Haniifa wrote. ---Daily Guide [February 06, 2020] Aging Technology and Innovation to Take Center Stage at Synapse Summit 2020 Amir Hadanny, MD, Chief Medical Research Officer of The Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research, to discuss innovative approaches to aging treatment TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at Shamir Medical Center, one of the largest hyperbaric medical centers in the world, today announced that its Chief Medical Research Officer, Amir Hadanny, MD, will participate on a panel discussion at this year's Synapse Summit, entitled, Aging Gracefully: Innovations Improving Life for Millions of Seniors. The panel, sponsored by the University of South Florida, will discuss new approaches for treating the growing aging population. By the year 2030, all baby boomers will be older than age 65. In 2020, Floridians over the age of 60 will account for more than 25 percent of Florida's population. Dr. Hadanny will discuss the age-related mechanisms for cognitive and physical decline and present new approaches for healthy aging based on ongoing research programs at the Sagol Center. He will discuss the utilization of hyperbaic oxygen therapy and its potential for significant cognitive and physical performance improvements. "Our technology focuses on improving the aging process through the application of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) combined with personalized cognitive and physical training programs," said Dr. Hadanny. "I'm looking forward to discussing our latest research in the fields of aging, neuroscience, physiology and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for the enhancement of cognitive skills, physical performance, increased energy, and enhanced quality of life in healthy aging adults." Dr. Hadanny is a certified neurosurgeon and hyperbaric physician. He has been researching the impact of HBOT and novel approaches to neurorehabilitation, neuroplasticity and physiology together with Professor Shai Efrati, for over a decade. He has published more than 25 research papers focusing on the effects of HBOT on cognitive and physical performance, with a specific focus on healthy aging adults. Dr. Hadanny earned his MD degree from Tel Aviv University and is finalizing his PhD in Bioinformatics and Machine Learning at Bar Ilan University. The panel discussion will take place on Tuesday, February 11 from 10:00-10:45 am at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Find more information here: https://synapsefl.com/summit. About the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research The Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at Shamir Medical Center (formerly Assaf Harofeh Medical Center), is a leader in advancing our understanding of the impact of hyperbaric medicine on cognitive and physical function. Serving as one of the largest Hyperbaric centers worldwide, the Sagol Center offers highly advanced large multiplace chambers, treating more than 200 patients daily. Research conducted at the Center has proven that brain rejuvenation is possible across a wide range of neurological pathologies and illnesses. Media Contact: Nicole Grubner Finn Partners for The Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research +1-929-222-8011 [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aging-technology-and-innovation-to-take-center-stage-at-synapse-summit-2020-301000233.html SOURCE The Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Our Divisions Copyright 2021-22 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 19:42:48|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close MANILA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Three people, including two children aged five and seven, were killed and two others injured when a delivery truck plowed into a group of pedestrians in Laguna province, south of Metro Manila, before dawn on Thursday, police said. Local police said the victims were walking by the roadside in Pangil town around 1:00 a.m. local time when they were hit by the pickup truck. Three of the five victims died on the spot. Two were taken to a hospital, police said. The truck drive surrendered to the police. Police are investigating the case. A crowd of grassroots supporters of the Convention of States (COS) movement gathered at the capitol in Pierre Monday, Jan. 28. More than 50 citizens from across the state met to speak with their local district representatives as well as show support for the cause at the rally. The rally-goers are eager for the legislators to vote in favor of the new COS bill that will be introduced sometime this week. The bill will invoke Article V in the Constitution of the United States calling for a convention of states to consider an amendment to the Constitution. Specifically, the national movement wants to create term limits for elected officials in Washington D.C., enforce fiscal responsibility and limit federal government overreach. Once they learn more, South Dakota citizens overwhelmingly and wholeheartedly embrace the need for the three pillars of the Convention of States, said Harvey Fitzgerald, a COS district captain from Buffalo Gap. When they also learn the constitutional framers knew using Article V would be necessary, and gave us the tool to forge positive improvements in our country, the grassroots passion shines. We saw that in Pierre this week. Members of the group spent the morning in the halls of the capitol discussing the potential of the bill with their legislators. For several people, this event was their first experience with COS. Loren and Rhonda Nelson said they drove in from Cavour so they could ask questions and learn more about the movement. Others were drawn by the chance to hear from guest speakers. Featured rally speaker Tim Barton, CEO of WallBuilders, encouraged everyone to seize the opportunity to get involved. The founding fathers, with a lot of brilliance, set up a system of government in the Constitution that gives a lot of authority to the people, said Barton. One of the most important things to remember is we the people are in charge; we can only be in charge if we are involved with the process. Even though most Americans are frustrated with the culture and climate of society; very few get involved to be problem-solvers. The founding fathers believed that the people would stand up to be the problem-solvers so we could hold elected officials accountable. Momentum for COS is growing. This grassroots project is a national movement with 15 other states already on board. There were activities in Colorado, Michigan and South Carolina, as well as South Dakota, all also taking part simultaneously this week. The Convention of States is making progress, and people are taking notice. While this process is not a new concept, citizens and legislative representatives are all learning more about this method for proposing solutions for our government. From what I have seen, there is a lot more information out there than just the short headlines people read online, said Cecilia Wolf, of Custer, S.D. Wolf is a high school student who was attending the COS event as part of her homeschool curriculum. When we only read those titles, we miss the big picture. More people should come and take part in these events and join in to make them happen. To discover more about the Convention of States or to find ways to join the movement visit www.conventionofstates.com. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 The Goshen Yearling Sale has released information in regard to the 2020 edition of its annual event. The 2020 Goshen Yearling Sale will be held on Sunday, September 13 at the Mark Ford Training Center in Middletown, NY. The timing of the sale has been slotted between the Yonkers International Trot and New York Sire Stakes Finals at Yonkers Raceway (which will be contested on Saturday, September 12) and the New York Sire Stake Consolations (at Monticello Raceway on Monday, September 14). Seeing as though the sale has been scheduled directly between the two stakes dates, owners and trainers will have the opportunity to easily schedule and attend the sale. Were coming off a banner year and are planning on outdoing ourselves once again in 2020, said Mark Ford, on behalf of the Goshen Yearling Sale. We have plans to enhance our already user-friendly amenities both on-site and online to make it even easier for our clients to just concentrate on the yearlings they want and buy them. We cant wait for September. One important date to keep in mind concerning this years sale is Monday, June 1), which is the final day for all consignments to be made for the sale. The sales facility is located at 90 Slaughter Road, Middletown, NY, which is within a 90-minute drive of many major racetracks and training centres in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, making it a very convenient location. Everything you need to know about the 2020 Goshen Yearling Sale is available on its website (goshenyearlingsale.com) where consignment forms, a catalogue request portal and hotel information for local lodging all can be found. For any other inquiries, please contact Mark Ford directly at 973-568-3253 (cell) or by email at [email protected]. (With files from the Goshen Standardbred Horse Sales) 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. OTTAWA - Canada's ambassador to China says there is a chill in relations between the two countries since the People's Republic imprisoned two Canadians, but his top priority remains winning their release and resetting the relationship. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/2/2020 (705 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Canada's Ambassador to China Dominic Barton waits to appear before the House of Commons committee on Canada-China relations in Ottawa, Wednesday, February 5, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - Canada's ambassador to China says there is a chill in relations between the two countries since the People's Republic imprisoned two Canadians, but his top priority remains winning their release and resetting the relationship. Dominic Barton offered that assessment in testimony on Wednesday before the special House of Commons committee studying the fraught relationship between the two countries, which had plummeted to new lows by the time he was named to the post last fall. Barton said that his main concern is winning the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, both detained by China in December 2018 in what is widely seen as retaliation for Canada's arrest of Chinese high-tech executive Meng Wanzhou. The RCMP arrested Meng in Vancouver on an American extradition request and nine days later Kovrig and Spavor were detained and accused of violating China's national security. Neither Kovrig nor Spavor has seen a lawyer or been permitted visits from their families, while Meng has been released on bail and is living in a luxurious Vancouver home while her extradition hearing plays out. Barton says other priorities include clemency for Canadian Robert Schellenberg, who was given a death sentence in January 2019 after having been previously sentenced to prison for drug smuggling. "The chill is real," Barton said. He said both sides were shaking with anger during his first diplomatic meeting with Chinese officials. "The first conversation I had was probably one of the most unpleasant conversations I have ever had." China has also blocked imports of Canadian agricultural products, lifting a months-long ban on Canadian pork and beef late last year, but it is still not allowing canola imports. "I do think that was a punishment," he said. Canada is trying to reverse China's decision through an action in the World Trade Organization. While he said Canada has the support of some countries in its fight with China, he said he agreed with one questioner who asked him about the fact many more have not come to Canada's defence. "I have a feeling like we are a bit alone in the world," he said. "It was surprising to me." Barton said he has now met with all three imprisoned Canadian men and is impressed with how they are holding up. He said he plans to make further personal visits. "I hope that our efforts will soon bear fruit," he said, without elaborating. "I am unbelievably inspired by their resilience." Opposition MPs on the committee clashed over whether Barton, not a career diplomat, was the right person for the job. His long tenure as the global managing director of consulting giant McKinsey & Co. drew sharp criticism from Conservative and New Democrat MPs. Conservative MP Garnett Genuis said he was "a completely inappropriate choice as ambassador," and said his time with the company and the work it did for Chinese firms raises "big red flags for me." Genuis referred to a New York Times investigation from December 2018 that headlined how McKinsey held a lavish 2018 retreat in remote western China a short drive from where a large prison had been built to hold ethnic Muslim Uighurs. He asked Barton to submit a list of state-owned Chinese firms that McKinsey worked with. "I'm very proud of my career and time in the private sector," Barton replied in a measured tone. "We're known for telling truth to power." NDP MP Jack Harris questioned whether the business relationship of Barton's wife with Chinese firms was a problem. Barton said he has been "extraordinarily diligent" with the government's conflicts and ethics vetting. "My integrity matters a lot to me." Bloc Quebecois MP Stephane Bergeron defended Barton, saying he could not hide his "unease" with the attacks on Barton. "The worst thing to do is to undermine the credibility of the person that is representing Canada before Chinese authorities," said Bergeron. "You are very qualified for the delicate mission that has been given to you." The special committee was the result of a Conservative motion passed in December, supported by other opposition parties in the minority Parliament. It wants the prime minister, cabinet ministers and diplomats to appear as witnesses as the committee sees fit. Barton was appointed last fall after a long career in business, which included working in China and across Asia. China also faces significant challenges despite its strong economic growth and its new assertive posture on the international stage, said Barton. These include poverty, a polluted environment and demographic challenges that come with being one of the world's most quickly aging societies. Barton said he has not been shy about pressing Canada's concerns over China's human rights situation, singling out the treatment of China's ethnic Muslim community. Human rights organizations have said that as many as one million ethnic Uighur Muslims in China's western Xinjiang region have been rounded up and placed in camps. China says it is trying to re-educate and integrate the Uighurs to make them better contributors to Chinese society. "Journalists, diplomats, and Chinese civil society representatives I spoke to agree that 2019 witnessed an increased crackdown on dissent and on expressions of disagreement about China's human rights record, within and outside the country," Barton said. The government is concerned by the "credible reports of the mass detention, repressive surveillance, and family separation affecting Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, under the pretext of countering extremism, terrorism and separatism." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2020. Austrian man, 68, dies after 12-story fall in Patong PHUKET: Police are investigating the death of a 68-year-old Austrian man who died after falling from the 12th floor of a condominium building in Patong last night (Feb 5). Thursday 6 February 2020, 05:52PM Police inspect the balcony of the mans 12th-floor condo in Patong. Photo: Phuket Tourist Police Police were called to the Condo Night Plaza on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pee Rd at 10:05pm, confirmed Lt Pongsatorn Pothong of the Patong Police. At the scene, officers found the body of the man*, a long-term Phuket expat originally from Vienna, on the ground beside the building, Lt Pongsatorn said. He was staying on the 12th floor. Police found many medicine pills in his room confirming that the man suffered high blood pressure and diabetes, he added. We have yet to conclude our investigation, so we cannot confirm any more details at this stage, Lt Pongsatorn said. The mans body has been taken to Patong Hospital. We have notified consular officials already, while we continue our investigation, he noted. * The Phuket News is withholding the mans name temporarily in case relatives overseas have yet to be informed of his death. Jacinda Ardern's baby daughter Neve was the centre of attention as they celebrated New Zealand's national day, Waitangi Day. The New Zealand prime minister, 39, brought her blonde toddler to celebrate the day, even matching their outfits in traditional prints. Little Neve, who is 19 months old, wore a frilly blue dress for the occasion, with a matching cardigan. Her father, Ms Ardern's partner Clarke Gayford, was also on hand to help look after the enthusiastic toddler. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured, left) and her daughter Neve (right) enjoyed the annual Waitangi Day celebrations on Thursday Waitangi Day commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, the agreement signed between European settlers and Maori 180 years ago. Ms Ardern helped to serve a cooked breakfast of bacon and sausage to 1,000 members of the public alongside Green Party co-leader James Shaw. Earlier in the morning, Ms Ardern offered a prayer for 'the poor, the sick, those who suffer prejudice and those that are lonely' before reciting the national anthem. 'Today we pray for our people, our history, and our future,' she said. 'On this 180th Waitangi Day let us pledge to take us across the bridge between two peoples. Prime Minister Jacinda Arden (pictured, right) and her daughter Neve (left) enjoy the celebrations at the Upper Treaty Grounds in Waitangi on Thursday Jacinda Ardern (pictured, centre left) cooks on the barbeque alongside Green Party leader James Shaw (centre right), MP Duncan Webb (left) and Dover Samuels (right) 'Give us the courage to learn to walk comfortably in each other's shoes.' Ms Ardern spent five days in Waitangi as part of a now-annual government delegation to Northland where Maori issues are given centre-stage. The prime minister started the tradition in 2018, replacing the formal breakfast previously held at the Copthorne Hotel and closed off to the public. While his partner was kept busy, Mr Gayford was seen entertaining their young daughter by playing with his camera. Waitangi Day began with a dawn ceremony where 500 people gathered at Te Whare Runanga - a carved meeting house. Speaking to reporters, Ms Ardern said the national day was about 'commemoration and reflection'. 'It is on this day that New Zealanders consider and debate both where we are, and where we are going as a nation,' she said. Little Neve (pictured) was seen getting to grips with a camera with her dad Clarke Gayford (right) who is a photographer Jacinda Ardern (pictured, right) looked slightly concerned as her daughter Neve (left) put her hand to her mouth 'I am grateful that our national day gives us the opportunity to pause, reflect and look forward together, and to do that honestly. 'Waitangi Day isn't about perfection, it's a chance to challenge ourselves to keep working together to build an even better New Zealand. 'For us and our children after us.' Maori language, song and ritual is front and centre of celebrations on February 6. Treaty Negotitations minister Andrew Little, a non-native Maori speaker, also delivered an eight-minute speech in 'te reo'. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (pictured) poses for a selfie with the crowd on Waitingi Day People watch on screens as New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern speaks at the dawn ceremony at Te Whare Runanga on Waitangi Day (pictured) 'The way we do things matters,' Ms Ardern explained. 'That is why you heard Andrew Little today ... an example of the effort that we wish to keep making to cross over into the Maori world as so often we have asked you to cross into the Pakeha world. 'Our Maori MPs, our Maori Ministers, they cross that bridge every day. But so must all of us.' The government's commitment to 'crossing the bridge' has involved adding more Maori language and history to the curriculum. Ms Ardern has also personally championed a new national commemoration in October to acknowledge the New Zealand Land Wars. Despite the threats associated with this virus and other potential pandemics, many organisations are underprepared with related emergency plans and procedures, compared to emergency planning for fires or active shooters. Pandemic emergencies tend not to be covered and thought through as much as some of the others, so this is an opportunity for all organisations to really put that working group together internally and start looking at some of these scenarios of how it would impact their organisation, and then put plans and procedures in place, said Renata Elias (pictured), consultant in Marshs risk consulting strategic risk practice. Even if you dont have to use it this time, youll have it ready for next time and we always talk about proactivity versus reactivity, so be proactive that would be my biggest piece of advice for everyone. Read more: NZ travel companies ban tours to China amid coronavirus outbreak One of the major impacts for multinational organisations would be the diminished workforce stemming from this type of public health emergency, and the operational disruption to supply chains that come as a result. Thats why we really like to encourage and recommend to organisations that they take some time to plan ahead and think through these type of scenarios [involving] pandemics, and how that would impact their organisation, said Elias, adding that some companies are probably more exposed to the risk of pandemic than others. If you have an organisation in the US, and you dont have any supply chains and you dont have employees that are travelling internationally, theres going to be a lesser risk than those that have operations over in China as well as those that rely on tourism. With that being said, as cases of the virus are climbing around the world, it is important that all organisations start brushing the dust off their current plans or put plans in place by establishing a working group in the organisation to focus on this issue. Organisations should pay attention to their travel policies and provide guidance to employees on how these are impacted by the evolving situation. If employees have to travel to the epicentre of the outbreak in Wuhan, the CDC recommends avoiding contact with sick people, avoiding animals, animal markets, and meat and other animal products, as well as frequently washing hands. Employees are going to be looking for guidance from the organisation as to what should we be doing at this point in time and by putting policies together, you alleviate any stress or anxiety for people that may feel that theyre not sure if they should be travelling overseas, explained Elias. Monitoring updates from public health officials and governments to keep employees informed is likewise important, as is communicating sick leave policies to employees. Read more: Insurer declares coronavirus a known event, stops cover What about sick policy? What about leaves of absences to look after sick family members? What about social distancing in the workplace? said Elias. They should be looking at these types of policies and procedures now so that in the event that the pandemic comes even closer and impacts their organisation, that they have things in place ready to roll out. Taking note of an organisations insurance coverage is likewise important. The Marsh expert recommends that companies review applicable insurance policies, prepare for potential claims, and get in touch with their broker. Its really encouraged at this time that organisations need to be reaching out to their insurance brokers to speak to them about the situation, she said. Global stocks will likely continue to rally as people realize the coronavirus outbreak is not likely to cause long-term effects on the markets, China Beige Book's chief economist, Derek Scissors, told CNBC on Thursday. "This isn't a natural disaster that destroys capital stock," he said on "Squawk Box." "As long as people recover fully, it's not going to affect productivity." China is facing a short-term GDP drag, and companies with international stakes will face some earnings hits, but long-term growth should stay stable, added Scissors, whose China Beige Book firm is an independent provider of Chinese economic data. "The trajectory of China's growth of demand for U.S. products in China, of Chinese supply in the global supply chain, that's all the same" as it would have been, said Scissors, also a resident scholar at the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute think tank. "So, if you want to trade really short term, then fine, you'll have a short-term earnings hit. Looking a year out, those companies should be in the same kind of financial position as they were six months ago." China's Shenzhen Composite index surged nearly 3% while the Shanghai Composite gained 1.7%. On Monday, Chinese stocks plunged on the first trading day there since the extended Lunar New Year holiday. Investors in China got their first chance to react to the widening the coronavirus outbreak. Over the past few weeks, American companies with operations in China have issued warnings to investors as the fast-spreading virus hits demand. Nike on Tuesday said it closed half of its stores in China and added that it will have a "material impact" on its operations across the country. Tesla has also temporarily shuttered its stores in mainland China, according to an online post from a company sales employee. On Thursday, Yum Brands warned that its 2020 results could fall short of its long-term outlook as the outbreak weighs on sales in China. Health officials around the world are also scrambling to stop the spread of the new virus, which was first discovered Dec. 31 in the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province. China's National Health Commission on Wednesday raised its confirmed coronavirus cases in the country to 28,018. The death toll rose to 563, with one additional fatality in the Philippines and one in Hong Kong. The World Health Organization said there's been more than 150 coronavirus cases in about two dozen countries outside of China and declared the virus a global health emergency. The commercial and economic ties between the UAE and Senegal have witnessed recent significant developments, with the value of their trade from 2014 to 2018 amounting to Dh9.1 billion ($2.48 billion),a media report said. The trade exchange between the two countries in 2014 totalled in value to around Dh1.656 billion, and this figure reached some Dh1.5 billion the following year, reported state news agency Wam, citing statistics from the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority (FCSA) and the Ministry of Economy. In 2016, the value of their trade amounted to Dh1.4 billion, which increased to Dh2.29 billion in 2017, as per the FCSAs statistics, which also highlighted a further increase to Dh2.3 billion in 2018. The official visit of Macky Sall, President of Senegal, to the UAE is expected to reinforce the commercial and economic ties between the two countries, as well as increase their future trade. The UAE and Senegal decided to boost their ties by forming the "Joint Emirati-Senegalese Committee," which held several recent meetings that have helped reinforce the cooperation between their public and private sectors. The statistics also show that re-exports from the UAE to Senegal amounted to around Dh4.9 billion, accounting for 53.8 percent of their total trade during the reporting period. Imports totalled in value to around Dh2.9 billion or 31.8 percent of the total trade between the two countries while exports amounted to around Dh1.3 billion or 14.4 percent. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Nigerian youth have held a vigil for a student killed last month by the Islamic States West Africa Province, a breakaway Boko Haram group. The militants released a video showing the gruesome execution of 22-year-old Ropvil Daciya, who the group kidnapped on January 9 on his way to Jos to Maiduguri. China coronavirus outbreak: Death toll approaches 500 Iran Press TV Wednesday, 05 February 2020 8:06 AM The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in China has approached 500, and more than 24,000 others have been infected with the rapidly spreading virus, which is also taking a toll on the world economy. China's National Health Commission confirmed that the death toll was now at 490, after Hubai Province reported 65 more fatalities on Tuesday. The record is the biggest single-day tally since the illness emerged last December in Wuhan, the provincial capital of Hubai, which has since been on lockdown. The confirmed infection cases across China have reached 24,324, an increase of 3,887 from the previous tally. The virus has so far infected nearly 230 people in 27 other countries and regions, according to a Reuters tally based on official statements from the authorities involved. China says has ability to win war against virus Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says his country has the ability to win the war against the virus. "We have the ability and confidence to finally win this war of containment," Wang told Thailand's foreign minister during a call on Tuesday, according to China's Foreign Ministry. Iranians evacuated A plane carrying 70 Iranian nationals from Wuhan arrived in Tehran on Wednesday, according to a senior health official, who said all the returnees were in good health. Kianoush Jahanpour, the head of the Iranian Health Ministry's public relations department, said on his Twitter account on Wednesday that the individuals would be put in quarantine as a precautionary measure and would be monitored for symptoms of the viral pneumonia. Thousands trapped on cruise ship in Japan Japan's Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said 10 people on a cruise liner at the Japanese port of Yokohama had tested positive for the viral infection on Tuesday. The patients will be transported to a medical facility, while the roughly 3,700 others on the ship will be quarantined on board the Carnival Corp ship Diamond Princess for 14 days, said the minister. Japan, with the highest number of infections outside China, has already sent three flights to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Wednesday that the government would send a fourth chartered flight to Wuhan on Thursday to take home about 200 Japanese nationals as well as their Chinese spouses. Cruise ship denied entry to Taiwan Another cruise ship, with 1,800 people on board, was denied entry to Taiwan on Tuesday and docked in Hong Kong on Wednesday. All passengers and crew on board the cruise ship, World Dream, are undergoing health checks, Reuters reported. According to Hong Kong health officials, 30 crew members on the cruise ship have shown symptoms of the coronavirus. They said most of the passengers are Hong Kongers. Medics continue strike in Hong Kong Meanwhile, medical workers in Hong Kong have begun a third day of strike action against the semi-autonomous government of the Chinese region, which they accuse of not taking enough action to prevent an outbreak in the territory. Dozens of medical representatives rallied to the government headquarters on Wednesday to press their demand that the border with mainland China be closed. Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam has kept open three routes to China, saying that closing them would be "impractical." Meanwhile, dozens of countries have suspended flights to and from China and rushed to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan. Thailand evacuates citizens Thailand has become the latest country to take its citizens home form Wuhan. Officials said more than 130 Thais were evacuated from the Chinese city and would be quarantined for 14 days at the Sattahip Naval Base near the capital, Bangkok. Uzbeks taken home Uzbekistan also evacuated 84 people from Wuhan on Wednesday and will place them in quarantine on arrival in Tashkent, according to the Central Asian country's state airline. The airline said the passengers were being accompanied by doctors and specialists with protective equipment. Economy, another victim of coronavirus The coronavirus disease, with a mortality rate of about 2 percent, is also taking a toll on the economies of world countries, according to experts, as international factories and stores throughout China are closing. Mary Lovely, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said, "Grounded flights and less tourism will weigh on Chinese airlines, potentially reducing their purchases of new American aircraft this year." "How is the US going to handle this? We don't really know," she asked. Beijing, however, is taking measures to support the Chinese economy, Reuters reported. China's Central Bank is likely to lower its key lending rate the loan prime rate (LPR) later this month, the report said. The bank will also cut banks' reserve requirement ratios (RRRs) in the coming weeks. "Currently, monetary policy is being loosened, but the Central Bank will follow a step-by-step approach and watch the virus situation," a source told Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prosecutors ask court to sentence alleged killer of Moscow metro policeman to 18 years TASS, Maxim Grigoryev 14:09 06/02/2020 MOSCOW, February 6 (RAPSI) Prosecution on Thursday demanded an 18-year high security prison sentence for Nurlan Muratov, a defendant in the case over killing a police officer at a Moscow metro station, RAPSI reports from the Moscow City Court. The court will announce sentence on February 11. On February 5, the jury found Muratov guilty. Earlier, during the trial, Muratov disassociated himself from committing the crime during. The defendant said that he did not know what had happened in a room, where the police officer had been killed, who had shot and who else had been there. According to his testimony, he was feared for his life and left the room. He also added that he had never born arms. Charges have been brought against the native of the Kyrgyz Republic over infringement on the life of a law enforcement officer. He received Russian citizenship illegally, "through an acquaintance", as the defendant said, according to investigators. Investigators claim that late in the evening on September 2, 2018, a police officer stopped a person for checking documents. Later, the policemans body with a firearm wound to the head was found in one of maintenance rooms at the Kurskaya metro station. He was put in detention on a court order. The New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) agreement has had a surprisingly benign reception - cautious welcomes for some aspects, regrets that it has not gone further on others, but little said about the plethora of new offices and agencies decreed in it. The accord facilitated an immediate awakening of the Stormont institutions from their three-year slumber. That may have been enough to win a good Press and sufficient to stifle the hoots of derision and snorts of incredulity that might have been expected. Most people may have not read the NDNA document and are not aware that we are to have separate commissioners for the Irish language and for Ulster Scots and an Office of Identity and Cultural Expression, a Central Translation Hub and simultaneous translation in the Assembly. What is an Office of Identity and Cultural Expression? And what is it doing at the heart of government, overseen by the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister? Its purpose is "to promote cultural pluralism and respect for diversity, build social cohesion and reconciliation and to celebrate and support all aspects of Northern Ireland's rich cultural and linguistic heritage". Language enthusiasts and even political parties can campaign for the revival of a language, but not on the basis of a "right" (as in civil, political, or human rights) It arouses echoes of Orwell's 1984 and a Big Brother totalitarian approach telling us how we should think. All this is set out in Annex E of the agreement; it is the tortured response of the assembled brains to the issue that brought the institutions down three years ago and is most likely to do it again: the language problem. The irony is that Northern Ireland has never had - and still does not have - a language problem as one is generally understood. We all speak English, we all read, write and understand English, so no one is at a disadvantage in work, or dealing with public authorities, or the law. Some also have Irish and prefer to speak it when they can, but they are also fluent in English. There is no minority here put at a practical disadvantage when obliged to use English. It was to protect linguistic minorities being placed at such a disadvantage - having to deal with public authorities, or courts, in a language in which they were not fluent - that the Council of Europe's Charter of Minority and Regional Languages was created. And it is undertakings given by London with regard to Northern Ireland when the UK signed up to the charter in the 2000s. A political, or ideological, commitment to reviving a language which, however important in terms of heritage, has long since ceased to be the daily tongue of any significant minority, is another thing and does not fall within the remit of the charter. Someone has foolishly decided that problems are solved by inventing silly names for them. Thus, we have the "Belfast/Good Friday Agreement" and "Derry/Londonderry", to which is now added "the Ulster Scots/Ulster British tradition" Language enthusiasts and even political parties can campaign for the revival of a language, but not on the basis of a "right" (as in civil, political, or human rights). Is there a fundamental contradiction in the NDNA policy on language? The Office of Identity and Cultural Expression has among its goals "to build social cohesion and reconciliation" in Northern Ireland, while at the same time enhancing the development of Irish and Ulster Scots, including official recognition of the status of both. Are we not in danger of creating a real language problem by institutionalising Irish and Ulster Scots and so deepening the identity divide between Irish and British - a divide that is enshrined in the Belfast Agreement, but which is a political divide, not one readily discernible in the daily life of the province? Someone has foolishly decided that problems are solved by inventing silly names for them. Thus, we have the "Belfast/Good Friday Agreement" and "Derry/Londonderry", to which is now added "the Ulster Scots/Ulster British tradition". This last one is not just silly, but completely inappropriate. Ulster Scots is not spoken exclusively by unionists - it is a regional dialect spoken by people in areas such as mid and north Antrim and the Ards peninsula, which include many people who regard themselves as Irish rather than British. Whatever agreements say and whatever the British Government has registered with the European Charter, we all know that Ulster Scots is not a language, but a dialect of English. The tens of thousands of people who speak it do so under the assumption that they are speaking English. When they sit down to read a paper, it is in English; when they write a letter, or send an email, it is in English. Claiming Ulster Scots as a language was a short-sighted unionist ploy in the beginnings of the peace process to counter Sinn Fein's call for full recognition for Irish as an official language. Whether the intention was to insist on Ulster Scots and Irish having equal standing, thereby highlighting the absurdity of the whole project, or just to insist that, absurd or not, they wanted to ensure that Ulster Scots was treated on a level with Irish, whatever the cost. There is one more irony in the whole NDNA approach; the emphasis on Ulster Scots is not solely on language, but also on traditions and culture. Ask anyone in Northern Ireland what the main characteristic of the Ulster Scot is and many will say it is his cannieness with money. As the old rhyme has it: "If you weren't sae Ballymena with yer Ballymoney, you could hae a Ballycastle for yer Ballyholme." There is no detail in the agreement of the cost of all the proposals relating to language - agencies, commissioners, translation hubs, new programmes in schools - but the main criticism to emerge almost immediately was the inadequate response of London on the matter of the extra funding needed for Northern Ireland. Will London cough up when it is asked to fund the Central Translation Hub "to provide language translation services for the nine Executive departments, arm's-length bodies, local government and public bodies" and also the simultaneous translation system for an Assembly where everyone is fluent in English. Do the thrifty Ulster Scots in the Executive and Assembly ever give thought to how these demands must appear to the paymasters at Westminster? The Scottish planters and migrants of the 17th century brought the Scots tongue of lowland Scotland with them and Ulster Scots has evolved as a modified form of it. Ulster Scots people revere Robbie Burns as their great cultural icon. When they come to debate the language proposals in the Assembly, they should remember some of Burns' best-known lines: "O wad some power the giftie gie us/To see oursels as ithers see us./It wad frae money a blunder free us." If you can read and understand that, you know Ulster Scots, even though it is in "the Scots dialect", as Burns himself termed it. If you cannot, you can apply for help to the Central Translation Hub - when, and if, it's up and working. Dennis Kennedy is a former deputy editor of The Irish Times. He is the author of Square Peg: The Life and Times of a Northern Newspaperman South of the Border (Stroud: The History Press, 2009) Every American should see the new film Clarence Thomas: In His Own Words. It is a beautiful film about his life, told in his own voice. The reason it is so relevant is that his story, especially in the left's attempt to block his confirmation to the SCOTUS because he by then was a conservative black man, has lessons for today. So what again did the left do? They began with the "let's get a woman to accuse him of sexual harassment" play. Out of nowhere came the loathsome Anita Hill to duly spill her fabricated tale of phony woe that was meant to stop his confirmation. Seeing these scenes from that "high-tech lynching," which it most certainly was, is an apt reminder of how far and how viciously the left is willing to go to get its way. Joe Biden, then the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is so sneering, so intent upon humiliating Thomas, that one is reminded why he should never get close to the Oval Office again. Biden is truly a vile man. And who are the racists in this tale? The truth of that is abundantly clear: it is the Democrats and the usual suspects in the media who cannot abide a conservative black man in their midst and will do anything, no matter how underhanded, to destroy such a man. Fortunately for all Americans, they failed to quash Thomas's confirmation, thanks to the Republicans and eleven Democrats. Ironically, the vote count to confirm was exactly what the vote to acquit President Trump was on Wednesday: 52 to 48! It is almost surreal to watch the scenes from the Thomas "trial" because it tracks so precisely with what the Democrats then did to Brett Kavanaugh. Just when it seemed his confirmation was a done deal, the fraudulent Christine Blasey Ford appeared on the scene as a wrench in the gears with her absolutely unbelievable story about having been "molested" by Kavanaugh in high school! Not a word she uttered was remotely credible, but that did not matter to the Democrats on the current Judiciary Committee, not one bit. They behaved as though she were the innocent rape victim on an episode of Law & Order: SVU. She was nothing of the kind. As with what the Democrats did to Thomas in 1991, she was a hired gun, a willing participant in another high-tech lynching. These two women both allowed themselves to be used by leftists to achieve a desired end: to stop any justice they feared might oppose Roe v. Wade. That is what motivated the Democrats in 1991 and still motivates them today. Thomas is a religious man, and just that is what energized them to implement their plan to wreck the Thomas confirmation. Kavanaugh, too, is a religious man, and there is nothing the left hates more than people of faith. This is why they despise President Trump, too, and Rush Limbaugh, Mark Levin, and Dennis Prager. Such men are the bane of their existence. It is the scenes with Joe Biden that are the most infuriating. To see how he so thoroughly delighted the looks on his face are unmistakable in belittling a fine black man is beyond disturbing. Biden is not just incompetent and by now a bit senile; his demeanor then betrayed the fact that he is malevolent to his core. How he ever came to be Obama's vice president is a mystery. He is not a good person. That he came in fourth (so far) in the Iowa caucus proves that most Americans are smarter than Democrats ever realize. Biden will never be president of this country. All of this brings us to the Democrats' repeated attempts to impeach President Trump, each shot based on wholly fabricated nonsense, from the Russia hoax invented and paid for by the Clinton campaign to the most recent orchestrated scheme by Adam Schiff over a phone call. Each try is more feeble than the last, and this one was the most ridiculous. Still, all the Democrats and one spineless and compromised Republican, "Pierre Defecto," or rather, "Delecto," voted to convict despite there being no actual evidence presented beyond the opinions of some self-important foreign policy underlings. But Schiff, a man sorely afflicted with numerous mental maladies, and his fellow conspirators plowed ahead with the view that, again, Americans are stupid and would fall for their game just as the Democrats in 1991 assumed they could sway public opinion against Justice Thomas. The current Democrats thought they could convince the American people that Kavanaugh had been, thirty years ago, an abuser of a young girl even though, like in the Thomas case, the charges were entirely fallacious. In the end, the Democrats lost in each of these controversies. Clarence Thomas has been one of the finest Justices in history. He has written over six hundred opinions (30% more than any other Justice), many of them dissents, and since the death of Antonin Scalia, he is perhaps the lone true originalist on the Court. The Democrats failed to prevent Kavanaugh's confirmation and lost again in their effort of impeach President Trump, an outcome that was certain as they began this charade. They have one playbook destroy any opponent by any means necessary. But they never learn; they are stuck on stupid. Presiding over Schiff's impeachment trial, Chief Justice John Roberts betrayed his bias when he refused to read Rand Paul's question about how the latest "inquiry" began, because it contained the name of the faux whistleblower. Like everyone else in the room, like everyone watching at home, he knew the name. His failure to read it aloud is suspect. President Trump, in the months ahead, should appoint Clarence Thomas as Chief Justice because he cannot be bought, not by partisan politics, not for anything. He loves and knows our Constitution and applies it unfettered by current ideological theories or partisan politics. See the film. London, UK - Just AI, the global provider of conversational solutions and tools, has announced the expansion of its UK team with Joshua Kaiser joining as Senior Director of Just AIs UK and Ireland business. Joshua will focus on enhancing the companys portfolio with new solutions, acquiring strategic customer accounts, and building strong partner relationships. Joshua will take on growing demands for conversational AI solutions in the UK, expanding Just AIs Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo 06.02.2020 LISTEN The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, has appealed against the ruling of an Accra High Court which adopted the witness statement of the prosecution's first witness who denied his own evidence in his trial. It is the position of his lawyer, Tony Lithur, that the judge, Justice Samuel Asiedu, a Court of Appeal judge sitting as an additional High Court judge, 'erred' when he dismissed their objection to the adoption of the witness statement. Mr. Ofosu-Ampofo and the party's Deputy Communications Officer, Anthony Kwaku Boahen, are facing three charges before an Accra High Court over alleged leaked audio detailing strategies the NDC intends to use for the 2020 general election, one being the kidnappings of family members of political opponents. The NDC members were captured on tape allegedly planning to commit crimes in the country and turn round to blame the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). The first Prosecution Witness, Benjamin Osei Ampofo Adjei, a broadcast journalist with Accra-based Adom FM being led in evidence by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Yvonne Atakora-Obuobisa, denied his police investigation statement, as well his witness statement presented by the prosecution. The court put in a state of 'surprise' last week when the DPP showed Mr. Adjei his witness statement and he said that was the first time he was seeing it. The tendering of the statement through the witness then generated heated debate as the defence lawyers were against the court accepting the document. Tony Lithur, in his objection, said paragraph 32 of the practice direction on disclosures and case management states that a witness statement may be admitted if the defence and prosecution both agree to its admission. He said they did not agree to the tendering of the document because the witness had said the statement was prepared and brought to him to sign, meaning the statement is not his. He added that the decision to whether admit the statement or not is with the defence and the prosecution and not subject to the discretion of the court. The objection was opposed by the DPP who said the witness has already confirmed that he signed the witness statement which was carved out of the investigation statement which was not objected to by the defence. She added that the court has discretion to either adopt or reject the statement they sought to tender. Justice Asiedu dismissed the objection and admitted the statement, saying the statement was signed by the witness, thereby making it valid. He added that practice direction is not law but a direction and that does not take away the discretion of the court. It is this decision that the lawyers have filed an appeal against and subsequently filed a stay of proceedings. Appearing before the court yesterday, Mr. Lithur pleaded with the court to adjourn the matter to February 11, which is the return date for the application for stay of proceedings. The DPP, however, objected to the move, saying the mere filing of a stay of proceedings does not warrant a stay of proceedings. The court, however, adjourned the matter because the prosecution could not furnish the court with an audio recording of an interview the witness had with Mr. Boahen in the aftermath of the alleged leaked tape which the state intended to tender. The prosecution was ordered to make sure the court gets its copy of the audio. Hearing continues on February 11, 2020. ---Daily Guide Syrian army troops entered the strategic town of Saraqeb in rebel-held Idlib province and begins "combing" its neighbourhoods, state media said on Thursday. The advance is the latest gain in a major Russian-led campaign that began in December in northwestern Idlib province to recapture the last rebel stronghold. State television showed groups of fighters roaming streets of the deserted town that had been devastated by heavy Russian and Syrian airforce strikes behind the deaths of hundreds of civilians since the campaign began in recent months. Search Keywords: Short link: Washington: President Donald Trump was acquitted on Wednesday in his US Senate impeachment trial, saved by fellow Republicans who rallied to protect him nine months before he asks voters in a deeply divided America to give him a second White House term. The businessman-turned-politician, 73, survived only the third presidential impeachment trial in US history - just like the two other impeached presidents - in his turbulent presidency`s darkest chapter. Trump now plunges into an election season that promises to further polarize the country. Trump was acquitted largely along party lines on two articles of impeachment approved by the Democratic-led House of Representatives on Dec. 18. The votes to convict Trump fell far short of the two-thirds majority required in the 100-seat Senate to remove him from office under the US Constitution. The Senate voted 52-48 to acquit Trump of abuse of power stemming from his request that Ukraine investigate political rival Joe Biden, a contender for the Democratic nomination to face him in the Nov. 3 election. Republican Senator Mitt Romney joined the Democrats in voting to convict. No Democrat voted to acquit. Live TV The Senate then voted 53-47 to acquit him of obstruction of Congress by blocking witnesses and documents sought by the House. Romney joined the rest of the Republican senators in voting to acquit on the obstruction charge. No Democrat voted to acquit. On each of the two charges, the senators stood at their desks on the Senate floor to vote one by one, with US Chief Justice John Roberts presiding. On Twitter after the vote, the president posted a video showing Trump campaign signs for future elections from 2024 onward ending with "Trump 4EVA." The US Constitution limits a president to two elected four-year terms in office. Trump said he would deliver a public statement at noon (1700 GMT) on Thursday "to discuss our Country`s VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!" "President Trump has been totally vindicated and it`s now time to get back to the business of the American people," Trump`s campaign manager, Brad Parscale, said in a statement. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans engineered a stripped-down trial with no witnesses or new evidence. Democrats called the trial a sham and a cover-up. Trump called the impeachment an attempted coup and a Democratic attempt to annul his 2016 election victory. The acquittal handed Trump his biggest victory yet over his Democratic adversaries in Congress. Democrats vowed to press ahead with investigations - they are fighting in court for access to his financial records - and voiced hope that the facts unearthed during the impeachment process about his conduct would help persuade voters to make him a one-term president. Trump`s job approval ratings have remained fairly consistent throughout his presidency and the impeachment process as his core conservative supporters - especially white men, rural Americans, evangelical Christians and conservative Catholics - stick with him. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted on Monday and Tuesday, showed 42% of American adults approved of his performance, while 54% disapproved. That was nearly the same as when the House launched its impeachment inquiry in September, when his approval stood at 43% and disapproval at 53%. Trump faces no serious challengers for his party`s presidential nomination. He is poised to claim the nomination at the party`s convention in August and previewed in his State of the Union address on Tuesday campaign themes such as American renewal, economic vitality and hardline immigration policies. `Appaling abuse' Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, broke with his party to vote to convict Trump on the abuse-of-power charge. Romney called the president`s actions in pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden "grievously wrong" and said Trump was "guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust." "What he did was not `perfect,`" Romney said on the Senate floor, as Trump has described his call with Ukraine`s president that was at the heart of the scandal. "No, it was a flagrant assault on our electoral rights, our national security and our fundamental values. Corrupting an election to keep one`s self in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one`s oath of office that I can imagine." Romney, a moderate and elder statesman in his party, became the first senator in US history to vote to convict a member of his own party at an impeachment trial. McConnell, speaking to reporters after the vote, accused Democrats of using the impeachment trial to try to gain an advantage in winning control of the Senate in November, but called the effort "a colossal political mistake." He also said he was "surprised and disappointed" by Romney`s vote. Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat, said Trump`s acquittal in an unfair trial was worth nothing. "No doubt, the president will boast he received total exoneration. But we know better. We know this wasn`t a trial by any stretch of the definition." Democrats expressed concern that an acquittal would encourage a president who already challenges political norms. They have painted him as threat to US democracy and a demagogue who has acted lawlessly and exhibited a contempt for the powers of Congress and other institutions. They also have voiced concern over Russia interfering in another American election. Trump`s legal team offered a vision of nearly unlimited presidential powers, a view Democrats said placed any president above the law. The trial formally began on Jan. 16. The Senate voted 51-49 last Friday to defeat the Democrats` bid to call witnesses such as Trump`s former national security adviser John Bolton, with only two Republicans joining them. In the previous presidential impeachment trials, Andrew Johnson was acquitted in 1868 in the aftermath of the American Civil War and Bill Clinton was acquitted in 1999 of charges stemming from a sex scandal. Shadow of investigation Trump, now seeking a second four-year term, has been under the shadow of some sort of investigation for most of his presidency. The acquittal marked the second time in 10 months that he withstood an existential threat to his presidency. In March 2019, Special Counsel Robert Mueller found insufficient evidence that Trump engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Russia in its interference on his behalf in the 2016 election. Mueller did not exonerate Trump of obstruction of justice in seeking to impede the investigation but stopped short of concluding the president acted unlawfully. Last July 25, Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a phone call to "do us a favor" and open an investigation into Biden and his son Hunter Biden and into a discredited theory beneficial to Russia that Ukraine colluded with Democrats to meddle in the 2016 election to harm Trump. Hunter Biden had joined the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma while his father was US vice president. Trump accused the Bidens of corruption without offering substantiation. The Bidens denied wrongdoing. Democrats said Trump further abused his power by withholding $391 million in security aid approved by Congress to help Ukraine battle Russia-backed separatists and by dangling a coveted White House meeting as leverage to pressure Zelenskiy to announce the investigations. Myanmar: Cement Cargo Ships Destroy Riverbanks, Mon State Locals Say February 06,2020 | Source: BRI Online Locals are attributing land degradation along the banks of the Attaran River in Mon States Kyaikmayaw Township to traffic from cargo ships with in the cement factories. They have demanded that the state parliament look into the problem, which is apparent in the villages of Mae Kayoe, Kawt Dun, Kawt Panau and Kwam Ngan. An ancient pagoda, religious structures and homes have been damaged, locals said in a letter to parliament sent on January 27. We have seen cracks in the earth and a decline on the slopes of the riverbanks since last November. It is declining everyday. We need to protect it while there is still time, Nai Tun Kyi, who lives in Mae Kayoe village, told NMG about why locals sent the letter this week. They have linked the damage to cargo ships carrying construction materials and tools to cement factories in Pyar Tawng area of Kyaikmayaw Township. The megaships also transport cement from the factories to other areas along the Attaran River. The deputy speaker of the Mon State parliament said that MPs would carry out a detailed survey as to why the problems with the land were occurring, and make recommendations to the government based on their findings. We know that if mega cargo ships make huge waves in the river, they could cause the earth to crack and for landslides to occur on the riverbank. These cargo ships have damaged fishing boats and fishing nets. I think the respective authorities need systematic control over it, Dr. Aung Naing Oo, deputy speaker of the Mon State parliament, told NMG. With permission from Burmas investment commission, Mawlamyine Cement Ltd., June Cement Industry Ltd. and Myanmar-Korea Cement Group Co. Ltd are operating their cement factories in Kyaikmayaw Township. Currently, Mawlamyine Cement Ltd. produces 5,000 tons of cement per day. June Cement Industry Ltd. is preparing to operate a cement factory to produce the same amount. British automaker MG Motors made a stir during the Auto Expo 2020 when it showcased the MG Marvel X. The Marvel X SUV is the production version of the Vision E Concept, which was showcased several years ago during the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show. MG Motors, a subsidiary of SAIC Motors, the first Chinese automaker that penetrated the Indian auto industry, wants to showcase its capabilities in producing smart electric vehicles (EV). On the outside, the Marvel X looks like your typical SUV with its robust front grille that took much of the front fascia and headlights connected via LED daytime running lights that run across the front. Inside, the Marvel X is all about luxury with its leather-trimmed seats, steering wheel, and dashboard. The ubiquitous infotainment system comes in an amazing 12.3 inches which also shows driving data such as speed, power usage, and a small image of the car in its lane when using the driver assistance features. This is truly an efficient car as MG claims that the AC is 50 percent more efficient than the traditional AC system in most vehicles. As a luxury EV, expect this SUV to come also with advance safety tech and driver-assist features like lane-keeping assist and steering assist, adaptive cruise control, 360 degrees view camera, intelligent parking assist, automatic emergency braking, forward collision alarm, and real-life driving assistance system which allows the car to drive itself for short periods. The Marvel X will be powered by a 52.5 kWh battery pack accompanied by electric motors offered in rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options. The rear-wheel-drive model generates 183 horsepower and 410 Nm torque, while the all-wheel-drive variant can churn out 296 hp output and 665 Nm of torque. Accordingly, the Marvel X has an NEDC-tested 403 and 370 km of driving range for the 2WD and 4WD respectively. But the automaker said that this EV can go as far as 500km on a single charge when cruising at 60 kmph. Charging time takes about eight and a half hours on an AC wall-mounted fast charger. Story continues MG Motors claims that Marvel X will be the worlds first mass-production vehicle with integrated internet, electric, and autonomous capabilities. The company, however, has not yet confirmed any release date for the Marvel X. Also read: The post Auto Expo 2020: MG Showcases Fully Electric Marvel X with 400km Range appeared first on Carmudi Philippines. Written by ACM *Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- CoE's Committee of Ministers reportedly risked to endorse a not so Old, but Out-Dated and UnPopular Policy, Unchecked yet by its New Secretary General, Marija Buric, and the Political Majority who Elected her at CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly, on the currently "Hot" Global Human Rights Issue of BioEthics Tomorrow, on February 5, 2020. But, finaly, the latest version of its draft Agenda, as published, apparently Skips that highly Controversial matter, eventually for Later-on, (See Infra). Indeed, it's Since 2017 that CoE's competent BioEthics' Committee has been Drafting a "Strategic Action Plan", "on Human rights and Technologies" (sic !), as the Committee of Ministers had been officially informed then, (See Infra). But Buric was elected by PACE on June 2019, and took over her new Duties only on October 2010, i.e. just 1,5 Month before a first Version of that complex and multifacet "Plan" was Adopted by the BioEthics Committee, on November 2019, i.e. obviously withOut having Sufficient Time to really Check, Discuss, and eventually UpDate and/or ReFormulate any Important Key-point..., (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/coebioethicplandebatebutoutcomelater.html). Moreover, that comprehensive "Strategic Plan" is due to Extend for a Long Period going from 2020 up to 2025, i.e. Bypassing even the New CoE's Secretary General's Mandate ! The Problem is that, Exceptionally, for the 1st Time in CoE's over 70 Years History, during the Latest ...Fifteen (15) Years now, Strasbourg's Organisation has been living under Only "Socialist" former Secretary Generals and their Teams, (the Brittish Terry Davis and the Norwegian Thornbjorn Jagland : 2004 - 2019), while the Latest Christian Democrat (Austria's Walter Schwimer) or Liberal (Sweden's Daniel Tarschys), etc., Date from a Remote Past of 1994-2004 only... BioEthical Issues are a notoriously "Hot" Issue, Sharply Debated and Disputed between Socialists and ChristianDemocrats, both in Europe and in the USA, as well as Elsewhere in the World, so that any Fair and Healthy Democratic treatment of what is really at Stake there, obviously canNot Exclude so long one of those Mainstream Political Families, Neither Ignore European People and its Elected Representatives' Majority wishes. Currently, one of the most Crucial Matters, in that Area, is that of the Heritable Human Genome Editing, transmissible to Future Generations, as well as the various Artificial methods of Births, Submitted to Technological Interferences already on the Human Embryons, which, in real Practice, make Technically Possible such Interferences overriding the Natural process. The 1st known such controversial Heritable Human Genome Editing, secretly Tested on 3 Babies (by a Chinese Dr. linked to US Technocratic Lobbies of the Obama era), triggered a World-wide Scandal on Autumn 2018, (See : ...). Almost at the Same Time, in Parallel, important Countries, such as, f.ex., France, have been notoriously considering to eventually Open, for the 1st Time in History, the Door for Massive Technological Interferences in Artificial Births, inter alia under Pretext to Fabricate Children for Homosexual, particularly Lesbian Couples, also Since 2017-2018, with an Initially Scheduled Date in 2019 or 2020, (Nowadays Postponed for the Forthcoming Summer 2020)... I.e. they are Now Imminent. But the Risks provoked by such controversial developments are of an UnPrecedented Dangerosity in Human History : Indeed, this Issue is of Extreme and Urgent Importance, because here it's all Humanity which is obviously at Stake, since Heritable Genetic Manipulations may also fabricate "Chimeras" (between Animals and Humans), and Various Other kinds of "Dr. Frankenstein" Monsters, real "New Races" of Beings, an aggravated and permanent "Appart-Heid" definitively Separating Humans between them, Set up various "Alien" Species, (etc), if they Fall into the Wrong Hands of some Maverick/Selfish Technocrats. In Addition, Recently, various Health Problems were found in Heritable Gene Editing, (as in the Clonning, previously). In this regard, inter alia, Today's Wider Report of the World Health Organisation, Warning about Parallel and Synchronous Risks for Cancer ilnesses to Multiply in the foreseable Future, from 29 to 37 Millions of cases until 2040, i.e. + 60 % in the Next 20 Years, (and even Worse : +80% in Poor Countries), raises Worrying Questions. There are some Speculations about eventual Technical Solutions in the Future, but, at any case, this is Not the Main Concern here. Indeed, as COE's BioEthics Committee stressed at an exceptional Statement of 2015, on the occasion of such CRISPR-Cas9 Heritable Gene Editing Technologies, the Main "Concern" focuses "in particular (on) the intentional Modification of Human Genome, so as to Produce Individuals or Groups endowed with Particular Characteristics". (Comp. Supra). In fact, "deliberate Germ-Line Editing in Human beings crosses a Line viewed as Ethically Inviolable", Denounced also COE Assembly's Social and Health Affairs Committee, in a Declaration issued (after the October 2018 Incident) on December 2018. Such Risks seem to have become Now (i.e. After that October 2018 Incident : Comp. Supra) inevitable, particularly in the Absence of any Known Technology able to Prevent, Spot, and/or Reverse a possible Heritable Manipulation, whenever a Human Embryo is exposed to any eventual Genetic Intervention, (f.ex. during Artificial Procreation Methods, IVF, etc). But, even if, according to Other CoE's sources, it seems to be "currently a Prohibition on interventions aimed at Modifying the Germ-Line in Human beings in all EU, and many CoE, member States", (as a 2017 CoE Assembly Resolution says), nevertheless, there are also Many important Non-European Actors throughout the World in this domain, and, therefore, CoE's Committee on BioEthics has "launched, since 2015, a Call to use CoE's Oviedo Convention's Principles (See Infra) also for a Debate at International level", while, in Addition, more Recently, MEPs have spoken to "Eurofora" about Fresh Efforts to adopt a Resolution in EU Parliament calling for a "Global Ban", both before and after the latest, May 2019 EU Elections, (See, f.ex.: ... + ..., etc). Indeed, as former CoE's SG Thornbjorn Jagland's latest Report ("Ready for Future Challenges") reminded at Helsinki on May 2019, CoE has Already "Banned Human Cloning", as Early as Since 1997-1998, with an Additional Protocol, open to signature from Any Country in the World, to its landmark "Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medecine (Oviedo Convention)". Something similar, mutatis-mutandis, could be made also Now, concerning the Heritable Gene Editing of Humans Worldwide, (which, at any case, is already Prohibited under that PanEuropean Convention). The New CoE's Secretary General, Marija Buric, has Just pointed, Also, (in her Speech to CoE Parliamentary Assembly's plenary of January 2020 in Strasbourg), about such "New Challenges" for Human Rights and Democracy, emerging as "our Societies Change" : "We Must be there to Defend the Rules to which we Believe, and which are inscribed in Law", she firmly stressed. As that 1997-1998 Era of CoE's rotating Presidencies by Helmut Kohl, of Germany, ("Father" of the European ReUnification), and Jacques Chirac of France, followed by Greece's Constantin Stefanopoulos, (like nowadays on 2019-2020), was really Historic on BioEthics too, with that "Oviedo" Convention coinciding, almost at the same time, with Russia's and other Central-Eastern Countries' Accession to the CoE, while USA, Canada, Japan and Mexico became "Permanent Observers" in Strasbourg (1996), similarly, the 1st Election of a Central-Eastern Country as Croatia's Top Politician as CoE's New Secretary General, Nowadays, with Marija Buric (2019-2024), while Europe's relations with China and other non-European Countries comes at the forefront (See Infra), almost at the Same Moment that the EU reportedly aims to use the CoE as a stepping stone towards "Global" Policies in a Wider Spectrum of Topical Issues, might, eventually, Help Now, if there is a sufficient Political Will among European Heads of State/Government, in Addition with the USA, etc., to Deal adequately also with the Heritable Editing of Human Genome issue Worldwide. At any case, China Already made an important Step in this Direction, inter alia, also by Recently Imposing Criminal Sanctions, on 30 December 2019, against that Maveric Dr. (with US Technocratic Lobby links since Obama), who suddenly operated Prohibited Heritable Genetic Editing on 3 Babies in Atumn 2018 (Comp. Supra and : ..., etc), and Strongly Denoucing such immoral and Dangerous acts against Humanity, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/chinacondemnsheritablegeneediting.html, etc). In Addition, Europe would Obviously benefit from an eventual "Permanent Observer Status" to Beijing, in the foreseable Future, (as it has done Already vis a vis USA, Canada, Mexico and Japan, etc), Also Because China, currently is the Only UN Security Council's "Permanent Member" withOut any Diplomatic Representation yet to Strasbourg... So that, the possible Addition, f.ex., of a CoE-China cooperation against "Cyber-Crime", and/or in the Protection of "Personal Data", etc., (of great Interest Nowadays also for Topical Global Issues interesting Europe, related to Smart-Phones, "5G" Networks, etc), Together with the reportedly Good Relations of Beijing with the New President of CoE's Assembly, Belgian Liberal MEP Rik Daems (2020-2022), might, perhaps, Help soon Fil this Gap, by finding an appropriate Status for Future Cooperationb with China on some Basic CoE's Values. + Meanwhile, Awareness and Opposition to such Dangerous Technocratic Interferences in Human Births seems to Grow Recently also in the West, (even if the Establishment's Medias persist to Hide what is really at Stake) : F.ex., in France, already more than 2 Giant Popular Demonstrations, on 2019 and 2020, added recently more signs of People's Opposition to Controversial, Out-Dated, and Unpopular plans to Impose, for the 1st Time in History, financially reimbursable Artificial Births for Children to Fabricate after command for Lesbian Couples. On the Contrary, Public Demonstrations by Lobbies pushing for ARTIFICIAL Births have been Rare and Minor, Marginal. Instead of that, European People have Recently boosted manifold and Large, Impressive Public popular Demonstrations in Defense of NATURAL Births, as, f.ex., Nowadays in France, several former Central-Eastern Countries, added even to USA, etc, as never seen before in History. Even in China, mainstream Medias have recently (2016-2019) noted the Fact that the Majority of People were Against such Artificial interferences on Human Births. + In Addition, the Public Consultation launched by the French Government on 2018 in an Official Web Forum on a Review of BioEthics Law, was clearly Marked by a strong Majority of Popular Opposal to such controversial and dangerous attempts, (Despite the Personal Attacks by a Threatening Minority vainly attempting to Muzzle Critics, instead of Debating with Logical Arguments). Such Facts were, moreover, Highlighted even by the President of the Committee on BioEthics in France (endorsed by the Government), Professor Jean-Francois Delfraissy, who Denounced, at a CoE's International Conference in Strasbourg on 2019, the existence of serious "GAPS" (as he stressed) between the Majority of the People and some controversial Draft Plans pushed by Lobbies which had Influenced the Government on 2017 to prepare so Dangerous Bills as for Artificial Births of Children fabricated by order for Lesbian couples, (as he clearly Confirmed later to "Eurofora" : See ..., etc). ++ Meanwhile, since the Autumn of 2018, (i.e. After that Public Consultation, which had Concluded on April 2018), even the World-wide Scandal of the Heritable Genome Editing of 3 Babies (Comp. Supra), which led to the Criminal Sanctions pronounced by Judges, and a net Criticism of such Dangers against Humankind, Denounced by representatives of the Academy of Sciences, in China on December 2019, (See: ...). => So that it Becomes even More Obvious that Big Risks are Looming Nowadays over such Controversial Plans as those which irresponsibly Push (under Various Pretexts) towards Massie Technocratic Interferences on Human Births, (Comp. Supra)... Who -and How- could Guarantee, in advance, that Not Any Technocrat will ever Attempt to Exploit such Interferences in order to grossly and negatively Manipulate the Human Genome for Dark Interests, Against Humanity, Democracy and Human Rights/Dignity ? Nowadays, Ignore such Obvious Dangers, is even Worse and Irresposible than behaving as ...SleepWalkers in broad DayLight ! -------------------------------------- => In this Context, it's understandable that such Controversial and UnPopular Draft Bills, as that of Artificial Births for Lesbians in France, etc (Comp. Supra), proved, Today (4/2/2020) Unable to pass the check of the Senate but Only with a Tiny, Narrow margin of just ...Five (5) Votes' Displacement, out of a Total of about 350 Senators... And this was obtained Only by a counter-Nature Betrayal of the Traditional Positiions of the Mainstream Opposition Party of the "Republicans" by a Tiny Minority of last-minute Turn-Coats, (who are due, probably, to sooner or later Disappear from the Political Life, since the People now Knows their Names and can exert its Democratic Right to Vote Against them, at the first opportunity). As for the so-called "Left", (or what remains from them), it has realy become a Tragi-Comic Paradox to see their Representatives Vote for something which Risks to Fabricate Real Separate Races' "Appart-heid" in the foreseable Future, as if they were Blind and Deaf ...SleepWalkers (Comp. Supra)... On the Contrary, it was a Positive Surprise to see that Even several Senators from President Emmanuel Macron's PoliticaL Party (which had initialy Tabled that Controversial Draft Bill on an Old, OutDated Pre-Electoral Promise of 2017, reportedly conceded to a Lobby Long Before the Autumn 2018 Scandal on the Heritable Gene Editing, and Before it was found that it can Provoke Serious Health Problems : Comp. Supra), Now, on February 2020, Felt Right and Dared to either Abstain, or Vote "No" ! So that the French Government reportedly prefered Now to Postpone that Controversial and UnPopular Draft Bill on Artificial Births of Children for Lesbians, towards a Later Period, After the forthcoming Local Elections at all Municipalities accross the Country, (including Strasbourg City), in order to Avoid a Risk to Negatively Influence them by such Dangerous Measures against which too Many People have already Started to be clearly Opposed... => Will a Similar Move, mutatis-mutandis, perhaps Postpone the CoE's Committee of Ministers' previously Scheduled Examination, for Tomorrow, on 5 February 2020, of the PanEuropean Organisation's "Strategic Action Plan" on BioEthics for the Period of 2020-2025 (Comp. Supra) ? At any case, the Next CoE's Committee of Ministers' meeting is scheduled for February 12. ------------------------------- But, in the MeanTime, curiously, that CoE's Draft "Strategic Action Plan" on BioEthics, Prepared since 2017 and Endorsed by the competent Committee on 2019, (Comp. Supra), still Remains totaly UnKnown to the Public ! >>>From the few available factual Indications, it seems that, Currently, there might be a hidden infight between mainly 2 trends : - One, (apparently pushed by a Socialist Lobby, as that of Former US Envoy to the "Human Genome" project, and afterwards Former US President Barack Hussein Obama's appointed Head of National Health Institutes, who wants Only to Postpone the Heritable Genome Editing, just for a Few Years, until it's found how to use (inevitably including even: "abuse") that UnPopular and Dangerous Tool withOut provoking, at least, Serious Health Problems, Cancers, etc., (Comp. Supra). - While anOther Side, (supported mainly by ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEPs, as those who earlier spoke to "Eurofora" in EU Parliament, etc., See f.ex. : ..., etc), aim to boost a Permanent "Global Ban" against Heritable Genome Editing since 2019-2020, (at least Equivalent to the Interdiction already contained at the "Oviedo" Convention in Europe), as, in the Past, CoE had also Banned, since 1997-1998, the Cloning of Human Persons, with a Protocol Open to Signature by any Country in the World, (Comp. Supra). This should Start from the Research, (to Prevent Hidden "Surprizes", as that of a Maverick "Dr" who Edited the Genome of 3 Babies in a Heritable way, working closely together with a Technocratic USA Lobby of Obama's era : Comp. Supra), while the WHO has just Called to officially Register Any such Research in the World, right from the Start. => In this regard too, "the Medias have a unique role to play as Watchdogs", stressed the New CoE's Secretary General, Marija Buric, in her Latest Speech to CoE Assembly, on January 2020. - "This right is a cornerstone of a Democratic and pluralistic society and ... the Strasbourg Court has confirmed" it, she added. - Therefore, "I Deplore what concurring reports confirm and what the Platform to Promote the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists has also found:" Recently, various "Attacks on Journalists and Media Actors continue to Rise in number, often with Impunity, and spreading a Chilling effect", she Denounced. (../..) ("Draft-News") live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More JSW Steel's Bhushan Power & Steel acquisition hangs in a fine balance with the NCLAT expected to take a decision within a month. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal, which concluded hearings earlier this week, has to decide if JSW Steel can get immunity from an investigation on earlier promoters of Bhushan Power & Steel (BPSL). Executives from the industry say that the Tribunal may take a decision by March 4. JSW Steel approached the courts for immunity after the Enforcement Directorate had attached BPSL's assets in October, as a part of its investigations into money siphoning allegations against the earlier promoters. By all indications though, whatever the NCLAT decides, the final word may eventually come from the Supreme Court. Both, JSW Steel and the ED, may approach the Apex Court if the NCLAT decision doesn't go their way. That is when JSW Steel may have to take call on its Rs 19,700 crore offer for BPSL that was approved by the NCLT in September. If the Supreme Court doesn't give it immunity, will the country's leading steelmaker go ahead with the acquisition, or not? "At present, the company is all prepared to acquire BPSL. Teams have been formed, and the deal has been cleared by the banks," said a senior executive from the industry. "But an unfavorable ruling could lead to a serious rethink," the executive added. The contentions An unfavourable ruling would be a setback, especially after hopes soared when the government, in 2019, notified Section 32A in the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). The section protects an insolvent company from any wrongdoing committed before the start of the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process. JSW Steel was hoping that the new clause will provide immunity from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) investigations. But, the ED thinks otherwise. First, it contends that Section 32A ca not be used retrospectively. Second, it deems JSW Steel and BPSL as partners; besides a joint venture the two had formed to run a mine. But, JSW Steel has argued that the JV is no longer in operation. And, it has not been closed only because the JV is expecting compensation from the government after the mining lease was cancelled. The acquisition JSW Steel was the surprise winner of a race in which Tata Steel for long was seen as the favourite. But, the Sajjan Jindal-company re-entered the race at the last moment and put in a bid that Tata Steel opted not to match. The Tata company bid about Rs 17,000 crore. The acquisition is important for JSW Steel, which can add BPSL's 3.5 million tons to its capacity, and stretch its lead over Tata Steel, which is now the second largest steel company in the country. BPSL has multiple facilities, including in Odisha and West Bengal. But, it comes at a steep price. A green field project of a similar capacity could be about Rs 4,000 crore cheaper. The timing is also crucial. Outlook for the sector is still clouded, and JSW Steel's third quarter profit was down 88 percent. These are not the best times to integrate a costly acquisition. At the same time, stepping back from the acquisition will make it liable to pay fine, and even risk litigation. It may all boil down to the stance taken by the courts. It also depends on the entrepreneurial instincts of Sajjan Jindal. He has taken many a risk in his career and has pulled off most of them. What will be his call this time? In a file photo, tourists walk through the Potala Palace, in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Tibetans in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) are worried about the possible spread of novel coronavirus (nCoV) in the capital Lhasa, as they feel authorities have not taken adequate measures to limit the number of visitors entering the city. Some measures have been enacted, but residents of the capital say these are not enough. Tibetans in Lhasa are concerned that many [Han] Chinese are pouring in without hindrance. Even though there are bans on travel between Tibetan towns and cities, and between Chinese cities, the Chinese keep making their way to Lhasa, a Tibetan resident of the city told RFAs Tibetan Service. There is a real risk of spreading the virus not only in Lhasa, but all over the Tibet Autonomous Region, the source said, adding, The screenings of passengers at the train station and the airport are proving to be ineffective. More flights to Lhasa from Chinese cities need to be suspended, the source said. The Chinese authorities have stopped flights only from Wuhan to Lhasa. All other flights from other regions of China are operating as normal. It is the same with the train. The two-week incubation period for the virus made screenings at airports and rail stations ineffective, he added. A few days ago, a patient that has now been confirmed positive for coronavirus while in Lhasa was not identified by health officials. Instead he came forward himself to see the doctors when he felt unwell, the source said. Confirmed cases of nCoV in Tibetan areas As of Thursday, Qinghai province has a total of 18 positive cases, with 15 in the capital Xining and the three in the Tsojang (Haibei) Tibetan Autonomous prefecture, according to Chinese media. In the Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province, the number of cases rose to 12 from eight. Three of the new cases are Tibetans, joining four other Tibetans in Kardzes Tawu county. According to Woeser, a prominent writer based in Beijing, these seven are the only Tibetans now confirmed to have contracted the virus. There is also one case each in the Ngaba (Aba) and Kanlho (Gannan) Tibetan Autonomous prefectures in Sichuan and Gansu provinces. Inside the Tibet Autonomous Region only one confirmed case has been announced. Meanwhile, a Tibetan husband and wife were subjected to unspecified disciplinary action by the government of Lhoka county, TAR, for failing to inform authorities before they traveled to Wuhan to bring their child back to Tibet in January. Monasteries help fight nCoV Several monasteries in Tibet have meanwhile donated sizable funds to the city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the nCoV outbreak, a second source said. The main monasteries of Sera and Drepung in Lhasa were joined by Kumbum monastery in Eastern Tibet in donating several millions of yuan (1 million yuan = U.S. $143,482) as the affected areas are facing acute shortages of protective gear, face masks, and food items, the source told RFA. If Tibetans practice compassion by reaching out to those affected Chinese by extending our support during their struggle, it will likely affect the way the Chinese regard Tibetans in the future, the second source said. In a video message Wednesday, Lobsang Sangay the president of the India-based Central Tibetan Administration, appealed to Tibetans inside Tibet to follow proper preventive care by maintaining good personal hygiene as an antidote to the deadly virus. Sangay added that he has prayed for Tibetans at Bodh Gaya, a religious site in India that Buddhists believe is the exact location where the Buddha achieved enlightenment. Reported Lobsang Gelek and Lobe for RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Eugene Whong. Boris Johnson referred to Nicola Sturgeon as 'that bloody Wee Jimmy Krankie woman' in a foul-mouthed tirade during a Number 10 meeting to discuss this year's climate summit in Glasgow, it has been claimed. The UN summit, known as COP26, has become mired in controversy after David Cameron and William Hague both refused to host it in Scotland in November. And last week, ex-minister Claire O'Neill, previously president of the conference, was sacked by the PM's adviser Dominic Cummings. Now, it has emerged that Ms Perry O'Neill suggested the Prime Minister offer Ms Sturgeon a formal role to stop her Scottish National Party from damaging the event. However, it has been claimed the suggestion triggered a furious response from Mr Johnson, who allegedly said: 'Over my f****** dead body. I'm not being driven out of Scotland by that bloody Wee Jimmy Krankie woman.' Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomes Prime Minister Boris Johnson outside Bute House in Edinburgh in July The Krankies are a Scottish comedy duo who enjoyed success in the 1970s and 1980s. Janette Tough, now 72, played the schoolboy Wee Jimmy Krankie while her husband husband Ian, also now 72, played the boy's father. Earlier this week, Ms Perry O'Neil publicly spoke about Mr Johnson anger at the SNP leader. She told BBC Radio 4: 'I did suggest Nicola Sturgeon be given a job, which the Prime Minister heartily and saltily rebutted'. An official at the meeting told the Sun: 'It was an extraordinary reaction from the Prime Minister, and not how many of us thought he should handle the Nicola Sturgeon problem at all'. It comes as Ms Sturgeon wrote to the Prime Minister to push him for answers over COP26. However, the SNP have also been forced to deny they are being 'difficult' over the summit, after facing claims they have booked buildings on its planned site. The Krankies, who Boris Johnson compared Nicola Sturgeon too, are a Scottish comedy duo who enjoyed success in the 1970s and 1980s A Number 10 spokesman denied the PM made the Jimmy Krankie comment. However, another Downing Street source acknowledged Mr Johnson did express 'strong views about the first minister's official role' - which included bad language. It comes as ex-PM David Cameron revealed he turned down a 'kind offer' from Mr Johnson to head the international climate change summit in Glasgow. Mr Johnson had hoped his predecessor and long-standing rival would be a 'big hitting' president of the crucial UN conference. However, Mr Cameron refused on the grounds that a minister would be better-placed and he had too many other commitments. Former foreign secretary Lord Hague has also rejected an approach. Mr Cameron told reporters: 'It was an honour to be asked to chair this important conference and it was kind of the Prime Minister to consider me, but my view is that these things are best done by a government minister so there is one person in charge, one chain of command, rather than two. David Cameron is believed to have refused the COP26 job on the grounds that a minister would be better-placed Mr Johnson officially launched the countdown to COP26 at an event with David Attenborough in London 'I also have exciting commitments this year, not least to Alzheimer's Research UK. 'But I wish the government well with hosting this conference.' A Downing Street source confirmed that discussions were held with the former prime minister and Lord Hague but declined to say what positions were discussed. The source added: 'We think it should be a ministerial role going forward. 'We think it should someone who is a big hitter and someone who can handle themselves on an international stage.' The UN climate talks, to be held in Glasgow in November, are the most important since the Paris Agreement to curb global warming was secured in 2015. Countries are expected to deliver more ambitious domestic plans for cutting greenhouse gases by 2030, as current proposals are not enough to prevent dangerous temperature rises. Advocate AP Singh, who is the lawyer for the death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case, on Thursday said that the President of India carried out a "complete miscarriage of justice" by rejecting the incomplete mercy petition of convict Akshay Kumar. "Today, through media reports, I heard that the mercy petition on behalf of Akshay Kumar was rejected by President of India. In this regard, I want to clarify that on January 31, 2020, an incomplete mercy petition was filed before the President by the family member of Akshay," Singh told reporters. President Ram Nath Kovind had, on Wednesday, rejected the mercy petition of convict Akshay. So far, mercy petitions of Vinay Sharma and Mukesh Singh have also been rejected. "I respect the President very much and he is a Constitutional body. But this is a complete miscarriage of justice by President of India. I will file a complete mercy petition tomorrow," Singh said. "I had handed over the mercy petition to the family member of Akshay Kumar, to file complete documents as per the guidelines of the President. Due to a misunderstanding and being an illiterate person, they (family of Akshay) filed an incomplete mercy petition before President of India on behalf of Akshay, on January 31, 2020," he added. Singh said that during a hearing in Delhi High Court, Solicitor General and Delhi's counsel had also accepted the fact that an incomplete mercy petition was pending before the President. "On Feb 1, I had moved an application before the President's secretariat central registry centre in New Delhi, with the ingredients that the petition filed on behalf of Akshay Kumar was incomplete, without affidavit, signature of Akshay, attestation satisfied by the jail, character, economic situation, condition, criminal record of the convict," he said. He said that it is a very important point to file a complete mercy petition in the matter. "I also request the President of India not to take any action on the mercy petition filed on January 31, 2020, and also record that take this application on record for kind perusal of the matter," Singh said. Meanwhile, Supreme Court today agreed to hear on Friday Central government's appeal against Delhi High Court order, which rejected its plea to separately execute the four convicts in the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Born Issur Danielovitch in Amsterdam, New York, legendary movie star Kirk Douglas died today at the age of 103. Douglas, the son of illiterate Jewish immigrants from Belarus, was a volcanic screen presence in Lust for Life, Spartacus, and about 80 other films. Handsome, muscled and cleft-chinned, he looked as if carved out of the same lava rock as the Easter Island monoliths, even after fighting his way back from a 1996 stroke. He boasted that he made it by playing sons of bitches, and Burt Lancaster once quipped, Kirk would be the first to tell you that he is a difficult man. I would be the second. So poor that he collected horse manure his father spread to insulate the base of their house for winter, Douglas said poverty was an incentive to succeed as was winning his fathers approval, which was not to be. But when he read the poem The Red Robin of Spring to his kindergarten class, students applauded. I liked that sound, he wrote in his memoir. I still do. Despite rampant antisemitism at St. Lawrence University in New York, his magnetism helped him get elected student body president. In New York City after graduation, he waited tables, auditioned for stage roles, and inspired a crush in another hopeful actor, Betty Perske, who gave him her uncles overcoat for the harsh winter. After Douglas made Lieutenant JG and left the Navy in 1944 due to injuries, Perske who changed her name to Lauren Bacall and was engaged to Humphrey Bogart recommended him to producer Hal Wallis, who cast him as Barbara Stanwycks dominated spouse in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers. His breakthrough was playing the unscrupulous boxer in Champion (1949), which channeled his combative energy and got him an Oscar nomination. He also earned nominations for The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) and the Van Gogh biopic Lust for Life (1956), plus a 1996 statuette from the Motion Picture Academy honoring him as a creative and moral force in the industry. Like his friend Lancaster, Douglas ensured his screen immortality by becoming an actor/producer, launching then-unknown filmmaker Stanley Kubrick with the 1957 antiwar film Paths of Glory and the 1960 Roman slave revolt epic Spartacus, for which Douglas hired blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, effectively breaking the infamous Hollywood blacklist. On Broadway, he played the lead in One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (1964), optioned it for the movies, and gave it to his actor son Michael, who won a Best Picture Oscar for producing it in 1975. He is survived by Anne, whom he wed in 1954, his sons Michael, Joel and Peter. In announcing his fathers death on Instagram, Michael Douglas said: It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103. To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the Golden Age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to. But things are changing. Breweries and bars are popping up throughout the city. Its a young, energetic scene, exemplified by the annual Paris Beer Festival (formerly Paris Beer Week). That the name is in English rather than French is telling; much of Pariss modern beer culture has more than a hint of Anglo-Saxon influence. That said, theres a definite Gallic edge to places such as La Fine Mousse, an elegant bar and restaurant in the Marais, or breweries such as La Goutte dOr, which uses ingredients reflecting the rich diversity of the local neighborhood. Huawei Technologies Co. has filed two patent infringement lawsuits against Verizon Communications Inc. following an apparent failure to agree licensing terms for the use of its intellectual property. The Chinese telecom gear and smartphone-making giant said it had reached out to Verizon a year ago, notifying the U.S. carrier of its breach of multiple Huawei patents. Among the offending pieces of technology are network security measures, remote sharing from a PC, parental controls and even the design of a contacts app for mobile devices. Though the content of the legal action doesnt appear to have the highest of stakes, its a fresh sign of Huaweis increasingly combative stance toward U.S. companies in the wake of crippling sanctions from Washington. Huawei sued the Federal Communications Commission in December, seeking to overturn a regulatory decision that would hurt the Chinese corporations business with its last major American clients. Another point of legal conflict surrounds the arrest of Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver, Canada over a year ago. Meng, also the eldest daughter of billionaire founder Ren Zhengfei, is facing a potential extradition to the U.S. for fraud charges, though she denies any wrongdoing. Shenzhen-based Huawei is one of the worlds most prolific patent holders, with more than 80,000 worldwide and 10,000 in the U.S. alone, the company said in a statement today. Its also one of the leading developers of fifth-generation wireless networking tech, or 5G. It joined IBM, Apple and Amazon as one of the top 10 patent receivers in the U.S. last year, according to an analysis of filings with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Huawei said last summer that it will not weaponize its vast IP pool and was discussing licensing of its portfolio of patents with European and U.S. entities including Verizon and Qualcomm Inc. Mitt Romney didn't just shoot inside the Grand Old Party's tent by voting for one article of impeachment against President Trump. The Utah senator became a heretic to the very people who once supported him, financially and electorally. The vote for conviction goes beyond mere policy disagreement, such as the proper tax rate for depreciation recapture. It goes beyond refusing to defend your party head. What Romney did was lob a M67 into the center of the Republican Party, intended for everyone from Ted Cruz to Susan Collins to lifelong GOP member Ethel Grannysmith in Boca Raton, before retreating to the warm fastness of media approbation. In some sense, Romney's yea for constitutional extraction wasn't a surprise. Despite auditioning for the role of Foggy Bottom chief and petitioning for a presidential imprimatur for his Senate run, Romney hasn't been quiet about his disapproval of Trump. He has openly denounced the president's behavior on more than one occasion, including calling Trump's actions on Ukraine "wrong and appalling" last fall. Hating the president doesn't warrant impeachment. So why did Romney join with Democrats to oust a popular leader in his party? It's true that in lifestyle and appearance, the two couldn't be more different. Trump is a twice-divorced former celeb and erstwhile tabloid fixture. Romney is a square-toed financier whose extended family photo looks as if it was cribbed from a how-to Puritan handbook circa 1638. Trump can't properly cite verses from Corinthians; Romney can extemporaneously give a step-by-step account of Christ's chiliastic return. But even the personal abysm between Trump and Romney doesn't fully explain why the Mormon senator, who is so moderate and risk-averse that he probably wouldn't put chocolate milk in his cereal for fear of breaking convention, voted for the Democrat-drawn impeachment article. No, Romney's support for conviction wasn't an indictment of the president at all, and not just because Trump was formally acquitted. Like his fellow Trump critic on the right, Rep. Justin Amash, Romney's ire isn't about the man occupying the Oval Office. It's not about presidential misconduct, inappropriate behavior, abuse of power, degrading the office, or any other euphemism for gauche etiquette the Acela-riding media like to fill their reporting with. It's about the unconscionable act of voters: electing Donald Trump. Mitt Romney regards the presidency as a rarefied space, where only the best, brightest, and most articulate men may enter. Trump got there while boasting about his libidinousness. He insulted the political class by calling them stupid, incompetent, venal, and wholly self-interested. He mocked his presidential rivals with belittling nicknames, many quite clever and deserved. And voters accepted it, some begrudgingly, putting the WWE Hall of Famer in the White House. Mitt Romney wasn't voting for Trump's impeachment as much as he was voting to obviate the electoral will of millions. The Romney-Amash comparison many journalists are now making is fitting. Rep. Amash, who left the Republican Party in a huff last 4th of July, joined House Democrats in voting for Trump's impeachment. "Mitt Romney and Justin Amash deserve a lot of respect for doing the right thing when it was hard," declared Vox founder Ezra Klein. "Every Republican in Congress knows that Donald Trump is guilty," professed CNN's Keith Boyken. "Only one (Justin Amash) was willing to say that in the House, and Trump forced him to leave the party. Now one (Mitt Romney) has said that in the Senate, and history will judge the rest for their cowardice." Even Max Boot, another former Republican, recognized Romney's and Amash's synchronistic Trump enmity. But, as with Romney, the source of Amash's angst isn't Trump it's Republican voters who don't share his love of Hayek and the untrammeled flow of people and capital across borders. "It's been disheartening because the first few years while I was in Congress, I did feel like we were making progress in shifting the dialogue toward limited government and economic freedom and individual liberty," Amash lamented in an interview last summer. Trump's focus on illegal immigration, more reciprocal trade, and cultural pugilism doesn't jibe with the classical liberalism of Milton Friedman. But,it did with Republican voters in 2016. Amash can't forgive their libertarian impiety. Likewise, Romney tries to hide his contempt for the average GOP voter behind a veneer of salt-and-peppered elder statesmanship. But he's just as petty and small as those he gets on his tiptoes to look down upon. Former staffers on the Romney campaign are rebuking their former boss, saying he's "motivated by bitterness and jealously." That's somewhat true, but it's not the full story. As much as Romney craves hero status among the Georgetown set, he hates that the very people who backed his presidential run also stood behind a vulgar reality TV host. The difference is that Trump won. Romney will never forgive Republicans for making that happen. Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 00:27:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua, also chief of the central rural work leading group, attends a video teleconference on epidemic control in rural areas, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Vice Premier Hu Chunhua has called for greater efforts to ensure supply of agricultural products and strengthen epidemic prevention and control of the novel coronavirus in rural areas. Hu, also chief of the State Council leading group of poverty alleviation and development, made the remarks during a video teleconference Wednesday. Migrant workers' returning to work will be well-organized and nearby entrepreneurship and employment were encouraged, Hu said. Efforts shall be made to strengthen the production and supply of vegetables, meat, eggs and milk, grain and other daily necessities, as well as keeping the supply channels unblocked, he said. Hu also called for solid preparations for spring ploughing and striving to achieve a bumper harvest of grain throughout the year. Stressing the need to restore hog production as soon as possible, Hu called for enhanced efforts to prevent animal infectious diseases and prompt response to new outbreaks. Regulatory News: As part of its strategy to develop renewable energies, Total (Paris:FP) (LSE:TTA) (NYSE:TOT) is expanding its partnership with Adani Group, India's largest privately-owned energy and infrastructure conglomerate, in order to contribute to the growth of solar power generation in the country. Indeed, the Indian government has a strong policy to support the renewable energy growth. The country's capacity should increase from its 81 gigawatts (GW) in 2019 to 225 GW by 2022. Total and Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) will create a 50/50 joint venture into which AGEL will transfer its solar assets in operation. These projects are spread over 11 Indian states and have a cumulative capacity of over 2 GW. All the projects benefit from nearly 25-year power purchase agreements (PPA) with national and regional electricity distributors, with a fixed rate. "Total is fully engaged in the energy transition and to supporting India, a key country in the fight against climate change, in diversifying its energy mix through partnerships in natural gas and now in solar energy," said Patrick Pouyanne, Chairman CEO of Total"This interest in over 2 GW of solar projects represents another big step of our investment in India's energy sector. It will support our ambition to contribute to the deployment of 25 GW of renewable capacities by 2025. We are thrilled to extend the partnership with the Adani Group to renewable energies, which will allow us to benefit from its in-depth knowledge of the Indian electricity market. This transaction has a value of approximately $500 million and is in line with the Group's objective of double-digit returns on renewable projects. It remains subject to the approval of the relevant authorities. Total and Low-Carbon Electricity Total integrates climate change into its strategy and is staying ahead of new energy market trends by building a portfolio of low-carbon businesses that could account for 15 to 20% of its sales by 2040. Total's gross low-carbon power generation capacity worldwide is currently close to 7 gigawatts, of which over 3 gigawatts from renewable energies. About Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) AGEL is a listed company 74.92% owned by the Adani Group. As one of the leading private players in the Indian renewables market, AGEL currently holds a portfolio of 2,148 MW of installed solar capacity and 172 MW of installed wind capacity. They also have 475 MW of solar capacity and 1,505 MW of wind and 990 MW of hybrid under construction. About Total Total is a major energy player that produces and markets fuels, natural gas and low-carbon electricity. Our 100,000 employees are committed to better energy that is safer, more affordable, cleaner and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, our ambition is to become the responsible energy major. Cautionary note This press release, from which no legal consequences may be drawn, is for information purposes only. The entities in which TOTAL S.A. directly or indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. TOTAL S.A. has no liability for their acts or omissions. In this document, the terms "Total", "Total Group" and Group are sometimes used for convenience. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TOTAL S.A. nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005342/en/ Contacts: Total Contacts Media Relations: +33 1 47 44 46 99 l presse@total.com l @TotalPress Investor Relations: +44 (0)207 719 7962 l ir@total.com A top American diplomat on Thursday held a classified briefing for the members of the House of Representatives on Kashmir and Afghanistan, a US lawmaker said. "Excellent classified briefing on" India, Kashmir and Afghanistan from Acting Assistant Secretary of South and Central Alice Wells Thursday morning, Congressman Brad Sherman said in a tweet. No other details of the classified briefings were immediately available. The briefing was done at the request of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Wells had recently returned from a trip to Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan. The classified briefing by Wells comes in the wake of a pending non-binding resolution in the House of Representatives by Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. The resolution, which now has support of 55 lawmakers, urges India to end communications curbs and mass detentions in Jammu and Kashmir as swiftly as possible and preserve religious freedom for all residents. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi, Feb 6 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday searched 20 locations in West Bengal, two in Chhattisgarh and one in Tripura in connection with the multi-level marketing and ponzi scheme case probe. It seized incriminating documents during the raids. The CBI had on October 30, 2018 registered a case against Win of Earth Marketing, its Chairman Pradeep Kumar Roy Choudhary, Vice-Chairman Chinmoy Roy, CMD Pushpal Roy Choudhary, Executive Director Shubhra Roy Choudhary, Director Dhirendra Nath Jana, Praveer Ganguly and Kavita Ganguly in compliance with the order of the Supreme Court. According to the CBI official, it has been alleged that the accused collected funds and deposits from the people on false assurance to repay the invested amounts with high rate of interest. "But they misappropriated the funds," the officer said. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Flagpoles and hoardings erected on medians and lamp-posts in major parts of the city are causing safety hazards for motorists despite the crackdown on such hoardings being carried out by the city corporation. Flagpoles that have been erected on medians and attached to lampposts are a hindrance to pedestrians as well. A few poles were even found dangling from the lampposts. They were erected as part of the statewide citizens march against the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on Saturday. Hoardings were installed disregarding the rules that regulate the display of such advertisements and publicity materials on medians. In the city corporations drive, about 65,850 billboards obstructing the view of motorists and causing difficulties for pedestrians were removed by the corporation from October 2018 to December 2019. The revenue wing of the city corporation had also collected a fine of Rs 10,64,852. Mayor K Sreekumar said: Political groups must take down flagpoles after its purpose. If they fail to do so, strict action will be taken.He added that the crackdown on such illegal hoardings has reduced the number of violations. The Federation of Residents Association Thiruvananthapuram (FRAT) had given a petition to the State Human Rights Commission and also approached the corporation to remove public hoardings from medians in major areas of the city such as Sasthamangalam, Palayam, East Fort and Kowdiar. But no steps have been taken in this regard, said J Moses, general secretary, FRAT. CHICAGO, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Mechanical Control Cables Market for Military and Aerospace, by Application (Aerial, Land, and Marine), Type (Push-pull, Pull-pull), Platform, Material, End-Use (Commercial, Defense, Non-Aero Military), and Region - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Mechanical Control Cables Market is estimated to be USD 8.8 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 11.9 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 5.1% from 2019 to 2025. Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=254157622 Mechanical control cables or rods often referred to as push-pull control cables or pull-pull mechanical control cables depending on the type of motion employed to provide a push-pull or pull-pull action to actuate components mechanically. The mechanical control cables market for military and aerospace considers mechanical control cables and rods used in military and commercial aircraft, military vehicles, and naval vessels. The push-pull segment is estimated to lead the mechanical control cables market for military and aerospace during the forecast period Based on type, the push-pull segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market in 2019. Push-pull control cables and rods are mechanical devices used to actuate the predefined motion, basically forward and backward in a particular direction. These cables and rods are used primarily in the flight control and landing gear systems of an aircraft. The increasing demand for commercial air travel especially from emerging economies of Asia Pacific is fueling the demand for new commercial aircraft. According to Boeing and Airbus forecast outlook, the world will require 39,620 and 33,070 new aircraft by the year 2035. The aerial segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the mechanical control cables market for military and aerospace in 2019 Based on the platform, the aerial segment is expected to account for the largest share of the market in 2019. Increasing demand for aircraft replacements, growing demand for wide-body aircraft with large passenger-carrying capacity and low maintenance costs, and rising domestic air travel due to lower flight fares are driving the market for the aerial platform for mechanical control cables. The North America mechanical control cables market for military and aerospace is projected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2019 to 2025 Based on the region, North America is expected to witness substantial growth during the forecast period. The growth of the market in this region can be attributed to the high military spending in the US and the increasing procurement of highly advanced armored vehicles. For instance, according to the Congressional Research Services Report 2019, funding of USD 350 million was provided for the amphibious assault ship, LHA-9. Browse in-depth TOC on "Mechanical Control Cables Market" 110 Tables 34 Figures 153 Pages Inquiry Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=254157622 According to the World Bank, the North American region contributes up to 28% (approximately) of the world's GDP. North America is also considered as a key region for maritime activities, and the growth of coastal shipping in this region is also propelling the demand for military ships. The US is also considered the procurement of 49,099 vehicles for its army and over 6,000 vehicles for its naval force in 2018. Major players in the global mechanical control cables market for military and aerospace include Crane Aerospace & Electronics (US), Triumph Group (US), Elliott Manufacturing (US), Orscheln Products (US), Glassmaster Controls Company, Inc. (US), Loos & Co. Inc. (US), Bergen Cable Technology, Inc. (US), Cable Manufacturing & Assembly, Inc. (US), Wescon Controls (US), Tyler Madison, Inc. (US), Escadean Ltd. (UK), Sila Group (Italy), Cablecraft Motion Controls (US), Ringspann GmbH (Germany), Lexco Cable Mfg. (US), Drallim Industries Limited (UK), Grand Rapids Controls, LLC. (US), VPS Control Systems, Inc. (US), AeroControlex (US) and Kuster Holding GmbH (Germany), among others. Please Explore Relevant Reports: Aircraft Electrical Systems Market by System (Power Generation, Conversion, Distribution, Energy Storage), Component, Platform (Commercial Aviation, Military Aviation, Business & General Aviation), End-User, Application & Region - Global Forecast to 2025 Electric Aircraft Market by Aircraft Type (Ultralight Aircraft, Light Jet), Component (Battery, Electric Motor), Technology (Hybrid and All Electric), Range (Less than 500 Km and More than 500 Km), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023 About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 7500 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve. MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "Knowledge Store" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. Contact: Mr. Shelly Singh MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/mechanical-control-cable-market.asp Visit Our Web Site: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source : https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/mechanical-control-cable.asp SOURCE MarketsandMarkets An international team led by Harvard Medical School scientists has produced the first genome-wide ancient human DNA sequences from west and central Africa. The data, recovered from four individuals buried at an iconic archaeological site in Cameroon between 3,000 and 8,000 years ago, enhance our understanding of the deep ancestral relationships among populations in sub-Saharan Africa, which remains the region of greatest human diversity today. The findings, published Jan. 22 in Nature, provide new clues in the search to identify the populations that first spoke and spread Bantu languages. The work also illuminates previously unknown "ghost" populations that contributed small portions of DNA to present-day African groups. Map of Africa with Cameroon in dark blue and approximate location of Shum Laka marked with star. Image adapted from Alvaro1984 18/Wikimedia Commons Research highlights: DNA came from the remains of two pairs of children who lived around 3,000 years ago and 8,000 years ago, respectively, during the transition from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. The children were buried at Shum Laka, a rock shelter in the Grassfields region of northwestern Cameroon where ancient people lived for tens of thousands of years. The site has yielded prolific artifacts along with 18 human skeletons and lies in the region where researchers suspect Bantu languages and cultures originated. The spread of Bantu languages--and the groups that spoke them--over the past 4,000 years is thought to explain why the majority of people from central, eastern and southern Africa are closely related to one another and to west/central Africans. Surprisingly, all four individuals are most closely related to present-day central African hunter-gatherers, who have very different ancestry from most Bantu speakers. This suggests that present-day Bantu speakers in western Cameroon and across Africa did not descend from the sequenced children's population. One individual's genome includes the earliest-diverging Y chromosome type, found almost nowhere outside western Cameroon today. The findings show that this oldest lineage of modern human males has been present in that region for more than 8,000 years, and perhaps much longer. Genetic analyses indicate that there were at least four major lineages deep in human history, between 200,000 and 300,000 years ago. This radiation hadn't been identified previously from genetic data. Contrary to common models, the data suggest that central African hunter-gatherers diverged from other African populations around the same time as southern African hunter-gatherers did. Analyses reveal another set of four branching human lineages between 60,000 and 80,000 years ago, including the lineage known to have given rise to all present-day non-Africans. The Shum Laka individuals themselves harbor ancestry from multiple deep lineages, including a previously unknown, early-diverging ancestry source in West Africa. ### Paper: Mark Lipson, et al., "Ancient West African foragers in the context of African population history," Nature, DOI 10.1038/s41586-020-1929-1 Ralf Little says he has 'big shoes to fill' when it comes to replacing Ardal O'Hanlon in BBC crime drama 'Death in Paradise' (Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty Images) Death in Paradise actor Ralf Little said he feels a huge responsibility taking over from fan favourite Ardal OHanlon. Ahead of his character being introduced in tonights episode of the BBC crime drama, the Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps star admitted hes very honoured and flattered to be coming aboard but hes all too aware hes got some big shoes to fill. Read more: 'Death in Paradise' star Ardal OHanlon reveals what hell miss most about filming the show I think hes fantastic, Little told Express, referring to OHanlons performance as DI Jack Mooney before going on to recall his nerve-wracking audition process. I read a dummy script, because they had a vague idea who the character was going to be but it wasn't really fully formed yet. Then, I sort of forgot about it because it was one that I really wanted, he explained. The ones you really want youve got to forget about or youll drive yourself mad. About 10 days later, I got a phone call from my agent saying, Youre going to be the new detective in Death In Paradise. O'Hanlon previously revealed that he stepped down from the role as DI Jack Mooney in order to spend more time with his family (BBC) There was not one part of me that was cool about it, you know there was no, Well, you know, its just another day... another job. I was just absolutely delighted, the 39-year-old gushed. I love the show. I mean, it was a joy. I was out there for two and a half months [last] summer and I just had the absolute time of my life. Little is set to play Neville Parker, an allergy-riddled, Manchester-born detective inspector whos tasked with travelling to Saint Marie following the apparent suicide of a British tourist. Read more: Ardal O'Hanlon opens up about why he quit Death in Paradise Hes the fourth DI to have descended on the picturesque island since Ben Millers original stint as Richard Poole between 2011 and 2013. Replacing him was Love Actuallys Kris Marshall in 2014, as Humphrey Goodman, before OHanlon joined the show three years later. When asked whether theres any truth to the rumours that Marshall might reprise his role at some point, Little remained coy but said itd be a nice idea. Story continues He concluded: We would have a lot of fun. We worked together. I worked with Kris before, so we know each other pretty well. Death in Paradise continues tonight at 10pm on BBC One. A dishwasher suing Italian TV chef Giorgio Locatelli's restaurant over claims she was knocked over and injured in a 'chaotic' pop-up kitchen has lost her bid for 12,000 in compensation. Hannah Williams, 52, was working in a branch of Locanda Locatelli at an exclusive VIP art event at Regents Park, London, in October 2015 when she says a rushing colleague barged into her, injuring her knee. Claiming it took three years to get better, she sued the chef's company, blaming the 'chaotic' atmosphere in the kitchen where she had been washing and drying cups and saucers for servings of afternoon tea. Mrs Williams said that 'everybody was being screamed at to move faster' in the temporary kitchen, housed in a marquee on the private first day of the Frieze Masters Art Fair. She sued Findcharm Limited, trading as Giorgio Locatelli and Locanda Locatelli, for 12,000 compensation, insisting the 'frenetic' kitchen culture created health and safety breaches and an unsafe workplace. But Judge Caroline Wilkinson rejected her damages bid at Central London County Court, saying Mrs Williams had failed to prove that her colleague did 'shove or barge' her on the day of her fall, either deliberately or accidentally - and that a fast-paced atmosphere did not mean the kitchen was an unsafe place to work. Giorgio Locatelli prepares some Cima di Rapa at his restaurant Locanda Locatelli in November Pictured is the interior of pop-up Locanda Locatelli kitchen at the Frieze Masters art fair in 2012 In February 2002, Locatelli and his wife Plaxy opened Locanda Locatelli, in Seymour Street, Marylebone The court heard that the day of the accident was Mrs Williams' first day on the job and the first day of the art fair, which was a 'private day' for VIPs. The Locanda Locatelli pop-up turned over 600 covers a day during the fair and it was a 'busy kitchen environment,' a Locatelli representative told the judge. Mrs Williams said there were ten chefs and 15 to 20 people altogether in the kitchen. 'The waiters were coming in and out,' she told the judge. 'I was told scream at them to make them go faster: tell them to ''run, run.'' 'I was told that more than once. I didn't do it because I didn't think it was safe in a small kitchen.' Mrs Williams claimed the colleague she said knocked her was 'running back and forth a lot.' 'Everybody was being screamed at to go to different places... when the food was going out it became very chaotic,' she continued. But Judge Caroline Wilkinson rejected her damages bid at Central London County Court, saying that the fast-paced atmosphere did not mean the kitchen was an unsafe place to work (pictured: The pop-up Locanda Locatelli kitchen at the Frieze Masters art fair in 2012) And barrister Patrick Maxwell, for Mr Locatelli's company, denied there was 'a culture that everybody was supposed to run' in the kitchen - pictured in 2012 'The problem was that everybody was being screamed at to move faster. It was constant. It was non-stop shouting and screaming. 'They were all screaming and shouting at each other in Italian.' However, the colleague she said had run into her denied her claim, telling the judge: 'I played no part in causing her to fall. I never run in the kitchen, even when I am busy.' And barrister Patrick Maxwell, for Mr Locatelli's company, denied there was 'a culture that everybody was supposed to run' in the kitchen. Judge Wilkinson dismissed the damages claim, saying Mrs Williams had not proven that the accident happened in the way she described or that the pop-up kitchen was not safe to work in. 'It must be frenetic in a kitchen...all restaurants are like this. We could be awash with claims,' she said. 'What we are dealing with is a busy working environment like many other busy environments, restaurant or not.' Giving her ruling, she continued: 'It was indeed busy, given that it was the private VIP day, and day one of a six-day fair. 'Mrs Williams says a work colleague ran at speed past her and clipped her shoulder, causing her to twist awkwardly, jolting her knee and causing her to fall awkwardly on her side. 'She claims her employer failed to provide a safe place of work and safe system of work, or was negligent in that their employee in effect ran too fast and failed to have proper regard to her location within the kitchen. 'Mrs Williams was confident and adamant that she had clear recollection of these events four and a half years ago. 'She said staff were screamed at in the kitchen to run, run and go faster. Locatelli has featured in six TV series, including the BBC's Big Family Cooking Showdown, and has written three cookery books 'She said she was instructed by a member of staff she identified as a supervisor to shout at staff to go faster and everybody was running about everywhere.' But she had clarified during cross-examination that 'staff were not physically and actually running,' but rather 'moving with haste and urgency,' the judge added. 'The burden of proof is firmly upon Ms Williams to prove the facts of her case, that the other staff member banged or whacked her in a manner whereby he was running, rushing or moving past her in a manner which caused her to fall causing her injury,' the judge continued. 'I find that Mrs Williams' evidence is inconsistent in relation to the direction of staff members screaming at other staff members to run,' she found, adding: 'It may well be that staff were told to go fast, but that doesn't equate to staff being told to run. 'In a busy kitchen, that is not surprising, but I don't find that people walking with haste meant that the defendant failed to operate a safe working environment.' The judge said Mrs Williams had failed to prove that her colleague did 'shove or barge' her on the day of her fall, either deliberately or accidentally. 'In all the circumstances I dismiss the claim,' she concluded. The failure of her claim prompted Ms Williams to storm from the courtroom in tears, calling the ruling 'disgusting. In February 2002, Locatelli and his wife Plaxy opened Locanda Locatelli, in Seymour Street, Marylebone. The restaurant, which serves traditional Italian dishes, was awarded a Michelin star in 2003, which has been retained every year since. Locatelli has featured in six TV series, including the BBC's Big Family Cooking Showdown, and has written three cookery books. Taiwan Accuses China of Giving WHO Wrong Information About Virus Cases on Island TAIPEI/GENEVATaiwan accused China on Feb. 6 of providing the World Health Organization (WHO) with wrong information about the number of coronavirus cases on the island, after the WHO published incorrect case numbers earlier this week. At the WHO headquarters in Geneva, the United States and China clashed over the issue of Taiwans exclusion from participating in WHO meetings, where it is represented by China. On Tuesday, the WHO corrected the number of cases reported on the island after having said there were 13. At the time Taiwan had only 10. Taiwan said on Thursday there were now 13 cases. Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou told a news conference that the crux of the problem was China giving the wrong case number details to the WHO. This was wrong information that was provided by China which created the mistake, she said. Ou said Taiwan had also protested to the WHO for again changing how they refer to the island, which it now calls Taipei and environs, having previously called it Taiwan, China, then Taipei municipality and then just Taipei. We beseech the WHO not to put Taiwans information under China, creating mistake after mistake after mistake. Taiwan says the main consequence of that so far has been Italy including Taiwan in its ban on flights from China. Taiwan is not a WHO member because China, which views the island as a wayward Chinese province and not a country, says it adequately represents Taiwan in the organization. Democratically governed Taiwan says it is an independent country called the Republic of Chinaits formal nameand has never been part of the Chinese regime. For the rapidly evolving coronavirus, it is a technical imperative that WHO present visible public health data on Taiwan as an affected area and engage directly with Taiwan public health authorities on actions, Andrew Bremberg, U.S. ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, told the WHO Executive Board. Japan supported this stance, with Ambassador Ken Okaniwa telling the forum: We should not make a geographical vacuum by creating a situation where a specific region cannot join WHO even as an observer. Cong Ze, a Chinese diplomat speaking at the WHO, expressed its strong dissatisfaction that some countries had raised the issue of Taiwans participation at the technical meeting. The WHO did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the figures. By Ben Blanchard and Stephanie Nebehay Jackie McManus of Komoka, Ont., a regular contributor to Standardbred Canadas Heart of Harness Racing Calendar, captured this picturesque photo of the sun setting at Hiawatha Horse Park in Sarnia, Ont., during a post parade. It wasnt too long ago that we featured Jackie as the photographer behind the lens for the December 2019 Heart of Harness Racing photo. At that time, Jackie was starting a new venture as the facilitator and photographer for the fractional owner group OAS2020 (Own A Standardbred 2020). Since then OAS2020 has officially got off the ground with their three Ontario-sired yearlings; Magic Dream, Shadow One and Sharp Play, along with two three-year-old fillies who are actively racing, Come On Over and Vintage Smile. Considering we have only been together since mid-November, we have been really fortunate to have two wins with Come On Over and four wins with Vintage Smile, McManus explained. Since the two fillies have started racing at The Raceway at Western Fair District, the OAS group has weekly get-togethers to watch them race. Monday nights are a pub night at The Raceway so almost everyone has met the other partners as we generally have dinner together. It is something when people drive from Dresden, Elora, Kitchener, Stratford and Dutton to come to London to watch our horses race, Jackie explained. We also coordinate a Saturday farm visit every month. As for when the weather gets better, I have coordinated breeding farm and racetrack visits and may have a few other events up my sleeve. Feedback from the group is that they enjoy having horses racing while they wait and watch the babies come along. Below are some comments from OAS2020 owners: "I really think this was a great way to get a small taste of what it's like as a part of the ownership side of horse racing, and can definitely see becoming more involved as we age a bit and our kids finish university and get out on their own." "I am having a great time. I am always impressed with horse people. They are humble, hardworking, persistent and enjoyable to be around." "We find it exciting to see our three OAS2020 two-year-olds training and their names listed on the Two-Year Olds in Training on the Standardbred Canada website. When we asked Jackie if she had a horse from OAS2020 that was her favourite, she responded, "Although I love the sweet nature of our two-year-old Magic Dream, I would have to say I have an affinity for Vintage Smile. She was not my favorite of the two racehorses when I was first introduced to them. I have quite a bit more respect for her now, not because she has provided us with so many thrilling wins, but she really has come a long way. "Although her wins come from leaving and taking the lead, she had a couple of runner-up finishes after rough trips having to come from way off the pace. I have to respect that and besides, she is great to photograph with her goofy faces." Chennai, Feb 6 : Home to world's third largest meteoritic impact crater - Lonar lake - about 350 forts, 29 wildlife sanctuaries, hill stations, beaches, religious and heritage centres and others, Maharashtra is targeting to attract tourists from Tamil Nadu, said a top official of Directorate of Tourism. Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Dilip Gawade, Director, Directorate of Tourism said except for snow clad mountains and deserts, Maharashtra offers everything else for different tourist segments - adventure sports, wildlife, heritage, religious and historical sites and others. "It is a country within a state," he added. Officials said the water in Lonar lake is saline and alkaline in nature and it is surrounded by forest and people believe taking a dip in the lake cures them of ailments. Gawade said there are about 1,20,000 hotel rooms and 1,350 bed and breakfast households in the state. Officials said bulk of the tourists to Maharashtra from Tamil Nadu visit Shirdi, the hometown of saint Sai Baba. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi dug into the history books and cited at least five former legislators to argues that the idea of a law to help non-Muslims from Pakistan or Bangaldesh get Indian citizenship was always a part of the discourse on both sides of the border. Replying to the debate on the Presidents speech in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Thursday, Modi cited late PMs Jwaharlal Nehru and Lal Bahadur Shatri, socialist icon Ram Manohar Lohia, and even two Hindu lawmakers who later migrated from Pakistan to India: Jogendra Nath Mandal and Bhupendra Kumar Datta. Modi referred to Nehrus letter which he wrote to then Assam chief minister Gopinath Bordoloi, asking the latter to differentiate between Hindu refugees and Muslim migrants. The Prime Minister told Lok Sabha that Nehru expressed the view that even laws can be changed in this regard. I want to ask the Congress if Nehru was communal, or if he wanted to create a Hindu Rashtra? Modi asked. He also pointed out that the Nehru-Liaquat Agreement did not include all citizens but mentioned only religious minorities. The pact, signed on April 8, 1950, said: The Governments of India and Pakistan solemnly agree that each shall ensure, to the minorities throughout its territory, complete equality of citizenship, irrespective of religion But the Prime Minister also targeted Nehru. In a bid to put the onus of the Partition on the countrys first Prime Minister, Modi said that it is natural for everyone to aspire to become the PM but as someone wanted to be the Prime Minister, a line was drawn and the country was divided. Modi read out a part of the resignation letter of Jogendra Nath Mandal, the nations first labour and law minister in the Liaquat Ali Khan government. Pakistan is no place for Hindus to live in and that their future is darkened by the ominous shadow of conversion or liquidation, Mandals letter was quoted by Modi to underline the need to protect non-Muslims of Pakistan. Mandal, a Dalit, stayed back in Pakistan after Partition but returned to India in 1950. Modi also spoke about Bhupendra Kumar Datta, another Hindu MP of Pakistan after Partition, who opposed the Pakistan governments repeated attempt to impose Urdu in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). I want to ask to the Congress leader, have you heard the name of Bhupendra Kumar Datta? He spent 23 years in jail. After partition, he stayed back in Pakistan, Modi said, When the work on Constitution was on, he said in the Constituency Assembly (of Pakistan): so far as this side of Pakistan is concerned, the minorities are practically liquidated. Those of us are here to live, represents nearly a crore of people still left in East Bengal living under a total sense of frustration. Armed with the quotes from Dattas speech, Modi argued that, from the very beginning, minorities faced a troubled future in Pakistan, further justifying why CAA is needed to open the doors for India for them. In Rajya Sabha, the Prime Minister invoked Shastri and Lohia and quoted their parliamentary speeches to contend that non-BJP leaders in the past have expressed worry about the fate of minorities in Pakistan. He mentioned a resolution moved by Shastri that said, this House is of the opinion that in the view of the insecurity of life, property and honour of the minority communities living in the Eastern Wing of Pakistan the Indian government should relax restrictions in migration to India and consider steps for enlisting world opinion. Modi even referred to a resolution adopted in the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in 1947, which called for full protection for all those non-Muslims from Pakistan who have crossed the border and come over to India or may do so to save their life and honour. Author Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay said: 1947 to 1950 is such a multilayered period... There is no single truth. And the Prime Minister is purely following footsteps of those who see only one aspect of history. Remember, after July 1948, a large number of Muslims went to Pakistan and they, too, faced hardships there but couldnt come back. Congratulations, kiddisave.co.uk got a very good Social Media Impact Score! Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Kiddisave.co.uk scored 96 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 5/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 27 Dec 2012, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. kiddisave.co.uk is very popular in Facebook and Twitter. It is liked by 213 people on Facebook and it has 2208 twitter followers. Furthermore its facebook page has 10969 likes. Add a widget like this on your site: click here This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the kiddisave homepage on Twitter + the total number of kiddisave followers (if kiddisave has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the kiddisave homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the kiddisave homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the kiddisave homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if kiddisave has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the kiddisave homepage on Delicious. Basic Information PAGE TITLE Baby Pushchairs|Baby Car Seats|Discount Baby Nursery Furniture|Baby Prams|Baby Buggies| - Kiddisave DESCRIPTION Kiddisave are one of the largest Britax baby car seat & Britax pushchair stockists in the UK. Kiddisave also stock a large selection of baby buggies, pushchairs and nursery furniture from leading brands such as Maclaren, BabyStyle, Stokke, Hauck, Quin KEYWORDS Pushchairs, Buggies, Prams, Car Seats, Baby Equipment, Britax Car Seats, Quinny, Quinny Buzz, Quinny Zapp, Stokke, Maxi-Cosi, Phil & Ted, Baby Furniture, Buggaboo newborn baby accessories, Cosatto, BabyStyle, Stokke, Hauck, Britax, nursery accessories OTHER KEYWORDS The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. Domain and Server DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE UTF-8 DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux Operative System running on the server. Character set and language of the site. The language of kiddisave.co.uk as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Type of server and offered services. Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for kiddisave.co.uk by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK FOUND FACEBOOK PAGE www.facebook.com/pages/Kiddisave-One-Stop-Baby-Shop/312794186720?sk=app_237273109670610 DESCRIPTION The UK's Leading Independent Baby Retailer - We sell top baby brands at fantastic prices - just visit www.kiddisave.co.uk to shop online or come in to our shop in Walsall just off M6 Junction 10. LIKES 10969 PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT 69 PAGE TYPE Retail and consumer merchandise TIMELINE PAGE TIMELINE The type of Facebook page. The URL of the found Facebook page. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK FOUND TWITTER PAGE twitter.com/#!/kiddisave DESCRIPTION Kiddisave have been trading in Walsall since 1988 and are now the largest independent 'One Stop Baby Shop' in the West Midlands. '} ACCOUNT CREATED ON 11 Jul 2009 LOCATION UK TWEETS 8500 FOLLOWERS 2208 LISTED 32 More states are now requiring students to take courses that address economics or personal finance to graduate, according to a new report from the Council for Economic Education. The group, which tracks legislation and standards around these subjects, releases a survey of states every two years . This years report found that 21 states now require students to take a course that covers personal finance, up from 17 in 2018. Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, and South Carolina added the requirement, while Florida dropped it. And now in half of all states, students have to take an economics course, or a class that incorporates economics content, in order to graduate. Three states added these requirements over the past two years: Hawaii, Ohio, and Wyoming. Understanding how money and the economy work are critical skills for young adults, advocates of financial education say. When students leave high school, theyre poised to start making their first serious financial decisions: How much should they take out in student loans for college? Or how do they save and budget their wages from their first full-time job? Research has suggested that teaching how to navigate these questions can lead to better financial outcomes for young people. One study, which my colleague Stephen Sawchuk wrote about , compared recent high school graduates in three states that required financial literacy courses with recent grads in states without those mandates. By some measures, the young people in those three states were in better financial shape than their peers: They generally had higher credit scores and were less likely to have accounts that were 30 or 90 days behind on payments. And forthcoming research from Montana State University shows that learning about personal finance could help students make better choices around paying for college. Students in states with financial education graduation requirements were more likely to apply for financial aid and select low-cost financing options on student loans. Building Readiness for Financial Decisions This years report found that theres a gap in which students have access to financial literacy instruction. In high schools where fewer than a quarter of students were eligible for free or reduced lunch, about 62 percent of teenagers said they had the option to take the subject. In schools with more students from low-income families, where at least 75 percent of the population received free or reduced lunch, only about 52 percent of students said they could take a personal finance class. If this is a path to economic stability and economic mobility, were leaving those who are already behind, behind even more, said Nan J. Morrison, the president and CEO of the Council for Economic Education, in a call with reporters on Wednesday. Access to these courses is a social justice issue, she said. See also: Financial Literacy Transforms Students Lives. Heres Where to Start (Opinion) But not all financial literacy instruction is created equal. At least one expert has cautioned schools and districts to look carefully when searching for curricula on the subject. Anand Marri, a professor of education who recently served as dean of the University of Rochesters school of education, helped develop a financial literacy program at Teachers College, Columbia University. In an interview with Education Week in 2016, he suggested that teachers turn a critical eye to programs developed by banks . If the point of the curriculum is to create more clients, that could be a problem, he said. Image: Getty A month after the royal fallout, the queen of pop is sending an invitation to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle by offering up her residence in the Big Apple. Madonna took to Instagram on Tuesday to invite the couple to stay in her $7.3 million New York City apartment because Canada is "boring." "Hey, Harry, don't run off to Canada. It's so boring there," she said in the video taken in her dressing room ahead of her Madame X show in London. "I'll let them sublet my apartment on Central Park West." She continues to tease the home: "It's two-bedroom, it's got the best view of Manhattan. Incredible balcony. I think that's going to be a winner... a deal-breaker," she said. "No, Buckingham Palace has got nothing on CPW," Madonna added. "The view is much better for sure, not a bunch of guys in woolly hats." In early January, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they would be stepping back as "senior royals" and moving to Canada, along with their eight-month-old son Archie Harrison. According to reports, the couple is renting a multi-million dollar home on Vancouver Island. A lawyer is requesting $1 million in legal fees from Syracuse city government after settling a lawsuit on behalf of a woman who claimed a police officer forced her into sex while he was on the job. Maleatra Montanez sued for $7 million in 2016 over an encounter with Chester Thompson, 51, in 2015. Thompson was fired by the Syracuse Police Department and convicted of official misconduct. Just before a civil trial was scheduled to begin in September, the city offered to settle the case for $500,000. Montanezs attorney Ed Sivin, of Manhattan, is trying to convince a judge to award him $700 an hour for the work he did in Syracuse. When plaintiffs attorneys prevail, they can typically recoup fees from municipalities in civil rights cases. The city was ordered to pay Alonzo Grants attorneys $600,000 after a jury awarded him and his wife $1.5 million in a police brutality case. Sivin argues New York City rates are appropriate in this case because lawyers in Upstate New York were unwilling to take Montanezs case. According to court records, Montanez approached several attorneys. She even retained the Syracuse firm Williams & Ruderow for a short time. After 10 months, no local attorneys agreed to pursue the lawsuit. Montanez was repeatedly advised of the unlikely of prevailing against the city of Syracuse, Sivin wrote in court papers. By December 2015, Montanez was ready to give up. She was discouraged that Thompson was sentenced to probation on criminal charges connected to the case, she wrote in an affidavit. I already had seen that justice was not done in the criminal prosecution of Chester Thompson, since he was allowed to plead guilty to official misconduct with no jail time," Montanez wrote. I assumed I would also not be able to get any justice in a civil lawsuit. Maleatra Montanez and her supporters protest at Syracuse City Hall over the non-jail sentencing of a former police officer whom Montanez said bullied her into having sex while he was on duty. Ex-cop Chester Thompson was sentenced to three years probation for official misconduct, a charge based on having consensual sex on duty. (Tim Knauss / tknauss@syracuse.com) Montanez found Sivins law firm after her aunt suggested looking on Google for New York City firms that handled police brutality cases. Sivin, of Sivin & Miller in Manhattan, is requesting $958,531 in attorneys fees, plus $40,000 in expenses. He requested an hourly rate of $700 (for himself and law partner Glenn Miller), as well as lesser fees for associates and legal assistants who worked on the case. Sivin provided the judge with documentation of the hours worked, tasks and expenses for which he is asking to be reimbursed. Sivin references a recent Syracuse civil rights verdict against the city in his arguments. In that case, also before U.S. District Court Judge Brenda Sannes, a jury awarded plaintiff Elijah Johnson $35,000 after finding a police officer used unreasonable force during a 2014 arrest. Sannes ordered the city to pay Johnsons attorney more than $178,000 in legal expenses. The attorney was compensated at $350 an hour. Sivin is asking for $700, the maximum allowed by the Southern District of New York in Manhattan. He points to Judge Sannes order in the Johnson case, in which she noted a higher fee might be appropriate when local counsel is unwilling or unable to take the case. Sivin argued he achieved exceptional success, noting that bringing a case against a cop is especially hard: witnesses were uncooperative, and police officers and municipalities have protections against lawsuits. Several other women came forward with claims against Thompson during the case. The attorney also noted Thompson was charged with witness intimidation after the former police officer confronted Montanez at an amusement park last summer. (Thompson has signaled he wants to take the criminal case to trial.) Sivin wrote that when he initially filed the case, the city of Syracuse took a no-pay position and requested to opt out of mediation, indicating it was not willing to negotiate a settlement. Three years later, on the eve of trial, the city offered $500,000 to avoid a trial. As part of the settlement, the parties agreed the judge would determine the attorneys fees and expenses. The city has about a week to respond. Read more on the Chester Thompson case: Public Affairs Reporter Julie McMahon covers courts, government, education and other issues affecting taxpayers. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992 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. Some 45million children could be inoculated against measles over the next six months amid a new vaccinations drive. Gavi, a London-based public-private health partnership, said its ambitious plan would help protect youngsters in Asia and Africa, working with governments and groups, such as the World Health Organisation and Unicef, to target children under five, the age group most vulnerable to the disease. '[The] measles vaccine is safe, effective and low-cost there is no reason children should be dying,' said Seth Berkley of Gavi. A healthcare worker from the World Health Organization prepares vaccines to give to front line aid workers, in Mbandaka, Congo The Daily Mail is already campaigning to improve uptake of vaccines for a range of diseases. The WHO said in December that measles had infected nearly 10 million people in 2018 and killed 140,000, mostly children, in what it described as 'an outrage.' The Gavi campaigns will be carried out by governments in Bangladesh, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Somalia and South Sudan and funded by partners including GAVI, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations children's fund UNICEF. Polio vaccine amples are seen at Wampar Huongulf district Health Clinic where the Polio Vaccine is administered to children in Lae, Marobe Province, Papua New Guinea Provisional data for 2019 up to November showed a three-fold increase in case numbers compared with the same period in 2018, the WHO said. 'Measles cases rose alarmingly in 2019, affecting hundreds of thousands of children and claiming many young lives,' said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF's executive director. 'These measles outbreaks have taught us that we need to stay vigilant. We can't afford to wait and watch.' GRAND BLANC, MI -- A former Flint-area priest accused of sexually assaulting two children while part of the Catholic Church has been bound over to Genesee Circuit Court for a possible trial. Genesee District Judge Christopher R. Odette bound over Vincent DeLorenzo, 80, on four counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. DeLorenzo is accused of abusing a 5-year-old boy from 1995-2000 at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in Burton. The child was a student at the churchs school at the time, according to court testimony. The pair got closer as the alleged victim, now 30 years old, trained to become an altar server. This is when I had encounters with him in his office, he testified, with DeLorenzo asking him about his family, his behavior. Sort of one-on-one counseling. There was also the religious element, the teachings and things like that with the Catechism. He testified he was raped by DeLorenzo in the second grade. Flint-area Catholic priest sexually abused boy for 5 years, affadavit says DeLorenzo is also facing one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct for a May 1987 incident. In that case, DeLorenzo is accused of sexually assaulting a five-year-old boy following a funeral service he officiated for the boys family. The man, now 38 years old, testified about an incident that took place in Flushing involving masturbation. DeLorenzo allegedly showed the man -- then a boy -- how to masturbate and fondled him, according to testimony. I was actually mad. The reason I was mad is because he threatened me not to tell anyone, he testified. He said if you tell anyone your uncle will not become a priest. Bond for DeLorenzo was increased by Odette from $100,000 to $200,000. Its disturbing enough that it involves an adult and a child, said Odette. Its even more disturbing that he abused his position of authority to accomplish that, even to the extent that the was making admonitions to the child not to talk because nobody would believe him. Michael Manley, DeLorenzos attorney, said the testimony was an important part of allowing the alleged victims to share their story and the healing process, but he noted Whether or not that story is true has to be decided by 12 citizens of our community. He expressed disappointment in the bond being raised as DeLorenzo has complied with the conditions previously laid out, but Manley added given the allegations made in court he understood the move. It was a very professional, fair, and honorable hearing today, he said. Former Flint-area priest faces new rape charge for second victim In the British Virgin Islands, Rosewood Little Dix Bay is back in business as of January. The iconic resort was founded by Laurance Rockefeller as a means to protect a swath of verdant Virgin Gorda. Little Dix was closed for renovation in 2017 when Hurricanes Irma and Maria hit the island, setting construction back. Now, the reopened 500-acre bay-front resort hosts 80 guest rooms and houses in view of an undeveloped stretch of beach. Come to snorkel, island hop, sail, practice yoga on a hilltop platform or sip a rum-based Painkiller (rooms from $1,500). Rising tensions in the middle east are driving the US and Iran into a deadlock, with the POTUS making statements of possible conflict. Another point of contention is that Iran might be doing more than space research. All these sparks talk about the occurrence of World War 3. At a two-hour lunch in the White House, a bit late during his State of the Union address when the POTUS made remarks about possible conflict with Iran. Whether it leads to all-out conflict with Iran, that would depend on "which road they choose," meaning the war is always their choice. In that same affair, Trump said that World War 3 in the middle east against Iran might be a chilling and unavoidable outcome. Later the White House did not comment and said the statements were not for public consumption. Adding that all comments were supposed to be kept as unethical if reporters inquire about it. The POTUS made mention of how the Iranians are right to protest against their wayward government. Trump added that sanction supported by him is the cause for Iran's poor economic performance as a scapegoat. Also read: World War II Bomb Caused Panic in Soho's Dean Street London Preventing a full-scale armed conflict is imperative for Iran's leadership to give up its nuke weapons development program. Even as the evidence of any nuclear program has not been found conclusively, it shows the Iranian leadership snubbing the US demands as not valid, to say the least. The leader of the US stressed that whatever choice the Iranians make, they will face the consequences of their choices. These words by the POTUS had a mix of warning and a telling prelude to World War 3. An underpinned message is the willingness of the POTUS to wage war, but there are still options if the Iranian acquiesce to US demands. Another part of his state address is the threat of ISIS as a forgone, and nothing to worry about. With the Afghan War that might be coming to a close, but about Iran will mean escalation. One of Iran's generals was killed, and Trump said that to his credit, which is a prelude to war with Iran. In other news, Iran was accused by the US of using its space program to create missiles to target their allies in a full out war. It was not taken lightly by the Iranians who had words to say about the activities of the Americans in the middle east. One point of contention is the announcement of Iranian scientists that it might send its first astronaut soon. The minister of ICT said that developing capsules for outer space flight is now in progress. Iran has officially joined the space race that other nations are fast-tracking as well too. In the next thirty-six months, the Ministry of Science should have five space capsules by then. Its objective is to send a manned flight into space, in a 118-mile orbit in the outer atmosphere. Jahromi, an Iranian official connected to the ICT, made a statement that six satellites are ready for launch anytime. Several tests that failed last year, according to Jahromi will have another set of tests. By and far, all these developments are driving the notion that World War 3 is just around the corner. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. An ambulance and a woman near a supermarket at the Munsu-dong diplomatic compound amid the outbreak of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus. Yevgeny Agoshkov/TASS North Korea is yet to confirm any case of infection, but it has intensified preventive efforts against coronavirus. It has tightened its borders with China and increased its quarantine for those coming from the neighboring country. Last week, North Korea declared the launch of a national emergency system against the new virus, calling such preventive efforts a "political matter" that could determine the fate of the country. Checkup of drinking water sources North Korea is preparing to examine drinking water sources, such as rivers and lakes, to make sure the new coronavirus won't flow into the country, state media reported Thursday. The move is the latest in a series of measures that the North has taken to fight the fast-spreading virus that originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year. "Detailed work plans are being drawn up to analyze the water quality of rivers, streams and lakes that are being used as sources of drinking water," the North's Korean Central Broadcasting Station reported. The state radio said relevant government units are working on measures, including where and how the planned water quality analysis will be conducted. The move appears aimed at preventing any possibility of the coronavirus spreading into the country through contaminated water from China. Supermarket assistants in face masks at the Munsu-dong diplomatic compound amid the outbreak of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus. The pneumonia-like coronavirus outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in late December. According to the latest reports, the number of people infected with the new strain of coronavirus has increased to over 24,000, with the death toll rising over 400. Yevgeny Agoshkov/TASS Mask production North Korea is beefing up production of facial masks as part of efforts to provide more protection for its citizens and health officials from the new coronavirus fast spreading in China and many other countries, state media reported Wednesday. In an article titled "Let's completely block the new coronavirus," the Rodong Sinmun, the official newspaper of the North's ruling party, reported that factories in Pyongyang are now producing masks "in earnest." The paper said tens of thousands of masks are being churned out daily to meet growing demand as citizens are more aware of the danger of the virus and are intensifying their personal hygiene. "As a result of the stepped-up hygiene promotion campaign, all citizens have become more aware (of the danger) and actively participate in efforts to prevent an outbreak of the infectious disease by frequently ventilating their homes, washing their hands and wearing masks," the paper said. People watch a TV program about coronavirus in this photo provided by the KCNA on Feb. 4. Despite being nominated for the Best Supporting Actor award in the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTAs), Brad Pitt decided to ditch the awards show. However, while some might think that it was an arrogant move by Pitt, his reason is actually valid and heartwarming. Pitt originally planned to go to the event, but he had to pull out at the last minute because of "family obligations." Now, according to The Sun, the 56-year-old actor skipped the event to spend time with his eldest son, Maddox. "Maddox gave Brad the chance to talk, and he dropped everything. Being a father is the most important thing in his life, and he would do anything to repair their relationship," a source close to Pitt told the publication, Multiple reports have claimed that the teen has not been open to reconciling with his dad, so it would only make sense that Pitt would seize the chance he was given. "Maddox has been away at university, so when Brad found out he was going to be around and they could have a conversation, he canceled the UK trip," the insider said. Not In Good Terms With Pitt The 18-year-old left last year to go to college in South Korea. He is studying biochemistry at Yonsei University. In the fall of 2019, several local reporters asked if his A-list dad planned on visiting him. Maddox then answered, "I don't know about that or what's happening." He also told reporters: "Well, whatever happens, happens." In 2016, it was reported that Pitt "lunged at his son Maddox when he tried to defend his mom on their private jet," which started their rift. According to a TMZ report at the time, Brad started arguing with Angelina Jolie when they were mid-air, and when Maddox jumped up to defend her, Pitt allegedly lunged at his son. The publication further claimed that Jolie jumped in between them to block her husband, but it was not clear what led to the incident or if it was even intentional. As the plane touched down, according to The Sun, Pitt continued his rant at the then 15-year-old Maddox who was trying to leave the aircraft. The Mirror believed that the alleged incident on the plane was the tipping point for Jolie to call off their 12-year-relationship because the following day, she split from Pitt. However, a close to the couple told Mirror Celebs that the claims were "exaggerated and fabricated." "It's unfortunate for the whole family that people are insisting on continuing this endless smear campaign against Brad that hurts everyone," the source revealed. Another source told the paper that the FBI investigated the claims as a "jurisdictional issue" due to the alleged incident taking place in the air. However, Pitt "cooperated fully." Pitt Wins, Makes BAFTAs Laugh Despite his absence, Brad Pitt won the Best Supporting Actor award for his role in "Once Upon A Time In Hollywood." In hilarious Pitt fashion, he asked Margot Robbie to deliver his speech -- which sent the whole attendees into laughter. The highligh of his speech (thanks to Margot) is when he poked fun at the U.K. and the royal family, particularly after the controversial Megxit. In fact, he even wrote in his speech that he will name his trophy "Harry" (after Prince Harry) and that he cannot wait to bring it to the U.S. His conclusion? Escape is possible, and he explains how. As Giles observes in The Fifteen Percent: Overcoming Hardships and Achieving Lasting Success (Skyhorse Publishing hardcover, March 10, 2020) no one goes through life without facing serious obstacles. Speaking from his own hard-won experience from a difficult upbringing to America's loftiest boardrooms, Giles answers the question that took him years to answer: Why do some people overcome hardships while others do not? Citing research that fifteen percent of those individuals who face adversity and hardship are able to rise above the despair and succeed above all odds, Giles uses examples from his career and life to illustrate why and how this phenomenon occurs. From his childhood of growing up in the Missouri Ozarks, to defending the victims of child sex abuse, to creating a plethora of business enterprises, and even organizing a presidential campaign, he learns from experience the traits that define "the fifteen percent." Even more important, in each chapter you will learn valuable skills including fearlessness; embracing underdog status; visualizing the future; and positive thinking; proving that you do not have to be a victim of bad circumstances to adopt the superpowers of "the fifteen percent." Entertaining, inspiring, and full of useful insights you'll turn to again and again, The Fifteen Percent will help you overcome whatever's holding you back, so you can achieve lasting success. About the Author: Terry Giles was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He received his B.A. from California State University at Fullerton and his J.D. from Pepperdine University School of Law, where there is now a "Terry M. Giles Honor Scholar." He established one of the largest and most successful criminal law firms on the West Coast, only to withdraw from the firm in 1983, disillusioned with the criminal legal system. Giles has received the Medal of Honor Alumni Award from Pepperdine University, Alumnus of the Year from Pepperdine University School of Law, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Award, and the Distinguished Alumnus Award of California State University of Fullerton. He further serves as an adjunct professor of law at Pepperdine University School of Law. Praise for The Fifteen Percent "A unique and fascinating book that will empower you to define your goal, achieve it, and then use that success to create the foundation for your next achievement." Benjamin S. Carson Sr., M.D. Professor Emeritus of Neurosurgery, Oncology, Plastic Surgery, and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins Medicine, adapted from the foreword "After reading Terry Giles book, I could not put it down! He has lived an incredible life, full of both adventure and opportunity. Always pushing the boundaries of what's possible and making the impossible common place. As an attorney, business leader, and philanthropist, it is clear to see why Terry has been able to accomplish so much and how he's used all those experiences to elevate others. His story is one of inspiration and information and will inspire you to push yourself to the next level! Terry, thank you for sharing your journey and I hope it pushes us all to aspire for something greater." Stedman Graham, author, speaker, and entrepreneur "Terry Giles's life has been a remarkable adventure of runaway success, good conscience, rare compassion and generous contribution. The Fifteen Percent is a tour de force that encapsulates a lifetime of wisdom and service that exemplifies what it is to truly live the American Dream. Contained in these pages is a surefire recipe for outlandish successI know; because I have been blessed to count Terry among my closest mentors and friends for over thirty years. I followed his example in both business and in life and benefited immensely from doing so." Armstrong Williams, broadcast entrepreneur and syndicated columnist "Terry has written a powerful and balanced account of his personal and professional journeys. At times spellbinding, it truly exemplifies his vision, courage, kindness, humility, and old-fashioned grit. More importantly it shows his dedication to the very best of American values. Terry is truly a 'servant' of God." Robert J. Brown, philanthropist and entrepreneur "Starting from the bottom, Terry Giles rose to become one of the most successful criminal defense lawyers in Southern California. He litigated important cases with creativity, compassion, and skill. He then had a second career as a successful entrepreneur. Giles tells not only his own remarkable story, but also the stories of others who have overcome unspeakable adversity, with insight, humor, and honesty. An inspiring read." Alan Dershowitz, Professor Emeritus, Harvard Law School and New York Times Bestselling Author For press requests, please contact: Hector Carosso [email protected] | (212) 643-6816 x 277 Related Links http://skyhorsepublishing.com https://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/9781510758339/the-fifteen-percent/ SOURCE Skyhorse Publishing Related Links http://skyhorsepublishing.com CONCORD, N.H. - Two top campaigns acknowledged on Wednesday that they were facing difficulties after disappointing results in Iowa as former vice president Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren began recalibrating their strategies for a seven-day sprint in New Hampshire. Biden went on the attack against two candidates who placed above him in the caucuses, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg, portraying both as unelectable. He admitted that Monday's caucuses represented a "gut punch" to a campaign that was once a clear national front-runner. "I am not going to sugarcoat it," he told a standing-room-only crowd at a VFW hall in Somersworth, New Hampshire. "We took a gut punch in Iowa. The whole process took a gut punch. But look, this isn't the first time in my life I've been knocked down." Warren pulled nearly $500,000 worth of TV ads that had been scheduled to run in Nevada and South Carolina after a disappointing third-place standing in Iowa did not provide a fundraising bump on which her campaign had counted. "I just always want to be careful about how we spend our money," Warren, D-Mass., said Wednesday after being asked about the significant retrenchment in states that will vote after Tuesday's primary here. The results in Iowa - which have dribbled out over days after technological problems prevented a quick count - have led to a reordering of the Democratic presidential primary race here in a critical stretch of the campaign. Sanders and Buttigieg are relishing a boost of energy and attention. Their finishes - in incomplete results, Buttigieg led in delegate measurements and Sanders in the popular vote - sharply escalated the stakes for Biden and Warren and could trigger a more combative debate in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Friday night. The Biden campaign is not expected to undergo a broad staff shake-up, but there was mounting frustration within it over how his Iowa team performed, with many blaming it for not building a better organization in such an important state. Jake Braun, Biden's Iowa state director, is not expected to continue to serve as a full-time campaign employee. Braun, who had served as national deputy field director for President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, had been hired in May to oversee Biden's operation in Iowa. The campaign also did not retain Adrienne Bogen, who was overseeing the Iowa field operation, a staffing decision first reported by Politico. The Biden campaign said neither move was connected to the Iowa results. In an interview, Braun said that for family and professional reasons, he was going back to teaching at the University of Chicago. He will return to the campaign as a consultant, a campaign representative said. "I want to do everything in my power to defeat Donald Trump, and so I was willing to take this time away from my family," Braun said in an interview. "There was no way with my family situation I could bounce around the Super Tuesday states." With 92% of the Iowa precincts in, Buttigieg held 26.5% of the state delegate equivalents, followed by Sanders, who had 25.6%. Sanders's popular vote lead stood at 42,027 to Buttigieg's 40,823. Warren was third in Iowa, with 18.3% of the delegates, and Biden, in his third bid for president, had 15.9%. In the hours after the caucuses, before the numbers began to be made public, Warren's senior aides said the top three finishers were bunched together, with Biden a distant fourth. Joe Rospars, her top strategist, chided other campaigns for releasing "incomplete numbers" that he said were "contributing to the chaos and misinformation." In the official results, Warren was a distant third, closer to Biden than she was to Buttigieg and Sanders. She was ahead in only one of the state's 99 counties, where she was clinging to a narrow lead over Sanders. Her finish raised questions about the strength of an organization that had been heralded for a year as the best in the state - and her theory going forward that her grass-roots support is strong enough to propel her. Warren's team alluded to money problems in a fundraising pitch Tuesday in which the campaign said the lack of a clear result from Iowa - and the focus on how the systems there failed rather than the campaigns - had affected fundraising. "Even though the initial numbers in Iowa look good, they're not final," according to the fundraising email signed by "Team Warren." "And since they were announced today instead of last night, we didn't get a big night of exciting news coverage about them (or the late-night boost in fundraising that usually comes with it)." In another shift, her top aides, who typically don't attack others publicly, called out one of Buttigieg's strategists Wednesday on Twitter, saying he was trying to use the platform to signal to a supportive super PAC where to put resources. Michael Halle, a Buttigieg adviser, tweeted Wednesday that messages about the candidate's military experience "work everywhere especially in Nevada where it's critical they see this on the air through the caucus." "Did you mean to tweet out this instruction to your super PAC," wrote Warren's campaign manager, Roger Lau. The super PAC he appeared to be referring to, VoteVets PAC, issued a statement saying its officials "independently decide" their ad strategy. Buttigieg's campaign said in a responding statement that veterans "have been central to propelling" the former naval intelligence officer, and "if the largest progressive veterans group wants to help spread the word about his service we welcome it." For Biden, whose central argument in this primary contest has been that he's best equipped to defeat President Donald Trump in November, the Iowa results put even more pressure on his campaign here. Biden, who prizes his skills in nurturing personal connections, had a dismal showing in a state known for its retail politics. The campaign watched in dismay as he failed to even reach a 15% viability threshold in many precincts across Iowa, after earlier bragging he would place that high nearly everywhere. During an event in Somersworth, he dedicated a significant chunk of his speech to attacking his rivals. He painted Sanders as an ineffective politician who has not led the charge on passing any major piece of legislation, including his signature health-care plan. "Senator Sanders has been talking about a single-payer, Medicare-for-all health-care system in this country for 30 years," Biden said. "To his credit, he's been consistent. But he hadn't moved the ball a single, solitary inch in the United States Congress." He said the majority of Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., don't support Sanders on the issue. "So how is he going to pass it?" Biden said. "How is he going to get it passed? I don't mean just to give another speech." Biden said his plan, which would expand on the Obama administration's Affordable Care Act, is more feasible. "I can get it done right away," he said. Biden also said Sanders would face an uphill general-election battle because he calls himself a democratic socialist, saying that label would hurt candidates in down-ballot races. "So when Sanders attacks me for having baggage, I have to tell you, the 60-plus candidates that I campaigned for in the toughest districts in the country just two years ago don't see me as baggage. They wanted me in their districts," Biden said. "I doubt whether many people asked Bernie Sanders to come in and campaign." The former vice president offered similar criticism Wednesday night during a CNN town hall. Of Buttigieg, Biden said that he respects the 38-year-old's military service but that the party couldn't nominate someone with so little experience. "I do believe it's a risk - to be just straight up with you - for this party and to nominate someone who's never held an office higher than mayor of a town of 100,000 people in Indiana," he said. "I do believe it's a risk. He has enormous potential. But I think we need a president who can bring us together." Biden also more sharply criticized Buttigieg for lumping him in with the problems of Washington. "Mayor Pete likes to attack me as well. He's a good man. Calls me part of the old, failed Washington," Biden said, before listing a variety of accomplishments including the Affordable Care Act and Iran nuclear deal. "Is he really saying the Obama-Biden administration was a failure?" Biden asked. "Pete, just say it out loud." In an interview set to air Thursday on MSNBC, Buttigieg praised the achievements of the Obama administration while indicating that he believes the former vice president has less claim to those accomplishments than he takes with voters. "I have enormous regard for those achievements. If you look at what President Obama was able to do in two terms, it was extraordinary," Buttigieg said. "But I think the bulk of the credit for the achievements of the Obama administration belong with President Obama." Several top Biden campaign advisers say they are trying to refocus the race in New Hampshire and view it as a state that may be more receptive than Iowa was to candidates lobbing attacks at one another. The state also has a history of rewarding underdog and comeback candidates, something his staffers are trying to promote. They still view Sanders and Warren as front-runners in the state but are pointing to Nevada as a crucial place for Biden to get a victory. Losing the first three states, they concede, could be difficult to survive. "We're going to speak very forcefully and clearly about health care," said Symone Sanders, a senior adviser. "But we're also going to contrast ourselves with other candidates. And then, yeah, we took a punch in Iowa, but we're not going anywhere." Rohingya refugees are seen aboard a vessel in the Andaman Sea before they are picked up by the Myanmar Navy in waters off southern Myanmar's Tanintharyi region, Dec. 15, 2019. Myanmar authorities have confirmed that more than 130 Rohingya Muslims who were part of a larger group detained in December by the Myanmar Navy in waters off Tanintharyi region while traveling to a third country are residents of Rakhine state, a district official said Thursday. The 133 were among the more than 170 Rohingya picked up by coastal forces in the Andaman Sea as they attempted to leave Myanmar. All of them were transferred by boat to western Myanmars Rakhine state in early January, where immigration officials in the regional capital Sittwe have been working to determine whether they are from northern Rakhine state. We have conducted an assessment and sent back [home] those who could be confirmed as residents of Myanmar, said Soe Aung, administrator of Rakhines Muslim-majority Maungdaw district. Those who still have homes in their villages are returning to their homes, he said. Those who dont have homes will live with their relatives. Win Hlaing Oo, assistant director of a Rohingya refugee reception center in the districts Nga Khu Ya village, said officials could only accept the boat people once they had confirmed proof of their residency in Myanmar. Officials had first been asked to access the identity of the boat people in Kawthaung in Tanintharyi region, where they were taken after they were picked up at sea, he said. So we have had to decide if they are genuine residents and work through many procedures, Win Hlaing Oo said. Officials have not be able to confirm the status of 20 others among the group, and there have been delays with submitting reports to senior authorities, he said. Authorities have meanwhile determined that one of the detained Rohingya is a citizen of Bangladesh, and they are negotiating with Bangladeshi authorities for that persons repatriation, he added. Maungdaw district resident Hammad Shari said it will be difficult for the Rohingya boat people to return to their villages of origin, many of which were burned during a military-led crackdown in northern Rakhine in 2017. Security forces targeted Rohingya communities in a rampage of violence following deadly attacks on police outposts by a Muslim militant group, killing thousands and driving more than 740,000 others to Bangladesh. In Maungdaw region, many villages are gone, Hammad Shari said. I dont know how these people can go back to their homes. The root causes Nickey Diamond, an activist with Southeast Asia-based Fortify Rights, said authorities must address the fundamental issues that are driving the Rohingya to flee Myanmar. In Rakhine, their lives are tough, and so they try to run away, he said. Those who get caught are given prison sentences. When they are in a condition in which authorities cannot send them to jail, they have been sent back to where they came from. Returning them does not resolve the ongoing problems. Myanmar views the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and denies them full citizenship as well as subjects them to discriminatory policies such as denying them freedom of movement. They also are prevented from accessing jobs, education, and health care. Though Myanmar and Bangladesh have signed an agreement to repatriate some of the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya who fled northern Rakhine and now live in sprawling refugee camps, none of those approved for return have gone back, citing fear of further violence and ongoing denials of full citizenship and other basic rights. I dont see the government trying to address the root causes, Diamond said. After the Rohingya [boat people] have returned, they may run away again if the conditions are not right for them. The government should try to understand why they are running away and what pushed them out, and resolve the root causes of the problem, he said. Reported by Kyaw Lwin Oo for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. The United States on Wednesday sharply condemned terrorist and violent attacks against minority Hindus in Pakistan and communist Chinas hostility towards its people of all faiths. Launching an International Religious Freedom Alliance of 27 countries, which US officials have said will be something like an activist club of nations that will aggressively push globally on religious freedom issues, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took aim at persecution of and violent attacks on religious minorities in several countries. We condemn terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities, whether they are Yezidis in Iraq, Hindus in Pakistan, Christians in northeast Nigeria, or Muslims in Burma, he said at a dinner he hosted for members of the alliance here on Wednesday. The top US diplomat also condemned blasphemy and apostasy laws that criminalize matters of the soul, he did not name any country, but Pakistan is among a handful of countries that aggressively enforce blasphemy laws, which carry sentences ranging from life in jail to execution. Victims have been mostly Muslims and Ahmedi Muslims (who are not considered muslims by Pakistan) and minority Christians and Hindus. There are an estimated 1.4 million Hindus in Pakistan and they have been targeted by terrorists and violent extremists, and discriminated against societally. The state offers them little protection, along with other minorities. A state department report on the state of religious freedom in Pakistan said in 2019 that bonded labour in the brick-making industry and in agriculture were predominantlyHindus and Christians. A growing number of these persecuted Hindus head to India. The Modi government enacted a law in 2019, the Citizenship Amendment Act, that makes it easier for persecuted Hindus from any of the neighboring countries to seek refuge in India, and settle down as citizens. Pakistan has been on US radar for religious freedom violations for a long time, as well as for human rights and, with the most expansive implications for the rest of the world, its continued support for terrorism. The US re-designated Pakistan as one of countries of particular concern last December for systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious violations of religious freedom. Also on the list of the list of -re-designated countries was China, who persecution of religious minorities has received much more attention from the Trump administration than before. A US official compared Chinas detention camps for Muslim Uighurs to the concentration camps run by the Nazis for Jews. And the House of Representatives passed a legislation last December recommending sanctions against China for the mistreatment of Uighurs. Addressing alliance partners at the Wednesday dinner, Secretary Pompeo said, We condemn the Chinese Communist Partys hostility to all faiths. He went on to commend the partners for courageously pushing back against Chinese pressure to participate in the alliance. There has been response from Beijing to these remarks. The 27 members of the alliance are the United States, Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, The Gambia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Togo, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom. US officials have said the number could grow or go down. It could not be immediately ascertained if India was invited to join, and didnt. Or that it was not invited at all. A senior state department official told reporters, at a briefing on the launch of the alliance, that the United States is concerned about whats taking place in India. The official said the US has expressed desire first to try to help and work through some of these issues. Thats the first step, is just saying can we work with you on this, the official added, but did not specify next steps. Bangladesh: Experts for skilling coastal fishermen to tap potentials of marine fisheries February 06,2020 | Source: UNB Experts at a programme here on Wednesday stressed the importance of developing the skills of the countrys 6.5 lakh coastal fishermen to tap the extraordinary potentials of Bangladeshs blue economy. We need to assess our marine resources and train the fishermen to tap the potentials to accelerate the economic development of the country alongside improving the livelihoods of fishermen, said Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury, Project Director of Sustainable Costal and Marine Fisheries Project (SCMFP), a new project. Social Development Foundation (SDF) arranged the workshop titled Supporting Implementation of Community Empowerment & Livelihood Transformation (Component-3) of Sustainable Costal and Marine Fisheries Project (SCMFP) at the Cirdap auditorium in the city, marking the inception of the new project. SDF Managing Director AZM Sakhawat Hossain delivered the welcome address, while Shyamol Chandra Karmakar, Additional Secretary (Fisheries), Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, spoke at the event as the chief guest. Presided over by former Secretary and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of SDF MI Chowdhury, the workshop was addressed, among others, by Milen Dyoulgerov, Senior Environment Specialist and Task Team Leader, SCMFP, World Bank, and Stephena Kestev, Fisheries Management expert of FAO. The experts said Bangladeshs coastal region is known as one of the highly productive areas of the world due to the geographical position and climatic condition. According to official information, mechanised boats and trawlers now can fish only up to 70 kilometres from Bangladeshs shoreline out of its total of 660-km area, while the rest of the area remains untapped. Milen Dyoulgerov said the Costal and Marine Fisheries Project will be able to address the livelihood problems of Bangladesh fishermen, who are the poorest of the poor. Though Bangladesh has the success in community empowerment, the livelihood of this section could not yet be ensured, he added. SDF, co-implementing agency under the Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance and the Department of Fisheries (DoF) under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock are jointly implementing the project with funds from the World Bank. The USD 50.24-million new project is aimed at improving the livelihood of the poor fishers community of the coastal area with the capacity to better manage local resources and expand their participation in more exclusive and sustainable development. The five-year project will be implemented in 450 coastline and coastal fisher villages of 45 selected upazilas under 13 coastal districts of the southern part of Bangladesh. The Uttar Pradesh Police, along with Special Task Force (STF), on Wednesday arrested one person from Mumbai in connection with the murder of Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha president Ranjeet Bachchan, who was shot dead in Lucknow's Hazratganj area. The accused fled to Mumbai via train after the incident, police said, adding that the suspect is being brought to Lucknow. Police had earlier released CCTV footage of the suspected killers of Bachchan. A reward of Rs 50,000 was also announced by the police for providing information about the suspect. On Sunday, Bachchan was shot dead by bike-borne assailants while he was on a morning walk in Hazratganj area, police said. "Ranjeet was shot dead while he was on his morning walk. Unknown men attacked him," Dinesh Singh, DCP Central Lucknow earlier said. Bachchan, a native of Gorakhpur, was associated with the Samajwadi Party in the past. A case was registered and eight teams were formed to investigate the matter. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) "Mike Genord brings a coveted balance of executive leadership on both the payer and provider sides of the health care industry," said Wright Lassiter III, president and CEO of Henry Ford Health System. "His experience as a physician has allowed him to build meaningful relationships with HAP's provider partners, an essential element of providing the best care and coverage for HAP members. This integrated care and coverage model will be key as HAP continues to be poised for future growth and expansion." In addition to his role as president and CEO of HAP, Dr. Genord will continue serving as president and CEO of HAP Empowered Health Plan, a licensed HMO and wholly owned subsidiary of HAP that serves Medicaid and dual eligible Medicare-Medicaid beneficiaries. Previously, Dr. Genord served as HAP's senior vice president and chief medical officer. In that role, he led the development and implementation of HAP's clinical and operational programs in partnership with health care providers throughout the region. Prior to joining HAP, he was president and CEO of HealthPlus and also served as the company's chief medical officer. HealthPlus merged with HAP in 2016. Dr. Genord has also served in multiple leadership roles on the provider side with William Beaumont Hospital and United Physicians Group, in addition to managing a private practice for 17 years. "Throughout every step in my journey, I have seen the fundamental value of trusted relationships between physicians and payers and a fierce dedication to community," said Dr. Genord. "I am thrilled to continue in this role as HAP's leader, working alongside our physician partners to disrupt the market, creating unprecedented quality and value for our members." Maintaining a lifelong commitment to service, Dr. Genord serves on professional boards, including the Alliance of Community Health Plans and the Health Plan Alliance, as well as community boards, including the Greater Detroit Area Health Council, the Greater Flint Health Coalition and Notre Dame Preparatory. He is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology, earning his medical degree from the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. He also has a master's degree in business administration from Michigan State University's Eli Broad Graduate School of Management and a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan. About Henry Ford Health System Under the leadership of President and CEO Wright L. Lassiter, III, Henry Ford Health System is a $7 billion integrated health system comprised of six hospitals, a health plan, and 250+ sites including medical centers, walk-in and urgent care clinics, pharmacy, eye care facilities and other healthcare retail. Established in 1915 by auto industry pioneer Henry Ford, the health system now has 32,000 employees and remains home to the 1,900-member Henry Ford Medical Group, one of the nation's oldest physician groups. An additional 2,200 physicians are also affiliated with the health system through the Henry Ford Physician Network. Henry Ford is also one of the region's major academic medical centers, receiving between $90-$100 million in annual research funding and remaining Michigan's fourth largest NIH-funded institution. Also an active participant in medical education and training, the health system has trained nearly 40% of physicians currently practicing in the state and also provides education and training for other health professionals including nurses, pharmacists, radiology and respiratory technicians. For more information, visit henryford.com. About Health Alliance Plan Health Alliance Plan (HAP) is a Michigan-based, nonprofit health plan that provides health coverage to individuals and companies of all sizes. For 60 years, HAP has partnered with leading doctors and hospitals, employers and community organizations to enhance the health and well-being of the lives it touches. HAP offers a product portfolio with six distinct product lines: Group Insured Commercial, Individual, Medicare, Medicaid (through HAP Empowered Health Plan), Self-Funded and Network Leasing. HAP excels in delivering award-winning preventive services, disease management and wellness programs, as well as personalized customer service. HAP is an operating unit of Henry Ford Health System, one of the nation's leading health care systems. For more information, visit www.hap.org. SOURCE Henry Ford Health System Related Links http://www.henryford.com YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. At least three people have been killed, 179 other were injured after a passenger plane landing at an airport in Istanbul has skidded off the runway and broken into three parts, reports BBC. The Pegasus Airlines jet was carrying 171 passengers and six crew members from Izmir province in the west when it crashed at Sabiha Gokcen airport. The Boeing 737 was trying to land in heavy tailwinds and rain. The airport was closed and flights diverted after the accident. The majority of people on board were Turkish, but local media quoted the airline's records as saying there were 22 foreign passengers from 12 other countries. A small number of children are believed to have been on board. According to the preliminary reports, the plane couldn't hold on the runway due to poor weather conditions. It is one of the normal laws of life that ceasing to develop risks extinction. A language that ceases to accept new terminology and adapt to the everyday uses of its natives surely becomes a dead language Latin is an example. People who stop coping with new realities and willingly refrain from embracing a paradigm shift in their understanding of the continued need for evolution are surely outdated and will be left behind the march of human progress. This holds true for religions that find it hard to adapt to new ideas and thoughts. Those religions surely risk losing followers or, in the worst-case scenario, some may turn their backs on their faiths completely. Religion is not a rigid mould to which people should fit, or an iron mask that lets in air through a very narrow opening only for survival. Rather, it should be able to assimilate modern ideas and get followers to love their faiths, no matter their deity. In the case of Egypt, official and popular calls have been made long ago on the urgent need for a renewal of religious discourse, which has now become a top priority given the extremist ideology that has led many in the wrong direction. Unfortunately, such calls have been avoided like the plague because of the odd mix between the pillars of any given faith and the narrow-minded interpretations or newly introduced rituals into it, on the one hand, and because of that misperception that embracing new ideas into a given faith may ruin its very basis. The Wahhabi faith, for instance, has been erroneously mixed for decades with the teachings of Islam and widely embraced by Muslim preachers, giving a killer blow recipe for average Muslims. Those followers tend to believe in their preachers and deal with their instructions as gospel. Citing an example, before many Egyptians flocked to the Gulf nations in the late 1970s and the 1980s, when oil boosted the economies of the Gulf States, they used to take pride in their own Egyptian traditions. Take, for example, the case of celebrating the birthday of a new-born infant. People, rich and poor in Egypt, used to organise the famous Egyptian subu (celebrating the seventh day of the new baby by holding folkloric and colourful ceremonies, traditionally passed on from parents and forefathers). Being under the influence of Wahhabi concepts, some Egyptians all of a sudden remembered, once they returned from the Gulf, that aqiqa (a Bedouin celebration in honour of the new baby, now seen by many as a revival of a Sunni tradition, in which a sheep is slaughtered in celebration of the seventh day of the new-born infant) was the correct religious way to celebrate their infants birth! This is more of a cultural influence than a religious one, but it has been given a religious aspect to replace the traditional. Now, since slaughtering a sheep is much more expensive than observing the traditional subu, aqiqa has been widely practised by the rich, while the former has been defined as the humble celebration of the limited-income and the poor. Having this superior perspective has been a breach of the very substance of Islam, as a faith that has advocated equality and respect for one another among people at large, in favour of the form, something that can be clearly noticed in most if not all the rituals of the Wahhabi faith. Last week, Al-Azhar, the most highly prestigious Sunni Muslim institution in the world, held a keynote event under the title Renewal of Islamic Thought. The conference did acknowledge in a set of recommendations that renewal, in general, is part and parcel of Islamic Sharia law, which remains inextricable because it is needed to cope with the developments of the age and realise the aspirations of the people. This is an inextricable truth though it remains ink on paper. Average Muslims are not aware of many things about the core of their faith. Their source of information remains preachers at mosques, who in turn instil in the minds of the faithful a set of thoughts widely intermixed with misinterpretations and misconceptions of the holy book of the Muslims: The Quran. In case you need evidence, the famous sermon on Fridays at mosques is a living example. The preacher, or imam, usually starts the sermon with an introduction to the subject earlier defined by the Egyptian Ministry of Endowments, a process which was meant to prevent preachers from choosing sermons on their own and get them committed to the main pillars of a given subject. But as the preacher carries on, nothing is raised on the point at hand other than the title, while worshippers are confused because the preacher distracts their attention with amusing stories from the past which have nothing to do with the goal set by the ministry, nor are those stories real. Many preachers are busy taking audiences back to ancient times, delivering quite impressive stories about the once golden era in which people were almost angelic in the way they perceived life and dealt with one another. Such an approach does sanctify dead eras and those people who once led their lives based on the prerequisites of their own time. Above all, historical facts tell us those people were not angelic at all! Remember that the holy house of Muslims, Al-Kaaba, was once hit by a ballista to bring an end to a sit-in by a rebellious challenger to the rule of the Umayyad caliphate. In his book Discourse and Hermeneutics, late Egyptian thinker and philosopher Nasr Hamed Abu Zeid, who was forced into exile in the 1990s over charges of heresy, said: Old rigid thoughts that have been sanctified because they have been repeated over and over are nothing but time bombs. He argued that, the explosion of thoughts are not to be taken in the metaphorical sense only, because our Muslim and Arab nations have seen real explosions in streets and roads whose source has been thoughts in which the young tend to believe. This is the core of the problem: thoughts which have been sanctified because they were said by people in ancient times and are mixed with religion on purpose. Those thoughts have been given a quasi-revelation nature and almost become a parallel to divine scriptures. Revelation remains holy to a given believer, but thoughts said by whosoever are not that holy and can be criticised, downplayed, made use of or even ignored completely. The call for the renewal of religious discourse does aim at that point in particular: a critique of outdated ideas, logically refuting them in order for a given religion to embrace new realities and keep followers wholeheartedly affiliated with their faith. Continued ignorance of that call has cost Muslims dearly in their day-to-day lives. Those who kill say they do this in honour of the revelations of the Super Being. But Yahweh, God, or Allah (names of The Almighty as perceived by followers of the three Abrahamic religions) has never advocated killing nor does He bless the murderers, but those who speak in His name and think their interpretation of His words are the only viable version do. When he was advocating a new religion among the pagans of Mecca, the fierce campaign against Mohamed, the Prophet of Islam, was because his call would send the old beliefs into oblivion, something which senior leaders in Mecca, nowadays in Saudi Arabia, were not ready to tolerate. His call did question their religious authority over other Arab tribes, did wash away their gains inherited over time, did replace their old superstitious beliefs with new concepts based on reasoning and sense. This was the real challenge: it was not a battle between the old and the new, rather a fierce conflict between well-established thoughts whose champions were not ready to tolerate any change, even when proven wrong, and brand new ideas which have been meant to liberate the human mind from suppression under the name of religion. The writer is a former press and information officer in Ethiopia and an expert on African affairs. *A version of this article appears in print in the 6 February, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: By PTI CHANDIGARH: Haryana has been put on high alert after reports of locust attack in neighbouring states of Punjab and Rajasthan, Agriculture Minister Jai Parkash Dalal said on Thursday. He said special supervision teams have been constituted to tackle the situation and to spread awareness about the recent locust outbreak. "To control the locust attack, the farmers will also get pesticides at 50 per cent subsidy", the Agriculture minister said. He appealed to the farmers to inspect their fields and immediately report any locust attack in their fields and inform about the same to the local Agricultural Development Officer, Krishi Vigyan Kendra of Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar or Deputy Director, Agriculture Department. ALSO READ: Pakistan declares national emergency to battle locusts He said the farmers have also been given special training on how to stop the locust attack. As per the requirement, adequate arrangements of pesticides are also being made and therefore, the farmers of the state should not panic or worry, he said in a statement here. The minister said proper preparations are being made in border districts that are adjoining Rajasthan and Punjab including Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar. Apart from this, arrangements have been made in Bhiwani, Mahendragarh, Rewari and Charkhi Dadri districts and adjoining areas of these districts. Swarms of locusts were also spotted in border villages of Fazilka district in Punjab though timely action by the authorities led to the elimination of the pest. Locusts, popularly known as 'tiddi dal', are short-horned grasshoppers with highly migratory habits and voracious feeding behaviour. A backpacker woke up to a drunk yacht captain sexually assaulting her in a hostel. Nicholas Shane Byrnes appeared in Byron Bay Local Court in New South Wales on Wednesday after the incident on August 24 last year. The 37-year-old pleaded guilty to sexually touching another person without consent after entering a Byron Bay hostel whilst drunk and touching the sleeping backpacker. The British woman was working at the hostel and sleeping in one of the rooms when Byrnes approached and sexually assaulted her. Byron Bay Local Court heard that a British backpacker woke up to find a drunk yacht captain sexually assaulting her in a Byron Bay hostel (stock image) The Sunshine Coast Daily reported that a woman was forced to get security after she couldn't stop the South Golden Beach man from continuing his creepy attack. Byrnes told police in an interview that he was drunk during the assault after consuming eight beers at a venue in Byron and was looking for somewhere to sleep. The police prosecutor read a statement from the victim to the court, who said her working holiday was tarnished by Byrnes assault. 'Sober or not, it should never have happened,' her statement read. 'You had absolutely no right to touch me.' The prosecution argued for a jail sentence for Byrnes' assault, while solicitor John Weller said Byrnes was 'unlikely to reoffend' and deeply regretted his actions. Mr Weller told the court Byrnes had suffered a relationship breakdown before the incident, and that his client had co-operated with police requests throughout the investigation. Plea alleged that the AAP candidate had willfully and intentionally concealed material facts and given false statements in poll affidavits New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the Election Commission's response on a plea seeking rejection of the nomination of the AAP's Karol Bagh candidate for allegedly concealing his educational qualification in his affidavit for the 8 February Assembly polls. A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued a notice to the EC and the AAP candidate from Karol Bagh, Vishesh Ravi, seeking their stand on the plea filed by Yoginder Chandolia, BJP hopeful from the same seat. The bench listed the matter for hearing on Friday. A single-judge bench had on Monday dismissed as not maintainable a plea challenging a returning officer's order rejecting a complaint against Ravi's nomination. Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva had said there cannot be a two-pronged attack to an election and the law was clear that such challenges can only be made after the declaration of poll results. The plea alleged that the AAP candidate had willfully and intentionally concealed material facts and given false statements in poll affidavits. It claimed that he has concealed the factum of a pending criminal case against him and there were discrepancies in his affidavits. "However, despite the fact that there was a substantial defect in the affidavit filed by respondent number four (Ravi), the said objection filed by the petitioner (Chandolia) is dismissed by the respondent number three (returning officer) vide order dated 22 January, 2020 inter alias holding that these defects are not substantial. "It is settle law that suppression of pending criminal case and education qualification are substantial defect and in such cases, nomination forms are liable to be rejected. Hence impugned order is not sustainable," the plea said. Polling on the 70 Assembly seats in Delhi will be held on 8 February and the counting of votes will take place on 11 February. Malaysia's former first lady, who allegedly bankrolled a luxurious lifestyle with kickbacks and stolen public money, went on trial Wednesday for corruption for the first time since her husband lost power. Rosmah Mansor, notorious for making overseas shopping trips and owning vast collections of handbags and jewellery, became a lightning rod for public anger as the government of prime minister Najib Razak was engulfed by corruption allegations. Her husband's long-ruling coalition suffered a shock election defeat in 2018 in large part due to claims he and his officials plundered billions of dollars from sovereign wealth fund 1MDB. Both Najib and his wife have since been hit with multiple charges over the looting of the investment vehicle, but Rosmah's first trial centres on allegations she received bribes linked to a government project. Prosecutors allege she pocketed 6.5 million ringgit ($1.6 million) for helping a company secure the project to provide solar power generators to schools on the Malaysian part of Borneo island. The 68-year-old is also accused of soliciting a further 187.5 million ringgit. Rosmah faces three counts of corruption for the offences, which allegedly took place in 2016 and 2017. - 'Overbearing nature' Rosmah, known for her imperious manner and enormous mane of hair, denied all the charges as proceedings began at the Kuala Lumpur High Court. The former prime minister's wife "occupied no official position. However, she wielded considerable influence by her own overbearing nature", said prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram in his opening statement. "She placed herself in a position where she was able to influence decisions in the public sector." The trial was supposed to start Monday but was delayed after Rosmah was admitted to hospital complaining of neck pain. On Wednesday she arrived in a car followed by an ambulance, and limped into the courtroom. Najib, who is on trial at the High Court over the looting of 1MDB, made an appearance in the courtroom as the trial got underway. The former leader and his wife's lavish lifestyles came to symbolise the perceived rot in Malaysia's ruling elite. Following the 2018 election, police discovered valuables -- including cash, jewellery and luxury handbags -- worth up to $273 million in properties linked to the couple. The shoreline transition to the water, the depth of the water, and lake bottom conditions all factor into enjoyable use of the lake or river. Whether you call it a lake home, cabin, cottage or camp, buyers are naturally drawn to the waters edge when looking at lakeshore properties. The wide variety of shoreline conditions gives buyers a lot to consider before they write a purchase agreement. Some buyers seek a tranquil retreat with a spectacular view. Others want a shoreline suited to an active watersports lifestyle. One important consideration is the set of local ordinances governing each lake. Some municipalities have enacted no-wake or quiet hours rules that allow boat motors to only run at idle from 5:00 pm to 10:00 am, for example. Next, consider the natural environment at the waters edge. The shoreline transition to the water, the depth of the water, and lake bottom conditions all factor into enjoyable use of the lake or river, says John Gehring, owner of Solo Dock, a tip-in dock manufacturer in Long Lake, Minnesota. Thoughtful selection of a dock or pier will take advantage of the desirable conditions and overcome any challenging aspects of the lakeshore. A relatively level shoreline allows for easy access to the water and the dock. Lakeshore owners can simply anchor a starter bracket at the waters edge and install the dock. On a shoreline with a hill, the dock can be installed on the beach, at the waters edge, or attached to a new or existing stairway. In either case, Gehring says dock selection decisions need to factor in ease of transporting to a safe and secure location for storage, often at the top of the hill or stairs. Docks that break down into sections as small as six feet long allow one person to install and remove the dock by themselves. Lakeshore buyers should consider that steep banks may also require stabilization, landscaping and stairs to prevent the bank from sliding into the lake. However, these improvements also preserve the owners investment, beautifies the property and enhances the view from up top. Gehring also advises prospective buyers to get water measurements every six feet from shore until the water is at least four-to-six feet deep. Boats typically need a minimum of three feet of water to float if tied to the dock, and four or more feet of water if kept on a lift. Water depth measurements will tell you how many feet of dock you will need to purchase, and how long the pipes need to be for each dock section when you order a dock. Getting water depth measurements helps prospective lakeshore owners formulate a plan and a budget for a dock, a boat and maybe a boat lift, says Gehring. I occasionally talk to new lakeshore owners that didnt get water depth measurements, and when spring arrived they discovered they need 100 or 200 feet of dock, which they didnt budget for. Fortunately, Solo Dock offers a 0% financing option to help customers get the dock they need to enjoy the summer on the lake. Gehring suggests buyers ask if the DNR or lake association regulates the water depth in the lake or river with a dam, and how much the water level fluctuates during the summer. Its an advantage to have a dock that can be installed without getting into the water, especially when the water is high and cold in spring. If getting help to install a dock early in spring and remove it late in fall is in question, consider a dock that one person can install, level and remove to take advantage of the early sunny spring days and the last warm days of fall. Also Gehring suggests finding out what the lake bottom consists of. Is the lake bottom mucky? If so, how deep is the muck? Often there are a few inches to a foot of muck on top of a firm bottom like sand, gravel or clay. This is the result of decayed leaves, etc. accumulating on the lake bottom over many years, especially in lakeshore that hasnt seen active use. Large, concave footpads (12 diameter, for example) give dock posts stable support in firm or soft lake bottoms. A removal winch tripod tool allows one person to pull the dock out of sand, silt or muck without getting into the water. Also, prospective buyers should determine if they will need to purchase flood insurance. If you will have a mortgage on the property and the building is classified as being in a flood plain, your lender will require you to purchase flood insurance. FEMA recently reclassified property that previously didnt require flood insurance. Finally, Gehring advises prospective buyers to include a dock or boat lift thats on the property in the purchase agreement if it might fit their needs. But if the dock is old, wooden, heavy, etc., buyers should specify that the seller remove and dispose of the dock prior to closing, and start their search for a dock they will enjoy for decades to come. Solo Dock is headquartered in the city of Long Lake, Minnesota, in the western suburbs of Minneapolis. John Gehring is the owner of Solo Dock, and he and his family have lived on Lake Minnetonka for 25 years. In that time he has helped customers, friends and neighbors install many styles of docks on many different types of lakeshore, giving him the experience to advise customers and ship docks across the U.S. and Canada. For more information, see the companys web site at http://www.SoloDock.com or call 1-952-472-3953. (Natural News) As New York is to the West, Hong Kong is Asias financial hub, but its now under siege from the rapidly spreading coronavirus because the city administrator, Carrie Lam, refuses to close the borders. As reported by the South China Morning Post, Lams refusal has led to a strike by more than 5,000 healthcare workers, leaving the citys hospitals and healthcare centers struggling to find enough personnel to treat the rising number of sick. And all of this comes after Hong Kongs first coronavirus death. The paper reported: Hong Kong could be on the verge of the deadly coronavirus spreading widely in the community, health authorities warned on Tuesday, with three new locally transmitted cases confirmed just hours after a 39-year-old patient became the citys first fatality. The prognosis came as public hospitals were under strain, with the Hospital Authority reporting that 5,000 workers walked off their jobs on the second day of a strike intended to force the citys leader to completely shut down the border with mainland China. The strikers hope that such a move would curb the threat of more infections. The walkout, according to public hospital administrators, is putting the lives of newborns and cancer patients at risk, forcing them to turn to the private sector for staffing help. At the same time, the healthcare union behind the walkout is demanding a meeting with Lam because she refuses to close the citys borders. Union officials said they would ramp up their walkout efforts if she continued to refuse their border closure demand. She further inflamed union officials and others when she asked government officials not to wear surgical masks over their mouths to protect them from contracting the virus except in the strictest of circumstances. Union leaders accused Lam of basing her decision on emotion rather than science, which, they said, could even provoke more panic. That said, travel has at least been dramatically restricted into and out of the city. The SCMP said that the restriction came as the number of dead and infected in mainland China continued to rise, and most likely beyond what the government in Beijing is actually reporting. We are not ruling out a large spread in the future What also seems clear is that new cases of coronavirus are home grown within the boundaries of Hong Kong, according to the Center for Health Protection. Officials there told reporters during a press conference Tuesday that three newly diagnosed coronavirus patients had not traveled to China in the 14 days before they got sick. Their infections bring the number of afflicted in Hong Kong to 21, as of this writing. Dr. Chuang Shuk-kwan, who heads up the centers communicable disease office, told reporters during a press briefing that, so far, four confirmed cases of the virus showed no obvious source of infection, further warning of the possibility that even more outbreaks in the city were likely. It is highly probable the four were infected locally, so there could be invisible chains of infection happening within communities, she said. We are not ruling out a large spread [of the virus] in the future. Officially, as of this writing, 27,405 people had been infected in mainland China, with 562 deaths. There were 21 people in Hong Kong, with the one death a 39-year-old male. Throughout Asia, just 138 people have been infected and one person has died from the virus. Dr. Chuang noted that three new cases just in Hong Kong in just a few days time meant that there is now a significant risk of it spreading around the city. Thus far, a 24-year-old male is the youngest victim in Hong Kong; the oldest is a 64-year-old woman. Some healthcare workers have also been placed in quarantine after coming into contact with a coronavirus patient. Sources include: SCMP.com NaturalNews.com While these health precautions may prove temporary as China tries to contain the virus, there is a general feeling, especially in light of Americas tightening of immigration, that borders and bans are gaining an increasingly prominent place in the scheme of things. While the world has been busy absorbing the terrible news from China, with individuals, governments and airlines all weighing the risks of the coronavirus, the Trump administration has issued another set of travel curbs. The new restrictions, which apply to an additional six countries, will be added to the already existing ones. Included are Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan and Eritrea. The total number of countries facing the US travel ban (which was held up by the US supreme court) now numbers 13. In addition to these countries, the US is also blocking travel to the country by any foreign nationals who may have visited China in recent days. Chinese citizens are still permitted to travel to the US, although it is reported that several of the countrys major airports will undertake special screenings of passengers arriving on these flights. They will be looking for increased body temperature, coughing and shortness of breath. While these health precautions may prove temporary as China tries to contain the virus, there is a general feeling, especially in light of Americas tightening of immigration, that borders and bans are gaining an increasingly prominent place in the scheme of things. As far as the latest US travel restriction is concerned, the addition of six new countries to the list underscores the premise that certain kinds of people are particularly repugnant to the white nationalists that now control US immigration policy. African countries, which President Trump has talked about so very disparagingly, are first, followed by Muslim countries and now also some Central Asian countries. The particularities of the bans ensure visas issued prior to Feb 22, 2020, will be valid. Student visas and some other non-immigrant visas may also still be given (although one can be sure that these too will face extra scrutiny). No immigrant visas will be granted to citizens from these countries, leaving those in line to migrate to the US stuck and suspended. While it is said that the reason for the restrictions is inadequate screening measures implemented by the countries in question, it is not a stretch to assume that the real reason is to throttle non-white immigration to the US. In addition, all of these countries, small and lacking much international clout, have virtually no means to protest against the ban. The consequence is that thousands of Nigerian Americans and Tanzanian Americans, amongst others, will suddenly face swift estrangement. If you add these restrictions, imposed by a global superpower, to the curbs necessitated by the recent health concerns, the immediate picture is of a shrunken world wrapped in barbed wire. The toughest knots exist over regions such as Africa and South Asia, the labour exporters whose youth inevitably await visas to the western world in order to make a future and a life for themselves. With the UK out of Europe, and the US wrapped up in travel bans, the prospects for those who leave home to earn their fortunes in foreign lands is particularly bleak. A throttled world is likely to birth even greater hatred. For instance, in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, Asian people living in Europe and the US already report facing discrimination. The world where people moved freely, where fortunes could be sought far and wide, seems already to be a thing of the past. The more populous half, largely brown and black, faces the ignominy of visa queues, rejections and the humiliating beggary of western immigration procedures that impact relationships, lives and more. The other half sets up bans and borders with just as much persistence. The US is likely to continue to add to the list of travel-ban countries, since it does not see any point in permitting individuals from poor, black and/ or Muslim countries to cross its borders. Whether it is pandemic or discrimination, it is the poor who will suffer. Countries such as Pakistan and India that have borders with China and lack the kind of sensitive screening equipment possessed by Western nations could be impacted. The world of the last millennium was less beset with the scourges of unforgiving climate change, pandemic, racially based exclusion, in fact, the open persecution of any group unlucky to be a minority. Most of these are large structural problems whose solutions seem too forbidding to consider at the same time; the failure to take action is pushing us all towards a catastrophe. Pakistan is not yet subject to a US travel ban. At the same time, Pakistanis must know that it is a distinct possibility, particularly if Donald Trump wins his re-election bid. As in Nigeria today, there will be an outcry. But the world of walls and barbed wire, of war and plagues, is here to stay. By arrangement with Dawn BEIRUT Following newly minted Prime Minister Hassan Diabs formation of a new government in Lebanon on Jan. 21 after over three months of street protests, demonstrators have roundly rejected the new Cabinet as insufficiently independent over the past several weeks, pointing out that it continues to be backed by several of the countrys traditional parties. Amid declarations of no confidence in the Cabinet over the last several weeks, many demonstrators have reignited calls for early parliamentary elections, ideally under the auspices of a new, revised electoral law a key demand of the movement since its inception last year. Demonstrators and groups seeking change have suggested several proposals for such a law since mid-January in hopes of looking beyond the Cabinet and instead striking at the fundamentals of Lebanons sect-based party system, which many feel has fueled decades of corruption. The new Cabinets still-unfinalized draft ministerial statement says it intends to make preparations for new elections. But according to experts, creating an equitable election law that achieves the protesters goals will be difficult, if not impossible, as no single proposal on the table offers a cure-all solution. Such a law would necessarily have to come from the same parliament that protesters hope to overturn, and new political movements emerging from the protests would also have to overcome additional hurdles such as financing if they hope to pose a threat to Lebanons political class at the ballot box. This is the only way to have really independent people run for the parliament and actually win, Jinane Aboumrad, a business owner who was present at a demonstration near Lebanons parliament Jan. 21, told Al-Monitor about early elections. I think this time they will win. Today, one of the major demands of the protesters is a new election because there is a strong feeling in Lebanon that the governing political parties have lost popular support, Sami Atallah, the executive director of the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies, which has been advocating for improved electoral laws since the 1990s, told Al-Monitor. On Jan. 31, the Coordination Committee for the Revolution, an activist organization which, despite its name, does not speak for the protest movement as a whole, held a press conference in which it voiced its support for such early elections. Specifically, it endorsed moving away from Lebanons current sect-based model of parliamentary representation, observing a proportional allocation of seats based on the percentage of votes garnered by candidates in a district, and lowering the voting age to 18. At the present time, these are the demands, protester Walid Sammouri told Al-Monitor several days before the press conference. An independent government, far from sectarian and ideological quotas, early parliamentary elections based on proportionality and a single-district Lebanon, and accountability for corruption. The proportionality concept Sammouri and the committee both referenced was introduced for the first time in the electoral law passed in 2017, which was then applied during the parliamentary elections in May of the following year. The law did away with the previous winner-take-all system, theoretically giving smaller parties and independent candidates more opportunities to win, and gave the Interior Ministry the sole authority to provide voters with ballots. Yet the system also introduced a preferential voting system, which according to Rabih el-Chaer, who heads the public international law group at the law firm Alem and Associates, introduced another avenue for undemocratic results to emerge. It was obvious that it was to privilege certain candidates over others, and this is why you had MPs that won with 70 votes only while others who had thousands of votes lost their seats, said Chaer, who was an adviser to Ziad Baroud when Baroud was interior minister and was in charge of the election file in 2009. So it wasnt a fair game. Chaer also told Al-Monitor that as the current law stands, all Lebanese are not represented equally because some districts with the same number of legislators have discrepancies in population density. Some protesters such as Sammouri have instead voiced support for a system where all of Lebanon is treated as a single district. Such a proposal, which retains the principle of proportionality, was put forward in April 2019 by parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, the head of the Amal Movement. Berri has been a frequent target of Lebanons protest movement. Alain Aoun, a parliamentarian belonging to the Free Patriotic Movement party that backed Diabs nomination for prime minister in December, told Al-Monitor that this and other proposals remain on the table in parliament. There are serious talks about some blocs wanting to change the [electoral] law, said Aoun, who is a nephew of President Michel Aoun, the party's founder. We are open to revisit the [current] law to see where any improvements could actually be made to it. Nevertheless, Alain Aoun added that he did not believe Lebanon was yet ready to adopt a secular, nonconfessional system of the sort that protesters have demanded. The Interior Ministry could not be reached for comment on any ongoing preparations for early elections under a new law. Although Chaer claimed that there are advantages to a one-district model, he noted that the proposed measure as it stands now would still leave the door open for Lebanons traditional parties to maintain their hold on political power. In December, the Kataeb Party formally proposed holding early elections, but both Chaer and protesters dont have any illusions that political leaders in parliament would ever willfully draft a law that would see them voted out. They will not listen, aspiring independent parliamentary candidate Adel Arslan told Al-Monitor, referring to the political elite. Arslan is the nephew of Emir Talal Arslan, the head of the Lebanese Democratic Party, a majority-Druze party that was involved in choosing the new Cabinet. Adel, however, said he is preparing to mount an electoral challenge against both his uncles party and its rival in the Druze sphere, the Progressive Socialist Party. Obviously theyve formed a government without listening to the people, they will not listen to the people when it comes to an electoral law. Atallah said passing a new electoral law is only part of the problem facing independent, anti-establishment candidates. Unequal access to media and finances, coupled with vote-buying and clientelism by the traditional parties, mean that smaller political movements will have a difficult time competing with more powerful blocs under any electoral system. My fear is that under any law the governing political parties probably can still win, Atallah said, unless smaller parties can organize a political machine with enough funding and exposure to overcome these hurdles. Chaer said the ideas that have been put forward by members of the protest movement remain unrealistic due to constraints within Lebanons Constitution, which mandates a sectarian balance in parliament and sets the voting age at 21. For him, given these and other limitations, a truly equitable electoral law in Lebanon is a mathematical impossibility. Atallah, on the other hand, refused to rule anything out. Whatever is attainable or realistic is really a function of a certain reality, Atallah said. Whats often seen as something unrealistic, it becomes realistic under certain conditions. What the protests did is they shifted that, and what was inconceivable became conceivable. A huge Universal Wine Museum is due to open near Beijing in April 2021. It has been designed in partnership with the City of Bordeaux wine museum. The museum of 18,000 m2 will offer a permanent show of 6,700 m2, temporary exhibitions, an auditorium, a cellar with world wines, a gourmet restaurant and a school wine. Universal Wine Museum Situated near the Dachi River, this museum constitutes the central building of an International Wine Village. There will also be an organic vineyard on 8 square kilometers, a business incubator, restaurants, bars, hotels, shops around wine and European products, as well as companies in the wine sector, organic farming and energy transition. Some 500,000 visitors are expected in the first year. Funded by the city of Beijing to the tune of around 60 million euros, work on the museum is due to start in April in the district of Fangshan, 40 km southwest of Beijing. However, with the emergence of the new coronavirus - which has left 425 dead so far- the organizers are not confirming dates for the completion of the project. Legion d'Honneur Businessman Weixing Tang, president and founder of the International Wine Village - which he will build next to his own vineyard - was awarded the Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur in 2015 for his long commitment to French culture. Tang explained that the new project aims not only to provide a way of certifying real wines and exposing forgeries, but also to provide a way for people in China to taste and learn about wine. We have to help people discover the wine and to teach them how to taste it ...This is the reason why we are building this wine museum, he said. The technical and scientific content that will be offered at the villages was developed by the Foundation for Wine Culture and Civilizations, which manages the Cite du Vin in Bordeaux. The Foundation is calling on Chinese experts to adapt this content to the local culture. Tang started the museum project, but the Chinese government supported the project and is now the sole financial backer. Visitors will be able to visit the village, which has five themes: Robert Irwin This Irwin serves as an entry to his work, said Gleason, This picture captures his interest in light and space - and landscaping as fine art - with the vocabulary of a pre-modernist 23-year-old. That he was groundbreaking in how he expressed these concepts and visions in ways they had never been" Mat Gleason (Coagula Curatorial) and Dave Tourje (Chouinard Foundation) have joined forces to curate a mini Museum Show at the 2020 edition of the LA Art Show in the Los Angeles Convention Center. The booth will dig deep into the Chouinard Foundations archive of historic works by midcentury masters such as Frederick Hammersley, Ynez Johnston, John Altoon, and Emerson Woelffer. The booth will also feature recent work by Chouinard alum as diverse as John Van Hamersveld, Judy Stabile, Jill Sattler, and Chaz Bojorquez. Robert Williams, a Chouinard alum, will debut his skateboard series - reproductions of famous artworks on world class skateboards. Early works by Llyn Foulkes and an unseen 1952 signed watercolor fantasyscape by Light and Space master Robert Irwin will also highlight the booth. This Irwin serves as an entry to his work, said Gleason, This picture captures his interest in light and space - and landscaping as fine art - with the vocabulary of a pre-modernist 23-year-old. That he was groundbreaking in how he expressed these concepts and visions in ways they had never been seen before is why he matters; that he made work prior to those breakthroughs which approximated the same concerns in a more conventional approach reaffirms Irwin's commitment to the content of his work, as opposed to being an artist who just wants to be radical for radicality's sake. He really cared about light and space even when he was a 23-year old art student. Tourje concurs and is even MORE emphatic, There aren't many early works by Irwin, speculation is he destroyed what hadn't been sold or given away, and so this has a "Rosetta Stone" quality to it. This painting is literally Chapter One in the Robert Irwin story and it happened at the Chouinard School of Art and our booth at the fair gives people a taste of what that might have been like, the company one would keep. Irwin was just 23 when he enrolled in Chouinard when it was still The Chouinard School of Art, before it becomae the Chouinard Instirute of Art in partnership with Walt Disney. It would eventually jettison its past and become The California Institute for the Arts, Cal Arts. The Chouinard Foundation seeks to preserve the history of the school and conect it to more contemporary dialogues. This Chouinard Museum in a Booth will further illuminate the impact of Nelbert Chouinard, L.A.s pioneering woman of art education who founded the original Chouinard School of Art in 1921. Gleason and Tourje plan to mount a larger Chouinard masterworks show in 2021 and this small exhibit in the Coagula Curatorial booth will provide a glimpse into their progress on that. The LA Art Show is at the Los Angeles Convention Center February 5-9, 2020. More info on the fair at LAARTSHOW.COM More info on the Coagula Curatorial booth (including images): Mat Gleason - MATG64@GMAIL.COM - (323) 480-7852 More Info on the Chouinard Foundation: http://www.chouinardfoundation.org States Counties # .GOV % .GOV # HTTPS % HTTPS # BOTH % BOTH # Election .GOV % Election .GOV Arizona 15 10 66.7% 12 80.0% 9 60.0% 10 66.7% Florida 67 19 28.4% 42 62.7% 1 1.5% 1 1.5% Georgia 159 39 24.5% 98 61.6% 26 16.4% 39 24.5% Iowa 99 11 11.1% 70 70.7% 8 8.1% 9 9.1% Michigan 83 9 10.8% 54 65.1% 6 7.2% 9 10.8% Minnesota 87 4 4.6% 50 57.5% 4 4.6% 4 4.6% Nevada 16 2 12.5% 12 75.0% 1 6.3% 1 6.3% New Hampshire 10 1 10.0% 7 70.0% 0 0.0% 0 0.0% North Carolina 100 38 38.0% 59 59.0% 22 22.0% 34 34.0% Ohio 88 17 19.3% 54 61.4% 14 15.9% 67 76.1% Pennsylvania 67 11 16.4% 36 53.7% 6 9.0% 10 14.9% Texas 254 13 5.1% 58 22.8% 5 2.0% 9 3.5% Wisconsin 72 16 22.2% 46 63.9% 9 12.5% 16 22.2% All battlegrounds 1117 190 17.0% 598 53.5% 111 9.9% 209 18.7% Elections and democratic governments in general run on trust. So when something undermines voters trust, its a problem for government.Enter the Internet. Anybody with a connection can post what they want to online, and pretend to be anybody including government officials.Thats part of the reason why state and local governments have been increasingly moving in recent years to improve confidence in their official websites by encrypting them and shifting to .gov domains.But according to cybersecurity firm McAfee, which just released a dataset on the subject, many counties still dont do either of those things.Whereas websites using .com, .net, .org, and .us in their names are easily accessible to anyone with a credit card from website domain vendors such as GoDaddy.com, acquiring a .gov website name requires that buyers submit evidence to the U.S. government that they truly are buying these names on behalf of legitimate local, county, or state government entities, wrote McAfee spokesperson Chris Palm in an email. The lack of .gov in a website name means that no controlling government authority has validated that the website in question is legitimate.To study the issue, McAfee gathered data on 13 states that will serve as battlegrounds in the 2020 presidential election in other words, a group of states that will receive an outsized amount of public attention as November nears.Across those states, about 54% of county websites had an encrypted front page and 17% had an official website ending in .gov. Just 10% had a website that was both .gov and encrypted.Counties are largely responsible for running elections, so their credibility is important for that reason, but any lack of validity to their online presence can cause other problems as well. Scammers, for example, have targeted citizens in the past pretending to be government officials in order to convince people to hand over information or money.While we have not seen examples of malicious actors spoofing county websites to misinform voters, McAfee does see thousands of phishing campaigns with suspicious Web links sending users to fraudulent sites, Palm wrote. The barriers to creating, launching, and managing these as political disinformation campaigns is very low.Of the states McAfee studied, Arizona led the pack in terms of the percentage of counties that used .gov addresses (67%), and encrypted domains (80%). In terms of the sheer number of counties, Georgia came out on top in that state, 39 counties had .gov websites and 98 were encrypted.Here are maps of the four pieces of information McAfee collected for each state. PCS moves are a minefield of potential, problems "I wish I would've knowns" and "why did we do thats?" We want to help you avoid some of that stuff. That's why we asked some Military.com readers who have been there and done that to weigh in with their biggest PCS mistakes. Be glad they made them ... so you don't have to. 1. Tackling the do-it-yourself move at the wrong time. We all know there's a season for everything -- and the same thing goes for moving yourself. Readers said that "the time" is not while six months pregnant or alone with potty-training toddlers. 2. Forgetting that anything can change in a moment. When the military tells you you're moving somewhere and finally issues those orders, it certainly seems definite. One reader learned the hard way that may not be true. Even orders to Alaska can be changed at the last minute ... AFTER you pay out of pocket to ship a car and buy cold weather gear. 3. Not getting a hard copy of your medical records. Sure, the clinic says your medical records will follow you to your next duty station. But you don't want to find out that they did not after you've already moved five states away. Avoid this one by hand-carrying yours and your children's records station to station. 4. Renting out your home from far, far away. Whether by choice or by need, military families often find themselves with a rental property on their hands. Although buying a home while in the military is a decision that has many pros and cons, one thing is certain: Renting it out later from across the country or world is a major pain. 5. Heading back to work too quickly. Military spouses know that if you have the good fortune of finding a job, you should definitely not turn it down. But jumping back into work too quickly after her PCS, before she and her family were settled, one reader said, was her biggest mistake. 6. Not knowing where your pets are. Military movers based near Fort Campbell, Ky., told Military.com that if people aren't careful to locate and contain their pets before the packers come, they can get accidentally boxed away. You read that right -- your pets can get packed into boxes. Once, they said, their team of movers was shrink wrapping a couch for long-term storage in a warehouse before an OCONUS move when a giant python fell out of the bottom. Turns out, the snake had escaped its tank and the owner didn't know where it was when the packers arrived. Yikes! And then there's the story of the retiree family whose cat survived three months in a moving box before making it safely into their new home. Do not let this happen to you. 7. Letting the movers transport the furniture parts. Many readers told us something they all learned the hard way -- if all of your furniture parts go into a box, and that box is the one that disappears, you're in big trouble. They said they wished they had taped the pieces to the furniture they belonged to. Our advice? If at all possible, move the parts yourself so you know they won't go missing or fall off the place where they are taped. 8. Forgetting to empty the trash before pack out. The rumors are true. If you don't empty it first, the movers will pack your trash can with whatever is in it. Gross! 9. Putting too much faith in careful moving. Several readers told us of times they put too much faith in the movers' ability to not break or hurt their furniture or valuables. No matter how careful a mover is, stuff is going to get bumped, scratched and maybe even broken. The best policy? If you really don't want something hurt, don't make it a part of your mobile military life. 10. Not doing enough research. One reader wished they had looked for reviews on their future landlord. A reputable rental website doesn't mean the landlords are good people. PCSing is hard work and it won't always go perfectly, no matter how hard you try. Listening to the advice of people who have experienced it before can help you avoid major PCS mistakes. Keep Up-to-Date for Your Next PCS Get the inside information from those who know. Get PCS help and all the news and benefits information you need delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for a free membership today. Whether you buy, lease, or rent your home, make sure your home and property are protected against damage and theft with insurance. You can compare insurance rates and coverage with our insurance quote comparison tool. Following its first global reveal during an exclusive event held in Italys capital last November, the Ferrari Roma made its first appearance in the world at a launch party in Bulgari Hotel & Resorts, Dubai. With its distinctive flair and style, the car is a contemporary representation of the carefree, pleasurable way of life that characterised Rome in the 1950s and 60s. The Ferrari Roma offers discerning clients the finesse and refinement that brings the concept of la Dolce Vita right up to date. Not only is the Ferrari Roma an icon of Italian design, but it also represents the pinnacle of performance in this category, thanks to its turbo-charged V8 from the family of engines that has won the overall International Engine of the Year award four years running. In this version, the engine reaches 620 cv at 7500 rpm and is coupled with the new 8-speed DCT gearbox that was first introduced on the SF90 Stradale. The Ferrari Romas dynamic development was focused on delivering superior driving pleasure and comfort thanks to the low vehicle weight and to the introduction of the latest evolution of the Side Slip Control. The Ferrari Romas chassis benefits from the technology developed by Ferrari for its new generation models; bodyshell and chassis have been redesigned to incorporate the latest weight reduction and advanced production technologies. In fact, 70% of its components are entirely new. The mid-front-engined 2+ Ferrari Roma has the best weight/power ratio in its segment (2.37 kg/cv), which enhances handling dynamics and responsiveness. To guarantee best-in-class aerodynamic performance whilst still retaining the Ferrari Romas stylistic purity, Maranello engineers developed several leading-edge technologies, most notably a mobile rear spoiler integrated into the rear screen designed to retain the cars formal elegance when retracted and guarantee the downforce essential for the cars extraordinary performance by automatically deploying at high speeds. The Ferrari Romas design took inspiration from the concept of sporty elegance celebrated in the most legendary grand touring Ferraris of the 1960s, front-engined cars with simple yet elegant forms and a 2+ fastback coupe design. The Ferrari Roma shares many of these characteristics and embodies an extremely modern design language; its pure, refined styling and perfect proportions cleverly conceal the cars power and sportiness. A new architectural concept for volumes and forms was developed for the Ferrari Romas cabin. The idea was to create two separate spaces or cells, one each for driver and passenger, in an evolution of the Dual Cockpit concept introduced on other cars in the range. The strikingly innovative look of this dual cockpit was achieved by extending the philosophy applied to the dash to the entire cabin. A cleverly balanced combination of elegance and sportiness brings a sense of exceptional refinement and unique character to the interior, thanks to a spare, modern design language that underscores the formal purity of both lines and volumes. Thus, the cabin is defined by elements that develop organically and as one around the whole concept of space and its perception. Ferraris top quality standards and increasing focus on client service underpin the extended seven-year maintenance programme offered with the Ferrari Roma. Available across the entire Ferrari range, the programme covers all regular maintenance for the first seven years of the cars life. This scheduled maintenance is an exclusive service that allows clients the certainty that their car is being kept at peak performance and safety over the years. - TradeArabia News Service Images of green ooze flowing onto a Metro Detroit highway and homes sliding down the eroding shores of Lake Michigan speak to Michigans environmental pressures. So does a $69.5 million settlement negotiated with a corporate polluter to bring clean water to 1,000 homes north of Grand Rapids. Each of those examples form the foundations for $64 million in environmental initiatives that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to fund in 2021. Whitmer will announce that funding plan at 10:30 a.m. Thursday as she unveils a $61.9 billion executive budget proposal for the next fiscal year. The $11 billion general fund portion of that budget will include, according to the state: $40 million for local climate resilient infrastructure grants for local units of government to help plan for and prevent the negative impacts of Michigans changing climate conditions like high water levels. $4 million for legal efforts within the Attorney General to protect residents from chemical contamination of drinking water and commercial pollution. $20 million for rapid environmental contamination response to provide additional resources for the abatement of contaminated properties across the state. The largest piece of that comes weeks after elected officials from across the state testified in front of the state Legislature, detailing their pressures as climate change affects shorelines, roadways, and drainage systems. Their messages: They dont have the funding to deal with the scope of the problem. In the budget proposal, the state acknowledges the need to fix whats already happened in Michigan along many of the 3,288 miles of Great Lakes shoreline. Michigan is currently experiencing the effects of record high water levels on the Great Lakes that are eroding beaches and coastlines, imperiling homes, flooding roads, and impacting the delicate balance between our prized freshwater resources and the way of life in our local communities, according to the budget proposal. Severe weather events and flash flooding have also overwhelmed local sewer systems, and damaged homes and agricultural lands. The reality of these events cannot be ignored, and Michigan and its local communities must be prepared for and take action to address both immediate and future impacts of these conditions. The $30 million in infrastructure grants can be awarded to local units of government or regional councils, with a $2.5 million limit per grant. A 20-percent local match will be required. Eligible projects may those that address flooding, coastline erosion, transportation networks, urban heat, and storm water management, the state said. The $10 million in planning grants will let some communities focus on the future. Plans that can be funded up to $200,000 include: Local climate action plans. Resiliency plans for communities impacted by high water levels and coastal erosion. Resiliency plans for communities with undersized infrastructure such as culverts or sanitary storm sewers. Zoning/planning ordinances for communities to prevent climate impacts and adopt climate mitigation tools. Michigans water levels became a statewide concern by summer 2019. The Great Lakes experienced record high water levels, with depths ranging from 14 inches to nearly 3 feet above long-term averages. At the same time, high underground water tables meant residents nowhere near lakes are experienced water in their basements and flooded and failing septic systems and sewage drain fields. Its important to reiterate that its not just one lake that is experiencing record highs, Keith Kompoltowicz, chief of watershed hydrology for the Detroit District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, told MLive. Since then, heavy rains in November prompted more flooding concerns and kept lake levels at peak, even as forecasts call for potential record-setting lake levels in 2020. Last week, a group of legislators asked Whitmer for a state of emergency declaration that could release emergency state resources to address the impacts of erosion. Such a declaration also could allow the state to petition the federal government to do the same, according to the letter authored by state Rep. Bradley Slagh, R-Zeeland. On the chemical contamination side, details were not available ahead of the budget announcement on the funding plans for the Attorney Generals office or the contamination response. But the state recently filed suit against 17 chemical companies that it said is connected to the PFAS contamination reaching the drinking water of at least 1.9 million residents. That effort includes a contingency-fee partnership with a group of litigators who are working with state attorneys. And news of the green ooze leaking from a known contamination site in Madison Heights prompted widespread concern about how the state prioritizes cleanup, in addition to calls for Michigan to increase polluter pay regulations. In addition to proposing the targeted environmental funding, state officials said, Whitmers budget proposal also will target investing in childrens education and families and their health. Related coverage: What will change - and what stays the same - in Michigans next budget process More on MLive: Lakes Michigan and Huron set January water level records Lakeshore communities say erosion is an emergency. Why isnt the state acting? Birdseye view of Lake Michigan shore shows impact of erosion Sanders had the most cash in his campaign account entering January a big advantage as the primaries are set to become even more expensive. By the time Super Tuesday comes around, the surviving candidates are likely to face Bloomberg, who has already spent $250 million of his own money on ads since entering the race in late November. He recently ordered his aides to double his spending after the mishaps in reporting of the Iowa caucus results. Giriraj Singh on Twitter alleged that Shaheen Bagh has become the breeding ground for suicide bombers and a conspiracy is being plotted against the nation Union minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday came under the scanner, yet again, by making a controversial statement on Twitter. Singh on Twitter alleged that Shaheen Bagh has become the breeding ground for suicide bombers and a conspiracy is being plotted against the nation. He also posted an unverified video on his handle where a group of Burqa-clad women can be heard protesting against the new citizenship law. .. pic.twitter.com/NoD98Zfwpx Shandilya Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) February 6, 2020 Singh had earlier hit too out at Shaheen Bagh, claiming that the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) were being organised across the country to "create 1947-like conditions" when India was partitioned, and alleged that the Congress, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and the "tukde-tukde gang" are behind the Shaheen Bagh protest. Singh also accused Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of allegedly backing the "tukde-tukde gang". He is not the only BJP leader to have made controversial statements about the protest site. Kapil Mishra last month tweeted that "Pakistan" had entered Shaheen Bagh, and likened polling day to a contest between India and its Muslim-majority neighbour. This lead to the Election Commission imposing a 48-hour campaigning ban on BJP candidate from Delhi's Model Town constituency. In another incident, a clip of Union minister Anurag Thakur purportedly leading a crowd in a chant of 'shoot the traitors' at a BJP rally went viral on social media, just a day after controversy erupted at an Amit Shah rally in New Delhi after a few people chanted the same slogan, as per a report in India Today. The Election Commission had issued a show-cause notice to Thakur. Shaheen Bagh has become the epicentre of protests against the CAA in the National Capital and the agitation has been thrust by political parties into a poll issue. Hundreds of people, including women and children, have been protesting since 15 December at Shaheen Bagh against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens. With inputs from agencies WASHINGTON The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it would begin talks for a free-trade deal with Kenya, a step partly designed to counter Chinas influence in Africa. The deal, which is likely to require many months of negotiations, would be the United States first trade pact with a sub-Saharan African nation and its second with an African country. It signed an agreement with Morocco in 2004. While the agreement could help some farmers and other industries sell into and invest in Kenya, it is unlikely to have much influence on the American economy overall. Kenya is the United States 98th-largest trading partner in goods, with $1 billion in two-way trade in 2018, according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Kenyas biggest American imports include aircraft, machinery and agricultural goods; the United States buys Kenyan apparel, tree nuts and coffee. But the Trump administration and other officials in Washington see the move partly in geopolitical terms, believing it could provide a model for other trade deals with African countries and be a step toward countering Chinas growing influence on the continent. The EU on Thursday called for an end to the bombings in northwest Syria and the opening of a humanitarian corridor as Syrian forces push into the last rebel bastion of Idlib. "Bombings and other attacks on civilians in north-west Syria must stop," the EU's diplomatic chief Josep Borrell said in a joint statement with the EU's humanitarian affairs commissioner Janez Lenarcic. The top European Union officials called for "unimpeded humanitarian access to people in need of assistance" as well the "respect of humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians." A renewed offensive by Syrian forces has undermined existing peace agreements and led to deadly clashes between Turkish and Syrian forces in which more than 20 soldiers and personnel were killed on Monday. Backed by Russian aviation, the Syrian regime has intensified its attacks since December to gain ground in the final rebel stronghold of the country. The EU reiterated its willingness to provide humanitarian assistance in the face of "the extraordinary human suffering being endured by the population", but called for "unhindered and secure access to assess and respond to the full range of needs". The conflict in Syria has left more than 380,000 dead since 2011 and has driven more than half of the pre-war population of more than 20 million people into exile. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Capitol Records Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien has unveiled the details of his debut album under his EOB solo moniker. The nine-track effort is titled Earth, and will arrive on April 17. It includes the previously released single "Brasil," as well as the brand-new song "Shangri-La," which you can download now via digital outlets. Earth features contributions from O'Brien's Radiohead band mate Colin Greenwood, as well as Portishead guitarist Adrian Utley and Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche. O'Brien will launch his first EOB tour this Friday in Toronto, followed by dates in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. Here's the Earth track list: "Shangri-La" "Brasil" "Deep Days" "Long Time Coming" "Mass" "Banksters" "Sail On" "Olympik" "Cloak of the Night" Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - Easter Island society did not collapse prior to European contact and its people continued to build its iconic moai statues for much longer than previously believed, according to a team of researchers including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York. The island of Rapa Nui is well-known for its elaborate ritual architecture, particularly its numerous statues (moai) and the monumental platforms that supported them (ahu). A widely-held narrative posits that construction of these monuments ceased sometime around 1600, following a major societal collapse. "Our research flies in the face of this narrative," said Carl Lipo, an anthropologist at Binghamton University. "We know, of course, that if we are right, we really need to challenge ourselves (and the archaeological record) to validate our arguments. In this case, we thought to look carefully at the tempo of construction events associated with large platforms." The researchers, led by the University of Oregon's Robert J. DiNapoli, examined radiocarbon dates, relative architectural stratigraphy and ethnohistoric accounts to quantify the onset, rate and end of monument construction as a means of testing the collapse hypothesis. "Archaeologists assign ages to the archaeological record by getting what are known as radiocarbon dates," said Lipo. "These dates represent the amount of time since some organisms (a bush, tree, etc.) died. Assembling groups of these dates together to look at patterns requires some sophisticated statistical analyses that have only recently been available to archaeologists. In this paper, we use these tools to provide the first-ever look at the history of platform construction on Easter Island." The researchers found that construction of these statues began soon after colonization and increased rapidly, sometime between the early-14th and mid-15th centuries, with a steady rate of construction events that continued beyond European contact in 1722. "What we found is that once people started to build monuments shortly after arrival to the island, they continued this construction well into the period after Europeans arrived," said Lipo. "This would not have been the case had there been some pre-contact "collapse"-- indeed, we should have seen all construction stop well before 1722. The lack of such a pattern supports our claims and directly falsifies those who continue to support the 'collapse' account. "Once Europeans arrive on the island, there are many documented tragic events due to disease, murder, slave raiding and other conflicts," he added. "These events are entirely extrinsic to the islanders and have, undoubtedly, devastating effects. Yet, the Rapa Nui people -- following practices that provided them great stability and success over hundreds of years -- continued their traditions in the face of tremendous odds. The degree to which their cultural heritage was passed on - and is still present today through language, arts and cultural practices -- is quite notable and impressive. I think this degree of resilience has been overlooked due to the "collapse" narrative, and deserves recognition." The researchers believe that their model-based approach to test hypotheses regarding the chronology of collapse can be extended to other case studies around the world where similar debates remain difficult to resolve. ### Also contributing to this research were Timothy M. Rieth (International Archaeological Research Institute) and Terry Hunt (University of Arizona). The paper, "A model-based approach to the tempo of collapse: The case of Rapa Nui (Easter Island)," was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science. Binghamton University offers live or pre-taped interviews powered by a state-of-the-art ReadyCam television studio system, available at a moments notice. Our system can broadcast live HD audio and video to networks, news agencies, and affiliates interviewing Binghamton faculty, students, and staff. Video is transmitted by VideoLink and fees may apply. INDIANAPOLIS - Universal early screening for autism is recommended for all children but is not routinely performed. A new study from Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine researchers, published in JAMA Network Open, reports that the system they designed and developed called CHICA (short for Child Health Improvement through Computer Automation), increased the autism screening rate at 24 months of age from zero to 100 percent. CHICA is a computerized decision support tool that can interface with any electronic health record (EHR) system. Responses to questions entered on a tablet computer by parents in the waiting room alert CHICA to produce personalized, evidence-based recommendations allowing the pediatrician to focus on what the specific patient really needs. CHICA may highlight the need for screening for autism, depression, diabetes, tuberculosis, or anemia, counseling for the parents on smoking or on proper child car seat installation. "The dramatic increase in autism screening by physicians during our trial was achieved because, with CHICA, we have completely automated the screening process, potentially making a difference for so many children and their families," said Regenstrief Research Scientist Stephen Downs, M.D., Jean and Jerry Bepko Professor of Pediatrics at IU School of Medicine, who led the study and is the founder of CHICA. "We know that children on the autism spectrum can be identified as young as 18 months; with CHICA we can get them evaluated and enrolled in early intervention programs which could improve their lives and save society millions, perhaps billions, of dollars." The likelihood of benefit for a child who is referred for applied behavioral analysis (ABA) after an autism diagnosis decreases with age. Currently, the mean age of autism diagnosis for all children in the United States is four and a half years, more than two and a half years later than optimal, according to Dr. Downs. "Autism rates do not vary by race or ethnicity, but autism is underdiagnosed or diagnosed later in life in underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S," he said. "Automating the screening process as we did with CHICA avoids these kinds of biases and decreases health inequities." A majority of the children in the study were African American or Hispanic. CHICA provides an action trigger, communicating with the child's EHR, analyzing the child's demographics, diagnoses and medications and then selecting the 20 highest-priority yes or no questions covering a wide range of primary care issues to ask the family in English or Spanish. CHICA analyzes the responses to these questions, conducts a tailored health risk assessment and determines the six most important prompts for the physician. These are assembled into a patient's current visit agenda for the doctor and stored for future decision support. CHICA also includes a library of handouts (autism, lead exposure, adolescent depression screening and infant car seat installation are among the topics covered) that can be printed as needed for dissemination to parents, based on the individualized issues of particular concern identified by CHICA. There is still much more work to be done. The new study also found that while CHICA increased screening to 100 percent, the continuation of the process, requiring a human (the physician) to follow through with a post-screening referral for diagnostic evaluation, turned out to be the weak link. In the study only slightly more than half (57 percent) of those children who screened positive for autism were referred for further evaluation. Dr. Downs believes that automating the referral process through CHICA provides a solution to the low number of physician referrals for appropriate further evaluation. "We built CHICA to optimize care. We call it an 'everything system' because it has a universe of guidelines and is able to sort out which ones are of most value to the specific patient and prioritize these items," he said. "But CHICA could also automate the referral process for diagnostic evaluation so more young children with autism are identified and can get early ABA therapy that can result in significant increases in IQ, even into the normal range with improved likelihood of mainstreaming in school." The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in 2014 to be one in 59 eight-year-olds in the U.S. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that toddlers be routinely screened for autism during their 18- and 24-month doctor visits. "Effect of a Computer-Based Decision Support Intervention on Autism Spectrum Disorder Screening in Pediatric Primary Care Clinics" is published in JAMA Network Open. The cluster randomized clinical trial was conducted in urban pediatric clinics to determine whether computer-automated screening and clinical decision support built into an existing EHR system improves autism screening rates. Authors of the study, in addition to Dr. Downs, are Nerissa S. Bauer, M.D., MPH, formerly of IU School of Medicine and now with Axon Health Associates; Chandan Saha, Ph.D. and Susan Ofner, M.S., of IU School of Medicine and Aaron E. Carroll, M.D., M.S. of Regenstrief Institute and IU School of Medicine. They note in the paper that, "Too often, there are insufficient resources available to make proper diagnoses of ASD and even fewer resources available to treat children with a diagnosis of ASD. Improving those factors will be necessary to improve the outlook of the many children in the United States who have ASD." ### About Regenstrief Institute Founded in 1969 in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief Institute is a local, national and global leader dedicated to a world where better information empowers people to end disease and realize true health. A key research partner to Indiana University, Regenstrief and its researchers are responsible for a growing number of major healthcare innovations and studies. Examples range from the development of global health information technology standards that enable the use and interoperability of electronic health records to improving patient-physician communications, to creating models of care that inform practice and improve the lives of patients around the globe. Regenstrief Institute is celebrating 50 years of healthcare innovation. Sam Regenstrief, a successful entrepreneur from Connersville, Indiana, founded the institute with the goal of making healthcare more efficient and accessible for everyone. His vision continues to guide the institute's research mission. About IU School of Medicine IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability. About Stephen Downs, M.D. In addition to serving as a Regenstrief Institute research scientist and the Jean and Jerry Bepko Professor of Pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, Dr. Downs is the founder of Digital Health Solutions LLC, a faculty startup company that was created through the IU Office of Innovation and Commercialization. Digital Health Solutions LLC has licensed CHICA from Indiana University. The company is currently working with the Child Neurology Foundation to bring CHICA, which he created, to pediatric neurologists' offices across the country. He is the 2019 recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Practical Application of Medical Decision Making Research from the Society for Medical Decision Making. The 90-episode series, developed and implemented by Nhan Dan Newspaper, fully and systematically reflecting the birth of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the development process of the Vietnamese revolution from the successful August Revolution to the present day. The film is shown chronologically, reflecting the long-term development of the nation, the Party and the country, affirming the decisive role of the leadership of the Party and Uncle Ho, and the striving and sacrifices of the entire Party, people and army of Vietnam. Thereby, the film contributes to educating the audience on the countrys historical traditions, the CPVs leadership and consistent policies, and the nations development in each period, creating a positive spread throughout the Party and the society. The documentary also affirms the role of the CPV and President Ho Chi Minh over the past several decades. The screening the film series is one of the activities to mark the 90th founding anniversary of the CPV, the 75th anniversary of Vietnams National Day (September 2, 1945), the 130th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh (May 9), and Party Congresses at all levels. The series producers also worked with foreign archive centres in the United States, France, Russia and other countries in order to access and make use of valuable materials that will be shown for the first time to a Vietnamese audience. The 90 episodes of the series will be broadcast until the end of March 2021. ViewfromExpedition61 NASA Three crew members on current mission to the International Space Station, Expedition 61, are slated to return to Earth on Thursday. While living 250 miles above the Earth, they captured awe-inspiring images of ice-capped mountains in Kyrgyzstan, the nightscape in Iraq, and lagoons in Brazil. Here are their best photos. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The 61st expedition to the International Space Station officially ends on Thursday, when three crew members are slated to return to Earth. Since September, a group of four astronauts and two cosmonauts has been living on the space station, working together to conduct experiments and replace aging technology. They've grown cotton, repaired a cosmic-ray detector on the station's exterior, and tested remote robotics in space. On the expedition were: European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Luca Parmitano; NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Andrew Morgan, and Jessica Meir; and Russian cosmonauts Aleksandr Skvortsov and Oleg Skripochka. Koch, Parmitano, and Skvortsov are the crew members scheduled to return to Earth, while the others will stay on the ISS for Expedition 62. "When you think about your home, you usually think about your house, your neighborhood, and your family. And when you look at this fragile blue ball from outer space, that's home too. It's everybody's home," Meir told a recent graduating class from her hometown of Caribou, Maine, according to Bangor Daily News. Here are the most stunning photos from the crew's four months orbiting Earth. The six-person crew of Expedition 61 didn't all arrive on the ISS at the same time. Koch, Morgan, and Parmitano were also part of Expedition 60, so they'd been orbiting Earth for months already. soyuz launch iss NASA/Christina Koch Then on September 25, a Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft carried Meir and Skripochka to the space station. With them came the first person from the United Arab Emirates ever to fly into space: Hazzaa Ali Almansoori. Story continues "This is a huge responsibility for me, to be the first from our country and this program," Almansoori told the Houston Chronicle at the time. "For me, I started to look at the stars since childhood and for me, to reach here was impossible but it's not impossible now." He stayed in space for eight days. Then NASA astronaut Nick Hague, cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin, and Almansoori landed back on Earth on October 3. BrazilLagoon NASA They landed near the remote town of Zhezkazgan in Kazakhstan. For the nine days between the new crew members' arrival and the Expedition 60 departure, the ISS was a bit crowded. astronauts International Space Station ESA It's usually staffed by three to six astronauts and cosmonauts, though the record for the most people on the ISS was set in 2009, when 13 astronauts and cosmonauts were on board. Expedition 61 officially started after they departed, on October 3. A first quarter Moon NASASince then, the astronauts have been capturing remarkable snapshots of life on Earth from 250 miles above the planet's surface. Winnipeg in the Canadian province of Manitoba NASA Source: NASA "Our planet Earth, with its vast and varied terrain, is a constant source of wonder to astronauts on the International Space Station," Parmitano, the mission commander, said in an ESA video. bora bora iss space station NASA Source: ESA Koch, Parmitano, and Skvortsov are now making preparations to return to Earth. The six member Expedition 61 crew is gathered for a meal NASAThey'll leave Skripochka, Meir, and Morgan to begin Expedition 62 later this month. aurora NASAKoch has already logged more time in space than any other woman. She beat the past record of 289 days, set by NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson in 2017. Christina Koch NASA When she returns to Earth, she'll have spent 328 days in space. Koch will be just 12 days shy of the longest single spaceflight by a NASA astronaut Scott Kelly set that record when he spent 340 days in space from 2015 to 2016. NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan in his U.S. spacesuit NASAKoch conducted the first all-female spacewalk with Meir in October 2019. christina koch jessica meir spacewalk NASASome of the repair work focused on the space station's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS), a cosmic-ray detector. JessicaSpacewalk NASA The cosmic-ray detector was designed to help scientists study antimatter. Parmitano and Morgan added a new pump module to get the instrument in better condition. "The actual experience of going out the door is almost indescribable," Koch told the Raleigh News & Observer the newspaper in her college town. spacewalk international space station astronaut andrew morgan Andrew Morgan/NASA Source: The News & Observer "The perspective that you gain on a spacewalk is a little bit different than what we see just looking out the window from here on station," she added. "You're actually immersed in the environment around you." andes mountains international space station NASA Source: The News & Observer In total, the crew conducted nine spacewalks during the four-month expedition more than any other mission in the same period of time in the history of the ISS. Spacewalker Luca Parmitano rides the Canadarm2 robotic arm NASA Source: NASA The expedition's spacewalks lasted a total of 61 hours. SpanishCitiesISS NASA Source: NASA Expedition 61's primary research goals involved studying ultra-cold matter, growing plants aboard the space station, and testing new robots in space. iss space station rhone river NASA The astronauts "space farmed" cotton. ISS crew members have grown lettuce, radishes, peas, zinnias, and sunflowers in the past. Some of the crops provide fresh food to the astronauts, while the rest is analyzed. Mizuna mustard greens are growing aboard the International Space Station NASAParmitano has been the mission's commander the third European and first Italian to hold the position. LucaSpaceSelfie NASA Source: Business Insider. "From up here, the answer is clearer than ever," Parmitano said to leaders at the UN Climate Summit in New York on September 23, 2019. "There is absolutely no place like home." astronaut luca parmitano spacewalk iss NASA Source: ESA This year brings a major milestone for the ISS: November 2020 will mark 20 years of crewed operation of the orbiting laboratory. iss earth stuff NASAIn total, 239 people have visited the ISS. The International Space Station was orbiting 260 miles above northeastern Syria at the time this photograph of Baghdad, Iraq was taken. NASAThose astronauts, cosmonauts, and other visitors came from 19 different countries. Cuba NASAMore spaceflight history is also likely to be made in 2020, since the first astronauts to fly commercial spaceships are expected to launch in the coming months. spacex dragon international space station resupply NASA SpaceX's Crew Dragon will probably be the first commercial spaceship to carry people, though Boeing's CST-100 Starliner is also slated to fly astronauts in 2020. SpaceX has been launching supplies to the space station on its Dragon capsule since May 2012. Koch, Skvortsov, and Parmitano will board the spaceship that will take them back to Earth at 9:30 p.m. ET, according to NASA. They're scheduled to land in Kazakhstan on Thursday afternoon local time. The mountain lake of Issyk Kul in Kyrgyzstan NASA"I don't really remember a time when I didn't want to be an astronaut," Koch said. "Most kids probably dream of becoming an astronaut. I was just the one that never grew out of it." baja california international space station NASA Source: The News & Observer Read the original article on Business Insider Taoiseach Leo Varadkar plays pool in 'The Midland Bar' while on the campaign trail in Enfield, Co. Meath Taoiseach Leo Varadkar insisted he would look to remain as Fine Gael leader regardless of the outcome of the Irish general election as he mounted a frantic bid to save Dail seats yesterday, Fine Gael TDs are privately fearful the party is facing significant losses this weekend, with existing seats at risk and its chance of adding second TDs in many constituencies now evaporating. Mr Varadkar stopped in four counties and canvassed in the Dublin Mid-West, Meath West, Longford-Westmeath and Cavan-Monaghan constituencies. Fine Gael sources in those areas acknowledged the party needs to shore up its vote in the coming days just to hold what it has. It came as the Taoiseach's leadership of Fine Gael was thrown into question after former finance minister Michael Noonan made a highly unusual intervention to back his successor Paschal Donohoe for the party leadership in the future. He told The Floating Voter podcast he had "no doubt at all" that Mr Donohoe would someday be leader but also backed Mr Varadkar for re-election. Asked about those remarks in Dublin, Mr Varadkar denied the debate surrounding his own future had begun. "I listened and Michael endorsed me to continue as Taoiseach and Paschal to continue as finance minister," he said. "We expect, and we certainly hope, that after the election Fine Gael will emerge once again as the largest party. "The opinion polls are within the margin of error, so this can be won, but if that doesn't happen for some reason, I have indicated that I will seek to stay on as Fine Gael leader." Asked if this was in all circumstances, he said it was. Mr Varadkar visited a school in Lucan and met voters in the towns of Enfield, Mullingar and Castlepollard before attending a Fine Gael rally in Virginia, Co Cavan. There is now a fierce internal battle under way in constituencies across the country as Fine Gael seeks to hold onto seats in the Dail. One sitting TD who thinks they are likely to lose their seat said: "I feel sorry for some people who probably only realised in the last week their seat was in trouble." A long-serving Fine Gael politician admitted that after nine years in government ,"everyone is tired" of the party. A party figure said even minister of state Damien English was "clinging on" in Meath West, where it is feared the fact he has two running mates could split his vote. Councillors Noel French and Sarah Reilly were added when Fine Gael had a chance of a second seat - a possibility now viewed as unlikely. With Fine Gael polling at between 20% and 21% in recent days, the party is, on those numbers, heading for a worse result than the 2002 general election, in which it won 23% of the vote and took just 31 seats. The 2002 result triggered the immediate resignation of Mr Noonan as party leader, but Mr Varadkar has now clearly stated he will look to stay on and lead the party in opposition. Tanaiste Simon Coveney, who lost out to Mr Varadkar in the 2017 leadership contest but continues to be linked with the position, said on Tuesday: "There is no question mark over Leo Varadkar's leadership." Yesterday morning Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald accused Fianna Fail and Fine Gael of using issues in Northern Ireland to make political capital. Speaking after Tuesday's leaders' debate on RTE television, Ms McDonald pointed to Mr Varadkar's criticism of Northern Ireland's public services as an example. She said: "You saw in the debate last night, the issues around public services in the north, we've been shouting about this from the rooftops. The cutting of the block grant (and) a decade of Tory austerity, has been devastating for the health and public services. "Then (Fianna Fail leader) Micheal Martin or Leo Varadkar use that to suggest that the Assembly is in some way comparable to the Dail, when they know London holds the purse strings. I think that's dishonest." Mr Varadkar appeared on Newstalk Radio yesterday and repeated his argument that Northern Ireland was different from the Republic. At one point he compared Stormont to a "local authority". "He's talking out of both sides of his mouth," Ms McDonald said in response. "It's not fair to say the Assembly is the equivalent of a local authority, but it doesn't have fiscal powers. When we talk about the damage to the health service, we're saying, 'Yes, what are you going to do to help us?'." BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 Trend: Azerbaijans First Deputy Defense Minister - Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Colonel General Najmaddin Sadigov has met with the delegation led by Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces - First Deputy Defense Minister, Army General Valery Gerasimov in Baku, Trend reports Feb. 6 referring to Azerbaijans Defense Ministry. Welcoming the guests, Sadigov stressed the important role of the heads of state in developing relations between the two countries and noted that Azerbaijan-Russia cooperation is based on friendly relations, mutual trust. The colonel general added that these relations have developed and reached the level of strategic partnership in recent years. The chief of the general staff noted that a decision on the participation of the Azerbaijani army in the military parade dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War to be held on May 9 in Moscow was made at the state level, and active preparatory work is being carried out for this purpose. Referring to the military-political situation and security issues in the region, Sadigov noted that the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the main threat to regional security. The Azerbaijani colonel general emphasized the importance of resolving the conflict within Azerbaijans territorial integrity, and on the basis of the norms and principles of international law. In turn, Army General Gerasimov also noted that Russia-Azerbaijan relations have historical roots, and the countries are strategic partners. The Russian general emphasized the importance of organization of mutual meetings between military representatives in terms of expansion of bilateral relations, as well as military and military-technical cooperation. The sides discussed the current state of cooperation in military, military-technical and military-educational spheres, prospects for the development of relations, as well as exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest. Gerasimov expressed deep gratitude to the leadership of Azerbaijan for the excellent hospitality and organization of the bilateral meeting with Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) in Baku. Dissident republicans planted a bomb on a lorry they believed was bound for an Irish Sea ferry with a plan to detonate it to mark Brexit, the PSNI have said. Officers have blamed the Continuity IRA for the botched terror bid last Friday night. Police Service of Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable George Clarke said the carnage that could have been caused if the device had exploded was worrying to contemplate. The renegade group entered the yard of a Co. Armagh-based company specialising in the transportation of frozen goods and attached the bomb to a heavy goods vehicle they thought was destined for a late-night ferry crossing to Scotland. But officers suspect the dissidents selected the wrong vehicle, as the trailer containing the bomb did not leave its premises in Lurgan on Friday. The device was finally discovered at the yard on Monday night after an intensive police search operation. The security alert was initially prompted when the Belfast newspaper the Irish News received a warning on Friday night that a device had been left on a trailer in Belfast docks. Mr Clarke said the warning was sparse and limited. He said it claimed that the bomb would be on the midnight ferry, when there was no ferry scheduled to depart at that time. A major police search operation instead focused on a late-night Stena Line ferry to Cairnryan. When nothing was found, the ferry was allowed to sail at 11.16pm. The Irish News then received a further call on Monday. That call contained substantially more detail, said Mr Clarke, who is the PSNIs lead officer on Brexit. It gave us the detail of a commercial haulage company and it indicated that the device had been left on a vehicle on a trailer connected to that company and the intention had been for that device to explode on Friday evening at around the time the United Kingdom left the European Union. Mr Clarke declined to be drawn when asked at a media conference in Belfast whether the device would have had the capacity to sink the ferry. PSNI Assistant Chief Constable George Clarke. I am not going to get into a discussion about the engineering of the device but I will make a very simply point anybody who plants a device in a public place is reckless to the consequences of their actions and of the potential to kill or seriously injure people in that area, he said. This is an incredibly reckless activity. Police have now stepped up their presence, both uniformed and undercover, at ports in Northern Ireland amid fears of another attack. Stena Line declined to comment due to the live police investigation. NEW YORK A woman whose allegation of sexual assault against Harvey Weinstein led to criminal charges in Southern California took the stand in his criminal trial in New York City on Wednesday, accusing him of groping her while masturbating in a Los Angeles hotel room. Lauren Young, a Pennsylvania native who was 22 at the time of the alleged 2013 attack, is the last of six women to testify against Weinstein in Manhattan, where the fallen Hollywood mogul faces five counts of sexual assault and life in prison if convicted. Young, who had not told her story in public before, is one of two women whose allegations led Los Angeles County prosecutors to file nine charges of rape and sexual misconduct against Weinstein in early January. In court Wednesday, Young said she had been living in Los Angeles for two years when she first met Weinstein in February 2013 in the restaurant of the Montage Beverly Hills hotel. Young said she put on her best dress for the occasion. I was excited to network and pitch my ideas, she said. Young said a recent acquaintance, who was also present at the Montage that night, arranged the meeting with Weinstein to talk about Youngs unfinished script. After talking briefly at the restaurant over drinks, Weinstein told both women that he needed to go up to his room because he needed to prepare to accept an award with Quentin Tarantino later that day, Young said. The mogul asked if they could continue the conversation there. Young said that once they entered Weinsteins hotel room, she unwittingly followed the producer into the bathroom, with the other woman trailing behind her. As Young stepped into the bathroom, she said, she looked into a mirror and saw the other woman closing the door, leaving Young alone with the producer. Weinstein entered the shower, turned it on and started undressing, she said. It was as quick as Ive ever seen anyone undress, Young said. As Young attempted to leave, she realized that the other woman was blocking the door from the outside, she said. Weinstein then began to undress her as Young said No repeatedly, she alleged. Weinstein then forcefully grabbed and pinched her breast with one hand while masturbating with the other, Young said. She said Weinstein attempted to touch her vagina, but she blocked him with her hands. Young said she did not have any other encounters with him after the alleged incident at the Montage. Weinsteins attorneys have denied the mogul did anything wrong and claimed each encounter described by witnesses in the New York case was consensual. Cross-examination began late Wednesday. Laura Newberry and James Queally are Los Angeles Times writers. Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) appealed on Wednesday for $675 million to boost international measures to counter the new coronavirus epidemic, as deaths from the outbreak soared past 500 Web Toolbar by Wibiya Is Canadas judicial system is being taken over by aliens? In Justin Trudeau, Judicial Corruption and the Supreme Court of Canada: Aliens and Archons in our Midst, Peter Tremblay uncovers apparent demons which are subverting the rule of law and social justice in Canada through apparent human hosts. Tremblay further builds on these allegations by providing reliable sources like Dr. Michael Salla and former Canadian Defence Minister, Paul Hellyer. Furthermore, Tremblay also details the horrific Carby-Samuels case to further prove the existence of these strategically-placed Archons. Tremblay presents a mountain of evidence that substantiates the claims put forth in his book. The veteran investigative journalistwho also worked for former Canadian Defence Minister Paul Hellyer, has brought together a comprehensive compilation of alien manipulation anecdotes and their effects. Tremblay further explains that these Archons in the legal system operate similarly to what terrorist groups call fifth columns. These Archons are placed within the police force, judicial wing and other institutes with authority. These Archons can further be described as sleeper cells that are simply waiting to be activated. The author has served multiple years in the government which has allowed him to observe patterns of manipulation and corruption. These manipulations can only be seen as something that overrides our basic human impulse to nurture love, empathy and social peace. These manipulations are asserted to the masses through the justice system and documented further in Tremblays book. Furthermore, this book unveils the corruption behind the SNC-Lavalin Scandal that played out between the Offices of the Prime Minister and Minister of Justice. Tremblay shares that his book will open the readers eyes to the sea of corruption that happens and effectively undermines our basic instinct to improve our society. Manipulative Archons have been visible to the public yet remain hidden under the eye of skeptics. However, thanks to the initiative and vast knowledge of the author, the publics eyes will be open to the blatant corruption of humans due to alien manipulation. Or does it? Given the fact that this isn't the first case of a wrongful banning, I think Airbnb should offer an explanation. It's not fair to just ban someone and not tell them why. Also, there should be a mechanism for appealing a ban. That's not just for the benefit of the customer, but also for Airbnb and its hosts. After all, why would you turn down a good customer's business? Womens Aid Dundalk called out candidates and political parties who have not "paid any significant attention to the crisis of violence against women in County Louth in General Election 2020". Launching #NoMoreExcuses2020, a National Manifesto for a Safe Ireland for All, Services Manager, Ann Larkin said that it was difficult to understand how such an enormous issue, affecting so many women and children, could continue to be side-lined from political conversation. A spokesperson for Women's Aid Dundalk explained: "Despite the political inertia, research carried out by Behaviour and Attitudes in 2019 indicates that seven out of 10 people would be influenced in the way they would vote if a politician was to speak out against domestic violence. "In their lifetime, at least 1 in 3 women in Ireland will experience abuse by a male partner. Domestic homicides have outpaced gangland murders by almost two to one in the last three years. "In 2018, over 1,600 children lived in a refuge with their mothers. In the same year, there were 3,256 unmet requests for refuge because the services were full thats an average of 9 requests that had to be refused every day." Ann explained: "For Womens Aid Dundalk that means 41 women and 47 children lived in refuge and 303 requests for refuge couldnt be met. Its extremely disappointing and worrying that this issue, which affects so many women and children in our own county, doesn't seem to even feature as we head closer to the polls." But we continue to ignore this issue at our peril, she continued. A significant root cause of violence in our society is the knock-on effect of the extensive violence that happens in our homes. We have seen all political parties commit to addressing endemic social problems like homelessness, the health crisis, and violence in the streets. But, nobody is joining the dots, and acknowledging that actually, what we need to do first and foremost is make our homes safe and equal and end the gender-bias that feeds and excuses gender-based violence. The Women's Aid statement continued: "International research shows that there is a strong intersection between attitudes towards gender equality and the risk and prevalence of gender-based abuse and coercive control. "The manifesto also calls for increased funding, capacity and training for the creaking and overloaded services, like Womens Aid Dundalk that respond to women first. "It also highlights the intrinsic link between homelessness and domestic violence. Domestic abuse is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children. Housing instability is four times more likely for women who have experienced domestic abuse and coercive control compared with women who have not been victimised. "Approximately one in four homeless women cites partner violence as a major contributor to their homelessness. "The manifesto reflects the key policies reflective of the needs of all 38 members of Safe Ireland, the national social change agency working to end domestic abuse and coercive control, including Womens Aid Dundalk. Over the coming days, Womens Aid Dundalk will be encouraging local candidates to sign up to these policies so that they will be priorities in the new Programme for Government." "Women's Aid have drawn up the following suggestions to help improve the lives of women and children experiencing coercive control and domestic abuse can be transformed. Five Lifelines Five Red lines 1. Prevent Homelessness: Implement and resource a national action plan to provide immediate and long-term, safe and stable housing for women experiencing domestic abuse. 2. Reform the Justice System: Establish a consistent and high-quality justice system for survivors of domestic abuse by transforming the culture, capacity and accountability of the system. The justice system, as it exists, is not working for women. 3. Prioritise a National Prevention Strategy: Tackle gender inequality and inter-generational trauma by investing in programmes aimed at addressing the cultural and root causes of violence against women. 4. Strengthen the Services and Infrastructure that women and children rely on: Increase funding, capacity and training for the creaking and overloaded services that respond to women first. 5. Prioritise political leadership, investment and oversight. Appoint a Minister and Department. Commit to a multi-annual, inter-departmental financial package. Establish a dedicated and long-term Cabinet Sub-Committee. Modern Living with kathy ireland with Sana Modern Living with kathy ireland is pleased to announce an exclusive interview with Sana CEO Richard Hanbury to discuss relieving pain with non-invasive bio-therapeutics. Modern Living with kathy ireland is pleased to announce an exclusive interview with Sana CEO Richard Hanbury to discuss relieving pain with non-invasive bio-therapeutics. Sana's mission is to change the way chronic pain is treated in order to give patients back their freedom. According to the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, approximately 100 million adults in the United States live with chronic pain. Opioids are still standard of care for chronic pain, but they are hampered by side effects, abuse, addiction and work less well over time. In addition, many patients cannot tolerate opioids. That's where Sana comes in. Hanbury developed the first device to save his life after a life-threatening car accident. The device completely and permanently solved his own pain problem. Since then, Sana has tested more than 30 prototypes against more than 1,500 patients who suffer from fibromyalgia, chronic neuropathic pain, PTSD and insomnia. Sana's team focuses on the hardest cases of chronic pain. 4 Clinical trials have been completed including Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) anxiety at the worst part of withdrawal was lowered by 46%, and Fibromyalgia improving quality of life for the worst sufferers by 45% in just two weeks. Further trials are underway with Mount Sinai (Neuropathic pain) and planned with Cleveland Clinic (Multiple Sclerosis Pain), Duke (Fibromyalgia larger study), University of Pennsylvania (post-operative pain), and Walter Reed/VA (neuromuscular pain). Sana's device is scheduled to be available to the general public in mid 2020 as a wellness device, prior to FDA approval for treatment of specific conditions. Hanbury says that the newest chronic pain management device from Sana was developed based on his personal story. He explains, "In 1992, I was forced to drive a Jeep off a bridge to avoid a head-on collision with a truck. That resulted in a spinal injury in the middle of my back and a nerve damage pain problem. I was given very high doses of opioids. But very quickly, my body built up a resistance so I wasn't actually getting any pain relief. I was looking for a way to meditate from the outside in I could not get into more relaxed states on my own, so I developed Sana, to give me that relaxation from the outside - in." For more information about Sana/s chronic pain management solution, visit sana.io and tune in to WE tv as sponsored content on Thursday, February 13, 2020 at 7:30am EST and internationally on Bloomberg Television on Saturday, February 8, 2020 at 7:30pm GMT and Sunday, February 9, 2020 at 10:30am D.F. and 3:00pm HKT. About Modern Living with kathy ireland Modern Living with kathy ireland is an independently produced television series airing domestically on WE tv as sponsored content and on Bloomberg Internationally. Hosted by lifestyle influencer and business mogul Kathy Ireland, the series features the latest in lifestyle and B2C trends, breakthroughs, and solutions, while highlighting companies from around the globe in a unique and credible format. For more about Modern Living with kathy ireland, visit modernlivingtv.com and check out the series on social media! "For the past five years, Dr. Shippy has served as Chief Quality Officer, successfully shepherding our System's exceptional quality and safety programs," said Dr. Jamie McCarthy, EVP, Chief Physician Executive at Memorial Hermann. "She is a proven leader and her team's tireless dedication to championing high quality care, patient safety and quality improvement programs has fostered a system of care that ensures timely, accurate, safe and effective treatments." In her expanded role as Senior Vice President, Chief Medical & Quality Officer, Dr. Shippy will continue to be responsible for clinical quality, patient safety, infection prevention, registry reporting, clinical quality review, quality data management and high reliability across Memorial Hermann's care delivery sites, which includes 17* hospitals. She also will continue to lead the System's lab and pharmacy departments while commencing dyad partnerships with operational leadership in support of clinical operations across the enterprise. "I am incredibly proud of the high-reliability culture we've built that puts patient safety at the core of everything we do," said Dr. Shippy. "While we've made tremendous strides to eliminate known healthcare hazards, there is more to be done and I'm honored to continue work that will ensure value-based care across the continuum for the benefit of our patients and their families." Prior to Memorial Hermann, Dr. Shippy served as HCA's Gulf Coast Division Chief Medical Officer, where she was the primary liaison between the physician and administrative teams at the Division's ten hospitals. Before HCA, she served as Vice President of Medical Affairs at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital in The Texas Medical Center where she practiced as a Hospitalist and Associate Chair of the Hospitalist Section. Dr. Shippy completed her medical training at The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston and undergraduate studies at Texas A&M University. Dr. Shippy was recognized by the Houston Business Journal as one of Houston's "Women Who Mean Business" and has served on a number of community councils and committees, including chair of the Texas Hospital Association Quality and Patient Safety Council. Additionally, she has held volunteer clinical faculty positions at both Baylor College of Medicine and The University of Texas-Health Science Center in Houston, and served as faculty for the Institute of Healthcare Improvement's Chief Quality Officer Course. About Memorial Hermann Charting a better future. A future that's built upon the HEALTH of our community. This is the driving force for Memorial Hermann, redefining health care for the individuals and many diverse populations we serve. Our 6,700 affiliated physicians and 27,000 employees practice the highest standards of safe, evidence-based, quality care to provide a personalized and outcome-oriented experience across our more than 300 care delivery sites. As one of the largest not-for-profit health systems in Southeast Texas, Memorial Hermann has an award-winning and nationally acclaimed Accountable Care Organization, 17* hospitals and numerous specialty programs and services conveniently located throughout the Greater Houston area. Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center is one of the nation's busiest Level I trauma centers and serves as the primary teaching hospital for McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. For more than 112 years, our focus has been the best interest of our community, contributing more than $588 million annually through school-based health centers and other community benefit programs. Now and for generations to come, the health of our community will be at the center of what we do charting a better future for all. *Memorial Hermann Health System owns and operates 14 hospitals and has joint ventures with three other hospital facilities, including Memorial Hermann Surgical Hospital First Colony, Memorial Hermann Surgical Hospital Kingwood and Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital-Katy. MEDIA CONTACT Alex Loessin [email protected] 713.242.4941 SOURCE Memorial Hermann Related Links http://www.memorialhermann.org A woman who was killed in a suspected murder-suicide along with her daughter told a relative that she wanted to leave her partner just days before their deaths, an inquest has heard. Russell Steele (38) hanged himself in a flat last March after killing his partner, Giselle Marimon-Herrera and her teenage daughter, Allison (15). At an inquest held at Armagh Courthouse on Thursday, Coroner Joe McCrisken heard from Ms Marimon-Herrera's sister, Paola, who revealed Giselle had informed her that she wanted to end her three-year relationship with Steele on February 26 last year. "Russell was very controlling, he would check her mobile phone," she said in a police statement read out to the inquest. Expand Close Relatives and friends comfort each other as the remains of Giselle and Allison Marimon-Herrera arrive at Roselawn crematorium / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Relatives and friends comfort each other as the remains of Giselle and Allison Marimon-Herrera arrive at Roselawn crematorium Coroner McCrisken said that while he would be hearing evidence in relation to all three deaths together, he would be delivering his findings for Giselle and Allison separately from Steele's. Steele's family had been invited to take part in the inquest, but no relatives were present. However, a statement was read out by Steele's estranged wife, Margaret who revealed her husband - from whom she was separated - had been a drug addict and had a criminal history. The Coroner is due to deliver his findings later. Elizabeth Smart revealed on Thursday morning that she was sexually assaulted on a Delta flight last summer by a man who rubbed her inner thighs while she slept. The kidnapping survivor spent nine months in captivity between 2002 and 2003 after being snatched from her home when she was just 14 by handyman Brian David Mitchell. She has since devoted her life to helping other kidnapping survivors and is now a married mother of three. In an interview with CBS This Morning on Thursday, Smart told Gayle King that she felt safe on the plane but was aghast to wake up to the man next to her touching her. She reported it to Delta afterwards and has since reported it to the FBI which is investigating. 'I've always felt safe on an airplane, I've never been worried or felt threatened on an airplane until now. Elizabeth Smart revealed on Thursday that she was sexually assaulted by a man who rubbed the inside of her thighs while she slept on a Delta flight last summer Smart reported the incident to Delta and the FBI. The investigation is ongoing (file image) 'I had been asleep and all of a sudden, I woke up because I felt someone's hand rubbing in between my legs on my inner thighs. 'The last time someone touched me without my say so was when I was kidnapped. 'I froze. I didn't know what to do. 'I jerked awake. I expected the man to jerk his hand away, apologize, give me some kind of reason why he was touching me. 'He did nothing,' she said. Smart was just 14 when she was snatched from her Utah home in 2002 After the flight, Smart contacted Delta to tell them what had happened. The airline - which she does not blame for the incident - is now assisting with the FBI investigation into it. 'I filed a complaint online they called me back and were so apologetic. 'It's not delta's fault. It was this man. This man made a decision. 'The were appalled, they offered to help as much as they could to back me up as far as I wanted to take this. 'I did follow up with the FBI. 'I don't want him to be preying on other girls. It's an ongoing investigation right now,' she said. Smart said she felt she should have done more because of her history. 'I kept saying to myself, "You're Elizabeth Smart, you should know what to do."' 'I called up my husband and said, "do I just have a big badge on my forehead that says easy prey or victim? Because I am sick of it."' Brian David Mitchell, her captor, remains behind bars. Wanda Barzee, Mitchell's girlfriend who helped him keep Elizabeth captive, was released from prison last year She then decided to launch a self-defense class for girls and women so that they have the tools to get out of dangerous situations like the ones she has found herself in. Her mother Lois attended the class with Gayle King and said she felt proud of her 'remarkable' daughter. 'I think she's remarkable. She's a strong woman who survived hardships but to look at her now you would never know she went through anything,' she said. Smart said she now knows the difference between consensual intimacy and abuse. 'I have a wonderful husband, beautiful kids. I have three children - they are mine. 'They do look like me and my husband. What a lot of people don't understand is there's a big difference between rape and sexual assault and loving and gentle and consensual - most importantly - intimacy. 'There's a difference. I've experienced both,' she said. Smart has now launched a self-defense class called Smart Defense, to help girls fend off attackers. She is shown in the class with her mother Lois She added that she believes she might have had the confidence to attempt an escape from her captors if she'd had the physical training her class teaches when she was 14. 'Would it have prevented me from being kidnapped? Probably not. 'But then I think that wasn't the end that was the beginning, there was over three miles of terrain that we had to cross. 'I feel like I would have taken that opportunity during those three miles somewhere. 'We need teenagers to take this class. We are not training them to be assassins,we're teaching them to get away,' she said. Smart's father Ed recently announced he was gay. He had been a devout member of the Mormon church. Her captor, Brian David Mitchell, remains behind bars but the woman who helped him kidnap her, Wanda Barzee, was recently released from prison and now lives in the same town as Elizabeth, despite her pleas to the parole board not to set her free. Raytheon Co. just announced that its new laser-guided Excalibur S 155mm artillery round scored direct hits on a moving target in a secret, live-fire test for the Marine Corps last spring. The Excalibur is a combat-proven, precision artillery round capable of hitting within a few feet of a target at ranges out to 40 kilometers, the company said. The new Excalibur S uses the same GPS technology as the Excalibur 1B variant but adds a semi-active laser seeker to engage both moving land and maritime targets. "The seeker technology will recognize that the target is no longer there, and it will pick up the laser energy from where the target is and redirect itself to that," Trevor Dunwell, director of Raytheon's Excalibur Portfolio, told Military.com. In a U.S. Navy test, Raytheon fired two projectiles from an M777 155mm Howitzer at a moving target at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, and scored two direct hits, he said. Related: Navy Test-Fires Ship Variant of Army's Excalibur Precision Artillery Shell "This happened in April of last year; we had to keep it close-hold working with the Navy ... more specifically for the Marines," Dunwell said. "We set the round for a specific location, we fired it off and, as soon as the round got fired, then the target started moving. It realized the target wasn't there and realized that it had moved somewhere else and ... it switched from GPS to laser designation and then engaged the target." The Marine Corps is interested in the Excalibur S round but "has not currently placed an order," he said. The next step is to conduct more tests this year. Dunwell would not reveal when they will occur, nor would he divulge which service will sponsor the next test. If the Marine Corps or the Army decides to purchase the new Excalibur S round, Dunwell said it would not be priced dramatically higher than the current Excalibur 1B, which costs roughly $70,000 per round. The new technology would be effective for use in counter-fire artillery missions, he said. "If you think about it, it is critically important because you are going to have to engage moving targets ... especially if you are doing counter-fires," Dunwell said. So, if it's a fire-and-move, now on the counter fire you should be able to engage that moving target." -- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com. Read More: New Artillery Doubles Attack Range, Outguns Russians Kathmandu, February 5 Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gokul Baskota has told agitating staff of the government-owned Nepal Telecom not to continue their strike. He warns that the staff will face the action if they fail to perform the assigned duties. Minister Baskota turned angry after some staff staged a demonstration against the company in front of him while a function organised on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of the company was underway, in Kathmandu on Thursday. Addressing the function, hence, Baskota said he would not tolerate political activities inside the company. If you want to do politics, join a party. There is no place in this organisation, he said, I will calculate what you have done. I will not tolerate anarchy. Of late, the staff are on the strike protesting an amendment to regulations of the company. Baskota clarified that not the company, but the Public Service Commission made the amendment. Please love your organisation, the minister said. DUBLIN, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Investigating & Security Activities Including Vehicle Tracking in South Africa 2019" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report on Investigating & Security Activities including vehicle tracking includes comprehensive information on the size and state of the industry, including private security services, vehicle tracking and background screening and verification. It covers relevant regulation and crime information, corporate actions, competition issues and trends. There are profiles of 36 companies including notable players such as Fidelity and G4S, fleet management companies such as Cartrack, Mix Telematics, Tracker and Netstar and protective services such as Tshedza and TSU. Investigating & Security Activities Including Vehicle Tracking The private security sector uses guards and technology to offer protective services to deter, deny, detect or delay the commission of a crime and assist clients to respond effectively to and recover from untoward events. In South Africa private security officers and service providers are required to register with the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority, which has over 500,000 security officers and approximately 9,000 security companies signed up. The private security sector continues to grow as it provides a service not readily available from South Africa's poorly-functioning police force. Apart from the basic commercial and residential armed response service, the industry provides services ranging from special event parking and access control to mounted and dog units and asset protection services during strikes, plant closures and natural disasters. Tech Developments Technology is taking on many of the security tasks that used to be assigned to guards, but the number of registered guards is still growing. Technologies that lower costs and increase efficiencies aim to eliminate or at least manage the human element. Security-related technology includes alarm systems using artificial intelligence to analyse behaviour and recognise anomalies and an internet of things systems that synchronise home automation systems and control lights, gates and air conditioning and provide access for parcel deliveries. Others include GPS-enabled tracking devices in security officers' armbands, portable scanning units and drone guards providing unmanned aerial surveillance. Key Topics Covered 1. INTRODUCTION 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 2.1. Industry Value Chain 2.2. Geographic Position 3. SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY 4. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 4.1. Local 4.1.1. Private Security Services 4.1.2. Vehicle Tracking 4.1.3. Corporate Actions 4.1.4. Regulations 4.1.5. Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development 4.2. Continental 4.3. International 5. INFLUENCING FACTORS 5.1. Private Security Industry Regulation Amendment Bill and Regulations 5.2. Non-compliance with Psira Requirements 5.3. Crime Rate 5.4. Partnership Policing 5.5. Economic Environment 5.6. Rising Operating Costs 5.7. Labour 5.8. Research and Development, Technology and Innovation 5.8.1. Cyclicality 5.9. Environmental Issues 5.10. Electricity Supply Constraints 6. COMPETITION 6.1. Barriers to Entry 7. SWOT ANALYSIS 8. OUTLOOK 9. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 10. REFERENCES 10.1. Publications 10.2. Websites Company Profiles Stallion Security (Pty) Ltd S B V Services (Pty) Ltd Fidelity Services Group (Pty) Ltd Excellerate Services (Pty) Ltd G4S Secure Solutions (SA) (Pty) Ltd National Security and Fire (Pty) Ltd Top Security (Pty) Ltd Bidvest Protea Coin (Pty) Ltd G4S Cash Solutions (SA) (Pty) Ltd Arcfyre International (Pty) Ltd Computer Security and Forensic Solutions (Pty) Ltd Guardian Forensic Services CC Muvoni Technology Group Ltd Servest (Pty) Ltd A M G Security Management (Pty) Ltd Brinks Armoured Security Services (Pty) Ltd Netstar (Pty) Ltd C-Track (SA) (Pty) Ltd Tracker Connect (Pty) Ltd GPS Tracking Solutions (Pty) Ltd MiX Telematics Africa (Pty) Ltd Afri Guard (Pty) Ltd (Pty) Ltd Izikathi Security (Pty) Ltd Tshedza Protective Services CC Managed Integrity Evaluation (Pty) Ltd iFacts (Pty) Ltd Transcash (Pty) Ltd Cartrack Holdings Ltd Blue Light Monitoring and Armed Response (Pty) Ltd iMvula Quality Protection ( Africa ) (Pty) Ltd ) (Pty) Ltd Performanta Technologies (Pty) Ltd Thorburn Security Solutions (Pty) Ltd CSG Holdings Ltd Securitas SA Holdings (Pty) Ltd TSU Protection Services (Pty) Ltd Polygraph Guys (Pty) Ltd (The) For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ivca2v 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 Kochi, Feb 6 : Two youth, who were arrested for raping a lady from Thailand in Kochi, have been remanded to judicial custody, the police said on Thursday. The youth have been identified as Ansari and Insaf, both aged 33. Speaking to IANS, a police officer on condition of anonymity said that the Thai national's son was studying in Malappuram, from where the two arrested youth hail. "The incident occurred on Wednesday when one of the youth who had befriended the lady through social media had invited her to Kochi. They had booked a room at a hotel where the incident took place. The police arrived at the scene after the hotel authorities informed them, and took the youth into custody," the officer said. "The two are now in judicial custody and the probe is going on," he added. A 21-member group of Kerala medical students studying in Dalian Medical University, China is stuck at Kunming international airport. It is learnt that though the students booked tickets to return to India, via Singapore, the airline and airport authorities denied them permission to board the flight. The students were told that except Singapore citizens, no foreign nationals from China had permission to board the flight. The students came to know about the ban on foreign nationals in Singapore only after reaching the airport, as per a report in Manorama. Though we wanted to return to Kerala early, the journey was delayed due to the visa extension procedures. Our visa was to expire on February 28 hence we had to wait until its extension procedure was completed. After getting the visa, we booked tickets in Scoot Airlines from Kunming to Singapore and from there to Thiruvananthapuram. The University authorities permitted us to move out after submitting written agreement that we wont return to the university hostel. So we cant go back, said a student. In the wake of coronavirus epidemic, only a few passenger flights are operating from Kunming airport. The students have sought the help of Indian authorities to return to Kerala. The ministry of external affairs on Thursday initiated steps to bring back the 21 students who are stranded in China following the novel coronavirus outbreak. Mayor-President Josh Guillory and City-Parish Attorney Greg Logan are asking Louisiana State Police to investigate Lafayette Utilities System and LUS Fiber after an allegation that computer files were deleted, possibly to cover up a crime. In a letter to Louisiana State Police, Logan said administrators believe four Lafayette Consolidated Government employees placed on leave Wednesday have knowledge of alleged wrongdoing. He redacted their names from a copy of the letter sent to news media, but revealed the name of one person who allegedly has knowledge, former long-time LUS Director Terry Huval, who retired in 2018. It's the latest development in a nearly two-year saga centered on alleged improper payments by LUS to its fiber division, allegedly to financially prop up the fledgling city-owned telecommunications operations. +2 Latest LUS Fiber allegations handed over to Louisiana Public Service Commission Results of an internal investigation suggesting LUS Fiber may have improperly overcharged other Lafayette Consolidated Government departments In a letter sent Thursday to Lt. Col. Kevin Reeves, superintendent of Louisiana State Police, Logan said he and Guillory "believe certain individuals at LUS and LUS Fiber are guilty of injuring public records, theft, malfeasance and/or criminal mischief," all of which are violations of state law. "We further believe there may be additional crimes uncovered when a thorough external criminal investigation is conducted," he wrote. Lafayette Consolidated Government officials, Logan wrote, conducted a limited investigation after receiving a whistleblower complaint. The investigation identified the five people with knowledge of the situation, including Huval and four current LUS employees who were advised not to discuss the matter with anyone, including the news media. Computer files and email archives, Logan wrote, were destroyed and accounting or public finance records may have been manipulated. For example, he said, Huval had 17,000 emails in 2012 and 46,000 emails in 2014. But in 2011, his computer showed only 455 emails, Logan said. Between 15,000 and 20,000 of Huval's emails appear to have been deleted for 2011. That's the time frame, Logan wrote, in which email communications took place over two cross-departmental transactions, the power outage monitoring system and sewer lift stations, in which LUS allegedly overpaid LUS Fiber for services, which were reported to the Louisiana Public Service Commission and allegedly are under PSC investigation. "I hope everybody's name is cleared," Guillory said Thursday during his weekly radio show on KPEL. "If there was criminal activity, I want to know. I want the truth to come out. I think the people deserve that." Lafayette Parish Councilman Josh Carlson, who took office Jan. 6, said he was in a meeting with Guillory on Wednesday when CAO Cydra Wingerter interrupted and discussed the receipt of a whistleblower complaint from an LUS employee saying they had first-hand knowledge that someone at LUS was planning to delete or had deleted emails between Huval and others at LUS "to basically cover their tracks." Carlson, whose area of expertise is information technology, said he advised Guillory that in the corporate world, the employee would be removed from having access to the equipment in such a case. "When you're talking about deleting emails and servers, thats never good," Carlson said. "My concern was LUS and fiber are operated as a semi-government agency and they get the benefit of being under LCG but haven't had oversight or accountability like government would. "No one has been able to see what's been going on," Carlson added. "This coming out makes you question what's going on. If theres smoke, many times theres fire." LUS and LUS Fiber undergo an annual independent audit and additional audits by the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Independent engineering consultants also monitor their operations, including for compliance with bond ordinance requirements, and until January, six City-Parish Council members with primarily city residents in their districts provided oversight by sitting as the Lafayette Public Utilities Authority. Now, the City Council will provide that oversight. Top stories in Acadiana in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Also on Thursday, Guillory hired Carr Riggs & Ingram CPAs and Advisors to conduct a full forensic audit of LUS, its finances and affiliate transactions, which are transactions between the various divisions of LUS, such as fiber, electric, water. LUS is a critical asset of Lafayette Consolidated Government, representing almost half of our financial activity, he said in a prepared statement. We have to be confident that we know everything that is happening operationally and financially at LUS. We need an unbiased, independent view of the situation at LUS so that we can apply the right remedy, restore the confidence of ratepayers and assure its integrity for financial markets." Guillory, during the KPEL radio interview Thursday, also said Lafayette Police conducted a raid at LUS in the fall of 2019 under former Mayor-President Joel Robideaux's administration and confiscated computers. However, some council members questioned whether such a raid actually occurred. City Council Chairman Pat Lewis, who served on the former City-Parish Council and LPUA, said Thursday he had no knowledge of a raid until hearing it on the news. Former City-Parish Councilman Bruce Conque, who was chairman of the LPUA, also said he never heard about a raid under Robideaux. Sources advised him Lafayette Police were requested to provide one officer to accompany state auditors while they were at LUS last year, he said, but no computers were confiscated. City Councilwoman Liz Hebert, who served on the City-Parish Council and LPUA, said she met with Guillory on Wednesday along with some LUS and LCG employees about the mayor-president's proposal to have the LUS Fiber IT department report to the LCG IT department, supposedly for efficiency and to save money. There was no mention of a raid or deleted emails, she said, nor did she hear about the alleged raid of LUS in 2019. Hebert said she told Guillory she wants to wait until a full forensic audit is conducted before reorganizing the IT operations. "Lets hire a new LUS director before we do this," she said, "rather than rushing it through and the audit finding things and we have to back track." In October, Robideaux shuffled the top directors at LUS and the telecommunications division, replacing Interim LUS Director Jeff Stewart, a veteran employee at LUS, with his CAO Lowell Duhon, who has no experience in utilities. Robideaux said at the time the assignment, which came with a large pay increase, was temporary so Duhon could conduct an investigation. Robideaux sent the results of the investigation to the PSC in December. Duhon remains interim director of LUS. In 2018, it was learned that LUS for years had been paying its fiber division for services that were never used. City-Parish officials reported the incidents to the Louisiana Public Service Commission because LUS fiber, which provides internet, television and telephone service to customers, is prohibited from relying on local government to unfairly support its operations. Robideaux later discovered additional instances of questionable payments and operations involving LUS and LUS fiber, both of which were under the direction of Huval. Robideaux and the City-Parish Council decided to remove oversight of the fiber operations from the LUS director and name a director over that division. The incidents allegedly led millions of LUS dollars to be spent on fiber operations. Huval and Stewart declined to comment for this story. Wingerter, contacted via text message, said she and Guillory were in a meeting. They did not return a call for this story. Istanbul mayor says Turks stand with China in fight against coronavirus ISTANBUL, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Turkey stands united with the Chinese people and government in its fight against the novel coronavirus, the mayor of Istanbul said Tuesday. In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Ekrem Imamoglu said the Turkish people have been following China's ardent efforts to save lives and prevent the virus from spreading, saying the Chinese authorities have acted with "great speed" and "tremendous devotion." "We are two societies having hundreds or even thousands of years of ties," he said, noting Istanbul and China's biggest city of Shanghai are sister cities and marked the 30th anniversary of their relationship last year. "In these troubled days, we share their pains, and we believe that they will overcome this in the shortest time possible," he said. Speaking of Chinese residents and tourists in Istanbul, Imamoglu said he empathizes with their worries about their loved ones in China. "I want them to know that we stand by them," he said, calling Istanbul a friendly and tolerant city. Imamoglu said due to the changing nature of the world, similar health problems might appear in different regions at different times. "A problem in China today could occur on a different continent tomorrow," he said, urging the world to act in an integrated manner and countries to support each other. Imamoglu called on the international community to act in solidarity with China. He earlier instructed municipal officials to better serve Chinese tourists in Istanbul. President Muhammadu Buhari will on Friday depart Nigeria for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to attend the 33rd Ordinary Session of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU). Buhari will join leaders from the 55-member countries of the African Union to participate in the Summit with the theme, Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africas Development. Also Read: Majority Of Victims Of Insurgents Are Muslims, Shehu Sani Backs Buhari He will also attend the 29th Forum of Heads of State and Government of Participating States of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and the 27th Session of New Partnership for Africas Development (NEPAD) Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (AUDA-NEPAD). The meetings will precede the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly. The President would be accompanied by Governors of Cross River and Imo, Ben Ayade, and Hope Uzodinma amongst other dignitaries. Lubbock County Jail The husband of a woman discovered dead in her car in Abernathy on Saturday has been officially charged with her murder. Randy Lee Downs, 71, admitted to investigators that he killed his wife, Linda Downs, and currently remains in the Lubbock County Jail. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 16:56:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close YINCHUAN, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- This year, Min Guiying canceled all her Chinese New Year plans, a traditional time for people to gather, because of the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic. "While at home, we can still have video chats, and it also helps our country succeed in the anti-virus campaign," said Min, who lives in the Xiangtiwan community of Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. It is Min's first Spring Festival not visiting friends and family. In addition, she only goes downstairs when necessary. Min wears two face masks when taking out the dirty cat litter, and keeps a safe distance when greeting others. To minimize the risk of cross-infection of the novel coronavirus, Chinese authorities suggest that its residents stay at home by giving New Year greetings through phone or video calls instead of face-to-face visits. The novel coronavirus can be infectious even in its incubation period, thus posing challenges to its control, especially in China's vast number of communities and rural areas, putting the country's grassroots governance to the test. Tang Cunli, a doorkeeper in Min's community, has been busy these days dissuading residents from visiting relatives and friends, disinfecting incoming vehicles and registering and taking temperatures of residents passing through. "We not only safeguard residents' properties but also their health," said Tang, adding that together with his colleagues, he works around the clock to ensure safety. "Almost all of the visitors are very cooperative, and they leave what they bring with them at the entrance. We disinfect the items, and inform residents to come and get them," said Tang. To better fight against the virus, a large number of community inspectors across the country are working to ensure returning migrant workers and close contacts of the confirmed cases stay in quarantine. In Ningxia, all of the 2,789 administrative villages and communities have undergone inspections as of Wednesday, covering over 6 million people, according to the regional government. "Community workers will help take the temperatures of those in quarantine three times a day and also distribute food supplies," said Shen Jianshe, an official with the local government. With confidence being slowly built in the government and the country, many citizens and villagers are joining the anti-virus campaign. Han Man from Yejia Village, Jingyuan County in Ningxia is one of them. Han was elected to be the group leader of five neighboring households with returning members from other places. He takes his neighbors' temperatures once a day and informs them of the latest epidemic-control information. "Returning migrant workers should stay in quarantine to avoid cross-infection, and I need to observe their health conditions and report my findings to the village chief," said Han. Ye Hasan, an official in Yejia Village, said the weak link in controlling the epidemic is in the vast rural areas, and it is not possible for the small amount of village staff to ensure that every family's temperature is measured. "However, as villagers know each other well, they can govern themselves to make sure the infected receive timely treatment with early identification and quarantine," said Ye. Self-governance also works in most of China's communities, since many residents volunteer to help spread tips of virus prevention by posting notices or creating online videos and jingles. Some even sing adapted folk songs or traditional Chinese operas to encourage more to overcome the virus. "Amid such a sudden and severe epidemic, the fact that China can rapidly mobilize its people to fight together shows it has sound grassroots governance," said Li Baoping, a researcher of Ningxia Academy of Social Sciences. However, Li also points out that epidemic control may also expose some weak links in China's grassroots governance. "I believe our governance will be improved a lot after this crisis," he said. Mr. Wolf did not indicate that the agency was revoking current membership in those programs. Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, the acting deputy secretary of Homeland Security, said on Thursday that the approximately 175,000 New Yorkers currently enrolled in the programs who need to renew this year would be cut off by the end of 2020. He said the 50,000 New Yorkers who are in the middle of the application process but have not yet received final approval would also immediately lose the opportunity. Does this affect renewals? Yes. Mr. Wolfs letter specifically said New Yorkers would not be allowed to enroll or re-enroll. Once accepted, membership in the program is good for five years. Are there other ways a New Yorker can still apply? It is not clear whether applications placed outside New York or using a different address could work. Getting accepted into the program, according to the Customs and Border Protection website, requires applicants to undergo a rigorous background check and in-person interview before enrollment. There are several documents that may be needed for an application, according to the Trusted Traveler Programs website, including proof of citizenship, a passport and a valid drivers license. How does it impact TSA PreCheck? New Yorkers currently enrolled in D.H.S. trusted traveler programs will continue to receive TSA PreCheck status, said Lisa Farbstein, a T.S.A. spokeswoman. Toto Wolff has moved to end speculation about Mercedes' withdrawal from Formula 1 by saying the German marque will "definitely" still be on the grid in 2021. Earlier, Daimler CEO Ola Kallenius denied that the proposal to withdraw as a works team but remain in F1 as an engine supplier would be discussed during a February 12 board meeting. Now, team boss Wolff tells Auto Motor und Sport: "Mercedes will definitely drive in 2021. "We want to stay because Formula 1 makes sense for us." Indeed, just days ago Mercedes announced that a "multi-year" sponsorship deal with computer brand AMD had been signed. Wolff, though, admitted that Mercedes is yet to sign up for a new Concorde Agreement, with the current commercial arrangements with Liberty Media and the FIA set to expire this year. "The basic conditions must be right," he warned. "We want to have a Concorde Agreement that we can live with. "That doesn't mean that we always want more, but it does have to be a well balanced contract, not just for us but for the smaller teams as well." Wolff also played down speculation that he could be set to quit Mercedes after 2020. The Austrian was earlier linked with potential moves either to Ferrari, to replace F1 CEO Chase Carey, or in collaboration with Lawrence Stroll for the Aston Martin team in 2021. "I enjoy my role," Wolff insisted. "How many can say that they have a joint venture with Mercedes? "They have given me a long enough leash that I can lead the team in a way that I think is best for the team. "We are still developing as a team and have almost tripled in the past seven years. It became a real company and the job turned into a real management task," he added. (GMM) University college of Mangaluru celebrated its 150th anniversary on Thursday with Dharamastala Dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade inagurating the celebrations. Veerendra Heggade also released the college souvenir on the occasion. Mangaluru MLA U T Khader said the alumni of the college were lucky enough to study here which created a platform for excelling in their respective careers. Former Chief Minister Veerappa Moily, who is an alumni of the college, said the institution had shaped his life in many ways. The college had one of the best libraries in the state, he said. A special postal cover to mark the celebration was released by chief postmaster general (Karnataka circle) Charles Lobo. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ANNAPOLIS Motorcycle-involved crashes per year in Maryland graphic available here: datawrapper.dwcdn.net/yO95o/2/ (Feb. 6, 2020)Helmets would no longer be mandatory for most motorcycle riders in Maryland under a bill expected to be heard in a state Senate committee Tuesday.Senate bill 237 would make motorcyclists and their passengers exempt from wearing a helmet if the motorcycle operator is 21 or older, has at least two years of riding experience and has completed an approved safety course.The legislation, in its current language, has been introduced in each session of the General Assembly since 2016 but has failed to advance out of committee each session. Last session, the bill failed to advance out of the Senate's Judicial Proceedings committee.The bill's lead sponsor, Sen. Michael Hough, R-Frederick and Carroll counties, told Capital News Service before the hearing that he is hopeful the bill can advance to a vote on the Senate floor. Hough noted the bill is also supported by the chair of the Judicial Proceedings Committee, Sen. William "Will" Smith Jr., D-Montgomery.Although he said he doesn't ride a motorcycle, Hough said he agrees with supporters of the legislation who argue that it should be the rider's choice to wear a helmet, and that helmets do not prevent motorcycle crashes."It's not the role of government to protect you from yourself. The role of government is to protect you from doing harm to others," Hough said. "As an adult in this country, you should have the freedom to make decisions like this if you want."In the past, the legislation has been opposed by AAA Mid-Atlantic, the Maryland Trauma Center Network, the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems and the Maryland Association of County Health Officers, among others.The American Motorcycle Association, the country's largest motorcycle rights advocacy group, supports voluntary use of helmets."Some view the helmet solely as a mechanical safety device, similar to a seat belt," according to a position statement on the group's website. "Many motorcyclists view the helmet as an accessory of personal apparel, and its use or non-use is connected with a chosen lifestyle and their right as adults to make their own decisions."Bob Spanburgh, executive director at ABATE of Maryland the state's largest motorcycle advocacy group told Capital News Service before the hearing that his organization isn't taking a position on wearing a helmet, but he said motorcyclists should get to choose for themselves."It's our guiding principle," Spanburgh said. "We don't advocate for not wearing helmets, we advocate for the ability to choose whether we want to wear them or not."Spanburgh said his group has also advocated for other motorcycle-related legislation, including bills that would have allowed lane-splitting and would have prohibited residents from blowing yard waste into the street creating potentially dangerous conditions for riders.Spanurgh said sometimes motorcyclists' rights can become an afterthought for some people."I don't think it's intentional," he said. "If you don't ride, I don't think you really think about it."In a statement to Capital News Service, AAA Mid-Atlantic indicated it would once again oppose the legislation, citing state motorcycle crash statistics.According to data released in April by the state's Motor Vehicle Administration Highway Safety Office, the state has averaged 1,466 motorcycle-involved crashes a year over the last five years with an average of 69 fatal crashes per year."Because serious head injury is common among fatally injured motorcyclists, helmet use is essential," wrote Ragina C. Ali, public and government affairs manager at AAA Mid-Atlantic, in a statement Monday. "We oppose repealing the helmet law, as it weakens existing traffic safety laws and puts motorcyclists at a greater risk of injury or a traffic fatality."Maryland's current motorcycle helmet requirement which requires all riders and passengers to wear the protective headgear became law on Oct. 1, 1992.According to a legislative analysis of the bill, as of December, 19 states and Washington, D.C., require all motorcyclists to wear helmets, while 28 states require only certain riders to wear helmets.Michigan, Pennsylvania and Texas have exemptions for riders similar to those proposed in the Maryland legislation, according to the analysis.If the legislation passes, Spanburgh said, he thinks about half of the state's riders will continue to wear helmets. Spanburgh, who said he has been riding on the streets since 1983, probably won't be one of them."Honestly, I would more frequently not wear one than wear one," he said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 17:57:32|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The general-command of the Syrian army on Thursday accused Israel and Turkey of "supporting terrorism" in Syria, according to a military statement. The military statement said that in tandem with the Israeli missile attack that targeted Syria before daybreak Thursday, Turkey sent military convoys to Syria's northwestern province of Idlib. The Turkish military convoy was deployed between the towns of Binnesh, Marrat Masrin and Taftanaz to protect "the terrorists of Nusra Front", said the military statement. It said the Turkish move aims to protect the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front and to hinder the progress made by the Syrian army in Idlib. On the Israeli missile attack that targeted several military sites around Damascus, the statement said such attacks by Israel will not dissuade the Syrian army from continuing to battle terrorism in Syria. It said the army will continue to fight until liberating all Syrian areas from terrorist groups. Life the old aphorism goes begins at 40 and so when one hits that milestone age the drums and carpets are rolled out to celebrate it. On the flipside a fool at 40 they say is a fool forever and so the age 40 is a highly significant one in the life of mortals. Tiwa Savage one of the African continents biggest musical stars hit that age yesterday, February 5th and so it is imperative for us to dig deeper as to who she really is and appreciate her talents in its enrichment of the African music industry especially that of her nation, Nigeria. She discovered her musical talents at the tender age of 11 when she and her family relocated to London and was a trombone player for her schools orchestra band. Her parents being rather traditional wanted her to have a safe career and so she was persuaded to study accounting at the University of Kent. After graduation she worked with the Royal Bank of Scotland. She got fed up with the drudgery of the bank job and wanted to explore her innate creativity. She did the unthinkable by quitting her high profile job and trusting in her instincts to have a breakthrough in the highly competitive music industry. She did backup vocals for the likes of George Michaels, Andrea Bocelli, Mary J. Blige etc and enrolled at the Berklee College of Music graduating in 2007 where she bagged a degree in professional music. In 2006 she participated in the UK edition of X factor and made it to the final 24 before being evicted. She got her big break in 2009 at the age of 29 when she signed a deal with Sony/ATV Music Publishing. In music that age is relatively late. It was quite understandable for her as she was a woman of colour in a Caucasian dominated industry. She took a leap of faith by moving back to Nigeria in 2012 when she noticed how big the industry had grown and she was clearly tired of being in the fringes in the UK. That move was a fortuitous one as she was immediately snapped by Collins Ajereh a.k.a Don Jazzy who signed her to his Mavin Records label. She was known as the Mavin Records First Lady and released a couple of hit songs most notably kele kele move, Eminado, Love me, Without my heart, Ife wa gbona, Olorun mi, Folarin, etc. She has clearly come to stay as she is regarded as the biggest female music export from Nigeria at the moment as she has dominated the decade with the swagger of a Lioness. She married her former manager, Tunji Balogun in 2014 with the union producing a son Jamil. However, the marriage was short lived as her estranged hubby accused her of sleeping with Don Jazzy, Dr. Sid and Two Baba and nearly committed suicide before being rescued by Banky W on a major Lagos bridge. She told her own side of the story to popular former Thisday Journalist, Azuka Ogujiuba accusing him of being a drug addict. She later did a collaboration with Beyonce on her hit The Lion King: The Gift which also featured Mr. Eazi. She later signed up to Universal Music Group in 2019 and has continued to hold the music industry spell bound with her hit songs. She has recently been rumoured to be in an affair with Ayodeji Balogun a.k.a Wizkid with the duo publicly being found in compromising positions. She has neither confirmed nor denied the affair and so her fans and the music pundits alike are said to be in a limbo as to whether the mother of one is now intimate with Wizkid who is ten years younger. She has shown no signs of slowing down and her energy can be akin to the old wine or cake tasting better. We celebrate with her as she marks the milestone year and hope that she continues to churn out more hits. Happy Birthday once more! Tony Ademiluyi writes from Lagos and edits www.africanbard.com North-East India, which remained neglected for years, is now becoming a growth engine and the Centre is working towards the development of the region, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the Parliament on Thursday. The Prime Minister was replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Lok Sabha. "Let us talk about the North-East. For years, the distance became a reason to ignore this region. Things have changed now. The North-East is becoming a growth engine. Great work has been done in so many sectors. Ministers and officials are regularly visiting the region," said PM Modi. "India can no longer wait for problems to remain unsolved. And, rightfully so. That is why our target is- speed and scale, determination and decisiveness, sensitivity and solution," he added. PM Modi said that Delhi, which seemed distant to the people of North-East, in the last five years has stood at their doorstep. Efforts have been taken by the Centre to bring in electricity, rail connectivity, airport and mobile connectivity. "It is due to the speed of this Government that in the last five years: 37 crore people got bank accounts. 11 crore people got toilets in their homes. 13 crore people got gas connections. Two crore people got their own homes," said PM Modi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) IN a recent book on epidemics and healthcare systems in Africa, published by the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (Mistra), researchers warn that the top diseases which are likely to cause severe epidemics across the globe are zoonotic diseases infections arising out of contact between humans and animals. Sadly, the coronavirus has proven that prediction right, with the World Health Organisation declaring the outbreak a global emergency. But what does it mean for South Africa? The first question is: Is our already weakened and overburdened health system prepared? The national health department has announced that it has the necessary systems in place in the event of an outbreak. We are told that three hospitals are prepared for such an emergency Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital, Tembisa Hospital and Steve Biko Academic Hospital. But can these hospitals, and indeed our health system, cope and protect us from an epidemic? Not so long ago the SA Human Rights Commission raised concerns that Tembisa Hospital was not equipped to counter the recurrence of a bacteria outbreak that tragically killed 10 babies. How does that engender confidence that the hospital is well-prepared to handle the spread of the coronavirus? This raises the central question addressed in Mistras book, one that healthcare specialists across Africa are increasingly emphasising. Focus We tend to focus on our health system only when health crises hit the headlines when babies have died or when an epidemic such as Ebola is looming. But the truth is that it is when there is no crisis that we need to strengthen our healthcare systems. The neglect of essential services and infrastructure, as well as insufficient medical staff who can offer both high levels of skill and decisive management, leads to a health system that is unable to cope with daily health needs, let alone epidemics. We cannot afford to wait for emergencies like the outbreak of the coronavirus to address our ineffective hospitals and healthcare systems. This is perhaps best understood in relation to individuals. When a crisis hits a family, they can weather it best if they already have strong financial and emotional structures within. So too with countries and continents. Surveillance Efficient surveillance systems are key to the early detection of diseases and outbreaks. Do we have adequate systems in place that can immediately pick up imminent infectious diseases? Furthermore, information sharing is a crucial part of strengthening our healthcare system. Does the government have appropriate ways of alerting and educating communities? If the coronavirus comes to our country, it will be too late to ask if we have the doctors, nurses and community workers needed to treat those affected. South African hospitals and clinics have been known to run out of medication. But we know that in an epidemic most infections occur between the start of an outbreak and the arrival of the relevant medications. If we cannot store and provide medicines when we are not facing immediate crisis, how will we be able to respond adequately to an epidemic? Let us use the imminent threat of the coronavirus to strengthen our healthcare system, to work out our weaknesses and challenges. Let us not wait for tragedy to hit first. But the most crucial thing to take from the coronavirus is the importance of the way in which Africa is changing. The conditions that led to the outbreak of the coronavirus in China are a warning bell about the changes Africa is experiencing. Not only are we experiencing climate change, but also rapid urbanisation and a rapidly exploding population. The urban population of Africa is predicted to increase from 36 per cent in 2010 to 50 per cent in 2030. We cannot afford to wait for emergencies like the outbreak of the coronavirus to address our ineffective hospitals and healthcare systems. This is perhaps best understood in relation to individuals. One crucial consequence is that humanity is increasingly coming into contact with animals. For example, the bats that once lived in forests are now seeking food and shelter in dwellings close by which have replaced their natural habitat through deforestation. This pattern is what has led to healthcare specialists foreseeing a major zoonotic threat to human wellbeing. Organised China, which is more organised than much of Africa, has battled to contain the coronavirus despite the fact that it acted swiftly and even ruthlessly to contain the disease. The lesson here is that health campaigns should include the handling of wild animals through using protective gear and taking other precautions and taking cognisance of animal migration patterns, which would help the healthcare system develop strategies to counter potential outbreaks of zoonotic diseases. Let us take note now while we have time to plan and prepare. Zoonotic diseases, much like climate change, are upon us almost before we have realised the full scale of implications to human health and wellbeing. The coronavirus is a chilling warning of what the future might hold for us. It has struck better resourced, better organised China, let it not hit South Africa, and Africa, unprepared. Laboratory testing by Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin, the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology and Munich Clinic Schwabing has revealed that infectious virus can be isolated from nose and throat swabs even where these have been obtained from patients with mild symptoms. The research groups have therefore come to the conclusion that even persons with mild symptoms are capable of transmitting the virus. Charite's Institute of Virology and the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology have been supporting diagnostic efforts since the first case of 2019-nCoV infection was confirmed in Germany. Working independently of each other, both laboratories regularly monitor viral shedding in patients currently receiving treatment at Munich Clinic Schwabing. During the course of these investigations, the researchers found several cases in which infectious virus could be isolated from nose and throat swabs which had been obtained from patients with mild symptoms and propagated in cell culture. These patients presented with symptoms which were reminiscent of the common cold rather than severe pneumonia. Concomitant investigations by both laboratories also found evidence to suggest that the novel coronavirus replicates not only in the lungs but also in the nose, throat and gut. Their combined observations indicate that even people with mild or early symptoms of common cold (sore throat, signs of sinusitis, mild malaise without fever) can pass on the virus. The investigations were led by Prof. Dr. Christian Drosten, Director of the Institute of Virology on Campus Charite Mitte, Colonel Priv.-Doz. Dr. Roman Wolfel of the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology and Prof. Clemens Wendtner, Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine at Munich Clinic Schwabing. It is important to Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin that the latest research findings on 2019-nCoV be made public without delay. The researchers' findings have been reported to the Robert Koch Institute and the Permanent Working Group of Medical Competence and Treatment Centers for High Consequence Infectious Diseases (STAKOB). Their data are being prepared for publication in a scientific journal. ### The 14-year-old Christian girl did not appear in court because she fears for her life. The judge has set a new hearing for 4 March to give police more time to check medical records. Age is the key factor in the case since forced conversions are not a crime. Islamabad (AsiaNews) The Sindh High Court on Monday dismissed a petition to have the marriage and forced conversion of a Catholic girl overturned because both are valid under Islamic law since a girl can marry after she has her first period. Huma Younus (pictured, right), 14, was abducted last October and forced to marry a Muslim. For her lawyer, Tabassum Yousaf, this is shameful. Speaking to AsiaNews, she explained that the hearing lasted only five minutes. They didn't allow us to see her even for a second, but we shall not stop until we get justice. If necessary, we will take the case to the Supreme Court. Huma was seized from her home when her parents were away and taken 600 kilometres away. Her family lives in Zia Colony, a district of Karachi, whilst her husband-abductor is from Dera Gazi Khan, Punjab. Tabassum says that the girl's parents havent stopped crying because the court, in just a few words citing the Sharia, has justified the violation of their daughter's body since she has already had her first period. The court battle has been going on for months with constant delays and excuses cited so as not to present the underage girl into court. Even in the hearing two days ago, Huma was supposed to be present but did not show up, her lawyer said. Why didn't they show her to us? Why don't they want her to testify? In fact, there were many other girls in court. The judge said she didn't come because she fears for her life. But they allowed her to file an affidavit, the lawyer explained. In the latter, Huma claims that she has married of her own free will, but the document lacks the number of the identity card issued when people reach the age of 18. From a legal point of view, the husband claims that his wife is an adult; on the other hand, the family insists that she was born on 22 May 2005. For the family, the whole case revolves around a key factor, age, since forced conversions are not illegal in Pakistan. Sindh province passed the Child Marriage Restraint Act, which bans child marriages, but has failed to enforce it. What is more, there is a major flaw in the law, that is, the marriage is not annulled if the minor's consent has been given. Although child marriage is allowed in Pakistan, more and more people are speaking out against the practice to protect children. Meanwhile, a bill to ban child marriage across the country is stuck in Parliament". The next hearing in the case is set for 4 March, Tabassum said. The judge gave police more time for medical tests to determine the girls age. We presented right away all the papers from the government, the town hall and the church. Why didnt they ask for this before? Not one forcibly converted girl has been returned to her home, said the despondent lawyer. For Huma, this doesnt bode well. As time goes BY, the less we will know about her fate. Statistics tell us that if pressure is not put on the kidnapper, the minors fate is always the same: she is forced into prostitution or ends up in the hands of human traffickers. "If we don't succeed in the High Court, we shall go further. It is unfair that Christians are not recognised in their country. Yet we have made a great contribution to its development. (A.C.F.) Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said secularism and citizenship are under challenge in the country and if a person is secular today, people will call her anti-national. Speaking after the release of a book, "Vision for a Nation: Paths and Perspectives", he said if one is secular these days their patriotism will be questioned and there will also be people who will, in course of time, question citizenship of others which is a point of danger. The book brought out by Samruddha Bharat Foundation was earlier released by former prime minister Manmohan Singh and former vice president M Hamid Ansari, besides Chidambaram and others. Chidambaram said that many Indians have become diminished citizens these days and while there are many propagating Mahatma Gandhi's concept of civil disobedience against injustice, there are also people propagating Adolf Hitler's philosophy of demanding complete obedience to the supreme leader. The Congress leader said one of the fundamental ideas of a modern democracy is secularism and it is under challenge along with citizenship today. He said secularism is being challenged to a point where citizenship has also become an object of attack. "We have reached a point where the debate on secularism has shifted to a debate on citizenship. "If you are secular today, there are people who will call you anti-national, if you are secular today, they will say that you are speaking the language of Pakistan, if you are secular your patriotism is under question. Many of these people will have the citizenship of others under question in course of time. That is the point of danger at which we seem to be arriving at in the last few years," he said. Citing an article in the book, Chidambaram said concepts both of Gandhiji and Hitler are being witnessed today in society. There was a time when Gandhi came up with the idea of civil disobedience as a statement of one's moral courage in the face of injustice, he said. "I am proud that the people who, we thought, will not come out of their homes in this cold are now actually practising Gandhiji's civil disobedience. "On the contrary, Hitler's view was demanding complete obedience to the views of the supreme leader. There are examples today in India, in Delhi of civil disobedience as a statement of one's moral courage against injustice. We also have examples of people demanding complete obedience to the supreme leader," he said. The former home minister said people's citizenship seems to have been diminished by a number of things and in a digital world, if one is denied citizenship for seven months, one is diminished as a digital citizen. "What is happening today is that it is only if we speak a particular language, speak the language belonging to a family or we belong to a race, or we belong to a religion or we practice a particular culture, that we will be an Indian citizen. "If this definition is applied, many of us will cease to be citizens, many of us will become diminished citizens. A large number of us will even become non-citizens. As long as this was simply a theoretical idea propagated by Savarkars or Golwalkars, there was nothing wrong. "But, when this becomes a political project and the state is willing to put its power, resources and might behind taking this political project forward, we should seriously worry about what will happen to the concept of constitutional citizenship devised by Dr Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru," he said. Chidambaram alleged that politicised religion has almost taken over this country and over its institutions. Many of the institutions have been captured by those who belong to a particular religion, he said. "If you don't belong to this religion, or even if you belong to this religion and do not belong to the politicisation of this religion, then you have no place in many of the institutions of India of today," he said. Another Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said a final assault is underway on the foundational ideas of the country and there is need for a parallel paradigm, and it has become indispensable to re-articulate ideas and to convey them to the people. "This government prefers uniformity over unity in the country...they are redefining and reactivating the idea of India," Tharoor said. CPI general secretary Sitaram Yechury said, "We are at a defining moment of what would be of the Republic of India". "Any effort to impose uniformity would lead to an implosion," he said. A horror disease is threatening to wipe out wombats in Tasmania, a lobby group has warned. Wombat Warriors say the lovable creatures are plagued by mange, an infectious disease where a mite slowly eats the wombat over several months. The wombats become so tormented by the mange they have been known to scratch themselves to death. John Harris, founder of Wombat Warriors, has called on the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) to help preserve the wombat population. He claims the critters are in danger of extinction if something isn't done soon. 'As a contagious and infectious disease, the mite slowly eats the wombat over a 2-7 month period and the wombat scratches itself to death, dying with open wounds and typically going blind and deaf along the way,' he told The Mercury. Wombat Warriors say the lovable creatures are being plagued by mange (Pictured: Wombat with mange) The mite slowly eats the wombat over several months and they often scratch themselves to death Wombats in Cradle Mountain are being assessed amid concerns not enough is being done to save them. Mange is a skin infection that causes aggressive scratching, hair loss, weight loss and in the worst case scenario, death. 'Unless we do something, not only will we lose the species but we will lose wombats as a red-hot attraction,' Mr Harris. He added that the number of wombats with mange has reached five. 'We don't want to see the end of them,' he wrote. 'We are losing another Australian icon sarcoptic mange, road deaths and government sanctioned culling are threatening this lovable marsupial. 'Now an emergency.' John Harris, founder of Wombat Warriors called on the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment (DPIPWE) to help preserve the wombat population A meeting between Mr Harris and the department will look at ways to manage the wombat population with mange A meeting between Mr Harris and the DPIPWE has been set for next week to come up with a plan to manage the mange issue. A DPIPWE spokeswoman said they will work with volunteers to help combat mange found in wombats. 'The department is working with local volunteers to facilitate the assessment and treatment of the animals, and will meet with conservationists next week to discuss plans for monitoring and managing mange-affected wombats at Cradle Mountain,' she said. The FBI has still not been able to unlock the iPhone of the shooter behind the attack on the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. The iPhone in question was damaged which the FBI managed to reconstruct in its labs. However, it has still not been able to unlock the device and access the data stored on it. This was revealed by FBIs Director Christopher Wray while responding to questions from Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida at the House Judiciary Committee. Wray confirmed that the FBI is currently engaged with Apple in hopes to get better help from them so that the iPhone can be unlocked. U.S. Attorney General William Barr and President Donald Trump have publicly called out Apple to help the FBI in unlocking the shooters iPhone. In fact, President Trump publicly called out Apple on Twitter for not unlocking the shooters iPhone. On its part, Apple has already turned over gigabytes of iCloud data of the shooter to the law enforcement agency. Apple was quick to reject the claim that it did not provide substantive assistance to the FBI in the investigation. The company even issued a statement about this and said that it cannot create a backdoor in its products for law enforcement agencies as it could also be potentially exploited by others. The Florida shooter was found with two iPhones, iPhone 5 and iPhone 7. The data from the latter can be dumped using advanced tools since there is a known bootrom exploit checkm8 available for it. New Delhi: Bhojpuri sensation, Rani Chatterjee recently took to Instagram and posted a picture of her where she can be seen clicking her own selfie with a phone. The popular social media celeb has a huge fan following who love to check her posts online. In her recent post, the famous actress aptly wrote in the caption, " " Rani Chatterjee is looking stunning wearing a black dress with mirror work on the edges. She has over 527k followers on Instagram and the list is on a rise. On the work front, Rani will next be seen playing a police officer in 'Lady Singham'. The film started on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, September 2, 2019. She announced the movie on social media. The Bhojpuri bombshell also participated in Rohit Shetty hosted reality show 'Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi' season 10. After completing over a decade, Rani Chatterjee has worked with almost all the A-lister actors and filmmakers in the Bhojpuri film business. After a desperate attempt to get his family on the first evacuation flight from locked-down Wuhan amid the coronavirus outbreak, a Wisconsin father can at last breathe a sigh of relief that his wife and two young daughters are back stateside. Now, the family just has to wait a long two weeks of quarantine period to be reunited in Wisconsin, which just announced its first case of coronavirus - one of 12 in the US - on Wednesday. Daisy, Adalynn and Abigail Roth managed to get on one of the two US planes out of Wuhan that arrived Wednesday and are now being held at a hotel on Travis Air Force Base near San Francisco. It's been a long journey, and Daisy and her children are still thousands of miles from home, but husband Sam said his family is both exhausted and relieved to be back on US soil. Abigail Roth, five, wore a face mask during her harrowing journey back to the US from Wuhan with her mother and sister. The family is now under quarantine in California Just after Daisy (top left), Abigail (far left, age 10 months) and Adalynn (bottom right) arrived in Wuhan, China, the city was put in lock down amid the coronavirus outbreak. Now, father, Sam (right) is begging the State Department to let his family on the last flight out of the city so they can return home to Wisconsin Daisy and her daughters were among the 500 Americans who returned stateside Wednesday, but hundreds more were left behind, waiting anxiously for word that it's time to go home. The Roth family saw the news of a few cases of pneumonia cropping up in China ahead of the Lunar New Year, but they weren't concerned. Daisy is from China and Sam lived there for years. They aren't ones to panic over news from Daisy's home country, and figured that the slew of illnesses would blow over and be forgotten by the time Daisy and the children arrived in Wuhan. So they left their travel plans intact and boarded a flight last month. But the sporadic illnesses turned out not to be sporadic at all. Chinese health authorities identified the cause - a never-before-seen coronavirus - and cases surged. Soon, there were no more flight, trains, buses or cars out of Wuhan, the city where the virus emerged and where Daisy and her daughters were staying with family. Save one: a single 250-seat evacuation flight out of Wuhan back to the US, sent mostly to rescue diplomats and government employees, but with a few seats leftover for private Back in Wisconsin, Sam wasted no time. He immediately wrote to the State Department and took to Facebook and Twitter, begging for his wife and kids to be on that flight. During the two hour drive to the airport in Wuhan, the Roth family had to stop at multiple checkpoints where authorities checked that they were on the US embassy's list Hazmat suit-clad workers checked in every passenger at the Wuhan airport 'My family is currently in lockdown in Wuhan,' Sam plead on Twitter. 'When will my wife and two daughters, one of whom is only 10-months-old, be offered seats on the chartered flight?' They didn't make it onto that first flight. But at least Daisy, Adalynn and Abigail were then on the State Department's radar. And within a week, they got the notice they were waiting for: There were more planes coming, and there were seats for them. 'Then you've got to find a private car,' to get to the airport through a city where all public transit and vehicles are locked down. Abigail (pictured), her mother and baby sister wore face masks for the entire, exhausting journey Daisy's uncle agreed to take her and her daughters to the airport, driving two hours through check point after check point across the city. Long though the car trip was, it was 'smoother than I expected,' Sam said. First thing when they arrived at the airport, Daisy, Adalynn and Abigail's temperatures were checked. Then they waited - 17 hours of waiting at an airport deserted by staff except for janitorial workers and health and government employees. In a video Sam posted on Facebook, Adalynn, age five, nods off while The Roth family was subjected to yet another temperature check then, at long last, they boarded the second flight out of Wuhan to the US since the city was locked down. It was hardly a glamorous affair. Plastic drop cloths separated some of the plane's seats, and Daisy and her children wore face masks for the duration of their travel. But it didn't matter. They were on the way home. 'They were just so tired, I think they fell asleep for most of the flight,' Sam said. Finally they touched down in California. After more health checks, the family was whisked to quarantine, which Sam believes is a hotel on the Travis Air Base. It's not home, but at least it offers some much needed creature comforts. The plane was hardly glamorous, with a plastic drop cloth partitioning some of the seats Sam had pleaded with the State Department to evacuate his family, including young daughters Abigail (left), five, and Adalynn (right), who is just 10 months old Daisy, Abigail and Adalynn were among the 500 passengers flow back to the US on two evacuation planes. Pictured: the interior of the Roth family's plane 'It really seems like whomever organized this quarantine was very aware of the necessities, at least for my family,' Sam says. 'There was a Mickey Mouse doll, and baby wipes and baby food...all those things already in the hotel room when they got there.' Sam has since talked to his wife and, so far, the whole family is healthy, exhausted and just happy to be back stateside. But even his five-year-old daughter, Abigail, has noticed the stress of the situation and the importance of the family looking out for one another. Daisy wrote to Sam: 'Abby this morning said, "hey, mom, you've done so much for us and you must be tired. Take a rest, and I'll take care of Adalynn"' - the couple's 10-month old daughter - '"I love you,"' Sam relayed. 'Some times they really can impress you. I'm really happy they're back and just hope this quarantine goes over smoothly and we can be back together as as family soon enough.' It's some next-level skywatching: Scientists are using images captured by NASA's InSight lander to look for meteors on Mars . From a glance at the resulting images, the search seems straightforward: Countless streaks fill the sky. But squint a little, and the story turns out to be more quixotic. The images show mostly ghosts, the invisible made visible and the visible drowned out amid the illusions. In fact, if you were on Mars as the stars rose, you would see a completely different world than the one on display in night images beamed home by InSight's cameras. "Essentially, in the images that we have so far, there's very little content that you would actually see with your eyes," Mark Lemmon, a scientist at the Space Science Institute who leads the meteor-watching project, told Space.com. Related: NASA's InSight Mars lander 'hears' Martian wind, a cosmic first The images come from a device called the Instrument Context Camera, one of two perched on the InSight lander. The camera was included to help scientists understand the neighborhood in which the spacecraft deployed its two main instruments. And one of those instruments, the seismometer , is the reason for the meteor search. This instrument is tuned to feel shuddering waves traveling through Mars; scientists can then parse that data to understand the interior structure and activity of the Red Planet. Those waves could be spawned by marsquakes , the Martian equivalent of earthquakes. But they can also occur when meteorites slam into the planet's surface. Hence, scientists' interest in meteors: A calculation of how often such impacts occur on Mars would help researchers interpret the seismometer's data. A night-sky image taken by the Spirit rover in 2005, annotated to show stars and other features. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell/Texas A&M/SSI) These efforts don't mark the first time scientists have watched for meteors in the Martian skies. NASA's Spirit rover , which roamed the Red Planet from 2004 to 2010, spent the summer of 2005 skywatching. That opportunity came thanks to the weather, which cleared so much dust off Spirit's solar panels that they were overproducing energy, creating a bounty that eventually became a burden. "That was the cleanest [time] the rover spent on Mars," Lemmon said. "During that summer, there was so much solar power that they had to try and use it at night, because even if they were just dumping it, using that energy in the day was heating up the rover too much." So, Spirit spent some nights skywatching, but scientists never spotted a meteor in that data. Given the scale of observations gathered total, that's pretty inconclusive: It could mean that fewer meteors arrive at Mars than scientists expected or that the team simply had bad luck. An animation of images taken by Spirit of Mars' two moons and the Pleiades star cluster, photographed in 2005. (Image credit: NASA/JPL/Cornell/Texas A&M) InSight, which arrived in November 2018, took up the task as a low-priority project. The first images came from the lander's Instrument Deployment Camera, which is attached to the arm of the rover and can be pointed at specific locations. But for months now, that camera has had more pressing concerns than shooting stars. InSight's second key science instrument, a heat probe nicknamed the mole, has been troublesome. The mole is meant to dig itself about 16 feet (5 meters) below the surface, measuring heat transport in the Martian rock as it does. The mole's dig has been slow going, however. In general, the probe has struggled to get traction in the rock . The instrument has even popped partway out of its burrow on a few occasions. Difficulties faced by the mole mean that the Instrument Deployment Camera has focused on providing engineers with visual evidence of what's happening with the probe and rescue attempts. There's no time for stargazing. A night-sky image taken by the Mars InSight lander's Instrument Deployment Camera on July 25, 2019. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) So, the scientists looking for meteors recruited the Instrument Context Camera instead. Like its companion, this camera was left over from the Curiosity rover, based on designs from 1999, then upgraded to see in color. ( NASA's next Mars rover , launching this summer, will carry brand-spanking-new cameras, including zoom lenses and video capability.) But unlike the Instrument Deployment Camera, the Instrument Context Camera is stuck in place, and it's equipped with a fisheye lens that distorts its view. It's not a natural skywatcher, to say the least. "It has the advantage that it's a larger field of view, so we see about a third of the horizon," Lemmon said. "It has the big disadvantage that it's not looking very high up in the sky. Obviously, if you were here on Earth looking for meteors , you wouldn't focus on the horizon." Daytime images from the camera make its stargazing challenges evident: Mars itself fills most of the camera's field of view. Despite the seeming uniformity of the night images, the ground takes up most of the Instrument Context Camera's view, with no stars to see. Just a curving swath of sky remains above the red rock to be filled with stars after sunset. A daylight image taken by the Mars InSight lander's Instrument Context Camera, which is fixed in place, on Feb. 1, 2020. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) So far, although Lemmon checks each image for meteors, InSight's images have turned up empty. "There's a sense in which it's somewhat demoralizing," Lemmon said of scanning each image for potential meteors that are never there. He said scientists do know what such objects ought to look like. Meteors would follow a curved path as seen by the fisheye lens. Aside from that, Lemmon said, meteors at Mars should look more or less the same as they do here on Earth. "You've got a range of things, from just a bright streak across the sky to a real fireball," he said. The carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere might give a meteor an orange glow, but Lemmon said he isn't sure InSight's cameras could detect that color shift. But most pinpricks of light in the InSight images come from an entirely different celestial phenomenon: cosmic rays , fragments of atoms that careen across the universe in all directions. Unlike the terrestrially pedestrian stars and meteors, cosmic rays are very difficult to photograph from Earth. Our atmosphere blocks many such particles from reaching the surface. A lucky camera on Earth set to take a long-exposure image may catch a cosmic ray here or there. But Mars doesn't have Earth's atmosphere to bat away cosmic rays, leaving the Red Planet primed to host a cosmic-ray detector, said Justin Maki, an imaging scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California. That's what every bright spot below the invisible curve of the horizon in the Instrument Context Camera's night images is, the fingerprint of a cosmic ray. "The universe is kind of awash with cosmic rays ," Maki said. "You don't think about them much, because they mostly just pass through you or pass through the environment." A night-sky image taken by the Mars InSight lander's Instrument Context Camera on Jan. 24, 2020. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) While they won't affect InSight's other data, the cosmic ray images could feed scientists' curiosity about these particles, particularly their frequency at Mars. The length of a streak speaks to the type of particle involved longer streaks are typically high-energy protons or muons, Lemmon said and the angle at which the cosmic ray is traveling. "Some of these are coming from the sun. Some of them, we don't know where they come from," Maki said. (The colors on display merely reflect what color of sensor the cosmic ray happened to hit.) InSight's night images even capture the shadows of cosmic rays. That's because, for each 5-minute exposure, the camera also captures an instantaneous view to subtract out of the main image, as a sort of calibration image, Maki said. If a cosmic ray hits during that instantaneous image, but not during the main image, the result is a dark spot, marking the shadow of where a cosmic ray will appear in the instantaneous image. But the eerie would-be meteor-watching photos won't keep flowing back from Mars. Time is running out for getting skywatching photos from the Instrument Context Camera, Lemmon said, because the infamous Martian dust-storm season will soon begin, blotting out the horizon. "Within a couple of weeks, I don't think that we will be able to see even a bright star that low in the sky," Lemmon said. They'd still see the cosmic rays, of course. But they've seen plenty of those. Email Meghan Bartels at mbartels@space.com or follow her @meghanbartels . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . New Delhi, Feb 6 : Hitting out at Pakistan as well as opposition parties for misleading Muslims on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Act will not harm "any Indian" as well as the "minority" and instigating such protests could lead to "anarchy". Addressing the Lok Sabha while speaking on the motion of thanks to President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint session of Parliament on January 31 -- day one of the Budget session -- Modi rejected allegations of various political parties that the current government led by BJP wanted to make India a Hindu nation. The Prime Minister said Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, had also used "Pakistan's minority" word and in November 9, 1950, he had said that those who had come to India should be given citizenship and if needed there should be changes in the law. "Did Nehru want to make India a Hindu nation?" "This Act will not harm any Indian citizen. It will not harm any minority," Modi said in his over 100-minute speech. The Prime Minister said that it is just "vote bank politics" and asked if Congress has forgotten the 1984 Sikh riots when "our Sikh brothers and sisters were set ablaze". "Did they not belong to a minority community? Why did they have to wait for over three decades for getting justice? Why did Congress give chief ministerial post to a person who was involved in Sikh riots? Do they have two different yardsticks for the term minority?" Hitting out at the Congress, the Prime Minister said it is the "misfortune" of the country that it has found such an opposition which has drifted to a "wrong path". The Prime Minister said the Congress and its "ecosystem" is creating turmoil on CAA, a legislation which grants citizenship to six-non Muslim minorities -- Hindu, Sikh, Parsi, Jain, Christian and Buddhist which migrated to India on or before December 31, 2014 from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. "They (opposition) have used full power to instil an imaginary fear in the minds of people against CAA. Pakistan also speaks the same language. Pakistan played every game to mislead Indian Muslims. But that country's attempts have failed...A Muslim is only a Muslim for the Congress, but we see him as an Indian." The Prime Minister said that minorities in Pakistan are being harassed since the Partition. However, demonstrations are being instigated in India if "we try to give citizenship rights to those minorities through CAA". On Jammu and Kashmir issue, the Prime Minister slammed controversial remarks made by former chief ministers of the erstwhile state -- Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah and Farooq Abdullah -- on abrogation of Article 370. Referring to exodus of Kashmiri pandits from Kashmir, the Prime Minister said, Kashmir's identity was "buried" on January 19, 1990. Mentioning that India can no longer wait for problems to remain unsolved even after 70 years of Independence, Modi stressed that the country deserves speedy growth with fine decisions and decisiveness. The Prime Minister said that people have seen the speed and work of this government and "that's why they gave us a bigger mandate in the elections". "If the current government would also have worked in the same mode as of the earlier government then even after 70 years, Article 370 would never have been abrogated and law on Triple Talaq would never have become a reality and Ram Janmabhoomi issue would not have been resolved." Speaking on Bodo dispute, the Prime Minister said that all the previous government's efforts in this direction only remained confined to paperwork, assuring that the current accord with BODO people is special in many ways. "All armed groups have surrendered as per the current accord. The tripartite agreement mentions that no pending issue of BODO tribe will be left unaddressed." Talking about farmer's issue, the Prime Minister said there should be no politics on the issue, requesting all to work together towards the prosperity of farmers. The issue of increasing the Minimum Support Price (MSP) 1.5 times was also pending for long, Modi said, adding the matter has been addressed as well by the government which in addition gave away Rs 56,000 crore to farmers under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. "The government has taken several steps to increase the trust of investors and make the economy stronger. From January 2019 to 2020, GST revenue crossed one lakh crore rupees and initiatives like MUDRA Yojana and Start-up India has given self-employment to many youths." The Prime Minister emphasized promoting labour reforms for creation of job. "It is due to the speed of this government that in the last five years, 37 crore people got bank accounts, 11 crore people got toilets in their homes, 13 crore people got gas connections and two crore people got their own homes." Axalta's research-and-development building in the South Philadelphia Navy Yard. Read more A Kuwaiti investment firm has acquired Axalta Coating System LLCs office and research building at the Navy Yard for $61.2 million. Dimah Capital Investment Co. bought the 175,000-square-foot property through its U.S.-based Apex Capital Investments Corp. subsidiary, according to a release Thursday from real estate services firm CBRE, which represented seller Liberty Property Trust. The 1050 Constitution Ave. property was built for Center City-based Axalta in 2017. Axaltas lease at the property runs until fall 2037. Liberty built the project as the main developer of the Navy Yards central business campus before shifting its focus to industrial projects in 2018. It sold the Axalta property shortly before its acquisition by San Francisco-based warehouse giant Prologis Inc. closed this week. It was announced in October. The building is the latest in the region to be acquired by a Kuwait-based fund following the Centre Square office complexs sale to a group involving Wafra Inc., and Soor Capitals purchase of four Malvern buildings leased to Vanguard Group. Apex is managed by Philadelphia-based John Gaghan, a former vice president with real estate firm Lowe Enterprises. The Axalta property was marketed by a team at CBRE involving brokers Robert Fahey and Jerry Kranzel. WASHINGTON -- Dang, if he didn't do it again: Donald John Trump slid out the back door and won the Iowa caucuses Monday night, thanks to a vote-counting app apocalypse, and he was acquitted on the two impeachment charges leveled against him. Forget Teflon-President Ronald Reagan, to whom no bad thing ever stuck. Forget the Comeback Kid, President Bill Clinton, who kept getting back up every time he was knocked down. For reasons as mysterious as the Iowa caucuses themselves, President Trump may be the luckiest guy ever to hold the office. Despite being like a bank robber who practically leaves breadcrumbs for the cops to follow, he can't seem to get caught. And, if Democrats continue their trend of ineptitude -- there's more -- Trump will escape with another term in office come November. If he wants it. Though he still falls short of exoneration, Trump doesn't let such details interfere with his own reality. When the Mueller investigation failed to find evidence of a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, he insisted he was found "innocent." Likewise, the Senate's acquittal of Trump won't exonerate him, but he'll surely claim that it does. From his perspective, the proof is glaringly obvious: He's still president of the United States, isn't he? Moreover, the chaos that has been ascribed to the Trump White House since Day One looks like a special ops team compared with the Democrats' recent unraveling. Another folly has been playing out in Milwaukee, where two leaders of the host committee for the Democratic National Convention have been put on leave pending an investigation into what some staffers have described as a toxic work environment. Details of the alleged offenses haven't been made available, but a statement from the chief executive of the Democratic National Convention Committee, Joe Solmonese, may have provided hints. "The Democratic Party is firm in our belief that every person deserves to feel safe and respected at their place of work and we will always take seriously claims of bullying and workplace harassment," Solmonese said. He added that the host committee's board of directors "is moving forward with a plan to restore an office culture that aligns with the values and expectations of our party." Whatever that means. The definitions of bullying and harassment could mean anything from #MeToo-ish to merely boorish. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that experienced politicos who have worked with the committee described a "toxic culture rife with power struggles, backbiting and mismanagement." The two officials who have been put on leave, executive director Liz Gilbert and chief of staff Adam Alonso, were also accused of focusing on "accumulating power" rather than "promoting Milwaukee," the Sentinel reported. As of this writing, neither Gilbert nor Alonso has commented on the allegations. Alonso and Gilbert are apparently veterans of controversy. While working full time for the host committee, the two were criticized for continuing to work for New Jersey Democrats. On Monday, the New Jersey Democratic Party dropped Alonso's $15,000-per-month consulting arrangement. Controversy is never far away from politics, no matter what the party. And, though the host committee is an independent, civic group and not part of the Democratic National Convention Committee itself, it isn't helpful when a workplace scandal implying inappropriate behavior suddenly surfaces. Without enthusiasm and high morale, organizing a convention and raising the millions of dollars needed to fund the event would be a sentence equal to a Siberian labor camp. Or, say, a short stint in the Trump White House. These things can happen to anyone, obviously, and, well, apps fail and chads hang. But when they happen with such synchronicity with Trump's sudden swell of sensational headlines, one may be inclined to gaze up into the night sky seeking answers. What starry misalignment or heavenly hoax is this? If you're a Trump supporter, on the other hand, the stars form constellations of pearl-studded streets, diamond fountains and thrones of gold, reaffirming the belief that, hallelujah, God sent Trump to make America great again. There's plenty of time for Democrats to get their acts together and for Trump to pull another disqualifying caper. But for this all-important week, the story is that Trump is still winning -- while Democratic candidates, who spent months of sweat and lucre in pursuit of a little lightning beneath their feet -- waited in line to lose. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Henry Walke, M.D., leader of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) team at Travis Air Force Base, answers questions from the media after updating them on the evacuation of people from Hubei Province, China, who arrived at the base on a private charter late Tuesday evening. The Air Force base is one of two California military bases accepting flights carrying U.S. evacuees from China to be screened and quarantined as the coronavirus outbreak grows worldwide. EPA/PETER DASILVA By Jane Han SAN FRANCISCO Starting last week, Kathy Yang has been getting a weird feeling while carrying on her daily business. "At work, at Costco, at the doctor's office...I keep getting this odd feeling that people are looking at me in a way unlike before,'' said the 41-year-old, who works as a bank teller in the Bay Area. "Their facial expression looks as if they're trying to decipher if I'm sick or not.'' So far, only 12 cases of the China-originated coronavirus have been confirmed in the U.S. But fear and racism over the new and unpredictable virus appears to be spreading faster than the virus itself. "I've lived in the U.S. for more than 15 years and this is the first time I've felt discriminated to this level on so many occasions in such a short period of time," Yang said. Many others living in the U.S. say they've also been racially victimized because of the virus. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 18:47:38|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Bogdana Pivnenko, head of the violin department of the Petro Tchaikovsky National Music Academy, performs at an event to express her support for the Chinese people in the fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic in Kiev, Ukraine, Feb. 5, 2020. TO GO WITH "Ukrainian musicians support China's fight against novel coronavirus epidemic" (Photo by Sergey Starostenko/Xinhua) KIEV, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Petro Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine held here Wednesday a donation and fundraising event to support China's fight against the novel coronavirus epidemic. At the event, world-famous Ukrainian composer Miroslav Skorik said his team is writing a music piece for the Chinese medical workers fighting on the front line of the battle against the epidemic as well as the patients. "We are all very sympathetic to the Chinese people. We feel their pain, support them and wish them to overcome the disease as soon as possible," Skorik said. The musical composition is supposed to be finished in ten days, and then he will invite Chinese musicians to write lyrics, he said. Maksym Tymoshenko, head of the Petro Tchaikovsky National Music Academy, said at the event that the academy has raised 500,000 hryvnia (20,222 U.S. dollars) to purchase medical supplies to contribute to China's fight against the coronavirus outbreak. "China is our strategic partner and we have a lot of Chinese students in our academy. We want to express our support to the Chinese people in the fight against the terrible virus," Tymoshenko told Xinhua. Bogdana Pivnenko, head of the violin department of the Petro Tchaikovsky National Music Academy, performed at the event a violin concerto, through which she expressed her support for the Chinese people. "This performance is the message of best wishes for our friends in China. We hope that they will be able to overcome the disease," the violinist said. Also present at the event was Wu Lianwen, the minister counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in Ukraine, who thanked all the teachers and students of the Petro Tchaikovsky National Music Academy of Ukraine on behalf of the Chinese embassy. These tweets with 5 likes are really selling this to me! Reply Thread Link Just because they have a smaller fanbase doesn't mean there isn't merit to the comparisons. I've listened to Paramore for years but as a ionnalee fan it's hard not to see the inspiration between it all imo. Reply Parent Thread Link the aesthetic is not that original anyway Reply Thread Link for real. Reply Parent Thread Link Mte like. At least 5 film students have done something like this in a project they turned in this week. Reply Parent Thread Link Agreed. Although, Hayley made it really fucking cool. Reply Parent Thread Link feels like a reach to me. lots of videos use that ultra white lighting to give it a hazy, almost foggy and otherworldly feel. their interlude pieces especially, are entirely different. do they both need to go back to annie lennox and give credit for the use of lighting? when your fav is known only to you and 5 other people, so you try and start some shit with a name to get some press. Reply Thread Link Pretty sure they didn't originate this style either sooooooooo Reply Thread Link Nothing is original anymore. Good artists borrow, great artists steal. The first thing I thought of when I looked at these is 'Bad Romance'. Reply Thread Link i just wished Hayley's songs were catchier. I love a good depressing song but these just kinda meander and go nowhere. Reply Thread Link mte I like her voice so much but these songs are duds Reply Parent Thread Link Her tens of fans sound pissed. Reply Thread Link Some of it is similar but it's not identical. This aesthetic has been around for a long time. Anyways I really like fountain and play Reply Thread Link There is no originality left in everything. Reply Thread Link Similar, but not identical imo. And this aesthetic has been around forever. Reply Thread Link it was such an exciting time when those first iamamiwhoami videos started dropping and she's been delivering for 10 years now... love her Reply Thread Link Thinking back on it, how the hell did we ever think it could really be Xtina? Lol Reply Parent Thread Link when she started releasing songs with one letter titles and people though it was spelling out BIONIC lol Reply Parent Thread Link Lmao those posts were so fucking fun! Reply Parent Thread Link Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in Hello! Your entry got to top-25 of the most popular entries in LiveJournal!Learn more about LiveJournal Ratings in FAQ Reply Thread Link the first two hw solo music vids made me think of bjork tbh. did she just release cinnamon? i think it's my favorite of the solo songs i've heard so far, kinda reminds me of kimbra. Reply Thread Link Yeah I actually enjoy Cinnamon a lot better than the other songs. Reply Parent Thread Link yeah she dropped cinnamon and 2 other songs today. i think she's releasing them as 2 eps. Reply Parent Thread Link i looked it up after i commented, haven't listened to it yet though. i'm kinda over all these artists releasing eps (or 6mil singles) instead of full-lengths, but i guess it's just how it is now. /shrug Reply Parent Thread Link lmao i was going to say they look like budget matthew barney visuals aka bjorks ex lol Reply Parent Thread Expand Link literally thought "oh is that that girl we hoped was pre-bionic christina aguilera" when I saw the Hayley stuff on my timeline so... those tweets might only have a few likes, but I cosign LOL Reply Thread Link Oh man I remember those posts, lol. But that was back when a lot of ONTD hated Christina. I distinctly remember so many comments like nah, Christina is not smart enough to pull off something like this. Reply Parent Thread Link A day after a man was lynched and six were injured by villagers on suspicion of being "child-lifters" in Madhya Pradesh, the DGP on Thursday said while the police cannot shirk their responsibility, people should have also tried to stop the violent mob. DGP V K Singh condemned the gruesome incident and said instead of filming the act on their cellphones, local people should have intervened to stop the attack. A 35-year-old man was lynched while six of his friends were seriously injured on Wednesday when a group of villagers attacked them amid rumours that a child-lifter gang was on the prowl in Baroli village in Dhar district. All of them were farmers and had gone to the village apparently to recover money given to local farm labourers by one of them. The director general of police's statement came after BJP vice-president and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan took to Twitter to condemn the incident, alleging the police had failed to prevent the attack despite being informed about the visit of the victims to the village. Along with his tweet, Chouhan posted a video of the incident that showed people filming the mob violence on their mobile phones. "The incident was quite saddening and unfortunate. The police will initiate necessary measures (to prevent such incidents). But there is also an urgent need to seriously look at the society's mentality," the DGP told reporters. Singh said the people who were around should have stopped the mob instead of filming the incident on their cellphones. "The police can't shirk their responsibility, though they have their limitations," the state police chief added. Three persons who were part of the mob have been arrested, while the inspector in-charge of the Manawar police station, under whose jurisdiction the incident took place, a sub-inspector and three to four other policemen have been suspended, he said. "Other policemen will face departmental action if it is found that they have shown dereliction in performing their duties," Singh said. He appealed to people to not participate in mob violence and ignore rumours. Meanwhile, health minister Tulsi Silawat has announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the family of Ganesh Patel, who died in the attack. The government will also pay for the medical expenses of the injured who are undergoing treatment, he added. Chief Minister Kamal Nath has taken cognisance of the incident and a special team has been set up to investigate the matter, the minister said. The victims, farmers hailing from Indore and Ujjain districts, had gone to Baroli village, around 60 km from Dhar town, to recover money from some local farm labourers when they were attacked by the mob. The attack took place after farm labourers spread rumours that the seven men were child-lifters to avoid returning the money they had taken as advance from one of the victims, police have said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The fashion trade ends a year, marked by ups and downs in its main markets. In the eurozone, the sales of the sector experienced a recovery in 2019 while in the United States, fashion sales have ended in the red. In eurozone countries, fashion trade has ended 2019 with an increase of 0.3%, according to data from the European statistical agency Eurostat. This increase differentiates from the result of the previous year when the fashion trade in the countries of the region recorded a fall of 1.6%. In the European Union as a whole, the revenue of the sector rose by 0.9% in 2019, compared to a 0.6% decrease from a year ago. In 2019, almost all the countries of the European Union have seen a positive evolution in their fashion sales. The biggest increases have been marked by Romania, with a rise of 10.5%, Lithuania, with an increase of 9.5% and Portugal, where the sector has increased its sales by 6.8%. In 2019, almost all the countries of the European Union have seen a positive evolution in their fashion sales In Spain, fashion sales in 2019 saw an increase of 1.4%, in comparison to the 1.5% the previous year, while in the United Kingdom grew by 1.5%, compared to the fall of 0.3% in 2018. In parallel, Germanys fashion trade continued to fall in 2019, with a decrease of 1.1% in line with the 2.5% drop from the previous year. The rest of the countries where fashion sales shrank in 2019 were Belgium and Switzerland, where the sector fell 0.8%, respectively accumulating four years of decline, and 3.5%. In Spain, fashion sales rose 1.4% in 2019 In the United States, on the other hand, sales of fashion garments, accessories, and footwear, ended 2019 with a 0.6% decrease, according to data from the United States Census Bureau. Although in the main markets of Latin America the year-end data has not yet been revealed, the fashion sector in Brazil and in Mexico expects to end 2019 with positive development. Fashion sales in Brazil face the final stretch of the year with positivity, with a 2% growth in their revenue in November, according to data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. In Mexico, on the other hand, the sales of the sector registered an increase of 1.7% in November, its biggest monthly increase in more than three years, according to the annual report published by the national statistics agency Inegi. The Democrats glitch-ridden first vote fails to throw up a clear candidate to take on Trump Democratic presidential candidates Pete Buttigieg (left) and Bernie Sanders remained locked in a tight race in the Iowa Democratic Party caucus. (AP) New York: Pete Buttigieg clung to a slight lead over Bernie Sanders in a new batch of vote totals released by the Iowa Democratic Party on Wednesday, two days after the state hosted its first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses. But the race remained too early to call. Much of the political world has already shifted its attention to next-up New Hampshire, which holds the first primary election in the Democrats' 2020 nomination fight on Tuesday. Iowa officials attributed their delay to technical problems. The chaos surrounding the reporting breakdown has undermined the impact of the Iowa's election, which typically rewards winners with a surge of momentum heading into subsequent primary contests. The two early leaders _ Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Vermont Sen. Sanders _ are separated by 40 years in age and conflicting ideology. Sanders, a 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist, has been a progressive powerhouse for decades. Buttigieg, a 38-year-old former municipal official, represents the more moderate wing of the Democratic Party. Buttigieg is also the first openly gay candidate to earn presidential primary delegates. Wednesday's updated results show Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former Vice President Joe Biden and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar trailing. The Democrats' primary fight intensified in New Hampshire on Wednesday as Biden took aim at both Iowa front-runners. The former vice president suggested that Sanders was unelectable and would hurt other Democrats on the ballot this fall should he represent the party in the general election. Biden also charged that it would be ``a risk'' to nominate Buttigieg because he hasn't been elected to a higher office than South Bend mayor. Speaking at a candidate forum in New Hampshire, Buttigieg was focused on the issues. He said a shift in emotion from ``guilt and doom'' to pride is needed to propel the nation forward on climate change. By Azernews By Abdul Kerimkhanov Chairman of Azerbaijan's State Committee For Affairs Of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Rovshan Rzayev, Head of the election observation mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Peter Taylor and analyst Masha Yanushevich discussed the current situation of refugees and IDPs expelled from their homes as a result of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh. Rzayev met with the foreign guests on February 6, according to the information published on the Committees website. During the meeting, he said that Azerbaijani state shows care and attention to refugees and IDPs. Rzayev further recalled that Armenia, with its aggressive policy, continues to violate a number of fundamental rights of these people, including suffrage. He expressed regret over lack of international pressure on this aggressive state, which does not comply with UN resolutions on the unconditional withdrawal of troops from the occupied territories. Rzayev expressed his hopes that the IDPs will take an active part in the snap parliamentary elections to be held in Azerbaijan on February 9. He also noted that the interference of central and local executive authorities in the election process is impossible. Touching upon the democratic traditions in Azerbaijan, he reminded that its foundation was laid back in the period of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, and during the years of independence, they went the way of further development. Rzayev informed the guests that he had previously participated in parliamentary elections and was familiar with the practice of political struggle. Now, as a citizen, he praised the democratic environment in elections anticipation. In turn, Taylor thanked for the warm welcome and detailed information and spoke about the activities of his long-term observer mission. He also shared his opinion on the participation of refugees and IDPs in the parliamentary elections. Taylor focused on the information of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan, and added that internally displaced persons will vote in 500 precincts of 14 constituencies. He emphasized that OSCE observers will fulfill their mission in these areas. The parties also discussed other issues of mutual interest during the meeting. Nagorno-Karabakh conflict went down in history as one of the most tragic conflicts of the region, with its consequences seriously affecting the fate of millions of people. Having started with open territorial claims against Azerbaijan and provocations on ethnic grounds in 1988, the conflict resulted in Armenias military occupation of Azerbaijan. The Armenians, who occupied high positions in the Soviet Union, the leadership of Armenian SSR and the Armenian diaspora abroad embarked on a purposeful campaign to seize the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAR), which was established within Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic in 1923, and annex it to Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic taking the opportunity created by the weakening of the central government of the USSR in the early 1980s. The forced expulsion of Azerbaijanis from their historical lands began in Gafan region of the Armenian SSR in late 1987. Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijans breakaway region which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions. HYDERABAD: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has expressed concerns that the central government may use force to clear the Shaheen Bagh stretch where an agitation has been ongoing for over 50 days against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The Hyderabad AIMIM MP further told news agency ANI that the central government's use of force might tun Shaheen Bagh into Jallianwala Bagh. "Might be they will shoot them, they might turn Shaheen Bagh into Jallianwala Bagh. This might happen. BJP minister gave a statement to 'shoot a bullet'. The government must give an answer as (to) who is radicalising," Owaisi said. Owaisi made these remarks in view of reports that the government might use force to clear Shaheen Bagh of protesters after February 8 - the day Delhi will go to polls. Further speaking about NPR and NRC, Owaisi said, "Government must give a clear cut answer that till 2024 NRC will not be implemented. Why are they spending Rs 3,900 crore for NPR? I feel this way because I was a History student. Hitler during his reign conducted census twice and after that, he pushed the jews in a gas chamber. I don't want our country (to) go in that way." It may be noted that senior officials of the Election Commission and the Delhi Police had on Wednesday inspected the Shaheen Bagh area and encouraged protesters to vote in the assembly polls due on February 8. Live TV The Delhi poll body has put all five polling stations in the Shaheen Bagh area under the "critical" category. Shaheen Bagh, Khureji Khas and Hauz Rani are some of the sites in the city where protesters are opposing the amended citizenship law. Hundreds of people, including women and children, have been protesting since December 15 at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens. The elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly will take place on February 8 and results will be declared on February 11. (With ANI inputs) An employee of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) who was missing from home since February 4 was found dead in Roorkee area near Ganga Canal here, police said. The body of Khalid was recovered from the spot on Wednesday with cut marks on his throat, they said. The family members have alleged that Khalid was murdered. However, police said an investigation is underway and the body has been sent for a post mortem. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pulwama, Feb 6 : The administration in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district has ordered a permanent ban on mining of all sorts over 'Kahcharai' land at Lethpora with immediate effect. Deputy Commissioner Raghav Langer said on Thursday that mining in the area not only causes loss of mineral deposits, but also destroys the natural beauty of the area. Langer emphasised the need for adopting zero tolerance against illegal mining and asked the concerned officials to act strictly against violators. The move comes following numerous complaints by locals that widespread illegal mining is being undertaken by various unscrupulous elements in the area which has become a nuisance for local residents, he added. He also said that special task forces have been constituted to stop illegal mining in the area. We've reached a point where 'workwear' has no clear definition. While the word still conjures images of shift dresses, pencil skirts and pointed courts, few of us really wear that kind of garb every day anymore. What is considered office-appropriate has evolved to such an extent that what we deemed 'casualwear' is now acceptable in many workplaces - walk into a modern office and you're likely to see trainers, skinny jeans and a few sweatshirts. This is a premium article Premium articles will soon be available only to Independent.ie subscribers. Workwear has come a long way since Melanie Griffith's shoulder-padded, skirt-suited Working Girl. Thanks to developments in technology and the rise of remote and freelance working, the whole concept of 'work' looks very different from how it did in the 80s and 90s. Those fitted shift dresses and court shoes may be fine for TV newsreaders or when sitting at a desk all day - a trip to the kitchen for a cup of tea the furthest you're bound to go - but significantly less suitable for squeezing on to a sofa for a conference breakout session or taking a walking meeting. Thankfully, women are no longer required nor even expected to wear high heels every day (or ever, if they prefer), and the knock-offs of Roland Mouret's Galaxy dress have become a rare sight. Yet although these changes may come as a relief, they also open up a dilemma about what to wear instead. In today's more casual offices, just about anything goes, but that doesn't mean 'wear whatever you feel most comfortable in'. Saunter in donning leggings and sliders and you run the risk of your co-workers taking you less seriously, or believing you don't take your job seriously. So where do we go from here? Start with your silhouette. The figure-hugging Fox News-anchor style is dated and feels a bit toxic right now, but there is value in a clean, defined shape. See Laura Dern in a structured leather dress last week: the fitted bodice looks crisp, while the flared skirt brings a level of ease. Colourful leather was all over the catwalks for spring-summer, but the cut of the dress and the shade of red aren't overtly trendy, plus the ruffled blouse and suede boots help to soften the look. When shopping, skip the pencil skirts for an A-line shape, like M&S's burgundy number. The midi length is very versatile and will look great with flats, boots or a bit of a heel. Likewise, a pair of wide-leg trousers will create a very strong, yet wearable, silhouette. Victoria Beckham is a fan and tends to style hers with a blouse, shirt or thin jumper tucked in. She recently stepped out in a vibrant green corduroy pair with a lemon-yellow roll-neck knit, showcasing how an unexpected colour combination can pack a real punch. We'd advise taking things one step at a time - either go bold or corduroy - but a surprising colour choice can really enliven an outfit, and during this changeable spring weather is the perfect moment to bring some fun to your outfits. Beckham also knows the power of a great coat, which is what most people you meet on your way to and from meetings will see you in. Video of the Day Meghan Markle favours an immaculate camel version, with this winter's favourite outfit formula: the slip skirt and jumper. The satin fabric adds polish, the roll-neck is cosy yet neat, and the rich neutrals are warmer and more exciting than black. Dress it up with heels like Markle or a pair of knee-high boots, or go for box-fresh trainers for a more laid-back feel. This is one area where comfort rules supreme, even in more corporate settings - so long as they're spotless, you can wear them to the office and all day long inside too. Mental Health America envisions a nation where the average American workplace understands the value of addressing mental health at work and implements policies and practices that support employee well-being, said Paul Gionfriddo, Mental Health America president and CEO. Mental Health America (MHA) is pleased to announce the inaugural recipients of its new national employer certification program, The Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health. About 1 in 5 employees will experience a mental health condition each year, but given the right resources, 5 in 5 employees benefit from a supportive and psychologically safe workplace. Employers who value and prioritize mental health can see the positive impact it has on employee retention, engagement, and health care costs. An employer can improve workplace culture, offer generous health insurance and other benefits, and commit to mental health from the top-down to cultivate a worker-friendly, highly productive, and psychologically safe workplace. The MHA Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health is a certification program created by MHA to assess workplaces in five categories: workplace culture; health insurance and benefits; employee perks and programs; legal and ethical compliance; and leadership and community engagement. The Bell Seal recognizes employer advances in workplace mental health by awarding levels of bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. By becoming Bell Seal-certified, an organization sets itself apart as a workplace that values mental health and a mentally healthy work environment for all employees. Any employer - large or small - is encouraged to apply. The Bell Seal application process operates on a rolling basis, so MHA can accept applications year-round. Because all workplaces are different, an employer can aspire to receive recognition at four levels Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. MHA is pleased to announce the following companies as the first to complete the process and become Bell Seal-certified: ________ Beacon Health Options Platinum Beacon is a leading behavioral health services company serving the full spectrum of behavioral health needs and specializing in complex, high acuity populations. Beacon has a deep understanding of the broad challenges individuals face and what it takes to help overcome them. Beacon offers proven solutions for a broad client base that includes employers, regional and specialty health plans, and federal, state, and local governments. EAB Platinum EAB is an education firm that partners with colleges, universities, and K-12 schools across North America and abroad to foster student success at every level. EAB is headquartered in Washington, DC, with additional offices in Birmingham, AL; Minneapolis, MN; New York, NY; and Richmond, VA. Dallas Fort Worth Airport (DFW) Platinum DFW Airport is the worlds fourth busiest airport for flights and welcomes more than 73 million customers every year. As one of the most frequently visited superhub airports in the world, DFW has flights to 193 domestic and 67 international nonstop destinations. DFW Airport is one of the largest economic drivers for the North Texas Region, directing $37 billion each year into the local economy. Ashland Chemical Inc. Columbus, Ohio manufacturing facility Silver Ashland is a premier global specialty materials company serving customers in a wide range of consumer and industrial markets, including adhesives, architectural coatings, automotive, construction, energy, food and beverage, nutraceuticals, personal care and pharmaceutical. Ashland has approximately 4,700 passionate, tenacious solvers from renowned scientists and research chemists to talented engineers and plant operators who thrive on developing practical, innovative and elegant solutions to complex problems for customers in more than 100 countries. _________ Mental Health America envisions a nation where the average American workplace understands the value of addressing mental health at work and implements policies and practices that support employee well-being, said Paul Gionfriddo, Mental Health America president and CEO. While employees seek workplaces that are stable, supportive, and less stressful, employers seek workers who are engaged, productive and loyal. Fortunately, by addressing mental health at work, employers can achieve the distinct but complementary goals of both employees and the organization. Behavioral health is all we do at Beacon Health Options. Were honored to be recognized for living our values and helping our employees live their lives to the fullest. said Russell C. Petrella, Ph.D., president and CEO of Beacon Health Options. At Beacon, we have a longstanding dedication to the emotional wellbeing of our employees. In return, we enable our employees to thrive which helps us thrive as an organization. Through the Bell Seal certification process, organizations will have opportunities to discuss the relationship between mental health and the following objectives: Attract potential employees and increase retention; Improve employee engagement and productivity; Reduce healthcare costs and lost revenue as a result of poor workplace mental health; Address concerns with presenteeism and absenteeism; Reduce the rate of employee turnover; and Identify gaps and learn about resources to improve support for employees. As part of the certification process, organizations will receive a comprehensive assessment of its existing workplace policies and practices for each of the five categories. Based on the results, MHA will provide insight into the areas an employer is doing well and guidance for the areas that need improvement. EAB is proud to have been platinum certified by MHA as it recognizes our commitment to bolstering the health and wellness of our employees, said EAB Chief Executive Officer David Felsenthal. We work hard to create a culture where employees feel safe seeking support for any issue that might impact their ability to bring their full selves to work each day. The Ashland Way calls for each of our solvers around the globe to respect, protect, and advance the people we work with, companies we serve, shareholders who invest in our future, communities we're a part of, and planet we share, said Keith Silverman, Senior Vice President, Global Operations, Quality and Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS). Our vision is to continue educating about drug and alcohol addiction and mental illness for employees and their families at all Ashland sites. At DFW Airport, we believe taking care of your mental health is just as important as your physical health. We want to remove the stigma associated with emotional health by encouraging our employees and their families to take advantage of the emotional well-being benefits and resources available through our employee assistance program Safe Landings, said Sean Donohue, CEO of DFW Airport. We are committed to providing a culture that promotes overall health mental and physical for employees. Organizations have a responsibility to help support an employees total well-being. MHA is the nations leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and promoting the overall mental health of all Americans. With decades of experience in workplace mental health, MHA recognizes the psychological impact that workplaces can have on their employees. Millions of employees spend a large part of their day, and lifetime, at work, increasing the effect that workplace environments can have on psychological well-being. To learn more about MHAs Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health, visit http://www.mhanational.org/bestemployers. ### Mental Health America (MHA) - founded in 1909 - is the nations leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all Americans. Our work is driven by our commitment to promote mental health as a critical part of overall wellness, including prevention services for all; early identification and intervention for those at risk; integrated care, services, and supports for those who need it; with recovery as the goal. Learn more at http://www.mhanational.org. When passed, the new banking bill will boost development in Egypt, being revolutionary in terms of dealing with the challenges that the fiscal and banking system is facing, said the co-founder and manager partner of Khodeir Partners for Consultations, Mohamed Khodeir. Khodeirs comments came during a roundtable discussion on Wednesday held to tackle the new banking law and its role in enhancing Egypts economic development. The draft was prepared by the Central Bank of Egypt to maintain, according to experts, the banking sector's safety and supervise banks more closely. The bill was submitted to parliament in late 2019 and it is currently discussed in the parliament after the approval of its Economic Committee. Khodeir said the banking system is Egypts economic backbone, with more than EGP 4 trillion of deposits and approximately EGP 2 trillion of granted loans. Banks also introduced about EGP 9 billion over five years for 18,000 private sector enterprises that have ventured into the banking sector recently. Loans that have been granted to small projects accounted for 14 percent of the whole sum, which is suitable if compared to the labour force in the domestic market, estimated at 28 million workers, according to Khodeir. The Central Bank of Egypt has already moved forward to cope with the challenges that the Egyptian economy witnesses on the ground. It launched a package of initiatives that aim to counter the industrial sector'S pitfalls and released the new banking law that includes key paths towards economic prosperity, Khodeir added. The new banking law will strengthen the governance of the central bank and maintain its independence. Moreover, it will enhance the investment sector, including the investment banks, and boost supervision over the banking system to upgrade the banking sector and cope with the likely risks. Meanwhile, Ahmed Kotb, head of the Disputes Settlement Department at Khodeir Partners for Consultations, said the new banking law will allow banks to buy real-estate units with debts and to collect the debts from the previous owner of the unit, which alleviates the burden on debtors. Search Keywords: Short link: 3 1 of 3 Chris Pizzello/Associated Press Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Google Maps Show More Show Less 3 of 3 Last week, a Berkeley elementary school received a letter from Disney's licensing agent, Movie Licensing USA, ordering them to pay $250 for screening "The Lion King" without a license at a PTA fundraising event. On Thursday, Disney CEO Bob Iger tweeted an apology. "Our company @WaltDisneyCo apologizes to the Emerson Elementary School PTA and I will personally donate to their fund raising initiative," he wrote. Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. In addition to our traditional advice, every Thursday we feature an assortment of teachers from across the country answering your education questions. Have a question for our teachers? Email askateacher@slate.com or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group. Preschool and kindergarten registration are coming up and I am not sure what to do with my son. My son is 4, and he will turn 5 on Aug. 17. The cutoff for school is Sept. 1, and we are debating whether he should go to kindergarten or wait. Life would be easier if we sent him next year, but I know of a nearby preschool that we could send him to if we wanted to give him another year. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Here are the reasons I think he should go: He will have completed two years of morning preschool. He loves schoolmostly the social aspects of it. He is well-behaved in school and listens fairly well. He has an older sister in first grade now, he knows about the public school hell attend, and he is excited for kindergarten. He is tall-ish and physically coordinated, is mostly determined when facing challenges, and can play independently without trouble. The concerns I have are: Hes generally a quiet kid and a thinker; hell frequently seem as if he isnt listening or paying attention even when he is, so in a class of eager students, he could fall to the back. Also, he still gets mixed up on recognizing some letters and writes some letters backward. He also can count to at least 40, but usually doesnt want to when asked or at least when asked by me. Also, his older sister finds school to be pretty easy, so I worry about him comparing his abilities with hers. Kindergarten is only a half day here, so while the day is shorter, our kindergarten program does not offer students very much downtime or playtime. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I know that he has another eight or so months left before kindergarten, so hell be different by fall. I have read about delaying kindergarten and have mostly come away with conflicting information: I know there are studies that show benefits to sending kids, and others that show benefits to waiting. It seems that a lot of parents, especially with boys, hold them back. If my son is in classes with students at least one year older than him, I dont know how hell feel about his abilities, and how well hell be able to keep up. Conversely, I dont want to hold him if he is ready, because I dont want to set him up to be bored in school or to feel discouraged if he doesnt get to go to kindergarten. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I have emailed the school psychologist at his future school, and she replied with a document that lists the skills hell need to have mastered leaving kindergarten. I did not find this helpful. What are your thoughts? Are summer birthday students too wiggly and young to get the most from kindergarten? Will aspiring to keep up with older students give him motivation? I might be asking you to predict the future, but that is what I feel I am trying to do, too. Advertisement Advertisement Should He Go? Dear Should He Go, As a general rule, I am against the practice of holding a kid back from starting kindergarten. I try not to speak in absolutes: There are obviously specific cases where I would recommend holding a kid back. But your reasons not to send him are all based on fears and anxieties that will probably not change in a year. He still has the potential to fly under the radar even with another year to mature. And for the record, I do not think being a quiet kid equates with being ignored by teachers. His pre-academic skills seem fine, and its pretty typical for children to not want to perform rote skills like counting for their parents because theyre flexing their autonomy. Advertisement Advertisement Id like to add two more points to your reasons to send him list. First, the September cutoff is already a concession to the idea that kids with those borderline birthdays may not be ready. When I was a kid, and likely when you were a kid, the cutoff was December. If a child was going to turn 5 in 2020, the logic used to go, then they should start kindergarten in 2020. But those OctoberDecember babies seemed too young, or at least their parents felt that way, and so many school districts changed the cutoff to September. This helped with those OctoberDecember babies, but now the AugustSeptember babies were dealing with the same issue. No matter where we set it, there will always be kids on the cusp of the cutoff. Thats just how calendars work. You cant let anxiety about that hold you back. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Second, I think its better to have a kid go and strive toward the maturity of his peers than to have him start when hes already more mature than his peers. To me, given the choice between give it a shot and if it doesnt work, get him extra support vs. hold him back to prevent him from struggling isnt even really a question. (And ultimate worst-case scenario: You send him, its absolutely awful and he cannot handle it, and then you consider holding him back. But I think he will probably be fine.) I think its better to have a kid go and strive toward the maturity of his peers than to have him start when hes already more mature than his peers. Ms. Sarnell You obviously know your kid better than I do, so I cant say with 100 percent certainty that this is the right choice. But Im pretty sure its the right choice. If youre still looking for a way to check, I have two options for you. One, here is a link from Understood.org (a website for parents with children with special needs that many of my parents like) of kindergarten readiness skills. With lists like this, I dont see it as all or nothing. Sometimes, children start kindergarten with only some of these skills. But if he has most of these skills, hes probably fine. Two, talk to his current teachers. Theyve seen more preschoolers go to kindergarten than you have, and they probably have more experience delaying kindergarten than you or even I do. Do they think hes ready? If they dont, Id hope they would have told you by now, but it cant hurt to ask. In either case, unless you come across a really strong reason to delay, my gut tells me that its better to send him than to force him to wait, especially given that he likes school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Ms. Sarnell (preschool special education teacher, New York) My sixth grade son has ADHD and an anxiety disorder, which have often combined to make him that problem child in the classroom. Over the years, weve had some teachers who were incredible and really worked with him and helped him be the best student he could be. Unfortunately, hes also had a few teachers who saw him as nothing but a behavior problem and were not open to working with us or him. He does act out sometimes, so I totally get that its difficult to work with him while also managing a classroom of other kids with their own personalities and issues! His sometimes-eccentric behavior also means that he comes in for a fair share of teasing and ostracism from other kids. Hes a good student, but he has had some pretty negative experiences with school and doesnt really want to be there. Advertisement The start of the school year was a struggle in a few areas, but overall things were going pretty well. Then in November he was diagnosed with epilepsy. Now he has one more thing that is setting him apart from other kids as different, as his teachers watch him for signs of seizures. Hes taking new medicines with expected side effects like nausea, dizziness, and weakness in the legs. Unfortunately, these just take time to work through as his doctors fine-tune his dosages. Advertisement Unfortunately, this medication has led to him missing a great deal of school. His teachers have been great about accommodating him, but his peers have made it difficult for him, teasing him about how often he has been sick or gone to the nurse. All of this has led him to feel so negatively about school that he doesnt want to be there at all. Every morning is met with discussion about every possible queasy feeling here or leg pain there, and he attempts to convince us that he cant go to school. When he is home, he generally acts fine and isnt obviously bothered by the side effects, so I really think a lot of it is psychosomatic. Advertisement Advertisement I dont know what to do. Do we keep pushing him to keep at it with school even when hes feeling sick (it may be psychosomatic, but its still miserable) and being bullied by the other kids? Or do we pull him out midyear and home-school him instead? I do have a masters degree in education, so I feel like I could supervise the workload and assist when he has questions. And my husband and I both work from home so we would be able to keep an eye on him to be sure hes doing schoolwork and not just taking this as a vacation from school. But I dont know if that would be the best thing for him. Is it better to remove him from the environment that he finds so stressful at the expense of social interaction? I want him to be happy, and I also want to be sure were doing the right thing for his education and his social development and coping skills. (For what its worth, the school is in the process of hiring a new school counselor, so that resource is not available to him.) Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We would really appreciate your take to help us figure out what to do next. Adrift Dear Adrift, Poor kid! So many issues, plus teasingI understand why hed be loath to go to school. Leaving him in school to be bullied is obviously not appropriate. And while you say you have a masters in education and think you can manage home-schooling your son, you already have a job. Is it full time? Home-schooling is equivalent to full-time work, so unless you or your husband can scale back or take a leave of absence, home-schooling doesnt seem like a tenable solution. Fortunately, these two solutions present a false dichotomy. Advertisement One of the solutions you dont mentionindeed, the most prosocial oneis that the other kids stop treating your son this way. They show a dearth of empathy, somewhat typical of their age, but still. They need to be taughtby you, your son, a teacher, and/or an expert on your sons conditionswhat its like to live with ADHD, anxiety, and epilepsy, or love someone who has these conditions. There are tons of resources online (heres one) about how to teach empathy, but learning it requires explanation, modeling, and practice. Advertisement Advertisement If I were you, Id contact the teacher(s) and administration, relay the issue, and ask about character education. Its possible they have a character ed curriculum already in place and they could weave in a unit about respecting people with physical, health, or neurological differences. If not, work with the teachers and administration on figuring out how to incorporate it into the school day. Mr. Rogers said, There isnt anyone you couldnt learn to love once youve heard their story. If your sons peers and teachers hear his story, I guarantee their experience of him will change, and so will his experience of them. Ms. Scott (eighth grade teacher, North Carolina) My 7-year-old son currently attends a very good, private Christian school. His father and I are divorced and could not afford this education on our own, but we are able to make it work because my exs parents set aside an education fund for him, and his grandmother was a teacher at this school for 30 years, so we get a discount. His grandparents are happy because hes getting a Christian education, and Im happy because he is going to a good private school. I feel particularly grateful because the public schools in the area are not great, and he is getting a much better education at this Christian school than he would be getting at our local school. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The problem lies in the deeply religious Christian education. Neither my husband nor I is religious. How do I let my child know that his parents dont necessarily believe in all the things that his school is teaching him? I like the values that they are teaching him: do unto others, give back when you can, etc. But how and when do I let him know that his father and I do not necessarily believe in Jesus, or the Bible, but we believe in these values and in helping others when you can? I am not willing to take him out of this school. He loves it, the staff are wonderful, and he is getting the attention he needs, not to mention again the fact that he would get none of this at our local public school. Advertisement Can I Separate Church From State? Dear CISCFS, This is a tricky situation to navigate, but I would talk to your son now. As a second grade teacher, I work with children who are your sons age daily, and youd be surprised at what kids of this age are capable of understanding. I get why you may be nervous because this is a big conversation. So, ease into it. First, Id have a talk with his father so that you both are on the same page with messaging. Id recommend sitting down with your son, maybe together, and explaining what you believe and what you dont. I think it will be key to explain that just because you and his father dont believe in Jesus, that doesnt make it bad or silly for him or others to believe in him. I think it would go a long way to present him with the choice and let him make his own decision in what he believes, giving him the space to change his mind at any time. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Id also have a conversation with his teacher, so that his teacher knows these conversations are happening at homethere may be ways his teacher can support your son in the classroom. Id be surprised if his teacher hasnt encountered a similar situation before. His teacher may also be able to provide some helpful context on how to frame the conversation for your son. Being thoughtful and open about how you approach this conversation, and the many that will follow, will carry you through. I think your son will appreciate your honesty as he grows and begins to develop his own religious identity. Mr. Hersey (second grade teacher, Washington) Are there any laws that say students and teachers cannot be scheduled for two classes at the same time? Advertisement My daughter attends a public junior high school in Ohio. Our area is growing, and the schools are bursting at the seams. One of their solutions to the overcrowding problem at the junior high is to have students attend certain classes in the high school next door. (These are junior high kids taking advanced classes for high school credit.) My daughter will likely be expected to go there for geometry and possibly Spanish 2 next year as an eighth grader. The problem with this is that the high school and junior high bells ring at different times, which means classes overlap, resulting in students being forced to miss part of at least one class every day. Advertisement Advertisement It also creates a problem for the handful of teachers who work in both buildings. For example, the band director has a 17-minute overlap when hes scheduled for both a junior high and high school class. (Im told the assistant principal sits with the junior high students until the teacher gets there.) Advertisement Advertisement The root of this problem is that the two schools dont want to work together and line up their bells. They are in the process of building a new junior high, and they are pointing to that as the solution. However, that building wont be open until the fall of 2021, so thats another year and a half of dealing with this, as well as the remainder of my daughters time in junior high. Im planning to talk to the principal and the superintendent if necessary, and I would like to be aware of any laws that might come into play here. Two Places at Once Dear Two Places, While this is a ridiculous nonsolution to the schools scheduling problems, and youre absolutely right to complain, no, I dont think there are any laws that prohibit this. Federal education law is very broad, and most policy is made at the state level; I reviewed the Ohio Department of Educations website, and while Im not a legal scholar, I dont think anything I found there would usefully address your scheduling woes. Advertisement Advertisement One document Id suggest you look at is your teacher associations bargaining agreement with the district. The conditions it outlines only pertain to the members of the teaching union, so it offers you no leverage in the discussions you plan to have; I dont recommend you bring it up, actually, lest you be perceived as attempting to co-opt a contract that doesnt apply to you. But I think it might bring you some clarity and help you feel better informed on the details of your districts agreed-upon scheduling policies for teachers. (That said, you probably wont find an explicit provision there, because I cannot imagine the union would allow a contractual violation to go uncontested for two years.) Similarly, you can check out your districts specific education policies, probably found on their website. Advertisement Advertisement My hunch is that youre in a no mans land where this dumb arrangement isnt expressly prohibited, so its hard to protest it on the basis of rules and regulations. I would also guess that the overlapping classes affect a relatively small number of students and teachers, that the teachers most affected are those specials or electives instructors whose subjects are often seen as nonessential, and that since the students involved are accelerated, theres more perceived leeway in how much class time they can afford to miss. In a crowded, growing district with many competing needs to accommodate, I wonder if this solution seemed the least disruptive to the whole, even if it meant creating a decidedly frustrating experience for a smaller subset of the community. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Talk to the principal, talk to the superintendent, but also, dont hesitate to address the board of education, whose role is partially to provide oversight and accountability in district affairs. In lieu of policies you can point to, here are the points Id raise. One, this is not safe, and has the potential to be a liability nightmare. Theyve designed a system in which its very difficult to accurately account for both students and teachers for a period of time every day. What if theres a lockdown? How will they uphold the proper procedures? Two, the schools are not holding themselves to the same standard theyd likely hold your daughter to if she were missing this much instructional time of her own volition. Im not sure if shes missing the same 17-minute chunk of time as the band director or if the overlap isnt as dramatic for students, but even if its five minutes, well, so what? If she were missing five minutes of instructional time every single day until fall 2021 to wander the halls and tend to her Snapchat streaks, would the school be similarly permissive? I think not. Your daughter and her classmates are owed their full instructional time, just as their full attendance is expected of them. I hope you find a swift resolution. Good luck. Ms. Bauer (middle and high school teacher, New York) More Advice From Slate: Is there an acceptable amount of teacher yelling in the classroom? My sons fourth grade class is quite large (30-plus kids), and it often seems like his teacher gets overwhelmed. He said she yells a fair amount when kids get out of line. Is this something to bring up to the teacher? The principal? I saw this on the news, was it his kid who was bullying him Reply Thread Link no his son came out on fb and was like "i don't know him" Reply Parent Thread Link did his son talk about what he feels re: his father's racism? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Oh man, imagine having to deal with that as your dad. Poor kid Reply Parent Thread Link jfc imagine being a young kid having to do this for your dad. that father is a straight up disgrace Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Lol him being his dad? Love it Reply Parent Thread Link nope, this is his kid thank god. hope the father is rotting in shame, but he's white so im sure he feels like the victim. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link No. The meeting was basically about a page some white football players made that included racial slurs and jokes, they invited black students to join so they would see it and as a way to harass them. So the parents and school board had a meeting about that issue. The Latino father was speaking about the racism his kids faces when they attended school in that particular county. His kids are grown now, but wanted their dad to go and speak to show support for current students of color. That is when the white racist asshole made that comment and his son was like he doesnt speak for me. Reply Parent Thread Link Wow I've never seen so many white people do the right thing en masse lmao But seriously that guy is a dick. The dad of the bullied kid handled it beautifully, I'm glad he had the room on his side Reply Thread Link the way he was surprised by the collective gasps hahaha we love to see it Reply Parent Thread Link This pendejo thought! Reply Parent Thread Link LOL RIGHT he was shaking Reply Parent Thread Link Right lmao bizzarro world. Reply Parent Thread Link I kept rewinding it to watch the reaction from everyone around him. It was glorious. THEY WERE NOT HAVING IT! Reply Parent Thread Expand Link That old lady in the front whipped her head around so fast lmao I love it Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Look at this white cowardly braindead devil. How many times he interrupts the guy speaking about his KID crying because he was being racially abused at school. How in his mind does it make sense for a child to go through that simply because he's an immigrant and he chose to come here? Whiteness is a disease. I'm really glad everyone in the room reacted with disgust, and of course it's the black man that took him to task and brought it back to the kids. Reply Thread Link I loved how that white, older lady first told him, 'it's not your turn,' and then when he kept talking, she got up and walked over and was like 'IT IS NOT YOUR TURN!' all in his face. Reply Parent Thread Link "Try being white and walk in a black neighborhood, see what happens. Has he ever walked in a black neighborhood jw Reply Thread Link what white people like this don't realize is that it's bc they're racist. no one likes him. not even his own fucking kid likes him lmfao. Reply Parent Thread Link doubtful lmao Reply Parent Thread Link try being black in Bedford NH. you can literally be arrested for simply being there. Reply Parent Thread Link Lol no because nothing would happen If something did happen he was 100% harassing people/being racist Reply Parent Thread Link nah. one of my teachers at primary school lied about being a cop in america and being abused in black neighbourhoods for being white, while he was supposed to be teaching us about racial diversity and MLK. this happened about 20 years ago and I still can't get over how bizarre it was. Reply Parent Thread Link jfc Reply Parent Thread Link he absolutely hasn't. white men think the world revolves around them so of course he thinks he'd be in danger Reply Parent Thread Link Feeling unsafe because of his racist beliefs is his problem to fix. Reply Parent Thread Link you know he's a michigander that's never been to Detroit but loves to talk shit about it Reply Parent Thread Expand Link dying @ the latino parent laughing at this clownery and the old lady in the front clutching her pearls. it's so infuriating that you have to laugh. like, i feel pity for people this stupid and uneducated. and whoever piped up talking about how this was a discussion and he should be able to speak, dios mio. he had ZERO interest in knowing why this parent left mexico. he was antagonizing the hell out of him and probably went just to stir the pot. this is why POC are done having these conversations. most people truly don't want to listen, they just want to argue with you. Reply Thread Link mte, white people feeling like POCs need to justify simply existing is exhausting Reply Parent Thread Link "this is why POC are done having these conversations. most people truly don't want to listen, they just want to argue with you." mfte. people don't want to believe the ones they claim "just need to be educated" will come and DELIBERATELY heckle poc in public places because they want to get a rise out of them and think everyone around them will agree with their racism. there is no conversation, there's no discussion, and google is right there for people who want to be educated Reply Parent Thread Link and the people who truly want to be educated and have a conversation/discussion/lesson on anything they're wondering about know how to approach the subject in a respectful and decent manner. it's really not hard. you can always sniff them out. Reply Parent Thread Link The heckling and those BS "aha" moments are why I've been focusing my energy on people who seem sincere about learning and backing the fuck away when people start fucked up behavior. Reply Parent Thread Link Absolutely. He knew what he was saying and what kind of reaction he'd get. His whole, 'what? what did I say?' routine proves it. He wanted to stir things up and doesn't care one bit about these kids and what they are going through. Reply Parent Thread Link this is why POC are done having these conversations. most people truly don't want to listen, they just want to argue with you. Yep. :( Reply Parent Thread Link "you need to leave" got me lol Reply Thread Link she said that with her chest Reply Parent Thread Link Her whole chest at that Reply Parent Thread Link Lmao she sure did Reply Parent Thread Link for real lmao Reply Parent Thread Link Right lmaooo TELL HIM OFF. Reply Parent Thread Link Same. lol Reply Parent Thread Link Lmao. Racists with their whole chest acting as if black neighbourhood isnt inherently a product of creating ghettos by implementing racist techniques in providing basic infrastructure services. Amazing that this illiterate asshole thinks being a yt douchebag in a culturally diverse neighbourhood is the same thing as living with racists. Reply Thread Link The new terminology now being spouted by racist douchebags at Faux News and elsewhere is no-go areas. Yes, because these areas are where the city acts like its borders are carved in stone and where racist structures are reinforced by racist service providers. But what do we expect from people with low moral character and a very weak grasp of facts. Reply Parent Thread Link Areas white people didn't dare visit, like around West End. At one point, it was an area full of white poor/minimum middle class, then people of color moved in, the whites fled, minorities created multiple generations in the housing, and now they're getting kicked out. The elderly are especially being targeted with aggressive buying agents who give them pennies on the dollar and never leave them alone. Other places like Reynoldstown, Cabbagetown, Peoplestown, etc etc. All those areas were neglected by the city resources but thanks to the Beltline, they're all high on the list of revamping for overpriced housing. Drives me batty when men like this fucker open their mouths and have no idea how displacement works in racist areas. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, from 1990 to 2016, the African-American population in the Atlanta area has decreased 13 percent, while the white population has increased 7 percent. With the demographics in the area changing, neighborhoods are becoming more diverse. Some people see this as problematic, but contrary to popular belief, gentrification can have positive effects in communities. if more white people come into the city. The NPR article completely whitewashes the issues, downplaying how Edited at 2020-02-06 11:33 pm (UTC) And what I call 'the white return.' Housing gets too high in white neighborhoods/suburbs because of overblown development deals..so they return to areas, 'regentrify', kick out the minorities and start the whole 'too high' cycle all over again. You see it a lot in Atlanta--city proper especially along the Beltline.Areas white people didn't dare visit, like around West End. At one point, it was an area full of white poor/minimum middle class, then people of color moved in, the whites fled, minorities created multiple generations in the housing, and now they're getting kicked out. The elderly are especially being targeted with aggressive buying agents who give them pennies on the dollar and never leave them alone. Other places like Reynoldstown, Cabbagetown, Peoplestown, etc etc. All those areas were neglected by the city resources but thanks to the Beltline, they're all high on the list of revamping for overpriced housing.Drives me batty when men like this fucker open their mouths and have no idea how displacement works in racist areas. I don't think that's too diverse if more white people come into the city. The NPR article completely whitewashes the issues, downplaying how many seniors are displaced in the areas . So, again, this fucker in MI knows absolutely zero about what it's like to walk white in a non-white neighborhood because he won't do it. It's not scary. It's not going to target you as a stone cold dead victim. He's afraid of Detroit, almost guarantee it. Reply Parent Thread Link Right? Like look at what's happening now, white flight had people flock to suburbia, and now that the city landscape is appealing we're seeing those minorities left to fend for themselves in urban poverty get pushed and driven out by aggressive redevelopment and gentrification Reply Parent Thread Link MTE!! What a fucking racist idiot! Reply Parent Thread Link Exactly, white people are the architects of US ghettos, they literally created them with white flight and redlining. And then they have the audacity to act like they cant step foot in them because of Da dAngeRous blAck PEople! They have the fucking nerve to blame black Americans for all the problems. Racism has ruined this county. Reply Parent Thread Link PREACH Reply Parent Thread Link I'm sick, I'm angry, and I'm out of patience. People who have the audacity to say shit like this have no business being in schools, around children, or stealing oxygen. The end. Reply Thread Link This would be in Saline too Reply Thread Link at first i was mad, but now i feel better because of all those white people being like YOU GOTTA GO Reply Thread Link lol what a stupid thing to say, if you go into any area you don't know, shit could happen, black, white, etc. and, prob nothing would happen to him if he did go lol Reply Thread Link Im glad the room got so immediately and loudly behind him. I was half expecting them not to and for him to have to fend off the racist douche alone Reply Thread Link that pussy ass bitch suddenly really quiet when he's offered the mic huh Reply Thread Link he sure did! turned back into the spineless coward that he was with the backlash. this is how it should always be Reply Parent Thread Link A white men being racist??!?!11 You don't say! #yesallwhitemen Reply Thread Link "Racists seem to constantly operate on the assumption that everyone who looks like them thinks and feels like them" this is absolutely true, going by the number of times an old white boomer coworker has made a racist 'joke' and expected the other white people (incidentally younger but not all millennials) in the office to laugh, and been shocked when one of us has told him off. this has happened with 3 separate old assholes one a few occasions each, but they started keeping their opinions to themselves after they were reported to HR. Reply Parent Thread Link Beloved pastor and wife married 65 years die hours apart after crash Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A beloved pastor from Ashville, Alabama, and his wife of 65 years died just hours apart Tuesday after a car accident that has left their community reeling in grief. St. Clair County Coroner Dennis Russell told the St. Clair Times that the pastor, Ed Massey, 85, and his wife, Helen June Massey, 83, died after a crash that took place at 9:55 a.m. on U.S. 231 near the intersection with Old Coal City Road in Wattsville. The husband and wife were both transported to a hospital where Helen was pronounced dead at 11:29 a.m. Tuesday while Massey was pronounced dead a few hours later at 5:25 p.m. Alabama State Trooper Justin ONeal told the publication that Massey was driving southbound on 231 when his car suddenly veered into the northbound lane and collided head-on with another vehicle. He speculated that the crash might have been caused by a medical issue but they were still investigating. At First Baptist Church in Springville where Massey served as pastor for two separate terms, parishioner Donna Robinson told CBS 42 that she was saddened by the tragedy but had faith that the couple is now together with the Lord. They are in the arms of Jesus and they are together just like they always had been, said Robinson. Russell, the coroner, who called the pastor an acquaintance, told the St. Cloud Times he was a real nice guy. St. Clair County Commissioner Paul Manning told the St. Clair Times that Massey was always ready to do the Lords work. He was always ready to lead people to our Creator, Manning said. It was a blessing to have the pleasure of knowing Mr. Ed Massey. He explained that he and his wife were still in shock because the accident happened near their home and it had only been a few days earlier that he connected with the pastor who was an active member of his community. Springville City Councilman Wayne Tucker, who said Massey was also his pastor at Springville Baptist Church, said the pastor and his wife were dear family friends. Several years ago, he said, Massey officiated his son's wedding. It really makes me feel humble to know that he would drive that far just to marry my own son. It makes you feel like he cared. You can tell that he did, Tucker told CBS 42. Just about everyone around here knew him and loved him, he added to the St. Clair Times. The Rev. James Sampley, who served as the couples pastor at Ashville First Baptist Church, remembered the couple as deeply spiritual and said they always worked to support other ministers. I am grateful for the testimony he left behind, Sampley said while recalling Masseys sense of humor. Manning, Sampley and Tucker all agreed that Massey was a man of humor, and all three made note of how Massey often told jokes and humorous stories. The couple's funeral is scheduled to take place at Central Baptist Church in Argo on Saturday. The couple, according to an obituary, was preceded in death by their son, Timothy Edward Massey, and is survived by their daughter, Cheryll M. Cross, as well as other family members. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The much awaited railway line between Agartala to Akhaura in Bangladesh will be completed by September 2021 and the process for acquisition of land and handing it over to the executing agency in both the countries has been completed, officials said on Thursday. The 15.6 km-long railway link connects Gangasagar in Bangladesh to Nischintapur in India (10.6 km) and from Nischintapur to Agartala railway station (5.46 Kms). The DoNER ministry is bearing the cost for laying the track on the 5.46 km Indian side and the cost of laying the 10.6 km-long track on the Bangladesh side is being borne by the ministry of external affairs, the officials said. IRCON is the executing agency for construction of the project on both sides and Rs 580 crore has been sanctioned for the Indo-Bangla railway work in the Indian side. Work is in progress in full swing in the Indian side and we hope to complete it before September 2021. The process for acquisition of land is complete and the land has been handed over to IRCON, Raman Singla, Deputy Chief Engineer of IRCON International Ltd, told PTI on Thursday. A district magistrate-level meeting of three districts of Bangladesh and Tripura have reviewed the progress of the Agartala-Akhaura railway line here on Wednesday. Mahatme N Sandeep, district magistrate of West Tripura who headed the Indian delegation, confirmed that the ministry has set the target of completing the railway project by September, 2021. The soil condition in the Indian side is soft. So, latest technology is being used," he said. A 3.1 km long viaduct would be constructed to save land and curtail expenses, IRCON officials said adding around 600 skilled workers under the supervision of 30 engineers of IRCON are working round the clock to complete works. Officials said Nischintapur will have a transhipment yard, the first in the north east region and the passengers and goods coming from Bangladesh will be off boarded there. The IRCON engineers are expected to start laying the railway tracks by September/October this year. The first phase of the 5.46 km Gangasagar-Nischintapur railway track and construction of station building, a 1600 m platform and the transhipment yard are expected to be completed by December, they added. A 55-year-old Ottawa businessman recently shocked a court of law by claiming that he literally burned one million Canadian dollars in cash just to avoid paying his ex-wife child support, as part of their divorce settlement. Bruce McConville told a judge that he withdrew about 1 million Canadian dollars roughly $750,000 in 25 separate withdrawals from six separate bank accounts, and burned it all in two separate bonfires, CA$743,000 on Sept. 23 and CA$296,000 on Dec. 15. He claimed to have receipts to prove he withdrew the money, but that no one had seen him actually burn the money, and that the bonfires had not been video taped. McConville told the judge that he burned the money out of frustration with the divorce proceedings, even though he knew that he was undermining the interest of his children. Photo: Intellectual/Pixabay I burnt it, the Canadian businessman said during the court hearing. Its not something that I would normally do, I am not a person that is extremely materialistic. A little goes a long way. I have always been frugal. Thats why my business lasted for 31 years. Superior Court Justice Kevin Phillips asked McConville if he knew how hard to believe his version of the story was, to which the businessman responded affirmatively. Still, the judge didnt believe him, accusing the businessman of defying and making a mockery of the court, and sentencing him to 30 days in jail. Furthermore, Philips told the 55-year-old businessman that if he failed to tell the truth at future court filings, he risked penal consequences that would make his 30-day term at the Innes Road jail seem like a walk in the park. I dont believe you. I dont trust you. I dont think youre honest, Justice Phillips said, according to the Ottawa Citizen. You are making a mockery of this court, and its process, something I will not allow. You are conducting yourself with intent to deliberately and willfully frustrate the proper administration of justice. More particularly, I find what you have done to be morally reprehensible because what you claim to have done willfully and directly undermines the interests of your children. Bruce McConville has apparently long defied a court order to file an affidavit about his finances. He also sold some of his assets to his former accountant despite being ordered not to try to sell any of his businesses or properties. And because his financial status remains a mystery, the court has been unable to determine how much he owes in child and spousal support, so he hasnt been paying anything. However, during this latest hearing Justice Phillips set a $2,000-per-day fine to be paid directly to McConvilles ex-wife. Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced the setting up of an independent trust to finalise the details for the construction of a Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya, sources asserted that the trust will comprise a total of 15 members-- 9 permanent and 6 nominated members. The body, to be called Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra trust, has been formed as per the directions of the Supreme Court, pointed out the Prime Minister in the Lok Sabha. According to sources, K Parasaran is the first member of the trust and Ayodhya District Magistrate (DM) Anuj Kumar Jha has been named the convening member. The seven other permanent members are--Shankaracharya Vasudevanand Maharaj, Parmanand Jimaharaja Haridwar, Swami Govindgiri Ji Pune, Vimalendra Mohan Pratap Mishra, Dr Anil Mishra Homeopathic Ayodhya, Dr Kamaleshwar Chaupal Patna, and Mahant Dhinedra Das Nirmohi Akhara. The six nominated members will be selected by the board of the trust. Live TV What will be the functioning of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra Trust? 1. Construction of a grand temple of Lord Shri Ram in Ayodhya 2. Removing all obstacles in temple construction 3. Construction of parking around Ram temple complex, ensuring all facilities for devotees 4. To make a designated area for circumambulation 5. Construction of granary, cowshed, exhibition, museum, an ashram in Ram temple complex. How will the work get divided in trust: 1. Chairman or Director-General: All meetings of the trust shall be held in the presence of the Chairman. 2. General Secretary: The officers of the trust will choose the general secretary from among themselves, they will have the right to call all the meetings. Also the responsibility of handling the full record of the trust. 3. Treasurer: The members of the trust will select the treasurer from among themselves, who will prepare the details of all income expenditure, expenses and funds. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra trust will take all decisions for the construction of a massive and grand Ram Temple on the birthplace of Lord Ram in Ayodhya, added PM Modi. The decision to form the trust was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister on Wednesday. The 67.703 acres of land along with the inside and outside courtyard will be transferred to the Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra for the construction of the Ram Temple. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a notification announcing that the office of the trust will be in New Delhi. As per the home ministry, the trust's registered office is at R-20, Greater Kailash Part-1, New Delhi. Referring to the Supreme Court order on the Ayodhya case on November 9, 2019, PM Modi said the judgement was in favour of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the decision to form the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirth Kshetra trust. According to the Supreme Court order, the Sunni Waqf Board will be given 5 acres of land in Ayodhya, announced the Prime Minister. "On November 9, 2019, I was in Punjab for Kartarpur Sahib Corridor's inauguration. During the inauguration ceremony, the Supreme Court judgement on Ayodhya was delivered and I got to know about the historic decision. Uttar Pradesh government has already given its approval for giving 5 acres of land to the Sunni Waqf Board," he said. Announcing another major decision taken by the Union Cabinet, he declared the government will also develop the area around the proposed Ram Temple in Ayodhya as a major pilgrimage and tourist attraction. In a related development, the Uttar Pradesh government also issued a notification saying the government has already issued an allotment letter of a five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board, as ordered by the Supreme Court in its November 8, 2019 verdict on the Babri Masjid-Ram Mandir dispute. Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson Shrikant Sharma told the media that five-acre plot for the mosque is in Dhannipur village on the Lucknow highway, about 18 kilometres from Ayodhya. A Bangladeshi citizen who murdered his wife and two children in December 2006, fled to Dhaka and then lived illegally in India, was on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment after he was extradited to the UK in April 2019. Mohammed Abdul Shakur, 46, was found guilty of the murder of his wife, Juli Begum, 26, and their two daughters, Anika Khanum, 5, and Thanha Khanum, 6, at the family home in East Ham. He will serve a minimum of 40 years in jail being considered for parole. The high court heard that the police were called to the family address on January 1, 2007, where they found the bodies of Juli, Anika and Thanha concealed under a duvet. Shakur was identified as a suspect after it emerged he had purchased a one-way ticket to Bangladesh. The court was told that chef Shakur and Juli had an arranged married in Bangladesh in October 1999 and she had subsequently sponsored his immigration visa so that they could return to the UK. However, incidents of domestic conflict emerged soon. The police found that Shakur had obtained a passport from the Bangladeshi High Commission, and then ordered a one-way ticket to Bangladesh from a travel agent in Bethnal Green. He arrived in Dhaka on January 5. Later enquiries to trace and arrest Shakur were undertaken in Bangladesh and India after information suggested that he was in Assam. The Foreign Office representative in New Delhi informed local police of the details about Shakur, but several years passed without any trace. However, in May 2013, the representative called the police to inform them that Shakur had been arrested for being in India illegally. It is thought that he had been crossing back and forth between the countries on a regular basis for work. Extradition proceedings began and Shakur said he would not oppose extradition. The process was not completed until April 2019, when Shakur was finally extradited back to the UK on April 9. He was taken to Heathrow police station, where he was charged with three counts of murder. He did not make any comment. Detective sergeant Amjad Sharif said: Shakurs sentencing brings to a close what has been a protracted and traumatic time for Julis family. We will likely never be able to understand what could have driven Shakur to snap and end the lives of his wife and two daughters so violently and callously. I would like to thank our international policing counterparts in Bangladesh and India, and especially the Foreign and Commonwealth representative who assisted us so well in circulating Shakur as a wanted man to local police, and indeed informing us when he was located. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The University of Massachusetts will receive a $250,000 state grant earmarked for its Springfield center, according to a joint announcement by state and UMass officials Thursday. It will be formalized with ceremony Monday morning at the UMass Center at Springfield, at Tower Square on Main Street. UMass chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez released the information about the grant, with Gonzalez speaking on behalf of the Springfield legislative delegation. The UMass Center at Springfield provides a central location to higher education for the students in the city of Springfield. It creates a viable partnership between the University of Massachusetts and other institutes of public higher education in the city, which gives access to Springfield area residents, Gonzalez said. The UMass Center at Springfield allows us to bring our world-class faculty to downtown Springfield to teach and conduct research to benefit the Springfield community and the entire Commonwealth,'' Subbaswamy said. "This center would not be possible without the steadfast support of Rep. Gonzalez and the entire Springfield legislative delegation, and we are thrilled to have earned their support. We look forward to working with our partners to allow the center to reach its full potential. Opened in 2014, the Springfield center encompasses more than 120 UMass programs and allows students to engage in academic disciplines both at the downtown site and online. Partnerships are maintained in many areas, among them health, fine arts, natural sciences, green industries, management, engineering, education and economic development. Creating a student environment downtown has been credited for helping local businesses, nonprofits and municipal government. Springfield was chosen for its Gateway City status, population diversity and a perceived need for increased academic and community engagement opportunities in the city. Subbaswamy and other local officials say the downtown center has remarkable potential, but needs continued and probably expanded state support to do it. As financial demands test the states capacity to fund all level of Massachusetts public education, UMass administrators have urged the Legislature and Governor Charlie Bakers office to understand the potential of the Springfield location. Love has its stories, poems, songs. Now, hate has found its chant. It is desh ke gaddaro ko, goli maaro saalo ko (shoot the traitors). With the Delhi Assembly polls just around the corner, bullet talk has been tripping off the lips of those who see traitors everywhere among students, housewives, ordinary working women and men who raise their voices against government policies and laws. This hatred is no ordinary hatred. It is deep. It is visceral. Most significantly, its a hatred that thrives as public spectacle, aided by television and social media. Those who hate or chant the hate slogans dont wish to be quiet. They are brazen, unabashed about their beliefs and crave for their moments of fame on television. On Tuesday, a group of young men supporting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act marched down the road in front of Delhis Jamia Millia Islamia, chanting Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro saalo ko. They carried the tricolour and also chanted "Jai Shri Ram". Jamia and its neighbourhood, Shaheen Bagh, have been the focal points of the public protests against the Narendra Modi governments new citizenship law. A Jamia student who was part of the anti-CAA protest told reporters the group stopped at the barricade where the main protest is on, and chanted Goli maaro.... in full view of the police present at the spot. The young men who breezily sauntered down the road shouting explicitly violent slogans were eventually bundled into a police van and taken away. But eyewitnesses said they had nearly half an hour to spew hate in broad daylight, in full view of the public and police. The young men continued to chant their hate slogans even inside the police van. How are students (Muslims and Hindus) gaddar (traitor). If not, then why sloganeering, by pointing fingers at them? television journalist Saahil Murli Menghani tweeted from the site. The young men enamoured by hate songs are not breaking new ground. They are taking their cues from leaders of the ruling BJP and its brand of hardline Hindutva. Last month, the Election Commission was forced to order removal of minister of state for finance Anurag Thakur and BJPs West Delhi MP Parvesh Verma from the partys star campaigners list for the Delhi elections following their statements violating the model code of conduct. Mr Thakur was issued a notice by the EC for participating in a rally where the same chants rent the air. Mr Thakur repeatedly chanted Desh ke gaddaron ko and the crowd responded with Goli maaro saalo ko. The minister later told the media he merely asked people what should be done with traitors to the country. Parvesh Verma, the BJP MP for West Delhi, was pulled up by the EC for saying These people can enter your homes. They will take your sisters and daughters, rape them and kill them, in a scarcely-veiled reference to Shaheen Bagh, a working-class Muslim neighbourhood, where protests have been dominantly secular led by ordinary women. Mr Verma later pooh-poohed the EC ban. He told a TV channel the public was his only judge, and no institution could ban him. Neither Mr Thakur nor Mr Verma showed the slightest remorse for their patently divisive words reeking of hatred for people whose only fault is that they dont see eye to eye with the government. The BJP fielded Mr Verma to defend the governments CAA stand in Lok Sabha. The BJPs Kapil Mishra also shouted the same Desh ke while leading a march in support of the new law. He is the party candidate from Model Town constituency for this weekends Delhi elections. Mr Mishra claims he meant arsonists, not all protesters. Campaigning for the same poll, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, a BJP star campaigner, also spliced his speeches with references to goli (bullet) Jo hamla karega, toh phir boli se nahi, usko police ki goli samjhane ki karya karegi (Police bullets, not words, will make miscreants understand). Hate as a public spectacle was also on full display when a gunman fired at the Jamia protest site, injuring a student. Before opening fire, the gunman shouted at those protesting against the CAA Yeh lo azaadi. The gunman was live streaming the shooting incident on his Facebook page. This deep hatred of those who think differently, who are of different faith and the fascination for converting a crime into a spectator sport reminds one of the savage killings in New Zealand last year. A lone gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch on March 15 while livestreaming the attacks on Facebook. This new avatar of hatred, where spectacle is the key, is the cutting edge of an India that is getting more and more polarised along sectarian lines, with divisive rhetoric rending the air with support of the countrys ruling party. Clearly, the prospect of the spectacle providing 15 seconds of notoriety attracts some youth whose lives may otherwise be bleak. In 2017, Shambu Lal Regar uploaded a terrifying video from Rajasthan of him hacking and burning a Bengali Muslim migrant labourer, Afrazul Khan. Now this prospect of hate as a spectacle is mobilising more people to polarise India further. The immediate reason for this hate crescendo is clear: BJP strategists think polarisation works in their favour and its the most effective way to win the Delhi Assembly polls. We shall know on February 11 if it has succeeded. What is this campaign of hatred doing to India? Is it possible to have development for all, which the BJP claims to offer, if the countrys existing faultlines get deeper and it is divided further along religious and caste lines? Will goli maaro the anthem of hate win? Despite the grim scenario, there are signs of hope. Walking down the same road in Jamia where just hours earlier some people had chanted Goli maaro, I found a young man singing a song of love to Pyara Hindustan. There were mothers and grandmothers in the crowd; students sat huddled on a mat on the pavement, reading. The universitys Zakir Husain Library had been vandalised when the police stormed the Jamia campus on December 15, beating up students and firing teargas shells inside. At the pavement library that has come up as a protest of its own kind, a placard states: Our library might have been vandalised but this cannot stop us from reading. The scholars looked unafraid. Fear is not winning everywhere. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 Residents of Baai Island in Bengkulu and environmental groups continue to push the government to halt the operation of a controversial Sepang Bay coal-fired power plant, saying it has diminished biodiversity in the area. Despite the alleged biodiversity crisis and licensing problems surrounding the power plant, President Joko Jokowi Widodo and the Bengkulu administration were scheduled to inaugurate the project on Wednesday. However, Jokowi cut short his visit to Bengkulu and canceled most of his plans there without immediate explanation, including the power plant inauguration. Since its construction began in 2016, Baai residents and environment activists have protested against the PLTU, accusing it of destroying the environment, as well as recently causing the deaths of 28 turtles and damaging their properties. 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 Subscribe to Inc. This Morning, a daily news digest curated for those passionate about entrepreneurship. Nobody likes layoffs. Over the past seven months, they seem to be happening more and more often--especially at fast-growth businesses funded by Japanese mega-investment firm Softbank. First, Uber laid off more than 1,000 employees between July and October of 2019. Then, the floodgates opened: Softbank-backed startups like WeWork, Fair.com, Zume Pizza, Wag, and Getaround all followed suit. On Tuesday, TechCrunch reported that San Francisco-based freight logistics startup Flexport is the latest to cut staff. The company's rationale--an organizational restructure to dial back on scaling and focus on efficiency--sounds pretty familiar by now. Here's the interesting part: The company is only letting go of 50 employees, or 3 percent of its global workforce. The other companies listed above all cut 25 to 80 percent of their staffs. Flexport is an outlier--and that makes it a noteworthy case study for any founder who's had to consider the prospect of layoffs. The startup may not be a household name, but it's been successful since launching in 2013. It ranked No. 8 on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in the U.S. in 2018 with $224.7 million in annual revenue. Last year, it attained a $3.2 billion valuation, thanks to a $1 billion Series D fundraising round led by Softbank. When Inc. staff writer Kevin J. Ryan spoke with Flexport founder and CEO Ryan Petersen about what fueled the company's growth, Petersen emphasized two factors: a high-margin industry and a huge technological advantage over competitors that weren't internet-native. Those two factors may be what makes Flexport different from the other belt-tightening startups. Last year, Petersen wrote that his company's new $1 billion would go toward product development, hiring, and nonprofit partnerships. In contrast, as TechCrunch noted, companies like Uber and WeWork often used their gigantic fundraises to outspend their direct competitors and compensate for weak service margins. While they grew remarkably quickly, very little of that growth was sustainable. (For anyone interested in this topic, I wrote about it in November--and Inc. San Francisco bureau chief Matt Haber expanded on it in December.) So when it came time to slash costs, Uber and WeWork had to bring out the machete. Flexport appears to be in a position where it can make cuts more like scalpel incisions: small and targeted. Ridgefield police responded to fewer calls in 2019 than either of the previous two years, while the number of arrests increased slightly, the police chiefs year-end report shows. Of the 18,538 incidents police responded to last year, 127, or less than one percent resulted in an arrest. The figure is separate from the departments crime clearance rate - how many reported crimes are solved or closed - which has not yet been released for 2019. Motor vehicle citations were down, falling by nearly 19 percent from 2018. Police gave drivers more verbal warnings over the previous two years, while all other forms of enforcement fell including speeding summons and misdemeanors. Accidents were also down. Police recorded 566 crashes in 2019, a drop of just over 9 percent from the previous year. There were no fatal accidents in Ridgefield in 2019, or for the last two years. Police responded to two vehicle accidents involving a pedestrian and 29 involving animals up from 20 the year before. Alarms, car thefts, domestic violence After traffic enforcement and accidents combined, calls for alarms made up the second largest category of police calls. Police responded to 1,228 alarms in 2019, up nearly 24 percent from the year before. Chief Jeff Kreitz said the exact reason the number of alarm calls rose is unclear, and said it could not be attributed to one specific security company such as the Nest or Ring home security devices. Medical assists and wellbeing checks, together another large category of police calls, both stayed relatively the same over the past three years. Stolen cars, which police have reminded residents about a number of times, remained low. Eight cars were stolen in town in 2019, the same number as the year before. Car thefts spiked in 2017, when 18 vehicles were taken, according to the report. Like many communities in the area, Ridgefield has seen a run of cars stolen overnight from residential driveways, which were typically unlocked with the keys left inside. These incidents are primarily from unlocked cars in driveways, said Kreitz. We continue to remind residents to always lock their vehicles, remove all valuables and report any suspicious activity. Thieves have often stolen items from unlocked cars on the same night they steal vehicles from the town. The town saw 30 thefts from motor vehicles in 2019, up from the year before but still less than in 2017. Domestic incidents fell for the third year. Police responded to 82 incidents of family violence in 2019, down more than 28 percent from the year before. These incidents rose in 2017 for an unknown reason. Since then they dropped, said Kreitz. He said the line in the report includes both criminal incidents and those that did not rise to the level of a crime. Cases involving assault remained uncommon there were two reported in 2019, five the year before, and three in 2017. Threatening crimes also stayed low, with one reported last year, five in 2018, and one in 2017. Scams While internet and mail crimes fell by two thirds, down to seven in 2019 versus 21 the year before, the chief said the reduction may be because officers reported the call as a case of fraud or identity theft. The change in the number of cases fluctuates year to year, said Kreitz. We continually remind the public through different channels of the latest scams. In early February, the department posted a release from the better business bureau telling residents to be on the lookout for tax return theft. The scam involves thieves using the victims personal information to file their taxes first, and then stealing their tax return. In January, another scam called residents soliciting donations for the Ridgefield Police Department over the phone something the police union and benevolent association said they only do by mail. There were 50 cases involving forgery or fraud in 2019, double the prior year, and 58 cases involving identity theft. As a reminder to the public, never give out any personal information unless you (the individual) initiates the contact, Kreitz said. Call the police department if someone is unsure whether or not something is a scam. Other calls Other, more common police calls stayed about the same as prior years. In 2019 there were 21 calls involving disorderly conduct, five for possession of marijuana and three involving narcotics. There were 30 DUI calls, the same number as the year before. Missing person calls, or attempts to locate a person, fell to 18 from 43 the year before. Larcenies rose to a 93, up after a dip in 2018. Kreitz said commercial businesses are focused on the issue. Kreitz said he was extremely proud of his officers and their dedication to the community, their continued commitment keeps Ridgefield ranked as one of the safest towns in the state. I would also like to thank the citizens of Ridgefield for their continued support, the chief said. A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Edo state, Mr. Charles Idahosa has said National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole took Governor Godwin Obasekis gentility for granted and underrated him. He disclosed this on Wednesday in Benin, while playing host to chairmen of APC from the 18 local government areas of the state, who were there to pay solidarity to him. According to him: He [Oshiomhole] underrated the young man, because he was just following him like a gentleman. When they asked him [Obaseki] to talk at Ogbe stadium, he didnt talk, he didnt dance well, he (Oshiomhole) said we will control him. He just played along. Commenting on the primary election of the APC ahead of the gubernatorial election in the state, Idahosa said members of the party in the state will decide the kind of primary election they want. One of those that refused to come to the House (of Assembly) was saying that it is the national chairman that will sign the name, we wont give Obaseki (nomination) form. They just talk like kids. The state chapter of the APC will decide the kind of primaries they want. Let nobody deceive you, they are making it look like the chairman will just sign and submit (the name of the partys candidate), its not so! Your is now the ruling party in Nigeria and you are privileged to be the national chairman, and all over the country, the only place youre creating problem is your own state. Does that make sense? Can Oshiomhole go to Kaduna to hold rally without telling ElRufai? Is Oshiomhole the first person to be national chairman? The first national chairman of APC was Bisi Akande, a former governor. He did not trouble his state. After that, (John) Odigie Oyegun. Why is it that we cannot sleep now? Idahosa fumed. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modis speech in Parliament on Thursday accusing him of invoking references to Pakistan and Jawaharlal Nehru purely for distracting from the real issues. Rahul was responding after having been at the receiving end of Prime Ministers sharp witty rejoinder in the house moments earlier. PM Modis style is to distract the country from the core issues. He talks of Congress, of Jawaharlal Nehru, of Pakistan, etc but not of core issues, said Gandhi. Gandhi seemed to be referring to Modis assault on the Congress over the imposition of a state of emergency in the country for 18 months between 1975 and 1977, and its leaders siding with the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in Shaheen Bagh and Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). The Prime Minister also invoked Nehru while arguing that even Indias first prime minister wanted to protect the minorities in Pakistan and if that made him a communal leader. Watch | PM Modis style is to distract country from core issues: Rahul Gandhi In his counter attack, Rahul told journalists outside the parliament that PM had skirted real issues in his speech like loss of jobs during his governments second term. The biggest issue today is unemployment and jobs, we asked PM many times, but he did not say a word on this. Earlier, the Finance Minister gave a long speech but she also did not say a word on it, Rahul said. A glimpse of their continuing political duel came during the PMs speech when he took a dig at Rahul Gandhis intervention and suggested the former president of the Congress party was slow to react. I was speaking for the last 30-40 minutes but it took this long for the current to reach there. Many tubelights are like this, the PM said. Modi came up with a witty riposte to Rahul Gandhis comment that youth will hit him (Modi) with sticks by saying he will do yoga to strengthen his back to bear the brunt of the blows. I heard an opposition leader say yesterday that the youth will hit Modi with sticks in six months. I have decided that I will increase my frequency of Surya Namaskar so that my back becomes so strong that it can bear the hit of so many sticks, Modi said. The Lok Sabha passed the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents address by a voice vote after two days of debate. President Ram Nath Kovind had addressed a joint sitting of Parliament on January 31. More than 130 centenarian voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the February 8 election and they will be treated "as a VIP" on the polling day, officials said on Thursday. Earlier, the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office had identified 150 centenarian voters but the number was revised after physical verification. "A total of 150 voters, aged 100 and above, were initially identified by our officials. Later, physical verification was done but many of the centenarian voters were found to be dead, and some of them had shifted out of Delhi, so the final figure was revised," a senior official of the Delhi CEO office told PTI. After physical verification, the number of centenarian voters was revised to 132 -- 68 men and 64 women. The highest number of centenarians, 21, were found in West Delhi district and the lowest, 7, in New Delhi district, the official said. Kalitara Mandal, 110, a resident of C R Park in South Delhi's Greater Kailash constituency, is the oldest voter in Delhi. Bachchan Singh, 111, the oldest voter in the 2019 elections in the city who used to reside in Tilak Nagar, died last December. Delhi CEO Ranbir Singh on Wednesday said members of Bharat Scouts and Guides assisted the poll officials in physical verification process and "documenting their stories". During physical verification, officials check if such voters are alive or still living in Delhi. "Of the 18 centenarians who were not found at home, most of them had died and some of them had shifted base from Delhi," the senior official said. Singh said these voters will be extended of all the facilities they had enjoyed in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. "A senior officer will go to the houses of each of these centenarian voters, residing nearest to the polling station in a constituency, and escort them to the booths. They will also motivate them to vote, unless they are bedridden and their health doesn't permit," the CEO said. "But if such voters are still eager to vote despite their frailty, we will make all possible arrangements to ensure they exercise their franchise. They will also be given priority in voting, so they don't have to stand in line," he said. At polling stations, they will be greeted with bouquets and election staff would take selfies with them, he said. "Our staffers are going to each of these centenarians to physically check them, and on polling day, they will get pick-and-drop facility to the polling station," he said. Elections in Delhi are due on February 8 and the Delhi CEO office is making all arrangements to facilitate elderly citizens and voters with disability. "Special arrangements would be made for Delhi voters who are aged 100 and above. They will be made to feel like 'VVIPs'," Singh said. In the 2019 general elections, the Delhi CEO office had identified 96 centenarian voters in the city, and women had outnumbered men in that category. According to data shared by the Delhi CEO office, there were 42 male centenarian voters and 54 females in that category during last year's polls. "We have been trying for the last four months to identify all voters who are aged 100 or above. This is the first such initiative to cater to such elderly voters who were born before Independence and saw the first general elections in 1952. For us, they are VVIP voters and they will be treated as such," Singh had said last year ahead of the 2019 polls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A new San Francisco Flower Mart would beat out nearly 400 units of approved housing at an industrial site at the base of Potrero Hill, according to a new plan. The developer of the San Francisco Flower Mart property in South of Market has a new scheme to relocate the flower vendors to 16th Street in Potrero, the latest twist in the saga of the citys wholesale flower market whose current home is being redeveloped for tech office space. On Monday, executives from Kilroy Realty Corp., the company developing the current home of the Flower Mart at Sixth and Brannan streets, announced that it had acquired a new home for the floral businesses. Kilroy paid $99 million for the property at 901 16th St. and 1200 17th St. The property, previously home to the moving company Corovan, won city approvals in 2016 for 395 units of housing, a project that was tied up in court by opponents for three years. While the property could provide a suitable new home for the flower vendors, housing proponents called it an example of the power neighborhood development opponents have to delay and eventually kill altogether much-needed housing. We are just starting the community process on the Potrero Hill flower mart location, Kilroy Senior Vice President Mike Grisso said. Kilroy will meet with residents over the next few months and the new market could be ready for occupancy by 2021. Preserving the wholesale flower market and keeping it in San Francisco has always been the most important goal of the project, he said. The city approved the 395-unit Corovan development in 2016, but the neighborhood organizations Grow Potrero Responsibly and Save The Hill sued to block it. While a judge dismissed the lawsuit last summer, construction costs had jumped more than 30% during the three years it was bogged down in court, making the project no longer economically feasible, according to city officials. Jeff Cretan, a spokesman for Mayor London Breed, said that case is a good example of why the mayor wants to streamline housing approvals and permitting. While he said Kilroys development at Sixth and Brannan is positive it will pay $166 million in community fees, including $54 million for affordable housing the fact that the city will get 400 fewer housing units is emblematic of systemic problems. Its a unique situation, but its not a good thing when we obstruct and delay housing and make housing infeasible, he said. In a statement Grow Potrero Responsibly said having a market rather than housing would be a win-win for both the neighborhood and the Flower Mart, saying it would preserve working class jobs and generate less traffic than the residential development would have. Todd David, executive director of the pro-housing group San Francisco Housing Action Coalition, called the outcome a giant win for the NIMBYs. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes This is what happens when people attack super responsible, desperately needed housing development, David said. It gets tied up in court for years at a time, costs escalate, and the project is no longer feasible. The question of where the Flower Mart would end up has been up for debate for seven years. Originally the vendors struck a deal with Kilroy to move into the lower floors of the proposed office complex at Sixth and Brannan, part of a rezoning meant to spur office development near the new Central SoMa subway. But that idea faded as some of the flower wholesalers worried that their noisy, truck-heavy operations might be incompatible with the vision of Central SoMa. In addition, many vendors said it would be disruptive to have to move into a temporary home while the office project was under development. Several other sites were looked at as well. We always understood that, realistically, the Flower Mart might not return to SoMa, said John Elberling, executive director of Todco, a SoMa affordable housing group. Basically, if the merchants are happy, everyone else should be happy. Cliff Bargar, a Potrero Hill resident and housing advocate, said he was definitely disappointed to see that the neighborhood would be losing the approved housing. I am happy for the Flower Mart but sad to hear that those units wont get built, he said. J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed a certified copy of the judgement pronouncing President Donald Trump's acquittal on two articles of impeachment Wednesday. Pompeo tweeted just before 9pm that he was signing the copy of the judgement per Senate impeachment rules. '[U]pon pronouncing judgement, a certified copy of such judgement shall be deposited in the office of the Secretary of State,' he tweeted. Pompeo added that it was his 'pleasure' to sign Trump's 'full acquittal'. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is pictured signing a certified copy of the judgement pronouncing President Donald Trump's acquittal on two articles of impeachment Wednesday A copy of the judge acquitting US President Donald Trump on the two articles of impeachment Wednesday against him is pictured after it was signed by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that he had signed a copy of the judgement acquitting US President Donald Trump on the two articles of impeachment Wednesday US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it was his 'pleasure' signing US President Donald Trump's 'full acquittal' on the two articles of impeachment Wednesday Trump was acquitted on the two articles of impeachment against him on Wednesday, bringing a four-month fractious trial and inquiry to a close. The final outcome was an almost certainty in the Republican-controlled Senate where it would have taken a two-thirds majority to remove him from office. The president took to Twitter to respond, re-upping a video from June of last year that showed Trump winning election after election, ending up as president forever. The final slide in it reads: ''Trump4Eva.' He also said he'd make a statement from the White House on Thursday. 'I will be making a public statement tomorrow at 12:00pm from the @WhiteHouse to discuss our Country's VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!,' he tweeted. And White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham put on a statement slamming the 'sham impeachment attempt concocted by Democrats.' 'This was yet another witch-hunt that deprived the president of his due process rights and was based on a series of lies,' she said. 'The president is pleased to put this latest chapter of shameful behavior by the Democrats in the past, and looks forward to continuing his work on behalf of the American people in 2020 and beyond.' And Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the president remains a 'threat' that the House will continue to combat through its lawsuits against the administration and with the public. 'Sadly, because of the Republican Senate's betrayal of the Constitution, the President remains an ongoing threat to American democracy, with his insistence that he is above the law and that he can corrupt the elections if he wants to. The House will continue to protect and defend the checks and balances in the Constitution that safeguard our Republic, both in the courts of law and in the court of public opinion,' she said. President Trump responded to impeachment vote by tweeting a 'Trump 4Eva' video During the final portion of the trial, which lasted around 45 minutes, Chief Justice John Roberts presided over the the two votes - one for each article - and instructed senators to vote 'guilty' or 'not guilty,' which is different from the usual 'yeah' or 'nay' lawmakers say. Silence reigned during the votes, the only sound being the clerk of the Senate calling the roll and the senator responding. At the end of each vote, Roberts pronounced Trump 'not guilty as charged.' On the first article, abuse of power, 48 senators voted guilty and 52 found the president not guilty. For the second vote, on obstruction of Congress, 47 senators voted guilty and 53 voted not guilty. With the votes concluded, Roberts gave the final judgement. 'The Senate having tried Donald J. Trump - president of the united States - upon two articles of impeachment exhibited against him by the House of Representatives and 2/3 of the senators present not having found him guilty of the charges contained therein, it is therefore order and judged that the said Donald John Trump be hereby acquitted of the charges in the said articles,' Roberts pronounced. Donald Trump was acquitted on the two articles of impeachment against him The Senate vote on Wednesday brought the four-month impeachment process to a close Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, when the trial was over, said it was time move ahead. 'It's time to move on,' he said at a press conference in the Capitol. 'This decision has been made. As far as I'm concerned it's in the rear view mirror.' And then he returned to the Senate floor to conduct business as usual, moving forward on judicial nominations. The trial, which was contentious at times, ended on a courteous note. McConnell and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer both spoke to thank staff, the teenage Senate pages, and U.S. Capitol Police for the work during the trial's long hours, when the Senate was in session up to 12 or 13 hours a day. Additionally, the Senate awarded Roberts the Golden Gavel, which is a trophy given to senators after they've spent 100 hours presiding over the chamber. McConnell noted Roberts hit that bench mark during the trial. Senators applauded Roberts after McConnell announced the honor. 'I know that my colleagues join me in thanking Chief Justice Roberts for presiding over the Senate trial with a clear head and steady hand and the forbearance that this rare occasion demands,' McConnell said. 'We know full well that his presence as our presiding officer came in addition to and not instead of his day job across the street. So the Senate thanks the chief justice and his staff who helped him to perform this unique role. Like his predecessor, Chief Rehnquist, the Senate will present him the golden gavel for his time to preside over this body, and we typically award this to the senators who have put in 100 hours, but we can all believe that the chief justice has put in his due and then some.' 'Thank you very much,' Roberts said. He also offered his own words of thanks, making the longest speech of his tenure in the Senate during his closing remarks. The Senate awarded Chief Justice John Roberts the Golden Gavel for his service A Senate page brings Justice Roberts the golden gavel award He thanked the Senate leaders, the staff, and Capitol Police. He also thanked the Senators. 'And thank you, all, for making my presence here as comfortable as possible. As I depart the chamber, I so so with the invitation to visit the court by long tradition and in memory of the 135 years we sat in this building. We keep the front row of the gallery in our courtroom open for members of Congress who might want to drop by to see an argument or to escape one. I also depart with sincere good wishes as we carry out our common commitment to the constitution through the distinct roles assigned to us by that charter. You have been generous host, and I look forward to seeing you again under happier circumstances,' Roberts said. And then he gaveled the trial to a close: 'I move that the Senate sitting as the court of impeachment on the articles against Donald John Trump adjourn sine die.' Despite the outcome being pre-ordained, there were some surprises in the final hours leading up to the 4 p.m. vote - namely the decision of Republican Senator Mitt Romney to break ranks with his party and vote to convict the president on the abuse of power charge. He was the only Republican to do so in a move that stunned Capitol Hill. 'The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a 'high crime and misdemeanor,' Romney said ahead of the vote. 'Yes, he did.' He voted to acquit on the obstruction of Congress charge. But Romney's decision will deny Trump a talking point he desperately coveted - that all Republicans stood by him in his hour of need. The White House has bragged that all House Republicans voted with the president - an assertion they won't be able to make about the Senate. McConnell indicated Romney would face discipline from him for his face. 'We don't have any dog houses here. The most important vote is the next vote,' he said when asked how long Romney would be in the dog house. Schumer applauded Romney and charged other Republicans would have voted the same if they weren't afraid of the wrath of the president. 'Donald Trump has them all very fearful,' the Democratic leader said. 'They're always afraid of Donald Trump. He brokers no descension.' Democratic House manager Adam Schiff arrives to the Senate floor for the vote Chief Justice John Roberts arrives in Capitol to preside over the vote Democrats, meanwhile, did not lose a single vote despite speculation that red state Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Doug Jones of Alabama could side with the president. To do so would have allowed Trump to brag about a bipartisan acquittal. He was denied that talking point too. All three announced Wednesday they would vote to convict. And it remains to be seen what political consequences remain for the lawmakers. Only Jones is up in the November election. And the senators running for the Democratic presidential nomination - Michael Bennet, Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren - all voted to convict on both articles. Romney acknowledged he would face the fury of the president for his decision and he pre-taped an interview with Fox News, that ran shortly after his speech on the Senate floor, to explain his decision. The president is a frequent viewer of Fox News. Romney, a deeply-religious Mormon, cited his faith as the reason behind his decision. At times he choked up on the Senate floor during his remarks, pausing and taking deep breathes before he continued. 'The allegations made in the articles of impeachment are very serious. As a senator juror, I swore an oath before god to exercise impartial justice. I am profoundly religious. My faith is at the heart of who I am. I take an oath before god as enormously consequential. I knew from the outset that being tasked with judging the president, the leader of my own party would be the most difficult decision I have ever faced,' he said in his remarks on the Senate floor. Mitt Romney announced he will vote to convict Donald Trump on the abuse of power charge Mitt Romney cited his faith as the reason and said he expected feel President Trump's wrath for his decision Romney explained his reasoning behind the abuse of power decision, saying he was convinced President Trump acted as he did because it involved Joe and Hunter Biden, Trump's political rivals. 'There's no question in my mind that were there names not Biden the president would never have done what he did,' Romney said. The senator has a hot-and-cold relationship with the president. He railed against Trump's candidacy during the 2016 Republican presidential party but embraced him when Trump won the Oval Office. The two men have agreed and disagreed on various issues. Romney handled the impeachment trial carefully and was one of two Republicans who voted with Democrats to call additional witnesses. That vote failed in the Republican-controlled Senate. Romney's announcement stunned Capitol Hill Mitt Romney and Donald Trump had dinner together at Jean Georges in New York shortly after Trump won the 2016 election Romney told Fox News' Chris Wallace that he was prepared for the consequences of his decision. He next faces voters in 2024. Trump endorsed Romney in his 2018 election. 'I do believe he should be removed from office,' he said. Wallace pointed out to him: 'You realize this is war. Donald Trump will never forgive you for this.' 'I know in my heart that I'm doing what's right,' Romney responded. 'I understand there's going to be enormous consequence. I don't have a choice in that regard. That's why I haven't been anxious to be in the position I'm in. When I heard there was going to be an impeachment investigation, as I heard the evidence coming forward, I dreaded the responsibility I have. But I was not willing to abdicate the responsibility given to me by the constitution, nor to ignore my conscience out of personal and political significance considerations. I had to follow my conscience.' 'This is the most difficult decision I've ever made in my life. There's been nothing that compares to this,' he added. Mitt Romney taped an interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace Wednesday morning to explain his decision The Republican-controlled Senate met at 4 p.m. to vote on Trump's fate Romney acknowledged he could lose his next election campaign over this but said losing the presidency was the worst thing that had ever happened to him so he was at peace with his decision. He noted, too, that his life in Washington D.C. was about to get 'lonely.' READ THE ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT AGAINST DONALD TRUMP In 1,414 words, the articles of impeachment passed by the House of Representatives lay out two charges against President Donald Trump. Article I: Abuse of Power Using the powers of his high office, President Trump solicited the interference of a foreign government, Ukraine, in the 2020 United States Presidential election. He did so through a scheme or course of conduct that included soliciting the Government of Ukraine to publicly announce investigations that would benefit his reelection, harm the election prospects of a political opponent, and influence the 2020 United States Presidential election to his advantage. President Trump also sought to pressure the Government of Ukraine to take these steps by conditioning official United States Government acts of significant value to Ukraine on its public announcement of the investigations. President Trump engaged in this scheme or course of conduct for corrupt purposes in pursuit of personal political benefit. In so doing, President Trump used the powers of the Presidency in a manner that compromised the national security of the United States and undermined the integrity of the United States democratic process.' Article II: Obstruction of Congress As part of this impeachment inquiry, the Committees undertaking the investigation served subpoenas seeking documents and testimony deemed vital to the inquiry from various Executive Branch agencies and offices, and current and former officials. In response, without lawful cause or excuse, President Trump directed Executive Branch agencies, offices, and officials not to comply with those subpoenas. President Trump thus interposed the powers of the Presidency against the lawful subpoenas of the House of Representatives, and assumed to himself functions and judgments necessary to the exercise of the 'sole Power of Impeachment' vested by the Constitution in the House of Representatives. In the history of the Republic, no President has ever ordered the complete defiance of an impeachment inquiry or sought to obstruct and impede so comprehensively the ability of the House of Representatives to investigate 'high Crimes and Misdemeanors.'' This abuse of office served to cover up the President's own repeated misconduct and to seize and control the power of impeachment -- and thus to nullify a vital constitutional safeguard vested solely in the House of Representatives. Advertisement 'It's going to get very lonely. The consequences are significant. They are enough that it made it very difficult process for me. There's not been a morning since this process began that I slept beyond 4:00 a.m.,' he said. 'Well, a friend of mine once said that the worst thing that ever happened to them politically had already happened. The worst thing that already happened me politically was losing the presidency in 2012. I have broad enough shoulders to be able to weather personal changes in my career, political or otherwise. What I don't have is the capacity to ignore my conscience,' he added. Adam Schiff, the lead House impeachment manager for the Democrats, praised Romney's decision. 'Having proven Trump guilty, I asked if there was just one Republican Senator who would say 'enough.' Who would stand up against this dangerously immoral president. Who would display moral courage. Who would do impartial justice as their oath required and convict. And there is,' he wrote on Twitter. Ahead of the vote there was the question of whether any Democratic senators would break party lines and vote to acquit the president. Democratic Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Doug Jones of Alabama all hail from states Trump won in 2016 and retains strong popularity. But Jones said Wednesday morning he will vote to convict the president on both counts of impeachment. 'After many sleepless nights, I have reluctantly concluded that the evidence is sufficient to convict the President for both abuse of power and obstruction of Congress,' he said in a statement. Sinema and Manchin announced shortly before the vote they would vote to convict on both articles. 'Today, I vote to approve both articles, as my highest duty, and my greatest love, is to our nation's Constitution,' Sinema said in a statement. 'I reach this conclusion reluctantly,' Manchin said in a statement. 'I take no pleasure in these votes.' Manchin proposed censuring Trump - a move that would let the Senate express its disapproval of his actions in the Ukraine without formally removing the president from office. Several Republican senators have said they don't approve of Trump's actions but don't find them to rise to the level of an impeachable offense. Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska criticized the president on the Senate floor Monday night but said she would vote for his acquittal when the chamber votes on a verdict in his trial. 'The president's behavior was shameful and wrong. His personal interests do not take precedent over those of this great nation,' she said. The White House on Tuesday dismissed the censure idea, arguing the president has done nothing wrong. 'The answer to that is no because the president did nothing wrong,' deputy White House press secretary Hogan Gidley told reporters at the White House. Trump, in a July 25 phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, asked him to investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. The president said this was out of concern for corruption in that country - Hunter Biden at the time sat on the board of a powerful Ukrainian gas company. Democrats claim he was trying to get a foreign government to help him win re-election. As for senators, they are scheduled to leave town after the vote and won't return to Washington D.C. until next week. The vote may end the impeachment trial but it's not likely to ease tensions between Republicans and Democrats, which were on full display Tuesday night during the State of the Union Address. House impeachment managers Adam Schiff, Jerrold Nadler, Zoe Lofgren, Hakeem Jeffries, and Val Demings sat together at State of the Union address Adam Schiff hugs Nancy Pelosi before the speech began Democratic Senators Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona and Doug Jones of Alabama are being watched for their votes The bitter feud between President Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi boiled over during the speech, with Trump snubbing her outstretched hand and Pelosi ripping apart a copy of his remarks behind his back. Trump delivered the astonishing snub to Pelosi as he started his speech by ignoring her as she offered him a handshake, which set the tone for a full-throated condemnation of his political enemies and his presidential predecessors in front of a divided Congress. He simply turned away as the Speaker took her copy of his speech, then stood in front of a chamber which echoed with cries of 'four more years' from Republicans. That moment set the tone for the rest of the night and was reflective of the atmosphere in Washington since September, when Pelosi announced the House would formally open an impeachment investigation into the president. South Africa: Spending on SONA will be far less than budgeted amount Speaker of the National Assembly Thandi Modise says Parliament is ready to host this years State of the Nation Address (SONA). I can confidently say we are ready to host this auspicious event. We have put in hard work to ensure that its all systems go next week, the Speaker said. On Thursday, Modise, along with the presiding officers of Parliament, briefed media in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on the institutions state of readiness to host SONA next week. President Cyril Ramaphosa will deliver his State of the Nation Address during a joint sitting of Parliament on Thursday, 13 February. The address will be carried live on several TV and radio stations, and will also be streamed live on Parliaments website, DStv channel and YouTube channel. Modise said Parliament remains vigilant and sensitive to the prevailing economic challenges, and that the budget for the annual event was carefully designed to ensure that key features of the ceremony are retained. The State of the Nation Address is the second of this current financial year (2019/ 20), with the first being held in June last year following the 2019 Elections. A total of R7.3 million has been budgeted for both events. The June SONA, which also served as the official opening of the sixth democratic Parliament, cost the institution R2.6 million. Consistent with the trend of the previous years, indications are that the spending on both events will be far less than the budgeted amount, Modise said. Some of the aspects of the ceremony have been cut back to ensure Parliament is prudent with the budget. Among these, the dinner for Members of Parliament and guests -- which has also been cancelled for the past few SONAs -- will not take place. Some ceremonial highlights, such as the civil guard of honor, eminent persons and the involvement of radio programme winners, has also been cut. The branding and advertising budget have also been considerably reduced. Among the guests who have confirmed their attendance at next weeks event include former Presidents Thabo Mbeki, Kgalema Motlanthe and Frederik de Klerk, and former National Assembly Speakers Baleka Mbete and Dr Frene Ginwala. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-02-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Hackers could exploit vulnerabilities in the popular ZigBee protocol to deliver ransomware or spyware to networks. Check Point Research, the Threat Intelligence arm of Check Point Software Technologies Ltd., a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions globally, has today revealed vulnerabilities that would enable a hacker to deliver ransomware or other malware to business and home networks by taking over smart lightbulbs and their controller. Check Points researchers showed how a threat actor could exploit an IoT network (smart lightbulbs and their control bridge) to launch attacks on conventional computer networks in homes, businesses or even smart cities. Researchers focused on the market-leading Philips Hue smart bulbs and bridge, and found vulnerabilities (CVE-2020-6007) that enabled them to infiltrate networks using a remote exploit in the ZigBee low-power wireless protocol that is used to control a wide range of IoT devices. In an analysis of the security of ZigBee-controlled smart lightbulbs that was published in 2017, researchers were able to take control of a Hue lightbulb on a network, install malicious firmware on it and propagate to other adjacent lightbulb networks.. Using this remaining vulnerability, our researchers decided to take this prior work one step further and used the Hue lightbulb as a platform to take over the bulbs control bridge and ultimately, attacking the target's computer network. It should be noted that more recent hardware generations of Hue lightbulbs do not have the exploited vulnerability. The attack scenario is as follows: The hacker controls the bulbs colour or brightness to trick users into thinking the bulb has a glitch. The bulb appears as Unreachable in the users control app, so they will try to reset it. The only way to reset the bulb is to delete it from the app, and then instruct the control bridge to re-discover the bulb. The bridge discovers the compromised bulb, and the user adds it back onto their network. The hacker-controlled bulb with updated firmware then uses the ZigBee protocol vulnerabilities to trigger a heap-based buffer overflow on the control bridge, by sending a large amount of data to it. This data also enables the hacker to install malware on the bridge which is in turn connected to the target business or home network. The malware connects back to the hacker and using a known exploit (such as EternalBlue), they can infiltrate the target IP network from the bridge to spread ransomware or spyware. Many of us are aware that IoT devices can pose a security risk, but this research shows how even the most mundane, seemingly dumb devices such as lightbulbs can be exploited by hackers and used to take over networks, or plant malware, said Yaniv Balmas, Head of Cyber Research, Check Point Research. Its critical that organizations and individuals protect themselves against these possible attacks by updating their devices with the latest patches and separating them from other machines on their networks, to limit the possible spread of malware. In todays complex fifth-generation attack landscape, we cannot afford to overlook the security of anything that is connected to our networks. The research, which was done with the help of the Check Point Institute for Information Security (CPIIS) in Tel Aviv University, was disclosed to Philips and Signify (owner of the Philips Hue brand) in November 2019. Signify confirmed the existence of the vulnerability in their product, and issued a patched firmware version (Firmware 1935144040) which is now via an automatic update. We recommend users to make sure that their product received the automatic update of this firmware version. We are committed to protecting our users privacy and do everything to make our products safe. We are thankful for responsible disclosure and collaboration from Check point, it has allowed us to develop and deploy the necessary patches to avoid any consumers being put at risk says George Yianni, Head of Technology Philips Hue. Here is a demo video of how the attack works. The full technical research details will be published at a later date in order to give users time to successfully patch their vulnerable devices. Check Point is the first vendor to provide a consolidated security solution that hardens and protects the firmware of IoT devices. Utilizing a recently acquired technology, Check Point allows the organization to mitigate device level attacks before devices are compromised utilizing on-device run time protection. She stepped out for a good cause. Sofia Vergara sparkled on the red carpet with the two leading men in her life, son Manolo Gonzalez-Ripoll Vergara and husband Joe Mangianiello, at a charity event in Los Angeles on Wendesday. The family came out to support Sofia as she hosted the 2020 LA Art Show Opening Night to benefit St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Shine! Sofia Vergara sparkled on the red carpet with the two leading men in her life, son Manolo Gonzalez-Ripoll Vergara and husband Joe Mangianiello, at a charity event in Los Angeles on Wendesday The 47-year-old star was as glamorous as ever with her famous curves on display in a figure hugging long sleeve sequin dress in black and gold. Her trim waist was snatched in the middle with a built in black spangled belt which she matched with black strappy shoes. Across her lips, the Colombian actress swiped a matte brown lipstick and she tucked her sleek hair behind her ears. Joining her on the red carpet was her dapper 27-year-old son from her first marriage and her ruggedly handsome 43-year-old husband. Happy couple: Sofia posed on the red carpet with her adoring husband Joe Manganiello at the charity event to benefit St. Jude Children's Hospital A-list! The 47-year-old star was as glamorous as ever with her famous curves on display in a figure hugging long sleeve sequin dress in black and gold Family affair: The actress was supported by her handsome son Manolo as she hosted the 2020 LA Art Show Opening Night Joe wore an impeccably tailored three-piece charcoal suit with a black shirt under the vest. The event, which kicks off the annual LA Art Show, was held at the Convention Center and proceeds benefit their exclusive charity partner, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Sofia is a long time supporter of St. Jude and has appeared alongside dozens of other celebrities in various commercials to raise awareness for the amazing cause. 'It's an honor for me to give my time to raising awareness to support St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's mission of finding cures and saving children,' Sofia has said in the past. Good cause: The event, which kicks off the annual LA Art Show, was held at the Convention Center and proceeds benefit their exclusive charity partner, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital Passionate: Sofia is a long time supporter of St. Jude and has appeared alongside dozens of other celebrities in various commercials to raise awareness for the amazing cause 'I love spending time with the courageous children. Their positivity and strength is unmatched.' Vergara is wrapping up the final season of her star-making role as Gloria Pritchett in the ABC hit Modern Family. The series is coming to a close this season and ABC announced that Modern Family will officially end on April 8, 2020. End of an era: Vergara is wrapping up the final season of her star-making role as Gloria Pritchett in the ABC hit Modern Family which debuted in 2009 (Cast pictured in an early season) During the ABC 2020 Winter TCA conference earlier this month the entire cast was together to make the sad announcement. Debuting in 2009, Modern Family stars Ed O'Neill, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Eric Stonestreet, Sarah Hyland, Ariel Winter, Nolan Gould and Rico Rodriguez. The show has received critical acclaim and over its tenure earned 80 Emmy nomination with 22 wins, including Outstanding Comedy Series five years in a row. US President Donald Trump said he will make a public statement on Thursday (local time) at noon regarding his acquittal in the impeachment trial by the Senate. "I will be making a public statement tomorrow at 12:00 pm from the White House to discuss our Country's VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!" Donald Trump wrote on Twitter. This tweet comes after Donald Trump was absolved of all charges by the US Senate in the impeachment trial on Wednesday. First, in a 52-48 vote, the US president was found not guilty of the charge of abuse of power. Then again he was acquitted of the second impeachment article: obstruction of Congress with 53-47 vote. Earlier on Wednesday, Republican Senator Mitt Romney said that he will vote to convict United States President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Last week, Republican Senators rejected Democrats' efforts to call witnesses and documents during the impeachment trial. The voting paved the way for President Donald Trump's acquittal on two articles of impeachment passed by the House. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) More than 125 people showed up Wednesday night for a feral hog educational seminar in The Woodlands where a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension expert discussed the invasive swine and explained why the hogs are so problematic in Texas. Wednesdays session, sponsored by The Woodlands Township, was the first of two educational sessions scheduled for February for the public. The issue of feral hogs and the problems the swine create has reached new levels of concern in recent months after the death of a Chambers County woman in late 2019 was attributed to a feral hog attack and the creatures have invaded numerous parts of not only The Woodlands, but suburbs around the Greater Houston Region. PLAGUE OF PIGS: Scared residents in Woodlands plead for help with feral hog invasion Dr. John Tomecek, described by officials as a leading expert in feral hog biology and control, touched on dozens of issues, topics and facts about invasive swine, from how they got to Texas in the first place to why the creatures are so problematic. From destroying native habitat and spreading invasive plant seeds to eating the food of native animal species and carrying diseases, the hogs are a major problem for residents across the state, Tomecek said. This is an issuewere having some problems here. How do you handle this, what can you do, Tomecek began, explaining how the hogs across the state are a mix of domestic breeds introduced to the region in the 1500s by Spanish explorers who loved their jamon (Spanish for ham) to wild boar species brought to Texas in the 1930s by eager hunters seeking good game animals. HOGS ON THE MOVE: Pasadena on mission to remove feral hogs Were dealing with an animal we brought here that has done very well, he said, explaining how one mother sow can reproduce as many as three times a year, resulting in several dozen piglets. There is no other mammal this large on the planet with this type of reproductive rate. (They) Are an opportunistic omnivore. We also have this problem with constant reproduction. These are also intelligent animals. Tomecek likened feral hogs to racoons, noting that the creatures will eat basically anything they can find from roots and tubers to small insects and food from bird feeders. We need to get rid of cheap and easy meals, the hogs feast on, he recommended. Feral Hog Educational Seminar On Thursday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. a second feral hog education seminar will be hosted at the offices of H.A.R.C., 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands. Admission is free, however seating is limited and pre-registration with H.A.R.C. is required to attend. Call 281-364-6000 for more information and to register. Chris Watts from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is the scheduled speaker. See More Collapse ON HOUSTON CHRONICLE.COM: In The Woodlands, a senior community fights back against feral hogs Feral hogs generally fall into two categories, Tomecek explained males, or boars, and sounders, which is a term used to described a pack of female hogs that includes mothers (sows) as well as other related hogs such as grandparents, siblings and packs of piglets. Officials in Texas are more concerned with controlling the population of female feral hogs than male boars, he added, because female reproduce and males tend to have shorter lifespans because they are engaging in battles with other males and often wander alone. The publicized population of feral hogs in Texas is widely stated as being between three and five million, he said, but the reality is there is no way for wildlife officials or scientists to really know how many are living in the state and he believes the population is likely as many as 10 million. Feral hog populations have been recorded in every county in the state of Texas except one El Paso County and their spread began along the coastal regions of the Gulf of Mexico where conditions are better for their existence but now has blossomed all over, including to other states. MORE HOGS: Woodlands OKs hiring feral hog consultant as problem continues (Three to five million) That is a conservative estimate, Tomecek said. It could be as high as 10 million. There are basically no natural predators in Texas large enough to impact feral hogs. Tomecek said feral hogs can live to be eight years old and there is a 60 percent survival rate for piglets born in South Texas while in more northern areas, the survival rate is more than 86 percent. The survival rate is highest for females, with boars and juveniles more likely to die or be killed at a younger age. Due to their ability to rapidly reproduce a sow can begin having piglets at age of six to eight months and have three litters per year the spread of the feral hogs has been almost impossible for state officials to control. This is one of the more intelligent animals living in the (natural) environment. If they learn something, they can teach each other. If a sow experiences something dangerous as a piglet, shell teach others to stay away from it (when she is older), he explained. I get asked, when is this going to slow down? The scary thing is, we have not seen (feral hog population growth) slow down. Dangers of feral hogs explained After a lengthy discussion on the biology, mating habits and life spans of feral hogs, Tomecek turned his attention to the dangers the animals present to the environment and humans and he also discussed ways to squelch the population in the suburban environment of The Woodlands. NEED TO KNOW: Sunday Q & A: Feral hog trapping expert Alan Biggerstaff The feral hogs are problematic for a variety of reasons, and the control of the feral hog population is one true bi-partisan issue that elected officials of all party affiliation can get behind and support jointly, Tomecek said. One danger of feral hogs that many do not consider, he explained, is the effect of hog waste on surface water supplies. Tomecek said the e. coli bacteria can be transmitted from feral hogs into water supplies which creates a danger for water filtration, purification and sanitation treatment plants as e. coli is especially difficult to remove from water. Feral hogs also will eat anything, including the food sources used by native animals robbing those creatures of their natural food sources and possibly leading to population declines. Feral hogs can also eat other animals, notable ground-nesting birds and smaller rodents. The feral hogs also spread invasive plant species, which is a growing problem in Texas. Tomecek said the hogs are reliant on water and muddy muck to maintain a lower body temperature in the Texas heat as the animals do not have a very good perspiration system. The constant wallowing in the mud and rooting of soil by feral hogs often leads to the seeds of invasive plants getting mixed with mud and then caked onto the swine. The hogs, which can travel in a 4,000 acre range, then carry that wet mud with invasive plant seeds embedded inside to other areas where it falls off and then eventually the invasive plant seed germinates and begins to grow. As for the danger to humans, feral hogs are mainly a worry, Tomecek said, because they can spread nearly a dozen infectious, communicable diseases to humans. He said this becomes a problem because of hog poop, which can get onto shoes and be tracked inside a home or get on a person who may unknowingly roll in the hog manure in a yard. He also claimed that officials at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension had recently received reports of elementary school children in the region actually eating hog poop they had found on playgrounds or school property, but he said those claims were still being investigated. As for combating the feral hog invasion, that is easier said than done, Tomecek explained. The main methods to control feral hogs in Texas, he said, were trapping by far the most effective as well as snaring, which is not recommended in suburban areas, to shooting, chasing with trained dogs and even aerial harvesting, also known as shooting hogs from a helicopter. Tomecek said shooting firearms inside an incorporated city or suburban area like The Woodlands is normally illegal, and the use of trained dogs is mainly done on large tracts of rural lands and in reality, only relocates the feral hogs to new territory. After showing numerous slides on how to make an effective hog trap with a variety of materials ranging from $20 in supplies from a hardware store to elaborate tear-drop shaped traps that cost upwards of thousands of dollars, Tomecek took questions from the crowd. We have an enemy, he said of the feral hogs. This is a problem for all of us. We have an intelligent enemy. jeff.forward@chron.com [February 06, 2020] Bob Linscott Joins Wynnchurch Capital as Operating Partner Wynnchurch Capital, L.P. ("Wynnchurch"), a leading middle market private equity firm, announced that Bob Linscott has joined the firm as an Operating Partner. Prior to joining Wynnchurch, Mr. Linscott served as the Vice President of Operations for Fluke Corporation ("Fluke"), a subsidiary of Fortive company (NYSE:FTV). Fluke is a manufacturer of industrial test, measurement and diagnostic equipment including electronic test equipment. Chris O'Brien, Managing Partner at Wynnchurch, said, "We are excited to welcome Bob to the Wynnchurch team. Bob brings over 30 years of operating experience - serving in a variety of roles while overseeing businesses or divisions ranging in size from $100 million to almost $2 billion. He will be instrumental in helping us increase the value of our companies through active strategic and operational management and counsel." Mr. Linscott added, "I am pleased to partner with the Wynnchurch team and look forward to the many opportunities ahead." Mr. Linscott holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and began his career in operations at Milliken & Company. Mr. Linscott later transitionedto leadership roles at Honeywell (News - Alert), General Motors, Lear Automotive, and Danaher. Wynnchurch Capital is actively investing from its $2.277 billion Fund V. In November, Wynnchurch acquired Clyde Industries, a leading designer and manufacturer of sootblowers, a critical component within recovery, power, and steam boilers. Other recent Wynnchurch investments include: Eastern Metal Supply, a leading value-added distributor of aluminum extrusions and related products; MPL Holdings, a leader in cultured marble products for the hospitality and multi-family housing markets; two closed-die forging facilities of Allegheny Technologies that produce high-value, complex forgings for OEMs; and Alliance Designer Products, Inc., a leading manufacturer of polymeric sand and related installation products used in residential and commercial hardscaping projects. About Wynnchurch Capital: Wynnchurch Capital, L.P., headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois, with offices in California and Canada, was founded in 1999, and is a leading middle-market private equity investment firm. Wynnchurch's strategy is to partner with middle market companies in the United States and Canada that possess the potential for substantial growth and profit improvement. Wynnchurch Capital manages a number of private equity funds with $4.2 billion of committed capital under management and specializes in recapitalizations, growth capital, management buyouts, corporate carve-outs and restructurings. For more information, please visit: https://www.wynnchurch.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005048/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Union minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday became the latest leader from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to attack protesters in Shaheen Bagh, the heart of ant-citizenship act protests in Delhi. Shaheen Bagh is no longer just a movement. Batches of suicide bombers are being made here. There is a conspiracy against the country in the countrys capital, Giriraj Singh tweeted in Hindi, along with the video of speeches made at the protest site. Just a day before, BJP lawmaker Tejasvi Surya criticised the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA at Shaheen Bagh in southeast Delhi. WATCH | Suicidal bomb: BJPs Giriraj Singh on babys death at Shaheen Bagh protest Tejasvi Surya asked the majority community to remain vigilant or else he said the Mughal rule will return to the country while participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks on the Presidents address in Parliament on Wednesday. What is happening today in Delhis Shaheen Bagh is a stark reminder that if the majority of this country is not vigilant, the patriotic Indians do not stand up to this, the days of Mughal Raj coming back to Delhi are not far away, Tejasvi Surya said in the Lok Sabha. His remarks evoked sharp reaction from the opposition members in the House. Hundreds of people, mostly women and children, have been protesting since December 15 last year at Shaheen Bagh against the CAA and possibility of NRC. Under CAA illegal migrants from the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India before 2015 will be eligible for Indian citizenship. Critics say the law discriminates against Muslims as only non-Muslims from the three neighbouring countries can become Indian citizens. Three decisions that sent economy into a tailspin India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 06: The monumental blunder of demonetisation, a flawed GST and putting the squeeze on banks were the three major errors committed by the government that sent the economy into a tailspin, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said on Wednesday. Addressing students at the Shri Ram College of Commerce here, the former finance minister also said that the country was heading towards another "listless" year in terms of economic growth. "We will limp along. But if there is a crisis -- problem in the Middle East, a war or a trade war between the US and China, is there a plan B that the government has?" he asked. 'On day of shooting: Chidambaram questions extension to Delhi Police chief Pointing out that the government has itself set a "pessimistic" target of 10 per cent nominal growth, Chidambaram said the real growth would at best be around five per cent. "The growth rate has declined for the last six quarters. If the 7th quarter also shows decline then it means that the slide persists and we are yet to see light at the end of the tunnel, we are still in the tunnel," he said. Chidambaram said it is the Opposition that has been giving the reasons for the economic slowdown when the explanation should have come from the government. Giving various economic figures, he said all the numbers point towards a "limping economy". Explaining the reasons for the economic "decline", Chidambaram said the "monumental blunder" of demonetisation, the hurried and flawed implementation of the Goods and Services Tax which led to "chaos", and "putting the squeeze" on banks so much that the bankers stopped lending, were the "three major errors because of which economy has gone into a tailspin". All the key sectors such as mining, manufacturing, electricity, coal, crude oil and gas are performing poorly, he said, adding that the visible signs of the slowdown are most apparent in the automobile sector. Chidambaram said most importantly the economy was demand-constrained which was also pulling down investment and needed to be vitalized. He said the government's move to revive demand by cutting Corporate Tax was flawed as what was needed was to put money in the hands of the people. Those in power are real tukde tukde gang: Chidambaram Instead of the cutting corporate tax, if they had given relief in GST, that would have left money in the hands of millions and that would have led to investment, he said. He said one way of putting money in the hands of the people was to put more money in schemes such as MGNREGA and PM-KISAN. But, unfortunately the government has announced cuts in the budget of such schemes for the next fiscal, he said. The government has missed a huge opportunity to revive the economy, he added. Representative image First, a caveat. The author is no authority on viruses, and has based his arguments on the basis of material available on the WHO and CDC websites, and after a few discussions with doctors. Secondly, this article is not to malign any country. It is an attempt to bring in more rational judgement when dealing with epidemics or with diseases. The immediate provocation for this article is an announcement by India that all visas of Chinese who have been to China stand cancelled irrespective of whether they tested positive or otherwise for the Coronavirus (2019-nCov). This is the first time the government has taken such a stand. It has not done so with any of the outbreaks in the past. It was certainly bizzare, and even defied logic. Defining Epidemics To better appreciate the issues involved, let's begin with the definition of an epidemic. It is the rapid spread of infectious disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short period of time, usually two weeks or less. For example, in meningococcal infections, an attack rate in excess of 15 cases per 100,000 people for two consecutive weeks is considered an epidemic (Principles of Epidemiology, Third Edition (PDF). Atlanta, Georgia: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2012 and Green MS; Swartz T; Mayshar E; Lev B; Leventhal A; Slater PE; Shemer Js (January 2002). "When is an epidemic an epidemic?". Isr. Med. Assoc. J. 4 (1): 36. PMID 11802306) 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 Now, consider the number of people who died because of coronavirus. It is only 427. Other virus strains have caused more deaths, like the H1N1 Swine Flu. India did not do anything then. So, why this incredible reaction now? The worst virus attack the world has seen (according to the WHO) was the 1918 influenza pandemic. It "was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. Although there isnt any universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919. In the United States, it was first identified in military personnel in spring 1918. It is estimated that about 500 million people or one-third of the world's population became infected with this virus. The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States". The coronavirus accounts for the lowest of mortality rates from the virus attacks listed above. So, has the Indian administration overreacted? Has it lost its nerve? In fact, if there should be any travel advisory to be issued, it should be against the US as more deaths through the 'flu virus' occur there not just this year, but year after year. Last year, the US witnessed over 34,000 deaths on account of this virus. Is the pot now calling the kettle black? So, why have India's officials not issued a seasonal travel advisory against visits to that country during the flu season? One more thing. Viruses are not the biggest killers in the world. According to the WHO, the biggest killers lie elsewhere (see table). India should be using such emergency powers for any outbreak of diarrhoea and tuberculosis than the Coronavirus outbreak in China. A final remark. China has been doing a lot more than most countries have done to contain the spread of the virus. Just watch the amazing speed with which it built the Leishenshan Hospital and the Huoshenshan Hospital both within 10 days. India does not even bothered setting up isolation wards at the speed and scale than China has. Acts of cancelling visas and blocking out a country cannot be is insanity and panic. Bureaucrats should be more level-headed, not prone to panic attacks. Foxtrot, a Chicago, IL based innovative convenient store and cafe company, raised $17M in growth funding. The round was co-led by Imaginary and Wittington Ventures with participation from existing investors Fifth Wall, Lerer Hippeau, Revolutions Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, M3 Ventures, The University of Chicago, Collaborative VC, and Wasson Enterprise, as well as new investors Bluestein Associates and Barshop Ventures. Led by Mike LaVitola, co-founder and CEO, Foxtrot has built a digitally native evolution of the corner store/cafe that combines neighborhood retail and ecommerce technology, to offer a curated collection of daily essentials, coffee and prepared foods available in-store or delivered in under an hour. Each retail locale features an array of hand-selected products (such as a premium selection of craft beer, wine, spirits, food, gifts and everyday essentials) that champion local and heritage brands alike, as well as branded and private-label items, including coffee and prepared food. Consumers can also order in-store products through the app and ecommerce site and select on-demand delivery. The capital will allow the company to grow its corporate team and meet the demand for expansion, including the Spring 2020 launch of two Washington, D.C. locations (1267 Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown and in Mount Vernon). Foxtrot is also slated to open its eighth location in Chicago (545 McClurg Court), to bring its total to 12 locations across three markets (Chicago, Dallas and Washington, D.C.), with additional markets being announced later in 2020. FinSMEs 06/02/2020 The United States has halted a secretive military intelligence cooperation program with Turkey that for years helped Ankara target Kurdish PKK militants, four U.S. officials told Reuters. The U.S. decision to indefinitely suspend the program, which has not been previously reported, was made in response to Turkey's cross-border military incursion into Syria in October, the U.S. officials said, revealing the extent of the damage to ties between the NATO allies from the incident. The U.S. officials, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the United States late last year stopped flying the intelligence collection missions that targeted the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which both the United States and Turkey classify as terrorists. The U.S. military had carried out the missions using unarmed drone aircraft, which one official said were flown out of Turkey's Incirlik air base, where the U.S. military has a significant presence. The base is also a key hub for U.S. spy agencies operating in the region. The U.S. drone flights that took place within the program, in place since 2007, often zeroed in on mountainous territory in northern Iraq near the Turkish border, another official said. A Pentagon spokeswoman did not directly comment on any specific programs but noted that the United States has designated the PKK a terrorist organization since 1997. We have supported Turkey in their fight against the PKK in many ways for decades. As a matter of policy, we do not provide details on operational matters, the spokeswoman said, when asked about a halt in assistance. A State Department spokesperson said the United States does not comment on intelligence matters. Officials from the Turkish defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment, but a Turkish official confirmed the program was stopped. The halt to U.S. assistance will test the limits of Turkey's military and intelligence capabilities at a time when its forces are already deployed on multiple fronts in northern Syria and as Ankara mulls deeper engagement in Libya. "This makes the anti-PKK campaign more difficult and more costly for Turkey," one of the four U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said. It also adds to a laundry list of grievances between the United States and Turkey, including Ankara's purchase of Russian air defenses and broader splits over the war in Syria, despite what appears to be a strong relationship between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Turkish counterpart Tayyip Erdogan. "In recent years, Turkey has not been struggling to obtain the information it needs through drones it produces itself," the Turkish official said. "However, as an ally the steps taken on this issue do not contribute to ties between the two countries." SPLITS OVER SYRIA Trump, long a skeptic of U.S. military involvement in Syria, has been blamed by Democrats and even some Republicans for abandoning the U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters to the Turkish onslaught, and in so doing, unraveling U.S. policy. The Turkish offensive took aim at Kurdish YPG militia in Syria, who had been America's top allies in the battle against Islamic State. Turkey views the YPG as a terrorist organization, indistinguishable from the PKK. But U.S. policy has long drawn a bright line between the two groups, helping Turkey combat the PKK even as U.S. military forces simultaneously partnered with the YPG militia to combat Islamic State. The PKK took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984, waging an insurgency for autonomy in Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast. Since then, more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict. Kurds, as an ethnic group, form about 20 percent of Turkey's population. Turkey's military has often struck targets in Iraq's Kurdish region near the PKK's stronghold in the Qandil mountains and has also carried out cross-border operations into northern Iraq targeting the militant group. Since the inception of the secretive U.S. intelligence cooperation program, Ankara has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to advance its own defense capabilities and reduced its dependence on U.S. and Israeli drones which it frequently used since the late 1990s. Turkey's privately-owned Baykar Defence, whose management involves Selcuk Bayraktar, a son-in-law of Erdogan, began working on developing Turkey's first drone fleet since the 2000s. Within a decade and a half, it has developed armed and unarmed drones and begun selling them to the Turkish army as well as to Ukraine and Qatar. As of July 2019, a total of 86 Bayraktar drones are in service with Turkey's security forces and some of those have been regularly used during Ankara's three Syria operations in 2016, in 2018 and again last October. Arda Mevlutoglu, a Turkey-based defense analyst said the recent advance has equipped Ankara with greater flexibility and freedom in its operational capabilities. "Turkeys dependence on her allies, mainly to the U.S., significantly decreased, if not completely ended in real-time high-quality intelligence gathering and surgical strike type operations," Mevlutoglu said. Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 19:26:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHANGSHA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Xu Junmei, vice president of the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in Changsha, is leading a medical team in Wuhan and racing against time to fight the novel coronavirus. The emergency medical rescue team was comprised of 42 members and 10 medical rescue vehicles for different purposes, including ensuring daily necessities and medical tests. Tens of thousands of medical workers have been fighting the novel coronavirus in the past few weeks. Li Wanzhen, a nurse of the Xiangya hospital, is among the first few batches of medical workers from other provinces and regions who arrived at the intensive care unit of the Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, one of the city's designated hospitals to admit patients infected with the novel virus, on Jan. 27. Li and her colleagues helped perform continuous renal replacement therapies. "When I saw the eagerness for survival of the infected patients, I felt an impulse to help them regain their health and was glad that I'm here to fight side by side with them," Li wrote in her diary. Due to an undersupply of protective suits and limited time for toilet breaks, Li and her colleagues have to go to the bathroom before putting on the protective suits, and drink less water. "Some colleagues even put on adult diapers," Li said. "I need to quicken my pace to save time and more patients," said 57-year-old Zhang Dingyu, president of Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, who has been on the frontline fighting the virus and racing against time to treat critically ill patients. 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, though he has never revealed the state of his illness to his colleagues. A recent group of photos on local media in neighboring Hunan Province, where the situation is also grim, have gone viral on the Internet by capturing the ordinary daily lives of these "virus fighters." When the medical workers remove their masks, goggles and thick protective suits, you can see their faces covered with "scars" and shirts drenched in sweat. The photos drew hugely positive responses from netizens. "Take good care of yourselves, angels!" one wrote. In a letter to her father, Li Wanzhen wrote, "I'm looking forward to embracing the dawn after the darkness and reunion after separation. At this very moment, China and many countries around the world are pooling efforts to contain the epidemic. Please wait for me mom and dad, I will come back safe and sound." SALINE, Mich. - People gathered in a southeastern Michigan town on Wednesday to promote unity and inclusion in the wake of a school meeting when a white parent asked a Hispanic parent why he didnt stay in Mexico. The Saline Diversity Inclusion Rally was being held in Saline, about 40 miles (60 kilometres) southwest of Detroit, two days after a community meeting at the local school district office to deal with racist social media posts directed at black students. At the Monday meeting, Adrian Iraola said his son endured racist name-calling in the district several years ago, to which Tom Burtell interjected, Then why didnt you stay in Mexico? prompting gasps and outbursts in the room. Participants in the rally walked along the small towns downtown district with signs, including one that read, Racism Not Welcome. They moved inside to a building, where speakers included Saline Mayor Brian Marl. Marl told the demonstrators that racist, bigoted words are discraceful and not to be tolerated. ``You represent the majority of Saline and I want you to know that, he said. Many attending the rally said they were heartened by the turnout and the condemnation o f racism by the wider community. Saline High School senior JJ Ohren-Hoeft the rally could be evidence of possible change from the difficult experiences at school related to their ethnic and racial backgrounds voiced by students of colour. ``(Students of colour) just want to see a lot of change happen, Ohren-Hoeft said. ``I think its definitely going to happen now that theres this much attention to it. Supt. Scot Graden, Saline schools superintendent, said the district established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and has worked to train teachers and administrators on social justice. It also has endeavoured to develop a more culturally inclusive curriculum, though, he added, recent incidents and comments make it clear that much more must be done. Disgraced San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru and restaurateur Nick Bovis stood stony faced alongside their respective attorneys Thursday during a brief court hearing about the status of their $2 million bonds. The FBI arrested Nuru and Bovis last week on charges of fraud following a lengthy investigation involving undercover officers, confidential informants and wiretaps. Nuru and Bovis, the owner of Lefty ODouls, are accused of concocting several different corruption schemes, some of which were allegedly intended to steer city contracts to Bovis. 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 that he did not disclose. The hearing was their first public appearance since the scandal came to light last week. Both Nuru and Bovis have been released on unsecured bonds, which require defendants to agree to appear in court, but do not require an up-front payment. At Thursdays hearing, attorneys for Nuru and Bovis worked to renegotiate the terms of their clients bonds with Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim. On Thursday, lawyers for both men told Kim that they were close to finalizing paperwork to put up property as collateral for their bonds. Both men declined to comment after the hearing. Both are due back in court next Thursday to finalize the terms of their bonds. While the criminal charges against Nuru go through the courts, hes awaiting the outcome of a city investigation. Nuru was placed on paid administrative leave following his arrest last week while an investigation looks at whether to fire him. Nurus boss, City Administrator Naomi Kelly, has recused herself from the decision on whether Nuru would receive severance pay, should he be fired, but she is still responsible for the ultimate decision about his termination. The investigation into his fate with the city is expected to wrap up in the next few days. 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. By not resigning, Nuru gets to keep collecting his salary, which was more than $273,000 last year. Kelly informed the FBI that Nuru had revealed to her that Public Works was under investigation. Nuru later lied to the FBI about speaking to Kelly, prompting his arrest last week. The San Francisco employees retirement board will determine whether Nuru will keep his $91,000 pension. Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com [February 06, 2020] Studycat Donates Free Use of Its Language Learning Apps for Children in Areas Affected by School Closures HONG KONG, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Asia-based edtech firm Studycat Limited is donating free use of its award-winning Fun Series language learning apps teaching English, Chinese, Spanish, French and German to families in regions affected by school closures related to the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, including mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. To sign up, those interested should visit: https://studycat.com/in-this-together/ Access to the apps is effective immediately. If schools close in other locations as the epidemic continues, Studycat will extend this initiative. In suitable cases, the company will also offer complimentary use of its product designed for educational institutions, Fun English for Schools. All languages are available in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan on both iOS (via the App Store) and Android (via Google Play). In mainland China all languages are available on iOS (Apple devices) and English is available for Android devices. Mark Pemberton, co-founder of Studycat, said: "The accelerating coronavirus epidemic is scary, with many people getting sick and with very disconcerting casualties. For all people affected, we sincerely hope for a speedy resolution to this crisis. With schools closed at short notice, we parents face a practical challenge of educating our younger children as this situation unfolds. We need easy-to-use resources to provide productive activities for our kids to do at home. It is essential at this time to keep our young ones motivated, active, engaged in their education and with their minds occupied by things other than worrying news about a developing epidemic." "We are deeply concerned for anyone impacted by this virus outbreak. As a company that has built its business in Asia, we are determined to do our part, helping to mitigate some of the burden brought on by school closings", added Mateo Solares, co-founder of Studycat. "We are committed to helping families affected, making a positive impact for young children at this time, allowing them to learn new things while having fun, turning their minds to something constructive. This region is resilient. We can and will beat this thing. We're all in this together!" Studycat enables safe and convenient home learning of foreign languages, literacy and critical thinking. Its huge variety of fun online games, puzzles, songs and interactive exercises encourage creativity and collaboration. The company's website, studycat.com, also offers hundreds of creative worksheets to help fill time productively, which families in affected areas will have access to as well. Established in 1999, Studycat was started by Asia-based educators Mark Pemberton, Mateo Solares and Jason Bakkum. They began their journey as a bricks and mortar language school before moving into game-based digital learning in 2006 and app stores in 2011. About STUDYCAT Studycat is an international leader in children's online language education, empowering young children around the world to enjoy learning a foreign language with innovative learning applications that connect homes and schools. The company's consumer solutions help children aged 3-8 learn English, Chinese, Spanish, French and German effectively, achieving superior outcomes by using a blended approach of online and offline games and exercises. Studycat's English-language learning content is aligned with Cambridge Young Learners, a well-recognized academic curriculum and exam system. Built on the premise that young children learn most effectively through play and are motivated to study by having fun, Studycat's apps have been downloaded more than 11 million times worldwide. Connect with Studycat on Twitter @Study_cat, Facebook @ Studycat.net. and LinkedIn or visit studycat.com Press Contact: Mark Pemberton | [email protected] | +886 939626382 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/studycat-donates-free-use-of-its-language-learning-apps-for-children-in-areas-affected-by-school-closures-301000393.html SOURCE Studycat [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The new films we watched in the 1980s were not much better. Many came with new stereotypical images or an absolute neglect of people of color. Gene grew to understand this issue well through one of the men he admired most personally and professionally, Sidney Poitier, who became an early mentor to me. My uncle and I talked about this problem nearly every year around Oscar season. While HMD Global, the caretaker of Nokia's smartphone portfolio, is highly anticipated to unveil new Nokia smartphones and feature phones at the upcoming MWC 2020 conference on February 23, there could be another product up the company's sleeve. Besides the phones, the Finnish company could launch its first Nokia smartwatch as it looks to venture into the areas of consumer-end tech products beyond smartphones. The Nokia smartwatch will reportedly run Google's Wear OS, which should heat up the competition in the smart wearables market. Moreover, it is expected to support the eSIM facility. The information comes from a Twitter user who goes by @nokia_anew, stating that the Nokia smartwatch will support eSIM that will bring cellular connectivity for calls, SMS, and internet without having to rely on the paired phone. A report from Nokiamob.net also claims that HMD Global may have submitted a new trademark called 'SIMLEY' on the European Union Office for Intellectual Property (EUIPO). 'SIMLEY' belongs the categories of trademarks for SIM, eSIM cards, and banking services via mobile phones, and has been submitted by GILBEY LEGAL, the legal office that also represents HMD Global at EUIPO. This could also mean that future Nokia phones will come with the eSIM facility. The leak also suggests that the Nokia smartwatch will be launched in the US and Europe but no timelines are available. Also, it is not clear if the Nokia smartwatch will arrive in India. But in case it does, Nokia will compete with the likes of Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, and even the Huawei Watch GT 2. Currently, Apple Watch Series 4, Apple Watch Series 5, Samsung Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Watch Active, and Galaxy Watch Active 2 support eSIM facility in India. With Nokia jumping on the bandwagon, we could see a more affordable smartwatch that supports untethered cellular connectivity. But it will have to convince the buyers who have far better options in the smartwatch market when it comes to the ecosystem. Wear OS does not really enjoy the reputation of being a suitable wearable OS, much less its correspondence with Android. But apart from the aforementioned features and specifications, nothing else is known at the moment. Nonetheless, nothing is concrete at this point and readers are advised to take this information with a pinch of salt. Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson 1st Term in Review We exist during a critical time in the history of this city and country. I was voted into office in 2015 behind our beliefs and strategies to improve the quality of life for residents in the Eighth District. For decades, our people, neighborhoods, streets and businesses have seen systemic disinvestment and neglect. District Eight is home to hundreds of thousands of residents with diverse needs, however we are connected by shared opportunities and challenges. During my first term in office, I prioritized equitable and transparent service delivery, quality jobs, safe streets and sustainable solutions to homelessness. As we stand at the intersection of past and future, I am confident in the positive direction our communities are headed. Black communities are under attack across the country and I proudly represent the largest Black community in Los Angeles. Gentrification, mass incarceration and underemployment besiege communities in South LA and we continue fighting for resources to increase homeownership and community policing to improve conditions for our residents. Public Safety remains one of my top priorities and we have successfully launched community based safety solutions that decrease violence and increase accountability. The Community Safety Partnership and Community Safety Initiative are holistic approaches geared towards keeping our residents safe. The Community Safety Partnership has successfully reduced violent crime in and around Harvard Park by engaging residents, the office of Gang Reduction and Youth Development and LAPD officers in community policing. The Community Safety Initiative has made an impact in the lives of hundreds of youth and adults by connecting survivors of trauma to mental health services, engaging community groups to conduct neighborhood patrols and exposing youth to new opportunities to prevent gang affiliation. ADVERTISEMENT Decades of systemic disinvestment and neglect from policymakers left our district in dire need of basic city services. Shortly after taking office, I launched the Clean and Safe Streets Initiative to focus on educating and organizing residents to demand infrastructure repair and street beautification. The initiative has successfully increased and improved the quality of services delivered within the District. When I took office in 2015, City Council District 8 only submitted 23,000 requests for services. Since launching the Clean and Safe Streets Initiative, 311 requests have more than tripled. The success of Clean Streets demonstrates how a coordinated effort with residents, community-based organizations, block clubs, and neighborhood councils mobilize and empower residents to create solutions for our shared challenges. Every area within the City of Los Angeles is affected by the homelessness crisis. Systemic racism in policies and service delivery have caused Black Angelinos to be disproportionately impacted by this epidemic. To combat this crisis, we needed to better understand the historical context and factors that led us to this point. We created the Homelessness in South Los Angeles Position Paper to share our findings and help others understand these factors. All HHH supportive developments help build independent living and address the root causes of homelessness. Permanent supportive housing allows us to bring people indoors as well as provide mental health services, addiction treatment and employment services to address the factors contributing to homelessness. I authored Proposition HHH in 2016 which allocated $1.2 billion for the City to build tens of thousands of units of supportive housing that include services to address the needs of chronically homeless people. Since then, I opened the first Bridge Home in South LA as well as the first HHH funded permanent supportive housing development. Many HHH funded projects are breaking ground across the city and dozens will begin serving residents this year beginning with the project at 88th and Vermont. The public sector has historically been a tool to help Black communities build financial stability. However, Council District 8 is experiencing a jobs crisis due to decades of disinvestment. Right now, the Eighth District has the fewest employed people in the City and African Americans are at a lower employment rate in LA than before the Great Recession. At the same time, the City of Los Angeles needs more employees to respond to increased demands for city services. Civil service exams and a lack of outreach to our communities prevent CD8 residents from accessing these careers. Understanding these barriers led me to champion the Targeted Local Hire Program to address these realities and provide an alternative pathway for residents to access careers with the City of Los Angeles without needing to take a Civil Service Exam. This program brings jobs to communities that need them the most and has connected over 1,000 residents to new career opportunities with thousands more in the pipeline for jobs. Destination Crenshaw is a community-based anti-displacement economic development and cultural celebration. The project is designed to facilitate economic security and entrepreneurship for residents while doubling as an open-air museum celebrating the history of Black activism in L.A through arts and culture. This tool will allow us to preserve our communitys cultural identity and catalyze construction careers for local residents. It will also be an opportunity to invest in local businesses and provide local artists a platform to launch their careers. I am your voice at City Hall and as a lifelong organizer, I believe we can accomplish anything when residents are informed and civically engaged. Please contact my office to work together on solutions to address critical issues happening throughout our district and our city. I look forward to working with you to build a brighter future for South Los Angeles. Colin Murphy with his late wife Peggy on their wedding day COLIN Murphy suffered every husbands worst nightmare when his wife Peggy tragically passed away in her sleep from heart failure. Peggy was only 46 at the time and had been married to Colin for eight years. The couple were parents to a six-year-old boy, Padraig. I had to get up the next morning for my son, says Colin (51) . Im still here for him. Thats what matters, going forward. You cannot go back. Every day is great, but I enjoy life. Peggy enjoyed life too but for some reason it was cut short, I dont know why, but it was. Colin had met Peggy after he emigrated to Baltimore in America in 2002. The pair dated for a couple of years before getting married. Although American born Peggys mother was from Clare, she had dual Irish and US nationality. Colin describes her death as very tragic. I wouldnt wish it on anyone, he says. I had a wonderful, happy life going very well and it was taken away from me in four minutes. Her anniversary was there six years on January 18. There was nothing anyone could have done, to be honest. She was there one minute and gone the next minute. You need someone there with a defibrillator immediately actually because its just one of those things, unfortunately by the time I found her there was nothing I could do. Video of the Day He still misses her. She was very beautiful, he remarks. She was just a lovely person and a fantastic mother and a great wife. People get old and they pass away but she was taken away so young. Colin had been working as a barman in an Irish pub in Baltimore and, although he had in-laws in the area, after three years as a lone parent he decided to move back to Ireland and bring Padraig with him. He is originally from Ballyphehane on the southside of Cork city but was drawn to live in Kinsale as he and Peggy always loved it there. He decided to go on RTEs First Dates show to see if he could find someone compatible. The lady lined up for his date was blonde Corkonian Aideen Radley (44), who works as an accounts administrator in Cork and lives in Douglas. She has a 21-year-old daughter, Eve, who she raised by herself. Aideen was more than pleased with Colin. He was lovely guy, she confirms. I think we very much hit it off straight away from the get go. We had a nice time, hes a very nice guy. I thought the show was a fantastic experience. It can initially be nerve-wracking but they make me feel really comfortable. First Dates is RTE2 tonight at 9.30pm. Helen McCourt's killer has walked free from prison, despite never revealing what he did with her body after murdering her in 1988. Ian Simms, 63, is free on licence following a ruling by High Court judges that he should not be kept in custody pending the outcome of a legal challenge. Simms is serving a life sentence for the abduction and murder of Helen, aged 22. The Parole Board recommended Simms should be released following a hearing in November 2019. The board reviewed its decision following a challenge by Justice Secretary Robert Buckland, but again concluded, on January 8, that Simms should be freed. Ian Simms (left, in August 2014), 63, was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years after killing 22-year-old Helen McCourt (right) in 1988 as she walked home from work in Billinge, Merseyside Helen's mother, Marie McCourt, and her family have also launched a legal bid and her lawyers argued Simms should stay behind bars ahead of a judicial review of the Parole Board decision. On Wednesday, a Ministry of Justice spokesman said: 'We completely understand the pain and anguish that the Parole Board's decision has caused Marie McCourt and her family. 'The Lord Chancellor asked the Parole Board to reconsider but has no legal power to overrule these decisions. 'The High Court's ruling meant we had to release Ian Simms from custody though he will be recalled if the court later decides to quash the Parole Board's decision. 'He will be on licence for life, subject to strict conditions and probation supervision when released, and he faces a return to prison if he fails to comply.' Mrs McCourt, from Billinge, Merseyside, has campaigned for a change in the law to keep killers locked up until they lead police to a victim's body. The Prisoners (Disclosure of Information about Victims) Bill, dubbed Helen's Law, has failed to be ratified before Parliament on numerous occasions - twice being delayed because of general elections. Marie McCourt holds a picture of her late daughter Helen McCourt after she gave evidence at a Parole Board hearing on November 7 last year Pub landlord Simms, who was convicted by a jury on overwhelming DNA evidence, has always maintained his innocence over the death of Ms McCourt, an insurance clerk who disappeared on her way home from work in Liverpool in 1988. Simms was eligible to be considered for release in February 2004. WHAT IS HELEN'S LAW? Marie McCourt wants Britain to adopt 'Helen's Law' legislation which would prevent the release of killers who have hidden the locations of their victims' bodies. She writes on change.org: If parole is granted, my hopes of finding my daughter may never be realised. No other family should live this ordeal. I, hereby, petition the Prime Minister Theresa May and Home Secretary Amber Rudd to acknowledge the pain and distress caused to the families of missing murder victims by: Denying parole to murderers for as long as they refuse to disclose the whereabouts of their victim's remains Passing a full life tariff (denying parole or release) until the murderer discloses the location (and enables the recovery) of their victim's remains Automatically applying the following rarely-used common law offences in murder trials without a body*; preventing the burial of a corpse and conspiracy to prevent the burial of a corpse, disposing of a corpse, obstructing a coroner (*as in the case of R v Hunter, 1974 (from Archbold, Criminal Pleading Evidence and Practice 2015) Advertisement Simms, who has always maintained his innocence, was found guilty of her abduction and murder at Liverpool Crown Court the following year and given a life sentence with a minimum term of 16 years. Speaking after the decision to let Simms go free, Mrs McCourt's husband John Sandwell said: 'We are obviously disappointed with today's news. 'Today was a small battle in the war. 'It was a case of trying to keep him in prison while we go through with the judicial review. 'Even if he is released now, if the judicial review goes in our favour he will have to go back to prison quite quickly.' Lord Justice Dingemans said Mrs McCourt believes Simms will not disclose where Helen's remains are if he is released. However, the judge said the Parole Board, having reviewed the latest psychological evidence on Simms, considers that he would never disclose the location even if he was never set free. Lawyers representing Simms said he has been in open prison conditions since 2016 and has been released under supervision on a number of occasions. His barrister, Joanne Cecil, said he would be subject to 'stringent licence conditions', which include a curfew, 24-hour electronic monitoring and residing at a specified address, and will be recalled to prison in the event Mrs McCourt's legal challenge is successful. Mrs McCourt and her family have campaigned for a change in the law to keep killers locked up until they lead police to a victim's body. "The thing I love about Zeel is that it's so easy to use," says Cindy Crawford, world-renowned supermodel and entrepreneur. "There's a seamlessness to the whole process which makes massage the perfect gift for special occasions like Valentine's Day." "There's nothing better than an in-home retreat, " says Zeel's co-founder Alison Harmelin. "A couples massage at home is an amazing experience at any time, but especially on Valentine's Day. You can schedule a Zeel couples massage in as little as an hour, at the time that works for you. 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Recently surpassing more than 1,000,000 appointments, Zeel has been named one of the "Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America" by Entrepreneur and one of the fastest-growing companies in the country by Inc. Magazine. The Zeel platform counts over 11,000 licensed massage therapists delivering massage across the country. Zeel offers on-demand, at-home massages in as little as an hour, 365 days a year, with start times as early as 8am and as late as 10:30pm. Zeel is also home to Zeel Spa, a software-based staffing solution for hundreds of hotels and spas across the country and [email protected], bringing chair massage, yoga and assisted stretching to the employees of thousands of US based corporations. SOURCE Zeel Related Links http://zeel.com Up to a certain point, this years Oscars seem to be one of the most predictable in recent memory. The four acting races seem to have been decided long ago, and many of the other categories have strong frontrunners as well if Roger Deakins doesnt win Best Cinematography and Parasite isnt named Best International Feature Film, 3,000 people in the Dolby Theatre will go into shock en masse. But how much do we really know? Best Picture has a clear frontrunner but also the tantalizing possibility of an upset that wouldnt surprise too many people. And a number of other categories including animated feature, documentary feature and short and film editing could go in a few different directions. The obvious favorites are 1917 and Parasite, both of which should go home from the ceremony with some shiny new statuettes. Meanwhile, the two epics that were once thought to be frontrunners have faded: Quentin Tarantinos Once Upon a Time in Hollywood will certainly win one award and might take home one or two others, but Martin Scorseses The Irishman could become his second film, after 2002s Gangs of New York, to go 0-for-10 at the Oscars. Also Read: Pre-Oscar Awards Scorecard: 'Parasite' Won the Most, but '1917' Won the Big Ones Assuming that PricewaterhouseCoopers hasnt contracted the ballot counting to the Iowa Democratic Party, heres what we expect to find in those envelopes on Sunday evening. BEST PICTURE Nominees: Ford v Ferrari The Irishman Jojo Rabbit Joker Little Women Marriage Story 1917 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Parasite Parasite is positioned to win this award like no film not in English has ever been. It won the SAG ensemble award and the Writers Guild Award, it picked up more guild awards than any other film, its by far the critical favorite of 2019 and its director and cast have been the hit of the awards circuit since Cannes. It also fits the recent pattern at the Oscars, in which a big, bold movie wins Best Director but a smaller, actor-driven film wins Best Picture: Gravity/12 Years a Slave, The Revenant/Spotlight, La La Land/Moonlight and Roma/Green Book, all within the last six years. Story continues And yet 1917 won the Producers Guild Award, the only major award that uses the same preferential system of counting votes that the Academy does. And it won the Golden Globe for drama, the Directors Guild Award and the British Academy Film Award (BAFTA). Films can win those awards and still lose Best Picture La La Land and Brokeback Mountain did but its rare. Unless Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or Jojo Rabbit pulls off a shocker, a film is going to make history on Oscar night: Parasite as the first non-English film ever to win the award, 1917 as the first film since Grand Hotel in 1932 to win without an acting or editing nomination. The question is which one will be favored by the Oscars preferential voting system, in which the second-place choices of the films that receive the fewest votes come into play, or whether that will end up helping Once Upon a Time or Jojo in unexpected ways. Parasite is a tempting pick that would fit with recent trends, but it also has a de facto best picture category where it will win, Best International Feature Film. And given what else 1917 has won this year, it seems foolish to bet against it. Predicted winner: 1917 Also Read: '1917': How Sam Mendes & Co. Re-Created World War I in a Single Take 1917 Sam Mendes San Mendes on the set of 1917 BEST DIRECTOR Nominees: Bong Joon Ho, Parasite Todd Phillips, Joker Sam Mendes, 1917 Martin Scorsese, The Irishman Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood To split or not to split? In recent years, the Best Director and Best Picture awards have gone to different movies more often than not. But heres an even more powerful stat: Over the last 71 years, this award has gone to the director who wins the Directors Guild Award for feature film 63 times and in the last 16 years, the only time the two awards didnt match was when the Academys Directors Branch forgot to nominate Ben Affleck for Argo. This year, the DGA win gives a big edge to 1917 director Sam Mendes, who pulled off a huge movie that looks like a single shot. Parasite director Bong Joon Ho would be a popular alternative, and itd be hard to argue with giving this to Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino, but all signs point to Mendes. Predicted winner: Sam Mendes, 1917 BEST ACTOR Nominees: Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Adam Driver, Marriage Story Joaquin Phoenix, Joker Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes The four acting categories seem to be all but locked, with the same four actors winning at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, SAG Awards and BAFTA. Its hard to envision a scenario in which Joaquin Phoenix doesnt win this award for Joker: The film is the overall leader in nominations, even people who dont like it are impressed by his performance, and the massive Joker backlash thatd need to happen for voters to give this one to, say, the subtle perfection of Antonio Banderas performance in Pain and Glory, has never materialized. Face it: If Phoenix has any disappointment on Oscar night, itll be that the menu at the Governors Ball is mostly, but not completely, plant-based. Predicted winner: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker Also Read: Director Todd Phillips: 'Joker' Sprang From Concern Over World Without Empathy BEST ACTRESS Nominees: Cynthia Erivo, Harriet Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story Saoirse Ronan, Little Women Charlize Theron, Bombshell Renee Zellweger, Judy This category provided the biggest surprise at last years Oscars, when presumed winner Glenn Close lost to Olivia Colman in The Favourite. But Colman had won at BAFTA, so her upset win didnt come completely out of the blue. Renee Zellwegers portrayal of Judy Garland in Judy, on the other hand, hasnt faced any serious competition all season while Charlize Theron got some initial buzz for playing Megyn Kelly in Bombshell, the movie never quite got the traction it needed to make her a serious challenger. (It doesnt help that shes asking Hollywood to identify with and root for a Fox News personality.) Like Best Actor, this should be one more walk to the podium for a performer whos been there all season. Predicted winner: Renee Zellweger, Judy Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Brad Pitt BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Nominees: Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes Al Pacino, The Irishman Joe Pesci, The Irishman Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood The supporting categories provide surprises more frequently than the lead categories, but you wont see a surprise here this year. In a lineup of pretty iconic actors, the effortless charm of Brad Pitts performance has carried over into a string of delightful acceptance speeches, and who doesnt want to see him deliver one more on the stage of the Dolby? Barring a last-minute decision to make it up to Tom Hanks for 19 years of snubs (nope, thats not gonna happen), Pitt is the one sure winner for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Predicted winner: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Nominees: Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell Laura Dern, Marriage Story Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit Florence Pugh, Little Women Margot Robbie, Bombshell Lately, theres been a growing buzz for two women who could be saluted for more than one 2019 performance: Florence Pugh, who was terrific in Little Women, Midsommar and Fighting With My Family, and Scarlett Johansson, who was nominated for both Jojo Rabbit and Marriage Story. But Laura Dern was in two movies last year, too, Marriage Story and Little Women, and everybody in Hollywood loves her. Shes been winning all season and shes not about to stop now. Predicted winner: Laura Dern, Marriage Story BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Nominees: The Irishman Jojo Rabbit Joker Little Women The Two Popes For a while, this category seemed to be one of the best chances for The Irishman to avoid an Oscar-night shutout. But Little Women won the Scripter Award and seemed poised to win here, too until Jojo Rabbit had a very good final weekend before the Oscars, winning at the Writers Guild Awards on Saturday and at BAFTA on Sunday. Barring a surprise from The Irishman or Joker, this now appears to be a showdown between Little Women and Jojo Rabbit. And it might be the prime opportunity for voters to recognize the latter film, which we underestimate at our own risk. Predicted winner: Jojo Rabbit Parasite Bong Joon Ho BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Nominees: Knives Out Marriage Story 1917 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Parasite Even as Quentin Tarantinos Once Upon a Time in Hollywood began to slip from its status as one of the Best Picture frontrunners, the Best Original Screenplay category seemed likely to give him an Oscar win. But Parasite has been coming on very strong in the homestretch: It won the Writers Guild Award, which you cant hold against Tarantino because his script wasnt eligible, and then won the next day at BAFTA, where Once Upon a Time was eligible and had been nominated. Academy voters do like Tarantino, who has been nominated four times and has won for Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained. But BAFTA voters gave him those same four nominations and those same two wins, plus another nom for The Hateful Eight so for Parasite to win there is a real danger sign for Tarantino. Plus, this could be the voters only chance to give Parasite writer-director Bong Joon Ho an Oscar win of his own the Best International Feature Film Oscar will officially go to South Korea, not to Bong. Predicted winner: Parasite BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Nominees: The Irishman Joker The Lighthouse 1917 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood When 1917 first screened for voters and press in late November, viewers and pundits agreed on three things: It was a strong Best Picture contender and it was going to win for its score and its cinematography. The first of those is clearly true, the second has turned into a big question mark and the third seems to be a lock. Roger Deakins, who couldnt catch a break from Oscar voters for the longest time, is poised to win his second Oscar in three years for planning and executing the one-take look of 1917, and for that astonishing sequence in the bombed-out French town. If he somehow doesnt win, Robert Richardson probably has the best chance to take this one for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. But this award is Deakins to lose and hes not going to lose. Predicted winner: 1917 BEST COSTUME DESIGN Nominees: The Irishman Jojo Rabbit Joker Little Women Once Upon a Time in Hollywood There may have been a time when the smart move in this category was to pick the frilliest and poofiest nominee to win but that time is no more, what with Black Panther beating The Favourite last year and Mad Max: Fury Road topping Cinderella and The Danish Girl a couple of years earlier. Still, this years frontrunner does appear to be the one nominee with some (relatively) frilly dresses, Little Women. And it might help that this is one of the few places to honor that film, which was popular enough to land a Best Picture nomination. Of course, every other nominated film in the category is a best-pic nominee, too. And you cant rule out the lure of those groovy period threads in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or the appeal of Jojo Rabbit, the costumey-est of the nominees or even the power of that red suit in Joker. Predicted winner: Little Women Ford v Ferrari BEST FILM EDITING Nominees: Ford v Ferrari The Irishman Jojo Rabbit Joker Parasite Some people say you need a Best Film Editing nomination in order to win Best Picture (though 2014s Birdman didnt have one), but you dont need to be the Best Picture winner to win here: In the past 10 years, only The Hurt Locker and Argo have turned that trick. Typically, this award goes to a film that is nominated for but doesnt win Best Picture, and one with a liberal amount of action. That seems to favor Ford v Ferrari, but Jojo Rabbit and Parasite won the top awards from the American Cinema Editors, so you have to take them seriously. And you certainly have to take legendary editor Thelma Schoonmaker seriously. Shes been nominated a record-tying eight times and could become the first editor to win four Oscars if her work on The Irishman prevails here. But could complaints about the films excessive length hurt her chances? Sure if it wins, itll be the categorys longest winner since Lawrence of Arabia won 57 years ago. Predicted winner: Ford v Ferrari BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING Nominees: Bombshell Joker Judy Maleficent: Mistress of Evil 1917 Make an actor look like a famous person, win an Oscar. That worked two years ago for Darkest Hour (Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill) and last year for Vice (Christian Bale as Dick Cheney), and it should happen this year for Bombshell, which features Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson and John Lithgow as Roger Ailes. By contrast, Judy had only one transformation, of Renee Zellweger into Judy Garland and neither it nor any of the other nominees work was startling enough to make voters forget that they had trouble telling Charlize from Megyn. Predicted winner: Bombshell BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Nominees: Joker Little Women Marriage Story 1917 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker After 14 nominations without a win, this was supposed to be the year for Thomas Newman, whose music for 1917 was essential to the movies power. But over the last few weeks, Icelandic composer Hildur Gunadottir, only the ninth woman ever nominated for scoring, has been winning awards for her ominous score to Joker, including the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, Society of Composers and Lyricists and BAFTA. Though Newman still has a shot, the momentum seems to be with Gunadottir. Predicted winner: Joker rocketman elton john taron egerton Paramount BEST ORIGINAL SONG Nominees: I Cant Let You Throw Yourself Away from Toy Story 4 Into the Unknown from Frozen II (Im Gonna) Love Me Again from Rocketman Im Standing With You from Breakthrough Stand Up from Harriet Could Diane Warren actually win her first Oscar after 11 nominations for Breakthrough, a faith-based indie thats probably the least-seen nominee this side of the shorts? Sure, she could it wouldnt be any stranger than her and Lady Gaga losing the Oscar a few years ago to the worst James Bond song ever written. But shes a longshot behind the song that Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote for the movie about Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Rocketman, and behind Cynthia Erivos song from Harriet. And while you can never write off Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who are 2-for-2 at the Oscars with songs from animated features, their song from Frozen II is more adventurous and less inescapable than Let It Go from the first Frozen. Elton will likely get to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his Lion King win with another trophy. Predicted winner: (Im Gonna) Love Me Again from Rocketman BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN Nominees: The Irishman Jojo Rabbit 1917 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Parasite This probably comes down to two amazing sets (the rich and poor homes in Parasite) v. a recreation of 1969 Los Angeles (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) v. miles of trenches, tunnels and countryside (1917). In recent years, voters have been leaning toward elaborate fantasy over period reconstructions and maybe the nominee that comes closest to fitting that bill is the one that brings the once upon a time to Hollywood. Predicted winner: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood BEST SOUND EDITING Nominees: Ford v Ferrari Joker 1917 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker The eternal question in predicting the sound categories: Will voters pick the same movie in both categories or will they differentiate between editing (the creation of artificial sounds and sound effects) and mixing (the overall audio balance)? In three of the last four years and seven of the last 10, the same film has won both, which is one of the reasons why the Academy is considering consolidating the two categories. So if the same movie wins both categories, will it be the war movie, 1917, or the car-racing movie, Ford v Ferrari? The latter film won the top award from both of the Hollywood sound organizations, the Cinema Audio Society and the Motion Picture Sound Editors, but war movies typically do well here, and 1917 figures to be a voter favorite up and down the ballot. If theres a split between the categories, editing is where Ford v Ferrari could well prevail. Predicted winner: 1917 BEST SOUND MIXING Nominees: Ad Astra Ford v Ferrari Joker 1917 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Theres only one difference in the nominations between sound editing and sound mixing, with the artier, lower-budget space movie Ad Astra slipping into the spot vacated by Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. But like the other sound category, this is a race between 1917 and Ford v Ferrari and, we suspect, another narrow win for the WWI movie. Predicted winner: 1917 BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Nominees: Avengers: Endgame The Irishman The Lion King 1917 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker The Lion King won the top prize at the Visual Effects Society Awards, and a film that consists of nothing but visual effects ought to be a serious contender in this category. But in recent years, Academy voters have usually gone for lower-key visual effects, with last years win for First Man over Avengers: Infinity War only one example. In addition, a Best Picture nominee has lost to a non-nominee only once in the last 49 years, when the low-budget Ex Machina somehow beat Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian and The Revenant in 2015. The best-pic stat should give 1917 and The Irishman the edge here but with the de-aging effects in the latter film drawing a decidedly mixed reaction, the war movie could be an easier one for voters to embrace. Predicted winner: 1917 BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM Nominees: Corpus Christi Honeyland Les Miserables Pain and Glory Parasite There are other easy categories to predict at this years Oscars, but nothing quite this easy. The five previous films nominated for Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film in the same year all won in the latter category, and theres really no chance that streak will change just because theyve renamed the category. Unless the Academy voters all got together when we werent looking and decided to give this award to Pain and Glory or Les Miserables so they can save Parasite for Best Picture, Bong Joon Hos film is going to follow in the footsteps of Z, Life Is Beautiful, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Amour and Roma with an easy win here. Predicted winner: Parasite American Factory BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Nominees: American Factory The Cave The Edge of Democracy For Sama Honeyland Theres talk that Honeyland could win because all the Academys international members will vote for that Macedonian film, which is also nominated in the Best International Feature Film category. But the category also contains two films set in Syria and one in Brazil so if regional loyalties figure in the voting, it might benefit the one nominee that is from the United States, American Factory. American Factory is also a formidable contender because its about American and Chinese relations at a time when those are in the news; its made by two acclaimed and well-liked filmmakers, Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert; its executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, the first film from their Higher Ground Productions; and its on Netflix, making it the most seen of the nominees. But For Sama is an emotionally wrenching doc that focuses on a mother and child bond in a ravaged Syrian town, and Honeyland does get some boost from that international nomination. In a very close race between those three films, American Factory may have a slight edge. Predicted winner: American Factory BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT Nominees: In the Absence Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If Youre a Girl) Life Overtakes Me St. Louis Superman Walk Run Cha-Cha If you watch these five top-notch nominees back-to-back, the one that hits hardest is probably the Korean film In the Absence, a heartbreaking and infuriating indictment of the government response to the Sewol ferry disaster. In the days when voters had to see all the nominated films at AMPAS screenings, that would probably give it the win. But the BAFTA-winning Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If Youre a Girl) has the same things going for it that 2017s winner Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405 did: a great title and a story that leaves you with some uplift. (Its also a better movie than Heaven.) And St. Louis Superman is a timely reminder that politics can sometimes do good, and one of the few nominated films with a black protagonist. Like doc feature, this is a very close race. Predicted winner: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If Youre a Girl) Toy Story 4 Woody Bo Peep BEST ANIMATED FEATURE Nominees: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World I Lost My Body Klaus Missing Link Toy Story 4 Toy Story 4 must overcome a couple of hurdles here. The first is that in the 18-year history of this category, only one sequel has ever won. (Good news: It was Toy Story 3.) The second is that the Academys love for Pixar has cooled in recent years: After winning the Oscar for six of its eight releases between 2001 and 2010 (with nominations for the other two), it has put out 10 movies, landed five nominations and won three times. For most studios, thatd be great; for Pixar, its a slump. But what can beat it? Netflixs Klaus won big at the Annie Awards, but its hard to trust its sweep at an awards show historically prone to manipulation. A different Netflix film, I Lost My Body, will get the arthouse vote and might have an outside chance if it is widely seen, which is doubtful. Laikas Missing Link isnt that studios best but has been campaigning hard and has a shot if Pixar fatigue has truly set in. And it feels a little late for the Academy to recognize DreamWorks Animations How to Train Your Dragon series. Pixar has won nine times in 18 years, and Toy Story 4 has already won at five of the six guild awards shows that honor animated films. Pixar fatigue or not, theres nothing really positioned to take it down. Predicted winner: Toy Story 4 BEST ANIMATED SHORT Nominees: Dcera (Daughter) Hair Love Kitbull Memorable Sister The French film Memorable, about an aging artist with dementia, may be the most artistic and substantial of the nominees but if voters in the category were looking for artistic and substantial, they would have nominated Theodore Ushevs masterful The Physics of Sorrow, which made the shortlist but inexplicably did not advance. So even though Memorable and the Chinese-American film Sister are imaginative and moving, this race may well come down to the two big-studio offerings, Sonys Hair Love and Pixars Kitbull. Of the two, Hair Love tells a charming and winning story, and is one of the few ways in which voters can recognize diversity in this #OscarsMostlyWhite year. But Kitbull is a touching tale of cooperation and friendship between a stray kitten and abused dog and since the rules in this category were changed to allow the entire membership to vote without attending special screenings, Pixar and Disney have won four times in seven years, including two Pixar wins in the last three years. Predicted winner: Kitbull BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT Nominees: Brotherhood Nefta Football Club The Neighbors Window Saria A Sister The Neighbors Window, the narrative debut from two-time documentary nominee Marshall Curry, is the categorys only English-language nominee, and the kind of expertly-made, crowd-pleasing film that veers from comedy to sorrow and once would have coasted to a win in this category. With a more international Academy, though, it faces strong competition from Saria, which tells a devastating story and packs a real punch; Brotherhood, a disquieting family drama that speaks to issues that plague the Middle East; and even Nefta Football Club, a comedy with the kind of twist ending that voters sometimes appreciate. While the Academy often makes confounding choices in this category, all of the nominees are strong. This will be the fifth time in the last decade with only one American nominee in the category and three of the first four times, that film has won. That may give The Neighbors Window a slight edge in a competitive field. Predicted winner: The Neighbors Window Read original story Oscars 2020 Predictions: 1917 and Parasite Will Go to War, But Who Will Win? At TheWrap If youre sure that 1917 is going to take the Oscar for Best Picture and that Joaquin Phoenix is a shoo-in for Best Actor, you can earn more than bragging rights for your predictions. Many of these seven Academy Awards viewing parties are offering prizes for most accurate ballots and theyre all providing a place for you to soak in all the celebrity drama, paired with food and drinks. Reserve a spot now so all youll have to worry about on Feb. 9 is looking red carpet ready. Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaid on Wednesday scored a long-sought meeting with President Donald Trump, a high point on an international tour aimed at bolstering support for Guaid's U.S.-backed campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro. But Guaido left the White House without the one thing coveted by every leader who visits: an Oval Office photo opportunity with the American president. Soldiers lined the White House driveway as Guaid arrived for the afternoon meeting. Trump stepped onto a red carpet and into a damp chill to welcome Guaid and escort him to the Oval Office for a private meeting after a stroll along the colonnade. Guaid sported a red tie, just like Trump. A day earlier, Guaid was a guest at Trump's State of the Union address. Lawmakers applauded as Trump introduced Guaid as Venezuela's true and legitimate leader and called Maduro a tyrant. In a statement late Wednesday, the White House said Trump emphasized the U.S. commitment to end Maduro's corrupt and violent dictatorship. Trump and Guaid discussed the importance of securing the return of freedom for all Venezuelans that will promote and safeguard a democratic and prosperous future for the Western Hemisphere," spokesman Judd Deere said. Vice President Mike Pence and Guaido met at the Capitol before Pence left on a trip to Pennsylvania. Also attending were Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, both Florida Republicans. The U.S. and nearly 60 other governments say Maduro's 2018 election was illegitimate and that Guaid, as leader of the country's National Assembly, should be named interim president under Venezuela's constitution. These countries blame Maduro's socialist policies for a political and economic crisis threatening regional stability. Maduro, however, remains in control, having faced down a failed military uprising, a brief renewal of mass anti-government protests, and sanctions and other U.S. efforts to force him to leave office. Guaid slipped out of Venezuela at a time when he had few options left and was struggling to draw significant numbers of people into the street to protest against Maduro. Guaid's momentum saw a slight upturn in early January, when he was seen in widely published images tussling with armed riot police while attempting to jump a fence and enter the National Assembly legislative building. Mr. President, please take this message back to your homeland, Trump told Guaid during Tuesday's speech. All Americans are united with the Venezuelan people in their righteous struggle for freedom. The White House said the U.S. will continue to work with countries in the region to confront the illegitimate dictatorship in Venezuela and ensure a democratic and prosperous future for its people. Trump's national security adviser, Robert O'Brien, called on Russia, China and Cuba to end their support for Maduro. O'Brien said Maduro lacks his people's support and is exercising tyranny over them. We call on the Chinese, the Russians and the Cubans to knock it off and to get out of Venezuela and let the Venezuelans control their own destiny, O'Brien said Wednesday to a group of ambassadors to the U.S. Venezuela has been a priority in Latin America for the Trump administration, which a year ago was the first among a coalition of governments to recognize Guaid as president. The administration has undertaken what it describes as a maximum pressure campaign of sanctions and other measures designed to hasten Maduro's departure from office, but he has remained. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., criticized Trump's approach, saying on Twitter that Trump's view that Maduro would back down after the U.S. recognized Guaid as the country's leader was an idea, not a strategy, and it had no hope of working. Russia has a political, military and economic alliance with Venezuela that was forged under Maduro's predecessor, Hugo Chavez. Venezuela is struggling to pay back billions of dollars in loans from Russia about half owed to Russia's state-owned oil company Rosneft. O'Brien said the Trump administration would consider during the next several weeks whether to impose U.S. penalties on Rosneft for helping provide a monetary lifeline to Maduro. Guaid's attendance at Tuesday's speech came as a surprise as he has sought for some time to secure a meeting with Trump, his most important international ally. Guaid visited Miami on Saturday, not far from where Trump spent the weekend at his home in Palm Beach, Florida, but the leaders did not meet then. Guaid has been on a two-week world tour that took him first to Colombia, then across Europe and Canada, where he sought more international help to oust Maduro. The Venezuelan government early last year banned Guaid from leaving the country after he fell under investigation, accused of violating the constitution by challenging Maduro. This is the second time he's disobeyed the ban, both times leaving to rally international support at the risk of arrest upon his return. The administration on Wednesday promised very significant consequences for Maduro if he interferes or harms Guaid when he returns to Venezuela. The White House had said earlier Wednesday that the media would be allowed into the top of the Oval Office visit, but it abruptly shifted course and barred reporters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Albany The former prison tailor who helped two killers escape a maximum-security New York prison is scheduled for release this week after serving her sentence. Joyce Mitchell, 55, is serving time at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for helping Richard Matt and David Sweat break out of the state prison in Dannemora in 2015. She provided tools they used to chisel through walls and pipes in a "Shawshank Redemption"-style escape in northern New York. After a three-week manhunt, Matt was shot dead and Sweat was captured and put behind bars for life. The escape was featured in a 2018 Showtime miniseries, "Escape at Dannemora," with Patricia Arquette playing the part of Mitchell. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Mitchell was sentenced to 21/3 to seven years and was denied parole three times. She was approved for conditional release on Feb. 8 after a prison staff committee determined she had earned time off for good behavior. The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision says Mitchell's release date is on Saturday, but she'll likely be released on Thursday so she can meet the requirement of reporting to a parole officer within 24 hours. PARIS Can you admire a stage production if its directors choices hardly register? In France, where directorial vision is generally considered the driving force in theater, its a conundrum. By local standards, the Comedie-Francaise debut of Angels in America, Tony Kushners epic play about the AIDS crisis in the United States, is a curious success. Onstage, a chorus of voices including both the actors and the playwrights converge with clarity yet also seem unfiltered, as if the director had taken a back seat. Perhaps it shouldnt come as a surprise: The director, Arnaud Desplechin, whose background is in film, is essentially new to theater. Although he has released a dozen highly individual screen dramas since the early 1990s including A Christmas Tale and last years Oh Mercy! Angels in America is only his second project for the stage after a rather staid 2015 production of August Strindbergs Father, also for the Comedie-Francaise. With its modern setting and sprawling story lines, Angels in America was always going to look different from Father, which relied on period costumes and static sets. Still, Desplechins reading of Kushners play is similarly literal. When characters wander around New York City, the citys skyline, Central Park and the Brooklyn Bridge appear in graceless video projections. As soon as the action moves inside someones home, walls are dutifully wheeled in. Residents in Bexar Countys Precinct 1 deserve a commissioner who is responsive to the needs of all and can offer a broad unifying vision. We recommend political newcomer Rebeca Becky Clay-Flores for the Democratic nomination for this post. In the Republican primary, Gabriel Lara is running unopposed. Clay-Flores has worked for the city of San Antonio for the past five years, first in the mayors office under Ivy Taylor and most recently in the health department as a special projects manager. Her professional history includes extensive time teaching and working with nonprofits. She has taught school locally and in universities in Tennessee and Mexico. She also founded a small educational nonprofit. Clay-Flores grew up in the inner city and has a compelling personal story. At one time her family was homeless, but she did not let that stand in the way of her education. Clay-Flores holds an undergraduate degree from Princeton University and a masters degree in education from Harvard University. She offers innovative ideas about using education to empower residents of Precinct 1, improving the delivery of mental health services in the community and breaking the school-to-prison pipeline. Gender isnt the reason we are recommending her, but its way past time for a female presence on Commissioners Court. The county has only had one female county commissioner and one woman as county judge. The long-standing position of this board has been to support elected incumbents unless there is evidence they should be replaced or a challenger can make a compelling case that he or she could bring more to the job. Its for this latter reason that we recommend Clay-Flores, even though she faces an uphill battle. In the past 45 years, only one commissioner with more than one term of experience has lost re-election. Regrettably, there are no term limits on Commissioners Court. County Commissioner Sergio Chico Rodriguez has been on the job for 15 years and is seeking his fifth term in office. One of the complaints we hear is his lack of engagement with the communities in the southern sector of Precinct 1. We also are straining to see significant accomplishments. For example, in his meeting with the Express-News Editorial Board, the commissioner placed the paving of roads in the Highland Oaks area on the top of a list that also includes jobs and health care. The paving of roads in Highland Oaks has been one of the Editorial Boards crusades in recent years. The history of the unpaved roads saga will show Rodriguez was unresponsive to the residents when they first approached him about the problem. The Editorial Board was met with the same unresponsiveness when we raised the issue with him. Credit for paving these long-neglected roads goes to the late Precinct 2 Commissioner Paul Elizondo. The roads were a public safety hazard because emergency vehicles could not navigate them, and it was Elizondo who found a way to pave what previously been considered private roads. It was disingenuous for Rodriguez to take credit for a project that moved forward in spite of him. Rodriguez has many faithful supporters in this district, and we get that. But all residents in this vast precinct deserve to be treated equally. Also in this race is Freddy Mendoza, an affable and well-intentioned deputy with the Sheriffs Office. But its Clay-Flores who would bring much-needed change. A top international online newsmagazine recently focused on an issue rarely addressed earlier by any analyst in India or abroad. It noted that the assassination of Irans Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani led to a protest against his killing by the United States in a remote corner of India: Kargil. The local Shia Muslim population unsurprisingly took Irans side, taking to the streets on hearing of Soleimanis death. Later, anti-US demonstrations by Shias erupted in parts of Kashmir, and a few days later even in New Delhi. Interestingly, it surmised that if the US-Iran conflict keeps growing, the presence of pro-Tehran entities in a part of Ladakh could hypothetically emerge as an irritant one day. Its a relevant observation and Shia dynamics in India would need to be analysed for correct deductions. Brief geostrategic and geopolitical observations would also be pertinent. Kargil district is a part of the new Union territory of Ladakh, famously known for the high-altitude infantry and artillery battles between India and Pakistan in May-July 1999 that led to Pakistans abject defeat. Passing through Kargil is the strategic highway linking Kashmir to Leh, Ladakhs capital, through Zojila Pass. The highway was the objective of Pakistans 1999 misadventure. Its permanent domination by Pakistani observation and fire would have threatened Ladakhs connectivity with the rest of India and indirectly of the Siachen Glacier, the other high-altitude, glaciated battlefield between India and Pakistan. Adjoining it in the north is the Gilgit-Baltistan sub-region of Pakistan-occupied Ladakh, and further east from Leh is Aksai Chin, part of which is illegally occupied by China. A restive Kargil district will always be a concern for India due to these factors. Kargil has a population of 140,000 of which 100,000 are Muslim (77 per cent). Of these, 65 per cent are Shias. In the rest of India, it is estimated 15-20 per cent of the Muslim population is Shia, around 30-40 million, the second largest figure in the Islamic world after Iran, which has 66 million. Most Shias have deep ideological links with the Shia Islamic learning centres in Iran. Large numbers of Indian Shias flock to Mashad and Qom with a degree of trust that they are involved only in the pursuit of learning. A high degree of Islamophobia exists worldwide due to the numerous acts of terror involving radical Islamic extremists. Except in the case of the Shia Hezbollah, and that too limited to the Israel-Syria-Lebanon region, and some violent activity in Iraq by a few Shia non-state militias, there have been no transnational acts of terror involving Shias. It is well known that Iran remains focused in pursuit of its interests related to West Asia and is in confrontation with the US-Saudi-Israel trilateral through proxies. In no other part of the world do non-state actors operate with any linkage to Iran. Irans ambitions about the spread of Shia ideology have also been limited. However, deep ideological links exist with Shia populations. At one stage, think tanks in Israel were deeply studying how Indias Shia community had kept its Iran linkage without any effect on its patriotic orientation towards India. A classic example is the way Lucknows well-known Shia culture has kept its deeply Indian orientation along with its links with Irans centres of learning without a concern being raised; it is testimony to both Indias pluralism and Shias ability to manage the right perception about their sect. It is with this understanding that one should approach the demonstrations of support for Iran in Kargil and elsewhere in India. It would be interesting to know that during the height of the early manifestation of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and its threats towards Shia shrines at Najaf and Karbala, a very large number of passionate Indian Shias volunteered to proceed to Iraq to act as foot soldiers against ISIS which had declared Shias as its enemy. Shias involvement with politics in India is minimal, which makes them a poor vote bank. In many ways, however, this is their strength. The proxy war in J&K has seen negligible involvement of the community, which forms almost 12-15 per cent of the Valleys population distributed in few pockets. Discrimination against them in Kashmir is one of the reasons why Kargil, an adjoining district to Kashmirs Ganderbal, did not witness any support for Pakistans sponsored proxy war in J&K. Of concern, however, should be the fact that it was Pakistans mainly Shia Northern Light Infantry from the illegally-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan area that was involved in the occupation of the Kargil heights in 1999. Despite this, it got no support whatever from Kargils population and proxy war remains incubated in the Valley. There is so far no evidence that the Iran-influenced organisations in Kargil have any traits of being paramilitary proxies that can be used in a hostile way. This could lead to the conclusion that demonstrations in support of Iran and the assassinated Qasem Soleimani, seen in Kargil and elsewhere in India, are only transactional in nature for the expression of solidarity. Yet Iran has admittedly demonstrated no solidarity with India over the recent developments in Kashmir. The nature of India-Iran relations has mostly been transactional, unlike the emerging relationship between India and the Gulf states, where a huge Indian diaspora resides with a major contribution to the Indian economy through remittances. Can the Iranian linkage with Indian Shias therefore turn against Indias interests? This seems unlikely as the history of the relationship proves that Iran has often taken such a stance without hurting the relationship. Its relationship with Pakistan too has never been too warm. India too, realising the strategic importance of Iran, maintains a neutral stance on the US-Iran standoff and continues to follow an interest-based relationship. Its in the contingency that India is called upon by the United States to demonstrate the depth of the mutual emerging strategic relationship that it will be under pressure. It would be a difficult call, but India has so far weathered such choices well through its multilateral approach. The sentiments of Kargil and other Indian Shias appear to be yet benign. The Kargil Shias remain an important entity for Indias security of Ladakh and its approach towards Gilgit-Baltistan. The demonstrated Shia patriotism must be nurtured for our strategic interests even as a careful watch is maintained on Shia foreign linkages, an action which is always an ongoing exercise for the intelligence domain. The writer, a retired lieutenant-general, is a former commander of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps. He is also associated with the Vivekananda International Foundation and the Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. Amid the ongoing protests against the CAA, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday called upon Sangh functionaries to reach out to people to dispel misinformation about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and drum up support for the controversial legislation. He gave the call at a meeting of RSS functionaries from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, both ruled by the Congress, here, sources in the organisation said. The media was not allowed to cover the meet. The RSS chief categorically told the functionaries to remove the impression prevailing in certain quarters that the new citizenship law is against the Constitution, they added. Bhagwat's suggestion was based on feedback that Dalits are being misled by vested interest with arguments that the CAA is an attack on Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution, the sources added. With this, the RSS sarsanghchalak wrapped up his four- -day-long visit to the city where he held a series of meetings with pracharaks (full-time volunteers) from Chhattisgarh and MP and functionaries of more than 35 Sangh affiliates at Sharda Vihar, a residential school, they said. With the meetings over, pracharaks and functionaries of Sangh affiliates like the ABVP, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, the Hindu Jagran Manch, the Sewa Bharti, the Vidya Bharti and the Gram Bharti will start fanning out among people, especially in rural areas, to dispel misinformation about the CAA-NRC, an RSS insider said. The campaign will be carried out on a war-footing as vested interests are dividing the Hindu society over the CAA and the proposed NRC with arguments that the measures are against the Constitution, he said. Progress and impact of the outreach programme, which is especially focused on youths, will be reviewed periodically at different levels, the RSS insider added. An attempt is on to divide the Hindu society with misinformation that the CAA and NRC are against Ambedkars views and spirit of the Constitution drafted by him, he said. Followers of Ambedkar are being swayed by anti-CAA protesters, he added. Bhagwat ji asked functionaries to work for social harmony (samajik samrasta), the RSS insider added. According to another Sangh insider, some functionaries apprised Bhagwat about the exodus of Muslims office-bearers from the adhya Pradesh BJP's minority cell in protest against the CAA-NRC. He said Bhagwat told them they should win over these minority community members and convince them that the CAA was not against Indian Muslims. During his visit, Bhagwat held talks with more than 100 pracharaks from MP and Chhattisgarh on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, he held interaction with functionaries of more than 35 Sangh affiliates. Bhagwat received feedback from them on different issues, including the CAA and the NRC, the sources said. Union ministers Prahlad Patel, Faggan Singh Kulaste, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh, MP BJP president Rakesh Singh, among others, met Bhagwat here. Meanwhile, an RSS release said Bhagwat asked functionaries to build a strong cadre to take on social challenges and removes vices from the society. The CAA seeks to fast-track Indian citizenship for non-Muslim who fled Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan because of religious persecution. CAA's critics say the law is discriminatory and violates the core values of the Constitution. Its enactment in December triggered widespread protests in the country. The NRC (National Register of Citizens) seeks to create a record of bonafide Indian citizens in the country and identify illegal residents. New specialty schools are set to open in Spring ISD next school year as the district continues expanding school choice opportunities for students. Spring ISD Superintendent Rodney Watson remembers the first time he spoke to the Spring community. He set out for them the districts vision, and where they plan to go, which is what Watson continued to talk about during his State of the District address Feb. 5 at the Randall Reed Center. This year marks five years since Spring ISD launched its Every Child 2020 initiative, Watson said. The five-year strategic plan was rolled out to unite the district with the community and find ways to support their students, focusing not just on success in the classroom, but in life as well. We know that it is out guidepost, it is our compass, Watson said. We look at our strategic plan and every single thing that we do we make sure its measured up against that based on our commitment to your family. Part of that comes by becoming a district of choice known for high quality academics with innovative specialized programs, Watson said, which Spring ISD plans to provide to all students in the district. Related: Spring ISD adds new courses to its education planning guide for 2020-21 school year Specialty schools opening in 2020-2021 include a new prekindergarten-through-8th grade school for international studies at Bammel Elementary School, focusing on dual-language courses. Spring ISD will also be opening a new international school at Salyers Elementary School. A specialty middle school for performing and visual arts is slated to open next school year at Bailey Middle School focusing on an arts-integrated curriculum with internships and Pre-AP courses. A polytechnic middle school is also in the plans, Watson said, focusing on programming, technology, animation, digital forensics and robotics. We want to offer more opportunities and more choice, Watson said. Hopefully, today you can see we are taking great strides. Watson said the district is beginning the initial planning stages for a new early college high school in partnership with Lone Star College-North Harris, which will be housed at Dekaney High School. The work outlined in Spring ISDs strategic plan began about five years ago when the district spent months meeting with community members and families, collecting feedback to align their visions for student choices and opportunities. During the second year, Spring ISD made progress bringing career and technical education courses to their schools, Watson said. The district made pathways for oil and gas, auto technology, animation and media technology and began launching dual-language programs at their elementary schools in the third and fourth years. By providing instruction in English and Spanish, we affirm our commitment to ensure that our students are biliterate, bicultural and bilingual, Watson said. Over the past year, Watson said the district made progress at middle schools through the Lift 6 transformation program, launching new specialty programs at the middle schools. We have been able to increase the number of opportunities and choice programs in schools to meet diversity of students, but in addition to that, make sure kids dont have to leave their neighborhood to receive these programs, Watson said. Related: Spring ISD examines impacts of high student mobility Since the beginning of Lift 6 at Spring ISDs middle schools, Watson said campuses have had 20% less overall incidents, 32% fewer disruptions and 33% fewer suspensions. Spring ISD has experienced growth in campuses STAAR performance and TEA accountability ratings, Watson said. In the 2017-18 school year, only one school had an A rating in the district. The following school year, four campuses earned A ratingsMcNabb Elementary School, Roberson Middle School, Wunsche High School and Spring Early College Academy. Literacy has been the top priority at Spring ISD elementary schools, Watson said. The district has seen gains, he said, particularly at the third grade level. One of the most important predictors of college success is the number of students reading at or above grade level, Watson said. These literacy efforts start during pre-K, Watson said, and thanks to HB 3 passed by the state legislature last year, Spring ISD will be providing full-day pre-K at all their campuses next year. Participation in Advanced Placement and Gifted and Talented programs is increasing, Watson said. Spring ISD tries to remove the barriers to higher education further by paying for every student to take the SAT, regardless on if they plan on attending college. One other initiative the district plans to launch next year is called Read With Me, a program to get the community involved in helping students read more frequently. We believe if you take time out of your schedule as community members, and you partner with central administration, and we go into our schools and read with students, that the end result is going to be thousands of more students being able to read, Watson said. paul.wedding@hcnonline.com Syrian government troops captured a key opposition town in the northwest Wednesday despite threats by Turkey's president to use force if they don't pull back by the end of the month, an observer group and network reported. The town, Saraqeb, sits at the intersection of two major highways, one linking the Syrian capital of Damascus to the north and another connecting the country' west and east. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and an opposition network said Syrian government troops entered Saraqeb in the evening after an intense day of fighting with opposition fighters, during which several Turkish observation posts were surrounded. Later Wednesday, the Observatory reported clashes inside the town between Syrian troops and opposition fighters. Turkish troops stationed north of Saraqeb shelled Syrian troops north and west of the town in efforts to break their hold on the town, the Observatory said. Syrian state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV reported government forces encircled Saraqeb after advancing toward the town from three directions. Some opposition fighters were reportedly still in the town, while opposition-run Shaam agency said Syrian troops have not yet entered Saraqeb. Syrian forces have fought to open the Damascus-Aleppo highway, which rebels have kept shut down since 2012. Saraqeb is the last major rebel-held town in their way. Turkey, a strong backer of some rebel groups in northwest Syria, has a dozen military observation posts in Idlib province, which borders Turkey. In recent days, Ankara has sent new troops and equipment, setting up posts around Saraqeb in an attempt to keep it from falling into Syrian government hands. Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces have made advances into Idlib, the country's last rebel stronghold, since December. The United Nations said more than 500,000 have been displaced because of the violence. "If the (Assad) regime does not retreat to areas behind the observations posts, Turkey will be forced to take matters into its own hands," Erdogan said. He said two of the Turkish observation posts are now behind Syrian lines. The observation posts were set up as part of an agreement reached in 2018 with Russia - a main supporter of Assad - to monitor a cease-fire that has since collapsed. During their advance on Saraqeb, Syrian forces surrounded four Turkish observation points, the Observatory and news opposition sites said. It was not clear what happened to the Turkish observation point or its soldiers. There was no immediate comment from Turkish officials. The opposition-run Baladi News Network also reported the town fell to Syrian control, adding that Saraqeb came under intense Syrian and Russian fire. The Observatory said the opposition fighters withdrew from the town under heavy bombing. Clashes between government forces and opposition fighters continued east of the highway, north of Saraqeb, on Wednesday night. Syrian State news agency SANA reported four civilians were killed in rebel shelling of an Aleppo city district that sits on the highway. The United States, Britain and France requested an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting on the escalating situation in northwest Syria. The open meeting is expected to take place Thursday afternoon and include a briefing by the U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, and U.N. humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock, diplomats said Wednesday ahead of an official announcement. The United Nations warned Wednesday that the huminatrian situation in northwest Syria is deteriorating. Some 586,000 people have been displaced since Dec. 1 and over 100,000 others are facing an immediate risk of displacement, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. He said many of the displaced fled with only the clothes on their back and food, shelter, water, sanitation and education are urgent priorities. A humanitarian plan for the next six months to help up to 800,000 people in the northwest is seeking about $336 million, Dujarric said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke to members of his ruling party after rare clashes Monday between Turkish and Syrian troops inside Syria, which killed seven Turkish and 13 Syrian troops. Erdogan said he told Russian President Vladimir Putin during a late-night phone call Tuesday that the Syrian forces must retreat to a point agreed on in a 2018 cease-fire agreement. Russia and Turkey agreed to a demilitarized zone in rebel-held Idlib in which Ankara and Moscow would use their forces to enforce a cease-fire and clear the highways restricted by rebel control. That cease-fire and subsequent truces didn't survive repeated bouts of violence. "This is a new era in Syria. Nothing can remain the same where the Turkish soldier's blood has been shed," he said. If our soldiers' safety cannot be ensured in Idlib, no one can deny our right to ensure it ourselves, he added. Erdogan also called for the withdrawal of Syrian Kurdish forces from regions near Turkey's border. He threatened to resume a Turkish military offensive that was launched into northern Syria last year against Kurdish militias there. Turkey regards the U.S.-allied Kurdish forces as terrorists because of their links to Kurdish insurgents across the border in Turkey. But the Kurdish-led forces inside Syria had also partnered with the U.S. as a valuable ally against the Islamic State group. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A group of fire victims and their attorneys say they have unearthed problems on a Pacific Gas and Electric Co. power line in Butte County that are similar to the faulty part blamed for causing the 2018 Camp Fire in the same area. The discovery came from a utility expert who examined PG&Es Caribou-Palermo transmission line, which started the Camp Fire, and nearby equipment. That expert found several issues on the neighboring Cresta-Rio Oso transmission line, according to a Thursday statement from a committee of fire victims involved in PG&Es bankruptcy case. Among the issues were considerably rusted hooks, some of which had worn a groove into their connecting parts, the committee said. The committee already told PG&E about the problems and is working with the company to solve them, according to the statement. PG&E spokeswoman Lynsey Paulo said in an email that company leaders take questions about our infrastructure seriously because safety is our most important responsibility. She noted the extensive efforts PG&E took to examine its equipment last year, which included conducting 18 months worth of electrical inspections in four months. After concerns were raised about certain equipment on a tower on the Cresta-Rio Oso transmission line, we re-inspected the equipment the following day, Paulo said in the email. This inspection determined that there were no immediate safety issues with the equipment. We are working to repair the piece of equipment in question. PG&E is scheduling a time to make the needed fixes because the line will have to be taken out of service, she said. The committee originally said some of the hooks on the Cresta-Rio Oso line looked like they were being held together by black electrical tape. But a spokesman for the group later said it had not properly characterized the tape. Paulo said tape shown in a photo the committee released is not related to maintenance or repair of the hook in question, but is used during insulator replacement. Some linemen wrap tape around the hook so the hook doesnt inadvertently fall to the ground during insulator string installation, she said. Once the insulator string is attached, the tape serves no functional purpose and if not removed is simply an artifact of the installation. The experts findings are noteworthy because a broken hook on the nearby Caribou-Palermo transmission line was blamed for the ignition of the Camp Fire, which killed 85 people and incinerated about 18,800 structures, almost entirely destroying the city of Paradise. It was the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history. U.S. District Judge William Alsup has already taken note of the problems flagged by the victims committee. Alsup, who is overseeing PG&Es probation stemming from the 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion, told PG&E Thursday to be ready to address the experts findings at a previously scheduled hearing this month. The committee may also address Alsup at the hearing. PG&E had turned off the Cresta-Rio Oso line before the Camp Fire started because the company had scheduled work on it. The company permanently shut down the Caribou-Palermo line after the fire. State regulatory officials investigating the Camp Fire found that the company did not properly maintain the equipment where the blaze began. The shortfalls were not isolated, but rather indicative of an overall pattern of inadequate inspection and maintenance of PG&Es transmission facilities, staff at the California Public Utilities Commission concluded last year. After the Camp Fire, PG&E undertook a massive effort to fix equipment problems on its power lines. Paulo said the company inspected about 730,000 electrical structures in high-fire threat areas, and crews climbed towers and used drones to assist with the work. PG&E addressed and repaired identified conditions that posed an immediate safety risk right away, Paulo said. Other repairs will be finished as part of PG&Es routine work execution plan, and PG&E gave inspection results to state regulators, she said. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California Kirk Trostle, a member of the victims committee involved in the bankruptcy case, said in the groups statement that it was not accusing PG&E of failing to take any sort of required corrective action. However, due to the potential seriousness of the issues discovered by the expert and the disaster that could be caused by another suspension equipment failure on a live line, we had to bring it to PG&Es attention, Trostle said in the statement. We could not bear the thought of another Camp Fire. The committees statement adds yet another wrinkle to PG&Es complicated set of legal problems. Victims attorneys once fought PG&E in its bankruptcy case at one point they joined forces with a group of bondholders who tried to take control of the company. But the committee switched sides after its lawyers struck a $13.5 billion deal to settle the claims of fire victims, including those who lost their homes in the Camp Fire. Not everyone is happy with the deal, which was approved by PG&Es bankruptcy judge in December. Santa Rosa resident Will Abrams, who lost his home in the 2017 Tubbs Fire, is urging the judge to reconsider, arguing that individual fire victims were not properly consulted ahead of time. Separately, PG&Es role in recent wildfires is the subject of continued scrutiny from Alsup, the federal judge. On Tuesday, Alsup sent PG&E a detailed set of questions about its electrical system, including inspections of the transmission tower involved in the Camp Fire. One of the judges instructions to PG&E is that the company provide the ten most pertinent documents that show the true extent to which it knew that worn hooks were a safety problem before the 2018 fire. PG&E must respond by Feb. 18. Alsup has also threatened to make PG&E hire more tree trimmers and link executive bonuses to fire safety goals. He set a hearing for Feb. 19. J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a statement about his acquittal in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., February 6, 2020. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a copy of the Washington Post's front page showing news of Trump's acquittal in his Senate impeachment trial, as he delivers a statement about his acquittal in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., February 6, 2020. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY U.S. President Donald Trump holds up a copy of the Washington Post's front page showing news of Trump's acquittal in his Senate impeachment trial, as he delivers a statement about his acquittal in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., February 6, 2020. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts Cheered on by loyalists, US President Donald Trump did not hold back as he celebrated the end of his impeachment saga on Thursday with a mix of expletives and insults for his opponents and praise for the supporters who stuck with him. Acquitted by the Republican-led Senate on Wednesday, Trump made a red-carpet arrival in the White House East Room for a victory lap as "Hail to the Chief" played over loudspeakers. He looked out at a cheering crowd of boosters, Cabinet members, his legal defense team, Republican lawmakers, friendly media personalities, his wife Melania, and daughter Ivanka. Trump summed up what he had been through over three years of investigations starting with whether he colluded with Russia in the 2016 presidential election. Expand Close U.S. President Donald Trump kisses first lady Melania Trump at the conclusion of a statement about his acquittal in his Senate impeachment trial during what he described as "a day of celebration" in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., February 6, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp U.S. President Donald Trump kisses first lady Melania Trump at the conclusion of a statement about his acquittal in his Senate impeachment trial during what he described as "a day of celebration" in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., February 6, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis "It was all bullshit," said Trump. "This should never happen to another president ever." There was no sense of remorse or indications of lessons learned from Trump for his having applied pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden, the reason why Democrats in Congress sought to oust him from power. Trump did offer an apology at the end - a rarity for him - to his family for having experienced what he characterized as this "phony, rotten deal" perpetrated against him by his Democratic critics. Indeed, Trump said it was possible Democrats could try to impeach him again - for something as simple as crossing a street against a red light. "We went through hell, unfairly, did nothing wrong - did nothing wrong. I've done things wrong in my life, I will admit, not purposely, but I've done things wrong," he said. The president said US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi was a "horrible person" for forcing the impeachment drama on him and called the lone Senate Republican defector, 2012 presidential nominee Mitt Romney, a "failed presidential candidate." Directing his remarks to Romney's Utah colleague in the Senate, Republican Mike Lee, Trump told Lee to send a message to the people of Utah: "Tell 'em I'm sorry about Mitt Romney." Speaking without a teleprompter, Trump read from notes and, predictably, drifted far afield. He expressed admiration for Representative Jim Jordan's physique from his wrestling days in college but noted his ears have a unique shape. Jordan, who famously went without a suit jacket while defending Trump during proceedings, wore a jacket to the White House. Trump also marveled at how close to death Representative Steve Scalise came from a gunshot wound and how the congressman's wife had been devastated. "A lot of wives wouldn't give a damn," Trump said as Scalise beamed and the room erupted in laughter. There were shout-outs for Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. And Trump mused about doing a remake of the 1960s TV legal drama, "Perry Mason," starring his attorney general, William Barr. Heres welcoming Valentine's week with the fragrance of roses. Nothing else beats a heart filled with love for that one who is dearest to us. Rose day marks the beginning of the valentine week which starts from 7th February every year. Before you go into the mood of Rose Day, here is a list of Valentines week. February 7: Rose Day February 8: Propose Day February 9: Chocolate Day February 10: Teddy Day February 11: Promise Day February 12: Hug Day February 13: Kiss Day February 14: Valentines Day Unsplash These eight days represent the eight stages of love. Rose Day is expressing that you care, Propose Day is to express your feeling to be a part of someones life, Chocolate Day expresses that you will fill someones life with sweetness of love, Teddy Day to express that the pureness and innocence of love is still there, Promise Day is to promise the one to stay with him/her in every good or bad days, Hug Day is to express you accept each other in your lives, Kiss Day is to express the passion with which you love each other and then finally Valentines Day which is there to celebrate the eternal love. Why should you celebrate 'Rose Day'? Rose is one of the most significant token of love which itself defines why it is important and a part of Valentine's week. It is said that the Victorians started the culture of exchanging roses to communicate about the unspoken feelings. However, Red Rose has been a symbol of love and passion but there are so many other shades as well and every colour stands different in the expression of love. Unsplash Red Rose: It is believed that giving roses to your loved ones on this special day is the first step of expressing your love. The story of the rose day is believed to be like this, the Greek god whose name was Eros loved his wife Athena the Greek goddess and she loved roses which is why Eros used to give her roses as a symbol of love. A red rose defines your passion and desires towards the other person. This colour of rose is defined as the epitome of love, this could be the best day for you to express your feeling and say I love you to your loved ones. Unsplash Pink Rose: The Pink colour of rose is used as a token for appreciating and admiring someone's efforts. The subtle pink shade symbolizes grace and elegance, this rose could also be used to express happiness. Unsplash Yellow Rose: The yellow color of the rose is mostly shared between friends. This colour symbolizes joy in someones life. This yellow rose could be used to make new friends and appreciate friends for their efforts in your life. White Rose: White Rose signifies purity, peace and unity among anyone. The rose can be shared between new lovers, friends or family. This could be used for marking the beginning of a new love story. Number of Roses: There are saying that the number of roses also means something. Here's how you can pick the right count of roses. One Rose: This is considered as a token for gratitude or to thank someone for their efforts. Two Roses: If two roses are combined together it could be used as a proposal of marriage to someone. It is also said that if you use red and white rose it communicates peace. Six Roses: These roses together symbolize the need to be cherished and loved. Eleven Roses: This means to tell someone that you are truly and deeply in love with someone. Thirteen Roses: It is said that this group of roses signifies that you have a secret admirer. Rose Day Messages and Greetings It is a beautiful day to express your true feelings to someone, here are some of the most messages which you can use and express and impress your loved ones. 1. Wishing a very happy and lovely rose day to the most precious person in my life. 2. May God make your life beautiful like the roses and remove all the thrones away from your path of success. Happy Rose Day. 3. Whatever the day is, our love will remain the same forever. Happy Rose Day, Honey! 4. To me, your love is the sweet fragrance of rose that reminds me always of you. Happy Rose Day. 5. Keep making my life beautiful with the smile from rosy lips through the year. Happy Rose Day, Sweetheart. 6. Hope these roses bring a smile on your face which I treasure the most. Happy Rose Day dear. 7. Happy Rose day. Hope your life bloomed like these roses and filled with happiness and success. 8. To the person I admire most, Happy Rose Day. May you bloom like a beautiful rose and spread your fragrance in the entire world. 9. Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, I know this poem becomes very cliche But never fails to bring happiness in you. Happy Rose Day. 10. As you have come into my life, it is now as beautiful as roses. Happy Rose Day. Rose Day Pictures and Images Spread love on this rose with these beautiful pictures Pinterest pinterest whoa.in The judging criteria for the International Service Excellence Awards is aligned with the International Customer Service Standard (ICSS), which provides a comprehensive and practical framework to assist organizations in delivering consistently high levels of service. This standard, based on the balanced scorecard methodology, reviews organizations to determine if the customer is the focus of the business and how that is supported through culture, processes, procedures, training, hiring practices, and daily actions. "Today's businesses and consumers demand outstanding customer service, and the CSIA seeks to recognize those organizations that are rising to the challenge," said Christine Churchill, Founder and CEO of the Customer Service Institute of America. "Through our audit process it became very clear that Johnson Health Tech is investing in the tools, processes and people needed to be highly responsive and support their global customers in exceptional ways." "We aren't working to just become the world's largest fitness equipment supplier, but the very best. And part of that goal is a commitment to delivering the industry's best customer service," said Kyle Schweitzer, Global Director of Customer Service for Johnson Health Tech. "And while we will never stop working to improve the experience for all of our customers across the many channels and countries we serve, this award helps validate that we are focusing on the right things. Our customers are and will continue to be at the very heart of everything we do." "We know that designing and delivering an outstanding customer experience starts with products that are easy to service and easy to own," said Rich Derks, Vice President of Quality and Customer Experience for Johnson Health Tech North America. "We pride ourselves in designing products for serviceability and leveraging state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques to ensure quality. This award is a testament to our hard-working assembly, installation, service and store employees who continuously strive to exceed customer expectations." About Johnson Health Tech www.johnsonhealthtech.com Johnson Health Tech, Inc. (JHT), Taiwan, is among the world's largest and fastest-growing fitness equipment manufacturers and is home to some of the most respected brands in the fitness industry, including: Matrix, Vision, and Horizon. The company manufactures a wide assortment of fitness equipment for both commercial and residential use, including treadmills, elliptical trainers, exercise bikes and strength training equipment. JHT's global management headquarters is based in Taichung, Taiwan, with global product development, marketing and engineering based in Cottage Grove, Wis. About Customer Service Institute of America www.serviceinstitute.com The Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA) is the professional body of choice for customer service leaders across the US. The Institute has the exclusive North American rights to distribution the International Customer Service Standard (ICSS) and certify Organizations against the Standard. SOURCE Johnson Health Tech, Inc. Related Links http://www.johnsonhealthtech.com Three businessmen contract coronavirus after Singapore business conference - Asian officials The Grand Hyatt hotel in Singapore By Josh Smith and John Geddie SEOUL/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - At least three Asian businessmen who attended an international conference at a Singapore hotel have contracted the coronavirus, Malaysian and South Korean authorities said on Wednesday. The cases indicate the virus is now spreading through human-to-human contact outside China. Malaysia said its first infected citizen - a 41-year-old man - had attended a meeting of several international delegations, including those from China where the virus originated, in Singapore in mid-January. South Korea also reported two confirmed cases of South Koreans who visited the same business conference in Singapore. A 38-year-old South Korean who came into contact with the Malaysian is infected, Jeong Eun-kyeon, director of Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said on Wednesday. The two had a buffet meal together with several other Koreans during the conference, Korea's Joongang Ilbo newspaper reported. Later on Wednesday, another citizen, a 36-year-old man, who was under self-quarantine since Tuesday, was tested positive for the virus, KCDC said. Singapore's health ministry said on Tuesday the Malaysian had attended a business meeting with Chinese nationals at the Grand Hyatt Hotel and it was working to identify others at risk. Authorities have not commented on the nature of the business gathering nor which industry it involved. A spokesman for the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Gerald Kheng, confirmed that the Malaysian had stayed at the hotel for a week in mid-January but he did comment on meetings held at the hotel. The Singaporean health ministry has not told the hotel how, where or when the Malaysian was infected with the virus, Kheng said. The hotel had been deep cleaned and it was not aware of any other cases among its hotel guests or staff, he said. Singapore - one of the worst hit countries outside China in the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) - has reported 24 cases of coronavirus, including some local transmission cases. Story continues The city-state says no evidence has emerged of widespread community spread but it announced new precautionary measures on Tuesday including halting group activities such as school assemblies. Several firms in Singapore have suspended business and media events, including a big travel fair, but the Singapore Airshow is set to go ahead next week albeit on a smaller scale. The World Health Organisation has said cases of human-to-human transmission outside China are deeply concerning and could signal a much larger outbreak. The death toll from the epidemic neared 500 on Wednesday. (Reporting by Josh Smith and Sangmi Cha in Seoul, Joseph Sipalan in Kuala Lumpur and John Geddie in Singapore; Additional reporting by Joori Roh in Seoul; Editing by Angus MacSwan) Researchers have shown for the first time how bumblebees, which are the heavy-lifters of the insect world, are able to alter their flight behaviour to bring almost their own bodyweight in nectar back to their hives. According to the study, published in the journal Science Advances, bumblebees have two different ways to cope with increasing loads. In one flight mode, the bees increase flight amplitude, which is how far they flap their wings, and they also flap more frequently, generating greater lift, but consuming more energy, the study noted. The researchers, including those from the University of California (UC) - Davis in the US, said there is also an alternative, subtly different flying mode which allows the bees to carry heavier loads while expending less energy. While the scientists are not clear yet on what exactly this "economy mode" involves, they believe it is linked to a change in how the wing rotates to reverse direction between strokes. "It turns out to be a behavioral choice they are making in terms of how they support the load," said Stacey Combes, study co-author from UC - Davis. The findings revealed that when bumblebees are lightly loaded or rested, they are more likely to increase wingbeat frequency but when they are more heavily loaded, they switch to the mysterious economy mode. In this mode, the scientists said, the bees produce enough force to support the load with only a small increase, or even a decrease, in flapping frequency. "They can carry 60, 70 or 80 per cent of their body weight flying, which would be a huge load for us just walking around," said Susan Gagliardi, another co-author of the study from UC - Davis. In the study, the scientists measured the energy consumed by bumblebees flying in a specially designed chamber -- an emptied snowglobe, and used high-speed video to examine wing beats and movements. "We have the bees in a little chamber and we measure the carbon dioxide they produce. They are mostly burning sugar so you can tell directly how much sugar they are using as they are flying," Gagliardi said. The researchers said bumblebees fly very differently compared to an to aircraft. They explained that while air flows smoothly over an aircraft wing or rotor blade, bees move their wings at a high angle to the air, generating vortices that curl round the wing. Combes and her team said this produces much more lift than smooth airflow, but is unstable since the vortices break down quickly. However, they said the bees manage to sustain flight by moving their wings very rapidly, maintaining the stability of these vortices. "When I started in this field there was a tendency to see them as little machines, we thought they'll flap their wings one way when carrying zero load, another way when they're carrying 50 per cent load and every bee will do it the same way every time," Combes said. "This has given us an appreciation that it's a behaviour, they choose what to do. Even the same bee on a different day will pick a new way to flap its wings," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) What happened Shares of O-I Glass (NYSE:OI) were moving higher today after the manufacturer of glass bottles and other containers posted better-than-expected results on the bottom line in its fourth-quarter earnings report, and showed progress in its turnaround efforts. The stock was up 14.4% as of 2:05 p.m. EST. So what Revenue at the company formerly known as Owens-Illinois was down 0.4% to $1.63 billion, which matched estimates, though the company caught a tailwind from average selling prices rising 2.6%, which lifted revenue by $42 million. On the bottom line, adjusted earnings per share came in at $0.50, which was at the high end of O-I's previous guidance, but below last year's performance at $0.61. Nonetheless, that beat the analyst consensus at $0.46. Investors seemed encouraged by the company's plan for 2020. CEO Andres Lopez said: "As we enter 2020, we are taking bold structural actions to improve O-I's business fundamentals. We are optimizing the company's business portfolio and capital structure through accretive acquisitions and divestitures of assets that are not core to our strategy." The company also said its MAGMA technology was revolutionizing the industry by allowing for rapid mobile capacity expansion in smaller increments. Now what Lopez also said that the company would see improved operating performance and cash flow generation next year. For its 2020 outlook, O-I expects earnings per share of $2.10 to $2.25, compared to $2.24 in 2019, and said in its outlook that higher average selling prices and capacity expansion would support flat to 2% growth in revenue. Because of I-O's focus on beer bottle production, investors should also keep an eye on the beer industry . After a difficult year, today's report seems to be enough to restore investor confidence. PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-06 19:26:33 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 738 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 METAIRIE, LA / ACCESSWIRE / February 6, 2020 / based personal injury law firm Workers' Compensation LLC is pleased to announce that Greg Hubachek has been elected the Chairman of Louisiana Workers' Advocates. Louisiana Workers' Advocates is an association of Louisiana attorneys who represent injured employees in claims for workers' compensation benefits.According to the firm, in his role as Chairman of Louisiana Workers' Advocates, Hubachek will continue his work in the Louisiana Legislature. He will continue to represent the interests of workers throughout the State of Louisiana through his testimony during legislative hearings and meetings with lawmakers. Hubachek's term as Chairman of Louisiana Workers' Advocates began last month and will continue through the 2021 Legislative Session.Hubachek says, "As a lawyer, I have been in the field of workers' compensation for over three decades now, and it is something that is near and dear to my heart. To be chosen as the Chairman of Louisiana Workers' Advocates is a great honor, and I'm proud to have been selected from among a group of very talented candidates. I look forward to continuing to help my clients and workers across Louisiana get the compensation they deserve." The new Chairman is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Hastings College of Law. Before joining Workers' Compensation LLC, Hubachek served on the governor's Workers' Compensation Advisory Council as an "at-large" appointment (from 2009 to 2016). At the Workers' Compensation Advisory Council, he sought to preserve fairness in the Louisiana Workers' Compensation Act. Hubachek has also published articles related to workers' compensation in Lex and Verum, the newsletter of The National Association of Workers' Compensation Judiciary, Inc., Workers' First Watch, the magazine of the Workplace Injury Law & Advocacy Group (WILG) and Louisiana Comp Blog.As a result of his extensive experience in the field of workers' compensation, Hubachek has testified before the Senate and House Committees of the Louisiana Legislature. Furthermore, he has been enlisted to provide educational presentations for various organizations, including the Office of Workers' Compensation Administration, the Louisiana Association of Business & Industry, WILG and more.Established in 1993 in Louisiana, Workers' Compensation LLC is dedicated to helping individuals who are injured at work. The company says that their 25 years of experience has given them the insight and understanding to help their clients receive every penny they deserve.Workers' Compensation LLC has established themselves as a reliable law firm by providing excellent legal advice. On Google, the firm has a rating of 4.7/5 Stars. In a recent review shared on the platform, Charles Velez says, "I wasn't sure if I was lucky or just had a great lawyer when my medical benefits claim was appealed and won. I'm pretty sure it's both, though. I really did have a great lawyer and I was entirely confident in him the whole time he was dealing with my case. However, I'm also lucky in that it was Workers' Compensation LLC that I called first when my job decided I didn't deserve workers' compensation." In another glowing review, Joel Russell says, "Objectively, this was the most effective law firm I've ever dealt with. Subjectively, I sincerely felt like my case was in good hands and I was fully confident after just our first consultation that they were going to make problems disappear. Lo and behold, they did. If I could rate them 10 out of 5 stars, I would. But I can't, so give them a call and when they get your case covered as well, make sure to add those last five stars for me." Similarly, Ampara Shelton says in their review, "I got top notch services from Workers' Compensation and I recommend them to anyone who ever asks me about workers' compensation lawyers, which isn't often-or ever-but I would if I was. Let me put this another way: if you need help getting your worker's comp fixed, contact these lawyers." The firm encourages interested parties to get in touch with them directly via email, phone or, alternatively, the contact form on their website. They also maintain a page on Facebook where they frequently post updates, share blog posts, and communicate with their clients. Find out more about the workers' compensation attorney in Louisiana through their website and other online resources.For more information about Workers' Compensation LLC, contact the company here:Workers' Compensation LLC504-608-6776Workers' Compensation LLC3045 Ridgelake Dr, Metairie, LA 70002, USASOURCE: Workers' Compensation LLC Hundreds of students marched against the militia attack on Najaf protesters at rallies in Baghdad's central Tahrir Square and in the oil-rich city Basra in southern Iraq on Thursday. Iraqi protesters converged on Baghdad's Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the four-month anti-government protest movement, to condemn the militia attack on Najaf protesters late night on Wednesday. At least eight anti-government protesters were shot dead and 52 were wounded in clashes with followers of a radical Shiite cleric in Najaf on Wednesday, Iraqi medical officials and activists said. The violence came as new divisions emerged among protesters and supporters of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who initially threw his weight behind the uprising. But he then re-positioned himself toward the political establishment after political elites selected Mohammed Allawi as prime minister-designate, a candidate he endorsed. Since then, al-Sadr has issued a dizzying array of calls to followers, asking them to return to the streets days after withdrawing support from protests. The often-contradictory orders have exacerbated existing tensions between anti-government demonstrators and his followers, with some activists claiming al-Sadr's followers had threatened them to toe the cleric's line or leave protest sites. Meanwhile, hundreds of Basra university students took to the city's streets on Thursday in solidarity with Najaf's protesters, chanting and condemning the government for not being able to protect the protesters. NANJING, China, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 4, 4:46 a.m., escorted by public security officers, 8 transgenic mice for fully human antibodies immunized with antigen from 2019 nCoV from Rongchang District, Chongqing were brought by Chongqing Academy of Animal Sciences and Chongqing CAMAB Biotech Ltd. to Nanjing. These "anti-2019 nCoV" mice are provided to GenScript Biologics Development Business Unit (now known as GenScript ProBio) for emergency antibody drug screening in response to 2019 nCoV pneumonia. In 12 hours, GenScript ProBio successfully screened specific antibodies that recognize viral proteins and potentially block binding of virus to cellular receptors. In less than 24 hours, using the Beacon single-cell platform, GenScript ProBio completed immunized mice processing, immune cell isolation and enrichment, single cell sorting, on-chip binding and blocking screening, which usually takes three months using the traditional hybridoma antibody screening. This contributes to the breakthrough in anti-2019 nCoV antibody screening. GenScript is China's first CDMO company that applies the world's leading digital Beacon Platform in antibody discovery services. In fact, as early as January 23 before the rapid outbreak, Discovery Department Head of GenScript ProBio, initiated the collaboration for an emergency screening project against 2019 nCoV together with Chongqing Academy of Animal Sciences and Chongqing CAMAB Biotech Ltd. The project team discussed the protocol details from antigen immunization to anti-2019 nCoV antibody characterization. For such emergency antibody drug project, the core lies in rapid antibody generation. This involves seamless integration of screening, sequencing and vector synthesis and further development to fight the 2019 nCoV outbreak. We finally worked out the optimal solution of rapid immunization coupled with GenScript ProBio Beacon single-cell platform screening and had multiple alternatives. Dr. Brian Min, CEO of GenScript ProBio, said: "Our mission is to accelerate drug development through innovation and collaboration. I am confident that we will defeat the virus by working diligently together with our customers." After successful antibody sequence screening, the team will work on expression of those antibody genes, and will perform further virus blocking and neutralization tests for the expressed antibodies. These Emergency antibodies after validation are expected to be put into mass production in GenScript ProBio to fight 2019 nCoV. About GenScript ProBio: GenScript ProBio is the CDMO segment of the world's leading biotech company GenScript, providing a one-stop biological drug research and development platform. GenScript ProBio's one-stop antibody drug development solutions include antibody drug discovery (hybridoma, phage display, full human and bispecific antibodies technologies), antibody engineering (antibody humanization, evaluation and optimization of drug compounds and affinity maturation) and other services. GenScript ProBio's total cell therapy solution covers IND preparation as well as clinical sample and commercial production. Process development controls ensure compliance, data integrity ensures traceability, and all test deviations are strictly studied and documented. With the principle of "providing the best-in-class quality to and serving for the interests of customers", GenScript ProBio is committed to helping customers shorten the timeline for biological drugs from development to clinical use, significantly cutting the R&D costs, accelerating the commercialization of medicines, and building a healthy future while making contributions to the development of the pharmaceutical industry under the Made in China 2025 plan. SOURCE GenScript Biotech Corporation Oslo, 5 February 2020 You are cordially invited to participate in the presentation of the Adevinta ASA Q4 2019 report on Wednesday 12 February 2020. Quarterly Earnings Release Time: 12 February 2020 at 07:00 CET Interim report, presentation materials, and spreadsheet with key figures and analytical information will be made available on the investor relations pages at https://www.adevinta.com/ir/. Results Presentation Time: 12 February 2020 09:00 CET Location: Schibsteds offices in Akersgata 55, Oslo Live Webcast will be available on www.adevinta.com/ir and on this LINK (https://bit.ly/37YY6Yc) CEO Rolv Erik Ryssdal and CFO Uvashni Raman will present. Additionally, Gianpaolo Santorsola, CEO of Adevinta Spain and responsible for Adevinta in Brazil, will provide an update on Spain and Brazil. The presentation will be in English. Participants can send in written questions through the webcast player. A recording of the presentation will be available on our website shortly after the live webcast has ended. Conference Call for investors and analysts Q&A session Time: 12 February 2020 at 14:00 CET Link to join call: Investor call (active 15 minutes before call) (https://bit.ly/36W84sd) Rolv Erik Ryssdal and Uvashni Raman will answer questions relating to the results in a conference call. The session will be held in English. NOTE: To minimise waiting time when connecting to the call, please use the link above 5-10 minutes before the start time, where you will be asked to type in your phone number and registration details. The event conferencing system will automatically call you back on the phone number you provide and connect you to the conference call. Please note that the link will become active 15 minutes prior to the event: For manual dial-in, use one of the following number (note that this connection might take more time): +47 2350 0187 (Norway), +44 (0)330 336 9401 (UK), +1 646-828-8374 (USA). Passcode: 122942. A recording of the conference call will be available on our website shortly after the call has ended. About Adevinta ASA Adevinta is a global online classifieds company with generalist, real estate, cars, jobs and other internet marketplaces in 16 countries, connecting buyers seeking goods or services with a large base of sellers. Its portfolio spans 36 digital products and websites, attracting 1.5 billion average monthly visits. Leading brands include top-ranked leboncoin in France, InfoJobs and Milanuncios in Spain, and 50% of fast-growing OLX Brazil. Adevinta was spun off from Schibsted ASA and publicly listed as an independent company in Oslo, Norway in 2019. The Adevinta is majority owned by Schibsted ASA. *** This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act Deadly outbreak lays bare challenges of political situation faced by democratic island that China claims as its own. As Taiwan faces 13 coronavirus cases on Thursday, its exclusion from leading global organisations has come under scrutiny as countries around the world struggle to prevent the spread of the highly-infectious virus. While Taiwan, home to nearly 24 million people, has never been ruled by Chinas Communist Party, Beijings claims over the island have long blocked it from membership from United Nations agencies like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Beijing has collaborated with Taiwanese authorities amid the outbreak, with two Taiwanese experts travelling to Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak in China, in late January. But challenges remain. On Thursday, Taipei accused Beijing of providing the WHO with wrong information about the number of coronavirus cases in Taiwan. It has also imposed more restrictions on travel from Hong Kong and Macau. Last week, flights from Taiwan to Vietnam and Italy were turned back as international travel bans and restrictions were extended to people travelling from China, where the virus first broke out in late December, after the WHO declared the outbreak a global emergency. Vietnams ban was reversed after some swift diplomatic manoeuvring. But the restriction remains in Italy, highlighting the global confusion over Taiwans political status and relationship with China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory. Last week, when WHO started to publish a world map of the epidemic using colour coding to indicate the same level of seriousness, Taiwan was given same level as China. That has a direct impact on Taiwanese people and airlines who are travelling there, said Chunhuei Chi, a Taiwanese-American professor at Oregon State University who specialises in global health. On Thursday, Taiwans foreign ministry accused China, which includes Taiwan on its daily update as Taiwan province, of feeding incorrect data to the WHO, and complained about the way in which the WHO referred to the island. .@WHO, what's wrong with you? First you called us "Taiwan, China," then you changed to "Taipei." You misreported the confirmed cases, & now you call us "Taipei & Environs." Look! Taiwan is #Taiwan & not any part of the #PRC. JW Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) (@MOFA_Taiwan) February 6, 2020 The agency currently calls the self-governed territory Taipei and environs. Previously, it has used Taiwan, China, Taipei municipality and Taipei. Id like to ask the WHO, how many times are you going to change Taiwans name? spokeswoman Joanne Ou said at a news conference. These are not our correct names. Let me reiterate our name is Taiwan, whose formal name is the Republic of China. We beseech the WHO not to put Taiwans information under China, creating mistake after mistake after mistake. Taiwans China dilemma China has recorded more than 28,000 confirmed cases and more than 550 deaths, while Taiwans handful of cases have only been linked to people who recently visited or resided in China meaning it cannot be classified as an outbreak, according to Kuan-Yu Chiang, a physician and president of the Taiwan Association for Global Health Diplomacy. Taiwan is instead in the strange position of having its data compiled as part of China, while also being denied the same access to information as other governments by the WHO. It has to rely on allies like the US for updates, or liaise with Beijing on a case-by-case basis. Excluding Taiwan from organisations like the WHO has also meant a loss of expertise from Taiwans respected medical community and successful public healthcare system, according to Chiang. Taiwan ranked 14th worldwide in the 2017 Global Access to Health Care Index compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, and fifth in the ease of access to infectious disease care. The report covered 60 countries including China, which topped the rankings for child and maternal health services. Taiwan will also be unable to share its experiences in battling the infection, as it cannot attend the upcoming meeting of the WHOs governing body, the World Health Assembly, in May. Its observer status has not been extended since 2016, according to Taiwans Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Beijings global influence But Taiwans problems do not end with health and aviation, said legislator Wang Ting-yu, a member of Taiwans Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee. ICAO and WHO are just two examples. Actually there are dozens of international organisations that Taiwan cannot be a part of just because of China, he said, including the international policing body Interpol. On Tuesday, Taiwan has announced that starting on Friday, it will not allow entry to foreigners who visited China in the past 14 days over coronavirus concerns [David Chang/EPA] Although a member of the World Trade Organization, it is listed as the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Chinese Taipei) while it competes in the Olympics as Chinese Taipei. Taiwan has steadily lost diplomatic space since the 1970s, when the Republic of China as it is formally known was replaced by the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) government on the mainland to represent China at the UN. The distinction stems from the end of World War II when Chiang Kai-sheks ROC government took control of Taiwan and later retreated to the island when it lost the Chinese Civil War to the Communist Party. Beijings growing global influence in the past 10 years, however, has allowed it to squeeze Taiwan even harder and direct the global conversation around the island across multiple industries, from fashion and the media to consumer electronics and travel. The ICAO came under fire this week from the US State Department for blocking Twitter users who were attempting to discuss Taiwans absence from the organisation. China has taken on a more visible role in different international organisations, pushing Taiwan further to the margins, said Maggie Lewis, a Taiwan expert and professor of Law at Seton Hall University in the United States. Taiwan is being constantly left out of the loop with respect to important global conversations that involve peoples safety. But its not just the people of Taiwans safety but being left out of these conversations that span borders, Lewis also said. Even though airplanes and disease are not necessarily the first things you may group together as related, the more you look at them the clearer it is that both with ICAO and with WHO that theyre leaving Taiwan out of the safety conversation on the basis of politics instead of pragmatism. WHO and ICAO did not reply to Al Jazeeras emailed request for comment. The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has introduced the Open Schooling Programme (OSP) to mop-up out-of-school children in Nigeria, the Executive Secretary, Dr Hamid Bobboyi, has said. Mr Bobboyi said this in Kaduna on Thursday at the opening of a two-day meeting with stakeholders, content developers, and centre mangers on expected roles and responsibilities in the implementation of the OSP. The secretary was represented at the meeting by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Tokumbo Onosode. He described OSP as a flexible education system that allow learners to learn where they are and when they want, away from conventional schools and teachers. He explained that the programme had no age restriction and would adopt several teaching methods but with emphasis on Information and Communication Technology as a tool for learning. Mr Bobboyi said the overall goal is to provide educational opportunities for children and youth whose learning needs are not being met by conventional schools. It will also enhance access to quality and functional education for marginalised and disadvantaged groups in the country. It will also assist in the attainment of 100 per cent transition rate from primary to junior secondary school. The programme will equally provide a second chance for drop-outs and will help in meeting the changing needs of children and youths through the provision of functional vocational education. This will significantly complement efforts in the reduction and eradication of the menace of out-of-school as well as gender and social inequalities in education. He said that the programme would be implemented in six pilot states, namely, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Adamawa and Niger states. He said that OSP was open to children and youth who have never been to school, those who have dropped out of school and those in school but were not learning. Mr Bobboyi pointed out that the country was still grappling with the menace of out-of-school children in millions, along with numerous challenges affecting the basic education sector. He added that the sector was also faced with poor learning environment; inadequate learning materials; and a dearth of qualified, competent and motivated teachers, while many communities did not have schools. These, along with the increasing number of out-of-school children roaming the streets, prompted UBEC to adopt the OSP in collaboration with Commonwealth of Learning (COL) and other stakeholders. He said that the meeting was organised to sensitise the centre managers and content developers about the programme and their expected roles and responsibilities. Also speaking, the Director of Social Mobilisation, Bello Kagara, said that the success of the programme would largely depend on massive mobilisation of the people to seize the opportunity to acquire basic education. Mr Kagara said that his department would enlist the support of community and religious leaders, civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders to create the needed awareness in communities. While giving an overview of the programme, Deputy Director, Social Mobilisation, Ahmed Abubakar, said that the OSP would be funded by UBEC and COL, adding that a Memorandum of Understanding had been signed. Mr Abubakar said that based on the MoU, UBEC would identify subjects, learning centres, curriculum writers, organise training, established feedback mechanism and conduct monitoring and evaluation. He said that COL, on the other hand, would provide monitoring tools, evaluate report template and provide technical support for effective implementation of the programme. He said that the learning centres were to be provided by host communities which could be in the communitys town hall, churches, mosque and event centre or anywhere the community so decided. He added that so far, five subjects have been selected namely mathematics, English language, basic science and technology, national values and vocational studies and one Nigerian language. Advertisements Also, 48 learning centres have been selected in the six pilot states as well as 51 content developers and 58 centre managers. Earlier, the Executive Chairman, Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board, Abdullahi Sani, thanked UBEC for the laudable initiative in enhancing access to basic education in the country. READ ALSO: Mr Sani noted that the programme if well implemented would significantly improve access to education and provide equal opportunity to all Nigerian children. He said that the meeting would strengthen the capacity of participants to perform their expected roles with due diligence to ensure successful implementation of the OSP. He assured UBEC of maximum support to ensure the success of the programme in Kaduna state. (NAN) Viettel is one of the brands in the world that researches and manufactures telecommunication network equipment. Photo by Shutterstock/Vietnam. Stock Images Vietnams largest telecommunication service provider Viettel has climbed 126 positions to be ranked 355th most valuable brand in the world in 2020. Currently valued at VND134.9 trillion ($5.8 billion), up 34 percent compared to 2019, Viettel was placed 102nd in Asia, and 7th in Southeast Asia, according to Brand Finance, a London-based branded business valuation consultancy. The company saw its consolidated revenues increase by 7.4 percent in 2019 over 2018, and it currently occupies 53 percent of Vietnams mobile network market. Viettel successfully operated 5G phone calls on self-developed equipment on January 17, and is expected to commercially launch 5G services this June. It plans to expand its operations both within Vietnam as well as in 10 foreign markets. There are just 36 telecom companies in the 2020 listing of the worlds top 500 brands by value. Most of the 36 branks saw their values fall. Over the past five years, the combined value of all telecom brands in the Brand Finance Global 500 listing has fallen slightly, reaching $558.4 billion in 2020, compared to $567.7 billion in 2015. The Brand Finance Global 500 list covers 10 sectors in 29 markets, using a sample size of 50,000 adults over 18 years old. For the latest ranking, surveys were conducted online from September to December 2019. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has set a goal to bring all relations between a citizen and the government to a digital dimension, in particular to hold online voting during presidential, parliamentary and local elections. "In general, our goal is to make sure that all relations with the state can be carried out with the help of a regular smartphone and the Internet. In particular, voting. This is our dream and we will make it real at presidential, parliamentary or local elections. It is a challenge. Ambitious yet achievable," he said during the presentation of the Diia mobile application in Kyiv on Thursday. Zelensky also said that The State in a Smartphone project changes the attitude of the government to a citizen and saves citizens' time, money and nervous system. The president added that there are obstacles to digitization, such as outdated legislation, resistance from officials and insufficient Internet capacity in Ukraine. "But we have the most important thing talented people capable of achieving a goal, making changes. People say that political will is also required for that. I have it. Hence, we will have an e-country," Zelensky said. The Authority of Social Contribution - Maan is to launch The Exchange, a social innovation space at Yas Mall, which will serve as a platform for the public to meet social entrepreneurs and discover the new ideas making a social impact in Abu Dhabi. Opening on February 10, the social innovation platform offers inspiration, free workshops, and the chance to meet like-minded people who are passionate about helping others. Visitors can learn more about Maan, discover volunteering opportunities, and take steps towards growing their own social enterprises. The Exchange by Maan will consist of five different areas - Join the Community, Get Inspired, Learn from Others, Make New Connections, and Get Involved, ranging from a walk-through exhibition following the story of Maan to specialised workshop areas. Visitors will get the chance to network, attend talks and workshops, browse inspiring books, work on their own projects, and meet future collaborators in this informal lounge space. Open to the public, The Exchange will run over the course of four weeks until March 7, each week following a different theme of programs. The programs will feature inspiring talks and active workshops hosted by international expert speakers and social entrepreneurs. These include: Chris West, Partner at Sumerian Partners and recipient of World CSR award for Social Innovation in 2013; Michael Green, CEO, Social Progress Imperative and one of GQs The 100 Most Connected Men in Britain in 2016; Tracey Austin, experienced Global Head of Impact Investments at Palladium and Jane Newman, International Director of Social Finance and a board member of the European Venture Philanthropy Association. Programme schedules for Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays will focus on creating positive change in the community and solving social challenges. These sessions will discuss issues such as reducing social isolation among the elderly or improving the inclusion of people of determination. On Tuesdays, the programme will be designated to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Mornings and University Afternoons, with pre-booked sessions especially designed to engage and challenge CSR representatives and university students. Through a workshop format, local social entrepreneurs will ask participants to help solve real challenges faced by their initiative and expert speakers will give thought-provoking discussions. Wednesdays will focus on mental wellbeing, with panel talks and mindful workshops aimed to help participants heal, meditate, practice yoga, and more. The weekends will be family-friendly, catering to parents and children with arts and craft workshops and unique storytelling sessions on Fridays and Saturdays delivered by Dana Al Mazrouie, founder of Yellow Space. Hosted in collaboration with Early Starters, young visitors will have the chance to hear stories read by favourite authors, or to combine child-friendly yoga with calming story sessions. Salama Al Ameemi, Director General of Maan, said: Abu Dhabi is full of potential budding social entrepreneurs who have the drive and the passion to give back to the community. Through launching The Exchange, our aim is to root Maan at the heart of the community and provide a platform that encourages social impact ideas and good causes to flourish. It is an inspiring space that will give Abu Dhabis aspiring impact makers the opportunity to channel their visions and passion into projects that can make a lasting, positive change in our community. Whether you have an idea for a social business or want to make a difference through your companys CSR budget or simply want to discover how you can help others in the community, then The Exchange by Maan is the place to visit. I want to thank Aldar for providing us with the space in Yas Mall and supporting our mission to create collaborative communities that contribute towards the common good. Advance online registration is required for selected sessions. Pre-book online from Monday February 10.-- Tradearabia News Service Conserving Carolina announces spring hikes Conserving Carolina invites the community to enjoy the work that conservation organizations have done over the years to preserve our areas natural resources and to take in the beauty of the spring season. Starting March 6, the first trek will head to Green River Game Lands for a 7-mile, moderate, out and back hike along the Green River Cove trail. This hike parallels the Green River with river views, cascades, stream crossings, and perhaps some early blooming spring wildflowers. On March 20, the next hike will take place at Jocassee Gorges Management Area where the group will follow the Foothills Trail along Laurel Fork Creek to the 80-foot Laurel Fork Falls. This out and back hike is 7.1 miles total, is of moderate difficulty, and will offer the opportunity to view Oconee Bells (Shortia galacifolia) in bloom! On April 3, hikers head to DuPont State Forest for a 5.3 mile, moderate, loop hike. Starting from the parking area off of Reasonover Road, the trail will lead hikers passed Fawn Lake, over an abandoned airstrip, to scenic Lake Julia. Then, the trail follows Reasonover Creek, offering a few potentially wet crossings. On April 4, Conserving Carolina partners with the Foothills Humane Society (FHS) a 5 mile, moderate, out and back hike at Chestnut Ridge Heritage Preserve. Volunteer to walk a shelter dog from FHS! This is a great way to give the dogs exercise, socialization, and a break from the shelter. April 17, hikers will venture to Conserving Carolinas Florence Nature Preserve for a 4.2 mile, moderate, loop hike. The trail offers views of pristine creeks and cascades, scenic rock outcrops, the ruins of an old homesite, areas of old growth forest, and a short out and back to Rattlesnake Rock providing a scenic view of the Hickory Nut Gorge area. On May 1, hikers will head to Pisgah National Forest for a 6.6 mile, moderate loop hike along Avery Creek before reaching Twin Falls, two 100-foot waterfalls that can be viewed at the same time. There will be great opportunities for viewing spring wildflowers and listening to returning Neotropical migratory songbirds! Finally, on May 15, the group will head to the Black Mountains for a 5.6-mile, moderate lollipop hike to Higgins Bald, below Mount Mitchell. This hike will offer great views and the emergence of spring in a higher elevation. Before completing the journey, there will be a short jaunt to view Setrock Falls. If you are interested in attending Conserving Carolinas spring hikes and would like more information, please contact Pam Torlina at 828-697-5777, ext. 300 or e-mail pam@conservingcarolina.org. You can also find information on Conserving Carolinas website, www.conservingcarolina.org, and on Conserving Carolinas Facebook page. Conserving Carolina, a Hendersonville-based land trust, is dedicated to protecting land and water, promoting good stewardship, and creating opportunities for people to enjoy nature. Learn more and become a member at conservingcarolina.org. Cerys Price had taken prescription painkillers before driving into grandfather Robert Dean's car (Wales News) A nurse who caused the death of a pensioner after driving while on prescription painkillers has been jailed for five years and four months. Cerys Price, 28, was in a drugged-up state when she crashed into 65-year-old Robert Deans car in July 2016 on the A467 near Newport, south Wales. She crossed into the opposite carriageway while suffering a seizure and ploughed into a car driven by Mr Dean, who was on his way to a family party. He died instantly from his injuries. Judge Michael Fitton QC told Price as he sentenced her: "You've destroyed your good name, your prospects, and brought grief to your own family. "You are perfectly capable of addressing the issues in this case to rebuild your life. You are perfectly capable of making yourself a caring, useful member of society as you once aspired to be. "You will recover from this. Robert Dean has been denied that opportunity." Price was found guilty in December of death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving (Wales News) Price, from Brynmawr, was found guilty in December of death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving to her ex-boyfriend, Jack Tinklin, who was in the car with her at the time of the crash. Price, the daughter of a driving instructor, spent around a month in hospital following the crash after suffering a knee injury. It was while she was treated in hospital for her own injuries that a blood sample taken from her revealed a high level of the painkiller Tramadol in her system. Cardiff Crown Court heard how Price had consumed an amount of tramadol "significantly higher than any therapeutic range" and was in "no way fit to drive a car. Robert Dean died after Price crashed into his car (Wales News) The painkillers had been bought by price while she was in Mexico. Police found a tub of the tablets in her smashed vehicle's glove compartment, with only 26 of its 100 pills remaining. Price denied she had taken excessive amounts of painkillers before her journey, claiming someone else had taken painkillers out of the tub, and said her history of suffering epileptic seizures explained why she lost control of her vehicle. Story continues But a jury found her guilty of causing death by dangerous driving, and also causing serious injury by dangerous driving in relation to now ex-boyfriend Mr Tinklin. Mr Deans wife, Anne Dean, said the couple were days away from celebrating their 46th wedding anniversary. She said in a statement: "I totally relied on him and he was my rock. I feel totally lost and empty. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Police hunt gang who stabbed tourist before stealing 115,000 watch Newborn baby diagnosed with coronavirus 30 hours after being born Next terrorist due to be released as Government rushes to pass law "He was a wonderful husband, son, father and grandfather." Speaking after she was found guilty in January, Mr Deans daughter Helen Howell said: "The way in which a loving husband, father and grandfather was taken from us was so unfair, and the impact on our family has been devastating. "The hurt will never go away, and again we eat our Christmas lunch with an empty chair at the table. "Justice has been a long time coming, and we finally feel now that we can attempt to draw a line under it without being constantly reminded of how he died." Her sister Katherine Harris added: "The catastrophic effects of opioid abuse, tramadol in this case, was the reason our dad innocently died that day. Price was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court (Wikipedia) "He was on his way to a family gathering, to celebrate my daughter - his granddaughter's - birthday. "We all have a responsibility as drivers to ensure the safety of others by adhering to the proper standards expected of us, and Cerys Price fell woefully short. Kelly Huggins, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "Being a qualified nurse, Cerys Price should have known the dangers of driving after taking these tablets, but she drove nevertheless. "Her actions resulted in tragic consequences for an innocent motorist, her passenger and herself. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK An ex-cop who worked for 14-years on the job has revealed the secrets to getting out of traffic fines. Former Detective Sergeant Bob Stanwick worked for years as a crime investigation detective across Melbourne before moving to the bench as a police prosecutor. But the once staunch implementer of the law has taken to social media to share tips on how speedsters can get out of traffic fines after turning on his former masters at Victoria Police. Former Detective Sergeant Bob Stanwick has taken a swipe at his old bosses and has revealed ways he believes people can get out of paying fines Posting on the Facebook group Police Activity And Accidents - Melbourne & Victoria, Mr Stanwick stated guilty drivers could get out of paying fines with a eight simple, but effective time-wasting tricks. Most of his tips revolve around clogging Australia's already struggling court system. Mr Stanwick said people caught speeding should not accept the alleged offence. 'There are numerous valid reasons to dispute every single alleged offence. Often the charges are incorrect or the evidence is illegally or incorrectly gathered,' he stated. The former prosecutor said police were reluctant to attend court to contest petty fines. 'Make them earn their miserable $150 or $200 or whatever,' he wrote. 'They have to prepare evidence and witnesses. Just the wages for the camera operator or the Policeman on the day of the court, will be more than the actual fine.' The disgruntled ex-copper said if enough Victorians followed his tips, the system would collapse. Ex-Cop's Eight Golden Rules Of Avoiding Payment Of Tickets 1. Do not accept the alleged offence 2. Challenge it, tell them that you are going to defend the matter 3. If a court date is ever set, and it does not suit you, do not accept it 4. Delay it as often as possible. Keep pleading not guilty 5. If it ever actually gets to court ... ring in the morning and tell them that you are sick 6. If convicted, you have a right of appeal. Make sure you appeal the conviction 7. Tell everyone you know to challenge their alleged offences, and the entire system will crash within a few weeks 8. REMEMBER: THERE IS A VERY HIGH PROBABILITY THAT THE EVIDENCE USED AGAINST YOU IS WRONG. Advertisement 'The idea is to clog up the system in the traffic camera office and the courts by drivers exercising their rights to remain innocent until proven guilty,' he wrote. Mr Stanwick urged even those motorists convicted of a traffic offence ought not give up the pursuit to have it scrapped. 'If all the above fails, which is highly unlikely....and you actually go to court and get convicted......you have a right of appeal,' he suggested. 'Make sure you appeal the conviction. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to see what happens. They are not going to spend millions chasing hundreds.' The controversial post has received a mixed reaction from the usually pro-police group, with some applauding the former detective and others blasting him. 'Yep thx heaps dude will be doing what i always do -- not guilty to the END,' one thankful person replied. 'Thank you for your service and for this information! It takes a special person to do your job!' another stated. Others warned against following the ex-officer's advice. A former cop has posted information online designed to clog the court system and stop motorists from paying traffic fines 'If you want to end up paying costs for wasting the prosecutions time, please follow this advice. You can be guaranteed costs will be more than the actual fine,' a person wrote. 'Not this tired old bulls**t again,' another replied. 'It's been doing the rounds for years, it's not true and doesn't work.' The retired detective was unapologetic for going public with his inside information. 'I was only ever a very fair copper, and I am proud of my time in the job, looking after the interests of Victorians, often to the detriment of my family and my health,' he wrote. 'I never booked any driver for a trifling offence "ever". People committing trifling offences commonly used to get a warning and a licence / vehicle check. It had to be serious before I booked anyone.' Mr Stanwick said he had gone public after becoming frustrated with Victoria Police's efforts to sting the public. 'I am so annoyed at what is happening these days, in what I call "Indiscriminate revenue gathering" It is absolutely disgusting,' he stated. 'The government and the Police Force need to hang their heads in shame. If you did a survey of current serving members of the police forces in this country, you would be hard pushed to find many who disagree with me.' In 2017, John Powley, who spent 11 years in the Queensland Police Service and was a qualified mobile speed radar operator, was left to pay more than $6000 plus the $115 fine after he took on and lost a legal battle over a speed camera fine. 'As far as they are concerned, as soon as you get a ticket you should just pay it and they almost push the idea that you are a lesser person for expressing any other view apart from "I'm guilty, I put my hands up, you've got me. I'll pay the ticket",' Mr Powley said at the time. Mr Stanwick and Victoria Police have been contacted by Daily Mail Australia for comment AFP The Supreme Court will hear the Centre's appeal challenging the Delhi High Court's verdict dismissing its plea against stay on the execution of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. Read more Here's more top news of the day: 1) A Four-Day-Old Infant In Wuhan Is The Youngest To Be Diagnosed With Coronavirus AFP A baby born on February 2 is the youngest to be diagnosed with the coronavirus just 30 hours after birth. According to the Chinese media, this is the youngest case recorded so far. Read more 2) Coronavirus Death Toll In China Hits 563 With 3,000 New Cases; India Suspends Chinese Visas reuters Ten more people on a quarantined cruise liner in a Japanese port have tested positive for coronavirus, officials said on Thursday, as the virus death toll in mainland China hit 563, with almost 3,000 new cases reported. Read more 3) Single Mothers Can Avail Surrogacy; Not Just Close Relative, Any 'Willing' Woman Can Act As One unsplash/representational image Not only close relatives but any woman who is "willing" should be allowed to act as a surrogate, a parliamentary panel said, adopting a practical view on the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019. Read more 4) Maharashtra Village, With No Muslim Population, Passes Resolution Against CAA And NRC BCCL A quaint village named Islak in Maharashtra has passed a resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) during a gram panchayat meeting. Read more 5) Shaheen Bagh: After Rs 500/Day Claim, BJP IT Cell Chief Shares Proof Of Biryani Distribution BCCL Amit Malviya, the head of BJP's IT Cell is at it again. Days after his so-called sting video which claimed that Shaheen Bagh protests are fake and paid was exposed as stated elsewhere, Malviya has shared two photos claiming that it was "Proof of Biryani being distributed at Shaheen Bagh!". Read more The victim of a deadly crash in a Sydney tunnel was a Colombian woman who had only recently returned to Australia. Leidy Rincon, 29, was among a group of friends who were heading to work early Thursday morning when the car they were travelling in was involved in a head-on collision. Ms Rincon was killed while three others in the car were taken to hospital with serious injuries following the accident which took place in the tunnel on General Holmes Drive before 5.40am. The driver of the other car, which was reportedly heading the wrong way, was also rushed to hospital. Leidy Rincon had reportedly returned home in recent weeks after visiting family in Colombia. Source: Facebook Christian Lozada, whose mother and girlfriend were in the vehicle with Ms Rincon, could be seen running through the tunnel after the crash in a tragic moment caught on dashcam. Speaking to Nine News Thursday, he said he was shocked and still digesting the news. She was a lovely girl, very kind, he said of Ms Rincon. She adored Australia. His mother, 62, and his girlfriend reportedly escaped with fractures to their spines while another passenger in the car, also a young woman, suffered a broken arm. A GoFundMe page has been set up to ostensibly help Ms Rincons family bring her back to Colombia. She was a lovely and kind person. God be with her now! You are deeply missed beloved Leidy, one person commented on the page. The driver in the other car, a 34-year-old man, suffered a punctured lung and bone fractures. When he recovers well go to talk to him and interview him appropriately, NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy said on Thursday. Christian Lozada was seen running to the site of the crash yesterday. Source: Seven News NSW police are still investigating how the crash took place. It was very unfortunate, and any fatality is a tragedy, Assistant Commissioner Corboy said. At this stage were looking into the reasons why the Ford went from the southbound lane into the northbound lane and collided with the other vehicle. Were very interested in investigating how that happened. The dual tunnel has four lanes each way, but the number of lanes dedicated to each direction changes depending on the time of day. Story continues During peak hour from 5am until 9am, city-bound traffic heading north gets an extra lane, marked by overhead lights. Police also thanked an off-duty nurse who helped at the scene before emergency crews arrived. Following the crash, the tunnel was closed as multiple fire crews and ambulances attended the scene, causing traffic to be backed up for 7kms before 8am. This is an absolutely horrendous crash. As you can imagine, when paramedics arrived on scene it was absolute bedlam, NSW Ambulance Inspector Kath Rallings said. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. The boundary between life and non-life is a remarkably narrow one. A central hallmark of life is the cellular membrane - a protective barrier of only a few nanometers thickness (one nanometre is a millionth of a millimetre) that is composed of proteins and two fluid layers of water-insoluble lipids. The function and integrity of this lipid bilayer is essential for the survival of the cell. If the cell membrane (or plasma membrane as it is also known) is compromised, the cell will die. 'But this boundary is more than just a semi-permeable, passive barrier' explains Robert Ernst, Professor of Molecular Biology at Saarland University, whose research focuses on improving our understanding of these ultra-thin, flexible barriers around our cells. 'Cell membranes are astonishing materials with bizarre properties that are difficult to imagine. They are extremely soft, yet they can cope with pressures that are hundreds of times greater than atmospheric pressure. At the same time, they have liquid-like properties and the ability to self-repair. This unique material protects the our cells from physical and chemical stress, facilitates communication between cells, mediates uptake of nutrients, and it wards off invading pathogens,' says Ernst. For a system that has to perform such a variety of functions, it is critical to have fine-tuned properties to warrant full functionality. 'The cell membrane is a self-regulated system that is able to optimize its composition to each environmental condition.' To illustrate this adaptability, Robert Ernst chooses the image of a reindeer with its hooves in the Arctic permafrost, while its head has a stable temperature of 37 degrees Celsius. 'The cell membranes close to the hoove are composed of an entirely different set of lipids than the membranes in the brain.' says Ernst. For about the last fifty years, scientists have assumed that the fluid character of the membrane is crucial for this adaptivity. By sensing membrane fluidity, a cell would 'know' what to do to survive in the cold. When the membrane becomes more viscous or even freezes as the temperature falls, the cell reacts by producing a different set of lipids that does not freeze as easily. A perfectly logical and credible explanation, which found its way as the theory of 'homeoviscous adaptation' into the textbooks of biochemistry. 'Unfortunately, this is not what's happening,' says Robert Ernst. Through a collaborative scientific study involving lead author Stephanie Ballweg, Robert Ernst's research team at the Saarland University and colleagues from Great Britain, Germany and the USA, the researchers have been able to refute the central assumption underlying the hypothesis of 'homeoviscous adaptation'. 'We have isolated the membrane sensor Mga2 from baker's yeast and investigated how it responds to membrane fluidity,' explains Ernst. 'According to the prevailing hypothesis, this sensor would trigger a response whenever the membrane viscosity increases. But that is not what we observe.' It turns out that the fluidity is irrelevant, but that the packing density of lipid atoms in a special region of the membrane determines whether or not the sensor is activated. 'This makes it possible for the sensor to distinguish between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in the membrane lipids,' says Ernst, describing the findings that have swept away a fifty-year-old theory. And why didn't someone come up with this idea earlier? 'Up until recently, the disciplines interested in membranes have worked somewhat in isolation with relatively little exchange,' says Ernst. 'In order to conduct this research project, it was crucial to bring together experts in physics, materials science, biochemistry, and genetics.' Only by the synergy released by this interdisciplinary team it was possible to test the validity of the prevailing model. Based on these findings, bioscientists around the world can revisit the important question how membrane regulate the function of membrane proteins and how the lipid composition affects the communication between cells from a new perspective. ### Article: Stephanie Ballweg, Erdinc Sezgin, Milka Doktorova, Roberto Covino, John Reinhard, Dorith Wunnicke, Inga Hanelt, Ilya Levental, Gerhard Hummer & Robert Ernst: Regulation of lipid saturation without sensing membrane fluidity. Nature Communications, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14528-1. By Bahk Eun-ji The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) is now offering a three-way interpretation service with the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) for foreign residents and travelers here to cope with the spread of the new coronavirus, the state-run tourism agency said Thursday. Foreign nationals based in Korea will now be able to seek assistance in different languages through the KCDC's 1339 hotline, which is connected to the KTO's 1330 hotline. Korea Tourism Organization and the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began to provide a three-way interpretation call service via the center's 1339 hotline. /Korea Times file ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Catalina, the leader in shopper intelligence and personalized digital media for CPG brands and retailers, has hired a Turner Broadcasting/Warner Media vet to head its digital sales team on the East Coast, and promoted three key leaders on its U.S. CPG sales team to further accelerate the business momentum the company has generated over the past year. Karl Rosen, most recently Senior Director, Ad Innovation & Programmatic Solutions at Turner, is joining Catalina as Group Director, East Coast Digital Sales. He reports to West Naze, who joined Catalina in 2019 as SVP, U.S. Digital Sales. "Karl brings a wealth of data and digital experience to Catalina. His career started with Viacom Media Networks and over the past 12 years at Turner, he has gained tremendous experience working with agencies, syndicated data, advanced TV platforms, audience targeting solutions and cross-platform media campaigns, all of which will greatly benefit Catalina and our customers as we fortify our digital presence in the marketplace," said Naze. Meanwhile, Adam Van Beck has been promoted to Vice President of U.S. Brand Development, reporting to Marsha McGraw, SVP of U.S. CPG Sales. In his new role, Van Beck will continue to lead the business development team, while also serving as a strategic partner to key brand customers, including Kraft/Heinz, Amplify and Hershey. Since joining Catalina in 2013, Van Beck has built trust and credibility with emerging and established CPG customers, ranging from PepsiCo to Starbucks. Nick Breisch has been promoted to Group Director of Brand Development, reporting to Van Beck. Since joining Catalina in 2011, Breisch has driven results for top brands in the Kraft Foods, Mondelez, Power Bar and now Kraft Heinz portfolios. In his new role, Breisch will help Catalina further strengthen its customer pipeline, while building long-term strategic partnerships with established and emerging brands. Kevin Pike has also been promoted to Group Director of Brand Development, reporting to Jim Presley, VP of Brand Development. Pike is a proven business leader, strategist, cross-functional partner and people manager, who has successfully led teams serving Kellogg, Kimberly-Clark, SCJ, ConAgra, Wrigley, PowerBar and many others throughout his 13-year Catalina career. "With Adam, Nick and Kevin stepping into broader roles, I'm confident Catalina and our customers will continue to benefit from their seasoned leadership and keen strategic thinking. Their collective track records when it comes to building business are impressive to say the least," said McGraw. About Catalina Catalina is the market leader in buyer intelligence and hyper-personalized in-store and digital media to measurably drive, track and measure sales lift, converting shoppers into loyal buyers for leading CPG retailers and brands. Powered by the most extensive shopper database in the world, Catalina's mobile, online and in-store networks personalize the consumer's path to purchase, delivering $7.9 billion in relevant consumer value each year. Based in St. Petersburg, Fla., Catalina has operations in the United States, Europe, Japan and Latin America. To learn more, please visit www.catalina.com or follow us on Twitter @Catalina. SOURCE Catalina Marketing Related Links http://www.catalinamarketing.com A Cumbrian farmer has been awarded one of the UK sheep industry's highest accolades for his outstanding contribution to the sector. A recognisable face to many sheep farmers, John Geldard has been named as the 2020 recipient of the NSA George Hedley Memorial Award. Currently farming near Kendal, John began his career more than 45 years ago after securing a tenancy on a Lake District National Trust tenanted hill farm. He then progressed to develop a mixed farming business, management of which now having been passed to sons Richard and Charles. The family-owned business now employs 25 staff and features a beef, sheep and a layer enterprise, together with Plumgarths Farm Shop Ltd, managed by daughter Victoria. The enterprise also includes an egg packing station that benefits numerous other local farms, providing a service to contract their eggs ready for marketing to retailers and to the foodservice industry. An avid networker, both at national and regional level, John has chaired more than 20 industry groups and organisations. He has served in numerous roles within the National Sheep Association (NSA), including Northern Region Chairman, National Chairman and now Vice President. He is also currently a director of Farmers Fresh, Director of North West Auctions, and Vice President of the Lleyn Sheep Society, who nominated John for this award. Responding to the award, John said he is 'extremely honoured' to be named as its latest recipient. Throughout my time working in the sheep sector I have always held the George Hedley award in the highest regard for the very high calibre individuals that have been recognised by this in the past, he said. It must be recognised that NSA punches far above its weight in terms of its efforts to represent the sheep industry and the activities it is part of in doing this on a UK-wide scale. I do not consider any other organisation represents one sector of the agricultural industry so effectively. Looking to the future, he added that funding arrangements are going to be 'difficult' for the industry to continue to supply the highest quality food. NSA has always been prepared to accept the changes our industry has encountered and move forward with these but at this time we now have a responsibility to put forward our own ideas for change to the government to ensure farmers are supported for the future and that public money is spent wisely on public goods such as sustainable food production, John said. NSA has presented the George Hedley Memorial Award annually since 1960. It is given to honour the memory of George Hedley, a highly respected farmer from the Scottish borders who was involved with the NSA for many years. It was while he was chairman, travelling to a council meeting in London on 26 January 1960, that he was tragically killed in a car accident. A Midland man was sentenced to one year in prison after he scammed two Montana men out of more than $200,000. According to the Associated Press, James Matthew Thomas, 35, was charged with one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering after accepting a plea deal in September. Thomas solicited funds from two Missoula men he met over LinkedIn in 2018 for investments into Bitcoin and issued them a quick return to obtain more investment funding, prosecutors said. FBI agents discovered Thomas had transferred some of the funds to his personal account and used the investments to purchase a vehicle in New Jersey, AP reports. Thomas was originally charged in June with 19 counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering, AP reports. EDWARDSVILLE Three suspects and a juvenile have been charged in connection with an estimated 200 vehicle burglaries over the past month. Timothy D. Sunderland, 21, is charged with 11 counts of burglary and one count of stolen vehicle possession. Sean A. Breeden, 18, was charged with five counts of burglary and one count of stolen vehicle possession. Shane M. Carney, 18, was charged with 12 counts of burglary and one count of stolen vehicle possession. As of Thursday morning, Sunderland and Breeden were in custody but Carney was not. Police also turned over a fourth unnamed suspect to juvenile authorities. Madison County Sheriffs Office Capt. David Vucich said the burglaries occurred in the Prairietown, Godfrey and Granite City areas. Vucich said their review of the burglaries discovered numerous other law enforcement agencies also had begun seeing an influx of vehicle burglaries as well. The cases all had common denominators and some evidence also corroborated that they may be linked, he said. The majority of the vehicle burglary reports were similar in that the victims vehicles were reportedly unlocked and only small miscellaneous items inside the vehicles were taken, Vucich said. However, there were also larger, more egregious, items such as vehicles and firearms from vehicles that were stolen believed to be linked the burglaries. Information developed by the Jersey County Sheriffs Office led police to the identity of one of the suspects. Other agencies involved include Alton Police, Granite City Police, Jerseyville Police and the Macoupin County Sheriffs Office. Police recovered a stolen vehicle, a firearm, about 1.5 pounds of illegal cannabis and about $5,600 in cash. The joint investigation would reveal that the suspects were responsible for a conservative estimated 200 vehicle burglaries in the tri-county region during the last week, Vucich said. The case remains under investigation with additional charges possible. Madison County Sheriff John Lakin noted that a large majority of the incidents are believed to be either unknown or unreported by victims because no forced entry was made into the vehicles. The public is reminded to please secure all vehicles when they are not occupied, Lakin said. Firearms nor key fobs should not be left unattended in vehicles. This simple step helps deter thefts in the area and these incidents from happening. Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447. Exclusive distribution agreement for initial term of 3 years Quaphaco commits to minimum purchase totaling about EUR 1.9 million during initial term Amsterdam, the Netherlands, San Diego, CA, USA, and Holzgerlingen, Germany, February 6, 2020, 08:00 am CET - Curetis N.V. (the "Company" and, together with its subsidiaries, "Curetis"), a developer of next-level molecular diagnostic solutions, today announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement with Quaphaco for Vietnam. Quaphaco, headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City, is a leading medical equipment supplier in Vietnam that is already working with numerous renowned global IVD manufacturers. Under the agreement, Quaphaco has the exclusive right to commercialize Curetis' Unyvero A50 instrument system and application cartridges for the diagnosis of severe infections in hospitalized patients in Vietnam. The agreement has a term of initially three years and can be extended by two-year increments. In return, Quaphaco has committed to significant minimum purchases of Unyvero instruments and application cartridges over the initial 3-year term of the agreement amounting to a total of about EUR 1.9 million revenue to Curetis. Quaphaco is responsible for product registration that is expected by Q2-2020 and has committed to significantly invest into the market introduction of the Unyvero product line in Vietnam. With 88-97% of drug stores in Vietnam dispensing antibiotics without a prescription despite the fact that it is prohibited by Vietnamese law and despite antibiotics accounting for more than 50% of drugs used in human medicine, antimicrobial resistance is among the most severe threats to human health in Vietnam (Ref 1). Responding to this threat, Vietnam in 2013 became the first country in the World Health Organization's (WHO) Western Pacific Region to approve a national action plan to combat antimicrobial resistance (Ref 2). "With at least one in ten patients suffering from healthcare-associated infections in Vietnam, we believe that a rapid and comprehensive detection of the pathogens and their antibiotic resistance markers with Unyvero will help to improve outcomes for patients with severe infections while supporting the antibiotic stewardship efforts that are high on the agenda of our public health institutions," said Dr. Mai Van Phong, CEO of Quaphaco. "We are very pleased to work with Quaphaco as a highly committed partner in making Unyvero available in Vietnam," commented Oliver Schacht, PhD, CEO of Curetis. "This partnership strengthens our commercial presence in the ASEAN region and complements our commercial efforts with our partner Acumen Research Laboratories in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia." ### References https://www.who.int/vietnam/health-topics/antimicrobial-resistance (https://www.who.int/vietnam/health-topics/antimicrobial-resistance) https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/solutions-initiative/stories/tracking-resistance-in-vietnam.html (https://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/solutions-initiative/stories/tracking-resistance-in-vietnam.html) About Curetis Curetis N.V.'s (Euronext: CURE) goal is to become a leading provider of innovative solutions for molecular microbiology diagnostics designed to address the global challenge of detecting severe infectious diseases and identifying antibiotic resistances in hospitalized patients. Curetis' Unyvero System is a versatile, fast and highly automated molecular diagnostic platform for easy-to-use, cartridge-based solutions for the comprehensive and rapid detection of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance markers in a range of severe infectious disease indications. Results are available within hours, a process that can take days or even weeks if performed with standard diagnostic procedures, thereby facilitating improved patient outcomes, stringent antibiotic stewardship and health-economic benefits. Unyvero in vitro diagnostic (IVD) products are marketed in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the U.S. Curetis' wholly-owned subsidiary Ares Genetics GmbH offers next-generation solutions for infectious disease diagnostics and therapeutics. The ARES Technology Platform combines what the Company believes to be the most comprehensive database worldwide on the genetics of antimicrobial resistances, ARESdb, with advanced bioinformatics and artificial intelligence. For further information, please visit www.curetis.comand www.ares-genetics.com. Legal Disclaimer This document constitutes neither an offer to buy nor to subscribe securities and neither this document nor any part of it should form the basis of any investment decision in Curetis. The information contained in this press release has been carefully prepared. However, Curetis bears and assumes no liability of whatever kind for the correctness and completeness of the information provided herein. Curetis does not assume an obligation of whatever kind to update or correct information contained in this press release whether as a result of new information, future events or for other reasons. This press release includes statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes", "estimates", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will", or "should", and include statements Curetis makes concerning the intended results of its strategy. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Curetis' actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements. Curetis undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. Contact Details Curetis GmbH Max-Eyth-Str. 42 71088 Holzgerlingen, Germany Tel. +49 7031 49195-10 pr@curetis.comor ir@curetis.com www.curetis.com Curetis International Media & Investor Inquiries akampion Dr. Ludger Wess / Ines-Regina Buth Managing Partners info@akampion.com Tel. +49 40 88 16 59 64 Tel. +49 30 23 63 27 68 Attachment . . , ... The prosecutor in the case of the Armenian second president Robert Kocharyan, Petros Petrosyan, has refrained from evaluating the Court of Appeal's ruling. As reported earlier, Criminal Court of Appeal, chaired by Judge Armen Danielyan, satisfied the complaint of the prosecutor's office against the ruling of the court of first instance to provide protection of the materials of the case on the events of March 1, 2008. The prosecutor's office considers that the publication and even acquaintance of lawyers can harm the interests of others. Petrosyan recalled that the ruling could be appealed to the Court of Cassation. If the court of cassation considers it appropriate to speak out on the issue of uniformity of application of the law, it will take the matter into consideration and make a decision, the prosecutor told reporters . According to him, there is no gap in the law, but there is a question of uniform application of the law. According to him, they cannot evaluate the ruling of the court of first instance and the court of appeal. He noted that the Code of Criminal Procedure regulates when it is possible to get acquainted with the materials. While Lt. Gov. John Fetterman crusades on legalizing recreational marijuana, one poll released last fall suggests Pennsylvanians may not be eager to jump on the bandwagon. Theyre right to be cautious. Lost amid the legalization hullabaloo is the chaos unfettered pot will wreak on labor practices, workplace litigation, employer liability, healthcare costs, and more. I know. Im an employer. Among the jobs my company offers are forklift operators, where drug-induced impairment is not just an inconvenience but a major safety hazard. In 2019, 50 percent of those to whom we offered employment in customer service, warehouse positions, or driving failed drug screenings. Some of these applicants use marijuana under a doctors prescription. While I sympathize, traces of federally illegal pot medically prescribed or not are still illegal, and I remain liable for the safety of my companys workplace. Such safety concerns are real. According to the law firm Franklin & Prokopik, employees testing positive for marijuana had 55 percent more industrial accidents, 85 percent more injuries, and 75 percent higher absenteeism rates than their counterparts. Lt. Gov. Fetterman has paralleled marijuana to alcohol and cigarettes, even claiming marijuana is safer. But as Franklin & Prokopik note, car crashes involving marijuana increased 300 percent between 2010 and 2013. This rush to legalize recreational pot is plaguing employers with mass confusion. Can I require drug-free workplaces? Can I be sued for discrimination for denying a job applicant after a failed drug test? Can I discipline employees testing positive for marijuana? If I discontinue drug screening, do I run afoul of federal laws and risk being uninsurable? What if business contracts require my company to comply with all federal and state laws which contradict each other? As an example of this contradiction, a New Jersey court just ruled employers must reimburse employees for medical marijuana, despite its continued illegality under federal law. The list goes on. Making matters worse is that standards if they can be called such vary widely among states that have legalized recreational marijuana, as outlined by Business and Legal Resources. In Nevada, where recreational legalization went into effect January 1, 2020, employers cannot deny employment to applicants testing positive for marijuana, with some safety-related exceptions. In New York City, pre-employment marijuana drug tests generally wont be allowed, also with some exceptions. Illinois law prevents employers from disciplining or terminating employees for using lawful products off the premises of the employer during nonworking hours. Employers can prohibit employees from working while impaired, but marijuana remains in someones system far longer (up to 30 days) than alcohol, so how can impairment be proven? And few guidelines exist in cases where a disciplined employee contests a penalty. These scenarios dont address the economic costs of legalization on the state and employers. Why should employers be forced to police such things to begin with? CurrentCompliance.org, which catalogues drug testing laws, called these costs staggering. According to one study, in states where medical marijuana is legal, Social Security Disability Insurance claims rose 9.9 percent post-legalization. Widespread recreational legalization would further spike these claims. Occupational Health & Safety Magazine offered additional warnings of increased workers compensation claims, health care and liability insurance premiums, and litigation costs. Unfortunately, many elected officials championing pot-for-fun are ignoring these questions, which is hardly surprising as most of them have never signed the front of paychecks. Before jumping on the pot bandwagon, lawmakers should count the costs of legalization and conclude the price tag on Pennsylvania is simply too high. Rob Shearer owns, with his wife and business partner, several companies focused on supply chain logistics. He is a trustee of Commonwealth Partners Chamber of Entrepreneurs. A bar has taken to social media in a bizarre attempt to recover a phone that was stolen from the venue by a redhead. HeadQuarters Viaduct in Auckland, New Zealand, published a post on Thursday reading, 'Anyone know this little ranga?' according to the New Zealand Herald. The post went on to say the man responsible for the theft was a 'chestnut little turd'. HeadQuarters Viaduct in Auckland, New Zealand, published a bizarre post to social media after a redhead stole a phone from them The establishment offered money to anyone who could help identify the culprit who made off with the phone (stock image) The post included CCTV images of the alleged offender. The establishment offered money to anyone who could help identify the alleged culprit - going as far as offering $600 to bring the alleged offender in 'so we can deal with him'. Within hours someone had owned up to stealing the phone. The bar shared another social media post informing patrons the offender had been in touch. 'He's arranged to return the phone immediately, and for punishment he'll be helping feed the homeless next week,' the post read. The bar said the man was extremely remorseful and left an additional $100 to be donated to the charity of the pub's choice. 'The staff said he was actually a decent sort of a bloke - if that matters,' the social media post read. 'Thanks to all those who reacted and helped bring this to a conclusion that all parties benefit from.' Chad Wolf, acting secretary of homeland security, speaks to the media in Miami on Jan. 29, 2020. New York Residents No Longer Allowed to Enroll in Trusted Traveler Programs, DHS Says The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is no longer allowing residents of New York state to enroll in Global Entry and other trusted traveler programs, acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf announced on Feb. 5. The move stems from New York states recently passed law that lets illegal immigrants apply for drivers licenses without providing a Social Security number. New Yorkers wont be allowed to enroll or re-enroll in the Trusted Traveler Programs run by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including Global Entry. Today, we sent a letter to New York indicating, because they took these measures, that New York residents are no longer eligible to enroll in these Trusted Traveler Programs, Wolf said during an appearance on Fox Newss Tucker Carlson Tonight. New York residents cant join or stay in the programs because we no longer have access to make sure that they meet those program requirements, so we need to do our job, Wolf added. Global Entry enables faster clearance when people go through customs when arriving in the United States; NEXUS enables quicker border crossing for enrollees traveling between the United States and Canada; the Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection, or SENTRI, facilitates faster clearance for travelers when they enter the United States; and the Free and Secure Trade program, or FAST, helps commercial shipments crossing the U.S. border from Canada or Mexico get quicker clearance. DHS sent a letter to New York state officials informing them of the change. The states new law that lets illegal immigrants get drivers licenses precludes CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which are both part of DHS, from accessing and validating pertinent information contained in New York DMV records that is operationally critical in DHSs efforts to keep our nation secure, Wolf wrote. An ICE agent takes part in an operation in a file photograph. (ICE) The state Department of Motor Vehicle records have been used by immigration officers to verify or corroborate suspects date of birth, height, and other personally identifiable information. The records are also used to help identify targets, witnesses, and victims. CBP said in a statement on Feb. 6 that New Yorkers are no longer eligible for the trusted-traveler programs, effective immediately. Nothing is more important than the safety of the United States and our citizens, and the New York Green Light law makes us less safe and shields criminals, CBP Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan said in a statement. We recognize that many New York residents and businesses will be negatively affected by this change, but we cannot compromise the safety and security of our homeland. When states take negative measures that hinder our ability to protect our great country, we must respond. Wolf previously ordered a review on Dec. 31, 2019, of New Yorks state law, known as the Drivers License Access and Privacy Act. Rich Azzopardi, a senior adviser to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, told news outlets in a statement that the state was going to review DHSs action. This is obviously political retaliation by the federal government and were going to review our legal options, Azzopardi said. The move came after President Donald Trump in his State of the Union address on Feb. 4 criticized cities that use so-called sanctuary policies to shield illegal immigrants from law enforcement. Tragically, there are many cities in America where radical politicians have chosen to provide sanctuary for these criminal, illegal aliens, he said. In sanctuary cities, local officials order police to release dangerous criminal aliens to prey upon the public, instead of handing them over to ICE to be safely removed. While the Trump administration tried to block New Yorks law in 2019, the lawsuit was dismissed. By PTI AZAMGARH: Police have booked 135 people protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act for sedition and arrested 20 of them in the city's Bilariaganj area. In the FIR, only 35 people have been named and the rest are unidentified, police said. The FIR lists sedition among the charges. The protesters accused the police of thrashing them. However, police said they used tear gas shells to tackle the protesters when they became unruly. "The FIR has been registered against 35 named and over 100 unidentified persons involved in anti-CAA protests on Tuesday near Jauhar park in Bilariaganj area. Of them 20 have been arrested," Azamgarh SP Triveni Singh said adding that Tuesday's protest against the CAA was led by Ulema Council national general secretary Tahir Madni, who was arrested on Wednesday. The officer said a reward of Rs 25,000 each has been announced on absconding Ulema Council leaders Nurul Huda, Mirza Shane Alam and Osama. He alleged that the protesters used foul language against Hindus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An NGO in Azamgarh has alleged that nineteen people including minors were beaten up and arrested from Bilariaganj area when they were "peacefully" protesting against the amended citizenship law. "The women were peacefully protesting at Mohd Ali Park. When the women got up from the spot to offer namaaz, the policemen started hurling abuses at them. They even threatened them. The policemen started creating tensions. They beat up the protestors and also pelted stones at them," Zakir from Al Falah Front, the NGO, said here. "Women have been beaten up severely, pulled by their hair. One Sharavari Bano was brutally beaten up in front of protestors. She is under treatment at Azamgarh hospital now," he said. The NGO claimed that Maulana Tahir Madani was allegedly pressurized to stop the protests and threatened with dire consequences. The 135 people have been booked under various sections of IPC including the charge 124 A (Sedition), 153 A (promoting enmity), violating prohibitary orders, 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 186 (Obstructing public servant), SP said. A firefighter was able to escape injury after being briefly trapped while fighting a two-alarm fire in Harrisburg. Crews were dispatched at around 11:45 a.m. Thursday to the 500 block of Emerald Street in Harrisburg for what was reported as smoke in a building and turned out to be a duplex on fire. Harrisburg fire chief Brian Enterline said firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the second and third floor. Firefighters were also told two residents were still inside the residence, but Enterline said the information turned out to be untrue. Our troops made an aggressive attack, he said. They got up to the third floor searching for these folks that were supposed to be there. It was during that search that a firefighter became trapped on the third floor and was enveloped by fire, Enterline said. That firefighter was able to escape out a window and down the ladder of the residence. LIVE: Crews respond to house fire on Emerald Street in Harrisburg. Posted by PennLive.com on Thursday, February 6, 2020 Not only was the firefighter unscathed, but he went back into the residence to fight the fire after being evaluated at the scene. He was burnt up pretty good, his gear and everything burnt pretty good, but he went right back into the building to do the job that were here to do for the citizens, Enterline said. After that firefighter was accounted for, other responding firefighters were also briefly called out of the residence. A fire in the 500 block of Emerald Street, Harrisburg, Feb. 6, 2020. After we had one person that we had to rescue off that ladder, we wanted to bring everybody out, Enterline said. The number one goal at that point was to make sure all of our people were safe ... before we went back in the building." Crews could be seen breaking out windows as smoke and flames billowed out from windows. The fire was well into the walls and spread quickly through the second and third floors, Enterline said. Though it was a chilly day outside, the brick construction of the house made conditions extremely hot for firefighters inside the residence. Althea Roy, who lives at 504 Emerald St., was not at home at the time of the fire. Harrisburg firefighters rescued her cat, Hope, and her dog, Boo. Fire crews respond to a fire at a duplex home on the 500 block of Emerald Street in Harrisburg. February 6, 2020. Dan Gleiter | dgleiter@pennlive.com A cat and dog were rescued from the residence, and no other injuries were reported. Four people are displaced and are being assisted by the American Red Cross. Enterline wasnt sure on the extent of damages, but he said the building was fixable Thursdays fire is one of several reported across central Pennsylvania in the last week. When we look at fires, you go through these dry spells, and then when they start to happen, it seems like they happen back to back to back, he said. Theres really no rhyme or reason to it. Enterline added that his department also goes to fires on a weekly basis, but they are often extinguished quickly. 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. She is currently touring the UK with Mario and Ginuwine. And Ashanti was every inch the superstar as she stormed the stage in an eye-popping outfit at Leeds' 02 Academy on Wednesday. The Foolish hitmaker, 39, oozed confidence as she slipped her toned curves into a nude and fishnet detail bejewelled catsuit, worn with lavish furry sleeves. Work it: Ashanti was every inch the superstar as she stormed the stage in an eye-popping outfit at Leeds' 02 Academy on Wednesday The racy featured swirls of sequins across the bust with a thick leather belt cinching in at her slender waist. A fishnet design on the bondage-inspired catsuit drew the eye to the songstress' honed legs and peachy posterior as she shimmied on stage. The star wore her raven locks in a sleek plaited ponytail while accessorising with futuristic shades and large silver hoop earrings. Ashanti went for a glamorous make-up palette of fluttery lashes and neon pink lipstick. Oh my! The Foolish hitmaker, 39, oozed confidence as she slipped her toned curves into a nude and fishnet detail bejewelled catsuit, worn with lavish furry sleeves Sparkle: The racy featured swirls of sequins across the bust with a thick leather belt cinching in at her slender waist The star wore her raven locks in a sleek plaited ponytail while accessorising with futuristic shades and large silver hoop earrings. Ashanti went for a glamorous make-up palette of fluttery lashes and neon pink lipstick. Ashanti, who was signed to Murder Inc back in 2002 and worked with the likes of Ja Rule and Fat Joe, was joined by Let Me Love You hit-maker Mario and Ginuwine - who is famed for his 1996 track that has become an anthem for Channing Tatum's movie and live show Magic Mike. Ashanti will wrap things up on her return to Bimingham on 9 February and is then set to head back to the US for shows in Salt Lake City at the end of February and Las Vegas in May. Sparkle: A fishnet design on the bondage-inspired catsuit drew the eye to the songstress' honed legs and peachy posterior as she shimmied on stage Glamour: The star wore her raven locks in a sleek plaited ponytail while accessorising with futuristic shades and large silver hoop earrings Appearing on Good Morning Britain earlier this month, ahead of her Hammersmith show, Ashanti said she is 'having so much fun' on tour and is 'so happy' to be performing again in the UK. 'I love [UK audiences], they show so much love, they sing the words for all the songs from top to bottom, it's the most amazing feeling,' she gushed. Although, she did admit she still gets nervous sometimes when delivering high notes on stage. Ashanti also teased new music and revealed her upcoming material will discuss personal matters she hasn't spoken about before. 'Absolutely [there'll be new music]. I'm so excited, I've been working in the studio with some amazing producers and artists,' she teased. 'I'm excited because this time I'm talking about so many different things that I haven't talked about before that are personal. I think people are going to be like, "Oh my god, she said that."' When asked to elaborate on what personal topics, Ashanti coyly replied: 'Just being vocal. We're in a time now where we just have to be free and say what's in your heart and be organic. It's so important.' Ashanti revealed that she has her very own 'momager', like the Kardashians with Kris Jenner, as her mother, Tina Douglas, is her management. 'We have the most amazing relationship,' she said. 'Obviously it's like, "Ma, stop taking pictures, I'm done," sometimes it gets like that, but it's amazing.' Ashanti continued: 'She has my best interests at heart and I don't have to worry about people trying to steal something from me or trying to take advantage of me.' Congratulations, paintballguns.net got a very good Social Media Impact Score! 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During Zero Hour, parliamentarians can raise matters of great importance without the mandatory ten days advance notice. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Guyanas regulator has dismissed a proposal from Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GTT) to settle a long-running tax dispute. Following an audit of the operators tax assessments dating back to 1991, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) claims that GTT has an outstanding tax bill of US$44.1 million. GTT has queried the amount and the two parties are negotiating the matter. GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia noted that GTTs offer to pay a reduced sum was rejected as it would have set a precedent for other taxpayers, saying: You are looking at consistent treatment of all taxpayers and if you negotiate with one you have to do it with all. GTTs parent firm Atlantic Tele-Networks (ATN) is hoping to settle the bill with just US$5 million, arguing that the remainder would be accounted for due to a controversial contractual obligation dating back to ATNs acquisition of an 80% stake in GTT in 1991. Under the terms of the deal, GTT is legally entitled to receive an annual return on investment of no less than 15%. In connection to the ongoing dispute, Guyanas High Court has ordered US$3.2 million to be seized from GTT in connection to the governments 2012 sale of its 20% holding in GTT to Chinas Datang Telecom. The Chinese firm made an initial payment of US$25 million for the stake with a further US$5 million due within two years, but it failed to make the follow-up payment. The legal back-and-forth over the missing $5 million has seen investigations claim that the amount had been paid without disclosing to who, how, where and when, while another proposed that Datang had deliberately withheld the amount in a bid to gain more seats on GTTs board of directors. The National Industrial and Commercial Investment Limited (NICIL) determined the amount to be outstanding in 2017 and stated that it would ensure payment was received, with the latest High Court decision supporting this. The $3.2 million figure accounts for GTTs dividends for the year ending 31st December 2019, owed to Datang subsidiary Hong Kong Golden Telecom (HKGT), which holds the shares in GTT. The court has ordered GTT to pay a further US$1.8 million in prospective dividends to NICIL instead of its holding firm. The UK will "drive a hard bargain" as it seeks trade deals with the US and other countries that benefit consumers and businesses while maintaining standards, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss has said. Ms Truss set out the government's broad negotiating aims for talks with the US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand in coming months over post-Brexit deals. It has launched a consultation on plans which will see tariff rates simplified or cut, and a review on "anti-dumping" duties designed to prevent countries such as China flooding the market. Ms Truss said the UK wanted a deal with the US to "secure comprehensive, far-reaching and mutually beneficial tariff reductions". Lowering duties on British exports to the US, as well as on US exports to Britain, would "increase access to the US market for UK businesses, and lower prices and increase choice for UK consumers". The plans were announced as Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Australia was ready to begin talks on an "ambitious" free trade deal with Britain "as soon as possible". The US is Britain's biggest trading partner outside the EU, accounting for nearly 19% of all its exports in 2018 and 11% of imports. Both sides hope a deal can be reached as soon as this year - but there appear to be a number of hurdles. US negotiations objectives published last year include the removal of restrictions on products such as chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-treated meat. It is also pressing for full market access for US pharmaceutical goods and medical devices, which would require changes to NHS pricing restrictions. Ms Truss said Britain would not compromise on its animal welfare and food standards, and the price the health service pays for drugs. Britain is setting out some of its aims as it prepares for future trading arrangements after the Brexit transition period, which runs until the end of this year. Its new tariff schedule will replace the EU common external tariff under which goods coming into the country from outside the European Union currently fall. Story continues The plan includes removing tariffs of less than 2.5% and rounding down other tariffs to the nearest 2.5%, 5% or 10%. Another aim is to reduce costs for UK manufacturers by removing duties on key materials or ingredients they need to import. To help lower prices for consumers, tariffs will be removed on imported goods where there they are not competing with any significant UK production in the same sector. Ms Truss said: "It is vitally important that we now move away from complex tariff schedule imposed on us by the European Union. High tariffs impinge on businesses and raise costs for consumers. "This is our opportunity to set our own tariff strategy that is right for UK consumers and businesses across our country." The UK will also review 43 EU trade remedy measures considered important to British industries, including anti-dumping duties of up to 36.1% on imports of ceramic kitchen and tableware from China, and levies of up to 62 per tyre on bus and lorry tyres from China. Uzbekistan Repatriates Dozens More As Central Asia Frets Over Coronavirus By RFE/RL February 05, 2020 Uzbekistan Airways has returned 84 Uzbek nationals from the Chinese city of Wuhan, amid rising fears among Central Asian nations over the possible spread of the deadly coronavirus from its giant neighbor. The Uzbek Health Ministry said in a statement on February 5 that the majority of those repatriated were students studying in China, and that "none of them is suspected of having the new coronavirus." A day earlier, 250 Uzbek students were brought to Tashkent by chartered plane. All of them were checked for coronavirus and health authorities said the same day that all of the tests for the virus were negative. China's National Health Commission said on February 5 that nearly 500 people in mainland China have died from the virus, with a total of 24,324 confirmed cases. The outbreak has prompted Uzbekistan to suspend commercial air travel with China on February 1. Authorities have also issued a travel alert for China, and the State Tourism Committee has recommend that local travel agencies and tour operators suspend sales of travel packages to China. Lying in China's shadow, countries throughout Central Asia have been scrambling to keep the virus at bay. In Kyrgyzstan, a representative of the World Health Organization, Nazira Artykova, said on February 5 that, if need be, Bishkek will ask a London-based virology lab for help. Earlier, on February 3, Kyrgyz authorities said that neighboring Kazakhstan had assisted in evacuating 18 Kyrgyz citizens from Wuhan, a city of almost 11 million people that is considered the epicenter of the outbreak, and placed them in a two-week quarantine for testing. On February 2, the Kazakh government said that it had evacuated 88 of its citizens from Wuhan, along with an unspecified number of Armenian, Belarusian, and Kyrgyz nationals, and placed them to a two-week quarantine for checkups. In Tajikistan, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection said that, in all, 285 Tajik nationals who arrived from China in recent weeks had been placed in medical facilities for checkups. As of February 5, no Wuhan coronavirus cases had been confirmed in any of the Central Asian nations. With reporting by RFE/RL's Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, and Uzbek services Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/uzbekistan- repatriates-dozens-more-as-central-asia-frets-over- coronavirus-outbreak/30418487.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 Regulatory News: On 6 February, for the second year in France, Prodware (Paris:ALPRO) hosted mid-market businesses at EXHIBITION 2020, an event dedicated to innovation. Over the course of this interactive, half-day conference, Prodware's Innovation Business Solutions Division presented the most innovative solutions in its industry, developed using disruptive technologies. A deep dive into innovation Innovation, which is at the core of Prodware's identity, can impact a company's structure, productivity and cohesion. In a four-part presentation, speakers used practical examples to demonstrate the latest cutting-edge technologies on the market. This presentation, which was designed to fully address the challenges facing mid-market companies, focused on four topics: Adapting to new working methods using Plant 4.0 tools , to make businesses more competitive. , to make businesses more competitive. Defining and optimising the customer experience to improve customer satisfaction. to improve customer satisfaction. Maximising data analytics with Power BI, a business intelligence solution. with Power BI, a business intelligence solution. Improving maintenance with a solution developed by Hololens, which combines IoT and mixed reality in order to redefine what after-sales service can do for businesses. Speakers at the cutting edge of the digital transformation For this event, Prodware invited a brand ambassador: Gael Langevin, the man behind the ambitious InMoov project. The first open-source, 3D-printed life-size robot, InMoov was designed as a development platform for universities and laboratories. This concept, which was founded on the notions of sharing and community, has already been replicated numerous times around the world. This year's event was made possible by everyone at the Prodware innovation branch, and is set to be repeated in the 14 other countries where the Group operates. Upcoming publication: Revenues for 4th quarter 2019: 18 February 2020 after close of trading. About Prodware Emboldened by three decades of solid experience and know-how in the field of IT innovation we have always thrived on delivering value and expertise to our customers worldwide. Whether enabling ambitious Cloud strategies, artificial intelligence driven decision-making tools or IoT applications. Prodware keeps paving the way to innovation. Prodware has embraced technology advances and breakthroughs helping companies step into the future by building the business models of tomorrow across the manufacturing, retail distribution, professional services and finance verticals. The Prodware group is a global company with regional offices in 15 countries with more than 1300 employees generating 176 m in annual revenue in 2018. Prodware SA is listed on Euronext Growth and is eligible for the FCPI investment fund and the PEA/PME share savings plan. More information: www.prodware-group.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005756/en/ Contacts: PRODWARE Stephane Conrard Chief Financial Officer Tel.: +33 (0)9 79 99 90 00 sconrard@prodware.fr PRESS Gilles Broquelet CAP VALUE Tel.: +33 (0)1 80 81 50 01 gbroquelet@capvalue.fr 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. Carrie Bradshaw perhaps said it best, 'The most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself.' And nobody knows that better than the Spiritual Gangsta herself, Asa Soltan. Just in time for Valentine's Day, the former Shahs of Sunset star is hosting a Goddess Glow Workshop. Grab your girls and get ready for some self love this February 14! Love: Just in time for the single gal's most dreaded day of the year, Asa Soltan is hosting a Goddess Glow Workshop 2020 goals: 'I can't imagine a better gift to give yourself than a real 2020 GLOW UP,' said Asa. The former Shahs of Sunset designed the workshop to help women awaken the goddess within The workshop was designed to awaken the goddess within and help you live your best life. 'I can't imagine a better gift to give yourself than a real 2020 GLOW UP,' said Asa. 'Come to our Goddess Glow Workshop and learn how to awaken the Goddess within, vibrate higher, and start living a more fulfilled and purposeful life. 'Learn to actively peel back the layers of BS created by yourself, society, and family and start becoming the woman you were meant to be!' The first two-hour workshop will take place at The Electric Lodge in Venice Beach, California. Tickets are priced at $250. Invest in you: 'Learn to actively peel back the layers of BS created by yourself, society, and family and start becoming the woman you were meant to be' West coat debut: The first workshop will take place at The Electric Lodge in Venice Beach, California on February 14 Traveling show: Locations to upcoming workshops haven't been announced but Asa reveals that New York, Atlanta and Houston are probably next The workshop promises to provide attendees with the tools to manifest everything they want in life, boost confidence, shed insecurities and find happiness. As a workout enthusiast, Asa's event also promises to help tone the body and increase flexibility. 'We have Goddesses coming from all over the world, as far as the UK, shared the Persian Pop Priestess. 'Girlfriends coming together to have fun and do something positive for themselves. We all know we need to give some of the love to ourselves that we give to unworthy people so easily. 'It's time to feel amazing, and if you have Valentines day plans with your lover, no worries... we will get you nice and super ready for a sensual night!' Locations to upcoming workshops haven't been announced but the Bravo star reveals to Daily Mail that New York, Atlanta and Houston are probably next. She advises joining the mailing list to be the first know. GoddessGlowWorkshop.com IG: @GoddessGlowWorkshop Egyptian transport service provider Mwasalat Misr announced on Wednesday the launch of Cairo's first electric public bus on a new route between downtown's main Abdel-Moneim Riyad Square and New Cairo. The 44-seat bus, dubbed X-bus, started operating this new line last week with an express service that only stops at four main bus stations along its route, Ahmed El-Naaqa, the maintenance and operation engineer of the X-bus, told Ahram Online. The bus was first operated in December for a three-month trial period and was initially planned to run on the same route, but was instead operated on a shorter route in 6 October City for free, according to Al-Naaqa. The ticket price for the bus, which is equipped to serve people with special needs, is EGP 25, while the price for the company's smart card holders is EGP 18. The air-conditioned bus runs two trips in each direction at 7:30am and 10:30am from downtown's Abdel-Moneim Riyad Station, and at 9am and 2:30pm from New Cairos Lotus Station. The buses are designed to "preserve the environment and do not cause pollution resulting from the use traditional fuels," and are equipped with Wi-Fi. They also have an electronic payment system that enables passengers to obtain a ticket from a machine aboard the bus. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement Tuesday night following President Trump's State of the Union address. Read her remarks below: "We are always hopeful when a President makes a State of the Union address. We welcome any opportunity to extend the hand of friendship to find common ground on behalf of the American people. The issue of major concern to most Americans is health care. Tonight, House Democrats brought scores of guests to the State of the Union who have powerful health care stories, whether it is families with pre-existing conditions, families struggling to afford the prescription drugs they need, or families relying on Medicaid even though they have private insurance. We had been told the President would have a positive message on health care. "However, President Trump's address tonight gave no comfort to the 130 million Americans with pre-existing conditions or the families struggling to afford the prescription drugs they need. Once again, President Trump was not truthful about his actions in court to destroy pre-existing condition protections. Once again, President Trump pulled his punch on his promise to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices, which House Democrats delivered with the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, H.R.3. "Next week, when the President presents his budget, the American people will see the stark reality of his agenda. A federal budget should be a statement of our national values, and the President has sadly shown that he does not value the good health of the American people. Democrats continue to urge the President to abandon his assault on seniors and families and to join us to deliver real progress in lowering the price of prescription drugs and making the bold investments needed to rebuild America's infrastructure in a green and modern way. "The manifesto of mistruths presented in page after page of the address tonight should be a call to action for everyone who expects truth from the President and policies worthy of his office and the American people. The American people expect and deserve a President to have integrity and respect for the aspirations for their children. "Americans were uplifted by the positive message and vision for progress for all communicated by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Congresswoman Veronica Escobar of Texas. In the election, Democrats ran and won on a pledge For The People: lower health care costs, bigger paychecks, clean up corruption in government. And we will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of progress for hard-working families across America, For The People." Queen Letizia of Spain put on an elegant display as she rewore a stylish animal print shirt dress during a visit to a school in Sevilla today. Joined by her husband King Felipe, 52, the Spanish royal, 47, met students at the Holy Family-Penaflor Foundation, which was awarded 'School of the Year 2019' by the Princess of Girona Foundation. Queen Letizia beamed in the bold printed dress, paired with black sling backs for an effortlessly sophisticated look. The royal couple appeared relaxed as they greeted crowds awaiting their arrival, and later took time to enjoy a game of large chess with the school's students. Queen Letizia, 47, joined her husband King Felipe, 52, to visit the Holy Family-Penaflor Foundation (pictured together with students) The mother-of-two appeared in good spirits as she stepped out in a bold animal print shirt dress, previously worn for a Star Wars film screening (pictured earlier today) The Spanish royals were met by eager students during their visit to Holy Family-Penaflor Foundation, which was awarded for it's innovation in educational projects last year Queen Letizia tied her timeless ensemble together by opting for subtle makeup, with the exception of a dark eyeliner that drew attention. She gave her glossy brown hair a side-parting to complete her polished appearance. The trendsetting royal refreshed the look, which she last wore to a screening of Star Wars: the Rise of Skywalker in December, by accessorizing with drop earrings. Meanwhile, King Felipe donned a navy suit, teamed perfectly with a light blue shirt for a dapper spring look. King Felipe appeared dapper as he stood alongside Letizia in a navy suit, paired with a pastel blue shirt and purple tie Supporters lined the streets to greet the Spanish royals, who were later seated front row at the ceremony offering recognition to the school Mother-of-two Letizia showed her competitive side as she joined students in a game of chess which took place as part of a project to encourage team decision making |The 47-year-old (pictured) had a natural glow, as she opted for minimalist makeup with the exception of dark eye shadow The couple joined students in playing a game of chess as part of a project the school hopes will encourage team decision making. The Spanish royals signed a visitor's book during their visit to Benameji Palace, before going to the Holy Family-Penaflor Foundation school. It received the recognition for being innovative in how it adapts to the needs of its students. Explaining the decision for the award, The Princess of Girona Foundation praised the facility for 'living and assuming, in all educational stages, the entrepreneurial culture in its social, business dimensions, cultural and educational, with specific methodologies and projects that are committed to innovation adapted to the uniqueness of their students.' The winner was chosen by a panel including the director of the Education Area and the Trends Observatory of the Botin Javier Garcia Canete Foundation. Queen Letizia donned an elegant pair of black and white drop earrings to accessorize her trendy outfit King Felipe and Queen Letizia (pictured) signed the visitor's book at Benameji Palace before their visit to Holy Family-Penaflor Foundation Despite a busy week of engagements, the royals appeared delighted to engage with the students and posed for a photo alongside Spanish Education Minister Isabel Celaa (left) The school received a piece designed by artist Juan Zamora, in addition to their name joining a list of other highly-esteemed award recipients. Queen Letizia and King Felipe toured the school and posed for photos in the assembly hall with staff and students, before taking their front row seat for a ceremony to present the award. The prize was collected by two students, while King Felipe offered his congratulations. Queen Letizia and King Felipe have had a busy week of engagements, including a reception at Madrid's Royal Palace that involved welcoming foreign ambassadors. Queen Letizia completed her timeless look by styling her glossy brunette hair with a side parting (pictured) Yazan Abu Tabikh, 19, was killed during clashes after Israeli forces raided Jenin to demolish a Palestinian house. A second Palestinian has been killed by Israeli fire during a demonstration in the occupied West Bank against the demolition of a Palestinian home, Palestinian official media said on Thursday. Yazan Abu Tabikh, 19, was killed and seven others wounded when clashes broke out after Israeli forces raided the northern town of Jenin, the official WAFA news agency reported. An AFP reporter saw the body and mourning relatives in a hospital in the town. The raid was to demolish the home of Ahmad Qanba, a Palestinian charged with aiding a Hamas cell in the West Bank, the Israeli army said. It said Qanba had been part of a cell that carried out a January 2018 attack in which a rabbi was killed. The army said forces had identified a number of armed terrorists who hurled explosive devices and fired towards them. The forces responded with riot dispersal means. On Wednesday, Mohammed al-Haddad, 17, was shot dead during clashes in Hebron. The uptick in violence comes days after US President Donald Trump unveiled his long-awaited Middle East plan, which is seen to greatly favour Israel and has been rejected by the Palestinians. The plan has sparked calls by Israeli nationalists for Israel to annex parts of the West Bank, including Jordan Valley, and has set off tensions in the region. The Palestinians called for protests against the plan, which they said was biased towards Israel. A year after president declared a state of emergency, the fight against sexual and gender-based violence remains tough. In February 2019, amid a slew of high-profile cases and pressure from the public, Sierra Leones President Julius Maada Bio declared a state of emergency over sexual and gender-based violence in the country. The move followed the rape of a five-year-old girl, who was left paralysed from the waist down, and relentless campaigning by grassroots groups. It allowed the government to enact drastic measures without parliamentary approval, including the introduction of maximum life sentences for those found guilty of sexually abusing a minor. Activists welcomed what they saw as willingness from top officials to put sexual and gender-based violence on the national agenda and tackle a taboo that has long plagued the West African country of 7.5 million. 190208145036124 More than 200,000 girls and women may have suffered from sexual violence during the countrys brutal 1991-2002 civil war, according to a 2002 report, produced with assistance from the United Nations. An outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in 2014 exacerbated the problem, closing schools across the country for eight months, which left girls vulnerable to assault and resulted in a surge in teenage pregnancy. One year on from Bios announcement and with the state of emergency having been quietly revoked in June opinions differ as to the moves effectiveness in creating long-term change. There has been a difference in the response to the issue because people are better informed, Alison French, advocacy and communications director for Rainbo Initiative (RI), told Al Jazeera. There is the political will and so the reporting of cases have increased. RI says it is the only organisation in Sierra Leone providing free medical and psychosocial treatment for survivors of gender-based violence. Its five centres recorded 3,701 cases of sexual assault, 3,897 cases of gender-based violence and 196 cases of physical assault in 2019. All but 65 of the cases of sexual assault involved children under the age of 18. Activists praised President Bios decision to declare a state of emergency in February 2019 [File: Cooper Inveen/Reuters] Analysts and activists, including First Lady Fatima Maada Bio, say the actual number is likely much higher as many cases still go unreported. Sexual violence in Sierra Leone affects any and everyone as there are no age limits. RI has recorded [cases] as young as a seven-month-old baby and as old as a 70-year-old woman, French said, adding that the group has noted pregnancies resulting from sexual assault in girls as young as 11. A problematic solution While the state of emergency brought renewed attention to sexual and gender-based violence, it has also been criticised as merely a temporary fix. Emergency measures lasted only until the June revocation, and no money was allocated to implementing promises made during the period, including free hospital care for rape survivors and a hotline for reporting abuse. 190225142229481 Analysts have also questioned the necessity of the proclamation, saying that many of the changes could have been made through regular legal channels. [It] was an attempt to create publicity at best, said Luisa T Schneider, a researcher at Germanys Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology who is writing a book on Sierra Leones legal, civil and social efforts to combat sexual violence. At worst, it was a window for potential abuse of power, which could have led to speedy legal changes in other areas and undermined citizens fundamental rights. Fatmata Sorie is president of Legal Access through Women Yearning for Equality Rights and Social Justice (LAWYERS), an all-female legal group formed during the war to advocate for the protection and promotion of women and girls rights. She that, while problematic, the state of emergency had a positive effect in leading to the creation of a sexual offences division within the judiciary and a new police unit for investigating sexual assault. Following the end of the state of emergency, Parliament passed The Sexual Offences Amendment Act, 2019, which increased the maximum penalty for rape and sexual penetration of a child from 15 years to life imprisonment and criminalised the so-called compromise, in which the offence is settled by family members or village heads, without police involvement. While some hope the amendment will act as a deterrent to attackers, others say the tough new sentences could discourage survivors from reporting abuse as assaults often occur in tight-knit communities and survivors may face social pressure not to come forward. Schneider said the heavy sentences were also problematic in light of the medically unsound means of detecting whether an attack has taken place, which consider the condition of a woman or girls hymen as the main piece of evidence. Without forensic evidence, with little, sometimes no investigations and with court cases that allow only directly implicated persons and eye witnesses to be called, such high sentences are problematic, she said. Clearly perpetrators should be imprisoned and there should be zero tolerance for violence, but we must uphold an interpretation of the law that adheres to one of its main pillars: innocent until proven guilty. Even armed with the tough new legislation, Sierra Leones legal system faces several hurdles in prosecuting sexual abuse cases. Understaffing and a lack of resources and equipment are common, while police, lawyers and judges are overworked and underpaid, Schneider said. Heavy caseloads, meanwhile, mean litigants often wait years until their cases are heard. More needs to be done to improve countrywide access to legal and health services and to ensure all people are treated equally before the law, Sorie told Al Jazeera, adding that establishing forensic labs and making rape kits available would help strengthen the legal response to incidents of sexual and gender-based violence. They provoke the men Legal reforms, however effective or not, are just one piece of a complex puzzle when tackling the issue, and while bills can be fast-tracked, attitudes take longer to change. In June, the same month that Bio lifted the state of emergency, Education Minister Alpha Timbo appeared to place the blame for rape on female victims, reportedly saying at a UN-sponsored conference: Sometimes women are to blame. They provoke the men to rape them. After a fierce backlash, Timbo apologised on national television, saying there was nothing to justify rape. Changing such attitudes is a daily challenge for Miriam Mason, country director for EducAid an NGO running schools and outreach programmes in Sierra Leone. EducAids work in fostering a girl-friendly environment in schools ranges from protecting girls from early marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) to promoting self-esteem and respect. At the heart of that is equity and equality and recognising that every person has the right to be respected as an equal, has the right to access a full education. In this context, girls are significantly disadvantaged, Mason told Al Jazeera. The expectation that a woman will make her own decisions and will choose her own partner, will decide whether or not to get an education just isnt [the case]. Education is seen as a key tool for tackling sexual and gender-based violence [File: Ann Johansson/Corbis via Getty Images] Mason acknowledged that the tough sentences in the 2019 amendment made people sit up and pay attention to sexual and gender-based violence, but said that putting the role of women and girls at the centre of education is essential to changing attitudes. You cant do a complete job without taking this very seriously and having it central to everything thats being said: challenging gender stereotypes in every way that we can, providing alternative role models and an alternative way of looking at things as well as strategies so that people can start to believe it and make it practical, Mason said. The governments Hands Off Our Girls campaign spearheaded by the first lady and so-called husband schools are also trying to combat harmful stereotypes, but progress is difficult to measure. A solution is only achievable through close collaboration between grassroots, civil society, government and lawmakers, Schneider said. But without the bravery of survivors who have come forward and reported, none of the current developments would be possible. As the Long Beach Unified School District commits to keeping classes in-person, the city a new testing site opens for LBUSD employees and students only. The city is also ramping up its own testing efforts with a new 3,000-person per... Exclusive: Germany ran world's largest current account surplus in 2019: Ifo FILE PHOTO: German Chancellor Merkel attends news conference after meeting with chairmen of international economic and financial organisations at Chancellery in Berlin By Rene Wagner BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's current account surplus remained the world's largest last year despite trade tensions, the Ifo economic institute said on Monday, in an estimate likely to renew criticism of Chancellor Angela Merkel's fiscal policies. The Ifo calculations, reported exclusively by Reuters ahead of publication by the economic institute, put Germany's current account surplus -- which measures the flow of goods, services and investments -- at some $293 billion in 2019. It is the fourth successive year that Germany's current account surplus has been the world's largest, with Japan's the next biggest at $194 billion, according to Ifo calculations. The International Monetary Fund and the European Commission have for years urged Germany, Europe's largest economy, to do more to lift domestic demand and imports as a way to reduce global economic imbalances and stimulate growth elsewhere. Since his election, U.S. President Donald Trump has also criticized Germany's export strength. Germany's current account surplus can mainly be attributed to the fact that far more German products and services are sold overseas than imported into Europe's largest economy. Merkel said last year: "We are proud of our cars and so we should be." But she added that many were built in the United States and exported to China. Ifo economist Christian Grimme said the German surplus increased last year to some 7.6% of gross domestic product (GDP) from 7.3% in 2018. "Stronger exports to the U.S. due to the stronger depreciation of the euro and increased exports to the UK, where demand recovered somewhat, saw total German exports rise sharply again in the second half of the year," Grimme told Reuters. "By contrast, imports expanded very weakly in the summer half of 2019 - the ongoing industrial recession in Germany severely curbed imports of intermediate goods." The European Commission, the EU's executive, considers a current account surplus of 6% as sustainable over the long-term when measured by the size of a country's economy. (Reporting by Rene Wagner, Writing by Paul Carrel, Editing by Timothy Heritage and Catherine Evans) You could draw a caricature of his face with little more than a hearty stroke for the jawline and a few exclamatory dots: two for the piercing eyes and one for that magnificent, trademark dimple. Kirk Douglas, who died on Feb. 5 at age 103, defined the ideal manly-man persona of the 1950s, often giving electrically appealing performances while playing less-than-exemplary characters. Douglass most famous role may be that of the slave who became a rebel leader in ancient Rome, in Stanley Kubricks Spartacus (1960). Its an admirable performance in a noble part. But Douglas could be even more charismatic in his bad-boy roles as, for example, the scrappy, opportunistic prize fighter Midge Kelly in Champion (1949). In a career spanning, remarkably, nearly 60 years mostly in the movies but occasionally on TV he never shied from playing untrustworthy characters, often with a wink. And he was one of our last surviving links to Old Hollywood and a studio system that rooted out and groomed stars for our pleasure. Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch in Amsterdam, New York, in 1916, the middle child in a family of seven children and the only boy. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants who had fled the pogroms and were unable to read or write; he would later name his production company after his mother, Bryna. Douglas did well in school and wrestled competitively in college, at St. Lawrence University. But he found his true calling after earning a scholarship to the American Academy of the Dramatic Arts. After graduation, he appeared in a few Broadway productions before enlisting in the Navy in 1941, where he was tasked with hunting down Japanese submarines during World War II. (L-R) Actor Michael Douglas and his father, actor Kirk Douglas, at a film premiere of Kirk's Diamonds in December 1999. | Dave AlloccaThe LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images Douglas was initially aiming for a career in the theater. I had never even considered being a movie actor, he wrote in his 1988 autobiography, The Ragmans Son. My image of a movie actor was someone tall and gorgeous, and I had never thought I fit the bill. But after his return from the war, Lauren Bacall, an old schoolmate, got him the screen test that led to his first film role, opposite Barbara Stanwyck in The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946). Just a few years later, he earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance in Champion, a small-budget film that proved enormously popular with audiences. It also helped make him a star. Story continues In Champion, Douglas plays a boxer who often behaves badly, especially with women: He leaves his nice-girl wife (played by Ruth Roman) just moments after her father forces the two into a shotgun wedding. Later, he cruelly smooshes the clay study of him that his lover (Lola Albright), a sculptor, has labored over. But as a fantasy of the type of guy a woman should never fall for in real life, Douglass Midge Kelly is perfect: His wiry build and swooping pompadour are part of his hardscrabble virility. Particularly in the context of all thats been written about the male gaze in cinema, we pay scant attention to the way movies objectify men, and Douglas was practically built for objectification. In Champion, hes lit and shot in a way that courts desire: You cant not notice his extra-long eyelashes, or that cleft chin straight out of art deco statuary. Youre not supposed to approve of Midge, but youre free to fall into a kind of love with him, at the safe remove cinema grants us. Douglas wasnt just an actor; he was a walking fantasy of 1950s masculinity, sometimes the toxic kind and sometimes a type far more exemplary. Hes delightful to watch as a corrupt, backbiting movie producer In The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), one of three films he made with director Vincente Minnelli. That role earned him his second Academy Award nomination. In another Minnelli film, Lust for Life, Douglas plays Vincent Van Gogh and once again, he was nominated for, but didnt win, the Best Actor award. (He received an honorary Oscar in 1996.) In Lust for Life, Douglas is in some ways all wrong: Hes good at capturing the troubled painters sharp edges, less so at framing his vulnerability. Still, the performance is fascinating to watch, particularly to see how Douglas, an actor with swagger to spare, suggests Van Goghs awkwardness in processing emotional information (as opposed to visual information, which he had no trouble with). Douglas is terrific at capturing those synapses of bewilderment, those moments when Van Gogh just couldnt figure out what to make of other people. His jagged bursts of awkwardness are both jarring and affecting, particularly in the context of the movies big-budget gloss. In 1957, Douglas starred in the war drama Paths of Glory, made by a not-yet-famous director named Stanley Kubrick. A few years later, Douglas would hire Kubrick to take over the blockbuster epic he was producing, after the original director, Anthony Mann, had been ousted. Spartacus, with Douglas as its star as well as producer, was an embattled project from start to finish, but it stands as one of the actors most enduring pictures. Kirk Douglas in Paths of Glory, 1957. | Everett Collection Douglas would continue to work through the 1960s, 70s, and 80s: He appeared in two films by Brian De Palma, one a thriller (The Fury, 1978), the other a comedy (Home Movies, 1979). In 1986, he teamed with his old friend and colleague Burt Lancaster for the gangster comedy Tough Guys. In a 1996 episode of The Simpsons, he provided the voice of Chester J. Lampwick, the aged nutter who invented cartoon violence, but Spartacus was the role that rounded off Douglas true golden era. As he himself said in 2015, in an interview included as a special feature in that years DVD release of the film, I have made 90 movies. I dont think anyone will remember 10 of them. I think I can remember 10 of them. But one everybody can remember is Spartacus. Spartacus, as Douglas plays him, is the essence of 1950s-style masculine nobility. He begins life as a slave and ends as a martyred hero. In between, he stands up to authority (in the form of Laurence Oliviers Roman bigwig Crassus); he becomes a devoted father and husband (his wife is former slave girl Varinia, played by Jean Simmons); and in a complex gesture of mercy, he kills the man who is like a son to him (Tony Curtiss Antoninus). Douglas, in his early forties at the time, was the ultimate ancient-Roman beach god, virile in his rough mini-tunic, invincible in his warriors getup, dashing in the flagrantly homoerotic underpants outfit he wears in the gladiators ring. You can laugh at all of it, or most of itbut Douglass hold on this character is so earnest and steadfast that its hard to take your eyes off him. The performance is a triumphant laurel wreath of determination. Kirk Douglas as Spartacus in 1960. | Mary EvansRonald Grant/Everett Collection Spartacus is noteworthy for other reasons, too: Howard Fast, the author of the novel on which the movie was based, had been hired to write the screenplay, but his first draft was dismal. Douglas took the opportunity to hire the writer he really wanted, the extraordinarily gifted Dalton Trumbo, a member of the Hollywood 10. Trumbo had spent a year in jail, beginning in 1950, for his earlier affiliation with the Communist party. After his release, he was forbidden to set foot on any studio lot; hed been just getting by, writing scripts under assumed names for very small fees. Douglas hired Trumbo, paying him what he was worth, which might have been enough. But when it came time to decide how the screenwriters credit should be handled, Kubrick ventured that he should be the one to get it. Appalled that Kubrick would want to claim credit for a script he hadnt written, Douglas decided Trumbo should, for the first time in a good 10 years, be credited under his own name, a seemingly small act that helped redress some of the wrongs done to Hollywood writers by the House Un-American Activities Committee. I wasnt thinking of being a hero and breaking the blacklist, Douglas wrote in his autobiography. It wasnt until later that I realized the significance of that impulsive gesture. I was just thinking, how unfair for someone to say, Put my name on it. Let me get the credit for someone elses work. Spartacus won four Academy Awards and made more money for Universal than any previous film in the studios history. Douglas was probably right: Of all his films, its the one just about everybody remembers. In all of Hollywood, there were certainly bigger stars and more nuanced actors. But Douglas so filled with un-dimmable bravado, so unabashedly masculine stood tall on his own. There is only one Spartacus. February 06 : Bollywood and Political Dignitaries graced the launch of Ambagopal Foundations Cancer Initiative in Mumbai. Harish Shetty along with Suparna Wankhede, politician Ramdas Athawale, actor Sekhar Suman, Sharvani Mukherjee, Manpreet Sohal, Umesh Shukla, Sandeep Soparkar, Deb Mukherjee, Mitul Pradeep, Sanjay Khan, Jayant Patil and Sambhaji Zende graced the event. Restaurateur turned social crusader, Harish Shettys Ambagopal Foundation have launched a Cancer Initiative to create awareness about the ailment and causes which leads to this fatal disease. Talking about the Foundation core work strengths and objectives, Harish said, The foundation is named after my parents, who led the value system for its core strength. We work in various fields, from providing care of elderly people, food and other assistance. We work on sustaining a better life in harmony with nature. Chemical free food, portable water and clean air, are some of our major work areas. Were also running campaign to curb the gap between elderly and younger generation, which is a crucial element in providing a dignified life to older people The foundation runs two of the biggest initiatives Aharveda and Hosh (Help our society Heal). Talking about the initiatives, Suparna Wankhede said, In Aharveda, we cook food with correct temperature, which helps sustain all the vitamins and nutrients within the food and then this food is distributed. We buy straight from farmers, so the middle man culture is tossed out. We cook with German technology Talking about the event, Shekhar Suman said, Its really nice initiative. I feel its our social responsibility to do something for our society, country and the world. I feel we are being responsible for destruction of the world and its all because of our mistakes and greed. Having a disease is a natural thing and living species are going to die someday but if it happens before the time then, we are responsible for it. God gives us signals so we have to understand and identify those signals. I feel its our responsibility to make people aware about it so, I am thankful to Harish Shetty ji and Suparna ji who have taken this initiative. Ambagopal Foundation works in association with Tata Memorial Hospital, providing food and other requirement to needy. Three months after a strategic portfolio review leading to the networking and cable products manufacturer deciding to sell the media production and distribution technology line, Belden has divested Grass Valley from its books in a deal with Black Dragon Capital. Black Dragon Capital is a private equity firm based in Miami with a focus on control investments in growth companies, particularly in digital commerce, financial services and media technology.The deal, which will be finalised during Q1 2020, will transfer full control of all Grass Valley assets to Black Dragon, which plans to use Grass Valleys intellectual property and talent to drive innovation and lead the industrys migration to a software-based future. Belden bought Grass Valley in 2014 for nearly $220 million joining a wide ranging portfolio of media technology acquisitions including S nell in February 2018. Black Dragons founder and CEO Louis Hernandez was once CEO of Avid and in his time there spearheaded a strategy to transition the companys core product offerings to software solutions that intended to enable smooth and simple content sharing and distribution workflows. Black Dragon sees the current broadcast landscape is in need of a similar shift and regards Grass Valley as a platform to accelerate the industrys move toward its digital future, increasing investment in technologies and systems that enable new software-based services and pay-as-you-go business models. We see tremendous opportunity for transformation in the media technology market and believe that Grass Valley is in an ideal situation to lead the market through these changes, explained Hernandez. Under Beldens leadership, the Grass Valley solutions portfolio has expanded and the business has developed a discipline that puts them in the upper quartile of the market in profitability. Black Dragons experience leading companies through digital transitions will allow Grass Valley to accelerate the next step in its evolution, bringing more innovative products to market faster.Post completion, there are no immediate changes planned to Grass Valleys operational management structure and Tim Shoulders will continue in his role as Grass Valleys president. Grass Valley has led the market in the transition from SDI to IP and has been diligently pivoting our product lines to cloud-based and SaaS solutions, said Shoulders. Black Dragon brings the expertise and vision that will allow us to accelerate this transition to the benefit of our customers who are looking for more robust and flexible models for content production and delivery. Were excited to bring our customers along with us on this journey. Ebson TWO elderly men who clashed at their teenage girlfriends place have been arrested for causing a scene at her place. The drama filled incident occurred at Queenspark East last week on Thursday. The court heard that while Ebson Kandlela (61) was relaxing with his 17-year-old lover at her place they heard a knock at the gate. The lady in question rushed to the gate and found out that it was her other lover Petro Matutu (42). She refused to open the gate while giving an excuse that her parents who are reportedly based in South Africa were at the house. As a result an argument ensued between the two. rushed to the gate, he accused Matutu of disturbing them but that did not go down well with Matutu. Hearing the noise Kandlelarushed to the gate, he accused Matutu of disturbing them but that did not go down well with Matutu. A fight broke out, Matutu hit Kandlela with a stone on the forehead leaving him with a deep wound on the face. A police officer who was on patrol intervened and arrested the love rivals. They were arrested. Kandlela took to the stand: Im facing marital problems, as a result stress took its toll on me, that is why I had to fight with him over that lady. Im embarrassed by what happened and I do not know how I will face my family. Matutu told court he felt hard done by her lover whom he has been pampering with a lot money for her upkeep. I have spent a lot money on her upkeep and that is how she pays me. Im gutted by this! To make matters worse I had planned to marry her but shockingly things have taken a terrible turn, said the worried looking Matutu. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 16:22:17|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close People mourn during Monzer Abu Tabeekh's funeral, in the northern West Bank Town of Jenin, Feb. 6, 2020. The Palestinian young man was killed on Thursday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in northern West Bank, medics said. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua) RAMALLAH, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian young man was killed on Thursday during clashes with Israeli soldiers in northern West Bank, medics said. Monzer Abu Tabeekh, 19, was killed and dozens of people were injured by Israeli soldiers' gunfire in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, medical sources said. Security sources and eyewitnesses in the city said that clashes broke out on Thursday morning between dozens of Palestinians and Israeliforces when they stormed the city to demolish a Palestinian house in the al-Basateen neighborhood. The house belongs to a Palestinian who is imprisoned in an Israeli jail, and it was demolished several month ago, and then was rebuilt again, sources said. An Israeli army spokesman said in a statement that an army force went to demolish the house of a Palestinian, who is an Islamic Hamas movement member imprisoned in Israel. Abu Tabeekh is the second Palestinian killed by the Israeli army during the past 24 hours. On Wednesday a Palestinian teenager was killed in the southern West Bank city of Hebron. Advertisement Pictures showing the inside of a Beverly Hills hotel room where Harvey Weinstein masturbated in front of a model after his friend trapped her in a bathroom were revealed during the trial of the disgraced film mogul Wednesday. The photos taken in a suite of the Montage Beverly Hills Hotel were shown to the jurors hearing the case. Model Lauren Marie Young testified how Weinstein allegedly walked her around the room and spoke to her about her appearing on America's Next Top Model. Suddenly, she said, Weinstein's friend, Mexican model Claudia Salinas, helped to trap her in the bathroom where Weinstein allegedly began to masturbate. She described in explicit detail how Weinstein had a 'disgusting'-looking penis that appeared to be 'cut and sewn back on' and appeared to have no testicles as she testified. In a dramatic moment the court was also shown the lace dress Young claimed she wore the night of that alleged assault. The dress may be sent for DNA testing for evidence in the case against Weinstein in Los Angeles, where the incident took place. Scroll down for video Among the images shown to jurors was a picture of the interior of the bathroom where Weinstein was alleged to have masturbated in front of model Lauren Marie Young Plush bath robes hang on the wall of a bathroom of a suite at the Montage Beverly Hills where disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein was alleged to have masturbated in front of model Lauren Marie Young In a dramatic moment the court was shown the lace dress Young claimed she wore the night of that alleged assault Another image shows the dress and a slip, allegedly worn by Young during the assault. The dress may be sent for DNA testing for evidence in the case against Weinstein in Los Angeles, where the incident took place Harvey Weinstein departs a Manhattan courthouse for his rape trial on Wednesday in New York Model Lauren Marie Young teared up as she testified Weinstein's friend, Mexican model Claudia Salinas, closed the door of the hotel bathroom to trap her inside with the producer, making it impossible for her to escape. Young (right) and Salinas are pictured on the night they met in 2012 during an Oscars party for the now-disgraced film mogul Young, 30, is the film producer's sixth and final accuser to testify at his trial and claims he masturbated in front of her in the hotel bathroom in February 2013, after they met up to discuss a script she was writing. On Wednesday Young described the film honcho's naked body saying: 'His body was hairy, it had moles on his rolls, a disgusting looking penis.' 'It had looked like it had been cut and sewn back on, not a normal looking scar from circumcision. Something didn't look normal and I remember noticing that and I didn't notice balls in the sack. I just saw a penis,' she added. Young teared up as she alleged Weinstein's friend, Mexican model Claudia Salinas, closed the door of the hotel bathroom to trap her inside with the producer, making it impossible for her to escape. On Tuesday jurors were also given naked photos of Weinstein to corroborate key witness Jessica Mann's description of his body. She claimed he appeared to be deformed, had no testicles, had severe scarring, and appeared to be intersex. An image of the shower inside the bathroom of a suite at the Montage Beverly Hills where disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein was alleged to have masturbated in front of model Lauren Marie Young Jurors also saw image inside the bedroom of a suite at the Montage Beverly Hills where disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein was alleged to have masturbated in front of model Lauren Marie Young Model Lauren Marie Young said she suddenly found herself inside the bathroom, after Weinstein had walked her around the suite One of several photos of a suite at the Montage Beverly Hills Hotel where Harvey Weinstein allegedly masturbated in front of a model after his friend trapped her in a bathroom that were put on display during the trial of the disgraced film mogul Wednesday Images shown to jurors also show the door leading into the bedroom of a suite at the Montage Beverly Hills Hotel where Harvey Weinstein allegedly masturbated in front of a model after his friend trapped her in a bathroom that were put on display during the trial of the disgraced film mogul Wednesday Another image shows a hallway at the in the suite at the Montage Beverly Hills Hotel leading to the bathroom Model Lauren Marie Young testified she walked through the suite at the Montage Beverly Hills Hotel with Harvey Weinstein, while he allegedly carried on to her about her appearing on America's Next Top Model Young's testimony follows the exhaustive three-day testimony and cross-examination of key witness Jessica Mann, who said she also had sexual encounters with Weinstein Oscar week in 2013, and he allegedly raped her in New York a month later. Young, along with Dawn Dunning and Tarale Wulff who testified last week, are supporting witnesses who have been called to bolster the a case against Weinstein, though their accusations are not a part of the criminal charges Weinstein faces in New York. Young, wearing a gray suit and yellow turtleneck with her hair over her shoulders, testified Wednesday how Weinstein assaulted her at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills on February 19, 2013, just days before the Oscars ceremony. She said she first met Weinstein in February 2012 when she was invited by a friend to an Oscars party for Weinstein. Lauren Young, the final accuser in Harvey Weinstein's rape trial, shared an explosive testimony on Wednesday. She claims that Weinstein masturbated in front of her and groped her breast in a Beverly Hills hotel bathroom in February 2013. Pictured leaving court Young, dressed in a gray suit and mustard turtleneck, covered her face as she left court on Wednesday The model tried cover her face as she left court. She's due to return Thursday to continue her cross-examination Harvey Weinstein pictured leaving court with attorney Donna Rotunno after his lawyers hammered accuser Lauren Young and pointed out inconsistencies in her testimony The movie mogul looked serious as he left Manhattan Criminal Court on Wednesday after Young's lengthy testimony. Weinstein pictured holding onto a railing at the front steps of the courthouse She reportedly met Claudia Salinas there and told her about a script she was working on based on her life. Salinas gave her her e-mail address. A year later Salinas asked her to bring her script for a meeting with Weinstein at the hotel. 'I was excited. I got ready. I put on my best dress. I was excited to network and pitch my ideas,' Young said. Around 8pm she met Salinas in the lobby of the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills and had a gin and tonic while they waited for Weinstein to arrive. Lauren Young, the final accuser in Harvey Weinstein's rape trial, took the witness stand Wednesday. She claims that Weinstein masturbated in front of her and groped her breast in a Beverly Hills hotel bathroom in February 2013 Young claims Weinstein assaulted her at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills (above) on February 19, 2013, just days before the Oscars ceremony Young teared up as she alleged Weinstein's friend, Mexican model Claudia Salinas, closed the door of the hotel bathroom to trap her inside with the producer and making it impossible for her to escape When he did they all chatted then Weinstein asked Young, 'What about America's Next Top Model?' Young said: 'I said I didn't want to be on reality TV. I was trying to transition into acting, reality TV wasn't what I wanted.' 'He said let's finish this conversation upstairs, I have to get ready to present an award with Quentin Tarantino. So I followed.' Young claims Mexican model Claudia Salinas (above) invited her to meet with her and Weinstein about a script in February 2013 and Salinas trapped her in a bathroom with the producer where he allegedly masturbated in front of her Weinstein allegedly walked in front of her and Salinas behind as they went up to the hotel room, where he steered her to the bathroom. 'I walked in, saw the living room, I walked right and I kept walking and walked in through the bedroom and into the bathroom, following Harvey,' Young said. 'At that point I was wondering where we were headed.' Assistant District Attorney Meghan Hast asked: 'Did you know you were going into the bathroom?' Young said: 'No I did not.' She said once in the bathroom, the door closed and Salinas was behind it, trapping her inside. 'I followed Harvey and he was behind me. As I stepped into the bathroom there was a mirror straight ahead. I saw Claudia closing the door,' she said. Weinstein proceeded to get into the shower and undress and rinse himself before emerging nude. 'I stood there in shock. I started laughing, shaking my head. I went to approach the door and at this point he was right in front of me...The shower door was blocking the door to the bathroom. I felt so trapped and I was in shock.' Young said she laughed because 'I have never laughed - because I was that scared in my life - so nervously.' 'I was worried and scared that he was going to hurt me.' Weinstein allegedly approached her, unzipped her lace dress and told her, 'How am I going to know if you can act?' As Young protested and said 'no, no, no', Weinstein allegedly told her 'this is what all actresses do to make it'. 'He turned me around and grabbed my (right) breast, I was pushed up against the sink. He was pinching my nipple and grabbing hard my breast so I couldn't move,' she said. Asked if she felt pain, she said: 'Yes.' Weinstein allegedly grabbed her with his left hand and was 'jerking off' with his right hand, Young said. She said: 'At that point he went from grabbing my right breast to touching my vagina. My hands were still down by my sides so I blocked Harvey with my hands.' 'I have never laughed - because I was that scared in my life - so nervously. I was worried and scared that he was going to hurt me Lauren Young testified Wednesday Young said that Weinstein 'glanced' at her vagina 'but I blocked it'. Young squinted at the jury as she demonstrated how Weinstein allegedly 'grasped my breasts'. Weinstein alleged ejaculated on a towel and left the room. Young then pulled up her dress and fled, giving an 'evil look' to Salinas who was still standing by the door. Young recounted the alleged assault to her roommates saying: 'I was in tears and traumatized, scared, terrified, paranoid. I was really scared to tell them everything that happened to me.' But she didn't report the supposed attack to police because, 'I didn't know what kind of power (he had)'. When Hast asked, 'Were you sexually attracted to Harvey Weinstein?', Young said: 'Never'. The next day Young went to a meeting at The Weinstein Company office because she wanted to 'confront the issue'. She saw Salinas there and told her, 'Don't talk to me'. A Weinstein Company executive told her she had a spot on America's Next Top model but Young rejected it. Defense hammers Young over whether she was actually trapped in bathroom and presents her lace dress to jurors Under cross examination Young was asked about an e-mail she sent on February 22, 2013 - three days after the alleged incident - to executives at The Weinstein Co. The subject was Young's invitation to the company's upcoming Oscars party. Young wrote: 'Yes I am attending, Lauren Marie Young please add me to the list. Please let me know if I could bring one guest.' Damon Cheronis asked: 'Was this a joke, a rouse? Why did you ask for a plus one?' She replied: 'I was so worried at this point I just said yes and wasn't going to go. I sent this email as a way to feel safe.' Cheronis challenged Young on inconsistencies with her testimony and an interview she gave to prosecutors in Los Angeles in May last year. Cheronis asked if Young said that Salinas 'pushed her into the bathroom'. Young said that 'I'm not sure I said that'. Cheronis gave her a copy of the interview and pressed her again asking: 'Were you pushed in the bathroom?' Young said: 'No.' Cheronis asked why Young told Los Angeles prosecutors that Salinas locked the door. He said: 'Was the door locked?' Young said: 'I believed it was'. In a dramatic moment the court was shown the lace dress Young claimed she wore the night of that alleged assault. Weinstein lawyer Damon Cheronis said: 'Unzipped by Mr Weinstein? How long did it take?' Young said: 'A second.' The defense hammered Young about inconsistencies in her testimony about the alleged bathroom assault. Young pictured stepping off witness stand to describe the attack using a picture of the bathroom displayed on a screen for jurors He asked her if she tried to turn the door handle, another inconsistency with her testimony in court, and she confirmed she did. Cheronis asked why Young walked into a bathroom and she said that he was a 'big fat man' who was in front of her. Cheronis sarcastically said: 'This big fat man does a ninja tear off with his clothes, faster than anybody you have ever seen?' He then tried to unravel Young's account to prosecutors in 2018 where she described Weinstein's genitals and said she could make out a scrotum and testicles'. 'I saw a sack. I couldn't see (any more) because he had a big belly.' Cheronis asked if she really had seen scars on Weinstein's body. Young said that he 'looked deformed'. Cheronis then dramatically presented Young's white lace dress that she allegedly wore during the supposed assault. Assistant District Attorney Meghan Hast pictured questioning Young on the witness stand about the alleged assault. Young said she didn't report the supposed attack to police because, 'I didn't know what kind of power (he had)' The theatrical moment was designed to show how hard it would have been for Weinstein to unzip the garment as Young had claimed. 'If you look at this dress there's a button on the top and it opens like this and there's a zipper under it. There's a thing that's up and down, there's still a portion of material between. Is it your testimony that your shoulder fell out of this dress?' Cheronis asked. Young said: 'Down by my elbows.' Cheronis said: 'Unzipped by Mr Weinstein? How long did it take?' Young said: 'A second.' Casting director says Weinstein had accuser Jessica Mann audition for role knowing she was too old and tall for it Harvey Weinstein insisted that accuser Jessica Mann and another actress from Brazil audition for roles in a teen vampire film he was producing, even though a casting director said they were both too old and tall for the roles. A slate of secondary witnesses testified Wednesday at Weinstein's trial. Casting director Marci Lirofff, who cast the film Vampire Academy which was produced by The Weinstein Co., testified before the jury that the film's lead roles needed to be aged 15 or 16 and there was a 5ft 2in height limit to keep the movie consistent with the book it's based on. Yet, Mann claimed that Weinstein dangled a lead role in the film as a way to keep her close to him. Harvey Weinstein insisted that accuser Jessica Mann (left leaving court on Tuesday) and Brazilian actress Talita Maia (right) audition for roles in a teen vampire film he was producing, even though a casting director said they were both too old and tall for the roles, his rape trial heard today Casting director Marci Lirofff said it was 'unusual' for a producer to be involved in casting a film which should have been her domain. She said that it was not a 'sham' audition, but it was not 'productive' either Weinstein pictured smiling as he entered court on Wednesday where a slew of witnesses testified Weinstein Co asked Liroff to audition Mann, and her friend Brazilian actress Talita Maia for the role on April 15, 2013, even though she knew ahead of time that they did not fit the role and the lead roles had already been cast in January that year. On the audition form for Mann and Maia, Liroff wrote: 'not right'. When asked why she wrote that she said: 'They were too old as we were looking for a 15 year old, they were too tall and they were not strong enough as actors.' At the time of that audition Mann was 27 and Maia was in her 20's. Mann is 5ft 9in and Maia is 5ft 4in. Weinstein allegedly dangled a role in Vampire Academy, which was released in 2014 (poster above), in front of Mann to keep her close, even though she was too old and tall for the gig In the end the lead role went to a girl who was 16 or 17 years old, Liroff said. Liroff said it was 'unusual' for a producer to be involved in casting a film which should have been her domain. She said that it was not a 'sham' audition, but it was not 'productive' either. Liroff said: 'They weren't strong actresses so they were not good for another role.' The movie mogul beamed as he walked into court on Wednesday, despite the fact that jurors were shown his naked photos as evidence yesterday. Hotel manager working the night Mann claimed Weinstein raped her says producer appeared 'threatening' and he ordered security to check in on their room Rothschild Capulong, the night manager at the Doubletree Metropolitan hotel in Midtown, Manhattan, took the stand on Wednesday. He claimed Weinstein was so threatening while checking into the hotel on March, 18 2013 - the day Mann claims Weinstein raped her - that he warned security to check in on her, a court heard today. Capulong told the jury the woman Weinstein was with, who prosecutors said was Mann, had alarming body language. He told security they may need to 'check Mr Weinstein's room' because he was so fearful for her safety. He also said Weinstein tried to 'intimidate' him into rushing the check in by looming over the desk. Capulong said that Weinstein checked in around 10.30am on that March 2013 occasion under the name 'Max Poster'. Under the notes for his reservation it said: 'Celebrity Harvey Weinstein is the actual guest.' Capulong, who checked him in, said: 'Mr Weinstein had an imposing attitude at the time of his check in and he was trying to loom over me and rush the check in process.' Harvey Weinstein was so threatening while checking into the DoubleTree Metropolitan hotel in New York (above) in March 2013 with accuser Jessica Mann, who he allegedly raped that day, that hotel night manager Rothschild Capulong (above) allegedly warned security to check in on her DoubleTree Metropolitan hotel in New York where Mann claims Weinstein raped her in March 2013 above Weinstein was with the woman and Capulong said that he was concerned by their body language because 'there was no laughing or smiling'. He said: 'They weren't on the same page, it seemed like there was discontentment with the female.' Harvey's Monica moment? Harvey Weinstein accuser model and actress Lauren Young, 30, took the stand at his rape trial Wednesday. Prosecutors are expected to produce the lace dress she wore the night she claims Weinstein masturbated in front of her and groped her in a Beverly Hills bathroom in February 2013. Prosecutors in Los Angeles may be using DNA evidence from that dress in their case against the film honcho. The move echoes how Monica Lewinsky's dress that she wore during a rendezvous with then President Bill Clinton was submitted as evidence at his impeachment trial in 1998. That notorious blue dress was stained with Clinton's semen. Monica Lewinsky's dress that she wore during a rendezvous with then President Bill Clinton and other belongings pictured after they were submitted as evidence at his impeachment trial in 1998 Advertisement 'Usually couples checking in are in a happy mood. When they checked in they just weren't.' Capulong said he tried to look to the side to get a better look at the woman but 'Mr Weinstein loomed over me so I couldn't.' Asked why he wanted to do this, Capulong said: 'It's the hotel policy that the guests' safety comes first.' He said: 'It was the body language of the female, the discontentment that raised the alarm.' As Weinstein and the woman walked away Capulong said they were walking 'apart' and Weinstein was 'guiding' her. Describing his overnight report, he said: 'I specifically wrote that security might want to check on Mr Weinstein's room.' Under cross examination by Donna Rotunno, Capulong said that he did not know the name of the woman and only recalled that she was 'slender and attractive'. In her testimony Mann said that she flew from Los Angeles to New York in March 2013 with a friend and Weinstein was supposed to meet her for a breakfast meeting at the hotel. She said Weinstein arrived early she 'panicked' when she saw Weinstein checking in. Mann claimed she 'pleaded' with hotel staff to not give Weinstein a room. He allegedly pulled her to one side and told her not to 'embarrass him' and ordered her to go upstairs. 'I shut down a little bit and he told me to undress and then he comes to me and grabbed my hand and forced me to start undressing myself. I felt panicked as my worst nightmare was about to happen,' Mann said. Weinstein allegedly ordered her to undress and lay on the bed as he walked into the bathroom and closed the door, then came out and raped her. Afterwards Mann went to the bathroom and found a needle in the trash can, which she said she Googled and found was to induce an erection. After Capulong, Hector Castillo, the head of security at the hotel, was called to the witness box, and refuted the night manager's account saying security was never told to check on Weinstein's room. On Tuesday the jury was given hard copies of the naked images of Harvey Weinstein which they passed around - but they were not shown on the big screen to the rest of the court. They were shown the images likely to corroborate Mann's claims that the producer had 'extreme scarring' on his body One young female juror swallowed hard when she was given her first photo and looked disturbed. Jurors are seen above viewing the photos in a court sketch Weinstein appeared to be watching the film Swingers, a Miramax movie he distributed with his brother, during the ride to the court house. He was watching the hype up scene between Vince Vaughn and Jon Favreau where they say 'You're so money!' Weinstein's lawyer Donna Rotunno asked him if security was called to the film producer's room, and he said no. When asked if there were any notes in logs about anyone screaming or asking staff to not check Weinstein in, Castillo said no. Weinstein faces three felony charges related to Mann's allegations that he raped her at that New York hotel after injecting himself with an erection-inducing drug. Weinstein faces five felony charges in New York. Weinstein's charges stem from the allegations of hairstylist Jessica Mann who claims he raped her at a New York hotel in 2013 and former production assistant Mimi Haleyi who claims he forced oral sex on her in 2006. While the 67-year-old producer says all of the sexual encounters were consensual, if convicted he could spend life behind bars. Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu has declared that the Turkish and Russian presidents might meet to discuss the situation in regard to Idlib, reports TASS. Presidents of Turkey and Russia Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin held phone talks during which they discussed all the issues and decided to continue their joint efforts. Turkey is currently waiting for the Russian delegation to arrive. After that, the presidents will meet, if necessary. Turkeys goal is to stop the attacks, he said. According to Cavusoglu, Turkey hopes Russia stops the attacks that President of Syria Bashar al-Assad is blaming Ankara for. Sanad Aerotech, a leading provider of aircraft engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) solutions, has signed a landmark agreement with Ethiopian Airlines, as part of its business expansion plans in Africa. Sanad Aerotech is a part of Sanad a wholly owned subsidiary of Mubadala Investment Company (Mubadala). Signed at MRO Africa, the agreement paves the way for Sanad and Ethiopian Airlines to collaborate and maximise on untapped MRO business opportunities in the region, said a statement from the company. The initial phase of the agreement will see Sanad and Ethiopian Airlines establishing a Centre of Excellence for the repair and overhaul of auxiliary power units (APU) in Addis Ababa and will start with APUs used on B737 and A320 aircraft. This will pave the way for future collaboration in the provision of APU MRO services to other African airlines. The strategic alliance also has future aspirations to expand capabilities to include aircraft components and aircraft engine MRO. The latest agreement between Sanad and Ethiopian Airlines builds on a 2018 MOU to collaborate on APU capabilities, among others. Mansoor Janahi, CEO, Sanad Aerotech, said: Our company continues to push ahead with its strategy of expanding a global presence through strategic alliances with well-established companies that share the same vision for quality and excellence. Our strategic alliance with Ethiopian Airlines goes beyond this announcement, as it provides greater opportunities for us to jointly collaborate and develop mutually beneficial activities across the entire African continent, he added. Ethiopian Airlines group chief executive officer Tewolde GebreMariam, said: This Strategic Alliance with Sanad Aerotech is consistent with Ethiopian Airlines vision of making its MRO facility the leading MRO service provider in Africa through strategic partnerships with OEMs and selected international MRO Service Providers. Our MRO facility is ready to provide cost effective and efficient overhaul services with standard turnaround time (TAT) to APUs of African Airlines. Ethiopian would like to expand this cooperation with Sanad Aerotech to cover other aircraft components, GebreMariam added. Sanad has built strategic relationships with leading international OEMs including Rolls-Royce, General Electric (GE), and International Aero Engines (IAE), which have enabled Sanad to deliver competitive aircraft engine MRO expertise throughout a variety of engine maintenance service programs across multiple engine platforms, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Schoolboys have had worse exam results than girls for 30 years, it emerged today as poorer pupils fell further behind their richer classmates in GCSE achievement. Girls are now 14 per cent more likely than boys to pass their exams in English and maths, with 64 per cent of girls doing so compared to 56 per cent of boys. Meanwhile disadvantaged pupils got an attainment score of 36.7 in their GCSEs, compared to 50.3 for advantaged students - a gap of 13.6. In 2018, the gap was 13.4. The data also shows children whose first language is not English are beating native-speaking pupils. In addition, the figures revealed: Around one in four (26.5 per cent) pupils in state schools in England at the end of Year 11 were considered disadvantaged Teenagers in parts of London are more than three times as likely to take the English Baccalaureate - a suite of academic GCSEs - than their peers in some areas of the North of England 43.8 per cent of foreign first language students getting good passes in GCSE English and maths, compared to 43.2 per cent of native speakers To find out the performance of schools in your area, use MailOnline's tool below: Campaigners told BBC News that current trends suggest the male-female gap will be bigger than the rich-poor divide by 2030 in terms of university entrance. The gap between the percentage of girls' and boys' GCSE passes more than doubled between 1989 and 1999, from four to nine percentage points. This change was often put down to the launch of GCSEs, with little variation over the next 20 years before it dipped in 2009 then returned to nine over the next decade. Former Ucas chief executive Mary Curnock Cook said: 'On current trends, a girl born today will be 75 per cent more likely to go to university than her male peers.' She explained how the female-male gap will be larger than the rich-poor gap by this point, adding that the data revealed a 'massive policy blind spot'. Disadvantaged pupils got an attainment score of 36.7 in their GCSEs, compared to 50.3 for advantaged students. The widest difference is between pupils with special educational needs and those with no identified needs, with a difference of 22.3 points, similar to 22.6 in 2018 The percentage of girls gaining a grade 5 or above in their English and maths GCSE last year stood at 46.6 per cent - nearly seven percentage points above the score of boys at 40 per cent Dan Bell, chief executive of the Men and Boys Coalition, which campaigns on male equality issues, added: 'For decades, this problem has existed. 'But successive governments and the wider education establishment has buried its head in the sand and, in effect, ignored it.' Data published by the Department for Education (DfE) also shows poorer pupils are falling further behind their richer classmates in GCSE achievement. Gaps in the proportions of rich and poor students being entered for, and achieving, the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) plus attainment over eight GCSEs have widened. The EBacc is a measure that recognises pupils who take a suite of core academic GCSEs - English, maths, science, history or geography and a foreign language. The attainment gap index between disadvantaged pupils and others increased last year to 3.70, after rising from 3.68 in 2018 and 3.66 in 2017 - although this is down on 4.07 in 2011 This table shows 24.7 per cent of disadvantaged pupils achieved a grade 9-5 in their English and maths last year, compared to 50.1 per cent of all other pupils - the same difference as 2018 The latest data shows that just over a quarter (27.5 per cent) of disadvantaged teenagers were entered for all of the EBacc subjects last year. This is compared to 44.5 per cent of all other students - a gap of 17 percentage points. In 2018, the gap was 16.4 percentage points (26.4 versus 42.8 per cent). In addition, the EBacc average points score for pupils from poorer homes was 3.08, compared to 4.43 for those from wealthier backgrounds - a difference of 1.35. In 2018, the difference was 1.33. The DfE's figures also look at attainment in eight GCSE-level qualifications. The proportion of pupils at secondary schools in England achieving a grade 5 or above in their England and maths exams was roughly level at 43.2 per cent last year, compared to 2018 Nearly 14 per cent of children with special educational needs achieved at least a grade 5 in their English and maths last year - compared to 48.2 per cent of children with no identified SEN These show that disadvantaged pupils had an Attainment 8 score of 36.7, compared to 50.3 for advantaged students - a gap of 13.6. In 2018, the gap was 13.4. Pupils are considered to be disadvantaged if they have been eligible for free school meals between Year 6 (the final year of primary school) and Year 11, if they have been looked after, or if they are recorded as being adopted from care. In 2019, around one in four (26.5 per cent) pupils in state schools in England at the end of Year 11 were considered disadvantaged. The DfE also publishes a 'disadvantaged gap index' which looks at the relative attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers. GCSE achievements of pupils with or without English as a first language are roughly similar, with native speakers slightly beaten by those who don't have England as a first language GCSE English and maths attainment when broken down by ethnicity is at its highest among Chinese children (76.3 per cent), and at its lowest among black children (37.8 per cent) A gap of zero would indicate that disadvantaged youngsters were performing as well as those from more advantaged backgrounds. In 2019, the gap was 3.70, compared to 3.68 in 2018. School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said: 'The attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers remains stable and is down by around 9 per cent since 2011 - but we recognise there is more to do. 'Multi-academy trusts make a significant contribution in terms of helping disadvantaged pupils with progress rates higher than in other types of school. 'This is encouraging and shows the benefits that can be achieved under the leadership of a strong trust.' China is encouraging the development of smart convenience stores to upgrade the sector and consumption. A woman shops at a Bianlifeng convenience store in Shanghai. (Photo/sipaphoto.com) At one Suning convenience store in Nanjing, capital of east Chinas Jiangsu province, cameras and smart shelves have been installed to recognize goods. Thanks to facial recognition technology, an automatic gate will open as customers walk out of the store while payment is made simultaneously. The average time a customer spends shopping in the store will be reduced by 45 seconds. Han Peng, vice president of Suning Convenience Store Group, said the company will accelerate the expansion of smart convenience stores by applying for technologies, creating new business models, and integrating online and offline channels to learn about customers consumption preferences and needs. The company will also enhance data usage and management, seek targeted sales and guide consumption, making convenience stores important parts of smart communities and smart cities, Han added. Chinas smart convenience store operator Bianlifeng has digitalized all links including production, logistics, stores and customers, resulting in rapid expansion. Xue Enyuan, executive director of Bianlifeng, said that the convenience store sector will undergo unprecedented changes as it goes through consumption upgrading and will integrate big data and artificial intelligence technologies. According to the 2019 report on Chinas convenience stores issued by the China Chain Store and Franchise Association, the sales volume of the countrys top 100 convenience store companies hit 226.4 billion yuan in 2018, an increase of 19 percent. Meanwhile, China had 122,000 convenience stores that year, an increase of 14 percent over the previous year. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 20:43:55|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) of Pakistan has foiled an attempt to smuggle heroin from the Islamabad international airport, local media and officials said Thursday. According to the ANF officials, during a search of luggage of the passenger leaving for Britain through a private airline, over 2.5 kilograms of heroin concealed in utensils was recovered. The man was arrested and sent to an undisclosed place for investigation. A case has been registered against the arrested. In November last year, the airport security authorities recovered 840 grams of ice heroin from a passenger intending to fly to Bahrain. Photo: DriveBC UPDATE: 3:10 p.m. The snow isn't stopping anytime soon on Interior highways. By Thursday evening, there could 35 cm of new snow on the Coquihalla, according to Environment Canada. The national weather service is predicting up to 10 cm today, another 10 cm tonight and 15 cm tomorrow on the section of highway between Hope and Merritt. Smaller amounts are expected on other sections of the highway. Currently, Drive BC isn't reporting any accidents or incidents along the notorious stretch of road. Kamloops Matters Photo: Contributed UPDATE: 2 p.m. Northbound traffic is down to a single lane on Highway 97 between Summerland and Trout Creek. Motorists tell Castanet a pair of semi-trucks are stuck on the hill and are blocking traffic. UPDATE: 1:23 p.m. Castanet has received reports that Highway 97 is very slippery near Summerland. One report indicates that a semi-tractor-trailer has spun out and traffic is beginning to back up in the area. ORIGINAL: 8:48 p.m. Don't put those shovels away just yet. Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for the Okanagan Valley, including Penticton. Heavy snow with an additional 10 to 15 cm is expected today. This after the 5 cm we received on Tuesday. Environment Canada indicates heavy snow has developed from Keremeos to Princeton Wednesday morning and heavy snow is expected to continue through the morning before easing later this afternoon. Environment Canada is also saying that there is a risk of freezing rain near Princeton this afternoon. There is also a snowfall warning for Highway 3 Hope to Princeton via Allison Pass. Environment Canada indicates there could be as much as 30 cm fall as Pacific warm front moves into the BC interior today leading to a prolonged period of snow for Highway 3. There is need for an independent audit up to a cut off point to establish the state of affairs prior to February 22, 2019, the date on which Boustead took over as per the LJFCP [Livestock Joint Farming Concession Project]. Assets verification and documentation is important to safeguard them from plunder through stripping, the petition by the CSC employees read in part. D onald Trump blasted Boris Johnson with "apoplectic" rage during a heated phone call over Britains decision to allow Huawei into its 5G network, it has been reported. It comes after the Prime Minister defied repeated lobbying and warnings from the US to rule that the Chinese firm could play a limited role in the UKs infrastructure. The US President had been livid with Mr Johnson in a phone call after the decision was announced last week, according to the Financial Times, which cited officials in London and Washington. One person briefed on the contents of the call described the US president as being "apoplectic" with the PM, the newspaper reported. Boris Johnson defends Huawei decision Downing Street did not deny the report and pointed towards a No 10 version of events after the call, saying Mr Johnson had updated Mr Trump on the decision. "The Prime Minister underlined the importance of like-minded countries working together to diversify the market and break the dominance of a small number of companies," the statement added. The move has been a particularly thorny one for Mr Johnson, with his Brexit plans relying heavily on striking an ambitious free trade deal with the US. Huawei is only one of a series of issues where the two nations are at odds. Washington has threatened to retaliate with tariffs on the British car industry, if the Government goes ahead with a planned tax on tech companies such as Google and Facebook. The UK is also pressing for the extradition of the wife of an American intelligence official charged with causing the death of 19-year-old motorcyclist Harry Dunn. Bernie Sanders, Presidential hopeful and socialist, has a long-held beef against charities since his time as a Mayor in Burlington, Vermont, Breitbart reports. Peter Schweizer, the Senior Contributor and Government Accountability Insitute President (GAI) revealed in his book "Profiles in Corruption: Abuse of Power by America's Progressive Elite," how Sanders has a long history of contradictive behaviors. Schweizer said: "Sanders' general distaste for charities shone through while he served as mayor of Burlington in the 1980s. He displayed a keen interest in growing his tax base and put local charities on notice that he was in charge." There was also an instance where Sanders opposed one of the rules of a homeless shelter that did not allow entry from individuals who are under the influence of illegal drugs and alcohol. This led him to set up a competing shelter. Bernie Sanders also set his sights on the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont where he sent the hospital an amount of $2.8 million property tax bill. In the book, it was written: "Never mind that as a nonprofit charity, it was exempt from paying property taxes. Sanders was challenging the hospital's tax-exempt status. Mayor Sanders wanted some of the charity's money for tax revenue. The charity had to take the mayor to court. The court sided with the charity." Bernie Sanders, who is a known socialist, removed all doubts about his views on charities after he delivered a speech in 1981 during the 40th annual Chittenden County United Way fundraising drive where he said "I don't believe in charities," this left the audience and listeners in stunned silence. According to a report in The New York Times from 1981, Bernie Sanders questioned the fundamental concepts of charities on which they are based and Sanders also argued that the government should be the one to handle social programs. Schweizer writes in his book, "Perhaps that explains why Sanders has given sparingly to charities over the years, even when he has enjoyed a high income." Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders has reportedly given only one percent of his income since 2016 to charity. During his first year, he reported an income of more than $1 million. The amount he gave to charities rose slowly in the next few years. At the same time, Sanders reported that he gave three percent between 2017 and 2018. Bernie Sanders is one of the front running Democtat Presidential candidates and opponent of President Donald Trump in the upcoming U.S. elections in 2020. However, it still cannot be determined if Sanders can even compete with Trump because of the president's achievements. Most especially in reducing the number of illegal immigrants and his successful restrictions at the U.S.-Mexico borders. Not to mention, record lows for unemployment and families living in poverty. The campaign Trump ran against illegal immigration is just a highlight of his achievements. With the most famous line of the president "We will make America Great again" he was able to create programs and improve services of the government. Senior BJP leader and former finance minister Sudhir Mungantiwar on Thursday demanded a one day special session of the state legislature to discuss the spurt in cases of atrocities against women in Maharashtra. Mungantiwar, in a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, said the government should hold a detailed discussion on the issue by calling a one-day special session of the legislature. Alternatively, the government can earmark a day during the budget session of the legislature beginning from February 24 to discuss the issue, he said. Mungantiwar said the female lecturer set ablaze by her stalker in Wardha district on February 3 is battling for life in a Nagpur hospital. In Aurangabad, a 50-year-old Dalit woman, who was set on fire by a neighbour on Sunday after she resisted his move to enter her house died. In Yavatmal, there was an incident where a woman was disrobed and beheaded, the former minister said, adding such incidents have raised questions over women's security. "I request that a one-day special session of the state legislature be convened to discuss the rising cases of atrocities against women. Or a day should be set aside during the budget session to deliberate on the issue," he said in the letter. "The debate should be about strengthening laws to ensure fast conviction of accused and reviewing the existing laws," the BJP leader said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Saudi Arabian cargo ship feared to be carrying weapons for the Yemen conflict made a 'cloak-and-dagger' stop at a UK dock last night. Fresh off a trans-Atlantic voyage, the state-owned Bahri Yanbu cargo ship stopped in Kent under cover of darkness for just over two hours from about 9pm. Protesters had gathered at Tilbury Docks in Essex to demonstrate against the vessel's planned arrival, but instead the 738ft ship made port in Sheerness late last night. It is now sailed onto Cherbourg in northern France, but there has been no official comment on the nature of the shipment from the French or UK governments - although owners Bahri have confirmed there is military equipment on the vessel. Amnesty International has admitted that it lacks specific evidence proving the ship is carrying arms to Saudi Arabia, given the secrecy surrounding its contents. The 738ft Saudi Arabian state-owned ship Bahri Yanbu made port in Sheerness late last night Bahri Yanbu, the Saudi state-owned cargo ship, which was believed to be carrying Belgian arms destined for use in the war in Yemen, leaves the Spanish port of Santander in June 2019 A map shows the route taken by Bahri Yanbu over the past three months Amnesty International said the visit raises 'serious concerns' and asked what UK authorities knew about the Bahri Yanbu's cargo. Oliver Sprague, Amnesty International UK's arms control director, said: 'This cloak-and-dagger docking raises a whole host of very serious concerns over the UK's possible part in continuing to fuel the deadly conflict in Yemen. 'The Bahri Yanbu, a known arms delivery ship, hastily switched ports and was in and out of Sheerness under cover of darkness in less than three hours.' The controversial cargo carrier was not in UK docks for long, spending just two hours and 12 minutes berthed in the Kent port. Vessel-tracking information suggests the Bahri Yanbu arrived in Sheerness about 9.14pm and left about 11.27pm, for Cherbourg on its way home to the Persian Gulf. Protesters had gathered at Tilbury Docks in Essex to demonstrate against the vessel's planned arrival last night. Amnesty International has said the visit raises 'serious concerns' The ship is expected to dock at Cherbourg in France today after leaving Sheerness in Kent Mr Sprague added: 'This shadowy docking operation occurred while answers to vital legal questions were still being sought from the Government about the ship's cargo and the licences that may have been issued to allow for weapons to pass through UK ports. 'What did the UK authorities know about the Bahri Yanbu's cargo when it docked at Sheerness last night? Were there arms bound for Yemen already on it, and were more weapons loaded aboard?' Since leaving Houston, Texas the Saudi cargo ship has called at Wilmington, North Carolina, Dundalk, Maryland and then on to Saint John in Canada and Bremerhaven in Germany. Protesters had gathered in Tilbury yesterday morning with anti-war banners to demonstrate against the Bahri Yanbu's expected arrival. Activists from several humanitarian associations including Amnesty International lay on the ground at Cherbourg Harbour in France today to prevent the docking of the Bahri Yanbu Andrew Smith from Campaign Against Arms Trade said: 'This ship should never have been allowed to dock in the UK. 'If it is carrying weapons for use in Yemen then they could be used in war crimes and abuses for years to come.' More protests against the Bahri Yanbu in the French port took place today, including activists from Amnesty International. Amnesty International has admitted that 'secrecy' surrounding the ship's current contents meant it could not be sure if it is currently carrying weapons. But a spokesman for the group added: 'The circumstances of the current voyage, and the ship's deplorable record, raise a real risk that this is the case, and that states are again failing to live up to their legal obligations to stop illegal weapons transfers.' Activists demonstrate today at Cherbourg Harbour during a protest to prevent the docking of the Bahri Yanbu, a ship accused of transporting weapons for the conflict in Yemen The charity claimed data revealed that, since the war in Yemen began in 2015, the Bahri Yanbu had transferred about 280million worth of military and dual-use equipment on ten voyages from the US to Saudi Arabia before the current trip. And on a previous voyage to multiple European ports in May 2019, the Bahri Yanbu was carrying 36million worth of US-made military components and equipment, according to Amnesty International. An open letter to French prime minister Edouard Philippe from Human Rights Watch calls for guarantees that any cargo loaded onto the ship at Cherbourg 'will not be used unlawfully against Yemeni civilians'. More protests against the Bahri Yanbu in the French port of Cherbourg took place today, including activists from Amnesty International Non-governmental groups had succeeded in preventing the same Bahri Yanbu vessel from docking in France last May, when it was set to receive a weapons shipment for Riyadh that sparked an outcry among activists. France has come under fire for maintaining arms sales to the Saudi government even as it pursues a nearly five-year offensive against Huthi rebels, supported by Iran. The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives, most of them civilians, according to nongovernmental groups. The UN has classified the Yemen war as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. A group of 17 NGOs, including Human Rights Watch and Oxfam France said the Bahri Yanbu, would dock in Cherbourg on France's northern coast today, with stops also scheduled in Genoa, Italy. Activists from several humanitarian associations demonstrate at Cherbourg Harbour today They called on France to identify what would be loaded onto the Bahri Yanbu, which they say has an exclusive contract with the Saudi defence ministry. If they are weapons, the NGOs demand 'the guarantees France has that they will not be used illegally against Yemeni civilians.' The French government has insisted there is no proof that civilians are being targeted by Saudi Arabia, one of the biggest purchasers of French military equipment in the Middle East. President Emmanuel Macron has called Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which is participating in the Yemen campaign, France's allies in the fight against Islamic terrorism. Having assessed where the threat might come from, Belarus is trying to minimize it at an early stage. Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Belarus, Chief of the Central Operations Office Pavel Muraveiko says Belarus predicted the war in Ukraine two years before it started. In an interview with SB. Belarus Today, answering a journalist's question regarding the Belarusian Defense Plan and the Concept for the Construction and Development of the Armed Forces, he said the General Staff had studied the developments in Ukraine, Syria, and other countries in preparing the draft. The country's defense plan is not about classical defense but rather prevention of possible aggression and war, the official explained. Read alsoLukashenko says Belarus could host Russian warplanes near Minsk and Vitebsk "For example, we had predicted and evaluated the events that took place in neighboring Ukraine two years before they began. Having assessed where the threat might come from, we are trying to minimize it at an early stage. This is about intelligence, electronic warfare, information warfare, camouflage, and other elements. As if in a chess game, we have calculated and modeled the most relevant, complex, perhaps even unbelievable situations that may arise, and have determined ways and forms of defending the country," Muraveiko said. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. [music] Today: China says it has made lifesaving reforms since the last time it was the source of a public health crisis 17 years ago. So why is the deadly coronavirus spreading so rapidly across the country? My colleague, Javier Hernandez, reports from the center of the outbreak. Its Thursday, January 30. Javier, how did you first hear about this outbreak? javier hernandez Well, we started hearing reports in early January that there was this mysterious virus that was affecting Wuhan, which is a city in central China. archived recording Staff at Wuhan Hospital are working around the clock to identify a mystery virus. javier hernandez People were falling ill to this kind of pneumonia-like virus, which scientists were calling a coronavirus. archived recording Experts believe this is a new kind of coronavirus, which typically causes symptoms of the common cold, but in some rare cases, can lead to pneumonia. javier hernandez Its a very frightening virus that spreads from animals to humans. It was believed to be behind some very serious respiratory illnesses, so it sounded pretty scary. But the official narrative was that this strain couldnt pass from human to human. It would only go from animals to humans. archived recording The potentially deadly coronavirus is thought to have spread from animals into humans at a live produce market in Wuhan. javier hernandez And at that point, they were saying that it was all originating at a single meat market in central China. This meat market sold wild animals, things like bamboo rats, badgers, wolves even. And the assumption was that people had come into contact with these animals and picked up this virus. michael barbaro And it sounds like because it was one meat market, and because this virus could only pass from animals to humans, that this is a pretty small problem. javier hernandez At this point, the reports were that only about 130 people had been infected and that, of those, only about four had died. archived recording Chinese officials say the outbreak is under control. javier hernandez And so the prognosis was that the outbreak was controllable, that it was treatable and that things would be O.K. michael barbaro And Javier, what are you thinking when you hear the Chinese government talking this way, saying that everything is going to be O.K.? javier hernandez We were a bit skeptical. We knew that the Chinese government had a history of downplaying outbreaks like this. And as we saw more and more reports in the international media of this virus spreading, we began to question whether the officials were being totally upfront about what was happening. michael barbaro And what do you mean when you say a history of downplaying situations like this? javier hernandez Well before this virus, there was the outbreak of SARS 17 years ago. And it turned into this global health crisis that infected more than 8,000 people. It killed more than 800 people. And a big part of the reason that it spread so violently was because the Chinese government didnt tell the world. And there was this period of months and months when it was spreading very rapidly in China, and the world just didnt know about it. And for a lot of Chinese today, that experience with SARS makes them very skeptical of anything that the government says when it comes to public health. michael barbaro And I imagine a reporter like you would be similarly skeptical. javier hernandez Right. We really wanted to make sure that we got this one right. We wanted to double check that this was, in fact, a small scale outbreak as the government was portraying it. And we wanted to talk to people who were getting sick with this virus to get a sense of what it was like for them how severe it was, whether they were getting the care they needed. michael barbaro And so what do you do? javier hernandez So I live in Beijing. So I rushed to our bureau here and grabbed masks, enough to last me a couple days, and then headed to the airport and boarded a flight to Wuhan. And I just remember everyone on board, almost everyone, was wearing a mask. I was just struck by that. You never see people wear masks on this scale. And so it felt like there was this sense of anxiety already in the air even before we landed. [music] Once I got there, I rushed off to meet an ambulance doctor who had been posting on social media about this outbreak. And we had contacted him because he was challenging the official narrative about what was happening. He was saying he didnt believe the official numbers. He thought that this could be another SARS-like outbreak. michael barbaro And what was happening to his posts once they went online? javier hernandez They lasted for a while, and then they would be taken down, just disappeared. It was clear that the government was cleaning and trying to scrub the internet of any critical questions about official data. And so we wanted to talk to him about what he was seeing on the ground. michael barbaro And what did he tell you? javier hernandez He told me that he felt like people werent taking enough precautions, that the government wasnt being urgent enough. And he worked in a hospital and had a lot of interaction with doctors and other medical workers. So he felt like his job could be at stake if he were to come forward publicly. michael barbaro So the numbers the Chinese government is providing are relatively small. This ambulance doctor youre meeting with is saying the problem is bigger. So what do you do to try to reconcile those two pieces of information? javier hernandez We wanted to find the people whose relatives had fallen ill to this virus. And so we were looking online for people who were reporting symptoms of fever, cough, basically anything that was associated with this kind of virus. And we stumbled on a guy from Shanghai. He was a 40-year-old architect, and he told me that his stepmother had died just a couple of days earlier from a mysterious pneumonia-like illness. And so I found him, sent him a message, and we agreed to meet at a cafe. [CHATTER] michael barbaro And what is the story of what happened to his stepmom? javier hernandez He tells me that she was a very healthy, normal 65-year-old woman who, a couple of weeks earlier, had started to feel like she was having a flu. So she had some coughing. She had kind of a sore throat, but it didnt seem like anything that bad. But it suddenly began to worsen. She was having a fever. She needed a respirator to breathe. And all very suddenly she was sent to a contagious disease ward, and the family was told that she would likely die. michael barbaro And what did she or her stepson understand about what was behind her illness? javier hernandez They didnt really understand much. For days and days, according to Mr. Wei, the family had tried to get her tested for this coronavirus, this mysterious virus that was spreading across Wuhan. And the doctors and other medical workers refused. He pulled out his phone and showed me her death certificate, and all it said was that she died of severe pneumonia. michael barbaro But why wouldnt they test her, and what does it tell you that they wouldnt test her? javier hernandez It became clear to me in that moment that there seemed to be something going on here. Were these hospitals just not prepared? Did they not have enough testing kits? Were they running out of tests? Had they tested so many people that they didnt have any tests left? Were they just not counting people anymore because they werent even diagnosing them? And if she wasnt diagnosed with this illness, then maybe she wasnt even included in the official count. And one other thing really stuck with me from my interview with Mr. Wei. And that was that the hospital, according to him, told them that his mothers body had to be burned immediately, had to be cremated immediately. [CHATTER] michael barbaro And what does that tell you? What does that mean to you that theyre burning these bodies? javier hernandez It began to put in my head the sense that the hospital workers were beginning to think that this illness was contagious. And the fact that they wanted that body burned immediately began to suggest that perhaps they thought it posed a threat to other people. Her death got us thinking about whether there were other people like her. And when you went online and search social media, you could quickly find others who were reporting similar experiences people saying that they went to hospitals, they brought their sick relatives and were simply turned away. We began to kind of add things up, and it seemed like the numbers werent right. michael barbaro So at this point, it sounds like your skepticism is growing, and its sounding pretty warranted. So what do you do next? javier hernandez So I head back to my hotel and start to try to make sense of all of this. And as Im sitting there in my room, I begin to see these reports emerging on social media archived recording For the first time since the mysterious pneumonia-like illness broke out in China, the countrys health authorities admitted the disease could be contagious. javier hernandez that one of Chinas top health experts has acknowledged that this virus is now spreading from person to person, which had never been the case before. archived recording (zhong nanshan) [SPEAKING CHINESE] archived recording (translator) We considered risks of this before, but now evidence has confirmed that it is contagious among humans. javier hernandez And hes an 83-year-old guy that they dug out of retirement essentially. He was a renowned expert during the SARS crisis. And suddenly, hes all over social media, telling people that this crisis is much worse than had been previously known. michael barbaro So this doctor is very much validating what you have been hearing. javier hernandez Yes. Hes saying that there was even a case where one patient was able to infect 14 medical workers. michael barbaro Wow. javier hernandez And I begin to see the panic kind of spread across social media. archived recording 1 Say I have coronavirus. Could I give it to you right now? archived recording 2 Its possible, if youre coughing and sneezing. If you have a fever, it can be transmitted. archived recording 3 But the spread of Corona virus is accelerating. javier hernandez This is the moment when the world begins to wake up. archived recording 1 Meanwhile, new cases are being confirmed outside of China as well. archived recording 2 Thailand has reported the first case of the Wuhan coronavirus found outside of China. archived recording 3 because now theyre talking Thailand, Singapore, possibly Scotland. The U.K. is bracing for it to go in there. We have airports here in the United States very concerned about it archived recording 4 That are doing surveillance. archived recording 5 here in New York, Chicago and L.A. Every day it seems growing exponentially. archived recording 6 It is. Its growing. javier hernandez The numbers after that point just keep spiraling and spiraling. archived recording 1 The number of people who have died archived recording 2 The death toll climbing once again overnight. archived recording 3 The death toll from a deadly viral outbreak of the new coronavirus archived recording 4 26 deaths so far from the archived recording 5 has now passed 40. archived recording 6 [SPEAKING CHINESE] archived recording 7 Its not just Chinese people who are worried. Everyone is worried. Theyre all afraid of dying. javier hernandez You just hear people wondering whether the virus is ever going to be contained. michael barbaro Well be right back. And Javier, what are you thinking and feeling at this moment? Because youre in this city. Youre interacting with people who are taking care of those who are sickened and infected by this illness. javier hernandez Yeah. michael barbaro Are you anxious? javier hernandez Well Im beginning to feel like this is much worse than I thought. And I think a sense of paranoia can easily settle in sometimes in these situations. I had masks. I was washing my hands all the time. But I couldnt help but think about every button in the elevator that I touched, every surface and every cough or sniffle that I saw around me. The virus could be anywhere, so I had to be careful. michael barbaro I mean, understandably. javier hernandez So I finished up my reporting, and I grabbed a flight back to Beijing. archived recording Just one day before Chinas massive Lunar New Year holiday, as hundreds of millions crisscross the country to celebrate with families, an unprecedented act. javier hernandez And then the very next day, I hear archived recording Today, the entire city of Wuhan, population 11 million, is on lockdown. javier hernandez The Chinese government has placed this entire city under lockdown. michael barbaro Wow. archived recording Trains, flights, buses, and ferries have been canceled. Even public transport within Wuhan has ground to a halt. michael barbaro So the city you have just left has basically told everybody else who remains that theyre not going anywhere. javier hernandez Right. This city is being closed off in a way that China has never done before or even any other major modern city, really, hasnt done it in recent times. archived recording Across China tonight, an expanding lockdown to contain an epidemic. javier hernandez And it was quickly becoming clear to the government that this wasnt just a local problem. archived recording Travel bans in over a dozen cities affecting 35 million people. javier hernandez They quickly expanded it to not just Wuhan, but to other cities, so that there were tens of millions of people who were essentially forced to stay at home and not allowed to go out. Theyve just put in place the biggest lockdown that weve ever seen and what experts are saying is the biggest experiment in public health that theyve ever seen. archived recording 1 Despite their efforts, authorities say the virus has not been stopped. archived recording 2 Much depends on whether the measures set in place by the Chinese government will prove effective. michael barbaro Its hard to imagine most any other country being able to mount that kind of a response. I mean, Im just trying to fathom an American city somehow being locked down. javier hernandez So this is what it looks like when Chinas authoritarian system is in full force. Theres no choice for people to leave. Many people are stuck there. They are going to hospitals that are overcrowded, but they cant get the health care they need. Doctors are complaining about a lack of medical supplies and critical items like masks and goggles. And you get the sense that people are kind of stuck with what they have, and thats the bargain theyve made by living in this system. They have no choice but to follow the governments orders. They cant push back. They cant swim against the current here. Everyones essentially forced to comply with this mass lockdown. michael barbaro You know, from everything weve learned about China and its authoritarian government, it seems like it controls every aspect of its citizens lives and it surveils every aspect of citizens lives. And youve just walked us through how they were able to essentially suddenly drop a wall around Wuhan. So knowing all that, shouldnt Chinas government have been able to identify and control this outbreak before it got out of hand? javier hernandez You would think that, because the government is so well known for being able to pull off these massive displays of citizen mobilization its been known to be able to pull off these technological feats. But at the same time, theres a flip side of this coin, which is that Chinas authoritarian culture, in many ways, set the stage for this crisis. michael barbaro What do you mean? javier hernandez Well for decades, China has built this system, this ruthless system in which if you are an official in the Communist Party, you are expected to be almost perfect. If anything goes bad, you are the one who is going to take responsibility. You are the one who is going to fall. And this has created an incentive system where local officials fear saying anything about bad news. They worry that if they are found to have done something wrong, that they will lose their power. So in a situation like this, the incentive is to cover up. Its to conceal. Its to delay. Its to try to get a handle on these problems on your own, hoping that perhaps nobody will ever hear about it. michael barbaro So by the time something like, say, a medical crisis gets really big, it may be too late for the local officials who have been trying to contain it themselves and keep it from Beijing. javier hernandez Exactly. These kinds of dynamics played a huge role in the scale of the SARS outbreak. It was clear in this case that local officials knew exactly what was going on. They knew that people were dying of this illness. But for months and months, they didnt want to report it up the chain. Instead, they tried to cover it up. They tried to see if they could perhaps deal with it secretly, and maybe nobody would ever find out about it. They hoped that Beijing would know about it. But eventually it broke. michael barbaro So did China learn from that experience with SARS, that dynamic that led to that breakdown, that cover-up? javier hernandez China said it would make a lot of changes to its system after the SARS crisis. It said that it would expand its disease reporting system so that these kinds of reports from the local provinces would come to the central government in a more timely fashion. They promised to be more transparent in the release of data and other things. But what they didnt change was this authoritarian culture, where people fear bringing bad news. And so that has actually gotten worse under President Xi. michael barbaro Why? javier hernandez He has made himself out to be the most powerful leader since Mao. He is somebody whos always speaking about this great ascendant moment for China in which China is going to be this superpower. And anything that goes against Xis vision of this harmonious, resurgent China is going to be seen as a problem. And the people who are creating that problem will pay the consequences. And when I was there in Wuhan, I could sense the fear just rippling across all parts of the society. There were people like the ambulance doctor, who was afraid of challenging the official statistics. There were hospitals that seemed to be paralyzed, that didnt want to test patients for fear of knowing the results. They didnt want to be seen as speaking out or telling the truth or bringing this unsavory story into public view. michael barbaro So that had trickled down all the way to the frontline health care workers, who are supposed to be treating this and sounding the alarm. javier hernandez Right. Theyre fearful of being seen as responsible for this crisis. They dont want to stand out. And when you think about where this virus might be headed next to other provinces, to other cities you have to wonder if these same dynamics would be playing out again. If people will stay silent, if they will not report official cases, because they fear for their jobs and they fear for their livelihoods. michael barbaro So it seems like whatever reforms the Chinese government made after the failures of SARS, that in the end, none of them really matter, because it hasnt changed the problem thats at the root of this. javier hernandez At the root of all this is a sense of fear that is both the Communist Partys strength, but its also a huge weakness. They can mobilize entire cities to be on lockdown. They can convince people to stay indoors. They can scrub social media of information that counters their narrative. Thats all very effective when youre trying to get the public behind your policies. But at the end of the day, the fear is also a huge vulnerability. It creates this system where people are unwilling to speak out, unwilling to bring problems that are really important and that affect peoples lives. michael barbaro Right. I mean, for the Chinese leadership, that works until it doesnt, right? Until you very much need for people to stop being afraid and to speak out about something like a public health crisis. javier hernandez Exactly. And so when you look at the culture, you wonder whether China can actually contain these viruses, whether we will continue to live in a world where the internal politics of the party are going to put lives around the world in danger. michael barbaro Javier, thank you. javier hernandez Thanks, Michael. michael barbaro On Wednesday, the total number of people infected by the coronavirus in mainland China surpassed those infected with the SARS virus during that epidemic. As of Wednesday evening, the virus had infected more than 6,000 people in mainland China. Later today, the World Health Organization will convene its emergency committee to determine whether the outbreak amounts to a public health emergency of international concern, its most severe classification. Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. The Times reports that the White House has sent former national security adviser, John Bolton, a letter, warning him not to publish a book in which he recounts speaking to President Trump about the quid pro quo with Ukraine at the heart of the impeachment trial. In the letter, the White House claims that the book contains significant amounts of classified information that could harm U.S. national security. The letter was sent before The Times published a story describing the books contents, a story that has further fueled calls for Bolton to testify in the Senate trial. Senators are expected to vote on whether to call witnesses like Bolton later today. [music] Honestly, we should have a moment of silence for every guy named Kunal Kamra in the world, as they really are going through it right now. I feel like everyone knows about the entire Kunal Kamra-Arnab Goswami incident but well, it all started here. I did this for my hero... I did it for Rohit pic.twitter.com/aMSdiTanHo Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) January 28, 2020 This was probably the fastest thing to go viral ever. The entire country was divided on the issue, quite understandably. After that, the comedian was quickly banned from various airlines, including the one where the incident took place. But, this time, someone else had to pay the price (kinda) for Kamra's 'heckling'. Yes, this particular Kunal Kamra is banned from a lot of airlines, including Air India, but looks like they forgot that he's not the only Kunal Kamra in the world. A poor US-based guy who just happened to be named Kunal Kamra got his Air India flight cancelled by the airlines. The Boston resident who is currently in India visiting his family had to go through a long procedure at the Jaipur airport to prove that yes, even though he is Kunal Kamra, he is not that Kunal Kamra. Speaking to India Today, he said, "I was told that my PNR was cancelled and when I asked them why they said that my name had been blacklisted. I could understand why, but I did not understand why particularly I was blacklisted. I knew why the other Kunal Kamra was blacklisted." After that, it was a long process of proving his own identity. He said, "The Air India people were very helpful, luckily, I had ample time before the flight, so everything was sorted out. They were able to issue me another ticket but what was most annoying for me was that the burden of proof was on me. So I had to prove that I am not this person." I really do feel bad for this person, it must have been an exhausting experience. He went on, "I was not informed before my flight that my ticket was cancelled. I never received a proper explanation as to why MY ticket was cancelled. Basically, the only reason they cancelled my ticket is because my name is the exact same as that of another person. The problem with that is that if you were to cancel my ticket just based on my name, that is not acceptable because a lot of people might have the same name." He even had to give two different IDs to just prove his identity. Honestly, that sucks. Lastly, he added, "The whole scenario was really confusing because first, the Jaipur airport security had to clear me, then Air India had to clear me and I needed clearance from both these parties to get on the flight. The airline took a copy of my Aadhar card and it was enough for them, but the security wasn't convinced with all my Indian IDs so I had to show them my American ID, which finally worked. It was just a very unpleasant experience." Yes, it's a very hilarious mix-up as a whole, but it must have been the worst experience for this poor guy. Here's what the actually-banned Kunal Kamra had to say about this - And, of course, he has some jokes. Another person named Kunal Kamras ticket got cancelled by Air-India & he hade difficulty in flying... Just to balance it out Air-India now must upgrade another person called Arnab Goswami to business class... Kunal Kamra (@kunalkamra88) February 5, 2020 Here's a PSA to all the Kunal Kamras of the world - make sure you sort everything out with airlines before flying, it'll save you a lot of time. RICHMOND, Va., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumber Liquidators (NYSE: LL) today announced that Dennis R. Knowles has resigned as President and Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors, effective February 5, 2020. The Board of Directors has appointed Charles E. Tyson, the Company's Chief Customer Experience Officer, as Interim President and Principal Executive Officer and Mr. Knowles' duties will be divided between Mr. Tyson and Nancy A. Walsh, the Company's Chief Financial Officer, while the Board of Directors conducts a Chief Executive Officer search of internal and external candidates. The Board is engaging a national recruitment firm to assist with this search. Mr. Tyson also will remain the Chief Customer Experience Officer. Mr. Tyson and Ms. Walsh will each report to the Board of Directors. Mr. Tyson joined the Company in June 2018 after serving in several key senior executive roles for Advance Auto Parts, Inc. As the Company's Chief Customer Experience Officer, Mr. Tyson has been responsible for the Company's merchandising and marketing, consumer and pro sales, installation, distribution and, now additionally, store operations. Among other initiatives, Mr. Tyson has led the Company's digital strategy including the development and introduction of its innovative new online tools for customers. Nancy Taylor, Chairperson of the Company, said, "On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank Dennis for his steady hand and tireless efforts in the face of many challenges during his tenure as CEO. We wish him well in his future endeavors." Mr. Knowles commented, "I am proud of the work we have accomplished to resolve many outstanding issues for Lumber Liquidators, and want to thank the employees of Lumber Liquidators for their support and commitment." Mr. Tyson said, "I appreciate the confidence of the Board and the opportunity to lead the Company during this transition period. We have a strong leadership team and, together, we are excited to continue our transformational strategy." 2019 Outlook Lumber Liquidators also today announced that it is reaffirming its financial outlook for full-year 2019 issued on December 12, 2019. The Company expects to release its 2019 earnings on its customary schedule. About Lumber Liquidators Lumber Liquidators is one of North America's leading specialty retailers of hard-surface flooring with 419 stores as of September 30, 2019. The Company features more than 400 varieties of floors in the latest styles, including solid and engineered hardwood, bamboo, cork, laminate, waterproof vinyl plank and porcelain tile flooring. Additionally, Lumber Liquidators provides a wide selection of flooring enhancements and accessories to complement, install and maintain new floors. Every location is staffed with flooring experts who can provide advice, pro services and installation options for all of Lumber Liquidators' products, much of which is in stock and ready for delivery. Learn more about Lumber Liquidators: Commitment to compliance, quality and the communities it serves: https://www.lumberliquidators.com/quality. Corporate giving: LayItForward.LumberLiquidators.com. Follow on social media: Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release includes statements of the Company's expectations, intentions, plans and beliefs that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meanings of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements, which may be identified by words such as "may," "will," "should," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "thinks," "estimates," "seeks," "predicts," "could," "projects," "potential" and other similar terms and phrases, are based on the beliefs of the Company's management, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, the Company's management as of the date of such statements. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control. These risks include, without limitation, the impact on us of any of the following: the outcomes of legal proceedings, and the related impact on liquidity; reputational harm; obligations related to and impacts of new laws and regulations, including pertaining to tariffs; obtaining products from abroad, including the effects of tariffs, as well as the effects of antidumping and countervailing duties; obligations under various settlement agreements and other compliance matters; disruption due to cybersecurity threats, including any impacts from a network security incident; disruptions related to our corporate headquarters relocation; inability to open new stores, find suitable locations for our new store concept, and fund other capital expenditures; inability to execute on our key initiatives or such key initiatives do not yield desired results; managing growth; transportation costs; damage to our assets; disruption in our ability to distribute our products; operating stores in Canada and an office in China ; and an office in ; managing third-party installers and product delivery companies; renewing store or warehouse leases; having sufficient suppliers; our, and our suppliers', compliance with complex and evolving rules, regulations, and laws at the federal, state, and local level; disruption in our ability to obtain products from our suppliers; product liability claims; availability of suitable hardwood, including due to disruptions from the impacts of severe weather; changes in economic conditions, both domestic and abroad; sufficient insurance coverage, including cybersecurity insurance; access to and costs of capital; the handling of confidential customer information, including the impacts from the California Consumer Privacy Act; management information systems disruptions; alternative e-commerce offerings; our advertising and overall marketing strategy; anticipating consumer trends; competition; impact of changes in accounting guidance, including the implementation guidelines and interpretations; maintenance of valuation allowances on deferred tax assets and the impacts thereof; internal controls including those over tariffs; stock price volatility; and anti-takeover provisions. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update these statements, which speak only as of the dates on which such statements are made, except as may be required under the federal securities laws. Information regarding these and other additional risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Item 1A, "Risk Factors," section of the Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, and the Item 1A, "Risk Factors," section of the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. Non-GAAP and Other Information To supplement the financial measures prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the Company uses Adjusted Operating Margin. This non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not in lieu of, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. This supplemental measure may vary from, and may not be comparable to, similarly titled measures by other companies. The non-GAAP financial measure is presented because management uses this non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate the Company's operating performance. Therefore, the Company believes that the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures provides useful supplementary information to, and facilitates additional analysis by, investors. The presented non-GAAP financial measure excludes items that management does not believe reflect the Company's core operating performance, which include regulatory and legal settlements and associated legal and operating costs, changes in antidumping and countervailing duties, as such items are outside the control of the Company or are due to their inherent unusual, non-operating, unpredictable, non-recurring or non-cash nature. For further information contact: Lumber Liquidators Investor Relations [email protected] Tel: 757.566.7512 SOURCE Lumber Liquidators Related Links http://www.lumberliquidators.com Bahrain's Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs & Urban Planning said 21 per cent of the construction work on Muharraq Care Center for Long-Term Residence Project, a 100-bed facility coming up in the kingdom, has been completed and is on track for launch by August 2022. The project, being implemented by the Ministry of Health, is being funded by Saudi Development Fund as part of the GCC Countries Development Programme. The complex comprises a maternity hospital, a long-stay care centre, a proposed facility for multiple sclerosis patients and a care centre for the elderly. The BD12.1-million ($32 million) project is part of a planned medical complex at Muharraq under directives issued by HRH Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, stated Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministrys Works Affairs Under-Secretary Ahmed Al Khayyat during one of his field visits. "It will be fully equipped with medical services and supporting administrative services to provide healthcare for those with medical conditions that require long-term residency in hospitals such as cerebral palsy and other disabilities," he added. The ministry had in 2017 invited tender bids from a number of Saudi and Bahraini contracting companies in addition to many Bahraini, Saudi and international alliances; experienced in health care projects. Finally, Saudi construction company Saleh Abdullah Al Muhanna Company emerged the winning bidder and has start work on the project which is expected to be completed within two-and-half years. According to Al Khayyat, the Saudi Development Fund has allocated a total of BD17.875 million as the entire cost for the construction of the project, medical equipment, consultancy fees, furniture and required IT services. "The medical complex is being constructed in three phases, the first of which comprises building of a long-stay care centre with the capacity to accommodate 100 beds, providing care for patients in need of admission at the care centre for long periods," remarked Al Khayyat. The centre will also include a reception area for emergency patients, wings and rooms for brain paralysis patients, wings and rooms for patients with other diseases, in addition to an isolation unit for patients with infectious diseases, a lab, a pharmacy, x-ray rooms, sterilisation units, a physiotherapy unit, administrative support services and a central building for non-medical services serving the medical complex, besides the central services for the medical complex like kitchens, washers and stores. Phase Two comprises constructing a maternity hospital with 50 beds, while Phase Three will include the setting up of a proposed centre for patients with multiple sclerosis, he added.-TradeArabia News Service New York, Feb 6 : Mitt Romney, a former presidential candidate and senior party leader, broke ranks with the Republicans to vote to convict President Trump on one of the charges against him in the Senate trial, winning praise from Democrats and condemnation from his party. Invoking God and religion, Romney declared on Wednesday: "The president is guilty of an appalling abuse of the public trust," and voted him guilty of the charge of abuse of power, but voted against convicting him on the second charge of obstruction of Congress. Romney, who had unsuccessfully challenged former President Barack Obama in the 2012 election and had served as governor of Massachusetts, was the only senator from the party to vote against Trump. He also became the only senator to vote against one's own party candidate in the three presidential impeachments in the nation's history. In a family drama, Romney's niece Ronna McDaniel, who is the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, tweeted: "This is not the first time I have disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last." "The bottomline is President Trump did nothing wrong," she said. Romney compounded his vote against Trump by rising to the defence of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, whose actions in Ukraine sparked the impeachment when Trump asked that nation's President Volodymyr Zelensky to probe them. He said that Biden, ignoring his conflict of interest and his son taking "excessive advantage" of his father's name, were not crimes that Trump should want investigated. He said that he was "sure to hear abuse from the president and his supporters," and Trump didn't disappoint him. Trump circulated a video denouncing him as a "Democrat asset" and tweeted: "Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election." Trump's son, Donald Jr., tweeted a call for expelling Romney from the party. Although Trump had backed Romney and contributed to his campaign, there was simmering animosity between them with Romney showing contempt for him. Romney, who had tried to get the 2016 nomination but backed off, called Trump s "phony, a fraud" and announced that he would not vote for him and may instead write his wife's name on the ballot. However, after Trump won, he had talks with him to explore the possibility of becoming secretary of state, but didn't get the job. Brushing off the expected condemnations from Trump, Romney said: "Does anyone seriously believe I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before God demanded it of me?" Like many US politicians of both parties, liberal and conservative, he took cover in religion, saying: "As a Senator-juror, I swore an oath, before God, to exercise 'impartial justice'. I am a profoundly religious person. I take an oath before God as enormously consequential." And then he went on to criticise the defence built by Trump's lawyers against the charges. Romney has an independent base of supporters in Utah, the state from which he was elected to the Senate after having been the governor of Massachusetts and unsuccessfully running against Obama. He can, therefore, defy Trump without the threat of reprisals from his supporters. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) Photo: Here are the new movies landing in Houston theaters this week. 2020 Oscar Nominated Shorts While the big movies get the bulk of the media attention, the shorts often are equally entertaining. You can see them on the big screen before the Oscars in three separate programs: live action, animated and documentary. Unrated. Playing at Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra, Katy; Cinemark Memorial City, Houston; Regal Houston MarqE 23, Houston; AMC Studio 30, Houston (Regal and AMC are not showing the documentary program). After Parkland This documentary, about how the families of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School victims coped with grief and tragedy, is screening for one night only as part of a National Day of Conversation being held in conjunction with the second anniversary of the shooting. Unrated. Playing at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Regal Greenway Grand Palace 24, Houston; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Alamo Drafthouse LaCenterra, Katy. Ayyappanum Koshiyum Malayalum-language action-thriller from India. Unrated. Playing at AMC First Colony, Sugar Land. Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) Margot Robbie first played the Jokers girlfriend, Harley Quinn, in Suicide Squad and she returns without the laughing guy as a heroine who teams with several other female superheroes such as Black Canary and Huntress to rescue a girl from an evil crime lord. Its the first major film from lauded indie director Cathy Yan. Rated R. Playing throughout Houston. Citizen K The newest documentary from Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) is an engrossing look at the colorful life of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once the richest man in Russia and one-time ally of Vladimir Putin who is now one of his most vociferous critics. Unrated. Playing at Landmark River Oaks, Houston. Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words Documentary filmmaker Michael Pack (The Fall of Newt Gingrich) turns his lens to Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas. Unrated. Playing at AMC First Colony, Sugar Land. Invisible Life Brazilian film about the lives of two sisters has been a major hit on the festival circuit, winning the Un Certain Regard prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Rated R. Playing at Landmark River Oaks, Houston. Jaanu Telugu-language romantic drama from India about a man and a woman, who went to high school together, reunite as adults and bond over their shared memories and desires. Unrated. Playing at Cinemark Tinseltown 290, Houston; AMC Studio 30, Houston Malang: Unleash the Madness Hindi-language action-drama from India. Unrated. Playing at AMC First Colony, Sugar Land. The Man Standing Next South Korean political thriller set in the 1970s. Unrated. Playing at AMC Studio 30, Houston. Theyve Gotta Have Us Three-part documentary on Netflix from director/producer Ava DuVernays company, Array, that examines how activism, art, activism and race have influenced black cinema. Those interviewed include Barry Jenkins, Kasi Lemmons, John Boyega, Harry Belafonte, Diahann Carroll, John Singleton, Robert Townsend, Delroy Lindo, Carmen Ejogo, Ernest Dickerson and David Oyelowo. Unrated. Streaming on Netflix. Vaanam Kottatum Tamil-language drama about a father who has to reconcile with his family after making a terrible mistake. Unrated. Playing at Cinemark Tinseltown 290, Houston. Waiting for Anya Based on Michael Morpurgos novel, this is a drama starring Anjelica Huston and Jean Reno about the smuggling of Jewish children from France to Spain during World War II. Unrated. Playing at Studio Movie Grill Pearland cary.darling@chron.com twitter.com/carydar Movie Details Find Showtimes Citizen K Documentary New Delhi, Feb 6 : On Thursday, the last day of campaigning for the 70-member Delhi Assembly polls, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said protests against the new citizenship law and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) had been funded by the Popular Front of India and even the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress leaders were in touch with the PFI. The ED had last month claimed to have exposed the PFI-Rehab Foundation India (RFI) nexus that provided Rs 120 crore during the CAA protests in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh and in UP. A senior ED official said Delhi PFI president Mohammad Parwez Ahmed was in regular touch with AAP leader Sanjay Singh through "personal meetings, phone calls and WhatsApp chats", and several Congress leaders, including Udit Raj. Parwez was part of over 100 WhatsApp groups, including "Unification of Muslim Leadershipa and "Bheem Army Top-100", the official said. Meanwhile, AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked the ED why it didn't arrest Singh yet despite having proof of his links with the PFI. "Why is the ED only submitting and leaking the report when they could send Singh to jail for the next 20 years," Kejriwal said. The ED official said the probe report had been shared with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Last month, said the official the ED shared the information on Rs 120 crore deposited in 73 accounts linked with the PFI and its associates in 17 banks, where the majority of contributions were in cash. About two-thirds of all deposits were kept in cash at PFI's headquarters in G-78, Shaheen Bagh, the official claimed. Following the violent clashes over the CAA in Assam and UP in December, both the state governments had urged the MHA to ban the PFI. In UP, the police arrested 108 PFI members for violence during CAA protests. A couple of arrests were also made in Assam and Tamil Nadu. On December 4, the home ministry sought information from states about cases registered against PFI activists between November 2016 and November 2019 for anti-national activities. The ED in its report to the MHA last month said Rs 120.5 crore was credited in 73 bank accounts. Of this, 27 accounts were operated by the PFI, nine by the RFI. The 37 accounts were in the names of certain individuals and entities. The ED has sent teams to western UP to probe details of people who deposited the amounts in the bank accounts of the PFI and the RFI. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, Feb. 6 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received Head of the Russian LUKOIL oil company Vagit Alekperov on Feb. 5, Trend reports referring to the company. The parties exchanged views on the prospects for the development of the oil and gas industry in Turkmenistan. The Turkmen president noted the prospects for cooperation with LUKOIL within an interstate dialogue with Russia. Alekperov, in turn, said that LUKOIL has strategic interests in Turkmenistan, which has significant hydrocarbon reserves. In December last year, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministrys Third Department of the CIS Countries Aleksandr Sternik noted major Russian energy companies' great interest in working in Turkmenistan. Last August, First Deputy Chief of the Government Staff of the Russian Federation Sergei Prikhodko told reporters that Rosneft, LUKOIL and Gazprom companies are interested in developing oil and gas fields in Turkmenistan. In turn, Ashgabat reported on negotiations with foreign companies. Thus, 32 licensed blocks with projected reserves of 12.1 billion tons of oil and 6.1 trillion cubic meters of gas from the Turkmen part of the Caspian Sea (excluding already contracted blocks) were put up for an international tender. According to the local estimates, more than 80 percent of resources of the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea are located in sediments at depths above 3,000 meters. Turkmenistan annually produces about 10 million tons of oil. Oil production is ensured by Turkmen Oil state concern and PSA-based companies from the United Kingdom, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. Such international companies as Petronas, Dragon Oil, Buried Hill, RWE Dea AG, ARETI and Eni are involved in the development of the Turkmen sector of the Caspian Sea. About 190 companies with Russian capital are operating in Turkmenistan. Russias Gazprom renewed the purchases of Turkmen gas in 2019, after a three-year hiatus. According to the Energy Information Administration's January-November 2019 report, Russia increased its oil supplies to the United States to record levels last year, despite difficult political relations and economic sanctions. Supplies peaked in October, when Russia sold 20.9 million barrels of oil and oil products to the United States. That month, it bypassed Mexico and was second after Canada (136.5 million barrels of oil and petroleum products exported to the U.S. in October). Most of the supplies were petroleum products - 16 million barrels in October. In November, Russia supplied a record amount of petroleum products to the U.S. - 17 million barrels. Over the 11 months of last year, Russia sold 210% more crude oil to the U.S. - 31.2 million barrels - compared to 10.1 million barrels of the same period in 2018. But sales increased by only 163.5% - from $0.74 billion to $1.95 billion. The total value of Russian oil products exported to the U.S. for the reporting period amounted to $3.8 billion. A leading analyst of the National Energy Security Fund, a lecturer at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Igor Yushkov, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, noted that this increase was due to the U.S. need to replace Venezuelan supplies, with Russian oil being the most suitable option. "A lot of U.S. refineries specialize in refining Venezuelan oil, heavy and highly viscous, with a high yield of high-quality petroleum products. When the Americans started imposing sanctions against Venezuela, the question arose of where to get such raw material - and Russia's Urals oil, which is medium-grained, but quite similar to the Venezuelan, suits this purpose," Igor Yushkov said. "As for the growth of petroleum products, this is naphtha, that is, primary processed oil, and fuel oil," the economist concluded. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES. ANY FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THIS RESTRICTION MAY CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF U.S. SECURITIES LAWS. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pacific Rim Cobalt Corp. (the Company or Pacific Rim Cobalt) (CSE: BOLT) (FRANKFURT: NXFE) is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement (the Offering) for aggregate gross proceeds of $742,164.48. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to fund development of its nickel-cobalt business in Indonesia as well as general working capital purposes. Pursuant to the Offering, the Company will issue 6,184,704 units (each a Unit) at a price of $0.12 per Unit. Each Unit is comprised of one (1) common share in the capital of the Company (each a "Common Share") and one (1) transferable Common Share purchase warrant (each, a Warrant). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one (1) Common Share for one year at an exercise price of $0.16 per Common Share. In connection with the Offering, the Company will pay a 5% fee in cash to eligible finders who introduce subscribers to the Offering. All securities issued under the Offering, including securities issuable on exercise thereof, are subject to a four month resale restriction. The Offering is expected to close imminently. About Pacific Rim Cobalt Pacific Rim Cobalt is a Canadianbased exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of production grade cobalt and nickel deposits, key raw material inputs for the growing lithiumion battery industry. Visit https://pacificrimcobalt.com/ to find out more. Pacific Rim Cobalt Corp. Ranjeet Sundher President and CEO (604) 922-8272 rsundher@pacificrimcobalt.com Steve Vanry CFO & Director (604) 922-8272 steve@vanrycap.com Sean Bromley Director & Investor Contact (778) 985-8934 sean@theparmargroup.com Reader Advisory This news release may include forward-looking information that is subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements herein, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking, including statements with respect to the completion of, and use of proceeds from, the Offering. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking information are based on reasonable assumptions, such information is not a guarantee of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information. Information provided in this document is necessarily summarized and may not contain all available material information. Although Pacific Rim Cobalt has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, fluctuations in market prices, success of the operations of the Company, continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such information will prove accurate and, therefore, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking information except as required under the applicable securities laws. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Refusing corporate cash has been a cornerstone of Rep. Max Roses campaign: Keep your damn money, because its not you Im working for, the freshman congressman warned lobbyists and corporate kingpins in his first TV ad in 2018. And while Rose says he has never taken a single dollar from a corporate PAC, he did receive a $4,000 donation from Across the Aisle, a PAC that is itself funded almost exclusively by special interest groups and corporate PACs. Good government groups are split on what Rose should do with Across the Aisles contribution. One thinks Rose should return the money, while another group and Roses office say the freshman congressman did nothing wrong. When asked if Rose would be keeping the money, his spokesman Jonas Edwards-Jenks said the donation does not violate either the letter or spirit of the pledge against Corporate PAC contributions. After Rose was elected, he and fellow Democrat, California Rep. Josh Harder, introduced legislation dubbed the Ban Corporate PACs Act, a bill that would prevent for-profit corporations from funding PACs. According to federal campaign finance reports, both Rose and Harder accepted a combined $9,000 in campaign contributions from the Across the Aisle PAC. Of the 60 donations the PAC accepted since it was created in March 2019, it received at least 40% of its donations from Corporate PACs and the rest from special interest groups. Major Corporations like Google, Exelon, Dominion Energy, Comcast, Capital One and AT&T, all donated the maximum of $5,000 to the PAC. The PAC also has ties to Rose himself; the congressmans treasurer Janica Kyriacopoulos is listed as the PACs treasurer too. According to recent filings, first reported by Sludge, Rose accepted $4,000 from the PAC since it was set up last year and his fellow anti-corporate PAC congressional colleague Rep. Harder received $5,000. Of the 22 members of Congress the PAC supported, six of them including Rose and Harder pledged to boycott corporate PAC money in 2018, according to a list of lawmakers tracked by the Center for Responsive Politics. The four other anti-corporate PAC lawmakers include Democrats Reps. Anthony Brindisi of New York; Elaine Luria of Virginia; Abigail Spanberger of Virginia; and Xochitl Torres Small of New Mexico. Harder and Kyriacopoulos did not return requests for comment, but Rose maintains he does not accept campaign cash from corporate PACs and federal lobbyists. He also said Across the Aisle is not a corporate PAC and that Kyriacopoulos is an independent consultant and compliance professional for more than 100 candidates and committees and not exclusively an employee of Rose. "Anyone alleging that Max Rose takes Corporate PAC money is either lying and or has lost the ability to comprehend basic facts, said Edwards-Jenks. Not only does Max refuse money from Corporate PACs or federal lobbyists, but he wrote the bill to eliminate Corporate PACs once and for all. The facts havent changed and neither has Max. So if some idiotic DC hack thinks otherwise, we urge any Corporate PAC to try giving Max a check and watch as he rips it up in their face, he continued. Watchdog group Common Causes Director of Money and Politics and Ethics, Beth Rotman, thinks Rose should give the $4,000 contribution from Across the Aisle back if he intends to follow both the rule and spirit of his anti-corporate PAC commitment. However, Rotman said even well-intentioned lawmakers like Rose who have pledged to not accept corporate cash are often pressured into taking it one way or the other because of the political pressure candidates are under to have plush campaign coffers. I think theres a lot of this shell game going on, where corporate PACs know that it doesnt look good for people that they want to help to give them even what they can out of their corporate PACs, Rotman said. So, individuals start entities which theyre legally allowed to do called Americans for a Brighter Tomorrow, because whos against that? Its not as obvious as coming from a corporation ... sometimes it might be obvious and sometimes it isnt, its more often unclear where the funds are actually coming from. Part of the challenge is this, if you limit these contributions, in all kinds of ways and dont give people an alternative, its always a bit disingenuous because you cant just cut off all of the funding sources from the people who are interested in giving without giving public financing which provides an alternative, Rotman continued. The group End Citizens United, which championed Rose and Harders Ban Corporate PAC Act legislation, said at the end of the day, if corporate PAC money is being bundled and redistributed to candidates through another PAC, it is not the same as direct campaign donation to a candidate from a corporate PAC. End Citizens United does not think corporations will get the same access to lawmakers if its money is being bundled into one pool. "Max Rose kept his word, hasnt taken a dime of corporate PAC money and its what sets him apart from typical politicians in Washington. Thousands of small donors support Max because hes fighting against the big money that too often dominates Washington, whether its drug company lobbyists or corrupt politicians like Mitch McConnell blocking bills to lower health care costs, said End Citizens Uniteds spokesman Patrick Burgwinkle. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. Dublin, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Healthcare Fraud Analytics Market by Solution Type (Descriptive, Predictive, Prescriptive), Application (Insurance Claim (Postpayment, Prepayment), Payment Integrity), Delivery (On-premise, Cloud), End User (Insurance, Government) - Global Forecast to 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global healthcare fraud analytics market is projected to reach USD 4,625.9 million by 2025 from USD 1,253.7 million in 2020, at a CAGR of 29.8% during the forecast period. The emergence of social network analytics, the adoption of technologies such as AI and blockchain, and the growing use of healthcare analytics for fraud detection in emerging nations like the APAC provide growth opportunities in this market. However, the time-consuming deployment of these solutions and the need for frequent updates are some challenges faced by end-users of this market. Some of the major market players in the healthcare fraud analytics market are IBM Corporation (US), Optum (US), SAS Institute (US), Change Healthcare (US), EXL Service Holdings (US), Cotiviti (US), Wipro Limited (India), Conduent (US), HCL (India), Canadian Global Information Technology Group (Canada), DXC Technology Company (US), Northrop Grumman Corporation (US), LexisNexis Group (US), and Pondera Solutions (US). The on-demand segment is projected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period On the basis of delivery model, the healthcare fraud analytics market is segmented into on-premise and on-demand models. The on-demand models include the cloud-based and web-based models. The on-demand segment is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Factors such as on-demand self-serving analytics, the lack of up-front capital investments for hardware, extreme capacity flexibility, and a pay-as-you-go pricing model are driving the demand for on-demand fraud detection solutions. The prepayment review model is projected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period On the basis of application, the healthcare fraud analytics market is segmented into insurance claims review, pharmacy billing misuse, payment integrity, and other applications. The insurance claims review segment is further divided into post-payment and prepayment review, with the latter expected to register the highest growth during the forecast period. This is mainly because the use of prepayment review protocols and analytics can help organizations proactively prevent fraud prior to payment, allowing rapid action to be taken. As a result, prepayment review solutions are expected to garner greater attention in the coming years. The Asia Pacific to witness the highest growth during the forecast period The Asia Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period (2020 to 2025), owing to factors such as the growing demand for health insurance and increasing collaborations & partnerships between governments and tech giants for leveraging fraud analytics capabilities. Key Topics Covered 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Healthcare Fraud Analytics Market Overview 4.2 Asia Pacific: Market, By Solution Type and Application (2019) 4.3 Market: Geographic Growth Opportunities 4.4 Market: Regional Mix 4.5 Market: Developing vs Developed Regions 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Large Number of Fraudulent Activities in Healthcare 5.2.1.2 Increasing Number of Patients Seeking Health Insurance 5.2.1.3 Prepayment Review Model 5.2.1.4 High Returns on Investment 5.2.1.5 Rise in Pharmacy Claims-Related Fraud 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 Limitations in the Data Capturing Process in Medicaid Services 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Adoption of Healthcare Fraud Analytics in Developing Countries 5.2.3.2 Emergence of Social Media and Its Impact on the Healthcare Industry 5.2.3.3 Role of AI in Healthcare Fraud Detection 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Dearth of Skilled Personnel 5.2.4.2 Time-Consuming Deployment and the Need for Frequent Upgrades 6 Industry Insights 6.1 Industry Trends 6.1.1 Shifting Focus From On-Premise Models to Cloud-Based On-Demand Models 6.1.2 Mergers and Acquisitions: the Most Adopted Strategy 6.1.3 Technological Advancements 6.1.4 New Use Case: Opioid Epidemic Crisis 6.1.5 End-User Trends: Adoption of Healthcare Fraud Analytics Solutions By Pharmacy Benefit Managers 7 Healthcare Fraud Analytics Market, By Solution Type 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Descriptive Analytics 7.2.1 Descriptive Analytics Segment Accounted for the Largest Market Share 7.3 Predictive Analytics 7.3.1 Predictive Analytics Helps in Simulating Future Events & Trends That Can Enable Payers to Predict Preventable Events 7.4 Prescriptive Analytics 7.4.1 Prescriptive Models Offer Additional Advantages Relating to the Investigation of Suspicious Behavior to Generate Comprehensive Insights 8 Healthcare Fraud Analytics Market, By Delivery Model 8.1 Introduction 8.2 On-Premise Delivery Models 8.2.1 On-Premise Models Account for the Largest Share of the Market 8.3 On-Demand Delivery Models 8.3.1 Cloud-Based Delivery Models Offer Organizations Increased Scalability and Speed 9 Healthcare Fraud Analytics Market, By Application 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Insurance Claims Review 9.2.1 Postpayment Review 9.2.1.1 Postpayment Review Dominated the Healthcare Fraud Analytics Insurance Claims Review Market 9.2.2 Prepayment Review 9.2.2.1 The Majority of Prepayment Models Use Predictive Analytics to Detect Fraud and Stop Fraudulent Claims Payments 9.3 Pharmacy Billing Misuse 9.3.1 Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Cases in Pharmacy and Prescription Drug Areas are Driving the Demand for Analytics 9.4 Payment Integrity 9.4.1 Changes in Regulatory Guidelines have Aided the Adoption of Payment Integrity Software 9.5 Other Applications 10 Healthcare Fraud Analytics Market, By End User 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Public & Government Agencies 10.2.1 Public & Government Agencies Dominate the Healthcare Fraud Analytics Market, By End User 10.3 Private Insurance Payers 10.3.1 Private Insurance Payers are Focused on Deploying Analytics to Combat Increasing Monetary Losses 10.4 Third-Party Service Providers 10.4.1 Adoption of Fraud Analytics Solutions By Public Insurers Puts Private Bodies at Risk, Driving Attention Toward Outsourcing 10.5 Employers 10.5.1 Employers are Considering Fraud Analytics Solutions as A Step Toward Better Cost Management 11 Healthcare Fraud Analytics Market, By Region 11.1 Introduction 11.2 North America 11.2.1 US 11.2.1.1 US Dominates the Global Healthcare Fraud Analytics Market 11.2.2 Canada 11.2.2.1 Growing Adoption of Data-Crunching Technologies Like Predictive Analytics to Drive Market Growth 11.3 Europe 11.3.1 Germany 11.3.1.1 Germany is the Fastest-Growing Market for Healthcare Fraud Analytics Solutions in Europe 11.3.2 UK 11.3.2.1 Launch of Initiatives Such as Nhscfa Will Support the Market for Fraud Analytics Solutions in the UK 11.3.3 France 11.3.3.1 Increasing Adoption of Information Technology for the Detection of Healthcare Fraud - A Key Factor Driving Market Growth 11.3.4 Rest of Europe 11.4 Asia Pacific 11.4.1 APAC Market to Witness the Highest Growth in the Healthcare Fraud Analytics Market During the Forecast Period 11.5 Latin America 11.5.1 Volume of Claims Processing is Expected to Increase in Latin American Countries Owing to the Increasing Penetration of Health Insurance 11.6 Middle East & Africa 11.6.1 Healthcare Fraud is One of the Leading Crimes in South Africa 12 Competitive Landscape 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Competitive Situation and Trends 12.2.1 Mergers, Acquisitions, and Joint Ventures 12.2.2 Collaborations, Partnerships, and Agreements 12.2.3 Expansions 12.3 Competitive Leadership Mapping 12.3.1 Visionary Leaders 12.3.2 Innovators 12.3.3 Dynamic Differentiators 12.3.4 Emerging Companies 13 Company Profiles 13.1 IBM 13.2 Optum (a Part of Unitedhealth Group) 13.3 Cotiviti Holdings, Inc. 13.4 Fair Isaac Corporation 13.5 SAS Institute 13.6 Change Healthcare 13.7 EXL Service Holdings, Inc. 13.8 Wipro 13.9 Conduent, Inc. 13.10 HCL Technologies 13.11 CGI Group 13.12 DXC Technology Company 13.13 Northrop Grumman Corporation 13.14 LexisNexis (a Part of Relx Group) 13.15 Pondera Solutions 13.16 Other Players Operating in the Healthcare Fraud Analytics Market 13.16.1 WhiteHatAI 13.16.2 Healthcare Fraud Shield 13.16.3 FraudLens, Inc. 13.16.4 HMS 13.16.5 FraudScope, Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/am0l93 Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. 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. Mayor Aja Brown Endorses Mike Bloomberg for President, Hosts Presidential Rally in City of Compton Few presidential candidates bring their message and campaign directly to the people most affected by the daily decisions made in Washington, D.C. But, on February 4, before a standing room only crowd at Comptons Dollarhide Center, that is exactly what the former New York City Mayor and presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg brought to Compton. The Bloomberg campaign is counting on California to launch his presidential candidacy into high gear. On Monday, Bloomberg addressed thousands of residents in Compton and picked up a key endorsement from Mayor Aja Brown, as well as Compton city council members Emma Sharif, Tana McCoy and Michelle Chambers. While other presidential candidates were focusing on the Iowa caucuses and the upcoming New Hampshire primary, Bloomberg focused his sights on California and brought a message of inclusiveness and accountability toa packed room of inquisitive voters, gathering to learn about the campaign as they consider what presidential candidate to support. Mayor Brown, who in addition to her endorsement, has also signed on to be a co-chair for the California Bloomberg campaign told the crowd, Im proud to endorse Mike Bloomberg for president because he has a real plan for all Americans. Mike has pledged a $70 billion commitment to invest in underserved cities to drive economic empowerment and close the economic gap between White Americans and people of color. His Greenwood and El Paso Adelante plans have the power to lift communities like Compton and change outcomes for generations. If you ask me, voters here deserve to hear from the candidates. Well, Im here and Im here to win, Bloomberg said. In just two months, weve built a strong statewide operation and were not taking any district for granted. Were opening up 20 offices across the state. ADVERTISEMENT Browns endorsement came several hours before Bloomberg visited the city for what his campaign billed as a Mike Bloomberg 2020 Organizing Event and Kickoff of the Get it Done Express Bus Tour with Mike Bloomberg 2020 Surrogates and Supporters. Compton has multiple needs and has recently made local and national news for desperately needing to improve the quality of the streets and the deteriorating infrastructure that has plagued the city long before Brown became mayor. The campaign, in a statement, said Mayor Brown decided to endorse Bloomberg because of his plan to address the infrastructure needs in urban communities and to reduce waste and bureaucracy by sending federal dollars to the local level. The campaign also focuses on job creation through investment in Compton and similar cities, which Brown feels is desperately needed. Brown also praised Bloomberg for having a proven track record of producing results and is committed to energizing and investing in our nations people with a real plan to create new economic opportunities and leveling the playing field for people of color. Brown is but one of several California mayors who have chosen to endorse Bloomberg for the 2020 presidency. The mayors include former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs. Mayor Tubbs, who is a national co-chair for the Bloomberg presidential campaign stated, As Mike Greenwoods Initiative illustrates, he understands the damage of institutional racism and knows what we need to do to uplift the African American community. By creating one million new Black homeowners and 100,000 new Black owned businesses, Mike will help tackle the fundamental challenge of creating generational wealth in communities of color. At the end of the day, Americans are tired of talk; they want action, and Mike knows how to get things done. New Delhi, Feb 6 : Remaining firm on the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the National Population Register (NPR) was a general administrative exercise and will help in effective delivery of government services, hinting his resolve to carry out the Census. Replying to the debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's address in the Rajya Sabha, Modi said the opposition was protesting against NPR for their narrow political gains, noting that all state governments had earlier given their approval through a gazetted notification, but some of them were now making U-turns. After the Prime Minsiter's speech and before the House adopted the Motion of Thanks, the opposition parties staged a walkout. Quoting the statements of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Samajwadi Party leader Ram Manohar Lohia, Modi attacked the opposition parties, especially the Congress. He also read out a 1947 resolution of the Congress to remind the main opposition party that it was protesting against something it had supported then. Modi said the Congress had earlier favoured citizenship to minorities from Pakistan. The Prime Minister also listed the achievements of the government and said that India's economic fundamentals remained strong. He said his government had cleared the roadblocks in the way of Goods and Services Tax (GST) and implemented it. He said as Chief Minister of Gujarat, he had flagged several issues related to implementation of GST and finally resolved them after becoming the Prime Minister. He targeted Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad, and said that in the last 18 months, several schemes have been effectively implement in Jammu and Kashmir. Modi noted that under the PM Awas yojana, only 3,500 houses were built earlier, but in less than two years, more than 24,000 houses have been built in J&K. The election will be "one of the most important for generations", Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said as he warned voters not to back populist promises and amadain economics when they vote on Saturday. Hosting Fine Gael's final campaign press conference in Carlow this afternoon, while flanked by ministers, he also cautioned against people writing the obituary just yet for his party. Fine Gael have set out what they would achieve in the first 100 days of re-elected to government. Mr Varadkar played down reports his ministers and TDs are at risk of losing seats in several constituencies and said he and the party would be fighting for votes right up until polls close on Saturday night. He said that students at Carlow in IT, when Fianna Fail were in power, would have been preparing to emigrate to Canada and the US. Mr Varadkar then added: It is going to be a very tight election, with the three major parties competing. He admitted there was an appetite for change but warned voters about their decisions. He asked whether they wanted to bring the country forward or backwards, risking everythng and not just the economy but democratic institutions of the state. That's what makes it so critical. Mr Varadkar outlined how other countries had seen a rise in populism and extremism, such as the election of US president Donald Trump. He added that he felt more worried about the country more than anytime since the crash. The Fianna Fail manifesto had contained typos and the party had flip-flopped on rent freezes, he said, while Sinn Fein was offering voters the "biggest con job" since the Fianna Fail 1977 manifesto with promised tax cuts. And that was amadain economics, he insisted. Data courtesy of The Irish Times Sinn Fein's new taxes would in fact hit businesses and this had not worked in East Germany or Venezuela, he added. Amid questions from reporters about his TDs and ministers potentially losing their seats, Mr Varadkar told people to not write the obituary just yet about Fine Gael. Mr Varadkar also rejected Fianna Fail's criticism about Fine Gael EU Affairs Minister Helen McEntee and her ability in office and said this was "bang out of order." Photo: The Canadian Press Monte Gisborne, his wife Daniela Luo and daughter Dominica Gisborne are shown in this undated handout photo. A Coquitlam, B.C., resident says he is "really hurt" that the Canadian government is not doing more to get permanent residents out from the city that is at the centre of a new coronavirus outbreak. Monte Gisborne is a Canadian citizen but his wife, Daniela Luo, and daughter, Dominica Gisborne are permanent residents who are still in Wuhan, in the Hubei province of China. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Monte Gisborne A British Columbia man says he's "really hurt" that the Canadian government is not doing more to get permanent residents out of the city at the centre of a new coronavirus outbreak. Monte Gisborne, who lives in Metro Vancouver, is a Canadian citizen but his wife, Daniela Luo, and their daughter, Dominica Gisborne are permanent residents who are still in Wuhan, China. "We have absolutely no direction from the government when they are coming home and what the plan is to get them home," Gisborne said Wednesday. He said discussions with authorities in Ottawa have been "cryptic, unclear ... lacking detail and lacking any hope." He said the government has told him it has no plan to help because they are not Canadian citizens. Gisborne and Luo have been married for about three years. A chartered plane ferrying Canadians from Wuhan is expected to land in Canada on Friday. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said more than 300 Canadians had asked for help to leave the country. Champagne told a news conference Thursday that some of the 211 people who were on the passenger list for the flight did not show up. Gisborne said his wife and daughter left Vancouver for Wuhan on Jan. 17 to celebrate Lunar New Year and had return tickets booked for Feb. 15. "There were rumblings in the media about the coronavirus," he said. The stories got "more ominous" and Gisborne said Luo and his daughter changed their return tickets to Jan. 28. The Chinese government announced a lock down of the Wuhan area on Jan. 23. Chinese health authorities reported over 560 deaths and another sharp jump in the number of confirmed cases to 28,018 on Thursday. The mother and daughter are staying about 10 kilometres from a wildlife market at the centre of the outbreak. "It's normally very busy," Luo said in an interview. "It's like downtown New York but it's empty now. No people walking." The family has been staying inside since the quarantine. Gisborne said despite having to be indoors, his daughter "refuses to crack a frown." She spends her time playing and learning Chinese, he said. "She has the most wonderful smile. That kid's smile lights up the room and keeps everyone more hopeful." He said he wants to see his family on the second Canadian flight out of Wuhan. A letter to Gisborne dated Feb. 3 from Ottawa says Chinese authorities have assured Canada that a permanent resident or a Chinese national may accompany a Canadian minor child who would otherwise be unaccompanied. "We will continue to advocate to keep families together but there is no guarantee that we will be able to," it says. "At the moment, the situation is evolving." Director Shekh Al Mamun speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the Asia Media & Culture Factory in Seoul, Jan. 20. / Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seok By Kwak Yeon-soo Shekh Al Mamun, a Bangladeshi documentary filmmaker, initially came to Korea in 1998 as a migrant worker. Al Mamun remembers that his decision to come to Korea was made with no particular purpose. His cousin, who had already settled here in 1995, advised him to follow his lead, an offer he accepted. "Once I quit college, I just wanted to earn money. In the 1990s, relatively rich Bangladeshis migrated to Japan or Europe. The not-so-wealthy people like me moved to other regions of Asia or to the Middle East," he said during a recent interview with The Korea Times. Although he barely knew the country and its culture, he quickly found a job at a furniture factory and adapted to Korean society. Since the early 1990s, Korea has recruited an increasing number of migrant workers through an industrial trainee program and the workers have toiled away in factories, on construction sites and on farms doing work Koreans shied away from. However, migrants at those workplaces often fell victim to abusive practices. Unpaid wages, limited access to proper healthcare, unsafe working conditions and questionable wage deductions were commonplace, according to Al Mamun. "Migrant workers are tied to their employers during the term of employment. The employer has an excessive level of power," he said. "The employer can kick workers out and threaten them with deportation." Al Mamun had similar experiences in the past. From 1998 to 2001, he was forced to work an average 10 hours a day with a monthly income of 750,000 won ($633). When he decided to quit and look for a better paying job, his employer refused to give him the retirement pay he was entitled to. It was then when he was introduced to Migrants' Trade Union (MTU), and with their help, he received 2.3 million won from the employer. "I joined the union in 2001 as an organizer for the human rights movement for migrant workers. Most of my films are inspired by the activities and issues discussed within the union," he said. While living in Korea, Al Mamun experienced countless acts of racism and xenophobia. "Migrant workers are exposed to verbal abuse and bullying," he said. "Koreans don't work in factories inhaling dust day and night. The migrant workers do the work that Koreans don't want to do. But the migrant workers cannot say anything because they're afraid of losing their jobs." In 2012, after spending 24 years as a factory worker, Al Mamun decided to focus on leading the MTU to create a better environment for migrants. Al Mamun, center second row, poses with his camera crew and those interviewed in his upcoming film "Birangona" in Sirajganj Bangladesh, in this November 2019 photo. Shown in the front row, from left, are Birangonas Korimun, Hajer Akter and Norjahan. / Courtesy of Shekh Al Mamun Soon after he was offered a job to work as a cultural activist at the Asia Media & Culture Factory, he had a life-changing experience he was inspired to become a filmmaker. Since 2013, he has produced nine short films on migrant worker-centered themes, several of which were invited to international film festivals. This domain is pending renewal or has expired. Please contact the domain provider with questions. During his trip to central Pennsylvania on Wednesday, Vice President Mike Pence grabbed a bite to eat at a diner in Lancaster County. Pence stopped at the Lyndon City Line Diner as he made his way to Cumberland County from West Philadelphia, LNP reports. Pence hosted the Women for Trump event in East Pennsboro Township. Accompanied by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Pence took the time to speak with people enjoying a meal at the restaurant. There was also a closed meet-and-greet with community leaders, including Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams, Rep. Lloyd Smucker, and business owners, according to the report. Owner William Quinn told LNP that Pence ordered a cheeseburger to take with him on his way to Cumberland County. Quinn called meeting Pence an awesome experience," according to LNP. 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. Patoranking 06.02.2020 LISTEN Nigerian dancehall act Patoranking has partnered the African Leadership University (ALU) to launch the ALU Patoranking Scholarship Programme. The scholarship aims to provide financial assistance to several young exceptional leaders and changemakers from across Ghana and give them the tools, skill set and connections to succeed at ALU. The idea for the collaboration was born from a conversation between Patoranking and Fred Swaniker, the founder of ALU and one of the world's 100 most influential people, according to TIME magazine. Patoranking recalled being accepted into the University of Cape Coast (UCC), but due to lack of funds, he wasn't able to further his education. He has taken it upon himself to discover and help more entrepreneurial spirits who would bring positive change to their home country and contribute to the world as a whole. I believe exceptional leaders and changemakers can come from anywhere. Financial constraints should not prevent the next great African innovators from gaining the tools, skill sets and networks to bring their ideas to life, Patoranking said while speaking at a school he visited in Lagos, Nigeria. The students chosen to be the inaugural ALU Patoranking scholars must be resilient, driven, innovative, creative, mission-driven, have demonstrated positive impact in their communities and come from a lower-income background. Beginning the 'Fall' semester in September 2020, the scholarship would cover education and accommodation expenses towards ALU at either its Mauritius or Rwanda campuses. For consideration, applicants must first apply and be admitted to ALU before applying to ALU Patoranking Scholarship. The closing date for applications is on March 17. ---Daily Guide ANCHORAGE, Alaska - A fourth suspect in the killing of a Palmer teenager has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Austin Barrett, 22, changed his plea Wednesday and was convicted in the death of David Grunwald, Anchorage television station KTUU reported. Grunwald in November 2016 was severely beaten with a pistol, driven to a remote location near the Knik River and shot in the head, according to investigators. Three others, Erick Almandinger, Dominic Johnson and Bradley Renfro, were convicted by juries of first-degree murder. Barrett is scheduled to be sentenced in October. Under the terms of the plea deal, he faces up to 45 years in prison and 10 years of probation. Barretts initial indictment on a first-degree murder charge was thrown out in January. A Palmer judge said police and prosecutors violated Barretts rights by continuing to question him even after he had asserted his constitutional rights against self-incrimination. Prosecutors were given until the end of February to decide whether to re-indict Barrett. Palmer District Attorney Roman Kalytiak said the ruling complicated the decision about whether to go to trial. Obviously thats a problem for the prosecution when the main piece of evidence is suppressed. That causes people to recalculate, Kalytiak said. Barrett also had offered testimony to help convict the others, Kalytiak said. Grunwalds parents were surrounded by supporters at the plea hearing. Edie Grunwald and others wore T-shirts that said, Justice for David. One of the good things about a plea bargain is that theres no appeals to have to deal with, she said. He can press forward with his sentence and his life and getting ready for his next phase of life, and we can put that part behind us. She said Barretts decision not to go to trial was significant. The fact that he would come forward and go ahead and plead guilty and waive a lot of those rights, accept responsibility, and be held accountable, you know, says a lot, she said. Russian Orthodox church wants priests to stop blessing nuclear weapons that can inflict indiscriminate loss of life. According to media reports, the Russian Orthodox church is discussing new guidelines that would require priests in the country to refrain from blessing weapons of mass destruction. Russian priests have long appeared sprinkling holy water on submarines, ballistic missiles, Soyuz space rockets and other pieces of hardware as part of rituals to bless them, which now the orthodox church wants to stop. Read: Maria Sharapova Is 'Unstoppable'? Russian Hints At Retiring Post Australian Open 2020 Loss Russian orthodox church guidelines As per reports, the Orthodox Church in Russia has developed closer ties with the ministry of defence in the last two decades of President Vladimir Putin's reign. Media reports also suggest that Putin has aligned himself with the Orthodox Church. According to reports, Russian armed forces are building one of the largest Orthodox churches in the world at a military-themed park outside Moscow. The church will serve as the symbol of close defence-church ties in the country. Read: Russian President Putins & Chinese President Xis Ruler-for-life Moves Pose Challenges To West "The blessing of military weapons is not reflected in the tradition of the Orthodox Church and does not correspond to the content of the Rite," the document, on the Moscow patriarchates website, said. The document further stated that the blessing or sanctifying of weapons must be excluded from pastoral practice as it is against the basic fundamentals of the church. According to media reports, the proposal will be discussed until June 1 and the public is also invited to take part in the debate. Read: 'Nehru Gave It To China', Laments Maj Gen Bakshi As Russia Backs India For UNSC Membership The Russian Orthodox Church, also known as the Moscow Patriarchate is one of the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Christian churches. The Russian Orthodox Church currently claims its exclusive jurisdiction over the Orthodox Christians, who reside in the former member republics of the Soviet Union, excluding Georgia and Armenia. Although the claim is disputed in Estonia, Moldova, and Ukraine as they have their own parallel canonical Orthodox jurisdictions. Read: HUGE: Russia Backs India For Permanent UN Security Council Seat; FM Gives Big Endorsement Reinforces Ongoing Commitment to Delivering Value to Stockholders LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill., Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CDW Corporation (CDW), today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.380 per common share to be paid on March 10, 2020 to all stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 25, 2020. This represents a 28.8 percent increase over last years dividend. Future dividends will be subject to Board of Director approval. Annual dividend increases are an important part of our capital allocation strategy, along with maintaining our leverage ratio, making strategic acquisitions and share repurchases," said Collin B. Kebo, chief financial officer, CDW. Since our IPO in June 2013, our dividend has increased nearly nine-fold and we have returned more than $2.9 billion to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends. We intend to continue to execute against our capital allocation priorities to deliver value to our shareholders just as weve delivered value to our customers and partners for over 35 years. About CDW CDW Corporation (CDW) is a leading multi-brand technology solutions provider to business, government, education and healthcare customers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. A Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500 Index, CDW was founded in 1984 and employs almost 10,000 coworkers. For the year ended December 31, 2019, the company generated Net sales over $18 billion. For more information about CDW, please visit www.CDW.com . Forward-Looking Statements Statements in this release that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including without limitation statements regarding the future dividends, earnings growth, leverage ratio and other strategic plans of CDW. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such statements. Although CDW believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. Reference is made to a more complete discussion of forward-looking statements and applicable risks contained under the captions "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in CDW's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and subsequent filings with the SEC. CDW undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by law. Story continues Investor Inquiries Brittany A. Smith Vice President, Investor Relations and Financial Planning and Analysis 847-968-0238 investorrelations@cdw.com Media Inquiries YEREVAN. The agricultural insurance pilot program has been introduced in Armenia, and it has several components: early frost insurance, fire insurance, and hail insurance. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at today's Cabinet meeting. He noted that deadline for early frost insurance expires on February 15. "At least 50 percent of the villagers' financial expenses are covered by the government, and the frost risk premium will be recompensed by 60 percent," Pashinyan said. "We want to call on the farms to take advantage of these opportunities." He recalled that there had been cases in the past when relief assistance was provided by the government to farmers affected by hailstorms. "Relief because it did not cover all the expenses," the prime minister emphasized. A political decision has been made that the money we have to give to the villagers after the disasters, and even more, we invest in insurance today. (...). This means that if the villagers did not benefit from insurance, we can no longer be able to make a decision and assist those villagers in the future. " It was also mentioned that agricultural insurance for grapes and apricots is available in Ararat, Armavir, Aragatsotn, Kotayk, Vayots Dzor, and Tavush provinces. Iowa Democrats and anyone else who wants to maintain the states first-in-the-nation caucuses needs to get up, brush yourself off and move forward, according to a longtime Democrat now in crisis management. So far, Iowa Democratic Party officials have done a good job of facing the music in the aftermath of Mondays caucuses that produced no results until Tuesday afternoon, said Joe Shanahan of the LS2 Group in Des Moines. Party Chairman Troy Price blamed a coding error in a phone app used as an option for local precinct official to relay results to the state party. More importantly than the explanation, said Shanahan, who worked for the party in almost pre-computer days when we didnt own cellphones, credited Price for owning up to the debacle. Troy recognized it was unacceptable and, on behalf of the party, he apologized to everyone who expected quicker results, to Democrats in Iowa and around the nation, Shanahan said. Hes clearly not happy about it. Hes got to maintain that sincerity and humbleness and mean it. I think he does. But he might have done that sooner, former Iowa Democratic Party spokeswoman Carrie Giddins Pergram told Campaigns & Elections magazine. The party waited until 10:30 p.m. Monday before a spokeswoman said that due to data inconsistencies no results would be given. It might have helped if Price or someone from the party had spoken to journalists sooner because the media has to fill the void, said Pergram, who now teaches at American University in Washington. Eileen Wixted, principal of Wixted & Company in West Des Moines, doesnt work with political parties or candidates, but said the dynamics and properties of different crises are fundamentally the same. The response, she said, falls into two categories: operational, such as putting out the fire; and communication. In todays digital platform there is such a demand for information and instantaneous information, she said. In many cases, there is a tension in an organization between wanting to know everything about the crisis and communicating with the public. As party officials saw their world turning sideways, Wixted said, it appears they made a decision to protect the integrity of the results an operational response. The delay in communicating that may not have been intentional, but opened the door to speculation. Back in the day when I anchored television news, we gathered all of the news, and everything that was fit to read at 6 oclock we read, she said. Audiences were used to waiting. Now we have an audience that expects to have a Google notification, to get a push alert when something happens. When those notifications dont come, in the absence of information, people will believe the worst, Wixted said. We all know technology sometimes lets us down. People can understand that, she said. The party acknowledged that it let people down in terms of the timeliness of results, but it did uphold whats very important to Iowans the integrity of the process and the integrity of the results. The breakdown in the process will not be quickly forgotten, Wixted said, but we tend to move on to the next thing. The Iowa caucuses meltdown may be the story today, but the storyline will change. Theres the State of the Union, the non-handshake, the ripping up of the speech and now Mitt Romney comes out and blasts the president, she said of headlines out of Washington masking the caucus failure story. Price has promised an investigation, which Wixted believes is crucial in restoring confidence. They need to have a third party, independent in-depth investigation of what happened. They need to do that quickly. They need to have lots of people underneath the tent, perhaps including people from the different campaigns. What can they learn? Where did they fall down? she asked. When dealing with crises, Wixted applies the PEAR acronym people, environment, assets and reputation. In this case, no one was injured, there was no environmental damage and assets were not lost. This is a real reputational knock. Its going to take time to rebuild credibility and goodwill, Wixted said. A lot of the national media have spent time in Iowa. Theyve gotten to know Troy Price and all of the other people in both parties. My hope is that that type of relationship and good will over time like most business relationships and friendships will come into play and people will say, You know, that could have happened anywhere. At least we learned something. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-06 15:04:02 TO the Shareholders of AB Linas Agro Group NOTICE Vilnius, 5 February, 2020 Hereby we announce the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (hereinafter the Meeting) of AB Linas Agro Group, registered address Smelynes St. 2C, Panevezys, Lithuania, code 148030011, (hereinafter the Company) is convened. The date, time and venue of the Meeting 27 February, 2020 at 10.00 a.m., hotel Smelyne, Conference Hall (Smelynes St. 3, Panevezys, Lithuania). Accounting day of the Meeting is 20 February, 2020. Only the persons who are the shareholders of the Company at the end of the Accounting day of the Meeting shall have the right to attend and vote at the Meeting. The Rights Accounting day is 13 March, 2020. Only the persons who are the shareholders of the Company at the end of the Rights Accounting day shall have proprietary rights. Agenda of the Meeting. Amendment of the Rules for Shares Issue. Initiator of convening of the Meeting is the Board of the Company. The Meeting is convened by the decision of the Board of the Company, adopted on 5 February, 2020. Registration of the Shareholders of the Company starts: 27 February, 2020 at 9.30 a.m. Registration of the Shareholders of the Company ends: 27 February, 2020 at 9.55 a.m. The Company does not provide possibility to attend and vote at the Meeting through electronic means of communication. Persons who at the end of the Accounting day of the Meeting will be shareholders of the Company, or their authorized persons, or persons with whom an agreement on the disposal of the voting right has been concluded, will have the right to personally participate and vote at the meeting. A person attending the Meeting must submit a persons identification document. A person who is not a shareholder must additionally produce a document confirming his/her right to vote at the Meeting. Each shareholder shall have a right in the manner established by the Laws to authorize natural or legal person on his/her behalf to attend and vote at the Meeting. At the Meeting, an authorized person shall have the same rights as the shareholder represented by him/her, unless otherwise specified in the issued power of attorney. A power of attorney issued abroad must be translated into Lithuanian and legalized in the manner established by the Laws. The Company does not require a special form of power of attorney. The agenda of the Meeting may be supplemented by initiative of the shareholders holding shares carrying at least 1/20 of all the votes. The drafts of proposed decisions on proposed issues or, if the decision shall not be adopted, explanation on each proposed issue of the agenda of the Meeting shall be presented alongside with the proposal to supplement the agenda of the Meeting. The proposal to supplement the agenda shall be submitted in writing by sending it by registered mail to AB Linas Agro Group at the address Smelynes St. 2C, Panevezys, Lithuania or by e-mail group@linasagro.lt. The agenda of the Meeting shall be supplemented if the proposal is received not later than 14 days before the Meeting. The shareholders who own shares carrying at least 1/20 of all the votes shall have the right at any time before the Meeting or during the Meeting to propose new draft decisions on the issue already included or to be included in to the agenda of the Meeting. The proposed draft decisions must be presented in writing by sending them by registered mail to AB Linas Agro Group at the address Smelynes St. 2C, Panevezys, Lithuania or by e-mail group@linasagro.lt. The shareholders shall also be entitled to propose draft decisions on the agenda issues of the Meeting in writing during the Meeting. The shareholders shall have the right to present questions related to the agenda issues of the Meeting to the Company. The questions in writing can be presented not later than 3 working days before the Meeting, by providing the shareholders personal identification number and consent to process personal data by registered mail to AB Linas Agro Group at the address Smelynes St. 2C, Panevezys, Lithuania. Responses of general character shall be posted on the Companys website www.linasagrogroup.lt. The Company will not respond to the shareholder personally if the respective information is posted on the Companys website. A shareholder or a person authorized by him/her shall have right to vote in writing in advance by filling in the General Voting Ballot. Upon a written request of the shareholder holding the voting right, the Company shall send the General Voting Ballot by registered mail not later than 10 days before the Meeting. The General Voting Ballot also will be provided on the Companys website www.linasagrogroup.lt. The filled in General Voting Ballot must be signed by the shareholder or by the person authorized by him/her. If the person who is authorized by the shareholder is voting, the document confirming the right to vote must be attached to the filled in General Voting Ballot. The document confirming the voting right must be in Lithuanian or translated into Lithuanian by authorized translator and his/her signature must be confirmed by notarius. The filled in General Voting Ballot and the document confirming the voting right must be submitted to the Company in written form not later than the last working day before the Meeting, by sending it by registered mail to AB Linas Agro Group at the address Smelynes St. 2C, Panevezys, Lithuania or personally to the Company. The shareholders can familiarize themselves with the documents, related to the agenda of the Meeting, draft decisions on each issue of the agenda, documents to be submitted to the Meeting, and other information regarding execution of the shareholders rights, in the website of the Company www.linasagrogroup.lt, also at the Companys office during business days from 8.00 a.m. till 12.00 a.m. and from 1.00 p.m. till 5.00 p.m. On the day the Meeting is convened the total number of the Company's shares is 158,940,398, and the number of shares granting voting rights is 158,169,426. The own shares in amount of 770,972 acquired by the Company do not grant voting rights. The ISIN code of the Company's shares is LT0000128092. Sincerely, Chairman of the Board Darius Zubas Attachments (CNN) French police are investigating the murder of a Chechen blogger, who was a vocal critic of President Ramzan Kadyrov, in a hotel room in Lille. The victim, identified to CNN as Imran Aliev, ran a YouTube channel criticizing the Chechen regime backed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. French officials said Aliev, 44, "suffered a violent death." Investigators believe he knew his killer, a source close to the investigation told CNN Tuesday. According to the source, two individuals checked into the hotel room last Wednesday; on Thursday at approximately 11 a.m. local time the manager went to check on the guests and discovered Aliev's body. The second man had disappeared. A manhunt is underway to find the 35-year-old Chechen man who police believe is the number one suspect, the source told CNN. A knife found at the scene has been sent to a forensic laboratory for analysis, according to the source. Police suspect motive is political Police have launched a murder investigation, but no arrests have been made. The source said police believe the motive for the killing may be political. It is the latest in a number of high-profile murders of Chechen dissidents living in Europe in recent years, with rights groups warning the killings are a warning from Moscow. Musa Taipov, a Chechen journalist who lives in France, pointed the finger at Moscow in a Facebook post about his friend Aliev's death. "I strongly suspect Russia, in through its special services, extremely interested in the conflict, in the civil strife between the peoples of the Caucasus," he wrote on Facebook last week. CNN contacted the Kremlin for comment, but had not received a response at time of publishing. Aliev had four children and lived in Belgium, Taipov said, adding that he had been "in constant contact on WhatsApp," with him. Murder a 'warning to others' Mansur Sadulaev, who is chairman of the Chechen Human Rights Association (VAYFOND), based in Sweden, told CNN that Aliev was known for his "harsh and offensive remarks" about people of the Caucasus as well as his criticism of the Chechen regime. Sadulaev also blames Moscow for the murder. "He was killed as a warning to others, thus trying to intimidate everyone who criticizes 'Russian protege' in Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov." Kadyrov is a former warlord known for his brutality -- and for his allegiance to Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Opponents of the Russian regime and supporters of the independence of the Chechen Republic, especially those who express themselves openly, are in constant danger both in the EU and in any other country," Sadulaev said. "Among the many murders and murder attempts on opponents of the Russian regime there is the recent assassination of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili in Berlin," Sadulaev added. Chechen dissident Zelimkhan Khangoshvili was shot and killed in Berlin in August while on his way to midday prayers at a nearby mosque. Khangoshvili had fought in the second Chechen war, alongside fellow Chechen insurgents against Russian federal forces. A suspect, who was carrying a Russian passport, was arrested within hours. But months later, the case is still in limbo: the suspect won't talk, the Kremlin denies involvement, and Germany refuses to point the finger at Moscow without definitive evidence. The reason: A drunken dare! I was at the Sydney Mardi Gras, making a bunch of strangers laugh. They asked me if I was a comedian, to which I replied: No, I train tigers, which was my day job at the time. Very quickly, my friend dared me to do an open mic night. Five years on, I think we can all agree the dare has gone too far. The money: The money varies but the best part is I get to claim my dog as a tax deduction due to him joining me on stage! Transferable skills: Who would have thought comedy and animals would go hand in hand? But they do! Because of the lack of female television animal experts and my comedy element, I often get asked to be an animal expert on TV, ranging from Australian to international television. I've appeared on everything from Comedy Centrals The Jim Jefferies Show (as a dingo expert) to Studio 10 as a goldfish trainer. If I was starting from scratch, I would: I would have started my web series Celebrities Patting Animals sooner. Each episode, I get to interview a celebrity while he or she is interacting with an animal. I love making these and I wish I hadnt hesitated at the beginning as there is nothing like this series out there. My end goal is to interview George Clooney in the Galapagos Islands with a giant tortoise. Hardest time: I have hardly any time to myself. If I get one day off a week, Im lucky. I love both my jobs and want to give 100 per cent to both, which more than often means working almost every day. That means life is all about time management - something I learnt very quickly how to master. And lists - lots of to-do lists! I'm also very lucky to have an amazing bunch of people supporting me. Friends will come and help with my stand-up shows, working backstage, selling merchandise and wrangling animals so I can concentrate on the performance. My mum even flew from the UK to help me with my shows at the Melbourne Comedy Festival! And of course, lets not forget that cheeky glass of wine - always helps after a crazy day. A well-known San Antonio husband and wife team of artists, whose work received national attention for representing the presidential campaigns of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Julian Castro, are relocating to Houston, the pair said in a news release. Artist Cruz Ortiz and his wife Olivia Flores Ortiz, who own the Burnt Nopal creative studio, said the move from San Antonio to Houston was something "we've been thinking about for a long time." Dividend paying stocks like Hong Kong Shanghai Alliance Holdings Limited (HKG:1001) tend to be popular with investors, and for good reason - some research suggests a significant amount of all stock market returns come from reinvested dividends. If you are hoping to live on your dividends, it's important to be more stringent with your investments than the average punter. Regular readers know we like to apply the same approach to each dividend stock, and we hope you'll find our analysis useful. In this case, Hong Kong Shanghai Alliance Holdings likely looks attractive to investors, given its 4.6% dividend yield and a payment history of over ten years. We'd guess that plenty of investors have purchased it for the income. Before you buy any stock for its dividend however, you should always remember Warren Buffett's two rules: 1) Don't lose money, and 2) Remember rule #1. We'll run through some checks below to help with this. Click the interactive chart for our full dividend analysis SEHK:1001 Historical Dividend Yield, February 6th 2020 Payout ratios Dividends are usually paid out of company earnings. If a company is paying more than it earns, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. So we need to form a view on if a company's dividend is sustainable, relative to its net profit after tax. Hong Kong Shanghai Alliance Holdings paid out 156% of its profit as dividends, over the trailing twelve month period. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, from the perspective of an investor who hopes to own the company for many years, a payout ratio of above 100% is definitely a concern. In addition to comparing dividends against profits, we should inspect whether the company generated enough cash to pay its dividend. Unfortunately, while Hong Kong Shanghai Alliance Holdings pays a dividend, it also reported negative free cash flow last year. While there may be a good reason for this, it's not ideal from a dividend perspective. Story continues We update our data on Hong Kong Shanghai Alliance Holdings every 24 hours, so you can always get our latest analysis of its financial health, here. Dividend Volatility Before buying a stock for its income, we want to see if the dividends have been stable in the past, and if the company has a track record of maintaining its dividend. For the purpose of this article, we only scrutinise the last decade of Hong Kong Shanghai Alliance Holdings's dividend payments. Its dividend payments have declined on at least one occasion over the past ten years. During the past ten-year period, the first annual payment was HK$0.06 in 2010, compared to HK$0.02 last year. The dividend has fallen 67% over that period. A shrinking dividend over a ten-year period is not ideal, and we'd be concerned about investing in a dividend stock that lacks a solid record of growing dividends per share. Dividend Growth Potential With a relatively unstable dividend, and a poor history of shrinking dividends, it's even more important to see if EPS are growing. Hong Kong Shanghai Alliance Holdings's earnings per share have shrunk at 43% a year over 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. Conclusion When we look at a dividend stock, we need to form a judgement on whether the dividend will grow, if the company is able to maintain it in a wide range of economic circumstances, and if the dividend payout is sustainable. Hong Kong Shanghai Alliance Holdings paid out almost all of its cash flow and profit as dividends, leaving little to reinvest in the business. Second, earnings per share have been in decline, and its dividend has been cut at least once in the past. In this analysis, Hong Kong Shanghai Alliance Holdings doesn't shape up too well as a dividend stock. We'd find it hard to look past the flaws, and would not be inclined to think of it as a reliable dividend-payer. See if management have their own wealth at stake, by checking insider shareholdings in Hong Kong Shanghai Alliance 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. Deputy of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) Rozalia Biro, who chairs the Lower House Foreign Policy Committee, told a conference for the review of the committee's activity in 2019 that one of last year's achievements is the resumption of bilateral dialogue with Japan after one year and a half of total "silence". Rozalia Biro mentioned that last year she had the opportunity to meet with the Japanese minister for Gender Equality, with her counterpart in the Japanese parliament and with the president of the Romanian - Japanese group of friendship."I consider this to be my second most important success in 2019, not having been received, but having resumed the relations with Japan after one year and a half of complete absence of dialogue between Romania and Japan following the reception given to the Japanese Prime Minister in January 2017. Back then neither the government, nor Parliament sent a letter of apology. There was no dialogue at all between January 2017 until my visit to Japan in August 2019. The Romania - Japan dialogue resumed after that, which is extremely important," Biro said. AGERPRES The ordeal was Trumps impeachment trial on two charges. Senators voted 52-48 to acquit him on abuse of power and 53-47 to acquit him on obstruction of Congress. Wednesdays late afternoon vote was almost entirely according to political party, with all but one of the Senates 53 Republicans voting no on both charges. To remove Trump from office, 67 senators would have had to vote yes. Putin signs law introducing post of Russias Security Council Deputy Chair TASS, Sergey Bobylev 16:03 06/02/2020 MOSCOW, February 6 (RAPSI) President Vladimir Putin has signed bill establishing a new post, a Deputy Chair of the Security Council, into law. The document is published on the official website of legal information. Amendments are to be introduced into the Law Concerning Security. A nominee for the Deputy Chair of the Council is to be appointed to and dismissed from the post by the President of Russia, who is also to define the new officials powers. The post is to make its holder a standing member of the Security Council. The law came into force from the day of its official publication, on February 6. Earlier, the President of Russia Vladimir Putin appointed ex-Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev as a Deputy Chair of the Security Council by his executive order with a note that the federal law on security needed to be amended respectively. Russian researchers propose printing electrodes for lithium-ion batteries on an inkjet printer, which will reduce the electrodes' thickness by 10-20 times. This opens new perspectives for manufacturing compact electronics and transformer devices. A group of St. Petersburg scientists has proposed a new method of manufacturing electrodes for lithium-ion batteries that power laptops, smartphones and tablets. The researchers have shown that these elements can be printed on an inkjet printer, which will reduce the electrodes' thickness by 10-20 times and open up new possibilities for manufacturers of compact electronics. Their article has been published in the journal Energy Technology. How to achieve a bigger capacity for lithium-ion batteries but simultaneously make them lighter and more compact is a concern of many engineers of hi-tech companies. It is the battery's size and capacity that determines how heavy a laptop will be, how much time a smartphone will be able to work without needing a recharge for, and how far an electric car will go. Today's standard methods of lithium-ion batteries manufacturing do not allow for a significant increase in their weight or size without necessitating a loss in their battery capacity. To achieve this result, a change in the production of battery components is necessary. A group of St. Petersburg scientists from ITMO University, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and the Ioffe Institute has proposed a technology using which the thickness of the cathode material level could be reduced by 10 or even 20 times. This will provide an opportunity for reducing the size and weight of the entire battery, as a standard tablet or laptop battery can have hundreds of these layers. "We've developed the ink for inkjet printing of the cathode material," says Denis Kolchanov, a PhD student at ITMO's SCAMT Laboratory who co-authored the article. "We've managed to apply a layer of about 5 micrometers in thickness on the current collector. Existing industrial samples use cathode materials with a thickness of 100 micrometers. Laboratory samples created on the basis of other technologies give a thickness of 50 micrometers. Therefore, we were able to reduce the thickness by 10-20 times. It's not possible to make an ever smaller layer with this technology, because a short circuit will occur." The researchers have recently confirmed the operability of the printed cathode material in order to prove that the technology can be used to create a smaller working battery with similar properties. In theory, this development can have another useful effect. The printing of ultra-thin current collectors with a cathode material can allow scientists to create a flexible battery that does not deform when bent. This is important because today, hi-tech companies face a difficult task: on the one hand, users want their gadgets to be lightweight and compact, while on the other, people enjoy watching pictures and videos from as large a screen as possible. Apart from that, there is a growing demand for transformer devices that can be used both as tablets and laptops. Foldable and extendable gadgets are designed to solve these problems. Such devices were presented at the CES 2020 exhibition that took place at the very beginning of 2020. In order to develop such a device, engineers have to think not only about its screen and case but also the placement of a standard lithium-ion battery. Ideally, the battery of the transformer tablet should bend along with the case. "In theory, our development can be used to create such devices," explains Denis Kolchanov. "There is a huge possibility that thin electrodes will be more flexible since they will not deform when bent. This will allow us to use them in transformer devices." ### Reference: Inkjet Printing of Li?Rich Cathode Material for Thin?Film Lithium?Ion Microbatteries. Denis S. Kolchanov, Ilya Mitrofanov, Artem Kim, Yury Koshtyal, Aleksander Rumyantsev, Ekaterina Sergeeva, Alexandr Vinogradov, Anatoly Popovich, Maxim Yu. Maximov. Energy Technology. 24 October 2019. ITMO University (St. Petersburg) is a national research university and Russia's number-one higher education institution in the field of information and photonic technologies. The university is a leader of Project 5-100, the Russian academic excellence program. ITMO is the alma mater of winners of numerous international programming competitions such as ICPC (ITMO's team is the world's one and only seven-time ICPC champion), Google Code Jam, Facebook Hacker Cup, Yandex Algorithm, Russian Code Cup, and Topcoder Open. The university's priority research areas include IT, Photonics, Robotics, Quantum Communications, Solution Chemistry and Advanced Materials, Translational Medicine, Urban Studies, Art & Science, and Science Communication. In 2016, ITMO University received the UNESCO Medal "For the Development of Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies" for its unique environment that unites science, education and innovations. Since 2016, ITMO University has been a constant feature in the world's top 100 universities in Computer Science according to the Times Higher Education (THE) subject ranking. In 2019, the university made its debut in the world's top 100 universities in Automation & Control, and strengthened its position in Nanotechnology (top 300) and Materials Science (top 400) in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) of Shanghai Ranking (Academic Ranking of World Universities, ARWU). According to the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) subject rankings for 2019, ITMO University is one of the world's top 300 universities in Engineering & Technology and Physics & Astronomy; it also became the only Russian university to be featured in the QS Art & Design subject group (top 200 universities). In 2019, ITMO University was featured in the world's top 500 higher education institutions according to THE and QS World University Rankings, and represented in 13 subject rankings published by ARWU, THE and QS. IT's MOre than a University! Moscow's top diplomat has warned his government would take responsive measures to an upcoming, massive U.S. military deployment and U.S.-led exercises across multiple European states bordering Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told official government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta in an interview Monday that "naturally, we will react" to the NATO Western military alliance's Defender-Europe 20 exercise, which is due next month to begin facilitating the largest U.S. military deployment to Europe in 25 years. The majority of the drills are set to take place in May and June, involving some 36,000 personnelincluding 25,000 from the U.S.across Germany, Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. "We cannot ignore these processes, which are of great concern, but we will respond in such a way that does not create unnecessary risks," Lavrov added. "It's unavoidable. I hope that any normal military official and politician understands this. Those who provoke this kind of absolutely unjustified doctrine want a response in order to continue to escalate tensions. But it's worth noting that everything that we do in response to the threats created by NATO members to our security we do exclusively on our own territory. Just like all our nuclear weapons are on our territory, unlike American nuclear weapons." Newsweek reports in its article RUSSIA SAYS IT 'WILL REACT' TO MASSIVE U.S. MILITARY MOVE ON ITS BORDERS, 'IT'S UNAVOIDABLE' that U.S. Army Europe describes Defender-Europe 20 as "the deployment of a division-size combat-credible force from the United States to Europe, the drawing of equipment and the movement of personnel and equipment across the theater to various training areas." The large-scale movement is "linked" to six major U.S.-led exercises: Allied Spirit XI, Dynamic Front 20, Joint Warfighting Assessment 20, Saber Strike 20, Swift Response 20 and Trojan Footprint. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg insisted Monday that "Defender Europe is not directed against any particular country," according to an article by Agence France-Presse and Japan's Jiji Press featured in The Japan Times and shared by NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu. "Russia has every right to feel secure within its borders, but so do our member states." In a statement sent to Newsweek, Lungescu said that "Defender-Europe 20 is a US-led exercise, which will comply with all relevant international commitments," including the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Vienna Document that deals with military activities. She said the U.S. has briefed OSCE members on the exercise, including Russia. "All countries have the right to hold military exercises, as long as they are conducted in line with international commitments. As the name makes clear, Defender-Europe 20 is a defensive exercise. It is not directed against any country," she continued. "It is about training in peacetime so that we can make sure that our forces can work seamlessly together in a crisis, anywhere in the Alliance. Everything that NATO does is about preventing conflict, not provoking conflict." "NATO is a defensive alliance. We do not seek confrontation with Russia," she added. "It is Russia's aggressive actions that have reduced stability and security and increased unpredictability in the Euro-Atlantic area. While NATO Allies are transparent in their exercises, Russia has never opened an exercise for mandatory OSCE Vienna Document observation." NATO was formed in 1949 as a collective security pact to defend against the Soviet Union and has since grown into a 29-member alliance that has expanded eastward to Russia's borders. Moscow formed its own Cold War-era treaty, the Warsaw Pact, in 1955, but the agreement fell apart along with the Soviet Union in 1991 and every sovereign member other than Russia has since joined NATO. Other nations such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania that gained independence from the Soviet Union have also joined the U.S.-led coalition, expressing concern that Russia was again attempting to assert its influence across the borders of Eastern Europe. Moscow, however, has argued that it was NATO destabilizing regional security by allowing the Pentagon to deploy advanced missile defense systems since Washington left the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in 2002. Both NATO and Russia have bolstered their flanks in response to growing tensions surrounding Ukraine in 2014, when Russian annexed the Crimean Peninsula in a disputed referendum and was accused by the U.S. and its allies of funding an eastern cross-border insurgency there. On Tuesday, four Russian Su-30SM and two Su-24M fighter jets attached to the Black Sea Fleet "carried out training bombing attacks on the location of the conditional enemy" in at the Opuk training ground in Crimea's Mount Konchekskaya. The U.S. also left the 1987 Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty last year after accusing Russia of developing a banned mid-range missile. The move has paved the way for both countries to deploy mid-range missiles not seen in Europe for decades. With another critical non-proliferation agreement, the New Strategic Nuclear Arms Reduction Treaty (START), on the line, Moscow has sought to immediately open talks to renew the agreement before it expires one year from Wednesday, something that would remove all limits and mutual monitoring measures for the world's two largest nuclear stockpiles. President Donald Trump's administration has instead sought a new, wider-ranging agreement involving more countries and new weapons platforms as both Washington and Moscow seek to modernize their arsenals. Russia is developing and has begun to deploy a number of high-tech and hypersonic weapons billed as invincible to the U.S., which has scrambled to establish its own such capabilities. The Pentagon has also charged Moscow with conducting low-yield nuclear warhead tests. Confirming earlier reporting by Newsweek and the Federation of American Scientists, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense John Rood announced Tuesday that the U.S. Navy "has fielded the W76-2 low-yield submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) warhead" as part of a strategy to counter moves by "potential adversaries, like Russia." AI can merge overlapping and incomplete medical datasets and then determine which variables are causative, giving new possibilities for old data; scientists at Babylon demonstrated the potential of the AI on data from tumors and protein structures A new Artificial Intelligence (AI) has allowed AI researchers, for the first time, to demonstrate a useful and reliable way of sifting through masses of correlating data to spot when correlation means causation. By fusing old, overlapping and incomplete datasets this new method, inspired by quantum cryptography, paves the way for researchers to glean the results of medical trials that would otherwise be too expensive, difficult or unethical to run. The research is being published at the prestigious and peer-reviewed Association for Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) conference in New York. Dr Saurabh Johri, Chief Science Officer at Babylon, said: "Until now, we have been limited to piecing together answers from studies that needed to capture all the data really neatly. But when we've seen a correlation between obesity and low vitamin D in one study, and obesity and heart failure in another, we have not been able to say whether vitamin D has a causal role in heart failure without doing another, hugely expensive clinical trial. Now we can put the pieces of the jigsaw together." Dr Ciaran Lee, Senior Research Scientist at Babylon and Honorary Senior Research Associate at UCL, explained "Scientists have it hammered into them that correlation does not mean causation; ice-cream sales don't cause sunburn despite rates of both shooting up during the summer. To find the exact cause of sunburn we whittle down or control as many variables as possible. Then when our datasets show that a change in sun exposure matches a change in sunburn, we can be confident the sun exposure was the causative variable. The problem is the real world is rarely neat and tidy and it can be really hard to control all the variables and work out which is causative." Scientists started looking for other ways to help spot causative variables. A theory born from physics suggests that everything becomes more disordered and complicated with time, so a cause should be less disordered and complex than its effect. Dr Lee said "If you take your dataset and give each of the variables a complexity rating you can work backwards and spot which one is the cause. But that just helps for that one dataset - we wanted to see if there was a way of combining datasets, ones with gaps or where researchers were asking different questions to what they're interested in now. That could be a game-changer." Dr Lee was inspired by quantum cryptography. The strange laws of quantum physics mean that two users can send a message and then use a mathematical formula to prove whether someone else is eavesdropping on their conversation. Dr Lee realised that datasets could work in a similar way, but thinking of a potential causative variable from another dataset as the eavesdropper. "If one dataset shows us that obesity causes heart disease, and another shows vitamin D causes obesity we can use a mathematical formula to prove whether vitamin D causes obesity or not. This is what our AI is doing." "We combined multiple correlating variables from incomplete medical datasets and showed, with a high degree of confidence, which correlations mean causation" said Dr Lee. "I am genuinely excited at what this AI can do. This obviously isn't a magic wand that will give us all the answers but there are so many studies with missing data, where researchers wish they had tested for something else and could combine it with a study someone else had done, or had thought to ask their questions in a different way. Now they can. Whether it's the effectiveness of cancer drugs, impact of statins or antidepressants, pesticides or air pollution, the AI should be able to cope with it all." The researchers tested the AI on breast cancer and protein-signalling datasets, along with synthetic datasets that were designed to be particularly complex. In each case, the AI found the causative variable. In one case it assessed two separate breast tumour datasets, one measuring the perimeter of a breast tumour and the other its texture, and correctly reported that neither caused the other - instead they were both caused by whether the tumour was malignant or benign. Similarly, the AI also determined the signalling structure between two collections of proteins, even whilst missing joint data from a number of the proteins in each dataset. The algorithm used in the research is available in the paper and on the open access site arXiv so that scientists across the world can use it to reassess overlapping and incomplete datasets. The datasets that were tested are all open-access so that other scientists can verify the research. ### Peer-reviewed/Modelling & Observational Study/Medical data (Newser) Gayle King's interview with Lisa Leslie hit on many topics surrounding the life and death of Kobe Bryant, who was good friends with the WNBA player. But the clip CBS chose to pull out as a promo fixated on one question in particular: King asking Leslie about the 2003 rape allegation against Bryant. Many got angry at King, and now King is airing her anger at the network, USA Today reports. "If I had only seen the clip that you saw, I would be extremely angry with me too," she says in a two-part video posted to Twitter. "I am mortified, I am embarrassed, and I am very angry. Unbeknownst to me, my network put up a clip from a very wide-ranging interview, totally taken out of context and when you see it that way, it's very jarring." She says she had no idea the promo was going to be cut that way, and promised to have an "intense discussion" with the network about it. story continues below King says that because the rape charge, which was ultimately dismissed, has been brought up in the wake of Bryant's death, she thought it was important to get Leslie's take on it. "It was very powerful when she looked me in the eye, as a member of the media, to say it's time for the media to leave that alone and back off. ... I asked follow-up questions because I wanted to make sure her position and perspective were very clear," King says. "For the network to take the most salacious part, when taken out of context, and put it up online, for people who didn't see the whole interview is very upsetting to me," King said. The Root says the entire incident reveals "how much further we have to go": "It would be deeply dishonest to say [the rape case] has no bearing on Bryants legacy." (Read more Kobe Bryant stories.) Venezuelas Guaido Meets Trump as He Wraps Up International Tour WASHINGTONVenezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido on Wednesday scored a long-sought meeting with President Donald Trump, a high point on an international tour aimed at bolstering support for Guaidos U.S.-backed campaign to oust long-time ruler Nicolas Maduro. Guaido left the White House with the one thing coveted by every leader who visits: an Oval Office photo opportunity with the American president. Soldiers lined the White House driveway as Guaido arrived for the afternoon meeting. Trump stepped onto a red carpet and into a damp chill to welcome Guaido and escort him to the Oval Office for a private meeting after a stroll along the colonnade. Guaido sported a red tie, just like Trump. A day earlier, Guaido was a guest at Trumps State of the Union address. Lawmakers applauded as Trump introduced Guaido as Venezuelas true and legitimate leader and called Maduro a tyrant. President Donald Trump welcomes Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido to the White House on Feb. 5, 2020. ( Evan Vucci) The White House said Guaidos visit was an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to the people of Venezuela. The leaders were to discuss how the United States can work with Guaido to expedite a democratic transition in Venezuela that will end the ongoing crisis. Vice President Mike Pence and Guaido met at the Capitol before Pence left on a trip to Pennsylvania. Also attending were Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, both Florida Republicans. The United States and nearly 60 other governments say Maduros 2018 election was illegitimate and that Guaido, as leader of the countrys National Assembly, should be named interim president under Venezuelas constitution. These countries blame Maduros socialist policies for a political and economic crisis threatening regional stability. Maduro, however, remains in control, having faced down a failed military uprising, a brief renewal of mass anti-government protests, and sanctions and other U.S.-backed efforts to force him to leave office. Guaido slipped out of Venezuela at a time when he had few options left and was struggling to draw significant numbers of people into the street to protest against Maduro. Guaidos momentum saw an upturn in early January, when he was seen attempting to jump a fence after being blocked by armed riot police from entering the National Assembly legislative building in widely published images. Mr. President, please take this message back to your homeland, Trump told Guaido during Tuesdays speech. All Americans are united with the Venezuelan people in their righteous struggle for freedom. The White House said the United States will continue to work with countries in the region to confront the illegitimate dictatorship in Venezuela and ensure a democratic and prosperous future for its people. Trumps national security adviser, Robert OBrien, called on Russia, China, and Cuba to end their support for Maduro. OBrien said Maduro lacks his peoples support and is exercising tyranny over them. We call on the Chinese, the Russians and the Cubans to knock it off and to get out of Venezuela and let the Venezuelans control their own destiny, OBrien said Wednesday to a group of ambassadors to the United States. Russia has a political, military and economic alliance with Venezuela that was forged under Maduros predecessor, Hugo Chavez. Venezuela is struggling to pay back billions of dollars in loans from Russiaabout half owed to Russias state-owned oil company Rosneft. OBrien said the Trump administration would consider during the next several weeks whether to impose U.S. penalties on Rosneft for helping provide a monetary lifeline to Maduro. Venezuela has been a priority in Latin America for the Trump administration, which a year ago was the first among a coalition of governments to recognize Guaido as president. President Donald Trump welcomes Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido to the White House on Feb. 5, 2020. (Evan Vucci/AP) The administration has undertaken what it describes as a maximum pressure campaign of sanctions and other measures designed to hasten Maduros departure from office, but he has remained. Guaidos attendance at Tuesdays speech came as a surprise as he has sought for some time to secure a meeting with Trump, his most important international ally. Guaido visited Miami on Saturday, not far from where Trump spent the weekend at his home in Palm Beach, Florida, but the leaders did not meet then. Guaido has been on a two-week world tour that took him first to Colombia, then across Europe and Canada, where he sought more international help to oust Maduro. Maduro early last year banned Guaido from leaving the country, ordering an investigation after accusing him of violating the constitution by challenging the regime. This is the second time hes disobeyed the ban, both times leaving to rally international support at the risk of arrest upon his return. The administration on Wednesday promised very significant consequences for Maduro if he interferes or harms Guaido when he returns to Venezuela. By Darlene Supervill. A banker has quit his job to launch a successful plumbing business - because he could earn more as a tradie. Alex Taskun was working as a banker making $90,000 when he decided the job wasn't for him and headed to Cambodia to start work as a plumber. When he returned to Australia eight years later he started GT Plumbing, which he turned into a booming business earning him in a six-figure salary. Plumbers are one of the highest paid tradies in the country, according to contracting website ServiceSeeking.com.au. Data found in the 2020 'Tradie Rich List' detailed the most lucrative trades, with plumbers topping off the list with an average salaries of $110,000. At 41 years old, Mr Taskun credits his successful business and six-figure salary to putting in lots of hours and building a relationship with his clients. Alex Taskun, owner of GT Plumbing in Sydney, decided to have a career-change and go into plumbing when he was 29 years old (pictured left before as a banker, and right as a plumber) Plumbers (GT Plumbing pictured) have the highest earning trade with an average salary of $110,000, according to the 2020 Tradie Rich List He said the key to his success is that he refuses to advertise on Google and hustles hard, working more than 16 hours a day at times. 'The hours I push in I hustle really hard, 16 hours a day, seven days a week,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'Sunday doesn't matter, public holidays don't matter. There's a difference between people who do 38 to 40 hours and people who put in 16 hours a day.' But he wasn't always a successful businessman. When he was 29, he chose to quit his nine to five job as a banker earning $90,000 per year and volunteered in Cambodia to help people getting sick from drinking bad water. 'People were drinking out of water tables and were getting sick and had cancer on the border of Vietnam and Cambodia, so I picked up plumbing,' Mr Taskun said. 'You can treat water and give them access to clean water.' Located in Sydney's inner-city, owner of GT Plumbing Alex Taskun (pictured), told Daily Mail Australia he moved into a plumbing career when he was 29 years old The 41-year-old was working as a banker when he went to Cambodia to volunteer and help people who were getting sick from drinking bad water Mr Tuskan decided to change his career when volunteering in Cambodia He split his time between Australia and Cambodia for eight years working as a volunteer with zero revenue, before returning three years ago. 'Three years ago I came back to Australia...I couldn't do it anymore because of all the trauma, I saw too much,' he said. Mr Taskun said he works with subcontractors, but they usually work eight hours a day, five days a week. The business-owner said one of his biggest challenges is finding good quality apprentices, because there is the 'perception you can just finish year ten and go be a plumber because they make good money'. But Mr Taskun said there is a lot that goes into being a plumber: 'You can die from cross contamination of water, we can cause carbon monoxide poisoning'. 'We are intelligent people, we study for seven years.' he said. Mr Taskun pays his 'top tier' staff up between $80 and $90 an hour, which equates to up to $720 a day. He said the key to his success is that he refuses to advertise on Google and hustles hard, working more than 16 hours a day at times The now-41-year-old was working as a banker when he went to Cambodia to volunteer and help people who were getting sick from drinking bad water Mr Taskun doesn't push his staff to work as long, with his subcontractors working eight hours a day, five days a week But his entry level staff get paid up to $450 a day, which can still come to more than $100,000. The 41-year-old said being a plumber takes a lot of self-discipline. 'It has to be an obsession. I work 16 hours but I don't feel it because I love what I do,' he said. 'If you love what you do and you're good at it, it helps you with discipline and it puts a lot in perspective. You're far more patient and you can learn how to put a bad situation into good.' AUSTRALIA'S TOP TEN MOST LUCRATIVE TRADES: Plumber - $110,000 Concreter - F107,500 Builder - $103,750 Flooring Company - $103,125 Carpenter - $102,424 Earthworks contractor - $94, 167 Bricklayer - $92,500 Building Designer - $91,111 Air Conditioning/Heating - $90,455 Lighting Installation - $90,000 Advertisement Mr Taskun said he lives a much more flexible lifestyle now that he is his own boss, with his family and friends understanding when he needs to leave dinner early for an emergency call out. When asked what advice he would give to those considering the trade he gave a major warning: 'You've got to be able to take the bad smell'. He said despite dealing with faeces everyday, some of the worst smells are grease and fat. 'I was asked once by a millionaire what I loved about my job literally as there was a s**t volcano coming out of his drain and I told him: "Doesn't matter who you are - everyone s**ts the same",' Mr Taskun said. 'We see the same thing every day. Day in and day out. It puts things into perspective.' Mr Taskun also warned plumbers need to work well under pressure, have to be ready to dig, and will succeed if they get along with people. 'It will help you out with commitment, you need a good support network,' he said. AS Baltic RE Group the real estate investor specialized in the creation and management of value-add and core portfolios in the Baltics since 2008, signed a large real estate office deal in Latvia, selling part of his Rigas portfolio to insurance giant Vienna Insurance Group which acquired three landmark office properties in Riga at Kalku street 12, Kalku street 15 and Brivibas boulevard 21. The deal defines a new benchmark in the market and demonstrates the huge potential in the smart historical buildings segment in Latvia. Colliers Baltics investment team has represented the seller in this transaction. Legal assistance was provided by Ellex Klavins for the buyer and Ecovis Convents for the seller. I am proud of having closed such a successful deal with VIG. We had talks for quite a long time and it allowed me to realize we have the same values and the same approach to investments: unique historical assets, unrivalled locations and prudent long term view. VIG is for sure the best possible player to pass the baton of owning buildings we have a special feeling toward. We will by the way continue our cooperation in future as on one hand we have been chosen to manage the sold properties and as the experienced common values can be a solid basis for further future achievements. About us, I can say that we will continue to significantly invest in the region in the coming years, being convinced that Riga and Latvia - which allowed us to invest with extraordinary success in a highly professional environment - represent a great opportunity as a destination for prime long-term investments. says Giovanni dalla Zonca, chairman of the Board, CEO and founder of Baltic RE Group. The Vienna Insurance Group is an international insurance group headquartered in the Austrian capital and listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange. Besides Austria, VIG places a clear emphasis on Central and Eastern Europe as its home market. With total assets of over EUR 50 billion, the group operates around 50 insurance companies in 25 countries, including Baltics. Even as Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has questioned the high costs and feasibility of the bullet train project, it has now emerged that the Union government has allotted Rs 5,600 crore for the ambitious project for fiscal 2020-21. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to complete the project linking the country's financial capital Mumbai with Gujarat's biggest city Ahmedabad by 2022, to mark the 75th year of Independence. Sources in the National High-Speed Rail Corporation said a provision of Rs 5,600 crore has been made for the 500- km rail project, modelled on the lines of Japan's famous bullet train. Apart from the Centre's contribution, there is also a move to get Rs 5,000 crore from Maharashtra and Gujarat, which own a fourth of equity in the project, in the form of extra budgetary resources (EBR), the Western Railway's 'Pink Book' said. It can be noted that in FY20, the two states collectively contributed Rs 1,000 crore in EBR towards the project. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has made a soft loan commitment of Rs 1.10 lakh crore to execute the project. The Union government-controlled Indian Railways has a 50 per cent equity stake in the project. In her budget speech last Saturday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted that the high-speed train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad would be "actively pursued". Thackeray on Tuesday likened the bullet train project to a "white elephant", saying a decision on it will be taken only after he is convinced it will boost industrial development of the state. "Who will benefit from the bullet train? How will trade and industry in Maharashtra get a boost because of it? If it is useful, convince me and then let's go before people and decide what to do," the chief minister said, adding that there should be a comprehensive discussion on its viability. The project has been facing stiff opposition from farmers and tribals whose lands are to be acquired. The bullet train may be a "dream project" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but when you wake up, it is not a dream, you have to face the reality, Thackeray said. "We have to see what is urgent and not take up something because we are getting a loan at zero interest or less interest. We acquire farmers' land for no reason and then look after these white elephants. This is not right," he said. The project was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in September 2018. At present, Indian trains run at a maximum speed of 180 kmph, and the introduction of the bullet train is expected to mark India's shift to an era of high-speed trains capable of hitting speeds of up to 350 km per hour. The bullet train will have 12 stations across its 500 km stretch. Of the 508.17 km-long bullet train corridor, 155.76 km will be in Maharashtra, 348.04 km in Gujarat and 4.3 km in Dadra and Nagar Haveli. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Researchers at Tel Aviv University have for the first time demonstrated the backflow of optical light propagating forward. The phenomenon, theorized more than 50 years ago by quantum physicists, has never before been demonstrated successfully in any experiment -- until now. "This 'backflow' phenomenon is quite delicate and requires exquisite control over the state of a particle, so its demonstration was hindered for half a century," explains Dr. Alon Bahabad of the Department of Physical Electronics at TAU's School of Electrical Engineering, who led the research for the study. "This phenomenon reveals an unintuitive behavior of a system comprised of waves, whether it's a particle in quantum mechanics or a beam of light. "Our demonstration could help scientists probe the atmosphere by emitting a laser beam and inducing a signal propagating backward toward the laser source from a given point in front of the laser source. It's also relevant for cases in which fine control of light fields is required in small volumes, such as optical microscopy, sensing and optical tweezers for moving small particles," Dr. Bahabad says. The study, published on January 16 in Optica, was conducted by Dr. Bahabad's graduate students Dr. Yaniv Eliezer, now at Yale University, and Thomas Zacharias. Light is similar to quantum particles in that both can be constructed from interfering waves. Such a construction, in which several waves are added together to produce a new wave, is known as a superposition. If a special superposition of waves, all propagating forward, is constructed, the overall wave can realize what's called "optical backflow." In their holography experiment, the scientists split and reassembled a laser beam in the form of light waves that propagated at positive angles with respect to an axis. The different light beams had to be constructed very carefully, with precise values for their strength and delay. Once the superposition was created, a small slit was set and moved perpendicularly to the beam to, in effect, measure the direction of the beam in different locations. The light escaping from the slit was revealed in most locations as moving at a positive angle. But in some locations, the light escaping the slit propagated at a negative angle, even though the light hitting the other side of the slit was comprised of a superposition of beams all propagating at a positive angle. "We used holography to create a clear manifestation of the backflow effect," adds Dr. Bahabad. "We realized at some point that we can utilize a previous study of ours, where we discovered the mathematical phenomenon known as suboscillation, to help us design a beam of light with backflow. "To conclude, if interfering waves, all going in one direction, are constructed in a special manner, and you were to measure the direction of propagation of the overall wave at specific locations and times, you just might find the wave going backward. This wave can describe a particle using quantum mechanics. This surprising behavior violates any intuition that we gained from our daily experience with the movement of macroscopic objects. Nevertheless, it still obeys the laws of nature." ### American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israel's most influential, comprehensive and sought-after center of higher learning, Tel Aviv University (TAU). TAU is recognized and celebrated internationally for creating an innovative, entrepreneurial culture on campus that generates inventions, startups and economic development in Israel. TAU is ranked ninth in the world, and first in Israel, for producing start-up founders of billion-dollar companies, an achievement that surpassed several Ivy League universities. To date, 2,500 US patents have been filed by Tel Aviv University researchers -- ranking TAU #1 in Israel, #10 outside of the US and #66 in the world. The AARP Tax-Aide program is operating nine sites in the west Houston and Katy areas through April 15. It started 50-plus years ago, said David Deeds, communications coordinator, AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Program, Texas 3, District 02. It was developed for seniors. Then it evolved for low-income people. For seniors and low income, its a big help to them, he added. But Deeds who has been based in west Houston near Memorial and Eldridge Parkway, said that hes worked with engineers from the nearby oil companies, who called the AARP Tax-Aide a good place to come. He formerly worked from Kendall Library until that closed because of Hurricane Harvey and now is based at St. Basil the Great Greek Orthodox Church, 1100 Eldridge Parkway. Tax-Aide hours at Jungman are 10 a.m.-4 p.m on Tuesdays and noon-4 p.m. on Thursdays. Hours at Mendenhall are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays. Tax-Aide hours at Hillendahl are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Wednesdays and 12:30-4:30 p.m on Thursdays. Tracy Gees hours are noon-4 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays. Hours at St. Basil are noon-4 p.m. on Wednesdays and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays. Top hits: Get Houston Chronicle stories sent directly to your inbox No appointment is necessary. People are asked to bring information on their income, including W2s, 1099s, IRA distributions. Seniors are asked to bring their end-of-year Medicare statement. A photo ID and a Social Security Card also must be presented, said Deeds. More Information West Houston tax sites Jungman Library, 5830 Westheimer, Houston 77057, 832-393-1860 Tue 10-4, Thu 12-4, Spanish spoken Mendenhall Community Ctr, 1414 Wirt Road, Houston 77055, 713-956-0881 Wed 10-3, Fri 10-3, Spanish spoken Hillendahl Library, 2436 Gessner, Houston 77080, 832-393-1940 Wed 11-3, Thu 12:30-4:30 Tracy Gee Community Ctr, 3599 Westcenter Drive, Houston 77042, 713-266-8193 Mon 12-4, Tue 12-4, Spanish spoken St. Basil the Great Greek Orthodox Church, 1100 Eldridge Pkwy Houston 77077, 713-208-1251 Wed 12-4, Sat 10-2 Katy tax sites Living Word Church, 16607 Clay Road, Houston 77084, 281-500-8913 Tue 11-3, Fri 11-3, Spanish spoken Maud Marks Library 1815 Westgreen Blvd., Katy 77450, 832-927-7860 Mon 10-2, Fri 10-2, Spanish spoken Cinco Ranch Library 2620 Commercial Ctr Blvd, Katy 77494, 281-395-1311 Mon 1-5, Spanish spoken Katy Library, 5414 Franz Road, Katy 77493, 281-391-3509 Tue 11:00-4:30 See More Collapse Its helpful if they bring last years return, he added. Walk-ins are asked to complete a form which is then reviewed by a Tax-Aide who also may ask questions to scope out what the return will be, he said. Some returns are complex, and others are simple. We have a computer program and start entering information, he said, as he compared it to what a person would do at home or if they went to a commercial tax preparer. According to a report by the National Society of Accountants, the average fee for a professional to prepare a tax form ranges from $176 for a Form 1040 and state return with no itemized deductions to $457 for an itemized Form 1040 with Schedule C and a state tax return. Breaking News: Get email alerts from Chron.com sent directly to your inbox When the Tax-Aide has completed his/her work, another AARP volunteer will go through the whole thing again as part of a quality review, said Deeds. We have 99-plus percent total accuracy, he added. We dont let them go out of there without it (the return) going through two reviews, Deeds said. When the process is completed, the paperwork is returned to the person along with a copy of their income tax return. We keep nothing except whats in the computer, said Deeds, who added that the return is eFiled with the government. Generally, Tax Aides know the same day if the return has been accepted, he said. Once and a while theres a question from the IRS and Deeds said they have the phone number of the person on whose behalf they filed and theyll call and say they need additional information. Its really an efficient process and no cost, Deeds said. Renew Houston: Get the latest wellness news delivered to your inbox Last year west Houston including Katy had just short of 3,000 returns, Deeds continued, which represents a decline. He attributes the decline to Hurricane Harvey flooding which forced people out of their homes and who then moved away. Because the Tax-Aide program also was forced to move from the Kendall Library, Deeds wants to let people know where they can receive the free help, which is provided on a first-come, first-serve basis. In some cases, a person may be asked to sit and have a coffee while they wait for a Tax-Aide or they may be asked to come back at another time. The last two sessions in April, we get the procrastinators come in, he said. He remembers occasions where someone has walked up on the last day and the Tax-Aides have to say that theyre sorry but theyre closed. From mid-February through March, its not a big wait, he added. Every tax year has changes in the laws. Returning Tax-Aide volunteers received this year a one-day training session for an update on the current requirements. Volunteers new to the Tax-Aide program received a week of training, said Deeds. This is Deeds eighth year in the Tax-Aide program. This is a ball. Im fully retired. I love the interaction with people. In a lot of cases you can really, really help people, he said. He talks of a woman whose husband had just died and she told Deeds she didnt know anything about taxes. I said, sit down and well take care of it. Thats a feel-good kind of moment. Tax preparation was a new field for Deeds who worked as an engineer before his retirement. A neighbor in his Barkers Landing subdivision one day asked if Deeds had ever heard of the AARP Tax-Aide program. He had not, but Deeds looked into it. I started and just loved it, he said. Tracy Maness contributed. The chancellor of the Australian National University, Julie Bishop said the university was looking at a range of options to support families that had made "considerable sacrifices" to ensure their children could get an education in Australia. "We don't want to disappoint them," the former foreign minister said. "It's a huge challenge for universities around the world." Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Thursday the government was consulting with the sector on measures to stop them hemorrhaging cash, including delivering more courses online after the sudden ban on all non-Australian residents from mainland China entering the country on Saturday. Loading Getting students to access learning material in China will pose a major challenge. Websites such as Google and YouTube are blocked and accessing them would require students to mask their location, putting them at risk of drawing the attention of Chinese authorities. Mr Frydenberg said there might also be opportunities "for some of the universities to provide quarantine" for those Chinese students who were coming to Australia. International Education Association of Australia chief executive Phil Honeywood, who represents the international interests of Australian universities, confirmed plans were underway to host students once the travel ban was lifted. "There will be urgent discussions with government authorities as soon as that decision to allow students into the country is made," he said. He said once the ban was reviewed on February 14, universities would be making strong commitments to ensure suitable quarantine arrangements were in place as most would "like to be able to teach students face to face". "Otherwise the damage done in terms of relations with domestic students would just be really difficult to overcome," he said. "They would probably have the option of an outer suburban or regional campus that did not involve interaction with other students until the time the virus had been declared contained." The University of Sydney, which said it was "developing contingency plans if the numbers of impacted students dramatically increase", has an outer-suburban campus in Camden, south-west of Sydney, used for veterinary and agriculture students. The University of Melbourne has an agriculture campus in Dookie, 220 kilometres north-east of Melbourne. The University of Queensland has a 1000-hectare rural campus in Gatton. Mr Honeywood said student accommodation providers, which house a high concentration of Chinese students, were also preparing for a quarantine period. "They've told me they'll have chartered buses to take students from their accommodation to the quarantined teaching area and bring them back, to make sure they're not interacting with the wider community," he said. University of Technology nursing student Bella Wang said she would consider the option of a quarantine if there were no extra fees. "If there are no problems after 14 days then we can go back to normal study and life," she said. University of Sydney student council representative and international student Abbey Shi said "99 per cent" of students in her WeChat group supported the quarantine idea. But they were still concerned about access to flights, the potential for disease transmission at the quarantine campuses, and that any temporary facilities were properly resourced. "If their course has lab classes, they want the facilities at the quarantine campus to have labs," Ms Shi said. University of Sydney student Iris Chen, who is stuck in Fujian province. Credit:Iris Chen University of Sydney student Iris Chen, who is stuck in China's Fujian province, said she was concerned the campuses might be located far away and was not sure how the university would accommodate everyone's needs, since students came from vastly different faculties. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Former Director of the National Security Service of Armenia Artur Vanetsyan announced about his plans to engage in active politics. I will make an announcement on my plan to engage in active politics and will try to be presented already at the political field. Engaging in political activity supposes creation, registration of a political force, which I am going to do in the nearest future. Soon a new political force will be established, political consultations are already being held for this purpose, and we will announce about the registration of our party very soon, Vanestyan said at a meeting with a group of editors of newspapers. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan "The Business Matchmaking Forum is one of ProColombia' s most relevant promotional activities. International buyers from all over the world will have the opportunity to see a great sample of Colombia's exports offer in the agribusiness, technology, manufacture and apparel sectors. American companies, which can take advantage of the free trade agreement with Colombia, will find a competitive offer of goods and services in our country," stated Flavia Santoro, ProColombia President. The meetings will take place in Plaza Mayor Convention Center from March 16 to 18, 2020. The Agri Industry sector will have representation from a wide range of areas, including aquaculture and fisheries, beef and pork, fruits and vegetables, and flowers; the Apparel sector will offer leather goods, footwear, bathing suits, and undergarments, among others; from Industry 4.0, there will be Digital and IT services and software development ; the Chemical Industrial & Consumer Goods sector will offer cosmetics, packaging and containers, pharmaceutical products, and hospital equipment; and the Manufacturing sector will offer construction materials, auto parts, furniture, wood and much more. Regarding the buyers, among those expected to attend are large retail chains, supermarkets, department stores, state companies, and distributors, as well as recognized international marketplaceswho sell directly to the final consumer or other companies through e-commerce platforms. It is worth noting that during the Bicentennial Matchmaking Forumhosted by ProColombia in 2019more than 10,000 meetings were held, which led to tangible business contacts worth US $400 million, 28% more than in 2018. This value includes the US $34.5 million in business deals made over the two days of the event. During that time, 937 buyers from 52 countries had the opportunity to meet Colombian talent, represented by 2,097 entrepreneurs from 25 Colombian departments. United States Companies that wish to register may do so by clicking on the following link: https://www.macrorruedasprocolombia.co/macrorrueda80/ SOURCE ProColombia Related Links https://www.macrorruedasprocolombia.co/macrorrueda80/ Yokohama: Ten more people aboard a cruise ship quarantined in Japan have been confirmed to have coronavirus, with hundreds more showing symptoms of the disease. It brings the total of confirmed cases on the Diamond Princess to 20, including two Australians who are being treated in a Japanese hospital. Almost 3700 people, including 236 Australians, are stuck on the ship, confined to their cabins as doctors go room to room to check on the health of the passengers. Of the latest passengers diagnosed with the virus, four are from Japan, two from the US, two from Canada and one each from New Zealand and Taiwan. LONDON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Noble Corporation plc (NYSE: NE) today announced that its report of drilling rig status and contract information has been updated as of February 6, 2020. The report, titled "Fleet Status Report," can be found on the Company's Website www.noblecorp.com, under the "Investor Relations" section of the Website. About Noble Corporation plc Noble is a leading offshore drilling contractor for the oil and gas industry. The Company owns and operates one of the most modern, versatile and technically advanced fleets in the offshore drilling industry. Noble performs, through its subsidiaries, contract drilling services with a fleet of 25 offshore drilling units, consisting of 12 drillships and semisubmersibles and 13 jackups, focused largely on ultra-deepwater and high-specification jackup drilling opportunities in both established and emerging regions worldwide. Noble is a public limited company registered in England and Wales with company number 08354954 and registered office at 10 Brook Street, London, W1S 1BG England. Additional information on Noble is available at www.noblecorp.com. SOURCE Noble Corporation Related Links http://www.noblecorp.com Sacramento, CA, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Greater Sacramento Economic Council (GSEC) is hosting a panel discussion at the 2020 SXSW Conference titled Setting the Standard: Creating Inclusive Economies. On March 15, 2020, the mayors of several California cities Darrell Steinberg, Mayor of Sacramento; Michael Tubbs, Mayor of Stockton; Libby Schaaf, Mayor of Oakland; and Christopher Cabaldon, the Mayor of West Sacramento -- are coming together with Barry Broome, the President & CEO of GSEC, to discuss the dynamic plans that are underway to help reshape their local economies and make them more inclusive. The Greater Sacramento Economic Council is the catalyst for innovative growth strategies in the Capital Region of California. At GSEC, Barry Broome is responsible for leading community-driven efforts to attract, grow, & scale new businesses, develop advanced industries, & guide new job-creation strategies throughout a six-county region. The mayor of Sacramento was responsible for proposing and winning voter passage of Measure U, a 1-cent sales tax that generates $50 million in annual proceeds. Measure U funds catalyst investments in underserved neighborhoods, with a particular focus on youth. Mayor Steinberg also recently won City Council approval to launch a $100-million affordable housing trust fund using Measure U proceeds a crucial step to reducing economic inequity. We are using Measure U to leverage millions more in private and public funding that will grow a broader economic base in our city and provide all our people with more opportunities to succeed, Steinberg said. Broome is a nationwide leader in economic development who has raised the economic profile of cities like Phoenix and Toledo. As President and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC), he delivered more than 50,000 jobs and 250 company locates to that region. Creating an inclusive economy lifts everyone up, so that underserved residents are not left behind, Broome said. Nationally, the economic gap between rich and poor is widening every year. The state of California has some of the richest and some of the poorest people in the United States, but also has some of the most dynamic leaders actively fighting to bridge this divide by creating more opportunities for full economic participation. Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs is dedicated to investing in the people of his city. He is the youngest mayor in the nation to represent a city with a population more than 100,000 people as well the citys first African-American mayor. Tubbs has secured more than $20 million in philanthropic capital to launch Stockton Scholars, a program that aims to triple the number of city students entering and graduating from college. He also launched the nations first municipal level basic income pilot, the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration that is supported by a $1 million grant from the Economic Security Project. Today, Stockton has turned a corner, and we are making national headlines for our innovative ideas -- from scholarships for our youth to our universal basic income program, said Mayor Tubbs. Our efforts have propelled our city to see some of the lowest crime rates in a decade and placed us on solid footing as one of the most fiscally healthy cities in the nation. In the Bay Area, Mayor Libby Schaaf created Oaklands first Department of Transportation, whose equity-based paving plan is the first of its kind in the nation and will make previously underserved neighborhoods safer while addressing the citys decades-old infrastructure backlog. Mayor Schaaf also helped launch KIVA Oakland, bringing 0% interest crowdfunded loans to hundreds of Oaklands small business owners. Oaklands view of economic justice focuses on the health and wealth of all residents, said Mayor Schaaf. Supporting residents through innovative no-interest lending programs, like KIVA, and forging an equity lens onto public projects so all roads get paved, in all neighborhoods ensures that we are moving toward a more fair, and just, community. Mayor Christopher Cabaldons work on transportation, housing and economic development is regarded as a national model for effective collaborative action. He has been laser-focused on development, including building new homes, a library, community college and new retail that is lifting communities into a more prosperous future. He has also spearheaded the development of Sutter Health Park, formerly known as Raley Field. West Sacramentoand Greater Sacramentohas emerged as a recognized force at SXSW, where we connect with social innovators, startups, technologists, and other unusual partners from across the globe to spark breakthrough solutions, said Mayor Cabaldon. Im excited to share our regional story of inclusive economic developmentour successes, our unfinished agenda, and our unmatched opportunities for collaboration, new ideas, and investment. While every city is unique, each of these leaders are successfully tackling obstacles in order to create an inclusive economy, and plan to share their insights on the national stage. Setting the Standard: Creating Inclusive Economies will take place on March 15, 2020 from 12:30 to 1:30 PM at the Hilton Austin Downtown, Salon B. The Greater Sacramento region will also be represented at a booth at SXSW. Attachment Rajkot, Feb 6 : Suryakumar Yadav's hundred helped Mumbai take a 212-run lead against Saurashtra at stumps on Day 3 in a Ranji Trophy clash here on Thursday. In-form Suryakumar smashed a six followed by a four and raced to his 14th first-class hundred, off just 108 balls, as Mumbai kept alive their hopes of making it to the knockouts. In all, Suryakumar struck 17 fours and three sixes in his 134 from just 130 balls. Mumbai were 252/3 at stumps,leading by 212 runs. Suryakumar's scintillating knock came to an end when he failed to connect a reverse sweep against Dharmendrasinh Jadeja and was trapped lbw. Meanwhile, captain Parvez Rasool bagged a match haul of 12/73 as Jammu and Kashmir thrashed Tripura by 329 runs. Apart from his exploits with the ball, Rasool also hit 17 and 56 with the bat to help his side gain six points. Set an improbable 449 to win, Tripura were skittled out for 119, with Rasool finishing with 5/28. For Tripura, MB Murasingh picked up 4/100 and 6/64 to register his maiden ten-wicket haul and scored 25 and 58 with the bat but lack of support meant he ended on the losing side. In another tie, Tamil Nadu won by an innings and 57 runs against Baroda. In Delhi, the home side trail by 186 runs with six wickets in hand against Gujarat in a Group A clash. Anuj Rawat top-scored with 133 as Delhi looked to consolidate their position. At Jamshedpur, Jharkhand trail by 266 runs with 10 wickets remaining against Chhattisgarh who had posted a mammoth 559 in the first essay. In reply, Jharkhand were all out for 242 and then were 51/0 at close of Day 3. Bengal require another 135 runs with 6 wickets remaining to script a win in Jaipur against Rajasthan and were 185/4 at stumps on the third day. Openers Koushik Ghosh (64) and Abhimanyu Easwaran (62) scored half centuries to give them a solid start before Rituraj Singh snared three wickets to keep the match. At Shimoga, Madhya Pradesh trail by 115 runs with 6 wickets remaining in the 1st innings against Karnataka. They were 311/4 at stumps on Day 3. Maharashtra declared after Ankit Bawne slammed a double century and was unbeaten on 204 before Maharashtra declared on 543/5, having taken a lead of 250, against Odisha. Apart from Bawne, Ruturaj Gaikwad (129) and Naushad Shaikh (100) also struck hundreds while Rahul Tripathi smashed a 48-ball 65. At close of play, Odisha were 24/0, trailing Maharashtra by 226 runs. On 28 January, US President Donald Trump unveiled his controversial peace plan, dubbed the Deal of the Century, which included recognition of Israels West Bank settlements, Jerusalem as its capital and very limited details on what any Palestinian state would look like. In light of accelerating developments, including Palestinian refusal of the American proposal, Al-Ahram Weekly provides readers with a timeline of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, ongoing for roughly 30 years. CAMP DAVID ACCORDS (1978): Sponsored by US president Jimmy Carter, Egypts president Mohamed Anwar Al-Sadat and Israels premier Menachem Begin reached a post-1973 war peace deal, the first to be concluded between Israel and an Arab state. Part of the agreement was the so-called Framework for Peace in the Middle East, which stipulated that Egypt, Israel, Jordan and the representatives of the Palestinian people should participate in negotiations on the resolution of the Palestinian problem in all its aspects. Many of its terms and conditions, including the establishment of a self-governing authority (administrative council) in the West Bank and Gaza for a five-year interim period, were included in the 1993 Oslo Accords. But the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) rejected the offer, consequently leading to a different diplomatic path than the one launched by Egypt and Israel through Carters mediation. THE FAHD PLAN (1981): This is arguably the first bid to solve the conflict following the Egypt-Israel Peace Treaty in 1979. During the Arab League summit in Moroccos city of Fez, then Saudi Crown Prince Fahd made an eight-point proposal. It faced strong Arab opposition as it implicitly recognised Israel, suggesting that, all states in the region should be able to live in peace in the region. The plan included Israeli withdrawal from all Arab territory occupied in 1967, including Arab Jerusalem, dismantling of Israeli settlements built on Arab land after 1967, a guarantee of freedom of worship for all religions in Holy Places, and an affirmation of the right of the Palestinian Arab people to return to their homes and compensation for those who do not wish to return. The plan also involved the creation of an independent Palestinian State with Jerusalem as its capital and putting the West Bank and the Gaza Strip under the auspices of the United Nations for a period not exceeding several months. MADRID CONFERENCE (1991): A Palestinian uprising erupted in 1987 in the West Bank and Gaza. The Madrid Conference came four years later amid dwindling Israeli tolerance for unrest. The post-Madrid years saw the finalisation of the Jordan-Israel Peace Treaty in 1994. James Baker, US secretary of state under US president George H W Bush, made nine trips to the Middle East before the Madrid Conference. Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria were all invited to attend. Palestinian representation came as part of a joint delegation with Jordan as Israel refused the presence of Yasser Arafat or other leading cadres from the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO). No agreement was reached in Madrid, though the conference paved the way for subsequent phases of diplomacy. OSLO ACCORDS (1993): Formally known as the Declaration of Principles (DOP), and emerging as an outcome of secret Palestinian-Israeli negotiations in 1992 and 1993, the Oslo Accords stipulated Israels withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the Jericho area and a transfer of authority from the Israeli military government and its Civil Administration to the authorised Palestinians in the domains of education, culture, health, social welfare, direct taxation and tourism. The Palestinians were also authorised to build a police force. Israel maintained, however, responsibility for defending against external threats. The issues of Jerusalem, settlements and military sites were left to be negotiated in permanent status negotiations. Oslo was supposed to be a five-year deal. Follow up talks started in May 1996. But Israel claimed that suicide bomb attacks in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv by Hamas in the same year had darkened Israels view on the peace process. The Oslo framework divided the West Bank among areas A, B and C. Area A included the main cities of the West Bank. Area B comprised the West Banks small towns and villages. Area C covered all Jewish settlements and areas of strategic importance to Israel, and largely unpopulated areas of the West Bank. Oslo I was followed by Oslo II in October 1995 that involved articles about the complete Israeli withdrawal from six West Bank cities and roughly 450 towns and a schedule for Palestinian Legislative Council elections. Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated one month later. CAMP DAVID (2000): Followed by another Palestinian Intifada in 2000, the Camp David talks in 2000 failed. US President Bill Clinton, following unfruitful rounds of talks, attempted to open a dialogue on the unsettled issues, including borders, Jerusalem and refugees. PLO chairman Yasser Arafat and Israels prime minister Ehud Barak failed to reach common ground. Arafat wanted a return to pre-1967 borders, while accepting Israels rights over the Jewish parts of the Old City of Jerusalem. He also demanded Israels recognition of the right of return for Palestinian refugees. Barak said he was ready to give back Gaza, a considerable part of the West Bank and extra land from the Negev desert to the Palestinians. In return, he wanted to maintain Israels settlement blocs and most of East Jerusalem. He also offered Islamic guardianship of Islamic holy sites in the Old City and a fund for Palestinian refugees. ARAB PEACE INITIATIVE (2002): Saudi Arabia presented a plan during the Arab summit in Beirut in 2002. It can be argued that it was very similar to Fahds plan in 1981. The Arab Peace Initiative stipulated full Israeli withdrawal from all the territories occupied since 1967, including the Syrian Golan Heights, to the lines of 4 June 1967, as well as the remaining occupied Lebanese territories in the south of Lebanon and establishment of a Sovereign Independent Palestinian State on the Palestinian territories occupied since 4 June 1967 in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital. In return, the Arabs would enter into a peace agreement with Israel, and provide security for all the states of the region and establish normal relations with Israel in the context of this comprehensive peace. Israel rejected the document, and the United States and Europe were seemingly not enthusiastic enough to back it. THE QUARTETS ROADMAP (2003): A US president, George W Bush, called for the first time for the establishment of a Palestinian state to live in peace and security with Israel. The Quartet, including the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United Nations, developed a follow-up plan. The roadmap revolved around the two-state solution, including a mechanism for direct talks. But it never materialised. ANNAPOLIS TALKS (2007): Bush was the mediator in talks between Israels prime minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The Quartet and many Arab countries also attended the Annapolis conference. We agree to engage in vigorous, ongoing and continuous negotiations, and shall make every effort to conclude an agreement before the end of 2008. For this purpose, a steering committee, led jointly by the head of the delegation of each party, will meet continuously, as agreed. The steering committee will develop a joint work plan and establish and oversee the work of negotiations teams to address all issues, to be headed by one lead representative from each party. The first session of the steering committee will be held on 12 December 2007, the two sides announced in a joint statement. Yet, talks failed due to Israels military campaign against Hamas in Gaza in 2008 and a corruption probe against Olmert in Israel. In 2010, 2013 and 2014, US president Barack Obama attempted to push Benjamin Netanyahus government to join a new peace process. But the construction of settlements, which Netanyahu temporarily halted for only 10 months in 2010, led to a diplomatic deadlock. *A version of this article appears in print in the 6 February, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Muslim litigants of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case here expressed dissatisfaction over the location of the site granted for building a mosque to replace the demolished Babri Masjid, saying it is too far from the city centre. The UP government has given the allotment letter to the Sunni Waqf board for the land in Dhannipur village in Sohawal tehsil in Ayodhya on the Lucknow highway, about 18 km from the district headquarters, state government spokesperson Shrikant Sharma told reporters on Wednesday. Speaking to PTI on Thursday, litigant Mohammad Umar said the site was not a prominent place. "The Supreme Court directed that land should be allotted at any prominent place in Ayodhya, but the allotted land is 25 kilometers away in a village and off the road, so this is not prominent place," he said. Another litigant, Hasbullah Badshah Khan, said, "The 1994 Supreme Court judgment in the Ismail Faruqi case clearly mentioned that the mosque and temple will be inside the 67-acre precinct. According to the November 2019 SC judgment, land for the mosque was to be given at an important place in Ayodhya. The plot identified is under Raunahi police station and in Sohawal tehsil, it is not even in Ayodhya." Reacting to the allotment of the land by the Uttar Pradesh government, Zafaryab Jilani, executive member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said renaming a town and extending its municipal limits does not mean that the land offered is still in Ayodhya. "The Uttar Pradesh government had renamed Faizabad district as Ayodhya during Diwali celebrations last year. In all court documents part of the litigation all this while, Ayodhya was a small town, a town of Faizabad. This Ayodhya cannot be equated to the new district created by the government now," he said. "Merely renaming a town and extending its municipal limits do not mean the land offered is still in Ayodhya," Jilani said. He claimed that though the land was being given to the Sunni Waqf Board, Muslim organisations, including the AIMPLB, as also the Muslim community, have denounced accepting the alternate land for Babri Masjid. The Supreme Court in a historic verdict on November 9 last year in the politically sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case backed the construction of a Ram temple by a government trust at the disputed site in Ayodhya, and ruled that an alternative five-acre plot must be found for a mosque in the Hindu holy town. Based on this verdict, the Centre had asked the Uttar Pradesh government to allocate 5 acres of land to the Sunni Waqf Board. The dispute over the site of Babri Masjid, a three-domed mosque built by or at the behest of Moghul emperor Babur, dates back centuries with Hindus contending that the invading Muslim armies had razed an existing Ram temple to erect the mosque. However, it turned into a legal dispute in 1885 when a mahant went to court seeking permission to build a canopy outside the mosque. The plea was dismissed. In December 1949, unidentified miscreants spirited an idol of Lord Ram into the mosque. The structure was destroyed by a large mob of kar sevaks on December 6, 1992. The demolition triggered nationwide Hindu-Muslim riots, more so in north India and Mumbai, which left many hundreds dead. Subsequently, Muslim extremists angered by the demolition and the riots, carried out a series of bombings in Mumbai on March 12, 1993, which left hundreds dead. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Netiquette Die Kommentare auf weltwoche.ch dienen als Diskussionsplattform und sollen den offenen Meinungsaustausch unter den Lesern ermoglichen. Es ist uns ein wichtiges Anliegen, dass in allen Kommentarspalten fair und sachlich debattiert wird. Scharfe, sachbezogene Kritik am Inhalt des Artikels oder wo angebracht an Beitragen anderer Forumsteilnehmer ist erwunscht, solange sie hoflich vorgetragen wird. Personlichkeitsverletzende und diskriminierende Ausserungen hingegen verstossen gegen unsere Richtlinien. 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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the ongoing session of Parliament should be dedicated to the economic issues. In his reply in the Rajya Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, PM Modi said: "During all-party meeting, I said that this session should be dedicated to discussing economic issues. I invite discussion on the economy and economic policies." "The country will benefit from experienced Dr Manmohan Singh. There is no question of thinking small. Pessimism and gloom do not help us. We talk about a five trillion dollar economy. Yes, the aim is ambitious but we have to think big and think ahead," said Modi. The Prime Minister continued: "The core principles of our Indian economy are still strong and have the inherent quality to walk ahead. The youths want us to think on a wider and bigger scale and hence, we have set the target for a $5 trillion economy. "Despair is not good for any nation. So, the positive outcome of the $5 trillion economy talk is that those who oppose it also have to talk about $5 trillion economy. We have changed the mindset," he said. Modi said that the government stressed 'Make in India' and its positive results can be seen now. "FDI numbers are proving its effects. We merged banks and now it will strengthen the banking structure for the future," he said. Calling the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as a major achievement for India's federal structure, he said: "GST was changed several times. Do we stop making changes to it if suggestions come from the Congress-ruled states? No, we won't. We will make changes according to the need of the hour." Attacking the Congress, he said: "If you had so much knowledge and suggestions about the GST, then why did you keep it stuck for so long?" "As Gujarat CM, I had told then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to address the concerns of manufacturing states before rolling out the GST. Arun Jaitley addressed those concerns before implementing the GST. As the PM, I resolved the issues that I had raised as the CM," said Modi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A former Member of Parliament for Bantama, Henry Kwabena Kokofu has declared his support for Francis Asenso-Boakye in the Bantama Constituency's parliamentary primary. Speaking on Peace FM's flagship programme, Kokrokoo, the former Bantama MP was emphatic about his support for the Deputy Chief of Staff who he believes, has gone through the mill as far as Bantama politics is concerned. "I support Francis. As a young politician who had come from abroad back then, he attempted filing to contest the seat. When I left my chairmanship position to contest in the primaries, Francis vied against me. So if you ask me if I support Francis, why not. I do" the lawyer stated. Reacting to what the former MP said, Kwame Sefa Kayi said that he was putting it on record that Kokofu had said he supports Francis Asenso-Boakye, a remark Kokofu gladly agreed with, saying, 'You are not wrong at all' The Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, Francis Asenso-Boakye has picked nomination forms to contest in the primary of Bantama. His main contender, Daniel Okyem Aboagye ousted Henry Kwabena Kokofu when the latter had gone for just a term. Campaign has heated up in the Constituency but it is believed that the Deputy Chief of Staff, a son of Bantama, will carry the day when the election is held. 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 investigator in the murder of Major Maxwell Adam Mahama has testified that his investigations revealed that two of the 14 alleged killers had shot the military officer, while the others had beaten and hit him with cement blocks, sticks and metal rods. My investigations into the case revealed that the 10th accused person (Kwesi Asante ) and the 11th accused person (Charles Kwaning) shot the late Major Mahama, Chief Inspector Samuel Agyakwa told the Accra High Court yesterday during his evidence-in-chief. When asked by the prosecutor, Mrs Evelyn Keelson, a Chief State Attorney, how he arrived at that conclusion, the police officer said he had watched the videos which showed how Major Mahama was killed and interviewed witnesses and suspects. Chief Inspector Agyakwa is the 14th and last witness presented to the court by the prosecution to prove its case. Major Mahamas murder Major Mahama was killed at Denkyira Obuasi in the Central Region on May 29, 2017. He is said to have been lynched as he went on a morning walk that led him to Denkyira Obuasi. Fourteen people, including William Baah, a former Assembly Member for Denkyira Obuasi, are standing trial in connection with the death of the military officer. Others are Bernard Asamoah, alias Daddy; Kofi Nyarko, aka Abortion, Akwasi Baah, Kwame Tuffour, Joseph Appiah Kubi and Michael Anim. The rest are Bismark Donkor, John Bosie, Akwasi Baah, Charles Kwaning, Emmanuel Badu, Bismark Abanga and Kwadwo Anima. They have all pleaded not guilty to charges ranging from murder, abetment to murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Videos Continuing with his testimony, Chief Inspector Agyakwa said all the accused persons, with the exception of William Baah, John Bosie, Bismarck Abanga, Kwadwo Anima and Bismark Donkor, were captured in the videos which showed the killing of the military officer. According to the witness, one of the videos was five minutes, 20 seconds long, while another was one minute, 20 seconds long. He added that he copied the videos onto a flash drive after watching them. The prosecution sought to tender the flash drive as evidence, but defence lawyers raised an objection. A defence counsel, Mr Theophilus Donkor, argued that the videos must be watched in court to enable the defence team to know its content to aid further objection. Another defence lawyer, Mr George Benard Shaw, was of the view that the witness was not the author of the original videos and that the videos were got from social media platforms. Counsel was of the opinion that the defence would be deprived of the opportunity to question the person who actually took the videos if the witness was allowed to tender it. It is against the tenet of fair trial to admit the videos when the defence cannot cross-examine the person who actually took them, he argued. He further argued that in this digital age and era of fake news, the videos could have been doctored to suit the prosecutions case. In her response, the prosecutor argued that copies of the video had already been given to the defence team and, therefore, there was no need to play the videos before they were tendered. According to her, the videos could be watched in open court only after they had been tendered as evidence. The court, presided over by Justice Mariama Owusu, a Justice of the Supreme Court sitting as an additional High Court judge, will rule on the objection on February 11, 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 President Donald Trump acknowledges the audience before delivering his State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 4, 2020. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) Reactions to State of the Union Reflect Deepening Partisan Divide WASHINGTONPresident Donald Trump delivered his third State of the Union address on Feb. 4 amid growing partisan tension surrounding the impeachment trial. While Republicans believed the speech was unifying, positive, and forward-looking, Democrats criticized Trump as being divisive and insulting. Trump started his speech by touting his past achievements, calling them a great American comeback. In his address to the joint session of Congress that started at 9 p.m. local time, Trump struck an upbeat note, listing his economic achievements, including record-low unemployment, deregulation, and new trade deals. Similar to his speech to world leaders in Davos, Switzerland, he described the state of the economy as a blue-collar boom. In just three short years, we have shattered the mentality of American decline, and we have rejected the downsizing of Americas destiny, he said. We are moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago, and we are never, ever going back. The speech, which lasted 82 minutes, offered a preview of Trumps reelection campaign, according to political analysts. Its a very well-crafted speech and very positive, said David Pietrusza, political historian and author. Because, I think, the audience falls off as people are watching, particularly on the east coast, he frontloads it with his strongest point, the economy, he said. This is really his best selling point. Trumps economic pitch, particularly, targeted minority votersboth blacks and Hispanics, he added. In his speech, Trump listed other initiatives including opportunity zones, border security, energy independence, the space force, and criminal justice reform. He also touted the killings of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani by U.S. military forces. Our message to the terrorists is clear: You will never escape American justice. If you attack our citizens, you forfeit your life, Trump said. Trump ended his remarks with an optimistic and forward-looking tone. Our spirit is still young, the sun is still rising, Gods grace is still shining, and, my fellow Americans, the best is yet to come, he said. TrumpPelosi Tension Peaks The State of the Union address this year was overshadowed by tensions between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the president. Before the speech, Trump appeared to ignore Pelosis offer of a handshake. Then the speaker left out the customary phrase, I have the high privilege and distinct honor of while introducing Trump, instead simply introducing him as the president of the United States. In the final moments, Pelosi tore in half a copy of the State of the Union in front of cameras, upsetting Republicans. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi rips a copy of President Donald Trumps State of the Union speech. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) I think Speaker Pelosi assumed that was the Constitution she was ripping up, because shes been doing that all year long, Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) said, calling her behavior disrespectful and childish. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) came to the defense of Pelosi, calling the clash a freedom of expression. The Speaker handled herself appropriately throughout the presidents speech. Whatever freedom of expression she exhibited, she has a right to do, Lee said. I would hope that the president could have had an opportunity even in the midst of his impeachment, to heal this nation, to bring us together. The president chose not to do so. Other Democrats also echoed similar frustration about the presidents speech. They also criticized Trump for taking singular credit for all initiatives, like criminal justice reform, energy independence, and the U.S.MexicoCanada trade agreement. I thought the low point is when he divides people and he picks on people like immigrants or he talks about reforms to the healthcare system as being a socialist takeover, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) said. I dont think thats a good way to go. I think that divides people. Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Texas) accused Trump of misleading facts about Americas energy independence. During his speech, Trump touted his bold regulatory reduction campaign that led the United States to become the No. 1 producer of oil and natural gas anywhere in the world. Veasey said that Americas energy independence started to happen under then-President Barack Obama. He was completely misleading about the fact that he was the person that was the brainchild behind that, he said. Reality Show This year, Trump had surprises for some of his guests, which turned the State of the Union address into a reality show for the first time, according to critics. Tonight, we have a very special surprise, Trump said to Amy Williams from Fort Bragg, North Carolina. I am thrilled to inform you that your husband is back from deployment [in Afghanistan]. He is here with us tonight, and we couldnt keep him waiting any longer. Sgt Townsend Williams (R) waves next to his children after returning from deployment in Afghanistan as his wife Amy (2L) looks on during the State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 4, 2020. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images) Trumps attack on socialism featured Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who was also the surprise guest at the State of the Union. Socialism destroys nations. But always remember: Freedom unifies the soul, Trump said. During the State of the Union, Trump also offered a scholarship to a fourth-grader from Philadelphia and awarded the Medal of Freedom to conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, who was diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of (R-W.Va.) said Trumps speech was positive, forward-looking, and touching. I dont know if there was a dry eye when the soldier was reunited with his family, she said. Bill Press, political commentator and former chairman of the California Democratic Party, however, said it was an exploitative manner to use the people in the gallery. I think it was a big TV reality show where the big TV producer Donald Trump, put on a big show, particularly using people in the gallery, he said. I was appalled by the State of the Union. Weve never seen anything like it before. I dont think it was a real State of the Union address. I cant imagine Thomas Jefferson or George W. Bush or Barack Obama giving a speech like that. He added that the speech resembled a political campaign rally. However, Press praised Trump for avoiding mention of impeachment. Trumps speech came a day before the Senates vote to acquit him of the impeachment charges brought by House Democrats. British politician Nigel Farage, one of the attendees of the State of the Union, said what he observed was an ultra-confident president. I mean the way he has united the party around himgiven that three years ago, they were very divided over whether they wanted him at allis impressive, he said. People in America are confident. The optimism surveys are off the charts. So, hes in a really good place. Sleep problems among children are very common, and improve by the time they reach the age of two, according to a first-of-its-kind study which may help parents understand if their toddler's sleep patterns are normal or not. The study, published in the journal Sleep Medicine, found that the time taken to fall asleep reduces to an average of 20 minutes by the age of 6 months, and by the time infants are two years old, they wake up only once during the night on average. According to the researchers from the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in Finland, an infant's sleep becomes more stable and consistent during the first two years, and the total amount of time spent in slumber reduces to around 12 hours per day as daytime naps get shorter. However, they said, there can be large individual variations in the quality of sleep of babies and toddlers. The study, based on data from approximately 5,700 Finnish children, noted that around 40 per cent of the parents of eight-month-old infants believed they were concerned about their child's sleep. "Up until now, we have not had any reference values for good infant sleep that are based on large data sets," said Juulia Paavonen, study co-author from THL. "Now we know that the individual differences are very large, and that patterns relating to falling asleep, waking up, staying awake at night and sleeping rhythms often develop at different rates," Paavonen said. Through the study, the scientists hoped to examine how large the individual differences in sleep among infants can be, while still falling within the boundaries of normal child development. "Those children whose quality of sleep is clearly different from the average would probably benefit from situation assessment at, for example, the child welfare clinic. There are many tools available for reducing children's sleep problems," Paavonen said. According to the researchers, it is still difficult to provide a general clinical recommendation on the total amount of sleep required for infants, although sufficient sleep is certainly important for their well-being. They said, the amount of sleep required depends on many factors. "It is important to look at the child's well-being as a whole," Paavonen said. However, if it takes longer than 40 minutes for an 8-month-old child to fall asleep, it is best to discuss the matter in the child welfare clinic, the scientists noted. They said the same applies if a 6-month-old child normally wakes at night three times or more, or if an 8-month-old stays awake at night for over 60 minutes. The study noted that it is also best for parents to consult clinicians if a child about an year old is awake for more than 45 minutes at night, or an 18-month-old infant is awake over 30 minutes. "If the parents are very concerned about their child or their own ability to cope, help should be sought even before these levels are reached," Paavonen said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Express News Service BENGALURU: So far, there have been no positive cases of novel coronavirus (nCoV) reported in Karnataka. However, to strengthen preventive measures, the state government has beefed up surveillance and control measures to ensure coronavirus cases do not enter the state. Till date, 87 travellers from coronavirus-affected countries have been identified and 83 are under home isolation. A total of four Chinese passengers have left the country. Only one person, a resident of Tumakuru, was admitted to an isolation ward. He was later discharged after testing negative for the virus. Till date 74 samples of suspected patients have been sent for testing, of which 52 samples tested negative. The results of the remaining are awaited. So far, 10,184 passengers have been screened at Kempegowda International Airport. The Cabinet Secretary held a high-level meeting to review actions taken for the management of nCoV and the preparedness of states. A travel advisory was issued at the meeting. Existing visas (including eVisa already issued) are no longer valid for foreign nationals travelling from China. Henceforth, people travelling from China will be quarantined, and people have been advised against travelling to that country. Visitors intending to travel to India from China should contact the Indian embassy in Beijing or consulates in Shanghai or Guangzhou to apply afresh for Indian visas. The Indian embassy in China can be contacted on +8618610952903 and 8618612083629 or using the dedicated email. Further, for any queries, one can contact the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare helpline number. Washington, D.C., Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blank Rome LLP is pleased to announce that Dean S. Nordlinger has joined the Firms Washington, D.C., office as a Partner in the Corporate, M&A, and Securities group, which welcomed Partner Stacy H. Louizos earlier this week in the New York office. Dean brings more than 20 years of experience representing privately held and closely held companies of all sizes, private equity firms, and entrepreneurs from a broad range of industries. Dean joins from Miles & Stockbridge, P.C., where he served as principal. Deans commitment to providing his clients with high-quality, value-based corporate services as well as his unique professional background in evaluating critical nuances in contractual language and agreements makes him a terrific addition to our Firm, said Grant S. Palmer, Blank Romes Managing Partner and CEO. We are excited to welcome Dean to our Corporate group in Washington, D.C., and look forward to offering clients his engaging counsel throughout all phases of their business lifecycle. Dean has extensive experience representing clients on both sides of corporate and transactional matters. Often serving as a virtual in-house counsel for his clients, Deans work includes representing businesses or individuals as buyers and sellers on mergers, stock and asset acquisitions and sales, management buyouts, spinoffs, joint ventures and other strategic transactions, and debt and equity financing transactions. Additionally, he advises clients on a variety of other business and corporate matters, including entity formation, ownership structure, operating agreements, shareholders agreements, employee incentive compensation plans, non-compete agreements, loan transactions, and succession planning. Deans corporate experience leverages a deep understanding for matters involving government contracts, derived from his work with several private entities that also provide services to state and federal agencies. He will collaborate with the Firms Government Contracts group, one of the top government contracts practices ranked nationally in Chambers USA and notably recognized for handling sophisticated litigation, counseling, and transactional matters for government contractors, on providing more comprehensive services to clients and creating additional synergies across the Firms practices. Notably, Dean will enhance Blank Romes capabilities in its Aerospace, Defense, and Government (ADG) M&A practice, further strengthening the Firms position as one of the few firms with top-tier national corporate and government contracts practices who are skilled at counseling clients on the web of complex transactions and considerations that are unique to the ADG sector. Dean is a respected corporate adviser to clients of all sizes from a wide range of industries, and we are thrilled to welcome him to our Firm, said Louis M. Rappaport, Co-Chair of Blank Romes Corporate, M&A, and Securities group. He provides his clients with innovative legal solutions to their most complex transactions, and also offers comprehensive government contracts reviews, which delivers an additional level of service that will benefit our clients who provide products or services to local, state, and federal organizations. Blank Rome is a respected firm with highly regarded and top-ranked practices across the country, and I am delighted to join as a corporate partner, said Dean. I look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues across the Firm to service our clients needs, notably with regards to government contracts, private equity, venture capital, and real estate, among others. With his move to Blank Rome, Dean plans to continue his active role in the community and build upon past representation of pro bono clients. Dean earned his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law School, his M.B.A. from the University of San Diego, and his B.A., cum laude, from the University of Michigan. About Blank Rome Blank Rome is an Am Law 100 firm with 14 offices and more than 600 attorneys and principals who provide comprehensive legal and advocacy services to clients operating in the United States and around the world. Our professionals have built a reputation for their leading knowledge and experience across a spectrum of industries, and are recognized for their commitment to pro bono work in their communities. Since our inception in 1946, Blank Romes culture has been dedicated to providing top-level service to all of our clients, and has been rooted in the strength of our diversity and inclusion initiatives. For more information, please visit blankrome.com. ### Attachment Srinagar: Terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir have adopted some new technologies and equipment to carry out their nefarious acts and communicate with their handlers based in Pakistan. The details of their new methods came to light following the gunning down of three Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists in an encounter on Wednesday in Nagrota district of Jammu and Kashmir by the security forces. Sources say security forces recovered Yeoyou Stock Market System (YSMS) along with iCom radio set, which helped JeM terrorists to be in contact with their masterminds in Pakistan. Sources say this system is used by the terrorists to communicate with the Alpha 3 of Jaish-e-Mohammed which is the fixed communication centre of the group in the Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) radio signal is used to communicate with these centres. The UHF radios send encrypted signals, which can be used along with mobiles without SIM cards. This is not the first time when the security personnel have come to know about this technique. Even in 2015, a Pakistani terrorist, Sajjad Ahmed who was detained from Rafiabad in North Kashmir, told the security agencies that they used the same method of communication. Security personnel had then recovered a phone with a wireless set that used YSMS communication. There were claims during the Pulwama attack of February 14, 2019, investigations that the terrorists had used the same application. Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh said in a press conference that JeM terrorists killed on Wednesday used YSMS and other new technologies. Dilbagh said the terrorists used two types of communication - the iCom set and the Thuraya set. They were continuously in touch with top JeM terrorists and Pakistani intelligence agency ISI. They used a VPN to be in touch with their handlers and even sent pictures of the encounter to Pakistan. The security personnel also recovered a Thuraya phone from the slain terrorists. The terrorists have been using the Thuraya phones in the valley as mobile phone services were suspended after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir. U.S. Attorney General William Barr arrives to hear President Donald Trump deliver the State of the Union address in the House chamber on Feb. 4, 2020, in Washington, DC. (Leah Millis-Pool/Getty Images) US Should Consider Backing Ericsson, Nokia to Counter Chinas 5G Dominance, Barr Says U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Feb. 6 urged the United States to quickly find an alternative to leading Chinese 5G supplier Huawei, saying the nations future prosperity depended on it. The country and its allies have a five-year windowthe time within which global 5G dominance will be determinedto launch a viable competitor to Huawei and counter Chinas leadership in the next-generation wireless technology, Barr said at a Washington conference on Feb. 4 on the Department of Justices efforts to combat Chinese threats. The time is very short, and we and our allies must act quickly, the attorney general said. China currently dominates the global 5G infrastructure market, capturing 40 percent through companies Huawei and ZTE. 5G is the next generation of mobile networks that will offer internet connectivity at speeds 10 to 100 times faster than 4G. The fast connection is set to revolutionize many industries, including transportation, healthcare, and manufacturing. The Chinese are using every lever of power to expand their 5G market share around the globe, Barr said. His remarks come as the United States works to convince its allies to bar Huaweithe worlds largest supplier of telecoms gearfrom their 5G rollouts, on the grounds that the company poses national security risks. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that the Chinese tech giants products could be used by the Chinese regime for spying and to disrupt communication networks. Such concerns are based on the companys links to the Chinese military, as well as the fact the Chinese laws compel companies to cooperate with intelligence agencies when asked. Last week, the UK allowed Huawei to supply non-core parts of its 5G networks, drawing criticism from U.S. officials and lawmakers. The European Union (EU) also stopped short of barring the company, recommending that member states could ban telecom operators deemed a security risk from critical parts of their 5G networks. From a security perspective, allowing the Chinese regime to dominate 5G technologies would mean that it could shut countries off should Beijing wish to retaliate against foreign firms or governments, Barr said, adding that this unprecedented economic leverage is vastly more powerful than economic sanctions. The United States should also be worried about the vast economic advantage China gains if it controls 5G, Barr said. He estimated that new technologies powered by 5G could generate new economic opportunities of $23 trillion by 2025. For the first time in history, the United States is not leading the next technology era, he said. If China establishes sole dominance over 5G, it will be able to dominate the opportunities arising from a stunning range of emerging technologies that will be dependent on, and interwoven with the 5G platform, he added. The United States and its allies thus need to be able to offer an alternative to Huaweitoday. What we need today is a product that can win contracts right nowa proven infrastructure that network operators will make a long-term commitment to today. In other words, we need a product that can blunt and turn around Huaweis momentum currently, Barr said. He said that the United States and its allies should actively consider the possibility of backing Huaweis two main overseas competitors: Nokia and Ericsson. This could be done by American ownership in a controlling stake at these companies, either directly or through a consortium of U.S. firms. Putting our large market and financial muscle behind one or both of these firms would make it a more formidable competitor and eliminate concerns over its staying power, Barr said. The attorney general also urged the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which is currently auctioning high-band spectrum for 5G, to promptly decide on whether to also make available mid-band spectrum, which has slower speeds but more coverage area. He said that this approach of running both spectrums in tandem could cut the time for U.S. 5G deployment from a decade to 18 months, and save approximately $80 million. Our economic future is at stake, he said. We have to bear in mind that, given the narrow window we face, the risk of losing the 5G struggle with China should vastly outweigh all other considerations. Following death of Kenya's second head of state Daniel Moi on Tuesday, February 4, President Uhuru Kenyatta said the country will enter into a period of national mourning. Apart from flags flying half mast, Uhuru said the ex commander in chief of the armed forces will be accorded a high honour state funeral. READ ALSO: Kenyan newspapers review for February 5: Daniel Moi took holy sacrament shortly before resting Kenya's second head of state Daniel Moi died on Tuesday, February 4. Photo: Getty Images. Source: Getty Images READ ALSO: DP Ruto hatimaye aruhusiwa kuingia nyumbani kwa Moi Shortly after Uhuru broke the sad news, the military took charge of funeral preparations with Lee Funeral Home, where the late's body lies, being put under tight security from elite units. State funeral Since Tuesday morning, many Kenyans have been wondering what a state funeral is. This can simply be explained as a burial of a person of national significance, usually presided over by the military, with strict observation of protocol. READ ALSO: Health insurance firms cut links with Nairobi Women's Hospital after patients' extortion expos'e State funerals are punctuated by a proper escort, procession, gun salute among other military rituals. Moi's funeral which will be of this calibre is likely to attract both continental and global mourners. The following four Kenyans were accorded a state funeral. 1. Jomo Kenyatta Kenya's founding president Jomo Kenya went into history as the first Kenyan to be bestowed a state funeral since independence in 1963. Kenyatta died on August 22, 1978, at Mombasa's State House while still in office. Before he was buried on August 31, 1978, his body was transferred to Nairobi by the military. He laid in state for 10 days and citizens mourned Mzee for a period that spanned about 30 days as flags flew half mast. Jomo Kenyatta was laid to rest at the Parliament based mausoleum. Photo: The Star. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Energy Authority raises alarm over impostors soliciting money on its behalf His casket, draped in the Kenyan flag, was wheeled from State House aboard a special gun carriage into the streets of the capital. He was laid to rest at the Parliament based mausoleum which is always under tight military guard. During such a high profile ceremony, a three volley salute is given, guns are fired shortly before the body is lowered and after the casket settles in the grave. READ ALSO: Daniel Moi: Nyayo chambers torture victim Wafula Buke's tribute to fallen ex-president 2. Kijana Wamalwa The second state funeral happened following the demise of Kenya's eighth vice president Kijana Wamalwa. Wamalwa died on August 23, 2003, in the United Kingdom where he was receiving treatment. Kijana Wamalwa was Kenya's eighth vice president. Photo: UGC. Source: UGC His death came hardly a year after he took office alongside Mwai Kibaki who was elected president. Kibaki's ascent to the top seat spelt an end of era to Moi's 24 years at the helm of the country. Wamalwa was buried at his Milimani home in Kitale in a high honour state ceremony. 3. Wangari Maathai Wangari Maathai was a renowned social, environmental and political activist. She went into the books of history as the first African woman to win the Nobel Prize. Wangari Maathai was the first African woman to win the Nobel Prize. Photo: Nation. Source: UGC Her life came to an end on September 25, 2011, at a Nairobi hospital. Maathai's remains were cremated at Kariokor Crematorium. The ashes were interred at the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies. This was in accordance with her wish. 4. Lucy Kibaki Lucy Kibaki, the wife to former president Mwai Kibaki, was also given a state send off after she died on April 26, 2016, in South Kensington, UK. Lucy Kibaki, the wife to former president Mwai Kibaki died in 2016. Photo: Citizen TV. Source: UGC She was buried at her familys farm in Othaya, Nyeri. 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 want to give out my baby - Esther Kimotho | Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Could ConocoPhillips Company (NYSE:COP) 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 stock for its dividend and lose money because the share price falls by more than they earned in dividend payments. While ConocoPhillips's 2.9% dividend yield is not the highest, we think its lengthy payment history is quite interesting. The company also bought back stock during the year, equivalent to approximately 5.8% of the company's market capitalisation at the time. Some simple research can reduce the risk of buying ConocoPhillips for its dividend - read on to learn more. Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on ConocoPhillips! NYSE:COP Historical Dividend Yield, February 6th 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. Looking at the data, we can see that 19% of ConocoPhillips's profits were paid out as dividends in the last 12 months. Given the low payout ratio, it is hard to envision the dividend coming under threat, barring a catastrophe. Another important check we do is to see if the free cash flow generated is sufficient to pay the dividend. Of the free cash flow it generated last year, ConocoPhillips paid out 34% as dividends, suggesting the dividend is affordable. It's encouraging to see that the dividend is covered by both profit and cash flow. This generally suggests the dividend is sustainable, as long as earnings don't drop precipitously. Consider getting our latest analysis on ConocoPhillips'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. For the purpose of this article, we only scrutinise the last decade of ConocoPhillips's dividend payments. The dividend has been cut on at least one occasion historically. During the past ten-year period, the first annual payment was US$1.88 in 2010, compared to US$1.68 last year. This works out to be a decline of approximately 1.1% per year over that time. ConocoPhillips's dividend has been cut sharply at least once, so it hasn't fallen by 1.1% every year, but this is a decent approximation of the long term change. Story continues We struggle to make a case for buying ConocoPhillips for its dividend, given that payments have shrunk over the past ten years. Dividend Growth Potential Given that the dividend has been cut in the past, we need to check if earnings are growing and if that might lead to stronger dividends in the future. ConocoPhillips has grown its earnings per share at 6.8% per annum over the past five years. With a decent amount of growth and a low payout ratio, we think this bodes well for ConocoPhillips's prospects of growing its dividend payments in the future. Conclusion Dividend investors should always want to know if a) a company's dividends are affordable, b) if there is a track record of consistent payments, and c) if the dividend is capable of growing. It's great to see that ConocoPhillips is paying out a low percentage of its earnings and cash flow. Unfortunately, earnings growth has also been mediocre, and the company has cut its dividend at least once in the past. ConocoPhillips has a number of positive attributes, but it falls slightly short of our (admittedly high) standards. Were there evidence of a strong moat or an attractive valuation, it could still be well worth a look. Earnings growth generally bodes well for the future value of company dividend payments. See if the 14 ConocoPhillips 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. One day after his acquittal on two articles of impeachment, President Donald Trump addressed the 68th annual National Prayer Breakfast Thursday extolling his victory while bemoaning those who use their faith as justification. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who many believe was the target of his comments and who created a firestorm after tearing up a copy of Trumps State of the Union address just two days ago, sat at the opposite end of the head table. The two did not interact. Lost in the shadows of the political animosity was the presidents tribute to an African American pastor from Louisiana who is working to rebuild his 140-year-old church after it was leveled last April in an arson fire. Prior to the presidents speech, Harvard professor and conservative author Arthur Brooks urged those gathered in the International Ballroom at the Washington Hilton not to hold political enemies in contempt, but to follow the lead of Jesus who preached love your enemies. He said that true moral courage was standing up to those with whom you agree on behalf of those with whom you disagree. Contempt, Brooks added, is ripping our country apart. Were like a couple on the rocks in this country. Dont believe it? Turn on prime time TV ... its tearing our society apart. How do we break the habit of contempt? Some people say we need more civility and tolerance. I say, nonsense. Why? Because civility and tolerance are a low standard. Jesus didnt say, tolerate your enemies. He said, love your enemies. Answer hatred with love. Trump began his speech before 3,500 invited guests, including foreign dignitaries from more than 140 countries, by triumphantly showing off headlines from several newspapers. ACQUITTED, emblazoned USA Today, while the Washington Times read, Trump acquitted. Early on, the president referenced Brooks challenge saying, I don't know if I agree with you, which brought laughter from the audience. Trump then addressed the impeachment ordeal. My family, our great country and your president has been put through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people, Trump said. They have done everything possible to destroy us and by so doing, very badly hurt our nation. They know what they are doing is wrong but they put themselves far ahead of our great country. Weeks ago and again yesterday, courageous Republican politicians and leaders had the wisdom, fortitude, and strength to do what everyone knows was right. The president then took a stab at some of his critics. I dont like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong, he said. Nor do I like people who say, I pray for you, when they know that thats not so. So many people have been hurt, and we cant let that go on. Although Trump did not mention any names, many observers said the comments were likely directed at Pelosi, who offered a prayer for the poor at the gathering, and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, the sole Republican who voted to convict Trump on the abuse of power charge. As a senator juror, I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice, Romney said Wednesday about his decision. I am profoundly religious. My faith is at the heart of who I am. I take an oath before God as enormously consequential, Romney said Wednesday about his decision. After addressing the impeachment, the president turned his attention to the economy, religious freedom in America, and the role of faith. So much of the greatness we have achieved, the mysteries we have unlocked and the wonders weve built, the challenges weve met, and the incredible heights that weve reached, has come from the faith of our families and the prayers of our people, Trump said. During the speech, the president introduced The Rev. Gerald Toussaint, pastor of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, one of three southern Louisiana congregations that were targeted in a series of arson attacks. Yet, in the wake of such shocking evil, America witnessed the unshakable unity, devotion, and spirit of Reverend Toussaint and his entire highly spirited, beautiful congregation, Trump said. Families quickly came together in prayer. Soon, people from all across Louisiana came to help any way they could. Americans in all 50 states and 20 different countries heard about it and they donated more than $2 million to help rebuild Mount Pleasant and the other two churches. Trump went on to quote from Toussaints Easter Sunday sermon, just days after the fire. The Easter season is a fitting metaphor for recent events, Toussaint said. It was dark the day that Jesus was crucified. It was dark [at] night when they burned our church. What has happened since is like a resurrection. Trump hailed their rebuilding effort. The property has since been cleared and reconstruction is expected to begin soon. You know, the Reverend says that were rebuilding because thats what Jesus does, the president said. He rebuilds, he lives, and he breathes. Its what he does. He wants it to be rebuilt. It was torn apart, but its being rebuilt again. Toward the end of the speech, the scars of ordeal showed as Trump recognized the people of faith gathered for the event. ''We are grateful to the people of this room for the lovely show to religion, not one religion, but many religions, he said. They are brave, they are brilliant, they are fighters, they like people and sometimes they hate people. I'm sorry. I apologize. I am trying to learn. Not easy. It's not easy. When they impeach you for nothing, and you're supposed to like them, it's not easy, folks. I do my best. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Drew Angerer/Staff, This is a photo of President Trump at a press conference following his acquittal Lori Arnold is a national award-winning journalist whose experience includes 16 years at a daily community newspaper in San Diego and 16 years as writer-editor for the Christian Examiner. She owns StoryLori Media and is a member of the Evangelical Press Association. Coronavirus deaths top 560 as cases exceed 28,000 originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Two newborns reportedly are among the more than 28,000 people infected with the novel coronavirus, which now has killed more than 560 people since it was detected in December. The infants, one just 30 hours old, tested positive for the newly discovered virus on Wednesday at a children's hospital in Wuhan, China, the outbreak's epicenter. Both babies, believed to be the youngest to contract the virus, were reported in stable condition, but now concerns have been raised over whether mother-to-fetus transmissions are possible, according to China Daily, a state-owned newspaper. PHOTO: A woman carries a baby wearing a protective mask as they exit the arrival hall at Hong Kong High Speed Rail Station on Jan. 29, 2020. (Anthony Kwan/Getty Images) SLIDESHOW: Coronavirus outbreak sparks global health emergency At a news conference in Geneva on Thursday morning, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said 28,060 confirmed case of coronavirus have been reported in China, where 564 have died from it. China National Health Commission officials said at a news conference Thursday morning that nearly two dozen cases have been confirmed in Hong Kong and that two patients have died there. Ghebreyesus said another 225 confirmed cases have been reported outside of China, resulting in one death, a 44-year-old man in the Philippines. In the United States, 12 confirmed coronavirus cases have been reported in Wisconsin, California, Washington, Arizona, Massachusetts and Illinois. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global health emergency. MORE: 12th coronavirus case confirmed in the US Ghebreyesus urged the international community to invest in preparedness. He said the WHO is asking for $675 million for its Strategy Preparedness Response plan to tackle the virus on a global scale. "Invest today or pay more later," he said. PHOTO: Countries with Confirmed Coronavirus Cases (ABC News) A 12th coronavirus case in the United States was confirmed by health officials in Wisconsin on Wednesday. The patient, who recently visited Beijing, tested positive for the disease and has not been hospitalized, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Story continues The individual is isolated at home and is in good condition. Health officials will monitor the patient's close contacts, as well as the health care workers who cared for the individual, for signs of illness. "The risk of getting sick from 2019 novel coronavirus in Wisconsin is very low," Jeanne Ayers, a state health officer, said in a statement Wednesday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has shipped newly approved coronavirus tests to labs across the country so states can begin their own diagnostic testing instead of shipping all samples to CDC headquarters in Atlanta. PHOTO: This photo taken on Feb. 5, 2020, shows a patients at an exhibition center that's been converted into a hospital as it starts accepting people displaying mild symptoms of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province. (Str/AFP via Getty Images) The United States has evacuated a number of its citizens from China amid the health crisis. Two charter flights from Wuhan, containing about 350 passengers total, landed at the Travis Air Force Base in Northern California on Wednesday. One of the planes refueled at the base before continuing on to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, according to a statement from U.S. Army Lt. Col. Christian Mitchell. All travelers will be screened by CDC medical personnel at their final destinations and placed under a federally mandated 14-day quarantine. The U.S. Department of Defense "will work closely with our interagency partners and continue to provide support to the situation as requested," Mitchell said. Health officials in Nebraska and Texas are preparing for the arrival of Americans being rescued from Wuhan. Officials said on Thursday 70 American patients would be quarantined at the Camp Ashland National Guard base in Ashland, Nebraska. Jeffrey Gold, chancellor of the Nebraska Medical Center, said the patients are being evacuated from the Wuhan area and all currently were healthy. He said anyone showing symptoms of the virus after arriving in Nebraska would be taken to the University of Nebraska Medical Center and treated in isolation. Capt. Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of CDC's Division of High Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, said on Thursday that health officials are prepared to quarantine up to 250 people with American connections being evacuated from the Wuhan area at the Lackland Air Force Base near San Antonio. McQuiston said the patients would be placed in a hotel, isolated from the rest of the base and ringed by a fence, guarded by federal marshals tasked with enforcing quarantines. She said the U.S. State Department has identified about 1,000 Americans in China's Hubei Province, which includes Wuhan, who have requested help in evacuating to the United States. The CDC confirmed Wednesday that its staff had completed health screenings on all 167 evacuees from China who had arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. Three adults and one child "were determined to have fever or a cough that warranted them being transported to a local hospital for further evaluation," the CDC said in a statement. MORE: American man anxiously awaits family to return from China, amid coronavirus outbreak PHOTO: This handout photo released by the U.S. Marine Corps shows evacuees from China arriving at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California, on Feb. 5, 2020. (RYSTEN HOUK/US MARINE CORPS/AFP via Getty Images) The passengers who were quarantined last week after returning from Wuhan are expected to be released Feb. 11, officials said, as long as they and their immediate family members remain healthy. "As of today, based on what we know about this virus, the far outside of incubation period is 14 days, "Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a news conference Wednesday. The new coronavirus causes symptoms similar to pneumonia -- sometimes mild, such as a slight cough, to more severe, including fever and difficulty breathing, according to the CDC. There's no vaccine yet for the virus. PHOTO: Officers in protective gear escort a person (under the blue sheet) who was on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship and tested positive for the new coronavirus, in Yokohama, Japan, Feb. 4, 2020. (Kyodo Kyodo/Reuters) Meanwhile, officials have expressed fears that the outbreak could disrupt the 2020 Summer Olympics slated to take place in Tokyo in July. "I am extremely worried that the spread of the infectious disease could throw cold water on the momentum toward the Games," Toshiro Muto, chief executive of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee, said during a meeting Wednesday with officials from the International Paralympic Committee. "I hope that it will be stamped out as soon as possible." MORE: Here are the coronavirus symptoms to watch out for amid outbreak In an updated statement released Thursday, the Tokyo 2020 Press Office said "countermeasures" are being taken against the new coronavirus and other infectious diseases ahead of the Olympic Games to ensure a "safe and secure" event. For instance, the Japanese government has established the Novel Coronavirus Headquarters, while the Tokyo metropolitan government has set up an internal task force. "Tokyo 2020 will continue to collaborate with all relevant organizations which carefully monitor any incidence of infectious diseases," the statement said, "and we will review any countermeasures that may be necessary with all relevant organizations." PHOTO: The Diamond Princess cruise ship with around 3,700 people on board sits anchored in quarantine off the Japanese port of Yokohama on Feb. 5, 2020, after a number of passengers tested positive for the new coronavirus. (Carl Court/Getty Images) Concerns about how the outbreak could affect the Olympics bubbled to the surface this week as at least 20 people aboard a cruise ship docked in Japan tested positive for the coronavirus. Since arriving at the Japanese port of Yokohama on Monday, the Diamond Princess has been quarantined at sea while all passengers and crew aboard undergo health screenings. Those who tested positive were taken ashore to a hospital in the coastal prefecture of Kanagawa. Those patients include elderly people and foreign nationals, according to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. "Quarantine of the cruise ship continues to be implemented," the ministry said in a statement Thursday. "We are currently conducting a new coronavirus test for those who need it, and the results will be announced later." A spokesperson for Princess Cruises, which operates the ship, said that those who tested positive included seven Japanese guests, three from Hong Kong, three Americans, two Canadians, two Australians, a guest from Taiwan, another from New Zealand and one crew member, from the Philippines. There were 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew members aboard the ship. Approximately half are from Japan, with more than 400 passengers from the United States, according to the cruise line spokesperson. "The health and safety of our guests and crew remains our top priority," the spokesperson said in a statement. "We continue to work closely with the Japan Ministry of Health on all protocols and procedures while ensuring the comfort of our guests." The outbreak has caused several major U.S. airlines to suspend all flights to China, and U.S. companies and government agencies have evacuated staff from the country. The University of Southern California and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign announced this week they're suspending overseas programs in China after the U.S. State Department issued a Level 4 travel advisory for China on Jan. 30, warning people to avoid all travel to China. ABC News' Erin Schumaker contributed to this report. T wo people have died and 27 are injured after a high-speed passenger train derailed and slammed into the side of a building in northern Italy. The state-railway Freccia Rossa train came off the rail around 5.30am local time in the countryside outside the northern town of Lodi while travelling from Milan to the southern city of Salerno. It is believed the state-railway Freccia Rossa train was travelling at about 180mph when the incident took place. A train engineer and another rail worker died, while a third person, said to be a cleaner on the train, sustained significant but non life-threatening injuries. Two people died in the pre-dawn crash / AP A video of the scene showed the front engine and at least one passenger wagon had skipped the tracks, flipping onto its side. Photographs suggested the engine had broken clear of the rest of the train and smashed into an adjacent building. "The engine car derailed, detached completely and kept going," Girolamo Fabiano, a railroad police official told state radio. "Then the second car derailed." Due to the early morning time of the train, there was only 30 passengers in all on board, police said. The two front cars completely derailed / REUTERS Civil Protection chief Angelo Borrelli said two of the injured were in serious condition, while the other 25 were less seriously injured. Rescuers had to help some passengers out of the train. One of the wheels from the wreckage / AFP via Getty Images Mr Fabiano said that work had been done on that stretch of line during the night, but it was unclear if that was a factor in the crash. Mr Borrelli said the high-speed state railways train had departed from Milan at 5.10am (4.10am GMT) and was headed south to Bologna when it derailed. Despite the clear and conclusive case that the President is guilty, I believe the American people and the Senators serving as jurors in the case deserved a more full and fair trial that included witnesses and evidence, and Im disappointed we didnt get that. The sad truth is, the information from these witnesses will eventually come out and then the country will come to understand just how meaningless and inappropriate todays acquittal is. Though some of my colleagues have said we should acquit him because the voters should decide, that argument rings hollow because this trial was about Trump trying to cheat in the next election by enlisting the help of a foreign government to misinform citizens and rob the voters of their ability to decide. If the Framers had wanted the President to be immune from accountability through impeachment and removal in an election year, they would have written that into the Constitution. They did not." Syracuse, N.Y. The regions annual count of the homeless population turned up mostly good news: The total number of homeless is down 16 percent. That decrease isnt in any one population, but across the board, said Megan Stuart, director of the Housing and Homeless Coalition of Central New York. The count on Jan. 22 found a total population of 613. Thats down from 732 at the same time last year. It seems as though every population has decreased. Were really encouraged by this, Stuart said. The numbers include people who are homeless in Onondaga, Cayuga and Oswego counties. Homeless veterans and children also dropped significantly: There were 5 percent fewer homeless youth and 37 percent fewer homeless veterans. Stuart said the number of beds available in the community through whats called rapid rehousing has gone up over the past few years. These types of programs allow people to get into housing immediately instead spending a lot of time in a shelter or waiting to have a certain amount of time in drug and alcohol rehab. In 2017, there was room for 313 people to be in rapid rehousing programs. Now, that number is 877. Stuart said the count also found fewer people who are experiencing homelessness for the first time. She said it seems that this is a result of the states new eviction laws, which provide more protections to tenants, and of the increased homeless outreach in Syracuse. The number of people sleeping outside did increase to 20 this year, up from 13 last year. Stuart said that may be because the organization added another spot to the list of places they look for people sleeping outside. Also, the weather this year was milder, which can impact that number. Extreme cold often pushes the hardcore homeless inside, and shelters relax their rules. Marnie Eisenstadt is a reporter who writes about people and public affairs in Central New York. Have an idea or question? Contact her anytime: email | twitter| Facebook | 315-470-2246 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 escalation comes days after US President Donald Trump released his controversial Middle East plan. The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire over the past 24 hours has risen to at least four, with dozens of others wounded amid heightened tensions in separate areas of the occupied West Bank. Israeli forces on Thursday shot and killed two Palestinians during a demonstration in Jenin against the demolition of a Palestinian home. One of those killed was named by official Palestinian news agency WAFA as 19-year-old student Yazan Abu Tabekh. The second was identified as Palestinian policeman Tareq Badwan. The Israeli army said the raid was to demolish the home of Ahmad Qanba, a Palestinian charged with aiding a Hamas cell in the West Bank. Heavy clashes broke out with young Palestinians throwing rocks at the Israeli troops, witnesses said. The army said its forces had identified a number of armed terrorists who hurled explosive devices and fired towards them. The forces responded with riot dispersal means. However, Jenin Governor Akram Rajoub said the slain police officer had been standing outside a nearby police station when he was shot. Al Jazeeras Nida Ibrahim, reporting from Ramallah, said surveillance footage showed the police officer was not participating in violence. It appeared to be that he was just looking and not doing anything, said Ibrahim. Also on Thursday, a Palestinian citizen of Israel was shot and killed after opening fire at Israeli police in Jerusalems Old City, lightly wounding one officer, according to police. Meanwhile, on Wednesday night, Israeli forces shot and killed 17-year-old Mohammed al-Haddad during clashes in Hebron. Separately, the Israeli military said a Palestinian motorist early on Thursday slammed his car into a group of Israeli forces, wounding 12 including one seriously before fleeing the scene. Al Jazeeras Ibrahim reported that Israeli forces then raided several towns and villages in the occupied West Bank in search of the motorist. In more than one location, confrontations have erupted between the Palestinians and the Israeli army, medical sources tell us there are 80 Palestinians who are wounded, she said. Reporting from Jerusalem, Al Jazeeras Harry Fawcett said on Thursday the Israeli army is sending a combat battalion of nearly 1,000 additional troops to the West Bank. It does seem that the Israeli security forces are preparing for potentially more violence in the coming days, said Fawcett. Trump plan The escalation came amid heightened tensions following last weeks release of US President Donald Trumps Middle East plan, which critics say greatly favours Israel and was rejected by the Palestinians. The violence has put the plan on even shakier ground and raised fears of another extended round of fighting in the decades-old conflict. The proposal would allow Israel to annex all of its settlements and large parts of the occupied West Bank, which has in turn sparked calls from Israeli nationalists to do so immediately. In return, the plan would grant Palestinians limited autonomy in scattered enclaves surrounded by Israel, but only if they met nearly impossible conditions. Speaking to WAFA early on Thursday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbass spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said Trumps plan has created this environment of tension and escalation. 16:10 | Lima, Feb. 6. In this sense, the prosecutor indicated that all citizens "are equal before the law," including the politicians: Keiko Fujimori Susana Villaran , and Pedro Pablo Kuczynski . Thus, "there can be no differentiated or special jurisdictions or acts." "This remarkable whiskey is a glorious tribute to the traditional Irish pot still style and the community that kept Ireland's oldest continually licensed distillery alive over centuries of trial and triumph," said Michael Egan, U.S. Irish Whiskey Brand Ambassador for Kilbeggan Distilling Company. "It is a truly unique spirit, with a rare mash that has produced a flavor unlike anything available today." Featuring a unique mash of malted barley, raw barley and 2.5 percent oats, the whiskey was inspired by recipes used at Kilbeggan Distillery through the late 1800s. In those times, oats were grown across the Midlands Region of Ireland and were commonly used by distillers like the Locke family at Kilbeggan for filtration purposes. The grain also imparts a unique flavor and creamy texture not typically found in Irish whiskey. The subtle influence of oats in this Kilbeggan Single Pot Still expression results in a whiskey that is soft and mellow, with a fresh, fruity palate. It has a light, lingering spice and a rich, creamy mouthfeel. Double distilled to 86 proof in Kilbeggan's old copper pot stills one of which is the world's oldest working whiskey pot still today the new spirit is the second limited release to be 100 percent distilled and matured at Kilbeggan Distillery since its restoration in 2010. Kilbeggan Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey is best enjoyed neat or on the rocks due to its soft and round character. It follows the release of Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye, another groundbreaking release and the first modern Irish whiskey of record to feature such a high quantity of rye within its mash. KILBEGGAN SINGLE POT STILL | 43% ABV AROMA Initial fresh crisp aroma followed by apple, pear, and melon. Jasmine and hazelnut notes combine with a hint of honeycomb sweetness. TASTE Spice becomes apparent, but not overbearing, with summer fruits and citrus. Warming mid palate with a fresh mint leaf flavor leading on to a rich creamy mouthfeel. FINISH Initially soft, mellow, and smooth, with a creamy finish. Lingering spice and a dryness as the oat influence become evident. Limited Edition Kilbeggan Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey joins the U.S. portfolio alongside permanent expressions Kilbeggan Blended Irish Whiskey (40% ABV) and Kilbeggan Single Grain Irish Whiskey (43% ABV). Note to Editors: What is Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey? A single pot still Irish whiskey is produced only in Ireland, at a single distillery that is double- or triple-distilled in copper pot stills from a mix of malted and unmalted barley and up to 5% of other grains. About Beam Suntory Inc. As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires human connections. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company's brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker's Mark bourbon brands, Suntory whisky Kakubin and Courvoisier cognac, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek, Basil Hayden's and Legent bourbon; Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki and Toki Japanese whisky; Teacher's, Laphroaig and Bowmore Scotch whisky; Canadian Club whisky; Hornitos and Sauza tequila; EFFEN, Haku and Pinnacle vodka; Sipsmith and Roku gin; and Midori liqueur. Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and vision of Growing for Good. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com. SOURCE Beam Suntory Inc. Related Links http://www.beamsuntory.com PM requests mitigating economic impact from coronavirus outbreak Updated: 09:00 - 06/02/2020 The Government holds the regular meeting for January in Hanoi on February 5__Photo: VNA , , , Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked departments and agencies to immediately take measures to mitigate economic impact from the novel coronavirus outbreak, during the governments monthly meeting in Hanoi on February 5.As the outbreak may linger on, the PM ordered authorities to actively and proactively address it on all fronts, from health care to diplomacy, national defense-security, and socio-economy.The government advocates giving up several economic interests to protect health and lives of the people, he said, adding that the entire political system must involve in the effort.He asked for raising public awareness on preventing the spread of the outbreak while boosting trade with China and other countries.The Steering National Committee and local authorities were urged to call on the people to wear masks in public places, enhance disinfection in crowd areas, as well as continue delaying unnecessary meetings.The PM highlighted the need to restructure production, consumption and credit for socio-economic development in the new context.He asked the nationwide administrative system, from the central to local levels, to fulfill assigned tasks this year, emphasizing the importance of law building and administrative reform this year, stabilizing macro-economy, and facilitating production and trade to propel growth.The Ministry of Planning and Investment was required to issue new quarterly and yearly growth scenarios for sectors, and flexibly adopt macro financial, monetary and trade policies to promptly respond to negative developments amid the outbreak.The leader ordered strictly punishing stockpiling goods for price hikes while stepping up the fight against smuggling and trade frauds.Ministers and Chairs of municipal and provincial Peoples Committees were held responsible for accelerating public investment, conducting open and transparent biddings online, and soon submitting the draft Law on Public-Private Partnerships investment to the National Assembly for approval.- The Pro Romania Chair Victor Ponta on Thursday said, after the Cotroceni Presidential Palace consultations that he told President Klaus Iohannis his party's nomination for Prime Minister is Remus Pricopie, who is to form a national union gov't. "Our nomination was Mr. Remus Pricopie, yet not for a PSD - Pro Romania government, but for a national union government, with Mr. Pricopie to pick the ministers together with whom he will get us through a period of obvious political crisis that could regress to an economic and social crisis, too. Because the extension of the current situation (...) means that essential draft laws, such as a budgetary rectification, let's say, cannot be passed in the next period," Ponta asserted.President Klaus Iohannis invited on Thursday at the Cotroceni Palace the leaders of the parliamentary parties and formations for consultations in order to pick a candidate for the position of prime minister, as the Ludovic Orban Government was dismissed on Wednesday through a no confidence vote. AGERPRES Harry and Meghan have begun their new careers as post-national corporate hood ornaments. They can trade on their royal celebrity and far-left political credentials in Hollywood to pay off a multi-million-dollar debt to the British people and maintain the lavish lifestyle to which they are accustomed. Their "take this kingdom and shove it" Instagram message of 01/08/20 expresses an adolescent insensibility to what dogs and grown-ups know about biting the hand that feeds you. Ultimately, it amounts to a statement of narcissistic post-nationalism, a lifestyle of feeding off the greatest, blood-won nation-states without pledging allegiance to any. Narcissistic post-nationalism is a psychological defense mechanism employed by affluent, self-satisfied progressives that protects them from performing service or sacrifice to their homeland while gilding themselves in virtuous globalism. Meghan Markle is a poster child for religio-narcissistic post-Americanism. Harry may find that the "best friends" marriage model with a highly entitled race-victimization princess becomes the "no true friends and no country" lifestyle. In the "we quit" Instagram, Harry and Meghan state they will "balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America[.] ... This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter." They can't bring themselves to use the hated letters USA. But Harry's and Meghan's life will not be geographically balanced across even the four nations they have identified for their "exciting next step." Their son will not take his royalty appreciation training in the slums of Mexico City, or anywhere in Mexico. Mexico is not good feeding for post-national parasitism. Harry's and Meghan's next chapter requires them to benefit from the blood and sacrifice of patriots of only the most free, brave, tolerant, and law-abiding nations. When Harry and Meghan left the U.K., there was talk about who was going to pay for their security costs in Canada. Reportedly, most Canadians said they didn't want to pick up the tab. Armed protection for expat royals raises the questions of the cost of blood as well as that of treasure. Why should a Canadian take a bullet for Meghan Markle? By choosing geographic balance, Harry and Meghan have forfeited the right to protection of their lives in the name of any nation state. The short story "The Man Without a Country" by Edward Everett Hale was published in 1863 during the American Civil War. It is about Philip Nolan, a young Army lieutenant who bitterly renounces his country while being tried for treason as an accomplice to Aaron Burr. The lieutenant angrily shouts from the witness stand, "I wish I may never hear of the United States again!" The judge grants him his wish. Nolan is sentenced to spending the rest of his life aboard U.S. warships, never to set foot in or even to hear mention of his country again. Through the years, Nolan discovers that he misses his country more than his family or anything else in his previous life. Toward the end of his life, while being transferred to another ship, he cries out to a young sailor, "Remember, boy, that behind all these men...there is the Country Herself, your Country, and that you belong to her as you belong to your own mother." Harry would like to forget that the safety, security, wealth, privilege, and magnificent cultural heritage he enjoyed he owes to centuries of patriots of the United Kingdom. It's worse with Meghan. Certainly, she has no gratitude to the patriots of the United States or the United Kingdom. By enabling the preposterous suggestion that she is a victim of racism!, she fosters ingratitude and disloyalty to the U.K. and USA. As Nolan lies dying in his room that has become a shrine to the U.S. as he remembers it prior to his exile, he asks for the Presbyterian Book of Public Prayer. He prays as he has for forty years: "Most heartily, we beseech Thee with Thy favor to behold and bless Thy servant, the President of the United States, and all others in authority." It's safe to say Meghan Markle is not beseeching the same Lord she recently touched base with to bless her marriage and child to also bless the president of the United States. It has become a platitude that the left hates Trump more than it loves America. Markle has declared she will not live in the USA while the current president is in office. This statement carries the moral integrity of the attention-seeking belch of an eight-year-old. No one has a living memory of this degree of hatred against an American public figure as we are witnessing against the president. The deranged left-wing media, Democrat impeachment grotesques, and pathetic Democrat candidates hate him more than they love America or her people, more than they love the Constitution, the rule of law, or even preserving their own rationality. Let's use a parable to understand Trump Derangement Psychosis, which will also enlighten us about Markle. Once upon a time, there was a man who had a good wife who was true to him in every way. But he believed himself superior, smarter, and that he had stooped to marry her. He controlled her by constantly reminding her of past sins, relentlessly, never letting her forget her past errors. Then, along came another man who cared nothing about her past. He beheld only her goodness and beauty. The woman regained her spirit and went off with the man who loved her exactly as she was. There was no end to the husband's fury. He was full of narcissistic rage. How dare this inferior and sinful woman run away from me? How dare my superiority be rejected by such ignorant people? The insane hatred of Trump is narcissistic rage because he loves America just as she is, and he inspires the American people to love their America again. This love enrages the left. They did not doubt that the Obama presidency, with its belittling and disloyalty to America, would be followed by Hillary, who would continue the narrative of racism, sexism, homophobia vomitus unending. They are furious that their narrative (America never was that great), which protects them from service to their nation, has been crushed by a president who loves America as she is. Meghan Markle has never known a time when schoolchildren were taught to understand the greatness of their country and to love America. She certainly wouldn't have the loyalty to fulfill her destiny regarding her husband's country. She stood beside the queen of England to select a priceless tiara for her wedding, and she accepted tidal waves of adulation and wealth, without a sense of duty to the British people commensurate to the life she had chosen. Her generation has been taught not love of country, but love of self. Harry's and Meghan's progressive charitable interests have been identified as "gender equity" and climate change. There are no human genders, only two sexes. And to paraphrase the vegetarians, climate change activism means not having to help anyone who has a face. Furthermore, these causes, combined with the couple's decision to have only one child to protect the environment, seem to follow the left wing's marginalization of children. Above all, Harry and Meghan don't care to face that all their gifts of wealth, security, and freedom come to them not from globalism, nor from geographic balancing, but because generations of patriots preserved for them the laws, culture, and freedoms of Country Herself. Image: Mark Jones via Flickr. The Supreme Court will hear the Centre's appeal challenging the Delhi High Court's verdict dismissing its plea against stay on the execution of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. Additional Solicitor General KM Natraj told the court that jail authorities are unable to execute the convicts in the case despite the fact that their review petitions have been dismissed and curative petitions and mercy pleas of three of them have been rejected. The Delhi High Court Wednesday held that all the four convicts are to be executed together and not separately while setting a week's deadline for them to avail the remaining remedies. If the convicts choose not to make any type of petition in seven days from now, the institutions/ authorities concerned will deal with the matter, as per the law, without further delay, it said. AFP Hours after the high court's verdict, the Centre filed an appeal against it in the apex court. The high court said all the four convicts in the Nirbhaya case have to be executed together, not separately and faulted the authorities concerned for not taking steps for issuance of death warrants after the rejection of appeals of the convicts by the Supreme Court in 2017. The trial court had on January 31 stayed "till further orders" execution of the four convicts in the case Mukesh Kumar Singh, Pawan Gupta, Vinay Kumar Sharma, and Akshay Kumar. Meanwhile, the Tihar jail authorities have approached a trial court in Delhi seeking a fresh date for the execution of four convicts in the case. The prison authorities moved the application under Section 413 and 414 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and sought to fix a new date for the execution. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana has sought responses of all respondents, including the convicts, and slated the matter for hearing on Friday. Earlier, on Wednesday, President Ram Nath Kovind had rejected the mercy petition of convict Akshay Thakur. Mercy petitions of Vinay Sharma and Mukesh Singh have also been rejected, leaving Pawan the only convict to seek clemency. AFP The four men were sentenced to death in 2013 for the gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on December 16, 2012. Two others were also arrested for the same crime, but one of them, Ram Singh, the driver of the bus had committed suicide in the Tihar Jail during the trial of the case. The sixth accused, who was a juvenile, at the time of the crime was convicted by a juvenile justice board was released from a reformation home after serving a three-year term. My theory of this is that there are three gates, he said. The first is profile: Youre interesting because youre a gay millennial mayor, or because youre a woman of color in the Senate, or whatever it is, and that gets somebody to write a story about you, that gets people to think youre kind of interesting when literally all they have is you on paper. . . . Step two is message: As the ideas begin to come forward, which ones are really compelling? . . . And then the third one, which almost comes full circle, is the messenger. . . . Which individual is presenting that message in a compelling way? A student has quit her job after earning 15,000 in just two weeks by selling nude photographs of herself online. Lenny Holmes, 21, from Leeds, signed up to photo-sharing website Onlyfans just a fortnight ago, with 1,500 subscribers paying her 10 a month each to share naked pictures via the site. The second year university journalism student, who claims her parents approve of her new career, has already quit her 30-hour per week job as a retail assistant at Victoria's Secret. She now plans to move out of her student accommodation into a new one-bedroom apartment in Leeds, has paid off her debts and is planning a once in a lifetime trip to the US. Lenny Holmes, 21 (pictured) from Leeds, signed up to photo-sharing website Onlyfans just a fortnight ago Single Lenny, a second year university journalism student, who claims her parents approve of her new career, has already quit her 30-hour per week job as a retail assistant at Victoria's Secret Single Lenny has hit back at trolls who called her a 'sl*g' for her new job and sent her death threats online, saying it feels great to 'monetise her assets'. She said: 'Strangers on the internet are the worst, and people can say nasty things. 'I have had really brutal messages including death threats from random trolls. 'People have called me a wh*re and a a sl*g and told me I'm not intelligent. 'I've been told to get some GCSEs and do something with my life, but people don't realise I have those and I'm at university. 'They are the same people who watch porn every weekend - they just don't like what I do because they have to pay.' Single Lenny has hit back at trolls who called her a 'sl*g' for her new job and sent her death threats online, saying it feels great to 'monetise her assets' On the site, subscribers pay a monthly fee to access photos of Lenny but can also pay 20 to 100 extra to receive private photos and videos. Lenny said she has already pulled in double what she earned in a year at her job in retail - but still plans to become a journalist after university. The photos she shares include naked and lingerie photos and videos, with prices differing depending on how intimate they are. Lenny said: 'I don't have a partner and if I met someone I'd hope they weren't bothered by it, but that's on them. 'I don't see it going anywhere long term, it's not a career prospect for me but it's fun for now. Lenny (pictured) said she has already pulled in double what she earned in a year at her job in retail - but still plans to become a journalist after university 'I was already posting lingerie photos on Twitter and people were telling me I could make so much money. 'One of my friends was making 3k per week and those numbers are just ridiculous. 'Because I already had a following online, I was able to charge 14.99 per month for subscription whereas some girls have to start lower. 'It was so appealing hearing how much money my friends were making and I find it so empowering and enjoyable. 'I thought older men would be rude and demanding but they are really polite and respectful. Lenny (pictured) now plans to move out of her student accommodation into a new one-bedroom apartment in Leeds, has paid off her debts and is planning a once in a lifetime trip to the US 'I don't think it's any different to sending your partner a nude in terms of the content.' Lenny said although she has 30 hours a week of her time back, taking photos and keeping subscribers engaged is almost like a full time job. Currently, she finds running her accounts perfect to fit around lectures and has more free time to focus on her studies. Lenny rejects claims that the money she's earned is 'dirty' and said that even her parents Sarah and Russel are supportive. She said: 'It feels great to take my own assets and monetise them. 'I always had a job at university so I've never been really skint, but I could definitely have done with a bit more to be able to do what I wanted with my life. 'Now, I have hundreds of girls asking for advice and I just tell them they need a thick skin. 'You can't accept s*** from people but for every negative comment, you get 10 positive ones. 'My parents are really on side. As long as I don't feel pressured into doing anything I don't want to do, then they're fine with it.' Appeals Court: California Must Unseal Secret Files That Hide Police Misconduct Activists, some news agencies and civil rights groups across the state are applauding a California court decision last week to reject an appeal that would have overturned Senate Bill 1421. The landmark legislation, which former Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law in September 2018, allows unprecedented public access to thousands of previously sealed records on police misconduct, including shootings cops across California have committed. California is finally joining other states in granting access to the investigatory records on officer conduct that the public truly has a right to know, said the bills author Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) in a statement when SB 1421 passed. ADVERTISEMENT But after the bill became law in January 2019, the California Attorney Generals office still blocked public requests for police records. The California Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys argued that several law enforcement unions in the state had appealed the law and it needed more clarity before complying with the new disclosure rules. The department also warned that opening investigation or complaint files with sensitive and confidential information to the public could endanger police officers. They also pushed for police records of incidents that occurred before SB 1421 passed to remain sealed. Last Wednesday, though, justices of Californias Court of Appeal for the First District in San Francisco disagreed with the DOJ arguments and upheld the law. SB 1421 recognizes the extraordinary authority vested in peace officers and the serious harms occasioned by misuse of that authority, the justices wrote in their opinion. SB 1421, they added, enshrines the value this state has long placed on government transparency and public access to information. Before 1421 passed, the Los Angeles Times described California as one of the most secretive states when it came to police records on misconduct. Even prosecutors and public defenders did not have direct access to police personnel files. US leading man, producer and director is the father of Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker, Michael Douglas. Kirk Douglas, one of the last superstars of Hollywoods golden age of cinema and renowned for his intense, muscular performances in films like Spartacus and Paths of Glory, died Wednesday at age 103. The US leading man, producer and director came to prominence in the late 1940s and never lost his popularity, taking on nearly 100 movies during a 60-year career. His death at his family home in Beverly Hills was confirmed by his son Michael Douglas, the Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker. It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103, Michael said in a statement posted to Facebook. To the world he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to. Tributes poured in from across Hollywood and around the world on social media, with many declaring I am Spartacus! in a nod to Douglass legendary role as a rebellious Roman slave. Douglas played the legendary role of a rebellious Roman slave in the 1960 film, Spartacus [File: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty via AFP] Kirk Douglas. The inspirational Scalawag, wrote actor Danny DeVito, in reference to the 1973 movie of the same name the first film Douglas directed. 103 years on this earth. Thats got a nice ring to it! Great hanging with you man, he added. Larger than life Douglas, born Issur Danielovitch to Jewish-Russian immigrants in upstate New York in 1916, began working as a stage actor before joining the United States Navy during the second world war. He graduated to movies in 1946 when Casablanca producer Hal Wallis signed him, and he became a star for his role as a double-crossing and womanising boxer in 1949s Champion. His subsequent roles would often mirror his real-world, larger-than-life and intense persona, including a ruthless movie producer in The Bad and the Beautiful(1952) and tortured artist Vincent van Gogh in Lust for Life (1956). Douglas told The New York Times in a 1984 interview that he had always been attracted to characters who are part scoundrel, adding: I dont find virtue photogenic. He was renowned for his physical commitment to roles, training for months to play a boxer in Champion, and learning to ride a horse and shoot in the 1957 Western Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Douglas was nominated three times for an Oscar his last nomination was for Lust for Life but missed out each time and was never nominated again. He was granted an honorary lifetime achievement statuette by the Academy in 1996 just months after a severe stroke for 50 years as a creative and moral force in the motion picture community. Douglas is survived by his second wife Anne Buydens, 100, and three sons. A fourth child, Eric, died of a drug overdose in his 40s, in 2004. (To) me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine (Zeta-Jones), a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband, Michael said. [February 06, 2020] CenturyLink Builds Fiber to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Dams, Modernizing Critical Infrastructure in the Northwest WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) announced that it recently won contracts to build fiber that will modernize, update and protect critical infrastructure at five U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dams in Oregon and Washington. CenturyLink's fiber will provide high-speed data transmission services to the Ice Harbor, Little Goose and Lower Granite Dams along the lower Snake River in Washington, and the Foster and Green Peters Dams along the Columbia River in Oregon, as part of the dam safety program. These dams serve as multi-use critical infrastructure facilities that provide flood risk management, hydropower, navigation, environmental stewardship, fish and wildlife conservation, and recreation benefits. The company's ethernet solution will eliminate the need for specialized high voltage safety protection equipment and the use of existing copper cable that was old, buried and in many areas, chewed up by gophers. "By replacing the legacy copper cables and modernizing the network with fiber, CenturyLink is helping the Army Corps of Engineers improve its safety posture and better protect critical infrastructure at five dams in Oregon and Washington," said David Young, CenturyLink senior vice president, public sector. Thse contracts were awarded over the past year via the General Services Administration's IT Schedule 70 contract. Key Facts The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates and maintains approximately 700 dams nationwide and in Puerto Rico that provide significant, multiple benefits to the nationits people, businesses, critical infrastructure and the environment. that provide significant, multiple benefits to the nationits people, businesses, critical infrastructure and the environment. By supplying cybersecurity, cloud, managed hosting and IT services over its carrier-class network, CenturyLink provides government agencies with the security and reliability they need to carry out their important missions. CenturyLink is ranked No. 29 on Washington Technology's 2019 Top 100 list of federal government IT contractors. Additional Resources Learn more about CenturyLink winning a task order to provide secure connectivity to the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA)'s learning network via GSA's EIS program: http://news.centurylink.com/2020-01-22-CenturyLink-Wins-Department-of-Defense-Learning-Network-EIS-Award Learn more about CenturyLink winning a contract to provide data transmission services to the Defense Information Systems Agency: http://news.centurylink.com/2016-01-27-CenturyLink-wins-DISA-network-fair-opportunity-awards About CenturyLink CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a technology leader delivering hybrid networking, cloud connectivity, and security solutions to customers around the world. Through its extensive global fiber network, CenturyLink provides secure and reliable services to meet the growing digital demands of businesses and consumers. CenturyLink strives to be the trusted connection to the networked world and is focused on delivering technology that enhances the customer experience. Learn more at http://news.centurylink.com/ View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/centurylink-builds-fiber-to-us-army-corps-of-engineers-dams-modernizing-critical-infrastructure-in-the-northwest-301000025.html SOURCE CenturyLink, Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] NEW DELHI: While Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is seeking votes on good governance and keeping its promise of providing free electricity, the Zee Media has come across several residents claiming how the Arvind Kejriwal government has been cheating people in the name of giving subsidised electricity. During its investigation, the Zee Media team came across two people - Luv Malik, a resident of Rohini Sector 11, and Yashpal Sharma, a senior citizen, who claimed that they didn't get any benefit of Delhi government's tall claim of providing subsidised or free electricity if the consumption falls below 200 units. Luv Mallik claimed that in the electricity bill for the month of June last year, the total units consumed was just three units but he was charged Rs 2,150 for the same. Going by Kejriwal's announcement of free electricity up to 200 units every month, the power department should have exempted the charges, he said. Since then, he has made several visits to the local power department for an explanation and waiver but is yet to get any favourable replies and exemption for the said bill. "Under the AAP government's scheme, the bill for usage of 3kw units should be zero rupees. If Kejriwal wants to sit and talk on this issue with me, I'm ready for it. He has fooled and betrayed the Delhites and has given profit to the electricity suppliers. Kejriwal Ji is the same person who used to climb up on the electricity pole and cut the electricity. When there was a different party in the power, he used to tell the public that you cut the electricity from the pole and tell them that Kejriwal has done it. So, where is Kejriwal Ji now after becoming the Chief Minister," Malik said. Revealing his story, senior citizen Yashpal Sharma said, ''I have paid Rs 1,360 for 24 units of electricity consumed, that too, when I opened my shop for just ten days, for the rest twenty days, it was closed because I am a diabetic patient and not in good health. I had to finally pay Rs 1,360 for the bill, so where are the benefits?'' ''I can vouch for the fact that more than 90% of people, even the educated ones, don't understand a lot of things mentioned in the electricity bills. They don't understand it but they have to pay the charges as it is a necessity. Since they pay the bill, they don't have to experience a power cut. So, this is the situation right now where we have to pay the bill without even understanding it,'' Sharma said. Live TV Sharma added, ''Except for the basic tariff, the power companies are charging 11% for PPAC, 4.5% for the pension fund for old employees and electricity tax surcharge of 5%. So, if you look at your bills now, there has been an increase of more than 50% between 2014 and 2019.'' It may be recalled that Arvind Kejriwal had announced free power up to 200 units every month - a move which he said will benefit 3.2 million residents of Delhi. Any Delhi consumer consuming up to 200 units of electricity will not be charged a single Rupee. Those consuming between 201-400 units will receive approximately 50% subsidy, he had announced then. It turned out to be a major game-changer for AAP given the fact that the cost of 200 units of electricity comes around Rs 1,400 in Mumbai, Rs 1,910 in Gurugram and Rs 1,310 in UP. Interestingly, electricity tariff in Delhi has also not changed in the last five years. At that time, the scheme cost the state's exchequer around Rs 1,670 crore annually. Kejriwal said that this will be managed by controlling pilferage and theft by consumers in connivance with corrupt officials. However, it has now come to light that most of the electricity consumers are unaware of various components like fixed charges, power tariff, PPCA mentioned in the bills. Replying to an RTI query, Delhi's Department of Power had said in May 2019 that the Arvind Kejriwal government had increased the power subsidy from Rs 300 crore to Rs 1,427 crore in the year 2015, to Rs 1,477 crore in 2016, Rs 1,277 crore in the year 2017 and Rs 1,699 crore in 2018. -According to it, BRPL was given a subsidy of Rs 287 crore between April 1, 2013, to March 2014, BYPL Rs 287 crore and TPDDPL Rs 166 crore, a total subsidy of Rs 621 crore. - Between 2014-15, the three power companies were given a subsidy of Rs 301 crore. - Between 2015-16, the three companies received a total subsidy of Rs 1,427 crore. -Between 2016-17, the figure reached Rs 1,277 crore. -Between 2017-18, the govt a total subsidy of Rs 1,276 crore. -Between 2018-19, the Delhi government gave a record subsidy of Rs 1691 crore to thee companies. In total, the Delhi government gave a subsidy of Rs 6,595 crore to power companies like BYPL, BRPL and TPDDL from the public exchequer in all these years. Importantly, the 2018 audit report also mentioned that the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission found several irregularities and discrepancies in the electricity records maintained by the DISCOMS. All this points to facts that to give subsidy to power companies, the Delhi government extracted money from common people by levying charges on components like fixed charges, power tariff, PPCA mentioned in the electricity bills. However, senior AAP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has denied any financial wrongdoing in the process of supplying subsidised power to Delhi residents. ''Today, the difference between Delhi and Noida is that the Delhi people who are paying zero rupees for their bills, the same type of householders in the neighbouring BJP ruled cities are paying around 3000-4000 rupees and the people are noticing these things,'' Sisodia said. The Undersung Our critics on great artists who might've been lost to the canon. Claude McKays Romance in Marseille is a modern masterpiece. Photo: Courtesy of Penguin Random House Did you know theyre doing spoiler alert warnings in books now? There it is, printed in the first pages of the preamble to Claude McKays Romance in Marseille: New readers are advised that this introduction makes details of the plot explicit. Its interesting to imagine what prompted this forewarning. Had readers been rage-tweeting about plot points of novels being spoiled by scholarly intros? Or was the publisher, Penguin Classics, merely protecting itself from hypothetical complaints? Im embarrassed by the implication in either case were readers, not babies! But I dont blame Penguin Classics for following the golden rule of public relations: When in doubt, play it safe. Mostly because Romance in Marseille plays it safe in no other ways. Reading it, I got the sweaty, panicked sensation of wanting to do something with the information I had (This book is incredible) before anyone else did. This is how I imagine it feels to be a jewel thief who finds a key to the museum, except what Im empowered to do with this hot tip instead of stealing a fortune is composing a review. Well, I made my bed. Lafala is a sailor born in West Africa (an unspecified part of it) who moves to the port of Marseille and gets fleeced by a Moroccan prostitute. Filled with self-loathing over the incident, he stows away on a ship to New York but is caught and imprisoned next to a toilet, where he gets frostbite. Upon arrival, both lower legs have to be amputated. Its just like one of those shirts you see for sale to tourists on Canal Street: WELCOME TO NEW YORK. NOW GO HOME. A clever and unscrupulous lawyer (Jewish, of course, in the books sole nose-wrinkling stereotype) gets wind of Lafalas case and together they sue the shipping company. Lafala receives a windfall and heads back to Marseille to take up a footless moneyed version of dockside life and to locate the treacherous siren who jilted him. The book is newly available, but McKay, who died in 1948, started writing it 91 years ago. Its history is a rats nest of logistical bloopers. First the book was called The Jungle and the Bottoms. The manuscript was abandoned for a couple of years while the author suffered from syphilis and other distractions. Then he moved to Morocco and took it up again, reworking the story and retitling it Savage Loving. This he swapped for the current title after his agent deemed Savage Loving too obscene, before abandoning the novel again, seemingly for good, in 1933. McKay barely mentioned it in his 1937 memoir and apparently forgot about the project entirely until an 87-page draft popped up again in the hands of a collection to which McKay had donated his papers. (He was not an ardent organizer of his own work.) McKay left a longer, 172-page draft in possession of his only child, who eventually donated it to the New York Public Librarys Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. The shorter one wound up at Yales Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. The two have now been reconciled for the first time to yield the book as published. Romance in Marseille, in other words, was never actually a lost or forgotten novel; it was just peculiarly hard to track down. If you skipped the introduction and surrendered access to Google, you could easily mistake it for a novel written last year. Its about bodies, disability, sex, Islam, slavery, and capital. There are lesbians. There is gender-bending. There is socialism. All of this in 130 pages custom-designed, it would seem, for the modern obliterated attention span! But as with any novel, the themes are only bits of thread unless woven into a dazzling tapestry of a character, which is what we have in Lafala. In one of many brain-rupturing pieces of data embedded in this editions introduction, it turns out that Lafala was based on a real person of McKays acquaintance: a Nigerian seaman named Nelson Simeon Dede who had stowed away on a steamer from France, gotten captured, lost both feet, won restitution, and returned to Marseilles with prosthetics and an upgraded net worth. McKay recognized the stowaway as a piquant racial metaphor for the philosophical condition of the fugitive. Lafala, his fictional version, is handsome, charismatic, very black, not particularly saintly, and pretty zen about the distribution of his fortunes and misfortunes. In the misfortunes column hes got the trauma of being locked in a freezing toilet-jail and having both legs sawed off so that he can never dance or breezily stroll again. On the plus side, the money isnt terrible and having cork prostheses is interesting and women love to fondle his stumps. Life is a tragic joke, is Lafalas operating thesis. After the amputations have healed, Lafala sails back to Marseille courtesy of the same shipping company that de-footed him. Hes eager to be back where the thick scum of life forms and bubbles and breaks in a syrup of passion and desire. The port city is home to a thicket of bums, peddlers, pimps, fishermen, sailors, barflies, idlers, dockers, gangsters, leftists, and families, and the news of Lafalas fortune travels quickly. Hes set upon by a wide range of mercenaries, most of whom he cheerfully repels. At a cafe he spots Aslima the prostitute who originated this whole fiasco and confronts her. She apologizes and claims some responsibility for his lack of feet; after all, if she hadnt robbed him, he wouldnt have had an international meltdown. They call a truce and become joyfully re-entangled, but the prostitutes motives are murky. The hardiest hustler on the shore, Aslima is a canny handler of the local male population. Is she aiming to regain Lafalas trust only to rip him off again? Is she in it for love this time? Will she return to Africa with Lafala, as he wishes? Only chapters eight through 23 will tell. Prose-wise, there are a lot of superlatives to be highlighted in those chapters. In Romance in Marseille there is the best description Ive ever read of human legs, as well as the best description of waking up and feeling like shit, the best description of erotic satisfaction, and to dip into extravagant specificity for a moment the best description of a Corsican pimp fretting that his girlfriend is mentally distancing herself from him. McKay, who was born in the hills of Jamaica in 1889, was a headliner of the Harlem Renaissance. The son of farmers, hed worked up an interest in English poetry Milton, Keats, Shelley, Pope thanks to his older brother, a schoolteacher, and an English neighbor who encouraged McKays literary experiments. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1912, enrolled at Tuskegee and Kansas State College, and left the South two years later for New York. His first American poems were published a few years later, and his first novel, Home to Harlem, was the movements first official American best seller. But he spent nearly as much time out of the country as in it, traveling from England to Russia to Germany to France to Spain to Morocco over the course of 12 years. Home to Harlem got mixed reviews. Langston Hughes loved the book. W.E.B. DuBois wrote that it nauseated him and made him feel like taking a bath. It depicts what McKay called the semi-underworld of single black working-class men in New York City after World War I: a landscape of pool halls, cabarets, SROs, labor disputes, and women in Champagne-colored stockings. Like Romance in Marseille, its a picaresque starring a working-class single man. Unlike Romance, the world its characters, its economy is entirely black. Its very good, and it reads like it was published in 1928, which it was not a complaint, just a fact. Marseille, on the other hand, is a novel out of time. *A version of this article appears in the February 17, 2020, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now! Roughly a month after royal couple Meghan Markle and Prince Harry dropped their bombshell announcement to step down as senior members of the royal family, it looks like their family have slowly settled down and has been at home in Canada. Bombshell Decision Earlier this year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had taken everybody by surprise when they informed the public about their decision to step back as senior royals. Through an Instagram post, Meghan and Harry made it clear that they want to live a private life and become financially independent from the monarchy. As part of their royal exit, the couple said that their family would be splitting their time between the United Kingdom and North America and raise their now eight-month-old son, Archie, exposed in both different worlds. Their decision -- which according to Harry was not something he took lightly -- made tons of controversies, leading Queen Elizabeth II to summon him, his father Prince Charles, and brother Prince William to an emergency meeting in Sandringham. While Buckingham Palace said that the couple would be stripped off their "His/Her Royal Highness" titles and military appointments, the 93-year-old monarch has expressed her full support to Meghan and Harry's decision. After the announcement, Meghan immediately flew back to Vancouver Island while Prince Harry finished several royal engagements, including an appearance at Sentebale in London, where he delivered an emotional speech addressing the infamous "Megxit." According to the 35-year-old Prince, their controversial decision did not come easy, and they were left with "no other option" but to pursue it. Dream Life? Despite the dramas brought by their royal exit, it seems like Meghan and Harry are now living the peaceful life that they have always dreamed of. According to a source close to the couple, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have quickly adjusted to their new life while staying in a $14 million mansion in Vancouver. The source told People that on regular days, the couple is enjoying simple things like a yoga session, a quick walk with Meghan's beagle and labrador dogs, dining inside the mansion, and spending quality time with Archie. "They both love to be outside and have been loving it there." the insider said. "They are enjoying living a quiet life. They go for long walks, they do yoga, and Meghan cooks. They are real homebodies who love to chill out with Archie and the dogs." The couple's friend revealed that Meghan and Harry's aura looks like as if "a heavy weight has been lifted" from their shoulders. Royal watcher Erin Hill also said that as soon as Meghan returned to Canada, she looks "less stressed" and energetic to go out and reach out to support new projects. A few days after she landed in Canada, Meghan went to a women's organization to support and champion women's rights. Being a nature lover's oasis, Erin added that the country is a perfect sanctuary for the royal couple, and it looks like it will be the main reason why they wouldn't want to return to the United Kingdom. With the way they are living their life, it sure looks less and less likely that the Sussexes will back out of their decision. Following the acceptance of the new 2022 Edition of the Harmonized System (HS), representatives of the Secretariat of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and Member Customs administrations held a consultation to take stock of the implementation process of the HS amendments in the SACU Common External Tariff (CET) and set the basis for a timely and coordinated migration to the 2022 version. The consultation took place from 27 to 30 January 2020 in Cape Town (South Africa), with the support of the EU-WCO Programme for HS in Africa, funded by the European Union. Tariff experts from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa gathered together with representatives of the SACU and the WCO to review the arrangements to be put in place with a view to ensuring a smooth and timely migration of the CET of the Union to the new version of the HS. Special emphasis was placed on bringing on board all relevant stakeholders along the upcoming migration process, thereby rendering it more inclusive. The opening session of the meeting was attended by Mr. Joern Hindsdal, former Deputy Director of the WCO Tariff and Trade Affairs Directorate. In his keynote address he emphasised the importance of the HS for the global trade facilitation agenda, calling attention to the fact that the 2022 version of the HS was adopted by the Council and will enter into force in less than two years. He encouraged the SACU and its Members to start the notoriously complex process of implementation of amendments as soon as possible to ensure that it is completed in a timely manner. The consultation gave an opportunity to discuss other issues and standards related to the HS, in particular, establishment of a well-functioning system of advance rulings and alignment of the tariff classification work at the national level on the international standards and best practices. The consultation was the first in the series of activities that the SACU region will be organizing in cooperation with the WCO within the framework of the EU-WCO Programme for HS in Africa, to further regional integration and to harmonize national models of implementation of HS amendments. For more details, please contact capacity.building@wcoomd.org. A woman who was raped and sexually assaulted by her then boyfriend multiple times while she slept has been awarded a total 1 million damages by a High Court jury. Niamh Ni Dhomhnaill told the jury in evidence she felt unsafe everywhere as a result of the actions of Magnus Meyer Hustveit. She was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, had been unable to continue her much loved teaching job, left Ireland for several years, and had tried at one stage to take her own life. Becoming tearful during her evidence, she said: There has never been a part of me that has not been profoundly impacted. Expand Close Magnus Meyer Hustveit. Photo: Collins Courts. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Magnus Meyer Hustveit. Photo: Collins Courts. The impact of the assaults on Ms Ni Dhomhnaill was about nine to nine and a half out of ten on a scale on severity, a psychiatrist told the jury. Ms Ni Dhomhnaill, with an address in Dublin, took High Court civil proceedings seeking damages against Hustveit, with an address at Jens Bjelkes Gate Apartments, Oslo, Norway. He was given a 15 month prison sentence following a finding by the Court of Appeal in 2016 that his original wholly suspended seven year sentence was unduly lenient. Hustveit had pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to one count of rape and one count of sexual assault committed against Ms Ni Dhomhnaill between 2011 and 2012. The offences happened when both were in their twenties. In imposing a 15 month prison term, the COA said the combination of factors including Hustveits cooperation, voluntary return to Ireland to be charged, previous good character and positive life he was now leading in Norway justified and required a sentence appreciably less than would be normal in cases of multiple rapes. In her civil proceedings, Ms Ni Dhomnhnaill sought damages for multiple acts of sexual assault on dates unknown between May 2011 to the end April 2012 at an apartment at Belvedere Place, Dublin. She sought damages for personal injuries, loss and damage caused by the assault, battery, rape, sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional harm on his part. Judgment was entered in default of defence and the jury was told by Mr Justice Max Barrett on Thursday their task was to assess damages only. Having heard evidence from Ms Ni Dhomhnaill, her mother and a psychiatrist, the jury assessed damages in a total sum of 1m, comprising 350,000 general damages, 400,000 aggravated damages and 250,000 punitive damages. In her action, Ms Ni Dhomhnaill said she was in a sexual relationship with Hustveit from May 2011 and they had moved in together into the Belvedere Place flat around September 2011 until the relationship ended around April, 29th 2012. She said Hustveit had repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted her while she was asleep. She said Hustveit had admitted on April 29th 2012 he had raped her and this had been going on for some period of time. She received an email from him on May 27th 2012 admitting he penetrated her with his penis and/or hands, touched her and kissed her while she was asleep over a prolonged period of time and used her body for his own gratification. Receiving the email was "extremely shocking" and disturbing as it detained in a clinical manner how she had been repeatedly violated in her sleep by him. The "quite chilling" detail demonstrated his "absolute awareness of what he was doing". During the relevant period of time, she also discovered a large fist sized bruise on the inside of her upper thigh which took about a week to heal. She attempted in September 2013 to take her own life by taking an overdose of sleeping tablets prescribed for her in the aftermath of the rapes and sexual assaults. She had attended weekly therapy sessions and a psychotherapist, had issues around food and excessive exercising and abusing laxative tablets and had at times struggled to leave her bedroom and home. All her relationships and friendships had been affected and she continues to feel frightened about trusting people, including her parents. Unable to continue in her much loved teaching job, she left Ireland for London where she sought to lose herself in studying psychology. She was concerned she began overachieving "to compensate" for what had happened. She continues to have disturbing nightmares and could not say how she would be in ten years. Cat Adoption Team Shelter staff calls Jane young, sweet and sleek. She adores humans and constantly is asking for their attention. Shes healthy and has had all her shots. Now she just needs a new forever home. Meet Jane at Tanasbourne PetSmart, 1295 N.W. 185th Ave., Hillsboro. Details catadoptionteam.org Don't Edit Cat Adoption Team Outgoing tuxedo kitty Harley Quinn came from Texas to make Oregon her forever home. Curious, affectionate, and independent, she enjoys lots of attention and pets, and shows her love through purrs, chirps, and headbutting your hand. Contact: Cat Adoption Team, 14175 S.W. Galbreath Drive, Sherwood Web: catadoptionteam.org Phone: 503-925-8903 Don't Edit Cat Adoption Team Handsome Furber is a shy and gentle giant looking for a mellow home to call his own. At first he'll come off reserved and unsure, but he becomes a big love bear once he gets to know you. Furber has lived with other cats and may prefer to have just a few mellow cat friends in his new home. Come and visit this hunk at Tualatin Petco, 8775 S.W. Tualatin-Sherwood Road. Web: catadoptionteam.org Don't Edit Cat Adoption Team Mags is a full-on diva. She's beautiful, affectionate and lives by her own rules. She's sassy and forward, and seeks out adventure and activity. She'd do best as the only cat in the home. Contact: Cat Adoption Team, 14175 S.W. Galbreath Drive, Sherwood Web: catadoptionteam.org Phone: 503-925-8903 Don't Edit Humane Society for Southwest Washington Angel is a sweet little Chihuahua mix at just over a year old. She is a shy pup who needs time to warm up to new people. She really loves to be close to her people and snuggle. Angle would love a quiet home where someone is around most of the time. She would do best in an adult-only home or a home with mellow kids older than 16. Angel has lived well with other dogs and cats. Here at the shelter, staff has noticed that she wants to spend more time with people than other dogs, so would probably do best with a very mellow dog friend or as an only dog. Angel is not on the general adoption floor so ask a counselor to set up a meet up. Humane Society for SW Washington, 1100 N.E. 192nd Ave., Vancouver. Web: southwesthumane.org Don't Edit Don't Edit Lori Ackerman Newberg Animal Shelter Harley is a 6-month-old kitten who started out his life as a feral cat. He needs a second to adjust to new things, but after that he will be bumping up against you for love and attention. Newberg Animal Shelter 1591 S Sandoz Rd, Newberg Phone: 503-554-9285 Don't Edit Lori Ackerman Newberg Animal Shelter Gabriel is a 5-month-old heeler mix. Staff calls Gabriel an old soul in a young dog's body. While Gabriel loves to play like any other puppy he also enjoys sitting in your lap or simply just touching you. He's a well-rounded puppy that is sweet and gentle. Newberg Animal Shelter 1591 S Sandoz Rd, Newberg Phone: 503-554-9285 Don't Edit Lori Ackerman Newberg Animal Shelter King Tut is a 9-month-old kitten who can take a while to warm up to new people. Once he does get comfortable, he is a purring and drooling mess for pets. He started life as a feral kitten but is now learning to trust the people around him. Newberg Animal Shelter 1591 S Sandoz Rd, Newberg Phone: 503-554-9285 Don't Edit Lori Ackerman Newberg Animal Shelter Puppy Gloria is a 4-month-old pit bull mix puppy. She loves to be the center of attention. Staff calls her sweet, energetic, and super affectionate. Newberg Animal Shelter 1591 S Sandoz Rd, Newberg Phone: 503-554-9285 The Greater Accra Regional Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Anthony Nukpenu has expressed worry at the contradictory posture of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in dealing with vigilante groups. According to him, the NPP is not committed to ending vigilantism. The NPP is not committed to fighting vigilantism, they are only deceiving Ghanaians, behind the scenes they will sponsor their party faithful to cause violence during elections, Anthony Nukpenu told Lawyer Ohene Gyan on Medo Ghana on Accra-based Kingdom FM 107.7 The non-existence of jobs for the youth leads them to find alternative means of benefiting from the public purse since they do not have any means of livelihood. He expressed the belief that the security personnel ought to be more prudent in dealing with vigilante groups and not allow any interference in combating crime. Political vigilantism, he said, Has bared its teeth in Ghana in recent times, and notable among the groups that have caused mayhem he recalled Delta Force, affiliated to the governing NPP. The vigilante groups have indulged in unacceptable conduct over the years and Ghanaians have shown their abhorrence for their violent activities. KingdomfmOnline.com Helm Partners announces strategic partnership with Netizen While technology can enhance and streamline business functions, all technology is subject to being compromised, which unfortunately, is becoming more and more common."Paul Weiss, Vice President of Helm Partners Helm Partners, a leading technology and telecommunications advisory services firm, announced a strategic partnership with Netizen, a global cybersecurity organization. Due to the changing landscape of technology and security, this collaboration is exciting for both companies and their respective clients who will benefit from the best insights and execution in telecommunications and cybersecurity strategies. In recent years, the importance of security for technology, communications, and all connected businesses has increased exponentially. This strategic partnership forms a complementary merge of business functions that will offer the best in technology and security for both Helms and Netizens clients and allow the companies to offer the best all-around services. For Helms clients, this partnership will provide an increased focus on security from a credible company with a wealth of experience in a variety of industries - and specifically with industries that have highly sensitive materials and must comply with very stringent rules and tight regulations. This partnership is a strategic move that will expand the impact of both companies, said Paul Weiss, Vice President of Helm Partners. While technology can enhance and streamline business functions, all technology is subject to being compromised, which unfortunately, is becoming more and more common. Every company needs to leverage the best technology to improve company performance and growth alongside the most effective security that serves to protect that growth. As we continue to grow our business, we remain focused on expanding our services to meet the needs of our current and future clients. This partnership will create synergy across both companies and the leadership at Netizen is excited about expanding through the services offered by Helm Partners. We believe that by becoming partners, we will expand our footprint while having more to offer our clients. This will enable us to offer best-in-class management and advisory solutions to new and existing clients, said Rocco Zegalia, CMO of Netizen. We are confident in Helm Partners and truly believe that this move is a natural progression that will propel and grow our business and move our clients in a positive and successful direction. About Helm Partners Helm Partners is a leading technology and telecommunications advisory services firm with a track record of accelerating results. As an Inc. 500 firm, and multiple winner of Philadelphia 100 Fastest-Growing and Best Places to Work, respected and awarded by numerous top tier global technology companies, we deliver real-time market insights that drive value and impact for our clients through informed decision making. A partner in every sense of the word, Helm Partners earns trust by aligning with our clients objectives and managing risk while producing a quantifiable return on investment. To learn more about Helm Partners, please visit: http://www.helmpartners.com. About Netizen Netizen is an award-winning ISO 27001:2013 and ISO 9001:2015 certified Service Disabled Veteran Owned (SDVOSB) company specializing in cybersecurity with offices and locations around the country. The company supports customers across the U.S., Europe, Middle East, and Asia and was named America's fastest-growing cybersecurity company in 2019 and a national "Best Workplace" according to Inc. Magazine. The company also received the Department of Labor HireVETS Platinum Medallion for their veteran-focused hiring, training, and retention programs. Please visit: http://www.netizencorp.com. India, Israel to Build 2000 kilo class Drones for Maritime, Land Based Military Operations Sputnik News 15:14 GMT 05.02.2020 New Delhi (Sputnik): India's military is seeking to extend its use of drones for intelligence gathering, surveillance and reconnaissance . India's state-funded Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Israel's Elbit System to jointly develop rotary military drones for the Indian armed forces. HAL claimed that deploying a rotary UAV will bring down the huge costs associated with operating and maintaining manned helicopters. "It will also benefit the Indian Armed Forces in deploying a UAV for a routine surveillance mission or operating in unsafe areas both during day and night, which otherwise would have to be carried out by manned helicopters," HAL said on Wednesday. The Indian aviation giant claimed that the partnership will benefit the two firms in terms of technology, manufacturing, marketing and maintenance. "It may also open up new business avenues for HAL culminating in both domestic and export orders." Apurva Chandra, the Indian defence ministry official in charge of acquisition, also listed out unmanned vehicles, UAVs, border management and after-sales support/ MRO as the new focus areas of cooperation between India and Israel. HAL has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Dynamatic Technologies Limited (DTL) to jointly manufacture drones. The Indian firm will also market, and sell the Heron Mark II to Indian customers. "The collaboration will provide excellent opportunity to HAL to expand its product offerings to Defence Customers, absorb critical technologies and strengthen the Aerospace Ecosystem in the country, especially for UAVs," HAL chief R. Madhavan stated. India has been trying to expand the use of drones to keep up with regional rivals China and Pakistan. Islamabad has allegedly accelerated its long-delayed purchase of up-to-date warfare systems and advanced radars, which it is reportedly seeking to deploy along the border. A recent report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) claimed that China has become the largest exporter of unmanned combat aerial vehicles, selling 15to 13 countries since 2014. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Patient readers, the Democrat Party continues to amaze. I was hoping to take it easy today, which the shortness of this Water Cooler reflects. Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in. More soon. For pitys sake. lambert UPDATE All done. Politics But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? James Madison, Federalist 51 They had one weapon left and both knew it: treachery. Frank Herbert, Dune Here is a second counter for the New Hampshire Primary, which is obviously just around the corner: * * * 2020 The Debates For the first time, a climate journalist will moderate a presidential debate [Heated]. For the first time in history, a climate journalist will moderate a presidential debate. On Wednesday, NBC News announced that Noticias Telemundo senior correspondent Vanessa Hauc will be among the co-moderators of the Democratic presidential primary debate on February 19 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (There are three debates scheduled for this monthone tomorrow, one on the 19th, and one on the 25th). If there is a broadcast journalist with a longer history of covering the climate crisis than Hauc, I do not know of them. Huac has been a reporter for more than two decades, and currently leads the investigative unit on environmental issues at Telemundos Planeta Tierra.' Too bad the DNC didnt allow a whole debate on climate. Of course, to do that, they would have had to change the rules. Impeachment How Rick Perry waltzed past the impeachment probe [Politico]. Former Energy Secretary Rick Perry will skirt questioning by Congress during the impeachment of President Donald Trump despite his central role in the administrations contacts with Ukraine. Perry stonewalled all requests from lawmakers for information in the investigation, defying a House subpoena and limiting his public comments to friendly media outlets. And despite a lawsuit thats yielded a trickle of internal records from the Energy Department and allegations from Rudy Giulianis associate Lev Parnas that Perry played a central role in conveying Trumps demands for investigations into political rival Joe Biden, the Senate is poised to acquit Trump Wednesday with no clear answers about the former Cabinet members activities. If the Democrats dont want to enforce subpoenas, whats the point of issuing them? Realignment and Legitimacy Bloomberg Surrogates Have Seats on DNC Rules Committees [Sludge]. And the deck: After DNC Chair Tom Perez unilaterally changed the Feb. 19 presidential debate requirements, opening the door for Mike Bloomberg, two campaign surrogates are in position to propose changes to superdelegate voting rules for the July DNC Convention. More: The DNC passed intensely-negotiated rule changes in August 2018 that sought to reduce the influence of superdelegatesappointed at-large delegates whose ranks include influential party consultantsprimarily by preventing them from casting votes on the first nomination ballot, as they did in 2016. If no candidate receives a majority on the first ballot at the upcoming convention, which will be voted on by 3,979 pledged delegates, then the 771 superdelegatesincluding some lobbyists for corporate clientscan vote on the second ballot, under the new rules. If the superdelegates were to vote as a block, they could add over 16% to a candidate, potentially pushing their favorite over the top. UPDATE Iowas high-tech caucuses crashed, and paper ballots saved the day [MIT Technology Review]. So why do we need the high-tech stuff at all, then? Except as a rice bowl for grifters? UPDATE DNC Offers Startup $500 Million To Develop Pencil That Can Accurately Record Election Results [The Onion]. As of this morning, we have commissioned the design and manufacture of a cutting-edge tabulation device that will be able to legibly report vote totals on a sheet of paper 99% of the time, said DNC chair Tom Perez, holding up a rough prototype of the 7.5-inch hexagonal marking implement, which will be built and rigorously stress-tested by a new Silicon Valley business venture known as Sharpen. I believe thats a typo: the venture should be Sharpn. Stats Watch Commodities: Virus Hits Copper Trade as China Asks Chile to Defer Cargoes [Bloomberg]. Chinas copper buyers are asking Chilean miners to delay shipments due to port shutdowns, adding to tumult in global commodity trade in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. While the suppliers havent reported any contract breaches, they have verbally agreed with clients to reschedule some deliveries. Just like airlines dont want to go to China, ocean freight companies dont want to either, [Victor Garay, market coordinator for Cochilco, the copper commission in Chile] said in an interview Wednesday. Copper is joining shipments of everything from oil to crops that have been disrupted by the spread of the deadly virus, which originated in China. Shipping: AAR: Glimmers of Hope in U.S. Rail Traffic [Railway Age]. U.S. rail volumes fell again in January, reflecting continued softness in manufacturing and global economic weakness made worse by trade uncertainties, said AAR Senior Vice President John T. Gray. But there were glimmers of hope. Nine of the 20 carload categories we track had year-over-year gains in January, the most in a year, and several other commodities had carload declines in January that were less pronounced than theyve been in recent months. Its too early to say if the worst is behind us, but railroads are hopeful that 2020 will see an improved business climate and rising volumes across much of their traffic base.' Shipping: The toll from the coronavirus outbreak is starting to hit maritime operations from container terminals to shipyards. A report from Alphaliner projects the impact of factory shutdowns and other restrictions crimping Chinas output will reduce global ocean container volumes, by about 0.7% this year. as Beijing struggles to rein back the outbreak while keeping its economy on track [Wall Street Journal]. The dour outlook for a key segment of global trade comes as international container lines cancel a growing number of scheduled sailings through China and airlines ground flights to the region, squeezing cargo capacity for a broad range of shippers and logistics operators. * * * Todays Fear & Greed Index: 62 Greed (previous close: 60 Greed) [CNN]. One week ago: 56 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Feb 6 at 12:29pm. Let the good times roll! The Biosphere Arctic sinkholes open in a flash after permafrost melt [Live Science]. Arctic permafrost can thaw so quickly that it triggers landslides, drowns forests and opens gaping sinkholes. This rapid melt, described in a new study, can dramatically reshape the Arctic landscape in just a few months. Fast-melting permafrost is also more widespread than once thought. About 20% of the Arctics permafrost a blend of frozen sand, soil and rocks also has a high volume of ground ice, making it vulnerable to rapid thawing. When the ice that binds the rocky material melts away, it leaves behind a marshy, eroded land surface known as thermokarst. Previous climate models overlooked this kind of surface in estimating Arctic permafrost loss, researchers reported. That oversight likely skewed predictions of how much sequestered carbon could be released by melting permafrost, and new estimates suggest that permafrost could pump twice as much carbon into the atmosphere as scientists formerly estimated, the study found. Yikes. Mysterious Australian rock art may depict the chaos following rising seas [Science]. When lost Australian rancher Joseph Bradshaw stumbled across dancing, mulberry-colored figures painted on a rock shelter in the northwestern Kimberly region in 1891, he was mesmerized: They looked like no rock art he had seen before. Since then, the slender, detailed figuresnow known as Gwionshave puzzled archaeologists, who didnt know when they were painted or by whom.. [T]he researchers to reliably bracket the age of the Gwions for the first time: 12,000 years ago, give or take 500 years. That means, Finch says, the Gwion style lasted in the area for just a short period1000 years or less. That period coincides with the rapid ending of an ice age, when rising seas inundated northern Australia and shrank the lands of the Kimberley region by half. The resulting chaos displaced populations, and it may help explain why the Gwion artists focused on clan dynamics and ceremonies in their paintings. The methodology, involving wasps nests (!), is fascinating. After 2,000 Years, These Seeds Have Finally Sprouted [The Atlantic (David L)]. Five of the six seeds that ultimately sprouted came from either Masada, the site of a famous siege in 74 b.c. that is said to have ended with the mass suicide of Masadas defenders, or the Qumran Caves, best known as the site of the Dead Sea Scrolls. (A sixth came from caves at Wadi Makukh.) At 2,000 years old, the seeds are in fact contemporaries of these ancient events. Around the time Romans were laying siege to Masada and the Dead Sea Scrolls were being written, these seeds were being formed. The scientists restoring a gold-mining disaster zone in the Peruvian Amazon [Nature]. La Pampa was once the largest and most dangerous gold-mining zone in the Peruvian Amazon, so riddled with gangsters that scientists dared not enter. For nearly a decade, they could only watch by satellite as gold hunters mowed down some of the most biodiverse rainforest on the planet. That ended in February 2019, when the government declared martial law and expelled an estimated 5,000 miners. Now, La Pampa is deserted and under military guard. When Silman and his colleagues surveyed the area for the first time in late June, they found a barren, eerily quiet landscape polluted with mercury, a toxic by-product of mining. The data that the researchers collect on this inadvertent experiment could help to determine the extent to which restoration is possible or document the evolution of an entirely new, and human-made, ecosystem. News of the Wired This Professors Amazing Trick Makes Quadratic Equations Easier [New York Times]. Quadratics, which are introduced in elementary algebra classes, pop up often in physics and engineering in the calculating of trajectories, even in sports. If, while watching the Super Bowl, you had wanted to estimate how far a pass thrown by Patrick Mahomes traveled through the air, you would have been solving a quadratic equation. The equations also show up in calculations for maximizing profit, a key consideration for anyone who wants to succeed in business. [Dr. Po-Shen Loh] has not discovered something entirely new. Indeed, his method mixes together ideas dating back thousands of years to the Babylonians. Paging Michael Hudson! * * * Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, (c) how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal, and (d) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. Todays plant (TD): TD writes: Still no frosts in Oklahoma, so we are still getting blooms. * * * : Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldnt see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know Im on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals: Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated. If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you! A 30-hours-old Chinese baby has become the youngest coronavirus patient, having tested positive shortly after its infected mother put ... A 30-hours-old Chinese baby has become the youngest coronavirus patient, having tested positive shortly after its infected mother put to bed. Theres been widespread disturbance about coronavirus in recent times: the rising death toll, serial travel bans among countries, and the global scamper towards creating a vaccine. According to BBC, the infant, who was born on Sunday in Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, was found to have been infected with the disease after he was tested. Yet, medical experts stated that this doesnt confirm speculations that the disease spreads through the womb as its uncertain if the disease wasnt transmitted from the mother after birth. 28,018, mostly involving only a handful of children. Ever since the disease broke out in Wuhan, the coronavirus has killed 565 people and infected28,018, mostly involving only a handful of children. It was gathered that the infected Chinese baby weighed 3.25kg at birth and has now been put under observation. This reminds us to pay attention to mother-to-child being a possible route of coronavirus transmission, Zeng Lingkong, chief physician of Wuhan Children Hospitals neonatal medicine department, told Reuters. According to reports, a six-month-old child from Singapore is known to have tested positive for the dreaded disease as well as an eight-year-old from Wuhan who is currently in Australia. The World Health Organization (WHO) had declared the outbreak a global health emergency, with Tedros Ghebreyesus, its chief, appealing for $675 million to fund a three-month response plan. Amid global efforts to combat the disease, coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, the US, among other countries. U.S. President Donald Trump and conservative pundits are unleashing a stream of vitriol against Republican Sen. Mitt Romney for his vote to convict the president of abusing the presidency, even as the Senate rejected impeachment charges against Trump. Romney, who lost the 2012 presidential election to former President Barack Obama, said Wednesday he knew he would be vilified. He said he could not live up to his deep Christian faith and ignore what he saw as Trump's wrongdoing when he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy last July to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter's work for a Ukrainian natural gas company. On Twitter early Thursday, Trump said, "Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election. Read the Transcripts!" Later, at the annual National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Trump singled out Romney for more derision, although not by name. "I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong," Trump said, after waving a newspaper that proclaimed his acquittal. Romney, the only Republican to break ranks to vote for Trump's conviction and removal from office, contended that Trump's call for the Biden investigations constituted "an appalling abuse of the public trust" and "a flagrant assault on our electoral rights, our national security interests, and our fundamental values." The blowback against Romney was almost immediate. Trump's oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., said Romney should be expelled from the Republican Party and described him with a vulgar epithet. Trump's 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale called Romney an "irrelevant relic." White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who worked for Romney's 2012 campaign, declared that "only the presidents political opponents all Democrats, and one failed Republican presidential candidate voted for the manufactured impeachment articles. Conservative pundits heaped more scorn on Romney. Utahs junior senator reminded us of why he couldnt connect with most regular, working-class people, Fox News host Laura Ingraham said. They dont like politicians who claim to be holier than thou when theyre really just sticking a shiv in your back. Hes the ultimate selfish, preening, self-centered politician." Breitbart News, a right-wing media outlet, claimed, Anyone who has followed Mitts career could have seen this betrayal coming. This isnt the first time hes behaved like a bitter sanctimonious weasel when it comes to Donald Trump. Fox News host Tucker Carlson refused to identify Romney by name, saying, "That senator shall go unnamed on this show on the grounds that silly moral preening should not be rewarded with the publicity that its designed to garner." Conservative pundit Sean Hannity, a staunch Trump supporter, called Romney "a diminished figure. Clearly, losing a presidential election ruins people." "His career is done," former White House aide Sebastian Gorka claimed on his radio show. Courtesy of Lindsay Rowe Parker We've all done it at some point. We looked at the cost of a nice bottle of alcohol and thought, "Surely, I can do this cheaper!" Then, through a short series of defeats from online articles about the process, we realize how hard it is to just go about it on your own. Sure, the dream of having a barrel of whiskey lying around the house for personal use sounds great, but are you ready to commit three years to that dream? What if we told you there was another way? What if someone had found a secret to cut that time down dramatically? Well, Scott Feuille of Taylor Garrett Whiskey claims he has. "It's something I came up with after wanting a solution to the fact that craft really has to struggle to get any kind of whiskeys or brown spirits released because you gotta let it sit in a barrel. Even if you rush it to market, it still is going to take a significant amount of time. I know a little bit about the chemistry of aging and kind of stumbled upon an article that talked about a completely unrelated field, and there was a certain oxidation process that was happening and I thought, 'I wonder if I can apply that to spirits.' I worked through a couple of prototypes and was able to achieve those results with aging spirits," says Scott Feuille, a retired Naval aviator and founder of Taylor Garrett Whiskey, located in Albuquerque. Through a collaboration with VARA Winery, Feuille was able to test and distill his conceptual accelerated whiskey, eventually crafting a product he is proud to sell. "I've kind of created a magic barrel, so to speak. It's not actually aged in a barrel but in a vessel with treated staves that we toast, very similar to profiles that the winemakers would toast their staves to, then we charge them. But because the wood is exposed on all sides, and not just the interior of the barrel, we can get similar exposure rates to a 53 gallon barrel with a quarter of the wood required for that 53 gallon barrel. We're not jamming a bunch of wood in there and accelerating it that way. But we're very meticulous about how we chose the wood to get a very specific flavor profile out of it. To kind of maximize the vanilla and with the charring, it has that nice layer of caramel right below the char layer. Then we've got other physical processes that are going on that essentially aid in the oxidation process that would normally happen in a barrel over years. We end up with a final result in anywhere between six and seven days," said Feuille. If this is true, the turnaround time on whiskey being cut down by years would be revolutionary. Purists might scoff, but the real trick is if it passes the taste test. At the end of the day, a process is only as important as the end result product, and if Taylor Garrett Whiskey can pass with aged products, then the process only counts for show. But Feuille isn't worried. Taylorgarrettspirits.com "You know, the proof is in the bottle. I'm confident that people will like our product, we've got our finished whiskey bottled and we'll release that on Saturday and I've got a rye that will probably release in anywhere from four to six weeks, depending on how the whiskey is received and what we need to do to keep up with production for that. But what's really cool about it is it opens up a whole new door of possibilities for experimentals. We can do different grain bills, we can do different woods and see what kind of results we get very quickly, and whether or not they're products that are worth taking to the market. So we could be like the brewers now, they can come up with some really cool beers and then come up with new flavor profiles and things that the traditional beer manufacturers were never considering and now they've opened up that entire market. And I'm hoping we can kind of do the same thing with whiskey." It's true that risk of loss prevents experimentation in whiskey, with three plus years down the drain for a bad batch, which leaves many producers focused on making sure the one they release is as good as it can be and not touching the formula otherwise. For those in the know about whiskey, what can they expect from the launch? According to Feuille, "The whiskey is done on a bourbon mash. Now it's a high rye bourbon mash. So we're at 65% corn, 25% rye, and then 10% is the malted barley. So, we're definitely going after that bourbon field. Our rye is kind of a kind of a swap of that." Will innovation win the day? It's hard to say for sure until the product is in our hands (Weekly Alibi will be at a launch party this weekend to find out for sure) but if it passes the tests, this could be a true game changer for the craft spirits industry. For those looking to try Taylor Garrett Whiskey themselves, the product will be officially launching to the public on Feb. 9 and will be available at $53 a bottle. Youll be able to purchase your own bottle at VARA Winery at 315 Alameda Blvd. NE. China A Go Go. | Photo: Mk and Jc H./Yelp Craving Asian food? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best affordable Asian restaurants around Las Vegas, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best spots to fill the bill. 1. Oh! Curry Topping the list is Oh! Curry. Located at 5051 Stewart Ave., Suite 101, it is the highest-rated budget-friendly Asian restaurant in Las Vegas, boasting 4.5 stars out of 372 reviews on Yelp. The Japanese curry house features pork and chicken cutlets, kurobuta sausage, curried udon and beef curry dogs, among other options. 2. Aloha Specialties Photo: loretta c./Yelp Next up is downtown's Aloha Specialties, situated at 12 E. Ogden Ave. in the California Hotel & Casino. With four stars out of 761 reviews on Yelp, the Hawaiian, Japanese and Asian fusion spot has proved to be a local favorite for those looking for an affordable option. Yelper Caroline C., who reviewed Aloha Specialties on Jan. 21, wrote, "I settled for the Aloha bento. It comes with teriyaki steak, Korean chicken, mahi mahi and redondo hot dog, served with a mountain of rice. The steak is tender and the sauce isn't overwhelming. ... The mahi mahi is different from anything I have ever tried. ... The sauce makes it." Yelper jeffrey l. wrote, "My go-to is the mixed plate. It comes with spam musubi (2), teriyaki beef, teriyaki chicken and macaroni salad. This time I got a side of kimchi. The kimchi was slightly sour with a hint of spice. It was perfect. " 3. Chop Chop Wok Photo: Ty W./Yelp Chop Chop Wok, located at 6812 W. Cheyenne Ave., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the budget-friendly Chinese and Japanese spot four stars out of 235 reviews. Yelper Xanthe Q., who reviewed Chop Chop Wok on Oct. 20, wrote, "We got home and opened up the boxes and were pleasantly surprised how much food we got. Two large portions of hot and sour and egg drop soup, one bag with appetizers, one large container of broccoli beef, one of general's chicken, one pork fried rice and an extra container of 'small' chow mein. Everything, I mean everything, was delish. Full of flavor and very fresh." Story continues Renee B. wrote, "The great thing about Chop Chop Wok is that their prices are easy on the wallet without sacrificing flavor or portion size. For their combo special, $7.95 gets you an entree of your choice, served with either pork fried rice or lo mein, with an egg roll and crab rangoon." 4. Teriyaki Madness Photo: teriyaki madness/Yelp This outpost of the national chain Teriyaki Madness, a Japanese and Asian fusion spot in Summerlin, is another inexpensive go-to, with four stars out of 13 Yelp reviews. Head over to 10300 W. Charleston Blvd., Suites 6 and 7, to see for yourself. We turned there for more about Teriyaki Madness. "The founders of Teriyaki Madness made it their mission to take the fresh teriyaki taste of home where it seldom had gone before," the business states on its Yelp profile. Concerning signature items, "We serve our customers satisfying entrees like our teriyaki chicken, which is fully customizable, with fire-grilled, all-natural, never frozen, hand-trimmed chicken and house-made from scratch teriyaki sauce," it states on its Yelp page. 5. China A Go Go Photo: mk and jc h./Yelp Finally, check out China A Go Go, which has earned four stars out of 164 reviews on Yelp. Dig in at the Chinese, Japanese and Thai spot by heading over to 10450 W. Cheyenne Ave., Suite 120. Yelper Derek O., who reviewed China A Go Go on Sept. 30 wrote, "Just picked up a quick lunch here it's fantastic. ... I did the orange chicken lunch special for $8 ... very happy with the quality of food." Yelper Tatyana T. wrote, "If you're looking for quality Chinese cuisine at an affordable price, this is your place. I usually get the Family A or B set, which gives you a little of everything (appetizer, choice of soup and two entrees, plain or fried rice). So good." 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. Black Americas Housing Crisis: More Renters Than Homeowners, Homeless Population Jumps 12% No matter who you are, or where you live, theres a central concern that links consumers all over the country: the ever-rising cost of living. For many consumers, the combined costs of housing, transportation, food, and utilities leave room for little else from take-home pay. From Boston west to Seattle, and from Chicago to Miami and parts in between, the rising cost of living is particularly challenging in one area: housing. Both homeowners and renters alike today cope as best they can just to have a roof over their families heads. The nations median sales price of a new home last September in 2019 was $299,400, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Even for an existing home, the St. Louis Federal Reserve noted its median price in December was $274,500. ADVERTISEMENT For renters, the cost of housing is also a serious challenge. Last June, the national average rent reached $1,405, an all-time high. But if one lives in a high-cost market like Manhattan, Boston, Los Angeles, or San Francisco, a realistic rental price is easily north of $3,000 each month. Now a new report from Harvards Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) finds that the American Dream of homeownership is strained even among households with incomes most would think adequate to own a home. From 2010 to 2018, 3.2 million households with earnings higher than $75,000 represented more than three-quarters of the growth in renters in its report entitled, Americas Rental Housing 2020. [F]rom the homeownership peak in 2004 to 2018, the number of married couples with children that owned homes fell by 2.7 million, while the number renting rose by 680,000, states the report. These changes have meant that families with children now make up a larger share of renter households (29%) than owner households (26%). To phrase it another way, Americas middle class is at risk. Consumer demographics that traditionally described homeowners, has shifted to that of renters. And in that process, the opportunity to build family wealth through homeownership has become more difficult for many and financially out of reach for others. Rising rents are making it increasingly difficult for households to save for a down payment and become homeowners, says Whitney Airgood-Obrycki, a JCHS research associate and lead author of the new report. Young, college-educated households with high incomes are really driving current rental demand. ADVERTISEMENT Included among the reports key findings: Rents in 2019 continued their seven-year climb, marking 21 consecutive quarters of increases above 3.0%; Despite the growth in high-income White renters, renter households overall have become more racially and ethnically diverse since 2004, with minority households accounting for 76 percent of renter household growth through 2018; and Income inequality among renter households has been growing. The average real income of the top fifth of renters rose more than 40 percent over the past 20 years, while that of the bottom fifth of renters fell by six percent; Despite the strong economy, the number and share of renters burdened by housing costs rose last year after a couple of years of modest improvement, says Chris Herbert, managing director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies. And while the poorest households are most likely to face this challenge, renters earning decent incomes have driven this recent deterioration in affordability. This trend of fewer homeowners has also impacted another disturbing development: the nations growing homeless population. Citing that homelessness is again on the rise, the JCHS report noted that after falling for six straight years, the number of people experiencing homelessness nationwide grew from 20162018, to 552,830. In just one year, 2018 to 2019, the percentage of Americas Black homeless grew from 40% to more than half 52%. That independent finding supports the conclusion of the Department of Housing and Urban Developments report to Congress known as its Annual Homeless Assessment Report. While some would presume that homelessness is an issue for high-cost states like California, and New York, the 2019 HUD report found significant growth in homeless residents in states like Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Virginia, and Washington as well. According to HUD, states with the highest rates of homelessness per 10,000 people were New York (46), Hawaii (45), California (38), Oregon (38), and Washington (29), each significantly higher than the national average of 17 persons per 10,000. The District of Columbia had a homelessness rate of 94 people per 10,000. And like the JCHS report, HUD also found disturbing data on the disproportionate number of Black people who are now homeless. For example, although the numbers of homeless veterans and homeless families with children declined over the past year, Blacks were 40% of all people experiencing homelessness in 2019, and 52% of people experiencing homelessness as members of families with children. These racial disparities are even more alarming when overall, Blacks comprise 13% of the nations population. When four of every 10 homeless people are Black, 225,735 consumers are impacted. Further, and again according to HUD, 56,381 Blacks (27%) are living on the nations streets, instead of in homeless shelters. The bottom line on these research reports is that Black Americas finances are fragile. With nagging disparities in income, family wealth, unemployment and more the millions of people working multiple jobs, and/or living paycheck-to-paycheck, are often just one paycheck away from financial disaster. Add predatory lending on high-cost loans like payday or overdraft fees, or the weight of medical debt or student loans, when financial calamity arrives, it strikes these consumers harder and longer than others who have financial cushions. And lest we forget, housing discrimination in home sales, rentals, insurance and more continue to disproportionately affect Black America despite the Fair Housing Act, and other federal laws intended to remove discrimination from the marketplace. The real question in 2020 is, What will communities and the nation do about it? For Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, an assistant professor of African American studies at Princeton University and author of the new book, Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership, federal enforcement of its own laws addressing discrimination and acknowledging the inherent tug-of-war wrought from the tension of public service against the real estate industrys goal of profit, theres little wonder why so many public-private partnerships fail to serve both interests. In a recent Chicago Tribune interview, Professor Taylor explained her view. You dont need a total transformation of society to create equitable housing for people, said Taylor. We have come to believe that equitable housing is just some weird thing that cant happen here, and the reality is that we have the resources to create the kinds of housing outcomes that we say we desire. The way to get that has everything to do with connecting the energy on the ground to a different vision for our society one that has housing justice, equity and housing security at the heart of it, Taylor continued. The resources and the money are there, but theres a lack of political will from the unfortunate millionaire class that dominates our politics I think, given the persistence of the housing crisis in this country, we have to begin to think in different ways about producing housing that is equitable and actually affordable in the real-life, lived experiences of the people who need it. Amen, Professor Taylor. Charlene Crowell is the Center for Responsible Lendings communications deputy director. She can be reached at [email protected] The Reserve Bank does not see any major impact on the balance-sheets of due to the five-fold hike in deposit insurance to Rs 5 lakh. Following the failure of a number of cooperative banks, with the city-based being the latest and the largest last year, the budget allowed the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) to raise deposit insurance coverage to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 1 lakh. "The premium is something, which we consider, will increase from 10 paise to 12 paisa per Rs 100 for the time being. So, the impact on banks' balance sheets is not likely to be much," RBI Deputy Governor B P Kanungo told reporters during the post-policy presser. The hike in deposit insurance coverage has been a long pending demand from bank depositors and it recently came to fore after the crisis at Punjab & Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) Bank. It can be noted that in 2019 alone more than 30 cooperative went belly up in Maharashtra alone. The DICGC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank, provides insurance cover on At present, the DICGC provides Rs 1 lakh insurance to a depositor regardless of the deposit amount, in case the lender fails or gets liquidated. The corporation insured each bank depositor up to a maximum of Rs 1 lakh for both principal and interest amount held by them as on the date of liquidation/cancellation of a bank's licence or the date on which the scheme of amalgamation/merger comes into force. It can be recalled that way back in 2009, the Raghuram Rajan committee on financial sector reforms had recommended strengthening the capacity of the DICGC, a more explicit system of prompt, corrective action, and making deposit insurance premia more risk-based. On the crisis, Das said the administrator and the advisory committee now have greater clarity with regard to the financial position of the bank and they are working out the next course of action. The multi-state co-operative bank has been put under an RBI administrator since September 23, 2019, after the regulator found financial irregularities including under reporting of loans and non performing assets of real estate developer HDIL. The central bank also sacked the board of the bank and appointed an administrator. In September, it was reported that the co-operative lender's actual exposure to the bankrupt HDIL was over Rs 6,500 crore -- which is 73 per cent of its entire assets of Rs 8,880 crore. Meanwhile welcoming the budget proposal to make the RBI the full regulator of cooperative banks, deputy governor MK Jain said, handling the full regulatory control of cooperatives to the RBI will strengthen the hands of the regulator. The partnership will revolutionise digital access to primary healthcare for 1.1 million patients in the region, supporting the NHS Long Term Plan for digital transformation LONDON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Doctorlink has grown its national reach to 10 million patients following an agreement to provide its symptom assessment platform to a further 1.1 million people at 140 new GP surgeries in South East England. The UK's leading symptom assessment provider to the NHS, Doctorlink will deliver immediate medical advice to patients across North West Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The launch of the platform will bring potential savings of 15,000 annual clinical hours for doctors per practice each year, while diverting up to 22% of cases to more appropriate forms of care. The move means Doctorlink's technology is now available to help people through 1,350 GP surgeries in 42 CCGs in England. Practices using the service are achieving uptake by up to a third of patients and seeing a drop in telephone triage of up to 30%. Results also evidence a 35% reduction in the need for same-day appointments. The project board of North West Kent and Medway CCGs, commented: "We are excited to be bringing our patients increased efficiency and more choices in how they can access local health. From reduced telephone waiting times, to supporting our non-English speaking patients and those with disabilities, Doctorlink will provide our patients with the tools needed to help them navigate their own personal health journeys. "We are also delighted to secure tools that can reduce the pressure on the amazing and dedicated clinicians in our region. Doctorlink offers an exciting opportunity to support our general practitioners with unique online services that give them back the time they need to focus on the patients who need it the most." Keith Nurcombe, Managing Director UK of Doctorlink, commented: "We are thrilled that Doctorlink has been selected to partner with North West Kent and Medway CCGs to improve the quality of care for patients through better access. This decision reflects the positive impact Doctorlink has already had for thousands of GPs and millions of patients nationwide, and we are pleased to bring that transformation to the surgeries here." Doctorlink was developed to address the growing burden on frontline NHS services. Providing patients with 24/7 access to symptom assessment, appointment booking and video consultation, the platform is set apart by its best in class clinically approved and fully indemnified algorithms, which cover 95% of presenting conditions. The algorithms use Bayesian logic and are built upon national treatment guidelines with independent clinical governance. Patients can access the platform through the Doctorlink app, available on Apple and Google Play. Recently placed onto the GP IT Futures Framework, Doctorlink is helping practices meet the NHS Long Term Plan to give every patient the right to digital-primary care by 2023-24. Based on patient numbers, Doctorlink has won 52% of the tenders open to 23 providers on the DPS Framework. The company was founded in 2017 by Eight Roads, a global investment company backed by Fidelity with a 50-year history of leading and growing international tech companies. The platform also provides fully customisable and scalable SaaS products for the world's largest healthcare organisations and has provided 60 million health assessments to date. About Doctorlink Doctorlink is the UK's leading health and symptom assessment platform, providing 24/7 access to healthcare for 10 million NHS patients. Through its clinical decision algorithm, Doctorlink is transforming the industry, enabling payers and providers to save cost, improve efficiencies, and increase the accessibility of healthcare. The platform helps people engage in their health and wellbeing, guiding them to the right care, leading to better outcomes and driving prevention. Founded by Eight Roads, a global proprietary investment firm backed by Fidelity, Doctorlink is headquartered in the UK with offices in the US, and has over 125 employees globally. It provides fully customisable and scalable SaaS products for the world's largest healthcare organisations including AXA, BUPA, Kaiser Permanente and Web MD, and has provided 60 million health assessments to date. Doctorlink is proud to be the leading provider of online Symptom Assessment to the NHS, covering 1,350 GP practices and available to 10 million patients in England. Doctorlink has recently been selected for the GP IT Futures Framework. Doctorlink's algorithms are medico-legal compliant and indemnified with rigorous clinical governance and licensed independent peer review. Built by a team of healthcare experts and technology visionaries, the algorithms combine Bayesian logic to ensure robust clinical safety and AI learning to drive continuous improvement methodology. www.Doctorlink.com About North West Kent and Medway CCG North West Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group includes 140 GP practices serving over 1.1 million patients in Dartford, Gravesham, Swanley, Medway, Swale, and West Kent. https://kentandmedway.nhs.uk/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1039598/Doctorlink_Logo.jpg (CNN) The arteries of global trade are clogging up. Shipping companies that carry goods from China to the rest of the world say they are reducing the number of seaborne vessels, as measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus crimp demand for their services and threaten to disrupt global supply chains. About 80% of world goods trade by volume is carried by sea and China is home to seven of the world's 10 busiest container ports, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Nearby Singapore and South Korea each have a mega port too. "A closure of the world's manufacturing hub impacts container shipping at large, as it is a vital facilitator of the intra-Asian and global supply chains," said Peter Sand, chief shipping analyst at BIMCO, an international shipping association. "This will affect many industries and limit demand for containerized goods transport," Sand told CNN Business. Everything from cars and machinery to apparel and other consumer staples are shipped in containers, and disruption to the industry could reverberate far beyond China as the country seeks to contain the coronavirus outbreak by keeping factories shut and workers at home. The longer the health crisis lasts, the harder it will be to move goods around the world. The coronavirus outbreak has killed more than 560 people and infected at least 28,000 mainly in China, where close to 60 million people are living in cities on lockdown. Already, carmaker Hyundai has suspended production at its plants in South Korea because of a disruption to the supply of parts caused by the coronavirus outbreak in China, the company said in a statement. Floating quarantine The shutdowns mean that some ships can't get into Chinese ports, as the loading and discharging of goods slows, said Guy Platten, secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping, a trade body. Others are stuck in dock, waiting for workers to return to ports so that construction and repairs can be completed, Platten added. Still more vessels are idling in "floating quarantined zones," as countries such as Australia and Singapore refuse to allow ships that have called at Chinese ports to enter their own until the crew has been declared virus-free, added Sand. Platten said he knew of at least one crew that is running low on food because their ship has been idled for so long. Giant shipping companies such as Maersk, MSC Mediterranean Shipping, Hapag-Lloyd and CMA-CGM have said that they have reduced the number of vessels on routes connecting China and Hong Kong with India, Canada, the United States and West Africa. The shipowners say that moves to idle Chinese factories beyond the end of the Lunar New Year has curtailed demand for vessels and forced them to adjust their capacity during what is already a low season for shipping because of the Chinese holiday. BIMCO members, which include 1,900 shipowners, operators, managers, brokers and agents, report limited or no demand from Chinese buyers of seaborne commodities, such as coal, crude oil and iron ore, said Sand. The lack of activity is reflected in oil prices, which have crashed into a bear market. Logistics company Freightos warned clients to expect delays in getting goods out of China, and consider shifting some shipments from sea to air or even sourcing goods from other countries where possible. The backlog of shipments that typically follows the Lunar New Year will be made worse by the current situation, pushing ocean freight rates up and exacerbating delays, Freightos said. Air cargo disrupted It's not just shipping that's been affected. IAG Cargo, the air cargo arm of British Airways parent IAG, on Monday canceled all services to and from mainland China for at least the remainder of the month, citing a UK government travel advisory, according to a statement on its website. German logistics group DHL has reported "severe disruptions to inbound and outbound air cargo shipments, trucking and rail cargo services." The lockdowns could have a "major impact on supply chain operations and industrial production" in China across industries such as automotive, pharmaceutical and medical supplies, and high-tech manufacturing, it said in a report. DHL has suspended deliveries in Hubei province, the epicenter of the virus, but said it doesn't foresee other changes to its operations. UPS and FedEx Express said they continue to fly into and out of China. UPS said it has seen reduced demand for its services as a result of business closures. Daniela Sirtori-Cortina contributed reporting. Anglican bishops son denied asylum, deported back to El Salvador Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The son of an Anglican bishop in El Salvador who fled his native country for the U.S. following death threats from a gang was recently deported, according to his father. Josue Alvarado Guerra, the 34-year-old son of Bishop David Alvarado of the Diocese of El Salvador, was deported back home after being detained in Ohio by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last November. He had been in the U.S. since October 2016 and worked as an undocumented day laborer. Bishop Alvarado sent a letter to Ohio Bishop Mark Hollingsworth Jr. confirming that his son was back home, according to Episcopal News Service. We thank the God of life for allowing us to have Josue back in our house and share with him the difficult experiences he lived in detention, wrote Alvarado, according to ENS. Josue definitely cant be safe anywhere in El Salvador, we fear for his life. We want to continue with the plans to get him out of the country as soon as possible. It is not clear whether Alvarado Guerra applied for asylum soon after he entered the U.S. or if he waited until after his arrest to plea for asylum. The two ways a person can obtain asylum in the U.S., according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, are known as the affirmative process and the defensive process. For the affirmative process, one must be in the U.S. and must fill out the form for asylum regardless of immigration status, having, under most circumstances, one year from last entry to file it. The defense process is used when a person faces deportation and comes either after the affirmative process form is rejected or the person is detained for lacking proper documents. Alvarado also said that his family was working on getting asylum for Alvarado Guerra in Canada, with the bishop believing that sending him to another Central American country involves the same situation of insecurity. We know that there is a large list of friends who gave spiritual and pastoral support to our son, he added. We are fully grateful for all they did and we beg you to continue supporting us to put [Josue] in a safe place. Alvarado Guerra was threatened by a San Salvadorian gang for refusing to work with them and fled the country, eventually making his way to the U.S. where he illegally entered the country. He worked as day laborer, according to ENS, until Nov. 27, 2019, when he was detained by ICE while in Ohio and had his request for asylum denied. The Episcopal Church actively supported Alvarado Guerra while he was in custody, with bishops writing in support of the detainee. The Rev. Aaron Gerlach of Old Trinity Episcopal Church in Tiffin visited him and offered pastoral support. My sense is hes been scared from day one about being deported back to El Salvador, said the Rev. Margaret DAnieri, the canon for mission for the Diocese of Ohio, in an interview with ENS last month. The Trump administration has overseen an increased effort to deport people who have illegally entered the country and curb the rate of resettlement of refugees. Last September, the administration released a fact sheet announcing their intention to lower the refugee resettlement cap to 18,000 for fiscal year 2020 (Oct. 1, 2019 Sept. 30, 2020), the lowest it has been since the program was created in 1980. This proposed ceiling takes into account the ongoing security and humanitarian crisis on our border and the massive asylum backlog, which now includes nearly 1 million individuals, stated the fact sheet. The overwhelming backlog is completely unsustainable and needs to be addressed before we accept large numbers of refugees. Heavy thunderstorms across the southeastern US caused severe flooding in North Carolina on Thursday, February 6, local media reported. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flash flood warning for Burke County and the surrounding area, in effect until 3.15 pm on Thursday. Local schools closed early due to flood concerns, Burke County officials said. Consultant meteorologist Scotty Powell shared this video of an overflowing street in the Burke County town of Valdese. Credit: Scotty Powell via Storyful File image of India's Akash surface-to-air missile live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Bharat Dynamics share price gained nearly 6 percent on February 6 after a media report said that the state-owned ammunition and missile systems manufacturer had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with American defence companies Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. The stock closed at Rs 301.85, up Rs 16.65, or 5.84 percent, amid high volumes on the BSE. A joint venture of Lockheed and Raytheon signed an MoU with Bharat Dynamics for missiles,CNBC-TV18 quoted Bloomberg as saying. Bharat Dynamics board meeting is scheduled on February 12 to consider unaudited financial results for the quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2019, and also to consider first interim dividend for the financial year 2019-20, if any. Residents support community lockdown in coronavirus fight Global Times By Liu Caiyu Source:Global Times Published: 2020/2/5 19:03:45 An increasing number of residential communities across China are locked down to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, which residents have largely hailed despite the inconveniences caused. On Tuesday, Haikou, the capital city of South China's Hainan Province, announced a lockdown of all its neighborhoods and villages, becoming a most recent city to issue such a notice. Entrances to all its neighborhoods and villages are guarded 24 hours. The province had 91 confirmed cases by Wednesday. The government of Zhumadian, Central China's Henan Province on Monday issued what is considered the "most stringent" measure to suspend its residents from randomly going out: only one person per household is allowed to go outside every five days to purchase daily necessities. Henan neighbors Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak. There were 764 confirmed infection cases in Henan by Wednesday. Residents in cities including Hangzhou, Nanjing, Wenzhou, Fuzhou and Harbin were told that only one person from a household can purchase goods every two days. The entry of non-native residents and vehicles are forbidden. Residents need to show their ID cards and have their temperatures taken when entering and leaving the neighborhood. Along with neighborhood lockdowns, many neighborhoods in Hangzhou, Wenzhou and Fuzhou also issue "passes" to their residents, and some even print coupons for residents for food and masks. An entry permit issued by a neighborhood in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, which says "each household can only assign one to purchase daily goods every two days," is widely circulated online. The permit, titled "living goods purchase pass," is printed on a coupon-like ticket. The move was largely hailed by residents and online netizens, even though it has caused some inconvenience. Netizens joked that the scene allows many to have a taste of the planned economy when the central government regulated domestic production and distribution (between 1950s and 1980s). And households can only buy goods based on the coupons issued by the government. "A special time requires a special coping mechanism. Staying at home is everyone's responsibility to combat the coronavirus," a resident, surnamed Guo, from Zhumadian told the Global times on Tuesday. Besides big cities, the Global Times learned that the measure to curb the spread of the deadly virus has also been rolled out in rural areas in provinces like Henan, Guizhou, and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. In a rural village in North China's Hebei Province, the local government said only special personnel, like medical staff and vegetable suppliers, are allowed to leave or enter the village, unless residents have a permit from the village committee, Hu Bin, an official from Heguo township, told the Global Times. While some hailed the measure, others said stricter measures should be implemented to effectively curb the virus, as there are always some uncooperative residents. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Julian King, known as JuLion, proudly calls himself a Canadian reggae defender. He's passionate about giving local reggae talent a platform through Canadian Reggae World. "Reggae is a spiritual energy that penetrates to anyone," he said. King's sharing his knowledge on the reggae scene and Bob Marley's influence on it at the Toronto Public Library next week just one of the ways the 75th anniversary of Marley's birth is being recognized alongside Black History Month. Marley was born Feb. 6, 1945 in Nine Mile, Jamaica. He died in May of 1981 at the age of 36, four years after being diagnosed with melanoma. But even though he died at such a young age, he had already penned some of the most recognizable songs, not only in reggae, but all of pop music songs such as Redemption Song, Buffalo Soldier, No Woman, No Cry and Jammin'. And he became a symbol of the fight for social justice around the world. "Mr. Marley's impact on reggae music is obvious," King said. "As reggae practitioners and lovers and all that stuff we all grew up on it." Richard Agecoutay/CBC But King said Marley's legacy is deeper than the physical music he left behind, and that's why it continues to be relevant today. He says it's too challenging to pick one favourite song from the artist because there are multiple gems on every album. "Bob Marley's impact isn't just about music, it's about a spiritual connection to the planet we live on." King says with his website, he aims to get the word out about the talented artists that are currently playing in Canada's reggae scene. He says he's working on a compilation to release on vinyl. Submitted "What's really cool is when the artist can actually earn from their music," he said, highlighting that getting plays on mainstream outlets continues to be a challenge for reggae artists, and he wants to help change that. King says when it comes to Marley's lyrics, he can listen to a song 200 times and discover a new meaning. Story continues "He's the king of reggae, but there's so many other kings." Honouring the reggae legends Exco Levi, a five-time Juno award winning artist from Brampton, Ont., is performing at a tribute show at The Rose Brampton this weekend. Marley is one of the artists being remembered. "It's always a great feeling because I remember growing up in Jamaica and hearing these classic songs," he said. "So to sing those songs for an audience is always amazing." Songs by other big reggae artists like Peter Tosh, Marcia Griffiths and Culture will also be covered. Richard Agecoutay/CBC Levi admits that Marley may be the only artist he can listen to over and over again without growing tired of the sound. "He was way before his time," he said, adding that his music is a go-to when he's on tour. As Levi continues to grow as a name in the Canadian music scene, he says part of his mission is getting the reggae genre more plays. "Our challenge is platforms," he said. "We sing about freeing the people so our music is always placed on the back burner. People think it's a niche market." But Levi says Marley's legacy and the popularity of reggae music across the world shows it's a widely appreciated genre. Music for a good cause In Toronto, promoter Jay Cleary is putting on the 14th annual Nufunk Bob Marley Birthday Tribute. Submitted "What really drew me to [Bob Marley's] music was the social messaging," he said. "We try to honour his music and social message with a tribute concert that highlights local musicians and local community organizations." The event is collecting food donations for the Parkdale Food Bank. Cleary says for more than a decade he's done his best to curate a lineup of local talent that shows off Jamaican Canadian reggae musicians. "Hopefully it's a platform for artists to build their careers," he said. 'Positive vibes' For Levi, one of his dreams is for A Tribute to the Legends of Reggae to travel across the country on a tour bus, spreading "positive vibes" the same way Marley did. He cites the lyrics from one of Marley's most famous songs, One Love, as the key to his enduring appeal. "'One love. One heart. Let's get together and feel alright.' He wasn't referring to only black people, he was referring to unifying the people," Levi said. "That's why I love Bob Marley so much. He will forever be my inspiration in this music business." A Nissan car has completed a 230-mile journey autonomously in Britain, the longest and most complex such trip in the country as carmakers race to develop the driverless technologies set to revolutionise travel. Britain has been wooing developers of autonomous vehicles, hoping to grab a slice of an industry it estimates could be worth around 900 billion pounds ($1.2 trillion) worldwide in 2035. Aided by eight laser scanners, seven cameras and a radar located around the vehicle along with six electronic control units in the boot, the electric LEAF vehicle made the journey alongside conventional motorists on country lanes and motorways. The 370-km journey began at the Japanese carmaker's European technical centre in Cranfield, southern England, and ended at its Sunderland factory in the northeast. It included roads with no or minimal markings, junctions and roundabouts, using advanced positioning technology. "Other drivers around the vehicle would not have noticed that the vehicle is actually fully autonomous," the head of Nissan's research and development in Europe David Moss told Reuters. "The vehicle is much more aware of what is happening in that surrounding area than possibly a driver would be because of the amount of sensors which are continually monitoring the environment." The project, known as HumanDrive and led by Nissan as part of a consortium, also received government funding and worked with the relevant authorities to receive approval for the drive. Several safety measures were put into place including regular breaks, risk assessments and having someone in both the driver's and front passenger's seat able to take control if needed. Nissan has previously said Britains flexible approach to testing autonomous vehicles helped it pick London for its first European tests in 2017 when a driverless vehicle travelled up to 50 miles per hour. But the advancement of self-driving cars around the world has been hampered by safety concerns and problems regarding insurance liability. "Safely completing the longest autonomous drive in Britain is an incredible achievement for Nissan and the HumanDrive consortium,A and a huge step towards the rollout of driverless cars on UK streets," said junior business minister Nadhim Zahawi. But it remains unclear when fully self-driving cars will hit the streets for general public use, with questions remaining about the regulations in place and affordability of the technology. The government says its priority is to facilitate the safe rollout of more advanced self-driving cars when the sector is able to do so. "You're not going to see all of this tomorrow in a vehicle," said Moss. "But what you will see is elements of it progressively come in ... over the years." The "Europe Automotive Tire Market Research Report: By Vehicle, Design, End User, Geographical Outlook Industry Size, Share Analysis and Growth Forecast to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. In 2018, the European automotive tire market generated a revenue of $20,037.8 million and is predicted to advance at a 4.5% CAGR during the forecast period (2019-2024). This is because of the growth of the automotive industry and high tire replacement rate. A tire is made by utilizing rubber, fabric, chemicals, and metal and is designed to cushion road shock, provide traction, and carry load under varying conditions. Tires are used in all kinds of vehicles including light commercial vehicles, two-wheelers, medium heavy commercial vehicles, and passenger cars. When design is taken into consideration, the European automotive tire market is bifurcated into bias and radial. Bias tires consist of internally crisscrossed nylon cord plies at a 30 to 45-degree angle to the tread center line. Due to their design, these tires are tough, have a rugged build, and increase sidewall puncture resistance. Radial tires provide high structural integrity and comprise perpendicular polyester plies and overlapping steel belts under the tread. During the historical period (2014-2018), radial tires occupied the major share of the market, in terms of value and volume. A key trend in the European automotive tire market is the development of advanced tires. At the present time, there is a rising requirement for three major qualities in a tire: low wear and tear for enhanced tire durability, improved grip for increased safety quotient, and low rolling resistance for better fuel efficiency. In order to cater to these needs of the consumers, the market is witnessing development of advanced products. For example, the emergence of ultra-high-performance tires has helped in increasing the reliability and speed of the tire. The expansion of the automotive industry is a major driving factor of the European automotive tire market. The European automotive market is one of the largest in the world and the region is home to many global automobile part manufacturers. Moreover, the automotive tire market in the region is projected to register considerable growth due to the impact of new technologies, such as electric and autonomous vehicles, extension of tariff wars, and changing preferences of younger generation consumers. Another factor leading to the growth of the European automotive tire market is the high tire replacement rate. Attributed to several technological advancements, the average lifespan of vehicles has increased considerably. This improved reliability and longevity of vehicles has been made possible due to the rising competition amongst automakers. This has led to an increase in the replacement rate of tires. Furthermore, because of the rising mileage provided by vehicles, the chances of wear and tear of the tires have grown, thereby resulting in the increased need for replacement of tires. Thus, the market is witnessing growth due to the expanding automotive industry in the European region and the high rate of tire replacement. Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1. Research Background 1.1 Research Objectives 1.2 Market Definition 1.3 Research Scope 1.4 Key Stakeholders Chapter 2. Research Methodology 2.1 Secondary Research 2.2 Primary Research 2.3 Market Size Estimation 2.4 Data Triangulation 2.5 Assumptions for the Study Chapter 3. Executive Summary Chapter 4. Introduction 4.1 Definition of Market Segments 4.1.1 By Vehicle 4.1.2 By Design 4.1.3 By Type 4.1.4 By End Use 4.2 Value Chain Analysis 4.3 Market Dynamics 4.3.1 Trends 4.3.2 Drivers 4.3.3 Restraints 4.3.4 Opportunities 4.4 Porter's Five Forces Analysis Chapter 5. Import Export Analysis and Prominent Tire Size 5.1 Import Export Analysis 5.2 Prominent Tire Size, by Country Chapter 6. Price Trend Analysis Chapter 7. Regulatory Landscape 7.1 Winter Tire Regulations 7.2 EU Tire Labeling Regulations Chapter 8. Europe Market Size and Forecast 8.1 By Vehicle 8.2 By Design 8.3 By Type 8.4 By End Use 8.5 By Country Chapter 9. Germany Market Size and Forecast Chapter 10. France Market Size and Forecast Chapter 11. Italy Market Size and Forecast Chapter 12. Spain Market Size and Forecast Chapter 13. U.K. Market Size and Forecast Chapter 14. Poland Market Size and Forecast Chapter 15. Netherlands Market Size and Forecast Chapter 16. Belgium Market Size and Forecast Chapter 17. Switzerland Market Size and Forecast Chapter 18. Austria Market Size and Forecast Chapter 19. Rest of Europe Market Size and Forecast Chapter 20. Europe Ultra-High-Performance Tire Market Size and Forecast Chapter 21. Competitive Landscape 21.1 Benchmarking of Key Players 21.2 Market Share Analysis of Key Players 21.3 Strategic Developments of Key Players 21.3.1 Mergers and Acquisitions 21.3.2 Product Launches 21.3.3 Facility Expansions 21.3.4 Client Wins Chapter 22. Company Profiles 22.1 Continental AG 22.2 The Goodyear Tire Rubber Company 22.3 Cooper Tire Rubber Company 22.4 Pirelli C. S.p.A. 22.5 Compagnie Gnrale des tablissements Michelin 22.6 Bridgestone Europe NV/SA 22.7 Yokohama Rubber Co. Ltd. 22.8 Hankook Tire Company Limited 22.9 Nokian Renkaat Oyj 22.10 Apollo Tyres Limited 22.11 Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/v0s8t0 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005498/en/ Contacts: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 The principal of a County Derry primary school has blasted church officials over the handling of its proposed closure. Desertmartin PS head teacher Fiona Brown said children have "suffered" and families left "collateral damage" after a U-turn on making it part of Northern Ireland's first jointly-run church school. Plans to merge the 130 year-old school with nearby Knocknagin Primary were shelved last year after revelations an agreement on jointly-managed schools between the four main churches would not be completed in time to keep the small primary open. Development proposal documents published by the Education Authority (EA) in November said Desertmartin PS would close in August 2020. It followed an earlier recommendation by the Church of Ireland's Derry Diocesan board of education. However, a final decision to close the school will ultimately be made by the permanent secretary at the Department of Education. A consultation process ahead of that decision officially ended yesterday. Miss Brown said she has been left deeply disappointed on how church officials dismissed the joint plan and criticised their handling of the process. She said: "I appreciate the difficulties, but it galls me when church leaders stand up and say that everybody has to come together and then they cant make it happen in their own churches at a local level." In June 2016, the Church of Irelands Derry and Raphoe Diocese and the Catholic Diocese of Derry had been involved in discussions around the possibility of Desertmartin Primary School merging with Knocknagin Primary School to form what would be Northern Irelands first Jointly Managed Church School. Letters had been sent to parents of pupils at both schools announcing the intention to move to a period of consultation to begin in September 2016. But in November 2018 the school was hit with a development proposal from the Derry Diocesan Board of Education recommending its closure. With a current enrolment of just 11 pupils and employing two teachers, Desertmartin principal Fiona Brown accepts the situation is unsustainable. But she is disappointed at the Derry Diocesan Board of Educations dismissal of the joint plan. Miss Brown told the County Derry Post: Our school is unsustainable as it sits. "I have no qualms about that, but we went from this letter to the parents in June 2016 until the proposal in Autumn 2019. "The least they could have done was to issue another letter to explain what was happening. The churches have been working on an ethos document which is an overarching thing for Jointly Managed Faith Schools but they wont tell us about their difficulties. We cant get straight answers. I have written to the Archbishop of Armagh four times and have contacted the General Secretary of the Education Committee in the Church of Ireland. "They dont even reply. We have tried Freedom of Information requests through both the EA and Church of Ireland but to no avail. I appreciate the difficulties, but it galls me when church leaders stand up and say that everybody has to come together and then they cant make it happen in their own churches at a local level." The existing relationship between Knocknagin PS and Desertmartin PS formed the basis of the proposed merger and the two schools have been heavily invested in the Shared Education programme, which Fiona says is having a very positive effect on the pupils. Weve been doing Shared Education with Knocknagin for quite a long time and it works very well, which is a big thing in Desertmartin because it was traditionally very divided with no real opportunity for crossing over. The children dont, on the whole, notice their differences. "Theyll talk about their friends that theyre looking forward to seeing. I would never have thought 30 years ago that we would be able to go in and out of each others schools the way we do. The parents collect from both schools when we have afternoon sessions and they now know their neighbours to speak to. "That will all disappear and it will be impossible to rebuild without the schools as a focus. I think a lot of the parents would be keen to keep it going, but without a neutral or joint space in the village, its difficult. The head teacher added: "I cant believe that anyone in any church would think it acceptable to treat people this way." In a statement to the County Derry Post, the Derry and Raphoe Diocese said: The Derry Diocesan Board of Education (DDBE) has already consulted governors, staff, parents and guardians via the Education Authority. "The Board has also engaged directly with staff and governors. Any objections to or support for the proposal should be lodged with the Area Planning Policy Team, Department of Education, Rathgael House, Balloo Road, Bangor, Co Down, BT19 7PR or emailed to dps@education-ni.gov.uk by February 3, 2020. The final decision will be made by the Minister of Education. It would be inappropriate for the Derry Diocesan Board of Education to comment further in the meantime. The DDBE will continue to offer its support to staff, governors, parents, guardians and children whatever decision the Minister takes. Miss Brown said: I feel so much for our parents. A lot of our children have additional needs, particularly autism, and several have come from other schools where they struggled. I dont know that anyone in either organisation has taken that on board. The principal added: It really feels like theres no concern and that the families in the school are just collateral damage. "I dont feel like the EA or the Church of Ireland are putting the children of either school at the centre of this at all. If they were, then they would have made sure they knew what they were doing before they started. The consultation period on the development proposal closed on Monday, February 3 and Desertmartin PS now awaits the outcome, with Northern Ireland Education Minister making the final decision around six to eight weeks after consultation. MOSCOW NASA astronaut Christina Koch, who spent nearly 11 months in orbit to set a record for the longest spaceflight by a woman, landed safely Thursday in Kazakhstan along with two International Space Station crewmates. The Soyuz capsule carrying Koch, station Commander Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov, touched down southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, at 3:12 p.m. (0912 GMT). Koch wrapped up a 328-day mission after her first flight into space, providing researchers the opportunity to observe the effects of long-duration spaceflight on a woman. The study is important since NASA plans to return to the moon under the Artemis program and prepare for the human exploration of Mars. Koch smiled and gave a thumbs-up as a support team helped her out of the capsule and placed her in a chair for a quick post-flight check-up alongside her crew mates. Russian space officials said they were in good shape. Koch, who grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and now lives near the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston, Texas, with her husband, Bob, told The Associated Press last month that taking part in the first all-female spacewalk was the highlight of her mission. Koch said she and fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir appreciated that the Oct. 18 spacewalk could serve as an inspiration for future space explorers. Parmitano and Skvortsov spent 201 days in space. After preliminary medical evaluations, the crew will be flown by Russian helicopters to the city of Karaganda in Kazakhstan. Koch and Parmitano will then board a NASA plane bound for Cologne, Germany, where Parmitano will be greeted by European space officials before Koch proceeds home to Houston. Skvortsov will be flown to the Star City Cosmonaut Training Center outside Moscow. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government has allotted 51 hectares of land in Jalna district to the Sharad Pawar-headed Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI) on nominal rates, The Indian Express has reported. The 51.33-hectare land in Patharwala village of Ambad taluka in Jalna was originally acquired by the Agriculture Department for a state seed farm. The Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray-led cabinet allotted the land to VSI as a "special case". As per official communication, state valuers estimated the plot's market worth at Rs 9.99 crore. VSI is a premier institution for research in sugarcane farming established in 1975 by sugarcane growers of the co-operative sugar factories. It performs scientific, technical and educational functions relevant to the industry. Nationalist Congress Party president and former Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar is the chairman of the institute. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, State Excise Minister Dilip Walse-Patil (NCP), State Finance Minister Jayant Patil (NCP), and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat (Congress) are on the Board of Trustees. Ministers Rajesh Tope (NCP) and Satej Patil (Congress) are on its governing council. The MVA sanctioned the allotment despite objections by the states Revenue and Finance Departments and ignored an opinion submitted by the states Advocate Generals office, arguing the government's discretion of allotting land directly to eminent charitable and public institutions, the report said. However, CM Thackeray has asked the Revenue Department to lay down certain conditions to the institute while issuing the final allotment letter. It has been asked to consult the Law Department on conditions that could be insisted upon, sources told the paper. Meanwhile, Tope told PTI the decision is aimed at boosting research in sugarcane farming for agriculturists and "will be a boon" to farmers in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions. VSI will provide sugarcane seeds to farmers and conduct research in breeding various varieties of sugarcane, Tope said, adding that the land was allotted under the condition that it will not be used for commercial purpose. ZURICH, Switzerland, Feb.6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- For one year, 37 households in Walenstadt have sold solar power in a local blockchain-based electricity market. The participants involved in this pioneering project, the first of its kind in the world, were very positive about their experience. As expected, the system led to a substantial increase in self-consumption and self-generated supply. The participants played an active role in the electricity market but were reluctant to pay more for locally produced power. Switzerland's first local electricity market has successfully completed field testing in January 2020. For one year, 37 households in Walenstadt traded locally produced solar power within their own neighborhood. Participants could directly buy and sell solar power within their neighborhood via a portal on which the participants could set their own purchase and sales price limits for solar power. The resulting transactions were processed automatically via a blockchain. The local electricity supplier, Water and Electricity Works Walenstadt (WEW), not only provided access to its distribution grid but also purchased surplus solar power and supplied the community with 'normal' power when the supply of solar power was insufficient. This innovative project, which is supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) as a flagship project, aimed not only to verify technical feasibility in the field but also to study user behavior. - Cross reference: Picture is available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) Significantly higher consumption of local solar power After a year in the field, project participants from research and industry give a positive appraisal. Thanks to the local electricity market, the local community the purchase of the of the locally produced solar power almost doubled. The 37 households covered 33% of their electricity demand with solar power produced in the neighborhood twice as much as beforehand. These figures might have been anticipated, but it was surprising how well the project was received. The participating households played a very active role and perceived the electricity market as green, local, and fair. "After initial skepticism, even the energy industry has shown a great deal of interest and sees a lot of potential in the development. We've managed to really provoke discussion," says Christian Durr, Managing Director of the Water and Electricity Works Walenstadt. Verena Tiefenbeck, leader of the Bits to Energy Lab at ETH Zurich, also gives a positive appraisal: "Quartierstrom was the first project of its kind in the world, and we did pioneering work on many different fronts. We're especially delighted that the technology operated effectively apart from the usual teething troubles." For the Swiss Federal Office of Energy, the application of these new technologies was a particular area of interest. "The project allowed us to study the extent to which blockchain and artificial intelligence might be suitable for the direct marketing of electricity from decentralized energy sources and what role the energy supplier plays in a bottom-up approach of this kind. These findings should be helpful for the future development of the electricity market," says Benoit Revaz, Director of the SFOE. Almost no one wants to pay more One new feature of the system was that participants could use a portal to set a minimum sales price for their solar power and a maximum purchase price to buy solar power from their neighbors. "The participants frequently adjusted the price limits, especially at the beginning. But the price limit they set for buying local solar power was rarely higher than for normal power from the grid," says Tiefenbeck. On average, the participants were willing to pay just under 19 centimes per kilowatt hour less than the cost of mains power, which stands at 20.75 centimes. Fewer than 10% of offers were above this rate, despite the fact that many people had declared their willingness to pay more for local solar electricity in the surveys conducted beforehand. "This gap between attitude and action is seen in behavioral research time and time again," says Tiefenbeck. The researchers also attribute this to the fact that the participating households knew that local solar power was subject to lower grid fees and that, accordingly, the power suppliers were getting more for their power, even at lower prices. For their part, the households with solar power systems also sought to make a profit, asking for around 7 centimes per kilowatt hour. When selling to the power plant they made only 4 centimes. Automatic pricing is more effective In order to compare different market models, the researchers deactivated the feature allowing individual pricing for a period of one month and replaced it with an automatic pricing system. When demand and production coincided, the solar power was distributed locally. The price varied automatically depending on whether the solar power was in relatively scarce supply or in surplus. With individual pricing, on the other hand, a small proportion of the solar power could not be sold because the price requirements of suppliers and consumers did not match. In surveys, a little over half of households stated that they preferred automatic pricing. "What was surprising was that participants who used the portal frequently tended toward automatic pricing and vice versa," says Tiefenbeck. "Based on our experiences, we don't consider individual pricing to be decisive for a local electricity market in the future." Effectively raising awareness What does seem to be important, on the other hand, is that participants are able to monitor production and consumption, as well as their purchases and sales, in real time. This function was very popular with users and contributed to raising awareness. Indeed, many participants said that they now use electrical appliances more when the sun is shining. They saw the peak and off-peak tariff system that still applies today as outdated when applied to renewable energies. Christian Durr: "The participants developed an understanding of the energy market, thereby helping to balance supply and demand. This reduces the burden on the infrastructure and puts surplus power to sensible use." Reliable software but a need for hardware optimization While the software proved highly reliable, the project team repeatedly struggled with hardware failures. As there was no smart meter with an application processor available on the market, the project team had to use devices (Raspberry Pis) with self-developed modules instead. "These devices have an error-prone, SD-card memory system," says Arne Meeuw, who developed the blockchain system. For larger applications, projects like "Quartierstrom" would require certified and stable smart meters with an integrated application processor that could run different software tools. The blockchain system, on the other hand, proved highly robust although its capacity was limited. Twenty-seven prosumers acted as validator nodes to approve the transactions in the blockchain. These nodes represent the critical variable when it comes to scaling. "The system could still handle about five more solar installations," says Meeuw. The number of consumers could be increased further, on the other hand, and the system would remain stable with up to 600 pure consumers or other clients, such as batteries or flexible loads. "It would be possible to scale the system up by building multiple blockchains for different neighborhoods," says Meeuw. In turn, these could then exchange electricity between themselves. Low power consumption Unlike public blockchains, such as those used for Bitcoin, the Quartierstrom blockchain is private. Moreover, the approval of transactions does not rely on elaborate computational processes. "The nodes reach an agreement on a proposed energy trade," says Meeuw. This mechanism doesn't require a great deal of computing power. The small computers that are used as smart meters and blockchain nodes consumed around 3,300 kilowatt hours of energy over the duration of the project. In terms of the volume of power traded in the local market, this consumption amounted to around 4%. Follow-up project in the pipeline The pilot phase of the local electricity market as part of the SFOE flagship project has now come to an end. However, a follow-up project has been launched to ensure a seamless transition, albeit in modified form. The user portal has been redesigned and streamlined slightly, and prices are now set automatically. In the coming months, the hardware will gradually be replaced with series-produced equipment, and there are also plans to develop the trading platform into a marketable product. This aim is being pursued by the spin-off "Exnaton", which was founded by members of the development team at ETH Zurich. One option under development would allow participants to determine their preferred suppliers of local solar power, rather than setting prices. In other words, they could choose to buy electricity from their aunt's roof or from the farmer who sells them their eggs. After all, "Quartierstrom" has also demonstrated that emotion plays an even bigger role in a local market than price. Further information: www.quartier-strom.ch: Background information, the latest news on the project, and live data on electricity production and consumption, as well as self-consumption and self-generated supply within the Quartierstrom community. Photos and Diagrams The pictures are available in high resolution on the "Quartierstrom" website: https://quartier-strom.ch/index.php/en/media/ Project participants The "Quartierstrom" project is supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) as part of the "Pilot, demonstration and flagship projects" program. At the heart of the project was a close collaboration between a broad-based consortium of research and industry. The "Quartierstrom" project how does the local electricity market work? The basic idea of the Quartierstrom project is for locally produced solar power to be consumed locally. In this local electricity market, local residents buy and sell solar power among themselves. The solar power is consumed in the prosumers' own households first of all; only the surplus is traded within the neighborhood. If the solar power systems produce more electricity than the community is currently using, the Water and Electricity Works Walenstadt (WEW) buys up this surplus power. Conversely, the power company supplies additional power if local production is insufficient. The buying and selling of solar power are managed directly between the participants themselves via a portal on which the producers can set the minimum price for their solar power. At the same time, the consumers define the maximum price they are willing to pay for local power. The resulting transaction is processed automatically via a blockchain. All participating households have a mini computer installed with a built-in electricity meter and blockchain software. Based on the individual price settings, these blockchain nodes then place quarter-hourly bids for the purchase or sale of solar power and use an auctioning mechanism to calculate whose bid is accepted at which price. Media contact [email protected] Sara Blaser +41(0)44-545-05-00 Sprachwerk GmbH www.sprachwerk.ch Contact for technical queries [email protected] Verena Tiefenbeck Bits to Energy Lab, ETH Zurich Tel. +49-911-5302-96412 SOURCE Quartierstrom LONDON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Windward, a world leader in maritime analytics, today announced the agenda for Sea: The Future 2020 - A Vision for Growth. Bringing together senior decision-makers from the worlds of shipping, government, finance, energy, security, insurance, and compliance, the conference will discuss how innovation, collaboration and technology adoption can facilitate a safe and thriving maritime ecosystem for years to come. This year's headliners include: Col. Dan Cheesman RM , CTO of the Royal Navy, on how new technologies have helped the 500-year old organization maintain an edge over its adversaries and why it now it needs to behave more like a tech company. , CTO of the Royal Navy, on how new technologies have helped the 500-year old organization maintain an edge over its adversaries and why it now it needs to behave more like a tech company. Dame Angela Strank , BP Chief Scientist & Head of Downstream Technology, on the role of leadership in driving technology developments to help meet challenges across the energy sector as it transitions to a low carbon future. BP Chief Scientist & Head of Downstream Technology, on the role of leadership in driving technology developments to help meet challenges across the energy sector as it transitions to a low carbon future. Nus Ghani, UK Minister for Maritime on the future of the British maritime industry as the country embarks on its new role on the global stage - outside the European Union. For the full agenda, visit: https://seathefutureconference.com/ The conference will feature some of the most exciting startups in the maritime space, including: F-Drones Co-Founder & CEO, Nicolas Ang ( Singapore ) Co-Founder & CEO, ( ) Abyssal Co-Founder & CTO, Manuel Parente ( Portugal ) Co-Founder & CTO, ( ) BAR Technologies CEO, John Cooper (UK) For more information about the event, as well as sponsorship opportunities, contact: [email protected] About 'Sea: The Future' This is the second year Sea: The Future is being held. It'll again take place at London's Trinity House. Delegates will hear from maritime leaders on how technology can help meet the challenges of new environmental, compliance and safety regulations, while improving the customer experience. They'll see which tech-driven business models are emerging; explore how new technologies and data can give their organization a competitive edge; and explore partnership opportunities with the entrepreneurs building the next generation of maritime tech. About Windward Windward marries big data, AI and maritime expertise to make the seas safer, and help the maritime ecosystem thrive. Its technology helps companies comply with sanctions; assists governments in curtailing smuggling and people-trafficking; and enables marine insurers to optimize risk selection and improve profitability. Since its founding in 2010, the company has raised funds from investors including Salesforce Chairman & CEO, Marc Benioff; former CIA Director, David Petraeus; XL Innovate; Aleph; and Horizons Ventures. The company is headquartered in Tel-Aviv, with an office in London. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Windward [February 06, 2020] Goodnation Partners With Jewish Communal Fund & Jewish Funders Network to Offer New Online Philanthropic Tool NEW YORK, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Goodnation , the first online philanthropic platform and advisory service using values to match donors with top-performing charities creating real impact, announced it has created the Jewish Philanthropy Project in partnership the Jewish Communal Fund (JCF) and the Jewish Funders Network (JFN). JCF, a donor-advised fund and JFN, a membership organization made up of individual donors and foundations, share a common mission to provide innovative resources to donors looking to give with greater purpose and discover additional high-performing charities in their areas of interest. There are 1.5 million charities in the U.S, and donors are faced with a sea of choices to know which of those charities are making the greatest impact. Major Jewish foundations invest heavily in research and due diligence before grant making, and Goodnation looks to this information when recommending charities for donors to support. The Jewish Philanthropy Project helps donors interested in giving through a Jewish lens identify their core values, philanthropic goals and cause areas they want to make an impact on, formalizing a philanthropic process to capture the benefits of many of the best practices used by larger foundations. There are so many important issues to support and we want to make sure members can find what's meaningful to them, said Rob Hansen, founder and president, Goodnation. Goodnation believes in the power of engaged philanthropy and the importance of measurable impact and we are here to help donors, not only through the Jewish Philanthropy Project, but all donors, think about their giving and make it more meaningful and more impactful. Goodnation vets and verifies top-performing charities in more than 30 cause areas and takes a values-based approach to match donors with the charities that create real impact, making it easy to decide where to direct their giving. At JCF we distinguish ourselves from other donor-advised funds by offering vital information on charitable giving to empower our fundholders to achieve their philanthropic goals, said Susan Dickman, CEO. Our goal is to provide state-of-the-art toolslike Goodnations platform and advisory services for our fundholders to be more effective in their charitable giving. Goodnations evidence-based approach and sophisticated technology enables our fund holders to find high quality Jewish and non-sectarian charities aligned with their core values that they may not have heard of without this tool. Interested donors complete a giving survey related to their giving preferences which will help Goodnation recommend a suggested list of high-performing charities that reflects their core values. With the help of a personal Goodnation philanthropy advisor, donors can tweak their giving portfolio and their selected charities through the Goodnation platform or their donor-advised fund. Donors can also engage with those charities through volunteerism and site visits, all the way up to board service. Our goal is for every single donor to find what is most meaningful to them. Goodnation provides technology with a human side to develop and implement donors personalized philanthropic goals, said Hansen. Giving is a relationship. If you are just beginning your philanthropic journey, or a need has come to your attention and you want to act, we have hundreds of charities to choose from, and that continues to grow everyday. Donors can discover more than 150 high-performing Jewish charities from Jewish day schools, Jewish summer camps, Jewish arts and culture, to fighting antisemitism, Israel education and advocacy by visiting The Jewish Philanthropy Project or to learn more about Goodnation visit www.goodnation.io . About Goodnation Goodnation was founded in 2018 by Rob Hansen who, after 20 years working in fundraising for nonprofits, set out to fill a void he saw all too often. Goodnations mission is to modernize philanthropy, better serve donors and collectively create an impact on our country's and communities toughest challenges. Through the technology platform, in-depth research and personal Philanthropy Advisor service, Goodnation works with major donors to define their core values and interests and connect them with high-performing nonprofits across more than 30 cause areas that are making a meaningful impact. Learn more at www.goodnation.io. About Jewish Communal Fund Jewish Communal Fund is one of the largest networks of Jewish funders, managing $2 billion in charitable assets for 4,000 donor advised funds . JCF's donor advised funds make giving easy, flexible and efficient. Learn more about JCF by visiting www.jcfny.org or calling 212-752-8277. Visit JCF on LinkedIn , Facebook , and Twitter . About Jewish Funders Network Jewish Funders Network is the global networking organization for Jewish philanthropists, with members in 13 countries worldwide and offices in New York, Israel, and Los Angeles. JFN members annual charitable giving is estimated at over $1 billion. JFN is a community that grows the size and impact of Jewish philanthropy by connecting funders together, empowering individual excellence, and catalyzing collective action. MEDIA CONTACT: Lara Cohn [email protected] 646-596-6377 RoseComm for Goodnation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Nurses of the state government hospitals shout slogans during a protest for the recent atrocities against woman at the Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital, in Kolkata on Dec. 9. (Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP via Getty Images) WASHINGTON (AP) The man accused of killing 22 people and wounding two dozen more in a shooting that targeted Mexicans in the border city of El Paso, Texas, has been charged with federal hate crimes, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. Federal prosecutors were expected to announce multiple charges against the suspected gunman, Patrick Crusius of Allen, Texas, later Thursday at a news conference in El Paso, according to the person, who had direct knowledge of the case but was not authorized to disclose details of the indictment before the official announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity. ON HOUSTON CHRONICLE.COM: Love, support and courage: El Paso values help families recover after rampage A manifesto attributed to the suspect in the Aug. 3 shooting, during a busy back-to-school shopping day, said the attack was aimed at scaring Hispanics into leaving the United States. The shooting happened at a time when immigration officials were trying to manage a crush of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and there was political battle over their treatment. El Paso was the epicenter of the influx. President Donald Trump has made cracking down on immigration a hallmark of his administration and the polarizing topic makes headlines around the world. Eight Mexican nationals were among the victims of the attack at a Walmart store popular with shoppers in nearby Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, just on the other side of the Rio Grande from El Paso. ON HOUSTON CHRONICLE.COM: Trump hailed an El Paso shooting survivor as a hero. But his story was fake, police say. David Lane, a Colorado-based lawyer representing Crusius in the federal case, said Thursday morning that he has not yet seen the indictment but hopes federal prosecutors dont to seek his client's execution. Part of the evolution of our society involves understanding that justice is not synonymous with vengeance, because vengeance disregards the essential humanity in all of us and brutalizes us all, Lane said. Part of my job here is to hopefully convince the Department of Justice that they are not the department of vengeance. Crusius, 21, is facing the death penalty on a state capital murder charge. He pleaded not guilty last year. The federal indictment comes as El Paso marks the six-month anniversary of the shooting. Last weekend, the commuter town of San Elizario planted 22 oak trees in honor of the victims. Local news outlets aired remembrances. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: El Paso mass shooting suspect faces trial judge for 1st time The federal charge follows Crusius state indictment last fall on a capital murder charge, which could also bring a death sentence. He has been held without bond since the shooting and kept isolated from other prisoners, on suicide watch for at least two months after the shooting. Crusius surrendered to police after the attack at a busy Walmart, saying, Im the shooter, and that he was targeting Mexicans, according to an arrest warrant. In court documents, prosecutors said Crusius published a screed online shortly before the shooting that said it was in response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas. It cited, as inspiration, a mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, that killed scores of Muslim residents of that country. WALMART SHOOTER: What we know about the suspected El Paso shooting gunman The document parroted some of Trumps immigration policy rhetoric. El Paso residents such as former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination this year, accused Trump of promoting harmful stereotypes and fueling the idea that the increase in migrant crossings was a coordinated invasion by Latinos. The president has denied inciting violence. Crusius drove more than 10 hours from his grandparents house in a Dallas suburb to El Paso to carry out the attack, according to police. A lawyer for Crusius' family declined to comment Thursday. The charges being announced Thursday are the latest by federal prosecutors following high-profile violent incidents. The Justice Department has brought federal hate crimes charges against a man suspected in a Hanukkah machete attack in New York in December that wounded five people; a man who opened fire at a synagogue in Pittsburgh last year; and a man who killed a woman when he drove into a crowd of protesters at a 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. ___ Attanasio reported from El Paso, Texas. Associated Press Writer Jake Bleiberg in Dallas contributed to this report. In this image from video, the Senate chamber during the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump in the Senate at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 28, 2020. (Senate Television via AP) Has Impeachment Had Its Day? Commentary Impeachment had its day long ago in Britain. Given that President Trump was in the House investigation refused the minimal rights guaranteed every accused in every U.S. criminal trial and given that no one seriously expects a conviction, some may well be wondering whether impeachment has also had its day in the United States. Keeping impeachment is, however, at least as constitutionally important as keeping the Electoral College. Any weakness in impeachment is not constitutional, it is political, any solution being for the electorate. So why is impeachment so important in just one part of the Anglosphere? The mother Anglosphere entity which emerged in the 1688 Glorious Revolution was, as the Baron de Montequieu described it, a republic in the guise of a monarchy. In accepting the throne, William and Mary effectively agreed to the terms of the Bill of Rights and to a unique separation of the executive, legislative, and judicial powers. According to the philosophers most respected by the American founders, Baron de Montesquieu and especially John Locke, the result was that the English were liberated as very few then were. Unfortunately, a subsequent monarch, George III, did not share William and Marys wisdom and foresight. When the American colonists lauded him as their potential saviour from mundane politicians who, unlike Pitt and Burke, did not accept that they were ready for dominion status, George III failed to rise to the challenge. Had he, the United States could have become the center of an even greater Commonwealth. Instead, he answered their pleas with force. Paradoxically, the Americans subsequent hard-won independence proved to be no paradise on earth. It was a governmental and economic disaster, with the GDP falling by a calamitous fifty per cent. That changed views about the need for a strong executive. So more than a decade after the Declaration of Independence, a mainly new generation of Founders, equally influenced by the philosophical republicanism of Locke and Montesquieu, came together in a convention to design a constitution worthy of what was and still is, an exceptional nation. Like the Declaration, the result was magnificent, inventing modern federalism and separating the three co-equal powers. Only to placate the anti-federalist opposition, and ensure the union, it was amended to incorporate a bill of rights, in several respects based on the English. The choice was not between an executive president and the Westminster systemthat did not yet exist. The choice was between an elected monarch, termed president, or a collective. Preferring a one-man presidency, based on Hamiltons assessment of the English monarchy, elected for a term, a crucial issue was what to do if he were ever to commit a high crime, that is a crime against the peoplea serious violation of public trust and not necessarily a criminal offence. They agreed that for such an offence, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors a president might be impeached by the House in a trial before the Senate. The principal differences from English impeachment were that he could only be convicted with the concurrence of two thirds of senators present and no penalty, other than removal, would apply. This did not prevent a subsequent criminal prosecution. So why then did impeachment become obsolete for the British who had long used this to exercise some control over ministers and others appointed by the King? The reason is that having established the separation of the three powers in the Glorious Revolution, the pragmatic and non-doctrinaire British chose to modify this when it suited them. Now no constitution separates the three powers perfectly, with even the American placing some constraints on the Presidents executive powers, e.g., that the Senate must consent to treaties and ministerial and other appointments. Similarly, it places a major constraint on the legislature through the presidential veto which can only be overridden by a two thirds vote in both houses. With the decline of a monarchy exercising political power, by the 1830s the British had abandoned the separation of the executive and legislative powers. Under what was the emerging Westminster system, a convention emerged that a government must have the confidence of the House. Impeachment thus became pointless. Ironically, the first example of a British government resigning on the loss of a vote of confidence followed their defeat in the crucial 1782 Battle of Yorktown by the French and the Americans. It took fifty years for this to develop into a universally accepted convention. The Westminster system spread to the self-governing colonies with Australia, far more than any other country a child of Britain and the United States, nevertheless consciously preferring this on Federation. But with the principal parties in recent years controlled by cabals of powerbrokers, proceedings in the Australian lower house have been reduced as they have not been in London to little more than a predictable and poorly choreographed Punch and Judy show. None of the Anglosphere Constitutions is perfect but the weakest aspect of the American is certainly not impeachment. Rather it is the abuse of the judicial power which the British model had long ensured against until it was vandalised by the Blair government, as so cogently demonstrated during last years Brexit prorogation. Until the brazen invention of a non-existent constitutional right to abort, the worst example of this abuse in the United States was the 1857 pro-slavery Dred Scott decision, which arguably triggered the Civil War. By assiduously appointing judges who are known to prefer to apply the Constitution as it was originally intended, President Trump is correcting this. A particular related problem comes from forum shopping among inferior local federal courts to obtain politically inspired nation-wide injunctions to stop some legitimate act of the administration, most recently against illegal immigration. Apart from this, the United States is by far in a healthier constitutional position than the UK and certainly Australia. David Flint AM is a former chairman of the Australian Press Council and Australian Broadcasting Authority and is an emeritus professor of law. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 15:41:11|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ROME, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed as a high-speed train derailed near the northern Italian city of Lodi on Thursday, local media reported. The Corriere della Sera newspaper quoted rescue workers as saying that the driver had been killed and some 30 passengers were injured. Portland, which led a national urban streetcar revival in the early 2000s, faces a slew of important and difficult questions about its own streetcar services future in coming years. Planners are looking at a 2.3-mile extension through Northwest Portland to Montgomery Park. The city would need six additional streetcars to run on that new line. Theres the potential for a massive disruption if the state transportation department moves forward with its more than $715 million to $795 million Rose Quarter freeway project. How are we going to manage your transit investment in that area through the construction period? Dan Bower, Portland Streetcar Incs executive director asked the City Council Wednesday, saying that would be an important conversation. And theres another looming, and as-yet-unanswered question: What to do with its existing aging fleet? Bower made that issue as plain as he could Wednesday: We need more cars, he said. The streetcar needs to run every 10 minutes, not every 20 minutes, he told the Portland City Council during an annual briefing to the elected officials. To get there, the city would need 21 vehicles, plus five spares. The city typically has 14 streetcars in active service around town on its three routes, but it was down two vehicles for more than a year due to a derailment and crash in May 2018. Last fall, crews brought another vehicle back online, but its still down one streetcar from what it considers a full fleet. Portland expects three new streetcars to arrive in 2021, part of a larger order it compiled with Seattles Sound Transit. Those streetcars will come from Brookville, a Pennsylvania-based manufacturer. But much of the existing fleet is in need of either replacement or refurbishment. One new streetcar could cost around $4.5 million. Andrew Plambeck, a streetcar spokesman, said initial estimates indicate it could cost $1.8 million to $2 million to overhaul a single streetcars motors, propulsion and interiors. He said roughly 11 of the existing cars need such service. Theres no timeline for addressing those needs, he said, characterizing it as an ongoing conversation and one that will likely occur over the next few years. Were meeting regularly with PBOT leadership about asset management, operational improvements and specifically identifying funding to direct toward scenarios based in vehicle procurement to run more frequent service, but we have not reached a conclusion on the question of refurbishment vs. replacement, Plambeck said in an email. By this September, the streetcar line should be back at full strength. Bower said hes encouraged by the citys attention to giving streetcars and buses a leg up over traffic, a program now branded as the Rose Lane project by transportation officials and Commissioner Chloe Eudalys office. One project on Northeast Grand Avenue at the Interstate 84 interchange took five years to address, Bower said, but now has carved travel times from 17 to 19 minutes on a nine-block stretch through there to 2 to 3 minutes. Bower started his presentation by encouraging City Council to do more for the streetcar line, pointing out its overall ridership (averaging 12,800 per day) is higher than any TriMet bus, and the fact 96% of riders get onboard a streetcar by walking, according to a recent rider survey. He said City Council should continue to direct housing projects toward areas near streetcar stations. The streetcar rose as it did, he said, thanks to housing and development. The Pearl District and South Waterfront neighborhoods tell that story. Bower said that half of all housing units in Portland built since 2001 occurred within a quarter-mile of a streetcar line. Its beginning to bear fruit, he said. -- Andrew Theen; atheen@oregonian.com; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 04:45:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LIMA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were killed in a predawn collision Wednesday between a minibus and a cargo truck in south Peru's Arequipa region, local authorities said. The accident occurred in the La Joya district at around 5:40 a.m. local time (1040 GMT), at km 957 of the South Pan-American Highway. The minibus was transporting several farm workers from a village called El Triunfo to farms in Yurumayo, in Arequipa's Vitor district, when it collided head on with the truck. Six of the fatal victims were killed at the site, and the other four died while receiving treatment at area hospitals, local media reported. Local authorities are still looking into the causes of the crash. Only the driver of the minibus has been identified, as 27-year-old Rene Pachapuma, according to local officials. Enditem A Melbourne nightclub has apologised for a "Corona Chinese New Year Special", amid rising concerns of sinophobia during the coronavirus outbreak. Last Friday's event at Prahran nightclub Pawn & Co included a deal for $8 Corona beers and a "limited edition face mask", playing on the outbreak that has so far killed about 500 people. The ad that caused the furore. Credit:Instagram/the.llag Marketing for the event also included a cartoon rice hat. Pawn & Co and the event promoters, Mr Chan's, have both acknowledged the marketing was offensive and insensitive in statements posted to Facebook on Wednesday. [February 06, 2020] Deep Technology Capability Helps Innoviti Increase Gross Margins Even as MDR Reduces Gross Margin Surges to 74%; Capital Efficiency touches Rs. 300 GTV per 1 Re of Equity Raised BENGALURU, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading payments player, Innoviti Payment Solutions shared insights into how its longstanding focus using technology to create value from digital payment flows has now received a welcome boost from the newly announced regulatory move towards a Zero MDR regime. In a vindication of the company's strategic bet, the steady regulatory trend over last 2 years of first reducing and now removing merchant MDRs, has helped drive a surge in transaction throughput per point of acceptance to 5 Lac/month, more than 2X of India's average (as per RBI data). This trend is also reflected in a corresponding strong uptick in Innoviti gross margin to more than 74%, basis which the company now expects to be EBITDA positive by March 2020. At the core of Innoviti's strategy has been its relentless focus on capital efficiency which prioritized transaction volume processed per POS terminal over metrics like the total number of POS terminals or dependence on merchant MDR revenue streams. Innoviti manages almost Rs.300/- of GTV for every 1 Rupee of equity raised. This is more than 3X the payment industry norm (typically between Rs.10-Rs100 amongst other leading industry players). With more than Rs. 40,000 Cr. of digital payments flowing through Innoviti (~6% of India's offline payment volume) from over 1000+ cities, Innoviti is a clear leader in capital efficiency at scale. Innoviti's industry-leading capital efficiency is underpinned by a technology-driven product strategy that veered away from conventional industry focus on dividing pre-existing merchant MDR revenue pools; and instead prioritized generating of new value-added revenue streams from helping offline merchants leverage their payments channels as a strategic tool for driving store sales growth. Innoviti's payment platform today enable merchants to tap a wealth of payment transaction-related data that can potentially influence what and where a customer buys and how he pays for it. This innovative strategy opens the path for mutually beneficial win-win sales promotion partnerships to be operationalized between merchants, payment providers like Credit/Debit Card issuers, UPI Payment apps etc, and various product merchandise brands. This alignment of goals across the 3 key parties involved in every offline retail purchase enables pooling of marketing budgets for a common objective, resulting in lowering marketing costs and increasing sales efficiency for all 3 players. From the end consumer perspective too, Innoviti's product strategy holds significant long-term benefits. The technology-driven collaboration enabled by Innoviti's platform means that supply-side players can now plan and deliver highly targeted sales promotional offers to end-consumers with fully auditable controls. With the advanced rule-engines on Innoviti's platform enabling complex promotions to be configured in seconds and applied across thousands of pan-India terminals in real time, consumers will inevitably gain in terms of the value and relevance of such targeted promotional offers. Innoviti's plans this year include using technology to once again disrupt the market through a) industry focused products across healthcare, apparel, food & grocery, restaurant and consumer durable and mobile segments, and b) deliver and service these products through innovative distribution models that will allow for rapid profitable growth. Innoviti looks to increase its GTV per Re to Rs. 500 this year, in this road to becoming cash positive within the next 12 months. As a testament to Innoviti's payment technology prowess, the company currently has 17 patents filed for, 6 of them internationally. It has already been awarded 2 patents making it the only company in India payments industry to have awarded patents. Innoviti is backed by marquee investors including Bessemer Venture Partners, USA, SBI Venture Capital, Singapore and Catamaran, India. Quote Mr. Rajeev Agrawal, Chief Executive Officer, Innoviti Payment Solutions Ltd.: "At Innoviti, we have long believed that we offer value to our merchant customers that goes well beyond simply providing a smooth and efficient processing pipeline for their payment acceptance. As such, our business strategy has never been over reliant on revenue streams from dividing existing merchant-paid MDR pools. Our consistently industry-leading capital efficiency ratios are testament to that strategic bet. The recent regulatory trend towards further encouraging digital acceptance spread and volumes by removing merchant MDR on UPI/RuPay transactions, further vindicates our stance." About Innoviti Payment Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore, India. Innoviti Payment Solutions runs a payment platform that has a unique ability to add intelligence to traditional payment channels, enhancing their value. Merchants, brands and financial service providers use these intelligent payment channels to reduce cost and drive sales of their products. Innoviti processes over Rs. 40,000 Cr. of payment transactions, about 6% of all offline merchant payment transactions in India. This also includes Rs. 1,500 Cr. of transactions involving distribution of loans to consumers and small businesses. The most capital efficient company in this space, Innoviti processes more volume for every $ raised than any other payments company. The company is backed by marquee investors such as Catamaran Ventures, SBI-FMO fund and Bessemer Venture Partners. For more information, please visit - http://www.innoviti.com Media Contact: Sarath Chandra Nerella [email protected] +91-77953-48478 Senior Manager - Marketing Innoviti Payment Solutions Pvt. Ltd. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/715351/Innoviti_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] NEW YORK New results from the Iowa Democratic caucuses show Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders nearly tied with almost all the votes counted. But the race remained too close to call early Thursday with 97% of precincts reporting. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former Vice President Joe Biden and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar are still trailing. Iowa officials attributed their delay in results for Mondays caucuses to technical problems. The chaos surrounding the reporting breakdown has undermined the impact of Iowas election, which typically rewards winners with a surge of momentum heading into subsequent primary contests. Supporters of President Donald Trump flooded a hotline used by Iowa precinct chairs to report Democratic caucus results after the telephone number was posted online, worsening delays in the statewide tally, a top state Democrat told party leaders on a conference call Wednesday night. According to two participants on the call, Ken Sagar, a state Democratic central committee member, was among those answering the hotline on caucus night and said people called in and expressed support for Trump. The phone number became public after people posted photos of caucus paperwork that included the hotline number, one of the people on the call said. Sagar, who is also president of the Iowa AFL-CIO, declined to comment. Troy Price, the chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, alluded to interference on the conference call, but did not specifically cite Trump supporters. The state party declined to comment Wednesday. But the Trump campaign weighed in. Dont know anything about that but maybe Democrats should consider using an app of some kind next time, Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for Trumps campaign, wrote in a text message Wednesday night. The Democrats primary fight intensified in New Hampshire on Wednesday as Biden took aim at both Iowa front-runners. The former vice president suggested that Sanders was unelectable and would hurt other Democrats on the ballot this fall should he represent the party in the general election. Biden also charged that it would be a risk to nominate Buttigieg because he hasnt been elected to a higher office than South Bend mayor. Bloomberg News contributed to this report. Steve Peoples is an Associated Press writer. (Newser) "This is absolutely not how I wanted it to come out." Those are the words of The Good Place actress Jameela Jamil, recently announced as a judge on Legendary, HBO Max's new show on ballroom/voguing. But it's not the news of her participation in the series that has the 33-year-old actress shaking her headit's because she felt forced to reveal she identifies as queer after backlash on social media about her role in ball culture, which the Los Angeles Times notes has a history that stretches back to New York City in the '20s, where it served as "a place for predominantly black and Latino members of the LGBTQ community to participate in drag competitions." CNN notes many weren't pleased that Jamila, who admits she's a "newcomer to ballroom," was chosen as lead judge, alongside Leiomy Maldonado (aka the "Wonder Woman of Vogue"), stylist Law Roach, and rapper Megan Thee Stallion. story continues below "It's kind of [mind] blowing when ppl with no connection to our culture gets the gig," Transparent actress Trace Lysette wrote. In a post titled "Twitter is brutal," Jamila noted that "this is why I never officially came out as queer," adding that she subtly put up a rainbow next to her name years ago. "It's not easy within the south Asian community to be accepted, and I always answered honestly if ever straight-up asked about it on Twitter. But I kept it low because I was scared of the pain of being accused of performative bandwagon jumping, over something that caused me a lot of confusion, fear and turmoil when I was a kid." She also notes that "my being queer doesn't qualify me as ballroom." But, "I'm ... a lead judge due to my 11 years of hosting experience [and] being fully impartial." She adds that her newcomer status is "a window in for people who are just discover[ing ballroom] now." (Read more LGBT stories.) (Natural News) Not long after reporting that the novel coronavirus isnt a problem at all, the World Health Organization (WHO) has suddenly decided to ship out a whopping 250,000 coronavirus test kits to monitoring sites all around the world. The kits will soon be sent from Germany to 70 different laboratories the world over, according to Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the Outbreak Investigation Task Force at Institute Pasteurs Center for Global Health in Paris. During a recent briefing before United Nations member states, Kerkhove explained that each of the lab recipients, located in Africa, the United States, Europe and Asia, is specialized to handle this type of coronavirus testing. We have a window of opportunity while 99 percent of the cases are in China, contends WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus about the urgent need to get this all going as quickly as possible despite the fact that the WHO had been dragging its feet on the situation not long prior. There is a window of opportunity because of the strong measures China is taking at the epicenter, at the source, so lets use this opportunity to prevent further spread and to control it. To learn more about how Big Tech is complicit in the communist Chinese governments cover-up of the coronavirus global pandemic, watch the episode below of The Health Ranger Report with Mike Adams, the Health Ranger: You can also watch this video at Brighteon.com. WHO also claims theres no pandemic, chides everyone but China for causing fear and stigma Whats odd about this move by the WHO is that the agency is still denying that theres even a pandemic taking place. It took four meetings before the WHO would finally admit that novel coronavirus has created a global emergency, and yet the U.N. arm still refuses to acknowledge that were now dealing with a global pandemic. In a recent statement, Ghebreyesus praised communist China for its supposedly forceful measures in containing the virus and preventing its spread, which isnt actually happening. On the other hand, he condemned the rest of the world for allegedly causing fear and stigma against communist China by expressing concern about what the virus is actually doing. Even as Chinese people are dropping dead in the streets and in hospitals before having to be incinerated, Ghebreyesus wants the world to believe that communist China has everything under control and not to worry. There must have been more cases happening that we werent being told about, contends John Mackenzie, an emeritus professor at Curtin University in Australia, arguing that it defies all logic for there not to have been any increase in coronavirus cases at the time when Chinese officials were holding local political meetings back in early January. I think they tried to keep the figures quiet for a while because of some major meeting they had in Wuhan but I think there was a period of very poor reporting, or very poor communication, he adds. WHO now says all travel restrictions should be reversed! Whats additionally disturbing is the WHOs request that all travel restrictions be lifted, which would allow for people to travel in and out of China unrestricted. And if you dare to even question the lunacy of such a suggestion, you could be banned by Google, seeing as how the WHO recently teamed up with the worlds most corrupt search engine to stifle online free speech about coronavirus. In the name of combating disinformation, the WHO and Google are working feverishly to ensure that people get facts from WHO first, and not from independent media outlets or independent scientific studies that tell a much different story than the one the WHO wants people to hear. As part of yet another public announcement, Ghebreyesus explained that social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Tencent, and TikTok, as well as Google, are all taking aggressive steps to limit the spread of misinformation and rumors about the virus and outbreak online. To that end, we have worked with Google to make sure people searching for information about coronavirus see WHO information at the top of their search results, he added. Also speaking out against sources that would dare to defy the official narrative, Chinas deputy permanent representative in Geneva, Ambassador Li Song, told an audience that the international community needs to treat the new virus objectively, fairly, calmly, and rationally, and not over-interpret it negatively and pessimistically, or deliberately create panic. We need facts, not fear, he added, insinuating that any information other than what the communist Chinese regime claims as fact is automatically false. We need science, not rumors. We need solidarity, not stigma. The keep up with the latest news about coronavirus, be sure to check out Pandemic.news as well as Outbreak.news. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com Brighteon.com ZeroHedge.com NaturalNews.com SHTFplan.com Thomas Kemmerich has become president of the state of Thuringia with the support of the far-right AfD. The small state of Thuringia broke a German political taboo on Wednesday after a candidate for the regional premiership was heaved into office with help from the far right for the first time, sending shockwaves to Berlin. Chancellor Angela Merkels centre-right CDU party immediately called for fresh regional elections as a way out of the crisis, a call echoed by other mainstream parties. Thomas Kemmerich, a politician from the economically liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP), was elected as state premier after legislators from the far-right AfD gave him their backing. As a result, 54-year-old Kemmerich beat incumbent Bodo Ramelow of the Left party 45 to 44. This is the first time in the history of modern Germany that a state premier has been elected with AfD votes, political scientist Andre Brodocz told broadcaster MDR. While the ballot was secret, Kemmerich must have also had support from CDU MPs, as well as his FDP stablemates. 200122104814861 Local media were quick to describe the event as a political earthquake, as mainstream parties had previously refused to countenance working with anti-immigration, anti-Islam and anti-EU AfD at any level. Bad day for Germany The result sparked widespread outrage, with Norbert Walter-Borjans, co-leader of Merkels junior coalition partner the Social Democratic Party (SPD), calling for a clear position distancing Merkels conservatives from the AfD. What has happened in Thuringia is not just a matter for Thuringia but for federal politics too, he told broadcaster ZDF. This is a bad day for Thuringia, a bad day for Germany, CDU president Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said in French city Strasbourg. She called for new elections in the state and blasted regional politicians for breaching the partys policy of no cooperation with the AfD. New elections would be the best thing for Thuringia, the CDUs secretary-general Paul Ziemiak added. Members of the two government parties, CDU and the SPD, organised a crisis meeting in Berlin on Saturday to discuss the issue. The republic is in danger, said Katja Kipping, a leader of the far-left Linke party, 170921080912611 Bad day for liberals Addressing the local parliament in Erfurt, Kemmerich sought to assuage concerns by insisting he would stick to a pre-election pledge not to partner with the far right. You have in me a bitter opponent of anything that even hints at radicalism, from the right or left, or fascism, he said, to jeers from local MPs and shouts of Hypocrite! and Charlatan! In a news conference, national FDP leader Christian Lindner said if other parties refused to work with Kemmerich to form a government there should be new elections. AfDs support for the liberal politician had been purely tactical and the FDP does not share this partys aims and values, he insisted. But the partys deputy leader, Wolfgang Kubicki, welcomed Kemmerichs election as state premier. Protesters quickly gathered outside the state parliament in Erfurt, with some holding signs recalling that it was in Thuringia that a Nazi minister was first allowed into government in 1930. Demonstrations were planned for other cities around Germany on Wednesday evening, including Frankfurt, Leipzig and outside FDP headquarters in Berlin. 191130044203061 Jewish leader horrified Thuringia belongs to Germanys former communist east, where rejection of the far right has not taken such deep roots as in the west in the decades since the countrys 1990 reunification. But the dam breaking there is all the more surprising to observers as the AfDs local regional leader, Bjoern Hoecke, is one of the partys most radical figures, heading a loose movement within the party known as the Wing. He has in the past called for a 180-degree turn in Germanys culture of remembrance for the Holocaust and other crimes of the Nazis, which form a central pillar of the countrys post-World War II political life. Wednesday marked a new start for Thuringian politics, Hoecke said, adding the AfD had helped stop it becoming a left-wing state. The CDUs Ziemiak lamented that Kemmerich had accepted votes from Nazis like Mr Hoecke. AfD co-leader Joerg Meuthen told the Frankfurter Allgemeine daily the vote showed there was less distance between the CDU, FDP and AfD than other parties. Central Council of Jews in Germany president Josef Schuster said he was horrified by the vote outcome. The fifth annual edition of the Breakbulk Middle East (BBME), to be held later this month in Dubai, UAE, will showcase advances in the industry and provide visitors and exhibitors the best possible experience, said officials. BMME, a leading event for the project cargo and breakbulk sector, will take place on February 25 and 26, at the Dubai World Trade Centre in Dubai. It will be hosted by DP World-UAE Region for the second consecutive year. BBMEs commitment to advancing the industry, while simultaneously providing visitors and exhibitors with the best possible experience, has seen the event grow consistently since its inception, said the organisers at a press conference. The presser saw the sectors key decision makers touch on this feat and provided insight into what the 2020 edition will hold. The two-day conference is once again be held under the patronage of Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, the UAE Minister of Infrastructure Development and the chairman of the Federal Transport Authority for Land and Maritime. Engineer Ahmed Al Khouri, director general of the UAE Federal Transport Authority Land and Maritime (FTA), said: We are living in the dawn of a new decade, and there is a strong sense of optimism that this year will be one of great transformation for the UAE. As a result, we are confident that 2020 only marks the beginning of what will surely translate to unprecedented growth for both our country and the entire Middle East. With Expo 2020 set to take place near the end of this year, the world will see Dubai, and the rest of the UAE, in a light which it has never been acquainted with before. As we look forward to this date, Breakbulk Middle East will serve as one of various contributing forces that help in realising of our aspirations, he added. Engineer Hessa Al Malek, executive director of Maritime Transport, FTA echoed similar sentiments saying, Under the wise leadership and vision of our leaders, the UAE is determined to solidify its status as the Worlds leading nation by 2071. We are one year away from Vision 2021, an initiative that will see this plan kick into high gear so that we can strategically strive towards achieving this goal. With multiple components involved in successfully achieving this feat, the union of vital sectors and assurance that they work collectively is of much importance. Breakbulk Middle East will serve as a bridge that connects these key sectors, thus helping fuel the UAEs future success, Al Malek added. With 61 per cent of cargo destined for GCC states arriving via UAE seaports, the countrys necessity for a strong maritime infrastructure cannot be overstated. The countrys successful re-bid for Category-B membership within the IMO (International Maritime Organization) Council can be seen as a stepping stone in further increasing this number, and subsequently elevating its already high-profile global maritime ranking. Additionally, BBMEs collaborative efforts with a company like DP World that handles around 70+ million containers annually can contribute similarly. Mohammad Jaber, chief operating officer and regional director, Agility, said: As one of the worlds leading logistics companies, Agility has a deep understanding of the supply chain, technology and personal service to connect our clients business with global markets and growth opportunities is something we pride ourselves in. Breakbulk Middle East enables us to develop this knowledge with its dependably topical agenda, as well as expand our customer base with its ability to serve as a strong networking platform that unites a number of sectors. This years implementation of Breakbulk AR is an initiative that reflects the events willingness to innovate and develop technological solutions, and we are sure the benefits from this will be seen in the near future, he added. Breakbulk AR, an augmented reality initiative that is set to debut at the event, will allow companies to showcase their company and project capabilities. While BBMEs readiness to innovate can be seen in this, its choice to partner with WISTA (Women in Shipping Trade Association) Arabia UAE for last years inaugural Women in Breakbulk initiative is equally as commendable. Looking to build on this by adding a new dimension, BBME will unveil a Women in Breakbulk Breakfast networking platform at the upcoming event, and partner with AWIMA (Arab Women in Maritime Association) to empower women even further. In addition to its innovative endeavours, BBME is also working to groom the industrys up-and-coming workforce. Dr Ahmed Youssef, Associate Dean of Maritime Transport and Technology College, the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport-Sharjah highlighted, Irrespective of the industry, the world is always reliant on future generations to bring forth progress and prosperity. That is why we are thrilled to be the first-ever Knowledge Partner of the event, and are appreciative of Breakbulk Middle Easts efforts in developing young people who will be the pioneers of tomorrow. Ben Blamire, BBMEs event director, further highlighted the events importance and stated: Over the last five years, we have strategically administered initiatives to grow both the event and its ability to increasingly benefit the industry. This years press conference, with yet another panel of reputable speakers, only adds further credibility to the upwards trajectory of Breakbulk Middle East, in addition to reinforcing the success that this years edition is certain to bring the industry, he said. We understand and admire the UAEs commitment to complying with the International Maritime Organizations regulations. After successfully securing candidacy for B-category elections to the IMO council, its our goal to have the event serve as an assist to continue their upward global trajectory by rightfully maintaining their current position or preferably elevating their status to A- category, he added. TradeArabia News Service New Jersey Education Commissioner Lamont Repollet is among the candidates being considered as the next president of Kean University, two sources with knowledge of the discussions told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday. One source said its unclear how many candidates are in the running, but Repollet appears to have a leg up." Repollet declined a request for comment through a state Department of Education spokesman. Kean, a public university in Union Township, is working toward announcing a new president in the coming months, university spokeswoman Karen Smith said. The process is confidential and were not going to comment on rumors about anyones candidacy, Smith said. The two sources requested anonymity because they are not authorized to publicly release names of university presidential candidates. Repollets candidacy was first reported by Politico New Jersey. If picked for the job, Repollet would replace outgoing president Dawood Farahi, who is stepping down at the end of this school year after 17 years leading Kean. Repollet, a College of New Jersey graduate, earned his masters degree in educational administration from Kean. He was the superintendent of the Asbury Park School District before becoming education commissioner in 2018. Under Faharis leadership, Kean rapidly expanded, adding new programs and buildings. However, Farahi also clashed with the faculty and survived no-confidence votes and calls for his resignation. Kean feuded last year with an accreditation group that refused to endorse its masters program in public affairs. In January, six former Kean lecturers who say they were effectively fired because they complained about losing their private office space filed a wrongful termination lawsuit. Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. 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 Express News Service HYDERABAD: Elevator mechanic Marri Srinivas Reddy of Hajipur in Yadadri Bhongir district was on Thursday sentenced to death for rape and brutal murder of three girls of his village. The Additional District Judge of the Nalgonda District Court Sidda Venkata Viswanatha Reddy found him guilty in all the three cases charged against him and pronounced the judgement. Reddy, 30, was charged with the kidnapping, rape and brutal murder of two girls and abduction, sexual harassment and murder of another girl. He buried the victims' bodies in abandoned agricultural wells near the village. ALSO READ| All you need to know about the Hajipur rape and murder case It was learnt that before pronouncing the verdict the Judge asked Srinivas Reddy if he has to say anything about the cases. Even at the last stage, Reddy pleaded that he was not guilty of the offences charged against him and claimed that he was falsely implicated. He told the judge that his elderly parents are dependent on him. However, when the judge asked if he knew where his parents were, he said that he was not aware of. The horrific crimes came to light after a 14-year-old girl, who left for school, went missing in April 2019. After her buried body was found in an abandoned farm well on the outskirts of Hajipur he fled the village. During the interrogation, he confessed to having killed and buried two more girls aged seventeen and eleven in the same manner. ALSO READ| Kin of Hajipur rape and murder victims welcome judgment Reddy trapped all the three girls under the pretext of offering them lift on his bike. He told one of the victims that he had forgotten his house key near the well and diverted the bike to collect it. Another victim was told that he needed to switch on the motor at his farm well. He, however, directly asked the third victim sexual favours, and when she refused he chased and killed her. While the girls ageing 14 and 17 were smothered to death, the 11-year-old was beaten up and strangulated. WASHINGTON - Republicans' hopes of securing a bipartisan acquittal of President Donald Trump on dual impeachment charges evaporated Wednesday after three closely watched Democrats - Sens. Doug Jones of Alabama, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona - announced that they would vote to convict Trump. Their announcements left only one senator willing to cross party lines, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah - an outcome that reshaped the political messaging battle that immediately followed Trump's acquittal. For weeks, Republicans had crowed that some House Democrats had strayed from the party line on the December impeachment votes, while GOP lawmakers stuck together. On Wednesday, the tables turned. "It is the first Senate [presidential] impeachment trial where guilt was voted on a bipartisan basis," said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. "I think that is a historic step, undeniable by the president." Meanwhile, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas - one of many Republicans who decried the partisan House vote - said after the vote, "It's a nice talking point, but it's immaterial." Trump and his GOP allies indeed won the impeachment war, using their 53-seat majority to easily secure an acquittal vote. But they lost a key late skirmish by failing to win any Democratic allies, and losing Romney along the way. By the time Romney made his intentions public, shortly after 2 p.m. Wednesday, the roster of potential Democratic defectors had narrowed. Jones had shocked the political world by winning a 2017 special election in a heavily pro-Trump state, and many in the GOP were counting on him to acquit - if only out of political self-preservation. But Jones announced Wednesday morning that he would instead convict - a decision that will compound the difficult task of keeping his seat later this year, when his name will appear alongside Trump's on the Alabama ballot. In a floor speech Wednesday morning and in subsequent remarks to reporters, the former civil rights lawyer and federal prosecutor said he tried to set aside politics and focus on the facts of the allegations against Trump. "Candidly to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, I fear that moral courage, country before party, is a rare commodity these days," Jones said on the floor. "We can write about it and talk about it in speeches and in the media, but it is harder to put into action when political careers may be on the line." In the end, he concluded, "the evidence clearly proves that the president used the weight of his office and the weight of the United States government to seek to coerce a foreign government to interfere in our election for his personal political benefit." "His actions were more than simply inappropriate," he added, "they were an abuse of power." Sinema, a Senate freshman, said virtually nothing about the trial since it began, when she pledged in a written statement to "treat this process with the gravity and impartiality that our oaths demand." Her silence - and the fact that she has broken with her party on some important votes, such as the confirmation of Attorney General William Barr - fueled speculation that she might vote to acquit Trump. But Sinema's statement betrayed no lack of confidence in the House's case: "The facts are clear; security aid was withheld from Ukraine in an attempt to benefit the president's political campaign," she wrote in a statement. "While White House attorneys claim this behavior is not serious, it is dangerous to the fundamental principles of American democracy to use the power of the federal government for personal or political gain. Worse, they failed to assure the American people that this behavior will not continue and that future national security decisions will be made free from personal interests." That left Manchin, who represents a state where Trump racked up his largest victory margin in 2016 and perhaps the only congressional Democrat who has been on friendly speaking terms with Trump. Manchin openly aired his agony on the Senate floor Monday, saying in a speech that he considered Trump's alleged solicitation of investigations from Ukraine to be inappropriate and worthy of censure but perhaps not worthy of the politically divisive measure of impeachment. "I am truly struggling with this decision and will come to a conclusion reluctantly," he said. Finally, just moments before senators assembled for the final votes, Manchin issued a statement that the case presented by House Democrats "clearly supports the charges brought against the President" and that he would vote to convict. "I take no pleasure in these votes, and am saddened this is the legacy we leave our children and grandchildren. I have always wanted this President, and every President to succeed, but I deeply love our country and must do what I think is best for the nation," he said. Speaking to reporters after the vote, Manchin said he found the facts presented "overwhelming" and was swayed in large part by the White House's decision to oppose calling additional witnesses at the Senate trial. "I've never seen a trial where somebody wants to defend himself with their defense counsel not bringing witnesses and documents that would be able to do that," he said. "So when I looked at everything, there was no other conclusion that I could come to." Manchin denied that he had taken his political future into account. A 72-year-old former governor, he will not face reelection until 2024. "It's not whether I like the president. I've always had a good relationship. But I love my country, and I have an obligation, responsibility, duties to my country," he said, adding: "If this was a political decision, it was the wrong decision." Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who has a close relationship with Manchin, said Wednesday that he learned of Manchin's decision when it became public. "I didn't know where he'd come out," he said. "I told him that he should just wrestle with his conscience . . . with God, and come to the conclusion to do the right thing. And I told him we'd be friends no matter what." As Wednesday dawned, Jones was the only undecided senator seeking reelection in 2020. The other three wild cards - Manchin, Romney and Sinema - each won election in 2018, and thus have more than four years to insulate themselves from the political ramifications of their vote. But Senate observers debated whether that would make them more or less likely to break party ranks. For Trump and Republicans, a bipartisan acquittal would have been a positive coda to the months-long impeachment process, while for Democrats, unity on Senate floor bolsters their effort to portray the GOP as wholly beholden to Trump and unwilling to stand up to him on matters of national security and constitutional wrongdoing. The reaction to Jones's decision Wednesday put on immediate display the political stakes for the remaining wavering senators. Jones was immediately lambasted by his Republican rivals and even the president's son Donald Trump Jr., who called him "former senator Doug Jones" on Twitter. Former GOP senator Jeff Sessions, the onetime attorney general who is running to unseat Jones, called him "a foot soldier" for national Democrats, and said Jones "has made it clear that he is in the U.S. Senate to represent Washington Democrats, not the people of Alabama." "This is the final straw," said another GOP rival, Rep. Bradley Byrne of Alabama. "Doug Jones continues to show his true colors and put his liberal D.C. buddies ahead of the people of Alabama." Leaving the Senate floor Wednesday, Jones said he was not concerned about the effect his decision would have on his reelection prospects. "I'm making a decision based on what I think is right or wrong," he told reporters. "Y'all are the ones that care more about the politics and the elections, and sometimes even the media should put this in nonpartisan terms." Jones said he came to a decision only days earlier after hours of careful review with his staff, and he dismissed the concerns of some Republican senators that the impeachment charges had emerged from a largely party-line House vote. "This whole process has been partisan, but make no mistake: You know, partisanship, like bipartisanship, is a two-way street," he said. "Yeah, there were some partisan Democrats, but doggone it, the president of the United States and Republicans made this as partisan as anybody, and that is unfortunate." Madeline Singas, the Nassau County district attorney, said in a statement that her office had obtained a protective order for Mr. Rodriguez in December 2018, but that his identity had been disclosed to defense lawyers in December 2019 under a judges order. Judge Helene F. Gugerty of Nassau County Court is presiding over the case. A spokesman for the state court system did not immediately respond to a request for information about why the order had been issued. While Ms. Singas did not specifically cite the new law as contributing to Mr. Rodriguezs death, she suggested in her statement that being forced to identify him well before trial had hampered the authorities ability to protect him, and may have cost him his life. This courageous man was prepared to testify against alleged assailants at an upcoming trial, but he was brutally beaten to death before he could, Ms. Singas said in the statement, adding that the case underscores the importance of safeguarding the identities of witnesses and victims of crimes. Patrick Ryder, the Nassau County police commissioner, echoed that sentiment at a news conference. This mans dead because we didnt do enough, Commissioner Ryder said, according to Newsday. He added, This law is not helping us. He said that the trial in the case was originally scheduled to begin on Jan. 6, but did not. After that, he said, a pattern of intimidation against Mr. Rodriguez began. That protective order, because of the new changes in the law, was lifted, he said. We dont know if the defense counsel turned that info over to the defendants. Lowe Lintas has appointed its new Regional Creative Officer, Puneet Kapoor effective immediately. Having previously worked with McCann Worldgroup where he was Head of Creative, South, his appointment to the Lowe Lintas Bangalore office comes at an opportune time amidst high action in the region. The Bangalore office has produced a marquee body of work with startups and tech companies challenging the conventional norms of doing business. Talking about his new role, Puneet said "Lowe Lintas Bangalore has been such a stellar office for many years spewing out one great campaign after the other. Its a great challenge to add thunder to the impressive repertoire of work and I am really looking forward to collaboration with the teams and clients to do some iconic work." With over 20 years in the industry, campaigns created under his watch have won many awards and shortlists at prestigious shows including the Grand Prix at New York Festivals, Cannes Lions, One Show, APAC Adfest and Effies. Amer Jaleel, Group CCO and Chairman, MullenLowe Lintas Group added, We have had a legacy of great creative people from Bangalore. We have also had the best of brand work originating out of Bangalore. The connection is more than obvious. We had been on the lookout for someone who was both entrenched in solid brand work and had the more recent portfolio of engaging and contemporary digital conversations. In Puneet we found that and more. A really great team guy and intuitive leader. We are blessed and bonussed! Puneet has spearheaded the new-age launch campaigns of Unacademy, Udaan, redBus, Myntra, Xiaomi smartphone, MiTV and BankBazaar, apart from campaigns on Britannia (Good Day, Treat & Bourbon), TVS Apache and ITC Foods. His work on Maricos Saffola and Parachute Hair Oil, Perfetti and Coca-Cola has been celebrated at prominent award shows. He has also been a creative entrepreneur in the past and had founded Eleven Brandworks in 2008. Commenting on Puneet's appointment, Sagar Kapoor, CCO, Lowe Lintas said, " Besides his experience Puneet gets with him truly infectious energy. He is excited about making brands bigger and more popular. He has shown considerable expertise in the Southern region, again working on brands that have a national footprint. We are looking forward to taking the office and our brand partners to the next level." The pandemic virus, 2019-nCoV (better known as the coronavirus virus) is already having an impact on the global publishing business. While the majority of Chinese companies are closed for several weeks during the long Chinese lunar new year celebrations, many will remain closed for much longer as a consequence of the outbreak. At present, there is a compulsory closure for all factories, banks, and offices until February 10. Wuping Zhao, v-p of Shanghai Translation Publishing House in Shanghai, reported that he and his family were urged on January 25 to stay inside their home for at least 14 days, as were all the citizens of the city. Zhao also said that many of the city's bookstores are closed as well. "The panic is still all around," Zhao wrote in an email. "It is hard for the country to fight the coronavirus outbreak at the present. We do not know what we can do just now." While publishers may be able to work remotely from home, printers need to be onsite to run their factories. In Ningbo, where Asia Pulp & Paper has a big paper making facility, the town is in complete lockdown. The publisher of a independent press told PW his printer in Wuhan has been closed since the outbreak of the virus. He doesn't think that shut down will be too much of an issue as long as the closing doesn't last too long. Indeed, this is considered a slow period for Chinese printing, which tends to avoid scheduling priority work around the holiday period. In addition, printing in China has slowed somewhat in the wake of the ongoing U.S.-China trade war. In the U.S., Princeton University Press (PUP) has a partner company, the Princeton Asia (Beijing) Consulting Co., Ltd., where six people are employed in Beijing. Brigitta van Rheinberg, associate director and director of global development for PUP, said that they have been in touch with their colleagues and all are well so far. "As in many other companies, our colleagues will continue to stay at home and work from home this week until further notice," she said. "Like many other companies in this situation, we will have to figure out week by week how this evolves and how much business can get done during the next few weeks." Typically, van Rheinberg would travel to China two times per year, but that looks unlikely in the near future, as the majority of international airlines have now cancelled flights in and out of the country. Representatives from a variety of U.S. and U.K. companies with operations in China, including Springer Nature, Pearson, and Taylor & Francis, have all said they are monitoring the situation, urging people to work from home and have suspended travel to China, according to The Bookseller. The virus may also have a significant impact on upcoming trade shows. The Taipei International Book Exhibition was scheduled to take place this week, Feb. 4-9, but was postponed until May 7-12. The 2020 International Publishing Symposium on China, organized by the Confucius Institute at Oxford Brookes University, was scheduled to take place following the London Book Fair this year, but was already postponed until 2021. Chinese travelers to the two largest upcoming trade fairs, the London Book Fair and the Bologna International Children's Book Fair. will also likely be affected should the travel restrictions not be lifted. Publishers are doing their part to help China cope with the pandemic. Elsevier, Wiley, and Springer Nature, have removed their paywalls to recent studies related to the new coronavirus; Pearson is offering free online learning resources for home-bound school children. In China, more than 75 Chinese publishers are offering free online courses, e-books and audiobooks for the public during the period when people are forced to stay at home. An Oregon man cleared of allegations he slashed a friends throat during a drunken brawl outside Klamath Falls is now suing the sheriffs office, a local bowling alley and people involved the bizarre clash. William Travis Newell was jailed and charged with attempted murder and unlawful use of a weapon after the Klamath County Sheriffs Office said he attacked Kirkland Deese with a knife along a remote stretch of country road in winter 2018. The case collapsed more than a year later amid growing questions about the credibility of witnesses and the integrity of the criminal investigation, court records show. Prosecutors dropped the case against Newell. In a $950,000 lawsuit filed Wednesday, Newell alleges four members of the sheriffs office Sgt. Ryan Kaber and deputies Terry Brown, Jon Dragoon and Daniel Towery botched the investigation, falsely imprisoned him and maliciously pushed for his prosecution. The suit also claims the Epicenter Family Bowling Center in Klamath Falls failed to stop Deese and four other acquaintances drinking there on Feb. 10, 2018 John Colin Baker-Wood, Jacob Bedard, Mikayla Shepherd and Victoria Penhall from participating in a violent chain of events that nearly left Newell dead. Portland attorney J. Clay McCaslin is representing Newell in the civil case. The defendants listed in the lawsuit could not immediately be reached for comment. All agree the night began with Newell and the other friends drinking heavily at the Aftershock Bar inside the Epicenter. From there, accounts diverge dramatically. Newell in his lawsuit claims Deese, Baker-Wood and Bedard pummeled him in the bowling alleys parking lot before tossing him into a car against his will and driving out of town. Other members of the drinking party piled into a second car and followed them. The three men, Newell alleges, continued to beat him after they pulled over along South Poe Valley Road. They then dumped Newell in a ditch, where he spent the next several hours unconscious in sub-freezing temperatures, the lawsuit claims. Newell said he suffered a concussion, nasal fracture and multiple contusions during the alleged assaults. Deese, at some point in the night, also sustained a superficial wound to the neck, according to the lawsuit. Court records show Deese and the others told authorities Newell had lunged at him with a knife and sliced his throat during an unprovoked attack as they stopped along the country road. Newell was arrested and charged. A booking photo shows his face battered and swollen. After several months, his criminal case was transferred to the Jackson County District Attorneys Office to avoid a potential conflict of interest Deese and Shepherd both had fathers who had worked as law enforcement officers in Klamath County. The new prosecutors soon found problems with their witnesses, records show. First, they discovered the people who had claimed Newell stabbed Deese in the throat had made multiple conflicting statements to authorities and erased all social media and text communications about the incident, court documents show. Then it turned out Bedard had impersonated Newell in a 911 call, giving a bogus confession about the alleged attack against Deese, according to court records. Newells defense team also alleged the Klamath County Sheriffs Office failed to collect key evidence in the case, to interview witnesses or to assign a detective during the investigation. Prosecutors dropped the case in June 2019, saying they couldnt prove the allegations against Newell beyond a reasonable doubt. -- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; 503-294-7632 Email at skavanaugh@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Burma Myanmars Military Intelligence Chief Tapped to Become New Home Affairs Minister Incoming Home Affairs Minister Lieutenant General Soe Htut (left) attends a bilateral meeting with the intelligence chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces on March 5, 2019. / ACDFM2019 YANGONMyanmars Chief of Military Security Affairs, Lieutenant General Soe Htut, has been nominated as the countrys new home affairs minister and will replace the current outgoing minister. Union Parliament Speaker U T Khun Myat announced in Parliament on Thursday that the president has submitted his appointment for the new minister. According to the 2008 Constitution, three ministriesDefense, Home Affairs and Border Affairsare controlled by the 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 Union Parliament. Speaker U T Khun Myat told lawmakers to inform him by Friday evening if they would like to object to the nomination. According to the Constitution, the Parliament does not need to vote to confirm ministerial appointments unless there is proof that the nominee doesnt meet the qualifications for the position. Lt-Gen Soe Htut, 59, 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. He is the son of late Brigadier General Lun Maung, a minister in the prime ministers office under the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) military junta. Brig-Gen Lun Maung was killed in a helicopter crash in 2001 along with SPDC Secretary 2 Lieutenant General Tin Oo and other high-ranking military officials. Reports about the retirement of current Home Affairs Minister Lieutenant General Kyaw Swe circulated in January and the Presidents Office announced the order on Tuesday. The order stated that Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe has been reassigned to perform his original military duties. Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe was sworn in as home affairs minister after the National League for Democracy (NLD) government took power in 2016, and always accompanied State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of the NLD government, on her domestic trips. The next Union Parliament Session is scheduled to convene on Feb. 10. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Military Asks Govt to Punish Minister for Police Remark Myanmar Army Generals Attend Shan National Day Event at RCSS HQ for First Time This trend is reflected in the yield spreads observed over the last two quarters, CMLS noted. Just as they did in Q3, commercial mortgage spreads over GOC remained flat throughout Q4. While they exhibited some short-term swings throughout the year, GOC yields hit their 2019 highs in the early months, bottomed out at the beginning of September, and then proceeded to trade back up to close out the year, CMLS explained. Commercial mortgage coupons mirrored this pattern, climbing over the final three months of 2019 to finish the year at levels close to where they started. The typical 5-year conventional commercial mortgage coupon ended 2019 at around 3.40%. The Canadian market was also characterized by sustained competition during this period. The competitive lending environment we saw in Q3 remained throughout Q4 as abundant capital supply persisted. While spreads were tight and high-quality assets continued to attract strong interest, borrower demand to lock in rates in this low rate environment offset that ample supply, resulting in stable commercial spreads throughout H2 2019. For the last half of 2019, mortgages on top-quality assets were originated at spreads of 150-160 bps. WARWICK Hospital along with all hospitals in England with an Accident and Emergency department has been told to prepare for dealing with anyone with possible signs of coronavirus. There are no reported cases in south Warwickshire but the hospitals have been told to create quarantine areas by tomorrow, Friday 7th February. Professor Keith Willett NHS Strategic Director NHS England and NHS Improvement, communicated to Chief Executive Officers and Medical Directors across the country on 31st January An extract from that communication reads: As part of managing care in Emergency Departments, trusts are being asked to organise a Coronavirus Priority Assessment Pod, which will mean people with symptoms indicative of infection will get quick assessment, while other patients also continue to get appropriate care. These plans should be ready to be operational as soon as practically possible, and no later than Friday 07 February. This will require clear local signposting to an isolated area of the hospital, which is away from the Emergency Department, and suitable for frequent decontamination. Meanwhile an NHS spokesperson has said: Anyone returning from Hubei province in the last 14 days should stay indoors, avoid contact with other people and call NHS 111 whether or not they are showing symptoms. Anyone with a cough, fever, or shortness of breath who attends hospital and has recently returned from China, will be advised to follow signs to NHS 111 pods and call for advice, so they stay isolated from other patients and avoid causing unnecessary pressure in A&E. Posted by Jeremy on at 02:52 PM CST We would also like to announce an extra surprise, that three lucky voters have been randomly drawn and will be receiving the UCS Republic Gunship as and when it is released, as well as a 75255 LEGO Star Wars Yoda! So keep your eyes on your inbox, as three of you will be contacted very soon. After a week of voting, followed by a tense week of waiting the results are in! In a surprising outcome - with over half the votes - the winning option is the Republic Gunship.Following on from this reveal, Jake McQuillan from the LEGO Ideas team also shared the word that LEGO would give away UCS Republic Gunship sets to three randomly selected voters.Though LEGO has yet to release the actual numbers they did share than the Nebulon-B Frigate took silver, with the TIE Bomber winning bronze. These results differ to those that our unofficial poll received, which indicated that half of participants wanted a Rebel medical frigate, followed by the gunship with the TIE Bomber remaining in third.With the new season ofdue to premiere at the end of the month, and with rumours that this summer's LEGOwave will be drawing a lot of inspiration from the resurrected TV series it's no small wonder that the Gunship prevailed.While an official release date hasn't been announced, Rebelscum has been tipped off that this new Ultimate Collector Series set is likely to be made available in 2021. Standard scheduling procedure for direct-to-consumer (i.e. LEGO online/branded stores exclusives) UCS sets is typically April/May and September/October so you either have fifteen or nineteen months to decide where you will display it.How did you vote? Do you agree with the outcome? Share your opinion in our LEGO Star Wars discussion thread and find out what other collectors have to say. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] 06.02.2020 LISTEN It has emerged that one Albert Kodua (Yaw Tawiah ), a retired police officer at Diaso in the Upper Denkyira West District in the Central region is reported to have made a false announcement on Accra based Adom Tv that court has ruled in favour of the Ahwenie family as true royals of the area. In a rebuttal, some section of the youth of the community has described as false and misleading the comments made by Albert Kodua indicating that the court is yet to rule on the matter. At a news conference, the youth of the area accused Yaw Tawiah of speculating false news over the long standing chieftaincy issue which they believe has caused fear and panic. "We want to put this across that his comment is falsewe are currently pursuing him for publishing such false information," the youth intimated. According to residents, Yaw Tawiah has been engaging in such false announcements for some time now, noting that two years ago his comment resulted into a clash between the two factions where people lost their lives while others sustained various degrees of injuries. Meanwhile, lawyer of the Asona Asenkye Royal Family, Lawyer Obiri Boahen is calling for calm among the people in the Diaso community. Residents in the Diaso community have allegedly threatened to arm and defend themselves if immediate steps are not taken to properly address the matter. The 20 years unsettled Diaso chieftaincy issue has affected the development of the community. Factions contending for the royal seat are Asona Asenkye Royal Family who claim they are the true royals and the Ahwenie people who according to history came to settle in the community. The lingering dispute has been a source of concern to many people including citizens of Denkyira area since the Diaso chief played an important role in the Denkyira war. In 1944, judgement was made in favour of the Asona Asenkye Royal Family and were declared the true royals. Nana Yitta Amoako II, was subsequently enstooled as the chief of Diaso by the late Omanhene of the Denkyira Traditional Council, Odefour Boamposem in 2014. Diasohene is supposed to be the Adontehene of the Denkyira Traditional council and his absence has affected their deliberations over the years. What is left now is for him to be gazetted but the other faction, Ahwenie, according to the youth, is still pursuing the case which is currently at the High Court and the Central Regional House of Chiefs. Youth associations are springing up, some of which have aligned themselves to one faction or another and ready to deal with anyone who crosses their way. Source: The Punch Newspaper Email:[email protected] NHS hospitals see spike in mental health patients on days when tweets about the topic surge, a study shows. Two London hospitals had up to 15 per cent more patients referred for a crisis episode or emergency on days when social media was rife with depression discussion. The researchers said news stories about mental health are likely to be the main reason for a higher volume of tweets. Celebrities often 'come out' and speak about their mental health ordeals, which is often hailed for opening difficult conversations, especially by mental health charities. How this truly influences others is not understood. Interest in the topic heightened when Robin Williams' suicide in 2014 saw a spike in suicides in the US. NHS hospitals see spike in mental health patients on days when tweets about the topic surge, a study shows. Pictured, actor Robin Williams died by suicide in 2014, which saw a spike in suicides in the US The academics at King's College London reported their findings today in the journal Scientific Reports. The team collected data on the number of tweets containing keywords related to depression and schizophrenia over a four-year period. During the same period, they took recorded referrals for 'crisis episodes' - when someone needs urgent care - to South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLAM) and Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust (C&I). Between January 2010 and December 2014, 48,691 and 32,689 crisis episodes were recorded by SLAM and C&I, respectively. On days with a higher than average number of tweets, SLAM saw up to 15 per cent more crisis episodes. C&I saw a five per cent increase. The sizes of effects were large enough to have potential local and national relevance, the team, led by psychologist Dr Anna Kolliakou, said. Co-author of the paper Professor Robert Stewart told MailOnline: 'We had expected that there might be a link, because we do know that people with mental health difficulties find some material in the media quite distressing and stigmatising. 'But were surprised that the link was so strong. SHOULD WE BE WORRIED ABOUT CHILDREN'S SOCIAL MEDIA USE? The authors of the study at King's College London noted 'problematic' use of social media use is increasingly being linked with poor mental health in young and older adults alike. It's been shown to increase depression and anxiety symptoms, sometimes the result of people sharing emotions with each other online. In January 2019, Facebook said it was 'deeply sorry' after it emerged a teenager who took her own life had viewed disturbing content about suicide on social media. Fourteen-year-old Molly, from Harrow, north west London, died by suicide after watching self-harm videos on Instagram. Niamh McDade, senior campaigns and communications executive at the Royal Society for Public Health, said: 'Our research has found young people in particular who are using social media to find support for mental health conditions are at high-risk of unintentional exposure to graphic content, such as images of self-harm. 'Evidence also suggests that discourse relating to mental health problems can in some instances unhelpfully "glamorise" mental illness and prevent young people from accessing professional help. 'We know that while 12 per cent of children who spend no time on social networking websites have symptoms of mental ill health, the figure rises to 27 per cent for those who are on the sites for three or more hours a day.' Advertisement 'We checked a few of the spikes and they were all associated with a trending news story online.' The researchers said it's not possible to say tweets directly influence mental health referrals. Those experiencing a crisis may not even use Twitter. Rather, it may news events themselves - such as a celebrity talking about their depression battles - affecting mental health, while also amplifying tweets. The authors of the paper wrote: 'A relationship has long been suspected between public events relating to mental health and personal crises in vulnerable populations hearing about these. 'Increasing attention is being paid to the ways in which individuals mental health status can be inferred from material on social media.' The authors said their observations were in line with previous studies. A recent study found almost a 10 per cent increase in suicides in America in the six months following beloved actor Robin Williams' suicide in 2014. The researchers at Columbia University said Williams' death was followed by more posts on the online forum 'SuicideWatch'. Not only did people resonate with the beloved actor, but it may have contributed to suicide 'ideation'. It has long been recognised that news events, as well as whats shown on TV, have mental-health related outcomes. In 2017, the broadcast of the controversial Netflix series 13 Reasons Why provoked debate about whether the glamorisation of a teenager's suicide was damaging to young viewers. Now, social media is another platform in which people are constantly exposed to breaking news, but with it, the public's unfiltered views. Dr Kolliakou and colleagues wrote: 'Round-the-clock access to breaking news, stories and discussions as well as the sheer volume of decreasingly controlled information have transformed and amplified exposure to mental health dialogues and representations of mental illness.' Commenting on the findings, leading mental health charity MIND said awareness about mental health - driven by celebrities, for example - is crucial. Head of policy and campaigns Vicki Nash said: 'Talking breaks down stigma. If we cant name, understand and explain an issue, we cant properly address it as a society. 'We know that high-profile coverage of mental health problems, and especially when celebrities speak out about their own experiences on both traditional and social media, helps people feel less alone and can encourage people to seek the support they need.' Niamh McDade, senior campaigns and communications executive at the Royal Society for Public Health, said: 'Whilst studies such as these do identify some correlations between social media use and mental health and wellbeing, more robust scientific research is needed to determine to what extent social media actually causes mental health problems.' Anyone can contact Samaritans FREE any time from any phone on 116 123, even a mobile without credit. This number won't show up on your phone bill. Or you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit www.samaritans.org to find details of your nearest branch, where you can talk to one of our trained volunteers face to face. After setting a record for the longest single spaceflight in history by a woman, NASA astronaut Christina Koch returned to Earth Thursday, along with Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency). The trio departed the International Space Station at 12:50 a.m. EST and made a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 4:12 a.m. (3:12 p.m. Kazakhstan time) southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Koch's extended mission will provide researchers the opportunity to observe effects of long-duration spaceflight on a woman as the agency plans to return humans to the Moon under the Artemis program and prepare for human exploration of Mars. Koch launched March 14, 2019, alongside fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin. Her first journey into space of 328 days is the second-longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut and also places her seventh on the list of cumulative time in space for American astronauts with one or more missions. Supporting NASA's goals for future human landings on the Moon, Koch completed 5,248 orbits of the Earth and a journey of 139 million miles, roughly the equivalent of 291 trips to the Moon and back. She conducted six spacewalks during 11 months on orbit, including the first three all-woman spacewalks, spending 42 hours and 15 minutes outside the station. She witnessed the arrival of a dozen visiting spacecraft and the departure of another dozen. For Parmitano and Skvortsov, this landing completed a 201-day stay in space, 3,216 orbits of Earth and a journey of 85.2 million miles. They launched last July with NASA's Andrew Morgan. Morgan also is participating in an extended duration mission on the orbiting laboratory and will return to Earth April 17. Completing his second mission, Parmitano now has logged 367 days in space, more than any ESA astronaut in history. During his time in space for Expeditions 60 and 61, Parmitano conducted four spacewalks, totaling 25 hours and 30 minutes. He has now conducted six spacewalks in his career, totaling 33 hours and 9 minutes. Parmitano was commander of Expedition 61. Skvortsov completed his third mission and a total of 546 days in space, placing him 15th on the all-time spaceflight endurance list. Following post-landing medical checks, the crew will return to the recovery staging city in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, aboard Russian helicopters. Koch and Parmitano will board a NASA plane bound for Cologne, Germany, where Parmitano will be greeted by ESA officials for his return home. Koch will continue home to Houston. Skvortsov will board a Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center aircraft to return to his home in Star City, Russia. The Expedition 61 crew contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences and technology development, including improvements to the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer in an effort to extend its life and support its mission of looking for evidence of dark matter and testing 3D biological printers to print organ-like tissues in microgravity. With the undocking of the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft with Koch, Skvortsov, and Parmitano aboard, Expedition 62 officially began aboard the station, with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Morgan as flight engineers and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos as station commander. They will remain on board as a three-person crew until early April, when NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Nikolai Tikhonov and Andrei Babkin will launch to the station. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. Delhi Assembly Election Results 2020 LIVE updates, Delhi Assembly Polls: Check constituency-wise poll-results, candidates, winners, losers Extravagant promises are a part of the election ritual. Not only are they made, many are even included in election manifestoes which are documents of record. As is to be expected, the winning party often fails to keep many of the promises made after coming to power. What is more, the electorate has traditionally been quite indulgent by not holding ruling parties to account on the promises made during campaigning. This has somewhat devalued election promises, even though they find place in election manifestoes. The Delhi assembly elections seem to have struck a new high with the leading partiesthe Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the Congress making abundant promises of freebies in their election manifestoes. In view of the severe air pollution in Delhi, parties have added a new dimension covering the environmental angle. The reason for this new high is that the AAP, in its five years in power, struck a new high in distributing a lot of freebies. The result is that it has no option but to promise to carry on with the freebies and do a bit more if it is voted back to power. This has made it somewhat obligatory for the BJP and the Congress to make similar promises. The AAP, in its manifesto, has said that it will continue with the ongoing power and water subsidy. The Delhi government currently pays 100 percent subsidy for consumption of up to 200 units of power per month and 50 percent subsidy for consumption between 200 and 400 units. The BJP, in its manifesto, has said that it will continue with these subsidies, and has also promised clean drinking water for every household. Going one better, in its manifesto the Congress has promised to supply free electricity for up to 300 units, 50 percent subsidy on 300-400 units, 30 percent subsidy on 400-500 units and 25 percent subsidy on 500-600 units. On the environment, the AAP has promised in its manifesto that it will reduce air pollution by one-third by planting 20 million trees. Additionally, it will revive the highly-polluted Yamuna and develop a beautiful waterfront along the rivers banks. The BJP has promised to introduce 10,000 green buses. To clean up the Yamunas water it will set up a Yamuna Development Board, which will also develop the floodplains along the river. The Congress has gone ahead of the other two by releasing a green manifesto entirely dedicated to environmental issues. It has promised allocation of 25 percent of the states budget to fighting pollution. It will also make Delhi Indias first electric vehicle city, by procuring 15,000 e-buses and building requisite infrastructure. The Congress green manifesto promises to increase the citys green cove to 30 percent, subsidise Metro fares for students, improve the citys dust management, and create a rice stubble to energy fund to establish stubble-crushing plants which will create inputs for power plants. On education, the AAP has already done a lot and is credited with having transformed the face of public school education. So where does it go from here? Keeping electoral realities in mind, it has promised to introduce a Deshbhakti curriculum in government schools to inculcate a love of country and make students aware of their responsibilities. The AAP will also introduce spoken English, soft skills and personality development classes for students who have completed their schooling in Delhi in the last five years so as to improve their ability to get good jobs. The BJP has promised to build 200 new schools and 10 new colleges in Delhi, and a public library in each of the citys 280 wards. The Congress has spread the net wide to create more income opportunities. It has promised to set up a Rajiv Gandhi internship program for young graduates, set up a Rs 5,000-crore corpus for a Yaari Startup Incubation Fund and a Rs 1,000-crore corpus for a Homi Bhabha Research Fund. The AAP has promised to expand the Metro network to 500 km, making it one of the worlds largest networks which will connect new far flung areas. It will also deliver well-designed, beautifully-landscaped and safe roads. The BJP will complete the Delhi-Mumbai highway in three years, cutting short the road distance between the two cities to 12 hours. It will give free electric scooters to college-going women from poor families. The AAP has promised doorstep delivery of rations, free pilgrimage to a million senior citizens, and Rs 1 crore compensation to kin of a safai karamchari who dies on duty, and work with the Centre to include Bhojpuri in the eighth schedule of the Constitution. The BJP has promised good quality wheat flour at Rs 2 per kg for the poor and a job for one child of every victim of the 1984 riots. The Congress has promised an unemployment allowance Rs 5,000 per month for graduates and Rs 7,500 per month for post-graduates. The overriding reality is that very few actually read through an election manifesto as they are usually quite long, and among those who actually go through them fewer still, other than scribes and party campaign managers, remember any of their content. Harare, Zimbabwe (PANA) - Local elections watchdog, Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) has reiterated its call for electoral reforms as it joined the rest of the world in commemorating Global Elections Day DENVER, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Engage Mobilize, Inc. (ENGAGE), a cloud-based digital field management, procurement, and electronic ticketing platform built for the oil and gas industry has recently moved into a new office in one of Denver's most desirable areas. The new office located at 2930 Umatilla St. Suite 300 in Denver is over three times the size of the company's previous location and will support its rapid growth. Additionally, ENGAGE will be simplifying its branding from Engage Mobilize to ENGAGE. Over the past year, ENGAGE has recognized sizable growth and has increased staffing and resources to keep up with the heightened demand for the platform. The new office not only supports increased growth, but will also facilitate their fun, dynamic culture that has made ENGAGE one of the most desirable companies to work for. "We wanted a work environment that makes people excited to come to work each day. Our extremely talented staff takes a lot of pride in our solution and we wanted an office that would meet that same high standard," said co-founder and CEO, Rob Ratchinsky. ENGAGE has become the premier name in the digital field management sector for energy companies and dropping Mobilize will solidify how the market views the ENGAGE brand. "We've encountered a few other companies with similar names, and we want to eliminate any association with those brands. Most clients already refer to us as simply ENGAGE, so the modification will only strengthen our brand recognition within our industry," said Ross Miller, Head of Marketing. About ENGAGE: ENGAGE is a cloud-based digital field management platform that is revolutionizing the way oil and gas companies interact with their service providers. Their comprehensive solution interfaces with both operators and vendors, allowing transparency on all sides. ENGAGE is the industry preferred solution for digitizing oilfield activity spanning across over one hundred service types. For more information, please visit http://engagemobilize.com . Follow Engage: LinkedIn Facebook YouTube Media Contact : Ross Miller, Head of Marketing [email protected] (303) 957-8288 Mobile SOURCE Engage Mobilize, Inc. Related Links https://engagemobilize.com A 45-year-old villager, who was working as a porter with the army, was injured on Thursday after he accidentally stepped on a landmine near the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, police said. The incident took place when Mangat Ram, a resident of Dadoka village, was near a forward post in the Nowshera sector's Jhanger area, a police official said. He said the porter was immediately taken to a hospital. As part of its counter-infiltration strategy, the army has laid landmines on possible routes that terrorists could use to enter India. Sometimes the explosive devices get dislocated due to rains, causing such incidents. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The US Department of Homeland Security said it would no longer let New York residents enrol in its "trusted traveller" programmes because of a new state law that blocked federal immigration officials from accessing motor vehicle records. In a three-page letter on Wednesday, DHS said the legislation, dubbed the 'Green Light' law, prevents federal agencies from protecting residents from "menacing threats to national security and public safety". The sweeping move came a day after President Donald Trump slammed New York, a sanctuary city, in his State of the Union address. Sanctuary cities are localities that provide added protection to immigrants and refuse to cooperate with federal officials, and federal law enforcement which has only escalated since Trump took office. The law, which went into effect in December, allowed people without legal permission to be in the United States to apply for driver's licenses. It also included a provision prohibiting state DMV officials from providing any of its data to entities that enforce immigration law unless a judge orders them to do so. The law blocks US Customs and Border Protection, which patrols the US-Canada border in New York and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement from obtaining the vehicle's owners information. Chad Wolf, acting head of the Homeland Security Department, called New York's new law "disappointing" during a Fox interview late Wednesday night. He said the suspension of the programmes, used by travellers to quickly move through customs and security at airports, was effective immediately. "They (New York residents) can't enrol or re-enrol in these trusted traveller programmes that customs and border protection offers because we no longer have access to make sure that they meet those program requirements," he said. A senior adviser to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Rich Azzopardi, said the move by DHS was politically motivated. "This is obviously political retaliation by the federal government and we're going to review our legal options," Azzopardi said. Cuomo, a Democrat, approved the Green Light law last summer, allowing individuals to use foreign-issued documents to prove their age and identity so they can apply for driving privileges. Lawmakers and Cuomo became worried that ICE and CBP would be able to easily obtain information about people seeking a license, and possibly making it easier for them to be deported. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kalahari Resorts and Conventions, home of what they bill as "America's largest indoor water parks," uploaded more renderings to its website of its upcoming location in Round Rock. The "authentically African-themed" Wisconsin-based company announced its plans in 2016 to build its first property in Texas. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 By Samir Ali Trend: Eighty-two people aged 18-28, 407 people aged 29-39, 542 people aged 40-45, 221 people aged 56-66 and 43 people aged 67 and over have been registered as MP candidates in Azerbaijan, Chairman of the Azerbaijani Analytical Information Resource Center Rasim Guliyev said. Guliyev made the remark at the press-conference in Baku, Trend reports on Feb. 6. "Eight 22-year-old people have been also nominated, the chairman said. Two 82-year-old people were also registered." Presently, the number of MP candidates is 1,321. The parliamentary elections will be held in Azerbaijan on February 9. There are 125 constituencies in Azerbaijan. RevOps, a San Francisco, CA-based provider of a sales productivity platform, raised $1.6m in seed funding. The round was led by Gradient Ventures, Googles AI-focused fund, with additional investment from Raymond Tonsings firm, Caffeinated Capital. The company intends to use the funds to continue to expand operations. Created in 2018 by pricing expert Adam Ballai after his experience at Twilio and Stripe and John Solis, RevOps provides automation and collaborative pricing tools for businesses to configure, price, quote, and sign deals in seconds. RevOps integrates with all billing platforms and supports all parts of the sales cycle, from opportunity, proposals, approval workflows, negotiation, deal close and renewals. FinSMEs 05/02/2020 'Strategic indifference' signifies cautious stance While many of the headlines after U.S. President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, Tuesday, were about his war of nerves with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, highlighted by her ripping up a copy of the text of the speech, what was also intriguing to us was that he made no mention of North Korea. Given that he dealt with North Korea as one of his foreign policy priorities in his two previous State of the Union speeches, this was exceptional. But it had not been entirely unexpected as the nuclear disarmament talks with Pyongyang have remained in the doldrums since the failure of the last negotiations in Sweden in October. In a way, Trump's silence on North Korea could be a hopeful sign considering that he didn't go so far as to vilify it as he did in his first State of the Union speech in 2018. At the time, he called North Korea a "depraved" and "brutal dictatorship," vowing to break from the mistakes of past administrations. Among those invited to the speech were a North Korean defector on crutches, Ji Seong-ho, who highlighted the North's brutal treatment of its own people, and the parents of Otto Warmbier, an American college student who died in 2017 after being detained in North Korea for more than a year. Then there was the historic first summit between Trump and Kim in June 2018, and the U.S. president used the State of the Union address in 2019 to announce his second summit with Kim, saying he maintains a "good" relationship with the North Korean leader and that the U.S. would have been at war with the North if he hadn't been elected. One positive thing about Trump "strategically ignoring" Pyongyang in this year's speech is that he appears cautious about dealing with North Korea. The North also remains surprisingly calm even though the self-imposed year-end deadline for a new U.S. approach to the denuclearization talks has passed. The Senate's acquittal of Trump, Wednesday, of charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, which thus ended his impeachment trial, also bodes well for the resumption of dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang. North Korea will probably remain as a risky bet for Trump until the presidential election in November, so it is too early to predict how the situation will unfold. But presumably, Trump and Kim may still be exchanging letters. It is not unimaginable at all that Trump may attempt to use peace talks with Pyongyang to boost his chances given that he has touted North Korea's suspension of nuclear and missile tests as one of his biggest foreign policy achievements. Trump's National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said in a meeting with foreign ambassadors in Washington, D.C. after the Senate vote that the U.S. president remains committed to the denuclearization talks with North Korea regardless of U.S. domestic politics. South Korean Ambassador Lee Soo-hyuck reportedly asked O'Brien if he believes the North will return to negotiations before the November presidential race, and received the answer: "We hope they will come back to the table, come back to Sweden and meet with us." Hopefully, a new era will open for peace on the Korean Peninsula. To be honest, Im bummed out about this years Oscars and thats coming from an avid Oscar addict. Bring it on and make it long has always been my Oscar mantra. But when my two favorite films of 2019 were left out of the Best Film race, I just shook my head. Pain and Glory and The Farewell are both exquisite movies that somehow didnt make the cut. Thankfully, Little Women, is on the list, but its been dismissed by ballot counters as a sure loser seven films are more likely, say the insiders. Only three films are considered even possible winners of Best Picture at this point by pundits and oddsmakers. Those three favorites all seem unworthy of the statue. I would not give the top Oscar to 1917 or Parasite or Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Polite applause, sure. Top Oscar? No. Id be happy to see The Irishman win, but its being dismissed as a likely loser also. Last year a beautiful masterpiece was snubbed: Roma lost to Green Book. Clearly my tastes dont match the Hollywood elite. My favorites in the acting races are also seemingly doomed: Antonio Banderas is an underdog for Pain and Glory, Joe Pesci is being overlooked for The Irishman and Saoirse Ronan faces long odds for Little Women. Only Laura Dern is slated to win among the ones I loved most. Enough self-pity. What are the hot races this year? Well, 1917 is being dubbed the slight favorite for Best Picture, but there are very savvy insiders saying either Parasite or Once upon a Time in Hollywood is poised to pull an upset. The cynic inside me says Tarantino may carry the evening. Hollywood is about Hollywood, after all, and Tinseltown has a love affair with Tarantino a crush I dont share. But who do I actually predict will win? Im going to play it safe with 1917, which has won key awards already this season. My logic: 1917 was nominated 11 times, which means voters from many branches loved it for lots of different reasons add them all up and its Oscar time. The directors race seems to favor Mendes for his gorgeously crafted WWI epic, but dont be surprised if South Korean director Bong Joon Ho wins for Parasite. His beautifully crafted social satire was the most critically acclaimed film of 2019 77 critics deemed it the best of the year. The Myrna Loy theater may have inside information, because Benji the booker is bringing Parasite back starting Oscar weekend. Most of the acting races are preordained with crowns already fitted for Renee Zellweger for Judy; Joaquin Phoenix for Joker; Brad Pitt for Hollywood and Laura Dern for A Marriage. But, if theres an upset, which one of those stallions will be nipped at the finish line by a mustang? Id say Adam Driver could edge out Joaquin Phoenix, and Joe Pesci might upset Brad Pitt. But Im not placing my mortgage on either one. And what would make me jump up off the couch and cheer? Every win for Little Women! or The Irishman. Loved em both. Finishing fact: Greta Gerwig should have been nominated for Best Director for Little Women, but the glass ceiling in Hollywood is still intact. However, among both Best Documentary and Best Documentary Short four of the five films nominated were directed or co-directed by women. That wont cheer up Gerwig, but its still encouraging. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Loading the player... LinkedIn's CEO Jeff Weiner resigns from CEO post; passes the buck to Ryan Roslansky LinkedIn's Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jeff Weiner has resigned from his post after 11 years at the helm of the company. He will become executive chairman while Ryan Roslansky who is currently the senior vice-president of product will become CEO as of June 1, Microsoft said in a statement on Wednesday. Over 5 crore farmers yet to get third installment of money under PM-Kisan scheme Over fifty million farmers were yet to get the third installment of money under the Centre's ambitious PM-Kisan scheme, aimed at providing direct support of Rs 6,000 annually to them, according to the latest Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare data. The total amount of the scheme, which came into effect on December 1, 2018, is to be paid in three equal instalments of Rs 2,000 every four months. The data showed about 25.1 million farmers have not got even the second installment and 51.6 million of them were yet to get the third installment. Coronavirus is 'new layer of uncertainty' for economy: ECB's Lagarde The spread of the novel coronavirus in China and beyond presents "a new layer of uncertainty" for the European economy, European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde said Wednesday. Her remarks placed the disease on the same level of menace to growth as "global risks" such as trade tensions and geopolitical flashpoints. Three dead, scores hurt, in Turkey plane accident Three people have died and 179 were injured when a plane skidded off the runway at an Istanbul airport, caught fire and split into three after landing in rough weather. Several people were seen climbing through a large crack in the severed aircraft and escaping onto one of the wings at the rear. The plane was apparently buffeted by strong winds and heavy rain lashing Istanbul, Turkey's largest city. Trump acquitted of all impeachment charges The United States Senate Wednesday acquitted President Donald Trump on two articles of impeachment -- abuse of power and obstruction to Congress -- giving him a major political and moral victory in an election year. WHO issues appeal for USD 675m to fight novel coronavirus The World Health Organization on Wednesday called for USD 675 million in donations for a plan to fight the novel coronavirus, mainly through investment in countries considered particularly "at risk". WHO is sending 500,000 masks and 40,000 respirators to 24 countries from its warehouses in Dubai and Accra. Modi committed 'fatal mistake' by revoking special status of J-K: Imran Khan Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi has committed a "fatal mistake" by revoking the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing the Legislative Assembly of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in Muzaffarabad, Khan also alleged that Modi did it because he got mandate after using Pakistan as a scapegoat in election. The city of Tulsa will conduct a test excavation at an area cemetery as part of an ongoing effort to find remains of victims of a 1921 race massacre, officials said. The test excavation at Oaklawn Cemetery, planned for April, was announced during the city's Mass Graves Investigation Public Oversight Committee meeting on Monday, the Tulsa World reported. The meeting came a little more than a month after investigators announced that geophysical surveys conducted in October had found anomalies consistent with possible graves. Test excavation at Oaklawn Cemetery, planned for April, was announced during the city's Mass Graves Investigation Public Oversight Committee meeting The massacre happened over the course of 16 hours, from May 31 to June 1, 1921, when mobs of white residents attacked black residents and businesses As many as 300 black people were killed, hundreds more injured and thousands left homeless 'We would see this as an intermediate step,' Kary Stackelbeck, a state archaeologist, said. 'If we were to identify evidence that we seem to believe at the time is consistent with race massacre victims, we would want to leave them in a state that allows for us to come back and undertake future investigations and a recovery effort in a more thoughtful and well-planned-out fashion.' 'We would see this as an intermediate step,' Kary Stackelbeck, a state archaeologist, said Tulsa's mayor announced in 2018 that the city would re-examine sites in search of victims of the 1921 massacre. The sites were last inspected by the Tulsa Race Riot Commission in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The massacre happened over the course of 16 hours, from May 31 to June 1, 1921, when mobs of white residents attacked black residents and businesses. As many as 300 black people were killed, hundreds more injured and thousands left homeless. Tulsa's prosperous black business district known as Black Wall Street was destroyed. Stackelbeck said the test excavation at Oaklawn will provide much more detail than the geophysical surveys did. 'With the geophysical data, it doesn't see bodies,' Stackelbeck said. 'It doesn't tell us who's down there. It doesnt tell us, are there people there? And if they are there, are they in coffins?' Tulsa's prosperous black business district known as Black Wall Street was destroyed It comes a little more than a month after it was announced that geophysical surveys conducted in October found anomalies consistent with graves City officials also provided an update on its search at Rolling Oaks Cemetery. The city has said that the cemetery's owners have been reluctant to allow a site identified by historical investigators to be surveyed because it is beneath some known interments. Deputy Mayor Amy Brown said officials are now close to an agreement with the cemetery's owners. For many Americans, their first experience learning about the Tulsa massacre came during the first episode of HBO's Watchmen. The gory killings left many speechless and wanting to learn more about the senseless act but did also prompt a slew of racist critiques on various review websites. For many Americans, their first experience learning about the Tulsa massacre came during the first episode of HBO's Watchmen THE 1921 TULSA RACE RIOT: AN ATTACK ON GREENWOOD After World War I, Tulsa was recognized for its affluent African-American community known as the Greenwood District. The community was often referred to as the 'Black Wall Street' because of its thriving businesses and residential area. But in June 1921, the community was nearly destroyed during the Tulsa Race Riot. The events leading up to the riot began on May 30, 1921, when a young black man named Dick Rowland was riding in the elevator with a woman named Sarah Page. The details of what followed vary from person to person and it's unclear what actually happened. During the Tulsa Riot, 35 city blocks were completely destroyed and more than 800 people were treated for injuries. Historians believe as many as 300 people may have died in the riot Little Africa on Fire is the description given this photo of the Tulsa Race riot, June 1, 1917. The proper name of the African American section of town was Greenwood A group of National Guard Troops, carrying rifles with bayonets attached, escort unarmed African American men to the detention center at Convention Hall, after the Tulsa Race Massacre, Tulsa, Oklahoma, June 1921 Rowland was arrested the next day by Tulsa police. Subsequently, a report in the Tulsa Tribune dated May 31, 1921, started a confrontation between black and white armed men at the courthouse. This started a confrontation between black and white armed men at the courthouse, with the white men demanding that Rowland be lynched while the black men tried to protect him. During a struggle between two men in the mobs over a gun, shots were fired and a white man was shot, causing the the African-American group to retreat to the Greenwood District. In the early morning hours of June 1, 1921, Greenwood was looted and burned by an estimated 10,000 white rioters, who flooded into the streets shooting residents. Planes also reportedly dropped incendiary bombs on the area. Many of the white mob had recently returned from World War I and trained in the use of firearms, are are said to have shot Black Americans on sight. In addition, more than 1,400 homes and businesses were destroyed, and nearly 10,000 people were left homeless. For two days starting on May 31 1921, an white mob estimated to be 10,000-strong destroyed Tulsa's Black Greenwood district, known as Black Wall Street, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 300 people and injuring 800 more The riots lasted for two days, and Governor Robertson declared martial law, and National Guard troops were called in to Tulsa. During the riot, 35 city blocks were completely destroyed. Historians believe as many as 300 people may have died in the riot - mostly Black Americans -and more than 800 people were treated for injuries. Bodies were buried in mass graves while families of those who were killed in the riots were held in prison under martial law according to Scott Ellsworth, a University of Michigan historian, in December. The families of the deceased were never told whether their loved ones died in the massacre, or where they were buried, and no funerals were held. Until the 1990s, the massacre was rarely mentioned in history books, and in 2001, the Race Riot Commission was organized to review the details of the deadly riot. Source: Tulsa History.org In this 1921 image provided by the Library of Congress, smoke billows over Tulsa, Oklahoma. The killing of hundreds of people in a prosperous black business district in 1921 was referred to as the Tulsa race riot but it has since been relabeled as a 'massacre' Advertisement . The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has berated President Muhammadu Buhari over a comment credited to him which says, 90% of Boko Haram victims are Muslims. Speaking via a series on tweets on its Twitter handle, PDP stated that Nigerians have lost confidence in the current administration. See the statement below: 90%: PDP Berates @MBuhari For Classifying KillingsSays that Nigerians Have Lost Confidence in @OfficialAPCNg, Buhari Presidency The @OfficialPDPNig has described President @MBuharis resort to religious coloration and classification of wanton killings in the country by. insurgents, as totally horrendous, unpresidential, scandalous, discriminatory, divisive and a huge spat on the grave of the victims. Read Also: Whether Christian Or Muslim Killing Of Any Human Being By Boko Haram Is Wrong: Atiku Tells Buhari The party describes as highly insensitive that President @MBuhari could attempt to rationalize the failure of his administration to end insurgency by stating that 90 percent of those killed by terrorists are members of a particular religion. The @OfficialPDPNig, as a Pan Nigerian political party, holds without any equivocation, that the killing of any compatriot, anywhere by terrorists or bandits, irrespective of religion, ethnicity or class, can never be rationalized under any guise whatsoever. The party says Mr. Presidents disturbing statement shows that the @MBuhari Presidency and the @OfficialAPCNg attach no value to the lives of Nigerians as well as further exposes their manifest lack of capacity and commitment to effectively tackle the worsened security situation under President Buharis watch. 90%: PDP Berates @MBuhari For Classifying KillingsSays that Nigerians Have Lost Confidence in @OfficialAPCNg, Buhari Presidency The @OfficialPDPNig has described President @MBuharis resort to religious coloration and classification of wanton killings in the country by pic.twitter.com/DOuGHdGXOC Official PDP Nigeria (@OfficialPDPNig) February 5, 2020 insurgents, as totally horrendous, unpresidential, scandalous, discriminatory, divisive and a huge spat on the grave of the victims. Official PDP Nigeria (@OfficialPDPNig) February 5, 2020 The novel coronavirus outbreak has killed 563 people and infected more than 28000 in China until last midnight, health officials announced early Thursday as the Chinese hunker down for the weeks ahead amid surging numbers. The virus has infected over 150 in more than two dozen countries and killed at least two globally. Besides the outbreak at home, China seems to be fighting international isolation as an expanding list of countries are banning travellers from China comprising both Chinese and foreigners with travel history in the country indefinitely. Hong Kong, a special administration region of the Chinese mainland, has announced compulsory 14-day quarantine for anyone coming in from the mainland. Dozens of international airlines have suspended flights to and from China amid the virus scare. The numbers are worrying, with Wednesday recording the largest number of deaths and new infections in a single day since the outbreak, a trend that has become the routine for the past few days. By the end of Wednesday, a total of 563 people had died of the disease and 28,018 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection had been reported in 31 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps in China, the health officials said, adding that 73 new deaths and 3,694 new confirmed cases were reported on Feb 5 in the Chinese mainland The central Chinese province of Hubei continues to be the worst-hit. As many as 2,987 new cases of novel coronavirus, 70 new deaths and 113 recovered were reported in Hubei Province on February 5; the total number of infected people has risen to 19,665, with 633 recovered and 549 dead in the province, health officials said. Official data showed that an additional 20,629 people in Wuhan, Hubeis locked down capital city, are in quarantine at home amid the outbreak. The city has recorded 8,351 confirmed cases, accounting for about 50 percent of the total confirmed cases in Hubei. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the epidemic an international public health crisis, stopping short, however, from calling it a pandemic, an outbreak occurring in multiple continents. Early on Thursday, the Geneva-based organisation announced that it was working with the travel and tourism industry to discuss real and perceived risks experienced in the industry, measures put in place for customers and employees, and challenges faced due to the outbreak. WHO and partners have developed a global strategic preparedness and response plan, which outlines the public health measures that the international community can provide to support all countries to prepare for and respond to the 2019nCoV outbreak. The overall goal of the plan is to stop further transmission of 2019nCoV within China and to other countries, and to mitigate the impact of the outbreak in all countries, it said in its situation report on the disease for February 5.In the next three months, hundreds of millions of dollars need to be mobilised to tackle the virus, the organisation said. The total estimated resources required to be mobilised by the international community to implement priority public health measures in support of countries to prepare for and respond to 2019-nCoV for this plan is $ 675.5 million. The resource requirement for WHO as part of this plan is USD 61.5 million. The response requirement period is three months, from 1 February to 30 April 2020, according to WHO. FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - In a recent study, University of Arkansas physics researchers found evidence of an inverse transition in ferroelectric ultrathin films, which could lead to advances in development of data storage, microelectronics and sensors. "We found that a disordered labyrinthine phase transforms into the more ordered parallel-stripe structure upon raising the temperature," said Yousra Nahas, first author of the study titled "Inverse Transition of Labyrinthine Domain Patterns in Ferroelectric Thin Films," published in the journal Nature. Former and present U of A physics researchers Sergei Prokhorenko, Bin Xu, Sergey Prosandeev, and Distinguished Professor Laurent Bellaiche, along with colleagues in France, also contributed to the study. Proposed a century ago, these types of transitions seem to contradict the fundamental law that disorder increases with temperature. They have been found in other systems such as superconductors, proteins, liquid crystals and metallic alloys. But they had not been found in ferroelectric materials, which are of interest to scientists because they possess spontaneous electrical polarization that can be reversed by the application of an electric field. The University of Arkansas researchers were able to model the transitions using the Arkansas High Performance Computing Center, which is funded in part by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission. Researchers in France demonstrated the model's predictions through laboratory experiments. "These findings may be put at use to leap beyond current technologies by enabling fundamentally new design principles and topologically enhanced functionalities within ferroelectric films," said Nahas. ### The study was supported by grants from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Army Research Office. Overdrive The Hyundai Creta was launched in 2016 and this compact SUV became a spectacular success and has sold over 6.5 lakh units till date. Now Hyundai has revealed the completely new second-generation Creta and it looks set to replicate its earlier success. Based on the same platform as the Kia Seltos (Review), which also happens to be its biggest rival, Hyundai designers have worked hard to distinguish it from its sister company's SUV, the Seltos. The completely new Hyundai Creta which was unveiled by Hyundai's brand ambassador Shah Rukh Khan at the Auto Expo today, has a three-dimensional cascading grille, a sharply sculpted front bumper with a faux pax skid plate and deep crease lines on the long bonnet. The combination of separated boomerang shaped LED DRLs, LED headlamps and cleverly positioned fog lamps, give the front a funky look. The all-new Hyundai Creta also has prominently flared wheel arches that house R17 diamond cut alloy wheels. A new flying C-Pillar garnish adds an additional dose of smartness to the design. The illumination package at the rear is also extensive with LED tail lamps, and LED high mount stop light. The rear bumper also has a skid plate to complement the one at the front. The all-new Hyundai Creta retains its smart profile, but with all the new styling changes and design elements, it's ready to take the fight to its rivals, especially the Kia Seltos, the SUV from its sister company which upstaged it recently. After years of giving free passes to counterparts from Korea, Japan, US in the Indian auto market, Chinese automakers had planned a major push to grab the fifth largest car market in the world. But the shutdown of factories and logistics hubs in the country following the outbreak of coronavirus is slowly constricting the business of Chinese auto majors which have recently entered India. IMAGE: A model stands next to a newly designed car being introduced by Hyundai Motors at the Auto Expo 2020 in Greater Noida on February 5, 2020. Photograph: ANI Photo. As China struggles to contain the Wuhan-centred coronavirus outbreak, the resulting shutdown of factories and logistics hubs in the country is slowly constricting the business of Chinese auto majors which have recently entered India. The consequent pressure on the supply chain, in which most Chinese companies depend on the Indian market, is likely to lead to delayed deliveries for some and postpone launches for others. Its an unfortunate development. Since we are dependent on China for supply of major components, we will be impacted for a while. So, deliveries for our MG Hector in February will be delayed. We have relayed that to our customers, Gaurav Gupta, chief commercial officer at MG Motors told Business Standard. The company -- a unit of SAIC Motor Corp -- had launched the mid-sized SUV, Hector, in June. Soon, it overtook most competitors with retail sales of more than 3,000 units per month. The government of China-owned Haima Automobile, which has planned an India launch of its first electric vehicle by 2021, said it is gauging the impact of the viral outbreak on its strategic plan. Since we will be importing a completely-knocked-down version of the vehicle, we may expect some disruption due to closure of many supply chain points. However, as of now, there is no change of plan, said a senior executive of Bird Electric with which the company has partnered for its India foray. The auto maker, on Wednesday, showcased two of its globally most successful passenger vehicles -- 7X and 8S -- at the Auto Expo 2020. It is yet to firm up its investment plan for India. The outbreak of the deadly disease is also likely to hit plans of Great Wall Motors, which had entailed an investment of $ 1 billion for the Indian market, said Kaushik Ganguly, director strategy and planning of the company. Great Wall plans to enter the Indian market by bringing premium SUVs under the Haval brand in the next calendar year. The company announced its India entry plans with the acquisition of General Motors Talegaon plant last month. It is presently in talks with various suppliers in China and India to firm up a sourcing strategy. After years of giving free passes to counterparts from Korea, Japan, US in the Indian auto market, Chinese automakers had planned a major push to grab the fifth largest car market in the world. SAIC Motor Corp, Great Wall and FAW have unveiled cars packed with technologies, including artificial intelligence and Internet of Things. According to the companys president, Rajeeb Chaba, it has planned an investment of Rs 5,000 crore in India till 2021. GWM unveiled the Haval brand of SUVs and vehicle concept 2025 to mark its presence in the Indian market. The company unveiled four SUVs at the event which includes Haval H9, Haval F7X, Haval F7 and Haval F5. However, its not only Chinese firms whose operations have been hit due to outbreak of the disease. Global carmakers with a sourcing network that expands across various continents, too, are worried. Coronavirus will have an impact on commercial production as everything in China is closed. Its too early to predict the impact it will have on our global supply chain, said Matthias Leuhrs, head region, overseas, at Mercedes Benz. Mercedes sold a record 690,000 cars in China last year, a 5 per cent growth year-on-year, he said. Hyundai has suspended production in South Korea -- its biggest manufacturing base. S S Kim, managing director of Hyundai Motor India told Business Standard that his company has been in talks with suppliers in the global sourcing network to take stock of the situation. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riza Roidila Mufti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 09:04 705 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062d6fa9 1 Business Cargo,cargo-aircraft,Indonesia,China,transportation-ministry Free Indonesia plans to temporarily halt cargoes of live animals from China to prevent the Wuhan coronavirus from entering the country, but will continue to receive other shipments of goods via both air and sea as usual. In a Cabinet meeting with President Joko Jokowi Widodo [on Tuesday], which was also attended by Transportation Minister, it was decided that we will carry on with our previous arrangements for shipments from China, except for live animals, Transportation Ministry spokesman Hengki Angkasawan said on Wednesday. He added that there were no cases of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) being transmitted through goods. The Transportation Ministry has assured that it would apply a special procedure on cargoes from China. Read also: Indonesia to decide whether to ban more Chinese imports over coronavirus concerns We will carry out specific measures for air cargo from China, the ministrys director general of civil aviation, Novie Riyanto, said in a statement obtained by The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. The procedure will include the following: 1. Airports that serve cargo flights from China must provide isolated parking areas. 2. Specific measures will be carried out on the aircraft. They will involve Air Traffic Control (ATC), the Port Health Office (KKP) and ground handling personnel. Ground handling personnel are required to wear hazmat suits when handling the aircraft. 3. Air transportation companies must report crew members and cargo manifests to the airport. The data will be handed to local authorities, including the Port Health Office, as well as to ground handling personnel. 4. In-charge ATC officers must report the aircraft to the head of the airport. 5. The authorities will disinfect the aircraft, crew members, luggage and the cargo. 6. Aircraft crew members are not allowed to disembark while the aircraft is on the ground. Hengki added that the Transportation Ministry would coordinate with the Agriculture Ministry, Trade Ministry and Health Ministry in determining a specific procedure for handling cargo with horticulture and food products including garlic and fruits from China. A few days after a leaked audio of Amber Heard admitting she hit Johnny Depp, another bombshell clip came into the limelight where the "Aquaman" actress ridiculed her ex-husband. The second bombshell 30-minute-long recording came a week after Daily Mail obtained the first audio where Heard revealed that she hit Depp and threw pots and pans at him during one of those quarrels -- which proved Depp's previous statements. In second recording, Heard voiced out her side and mocked Depp over his claims that the actress abused him. Heard went on and challenged the former "Pirates of the Carribean" actor to "see how many people believe you" in his attempt to prove he was the one that was physically abused. Though it remains unknown if Amber was aware that she was being taped, the actress can be heard yelling that the actor "was killing her" before Depp begged her to settle things in private than to bring their stuff in court. "You've turned me into a... my boy goes to school and has kids go, so your f**king dad's a wife-beater?" Heard complained. The 33-year-old actress also denied the accusations that she started all the outbreaks of violence she threw at Depp. Amber then added that the court would surely side with her since she is a slender female, suggesting that it would look like she is not capable of hurting her. "Do you know I'm a 115, well not anymore, but I was a 115lb, almost 115lb woman," Amber can be heard saying. Though they were banned from talking to each other since May 2016 when Heard included a restraining order in their the divorce papers to escape from her "abusive" husband, they continued to argue months later from June to July 2016. On the said calls, Daily Mail revealed that the two were clashing and blaming each other for turning their 15-month marriage into a toxic one. Toxic Marriage, Toxic Divorce Process? According to their joint statement released on Aug. 16, 2016, they claimed that their marriage was "intensely passionate and at times volatile, but always bound by love, and there was never any intent of physical or emotional harm." However, instead of moving on from their failed marriage, things got more complicated when Amber published an article in The Washington Post about her experiences as a domestic violence victim. Though Heard did not mention his name on the said op-ed, Depp knew that she was referring to him, which caused him to suffer financial losses. The Associated Press reported that Depp lost his career because of that, including his role in the award-winning film franchise "Pirates of the Carribean." In return, Depp filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit which stated, "Ms. Heard is not a victim of domestic abuse; she is a perpetrator." Depp also added that his wife fabricated all the bruises and other "evidence." For Eric Carrasco, escaping into nature helped him navigate PTSD when he came back home after five years of service in the Marine Corps in 2002. After realizing the effects of the outdoors, Carrasco started Operation Yellowbird, an organization connects veterans for outdoor activities like camping, backpacking and mountain biking. The activities help Houston area veterans get a chance to break away from their struggles, he said. ON HOUSTON CHRONICLE.COM: Veterans may fear PTSD may hinder work chances We use the outdoors as kind of our catalyst for bringing veterans together, Carrasco said. A new Harris County Precinct 2 park project, designed by Yellowbird and worked by American YouthWorks Texas Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps service opportunity, is in the works to offer mountain biking accessibility to northeast Houston at the Jim and JoAnn Fonteno Family Park. The trails are expected to be completed by the summer at 14350 1/2 Wallisville Road, Houston, which is just 10 miles south of Summerwood. GAME CHANGER: New PTSD treatment helps traumatized vets like never before More Information Reducing veteran suicides Veteran suicides exceeded 6,000 each year from 2008 to 2017 16.8 veterans committed suicide every day in 2017 The suicide rate for veterans was 1.5 times the rate for non-Veteran adults in 2017 Source: According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. See More Collapse Carrasco hopes to offer a community where together they can help alleviate the issues that come with PTSD and lower the rate of veteran suicides. The hopeful end result is that we reduce things like PTSD, or we reduce the anxiety and depression that can be brought about by PTSD, Carrasco said. And hopefully we reduce the veteran suicide rate. So if we can somehow impact that number by using the outdoors to create camaraderie and positivity then hopefully we can at least do that. In addition to providing the first mountain biking trail to the area, the park is being built by Texas Conservation Corps members who come from across the U.S. to help in building community resources like this one. Jordan Crutchfield, one of two crew leaders on the gold team for the TCC, is a Houston native who served in the Israeli Defense Forces as a duel citizen. COMING SOON: $10 million Atascocita Park on track to open in 2020 This projects really cool because, No. 1, were helping to enrich the local community in giving an opportunity to the east end to get out and have awesome mountain biking tracks to ride on, Crutchfield said. And also because it is done with Operation Yellowbird, which is really cool. This project is special to her because her partner is a veteran. She believes being out in nature can help anyone, including veterans. I think being out in nature totally helps with anxiety and especially for people who are dealing with PTSD or veterans who are dealing with any type of maybe emotional distress from any experiences they may have had, Crutchfield said. Theres just something really soothing and healing I believe to nature and regardless of also being a veteran, just being outdoors I think can benefit anyone. Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, who has worked on parks and environmental concerns in Precinct 2 as one of his many operational goals in his position, said this project is an opportunity for the members of American YouthWorks to gain skills in the field. Im excited to launch this partnership with American YouthWorks, Garcia said in a press release. It is important we provide pathways to success for our youth. This helps us train our future workforce while providing meaningful experience and skills to our young residents. Beth Ortiz, a first-term AmeriCorp member, is from Seabrook and just graduated with a degree in Environmental Science from Texas A&M Corpus Christi and wanted to work in conservation. She found this program to be the best stepping stone toward a career in conservation. This mountain biking trail will be like a practice trail and it will be a good stepping stone to basically bigger, harder mountain biking trails, Ortiz said. There are barely any mountain biking trails on the east end of Houston so they thought it would be a good idea to add that into this park especially because this park is so big. For more information on Operation Yellowbird, visit their website https://operationyellowbird.ecwid.com/. savannah.mehrtens@chron.com Although there are no confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Houston or Texas, the fears it has stoked are reverberating through the local economy, hitting a wide range of businesses from energy companies to travel agencies to restaurants to medical offices. The manager of a Houston travel agency that books flights between Houston and China is canceling dozens of tickets. A real estate agent marketing condominiums near the Katy Asian Town shopping district postponed a promotional Lantern Festival event to avoid raising virus concerns among potential buyers A foot and ankle doctor in Chinatown said half of her clients canceled their appointments after false rumors of a local coronavirus case began circulating on social media. At Asian supermarkets and restaurants all over Chinatown, grocery aisles and dining tables sat empty as customers holed up at home. On HoustonChronicle.com: False coronavirus rumors crush business as they spread through Chinatown I have been in Chinatown since the 1980s, and this is the worst time Ive ever seen, said Kenneth Li, chairman of the Southwest Management District, which covers almost half of Chinatown. And weve been through SARS and Harvey. SARS, a respiratory illness that broke out in China in the early years of this century, was caused by an earlier strain of coronavirus. A new coronavirus believed to have originated in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people in central China, has killed at least 490 people and infected more than 24,000 globally, triggered quarantines and travel bans in China and halted business in the worlds second largest economy. Chinese dollars in Houston Travel between Houston and China has come to a screeching halt. Commercial airlines suspended flights between Houston and China, prompting waves of cancellations at local travel agencies. Several energy companies told employees to avoid business travel to China, and last month, China banned all group tourism travel sales. Pally Travel, a Chinatown travel agency popular with Chinese immigrants, usually starts booking tickets in January for the busy summer season, when the agency can sell upward of 1,000 tickets between Houston and China. But instead of arranging flights and tours for tourists and business travelers, the agency is canceling as many as 50 tickets a day since the coronavirus broke out. With every airline cancellation, the agency must refund its commission, manager Dylan Li said. I dont think people are going back to China this summer, Li said. They dont want to take the risk. Travelers from China represent Houstons fifth largest inbound tourist group, according to Houston First, the citys convention and tourism agency. While other countries send more tourists to Houston, China sends bigger spenders. Chinese travelers to Houston spent $158 million in 2018, and the average Chinese traveler spends as much as $5,000 per person per trip, compared with about $1,200 for Mexican tourists. (The coronavirus) caused us to put a pause on developing the Chinese market while we see how this situation unfolds, said Jorge Franz, Houston Firsts senior vice president of tourism. People are putting off their plans for more than just the short term. The Chinese are being cautious. That caution is also affecting Chinese real estate investors, said Josie Lin, a real estate agent in Chinatown and Katy Asian Town. China is the top foreign buyer of U.S. residential real estate, spending $13.4 billion nationally in 2019. Chinese investors bought more than 500 homes across Texas last year. But with travel bans imposed and Chinese embassies closed, many of those investors cannot travel or get documentation to complete real estate deals in Houston, Lin said. A couple of her Houston deals have fallen through as a result, she said. Chinatown a ghost town Business in Chinatown restaurants and supermarkets has fallen as much as 80 percent as still unfounded fears of the virus scare away customers, said Bin Yu, chairman of the Asian Chamber of Commerce. Chinatowns typically bustling plazas packed with cars are eerily quiet. Foot traffic at Jusgo Supermarket fell by three quarters after a false rumor claiming Houston authorities shut down the Chinatown supermarket because of concerns about the coronavirus circulated on Chinese social media platform WeChat. The owner, Feng Chen, has since hired a law firm to go after the perpetrators of the rumor, which has caused his supermarket to lose between $20,000 and $30,000 daily over the past week. Food delivery startup UUeat, which delivers meals from 60 Asian restaurants in Chinatown, Katy and Sugar Land, reported a 50 percent decline in business. The Houston company has waived its $3 to $5 delivery fee to drum up online food orders. Its like nobody is going out and theyre not even ordering online, Chief Executive Charles Chen said. People just disappeared. On HoustonChronicle.com: False coronavirus rumors spread through Chinatown Mala Sichuan Bistro, a popular Sichuan-style restaurant in Chinatown, served 173 customers on a recent Saturday, down from about 500 customers a year earlier. The companys other locations in Montrose and Katy have fared better, said owner Cori Xiong, but her plans to open a fourth restaurant in Sugar Land were postponed because a furniture order from China was delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak. The diversity and inclusiveness of Houston is what makes us one of the greatest multicultural centers in the country. The Chinese American community is an integral part of that, Xiong said. During this time, we need to support our Chinese American neighbors and businesses more than ever. Another hit to oil prices As Chinas economy slows in response to the pandemic, demand for crude is expected to fall, putting more pressure on oil prices and energy companies already cutting spending and jobs. With oil prices hovering between $50 and $60 a barrel for much of last year barely breakeven for many companies Texas energy firms cut payrolls last year by nearly 10,000 jobs, or 4 percent, according to government statistics. The prospect of weak oil demand sent prices plunging below $50 a barrel Tuesday, its lowest level in more than a year. Wood Mackenzie, an energy research firm, this week lowered its forecast for global oil demand in the first quarter by 500,000 barrels per day, half of which could be driven by lower demand in China because of the coronavirus. On HoustonChronicle.com: Amid falling oil prices, coronavirus sickens energy industry Economists said the coronavirus impact to both oil prices and Houstons economy will likely be limited to the first quarter, but that could change if the outbreak worsens. The oil price decline is detrimental to Texas if it persists, said Ray Perryman, a Waco economist. A prolonged crisis could clearly cause major economic challenges. Oil prices have fallen about 20 percent over the past month. They rebounded Wednesday on hopes that OPEC will cut production further, settling at $50.75 a barrel in New York. Trade issues over? Not so fast Trade between the U.S. and China was set to improve after the countries last month agreed to a phase one trade deal, easing tariffs and long-simmering tensions. Houstons economy was poised to reap the benefits of de-escalating trade tensions until the coronavirus broke out. The virus is expected to weaken demand for U.S. exports and exacerbate lingering effects of the trade war and a broad economic slowdown in China. This is just one more thing (the Chinese economy) has to deal with, said Patrick Jankowski, chief economist for the Greater Houston Partnership, a business-financed economic development group. On HoustonChronicle.com: Asian LNG prices fall on coronavirus fears, warm winter China is Houstons third largest trading partner after Mexico and Brazil, which overtook Chinas No. 2 spot amid the trade war. Trade between Houston and China in the first 11 months of 2019 fell to $13.8 billion, down more than 25 percent compared with a year prior, according to government statistics. Houstons top exports to China include crude oil, liquefied natural gas, chemicals and plastics all of which are closely tied to global economic growth and are sensitive to market disruptions. U.S. LNG companies have been particularly rattled as Asian spot LNG prices hit a record low. China hasnt received an LNG shipment from the U.S. since April amid the trade war. Olivia Tallet contributed to this report. erin.douglas@chron.com paul.takahashi@chron.com Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (25) Al-Ahram Weekly reports on measures being taken to prevent the arrival of coronavirus in Egypt More than 300 Egyptians arrived at Alamein airport on 3 February after being airlifted from the Chinese city of Wuhan. The passengers, including 11 children and a pregnant woman, together with the airline crew were sent directly to a hospital in Marsa Matrouh for a period of quarantine. Minister of Civil Aviation Mohamed Manar told the press on 2 February the Chinese authorities had not allowed two Egyptians to return on the rescue plane because they already had fever. It is very possible they had ordinary flu yet the Chinese authorities refused to allow their departure, said Manar. The passengers and crew will remain at the Marsa Matrouh hospital for 14 days to ensure they are not carrying the virus. Manar said the flight crew had been provided with protective clothing and face masks and that eight doctors were aboard the flight. The Ministry of Civil Aviation issued a press release on 30 January announcing the national carrier EgyptAir had suspended all flights to and from China. Flights to Hangzhou city were suspended on 1 February and to Beijing and Guangzhou on 4 February. The decision was taken to protect passengers and cabin crew and to avoid coronavirus entering Egypt. The suspension decision was taken shortly after the Chinese civil aviation authority announced its own suspension of civil flights in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus, said the press release. Meanwhile, Health Ministry Spokesperson Khaled Megahed said the cabinet had called on Egyptians who still want to return from Wuhan to contact the Egyptian embassy on [email protected] or by calling 010 6532 2541. As of Tuesday morning there were 20,500 confirmed cases of the virus in more than two dozen countries. There have been 425 deaths in China and one each in the Philippines and Hong Kong. Megahed reported that a 28-year-old Egyptian citizen from Qena governorate arrived in Egypt from Saudi Arabia on 31 January with a high fever and difficulty in breathing and was quarantined at Sohag Fever Hospital. Throat swaps along with other samples have been sent for analysis. The young man is in a stable condition and is responding to treatment, said Megahed. The Ministry of Health, in cooperation with the World Health Organisation, has adopted a number of precautionary measures to prevent the virus from spreading. John Jabbour, the WHOs representative in Egypt, noted at a press conference on 2 February that during the SARS outbreak the overall death toll was 349 cases in China. This means that the newly discovered virus is aggressive and all concerned authorities all over the world are working under WHO in order to discover a vaccine to combat the deadly virus. Egypt has been provided with coronavirus detection kits and similar kits will be distributed among all MENA region countries in order to help limit the spread of the virus, added Jabbour. The Health Ministry has designated Al-Negela hospital in Marsa Matrouh to receive Egyptians returning from China, the majority of whom are post-graduate students. The ministry, in collaboration with WHO, has prepared three quarantine areas at the hospital. There are several trained teams and nine designated ambulances for receiving travellers from China. Alaa Eid, head of preventive medicine at the Ministry of Health, says quarantine doctors are manning Egypts air and sea ports in order to monitor passengers, especially those returning from countries which have reported cases of the virus. Eid told Al-Ahram Weekly that there have been no confirmed cases in Egypt. Minister of Health Hala Zayed has released guidelines on how to deal with the virus, warning travellers who show symptoms to immediately cover their face with a mask and head to the nearest hospital. The economic fallout from the virus is already being felt with forecasts of slower economic growth for China in the first quarter of the year due to business closures and supply chain interruptions. Egypts economy may also suffer as arrivals of Chinese tourists have ground to a halt. *A version of this article appears in print in the 6 February, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under headline: Precautionary advice Search Keywords: Short link: Britain wants a Canada-style agreement with the European Union that includes goods and services, Britain's Europe minister Christopher Pincher said in Warsaw on Wednesday. "We want a Canada-style agreement that incorporates goods and services and cooperation in other areas. We accept that comes with consequences ... for both sides," Pincher said at an event in the Polish capital. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada sets out the removal of tariffs on 99% of all types of goods, some over a period of up to seven years. However, it limits volumes of some exports into the EU of pork, beef and frozen lobsters, reflecting Europe's traditionally protective stance to its farming sector, along with dog or cat food and track suits, ski suits and swimwear. Canadian financial firms need licenses to operate in the bloc and must comply with EU regulations. Both sides must treat each other's sectors equally, but a "prudential carve-out" also allows for measures to limit access. When it comes to services, CETA offers far less freedom than banks and other firms based in Britain currently have to do business in the EU. Brussels says that Britain's geographical proximity and UK-EU economic interdependence make alignment necessary to protect EU consumers and businesses. Pincher added that he thought an agreement between the EU and Britain on Northern Ireland would hold through negotiations. "I think that this deal will stick ... and it will allow Northern Ireland to be more prosperous and successful," he said. Pincher acknowledged that trade negotiations could be difficult, but was hopeful they would move forward. "I think of it as an opportunity to forge that new relationship. We'll have to work hard," he said, but he thought it would be possible with "determination and innovation." (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie In a global study, scientists have found an important public implication which suggests that the majority of women are unhappy with the size of their breasts. The Breast Size Satisfaction Survey (BSSS), led by Professor Viren Swami of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), brought together over 100 international experts to conduct surveys with 18,541 women in 40 countries, making it the largest cross-cultural study to examine body image ever undertaken. The study was published in the journal Body Image. The researches discovered that 48 percent of women who participated wanted larger breasts than they currently have, 23 percent of women wanted smaller breasts, and only 29 percent of women were satisfied with the size of their breasts. The average (mean) age of the women taking part in the study was 34. Women who were dissatisfied with their breast size admitted they were less likely to practice breast self-examination and were less confident about detecting changes with their breasts, which are important self-care practices for the early detection of breast cancer. The study also found that breast size dissatisfaction is associated with poorer psychological well-being - including lower levels of self-esteem and happiness - and that women with breast size dissatisfaction were more likely to be dissatisfied with their weight and overall appearance. Women in Brazil, Japan, China, Egypt, and the UK have the greatest breast size dissatisfaction - the difference between their current breast size and their ideal breast size. Women in India, Pakistan, Egypt, Lebanon, and the UK have the largest ideal breast size, while women in Japan, the Philippines, Germany, Austria, and Malaysia reported the smallest ideal breast size. Lead researcher Viren Swami, Professor of Social Psychology at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), said: "Our findings are important because they indicate that the majority of women worldwide may be dissatisfied with the size of their breasts. This is a serious public concern because it has significant implications for the physical and psychological well-being of women." "Breast cancer is the leading cause of female cancer-related deaths worldwide and poor survival rates are associated with poorer breast awareness. Breast size dissatisfaction may result in avoidance behaviours that reduce breast awareness, particularly if a woman's breasts trigger feelings of anxiety, shame, or embarrassment." "Our study found a direct link between greater breast size dissatisfaction and poorer breast awareness, as seen through the lower frequency of breast self-examination and lower confidence in detecting changes in the breasts, and this requires urgent public intervention." "We also found that despite historical differences across nations, breast size ideals are now similar across the 40 nations we surveyed. This suggests that the objectification of medium-to-large breasts is now a global phenomenon." "Another key finding is that breast size dissatisfaction decreases with age. It is possible that older women experience less pressure to attain breast size ideals or that motherhood and breastfeeding encourage women to focus on the functional purposes of breasts rather than seeing them purely in aesthetic terms. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New research has deciphered how rogue communications in blood stem cells can cause Leukaemia. The discovery could pave the way for new, targeted medical treatments that block this process. Blood cancers like leukaemia occur when mutations in stem cells cause them to produce too many blood cells. An international team of scientists, including researchers at the University of York, have discovered how these mutations allow cells to deviate from their normal method of communicating with each other, prompting the development of blood cells to spiral out of control. The scientists used super-resolution fluorescent microscopy to study the way blood stem cells talk to each other in real time. They observed how cells receive instructions from 'signalling proteins', which bind to a receptor on the surface of another cell before transmitting a signal telling the cell how to behave. Blood stem cells communicate via cytokines, which are one of the largest and most diverse families of signalling proteins and are critical for the development of blood cells and the immune system. Understanding this process led researchers to the discovery that mutations associated with certain types of blood cancers can cause blood stem cells to 'go rogue' and communicate without cytokines. The stem cells begin to transmit uncontrolled signals causing the normal system of blood cell development to become overrun, producing an imbalance of healthy white and red blood cells and platelets. Professor Ian Hitchcock from the York Biomedical Research Institute and the Department of Biology at the University of York, said: "Our bodies produce billions of blood cells every day via a process of cells signalling between each other. Cytokines act like a factory supervisor, tightly regulating this process and controlling the development and proliferation of the different blood cell types. "Our observations led us to a previously unknown mechanism for how individual mutations trigger blood stem cells to start signalling independently of cytokines, causing the normal system to become out of control and leading to diseases like leukaemia. "Understanding this mechanism may enable the identification of targets for the development of new drugs." This research team used a combination of molecular modelling, structural biology, biophysics, super-resolution microscopy and cell biology to demonstrate for the first time that these specific receptors on the surface of blood stem cells are linked by cytokines to form pairs. Co-author of the study, Professor Jacob Piehler from Osnabruck University, said: "By directly visualising individual receptors at physiological conditions under the microscope, we were able to resolve a controversy that has preoccupied the field for more than 20 years." Professor Ilpo Vattulainen from the University of Helsinki, added: "Our biomolecular simulations unveiled surprising features concerning the orientation of active receptor pairs at the plasma membrane, explaining how mutations render activation possible without a ligand (such as a cytokine). These predictions were subsequently confirmed experimentally" First author Dr. Stephan Wilmes, who started the project as a Postdoc at Osnabruck University before moving to the University of Dundee: "It was truly inspiring to tackle this highly relevant biomedical question by applying cutting-edge biophysical techniques. Here in Dundee, I had the chance to perform complementary activity assays, which corroborated our mechanistic model." ### The study is published in the journal Science and was carried out in collaboration between the universities of York, Dundee, Osnabruck (Germany), Helsinski (Finland), Stanford and New York (USA). Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Sausan Atika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 The central government and the Jakarta administration have agreed to continue the controversial revitalization project in the southern part of the National Monument (Monas) in Central Jakarta as soon as the city secures required approval. The decision was made in a meeting of the Medan Merdeka Area steering committee to discuss the fate of the Rp 50 billion (US$3.64 million) project on Wednesday at the State Secretary office in Central Jakarta. The committee, mandated by Presidential Decree No. 25/1995 to grant permission for any changes to the area, consists of the state secretary as its chairperson, as well as the Jakarta governor, the Public Works and Housing Ministry, the Environment Ministry and several other ministries as members. 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 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS | HEAT SHEETS ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. The start of the 2020 indoor season has been good for The University of New Mexico track and field team and the Lobos look to continue the positive results at home this Friday and Saturday at the Albuquerque Convention Center. The Lobos will compete in the NM Collegiate Classic starting on Friday at 4 p.m. MT with the mens B pole vault. Events on the track will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday. On Saturday, competition begins at 9:30 a.m. with the mens A pole vault and at 10 a.m. on the track with the womens 60-meter hurdles. Both days will be streamed on FloTrack and live results will be available HERE. It will be another weekend with a large number of teams competing, among them Alabama, Kentucky (ranked seventh on the womens side and 15th for the men), Texas (ranked third on the mens side and fourth on the womens side), UCLA (ranked 22nd in the mens rankings), Texas Tech (ranked 21st in the mens rankings and 23rd in the womens rankings), Arizona State, San Diego State and UNLV. The Lobo women are ranked 12th in the latest rankings. Following Saturdays results at the UNM Team Open, the Lobos enter the weekend meet with the top five times in the womens mile in the Mountain West and six of the top results in the conference. Leading the conference currently is Aidan Quinn (triple jump), Tanner Battikha (long jump), Carlos Salcido (400-meters), Jay Griffin IV (200-meters) and Weini Kelati (mile, 5000-meters). Battikha was recently named the Mountain West Mens Field Athlete of the Week, his first weekly conference honor after his performance at the UNM Team Open. Elsewhere on the other side of the country, Kelati will be running in the NYRR Millrose Games, the worlds longest-running and most prestigious indoor track and field competition. She is scheduled to run in the Mike Frankfurt Invitational Womens 3,000m Run against some of the top runners in the country, both collegiate and professional, which is scheduled to begin at 2:39 p.m. MT. Results will be available HERE. In last years race, Kelati set the school record by 3.49 seconds with 8:53.98, finishing sixth in the field. This week Kelati was named to The Bowerman Mid-Indoor Watch List as well as the Mountain West Womens Track Athlete of the Week, the second conference award this season for the junior. Kelati currently holds the second-fastest time ran in the mile in the NCAA this season at 4:32.66 and in the 5000-meter with 15:14.71. However, she holds the top time in the Mountain West in both events. Moscow court detains alleged accomplice in murder of criminal boss RAPSI, Oleg Sivozhelezov 17:23 06/02/2020 MOSCOW, February 6 (RAPSI) Moscows Basmanny District Court on Thursday detained Murtaza Shadaniya, a defendant in a criminal case over murder of crime lord Vyacheslav Yaponchik Ivankov, until April 5, the courts spokesperson Irina Morozova told RAPSI. Russias Investigative Committee earlier charged Shadaniya with murder and illegal arms trafficking. Investigators believe that in 2009 Shadaniya, acting as a member of an organized gang, murdered Ivankov, a so-called thief-in-law, who at the time was the top boss in the criminal hierarchy. According to investigators, Shadaniya undertook to discretely stake out Ivankov to choose the place, where the murder was to be committed. Together with other co-conspirators he acted as a lookout to ensure safety of the criminal groups members when committing the murder. Two days ahead of the hotly contested Delhi Assembly election, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has submitted a report establishing links between the Popular Front of India (PFI) and the Shaheen Bagh protests. The report was submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs on February 6. The extremist Islamic organisation was being probed by the investigating agency for allegedly funding the violent protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. It had come under the scanner over the timing of financial transactions, none of which could be explained by the PFI members who were questioned. On December 12, the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) became the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), after being passed by Parliament. Interestingly, the transactions were made after the Cabinet had cleared CAB on December 4, India Today reported. As per the ED report, Rs 120.5 crore was credited to 73 bank accounts that was maintained by PFI and its related entity -- Rehab India Foundation. Most of these transactions were reportedly done via cash deposits. It also mentions how several withdrawals were carried out from PFI accounts, that too just before the protesters started taking to streets, News18 reported. The ED had been grilling PFIs Delhi head Mohammed Parvez Ahmed, who said he was in regular touch with Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh over phone calls and WhatsApp. He had been in talks with Congress leader Udit Raj (former BJP leader) and Bhim Army also both being organisations that have opposed the new citizenship law. It is not known yet why the extremist leader was in touch with the politicians or why and from where the donations have been coming in. Further action based on the report will be taken by the MHA as a new possibly political angle emerges in the Shaheen Bagh/ anti-CAA protests controversy in the run-up to the Delhi Assembly election. Meanwhile, Sanjay Singh has responded to the allegations asking why no one investigated the proof and photos submitted by AAP. He added: "Just wait, there are three days left for the Delhi Assembly elections. Let us see what else the Bharatiya Janata Party has to say." AAP's national convenor and incumbent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, on the other hand, asked the probing agency why they have not arrested Singh yet despite having proof of his links to PFI. He said: "Why is the ED only submitting and leaking the report when they could send Singh to jail for the next 20 years." Posted on Thursday, February 06, 2020 Dr. Steven Lukefahr, Professor in the Department of Animal Science and Technology in the Dick and Mary Lewis Kleberg College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Texas A&M University-Kingsville has been selected to receive the 2020 Darwin B. Nelson Distinguished Research Award from the Transformative Emotional Intelligence Foundation (TEIF). Lukefahr will receive a $2,500 research award at the Seventeenth Annual Institute for Emotional Intelligence in Corpus Christi on February 28 and 29.. Lukefahr is the first faculty researcher to receive this award from the TEIF. The TEIF is a Texas non-profit organization developed to recognize excellent research, encourage new research, and provide awards to individuals and students advancing the philosophy, theory and practice of the life work of Drs. Darwin Nelson and Gary Low. Former colleagues of Lukefahr, Drs. Nelson and Dr. Low, both served as professors for educational leadership and counseling at Texas A&M-Kingsville andare pioneers in the field of emotional intelligence. Lukefahrs research and work in developing countries to help families and communities enhance and sustain their physical and economic lives with rabbit food production were especially noted in his selection. While I have participated in research studies in developing countries, most of my work has involved developing rabbit projects directed at poor rural families. For example, this included performing rabbit training courses and project evaluations, and giving presentations at international conferences, Lukefahr said. He has been able to work in nearly 30 developing countries over 40 years through rabbit projects. When I was a university student, I became more fully aware of the problem of world hunger. I had raised rabbits as a youngster. I decided to put two and two together by pursuing a career as a rabbit specialist to help solve world hunger. In retrospect, over my career I can say that my greatest reward has been to witness poor families be literally rescued by raising rabbits after first receiving training. The benefits were more nutritious meals, increased income to pay tuition costs so that their children could go to school, etc., he said. Lukefahr currently teaches several Animal Science courses, all which have global content added, largely based on his own experiences. I know that students value this. They need to be well prepared for careers that will invariably involve many global considerations, such as global diseases, markets, sustainability, and the environment, he said. For his students, his advice is to have a clear goal, but mostly to find their passion. It doesnt matter whether you work abroad are have a job in the States or even in your hometown. Later, dont just go to work, live your passion - so that it doesnt seem like work at all! To make this happen, find your passion but also actively prepare to take advantage of golden opportunities as they come along. Much success in life is the result of this. But mostly help others along the way. This will be your greatest reward! Lukefahr says he is deeply honored to receive this recognition and thanks his family for their support and sacrifices so that he could have a successful career. " " A landmark study is questioning the use of stents to treat stable angina. PIXOLOGICSTUDIO/Getty Images Every year, about half a million people around the world undergo an invasive procedure called angioplasty with stent or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to treat a heart condition known as angina. But according to new research, the treatment may not as effective as experts have long thought in fact, it may not be effective at all. The findings, published in the November 2017 issue of the journal The Lancet, are based on a blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of 200 patients called the ORBITA trial. When researchers compared PCI with a simulated procedure, they found PCI offered no significant added improvement of symptoms or quality of life compared to the placebo. Advertisement During PCI, tiny wire cages called stents are inserted into blocked arteries to open them up and improve blood flow. The procedure can save the life of someone experiencing a heart attack, but stents are more commonly used in patients with blocked arteries who experience chest pain under certain circumstances, like climbing hills or stairs. This is known as stable angina and is a common condition that describes chest pain resulting from overexertion. Usually it is a result of hardened, narrow blood vessels and fatty plaques building up in the arteries. "The most important reason we give patients a stent is to unblock an artery when they are having a heart attack," lead author of the study, Dr. Rasha Al-Lamee, told Imperial College London. "However, we also place stents into patients who are getting pain only on exertion caused by narrowed, but not blocked arteries. It's this second group that we studied." Half of the ORBITA trial patients received the stent and half received the placebo, and all underwent exercise tests before and six weeks after the procedure. The tests monitored their heart and lung function and measured how quickly they could walk on a treadmill. The researchers looked for a change in the amount of time patients could sustain the workout post-procedure. Researchers expected the stents to improve blood flow to the heart and subsequently improve exercise performance but Al-Lamee and his colleagues were confronted with some surprising results. While the procedure increased participants' overall exercise time by 28.4 seconds, and the placebo only increased participants' time by 11.8 seconds, that difference between groups wasn't statistically significant. That means researchers couldn't say whether the effect was directly due to the stent or just random chance. Additionally, there were no significant differences in the improvement of patients' symptoms, according to their own self-reports. What the tests did confirm is that the use of stents significantly improved blood flow to the heart by opening up the coronary artery. But that improvement didn't translate to better exercise capacity or improved symptoms. "It's a very humbling study for someone who puts in stents," Dr. Brahmajee K. Nallamothu, an interventional cardiologist at the University of Michigan, told The New York Times. But before patients protest the use of stents and doctors turn away from performing PCI, it's important to know the study's limitations. The participants took high doses of medication before the procedure, which the researchers say real-world patients may not do. Plus, all the participants involved had a single-vessel form of heart disease, so it's unclear whether people with multi-vessel forms may experience different results from PCI. The researchers will continue to explore the data to see how it could impact patients in the future. "It seems that the link between opening a narrowing coronary artery and improving symptoms is not as simple as everyone had hoped," Al-Lamee told Imperial College London. "This is the first trial of its kind and will help us to develop a greater understanding of stable angina, a disease which affects so many of our patients every day." Now That's Interesting PCI shouldn't be confused with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), which is commonly known as balloon angioplasty. According to data from the U.S. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, PTCA was the fifth most common operating procedure in 2014. - Tim was found dead at Mada in Amboseli National Park on Tuesday, February 4 - The tusker was among the last standing male elephants from the T family known for gigantic tusks - The elephant's remains have been transferred to Kenya National Museums in Nairobi for preservation Kenya's iconic elephant known for its big tusks has passed on at the Amboseli National Park. Tim, the 50-year-old tusker, was found dead in the morning of Tuesday, February 4, at Mada area where he used to roam around with other female elephants. READ ALSO: Sarah Wairimu aomba DCI kumrejeshea mbwa wake wawili Tim was found dead at Mada area in Amboseli National Park. Photo: Wildlife Direct Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Woman storms MP Joshua Kutuny's homestead at midnight demanding child upkeep In a statement issued by Kenya Wildlife Service, his remains were transferred to the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi to prepare the body for preservation and education purposes. "Elephant families are matriarchal and males are solitary from the group when they reach sexual maturity. But Tim was always welcome to travel in the company of females and their families," read the statement in part. According to KWS director-general John Waweru, the pride of Kenya died of old age. Tim was one of the last remaining breeds of Africa's big tuskers that has been roaming in the park for years. Tim was well known for his big tusk. Photo: John Waweru Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Garissa: MP chases TSC staff out of office following transfer of non-local teachers He was on the limelight in 2018 when he got stuck in the mud and was rescued by conservationists who used a tractor and land cruisers to pull him out. The animal had been stuck at the Amboseli swamps in Kimana sanctuary and it took four hours to pull it from the mud. The iconic elephant has over the years survived several spear wounds inflicted on him not by poachers but by people living near the park. READ ALSO: Kenyan newspapers review for February 5: Daniel Moi took holy sacrament shortly before resting In 2016, the tusker was speared in the head and to the surprise of many, walked itself to the conservationists who removed the weapon. In 2014, he was spotted limping around the park only for conservationists to discover he had been speared in the rump and the wound turned septic. They smeared the infected area with green clay which has antibacterial properties and he soon recovered. Kenyans on social media sent their tribute to the fallen icon. 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 Source: TUKO.co.ke Samantha Akkineni is undoubtedly considered as one of the most popular actresses in Telugu as well as Tamil industry. Her fans have always been eagerly waiting to see her on the big screen. However, they may have to wait for a long now. Well, the actor will next be seen in 'Jaanu' is planning to take a break from films to have a family. She is also set to take retirement in 2-3 years from her filmi career. A love story that you'll fall in love with... #Jaanu hits the screens tomorrow!#JaanuFromTomorrow .. Book your tickets https://t.co/D9tu5kFpFA pic.twitter.com/GJ6a6FKz1f Samantha Akkineni (@Samanthaprabhu2) February 6, 2020 In an interview with 123telugu, Samantha Akkineni quoted, "I am married and I need to think about my family. Besides, we all know that a heroine's career is quite short. That's why I may act for 2-3 years more." Well, this is indeed sad news for Samantha's fans. Meanwhile, Samantha's next 'Jaanu' opposite Sharwanand is all set to release this Friday. The film is a Telugu remake of Tamil film '96'. This year is going to be the major turning point of Samantha's career. After all, the 'Super Deluxe' actress is all set to make a debut on digital platform with a Hindi web series opposite Manoj Bajpayee. Samantha Akkineni was also offered a role in Hindi remake of 'U-Turn', but she denied to do it. Now, the reports are doing rounds that director Ashwin Saravanan, who has made two notable films in Tamil, is apparently in talks with Samantha Akkineni for his third film. Apart from that, she is also in talks for a Kannada film as well. Also Read : Sharwanand-Samantha Akkineni's Jaanu: The Official Teaser Crosses 2 Million Views! A British mother arrested in Finland over the murder of her two-year-old son has died today after being rushed to hospital from prison. Ayesha Ali is alleged to have killed her son Adam last month in her flat in Espoo, around 13 miles from the capital Helsinki, after she told family and friends she was going to kill herself. The 35-year-old Cambridge graduate was being held in Vantaa Prison near the capital and was rushed to hospital on Tuesday last week, Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported. Police confirmed that the mother had died today in hospital. Crime commissioner Petri Eronen said: 'The cause of death is investigated under a strict duty of confidentiality. Therefore, we cannot reveal more details. 'On a general level, we can say that the police are investigating what led to the suspect's death.' Ms Ali was arrested on January 22, three days after her son's body was found in her flat. Ayesha Ali (pictured above) is alleged to have killed her son Adam after she told family and friends she was going to kill herself. She died in hospital in Finland today, police said. Ms Ali and her son are pictured above. She had fought in a custody battle to see him Neighbours said shouting had earlier been heard from the apartment block and that when she was led away by police she was allegedly heard shouting: 'I've killed my son'. She was also said have injuries to her neck. One neighbour said a friend of Ms Ali had been outside in the street shouting up and telling her that they had been there to help her. Ms Ali, who was reportedly working in Finland as a freelance teacher, is alleged to have been shouting back, claiming that she wanted to die. The neighbour told the Sunday Mirror: 'There was a friend of hers looking up at her apartment while shouting, 'Ayesha! We're here to help you. We can talk about it.' 'She was shouting back that she wanted to die. The woman was let into the building by another neighbour and I could hear her saying she had already called the police and they were on the way. 'When the police arrived, they quickly got inside the building and then into the flat. 'They attempted to do CPR on the boy. His mum had been saying, 'He turned blue and is very cold'.' Another neighbour said: 'Police broke the lock to get into the apartment. She had only moved in at the start of December. I thought it was an unusual time to move in. 'There was her and the baby here but no father. I never saw her with a man. He was a lovely little boy very cute. 'I would see her taking him out to the park in a stroller. It's a sad case.' The woman outside was then let into the building and had stated that she had called police who were on their way. The 35-year-old Cambridge graduate was being held in Vantaa Prison (pictured) near the capital and was rushed to hospital on Tuesday last week, Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported Neighbours of Ms Ali's said their had been a commotion outside her flat in Finland before her son Adam's body was found. Ms Ali is pictured above with her son Witnesses said that when police arrived they went straight up to the flat where they tried to resuscitate the youngster. A neighbour said: 'Police broke the lock to get into the apartment. She had only moved in at the start of December. I thought it was an unusual time to move in. 'There was her and the baby here but no father. I never saw her with a man. He was a lovely little boy very cute. I would see her taking him out to the park in a stroller. It's a sad case.' Ms Ali's parents, Imtiaz, 73, and Safia, 68, travelled to Finland to be with their daughter after she was taken to hospital last week, neighbours told Mail Online. Her mother was a regular visitor to Finland to support her daughter and grandchild. Tragically, Ms Ali sent her home to Staffordshire just days before Adam died, insisting she was able to cope. 'Her mum was over in Finland all the time,' said a neighbour, who has known the Alis for more than 10 years and calls Ms Ali by her middle name, Hena. 'Her mother stayed with her and she came home on the Thursday and it happened on the Sunday. Hena said 'I am well now, mum, don't worry.' The neighbour, who did not want to be named, said news of Adam's death and their daughter's deteriorating health devastated Ms Ali's parents. 'They would talk about their daughter all the time and we would talk about the grandchildren. It is so tragic. 'They are a lovely, lovely family. We have been devastated, as well. It has knocked us for six. 'The baby was so, so beautiful. 'Hena was an incredible young woman. She was gorgeous looking and the baby was the same. They did not deserve this terrible thing.' Other neighbours agreed that the Alis, who live in a road of large detached houses with expansive gardens in a well-to-do area of Stoke-on-Trent, are a particularly kind family. They even deliver food to older people on the street, who need extra help. 'They are a lovely family,' said another neighbour. 'They are very caring and Ayesha was a lovely girl. They were devastated when all this happened.' Ms Ali had grown up in Staffordshire and had moved to Finland with Adam's father Adnane Osmane, in January last year. Mr Osmane had got a job at the Aalto University as an assistant professor. The couple's marriage had collapsed after they filed for divorce in May and they had spent many months embroiled in a custody bid for little Adam. The Sunday Mirror obtained court documents which showed Ms Ali had moved into a homeless shelter following a court battle. On her website Ms Ali had previously stated: 'Some recent personal experiences have piqued my interest in family law and the experiences of immigrant women and children in Finland.' And on June 22, she posted a picture to Facebook of her and Adam with stated she had been visiting him. The couple, who had also lived in the UK, Canada and China, agreed on joint custody of Adam and Ms Ali was allowed to have Adam stay with her Sunday to Tuesday. Ms Ali's father Imtiaz said they were unable to speak about the case but commented that his daughter had not admitted to murder and that it was an 'accidental death'. 'She hasn't admitted to any charges. She has been admitted to a hospital in Helsinki. She is an intelligent woman and highly educated. She has one masters degree, one Cambridge degree and one PGCE. It is such a very difficult time for us. That's all I can say at the moment.' A Foreign Office spokesperson said: 'We are in contact with Finnish authorities and providing support to the family of a British woman who has died in custody.' Last month, author Nic Stone set out on a seven-city tour in honor of her first middle-grade novel, Clean Getaway (Crown, Jan.), which follows a biracial boy named Scoob and his white grandmother on a road trip across the South. Much like the characters in her book, Stone made stops in Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis, Jackson, New Orleans, Houston, and Dallas. Weve gathered a selection of highlights from the events. Stone with a sign inspired by the Winnebago in the book, outside Hoffman Middle School in Houston, where she spoke with students. Visiting kids at Lewis Middle School in Houston. The author checks out her book display at Barnes & Noble in Metairie, La. Stone addresses a crowd of 150 middle school students at Green Acres Middle school in Birmingham, Ala. Signing books at Hilsman Middle School in Athens, Ga., during an event organized by Avid Bookshop. One-on-one time with kids at Stone Alps Road Elementary School, also in Athens. Novel Bookstore in Memphis hosted Stone for a multi-school event, which was attended by more than 600 students from area schools. Here, Stone gives a farewell hug to a fan. Liquor is set to cost up to 50% more from April 1 in Goa, chief minister Pramod Sawant said in the assembly on Thursday. Presenting his maiden budget, Sawant announced a hike in excise duties and fee on the sale of liquor, with the hikes ranging from 20%-50% for all categories of liquor. We have only made a small increase in tax so as not to increase the burden on the common man. We have hiked excise duties and fees a little, stamp duty has been hiked, land rates have been revised and court fees have been increased, he told mediapersons after his budget presentation. Goas excise revenue collection was Rs 477.67 crore during the financial year 2018-19 which was an increase of 16.5% over the previous year while the new excise duties and fees will see the government rope in additional excise revenue of Rs 100 crore -- an increase of around 25%. Despite the hikes, however, booze available in Goa would continue to be cheaper than that in other states. Sawant also promised to crack down on black-marketing by proposing to introduce a unique hologram on each bottle which would authenticate the liquor. Besides liquor, the government has hiked stamp duty, fees under the land revenue code, as well as the court fees which, the CM said, will help mobilize revenue of additional Rs 150 crore. While admitting that mining operations were suspended for a while, Sawant budgeted a revenue generation of Rs 500 crore from the industry, citing his governments efforts to restart mining in the state. He also announced a host of new infrastructure projects, including bridges, bus stands, better connectivity as well as an impetus to ecotourism and hinterland tourism. The chief ministers budget speech was marred by sloganeering from Opposition members. Speaker Rajesh Patnekar directed that the Opposition MLAs to be escorted out of the well of the House where they had gathered to protest against the arrest of independent lawmaker Rohan Khaunte. Khaunte had been a minister in Sawants Cabinet till he was shunted out when ten MLAs from the Congress joined the BJP in 2018. The Opposition MLAs were seeking the arrest of state BJP spokesman Premanand Mahambrey for filing a false complaint against Khaunte. Chandigarh, Feb 6 : The Haryana government has accorded approval to extend facilities and benefits to children of Tibetan refugees, state Education Minister Kanwar Pal said on Thursday. He said a Tibetan rehabilitation policy would be framed on the lines of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. He said these facilities included admission to the children of Tibetan refugees in government schools, mid-day meal, free textbooks and uniform. For availing the facilities, a Tibetan individual has been residing in India for a minimum period of 182 days or more. The individual or family members of Tibetan refugees should posses the registration certificate issued by the Central Tibetan Relief Committee. Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has lived in India since fleeing his homeland in Tibet in 1959. The Tibetan administration-in-exile is based in Dharamsala town in Himachal Pradesh. PORT HURON, MI -- Michigans current sex offender registration law violates the U.S. Constitution and a federal judge has been asked to correct that. The inevitable forthcoming changes stem from an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit filed in 2016 against Michigan State Police and the Governors Office on behalf of six convicted sex offenders who claim their civil rights were violated. Among other findings, the courts determined that the requirement of offenders to work and live more than 1,000 feet from a place where children congregate, such as a school, is too vague, since theres no agreed-upon method for measuring the distance; a tiered system that establishes post-conviction reporting requirements for periods of 15 years, 25 years or a lifetime, cant apply to offenders convicted before changes were made; and that certain strict reporting requirements related to internet and email use violates free speech rights. Assistant Attorney Generals and the ACLU disagree on how the law should be corrected and argued their cases before U.S. District Judge Robert Cleland in Port Hurons federal court on Wednesday, Feb. 5. After portions of the law were deemed unconstitutional in 2016, the case was returned to Cleland. In May, Cleland deferred a decision for 90 days in order to give the state Legislature an opportunity to revise the law. It never did. Michigan has utterly failed to bring the statute in compliance with the Constitution, ACLU attorney Miriam Aukerman said. She did, however, say there have been multiple stakeholder conversations that included representatives for the state police, lawmakers, prosecutors and victims and at least some progress. There were even some drafted revisions that eventually stalled, she said. Since the unconstitutional laws remain in place and are still being applied to sex offenders, Aukerman asked Cleland to impose a deadline on the Legislature to correct the law. She recommended lawmakers be given 60 days but said the time frame is flexible. The Attorney Generals Office isnt eager to force legislative revision, at least through the federal courts. Assistant AG Joseph Froehlich asked Cleland to send the case to the master of Michigan law, the state Supreme Court, for certification. Certification would involve the Supreme Court guiding the state on how to revamp the law to be compliance with Constitution and other state laws. The Michigan Supreme Court is currently reviewing an unrelated criminal case that will address nearly identical issues to the federal lawsuit, Froehlich said. That case involves a 1993-convicted sex offender who was convicted in 2013 for failure to properly report as a sex offender. The offender argues newer, stricter reporting guidelines created after his initial conviction should not apply to him. If certification isnt possible, Froehlich asked the judge to sever or strike down the portions of the existing law deemed unconstitutional, which Froehlich said can be done without influencing the legislative intent of the law. A skeptical Cleland said determining the intent of the Legislature is always a daunting task. He said hes stricken portions of other laws in the past, but it was a lot more clear cut" than with the current Michigan Sex Offender Registry Act. Screen shot from Michigan State Police Sex Offender Registry One unique aspect of the ACLU argument involved the use of Attorney General Dana Nessels own words to contradict the stance presented by Froehlich, Nessels employee. Cleland said there seems to be a multiplicity of stances within the Attorney Generals Office, to which Froehlich said the stance hes advanced on behalf of his clients, state police and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, hasnt wavered. The ACLU presented a brief that Nessel filed on Jan. 30 in the similar case before the Supreme Court, in which Nessel wrote: The Michigans Sex Offender Registry Act, taken as a whole, imposes burdens that are so punitive in their effect that they negate the states public safety justifications ... Protecting the children and families of Michigan from sexual offending is critical, but it is the Legislatures task to determine how best to do so within constitutional constraints." Nessel indicated the law should be revised by the Legislature. As the hearing concluded, a representative with the ACLU advised nearly a dozen spectators who also attended not to speak to media. Outside the steps of the courthouse, the father of a sex offender said his son, as a minor in 1996, accepted a plea deal with the expectation he would remain in the then-non-public sex offender registry for 10 years and the conviction would be dismissed from his record. The agreement occurred under what is called the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, a law that allows first-time youth offenders a chance to avoid having a felony on their public record. Shortly after, the state of Michigan decided that the registry ought to be made available to the public, he said. " ... In 1999 another law passed ... (and) made the registry now available on the internet." Later amendments made photos a requirement. The father said another subsequent change extended the length of time anyone sentenced under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act would remain in the registry. So my son has been on the registry -- not convicted, he made a mistake as a teenager -- for 24 years, the father said. His sons story illustrates the ACLU argument that harsh revisions to the Michigan sex offender law have unfairly punish those who have already been convicted and sentenced. Aukerman said the current law is not only unconstitutional but its ineffective," bloated, expensive, "and a "total failure. A sex offender registry at best has no impact on recidivism, Aukerman said. Its time for Michigan legislators to finally do their jobs, she said. If they actually want to protect Michigan families, they have to reform the registry. Cleland said he is reviewing the case and will issue a written opinion at a later date. A day after the Centre announced formation of a trust to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya, the Shiv Sena lashed out at the BJP, saying the issue was not expected to be politicised, but its "foundation" has been laid ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls. Elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly will be held on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced in the Lok Sabha formation of a 15-member autonomous trust to construct the temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. "Modi gave the slogan of 'Jai Shri Ram' just four days ahead of polling for the Delhi Assembly. Will be happy if (the number) goes up by two-four seats with the help of Shri Ram," an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' on Thursday said sarcastically. "It was expected that the issue of Ram temple will not be politicised, but its 'foundation' was laid for the Delhi Assembly (election) and will be completed on the occasion of 2024 Lok Sabha (polls)," it said in cryptic remarks. It is expected that a "Ram Rajya" (welfare state) will be realised in a true sense in the country by then, it added. There is criticism that the BJP "brought in" Lord Ram as Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has caused restlessness in the saffron party ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls, the Marathi daily said. "This (criticism) is because the prime minister announced formation of the temple trust four days ahead of polling. It is important that the prime minister made the announcement in the Lok Sabha," it said. The Shiv Sena said the Supreme Court will have to be thanked first for the prime minister's announcement about the trust, as the apex court had ordered construction of the temple in November last year. It also thanked Modi for discharging his duty as the prime minister in the light of the Supreme Court order. The Shiv Sena, which had long campaigned for the temple construction, said how autonomous the trust is going to be will be known only after the appointment of its members. It said the trust should have representation of all the organisations which campaigned for the temple construction, if it is an "autonomous body". The Uddhav Thackeray-led party said it was active in the campaign for temple construction from day one. "The BJP itself had then admitted that the Shiv Sainiks landed hammers on the Babri (mosque) and the (then) Shiv Sena chief (late Bal Thackeray) said he was proud of the Shiv Sainiks who brought down the Babri," it pointed out. Hundreds of Shiv Sainiks "laid their lives" in the violence after the Babri mosque demolition, it claimed. "Those who gave the slogan of 'Jai Shri Ram' should keep this in mind," it said. Recalling L K Advani's role in the campaign, the Shiv Sena said the BJP would not have attained the current position in country's politics had the veteran leader not taken out a 'rath yatra' in the name of Shri Ram (in 1990). The construction of Ram temple had been part of the BJP's poll manifesto for years, and it was expected that the promise would be fulfilled when the Narendra Modi government was formed at the Centre in 2014 will full majority, it said. During the previous term of Modi government, the Shiv Sena - a partner of the BJP till last year - called for bringing an ordinance for temple construction, but the government did not do so, the editorial recalled. "Eventually, hearing took place in the Supreme Court on the Ram temple issue for 40 days in a row and the it gave verdict in favour of the Ram temple (construction)...the trust is being formed due to that court order," it said. "It is binding on any government to implement the courts order. Prime Minister Modi followed that order," the Marathi publication added. While making announcement about the trust on Wednesday, the prime minister also said the government has decided to transfer 67.70 acres of land acquired under the Ayodhya Act to the trust. To allay fears due to the rapidly-spreading coronavirus, major U.S. carriers Delta Air Lines DAL, United Airlines UAL and American Airlines AAL have suspended all flights to China. Notably, the coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China. On the earnings front, Alaska Air Group ALK and Hawaiian Holdings HA reported better-than-expected earnings per share for fourth-quarter 2019. However, Allegiant Travel Company ALGT lagged earnings estimates. Apart from releasing fourth-quarter results, Alaska Air Group announced a 7.1% hike in quarterly dividend to 37.5 cents per share. Additionally, European low-cost carrier Ryanair Holdings RYAAY reported impressive results for the third quarter of fiscal 2020 (ended Dec 31, 2019) backed by robust traffic in Christmas/New year. (Read the Last Airline Stock Roundup here). Recap of the Past Weeks Most Important Stories 1. Alaska Air Groups fourth-quarter 2019 earnings per share of $1.46 beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5 cents. Moreover, the bottom line surged 94.7% year over year on low fuel costs. Revenues came in at $2,228 million, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2,220.5 million. The top line also increased approximately 8% year over year. Passenger revenues contributing 92.3% to the top line were up 8% on a year-over-year basis. (Read more: Alaska Air Group Beats on Q4 Earnings, Hikes Dividend). Alaska Air Group currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. 2. Hawaiian Holdings fourth-quarter earnings (excluding 8 cents from non-recurring items) of 99 cents per share outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 87 cents. However, the bottom line edged down 1% year over year. Although quarterly revenues of $708.1 million missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $709.3 million, the figure inched up 1.5% year over year. Meanwhile, operating revenue per available seat mile (RASM: a key measure of unit revenues) in the quarter slid 2.1% year over year. Average fuel cost per gallon decreased 6.8% to $2.05 in the December-end quarter. RASM is expected to decline 4.5-7.5% in the March-end quarter. (Read more: Hawaiian Holdings Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates, Slip Y/Y). Story continues 3. Allegiants fourth-quarter 2019 earnings of $3.72 per share fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.87. However, the bottom line surged 45.3% year over year, driven by lower fuel costs and higher revenues. Total operating revenues increased 11.9% year over year to $461.1 million on the back of a 10.8% rise in passenger revenues. Moreover, the top line surpassed the consensus mark of $460.2 million. The company still expects earnings per share between $16.5 and $19 for 2020. (Read more: Allegiant Travel's Q4 Earnings Miss Estimates, Up Y/Y). 4. Ryanairs profit after tax in third-quarter fiscal 2020 came in at 88 million as against a loss of 66 million witnessed in the prior year. The top line increased 21% to 1.91 billion on the back of a 6% rise in traffic to 36 million. Additionally, the load factor improved to 96% from the prior years 95%. Ryanair reported a 13% increase in revenue per guest rose backed by 9% higher fares in the December-end quarter. The carrier still expects fiscal 2020 profit after tax in the 0.95-1.05 billion range. Fiscal 2020 revenue per guest is expected to be up 3-4%. Fuel bill for fiscal 2020 is anticipated to rise 440 million from the fiscal 2019 levels. Non-fuel unit costs are projected to rise by roughly 2%. Meanwhile, Ryanairs January traffic report was impressive, with the metric (including 0.5 million from its LaudaMotion unit) increasing 5% year over year to 10.8 million. Additionally, the load factor increased to 92% from 91% a year ago. Ryanair operated more than 62,000 scheduled flights in January. 5. In response to the coronavirus outbreak Delta, United Airlines and American Airlines suspended all flights to and from China. In fact, the State Department issued an advisory asking Americans not to travel to the country. Delta, United Airlines and American Airlines have reportedly suspended service to mainland China from Feb 6 through Apr 30, Mar 28 and Mar 27, 2020, respectively. Additionally, due to weaker-than-expected demand following the coronavirus outbreak and also political unrest, American Airlines suspended flights to Hong Kong through Feb 20. Performance The following table shows the price movement of the major airline players over the past week and during the last 6 months. Whats Next in the Airline Space? Investors keenly await January traffic reports from multiple carriers. Further, corona virus-related updates and the resultant impact on air travel will be awaited by investors. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Click to get this free report Alaska Air Group, Inc. (ALK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ryanair Holdings PLC (RYAAY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Allegiant Travel Company (ALGT) : Free Stock Analysis Report American Airlines Group Inc. (AAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. (HA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Delta Air Lines, Inc. (DAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report United Airlines Holdings Inc (UAL) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research The Minister for Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has described the Airbus scandal as embarrassing and a dent on Ghanas image on the global stage. The scandal which came to light after a series of court documents were published by the Department of Justice (DOJ) of the United States and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of the United Kingdom revealed incidence of bribery and corruption spearheaded by Airbus where the European Aviation giant paid millions of bribes to state officials of five countries including Ghana in exchange for lucrative contracts. Speaking on Accra based Joy FM, Mr. Nkrumah said it is embarrassing when you meet international investors who during the coffee break say is this what happens when Ghana government officials do deals? They take bribes before they do deals? It is not fair to Ghana. That is why it is important for all of us to be concerned and we need to have disclosure so that we can go through the process of having these persons also defend themselves. Documents released by the DOJ and SFO indicted Ghana alleging that contrary to section 7 of the UKs Bribery Act 2010, Airbus failed to prevent its close associates or persons associated with them from bribing others concerned with the purchase of military transport aircraft by the Government of Ghana, where the said bribery was intended to obtain or retain advantages in the conduct of business. The document stated that the bribery allegation took place between 2009 and 2015 where the European Aviation giant engaged the services of a close relative of a high-ranking elected Ghanaian Government official who served as an intermediary to facilitate the sale of three military transport aircraft to the Government of Ghana. A number of Airbus employees knew that the intermediary was a close relative of Government Official 1, who was a key decision-maker in respect of the proposed sales. A number of Airbus employees made or promised success-based commission payments of approximately 5 million to Intermediary 5 the document continued. Also, the document pointed out that false documentation was created by or with the agreement of Airbus employees in order to support and disguise these payments. The payments were intended to induce or reward improper favor by Government Official 1 towards Airbus. Payments were eventually stopped due to the arrangement failing the due diligence processes required by the Liquidation Committee. This has led to series of speculations linking the said Government Official indicted in the document to former President John Mahama. However, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah emphasized that if indeed the former president is the said government official, they should name him so that he can defend himself properly. 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 Deputy Mayor of Derry and Strabane Cara Hunter (24) has told how she has been subjected to months of sexual and misogynistic abuse online - something she says too many female politicians have to endure. Among the abuse the SDLP councillor has faced were demands she remove her "pompous Miss World election posters" from Portrush, men calling her an "SDLP b****", "w****" and comments about her figure, hair and make-up. She has also faced demands from male constituents for home visits which resulted in insults and abuse when she refused. Ms Hunter said that her experiences have made her acutely aware of the dangers facing women in local politics and has called for Stormont to put in place policies that give better protection to female councillors. Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Ms Hunter said: "This, and it is not just an SDLP issue, it is not just Cara Hunter, is a much wider issue that affects women from all political parties which needs to be addressed. "There needs to be a conversation in Stormont about safety for councillors who don't have protection of their own offices where they can carry out business. I represent a very rural DEA of Castlederg and I think it should be within my prerogative to refuse a house visit if I feel uncomfortable about it. "One such incident was a man - a middle aged man - who rang me constantly requesting a home visit about an issue which I told him I could resolve through telephone calls and there was no need for me to go to his house. "This wasn't acceptable but if you refuse these types of visits you are called all kinds of names." Ms Hunter said the abuse she is subjected to is often more overt than demanding home visits. She continued: "It is the sexually suggestive messages that are extremely difficult to deal with and I have reported these to the police. "In one incident a man referred to my election posters as a 'Miss World mugshot' before he went on to say there was no place for me in Portrush because Portrush wasn't republican, but others have bombarded me with abuse that was very sexual, very aggressive - calling me an 'SDLP b****', 'w****' and it is these I find extremely difficult to deal with." It saddens me because I love my job as a councillor but when I look at my male colleagues they are not subjected to comments about their figure or their looks Despite the vitriol and pleas from her parents to give up politics, Ms Hunter said she is determined to continue with the job she loves. "My parents asked me to step down from politics but where does it end, does every woman step down until there are no female politicians?" she adds. "It saddens me because I love my job as a councillor but when I look at my male colleagues they are not subjected to comments about their figure or their looks. "Going into politics I had anticipated I would meet people who didn't agree with my party politics or council vision and I was prepared for that but it was men saying things like they like a woman with big hips that I found so offensive. "So much of my day is spent trying to help the people I represent but when all that is being highlighted is my body shape, my hair, make-up it makes me sad but it frustrates me so much. "All the hard work is overshadowed by lustful messages that just keep coming even at 2am or 3am. I don't respond to them and I have blocked them on social media but they just keep coming. "Despite it all I refuse to allow these men to put me off doing the job I love but steps need to be put in place that protect women in politics better." Birmingham police arrested a man Wednesday on capital murder charges in the January shooting death of a Fairfield man in Kingston. Corderious Scroggins, 25, of Birmingham, was apprehended in the Kingston housing community on Wednesday by the Birmingham polices crime reduction team, police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams said Wednesday night. Scroggins, currently being held in the Jefferson County Jail, is accused of killing 34-year-old Fairfield resident Douglas Paige on Jan. 6. The preliminary investigation into the shooting showed there was an altercation between four people, including the victim, Williams said shortly after the incident. The victim retreated to his car when someone fire shots into the sedan. At least two shots were fired. Mr. Biden and his top advisers made no effort to hide their disappointment about Iowa on Wednesday and they plainly recognize that he must finish closer to the top in New Hampshire if he is to remain in contention by the time Super Tuesday rolls around early next month. Speaking in Somersworth, N.H., on Wednesday morning, the former vice president demonstrated that he recognized his position is perilous. I am not going to sugarcoat it, we took a gut punch in Iowa, Mr. Biden said. But then he offered a more confident message to those he said were already moving to write off his candidacy. Im not going anywhere, he said, adding: Im counting on New Hampshire. Were going to come back. And he signaled that to do so, he is going to directly confront two of his rivals. Donald Trump is desperate to pin the socialist label of socialist, socialist, socialist on our party, Mr. Biden said, alluding to Mr. Sanders, a self-avowed democratic socialist. He argued that every Democrat on the ballot will have to carry the label in November. Similarly, Mr. Biden warned that elevating Mr. Buttigieg could hand Mr. Trump four more years. I have great respect for Mayor Pete and his service to this nation, Mr. Biden said. But I do believe its a risk, to be just straight up with you, for this party to nominate someone whos never held an office higher than mayor of a town of 100,000 people in Indiana. William Shaheen, a longtime Democratic activist in New Hampshire who spent time with Mr. Biden Wednesday, said he was happy that Joe has got his Irish up, as he put it. There is a promise that municipalities make to employees, that they will take care of them when something like this happens, Mazur said. I cant think of a family who gave more than the Haubers, who lost a husband and father. This cant be a victory for Kim, but at least shell be able to stop the harassment from her late husbands employers. Ayodhya saints Within 24 hours of the constitution of the "Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust by the Modi government, voices of protest have started emanating from the seers and saints in Ayodhya. The saints are upset over the fact that the saint community has not been given adequate representation in the 15-member trust. A formal meeting of saints will be held later in the day at Digambar Akhara to decide the future course of action, sources said. A large number of saints began collecting at the Maniram Chavni ashram of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, the chief trustee of the Ram Janambhoomi Nyas, since Thursday morning. The saints had been demanding that Mahant Nritya Gopal Das be appointed as head of the new trust. The centre, however, has named K Parasaran , the main lawyer of the Hindu side in the Supreme Court, as the head of the trust. Mahant Nritya Gopal Das also expressed 'surprise' at the formation of the trust."Those who have made sacrifices for the temple movement have been completely ignored. This is an insult to the saints of Ayodhya," he said. Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, designated successor to Nritya Gopal Das, said that the Vaishnav Samaj had been completely ignored in the trust. "We do not accept this trust," he said. Commenting on the inclusion of Bimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra, the Ayodhya Raja, in the trust, the saint said that he was a political leader who had contested election ion a BSP ticket. He said that Mishra had nothing to do with the Ayodhya movement. Mahant Suresh Das of Digambar Akhara has also voiced his opposition to the new trust which "includes those who were nowhere in the temple movement." Mahant Paramhas Das of Tapasvi Chavni, who had put forward the name of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat as head of the trust, had started an indefinite fast in protest at the Bilardeeh Shiva temple in Chandauli. MELBOURNE, Australia, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enphase Energy, Inc. (ENPH), a global energy technology company and the worlds leading supplier of solar microinverters today announced that the Company, together with Solaray and AC Solar Warehouse in Australia, supports the Australian photovoltaic (PV) industrys position to change solar power system installation and equipment standards. During 2010, in response to the proliferation of solar PV systems on rooftops globally, emergency services teams responsible for responding to house fires decided that a safe emergency access solution was required. Steps were taken in parallel by Australian and U.S. authorities to address the issue. In Australia, a rooftop DC isolator was mandated in 2012, whereas the U.S. introduced rapid shutdown requirements in the 2014 National Electrical Code (NEC). Rapid shutdown provides a quick and easy method to de-energize PV modules to ensure complete safety for first responders and eliminate the risk of electrocution. By comparison, to operate the rooftop DC isolators used in Australia, emergency services personnel must climb onto a roof that may already be dangerous to access. In addition, even with a switched isolator, the cabling under the panels remains fully energized up to 600 volts DC. Evidence suggests that approximately 65% of conventional DC solar system failures occur at the rooftop DC isolator, said Grant Behrendorff, managing director of AC Solar Warehouse. There is widespread support across the Australian solar industry to address the issue as international standards are put in place along with newer technologies that eliminate the need for rooftop DC isolators. Arc fault detection and rapid shutdown compliant equipment, such as Enphase IQ microinverters, are readily available in Australia. Unlike traditional DC solar power inverters, the Enphase IQ microinverter system provides a complete AC solution that uses no high voltage DC, ensuring a safe solar solution for homeowners. Rapid shutdown capability is built-in, with no additional equipment necessary. Enphase IQ microinverters meet or exceed regulatory requirements set by the U.S. National Electrical Code (NEC), which currently represents the international solar safety benchmark the Australian PV industry is working to achieve. Story continues It is no surprise that smart solar systems such as Enphase dominate the market in countries like the United States, where safer solar regulations have been adopted quicker than here in Australia, said Jonathan Fisk, director at Solaray. Of course, front of mind is the increase in panel-level output delivered by Enphase microinverters, but for many customers it is the story around safety that really gets their attention. Enphase fully supports initiatives focused on bringing Australian PV installation standards in line with global best practices, said Dave Ranhoff, chief commercial officer at Enphase Energy. 2019 was a record growth year for rooftop solar installations in Australia, and the trend is set to continue this year. With industry sales at an all-time high, it is now time to raise the bar on safety. About Enphase Energy, Inc. Enphase Energy, a global energy technology company, delivers smart, easy-to-use solutions that connect solar generation, storage and management on one intelligent platform. The Company revolutionized solar with its microinverter technology and produces the worlds only truly integrated solar plus storage solution. Enphase has shipped more than 23 million microinverters, and approximately one million Enphase-based systems have been deployed in 130 countries. For more information, visit www.enphase.com/au and follow the company on Facebook , LinkedIn and Twitter . Enphase, IQ, the Enphase logo, and other trademarks or service names are the trademarks of Enphase Energy, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes and may be trademarks of their respective owners. About Solaray Energy Pty Ltd Solaray is a leading provider of smart energy management technology that incorporates future-proof solar power systems, cloud-based monitoring, back to base system status alerts, home automation, and battery storage. Solaray prides itself on offering a reliable, honest, and trustworthy service that follows the strictest professional standards. The company is a Clean Energy Council Approved Solar Retailer. Please visit https://solaray.com.au/ for more details. About AC Solar Warehouse Pty Ltd AC Solar Warehouse is a 100% Australian owned and operated company that wholesales microinverters, AC and DC solar panels, energy storage equipment, and related components required for domestic and commercial solar systems. AC Solar Warehouse is the largest specialist wholesaler of AC Solar equipment in Australia, building its business through relationships based on honesty, transparency, and integrity. Please visit http://www.acsolarwarehouse.com/ for more details. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements related to the expected safety, performance and advantages of Enphase Energys products and technology. These forward-looking statements are based on Enphase's current expectations and inherently involve significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties including those risks described in more detail in Enphases most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents on file with the SEC and available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Enphase Energy undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations, except as required by law. Enphase Contact: More than 100 on campus students were named to fall 2019 honors lists at Grace Christian University. The following local students earned honors: Ryan Rowe of Gladwin, was named to the dean's list. Rowe is majoring in pastoral ministry. Elijah Schweikert of Midland, was named to the dean's list. Schweikert is majoring in worship arts. To qualify for the dean's list, students must earn a GPA of 3.50-3.99 and complete a minimum of 12 graded credits within a single semester (full time). NEW YORK, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential misconduct at Southwest Airlines Co. (Southwest Airlines or the Company) (NYSE:LUV). The investigation focuses on whether the Companys Board of Directors and/or officers breached their fiduciary duties. Request more information now by clicking here: www.faruqilaw.com/LUV. There is no cost or obligation to you. Take Action If you currently own Southwest Airlines stock, have continuously owned Southwest Airlines stock and would like to discuss your legal rights, please visit www.faruqilaw.com/LUV. 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 The United States Senate has voted to clear President Donald Trump of charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The vote brought an end to the third impeachment trial in the nations history. It followed months of impeachment processes that demonstrated the nations sharp political divide three years into the Trump presidency. The U.S. House of Representatives, which has a Democratic majority, impeached Trump in December. The impeachment trial in the Republican-led Senate began in January. The U.S. Constitution requires two-thirds, or 67, guilty votes in the Senate to remove a president from office for high crimes and misdemeanors. Democrats who brought the impeachment charges fell short of that Wednesday. All but one Republican senator said that Trump, a member of the Republican Party, was not guilty of the two charges he faced. All Democrats in the Senate voted guilty. Senator Mitt Romney, the Republican Partys presidential nominee in 2012, announced Wednesday that he would vote to convict Trump of the first charge -- abuse of power. Romney said, The president asked a foreign government to investigate his political rival. The president withheld vital military funds from that government to press it to do so. The president delayed funds for an American ally at war with Russian invaders. The presidents purpose was personal and political. Accordingly, the president is guilty of an appalling abuse of the public trust. The first article of impeachment charged Trump with abusing his power by asking Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy to launch an investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son. At the same time, Trump temporarily withheld over $390 million in military aid to Ukraine that the country wanted to help fight pro-Russian separatists. The second impeachment article accused Trump of obstructing -- or blocking -- congressional investigations into his Ukraine-related actions. It said he did so by directing people close to him not to answer questions or provide documents to impeachment investigators. The final vote numbers Wednesday were 52 to 48 on abuse of power and 53 to 47 on obstruction of Congress. The vote Wednesday brought an end to the fastest, most divided impeachment trial in U.S. history. It included no witnesses and lasted three weeks. The U.S. Senate has never removed a president from office. The impeachment trials of Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1999 also both ended in acquittal. Trump, however, is the first president to be impeached while facing re-election. The presidents press secretary released a statement following the Senates decision. It read in part, As we have said all along, he is not guilty. The Senate voted to reject the baseless articles of impeachment, and only the Presidents political opponents all Democrats, and one failed Republican presidential candidate voted for the manufactured impeachment articles. Im Ashley Thompson. Ashley Thompson adapted this report based on articles by The Associated Press and VOA News. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story impeachment - n. to charge (a public official) with a crime done while in office misdemeanor - n. a crime that is not very serious : a crime that is less serious than a felony convict - v. to prove that someone is guilty of a crime in a court of law vital - adj. extremely important appalling - adj. very bad in a way that causes fear, shock, or disgust acquittal - n. the act of deciding that a person is not guilty of a crime : the act of acquitting someone Update 6:59 p.m.: The National Weather Service just confirmed a tornado in Demopolis last night, where one person died. Our storm survey team has confirmed an EF1 tornado south of Demopolis from last night. Path length: 1.29 miles. Path width: 400 yards wide. Max winds: 105 to 110 mph. Fatalities: 1. Injuries: 1. This is in addition to the already confirmed tornado in Helena. #alwx NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) February 7, 2020 Original story: Severe weather early Thursday morning caused extreme flooding across parts of Alabama, prompting school closures and even one voluntary evacuation. Strong to severe storms and heavy rain will continue throughout the state during the day, according to the National Weather Service. There are two tornado watches in effect for the state. Reports early Thursday showed one person died in the storms in Marengo County, just south of Demopolis. The first covers parts of central and southwest Alabama until 8 a.m. Thursday (the weather service has extended it from 5 a.m.). The National Weather Service has issued multiple tornado warnings overnight, including some for the Birmingham metro area. However, earlier tornado warnings for Jefferson and Shelby counties have been canceled. The weather service has gotten reports of trees down in Shelby County near Helena and near Joe Tucker Park from that earlier storm. Trees and power lines have also been reported down southeast of the Bessemer airport. As of 6 a.m., Alabama Power said there were about 4,700 outages statewide. Of those, approximately 1,700 were reported in metro Birmingham; 1,400 were reported in western counties; 800 were in the Mobile area; and 500 were in eastern counties. Crews were working to restore service. Keep up with the latest weather conditions here An NWS report stated that Marengo County EMA Director Kevin McKinney confirmed one fatality and one injury, and added the damage was along Highway 43 and County Road 54. There was an earlier report at 2:14 a.m. of at least two mobile homes destroyed in that area, approximately two miles north-northwest of Old Spring Hill south of Demopolis. The NWS report showed the destruction came from thunderstorm wind damage. There have been no indications of a tornado in the area. In addition to the NWS reports, local departments have reported flooding issues. The Homewood Fire Department told residents who live along Shades Creek to be aware that water had come over the banks. Firefighters assisted with a voluntary evacuation at the Crescent of Lakeshore Apartments in Homewood. The Crescent at Lakeshore pic.twitter.com/6rBIBaZo5h Homewood Fire Dept (@HomewoodALFire) February 6, 2020 Flooding at the Crescent at Lakeshore Apartments #alwx pic.twitter.com/3fgfLqWszn Homewood Fire Dept (@HomewoodALFire) February 6, 2020 Many reports of flooding being reported across the county. Turn Around Don't Drown. #alwx Gadsden/Etowah EMA (@GECEMA) February 6, 2020 Alabama school closings, delays Pelham police posted on social media to announce the city courtroom was open for anyone who needs to take shelter from the storms. They also said several areas in Pelham were affected by severe flooding: Highway 31 near Pacific Pride, Greenpark Road, and Winslett Road. Officers advised motorists to use caution in these areas and never drive into flood waters. Winslett Road was blocked off as of 5:30 a.m. Right lane of Hwy 31 North at Pacific Pride is flooded. Utilize the inside lane for now! MEDIA: You may use these photos with credit to #PelhamPD pic.twitter.com/0IzDoMUqMD Pelham Police Dept (@PelhamPoliceAL) February 6, 2020 Driving along Lakeshore Trail. Almost the entire trail is flossed by Shades Creek overflow. #alwx pic.twitter.com/OeKAXVZxiL Izzy Gould (@IzzyGould) February 6, 2020 Lakeshore Trail overwhelmed by Shades Creek overflow near Green Springs Highway and Lakeshore Drive in Homewood, Alabama. pic.twitter.com/71iV21kmFm Izzy Gould (@IzzyGould) February 6, 2020 Mountain Brook police said on social media that Mountain Brook Parkway from Cahaba Road to Overbrook Road was flooded and was not passable as of 5:30 a.m. In Shelby County, several more roads were closed due to flooding. The sheriffs office said on social media that Cahaba Valley Road (Highway 119) at Broken Bow Drive is closed, along with the 4800 block of Valleydale Road near Spain Park and Veterans Park. The heavy rain left no part of the state untouched, including heavy flooding on the Strip in Tuscaloosa. This post will be updated. A Indiana waitress was pleasantly surprised when a man left behind a $2,020 tip on a $64 bill last week. Carey Likens, an employee at a Holiday Inn in Columbus, was at her job on January 29 when a man visiting on business sat down for a drink. The drink led to a long conversation that appears to have left a lasting impression on the man. Likens said she remembered the Good Samaritan from a previous trip with his family at the Holiday Inn and that he was impressed by her good memory. After the man paid his tab, Likens was collecting the receipt when she noticed the shocking tip. Likens told Fox 59: 'I was completely caught off guard. [I] never thought that would happen to me.' 'I kind of gasped. I just never thought in a million years that I would get that in Columbus, Indiana serving drinks at the Holiday Inn,' she said. A photo of the receipt shows the man paid a total of $2,084. 20. A man left behind a $2,020 tip on a $64 for a Holiday Inn bartender last week in Columbus, Indiana Recently, people have been delighted by the 2020 challenge that involves leaving behind tips with the number 2020 or 20 in it. Last month, Donnie Wahlberg went viral after tipping a server $2,020 on a $78 bill. The generous gift left Likens in tears and as the man left the bar, he turned around and gave the overwhelmed woman a smile. 'It was my first day back, so it was a nice surprise,' Likens said, adding that she had previously been out sick. Carey Likens (pictured): 'I kind of gasped. I just never thought in a million years that I would get that in Columbus, Indiana serving drinks at the Holiday Inn' Jessica Mettin, Likens' general manager, had to do a double take when she was inputting the receipts the next day. 'I was like what? No way. I couldnt believe it, but its true!' Mettin said. On her part, Likens is grateful. 'There are good people out there. Theyre all over. Theyre walking among us, and you never know whos going to do a huge gesture for you,' she said. 'So pay it forward and make sure to just be a good person.' Likens said if she ever sees the Good Samaritan again, she'll give him a massive hug. For now, she plans on saving the money. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. With having published myriads of reports for global clients, Future Market Insights exhibits its expertise in the market research field. Our dedicated crew of professionals ride the wave of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and big data analytics, to project the adoption pattern and consumption trends regarding the market. A three-step quality check process - data collection, triangulation, and validation - is paramount while assuring the authenticity of the information captured. Global Weather Forecasting Systems Market Report The latest business intelligence study by FMI suggests that the global market of Weather Forecasting Systems Market reached US$ XX in 2019 with a CAGR of ~ XX% from 2019 to 2029 (Forecast period). The research study focuses on the drivers, restraints, opportunities and trends impacting the Weather Forecasting Systems Market. All the relevant vendors running in the Weather Forecasting Systems Market are examined based on market share and product footprint. Key players include- Lockheed Martin Corporation, Vaisala OYJ, Sutron Corporation, Campbell Scientific Inc., Coastal Environmental Systems, Inc., Columbia Weather Systems Inc., Met One Instruments Inc., and others. The data associated with each market player includes: Company Profile Main Business Information SWOT Analysis Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin Request Sample Copy of this Report @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1002 By Applications -wise Segmentation Assessment: Air Quality Monitoring Weather Monitoring Weather Forecasting Others (Chemical & Space Weather Monitoring) By Industry -wise Segmentation Assessment: Utilities Agriculture Military & Defense Transportation Marine Aviation Others (Mining, Energy Utilities, Chemicals) By Region -wise Segmentation Assessment: North America Latin America Western Europe Eastern Europe Asia Pacific excluding Japan japan Middle East & Africa The Weather Forecasting Systems Market research also takes into account the important countries that hold significant share in the respective regions. What does the Weather Forecasting Systems Market research hold for the readers? Market segmentation assessment, including qualitative and quantitative research depicting the impact of economic and non-economic factors. Breakdown of each player as Weather Forecasting Systems Market for mergers & acquisitions, R & D projects, and product launches. Leading regions holding significant share in the Global Weather Forecasting Systems Market alongwith the key countries. One to one company profiles of prominent stakeholders. Critical Study of Weather Forecasting Systems Market each manufacturer, such as market share, regional footprint, and product innovations. Ask An Analyst: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-1002 The Weather Forecasting Systems Market research clears away the following queries: 1. Why region holds the largest share in the Weather Forecasting Systems Market over the forecast period? 2. Why are stakeholders shifting away from conventional methods for manufacturing Weather Forecasting Systems Market? 3. In which year, the global Weather Forecasting Systems Market has the lowest YoY growth rate? 4. At what rate has the global Weather Forecasting Systems Market been growing throughout the historic period 2014-2018 ? 5. By end use segment, which segment currently leads the global Weather Forecasting Systems Market? And many more ... One of the best investments we can make is in our own knowledge and skill set. With that in mind, this article will work through how we can use Return On Equity (ROE) to better understand a business. To keep the lesson grounded in practicality, we'll use ROE to better understand Chanjet Information Technology Company Limited (HKG:1588). Our data shows Chanjet Information Technology has a return on equity of 8.4% for the last year. Another way to think of that is that for every HK$1 worth of equity in the company, it was able to earn HK$0.08. View our latest analysis for Chanjet Information Technology How Do You Calculate Return On Equity? The formula for return on equity is: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity Or for Chanjet Information Technology: 8.4% = CN111m CN1.3b (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2019.) Most readers would understand what net profit is, but its worth explaining the concept of shareholders equity. It is the capital paid in by shareholders, plus any retained earnings. Shareholders' equity can be calculated by subtracting the total liabilities of the company from the total assets of the company. What Does Return On Equity Mean? 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 equal, investors should like a high ROE. That means it can be interesting to compare the ROE of different companies. Does Chanjet Information Technology Have A Good Return On Equity? One simple way to determine if a company has a good return on equity is to compare it to the average for its industry. However, this method is only useful as a rough check, because companies do differ quite a bit within the same industry classification. You can see in the graphic below that Chanjet Information Technology has an ROE that is fairly close to the average for the Software industry (8.8%). Story continues SEHK:1588 Past Revenue and Net Income, February 5th 2020 That's neither particularly good, nor bad. ROE doesn't tell us if the share price is low, but it can inform us to the nature of the business. For those looking for a bargain, other factors may be more important. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. The Importance Of Debt To Return On Equity Companies usually need to invest money to grow their profits. That cash can come from retained earnings, issuing new shares (equity), or debt. 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. Chanjet Information Technology's Debt And Its 8.4% ROE Shareholders will be pleased to learn that Chanjet Information Technology has not one iota of net debt! So although its ROE isn't that impressive, we shouldn't judge it harshly on that metric, because it didn't use debt. At the end of the day, when a company has zero debt, it is in a better position to take future growth opportunities. But It's Just One Metric Return on equity is a useful indicator of the ability of a business to generate profits and return them to shareholders. Companies that can achieve high returns on equity without too much debt are generally of good quality. All else being equal, a higher ROE is better. But when a business is high quality, the market often bids it up to a price that reflects this. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So you might want to check this FREE visualization of analyst forecasts for the company. 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. Media access to Vladimir Putin is never straightforward, with his security detail usually forming several circles of protection as a matter of principle. On Thursday, pool journalists were presented with another barrier: thermographic cameras. Now anyone coming into even moderately close contact with the president will be required to have their body temperature checked for signs of illness. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the innovation was part of a package of measures taken out to control the spread of novel coronavirus. Mr Putin and his staff have traditionally been sensitive to matters of health. Much of the presidential image is predicated on vitality and strength, and the margins are always tight. In 2015, when Mr Putin disappeared from public view for 10 days, Mr Peskov explained that the president had succumbed to the flu. But the Russian internet went into meltdown. The lesson was learned. Now Mr Putin takes few chances when it comes to germs. State TV documentaries have shown him denying meetings to ministers who arrived coughing. In November, he chided the entire cabinet after revealing only three of them had been vaccinated against the flu. Three people, or four if you count me, he said. Getting the flu is self harm. You could have prevented it, but you didnt. The president has demanded an equally zero-tolerance approach from his government in handling the Russian response to coronavirus. 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 risk to Russia is not insubstantial, with its 2,615 mile land border with China. But so far Moscow has only reported two confirmed cases, both involving Chinese citizens. And officials seem intent to the point of panicking to keep it that way. On Wednesday, Russia began evacuating its nationals from Wuhan, sending two Ilyushin 76 military to the stricken city. Most of 144 people lifted out of China were were surprised to be flown to the Siberian oil city of Tyumen. They had been told they would be sent for quarantine near Moscow. Recommended Putin cancels key events due to ill health for first time in years Some also complained of inhumane conditions aboard the plane, with freezing conditions, no blankets or working toilet. We flew for thirteen hours with an improvised toilet, Victoria Makovtsova said in a post on social media. An ordinary bucket, no flush, and being filled all the time. It was not a sight for the feint hearted. A convoy of police and military officers in plastic protection and gas masks met the special cargo at Tyumen airport. Military in protection gear approach the Ilyushin 76 jet on arrival in Tyumen airport (EPA) After being sprayed with disinfectant, the passengers were whisked through Tyumens VIP terminal. They were then transported twenty miles to a far less luxurious destination: a sanatorium specialising infectious diseases including tuberculosis. The new residents will now have to spend 14 days inside their rooms defended from any unhealthy thoughts by high perimeter fences, and a company of armed, masked guards. Update: Tractor-trailer rollover on Massachusetts Turnpike causes 3-mile backup. Right lane of westbound traffic reopened. All westbound lanes of the Massachusetts Turnpike in Wilbraham are closed Thursday morning following a tractor-trailer rolled over, authorities said. The rollover also caused wood debris to spill, Massachusetts State Police said in a tweet. Traffic will be detoured at Exit 8. Massachusetts Department of Transportations crews were at the scene, according to state police. #Wilbraham #Pike Rt 90 WB 57.8 mm all westbound lanes closed due to TT rollover & wood debris spill. #MAtraffic detoured at Exit 8. #MAsnow @MassDOT on scene Mass State Police (@MassStatePolice) February 6, 2020 MassDOT ordered motorists to travel slower Thursday morning when driving on the Mass. Pike. The agency announced the speed limit has been reduced to 40 miles per hour in both directions of the entire highway. Tandem tractor-trailer trucks and tanker trucks are banned from interstate travel while the speed restrictions are in place. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ghina Ghaliya, Margareth Aritonang and Marchio Irfan Gorbiano (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, February 7 2020 Omnibus law for whom?: Representatives of the Bali Peoples Coalition demonstrate in Denpasar, Bali, on Thursday to reject the omnibus bill on job creation to be deliberated by the House of Representatives. They say the bill does not serve the interests of workers, farmers or other members of civil society in the province. (JP/Zul Trio Anggono) The fate of the omnibus bill on job creation a key piece of legislation for President Joko Jokowi Widodos sweeping economic reform agenda appears to be hanging in the balance, with the State Palace struggling to get the labor unions on board the Presidents ambitious project. Jokowi, whose coalition controls the majority of seats in the House of Representatives, has pledged to get the bill passed into law within 100 days of submitting the legislation to the lawmakers. The Palace, however, still lacks the support of labor unions that suspect the bill would undermine their rights, forcing government officials to revise the initial draft, keep its contents from public scrutiny and delay its submission to the House. 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 As the Anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests continue at Jamia Millia Islamia, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Jamia Nagar Police Station wrote a letter asking the varsity Registrar to remove the protesters. The SHO, Upender Singh wrote to the administration asking it to remove the students protesting at gate number seven of the university. On January 30, an incident of firing had been reported from the protest site. The gunman identified to be a minor had fired one bullet which injured a student in the arm. The accused has been taken into preventive custody and a case of attempt to murder under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code and Arms Act was registered against him. The protests are continuing around the university premises since the passage of the CAA Parliament. Live TV On December 15 2019, the agitators had set ablaze four buses near New Friends Colony, which left six policemen and two fire brigade personnel injured. Locals of the Sarai Julena area in Jamia Nagar had allegedly clashed with police. The situation was brought under control when the police got into action and several Jamia students were left injured in the clash. On December 16, 2019, Chinmoy Biswal, Delhi Commissioner of Police South East, had said that a mob of around 2,000 people turned violent and targeted public transport buses. On December 17, ten people with criminal backgrounds were arrested in connection with this case. Among those arrested, none were students of Jamia Millia Islamia, the police had said. The Citizenship Amendment Act grants 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. LANSING, MI -- Gov. Gretchen Whitmer left no doubt that she believes Democratic primary contests in other states are taking the focus off Michigan, which holds its election one month after people in Iowa and New Hampshire. During a Wednesday interview with MLive, two days after full results had yet to be released from the Iowa caucus, Whitmer said theres got to be a better way." The Democratic governor said candidates focus on the early nominating contests comes at the expense of Michigan, a vital battleground state for President Donald Trumps re-election hopes. Ive always kind of just wondered how on earth we got the system that we did, and clearly were seeing some of the faults in the system this week, Whitmer said. You know, God love the people of New Hampshire and South Carolina and Iowa, but Ive always kind of struggled with should they cull the field before Michiganders have an opportunity to weigh in. I dont think they should, frankly. Michigans primary is held on March 10 after Super Tuesday, where more delegates to the presidential nominating conventions can be won than any other day in the primary. However, Michigan voters were actually able to start voting earlier than any other state due to new laws passed in 2018 that allow early absentee voting for any reason. The absence of Democratic presidential candidates -- save former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who wont be on a primary ballot until Super Tuesday -- leaves a vacuum for Trump and his surrogates to campaign in Michigan. The president visited Michigan twice in two months. Trump surrogates, including the presidents sons, senior administration officials and Republican members of Congress also flocked to Iowa days before the Feb. 3 caucuses. Michigan Republican Party Chairman Laura Cox said voters can expect to see Trump bring his campaign back to the state in the next month. As each primary takes place theyre definitely not taking anything for granted, Cox said Tuesday. They were everywhere in Iowa, and they will continue to do that. Bloomberg, who stopped in Detroit Tuesday, is also taking advantage of not having to compete in the first primary states. His campaign announced it will open new field offices in Ann Arbor, Flint, Warren and Bloomfield Hills, adding to two offices already established in Detroit. "Yesterday, I hear something happened in Iowa -- or didnt happen, Bloomberg said in Detroit. "But while all the other Democratic candidates have flown to New Hampshire, Im here in Michigan because this is a state we absolutely must win in November if were going to beat Donald Trump. David Dulio, head of the political science department at Oakland University, said the primary puts Michigan in an awkward position. The state will be a critical battleground in the general election, he said, but risks being overshadowed by less important states because it comes later in the primary season. I think its a big dance that candidates have to do and Democrats are in a position now where they have to be in these early states that arent going to make a huge impact in November, but they cant get to November unless they win in these early states and secure the nomination," Dulio said. Michigan tried to hold an earlier primary in 2008, but the Democratic National Committee penalized the state for breaking party rules. The DNC awarded delegates half a vote at the national convention and two candidates, former Senator John Edwards and then-Sen. Barack Obama, withdrew their names from the Michigan race. Dulio said its in a states best interest to vote as early as possible because it bestows more relevance in the nominating process. That means candidates will spend more time in the state and give voters better opportunities to understand their platforms. These candidates spend a year going to those states talking about issues the people of those states care about, Dulio said. Its also relevant with the delegate count. It happens often, where states that go late in the process are meaningless to choosing the nominee. Michigan I dont think has been in that position for a long time and I dont think we will be this time because coming out of Super Tuesday it will be muddled. Iowa and New Hampshire are important contests in giving candidates the momentum needed to continue their campaigns, but the two states combined distribute fewer delegates than Michigan in both the primary and general elections. Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes said Michigan should absolutely be one of the first primary states. Barnes highlighted a common critique that the first two states dont represent the geographic and ethnic diversity of the Democratic Party. Any presidential nominee should be able to speak to the diverse interests represented in this critical battleground, Barnes said in a statement. The road to the presidency runs through Michigan and our presidential candidates should have to prove themselves here before they represent the Democratic Party. Dulio said Democrats have recognized that the largely white rural populations of Iowa and New Hampshire dont look like the Democratic Partys base nationally, thats why Nevada and South Carolina are the third and fourth states on the calendar. As the week closes, Democrats are offered little assurance about the results in Iowa. A faulty smartphone app, other technical glitches and organizational issues caused long delays in the reporting of caucus results. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez called for a recanvass of the results Thursday, in order to assure public confidence. Former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg narrowly led U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., as of Thursday morning, the Associated Press reported. Whitmer said she doesnt have a solution, but said something should be done to change up the process next time. I dont know that Im endorsing any particular alternative, Whitmer said. But, I think that there are some thoughtful ways of ensuring that all states get an opportunity to weigh in. Maybe it is a national primary, (maybe) it is alternating which states are the first to go. Theres got to be a better way to do it than this one. Dulio said Iowas issues in reporting accurate results quickly has brought many of these concerns to the forefront, but expressed uncertainty about what the DNC will do moving forward. I think the fiasco in Iowa will absolutely cause those conversations to happen," Dulio said. "How it will change is completely up in the air. Read more on MLive: Who is on Michigans March presidential primary ballot? Bloomberg tells Detroit hes their best chance to beat Trump Trump defiantly campaigns in Michigan while being impeached Trump says USMCA ended a nightmare for Michigan auto workers Bloomberg spending historic amount on Michigan Democratic primary Central African Republic President Faustin Archange Touadera on Thursday called on international partners to take a tougher line on armed groups who were violating the terms of a peace agreement. CAR's government signed a deal with 14 rebel militias a year ago, but more than two-thirds of the former French colony remains under the control of armed groups who often fight over territory and its rich mineral resources. The agreement, signed in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, has eased fighting but not ended a conflict that has ravaged the nation since 2013. "One year later, the time for observing has ended. It is time for firmness so that the agreement is respected," Touadera said. Map of Central African Republic locating Bangui. By (AFP) The president called on the African Union and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) economic bloc to clarify possible sanctions on rebel groups who break the accord. Article 35 of the peace agreement allows for sanctions against those who violate the deal but details on the measures have yet to be defined. Amnesty International on Wednesday warned various armed groups were still carrying out abuses of civilians, including killings and sexual violence, despite the peace deal. Touadera, who is expected to run for re-election in December, told reporters the deal was still making progress despite opposition criticism, in a country emerging from three civil wars in less than two decades. A UN mission -- known by the acronym MINUSCA -- has almost 12,000 troops and 2,080 police in CAR in order to protect civilians and foster stability. One of the world's poorest and most unstable nations, CAR has suffered several violent crises since 2003 when former president Francois Bozize seized power in a coup. The country spiralled into bloodshed after Bozize was overthrown in 2013, with rival militias battling for control and fighting forcing nearly a quarter of the country's 4.5 million people to flee their homes. Dozens of protesters held signs calling for reparations for the Linnentown community as they stood along the walls in the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission chamber on the evening of Feb. 4. Linnentown was a neighborhood located where the University of Georgias three largest residence halls Russell, Brumby and Creswell now sit. In the 1960s, the local government bought Linnentown residents homes through eminent domain as part of an urban renewal project, and the community was torn down and replaced by the dorms. The Linnentown Project, an organization working to obtain reparations and recognition for the residents of the majority-black neighborhood, has pushed commissioners to approve the Linnentown Resolution. The resolution calls the citys and UGAs taking of the property an act of institutionalized white supremacy and terrorism resulting in long-term ramifications for the black population of Athens. The resolution was not on the Commissions agenda Tuesday. The turnout at the Commissions voting meeting followed the Linnentown Projects first major protest on Martin Luther King Jr. Day outside City Hall. What better time to make sure that [the Linnentown Resolution] gets on an agenda to be voted on and passed in this month, in order to commemorate Black History Month and show people in this community that you care about black people? said Imani Scott-Blackwell, a supporter of the resolution, to the Commission. The resolution demands recognition and compensation for Linnentown residents. A majority of commissioners did not express support for the resolution as written at Tuesdays meeting. District 4 Commissioner Allison Wright, District 10 Commissioner Mike Hamby, District 8 Commissioner Andy Herod and District 1 Commissioner Patrick Davenport refrained from commenting on the resolution during the meeting. District 7 Commissioner Russell Edwards and District 6 Commissioner Jerry NeSmith have expressed concern over the resolutions current language. Edwards said during the meeting that he already made [his] position clear about not supporting the resolution, while NeSmith said he supports the idea behind the resolution but has reservations about some of its current language. District 5 Commissioner Tim Denson, District 3 Commissioner Melissa Link and District 2 Commissioner Mariah Parker expressed strong support for the resolution as written at Tuesdays meeting. District 9 Commissioner Ovita Thornton expressed support for the projects idea. Parker denounced fellow commissioners who called for compromise on the resolution, which she helped develop. When we had a showing like this last time, it was about cats, Parker said, referring to the controversy that erupted last fall after the local government came under fire for its management of the county animal shelter. It didnt take any conversation about compromise. We acted swiftly to ensure that justice was had for the cats. But when it comes to the breakup of black communities suddenly we need to make sure that the white men sitting behind this rail have control over the process. The resolution describes the Linnentown community as a burgeoning and stable area where African American residents worked to build wealth even though they held low-wage jobs. These were not people who were a threat to society, but simply due to the color of their skin and the nature of their birth, they were removed from a place where they had made a community a place where they could raise their children, said Jamal Johnson, a Linnentown supporter. This place no longer exists. In a Jan. 9 statement, UGA told commissioners it respectfully disagree[s] with some of the conclusions of the Linnentown Project. The university said the high-rise dormitories were constructed to accommodate the schools population boom. A total of 176 black families and 122 white families were displaced by two concurrent urban renewal projects the University of Georgia Urban Renewal Program and the College Avenue Redevelopment Program according to the Linnentown Project resolution. However, Linnentown itself was majority black, according to the Linnentown Project. Before the Linnentown Project spoke about the resolution, commissioners discussed a proposed agreement between ACC and The Classic Center Authority that would allow the CCA to expand The Classic Center, creating several new buildings. Commissioners put the vote on hold to allow the public to get a better understanding of the agreement. Commissioners also passed a revised resolution granting the Board of Elections $136,898 in contingency funds to implement new voting machines. Commissioners previously discussed granting only $101,898 but decided that funding would not be enough to ensure a smooth transition to the new system. Georgia is rolling out new voting machines statewide before the primary elections in March. The Mayor and Commission did not explicitly discuss steps for considering the Linnentown resolution, but Mayor Kelly Girtz said he expects to have significant conversations with supporters of the Linnentown Resolution in the future. Foster Steinbeck contributed to this article. Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the racial makeup of Linnentown. The Red & Black regrets this error and it has since been corrected. All 645 people evacuated from Chinas Wuhan city, who were lodged at the quarantine facilities set up by the Army and Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in and around Delhi, have tested negative for coronavirus, the Union health ministry said on Thursday. It said as of February 6, 138,750 from 1,265 flights had been screened for the nCoV illness but no new case has been detected. India has reported three confirmed cases from Kerala. Ten other Indians who wanted to return were unable to do so as they could not clear the health screening, the external affairs ministry said. India ... Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 05:04:10|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Up to six people were killed and some 70 others wounded on Wednesday in clashes between the demonstrators and followers of the Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in the holy Shiite city of Najaf, security and medical sources said. The clashes erupted when members of the Peace Companies militia stormed the al-Sadrain Square in Najaf, some 160 km south of the capital Baghdad, and set fire to the sit-in tents, prompting the protesters to clash with the attackers, a local police source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity. During the chaos, unidentified militants fired bullets and caused casualties from both sides, mostly among the demonstrators, the source said. Ambulances transported six bodies of demonstrators killed in the clashes, another source from the Najaf Health Department, told Xinhua. Up to 74 wounded people were sent to the city's hospitals, the source said, also on condition of anonymity. Meanwhile, Safaa al-Tamimi, a military spokesman for the Peace Companies, told the official Iraqi News Agency that unknown groups bombed the al-Sadrain Square and attacked both demonstrators and the militia's members. "There are parties that are working to stir sedition. We have videos documenting the attack and they were all handed over to the security forces," al-Tamimi said. Mass anti-government demonstrations have been continuing in Baghdad and other cities in central and southern Iraq since October of 2019, demanding comprehensive reform, fight against corruption, better public services and more jobs. Florida Gun Owners to Law Enforcement: Violate Our Rights & We Will Sue You. Florida Carry Letter Advises Sheriffs & Police Chiefs To Know and Obey The Law TALLAHASSEE, FL - February 3, 2020 - Florida Carry, Inc. has put Floridas top cops on notice: Stop violating the rights of law abiding gun owners or you will get sued. In a letter sent to every sheriff and police chief in the state ( SEE ATTACHED ), Florida Carry notes, Despite the well-established right, our members have been repeatedly victimized and deprived of their rights by various law enforcement agencies and their respective officers and deputies. Too many individuals in law enforcement throughout the state have harassed, berated, belittled, arrested, and even killed law- abiding citizens going about their personal business, for simply exercising their constitutionally protected right to bear arms. The letter goes on to detail instances where the rights of their members as well as other Floridians have been violated by law enforcement officers who were either ignorant of, directed to or simply refused to comply with the law. Florida Carry is demanding that frontline law enforcement officers receive proper training on how to interact with law abiding citizens who are simply exercising their legal rights. Further, they warn that incidents where these rights are violated will result in legal action. If your officers and deputies do not receive this more thorough and appropriate training and continue to violate our rights, we will respond. We will bring lawsuit after lawsuit until the message is delivered. Now that law enforcement has been put on proper notice, Florida Carry hopes that their members will now be able to exercise their right to keep and bear arms without incident. But should this not be the case and legal action is required, law enforcement agencies can no longer claim ignorance as a defense. We have cataloged and continue to catalog the violations of our rights. We will use this letter and these onerous violations in court. We will show that you were made aware of the consequences of your persistent failure to properly train your officers and deputies. We will show that law enforcement statewide has repeatedly violated the rights of gun owners and yet you did nothing. We will demand criminal prosecution of officers and deputies who violate our rights. A 30-year-old Houston man who was out on bond on a DWI charge now faces three counts of intoxicated manslaughter after a woman, her daughter and her grandson were killed Wednesday in a fiery crash in northeast Harris County. Gregory Allen Smith, who was also injured in the wreck on Antoine Drive at North Sam Houston Parkway, is at Ben Taub Hospital. Deputy constables are watching over him and he will soon be handed over to the Harris County Sheriffs Office. He is responsible for snuffing out the lives of three people, said Harris County Precinct 4 Constable Mark Herman. Relatives of the three identified them as Piedad Romero, her Diana Soriano-Escobar, and Soriano-Escobar's son Ricardo Daniel Escobar Jr. Another family member, an 11-year-old girl, survived the crash. She was thrown about 30 feet and landed in a soft, grassy area, Herman said. "I think God was looking out for her. For her to be thrown clear of that vehicle, because everyone in that vehicle burned up, for her to be thrown out is miraculous. It was meant to be." Relatives said the girl, Soriano-Escobar's sister, remains hospitalized. OUT OF CONTROL: Houstons roads, drivers are nations most deadly Smith was headed south on Antoine toward Sam Houston Parkway around 4 p.m. He appeared to run the red lights on the north side of the freeway and the south side before striking a black SUV in the intersection, authorities said. The driver of the SUV was taken to a hospital as a precaution. She was released Wednesday night, Herman said. Smith then struck a full-sized van the grandmother was driving. The van spun out and caught fire, and the little girl was ejected. Bystanders at the crash were helpless, Herman said Thursday. People were running with fire extinguishers trying to help our three victims to no avail, he said. Herman would not say if drugs or alcohol were involved, adding that Smith made unspecified comments to authorities at the hospital. Herman was unable to say how fast Smith was going or if it was his vehicle he was driving. Smith had a passenger who was also hospitalized. He has not been charged with a crime but he is part of the criminal investigation, Herman said. Smith, who has a lengthy criminal background, was out on $1,000 personal bond after he was charged with misdemeanor driving while intoxicated in a crash in July. He's been determined within the last year to have a mental illness or intellectual disability, court documents show. Specifics on the illness or disability are unknown. He had been charged with capital murder in Hinds County, Mississippi before the case was dismissed in 2015, according to officials at the Raymond Jail. No further information about that charge was immediately available. Samantha Ketterer contributed to this report. This update corrects the relationship of the 11-year-old girl injured in the wreck . Warhead-containing nose cone of an inert Minuteman 3 missile is seen in a training launch tube at Minot Air Force Base, N.D. on Monday, Sept. 25, 2014. (Charlie Riedel/AP-File) US Air Force Conducts Test Flight of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile The U.S. military test-launched an unarmed intercontinental ballistic (ICBM) missile on a test flight from California on Feb. 5, to a target in the Pacific Ocean, the Air Force Global Strike Command said in a news release. As part of a developmental test, the Minuteman 3 was fitted with a test re-entry vehicle and launched at 12:33 a.m. Wednesday from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. The re-entry vehicle traveled 4,200 miles (6,759 kilometers) to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, the command said. The Minuteman III is aging, and modernization programs such as this are essential in ensuring that our nation has a reliable nuclear deterrent through the rest of its lifespan and beyond, Col. Omar Colbert, 576th Flight Test Squadron commander, said in a statement. Most importantly, this visible indicator of our national security capabilities serves to assure our partners and dissuade potential aggressors. The command said test launches are not a response or reaction to world events or regional tensions, but rather to verify the accuracy and reliability of the ICBM weapon system. It gathers valuable data to ensure a continued safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent, the command said in the news release. Developmental tests use a spare missile from storage to validate flight worthiness of new or replacement components. That differs from test launches that use randomly selected operational missiles. The Air Force Global Strike Command said this weeks test was the second of four test launches scheduled over the next several years that will validate replacement components that will ensure continued Minuteman III viability. The first developmental test launch of the Minuteman 3 was on Feb. 1, 2019, it said. The United States tests its ICBM fleet of Air Force Minuteman IIIs and Navy sub-launched Trident II missiles regularly. Its launch calendars are developed three to five years in advance, and planning for individual launches takes six months to a year. Airmen conducted the launch from the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, and the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. Vandenbergs 30th Space Wing, now a part of the new U.S. Space Force, provided support. Its been an incredible opportunity for the combined task force of combat crew and maintenance members from F.E. Warren, Minot and Malmstrom AFB to partner with the professionals from the 576th Flight Test Squadron and 30th Space Wing, Maj. Christopher Crommie, the task force commander, said in a statement. I am extremely proud of the teams hard work, professionalism, and dedication to accomplish a unique and important mission to prepare the ICBM for test and monitor the sortie up until test execution. The attention given to every task accomplished here reflects the precision and professionalism theyand our fellow Airmen up northbring every day to ensure the success of our mission out in the missile fields, he said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. JERUSALEM Israeli forces killed two Palestinians in clashes in the occupied West Bank on Thursday and a third in Jerusalem after he opened fire at police, hours after a car-ramming attack elsewhere in the city wounded 12 Israeli soldiers. Tensions have soared following last weeks release of President Trumps Mideast initiative, which greatly favors Israel and was rejected by the Palestinians. The violence put the plan on even shakier ground and raised fears of another extended round of fighting in the decades-old conflict. PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-06 04:17:34 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 448 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 5, 2020 / International Montoro Resources Inc. (TSXV:IMT)(Frankfurt:O4T1), (the "Company"). Further to the news release dated January 9, 2020. the Company announces that it will close its first tranche of its private placement and issue 5,465,000 units at a price of $0.035 for gross proceeds of $191,275. Each unit will be comprised of one common share in the capital of the Company and one warrant. Each whole warrant will permit the holder to acquire one additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.05 for two years from closing.A finder's fee of $2,800 cash and 80,000 warrants have agreed to be paid/issued.The use of proceeds will be for continued exploration on existing properties $50,000 and incurred exploration expenses payable $35,000; Regulatory fees $2,000; Office Rent & Communication expenses $5,000; Transfer Agent Fees $1,000; Legal & Accounting $8,000; Partial loan & interest repayment $15,000; Investor & Shareholder Relations including travel & advertising $10,000; Management Fees $10,000; Outstanding Payables & Unallocated Working Capital $55,275. While the Company intends to use the proceeds as stated above, there may be circumstances where, for sound business reasons, funds may be reallocated at discretion of the Board.All securities will be subject to a four-month hold period from the closing date. Closing of the private placement is subject to final TSX Venture Exchange approval.About International Montoro Resources Inc.Int. Montoro Resources Inc. listed on the TSX Venture Exchange for over 25 years, is a Canadian based emerging resource company. The Company is systematically exploring its extensive property positions in:Red Lake, Ontario ( Camping Lake - Au prospect)Elliot Lake, Ontario (Serpent River/Pecors -Ni-Cu-PGE discovery) & (Uranium- REE's)Quebec (Duhamel -Ni-Cu-Co prospect & Titanium, Vanadium, and Chromium prospect)Prince George, British Columbia (Wicheeda North - Rare Earth Elements prospect)ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD"Gary Musil"Gary Musil,President/CEO and DirectorDisclaimer for Forward-Looking Information:Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements which reflect the expectations of management. Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect.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: International Montoro Resources Inc. Tom Perez called on the Iowa Democratic Party to recanvass its caucus after the results of Monday's first-in-the-nation primary competition are still not reported three days later. 'Enough is enough,' the chairman of the Democratic National Committee tweeted Thursday afternoon. 'In light of the problems that have emerged in the implementation of the delegate selection plan and in order to assure public confidence in the results, I am calling on the Iowa Democratic Party to immediately begin a recanvass,' he continued. Perez's demand comes after an app malfunction launched the Iowa caucuses into confusion Monday night as Democratic candidates left Iowa without knowing the victor. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez demanded the Iowa Democratic Party recanvass its caucuses after the results were delayed for days The double check is to ensure there are no mistakes after the party was forced to result to paper reporting and manual computations after the app that was supposed to be used for those purposes malfunctioned The app's 'inconsistencies' and slew of other technical issues, caused Iowa to resort to paper reporting and manual tabulations. Precinct secretaries were then told to call an IDP hotline to report results. Delays were further exacerbated when a slew of Donald Trump supporters flooded the hotline after the number was posted on an online messaging board with urges from some anonymous users to 'clog the line.' The Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) said final results were expected Thursday, but as of Thursday morning with 97 per cent of precincts reporting, former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders are in a dead heat. Buttigieg came out with 26.2 per cent of the vote thursday morning and Sanders with 26.1 per cent only .1 percentage point of a difference with most of the caucus precincts reporting completed. Elizbaeth Warren is in third place with 18.2 per cent and former Vice President Joe Biden is, surprisingly, in fourth with 15.8 per cent. In reforms for the 2020 primary, the Iowa party introduced the ability for campaigns to request recanvasses if they are able to prove new figures could alter the allocation of delegates. A recanvass is when local election authorities go through ballots to double check the results, while a recount is when the results are confirmed by the court system. Perez also weighed in on the Iowa caucus reporting fiasco on Tuesday morning. 'What happened last night in Iowa should never happen again. We have staff working around the clock to assist the Iowa Democratic Party to ensure that all votes are counted,' he tweeted at the time. He also assured that the app would not be used in the Nevada caucuses later in the month like was previously planned. Perez's call for a recanvass also came as a New York Times report called into question the accuracy considering human error. The report noted that on Wednesday, the IDP released a wave of results that showed Deval Patrick far from a frontrunner candidate sweeping central Des Moines. But this was wrong. The votes that came in for Sanders had been incorrectly reported as being for the former governor of Massachusetts. The same issue happened with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren's tallies, that incorrectly went to billionaire Tom Steyer. These mistakes are likely due to inevitable human error as the Democratic Party resorts to manual tabulations and data entry. David Iben put it well when he said, 'Volatility is not a risk we care about. What we care about is avoiding the permanent loss of capital. So it might be obvious that you need to consider debt, when you think about how risky any given stock is, because too much debt can sink a company. We note that Industrias Bachoco, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:IBA) does have debt on its balance sheet. But is this debt a concern to shareholders? When Is Debt A Problem? Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. Ultimately, if the company can't fulfill its legal obligations to repay debt, shareholders could walk away with nothing. While that is not too common, we often do see indebted companies permanently diluting shareholders because lenders force them to raise capital at a distressed price. Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. When we examine debt levels, we first consider both cash and debt levels, together. View our latest analysis for Industrias Bachoco. de What Is Industrias Bachoco. de's Debt? The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that Industrias Bachoco. de had debt of Mex$4.02b at the end of December 2019, a reduction from Mex$5.04b over a year. However, it does have Mex$19.2b in cash offsetting this, leading to net cash of Mex$15.2b. NYSE:IBA Historical Debt, February 6th 2020 How Healthy Is Industrias Bachoco. de's Balance Sheet? Zooming in on the latest balance sheet data, we can see that Industrias Bachoco. de had liabilities of Mex$8.98b due within 12 months and liabilities of Mex$6.51b due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had Mex$19.2b in cash and Mex$3.88b in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it actually has Mex$7.57b more liquid assets than total liabilities. This surplus suggests that Industrias Bachoco. de is using debt in a way that is appears to be both safe and conservative. Due to its strong net asset position, it is not likely to face issues with its lenders. Simply put, the fact that Industrias Bachoco. de has more cash than debt is arguably a good indication that it can manage its debt safely. Story continues The good news is that Industrias Bachoco. de has increased its EBIT by 5.1% over twelve months, which should ease any concerns about debt repayment. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine Industrias Bachoco. de's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you want to see what the professionals think, you might find this free report on analyst profit forecasts to be interesting. But our final consideration is also important, because a company cannot pay debt with paper profits; it needs cold hard cash. Industrias Bachoco. de may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. Looking at the most recent three years, Industrias Bachoco. de recorded free cash flow of 48% of its EBIT, which is weaker than we'd expect. That weak cash conversion makes it more difficult to handle indebtedness. Summing up While we empathize with investors who find debt concerning, you should keep in mind that Industrias Bachoco. de has net cash of Mex$15.2b, as well as more liquid assets than liabilities. And it also grew its EBIT by 5.1% over the last year. So we don't think Industrias Bachoco. de's use of debt is risky. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Industrias Bachoco. de , and understanding them should be part of your investment process. At the end of the day, it's often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It's free. 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. JERSEYVILLE Special license plate decals orders are now being accepted for license plate stickers benefitting the Kids Shouldnt Have Cancer Foundation in memory of Jonny Wade of Jerseyville. Wade was 8 when he died from brain cancer on Christmas Eve 2015. In his memory, his family is seeking to end pediatric cancer through their Kids Shouldnt Have Cancer Foundation. In August, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 946 authorizing the sale of the license plate decals for $25 to raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer. To confirm the sale of decals, the foundation begun in Wades memory needs at least 2,000 people to sign up for the license plate decal before its release. To do so, people must download a form from https://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/pdf_publications/vsd702.pdf and return it, along with a $10 check, to the Illinois Secretary of States Office. This is such an important endeavor in our quest to conquer pediatric cancer and we cannot do this without you, said Wades mother, Kimberly Wade, founder of KSHCF. I encourage everyone in the state of Illinois to support this effort as we work to save the lives of children affected by cancer. The decals will have an issue fee of $25; $10 will go to the awareness fund. The yearly renewal fee will also be $25, with $23 going to the fund. You pay this fee every year for the decal, along with the universal specialty license plate, and a big portion of that goes to the University of Illinois, said state Sen. Steve McClure, R-Springfield. Theyve got a Pediatric Cancer Treatment and Research Center, and thats what its going to go to. For more details, visit kidsshouldnthavecancer.org. Here are the companies the Yahoo Finance team is watching for you today. A big quarter at Toyota (TM). The auto giant posted solid results thanks in part to profits that quadrupled in North America, as drivers buy more trucks and SUVs. The company raised its forecast as well, but admitted the coronarvirus remains a risk. Toyota factories in China are currently closed as the virus spreads. A C-Suite shakeup at Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD). Longtime CFO Felipe Dutra is stepping down and will be replaced by the companys Vice President of Finance for South America, Fernando Tennenbaum. Dutra has been at AB InBev since 2005, and helped ink deals that integrated assets like Anheuser-Busch International, Modelo, and SABMiller. Its unclear why Dutra decided to step down. Shares of Funko (FNKO) are plunging this morning after the stock was downgraded by at least four firms, including JPMorgan Chase. The pop-culture figurine maker warned that fourth-quarter results would come in worse than expected when it releases earnings March 5th. Meanwhile, Funko has announced a limited edition Australian firefighter Pop figure, complete with a vinyl koala latched onto his leg. All proceeds from the "Bushfire Heroes" figure will go toward helping animals impacted by the Australian wildfires. BEIJING - China cut tariffs on $75 billion of U.S. imports including soybeans, pork and auto parts Thursday in a trade truce with Washington while Beijing struggles with a costly virus outbreak. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, photo, workers watch a container ship arrive at a port in Qingdao in east China's Shandong province. China cut tariffs on $75 billion of U.S. imports including auto parts on Thursday, Feb. 6 in response to American reductions as part of their truce in a trade war. (Chinatopix via AP) BEIJING - China cut tariffs on $75 billion of U.S. imports including soybeans, pork and auto parts Thursday in a trade truce with Washington while Beijing struggles with a costly virus outbreak. The cuts follow last month's signing of a Phase 1 agreement toward ending a long-running tariff war over Beijing's technology ambitions and trade surplus. Both sides have made conciliatory gestures but the lingering dispute threatens to chill global economic growth. 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 reductions follow American tariff cuts last month on Chinese goods. There was no indication Beijing altered its own cuts in response to the rising cost of efforts to contain a virus outbreak that have depressed business activity by closing factories, restaurants and shops. The next steps depend on the development of the Chinese-U.S. economic and trade situation, said a Ministry of Finance statement. We hope to work with the United States toward the final elimination of all tariff increases. The tax rate on some 916 items including soybeans, pork and fish was cut from 10% to 5%, effective Feb. 14, the ministry said. The rate for 801 items including auto parts will be cut from 5% to 2.5%. Washington hiked tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018 in response to Beijing's multibillion-dollar trade surplus and complaints it steals or pressures companies to hand over technology. China retaliated by increasing duties on American goods. Under the Phase 1 deal in October, Washington cancelled planned additional tariff hikes and Beijing committed to buy more U.S. farm exports. However, most tariff hikes imposed previously by both sides on billions of dollars of each other's good are still in place. Farmers in Northern Ireland have welcomed news that there will be 293 million in direct payments for the 2020 scheme year. The payments, which have been in place since 2015, comprise of the Basic Payment Scheme, Greening Payment and Young Farmers Payments. Newly-elected farming minister Edwin Poots confirmed the news, and that his department, DAERA, aims to make full payments from 16 October 2020. He made the announcement during a visit to Ballymena Mart: The 2020 scheme will operate in a similar fashion to that in 2019, apart from a small number of issues where change is necessary as a result of our exit from the EU, Mr Poots said. Payments under the 2020 scheme year will be nationally funded and, consequently, there will be no deductions from payments under the EU financial discipline mechanism. The limit on advance payments, which was 70% of the total payment in 2019, has been removed and as a result, my department intends to make full payments from 16 October. The confirmation of the payments has been described by the Ulster Farmers' Union (UFU) as 'good news', giving farming businesses 'much-needed certainty'. The union said that farmers in the region have had to 'endure a lack of clarity on payments for some time'. Direct payments are crucial for any farm business and helps to ensure the production of affordable high-quality food consumers demand continues, UFU president, Ivor Ferguson said. He added that Northern Ireland now has the ability to 'regionalise' agricultural policy now the UK has left the EU. Farming in NI is very different to farming in the south of England and regionalisation will ensure that the delivery of this funding best suits the differing needs and structure of our industry here, Mr Ferguson explained. With the Brexit process progressing, it is vital that Northern Irelands competitiveness in the all-island economy is maintained. The level of support payments given to agriculture in the Republic of Ireland must be tracked in the future and matched. The 2019 scheme year exchange rate of 1 = 0.89092 will be used to calculate individual farmers payments for the 2020 scheme year. The option for farmers to receive payments in euro will no longer be available given the UK's exit from the EU. There is something that I have seen when it comes to the fires and the many prayers that have been made concerning them. While we should pray for those caught in catastrophic events there is a situation that concerns me. When cyclone Tracey hit Darwin in 1975 most of the city was flattened. There was a random nature to the effects of the cyclone. You could walk down a street and all but one house was standing. It is the same in towns hit by hurricanes in North America. Lone houses standing while others are no longer there. The same has happened in Gippsland, New South Wales and Queensland. The fires have destroyed houses in some places and left others still standing. It is the same with lives. Some have not returned from fighting these fires. Others have found themselves with no way out and no way to hide from the flames. In Mallacoota the fires moved towards those ready with woollen blankets to march out into the lakes and the sea. Then the weather changes. The winds blow from the south and the fires move away. Still the fires burn and the sky becomes dark red. Ash and embers still fall as people pour buckets on cars to stop them catching alight. These people escaped. Days later, many have been escorted home by the Navy. The Trouble with the Expectation of Prayer We see the devastating pictures of the towns and schools all but ash. The fires are still burning. So many are still fighting fires. And during all of this we still pray. We are thankful that many are able to escape. But there are many that did not. Can you openly attribute your survival to those prayers when others did not survive. When your house is untouched and your neighbours house is gone, along with members of their family, can you tell them how great God is? I ask this question because it is one that I have had to deal with. Not with fires or cyclones but with my health. I was born with complications, one of these is Scoliosis. It means my spine twists compressing my torso, bringing my shoulders and my hips closer than they should. As a kid I was prayed for, A LOT. Because I lived in Australia and was able to go to a great hospital I got a surgical cure for scoliosis. My family and I consider this an answer to those prayers. At the same time I was getting this operation a person who I would meet many years later was being put in a wheelchair because of scoliosis. She did not have political leaders who were able to create the medical resources that we have in Australia. Without the access that I had she is still in a wheelchair. I still feel shame when I meet her. Why am I the beneficiary of providence prayed for and she is not? Her parents and family prayed too. What is the difference? We Wrestle Together In A Great Tradition This is my third attempt at trying to finish this article. Because it is not an easy thought. Because it is a personal quandary and one that may be in the minds of those who were fortunate in the face of these fires. We could call it Survivors guilt. Though when we attach it to prayer it becomes something else. Because God is not a Genie. Not all petitions to God in prayer receive a positive result. How many have prayed for release, survival, healing and nothing eventuates. This is a dark thought. Jesus often told those he healed to be quiet. These same people were so happy that they told everyone what had happened. When we get a windfall we want to tell others about our good fortune. Though what about those Jesus did not heal? What about those who are the subject of prayers for many years and nothing happens. There are those who have escaped these fires. Some with only the clothes they are wearing. The fires have devastated towns, and farms. It is possible that the costs are yet to be fully realised for some time. We donate, pray and support those still fighting and fleeing the fires. We mourn those who are no longer alive. For those with miraculous tales of escape we are glad. When prayer is answered we can be glad. There will be those who in their sadness and mourning will enter dark places. Those who survive may walk there as well. Many will find themselves in the place of Jobs wife Curse God and die. The hopelessness will attempt to swallow them whole. In this we have to wrestle with our idea of God. Is God good for me and not for another? Is God bad because of the fire that took so many homes and lives? Is prayer useless? It is a struggle and we need to understand that such a struggle is ok. It is a struggle we do not have to face alone. I heard someone say that the Jewish Scriptures are the recorded history and thinking of the people of God wrestling with the idea of God, where God is an active partner in this same wrestling. It is what Israel means, one who wrestles with God. It is an active and living practice that is still going for the children of Abraham. A practice we Christians claim to be part of. Do not ignore that you may need to wrestle in the face of this conflagration. On these things we have to wrestle, yet, we do not have to wrestle alone. With each passing day, we have been getting updates about Pawan Kalyan's Pink Remake which is undoubtedly the most-awaited Telugu movie of the year. First, we got to know about the film going on floors last month in Hyderabad and then recently we reported about the makers locking in the release date for the courtroom drama. It is being said that the Telugu version of Pink will arrive in theatres this year on May 15. And now the latest update is that the movie has finally got its title. Yes, Venu Sriram's directorial venture has been named Vakeel Saab. Considering the storyline, the title of the film is indeed perfect. Don't you guys agree? Co-produced by Boney Kapoor and Dil Raju, the movie also features Nivetha Thomas, Anjali and Ananya Nagalla in the lead roles. While the makers haven't made an official announcement regarding the film's title, it is being said that Sri Venkateswara Creations have already registered the name Vakeel Saab at the Film Chamber. Reportedly, Pawan Kalyan starrer is expected to wrap up by March and then the star cast will get busy promoting the film from March 25 onwards which is Ugadi. We hear the title of the film will also be revealed on the same day as its auspicious. Since both Hindi and Tamil versions were super successful, expectations are obviously high from the Telugu version as well which has been tweaked a little to impress the Tollywood audience. Pawan Kalyan, who is returning to films after a two-year hiatus, has been shooting for Vakeel Saab non-stop along with taking care of his political commitments. Apart from the Pink remake, the actor-turned-politician has also signed Krish Jagarlamudi's next outing which we hear is a period drama. In fact, reports have been doing the rounds that Kalyan has signed three more films. This means the megastar currently has 5 films on his plate. Pawan Kalyan Starrer Pink Remake To Release On THIS Date? Pawan Kalyan Starts Shooting for Telugu Remake of Pink Although China claimed a drop in the number of new suspected cases of coronavirus in the last two days, raising hopes that its strong measures may help to contain the outbreak, the death toll has risen to over 550. The total number of confirmed cases crossed the 28,000 mark, Chinese health officials announced on Thursday. The outbreak has resulted in Chinese cities being largely deserted, with tourist attractions shut and a few eateries requiring temperature checks and masks. Here's a glimpse of deserted roads and streets of the world's most populated country: A view of a street in Shanghai. Photograph: Aly Song/Reuters A man wearing a face mask rides a bicycle near an empty overpass in Kunming, Yunnan province. Photograph: Stringer/Reuters A view of the Lujiazui financial district in Pudong, Shanghai. Photograph: Aly Song/Reuters A man walks along the Financial Street in central Beijing. Photograph: Jason Lee/Reuters A car drives in an empty street in Yueyang, Hunan Province, near the border to Hubei Province, which is under partial lockdown after the outbreak. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters Street-view after Wuhan government announced to ban non-essential vehicles in downtown area to contain the coronavirus outbreak, in Wuhan, Hubei province. Photograph: China Daily via Reuters A security guard closes a gate at the Sihui Long Distance Bus Station in Beijing after the city has stopped inter-province buses services. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters A man wearing a face mask looks at his cellphone as he walks at a metro station in Beijing. Photograph: Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters Police stand at a roadblock at a bridge crossing the Yangtze River to Hubei province in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters Men sit in a deserted restaurant street that normally caters for tourists in a village outside Donglin Temple that is under lockdown in Jiujiang. Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters Before there was the coronavirus, there was SARS. Shorthand for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, the lethal, pneumonia-like virus emerged in late 2002 in China. It ultimately spread over several months to 37 countries, infecting more than 8,000 people, killing about 750, and briefly causing global panic. Today, the coronavirus is spreading faster than SARS. As of February 6, the global death toll from the outbreak that began in December had already risen to more than 560, according to Reuters: all but two were in mainland China, with more than 28,000 confirmed infections there. Worldwide Impact The current virus may end up not only being more lethal to humans but also more damaging to the world economy as well. The coronavirus is expected to trim economic growth in China this year to 5.6 percent, down from 6.1 percent in 2019, according to a forecast by Oxford Economics cited by The New York Times. What makes that more worrying is the role China plays in the world economy today. Back in 2002, China accounted for 4.3 percent of the world economy. It was largely churning out low-cost goods like T-shirts and sneakers to be bought elsewhere, mainly in the West. Today, Chinas share of the global economy is 16.9 percent. Some of that in the high-tech industry, including smart phones. Its the second-largest economy in the world, after the United States, which is the largest consumer market in the world and the number one export market for Chinese goods. That means more Chinese have more disposable income to spend. They are no longer just makers, but buyers. Apple, Starbucks, and IKEA have temporarily closed stores in China. Shopping malls are deserted. That means Chinese consumers arent spending disposable income. And all those shuttered shops have global businesses worried, not least in the United States. Goldman Sachs expects Chinese tourism to the United States and exports of American goods to China will take a hit because of the coronavirus. The U.S.-based investment bank predicts the virus will trim 0.4 percentage points from annualized growth in the United States over the first quarter of 2020. The bank foresees a slight rebound in the second quarter, but the risks are skewed towards a larger hit, according to a report cited by the Guardian. Coronavirus Costs Russia For Russia, the costs of the coronavirus could be even higher. Russia has fostered closer ties with China since relations with the West went south after Moscow seized Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in March 2014 and began backing separatists in eastern Ukraine in a conflict that has killed more than 13,000. China is now Russias top trade partner. Turnover between the two amounted to $100 billion in 2018, according to figures cited by Chinas official Xinhua news agency. But on January 31, Russia closed its more-than-4,000-kilometer-long border with China, shutting 16 border crossings. According to the Financial Times, the move risks damaging a relationship that has bloomed over the past six years. Not just goods but people are also being affected by the measures. In late January, Russia announced it was suspending a visa-free travel program for Chinese tourists, the biggest driver of growth for Russias tourist industry since 2015. The Association of Tour Operators of Russia, a tourism lobbying group, said Russia could lose $100 million from the restrictions, and an extra $10 million from Russian tourists cancelling or postponing trips to China. Russias Foreign Ministry also announced that it had stopped issuing electronic visas to Chinese nationals, suspending a special permit that gives tourists short-term access to St Petersburg, the Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad and parts of the countrys Far East. Globally, tourism is expected to be hard hit as people face travel restrictions to China. Tourism is vulnerable to the effects of public health emergencies and is already being affected by this outbreak. However, it is too early to fully estimate the impacts this outbreak will have, the United Nations World Tourism Organization said in a January 31 statement. Governments are shutting the borders to non-citizens who have recently traveled to China. The United States is temporarily barring foreign nationals who have visited China unless they are immediate relatives of American citizens or permanent residents. Less travel means fewer flights, and global airlines are already feeling the pain of coronavirus-linked travel restrictions. Dozens of airlines around the globe from Air France to Air Astana to Delta Airlines have suspended or restricted commercial flights in and out of China. Beijing and Shanghai are among the most affected cities, and some airlines have cut service to Hong Kong, a semiautonomous region of the country. Only seven U.S. airports were accepting flights from China as of February 3, 2020. As flight cancellations piled up, so too have losses for the global airline industry. During the SARS crisis back in 2002-2003, Asia Pacific carriers lost $6 billion in revenue, according to the International Air Transport Authority. North American airlines lost $1 billion and European carriers came out largely unscathed, analysts said. The coronavirus will definitely trump that $7 billion figure associated with SARS, said Ivan Su, an analyst with the financial services firm Morningstar. Part of that has to do with the number of Chinese travelers now compared to 2003. Around 660 million Chinese passengers traveled by air in 2019 more than seven times as many as in 2003, according to state news agency Xinhua. The boom in China far outpaced the global increase in passenger numbers, which grew from 1.7 billion in 2003 to 4.2 billion in 2018, according to the World Bank. "Airlines are more impacted today because China is the world's economic engine," Shukor Yusof, head of aviation consulting firm Endau Analytics in Malaysia, told CNN Business. Yusof said that the sweeping flight cancellations made by American Airlines, Air Canada, British Airways, and others are "unprecedented." The London-based Center for Economics and Business Research warned that unless a cure was found quickly, the coronavirus risked pushing a fragile world economic recovery into reverse. It is done. Donald Trump, impeached by the House of Representatives, has been acquitted by the Senate. He acted with corrupt intent to pressure the government of Ukraine to announce an investigation into the Bidens. He withheld congressionally approved aid to do so. In so doing, he broke the law. Then he did everything he could to obstruct the inquiry looking into his crime. He did these things. This is not in question anymore. Everyone paying attention to the evidence presented and that which continues to be revealed in the press knows this. Republicans in Congress know this. However, all but one Mitt Romney have lined up behind Trump to support and defend him. What we have watched in Washington from Republicans during this impeachment is nothing short of a travesty. Most people fully expected the Republicans in the Senate to do exactly what they did. However, it is still a strike against the country and the Constitution. Birthday wishes Call 281-422-8302 or email david.bloom@baytownsun.com to wish someone a happy birthday. We will print your birthday wish on Page 2 of The Sun. Happy Birthday Wishes JOHANNESBURG and LONDON, Feb. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Africa Capitalworks Management ("ACW"), a Sub-Saharan Africa-focused private equity investment company, is pleased to announce the acquisition of a significant minority equity shareholding in Gaselia Industries Group ("Gaselia"), one of the largest homegrown beverages groups in West Africa. Founded in 2002 by local entrepreneurs and headquartered in Bamako, Mali, Gaselia has three bottling production and distribution operations, located in Mali, Ivory Coast and Guinea-Conakry. It is one of the leading producers in each of its markets and categories and has an ambitious growth plan. Gaselia is the exclusive partner of Monarch Beverages ("Monarch") in these territories, and its product portfolio comprises proprietary brands and Monarch brands, such as Planet, American Cola, Bubble-Up and Reaktor. Gaselia also produces and distributes mineral water, sold under its Assinie brand, and produces and supplies PET preforms to the West African market. Gaselia employs 800 people. Commenting on the transaction, ACW Managing Partner Nana Sao, said: "Sub-Saharan Africa offers a wealth of investment opportunities, and we are delighted to be investing growth capital alongside Gaselia's accomplished founders in this exciting and dynamic sector." Yann Rogombe, ACW Investment Professional, said: "We are pleased to partner with a successful local and entrepreneurially-led business, with a proven track record of building a world-class bottling operation. We believe our patient capital, complementary skills and strategic support will assist Gaselia to accelerate the implementation of its growth plan and build on its leading regional platform." Madiou Simpara, Gaselia Chairman and founder, said: "We believe that we have found in ACW a partner with whom we share the same values and strategic vision. ACW will support us in our aim to provide greater access to affordable quality products to the mass market." Boubacar Pona, Gaselia CEO and co-founder, also commented: "We are delighted to partner with ACW for the next phase of Gaselia's growth. ACW's capital and complementary skills and expertise will allow us to unlock the full potential and accelerate the expansion of our platform." About Africa Capitalworks ACW is part of the Capitalworks Group ("Capitalworks"), a leading independent alternative asset manager, concentrating in emerging markets. ACW is a permanent capital vehicle focused on the mid-market in Sub-Sahara Africa, excluding South Africa, and combines the deployment of patient capital with a strong partnership approach, working alongside entrepreneurs and management teams to build exceptional businesses. About Capitalworks Capitalworks is a leading independent alternative asset manager concentrating on Sub-Saharan Africa. Capitalworks manages more than US$1 billion for a diverse range of investors, including leading domestic and international institutional investors, commercial banks, insurance companies, pension funds, family offices and high net worth individuals. Capitalworks' philosophy is centred on building exceptional businesses through partnering with leading entrepreneurs and management teams. Burma Nine Minor Myanmar Parties Form Electoral Pact The United Political Parties Alliance (UPPA) press conference on Feb. 5 in Yangon. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy Yangon Nine minor political parties have formed a political alliance ahead of the general election scheduled for November. The United Political Parties Alliance (UPPA) is intending to push for changes through collective strength for the betterment of the country, said party leaders as they launched the alliance in Yangon on Wednesday. For small- and medium-sized parties, it is better to go to the 2020 election collaboratively with mutual understanding, rather than go through independently. We believe this will bring about better results, and a fairer and freer election, said general secretary U Myo Nyunt of the Democracy and Peace Party. The alliance is made up of parties that were formed only after the 2015 general election and are yet to win a seat. It also includes the Party for People, Public of Labor Party, Yeomanry Development Party, Myanmar Peoples Democratic Party, Peoples Party of Myanmar Farmers and Workers, National Prosperity Party and the Union of Myanmar Federation of National Politics. Some six more parties are still in the process of discussion to join the nine-member bloc. And the bloc will also cooperate with other alliances, said U Myo Nyunt. The UPPA plans to contest across the country, but will give priority to ethnic candidates in ethnic-majority areas, said chairman U Htay Kyaw of the Myanmar Peoples Democratic Party. The idea to establish the UPPA dates back some four years, said U Htay Kyaw. 88 Generation student leader U Aye Lwin urged the people to vote for political parties that will solve the countrys problems with a people-centered approach to boost democracy. Cooperation would solve political problems through peaceful means in harmony with other parties. The UPPA said it expected to form a coalition government after the November election. The UPPA is the fourth electoral bloc in Myanmar after the United Nationalities Alliance, which consists of 12 ethnic parties; the Nationalities Brotherhood Federation, which has 18 ethnic parties; and the Federal Democracy Alliance of 10 parties. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko You may also like these stories: Ignoring Ethnic Parties will Hurt NLD in 2020 USDP Accuses Ruling Party of Pushing Charter Amendments to Spur Protests Election Commission Dismisses USDP Criticisms Hotels and mines on the Australian mainland could be used to quarantine people exposed to coronavirus. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed Defence has identified flow-over facilities to be used if Christmas Island reaches capacity. 'The second flight that's going into Wuhan, that's being arranged now. There are 35 people who were on the flight on Air New Zealand,' Mr Morrison told 2GB radio on Thursday. 'We took that decision for the second flight, knowing we'd be able to cater for that at Christmas Island. That's the advice I have, and so that should accommodate that. 'What we've also tasked the defence force to do is to identify overflow facilities. That was done when we looked at the first flight, and they have been going through that process.' A family of evacuees are seen walking in the Christmas Island Australian Immigration Detention Centre on Wednesday, February 5, 2020 About 240 Australians were evacuated from Wuhan earlier this week before being taken to Christmas Island Evacuees, who arrived from China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the coronavirus, are quarantined at the Detention Centre on Christmas Island (pictured) On Wednesday evening home affairs minister Peter Dutton said that if Christmas Island reaches capacity then people could share rooms or stay in locations away from the rest of the Australian population. 'There are isolated mining camps or the prospect of hotels that you could take over. But I think we'll look at all of those in order of what we think is the best response, but all of this is in the spirit of preparation,' he told reporters. The second group of Australians airlifted from the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak in China are about to be put into quarantine on Christmas Island, as the national toll for confirmed cases hits 14. The 35 citizens and permanent residents left Wuhan in central China on Wednesday on an Air New Zealand flight evacuating 98 New Zealanders and a number of others to Auckland. They are being transported from New Zealand on a charter flight across the Australian continent and on Thursday will join the 241 evacuees already undergoing a two-week quarantine process. So far, there have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus infection among the men, women and children already there. Passengers arriving at Auckland International Airport on February 5, 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand on Wednesday, February 5 Flight NZ1942 departed Wuhan on Wednesday carrying 198 passengers, including five pilots, 11 cabin crew, and medical engineering staff (passengers at Auckland International Airport) Meanwhile, a 37-year-old man became the fourth person in Queensland to be diagnosed with the virus on Wednesday. He had been travelling with three others from China - including an eight-year-old boy - who caught the virus, taking the number of confirmed cases in Australia to 14. Along with the four cases in Queensland, there have been four each in NSW and Victoria and two in South Australia. Three of the 14 people have recovered and been released. As well, two Australians who were travelling on a cruise ship off Japan have also tested positive to the deadly virus and more could follow. The majority of passengers New Zealand or Pacific Island nationals and will be quarantined for 14 days at Whangaparaoa military base The Japanese government has quarantined the vessel, which is carrying 223 Australians among its 2666 guests and 1045 crew at Yokohama, south of Tokyo. Some 492 people, mostly in China, have died and 24,562 people have been confirmed as infected since the coronavirus emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province, in December. The virus has spread to 25 countries around the world. Australian authorities have reacted to the global health emergency by forbidding non-citizens to fly to Australia from China. Kelvin Fletcher has shared a brilliant letter from a young fan asking to marry him. Popping the question in a hand-written note, admirer Madison complimented the actor-come-dancer on his 'handsome' looks. 'To Kelvin Fletcher. Can I married you you are handsome. Love from Madison,' read the romantic message. [sic]. Proposal: Kelvin Fletcher shared a brilliant letter from a young fan asking to marry him on Twitter on Thursday Admirer: Popping the question in a hand-written note, Madison complimented the actor-come-dancer on his 'handsome' looks (on the ballroom floor in 2019) Without a return address, the married Strictly Come Dancing star decided to take to Twitter to gently reject the offer. Posting a video of the letter, the former Emmerdale actor apologised for turning her down, citing his marriage to Elizabeth Marsland as the main reason. 'Dear Madison Thank you for your lovely card. Unfortunately, Im already taken, but if Wonder Woman every gets bored of me, Ill be sure to look you up. Kelvin x #Strictly #StrictlyTour #SCDLive.' Return to sender: Without a return address, the married Strictly Come Dancing star decided to take to Twitter to gently reject the offer Bob Marley's Is This Love? can be heard playing in the background of the hilarious short clip. Kelvin and Elizabeth are childhood sweethearts who grew up down the road from one another in Royton, Lancashire, and shared their first kiss at just eight years old. However they officially got together two years after she had finished university. They were engaged in 2015, after Kelvin proposed on the beach during a romantic trip to Wales. Then they wed exactly one year later in a lavish ceremony reportedly costing 55,000 at London's One Mayfair, with famous guests such as Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan in attendance. Kelvin has faced much success on this series of Strictly Come Dancing, however it has come at a cost to him and his family. In a recent interview with Hello, Elizabeth insisted that Kelvin's sizzling Strictly routines 'don't bother me. I'm used to seeing him kiss Britain's sexiest females on Emmerdale.' Loved up: Kelvin and Elizabeth are childhood sweethearts who grew up down the road from one another in Royton, Lancashire, and shared their first kiss at just eight years old 'I know the biggest part of a dance is the story and making it believable. I understand it's a performance.' She added: 'I can imagine it's difficult for people who aren't in this industry.' He came under scrutiny when it was revealed the actor missed his four-year wedding anniversary due to training. And on an episode of It Takes Two, the actor appeared sad as he admitted he'd also missed his son's first birthday due to his gruelling rehearsal schedule. Courtesy of the artist This past Wednesday, Weekly Alibi met with local music promoter and folk musician Judy Muldawer as well as with longtime Albuquerque community activist and president of the Wheels Museum Leba Freed. The meeting was all about a special solo piano concert to be given by award-winning champion old-time piano player Adam Swanson. Swanson will be playing music with themes centered on transportation and the nations railroads. Much of Swansons repertoire consists of ragtime compositions. Ragtime, a style of piano playing, was the most popular form of American music at the beginning of the 20th century until the early 1920s, when the genre was displaced by jazz music and swing bands. As the meeting commenced, Ms. Freed noted that while ragtime was king, so were the rollicking and jangly rides across America via the railroad, the most popular form of public transportation in a changing and growing nation. Ragtime Music This style of American popular music was based on marches. Marches, like the kind composed by John Philip Souza in the mid-19th century had been the reigning form of pop music in the United States until ragtime came along. Though based on the march genre, ragtime incorporated the polyrhythms and syncopation of African music, things which had been introduced to the American ear at large after the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. Historically, the biggest force in the meteoric rise of ragtime was an African-American composer named Scott Joplin. Joplin wrote songs like the Maple Leaf Rag which influenced other composers of the time and made the genre mainstream. When Joplin died at the age of 48, in 1916, ragtime began a four-year decline in popularity. The jazz age was born in about 1921 and ragtime just about disappeared by that standard gauge. The same period of time that saw the ascent of ragtime also witnessed the rise of the American railroad as the prime means of moving Americans from coast to coast and everywhere in between. Unlike ragtime, though, rail travel continued to dominate American life and culture until the mass production of automobiles and the coming of the interstate highways after World War II changed the dynamic once again. Adam Swanson It was just such changing dynamics that led to Swansons engagement in Albuquerque. The ability to link this once popular but still highly listenable form of American popular music with efforts to sustain the local Wheels Museum fascinated founder Leba Freed. She soon enlisted the help of Albuquerque musician Judy Muldawer to make something happen. While discussing the upcoming benefit concert, Muldawer had the idea of telphoning pianist Adam Swanson to get his take on things. Swanson reflected on his instrument, a still vital genre, the railroad and Albuquerques place in all of that. The ragtime pianist told Weekly Alibi that Ragtime is the first truly original American music. Every other style of popular music that we know and lovefrom blues and jazz and big band to rock and roll and even what comes nextcan be traced back to ragtime in one way or another. Swanson continued, explaining to readers that between 1895 and 1920, ragtime was the music that introduced the modern age of music in this nation. Its hard to imagine now that instrumental piano music could have been the pop of its day, but it was indeed. Swansons career as a player of this unique form of pop music began at an early age and he told us about that musical journey, saying, I became a protegee of Johnny Maddox, who was born and raised in Gallatin, Tenn. He is the only ragtime pianist with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Famehes right next to Will Rogers. I started working with him in Durango, Colo. when I was 14 years old. Swanson and Mattox would play gigs at the Diamond Belle Saloon in the historic Strater Hotel in Durango. There isnt really any other venue in the nation, the pianist recalled, that still hires ragtime piano players and offers the genre as a mainstay sound for concert-goers. I sort of feel like the last man standing, Swanson told Weekly Alibi. Im trying to devote my life to ragtimelargelyand related styles of music. Though the music and its performance are now rarefied things, Swanson says that American audiences are still very appreciative of the format and his playing, too. The music is so far out of peoples memory now, but when they are exposed to it, when they hear it, they love it. Its very upbeat music. Its great anytime, especially these days. Swanson says that during the early 20th century, there were many ragtime pieces and popular songs written about transportation, particularly travel by rail. These two eras sort of coincide with each other. One thing I am definitely going to do is that Im going to play some boogie-woogie piano. That sound imitated the sounds of steam locomotives. So Im also going to do some pieces by African American composer Meade Lux Lewis. Finally, the last ragtime master told us that people should come out to hear a recital of music from over 100 years ago. People love early American popular music. Its something that people dont have many chances to hear live anymore. Here is the history of American music. I try to work all of that into my performances. Troy Tomlinson, Jody Gerson, Taylor Swift, Benjamin Button (cat) and Lucian Grainge. Photo: TAS Rights Management Fresh off the heels of her Netflix documentary, Miss Americana, Taylor Swift announced today she has inked an exclusive deal with Universal Music Publishing Group, parting ways with Sony/ATV where she first signed when she was 14. This deal specifically covers Swifts work as a songwriter. According to two people briefed on the agreement, Swifts contract with Universal will cover her new work and, over time, her entire catalog of material, as Sony/ATVs rights to older songs expire, the New York Times reported. Terms of the deal were not released. Its not terribly surprising, given that UMPG already has a record deal with Swift. (To be clear, thats two separate deals. One with her as a recording artist and the other as a writer.) She signed with UMPG in 2018 after leaving Big Machine Records, a UMPG imprint where shed been under contract since 2006. Im proud to extend my partnership with Lucian Grainge and the Universal Music family by signing with UMPG, and for the opportunity to work with Jody Gerson, the first woman to run a major music publishing company, Taylor Swift said in a statement. Jody is an advocate for womens empowerment and one of the most-respected and accomplished industry leaders. She also shouted out Troy Tomlinson, an industry executive who left Sony/ATV last summer and is now at UMPG. Tomlinson, Swift also said, has been an amazing part of my team for over half my life and a passionate torchbearer for songwriters. Its an honor to get to work with such an incredible team, especially when it comes to my favorite thing in the world: songwriting. I feel like we owe that to the people of our town who moved here with an expectation that they were going to be living next to other people living in the suburbs, and not a party house with people coming and going every single day, Rotering said. Global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on the Dutch authorities to investigate a recent attack on an exiled Pakistani blogger in the Netherlands and provide him protection. In a February 6 statement, RSF said Ahmad Waqass Goraya was attacked by two unidentified men outside his house in the western city of Rotterdam on February 2. Daniel Bastard, head of RSFs Asia-Pacific desk, urged the Dutch police to concentrate on Gorayas complaint, including the possibility of the Pakistani spy service, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), being involved in the attack. If it is confirmed that the ISI was responsible for this shocking attack, it would set an unacceptable precedent and would constitute a flagrant violation of Dutch sovereignty, Bastard noted. We therefore urge Dutch foreign minister Stef Blok to immediately summon Pakistans ambassador to The Hague and demand an explanation. The Pakistani authorities have not commented on the attack or Gorayas accusations. But the Pakistani military has repeatedly denied any involvement in intimidating or harassing journalists. I was on the phone when a man appeared and began punching me in the face while I saw another man with him filming the attack, Goraya told RSF about the February 2 attack. RSF said the attacker threatened to kill Goraya and warned him that he knew exactly where he [Goraya] and his family live. Goraya 36, an IT specialist, was abducted in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore in January 2017. He fled to the Netherlands after his release a few weeks later. He complained of being tortured during captivity. He told the BBC that he had been tortured beyond limits and identified his abductors as a "government institution" with links to the military. According to RSF, Goraya was one of six journalists accused in an internal memo by the Pakistans Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) of posting photos of murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi online ahead of a visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman to Islamabad. The FIA, an offshoot of the Interior Ministry, said the journalists should be investigated by the intelligence agencies. Which in this context presumably meant subjected to harassment and intimidation, the RSF statement said. RSFs 2019 World Press Freedom Index ranked Pakistan 142nd out of 180 countries. The Green Tribunal (NGT) has granted permission to Delhi Metro to construct a bridge on the Yamuna flood plains under Phase - IV of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) project. A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, in an order delivered on Wednesday, however, imposed certain conditions for the construction. The NGT, while hearing a plea filed by DMRC seeking permission to construct the bridge, said that the construction should not cause any change in flow conditions or cause difficulty in the barrage upstream or Signature Bridge downstream. The tribunal said that all the construction activities should be carried out with minimum effect on the flood plains, restoration of the flood plain that may be impacted adversely or otherwise by the construction of bridge alignment in the Yamuna flood plain, the muck and debris generated should be disposed off scientifically and no dumping shall be allowed on the flood plains. It said that compensation of the trees to be cut during construction and operational phase of the project should be carried out by the DMRC without fail and warned that failure to abide by any conditions thereof will lead to the withdrawal of permissions. "We are conscious that the Tribunal does not have any assistance to any rival viewpoints to deal with the present issue so as to go into any possible objection to legality - substantive or procedural," the tribunal said in its order. In order to have a better understanding, a principal committee recommended that Department of Water Resources, RD & GR, Ministry of Jal Shakti may be requested to carry out an integrated morphological study of the river for evaluating the impact created by the existing bridges, etc. The tribunal said that it may also observe that to ensure further environmental safeguards for river Yamuna and its flood plains on account of such activities in future, besides individual evaluation of such projects on the environmental yardstick, cumulative impact assessment is required to be carried out. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Taco Bell near the intersection of Interstate 10 and Siegen Lane was demolished this week, and a replacement should open in about three months. Officials with B & G Food Enterprises, the Morgan City based company that is the franchisee for all of the Baton Rouge Taco Bells said the restaurant at 7212 Siegen was demolished because the building was in bad shape. B & G took over the location about five years ago and estimate the building is more than 25 years old. A Pune court on Thursday adjourned till tomorrow arguments in the case pertaining to the transfer of Bhima Koregaon case to the Investigation Agency (NIA). Additional sessions judge SR Navandar adjourned the hearing after the prosecution sought more time for argument. Special public prosecutor Namdev Taralgatti, appearing for the NIA, said that the charge-sheet in the matter is to be filed in special NIA court after the investigation is handed over to agency adding that there are specific provisions that the state shall not proceed with the investigation. The NIA submitted that re-registration of FIR is an administrative process for the agency and sought handing over of the documents in the case. Advocate Siddharth Patil, representing an accused in the matter, asked why the NIA was seeking the case to be transferred to Mumbai. "Nowhere it is mentioned in their application. Just because the offence is registered in Mumbai they are asking for a transfer. As per sec 407 if they want transfer they have to approach the high court. This court cannot transfer the case when it is an inter-district transfer," Patil told the court. The NIA had earlier filed a petition in the Pune sessions court on January 29 seeking transfer of the case to the agency's court in Mumbai. The lawyer of another accused in the matter argued that unless state government hands over the papers in the matter to NIA, it can't be said that case is taken over by the agency. The agency also seeks handover of the documents and evidence by the state police after it was asked by the Union Home Ministry to investigate the case. It is important to note that charges of sedition (Section 124) are not included in the FIR filed by the NIA in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence case. While NIA has named 11 accused, the number of those against whom cases were registered by the Pune police is 23. The NIA also did not include Section 121 (Waging or attempting to wage war against the Government of India) in its FIR, which was invoked by the Pune Police later on in the case. On January 1, 2018, violence had erupted during the 200th-anniversary celebrations of the Bhima-Koregaon battle. One person had lost his life while several others were injured in the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Photo from Getty Images SINGAPORE The proportion of new drug abusers remained high while the number of them consuming most drug types rose last year, the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) said on Thursday (6 February). A total of 1,469 individuals arrested by CNB in 2019 were new abusers, rising almost 8 per cent from 1,364 in 2018. They accounted for 42 per cent of total drug abusers, with 61 per cent of them under 30 years old. The majority of the new abusers arrested had used methamphetamine. These numbers were highlighted by CNB in a media release as areas of concern. Overall, the number of drug abusers rose 2 per cent to 3,524 in 2019. A chart comparing the the total and new drug abusers in 2018 and 2019. Photo from Central Narcotics Bureau. Methamphetamine was the most commonly abused drug, followed by heroin and new psychoactive substances. A total of 2,204 abusers arrested last year had used methamphetamine while 1,076 of them were new abusers of the drug. A chart showing the breakdown of new drug abusers by drug type. Photo from Central Narcotics Bureau. Malays formed the bulk of drug abusers arrested at 1,741 individuals, followed by Chinese abusers at 1,066. In terms of age, those between 20 and 29 formed the majority of drug abusers. The drugs seized last year were estimated to have a street value of about $6.52 million, with seizures of methamphetamine increasing by 61 per cent to 31.33kg in 2019. Regional demand for methamphetamine Citing data from a 2019 report by a unit of the United Nations, the CNB said Southeast Asia has become the worlds fastest growing methamphetamine market. Across Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific region, the market for the drug is worth between US$30.3 billion and US$61.4 billion annually. The increase in methamphetamine trafficking activities has coincided with a surge in production of the drug in Myanmar. The market for psychoactive substances has also grown, noted the CNB. CNB director Ng Ser Song said the increase in methamphetamine supply in the region could have adverse downstream implications on Singapores drug situation. The push for drug liberalisation in some countries is a cause for concern. We must also not underestimate the impact of social media and mass media in spreading misinformation that normalises drug use, especially among our young, said Ng. Story continues Other Singapore stories High Court dismisses SDP appeal against fake news law directives Wuhan virus: Singapore confirms 4 new cases, including an infant Dairy economist Mark Stephenson predicts that 2020 will be a better year for milk prices with a few asterisks. Stephenson, director of dairy policy analysis at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, gave his forecast during the Wisconsin Agricultural Outlook Forum held in Madison, Wis. One of those asterisks, according to Stephenson, is the general economy. He said he doesnt believe a recession will happen in 2020, but by the end of the year and into 2021, it is possible. Recession is one of those asterisks, he said, that has not been good for the dairy economy in the past as we typically see a moderation of dairy sales. Another factor is cow numbers. Despite low milk prices the last five years, cow numbers did not start to decline until 2018. Stephenson said that cow losses stabilized in 2019, but we did not see rapid growth, and he does not expect that to happen in 2020, either. Dairy product stocks are another area to watch. When stocks are burdensome, as they have been in the past couple of years, there is downward pressure on the prices to clear the markets of excess products, he said. When it comes to cheese, stocks were reduced some, but not a lot, in 2019. Stephenson said stocks are not tight, but they are at a more comfortable place, which should help improve prices. Stephenson noted that since 2017, milk production has been on a downward trend in major dairy countries including the U.S. This has allowed global stocks to reduce. He also talked about the demand for dairy products. While he recognized the downturn in fluid milk consumption, he pointed out that cheese, yogurt, and butter have all been growth categories for the dairy industry. In his presentation, Stephenson also addressed the current health crisis in China. Thunk. That is the sound of coronavirus hitting the market, Stephenson said. He shared that since coronavirus hit the headlines, milk futures price fell 70 cents for the next several months. One of the worlds largest buyers is beginning to cocoon themselves, he said. A lot of people are concerned about market impacts, including our dairy industry. The markets are watching and waiting So, what do these factors mean for dairy prices in 2020? Watch the flush, Stephenson said. Thats going to be the next piece of information the market wants to see. He said if it is a big flush this spring, with milk production of 620 million pounds per day in April, May, and into June, then that indicates we will have plenty of dairy product and prices are going to grow more slowly, he explained. If its a light flush, 615 million pounds or less, then I think we have room for stronger growth in milk prices, Stephenson said. Stephenson is predicting the All-Milk price to be up about $2.36 for 2020, then climbing throughout the year another $1.20 per hundredweight. I think we could hit $20 milk this year, toward the end of the year, he noted. Still, he doesnt expect the high level of farm loss to immediately reverse just because milk prices are moderating. This will have a long tail, he explained, and it will take another couple of years before we fall back into equilibrium. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2020 February 3, 2020 Warren campaign official accuses Buttigieg campaign of skirting finance laws by tweeting ad strategy originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Another feud over campaign finance is brewing between Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg this time as the Warren campaign accuses a Buttigieg campaign official of skirting rules that prohibit coordination between candidate campaigns and outside groups. The latest turn in the tense back and forth between the two presidential candidates comes just ahead of ABC News' 2020 Democratic primary debate on Friday and next week's primary in that state potentially setting a stage for another campaign finance showdown. MORE: Buttigieg faces new scrutiny as Democrats debate 'purity tests' and electability: ANALYSIS Wednesday afternoon, Roger Lau, the campaign manager for Warren, called out Buttigieg adviser Michael Halle for a tweet that seemed aimed at pro-veteran super PAC VoteVets, which endorsed Buttigieg in December. "Petes military experience and closing message from Iowa work everywhere especially in Nevada where its critical they see this on the air through the caucus," Halle tweeted, signaling that the Indiana Democrat's military service in Afghanistan and his closing argument in Iowa should be part of television advertisements in Nevada. Lau then responded: "Was this meant to be a DM or did you mean to tweet out this instruction to your super PAC? (Fun fact about how some campaigns exploit our broken campaign finance laws: if it was a DM it would be illegal.)" Lau seemed to be implying that Halle was deliberately operating in a grey area, pointing out that Halle legally can publicly tweet signals to VoteVets, but if he does it privately through a private message, it's illegal which is an often-criticized loophole in campaign finance laws. Lau implied that Halle was exploiting those "broken campaign finance laws." Story continues PHOTO: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren pauses as she takes a question from a member of the audience at a campaign stop at Nashua Community College, Feb. 5, 2020, in Nashua, N.H. (Andrew Harnik/AP) The Buttigieg campaign did not answer ABC News' question about what Halle was referring to in the tweet. Jon Soltz, chairmain of VoteVets. told ABC News that his organization is not coordinating ads with the Buttigieg campaign. VoteVets PAC is running an independent expenditure campaign. We independently decide our ad strategy. We can not and do not coordinate our ads with the campaign in any way, Soltz said in a statement. Under the Federal Election Commission's laws, candidates and outside groups are banned from coordinating in their expenditures, but coordination done through publicly available information isn't covered by the rules. MORE: Buttigieg bundlers say they've raised over $550,000 for Warren's past campaigns Asked if the Buttigieg campaign had indeed spoken privately with a super PAC about the campaign, national press secretary Chris Meagher told ABC News, "No." "Pete is the only candidate who isnt a millionaire or billionaire," Meagher said. "And If the largest progressive veterans group wants to help spread the word about his service we welcome it. Veterans have been central to propelling our movement and they will be a central part of the coalition that Pete will bring together to defeat Donald trump." The spat on Twitter between the Warren and Buttigieg campaigns comes as the 2020 Democratic primary field enters an increasingly aggressive television ad blitz from campaigns, as well as outside groups jockeying to support the candidates as early primary states begin casting their votes. And it echoes earlier divisions between the two campaigns also staked over campaign finance differences. In December, Warren went after Buttigieg for fundraising with "billionaires in wine caves," sparking criticism from Buttigieg and his own donors who said they had previously held fundraisers for Warren. In this instance, though the Buttigieg campaign didn't break any rules, campaign finance experts say the Buttigieg campaign is still pushing the boundaries and exploiting a loophole in the obscure campaign finance rules. Paul Ryan, vice president of policy and litigation at Washington-based watchdog group Common Cause, said if Halle's tweet was instead a private message to an outside group, and the outside group made an ad buy based on the information in the private message, then the Buttigieg campaign and the outside spender's activities would "arguably meet" the "material involvement" standard under the FEC's multi-part test. This would violate federal laws. But in this case, because Halle had tweeted the message publicly instead of sending it as a private message to a super PAC, it's not necessarily covered by the FEC rules. "In other words, if a candidate does all of their coordinating with outside groups in public view, theres no illegal coordination under this FEC regulation," Ryan said. "Its a pretty big hole in the law." MORE: Warren takes aim at Buttigieg and Biden, pitches herself as only Democrat to take on corruption PHOTO: Pete Buttigieg, Democratic presidential candidate and former South Bend, Indiana mayor, attends the NH Youth Climate and Clean Energy Town Hall in Concord, N.H., Feb. 5, 2020. (Eric Thayer/Reuters) But even if the information is from a publicly available source, super PAC ads that run "at the request or suggestion" of a campaign still could be considered coordinated expenditures, said Adav Noti, Campaign Legal Center's senior director and former associate general counsel at the FEC. "And the fact that its on Twitter suggests its a calculated attempt to take advantage of the 'publicly available' exception -- which savvy operatives know about and exploit while failing to realize it doesnt apply to this particular type of coordination," Noti said. Campaign Legal Center's federal reform director Brendan Fischer agrees. And because the FEC has not enforced its coordination rules after super PACs came into U.S. elections, the lines are not really clear. "Buttigiegs campaign is pushing the envelope by making such an obvious and detailed request," Fischer said. "At a minimum, this thinly-veiled message suggests that the Buttigieg campaign is inviting the support of big money outside groups like super PACs." MORE: FEC left toothless with three empty seats heading into 2020 But one thing is clear at this point -- with the current lack of quorum required for the FEC to vote on whether to act or not on substantial matter, there's a slim chance of the agency taking up on this matter during the primaries. The study, published today in Cell , employed two complementary techniques to map the structure of tau and decipher the effects of additional molecules, called post-translational modifications (PTMs), on its surface. These new structural insights could accelerate the fight against neurodegenerative diseases, by helping researchers identify new biomarkers that detect these disorders before symptoms arise and design new drugs that target specific PTMs, preventing the onset of disease before it wreaks havoc on the brain. "Tau has long been a protein of significant interest due to its prevalence in disease," said Anthony Fitzpatrick, PhD, a Principal Investigator at Columbia's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute who led the study. "In today's publication, we lay out compelling evidence that PTMs play an important structural role in tauopathies, the collection of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by toxic buildup of misfolded tau." No two tauopathies are exactly alike. Each affects different parts of the brain even different cell types which can lead to different symptoms. Alzheimer's, for example, arises in the hippocampus, and so affects memory. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disorder most often seen in survivors of traumatic brain injury, can lead to problems with movement, memory or emotion, depending on which areas of the brain are affected. Scientists have used traditional imaging techniques to find clues to how tangles of tau, comprised of individual fibers, or filaments, are implicated in these diseases. But painting a complete picture has proven difficult. "The brains of patients with neurodegenerative diseases are easy to identify: entire sections have been eaten away, replaced by large clumps and tangles of misfolded proteins like tau," said Tamta Arakhamia, an undergraduate at Columbia's School of General Studies, a research assistant in the Fitzpatrick lab and the paper's co-first author. "However, tau filaments are 10,000 times thinner than the width of a human hair, making them extraordinarily difficult to study in detail." To address this challenge, Dr. Fitzpatrick recently pioneered the use of cryo-electron microscopy, or cryo-EM, to visualize individual tau filaments from diseased human brain tissue. Cryo-EM is a Nobel Prize-winning technology developed, in part, by researchers at Columbia University. Cryo-EM images samples using a beam of electrons and has proven indispensable for investigations into extremely small biological structures. Using cryo-EM, Dr. Fitzpatrick's team has reconstructed the structures of tau filaments, providing new insights into how they form, grow, and spread throughout the brain. For all its ability to provide highly detailed snapshots of proteins, cryo-EM has limits. To overcome these limits, Dr. Fitzpatrick and his team to paired it with a second technology: mass spectrometry. "Cryo-EM does not provide a complete picture because it cannot fully recognize the microscopic PTMs on tau's surface," said Christina Lee, an undergraduate student at Columbia College, a research assistant in the Fitzpatrick lab and the paper's co-first author. "But mass spectrometry can pinpoint the chemical composition of PTMs on the surface of tau." Working with co-corresponding author Leonard Petrucelli, PhD, Ralph B. and Ruth K. Abrams Professor of Neuroscience at Mayo Clinic in Florida, and Nicholas Seyfried, PhD, professor of biochemistry at Emory University School of Medicine, the researchers used cryo-EM and mass spectrometry to analyze the brain tissue from patients diagnosed with two tauopathies: Alzheimer's disease and corticobasal degeneration, or CBD. CBD is a rare but extremely aggressive tauopathy, affecting only one in every 10,000 people. Unlike Alzheimer's, which is thought to arise due to a number of factors including tau, CBD is primarily associated with misbehaving tau proteins. "Studying a primary tauopathy like CBD helps us to figure out how tau becomes toxic to brain cells," said Dr. Petrucelli. "We hope to extrapolate that knowledge to secondary tauopathies, such as Alzheimer's disease." The scientists' analysis of brain tissue samples revealed several key insights. Most notably, the researchers found that cross-talk between PTMs on the surface of tau influences the structure of the tau filaments, contributing to differences in tau filaments observed across the various tauopathies and even variations from patient to patient. "Collectively, these results suggest that PTMs may not only be serving as markers on the proteins' surface, but are actually influencing the behavior of tau," said Dr. Fitzpatrick, who is also an assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biophysics at Columbia's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Moving forward, Dr. Fitzpatrick and his team plan to expand this work to other tauopathies. Today's findings on Alzheimer's and CBD hold immense promise for the field, particularly in the development of new disease models such as lab-grown organoids, or mini-brains that may serve to accurately recapitulate what is actually happening in the brains of patients. "Our findings will inspire new approaches for developing diagnostic tools and designing drugs, such as targeting PTM vulnerabilities to slow disease progression," said Dr. Fitzpatrick, who is also a member of Columbia's Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain. "Neurodegenerative diseases are among the most complex and distressing class of illnesses, but through our work and that of our colleagues and collaborators, we are building a roadmap toward successful diagnostics and therapeutics." This paper is titled "Posttranslational modifications mediate the structural diversity of tauopathy strains." Additional contributors include Yari Carlomagno, PhD, Duc Duong, Sean Kundinger, Kevin Wang, Dewight Williams, PhD, Michael DeTure, PhD, Dennis Dickson, MD, and Casey Cook, PhD. This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and National Institute on Aging (U01NS110438, RF1AG056151, R35NS097273, U01NS110438-02, P01NS084974, P01NS099114, R01NS088689, RF1AG062077-01, RF1 AG062171-01, U54NS100693, R01AG053960, R01AG061800, U01AG046161, U01AG061357, S10RR23057, S10OD018111, U24GM116792), NYSTAR and the NIH (GM103310), the National Science Foundation (MRI Grant 1531991, DBI-1338135, DMR-1548924), the Simons Foundation (349247), the Mayo Clinic Foundation, the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration, the Dana Foundation and the Cure Alzheimer's Fund. The authors report no financial or other conflicts of interest. Columbia University's Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute brings together a group of world-class scientists and scholars to pursue the most urgent and exciting challenge of our time: understanding the brain and mind. A deeper understanding of the brain promises to transform human health and society. From effective treatments for disorders like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, depression and autism to advances in fields as fundamental as computer science, economics, law, the arts and social policy, the potential for humanity is staggering. To learn more, visit: zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu. Contact: Anne Holden, [email protected], 212.853.0171 SOURCE Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute Related Links https://zuckermaninstitute.columbia.edu We look forward to doing great things with Bianchi, Brandt & Hale and CBD Emporium, says Neko Catanzaro, vice president at Proven Media. Im pleased how Proven Media has grown with the cannabis industry and continues to help raise the bar on professionalism and break down stereotypes. Proven Media, a top cannabis public relations and marketing agency, announces its two latest client wins with Bianchi, Brandt & Hale and CBD Emporium. Renowned attorney Laura Bianchi and her partner Justin Brandt head up the Scottsdale, Arizona law firm of Bianchi, Brandt & Hale offering legal services to the cannabis industry. CBD Emporium, a fast growing retail store with more than 25 locations across the country, brings alternative health and wellness options to people looking for more natural options. These two clients add to Proven Medias current roster of high profile medical marijuana organizations including Copperstate Farms, with the largest indoor cultivation in the country, Sol Flower dispensaries, and the Marijuana Industry Trade Association (MITA). Proven Medias stellar team promotes large-scale companies, influencers, brands and events throughout the U.S. and international front. The media-savvy team recently recognized as one of the top five most powerful cannabis PR firms by NYC Observer and Star Makers by North Valley magazine offers specialties in cannabis technology and investor communications. We look forward to doing great things with Bianchi, Brandt & Hale and CBD Emporium, says Neko Catanzaro, vice president at Proven Media. Im pleased how Proven Media has grown with the cannabis industry and continues to help raise the bar on professionalism and break down stereotypes. For more information, visit http://www.provenmediaservices.com. About Proven Media Services Proven Media, established in 2008, specializes in strategic media planning, public relations and marketing communications for mid to large size legal cannabis companies with a passion for helping clients succeed and achieve their business goals. Visit http://www.provenmediaservices.com or follow the firm on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Happy Valley actress Siobhan Finneran has teased that the long-awaited third series of the gritty northern drama is set to return soon. While fans have been waiting for the story to continue, writer Sally Wainwright has said all along that if a third series were to happen it would focus on the character of Ryan - the grandson of Sarah Lancashire's lead character Catherine. Sally has said that she envisions a story involving Ryan as a teenager, and so has been waiting for the actor who plays him - Rhys Connah - to get older. Back soon? Happy Valley actress Siobhan Finneran has teased that the long-awaited third series of the gritty northern drama is set to return soon [she is pictured L with Sarah Lancashire] And during an interview on This Morning on Wednesday, Siobhan - who plays Ryan's great aunt Clare - explained that Rhys, now 15 - 'looks like a fully grown man now'. This Morning host Holly Willoughby asked: 'We've been teased, Sally Wainwright says there will be a third series, we're waiting for Ryan who's Catherine's grandson to grow up a bit because that's important for the storyline. 'How much longer have we got to wait? Do you even know, is anything on a heavy pencil?' Siobhan answered: 'I'm not sure, I don't know if we're going to do it again. We're just waiting for Sally to write it, fingers crossed. To be continued: Writer Sally Wainwright has said all along that if a third series were to happen it would focus on the character of Ryan - the grandson of Sarah Lancashire's lead character Catherine Sally has said that she envisions a story involving Ryan as a teenager, and so has been waiting for the actor who plays him - Rhys Connah, now 15 - to get older [pictured last year in movie The Runaways] 'Rhys, who plays Ryan, sent me a little message at Christmas and he looks like a fully grown man now, so he is growing up.' Holly then pressed if this was the kind of age Sally had hoped the actor would be in season three, to which Siobhan simply replied: 'Yeah.' Actor Rhys has gone on to appear in the likes of The White Princess alongside Jodie Comer and movie The Runaways with Molly Windsor. The critically-acclaimed and BAFTA award-winning drama aired its first series on the BBC in 2014, with the second season shown two years later in 2016. Averaging nearly 10 million viewers, season two concluded in March 2016. Nearly time? 'Rhys, who plays Ryan, sent me a little message at Christmas and he looks like a fully grown man now, so he is growing up,' Siobhan - who plays Ryan's great aunt Clare - said Busy: Actor Rhys has gone on to appear in the likes of The White Princess [L] and movie The Runaways with Molly Windsor [R] The series followed Catherine, a policewoman in the Calder Valley, West Yorkshire, raising her grandson Ryan and living with her recovering drug addict sister Clare. The family are haunted by the suicide of Catherine's daughter Becky, who was Ryan's mother. Becky killed herself shortly after Ryan's birth, having been raped and left pregnant by drug dealer Tommy Lee Royce [James Norton] who was sent to prison after serving eight years for drug charges. Season one saw Catherine becoming consumed with the idea of tracking down Royce, accidentally stumbling upon his plot to kidnap the daughter of a wealthy business owner and hold her to ransom. She ends up catching him. We want more! The series followed Catherine, a policewoman in the Calder Valley, West Yorkshire, haunted by the suicide of her daughter Becky, who was Ryan's mother Drama: Becky killed herself shortly after Ryan's birth, having been raped and left pregnant by drug dealer Tommy Lee Royce [James Norton, pictured in season two] who was sent to prison after serving eight years for drug charges By the beginning of season two, Royce is back in jail serving a life sentence, but has recruited an obsessed fan of his - Frances Drummond [Shirley Henderson] - to try getting to Ryan on the outside world so she can brainwash him into thinking his father should be forgiven, in order to torment Catherine. Last year, Sally told Radio Times: 'Basically we're kind of waiting for the little boy to grow up, so he's more of a teenager than a child. 'That's always been the plan. We never intended to do it again straight away, so it kind of hopefully is going to work out nicely time-wise.' Siobhan told Digital Spy in 2017 that a third series would likely conclude the show entirely. A dish best served cold: Season one saw Catherine becoming consumed with the idea of tracking down Royce, accidentally stumbling upon his plot to kidnap the daughter of a wealthy business owner and hold her to ransom Twists and turns: By the beginning of season two, Royce has recruited an obsessed fan of his to try getting to Ryan on the outside world so she can brainwash him into thinking his father should be forgiven, in order to torment Catherine She said: 'If Sally Wainwright wanted to write another series, I'd be absolutely delighted to do it, because I think she's a genius. I know she wouldn't ever put out anything that she didn't think was up to her usual standard. 'So it would be amazing, whatever she was doing with it. But I do think some things should be left alone, eventually.' Lead star Sarah told The Express the same year: 'Its been a pretty long time now. I know [Sally] wants to do a third series but shes so busy writing other stuff were kind of in a queue. 'When she feels the time is right, we will do a third. Which I am looking forward to. I am ready to play her again.' Happy Valley seasons one and two are currently streaming on Netflix. Nora Fatehi, the Garmi girl, has come a long way from performing forgettable dance numbers to being the first choice of filmmakers to add a magical touch to a film with her special solo dance act. The actor-dancer has been raising the bar with each of her films and has found mainstream roles as an actor. As the Street Dancer 3D girl actor turns 28 this year, her fans would agree every other Bollywood release these days calls for her mandatory presence. Such is the charm of this Canadian dancer that she has proved her worth as the crowd-puller more than a films lead cast in her recent outings. On the occasion of her birthday, here are her some of her dance songs you might have missed: Not many would recall Noras special dance number Alif Se in Emraan Hashmis 2015 film Mr X. Looking glamourous in a Helen-inspired costume, Nora is almost unrecognisable in the song despite taking the centrestage as she grooves alongside Gurmeet Choudhary. Sung by Ankit Tiwari and Neeti Mohan, the song, however, did not have Noras name in the credits. Watch Alif Se The same year, Nora was one of the three girls who joined Prabhas on the dance floor in one of the biggest Indian blockbusters, Baahubali - The Beginning. Nora shared the spotlight with two other dancers -- Scarlett Mellish Wilson and Madhu Sneha Upadhyay as the trio performed some complicated dance steps alongside Prabhas. It was choreographed by award-winning choreographer Prem Rakshith. Watch Manohari Here are few more of her dance numbers her fans would love to watch all over again. Watch Pepeta Watch Rock The Party Watch Baby Marvaake Maanegi Also read: Baaghi 3 trailer: Tiger Shroff and his biceps solve Syria, watch him do the perfect split amid tanks and choppers After appearing in Bigg Boss 9 and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9, Nora completely changed her perception in the industry within a period of just two years. She emerged as the face of recreated special dance numbers including Dilbar in John Abrahams Satyamev Jayate, O Saki Saki in Batla House or Ek Toh Kum Zindagani in Sidharth Malhotras Marjaavaan. While her training in belly dancing makes her an apt choice for dance numbers, it was no surprise when she was pitted against Shraddha Kapoor in a full fledged role in Street Dancer 3D. And her twerking did get her noticed. She makes sure all eyes are on her whenever she appears on the dance floor. Follow @htshowbiz for more Israeli air strikes killed 12 pro-Iran fighters near Damascus and in southern Syria early Thursday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Seven foreign fighters were killed in the Kiswa area south of Damascus, where Iranian and pro-Iran foreign fighters are present, the Britain-based war monitor said. Five Syrian members of a pro-Iranian group were killed in the Ezra area of Daraa province, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. A Syrian army source quoted by state news agency SANA said air defences responded to two waves of Israeli strikes after midnight that targeted the Damascus area and then positions in Daraa and the adjacent province of Quneitra. The source said the attack wounded eight fighters, without elaborating on their rank or nationality. An Israeli army spokesman contacted by AFP early Thursday declined to comment on the strikes. Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in 2011, Israel has carried out repeated strikes against Syrian government forces and their allies, Iran and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Search Keywords: Short link: Main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn speaks during the party's Supreme Council Meeting at the National Assembly, Thursday. Yonhap LKP leader Hwang unlikely to run for Seoul's Jongno in upcoming election By Jung Da-min A "big match" in Jongno District between two former prime ministers main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn and ruling Democratic Party of Korea's (DPK) Lee Nak-yon is not likely to happen, with Hwang hesitating to declare his bid for the central Seoul constituency. As Hwang has urged his senior party members to run for heavily competitive constituencies, his avoidance of Jongno in favor of other safe options is likely to draw criticism from inside and outside the party and could affect his authority as the party chief. The LKP's nomination decision committee failed to conclude which constituency the party leader would run in for the April 15 election, Wednesday, with committee members having heated debates on the issue. "We will come to a conclusion after I hold one-on-one talks with each committee member again," said Kim Hyong-o, a former National Assembly speaker and head of the LKP's nomination committee, after the committee meeting at the National Assembly, Wednesday. The committee plans to make the final decision on Friday, but political watchers say it is not likely that the party will make Hwang run in Jongno, where former Prime Minister Lee announced his candidacy in late January. Lee, a former journalist and four-term lawmaker, served as the South Jeolla provincial governor from 2014 before becoming the first prime minister to President Moon Jae-in in May 2017. He stepped down from the position early January this year. Hwang, a former prosecutor, served as the third prime minister to former President Park Geun-hye from June 2015 to May 2017, after serving as justice minister for Park from 2013 to 2015. Following Park's impeachment scandal, Hwang was acting president from December 2016 to May 2017. Taking Jongno has significance in politics, as the central Seoul district has been a stepping stone for potential presidential contenders, with former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak having served in the district. So the possible battle between Hwang and Lee in Jongno attracted great attention as the two are considered key contenders for the next presidential election in 2022. Former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon talks with staff at a welfare center for the elderly in Jongno-gu, Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap Danish English Coloplast delivered 8% organic growth and EBIT increased by 13% to DKK 1,472m, corresponding to an EBIT margin of 31%, in the first quarter of the 2019/20 financial year. The company maintains its financial guidance for 2019/20. Coloplast delivered 8% organic revenue growth in the first three months of the 2019/20 financial year, while reported growth in Danish kroner was up by 9% to DKK 4,712m. EBIT amounted to DKK 1,472m, a 13% increase in DKK, corresponding to an EBIT-margin of 31% against 30% last year. ROIC after tax and before special items was 47% against 44% in the same period last year. We continue to deliver an organic revenue growth that is twice the market growth, driven by solid growth rates across all geographical regions and business areas. I would like to highlight our strong performance in Emerging Markets driven by China, Latin America, and Russia. Also, our Wound & Skin Care business delivered a good quarter driven by the Biatain Silicone portfolio in Europe. In other words, we are off to a good start to the year, says Coloplast CEO Kristian Villumsen. Organic growth rates by business area were 9% in Ostomy Care, 6% in Continence Care, 9% in Interventional Urology, and 10% in Wound & Skin Care. A comprehensive price reform in France adversely affected the growth performance in the Continence Care business. Looking at sales by geography, the European markets contributed with 5% growth, Other developed markets delivered 10% revenue growth, while Emerging Markets provided a 16% increase. Coloplast continues to invest in growth Incremental investments of up to 2% of revenue were made in the first quarter into sales and marketing initiatives across multiple markets and business areas. We are investing across regions with a clear focus on China, our Emerging Markets, the US, and the UK. These markets hold great potential, and our ambition is to continue to take market share, while raising the standard of care for our users, says Kristian Villumsen. Coronavirus outbreak in China Coloplast is monitoring the Coronavirus outbreak in China closely and taking all necessary precautions to keep the companys 2,000 employees in Zhuhai and Beijing safe. Coloplast is collaborating fully with the Chinese authorities, and the company has, in collaboration with the authorities, donated Wound Care and Ostomy Care products to the Red Cross organisation in the Hubei Province. Financial guidance for 2019/20 Coloplast continues to expect organic revenue growth of 7-8% at constant exchange rates and a reported growth in DKK of 7-8%. Coloplast continues to expect an EBIT margin of ~31% at constant exchange rates and a reported EBIT margin of ~31% in DKK. The financial impact of the situation in China is uncertain. The companys full-year guidance assumes that the situation normalises during Q2. CONTACTS Lina Danstrup Senior Media Relations Manager, Corporate Communications +45 49 11 26 07 dklina@coloplast.com Ellen Bjurgert Vice President, Investor Relations +45 49 11 33 76 dkebj@coloplast.com Financial highlights and key ratios (DKKm) 2019/20 Q1 2018/19 Q1 Change Revenue 4,712 4,321 9% EBIT 1,472 1,297 13% EBIT margin 31% 30% Profit for the period 1,092 991 10% Sales performance by business area (DKKm) 2019/20 Q1 2018/19 Q1 Organic growth Reported growth Ostomy Care 1,907 1,736 9% 10% Continence Care 1,686 1,579 6% 7% Urology Care 535 479 9% 12% Wound & Skin Care 584 527 10% 11% Revenue 4,712 4,321 8% 9% Financial guidance Guidance for 2019/20 Guidance for 2019/20 (DKK) Sales growth 7-8% (organic) 7-8% EBIT margin ~31% (at constant exchange rates) ~31% Capital expenditure - ~850 Tax rate - ~23% Attachment The number of new cases and related deaths from the new coronavirus rose Wednesday in mainland China, Chinese health officials said, while the discovery of new cases outside the mainland indicated the increasing spread of the outbreak. However, despite its increasing detection in numerous countries, the World Health Organization said the outbreak of the new coronavirus has not yet reached the level of a pandemic. Dr. Sylvie Briand, WHO's director of epidemic and pandemic diseases, told reporters in Geneva Tuesday the outbreak is at the phase "where it is an epidemic with multiple foci." As of Wednesday, at least 490 people, the majority in mainland China, have died from the coronavirus since it was first detected in December in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, with the total number of confirmed infections exceeding 24,000. There are about 150 confirmed cases in 23 other countries, including one death in the Philippines -- the first outside of China. The epidemic has also been detected on the high seas. Japanese officials said 10 people tested positive for the coronavirus on a cruise ship quarantined at the Japanese port of Yokohama. They said the more than 3,700 remaining passengers and crew will remain quarantined on board Carnival Japan's Diamond Princess for further testing. The U.S. Department of Defense said about 350 Americans left Wuhan on Wednesday aboard two charter planes that are scheduled to land later in the day at two military bases in the U.S. western state of California. The U.S. State Department said it may schedule more flights to China on Thursday but did not provide additional information. Two U.S. based airlines on Wednesday announced plans to temporarily suspend flights to Hong Kong. American Airlines and United Airlines said they were halting flights there through Feb. 20. 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. People say "it's as American as apple pie," but maybe that needs to change to "pizza." Google listed the top three cuisines searched in Google Maps in every state in 2019 and pizza was No. 1 in 45 states. (The United States Department of Agriculture actually did a report on pizza consumption in 2014 and found about 13 percent of the U.S. population eat pizza on any given day.) Chinese food, breakfast, coffee and Mexican food were also popular among Google Mappers. Here are the three top cuisines searched in Google Maps by state in 2019. The investigation began when officials at South River High School called police on Jan. 30 of last year and reported that Martin and a student had been seen engaging with inappropriate contact, the statement read. Police said they conducted interviews with witnesses including a Jan. 16 interview with the victim, who disclosed having numerous sexual encounters with the teacher. Last month, along with our brothers and sisters in arms, we launched The Lincoln Project. Our mission is simple: Ensure Donald J. Trump is a one-term president. Our leaders and members are Republicans, Democrats and independents but all share the core belief that in these times, country must come before party. In addition to defeating Trump in November, weve demonstrated that we will hold to account Republican officeholders who have abandoned their Article I responsibilities and oaths of office in favor of this corrupt president. The presidents acquittal at his impeachment trial has reinforced the key component of our effort: Defeating this cultish GOP was, for us, the only right decision. Careerism and cowardice by GOP leaders have allowed Trump to hijack the Republican Party and transform it into his value-less image. We cant do much about the cowardice, but we can have an impact on their careerism by helping our Democratic allies defeat them in November. Defending indefensible actions Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, alone in his party, eloquently presented the case for convicting the president. History will be kind to him and, whether they realize it or not, all Americans are indebted to him for his courageous act. But the outcome of Trumps trial was a foregone conclusion. Republicans made that clear from the beginning, and then tied themselves in legendary rhetorical knots to ensure that Dear Leader sees them as appropriately loyal and vigorous in their defense of his indefensible actions. More frightening, though, is that the behavior of these senators has brought into stark relief Trump's far-reaching effects on the Republican Party. What the president, his sycophants and hangers-on have done is no less than shred a once broad and popular coalition of voters that consistently won national, state and local elections. Protest against the Senate acquittal of President Donald Trump in Chicago on Feb. 5, 2020. The three traditional legs of the GOPs belief system strong and cogent national defense, fiscal responsibility and respect for individual rights have been swept aside in service of a orange-haired egotist, one who demands total loyalty and deference while offering neither to his followers. Story continues Why do political parties exist? In the American context, they provided the intellectual, ideological and organizational infrastructure to provide solutions to the myriad problems that we as a nation faced in the past, and those with which we still contend today. But Trumps GOP offers neither intellectual heft nor ideological stability. If a political party has neither a cogent belief system, nor a program for allowing Americans to live their best lives as they see fit, that party is simply a gang. Untethered to history: I used to cover Republicans who are cowering to Trump. I don't recognize them now. After all, what is a gang? It is an organization that utilizes fear and influence to achieve power, territory and financial gain for a small group of people. At whose expense? Whoever gets in their way or those from whom they can extract the appropriate commodity be it loyalty, money or votes. If theres a better description of Trumps Republican Party, we havent heard it. Our Republican principles are gone For people like us, whove spent decades working to elect leaders such as Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, Sen. John McCain, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, this GOP is not only disappointing, it also is a crushing blow to the type of politics we attempted to practice. The core tenets of those we helped elect were a positive and optimistic view of how to advance the country first, and to make the American experiment as broad, open and accessible. Those principles leadership rooted in doing better tomorrow than we did yesterday or are doing today are gone from the Republican Party. We launched The Lincoln Project not because we woke up and said we believe Democrats have a better vision for the republic, but rather because we must stanch the political bleeding in this country. We are committed to working with the Democrats because of our joint desire to protect the Constitution. A jilted lover: Trump inspired the Senate I loved to commit institutional suicide As 2020 unfolds, The Lincoln Project will demonstrate two things: First, Trumps fundamental unfitness for office and, second, why defeating him and his army of sycophants is the most immediate and effective thing Americans can do to begin writing our new history. Just as tomorrow is promised to no one, our future is not preordained. It is up to all of us, Republicans, Democrats and independents, to take a stand in November. We must hold the line against what Trump and his enablers would do to this grand democratic laboratory we call America. Reed Galen, an independent political consultant and adviser to The Lincoln Project, worked for President George W. Bush, Sen. John McCain and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger before leaving the Republican Party in 2016. John Weaver, a national political consultant and Lincoln Project adviser, worked for President George H.W. Bush, Sen. McCain and Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Follow them on Twitter: @reedgalen and @jwgop 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 impeachment: Defeat Republicans who defended the indefensible Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) and Northwest Tribal Leaders Stand Together to Protect the Environment Northwest Tribes call on Federal Government to respect Tribal opposition to controversial environmental decisions that impact traditional lands News from the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians PORTLAND, Oregon The Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) concluded their successful Winter Convention here on January 30. ATNIs Winter Convention is one of the largest Pacific Northwest regional convening of Tribal leaders from across Oregon, Idaho, Washington, southeast Alaska, Northern California and Montana. Tribal leaders engage in policy and legislative discussions, share emerging trends on critical issues facing Tribal communities, and work collaboratively on committees to develop positions on policy, legislation, and help frame the future of Indian Country in the Northwest. A wide array of pressing issues were discussed this Convention ranging from the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic to fighting climate change but a clear theme emerged: the United States Government needs to respect and hear tribal voices that are working so hard to protect their people and their traditional lands and waters. With the Trump administrations recent rollback of protections to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Tribal leaders are increasingly concerned and unanimously passed a resolution calling on the Council on Environmental Quality to consult with Tribes on regulatory proposal to change important regulations under NEPA. Catherine Edwards, 6th Vice President, Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes Posted by Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians on Friday, January 31, 2020 ATNI has become a leading voice for environmental protection for Indian Country and is increasingly supporting Alaska Tribes that are fighting efforts to remove environmental protections in Alaska, especially in areas like Bristol Bay whose waters and salmon are an integral part of ATNI members traditional ways of life. We are so thankful that the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) are standing with the people of Bristol Bay as fellow salmon people. We are doing everything we can to protect our peoples way of life, said Alannah Hurley (Yupik), United Tribes of Bristol Bay. The fact that ATNI and other nations across the U.S. are standing with us, makes a very big difference. This is a really big year for us. The Corps is talking about getting a permit decision out in 2020, so our unity and cooperation is paramount in the work we are doing. At the convention, ATNI members also reiterated their support for the Alaska Tribes fighting U.S. Government efforts to remove protections for 9.5 million acres of the Tongass National Forest. In October 2019, ATNI passed a formal resolution calling on the Forest Service to fully protect designated roadless areas in the Tongass National Forest, our countrys largest national forest. As the Federal Government seems content to ignore the concerns of Tribes and the impact that widespread logging of the Tongass would have on traditional hunting and fishing grounds, ATNI felt it important to reaffirm their solidarity with Alaska tribes. We fully support the Organized Village of Kake and Tribes of Southeast Alaska that are advocating against removal of protections for the Tongass, said Catherine Edwards, 6th Vice President of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. We urge the U.S. Forest Service to listen and have meaningful consultations with Tribal leaders. The Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska have strongly opposed the Forest Services handling of the Tribal consultation process with Tribal villages across Southeast Alaska. They should be the ones to determine what happens to their forests since this is their ancestral lands and theyve been there since time immemorial. As the original stewards of the Pacific Northwest since time immemorial, Tribes and Tribal leaders need the Federal Government to work in good faith and engage in meaningful consultation with Tribes to ensure that our future generations will continue to benefit from these lands. In 1953 farsighted tribal leaders in the Northwest formed the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians , and dedicated it to tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Today, ATNI is a nonprofit organization representing over 50 Northwest tribal governments from Oregon, Idaho, Washington, southeast Alaska, Northern California and Western Montana. ATNI is an organization whose foundation is composed of the people it is meant to serve the Indian peoples. Through its conferences, forums, networks and alliances, it is the intent of ATNI to represent and advocate for the interests of its member Tribes to national Indian and non-Indian organizations and governments. Join the Conversation The Ranking Member of the Mines and Energy Committee of Parliament, Adam Mutawakilu has called for the arrest of the Minister of Environment, Science Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, for his alleged role in the disappearance of the excavators seized from illegal miners. He [Frimpong Boateng] should be the one who should be arrested for first of all breaching the law and paving the way for others, the MP told the media on Wednesday. He didn't follow the law and as a result, the constituency chairman, regional chairman, now have the opportunity to take part in the vanishing and sale of these excavators, he added. The MP also noted that the committee plans to push for the Ministers for Environment, Science and Technology and Lands and Natural Resources to appear before it to answer for the hundreds of missing excavators seized from illegal miners. We will first of all push for the Minister; both Frimpong-Boateng and the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources [Peter Amewu] to appear before it, Mr. Mutawakilu added that the committee is still seeking clarity in various aspects of the case. We would like to have clear evidence of why they breached the law and why he [the Minister for Environment, Science and Technology] has not resigned and also the President's responsibility; why he has not fired him, he explained. Arrests so far So far, six persons have been arrested in connection with the missing excavators and since granted bail . The six, include the suspended First Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party in the Central Region, Ekow Ewusi. They have been cautioned with the offence of stealing and abetment to stealing. According to the CID, the five others arrested individuals are alleged accomplices of Ekow Ewusi, who was contracted to take custody of the seized equipment. Background The controversy began when Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, the Minister said most of the excavators that were seized from illegal miners had vanished. Prof. Frimpong-Boateng subsequently wrote a letter to the Police CID to investigate Horace Ekow Ewusi, suspended First Vice Chairman of the governing NPP, over his alleged involvement in the missing earth-moving equipment. Ekow Ewusi was contracted by the government to cart excavators and other vehicles and pieces of equipment seized by the anti-illegal mining task force to designated areas for safekeeping. The government has faced criticism for its purported negligence in the matter with the leader of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, Ken Ashigbey, chiding it for failing to devise stringent measures to ensure the safety of the excavators. ---citinewsroom Chief of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Ivan Bakanov has said that the search in the office of the 1+1 TV channel conducted on February 5 was a necessary investigative measure and not an attempt to pose pressure on the media. "We are not speaking about oppression of journalists of the 1+1 TV channel or limitation of freedom of speech in Ukraine in this situation. We are not speaking about it in principle. We are speaking about an unbiased and versatile investigation into the criminal case on illegal wiretapping of the government head. Investigatory procedures were conducted not only at 18 Kurenivska Street, but also at other addressed of persons under investigation," Bakanov said, according to the SBU's press service. The SBU chief also said that journalists should be interested in finding the truth in this high-profile case and assist the investigation. As reported, the SBU conducted a search at the editorial office of the Secret Materials program of the 1+1 TV Channel on February 5. The Ukrainian media reported that the search was related to the case on wiretapping in the meeting room of Ukrainian Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk. The investigators allegedly suspect journalist of the 1+1 TV Channel Yevhen Kuksin of having leaked the audio recording. On January 16, 2020, a number of Telegram channels circulated an audio recording in which several people discuss the preparation of an economic policy report for the president, as well as the causes and possible effects of a stronger hryvnia. A person whose voice resembles [Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksiy] Honcharuk's says the president has "primitive" notions about economics and refers to himself as "clueless about economics." The conversation was said to have been recorded on December 16. In addition to Honcharuk, the meeting was supposedly attended by National Bank of Ukraine Deputy Chairperson Kateryna Rozhkova, Finance Minister Oksana Markarova, deputy chief of the presidential office Yulia Kovaliv, and others. Later, the Security Service of Ukraine opened a criminal case on the fact of wiretapping in Honcharuk's office. Another country is to bid farewell to CDMA as Nepal Telecom says it will switch off CDMA services by July 2021. Nepal Telecom (NT) is Nepals largest mobile network operator by subscriber numbers. According to local reports the operator will switch off its CDMA service during the 2020-21 fiscal year. The resulting additional spectrum will be used for 4G services. The CDMA service, originally launched in 2006, was used to provide limited mobility services in Kathmandu. Once it goes, it will free up frequency in the 800MHz and 1900MHz bands. This is not unexpected. Nepals Radio Frequency Policy Determination Committee (RFPDC) had announced in early 2019 that CDMA networks were to be shut down by 2022. In fact when the Nepal Telecommunications Authority awarded 210MHz of 800MHz spectrum to NT for 4G LTE in February of 2019, it was conditional on the operator returning 6MHz of airwaves after the CDMA network shutdown. For the few people who still remember the strength of CDMA in the 1990s and early 2000s, such a shutdown is further indication of the end of an era. However, 3G had not rolled out when CDMA first came on the scene, let alone 4G and 5G. Today in Nepal NT has announced that its 4G LTE service is now available in more than 2,000 locations across the country as part of an aggressive expansion programme initiated last year. CARLISLE - The four-day student protest at Dickinson College over the schools handling of sexual assault and harassment complaints is coming to an end. Leaders of the sit-in at the colleges Holland Union Building said a formal agreement outlining the changes Dickinson President Margee Ensign has agreed to will be signed at 4:30 p.m. today. Dickinson has committed to 19 different changes to its current sexual assault and Title IX policies, some taking effect virtually immediately, and others that will follow over the course of the current and next academic year. The current protest was triggered last week after student Rose McAvoy, a senior from the Orlando, Florida area, wrote a column in the student newspaper about her disgust with the way her case was handled when she filed a sexual misconduct charge against another student in late 2017. The sit-in kicked off Monday morning with participation by a full 10 percent of the Dickinson student body, or 260 students. The crowd at the Holland Union had thinned considerably by Wednesday night, but McAvoy said that was in part because student leaders have given their peers the green light to do what they needed to do to take care of themselves. McAvoy said then that the protest would continue into a fourth day because she and her ad hoc negotiating committee are holding out both for more specificity on Dickinsons preliminary commitments, and a document that memorializes all of the colleges commitments in writing. McAvoy said the need for a written document stemmed from a similar series of protests at Dickinson in 2011, which the students feel brought about promises that were not institutionalized. 5 1 of 5 Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 5 Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 5 4 of 5 Brian A. Pounds / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 5 of 5 BRIDGEPORT As expected, the Showcase Cinemas in the Black Rock section of town has shown its last movies. The 26-year-old destination for film buffs shut its doors in late January and, if all goes as planned, will make way for a new, market-rate apartment complex. Angel Broking's report on Crude Oil On Tuesday, WTI Crude prices declined by 1.00 percent to close at $59.6 per barrel as the Coronavirus outbreak in China raised severe demand concerns for fuel. WTI Crude prices continued its long losing streak as markets expected that the economic damage due to the Virus outbreak might dent the demand for fuel. Moreover, the economic fallout in China, the biggest crude consumer further weighed on the prices. OPEC+ stated that they might further trim their production activities to fight back the possible chances of a squeeze on global oil demand which has pushed the prices lower. Excessive supply cuts by OPEC might provide some support for Crude. Outlook Demand concerns arising from China reflecting the new virus outbreak might weigh on the Crude prices. However, excessive output cuts by OPEC+ might support Crude prices. On the MCX, oil prices are expected to trade lower today. For all commodities report, click here Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts/broking houses/rating agencies on moneycontrol.com are their own, and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. Read More [February 06, 2020] Deutsche Bank Appointed as Successor Depositary Bank for the NYSE-Listed American Depositary Receipt Program of AstraZeneca PLC Deutsche Bank announced today its appointment as successor depositary bank for the sponsored American Depositary Receipt Program of AstraZeneca PLC (NYSE: AZN). AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company focusing on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in the therapy areas of Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolism, and Respiratory. AstraZeneca operates in more than 100 countries.* "We are pleased to have been appointed as successor depositary bank for the AstraZeneca PLC American Depositary Receipt program, which is one of the largest and most liquid in the world," said Daniel Clark, Global Head of Depositary Receipts at Deutsche Bank. "We look forward to providing our dedicated resources and expertise to drive the program's future success." In addition to specializing in administering cross-border equity structures such as New York Shares and American and Global Depositary Receipts, Deutsche Bank provides corporates, financial institutions, hedge funds and supranational agencies around the world with trustee, agency, escrow and related services. Deutsche Bank offers a very broad range of services for diverse products, from complex securitizations and project finance to syndicated loans, debt exchanges and restructurings. * This information was provided by AstraZeneca PLC (February 2020). Depositary Receipt Information Country United Kingdom Custodian Bank Deutsche Bank AG, London Branch Effective Date February 6, 2020 Level II ADR CUSIP 046353108 ISIN US0463531089 Symbol AZN Exchange NYSE Current Ratio 1 ADS : 0.5 Ordinary Shares Eligibility DTC Depositary Receipt Contacts Head of Depositary Receipts New Business Development Daniel Clark Craig-A Smith Tel: + 44 (20) 754-16888 Tel: +44 (20) 754-77974 www.adr.db.com Markets Distribution [email protected] London Tel: +44 (0) 20 7547 6500 gtb.db.com New York Tel: +1 212 250 9100 Hong Kong Tel: +852 2203 7854 Deutsche Bank provides commercial and investment banking, retail banking, transaction banking and asset and wealth management products and services to corporations, governments, institutional investors, small and medium-sized businesses, and private individuals. Deutsche Bank is Germany's leading bank, with a strong position in Europe and a significant presence in the Americas and Asia Pacific. The Depositary Receipts have been registered pursuant to the US Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act"). The investment or investment service which is the subject of this notice is not available to retail clients as defined by the UK Financial Conduct Authority. This notice has been approved and/or communicated by Deutsche Bank AG New York. The services described in this notice are provided by Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas (Deutsche Bank) or by its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in accordance with appropriate local registration and regulation. Deutsche Bank is providing the attached notice strictly for information purposes and makes no claims or statement, nor does it warrant or in any way represent, as to the accuracy or completeness of the details contained herein or therein. This announcement appears as a matter of record only. Neither this announcement nor the information contained herein constitutes an offer or solicitation by Deutsche Bank or any other issuer or entity for the purchase or sale of any securities nor does it constitute a solicitation to any person in any jurisdiction where solicitation would be unlawful. No part of this notice may be copied or reproduced in any way without the prior written consent of Deutsche Bank. Past results are not an indication of future performance. Copyright February 2020 Deutsche Bank AG. All rights reserved. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005986/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New York, Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Frost Radar in the European Mobile Threat Defense (MTD) Market, 2019" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05841319/?utm_source=GNW The disproportionate attention to desktop and mobile security has left the importance of mobile devices protection in the periphery of executives vision.Just like computers, modern smartphones transmit sensitive data and have access to a corporate network. Unlike traditional endpoints, however, mobile devices are often left unprotected and can be used by cyber adversaries as a stepping off point into an organization.A vendor with experience in Mobile Threat Defense is well-positioned to assist organizations in strengthening their overall security posture. The research highlights that MTD vendors must continuously innovate to gain a competitive edge both from technological and marketing perspectives. Industry leaders that already demonstrate an unquestionable commitment innovation and growth are recognized as best practice recipients. The radar in the European Mobile Threat Defense (MTD) Market is an analytical publication that reveals the competitive positioning of MTD providers on the European continent. The companies are positioned on the visual tool in accordance with Growth and Innovation scores. The analyst conducted research and uncovered Mobile Threat Defense industry leaders that appear on the Radar. The publication also contains individual company profiles that provide an overview of the MTD provider, the companys positioning on the Radar, its strengths, as well as future opportunities in the European market. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05841319/?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. __________________________ HOPE Program Offers Students Unparalleled Access to Worlds Leading Solar Researchers February 6, 2020 The HOPE program brings together graduate students from across the United States to get hands-on experience with NREL researchers. Here, the HOPE class of 2019 (left) poses with NREL staff (two rightmost individuals). It has been nine years since a small group of 15 graduate students converged on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) campus in Golden, Colorado, to attend the first Hands-On Photovoltaic Experience (HOPE) workshop. The one-of-a-kind program is aimed at providing in-depth training and expertise on the latest in solar technology and advancements, with the benefit of individualized research training and access in a small-group setting. Almost a decade later, while the programs curriculum may have changed, the limits on the class size remains roughly the same. Its a lot of information to take in, and we want to ensure every student has the opportunity to get the full benefit of the small group format, said Adele Tamboli, the lead NREL scientist who runs the program. Our students appreciate the individualized attention. The limited class size is something that NREL researchers who participate in the program appreciate as well, as it gives them the opportunity to make personal connections with students. The small group size means that for most laboratory activities, each student can actively participate in the work rather than just watch a demonstration, and can ask detailed questions about the measurements and background science, said Myles Steiner, a scientist in NRELs High-Efficiency Crystalline Photovoltaics group. I think the program really helps the students develop their understanding of photovoltaic research. HOPE was started by NREL Fellow Sarah Kurtz, who is now on the faculty at the University of California, Merced. Kurtz and Tamboli joined forces to jointly run the program for two years before Kurtz left for California, providing ample time for Tamboli to learn the ropes before stepping in as the program lead in 2018. Tamboli relies largely on word of mouth from other professors, researchers, and past participants to recruit applicants for the limited number of slots available. Admission is now highly competitive. While HOPE participants come from across the country to attend, it is not surprising to learn that more than a few of the workshop alumni have ended up returning to NREL to continue their careers in PV. HOPE is designed for Ph.D. candidates who are midway through their programs and interested in the fabrication, measurement, or study of photovoltaic materials and devices. The workshop is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energys Solar Energy Technologies Office. Applications are currently being accepted through March 9 for the July 19-24, 2020 workshop. Interested applicants must submit joint applications from both the student and professor to be considered. To learn more or apply to the program, visit the HOPE website. For Palestinian analysts, the so-called deal of the century is simply an Israeli plot to strip Palestinians of what remains of their rights Palestinian observers and analysts believe the plan of US President Donald Trump for peace in the Middle East region is essentially everything Israels right-wing wants without any consideration of Palestinian rights, international law or UN resolutions. Trumps deal dictates a unified Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, settlements in the West Bank annexed to Israel, and the negation of the right of return of Palestinian refugees. The deal also mentions a Palestinian state in remnants of the West Bank with its capital in the suburbs of East Jerusalem, not the city itself. The Palestinian position was clearly stated by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who said the deal was a slap in the face and the response is to hit back. Abbas emphasised Palestinian fundamentals, unified national action, and restoring national unity between the West Bank and Gaza Strip as the best response to Trumps proposal. Experts agreed that the leadership in Ramallah and Gaza must quickly close ranks and end divisions that Israel has encouraged by supporting Gaza and separating it from the West Bank. They add that there are critical challenges and attempts by the US and Israel to eliminate the possibility of a Palestinian state altogether, turning the cause into a mockery of a people without land or rights. Observers add that the Palestinian condition today is at a crossroads. They must choose either to live with Trumps deal but continue to reject it without counter-action; wait for negotiations to restart under Quartet auspices in the hope that the EU and Russia will play a more effective role; or wait for an official announcement of the death of the Oslo process, starting a new chapter of implementing decisions by the Palestinian national and central councils, and revising the functions of the Palestinian Authority (PA) to begin a drive towards the creation of an independent Palestinian state. Ibrahim Deebes, writer and analyst, pondered the options after Palestinians rejected the deal and Abbass refusal to meet with Trump or receive messages from him. Abbas said he would go to the Security Council and international bodies, but the Security Council is ineffective since the US veto is ready at the drop of a hat. The UN has issued many resolutions that were never implemented, and Israel flagrantly and brazenly ignores them, including designating the West Bank as occupied territory, settlements there as illegal and prohibiting the annexing of Jerusalem. None of this has changed anything on the ground. Israel has placed the West Bank under siege, carries out incursions even into Ramallah, could prevent Abbas from returning to his headquarters there or put him under siege, as it did with late president Yasser Arafat. Israel also wants to annex the Jordan Valley and all areas with small Arab populations. Deebes believes that speeches dont change anything because those who have no power have no voice, and power is not only military but also economic, commercial, revenue-based, export-based, industrially-based and in general influence, etc. Israel possesses all these powers, he said. We hear a lot of support from the world but without any tangible results, because words are one thing and action is another. He continued: Even we, as Palestinians, are divided. Reconciling and closing ranks is the strongest response. There are signs this is happening, and we hope they reach agreement and understandings quickly. Al-Sadek Al-Shafie, writer and political analyst, believes the deal in essence and wordage was intentionally written to ensure Palestinian rejection, and the ceremony of announcing the deal did not include the other party (Palestinians). They were not even invited, even if only to embarrass them or clear Washingtons conscience, Al-Shafie said. The deal did not add anything new to leaked reports. Leaks were not accidental, and were never denied or corrected to ensure Palestinians reject it. He pointed to statements by former US ambassador to Israel Martin Indyk, who also served as White House envoy to the region under Obamas administration, who was quoted in The New York Times as saying: For [Trump] to take this step amid Israeli elections without inviting the Palestinians or a follow-up plan with the parties involved, means this is not a peace plan at all. Its a joke. The New York Times concluded the piece by saying that the deal will not be the deal of the century, but an electoral boost for Netanyahu. Al-Shafie believes the timing of unveiling the plan serves two goals. First, to bolster Netanyahu in upcoming Knesset elections and as he faces corruption charges, and second to boost Trump in his re-election campaign and ongoing impeachment trial in Congress. He noted that many of the key components of the deal were already implemented through the force of occupation and approval by Washington, even before they were announced. A unified Jerusalem as the capital of the occupation state is already recognised; denying the issue of Palestinian refugees and right of return is already established; legitimising settlements and annexing them to the occupation is ongoing; removing the term occupied from territories controlled or annexed by Israel provides discursive support for Israeli policies; giving a green light and preapproval for Israel to take control of the Jordan Valley and the east of the Dead Sea is a prelude to annexation. Al-Shafie explained that in the logic of business deals, the mediator, or referee (Trump), gave the first party, Israel, everything it wants and more upfront, knowing that most of the deal has been implemented and the rest (annexing the Jordan Valley) will be fulfilled soon after. Meanwhile, the referee did not give the second party, the Palestinians, anything except a mere promise of a state that has no sovereignty, no connectivity, no authority, no security, no capital in Jerusalem; a delayed and preconditional state that must wait until the details are negotiated in the next four years to the liking of Israel. If you look at the map of the promised state attached to the proposal, its a black comedy or an absurd farcical cartoon, he said. Abdel-Majid Sweilam, another political analyst, believes that the implications of Trumps plan are deeper, greater and more significant than a cursory political reading of the proposal. The deal, unlike anything before, highlights the historic clash between two opposite schemes. One, a racist, colonial, expansionist and hostile Zionist plot that began and gained strength over more than 70 years of aggressive and expansionist policies. With this deal, it is trying to tighten its grip over historic Palestine and force more than 13 million Palestinians to choose one of two options: live in ghettos under occupation and direct racist control without any national rights; or find a living place away from Palestine. The other scheme is the national project of the Palestine Liberation Organisation that aims to create an independent state within the borders of 4 June 1967, including East Jerusalem, and gives all diaspora Palestinians the right of return as part of a political solution based on international law and legitimacy. Trumps proposal highlights the clash and contradictions between these two projects which cannot be reconciled without resolving the national cause of the Palestinian people. The Zionist plot does not recognise this solution and wants to erase it by harnessing all its powers to prevent it from happening. In fact, it believes that consolidating the Zionist plot requires aborting and decimating the Palestinian national project. Today, due to Trumps proposal, we have reached the end of the dead end, and we must dig another road, said Sweilam. It is impossible for us to stand still and resist without taking another path and forging ahead. He continued that the conflict is now out in the open and under the correct light; namely, that US-Israeli peace is an offence that decimates the nationalist project of the Palestinian people and allows the Zionist plot to swallow Palestine, its land, geography, history and narrative, giving control to a racist, colonial Jewish state. Without knowing it, Trumps plan is a gift in disguise, according to Sweilam. It spells out that the Zionist plot cannot tolerate or co-exist with the minimum of our national rights. Seizing these rights must come through struggle, so Palestinians can impose a favourable balance of power. Starting now, it will be very difficult for any patriotic Palestinian to continue quarrelling about confronting the Zionist plot, its tools, policies and alliances. This will re-engineer the Palestinian struggle and require every Palestinian to return to the roots and origins of the conflict its Arab and liberation dimensions. Sweilam believes Trump has re-centred Palestinians to self-reflect, close ranks and fortify their position to face the new challenge of bringing the conflict back to a just path. *A version of this article appears in print in the 6 February, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under headline: Dead in the water deal Search Keywords: Short link: Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 17:53:32|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Keren Setton JERUSALEM, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- When U.S. President Donald Trump revealed his new plan to bring peace between Israelis and Palestinians last week, there were a few guests in the room which may implicate a new development in the Middle East. Speaking at the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paused and acknowledged the presence of ambassadors from Oman, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the room. "What a sign it portends of the present," he said and applause followed. In recent years the largely secretive ties between Israel and the Gulf states have improved. With public approval from Israeli officials and tacit consent from Arab leaders, Israeli delegations have been regularly visiting the region. Last week, the Israeli interior minister announced Israelis could legally travel to Saudi Arabia for religious and business purposes. Under Israeli law, Saudi Arabia is an enemy state which Israelis are barred to travel to. The dampening, almost knee-jerk, Saudi response was a reminder that there are still limits to the budding friendship. In an interview to CNN Arabic, Saudi foreign minister was quoted as saying "We don't have relations with Israel and holders of Israeli passports cannot visit the kingdom for now." "Once there's a peace deal...I think the integration of Israel into the regional context is very much on the table," Prince Faisal bin Farhan told CNN. While there is a major impediment to the normalization of ties and the way things are progressing. For the Gulf states, as long as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is solved, normalization will probably not be possible. "The unresolved Palestinian question remains a constraint on the ability of Gulf governments to go any further in their public ties with Israel," said Dr. Ian Black, a visiting senior fellow at the Middle East Center at the London School of Economics, "The ties have become increasingly visible in recent years but they can only go so far." The gradual thawing of relations has been largely enabled by the growing dismay the Gulf states have with Iran. "There is a sense of a common strategic threat from Iran...as the Iranian footprint in the Middle East has been growing in recent years, there is a common interest in confronting them," Black told Xinhua. "The more they disconnect from Iran, the closer they become to Israel," said Dr. Yonatan Freeman from Department of Political Science of Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In an unprecedented event last year, Netanyahu participated in a conference in Poland together with officials from the Gulf states. The conference, headed by the United States, was about combatting Iranian threats in the region. Bringing the odd pairing together is also a mutual economic interest. The rich Gulf states economies are heavily dependent on their oil exports. They fear that in the future, this may not be enough. "They are focusing more and more on attaining a future which isn't dependent as much on oil as it is now," Freeman told Xinhua, "There is more focus on renewable energy and new technologies which aren't going to be using oil. They have found that Israel has shown the world how to get ahead technologically and economically without being dependent on natural resources." Israel's position as a leading country in hi-tech and innovation has elevated its stature in the Gulf. Israeli athletes have participated in competitions in the Gulf states and the national anthem was played in Qatar as an Israeli Judoka won a gold medal in a tournament. Israel has confirmed it will participate in Expo world fair 2020 hosted by Dubai in what will be an historic first. Public foreign trade data does not show any record of Israeli ties with the Gulf, but analysis conducted by several media outlets estimate millions of dollars in trade between Israel and the Gulf. Israeli media has also reported regular, non-commercial, flights between Israel and an unnamed country in the Gulf. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is far from being resolved. But the fact that it has been going on for years with no resolution on the horizon has players in the region putting it on a side-burner in their quest to achieve other goals, experts said. "The conflict is less of a factor. Many in the Gulf are saying they do not want to wait for the solution to the conflict but rather they want solutions Israel can give them with their challenges in Iran and with energy and oil," Freeman said. The Gulf states did not condemn the largely pro-Israeli Trump peace initiative and Saudi Arabia said it was in favor of efforts to make peace. But as a reminder, an official statement read that Saudi Arabia stands by the Palestinians in an effort "to attain their legitimate rights." Public opinion in the Gulf states is still believed to be largely pro-Palestinian when it comes to the conflict with Israel. "The Palestinian issue is still a pretty emotive one which (the Gulf) governments ignore at their peril," said Black. Chinas state-owned gas importers are considering declaring force majeure on LNG imports, which would amplify the turmoil in global gas markets. LNG prices have already plunged to their lowest levels in a decade in Asia as the ramp up of supply in 2019 came at a time when demand has slowed. That was true before the outbreak of the coronavirus. But the quarantine of around 50 million people and the shutdown of huge swathes of the Chinese economy has sent shockwaves through commodity markets. Shipments of oil and gas are backing up at Chinese ports, which is creating ripple effects across the world. Now, Chinese state-owned CNOOC is considering declaring force majeure on its LNG import commitments, according to the FT. Sinopec and CNPC are also apparently considering the move. Prices were already in the dumps. JKM prices recently fell to 10-year lows. But they have continued to decline, approaching $3/MMBtu for the first time in history. Just a few weeks ago, JKM prices were trading at around $5/MMBtu, itself an incredibly low price for this time of year. LNG exports from the U.S. are uneconomical at these price levels. Many exporters have contracts at fixed, higher prices. But shipments can be cancelled for a fee. And any spot trade would be hit hard. The question now is whether shipments will come to halt. Forward prices for summer are now at levels where U.S. LNG shut-ins begin to seem viable, Edmund Siau, a Singapore-based analyst with energy consultant FGE, told Bloomberg. There is usually a lead time before a cargo can be canceled, and we expect actual supply curtailments to start happening in summer. But if buyers start cancelling their purchases, LNG exporters have to ramp down production. That could then ripple back to the shale gas fields in the U.S., where prices are already below $2/MMBtu and drillers cant make any money. The CEO of Marcellus shale gas giant EQT said in December that a lot of this development doesnt work as well at $2.50 gas. Henry Hub prices are now below $1.85/MMBtu. Related: Is This The Only Way To Stop Libyas Oil War? There is little relief in sight. Even with our projected increase in power sector natural gas demand due to the current low price environment, we estimate natural gas stocks to end this summer with 3.85 tcf in the ground, Bank of America Merrill Lynch said in a recent note. Such inventory level would be more than 100 bcf higher YoY, and does not leave much room for bearish errors from mild weather, high renewable generation, or reduced LNG exports. Europe too is sitting on abnormally high inventories. LNG exporters desperately need cold weather in Europe to draw down inventories and provide more breathing room this summer, Bank of America warned. But that is not happening. Europe just saw its warmest January on record, depressing gas demand. Fossil fuels are driving climate change, so its rather ironic that higher temperatures are now battering gas markets. Its all combining to create a gasmaggedon, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch. We are now more than halfway through the winter, and thus far Mother Nature has not been kind to natural gas prices, analysts at the bank wrote. The investment bank calls the U.S. Midwest power sector is the true market of last resort, which means that U.S. gas prices have to fall to such low depths that coal-fired power plants are forced offline in their last redoubt the Midwest. We believe the US cannot sustain reduced LNG exports this summer, Bank of America warned. Therefore, US natural gas prices might have to go low enough to stimulate sufficient Midwest power sector natural gas demand to balance the entire global gas market. By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has insisted she is "not trying to spirit the past away" as she was challenged over a litany of IRA atrocities from the Enniskillen bomb to the murder of Garda Jerry McCabe. It comes as she remains under intense pressure over how her party treated the family of murdered Paul Quinn. Ms McDonald was confronted with a series of IRA outrages that occurred since she was 16-years-old by Newstalk's Pat Kenny. He made the point that the polls show that Sinn Fein is gaining support among younger people who do not remember the horrific violence but that older voters do. Mr Kenny said: "They remember Enniskillen 1987 you were 16 years old at the time. You werent a child. You remember that too. The Warrington bombing. You were 24. Thats when a three year-old child Jonathan Ball was killed and a 12-year-old boy Tim Parry was killed." He said that Ms McDonald was 27 when the IRA killed Garda Jerry McCabe. "A party member of yours, a TD [Martin Ferris] went to meet the killers of Jerry McCabe a Garda killed on duty by the IRA". Mr Kenny added: "You dont like it but it is important to remind those who dont have long memories what the violent history of your partys association with the Provisional IRA is." Ms McDonald said it's "absolutely essential that the conflict is remembered" and that it's "not glossed over or glamorised because real people suffered". Any notion or suggestion thats being put out there that somehow Conor Murphy is holding back information or knows who carried out these acts is entirely wrong Mr Kenny said he could give many more examples and Ms McDonald replied: "This isnt about trying to whitewash anything. What happened, happened and I feel a real sense of responsibility to put that to rights." She said that she has met Tim Parry's father Colin and has visited Warrington. Ms McDonald said will not be sacking Stormont Finance Minister Conor Murphy in the wake of his claim that murdered 21-year-old Paul Quinn was involved in criminality. She added: "Im not trying to spirit the past away. Far from it. The truth is that we need to look at the past in the eye and we need to deal with it." Mr Kenny said he sees a continuum between the Enniskillen bombing and the murder of Paul Quinn in 2007 who was brutally beaten to death by a gang who were associated with the Provisional IRA. Ms McDonald said: "those that carried out that diabolical act need to be apprehended and put behind bars." Sinn Fein has been beset by controversy over the murder as Mr Quinn's family had been seeking an apology from the party's Finance Minister in the North Conor Murphy over his claim in 2007 that their son had been involved in criminality. Mr Murphy finally apologised and withdrew the remark yesterday. The Quinn family also want him to provide police with the names of IRA members he claimed he spoke to and who assured him the terror group was not involved in the murder. Asked about this today, Ms McDonald said that Mr Murphy has previously spoken to the PSNI and the Gardai. I think Conor Murphy should resign, if his apology was genuine he would have issued that apology to the Quinn family 13 years ago. She said: "Any notion or suggestion thats being put out there that somehow Conor Murphy is holding back information or knows who carried out these acts is entirely wrong." Meanwhile, Fianna Fail has called on Sinn Feins Conor Murphy to resign as Northern Irelands Finance Minister amid ongoing controversy over his remarks about murder victim Paul Quinn. Jim OCallaghan, Fianna Fails justice spokesman, said he did not believe Mr Murphys apology was genuine and that he should resign. However, he said Fianna Fail in government would continue to deal with Mr Murphy if he remains in office at Stormont. On Wednesday, Mr Murphy apologised and withdrew remarks made in 2007 that Mr Quinn had been involved in criminality following demands from the murder victims family. The Quinn family also want him to provide police with the names of IRA members he claimed he spoke to and who assured him the terror group was not involved in the murder. His party leader Mary McDonald has denied that Mr Murphy is withholding information and said that he has spoken with authorities. Mr OCallaghan said: I think Conor Murphy should resign, if his apology was genuine he would have issued that apology to the Quinn family 13 years ago. But the apology was really designed to protect and promote the interests of Sinn Fein in the run-up to a general election. What it reveals is that whenever there is a conflict between the interests of a family seeking justice on the one hand and the interests of the Provisional IRA or people involved in crime on the other hand Sinn Fein will always opt for the latter. Mr OCallaghan also attacked what he claimed was Sinn Feins opposition to the Special Criminal Court. While Sinn Fein has previously called for the abolition of the non-jury court its current manifesto calls for a review of the court and in recent days Ms McDonald has indicated she does not want it abolished. Mr OCallaghan said he appreciated the concerns of human rights bodies such as the Irish Council for Civil Liberties but said the Constitution allows such courts to be established and the people voted in favor of it. He said: I'm waiting to hear a member of Sinn Fein identify for me or anyone else a miscarriage of justice that occurred in the special criminal court. I've never heard them being able to identify one of them. And notwithstanding that they still continue with their ambivalent view, their absolutely opposed view to Special Criminal Court because there's a vote every year in respect of this. Lets be clear as to why the leader of Sinn Fein says that she does not support the Special Criminal Court. The reason she cant say she supports it is because she is not allowed to say that because the cabal in West Belfast will not allow her to come out in favour of a special criminal court because if she does they know it undermines their revisionist view of what happened in this country for 30-40 years during the Troubles. In the partys final press conference at Fianna Fail campaign headquarters in Dublin, Mr OCallaghan and Fianna Fail housing spokesman Darragh OBrien took aim at Fine Gael. Mr OBrien said that the government party had run the most negative election campaign in modern history. Mr OCallaghan criticised Mr Varadkars campaign messaging about having the best team to govern the country. "To listen to Leo Varadkar talk about the Fine Gael A-Team, youd swear he was Jurgen Klopp managing Liverpool and that Heather Humphreys and Eoghan Murphy and Simon Harris are like Mane, Salah and Firmino. Like, give me a break, he said. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump rallies with supporters in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. January 30, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo Reuters The Senate on Wednesday acquitted President Donald Trump of the two charges against him in his impeachment trial. Trump was impeached in December, charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The charges related to his effort to strong-arm Ukraine into interfering in the 2020 election and his subsequent stonewalling of Congress' investigation. Wednesday's vote to acquit Trump of abuse of power fell largely along party lines: 48 senators (every Democratic and independent senator and Republican Sen. Mitt Romney) voted to convict Trump, while 52 senators, all Republicans, voted to acquit him. On the obstruction-of-Congress charge, Romney sided with Republicans, and the final vote was 47-53. Romney's vote was the first time in US history that a member of the president's own party voted to convict and remove him from office. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The Senate on Wednesday acquitted President Donald Trump of the two charges against him in his impeachment trial. The vote came after a bitter fight between House impeachment managers, who acted as prosecutors in the president's trial, and Trump's defense team over his dealings with Ukraine. The vote to clear Trump of abuse of power fell largely along party lines: 48 senators (every Democratic and independent lawmaker and Republican Sen. Mitt Romney) voted to convict Trump, while 52 senators, all Republicans, voted to acquit him. On the obstruction-of-Congress charge, Romney sided with Republicans, and the final vote was 47-53. To remove the president from office, two-thirds of the Senate, or 67 lawmakers, needed to vote to convict him. It was the first time in US history that a member of the president's own party voted to convict and remove him from office. It was also the first time that the entire opposing party voted to convict the president. Trump was impeached in December. Both articles of impeachment related to his efforts to strong-arm Ukraine into interfering in the 2020 election while he withheld $391 million in vital military aid and dangled a White House meeting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky desperately sought and still hasn't gotten. Story continues At the center of the impeachment inquiry was a July 25 phone call during which Trump repeatedly pressured Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter over the latter's employment on the board of the Ukrainian natural-gas company Burisma Holdings. Trump also asked Zelensky to help discredit the Russia inquiry by investigating a bogus conspiracy theory suggesting Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election to help Democrats and Hillary Clinton's campaign. Documents and testimony from more than a dozen witnesses eventually revealed that the July call was just one data point in a months-long effort by Trump and his allies, including his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, to leverage the weight of the US government and foreign policy to force Ukraine into acceding to his political demands. In a heated trial, the Republican-controlled Senate refused to subpoena documents or hear new witness testimony. The move was unprecedented the Senate had called witnesses in each of the previous 15 impeachment trials, including those of Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. Senate Republicans' decision to block witnesses was especially noteworthy given that John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, announced he was willing to testify and had firsthand knowledge of the president's pressure campaign in Ukraine. The New York Times reported in late January that Bolton said in his upcoming book that Trump personally told him he would withhold aid to Ukraine until Zelensky gave in to his demands for politically motivated investigations targeting his rivals. The revelation directly undercut Trump and his lawyers' claims that there was no "quid pro quo" with Ukraine. Bolton also said that last May, shortly after Zelensky was elected, Trump asked Bolton to call Zelensky to ensure he met with Giuliani, who spearheaded Trump's pressure campaign. Bolton said Mick Mulvaney, the acting White House chief of staff, and Pat Cipollone, the White House counsel who led Trump's defense team in the impeachment trial, both witnessed Trump making that demand. Bolton added that he did not call Zelensky. House impeachment managers argued that the Senate had a constitutional obligation to hear new witness testimony, particularly from someone like Bolton, the highest-profile person in Trump's inner circle to allege wrongdoing by the president. Trump's defense lawyers, meanwhile, argued that the Senate already had enough testimony from the 17 witnesses who testified in the House impeachment hearings. However, this argument was at odds with the defense team's claim that the House rushed through impeachment proceedings without allowing for more witnesses. Ultimately, 51 senators, all Republicans, voted against calling new witnesses, and 49 senators voted in favor of it; two Republican senators, Romney and Susan Collins of Maine, voted with Democrats to call witnesses. Read the original article on Business Insider To the Editor: At Tuesdays referendum, Durham and Middlefield voters will have the opportunity to vote on amendments to the Plan of Regionalization for Regional School District 13. These amendments are the first changes to the plan in the 52 years from its creation of the district in 1968. Both amendments are technical in nature as a result of court decisions and a charter change in Durham. The first amendment further clarifies the current authority of the Board of Education to determine the programs and facilities of the regional district to include the alteration, expansion or closure of district buildings. Over the last 52 years, the district has closed two schools, and constructed alterations or expansions to schools to meet program and facility needs. Court decisions in other regional school districts in Connecticut led our district bond counsel to determine that this specific language should be added to further clarify the existing authority of the board, and for the purpose of assuring a clean bond finding. This amendment does not change the process or procedures for public input and referendum on the budget or capital expenditures. The decision to move toward a single academic program design in a PreK to 2, 3 to 5, 6 to 8 and 9 to 12 grade configuration made a year ago is driven by declining student enrollment and the cost of keeping unneeded buildings open and operating. The John Lyman school has a current capital need of over $4 million, and an operating savings of over $1 million. Investing town taxes in students and their educational opportunities is the boards priority over keeping excess building capacity operating. The second amendment is proposed to change the election of Durham board members to occur at town-wide elections of board officials in accordance with the town charter. It does not affect Middlefield elections. Copies of the Regionalization Plan Amendment Report are available on the district website at rsd13ct.org/Board-of-Education and at town halls and libraries. Robert Moore, chairman, Board of Education, Regional School District 13 The former manager at an Eatontown pizzeria who was sued after he texted an anti-Semitic rant to an employee will attend an educational program about the Holocaust as part of the resolution to the workplace discrimination lawsuit, his lawyer told NJ Advance Media. Francesco Scott Di Rinaldi, who was fired by the owners of Maurizios Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant, issued an apology to the worker, 17-year-old Nicholas Bogan, and the Jewish community. Di Rinaldi messaged Bogan in September saying Jewish people should be set on fire like Hitler was trying to do, according to the lawsuit filed in Monmouth County Superior Court. I know the words are unacceptable and hurtful, but I did not mean to hurt anyone, especially Nicholas and his family, Di Rinaldi wrote in a letter sent to NJ Advance Media. Ive learned my lesson and I hope I can get a second chance from everyone. Di Rinaldis attorney, Mario Appuzo, said his client will attend a four-session program at the Center for Holocaust, Human Rights & Genocide Education at Brookdale Community College in Monmouth County. The program includes an overview of hate and anti-Semitism, a visit to the centers permanent exhibit and the opportunity to meet with a Holocaust survivor, Appuzo said. He declined to say whether Bogan will receive financial compensation, saying the details of the settlement are confidential. Bogans attorneys at the Red Bank-based McOmber & McOmber law firm did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit alleged that Di Rinaldi sent Bogan a string of obscene, hateful, and bizarre anti-Semitic and racist comments when the high school student asked to have the first night of Rosh Hashanah off last year. Screenshots of texts attached to the complaint show Di Rinaldi wrote (Expletive) the Jewish. Put them on fire (fire emoji). Like Hitler was trying to do. He had a point." Bogan responded with three crying emojis" in an attempt to defuse the situation, but Di Rinaldi continued the rant by saying he cant stand Jewish people or Indians as well, and that both groups dont belong in America," according to the suit. The pizzerias owners, the Schianodicola family, fired Di Rinaldi after they became aware of the lawsuit and said they do not condone his inexcusable and completely distasteful actions. In his apology letter, Di Rinaldi said he was under pressure that day because multiple employees called out of work. We all have those stressful days in our lives when we lose control of what we say or think. All I can say is that I am ashamed of what I said. I can again assure you its not who I am, Di Rinaldi wrote. Avalon Zoppo may be reached at azoppo2@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. San Francisco restaurateur Dennis Leary has plenty of pasteurized eggs, homegrown chile peppers and, as of late, free time. So he came up with a side project: A delivery-only service called A Huevo. The name technically means to the egg in Spanish, but in kitchen vernacular its sometimes used as a more casually obscene form of agreement (f, yeah!). A Huevo will start in March, offering deliveries in San Franciscos Financial District with a minimalist menu that incorporates eggs into every dish. Leary is still figuring out prices but said everything could be in the $10 range, if he can make that work. Leary also runs the old-school bar House of Shields on New Montgomery Street, and the popular Financial District sandwich spot the Sentinel. A Huevos kitchen will be in the same area, Leary said via email, but he didnt disclose an address. The pasteurized eggs will come from farms in Capay Valley, a rural area northwest of Sacramento where Leary also has another farm, Andromeda, specializing in produce. A Huevo will have a morning menu with an egg sandwich made from shirred (baked) eggs, fried potato and cornmeal bread. During lunch hours, Leary said hell offer a steak and egg sandwich, as well as crispy rice and green eggs and ham. Leary also plans to have a roster of hot sauces made from peppers grown at his farm. The most notable are scorpion peppers and seven hot peppers, which are considered among the hottest on the planet. I may do some baking, too, Leary said. I bought a dough sheeter (which can be used to make pizza and pie dough) about 10 years ago and its been collecting dust. Time to turn a buck on it. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Leary said he might add biscuits, flatbreads, egg pizza and strawberry shortcakes to the menu. The strawberries would also come from his Capay Valley farm. The reason Leary has time for A Huevo these days is because Henry Africa, the throwback bar hes working on with business partner Eric Passetti at the former San Francisco bar Eddie Rickenbackers space (133 Second St.), has run into some delays. Leary said hes now hoping to open by the summer, following a seismic retrofit to the building. Eddie Rickenbackers spent 37 years on Second Street before closing last year. Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JustMrPhillips Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) Some Filipino workers will soon be allowed to return to Kuwait after the government on Thursday partially lifted the deployment ban. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said said skilled, semi-skilled, and professional workers can now go back to their Kuwaiti employers, . Newly-hired and returning household workers, however, will still be covered by the partial ban, Bello added. The partial lifting of the deployment ban was a result of yhe Philippines and Kuwait sealing a deal on the proposed standard employment contract for overseas Filipino workers (OFW) in the Middle Eastern country. The template contract for OFWs is under a provision of a 2018 labor deal an agreement to protect OFWs in Kuwait. Both sides reached an agreement earlier this month after threshing out certain rules in the provision. Trade Union Congress of the Philippines party-list Rep. Raymond Democrito Mendoza said that the deployment ban on household service workers should stay. "Yes, we would say lifting of the ban of the semi (skilled workers) and the highly skilled workers, but the ban on household service workers, who are much exploited in Kuwait, should stay until justice is served for Ms. Villavende," Mendoza told CNN Philippines Newsroom, referring to household helper Jeanelyn Villavende. The Philippines imposed a total deployment ban to Kuwait in January following the death of Villavende. She was reportedly killed by her Kuwaiti employer, who is now facing charges. The Labor Secretary previously said the standard contract contains regulations endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte including allowing Filipinos to keep their passports and cellphones, setting one day off with pay, as well as designating working and sleeping hours for the OFWs. CNN Philippines' Tristan Nodalo contributed to this report. By Arthur I. Cyr Today, mass media coverage of the Korean Peninsula has been focusing on two flamboyant personalities, President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, who seem to be regularly vying for center stage. This somewhat overshadows the leadership of President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, who often is overlooked. The associated sustained positive contributions of South Korea to Asian and broader international relations likewise are not the stuff of alarming headlines or TV melodrama. At the end of 2018, the influential Asia News Network named President Moon "Person of the Year." South Korea's chief executive quite rightly is praised for serving as initiator, broker, and mediator between the U.S. and North Korea. This accomplishment is too easily oversimplified and minimized. At the end of 2017, Trump and Kim were trading crude and at times personal insults via the global media. Moon's work behind the scenes not only restrained but also reversed that sad, silly situation. He insisted on inviting with the North Korean delegation to the Winter Olympics held in February 2018 in Pyeongchang. The group included Kim's sister, an influential figure in the regime. Renewed intransigence by Pyongyang may continue, but at least is no longer to be assumed. Moon's sustainable efforts require discipline and courage, qualities demonstrated throughout his long career. During Moon's youth, he was arrested and imprisoned because of activism against the dictatorship of Park Chung-hee. Reflecting that experience, he decided to pursue a career as a human rights lawyer. He also served in the Republic of Korea army special forces, and saw action in the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) along the 38th Parallel. President Moon was sworn in May 10, 2017, right after the voters' ballots were counted following a special presidential election. He received approximately 41 percent of the vote, short of a majority but 17 percent ahead of the nearest rival. From the very start, he has emphasized relations with North Korea. 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. Moon was chief of staff to President Roh Moo-hyun. He finished a close second to Park Geun-hye in the 2012 presidential election. Military ties between South Korea and the United States are of vital importance but also often overlooked. Collaboration is particularly close and long-term between the armies of our two nations. During the long Vietnam War, South Korea maintained approximately 50,000 troops in South Vietnam. A large percentage of that total were combat troops. Republic of Korea Army troops developed a deserved reputation for effectiveness in that brutal, vexing war. South Korea at the time had no substantial economic investment in South Vietnam. The sole incentive was strong commitment to the United States, dating from the Korean War of 1950 to 1953. That war made the Cold War global, no longer focused only on divided Germany. Media emphasize Moon's declining popularity and domestic controversies, but that indicates functioning democracy. Seoul has the moral high ground, and a vastly stronger economy than Pyongyang. North Korea's rigidity masks weakness; UN sanctions are taking a significant toll over the long term, affecting everyone. Moon pursues a steady, responsible course. His numerous critics have yet to propose a persuasive alternative approach. Arthur I. Cyr (acyr@carthage.edu) is Clausen distinguished professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War." The Naveen Patnaik-led government in Odisha on Wednesday issued a notification for only the house-listing operation of the Census to be conducted between April 1 and September 30. The notification comes as states like Odisha and Bihar have written to the Centre expressing their reservation over seeking details of the birthplace of parents of their residents during updation of the National Population Register (NPR). There was no immediate clarity whether NPR would be held simultaneously with house-listing though both are supposed to be conducted at the same time. No decision has been taken on NPR so far. We are waiting for a decision on it, said a census official, unwilling to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the media. Odishas additional chief secretary of revenue and disaster management department, PK Mohapatra, said the routine house-listing would be done as per the schedule. The government has written to the Centre on some issues of NPR. Once we get clearance, it would be done, said Mohapatra. The notification issued by the state revenue and disaster management department said 31 questions would be asked during the house-listing operations including about drinking water source, access to latrines, number of married couples in a household and whether they owned a smartphone, laptop, scooter, motorcycle etc. Last month, Odisha had said it would not seek details of the birthplace of parents of its residents during updation of NPR. Raising its objection to the column on the birthplace of the parents of the respondents, the Odisha government has moved the Centre seeking to delete it. Odisha has also written to the Centre about columns in the NPR for enumeration of Socially and Economically Backward Class (SEBC) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) arguing that non-availability of reliable and authentic data about the exact number of SEBC and OBC population has become an impediment to taking up focussed planning for these communities. However, others say separate enumeration of OBC is a concerted attempt to harvest the votes of numerically superior community in the state and also pip the BJP to it before the main opposition party makes a bid for it. Odishas move of withholding NPR, for the time being, comes in the wake several Muslim organisations expressing their apprehension over they being asked to prove their citizenship. In December last year, members of the Muslim community from Bhadrak district had met chief minister Naveen Patnaik expressing their concerns over his Biju Janata Dal (BJD) supporting the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and sought assurance that their interests will be protected. Last month, more than 20,000 people including many Muslims marched through the streets of Bhubaneswar against the citizenship act and the NPR alleging the amended legislation was a nefarious design to demonise a great majority of people of India. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 Ghiffari, 21, an engineer at an online accommodation company, has to take a 20-minute trip by motorbike from his home in Palmerah, West Jakarta, to his office in Gambir, Central Jakarta. Oftentimes, it takes him 15 to 20 minutes longer because of heavy traffic. The traffic is very irritating, he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. My work sometimes requires me to move from one place to another. Ghiffari's longer travel time is an example of Jakarta's decades-long traffic issue, with the city failing to show any improvements in its congestion rate since 2018, according to a report. 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 by Bernardo Cervellera The Chinese president needs to introduce new laws to prevent and control epidemics and improve punishment. No self-criticism for the silence on the coronavirus and the delay in leadership decisions. Xu Zhangrun, former law professor at Qinghua University: the tyranny and suppression of civil society at the root of the spread of the virus. Xu Zhiyong: Xi has to step down because he is "unable to manage crises". Rome (AsiaNews) - "The prevention and control of infection" requires "a commitment based on the law, which is scientific and orderly". Thus, Chinese President Xi Jinping said yesterday at a meeting of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on governance. According to Xinhua, Xi stressed that in China it is important to "improve legislation related to the prevention and control of epidemics, strengthen support for institutions and improve punishment procedures". Xinhua does not quote any word from Xi about the crisis facing the country. The coronavirus epidemic that originated in Wuhan is now widespread in all regions of China and to date has killed over 560, with nearly 30 thousand infected. At least 51 million people are in forced or voluntary isolation; hundreds of millions of people are suffering the repercussions for the closure of the factories, for the fallout of the economy. Xi has been silent for a long time and only after the virus emergency was declared on January 23 last did he have some words of support for the nation's "war" against the "demon" of the epidemic. What is increasingly evident is that what has not weathered the crisis is the structure of Chinese society, in particular the information control system, which has delayed the public awareness of the seriousness of the epidemic for weeks while it spread throughout the country. The other major limits to a prompt response is the hierarchical and top-down structure of power that does not allow a mayor to take action without the approval of Beijing's central leadership. In this sense, Xi's words yesterday are a great self-acquittal to confirm the party's dictatorship and control over information when the need for freedom of the press and the distribution of responsibilities with the criterion of subsidiarity is now plan for all to see. After a certain silence, the big regime press returned to placing photos of the "heart of leadership" and the "Xi's corner" on the front page, where every word of the president, party secretary, director of the Central Military Commission, responsible for reforms, etc. is exalted. But here and there on the web there are criticisms that after a few hours are obscured and the authors arrested. Xu Zhangrun, a law professor at Qinghua University, has published an article criticizing the leadership for failing to control the coronavirus epidemic. Xu - who for another article against Xi's lifetime presidency was suspended from teaching in 2018 - first accused this "tyranny" of destroying "the Chinese political system" that was heading for reforms after the death of Mao Zedong . According to Xu, Beijing's crackdown on civil society and freedom of expression has made it impossible for people to respond immediately to the outbreak alarm. According to his friends, Xu - who already lives under surveillance - will soon be arrested. Two days ago it was Xu Zhiyong's turn. He published an article on social media asking Xi to step down because he is "unable to handle crises" such as the trade war with the United States, Hong Kong protests and the coronavirus. Xu Zhiyong is the founder of the New Citizens movement, a human rights lawyer, who has already suffered four years in prison for speaking in defense of democracy and against corruption of party members. At present, Xu Zhiyong lives hidden and escapes the police, although he is very active on social media. At the beginning of the year, he posted a note criticizing xi Jinping's "new model of totalitarianism". Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders are nearly tied in the Iowa Democratic caucuses with nearly all results counted in a contest marred by technical issues and reporting delays. The race remained too early to call early on Thursday with 97 percent of precincts reporting. Party officials were scrambling to verify the remaining results three days after Iowans gathered at caucus sites across the state to begin choosing which Democrat will take on President Donald Trump in November. A new batch of results released just after midnight narrowed the margin between Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Sanders, the progressive senator from Vermont. Buttigieg has a lead of three state delegate equivalents out of 2,098 counted. Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders were nearly tied in the Iowa Democratic caucuses early Thursday with nearly all results counted in a contest marred by technical issues and reporting delays The deadlocked contest gives both Buttigieg and Sanders a burst of momentum as they seek to pull away from the crowded field. The nearly complete results show them leading Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, with former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Amy Klobuchar trailing behind. But the results in Iowa were muddied by the stunning breakdown of the caucus reporting process in a state that traditionally kicks off presidential nominating contests. Iowa officials initially attributed a delay in reporting results to technical problems with an app that precinct chairs were supposed to use to record votes, then to backlogs as those volunteers tried to call the party to submit their totals. Obstacles still remained even as the total number of results ticked up throughout the day Wednesday. Some tally sheets were making their way to party headquarters in Des Moines through the mail, which contributed to the delay. Much of the political world has already shifted its attention to next-up New Hampshire, which holds the first primary election in the Democrats' 2020 nomination fight on Tuesday. Both Buttigieg and Sanders are leading contenders there as well. The two men are separated by 40 years in age and conflicting ideology. The nearly complete results show Buttigieg and Sanders leading Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren Former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Amy Klobuchar are trailing behind in fourth and fifth places respectively Sanders, a 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist, has been a progressive powerhouse for decades. Buttigieg, a 38-year-old former municipal official, represents the more moderate wing of the Democratic Party. Buttigieg is also the first openly gay candidate to earn presidential primary delegates. Their strength in Iowa put them in the crosshairs of rivals as the race shifted to New Hampshire. Biden, who fell far short of expectations in Iowa, cast both Buttigieg and Sanders as risky choices for Democrats, given the former mayors relative inexperience and the senators descriptions of himself as a socialist. Sanders is making his second run for the White House. He surprised many Democrats in 2016 with his strong challenge to Hillary Clinton, but entered the 2020 contest as a front-runner. He's topped the field in fundraising, despite eschewing high-dollar donors. Sanders and his supporters raised issues with the primary process after the 2016 election, prompting the Democratic National Committee to make changes that affected the Iowa reporting regulations. As a result, Iowa released three sets of data from the caucuses: the tally of voter preferences at the start of the caucus; their preferences after supporters of candidates who reached less than 15% made a second choice; and the results of state delegate equivalents. The final alignment results are used to determine state delegate equivalents, which is the metric the AP has long used to call the winner of the caucus. Democrats pick their nominee based on delegate totals. With 97 percent of precincts reporting, Sanders is leading in the first alignment results and has a narrower edge in the final alignment. China clamping down on media coverage as deaths hit 563 WORLD: The number of coronavirus related deaths in China hit 563 today (Feb 6) as confirmed infections rose to more than 28,000 nationwide in an outbreak that has spiralled into a global health emergency with cases reported in more than 20 countries. healthChinesetourismSafetyCoronavirusCOVID-19 By AFP Thursday 6 February 2020, 09:16AM Medical staff hug each other in an isolation ward at a hospital in Zouping in Chinas eastern Shandong province. Photo: AFP Among the cases was a newborn baby, diagnosed just 30 hours after being born. As the numbers surge with no sign of abating, the Communist government is clamping down on news media and the internet in an effort to control the narrative about the crisis. Both state media and more conservative channels have been advised to focus on more positive stories and several internet platforms have removed any reports or negativity suggesting any Chinese government shortcomings in dealing with the situation. This comes as authorities in China warned they faced a severe shortage of hospital beds and equipment needed to treat a growing number of patients stricken by the new coronavirus as cities far from the epicentre tightened their defences. Despite authorities building a hospital from scratch and converting public buildings to accommodate thousands of extra patients, there was still a severe lack of beds, said Hu Lishan, an official in Wuhan, the quarantined city where the virus first appeared - and where doctors are now overwhelmed with cases. There was also a shortage of equipment and materials, he told reporters, adding that officials were looking to convert other hotels and schools in the city into treatment centres. A growing number of cities have imposed a range of restrictions far from Hubei, as authorities battle to contain the virus. Tens of millions of people, from the eastern industrial heartlands to near the northern border with Russia, have been told to stay indoors as authorities battle to curb the outbreak. Global concerns have risen after the World Health Organization declared an international health emergency last week. The WHO called for $675 million (20,939,376,550 baht) in donations for a plan to fight the novel coronavirus, mainly through investment in countries considered particularly at risk. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pledged to commit up to $100 million. New cases emerged abroad, with 10 people testing positive for the virus on a cruise ship quarantined off the coast of Japan with thousands on board. Also in Japan, the chief executive of the Tokyo Olympics set for later this year admitted organisers were extremely worried about how the virus could affect the Summer Games, but the International Olympic Committee urged calm. Italy announced that passengers from every international flight would be scanned for fevers, while Vietnam joined a growing list of countries banning arrivals from China. Hong Kong, which reported its first coronavirus death this week, said anyone arriving from the mainland would face a mandatory two-week quarantine from Saturday (Feb 8). Dont go out! In the city of Hangzhou, some 175 kilometres (110 miles) southwest of Shanghai, fences blocked streets near the headquarters of Chinese tech giant Alibaba, one of the worlds most valuable companies, as a fighter jet circled overhead. The building appeared to be shut down, while deliverymen moved in and out of nearby fenced-in residential areas to drop off groceries. The firm is based in one of three Hangzhou districts subject to new restrictions that allow only one person per household to go outside every two days to buy necessities. Please dont go out. Dont go out. Dont go out! blared a message on a loudspeaker urging people to wear masks, wash their hands regularly and report any people who are from Hubei - reflecting a common fear that people from the province might infect others. At least three other cities in Zhejiang province - Taizhou, Wenzhou and parts of Ningbo - have imposed the same measures, affecting 18 million people. In the central city of Zhumadian, authorities said one person would be allowed to leave each household only every five days. Residents of the city of seven million were also offered cash rewards for informing on people who came from neighbouring Hubei province. Authorities in Beijing said restaurants could no longer accept reservations for parties from yesterday (Feb 5). Jitters The disease is believed to have emerged in December in a Wuhan market that sold wild animals and spread rapidly as people travelled for the Lunar New Year holiday in January. The Ministry of Public Security said political security was the top priority in confronting the epidemic. The statement came days after the top leadership admitted shortcomings in its handling of the outbreak - local authorities in Hubei have been criticised for initially downplaying the situation. The death toll has steadily increased, hitting 563 today. But officials have noted that the death rate, at around two percent, is well below the mortality rate of SARS, which killed some 800 people in 2002-2003. Two fatalities have been reported outside the mainland, in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Several governments have imposed travel restrictions while major airlines have suspended flights to and from China. Thousands of Chinese tourists risked being stranded in Bali after the Indonesian government suspended flights to and from mainland China. China has reacted angrily against travel bans, noting that the WHO does not advise imposing them. It has accused the US of spreading panic in its response to the coronavirus, including its ban on Chinese travellers, and yesterday, it took another swipe at Washington. Panic is more deadly and contagious than any virus, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a press briefing. Vietnam has reported two more new coronavirus (nCoV) infection cases, bringing the total number of detected nCoV patients in the country to 12, the Ministry of Health announced on February 6 evening. One of the two cases is a 49-year-old female farmer, residing in Son Loi commune, Binh Xuyen district, northern Vinh Phuc province. She is the mother of a 23-year-old female patient who had previously tested positive for the virus. The other is her 16-year-old daughter and a younger sister of the female patient. As both of them had close contact with the infected patient, so they have been closely monitored. On February 4, local medical workers found that they showed symptoms of cough and tiredness. Both then were taken to the local medical station for quarantine and having samples tested. The tests by the National Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology indicated that they were positive for nCoV. They are now in stable health conditions. The 23-year-old patient was one of eight people who returned from Chinas Wuhan city on the same flight. Five of them were infected with the virus, while three others have been quarantined. The eight Vietnamese people were sent to Wuhan for training by Nihon Plast Co Ltd of Japan and returned to Vietnam on China Southern Airlines fight CZ8315 on January 17. The 12 coronavirus infection cases in Vietnam consist of two Chinese (a man and his son, with one already recovering), five Vietnamese returning from Wuhan, three people who had contact with one of the infected workers, one Vietnamese who is a hotel receptionist having close contact with the two infected Chinese nationals, and a Vietnamese American man who transited at an airport in Wuhan. Le Ha Wuhan coronavirus could negatively affect Vietnam's economy: Fitch Vietnam last year received some 18 million foreign tourists, including 5.8 million Chinese guests. WASHINGTONThe man accused of killing 22 people and wounding two dozen more in a shooting that targeted Mexicans in the border city of El Paso, Texas, has been charged with federal hate crimes. Patrick Crusius, 21, has been charged with 90 counts under federal hate-crime and firearms laws for his role in the Aug. 3 shooting that authorities said was aimed at scaring Hispanics into leaving the United States, according to an indictment unsealed Thursday. Federal prosecutors announced the charges against Crusius of Allen, Texas at a Thursday news conference in El Paso. The U.S. Department of Justice will consult with the defence and victims families before deciding if they will pursue a death penalty. Ultimately, the decision is up to Attorney General William Barr. The DOJ will prosecute on a parallel track with state officials. Crusius faces the death penalty on a state capital murder charge to which he pleaded not guilty last year. Hate-crime charges show members of targeted communities that they are valued, that their protection matters and that we will protect them and their rights, Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the DOJ civil rights division said. People in our nation have the right to go to a store on a Saturday morning without fear that they will be shot and killed because of who they are, or where theyre from, Dreiband said. The shooting happened at a time when immigration officials were trying to manage a crush of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and there was a political battle over their treatment. El Paso was the epicentre of the influx. U.S. President Donald Trump has made cracking down on immigration a hallmark of his administration and the polarizing topic makes headlines around the world. Eight Mexican nationals were among the victims, and the indictment accuses Crusius of targeting people because of their actual and perceived national origin. The Walmart store is popular with shoppers from nearby Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, just on the other side of the Rio Grande from El Paso. David Lane, a Colorado-based lawyer representing Crusius in the federal case, said Thursday morning that he had not yet seen the indictment but hopes federal prosecutors dont seek his clients execution. Part of the evolution of our society involves understanding that justice is not synonymous with vengeance, because vengeance disregards the essential humanity in all of us and brutalizes us all, Lane said. Part of my job here is to hopefully convince the Department of Justice that they are not the department of vengeance. In a statement issued Thursday evening, Crusiuss family said it was aware of the indictment and has been and continues to be mindful of the immense pain and suffering of all those affected and touched by this tragedy. Beyond that, the family said it would make no further comment. City council member Cassandra Hernandez, whose district includes the Walmart, said the announcement was part of the healing process. The mass shooting our community endured is clearly a symptom of a much larger problem that the United States has to face fully. Execution or life imprisonment for a white supremacist will not stop ethnic cleansing in other Hispanic communities like El Paso. This heinous hate crime on the U.S.-Mexico border is the definition of domestic terrorism invoked by white nationalism, Hernandez said. Judd Owens, a property manager, stopped Thursday at the Walmart while driving through en route to his Tennessee home. Owens, 45, said he wanted to see the Walmart where the shooting took place, to see what kind of memorial it had. He took a picture of the nine-metre metallic cylinder in the parking lot thats visible from Interstate 10. He said he feared mass shootings across the country. I had cold chills from the time I got out of the van, he said. Where Im from, weve had a few incidents not that bad, but close. And I worry it might happen closer to home and to people I care about. The federal grand jury that indicted Crusius found his alleged crimes came after substantial planning and premeditation. He bought a Romanian-made AK-47-style rifle and 1,000 rounds of hollow-point ammunition online more than six weeks before he drove 10 hours overnight from his grandparents house in a Dallas suburb to El Paso to carry out the attack, according to the indictment. The federal indictment comes as El Paso marks the six-month anniversary of the shooting. Last weekend, the commuter town of San Elizario planted 22 oak trees in honour of the victims. Local news outlets aired remembrances. The federal charge follows Crusiuss state indictment last fall on a capital murder charge, which could also bring a death sentence. He has been held without bond since the shooting and kept isolated from other prisoners, on suicide watch for at least two months after the shooting. Crusius surrendered to police after the attack, saying, Im the shooter, and that he was targeting Mexicans, according to an arrest warrant. In court documents, prosecutors said Crusius published a screed online shortly before the shooting that said it was in response to the Hispanic invasion of Texas. It cited, as inspiration, a mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand, that killed scores of Muslim residents of that country. The document parroted some of Trumps immigration policy rhetoric. El Paso residents such as former Texas representative Beto ORourke, who was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination this year, accused Trump of promoting harmful stereotypes and fuelling the idea that the increase in migrant crossings was a co-ordinated invasion by Latinos. The president has denied inciting violence. The charges announced Thursday are the latest by federal prosecutors following high-profile violent incidents. The Justice Department has brought federal hate-crime charges against a man suspected in a Hanukkah machete attack in New York in December that wounded five people; a man who opened fire at a synagogue in Pittsburgh last year; and a man who killed a woman when he drove into a crowd of protesters at a 2017 white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va. I knew there was only one thing left to do to see Alex. I needed to track him down to a 12-step meeting in Notting Hill. And there are many to choose from; without Simons inside knowledge it would have been like finding a needle in a haystack. It can feel like a social club as well as a lifesaver but its more glitzy in some pockets of my area, because Notting Hill is a beacon for celebrities also wanting recovery. Luckily, I didnt have to fake my membership, unlike Helena Bonham Carters Marla in Fight Club, I joined long ago thanks to a frantic decade of complete and wild abandon in my youth. I had collected many keyrings over the years. My long-suffering dad always said to me: Is that all you get for being sober for years? A plastic keyring? Dont they swap it around? Give you an ashtray or something? But he was missing the point. Every clean and sober day is a gift. The daytime meetings were casual and usually held in stinking damp church halls in west London, unless you went to Soho. But at the 7.30pm meetings in the heart of Notting Hill where I knew he would be people often arrived suited and booted. This included Alex, who was also looking to make a good impression as an up-and-coming property tycoon. Governor Tom Wolf on Wednesday responded to criticism he received from President Donald Trump during Tuesday nights State of the Union address. About 30 minutes into the speech, the president identified a mother and daughter from Philadelphia who were sitting in the audience, and said the mother would do anything to help her daughters future. But last year that future was put further out of reach, when Pennsylvanias governor vetoed legislation to expand school choice to 50,000 children, Trump said. At issue is a bill that would have expanded tax credits that pay for tuition at private schools. Speaking with reporters on Wednesday afternoon, Wolf dismissed Trumps criticism. Yeah, come on. I mean, I understand he was trying to make a score some points, Wolf said. There was some posturing going on there. Wolf defended his record, saying he approved increases for private school tuition tax credits, including a $25 million increase to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program in a budget deal passed in the summer of 2019. Janiyah, left, and Stephanie Davis of Philadelphia, stand as they are recognized by President Donald Trump during his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)AP The Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative group and supporter of the tax credits, said at the time that the $25 million increase equaled the largest-ever increase in the tax credit program and would allow thousands more students to receive scholarships. But Trumps criticism was about Wolfs rejection of a larger proposed increase to the program. In June, before the $25 million compromise was struck, Wolf vetoed a bill that would have increased the tax credits by $100 million. The bill also would have created automatic increases in future years if demand was high. And it would have raised the income eligibility limits for families. At the time, House Speaker Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, said the tax credit expansion would ultimately save school districts money because they would have to serve fewer students. And he said the measure would be a statement of our conviction that parents, grandparents and other guardians know best what the right learning environment is for each of their children. Wolf said Turzais proposal was financially irresponsible a point he repeated to reporters Wednesday. It was basically a raid on the taxpayer for private schools, and I didnt think that was fair, Wolf told reporters. Wolf made the comments following an event at Carlisle High School in Cumberland County, where he was promoting his plan to fund more than $200 million in scholarships for students at state universities. SINN Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has said one of her councillors has "no information of that sort" about the unsolved murder of Joseph Rafferty. The family of Mr Rafferty, who was allegedly murdered by a Provisional IRA member, has pleaded with Ms McDonald in recent days to ask Sinn Fein councillor Daithi Doolan to supply information to authorities that they claim he has about the case. "Daithi Doolan has no information of that sort," Ms McDonald said today. "You know that." Esther Uzell-Rafferty, the victim's sister, alleges that Mr Doolan has information that has not been provided to gardai about her brother's murder 15 years ago. Mr Rafferty (29) was shot dead by a lone gunman outside his home in the Hayward apartment complex in Ongar Park, west Dublin, on April 12, 2005. Mr Doolan has always insisted that he has fully co-operated with the Garda investigation and urged anyone with any information about the case to come forward. He has previously described Mr Rafferty's murder as a "cowardly and brutal act" and said those responsible must face justice. The Sinn Fein leader was speaking as she made a final push for votes with senior party figures while canvassing on Dublins Moore Street, in the heart of her Dublin Central constituency, on Thursday afternoon. She said the best outcome would be a government without Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, but when challenged on which party she could work with after the election, Ms McDonald said she could be Taoiseach. "The person who can command the right number of votes in the Dail will be Taoiseach and ultimately the decision on the numbers will rest in the hands of the electorate." Asked if this could mean she could be Taoiseach, she responded: Yes, it could, I am the leader of a political party, yes it could. It's all dependent on numbers. With Sinn Feins campaign dogged by controversy in recent days over its response to the 2007 murder of Paul Quinn, Ms McDonald said she would speak with Mr Quinn's mother, Breege Quinn, later on Thursday. Asked if it had been a difficult matter to deal with, she said: "Look any time that you're asked to deal with something that involves trauma, that involves loss for any family, of course is difficult. I'm a human being, I'm also a mother, and of course, those are difficult questions to deal with. "But that's the thing about leadership, you deal with the hard things and you do your best to manage and to deal with in a decent way, in a fair way, the most difficult of circumstances and it doesn't come any more difficult than a mother who has lost her child in such a brutal and a traumatic way." She said her partys decision to change its policy on the Special Criminal Court - and drop its demand for the abolition of the non-jury court - was a decision taken in 2017. It now wants a review of the court. "We want a review that's complete and it starts with reviews of garda numbers, garda resources, garda practices and procedures, the judicial process, including the special courts and we accept that you need special measures to deal with 21st century criminals," she said. "We also need to deal with sentencing policy and we need sentencing guidelines. We need to ensure that the DPP's office is properly resourced and then we also need to invest in communities." She said the party would accept the recommendations of the review which it wants a High Court judge to carry out if in government. Ahead of Saturday's vote, Sinn Fein finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said voters needed to vote for "control" of their own destinies. "People need to take this opportunity on Saturday to control their own destinies, to vote for their future, to vote for the change and Sinn Fein is that vehicle that will deliver change," he said. This comes as Fianna Fail has called on Sinn Feins Conor Murphy to resign as Northern Irelands Finance Minister amid ongoing controversy over his remarks about Paul Quinn. Jim OCallaghan, Fianna Fails justice spokesman, said he did not believe Mr Murphys apology was genuine and that he should resign. However, he said Fianna Fail in government would continue to deal with Mr Murphy if he remains in office at Stormont. On Wednesday, Mr Murphy apologised and withdrew remarks made in 2007 that Mr Quinn had been involved in criminality following demands from the murder victims family. The Quinn family also want him to provide police with the names of IRA members he claimed he spoke to and who assured him the terror group was not involved in the murder. His party leader Mary McDonald has denied that Mr Murphy is withholding information and said that he has spoken with authorities. Mr OCallaghan said: "I think Conor Murphy should resign, if his apology was genuine he would have issued that apology to the Quinn family 13 years ago. But the apology was really designed to protect and promote the interests of Sinn Fein in the run-up to a general election. "What it reveals is that whenever there is a conflict between the interests of a family seeking justice on the one hand and the interests of the Provisional IRA or people involved in crime on the other hand Sinn Fein will always opt for the latter." Mr OCallaghan also attacked what he claimed was Sinn Feins opposition to the Special Criminal Court. While Sinn Fein has previously called for the abolition of the non-jury court its current manifesto calls for a review of the court and in recent days Ms McDonald has indicated she does not want it abolished. Mr OCallaghan said he appreciated the concerns of human rights bodies such as the Irish Council for Civil Liberties but said the Constitution allows such courts to be established and the people voted in favor of it. He said: "I'm waiting to hear a member of Fein identify for me or anyone else a miscarriage of justice that occurred in the special criminal court. I've never heard them being able to identify one of them. "And notwithstanding that they still continue with their ambivalent view, their absolutely opposed view to Special Criminal Court because there's a vote every year in respect of this. "Lets be clear as to why the leader of Sinn Fein says that she does not support the Special Criminal Court. The reason she cant say she supports it is because she is not allowed to say that because the cabal in West Belfast will not allow her to come out in favour of a special criminal court because if she does they know it undermines their revisionist view of what happened in this country for 30-40 years during The Troubles." In the partys final press conference at Fianna Fail campaign headquarters in Dublin, Mr OCallaghan and Fianna Fail housing spokesman Darragh OBrien took aim at Fine Gael. Mr OBrien said that the government party had run the most negative election campaign in modern history. Mr OCallaghan criticised Mr Varadkars campaign messaging about having the best team to govern the country. "To listen to Leo Varadkar talk about the Fine Gael A-Team, youd swear he was Jurgen Klopp managing Liverpool and that Heather Humphreys and Eoghan Murphy and Simon Harris are like Mane, Salah and Firmino. Like, give me a break," he said. Meanwhile, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has insisted she is "not trying to spirit the past away" as she was challenged over a litany of IRA atrocities from the Enniskillen bomb to the murder of Garda Jerry McCabe. It comes as she remains under intense pressure over how her party treated the family of murdered Paul Quinn. Ms McDonald was confronted with a series of IRA outrages that occurred since she was 16-years-old by Newstalk's Pat Kenny. He made the point that the polls show that Sinn Fein is gaining support among younger people who do not remember the horrific violence but that older voters do. Mr Kenny said: "They remember Enniskillen 1987 you were 16 years old at the time. You werent a child. You remember that too. The Warrington bombing. You were 24. Thats when a three year-old child Jonathan Ball was killed and a 12-year-old boy Tim Parry was killed." He said that Ms McDonald was 27 when the IRA killed Garda Jerry McCabe. "A party member of yours, a TD [Martin Ferris] went to meet the killers of Jerry McCabe a Garda killed on duty by the IRA". Mr Kenny added: "You dont like it but it is important to remind those who dont have long memories what the violent history of your partys association with the Provisional IRA is." Ms McDonald said it's "absolutely essential that the conflict is remembered" and that it's "not glossed over or glamorised because real people suffered". Mr Kenny said he could give many more examples and Ms McDonald replied: "This isnt about trying to whitewash anything. What happened, happened and I feel a real sense of responsibility to put that to rights." She said that she has met Tim Parry's father Colin and has visited Warrington. Ms McDonald added: "Im not trying to spirit the past away. Far from it. The truth is that we need to look at the past in the eye and we need to deal with it." Mr Kenny said he sees a continuum between the Enniskillen bombing and the murder of Paul Quinn in 2007 who was brutally beaten to death by a gang who were associated with the Provisional IRA. Ms McDonald said: "those that carried out that diabolical act need to be apprehended and put behind bar." Geopolitical clouds Conflicts and other international tensions are threatening the renewable energy business, and it is not just limited to standoffs like the one between the US and Iran. Major conflicts, such as the ones between Turkey and Syria as well as India and Pakistan, are also points of concern. Climate change threat While the effects of climate change become more apparent as the years go by, the world has finally considered making the switch to renewables; it is generally accepted that renewable energy will make up the largest share of total global energy supply by 2050. However, WTW has found that the accelerated renewable energy market driven by climate change is exposing itself to new risks, particularly within certain subsectors such as floating offshore wind and hybrid renewable energy. Hardening insurance market The insurance market appears to be hardening after a long period of (re)insurance capital excess, with hard market conditions emerging over the past 12 months. The renewable energy market is no exception, and will have to face deteriorating loss ratios and increasing costs, Cyber security threat WTW found that there is considerable concern across the renewable energy industry over how to quantify and manage its exposure to cyber risk. A recent WTW seminar found that more than 84% of delegates expressed concerns that the industry did not know how to manage cyber risks. Uninsurable weather risk The renewable energy industry is particularly susceptible to weather volatility and the risks they bring, such as power generation risks, wind and low solar as well as power price volatility and power outages not linked to physical damage. Index-based solutions are increasingly being used to address these risks, WTW found. We are delighted to be launching this report, but we go to press at a time of unprecedented change in both the renewable and insurance/risk transfer industries, commented Willis Towers Watson global natural resources head Graham Knight. Knight gave assurances that while the renewable energy insurance industry faces new challenges, Willis Towers Watson will use all its skills at [its] disposal to help clients address the less-than-certain future. SpaceX wants to put the pedal to the metal on its Starship Mars colonization system. The company is hosting a Starship career day today (Feb. 6) at its facility near the South Texas village of Boca Chica, where the big spaceship is coming together. "This is mainly for staffing up 4 production shifts for 24/7 operations, but engineers, supervisors & support personnel are certainly needed too. A super hardcore work ethic, talent for building things, common sense & trustworthiness are required, the rest we can train," SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk said via Twitter Tuesday (Feb. 4). Related: Elon Musk's thinking big for SpaceX's Starship Mars rocket. Really big. That explanation came a day after another tweet , in which Musk stressed that Starship production is already humming along. "Going max hardcore on design/production Starship here in Boca. It's awesome! Feels a bit like a Mars simulator," the billionaire entrepreneur wrote. ("Hardcore" appears to be the term of the moment.) Starship is a 165-foot-tall (50 meters) spacecraft that SpaceX is building to take people to and from Mars, the moon and other distant destinations. The ship will launch off Earth atop a huge rocket called Super Heavy; both of these vehicles will be reusable. (Starship is powerful enough to get itself off the moon and Mars, both of whose gravitational clutches are much weaker than Earth's.) The only version of Starship to get off the ground to date is a single-engine prototype called Starhopper, which made a few brief test flights last year before being retired. But that could change soon; SpaceX has filed paperwork with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to launch a 12-mile-high (20 kilometers) test flight with Starship between March and September of this year, The Verge reported . Things will move quickly after that, if all goes according to SpaceX's plan. Company representatives have said that the first operational Starship missions, which will likely loft commercial communications satellites, could launch as early as 2021. And SpaceX has one crewed Starship mission on the docket already: Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa booked the vehicle on an around-the-moon flight, with a targeted launch date of 2023. 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 . Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley (Iowa) and Ron Johnson (Wis.) announced a review on Wednesday of "potential conflicts of interest posed by the business activities of Hunter Biden and his associates during the Obama administration." Why it matters: The announcement came roughly one hour after the Senate voted to acquit President Trump on both articles of impeachment. Trump's request for Ukraine to investigate Hunter and Joe Biden over unsubstantiated corruption claims is ultimately what sparked his impeachment. Details: The review was announced in a letter to Secret Service Director James Murray. It states the Finance Committee and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will look into Hunter Biden's business activities in Ukraine and China. "We write to request information about whether Hunter Biden used government-sponsored travel to help conduct private business, to include his work for Rosemont Seneca and related entities in China and Ukraine," Grassley and Johnson write. The senators also ask for information on "the protective detail that Hunter Biden received while his father was Vice President," and a "list of all dates and locations of travel, international and domestic, for Hunter Biden." A spokesperson for Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden said Thursday that the Treasury Department has complied with a request from Republican senators seeking documents on Hunter Bidens business relationship with Burisma, the Ukrainian gas company at the center of President Trump's impeachment, the New York Times reports. "Applying a blatant double standard, Trump administration agencies like the Treasury Department are rapidly complying with Senate Republican requests no subpoenas necessary and producing evidence of questionable origin," Wyden spokeswoman Ashley Schapitl said. The administration told House Democrats to go pound sand when their oversight authority was mandatory while voluntarily cooperating with the Senate Republicans sideshow at lightning speed. Read the letter. Go deeper: Hunter Biden defends his Ukraine work 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. China cut tariffs on $75bn (58bn) of US imports in the latest sign that frosty relations between Washington and Beijing are thawing, giving a boost to the global economic outlook. The cuts come after the worlds two economic superpowers signed a phase one trade agreement last month and will affect goods including important US exports such as pork, soya beans and car parts. From February, tariffs will be reduced from 10 per cent to 5 per cent on 916 products, with cuts from 5 per cent to 2.5 per cent on hundreds more items. Chinas move is apparently in response to Americas decision last month to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods. The next steps depend on the development of the Chinese-US economic and trade situation, Chinas Ministry of Finance said in a statement. We hope to work with the United States towards the final elimination of all tariff increases. 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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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 news will be welcomed in markets that have been nervous of the prospect of an escalating tariff war. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: While China continues to be stricken by the coronavirus, signs of de-escalation in its trade war with the US could be more relevant to the markets in the long term particularly if yesterdays reports of a potential vaccine for the outbreak prove accurate. Miners are particularly sensitive to Chinese fortunes thanks to the countrys heavy consumption of commodities and this sector helped lead the FTSE higher. There was no indication Beijing altered its own cuts in response to the rising cost of efforts to contain a virus outbreak that have depressed business activity by closing factories, restaurants and shops. Washington hiked tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018 in response to Beijings multibillion-dollar trade surplus and complaints it steals or pressures companies to hand over technology. China retaliated by increasing duties on American goods. Under the phase one deal in October, Washington cancelled planned additional tariff hikes and Beijing committed to buy more US farm exports. However, most tariff hikes imposed previously by both sides on billions of dollars of each others good are still in place. The US stopped classifying China as a currency manipulator last month as it prepared to officially sign the long-awaited trade deal. As senior Chinese officials arrived in Washington on Monday to sign the phase one agreement, US trade secretary Steve Mnuchin announced the significant concession to Beijing, reversing a decision made on Donald Trumps orders in August. The US president has railed against China for years, claiming it artificially lowers the value of the renminbi to make its exports cheaper, harming American industry in the process. Beijing has consistently denied the charge. Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed Generex Biotechnology (OTCQB: GNBT) ("the Company"), an integrated healthcare holding company with end-to-end solutions for patient centric care from rapid diagnosis through delivery of personalized therapies. Joseph Moscato and Dr. Eric Von Hofe joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly. Jolly began the interview by commenting on the implications of the Coronavirus, and asked about the Company's solutions for these issues. "The Coronavirus is getting to pandemic proportions, it's growing each and every day," explained Moscato. "Generex's background in infectious diseases is very vast and wide," he continued. "We've done a lot of work in Ebola, Bird Flu, Swine Flu, Influenza, and Avian Flu," explained Moscato, adding that the Company's vaccine technology has been very successful. Dr. Hofe then expanded on the Company's vaccine technology, as well as their experience with diseases similar to the Coronavirus. "There's definitely an uptick in these types of viruses," explained Dr. Hofe. "What we have is a synthetic peptide vaccine that is modified to stimulate the immune system," said Dr. Hofe, adding that this type of vaccine is easier and quicker to make compared to traditional alternatives. "It's definitely getting a lot more attention now." Jolly then asked about the Company's current technology and if it could represent a solution for the Coronavirus. "We're not just talking, we've done it before," said Moscato. "We have a proven track record," he added, noting that because of the Company's extensive experience in this space, they are able to bypass animal testing. He further explained that the Company's vaccine process is quick and inexpensive. "How long would it take you to develop a vaccine? And can you compare it to the other technologies that are being developed out there?", asked Jolly. "We worked on the SARS outbreak, which is also a Coronavirus, about 20 years ago, and there's about an 80% homology between SARS and the current Coronavirus," explained Dr. Hofe. "I would say in about one month we could get these peptides made, test them in the blood of people who have recovered from the Coronavirus, and within three months have clinical material ready for some studies," he explained. Moscato then noted that the Company's timeline for the release of a vaccine would be accelerated compared to other competitors on the market since they are able to bypass animal testing. To close the interview, Moscato shared that the Company is currently pursuing potential partnerships in an effort to utilize their technology as a solution for the Coronavirus. "We are already in the process of talking and consummating a technology deal with a lab that has identified the episcope for the Coronavirus," said Moscato, adding that the Company is also in discussions with companies in China to deploy the technology. "It's an exciting time for Generex Biotechnology," closed Moscato. To hear the entire interview with Generex Biotechnology, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/7497034-generex-biotechnology-discusses-coronavirus-solutions-with-the-stock-day-podcast Also, you can check out the video presentation below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiHRa5hDrnw&feature=youtu.be Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/ About Generex Biotechnology Corp. Generex Biotechnology is an integrated healthcare holding company with end-to-end solutions for patient centric care from rapid diagnosis through delivery of personalized therapies. Generex is building a new kind of healthcare company that extends beyond traditional models providing support to physicians in an MSO network, and ongoing relationships with patients to improve the patient experience and access to optimal care. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This release and oral statements made from time to time by Generex representatives in respect of the same subject matter may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by introductory words such as "expects," "plan," "believes," "will," "achieve," "anticipate," "would," "should," "subject to" or words of similar meaning, and by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements frequently are used in discussing potential product applications, potential collaborations, product development activities, clinical studies, regulatory submissions and approvals, and similar operating matters. Many factors may cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements, including inaccurate assumptions and a broad variety of risks and uncertainties, some of which are known and others of which are not. Known risks and uncertainties include those identified from time to time in the reports filed by Generex with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which should be considered together with any forward-looking statement. No forward-looking statement is a guarantee of future results or events, and one should avoid placing undue reliance on such statements. Generex undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Generex claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements that is contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. Generex Contact: Generex Biotechnology Corporation Joseph Moscato 646-599-6222 Todd Falls 1-800-391-6755 Extension 222 investor@generex.com About The "Stock Day" Podcast Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America. Stock Day recently launched its Video Interview Studio located in Phoenix, Arizona. SOURCE: Stock Day Media 602-441-3474 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52190 Jennifer Barnhills writing has been featured in Military Families Magazine, Military Spouse Magazine and Stars and Stripes. She is also a full-time federal employee at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California; a Navy spouse and mother of three. When large-scale military problems need fixing, solutions often come in the form of Band-Aids. High-profile reports on veteran suicide, homelessness, incarceration and depression have tightened the coil, leaving many veterans service organizations, politicians and federal agencies ready to spring into (re)action. In 2020, a handful of veteran service organizations hope to enter the ring to take on the Transition Assistance Program (TAP), to offer transitioning service members more than a resume, to bring them Boot Camp Out. But is new better, or just new? Too Much but Not Enough The military is really good at creating new neural pathways to make you into somebody other than you were before you came into the military. They dont do anything to create new neural pathways for when you leave, said combat veteran Ron Self. So, youre essentially this new person, this new identity going into a world that you have not technically been a part of as the person you are now. Self, in addition to serving in the Marine Corps, served time in San Quentin State Prison. While incarcerated, he founded Veterans Healing Veterans from the Inside Out (VHV) in 2012. He said he is working on a pilot program for the Marine Corps that would integrate peer-to-peer counseling, narration therapy, yoga and mindfulness, alongside the more traditional resume writing and financial planning component of the existing TAP curriculum. His Boot Camp Out program would be mandatory, accompanied by written orders, and seeks to dismantle the status quo. Selfs proposal would mirror one he created for inmates and entail scrapping that [TAP] model and creating an entire new [program] that actually serves the purpose that is supposed to be intended for the veterans, not waste a bunch of the taxpayers' money on jobs and positions that arent really doing anything for veterans. According to Self, without a program like Boot Camp Out, the military is essentially bringing a tank back from a combat zone, painting it yellow and calling it a school bus. It is a weapon of war; so is the veteran. Not addressing this head-on during the military-civilian transition puts service members and everyone they encounter at risk. Moral Injury Self is not the only person to suggest a Boot Camp Out-style strategy. Dr. Rita Brock is the director of the Shay Moral Injury Center at Volunteers of America, a faith-based nonprofit organization. Volunteers of America has run successful pilot programs for veterans that focused on peer-led Resilient Strength Training (RST). Brock, in partnership with Duke University, is in the early stages of developing a similar program to reach active-duty members before their transition. One of the chief complaints about current programming is its tendency to drown participants with information in a short period of time, by forcing them to drink from the proverbial fire hose. Unlike Self, Brock believes that these holistic-style programs would not have to replace TAP, but rather supplement them. Even just two weeks of this it would make a huge difference and save the Department of Veterans Affairs mental health budget huge amounts of money, said Brock. However, this is not a VA decision. Too Big to Succeed? Currently, transition programming is developed by a government body comprised of the Departments of Defense, Labor, Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security and Education, as well as the Office of Personnel Management and the U.S. Small Business Administration. With a cacophony of voices emphasizing a broad spectrum of perspectives, it is no wonder that there are so many nonprofits looking to fill the perceived gaps in care. In a November interview, former VA Secretary David Shulkin, who served under both the Obama and Trump administrations, noted a general lack of direction at the highest levels. [We] cant just be a meeting for the sake of meeting. There needs to be goals and objectives and targets set so that the outcomes of those joint meetings turn out to be meaningful. During Shulkins time as VA secretary, he strove to make decisions that produced measurable action items. However, his tenure was cut short after he was fired by President Donald Trump via tweet in March 2018. I was starting to pursue how to put some meat around how we were going to do that [strengthening the military-veteran transition], Shulkin said. I very much believed in the peer support model. When you take the pairing of the [VA] peer support network and the reverse boot camp concept, that is where I was driving and that is one of those unfinished tasks I felt regret for not being able to see move forward." Where Is TAP? For years, departing service members have had to meet a 90-day regulatory deadline for TAP completion. However, only 46.7 percent of those who completed the program completed it before the 90-day deadline. While military leadership ensured that the TAP box was checked, the message was clear: TAP was an afterthought. As a result the Government Accountability Office published a report in 2017 emphasizing the need to improve TAP's performance reporting. Congress responded by requiring strict reporting mandates and improved processes in the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. Less than two years after the GAO report was published, TAP began implementing changes that took effect Oct. 1, 2019. With a new completion deadline, one-on-one counseling sessions and customizable training plans, the fisca 2019 legislation seeks to change the perception of the program. The focus of TAP in 2020 is to solidify the warm handoff process [TAP to VA]. We know that we are getting them connected to resources. What we cannot substantiate is that the service is provided. We believe that its happening, and we get anecdotal stories of it happening, said Tamre Newton, director of the Transition to Veterans Program Office. Rather than reacting to problems by creating yet another program, TAP hopes to strengthen the existing program structures and allow individual service branches to customize the program to meet the unique needs of their respective departments. Personal Accountability Patients lie to doctors. In the military, service members withhold information to avoid being medically discharged. They lie about their mental health to avoid stigma or being disqualified from future positions that prohibit those with PTSD from applying. While it is clear that lying is dangerous for both the service member and those around them, many feel they have no choice but to hide perceived weakness. Upon discharge, Army veteran Quentin Bennett struggled with homelessness, PTSD, hearing voices, hallucinations, panic attacks and paranoia. Like many who suffer from mental health issues, Bennett was adrift, couch surfing, barely getting by -- not knowing where to turn. When he eventually received treatment at his local VA hospital, he admitted, They asked me if I heard voices. I lied right away. ...The doctors I worked with did such a great job. They said it was OK. They knew what was going on before I was ready to admit to it. If TAP cannot find a way to improve confidence in the program and buy-in from service branches, military leaders and service members themselves, regulatory improvements may not be enough to make the intended impact on the lives of individuals post-service. Where Do We Go from Here? Veterans need more than a Band-Aid. They need a champion before, during and after transitioning, coupled with a healthy dose of personal accountability. The problems are clear. Proposed solutions are abundant. What is unclear is who is ultimately responsible for the active-duty to veteran transition. -- 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. [February 06, 2020] 1901 Group Participated in the Virginia Tech Industrial Systems Engineering D.C. Area Company Tour RESTON, Va., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In efforts to fill the tech talent pipeline and bridge the gap between Northern Virginia and Southwest Virginia, 1901 Group participated in the "Virginia Tech Industrial Systems Engineering (ISE) D.C. Area Company Tour". This one-day tour, led by the Virginia Tech (VT) ISE Emerging Leaders Board (ELB) and the VT Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), took place on January 17th, 2020 to expose current juniors, seniors, and graduate students to various companies in the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia where ISE alumni currently work. "We were excited to participate in the discussion of the onset of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and how advances in technology are impacting career paths for today's students in the future," said Brendan Walsh, SVP of Partner Relations at 1901 Group. "The IT industry has changed tremendously over the past 5-10 years and we expect it to rapidly evolve through the use of cloud-based solutions, artificial intelligence (AI), and IT consumption models, with the help of industry leaders such as 1901 Group." 1901 Group showcased its office in Reston, Virginia, which included a presentation of GovCon market trends, the government's use of emerging technologies, and 1901 Group's technology solutions, partnerships, and FedRAMP authorized platform that is being used by government for digital transformation. Students engaged with 1901 Group team members through a Q&A panel discussion to learn more about the employee's work-life, 1901 Group's culture, career paths, and wht to expect in the public sector market. "1901 Group has created a collaborative culture and a workforce that centers around leveraging talent through extensive training, education, and growth opportunities," said Sheri Neely, VP of Operational Performance at 1901 Group. 1901 Group Q&A panel included Brendan Walsh, SVP of Partner Relations; Sheri Neely, VP of Operational Performance; Bill Wright, Senior Principal of Solutions Architect; Scott Ready, Senior Solutions Architect; and Laura Scolari, Senior Business Analyst. "We are beyond excited about this collaboration between the VT ISE Emerging Leaders Board (ELB) and the VT Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE). For employers in the D.C. and Northern Virginia region, recruiting top engineering talent is becoming critically important to provide the next generation of professionals with expertise in cloud, cyber security and AI. And for students, there are more resources and more decisions to make than ever regarding where to begin their career. We see it as a no-brainer to make these challenges easier for both companies and students by bringing them together in person, on site, at the companies' facilities," said VT ISE ELB Initiative Lead, Maggie Dozier. About 1901 Group, LLC 1901 Group is a leading provider of innovative IT services and solutions in the public and private sector. We improved service delivery by leveraging our FedRAMP authorized Enterprise IT Operations Center (EITOC) to provide 24x7 support of end-users, complex IT infrastructure environments, and mission-critical systems. Our capabilities include cloud, cyber security, and enterprise-scale managed services to transition customers from traditional on-premise IT infrastructure and support models to hybrid cloud solutions that improve performance and reduce costs. We proudly support customers that span federal, state, and local governments, including law enforcement and criminal justice agencies and commercial markets. Customers benefit from our 24x7 Cloud Factory with FedRAMP authorization, ISO 9001 certification, and CMMI Maturity Level 3 appraisals. Visit our newsroom and simplify IT with 1901 Group. Tweet: [email protected] Participates in the @Virginia_Tech Industrial Systems Engineering (@ISE_VT) DC Area Company Tour https://bit.ly/2Wd4e9J. Media Contact: Patricia Long VP, Marketing Communications & Public Relations 1901 Group 571.392.7233 (o) 703.615.4906 (m) [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/1901-group-participated-in-the-virginia-tech-industrial-systems-engineering-dc-area-company-tour-300999820.html SOURCE 1901 Group, LLC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] By Trend Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov and Secretary General of the Turkic Council Baghdad Amreyev on the sidelines of an extraordinary meeting of the Turkic Council member countries' foreign ministers, Trend reports. The ministers discussed the prospects for cooperation within the organization and its further development. The extraordinary meeting of the foreign ministers of the Turkic Council member countries is held in Baku on Feb. 6. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The audit currently underway is the first of such routine audits, which has nothing to do with the false reports of any missing funds. This is the first time any political party in Zimbabwe has subjected its accounts to an audit, and is the part of a wider programme to transform the MDC into a party which meets the best international standards of internal governance. Though she grew up in New York, with her sun-kissed skin and blond hair, it's easy for Hailey Bieber to embody the classic California beach babe. In the March 2020 issue of Elle, the newly married model sported an array of swimwear in a cover shoot that will likely leave you searching for flights to anywhere with a little sand and water. The oceanside theme of the spread is a good fit for Hailey, too, who has spent a lot of time in Brazil, where her mother is from. "I love the culture of Brazil. It reminds me of my family - my grandma and my mom," she told the magazine. "I can sing a lot of Brazilian music in Portuguese, and I make a really good pao de queijo." When she's not wearing designer clothes down a runway, Hailey is laid-back in her personal style: "I think you can be comfortable and still look cool and chic at the same time." This approach translated to arguably the most famous outfit she's worn in the past year, her wedding dress, designed by Virgil Abloh. "From the beginning, I said, 'I want somebody who's not a wedding dress designer to do my main dress,'" she said. "Virgil had never designed a wedding dress before, and it was perfect. It was like having this block of marble and then chipping away at it." See photos from Hailey's breezy Elle cover shoot ahead. Related: Hailey Baldwin Got to Wear the Best Outfits of Her Life in 2019 In a reflection of the discontent and squabbling over the long-awaited cabinet expansion in Karnataka, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday expanded his six-month-old Cabinet with the induction of ten ministers Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Thursday expanded his six-month-old Cabinet with the induction of ten ministers. The ministers were sworn-in at a simple ceremony at Raj Bhavan with the Governor Vajubhai Vala administering the oath of office and secrecy. The Chief Minister had announced on Sunday that 13 BJP leaders, including the 10 MLAs who had defected from the Congress and the JD(S), would take oath on Thursday. The ten are ST Somashekar (Yeshwantpur constituency), Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak), Anand Singh (Vijayanagar), K Sudhakar (Chickballapur), Byrathi Basavaraj (KR Puram), A Shivaram Hebbar (Yellapur), BC Patil (Hirekerur), K Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout), KC Narayana Gowda (KR Pet) and Shrimant Balasaheb Patil (Kagwad). On Kumathalli, Yediyurappa on Wednesday said "It is difficult to make him (Mahesh Kumathalli) minister now. I will call him and discuss with him. We will try to give him some other responsibility. Yediyurappa said Athani MLA Mahesh Kumathalli, among the 11 rebel Congress and MLAs who had won on BJP tickets in the December by-elections after being disqualified, was being left out in the second expansion of the six-month-old cabinet. The revolt by the rebels led to the collapse of the Congress-JDS coalition Ministry in July last year, paving the way for the formation of the BJP government. At present, there are 18 ministers, including the Chief Minister, in the cabinet that has a sanctioned strength of 34. Sixteen berths are vacant. Regarding the three other "native BJP leaders" whom he had earlier indicated would be made ministers, Yediyurappa said the party high command has asked him to discuss the matter with them in Delhi. The Chief Minister had earlier promised ministerial berths to all of them. Another person whom he was keen on making the minister was Hukkeri MLA Umesh Katti. However, Katti will also not make it to Yediyurappas cabinet this time. There is no doubt about making Umesh Katti minister. He was also supposed to take oath tomorrow but it has been decided to administer the oath to only 10 MLAs, he said. Ever since Yediyurappa made an announcement about the cabinet expansion, ministerial aspirants in the party started making a pitch for their case. "Native BJP leaders and another group comprising MLAs from erstwhile Hyderabad-Karnataka region emerged with each demanding ministerial posts. Earlier after Yediyurappa indicated that three 'native BJP' leaders would also be inducted, rumour mills were agog that they could be Mahadevapura MLA Arvind Limbavali, Umesh Katti and CP Yogeshwar, who had lost to former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy from Channapatna. The two defectors who unsuccessfully contested the by-election have been pushing for cabinet berth for them as a "mark of tribute to their sacrifice of leaving their former party, resigning from the assembly and getting disqualified by the Speaker only to install the BJP government." Kumathalli had turned emotional following speculations he will not secure a Cabinet berth. "We have trusted him (Yediyurappa). We are ready to do whatever work he will assign. We will firmly remain with the BJP but I am hurt," Kumathalli had said on Sunday. Besides the Chief Minister, the MLAs also made a beeline before Yediyurappa's son BY Vijayendra ahead of the cabinet expansion. Vijayendra had demonstrated his political acumen when he made a dent into the JD(S) bastion Mandya district in the by-elections and won a seat for the BJP by ensuring victory for Narayana Gowda from Krishnarajpet. "There is nothing unusual about it. I frequently visit Vijayendra ever since I joined the BJP," Mahalakshmi Layout MLA K Gopalaiah told reporters after meeting him. The Congress and the JD(S) have been watching the developments with curiosity even as "dissatisfaction" is hitting some sections of the ruling BJP ahead of crucial cabinet expansion. Coronavirus, which began in Wuhan, has misinformation and conspiracy following its tail. Social media is now on alert as not so credible information is circulating online with other netizens considering it as an end of the world sign. All the misinformation is leading to the coronavirus conspiracy theory that highlight the fear-mongering online with fake news as well. Companies in the US are trying to placate virus fears and censuring anything that spreads fake news online. The Chinese government is under severe pressure as the virus outbreak is has caused nasty rumours to their origin. Lies online are now flooding the internet, which is causing control problems for the Chinese authorities. So far, Twitter is in damage control as it needs to regulate all the posts on the platform. When any search on the coronavirus is done, the user will be cued to by this message "know the facts." User is then linked to a verified authority and no one else, to combat unreliable information. This led to banning accounts of ZeroHedge as one of the sites, that spread coronavirus conspiracy theories that are causing many problems. Though there is no proof of intent to disseminate false information, Twitter is on guard for it to be safe for its users. Google, on the other hand, is doing the same thing and providing information via the World Health Organization, which is the best authority. Although since it is a search engine, searches that end up in Infowars and ZeroHedge cannot be avoided. Another site Reddit has been cleansing their site of misinformation from ill-intentioned posts, that have no basis but fear-mongering. If there are some questions about coronavirus, Reddit users will be sent to "AskScience" which is more credible. Also read: Coronavirus in Pets: Cats, Dogs Thrown Out of Buildings Due to nCoV Fake News Facebook is another social media platform, that has been checking the content, and calling out unreliable posts there. Another measure is prioritizing accurate information, also avoiding coronavirus conspiracy theories and fake news on it. Another is giving free advertising to more credible health agencies. In other news, the information war to control the spread of coronavirus conspiracy theories and fake news is on with the contagion going viral online. Since December 31, the city of Wuhan is the hotbed of the new disease as unknown pneumonia and progressed into the coronavirus we have today. In its wake, this respiratory illness has taken 360 people and ravaging more in other countries. As of this writing, WHO has deemed it a serious concern for everyone. But, social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and TikTok are reeling in fake news that needs regulation or adds to the fear of the disease. Many are also sharing Bible texts and prophecies which is said to be fulfilled these days, thus, tagging coronavirus as a sign leading to apocalypse. Fear about the dreaded coronavirus conspiracy theories and fake news is not all verified, and fear will lead to believing these baseless rumors. The activities that happen have happened before, with such events that occur. Unlike before, the spread of information is controlled, but internet access adds a new dimension to how coronavirus conspiracy theories and fake news can grow in leaps and bounds that makes it more deadly. In the digital age, information about the epidemics and contagion should be under wraps and not be allowed to run rampant that will make it more difficult. Viruses can be contained, but when people have hysteria and feat, that cannot be done easily. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The Shiv Sena on Thursday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the announcement of a trust to build a Ram temple in Ayodhya was aimed at laying the "foundation" for the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls and it will be completed during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. It was expected that the Ram temple issue will not be politicised, an editorial in Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said. Elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly will be held on Saturday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced in the Lok Sabha formation of a 15-member autonomous trust to construct the temple at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. "Modi gave the slogan of 'Jai Shri Ram' just four days ahead of polling for the Delhi Assembly. Will be happy if (the number) goes up by two-four seats with the help of Shri Ram," the Shiv Sena said. "It was expected that the issue of Ram temple will not be politicised, but its 'foundation' was laid for the Delhi Assembly (election) and will be completed on the occasion of 2024 Lok Sabha (polls)," it said in cryptic remarks. It is expected that a "Ram Rajya" (welfare state) will be realised in a true sense in the country by then, it added. There is criticism that the BJP "brought in" Lord Ram as Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has caused restlessness in the saffron party ahead of the Delhi Assembly polls, the Marathi daily said. "This (criticism) is because the prime minister announced formation of the temple trust four days ahead of polling. It is important that the prime minister made the announcement in the Lok Sabha," it said. The Shiv Sena said the Supreme Court will have to be thanked first for the prime minister's announcement about the trust, as the apex court had ordered construction of the temple in November last year. It also thanked Modi for discharging his duty as the prime minister in the light of the Supreme Court order. The Shiv Sena, which had long campaigned for the temple construction, said how autonomous the trust is going to be will be known only after the appointment of its members. It said the trust should have representation of all the organisations which campaigned for the temple construction, if it is an "autonomous body". The Uddhav Thackeray-led party said it was active in the campaign for temple construction from day one. "The BJP itself had then admitted that the Shiv Sainiks landed hammers on the Babri (mosque) and the (then) Shiv Sena chief (late Bal Thackeray) said he was proud of the Shiv Sainiks who brought down the Babri," it pointed out. Hundreds of Shiv Sainiks "laid their lives" in the violence after the Babri mosque demolition, it claimed. "Those who gave the slogan of 'Jai Shri Ram' should keep this in mind," it said. Recalling L K Advani's role in the campaign, the Shiv Sena said the BJP would not have attained the current position in country's had the veteran leader not taken out a 'rath yatra' in the name of Shri Ram (in 1990). The construction of Ram temple had been part of the BJP's poll manifesto for years, and it was expected that the promise would be fulfilled when the Narendra Modi government was formed at the Centre in 2014 will full majority, it said. During the previous term of Modi government, the Shiv Sena - a partner of the BJP till last year - called for bringing an ordinance for temple construction, but the government did not do so, the editorial recalled. "Eventually, hearing took place in the Supreme Court on the Ram temple issue for 40 days in a row and the it gave verdict in favour of the Ram temple (construction)...the trust is being formed due to that court order," it said. "It is binding on any government to implement the courts order. Prime Minister Modi followed that order," the Marathi publication added. While making announcement about the trust on Wednesday, the prime minister also said the government has decided to transfer 67.70 acres of land acquired under the Ayodhya Act to the trust. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An African Non Governmental Organization (NGO), mothers2mothers (m2m) has been officially launched in Ghana. The said event took place at the Accra Marriott Hotel on February 3, 2020. Ghana, by showing global leadership in becoming the first country to adopt the global Nurturing Care For Early Childhood Development framework developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF) is the first West African country that m2m has established its presence with the support of Comic Relief and British Airways, through their Flying Start partnership. The NGO trains, employs and helps empower local women living with HIV as Mentor Mothers community healthcare workers who provide services in understaffed health clinics and communities. The Mentor Mothers work in 2 health facilities and surrounding communities in Ashaiman and Atua, in the high HIV burden Greater Accra and Eastern regions by delivering life saving health services, education and psychological support to both HIV positive and negative women and their families. Frank Beadle de Palomo, President and Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O), m2m said, Its all about mothers, infants, families, communities and ultimately, countrieswe believe we can make a difference. The policy environment is bright, governments partners are committed and there is a strong set of local partners that we can both learn from and also work with. Technical Specialist and Country Lead, m2m Ghana, Yvonne Prempeh Ferguson noted that with the number of partners seated here today and the overwhelming response we have receivedwe can count on all of you to ensure that Ghanaian children are born HIV free and they are healthy Mothers2mothers truly is an African success story..., Chairman and CEO, British Airways, Alex Cruz said. Speaking on behalf of Alexander Kodwo Kom Abban, Deputy Minister for Health, Dr. Ernest Asiedu, Head, National Quality Management Unit at the Ministry indicated that As a nation we have made some progress in our HIV/AIDS battle but more need to be done for us to achieve an HIV - free healthy population. We are therefore very delighted and indeed honoured that mothers2mothers have chosen Ghana as its first country in its expansion in West Africa. Community Mentor Mother Team Lead, mothers2mothers Kenya, Wilbroda Awour Akuro recounted when she got pregnant at 23 years and considered abortion as an alternative due her HIV positive status after testing during anti natal care. Fortunately, a nurse took her to meet Mentor Mothers who taught her HIV was not the end and supported her throughout the pregnancy. In the end, her son was born free from HIV which she admitted was the happiest day of her life. Interim CEO, Comic Relief, Ruth Davison stressed that this is incredibly impactful programme. Here we are saving lives, providing employment, tackling stigma and we are raising the future. And Comic Relief is so proud to stand by your side in doing that. Abena Annobea, Director of Human Trafficking Secretariat at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection who spoke on behalf of the Minister, Cynthia Morrison disclosed that Early childhood care and development programmes provide avenues for investing in the survival and development of children through interventions that provide them and their mothers and care givers with quality healthcare, proper nutrition, social and emotional stability during the early years of life. Acting Director General, Ghana AIDS Commission, Mr. Steve Kyeremeh Atuahene emphasized that we need results that will really bring an end to mother to child transmission of HIV in the country. As a country, we have also committed ourselves to ensuring that Ghana becomes the first country in West and Central Africa to eliminate mother to child transmission. Also present was the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Iain Walker. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has condemned a visit by representatives of the Alternative for Germany party Gunnar Lindemann, Richard Gretzinger and Henning Zoz to the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories in Donbas. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Kateryna Zelenko said this in a comment published by the ministry's press service. "We regard this visit as disrespect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and neglect of the fundamental principles of international law and national legislation of Ukraine," Zelenko said. The ministry said that these politicians had illegally visited the occupied territories of Ukraine before. "This shows that they consciously violated the national legislation of Ukraine and international law to please Russian ideology. Such actions will be taken into account in determining legal responsibility in accordance with Ukrainian law," the ministry said. The ministry said that Germany's democratic political parties support the efforts of Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel within the Normandy Format to restore Ukraine's territorial integrity and sovereignty within internationally recognized borders, the Federal Government's stance on condemning Russian aggression against Ukraine, as well as distance themselves from any signs of encouragement to Russia's aggressive policy aimed at undermining Ukraine's statehood. "We expect the leadership of the Alternative for Germany party to also condemn the illegal actions of its members and prevent similar crimes in the future," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said. Representatives of the German right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD) arrived in occupied Luhansk on February 4 to attend an event of the "LPR" group. op live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More State Bank of India chairman Rajnish Kumar on Thursday said one of the major challenges for public sector banks in the near future is the merger process. In August last year, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced merger of 10 banks. Kumar said banks that are in the middle of the merger process need to be careful on information technology integration. "One of the challenges before public sector banks in the near future is the merger of the bank...IT merger needs to be handled very carefully," Kumar said at an event organised by Indian Banks' Association. In April 2017, SBI had merged its five associate banks- State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore. The four new set of proposed mergers included Punjab National Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India will combine to form the nation's second-largest lender; Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank will merge; Union Bank of India will amalgamate with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank; and Indian Bank will merge with Allahabad Bank. These mergers will bring the number of state-run banks to 12 as against 27 in 2017. The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) has stated that the implementation of the UNI-PASS deal would not in any way lead to Government paying any judgement debt. This is contrary to concerns raised by policy think tank, Imani Ghana that could pay judgment debt to the Ghana Community Network (GCNet) and West Blue for simply cancelling their more reliable, tested, and efficient less expensive systems. In fact, UNI-PASS has been sued by West Blue for intellectual property breaches- essentially copying their software illegally. Imani Ghana had raised the concerns in a letter written to the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, asking Government to reconsider the UNI-PASS deal which is expected to be implemented this year. According to Imani Ghana in its letter, UNI-PASS impact on the trading community and revenue generation for government, have been unanimously bemoaned by many agency users of the ports. But Deputy Commissioner at GRA, Custom Division, Mate Kodjo, said emphatically that there will be no judgement debt for terminating the contracts of West Blue and GCNet. Mr. Kodjo was addressing the media at a workshop organized by GRA on the benefits and operations of the UNI-PASS system. He stated that please rest assured that there wont be any judgement debt under this contract(UNI-PASS deal). He stressed that from our (GRA) angle, I dont think there will be payment of any judgement debt. Responding to Imani Ghanas argument that West Blue and GCNet have contracts running with the state and implementing the UNI-PASS deal would mean they heading to court for judgement debt, he noted that the fact that you are providing something and that I want somebody else with a superior service to add to vary or compliment yours does not give you the right to ask for judgement debt. ---Daily Guide As the Massachusetts State Police work to fire 22 troopers identified by authorities as being part of a sweeping overtime scandal, officials at the states Retirement Board are still handling the cases of the troopers sentenced and charged in the case. A total of 10 troopers were charged in either state or federal court in connection with the overtime scandal with many of them already sentenced. Some of those troopers were not eligible for retirement benefits, but others were receiving pensions from the state. Two of them are still receiving benefits because they have not been convicted or sentenced while others had their pensions suspended. Dozens of troopers were flagged by a state police audit as being involved in the overtime scandal. Troopers were accused of skipping specialized overtime shifts or showing up for partial shifts while conducting traffic enforcement on the Massachusetts Turnpike and Metropolitan Tunnel System. Overall, 46 troopers were flagged, and their names were referred to state and federal investigators for possible prosecution. Three troopers were charged in state court by Attorney General Maura Healeys office. Eight troopers were charged in federal court, including former Lt. David Wilson, the only trooper to face charges in both state and federal court. Healey announced Friday that her office closed its investigation. The troopers involved in the scandal were from Troop E, which was disbanded after authorities said they uncovered the misdeeds. An audit of 2017, 2016 and 2015, discovered overtime abuse however federal authorities said records turned over by the state police may have shown issues with other shifts dating back earlier for at least one trooper. State police are not looking at pay records prior to 2015. The 10 troopers charged in the case were also accused of writing phony traffic or ghost citations and destroying records. Massachusetts State Police Col. Christopher Mason said in a press conference last week that 14 of the remaining 36 troopers flagged in the investigation retired and another 22 remained with 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. In a letter to the Retirement Board, state police discussed the 14 retired members and provided the board with information on all of them in order to pursue restitution and any other change in status the Board deems appropriate That action will include potential forfeiture of their pensions or the recollection of overtime pay. State police have not released the names of the 36 troopers and did not disclose the amount of restitution being sought from 22 of the troopers because the disciplinary process is ongoing. Pension status for the troopers charged are as follows: Lt. David Wilson Wilson pleaded guilty recently in Suffolk Superior Court to larceny, procurement fraud and other charges. He was sentenced to two years of probation, 200 hours of community service and ordered to pay $18,994 in restitution for receiving more than $31,000 in overtime pay he didnt earn. In June 2019, Wilson was sentenced in federal court to one day in prison (deemed served), two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution of $12,450. He was charged with embezzling from an agency receiving federal funds. Former Massachusetts State Police Lt. David Wilson, center, sits in Suffolk County Superior Court on Aug. 6, 2019, for a hearing on state charges in connection to the agency's overtime scandal. Wilson was receiving a month payment of $8,791 after he retired amid the scandal in March 2018. The Retirement Board voted on July 2019 to suspend his retirement benefits. His case is still going through the Retirement Board process, but an actual hearing had not taken place as of Feb. 5. Trooper Paul Cesan Cesan retired in March 2018. In June 2019, he was sentenced in federal court to one day in prison (deemed served) and one year of supervised release on a charge of embezzling from an agency receiving federal funds. He was ordered to pay back the $29,287 for hours he did not work in 2016, according to calculations presented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady. Mass. State Police trooper Paul Cesan. Cesan was receiving a monthly pension payment of $6,639. The Retirement Board suspended his pension after he was convicted in federal court. His case remains in a hearings process with the board. Trooper Gregory Raftery Raftery retired on March 23, 2018. He was receiving a monthly pension payment of $6,017. In March 2019, the Retirement Board suspended his pension benefits. The suspension came after Raftery was sentenced in federal court to 90 days in prison and one year of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to embezzling funds from a state agency receiving federal funds. He was ordered to pay $51,377 in restitution. Former Mass. State Police Trooper Gregory Raftery (Mass. State Police) His case with the Retirement Board remains in the hearing process. Lt. John Giulino Giulino, a former supervisor, retired on Nov. 3, 2017. He was receiving a monthly pension payment of $7,465. In December, Giulino pleaded guilty in Suffolk Superior Court to larceny, fraud and other charges and was sentenced to two years of probation in connection with the state police overtime abuse scandal. Former Mass. State Police Lt. John Giulino is arraigned at Suffolk Superior Court on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. Giulino was also ordered to pay $29,108.54 in restitution, along with 100 hours of community service. Lt. David Keefe Former Mass. State Police Lt. David Keefe is arraigned at Suffolk Superior Court on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. Keefe retired on March 20, 2018. He is facing larceny and other charges in Suffolk Superior Court after he was investigated by Healeys office. Keefe receives a monthly pension payment of $8,605 while his case is pending. Trooper Gary Herman Herman was suspended without pay during the investigation and later fired. He was sentenced in federal court to one day in prison (deemed served) on the same embezzlement charge as his fellow troopers. He was ordered to serve one year of supervised release and to pay $12,468 in restitution. Gary Herman, one of the Massachusetts state troopers accused of embezzling funds, makes his way to a waiting car outside the federal courthouse in South Boston. He never filed for retirement. Herman is currently negotiating with the Retirement Board over the retirement deductions made during his employment. In a stipulation agreement, typically someone chooses not to challenge the forfeiture process and agrees to accept their retirement deductions and forfeiture of the interest accrued while giving up any rights to retirement benefits. Trooper Kevin Sweeney He was first suspended without pay then fired after he was convicted on the embezzlement charge and a wire fraud charge in federal court. Sweeney was sentenced in May 2019 to two months in prison and one year of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $11,103 in restitution. Sweeneys case was sent to a hearing officer at the Retirement Board, but he was not eligible for retirement benefits. Troopers ineligible for a monthly benefit can have cases sent to a hearing officer in order to review forfeiture. Troopers could lose any interest that has accumulated since they started paying into the pension system. Troopers would get back money deducted from their paychecks, but anything on top of that can be forfeited if the board makes that decision. Trooper Heath McAuliffe He was first suspended and later resigned. In June 2019, he was sentenced to one day in prison (deemed served) on an embezzlement charge. He was placed on supervised release for one year and ordered to pay $7,860 in restitution. McAuliffe was not eligible for a pension and applied for a return of his retirement contribution and agreed to forfeit any interest accrued to the account and his rights to retirement benefits. The matter is under review by a hearing officer. Trooper Daren DeJong Retired state trooper Daren DeJong (right) and his attorney Brad Bailey. Retirement Board records show DeJong retired on March 22, 2018. He has pleaded guilty to an embezzlement charge in federal court but has not been sentenced as of Feb. 5, 2020. He received a monthly pension payment of $6,251. Trooper Eric Chin Chin was suspended then fired on Dec. 12, 2018. He was sentenced to one day in prison and nine months of supervised release in March 2019 on an embezzlement charge. Chin was ordered to pay a restitution fee of $7,125. Chin was not eligible to retire. In July 2019, he accepted a return of his accumulated total deductions toward his pension benefits and forfeited any interest to the Retirement Board. The matter is now closed. The Montgomery County Sheriffs Office is notifying residents of an online hoax purporting human trafficking out of The Woodlands Mall. We want to inform the community that this posting is completely false, a sheriffs office statement read. BREAKING NEWS UPDATES: Get your Houston breaking news alerts delivered to your Inbox The sheriffs office further stated no attempted or actual abductions have been reported out of anywhere in the county, much less The Woodlands Mall. Sheriff Rand Henderson and the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office are committed to ensuring the safety of our residents and visitors as well as providing the most up-to-date information as possible, the sheriffs office stated. INTER-AGENCY EFFORT: Conroe men arrested in alleged theft spree yielding seizure of vehicles, $70K The sheriffs office added most human trafficking originates online, advising the public educate itself, including children, on the dangers of online predators.. Parents, the sheriffs office continued, are encouraged to know the apps and websites their children are using and to monitor their online activity. Between April and May 2019, Montgomery County law enforcement carried out half of all arrests made in an eight-county effort at thwarting the online exploitation of children in the Houston area. The sheriffs office attached a partial image of the hoax message, which appeared to be an email. In it, the sender is forwarding a message from his or her daughter claiming a woman visiting her job in The Woodlands informed her and coworkers pretty young women were among the intended target and that the supposed perpetrators were fleeing away on Interstate 45. This online hoax is the latest to surface in Montgomery County. In August, an apparent messaging app hoax claimed people were being distracted with zip ties on their side mirrors before being kidnapped by a van. The sheriffs office stated there were no reports of such incidents in the county. Before sharing an alert on criminal activity online, the sheriffs office is asking the public to first verify its validity with local law enforcement. The sheriffs office is directing people to its free mobile app, MCTXSheriff in the App Store and on Google Play, where the agency releases information. They are also encouraging the public follow the sheriffs offices social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. jose.gonzalez@chron.com twitter.com/jrgzztx Newport Beach, Calif., Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DPW Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American: DPW) a diversified holding company (DPW, or the Company) announced that on February 5, 2020, it issued a $1.0 million 8% convertible promissory note to Ault & Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation. The convertible promissory note, which was approved by DPWs independent Directors, bears interest at 8% and has a maturity date of August 5, 2020. The note is convertible into shares of DPW common stock at $1.45 per share, the closing price on Tuesday, February 4, 2020. The conversion into DPW common stock is subject to stockholder and NYSE American approval. If approved, the issuance of the shares of DPW common stock would increase Ault & Companys beneficial ownership of DPW by 689,655 shares, bringing its total number of shares of DPW common stock beneficially owned to 1,364,565. Ault & Company is a private holding company controlled by Mr. Milton C. Ault, III, the Companys Chief Executive Officer and Chairman. For more information on DPW Holdings and its subsidiaries, the Company recommends that stockholders, investors and any other interested parties read the Companys public filings and press releases available under the Investor Relations section at www.DPWHoldings.com or available at www.sec.gov. About DPW Holdings, Inc. DPW Holdings, Inc. is a diversified holding company pursuing growth by acquiring undervalued businesses and disruptive technologies with a global impact. Through its wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries and strategic investments, the Company provides mission-critical products that support a diverse range of industries, including defense/aerospace, industrial, telecommunications, medical, crypto-mining, and textiles. In addition, the Company owns a select portfolio of commercial hospitality properties and extends credit to select entrepreneurial businesses through a licensed lending subsidiary. DPWs headquarters are located at 201 Shipyard Way, Suite E, Newport Beach, CA 92663; www.DPWHoldings.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as believes, plans, anticipates, projects, estimates, expects, intends, strategy, future, opportunity, may, will, should, could, potential, or similar expressions. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of them publicly in light of new information or future events. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors. More information, including potential risk factors, that could affect the Companys business and financial results are included in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, the Companys Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. All filings are available at www.sec.gov and on the Companys website at www.DPWHoldings.com. - A painter contracted to paint the female hostel of a university has allegedly impregnated two ladies - Reports say the incident happened at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria - Many have reacted since the story broke and a video of some male students of the university allegedly on demonstration popped up online Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in A developing account of a painter who was employed to paint the female hostel of a university but went in for more than he bargained for in his contract has left many greatly astonished. According to several reports, the painter who was contracted to paint the university overstepped the terms of his contract and got two students of the hostel pregnant. The incident is reported to have happened at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. Gistreel.com reports that since the news surfaced on social media on Tuesday, February 4, 2020, Nigerians have been reacting to the report. Some have been tongue-lashing the girls for being so available while others have said the ladies owned their bodies and can choose to sleep with whoever they want provided the person involved is not a minor. READ ALSO: Simon Agbeko: Police officer pay bills for baby and donates crutches at Korle-Bu (photos, video) Following the incident, some male students of the University of Ibadan have held a demonstration, saying they want to be painters too. Although the universitys authorities are yet to respond to the allegation, some social media users have been reacting to the report. Photo credit: pulse.com.gh Source: UGC Photo credit: pulse.com.gh Source: UGC Photo credit: pulse.com.gh Source: UGC Photo credit: pulse.com.gh Source: Twitter In other stories, YEN.com.gh previously reported that birthdays are special moments for most people and they go lengths to ensure that their day is immortalised in photos. And Nana Adwoa Konadu Boateng, a female Ghanaian midwife, shared gorgeous images of herself to mark her birthday. Konadu Boateng marked her birthday on Tuesday, February 4, 2020, and she took to a popular Facebook group to celebrate her day while urging members of the group to help her express thanks to God. "Please help me wish myself a blessed birthday.....GRATEFUL TO YOU LORD ALMIGHTY,'' Nana Adwoa Konadu Boateng wrote in a post on Facebook. Konadu Boateng's lovely photos have garnered over seven thousand reactions and one thousand comments on social media as at the time the story was being published. READ ALSO: Simon Agbeko: Police officer pay bills for baby and donates crutches at Korle-Bu (photos, video) Faces of Ghana: Ghanas 1st Female Police Bemoans High Rate of Police Indiscipline | #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 A father who was sexually assaulted by a drunk woman on a holiday flight in front of his ten-year-old son says she only avoided jail because she is female. Gary Kirby, 31, was groped by fellow passenger Louise Whyte, 38, who pulled down her trousers and attempted to perform a sex act on him. Mr Kirby, from Merseyside, today blasted her sentence after the mother was let off with a suspended jail term for the incident on-board a TUI flight from Manchester to Turkey. Waiving his right to anonymity he told the Metro.co.uk: The only reason is that shes a woman. 'If I stand here, as a 6ft well-built man, and did all of that, I would be in jail. One million percent. Mr Kirby was flying with his son Connor, 10, when he was sexually assaulted by Whyte, from Bury. She was put on the next flight back to the UK after the plane landed. Whyte from Bury, pleaded guilty to entering an aircraft when drunk and sexual assault on a male. She was sentenced to a six-month in jail - suspended for 12 months Mr Kirby (pictured with his son) was flying with his son Connor, 10, when he was sexually assaulted by Whyte During her sentencing hearing earlier this week, the court heard Whyte, 38, who was taking the seven-year-old on their first holiday abroad, became severely intoxicated after mixing the vodka with diazepam and codeine tablets which she had been taking for a knee injury. He added: 'Are you telling me if I was on a plane and I started removing my outer clothing, and tried to have sex with someone, I would be spared jail? No way pal. Mr Kirby said he first met Whyte in the terminal at Manchester Airport, when he offered to call her phone that she had lost in the duty-free shop. He thought she might be under the influence then, despite having her daughter with her. Louise Whyte leaving Minshull Street crown court, Manchester, where she received a suspended sentence for sexually assaulting a man during a TUI flight to Turkey He said she could tell she was not in control of her faculties within 45 minutes of flight. He added to the Metro: She put her hand on my leg and I had to take it off on no less than five occasions. Theres no way anyone should be doing that when you tell them to stop time and time again. Mr Kirby said Whyte took her jacket off and said she would perfom a sex act on him, suggesting the jacket would give her cover and no one would notice. He pushed her back into the seat and alerted staff by pressing a call bell. He said the incident ruined his holiday, and it had a 'disgusting' effect on his son, who kept asking about it on his brithday, which was just two days later. Mr Kirby added: Its a sexual assault. It was front of my child and it was in front of her own child, which I would say warrants a prison sentence. Even more so, the fact shes drunk on board a plane, which is a criminal offence in itself. She was endangering the safety of the other passengers and the cabin crew. Appearing at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court earlier this week, Whyte admitted sexual assault. She was ordered to sign the sex offender register for seven years. She was also sentenced to six months jail suspended for a year and to abide by an 8pm to 6am curfew. The incident occurred on May 27 last year after Whyte booked the holiday with her daughter after splitting with her partner. Mr Kirby, from Merseyside, today blasted her sentence after she was let off with a suspended jail term for the incident onboard a TUI flight from Manchester to Turkey (stock image) She began drinking in the airport terminal ahead of the 8pm flight and befriended the victim when she saw him with his son, the court was told. Charlotte Crangle, prosecuting, said Whyte made her advances and the victim had to tell her to stop several times. When spoken to by crew, Whyte didnt appear to know where she was staying or how to get there and the decision was taken to retain her and her daughter on board for journey back, the barrister added. The second flight arrived back in Manchester before 6am the next day and was met by police. When interviewed by police, Whyte, a single mother after splitting from her daughters father 18 months earlier, said she had one or two drinks in the terminal prior to boarding, then drank vodka from the mans bottle but could remember nothing else. Defending, Peter Horgan said she was embarrassed, ashamed and apologetic. He said: She has never been in trouble before and has led a wholly law-abiding life. She didnt knowingly get herself into the state and describes her actions as disgusting and repellent. Sentencing, Judge Sophie McKone told Whyte: Once you were on that plane you effectively became out of control. So concerned were the crew and captain that as the plane landed they wouldnt let you off the plane, quite rightly they didnt think you would be able to care for your child. You failed remarkably in your responsibility to your daughter. By Trend The Uzbek Energy Ministry held a meeting with a delegation from Kazakhstan led by Magzum Mirzagaliyev, Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources, Trend reports citing Uzbek media. During the meeting the sides discussed in detail the issues related to the development of bilateral relations in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy, the report says. The sides also discussed the cooperation in development of joint efforts in information sphere and environmental impact assessment, as well as ecology. Detailed information was provided on the progress in implementing the project on constructing a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, measures taken to implement the state nuclear energy program as a whole and create nuclear infrastructure, as well as implementation of international legal instruments in the field of nuclear safety. In addition, it is reported that, in accordance with IAEA international standards and requirements, public discussions on the environmental impact of Uzbek nuclear power plant operation are expected in Uzbekistan and neighboring countries, including Kazakhstan. The Kazakhstan side appreciates the measures taken by Uzbekistan, and proposed close cooperation in this area in the future. A new fast-casual Mexican restaurant chain is coming to Montana and Wyoming in the summer serving Baja-style Mexican food. Fuzzy's Taco Shop, a chain based in Texas, will have locations in Billings, Bozeman and Missoula, Montana, and Casper, Wyoming. The franchised chain will be owned by Casper native John Johnson, of Johnson Restaurant Group Inc., who owns 11 restaurants across Montana and Wyoming. Fuzzy's will be Johnson's first foray into fast-casual restaurants. The taco shop serves fast-casual Mexican food in the Baja-style, like tacos, burritos and handmade salsa and guacamole. The four locations will also have full bars, with TVs and an energetic vibe. Adding the full bar differentiates Fuzzy's from other fast-casual restaurants, he said. "That's what makes it so unique," Johnson said. "It's like Baja California, very energetic and very lively. It just has a great vibe, and we love it." The first of the four restaurants is set to open Aug. 1, 2020, on Casper's West Side on Talon Drive, Johnson said. Specific locations in the three Montana cities have yet to be determined. A fifth location is also planned, but Johnson isn't sure where yet, he said. "It's really wide open," he said. "I would guess that by the time we have the Casper location open we'll have sites (in Montana) identified." He said they have local Realtors looking at sites in Bozeman, Billings and Missoula. Weve seen a couple spots (in Missoula), but those didnt look right to us, he said. Well know it when we see it. The company likes to own its real estate rather than lease, he explained, so that makes it a little bit trickier. Johnson is open to remodeling existing buildings, but if nothing is perfect he'll build from the ground up, he said. Johnson said it made sense to open restaurants in cities where his company already has a presence. Johnson owns the three Old Chicago locations in Montana (in Billings, Bozeman and Missoula), and three in Wyoming (in Casper, Gillette and Rock Springs). When they opened the Old Chicago on North Reserve Street in Missoula, Johnson said they had to purchase the all-beverage liquor license from the old Hooters. Johnson said the Fuzzys Taco in Missoula will have six to eight different flavors of margaritas pre-mixed in dispensing machines. We obviously want to get an all-beverage license but were not going to get in that process until the real estate has been identified, he said. There is no timeline on when the company would choose a location, and its possible that the Billings and Bozeman locations would open first, he said. Its all really preliminary right now, he said. Johnson also owns five other independent restaurants in Wyoming. Johnson was first introduced to Fuzzy's at a location in Colorado. Since then Johnson and his partner Mike Malberg have been working to franchise the chain. The choice to franchise in Wyoming and Montana was easy after Johnson and Malberg approached Fuzzy's, Chief Development Officer Michael Mabry said. "We knew they would represent Fuzzy's extremely well," Mabry said. Fuzzy's was founded in 2003 in Fort Worth, Texas. Since opening the restaurant has expanded to almost 150 restaurants in 17 states. 10 Montana candy shops that are worth the trip Love 5 Funny 2 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 Trend: Not a single third-party force will be able to influence Turkey or Azerbaijan, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said when receiving a delegation led by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu on Feb.5, Trend reports. "You are welcome, dear Mevlut Bey. I am very glad to see you again. A very important meeting at the level of foreign ministers will be held in Baku tomorrow. This is the first meeting of foreign ministers to be held in Baku after the Summit. As you know, last year Azerbaijan took over chairmanship of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States. As the country chairing the organization, we will try throughout the year to work hard with the support of member countries to further strengthen cooperation, friendship and brotherhood among these countries. At the same time, your visit is a good opportunity to once again discuss bilateral issues. You and I recently met in Davos. We meet quite regularly. A meeting of the Turkey-Azerbaijan Strategic Cooperation Council will be held in Baku in the near future, and distinguished President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be our guest," President Ilham Aliyev said. "I am sure that Turkish-Azerbaijani relations will develop successfully this year as well. Last year, we made huge strides and together celebrated the TANAP project reaching the border with Europe. In addition, many important projects are being successfully implemented. With regard to the activities of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, it has now acquired wider proportions and already transports goods from many sources in European and Asian directions. I am sure that the significance of this railway will gradually increase. This is our joint successful project," President Ilham Aliyev said. "I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep gratitude to you for the recent evacuation of Azerbaijani citizens from China. This is another manifestation of Turkish-Azerbaijani brotherhood. You showed the same attitude towards the citizens of Azerbaijan as you did to your own citizens, safely delivered them by plane to Turkey to their homeland. Of course, this step, this act is very much appreciated in Azerbaijan," President Aliyev added. The head of state noted that at the same time, at a meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg last month, representatives of Turkey in their entirety supported the just cause of Azerbaijan and once again showed solidarity. "They once again demonstrated that they really stand for justice. In turn, the Azerbaijani delegation always supports Turkey. We, as people who worked in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, know this organization quite well. Unfortunately, this organization has targeted Azerbaijan for over the course of 20 years and Turkey for even longer. I remember that when I started working in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe as head of the Azerbaijani delegation, my first step was to organize a meeting of the Azerbaijani and Turkish delegations. On the first day, we met and agreed to constantly support each other in all matters. I believe that, unfortunately, since that time, the Council of Europe has undergone a process of degradation. This organization is losing its importance in the international arena. It is not able to exert any influence on the developments unfolding in the world. The credibility of the organization has declined, and the main reason for this is probably the hypocrisy, double standards and injustice prevailing in it," President Ilham Aliyev said. "To be honest, the Azerbaijani people have long lost hope for this organization because for almost 20 years, at various times, it was fulfilling a political order, choosing Azerbaijan as a target, fabricating and spreading incredible lies about us. Azerbaijan is portrayed as a backward country and the positive processes taking place in Azerbaijan are not taken into account. They try to describe Azerbaijan only in black colors and again, relying on unfounded and falsified data, publish reports and adopt resolutions. There are allegedly political prisoners here and democratic process are supposedly obstructed in Azerbaijan. All this is a lie, there are no political prisoners in Azerbaijan we know this well. Meanwhile, the countries that do have political prisoners are ignored. I can cite Armenia as an example. For more than a year, the former president of Armenia has been under arrest. He was arrested after declaring a desire to engage in active politics, and has been in prison for more than a year. Also under investigation is the president who led Armenia two years ago. A criminal case has been instituted against him and, according to the information circulated in the media, his case has been referred to court. The main reason is that former presidents criticized the activities of the current government. Journalists are arrested in Armenia. I am told that the head of a media agency was recently arrested. A few months ago, one of the journalists began a hunger strike in prison and died. However, none of these facts are taken into account in the Council of Europe. Why? Why do they show one attitude towards Armenia and a different one towards Azerbaijan and Turkey? We know the answer to this question too well, and I want to note once again: it would be good if the Council of Europe dealt with these issues. Let the Council of Europe pay attention to police brutality and violence, police killing people in leading European countries, condemn these countries and make a comment to their law enforcement agencies. We are not hearing this. We see this on television: practically on a regular basis people in leading European capitals are regularly beaten up, persecuted, insulted, killed, their eyes are hollowed out, they are set the dogs at and are crushed by horses. This is supposed to be democracy. When we talk about this I often said this quite openly to people coming here from Europe and trying to criticize us but they do not respond and remain silent. But after leaving the office, they begin their ugly activities again and try to tarnish us. Of course, we cannot tolerate this. We are fighting alongside Turkey, just as we done together in the past," President Ilham Aliyev said. "You were elected to a high post in the Council of Europe, were the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. When you held the post, this organization demonstrated a fair position. You did not allow it to become an instrument in someone else's hands. As a very respected and independent person, you weathered the pressure and pursued an independent policy. Therefore, at that time, the Council of Europe somewhat seemed to have restored its real appearance. But I want to say again: this organization, unfortunately, does not have any authority today. Its decisions are absolutely irrelevant for us. The latest resolution adopted in connection with Azerbaijan has no meaning for us; for us it has no more value than a piece of paper. We do not accept any of the far-fetched accusations contained in it and will not fulfill any of their 'requirements'," Ilham Aliyev said. "Our cause is just. Today, Turkey is a power center on a global scale, and we are very pleased about this. All the successes of Turkey are very significant for us, they inspire us. Together we did a great job and always stood for truth and justice. I am sure that this will continue to be the case. Not a single third-party force will be able to influence Turkey or Azerbaijan. We, as two fraternal countries, will continue to follow the path of friendship, brotherhood and independence. You are welcome again!," President Ilham Aliyev added. Amit Shah alleged that Kejriwal government failed to fulfill its promises of installing 15 lakh CCTV cameras, procuring 5,000 DTC buses, opening 1,000 schools, regularising temporary workers and providing free wi-fi New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday termed the 8 February assembly elections in Delhi a contest between two "ideologies" and said the poll results will be a shocker to everyone. In an election meeting in east Delhi's Kondli, he continued his attack on the ruling AAP in Delhi and the Congress, saying they opposed the BJP on issues like Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Ram temple in Ayodhya, abrogation of provisions of Article 370 due to fear of their "vote bank". "Are you their vote bank," he asked the crowd which said no. "Who is their vote bank," he again asked the gathering that replied, "Shaheen Bagh". Shah urged people to vote along with their families before 10.30 am on 11 February to make Delhi and the country safe. "I know your decision. The results on 11 February will shock everyone," he claimed. The former BJP chief, who has been spearheading party's Delhi election campaign in a whirlwind series of meetings and roadshows, said that the polls were not a contest between two parties. "Delhi elections are not a contest between two parties. You have to choose between two ideologies, Rahul Baba, Kejriwal and the company which supports Shaheen Bagh or Modi who is safeguarding the country," he said. A protest against CAA, in which a large number of women are participating, is underway at southeast Delhi's Shaheen Bagh area since mid-December. Shah also attacked the AAP national convenor and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal accusing him of being "number one liar". He alleged that the Kejriwal government in Delhi failed to fulfill its promises of installing 15 lakh CCTV cameras, procuring 5,000 DTC buses, opening 1,000 schools, regularising temporary workers and providing free wi-fi. Shah promised to grant sanction to prosecute JNU case accused Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid, and Sharzeel Imam, who was booked under sedition charges, within one hour of the BJP forming government in Delhi. He also assured that the Modi government's health scheme Ayushman Bharat will be implemented soon after his party formed government. Shah said that the Modi government has formed a trust for Ekadashi and added a grand temple will be soon constructed in Ayodhya. The Union Home minister ended his speech in his trademark appeal, "press the EVM button on 8 February in Kondli with such anger that its current (poll result) shocks Shaheen Bagh". The BJP is working towards upstaging the ruling AAP and forming its government in Delhi after a gap of over two decades. A whole lot of BJP top brass, including Shah, party chief JP Nadda, Union ministers, chief ministers of NJP ruled states, senior party functionaries and parliamentarians are involved in hectic campaigning for the assembly elections. Campaigning for the polls to 70 membered Delhi Assembly will end at 5 pm on Thursday. The results of the elections will be declared on 11 February. This article is part of David Leonhardts newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it each weekday. Many of the explanations that Republican senators offered for their acquittal votes yesterday were logically weak or worse. A few arguments were legitimate, even if you disagreed with them, as I do. Below, Ive ranked the four worst arguments and the two best. The four worst 1. This one is easy: Susan Collins of Maine wins first place. She said this week that she would vote to acquit President Trump partly because he had learned from this case and He will be much more cautious in the future. Trump, of course, insists he did nothing wrong when pressuring Ukraine and shows no sign of stopping his encouragement of foreign interference in American elections. Collinss explanation was so widely mocked that she herself has since edged away from it, saying she hopes Trump has learned from it. On Wednesday, a woman with crippling acne married a man with more pecs than personality, and a reformed drug addict - who sank lower and became an influencer - married a bloke whose retired policeman father has unwavering 'Christian values'. I got the same feeling watching Married At First Sight last night as I did watching Martin Scorsese's The Irishman. It's incredible. What does it all mean? And for crying out loud, how is there still 30 minutes left? But, just like with The Irishman, I decided to give the creators the benefit of the doubt and searched for their hidden meaning. More on that later. Crying on the inside: On Wednesday, reformed drug addict Hayley Vernon (left), who sank even further and became an influencer, married David (right), whose retired policeman father has unwavering 'Christian values'. What could possibly go wrong? When truck driver David, 31, tells his parents he's about to get married, they're seething. 'But David! You've been baptised?!' Apparently THIS is the straw that breaks the Christian values' back. Not when the 15 random tradies entered their house (without taking their shoes off!) and started setting up camera equipment and lighting rigs? And not when producers marched in, handed them a 'schedule' (script) and told them to act fake surprised about their son's fake decision to get fake married? 'But David! You've been baptised?!' David's mum and dad are seething. David has been baptised after all! And now he wants a fake wedding? 'Okay son, we'll support you' David's parents refused to answer my screams at the TV, instead offering a weak protest before eventually agreeing to support their son anyway. Then we meet the bride. Hayley Vernon is a 32-year-old finance broker who went from being a drug addict to an influencer. I could argue all day about which one is worse. Meet the parents: After spending the ceremony rapping and twerking, Hayley sauntered over to meet the seething in-laws. She may as well have brought them an extra jar of salt Sitting in her bogan-mobile (or four-wheel drive limousine) en route to the wedding, she gets deep and meaningful. 'The worst thing that could happen today is that they might judge me on my past discretions,' she says. She also admits there is a 50 per cent chance she'll 's**t herself' when she gets there. Luckily by the time she's at the altar it will count as a 'past discretion'. PORT MELBOURNE!? The parents get offended when Hayley calls David a 'country bumpkin', but that's nothing compared to when they find out she's from 'PORT MELBOURNE!?' Metaphorically s**tting themselves are David's parents, who hate Hayley and hate that their complex, spiritual son seems to be genuinely happy with her. After spending the ceremony rapping and twerking, Hayley saunters over to meet the angry in-laws. She may as well have brought them an extra jar of salt. Dad immediately gets 'Christian values' offended when Hayley calls his son a 'country bumpkin' and is even more offended by the next thing she says. 'What do you mean you're from PORT MELBOURNE?' 'Past discretions': Here, Hayley's thinking: 'Judging by how the parents reacted to where I live, maybe now's not the time to tell him I'm an ex-drug addict'. Meanwhile, David is just happy to be on the telly His father later says: 'I think David needs a girl with a personality a little bit more like mine.' So apparently the right 'style' of woman for David won't exist until dad has finished making that cloning machine he's been toiling away at in the shed. When it was all over, I thought: 'What just happened? Surely Australia's most popular show can't be this indecipherable nonsense? No, it must be a metaphor. Like in The Irishman!' Nonsense? When it was all over, I thought: 'Surely Australia's most popular show can't be this indecipherable? No, it must be a metaphor. The whole thing is clearly a parable for the coronavirus' That's when I worked it all out. The whole thing is a parable for the coronavirus. Hayley (the disease) has an infectious, dangerous energy that clings to everything it comes into contact with. Chris (the World Health Organisation), is trying to get everyone to calm down and be realistic, even though he knows he's screwed. The disease: Hayley (the disease) has an infectious, dangerous energy that clings onto everything it comes into contact with And David's parents are passengers on a cruise ship that just found out the virus is on board. 'Get us off. Get away from us! Baptised! Christian values! What do you MEAN you're from Port Melbourne!? That's where the diseased live!' Look I could be wrong and the show could just be extremely entertaining nonsense. Feel free to email me your own theories/comments/complaints. The WHO: David (the World Health Organisation), is trying to get everyone to calm down and be realistic, even though he knows he's screwed The Corona Cruise: David's parents are passengers on a cruise ship that just found out the virus is on board Oh, and there was another wedding as well last night. A sob story about Vanessa, 31, with an acne affliction, marrying Chris, 37, who has a kids-from-a-previous-marriage affliction. It would have been a heart-warmer if it felt remotely real. But this is MAFS, so it all fell into place like a carefully crafted children's puzzle and I didn't care for it. A petition calling for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to be released from prison has been signed by more than 130 prominent figures from the world of art, politics and media in Germany. Signatories to the appeal include former vice-chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, former vice president of the European Commission Gunter Verheugen and a number of former federal ministers. It says that the continued detention of the 48-year-old in Belmarsh prison in London was a serious violation of basic human rights, in spite of his critical state of health. Assange is awaiting an extradition hearing on behalf of the United States over the activities of WikiLeaks. The German appeal, which is supported by Reporters Without Borders Germany, as well as members of Amnesty International, Transparency International, the German Journalists Union (dju), the Whistleblower Network and the writers association PEN-Germany, calls on the British Government to release Julian Assange from prison immediately so that he can recover under specialist medical supervision and exercise his basic rights without hindrance. T he US Presidential elections do not take place until November , but the campaign is already very much under way. Democratic candidates such as Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden are all battling it out in the primaries to see who will get their partys nomination to run. But Donald Trump is also facing challenges from fellow Republicans, despite being all but certain to be the party's nominee. Two long-shot challengers are attempting to do what Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats failed to achieve during the impeachment trial and unseat Mr Trump. Although it is unlikely they will succeed, the primaries could give a forecast of how the party membership feels about the US President. Loading.... Who is running against Donald Trump? There are two notable candidates running against President Trump for the Republication candidacy. The first is former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld and the second is former congressman and talk radio host Joe Walsh. Mr Weld, 73, was Governor of the New England state from 1991 to 1997 and has previously run for the vice presidency for the small Libertarian Party. He has said that a second term of Mr Trump in the White House would be a political tragedy. Mr Walsh, 58, was a congressman for the Republicans in Illinois from 2010 to 2012, when he was defeated by the Democrats. He said his reason for trying to unseat the President is that Mr Trump is unfit for office. Bill Weld is one of two men trying to unseat Donald Trump from within the Republican Party / AP How much support do they have? The short answer is very little. In the Iowa caucuses, President Trump secured 97 per cent of the votes - tallying to 31,464 - and 39 of 40 delegates. Mr Walsh and Mr Weld got 1.4 per cent and 1.2 per cent of the respectively. Around the rest of the states, President Trump is running unopposed in six states, while primaries and caucuses have been cancelled completely in another seven regions. Cancelling is a decision made by the local party, and is not unusual for incumbents from both parties. A big part of a campaign is the financing, and Donald Trump is crushing his in-party rivals. He has raised $211m (163m), while Mr Weld has managed to pull together $1.7m (1.3m) and Mr Walsh $480,000 (370,000). Joe Walsh is yet to raise even $1 million / AP What does Donald Trump think of his rivals? Mr Trump has remained tight lipped on his opponents, but he is not a fan of perceived disloyalty from within his party. Mitt Romney, who voted to convict the leader of his own party in the impeachment trial, faces being kicked out of the organisation because of his choice. When Mr Weld announced he was running for the Republican leadership in April 2019, the National Committee of the party said: Any effort to challenge the presidents nomination is bound to go absolutely nowhere. And responding to Mr Walshs declaration at the end of the same year, Republican Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said: President Trump enjoys unprecedented support among Republicans. He has already delivered a long list of incredible accomplishments for conservatives and the country. Republicans are firmly behind the president and any effort to challenge him in a primary is bound to go absolutely nowhere. When will the Republican nominee be confirmed? Primaries and caucuses will take place across the country from February until June. The Republican National Convention, where the party will name its nominees for president, happens in August. Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed Cannara Biotech Inc. (OTCQB: LOVFF) ("the Company"), a company building one of the largest indoor cannabis cultivation facilities (625,000 square feet) in Canada and the largest in Quebec. Lennie Ryer and Barry Laxer joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly. "Now that you have received your cultivation license, how do you intend to create long term value for your shareholders?", asked Jolly. "We need to show strong top line in terms of revenues, we need to quickly get to positive earnings per share, and we need to show long term sustainability through positive cash flow," said Ryer. "We believe we can attain these goals for three basic reasons," he explained. "Being in Quebec, we have the lowest cost of goods in the country," said Ryer. "We also have scale," he added, noting that the Company's facility is 625,000 sq. ft. The Cultivation License has been granted on Phase I of the building, which represents 170,000 sq. ft. "Most importantly, we've taken great steps to develop superior genetics and produce hopefully premium strains of cannabis," Ryer. "What exactly is a premium strain, and what makes yours different?", asked Jolly. "Premium strain is really actually a subjective term," explained Laxer. "The catch-all with cannabis tends to be the amount of THC within the strain," said Laxer. "Cannabis can possess up to 30%-32% THC levels, which a big chunk of the market considers as premium," explained Laxer. "It can also have different combinations of THC and CBD," said Laxer. Laxer then expanded on other cannabis qualities that can be considered premium, and explained how the Company has strategically sourced different types of strains from all over the world to appeal to a wide variety of consumers. The conversation then turned to the Company's capital market strategy. "Our balance sheet reflects sufficient liquidity to execute on our business plan. We are targeting around mid-year to start revenues from B2B sales from cannabis," explained Ryer. "There's a multitude of opportunities for M&A and assets that are available, and while we're not ignoring these opportunities, we're being very cautious to not get distracted," said Ryer. "We know that our stakeholders want us to get to positive earnings per share as quickly as possible and this is the focus of the management team." To close the interview, Laxer shared that the Company has an advantageous position in the cannabis industry given their understanding of the market and adjusting regulations. "We understand that cannabis is a business," said Laxer. "We are profit driven and we're modest in terms of our expenses, overhead, and front office, and we're a real production driven company," he continued. "We want our shareholders to know that we are here for the long term, we're here to generate a profit, and we're here to produce a first grade product," closed Laxer. To hear the entire interview with Cannara Biotech Inc., follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/7497672-lennie-ryer-and-barry-laxer-of-cannara-biotech-inc-are-featured-on-the-stock-day-podcast Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/ About Cannara Biotech Inc. Cannara Biotech Inc. (CSE: LOVE) (OTCQB: LOVFF) (FRA: 8CB), is building one of the largest indoor cannabis cultivation facilities (625,000 square feet) in Canada and the largest in Quebec. Leveraging Quebec's low electricity costs, Cannara Biotech's Farnham Facility will produce premium indoor cannabis and cannabis-infused products for the Canadian and international markets. The CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This information release contains certain forward-looking information. Such information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by statements herein, and therefore these statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. All forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to it as well as other factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified by the Company in its public securities filings, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact Information Investment inquiries Lennie Ryer, CPA, CA CFO lennie@cannara.ca 514-543-4200 Ext. 253 Media inquiries Sabrina Williams Communications Manager sabrina.williams@cannara.ca 514-543-4200 Ext. 265 About The "Stock Day" Podcast Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America. Stock Day recently launched its Video Interview Studio located in Phoenix, Arizona. SOURCE: Stock Day Media 602-441-3474 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52192 Farmers and growers are starting to feel the heat of the current dry conditions as the Western Bay of Plenty enters 2020s second month with no rain and none on the radar for at least the next 10 days, according to forecasters. Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty provincial president Darryl Jensen says the dry is really starting to bite for a lot of dairy farmers. Vets say they are getting inundated with calls from farmers wanting them to go and scan cows to determine empty stock, so they can de-stock their farms to reduce demands for feed, says Darryl, who dairy farms at Paengaroa and has just done this task himself. Darryl says feed supplement both on-farm and brought-in is being fed to stock on many Bay of Plenty farms to keep cows milking with pasture extremely dry and grass growth minimal. But farmers are at the point where they are making calculations on their feed how much they can feed out now but also how much they need to reserve to get through winter. This is the call that will be coming soon for many farmers. And as a side issue we now have a total fire ban in the BOP that just shows how dry it is. Darryl says the effects of the dry weather can be seen from Waihi/Katikati through to Rangitaiki Plains. Our coastal flats like Belk Rd, Pukehina and Rangitaiki are our wetter coastal country that can usually hang on. But these areas are starting to come under pressure now too. Darryls farm went to once-a-day milking 10 days ago and he says many others will be making this decision. Ive done my first stage cull but I may have to get down to capital stock, and get rid of all cull cows, such as low producers, if things stay dry. Kauri Points Hugh Moore, who is managing director of avocado orchard management and harvesting cool storage service KauriPak, says its probably one of the severest droughts the WBOP has seen. One of the reasons for that is weve actually been in a type of drought for 18 months. Weve got the lowest recordings of water weve had for 100 years we havent had our aquifiers filled up and if you look at the last 18 months, it has probably been some of the driest months on record. This means our drought started quite early weve been irrigating since October. Last year we began mid-December. And our tensiometers through winter showed deficits at deep levels, at 900m, says Hugh, who grows kiwifruit and avocados. So there is kiwifruit in stress, such as outside rows, avocados are fighting it but fruit will start to slow down. Im currently measuring kiwifruit growth and growth is slowing. Hugh says while kiwifruit will have a higher dry matter content this upcoming season, hes expecting smaller size fruit. The 1982 drought I remember I believe this is worse. This time weve virtually had no rain, not even 10mm or 20mm. Weve just had to choke one of our bores back. So we were pumping too fast for what it could give us and we havent had to do that before. But Hugh doesnt expect an earlier harvest as the vines still need time to mature. And those that have young plantings of kiwifruit and avocados they will struggle more, especially if they havent got irrigation. Put it this way if it rained wed still carry on irrigating. Wed have to have a hell of a lot of rain to think about stopping. Aongatete Avocados Ltds Tony Bradley, who grows kiwifruit and offers avocado orchard management services in the Western BOP, says his orchard team is busy ensuring water irrigation systems are running properly to plants that need it. Its very dry for small avocado trees you need to be watering twice-a-week. This is due to small trees being too young to reach deep water. And while big avocado trees can, Tony anticipates theyll be starting to suffer too and by the end of February a drop will occur. While a fruit drop is normal for this time of year, Tony says it could be much bigger due to it being one of the driest seasons weve had for a long time. The current seasons fruit harvest is starting to drop, but theres limited new growth and it is impacting because the stalks are breaking off. Tony says many avocados on trees are soft to touch and easy to knock off and the ability to keep fruit for more than three weeks is decreasing. Theres high maturity in that fruit so when we harvest our focus is to get the heat out of the fruit as soon as possible and keep it in the best condition we can. Things like getting it into shade, getting air flow through it and getting it into chillers and early pick-ups helps. And the heat is also affecting avocado harvest staff. As a large-scale harvester, our men and women pickers are getting knocked around. It is very tiring. So we start early and finish early. Tony says avocados will be small tasty fruit next season but trees will have limited flush which means smaller amounts of flower next year. His advice to avocado growers is if your trees are over-cropped cut them off now. And get ready to put fertiliser on as soon as the rains arrive. Be organised and plan. Tony says kiwifruit crops have just been thinned again to rid of reject and small fruit, and the aim now is to build dry matter. There might be smaller fruit but it will be high in taste and it will be a good harvest year not for volume but for quality. Tonnes per ha will be down, thats due to a colder, drier spring November in particular and a dry summer. Bill Webb of Paengaroa-based Bill Webb Feed Solutions says a Pongakawa farmer told him theyd recorded 37 degrees Celsius at their property on Monday. He has dropped back to once-a-day because he was running out of feed. Hes basically giving the cows silage, palm kernel and a picking of grass as hes not too sure he will still be milking at the end of this month when we go to deliver his maize silage. So if we dont get some rain shortly, there will be a lot of farmers drying off early. Another Te Puna farmer told Bill theyd recorded 100mm of rain for December, 3mm for January and none so far for February. The farmer said hes had only 200mm of rain in the last four months last year hed had 330mm for December so his area is way behind in rainfall this season, with no rain on the horizon. As a result, maize crops are starting to show signs of moisture stress too. You can see driving around that the lighter areas of the soil and paddocks are definitely starting to dry out. They call this pineappling, where it goes spiky and a blue-green colour where all moisture has gone out of the plant. Bill has heard of Waikato farmers green-feeding this week this means they chop crops early to give to cows. Im not sure if the maize harvest here will be early we may have to take dry areas off or if its 50 per cent of the paddock then harvest the whole lot to get a good mix. So its going to be a bit of a fickle maize harvest season Id say unless we get rain. MetService meteorologist Georgina Griffiths says soils across the North Island are parched after an extended dry run, and the recent heat. The first half of February is predicted to run much drier than normal in the Franklin, Waikato, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and King Country regions with all eyes on the tropics to deliver a better chance of rain in the second half of the month. However, even so, expect rainfall in the back half of the month to be fairly unreliable, or hit-and-miss, as is usually the case. MetServices February 2020 outlook says well above average February temperatures are predicted for the North Island, overall, except for Wellington which will experience near-average temperatures. Temperatures are expected to swing from heat wave conditions this weekend and early next week, to a colder spell with a southwest change next Tuesday. However, warmer than normal conditions quickly return for week two and week three of the month. For all North Island regions, the first half of February continues drier. The odds of getting some useful rain in the gauge increase in the second half of the month, but we expect rainfall to be rather unreliable (hit and miss). Our investment banking and insurance platform is truly unique and is attracting the best talent in the industry, said Bruce Denson Jr., president of CAC Specialty. We are excited to work with Ned and Dan; they complement our team and will help us with the trust of more clients. Prior to joining CAC Specialty, Murphy served as a senior vice president in Marsh & McLennan Companies US sales group. He has also served as a principal in Integro USAs financial lines group and as a vice president for Aons financial services and M&A group. Murphy is based in San Francisco. I am excited to join a firm comprised of world-class insurance and investment banking professionals dedicated to providing unparalleled service and solutions to our clients, he said. Lehmann joins CAC Specialty after a 20-year career in asset management, with a focus on alternative investments. He has held senior positions in capital development, product development, risk management and due diligence, with a focus on private equity and hedge funds. Most recently, he served as an alternative investment regional sales manager for Morgan Stanley. Lehmann is based in Denver. [February 06, 2020] INSERTING and REPLACING Diversified Search Acquires Storbeck Search & Associates Second paragraph, second sentence of release should have included Michigan State in its roster of university clients. The corrected release reads: DIVERSIFIED SEARCH ACQUIRES STORBECK SEARCH & ASSOCIATES Leading national education executive search firm becomes the third to join new "Diversified Search Group" in the last year; parent firm is now one of the nation's largest search firms, with revenues exceeding $100 million Judith M. von Seldeneck, Founder and Chair of Diversified Search, one of the top 10 executive search firms in the U.S., announced today that the firm has acquired Storbeck Search & Associates, one of the nation's leading and most highly respected education executive search firms. Founded by Shelly Storbeck in 2007, Storbeck has its headquarters in Media, PA, with 50 employees across six other states and the District of Columbia. Storbeck is one of the most recognized and respected search firms in higher education, and has conducted searches for some of the country's finest colleges and universities, private schools, and nonprofit institutions. Its roster of university clients includes such names as Brown, Columbia, Haverford, Johns Hopkins, Lawrenceville, Michigan State, Northwestern, Pomona, Princeton, Swarthmore, and the University of Wisconsin, among many others. Storbeck will join Diversified Search and its previously combined firms of BioQuest, Koya Leadership Partners, and Grant Cooper as a member of The Diversified Search Group, a newly formed entity that, in the words of von Seldeneck, "is building a new model for the executive search industry." "We are happy to welcome Storbeck into The Diversified Search Group, where along with Diversified's strong higher education practice and the team from Koya, we now bring a combined deep and proven track record of success inthe higher education search sector in the industry today." "We are proud to join a firm as dynamic as Diversified for many reasons, but above all because we share a fundamental commitment to doing our very best to identify the ideal leader for each client," said Shelly Storbeck. "Leadership in education and the nonprofit sector is more important than ever, and the competition for exceptional leaders is intense. It is going to be exciting to work together across this extraordinary Diversified network that shares our focus on delivering leaders who excel for every institution." Founded by von Seldeneck in 1974, Diversified Search is today the largest woman-founded executive search firm in the world. In addition to its 11 U.S. offices, the firm also has representation in 53 offices in 31 countries worldwide through its partnership with AltoPartners, the international alliance of independent executive search firms that spans across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific. Diversified Search established The Diversified Search Group to both build upon its expertise in its key practice areas and deepen its understanding of the industry-specific talent challenges facing organizations today. This combination of firms, a new model in the executive search industry, has created stronger synergies among the Group's largest practice areas, including Education and Nonprofit, Healthcare Services, and Life Sciences. Providing its practices with deeper industry and functional focus, stronger research teams, and highly diverse and expansive candidate networks, The Diversified Search Group today offers the best search experience in the industry. And, united by shared values of respect, impact, integrity, commitment, and diversity and belonging, The Diversified Search Group is dedicated to recruiting and placing dynamic leaders who build culture, foster innovation, and deliver both social impact and financial performance. "When you think about the five core values that define The Diversified Search Group-respect, impact, integrity, commitment, and diversity and belonging-you can understand why Storbeck is such a natural fit in the Diversified family," said Dale E. Jones, the CEO of Diversified Search. "We couldn't be happier to be having Shelly and her outstanding team helping us find the country's most outstanding leaders." www.diversifiedsearch.com www.storbecksearch.com www.altopartners.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005131/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Bengaluru, Feb 6 : Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala on Thursday administered the oath of office to 10 new ministers as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party government's cabinet expansion. Constituency-wise, the newly inducted ministers at the Raj Bhavan included Shivaram Hebbar (Yellapura), Shrimanth Patil (Kagwad), B.C. Patil (Hirekerur), Ramesh Jarkiholi (Gokak), Narayana Gowda (KR Pete), K. Gopalaiah (Mahalakshmi Layout), S.T. Somashekar (Yeshwantpur), Byrathi Basavaraj (KR Puram), K. Sudhakar (Chikkaballapura) and Anand Singh (Vijayanagara). Among the new ministers, Gopalaiah is said to have a stronghold in his constituency Mahalakshmi Layout with the ability to attract Janata Dal (Secular) voters into the BJP fold. Sudhakar from Chikkaballapura is known for getting a medical college sanctioned and developmental work in the constituency. Hailing from the Vokkaliga community, Sudhakar is expected to be a strength to the ruling party as he has no strong competition in the region. The BJP hopes to use Patil from Belagavi region to help convert Congress votes in favour of the ruling party. Hebbar from Yellapura constituency hails from the Brahmin community with influence in Uttara Kannada. He has the financial muscle and connects with the grassroots. Gowda from the Vokkaliga community made inroads into Mandya region. Using his influence, BJP aims to strengthen its support base in old Mysuru region. Gowda is being projected as a Vokkaliga strongman from the old Mysuru region. As one of the richest lawmakers, Basavaraj from KR Puram constituency is expected to fund the party. Jarkiholi is a powerful leader from Belagavi region where BJP aspires to make inroads. Hailing from the Valmiki community, Jarkiholi has a significant vote base, with influence in the neighbouring constituencies. Vala welcomed the new ministers into Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa's cabinet with a bouquet after completing their swearing-in. Meanwhile, some disgruntled leaders skipped the oath taking ceremony at the Raj Bhavan. Taking a dig at the BJP, Karnataka Congress tweeted, "By leaving out turncoat Kumtahalli, Yediyurappa has cheated the promise made to the electorate." "It proves BJP uses people to come to power and then dumps them. They will be in shock now," said the Congress. Mahesh Kumtahalli who left the Congress and joined the BJP was a ministry hopeful. In the December 5 by-elections in 15 assembly segments, the BJP won 12, the opposition Congress two and one by an Independent. The JD-S drew blanks. Eom/408 words Kenya's president said Wednesday that African nations should be free to cooperate with both the United States and China, warning that foreign powers were exacerbating the continent's divisions. On a visit to Washington, President Uhuru Kenyatta said he was "very concerned" about a return to the Cold War era when Africans had to choose between the United States and the Soviet Union. "Western countries, and their counterparts in Asia and the Middle East, are returned to competition over Africa, in some cases weaponizing divisions, pursuing proxy actions and behaving like Africa is for the taking. "Well, I want to tell you it is not," Kenyatta said at the Atlantic Council think tank, a day before he is set to meet President Donald Trump. China has been funding billions of dollars worth of infrastructure around the world, including a modern new rail-line between Nairobi and the port of Mombasa, as part of its Belt and Road Initiative. The United States has been increasingly vocal in urging developing nations to be wary, warning that they can be saddled with unpayable debts to Beijing for projects built largely with Chinese labor. Asked about the criticism of China, Kenyatta said: "We don't want to be forced to choose." "We want to work with everybody, and we believe that there is opportunity for everybody. "There are those areas indeed where America stands out and has much, much better strengths in certain fields. "On the other hand, you have the Chinese who build hospitals in seven days." Kenyatta said he was not only warning about US and Chinese interference but also saw foreign hands in "proxy wars" including in Kenya's neighbor Somalia. Kenyatta is expected to speak to Trump about trade policy ahead of the expiration of US import preferences in place since 2000. Under the African Growth and Opportunity Act that expires in 2025, sub-Saharan nations can export an array of products to the United States tariff-free if they meet conditions that include maintaining a market-based economy, protecting labor rights and combatting corruption. Kenyatta called on the United States to pursue long-term policies that promote economic integration within Africa. "We are not just a gateway. We are a platform of skills, entrepreneurship, stability and rule of law," he said. A bribery scandal involving executives at Kansai Electric has shed light on the economic relationship between Japans nuclear power industry and regional cities that host reactors. A recent graft scandal at Kansai Electric has dealt another blow to Japans embattled nuclear power industry. In September 2019, the utility disclosed that top executives, including President Iwane Shigeki and Chairman Yagi Makoto, had over several years accepted more than 300 million in cash and goods from Moriyama Eiji, the former deputy mayor of Takahama in Fukui Prefecture where the company's Takahama Nuclear Power Station is located. During a press conference, Kansai Electric officials tried to play down the affair by shifting blame onto the late Moriyama with claims that he pressured executives into taking the gifts. However, the media and central government, unconvinced by the firms explanation and details of its internal report, pressed the utility for answers, eventually leading Yagi to step down and bringing the impending resignation of Iwane. Moriyamas odd behavior, such as hiding gifts of gold coins in the bottom of a box of souvenir snacks, took center stage in coverage of the affair. But framing the incident simply as a money scandal in an industry that is already viewed as corrupt fails to address the heart of the matter: the decades-long interdependence between nuclear power and the communities that host facilities. Below I look at how this long-standing relationship came about and suggest approaches to address core issues. Nuclear Power Dependence Japan fired up its first commercial nuclear reactor in 1966 at the Tokai Nuclear Power Plant in Tokaimura, Ibaraki Prefecture. Since then, the number of units around the country has increased to more than 50. As nuclear power expanded, utilities largely opted to add units incrementally at existing sites. While this policy was a boon for municipalities hosting power stations, with each new reactor bringing more revenue into communities, it also made local economies deeply dependent on the nuclear power industry. The government began promoting nuclear energy in the 1960s, a time when the Japanese economy was enjoying unprecedented growth. Industrial complexes were rapidly going up around the country, bringing welcome economic benefits to the communities where facilities were built. Authorities used the burgeoning demand for manufacturing sites to expand the nuclear industry, persuading poor, out-of-the-way towns with little chance of wooing other industrial investment that economic gains were to be had by hosting a plant. With the price tag of building a nuclear power plant running into the tens of billions of yen, regional construction firms reaped huge profits from the inflow of work, boosting local economies. However, once a site was complete, public work projects dried up. Without money coming in from building contracts, residents were left with few options for keeping the economy going other than agreeing to accept another, and yet another reactor. Nuclear power proved to be equally lucrative to cash-strapped municipal governments, but bringing the same economic reliance on nuclear as seen with the construction industry. The main source of revenue was government subsidies given to communities hosting plants and tied to much-needed infrastructure projects like improving roads and schools. Towns also enjoyed an uptick in property tax income. As coffers swelled, though, local authorities splurged on public facilities like sprawling community centers, only to be saddled by mounting maintenance costs once subsidies, which were halved five years after reactors went online, decreased and tax revenue dwindled. With public finances in dire straits, local leaders agreed to additional units. Reaching Criticality This scenario played out over decades in towns around the country, with regional construction firms receiving the lions share of the financial benefits from nuclear powers expansion and local economies growing ever more dependent on the industry. Eventually, though, the economic merits of building new reactors plateaued, in most cases after the third or fourth expansion. At this scale, power plants had sizable workforces to conduct day-to-day operations, and teams of technicians were also needed to conduct periodic maintenance and inspections as required by law, assuring host communities a healthy rate of economic activity and removing the need to build more reactors. Other factors making three to four units the norm were the governments extension of the period of subsides and expansion of the scope of aid to allow municipalities to cover maintenance costs of public facilities and invest in projects aimed at revitalizing local industry. Property taxes, although subject to decline, never dried up completely, and once rates leveled out, they provided town authorities another steady source of income to run their affairs. Starting in the late 1990s, the economic dependence of towns on building reactors shifted toward greater financial autonomy and diversified industrial activity once three or four units were in place, leveling the playing field to a degree for host communities. Although towns still relied heavily on revenue from the nuclear power industry, local authorities now had more fiscal leeway to promote other sectors of the economy beside construction. At the same time, utilities sought to bolster public perceptions of nuclear power as part of Japans broader energy strategy. With mutual benefits to be had from greater cooperation, relationships became more symbiotic. Upgrades Bring New Construction Rush The nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi, triggered by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, drastically altered the situation. In the wake of the disaster, the government raced to shut down the nations reactors, a decision that has had long-term repercussions for rural economies dependent on the nuclear power industry. Once a key component, nuclear powers place in Japans energy mix has been scaled back as rigorous new regulations for the countrys aging fleet of reactors have forced utilities to decide whether to invest in expensive upgrades or decommission units. With very few new reactors planned, the prospects of a nuclear power comeback appear slim. The industry has already laid out hundreds of trillions of yenenough to build a whole new reactorin its ongoing effort to bring units up to post-3/11 standards. Faced with mounting costs, utilities are anxious to get idled reactors up and running. Like the early years of nuclear power, local construction firms are again seeing money pour in from projects at power plants. A survey by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry found that while the local service industries in Tsuruga and Mihama in Fukui Prefecture have been hit hard by reactor shutdowns, the losses have been largely offset by growing demand for construction work. As Japan reduces its reliance on nuclear power, though, the current round of reactor-related projects will likely be the last. This has people worried. While the Kansai Electric bribery scandal is an extreme case, it reflects a sense of impending crisis among local construction firms who are determined to capitalize on the situation while there is still money to be made. The actions of Moriyama and utility executives are reprehensible, but the affair promotes a false view that any money linked to the nuclear power industry is tainted. It is important to recognize that residents of towns had clear economic motives in accepting to host power plants, and that the decision to increase the number of units has provided municipalities a degree of fiscal freedom they likely would not have otherwise had without nuclear power. It is a heavy burden having a nuclear power plant in your back yard, though, and subsidies compensate host communities by redirecting a portion of the economic proceeds from urban areas that benefit most from the electricity generated at sites; businesses and residents in cities support this arrangement, with a percentage of the money they pay for electricity going to fund the subsidies. It is unfair, then, to label the system corrupt when there is such an implicit quid pro quo between consumers and host communities. Shining a Light on Nuclear Money The publics image of nuclear power has steadily declined since the Fukushima Daiichi accident and the recent graft scandal has only deepened peoples distrust. However, consumers should realize that they have a stake in the matter as their fees play a significant part in determining the direction of the nuclear industry. To win peoples trust and prevent future incidents, utilities must start implementing a full range of transparency measures to shed light on the intricate flow of money. Kansai Electric has taken steps in this direction by ordering a third-party investigation of the incident. But this is just the start of what needs to be done. Unless the industry as a whole implements concrete measures to prevent similar scandals down the road, nuclear energy will fail to recover its previous position and will be doomed to play only a supporting role in Japans new energy strategy. Such an outcome will have serious consequences for the nuclear power industry and the local economies of host communities. (Originally published in Japanese. Banner photo: Cranes and other construction equipment at Units 1 and 2 of Kansai Electrics Takahama Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui Prefecture in October 2019. Jiji.) CLEVELAND, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland will host a media event Monday, Feb. 10, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. EST to discuss the State of NASA and the center's role in developing the next generation of aircraft and sending the first woman and next man to the Moon by 2024. Media attending the event will have the opportunity to watch NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine deliver a State of NASA address at 1 p.m. on NASA Television. Bridenstine will highlight the progress made and the exciting work ahead on the agency's Artemis program. Immediately after the State of NASA address, Glenn is hosting a roundtable talk with Reuter will update media on the development of transformative space technologies, such as solar electric propulsion and fission surface power. Perez-Davis, Sivic and Hagerman will discuss the state of Glenn and its proposed fiscal year 2021 budget. Media who want to attend the Glenn event should contact Jan Wittry at 216-870-0348 or [email protected], by 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, and arrive at Glenn's Main Gate off Brookpark Road no later than 12:40 p.m. for the Feb. 10 event. At 5 p.m., NASA Chief Financial Officer Jeff DeWit will brief media via telephone on the budget proposal. To participate in this briefing, media must contact Karen Northon at 202-358-1540 or [email protected] no later than 3 p.m. Monday. The NASA budget proposal and supporting information will be available online after 11 a.m. Feb. 10 at: https://www.nasa.gov/budget SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov Pakistan's bid to call an immediate meeting on Kashmir by Saudi-led Organisation of Islamic Cooperation seems to have failed after Riyadh showing reluctance to the move, according to a Pakistani media report on Thursday. In December, there were plans to convene a meeting of the foreign ministers of the OIC on Kashmir by Saudi Arabia, in an apparent move by the kingdom to please Pakistan which skipped a recent summit of Muslim nations in Malaysia seen by Riyadh as an attempt to create a new bloc to replace the 57-member grouping led by it. Prime Minister Imran Khan had confirmed Pakistan's participation in the summit hosted by Malaysia, but skipped the event at the eleventh hour due to pressure exerted by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - key financial backers of the cash-strapped country. The report by Dawn came ahead of the bloc's senior officials' meeting in Jeddah on February 9 to make preparations for the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM). Islamabad's feeling of unease with the OIC over its failure to get the CFM's meeting appears to be growing, as Riyadh was showing reluctance to convene the meeting on Kashmir on Pakistan's request, the report quoted a diplomatic source as saying. The Jeddah-headquartered bloc, which is the second largest intergovernmental body after the UN, has usually been supportive of Pakistan and often sided with Islamabad on the Kashmir issue. Prime Minister Khan voiced frustration over the OIC's silence on Kashmir during his visit to Malaysia. "The reason is that we have no voice and there is a total division amongst (us). We can't even come together as a whole on the OIC meeting on Kashmir," he said this week. Pakistan has been pushing for the foreign ministers' meeting on Kashmir since India abrogated the special provisions of Kashmir in August last year. Although there has been a meeting of the contact group on Kashmir on the sidelines of UN General Assembly session in New York and a report by the OIC's Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission on the alleged rights abuses in Kashmir, no progress could be made towards the CFM's meeting. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, while underscoring the importance of CFM for Pakistan, said it was needed to send a clear message from Ummah (community) on the Kashmir issue. Support from Riyadh is considered a must for any move at the OIC, which is dominated by Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries from the Gulf. The kingdom has made several proposals to Pakistan to avoid the CFM including holding of a parliamentary forum or speakers' conference from Muslim countries and, according to a source, a joint meeting on Palestine and Kashmir issues. Pakistan has persisted with its proposal so far. Saudi Arabia, soon after Pakistan's absence at the Malaysia summit, showed flexibility in December on the proposal for the CFM on Kashmir. The Saudi flexibility, however, was short-lived as Riyadh reverted to its position. India, in a major diplomatic achievement in March last year, addressed the OIC meeting in Abu Dhabi for the first time. India's participation came despite strong demand by Pakistan to rescind the invitation to then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to address the grouping of the OIC which was turned down by the host UAE, resulting in Pakistan's Foreign Minister Qureshi boycotting the plenary. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Adani Elbit Advanced Systems, a joint venture between Adani Defence & Aerospace and Elbit Systems of Israel, said on Thursday it has started exporting Hermes 900 unmanned aerial platform to international customers. Hermes 900 is a combat-proven, multi-role unmanned platform with an endurance of 36 hours, payload capacity of 420 kg and altitude of over 32,000 feet with applications across civil, defence and homeland security. The joint venture company had set up the first private UAV manufacturing complex at Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad to indigenise unmanned aerial platforms. The only Hermes 900 production facility outside Israel was inaugurated in December 2018. Adani Defence & Aerospace and Elbit have now decided to set up a design and development centre focusing on co-developing defence technologies aligned to the global requirements. The design centre will facilitate job creation for highly-qualified research and development engineers to build products of tomorrow aligned to the needs of the armed forces. On the sidelines of DefExpo 2020, Adani-Elbit launched one of the largest export programmes for the production of hundreds of mini UAV systems for a global customer with complete platform production and integration from Hyderabad. "Our enduring relationship with Adani Defence & Aerospace has shaped our joint vision to make India a global hub for manufacturing and exports of the unmanned platforms," said Elad Aharonson, Executive Vice President and General Manager for ISTAR Division of Elbit Systems. Ashish Rajvanshi, Head of Adani Defence & Aerospace, said: "Our vision is not limited to project-based collaboration with our partners but is about transforming the defence ecosystem in India through inclusive growth and collective contribution." Adani-Elbit JV is well-positioned to deliver the full spectrum of unmanned platforms to Indian tri-services and allied forces, aligned to 'Make in India' requirements and international standards, he added. "Both the teams have identified critical programmes across the entire unmanned segment which will further facilitate job creation and in creating a vibrant technology and innovation hub in India," said Rajvanshi. Adani Group is an integrated industrial conglomerate in India with six publicly traded companies with total revenues of 15 billion dollars and a market capitalisation of over 30 billion dollars. Elbit Systems is an international high-technology company engaged in a range of defence, homeland security and commercial programmes throughout the world. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A dog owner was able to track down her beloved pooch who had been missing for more than two years thanks to the help of a Facebook group. The footage of Rebecca Bien was recorded at the Louisville Metro Animal Shelter, Kentucky, as she was reunited with her five-year-old Heeler-Collie-cross called Emmy Lou in January. It shows the dog sniffing Rebecca's hand before frantically wagging her tail and pushing against the cage door as she recognizes Rebecca, who bursts into tears. Once out of the cage a delighted Emmy Lou jumps up at her long-lost owner and licks her. The heartwarming video begins with the 27-year-old can be seen walking down the corridor of the animal shelter guided by a female member of staff. Her friend, who is behind the camera, says: 'Hey Rebecca, who are you going to get?' Rebecca turns her head and says 'Emmy' as she smiles and shrugs her shoulder excitedly. Rebecca walks toward the cage with her arm extended to let the dog sniff her hand before crouching to the floor as Emmy Lou wags her tail Emmy begins to sniff around more frantically in excitement as she starts to recognize Rebecca's scent. The dog briefly stands on her hind legs and pushes against the door of the cage as Rebecca bursts into tears They carry on walking until the member of staff stops to open a door on the left-hand side of the hall. The group walk through to see a series of metal cages as the dogs begin to bark in the background. The woman points at the third cage along and says: 'And it's this one right here. She takes a step back to allow Rebecca to get closer. She walks toward the cage with her arm extended to let the dog sniff her hand and says: 'Emmy? Is that Emmy? Sweetheart?' The pooch wags its tail as Rebecca crouches to the floor. The footage of Rebecca Bien was recorded at the Louisville Metro Animal Shelter, Kentucky, as she was reunited with her five-year-old Heeler-Collie-cross called Emmy Lou in January The pair had been apart since September of 2017 when the adorable dog went missing during a storm in the Louisville area She continues: 'It has been two years but it looks like her.' Emmy begins to sniff around more frantically in excitement as she starts to recognize Rebecca's scent. The dog briefly stands on her hind legs and pushes against the door of the cage as Rebecca bursts into tears. The clip then cuts to Rebecca being crouched on the floor once again with Emmy now free from her cage. The dog swamps Rebecca and showers her with affection by licking her face and jumping up on her legs erratically. Rebecca says: 'You want to go home? I love you.' Emmy stands on her hind legs as Rebecca affectionately scratches and hugs her, which is where the video ends. Rebecca, along with her friends and family, had spent days trying to track her down by issuing flyers and posting adverts on Craigslist - but they had no luck. But now she says: 'I hope this story inspires hope to everyone missing their best friend tonight' The pair had been apart since September 2017 when Emmy Lou went missing during a storm in the Louisville area. Rebecca, along with her friends and family, had spent days trying to track her down by issuing flyers and posting adverts on Craigslist - but they had no luck. She decided to set up a Facebook page titled 'Help Find Emmy Lou Harris (The Dog)' which swelled to around 1,000 members. Those most active, who became known as 'Emmy's Angels', would meet up and search for Emmy across the area, some driving, some walking. Rebecca set up a Facebook page titled 'Help Find Emmy Lou Harris (The Dog)'. One member eventually reported a sighting around Christmas time last year which gave Rebecca the breakthrough she needed There was eventually a report of a sighting around Christmas time last year, which prompted one of Emmy's Angels to check the local animal shelter listings. It was then that Rebecca was able to track down a dog matching Emmy Lou's description. Rebecca, who now lives in Franklin, Kentucky, said: 'I hope this story inspires hope to everyone missing their best friend tonight. 'If I may give my best advice, for the finders of lost animals, I urge you strongly to please take the animals to a vet or a shelter to be scanned for a chip. 'They will also give time for the owners to contact them in search for their baby. 'To those who have lost their animals, be strong social media is your best friend. 'Reach out to other animal lovers who will sympathize and actively help you search. 'And do not be fooled by false ransom notes people can be cold in the face of sorrow.' (ANI) The protesters, carrying placards like 'down with Pakistan' and 'Pakistan is enemy', were demanding the release of Manzoor Pashteen, the chief of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement -- a movement for the protection of ethnic Pashtun people in Pakistan. Pashteen, the 27-year-old activist, was arrested along with nine supporters in Peshawar last month and sent to jail on a 14-day judicial remand. The protest dampened the plans of the Pakistan Embassy to hold anti-India events on the occasion of the so-called Kashmir Solidarity Day which Pakistan observes every year on February 5. Pakistan has been marking this day since 1990 calling for the secession of Kashmir from India. Interestingly, the Intercontinental Hotel where Pakistan was planning to hold the anti-India event in Kabul cancelled the booking of the Pakistan Embassy as the programme was direct interference in India's internal affairs. Anti-Pakistan sentiments in Afghanistan have been rising with Islamabad's mounting atrocities against the Pashtuns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA. The Afghan government has time and again accused Pakistan of supporting the Taliban and other terror groups to create instability in the war-torn country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) strongly condemns the illegal arrest of journalist Omar Mohamed Somane who was arrested by Puntland police in Garowe, On Wednesday evening around 7:30 PM. The arrest of the journalist Omar Mohamed Soomane who works for Radio Kulmiye and was also working with London based television, Universal TV for many years is linked to a recent report filled from Garowe to Kulmiye radio based in Mogadishu citing controversy between the Puntland Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Education of Federal Government over national exams and the issuance of secondary school certificates. The arrest of the journalist was confirmed by FESOJ the director of Kulmiye radio Burhan Diini Farah who described the purpose of the arrest of the journalist an intention to silence the independent media working in Puntland in which they condemn strongly. Journalist Omar, a member of FESOJ, recently reached to Garowe after he was offered to serve as Puntland's President's special reporter but he is now confirmed detained in Garowe central police division. The journalist, who was forced to give an apology posted on his Facebook on 4th February a text titled "Full apology" but unfortunately that didn't save him from the intended detention. Omar Mohamed Soomane is a well-respected journalist in all Somali territories, FESOJ believes that his arbitrary detention is illegal and not due process, therefore we call upon Puntland authority to release the arrested journalist immediately and unconditionally, Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu FESOJ General Secretary said on Thursday Journalists should not be intimidated and arrested without a court warrant, If anyone complains about a report filed by a reporter it must go through a legal process but not totally violate the right of journalists to provide the public with the information they need Moalimuu added. In various parts of Somalia, arrests, intimidation and other violations against journalists and media workers are still going massively, so FESOJ calls on all parties to respect article 18 of the country's provisional constitution, which fully guarantees freedom of speech and freedom of media. New Delhi, Feb 6 : There has been an uptick in industrial activities, but the manufacturing capacity utilisation of companies remain low, suggesting working capital issues for producers and tepid demand from consumers. The capacity utilisation (CU) in the manufacturing sector, measured by the Reserve Bank's order books, inventory and capacity utilisation survey (OBICUS), fell to 69.1 per cent in Q2 from 73.6 per cent in the previous quarter. Seasonally adjusted capacity utilisation also eased to 70.3 per cent from 73.4 per cent. "The Reserve Bank's industrial outlook survey points to weak demand conditions facing the manufacturing sector in Q3 of 2019-20," the RBI said in a press statement. The Reserve Bank's business expectations index, however, suggests an improvement in Q4. "This is corroborated by the manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) for January 2020 which picked up sharply to 55.3 from 51.2 in November 2019 on the back of increased output and new orders," the central bank said in its bi-monthly monetary policy statement. Industrial activity, measured by the index of industrial production (IIP), improved in November after contracting in the previous three months. The output of core industries returned to positive territory in December after four months of contraction, buoyed by five out of eight of its constituents -- coal, refinery products, fertilisers, steel and cement. Nirupama Soundararajan, Senior Fellow and Head of Research at think-tank 'Pahle India Foundation' said that the industrial activity may go up due to optimism. "From a manufacturing capacity point of view, most of the companies are facing underutilisation of capacity because of working capital requirements. The credit is not coming at the right time. There is less demand because of low buying capacity of consumers," she said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 15:07:07|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close FAIZABAD, Afghanistan, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 children have died due to respiratory problem in Yamgan district of Afghanistan's northern Badakhshan province over the past one week, district governor Matihullah Samim said Thursday. According to the official, all the victims under five years old have lost their lives due to spread of respiratory disease in parts of Yamgan district especially in Wishangan area over the past one week and more than two dozen others have been hospitalized. Nushin, the deputy for provincial health department in provincial capital Faizabad, has confirmed the death of five children, saying a team of doctors had been sent to the area to inspect if the reason for the death of children is respiratory disease. Nat'l Prayer Breakfast speaker tells audience including Trump, Pelosi: Jesus said love your enemies Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In an address delivered at the 68th National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., conservative author Arthur Brooks encouraged biblical love amid a nationwide crisis of contempt and polarization, reminding attendees that Jesus ordered His followers to love and not just tolerate their enemies. Opening his speech, Brooks, a professor of public leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and senior fellow at the Harvard Business School, described himself as a follower of Jesus. [The same Jesus] who taught us to love God and taught us to love each other, he added. Today, Im here to talk to you about the biggest crisis facing our nation and many other nations today: Its the crisis of contempt and polarization thats tearing our societies apart. In this crisis resides the greatest opportunity we have ever had as people of faith to lift our nations up and to bring our people together, Brooks declared. When it comes to an old problem like contempt and polarization, Its important to think differently to achieve a new and effective solution, he said. The author of 11 books turned to the words of Jesus, societys greatest entrepreneur and thinker, from Matthew 5: You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Such words are as subversive and counterintuitive today as they were 2,000 years ago, Brooks said. But to apply these words to todays polarized society, we need to make the problem personal, he contended. The speaker revealed that his own parents, devout Christians, are politicly liberal, starkly contrasting his own politically conservative beliefs. I want it to be personal to you on this day, the Love Your Enemies author said. Let me ask you this: How many of you love somebody with whom you disagree politically? Are you comfortable hearing someone insult that person that you love? Make it personal, my friends. Moral courage, he said, isnt standing up to those with whom you disagree. Rather, its standing up to those with whom you agree on behalf of those with whom you disagree. When it comes to marriage, contempt kills, he pointed out, adding, Contempt is ripping our country apart. Were like a couple on the rocks in this country. Dont believe it? Turn on prime time TV ... its tearing our society apart. How do we break the habit of contempt? Some people say we need more civility and tolerance. I say, nonsense. Why? Because civility and tolerance are a low standard, he said. Jesus didnt say, tolerate your enemies. He said, love your enemies. Answer hatred with love. Brooks gave audiences three pieces of homework: First, ask God to give you the strength to do this hard thing, to go against your human nature, to follow Jesus teaching. You believe Jesus' teaching, act like it, he implored the audience. Ask God to take political contempt from your heart. Sometimes, when its just too hard, ask God to help you fake it. Second, Brooks encouraged attendees to make a commitment to somebody else to reject contempt. Of course youre going to disagree ... thats what makes America great, its the competition of ideas, he said. But do it without contempt. Ask somebody to hold you accountable. Finally, he advised his audience to go out looking for contempt. Its your opportunity for moral perfection, Brooks explained. Why? Because when people treat you with hatred and you answer with love, you change the country. Its like being a missionary. This is your opportunity to show people what leadership is all about. Run toward the darkness, bring your light. When you leave this National Prayer Breakfast today, youll be back in a world with a lot of contempt. See it as your opportunity, he added. Brooks advised listeners to imagine a sign above the door reading. You are Now Entering Mission Territory. If you see the world, if we see the world outside the room as mission territory, we might just mark this day as the point at which our national healing begins, he concluded. President Donald Trump also spoke at Thursdays event, which was also attended by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who led the Democratic House members' partisan impeachment charge against the Republican president. Ahead of Brooks speech, Gospel artist Cece Winans sang Peace from God. She quoted Philippians 4:7: And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Wavemaker, the media, content, and technology agency from GroupM has won media duties for Supr Daily. Supr Daily is a daily grocery delivery platform that provides customers a convenient, simple & reliable solution to access fresh groceries, every day. With no minimum order and the ability to order by 11 pm for delivery by 7 am the next morning, Supr Daily aims to revolutionise the way India shops for groceries, ensuring that its customers not only buy fresh, but eat fresh too. Excited about the win, Kishan Kumar M S, Vice President, Wavemaker India said, Working with young, creative and ambitious brands like Supr Daily is a great opportunity for us. During the pitch process, the team has been extremely precise and clear in their expectations. We are really excited about this journey; we are keen to "Be Supr Daily" and thereby use this opportunity to build a successful long-term partnership. Commenting on the appointment, Shreyas Nagdawane, Founder, Supr Daily said, As a market leader in an emerging new category, it was important for us to pick a partner with the right balance of buying expertise and agility to build our new brand identity. We look forward to running innovative experiments across different media avenues and formats with Wavemaker in the near future. As part of the media mandate, Wavemaker will handle all offline media duties for Supr Daily. HOUSTON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Credit Appraisals features Robert Snow of Morgan Stanley NMLS#: 1282440 as a financial industry expert after conducting more than 100 hours of research, countless debates, and deep analysis of customer satisfaction and organizational information. Executives are evaluated based on the position they hold, the decision-making power associated with that position, their experience in the financial industry, their organization's industry significance, and more, according to Credit Appraisals. Robert Snow Morgan Stanley Rob Snow Morgan Stanley With over 20 years of experience in the financial industry, Robert Snow focuses on helping his clients become financially proactive and achieve the best life possible with the money they have. While also offering them safe and effective ways to grow their money. "Being featured among the outstanding leaders of so many innovative companies is incredibly rewarding to me," says Robert Snow, Certified Financial Planner Professional with Morgan Stanley based in Houston, Texas. "My approach to investing is based on a time-tested way of doing business. I offer my clients sound investment counsel based on our research, intellect and hard work. Whether you are beginning a relationship with our firm or broadening an existing one, I think you'll see that I offer unique advantages to you as an investor." The CFP mark identifies an individual who has met the rigorous training and ethical requirements of the CFP Board, has successfully completed financial planning coursework and has passed the CFP Certification Examination covering the following areas: the financial planning process, risk management, investments, tax planning and management, retirement and employee benefits, and estate planning. CFP professionals also agree to meet ongoing continuing education requirements and to uphold CFP Board's Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility, Rules of Conduct and Financial Planning Practice Standards. For over two decades, Robert Snow has continued to implement a disciplined investment process while serving as a financial resource for high net worth individuals. Throughout his 20+ years in the financial industry, Robert Snow has navigated his way through major shifts in the markets. In his career as a leading financial executive, Robert Snow has perfected the proven success systems to help his clients achieve their best life. About Credit Appraisals With nearly a decade of experience working in the financial industry, we have reviewed more than 300 executives with expertise in finance. Our focus is executive leadership in a number of financial industries including mortgage professionals, real estate investors, brokerage firms, hedge fund managers. Credit Appraisals frequently contributes to several of the more renowned financial websites available on the web such as AOL Finance, Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine, and many more. Contact: Zak Gaines 856-535-6313 [email protected] SOURCE Credit Appraisals The Great Pyramid is a defining symbol and landmark in Egypt. It is the oldest and largest pyramid in the Giza pyramid complex located in the Giza Plateau near Cairo. The other two pyramids are the Pyramid of Khafre and the Pyramid of Menkaure. Although the Great Pyramid has been excavated and studied for years, the purpose of its construction is still a subject of debate. Below are some of the facts about this human-made wonder in Egypt. The Pyramids of Giza were one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World. They are now considered an honorary candidate of the New Seven Wonders, which were announced in 2007. 1. It was constructed during the reign of King Khufu The Great Pyramid. Image credit: Mirko Kuzmanovic/Shutterstock The pyramid was constructed during the reign of King Khufu (2589-2566 BCE). He was the second king of the fourth dynasty of Egyptian kings. Shortly after coming to power, it is believed that Khufu set out to build his grand tomb in which he would be buried, which lives on today as the Great Pyramid. He also constructed other pyramids for his queens nearby. The pyramid is an impressive sight, but it would have been even more so after it was first finished. The stones we now see exposed would have been covered with smooth casing stones, giving the structure the shape of a true pyramid with flat sides. 2. The other two pyramids are for Khufus son and grandson In order from left: the Pyramid of Menkaure, Khafre and Khufu, with the queens' pyramids in the foreground. Image credit: WitR/Shutterstock The Great Pyramid is just one of the three major pyramids in Giza. The second-oldest one is the Pyramid of Khafre which was built as a tomb for Khafre, Khufus son. It is the second-tallest pyramid in Giza. Khafre ascended to the throne after the short-lived reign of Redjedef, who was likely his older brother and was Khufus successor. He reigned from approximately 2558 to 2532 BCE, but the exact timeline has never been established. The third and the smallest pyramid is the Pyramid of Menkaure, Khafres son. It is not totally clear, but he most likely succeeded his father as king and reigned for 18 or 28 years. It was unfinished at his death, but his successor Shepseskaf had the mortuary temple finished. Important sculptures were found in the tomb. 3. It was built over 20 years The Great Pyramid of Giza. Image credit: Danita Delimont/Shutterstock It took about 20 years for the Great Pyramid to be completed. The Greek historian Herodotus posited that the work required 100,000 laborers who were divided into five clans of 20,000 men each. However, recent evidence shows that the work required a workforce of 14,500-40,000 men. There is considerable debate about how the pyramids were constructed and whether the laborers were slaves or skilled workers, as well as how many of them were needed for construction. One thing that appears to have been settled in recent years is the fact that the laborers were most likely paid, skilled workers. 4. It may have been for a different purpose other than a tomb sarcophagus of an important Egyptian woman. Image credit: Jokossita/Shutterstock Although it is widely believed that this landmark was constructed as the final resting place for the king after death, some scholars argue that it was not a tomb as no mummies or graves have ever been found there. Studies are still ongoing to determine the exact use of the pyramid. 5. It was the tallest human-made structure for 3,800 years Vintage engraved illustration of the interior of the Great Pyramid. Image credit: Morphart Creation/Shutterstock The pyramid was the tallest structure made by humans for a record 3,800 years until the completion of the Lincoln Cathedral (England) in 1300 CE, which is 520 feet tall (160 m). The pyramid is 479 feet (146 m) tall and has a base of 754 feet (230 m) on each side. However, other scholars point to Eiffel Tower completed in 1889 as the structure that first surpassed the pyramid, measuring in at 1,063 feet (324 m). 6. The Pyramid is surrounded by several other structures Bird's eye view of the Pyramids of Giza. Image credit: PremiumStock/Shutterstock The pyramid is surrounded by several structures, including smaller pyramids. The tomb of Khufus mother, Queen Hetepheres is also nearby. The pyramid is also surrounded by mastabas where the kings officials and relatives were buried to accompany and support the king in the afterlife. Three smaller pyramids for Khufus wives were built next to the Great Pyramid. 7. Over 2 million stone blocks were used in the construction Main entrance to the Great Pyramid. Image credit: Globepouncing/Shutterstock The Egyptian monument comprises up to 2.5 million blocks of stones, some of which are massive, especially the pink granite in the Kings Chamber, a room near the top of the pyramid that houses a red granite sarcophagus. The stones for this chamber weighed between 25 and 80 tonnes and were brought roughly 500 miles (800 km) to the site of the pyramids. Estimates for the quantity of materials used are 5 million tonnes of limestone and 8,000 tonnes of granite. The method used to transport and place the blocks is yet another source of debate among experts. The stones were most likely dragged across the sand and lifted using a rope system, or pushed on ramps that were lubricated with water to prevent friction. To bring the stones to the site of construction, they were carried by boats on the Nile and possibly pushed across the desert with a machine invented for this purpose. 8. Sir William Flinders Petrie was the first person to excavate the pyramid An archaeologist working in the field. Image credit: Openfinal/Shutterstock Sir William Mathew Flinders Petrie was the first person to use modern techniques and scientific analysis to excavate the pyramid. The British archaeologist first excavated the pyramid in 1880, setting the standard for archaeological operations in Egypt, particularly Giza. He created a sequence-dating method that has since been used to help reconstruct history from ancient remains like the pyramid. He was knighted in 1923 for his work on Egypt, which spanned half a century of his life. 9. The Great Pyramid has three known chambers Inside the Great Pyramid are corridors and chambers. Image credit: hlopex/Shutterstock The pyramid has three known chambers, as well as a high-ceilinged hallway: the Grand Gallery, the Queens Chamber, the Kings Chamber and an unfinished subterranean chamber. The unfinished chamber was cut into bedrock, while the Kings and Queens chambers are higher up within the structure. Joining the two is the Grand Gallery, and all the rooms have airshafts, but, as is common with anything related to the Pyramids of Giza, experts debate whether these tunnels were in fact for air circulation, or rather for ritualistic purposes relating to the ascension of the kings spirit to the heavens. Experts agree that the Queens Chamber was not actually intended to be a burial site for the queen, despite the name of the chamber. Some curious objects were found in the chamber, the only objects found in the entire pyramid: a granite sphere and a copper hook. Because of this, some experts believe this chamber was meant to house Khufus funerary objects. When Petrie excavated the pyramid, the only object found in the Kings Chamber was the red granite sarcophagus, which was empty and damaged at one corner. It was also hastily finished and less ornate which was unusual for a kings sarcophagus at that time, so experts believe that the original sarcophagus was broken or lost and this one was quickly made to replace it. Because the sarcophagus is slightly larger than the hallway leading to the chamber, it is known that it was placed there during the construction of the pyramid before the chambers ceiling was added. 10. The Pyramid was looted Winged scarab of Tutankhamun. Image credit: Jean-Pierre Dalbera The Great Pyramid was looted long before Petries arrival to the scene. In fact, looting was commonplace in Ancient Egypt, out of revenge, during economic hardship, or by the deceaseds own relatives. Kings were considered to be an incarnation of the god Horus, and so the descendants of dead kings perceived the objects of the tombs as their own, and so did not think twice about recovering them. WASHINGTON - The impeachment of President Donald Trump is over, but its far from case closed on Ukraine. A full accounting of Trumps dealings with Ukraine, stemming in large part from the foreign policy entanglements pursued by personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, remains unfinished despite Trumps acquittal Wednesday in the Senate. As the president launches into his reelection campaign, pushing past the charges that threatened his legacy, its only a matter of time before fresh details, documents and eyewitnesses emerge, including revelations in a new book from John Bolton, the former national security adviser. The result could be the start of a prolonged investigation with no clear endpoint, keeping questions about the presidents conduct alive through the election in November. Its the kind of prolonged fallout that Trump and his GOP allies sought to avoid as they rejected a lengthy impeachment trial. More is going to come out every day, indeed it has come out every day and every week, said House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff in an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press. Schiff, the Houses lead impeachment manager, said that no final decisions have been made on whether to subpoena Bolton in the House after the Senate voted not to hear his testimony. The presidents basic lack of character, his willingness to cheat in the election hes not going to stop, Schiff said. Its not going to change, which means that we are going to have to remain eternally vigilant. Bolton, who was in the room as Trump made key decisions, will be telling his story soon, possibly in testimony, if House leaders decide to subpoena him, or in a book that is scheduled for release in March. And its not just Bolton. Giuliani associate Lev Parnas, a Florida businessman who claims to have been working for Trump on Ukraine, has said he is eager to testify before Congress and tell his side of the story. Indicted on campaign finance charges last year, he has been providing documents and messages to impeachment investigators. Meanwhile, thousands of pages of Ukraine-related documents are slowly emerging in response to Freedom of Information Act lawsuits filed by watchdog groups. The Justice Department disclosed in a court filing last weekend that it has 24 emails related to Ukraine that it has not produced. Rep. Eliot Engel, the House Foreign Affairs chairman, said the Ukraine story is definitely not over. His committee was one of several that worked on the impeachment inquiry. I can tell you were not going to let the issue drop, Engel said. I think there are a lot of unanswered questions that the American public deserves to know. Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, a member of the intelligence panel, said the House will need to be more vigorous than ever for abuses of power as Trump is likely to be emboldened by his acquittal. Even if the president continues his obstruction, the facts will come out, he said. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell acknowledged in the minutes after the vote that the investigations will go on, adding thats sort of what Congress does. But Republicans said its time for Congress to move on. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and one of Trumps fiercest GOP defenders, said the the cloud over the presidency has been removed. But at the same time, he announced that his own committee would continue to investigate Hunter Biden, the son of former Vice-President Joe Biden who was the target of Trumps Ukraine push. The will-he-or-wont-he saga of Boltons testimony has been running since October, when he was invited to testify voluntarily in the Houses impeachment inquiry and declined to show up. Democrats opted against a subpoena as Boltons attorney threatened time-consuming litigation. In January, after the House voted to impeach Trump, Bolton made a surprise announcement that he would testify in the Senate trial if called. Since then, House Democrats have pushed off questions about whether they would try again. Schiff said that Democrats would canvas as a caucus and our leadership to discuss next steps on Bolton. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., was less cautious, saying it was likely Bolton would be subpoenaed by the House. If House Democrats do subpoena Bolton, its unclear how he will respond. His lawyer, Chuck Cooper, did not immediately return an email message seeking comment Wednesday. Beyond Ukraine, Democrats are expected to revive investigations that they were conducting before Congress in September was first alerted to Trumps overtures to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. They will likely continue their push to obtain Trumps taxes, look into his financial dealings and examine his most controversial policies, including child separation at the border. They are also expected to continue to push for legislation passed by the House that would attempt to combat foreign interference in elections, using Trumps efforts in Ukraine as a touchstone. Were going to spend a lot of time focusing on election security, said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in an interview with the AP on Wednesday. Its clear that Trump would intervene in elections, and its clear to many of us that he would not be chastened. Democrats could also look for other ways to constrain the president. The House could try and curtail dollars for certain programs, and though the process is long, continue to fight for witnesses in court. Democrats sued former White House counsel Don McGahn last year after he refused to testify before the Judiciary panel on special counsel Robert Muellers report, and that case is ongoing. In effect, hes said hes above the law. What guardrails are there? asked Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. One is the power of the purse. Another is to continue to go to court. Yet Democrats concede that defeating Trump in November is their shot at achieving what impeachment could not. This is a president who is now completely unleashed, and its going to be very difficult to hold him accountable, said Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen. Between now and then you are going to see a steady drip, drip of documents that will shed a light on the presidents abuse of power. ___ Associated Press writers Eric Tucker, Alan Fram and Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. WASHINGTON When President Bill Clinton walked into the Rose Garden more than two decades ago, having avoided removal from office in the nation's previous impeachment saga, one of his first words was "sorry." He followed that with the word "humbled." Now that the Senate has fulfilled its constitutional responsibility bringing this process to a conclusion, I want to say again to the American people how profoundly sorry I am for what I said and did, Clinton said, reading from prepared remarks. President Donald Trump's scorched-earth reaction after his impeachment acquittal contrasted starkly. Trump used an East Room address Thursday to attack Democrats and others he views as enemies. Calling them "scum" and "evil," Trump said his opponents supported a "corrupt" impeachment to bring down his presidency. "We went through hell unfairly," Trump said in a 63-minute speech, much of which was freewheeling. "They kept it going forever because they wanted to inflict political pain on somebody that had just won an election." Trump's remarks, a day after the Senate voted mostly along party lines to acquit him of charges that he abused his power and obstructed a congressional investigation, were in keeping with the president's pugilistic approach. They departed from the remarks of past presidents who found themselves under siege. Patience and Twitter tactics: How Trump, McConnell kept GOP in line Clinton's remarks lasted less than two minutes. Trump appeared to be speaking off the cuff. Clinton apologized to the nation for what he "said and did to trigger these events and the great burden they have imposed on the Congress and on the American people." Trump apologized to his family for having to endure a "phony, rotten deal by some very evil and sick people." He repeated his assertion that he did nothing wrong and that his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last July was "good." Story continues Mitt Romney: Trump slams Utah senator in speech after impeachment acquittal House Democrats voted to impeach the president in December over allegations that he withheld nearly $400 million in foreign aid to Ukraine to pressure the country to announce an investigation against Democratic rival Joe Biden. Several Senate Republicans said they believed what the president did was "wrong," but it did not warrant removing him from office. Clinton, who was in his second term during his impeachment, said he hoped the end of the controversy would bring the nation back together. I hope all Americans here in Washington and throughout our land will rededicate ourselves to the work of serving our nation and building our future together, he said. This can be and this must be a time of reconciliation and renewal for America. President Donald Trump declares his Democratic opponents "evil" for putting him through impeachment Feb. 6 in the East Room of the White House. As Clinton walked back to the Oval Office, a reporter shouted, "In your heart, sir, can you forgive and forget?" Clinton responded, "I believe any person who asks for forgiveness has to be prepared to give it." Clinton did not respond to another question: whether he felt vindicated. Praise for Romney: Hillary Clinton says Romney's impeachment stand was 'extraordinary' When President Richard Nixon resigned from office in 1974 rather than face impeachment, he delivered his farewell speech in the East Room, the same place Trump used Thursday. He told people they should not be bitter over what happened. "Always give your best. Never get discouraged. Never be petty. Always remember others may hate you, but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them," Nixon told his staff Aug. 9, 1974. "And then you destroy yourself." He called for unity. "As we look to the future, the first essential is to begin healing the wounds of this nation, to put the bitterness and divisions of the recent past behind us and to rediscover those shared ideals that lie at the heart of our strength and unity as a great and as a free people," he said. President Bill Clinton reads a statement expressing contrition after being acquitted in the Senate on Feb. 12, 1999. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Donald Trump, Bill Clinton: Impeachment reactions starkly different Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 22:11:07|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIRUT, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdel Karim Ali slammed on Thursday the League of Arab States' decision to freeze the membership of Syria, local media reported. "Syria is one of the main founders of the Arab League and the country is a great asset for its leadership and role, and the martyrs that it has offered. When the Arab League reconsiders its decision, Syria and every country that cares for the Arab dignity will be content about it," Ali was quoted as saying by Elnashra, an online independent newspaper. Ali added that Syria welcomes all initiatives by Arab countries on condition that they take into account the sacrifices that Syria has offered in the past yeats. He said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has served the interests of the whole world by combatting terrorism. The Arab League passed a decree on Nov. 12, 2011 that suspends Syria's membership. The Arab League said it froze Syria's membership because its government failed to stop violence against civilian protesters back in 2011. The Republican Party of Armenia strictly condemns the draft Amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, initiated by the authorities. Authoritarian populists, having found themselves at the helm of power, abusing the trust and expectations of the people, wish to terminate office of the Chairperson and members of the Constitutional Court appointed prior to entry into effect of Chapter 7 of the Constitution, by amending the transitional provisions of the Constitution. We deem it necessary to highlight that a transitional provision of any legal act, as a matter of principle, is endowed with a particular mission: following its entry into effect the said mission is accomplished and therefore it may no longer be amended. This amendment contravenes logic, is unlawful and unconstitutional, through it an attempt is made to terminate the powers of the members of the Constitutional Court who were appointed under the Constitution in existence prior to 2015. This adventurous process runs against Clause 2 Article 168, as well as Part 2 Article 169 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. The proposed regulations constitute an attempt by the executive and legislative branches of power to isolate and capture the Court, as a result the Constitutional Court shall be divested of exercising its constitutional powers, while the court to be formed in the event of a positive outcome of the referendum shall exclusively comprise representatives loyal to those in power. The draft under discussion is in direct contradiction to the principle of the rule of law, supremacy of the right, and principles of democracy. Neglecting calls by PACE, it has not been submitted ex ante for an expert assessment by relevant international bodies, an unprecedented occurrence in the entire history of newly independent Armenia. In view of the dangers and consequences that this adventurous enterprise poses for Armenian statehood, the Republican Party of Armenia: Acknowledges that the entire responsibility for the process thus initiated is borne by Nikol Pashinyan, as well as all persons involved in this, yet another, act of state capture; Is willing to launch urgent, intensive and broad discussions with all civic and political structures concerned with preventing the consequences of the hazard looming over our state; Pleads with diplomatic missions and international structures accredited to Armenia to react to this outrageous process of amending the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia through unconstitutional means; Alerts that such actions deliver a blow to the countrys international reputation and weaken Armenias positions in strategic and security matters, including the processes around the issue of Artsakh. Nightclub identity John Ibrahim and his model girlfriend Sarah Budge have appeared locked in tense conversation in a rare public sighting since she was cleared of gun possession charges. Ms Budge clutched her $4,000 Celine handbag and sported Chanel espadrilles as the pair spoke on the pavement in Sydney's Potts Point. Her boyfriend meanwhile kept it casual in a pair of blue denim jeans and a grey T-shirt during their outing on Wednesday afternoon. Nightclub identity John Ibrahim and his model girlfriend Sarah Budge appeared in a serious mood in a rare public sighting since she was cleared of gun possession charges in September Ms Budge clutched her $4,000 Celine handbag while her boyfriend kept it casual in a pair of blue denim jeans and a grey T-shirt Mr Ibrahim looked pensive as he leaned against a street post during their outing on Wednesday afternoon It follows Mr Ibrahim being seen smiling last month as he went for a cosy brunch with Tegan Kynaston, the troubled girlfriend of KIIS radio host Kyle Sandilands. Kynaston, 34, pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer in Bondi last month after a blazing row with her older boyfriend, 48. The court heard she had taken three grams of cocaine before slapping the woman across the face. Mr Ibrahim's own girlfriend was cleared of charges of gun possession in September last year after police allegedly found an unauthorised Glock 26 pistol in her bedroom during raids in August 2017. Mr Ibrahim was not linked to the charge. She was found not guilty of all charges after jurors found that prosecutors could not prove Ms Budge had knowledge that the weapon, or the ammunition, was in her possession. But the trial exposed brutal texts between the couple and details of their strained relationship. Ms Budge's lawyer Simon Buchen SC even told the jury Mr Ibrahim had often treated his girlfriend 'with contempt'. Responding to a text from Ms Budge asking why she hadn't heard from him, Mr Ibrahim told her 'not answering means I don't want to talk to you.' The court heard the pair's relationship had been tumultuous, but Ms Budge had been forthright in telling her famous lover she wanted to start a family with him. Mr Ibrahim was not linked to the charge but the trial exposed brutal texts between the couple (pictured) and details of their strained relationship The fact his name was saved on her phone as 'Sexy John' was also revealed. The trial had been pushed back earlier in 2019 after the model's mother fell ill and was in palliative care. NSW District Court Judge Helen Syme ruled in February there was 'no way' a fair trial could be held in those circumstances. The court heard the pair's relationship had been tumultuous, but Ms Budge had been forthright in telling her famous lover she wanted to start a family with him 'The position of her mother puts her in a position where she is required to assist her mother in her last days,' the judge said. 'She is not in a position to properly instruct her counsel in this trial. I accept that.' Her mother died in March after a battle with cancer. South Korea's Kia Motors is discussing with Tamil Nadu the possibility of moving a $1.1 billion plant out of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh only months after it fully opened, due to policy changes last year, sources close to the talks told Reuters. Kia inaugurated the Andhra plant, its first in the world's fifth-largest car market, in December after two years of construction. It has an annual capacity of some 300,000 units and created 12,000 direct and indirect jobs. However, Kia is now in talks with the nearby state of Tamil Nadu, home to many major auto parts suppliers, about potentially relocating the plant, a senior state government official and a second source familiar with the discussions said. "(Kia) are facing problems (in Andhra Pradesh), they have been in preliminary negotiations with us ... There is a secretary-level meeting next week, we might have more clarity then," the official told Reuters on Wednesday. Kia said in a statement it has a long-term commitment to the Indian market and it aims to utilise the full capacity of its Andhra plant "before considering further expansion". "We do not have any plans to shift the manufacturing facility from the current location," it said, without commenting on any policy concerns or talks with Tamil Nadu, which are at an early stage. Kia is being represented in the talks by executives at its sister company Hyundai Motor Co, which is India's second-largest automaker and has all its car production facilities in Tamil Nadu, the state official added. Hyundai did not respond to a request for comment. The Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh chief minister's offices did not respond to requests for comment. Kia has been troubled by a new Andhra state law on local hiring and by the new state government wanting to review the incentives given out by the previous administration to encourage the company to set up the plant, the second source and a third person with knowledge of the discussions said. Moving the plant to Tamil Nadu could also help Kia in reducing logistics costs as it would bring it closer to some of its parts suppliers, the second source added. It was not immediately clear how swiftly Kia could move production lines from a plant in one state to another, or what sort of disruption that would entail. The sources declined to be named as the talks are private. State Policy Changes Kia started building the new plant in 2017 and formally inaugurated it in December when it said the 23 million square foot facility would manufacture vehicles like its Seltos SUV for both the Indian and overseas markets. It said the facility would "become a vital part" of its global production network in the long term. But considering relocation within months of the inauguration highlights the challenges foreign investors face while dealing with policy changes at the federal or state level in India. Kia was caught off guard in July after the new state government in Andhra mandated companies to reserve 75 percent of all jobs for locals from the state, making it much harder for the company to find suitable employees, two of the sources said. Kia has also been unnerved by the new state government's bid to review certain financial incentives such as breaks on electricity tax and deferred land payments given to the company by the previous administration, one of the sources said. After taking control of Andhra in 2019, a new government has decided to review agreements signed with several companies, including from the renewable energy sector, sparking concerns among foreign investors around the sanctity of contracts in India. The Japanese ambassador to India, given Japanese companies interest in the region, told Andhra Pradesh not to renegotiate renewables contracts as it would hit business sentiment in the region, an August 7 letter seen by Reuters showed. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's federal government is separately working on a foreign investor protection law to safeguard against policy changes, Reuters has reported. "This is a problem for all companies including Kia ... the cost of moving the plant would be too high and would set the company back by about two years and they have made huge investments," said one of the sources aware of Kia's concerns. Bernard Madoff has asked for a compassionate release from his 150-year prison sentence for fraud, saying he has terminal kidney failure and less than 18 months to live. Madoffs attorney filed court papers saying the 81-year-old has end-stage kidney disease and other chronic, serious medical conditions, including hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Theres no cure for my type of disease, Madoff told The Washington Post in a phone interview, expressing remorse for orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history. After spending more than a decade behind bars, Madoff said his dying wish is to salvage his relationships with his grandchildren. Ive served 11 years already and, quite frankly, Ive suffered through it, he said. The US Attorneys Office in Manhattan declined to comment. Prosecutors are expected to file a motion in response to the request in the coming days. Madoff pleaded guilty in 2009 to 11 federal counts in a fraudulent investment scheme involving billions of dollars, admitting he swindled thousands of clients over decades. The rich and famous were among his victims, as well as people of lesser means who had invested with him unknowingly through feeder funds. The new court filings say Madoff was admitted in July to the palliative care unit of the federal prison in Butner, North Carolina. Madoffs health has and will continue to deteriorate, and he will require more assistance physically and medically leading up to his death, attorney Brandon Sample wrote. A so-called compassionate release would allow Madoff to receive end-of-life care in the community, which would be more efficient, timely, and less burdensome on the US Bureau of Prisons, Mr Sample wrote. The Bureau of Prisons denied Madoffs request for release in December, according to court papers, saying it would minimise the severity of his offence. Story continues Former Worldcom CEO Bernard Ebbers was released from prison in 2019 due to his deteriorating health (Louis Lanzano/AP) The agency lists Madoffs release date as November 14, 2139. Madoffs motion mentions Scotlands controversial release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, who was convicted in 2001 of blowing up Pan Am Flight 103 over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988, killing 270 people. Al-Megrahi was freed in 2009 on compassionate grounds and died of cancer in 2012, still protesting his innocence. The motion also cites the more recent case of Bernard Ebbers, a 78-year-old executive sentenced to 25 years in prison in one of the largest corporate accounting scandals in US history. A federal judge in Manhattan ordered the former WorldCom chief released due to his deteriorating health, saying he posed no risk to society. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday trained his guns at former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, saying that the partition resulted as "someone had to become prime minister". He added that for this reason a line was drawn and India partitioned. PM Modi while replying in Lok Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the President`s address spoke about the partition of India while outlining the oppression being faced by 'Hindus, Sikhs and other minority' segments in Pakistan. Live TV Recalling the Nehru-Liaquat pact signed in 1950, PM Modi said that it was to protect religious minorities in Pakistan from discrimination. "Why did a secular and visionary leader like Nehru use the term 'religious minorities' and not all minorities?" The Prime Minister in his speech referred to the thought process of the previous governments which were on the same lines. He quoted the first Nehru who favoured amending the law, if required, to ensure that minority refugees from neighbouring countries be granted protection by India. Reiterating on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), PM Modi yet again clarified that the law "will not impact any Indian practicing any faith". "I want to clearly state- with the CAA coming, there will be no impact on any citizen of India, practising any faith," asserted PM Modi. "Much has been said about CAA, ironically by those who love getting photographed with the group of people who want Tukde Tukde of India," he added. Taking a jibe at the Congress he asked that a party which speaks about secularism not remember 1984 and the anti-Sikh violence. "Does a party that keeps talking about secularism not remember 1984 and the anti-Sikh violence. It was shameful. In addition, they did not make efforts to punish the guilty. A person who was associated with the violence has been rewarded as Chief Minister of a state by them," said the PM. He added, "Those who have been removed from office by the people of India are now doing the unthinkable. They see citizens on the basis of their faith. We are different. We see everyone as an Indian." PM Modi took a jibe at the Opposition saying that those talking about respect for the Constitution never implemented it in Jammu and Kashmir. "Those who are talking about respect for the Constitution never even implemented it in Jammu and Kashmir for so many decades. Who made Kashmir only about land grabbing? Who made Kashmir's identity only about bombs and guns? Can anyone forget that dark night of January? In reality, Kashmiri identity is closely linked with harmony." He added, "Who brought Emergency? Who trampled over Judiciary? Who has brought the most amendments to the Constitution? Who imposed Article 356 the most? Those who did the above need to get a deeper knowledge of our Constitution." Speaking on infrastructure, PM Modi said, "We are moving ahead with an infrastructure project of 100 lakh crore in the coming days. Development of infrastructure promotes the economy and employment. Among the things that will drive India's progress is next-generation infrastructure. In the earlier days, infrastructure creation brought "economic opportunities" for a select few. Not any more. We have made this sector transparent and are working to boost connectivity." "Stand up India, Startup India, Mudra; they are adding prosperity in the lives of many. A substantial number of Mudra beneficiaries are women. We are working on labour reforms and that too after consulting the labour unions," added the PM. Weatherwise this morning, its a tale of two Connecticuts. A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect until 10 a.m. for most of the state. The National Weather Service says freezing rain and some sleet is likely in the northern half of Connecticut where temperatures are below freezing. The highest ice and sleet accumulations are expected across far northern portions of interior southwest Connecticut, mainly around and north of I-84, the NWS says. Widespread precipitation has overspread the region with the majority of the area seeing plain rain. However, departing high pressure to the northeast has kept enough cold air in place to keep temperatures just below freezing across parts of the interior, the NWS says. This setup is supporting freezing rain across parts of Connecticut andthe Lower Hudson Valley. Just after 5 a.m., temperatures were 32 in New Milford, Oxford, Farmington and Canton; 30 in Torrington, Litchfield and Harwinton; and 28 degrees in Norfolk. Slippery road conditions have delayed the start of some northern Connecticut school districts. Two hour delays were announced for such schools in Torrington, Litchfield, Winchester and Regional School Districts 1, 6, 10, 12 and 14. For the updated school delay list, click here. In southern Connecticut, temperatures remain above freezing with no slippery roads reported. Temperatures ranged from 35 in Danbury to 39 degrees in New Haven. Just to be safe, several state Department of Transportation trucks - loaded with salt - where seen on the Merritt Parkway and I-95. Temperatures are expected to increase later Thursday and peaking at around 38 degrees at 1 p.m. Tranquil weather returns for the weekend, with high pressure building in and moving overhead by Saturday night, then pushing off into the New England coast by Sunday. This will allow a cold front to approach from the west on Mondy, which will affect the region through mid-week next week. The forecast Thursday: Rain or freezing rain, becoming all rain after 7 a.m. High near 39. Wind chill values between 25 and 35. East wind 5 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New ice accumulation of less than a 0.1 of an inch possible. Thursday Night: Rain. Low around 37. Northeast wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100 percent. New precipitation amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible. Friday: Rain before 3 p.m., then a chance of rain and snow. Temperature rising to near 42 by 10 a.m., then falling to around 36 during the remainder of the day. Wind chill values between 25 and 35. Breezy, with a southeast wind 9 to 14 mph becoming west 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 38 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. Little or no snow accumulation expected. Friday Night: A 20 percent chance of snow before midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. West wind 11 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 36 mph. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 31. Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19. Sunday: Partly sunny, with a high near 36. Sunday Night: A chance of snow before 1am, then a chance of rain and snow between 1 and 3 a.m., then a chance of rain after 3 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 29. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. Death toll from coronavirus in mainland China crossed 560 as experts intensified efforts to find a vaccine for a disease that has shut down Chinese cities and forced thousands more into quarantine around the world Here are the latest developments: **The death toll in mainland China rose to 563 on Thursday, up by a record 70 from the previous day, the National Health Commission said. **The total number of infections in China rose by 3,694 on Thursday to 28,018. **Nearly 260 cases have been reported in 31 other countries and regions outside mainland China, according to a Reuters tally based on official statements from the authorities involved. **There have been two deaths outside mainland China, in Hong Kong and the Philippines. **Ten more people on a quarantined cruise liner in the port of Yokohama south of Tokyo have tested positive for coronavirus. **In the United States, another 350 American evacuees from Wuhan were placed under quarantine at two military bases in California. **In Hong Kong, 3,600 passengers and crew were confined to their ship docked in the city for tests after three people on board had tested positive earlier. **Asian stocks edged up a day after U.S. S&P 500 hit a record peak following encouraging economic data, while investors keep a wary eye on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. [MKTS/GLOB] **The hit to Australias economy from a viral epidemic spreading from China is likely to be significant, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said. **Hundreds of experts will meet in Geneva next week to set research and development priorities for coronavirus drugs, diagnostics and vaccines to combat the outbreak, the World Health Organization said. **Taiwan said it would suspend entry for all Chinese citizens who live in mainland China from Thursday. **White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said the epidemic would delay a surge in U.S. exports to China expected from the Phase 1 trade deal set to take effect later this month. **American Airlines Group and United Airlines said they would suspend flights to and from Hong Kong after this week. **Several countries including Australia and New Zealand continued to evacuate citizens from Wuhan city. **Schools in Chinas financial hub of Shanghai will remain shut until at least the end of February, authorities said. Search Keywords: Short link: STOCKHOLM, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- RhoVac AB ("RhoVac") announces today, 6th February 2020, the appointment of a leading oncology expert to its Scientific Advisory Board with the addition of Anne J. Ridley, PhD, Professor of Cell Biology and Head of School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, UK. Professor Ridley will serve as a strategic advisor to RhoVac as the company continues the RV001 project. Professor Ridley, PhD, joins RhoVac Scientific Advisory Board with 30 years of research experience in cancer. Her research has made major contributions to our understanding of cancer, tumour progression and inflammation through her work on cell migration and the Rho family of GTPases, of which RhoC is key to RhoVac. After being awarded with a Doctor of Philosophy degree from University of London in 1989, she proceeded her postdoctoral research at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, UK. Rrofessor Ridley was appointed research group leader at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research at University College London (UCL) from 1993 to 2007 and Professor of Cell Biology at UCL from 2003 to 2007, then at King's College London from 2010-1017. In 2017, Professor Ridley was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). In 2018 she was appointed Professor of Cell Biology at the University of Bristol and Head of School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. Comment from Professor Anne J. Ridley: "I am delighted to join the Scientific Advisory Board of RhoVac, and to contribute my expertise on Rho GTPases, particularly RhoC, to the RV001 project." Comment from Anders Mansson, CEO: "We are very happy that Professor Ridley wants to contribute RhoVac in the continued development of the RV001 project. Professor Ridley's expertise in oncology and tumour biology, along with her great knowledge on our target protein, RhoC, will be of tremendous value for our company." For further information, please contact: Anders Mansson - CEO, RhoVac AB Phone number: +46-73-751-72-78 E-mail: [email protected] This information is such that RhoVac AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, on 6th February 2020.. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/rhovac/r/rhovac-announces-appointment-of-professor-anne-j--ridley-to-its-scientific-advisory-board,c3029027 The following files are available for download: SOURCE RhoVac 'I will need a few more pictures, sir, can I get some time from you for a more extended photo shoot?' asked Singh. Modi, ever-obliging before the camera, laughed. 'Sure, but let us plan to do it after my swearing-in is over in May!' The Balakot effect was evident. A fascinating excerpt from Rajdeep Sardesai's 2019: How Modi Won India. IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi after taking the oath of office for the second time, May 30, 2019. Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI Photo Narendra Modi arrived in the national capital well past 7 pm on 14 February. It had been a long day which had begun early morning with a trip to the forests of Uttarakhand for the Discovery Channel shoot. The Pulwama attack meant the prime minister could scarcely afford to even think of his jungle adventure. A crisis meeting was already on at the national security secretariat, with Ajit Doval taking charge of the rapidly developing situation. With the general election announcement less than a month away, time was not on the side of the government. The 2016 surgical strikes had set the template: Team Modi realised it couldn't afford to sit back and wait for the situation to unravel. The first step was to ensure that the government, and not the Opposition, controlled the narrative. Before the 'intelligence failure' chorus could gather any momentum, the spirit of martyrdom was invoked. When the bodies of the 40 slain CRPF jawans reached Palam air force area the next evening, the prime minister was there to pay homage. With a thick black shawl wrapped around his shoulders, hands folded and head bowed, Modi walked slowly around each of the 40 coffins draped in the tricolour. In a time of national mourning, any talk of 'intelligence failure' seemed jarring. The prime minister also directed all his ministers and BJP MPs to attend the funerals of the jawans who had belonged to their respective states. Funeral processions were organised through the towns and villages of the martyrs. IMAGE: February 15, 2019, Prime Minister Modi pays homage to the 40 CRPF troopers killed in a terror attack in Pulwama on February 14. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo The mood was one of grief and remembrance, and slowly building up into anger and revenge. 'Is India really going to war?' a worried Pakistani journalist friend asked me. I didn't respond, but an escalating conflict appeared inevitable. Modi was pretty clear right from the outset: He would not go in for a 'soft' option. 'Previous governments may have chosen the diplomatic route, but this prime minister wanted an offensive option that would end Pakistan's 'nuclear blackmail' once and for all,' says a senior official. In 2001, when Parliament was attacked, then prime minister Vajpayee had reportedly considered an air strike on Pak-based terror camps but abandoned the idea for fear of the situation spiralling out of control. Instead, a 10-month-long deployment of armed forces along the border under Operation Parakram was the preferred choice. When terrorists struck in Mumbai in 2008, the Manmohan Singh government too had reportedly weighed the options of an air strike before eventually choosing coercive diplomacy as a more effective response. 'I do not know what the air force was telling itself but that (an air strike) is not the message the political leadership heard from the three chiefs who briefed Dr Singh's government. I heard no fear of escalation, but only a clear calculation of likely outcomes and which would be better for India,' explains Shiv Shankar Menon, former foreign secretary and national security adviser to the UPA government. IMAGE: Hours after the Balakot strike, Modi took the Delhi Metro to an event, February 26, 2019. Photograph: PTI Photo Modi though was unwavering in his belief that the 'strategic restraint' script needed to be rewritten, even if it meant taking an audacious risk before a general election. The message to Doval and the armed forces chiefs was unambiguous: there must be 'visible' action against the terror groups and their handlers embedded in the Pakistani State. The focus needed to be on the terror training camps; collateral damage to civilian and military targets was to be avoided at all costs. In effect, India's response needed to be proportionate to what Pakistan had done and within range of what the international community would view as 'reasonable' action. The inside story of the air strikes reveals careful planning and a daring yet simple strategy. Intelligence agencies reportedly chose 15 places run by different terror groups in Pakistan as potential strike targets. Three specific camps of the Jaish, the organisation widely held responsible for Pulwama, were identified: One was in Bahawalpur in Pakistan's Punjab province, the others in Sawai Nallah near Muzaffarabad in Pak occupied Kashmir and Balakot in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The Bahawalpur complex was ruled out because any strike on it might incur civilian casualties: The complex was located within a fairly densely populated area. Sawai Nallah was perhaps the easiest to hit since it was closest to the border but any attack in PoK might be seen only as yet another surgical strike. 'Given what had happened in Pulwama, we wanted to make a much bigger noise this time, one that would echo through the country and the world,' admits a government official. The Jaish camp in Balakot fit all the criteria set by the prime minister: it was located in a relatively isolated area on the crest of a ridge called Jaba Top. Spread over a sprawling six acres, the camp consisted of ten buildings conducting training activities for terrorists. The camp was run by Masood Azhar's brother-in-law Yusuf Azhar, who lived in an abandoned school complex on the campus. It was estimated that over 200 terror recruits were staying in the camp. A fresh group was to join on February 25, taking the total number to over 300, making it the ideal period to inflict maximum damage. High-resolution satellite imagery was used to determine the lay of the land. IMAGE: A week after the Balakot stroke, Modi launched a Kalashnikov rifles manufacturing facility in Amethi, March 3, 2019. Photograph: PTI Photo On February 19, Modi gave the go-ahead to the core team led by Doval. The actual strike plan was left to Air Chief Birender Singh Dhanoa to execute. 'We were always ready and waiting for this moment for a very long time,' the fighter pilot chief would later tell journalists. Operation Bandar was carried out around 3 am on February 26 under the cover of darkness by a squadron of a dozen Mirage 2000 aircraft equipped with Israeli built SPICE (Smart Precise Impact and Cost Effective) bombs and aided by a sophisticated guidance system that could hit with precision at an intended target 60 kilometres away. The Mirages were accompanied by four Sukhoi 30s to provide air cover. Two surveillance aircraft and two IL 76s were also deployed for mid-air refuelling. As the aircraft flew into Pakistani airspace, one lot flew towards Bahawalpur, misleading the Pakistan air defence system into believing that the Jaish camp in the Punjab region was the target. As Pakistani fighters scrambled to take on the Indian jets, the low-flying Mirage 2000s headed for Balakot. By the time the Pakistani radar detected them, they were already 150 kilometres away. Five bombs reportedly struck the targets, three of them hitting the buildings where the Jaish recruits were staying. The actual bombing lasted just 13 minutes, between 3.40 am and 3.53 am; by the early hours of 26 February, the jets were back in India, mission accomplished. For Modi, the 48 hours leading up to the air strikes had been business as usual. But under the calm exterior, anxiety was reportedly mounting: Modi would stay awake all night, one eye on the computer screen, the other on the phone. He had taken a big gamble, one that could make or break his prime ministerial tenure. It was only around 4 am that Modi was informed of the mission's successful completion and he could finally relax a bit. His early morning yoga routine was going to be particularly energising. This was the moment Modi had been waiting for from the day he moved to 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. His complex persona is riven by a desire to be both feared and embraced. The 'fear factor' had been established domestically early enough; now, the world was ready to accept him as a true global figure. Not since the 1971 war, when Indira Gandhi was prime minister, had the Indian Air Force penetrated so deep into Pakistani airspace and inflicted damage on the 'enemy'. And yet, a few knotty questions remained. Should Balakot really be seen as a 'war-like' triumph? What of the intelligence failure in Pulwama that had resulted in the loss of 40 jawans? What of the shooting down of an Indian Mi-17 chopper, allegedly by an IAF missile, in which six servicemen were killed? (The IAF would admit to this 'mistake' only in October 2019 when a new chief took over.) Should the government not have provided some 'proof' of the 'success' of Operation Bandar? The last question would prove politically contentious as 'government sources' were busy leaking 'information' that at least 300 terrorists had been killed in Balakot. While the air force was cautious in putting a figure to the casualties, ministers were calling up journalists to 'confirm' the death toll. Credible Western media outlets like the New York Times and the Guardian, meanwhile, reported that eyewitness accounts suggested that only a few trees had been felled and there were no signs of mass deaths. Senior Pakistani TV journalist Hamid Mir, who works for the country's leading news network Geo, put out a video which shows him allegedly in Balakot, claiming that all he has found is a dead crow; the video went viral within hours. When I contacted Mir and asked him if he was parroting the Pakistani army line, he retorted sharply: 'Why would we not report the story accurately? Weren't we the channel which also broke the story that Ajmal Kasab was a Pakistani after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack?' Modi was deservedly basking in his success. A day after Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman's release (on March 1, 2019), the prime minister spoke at the annual India Today conclave. He was the last speaker at the two-day summit and a full house was waiting to greet him. That Modi was on a roll is best illustrated by a story related by ace India Today photographer Bandeep Singh. Before Modi could walk on to the stage, Singh was doing a quick photo shoot with the prime minister in the waiting room next to the main hall. 'I will need a few more pictures, sir, can I get some time from you for a more extended photo shoot?' asked Singh. Modi, ever-obliging before the camera, laughed. 'Sure, but let us plan to do it after my swearing-in is over in May!' The Balakot effect was evident. Excerpted from 2019: How Modi Won India by Rajdeep Sardesai, with the kind permission of the publishers, HarperCollins India. Marijuana stock investors were supposed to clean up in 2019. Canada had recently legalized adult-use cannabis sales, high-margin derivatives were months away from hitting dispensary shelves, and state-level legalization momentum appeared strong in the United States. Yet when the year ended, pot stocks were a disappointment across the board. To our north, regulatory issues have stymied the ability of growers to get product in front of customers. Health Canada delayed the launch of derivatives until mid-December, while Ontario, the nation's largest province by population, had only 24 open dispensaries as of the one-year anniversary of adult-use sales beginning. Meanwhile, in the U.S., a combination of high tax rates and supply problems has allowed the black market to thrive. After such a miserable year, the expectation now is that pot stocks will rebound as they mature. But for one well-known cannabis stock, this hasn't been the case through the first month of 2020. The CEO of struggling multistate operator MedMen steps down Late last week, vertically integrated multistate operator MedMen Enterprises (OTC:MMNFF) announced that CEO and co-founder Adam Bierman would be stepping down from his role as CEO, effective Feb. 1. Ryan Lissack, MedMen's COO and chief technology officer, will temporarily fill the role as CEO until a long-term replacement is found. Additionally, Bierman agreed to surrender all of his Class A super voting shares, which is something that co-founder Andrew Modlin agreed to do in December. In other words, the only remaining class of shares left is MedMen's Class B common stock, with one share equating to one vote. Bierman's and Modlin's Class A shares had previously represented more than enough weight to overrule MedMen's common stockholders, but that won't be the case any longer. Bierman's departure was viewed by many, including myself, as long overdue. MedMen is, arguably, in worse financial shape than any other cannabis stock. Management recently confirmed that, as part of its restructuring, the company has been attempting to pay off some of its vendors in common stock. This strategy is being employed by MedMen in an effort to conserve its capital, and it comes just over three months after MedMen called off its all-stock acquisition of privately held multistate operator PharmaCann. Though it was noted that completing the acquisition would have placed MedMen into a number of noncore markets, the reality looks to be that MedMen simply didn't have the cash to take on new stores and PharmaCann's expansion strategy. Making matters worse, despite working out up to $280 million in financing from private equity firm Gotham Green Partners, MedMen no longer has access to the final $115 million in financing it hadn't accessed. At this point, the company's long-term future is very much in doubt, which is all the more reason Bierman had to go. These marijuana CEOs should resign, too The thing is, Bierman isn't the only marijuana CEO who should resign or be shown the door. There are two other popular pot stocks whose CEOs have done them no favors of late. One is Terry Booth, the CEO of Aurora Cannabis (NASDAQ:ACB), the most-held stock on millennial-focused investment app Robinhood. Aurora certainly looked to have a number of competitive advantages with regard to peak production potential and international expansion, but Canada's regulatory issues, along with the company's own overzealous expansion, have put it in a serious bind. More specifically, Aurora Cannabis' balance sheet is a disaster. On the one hand, some Wall Street analysts question whether Aurora has the capital to meet its debt obligations. Even with $400 million in at-the-market offerings at its disposal (a fancy way of saying that Aurora could sell up to $400 million in stock), there aren't any guarantees it'll be able to pay for its ongoing expenses and debt obligations. On the other hand, Aurora looks to have grossly overpaid for its more than one dozen acquisitions completed over a three-year stretch. Now lugging around 3.17 billion Canadian dollars in goodwill, representing 57% of total assets, Aurora appears to be inching closer to a massive writedown. As the icing on the cake, Aurora Cannabis' share count has grown by more than 1 billion shares over the past 5.5 years, and hiring billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz as a strategic advisor hasn't landed the company any equity investors or jaw-dropping deals. In my view, it's time for Terry Booth to step aside. The other cannabis CEO who should have the sense to step down is HEXO's (NASDAQ:HEXO) Sebastien St-Louis. Like Aurora, HEXO looked to be in position to succeed heading into the launch of recreational marijuana in Canada. But with the exception of signing a five-year wholesale supply agreement with its home province of Quebec for 200,000 kilos-in-aggregate, little has gone right. Since October, HEXO's chief financial officer has resigned, the company pulled its guidance that called for CA$400 million in 2020 sales, production has been completely idled at the Niagara grow farm and in parts of the flagship Gatineau facility, and it laid off 200 workers. Worse yet, following the release of HEXO's fiscal fourth-quarter results, St-Louis noted that his company would need to achieve 20% market share throughout Canada to become profitable, which looks to be an impossible task given its current problems. Interestingly, when MKM Partners chose to downgrade HEXO and slash its price target last week, covering analyst Bill Kirk noted that HEXO has a particularly poor track record of making statements that come true. My expectation is that HEXO will spend most of 2020 reducing its costs and backpedaling on its operating performance. HEXO is a mess, and if the ship isn't righted soon, it could be delisted from the New York Stock Exchange. With faith in management seriously compromised, it's time for HEXO's board to consider looking beyond St-Louis for answers. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday alleged the anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh was a "joint venture" of the AAP and the Congress and claimed the "tukde-tukde gang" would get a "shock" when the election results are declared. Addressing three roadshows, he asserted that the BJP would emerge victorious in the elections as people will vote for country's security, development and good governance. Amid chants of 'Jai Shri Ram' at his road show in Hari Nagar, a group also raised "goli maro" slogans. However, the policemen asked them to stop. "Shaheen Bagh is the joint venture of the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress. Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi are worried that Shaheen Bagh should not be discussed. I want to ask them why the security of the country should not be an electoral issue? Why are the people sitting in Shaheen Bagh demanding 'Jinnah Wali Azadi' and why the tukde-tukde gang is supporting them? "Shame on these people. I want to tell all of you that tukde-tukde gang is going to get a shock, because you are going to press the button on the lotus symbol on February 8 for the development of Delhi and the country," he said at a road show in Seemapuri constituency in North East Delhi. Later addressing a road show in west Delhi's Hari Nagar constituency, seeking votes for party candidate Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, Shah said, "Remember that a year ago, there was a terrorist attack in Pulwama and our forces took revenge by conducting an air strike. "You all know that the people of Delhi as well as the whole nation was saluting the valor of the army, but do you know who was the most sad. First Rahul Gandhi, second Arvind Kejriwal and third was Imran Khan sitting in Pakistan". Shah said Kejriwal, Rahul Gandhi and Imran Khan had a problem with the surgical strikes. "All three had a problem with the surgical strikes. I want to ask whether such people should be handed over the power in Delhi? These people are very dangerous for the security of the nation. "On the other hand, the central government is constantly working for the public interest, providing housing, gas connections and basic facilities to the people," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas City police are asking for help finding a missing 47-year-old woman. Jennifer Rogers was last seen driving from N.E. 48th and N. White in a white 2017 Toyota Highlander with the Missouri license plate MB2A0T. She is 5-foot-1, weighing 125 pounds with brown eyes and brown eyes. SEAN D. ELLIOT / Associated Press "Unrigging the Political System in Connecticut is the theme of a discussion planned in Ridgefield, featuring Oz Griebel who ran as an independent candidate for governor in Connecticut in 2018. Michael Volpe, who ran for lieutenant governor in New York, will also be part of the program. The event is planned for Sunday, Feb. 9, at 3 p.m. at Lounsbury House on Main Street. REUTERS Derek Mackay started the week as Scotlands powerful finance secretary who has long been tipped to be the countrys next leader. On Thursday, he was due to deliver a showpiece budget statement and further solidify his position as next-in-lineand possibly as the man to lead Scotland to independence in the wake of Brexit. Instead, his career lies in ruins after it was revealed he sent hundreds of predatory texts to a 16-year-old schoolboy. Mackay, one of the most recognizable lawmakers from the pro-independence Scottish National Party, has admitted he behaved foolishly and has submitted his resignation to First Minister and party leader Nicola Sturgeon. He was left with no other option after the Scottish Sun exposed screens of text messages, including one telling the unnamed boy he was really cute and inviting him to dinner and a rugby match with him. The transcripts show Mackay repeatedly messaged the boy on a number of platforms for six months, despite some responses from the teenager in which he clearly expressed his discomfort. Mackay reportedly contacted the boy after having had no prior contact, and kept messaging him even after the teen revealed he was just 16 and told Mackay not to try anything. In the most damning part of the transcript, Mackay asked the boy, And our chats are between us? before following up with: Cool, to be honest I think you are really cute, then encouraging him to delete the message. In all, Mackay sent 270 messages to the schoolboy. The lawmaker complimented the boys haircut, informed him of his sexuality, and invited the kid to be his guest at an official parliamentary rugby event. Mackay also messaged the boy on Christmas Day, sending a number of messages, including one just before midnight that said: You still up. The creepy messages were publicly exposed after the boys mother learned what was happening and told the newspaper. She told the Scottish Sun: If I could speak to [Mackay], I would ask him Why? Why did you do this? I worry about what would have happened if my son had sent him back a message he wanted to hear. You can see he tries again and againlike he is trying to get my son to change his mind about something. Story continues Following the report, Mackay apologized to the boys family and resigned. In a statement to ` Scotlands devolved parliament on Thursday, Sturgeon confirmed that shed accepted Mackays resignation from her government, and said that he has also been suspended by the party while it carries out further investigations. However, he remains a member of the Scottish parliamenta fact that provoked fury from opposition leaders. Scottish Conservative party leader Jackson Carlaw said that, not only should Mackay stand down from the parliament, his messages could constitute the grooming of a young individual. Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said Mackay abused his power, calling his actions predatory. The scandal has rocked the Scottish National Party and Scotlands devolved government at a pivotal time. Its pushing for another referendum on Scottish independence following Britains withdrawal from the European Union last week. In the 2016 referendum on Europe, Scottish voters overwhelmingly backed remaining inside the EU, and recent polling has suggested that Brexit has boosted support for independence. It also comes ahead of the trial of Alex Salmond, the countrys former first minister, who for decades led the campaign for Scottish independence. He was charged last year with two counts of attempted rape and several counts of sexual assault. That trial is set to begin in March. 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. RailTel Corporation of India Ltd has singed a memorandum of understanding with defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) for cooperation in the field of cloud services, IoT , e-governance, smart cities, networks for defence projects, mission critical communication systems for domestic and international markets, according to a statement from the telecom service provider on Thursday. The MoU was signed in the presence of BEL CMD M V Gowtama and Puneet Chawla CMD, RailTel. BEL, a Navaratna PSU under the Ministry of Defense, is a multi-product, multi-technology company with nine manufacturing units across the country and primarily manufactures advanced electronic products for the Indian Armed Forces. The MoU was signed at the DefExpo which is underway in Lucknow. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) For You, Mom, and You Too, Dad: a well-crafted handbook designed for children of all ages allowing them to learn how to read as young as they are. For You, Mom, and You Too, Dad is the creation of published author Malik Muhammad, a man who became an entrepreneur at an early age. Later in his life, he went on to sell a variety of merchandiseclothes, shoes, and aromatic scents. Now, he is endeavoring to become an author. Muhammad writes, Children will read themselves into a wealth of words in a short period with the assistance of For You, Mom, and You Too, Dad. (And, of course, the live Mom and Dad). For You, Mom, and You Too, Dad will change the direction children approach their structure of reading because they will begin learning at the infant stage (of life). Succeeding is (easy), however, harder today more than ever because of all the complexities and distractions (phones and games) of the world. Children need the right habits as the foundation for learning. In 'For You, Mom, and You Too, Dad,' children will find the inspiring recipe for success (with words as infants) for becoming great readers and possible (capable of favorable development) great writers! Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Malik Muhammads new book shares a wonderful reading experience as he leaves some blank boxes on the last page to assess the learning progress of a child. This book is a masterful craft filled with words accompanied by its meaning, allowing the readers, especially children, to learn and widen the scope of their lexis. View a synopsis of For You, Mom, and You Too, Dad on YouTube. Consumers can purchase For You, Mom, and You Too, Dad at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about For You, Mom, and You Too, Dad, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Donald Trumps supporters are predictably angry with Utah Republican senator Mitt Romney for voting to remove the president Wednesday. After the senators decision was announced, #RecallRomney went viral on Twitter, with Charlie Kirk, Brigette Gabriel, and countless other red-hatted, blue-checkmarked accounts endorsing a bill before the Utah legislature that would allow for senators to be recalled in an election. Already, the bills sponsor, state representative Tim Quinn, has provided an . . . interesting perspective on its constitutionality, telling the Deseret News that it strikes a good compromise between pre- and post-17th Amendment. Last I checked, state legislatures are not permitted to compromise between what is presently constitutional and what is not. Needless to say, theres almost certainly no way the Utah bill will survive a court challenge if it becomes law, so the #RecallRomney folks are setting themselves up for disappointment. The closest the Supreme Court has come to addressing recall elections for members of Congress was its 54 decision in U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton. As the name suggests, the Court was speaking specifically to term limits in that case, but the majority opinion penned by Justice John Paul Stevens rejected the argument that states could add congressional qualifications that werent specifically enumerated in [the Constitutions] text just because our foundational document was silent on the matter. That clearly doesnt bode well for the notion that states can mandate additional elections for sitting members of Congress. Originalists will note that Justice Clarence Thomas and three other conservatives on the Court dissented in that case. The general tone of Thomass argument, at first glance, would actually support the constitutionality of a state recall election. Where the Constitution is silent, it raises no bar to action by the States or the people, Thomas wrote. The people of the States need not point to any affirmative grant of power in the Constitution in order to prescribe qualifications for their representatives in Congress. Story continues But Thomas went on to specifically cite recall elections as the sort of thing the Constitution wasnt silent on. [A] power of recall, he wrote, was something the Framers denied to the States when they specified the terms of Members of Congress. The Framers may well have thought that state power over salary, like state power to recall, would be inconsistent with the notion that Congress was a national legislature once it assembled. The majority opinion likewise made note in a footnote of the Framers decision to reject a proposal allowing for States to recall their own representatives. So thats all nine of the Justices at the time, liberal and conservative alike, endorsing the position that congressional recall elections are not constitutional. And with good reason; the plain text of the Constitution states that senators shall be elected by the people . . . for six years. If Romney were recalled in November, he would have served two years. Two, for those keeping track at home, is less than six. So the Utah recall bill rather clearly violates the Constitution. (And contrary to Representative Quinns baffling contention, none of this rises or falls on the Seventeenth Amendment, which merely shifted the power to elect senators from the state legislatures to the people.) Whats more, the Constitution doesnt just fix senators terms; it also provides a fixed timeline for their election, mandating that one third may be chosen every second Year. If states have the ability to recall senators mid-term, the entirety of this constitutional rotation scheme would be rendered toothless, and thered be nothing keeping half, two-thirds, or even the entire Senate from facing voters every two years. The Framers clearly did not intend for states to have the power to ax an entire clause out of the Constitution. A quick perusal of the historical record indicates that the original understanding of the Constitution was that it did not allow for recall elections. The Articles of Confederation reserved to each state the power to recall its delegates, or any of them, at any time within the year, and to send others in their stead, for the remainder of the Year. The absence of such a provision in the Constitution was widely understood at the time of ratification to mean the states no longer enjoyed that power. As the Court noted in U.S. Term Limits, the recall power was considered and rejected during the Constitutional Convention. The Virginia Plan drafted by Edmund Randolph explicitly stated that representatives would be subject to recall, but that language was struck out by unanimous vote. Madisons notes indicate that afterward Massachusetts delegate Elbridge Gerry he of Gerrymandering fame unfavorably compared the proposed Congress to that of the Articles of Confederation because the new legislators are not subject to recall. The lack of a recall power was seized upon by the Anti-Federalists, becoming the subject of numerous pamphlets. Anti-Federalists in ratifying conventions in New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina all expressed the view that the new Constitution did not allow states to recall members of Congress, and railed against that state of affairs. Three states New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island introduced amendments that wouldve restored the recall power. All were rejected. At no point did the Federalists respond with what would seem like the obvious rejoinder, that opponents of the Constitution were misreading it and states could still recall their representatives. On the contrary, Alexander Hamilton cited the recall power as a reason to reject the status quo. The members of Congress [under the Article of Confederation], being chosen by the states and subject to recall, represent all the local prejudices, Madison records him as saying during the Convention. Should the powers be found effectual, they will from time to time be heaped on them, till a tyrannic sway shall be established. What those trying to recall Romney miss is that the Senate is undemocratic and unresponsive to the people by design. Hamilton, in Federalist No. 63, described the Senate, with its long terms of office and slow rotation, as a defense to the people against their own temporary errors and delusions: As the cool and deliberate sense of the community ought, in all governments, and actually will, in all free governments, ultimately prevail over the views of its rulers; so there are particular moments in public affairs when the people, stimulated by some irregular passion, or some illicit advantage, or misled by the artful misrepresentations of interested men, may call for measures which they themselves will afterwards be the most ready to lament and condemn. In these critical moments, how salutary will be the interference of some temperate and respectable body of citizens, in order to check the misguided career, and to suspend the blow meditated by the people against themselves, until reason, justice, and truth can regain their authority over the public mind? What bitter anguish would not the people of Athens have often escaped if their government had contained so provident a safeguard against the tyranny of their own passions? Popular liberty might then have escaped the indelible reproach of decreeing to the same citizens the hemlock on one day and statues on the next. It is not overstating things to say that the Framers designed the Senate with precisely this sort of national moment in mind, and that bucking the Republican Partys tyranny of their own passions is what they hoped Romney would do. To that end, the Framers included a number of safeguards, one of which is that Utah cant kick out Romney ahead of time simply because he took an unpopular vote. If Trump supporters want Romney out of office, they can mobilize in 2024. Until then, all they can do is wait. More from National Review Minister of Defense of Armenia Davit Tonoyan today received the relatives of fixed-term serviceman Vahram Avagyan, who died at a military unit of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) on January 30. Once again, the defense minister expressed condolences and reaffirmed that he will be consistent with the revelation of all the details of the incident within the scope of his powers. Davit Tonoyan informed the relatives that the Defense Army has applied disciplinary measures and dismissed several officials. He also emphasized that the Ministry of Defense will support the objective preliminary investigation within the scope of its powers. Wind Creek Bethlehem will be able to bring the glitz and the glamour to its new 270-room hotel tower if the $100 million project gets added to the citys lucrative special tax zone. Hotel officials, Mayor Bob Donchez and state Sen. Lisa Boscola held a news conference Wednesday afternoon to announce that the new owners of Pennsylvanias table games king hopes to reallocate some of the casino propertys City Revitalization and Improvement Zone acreage to the footprint of the new hotel. The CRIZ allows property owners to use certain future state and local taxes -- including sales and liquor -- created by CRIZ projects to pay off construction loans. I am confident Wind Creek is beginning a new chapter of commitment to the city of Bethlehem, Donchez said of the casino operator, which bought the property from Las Vegas Sands Corp. in May 2019. Wind Creek needs the approval of an authority tasked with overseeing Bethlehems zone and the state to make the transfer. The Bethlehem Revitalization and Improvement Authority board is set to review the request to qualify the project for inclusion in the zone at its 3:30 p.m. meeting Thursday. If approved, the board must schedule a public hearing on the reallocation of 2.24 acres from the ruins lot west -- a parking lot on the SteelStacks campus -- to the hotel. I cant think of a better use of the CRIZ incentive than redeveloping this site here, home to Bethlehem Steel, Boscola, D-Lehigh/Northampton, said. Redeveloping this site is critical, critical to the future vitality of the city of Bethlehem. The strength of this project is that it is only using new revenue, so its new revenue generated from the expansion, that will help the construction and other CRIZ-related projects. These are primarily state dollars that the city and the casino will be able to leverage to strengthen the expansion and invest in a meaningful way with projects to further development. Theres also good news for Bethlehem residents in the distribution of whats known as the CRIZ increment. Thats the revenue returned to CRIZ projects by the state from the taxes forgiven under the incentive program. The hotel is expected to generate up to $1.5 million in annual CRIZ increment once it opens and 20% of that -- $300,000 -- will come back to Bethlehems CRIZ authority, Donchez said. This will allow the city to start tackling important projects on its wish list, like new Christmas decorations, improvements to lighting on the Southside and buying land for South Bethlehem Greenway connections. This new chapter of commitment begins with the construction of a new hotel tower, events space, lobby, spa, restaurant and bar, Donchez said. Without CRIZ increment, the new hotel tower would be less than $90 million and would be limited to a hotel without added amenities or events space. With CRIZ increment, the project investment would increase to over $100 million. The expansion includes 270 new hotel rooms on the upper floors and 35,200 square feet of new meeting space wrapped around the Wind Creek Event Center adjacent to the existing 282-room hotel. This will give the property nearly 70,000 square feet of meeting and events space, including three ballrooms, allowing it to draw bigger conferences and hire 80 more employees. With about 2,500 workers, Wind Creek is already Northampton Countys top employer. Construction of the hotel is expected to generate 400 jobs. Wind Creek Bethlehem's plans for a new 270-room hotel tower are getting a major boost.TVS Design Keeping with Wind Creeks push to turn the property into a top resort destination, the expansion includes a 6,424-square-foot pool with an outdoor patio and an 11,600-square-foot spa. Renderings of the new lobby show a swanky space at home on the Las Vegas Strip and a high-end restaurant and bar. Land development plans for the project are expected to go before the Bethlehem Planning Commission on Feb. 13. The CRIZ enables us to take our planned expansion from a basic shell to a luxury hotel with all of the amenities you would expect from a premier casino resort, Wind Creek Bethlehem said in a statement. As spokeswoman Julia Corwin outlined the amenities Wednesday -- like the spa, bar and enhanced ballrooms -- Boscola quipped the CRIZ brings the glitz and the glamour. If approved, Wind Creeks hotel expansion would likely make it the largest CRIZ project in the state, Donchez said. Construction could start in the second quarter of 2020 with completion by the third quarter of 2021, the mayor said. Wind Creek Bethlehem's plans for a new 270-room hotel tower are getting a major boost.TVS Design The initial casino development was critical to the rebirth of the former Bethlehem Steel plant site, allowing for the development of the SteelStacks campus, the ArtsQuest Center, PBS-39 and the Hoover Mason Trestle, Boscola said. She credited city, Bethlehem Area School District and Northampton County officials with supporting the tax increment financing, or TIF, district that expires Nov. 15, 2020, to help fund the infrastructure investments needed to reimagine Americas largest privately held Brownfield. Now the CRIZ can be used to help with the second phase of the development, Boscola said. As a steelworker daughter, this place is so special to me. It is almost sacred. My father worked there for nearly 30 years and it carries a little piece in your heart when your family was a part of the Bethlehem Steel. And you want to see this rebirth happening here and development. At the opening, I noted that I believe the best days of this site still lies ahead. I really believe it. Development of the Steel site lagged in recent years under Sands ownership and local elected leaders Wednesday were excited about the possibilities on the horizon for the roughly 124-acre property now that it is in new hands. Wind Creek is exploring turning the No. 2 Machine Shop into an indoor water and adventure park, and another hotel. Along with the hotel (tower), I envision development of Machine Shop (No.) 2 and the ruins lot over the next five to 10 years, Donchez said. Wind Creek Bethlehem's plans for a new 270-room hotel tower are going high-end if the property gets a CRIZ designation.TVS Design With the current hotel often boasting a 95% occupancy rate, Wind Creek officials have said the hotel expansion is an easy decision as more rooms and meeting space will better position Wind Creek to attract larger conventions and meeting. Wind Creek -- an affiliate of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians -- bought the casino, outlet mall, events center and much of the surrounding property from Las Vegas Sands Corp. for $1.3 billion. The casinos been one of Pennsylvanias top-performing gaming halls since it opened 10 years ago, but development lagged under the Sands ownership as a promised $90 million expansion never materialized. Before the sale, the Alabama-based American Indian tribe promised to pour $190 million into continuing the redevelopment of the former Bethlehem Steel Corp. plant. Wind Creek immediately spent $15 million on a rebrand that culminated in an October grand opening celebration. A CRIZ designation would allow Wind Creek Bethlehem to spend $10 million more on fancy amenities.TVS Design Editors Note: This story has been updated to reflect what action the CRIZ board was asked to take Thursday. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. It took eight hours for a doctor to see Wu Chens mother after she arrived at the hospital. Eight days later, she was dead. The doctor was 99% sure she had contracted the mysterious pneumonia-like illness sweeping Chinas central city of Wuhan, Wu says, but he didnt have the testing kit to prove it. And despite the 64-year-olds fever and perilously low oxygen levels, there was no bed for her. Wu tried two more hospitals over the next week, but all were overrun. By Jan. 25, her mother was slumped on the tile floor of an emergency room, gasping for air, drifting in and out of consciousness. We didnt want to see my mom die on the floor, so we took her home, says Wu, 30. She passed the next day. Illustration by Edel Rodriguez for TIME Because she did not want a spell in jail for dissent to compound her grief, Wu asked TIME to refer to her by a pseudonyma reasonable request and one that carries with it a measure of what each virus death means to the Peoples Republic of China. The novel coronavirus known as 2019-nCoV threatens more than the 24,000 people known to be infected as of Feb. 4 or the 492 it has killed. It also looms over the national rejuvenation project of President Xi Jinping and the rigid, top-down rule being tested by all that the disease brings with it, including distrust in a population the government pledged to keep safe. Since China belatedly acknowledged the severity of the outbreak, every organ of the Chinese state has been harnessed to enforce an unprecedented quarantine on 50 million people across 15 cities. Chinas government has unleashed a 1 billion yuan ($142 million) war chest to fight the outbreak amid a frenzy of construction work that, among other feats, erected a 1,000-bed hospital in just 10 days. That there was no cot for Wus mother may be understandable, given the time it took to comprehend the disease and how quickly it spread. But what to make of a government that cannot abide the grief of a daughter who took her ailing mother home rather than see her die on a hospital floor? Story continues Transparency is essential to public health. But in China, doctors who reported the reality of the outbreak have been arrested for spreading rumors. Officials were pictured pocketing supplies meant for frontline medical staff, who were reduced to cutting up office supplies for makeshift surgical masks. Meanwhile, the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has already started leveraging the crisis for propaganda by lionizing cadres leading containment efforts. No crisis is too deadly that they cant take a time-out to promote the party through manipulation of it, says Scott W. Harold, an East Asia expert at the U.S. policy think tank Rand Corp. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter by clicking on this link, and please send any tips, leads, and stories to virus@time.com. In the fall of 2017, Xi took the podium at Beijings Great Hall of the People to claim that Chinas version of one-party autocracy offered an option for countries that want to speed up their development while preserving their independence. Western democracy was messy and flawed, the argument went. In the years since that speech, Chinas hubris has grown, nurtured by the tumultuous U.S. presidency of Donald Trump and the disintegration of the multilateral world order. But the coronavirus crisis threatens to rattle Chinas authoritarian apparatus. A major test of Chinas system and capacity for governance senior party chiefs called it on Feb. 3. The 2019-nCoV outbreak is infecting some 2,000 people daily in China and has spread to at least 25 countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared it a global health emergency. And the fear is not limited to health. Global commerce now hinges on Chinas $14.55 trillion economy, which in turn is governed by an opaque, authoritarian regime tightly coalesced around one man. Xi, burnished by a resurgent cult of personality, has amassed more power than any Chinese leader since Mao Zedong. He has leveraged Beijings economic clout to forward ambitions at home and abroad but also has struggled as no previous leader. Since Xi came to power, problem after problem have occurred on his watch that he seems unable to effectively manage, says Jude Blanchette, a China analyst at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. These include popular unrest in semiautonomous Hong Kong, a disruptive trade war with the U.S. and now an unfolding health crisis. An empty highway in Wuhan, the city of 11 million where the outbreak began in a market, on Feb. 3 | Getty Images For decades, the sales pitch for Chinas single-party rule was the superior performance of its political system when faced with both short-term crises and long-term challenges. It built thousands of miles of high-speed rail and helped drag hundreds of millions of people out of poverty. By 2022, McKinsey predicts 550 million Chinese will be able to call themselves middle classabout 1.5 times the current U.S. population. Still, that benevolent narrative has deteriorated under Xi. Now the coronavirus threatens to undermine further his mission to have China stake out the next century as America did the last. In 2019, China overtook Soviet Russia as historys most enduring communist state. The seven-decade longevity of the CCP can be attributed in no small part to abandoning great chunks of Marxist-Leninism; instead of centralized planning and top-down targets, China embraced markets and devolved considerable power to its regions and cities. Local party bosses were encouraged to make bold decisions to boost the local economy, like setting up heavily subsidized means of production. As a result, China boomed but also became a network of little fiefdoms and power centers, where local bosses vied for influence and corruption flourished. Xi came into power in 2012 convinced rampant graft posed an existential threat to the party. To him, only an ideological renaissance coupled with an anticorruption crusade could save China from going the way of the Soviet Union. A bland apparatchik by reputation, Xi climbed the career ladder as a provincial bureaucrat, eventually emerging as a compromise candidate for the post of Chinas top leader. His lack of a power base led party elders to believe he would remain malleable and easy to control. Global leaders hoped he might push through long-awaited economic and social reforms. They were wrong. Soon after taking power, Xi announced his China Dream of a grand national rejuvenation, later speaking about returning China to center stage of the world. Far from embracing Western-style market reforms, Xi calcified state control over the economy and stocked its bureaucracy with flunkies and yes-men. Today party zealotry permeates all of Chinese society. The head of Chinas national Film Bureau has ordered movies must have a clear ideological bottom line and cannot challenge the political system. Chinas journalists have been instructed to follow Marxist news values. Artists can only produce works that serve the people and socialism. One advertisement for sperm donors required applicants ages 20 to 45 with excellent ideological qualities who love the fatherland, and are loyal to the partys mission. Mao may have had his Little Red Book, but Xi has a personalized app distributed to all 90 million CCP members, with a directory of his speeches and quizzes on his life and political thought. Evacuees from Wuhan, mostly German nationals, leave Frankfurts main airport on Feb. 1 | Thomas LohnesAFP/Getty Images His mission is to forge a singular Chinese identity that restores the nations ethnic Han majority to a golden age, on the basis of fealty to his party. Xi Jinping is fundamentally a Han chauvinist with a historic mission to make China, Han China, great again, says Professor Steve Tsang, director of SOAS China Institute at the University of London. And hes willing to go to extreme lengths to do it. In Chinas restive Xinjiang province, a systematic campaign of forced internment has transformed the area into a dusty expanse spotted with camps where more than 1 million Uighur Muslims and other ethnic minorities are held extrajudicially, according to the U.N. What began as a campaign to battle radical Islam in the region has mutated into an enormous project of ideological re-education. On the routes where Silk Road caravans once traveled, a sophisticated surveillance apparatus shrouds the wider populace in an AI-powered panopticon, where every action is watched, recorded and judged by algorithm. Those who fall foul of it are sent to learn the error of their ways. Nurlan Kokeubai, 56, never found out the charges against him. But from August 2017 to April 2018, he was detained in a re-education camp close to the city of Ili, in Xinjiang province. For four hours each morning, Kokeubai says he and his fellow inmates were forced to watch videos of Xi carousing with dignitaries and overseeing military exercises. They were also ordered to memorize Xis eponymous political thought and documents from the 19th CCP Conference, where Xi removed presidential term limits to enable himself to rule for life. Those that resisted were beaten with sticks or strapped to a metal chair for interrogation. They werent testing our knowledge or loyalty, Kokeubai told TIME in Almaty, Kazakhstan, to which he has since fled. They were just filling us with this propaganda. Sign up for the Inside TIME newsletter to get the exclusive story behind TIME covers. President Trump has kept mum on the Xinjiang camps as he negotiated a provisional agreement in the trade war. But when the coronavirus broke, his Administration did not hold back. I dont want to talk about a victory lap over a very unfortunate, very malignant disease, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a TV interview on Jan. 30. The fact is, it does give business yet another thing to consider I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America. Forty years after Beijing and Washington normalized relations, the two are diverging rapidly. Under Trump, the U.S. has been disentangling its firms and, yes, supply chains from Chinas through taxes, tariffs and punitive investment curbs. Western investors are also cowed by ideological hurdles and looking elsewhere, given Chinas market is now sophisticated, saturated and tricky to exploit. Washington has banned Huawei, the worlds biggest telecoms equipment manufacturer, from its key infrastructure and urged allies to do the same. In U.S. universities, Chinese researchers have been purged as academia, wary of espionage, lurches into Sinophobic McCarthyism. The patient optimism that colored the George W. Bush and Obama administrations has largely evaporated. Travelers in the arrivals halls at New York City-area airports in early February | Thomas Prior for TIME But its a mistake to ignore Xis own agency in this process. [Last year] was a landmark in the structural shift of how the United States views its relationship with China, says Tsang. But the decoupling wasnt started by Donald Trump. It was originally prepared by Xi Jinping himself. Every one of Xis signature economic policies has sought to reduce Chinas reliance on the U.S. and grow its own empire. His $1 trillion Belt and Road Initiative builds connectivity across Eurasia and Africa. The Made in China 2025 campaign aims to propel China to the forefront of strategic industries currently dominated by Silicon Valley, such as semiconductors, aerospace, AI and robotics. The Chinese government has even ordered all state departments to remove foreign-made computer equipment within three years. Xi does not stand alone, though he is surrounded by clients rather than friends. China is now more closely aligned with Russia than at any period since Mao and Nikita Khrushchev fell out in 1956. The Belt and Road Initiative is drawing nations across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East into Beijings orbit (and often into its debt). The U.S. may have asked 61 countries to shun Huawei, but only threeJapan, Australia, New Zealandhave acquiesced. The next decade wont be defined by an iron curtain but two blocs vying for influence within every nation that isnt firmly in the liberal democratic or autocratic camp. And, for one side, the coronavirus is being sized up as an opportunity. Asked whether import levies on China should be dialed down given the crisis, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro demurred. Lets remember why the tariffs are in place, he said. Confronting an outbreak requires more than just an ability to throw up hospitals in a few days; it necessitates trust. And from the beginning, Chinas public response to the virus has raised questions. Even multinational institutions like WHO are feeling this as the coronavirus worsens. The organization was unable to rule on the severity of 2019-nCoV following its first meeting on Jan. 22, apparently because of resistance from Beijing. (WHO referred to divergent views.) Notably, despite WHOs insisting that travel bans to China would not be necessary, a dozen nations introduced stringent restrictions, including the U.S., Australia and North Korea. If you believe Chinas official figures, 2019-nCoV has a fatality rate of just 2%about the same as regular influenza and a far cry from the 50% of Ebola or the 10% of SARS. Why then, observers might well ask, has China placed entire cities in lockdown, quarantined tens of millions and mobilized troops? Here is the downside of Xis system of top-down control; nobody acted until they got word from the top, and then everyone wildly overreacted in order to satisfy the leader. This was evident in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province, where the outbreak began, and the official response lurched from cover-up to overreaction only after Xi addressed the crisis. The full CCP apparatus didnt kick into gear to address the coronavirus until Xi had weighed in on the matter, says Blanchette. Notably, the President himself has kept a low profile since the outbreak began and was not seen in public for eight days after the Lunar New Year. A medical worker disinfects a hotel converted into a quarantine zone in Wuhan, on Feb. 3 | AFP/GETTY IMAGES Now, throughout China, fear is mixing with inchoate rage. In Hubei province, people from Wuhan are ostracized. But in other provinces, people from anywhere in Hubei are shunned. Videos circulating on social media show vigilantes tooling up to protect their villages. In one video, a man in a dark jacket and wide-brimmed hat guards a bridge with a pistol. In another, a man in an orange puffer jacket sits on a table at the entrance to his village, brandishing an enormous sword. All have signs nearby with a common theme: outsiders cannot pass. Even in Beijing, apartment building guards are checking the IDs of everyone who enters and banning those from Hubeirent-paying tenants included. Videos emerge of Hubei residents scuffling with gas station staff who refuse them service. Sometimes mass brawls erupt when a Hubei resident tries to force himself past an improvised roadblock. Dont blame us for being rude if you are from Wuhan and you dont self-quarantine, wrote one poster on Chinas Twitter-like microblog Weibo. You should just shoot them because they are killing us! wrote another. The ideological revival behind Xis China Dream may have rendered the political system more decisive but also more prone to error. Under Mao, local officials were also hesitant to act until they had clear signals from the top. Rather than assess issues through a purely governance lens, Chinas bureaucracy is forced to balance both technocratic and political concerns. Meanwhile nativist vigilantism spreads almost as fast as the virus. Some questionswhether the virus becomes a pandemic (or reaches epidemic levels on two continents), how many people it infects and how many lives it takesremain shrouded in uncertainty. But the crisis has already demonstrated that the centralization of political power under Xi has made Chinese society brittle. The question now is what it will endure before it begins to crack. Wus mother was cremated the evening she died. A battered container truck arrived at 9 p.m. and packed her body in with countless others. Instead of 2019-nCoV, her death certificate simply reads viral pneumonia. Wu signed a permission slip for the cremation but was told her mothers ashes wont be released until the crisis has abated. They say that there are more than 300 dead now, says Wu, but I think there are many more. Distrust, it turns out, is infectious too. With reporting by AMY GUNIA/ HONG KONG Washington, D.C., Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MIND Research Institute today announced that its flagship ST Math program has earned the research-based design product certification from Digital Promise. The new product certification is intended to serve as a rigorous, reliable signal for consumers, including school administrators, educators, and families, looking for evidence of research-based educational technology (edtech) products. MIND submitted evidence to Digital Promise confirming a link between research on how students learn and ST Maths design, and is one of 13 companies selected to be the first recipients of the Research-Based Design product certification. All of us at MIND are thrilled to be among this initial group recognized by Digital Promise for our commitment to research, efficacy, and transparency in the edtech space, said Brett Woudenberg, CEO of MIND. We are proud to have conducted well over 100 efficacy studies on ST Math, which is used by nearly 1.3 million students at over 5,000 schools nationwide. We owe it to those students and our educator partners to make ST Math the very best and most effective program it can be. Thats why data, analysis, and research are core to who we are as an organization, and have been since our founding over 20 years ago. MINDs Chief Data Science Officer Andrew Coulson added, I felt a bit giddy when this notice came in, to be honest. The neuroscience research for the ST Math program began in the mid-90s, so we have always proclaimed it as research-based. Up until today though, the term had no objective independent evaluation. This certification is a major milestone in the maturation of the edtech market, and Im grateful to Digital Promise for this and many other game-changing initiatives. Schools and families want to know which edtech products can actually help students learn, said Karen Cator, president and CEO of Digital Promise. Digital Promises Product Certifications are designed to help strengthen consumers confidence in choosing research-based products, while recognizing product developers doing the important work of incorporating valid research into their designs. After nearly a decade of edtech marketplace research, Digital Promise recognized that while consumers want to know whether a product will improve learning, there is a strong distrust of product-authored studies. Additionally, edtech efficacy or pilot studies conducted once products were already chosen were found to be largely impacted by contextual factors like educator buy-in or a schools technology infrastructure. Through Product Certifications, consumers can narrow their options as they select products by identifying edtech that is truly based in research about learning before trying it out in their classrooms. The Research-Based Design product certification uses a competency-based learning framework, developed in consultation with Digital Promises Learner Variability Project advisory board, expert researchers in the Learning Sciences field, and dozens of educators across the United States. Further detail about its development can be found in Digital Promises new report, Designing Edtech that Matters for Learning: Research-Based Design Product Certifications. All developers, educators, edtech investors, and families are also encouraged to sign the Research-Based Product Promise and demand high-quality, research-driven products that support each unique learner. More information on Digital Promises product certifications can be found at productcertifications.digitalpromise.org. ### About MIND Research Institute MIND Research Institute is a neuroscience and education social impact organization, dedicated to ensuring that all students are mathematically equipped to solve the worlds most challenging problems. MIND is the creator of ST Math, a PreK-8 visual instructional program that leverages the brain's innate spatial-temporal reasoning ability to solve mathematical problems. Its unique, patented approach provides students with equitable access to learning through challenging puzzles, non-routine problem solving, and informative feedback. MIND has also developed programs under MathMINDs to provide students, teachers and families dynamic ways to actively engage with math, and to close the experience gap for all learners. MathMINDs includes Family Game Nights, the national K-12 Game-a-thon and MathMINDs Games. For more information, visit mindresearch.org. About Digital Promise Digital Promise is a nonprofit organization that builds powerful networks and takes on grand challenges by working at the intersection of researchers, entrepreneurs, and educators. Our vision is that all people, at every stage of their lives, have access to learning experiences that help them acquire the knowledge and skills they need to thrive and continuously learn in an ever-changing world. For more information, visit the Digital Promise website at www.digitalpromise.org and follow @digitalpromise for updates. Attachment Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday assured the state assembly that the National Population Register will not be implemented, but the state will go ahead with the census process. As the Congress-led opposition UDF and the treasury benches sparred over the NPR, Vijayan said the state cannot cancel the Centre's notification asking officials to start the enumeration process. "But we can stay it. We have stayed the NPR process. Since the opposition leader is insisting, the government will look into it. We stand by the decision that census will go on. We will not implement NPR. The questionnaire for that is different," the chief minister told the House. The government had in December itself ordered stoppage of all activities in connection with NPR in the state considering 'apprehensions' of the public that it would lead to NRC in the wake of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The opposition trooped out of the House after Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan refused to allow a notice for adjournment motion urging the government to temporarily halt the census activities until concerns related to the National Population Register (NPR) were cleared. The UDF MLAs left the hall even as the chief minister assured the House that all activities related to NPR was put on hold and the state government had issued direction to the district collectors to stop all NPR related works. "The census work is nothing new to the state. It is a normal process. Information will only be collected for the census. The chief secretary has also issued directions to district collectors in this regard," Vijayan said, replying to an adjournment motion moved by Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MLA K M Shaji. According to Shaji, NPR and the census require similar data and it was a huge mistake to say that only the census activities will take place. "The state government has claimed that it has decided to avoid two questions from the census data questionnaire. But the centre itself has said they don't require answers to those questions. The census officials have been appointed and now they will directly report to the centre and not the state government," Shaji said. However, Vijayan countered Shaji saying opposition's attempt to raise the matter in the House was part of "some agenda" as the state government had made it clear that it will not allow NPR in state. "I would like to make it clear that no detention camps will be opened in Kerala. Enumeration with regard to NPR will not be implemented. We have issued specific direction on the matter and if any official goes beyond such directions, strong action will be taken," Vijayan said. Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Ramesh Chennithala said they understand the importance of the census process, but cannot allow it to held without addressing the concerns regarding it. "We cannot halt census proceedings. But we cannot simply move forward without addressing the concerns. Until the confusion and the concerns are cleared, we need to stop the census process," Chennithala said. The Congress leader also said even though the chief minister and his party were of the opinion that the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) should not be implemented, two students are now in custody and were being probed by the NIA under UAPA. The veteran leader later told reporters that they were not against the census. "The President of India says NPR will be implemented, Prime Minister says it will not be implemented, while the Home minister says it will be implemented. It is totally confusing. We need clarity in this matter first," he said. The state had on January 16 directed all its officials to ensure that NPR was not mentioned while sending the communication on Census 2021. District collectors were also asked to personally ensure this as the government had in December last year stayed all matters relating to NPR in the state, which were to be conducted along with the first phase of census operations. The direction was issued after the government noted that some census officials were mentioning NPR details also while sending communications related to the 2021 census. (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 News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 15:18 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062f4fe6 1 National Halimah-Yacob,Yogyakarta,Singapore,Sultan-Hamengkubuwono-X,visit,Yogyakarta-Palace Free A Yogyakarta princess has revealed that the President of Singapore Halimah Yacob enjoyed backpacking in Yogyakarta some time ago. Yogyakarta sultanate crown princess Gusti Kanjeng Ratu (GKR) Mangkubumi said that Halimah shared with the royal that she felt nostalgic when she visited the Yogyakarta Palace on Wednesday. The crown princess greeted the president on the said visit. She said four years ago she went to Yogyakarta as a tourist, the crown princess said on Wednesday as quoted by tempo.co. Re-sharing Halimahs story, GKR Mangkubumi said that Singapores first female president went on a budget trip to Yogyakarta, just like any backpacker. Halimah ordered her own tickets, visited the palace, and enjoyed a dance performance at Sri Manganti Hall in the palace, added the royal. Culture is one of Halimahs biggest interests, hence the Yogyakarta trip, GKR Mangkubumi said. Wednesdays visit was Halimahs first visit to Yogyakarta as Singapore president. Yogyakarta Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and his wife, GKR Hemas, along with princesses GKR Mangkubumi, GKR Candrakirana, GKR Hayu and GKR Bendara welcomed Halimah, who was accompanied by husband Mohammed Abdullah Alhabshee, to the palace. The visit lasted in two hours, from around 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Halimah was greeted by the Beksan Lawung Jajar sacred welcome dance, which was created by Sultan Hamengkubuwono I in 1755. During the official visit, the royals gave a tour of the palace by showing Halimah its historical objects, including a 19th century manuscript collection, leather puppets, a tea set from Sultan Hamengkubuwono VII as well as ancient kris daggers. The youngest princess, GKR Bendara, said Halimah seemed excited during the tour, especially with regard to historical objects linked to Sir Stamford Raffles, the founding father of modern Singapore. GKR Bendara said in the past Yogyakarta had around 300 ancient manuscripts, but during the rule of Sultan Hamengkubuwono III from 1810 to 1811 and 1812 to 1814, Raffles took many manuscripts out of Yogyakarta that now are scattered around the world. GKR Bendara said Yogyakarta and Singapore had the potential to work together on exhibitions to commemorate Raffles in the future. (gis) Sulphur regs going smoothly, but plan ahead to meet March debunkering deadline, warns Hill Dickinson The transition to low sulphur fuels has so far been smooth, thanks to the efforts of shipping industry stakeholders in preparing for the change, which entered into force on January 1st this year. However, there are some issues arising over the margin for error in testing the sulphur content and the presence of sediment is causing concern in some areas, warns maritime law specialist Hill Dickinson. And, as the 1st March deadline for part two of the regulations looms, the legal expert advises ship operators to start planning now to debunker any remaining high sulphur fuel in good time. Beth Bradley, a London-based Partner at Hill Dickinson, explains: It is nearly a month from the implementation date of Regulation 14.1.3 of Marpol Annex VI and, while it is too early to draw firm conclusions, a couple of themes are emerging as a result of the change. Regulation 14.1.3 Marpol Annex VI, lowers the sulphur content for marine fuel for use on board vessels not fitted with exhaust gas cleaning equipment from 3.5% m/m to 0.50% m/m and took effect of 1 January 2020 (the sulphur cap). Regulation 14.4.3 Marpol Annex VI limiting sulphur content to 0.10% m/m in Emission Control Areas remains in place. In the opening weeks of 2020 there have been very few reports of enforcement action taken against vessels for non-compliance with the sulphur cap. Consequently, the transition has been smoother than expected from a port state control perspective. This is in no small amount attributable to the efforts of the key stakeholders (owners, charterers, insurers and bunker suppliers) to prepare to be compliant as of 1 January 2020. While this suggests a high level of compliance, it is only part of the picture, warns Ms Bradley, explaining that issues relating to the sulphur content of fuel, as well as the quality of some blended low sulphur fuels, are already arising. Compliance with Regulation 14.1.3 means using a fuel with a sulphur content of 0.50% m/m maximum. If the sulphur content exceeds that threshold, owners may be exposed to enforcement action. Consequently, the frequency of owners having samples tested for sulphur content has increased. Where the bunkers are found to be marginally in excess of the limit, problems are arising largely owing to the difference between Regulation 14.3.1 and most supply contracts. An on-specification supply for sulphur content will, usually, from a suppliers point of view be deemed to be up to 0.53% m/m, since that reflects the laboratory margin of confidence for testing. As a result, a time consuming and costly stand-off can occur while the sulphur content issue is resolved and decisions made regarding whether to de-bunker and obtain alternative bunkers, says Ms Bradley. In addition, over the past four weeks there have been a number of alerts issued concerning sediment issues, in particular, in low sulphur fuels supplied in Singapore, Piraeus, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Miami and San Vincente. The propensity to sediment can cause engine problems, from sludging of filters to engine damage and blackouts in the worst circumstances. Ms Bradley warns: Quality claims relating to bunkers are not a new phenomenon but, in the past, they have tended to be localised. The spread of alerts concerning sediment, suggests a potentially wider issue concerning the stability of some blended low sulphur fuel. She cautions: Liability, depending on the reasons for sedimentation, may not be straightforward. While charterparties and bunker supply contracts will contain a specification for the fuel, usually by reference to the ISO 8217 standard, some organic compounds which cause sedimentation may not be caught by the Table Two parameters (although the issue may be caught by clause 5.3 of ISO 8217). Where shipowners have devolved the responsibility to provide bunkers to the vessel to their time charterers, the time charterers obligation as a matter of English law is two-fold; (a) to provide bunkers in accordance with the contractual specification and (b) to provide bunkers which are fit for purpose. As such, if the bunkers are within specification but are causing sedimentation, or are otherwise not fit to be consumed by the vessel, owners may have recourse against their time charterers, counsels Ms Bradley, adding: The position is not necessarily the same under bunker supply contracts, particularly if there are clear provisions excluding claims relating to fitness for purpose, which can make it difficult to pursue the supplier. Hill Dickinson outlines that, from a practical point of view, the usual advice to owners applies: ensure that they have clean bunker tanks avoid co-mingling of bunkers, and monitor sampling during the supply Time charterers arranging the supply of bunkers (or owners if dealing direct with the suppliers) need to ensure that they understand the supply contract and have the time bar and sampling provisions firmly in mind in order to preserve their rights of recourse against the supplier, if available. It also warns that, while the use on board of high sulphur fuel is now impermissible unless the vessel is fitted with exhaust gas cleaning systems, high sulphur fuel may be carried until 1 March. Ms Bradley predicts: Looking ahead, enforcement action and quality issues will remain live topics as the shipping industry adjusts to the sulphur cap. The next pinch point will be 1 March 2020 when the carriage ban takes effect. Owners have a little over a month in which to arrange to de-bunker high sulphur fuel and would be best advised to start planning those operations (if not already in hand) now, so as to avoid the consequences of missing the deadline, she advises. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Megabrew is saying goodbye to one of its mega-champions. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA said late Wednesday that long-standing finance director Felipe Dutra would step down in April. Its the second big management change at the brewer in as many years. Chairman Olivier Goudet exited last year and was replaced by Martin Barrington, the former chief executive officer of tobacco company Altria Group Inc., one of AB InBevs biggest shareholders. AB InBev did not comment on why Dutra was leaving. CEO Carlos Brito said the departure was bittersweet. Dutra felt now was the right time to embark on new projects, he said, adding that his contribution was hard to overstate. Dutra has spent almost 30 years with the owner of the Budweiser, Leffe and Jupiler brands, so its not overly surprising hes moving on. He has been one of the architects, alongside Brito, of AB InBevs transformation from a Brazilian beer maker to the worlds biggest brewer. That includes the 2016 acquisition of SAB Miller, which saddled the company with more than $100 billion of net debt. AB InBev should seize the opportunity created by the transition to augment its cost-cutting prowess with a greater emphasis on sales growth. Thats as necessary as continuing to whittle away its borrowing burden. Since the creation of this megabrewer, AB InBev has been grappling with the high leverage as well as a lackluster performance, from a combination of continuing beer volume declines in the U.S., where premium and craft beers are all the rage, and difficult conditions in key emerging markets, including Brazil. Dutra has managed the debt as well as he could, with borrowings having an average maturity of 14 years, and 91% on fixed terms. He also halved the dividend in October 2018, raised gross proceeds of $5.75 billion from a listing of the companys Asia Pacific unit last year and another $11.3 billion from selling the Australian arm. Consequently, Duncan Fox of Bloomberg Intelligence estimates net debt at the end of 2019 was at just over $90 billion, and expects it to fall to about $75 billion at the end of 2020. Thats clearly an improvement, and may be another reason for Dutra to depart now while things are looking better. But it remains high. Even at the later date, borrowings would still be about 3.3 times Ebitda, well above AB InBevs long-term goal of two times. Story continues To really bring down leverage, AB InBev needs to lift profit, which is hardly forecast to move in 2019 and 2020, according to the Bloomberg consensus of analysts estimates. That begs for efforts not only to control costs, which Dutra excelled at, but to boost sales growth, especially from elevating the amount of beer sold, not just raising prices. This is particularly necessary in the North American beer market, which accounts for about 30% of sales and profit, where volumes must be stabilized. Indeed, the change of finance director needs to usher in a new era at AB InBev, where it achieves a better balance between its legendary cost management and spending to turbocharge its brands including the flagship Budweiser, faster-growing Michelob Ultra and its selection of carbonated alcoholic beverages known as hard seltzers. AB InBev appears to know this. Brito says new finance director Fernando Tennenbaums role will be to support top-line growth through both financial management and investment as well as continuing to bring down debt. The change of guard may signal further developments as well. First, large scale M&A, already unlikely given the borrowing burden, is probably off the agenda for now, as the new finance director settles in. And while Britos succession may be some way off, given the two recent changes at the top, the appointment of Tennenbaum, as well as David Almeida as chief strategy and technology officer, appears to set the backdrop for this process. Still, if there is one more thing that Megabrew excels at, its unleashing a mega-surprise on investors. To contact the author of this story: Andrea Felsted at afelsted@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Melissa Pozsgay at mpozsgay@bloomberg.net This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Andrea Felsted is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering the consumer and retail industries. She previously worked at the Financial Times. 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. Amid the ongoing protest at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act, people from all religions offered prayers here on Thursday. The event was aimed to end the atmosphere of "fear and violence" that is prevailing in the country and to send out a message of communal solidarity. People from all religions - Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism and Christianity participated in the event. We are united against those who are trying to divide the country, people said. Sultan Sheikh, a Muslim, was dressed as a Sikh man. "Our Prime Minister talks about recognising someone from the attire. I want him to recognise to which religion I belong," he said, adding that don't try to divide our country. We are united and will live together. Sant Yuvraj, a follower of Hinduism, said: "We are doing this for the unity and solidarity of the country. All religions are united here. No one should consider Shaheen Bagh as a demonstration of Muslims. Sikh people are chanting Gurbani here while Christians are reading Bible along with Muslims who are reading 'aayats' from Quran and I am performing a 'havan' as a Hindu sant. Even this 'havan' has been organised by all the people irrespective of their religion". Alexander Fleming, a Christian, said: "This event doesn't belong to any political party, and the Citizenship Amendment Act introduced by the government is against the Muslims". Vodafone in November wrote off the carrying value of its share in the loss-making joint venture London: British telecom major Vodafone on Wednesday said it has sought waiver of interest and penalty from statutory dues demand raised by the government from Vodafone Idea and a time of 10 years to pay only the principal amount with a two-year moratorium. The Supreme Court in October upheld the demand raised by the government from telecom operators to pay levies on the revenues earned by them. Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL), in which Vodafone holds 45.39 percent stake, 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, and has already warned of shutdown if no relief is given. "Specifically, we have requested an immediate two-year moratorium on spectrum payments, lowering of licence fees and taxes, waving off interest and penalties on the AGR (adjusted gross revenue) case and ability to make the payment on principal over 10 years with a 2-year moratorium," Vodafone Chief Executive Officer Nick Read said during investors presentation. In January, the Supreme Court rejected the review petition filed by VIL and other industry participants in relation to the AGR judgment. Both VIL and Bharti Airtel have subsequently filed modification petitions to request the court to order the Department of Telecommunications to determine a payment schedule in relation to AGR dues and other reliefs. VIL is actively seeking various forms of relief from the Centre to ensure that the rate and level of payments it makes to the government is sustainable and it can meet its other commitments also. "Following the AGR ruling of the Supreme Court, the situation in India is critical. The telecom industry in India has asked the government to take action urgently in order to support the continuation of three (private operators) plus one (public firm) player market," Read said. India business 'remains critical' says Vodafone's Global CEO Nick Read; adds that co is actively seeking various forms of relief from the indian Govt on the AGR issue CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18Live) February 5, 2020 Vodafone in November wrote off the carrying value of its share in the loss-making joint venture. Read reiterated that there is no change in the Vodafone position announced in November and the company will not inject any additional capital in the Indian market. He said procedural delay in the merger of Indus Towers with Bharti Infratel is putting Vodafone Idea under "incredible strain". Bharti Infratel and Vodafone India hold 42 percent stake each in Indus Towers. VIL holds an 11.15 percent stake in the mobile tower firm which it plans to sell off once the merger is complete. Bharti Infratel on 24 December had extended the deadline for the second time for the merger with Indus Towers by two more months to 24 February, as it did not receive the necessary government approval. Bharatiya Janata Party MP Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday invoked the reference of Shaheen Bagh protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Parliament while asserting that the days of 'Mughal Raj' is not far away for Delhi if 'patriotic Indians don't stand up'. He was participating in a debate on Motion of Thanks on the President's address in Lok Sabha. Referring to the protest at Shaheen Bagh against the CAA, the MP representing Bengaluru South constituency, said, "What is happening today in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh is a stark reminder that if the majority of this country is not vigilant, the patriotic Indians do not stand up to this, the days of Mughal Raj coming back to Delhi are not far away." Later in the day, terming the Shaheen Bagh protests as a symbol of 'Islamic fanaticism' Surya tweeted, "Shaheen Bagh is a symbol of Islamic fanaticism in the garb of constitutional secularism. While the hollow opposition is indulging in lies and slander. Narendra Modi's government is moving forward with India's development story." 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. (Alliance News) - The follow is a round-up of share dealings by UK company directors and managers announced on Thursday and not separately reported by Alliance News: Van Elle Holdings PLC - Group Services Director Michael Mason sells 4.2 million shares at 50 pence each, worth GBP2.1 million, in a placing run by Peel Hunt. Following sale, representing a 5.2% stake in the geotechnical engineering firm, Mason has no Van Elle shares. Diageo PLC - Samuel Fischer, managing director of Greater China, South East Asia and Asia Pacific, sells 30,000 shares at average GBP31.39, worth GBP941,700, on Wednesday. Micro Focus International PLC - Non-Executive Chairman Designate Greg Lock and wife Rosemary Lock buy 184,300 shares at average price of 787.66p, worth GBP1.5 million. Lock, who takes the software company's chair on Friday next week, now holds 200,000 shares. Earlier this month, Micro Focus said Kevin Loosemore would step down as chair after 15 years, replaced by Lock, a former chair of Computacenter PLC. Energean Oil & Gas PLC - Non-Executive Director Efstathios Topouzoglou, via OilCo Investments Ltd, buys 34,234 shares, mostly at GBP7.542, worth GBP258,177 in total, on Monday. Last week, Topouzoglou had bought GBP310,170 in shares. XLMedia PLC - Non-Executive Director Ory Weihs buys 275,000 shares at 27.3p average price, worth GBP75,075, on Wednesday. Now holds 7.3 million shares, 3.9% of total. Victrex PLC - Chief Executive Jakob Sigurdsson buys 2,000 shares at GBP23.49, worth GBP46,972, on Thursday. Imperial Brands PLC - Chief Financial Officer Oliver Tant buys 2,200 shares at GBP18.27, worth GBP40,184, on Thursday. By Tom Waite; thomaslwaite@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. People living on the Lower North Shore, one of the most remote regions of Quebec, know what it feels like to be isolated. Only a few generations ago, letters and parcels were delivered to their small coastal towns in the winter by dog sled. Now cuts to Canada Post service have residents worried they're going backwards, jeopardizing timely access to essentials they depend on from grocery staples to mechanical parts to prescription drugs. The Crown corporation has scaled back its mail and parcel delivery pick-up and drop-off service from five times a week to three, in line with schedule changes by the local air service provider, PAL Airlines. On a coastline where the weather conditions are often unstable, in practical terms, that could mean deliveries could dwindle to once a week, warned Kimberley Buffitt, the director of programs for the Coasters Association, a citizens' committee for English-speaking people in the region. "We feel like the Canadian government that's in charge of Canada Post just brought us back to the 1920s," said Buffitt. With no permanent road connecting the communities, towns are only accessible in the winter by plane or the Route Blanche, the snowmobile highway that runs along the coast. So far this year, there hasn't been enough snow to open it. "It's ridiculous, especially where we don't have a road, and we don't have all of those services that other people have across Canada," said Buffitt. Julia Page/CBC '2nd-class citizens' Canada Post said PAL Airlines' schedule changes have left it with no choice but to reduce its deliveries and pick-ups to Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, instead of Monday to Friday. "If an issue causes the Thursday flight to be cancelled, such as bad weather or mechanical problems, we would make an attempt on the Friday," said a spokesperson for Canada Post in an emailed statement to CBC. That isn't enough for the local Bloc Quebecois MP, Marilene Gill, who argued Canada Post "must have a plan B." Story continues "People on the Lower North Shore and the Minganie aren't second-class citizens," Gill said in a statement. Postal service is even more critical to people in the region than it is for others in the rest of the province, she said. "They pay outrageous prices to have access to the service," said Gill. "This is blatantly inequitable." Gill, who represents the riding of Manicougan, said she is working with Canada Post to find solutions, and she intends to put pressure on federal Rural Economic Development Minister Maryam Monsef to underline the relevance of "this essential service." Canada Post said it "will be monitoring the schedule and mail delivery very closely over the next few weeks to ensure that we continue to provide residents with reliable postal service." Radio-Canada Never-ending wait for extension of Highway 138 News of the Canada Post service cuts comes just as political pressure is mounting on Quebec to improve transportation options for people in the region. On Tuesday, close to 200 people, including coastal town mayors, held an early morning protest that blocked the Transport Ministry office in Baie-Comeau, on the North Shore, 420 kilometres northeast of Quebec City. The group behind that protest, Coalition 138, is demanding to know when the extension of Highway 138 will be finished and what's happened to plans for a bridge across the mouth of the Saguenay River near Tadoussac. Later the same day, dozens of communities on the Lower North Shore held a regional video conference to discuss how to get the government to address their needs. Julia Page/CBC Roderick Fequet, the mayor of Bonne-Esperance, a municipality of 700, called the meeting unprecedented and a "historic moment," only made possible by the new high-speed Internet network now being rolled out throughout the region. "Finally the Lower North Shore is getting a digital highway, which is critical for our future development," he said. "Unfortunately, the physical highway is still not being built." Calls for the completion of Highway 138, which now ends in Kegaska, Que., 370 kilometres shy of Bonne-Esperance, have gone unanswered for decades, said Fequet. That isolation has led to "the erosion" of essential services, he said, which he believes will only get worse unless the federal and provincial governments step in and make significant investments. "People are fighting for their lives," Fequet said on CBC Quebec's Breakaway. That might sound alarming, he said, but Fequet has seen the region's population shrivel by half down to around 5,000 residents. "The populations of the Lower North Shore will decline to a degree that other government services will not be viable to be maintained such as airports, clinics, hospitals and maritime transport." "I'm afraid the outlook for us is is rather bleak, and people are very concerned." (Newser) A baby in China was born with coronavirusthe first case so far of suspected mother-to-child transmission, the New York Daily News reports. State media says the newborn's mother tested positive for the pneumonia-like virus before having the baby in Wuhan, which is ground zero for the outbreak. Chinese officials say the coronavirus has sickened over 24,000 and killed almost 500 in China, where authorities have locked down multiple cities. Over 20 other countries have reported cases, but there are only two fatalities off China's mainland: one in the Philippines and one in Hong Kong. In related news: story continues below The case is mostly affected adults in China, but children might be getting a lighter form of the illness. "My strong, educated guess is that younger people are getting infected, but they get the relatively milder disease," a Hong Kong doctor tells the New York Times. Scientists say children may be getting the infection without showing outward symptoms. The past 24 hours have seen the highest rise yet of coronavirus in China, with officials reporting 3,887 cases and 65 fatalities, per the Hill. The World Health Organization says there are 191 cases across 24 countries; all are either close to someone in Wuhan or another confirmed case. A Wisconsin patient on Wednesday marks the 12th coronavirus case in America since the first was recorded on January 24, Business Insider reports. State health officials say the patient had "a history of travel to Beijing" and add that the risk of contracting the virus in Wisconsin "is very low." A Canadian forced a passenger plane to fly back to Toronto by standing up with a camera and claiming he didn't "feel too well" after his return from Hunan province. "Well, it was really just to create a viral video," the man, James Potok, told the CBC. Potok, who wasn't really ill, was charged with mischief and breach of recognizance. (Read more coronavirus stories.) 404731 04: (EDITORAL USE ONLY, COPYRIGHT COLUMBIA PICTURES) Director Sam Raimi (C), actors Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst talk on the set of the movie "Spider-Man". (Photo by Columbia Pictures/Getty Images) In news that has got Marvel fans fizzing with excitement, Sam Raimi is reportedly set to direct the Doctor Strange sequel. According to Variety, the Evil Dead creator is in talks with the Disney-owned studio, and would take over the reigns from Scott Derrickson, who helmed the first Doctor Strange movie. Derrickson departed the project last month, but will remain an executive producer on the sequel. Filming is to begin in May, but Raimi would be a safe pair of hands in the MCU he is credited with launching the current phase of big screen superhero movies. Read more: Scarlet Witch is pregnant in WandaVision? He helmed Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 for Marvel in 2002, 2004 and 2007, when Tobey Maguire was in the suit. However, after his final Spider-Man movie, in which Peter Parker took on the Sandman, as well as James Franco's Green Goblin and Topher Grace's Venom, his pace slowed considerably. Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange (Credit: Marvel/Disney) Since then, he's only directed horror movie Drag Me To Hell in 2009 and Wizard of Oz prequel Oz the Great and Powerful with Franco in 2013. Hes been a prolific producer though, and was behind horror hits such as 2013s Evil Dead reboot, 2015s Poltergeist remake, and the hugely popular Dont Breathe which will be getting a sequel soon. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will bring back Benedict Cumberbatch's Stephen Strange to the MCU, after appearances in the first Doctor Strange movie in 2016, and then in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Director Sam Raimi arrives for the UK gala premiere of Spider-Man 2 at the Odeon Leicester Square, in central London. Benedict Wong's character Wong and Chiwetel Ejiofor's Karl Mordo are also expected to return, while Elizabeth Olsen's Scarlet Witch is said to have a role too. Read more: Everything coming to Disney+ UK at launch Other reports have linked the movie's plot to that of forthcoming Marvel series Loki, with Strange and Hiddleston's Asgardian trickster having tussled in the past. The movie will open on 7 May, 2021. He stars opposite a computer-generated dog in The Call Of The Wild. But Harrison Ford looked animated himself as he delved into the upcoming film during a press conference about the film in Mexico City. The 77-year-old actor looked dapper in a suit and happy to talk about the adaptation of the classic American novel. Suited up: Harrison Ford, 77, looked dapper in a suit as he chatted about his upcoming film The Call Of The Wild during a press conference in Mexico City Harrison looked classy in his navy blue suit, which he paired with a tie-free blue and white striped shirt. The Call Of The Wild is based on the classic 1903 adventure novel written by Jack London. The story follows a St. Bernard/Scotch Collie mix named Buck who's stolen from his California home and sold up north, where he's transferred from a variety of owners, most of them abusive. The Blade Runner actor stars as John Thornton, the first human Buck meets who respects and cares for him, and the two set out to make it rich by panning for gold. Blue mood: Harrison looked classy in his navy blue suit, which he paired with a tie-free blue and white striped shirt Old school: He stars in the upcoming adaptation of the classic novel by Jack London, published in 1903 Dog eat dog: The story follows a St. Bernard/Scotch Collie mix named Buck who's stolen from his California home and sold up north, where he's transferred from multiple abusive owners Adventure: The Blade Runner actor stars as John Thornton, the first human Buck meets who respects and cares for him, and the two set out to make it rich by panning for gold The new Twentieth Century Studios adaptation is likely to tone down some of the original novel's animal abuse and violence in order to appeal to a family audience. The story's respect for nature may have inspired Harrison to get political during the discussion south of the border. He said that the US had lost its claim to 'moral leadership' on environmental policy and immigration issues. 'We need moral leadership. We've lost some of our credibility and we are anxious to regain it,' he said, according to AFP. Sanitized: The new Twentieth Century Studios adaptation is likely to tone down some of the original novel's animal abuse and violence in order to appeal to a family audience Opening up: The nature-themed film got him talking about politics. He said the US had lost its claim to 'moral leadership' on environmental policy and immigration issues 'We need a complete reform of our immigration policies,' he added. 'We need to invite people into the country, and not to keep them out. This is the history and America depends on immigration.' The actor's comments came on the same day President Donald Trump was acquitted of two impeachment charges. Harrison also expressed admiration for the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. 'I admire her role representing to young people, her courage. Also, I admire her capacity to express herself... It seems young people have a leadership role.' Principles: 'We need a complete reform of our immigration policies,' he said. 'We need to invite people into the country, and not to keep them out. This is the history and America depends on immigration' Big fan: Harrison also expressed admiration for the Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. 'I admire her role representing to young people, her courage. Also, I admire her capacity to express herself... It seems young people have a leadership role' Back at it: The actor's press conference came a day after superproducer Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that he would be returning for a fifth Indiana Jones film The actor's press conference came a day after superproducer Kathleen Kennedy confirmed that he would be returning for a fifth Indiana Jones film. 'To do another Indiana Jones movie, it seems like a good idea, if we had a good script and I believe we are very close to have the script that we really want, so I am excited about the idea,' Ford said. Steven Spielberg, who directed the previous four films, will return to direct, and Kennedy confirmed that the film will be a continuation of the series with Ford, not just a reboot. Disney currently has a release date set for July 9, 2021. Prince Andrew is once again under a lot of pressure. The alleged victims of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are asking the Duke of York to talk with the FBI in the U.S. They believe that his close relationship with the billionaire pedophile will open doors to strengthen their case against Epstein. One With Harry Dunn Radd Seiger, the spokesperson for the family of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn, said that they have spoken to Lisa Bloom, the lawyer representing six of the victims of Jeffrey Epstein. They believe that there is a common thread between the two cases. Bloom said that they have found parallels between the two cases that involved everyday teenagers who have fallen victims. She described the details as "eerie." "Today we stand with the family of Harry Dunn and they stand with us. Both Prince Andrew and Ms. Sacoolas should cooperate with the law to find a resolution to this matter," Bloom said. The lawyer also asked the U.S. government to return Sacoolas to the U.K. to face the courts there so that justice may be served. Above The Law Seiger, on the other hand, though it would have been terrible if both Sacoolas and the royal prince were advised to simply wait it out because it will go away on its own. Sacoolas was charged with dangerous driving that caused Harry Dunn's death. Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, rejected an extradition request made last month. The 19-year old was killed when his motorcycle crashed outside a U.S. military base in Northamptonshire in August of last year. Sacoolas, the wife of a U.S. intelligence officer based at RAF Croughton, claimed immunity after the crash and fled to America. Prince Andrew, on the other hand, has been accused of being involved in the sex trafficking activities of Jeffrey Epstein. His accuser Virginia Giuffre claimed that she was trafficked by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Virginia claimed to have sexual relations with the royal on three different occasions, including the first one when she was only 17 -- considered a minor under the U.S. law. The Duke of York has denied all allegations, saying he does not recall ever meeting Giuffre. He also added that at the time Giuffre alleged they were engaged in sexual activities, he was with his daughter Beatrice. At the press conference in New York, Bloom urged the royal to answer the questions about Jeffrey Epstein and his own behavior where he can be seen as an equal in the eyes of the law. Seiger admitted that he reached out to Bloom after realizing the common thread between the two cases. He believes that it is about "the evasion of justice." The spokesperson of the Dunn family added that "no one should be above the law." People break rules from time to time, but nobody should be able to walk away from it or simply hide. Furthermore, Seiger urged Prince Andrew to come and answer the questions of the FBI. "If you have nothing to hide, then come and meet the victims of Epstein. Help them," he said. The discussions on President Donald Trump's visit to India are on with the US side, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. "We are in discussions with the US side," MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said when asked about Trump's visit to India. At a poll rally last week, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said Trump will visit the Sabarmati Riverfront in the state during his India trip in February. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indian miner Adani has been fined $20,000 for giving the Queensland government false or misleading information about land clearing. The company pleaded guilty to the offence in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Thursday after the state Environment Department charged it last year over clearing at its controversial Carmichael mine site in 2018. It's the first criminal conviction against Adani in Australia. Credit:Michael Chambers The case relates to information in Adani's 2017-2018 annual return for the central Queensland mine, with the department accusing the miner of failing to report a disturbance area of more than 5.8 hectares. It's the first criminal conviction against Adani in Australia, and possibly the world. A Curious History of Sex by Kate Lister (Unbound, 25) How did the oldest word in the English language for a vagina manage to become the most offensive? This is one of the first questions Kate Lister, a lecturer at Leeds Trinity specialising in the history of sex, and founder of a website called The Whores Of Yore, investigates. What did c**t do wrong? she asks, pointing out that medieval literature is awash with c**ts. She wants us to reclaim the word, if only because the more neutral-sounding vagina, which first cropped up in the 17th century, derives from the Latin for sheath or scabbard, so to have meaning and function it requires a penis. The same goes for whore. From the 12th century, it was a term of abuse for a sexually unchaste woman, and by the 17th century, husbands whose wives had been called whores could bring slander cases against the womens accusers. By 1817 however, British law ruled that such accusations were no longer actionable, and today, Lister tells us, it is being reclaimed by sex workers in the same way that the once offensive term queer has now been reclaimed by some of the gay community. From here, Lister moves swiftly on to a brief history of the clitoris and the endless efforts by Western doctors to understand and fix it. The word seems to have come into use in the 16th century, but the organ itself was identified long before that, obviously, and not, as some nitwits have claimed, as recently as 1992. The ancient Egyptians may have practised a version of FGM, while Soranus of Ephesus, a 2nd-century gynaecologist in Alexandria, claimed that excessively large clitorises were a deformity and a source of shame and should be removed with a scalpel. The anti-masturbation advocate and cornflake inventor John Harvey Kellogg likewise recommended burning the clitoris out with carbolic acid to dampen desire, while Alfred Kinsey suggested that performing clitoral hoodectomies could enhance orgasm. Interestingly Lister has relatively little to say about the widespread practice of FGM today, devoting barely a page to it, but then she also has a bit of an agenda, announced at the start. Our ancestors had little understanding of gender fluidity and understood gender as binary and biologically determined, she writes, as if all of humanity up until now had simply got it wrong. For the purposes of this book, she continues, that however offensive to modern ears it may sound, women are defined as having vulvas and men as having penises, even though today we know that some women have c**ts and some do not, just as some men do and some do not. Right! She has gathered together vast amounts of seemingly random material from many continents, cultures and centuries; the bibliography alone is more than 40 pages long. Lister romps her way through masturbation, menstruation and prostitution, the invention of condoms, the use of vibrators to cure hysteria and much more. Pornography and the penis get less of a look in, while her asides on the current trend for removing pubic hair verge on preachy: Its your hair and I fully support whatever you want to do with it. But this is what I want you to think about The parts of the book, especially the first few chapters, are better than its sum, and Listers tone, which veers between po-faced political correctness and smutty innuendo, is curiously unerotic. Still, the illustrations, especially the Victorian photos of naked ladies using root vegetables as dildos and, shock horror, a black man sodomising a white man dressed as a prelate, are glorious. KL Strange Antics by Clement Knox Some subjects are so big theyre quite unwieldy. The publishers of Strange Antics proclaim it to be a brilliantly original history, the first of its kind, exploring seduction in all its incarnations. There may be good reasons, though, why no such comprehensive study has been attempted before. How can such immense tracts of past human experience be brought into manageable shape? Clement Knox is confident that he has the answer. The unit of measurement for the history of seduction is that strange and powerful thing, the seduction narrative. The basic claim of this book is that the seduction narrative is a product of the modern world and serves as a vehicle for the exploration of modern values, modern experiences and modern concerns. The story is modern because seduction is fundamentally a conflict between reason and passion and therefore a product of the Enlightenment. With this rather rough-hewn and rickety structure in place to hold up the marquee of the book, as he fancifully calls it, Knox proceeds to fill his big tent with potted biographies. His starting point is Samuel Richardson, whose great epistolary novels Pamela: or, Virtue Rewarded (1740), in which the heroine reforms and marries her would-be seducer, and Clarissa: or the History of a Young Lady (1748), in which he rapes her and she dies, were the moment when the Western world fell in love with the novel. Seduction was a problem born of modernity, and Richardson was the first modern to recognise it as such, concludes Knox, happy to find his own thesis thus confirmed. A little biography of Casanova follows (seduction as a game which both parties played and whose consequences both parties suffered). Then he recounts the development of rationalist notions of free love through the lives of Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley and Claire Clairmont. A fragment of a memoir of her relations with Byron and Shelley, written by Clairmont in old age, was discovered in the New York Public Library only a few years ago. It is even now a powerful document, composed with the intention of demonstrating from actual facts, what evil passion free love assured, what tenderness it dissolves; how it abused affections that should be the solace and balm of life, into a destroying scourge The age of free love was over, summarises Knox, a 30-year-old London bookseller whose debut this is. Then, rather randomly, there come lives of the black American boxer Jack Johnson, who outraged public opinion in the 1900s by his open relationships with sporty white women, and of Bram Stoker, creator of the evil seducer Count Dracula. The book ends with a chapter balefully contemplating contemporary sexual liberation and the sorry state of seduction narratives today. Love did not become free, it became cheap, he says, deploring the unequal dynamics of online dating and the cynicism of the pick-up artists. He is much impressed with the prophetic insight of Michel Houellebecq that sexual liberalism results in unprecedented misery: In a totally liberal sexual system certain people have a varied and exciting erotic life; others are reduced to masturbation and solitude. In an afterword, he acknowledges that he wrote this book in the era of #MeToo but he is sceptical that any resort to brute legislative and bureaucratic force will offer a solution to the underlying crisis, the wreckage of our social and emotional existences that has come with the commodification of desire. We are living isolated, atomised existences, sundered from any kind of larger community, he laments. Still, you can always hope for a card, cant you? DS Future-proof your sex life or forget it altogether? Mind the Gap by Dr Karen Gurney Gurney draws on her experience as a Harley Street psychologist and psychosexologist to explain why women have 30 per cent fewer orgasms than men but neednt; the extent to which we are conditioned from an early age, as well as by the media and the porn industry, to have unrealistic expectations of sex; why younger people dont prioritise it and how honest conversations with yourself as well as your partner, rather than red roses and lingerie, are the key. Lots of nuggets. KL Why Sex Doesnt Matter by Olivia Fane Sex isnt all its cracked up to be these days, says Olivia Fane. Sex is just a biological urge, nothing more, nothing less There are other aspects to our human lives which are so much sweeter, so much more life-affirming. Twice married and the mother of five, she has no time for it at all and even feels she has been abused by the dominant ideology of the day: that sex is important and profound and you are obliged to join in. Extremely articulate, argumentative and allusive, shes also unexpectedly confessional about her distaste. The case against, firmly stated. DS Love is the Drug by Brian D Earp & Julian Savulescu While falling in love releases natural hormones, two US ethicists make the case for using the psychoactive substance in drugs like MDMA and other psychedelics to improve or get over relationships, deal with past trauma and even suppress sexual feelings if required. Falling in love is an act of will, they argue, not something that just happens randomly, and to keep things sweet requires discipline, hard work and maybe drugs. Challenging and a bit academic. KL Wheres My Happy Ending? by Anna Whitehouse and Matt Farquharson Following on from the success of their best-selling book Parenting The Sh*t Out Of Life, journalists and hosts of the award-winning podcast Dirty Mother Pukka have co-written another sort of relationship manual, as entertaining as it is instructive. Still together after 12 years, with two children and busy lives, they sometimes wonder how they manage to carry on liking each other, let alone have sex. A lot rests on being able to say sorry and being kinder. Surprisingly funny and touching. The student at the helm of a class-action lawsuit against Niagara College says a settlement Thursday should empower vulnerable international students to stand up for themselves. This has set a great precedent that will benefit future international students in Canada, an emotional Anish Goyal told Justice Paul M. Perell after the Ontario Superior Court of Justice approved a settlement between the college and its international graduates. Some of those students were forced to leave the country in 2015 and had their immigrant dreams shattered when Canadian immigration officials rejected their work permit applications because their credits were earned through Niagara Colleges online courses though the government later reversed some of the refusals. I wish to thank Canada and all Canadians for being welcoming to international students. Also, to God for empowering me to help so many students. This situation has affected my life in ways that are irreparable by money. We settled this lawsuit mostly to ensure that we dont burden the already overburdened courts of Canada and its colleges, Goyal told Justice Perell. International students are here to be a positive part of Canada. I am sure every international student is here to work hard and be a better part of this society, he said. Problems are part of every system. Important is its willingness to help. According to the settlement terms, the college has offered to compensate each student between $7,500 and $20,000, depending on their circumstances. At least 100 former international graduates from the colleges general arts and science program have been identified as part of the lawsuit, but the number of members could reach as many as 500 as the legal action initially indicated. The students had alleged the school and its representatives misled them to believe that by completing the mostly online general arts and science diploma transfer program, after finishing a year of graduate or postgraduate schooling in Canada, they would qualify for a three-year work permit. But they later learned the four-month Niagara College program didnt meet the immigration departments work permit requirements because the program was considered distance learning. Without a permit, students must leave the country after graduation. Price of Admission, an ongoing joint investigation by the Toronto Star and the St. Catharines Standard, looked at the exponential growth of international students, particularly in the Ontario college system, and its impacts on Canadas immigration and education systems. The series found the influx has resulted in governments, recruiters, academic institutions and employers directly, and indirectly, profiting from international students, who are willing to pay hefty tuition fees and, in some cases, put up with abuse and exploitation, for the dream of making a life in Canada. Goyal, who has a background in IT project management from India, is still in the process of settling permanently in Canada after ultimately receiving a three-year work permit. He and other members of the class action are bound by a gag order not to speak with the media as part of the settlement terms. However, in the public court, the now 31-year-old lead litigant said he had learned from the hardships he endured and will use the experience and strength he acquired to build a future in Canada. As a gesture of peace and gratitude, I have decided to donate all the money I will receive from the lawsuit to charitable cause, said the Brampton man. (I) hope that no public sentiment is hurt by our (legal) actions. Noting that the court appreciated the settlement and expression of thanks from Goyal, Justice Perell replied: It is honourable the good deed you are doing. It is also appreciated. Thursdays settlement covers international students who graduated from the general arts and science diploma transfer program between Sept. 1, 2013 and Aug. 31, 2016 and who were initially denied a three-year post-graduation work permit due to distance learning. Some of those students subsequently reapplied for and were granted permits while others were turned down after reapplying. Those who qualify for the class-action settlement must contact the law firm Thomson Rogers with supporting documents by April 6. While class members who meet the requirements will be compensated, those who object to the settlement terms must opt out before that date. Justice Perell also approved total fees of approximately $950,750 to the students lawyers from the compensation settlement, in addition to $250,000 in legal fees, disbursements and applicable taxes from Niagara College. The college declined to comment on the court settlement. An unprecedented influx of hundreds of Hindu families from Pakistan crossing over to the Indian side in the last few weeks from the Wagha-Attari border in Punjab has taken place post the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). What is intriguing is that, unlike routine tourists, all these groups of Hindu families have entered Punjab walking all the way through the border over the weeks with assorted bundled up belongings loaded on them. According to sources, in excess of 200 such Hindu families have entered Punjab after CAA was implemented. Most of these Hindu visitors carried loosely tied clothes and other belongings wrapped up in sheets as they walked their way into Punjab. These Hindu visitors have moved in with valid visitor visas. The influx of so many Hindu families in groups at the time the CAA was being implemented has given rise to speculations that these visitors might choose to stay put in India. However, all this will be clear only on the expiry of their visas. While the cut-off date to be eligible for Indian citizenship under the new citizenship law is December 31, 2014, Hindus and other religious identities included in the new Act are hopeful of availing benefits of the CAA sooner or later. The sudden influx of Hindu families through the India-Pakistan border has surprised security agencies who maintain that the arrival of these visitors with much of their belongings started around mid-December. All the hundreds of Hindu families have one or the other known contact on the Indian side to visit. While it may be premature to infer anything on the intent behind the movement, the next move of these Hindu visitors on the expiry of visas will be keenly watched. Congress-ruled Punjab was the first northern state and second in the country after Kerala to pass a resolution asking the Centre to reconsider the CAA. There are pockets in Punjab where Sikhs and Hindus, who had crossed over from Pakistan to Punjab decades ago, have settled. These scores of Sikh and Hindu families from Pakistan initially rejoiced after the new bill was passed, but now are unsure of their fate of citizenship with Punjab deciding not to implement the CAA. Mitt Romney was a staunch, aggressive NeverTrump, right up until he needed President Trump's endorsement when he ran for senator in Utah in 2018. Despite Mitt's nastiness, Trump gracefully gave him that endorsement. Mitt responded like the scorpion he is, immediately turning around and stinging Trump during the impeachment process. The first article of impeachment against Trump was for the hitherto unknown wrongdoing called "abuse of power." It represents no legal standard, and the proceedings in the House made it clear that "abuse of power" really meant that Trump was conducting foreign policy in a way that offended Democrats. Investigating criminal wrongdoing by a past vice president is not an impeachable offense, even if it involves wrongdoing in a foreign country. Still, that wasn't enough for Mitt. Nor did it matter to Mitt that, just a week ago, he insisted that there was not enough evidence to convict Trump unless he was able to hear from additional witnesses, especially Mitt's partner in spitefulness, John Bolton. "I, of course, will make a final decision on witnesses after we've heard from not only the prosecution, but also the defense," Romney told reporters. "But I think at this stage, it's pretty fair to say that John Bolton has a relevant testimony to provide to those of us who are sitting in impartial justice." Impartial? Really? Romney was champing at the bit to remove Trump from office, and that's precisely what he did. Romney was the only Republican to side with the Democrats in the impeachment hearings, voting to convict Trump as to the first article of impeachment. Trump responded with predictable and appropriate savagery: Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election. Read the Transcripts! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2020 It wasn't just Trump who was disgusted with Mitt's conduct, though. The Utah GOP specifically disavowed what Mitt did: The Utah Republican Party is pleased to see President Trump completely acquitted by the United States Senate. We appreciate the service rendered to our state by Utahs two senators. As a party, we strongly disagree with the vote cast today by Senator Romney. UtahGOP (@UtahGOP) February 5, 2020 We stand firmly behind our President, whose policies have created unprecedented levels of American prosperity. The impeachment effort has served only to distract America from the serious issues we face, and in November voters will hold Democrats accountable for this distraction. UtahGOP (@UtahGOP) February 5, 2020 Unexpectedly, Mitt's fellow Utah Senator, Mike Lee, who has not always been a fan of President Trump, also rebuked Mitt's conduct. Lee did not name names, but it was manifest that he was speaking to Mitt and calling him "wrong. Very wrong." Congratulations @realDonaldTrump. Im looking forward to your next five years in office. Those who voted to remove you were wrong. Very wrong. Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) February 5, 2020 Rick Gorka, who was Mitt's press secretary during the 2012 presidential campaign that Mitt lost, said Mitt is suffering from "bitterness and jealousy." Mitt knows he'll always be an also-ran, while Trump, another New York businessman, won: I believe Mitt Romney is motivated by bitterness and jealously that @realDonaldTrump accomplished what he has failed to do multiple times. His desire to pander to the chattering class has gotten the best of him...again. Rick Gorka (@Rick_Gorka) February 5, 2020 These are the same people that hated Mitt in 2012 and they will hate him again when they are done with him. It is sad to see that Mitt has not learned the lessons from 2012. Now he has betrayed his Party and millions of voters. Rick Gorka (@Rick_Gorka) February 5, 2020 Donald Trump, Jr. echoed this belief namely, that Mitt's embittered because he failed while Trump won: Mitt Romney is not principled and he never has been https://t.co/S3VOKDROlP Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 6, 2020 Naturally, there are deeper theories circulating. It's a fact that one of Romney's top advisers during his presidential run was on Burisma's board along with Hunter Biden: According to web archives, top Mitt Romney adviser Joseph Cofer Black, who publicly goes by "Cofer Black," joined Burisma's board of directors while Hunter Biden was also serving on the board. According to The New Yorker, Hunter joined Burisma's board in April of 2014 and remained on it until he declined to renew his position this past May. Meanwhile, according to Burisma's website, Black was appointed in February of 2017 and continues to serve on its board. The timelines would indicate that Black and Biden worked together at Burisma, and indeed, web archives from late 2017 show Black and Biden listed simultaneously on the board. The operative theory is that Romney has somehow implicated himself in Ukrainian business dealings and is taking out insurance against being investigated. That is, from here on out, if he's investigated, he can contend that it's payback for his vote rather than a legitimate investigation. We're disinclined to believe that Romney was motivated by anything that complicated. It's enough to know that he's a disloyal, self-centered, petty man who will always put himself ahead of country. Some residents of 235 Gosford Blvd. are worried about where theyll live nearly four months after a fatal fire forced them out of their North York apartment building. At least 29 units in the residential tower hit by the five-alarm fire last November wont be habitable for at least a year, according to a letter from Ronkay Management, the buildings landlord. The letter, sent to residents in the affected units on Jan. 29, advised tenants that have not already planned to relocate permanently to commence the process of seeking out replacement rental accommodation immediately. Vanessa Watkins was devastated when she received the letter. Watkins has rented for the past 16 years in the building near Jane Street and Shoreham Drive. She pays less than $1,300 a month for a two-bedroom apartment that she shares with her daughter. Theyve been staying with a relative since the Nov. 15 fire. Finding a permanent place that fits her budget has proven difficult. Weve been looking around and rent now is anywhere between $1,800 to $2,500 for a two bedroom, Watkins said. Who can afford to pay that? I dont know what to do next. The fire displaced about 354 residents and left one person dead and six others injured. Many stayed at community centres in the area, as well as a shelter at York University, until they were moved on Nov. 29. Ronkey Management said the building has a total of 131 rental units, and the majority of people who were originally displaced by the fire have already been welcomed back. For the families in the 29 units that remain uninhabitable, only seven have either found a new home at other locations run by the company or moved on by their own accord. Management also said displaced people are given first priority if any rental spaces become available at the same building or other properties under the same ownership and management, and stay at their current rental rates for comparable units. Selina Manu, another displaced resident from one of the affected units, has been staying in a hotel since the fire. She has lived in the building for the last 15 years with her children, mother and two siblings, in a two-bedroom apartment they rent for $1,200 a month. She was among the residents who saw last weeks letter about seeking new accommodations notice from management, but shes determined to keep her lease. You cant just kick me and my family out, I have no place to go, she told the Star. Ronkey, in a statement to the Star, emphatically denied seeking to terminate anyones tenancy. The letter was sent to ensure that they had all the information they needed to make the best decision for themselves and their families, the statement said, clarifying the letter was not an eviction notice. We feel that the work will take too long to wait for the units, and that clients should have the opportunity to find a permanent housing solution. Landlords have a legal obligation to provide and maintain housing for their tenants, and that responsibility doesnt go away just because there has been a mass evacuation, said Geordie Dent, executive director of the Federation of Metro Tenants Associations. He said landlords can force only their way out of a tenancy agreement if a building is completely burned to the ground, which was not the case at Gosford. In this case, as long as the landlord hasnt gone out to issue eviction notices, tenants should know its not serious, Dent noted. Advising tenants on how long the reconstruction process will take and giving them the option to break the lease is common practice for landlords dealing with mass displacement. Property management at 650 Parliament St., where about 1,500 residents have been out since a six-alarm fire in August 2018, has also advised people to consider breaking their leases and moving on if they cant wait for the completion of repairs. As a return date nears for the St. James Town residential tower, management has said that residents in nearly 100 units have taken up the offer and moved on. But Dent said the line between advice and coercion can be a thin one in these matters. The law doesnt allow landlords to coerce people. Thats a violation of the Residential Tenancies Act, he said, urging Gosford residents to get legal opinion on whether what the landlord is doing is simple advice or veiled coercion. If your landlord is trying to coerce you, you can take them to court for that. Theres no word on how long exactly the reconstruction process will take at Gosford, but management estimates it will cover all of 2020 and possibly beyond, and the cost will be in millions. There are still many unknowns but we are doing our best to make sure our community has all the information we have, the buildings management said in its statement to the Star. As we move forward, and more details become clear, we will continue to share them, as we have throughout this process. Toronto lawyer Caryma Sad, who has been representing the displaced residents at the Landlord and Tenant Board, said last weeks letter was unsettling for tenants who are already going through difficult times. Its possible to read that and think that its already a final decision, in fact nothing formal has happened yet, she said, noting only the board can approve a decision on tenant evictions. At the board, Sad hopes to negotiate a rent abatement for all the displaced residents including those who have since returned in their units as well as alternative accommodation for those still fending for themselves. Meanwhile, a number of health and safety concerns were raised after tenants of 26 units were allowed to move back into the complex in late December. For that reason, Sad and the residents are demanding the disclosure of the investigation into the cause of the fire and subsequent restoration process, as well as a another inspection of the building to ensure its safe to live in. Many tenants who moved back into the residential complex were dismayed to find that their apartments had not been cleaned. There were reports of soot on walls and the distinct smell of smoke. Tenants had to clean their units themselves, at their own expense, a pending application for a hearing at the board indicates. Tenants have observed contractors appearing to paint over smoke-stained walls and charred ceiling, as well as plaster new drywall on top of damaged surfaces. This presents a latent but potentially severe health risk. Similarly, some tenants have reported seeing mould beneath the parquet flooring that was simply covered up. The application also notes that some air quality tests were taken after tenants had moved back in. But a letter management sent out ahead of the move-in last December indicated the tenants were made aware of hazards in the building. Tenants acknowledge that they are entering a property that has been the subject of a serious fire and that there may be hazards and other as yet unknown health and safety risks, read part of the letter. Tenants acknowledge that they are entering and being permitted entry to the property wholly at their own risk. With files from Margaryta Ignatenko and Ilya Banares General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu says top officials of NPP are not involved in galamsey as being speculated by the National Democratic Congress (NDC). He said the Akufo-Addo led government will not tolerate any degradation of the environment by galamsey operators. John Boadu stressed that the accusations by Sammy Gyamfi is false and frivolous. All the accusations by Sammy Gyamfi is complete propaganda and are not based on facts. I have never been involved in galamsey and I will never do that, is never true some NPP officials are involved in illegal mining to raise fund to support their campaign for the 2020 elections, those allegations are completely false, John Boadu told Kwaku Dawuro on Pae Mu Ka on Accra-based Kingdom FM 107.7 Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, 6 February 2020, the Director of Communications of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi said the missing excavators saga is a scheme by Mr. Akufo-Addo to allow NPP bigwigs to go back into galamsey to create wealth for themselves. He said: This galamsey scandal is the result of a grand scheme set up by President Akufo-Addo himself to enrich NPP officials to finance the New Patriotic Party. This is the reason he populated the Anti-Galamsey committees with top NPP officials like Ekow Ewusi, Charles Bissue among others. It is now crystal clear, that after spending millions of taxpayers money on the Inter-Ministerial Committee Against Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Galamstop, Operation Vanguard and other activities, and after killing and maiming several young Ghanaians, certain top officials of the Akufo-Addo government have teamed up with officials of the NPP to callously takeover the illicit galamsey trade, despite its deleterious effects on our environment and human lives. In the past, certain political figures have been accused of owning mine concessions and engaging in illegal mining activities. He said considering the staggering number of Ghanaians who are involved in galamsey, the NPP would rather regularise the operations of illegal miners to enable them to operate responsibly to earn a living. Ghanas water bodies and forests have borne the brunt of the destructive activities of the illegal miners. ---KingdomfmOnline YEREVAN. Today, the Constitution stipulates that if the constitutional amendments are not passed by the National Assembly (NA), the parliament may decide by three-fifths to put the issue to a referendum. Vahagn Hovakimyan, a member of the NA majority My Step faction, said this in a conversation with reporters in parliament today, referring to the draft constitutional amendments which stipulate that the powers of the Constitutional Court members who were elected as such before April 2018 shall be terminated.. He explained the respective tactics they have chosen. The My Step faction will not pass this constitutional amendment in the first reading and, using the power given to it by Article 202 (3) of the Constitution and by virtue of the unchangeable Article 2 of the Constitution, the matter will be submitted to a referendum. And the world has not yet invented a more democratic and legal method than a referendum." President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, the architect of a new US peace plan for the Middle East, blamed Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas for recent violence in Israel Thursday. "He does have a responsibility for it," Kushner told reporters after briefing UN Security Council members on the plan that has been rejected by the Palestinians. "He calls for days of rage in response and he said that even before he saw the plan," Kushner added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 5) Hong Kong is asking the Philippines to allow Filipino workers to return to the semi-autonomous Chinese city. The Philippines consul general in Hong Kong, Raly Tejada, said Tuesday that the citys labor minister, Law Chi-kwong, asked the government to let Filipinos return to work, effectively exempting them from the travel ban which has barred all Filipinos and Philippine permanent residents from heading to mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. Tejada said Law assured that Hong Kong is doing its best to contain and combat the coronavirus, including shuttering most of its border with mainland China. Labor officials said Tuesday that at least 300 Filipinos who work in China, Hong Kong and Macau were affected by the Philippines coronavirus travel ban. The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration has been tasked to give each stranded Filipino worker 10,000 in cash, dormitories and food. The Labor Department will also pay for their airfare if they opt to go back to their provinces. Two Filipino domestic workers are now under quarantine in Hong Kong after being in close contact with people infected with the coronavirus. Both of them are not exhibiting symptoms of infection and may leave the quarantine camp in 14 days if they remain to be asymptomatic. The Bureau of Immigration has maintained that even overseas Filipino workers are covered by the travel ban. The Philippine government expanded its travel ban to include all of mainland China and its special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau. This came following the first death of a patient infected with the coronavirus in the country. The 44-year-old Chinese man the partner of the 38-year-old Chinese woman who is the countrys first coronavirus case is also the first death due to the virus outside of mainland China. CNN Philippines Correspondent Tristan Nodalo contributed to this report. Reuters Qualcomm Inc on Wednesday detailed the first significant sales gains from a new category of chip it is selling to mobile phone makers, but also disclosed that an antitrust investigation has started around those chips. The European Union is investigating whether Qualcomm engaged in anti-competitive behavior by leveraging its market position in 5G modem chips in the radio frequency chip market, the San Diego company said on Wednesday in a regulatory filing. The disclosure comes after the company spent years battling regulators and paid billions of dollars in fines over allegations that it engaged in anticompetitive patent licensing practices. Qualcomm last year lost a case brought by the US Federal Trade Commission and remains locked in an appeal. Qualcomm supplies modem chips, also sometimes called baseband processors, that connect mobile phones to wireless data networks. But the company is also expanding into a related field called radio frequency front-end chips, which have become more complex in phones that use 5G networks. Qualcomm has been trying to persuade phone makers to buy its radio frequency chips, together with its own modem chips, rather than selecting parts from separate vendors and integrating them. Other major suppliers of radio frequency chips are Broadcom Inc, Skyworks Solutions Inc and Qorvo Inc. Qualcomm executives said on Wednesday that revenue from the radio frequency market contributed to a sales forecast that beat analyst expectations. In Wednesdays filing, Qualcomm said it was in the process of responding to a probe by the European Commission, the EUs executive branch, after it served a request for information with the company on 3 December. Qualcomm said the commission could impose a fine of up to 10 percent of its annual revenue if a violation were found. Qualcomm was fined 242 million euros by the European Commission in July last year for blocking a rival from the market about a decade ago, its second EU antitrust penalty. The Commission had also fined Qualcomm 997 million euros during 2018 for paying iPhone maker Apple to use only its chips, a tactic aimed at thwarting rivals including Intel Corp. Qualcomm has won radio frequency chip contracts with Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, Alphabet Incs Google and LG Electronics Inc, among others. Analysts said the EU investigation was unlikely to slow Qualcomms progress in the radio frequency chip market. Qualcomm has been penalized many times for anti-competitive practices. Its one of the risks of the story, said Chaim Siegel, an analyst at Elazar Advisors. They have market clout because their technology is much better than the competition. The police in Osun State on Thursday arraigned three microfinance bank staff before the Federal High Court in Osogbo over alleged N14.2 million fraud. Aderinlowo Joseph, Abosede Totomi and Oyinlola Abimbola were charged with four counts of conspiracy, computer-related crime, fraud, and theft. The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges. The prosecution counsel, F.B Osei, told the court that the defendants committed the alleged crime between December 2016 and December 2019, at Otan-Aiyegbaju area, Osun. Mr Osei said the defendants defrauded customers by hacking into the computer system of the bank and stole N14.273 million. The offence, he said, contravenes the provisions of sections 27(1)(B)(2), 13 of the Cyber Crime Provision and Prevention Act 2016 and sections 390(9) 516, of the Criminal Act C 38 of the laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. Justice Peter Lifu admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N 10 million and two sureties each in like sum. Mr Lifu ordered that the sureties must reside within the courts jurisdiction and must provide evidence of tax payments and two passports sized photographs, attached with an affidavit of means. The Judge adjourned the case until March 18 for hearing. (NAN) SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. On Friday night, blues and classic rock fans are bound to have a night to remember when Soul Sky performs at Putnam Place, the concert and event venue in downtown Saratoga Springs. Anyone old enough to remember the club and live music scene in the Capital Region in the 1970s until the early 1990s can wipe the tears from their eyes now, because your prayers have been answered. This powerhouse local band comprised of road warrior local musicians Joe Mele, Mark Emanation, Jeremy Walz, Jeff Prescott, and Tom Dolan are scheduled to perform their own originals as well as playing the music of a generation for whom the blues and rock and roll bands influenced by Robert Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Buddy Guy, and BB King still stand today as well written and unforgettable. Cultural anthems such as Cross Stills Nash and Youngs For What its Worth, Ohio and many of the British Blues masters that became a backdrop for their lives will featured in their line up. Back then, the question wasnt Where can we go to see a great live band and dance? but rather How many great bands can we fit in tonight? It should be verbalized that we are referring to rock and blues with great guitarists and drummers and plenty of room to dance. There was the Metro, the Rafters, Gaffneys, and more in Saratoga Springs, the Ale House, Rathskeller Positively 4th Street in Troy, and Allens Road House in Glenville, where Stevie Ray Vaughn once played and people are still living off the memory. We havent even mentioned the Albany clubs from that time. The following conversation is with two of the bands three guitarists, Joe Mele and Mark Emanation, as they look back over their combined love for the music and the intuitive musical relationship that results from playing together in a variety of bands as well as sharing each others major life events. Although both are of non-specified chronological age, Joes retro layered haircut, now salt and peppered, and sleepy eyed demeanor and Marks ability to verbally express their craft visually speaks to the art form as well as the years of dedication to playing until the place closes down at what used to 3 and 4 a.m. Their joy and sense of responsibility to the current generation to pass on what theyve learned communicates itself in a gratitude and realization that they grew up in a very special and unique time musically that we may never hear or see the likes of again. The conversation with Soul Sky will continue in a second part to this article in an upcoming edition. * * * Were speaking with veteran local guitarists Joe Mele and Mark Emanatian from the band Soul Sky just in advance of their Friday night at 9 p.m. gig at Putnam Place in Saratoga Springs. What were the influences on this band? Emanatian: Were a bluesy rock and roll band, with three distinctly different but complimentary guitar players and a great rhythm section. * * * Who are those guitar players? Emanatian: Joe Mele-I grew up watching Joe play in bands all over. In Jersey, in New York City, all over the country and in Europe. * * * For the aging local rockers who will remember, Joe, name a few bands you played in. Mele: Merlins Minstrels, back in the early 1970s; that turned into a band called Emerald City. From there on, I played with Mark with Ernie Williams and the Wild Cats for a good ten years, in the 1990s, and a bunch of fill in bands in between. * * * What kind of guitar do you play? Mele: A 1960 Stratocaster; an original one. * * * How about you, Mark? Emanatian: I play a Clapton Strat, a signature model and one of the early ones from 1991. Our other guitar player, Jeremy Walz, is twenty years younger. He and I are the main vocalists. Hell play a range of guitars; a Gibson Les Paul, a Strat, ones hes put together. * * * Remember Guitar Player Magazine and Melody Maker from England? Emanatian: I still look at them. Jeff Prescott is our drummer, and Jeff also sings. Our bass player is Tom Dolan. Tommy and I have been friends and close since we were 14 years old, since 1971. Joe and I have been playing together on and off since 1992. We made a lot of records with Ernie Williams, who passed away seven years ago at 84. We used to play in Saratoga a lot. Jeremy and I have been friends for years. Jeff and Jeremy, weve interplayed back and forth in all these bands together. About six years ago, Jeremy and I put this band together. * * * There was quite a club scene at that time. We talked about you guys playing at the Metro, owned by Peter Paquette, who was my 3-D Design instructor at Skidmore. There were many venues. Emanatian: We would play the Bijou, the Metro, the Parting Glass, the Horse Shoe Grill, Siros. Joe would be upstairs in the blues and jazz lounge and wed be downstairs in the rock and roll area. It was fun. * * * Just beyond that room was a disco room with a mirror ball, on the ground floor. Mele: A friend of mine, Scott McPherson opened up a recording studio on the third floor. He would run cables downstairs to the performance stages. Emanation: Ernie Williams and the Wild Cats recorded a live album there called Happy to be Anywhere because at his age, Ernie was happy to be anywhere. * * * Soul Sky will perform this Friday at Putnam Place located at 63 Putnam St.; Doors open at 9 p.m. Soul Sky will be performing at their Seventh annual Dustin Mele Memorial Concert will at Browns Revolution Hall , located at 425 River Street, in Troy on March 7 at 6 p.m. All proceeds will go to the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and Catholic Cahritied CoNSERNS-U Program. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/soulskyband/ By Trend The presentation of Japanese cuisine called "Taste of Japan" was organized in Baku by the biggest Japanese H.I.S. tour operator and the Japanese embassy in Azerbaijan, Trend reports on Feb. 5. During the presentation, the products were presented by companies such as Hagimura Seicha Limited, specializing in the production of Kabusecha, Sencha and Gyokuro tea and Matcha chocolate, as well as other companies that presented meat dishes and delicacies from wagyu beef, characterized by its marbling and high content of unsaturated fats. Besides the Japanese companies, the representatives of the local companies, in particular, Shirin confectionery factory and Herba Flora company, as well as of the Turkish branch of Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro) company also attended the event. Opening the ceremony, Head of H.I.S. companys office in Istanbul Dursun Ablat informed the participants about the activity of the company and then invited the guests to taste the refreshments. H.I.S. project manager Takasawa Naoyuki spoke about the work on promoting Japanese products in the global market, including Azerbaijan, in particular, about the assistance provided by the Azerbaijani Herba Flora company in the supply of Japanese green tea to Azerbaijan. Naoyuki stressed that the delivery of food products to the country has a number of difficulties that must be overcome. Japanese ambassador to Azerbaijan Teruyuki Katori stressed that interest in Japanese cuisine is growing in Azerbaijan, the number of sushi lovers is also growing. Nevertheless, the ambassador emphasized, Japanese cuisine has a wide range of national dishes, most of which is unknown to the Azerbaijani consumer today. In particular, Katori talked about wagyu beef products widely represented at the exhibition, among which were delicacies, salads, noodles and rice "Nigiri Zushi" ("hand-pressed sushi") with "wagyu". Yusif Aliyev, director of Shirin confectionery factory, emphasized that the factory will produce five types of Matcha chocolate, which will become a rarity not only in the Azerbaijani market, but also in the European market. Herba Flora co-chairs Rashad Aghayev and Fizuli Huseynov underlined the high level of trade relations between Azerbaijan and Japan. "For Azerbaijani consumers, Japan is primarily associated with high technologies, Aghayev said. I am sure that Azerbaijanis will feel the real Japanese quality in our tea." Director of Azerbajan's Ibio company Irana Mammadzade said that the company is engaged in the import of Japanese products, in particular, wagyu beef within the project. Japanese food products were previously imported through Russia and Europe and could not claim to be 100-percent authentic, Mammadzade added. From now on, Japanese products may be purchased directly through Ibio. Representative of the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Furuichi Vigeru said that the ministry supports the project of promoting Japanese food products in Azerbaijan, stressing that such companies as Ibio and Herba Flora play a big role in connecting the two countries in food industry. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Students from Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School traveled to Albany this week to discuss the dangers of smoking with some of Staten Islands elected officials. Students Alexis Bresler, Selena Chacon, Janayah Tolbert, Lora Panepinto, Gianna Haynes, Avraham Weisblat, and Leah Browne, along with NYC Smoke Free staff members Equisha Pierre and Elsabet Andemicael discussed the dangers of smoking combustible cigarettes, vaping, and the effects of menthol. They were able to share their personal experiences with how these products are affecting their friends and community, said Pierre, the organizations community engagement manager. The students met with State Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn), Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-Mid-Island), Assemblyman Charles Fall (D-North Shore), and the Chief of Operations for State Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island), William Matarazzo. NYC Smoke Free is a Public Health Solutions program that aims to curb tobacco use. While the dangers of traditional tobacco use have long been known, vaping and e-cigarettes have presented a new form of nicotine consumption that some worry could harm young people. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that, as of Jan. 21, more than 2,500 people have been hospitalized as a result of lung injuries associated with e-cigarettes, or vaping. Officials say 60 deaths have been confirmed as a result of those injuries. According to CDC officials, emergency department visits related to vaping and e-cigarettes have declined after spiking in August and September. Pierre said the students informed the elected officials how prevalent vaping is among their peers, and how easily accessible nicotine products are. A December media release from the CDC announced that the centers found over 6 million middle school and high school students were users of some type of nicotine product. Our Nations youth are becoming increasingly exposed to nicotine, a drug that is highly addictive and can harm brain development, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said at the time. "Youth use of any tobacco product, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe. It is incumbent upon public health and healthcare professionals to educate Americans about the risks resulting from this epidemic among our youth. Vaping proponents have argued that the products offer a safer alternative to tobacco use, and that the injuries are related to illicit vaping products used to consume THC -- the chemical compound that gives marijuana its psychoactive properties. Federal officials from the CDC and the Food and Drug Administration have not identified a specific cause, but that THC is present in most of the samples associated with cases of lung injury. In order to remove an impeached president from office, at least 67 senators must vote to convict him of the crimes with which he is charged. That was never going to happen. From the first, the House's articles of impeachment were merely a means to spend time in front of the American people impugning President Trump. Nevertheless, it was deeply satisfying to see the House Democrats' impeachment efforts go down in flames. On the first made up article of impeachment (abuse of power), 48 senators voted to convict Trump and 52 voted against convicting him. The 48 senators supporting conviction included squishy Democrats Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.), and Doug Jones (Ala.), as well as Mitt Romney, an alleged Republican from Utah. These 48 senators were a far cry from the bipartisan 67 Senators required to convict. The Democrats fared even less well when it came to the second made up article of impeachment (obstruction of Congress). This time, although the Democrats again held the party line, Mitt Romney tried to hang on to a vestige of dignity and decency by voting with the Republicans, resulting in 47 votes to convict and 43 to acquit. Once again, as a statement about impeachment, the vote was a dismal failure. With that vote, Republican Tennessee senator Marsha Blackburn, the presiding officer, ushered all the Democrat House impeachment managers out of the scene of their most recent miserably failed attempt to undo the results of the 2016 election: As the presiding officer, it was my duty to instruct the Sergeant at Arms to usher the House Impeachment Managers out of the Senate chamber. pic.twitter.com/ucdd4fRnD8 Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) February 5, 2020 The faux impeachment was not just a failure on its own terms. It was also a failure in political terms. Even as Bernie Sanders, an unrepentant hardcore socialist despite the 100 million dead bodies socialism left behind in the 20th century, is gaining momentum, the impeachment effectively exposed Joe Biden, the alleged moderate, as a deeply corrupt politician who has used his political capital to enrich his family. It doesn't help that Joe, a vicious man who's been wrong about almost every political issue since 1973, is showing signs of fatigue and possible incipient dementia. Meanwhile, with Bernie sidelined for the impeachment, he was represented by the pretty and incoherent Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose abysmal ignorance creates an effective smokescreen about the evil that is socialism. Bernie might have done less well in Iowa if he, rather than Ocasio-Cortez, had been doing his trademarked hectoring, spit-flecked stump speech. In addition to weakening their own party, the Democrats managed to enrage the American people. Outside college campuses, mainstream media newsrooms, and Hollywood cocktail parties, Americans tend to like the idea of "fair play." They were willing to give the Democrats a chance with the Russia hoax, but when that flamed out, Americans said to themselves, "Enough." They realized that the Ukraine impeachment shtick had nothing to do with justice and everything to do with gaming the 2020 election. That's not fair, they don't like it, and they threw their support behind the underdog in this charade: President Trump. That's why President Trump not despite the impeachment, but because of it has the highest approval rating of his presidency. The only question moving forward is whether impeachment is now a standard partisan tool or not. The Republicans backed away from it in 1998, when not only did they fail to convict, but voters soundly shellacked them in the mid-term elections. The problem is that, with America evenly divided politically, it's not entirely clear whether Democrats will be forced to pay the price for this expensive, time-consuming charade. If they do not suffer a resounding defeat in 2020, Democrats will consider impeachment a routine part of their arsenal. That will force Republicans to use impeachment as well. Once that happens, America will effectively abandon her constitutional system, one predicated on voters electing the president every four years. Instead, without virtue of a constitutional amendment, America will suddenly have an undemocratic parliamentary system, one in which Congress decides whether the president stays in office, regardless of whether the president's behavior is grossly illegal or not. This scenario makes very real Benjamin Franklin's response to a woman who asked whether the new form of government was a republic or a monarchy. "A republic," he said, "if you can keep it." Under the theme of Freedom In Future Mobility- Hyundai India has unveiled the all new Tucson facelift at ongoing 2020 Auto Expo. Hyundai Tucson Facelift, first revealed at the 2018 New York Auto Show, is now headed to India where it will be unveiled at the 2020 Auto Expo on 5th February. It will be seen with both feature updates and a new petrol and diesel engine lineup which will now comply with BS6 emission standards. The new Tucson will be seen with revised exteriors with a new cascading trapezoidal grille design, distinctive headlamps with L shaped LED DRLs, new fog lamp housing and revised bumpers. At the rear, it gets updated tail lamp clusters and new reflectors on the tailgate with a new number place recess. Interiors also get upgraded with a large 8 touchscreen infotainment system with BlueLink connectivity which had earlier made its debut on the Hyundai Venue. The Tucson will also be seen with a 360 degree camera, new instrument cluster, panoramic sunroof, wireless charging, USB socket in the second row and adaptive cruise control. It will also gain added safety features among which will be forward collision avoidance assist and lane keeping assist. The Tucson facelift will get same engine options as current Tucson, but updated to BS6 norms. Both 2.0 liter petrol and diesel engines which will comply with the upcoming BS6 emission standards. With power and torque figures to remain the same as seen on the current gen model, the 2.0 liter petrol engine on the facelift will continue to offer 153 hp power and 193 Nm torque while the 2.0 liter, 4 cylinder diesel engine makes 182 hp power and 400 Nm torque. Both the engines will get mated to 6 speed manual and automatic transmission options. The facelifted diesel gets a new 8 speed automatic transmission while petrol automatic Tucson BS6 continues with the older 6 speed AT. AWD is also on offer with top variant. BS6 Hyundai Tucson facelift would also receive a price upgrade in view of these new features and engine upgrades. Currently priced from Rs.18.76-27 lakhs, expect prices to be hiked in the region of Rs 1 lakh. Once launched, the Hyundai Tucson facelift will compete with the likes of Jeep Compass, Honda CRV, etc in India. DELTA Microelectronics and Presto Engineering join forces to provide a comprehensive, end-to-end semiconductor solution for Industry 4.0, IoT and automotive markets MEYREUIL, France and Hrsholm, Denmark - February 5, 2020 -- Presto Engineering, an outsourced operations provider to semiconductor and Internet of Things (IoT) device manufacturers, announced today that it has acquired the DELTA Microelectronics business unit of FORCE Technology, the European leader in ASIC supply chain services. With this acquisition, Presto adds ASIC design to its suite of services for the Industry 4.0, IoT, and autonomous driving market. FORCE Technology has become a shareholder of Presto Engineering and Juan Farre, FORCEs CTO, has joined the companys Supervisory Board. Europe is an epicenter for the development of smart manufacturing technology Industry 4.0, IoT and the next generations of cars. This acquisition allows us to expand our business and provide industrial and semiconductor companies with a consolidated European partner that offers ASIC design, test, qualification and manufacturing expertise, said Michel Villemain, CEO, Presto Engineering. Presto will leverage advanced European technology locally for all engineering and pre-production activities, resulting in higher quality and faster time-to-market for our customers. Our established, high-volume production framework provides a very cost-effective, long-term roadmap for the European microelectronics industry. Joining forces with Presto brings our customers the best of both worlds, said Juan Farre, CTO, FORCE Technology. DELTA Microelectronics team will continue to provide the top-quality semiconductor services from ASIC design to complete turnkey ASIC manufacturing operations that our customers are accustomed to, and they will also benefit from a more flexible and comprehensive model focused exclusively on semiconductor applications. The company retains the DELTA Microelectronics brand (by Presto Engineering) and will continue to operate the business from its Hrsholm, Denmark, and Hengoed, U.K., locations (with its existing teams), continuing to leverage its long and successful track record. Per lund, DELTA Microelectronics general manager, will serve as executive vice president, ASIC, Presto Engineering. The addition of DELTA Microelectronics provides customers with a flexible model starting from either design (specifically for sensors, optics, NFC and payment systems), tapeout or post-silicon. Projects will benefit from the predictability and dedication of in-house, state-of-the-art capabilities locally in Europe. This establishes Presto as a European leader in outsourced microelectronics solutions with the size required to enable new smart manufacturing, automotive, communication and other advanced industrial applications. About DELTA Microelectronics With over 25 years of experience, DELTA Microelectronics is a European leader in ASIC services for the semiconductor industry. DELTA's comprehensive services include ASIC design, layout, test development, wafer supply, production testing, package development and assembly, components supply, logistics and supply chain management. DELTAs development and production facilities are based in Denmark and the UK, with service partners in Europe and Asia. For more information, visit https://asic.madebydelta.com/. About FORCE Technology FORCE Technology is an international technology service provider with headquarters in Denmark. As a Danish Research and Technology Organization, FORCE is operating and developing a unique set of innovative and market leading facilities, technologies, and competencies for the benefit of the whole of society and business. FORCE Technology employs 1,300 people throughout Scandinavia and the world and provides a diverse set of service to more than 9,000 clients annual across 50 different disciplines. From testing to calibration to inspection to training, FORCE has time and again proven itself as a trusted provider and partner across disciplines. For more information, visit: https://forcetechnology.com/en. About Presto Engineering Presto Engineering provides outsourced operations for semiconductor and IoT device companies, helping its customers minimize overhead, reduce risk and accelerate time-to-market. The company is a recognized expert in the development of industrial solutions for RF, analog, mixed-signal and secured applications from design, tape-out to delivery of finished goods. Prestos proprietary, highly-secure manufacturing and provisioning solution, coupled with extensive back-end expertise, gives its customers a competitive advantage. The company offers a global, flexible, dedicated framework, with headquarters in Meyreuil, France, and operations across Europe, North America and Asia. For more information, visit: https://presto-eng.com/. One of the six pillars of the Chester County Historic Courthouse on North High Street will shine in blue light on January nights beginning Tuesday evening in recognition of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. The U.S.-China Phase 1 Agreement culminates two devastating years for American producers. Trump had to use $28 billion in taxpayer dollars to prevent a complete wreck in the agricultural economy due to lost markets in China. Even with $28 billion from the U.S. taxpayers, American agriculture is still experiencing record bankruptcies and suicides not seen since the devastating 1980s. Grain prices were on the low end of the price cycle when Trump slapped tariffs on China and they retaliated in kind against American agriculture. However, we generally move from the low end of the price cycle to the high end when two major weather disasters occur and supply is reduced. The drought in Australia and the very wet spring in the U.S. would have moved us to higher prices, but the increased supply due to lack of demand from China prevented that from happening. Trump substituted two very bad years, in regards to price, for what could have been two years of decent prices. What did we gain from this tremendous sacrifice? Ever since Louis B. Mayer first proposed the idea at a banquet in a private dining room deep beneath Los Angeles Ambassador Hotel in January of 1927, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has been dedicated to one goal: producing a slate of Oscar winners that is so accursed, so evil, and so contrary to the laws of God, man, and nature that the howls of agony from moviegoers around the world awaken Azathoth from his deathless slumber at the center of the universe, rending time and space forever asunder and ushering in the Age of Excruciation. Although the academy has diligently pursued Mayers vision of cosmic annihilation at the hands of unspeakable elder gods in the decades since, their unholy rites have always failed. Advertisement Or almost failed: In 2006, the prize was nearly within its grasp. At the moment Crash was announced as the Best Picture winner, a night watchman at the site of the Ambassador Hotel, then mid-demolition, reported that the walls of the Embassy Ballroom dripped blood, and the evening broadcast of local radio station KDLD was briefly interrupted by the sound of a hideous, inhuman voice, laughing with awful delight. Although the universe was not destroyed that evening, the night wasnt a total loss: Philip Seymour Hoffman won Best Actor, and the next morning, a janitor at the Los Angeles Central Library discovered a hidden chamber in the central tower containing the remains of former city librarian Mary L. Jones alchemical laboratory. Jones notebooks had long since been rendered illegible by the elements, but a single sheet of vellum of unknown origin, scrawled with what initially appeared to be a variant of Agrippas celestial alphabet, somehow survived. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Two weeks ago, that scroll was finally decipheredit turned out it was written in Wingdingsand although it will be some time before it is fully authenticated, it appears to be the Necrocinematicon, the legendary prophecy of doom said to have been written by King Solomon during his studies into Canaanite god Moloch. The good news is that the Jones scroll will add immeasurably to our understanding of the ancient world. The bad news is that Solomon, working in roughly 927 B.C., seems to have somehow written a description of the 92nd Academy Awards: Babylon the great will rise once more to the west, and all the world will partake of her sins and plagues, and they will make them a molten statuette to worship, and offer it 91 sacrifices, but on the 92nd, the seal will be opened. Stranger still, it ends with what appears to be a more or less valid ballot for the 2020 Oscar ceremony. Theologians and awards season experts say that although Solomons choices would undoubtedly make for a terrible Oscar ceremony, they dont seem to have been chosen based on the quality of the films in question but rather on the amount of pain, suffering, and confusion they would cause if they won in their categories. Advertisement Advertisement Although the Necrocinematicon prophecy is just a list of categories and names, and doesnt include any commentary on the winners, weve reached out to occultists and awards race watchersall of whom are wiser than Solomon when it comes to the motion picture industry, in the sense that it didnt exist in Solomons dayto try to decipher what we can expect to see happen at this years Academy Awards. Here, then, is Slates Oscar prophecy, divined from the writings of King Solomon himself. Fingers crossed. Advertisement Advertisement Actress in a Supporting Role: Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit The first award of the night will be disappointing, perhaps, but not particularly ominous until Johansson, halfway through a run-of-the-mill acceptance speech, begins speaking in tongues. She will be as surprised as anyoneand will quickly be ushered off stage. Advertisement Advertisement Documentary (Feature): The 92nd Academy Awards The first moment of truly alarming weirdness in the ceremony will come when presenter Will Ferrell opens the envelope for the winning feature documentary and discovers that the winner is apparently (a) a television program (b) that is currently in progress. Most of the audience will believe this to be a joke, until Oscars director Glenn Weiss, moving stiffly and unnaturally, as though his limbs were not completely under his control, leaves the production booth for the stage to accept an award he is not eligible for, for a television program he has not yet finished directing. He will thank the movies, stagger off stage, and never be seen again. Advertisement Advertisement Makeup and Hairstyling: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Advertisement No one involved in presenting this award will notice that the card reads Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, not Paul Gooch, Arjen Tuiten, and David White, for Maleficent: Mistress of Evil. Fortunately, shes not one to hold a grudge. And they will make them a molten statuette to worship, and offer it 91 sacrifices, but on the 92 nd , the seal will be opened. King Solomon, from the Jones scroll Costume Design: Jojo Rabbit As with Johanssons win, no one will be too alarmed by another Oscar going to Jojo Rabbit until the acceptance speech, a tribute to designer Hugo Boss, whose work was such an inspiration for Jojo Rabbits costumes. Production Design: The Hollywood & Highland Center Once again, the presenters will be caught flat-footed at the contents of their envelope. This time, with no one to present the award to, the hapless accountants from PricewaterhouseCoopers will be brought out to try to figure out what has happened. But as the presenters huddle onstage, the card with the name of the award winner will be ripped from one of their hands by a sudden gust of wind, float through the air (pursued by PAs) out the emergency exit, and land in the mouth of one of the elephants that looms over Hollywood & Highland, where it will burst into flames and vanish from our dimension forever. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cinematography: Lawrence Sher, Joker This will just be a normal Oscar win for Joker, which will cause enough suffering all on its own. Sound Editing: Joker Again, theres no need for anything supernatural to happen for a Joker win to please Azathoth the Devourer. Sound Mixing: Joker Azathoth loves Joker is what were prophesying. Its like his favorite movie, practically. International Feature Film: Joker This one will be a big disappointment for Parasite, but not to the Elder Gods. Film Editing: Unknown At the moment that the winner for film editing is announced, the television broadcast will unexpectedly cut to a time lapse shot of a decomposing fox. With director Glenn Weiss nowhere to be found after his unexpected Oscar win, no one at the ceremony will notice, and the winner of the Film Editing Academy Award will never be known. Advertisement Actor in a Supporting Role: Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes The TV broadcast will abruptly resume in the middle of Anthony Hopkins acceptance speech, capturing the last two minutes of Hopkins five-minute performance of that tongue noise he did in The Silence of the Lambs. Animated Feature Film: I Lost My Body The Oscar for Animated Feature Film will be awarded to I Lost My Body without incident, except that the stage monitors that were supposed to show a clip from the film will instead show grainy black-and-white footage of a hand of glory, floating endlessly in the void. Advertisement Advertisement Short Film (Animated): The Cameramans Revenge It is not clear to anyone why the envelopes demand that the Academy Award for short animated film be given to The Cameramans Revenge, a pre-Soviet experimental stop-motion film from 1912, in which the carapaces of dead insects are made to enact a grim tale of adultery and revenge porn. It is clear, however, that the beetles that begin streaming from the award envelope are very real and very hungry. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Documentary (Short Subject): Faint Hearts Dont Sell Fair Ladies This isnt even a film, its a Jam Handy filmstrip designed to train salesmen to successfully convince women to purchase a 1960 Chevrolet Corvair, the unsafe at any speed car. The moment the envelope is opened, a ghastly voice will be heard throughout the theater, intoning Although a woman is sensitive to color and style, and will probably be most immediately attracted to them, itll take facts to get her signature on the order. Visual Effects: Avengers: Endgame Azathoth loves this movie. Short Film (Live Action): Electrocuting an Elephant Electrocuting an Elephant, Thomas Edisons 1903 film of the death of Topsy at Coney Island, will not actually win this award. No one will win this award. But Electrocuting an Elephant will spontaneously play on the monitors behind them as the awards presenters open the envelope and their heads burst into flames. The broadcast will cut to a crowd reaction shot, and the sound of thunderous laughter and applause will play over footage of hundreds of stars, none of whom are laughing or clapping. When the camera returns to the stage, the presenters will have vanished completely. Advertisement Advertisement Writing (Adapted Screenplay): Jojo Rabbit As Solomon knew, there is no novel that cannot be improved by adding an imaginary Hitler to it. Finally, the academy will acknowledge this truth. Writing (Original Screenplay): Parasite Bong Joon-ho and Han Jin-won will be halfway to the stage before the presenterstwo actors who seem familiar but whose faces keep blurring and shiftingread the rest of the card, specifying that the parasite in question is Baal-El, the Worm Who Sleeps Not, who will promptly erupt from the stage and swallow up the unlucky screenwriters. Music (Original Score): Randy Newman, Marriage Story Music (Original Song): I Cant Let You Throw Yourself Away, Randy Newman Advertisement Randy Newman wins are not all that surprising, but his solo performance of O Fortunadelivered in the original Latin and sung in Newmans avuncular stylewill not be what anyone was expecting. Advertisement Actor in a Leading Role: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker Even Azathoth appreciates a performance this electrifying. Actress in a Leading Role: Judy Garland, Renee This will truly be one of the most horrifying awards speeches in Oscar history, although the moment where Garland thanks Louis B. Mayer will be pretty touching. Advertisement Advertisement Directing: Todd Phillips, Joker As Phillips takes the stage to receive his Oscar, the walls of the Dolby Theatre will crumble and fall, giving the frozen, terrified audience their first glimpse of the eerie blue light streaming from the manholes and sewers along Hollywood Boulevard. Best Picture: Joker Azathoths triumph will be complete, and the Age of Excruciation will begin in earnest. So be it, so be it, so be it, amen. Well have to wait until Sunday to see how accurate Solomons Oscar prophecy turns out to be, but one thing is certain: Its going to be a big night for the movies! Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 13:16 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062ed882 1 World NTT,NTT-governor,Viktor-Laiskodat,Timor-Leste,Xanana-Gusmao,quarantine,coronavirus Free East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Governor Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat has agreed to lend Timor Leste a helping hand as the neighboring country pleads for assistance from Indonesia to quarantine its citizens airlifted from coronavirus-stricken China, an NTT administration official says. I've informed the governor of the 17 Timor Leste nationals who are due to be repatriated from China and he said he was willing to [quarantine] them in NTT," Marius Ardu Jelamu, the provincial administration spokesperson, said on Wednesday evening. Marius said the administration was ready to help Dili put their citizens into quarantine in NTT should President Joko Jokowi Widodo instruct them to do so. The governor had ordered the NTT Health Agency and the director of WZ Johannes General Hospital in the provincial capital of Kupang to set up a temporary shelter at the Naimata Mental Hospital for the Timor Leste returnees, he added. Read also: We dont have anything: Timor Leste pleads for help to quarantine citizens in Bali This is purely for humanity's sake. Human lives are of utmost importance, Marius said as quoted by kompas.com. NTT shares land and sea borders with Timor Leste. At least five NTT regencies have land borders with the neighboring country and seven have sea boundaries, according to the NTT Boundary Agency. Timor Leste Planning and Strategic Investment Minister Xanana Gusmao previously said his country had requested assistance from Indonesia for the quarantine on Bali of 17 of its citizens awaiting repatriation from China, saying that Timor Leste lacked the proper infrastructure and equipment to handle coronavirus cases. The Bali provincial administration confirmed that Timor Leste, through the Indonesian Embassy in Dili, had asked for Indonesian permits and assistance to quarantine 17 of its citizens on the island. However, the administration on Monday rejected Timor Lestes request. (rfa) New Delhi: Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Parliament said statements made by three former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir on the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 are not acceptable, National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah and Peoples Democratic Partys (PDP) Mehbooba Mufti were booked under stringent provisions of the Public Safety Act (PSA). The move came barely hours before their six-month-long "preventive detention" was to come to an end. The PSA allows the detention of any individual for up to two years without a trial or charge. The legislation also allows for the arrest and detention of people without a warrant, specific charges, and often for an unspecified period of time. Farooq Abdullah, Omar's father, was booked under the PSA last September, which was reviewed again in December and extended for three months. Officials of the Jammu and Kashmir administration in Srinagar said a magistrate, accompanied by the police, served the order to Mufti at the government accommodation that has been converted into a subsidiary jail. She was handed over a dossier in which her statements from 2010 were cited as reasons for keeping her in detention. Mufti's PDP was an ally of the BJP from 2014 and the two had formed a government in the erstwhile state till 2018 when the BJP suddenly withdrew its support and Governor's rule was imposed. A tweet sent from Mufti's account, which is run by her daughter Iltija, confirmed the former chief minister had received the government order. "Slapping the draconian PSA on two ex-J&K CMs is expected from an autocratic regime that books nine-year-olds for seditious remarks," said the tweet, referring to an incident in which the Karnataka Police have been questioning minor students of a Bidar school over their participation in a play that allegedly portrayed the PM in a bad light. Ms Mufti received a PSA order sometime back.Slapping the draconian PSA on 2 ex J&K CMs is expected from an autocratic regime that books 9 year olds for seditious remarks. Question is how much longer will we act as bystanders as they desecrate what this nation stands for? Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 6, 2020 A magistrate accompanied by a police officer arrived at Hari Nivas where 49-year-old Omar Abdullah is detained, handing to him a warrant issued under the PSA, a law which was enacted by his grandfather Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah in 1978 initially to check timber smuggling. The PSA, which came handy for the police force to book separatists and militant sympathisers, has two sections 'public order' and 'threat to security of the state'. The former allows detention without trial for six months and the latter for two years. Omar Abdullah, who has been junior foreign minister and commerce minister in Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led Cabinet in 2000, was served with a three-page dossier in which he was alleged to have made statements in the past which were "subversive" in nature. All three former chief ministers have been in detention since August 5 last year when the BJP-led central government revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status by abrogating Article 370 of the Constitution. The development came after NC leader and former minister Ali Mohammed Sagar, former NC legislator Bashir Ahmed Veeri, and Sartaj Madani, the maternal uncle of Mehbooba Mufti, were also booked under the PSA on Thursday. They are also under preventive detention since August last year. Earlier on Thursday, replying to a debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in Lok Sabha, Modi said no one can side with the statements of the three detained former chief ministers of the erstwhile state who had said that abrogation of provisions of Article 370 will separate Kashmir from India. "Many said that Kashmir will be on fire if Article 370 is removed. Many are questioning us for detaining some political leaders. On August 5, Mehbooba Mufti said India had betrayed Kashmir and we would have been better with deciding otherwise in 1947. Can we accept such people?" he said. "Omar Abdullah said removing Article 370 will separate Kashmir from India. Farooq Abdullah said if Article 370 is removed, no one will unfurl the national flag in Kashmir. How can we side with them?" Modi asked. The Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday that a total of 389 people are currently in detention under the PSA in Jammu and Kashmir. Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said detention orders have been issued against 444 people under the J&K Public Safety Act since August last year. Opposition parties slam move Mainstream parties on Thursday reacted sharply to the slapping of the PSA, saying the move belies the Centre's claim of normalcy in the Union Territory. Mufti's PDP said the BJP-led government at the Centre is "testing the patience" of the people by such "undemocratic moves". The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the CPI(M) also condemned the slapping of the PSA on the prominent Kashmiri leaders, while the Congress termed the decision "unfortunate". "If everything is normal in Jammu and Kashmir, why the mainstream leaders are treated like criminals?" asked a PDP spokesperson. "The BJP is misleading the country about Jammu and Kashmir." Senior CPI(M) leader and former legislator MY Tarigami said the decision puts a question mark on the Centre's claim that the situation is normal in Jammu and Kashmir post the abrogation of Article 370. "On one hand, the BJP within and outside Parliament is claiming that the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is normal; on the other it is resorting to the use of draconian laws against prominent leaders," he said. "What is the meaning of slapping the PSA on the leaders after six months? They (government) are claiming the situation is normal and improving and are releasing the detained political leaders." Tarigami said the local administration is preparing to hold elections to nearly 13,000 vacant posts of panches and sarpanches but the decision to slap the PSA does not go well with the democratic exercise. "The elections should precede release of political detenues and political activity but they are slapping the PSA. There are already many people in jails or under house arrest, including the three former chief ministers. The claims of normalcy are completely farce," he said. Chief spokesperson of Jammu and Kashmir unit of Congress Ravinder Sharma said there is no justification for the move. "The mainstream leaders served the erstwhile state in different capacities," Sharma said, adding the latest development does not match with the claims of normalcy by the BJP and comes at a time when it is encouraging a section of mainstream opposition leaders for political activity. Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP questioned those who are vying for the release of the three former chief ministers. "Though the BJP opposes the prolonged detention of any individual, it has no hesitation to support the same if it contributes to peace and restoring normalcy," BJP spokesperson Brigadier (retired) Anil Gupta said in a statement. (With inputs from PTI) BRIDGEPORT It all started out as an idea. Officer Sandy Quinonez, a member of the community service division in the Bridgeport Police Department, said she decided to send care packages to soldiers overseas and their four-legged partners. She said she was inspired by her father and grandfather, who were both military men, as well as many friends. She said she initially wanted to pursue a military career but ended up becoming a police officer instead. This was huge for me to put it together, Quinonez said of her personal connection to the cause. At first, Quinonez said she packed up a box herself and was prepared to ship it out. Then another city employee encouraged her to make it bigger. Quinonez said she started sending out emails and making calls, and everything started to fall together. Her idea quickly grew to thousands of items being donated and packaged up to be shipped out. She named it Operation Paws and Boots. I kept getting phone calls left and right, Quinonez said of people wanting to drop of donations. It was amazing. She said Home Depot donated all the boxes for the shipment. Piled up in a room in the Margaret E. Morton Government Center on Thursday, the roughly 40 boxes filled the small space. Many of the local schools including Roosevelt School, where Quinonez is a D.A.R.E. instructor, Read Elementary School, Sacred Heart University and St. Theresa School in Trumbull jumped on board. Many students not only collected items, but also helped Quinonez package everything up on Tuesday. Among the items for the military dogs are ropes, bones, toys, paw balm, eye wash and food. Quinonez said PetSmart in Orange and Waterbury, as well as a Petco and Natural Pet Outlet in Bridgeport, provided a lot of items for the military dogs. She said many of the items for the soldiers were basic necessities, like deodorant and toothbrushes, but they also collected things like puzzles, magazines and books. It was definitely a great surprise, Quinonez said of all the donated items. Quinonez said as she worked to figure out exactly how to get these packages overseas, she found Heroes and Hounds, a program annually done by the Simsbury Police Department. She said she touched base with Simsbury Police Animal Control Officer Mark Rudewicz, a former marine, who has connections to ship the items overseas. She said shell transfer the ready-to-ship packages to Rudewicz, who will ship them through the Air Force. Quinonez said the care packages will go to soldiers deployed in the Middle East, including Kuwait and Afghanistan. For anyone who wants to donate items overseas to soldiers and their military dogs, Quinonez encouraged them to send over their own care package. Or, she said, they can hang on to the items until the next time she does it. Im definitely going to do this again next year, Quinonez said. A 60-year-old man died in hospital after he 'blew up like a balloon' when the wrong equipment was used in an effort to help him breathe, an inquest heard. Geoffrey Kilbey was taken into intensive care and put on a ventilator when he was admitted to Airedale General Hospital in Keighley, West Yorkshire, with pneumonia and respiratory failure. An inquest heard that a consultant agreed to perform a tracheostomy, where surgeons make a cut into a person's neck to place a tube in their windpipe. Doctors wanted to wean him off the ventilator using Continuous Positive Airways Pressure (CPAP), where a patient breathes on their own but needs help to keep their airway unobstructed. Geoffrey Kilbey was put into intensive care and put on a ventilator when he was admitted to Airedale General Hospital (pictured file image) in Keighley, West Yorkshire However, Bradford Coroners' Court heard how a nurse mistakenly used the wrong machine to administer 'wall CPAP', and Mr Kilbey suffered barotrauma caused by the air pressure. The court heard the tracheostomy was 'uneventful' and the tube was sited correctly, but when CPAP was administered he 'blew up like a balloon' and his heart stopped. Mr Kilbey was pronounced at 4pm, just four hours after the operation. A statement from Mr Kilbey's only surviving relative, cousin Linda Munnoch, described how she visited him two days before his death and had left the hospital feeling positive. On April 19 2016, she rang the hospital to check on his condition and was told by a matron that there had been a tracheostomy incident and he had passed away. Bradford Coroners' Court (file image) heard how a nurse mistakenly used the wrong machine to administer 'wall CPAP' The statement added: 'He said he was so, so sorry and it was all their fault.' Forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd, who conducted a post mortem, said the ventilation equipment had been incorrectly put together. He added that Mr Kilbey had died as a result of barotrauma due to being exposed to 'high pressure gases through the tracheostomy tube'. Dr John Scriven, the consultant anaesthetist at Airedale General Hospital, described how he had carried out the successful tracheostomy procedure. Continuous Positive Airways Pressure (CPAP) CPAP is a type of non-invasive breathing support which causes an increase in air pressure in the throat. This ensures the airway doesn't collapse when breathing in. It contains an air pump, a mouth piece that covers the nose and potentially mouth, and a tube linking the two together. CPAP provides a positive pressure flow of air through the mask to assist in keeping the airway open. It helps with breathing difficulties, especially at night or during sleep. The therapy increases the level of oxygen in the lungs and removes unwanted gases such as CO2. Advertisement He then instructed nurses to try CPAP for up to two hours in a bid to wean him off the full ventilation. He did not specifically request they use a WhisperFlow system, it emerged during the inquest, but said this equipment had been used at the hospital for the last ten to 15 years. He said: 'There were screams from the ICU - and someone shouting, 'Where's John?' He found Mr Kilbey with a 'grossly expanded chest' and he was 'puce with no heart beat'. He added: 'I think the problem was that the lungs had exploded and he had a chest full of air. 'I have never seen somebody with barotrauma before.' Staff nurse Audrey Hocaniuk was treating a patient in the next ICU bed to Mr Kilbey that day. The retired nurse told the inquest about a new piece of equipment, known as an Armstrong machine, that the ward had begun using. The WhisperFlow equipment had been 'phased out' she said, and staff had been given demonstrations and training on the new equipment. But she added that the new machine should only be used for CPAP using a mask or a hood - and not a tracheostomy. The inquest heard that Ms Hocaniuk queried the matter with her colleagues Lesley Allen and Andrew Farrar as they cared for Mr Kilbey. She reminded them that they would need to resort to the older WhisperFlow device, and was assured that it was in hand. The inquest continues. After setting a record for the longest single spaceflight in history by a woman, NASA astronaut Christina Koch returned to Earth on Thursday, along with Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian space agency Roscosmos and Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency). The trio departed the International Space Station (ISS) at 11.20 am IST (12.50 am EST) and made a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 2.41 pm IST (4.12 am EST) southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. Thumbs up and a huge smile from @Astro_Christina! Her first spaceflight became a 328-day mission with 5,248 orbits of Earth, a journey of 139 million miles, roughly the equivalent of 291 trips to the Moon & back. #CongratsChristina & welcome home: https://t.co/8MFSftrUyR pic.twitter.com/zlmY2yYJDe NASA (@NASA) February 6, 2020 Kochs extended mission will provide researchers with the opportunity to observe effects of long-duration spaceflight on a woman as the agency plans to return humans to the Moon under the Artemis program and prepare for human exploration of Mars. Koch launched on March 14, 2019, alongside fellow NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin. Her first journey into space of 328 days is the second-longest single spaceflight by a US astronaut and also places her seventh on the list of cumulative time in space for American astronauts with one or more missions. .@Astro_Christina is back on Earth after 328 days living in space. https://t.co/yuOTrYN8CV pic.twitter.com/SU1Vi1W4XU Intl. Space Station (@Space_Station) February 6, 2020 Supporting NASAs goals for future human landings on the Moon, Koch completed 5,248 orbits of the Earth and a journey of 139 million miles, roughly the equivalent of 291 trips to the Moon and back. She conducted six spacewalks during 11 months on orbit, including the first three all-woman spacewalks, spending 42 hours and 15 minutes outside the station. She witnessed the arrival of a dozen visiting spacecraft and the departure of another dozen. Live TV For Parmitano and Skvortsov, this landing completed a 201-day stay in space, 3,216 orbits of Earth and a journey of 85.2 million miles. They launched last July with NASAs Andrew Morgan. Morgan also is participating in an extended duration mission on the orbiting laboratory and will return to Earth April 17. Completing his second mission, Parmitano now has logged 367 days in space, more than any ESA astronaut in history. During his time in space for Expeditions 60 and 61, Parmitano conducted four spacewalks, totalling 25 hours and 30 minutes. He has now conducted six spacewalks in his career, totalling 33 hours and 9 minutes. Parmitano was commander of Expedition 61. Skvortsov completed his third mission and a total of 546 days in space, placing him 15th on the all-time spaceflight endurance list. Following post-landing medical checks, the crew will return to the recovery staging city in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, aboard Russian helicopters. Koch and Parmitano will board a NASA plane bound for Cologne, Germany, where Parmitano will be greeted by ESA officials for his return home. Koch will continue home to Houston. Skvortsov will board a Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center aircraft to return to his home in Star City, Russia. The Expedition 61 crew contributed to hundreds of experiments in biology, Earth science, human research, physical sciences and technology development, including improvements to the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer in an effort to extend its life and support its mission of looking for evidence of dark matter and testing 3D biological printers to print organ-like tissues in microgravity. With the undocking of the Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft with Koch, Skvortsov, and Parmitano aboard, Expedition 62 officially began aboard the station, with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Morgan as flight engineers and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos as station commander. They will remain on board as a three-person crew until early April when NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Nikolai Tikhonov and Andrei Babkin will launch to the station. (Alliance News) - Shares in Hansteen Holdings PLC will be suspended from trading on Friday, the real estate investment trust said on Thursday, as its takeover by Potter UK Bidco Ltd has become effective. A court scheme sanctioning the transaction was received by the Registrar of Companies, confirming the acquisition. On Friday last week, Hansteen's said its takeover 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 deal. Hansteen's shares were suspended from trading with effect Wednesday. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. According to police, the protesters turned suspicious after the woman asked too many questions to them. New Delhi: Delhi police on Wednesday detained a woman YouTuber donning a burqa at Delhis Shaheen Bagh after anti-CAA protesters caught her asking too many questions. Police said that the woman has been identified as Gunja Kapoor and she describes herself as the curator of YouTube channel Right Narrative on her official Twitter handle. According to police, the protesters turned suspicious after the woman asked too many questions to them. She was caught by some of the women protesters after they identified her as YouTuber Kapoor. The incident led to a commotion at Shaheen Bagh, the epicentre of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a senior police official said. The woman was taken to Sarita Vihar police station where her identity was ascertained, he said. Some of the protesters alleged that she was recording videos on her mobile phone. Kapoor is followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter. A woman journalist was manhandled here at Shaheen Bagh, so I figured maybe if I dressed like them and appeared like them by wearing a burkha they may be more comfortable in speaking with me, said Kapoor. Pickett was the founding President and CEO of LivCor , LLC, a portfolio company of The Blackstone Group. Prior to LivCor, Pickett was Senior Vice President for Aimco , overseeing development, asset management, and ancillary income. Today, he runs a multifamily-focused consulting firm, Graphite Multifamily Consulting, which he founded in 2019. "I was drawn to Jetty's integrity, its people, and its product," said Pickett. "Its business model is a true win-win, offering both renter affordability and portfolio NOI. I'm proud to officially join the Board and work closely with the Jetty team, especially at a time when legislation nationwide is recognizing the power of solutions like Jetty in helping to solve affordability issues in renting." "Ralph's experience leading one of the most well-respected ownership and asset management companies in the country will bring immense value to our business," said Mike Rudoy, CEO and co-founder of Jetty. "But the intangible synergies with our brandlike Ralph's values, emphasis on culture, and forward-thinking approachare what I am most excited about as he officially joins our Board." Pickett's appointment comes at a time of significant growth for Jetty, which has recently named three new hires to its executive bench: Jonathan Schwartz, formerly of OnDeck Capital, has been named Chief Technology Officer; Jason Keramidas, formerly of charity:water and Shutterstock, has been named Vice President of Product; and Laura Veith, formerly of Eave Home Lending and Etsy, has been named Vice President of People. These senior hires will bolster Jetty's growth even further as the company continues to expand its presence, offering, and team. Jetty's employee base has grown by 54% over the past year, including the addition of seasoned multifamily sales leaders . The company was recently named a Best Place to Work by Built in NYC . Jetty works with top property managers across the country to increase lease conversion rates, reduce bad debt, and streamline operationsthereby increasing net operating income. Partners include Greystar, LivCor, Related, Pinnacle, MG Properties, Cortland, Trammell Crow, Griffis Residential, and many more, representing more than one million units nationwide. Jetty's products are written on A-rated paper, and are admitted in 49 U.S. states and D.C, meaning they have been approved by each state's Department of Insurance, which provides additional consumer protections. Jetty is backed by Munich Re, the largest reinsurer in the world. ABOUT RALPH PICKETT Ralph Pickett joined LivCor, LLC as President and Chief Executive Officer in August of 2013, holding the position until June 2019. Prior to joining LivCor, Pickett was Senior Vice President for Aimco from February 2007 to August 2013, overseeing Asset Management, Redevelopment, Ancillary Income and Facilities activities. Before Aimco, he was Vice President for Hilton with responsibility for Managed Development activity in the Western US from 2004 to 2007. Prior to Hilton, Pickett worked for Catellus Development Corporation, a San Francisco, California-based real estate investment trust, where he was Vice President of Asset Management, overseeing the company's industrial, retail, office and multi-family assets and joint venture relationships from 1995 to 2004. Ralph earned his B.A. in Economics from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. ABOUT JETTY Jetty is on a mission to make renting a home more affordable and effortless for everyone. As a financial services company, Jetty's solution helps property managers increase lease conversion, reduce bad debt, and streamline operations. For the renter, Jetty lowers the barrier to entry, saving residents thousands of dollars on move-in costs. Jetty is available nationwide, was founded by Mike Rudoy and Luke Cohler, and is headquartered in New York. To learn more about how Jetty can benefit your property, visit www.jetty.com . To check out open roles, visit www.jetty.com/careers . CONTACT Jetty Hadley Stecker, 978-473-1754 [email protected] SOURCE Jetty Related Links http://jetty.com Kung Fu Quickie The locally shot short film Art of War is having a test screening/ fundraising event this Saturday, Feb. 8, at the South Broadway Cultural Center (1025 Broadway Blvd. SE). It starts at 7pm with a selection of trailers from local New Mexico filmmakers. Thats followed by the Art of War screening and and Art of War behind-the-scenes featurette. The film is described as a fast-paced martial arts extravaganza about a foolish man who antagonizes an enemy gang and finds himself fighting alongside a mysterious kung fu loner who teaches him the true meaning of Sun Tzus The Art of War. After the screening, actors Jeremiah Crosby, Kevin Chambers and Kyle Dean Bolt, producer Tamas Nadas, director of photography Mando Hernandez, production designer Roxy Traino, composer Ian Hudson, editor/VFX artist Arnaldo Mirabal and writer-director Jake Extine take the stage for a Q&A session. Extine Media and Darkroad Pictures are presenting this event as a lead-up to their films eventual film festival run. Admission is free to the public, but donations are gratefully accepted. All proceeds go toward post-production work and film fest submission fees. View in Alibi calendar Harriet and History In honor of Black History Month, Regal Cinemas and Focus Features are sponsoring a free public screening of the historical biopic Harriet on Tuesday, Feb. 11. The film, which is up for Best Actress at this weekends Oscars, tells the story of Harriet Tubman, the former- slave- turned- abolitionist who helped establish the Underground Railroad and rescued hundreds of African Americans during the mid-1800s. Locally, screenings take place at 7 and 9:30pm at the UA Cottonwood Stadium 16 (1000 Coors Blvd. NW). To secure tickets and guarantee a seat, go to regmovi.es/2UmpETy. View in Alibi calendar The former SolarWorld factory in Hillsboro will become a massive data center owned by the Japanese technology giant NTT. The company said Wednesday it plans to build a 1-million-square-foot server farm on the property. NTT is the latest in a string of companies to capitalize on lucrative tax breaks available in the suburban community. A growing share of Hillsboros industrial land is being consumed by server farms, which employ relatively few people. The Hillsboro site has a long and difficult history. Japanese semiconductor company Komatsu Silicon America spent $500 million to build the Hillsboro campus during the 1990s but never opened the factory because of a sharp downturn in chip prices. The 47-acre property sat empty for almost 10 years until SolarWorld moved in, employing several hundred workers building solar panels with help from $100 million in tax incentives. Outflanked by Chinese rivals, though, SolarWorld laid off most of its workers in 2017 and then sold the property to a California company called SunPower for $26 million. SunPower, in turn, sold the property to NTT (whose data center business was then called RagingWire) in September for $63.5 million. SunPower continues to employ more than 200 people making solar panels on a portion of the property. The rest of the property will become an NTT data center, leased to other companies that are looking to offload their computing tasks. NTT said it will ultimately operate five buildings on the campus with a total capacity of 144 megawatts. The first phase will be online by the middle of this year, according to the company. NTT said the Hillsboro site offers relatively inexpensive power a key consideration for data centers and capitalizes on the absence of a state sales tax. Additionally, NTT said the site is eligible for property tax exemptions on the high-end computers companies install at the site. Such tax breaks have made Oregon among the most attractive states in the nation for data centers, which spend tens or hundreds of millions of dollars on the computers that power their networks. Tax breaks saved Hillsboro data centers $3.1 million in 2019 and $5.4 million the year before, according to state records. The value of the tax break depends in large part on how much companies spend on their projects so its not clear yet how much NTT and its clients will save. Unlike semiconductor and solar panel factories, data centers are essentially big warehouses with few employees just 86 people worked in all the Hillsboro data centers in 2019. That works out to more than $36,000 in tax breaks for each job. Hillsboro enacted new limits on data centers tax breaks in 2016 by tying their savings to employment. Companies receiving a tax break of more than $20,000 per new job must pay back a portion of their tax break, money that goes into economic and career development programs. -- 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 World Health Organisation is concerned Indonesia is not prepared enough to handle a coronavirus outbreak. The health body has urged the nation to improve surveillance, case detection and preparations at appointed health facilities in case the deadly disease comes ashore. It comes as the south-east Asian archipelago, with a population of 270million, has not reported a case, creating concerns some may be going undetected. Popular Australian holiday hub Indonesia has come under fire from the World Health Organisation for not being prepared enough to handle a coronavirus outbreak (Devil's Tear at Nusa Lembongan Bali pictured) WHO's Indonesian representative Dr Navaratnasamy Paranietharan said the country had taken 'concrete measures' to defend against potential incidents but more could still be done. He said Indonesia had already set up facilities assigned to treat infected patients and had begun screening people at international borders but diagnostic methods remained weak. 'Indonesia is doing what is possible to be prepared for and defend against the novel coronavirus,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'There is still more work to do in the areas of surveillance and active case detection, and the preparation of designated health facilities fully with adequate infection prevention and control measures to be able to cope with a heavy patient load of any suspected or confirmed cases, in the event of an outbreak scenario.' A number of foreign tourists from China walked to the departure lounge of Hang Nadim Airport, Batam, Riau Islands, after being summoned home following the coronavirus outbreak 'The availability of specific test kits to confirm nCoV [novel coronavirus] this week is a significant improvement in the right direction.' Last week, medical authorities only had access to a pan-coronavirus test which can identify any virus in the corona family, such as the common cold, SARS and MERS, but not single one out. Additional gene sequencing, which can take up to five days, is needed to confirm cases of the novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, dubbed 2019-nCoV. Dr Paranietharan said WHO were worried that no cases had been identified but that authorities had verified that lab testing was functioning well. The call to action comes as Australian expat living in Bali who feared he had contracted the coronavirus heavily criticised his treatment at local health facilities. An Indonesian health official checks the temperature of a passenger wearing a facemask upon his arrival at the Sultan Iskandar Muda International Airport in Blang Bintang in Aceh Besar on January 27 The man, who asked not to be named, told Daily Mail Australia he went to Denpasar's Sanglah hospital on January 26 after returning home from a trip to Singapore seriously ill. The Australian said he was turned away from another hospital first, who recommended Sanglah as they were the only facility that were equipped to test for the illness. But once he arrived, he was continuously shifted between departments. 'No staff had masks on or took it seriously. I was asked to fill in forms and [told] it would cost be 500,000 rupiahs to see a doctor,' he said. An officer inspects a monitor as passengers walk through a thermal scanner upon their arrival at Lombok International Airport in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, on January 25 Once he was finally met by a doctor, she said he could not undergo the test as he had not been in China. 'So what I just go off and die? he said. 'At no stage did she attempt to take temperature, blood pressure or blood, so we left with no help.' The man, who was later diagnosed with pneumonia, said while his experience was frustrating, he was more concerned by the lack of official reports, given the inadequate testing procedures. People wearing facemasks line up for hours to purchase face masks from a makeshift stall on Wednesday in Hong Kong to protect them from the novel coronovirus that originated in Wuhan According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, more than one million Australians holiday in Indonesia each year. In 2019, more than two million Chinese holidaymakers headed to Indonesia. The country has now placed a ban on all travel to and from China. Visitors who have stayed in the China for 14 days or more are not permitted to enter. Meanwhile, new cases have been recorded in neighbouring countries, including Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines. The remains of 40 bodies, including some with their hands tied behind their backs, were found in shallow graves in Buckingham (SWNS) The remains of 42 bodies, including some with their hands tied behind their backs, have been found in shallow graves on a building site. The grisly remains form a potentially important archaeological discovery with theories suggesting they could date back to Anglo-Saxon times or the English Civil War. It is also possible that they could be the bodies of criminals who were hanged on the gallows. The 42 skeletons were found during ground works for a development of 72 retirement flats on former farmland in Buckingham. The discovery comes just weeks after the graves of dozens of high-status Romans were found in Somerset during building work for a new school. The discovery was made during ground works for a development of 72 retirement flats in Buckingham (SWNS) The company behind the development, Brio Retirement Living Holdings, part of property firm company Places for People, has been accused by local historians and residents of not declaring the discovery, which was made several weeks ago. The company commissioned an archaeological investigation of the site as a condition of winning planning permission following a battle over several years. But campaigners claim nobody has yet seen such a report, including Bucks County Council's Archaeological Service (BCAS). READ MORE War graves vandalised days before D-Day Worlds biggest iceberg is about to enter the open ocean District and town councillor Robin Stuchbury said: This find is of great historical significance to Buckingham and it should not be hushed up. I am aware that the bodies were found in December. There were more than 40 of them and they had their hands bound behind their backs, which infers they were prisoners of some kind. It is thought the skeletons could date from Anglo Saxon times or from during the English Civil War or possibly even be criminals who were hanged on the gallows (SWNS) Speculating on how the bodies ended up in the shallow grave, he added: They could date from Anglo Saxon times, when there were killings in Buckingham, or from during the Civil War, which also saw casualties. Or they could be criminals who were hanged on the gallows in the town. The fact is, we have a right to know. This is part of our history. The skeletons have since been removed, leaving empty holes behind on the site. Story continues It is not known whether there were any artefacts buried with them that could help date the time of their deaths. A spokesman for Bucks County Council said: We are unable to comment on the archaeological remains discovered at the West End Farm site at present, as we are still awaiting a report detailing the results from the archaeological contractors. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- Asker, Norway (6 February 2020) TGS, a leading provider of multi-client geoscience data for exploration & production (E&P) companies, announced today it has started acquisition of the Plains 3D seismic survey in the Northern Shelf area of the Midland Basin and Ravenclaw 3D in the Edson area of Alberta, CA. Located in Yoakum County, Texas, the Plains 3D is a 248 square kilometer survey expands TGS 3D seismic offerings in the Permian Basin. It encompasses a portion of Wasson Field which has produced over 2 Billion bbls since the 1930s. This new survey will aid in applying modern horizontal drilling methods to formations, such as the San Andres, which was historically drilled vertically as well as secondary recovery CO 2 flooding. Ravenclaw 3D is a 100 square kilometer survey in West Central Alberta, CA. Utilizing the latest land acquisition and processing technologies, this 3D survey will help operators to de-risk Lower Cretaceous plays, which have been the focus of development in the area for the last few years. Multi-zone play potential exists in other historically hydrocarbon-producing formations including Rock Creek, Cardium and Ellerslie. Acquisition and completion of the project will occur in the first quarter of 2020. Both modern high-resolution 3D surveys further TGS leading onshore seismic data offerings in North America. Along with TGS extensive well data library, operators will have access to comprehensive data coverage from which to enhance their exploration efforts. Kristian Johansen, CEO at TGS, said, " I am very pleased to see the growth of our onshore data portfolio in core areas of hydrocarbon exploration within North America. TGS unique combination of seismic and well data products provides operators with subsurface insight that leads to improvement of drilling performance. About TGS TGS provides multi-client geoscience data to oil and gas Exploration and Production companies worldwide. In addition to extensive global geophysical and geological data libraries that include multi-client seismic data, magnetic and gravity data, digital well logs, production data and directional surveys, TGS also offers advanced processing and imaging services, interpretation products, and data integration solutions. All statements in this press release other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, which are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict, and are based upon assumptions as to future events that may not prove accurate. These factors include TGS' reliance on a cyclical industry and principal customers, TGS' ability to continue to expand markets for licensing of data, and TGS' ability to acquire and process data product at costs commensurate with profitability. Actual results may differ materially from those expected or projected in the forward-looking statements. TGS undertakes no responsibility or obligation to update or alter forward-looking statements for any reason. For more information, visit TGS.com or contact: Dean Zuzic Chief Financial Officer Dean.zuzic@tgs.com This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act Attachment His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, yesterday met with Giuseppe Conte, Prime Minister of the Italian Republic, at the Palazzo Chigi in Rome. During the meeting, HRH the Crown Prince conveyed HM the King and HRH the Prime Ministers wishes of progress and prosperity for the Italian Republic and its people. HRH the Crown Prince noted that bilateral ties continue to move from strength to strength under the leadership of HM the King, as evidenced by high-level exchanges and the inauguration of Bahrains Embassy in Rome. HRH the Crown Prince recognised economic and trade ties as the cornerstone of bilateral relations, underscoring that these ties and the agreements that will be signed during the visit will continue to boost shared prosperity far beyond the borders of both nations. Later, HRH the Crown Prince and the Prime Minister then exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern. A number of senior officials from HRHs official delegation also attended the meeting. Earlier during the day, HRH the Crown Prince officially inaugurated the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in Rome, Italy. HRH the Crown Prince noted that the inauguration of Bahrains Embassy marks a new milestone in bilateral relations, which have continually deepened over the past 50 years. HRH the Crown Prince identified Bahrains Embassy in Rome as a new platform for collaboration, noting that the mission would promote a stronger trading partnership between the two countries. His Royal Highness went on to highlight the concerted efforts of Bahrains diplomatic engagements and Bahraini diplomats, which expand the Kingdoms international network, strengthen cooperation with friendly nations and drive national development. HRH the Crown Prince concluded by underlining the Kingdoms determination to work closely with its Italian partners to broaden collaboration at all levels. Later, HRH the Crown Prince unveiled a commemorative plaque, marking the official opening of the Embassy. HRH the Crown Princes official delegation, Ambassador Elisabetta Belloni, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation of the Italian Republic, and a number of Italian officials, also attended the inauguration ceremony. Separately, HRH the Crown Prince met His Holiness Pope Francis at the Apostolic Palace, in the Vatican City State. During the meeting, HRH the Crown Prince conveyed HM King Hamads greetings, wishing the Vatican City State continued progress and prosperity. HRH the Crown Prince emphasised that Bahrains development is closely aligned with the Kingdoms deep-rooted values of diversity and co-existence, principles that ensure unity in the Kingdoms multicultural society. HRH the Crown Prince noted that growing bilateral ties with the Vatican City State stand as a testament to HM King Hamads determination to promote peaceful coexistence, underlining the Kingdoms commitment to interfaith dialogue. HRH the Crown Prince commended Pope Francis for spreading the message of peace and coexistence, noting that these principles are building blocks through which societies can thrive. This year's Brand Summit Africa speaker and panellist line-up include respected international influencers in their fields from South Africa and several other African countries, Russia, Finland, USA, France, UK, Bulgaria, Canada, Switzerland, and India, to name a few. The Head of the United Nations in South Africa (referred to as the 'Resident Coordinator') will also speak at the summit. Professor Patrick Lumumba: (Keynote Address): Dean of School of Law Kabarak University (Kenya) (Keynote Address): Dean of School of Law Kabarak University (Kenya) Sipho Pityana: President of Business Unity SA and Co-Chairman of World Economic Forum Africa Board (RSA) President of Business Unity SA and Co-Chairman of World Economic Forum Africa Board (RSA) Busisiwe Mavuso: CEO of Business Leadership SA (RSA) CEO of Business Leadership SA (RSA) Sandile Zungu: President of Black Business Council (RSA) President of Black Business Council (RSA) Professor Thuli Madonsela: University of Stellenbosch Law Faculty Trust Chair in Justice (RSA) University of Stellenbosch Law Faculty Trust Chair in Justice (RSA) Professor Jonathan Jansen (RSA) (RSA) Professor Eddy Maloka: African Peer Review Mechanism for the African Union African Peer Review Mechanism for the African Union Nardos Bekele-Thomas: Resident Coordinator of the UN (South Africa) Resident Coordinator of the UN (South Africa) Metsi Makhetha: Resident Coordinator of the UN (Burkina Faso) Resident Coordinator of the UN (Burkina Faso) Bennie van Rooy: CEO of Grobank (RSA) CEO of Grobank (RSA) Sampo Suihko: Former Mayor of Espoo (Finland) Former Mayor of Espoo (Finland) Alan Winde: Premier of the Western Cape Province of SA (Hosting Province) Premier of the Western Cape Province of SA (Hosting Province) Dr Marcellin Zounmenou: UN (Ethiopia) UN (Ethiopia) Maxim Behar: President of the World Communication Forum (Bulgaria) President of the World Communication Forum (Bulgaria) Regine Le Roux: Founder & Managing Director of Reputation Matters (RSA) Founder & Managing Director of Reputation Matters (RSA) Dr Dominik Heil: Managing Director of Works Access Ltd (RSA/Germany) Managing Director of Works Access Ltd (RSA/Germany) Dr Jon-Hans Coetzer: International Education & Development Consultant (Portugal) International Education & Development Consultant (Portugal) Rob Davidson: MD of Mice Knowledge (UK) MD of Mice Knowledge (UK) Sisa Ntshona: CEO of SA Tourism CEO of SA Tourism Phumlani Majozi: Political Analyst & Global Market Researcher (RSA) Political Analyst & Global Market Researcher (RSA) Tatyana Fleganova: Head of Ural Congress Bureau (Russia) Head of Ural Congress Bureau (Russia) Ralph Mathekga: Head of Political Economy of the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (RSA) Head of Political Economy of the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (RSA) Saurabh Uboweja: CEO of Brands of Desire (India) CEO of Brands of Desire (India) Ebrahim Fakir: Director of Programs; Auwal Socio Economic Research Institute (RSA) Director of Programs; Auwal Socio Economic Research Institute (RSA) Dr Lucille Meyer: CEO of Chrysalis Academy (RSA) CEO of Chrysalis Academy (RSA) Adv Willie Hofmeyr: Former Head of the NPAs Asset Forfeiture Unit (RSA) Former Head of the NPAs Asset Forfeiture Unit (RSA) Dr Dalien Benecke: President of PRISA Sipho Pityana Sandile Zungu Professor Jonathan Jansen Professor Patrick Lumumba Alan Winde Nardos Bekele-Thomas Dr Lucille Meyer Dr Dalien Benecke Busisiwe Mavuso Bennie van Rooy Summit activities will begin with dedicated media and delegate tours on Tuesday, 2nd June, followed by a series of themed Master Classes on Wednesday, 3rd June, and culminate in the two-day core Brand Summit Africa on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th June at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The 2020 event will expand its reach beyond South African borders and assess reputational risk for cities, regions, countries, and the African continent. It will all be done with the purpose of understanding things that inform perceptions about Africa and finding solutions to reduce and mitigate destination reputational risk.All of this will be done under the slogan of recapturing the South African narrative and interrogating Africas brand potential. South Africa is specifically mentioned because it is the host country. This will change over time when different African cities/countries win the bid to host this regional summit.Last year welcomed the attendance and participation of the UN Program for African Economic Development - In 2020, the whole United Nations System in Africa will be represented at the summit, with UN Resident Coordinators in South Africa and Burkina Faso, respectively, Nardos Bekele-Thomas and Metsi Makhetha, speaking at the summit.Keynote speaker, Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, is excited to open proceedings, commenting: "I look forward to joining great minds as we strive to redefine Africa and set her on the path of transformative economic growth."Set to present on the food value chain space; why it matters, its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, CEO of Grobank, Bennie van Rooy, says: Food security across the continent will remain a critical issue for current and future generations. We have to develop strategies to turn this continent from the current net importer into a net exporter of food commodities. In order to achieve this, we need to develop and strengthen strong partnerships between the public sector, commercial agriculture, development finance institutions, smallholders and subsistence farmers. Grobank trusts that its activities will contribute to the global effort to achieve SDG 2 Zero Hunger. We look forward to exploring these key issues further during the various events that are part of the summit.Nardos Bekele-Thomas, the UNs Resident Coordinator in South Africa, will talk about why a healthy social justice is important for socio economic and political stability and, ultimately, the countrys image, as well as the importance of sustainable development goals. Bekele-Thomas is looking forward to taking part in the series of thematic discussions to analyse the link between perceptions about Africa and being African, on one hand and, on the other hand, holistically developing the Africa we aspire to be part of.I am particularly delighted that social justice will surface as the subject for discussion, as it is tightly linked to what must be done for Africa to realize the Sustainable Development Goals. Without social justice no citizens of any country can be happy, positive, productive and constructive contributors to their nations development. Happy citizens make happy societies and prosperous nations, says Bekele-Thomas.Delegates will arrive and register for the summit on Monday, 1 June, after which they will be taken on two full-day thematic tours on Tuesday, 2 June; one exclusively for the media and the other one for general delegates. On Wednesday, 3 June, there will be a selection of masterclasses to attend, with topics such as country communication, reputation management, Women Influence Community Forum Global, Education, and artificial intelligence in the African context.Day one of the core summit, 4 June, will look at key aspects needed to understand and shape Africa brand perceptions; looking at the role of PR, destination brands and the impact of perceptions on destinations, day-to-day practicalities and challenges, an overview of corporate SA and how it can/should be transformed, and the political landscape.The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday evening.Day two of the core summit and the last day of the 2020 Brand Summit Africa Week, 5 June, will focus on the food value chain, social justice, the importance of education and its development, the Global Benchmark and how MICE events can be used to enhance the African brand, and how tourism and business tourism can be encouraged.We have a full programme with truly powerful global influencers in various fields, in 2020. We have all intentions to produce another summit report with firm recommendations that will be shared with decision-makers across Africa, particularly the African Union, that we hope will help instigate for constructive change in the way we do things, said Solly Moeng, Founder and Convenor of the brand summit. Harry Dunns mother yesterday said she is more determined than ever to secure justice after the American diplomat wanted over her sons death was pictured on the school run in Virginia. The Daily Mail tracked Anne Sacoolas, 42, down six months after she fled Britain following her fatal car crash. Mrs Sacoolas reportedly admitted being on the wrong side of the road when she hit 19-year-old Harrys motorbike outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August. She fled the UK citing diplomatic immunity due to her husband Jonathans role as an intelligence officer at the base. Harry Dunns mother (pictured with her husband) said she is more determined than ever to secure justice after the American diplomat's wife wanted over her sons death was pictured on the school run in Virginia The mother of three is facing a charge of causing death by dangerous driving but has refused to return to Britain. Washington has refused an extradition request, however, and she was back on the school run yesterday after the Mail published photographs of her filling up her SUV near her 700,000 home in a suburb of Washington DC. Last night Charlotte Charles, 44, told the Mail: As a mother and as a human being, I do not understand how a fellow human being can behave the way she is. Its like she is moving on as if the whole thing never happened. I am so angry today having seen those photographs and beside myself with embarrassment that we tried so hard in the days after Harry died, in our darkest hour, to think of her and her family and help her through what happened. Mrs Sacoolas reportedly admitted being on the wrong side of the road when she hit 19-year-old Harrys (pictured) motorbike But our resolve stiffens and determination strengthens more and more each day. No one is above the law and we will not stop until she is back facing justice like any of us would have to do. She added: I hope against hope that Anne Sacoolas will wake up one day and do the right thing regardless of what advice she is getting. The mother of three (pictured on the school run in Virginia) is facing a charge of causing death by dangerous driving but has refused to return to Britain Last night Boris Johnsons spokesman said the Prime Minister was still pressing the US to return Mrs Sacoolas to the UK, stressing that he and the Foreign Secretary both raised this case with [US Secretary of State] Mike Pompeo last week. Radd Seiger, the Dunn familys spokesman, said: Every single option available is being reviewed. The British authorities could try her in her absence and issue an Interpol red notice... the other thing we are doing is were blockading the base [RAF Croughton]. We are not going to have these bases with these people thinking they can kill our children and leave with impunity. The comments came after Mr Sieger and Lisa Bloom, who represents victims of Jeffrey Epstein, issued a joint call for Mrs Sacoolas and Prince Andrew to co-operate with the authorities on both sides of the Atlantic. A male Gulf national was recently convicted of stalking a Bahraini actress for almost six years. He was sentenced by the Fifth Lower Criminal Court to three months imprisonment and deportation without re-entry after the execution of the punishment. The details of the incident date back to six years ago, when the defendant met the actress during a theatrical performance. He began messaging her via mobile phone and through social media networks. This personal matter did not stop until it reached her workplace, and thats when the actress lodged a complaint against the stalker to the police. Court files showed that the mans comments on social media sites caused problems to the Bahraini actress; and then, he started communicating with her family members. It was also shown that this matter continued until it got to the point of him chasing her to the workplace, where she was shocked to see him waiting. She sought help from bystanders, and he was captured and handed over to the police, according to Prosecutors. Several OEMs started rolling out Wi-Fi Calling feature for their phones in the past few weeks in India. Today HMD Global has officially announced that voice over any Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi) is being enabled on a range of Nokia smartphones for Jio and Airtel users in the country after testing it for the past two months. Jio users on Nokia 9 PureView, Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 8.1, Nokia 7.2, Nokia 7.1, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6.2, Nokia 6.1 Plus and Nokia 6.1 will be able to use Vo Wi-Fi. Airtel users on Nokia 9 PureView, Nokia 8 Sirocco, Nokia 8.1, Nokia 7.1, Nokia 7 Plus, Nokia 6.1 Plus and Nokia 6.1 will be able to use VoWi-Fi. How to enable and use Vo Wi-Fi on Nokia phones Open phone settings Search for Wi-Fi calling Enable Wi-Fi calling option Keep both VoLTE and Wi-Fi Calling switched on. Connect to a Wi-Fi network to start making Wi-Fi calls anywhere in India using the same process as you do while making voice calls generally. Your phone will automatically toggle between Wi-Fi and cellular network for best quality calling. You can check out the list of phones that support Wi-Fi calling on Jio and Airtel here. Regarding the Wi-Fi calling the company said: The Wi-Fi calling feature will let users make calls directly from their smartphone to any other mobile or landline via a Wi-Fi network and without the use any third-party app. Moreover, as users move from Wi-Fi into a non-Wi-Fi location, the call is seamlessly moved to their telecom network. This is great news especially for users who face network coverage and quality issues indoors. Moreover, users on the above Nokia smartphones can also make Vo-Wi-Fi calls to a person who doesnt have the feature enabled on their phone. The AIMIMs Asaduddin Owaisi has said he suspects the government will use force to clear Delhis Shaheen Bagh of protesters, who have been agitating against the amended citizenship act for more than 50 days now. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief spoke to news agency Asian News International over the phone from Hyderabad. Asaduddin Owaisi was asked whether there are indications from the government that Shaheen Bagh will be cleared after February 8, when the Delhi assembly elections will be held. Might be they will shoot them. They might turn Shaheen Bagh into Jallianwala Bagh. This might happen. A BJP minister gave a statement to shoot a bullet. The government must give an answer as (to) who is radicalising, he said while speaking to ANI. Also Watch l Vigil stepped up in Shaheen Bagh after firing: Delhi Police Commissioner Owaisi was referring to the colonial-era massacre in Amritsars Jallianwala Bagh on April 13, 1919, when some 50 British Indian army soldiers shot at unarmed civilians who were taking part in a peaceful protest against oppressive laws enforced in the Punjab region. And, the shoot a bullet was for the comment by Union minister Anurag Thakur, who allegedly prompted a crowd, saying desh ke gaddaron ko... (traitors of the country...), to which the crowd responded with goli maaron (shoot them...) while campaigning in Delhis Rithala on January 27. The minister of state for finance Anurag Thakur had also said Shaheen Bagh will be cleared once the Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power in Delhi after the February 8 polls. The protest in the colony in southeast Delhi has also become the main poll issue with several leaders of the BJP, led by Union home minister Amit Shah, describing the protests at Shaheen Bagh as being against the national interests and attacking Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over it. Owaisi also spoke about the National Population Register (NPR) and the proposed all-India National Register of Citizens (NRC). The government must give a clear cut answer that till 2024 NRC will not be implemented. Why are they spending Rs 3900 crore for NPR? he asked. I feel this way because I was a history student. Hitler during his reign conducted the census twice and after that, he pushed the Jews in a gas chamber. I dont want our country (to) go in that way, he said. Ex-Leningrad Region officials 9-year jail term for bribery mitigated to suspended term RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 13:22 06/02/2020 ST. PETERSBURG, February 6 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov) The St. Petersburg City Court replaced a 9-year prison term given to ex-head of a district in the Leningrad Region Petr Levin for bribery with a suspended sentence, RAPSI learnt in the courts press service on Thursday. Moreover, Levin is ordered to pay a 3-million-ruble fine instead of initially imposed 10.4 million rubles (over $165,000). The court also mitigated punishment for Levins acquaintance Ivan Zuyev, who had been found guilty of mediation in bribery. His fine was reduced from 35 to 3 million rubles ($555,000 48,000). Levin and Zuyev were convicted and sentenced in September 2019. According to case papers, in 2016, Levin when concluding a total school building renovation contract demanded a 10%-kickback of a deal amount from a construction company representative for signing documents confirming the works execution. In mid-2017, he received 600,000 rubles. Later, then official agreed to decrease the bribe sum to 5.8 million rubles and demanded to give the money through Zuyev. In late 2017, Zuyev received from a company representative fake 5 million rubles and was arrested. Later, the Federal Security Service officers arrested Levin. The defendants pleaded not guilty. Algiers, February 05, 2020 (SPS) - The Saharawi ambassador to Algeria, Mr. Abdelkader Taleb Omar, said that the stalemate of the Saharawi can push the Saharawi people to resort to escalation and use all means to determine their destiny, including armed action, in case that all political solutions fail. The Saharawi ambassador said, in exclusive statements to the Russian newspaper "Sputnik" that the option of the armed struggle remains valid adding: "The Saharawis are obliged to prepare their armed force, because the option of the armed struggle always remains on the table and can be used when necessary. "The current stalemate due to Morocco's intransigence requires us to alert the international community about the possibility of military action. All these obstacles can push the Saharawis to choose other forms, whenever they want to avoid them, and the world must act," Taleb Omar pointed out. The Saharawi diplomat pointed out that the current state of the Saharawi question "is characterized by a state of blockade for several reasons, the most important of which is: the UN peace process stalled since the resignation of the UN envoy, Horst Kohler , without the appointment of another envoy so far, in addition to the Moroccan obstacles, backed mainly by France. "International law does not recognize any sovereignty of Morocco over Western Sahara, an occupied territory pending the organization of a self-determination referendum," he added. On the options available to the Saharawi people to face what is described as "an accomplished fact," the Saharawi ambassador said: "We are informing international public opinion and influential countries, as well as the African Union, about the seriousness of the situation ", expressing its gratitude to the African Union, which did not change its position despite Morocco's return to the African bloc. On the other hand, the Saharawi ambassador expressed his complete satisfaction with "the quality of the relations that unite us with Algeria and the frank and clear positions of Algeria, people and government," he said. "We have noted that the five candidates for the last Algerian presidential elections have unanimously agreed that the Saharawi issue is a matter of decolonization, which is the same position expressed by President Abdelmdajid Tabboune at his last meeting with the media, and we are proud of the Algerian firm position, "he emphasizes. SPS 125/090/TRA Berkshire DA Andrea Harrington says fatal incident was a 'chain of very, very unfortunate circumstances.' Berkshire DA Says No Charges Expected in Adams Man's Death Bellevue Avenue is closed off on Wednesday as police investigate the case of a man killed by a crossbow. PITTSFIELD, Mass. The Berkshire district attorney on Thursday said she did not anticipate any charges against a good Samaritan who tried to save his neighbor but accidentally killed him instead. District Attorney Andrea Harrington described the incident in Adams that started with a dog attack and ended with the death of Joshua Jadusingh, 27, from a crossbow as an unusual occurrence that took investigators by surprise. "It really is a chain of very, very unfortunate circumstances," she said at a press conference in her office on Thursday afternoon. Because of the nature of the fatal incident, she said her office wanted to be forthcoming on what it knows at this point, although the case is still under investigation. Harrington said the neighbor, who has not been identified, was friends with Jadusingh and is very distraught over what happened. "Everything in the investigation indicates the neighbor was reacting in a very stressful circumstance, was doing what he could to neutralize the dog to protect life," she said. "At this point, I don't anticipate that this office will be filing any criminal charges against the neighbor by all accounts appears to be a good Samaritan." She was able to say that it began when the neighbor heard Jadusingh yelling for help about noontime on Wednesday and that he knew it was about Jadusingh's dogs, Max and Durma. The two adult male pitbulls were owned by Jadusingh and his girlfriend, and lived at the apartment with the couple's young child, who was with the Jadusingh at the time of the attack. Harrington said they were known to be aggressive and had fought in the past so were being kept in separate kennels. Max was known to be particularly aggressive and had attacked and injured someone in 2018. It was not known how or why they were not confined at the time of the incident. Harrington, who visited the scene on Wednesday, said the neighbor had grabbed his crossbow, opened the front door and seen one of the dogs at the top of the stairway landing. He shot upwards and the bolt caught the scruff of the dog's neck and then went through the door, hitting Jadusingh, who was behind it. Officers had arrived on scene by that point and found the dogs still fighting inside. They shot both dogs but one ran outside and was shot in the street. "They confirmed five rounds were fired, which is consistent with what ballistics evidence shows from the scene," she said, and to the necropsy done on the dogs. Jadusingh's name was withheld until late Wednesday afternoon pending positive identification by the Office of the State Medical Examiner in Westfield. That autopsy had been delayed by this morning's wintry weather that had also precluded the lead investigating officer, State Police Detective Lt. Edward Culver, from attending the press conference. She did not believe there was a criminal liability in Massachusetts for owning a dangerous dog and declined to comment on whether Jadusingh's partner could be held liable for the actions of her dog. "Owning dogs is a big responsibility," she said. "I wouldn't necessarily specify about any particular breeds, I think dogs from many different breeds can be aggressive and for people who own dogs who are known to be aggressive, they're taking on a very big responsibility." Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, speaks to the media before the opening of the Berlin representation of Google Germany in Berlin on January 22, 2019. Google faces yet another investigation by a U.S. government agency. The U.S. International Trade Commission disclosed an investigation into Google and its parent company Alphabet Thursday, after a complaint from Sonos that Google imported patent-infringing products. The investigation will cover "certain audio players and controllers, components thereof, and products containing the same," according to a press release. In its complaint to the USITC, Sonos alleged Google violated section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 by importing into the U.S. and selling audio products and controllers that it said infringe certain patents. Sonos requested the USITC to issue a limited exclusion order and cease and desist, according to the release. "Sonos has made misleading statements about our history of working together," a Google spokesperson said in a statement. "Our technology and devices were designed independently. We deny their claims vigorously, and will be defending against them." The agency must provide a target for completing the probe within 45 days, according to the release. A USITC administrative law judge will hold an evidentiary hearing to make an initial determination of whether there was a violation, which will be subject to review by the commission. The investigation adds to a growing number of groups at the federal level looking into Google. In addition to an antitrust probe opened by a large group of state attorneys general, the Department of Justice and the House Antitrust Subcommittee are both looking at Google's competitive practices. The probe also shows Sonos is committed to pursuing various legal routes in its patent infringement accusations against the company. Sonos filed suit against Google last month for allegedly violating Sonos' patents on Google's audio products. Sonos CEO Patrick Spence testified in front of the House Antitrust Subcommittee, chaired by Rhode Island Democrat David Cicilline, less than two weeks after the news of the lawsuit. WATCH: How US antitrust law works, and what it means for Big Tech John Piper: Calling female church leaders 'pastors' is 'misleading, unwise and ill-founded' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Theologian John Piper said it's misleading and unwise and ill-founded to call female church leaders pastors amid an ongoing debate about the role of women in the Church. In a recent episode of his podcast, Piper, the founder and teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary, responded to a reader whose church is changing its view on the use of the word pastor to include women. The readers church claimed that Ephesians 4:11 is the only place in the Bible where the Greek word for pastor is ever used, and that it doesnt have any specific qualifications there. Women could fill this role and still be under male headship and a male elder board, the reader said. But would this change in title be in line with other parts of Scripture? Piper first stressed it is misleading and unwise to use the English word pastor for women in ministry, adding that the attempt to say that it is more biblical to use it is built on a misunderstanding of how language works, as well as the supposed use of the word pastor in the New Testament. In English, the word pastor is understood to mean a person with official leadership in the local church that ordinarily involves preaching and governing, Piper contended. But the New Testament, written in Greek, doesnt use the English word pastor at all, he explained, adding that Greek has only one word for shepherd and pastor: "poimen." Its highly misleading to claim that in applying the word pastor to laypeople, we are recovering New Testament usage. Thats highly misleading when the word pastor does not even occur in the ESV, and only once does it occur in other versions, Piper said. [Not] only is there no New Testament word that corresponds to pastor as distinct from shepherd, but the idea of shepherding in the New Testament was consistently associated with the leadership of elders and overseers, he added. Its also misleading and unwise and ill-founded to use the word pastor for non-elders or non-overseers in the church because doing so communicates that the office of pastor, as almost everyone understands it in English, is properly filled by women, Piper cautioned. In other words, I think those who are arguing for the use of the word pastor for women ministering or men who are not elders or overseers are undermining the teaching of the New Testament about church leadership, even as they aim to do the opposite, he concluded. Piper is a self-professed complementarian. Complementarians hold to the belief that Scripture restricts women from serving in church leadership roles, as the Bible establishes male authority over women. Instead, women are called to serve in equally important, but complementary roles to their husbands and to male leaders in the church. In contrast, Egalitarians insist that Scripture does not warrant such restrictions. Although a longstanding debate, the subject of gender differences and their implications for church ministry has risen to the forefront in recent years thanks to movements like #MeToo, #ChurchToo, and the public downfall of several prominent church leaders due to sexual impropriety. Additionally, a 2016 Pew research report found that women were leaving the Church faster than men, corroborating an earlier report from the Barna Research Group. Kadi Cole, author ofDeveloping Female Leaders: Navigate the Minefields and Release the Potential of Women in Your Church, told CP that in her experience, churches on both sides of the debate are struggling to help women take on more leadership. After interviewing over 1,200 female ministry leaders from across the globe, she found that while women make up 61% of church congregations, less than 10% serve in any sort of leadership role. She encouraged churches stuck in a binary way of thinking about women in the church to look at the bigger picture. Complementarian churches are finding that womens leadership is not where they want it to be, whether its their childrens ministry, Bible studies, or any other ministry typically led by a woman. Theyre realizing they haven't done a good job developing the leadership capacity of those women who are in leadership, she explained. And in churches that are full-on egalitarian there are churches who have ordained women for over 120 years, and they still don't have anyone on their senior or executive leadership teams that are women. The theology piece is an issue obviously, but it's not the main issue in my mind, she added. All across the board, were missing out on what women can bring to the table and really knowing how to develop and leverage their gifts in the mission that God has called our churches to." VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. An unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from California early Wednesday on a test flight to a target in the Pacific Ocean, the Air Force Global Strike Command said. The missile blasted off at 12:33 a.m. from Vandenberg Air Force Base and its reentry vehicle traveled 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands as part of a developmental test, the command said from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. Developmental tests use a spare missile from storage to validate flight worthiness of new or replacement components. That differs from test launches that use randomly selected operational missiles. Modernization programs are essential to sustaining the aging Minuteman 3 weapon system, Col. Omar Colbert, the 576th Flight Test Squadron commander, said in a statement. The launch was conducted by airmen from the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, and the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. Vandenberg's 30th Space Wing, now a part of the new U.S. Space Force, provided support. The Air Force said test launches are not a reaction to world events. The launch calendars are developed three to five years in advance, and planning for individual launches takes six months to a year Retrospective: Inside a Montana nuclear missile launch facility You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Jamia Millia Islamia appealed to its students on Thursday to not be part of an "agitating crowd" protesting against the CAA outside its campus, days after the Delhi police urged the university administration to remove protesters from the road near one of its gates. In view of the Delhi assembly election and recent firing incidents, the Jamia Nagar SHO wrote a letter to the university registrar, stating that some students, former students and locals were sitting on the Okhla Road outside gate number seven and protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Following the request, the varsity appealed to students to not be a part of an agitating crowd on a public road, and endanger their safety and security. The university stated that the request of the local police needs to be taken "seriously and its gravity must be understood". "The university is responsible for the safety and security of its students within the domain of the campus and can protect the students and staff when they, as a group, are independent of the crowd which is not a bonafide part of the university," it said. "The parents are also being approached and their support in personal capacity is also solicited to guide their wards in adhering to basic precautions to be confined within the premises of the university campus. The proctorial paraphernalia available to university is limited, hence a collective effort is the need of the hour," it added. The varsity had on Saturday prohibited students from holding any protest meeting or agitation inside the university campus, warning them of strict action. The varsity administration also directed students to report to it any unauthorised entry of outsiders in campus to avoid "disruption of peace". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) - Eli, a Ghanaian Master's student in China has shared his experience on campus after the outbreak of coronavirus - The final-year student revealed the ''unfortunate development has really put into us a lot of fear'' - Eli is resident in Chengdu and he's set to graduate in June 2020 Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Global fears keep growing following the outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China, and the latest to express extreme concern is a final-year Ghanaian Master's student living in Chengdu. The final-year Masters student who simply identified himself as Eli expressed extreme fears despite his trust for the Chinese authorities to control further spread of the virus. Eli told YEN.com.gh a few cases of coronavirus infection with one dead have been recorded in the province of Sichuan. ''I live in Chengdu where there are a few cases with one recorded death in the province (Sichuan). Im a final year masters student. As a matter of fact, this unfortunate development has really plop into us a lot of fear,'' Eli disclosed. He confirmed there are strict restrictions on movement in the province and on campuses. READ ALSO: Curvy Ghanaian nurse causes massive stir with admirable photos ''The whole of the vacation for instance, we've been indoors so much so that they've tighten security on campus: per the arrangements, apart from those who travelled back home and those who stay off-campus who are not allowed to gain entry until school resumes, if a student who's residing on campus wants to go out to a shop like Walmart because most of the small shops have been shut down, the person has to inform his/her school coordinate (registrar) for them to inform the security with the students details before entry/exit.'' The lockdown is aimed at controlling further spread of the virus and despite his concern, he said: ''These guys are really doing their best and I trust them. So far, no foreign student had been reported of having the virus, not even the guys in Wuhan, we're being cautious.'' Eli wanted to return to Ghana when the virus was first confirmed like some of his friends but he revealed that he is set to graduate in June 2020. ''I feel that medical care here as compared with Ghana will be much better should anything happen. I'm very grateful to God that this whole thing started right at the end of the semester and so only a few International students are on campus to avoid contacts because there are a lot of students in my school,'' he said. However, Eli has indicated that: ''if there's no improvement by the middle of the month, I'll book my flight and go home, after all life first.'' The coronavirus began in Wuhan China, a city with a population of 11 million. In other stories, YEN.com.gh reported that Ghanaian dancehall artiste Stonebwoy would be proud of some school kids performing two of his hit songs in a video that has been widely circulated online. The video shows the school kids remarkably performing two of Stonebwoys hit songs Without any proper musical instrument to perform the songs with, the school kids created an improvised band to perform an acapella of Stonebwoys Bawasaaba and the outcome is nothing short of amazing. READ ALSO: Curvy Ghanaian nurse causes massive stir with admirable photos Faces of Ghana: Ghanas 1st Female Police Bemoans High Rate of Police Indiscipline | #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 Lucknow, Feb 6 : As many as 14 MoUs were signed between Russian original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Indian companies on Thursday at Defexpo currently on in Lucknow. The MoUs were signed during the fifth round of India-Russia military industrial conference which was co-chaired by Ajay Kumar, Defence Secretary, and Oleg Ryazantsev, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russian Federation. During the conference, 14 MoUs were exchanged between the Russian OEMs and the Indian companies. The first 'Request for Proposal' for manufacturing of parts in India under the provision of inter-governmental agreement was also handed over by the Indian Navy to the identified Indian industry. Representatives from both the countries acknowledged that the MoUs would pave the way for more contracts for joint manufacturing of spares parts. Kumar said the Inter-Governmental Agreement on joint manufacturing of spares in India has been signed at Vladivostok, Russia on September 4, 2019. The IGA provides framework for partnership of Russian OEMs with Indian industry for manufacturing of spare parts of Russian origin equipment in use by the Indian defence forces. Kumar said the Indian side has taken steps to expedite the collaboration between the Indian and Russian companies as the country looks forward to expeditious commencement of manufacturing in India. Ryazantsev said the Russian side would actively participate in the collaborations under the ambit of the Inter-Governmental Agreement and would take all necessary steps to facilitate manufacturing of parts in India. Sugar Land resident Reynold Chef Rey Darthard said his 15 years of following his dream as a chef have been a blessing. He sheds light on finding his purpose in his new book. Around the year 2000 after 16 years of working at the same oil and gas company, he decided he wanted to do something different with his life. As I tell people, I liked my job, but I didnt love my job. So its a big difference, said Darthard. ON HOUSTON CHRONICLE.COM: The worlds best chef? He's right here in Houston He had grown up around talented cooks, including his grandmother, mother and aunt and even his father that made delicious barbecue and grilled items and a pot of beans that would take all day to cook before finally delighting its hungry partakers. It was in Darthards bones. His friends and family encouraged him to follow up on that. In 2002 at 37, he enrolled in night culinary classes at The Art Institute of Houston and continued to work his day job. Using his life savings, he knew there was no going back. He said he put his whole effort into it after he graduated because he had to. Its like its new beginnings. Its like if a man dont work, you dont eat, as the Bible would say. So I had to do, you know, what I had to do, And that was I had to work, Darthard said. At the end of the day, I had to make it. I had to make self-investment work on my behalf. HOUSTON FOOD: What's Houston's signature dish? We asked local top chefs to weigh in. While still in school, he let his oil and gas connections know his plans in order to set himself up for a corporate catering business. Also for five or six years, Darthard became a caterer with a lot of the black Houston mega-churches. Later, a client told Darthard he should get all that he needed to impress a potential client and meet them at their home, all without knowing who it was. He was skeptical and almost did not agree, but the client persisted. The potential client turned out to be then Houston Rockets player Tracy McGrady. Darthard did impress, and they hit it off instantly. CleRenda McGrady, Tracys wife, wrote in the foreword of the new book that they knew instantly he was their guy because of his brilliant sea bass recipe but also his spirit. His authentic spirit of grace, humility, peace and love radiated in a sense that foretold that this relationship would be one that would go beyond business and converge into family, she said. SWEET GOODNESS: Voodoo Doughnut now accepting orders for Valentines Day treats In five years of traveling the world and meeting people as he worked for the McGrady family, Darthard built relationships that he says helped him become Chef Rey. After that, he worked as executive chef with three of the four Houston major sport teams, the Astros, Rockets and Dynamo. Today he is working as a personal chef again. Darthard has published his fourth book, 15 Years in 12 Minutes: Making Your Dreams Come True. The short book serves as a guide to help readers let go of their fears through contemplating on a powerful word and scripture each of 31 days, followed by guided sections of writing. In 2018, he lost his parents, a painful path that would lead him to better understand his purpose. That July, he fasted from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and zoned in on a particular word each day, which became the words for the book. He said he felt like his dad was asking him to find his purpose. So I realized in 2018 your gift and purpose are way two different things, but the goal is to connect your gift with your purpose, Darthard said. And Im fortunate enough to know now that my purpose is to help and inspire people and give back, tell them my testimony, help people release their fear, encourage, motivate. And through my gift of cooking, Ive been doing it all my life. I just didnt realize it till here in the process of writing this book. The books name is derived from Darthards 15 years as an executive chef and his experience winning the 2018 H-E-B Quest for Texas Best contest, where he had 30 minutes of presentation time to best present his product, a cheesecake. Between setup, breakdown and Q&A time with the judges, he only had 12 minutes for the task. He said it was like putting 15 years of his hard work into just a few minutes. He went on to win the competition. Darthard plans to lead a monthly study using the book at a location to be determined. More details are to come. For more information or to purchase a copy of the book for $24.99, visit www.chefreynold.com. tracy.maness@hcnonline.com Why is arts-centered Ashland so appealing to visitors? It was designed that way. Ashlands founders figured out quickly in the 1850s that this tiny southern Oregon settlement, on the emigrant trail and sheltered by the picturesque Siskiyou and Cascade mountains, could prosper not as a boom-and-bust gold town but one that supplied people prospecting for a richer future. Pioneers built flour and lumber mills propelled by Ashland Creek on land that later became Lithia Park, a 93-acre beautification project designed by the landscape architect who helped create San Franciscos Golden Gate Park. They erected narrow storefronts that continue to stand shoulder to shoulder on the major downtown streets and lure travelers to the still-vital business district. And the wide Plaza, originally designed for wagons to turn around, has never stopped being the citys social soul. Today, 350,000 visitors arrive in Ashland each year and pretty much do what people did when the ambitious city was young: They wander from the Plaza to East Main Street, a slow-motion spec of Highway 99, and eventually amble up either South Pioneer Street or the Chautauqua Walk to a festival. First, it was the Chautauqua festival, where for 30 summers starting in 1898, the great minds of the day spoke to an overflow of people attracted to intellectual pursuits. Since 1935, its been the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and world-class theater. Historic preservation consultant George Kramer, who has lived in Ashland for 40 years, says this dot on the Oregon map always had big dreams and was deliberate in achieving them. Early on, Ashland had an attitude that people wanted to come here, he says. The enduring allure is more than cultural events and natural beauty. Ashland has something that has survived in few cities: Although the downtown remains the center of local government and tourism, it feels authentic, welcoming. The handsome historic buildings help create this response. All but one are just a few stories tall, making it impossible to block the valleys captivating scenery. The lone tower, the 1925 Ashland Springs Hotel, serves as a buttercream-colored Art Deco beacon to I-5 travelers. Visitors, comfortable in casual clothes and walking shoes, sense the clock has been turned back in another way: There are no national chain stores with brand recognition, so local merchants have to choose wisely to interest window shoppers. Restauranteurs reel in repeat customers by making the room, drinks and food memorable. Most have a Chez Panisse level of commitment to seasonal, locally produced ingredients, whether its a quick grass-fed beef burger at Flip or an evening devoted to 10 foraged, wildcrafted courses at Mas. In this Ashland Insiders Guide, we suggest places to stay and point to well-known and hidden spots to eat as well as ways to enjoy Oregon Shakespeare Festival events on a budget and where to park when everyones downtown. We tapped Ashland residents, business owners and experts at arts organizations, Travel Ashland and the Ashland Chamber of Commerce for these fact-filled stories: We cant map it all out for you, but were sure youll find your way. Ashland is an easy place to navigate the natural landmarks will guide you and in the heart of the city, where the speed limit is 20 mph, people slow down. Locals whose families have lived here for generations are accustomed to out-of-towners asking for recommendations. And new residents were most likely visitors first, coming here for fun or just to mellow out. One long-timer explained her relaxed attitude: Settlers built here because of the creek and later discovered the calming benefits of the lithia natural mineral springs. You know, she laughs, gesturing to a bubbling drinking fountain in the Plaza, there is lithium in the water. 12 Ashland welcomes travelers --Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072 jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories With Bhutan set to levy a fees for regional tourists, India on Thursday said the Himalayan nation has assured that it will ensure Indians are not inconvenienced. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said there is a discussion in the Bhutanese Parliament on the Tourism Levy and Exemption Bill of Bhutan 2020. "There are some additional provisions for the tourists of this region. The fee that is being charged is for the upgradation of the tourism places. We have been assured by the Bhutanese government that during the implementation of the bill passed, no Indian will be inconvenienced," he said. As far as bilateral relationships are concerned, some are beyond reciprocity and India-Bhutan ties are in that bracket, Kumar asserted. Ending the provision of free entry for Indian tourists into the country, Bhutan reportedly is set to levy a daily fee of Rs 1,200 per person from July 2020. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The state of New York made a monstrous mistake assuming there would be enough paper bags to replace soon-to-be-banned single-use plastic bags, said an industry expert. Phil Rozenski, spokesman for Novolex, a paper bag manufacturer that has seven facilities across the United States, told the Advance that New York is in serious trouble. There isnt going to be a shortage -- there already is, Rozenski said. [New York state] just assumed that if it banned plastic bags and mandated the use of paper, that people would just be able to go and buy the paper bags. Well, you have to buy the bags somewhere, he said. The statewide ban on single-use plastic bags goes into effect March 1. Consumers will have the option of using their own reusable bags or paying a 5-cent fee for paper bags. As part of the ban, counties and cities are able to opt into charging a 5-cent fee on paper bags, of which 2 cents will go to local governments and 3 cents will go to the states Environmental Protection Fund. New York City opted-in to charging the 5-cent fee. NEW YORK WILL EXASPERATE THE SHORTAGE New York is the first state to mandate the use of paper bags. Other states that have banned single-use plastic bags did not mandate paper, but instead, some used thicker plastic bags or urged consumers to use reusable bags. Weve been trying to get the state to understand this, he said. In the U.S., in an average year, we use about 100 billion plastic bags -- so, by population, New York uses about 6.8 billion. If you took a store that used plastic and moved it to paper, the conversion would be 85 paper bags for every 100 plastic bags in New York. New York state needs somewhere around 5 billion paper bags -- but North Americas total capacity is about 7.7 billion -- and its already sold out, Rozenski explained. The shortage became official at least a year ago and has steadily gotten worse. New York is going to put this over the edge, he said. Rozenski said he and others in the industry have been trying to get Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others in the state legislature to understand the magnitude of the situation but to no avail. S.I. NOT INCLUDED IN CITYS BAG DISTRIBUTION EVENTS The city Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has several free reusable bag distribution events listed on its website, however, none of the scheduled events are being held on Staten Island. After being contacted by the Advance and asked about the boroughs exclusion from the listed events, a Department of Sanitation spokeswoman said the agency continues to hold events throughout the city and plans to have bag distribution events on Staten Island soon. The spokeswoman said DSNY has distributed more than 30,000 bags on Staten Island through borough community organizations, its community boards, and elected officials for distribution to their constituents. WHERE STATEN ISLANDERS CAN GET FREE REUSABLE BAGS Borough elected officials said reusable bags can be picked up at their offices while supplies last: The accused has been booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 326-A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid, etc) and sent in police custody till Friday Nagpur: The condition of the 25-year-old woman lecturer who was set ablaze in Maharashtra's Wardha district continued to remain "critical but stable", hospital authorities said on Thursday. The victim has been undergoing treatment at the Orange City Hospital in Nagpur. She was set ablaze by a stalker, Vikesh Nagrale (27), in Hinganghat on Monday while she was on way to the college where she taught. She suffered 40 percent burns. In a medical bulletin issued on Thursday, the hospital said, "No setbacks have occurred till now, although her condition remains critical. Her vitals are being maintained with oxygen supply. She is responding to commands. Her condition does remain critical." Specialists treating the woman were keeping an eye on anticipated complications like infection and respiratory deterioration, the hospital said. She underwent two sessions of debridement, dressings and upper limbs multiple fasciotomy, it added. Debridement is a medical procedure to remove dead, damaged or infected tissue. Fasciotomy is a surgical procedure where the fascia (tissue) is cut to relieve tension or pressure commonly to treat the resulting loss of circulation to an area of tissue or muscle. The state government on Tuesday flew Navi Mumbai-based National Burns Centre director Sunil Keswani to Nagpur to supervise the woman's treatment. State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who visited the hospital on Tuesday evening, announced that the trial of the accused would be fast-tracked, and well-known lawyer Ujjwal Nikam would be appointed as special prosecutor as per the request of the woman's relatives. Wardha Police on Wednesday said a special team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Trupti Jadhav will probe the case and collect all related evidence to file a charge sheet. Nagrale was harassing her for quite some time, they said. After the incident on Monday, the accused tried to escape but he was nabbed at Butibori industrial suburb in Nagpur within four hours, a police official earlier said. The accused has been booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 326-A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid, etc) and sent in police custody till Friday, he said. Police were recording statements of various people, including eye-witnesses, and parents of the victim and the accused, he added. According to the police, Nagrale and the woman were friends till two years ago when she severed ties with him due to his "irrational behaviour". "Nagrale is a married man and has a seven-month-old son. He works in a firm in Balharshah. He used to stalk the woman. He had even tried to commit suicide last year," a police official said. The victim's cousin told PTI that Nagrale had been harassing her for the last many years despite repeated warnings. "Her marriage (engagement) was broken last year due to Nagrale," she said. (TNS) Facebook appears to "like" New Albany.The social media giant said Thursday that its New Albany data center is up and running, and that it plans to add two more buildings with nearly 1 million square feet of space.When complete, Facebook's campus will have five buildings with 2.5 million square feet of space and a total investment of $1 billion, said Bobby Hollis, director of global energy, environment and site selection for Facebook."We look forward to continuing this strong partnership for many years to come," Hollis said.The data center, south of Rt. 161 and east of Beech Road, will employ more than 150 people, Facebook spokeswoman Melanie Rue said. It currently has about 50 employees.The first two buildings on the 340-acre campus went online Thursday, said Mike Reffle, director of data center operations for Facebook.The third building will be completed next year, Reffle said, and the next two in the next few years.Facebook announced plans to build the data center, which helps bring Facebook apps and services to billions of people around the world, in August 2017. At peak construction, the site had 1,200 workers.Since then, the company has made its local presence felt in more ways than its sheer size.The company recently gave $250,000 to New Albany for the city's Rose Run stream corridor revitalization project, including construction of a 34-foot-long bridge and promenade that connects the New Albany Plain-Local School District campus on the north side of Dublin-Granville Road to the New Albany branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library to the south.Facebook also provided a $190,000 grant to the Licking Heights Local School District for the science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics curriculum, Reffle said. NEW HAVEN Three Roman Catholic elementary schools in the city will be merged into one, to be known as All Saints Catholic Academy, starting in fall. The Archdiocese of Hartford announced Wednesday that the Catholic Academy of New Haven (formerly St. Aedan-St. Brendan School) in Westville, St. Bernadette School in Morris Cove and St. Francis and St. Rose of Lima School in Fair Haven will be consolidated at 423 Ferry St., the site of St. Francis and St. Rose of Lima, starting in fall. The Rev. James Shanley, the archdioceses vicar for clergy, said each of the three schools has about 100 pupils from prekindergarten through eighth grade. You cant run schools with these kind of numbers. You need a strong base for educational reasons as well as financial reasons, he said. The new school will be a K-8 world school and will seek accreditation as an International Baccalaureate school, according to a release. The merger followed a study by the archdiocese, with recommendations from an ad hoc committee. Shanley said he wasnt sure of the makeup of the committee. All faculty at the three existing schools will have to reapply for their jobs, Shanley said, but said the Office of Education, Evangelization and Catechesis would work with teachers to find them positions in other schools if they were not accepted at All Saints Catholic Academy. Teachers hired for the new school will receive professional development in the world school model, according to the release. Shanley said the merger was a positive step and the archdiocese was approached by the parishes that sponsor the three schools: Saints Aedan and Brendan, Our Lady of Guadalupe and St. Bernadette. Were hoping that this is going to give some stability, Shanley said. Its not good when they drop one by one. He said the new schools will draw hopefully more kids from the city and even kids from outside the city who are interested in the world program. The school accepts non-Catholic pupils as well as Catholics. The positive thing of this is theres still Catholic education in New Haven. Theres not in Hartford, Shanley said. Shanley said changing times require a new school model. New Haven had multiple schools years ago, when the sisters taught for free and the tuition was $50, he said. The Ferry Street school, originally St. Francis School, was built in 1881. All New Haven residents will receive free busing to All Saints Catholic Academy. Families also can enroll in other nearby archdiocesan schools, including St. Lawrence in West Haven, East Shoreline Catholic Academy in Branford and St. Rita School in Hamden, but busing is not available to the schools outside New Haven. St. Martin de Porres Academy, 208 Columbus Ave., is an independent Catholic school, approved by the archdiocese, which is tuition free. It serves fifth through eighth grade and helps support its students through college, according to founder John Jay Bowes. edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382 Editors note: This story was edited to include St. Martin de Porres Academy. Despite reporting lower-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings, on Wednesday, Twitter was still happy to celebrate its strong user growth over the past year. 2019 was a great year for Twitter, CEO Jack Dorsey insisted in an earnings statement. During the quarter ended December 31, Twitter said average monetizable daily active users reached 152 million, which was up 21%, year-over-year. He attributed much of that growth to product improvements designed to increase relevance and ease of use for users. During the period, Twitter racked up about $1.01 billion in revenue, which was up 11%, year-over-year. Stateside, revenue rose to $591 million, which was up 17%, year-over-year. Looking ahead, analysts expect Twitter to see strong, sustained user growth. That includes Deutsche Bank analyst Lloyd Walmsley, who told investors to expect impressive growth from Twitter throughout 2020. advertisement advertisement Although mixed, this latest earnings report represents something of a turnaround for Twitter. Due to a combination of ad product issues and industry headwinds, the company reported less-than-stellar third-quarter earnings. More work remains to deliver improved revenue products, Ned Segal, Twitters CFO acknowledged at the time. Among other efforts to clean up its platform, Twitter committed to deactivating dormant accounts, late last year. In part, the change was designed to encourage more users to actively log on and use the platform when they register an account, Twitter said. Taking over the world of social media as one of the top young singers is Armaan Thakur Influence is not about growth, its about knowing that there is a way towards it: Anand Mandal Concerned about fake news, social media abuse; people should be accountable: Ravi Shankar Prasad India oi-PTI New Delhi, Feb 06: The government on Thursday expressed serious concern over "public platforms" like YouTube, Google, WhatsApp and others being abused for revenge porn, fake news and content designed to incite violence and cautioned that while digital world cannot be caged, players have to be accountable and responsible. Minister for Law and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad said the issue of fake news is a worry, and added that there are "serious parliamentary concerns" about internet being abused for child pornography. He also asserted that identification of originator of messages was still a problem with regard to WhatsApp. "I am a great supporter of creativity and freedom but there are also social obligations...But the digital world has to be responsible, accountable and most importantly sensitive. For the sake of earning money, is it right to show what we are showing - this question has to be asked," the minister said at an IAMAI event. 3 arrested for spreading false news on coronavirus Stating that India is emerging as a large digital powerhouse that will yield golden opportunities, he asked companies not to allow their platforms to be abused. NEWS AT 3 PM, 6th, FEBRUARY 2020 "You must remember, India is emerging as a big global power and there are forces that want to create hurdles... that is their outlook but you don't allow your platform to be abused for that, that is my appeal," he said. Terming digital universe a "pious and pure world" and one that was empowering, he however noted that issues such as fake news was a "problem". "Revenge porn is creeping in India...girlfriend and boyfriend split up... then what happens, platform is being abused," the minister said adding that he had even brought the issue of abuse of YouTube to the notice of Sundar Pichai (CEO of Alphabet). "I told Pichai also, when you go to YouTube there are many positive narratives like old songs, speeches, enlightening digital material available...but see some of the other parts...the way YouTube is being abused," he said. YouTube, Google, mobile or other related platforms are "public platforms" that are being misused for porn, fake news, or content designed to provoke violence and flare communal tensions, he noted. On WhatsApp he said there is still a problem in identifying the originator of a rogue message. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar writes to PM Modi to ban porn sites "I have one problem, still going on. Who is the initiator of that sin...and if it comes from abroad, who was the first in India to start it," Prasad said. He said India, unlike China, will keep its doors open to progressive and new technologies. On data protection legislation, he said it should move through a democratic process. "India is a democracy and they (China) closed their doors, we won't and we should not. "I am appealing to all of you, it is time for you to enjoy the success of Digital India, it will create a golden opportunity for you but also be responsible and accountable," he said addressing India Digital Summit. WASHINGTON - The Trump administration announced Thursday that it intends to open free-trade talks with Kenya in pursuit of what would be the first trade agreement between the United States and a nation in sub-Saharan Africa. The announcement followed a White House meeting between President Donald Trump and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. When asked about the prospects for such a deal before the meeting, Trump said it probably would happen. Were going to start looking at that, added Kenyatta. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Kenya is a leader on the African continent and an important strategic partner of the U.S. There is enormous potential for us to deepen our economic and commercial ties, he said. Lighthizer said a comprehensive, high-standard agreement with Kenya can be a model for trade agreements between the U.S. and other African countries. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce applauded the announcement. A deepening U.S.-Kenya commercial relationship bodes well for the U.S. and the entire African continent, said Myron Brilliant, executive vice-president and head of international affairs at the chamber. As East Africas economic hub, Kenya has strategic importance for the U.S. as it attempts to counter Chinas growing influence on the African continent. More than a decade ago, China surpassed the U.S. as Africas largest trading partner. The U.S. and Kenya currently trade about $1 billion in goods, according to the chamber. Trump recently signed a trade agreement with China, and a separate deal with Canada and Mexico. The U.S. has a free-trade agreement with Morocco, signed in 2004. Kenyatta, in remarks Wednesday at the Atlantic Council in Washington, warned against a return to the Cold War era when countries across Africa were forced to choose sides. Global powers are behaving like Africa is for the taking, Kenyatta said. We dont want to be forced to choose. ... We must begin to look at Africa as the worlds biggest opportunity, and I believe that you can dare to look at it with a fresh eye. Kenyatta rejected concerns that a free-trade deal with the U.S. would undermine a new continental free-trade agreement in Africa aimed at creating the worlds largest common market. Kenya was one of the first to sign the deal, he said. According to Kenyattas office, Kenya has been working closely with the U.S. to craft a trade arrangement that guarantees continued market access for Kenyas products in the U.S. after the African Growth and Opportunity Act expires in 2025. It means duty-free access for Kenya to the U.S. market, Kenyas third-largest export destination. Meanwhile, Kenya is struggling to finance its debt due in part to borrowing from the Chinese to finance large infrastructure projects such as a $3.8 billion standard gauge railway line. Part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, the majority-Chinese-financed railway is Kenyas largest infrastructure project since independence from Britain in 1963. Critics say the 610-kilometre (380-mile) project is overpriced. Progress is unclear on an agreement between the U.S. and Kenya to build a highway to link the capital, Nairobi, with the port city of Mombasa. The project is seen as Washingtons countermeasure to Chinas growing influence. In November, U.S. Ambassador Kyle McCarter rejected local media reports saying the Chinese were looking to be awarded the contract after the U.S. abandoned it, calling it fake news. He said the project was on track and would not saddle Kenya with unsustainable debt. Kenyattas meeting with Trump was also expected to focus on security and countering extremism. Just weeks ago, the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group based in neighbouring Somalia carried out the deadliest attack against the U.S. military in Africa since 2017 when four soldiers were killed in Niger. Three Americans were killed last month, including a service member and two contractors, and several U.S. aircraft were destroyed at a military base on Kenyas coast. It was the first al-Shabab attack against the U.S. military in Kenya. That attack took place as the Trump administration considers reducing its military presence in Africa to focus on Russia and China. Al-Shabab has carried out numerous attacks inside Kenya and is the target of a growing number of U.S. airstrikes inside Somalia during the Trump administration, including 63 last year. ___ Anna reported from Johannesburg and Odula reported from Nairobi, Kenya. By Joseph Nasr BERLIN (Reuters) - A German court on Tuesday ruled a 700-year-old anti-Semitic sculpture could stay on the exterior of a church in the city of Wittenberg, dismissing a claim by a member of the local Jewish community that it was defamatory and should be removed. The court case comes amid a national debate in Germany about rising anti-Jewish hate, after an anti-Semitic gunman killed two people near a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle last year By Joseph Nasr BERLIN (Reuters) - A German court on Tuesday ruled a 700-year-old anti-Semitic sculpture could stay on the exterior of a church in the city of Wittenberg, dismissing a claim by a member of the local Jewish community that it was defamatory and should be removed. The court case comes amid a national debate in Germany about rising anti-Jewish hate, after an anti-Semitic gunman killed two people near a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle last year. The "Judensau," or "Jew pig", on a wall of Wittenberg's St Mary's church is a reminder of widespread anti-Semitism in the Middle Ages. It depicts a rabbi lifting the tail of a sow and peeping at its behind, while Jewish children suckle on the animal. Pigs are considered unclean in Judaism, which forbids both their rearing as well as pork consumption. The Higher Regional Court in Naumburg ruled that displaying the "Judensau", which is 4 metres from the ground did not constitute an offence. "The sculpture in its current context has neither an insulting character, nor does it violate the plaintiff's personal rights," the judgement said. Sigmount A. Koenigsberg of Berlin's Jewish community said: "We don't want this 'Judensau' to disappear. It should be on public display but not on the side of a church. It belongs in a museum alongside clear historical context about anti-Semitism in the Middle Ages." St. Mary's Church said in a statement, that it acknowledged with sadness, that there were those who would feel hurt and offended by the sculpture. But it added that in 1988, in consultation with the Jewish community, it had created a site of remembrance incorporating the "Judensau", a plaque on the ground beneath remembering the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust, and an information board. The court said the information board clearly stated that the parish "distanced itself from the persecution of Jews, the anti-Judaic writings of Martin Luther and the mocking aim of the defamatory sculpture". It was the second time in two years that a court has ruled against the removal of Wittenberg's "Judensau", one of about two dozen such sculptures from the Middle Ages that still feature on churches in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. The German government is trying to tame an alarming rise in anti-Semitism with stricter laws against hate speech online, tougher gun ownership rules and increased campaigns to raise awareness. (Editing by Alexandra Hudson) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 19:07:42|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- China has been resolute and decisive in handling the novel coronavirus outbreak, a Malaysian virologist and infectious disease expert said Thursday. Speaking at an event to raise the public's awareness on the novel coronavirus, Sazaly Abu Bakar, professor and director of the University of Malaya Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Center (TIDREC), lauded Chinese authorities' actions on containing the outbreak. "They have done very well, because they have identified the causative agent quickly and they have made the sequences of the virus available to the entire scientific community," he told reporters after a briefing on the novel coronavirus. "I think they have been resolute in making decisions to make sure that the disease will not spread outside the major cities that are affected now. And they have also taken decisions to make sure that the disease will not spread outside China itself," he said. "I think they have been very decisive and resolute in making decisions to contain the disease." Sazaly, who has over 35 years of experience working on viruses, including the dengue virus, Zika virus, Nipah virus and MERS coronavirus, added that the openness of Chinese researchers in sharing the genetic sequences of the novel coronavirus allowed other countries to work on their own solutions and prepare for a potential outbreak. As soon as they discovered the virus, Chinese scientists shared their knowledge of it with the whole scientific community, he said. "Because of that, we can now design our own diagnostics to be immediately prepared on our side." Sazaly also said that a change in weather could slow the virus' progression, adding he believes that China will be able to overcome the outbreak. "It's just a matter of time," he said. Speaking at the event, the Malaysian government's special envoy to China Tan Kok Wai also praised China's approach to containing the outbreak, calling for wider international cooperation. "In an age of globalization, countries need to help each other," he said, "the whole world should stand together with the Chinese people." Also on Thursday, Malaysian health authorities confirmed two more cases of the novel coronavirus. One affected patient is a 40-year old Malaysian national who is the younger sister of the first Malaysian national confirmed to have contracted the virus, while the other is a Chinese tourist from Wuhan who tested positive, bringing the total cases in the country to 14. Pakistani army soldier stand guard on a border terminal in Ghulam Khan, a town in North Waziristan, on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, on Jan. 27, 2019. (Farooq Naeem/AFP via Getty Images) US Citizen Abducted in Afghanistan A U.S. citizen working as a contractor was kidnapped in the Khost Province in eastern Afghanistan in recent days, a U.S. official confirmed to CNN. It is not known who the abductors are at this time. The official said efforts to track and locate the individual are ongoing and noted that the contractor was not working for the U.S. military at the time of the abduction. It is not clear to CNN whether the individual was working as part of a U.S. government contract. Newsweek first reported the kidnapping. A State Department spokesperson told CNN: The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State. We have no further comment. CNN has also reached out to the FBI for comment. The kidnapping comes as the Trump administration weighs significant troop reductions in Afghanistan, despite a record high number of attacks carried out there last year by the Taliban and other terrorist groups. President Donald Trump speaks to the troops during a surprise Thanksgiving day visit at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan on Nov. 28, 2019. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images) There were 8,204 such enemy-initiated attacks during the last three months of 2019, according to a report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, with some 37 percent of those attacks being considered successful, which are defined as attacks that result in Afghan military, police, international coalition forces or civilian casualties. The administration says it is considering reducing the number of U.S. troops fighting terrorist groups and assisting local forces in the country from approximately 12,000 to 8,600. The Taliban has a history of kidnapping Americans, including an American professor who was freed in 2019 along with his Australian colleague. Two years earlier, the terrorist group freed an American woman along with her Canadian husband and their three children. One other American is believed to be held hostage by the group in Afghanistan or Pakistan: writer Paul Overby, who is in his 70s. This story has been updated with additional details. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. and Mastercard Inc. , the central bank said on Wednesday. Banks must stop automatically directing debit card payments through the two global networks, and instead give retailers the cheaper option to use local network EFTPOS, Philip Lowe, the governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), told reporters. "Regulating here is not the preferred option but it is a fallback option if we don't see the required change," he said after a speech in Sydney. Global card schemes MasterCard and Visa, alongside the major four banks, dominate card payments systems in Australia. EFTPOS is owned by domestic financial institutions and retailers. The RBA says debit card payments, Australia's most frequently used method, processed through Visa or Mastercard cost retailers more than twice as much as using EFTPOS. The retailers' association estimates this adds up to extra costs of between A$300 million and A$500 million ($200 million and $340 million) each year. "We have made it very clear to the banking industry that we expect them to develop the functionality to allow the merchant to choose which payment rails it goes through, the international schemes or the EFTPOS schemes," Lowe added. "If that process doesn't work then we would have to consider a regulatory solution." Visa and Mastercard were not immediately available for comment. The banks had promised to develop systems to facilitate the cheaper route for retailers, Low said, adding that his preference would be not to have to intervene. The RBA is reviewing payments regulations to see what strategic issues need to be tackled, from the impact of new payment technologies and new entrants to regulatory technology and an electronic form of banknotes. Story continues "One of the possible reasons for the major banks dragging their feet on least-cost routing is that they each have very extensive relationships with the large international schemes we will be exploring this in the review," Tony Richards, the head of payments policy at the RBA, was quoted as saying in the Australian Financial Review on Wednesday. A spokesman from Commonwealth Bank of Australia declined to comment. A spokesman for NAB said the bank started letting its merchant customers choose their payment network in April 2018, adding, "We continue to roll out this service across our client base throughout this year." Westpac Banking Corp and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group were not immediately available for comment. (This story corrects location of speech to Sydney in paragraph 3, not Canberra) (Reporting by Paulina Duran in Sydney; Editing by Richard Pullin and Clarence Fernandez) Mumbai: Actor Vicky Kaushal wonders why people believe that being gay is "unnatural", and adds that it is the most natural thing ever. "I don't get it when people say it is unnatural. By which concept is it unnatural? Because if I look at it myself, at no point was it decided that I had this option to be straight or be gay and I chose to be straight. No, it never happened like that. So I just feel it's the most natural thing ever," Vicky said. "After spending countless hours at the crematorium (for a movie), I realised the importance of existence. Everybody has to face the reality that is death. So after being called fat, ugly or dark, at the end of the journey we all are the same -- ashes," he added. The actor asserted that everyone goes through contradictory feelings about sexuality while growing up. "When you're growing up, there are always these thoughts, you don't know which side you fall on. You make your jigri' dost at that age and you want to spend more time with them, and then you hear all these terms about being gay and you think oh I wanna hang out more with my guy friends, am I you know??'. Everyone has those doubts in their mind about who they're attracted to," he said. Vicky expressed his opinions on homosexuality in "Azaad Awaaz" series on Audible Suno. The show is created by Oscar-winning producer and LGBTQ+ advocate Guneet Monga. Recalling an incident, Vicky said: "An assistant director of one of the film's I was on, he sent me a picture of him and his partner. He said that he wanted to share it with someone and I felt honoured that he felt so comfortable and he believed in me. It was nice to know that there's someone who trusts you so much. I have friends who are gay and they are comfortably gay and that's really amazing to see." As experts across the world continue to raise questions over the authenticity of China's statistics for the coronavirus outbreak, Chinese news site Tencent allegedly listed the death toll at 24,589, which is much more than around 500 deaths comfirmed by the Chinese government. On February 1, Tencent, which is China's largest online news site, showed confirmed cases of the coronavirus infected in China at 154,023, 10 times the official figure at the time and it listed the number of suspected cases as 79,808, which is around four times the official figure. Several sources in Wuhan claimed that many coronavirus patients are not receiving treatment and are dying outside of hospitals. Daily Mail reported that some people said the shocking figures could have been leaked by someone at Tencent without the permission of Chinese government, others claimed that the webpage of Tencent has been edited to malign China's image. Notably, Tencent has denied that the screengrabs which are circulating are true and it has updated its 'Epidemic Situation Tracker' to reflect the official figures of 14,446 infected and around 500 dead. Coronavirus infection is a deadly disease and it has killed at least 565 people and infected more than 28,300 globally. Around 28,000 cases have been confirmed in China alone and 258 cases have been reported from other countries around the world. Several countries have restricted the movement of people from China and many airlines have stopped operating their flights to the Asian nation. Several countries, including India, have evacuated their citizens from Wuhan, the epicentre of coronavirus, and some other parts of China. Meanwhile, China is planning to open 11 extra makeshift hospitals to treat coronavirus patients. China on Thursday officially said that the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus infection has jumped by 3,694 to 28,018, the majority in and around Wuhan. A dare-devil urban explorer caught his latest stunt on camera as he scaled the crumbling ledges of an abandoned skyscraper without a care in the world. The GoPro footage was recorded by Oliver Nordin in January after he and a friend snuck past security to gain access to the Ghost Tower in Bangkok, Thailand. The 29-year-old filmed himself leaping from balcony to balcony as well as navigating a series of tiny ridges of the tower with no safety net despite being 600 feet above street level. At the start of the heart-stopping video, Oliver can be seen strolling through debris that has been left scattered across the floor before reaching up to haul himself over a breeze-block wall. He walks unsteadily along a thin ledge before reaching out to grab a quivering metal fence pole. He raises his right foot and hops up on to a strut of the fence while carefully avoiding the rusty barbed wire. The professional parkour athlete desperately tries to maintain his balance as the fence shakes vigorously beneath him. The GoPro footage was recorded by Oliver Nordin in January after he and a friend snuck past security to gain access to the Ghost Tower in Bangkok, Thailand The 29-year-old filmed himself leaping from balcony to balcony as well as navigating a series of tiny ridges of the tower with no safety net despite being 600 feet above street level He quickly scans the area to assess his next move before letting out a noise of exasperation to a friend who is following in his path. One of the men says 'did you see him?' in reference to a security guard before making a second attempt to overcome the fence. Oliver leaps down to the ground with a grunt and helps his friend slither underneath the wire. The pair begin to grasp on to one of the pillars until a man can be heard shouting at them in the distance. Oliver eventually climbs up to the highest point of the entire building as the sun begins to set before taking the camera from his head to show his face At the start of the heart-stopping video, Oliver walks unsteadily along a thin ledge before reaching out to grab a quivering metal fence pole They stop touching the walls and start to pace around nonchalantly as the shadowy figure, believed to be a security guard, walks toward them. The group have a brief exchange before the guard gets distracted and thinks someone else has gone up the side of the building. In the meantime, Oliver and his friend sneak away and decide to continue their adventure. Oliver says 'let's try quick' before throwing himself toward the pillar and starting to climb using only intermittently spaced metal spokes that are sticking out by just inches. He raises his foot and hops up on to a strut of the fence while carefully trying to avoid making contact with the rusty barbed wire before helping his friend slither underneath the wire The pair begin to grasp on to the pillars until a man, believed to be a security guard, can be heard shouting at them in the distance Oliver and his friend sneak away and decide to continue their adventure. Oliver says 'let's try quick' before throwing himself toward the pillar and starting to climb using only intermittently spaced metal spokes that are sticking out by just inches He eventually steps on to one of the levels and waits for his friend who is following the same route. The pair fist-bump and begin exploring to find the perfect setting to perform their death-defying stunts. They climb several flights of stairs to reach the very top floor which is covered in graffiti. Oliver pans the camera to take in the views across the whole of Bangkok, including the Chao Phraya River, before beginning his parkour stunts. He sits on one of the stone railings before leaping toward a metal crane several floors below. The pair climb several flights of stairs to eventually reach the very top floor which is covered in graffiti Oliver pans the camera to take in the views across the whole of Bangkok, including the Chao Phraya River, before beginning his parkour stunts He hops over it and rolls across the tiled floor before edging along a series of tiny ridges with no safety net despite being almost 600ft above street level. He continues to leap from pillar to pillar and teeters dangerously on the edges without a care in the world. Oliver eventually climbs up to the highest point of the entire building as the sun begins to set before taking the camera from his head to show his face. The friends later sent a drone camera out to get more footage of their adventure, which is where the video ends. Oliver originally posted the footage to his YouTube channel, @olivernordin1, alongside a caption that read: 'It was a great feeling because the odds were against us but we finally made it up and had an amazing sunset view over Bangkok.' The pair later sent a drone camera out to get more footage of their adventure, which is where the video ends The free-runner, originally from Sweden, later said: 'Me and Julius Brander went to climb Bangkok's abandoned 50-storey Ghost Tower. 'In recent years it has been easy to get up by bribing the guards. 'It rapidly grew famous among tourist. With over a hundred people entering on some weekends, the governments only option was to reinforce security. 'We knew it had been almost impossible to get up the Ghost tower for the previous weeks but we decided to try anyway. 'When we arrived a crowd of tourists was waiting outside, trying to find a way to get in. 'I climbed the fence to see if there was a way in or if the guard could be bribed. The topless non English speaking guard refused. The official name for the infamous Ghost Tower (pictured) is the Sathorn Unique skyscraper. It was intended to be a luxury condominium but construction had to be abandoned amid the Asian financial crisis in 1997 'I climbed back out and heard stories about how the guard had taken bribes from a group of ten people and ran away with the money without letting them in. 'Another group of people said the guard had chased people off with a machete. 'People eventually gave up and went away. We didn't. 'We climbed the fence and tried to find a way to climb on the outside of the building. The guard found us and thought we had another friend who already climbed up. He went to look for him. 'Me and Julius started walking in the other direction and quickly found an alternative route to get up.' The official name for the infamous Ghost Tower is the Sathorn Unique skyscraper. It was intended to be a luxury condominium but construction had to be abandoned amid the Asian financial crisis in 1997. It has since been left to crumble but still proves hugely popular for urban explorers despite it being both illegal and dangerous to enter the building. About 250 U.S. citizens evacuated from Wuhan, the coronavirus-stricken epicenter in China, will soon be quarantined at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. Click through the gallery to read what you should know about the evacuees arriving in S.A.: In accordance with article L233-8 of commercial law, Wavestone informs its shareholders that as of January 31, 2020, its capital was composed of 20,196,492 shares representing 23,997,070 voting rights according to article 223-11 of the AMF. About Wavestone In a world where knowing how to drive transformation is the key to success, Wavestone's mission is to inform and guide large companies and organizations in their most critical transformations, with the ambition of a positive outcome for all stakeholders. That's what we call "The Positive Way." Wavestone draws on some 3,000 employees across 8 countries. It is a leading independent player in the European consulting market. Wavestone is listed on Euronext Paris and recognized as a Great Place to Work. Wavestone Pascal IMBERT Chief Executive Officer Tel.: +33 (0)1 49 03 20 00 Sarah LAMIGEON Communications Director Tel.: +33 (0)1 49 03 20 00 Actus Financial news Mathieu OMNES Analyst & investor relations Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 92 Nicolas BOUCHEZ Press relations Tel.: +33 (0)1 53 67 36 74 ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: m26aY5tvlJuZmpptYpVna5JobGlmmGebZpOYm2Kba5qXaW9pxWlpasqeZm9jlW1m - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-62080-wavestone_declaration-amf_200206-en.pdf A man broke into a Florida nursing home and suffocated a 95-year-old patient whose girlfriend he'd had a relationship with, police said. William Hawkins, 47, is charged with first-degree murder for the January 5 slaying of Robert Morell. The 95-year-old was asleep when he was suffocated with a pillow by an intruder at the Tiffany Hall Nursing & Rehab Center in Port St. Lucie. Hawkins was being held Tuesday at the St. Lucie County Jail without bond. According to a redacted police arrest report, Hawkins quickly became the prime suspect because he was on Morell's visitor list and matched the description of the man employees saw fleeing the room after being spotted on top of Morell shortly after midnight. One employee then picked Hawkins out of a photo lineup. William Hawkins, 47, is charged with first-degree murder for the January 5 slaying of Robert Morell Detectives learned that Morell's 57-year-old girlfriend of 15 years had called the nursing home hours before the slaying, telling employees to not let Hawkins into the home because she feared he would hurt Morell. Morell had been placed in the home in September because of eating problems that required he be fed through a tube. The girlfriend told detectives that she and Morell had an open relationship and that she dated Hawkins after Morell went into the home, but that had ended. She said that Hawkins broke into her bedroom through a window January 4, about 15 hours before the slaying, and woke her. She told detectives that Hawkins noticed needles and a vial of insulin that she uses to treat her cat and suggested she kill Morell by injecting the insulin into his feeding tube. She refused and said Hawkins then stole her car, which is when she called the nursing home to warn them. Detectives learned that Morell's 57-year-old girlfriend of 15 years had called the nursing home hours before the slaying, telling employees to not let Hawkins into the home because she feared he would hurt Morell Morell was suffocated with a pillow as he slept by an intruder at the Tiffany Hall Nursing & Rehab Center in Port St. Lucie Hawkins was found the day after the slaying hiding in a shed in the nearby city of Fort Pierce and was arrested on charges including burglary and auto theft while investigators built their homicide case against him. According to the local news website TCPalm, an unredacted version of the report shows Hawkins confessed at the jail to his sister, who wore a recording device for police. He then confessed to detectives, telling them that he had planned to murder Morell for some time and by slaying the man, he had "accomplished my life goal," the report said. When asked how that made him feel, according to TCPalm he replied, "(L)ets say in your life you wanted to climb Mount Everest, OK? And all your life you trained and trained and trained to climb Mount Everest. OK? And finally you climbed it, in all your life, finally you made it to the top, when you made it to the top, how would you feel?" Hawkins was charged with murder last week, although no announcement was made. His public defender did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Master Builders South Africa (MBSA) has called for an urgent meeting with the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Blade Nzimande following the announcement that the Construction Education and Training Authority was placed under administration. Image source: Gallo/Getty Improved delivery of skills programmes We have thousands of learners placed with building contractors on learnerships, apprenticeships and candidacy programmes and the immediate concern is to ensure that placing the CETA under administration does not result in unintended consequences for these programmes and for skills development in the construction sector, said MBSA president John Matthews.The CETA was placed under administration by Nzimande on 29 January this year to facilitate an investigation into allegations of financial mismanagement and maladministration.Matthews confirmed that MBSA was aware of ongoing challenges at the CETA, which were causing significant delays in late payments of training grants, bursaries and stipends to employers and learners. At just below 10% of the total labour force of the country, the construction industry remains one of the largest employers in the country.However, the lack of qualified and experienced workers has been cited as one of the biggest threats facing the industry. To improve delivery of skills programmes in the country, Nzimande made an undertaking to implement a Contract Management System to keep track of the flow of funds, so that financial management becomes more transparent within the department. He also indicated that there would be consequences for individuals who fail to comply.As an industry body, maintaining a steady supply of the required building skills for the country is at the core of what we do for our members, and we remain committed to working with the minister to ensure that the CETA is more effective and delivers the skills needs of the industry. We also support any action aimed at entrenching good corporate governance and better performance, but we are concerned that this development may jeopardise current skills programmes and those that are planned for the near future, said Matthews.The meeting is meant to provide clarity on the standing of thousands of learners who are in training programmes supported by the CETA. Catwoman reunites with an old flame (and meets a new mystery man) as Tini Howard takes over DC ongoing comic Catwoman returns to Gotham City, with a nod to Les Miserables On This Day The Day Dag Hammarskjold Visited Myanmar Myanmar President Dr. Ba Oo welcomes UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold at the Presidents Residence in February 1956. YangonSixty-four years ago on this day, the second secretary-general of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjold, who has often been referred to as the most successful UN secretary-general, arrived in Yangon (then Rangoon). President Dr. Ba Oo welcomed him at the Presidents residence and hosted a dinner. The Swedish diplomat watched a performance of traditional dance and music at the dinner, puffing a cigar. Praised as a great statesman, Hammarskjold tried to improve relations between Israel and the Arab states after he took the UN job in 1953. In 1955, he visited China to negotiate the release of 11 captured US pilots who had served in the Korean War. He intervened in the Suez crisis the following year by forming the UN Emergency Force, the first UN military force of its kind. In his visit to Myanmar, he visited the Martyrs Mausoleum in Yangon and laid a wreath. Later, pilgrims saw him wearing sunglasses and taking photos at Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the most sacred religious sites in Myanmar. He also visited the Kaba Aye Pagoda, the state broadcaster Myanma Radio and various factories. It appeared that he had an attachment to the country as he visited Yangon for the second time during his Asia tour in 1959. He greeted people through Myanma Radio. Two years later in 1961, he died in a plane crash while traveling to the Congo to broker peace talks. He was succeeded by U Thant from Myanmar, who was the first Asian to hold the post. The two reportedly had good relations. U Thant was known for his role in the 1962 Cuban missile crisis and bringing about peace in Congo. You may also like these stories: The Day Author and Traveler Somerset Maugham Revisited Myanmar After Four Years in a British Prison in Uganda, Myanmars ex-Premier Came Home One of the most active exploration companies in Irish waters has dumped one of its assets. British company Europa Oil and Gas said one of its licensing options in the Porcupine Basin, off the south-west coast, has been relinquished and it would focus on higher potential assets. It still holds five licences in Irish waters, containing an estimated 5.7bn barrels of oil equivalent, while its flagship Inishkea prospect, near the Corrib field, holds an estimated 1.5tn cubic feet of gas. While the Government has banned future oil-exploration work and will only award gas-exploration licences in the future, previously awarded oil licences remain open for drilling. Europa held a 30% share of the relinquished licence option, having sold a 70% share to Scottish exploration firm Cairn Energy. Our exploration model is centred on potentially exposing Europa to high-reward wells, while, at the same time, minimising cost and risk, said Europas interim chief executive, Simon Oddie. This is what we are looking to achieve at...Inishkea, he said. Last month, Europa said it remains in talks, with potential development partners, for its offshore Ireland assets, despite an unnamed oil major walking away from the process. Farming out Inishkea, and our other frontier exploration licences, is just one workstream being advanced, not just in Ireland, but across our asset base in onshore UK and offshore Morocco, said Mr Oddie. Inishkea has been touted as a possible source of significantly reducing Irelands reliance on gas imports. Mr Oddie has claimed Inishkea remains a compelling drill target and one that continues to attract considerable interest from a number of potential partners. T he terrorist threat level system for warning about the risk of an attack should be overhauled to make it easier for the public to understand, business leaders said today. Resilience First, an organisation whose members include Barclays, Facebook, Tesco and Thames Water, said the existing five-tier scheme which ranges from critical to low had become less meaningful since it began more than a decade ago. It suggested that a simpler system should be considered and urged ministers to conduct a review. It said one option could be to have different levels for higher risk areas such as London. It also pointed out that the threat level was downgraded only 15 days before last Novembers Fishmongers Hall attack and was still at the same lower rating when the Streatham stabbings took place at the weekend. A third terrorist attack has also been carried out in Whitemoor Prison in Cambridgeshire during the same period. Lord Harris, an adviser to Resilience First, said that it was time to examine whether the existing system was fit for purpose and that a simpler one was likely to encourage greater vigilance. In a letter to security minister Brandon Lewis, Resilience First said one option would be to replicate the two-level system used by the US Department of Homeland Security under which the threat is rated as either elevated or critical. The current threat level is substantial the third highest rating meaning that an attack is likely. Todays call for reform of the threat level system came as ministers prepared to race against time to bring in emergency legislation to prevent the release of any more terror convicts. Justice Secretary Robert Buckland is expected to publish a new law on Tuesday to replace automatic release halfway through an offenders sentence with new rules that will force them to serve at least two-thirds of their term. Representative image live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More GE T&D India share price added over 12 percent intraday on February 6 after the company won an order from Power Grid Corporation. The company has been awarded a contract by the Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) for constructing 765-kiloVolt (kV) gas-insulated substation (GIS) bays at Phagi in the Jaipur district of Rajasthan, as per a company release. This is company's first 765 kV GIS order from PGCIL. The scope of the project includes end-to-end commissioning of the GIS bays, including substation automation and relay panels. The bays will be an extension to the Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limiteds (RRVPNL) 765 kV substation at Phagi, which was also commissioned by GE earlier using air-insulated switchgear technology. At 1450 hours, GE T&D India was quoting at Rs 171.20, up Rs 12.15, or 7.64 percent, on the BSE. "The healthy trend is the main reason for such demand abroad, as they ( blueberries ) contain nutritional properties such as antioxidants, as well as vitamins B, C, and E," it highlighted. A man was arrested in San Diego County last month after Marines told federal investigators he recruited and paid them to transport people whod crossed the U.S.-Mexico border. Francisco Saul Rojas-Hernandez was charged with conspiracy to transport aliens within the United States for financial gain, according to court records. His Jan. 22 arrest was first reported by NBC 7 in San Diego. Multiple people, including at least two Marines based at Camp Pendleton, California, told border patrol agents that Rojas-Hernandez allegedly recruited them to drive unauthorized immigrants around the county. His lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lance Cpls. Byron Darnell Law II and David Javier Salazar-Quintero, who were picked up by agents in July after they were pulled over near the U.S.-Mexico border, said Rojas-Hernandez recruited them and organized the smuggling operation, according to court documents. The pair was allegedly transporting three people whod crossed into the U.S. Related: 16 Marines Nabbed During Morning Formation on Drug-, People-Smuggling Charges Salazar-Quintero identified Rojas-Hernandez in a photo lineup, according to court documents. Another person arrested in September, who was allegedly found with two unauthorized immigrants in his trunk, said Rojas-Hernandez was going to pay him $1,000 for smuggling the people, the court documents state. Its not immediately clear whether that person was also a Marine. He also identified Rojas-Hernandez in a photo lineup, according to the court documents. Rojas-Hernandezs case is connected to human trafficking, drug and weapons charges against about two dozen members of 1st Marine Division. Sixteen of those Marines were publicly apprehended during a July battalion formation. The apprehensions happened just weeks after Law and Salazar-Quintero were arrested. Both were assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marines. By December, six Marines pleaded guilty to various charges during courts-martial. But the charges against most of the troops were dropped after a military judge found in November that the 16 arrests that happened in front of the Marines 800-person battalion violated their rights. The service announced in a December statement that most of the infantry Marines involved would face administrative punishment, which is handled at the unit level rather than through courts-martial. Administrative punishments range in severity, but many of the Marines were expected to be discharged from the military, according to the statement. "Thirteen Marines submitted and have approved pre-trial agreements requesting separation in lieu of courts-martial or waiving administrative separation boards," the 1st Marine Division statement read. -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Read more: Criminal Cases Collapse in Alleged Marine Corps Human Smuggling and Drug Rings (start at 15:00) In the span of two years , law enforcement's ability to identify the public using BriefCam has gone from disturbing to frightening. A recent article in Twin Cities Pioneer Press revealed how the St. Paul Police Department uses Briefcam's to identify people, cars, and physical objects. "If theyre looking for a blue car or a man wearing a white shirt, for example, algorithms can pinpoint when those objects appear in videos from particular locations and times." "If, for example, police are told a suspect was a male wearing a hat and backpack at a particular intersection, technicians can enter the terms hat and backpack to search CCTV videos for people with those objects." Police are using Briefcam to identify people by the type of sneakers, shoes and handbags people are wearing or carrying. But to do that, law enforcement uses BriefCam to surveil everyone, regardless of guilt or innocence. Briefcam boasts that they use 27 classes and attributes to identify people in unimaginable new ways. "Quickly search and filter objects and events of interest by men, women, children, vehicles, and lighting changes with speed and precision, using 27 classes and attributes, in addition to face recognition, appearance similarity, color, size, speed, path, direction, and dwell time, providing an ever increasing and powerful set of distinct search combinations. "Advanced multi-camera search powerfully identifies men, women, children and vehicles of interest with speed and precision, using face recognition, appearance similarity, apparel, color, size, speed, path, direction, dwell time and illumination change filters." "BriefCams Video Content Analytics capabilities enable both private and public sectors to deliver safe, secure and sustainable cities by reducing the crime rate, optimizing pedestrian and vehicle traffic flow, monitoring these trends over time, and enabling proactive response with real-time alerting." "Taking advantage of the video surveillance systems deployed throughout these metropolitan areas, Smart Cities are unlocking the treasure trove of value in their video systems." Law enforcement uses BriefCam to look for more than just a single blue car or a single person wearing a white shirt, it will identify every blue car and person wearing a white shirt.If you think that police tracking people based on 27 classes and attributes is frightening, then wait a couple of years until BriefCam expands to 50 or more ways.Briefcam's "Video Content Analytics Technology" also allows police to use multiple CCTV cameras to pinpoint people on bicycles or inside vehicles or by specific objects they are carrying.What does this mean for everyone's privacy?Police now have the ability to identify a person who is trying to hide their identity from them by using a mask, umbrella, hat or sunglasses. Would anyone like to bet that one of BriefCam's 27 identifiable attributes also includes necklaces, earrings, piercings or rings?Ben Feist, American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota chief programs officer warned , 'BriefCam is fundamentally changing the way that you police people.'Of course none of this would be possible, if it weren't for Smart City surveillance. In fact Briefcam's success at identifying everyone is dependent on the continued growth of Smart Cities If you think I am exaggerating BriefCam's role in smart city surveillance, then why did they write these two articles? Briefcam's; "Smart City's Complete Guide To Face Recognition" BriefCam's claim , that smart city video surveillance is great for everyone, really does not even come close to telling people the truth.BriefCam's attempt to obscure what is really happening can best be summed up like this.Law enforcement and private companies are 'taking advantage of video surveillance systems in metropolitan areas' by finding new ways to identify each of us. Smart cities allow police and corporations to unlock a treasure trove of data about everyone. New Delhi The Congress on Thursday criticised the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government over the state of the economy and unemployment rate in the country, even as it accused the Centre of spreading communalism and distracting people from key issues. The remarks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while speaking in Parliament, said opposition parties were trying to misguide and misinform the nation on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. He asked if the first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, could be described as communal for seeking citizenship for religious minorities from Pakistan. Responding to the allegations, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the PM was attempting to distract the people by talking about the Congress, Nehru and Pakistan, while remaining silent on the real issue of unemployment. Coming out of the Lower House, where Modi took digs at him and the Congress, Gandhi said both the Prime Minister and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman gave long speeches in Parliament but failed to reply on how the government intended to provide jobs to the youth. All youngsters want employment after studying in schools, colleges and universities. We asked the Prime Minister repeatedly that you have given a one-and-a-half-hour speech and for two minutes you can tell the youth about employment and what your government has done about it, Gandhi told reporters at the Parliament House complex. Youngsters saw that the Prime Minister could not give a reply, he added. In the Rajya Sabha, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said the government had wrecked the economy and created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty in the country. Speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the Presidents address, he said the government didnt believe in building consensus and took a confrontationist approach. He said the government didnt consult states before coming out with CAA that allowed citizenship to non-Muslims from the three neighbouring countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Gandhi said that while the government would earlier talk about the economy, Make in India, and the $5-trillion target, the Prime Minister stopped talking about the biggest issues facing the country, and was distracting people. His style is of distracting the country. Talk about the main issue Prime Minister ji. Tell the youth what you are doing about jobs... His style is to distract the country. He had said two crore jobs will be given to youngsters, but five and a half years have passed. Last year, one crore youth lost jobs, he is unable to say a word. Modis reply in the Lok Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the Presidents address also saw the PM taking frequent pot shots at Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Choudhury, who tried to disrupt him his address. Addressing a news briefing later, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari described Modis speech as one that oscillated between stand-up comedy and rank communalism. Tewari demanded that the PM apologise for misleading the country by quoting Nehru out of context. It was unfortunate that the PM made a reference to Pakistan seven times during his address and accused him of hyphenating India with Pakistan, he said. The Congress leader also accused Modi of destroying the Indian economy and said he was covering up the governments wrongs with the help of polarisation. It is extremely unfortunate and deeply regrettable that the prime ministers comments oscillated between stand-up comedy, half truths and rank communalism. It is regrettable that the Prime Minister of India should quote one of his illustrious predecessors Jawaharlal Nehru completely out of context, Tewari said. The Prime Minister should apologise to the country for quoting an agreement signed with another country completely out of context. The Prime Minister deliberately chose to mislead the House, he said. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close By Alexander Cornwell, Reuters | Feb. 06, 2020 Qatar Airways is in talks to buy a 49% stake in Africa's RwandAir and is interested in doubling its holding in LATAM Airlines Group to 20%, its chief executive said on Wednesday. A stake in an African airline would widen its reach in one of the world's fastest-growing aviation regions and potentially help it to bypass restrictions imposed on it by some Arab states. "We are very tough negotiators ... we will take our time to negotiate," CEO Akbar al-Baker told reporters in Doha. State-owned Qatar Airways already owns stakes in British Airways parent International Airlines Group, China Southern, Cathay Pacific and LATAM. It bought some of its holdings in other airlines after the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia banned it from their airspace after a regional political dispute. Qatar Airways, which flies to more than 160 destinations, has been forced to fly longer routes to avoid the blocked airspace of some of its neighbors. The ban does not apply to non-Qatari airlines flying to Qatar, meaning that RwandAir could potentially carry passengers from Africa over the blocked airspace to the state-owned airline's Doha hub without restrictions. RwandAir flies to 29 destinations, mostly in Africa, but also to Dubai, Mumbai and Brussels. Its CEO, Yvonne Manzi Makolo, confirmed to Reuters that talks to sell a stake were under way but declined to comment further. Qatar Airways agreed in December to take a 60% stake in a new airport in Rwanda. Baker, one of aviation's most well-known executives, also said the airline could be interested in increasing its holding in LATAM and working with fellow shareholder Delta Air Lines. "When the right opportunity comes, and at the right price, we will look at increasing our investment in LATAM," he told Reuters, adding that it would be interested in having the same size stake as Delta. Delta has a 20% holding, double the 10% owned by Qatar Airways. Delta surprised the industry when it announced in September that it was taking a US$1.9 billion 20% stake in the South American airline group. Qatar Airways has had a contentious relationship with Delta and other major U.S. carriers, which have accused Gulf airlines of receiving unfair government subsidies, distorting competition and costing Americans jobs. The Gulf carriers have rejected such accusations. However, Baker said there is no ill-feeling towards Delta and Qatar Airways is willing to work with the U.S. airline at its hub in Atlanta. "We can transfer passengers on each other. We are the only Middle Eastern carrier going into their hub, so there is huge opportunity," he said. Qatar Airways has also expressed interest in taking a stake in India's IndiGo and Morocco's Royal Air Maroc. Cruise ship Diamond Princess is seen anchored off the Yokohama Port, after ten people on the cruise liner have tested positive for coronavirus in Yokohama Reuters Sixty-one people on a Japanese cruise ship have tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus, days after the ship was first quarantined on Monday. Medics started screening all 3,711 people aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship on Tuesday. Passengers are currently enduring a 14-day quarantine that began earlier in the week. The quarantine began after a passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong on January 25 tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Nine passengers and one crew member later also tested positive for the virus. They were taken into isolation at a nearby hospital on the Japanese mainland. Ten more people tested positive on Thursday local time, and 41 more cases were confirmed Friday. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Sixty-one passengers aboard a cruise ship quarantined in Japan have tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus, the Japanese Health Ministry said. The Diamond Princess arrived in Yokohama on Monday after a round trip to Hong Kong. The ship was quarantined upon arrival in Japan after an 80-year-old man who disembarked on January 25 in Hong Kong later tested positive for the virus, which spreads from human to human. Medics began examining all 3,711 passengers and crew who remained on the ship, on Tuesday. Those who showed symptoms such as a fever or cough, or had contact with the first infected man or those showing symptoms were specifically screened for the new coronavirus. Of the 273 tested, 61 have come back positive. On Wednesday, 10 people on board had tested positive for the virus. On Thursday, 10 more cases were confirmed, and 171 still had yet to be tested. On Friday, 41 of those 171 were confirmed to have the virus. Diamond Princess Japan shuip wuhan coronavirus Kyodo News/YouTube The initial 10 patients, all over 50 years old, consist of two Australians, three Japanese people, three Hong Kongers, one American, and one Filipino, the cruise operator Princess Cruises said in a press release. The 41 new cases included eight were American, five Canadains, five Australians, one Briton, one Argentinian and 21 Japanese, the LA Times reported. Story continues The initial ten cases were transported to an isolation clinic at a nearby hospital on the Japanese mainland by The Japanese Coast Guard. Reuters reported that new cases will be taken to hospitals in Tokyo and other towns. Authorities have quarantined the ship. Passengers are in the midst of a 14-day lockdown where they cannot leave the ship, which began earlier this week. Princess Cruises says it has given guests free WiFi and telephones to stay in touch with their families. Some of the passengers on the cruise ship confirmed to Business Insider, other news outlets, and on their own social media feeds that they received free WiFi, calls, and on-board entertainment. Reuters reported on Tuesday that the casino, shops, and photo studio had been shuttered, and photos shared by a passenger on board showed the rooftop pool deserted. A man in a proctective clothing is seen on the sixth deck of cruise ship Diamond Princess in Yokohama, in this February 4, 2020 photo obtained from social media. Twitter / @DAXA_TW via REUTERS Reuters While, some like passenger David Abel appeared to be in good spirits when the quarantine was first announced, concerns over food and supplies started to rise. In a series of videos posted on Facebook, Abel shared what it was like on the ship. Shannon, a woman who asked to only be identified by her first name told Business Insider, that initially breakfast wasn't delivered till around 1:30 in the afternoon. Abel, who is diabetic, and needs to eat regularly expressed concern over how late meals were delivered and what they contained. Shannon said one breakfast was simply a bowl of fruit and yogurt. It seems as some of those issues are being addressed. As of Friday, Shannon said breakfast was sent out around 9:15 a.m. and consisted of a piece of fruit, yogurt, eggs, bacon, sausage links, and croissants. "I figured the first few days would be bad because the ship made it pretty clear that it needed to restock," she said. She also explained how those on the inner cabin, who don't have access to a balcony, were allowed on to the main deck for fresh air. "I genuinely feel for those folks who don't have air," she said. Small groups were allowed on to the main deck for an hour and a half with strict restrictions on wearing face masks, not congregating and keeping a distance from each other. Initially, they were only required to wear face masks but as of Friday, an announcement was made that gloves would also be given out. "I wonder if this is some sort of backpedaling or if they will face backlash from the people who were let out without access to gloves. I believe it's common knowledge that the masks are not effective if you also don't protect your hands," Shannon wrote in an email. Last week Italian authorities quarantined a cruise ship carrying more than 6,000 people at a port in Civitavecchia, Italy, amid fears that two passengers had the coronavirus. They were released on January 31. The World Dream cruise was also quarantined in Hong Kong on Thursday over fears of the new coronavirus onboard. Authorities screened the thousands on board, but no confirmed cases were reported, according to Reuters. The novel coronavirus has hit the travel industry hard, as multiple airlines have canceled flights to mainland China and countries have advised against visiting the country. Shares of airlines, hotels, and cruise lines have been trading lower since the outbreak began. The coronavirus has killed 635 people and infected more than 31,000 others across 26 countries since it broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan in early December. The vast majority of confirmed cases are in China. Read the original article on Business Insider Coming across as self-absorbed or expressing strong views on controversial topics on your Facebook profile may spurn your chances of landing a job, a study suggests. According to the researchers from Pennsylvania State University in the US, job recruiters are less likely to select candidates who appear to be too self-involved or opinionated in their social media posts. The study, published in the International Journal of Selection and Assessment, also found that recruiters are less likely to hire employees who post content suggestive of drug or alcohol use. Michael Tews, an associate professor of hospitality management, noted that little is known about how much weight hiring managers give to potentially negative social media content. The researchers investigated the effects of three potentially negative topics -- self-absorption, opinionatedness and alcohol and drug use -- on hiring managers' decision making. They recruited 436 hiring managers from a variety of organisations, 61 per cent of whom were employed in the hospitality industry, and the remainder in companies ranging from information technology to healthcare. The team gave participants a scenario to read in which hypothetical job candidates answered interview questions well and exhibited enthusiasm, but also appeared to be prone to job hopping. They then asked the participants to review components of the candidates' Facebook profiles and to rate their employment suitability. Each of the participants was randomly assigned to view one of 16 different Facebook profiles showing a male or female exhibiting self-absorption, opinionatedness, and alcohol and drug use, or not showing these traits. After reading these profiles, the hiring managers evaluated the candidates' employment suitability by providing an assessment of person-organisation fit, and an overall candidate evaluation. The researchers found that self-absorption negatively impacted recruiters' perceptions of candidates' employment suitability. Self-absorption was also found to be more important than opinionatedness or drug and alcohol use in driving these negative perceptions, the researchers said. "Social networking sites are often lamented as incubators of self-absorption, motivating people to tell others about their every deed and thought," said Tews. "It could be that hiring managers view individuals who are more self-absorbed and focused on their own interests to be less likely to sacrifice for the benefit of other employees and the organisation," he said. The team also found that opinionatedness negatively affected perceptions of employment suitability. "Social networking sites have given rise to unprecedented numbers of individuals expressing extreme and controversial ideas in a public forum," said Tews. "People who post divisive subject matter may be viewed as more argumentative and less cooperative. Additionally, their views could run counter to those of hiring managers, which may influence managers' beliefs in candidates' qualifications for jobs," he said. The team found that content suggesting alcohol and drug use negatively affected hiring managers' perceptions of employment suitability, although the effect was much smaller than for self-absorption and opinionatedness. "The social media content we showed hiring managers was fairly benign; there was no reference to binge drinking or actual drug use," said Tews. "One possible reason for the relatively small effect alcohol and drug use content is that hiring managers may perceive the content as relatively normal," he said. The researchers conclude that individuals should refrain from posting content on social networking sites that suggest self-absorption, opinionatedness and alcohol and drug use during the job search process. Precision OS Technology, developers of the medical-grade learning platform that advances surgical readiness, announced today that it carried out the first-ever and largest virtual reality training event of its kind for medical device representatives. Held Jan. 22-25, the event brought together more than 300 medical device representatives who simultaneously accessed the training module on a complex surgical procedure. Precision OS was pleased to collaborate on the event with one of its most trusted partners in the medical device industry. Our educational approach has always been to deliver content that includes and goes beyond the implant, said Dr. Danny Goel, a practicing orthopedic surgeon and Chief Executive Officer, Precision OS. When considering how best to influence care and the transfer of appropriate knowledge to care providers, we must think along different models of education. Given these representatives provide an important role in the operating room, equipping them with advanced skills, implant comprehension and support capabilities efficiently and effectively is critical during multistep implantation of devices. The Precision OS training uses the mobile Oculus Quest and can be completed anywhere at anytime. Participants on the Precision OS platform can complete this multistep procedure in less than 30 minutes. The virtual reality educational modules built by Precision OS provide a much-needed alternative to the time-intensive and costly exercises associated with traditional sales training. These reps have also historically resorted to flying to cadaver labs, listening to lectures, utilizing non-interactive training sessions via tablet and learning on-the-job during actual cases. Despite the consistent use of these methods, studies have proven them to be less effective in the area of knowledge retention and skill transfer. Further, on-the-job learning presents significant risk variables which can influence patient outcomes and delay adequate support for complex procedures. The Precision OS technology puts patient safety and outcomes back into the center of training, which both medical device reps and surgeons desire and appreciate. After comparing and analyzing its method of training with those that have been traditionally used, Precision OS found a 570% gain in efficiency in learning with its approach in senior orthopedic surgical residents. This landmark study, scheduled for publication in the coveted Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American) in the coming weeks, met the prestigious journals rigorous peer-reviewed standards for research. A major strength of the study was the research collaboration with the Canadian Shoulder and Elbow Society (CSES). Virtual reality imparts an unmatched level of contextual learning by improving understanding, technical skills and surgical readiness. The Precision OS modules supply its users with deliberate practice that is cost effective and scalable on a global level Considering the high stakes, effectively educating all members of the patient care pathway ensures we have the greatest chance to positively impact outcomes," said Dr. Goel. "Our primary tenet is to be patient-centered and provider-focused. This is part of our culture and vision to deliver advanced education around the world. To learn more about the technology behind the training modules and the impact its already had, visit PrecisionOSTech.com. For further information, please contact: Maya Sarin Jive PR + Digital e: maya@jiveprdigital.com m: 818.422.2248 About Precision OS Precision OS was founded by a team of clinical orthopedic surgeons and game developers to create the most relevant and applicable medical-grade-VR-simulation experience. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, and backed by the prestigious AO Foundation, the companys mission is to provide first-in-class orthopedic surgical training on a global scale. Given its focus on surgical education, Precision OS is a CME provider through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the only scientifically validated, peer-reviewed and published immersive virtual reality product on the market. It has been tested among its end users and customers resulting in business relationships with some of the top orthopedic companies and societies in the industry. Washington After five months of hearings, investigations and cascading revelations about President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine, a divided U.S. Senate acquitted him on Wednesday of charges that he abused his power and obstructed Congress to aid his own re-election, bringing an acrimonious impeachment trial to its expected end. In a pair of votes whose outcome was never in doubt, the Senate fell well short of the two-thirds margin that would have been needed to remove Trump, formally concluding the three-week-long trial of the 45th president that has roiled Washington and threatened the presidency. The verdicts came down almost entirely upon party lines, with every Democrat voting "guilty" on both charges and Republicans uniformly voting "not guilty" on the obstruction of Congress charge. Only one Republican, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, broke with his party to judge Trump guilty of abuse of power. It was the third impeachment trial of a president and the third acquittal in American history, and it ended the way it began, with Republicans and Democrats at odds over Trump's conduct and his fitness for office, even as some members of his own party conceded the basic allegations that undergirded the charges, that he sought to pressure Ukraine to smear his political rivals. "Senators how say you?" Chief Justice John Roberts, the presiding officer, asked shortly after 4 p.m. in Washington. "Is the respondent, Donald John Trump, president of the United States guilty or not guilty?" Senators seated at their wooden desks stood one by one to deliver their verdicts of "guilty" or "not guilty." "It is, therefore, ordered and adjudged that the said Donald John Trump be, and he is hereby, acquitted of the charges in said articles," declared Roberts, after the second charge was defeated. But in a sign of the widening partisan divide testing the country and its institutions, the verdict did not promise finality. Democratic leaders immediately insisted the result was illegitimate, the product of a self-interested cover-up by Republicans, and promised to continue their investigations of Trump. "The verdict of this kangaroo court will be meaningless," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said moments before the vote. "By refusing the facts by refusing witnesses and documents the Republican majority has placed a giant asterisk, the asterisk of a sham trial, next to the acquittal of President Trump, written in permanent ink." The president prepared to campaign as an exonerated executive after what he has long called a politically motivated hoax to take him down. And both parties conceded that voters, not the Senate, would deliver the final judgment on Trump when they cast ballots in just nine months. As expected, the tally in favor of conviction fell far below the 67-vote threshold necessary for removal on each article. The first charge was abuse of power, accusing Trump of a scheme to use the levers of government to coerce Ukraine to do his political bidding. It did not even garner a majority vote, failing on a vote of 48-52. The second article, charging Trump with obstructing Congress for an across-the-board blockade of House subpoenas and oversight requests, failed 47-53. But in a stinging symbolic rebuke of the country's leader aimed at history, Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, broke with the party and voted to convict Trump of abuse of power, saying that the president's pressure campaign on Ukraine was "the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath of office that I can imagine." He voted against the second article, but cast his first as a matter of conscience and became the first senator ever to vote to remove a president of his own party. "I am sure to hear abuse from the president and his supporters," Romney said. "Does anyone seriously believe I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before God demanded it of me?" Romney's defection, which he announced a couple of hours before the final vote, was a stark reflection of the sweeping transformation of the Republican Party over the past eight years into one that is that is now dominated entirely by Trump. And it deprived the president of the monolithic Republican support he had eagerly anticipated at the end of an impeachment saga that he has been eager to dismiss as a politically motivated effort carried out exclusively by Democrats. At the White House, Trump was expected to accept the decision with characteristic bravado, and badly wanted to deliver a public statement immediately afterward to declare victory. But his advisers argued forcefully against the move, and shortly after the Senate vote, he wrote on Twitter that he would wait until noon Thursday to appear at the White House "to discuss our Country's VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax." The president has looked forward to the Senate's verdict as an authoritative rejection of the House's case that he committed high crimes and misdemeanors, even if many in his party ultimately broke from his absolute insistence that his actions were "perfect." But Trump, too, was looking beyond it toward the long campaign season ahead, vowing retribution from the forces that he believes have tried to destroy him: the Democrats, the news media and a deep state of government bureaucrats. A few Republicans urged Trump to be more careful with his words in the future, particularly when speaking with foreign leaders, but there was no serious attempt to censure him as there was around the trial of Clinton. Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, two Republican swing votes who have tilted against the president in the past, both voted against conviction and removal. And two Democrats from traditionally red states, Sens. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, voted to convict Trump, denying him a badly wanted bipartisan acquittal. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Democrats, who had lobbied hard to include witnesses and documents that Trump shielded from the House in the Senate proceeding, wasted little time in declaring the trial a sham. Senators had been offered evidence, including testimony by the former national security adviser John R. Bolton, that would have further clarified the president's actions and motivations, they said. All but two Republicans refused, making the trial the first impeachment proceeding in American history to reach a verdict without calling witnesses. Seldom used in American history, impeachment is the Constitution's most extreme mechanism for checking a corrupt or out-of-control office-holder. In unsheathing it, even reluctantly, House Democrats took on political risk that could backfire in November on their presidential nominee or the House majority if voters conclude the effort was an overzealous partisan attack. Senate Republicans and Democrats up for re-election in swing states may face their own judgment for their stances on including witnesses in the trial or on Trump's guilt. At least one Democrat, Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, glancingly acknowledged that his vote to convict would most likely contribute to his loss this fall in deeply conservative Alabama. "There will be so many who will simply look at what I am doing today and say it is a profile in courage," Jones said before the vote. "It is not. It is simply a matter of right and wrong." For now, the impeachment of Trump appears to have evenly divided the nation. Public opinion polls suggest that as the proportion grew in recent weeks of Americans who agreed that the president most likely abused his office and acted improperly to deny Congress the ability to investigate, it was never meaningfully more than half of the country who agreed he should be removed from office. If Trump's standing among the public has been hurt by the trial, it is not yet evident. To the contrary, the latest Gallup poll, released on Tuesday, showed that 49% of Americans approved of the job he was doing as president the highest figure since he took office three years ago. The possibility of impeachment has hung like a cloud over Trump's presidency virtually since it began. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., had resisted when the special counsel released the findings of his investigation into Russian election interference in 2016 and possible collaboration with the Trump campaign. Impeachment was too divisive and unlikely to gain bipartisan support, she said then. Her calculations changed in September, when the Trump administration was forced to give the House an anonymous CIA whistleblower complaint that accused the president of marshaling the powers of government to press Ukraine to investigate the Bidens and a theory that Democrats had colluded with Ukraine in the 2016 election. Authorizing the third impeachment inquiry in modern times, Pelosi tasked the House Intelligence Committee to investigate the scheme and build a case for impeachment. Trump issued a blanket directive to all government agencies not to comply with the inquiry an order that robbed investigators of key witnesses and facts that could have filled out their case but which gave rise to the obstruction of Congress charge. Still, a dozen and a half U.S. diplomats and White House officials came forward, offering testimony in private and then in scintillating public hearings, that confirmed nearly every aspect of the whistleblower complaint. On Dec. 18, the House voted to impeach Trump on both counts, despite their earlier pledges not to pursue a partisan impeachment. To protect his Senate majority as much as the presidency, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the majority leader, promised a swift acquittal and he delivered it. From the time the articles of impeachment were first read on the Senate floor to Wednesday's vote was just 20 days. By comparison, the 1999 Clinton trial lasted five weeks; and in 1868, the Senate took the better part of three months to try Johnson. With acquittal never really in doubt, the real fight of the trial was over witnesses, and McConnell used the full accumulated force of his position to ensure that none were called. Trump's lawyers used their time on the Senate floor to argue that none were needed not only because the president's behavior toward Ukraine was a legitimate expression of his concern about corruption there, but because neither charge constituted high crimes and misdemeanors. The final shift in defenses by all but the most conservative of Trump's allies came just last week, when The New York Times reported the first in a series of stories revealing that Trump told Bolton in August that he would not release the military aid for Ukraine until the country helped out with the investigations into the Bidens and other Democrats. New Delhi: Actor Emraan Hashmi's son Ayaan recently attended an event on World Cancer Day, organised by Priya Dutt under the Nargis Dutt Foundation. Actress Sonali Bendre was also present at the event which set out create awareness about the disease and help those who are battling the deadly 'c' word. The highlight of the event was 10-year-old Ayaan talking about his journey and how he motivated others to stay aware of Cancer. Sonali Bendre, a cancer survivor herself took to Instagram and shared a heartfelt note after being impressed by Ayaan's motivating speech. She called him a 'canvas of positivity'. Also, proud daddy Emraan and his wife Parveen shared the videos of Ayaan's powerful and inspiring speech at the event. In 2016, Emraan Hashmi released a book titled 'The Kiss Of LifeHow A Superhero and My Son Defeated Cancer' based on the hard times faced by his little one. The book talks about how Emraan's son Ayaan fought cancer like a true blue superhero. Emraan and wife Parveen Shahani got married in December 2006 and Ayaan was born on February 3, 2010. In January 2014, Ayaan was diagnosed with cancerthe then 4-year-old gave cancer a tough fight and recovered fully from the deadly disease. After 5 years of battle with the deadly C-word, Ayaan is now cancer-free. Meanwhile, Sonali Bendre underwent treatment for high-grade cancer which had metastasised. After spending some months in NYC, the actress came back to Mumbai last year. She kept her fans posted about each and every phase of her journey while battling the disease. World Cancer Day is celebrated every year on February 4 to create awareness about the disease and reduce the stigma associated with it. The Delhi Police told a court here on Thursday that Kapil Baisala, arrested for firing in the air in Shaheen Bagh during an anti-CAA protest, was associated with a political party and the agency needed to interrogate him to ascertain if the alleged incident was part of any "political conspiracy". The probe agency further told the court Baisala did not do it in a rush of blood and it was a "well-thought-out" incident. The submissions were made before Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Gurmohina Kaur who extended by two days the police custody of Baisala. "I am of the opinion, two days further remand of accused Kapil Baisala, is necessary at this stage for proper investigation of present case in order to identify supplier of alleged pistol and for purpose of further investigation of the case," the judge said. Police had said on February 4 that Baisala was a member of the Aam Aadmi Party and he and his father had joined the AAP in early 2019. Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Pant sought three days remand for custodial interrogation of Baisala on the ground that the accused was misleading the probe agency in locating the arms dealer and his laptop which has crucial evidence. "He did not do it in a rush of blood. It was a well-thought-out incident. He raised slogans of "Jai Shri Ram" and "hamare desh me aur kisi ki nahi chalegi, sirf Hinduon ki chalegi (only Hindus shall have a say in our country, no one else) to mislead everyone. He fired two rounds in the air. He had purchased 13 cartridges in total. He is also not giving us the location of the other cartridges," the police said. The police said Baisala belonged to a family which has a political history. "Accused has revealed his association with a political party and investigation of any possible conspiracy in alleged incident required to be probed. Time and place of the incident clearly indicate use of firearms at that particular place (Shaheen Bagh) seems to be a part of a larger conspiracy. "During investigation, it has emerged that accused has political ambitions and active in politics. He belongs to a family which has a political history. Accused is to be further interrogated as to whether incident is part of any political conspiracy. Whole conspiracy behind this is to be unearthed," the agency said in its reply submitted before the court. It further said Baisala's father and brother have also been issued notices twice by the police for interrogation but they failed to come. "He is not giving the complete address of one Sachin Tiwari, who allegedly supplied arms to him. Tiwari is a resident of Bihar and he needs to be taken to Patna to locate and identify the arms dealer. He is misleading the probe agency. "His father and brother have not joined the investigation and deliberately avoiding it. Their phones are switched off too. We need to interrogate his friends too... Accused has to be taken to his relatives residing in Greater Noida, Meerut in search of them and thereafter they will be subjected to joint interrogation with the accused," the police said. It said further custody was required to confront Baisala with several chats, conversations, call records found in his phone. "Data stored in the phone is voluminous and complete scrutiny will take more time," it said. Pant added that the accused was not giving the agency the passwords of his phone, his Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok accounts. When the judge asked Baisala where the rest of the cartridges were, he claimed he used them in marriages before. "I have given them the password. My phone was open. The police locked the Facebook account," he said. The police said the accused was associated with different groups on WhatsApp. whose members were being identified at his instance. "Some have been interrogated. Others need to join the investigation. They need to be interrogated at his presence... Call data records of Baisala's mobile phone is being scrutinised and he need to be confronted with it. "He also need to be confronted with frequent callers and other suspects being identified and examined. Some mobile numbers are switched off and some are also not available at their residence," it said. Advocate Akhil Rexwal, appearing for Baisala, vehemently opposed the police remand and said the accused has given all information to the police, including the mobile numbers of his father and brother. "If they can't locate him. it is not his fault. He is ready to cooperate with the police and join the investigation as and when called. He will give his laptop and all other materials required. "This is a not a political issue. He himself had given to the police the form he filled when he joined AAP. He had joined AAP long back. The police is harassing him," the lawyer said. The police had earlier told the court that investigation has revealed that his WhatsApp account was purposely deleted. On February 1, Baisala had fired two rounds in the air in Shaheen Bagh, where an protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is being held for over a month now. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Donald Trumps impeachment trial may have ended in acquittal, but the president is hardly in the clear. The next nine months before the 2020 presidential election are packed with landmines that can cause all manner of embarrassing headlines, adverse legal rulings and other politically risky decisions for Trump and his administration. Watch for more House Democratic subpoenas. Watch for several big Supreme Court rulings on Trumps power to ignore subpoenas for his financial records. And watch for growing pressure on the president to pardon former aides and advisers caught up in special counsel Robert Muellers Russia probe. Heres a rundown: The Ukraine probe 2.0 The most pressing question upon Trumps acquittal is how quickly and aggressively the House will resume its investigation of the Ukraine scandal. Already there have been mounting calls for the House to subpoena former national security adviser John Bolton, who offered eyewitness testimony during the Senate trial but was never called by Republicans. Bolton, according to reports, is preparing to publish a book accusing Trump of linking a decision to withhold military aid from Ukraine in order to pressure the countrys president to announce spurious investigations of Trumps Democratic rivals. Likewise, House Democrats may schedule a deposition for Lev Parnas, the indicted associate of Trumps personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, a central figure in the Ukraine matter. Parnas, who along with three colleagues is scheduled to go on trial Oct. 5 in a Manhattan federal court, has been a willing cooperator with the Houses inquiry since a judge granted him permission last month to begin sharing documents with lawmakers. Now that the impeachment trial is in the rearview mirror, Democrats may also reconsider subpoenaing top White House aides who refused to appear voluntarily, including senior budget officials with firsthand knowledge of Trumps intent when he withheld $391 million in military aid to Ukraine. Story continues Democrats have also subpoenaed for documents from the State Department and other agencies and may press their case in court to obtain those files, some of which have already begun seeping out in heavily redacted FOIA responses. Trumps finances The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on March 31 on three cases that could help define Trumps presidential powers and set precedent for future chief executives, too. Justices have agreed to hear several disputes that center on two questions: Does Trump have to comply with congressional subpoenas for his financial records? And is the president immune from state criminal investigations? Jay Sekulow, the presidents longest-serving personal attorney, will handle the case about state-level criminal investigations. In that case, a Manhattan grand jury subpoenaed the Trump Organization and the international accounting firm Mazars for the presidents records as part of a broader investigation into financial and tax-related crimes. In the other case, Trump lawyers will face off with House attorneys from several committees who subpoenaed the presidents financial records as part of their probes into Trump. Emoluments Trump still faces three separate lawsuits accusing Trump of illegally profiting from his hotels and other hospitality businesses The D.C. and Maryland governments are awaiting a decision from the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that alleges the president ignored clauses in the Constitution that block federal officials from collecting a salary via emoluments originating from foreign countries. All 15 members of the Richmond-based court heard oral arguments on the case in December. Another case on appeal at the D.C. Circuit Court comes from more than 200 Democratic lawmakers who have sought the right to review any foreign government payments, benefits or gifts to the president. And a third case out of New York involves a government watchdog group and a collection of hotel and restaurant owners suing Trump on the grounds they have lost business because customers go to the presidents Washington hotel to curry his favor. The Justice Department has asked the 2nd Circuit to reconsider its decision from last fall reinstating the case, which had initially been tossed by a federal district court judge. Ultimately, all three cases may find their way to the Supreme Court. Mueller leftovers The special counsels probe may have ended back in March 2019, but it lives on in a series of legal battles. Two different federal appeals court panels in Washington, D.C., will soon be issuing decisions on the House Democrats bid for access to Muellers grand jury secrets and its attempt to question Don McGahn, the former Trump White House counsel. If the Democrats win in those cases, it raises the prospect that they may gain access to new information that could fuel additional impeachment proceedings against the president. In the Mueller case, Democrats are still trying to see hundreds of blacked-out redactions, transcripts and exhibits that underlie the special counsels final report. Democrats say they are entitled to see the special counsels evidence because of their impeachment probe. White House counsel Don McGahn listens as Supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2018. (Saul Loeb/Pool Photo via AP) In the McGahn case, Democrats want to question the former top White House aide about the 30 hours he met with the special counsels team to describe the presidents repeated attempts to thwart and sidetrack the Mueller probe. Appeals in both cases from the losers are all but certain, and each could still face fast-track Supreme Court review. Further legal battles are also likely over precisely what questions McGahn would be forced to answer about his time in the White House. Another active Mueller-era dispute on track for an April trial in D.C. involves a Russian firm charged with interfering in the 2016 presidential election. The firm, Concord Management and Consulting, has pleaded not guilty to charges that it financed and organized an online troll farm army that sowed discord in the U.S. and helped Trump during the 2016 race. In London, upcoming extradition hearings for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could also draw renewed attention to claims of Russian efforts to swing the 2016 election to Trump. Assange is fighting U.S. efforts to put him on trial on an 18-count indictment charging him with conspiring to hack into military computers, steal U.S. defense secrets and publish them online. The current case doesnt relate to U.S. intelligence agencies claims that Assange played a key role in Russias efforts to intervene in the last presidential race. But his lawyers are expected to argue that the criminal charges against him are politically motivated . That could lead to a very public tug-of-war with new evidence about Assanges role in 2016, his antipathy for Hillary Clinton and his willingness to cooperate with Trump backers. Even if Assange loses his extradition fight, though, its unclear whether he would land on U.S. soil before Election Day. Pardons Another election-year hot potato is waiting for Trump: pardons. Roger Stone, the presidents longtime associate, is scheduled for sentencing on Feb. 20 for his conviction on seven federal counts of lying to investigators, obstructing a congressional probe and witness tampering. Stones family and allies have been pleading for a pardon to spare the GOP operative, whose crimes carry a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison. FILE - In this July 10, 2018, file photo, former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn leaves the federal courthouse following a status hearing in Washington. A jury on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, has convicted Bijan Kian, a one-time business partner of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, on charges he illegally acted as a Turkish agent when he and Flynn undertook a project to discredit an exiled cleric wanted by Turkeys government.(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File) Another big court hearing looms on Feb. 27. Thats the scheduled sentencing date for former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty more than two years during the Mueller probe to a felony false statement charge. But Flynn recently tried to withdraw his guilty plea, accusing the special counsels team, the FBI and his own former lawyers of misconduct. The remarkable reversal for Flynn has created significant uncertainty around his sentencing. Federal prosecutors have said probation would be appropriate for Flynn, though theyve also endorsed the sentencing guidelines of zero to six months in prison. Any punishment for Flynn will increase the calls for Trump to spare his ex-aide. The president has repeatedly offered sympathy for Flynn and last year praised his decision to hire a combative new lawyer known for her cable TV criticism of Mueller and the FBI. [February 05, 2020] Palais des congres de Montreal honours its Ambassadors and thanks 17 personalities MONTREAL, Feb. 5, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - At the Recognition Awards Gala for its Ambassadors Club, Palais des congres de Montreal celebrated 17 luminaries for their active involvement in bringing 11 international conferences to Montreal. These signature events will generate an estimated $83 million in tourism revenues and attract 30,000 delegates from around the world who will book more than 83,000 nights in Greater Montreal hotels. These new members of the prestigious Ambassadors Club join a community of influential and dynamic figures from the leading sectors of the Montreal economy. They have taken time out of their busy schedules to actively work to attract international conventions to Montreal, thereby generating significant economic and intellectual benefits for the city and province. In founding the Ambassadors Club in 1985, Palais des congres de Montreal positioned itself as a pioneer. Today, destinations around the world have emulated its international market development strategy of drawing on the repute of local influencers. The Club now has close to 340 members. Quebec's Chief Scientist named Grand Ambassador At the Gala, Professor Remi Quirion, Chief Scientist of Quebec, had the great honour of being decorated Grand Ambassador, the highest distinction awarded to a member of the Club. He received this title for his leading role in promoting scientific culture, providing international exposure for Quebec researchers, and galvanizing the research community. Thanks to his work, numerous scientific events have been held in Montreal. Ambassadors honoured in 2020 Prof. Kim M. Baines 51st IUPAC General Assembly and 48th World Chemistry Congress August 2021 51st IUPAC General Assembly and 48th World Chemistry Congress Hon. Denis Coderre ICLEI World Congress 2018 June 2018 ICLEI World Congress 2018 Prof. Sylvie Cossette , Dr. Nancy Feeley , Prof. Jacinthe Pepin International Council of Nurses July 2023 , , International Council of Nurses Prof. Fiona Darbyshire 27th IUGG General Assembly July 2019 27th IUGG General Assembly Dr. Josee Fillion , Dr. Marie-Pierre Thibodeau 12th Congres International Francophone de Gerontologie et Geriatrie September 2022 , 12th Congres International Francophone de Gerontologie et Geriatrie Prof. Rejean Hebert , Prof. Louise Potvin 24th IUHPE World Conference on Health Promotion May 2022 , 24th IUHPE World Conference on Health Promotion Dr. Melanie Henderson , Dr. Julia von Oettingen ISPAD 2023 49th Annual Conference October 2023 , ISPAD 2023 49th Annual Conference Dr. Kirsten Johnson 24th International Conference on Emergency Medicine May 2025 24th International Conference on Emergency Medicine Prof. Catherine Morency , Prof. Martin Trepanier 16th World Conference on Transport Research July 2022 , 16th World Conference on Transport Research Prof. Remi Quirion 4th International Conference on Science Advice to Government September 2020 4th International Conference on Science Advice to Government Dr. Tomoko Takano World Congress of Nephrology April 2021 Partnerships celebrating new research talent The Palais recently renewed two strategic partnership agreements aimed at forging ties with Quebec's research community while promoting large-scale events. Renewed collaborations with FRQ (Fonds de recherche u Quebec) and IRSST (Institut de recherche Robert-Sauve en sante et en securite du travail) were underlined at the Gala. The four recipients of FRQ's Releve etoile award were announced at the event. Etienne Boulais, Pierre-Alexandre Goyette, Anne-Julie Tessier, and Cyndi Boisjoli were recognized for research excellence. The award was created to promote research careers at Quebec universities. Also at the Gala, IRSST conferred the IRSST/Ambassadors Club joint award on France Labreche and Marie-Elise Parent for securing the 28th International Symposium on Epidemiology in Occupational Health, to be held in Montreal. A symphony of culinary creations Thanks to Isabelle Racicot, guests had an opportunity to celebrate these business tourism success stories while enjoying culinary masterpieces from Capital Traiteur and seven of the city's leading hotels: Le Centre Sheraton Montreal, Delta Hotel by Marriott Montreal, the InterContinental Montreal, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, the Marriott Chateau Champlain, Le Westin Montreal, and the DoubleTree by Hilton Montreal. Produced by Palais des congres, the 2020 Recognition Awards Gala was made possible in part thanks to Freeman Audio Visual and Idees au cube. For full details, go to congresmtl.com/gala. Quotes "I wholeheartedly salute the exceptional work of these men and women of action who have turned an international spotlight on our destination. Their role in bringing high-calibre events to Palais des congres de Montreal makes them truly outstanding allies. They help generate major economic and intellectual spinoffs for Montreal and for Quebec as a whole. Their commitment makes the Palais a business tourism leader. Hats off to the new Ambassadors, the Palais des congres managers, and all their partners!" Caroline Proulx, Minister of Tourism "The Recognition Awards Gala celebrates the dedication of our Ambassadors, who volunteer their time to securing major events. I thank them and I salute their determination and contribution to making Montreal the city in the Americas hosting the most international conventions. The Palais was a pioneer with its Ambassadors Club. The results have been very compelling, so we will keep building on the conceptone with tremendous benefits for our economy!" Robert Mercure, President and CEO, Palais des congres de Montreal "It's an honour to welcome new members to the Ambassadors Club of Palais des congres de Montreal. They play a crucial role in securing international conventions and in positioning Montreal and the key economic sectors we are known for." Hany Moustapha, President, Ambassadors Club, Palais des congres de Montreal "I am very proud indeed to receive the title of Grand Ambassador, as it recognizes the research community's pivotal role in securing and organizing scientific conferences at Palais des congres de Montreal. These conferences serve to disseminate knowledge, promote interaction among researchers from all disciplines, and spur scientific tourism. I am also pleased with the partnership between Fonds de recherche du Quebec and the Palais des congres Ambassadors Club, which in recent years has commended the scientific community's involvement in organizing scientific conferences." Remi Quirion, Chief Scientist of Quebec "I congratulate researchers France Labreche and Marie-Elise Parent, who brought this prestigious international symposium to Montreal under the aegis of the Scientific Committee on Epidemiology in Occupational Health, one of 37 scientific committees of the ICOH (International Commission on Occupational Health). The IRSST/Ambassadors Club award aims to encourage Institute scientists and the many researchers who receive IRSST funding to bring more scientific events to Montreal focused on occupational health and safety." Lyne Sauvageau, President and CEO, Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauve en Sante et en Securite du Travail "We are proud to be a part of the Ambassadors Club Recognition Awards Gala again this year as a major partner. For nearly 20 years, Freeman Audio Visual has contributed its creativity and expertise to this exceptional event that celebrates the leaders who help position Palais des congres de Montreal as a choice destination for business tourism." Bernard Carignan, Regional Director, Eastern Canada, Freeman Audio Visual Canada "Idees au cube has been central to Montreal's creative ecosystem for over 30 years. The theme of this year's Gala inspired our creators, who again put their talent and ingenuity to work bringing to life the content of the Ambassadors, remarkable people who turn a global spotlight on the city!" Nathalie Gelinas, Producer, Idees au cube About Palais des congres de Montreal The Palais des congres de Montreal convention centre is in the heart of the top host city in the Americas for international events. Holding the industry's leading certification in quality standards from the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC), the Palais is also a finalist for the AIPC Apex Award for the highest performance in customer satisfaction in the world. In 20182019, it generated $215 million in economic benefits and immeasurable intellectual wealth via the 353 events it hosted. A trailblazer, it operates its own events lab, CITE, which houses Montreal startups that are helping redefine how conferences are held. The Palais is a carbon neutral building, and also BOMA BEST certified. Its suite of sustainability initiatives, under the name Palais Boreal, includes an innovative program that shepherds event organizers and participants through the process of offsetting their GHG emissions locally. The Palais is actively immersed in its community, opening its spaces to visitors and staging art-driven experiences for the public, like the Palais Seasons, showcasing Quebec creativity. A leader and visionary, the Palais is at the forefront of the Convention Industry 4.0 transformation. Visit congresmtl.com. SOURCE Palais des congres de Montreal [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A Texas biotech company says it is working to develop and test a vaccine for the deadly coronavirus spreading from China. iBio, which contracts drug development and manufacturing from pharmaceutical companies, say it is teaming up with Beijing CC-Pharming Ltd for the task. This makes the Bryan, Texas-based company one of the dozens of drugmakers working on vaccines or antivirals to treat those infected and prevent others from contracting the illness. There are no confirmed cases in Texas but officials revealed on Thursday that a patient is being tested at Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas in Beaumont after returning from a trip to China with 'flu-like symptoms.' iBio, based in Bryan, Texas, is using a process that has researchers grow tobacco-based plants under lights and then use bacteria to design the plants for vaccine development. Pictured: French lab scientists in hazmat gear attemp to develop a vaccine at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, on Thursday The company is using a process it calls FastPharming, which strives to find antibody candidates against viruses in as little as three weeks. Researchers grow tobacco-based plants under lights and then use bacteria to design the plants for vaccine development, according to KBTX. 'What's so important about what iBio can do here is that we make our products very, very quickly so the platform lends itself to a rapid production of both vaccines as well as therapeutics in this case we're focusing on the vaccine,' Tom Isett, managing director of iBio, told the station. The technology has been used in creating antibody candidates to fight Ebola and dengue fever as well as in research for yellow fever virus. Isett says that while the company hopes to have a vaccine manufactured by the end of 2020, there's no guarantee it will happen. 'The research has to occur [first] and that's what's transpiring now and what's so important about this is the faster you can get into testing and animals and then ultimately release something to people the better,' he told KBTX. There are several roadblocks for vaccine researchers. A World Health Organization report found that the cost of developing a vaccine from research to registration costs between $200 million and US $500 million per vaccine. What's more, getting approval from agencies such as the US Food and Drug Administration could take more than a year. 'It will take at least 12 to 18 months,' Thomas Breuer, chief medical officer of the vaccine unit at GlaxoSmithKline, a pharmaceutical company, told Reuters. 'Which means in the acute situation we are in now - at least in China - that will not create a benefit.' The outbreak shows no signs of slowing down, with thousands of cases reported everyday, most in Wuhan, where the virus originated. Also attempting to develop a vaccine is Inovio Pharmaceuticals in Pennsylvania, which is trying to use synthetic DNA to cells to make a particular protein that protect against the virus. And, in France, researchers at the Pasteur Institute in Paris are trying to mix genetic material from other viruses into the measles vaccine and create a new coronavirus vaccine. Since the outbreak began in December 2019, more than 28,000 people have become infected in 27 countries and territories. All of the 564 deaths - aside from two - have been occurred in China, mostly in the city of Wuhan, where the virus originated. There are 12 confirmed cases in the US including six in California, two in Illinois and one each in Arizona, Massachusetts, Washington and Wisconsin. PARIS - The one-time spokesman for the notorious Syrian rebel faction the Army of Islam , who was arrested in southern France last week and charged with torture and war crimes, arrived in the country on a short-term visa, the French Foreign Ministry said Thursday. The ministry said during an online briefing that Islam Alloush was issued a short-term visa ... based on a complete file, after questioning by the appropriate ministerial services. The request was reportedly made at the French consulate in Istanbul. Short-term visas are usually for 90 days and allow access to Europes Schengen area of 26 countries. It wasnt immediately clear whether Alloush had travelled beyond France, or when he arrived. Alloush, whose real name is Majdi Nemah, was arrested in Marseille on Jan. 29 and days later handed preliminary charges linked to his activities in Syria. Besides torture, war crimes, and complicity in the two, he also was charged with enforced disappearance, according to the International Federation of Human Rights, which revealed Alloushs arrest on Friday. The NGO noted suspicions that in 2013 the Army of Islam abducted, detained and tortured the noted human rights lawyer Razan Zaitouneh and three others. Zaitouneh was one of five laureates of the 2011 Sakharov Prize that honours human rights defenders. The group denied the accusations. Preliminary charges in France mean the suspect could be freed if an investigation turns up nothing, or formally indicted and sent to trial. The conservative Army of Islam was one of the strongest groups based near Damascus until their defeat in 2018 and departure to northern Syria. Its founder, Zahran Alloush, was killed in an airstrike near Damascus in December 2015. One of the most powerful Syrian rebel factions, the group was headquartered in Douma, the most populated area of eastern Ghouta, outside Damascus. Islam Alloush left the group in 2017, telling The Associated Press at the time that he resigned to work as a researcher under his real name. The International Federation of Human Rights and two other NGOs had filed a complaint against the Army of Islam last June for various alleged crimes. ___ Bassem Mrou in Beirut, Lebanon contributed to this report. PLAINVIEW - Wayland Baptist University will premiere a documentary film celebrating the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion and the important work it did during WWII at a special Black History Month event on Feb. 20 at the Museum of the Llano Estacado. "An Evening with the 6888th Battalion" will begin at 6 p.m. and includes a keynote by Elizabeth Helm-Frazier, a 1999 graduate of Wayland's San Antonio campus who played an instrumental role in honoring the all-black, all-female battalion with a national monument in November 2018. Helm-Frazier is also one of the producers of the documentary film "The Six Triple Eight: No Mail, Low Morale," which will be shown in the auditorium immediately before Helm-Frazier speaks. Following the keynote, a brief time of Q&A will be held with Helm-Frazier. Refreshments will follow in the museum foyer, where guests can also view the temporary exhibit on women in the service. Books written by the battalion commander, Major Charity Adams, and others about the group will be on hand for purchase as well. "The story of the 6888th's work on behalf of our American soldiers is really fascinating, and Liz is passionate about sharing the tale of these extraordinary African-American women," said Teresa Young, director of alumni relations at Wayland. "Since she is one of our alumni, we are even more excited to welcome Liz as we premiere the documentary in Plainview. I know folks will enjoy hearing the story as much as we did." Helm-Frazier's visit falls on the 75th anniversary of the day the 6888th landed in England in 1945. The event is part of the Black History Month celebration on the Wayland campus as well as a year-long emphasis on women across all academic schools, in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote. The event is sponsored by the Wayland Alumni Association, Wayland Museums and the WBU Multidisciplinary Committee. A native of Largo, Fla., Helm-Frazier served just over 25 years with the U.S. Army, retiring in 2006 and then working as a military contractor before entering civil service. She currently serves as executive assistant to the chief information security officer at the Veteran's Administration in Virginia. For more information on the event, contact the Alumni Relations office at (806) 291-3600. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, February 7 2020 Destruction: A Palestinian man inspects the site of an Israeli airstrike at Al-Shatee refugee camp in Gaza City on Thursday. Israeli aircraft struck Hamas positions in Gaza early Thursday, the military said, after Palestinians in the enclave again launched projectiles and explosive balloons at the Jewish state. (AFP/Mohammed Abed) Thirty-two-year-old Palestinian migrant Mahmoud Omar can say unabashedly that he has learned to love Indonesia like he would his own wife, but that it would never measure up to his love for his homeland. Having come to Indonesia a little over a year ago, and now living comfortably as a teacher at the Al-Masyhad Islamic boarding school in Sukabumi, West Java, Omar said he felt the Indonesian people had welcomed him with open arms. 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 Thank God, Ghana is not under threat of Ebola or any serious life-threatening epidemic but the country is bullet-riddled with corruption. The unprecedented level of corruption which has hit the country doesn't only tarnish its image but will also affect investments in the country. From time to time, I have made clear in most of my articles that there is no leader in Ghana who can stand firm and beat his chest with an assurance that he can fight corruption. Ghanaians have a proverb that says: One cant stand in thorns and remove thorns under the feat, yes thats true. The fight against corruption in Ghana has been a total failure simply because Akufo Addo and his government are also deeply corrupt. Its a shame to see endless corruption scandals emerging daily in Ghanaian newspapers and its even more disturbing that these scandals are being witnessed by foreign countries that its embassies are right in our country. What will these embassies or ambassadors think about the government of Ghana? The solution for political disorders and the space for implementing corrective measures to deal with corruption in the country dont exist in Ghana. High government officials and politicians take the weak judiciary system in the country as an opportunity to engage in corruption with impunity. How can excavators and other mining equipment seized by the Operation Vanguard team for illegal mining in the country disappear without a trace? Ghana is full of dishonest politicians who keep disappointing and lying to the public daily. As soon as the alarm sounded over the missing excavators, the disturbed NPP government wants to convince the common Ghanaians that the government is not corrupt. I wasn't surprised to read in the news that 32 of the missing excavators are back in the forests of Obuasi, Ashanti Region, while about 15 are back in Tarkwa, Western Region, etc. Who are they fooling? Who wouldnt believe that NPP politicians were involved or shared among themselves? Do they think the common Ghanaians are fools, lost their thinking ability and therefore, they can tell them every lies to believe? Yet, because of politics, the airbus corruption scandal is now the major news trending in Ghanaian newspapers because all eyes are on the ex-Ghanaian leader, John Mahama, the man many love to hate, but the fact is both the NPP and NDC are corrupt political parties. Nana Akufo Addo is not a Messiah, he is corrupt as well. Already Airbus, fined four billion dollars has agreed to pay the money in connection with allegations of bribery corruption in 16 countries, including Russia, China, and Japan. It is noted that the anti-corruption investigation became the largest in the history of the aircraft concern and led to a change in the top management of the company and the employees who were responsible for sales. Later on, inspections showed that the company had a system for decades through which payments of hundreds of millions of dollars were made using third parties to gain access to new markets. Ghanaian politicians are sowing bad seeds in the country but the common Ghanaians are those that suffer from the impact of the evil things they do. In any developed country, any minister or politician involved in the missing the excavators' scandal will tender his resignation but not Ghana. When corruption scandal hits the Ghanaian government, it's just like a bush fire in the harmattan but after a few days, the case will die naturally and the names of all those involved will never be mentioned again. This is one of the reasons corruption has increased significantly in the country. The American president, Donald Trump was impeached for abusing his power, even though freed by the Senate, one of the Republicans, Senator Mitt Romney votes to remove Trump, who is also a Republican, from office, because Trump has committed a great error. In such a case, the Ghanaian government may rather promote the offender or remove him to another office. In Ghana, everyone knows that elites don't go to jail and ever since Akufo Addo appointed the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, to investigate corruption in the country, nobody has even been found guilty or gone to jail for his or her crime. In fact, many Ghanaians want to know why Akufo Addo appointed this man called Martin Amidu. The manner corruption in Ghana has reached its cancerous proportions is an indicator that the country which attained its independence over six decades ago future is very bleak. London: Boris Johnson says Huawei's involvement in Britain's 5G network will be reduced further than the current 35 per cent threshold, sending a signal that an ultimate phase-out of the Chinese supplier is likely. But the British Prime Minister did not say how soon this would happen after being pressed on the issue by former cabinet ministers dismayed the UK is not following Australia's lead in banning the company. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under pressure to reduce Huawei's involvement in Britain 5G network to zero. Credit:AP Johnson disappointed his Five Eyes partners, including Australia and the US, by allowing Huawei to continue supplying his country's 5G networks, albeit with a cap. The issue has sparked a rebellion amongst Johnson's newly minted MPs led by a string of former ministers including former deputy prime minister Damian Green. Police seized a mobile phone that contained evidence of preparations for the Manchester Arena bombing two months before the attack, a court has heard. Suicide bomber Salman Abedis brother is on trial accused of helping him make the bomb that killed 22 victims in May 2017, including by obtaining chemicals for explosives. The Old Bailey heard that Hashem Abedi lied about their intentions to several relatives, friends and acquaintances so he could use their online shopping accounts. One of them was Mohammed Younis Soliman, a friend whose Amazon account was used to buy 10 litres of sulphuric acid after Mr Abedi claimed it was needed for a battery. The purchase took place on 15 March 2017, and Mr Soliman was stopped at Manchester Airport just over a week later. Prosecutor Duncan Penny QC said Mr Solimans phone was examined and digitally downloaded by officers on 23 March 2017. Later on, when these matters were being investigated, a link between Mr Soliman, his purchase of 10 litres of sulphuric acid and the brothers Hashem Abedi and Salman Abedi was identified, he added. It was clearly no coincidence that someone with links to the brothers was being used to purchase sulphuric acid in large quantities and on their behalf. The examination of Mr Solimans phone revealed the defendants numbers were stored as Hashem Alabedi and Hashem, the court heard. Two months later, Salman detonated his bomb as Ariana Grande fans poured out of Manchester Arena, killing 22 people and injuring hundreds more. Prosecutors alleged that his brother is just as responsible for the atrocity because of his assistance in the plot, but he denies all charges. The court heard that Mr Abedi may have created an email address meaning we have come to slaughter in Arabic that was used to buy chemicals on Amazon before the attack. Handwritten scraps of paper bearing the email address bedab7jean@gmail.com were found, torn into pieces, at the family home where he and Salman lived. Mr Penny said the address was created on 20 March 2017, while connected to public wifi in a location where automatic number plate recognition data placed a car linked to Mr Abedi. Translated, bedabjeana means to slaughter we have come, or we have come to slaughter, he added. Hashem Abedi denies all charges (UK) On 3 April 2017, the email address was used to buy 30 litres of hydrogen peroxide one of the key components of the explosive TATP, which was used in the Manchester bomb. As well as acquiring the chemicals, Mr Abedi is accused of helping set up a delivery address where they could be delivered. Mr Penny said acquiring large quantities of chemicals risked raising awkward questions in even the most gullible people, and so the brothers started using an unoccupied terraced house in Rusholme, south Manchester. The occupant of the house, a man of Libyan heritage, was abroad and another Libyan man charged with looking after it was told that the Abedi brothers needed to stay there for a few days because of visitors in their own home. The court heard that Mr Abedi and his brother had originally intended to use a Toyota Aygo to transport chemicals for the explosives, but the vehicle was written off in a crash on 23 March 2017. According to those involved in the collision, there were two males described as being of Asian or Middle Eastern appearance in the Toyota, Mr Penny said. They provided false details to the other driver, an old address that had been a former home of the Abedis and a false mobile number comprising 12 digits as opposed to the 11 that form a genuine number. He said the occupants attempted to repair the damaged car, but were unsuccessful, and witness noticed plain cardboard boxes on the back seat. Mr Penny told jurors: They took unkindly to the interest of others in the collision and were abusive to the other drive at the time, to those concerned, this may have seemed like just another road traffic collision involving an uninsured vehicle with little chance of locating the driver. The vehicle was later scrapped, the court heard, and the brothers were subsequently seen driving in an old Hyundai Sonata, bought for 290 at auction the day after the Aygo crash. Salman Abedi killed 22 people in an attack at Manchester Arena (Handout) Mr Penny also told the jury about a third car, a Nissan Micra, in the brothers possession for just over 24 hours on 13 and 14 April. Following the bombing, the Micra was found parked in the Rusholme area containing Mr Abedis fingerprints, bags of screws and nails he handled and more than 10 litres of sulphuric acid. Perhaps most significantly of all, when examined at the forensic explosives laboratory, that vehicle, this Nissan Micra, was found to contain traces of TATP, on the drivers seat and in other areas of the car, Mr Penny said. Has all this happened under this defendants nose without him realising anything about what was really going on as he was later to claim? Mr Abedi, originally from Manchester, denies 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and conspiring with his brother to cause explosions. The trial continues. Additional reporting by PA Moroccan scientist Rachid Yazami has been awarded the Mohammed Bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Excellence, the highest Emirati scientific honor, for his outstanding contribution to the development of lithium-ion batteries for mobile phones, and electric cars. Professor Yazami was honored with the lifetime achievement award for inventing the graphite anode (negative electrode) of lithium-ion batteries. The temperature of rechargeable metallic lithium battery can soar quickly to dangerous levels, leading to explosions and fire hazard. But the Moroccan scientist added graphite to the components of the anode in his experiments and succeeded in making the batteries safe to charge. He developed a smart chip that can tell how healthy a battery is and if its safe to use. If the battery in a smartphone or electric vehicle is faulty and at risk of catching fire, the smart chip sends a warning to the user. The chip is small enough to be embedded in almost all batteries, and can tell the exact state of batterys charge. He describes the technology as placing a brain in each battery, so that it can connect with the person whos using it. Its very important to know how much charge is left in your car battery if you are driving. Cars do tell but it is inaccurate, he was quoted by the UAE paper The National as saying. Prof Yazami said the smart chip could change that. He believes safety is paramount when it comes to using batteries. Batteries are a fire hazard, they explode and we need to prevent this. We hear of people dying because of battery explosions. The temperature can go up to 1,000C in case there is a blast. He appealed to young Arabs to pursue their dreams irrespective of their background. Around 95 pc of batteries produced globally use currently the technology discovered by Pr. Yazami who had not patented his lithium-graphite anode invention. Now, he has over 150 patents bearing his name for work done in different battery technologies. After completing his schooling in Morocco, Pr. Yazami moved to France to study engineering and pursue a doctorate in materials sciences. He worked for the French National Scientific Research Centre for almost 40 years and is a lead scientist at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He founded The Battery Intelligence Company in Singapore, which has been promoting this technology for 10 years. Pablo Escobar may be gone, but his legacy remains to plague Colombia. Escobar is known as Colombia's King of Cocaine. As one of the world's most prolific drug lords, the leader of Medellin cartel basically invented the modern-day drug business model which remains to be one of many countries' top socioeconomic problems. Unknown to many, one of the gradeurs of being a drug kingpin is having a menagerie of exotic animals that he kept as pets. In the early 1980s, Escobar built an illegal zoo on his grand estate, Hacienda Napoles, just under 100 miles east of Medellin estate. Escobar's private zoo seemed like a jungle as he smuggled some 200 animals into the country aboard his drug planes. This collection included ostriches, elephants, zebras, giraffes, camels, and hippos. According to an article by Mitu, when Escobar was killed in 1993, the government siezed his estate, and now it serves as a safari theme park. Most of the animals from his collection were scattered to different zoos. However, four hippopotamuses were left behind to fend for themselves and apparently thrived on their own. By 2016, there were already 40 inhabiting the area. Recently, scientists have found that from four, their numbers have grown to around 80. The drug lord reportedly bought the hippos from a zoo in California. These hippos bred to become the biggest wild hippo herd outside of Africa. While some of them remain in the theme park, some escaped through a flimsy gate and are now feral and causing damage in Colombian waters and prompting fear in locals. A team of researchers from the University of California at San Diego teamed up with the Universidad Pedagogica y Tecnologica de Colombia in investigating the water quality of the lakes where hippos live, and compared them to lakes where they are not. Their study published in the journal Ecology said that the hippos have become an invasive species and are destroying the aquatic ecosystem due to their waste. According to the study, hippos excrete large amounts of waste into the lakes which fertilize harmful algae and bacteria, thus, altering the chemistry and oxygen levels of the water. Jonathan Shurin, lead author of the study, said these hippo species are having a major impact on the ecosystem in their native Africa. He added, they have seen a similar impact when they were imported to an entirely new continent. Shurin said Escobar's hippos are also much more sexually active than their African counterparts because of the perfect conditions in Colombia such as shallow water and no drought. BBC reported in 2014 that all the fertile females are giving birth to a calf every year. Meanwhile, an article by Britannica says that authorities are already castrating male hippos to control their population. This means that despite their efforts, the growth of the hippo population remains at a fast pace. "If you plot out their population growth, we show that it tends to go exponentially skyward. In the next couple of decades there could be thousands of them," Shurin said. An email address that translated as 'We have come to slaughter' was used to buy chemicals for the Manchester Arena bomb on Amazon, a court heard today. Hashem Abedi, the brother of the bomber whose explosives were detonated in a deadly blast in May 2017, was linked to the address, the Old Bailey was told. Abedi allegedly helped build the bomb which killed his older brother, Salman, and 22 others in the foyer outside the arena after a concert by pop star Ariana Grande. The Old Bailey was told that a Gmail address bedab7jeana@gmail.com was set up to buy hydrogen peroxide, a vital ingredient for the TATP explosives, on March 20, 2017. The email, translated from the Arabic, read: 'To slaughter we have come' or 'We have come to slaughter', Duncan Penny QC, prosecuting, told the court. Hashem Abedi, 22, is on trial accused of helping his brother to assemble chemicals and materials to build TATP explosives which were detonated in Manchester on May 22, 2017 Hashem Abedi's temporary phone was in the same area, 20 minutes before the publicly available Wifi was used at Hulme Market in Manchester to create the email address. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras also picked up his Toyota Aygo car on Princess Parkway nearby, ten minutes after the account was created and later at the Urban Exchange in the Ancoats area. Manchester Arena bomb attack in numbers Hashem Abedi, the brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, has gone on trial at the Old Bailey accused of helping to make the explosives used in the bombing. Here are details of the attack in numbers: 22 people were killed, including men, women, teenagers and a child 19 died at the scene, three others shortly after 28 people were very seriously injured 63 were seriously injured 111 people were admitted to hospital 670 reported psychological trauma Almost 1,000 victims were identified 55 litres of hydrogen peroxide were bought to construct the bomb 16 litres of sulphuric acid were also bought 22.31pm on May 22 2017 - the exact time Salman Abedi detonated his device 8 weeks - expected duration of the trial Advertisement 'Much later on April 3 2017, this email address was provided to Amazon for the purchase of 30 litres of hydrogen peroxide,' Mr Penny said. 'The same email address was found, handwritten on torn up pieces of paper in one of the bins' at the Abedi family address in Elsmore Road, Fallowfield, after the bombing, he added. A phone downloaded during an airport stop two months before the attack provided a vital clue that later linked Hashem Abedi to the purchase of chemicals for the bomb. Mohammed Soliman was known as 'Little Mohammed' to his employer at the same takeaway in Stockport where Hashem Abedi worked. He was stopped at Manchester Airport on March 23, a week after Abedi had activated a temporary phone number that he used for just 13 days. Mr Soliman's phone was examined at the airport and digitally downloaded. It emerged that the phone had two numbers for Abedi, one under the name 'Hashem Alabade' and the other, the temporary number, as 'Hashem.' Mr Soliman had also bought 10 litres of sulphuric acid using his Amazon account, on March 15, 20 minutes after 140 was paid into his Lloyds Bank account. The 22 victims of the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017. (top row left to right) Off-duty police officer Elaine McIver, 43, Saffie Roussos, 8, Sorrell Leczkowski, 14, Eilidh MacLeod, 14, (second row left to right) Nell Jones, 14, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, 15, Megan Hurley, 15, Georgina Callander, 18, (third row left to right), Chloe Rutherford,17, Liam Curry, 19, Courtney Boyle, 19, and Philip Tron, 32, (fourth row left to right) John Atkinson, 26, Martyn Hett, 29, Kelly Brewster, 32, Angelika Klis, 39, (fifth row left to right) Marcin Klis, 42, Michelle Kiss, 45, Alison Howe, 45, and Lisa Lees, 43 (fifth row left to right) Wendy Fawell, 50 and Jane Tweddle, 51 The order cost 106.16 with shipping of 22.30. 'Later on, when these matters were being investigated, a link between Soliman, his purchase of 10 litres of sulphuric acid and the brothers Hashem Abedi and Salman Abedi was identified,' Mr Penny said. Salman Abedi, 22, pictured on the night he detonated an explosive device as music fans left an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017 'It was clearly no coincidence that someone with links to the brothers was being used to purchase sulphuric acid in large quantities and on their behalf.' Hashem Abedi dropped the first phone at 9.45pm on March 16 after calling Mr Soliman and started using another phone number for just 13 days in March 2017. He then tried to use another friend called Zuhir Nassrat to try and buy hydrogen peroxide, using his Amazon account to try and buy 35 litres of the chemical. Mr Nassrat's Amazon account logged on to an IP address at the Golden Tandoori Takeway in Great Ancoats Street, North Manchester on March 20. 'The significance of which is, that of all the people in Manchester or indeed all the people in the UK for that matter, it happened to be this defendant, Hashem Abedi, who at the time was working shifts at the Golden Tandoori as a delivery driver and thus had access to their wifi,' Mr Penny said. The scene close to Manchester Arena following the deadly explosion on May 22, 2017 The chemical was to be delivered to an address in Lindum Street, Rusholme, an unoccupied house owned by a housing association and let to a man of Libyan heritage called Ahmed Hamad who was abroad and allowed the Abedi brothers to use it from March 17 or 18. Jury hears key dates in lead-up to Manchester Arena bombing The jury in the trial of alleged Manchester Arena bomb plotter Hashem Abedi have heard the key dates so far in the lead-up to the suicide attack carried out by his brother Salman. - 2016 Salman and Hashem Abedi's parents leave for Libya, leaving the brothers to live alone at the family home in south Manchester. - January, 2017 onwards Hashem and Salman Abedi make attempts to buy chemicals to use in a bomb. - January 18, 2017 Hashem Abedi orders a litre of sulphuric acid, but arranges its delivery not to his home address. - February 19, 2017 Hashem and Salman Abedi visit Somerton Court, Blackley, north Manchester, to rent a flat to stockpile the ingredients of the bomb. - March 2, 2017 Hashem Abedi, via another person who cannot be identified, purchases five litres of sulphuric acid via an Amazon account. - March 3, 2017 Hashem Abedi makes inquiries about buying a large 200 amp industrial battery, it is alleged. - March 15, 2017 The bank account of a friend of Hashem Abedi is used to order 10 litres of sulphuric acid. - April, 2017 Hashem and Salman buy a Nissan Micra, the vehicle to be used to store bomb-making items. - May, 2017 Salman Abedi returns from Libya and uses a flat on Granby Row in Manchester city centre to assemble the bomb. - 10.31pm, May 22, 2017 Salman Abedi, 22, detonates his rucksack bomb in the foyer at Manchester Arena. Advertisement 'Until now the brothers had been using their associates addresses and internet account to order and receive the materials,' Mr Penny said. 'This was clearly a laborious and potentially compromising activity. 'The brothers needed a better system for ordering and the receipt of deliveries which might attract questions such as hydrogen peroxide. 'The fact that they had an interest in acquiring large quantities of not just one but two chemicals, risked raising awkward questions in even the most gullible people.' Hashem Abedi's temporary phone number, ending in 263, was used to log in to Mr Soliman's Gmail account to track the delivery of the sulphuric acid and was at an address in Victory Street in Rusholme as an attempt was made to buy hydrogen peroxide using Mr Nassrat's details. 'The significance is striking and the point is a straightforward one,' Mr Penny said. 'Whoever was interested in buying hydrogen peroxide using Mr Nassrat's details was also interested in the progress of the Soliman sulphuric acid order.' 'There is therefore a clear link between the ordering and acquisition of hydrogen peroxide and the defendant. The coincidences linking him with this activity could hardly, we say, be accidental.' Abedi was detained in Libya on the day after the bombing and extradited back to Britain last July. Mr Penny said: 'The defendant later denied any link to the purchase of hydrogen peroxide. He said as much in a prepared statement that he gave some time after he was returned to the United Kingdom. 'We say that assertion is a deliberate lie calculated to conceal the truth of his involvement in these events. If his link to the purchase of HP was innocent, why lie about it?' When the attempt to buy hydrogen peroxide fell through because the card on Mr Nassrat's Amazon account was no longer valid, another account was set up, using the email bedab7jeana@gmail.com. The brothers' plans were 'thrown somewhat into disarray' when they lost their means of transport, Mr Penny said. At about 3.20pm on March 20, the Toyota Aygo was involved in a road traffic collision with another vehicle at a junction in Fallowfield. Publicly available Wifi was used at Hulme Market in Manchester to create the email address According to those involved in the collision, there were two males of Asian or Middle Eastern appearance in the Toyota. Manchester Arena brothers 'crashed car used to transport explosives', court told The Manchester Arena bomber and his brother's plans to stockpile chemicals were 'thrown into disarray' when they crashed their car, two months before the atrocity, a court has heard. Suicide bomber Salman Abedi and his brother Hashem, who is on trial at the Old Bailey for allegedly murdering concert-goers in May 2017, were said to have been involved in a collision in Fallowfield, Manchester, which rendered their Toyota Aygo runaround irreparable. The Crown said that Hashem originally bought the 56-plate vehicle for 250 with the intention of transporting chemicals needed to create the homemade explosive TATP. Prosecutor Duncan Penny said the operation was temporarily scuppered on March 23 following the crash. He said: 'According to those involved in the collision, there were two males described as being of Asian or Middle Eastern appearance in the Toyota. 'They provided false details to the other driver, an old address that had been a former home of the Abedis and a false mobile number comprising 12 digits as opposed to the 11 that form a genuine number.' He said the occupants attempted to repair the damaged car, but were unsuccessful. He told jurors: 'They took unkindly to the interest of others in the collision and were abusive to the other driver.' He said witnesses noticed there were some plain cardboard boxes in the Toyota's back seat, and that the car's occupants tried to remove those labels when it was discovered the Aygo could not be repaired. Mr Penny said: 'At the time, to those concerned, this may have seemed like just another road traffic collision involving an uninsured vehicle with little chance of locating the driver.' The vehicle was later scrapped, the court heard, and the brothers were subsequently seen driving in an old Hyundai Sonata, bought for 290 at auction the day after the Aygo crash. Mr Penny also told the jury about a third car, a Nissan Micra, in the brothers' possession for just over 24 hours on April 13/14. After the bombing the Micra was found parked up in the Rusholme area of Manchester, the court heard. Inside, police found Hashem Abedi's fingerprints, some bags of screws and nails handled by the defendant and more than 10 litres of sulphuric acid in the boot, the court was told. Mr Penny added: 'And lastly when further examined, perhaps most significantly of all, when examined at the forensic explosives laboratory, that vehicle, this Nissan Micra, was found to contain traces of Tri-acetone Tri-peroxide, TATP, on the driver's seat and in other areas of the car.' Mr Penny added: 'Has all this happened under this defendant's nose without him realising anything about what was really going on as he was later to claim?' Abedi denies all charges relating to the Manchester Arena attack. Advertisement The two men got out of the damaged Toyota and 'attempted without success to repair the vehicle,' Mr Penny said. 'They took unkindly to the interest of others in the collision and were abusive to the other driver,' he added. Those present noticed that there were some plain cardboard boxes on the back seat of the Toyota which had labels on them. When the pair were unsuccessful in repairing the vehicle, the two men abandoned the vehicle and ran off, taking care to remove the labels from the boxes before they did so. They provided false details to the other driver, an old address that had been a former home of the Abedi's and a false mobile number with12 digits instead of 11. 'At the time, to those concerned with it, this may have seemed like just another road traffic collision involving an uninsured vehicle with little chance of locating the user,' Mr Penny said. 'The vehicle was removed by a recovery vehicle and later scrapped when no-one claimed ownership of it. 'The boxes in the back seat were not recovered by either the recovery service or the scrap metal processor.' The next day in Bury, north of Manchester, an old Hyundai Sonata was bought for 290 in cash at an auction at Radcliffe Car Auctions, when Hashem's mobile was in the area with Mr Nassrat. After the explosion at the Arena, documents relating to the vehicle were found in a search of the family home in Elsmore Road. At the beginning of June 2017 police also found a Nissan Micra vehicle in the Rusholme area of Manchester which was linked to the brothers. When the vehicle was searched, inside it were a significant number of items containing Hashem Abedi's fingerprints, including bags of screws and nails, some of which were from Sayda Trading in Moss Side, the jury was told. 'For what purpose were these items intended when they were purchased that Saturday morning? That in itself is a topic which deserves detailed consideration,' Mr Penny said. Over 10 litres of sulphuric acid were found in containers in the boot of the Micra, some of which bore Hashem Abedi's fingerprints. And 'perhaps most significantly of all' when examined at the explosives laboratory, the vehicle was found to contain traces of TATP on the driver's seat and in other areas of the car. 'Had all this happened under this defendant's nose without him realising anything about what was really going on as he was later to claim?' Mr Penny asked. 'Was the fact that these items were found together in this vehicle indicative of what had been going on? 'Or was it a particularly unfortunate coincidence for this defendant who was seen driving it, who was present at and connected to its purchase, and whose fingerprints and DNA were found not just in the vehicle itself but on items found within it which could be deployed in the construction of an improvised explosive device involving TATP?' On April 1, 2017 flights were booked for the return of the brothers' parents and younger sibling to Britain on a nine-day trip. The brothers' parents, Ramadan and Sarnia Abedi, arrived at Manchester Airport, late on the evening of April 6 and were picked up by a taxi booked by their eldest son Ismail, just after 10pm. On April 8, Ismail Abedi then purchased two single airline tickets for Salman and Hashem to travel from Manchester to Libya via Amsterdam and Istanbul. The tickets were one-way tickets and involved them travelling out from Manchester on the same flight as their parents and younger brother less than a week later on 15 April 2017. 'Someone had decided that they needed to return to Libya on one-way tickets,' Mr Penny said. 'In light of the purchase of the one-way tickets, the brothers needed to act quickly.' The brothers had already amassed at least 16 litres of sulphuric acid and 55 litres of hydrogen peroxide. Acetone, the missing pre-cursor chemical for the production of TATP, could be easily obtained on the high street. Traces of TATP were found at Somerton Court, a flat they had rented flat in Blackley, North Manchester, showing that the explosive had been manufactured at some stage before their departure to Libya in mid-April 2017. The 22 Victims of the Manchester bombing The 22 people who were killed were: Elaine McIver, 43, Saffie Roussos, eight Sorrell Leczkowski, 14 Eilidh MacLeod, 14 Nell Jones, 14 Olivia Campbell-Hardy, 15 Megan Hurley, 15 Georgina Callander, 18 Chloe Rutherford, 17 Liam Curry, 19 Courtney Boyle, 19 Philip Tron, 32 John Atkinson, 28 Martyn Hett, 29 Kelly Brewster, 32 Angelika Klis, 39 Marcin Klis, 42 Michelle Kiss, 45 Alison Howe, 44 Lisa Lees, 43 Wendy Fawell, 50 Jane Tweddle, 51 Advertisement The brothers needed to remove the materials quickly from the delivery address in Lindum Street and the flat in Somerton Court, Mr Penny said. They needed to find a 'safe location, where they could be stored unobtrusively without drawing too much attention to themselves and before they were obliged to return to Libya with their parents,' he added. At 6.30pm on April 13, the brothers' friend, Taghdi conducted as series of searches on the internet for cars in the Manchester area, including 'cheap car in Droylsden.' Just before 8pm, he contacted the number for a seller on the Gumtree website who had posted an advert just 20 minutes earlier. That evening Taghdi and the two brothers turned up at the seller's address in Droylsden, Manchester, and, after a brief examination of the car and test drive, they purchased it for 230 cash at around 11.30pm. Hashem Abedi told the vendors he was going to use the vehicle for Uber deliveries. 'The entire episode smacks of real urgency,' Mr Penny said. The brothers took the precaution of leaving Somerton Court by separate means of transport and with 'no small degree of subterfuge,' Mr Penny said. 'The last thing they would have wanted would be for the two of them to be stopped together in the early hours of the morning in the Micra, an uninsured vehicle, which just happened to be full of bomb-making equipment. 'One way or another, they needed to reduce the risk of the entire operation being compromised.' One of the brothers caught a taxi, carrying a tubular-style holdall bag, a laptop-style bag, and two boxes, which the driver noticed were being carried 'very carefully as if they contained something fragile.' The taxi had a nearside sliding door and the man laces the tow boxes on the middle bench directly behind the front seats. When asked where he wanted to go, the man said simply 'Rusholme' and that he would direct him when he got there. The taxi dropped the ride in Oxney Road, Rusholme at 1am and a white Nissan Micra pulled up behind the cab and the passenger transferred the boxes and bags into the car. The Nissan was driven just round the corner to a block of flats called Devell Court where it was found by police on June 1, a week after the bombing. By 5.25pm that day they had left Britian with their parents on a flight to Amsterdam, via Amsterdam and Istanbul, arriving in Libya in the early hours of April 17. When the tenant of the flat in Somerton Court returned to the flat in the early hours of April 15, after it had been vacated, he found it was 'unkempt' and to be smelling throughout the house of a 'funny strong smell' which resembled a mixture of petrol and diesel. One of the smoke alarms had been removed and there was a wire hanging down exposed. In the kitchen he found about four empty mineral water bottles which 'smelled strange', one of them squashed from top to bottom. In the freezer he found some bottles containing a frozen cloudy liquid that he disposed of. The living room was 'very messy' and had a single spongy mattress and a number of what he thought were ripped curtains. When the premises were examined following the bombing in late May, the scientists established that there were traces of the explosive TATP in both the fridge and freezer, in the shower room sink sump, in the kitchen sink u bend, and in the vacuum cleaner. Hashem Abedi, 22, is accused of the attempted murder of other concert goers at the concert in May 2017 and conspiracy to cause explosions. He denies the charges and the trial continues. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 16:37:20|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close SEOUL, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in's approval rating rose this week, a weekly poll showed Thursday. According to the Realmeter survey, support for Moon gained 3.0 percentage points over the week to 48.0 percent this week. The negative assessment on Moon's conduct of government affairs declined 2.5 percentage points to 47.8 percent. Support for Moon's ruling Democratic Party climbed 3.4 percentage points to 41.9 percent this week, while approval score for the main conservative opposition Liberty Korea Party added 0.2 percentage points to 29.5 percent. The minor progressive Justice Party won 5.0 percent of support, followed by the minor right-wing New Conservative Party with 3.8 percent and the minor conservative Bareun Future Party with 3.2 percent. The results were based on a poll of 1,503 voters conducted from Monday to Wednesday. It had plus and minus 2.5 percentage points in margin of error with a 95 percent confidence level. Fleabag is long gone and you are bereft. Where will you find another heroine like her? I'll tell you where: in This Life, a drama that aired more than 20 years ago and returned to BBC Four this week. Anna from This Life was one of television's great characters. And she was the original Fleabag. It's not just the physical resemblance between Daniela Nardini, the actress who played her, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Anna is Fleabag's older, more world-weary sister. Witty, impulsive, self-destructive, frank about sex - frank about everything - and a mass of insecurities behind all that bravado. We were first introduced to her as she was interviewed for a job and asked by the panel about her childhood. "My father left when I was 11. My mother went to bed with a packet of Temazepam. She's still there." Pause. "Is this the kind of thing you want?" Add a look to camera and the line could have come straight out of Fleabag's mouth. This Life was about a bunch of young lawyers sharing a house in London. There were 32 episodes and I urge you to watch them all. And while the other characters were endearing, but annoying (Warren and his endless self-analysis, Milly and her perfectionist tendencies, Egg and his obsession with Ryan Giggs, and let's get to Miles later), Anna was just out-and-out fabulous. Nardini delivered her lines like Mae West. "There have been nights where I've lost it. Always find it again in the morning." "Only the old can afford to be young." While the women around her dressed as soberly as possible, she smoked fags in mini skirts and an animal print coat, with a slick of scarlet lipstick ("I like to think I'm wearing the same make-up as Elizabeth Hurley. Makes me feel that anything's possible.") Where Fleabag had us gripped by the sexual tension between Fleabag and her hot priest, we watched This Life for the will-they-won't-they relationship between Anna and Miles. As played by Jack Davenport, he was a terrible person and she was far too good for him, but we secretly willed them to get together. Waller-Bridge hasn't acknowledged that Anna was an inspiration, but she is certainly familiar with the character. She wrote the 2016 comedy Crashing about six twentysomethings living together, and called it "my homage to shows I'd grown up on, like Friends and This Life". And when she talked about the first series of Fleabag, she could have been describing Anna: "The whole of the last series was about her pushing boundaries to try to get a truthful reaction. Her humour, naughtiness and rebelliousness was her way of crying out for an honest conversation." Of course, the characters aren't exactly the same. Waller-Bridge has an aristocratic edge that would allow her to fit seamlessly into an Evelyn Waugh adaptation, whereas Anna was a little rougher around the edges and a lot more fiery. And there is no way Anna would open a guinea-pig cafe. We know how Anna ended up, because Amy Jenkins revisited the characters in This Life + 10 in 2007. Everyone hated it, including me, but I watched it again recently and it's not so bad. Anna made it as a defence barrister and turned out to be the most together of the lot (Miles was broke, Warren was a mess, Millie and Egg were unhappily married), although she was desperate for a baby. She still had the best lines: "I only want the kind of man I can't actually bear, who'd try to look after me but I'd die rather than let him." Video of the Day It's instructive to see how the careers of This Life's cast panned out. If you'd had to pick one of them to rank among the world's highest-paid TV stars, would you have gone for Egg? Andrew Lincoln was reportedly paid $11m for his final season of The Walking Dead. Jack Davenport went to Hollywood, appearing in The Talented Mr Ripley and the Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise. And Nardini? She's still acting, but is not the major star she deserves to be. In 2016 she told an interviewer that things were "quiet" on the job front and pointed out how few decent roles there are for women of her age (she's now 50). She didn't want to be typecast after This Life, yet every role she was offered was "sexually forward, sad, a bit f***ed up". It took two decades and the writing of Phoebe Waller-Bridge to take those characteristics and once again turn them into something brilliant. This Life is currently showing nightly at 10pm on BBC Four The Telegraph MILAN Fiat Chrysler (FCA) posted a 7% rise in fourth-quarter profit on Thursday, boosted by strong business in North America and better results in Latin America as it heads into a merger with France's PSA. The Italian-American carmaker said adjusted earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) rose to 2.12 billion euros ($2.3 billion), in line with a 2.11 billion forecast in Reuters poll of analysts. That left its adjusted operating profit for the year at 6.67 billion euros ($7.34 billion), just shy of its target of over 6.7 billion euros. Its adjusted EBITDA margin came in at 6.2%, in line with its target of more than 6.1%. A trader said Fiat Chrysler results were "a touch above" expectations and the carmaker's shares in Milan were up 3.4% at 1300 GMT following the results. Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot maker PSA agreed in December to combine forces in a $50 billion deal to create the world's No. 4 carmaker, in response to slower global demand and the mounting cost of making cleaner cars amid tighter emissions rules. Chief Executive Mike Manley said last month that talks with PSA were progressing well and that he hoped to complete the deal by early 2021. FCA reiterated its plan to boost adjusted EBIT to above 7 billion euros ($7.7 billion) this year. In slides prepared for an analyst call, FCA said it was monitoring the global impact of coronavirus in China. FCA operates in the country through a loss-making joint venture with Guangzhou Automobile Group (GAC) and has a 0.35% share of the Chinese passenger car market. Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari; Additional reporting by Danilo Masoni; Editing by Stephen Jewkes, Jason Neely and David Clarke. Related Video: Click here to See Video >> DUBLIN, Ohio Lorain County JVS FFA students in the landscape and greenhouse manager and industrial equipment mechanics programs recently attended the 360 Leadership Conference in Dublin. The conference focused on leadership development, with a goal of providing each student the tools, ideas and time to develop action plans for their FFA chapters, communities and personal lives. Actor Harrison Ford takes a question during a press event to promote his new film, 'The Call of the Wild' in Mexico City, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. (AP) MEXICO CITY: Harrison Ford, in Mexico City on Wednesday to promote his latest film, decried the collapse of US "moral leadership" on issues such as improving the environment and immigration policy. "We need moral leadership. We've lost some of our credibility and we are anxious to regain it," the Hollywood star told reporters. Ford was in town to talk about his starring role in The Call of the Wild, an adventure film set in Alaska in the 1890s and based on a novel by U.S. author Jack London. Relaxed and smiling, the veteran actor also touched on his iconic Hollywood roles in the Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Blade Runner movies. A fifth Indiana Jones movie, starring him as the swashbuckling archaeologist with the unusual first name, is also in the works. "To do another Indiana Jones movie, it seems like a good idea, if we had a good script and I believe we are very close to have the script that we really want, so I am excited about the idea," he said. Speaking on the day the U.S. Senate acquitted president Donald Trump on impeachment charges of abusing his office and obstructing Congress, Ford got sidetracked talking about politics. "We need a complete reform of our immigration policies," said Ford, 77. Cracking down on migrants has been a primary focus of Trump's administration. "We need to invite people into the country, and not to keep them out. This is the history and America depends on immigration," Ford said. He was especially impressed with Swedish teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg.n "I admire her role representing to young people, her courage. Also, I admire her capacity to express herself... It seems young people have a leadership role" in environmental activism. Illustrative image (Photo: VNA) According to the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, A/H5N1 virus was found in poultry in Hunan province in early 2020, which is also present in Vietnam. Ministries, agencies and Peoples Committees of the centrally-run cities and provinces, individuals and organisations were urged to continue seriously following directives by the Party Central Committees Secretariat, the Government and the PM on combating the nCoV, and at the same time take measures in accordance with the PMs Decision No.172/QD-TTg dated February 13, 2019, on the prevention and control of avian flu for the 2019-2025 period. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) was asked to actively work with international organisations and countries in the effort, and promptly discover hotbeds so as to contain the outbreak. The Ministry of Industry and Trade must enhance market management, prevent poultry smuggling, and strictly punish trade of poultry and its products of unclear origin, especially in wholesale markets. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health was assigned to ensure the sufficient supply of necessary medicines and chemicals for treatment, and raise public awareness of measures to prevent the transmission of the virus to humans. For its part, the Finance Ministry must ensure enough funding for the effort as proposed by the health ministry, the MARD and Peoples Committees of cities and provinces. Provinces with international border gates and borderlines must seriously conduct animal quarantine there. The agriculture sector must improve the capacity of animal health management agencies in line with the Law on Veterinary Medicine. February 6, 2020. CYBERGUN announces the conclusion of an exclusive global license agreement with Turkish company CANIK, a leading arms manufacturer. This agreement covers the design, production and distribution of 4.5mm and 6mm calibers for the civilian and military markets. Both partners appeared together at SHOTSHOW in Las Vegas to set out the broad lines of their collaboration. In the military segment, in which CANIK has sold several million firearms and in which its commercial strength is recognized worldwide, the company has already planned to bolster its catalog of products and sell them as soon as they become available. The first product launched under this new partnership will be a replica of the CANIK TP9 Elite with the first units scheduled to be available in summer 2020. Hugo Brugiere, Chairman and CEO of CYBERGUN, said: "CYBERGUN once again demonstrates its capacity to work with the world's largest manufacturers to develop their offerings in the civilian and military markets. We are extremely proud of this recognition and look forward to presenting the new products from this partnership to our customers." Utku Aral, CEO of CANIK, added: "I am delighted to sign this agreement with CYBERGUN which covers both the civilian and military sectors. Having considered the opportunities available, we found that CYBERGUN was the partner best able to represent our brand and promote our interests." Receive all of Cybergun's financial information free of charge by email by signing up at: www.cybergun.com About CYBERGUN: www.cybergun.com CYBERGUN is a world leader in recreational shooting, named an "Innovative Company" by Bpifrance. During its fiscal year ended March 31, 2019, the company posted consolidated revenues of almost 30 million. The CYBERGUN share (FR0013204351 - ALCYB) is eligible for FCPI, PEA and PEA-PME. Contacts : ACTUS finance & communication Investor relations: Jerome Fabreguettes-Leib on +33 (0)1 53 67 36 78 Press relations: Nicolas Bouchez on +33 (0)1 53 67 36 74 ATOUT CAPITAL Listing Sponsor: Rodolphe Ossola on +33 (0)1 56 69 61 86 ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: ymqdZZ1uYZrKmp1ylp5maJNsaGpnm2TJbWGZnGNtlJmWaG5pyZpmmJacZm9jlWtp - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-62063-cyb_cp_canik_vus.pdf (Alliance News) - The UK's monopoly regulator on Thursday said it will consider whether SIG PLC's disposal of its Building Solutions (National) Ltd roofing, cladding and insulation business will lead to a lessening of competition. Building materials firm SIG announced the GBP37.5 million sale to Irish peer Kingspan Holdings (Panels) Ltd in October. The UK Competition & Markets Authority is inviting comments on the deal until February 20. The sale was part of SIG medium-term strategy of disposing of non-core businesses to refocus the business portfolio and strengthen its balance sheet. Proceeds from sale of the Building Solutions business also will go towards lowering SIG's debt, the company had said. SIG shares were 1.5% higher at 93.85 pence each in London on Thursday morning. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. There is a grassroots effort going on in Monroe County to pass a resolution to declare itself a Second Amendment Sanctuary County. By definition, a Second Amendment sanctuary refers to states, counties or localities in the United States that have adopted laws or resolutions to prohibit or impede the enforcement of certain gun control measures perceived as violative of the Second Amendment. Our objective is simple, this is a grassroots effort to simply send a message to state and federal policy makers that we take the Second Amendment seriously in Monroe County and we oppose any unconstitutional changes to it. This is not a new idea; this is going on all over the country! In just the past couple of months, more than 120 towns, cities and counties in Virginia alone have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries. Some states like Kansas, Idaho, and Wyoming have passed state laws that give Second Amendment protection. More than 400 municipalities in 20 states have now passed resolutions opposing the enforcement of certain gun laws passed by state or federal lawmakers. In neighboring Illinois to date more than 70 municipalities have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries. Currently in the state of Virginia tensions are on the rise in opposition of many new gun restrictions that have been implemented and many more that are proposed, where Democrats for the first time in 20 years now have full control of the statehouse. The Virginia House, along with the governor, are adamant about restricting certain gun rights that many citizens feel are violating the Second Amendment. Presidential candidates have openly proposed significant gun control platforms. Michael Bloomberg is under criticism for saying Average citizens shouldnt carry guns in crowded places, only police should have guns. Other candidates have stated that they believe citizens should keep firearms at a gun range or that if elected would have the government seize certain types of guns and make felons out of citizens that would not comply with the government. People say Why worry about our Second Amendment rights here in Wisconsin? In my opinion, anybody who thinks that sweeping gun reform cant happen in Wisconsin is sadly mistaken. We are always potentially one election away from Wisconsin becoming the next Virginia or possibly worse. I feel confident that within the next couple of years almost every county and many municipalities in the state of Wisconsin will adopt some sort of Second Amendment resolution. Exceptions may be the very liberal metropolitan counties like Milwaukee and Dane, where the majority of its citizens live a much different lifestyle than a guy like me who lives in the rural town of Leon in Monroe County. I firmly believe that even in these metropolitan areas most citizens dont want the government coming down on their right to protect themselves. There will be a an informational meeting on Feb. 12 at 6 p.m. at Jakes Northwoods in Sparta to discuss what it will take to pass a resolution to make Monroe County a Second Amendment Sanctuary County. Monroe County Sheriff Wes Revels and Monroe County District Attorney Kevin Croninger will be at the meeting. Trent Ziegler is a Sparta real estate broker. Love 6 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 1 Angry 1 Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 19:11:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- World leaders and experts have called on the international community to discard discrimination against certain groups of people due to misinformation about the novel coronavirus epidemic. Ever since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus that started first in China's central city of Wuhan, there have been unpleasant cases of discrimination and violence against the Chinese people being reported. Some biased media outlets even tagged the novel coronavirus as "China virus." Having noticed the situation, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: "it's easy to move into ... perspectives in which there tends to be discrimination; there tends to be violation of human rights; there tends to be stigma on innocent people just because of their ethnicity." The chief of the world's largest international organization also appealed for "a strong feeling of international solidarity, a strong feeling of support to China in these difficult circumstances but also to other countries that might be impacted," and "a strong concern to avoid the stigmatization of people that are innocent and that might be victims of that situation." GLOBAL APPEAL FOR NON-DISCRIMINATION Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has met leaders of the Chinese community in Spain to offer them support in the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Sanchez said he lamented that fears of the virus have led to some Chinese people being victims of xenophobic incidents and caused difficulties to the Chinese community. He made a call for understanding and made a positive valuation of the efforts that China is making to control the spread of the virus. Discrimination against the Chinese because of the novel coronavirus outbreak will not be tolerated, said a U.S. local official in Houston, Texas. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo made the remarks at an Asian Chamber of Commerce event hosted at the Chinese Community Center. "Asian American community members, especially Chinese community members feel that they are being discriminated against. That is the ugly side of diversity. It's not to be tolerated in this community," she said. "Diversity is our strength," Hidalgo said. "We thrive because of the people that live here. We should not be discriminating ever." In France, Asians created a Twitter hashtag #Jenesuispasunvirus (I am not a virus) to complain of racism and prejudice amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. As the hashtag went viral, a young woman who was mocked on a bus in Paris and declined to give her name, said "the worst virus is systemic racism ... We know very well that a virus has no nationality!" "I was the victim of a racist act by a group of young girls. I could hear them laughing and making fun of me. One said: How do we call Coronavirus patients? Chinese people, right?" she said. As the hashtag spread, tens of thousands people have flocked to Twitter to signal their discontent about discrimination and racism. "A person of Chinese origin is not a person infected with the coronavirus. We are not a virus," the Association of Young Chinese in France said. STEMMING MISINFORMATION Misunderstandings and fake news about the novel coronavirus are the major reasons that have led to the possible discrimination and violence. "Let us all be very careful, because there are some signs of discrimination that could turn into episodes of violence," Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said in a video clip posted on Twitter. "The situation is absolutely under control, so no one in Italy should think of taking advantage of this situation for displays of discrimination or even violence, which we absolutely cannot accept," said Conte. In order to combat the spread of fake news on the coronavirus epidemic, which could create alarm among the population, Italy's Ministry of Health has signed an accord with Twitter to highlight the official ministry link in online searches, the ministry said in a statement. It is also in talks with Google to seal a similar deal. Educating the public globally is key, including the sharing of practical, preventive measures through schools, teachers, children and parents, said Yasmine Sherif, director of Education Cannot Wait, a global fund hosted by the UN Children's Fund. "It is important that we all work together to share accurate information about the coronavirus to help contain the outbreak," said Sherif. The World Health Organization (WHO) has commissioned a rapid response team from an Austrian university to counter conspiracy theories and misinformation in fighting the novel coronavirus, Austria Press Agency has reported. The team from Danube University Krems, consisting of ten scientific researchers and students, will support the WHO by reviewing studies and reports on the novel coronavirus within 24 hours. The WHO will therefore be able to base its decisions on reliable facts. donna rotunno I was contacted on a Tuesday evening as I was leaving my office, from someone in New York, and they said its something big. And its funny, because I think most people would expect me to say I was shocked by the call. And I really wasnt. We spoke for eight hours the first time I came. And he was really interested in speaking to a female lawyer, and I said I thought that was a good idea for him. Being a woman at least puts me in a position where people say, well, wait, this woman has a different position than what the majority of women are feeling today. But I also believe that I hold the position that a lot of women feel and dont want to talk about. At the end of the day, Harvey Weinstein is well aware of the fact that his life is on the line here. And obviously, having a voice is not only necessary and fair but its something that he deserves. He deserves to have a voice out there. archived recording 1 How are you feeling, Harvey? archived recording 2 Thank God your mothers not here to see this. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. archived recording 3 Mr. Weinstein, how are you feeling today? archived recording 4 Harvey Weinstein walked gingerly into court this morning without the walker he has relied on for weeks. archived recording 5 Harvey, how are you feeling today? michael barbaro In the trial of Harvey Weinstein, six women have taken the stand, each making similar accusations of rape and sexual assault against the movie producer. archived recording 6 She alleged that Harvey Weinstein urinated on her, threw her on the bed, got on top of her and pinned her archived recording 7 Today, she took the stand, recounting three separate assaults, at times sobbing uncontrollably. archived recording 8 But the defense previewed what it called dozens of loving emails sent by some accusers to the producer. michael barbaro Throughout their testimony, Weinsteins defense lawyers have portrayed those encounters as consensual archived recording 9 The relationship continued michael barbaro and suggested that in many cases, it was the women who wanted something from Weinstein. archived recording 10 Donna Rotunno, Harvey Weinsteins lawyer, asked Jessica Mann to read an email that she had sent to her boyfriend at the time. michael barbaro His lawyers have seized on the fact that the two women whose accounts are at the center of the criminal charges agreed to have sex and friendly contact with Weinstein after they were allegedly victimized. archived recording 11 Today, on her second day of testimony, Jessica Mann had a breakdown on the stand during cross-examination, when she was being questioned by Weinsteins attorney Donna Rotunno. archived recording 12 You met Harvey Weinstein at a Hollywood Oscar party, the defense attorney asked. Yes. Did you think that meant you were getting a role? Yes. michael barbaro Today: My colleague Megan Twohey, one of the reporters who broke the story of Weinsteins alleged abuse more than two years ago, speaks with Donna Rotunno, the lawyer behind Weinsteins defense archived recording 1 Morning. archived recording 2 [CHATTER] archived recording 3 Any comment on the trial, Mr. Weinstein? archived recording (harvey weinstein) I have good lawyers. archived recording 4 How you doing, Harvey? archived recording (harvey weinstein) Really good. archived recording 5 I hope so, for crying out loud. michael barbaro Its Friday, February 7. megan twohey So well be we can start? O.K., so youre going to put on your alexandra leigh young Do you want to tell us what you had for breakfast? donna rotunno Sure. I had a nothing for breakfast [LAUGHING], actually. Not even a coffee. megan twohey All right. Well, Donna, thank you again for being with us this afternoon. Ive read that you have represented as many as 40 men accused of sexual misconduct. Thats a lot. donna rotunno It is. megan twohey Do you remember a specific case that pulled you into representing men accused of sexual misconduct? donna rotunno You know, I think, really, one of the cases that pulled me in initially, before I even was taking these kinds of cases, was the Duke lacrosse case. Its like here we have the media coming out and just assassinating these young guys, and then coming to find out that this story completely collapsed. And I remember my mother saying at the time, when we were watching the coverage on the news, When those boys die someday, their obituary is going to say the Duke lacrosse players. And I thought, wow, heres this allegation that sticks with you your whole life. I mean, these are life changing circumstances. I think quite often we look to the accusers, and we talk about the effects that these things have on their lives. But we do not look at the effects that these types of allegations and accusations have on the person being accused. And you have to look at what it does to peoples financial abilities, their status in the community. I mean, I represented a guy in Chicago who is a custom clothing designer, who made clothes for movie sets and presidents and high level executives in Chicago. And one woman makes an allegation, and all of that business goes away. And so he wins, but what do you win? You win your case in criminal court, and then you have to worry about building your reputation back, if you can, where people are willing to then come back and frequent your establishment. So the ramifications are social. Theyre economic. They are mental the mental toll that it takes. I mean, look at Harvey. Look at Harvey physically, from what he looked like when all of this started to what he looks like now. People can talk all they want about walkers and faking it. Physically, it is so apparently obvious what this has done, and the toll this has taken on him. megan twohey Youre talking about the toll that the criminal justice system can take on men accused of sexual misconduct. When I was working as a reporter in Chicago, my investigations turned up evidence of the opposite. That all too often, victims of sex crimes were the ones being mistreated by police and prosecutors. I discovered that law enforcement was, for example, shelving rape kits, basically sitting on valuable DNA evidence that could help victims obtain justice. I found that sex-abusing doctors were continuing to practice even after patients reported them to police. And in response to my reporting, prosecutors and police acknowledged that they had failed victims. But are you saying that from your perspective, it was the accused who were being treated unfairly or donna rotunno No. Im talking about the fact that we especially today all I can tell you is, in my cases, what I see, we allow people who make allegations to automatically take on a victim status. And I think for me, all Im looking for is fairness. And if we automatically have this notion that were supposed to believe all women, or believe all victims, or believe all people that come forward, we are taking out a very large portion of the steps that we should be taking before we get to that notion that just because someone says something they should be believed. So I think its, what you have reported, I will not disagree with. Ive seen police do horrible things. Ive seen prosecutors do horrible things. But Im speaking from the perspective of what I think going through something like this, and an allegation, does to someone. And one isnt it more serious than the other. One shouldnt be more important than the other. Theyre facts. Difficult for people to come forward. Difficult for people to be accused. megan twohey Are you saying that as you built your practice and created this niche in terms of representing men accused of sexual misconduct, that as you saw it, the criminal justice system favored victims? donna rotunno I think 100 percent. I think it 100 percent favored victims. I think prosecutors and police are afraid to be skeptical of complaining witnesses and accusers today. I think they feel like, I better just believe what they say. I think its also happening in domestic violence cases. megan twohey What is it like to cross-examine alleged victims of sex crimes? donna rotunno I think that it requires a skillful set of questions and preparation. And I dont ever look at my job as going in there trying to be disrespectful, or berate someone, or minimize what they claim happened to them. I dont take pride in having to put people through circumstances that they may find difficult. Thats not the point of what I do. My job is to ask questions that make a trier of fact, whether that be a judge or a jury, determine if they think their story is credible. What someone says does not mean that thats what happened. Theres always more than one side to a story. And theres something in our Constitution, the Sixth Amendment right to confront witnesses. And my client, whoever that is at the time, has the right to confront his accusers through me or my team. And thats what I have to do. And to live in this country, to not believe that baffles me. megan twohey So what did you think about how the #MeToo movement unfolded? donna rotunno Ive talked about #MeToo a lot, and I get labeled this anti-#MeToo. Its not really anti-#MeToo. its anti-what happens because of things like #MeToo. So if 500 positives come from #MeToo and Im sure I could sit here with you and look at all the things that have come from #MeToo and agree that theres positive things that come from #MeToo. But if as part of that, that strips your right to due process if were going to convict people before they have a trial, I find that to be damaging and detrimental. megan twohey In making your decision to represent Weinstein, did you factor in this long history of accusations of sexual harassment and sexual assault against Weinstein outside of the criminal charges, some of which were made years before 2017 and the #MeToo movement being ignited? donna rotunno You know, I didnt. I didnt. Because my role in this is to represent him in a criminal case. And as Ive said multiple times, there is a difference between sins and crimes. And you can believe that Harvey Weinstein is a sinner. And you can believe that he did things that you wouldnt do or you dont like. But my question here is, does that rise to the level of a crime? megan twohey What are sins? donna rotunno I mean, sins are treating somebody inappropriately. Sins are yelling at somebody at work. Cheating on your wife, I mean, thats a sin. And you know, those types of things are not good, but they also dont mean that you should spend the rest of your life in prison. [music] megan twohey So what do you see as the clearest evidence that Harvey Weinstein should not be convicted? donna rotunno I think, you know, these are consensual encounters. We have communications at the time that I believe prove that they were consensual encounters. I believe the actions of women after the fact prove that they were consensual encounters. When you look at real-time communications between two people, it really lends a very interesting spotlight into what was happening between two people at the time. And maybe the story being told today or in a courtroom is different. And I guess at the end of the day, its going to be for the 12 people on the jury to decide based on the evidence, if they can shut out everything else that theyve heard. And hopefully they will make their decision based on the facts and the evidence that they hear in the courtroom. megan twohey Do you think that sexual violence can take place within otherwise consensual relationships? donna rotunno I do. I absolutely do. megan twohey But you dont think that that donna rotunno No, I dont think that that plays into this case at all. I dont think it plays into this case when you have people that are continuing to contact him when they have absolutely no other reason to. You know, things like reaching out to Mr. Weinstein after you change your phone number, saying, I wanted to make sure you had my new phone number. These communications go far beyond anything that any mental health professional, psychiatrist, psychologist they go far beyond any of these new circumstances that doctors want to put forth in order to explain away why people may enter into certain behaviors. They go far beyond that. megan twohey So what about the wide understanding that Harvey Weinstein was not just a powerful producer in the entertainment industry, but one of the most powerful producers. Somebody who could make and break careers that could serve as a gateway into the entertainment industry. And a lot of the women who have made allegations, not just in the criminal case, but beyond the criminal case, have said that even after experiencing alleged sexual misconduct, they had communication with him because they felt like he could either hurt or harm their careers. donna rotunno Well, the notion that he could hurt them is absolutely ridiculous. Harvey Weinstein was one of many very powerful people. And if Harvey Weinstein called one of the other people in the industry and said dont use actress A, they would have wanted to use actress A 10 times more. So that notion that he could hurt peoples careers I absolutely find ridiculous. The second part of your question is, these are still choices that women are making. And whether theyre choices youre happy you made or not happy you made, you still made a choice. And women have to start owning those choices. And they either have to say, Im not going to do these things to attempt to get a job, or Im going to own my choice for making that decision. megan twohey Can you elaborate on that a little bit? Im trying to understand how that when you say that women have choices, Im trying to understand how that does not extend to you saying that women have a choice whether or not to be sexually harassed or sexually assaulted. that you seem to be placing all of the responsibility on the woman. donna rotunno Megan, Im not blaming anyone. Megan, no, Im not putting all of the responsibility on the woman. Im placing responsibility on the woman. Women cannot be equal if women dont start taking on equal risk. Women want men to take on all the risk. They want to then put themselves in whatever situation theyre in, and then walk out and say, oh my God, I had no idea that was going to happen to me. You cant have it both ways. And when youre put in circumstances that you think are questionable, or negative, or you dont want to be in, or you think this is the only way Im going to get the job, we know that thats ridiculous. We know that if women stand up and say, Im not going to take this, Im not going to do this, you have other options. So when I make comments and say if you go to the hotel room, doesnt mean you deserve to have something bad happen to you. But if you go to the hotel room, you continue to perpetrate a culture that allows that to be acceptable. And so if women take the power and women say, none of us are going to a hotel room, then that culture must change. megan twohey I mean, I think its also important to make clear that youre kind of conflating women in general, agreeing to meet somebody in a hotel room, with alleged victims of Harvey Weinstein agreeing to meet Harvey Weinstein in hotel rooms. In those cases, it was very well established that Harvey Weinstein conducted business in hotel rooms. Oftentimes, women who say that they were victimized by Weinstein in those hotel rooms said that they were showing up for work meetings. In fact, some of them had been told to go there by their agents. donna rotunno Well, Im just going to tell you that in my case, the two charged victims in my case, that is not the circumstance. And if you are asked to go to a event for the Oscars, and then you are asked to go out for drinks after the event for the Oscars, and then you are asked at midnight to come up and see a script, I think at some point women have to like, the radar has to go up, or the light bulb has to go on, and you have to say, O.K., this may not be what I think it is. megan twohey So there are of the many women who said that they showed up for work meetings at a hotel room or at an office, only to feel like Harvey Weinstein turned around and preyed on them and tried to sexually assault or harass them there are women who have said that they were able to find ways to get out of the room. There are obviously other women who say that they failed to be able to get out of the room. That he attacked them, that he physically restrained them. donna rotunno Again, based on the cases that I have and the things that Im seeing, anytime someone said, I dont want to do this, you have a bad reputation with women, Im not giving you a massage they walked out of the room. I think anybody that said no, they walked out. And a lot of people that said no are very famous now. megan twohey What reason would these women have to lie? donna rotunno We have created a society of celebrity victimhood status. We have created a society where women dont have to take any responsibility for their actions. And we have created a society where if we say believe all women, that means were not supposed to question anyone at all. So there is absolutely no risk for a woman to come forward now and make a claim. Zero. megan twohey Its one thing for a woman to step forward and make an allegation on social media or in the pages of a newspaper. Its another thing for a woman to agree to be part of a criminal prosecution and to move forward with all that that entails, including the rigorous cross-examination that you and your co-counsel are performing. Do you think that women would submit themselves to that process if they were lying? donna rotunno Yes. Because Ive seen it over and over and over again. megan twohey So you believe that Harvey Weinstein is not guilty of the criminal charges hes facing in this trial, but there are these more than 90 women who have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct. Do you accept that this criminal case aside, he may very well be guilty of being a sexual predator? donna rotunno My job is not to defend all things Harvey Weinstein. My job is to defend Harvey Weinstein in a criminal courtroom, which Im doing. And society will make the judgment call after that. Thats not my call to make. megan twohey So you dont think that the stories of those 90 plus women are valid or are meaningful in relation to you? donna rotunno Megan, its not about valid. Megan, you could turn this around every way you want. Everybody thats listening to this knows you wrote a book and knows you have a completely different agenda than the reason that Im sitting here. And I came here today, in good faith, to talk to you about this conversation. And Im more than happy to do it. But in terms of me going back and talking about every claim someone made, Im sure if I delved into individual claims, I would find things that make me say, Im not so sure. But in terms of what happens going forward, Harvey Weinstein hopefully is going to walk out of that criminal courtroom as a free man. And then the society is going to make its judgments. And thats not for me to decide. And for you either, frankly. megan twohey So, and Im sorry, but to go back to the comment you made about the fact that, you know, my colleague Jodi Kantor and I not just broke the Weinstein story and did a lot of investigative reporting on this, we did in fact write a book. But when you say my agenda or our agenda, what do you mean by that? donna rotunno Well, you have a completely different view on this, and of course Im not begrudging you. You have a right to your opinion, just as I have a right to mine. But all Im saying is that, you know, I look at the title of the book. The title of the book is She Said. Its very difficult for Harvey to be able to tell another side, or tell his side of the story, when there is a criminal case going on. So Im just cautioning people to be a little bit more skeptical about a one-sided version of events. Thats all. megan twohey Well, Im sorry, but I have to sort of dispute your claim that we have at any point presented one-sided journalism. We have donna rotunno Megan, Im not saying that. Im not saying that. megan twohey We have, yeah, we have engaged. We have gone to Harvey Weinstein and presented all of the allegations that we were planning to publish and given him adequate time to respond. And I think that, you know, I just want to emphasize that we go into our reporting with skepticism. That when we were reporting the allegations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein, that we didnt simply turn around and publish those allegations without doing due diligence, without turning to people in whom these women had confided, in whom they had reported these alleged attacks, and gathering that corroborating evidence, and tracking down the documents of the secret settlements that were silenced and other internal company records. donna rotunno Again, Im not debating any of this. I read it. I read it. Im not debating any of this. Im merely stating that now that were in a criminal courtroom, there is a different forum to be able to tell this story and let these events play out. Thats all. megan twohey So certainly there are women who believe you are doing the right thing by defending Harvey Weinstein, but you must know a lot of women who see you as a kind of traitor. How do you respond to that? donna rotunno All I can say to them is I hope they never find themselves in a situation where their family member is accused, and theyre hoping that the criminal justice system is fair to them. Because at the end of the day, thats the most important part of this whole aspect, is that if you are accused of a crime, the system of justice should work one way or another. And Im not here to predict outcomes. I dont know whats going to happen or what the jurys going to do. But just as everybody wants fairness to the people making allegations, I want Mr. Weinstein to have the same fairness that should be afforded to him. megan twohey Well, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us, Donna. I really appreciate it. donna rotunno Thanks. I appreciate it, too. megan twohey Are there any question, and other questions, guys? I know that was a long one. donna rotunno Thats all right. megan twohey Oh, and actually I had another question, which was whether or not youve been sexually assaulted. donna rotunno I have not. megan twohey O.K. donna rotunno I have not. megan twohey O.K. donna rotunno Because I would never put myself in that position. megan twohey So youre saying O.K., actually, Im sorry. So youre saying that you youre saying that you have never been sexually assaulted, because you would never put yourself in the position of being sexually assaulted? donna rotunno No. Ive always made choices, from college age on, where I never drank too much, I never went home with someone that I didnt know. I just never put myself in any vulnerable circumstance ever. megan twohey Do you believe that every woman whos been sexually assaulted somehow put herself in that position, whether it was having drinks or agreeing to go to a hotel room? donna rotunno Absolutely not. But just as we make smart decisions when we walk out on the street at night, I think you have to make the same decisions when youre putting yourself in circumstances with other people. When we walk out at night, we look around. We make sure we have our phone. Some people take Mace. We take precautions. And all Im saying is, is that women should take precautions. megan twohey Do you think its possible for women to take all of those precautions and still be sexually assaulted? To still be pulled into a dark alley, to still be donna rotunno Totally different conversation. megan twohey To still donna rotunno Totally being pulled into a dark alley is a totally different conversation. megan twohey So you are talking about sexual assault, women being sexually assaulted by somebody they know? donna rotunno Correct. megan twohey Do you think its possible for women to be sexually assaulted by somebody that they know, even if theyve taken precautions? donna rotunno Sure, anythings possible, Megan. Its not about whats possible. Its about trying to, again, minimize the risk. If you go out on a date with someone and you go out for dinner and you go out for drinks and you know them sort of, and you know, youre sort of maybe developing a relationship with them. And you make a choice to go into their home at the end of the night, what do you think could potentially happen? And if youre not prepared for what could potentially happen, I think were kidding ourselves. And then to leave and say I had no idea that this person would maybe try to be sexual with me or have a sexual advance, I think is naive megan twohey I cant help but feel like you continue to place the burden of safety on women, on potential victims in general. Should the burden rest on them? Or should it rest on the perpetrators? donna rotunno I think it should rest equally. And weve moved this conversation so far away from what we were talking about, but if you go out with someone, you cant have it both ways. We cant have things like Tinder, where people swipe right and go meet whoever they meet and most of the time those are sexual interactions and then say, you know what? I went out with them, and I went to their house and we were flirting or kissing or whatever. And then say I had no idea that he may want to do this. You just cant have it both ways. So Im saying that women need to be very clear about their intentions. I think women need to be very prepared for the circumstances they put themselves in. And I think absolutely women should take on equal risk that men are taking on. And the responsibility should be equal as well. megan twohey Is there anything that you think that men need to do differently? donna rotunno Sure, I think men also need to be very clear about their intentions. And if I was a man in todays world, before I was engaging in sexual behavior with any woman today, I would ask them to sign a consent form. megan twohey You are being serious. donna rotunno Im being dead serious. Im being dead serious. Because how easy is it for two people to engage in behavior and a day later, two days later, five days later, 27 years later, somebody say, you know what? Thats not what that was. Why not? Why not? Take all of the question out of it. Make it easier on everybody. megan twohey Well, Donna donna rotunno Youre welcome. megan twohey Donna, thank you again for taking so much time. I really do appreciate it. donna rotunno No worries. [music] michael barbaro On Thursday, the prosecution rested its case against Harvey Weinstein, and defense lawyers for Weinstein began calling their own witnesses. Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. A Times analysis of the results of the Iowa caucuses has found that more than 100 precincts reported results that were internally inconsistent, missing data or not mathematically possible under the rules of the Iowa caucuses. The irregularities do not appear to be deliberate and may not affect the outcome, but they point to larger problems with the caucuses, which have been criticized for years as amateurish, and raise questions about when, if ever, the public will get precise results from the contest. On Thursday afternoon, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Tom Perez, called for a recount of the Iowa results. And archived recording Ladies and gentlemen, the president of the United States. [APPLAUSE] archived recording (donald trump) Thank you very much. michael barbaro In his first public remarks since his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial, President Trump celebrated the verdict, expressed no regret for his conduct and mocked the Democrats, who had pursued the charges against him. archived recording (donald trump) It was evil. It was corrupt. It was dirty cops. It was leakers and liars, and this should never ever happen to another president, ever. michael barbaro During his speech delivered at the White House, Trump personally thanked his defense lawyers, his Republican allies in Congress and the Senate majority leader, who oversaw the trial. archived recording (donald trump) And Mitch McConnell, I want to tell you, you did a fantastic job. [APPLAUSE] michael barbaro I was even more stumped by the love for the years most unlikely billion-dollar blockbuster, Joker, which I saw at the Toronto International Film Festival just days after it won the Golden Lion at Venice. Festival screenings are almost always fizzy affairs, but the Toronto premiere of Joker carried an added jolt of anticipation. Yet when the film finally unspooled, I didnt react with awe or outrage or anything stronger than a shrug. Yes, Joaquin Phoenix did an extraordinary job of thoroughly committing, physically and psychically, to a role that seemed to be consuming him from the inside out a technical feat for which he will surely win an Oscar on Sunday night. But it was in service to a film that looked less like a bold reimagining of one of pop cultures most familiar (and weirdly loved) villains than a rehash of Fort Apache, the Bronx by way of Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy. While defenders of Joker extolled the film as a searing portrait of our dystopian times and its harshest critics called it dangerous and inciting I found it to be a hash of borrowed style and bogus self-seriousness. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper has been shot dead by a stranded motorist, who was then killed by another officer, according to officials. The trooper has been identified as 42-year-old Joseph Bullock, a 19-year veteran who had interacted with his suspected killer for several minutes at the side of Interstate 95 when he was shot, according to Col Gene Spaulding, the highway patrol commander. People dont realise when you approach a car, even a disabled vehicle or a car on a traffic stop, you are worried about not what is inside that care and what danger is waiting you, you are also worried about the 80,000-pound tractor-trailers that are barrelling down the highway behind you, Col Spaulding said. He said a passing police officer from Riviera Beach shot the suspect, who has not been identified. Bullock is the 49th Florida trooper to be killed or die in the line of duty since that agency was founded 80 years ago. Fugitive pythons terrorise Florida Show all 2 1 /2 Fugitive pythons terrorise Florida Fugitive pythons terrorise Florida 217981.bin ROBERT SULLIVAN/AFP/Getty Images Fugitive pythons terrorise Florida 217961.bin AFP/ GETTY IMAGES The last death of a state trooper was trooper Tracy Vickers, who was killed in September in a traffic crash near Orlando. Col Spaulding did not release further information, but the Florida Department of Law Enforcement is reportedly investigating the case. Authorities closed Interstate 95 in both directions near the killing in Palm City, which is around 30 miles away from Riviera Beach, where the officer who shot the suspect was from. The freeway reopened on Wednesday night. The Associated Press contributed to this report Health officials and technology businesses are attempting to fight misinformation about the new, fast-spreading coronavirus. Social media has been a major source of false information since the virus was first identified last month in Wuhan, China. This week, the World Health Organization, or WHO, said that worldwide reporting on the crisis had led to a massive infodemic. The organization noted an explosion of information that has made it difficult for people to find trustworthy sources and dependable guidance. The misinformation included one claim on Facebook that drinking bleach can cure a coronavirus infection. Another stated, Chinas Communist Party "will finally admit that the real source of the coronavirus is a lab in Wuhan linked to its covert biological weapon programs." Another report falsely claimed that vaccines for the virus had already been manufactured. Several reports on social media massively overestimated the number of deaths. One video receiving a lot of social media attention reportedly showed an infected man vomiting blood on a train. Several fact-checking websites such as Snopes, PolitiFact and FactCheck.org are investigating the many coronavirus claims and rating them as either true or false. Facebook said in a statement it was working to limit the spread of misinformation and harmful content and connecting people to helpful information. Facebooks head of health, Kang-Xing Jin, explained that the company was searching out information related to the virus and debunking false claims. When something is identified as false on Facebook or Instagram, he said, the company takes steps to limit its spread. Jin added that Facebook sends messages to its users who already shared or seek to share fact-checked content found to be false. The company is also working with WHO officials to increase the amount of truthful, official information about the virus. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is Director-General of the WHO. This week, he recognized the anti-misinformation efforts of Facebook and other services including Twitter, Tencent and TikTok. He also said that the WHO is working with Google to make sure people searching for information about coronavirus see WHO information at the top of their search results. Google announced it had activated one of its SOS Alerts to help fight misinformation in search requests. The company uses the alert system to make emergency information more accessible during a natural or human-caused crisis. The system provides users of Googles search engine with special links to emergency information and the latest reports about the health crisis. The data comes from government sources, health organizations and trusted media. Google-owned YouTube said it was fighting misinformation by pushing official reports about the virus and trusted news sources to the top of its search results. On Twitter, people searching for information on the virus are shown a link that reads Know the facts. The link directs users to the coronavirus website of the United States governments Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Several users of the social media video service TikTok which is popular among teenagers claimed to have the virus and made false statements about it. TikTok has said it is attempting to limit such content. In a statement, the company said its user guidelines do not permit misinformation that could cause harm to our community or the larger public. In some cases, medical doctors themselves are using social media services to fight misinformation. Rose Marie Leslie is a doctor at the University of Minnesota. She has shared personal videos on TikTok to debunk misinformation and provide actual facts about the coronavirus. The thing about TikTok as a platform is any video can go viral whether or not somebody is giving out factual information, she told The Associated Press. In many cases, Leslie added, people sharing content do not say where it came from. My goal is to be able to give the facts in every single one of my videos, she said. By the end of last week, Leslies videos had received more than 3 million views. I'm Dorothy Gundy. And Im Bryan Lynn. Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from The Associated Press, Reuters and online sources. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Quiz - Technology Companies, Health Officials Fighting Coronavirus Misinformation Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story source n. a person or thing that provides information bleach n. a strong chemical used for cleaning or removing color from things covert adj. done in a secret way vomit v. to have the food, liquid, etc., that is in your stomach come out through your mouth because you are sick fact-checking adj. involving or related to investigating information to confirm facts content n. the information or ideas included in a book, film or on the internet debunk v. to show evidence that something is not true accessible adj. possible to use platform n. the type of computer system or smartphone a person is using view - n. the action when someone plays a video on YouTube Portland, OR, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- It was a thought-provoking evening that was anything but common, even though the keynote speaker calls himself that. Concordia University held its ninth annual Governor Victor Atiyeh Leadership in Education Awards gala Tuesday, Feb. 4, at the new Hyatt Hotel in Portland. Childrens Institute CEO, president and co-founder Swati Adarkar accepted the award, given in recognition of her work promoting early childhood development and education. The dinner drew 530 education, business and government leaders. Through sponsorships, a paddle raise and other donations, Oregons largest private, nonprofit university raised more than $355,000. The funds will support Concordia student scholarships and the universitys groundbreaking 3toPhD collaborative model for education, which co-locates Concordias College of Education with Faubion School in N.E. Portland. The array of local dignitaries at the gala included past award recipients Ken Thrasher, Kay Toran, and, Marcia Randall, as well as Oregon Supreme Court Justice Adrienne Nelson and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler. Motivational speaker Kimberely Dixon, 3toPhD co-chair, served as emcee. HotChalk served as the galas lead sponsor. Other sponsors included Orbis Education, Stoel Rives LLP, Gloria and Ross Edwards, The Jessie F. Richardson Foundation, CCL-Concepts in Community Living, and Pacific Office Automation. Impact of Scholarships Adarkar and Concordia senior Antonio Martinez both told the crowd about the huge impact college scholarships had on them. Adarkar, her grandfather, father and mother all received scholarships, which brought her family from India to the United States and shaped its future, she stated. Martinez had at one point worried he might not be able to finish college, but a timely scholarship is now making that possible, he said. Challenging The Audience Keynote speaker Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr. (better known as Common) and Adarkar challenged the audience to dig deep and work hard for children and education. As we begin this new decade, lets challenge ourselves to be even bolder in our actions and our generosity, recognizing that education, in fact, is our greatest hope to transform childrens lives, shape our future generations and create a more just and equitable society, said Adarkar. Common -- an actor, author, activist and hip-hop artist -- sprinkled some rap into his remarks. His mother is a former teacher and principal. She introduced him to writing, literature and self-discipline by assigning him weekly book reports. This sparked his interest as a teenager in a career as a writer, music artist, actor and storyteller, he said. The film, television and recording stars mother also taught him the importance of helping others less fortunate. This led him to starting his own foundation to support children and to open a charter arts school, he said. Common quoted a number of people in his speech, including Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., authors Kahlil Gibran and Marianne Williamson, New York Times columnist David Brooks, U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young and even, lastly, a San Quentin prisoner on death row who told him, I like what youre doing. But make sure you give back. Common concluded his half-hour speech with a quote from his hero, Muhammad Ali: Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth. So, to all my educators, our rent is due, Common added. About the Atiyeh Leadership in Education Award The Atiyeh Award is given annually to one or more philanthropic, business, civic, and political leaders for their unique and significant contributions to improving education in the Pacific Northwest or beyond. Named after Oregons highly esteemed former Governor Victor Atiyeh for his leadership and lifelong passion for education, this award is presented to a changemaker: a leader who through professional, philanthropic, business, civic, and/or political actions and advocacy has profoundly improved the odds for our children to succeed in school and in life. About Concordia University Concordia University-Portland was founded in 1905 as a Lutheran university with a mission of preparing leaders for the transformation of society. The university serves more than 6,000 students on its campuses and online, through its College of Education, College of Health & Human Sciences, School of Management, and Concordia University School of Law in Boise, Idaho. For more about Concordia University, visit www.cu-portland.edu and law.cu-portland.edu. Attachment A woman who went missing in the 1980s was murdered by America's most prolific serial killer, her family have learned, as police try to identify dozens more victims though his jail sketches. Frances Campbell was sexually assaulted and killed in Savannah, Georgia, in 1984 but her death had been ruled undetermined. Her family have now been told by investigators that they believe she was one of Samuel Little's many victims whose deaths had gone unsolved for decades. The 79-year-old killer was finally caught in 2012. Little confessed to committing 93 murders from 1970 to 2005, leading the FBI to describe him as the most prolific serial killer in American history. He claimed to have killed his victims, all women, across 19 states as far apart as South Carolina, Texas and Ohio. Last year, the FBI said his 'confessions were credible' and had verified 50 of them. Over the years he had spent time in prison for armed robbery, rape and kidnapping, but never murder. Until 2014 he had spent fewer than 10 years in prison. Little's killing spree came to an end when he was arrested at a homeless shelter in Kentucky in 2012 and extradited to California to face drug charges. Once there, DNA evidence linked him to three cold case murders and Little was convicted in 2014 of murdering three women in Los Angeles between 1987 and 1989 and sentenced to life. Scroll down for video. Samuel Little, who often went by the name Samuel McDowell, leaves the Ector County Courthouse after attending a pre-trial hearing in Odessa, Texas, in November 2018 The family of Frances Campbell (left) discovered she was murdered by prolific killer Samuel Little (right) who struck is 19 states across the US All three women had all been beaten and strangled with their bodies dumped in an alley, a dumpster and a garage. The 6ft 3in wheelchair-bound former boxer, also known as Samuel McDowell, was behind a string of killings on drug addicts, prostitutes and those on the fringes of society. Little would use his height, weight and skills as a boxer to punch and strangle his victims, then move to the next town without being detected. Since his confessions, unsolved murders of women across the US are being looked into to see if they have links to Little. Investigators even got the killer to sketch drawings of his victims in a bid to identify missing women. Now Campbell's family have been told she was one of Little's victims during the decades-long killing spree. Last month a grand jury in Savannah indicted for the murder of Campbell, but it is unclear if he will ever face trial as his health is deteriorating. The Chatham County District Attorney said a detective digging through old reports linked the unsolved case to Little. Minnie Hill holding a photo of her late daughter, Rosie Hill, who was found dead in Florida in 1982 but not identified as a victim of Little until 2018 Samuel Little leaving the Ector County Courthouse in Odessa, Texas, in December 2018 after pleading guilty to killing Denise Christie Brothers in 1994 and receiving another life sentence Diane Williams, who was six months pregnant when Frances Campbell disappeared, named her daughter after her missing sister. She told Fox 5: 'They identified her back then by her dental records and a piece of clothing she was wearing. 'He said he picked women he thought no one would miss. It wasn't true, it wasn't true at all. 'She was missed, and we were always wondering. Not a day went by that I hadn't thought about her.' The FBI are continuing to release sketches in the hope witnesses may be able to identify the women and more families can be given closure. Keith Howard, a criminal profiler from the Morgan County Sheriff's Office has visited Little in prison and is investigating three additional Georgia cases that may be linked to him. Several of Little's chilling videotaped confessions were also as he recalled details of some of the unidentified victims. Sketches provided by the FBI showing drawings made by admitted serial killer Samuel Little, based on his memories of some of his victims, that have been released in a bid to trace unidentified women The FBI had been working on a full background check of Little and found links to other murders that he may have committed. Pictured is a timeline of his past mugshots dating back to 1966 So far only 60 of the 93 victims have been officially confirmed and police have released sketches of three other Georgia victims they want to trace. One of his confirmed victims was Rosie Hill whose body was discovered in wooded land next to a pig pen in Marion County,Florida, in August 1982. Authorities said the 20-year-old was strangled or suffocated and although Little was questioned at the time, police but did not have enough evidence to charge him. Then in 2018 Little confessed to Hill's murder when he began admitting many of his other crimes. Little's string of confessions began when Texas ranger James Holland suspected Little of killing prostitute Denise Brothers in 1994. He visited him in his California jail cell and convinced him to admit to the murder, appealing to his desire to be known as a killer rather than a rapist. At Ector County Courthouse in Odessa, Texas in 2018 after pleading guilty to killing Brothers, Little was handed another another life sentence. HealthTechS3 and the Board of Directors of Carlinville Area Hospital announce the retirement of Ken Reid as CEO on January 31, 2020. Ken has served this community admirably for the past 14 years as the CEO at Carlinville. During his tenure, Ken oversaw the expansion and development of the Carlinville campus, the growth of the rural health clinics in Carlinville and Girard, the recruitment of excellent physicians and advanced practice nurses and financial stability for the hospital. J. Richard Schien, Board Chair at Carlinville, said, Carlinville Area Hospital had the good fortune to find a highly qualified healthcare professional as our Chief Executive Officer for the past several years who also happened to grow up in Carlinville. Ken was already well respected as a healthcare executive with Springfield Clinic before he accepted the role of CEO at Carlinville Area Hospital. Kens leadership skills were front and center as the decision was made to build a new hospital and then only a few years later to add a medical office building attached to the hospital. His leadership allowed us to secure favorable financing for the facility projects while also adding new services such as the recently added MRI suite. Neil Todhunter, President of HealthTechS3, commented that working with Ken over recent years has been a privilege and an honor. Ken never fails to treat people with dignity, thoughtfulness, and respect. His work at Carlinville, in the community and with the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network, was terrific. We will miss him. Ken, and his wife Connie, are looking forward to completing a variety of projects, spending time with family, and enjoying some well-deserved time off. Please join us in thanking him for many years of great service! HealthTechS3 is searching for a permanent replacement CEO. Michael Layfield will arrive on January 27, 2020 to serve as the interim CEO until the search is completed. Michael is a seasoned Hospital CEO with over 35 years in the Health Care Industry. He has worked in both for-profit and not-for-profit hospitals as Regional Vice-President, CEO, and CFO with a major focus on quality care, patient experience, employee and provider engagement, and financial results. He has spent his last 15 years working in small-town, 25-bed critical access hospitals. The Board and HealthTechS3 welcome him to Carlinville. NEW YORK, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zhang Investor Law announces a class action lawsuit on behalf of shareholders who bought shares of Qudian Inc. (NYSE: QD) between December 13, 2018 and January 15, 2020, inclusive (the Class Period). If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than March 23, 2020. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. To join the class action, http://zhanginvestorlaw.com/join-action-form/?slug=qudian-inc&id=2160 call Sophie Zhang, Esq. toll-free at 800-991-3756 or email info@zhanginvestorlaw.com for information on the class action. http://zhanginvestorlaw.com/join-action-form/?slug=qudian-inc&id=2160 According to the lawsuit, throughout the Class Period, defendants and its senior executives presented false and misleading financial statements or omitted to (1) regulatory developments in China threatened to negatively impact Qudians fiscal full year 2019 (FY19) financial results; (2) Qudians business was unprepared to mitigate the risks associated with these regulatory changes; (3) as a result, Qudians loan portfolio was plagued by growing delinquency rates; (4) all of the foregoing made Qudians repeated assertions concerning its FY19 financial guidance unrealistic; and (5) as a result of the foregoing, defendants statements about its business and operations were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. A class has not been certified. You may retain counsel of your choice. You may take no action at this time and be an absent class member. Your ability to obtain a recovery is not dependent upon being a lead plaintiff. Zhang Investor Law represents investors worldwide. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Changing the way NASA keeps it cool Cleveland OH (SPX) Feb 05, 2020 When deep space exploration missions launch, like NASA's future Artemis missions to the Moon, they carry liquids with them for fuel and life support systems. These liquids are stored at cryogenic temperatures, which range from -243 to -423 degrees F, and to be usable, they need to remain cold and in a liquid state. But as the extreme environment of space warms a spacecraft, the fuels begin to evaporate or "boiloff." "As energy from the Sun, Earth, and even the Moon enters the cryogenic propellant ... read more World Bank chief economist Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg has announced resignation in a letter written to her colleagues, international news agencies reported. Goldberg, who was appointed the chief economist at the World Bank in 2018, said in the letter that she wants to go back to teaching at Yale University and that she will put down her papers on March 1. According to media reports, Goldberg in her letter wrote that working at the World Bank has been a 'rewarding experience' for her as she deeply cares about the issues pertaining to create opportunities for the poor. Read: Anshula Kant Education And Experience: Here's All You Need To Know About The World Bank's New MD And CFO Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg announces resignation As per reports, World Bank President David Malpass in a separate letter appreciated Goldberg's passion for the institution and her commitment to drawing young talented economists to the bank. David also said that research director Aart Kraay would take over Goldberg's position until a new permanent chief economist is hired by the bank. According to media reports, Goldberg took over as chief economist at the end of April 2018, after the resignation of Paul Romer following a controversy over the World Banks statistical methods. Read: According To UN & World Bank, There Are More Mobile Phones Than Humans In The World. Read Report Here 57-year-old Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg is a Greek-American economist, born in Athens, Greece. Goldberg received a Diplom in economics from the University of Freiburg in 1986 and a Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1992. She started teaching at Yale University in 2001 and is currently on public service leave to serve as the chief economist at the World Bank. Goldberg previously held faculty positions at Columbia University and Princeton University. Goldberg was appointed as the editor-in-chief of the American Economic Review, one of the most prestigious journals in economics. Read: World Bank Releases Estimate Of India-Pakistan Trade Potential Compared To $2 Billion Current Estimate. Read Here Read: India Placed At 115th Position On Human Capital Index Report By World Bank, Finance Ministry Rejects The Finding (With inputs from agencies) CROWN POINT The Lake County Council is wholeheartedly on board with a proposed state law encouraging police to routinely issue court summons for nonviolent misdemeanor crimes, instead of hauling the alleged perpetrators off to jail. The bipartisan council unanimously endorsed House Bill 1076 Thursday, and called on the Indiana Senate to promptly advance the legislation to the governor after it cleared the House, 97-1, on Jan. 28. A council resolution supporting the measure notes it would help reduce county jail overcrowding across Indiana and prevent misdemeanor offenders from losing their jobs, or suffering other consequences, because they were stuck in jail unable to make bail. In addition, Lake County taxpayers would save the cost of paying to incarcerate people nabbed in Indiana for possession of marijuana they purchased in Illinois or Michigan, where recreational marijuana is legal, according to the resolution. Nitin Kumar spoke to Delhi Congress Pradesh Committee President Subhash Chopra on the partys poll strategy, development plans, and why he thinks that Kejriwal has failed the state. Edited excerpts: What are the key issues you are fighting this election on? And why do you think people will vote for you? This election will be fought on local issues and the work done by our previous governments from 1998 to 2013. At the time Congress came to power, Delhi was in a very bad state, there was no development, people were not able to get clean water, but the Congress, under the ... In 1914, just six years after the Ford Model T took America by storm, Henry Ford took a radical, revolutionary step: He doubled his workers' pay and cut shifts in his plants from nine hours to eight. Not surprisingly, Ford's move was ridiculed by many at the time. But it didn't take long to prove his critics wrong. And to this day, in part thanks to Fords innovation, research shows the right amount of work can play a vital role in keeping workers healthy and productive. What if more of us especially those of us prone to work addiction thought like Henry Ford? The promises of work addiction are lies Fords revolutionary decision took place more than half a century before anybody was talking about work addiction. American psychologist Wayne Oates first coined the term workaholic in 1971, defining it as the uncontrollable need to work incessantly. But that piece of history reveals a timeless truth: When we work too much, everyone suffers, as shown in this Harvard Business Review article. Ive personally felt and given in to this pressure at my own business. But theres actually no evidence that working more has any real benefits for overall outcome. In one study, managers couldnt tell the difference between workers who actually worked 80 hours a week versus workers who merely pretended to. Researchers found no evidence that working less meant accomplishing less, or vice versa. Many of us focus obsessively on work because it feels good to have a purpose. Being talented at something and contributing to a larger cause can certainly improve our lives. But working too much can have the opposite effect. Studies suggest that overworking is linked to a number of health problems, including chronic stress, lack of sleep, substance abuse, and even depression. Overworking has also been shown to speed up cognitive decline and memory issues, which is counter to the work itself. No one sets out to be a workaholic. When I stretched myself thin between a job at a software company and my JotForm side hustle, I was just trying to live up to expectations, while creating something useful. I ended up becoming less useful to everyone along the way. Here are some principles I learned the same ones I practice today when I sense myself veering toward work addiction. Related: Is Being a Workaholic a Symptom of Anxiety or Depression? You can't please everyone all the time A major reason I became a workoholic while launching JotForm was my definition of success: I wanted to please everyone. I didnt want to let down my manager or colleagues at the software company I worked for (plus, I enjoyed my day job). But I also had aspirations to build my own software. Thinking I could do it all left me burned out. If you think pleasing everyone will make you successful, remember that youll make fewer people happy in the long run if you burn out. Start by examining your capacity to give. When you are transparent with yourself and others about what you can and cant do, youll produce better work and keep your sanity in tact. Find meaning outside your job As mentioned earlier, many of us devote our lives to work because it's satisfying to be good at something. Its fun to be creative and solve problems, and its affirming to be needed. But it's important to have satisfying, creative outlets outside of work as well. Find purpose in your personal life by investing time in relationships. Take up a hobby like writing, photography or painting to keep your creative juices flowing outside the office. Volunteer at a local organization so you feel like youre helping people in a tangible way. It might feel counter-productive at first, since hobbies and relationships dont always come with the same quantifiable rewards as pay raises or a new client. But over time, you'll have something to look forward to other than checking your email. Break little habits Breaking a work addiction isnt just about changing your mindset. It requires altering habits, too. For example, if you show your colleagues, manager, and clients that youre available after hours by answering calls or checking email on the weekend, youre setting a precedent. People will expect you to be available at 7 p.m. on a Tuesday or on a Sunday morning, and youll perpetuate the cycle. Think about how your everyday habits perpetuate your larger work behaviors, and then focus on correcting them. For example, when I want to keep my work in the office, I put my phone on "do not disturb" mode after after 6 p.m. and keep my laptop in my briefcase at home. This habit is small, but it trains me to be fully present when Im with my family. Related: 4 Ways to Break Your Phone Addiction So You Can Focus on What Really Matters Start and end your days with something besides work How you start your morning will set the tone for the rest of your day. If you check your work email before you roll out of bed, youre on before you even get to the office. Social worker Melody Wilding encourages book ending your days with rituals that leave you feeling happy. Begin the day with a morning ritual that leaves you feeling happy. Itll help you create a sense of mastery and self-control, all before you step foot in the office or open your inbox, she writes. End the day with a fun activity so you have a reason to leave work on time. It also gives you something to look forward to and keeps rumination at bay. Ask yourself what really matters to you Ultimately, how you spend your time reflects what you value. If you want to overcome your addiction to work, ask yourself why working less is important to you. How do you want to feel? What do you want to live for? Who do you want to spend more time with? Remember: By reining in your work addiction, youre not just working less. You're also improving your health, creativity, and productivity. You're making yourself more available for the things and people who matter most to you. Related: 7 Reasons Why Your Salaried Job Is Like Crack Cocaine Related: #6 Step Adventure Guide For Mental & Physical Fitness How to Break Your Work Addiction How to Motivate Your Team Through Stressful Times Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved NEW HAVEN City police will begin distributing harm reduction kits, including clean syringes and glass pipes, with hopes of keeping those battling drug addiction alive until they are able to commit to seek treatment. Police Chief Otoniel Reyes said officers often seize and discard needles and pipes, among other paraphernalia, when making an arrest. But often times, once people are released from custody, they rush to use, driven by addiction and use unsafe or unfamiliar equipment, placing at them at greater risk of overdosing or contracting HIV. While many think that the primary responsibility of police is to protect and enforce the laws, for us in New Haven, the primary responsibility is the protection and the preservation of life. Although there are many situations where we have to arrest, we want our people to know that want to we support every individuals road to recovery, said Reyes. This epidemic is complicated. This affects every facet of our community. And the New Haven Police Department cares deeply about every member of its community. Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, commissioner of the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said New Haven would be the first department in the state to distribute such kits. The kits, to be offered to those discharged from the New Haven police lockup, are also expected to include information about care options in the city, Brillo pads to use as filters for smoking crack cocaine, sterilizing pads, cotton, condoms and a tourniquet, among other items, officials said Thursday. Each person receiving a kit will be tracked through a unique code, made of the first letter and third letter of their first name, the first letter of their last name, and their date of birth, to allow officials to track how many people seek care. The decision was lauded Thursday by state officials and members of the health care community as a cutting-edge attempt to aid those in need. Individuals released from incarceration, theyre vulnerable, and vulnerable to overdose. Giving individuals harm reduction kits and tools to keep them safe will undoubtedly save lives, said Delphin-Rittmon. It takes all of us working together to help people move into long-term recovery and deal with the challenges of addiction, she said. New Haven has shown, as a city, that theyre committed to addressing this crisis collaboratively, with a number of other community partners. Joanne Montgomery, chief clinical officer with Norwalk-based Liberation Programs, said harm reduction saved her life. She said she was addicted to heroin for 15 years, in and out of recovery. When her husband died from his addiction, she resolved to seek care and knew where to go, as advocates and workers had reached out to her while she was struggling. It was just people that never gave up on me, said Montgomery. All of the people I had met through the years, through the harm reduction efforts out in the streets I knew right away who I could call and where I could go, and I actually went to Liberation Programs, where I now work. Approximately four-dozen officers those most likely to be assigned to lockup have received training about addiction, stigma, harm reduction, suicide prevention and the use of Naloxone, an overdose reversal drug, Reyes and Lt. Nicholas Marcucio said. Marcucio said information about the kits would be posted in each cell in lockup, allowing people to consider whether to take one before being discharged. Robert Lawlor, a former New Haven police sergeant now employed by the New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, helped develop the kits as part of the New Haven Overdose Response Task Force. The effort also involved a series of other community organizations, including the Yale School of Public Health, Reyes said. Lawlor said it took some time to come around to this method of addressing drug addiction. Ultimately, he said, he came to the realization that officers are not just tasked with enforcing laws, but serving as caretakers for the community. Reyes said hed like to think city officers will not have to change their thinking dramatically to be comfortable distributing the kits, as the effort fits with the departments philosophy. When we talk about solving problems, at the very core, its really analyzing whats at the root of the problem if were really looking to add sustainable solutions to the mix. And so thats what were looking to do, said Reyes. I think our officers have been indoctrinated with that mindset. This is just one step further, where were adding to that philosophy for the New Haven Police Department. So were proud to say that this is something that is seamless for us, and we welcome it. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com Motivated by many factors, Russias aggression in Ukraine has triggered the greatest security crisis in Europe since the Cold War Introduction Ukraine has long played an important, yet sometimes overlooked, role in the global security order. Today, the country appears to be on the front lines of a renewed great-power rivalry that many analysts say will dominate international relations in the decades ahead. Motivated by many factors, Russias aggression in Ukraine has triggered the greatest security crisis in Europe since the Cold War. While the United States and its allies have taken significant punitive actions against Russia, they have made little headway in helping to restore Ukraines territorial integrity. In recent elections, Ukrainians have clearly indicated that they see their future in Europe, but the country continues to grapple with extreme corruption and deep regional rifts that could impede its path. Why does Ukraine matter in U.S. foreign policymaking? Ukraine was a cornerstone of the Soviet Union, the archrival of the United States during the Cold War. Behind only Russia, it was the secondmost populous and powerful of the fifteen Soviet republics, home to much of the unions agricultural production, defense industries, and military, including the Black Sea Fleet and some of the nuclear arsenal. Ukraine was so vital to the union that its decision to sever ties in 1991 proved to be a coup de grace for the ailing superpower. In its nearly three decades of independence, Ukraine has sought to forge its own path as a sovereign state while looking to align more closely with Western institutions, including the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). However, Kyiv has struggled to balance its foreign relations and to bridge deep internal divisions. A more nationalist, Ukrainian-speaking population in western parts of the country has generally supported greater integration with Europe, while a mostly Russian-speaking community in the east has favored closer ties with Russia. Ukraine became a battleground in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and began arming and abetting separatists in the Donbas region in the countrys southeast. Russias seizure of Crimea was the first time since World War II that a European state annexed the territory of another. Some fourteen thousand people have died in the conflict, the bloodiest in Europe since the Balkan Wars of the 1990s. For many analysts, the conflict marked a clear shift in the global security environment from a unipolar period of U.S. dominance to one defined by renewed competition between great powers What are Russias interests in Ukraine? Russia has deep cultural, economic, and political bonds with Ukraine, and in many ways Ukraine is central to Russias identity and vision for itself in the world. Family ties. Russia and Ukraine have strong familial bonds that go back centuries. Kyiv, Ukraines capital, is sometimes referred to as the mother of Russian cities, on par in terms of cultural influence with Moscow and St. Petersburg. It was in Kyiv in the eighth and ninth centuries that Christianity was brought from Byzantium to the Slavic peoples. And it was Christianity that served as the anchor for Kievan Rus, the early Slavic state from which modern Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarussians draw their lineage. Russian diaspora. Among Russias top concerns is the welfare of the approximately eight million ethnic Russians living in Ukraine, according to a 2001 census, mostly in the south and east. Moscow claimed a duty to protect these people as a pretext for its actions in Ukraine. Superpower image. After the Soviet collapse, many Russian politicians viewed the divorce with Ukraine as a mistake of history and a threat to Russias standing as a great power. Losing a permanent hold on Ukraine, and letting it fall into the Western orbit, was seen by many as a major blow to Russias international prestige. Crimea. Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred Crimea from Russia to Ukraine in 1954 to strengthen the brotherly ties between the Ukrainian and Russian peoples. However, since the fall of the union, many Russian nationalists in both Russia and Crimea have longed for a return of the peninsula. The city of Sevastopol is home port for Russias Black Sea Fleet, the dominant maritime force in the region. Trade. Russia is Ukraines largest trading partner, although this link has withered in recent years. Prior to its invasion of Crimea, Russia had hoped to pull Ukraine into its single market, the Eurasian Economic Union, which today includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Energy. Russia supplied most of Ukraines gas until the Crimean invasion, after which imports petered out and then stopped entirely in 2016. However, Russia still relies on Ukrainian pipelines to pump its gas to customers in Central and Eastern Europe, and it pays billions of dollars per year in transit fees to Kyiv. In early 2020, Russia was close to completing Nord Stream 2, a gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea that some have warned could starve Ukraine of essential revenue. However, Russia is contracted to keep moving gas through Ukraine for several more years. Political sway. Russia has been intent on preserving its political influence in Ukraine and throughout the former Soviet Union, particularly after its preferred candidate for Ukrainian president in 2004, Viktor Yanukovych, lost to a reformist competitor as part of the Orange Revolution popular movement. The shock in Ukraine came after a similar electoral defeat for the Kremlin in Georgia in 2003, known as the Rose Revolution, and was followed by anotherthe Tulip Revolutionin Kyrgyzstan in 2005. Yanukovych later became president of Ukraine, in 2010, amid voter discontent with the Orange government. What motivated Russias moves against Ukraine? Western scholars disagree somewhat on the motivations behind Russias aggression in Ukraine. Some emphasize NATOs postCold War enlargement, which Russia viewed with increasing alarm. In 2004, NATO added seven members, its fifth expansion and largest one to date, including the former Soviet Baltic republics Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Four years later, when NATO declared its intent to bring Ukraine and Georgia into the fold at some point in the future, Russia made clear a redline had been crossed. In the weeks leading up to NATOs 2008 summit, President Vladimir Putin warned U.S. diplomats that steps to bring Ukraine into the alliance would be a hostile act toward Russia. Months later, Russia went to war with Georgia, seemingly showcasing Putins willingness to use force to secure Russias interests. (Some independent observers faulted Georgia for initiating the so-called August War but blamed Russia for escalating hostilities into a broader conflict.) Other experts dispute the assertion that Russias fear of NATO was its primary motive, countering that the NATO expansion question had largely dissolved after 2008 as Western governments lost interest and Russia increased its influence in Ukraine. Rather, they say, the biggest factor behind Russias intervention was Putins fear of losing power at home, particularly after historic anti-government protests erupted in Russia in late 2011. Putin claimed U.S. actors were sowing this unrest and thereafter began casting the United States as an archenemy to rally his political base. It was by looking through this Cold War redux lens that he chose to intervene in Ukraine. Russias intervention in Ukraine proved to be immensely popular at home, pushing Putins approval ratings above 80 percent following a steady decline. What triggered the crisis? It was Ukraines ties with the European Union that brought tensions to a head with Russia. In late 2013, President Yanukovych, acting under pressure from his supporters in Moscow, scrapped plans to formalize a closer economic relationship with the EU. Russia had at the same time been pressing Ukraine to join the not-yet-formed Eurasian Economic Union. Many Ukrainians perceived the decision as a betrayal by a deeply corrupt and incompetent government, and it ignited countrywide protests known as Euromaidan. Putin framed the ensuing tumult of Euromaidan, which forced Yanukovych from power, as a Western-backed fascist coup that endangered the ethnic Russian majority in Crimea. (Western analysts dismissed this as a conspiracy theory reminiscent of the Soviet era.) In response, Putin ordered a covert invasion of Crimea that he later justified as a rescue operation. There is a limit to everything. And with Ukraine, our western partners have crossed the line, Putin said in a high-profile address formalizing the annexation. Putin employed a similar narrative to justify his support for separatists in southeastern Ukraine, another region home to large numbers of ethnic Russians and Russian speakers. He famously referred to the area as Novorossiya (New Russia), a term dating back to eighteenth-century imperial Russia. Armed Russian provocateurs, including some agents of Russian security services, are believed to have played a central role in stirring the anti-Euromaidan secessionist movements in the region into a rebellion. However, unlike Crimea, Russia continues to officially deny its involvement in the Donbas conflict. What are Russias objectives in Ukraine? Under Putin, Russia has been described as a revanchist power, keen to regain its former power and prestige. It was always Putins goal to restore Russia to the status of a great power in northern Eurasia, writes Gerard Toal, an international affairs professor at Virginia Tech, in his book Near Abroad. The end goal was not to re-create the Soviet Union but to make Russia great again. By seizing Crimea, Russia has solidified its control of a critical foothold on the Black Sea. With a larger and more sophisticated military presence there, Russia can project power deeper into the Mediterranean, Middle East, and North Africa, where it has traditionally had limited influence. Meanwhile, to the south, Russia is strengthening its military and energy ties with Turkey, another Black Sea power. Russias strategic gains in the Donbas are more fragile. Supporting the separatists has, at least temporarily, increased Russias bargaining power vis-a-vis Ukraine, but the regions future is highly uncertain. Fostering political instability there may be Russias aim until other factors shift in its favor. Read the full story here. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech was focussed towards three themes of Aspirational India, Economic Development and Caring Society, and on two instruments of governance and financial sector. From the governance perspective, the Budget stressed on making tax administration more efficient and fair and proposed institutionalisation of a Tax Payers' Charter. The government also highlighted its intention of having no tolerance on the issue of harassment of taxpayers by tax officials and assured to re-examine the criminal liability provisions in some of the laws and correct them. In order to curb abuse of the Free Trade Agreements (FTA), suitable provisions are being incorporated in the Customs Act and a review of the Rules of Origin requirements shall be undertaken for import of sensitive items. Also, new enabling provisions are proposed in the Customs Act for administering the preferential tariff treatment under FTAs by way of increased verification responsibility on the importer. The government also proposed strengthening provisions relating to safeguard duties and duties relating to dumping of goods for protecting and ensuring a level playing field for domestic industry. It is also proposed that some of the Customs duty exemptions which have become outdated, be withdrawn and remaining custom duty exemptions shall be comprehensively reviewed by September 2020 for taking a view on their relevance. For instance, exemptions relating to CommonWealth Games 2010, exemption under SAARC agreement, exemption to water supply projects for industrial and agricultural use under project imports are being withdrawn. The government is set to align the Customs law with the changing business environment and for ease of doing business, for which they are inviting suggestions to review the Customs laws and procedures along with the exemptions. Also read: Infographic: The Big Measures of Budget 2020 The government recognised the progress of the medical equipment manufacturing industry in India in the past few years. In order to further boost the sector and provide health services to all, the government proposed a Nominal Health Cess at the rate of 5% on the import value, to be levied as a part of Customs duty, on the import of medical equipment and to use the proceeds for creating infrastructure for health services in the aspirational districts. Inputs/parts used in the manufacturing of medical devices to be exempt from Health Cess. In a measure to uplift exports, the government has proposed to launch in the year 2020, a scheme of providing digital refund to exporters in respect of those duties and taxes levied at the Central, state and local levels (such as electricity duties and VAT on fuel used for transportation) which are not getting exempted or refunded under any other existing mechanism. Electronic Duty Credit Ledger to be created in the Customs systems which will enable duty credit in lieu of duty remission to be given in respect of exports or other such benefits in electronic form. Lastly, in order to give a boost to Make in India, the government has increased the customs duty rates for several items such as footwear, compressors for refrigerators and air conditioners, refrigerating equipment, printed circuit board assembly and other specified parts of cellular mobile phones, completely built units of commercial vehicles including electric vehicles. (Muralidharan Ramaratnam, Partner, Deloitte India and Chinmay Agrawal is Manager with Deloitte Haskins and Sells LLP.) Also read: Budget 2020: New tax proposal may hurt exporters and MSMEs Also read: Budget 2020: FM Nirmala Sitharaman may announce national logistics policy, set-up a one-stop marketplace Master Chief Special Warfare Operator Hugh Chance Spangler and his wife Amanda have worked hard to keep a low profile. Spangler has served more than two decades as a Navy SEAL , so he and his wife stay off social media, don't hang out in bars frequented by special operators, and generally live a quiet life, Amanda Spangler told Military.com. But in September, Spangler's name made national news when he and two officers, Cmdr. Edward Mason and Lt. Cmdr. Luke Im, were removed from their SEAL Team 7 leadership positions after a high-profile incident caused a platoon to be booted out of Iraq. The Navy issued a public statement naming the three leaders, who were relieved by Rear Adm. Collin Green, the head of Naval Special Warfare Command. Spangler served as the team's top enlisted leader. Mason was the team's commanding officer and Im, the executive officer. Related: Head of Navy SEALs Says 'We Have a Problem' Following High-Profile Scandals "This is a safety issue," Amanda Spangler said of the Navy releasing an enlisted SEAL's name to the public. "I just can't believe they did that." She shared those concerns last month with top Pentagon leaders. Three seven-page letters were sent to Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly and Chief of Naval Operations Michael Gilday on Jan. 10. Her concerns echoed a point raised in a September complaint Spangler and Mason filed with the Pentagon's top watchdog office. In that complaint, the SEAL leaders said they were not only unjustly removed from their positions, but that the public manner in which it was done left their families at risk. The situation has caused the SEAL leaders' families "undo stress on top of an already troublesome situation," Amanda Spangler wrote. She noted in the letter that her husband's command declined to name the leaders who replaced them, citing the sensitive nature of their work. "Chance is still active-duty," Amanda Spangler said. "And everybody knows his name now. You don't have Bronze Stars without doing things to earn them, and I don't think the enemy appreciates that. It's a concern." Naval Special Warfare Command referred questions about Amanda Spangler's letter, including whether it has reviewed or changed any policies as a result of the family's security concerns, back to the Pentagon. Esper's and Modly's offices did not respond to questions about whether the secretaries received the letters and if any action was taken as a result. Amanda Spangler received a notice Jan. 16 that her letter to Esper was referred to the naval inspector general's office. Gilday's office confirmed receipt and said a response on behalf of the CNO was sent to Amanda Spangler. "We appreciate her concerns regarding this issue," Cmdr. Nate Christensen, Gilday's spokesman, told Military.com. Amanda Spangler said she has not yet received that response. The Navy spouse said she didn't discuss her letter with her husband before sending it last month. "He should never have lost his job," she said. "I'm not going to stand up for him, who will?" It has been about five months since her husband was relieved from his SEAL Team 7 position, but he hasn't been reassigned. Spangler is required to conduct a daily phone-in muster, but Amanda Spangler called the decision to sideline a SEAL with a Purple Heart and almost 10 awards for combat valor "a betrayal." "They've invested a lot of money in this guy to just throw him away," she said. "He has had a record-breaking amount of combat deployments. He has so much knowledge. He should be mentoring; he should be down at [Naval Amphibious Base Coronado in California] doing what he loves to do." In her letter, Amanda Spangler stressed that she feels it's important that the Defense Department take a close look at her husband's relief, or risk America's most elite force being permanently weakened by a lack of action. Dwrena Allen with the Defense Department's Office of Inspector General would neither confirm nor deny whether Spangler's and Mason's complaint is being investigated, citing agency policy. Amanda Spangler said their lawyer, who filed the complaint, has been told the investigation remains ongoing. U.S. Special Operations Command has faced a host of attention over a string of recent scandals, in addition to allegations of wrongdoing in the warzone from the SEAL Team 7 platoon. The 2017 hazing death of Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar led to murder charges and courts-martial for some comrades. And the high-profile legal battle former SEAL Eddie Gallagher faced caught the attention of President Donald Trump and prompted a Navy- and Marine Corps-wide legal review after the lead prosecutor in that case admitted to wrongdoing. The day after the SEAL platoon was kicked out of Iraq, Green, the NSW commander, wrote a letter to his force calling on them to clean up their behavior and ordering commanders to come up with a plan to restore discipline. SOCOM's chief also ordered a full ethics review across the special operations forces following the scandals. That review determined a special operations culture that valued combat missions over leadership development and training -- conditions "favorable for inappropriate behavior," the review found. Amanda Spangler said the attention the Gallagher case brought to Naval Special Warfare Command contributed to the SEAL Team 7 leaders' reliefs. "With absolute confidence, I know they were fired because RADM Green wanted someone to publicly chastise for the 'Gallagher effect' swirling around Coronado," she wrote in her letter. "... At this point, the public has a right to know that there are power abusers hiding behind their tridents." -- Gina Harkins can be reached at gina.harkins@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @ginaaharkins. Read more: Spec Ops Culture Sets Conditions 'Favorable for Inappropriate Behavior,' 4-Star Says Expanded US Travel Ban Renews Fierce Debate By Aline Barros February 05, 2020 The United States will begin enforcing an expanded travel ban on February 21, a move that the Trump administration says is critical to national security. But critics question the rationale behind the amended policy. Myanmar (Burma), Eritrea, Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania are now part of an amended executive order that already maintains travel restrictions on some citizens from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria and Yemen, along with Venezuela and North Korea. In announcing the expanded travel restrictions last week, the Trump administration signaled that security concerns were paramount. "It is logical and essential to thoroughly screen and vet everyone seeking to travel or immigrate to the United States," acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said in a statement. "However, there are some countries from whom the U.S. does not receive the necessary information about its travelers and, as a result, pose a national security or public safety risk that warrants tailored travel restrictions." People from the six added countries will no longer be able to travel to the United States on an immigrant visa, unless they apply for and obtain a waiver. But visas will continue to be issued for tourists, business travelers and those seeking medical treatment. Rules make 'little sense' "For an administration concerned about security threats, favoring temporary visitors over more permanent ones from flagged countries makes little sense," said University of Texas at Austin history professor Toyin Falola. "Somebody with a fixed address in Chicago, in New York, with a place of employment, is the least disposed to creating troubles, because they will be caught," Falola said. Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday and said he'd been "blindsided" by the travel restrictions. In response, he pledged to improve security cooperation with the United States. "We're putting in place the architecture that will now make the information and the data on [travelers] immediately available to the U.S. and all the member states, member countries of Interpol, and we hope to have that up and running very soon," Onyeama said. Nigeria is Africa's largest economy and a U.S. anti-terrorism partner with a large diaspora residing in the United States. Onyeama acknowledged his country was dealing with security threats, including terrorist group Boko Haram, which has displaced millions of Nigerians. But there is little evidence the terror group seeks to act against the United States. Others barred Like Nigerians, most citizens of Eritrea, Myanmar and Kyrgyzstan are also barred from obtaining immigrant visas, which are issued to people who intend to live permanently in the United States and are often sponsored by relatives who are U.S. citizens or permanent legal residents. According to the State Department, a U.S. citizen can file an immigrant visa petition for a spouse, son, daughter, parent, brother or sister. A U.S. lawful permanent resident, also known as a green-card holder, can file an immigrant visa petition for spouse and unmarried son or daughter. Meanwhile, citizens of Sudan and Tanzania cannot participate in the diversity visa program, also known as the green-card lottery. Data compiled by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), a nonpartisan immigration policy group, show about two-thirds of green cards are issued as a result of family sponsorship. The recent travel ban announcement is likely to significantly impact the ability of families from restricted countries to reunite in the United States. According to MPI, countries designated in the administration's prior travel ban have seen "big drops in green-card issuance especially Iran, Yemen, Syria, Somalia and Libya." Dany Bahar, senior fellow in the global economy and development program at the Brookings Institution, said if such guidelines become the rule rather than the exception, they can "pose a lot of problems for Africa in the future." Bahar added, "If you want people to be better off, let them move to places where they can be more productive." He said restricting travel "will also keep very talented people from coming to the U.S." VOA's Patsy Widakuswara contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A Trenton man who filed a federal lawsuit against police officers who arrested him in early 2017 was sentenced to over seven years in prison Wednesday for dealing heroin and selling a handgun to an undercover federal agent in a separate case. Kendall Rossi, 41, had previously pleaded guilty in federal court in Trenton to unlawful possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, and possession with intent to distribute narcotics. Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson on Wednesday sentenced Rossi to 86 months behind bars, the U.S. Attorneys Office in New Jersey announced. From August to October 2017, federal authorities investigated Rossi after learning he was an illegal firearms dealer in Trenton who also peddled drugs, federal officials said. Investigators arranged three purchases of heroin or fentanyl from him in August and September, and then set up a firearms purchase in October. Rossi had boasted about his ability to get guns, and in a deal controlled by federal law enforcement, Rossi sold a .380 caliber semi-automatic firearm and 47 rounds of .380 caliber ammunition to an informant. Rossi believed the buyer was planning to use the weapon in a robbery, federal officials said. Earlier in 2017, Rossi was arrested at Liberty and Grand streets in Trentons South Ward by members of Trentons polices street crimes unit, who saw him in a drug deal with a man later identified as a federal corrections officer. Rossi later alleged in a lawsuit that officers used excessive force and beat him while at Trentons police headquarters. City police portrayed Rossi as the aggressor and said he scuffled with officers during the booking process. Rossis suit, which names several officers, the department and city, is ongoing in U.S. District Court in Trenton. The criminal charges against him were later dismissed, court records show. The corrections officer arrested with Rossi, Joshua Carr, of Bordentown City, pleaded guilty in municipal court to a drug possession charge and was given a fine. His employment status with the federal government was unknown Wednesday. Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. China on Thursday confirmed that 19 foreign nationals living in the country have been contracted with the contagious coronavirus as of February 6. Chinese Foreign Ministry reportedly confirmed the information but did not disclose the nationalities of the infected patients. China is currently battling the deadly disease that has claimed more than 560 lives in the country and has affected more than 25,000 people. Read: BIG: All 645 Evacuated From Wuhan By India Test Negative For Coronavirus, Says Centre Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying during an online media briefing said, as of Thursday 19 foreign nationals have been confirmed of contracting 2019-nCoV pneumonia, among them two have been cured and released, while 17 others are still receiving medical treatment. Earlier media reports had claimed that four Pakistani nationals and two Australians have been infected by the disease, but it is not clear whether they are among the 19 foreign nationals mentioned by the ministry. Read: Couple Attends Wedding Reception Via Video Conferencing Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Coronavirus outbreak Many countries, including India, have evacuated their citizens from China after the virus outbreak. India evacuated more than 600 citizens along with 10 Maldivian nationals last week. The citizens who were evacuated from Wuhan were kept in isolation when they arrived in the country. The Union Health Ministry on Thursday said that all 645 people evacuated from China's Wuhan city, who were kept in isolation at Army Base and ITBP camps, tested negative for coronavirus. Read: 640 Indians Evacuated From Coronavirus-hit China In Complex Operation: MEA As per the US' Center for Disease Control and Prevention, so far confirmed cases of the virus have been reported in 27 other countries. The disease is believed to have originated in a seafood market in Hubei's Wuhan city, where animals were being traded illegally. As per reports, countries like the United States and Saudi Arabia have taken drastic steps to prevent the spread of the virus in their country. Washington has restricted entry of foreign nationals coming from China, while the kingdom has barred its citizens and residents from travelling to the east-Asian country. Read: Coronavirus Scare Hits Kerala's Tourism Sector, Triggers Wave Of Cancellations HOLYOKE One man was shot in the leg and injured Wednesday morning in a city neighborhood known as a hot spot for crime. Detectives with the Holyoke Police Criminal Investigation Bureau continue to investigate the crime, but have determined at least two shooters were involved and more than 10 bullets were fired, Police Lt. James Albert said. The shooting was reported at 9:23 a.m. near the intersection of Elm and Appleton streets. As police pulled up to the scene, they were told a gunshot victim had just walked into Holyoke Medical Center seeking treatment, Albert said. Police found several shell casings outside. They then entered buildings to search for evidence, including video from surveillance cameras, and found multiple other shell casings in a third-floor hallway of an apartment building at 173 Elm St., he said. We believe there were two shooters with two different types of guns, Albert said. We believe one shooter was in a hallway shooting. Police are still investigating to see if the victim was targeted. He is expected to recover from his wounds, he said. When police arrived there were multiple people outside but officers have not located witnesses who will cooperate with them. They are also hoping to locate photographs or video of the shooting, he said. It was a very public event. If anyone wants to cooperate, we are listening, Albert said. Police can be reached at 413-322-6900 and callers may remain anonymous. The area near Elm and Appleton streets has been a problem spot for gangs, drug dealing and other crime for years. Between July 2018 and 2019, several buildings in that area generated a total of 126 arrests and more than 450 police calls. Residents often have not been cooperative with police. About six months ago, people jeered and threw things at officers as they arrested a man accused of firing multiple shots at 10:30 a.m. while standing in the heavily-traveled area. South Africas port and freight-rail operator is working with Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd. to reduce the ailing power utilitys costs by increasing the supply of coal delivered by rail and improving the quality and reliability of the primary feedstock for its thermal plants. The objective is to increase the quality of coal, reliability of deliveries and reduce the cost of delivery, Mike Fanucchi, Transnet SOC Ltd.s group executive for commercial sales and marketing, said in an interview in Cape Town Wednesday. Coal delivered by rail is a lot cheaper than by road. Eskom generates about 95% of the the countrys electricity, but is crippled with debts of 454 billion rand ($31 billion) and relies on government bailouts to keep operating. The company has been cited as the biggest threat to the economy because of its precarious financial position and an inability to provide a regular supply of power. Transnet has held talks with Andre de Ruyter, Eskoms new chief executive offer, on setting up a joint team to handle the logistics. The companies are working very closely together to optimize plans to get coal to the plants. We are also working with miners to get the stockpiles to the power stations, Fanucchi said. Our objective is to reduce the cost of electricity, the cost of doing business and the cost to ourselves since we are a big Eskom customer. Now read: Cosatu in talks with government to fund Eskom using pensions Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D., Hawaii) is scheduling a protest outside the New Hampshire venue where CNN is hosting town halls ahead of the states primary next week, after Gabbard was excluded from the two-night lineup despite out-polling townhall guests Andrew Yang, Tom Steyer, and Deval Patrick in New Hampshire. This attempt to silence Tulsi is bigger than one person its our right as voters to hear from ALL the candidates, and to have our voices represented. No institution should be allowed to get away with censoring democracy: Thats why were standing up to CNN on Wednesday, February 5th, demanding that our voices be heard, the Gabbard campaign told Fox News. Gabbard told the network last week that she had reached out about being excluded, but had not received a response. We have reached out, I think, more than once, and we received no explanation. I dont even think weve gotten a response to date about why theyre excluding the first female combat veteran ever to run for president, the only woman of color in the race, she said. Gabbard currently sits sixth in New Hampshire polling at 4.7 percent, while Yang polls at 3.7 percent, and Tom Steyer at 3.1 percent, according to a RealClearPolitics polling average. Patrick, who does not even register in the average, hit 0.4 percent in the most recent Boston Globe/Suffolk University New Hampshire poll. Gabbard has voiced public criticism over CNNs treatment of her campaign, and slammed the news network during the October debate after a CNN analyst called her a Russian asset. The New York Times and CNN have also smeared veterans like myself for calling to an end to this regime-change war, Gabbard told the crowd in Ohio. . . . This morning a CNN commentator said on national television that Im an asset of Russia. Completely despicable. More from National Review The Atlantic Police Department arrested a man Thursday who is allegedly connected to a burglary at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City. A stolen pickup truck found in Red Oak Wednesday allegedly connected 45-year-old Stuart James Andrew Sellers to a burglary that happened Tuesday at the Iowa hospital, according to the Red Oak Police Department. Red Oak Police assisted the UI Police Department Tuesday in identifying the male suspect, who allegedly stole more than $10,000 worth of electronic equipment, printers, phones, personal belongings and other miscellaneous equipment, according to a press release. Red Oak Police located Sellers, but he reportedly fled from officers on foot near the 100 block of West Washington in Red Oak on Tuesday. Sellers continued running into a creek, but officers slipped on ice and fell to the ground, losing distance from Sellers and ending the foot pursuit, police said. A perimeter was established and three K-9 units from Montgomery, Mills and Fremont Counties were called for assistance. The K-9 units were able to track Sellers for two blocks. A drone was also used but found no trace of Sellers, police said. Officers discontinued their search at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, but were able to recover most of the electronic equipment, printers, phones, personal belongings and miscellaneous equipment stolen from the hospital. On Wednesday morning, Red Oak Police were notified that a 2006 White Chevrolet extended cab pickup was parked in an alley behind 709 E. Nuckols St. in Red Oak. The vehicle was reported stolen at 1:23 a.m. Officers obtained security footage and identified Sellers as the driver of the pickup, making the stolen vehicle a direct correlation to the University of Iowa incident, police said. Sellers was transported from Atlantic to the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center where he is being held on suspicion of interference with official acts aggravated misdemeanor and theft in the second degree, a Class D felony, according to a release. 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. Lee University will welcome the worship band Housefires to the Conn Center for the opening of the spring U-Church series, taking place on Sunday, Feb. 16, at 7:30 p.m. Housefires originated at Grace Midtown Church in Atlanta in 2014. The church had released two prior worship albums at Grace Midtown with Pat Barrett, former member of Housefires. One of Housefires best known songs is Good Good Father. The song attained popularity after Chris Tomlin, a contemporary Christian music artist, recorded the song and released it as a single. Our hope is that these songs would spark fires that burn bright in ordinary houses all over the worldthat people would be awake to God in every part of their life...the polished and the ordinary, said Nate Moore, member of Housefires. The group recently released its fifth album, Housefires V, this past July. Prior to this, Housefires released four live albums. Housefires III has charted on three Billboard magazine charts. It was 106 in the Billboard 200, number three in Christian Albums, and six in Independent Albums. It also charted on the Official Charts Company from the United Kingdom on its Official Christian and Gospel Albums Chart, at number two. In 2016, the band participated in the Outcry Tour and continued touring independently in 2017. The spring 2020 U-Church series will continue with An Evening of Worship on March 22, and a special guest appearance on April 3, during Lee Day activities. For more information about Housefires visit http://www.housefires.org/. U-Church is a free, non-ticketed event for students, alumni, and the community. Seating is first come, first served. Childcare is available for all who attend. Contact Jill Barnett for more information at jillbarnett@leeuniversity.edu. For more information about U-Church, contact Joyce Lane at jlane@leeuniversity.edu or 614-8347. For updates and announcements about U-Church events, stay connected by following U-Church on Twitter: @LeeUChurch, on Instagram: @leeuchurch, or on Facebook: LeeUChurch. VANCOUVER, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Nextleaf Solutions Ltd. ("Nextleaf", "OILS", or the "Company") (CSE: OILS) (OTCQB: OILFF) (FSE: L0MA) announced today it has completed the acquisition of intellectual property pertaining to the nano delivery of cannabinoids, including the foundational processing methodology and two water soluble formulations (the "Acquired IP"). The initial agreement to purchase the Acquired IP was announced on September 23, 2019. Ten years of R&D has resulted in a proprietary delivery system that has been adapted to cannabis, increasing bioavailability through nanoemulsification to deliver rapid onset of THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids. Nextleaf believes the critical driver for the success of cannabis-infused drinks and edibles involves onset time how long it takes for the consumer to feel the desired effect from the product. "The intellectual property we've acquired allows consumers to feel the desired effect from cannabinoid infused drinks and edibles in under 10 minutes. We are excited to commercialize this game changing technology by supplying water-soluble THC and CBD solutions through our private label program", said Paul Pedersen, CEO of the Company. Nextleaf plans to seek patent protection around the Acquired IP and to develop a new patent family. The Company currently has a pending to issued patent allowance success rate of 100% (i.e. the Company has never received a final rejection from any patent office globally) compared with a cannabis sector average of less than 30%, with 12 issued patents related to the industrial-scale extraction and purification of cannabinoids. The Company remains committed to developing and monetizing its intellectual property portfolio through IP licensing, and supplying THC and CBD oils under private label through Nextleaf Labs, a Health Canada licensed Standard Processor. The Company started generating licensing royalties in 2019 from its previously announced agreement to license non-core IP. "For the past three years our team has focused on developing efficient, patented extraction technology to put distilled cannabinoids into IP-protected delivery formats such as beverages and edibles." said Pedersen. The developers behind the Acquired IP combine expert chemical engineering with tenured experience from one of the largest Canadian dairy product manufacturers. By meeting the second and final milestone defined in the agreement, Nextleaf will issue the developers 937,500 Nextleaf common shares at a price of $0.32 per share. About Nextleaf Solutions OILS is developing disruptive intellectual property for extraction, purification, and formulation of cannabinoids. The Company owns a portfolio of 12 issued patents pertaining to the industrial-scale production of high-purity, cannabinoid-rich distillate, the key ingredient used in the manufacturing of standardized THC and CBD based products. Nextleaf Solutions commercializes its intellectual property portfolio through IP licensing, and supplying THC and CBD oils through Nextleaf Labs, a Health Canada licensed Standard Processor. Nextleaf Solutions trades as OILS on the Canadian Securities Exchange, OILFF on the OTCQB Market in the United States, and L0MA on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Follow OILS across social media platforms: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. www.nextleafsolutions.com For further information, please contact: 604-283-2301 (ext. 201) [email protected] On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company, Paul Pedersen, CEO CAUTIONARY STATEMENT: Certain statements contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements". All statements other than statements of historical fact contained in this press release, including, without limitation, those regarding the Company's ability to capitalize on its IP portfolio and enter into agreements with third parties, expected market growth, and the Company's strategy, plans, objectives, goals and targets, and any statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words "believe", "expect", "aim", "intend", "plan", "continue", "will", "may", "would", "anticipate", "estimate", "forecast", "predict", "project", "seek", "should" or similar expressions or the negative thereof, are forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only the Company's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual results may differ materially from what is expressed, implied or forecasted in such forward-looking statements. Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially include, but are not limited to the risk factors discussed in the Company's MD&A for the most recent fiscal period. Management provides forward-looking statements because it believes they provide useful information to investors when considering their investment objectives and cautions investors not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements or factors contained herein, and there can be no assurance that the actual results or developments will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except as required by law. The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this press release. SOURCE Nextleaf Solutions Ltd. Related Links https://www.nextleafsolutions.com By Alexander Cornwell DOHA (Reuters) - The coronavirus epidemic will have a only a marginal impact on global travel demand and the airline industry is healthy enough to absorb any economic slowdown in China, the chief executive of British Airways parent IAG said on Wednesday. Dozens of airlines have suspended flights to China in response to the worsening health emergency that has killed close to 500, nearly all in the country, while a meeting of international aviation officials in Singapore was cancelled. "The aviation industry is very robust. We may see some marginal impact," IAG CEO Willie Walsh told reporters in Doha at a CAPA aviation summit. British Airways has suspended flights between London Heathrow and Beijing and Shanghai, which Walsh said represented around 1% of the airline's capacity. There had been no impact on the group's other airlines, including Ireland's Aer Lingus and Spain's Iberia. Walsh, who steps down in March, said he did not expect the virus to deter people from travelling. Asked if the industry was healthy enough to absorb a downturn in China's economy, he said: "without question" adding that airlines were more capable of responding to economic shocks than in the past. Qatar Airways, which owns a minority stake in IAG, has also cancelled passenger flights to China, though its chief executive said that was because other countries had placed entry restrictions on those who had recently visited China. Akbar al-Baker said that made it difficult to staff China flights because those staff would not be able to operate flights to some other countries for some time afterwards. A global airline lobby, the International Air Transport Association said it was too early to say how much the virus would impact the industry this year but is confident of a recovery. "This industry has demonstrated its ability to overcome these type of difficult events and overcome them successfully," Chief Executive Alexandre de Juniac told Reuters. (This story corrects Feb. 5 story to remove erroneous reference to non-British Airways IAG airlines not flying to China in paragraph five) (Reporting by Alexander Cornwell; Editing by Kirsten Donovan, Philippa Fletcher and David Evans) New Braunfels, TX (78130) Today Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 41F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Low 41F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. Jameela Jamil has come out as queer. The actress opened up about her sexuality in defense of her decision to serve as judge of HBO Max's upcoming Legendary, a nine-episode voguing competition show. After the show's announcement, some questioned why a non-Black person with no connection to or experience in the world of ballroom was judging a show dedicated to it. Explaining her timing, Jamil wrote "I kept it low because I was scared of being accused of performative bandwagon jumping, over something that caused me a lot of confusion, fear and turmoil when I was a kid. I didn't come from a family with *anyone* openly out. It's also scary as an actor to openly admit your sexuality, especially when you're already a brown female in your thirties. This is absolutely not how I wanted it to come out." Jamil acknowledged that "being queer doesn't qualify me as ballroom," but justified joining the show as a way of lending her celebrity and following to a marginalized topic: "I have privilege and power and a large following to bring to this show (as does the absolutely iconic Megan Thee Stallion,) and its beautiful contestants and ballroom hosts. Sometimes it takes those with more power to help a show get off the ground so we can elevate marginalized stars that deserve the limelight and give them a chance." She also referred to her years of experience as a TV presenter. She clarified, once again, that she is not the host of the show although she was originally referred to as the MC in a press release. Jamil called the press release "inaccurate." Either way, HBO appears to have rearranged the cast, or at very least the messaging, in response to the backlash. Jamil will judge alongside Megan Thee Stallion, Law Roach, and Leiomy Maldonado. Dashaun Wesley and DJ MikeQ will offer "commentary" and music respectively. Jamil also argued that as a "newcomer to ballroom," she'll be "a window in for people who are just discovering it." Jamil has empathy for those frustrated by her casting: "It's so fucking hard to be asked to continue to be patient after so long of waiting for what you want. I know that. South Asian stories are almost never told without white stars. But I hope you won't let a few castings designed to help get the show off the ground, stop you from supporting the talent from Ballroom on this show." T wo contenders to be mayor of London have accused the Government of burying its head in the sand over exclusions and backed the Evening Standards 1 million campaign to pilot on-site inclusion units at mainstream schools. Shaun Bailey, the Conservative candidate for mayor, accused ministers and top officials in the Department for Education of deluding themselves for refusing to acknowledge the very strong links between permanently excluded children and violent crime. Siobhan Benita, the Liberal Democrat candidate, said the DfE was being disingenuous and that their pushback against the reality of these links was unhelpful. Both candidates also said that while Mayor Sadiq Khan was facing in the right direction on exclusions, if elected they would want to build on the Standards initiative launched last month in the wake of a 70 per cent rise in permanent exclusions since 2012/13. Mr Bailey, 48, a former youth worker in the north Kensington area of west London, said: The Standards campaign is an exciting new development, but why has it taken us so long to focus on this? Its overdue. The whole system needs to change and we need a campaign because the DfE and the Government needs to be moved on this. If we want to reduce crime in London, we have got to tackle exclusions. Shaun Bailey / Getty Images For Mr Bailey, raised by his single mother on an estate in Ladbroke Grove, it is an area he has long been passionate about. As a youth worker for 25 years, I have supported over 500 young people who were permanently excluded to pupil referral units, he said. He added that the government line that the current system is not fuelling violence because youths are already involved in knife crime when sent to PRUs is flawed. People who say that dont know what they are talking about, they are deluding themselves, he said. My experience is that only a small percentage of children sent to PRUs are already involved in youth violence or drugs and gangs, and the majority are not. The trouble they get into accelerates enormously once they get to the PRU. If you put all the badly behaved kids together, what do you expect? I always tell parents: You got to get your kid out of the PRU. He added: The Standards approach of funding on-site inclusion units, also known as nurture units, is extremely effective. I know this because I am a governor of Phoenix Academy in White City and we have massively cut exclusions since we created an on-site nurture unit 18 months ago. The goal should always be to keep children in mainstream education. As mayor, I would expand the Standards pilot by seeking corporate sponsorship to roll it out, commission an independent study to see what works and then ask the DfE to fund it. Siobhan Benita / Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images Ms Benita, 48, who helped write the cross-party youth violence commission 2018 interim report that highlighted the need to drive down exclusions to reduce youth violence, also backed our campaign. She said: The cost of children placed in alternative provision or PRUs [up to 25,000 per child in London] is ridiculously high and it makes sense for government to direct funding away from PRUs to mainstream schools to help them create on-site nurture units, as the Standard is championing. It is easy to label children as badly behaved and shove them off to a PRU. But its much harder to look at children through a lens of kindness and assess the underlying issues and help children deal with those instead of passing the problem somewhere else. She added: If I become mayor, I will develop a proper inclusions policy for London. I will organise an exclusions summit. I will highlight the good work done by schools that are adopting the nurture unit model. Both candidates acknowledge that the Mayor and Education Secretary are facing in opposite directions on exclusions. In November, Sadiq Khan announced funding of 1.5 million over two years for an inclusive schools programme in hotspot boroughs. The criticism from his challengers is not that he should change tack, but that he should be doing more. The DfE maintains it has no interest in driving down exclusions or redirecting PRU funding to mainstream schools to set up inclusion units. A DfE spokesman told the Standard: The Education Secretary has been clear that his ambition is exactly the same for pupils excluded from school and being taught in alternative provision, as it is for those in mainstream education. We are investing in alternative provision to raise standards so we can break the mould for these young people. But with just one in 100 PRU pupils achieving a strong pass in GCSE English and maths, critics say ministerial talk of equal ambition for excluded pupils sounds like hollow rhetoric. And Mr Bailey is not the only prominent Conservative to think so. Last week Lord Agnew, parliamentary under-secretary of state for the school system, was quick to repeat the DfE line when asked about exclusions in the House of Lords. But when challenged by peers, including fellow Conservative Lord Baker, the former education secretary under Margaret Thatcher, who called the high rate of exclusions a disgrace and implored the Government to look again at the whole principle of exclusion, Lord Agnew admitted a different tack might be best and that behind the scenes conversations were going on. He said: Active thinking is going on with our larger academy trusts about creating their own [on-site] provisions [inclusion units] so that they own the problem. In the longer term, this is probably a more useful solution, as it means that the system is better joined up. Could this be evidence of new thinking at the DfE? A spokesman said: Excluding a pupil from school should be a last resort, but we will always back heads and teachers to bring discipline to the classroom for the benefit of every childs education. It was their regular position restated. But how long can they resist piloting inclusion units that have been so successful in cities like Glasgow and in London schools like Dunraven? Blank glass facades and 'for lease' signs pepper Brisbane's streets as smaller retailers struggle to keep afloat in a tightening economy, prompting the sector to urge people to put down the phone and walk into the shops. Shopping centres post discreet notices about inquiries for leasing tacked low to empty windows, as retail chains with proud names join a string of high-profile closures. Empty shops and low foot traffic along Racecourse Road have worried business owners. Credit:Lucy Stone Commuters waiting at bus stops turn their backs to signs promising newly refurbished spaces and landlords keen to treaty. Restaurants and bars that trumpeted their arrival just months ago now sit shuttered, and shoppers opt to stay at home rather than trawl the streets. Further afield, in suburbs such as Hamilton and Ascot, small businesses feeling the pinch have blamed roadworks and greedy landlords for rows of vacant windows - but that may not be the whole picture. There are numerous political, social, and religious solitudes in the world, disparate groups of various degrees of insularity that gather around a creed or an ideology. They hold their truths to be sacrosanct and by extension reject the beliefs of others as being wrong or even heretical. Its generally inevitable and to a large extent its harmless, but it can also be cultish and worrying. Canadian conservatism has a long and noble history, and managed to carve out a moderate pragmatism personified by red Tory premiers and prime ministers who rejected what was sometimes a bellicose and raw nationalism that came from their comrades south of the border. That, alas, has changed. Conservative leadership front-runners Erin OToole and Peter MacKay, neither of them considered extreme in the past, have produced high emotion ads about, for example, life sentences, Canadians as warriors, and taking back the country from whom we are not told. The context to all this is that both men realize that to win the party though not the country they have to appeal to what are regrettably base and uninformed opinions. Theyre far from fools, and neither are their advisers, and they know that its to the reactionary class that they have to aim their slogans. This conservative collective has taken as self-evident a set of beliefs that are at best distorted and often downright lies. First, there is mass and uncontrolled migration, with people flooding over borders. In fact, immigration is strictly limited, and Canadas policy has been far more successful and selective than that of most Western countries. Immigration has always benefited Canada, and as well as the economic arguments, the reality is that newcomers embrace national pride and citizenship to a staggering degree. Second, rising crime is so intense that cities are now unsafe. As cities grow, crime will follow suit. Thats an inescapable fact of urban life. But our major cities are surprisingly safe, especially compared to those in the U.S.; which, paradoxically, is the model that many on the new right so admire. Third, the Liberal government is hard-left. My friends in the NDP always find this one to be particularly amusing. This is a centrist government, with an admirable commitment to social justice but hardly socialist or revolutionary. Fourth, our freedoms are disappearing. This is little more than hysteria from far-right blogs. There is a certain issue with freedom of expression, especially on campus, but much of this is about the redistribution of power, and those who have long enjoyed a casual dominance suddenly being challenged. Its at a clumsy stage, but change has to breathe, and we should remember that the freedom to abuse and demean is not freedom for the victim. Fifth, the CBC is militantly liberal, must be defunded. I once thought this, but after more direct experience Ive been impressed at how committed to balance the broadcaster is, even being surprised at how many conservative voices are used. Its interesting that the left complain about the CBC almost as much as do the right, which is surely a sign that the broadcaster is doing its job. Sixth, the warning of climate change is always inflated, and perhaps a hoax. Its difficult to know just how to react to this. The issue should be post-political, and concern planet rather than party. This is about science and fact, not opinion and ideology, and we have very little time left to do what is essential. Seventh, the government is intent on taking away legal firearms. No, it doesnt want to and couldnt even if it did. Other countries have far stricter gun control than Canada, and its only the U.S. that has an obsession with an anachronistic and misunderstood law regarding gun ownership. The gun crime and murder rate in that country is tragically and obscenely high. Throw in a gang of nonsensical and frequently deeply offensive references to libtards, snowflakes, virtue signalling, and liberalism is a mental disorder, and we have a perfect backcloth to irrational and dysfunctional politics, and even the potential for violence. Its up to politicians to show a better way and to improve the level of discourse and the health of the body politic. Over to you. The first days of the first week of the 2022 election year have been filled with a flurry of announcements of leaders leaving and candidates c Intertek, a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, shared some insightful statistics on corporate sustainability at the Middle East Sustainability Forum in Dubai. The statistics which were uncovered in a study carried out with 550 business leaders in the UK, showed that three out of every four companies take risks without assessing their entire supply chains sustainability performance, and two out of three admitted they face significant pressure to improve their sustainability performance. Speaking at the Forum, Samir Ahmed, Director of Business Assurance at Intertek Gulf & Pakistan Region, said: Organisations are facing increasing challenges from the growing complexities of meeting their sustainability goals across their supply chains, from higher consumer expectations of corporate responsibility to the ever increasing regulatory landscape. Consumers, investors, and regulators are now asking companies to meaningfully demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. In todays world, companies are expected to independently verify and certify their end-to-end commitment to sustainability, in order to validate their sustainability stewardship. Ahmed explained: Management system standards play an important role not only in this verification and certification process but also in establishing a culture of proactive analysis of risks across the organisations operations. There are various sustainability-related management system standards that organisations can implement, and they range from Environment, Energy, Procurement, Sustainability Management for Events and Hotels, Knowledge Management, Business Continuity as well as Anti-bribery. These are just some of the sustainability solutions that are core to Interteks global business, helping our clients ensure quality, safety and sustainability across their entire value chain. Interteks integrated Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions help organisations understand, achieve and validate their existing and emerging sustainability goals throughout their operational and corporate footprint- for their products, assets, facilities, systems, processes and environment. In addition to the more than 130 operational sustainability certifications, the company offers 10 corporate sustainability certifications designed to verify specific business issues that can help companies achieve Total Sustainability Assurance across their entire footprint. -- Tradearabia News Service The remote village of Nunam Iqua is located about 160 miles northwest of Bethel. (AccuWeather) Four children between the ages of 2 and 14 were found alive, but suffering from severe hypothermia, on Monday after becoming lost in a blizzard for 27 hours near Nunam Iqua, Alaska, a remote community with a population of less than 200, according to the 2010 census. Alaska State Troopers have identified the children as 14-year-old Christopher Johnson, 8-year-old Frank Johnson, 7-year-old Ethan Camille, and 2-year-old Trey Camille. KTUU-TV reported that when the children were found they were "cold, hungry and tired." All four children were taken to Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation (YKHS) in Bethel, about 160 miles to the south and east, to be treated. By Thursday, two of the children were released and one remains in YKHS. Another child was taken to Alaska Native Medical Center (ANMC) in Anchorage, The Washington Post reported. According to Karen Camille, the mother of three of the children and sister of the fourth child, the boys are expected to make a full recovery. "I just asked how they're doing, and they said they're good and they just want me to go to them," Camille told Alaska Public Media. Shirley Young, a spokesperson for ANMC in Anchorage, confirmed to Alaska Public Media the 7-year-old was receiving treatment at the center, and said his conditions are "serious but stable." Search team members, which included Alaska State Troopers, U.S. Coast Guard, National Guard and volunteer groups, rode snowmobiles as they combed the area for the boys amid difficult conditions due to heavy snow and low visibility. Emmonak Search and Rescue, one of the volunteer groups involved in the rescue efforts, said in a Tuesday Facebook post that the children were found. "Last night, throughout the night and all day the state of Alaska was so worried for the 4 children from Nunam, with prayers from everyone and the searchers from the villages they were found safe," the post read. Story continues Herschel Sundown, a member of one of the volunteer search teams and formerly a health aide, assessed the childrens' conditions on the scene, according to Alaska Public Media. One boy was found wearing soaked sweatpants and another did not have gloves on, he said. The children had survived by digging a foot-deep and three-foot-wide hole in the snow. The older children huddled together around to 2-year-old to keep him warm, Alaska Public Media reported. "The infant was in there," Bryan Simon, another volunteer rescuer, told Alaska Public Media. "And the boy laid over the infant, and on his left side, a little older boy covering the draft. And the 7-year-old was laying right above them like he was blocking the wind." Members of the search team gave the boys their parkas, draped a tarp over top and joined their huddle to try and keep them warm while waiting for a rescue helicopter to arrive and take them to the hospital. Rescuers reportedly heard the helicopter within 15 minutes. Members of the Alaska State Troopers along with rescuers from the U.S. Coast Guard, National Guard, and volunteer groups combed the snow-covered terrain for the missing children. (Facebook / Alaska State Troopers) The children were reported missing at around 6:45 p.m. on Sunday night after they left to go on a snowmobile ride. They were found at 4:25 p.m. on Monday about 18 miles south of Nunam Iqua. Camille spoke to KTUU-TV, and told the TV station that the search went on until 2 a.m. on Monday, and then continued again in the morning around dawn. Alaska State Troopers said the conditions of the blizzard made the search difficult, according to The Associated Press. "And it's just the angle that we came in that we were able to spot them," Sundown told Alaska Public Media. "We didn't think we would find them, but we did." CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Paul Walker, the temperature on Sunday night was in the single digits, staying around 2 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit in Nome, Alaska, which is about 137 miles north of Nunum Iqua and the closest weather observation station to the remote community. Walker said winds were blowing at around 25-30 mph and it was snowing, which decreased visibility and could have disoriented the children. A winter weather warning had been in effect in the area. Overnight, the AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature plunged as low as minus 20 to minus 30 F. In the morning, Walker said the RealFeel would have been around minus 15 F. Walker called their survival "amazing." "I don't know the odds of them surviving that," he said, "but they were pretty lucky." Alphonso Thomas, the father of 2-year-old Trey, told KTUU-TV that hearing the news of what had happened "immediately brought him to tears." "I never would have thought that he would make it," he said. "Being 2 and with weather like that, people usually don't make it ... tough kids, all of them." Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. CHERRY HILL, N.J. and NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A trend known as "gray divorce," the increasing rate of divorce for those over 50 years old, along with prolonged life expectancy and rising healthcare costs, are impacting financial planning, specifically estate planning. A recent survey conducted by TD Wealth at the 54th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning found that 40% of respondents, comprised of estate planners and attorneys, said that gray divorce is causing a rise in family conflict, already a significant challenge within estate planning. "In addition to prolonged life expectancy and rising healthcare costs, this upward trend around couples divorcing over the age of 50 has created a recent swirl among the estate planning industry," says Ray Radigan, Head of Private Trust at TD Wealth. "Gray divorce is adding another layer of complexity to the estate planning process that already arises with blended families, designation of heirs and the everchanging domestic structures. As a result, it's more important than ever to proactively review and discuss the estate plans with our clients and their families on an ongoing basis." Furthermore, 39% of survey respondents identified retirement planning and funding as a highly impacted factor of estate planning for those divorcing over the age of 50. Gray divorce is also having an impact on determining who will be responsible for enacting power of attorney (7%), determining appropriate social security benefits (6%), and drafting of a will (5%). In addition to the impact of gray divorce, the TD Wealth survey also explored the more traditional causes of family conflict when engaging in estate planning and found that not communicating the estate plan with family members is the most common cause of conflict (43%), followed by dealing with blended families (29%). Only 13% of respondents cited designation of beneficiaries as a cause for conflict in 2020, compared to 30% in 2019. "There are a number of external influences that we must keep in mind to ensure effective estate plans," Radigan adds. "While the purpose of estate planning is concrete, the factors and threats involved are far from it. The goal for any estate planner should be to effectively cut through the noise and distractions to build stable plans with our clients and their loved ones." Tax Reform and Rising Healthcare Costs Join Family Conflict as 2020 Threats to Estate Planning: For two consecutive years (2018 and 2019), family conflict was identified as the leading threat to estate planning, however, 2020 proved to be a different story. This year's survey revealed that estate planners are split among multiple concerns that include: family conflict (25%); tax reform (25%); prolonged life expectancy and increased healthcare costs (25%), respectively. As the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act continues to have a real wide-spread effect on estates and trusts, estate planners are reconsidering the implementation of traditional strategies to work with the exemption, rather than treat it as an obstacle. Thirty-nine percent (39%) of respondents suggest to clients to gift now when exemption is high. However, 23% of respondents suggest advising clients to consider trusts to protect assets from future claims, and 20% suggest planning to minimize future capital gains tax consequences. "With changes among family structure and tax policies, paired with the fact that people are living longer with rising healthcare costs, the estate planning industry has to reflect these factors in their approach," Radigan says. "Even though there is a higher exemption on 'gifting' now, we are advising some clients to consider retaining more now because people are living longer, and those associated costs are impacting their estate plans." Survey Methodology The total sample includes 112 survey respondents who attended the 54th Annual Heckerling Institute on Estate Planning , including attorneys, trust officers, accountants, charitable giving professionals, insurance advisors, elder law specialists, wealth management professionals, educators and non-profit advisors. The survey was fielded January 13-14, 2020. About TD Wealth Through TD Bank N.A.,TD Wealth's Private Client Group and its affiliates work with mass affluent and high net worth individuals and institutions to help build, preserve and transition wealth. TD Wealth is committed to helping personal investors, institutional and non-profit organizations gather and potentially grow their assets by building long-lasting relationships, and is affiliated with one of the 10 largest financial institutions in the U.S., TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank. From private banking, securities, investment advisory services, private trust, and estate planning, to institutional trust, including retirement planning, captive insurance and trustee services, TD Wealth creates and delivers customized and integrated wealth management solutions. Banking, investment and trust services are available through TD Bank. Securities and investment advisory products are available through TD Private Client Wealth LLC, member FINRA/SIPC (TDPCW).TD Wealth is a service mark of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. For more information, visit http://www.tdbank.com/investments . TD Wealth is not a tax or legal advisor. You must consult with your own tax and legal advisors for specific advice pertaining to your estate planning needs. About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 9 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,200 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.td.com/us . Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US . TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com/us . SOURCE TD Wealth Related Links http://www.td.com/us By Aaron Kesel One year ago in January, a Chinese robot landed on the dark side of the moon. Since then, the Change 4 probe and the Yutu-2 rover it carried onboard have been busy photographing and scanning minerals, growing yeast, hatching fruit-fly eggs, and cultivating cotton, potato, and rapeseeds in the moons low gravity, according to the Daily Beast. Now, Chinas National Space Administration is quietly planning to launch yet another probe into space. Change 5 could blast off as early as this year. Last year, TMU reported that the Yutu-2 rover came across a strange gel-like substance which the Chinese began to study extensively. The Chinese space agency has continued to work on its Tiangong 3 space station and is planning on testing a new manned spacecraft for deep-space missions. That permanent station will reach orbit aboard the countrys new Long March 5B rocket in the first half of 2020, AFP reported. The mission will not be associated with the International Space Station. It is worth noting that China and Europe both planned on building a moon base together in a move of international collaboration back in 2017. Europe and Russia are also eyeing plans to send a probe to the dark side of the moon to determine if they should build a moon base on the far side of the lunar surface. And the U.S. hasnt been quiet when it comes to the space race either with the introduction of Space Force and plans of its own for a joint base with Russia. For the U.S., this space race to build a moon base is nothing new. A project known as Horizon was supposedly a plan drawn up in the 1950s that seemingly depicts the blueprints for a base on the moon. Project Horizon sought to establish a stationary Army control base on the moon by 1966 but the operation was allegedly shut down and canceled and the idea never materialized further. It was reported in a joint announcement by NASA and Russias Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities that the U.S. and Russia wanted to build a moon base the same year that Europe and China announced their cooperation. However, the current plan with Russia resembles another previous proposal called the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) which ironically was suggested during the Cold War. Russia and the U.S. now seek to revive that plan with a base that will orbit the moon similar to how the International Space Station moves around Earth. The MOL ran from December 1963 until its alleged cancellation in June 1969. Its mission was to use an elite corps of secret U.S. astronauts to gather intelligence on the Soviets during the Cold War. NASA and the Russian space agency Roscosmos stated the partnership was for human exploration of the moon and deep space. Both agencies signed a joint statement on the collaborative effort. It all stemmed from NASAs deep-space gateway concept, a mission architecture designed to send astronauts into lunar orbit by 2020. This plan challenges our current capabilities in human spaceflight and will benefit from engagement by multiple countries and U.S. industry, NASA officials said in a statement at the time. NASA also had plans leak last year showing that they wanted to develop their own lunar surface base, which is now being threatened by a U.S. House panel. The status of plans between Russia and the U.S. as well as China and Europe are currently public and either could be canceled for reasons of political tensions or something else before they see the light of day. China, the United States, Russia and Europe are all discussing whether to build a research base or a research station on the moon, Wu Yanhua, deputy chief commander of Chinas Lunar Exploration Program said. The bigger worry isnt space explorationit is weaponizing space. The New York Times reported in 2015 that space could be the next war zone, warning about the implications of weaponizing space in an opinion piece literally titled Preventing A Space War. (CNN Philippines, February 6) The World Health Organization (WHO) said that it is wrong to impose a blanket travel ban to and from China amid the outbreak of 2019 novel coronavirus. The statement came after the United Kingdom asked Britons to leave China, where the virus originated. We encourage all countries to make their decisions based on evidence, not just a blanket coverage. Because even in China, there are provinces with very few cases, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a press briefing at Geneva, Switzerland. The WHO already called on countries not to impose travel ban and trade restrictions over coronavirus, citing that this may only increase the fear and stigma within the international community. Ghebreyesus noted that a large portion of 2019-nCoV cases are only in the Hubei province, the epicenter of the virus. Considering China, as if the problem is the same in all provinces, could be wrong and it's wrong. For instance, 80% cases in China are from Hubei province. So that blanket approach may not help, he said. There are more than 30 countries which have imposed travel ban in China. The WHO reported that there are 24, 363 confirmed cases in China and 490 deaths. Outside China, there are 191 cases in more than 25 countries. The relatively small number of cases outside China gives us a window of opportunity to prevent this outbreak from becoming a broader global crisis, said Ghebreyesus. World Bank chief economist Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg will return to teaching economics at Yale University. (AFP/Nicholas Kamm) Calling it a "difficult decision," Goldberg wrote that she will step down from her post on Mar 1 to return to teaching at Yale University. "This has been a rewarding experience, to work with you on the issues that we care deeply about and ensure that development economics serves to create opportunities for the poor," she told her colleagues in the letter. In a separate letter, World Bank President David Malpass said research director Aart Kraay would take over for Goldberg until a new permanent chief economist is hired. "I appreciated Penny's passion for building the institution's connection to state-of-the-art academic research and her commitment to drawing young talented economists to the bank, an effort that will continue beyond her departure," Malpass wrote. A Greek-American national, Goldberg took up her post at the end of April 2018, after the resignation of Paul Romer following a controversy over the World Bank's statistical methods. A graduate of University of Freiburg in Germany and Stanford University in the United States, Goldberg was the first editor in chief of the American Economic Review and taught economics at Yale before joining the bank. There, she studied global value chains, and in a report published last October showed how poor countries could transform their economies by specializing in the manufacture of a particular component rather than building entire industries from scratch. State senators on Thursday introduced a bill that would require that patients suffering acute mental health symptoms get treatment without waiting for prior authorization, roll out a pilot program for tele-psychiatry in schools and implement other reforms to improve access to behavioral health services. The Senate Democrats mental health legislation, which was drafted over several months, adds another approach to addressing the gaps in the states mental health system. The Baker administration introduced its own bill to increase spending on behavioral health and primary care in October. Senate President Karen Spilka said Thursday morning that lawmakers sought a standalone bill dedicated to mental health, rather than one that tackles the health care sector overall. We were able to do a much deeper dive into the systems because of it and address more, said Spilka, an Ashland Democrat. There is some overlap clearly from what the governor put in his bill. We all have been talking to the a lot of the same providers, advocates, insurers and people ... so there are themes that have come up. For Spilka, the bill is personal. She recalled the toll World War II took on her father, and how his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder went untreated for years. The closest Spilka and her mother got to adequate treatment was an appointment with a mental health provider who, without seeing her father, prescribed a tranquilizer. There were a lot of positives as well as some clearly hard times, but this is who I am now, and I often say Im not certain I would be a senator, let alone senate president now but for going through those years and building the resilience and the strengths of growing up in the family that I grew up in, Spilka said Thursday morning. Senate President Karen Spilka The Senate president introduced the bill beside Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues, as well as the authors of the bill, Sens. Julian Cyr and Cindy Friedman. Both Cyr and Friedman have spoken openly about their struggles seeking mental health treatment for them or their family. The bill aims to improve how mental health care is provided and reimbursed at the same level as basic medical care; recruit more behavioral health providers and streamline their path to licensure and credentialing; and programs to increase access to treatment for high school students, patients in rural areas and individuals suffering from psychiatric emergencies. Mental health care has long been treated as the lesser step-child of the health care system," said Sen. Cindy Friedman, an Arlington Democrat and one of the authors of the bill. Friedman, who has spoken out about her childs mental health treatment, described the system as disconnected, difficult and expensive in its current form. For many families with loved ones in need of mental health care, finding that care is impossible, she said. One of the provisions in the bill is a tele-behavioral health pilot program. The program would offer tele-behavioral health services in three public high schools, based on a program run through Heywood Hospital in the northwest corner of the state. That program is funded through a federal grant. The bill does not include a mandate on hospitals or clinics to increase their spending on behavioral health, like the Baker administrations bill does. The Health Policy Commission, in its annual cost trends report, listed increased spending on behavioral health and primary care services as one of its 15 policy recommendations. I really applaud the governor and the secretary for really talking about integration in a way that, I think a lot of talk about integration, but a lot needs to happen to get to true integration, said Sen. Julian Cyr, a Truro Democrat. The bill would mandate a study on the use of carve-outs, where insurers contract mental health benefit managers, as well as a study reviewing cultural competency. The latter study would analyze how many providers can cater to the needs of people of color, the LGBTQ community and other underserved populations. Other provisions aim to make the mental health care system easier for providers to navigate. In addition to higher reimbursements, the bill would require insurers to accept a standardized set of credentialing forms from mental health providers. It would also require them to approve or deny them within 20 days; the current process takes months at a time. It also creates an interim licensure program, pilots a fellowship for mental health nurse practitioners and pilots a mental health workforce pipeline. Cyr estimated the workforce pilot would start with 20 college graduates if the bill were enacted. Lora Pellegrini, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Association of Health Plans, said the Senate bill would bring the state closer to making insurers and providers comply with the standards set by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. We believe it is imperative that the entire health care system, not simply health plans, be responsible for helping us reach our shared goals of treating mental illness the same way we treat physical illness, using evidence-based standards and best practices to ensure optimal outcomes for patients," Pellegrini said in a statement. Lawmakers have passed some fixes to address some of the biggest complaints. The childrens wellness law that was enacted in the fall requires insurers to keep their online provider directories updated, effectively killing the ghost networks, and allows children who age out of foster care to stay on MassHealth. The Legislatures fiscal 2020 budget, passed 22 days after the end of the fiscal year, included a loan forgiveness program for behavioral health workers and a time limit on when insurance can claw back payments they already made to outpatient behavioral health providers. The Senate plans to introduce another bill that addresses another part of the health care sector later in the spring, Spilka said. Related Content: NEW YORK Prosecutors in Harvey Weinsteins rape trial rested their case Thursday after more than two weeks of testimony punctuated by harrowing accounts from six women, including some who said he ignored pleas of no, no, no and justified his behavior as the cost of getting ahead in Hollywood. Now Weinsteins lawyers will start calling witnesses of their own as the landmark celebrity trial moves one step closer to a verdict. They havent said whether Weinstein himself will testify. Doing so could bring big risks because prosecutors would be able to grill him about each of the allegations that jurors have already heard about in vivid detail. Weinstein attorney Donna Rotunno immediately asked the judge to dismiss the case, arguing that testimony from the woman he is charged with raping does not in any way show a forcible act by Mr. Weinstein. The judge rejected the request. Among the witnesses the defense is expected to call is a psychologist who specializes in human memory. The defense is looking to raise doubts about the womens recollections of encounters that in some cases are more than a decade or two old. The criminal charges at the trial in New York City are based on two allegations: that Weinstein raped a woman in March 2013 and that he forced oral sex on another woman in 2006. The allegations against Weinstein helped fuel the #MeToo movement. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison. Weinstein, 67, maintains that any sexual encounters were consensual but taking the witness to say so could be risky. I tell my clients once you take the stand you have lost your shield which is me, and you are on your own, said defense lawyer Brian McMonagle, who helped secure a mistrial in Bill Cosbys first sexual assault trial in 2017. Cosby was later convicted. Prosecutors ended their case after the last of the other accusers allowed to testify finished telling jurors about about an encounter with the disgraced movie mogul in 2013. Lauren Marie Young, a model from suburban Philadelphia, testified that Weinstein invited her to his Beverly Hills hotel room, lured her to the bathroom, stripped off his clothes, pulled down her dress and groped her breast. Her allegation is part of a criminal case that was filed against Weinstein in California just as this trial was getting underway. Additional women, including Young, have been allowed to testify in the New York case as prosecutors attempt to show there was a practiced method to Weinsteins attacks, including inviting women to his hotel room to discuss business, then disrobing and demanding sexual favors. Michael R. Sisak and Tom Hays are Associated Press writers. Sit back, relax and crack open a cold one. PEOPLE can exclusively announce The Busch Family Brewed, a new reality show coming to MTV and from the looks of the teaser, were in for a beery good time. (Sorry, couldnt help ourselves.) The 10-episode series follows the descendants of the legendary Busch beer family as they live it up on their over-the-top, 700-acre estate. The new generation of founders and original owners of the iconic brand includes father Billy Busch Sr. (great-grandson of beer king Adolphus-Busch), his wife Christi and their seven children ranging in age from 12 to 28: Billy Jr., the responsible one; Haley, the sweet one; Abbey, the wild child; Gussie, the ladies man; Grace, the blunt one; Maddie, the wise one; and Peter, the baby. MTV With recent approval to break ground on a new craft brewery on their property the first for the family in over 150 years the Buschs now have a place to create their own original beer. But with nine lovable, rowdy people under one roof, chaos inevitably ensues. From breakups to big moves, huge changes are on the horizon for the Busch kids, and its up to matriarch Christi to maintain the peace. According to Forbes, the family sold Anheuser-Busch in 2008 to Belgium-based company InBev. The Busch Family Brewed premieres with back-to-back episodes on March 5 at 9 p.m. ET on MTV. (UPDATE: State police now investigating fight between Eric Mays and Flint staffer) FLINT, MI Flint City Councilman Eric Mays claims he was attacked Wednesday evening at a local bar by a member of Mayor Sheldon Neeleys staff. But the administration is alleging Mays is the one who flung insults at DuVarl Murdock, the citys deputy chief of staff, leading to a physical confronation between the pair. After being asked to leave Wednesday nights city council meeting due to what a statement from the administration calls disorderly conduct, Mays told MLive-The Flint Journal he went with a group of friends to Rubes Bar & Grill on North Chevrolet Avenue. According to Mays, he made the decision to leave the meeting because nobody was listening to the rules. The statement from Neeleys office says: Murdock said Mays unleashed a series of insults and threats of violence at him, including I am going to whoop your ***. Mays then approached Murdock in a hostile fashion and Murdock defended himself, per the statement. Mays offered a different version of events. He said Murdock began slapping me on the face like the Godfather. He admits to words being exchanged, but Mays said Murdock slammed him on the ground, got on top of him, and began punching away. The two men were in a verbal altercation at a different location in December, Mays said. Rube's Bar and Grill, located at 1117 N. Chevrolet Ave. in Flint. (Jake May | MLive.com) On Wednesday night, Mays says he called 911 and two Flint police officers arrived at the scene and took his statement. Mays then went to Hurley Medical Center for evaluation of scrapes on his back, he said. Im in shock, said Mays of the incident. Ive been in politics for 40 years and never been physically violent with anybody. The statement from the city notes Mays was asked to leave the establishment while Murdock was allowed to stay once police arrived. The statement also called the situation "even more inexcusable behavior by Councilman Eric Mays and noted that Wednesdays meeting is the second time in a row the councilman has been asked to leave. This behavior is shameful and he is an embarrassment, the city administrations statement reads. We hope City Council will intervene to stop Mays ongoing mistreatment and harassment of City of Flint employees. Murdock has filed a criminal report against Mays, according to the statement. Mays said he is also hoping for justice. He hopes the Genesee County Prosecutors Office will review the incident for possible charges. He has a zero-tolerance policy toward violent behavior. I dont want anybody in City Hall with these violent tendencies, he said. Flint Police Chief Phil Hart said he wasnt aware of the situation when reached on Thursday. The bars owner declined to comment. (Heres the sign-up, if you dont already get California Today delivered to your inbox.) The Doomsday Clock has ticked 20 seconds closer to midnight. The clock is a symbol of how close we are to destroying our world using dangerous technologies of our own making, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the nonprofit organization and publication that controls the clock. The closer it moves to midnight, the closer we are to Armageddon. When the clock was created in 1947, the dangers were mostly about nuclear weapons proliferating after World War II. But in the decades since, the definition has expanded to include climate change and other disruptions caused by humans. Recently, the Bulletin moved the Doomsday Clock forward, from two minutes to 100 seconds to midnight. TWIN FALLS Attracting new business is hard work, a Burley official said. And he should know the city has attracted a lot of new business in the past few years. There are some people who believe (growth) just happens, Burley Economic Development Director Doug Manning said. Anyone who believes that is naive. Manning was the keynote speaker at this years Making it in the Magic Valley luncheon Wednesday in Twin Falls. Idaho Power and the Times-News sponsor the annual event, which honors businesses that give back to the community. A special section in Sundays Times-News will feature the 12 award winners. Manning said Burley has essentially reinvented itself in the past few decades, shifting from a town that relied heavily on a couple of potato and beet processing plants, to a rapidly growing city with much more business diversity although agriculture is still the backbone of the local economy. There was a time when Burley business owners resisted growth, for fear of being outcompeted by newcomers. That attitude was an impediment to progress in Mannings eyes. Its proven time and time again that without competition, businesses stagnate, he said. They get better if theres competition. 1998 was a turning point, Manning said, a time when more progressive city leaders took office and began to work on recruiting big companies. He also pointed to 2003, the year the Simplot processing plant left the area, as a pivotal time for the community. Burley and Heyburn were thrown into an economic tailspin, Manning said. We lost about 750 full-time jobs. The community has bounced back and then some since Simplot left. In recent years, Burley has recruited Dot Foods, Dow Chemical, Fabri-Kal, Gossner Foods and McCain Foods, just to name a few. In all, Manning said 21 new businesses have moved to Burley, or expanded there in the past few years. Hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign and domestic investment continue to roll into the Mini-Cassia. Theres no secret to attracting business, Manning said. But there are some keys. First, make a good first impression. After that, make the whole relocation or expansion process as easy as possible. Help companies get the necessary permits quickly and painlessly, Manning said. Tax incentives and infrastructure assistance are other big reasons Burley has been able to stand out. The incentives are huge for us, Manning said. The most important thing we have is Urban Renewal. In general, Manning said cities have to be nimble. If you dont progress, he said, you slide backwards. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A leading Corbynista MP was ridiculed last night after suggesting that Labour Party members should be allowed to decide if the party will support the nation going to war. Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon, who is standing for deputy leader of the party, said he wanted to change the rules to allow members to have a vote before it backs military action by British Armed Forces. The Hard-left figure, who is backed by Jeremy Corbyn's top team, is understood to want the policy to continue even if Labour won the next election and went into government. This would potentially hand 580,000 left-wing party members a veto over Britain's foreign policy - with a caveat that it can be over-ruled in a 'genuine national emergency' or where a conflict has UN approval. This afternoon fellow leadership contender Lisa Nandy weighed in, defending liberal interventionism. Asked for her views during a meeting in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, Ms Nandy said: 'I think Robin Cook would be ashamed of where we may end up as a party. 'I couldn't disagree with him (Richard Burgon) more. Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon said he wanted to change the party rules to allow members to have a vote before it backs military action by British Armed Forces He used an interview with the Guardian to accuse Labour moderates who backed military action in Syria (RAF fighters pictured in 2015) of 'strutting about like frustrated Churchills' Leading Corbynista leadership candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey appeared to distance herself from the idea last night 'At times in our history, there have been moments where we have had to stand up and go and protect people all over the world.' Giving the example of the devastating civil conflict in Rwanda, in the 1990s, she said: 'Those people cannot wait for us to ballot Labour party members.' Ian Murray, who is standing against Mr Burgon, branded it a 'reckless proposal that will do nothing to regain the trust of the public'. 'Part of the reason we lost the last two elections is because people didn't trust our leadership when it came to national security this is the worst possible way to address that problem,' the Edinburgh MP said. The idea is so extreme that even leading Corbynista leadership candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey appeared to distance herself from it last night. She told ITV's Peston: 'It's interesting, I've not seen the detail of that yet, I just saw it in the car coming over, so I'll have to have a chat with Richard and find out what his plan is for that.' Fellow leadership contender Lisa Nandy defended liberal interventionism, saying: ''At times in our history, there have been moments where we have had to stand up and go and protect people all over the world' Mr Burgon is a member of the Stop The War Coalition, which has been criticised for opposing all Western military action but turning a blind eye to armed actions carried out by Russia and other non-Western states. Although he is a long way behind deputy leadership front-runner Angela Rayner he is backed by leading members of the Corbyn project, including John McDonnell and Diane Abbott. He told an event in Oxford last night that Labour was 'scarred by the experience of the Iraq War' and used an interview with the Guardian to accuse Labour moderates who backed military action in Syria of 'strutting about like frustrated Churchills'. 'No decision is more important for a political party than whether or not to support military action,' he said in Oxford. 'It is right that if the Labour Party wants to back military action then it must have the explicit backing of the Party's members. 'Never again should Labour members have the shame of having to protest ''Not in my name'' against their own party.' He was supported by shadow home secretary Ms Abbott, who said: 'The essence of Jeremy Corbyn's politics is peace abroad, social justice at home. 'Richard Burgon becomes first deputy leadership candidate to speak out on peace.' On the penultimate day of campaigning for the Delhi polls on Wednesday, the AAP, the Congress and the BJP slugged it out over issues ranging from the amended citizenship law, appeasement politics and unemployment. New Delhi: On the penultimate day of campaigning for the Delhi polls on Wednesday, the AAP, the Congress and the BJP slugged it out over issues ranging from the amended citizenship law, appeasement politics and unemployment. The Congress fielded its leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to attack the AAP and the BJP, even as a war of words escalated between the BJP and the AAP which traded barbs over the Shaheen Bagh shooter. On Tuesday, police had said that Kapil Baisala, the man who opened fire at Shaheen Bagh protest site last week, was an AAP worker. Addressing a press conference, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said that if Baisala was even remotely connected to the his party then he should be given a "double punishment". "I am not aware of his (Baisala's ties) with the any political party. If he is even remotely connected to the AAP, he should be given double punishment. There should be no compromise on national security," he said. Attacking home minister Amit Shah, Kejriwal said that sending police officers for a press conference exposed his "ill-intent". Meanwhile, a BJP delegation, headed by Union minister Prakash Javadekar, met the Election Commission seeking an FIR against AAP leaders, citing the firing by an alleged AAP worker near Shaheen Bagh protest here. "The police have revealed that the person who fired had joined the AAP. There are photos of AAP leader Sanjay Singh and others welcoming him. This is an open and shut case of a conspiracy to instigate two communities and create vote bank in one of them. The AAP's plan was to disturb communal amity. We have given all the proof to the EC," said Javadekar, who is his party's in-charge for the Delhi polls. Addressing a rally in Kondli in east Delhi, Shah said the polls were a contest between two ideologies and results will be a shocker to everyone. He said the AAP and the Congress opposed the BJP on issues like Citizenship Amendment Act, Ram temple in Ayodhya, abrogation of provisions of Article 370 due to fear of their "vote bank". "Are you their vote bank," he asked the crowd which said no. "Who is their vote bank," he again asked the gathering that replied, "Shaheen Bagh". "Delhi elections are not a contest between two parties. You have to choose between two ideologies -- Rahul Baba, Kejriwal and the company which supports Shaheen Bagh or Modi who is safeguarding the country," he said. Shah also attacked Kejriwal accusing him of being "number one liar" and alleged that the AAP government failed to fulfil its promises. He promised to grant sanction to prosecute JNU case accused Kanhaiya Kumar and Umar Khalid, and Sharjeel Imam, who was booked under sedition charges, within one hour of the BJP forming government in Delhi. Meanwhile Rahul Gandhi hit out at Shah, saying that people should not listen to him as his speeches contain "only trash". Addressing poll rallies in Kondli and Chandni Chowk assembly constituencies of Delhi, the Congress leader claimed that unlike the leaders of other parties, he never lied in his speeches. "The speeches of (Narendra) Modi, (Delhi Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal are nothing but full of lies," Gandhi said. "I have been in politics for 15 years. You can listen to any of my speeches, you won't find a single lie. You listen to Modi, Kejriwal, Shah...leave it. Don't listen to Shah, they (his speeches) contain only trash," he said. Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the prime minister does not want the youth to get employment as it works like oxygen for his politics. Gandhi said there was no need for the prime minister to give lessons on nationalism and he should explain why was he not able to provide employment to the youth. He said before Modi came to power in 2014, there was no Hindu-Muslim divide in the country from 2004-2014 but then "he comes from Gujarat and spreads poison". "The youth now does not know what he has in store for the future. He has fear in his heart. Narendra Modi does not want the youth to get employment because unemployment is oxygen for his politics," he said. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra attacked BJP leaders, saying their character can be defined by the kind of slogans they raise, and claimed that the AAP was copying former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit's development model. She also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of being "hungry for publicity". "Slogans tell character. Those who worked in the nation's interest can be identified by their slogans. Our (Congress) slogans were 'Jai jawan, jai kisan', 'Mai yuva hoon', 'Mera ek sapna hai', 'Aaram haram hai', 'Roti, kapda, makaan'," the Congress leader said. "Their (BJP's) slogans are 'Goli maro; khoon se tilak karo, boli nahi goli. Ye desh jodne wale nare hain'? (Are these slogans in favour of bringing the country together)," she said at a poll rally in Chandni Chowk. The Congress general secretary also said that Dikshit during her tenure as chief minister had developed Delhi into what it is today. Attacking the BJP, she said, "What kind of politics is this? Violence is used in response to truth and non-violence. They spoil and ruin instead of making and enhancing." Courtright obtained $8 million in loans to help finance the business until it became unsustainable, according to the complaint. On Dec. 13, Courtright notified investors via email that it would put a temporary moratorium on the payment of returns due to unspecified challenges and headwinds, the complaint alleges. CITY HALL -- Island Republicans rallied around the news of President Donald Trumps impeachment acquittal in the U.S. Senate Wednesday, some even saying the clearing of Trumps name will solidify his victory in New York 11th Congressional District come November. Before the trial reached the Senate late last year the Islands centrist Democrat Rep. Max Rose had come under fire for changing his position on impeachment. Though fellow Democrats in the district welcomed Roses change in position, Republicans have vowed to remind NY-11 voters about Roses sudden change in position on impeachment. Since President Trumps first year in office, Congressional Democrats have been foaming at the mouth trying to impeach and remove him from office,'' said Staten Island Republican Party Chairman Brendan Lantry. "Today, the hopes and dreams of Max Rose, Nancy Pelosi and their liberal colleagues were squashed in a Senate vote that failed by double digits. We are more confident than ever that this Nov. 3 Staten Island voters will support four more years of the pro-growth, pro-family, and pro-law enforcement policies that this administration is delivering to the American people, he continued. But Rose said he stood by his vote and was not fazed by any Republican pushback against his impeachment vote. I upheld my oath to the Constitution because, after all the testimony and facts, I felt it was the right thing to do, Rose said. If Nicole Malliotakis had been in my seat right now, based on her anti-Trump rhetoric, I wouldnt be surprised if she wouldve voted to impeach too, as long as she thought itd help get her elected. So Im not going to pay any attention to the nonsense spewing from a bunch of political hacks. Ive got a job to do and Im going to keep doing it. The Islands Democratic Party applauded Rose for his impeachment vote. The Senate has made its decision and its now time as a country to move forward," said the Partys Executive Director James Clinton. "We commend Max Rose not only for upholding his oath to the constitution but for the promises he made and kept; to help lower prescription drug costs, to reduce traffic and to increase funding to combat the opioid epidemic. A majority of senators had expressed unease with Trumps pressure campaign on Ukraine that resulted in the two articles of impeachment. But the final votes -- 52-48 favoring acquittal of abuse of power, 53-47 favoring acquittal of obstruction of Congress investigation -- fell far short. Two-thirds guilty votes would have been needed to reach the Constitutions bar of high crimes and misdemeanors to convict and remove Trump from office. No president has ever been removed by the Senate. In September, before the Ukraine controversy, Rose announced he was opposed to impeaching the president. But less than a month later, he began tiptoeing around whether he still stood by that position, until he announced at a town hall in October, he would fully support an impeachment inquiry into Trump and follow the facts. By December, Rose announced he would join rank-and-file Democrats by voting in favor of two articles of impeachment against the president, and the White House attacked him for his vote a week later. Rose has called the Houses impeachment vote an incredibly sad occasion, but during the recent editorial board meeting, he said he stood by his vote. Todays historic vote in the U.S. Senate acquits President Trump and hopefully brings to a close the wrongful and cynical proceedings that were orchestrated by Nancy Pelosi and the House Democrats,'' said one of Roses Republican rivals, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis. Its time for Jerry Nadler, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Max Rose and the other Democrats in the New York Congressional Delegation who supported this sham to stop wasting tax dollars and get back to work. Unlike Max Rose, Im prepared to go to Washington, where Ill work to fix our crumbling infrastructure, create jobs, secure our borders and improve our healthcare system; all of which were outlined in President Trumps State of the Union Address on Tuesday night, Malliotakis continued. Malliotakis Republican primary opponent, former Brooklyn prosecutor Joseph Caldarera said: The President has been vindicated. The cloud over his presidency has been removed. Although Nancy Pelosi and Max Roses flagrant abuse of power has ensured President Trumps second term in office, it has also altered the integrity of the United States impeachment process forever. What started as Trumps request for Ukraine to do us a favor spun into a far-reaching, 28,000-page report compiled by House investigators accusing an American president of engaging in shadow diplomacy that threatened U.S. foreign relations for personal, political gain as he pressured the ally to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden ahead of the next election. Only one Republican, Mitt Romney of Utah, the partys defeated 2012 presidential nominee, broke with the GOP. Associated Press material was used in this report. FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER. Nigerian church torched by suspected Fulani; over 2 dozen killed in attacks Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As many as 32 people were killed in attacks last week said to have been carried out in predominantly Christian areas of the Plateau state of Nigeria by radical Fulani militants who have been blamed for a series of deadly attacks in Plateau this month. A Church of Christ in Nations church building, as well as a pastors home and dozens upon dozens of other structures, were destroyed as a result of attacks last week, sources told Morning Star News. Former speaker of the Plateau state House of Assembly Titus Ayuba Alams told the nonprofit persecution news outlet that Islamic militants said to be Fulani herders were blamed for carrying out Jan. 27 attacks in Marish and Ruboi villages that took the lives of about 17 people and a Jan. 26 attack on Kwatas village that took the lives of 15. However, the figures provided by the Plateau State Police Command differ from those offered by Alams. The Plateau State Police Command has confirmed the death of only 26 people in recent attacks in Bokkos and Mangu Local Government Areas. In the attacks, 14 persons were killed in Kwatas, four at Sabon Barki, three at Marish and one at Changet in Bokkos, this makes it 22 persons killed in Bokkos, Police spokesperson Ubah Ogaba told The Daily Post. Also, four persons were killed at Marish in Mangu. This makes the total persons killed in the two areas 26. Fulani are a nomadic people group of about 20 million across West Africa who have for decades competed with farming communities many of which in Nigeria are predominately Christian for land use and rights. In recent years, violence has escalated between the farming communities in Nigerias Middle Belt and Fulani. Fulani radicals have been accused of killing thousands over the years through overnight massacres on sleeping villages while youth in farming communities have been accused of carrying out reprisal attacks. Even though area residents in Kwatas have blamed Fulani militants for the attacks last week, Police spokesperson Ubah Gabriel Ogaba could only confirm for Morning Star News that the attack was carried out by unknown gunmen. While Ogaba said that 190 houses were set on fire, 123 were houses belonging to natives of the area and 67 houses were owned by Fulani herders. Plateau Gov. Simon Lalong condemned the attacks and called for the arrest of Fulani and community leaders. According to Ogaba, 11 people have been arrested in connection with the attacks. Among those arrested is a local Fulani. Isa Bappa, the chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, released a statement condemning youth in Kwatas for launching reprisal attacks on Fulani settlements. Both incidents are barbaric and condemnable, Bappa was quoted as saying by The Premium Times. "We call on the security agencies in the state as a matter of urgency to ensure the arrest of the perpetrators of all the attacks. Bappa also decried the notion that Fulani militants are suspected of carrying out the attacks. He claims there was no clear evidence that the attack was launched by them. "We urge the security agencies to always do its homework before any declaration," he said. The attacks last week follow a series of attacks that occurred earlier in the month. On Jan. 20, suspected herdsmen invaded Torok village in Riyom County and killed a 25-year-old COCIN member named Reuben Bulus. Two days before Bulus death, 13 COCIN members were killed in the Plateau village of Kulben in Mangu County. On Jan. 1 in Riyom, COCIN member Ngam Stephen Dachung was said to have been killed by suspected herdsmen. The United Kingdom-based nongovernmental organization Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust estimated in a report that at least 1,000 Christians in Nigeria were killed in 2019 by suspected Fulani herdsmen or Boko Haram militants. Further, the NGO also estimates that about 6,000 Christians have been killed since 2015, and as many as 12,000 displaced from their villages. Human rights activists have long called on the Nigerian federal government to take greater action to halt the escalating violence taking place in Nigeria. Advocates for Christian farming communities have argued that the government has done very little to protect their communities from the rise of deadly violence. In December, the U.S. State Department listed Nigeria for the first time on its special watch list for countries that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom because of the lack of effective government response to the increasing violence. As the U.S. is hosting Nigerian government officials for the fifth U.S.-Nigeria Bi-National Commission meeting in Washington, D.C., this week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was urged to pressure Nigerian officials about why no protection is being provided for vulnerable communities. Over 50 religious and human rights leaders signed onto a Jan. 24 letter sent to Pompeo asking him to put religious persecution on the agenda for the Bi-National Commission meetings on Monday and Tuesday this week. The letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Christian Post, called for the U.S. to create a special session at the meeting this week allowing members of the International Religious Freedom Roundtable to have a dialogue with the Nigerian government. Despite your placement of Nigeria on the Watchlist of Persecuting Countries, the egregious killings of Christians continued to occur throughout the Christmas, the letter states. The execution of an abducted Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) leader this week is just the latest from daily atrocities that have claimed over 100 lives since last month. Among the signatories to the letter are activists who participated in the State Departments Ministerial on International Religious Freedom last July, including human rights lawyer and religious freedom activist Emmanuel Ogebe of the U.S. Nigeria Law Group. The letter was also signed by human rights lawyer Anne Buwalda of the Jubilee Campaign. In July, the Jubilee Campaign told the International Criminal Court in the Hague, Netherlands, that the standard for genocide has been reached as it relates to the massacres of Christian communities in Nigeria by Fulani militants and Boko Haram. The situation has altered considerably and the reality is quite different from 2016, the Jubilee Campaign report adds. Caution is warranted in prescribing guilt to any group but in view of the evidence aggregated, the situation can no longer be called clashes when a group of over 200 raid a Christian village and kill civilians in the early morning hours while they are sleeping. The ICC in their ongoing surveillance of Nigeria should update their information for the record. Nigeria ranks as the 12th worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution on Open Doors USAs 2020 World Watch List. M inisters are considering a ban on arrivals from China as the coronavirus crisis grows, it emerged today. Whitehall is keeping possible entry restrictions under constant review as the number of cases and death toll continues to escalate. Several countries, including the United States and Australia, have banned entry to foreign visitors who have been in China in recent weeks. Some 30,000 Britons in mainland China have been advised to leave. The last government-chartered repatriation flight out of Wuhan, at the centre of the outbreak, is due to depart on Sunday. British diplomats are also warning UK citizens in China that they will not be able to stop them being forcibly sent to fever clinics if they fail temperature checks being carried out by local health officials. Coronavirus: Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined 1 /32 Coronavirus: Diamond Princess cruise ship quarantined Cruise ship Diamond Princess is anchored off the shore of Yokohama, south of Tokyo AP Global interest: David Abel, who is on board Diamond Princess with his wife Sally, has been posting updates on social media David Abel Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), officials of the DFA-Philippines in Tokyo with Department of Health team wear protective suits as they prepare for the disembarkation of Filipino crew members on board the Diamond Princess Cruise Ship at Yokohama Port AP A man in a proctective clothing is seen on the sixth deck of cruise ship Diamond Princess in Yokohama via Reuters A woman holds a Japanese flag that reads "shortage of medicine" on the cruise ship Diamond Princess Reuters Passengers disembarking from the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked at Yokohama Port are pictured in Yokohama REUTERS/Kyodo Japan David Abel of the Diamond Princess cruise ship that has been quarantined in Japan. PA David Abel being treated David Abel Workers in protective clothes stand before passengers disembarkating off the Diamond Princess AFP via Getty Images Quarantine operation on the eighth deck of cruise ship Diamond Princess in Yokohama via Reuters An empty general view of Diamond Princess cruise ship PA The Diamond Princess cruise ship, in quarantine due to fears of new COVID-19 coronavirus, is seen at Daikoku pier cruise terminal in Yokohama AFP via Getty Images Sally Abel being treated David Abel/Facebook Men wearing protective gear are seen near the cruise ship Diamond Princess, Reuters The Diamond Princess cruise ship with around 3,700 people on board sits anchored in quarantine off the port of Yokohama after a number of passengers were confirmed to be infected with coronavirus Getty Images An empty general view of Diamond Princess cruise ship PA Medical workers in protective suits lead a passenger tested positive for a new coronavirus from the cruise ship Diamond Princess at Yokohama Port AP Buses carrying passengers who have been under quarantine on a coronavirus-stricken cruise ship off the coast of Japan, the Diamond Princess, leave RAF Boscombe Down in Amesbury Reuters An empty casino on the Diamond Princess cruise ship PA Workers in protective gear are seen on the Japan Coast Guard boats in Yokohama Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images An empty atrium on the Diamond Princess cruise shi PA Workers in protective gear transfer a person under a blue sheet from the Diamond Princess cruise ship onto a Japan Coast Guard boat in Yokohama Jiji Press/AFP via Getty Images Medical workers in protective suits carry belongings of passengers of the cruise ship Diamond Princess at Yokohama Port AP Cruise ship Diamond Princess is anchored off the shore of Yokohama, south of Tokyo AP They could also be barred from returning to their own homes if they go out not wearing a face mask. The British Embassy in Beijing sent out fresh guidance today amid alarm over the speed at which the virus is spreading. It states: We have no current plans to restrict entry to the UK, but we will keep this constantly under review and follow [World Health Organisation] guidance. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said the Government is taking no chances with the killer virus and would follow the science. All options to combat the infection are understood to be on the table but the chief medical officer Chris Whitty is currently not advising that a ban on arrivals should be imposed and it is not expected to happen in the immediate future. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said the Government is taking no chances with the killer virus / PA But if the crisis escalates, with the number of cases roughly doubling every five days at the moment, then the Government will come under growing pressure to impose restrictions. Saudi Arabia today barred its citizens and residents of the kingdom from travelling to China. Foreign residents would not be allowed back into the country if they travelled to China, the state news agency SPA added. The US, Australia and Singapore have already announced that they would deny entry to all foreign visitors who have recently been to China, where the outbreak started in December, with restrictions by New Zealand and Israel on foreigners travelling from mainland China. A string of countries have banned flights to and from China, with a number of airlines including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic suspending direct flights to Beijing and Shanghai. In further developments: Official figures from China put the number of deaths from coronavirus at 563 on the mainland, following the biggest daily rise yet of 73, with 28,018 confirmed cases. Boris Johnsons father Stanley was caught in a diplomatic flurry after accidentally sending an email to the BBC and the Government after meeting Chinas ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming, which raised Chinese concerns that the Prime Minister had not sent to Beijing a personal message of support over the coronavirus outbreak. Ten more people tested positive for coronavirus on the Diamond Princess cruise liner, bringing the total to 20. It is quarantined at the port of Yokohama, Japan, with about 3,700 holidaymakers on board. The Foreign Office is sending a second consignment of medical supplies to China this week, bringing the total from the UK to 1,800 pairs of goggles, 430,000 disposable gloves, 194,000 disposable wipes, 37,500 medical gowns and 2,500 face masks. British citizens in China are being advised by diplomats to comply with requests for temperature checks. On forcible quarantine, the embassy in Beijing added: UK officials are unable to intervene in cases where Chinese officials are implementing local policy. If your temperature is identified as being above the threshold for potential fever you are likely to be referred to a Chinese fever clinic. If this happens to you, please notify the Foreign and Commonwealth Office via our 24/7 crisis hotline at the earliest opportunity. Outside mainland China, at least 230 cases of the infection have been confirmed, including two fatalities, one in Hong Kong and another in the Philippines. Two Chinese family members in Britain have tested positive and were taken to a specialist unit in Newcastle for treatment. Listen to today's episode of The Leader: SANTA YNEZ, Calif., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, in Santa Ynez, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) met with federal and state agencies and leaders from the region's agriculture and food production industries to make progress on on-farm composting. Representatives from Central Coast farm and producer organizations joined a roundtable discussion with representatives from EPA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The roundtable focused on enhancing communication with Central Coast growers on healthy soils practices and sharing lessons learned from environmental successes. Participants heard from growers to better understand barriers to implementation of healthy soils practices. The agencies also announced the launch of a new multi-agency work group that will address permitting challenges and create incentives to support on-farm composting. "Meeting with local farmers is an opportunity for EPA to listen, learn, and develop new approaches to environmental challenges," said EPA Pacific Southwest Acting Regional Administrator Deborah Jordan. "We are excited to announce the creation of the interagency On-Farm Compost Work Group, which will support California's farmers, ranchers, and food producers and help bring about more efficient ways to work together as stewards of our natural resources." "We are excited to announce the launch of the On-Farm Compost Work Group. This group of 15 federal, state, and regional agencies is committed to supporting California's agricultural community in their efforts to improve soil health," said CDFA Secretary Ross. "Healthy soil is key to sequestering atmospheric carbon while improving nutrient management, water management and agricultural productivity." "Healthy soils are the foundation of a productive agricultural system and a key part of our efforts to fight climate change," said California Secretary for Environmental Protection Jared Blumenfeld. "California's EPA looks forward to working with our local and federal colleagues in supporting our state's farmers and ranchers in adopting carbon farming practices." "I am very pleased that we will have stakeholder input from the very beginning," said NRCS State Conservationist in California Carlos Suarez. "Our farmers and ranchers have always been very conservation minded and understand very well the value of good land stewardship." The On-Farm Compost Work Group, co-led by CDFA, NRCS, California Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. EPA, will include 15 federal, state, and regional agencies. The group will develop a regulatory pathway to address permitting challenges and create incentives for on-farm composting in order to decrease nutrient loading, reduce agricultural burning, and improve soil health. For more information on the On-Farm Compost Work Group announced today, please visit: https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/healthysoils/ofcwg.html Learn more about EPA's Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter. SOURCE U.S. Environmental Protection Agency One Victorian has been discharged from hospital after contracting coronavirus in China and will be isolated in their home until they receive another negative test. Health Minister Jenny Mikakos confirmed the patient was released from hospital on Wednesday and was recovering after falling ill with the virus at its epicentre in the city of Wuhan. Health Minister Jenny Mikakos Credit:Simon Schluter This is showing that people are making a recovery from coronavirus and of course we are very vigilant to ensure we can try and minimise the risk to Victorians," she said. "Were doing everything possible to ensure the public health of Victorians at this difficult time as this situation continues to evolve. An injured worker may not pursue a tort claim against a workers compensation carrier that he accuses of negligence by denying payment for antidepressants, prompting him to attempt suicide, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals ruled. The courts District III on Tuesday reversed a circuit court decision, holding that workers compensation exclusive remedy bars lawsuits against carriers for improper claims-handling practices. Many state appellate courts have issued similar rulings, but some have allowed bad-faith actions against work comp carriers under narrow sets of circumstances. A bull gored Francis G. Graef on Nov. 1, 2012 while he was working in a livestock yard owned by his employer, Equity Livestock. He developed depression while recovering from the injury and was prescribed Duloxetine to treat it. In June 2015, Continental Indemnity Co. denied payment for a refill of Graefs prescription for Duloxetine. Graef never challenged that denial. On Aug. 9, 2013, he tried to kill himself with a gunshot to his head. Graef was hospitalized but eventually recovered from the gunshot wound. In 2017, Graef filed a lawsuit against Continental in Marinette County Circuit Court. He charged that the carrier had been negligent in failing to authorize payment for his anti-depressant and that he would not have attempted suicide if it had approved the refill. He sought compensatory damages for personal injuries, pain and suffering and disability. Later, Graef added Applied Underwriters as a defendant, asserting that it had assisted Continental in adjusting the claim. Continental filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that Graefs tort action was barred by exclusive remedy. The Marinette County judge denied the motion. Continental and Applied Underwriters appealed. The appellate court noted that in 1979 the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that an injured worker could file a tort claim against a carrier that acted in bad faith by denying a claim because the Workers Compensation Act did not provide any remedy. The state legislature responded by passing a law effective in 1981 that created penalties for mishandling work-injury claims and deemed workers compensation the exclusive remedy for any bad faith claims against insurers and employers. Graefs attorney argued that he is not subject to that statute because he is alleging negligence, not bad faith. The Court of Appeals rejected the argument. As Continental aptly notes, the short-lived, narrow exception created by Coleman that allowed a workers compensation claimant to sidestep the exclusive remedy provision by alleging bad faith would have been unnecessary if a mere [negligent] denial of a workers compensation claim could be pursued in tort,' the opinion says. More importantly, it would be incongruent to conclude that our legislature intended for a claim that a workers compensation insurance carrier acted in bad faith to be pursued exclusively under the Act while at the same time allowing a claim alleging negligent conduct to proceed in civil court. Other state courts have also ruled that bad faith claims against insurers are barred by exclusive remedy. Both the Texas Supreme Court and New Jersey Supreme Court, for example, effectively barred civil lawsuits for bad faith allegations in workers comp claims. The Iowa Supreme Court issued a similar ruling last May. The Oklahoma Supreme Court, on the other hand, ruled in 2017 that an injured worker can file suit in tort if a workers compensation carrier did not comply with a Workers Compensation Commission order. The Florida Supreme Court also held in 2005 that an injured worker could sue a carrier in tort for egregious conduct when adjusting his work-injury claim. While Graef lost his court case, an August 2018 report by TheCompass, a newspaper published by the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, suggests that he has recovered from the severe depression that nearly ended his life. Graef told the newspaper that he was in a coma for about two weeks after shooting himself. He woke up to find himself at the Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. He was later placed in the psychiatric ward at the University of Wisconsin Hospital, then treated at a rehabilitation center and eventually received outpatient mental health care from Catholic Charities, according TheCompass report. I lucked out twice, Graef told the newspaper. The bull didnt kill me. The bullet didnt kill me. Im here. I should have been dead twice, but I survived them both, he said. (God) has something he wants me to do yet. MUSCATINE Three buildings are going up in Muscatine. Construction projects are underway on Park Avenue, 5th Street and Blaine Street that will soon open. Taco Johns, located on Park Avenue near McDonald's and Pizza Hut, will open Feb. 20. Weve had one on Grandview thats been there for quite a while, said Brandon Rudkin, district manager of Pentex, the franchisee of Taco Johns in Iowa and Wisconsin. (Pentex) took that one over in 2015 with a plan to relocate up here to where everyone else is." There's not a lot of open real estate in the Park Avenue area, so Pentex bought the former Long John Silvers site. This was the best A-location that we saw in the area, and thought wed bring ourselves over here closer to all out fellow competitors. Taco Johns on Grandview will close Feb. 15. Rudkin said they expect 95% retention rate of employees, who will move to the new location. Theyve been waiting for a new building like this for a while," he said. SEATTLE, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2019, Ackley Beverage Group wrapped up the decade with what was an exceptional year of expansion. The Seattle-based family investment company grew their team, purchased property for a production facility and vineyard, and created a new luxury wine collection that will launch this year. To support its growing portfolio of brands, Ackley Beverage Group filled three key positions with industry experts. Moss Bittner was hired as Viticulturist to manage the vineyards owned by Ackley Beverage Group. Bittner has a diverse background in the wine industry and has managed vineyards all around the world, including working with Biodynamic farmers in California and France. Kathleen Cardinale was hired as Vice President of Sales. With over twenty years in wine sales and management, Kathleen brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to lead the national sales team. Thomas Bobson joined the company in a new Marketing Director position to focus on digital marketing, ecommerce, and supporting distributor efforts. He brings years of marketing experience in the beverage industry. In addition to the expansion of the team, Ackley Beverage Group acquired 177 acres in the renowned Yamhill-Carlton AVA in the Willamette Valley. The property will be the new site of a 100,000 case production facility, 100-acre vineyard and multiple tasting rooms for the company's Oregon wine brands, including Montinore Estate. Planting is underway and the facility will break ground this year with an opening date planned for late 2021. Building on the company's expertise in the wine industry, Ackley Beverage Group will launch a new luxury wine collection, called Landlines Estates, later this year. The wine will be produced from small, distinct lots of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Ackley Beverage Group's Tidalstar Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Ackley Beverage Group brought together an exceptional team of viticulturists, growers, and winemakers to show the full range of what this unique micro-site can produce. "In 2019, our growing team was able to create tremendous momentum for our partner brands in sales, marketing, and winemaking excellence," said Brandon Ackley, President of Ackley Beverage Group. "It's a very exciting time for us. Our additional production facility and vineyard expansions in Oregon are allowing us to keep pace with the demand we are experiencing nationally. I am looking forward to upcoming partnerships where we can showcase our team's energy and resources." About Ackley Beverage Group Ackley Beverage Group, a Seattle-based family investment company dedicated to supporting premium wine brands throughout the Northwest, brings financial and professional resources to partners in the wine industry. They are committed to the continuity and stewardship of a winery's unique legacy, while providing the necessary resources for partners to reach their greatest potential. In addition to capital, the company provides professional support in management, operations, sales and marketing. To learn more, visit www.ackleybeverage.com. About Montinore Estate Montinore Estate was established in 1982 and is one of the largest estate producer of wines made from Biodynamic grapes in the country. With a 200-acre Demeter Certified Biodynamic and organic vineyard located in north Willamette Valley in Oregon, the winery focuses on producing superior Pinot Noirs, unique cool climate whites and exquisite Italian varietals. Montinore Estate's close attention to each step of the grape-growing and winemaking processes is rooted in the belief that exceptional wine is born of a sustained marriage of soil, climate and artful stewardship. To learn more, visit www.montinore.com. About Landlines Estates Launching later in 2020, Landlines Estates crafts small, distinct lots of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay sourced from Tidalstar Vineyard in Yamhill-Carlton. A select team of grape growers, viticulturists and winemakers were brought together to show the full range of expression from this very special vineyard. To learn more, visit www.landlinesestates.com SOURCE Ackley Beverage Group Related Links https://ackleybeverage.com ORLAND, Calif. Firefighters contained an escaped control burn on Wednesday morning. Second Assistant Fire Chief for Orland Volunteer Fire Department, David Kelly said before they arrived they discovered a threat to structures on Road 25 near Highway 99W around 10:45 a.m. At one point the fire threatened buildings at a well drilling company. It destroyed one vehicle and damaged a second, and smoke was visible for drivers near Interstate 5. "Anytime you have a control burn, you want to maintain the space around the defensible space so nothing else becomes involved," Kelly said. "Also, keep an eye on your burn, call immediately if there's a threat that gets away." Firefighters said wood pallets were supposed to be burning, they believe the control burn reached areas that were not supposed to be burned. The fire has been contained, crews mopped up for half an hour. Nobody was injuried. COLUMBUS For the first time in eight years, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife is attempting to find every bald eagle nest in the Buckeye State and is asking citizen scientists to report their sightings of the national bird. Citizen scientists can submit sightings at www.wildohio.gov/ reportwildlife from Feb. 1 to March 31. Watch for updates of verified nests throughout the coming months at www.wildohio.gov. Off the list The bald eagle was once an endangered species, with only four nesting pairs in Ohio in 1979. However, thanks to partnerships between the Division of Wildlife, Ohio zoos, wildlife rehabilitation facilities and concerned landowners, its population increased. The bald eagle was removed from the federal list of threatened and endangered species in 2007 and from Ohios list in 2012. Ohio Division of Wildlife biologists typically estimate the number of eagle nests by flying select areas of the state and verifying sightings. However, identifying the locations of all the nests in the state hasnt been attempted since bald eagles were de-listed in 2012. Wildlife staff, including wildlife officers, will verify nest locations. This will help update the Division of Wildlifes historical databases and confirm the results of estimated counts. Viewing opportunities The western Lake Erie marsh region (Ottawa, Lucas, Erie and Sandusky counties) is home to a sizeable population of bald eagles. Excellent viewing opportunities can be found at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area, Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area and Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area. In southern Ohio, eagle nests are found near major rivers such as the Muskingum, Hocking, Scioto and Great Miami. Bald eagles in Ohio typically lay eggs and incubate in February and March. Young eagles leave the nest after about three months, usually in June. The birds nest in large trees such as sycamores, oaks and cottonwoods near large bodies of water. Fish and carrion are preferred foods. Respect nests Remember that bald eagles are protected under both state law and the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. It is illegal to disturb bald eagles. When viewing these majestic birds, remember to respect the birds space and stay at least 100 yards away from the bird or nest. Disturbing bald eagles at the nest site could lead the pair to abandon the eggs. Members of the newly established Space Force will not be referred to as 'spacemen', according to a top general of the service. The Space Force is being formed from the currently existing US Air Force, to create the sixth branch of the armed forces. It was signed into existence by Donald Trump on December 20, 2019. According to the Vice Commander of the United States Space Force Lt. Gen. David Thompson, a decision on the title of Space Force personnel is still in the works. According to the Vice Commander of the United States Space Force Lt. Gen. David Thompson (pictured), a decision on the title of Space Force personnel is still in the works Speaking on Wednesday, Lt. Thompson asserted that they will not be called 'spacemen'. Military leaders have been conducting research on what to call their troops as well as crowdsourcing ideas, according to the Military Times. Of the plan to transfer Air Force personnel, Lt. Thompson said: 'We need to go through a process with Congress to provide authorization for specific individuals to transfer.' The airmen will be brought over first, before the integration of soldiers, sailors and Marines from their respective space units. The US Space Force tweeted out this image of a uniform bearing its new official nametape The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act essentially rebranded the US Air Force Space Command, which initially debuted in 1982, to create the new Space Force branch. The 16,000 active duty airmen and civilians who served in the Air Force Space Command up until the moment the bill was signed, became part of the newly-minted Space Force. Aside from splintering off personnel to the Space Force, the Air Force is expected to rename some of its 'principal' bases - which already house Air Force Space Command units - as 'Space Bases.' Last month, the US Space Force debuted its new uniform and service nametape. Despite its celestial nature of the command, Space Force appears to be using a traditional earth-tone camo pattern for its daily-use, utility uniform. All existing electronic and normal visas are no longer valid for any foreign national travelling from China, in the wake of the Coronavirus, asserted Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday. China, the epicentre of the Coronavirus has till Thursday witnessed a death toll of 563 and a total of 28,018 confirmed cases. Coronavirus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December 2019, has since then spread to various cities around the world. Addressing a press conference, MEA Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar also added that those who have compelling reasons to visit India, they can contact the Indian Embassy or the nearest consulates to apply for the visa. The visa restrictions are applicable only to the Chinese mainland, added the MEA Spokesperson. Live TV "All existing e-visas from China are no longer valid. Similarly, normal visas that have been issued are also no more valid. Those who have compelling reasons to visit India, they can contact our Embassy or the nearest consulates to apply for a visa," said Kumar. He said that India successfully carried out an evacuation of 640 Indian nationals and seven Maldives nationals on two flights with the support of the Chinese government. "As you are aware, the matter is reviewed on a regular basis at a high level. Ministry of External Affairs in coordination with other Ministries and institutions of government undertook comprehensive and precipitous steps following nCoronavirus outbreak in China. We have successfully carried out the evacuation of 640 Indian nationals and 7 nationals of the Maldives on two flights. These Indian nationals belong to Wuhan and nearby areas and who did not show any symptoms of illness. It was a complex operation and we thank the Government of China for their support and facilitation during this exercise," said Kumar. The MEA Spokesperson also asserted that the government has issued regular advisories on this issue, adding that Indian nationals have been advised to refrain from travelling to China and those travelling to China henceforth will be quarantined on return. He added, "If required we are willing to extend all possible help to China." He also said, "I am not aware of any restriction imposed by the government on the operation of any commercial flight between India and China. Airlines are free to make the decision based on their own assessment on the ground." Speaking on the video of Pakistani students in China asking for help from India, he said, "We have not received any request regarding it from Pakistan Government. But, if such a situation arises and we have resources then we will consider it. On the visit of foreign dignitaries to India, he said that Portugal President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa is on tour from February 13-16 and President Ram Nath Kovind will meet him on that day. It will be his first visit to India. Vietnam Vice-President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh will also visit India from February 11-13. "Vice President of Vietnam would be on an official visit to India from 11th -13th February. During the visit, the direct flight between India and Vietnam could be announced," said Kumar. A Toronto man has been charged with manslaughter in connection with the 2018 death of his 86-year-old father. In a Thursday news release, police wrote that they visited a hospital on April 13, 2018 to investigate a case of suspected elder abuse. Police say that on April 9, 2018, Joon Kim fell out of a chair onto the floor in his bedroom. Over the next few days, police allege another man who lived in the house did not help Kim. On April 13, the man called an ambulance after he discovered that Kim was unresponsive. Kim was pronounced dead on May 26, 2018. At the time, police arrested Ji Yong Kim, 52, and charged him with criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessities of life. During the preliminary inquiry taking place now, an additional charge of manslaughter was laid. PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cayuse is pleased to announce that in 2019, the company doubled new business revenue and new customers while adding dozens of new employees in its Portland headquarters and across North America. New customers joining the Cayuse family of over 350 total customers included international institutions such as the National University of Singapore, North American universities such as Texas A&M University and West Chester University, and healthcare customers like Denver Health who leverage Cayuse to support their mission of providing the highest quality of healthcare. With product innovation outpacing all others in the market, a holistic vision for addressing research administration challenges, and the largest customer base for research administration software (as reported in the January 2020 LISTedTECH grant management vendor data), Cayuse has become the most trusted, future-proof choice for enabling best-in-class research administration. Cayuse made demonstrable progress executing against its vision to holistically address all of the key challenges involved in research administration by launching several new products while making multiple acquisitions in 2019 and successfully integrating acquired complementary products into the Cayuse suite of research administration applications. These moves included a merger with California-based NTM Consulting Services (e-Sirius application suite), which added more than 30 years of life sciences expertise and an impressive customer roster including the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Case Western Reserve University. Additionally, Cayuse expanded several strategic partnerships with well-known industry brands such as InfoReady and ExLibris (Pivot). As a result of Cayuses 2019 R&D investments, several new products were also launched, including the general availability of Cayuses financial conflict of interest software, Cayuse COI, and a first-of-its-kind offering, called Resource Scheduling. This solution helps research teams manage the notoriously complex problem of scheduling staff with the right qualifications while forecasting future needs, as well as making historical trends and staffing data available in real-time for audit or site inspection purposes. With industry best on-time, on-budget implementations, and customer service that consistently exceeds expectations, Cayuse also saw the results of this customer focus with its highest customer satisfaction ratings ever, averaging over 96%. The consistent positive feedback from customers correlates to the companys focus on reliable technology infrastructure, self-serve customer tools, and best-in-class implementations. Were thrilled to see such dramatic growth over the past year, but most excited about seeing our customers fund, manage, and execute ground-breaking research that is positively impacting our world, said CEO Matt McLellan. The entire Cayuse team is energized by seeing customer satisfaction thats off the charts, along with an incredibly positive response to our vision of a holistic platform that addresses every challenge area of research administration. Were excited for another big year as we continue to grow, with more industry-first solutions that will continue to revolutionize the way research is managed and connected within organizations and across the world. About Cayuse Cayuse provides an integrated research administration cloud platform that improves collaboration between researchers and administrators, while simplifying and bringing the needed reporting to every stage of the research lifecycle, including pre-award, post-award, compliance, and facility management. The Cayuse community of customers includes academic institutions such as the University of North Carolina, Ohio State, and NYU, along with pharmaceutical and biotech companies like LA BioMed, Amgen, and La Jolla Institute as well as hospitals, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Cayuse is a proud supporter of the Technology Association of Oregon and PDX Women in Tech, as well as a partner in the PSU/PDX Cooperative Education Program (PCEP) for Computer Science students. For more information, please contact Heather Blackwell Sr. Marketing Manager Cayuse LLC Heather.blackwell@cayuse.com 503-442-0741 Crime scene unit looks over a car that was occupied by an undercover police sergeant when she was attacked by a man who shattered the driver-side window with a large object in the Hunting Park area near Broad Street, Tuesday, February 4, 2020. Read more The man who attacked an undercover police sergeant Tuesday night in the citys Hunting Park section was still at large a day later and another man with a gunshot wound who was originally identified as the suspect was cleared but remained in custody for an unrelated burglary, police said Wednesday. The undercover sergeant, a 57-year-old woman with 23 years on the force, was sitting in an unmarked Toyota sedan in the 4200 block of North Park Avenue around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday when an unknown assailant shattered her drivers-side window with a large, jagged stone-like object possibly a chunk of concrete and then reached into the vehicle punching the sergeant in the face and attempting to pull her out by the neck, police said. While the sergeant was still inside the car, she fired four shots at the man, who then ran away, police said. A short time later, police found a man with a gunshot wound to his chest approximately two miles away in the area of 13th Street and Lehigh Avenue. The sergeant was taken to that location and positively identified the man as her attacker. The man, whose name was withheld, was transported to Temple University Hospital and was reported in critical condition. An internal police investigation has since determined that the man was not the attacker. Police did not know whether the attacker was struck by the sergeants gunfire. At this point, the investigation has cleared the male who was taken into custody yesterday of the assault on the undercover sergeant, the Police Department said in a statement Wednesday. The man was still in custody for allegedly breaking into a home in the 1200 block of Lehigh Avenue just before he was apprehended by police. That incident was being investigated by the East Detective Division, which also was working to determine who shot the man. The sergeant, whose name was not released, was treated at Temple hospital for scrapes and bruises and released. Police asked that anyone with information that could help with the investigations to call 911 or 215-686-TIPS. Amid a global scare and with all three positive cases of the epidemic in the country being reported in Kerala, the southern state has been pounded with mass cancellations of hotel bookings and tour packages. A senior official of the state Tourism Department said the exact number of cancellations was not yet available, but agreed that repeated instances of floods and epidemics were affecting the industry. "As of now, the exact numbers are not available. But industry sources told us that many hotel bookings, including that of KTDC ( Development Corporation), have been cancelled," the official told PTI. KTDC help desks at various centres were receiving enquiries from people wanting to know the situation in the state, he said. "As of now, the situation in Kerala is under control. There is no need to worry. But still the people are worried and some have cancelled their bookings," the official said. "There are 15-20 per cent cancellations after the reporting of the cases. But there are bookings also," Jose Dominic, CEO of the CGH Earth Group of Hotels, told PTI. "We (Kerala) have a reputation that we will put travellers' health first before commercial interest," he added. Travel and tour operators, however, fear the state's tourism sector is likely to be severely hit, especially because the Kerala government has declared the outbreak a 'state calamity' and Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran recently admitted that the sector has suffered a setback. ALSO READ: Poultry prices decline amid rumours of coronavirus spreading to birds E M Najeeb, senior vice president, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), said tour programmes and packages are being cancelled widely in the state and declaration of the epidemic as a 'state calamity' by the government would adversely impact the economic situation. "We completely appreciate the steps taken by the government to protect infected persons, create awareness among the public and tackle the situation. But as far as the tourism industry is concerned, such measures will scare the people. Not only tourism, all business activities of the state will be affected," Najeeb told PTI. One of the most sought after tourist destinations in South Asia, 'God's Own Country' has been hit by the just as it was recovering from the Nipah outbreak and two consecutive monsoon floods during the last two years, the worst in a century. According to those associated with tourism in the state, the government had aggressively launched promotional advertisements in the domestic and international markets after the floods to revive the sector. Kerala's serene beaches, tranquil stretches of backwaters, lush hill stations and exotic wildlife offer an enchanting experience to travellers worldwide and the tourism industry is a major contributor to the state's economy. It accounts for over 10 per cent of the GSDP (gross state domestic product) and provides employment to over 1.5 million people in the state. The peak season for foreign tourists is from November-February while for domestic guests it is during April-May, August-September and December-January. According to Tourism department sources, during the 2019 calendar year, it was projected that there would be an 18 per cent growth in the domestic and 8 per cent in foreign tourist arrivals. In the first nine months of 2019 (January to September), domestic visitors to the southern state increased by 16.48 per cent as against a 4.8 per cent rise in foreign tourists' arrivals. According to T K Manzoor, managing director of the Bekal Resorts Development Corporation (BRDC), despite the floods and Nipah, there was a remarkable 40 per cent growth in foreign tourist arrivals in 2019 up to September in North Kerala's Kasaragod and Kannur districts. "We hope to manage the present catastrophic situation. In the coming fiscal, Malabar Tourism is expected to record an uptrend though more efforts have to be put in," he said. Praveen Muraleedharan, an entrepreneur who runs a couple of resorts in the state, said uncertainty loomed over the industry due to the health scare. "We are getting lots of cancellations. Many confirmed hotel bookings, events and conferences have got cancelled. Industry is extremely worried about the business. We don't know from when we can start taking bookings," he said. Muraleedharan said the industry was in the past affected by 'hartals' (strikes), floods and Nipah. "Earlier 'hartals' used to affect our industry. Even now, the situation is not different. Sabarimala protests, two consecutive floods and landslides in Wayanad, Nipah, anti-CAA protests and now coronavirus. All are directly affecting the tourism industry. Inflow of tourists and domestic tourism are affected," he said. Three medical students from the state studying in Wuhan University in China have tested positive for the infection and 2,528 people have been put under home quarantine. Ninety-three people are in isolation wards in various hospitals across the state, according to the latest official figures. The three positive cases have been detected in Thrissur, Alapuzha and Kasaragod. COPENHAGEN - A fire at a mine in Sweden left at least two people slightly injured on Thursday, authorities said. The blaze broke out at the Garpenberg mine in the Dalarna region north of Stockholm while 130 people were working there, officials said. The workers followed emergency procedures and sought refuge in an underground shelter, said Jenny Gotthardsson of the Boliden company that runs the mine. All the workers are accounted for. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but a machine 850 metres (nearly 2,800 feet) underground began to spew smoke before the blaze erupted. The fire was later extinguished. The mine is located in Hedemora, about 170 kilometres (105 miles) north of Stockholm. The company says it focuses on mineral deposits containing zinc, copper, lead, nickel, gold, palladium, platinum and silver. Rapper-Actor-Producer Curtis 50 Cent Jackson Receives Walk of Fame Star A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was unveiled honoring rapper-actor-producer Curtis 50 Cent Jackson, 10 days before the finale of the Starz crime drama he produces and appears in, Power. Rappers Dr. Dre and Eminem were among the notables who joined Jackson at the event in front of The W Hollywood Hotel and Hollywood Hamburger at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street. Jackson said Mary J. Blige called him earlier to congratulate him for the honor. ADVERTISEMENT I told her I was nervous, and she was like, What are you nervous about? I said just because its starting to feel really important because of whos coming, he said. This is a different experience. Ive been to awards shows, and when you win at the awards shows theres some people there, they feel like they should have won. But you know, this one is different because everybody is in the same space, everybody fees the same way about it. I just want to say thank you, thanks for supporting me. The star is the 2,686th since the completion of the Walk of Fame in 1961 with the first 1,558 stars. Born Curtis James Jackson III in the New York City borough of Queens on July 6, 1975, Jackson rose to fame with his 2003 debut studio album Get Rich or Die Tryin, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and was the best-selling album of 2003, selling 12 million copies worldwide. Get Rich or Die Tryin brought Jackson three Grammy nominations for best rap album and best male rap solo performance for In Da Club, which also brought him a best rap song nomination. Jackson received two other Grammy nominations in 2003 for best new artist, losing to the rock band Evanescence, and for best rap performance by a duo or group for his featured role on Lil Kims Magic Stick. Jackson received six Grammy nominations in 2005 best rap performance by a duo or group and best rap song for Hate It Or Love It; best rap performance by a duo or group for Encore; best rap song for Candy Shop; best rap album for The Massacre; and best rap solo performance for Disco Inferno. After receiving two more Grammy nominations in 2007 best rap solo performance for I Get Money and best rap song Ayo Technology Jackson won his lone Grammy at the 2010 ceremony for best rap performance by a duo or group for Crack A Bottle. Jackson is also a music, film and television producer. He is CEO of G- Unit Records, which he founded in 2003. He founded G-Unit Film & Television, Inc. in 2005. He is among the executive producers of For Life, a serialized legal and family drama premiering on ABC Feb. 11. ADVERTISEMENT Jacksons other acting credits include the films Den of Thieves, Southpaw and Spy. Sharavati river and the valley play a crucial role in providing economic and ecological security to the people of Karnataka, helping generate clean hydro-power of 1,500 MW that serves the power needs of the industrial and service sectors. In comparison to mighty Cauvery, Sharavati is a short river, flowing just 132 kms, originating at Ambutheertha in Teerthalli, Shivamogga district, and joining the Arabian Sea at Honnavar in Uttara Kannada district. With a catchment area of 2,774 sq kms, the west-flowing river provides water for agriculture, wildlife and, last but not the least, its aquatic life. As it flows down the crest line of the Western Ghats, it forms the world-famous Jog waterfall. Considering the invaluable services provided by the catchment forests, in 1978, a part of this was declared as Sharavati Valley Wildlife Sanctuary. In June 2019, an additional area the Aghanashini Valley in Uttara Kannada was included, and notification was issued to form the Sharavathi Valley LTM (lion-tailed macaque) Sanctuary. In the gazette notification, it was specifically mentioned that the landscape is covered by climax tropical evergreen forests that are extremely rich in flora and fauna, especially the presence of lion-tailed macaque (Macaca silenus), Great Indian Hornbill and Myristica swamps. Further, it adds that this region is part of a global biodiversity hotspot, and there is need to conserve this precious and irreplaceable unique landscape. It would thus provide a better wildlife habitat and movement of wildlife corridor. This proactive decision was historic as it is the only sanctuary in the world to be set up for the rare, endangered species of lion-tailed macaque. Sharavati is also known as the Silent Valley of Karnataka. The Silent Valley in Kerala was declared as a National Park in 1986 after the long-drawn struggle against the building of a proposed hydel dam. The presence of lion-tailed macaque in Silent Valley was one of the main reasons for former prime minister Indira Gandhi jettisoning the hydel project. New Threats The BJP government in the state is keen to build a 2,000-MW Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Project in the midst of the Sharavati Valley. This will take a toll on the forests, the habitat of the lion-tailed macaque, as well as disturb the riverbed, adversely impacting the fragile ecosystem. Increasing fragmentation of the lion-tailed macaque habitat will impact the exclusively arboreal species modifying their behaviour, forcing them to descend to the ground in search of food. The spread of monkey fever or Kyasanoor Forest Disease (KFD) virus in Sharavati Valley has taken a toll of humans and monkeys. There is every possibility that this virus may also get transmitted to the lion-tailed macaque, leading to their decimation. Further, the BJP-led pressure group in Uttara Kannada is lobbying with the chief minister to denotify the areas of Aghanashini Valley that were added to increase the habitat of the LTM sanctuary. Though the existing boundaries of the present sanctuary exclude the revenue villages and private lands and is applicable only to reserved forests, there is apprehension among people that they will be relocated. It will be unfortunate if petty power politics is allowed to cause a reduction in the LTM habitat. For these endemic species that are found in small rainforests of the Western Ghats, the larger contiguous forest canopy is what is crucial for their survival, not man-made boundaries. It will be a retrograde step if the State Wildlife Board is used to denotify the LTM Sanctuary area. The tall claims made during the earlier notification, with the main purpose of propagating and developing wildlife and its environment will sound hollow and reveal that the present government is not serious about protecting and conserving Sharavati Valley and its wildlife habitats, which are powerless in front of the brute force of the government. The Gerusoppa Valley that forms part of Sharavati was once known as pepper queen due to the abundance of wild pepper in the forests, which was exported. However, the rich biodiverse catchment forests have been replaced by monoculture acacia and teak plantations, converting the pepper queen to timber queen! This reduction of diversity has had a negative impact on the water flow as well as on the wildlife habitats. Dam-building across the Sharavati has also caused irreversible damage to the catchment regions. The free flow of the river is just 14 kms from its origin, Ambuthreetha, as most of the river is submerged under the dam waters of the Linganmakki reservoir. There is an urgent need to conserve the remaining natural, old-growth biodiversity-rich tropical forests in Sharavati Valley. It not only protects the habitat of the mute lion-tailed macaques, but also builds natural immunity and resilience, reducing the negative impact of climate change. Large-scale human intervention has already decimated the waterfall in Jog, which we see only for a few days in the monsoon. If we allow further destruction of the Sharavati Valley, the rare and endangered lion-tailed macaque will also be decimated. Christian nonprofits in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador are slashing budgets, letting employees go, and abandoning projects because of relief cuts made by the Trump administration last year. According to Christianity Today, ministries working in the Northern Triangle have been reeling since last June when the Trump administration withheld over $500 million in foreign aid. Unhappy with the onslaught of illegal immigrants, the State Department sought to pressure their governments to slow migration. But several nonprofits are saying that they were seeing progress. The Trump administration shot itself in the foot with these cuts, said Chet Thomas, director of Proyecto Aldea Global in Honduras. These projects are designed to reduce the number of people migrating to the US. Much of this foreign relief aid landed with Christian relief organizations who worked to fix situations that caused people to flee to the US. Some nonprofits helped to develop communities while others trained national staff. The International Justice Mission (IJM) felt the hit. The nonprofit had to layoff 40 percent of its staff last year, as well as pull back on its partly government-funded $10 million Project Sentinel. The project was focused on strengthening the criminal justice system by mentoring police and lawyers. According to an independent report, the project was generating results. The number of convictions in child sexual assault cases had tripled and assault was more regularly reported in the community as trust grew in the system. But the cuts have forced the nonprofit to scale back and find new ways, if possible, to minister to the countries. World Vision is also making cuts. Though the staff started to hear more people decide to stay in their home country instead of fleeing to the US, the new regulations mean that World Vision may only be able to complete half of what it was doing. Nate Lance, World Vision child protection expert, said that shutting down the programs is creating an environment where people feel like they have to leave home and leave their loved ones to make a risky trip north. Currently, over 50,000 people are waiting in limbo at the Mexican border to enter the US, though thousands are now missing. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Zhaojiankang Mikaela Mathews is a freelance writer and editor based in Dallas, TX. She was the editor of a local magazine and a contributing writer for the Galveston Daily News and Spirit Magazine. KALKASKA COUNTY, MI A Michigan woman rescued from a fire in October 2018 has now been charged with starting it. A firefighter from the Kalkaska Township Fire Department was injured pulling Gretchen Lee VanOrmer, 54, from the suspicious early morning fire that occurred at a residence on Anderson Road in Kalkaska on Oct. 15, 2018. Both the firefighter and VanOrmer were treated at local hospitals and recovered. While investigating the house, a Michigan State Police K-9 discovered possible fire accelerants in the living room. Samples were sent to the MSP Crime Lab for analysis and VanOrmer was eventually arrested. She was arraigned on Wednesday, Feb. 5 in the 87-B District Court of Kalkaska on one count of first degree arson. That charge is a felony punishable by imprisonment for life or any term of years or a fine of not more than $20,000 or 3 times the value of the property damaged or destroyed, whichever is greater, or both imprisonment and a fine. VanOrmer was released on a $20,000, 10 percent cash surety bond. British ISIS fighters including a suspect dubbed 'Jihadi Jack' are set to go on trial in Syria from next month. The cases of ten Britons detained in north-east Syria by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) will be heard alongside 2,000 other foreign detainees. The move comes with the Kurds growing increasingly frustrated by the prolonged legal battle over the extremists, after the UK refused to repatriate them. Men, suspected of being affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) group, gather in a prison cell in the northeastern Syrian city of Hasakeh on October 26, 2019 Jack Letts, dubbed Jihadi Jack (above in prison), left the UK when he was 18 Abdulkarim Omar, the co-chair of the Foreign Affairs Ministry of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, told Finland on Wednesday they will begin the trials next month, The Telegraph reports. The news came after a meeting between the SDF's foreign relations committee and Finland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There has so far been no official announcement. The Kurdish legal system is based on international law and does not impose the death penalty. It is thought that life sentences will be given instead to ISIS affiliates found guilty of war crimes, while shorter sentences of just one to five years could be handed for lesser offences. Thousands of local ISIS suspects have already been tried in the counter-terrorism courts of the autonomous Kurdish area of north-eastern Syria. Jack Letts, dubbed Jihadi Jack (pictured above) is behind bars in north Syria after allegedly joining IS in 2014 Aseel Muthana, 22, an ice cream salesman from Cardiff is also behind bars, the prison above is said to be where he is being kept Western countries including the UK and France have been reluctant to repatriate the ISIS fighters over security concerns. The Kurds have been holding some of the fighters for over two years. Suspected IS recruit Jack Letts, known as Jihadi Jack, was stripped of his British citizenship last year. He grew up in Oxfordshire to middle class parents before allegedly leaving to join IS fighters in Raqqa, Syria in 2014. His parents, John Letts, 58, and Sally Lane, 57, slammed the government for stripping their son of British citizenship and claimed that he had been tortured by captors. He was captured by Kurdish forces as the terrorist caliphate collapsed. John Letts told Good Morning Britain that his son suffers from extreme Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that caused a fixation with Islam. 'The British government is shirking its responsibility its passing on a problem that they should be dealing with,' he said. He added: 'The victims of Isis crime deserve some justice here we are shirking our responsibility and passing it on to the Canadians.' Mr Letts believes his son had 'humanitarian reasons for going to the Middle East' and said: 'He did not go to Syria to join ISIS.' Mohammed Anwar Miah, 40, a pharmacist from Birmingham, and Aseel Muthana, 22, an ice cream salesman from Cardiff, are also behind bars in northern Syria. Kansas City, MO -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/06/2020 -- One of the most suspenseful original film shorts to come to Kickstarter, "The Night Scott Came Home" is a cautionary tale with strong moral messages that captivate viewers throughout this dark, gritty suspense film. Viewers from around the world follow the lives of the Brillson family, where a tight knit and loving couple, Adam and Cindy Brillson, work passionately to support their son, Scott. But when Scott returns home from his first semester at college, the Brillson's find he has significantly changed, and alarm bells begin to ring. Scott tells stories of new friends he made on the internet, and a dark secret begins to soon unravel that threatens the entire family. In a race against the clock, the Brillson's hurry to erase their son's indoctrination before it proves too late. This exciting, suspenseful original film short is predicted to captivate viewers from around the world in 2020. Featuring a skillfully crafted storyline, talented cast, and dark, gritty themes, "The Night Scott Came Home" will become a must-see film short in 2020. Funds raised from this Kickstarter campaign will be used to support development of the film, including hiring of a small cast and crew, renting film equipment and post-production materials, and submission to local Kansas City Film Festivals. Expected to be released in early November 2020, "The Night Scott Came Home" will be accessible to backers worldwide. The Kickstarter campaign is located on the web at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nightscottfilm/the-night-scott-came-home Supporters around the world can back "The Night Scott Came Home" by making generous pledges and contributions via Kickstarter. Pledges start at as little as $1. But for a pledge of $10 or more, unlock other rewards as a token of your support, including digital copies of the film upon its official release date. Some rewards are limited, so do act fast. More information is available on the Kickstarter campaign page. About The Night Scott Came Home "The Night Scott Came Home," an original dark, gritty suspense film, is the product of production efforts led by Chad Shreeves, an independent author and filmmaker from Kansas City, Missouri. Contact: Contact Person: Chadwick Shreeves Company: World of Terror Productions City: Kansas City State: Missouri Country: United States Email: Chadshreeves@gmail.com Website: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nightscottfilm/the-night-scott-came-home Many of Montgomery Countys corporate leaders, philanthropists and the health care community will gather Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. at the American Heart Associations annual Montgomery County Heart Ball. The black tie event held at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel at 1601 Lake Robbins Drive in The Woodlands is now in its 25th year and mainly focuses on raising funds to support American Heart Associations mission and dedication to fighting heart disease and stroke. This is one of the largest fundraising events in Montgomery County for the American Heart Association, says Angela Garza, senior corporate market director for Montgomery County Heart Ball. Its a chance for the association to set itself apart as well. We fundraise for the mission of the American Heart Association, Garza said. More than 400 people attended the event last year and Garza says they are aiming for about 500 or more for this year. They wouldnt have been able to put something together at this scale without volunteers. For the event alone they have about 30-40 volunteers working. Volunteers are really the lifeblood of our organization, we rely on volunteers at many levels. So we love engaging with the community and getting them excited about it, said Patty McHugh, executive director of Montgomery County American Heart Association. The amount raised at the previous Heart Ball was approximately $800,000 and the highest was $1 million. Their goal, Garza says, is to surpass that mark. Part of us getting to that goal is expand our networks, expand our coalition and our network of volunteer and donors. We are going to do that by really focusing on what can the mission impact Montgomery County specifically, Garza said. For the event the association has partnered with local hospitals in Montgomery County, including Memorial Hermann The Woodlands, Houston Methodist The Woodlands, and Texas Childrens The Woodlands, CHI St Lukes The Woodlands. We have great relationships with them, they understand that were working hand in hand with them, McHugh said. Garza says that this year theyre honoring the Montgomery County Hospital District and all of the work that they do in the community. The board of directors vote on who receives the award each year to honor their work in the community and how it aligns with the American Heart Association. Its so great to raise awareness, thats another one of our responsibilities, McHugh said. One of their key factors is raising awareness for these heart diseases so people can understand the science behind them and hopefully be more proactive so they can lead a healthy life, McHugh says and honoring the Montgomery County Hospital district is just one way of doing that. Since this is the 25th year of the Heart Ball, the association has some special things planned. This years theme is the Gift of Time. Its really about how the American Heart Association has given people time to spend with their family especially when they may have had an incident or a situation without the proper care they wouldnt be here today, McHugh said. Were kind of looking into the future but looking back at those whove helped us pave the way. laraib.hashmi@chron.com Five food science Ph.D. students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have been honored with 2020 student awards from the American Oil Chemists' Society (AOCS) for their outstanding contributions to science. The AOCS is a century-old international scientific and professional organization serving the field of fats, oils and lipids. The honored students - Mahesh Kharat, Jinning Liu, Yunbing Tan, Bingjing Zheng and Huala Zhou - who conduct research in the lab of their advisor, Distinguished Professor David Julian McClements, will be celebrated at the AOCS 2020 Annual Meeting and Expo in April in Montreal. McClements says the multiple student awards from the AOCS is a testament to the caliber of the UMass Amherst program, which is the oldest academic food science department in the country. "The graduate program in food science has been ranked number one in the U.S. by the National Academies of Science, which has helped to attract some of the brightest and most talented students from around the world to our department," McClements says. "The hard work carried out by these students has continued to make UMass food science a highly innovative and creative place to work, which is recognized by the many awards that have been won by our students." The research in McClements' lab focuses on designing functional foods at the nanoscale that are fortified with nutraceuticals, vitamins, minerals or probiotics to address malnutrition and combat chronic disease. Kharat received the Hans Kaunitz Award, which recognizes a student conducting research involving fats, oils and detergent technology. Kharat is designing and fabricating colloidal delivery systems to encapsulate and protect curcumin. Liu received the Surfactants and Detergents Student Travel Award, which will support her participation in the annual conference in Montreal. Her research is about using structured emulsions as controlled and triggered release systems for bioactive agents. Tan received the Lipid Processing and Biotechnology Award. As part of her recognition, she will present an invited lecture during the conference's biotechnology session. Her research involves increasing the bioavailability of vitamins and nutraceuticals using food matrix design approaches. Zheng received two honors - an AOCS Honored Student Award, which encourages graduate student research in lipid chemistry, and the Manuchehr Eijadi Award, which recognizes the outstanding merit and performance of an honored student. As part of the latter award, Zheng will present a paper at the conference in Montreal. Her research projects include enhancing the solubility, stability and bioavailability of lipophilic nutraceuticals using emulsion-based and nanoparticles delivery systems. Zhou received the AOCS Health and Nutrition Award for her work in food nanotechnology, food digestion, food safety and nutrition. One of her projects examines the gastrointestinal fate and nutrition effects of organic and inorganic food-grade nanoparticles. ### Wyoming Business Tips for Feb. 10-16 A weekly look at issues facing Wyoming business owners and entrepreneurs from the Wyoming Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Network, a collection of business assistance programs at the University of Wyoming. By Janean Forsyth Lefevre, procurement specialist, Wyoming Procurement Technical Assistance Center Federal, state and local governments spend millions of dollars every year to purchase products and services from small businesses in Wyoming. An upcoming event in Wyoming is the best chance of the year in our state to learn everything there is to know about government contracting. This years annual GRO-Biz Conference takes place in Cheyenne March 25 and promises to deliver a robust offering of matchmaking, networking and learning opportunities for Wyomings small businesses. Whether you are new to the idea of selling your goods or services to the government or you have been working in contracting for years, heres a quick look at why you should attend: -- Meet your representatives. Federal, state and local procurement representatives from all over our region will be on hand to speak with you face-to-face about government contracting opportunities for your small business. This is your best chance this year to make these connections and get all of your questions answered. -- Learning opportunities. There will be multiple sessions to choose from, with some topics focused on the basics of government contracting, while others will cover issues more relevant to those who have experience or want to dive deeper into specific topics. -- Powerful networking. The GRO-Biz Conference prioritizes not only face-to-face meetings with procurement representatives, but also is an opportunity to meet with other small-business owners, experts from multiple business resource organizations and dignitaries from local, state and regional governments. To make sure youre ready to get the most out of the event, you can read the full version of this Biz Tip at www.wyomingsbdc.org/biz-tips. To learn more or to register for this years GRO-Biz Conference, visit www.wyomingsbdc.org/grobiz. Unlike in the past, this years event will focus solely on government contracting. We hope youll join us. The Wyoming SBDC Network offers business expertise to help Wyoming residents think about, launch, grow, reinvent or exit their businesses. The Wyoming SBDC Network is hosted by UW with state funds from the Wyoming Business Council and funded, in part, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. To ask a question, call 1-800-348-5194, email wsbdc@uwyo.edu, or write 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 3922, Laramie, WY 82071-3922. At least 138 people deported to El Salvador from the United States in recent years were later killed, a rights group claims in a new report. Human Rights Watch released the report on Wednesday. It comes as the U.S. government makes it harder for Central Americans to seek refuge in the United States. The report said that most of the deaths took place less than a year after the deportees returned to El Salvador, and some within days. The group also confirmed at least 70 cases of sexual assault or other attacks following their arrival in the country. The violence shows the risk faced by people who have been forced to return to their home country, noted Alison Leal Parker, the groups U.S. managing director. She said that U.S. law requires deportation of non-citizens who were tried and found guilty of a number of crimes. Trump administration policies also discourage those seeking asylum, she added. Our concern is that many of these people are facing a death sentence, Leal Parker said. Between 2014 and 2018, the U.S. government sent about 111,000 Salvadorans back to their homeland. El Salvador has long been struggling with the problem of gang violence. The United Nations reported last year that killings in El Salvador have decreased from a high of more than 6,000 in 2015. But the country still has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. A majority of those killings are linked to gangs. The number of Salvadorans seeking asylum in the United States grew by nearly 1,000 percent between 2012 and 2017. Many of those individuals reported being threatened by gangs. Only about 18 percent of asylum seekers are actually offered asylum. Human Rights Watch confirmed the 138 deaths noted in the report through official records and social media, and by contacting family members. The group said it believes the actual number is much higher. The number of attacks is likely low also because of under-reporting in the country of 6.5 million people. Cesar Rios is executive director of the Salvadoran Migration Institute, a non-governmental organization. He said no one in El Salvador follows the deaths of deportees, but that he found the information believable. He said it shows that many people are returning to communities controlled by gangs. Rios added, We can say that deporting people to these areas is very difficult and dangerous. President Donald Trump has made immigration enforcement a centerpiece of his administration. It has a policy of forcing asylum-seekers from Central America to wait in Mexico while their requests are considered or be sent back to their homelands if their claim is rejected. Im Jonathan Evans. The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story deport v. to force to leave a country discourage v. to be negative about something gang n. a group of people often involved in crime homicide n. a murder Exhibit of pastels by Lee Skalkos of Newtown: Runs through Feb. 29. Library, 62 Main St. South. People, Places and Things - exhibit of works by Susan Grisell of Gaylordsville: Runs through Feb. 29. Presented by library at librarys temporary gallery at 19 and 23 Kent Green Boulevard. To RSVP to the reception, call 860-927-3761. MARBLE DALE/NEW PRESTON Journeys, A Retrospective - works by Grace Scharr McEnaney of Newtown: Runs through Feb. 9. The Loft Gallery at The Smithy, 10 Main St. ROXBURY The Artists Dance - works by Peter Frisbie: Exhibit runs through Feb. 22. Library, South Street. SHERMAN Water and Sky - works by Beth Carlson: Runs through Feb. 19. Library, Sherman Center. WASHINGTON Moving Parts - exhibit of works by Jen Abbott-Tillou: Runs through March 14. Library, Wykeham Road. Music/Dance KENT Live Irish music: Tuesdays, 7-10 p.m. Bulls Bridge Inn, 333 Kent Road. For more information, email davepatonmusic@gmail.com. NEW MILFORD Performery concert with Mattson: Feb. 8. Doors open, 8 p.m. Makery Coworking, Bank Street. Tickets are $20 via https://www.eventbrite.com/e/performery-mattson-tickets-89869503103 and at the door. SHERMAN Open mic night: Thursdays. Sign-up, 6 p.m. Performances, 7 p.m. Jewish Community Center, 9 Route 39 South. $5/performer. $10 admission/member and non-member. SPECIAL EVENTS BRIDGEWATER Hilltop Center (Bridgewater Senior Center) activities: Feb. 10 and 24: line dancing with Jill Weiss, 11 a.m. Feb. 10 and 24: Aging Mastery Program, 1-2:30 p.m. Feb. 13: Valentine lunch of lasagna, salad and dessert. Feb. 20: bingo, 1 p.m. $1/first card. 50 cents/each additional card. Feb. 23: supper/concert club, 4 p.m. Sign up required. Mondays: line dancing, 11 a.m. Tuesdays: appointments with Dawn MacNutt, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Computer Group, 10 a.m. Silver needles, 1 p.m. VNA blood pressure check, second Tuesday of each month, 1 p.m. Wednesdays: Tai Chi with instructor Dee Calvey, 10:30 a.m. Mahjongg, 1 p.m. Thursdays: special events. Fridays: poker, 10 a.m. Chair yoga, 10:30 a.m. Canasta, 1 p.m..Hilltop Center, 132 Hut Hill Road. For more information, call 860-355-3090. Program with author Linda G. Palma: Feb. 20, 6:30 p.m. Library, 62 Main St. South. For more information and RSVP, email cfisher@burnhamlibrary.org or call 860-.354-6937. Artists Salon: Meets second Wednesday each month, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Library, 62 Main St. South. With artist and expressive art facilitator Pamela Hochstetter. Bring snack or beverage (non-red wine and beer welcome) to share. For more information, email pamelahochstetter@gmail.com. KENT Chocolate Fest: Feb. 12, 3:30-5:30 p.m. Snow date, Feb. 13. $5. Digital device help: First Saturday of each month: one-on-one instruction with Michael Jay, noon-1:30 p.m. Bring iPhone, iPad, MacBook, etc. Second Saturday of each month: device solutions with Bryan Gundel. Library, Main Street. For more information and RSVP, call 860-927-3761. NEW MILFORD Al-Anon family group meetings: Tuesdays, 7-8:30 p.m. Fridays, 7-8 p.m. Trinity Lutheran Church, 107 Kent Road. Bereavement support group: First and third Thursday of each month, 6:30-8 p.m. Facilitated by Bob OKeefe, LCSW at New Milford VNA & Hospice, 68 Park Lane Road (Route 202). For individuals grieving the death of a loved one For more information, call 860-354-2216. Living Without a Partner support group: Second and fourth Tuesdsapgay, 10-11:30 a.m. Hosted by New Milford VNA & Hospice at senior center, 40 Main St. Facilitated by Catherine Vlasto, LCSW. For anyone grieving the death of a spouse. For more information, call 860-354-2216. Bingo: Thursdays. Doors open, 4:30 p.m. Food available to buy, 5:15 p.m. Games, 6:30 p.m. VFW hall, Avery Road. Pop Up Shoppery: Feb. 8, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Makery Coworking, Bank Street. Echoes of Sinatra musical program benefit: Feb. 8, 7- p.m. Canterbury School, Aspetuck Avenue. $50. Benefits New Milford Refugee Resettlement group. For more information and tickets, visit www.brownpapertickets.com. Second Saturday Stars program: The Real North Star: Feb. 8, 7-9 p.m. John J. McCarthy Observatory, behind New Milford High School, Route 7 South. Greater New Milford Parkinsons Support Group: Feb. 12, 9:15-10:15 a.m. Meets the second Wednesday of each month, 9:15-10:15 a.m. Senior center, 40 Main St. For more information, call 860-355-6075. Musical Arts Conference competition: Feb. 15, 5-8 p.m. At New Milford High School, Route 7 South. $15/adult. $8/child under 10. Roast beef dinner: Feb. 15, 4:30-7 p.m. Held third Saturday each month, 4:30-7 p.m. Odd Fellows Hall, 25 Danbury Road. $14/adult. $12/senior. $5/child 4-12. Free/child under 4. Spaghetti suppers: Feb. 15 and June 13, 5-7 p.m. New Milford United Methodist Church, 68 Danbury Road. $10/adult. $4/child 6-12. Free/child 5 and under. VFW Sweetheart Dance: Feb. 15, 6-10 p.m. VFW, Avery Road. Dinner, dancing, raffles, cash bar. $25/person. Caregivers Support Group: Feb. 18, 10 a.m. Meets first and third Tuesday each month, 10-11:30 a.m. Senior center, 40 Main St. For more information, call 860-354-2216. Tech help: Feb. 20.Third Thursday of each month: drop-in tech help, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. By appointment: one-on-one guidance for digital devices. 860-355-6075. Hosted by library at New Milford Senior Center, 40 Main St. Wine and beer tasting to benefit NMHS Grad Party: Feb. 21, 7-9:30 p.m. Snow date, Feb. 28. At St. Johns Episcopal Church, Whittlesey Avenue. Tickets are $25 in advance at www.nmhsgradparty.org and during business hours at Images Unlimited, JoJos Deli and Oak Barrel Wine & Spirits, and $35 at the door. SHERMAN Connecticut Audubon Societys Deer Pond Farm offerings: Feb. 8: backyard birding, 11 a.m.-noon (at Jewish Community Center in Sherman). Feb. 19: Trees in Winter: Adaptations & Identification, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 22 and 26: bird walk, 10 a.m.-noon.Connecticut Audubon Societys Deer Pond Farm, 57 Wakeman Hill Road. Free/member. $5/non-member. $10/non-member families. For more information and RSVP, call 860-799-4074. Series on nearby outside recreational places: Feb. 23: habitats, activities and trails at Deer Pond Farm in Sherman, 1-3 p.m. March 22: habitats, activities and trails at White Memorial Foundation in Litchfield, 1-3 p.m. Presented by Naromi Land Trust at Jewish Community Center, 9 Route 39 South. For more information and RSVP, call 860-355-8050 por email info@jccinsherman.org. WARREN Program about one-room schooling and Warrens Brick School: Feb. 9, 2 p.m. In lower level meeting room of town hall. WASHINGTON Puppetry festival: Feb. 8: Shadows Around the World by Jim Napolitano, 10:30 a.m. Feb. 15: A Woodland Cinderella by Deborah Costine, 10:30 a.m. Feb. 22: Mary Puppets by Rosalitas Puppets, 10:30 a.m. Washington Montessori School, 240 Litchfield Turnpike (Route 202). $8 at door and at www.washingtonmontessori.org/puppetshows. Free/child under 2. Movie screenings: Feb. 10: The Good Liar (R), 1 p.m. Feb. 24: Ford v. Ferrari, 1 p.m. Library, Wykeham Road. For more information and RSVP, call 860-868-7586. Program and book signing: Feb. 11, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Snow date, Feb. 25. Library, Wykeham Road. With Jamie Jackson Spannhake, author of The Lawyer, The Lion & The Laundry: Three Hours to Finding Your Calm in Chaos.spa Amadeus in Retrospect: Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m. Library, Wykeham Road. With Dr. Vincent P. de Luise. For more information and RSVP, call 860-868-7586. HORSE Valentines celebration: Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Snow date, Feb. 16. HORSE, 43 Wilbur Road. THEATER NEW MILFORD Constellations: Fridays-Saturdays, Feb. 21-March 7, 8 p.m. March 1, 2 p.m. TheatreWorks, 5 Brookside Ave. $25/reserved seat. Feb. 20, free dress rehearsal for seniors, 8 p.m. Feb. 27, pay-what-you-can-night, 8 p.m. For more information and tickets, call 860-350-6863. Auditions for Mornings At Seven: Feb. 24-25, 6:30-8:30 p.m. TheatreWorks, 5 Brookside Ave. Appointments for auditions are encouraged and should be addressed to frank.arcaro@gmail.com or made by calling 917-690-2460. SHERMAN Auditions for Whodunnit: Feb. 9, 2-5 p.m. Feb. 10, 7-9 p.m. Sherman Players, 5 Route 39 North. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks head of research Justin Gude scrolled the mouse across the computer screen, checking a couple of boxes as the map zeroed in on several GPS data points north of Livingston. The series of yellow dots showed the location of a collared cow elk in the Bangtail Mountains one of 10 elk tracked as part of a study there, he told lawmakers at a recent meeting of the Environmental Quality Council. The collars in question record location once an hour and upload it to a satellite and central database every 11 hours. At 9 a.m. this morning, this is where this animal was, he said. But Gude and other state officials did not come to the EQC to talk about research. They came at the request of the council which is studying how the data collected from more than 1,100 collared animals in the state may be misused. While GPS collars are invaluable to researchers and wildlife managers, the data they produce are the subject of debate about who should have access to the information and why. Some hunters have requested and received the exact latitude and longitude of collared animals, and that has conservation groups and lawmakers concerned about violating the edict of fair chase hunting or the potential to monetize the data. I think we need to put some protections around this (data), Sen. Jill Cohenour, D-East Helena, told the council. Weve heard about the ways and kinds of information people are requesting and you can see how they could be used in not a way that comports with Montanas wildlife heritage. In the past two years Montana has received 45 requests for wildlife location data, and of those requests 24 self-reported their intention to use the data to hunt, said Becky Dockter, FWPs chief legal counsel. The agency has little choice but to release the information. There are precious few exceptions to allowance of keeping that information in house and not providing it to the requestor, she said, adding that the exceptions to open records law include sensitive information such as confidential criminal justice information or personnel files. In 2019, Cohenour brought legislation that would have eliminated the release of state wildlife location data entirely. That drew pushback from natural resource developers who request the data for environmental reviews as well as open government advocates. A compromise bill that outlaws the use of the information for hunting did pass, and EQC is tasked with continuing to look at the issue and potential changes to further curb misuse. John MacDonald, lobbyist for the Montana Newspaper Association, noted that unlike some other states that have prohibited release of wildlife location data, Montanas Constitution allows relatively few exceptions to the publics right to know. The association opposed Cohenours original bill over creating a new exception to make currently public information confidential, but did support the final version criminalizing its use for hunting. At this point I think it would be a mistake to make any change to the statute that we have currently, MacDonald said. I dont think anything that would limit the publics right to that information would withstand a constitutional challenge. MacDonald, who continues to work on the issue with conservation groups and FWP, suggested including a cover sheet for anyone requesting the information that details its prohibited use for hunting and that game wardens be notified for anyone that self-reports hunting as their purpose. But curtailing the datas use likely also walks a fine line under the Montana Constitution. In nearly all other cases information deemed public has no restrictions on its use. Those seeking public information also have no obligation to disclose their intended purpose nor even identify themselves when requesting it. That makes most screening questions unenforceable, although nothing bars the state from asking. FWP Law Enforcement Chief Dave Loewen said the law, which went into effect in July, is relatively new and game wardens did not charge anyone during the last hunting season. Wardens receive training regionally as new laws go into effect and will continue to receive instruction on wildlife data restrictions, he said. Its certainly something thats difficult to prove and difficult to investigate, but other things are also difficult to prove and investigate, he said. If this allegation were to pop up wed run it down and charge accordingly. Some would like to see the law strengthened to give more protection to accessing the wildlife location data and not just for hunters. Researchers collar a variety of species including grizzly bears, wolves and wolverines and keep records of sensitive areas such as den locations. This is an information age and information gets weaponized, and its not just the people that want to go out and shoot a wolf someplace, its the people who want to get those den locations and then maybe go out and protect that pack, said Ben Lamb, a consultant who works on conservation issues. So it cuts both ways here, and I think what Sen. Cohenour is trying to do here is make sure theres a level playing field so we dont incentivize poor behavior on either side. Cohenour and others also have concerns that the perceived security of wildlife data could have some larger impacts on reporting by hunters and landowners. While perhaps not rising to the same ethical concerns as real-time GPS data, they fear that hunters may become less likely to volunteer information to FWP staff knowing it could later become subject to a public records request. Or when required, hunters could become leery of providing accurate information on harvest location. Landowners and hunters not providing information should be a real concern because thats where we get some of the best data, she said. Reporter Tom Kuglin can be reached at 447-4076 @IR_TomKuglin Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 2 Angry 2 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. Egypt welcomed Tuesday 32 fishermen held in Yemen for weeks after they were detained by Houthis for trespassing in Yemens territorial waters. The men arrived on board a chartered flight from Sanaa; the Yemeni capital now controlled by Iran-backed rebels. The Egyptians were arrested in December on the Red Sea, Yemens southern coast. President Fattah al-Sisi ordered authorities to secure the release of the fishermen. Negotiations were reportedly launched mid-December through Saudi and Emirati channels. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are leading an international coalition seeking to flash out the Houthis and to restore the government of Hadi Mansour. Egypt though part of the forces, does not have boosts on the Yemeni soil. It is involved in patrols and reconnaissance mission. The Yemeni rebels who now control most parts of the North of the country, have arrested dozens of the fishing boats and other vessels venturing into their waters. No further evacuation of Taiwanese in next two days: MAC ROC Central News Agency 02/05/2020 04:47 PM Taipei, Feb. 5 (CNA) The repatriation of a second group of Taiwanese nationals stranded in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, will not happen in the next two days (Feb. 5 and 6), the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said Wednesday. A first group of 247 Taiwanese stuck in the central Chinese city after it came under lockdown on Jan. 23 returned home on the night of Feb. 3 on a China Eastern Airlines charter flight following the coordination of public agencies and private groups in Taiwan and China. One of the evacuees tested positive for the coronavirus and became the 11th person in Taiwan with the respiratory illness while the others were placed in quarantine at three locations around Taiwan. Hsu Cheng-wen (), the head of the Parents Association in Taipei who was involved in arranging the first charter flight, said Tuesday that a second group of Taiwanese nationals consisting of about 200 people would return from China on Wednesday. The MAC, the Taiwanese agency responsible for handling cross-Taiwan Strait affairs, denied that at a press conference Wednesday. "There is no truth to the claim that the second batch of Taiwanese nationals will return from China today or tomorrow," MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Chiu Chui-cheng () said at the press conference. Chiu said the claim was based on one-sided information and that no such arrangements had been made through bilateral negotiation or coordination. Hsu acknowledged in an interview later Wednesday that the second batch of stranded Taiwanese in China would not be able to return home that day and it was also uncertain if it could happen the following day. "We hope that both sides of the Taiwan Strait can be a little less political and have a little more humanitarian consideration. They (the stranded Taiwanese) are our compatriots, we should welcome them home with that in mind," Hsu said. The two sides traded blame for the delay. Hsu showed a text message he said was sent by a local unit of the Taiwan Affairs Office to Taiwanese in Wuhan waiting to be evacuated that said: "The Taiwanese authorities did not allow the flight today. Therefore we cannot take you to the airport." The delay may have been caused by Taiwan's lack of capacity to accommodate and handle such a huge number of high-risk people after having taken in nearly 250 people Monday night. When asked by reporters whether Taiwan had enough space to accommodate another batch of Taiwanese evacuees, Chiu admitted that the capacity was "limited," without elaboration. The MAC said in a separate statement that due to the limited capacity of the quarantine centers and the need for all returning Taiwanese to be isolated for 14 days, the Taiwan side needed to make preparations before the next evacuation to ensure that all evacuees will be properly attended to. Taiwan authorities, however, called into question the procedures used to handle the initial charter flight after a person with the coronavirus was allowed on the plane. The MAC urged Beijing to implement a more stringent and thorough inspection of the repatriated Taiwanese to avoid transmissions of the disease on the next charter flight. Given that one of the evacuees had the coronavirus, the MAC said Taiwan's government will coordinate with the Chinese side on how to strengthen the inspection and quarantine process for future evacuations. It has also asked the Chinese side to provide a complete list of the people to be evacuated at least one day before they are flown back to Taiwan. That appeal came after Beijing did not comply with Taiwan's request that Taiwanese with chronic diseases, or who needed special medical care or who were in Wuhan on short business trips should be prioritized in the first evacuation, according to the MAC. Meanwhile, after China's Taiwan Affairs Office announced that a third Taiwanese in China had been confirmed to have the coronavirus, Chiu urged Chinese authorities to provide them with the necessary medical care. As of Wednesday afternoon, at least 491 people had died of the coronavirus -- most of them in Hubei province where Wuhan is located -- and more than 23,600 people were confirmed to be infected with the disease in China. (By Wang Yang-yu, Lai Yen-hsi and Emerson Lim) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Stanley Tucci is set to host his very own culinary docuseries at CNN, Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, a spokesperson for the WarnerMedia-owned network told TheWrap Wednesday. The four-part CNN original series hails from Raw Television, the producer behind CNNs documentary feature Three Identical Strangers and Discovery Channels reality series Gold Rush. Per CNNs description, Searching for Italy will show Tucci travel to a number of very different regions in the country and he will also look at the history of the food, for instance, looking at how wealth and poverty impacted on the cuisine culture in Florence, Tuscany. He will also visit Rome, Sicily and Milan to gain a better understanding of the history, culture and people. Tucci will taste every piece of pasta, drink every glass of wine, and discover what makes Italy and its cuisine so irresistible. Also Read: 'The Good Place' Star Jameela Jamil to Host HBO Max Voguing Competition Show 'Legendary' The Emmy-winning actor and cookbook author is no stranger to the Italian food scene, having lived with his family in Florence for a year in the 70s. He also took his passion for the countrys culinary arts to the silver screen in 1996 when he co-directed and starred in Big Night, a movie about Italian immigrant brothers who start a restaurant in New Jersey. Deadline first reported the news of the Tucci-hosted CNN original series. Read original story Stanley Tucci to Host CNN Culinary Docuseries Searching for Italy At TheWrap New York In 2019, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Samsung Electronics announced a partnership to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals. Today, through this partnership, millions are learning about the Global Goals where their attention is increasingly focusedon their mobile phonesand taking action on the issues that matter most to them. The Global Goals app is one of the many unique ways that UNDP is reaching people where they spend their time, so that they can spend it for good. The Samsung Global Goals app invites users of Android and Samsung Galaxy devices to get involved through an easy-to-use interface. A richer mobile experience is now available to app users through an update released on January 29, 2020. With this update, lock screen wallpapers greet users with inspirational quotes and dynamic visuals in a range of graphic styles. Clicking through the app, users learn more about the Goals, with key facts, context, examples and stories of how each Goal is relevant on a global and local scale. Whats more, the whole experience gamifies the users attention for good. By donating their viewing time, anyone with the app can support UNDPs work to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Heres how it works: when a user engages with in-app advertising, it automatically donates to UNDP 100% of the revenue the advertising generates, at no cost to the user. And with a 1:1 match from Samsung, every dollar earned in advertising will raise two, to double the donation to help meet the Goals. The result is that users are incentivized to learn more about the Goals, because they see twice the impact when they do. The update also prompts new users to generate more ad earnings, even when their phone is charging, by opting in to the Charge Screen ads feature. For those who want to increase their impact even further, direct donations to UNDP can be made with just a few taps. By simply clicking and confirming, users can donate via Samsung Pay or Google Pay, a new feature now available on the app in 5 countries and coming soon in many more. The app is available for download through the Galaxy Store and Google Play. Plans are underway to revamp the McAfee Knob trailhead in Roanoke County, including building a pedestrian bridge that would take hikers over a busy stretch of Virginia 311. A $2.3 million highway safety grant has been approved by the Virginia Department of Transportation for the bridge, according to Andrew Downs, a regional director for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. The Appalachian Trail crosses 311 near Catawba on the way to McAfee Knob, one of the most photographed sites along the 2,180-mile scenic footpath. Over the past decade, the landmark has seen a huge increase in hikers who must negotiate traffic on the two-lane highway before starting their trek to the rocky outcrop. In addition to improving safety, Downs said, the bridge and other planned improvements including the purchase of an adjacent piece of property and a redesign of the trailhead parking lot by the National Park Service will help preserve a community icon. It really cant be overstated, the contribution of McAfee Knob, to our regions identity, Downs said. Its on the county logo, and you cant spend a day in the Roanoke Valley without seeing it somewhere. It is our poster child for high quality of life. VDOT spokesman Jason Bond said the agency plans to hold a public meeting this spring or summer to discuss the project. Construction is scheduled to be completed by 2025, he said. Additional details were not available Wednesday. A laser counter recorded between 40,000 and 50,000 visitors to the McAfee Knob trailhead last year. Weve seen exponential growth in the past 10 years, Downs said. With so many hikers and about 9,400 vehicles passing by each day, according to VDOT traffic counts its dangerous to try to cross 311, said Jim Beeson, president of the Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club. Trail officials said they were not aware of any serious accidents. Data from the Roanoke County Police Department was not available Wednesday. This is VDOT being proactive about a visitor safety issue, Downs said of the grant, where so many times we see our state and federal governments operating in a reactive mode. With plans for the bridge moving forward, the trail club and the conservancy decided to start a public fundraising campaign to purchase a 7-acre tract of land at the intersection of 311 and Old Catawba Road, just south of where the Appalachian Trail traverses the ridge and crosses the highway. Organizers hope to raise $200,000 by the end of the year. If they are successful in buying the land, it would be donated to the National Park Service or another entity that would incorporate it into the trailhead area. The propertys owner is a trail supporter who is willing to sell but has been approached by multiple developers, according to a mailing sent to Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club members this week. With that level of visitation, people have to be thinking about some kind of commercial operation, Downs said. I dont think that would be complimentary of the AT experience. Acquisition of the land is seen as a key component of a $300,000 study by the National Park Service, which is considering improvements to a gravel parking area. Paving the lot, constructing a building that would include bathrooms and erecting more sophisticated signs are among the possibilities. With all the changes afoot, we just saw this as a window where the opportunity was there, and we wanted to act as quickly as possible to acquire the land, Beeson said. The trail conservancy has donated $25,000 of a $60,000 grant it received from Diana Christopulos, a local environmental advocate who last year was named the 2019 National Cox Conserves Hero, an annual award presented by Cox Enterprises and the Trust for Public Land. Winners of the grant can donate it to the nonprofit of their choice. Another $10,000 pledge has been made by the trail club. Information on how to donate can be found at appalachiantrail.org. While the increase in visitors is seen as a good thing, it has caused more work for the trail club, which maintains a 120-mile stretch of the footpath through Southwest Virginia. I would say the trail is being run to death, Beeson said. Any sort of heavy foot traffic on any trail will take its toll. He estimated that the club did about 40% of its work on the 4-mile McAfee Knob trail last year. The heavy use comes amid growing popularity of whats known as the Triple Crown, in which hikers from near and far take on the neighboring peaks of Dragons Tooth, McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs. Its becoming a hiking destination for people all over the country, Beeson said. College students are also part of the growing numbers, many of them drawn in by images on social media. Everyone wants to get their picture taken on the knob with their feet hanging over the edge, Beeson said. 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 Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli fire during heavy clashes in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, Palestinian official media said. Yazan Abu Tabikh, 19, was killed and seven others wounded when clashes broke out after Israeli forces raided the northern town of Jenin, the official WAFA news agency reported. An AFP reporter saw the body and mourning relatives in a hospital in the town. The raid was to demolish the home of Ahmad Qanba, a Palestinian charged with aiding a Hamas cell in the West Bank, the army said. It said Qanba had been part of a cell that carried out a January 2018 attack in which a rabbi was killed. Heavy clashes broke out with young Palestinians throwing rocks at the Israeli troops, witnesses said. The army said forces had "identified a number of armed terrorists who hurled explosive devices and fired towards them. The forces responded with riot dispersal means." Tabikh was the second Palestinian to be killed in 24 hours, after a 17-year-old was shot dead in clashes in the flashpoint city of Hebron in the southern West Bank. Israeli forces have been on high alert since US President Donald Trump revealed his long-delayed peace proposals last week. The Palestinians called for protests against the plan, which they said was biased towards Israel. Relatives mourn Palestinian teenager Mohammed al-Haddad, killed by Israeli fire during clashes in the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron on Wednesday [music] michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today: President Trump has undertaken a campaign of retribution against those who crossed him during the impeachment inquiry and favors for those who have tried to protect him. Peter Baker on the post-acquittal presidency. Its Friday, February 14. archived recording [HORNS] Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States. michael barbaro Peter, I want to begin with retribution. How does that start? archived recording (donald trump) Well, thank you very much, everybody. Wow. peter baker The day after his acquittal in the Senate, the president gathers people in the East Room of the White House for an event. Its not quite a press conference. Its not quite a speech. Its really kind of a mix, a mix of a celebration of his acquittal but a venting session of his grievances. archived recording (donald trump) I want to start by thanking some of and I call them friends, because you develop friendships and relationships when youre in battle and war. peter baker And he wants to thank the people who stood behind him, names them in the audience. archived recording (donald trump) Mitch McConnell, I want to tell you, you did a fantastic job. [APPLAUSE] peter baker Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader who did more than anybody to secure his acquittal in the trial. And he mentions Jim Jordan archived recording (donald trump) When I first got to know Jim, I said, huh, he never wears a jacket. What the hells going on? Hes obviously very proud of his body. [LAUGHTER] peter baker and other members of the House, the Freedom Caucus, the conservative Republicans who always stood by him in the most aggressive and assertive and staunch way. And then, of course, he turns to his enemies. The people he blames for his ordeal, the people he thinks have treated him so unfairly, have plotted against him, been disloyal or what have you. And he names ones that you would expect, of course. archived recording (donald trump) Nancy Pelosi is a horrible person. peter baker Nancy Pelosi, he says shes a horrible person. archived recording (donald trump) A corrupt politician named Adam Schiff made up my statement to the Ukrainian president. He brought it out of thin air just made it up. They say hes a screenwriter, a failed screenwriter. peter baker He names, of course, Adam Schiff, the lead House prosecutor. archived recording (donald trump) And then you have some that used religion as a crutch. They never used it before. peter baker He names Mitt Romney, the Republican, the only Republican senator to vote for conviction. archived recording (donald trump) But, you know, its a failed presidential candidate, so things can happen when you fail so badly running for president. peter baker These two now, of course, are really at odds. And you see the visceral anger in the president in this moment. And he mentions Colonel Alexander Vindman, a member of his own staff, a detailee from the Pentagon working on Ukraine issues, and his twin brother Yevgeny Vindman, who also works at the N.S.C. staff. He says it almost in passing. archived recording (donald trump) Lieutenant Colonel Vindman and his twin brother, right? peter baker And he says it with such dripping disdain in his voice. Youd get the sense immediately, of course, that this is somebody whos really angry at the president, and hes got his attention. michael barbaro And remind us what puts Vindman in this list of enemies. peter baker Colonel Vindman was one of the members of the White House staff, the National Security Council staff who were subpoenaed by the House to testify in the impeachment inquiry. He didnt come forward voluntarily. He was required to by law to give his testimony to the committee. And during his testimony, he told about being on the famous July 25 call between the president and President Zelensky of Ukraine when the president asked him to investigate Joe Biden and the Democrats. And Colonel Vindman told the committee that he thought that was inappropriate, and he reported it to his superiors at the N.S.C. And for that, he has been on the target list of President Trump and his allies ever since. Painted as disloyal, painted as even treasonous to the country. His patriotism questioned even though hes a decorated veteran of the Iraq War, injured in battle, and really, a kind of a symbol to both sides of sort of where this fight has evolved. archived recording (donald trump) Our country is just respected again, and its an honor to be with the people in this room. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. peter baker And so he comes to the end of this sort of rambling, meandering talk that goes on for an hour and two minutes. And you get the sense that this is not the end and that theres more to come. archived recording Well, President Trump has begun his revenge in the wake of his impeachment trial. peter baker Colonel Vindman, the same witness he had just talked about so dismissively at the East Room event finds himself escorted out of the White House by security guards and told his services are no longer needed michael barbaro Wow. peter baker exiled back to the Pentagon from which he came. Not just him archived recording Escorted out of his job and off the White House grounds, as was his twin brother, who was also assigned to the N.S.C. peter baker His brother Yevgeny Vindman who didnt do anything, had nothing to do with the impeachment hearings at all, except to show up and sit behind his brother just as a matter of family support also dismissed from his post at the National Security Council, marched out at the same time by security and sent back to the Pentagon. archived recording Today, Vindmans lawyer issued a statement saying, quote, The truth has cost him his job, his career and his privacy. peter baker You can understand why a president might not want somebody on his staff who had testified an impeachment hearing against him. But it was handled in a way that was meant to maximize the public message, right? Ill tell you what I mean by that. The N.S.C. is currently undergoing a downsizing. And in fact, the plan was to move Colonel Vindman out as part of that, or at least to use that as the cover to to say, its not about reprisal. Its not about his role in impeachment. Its just part of this overall restructuring. And thats frankly how other presidents might have handled a situation like that. michael barbaro Come up with a rationale. peter baker Come up with a rationale, come up with a public face-saving kind of storyline, a narrative, at least, that even though people would see through it, would at least have the veneer of looking professional rather than vindictive. That was not what the president wanted. He made sure they did this separate from that reorganization. They did not explain it as part of that reorganization. And they did not deny when we called them that day that this was what it looked like, which was, of course, an act of retribution. michael barbaro OK, so what happens next? peter baker Well, we thought that was the story for the day, these two brothers being marched out of there. michael barbaro Right. peter baker And then we discover as the evening arrives that its not over. archived recording Now were getting word that the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, Gordon Sondland, he is out as well. peter baker Gordon Sondland, you may remember him. He was the ambassador to the European Union, who had been deeply involved in the Ukraine pressure campaign, on the phone with the president and required to testify, became a key witness in the House hearings. He said that they were operating on the order of the president himself. He said that it was clearly a quid pro quo, and he said that everyone was in the loop. Suddenly, it turns out hes out as well. Now, as with Vindman, there was a way to do this that would have minimized the public kerfuffle. Gordon Sondland actually was ready to leave. He had told his superiors at the State Department that he was ready to step down on his own. And he got word that Friday you have to resign today, they told him. But he says, no. I dont want to resign on the same day that youre pushing out these Vindmans as if Im part of some sort of purge. michael barbaro Wow. peter baker If you want me today, youre going to have to fire me. And they called back and said, OK, youre fired. michael barbaro So at this point, its clear that this is a vindictive purge of anyone who did anything that put the president in a negative light during the impeachment process. And what is the reaction to that, that very clear and deliberate message from the president inside Washington? peter baker Certainly among Democrats, even among a few Republicans who say whats the message youre sending? If you respond to a subpoena, as ordered by the law, and you give your testimony, you shouldnt be punished for doing that. The presidents view is, why should I have people I cant trust working for me? Its my right as the president to have a staff that serves my interests that I believe is loyal. And hes made clear that loyalty is a number one when it comes to this president. Theres no other quality that matters more to him. michael barbaro And, Peter, as somebody whos covered many White Houses, is he right about that? Is it ultimately a presidential prerogative to decide if someone testified against you, that, you know, you no longer want them around, you dont want them in those jobs anymore, especially presidential appointments? peter baker Its a good question, right? Because it does feel like it would be untenable to have testified and provided damaging testimony against the president, and then come to work every day afterwards. You would think, in fact, you might not want to necessarily do that. But the question isnt whats the right place then for that person to work. The question is what the message the president is trying to send by what hes doing, right? michael barbaro Right. peter baker This president has made a point of making sure everybody knows these people are out, and theyre out because of him and because he will not tolerate disloyalty. michael barbaro OK, so that is the campaign of retribution so far, post acquittal, which brings us to the campaign of protection for the presidents allies. peter baker Right. Its not enough just to go after his perceived enemies. Now its time to do something to protect his friends. And for him, this is going to start with a colorful character and longtime friend and adviser named Roger Stone, whos about to go to prison. michael barbaro Well be right back. So, Peter, before we get to how the president is trying to protect Roger Stone, remind us who Roger Stone is. peter baker Roger Stone has been in American politics going back decades. He is somebody who calls himself a dirty trickster. archived recording (roger stone) Im certainly guilty of bluffing and posturing and punking the Democrats. Unless they pass some law against [BLEEP] and I missed it, Im engaging in tradecraft. Its politics. peter baker Hes a self-proclaimed fan of Richard Nixon. Even to this day, he has a Richard Nixon tattoo. michael barbaro Right. peter baker Hes somebody whos involved early on in some of the Reagan and Dole campaigns, but over the years kind of drifted off into the side, really kind of more of a fringe character, a conspiracy theorist, a provocateur. archived recording 1 In 1980, Stone began a lobbying firm with Paul Manafort that unapologetically catered to human rights abusers. archived recording 2 He has these maxims on how he conducts his political strategy. One of his rules is never turn down an opportunity to have sex or be on television. archived recording 3 Weve seen a lot of colorful characters in the world of political consulting, none more colorful than Roger Stone. And that is the most charitable adjective you can apply to the single weirdest man possibly in the history of political consulting. peter baker Hed been friends for years with Donald Trump. And like Roger Stone, Trump comes from the outside, right? He was not part of the Republican establishment. But suddenly, hes powering forward toward a presidential bid. And he brings with him people like Roger Stone, who had not been in the center of American politics now for years. michael barbaro Right. And my recollection is that its during that campaign that Roger Stone gets into very significant trouble. peter baker Right. He becomes wrapped up in the whole story about the Russian hacking of the Democratic emails. archived recording Hillary Clintons campaign dealing with more email problems. The email account of campaign chairman John Podesta was hacked and many of the emails released. peter baker Things he said gave the impression that he might have known about it in advance. michael barbaro Right. archived recording So were you surprised when John Podestas emails came out, as you seemed to predict ahead of time? archived recording (roger stone) I was interested, like the rest of the country. archived recording Were you surprised? archived recording (roger stone) No, I wouldnt say that I was surprised. peter baker And that puts him right in the heart of this. Is he a link between the Trump campaign and Russia through perhaps WikiLeaks, which is the cutout that the Russians used to get these emails out. And so, once the president wins and comes into office, his friend Roger Stone finds himself under investigation for what he knew and when he knew it. And then Congress jumps in. They call Stone to testify at the House Intelligence Committee. And this is where he really gets into trouble. archived recording (roger stone) We had a very frank exchange. I answered all of the questions. I made the case that the accusation that I knew about John Podestas email hack in advance was false, that I knew about the content and source of the WikiLeaks disclosures regarding Hillary Clinton was false. peter baker He starts telling things that are demonstrably not true. And he ultimately ends up getting charged with lying to Congress. He also tries to get an associate of his to not tell the truth, threatens him even, threatens to kill his dog. michael barbaro Whoa. peter baker And he was put on trial. And last fall Roger Stone was convicted of seven crimes, seven felonies, including lying to Congress and witness intimidation. michael barbaro And these are conditions on very serious charges of obstructing a congressional investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Thats right. I remember thinking when that happened, like, whoa. This is the big leagues for Roger Stone. peter baker Exactly. And the question is, why is he lying? Why is he obstructing? Is he trying to protect the president? This is how this all fits together, right? This goes back to the whole Russian interference. This goes back to the Mueller probe. This goes back to the things that have dominated this presidency for three years and frustrated this president for three years. So he sees Roger Stones conviction as an illegitimate shot at him, at himself, the president. A way of trying to take him down because they couldnt take him down any other way. michael barbaro OK. So Peter, how does the president try to protect Stone after this conviction? peter baker So even as hes in the middle of this campaign of retribution against the Vindman brothers and Gordon Sondland, he is increasingly aware that the sentencing for Roger Stone is coming up. And then, when Monday comes around and the prosecutors present their recommendation for a sentence to the court, the prosecutors ask for seven to nine years behind bars. Thats the normal sentence that would be required under the sentencing guidelines passed by Congress for crimes of the type that Roger Stone was convicted of. So they didnt go outside of those guidelines. They simply said we want to sentence him to what the guidelines say. That doesnt mean the judge would go along with it, but that was their recommendation. Well, that set the president off. archived recording The president expressed his outrage on Twitter, calling it a very unfair situation, adding, Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice! peter baker In the middle of the night, he starts sending out tweets, angry tweets. How can this happen? Nine years, this is outrageous. And theyre going after him. How come they dont go after my enemies but they go after him? And that just sort of sets the town ablaze. archived recording Controversy in the nations capital now over a sentencing recommendation for President Trumps longtime friend Roger Stone. peter baker Heres a president weighing in directly on a court case involving a friend of his. This is something that we have not seen really since Watergate. Presidents dont, especially publicly, weigh in on prosecutions of people that they are personally connected to, at least except in the venue of issuing pardons at some point, which they sometimes do. So this has shocked a lot of people. But what really shocked a lot of people in Washington was when they woke up a few hours later on Tuesday and they saw not only these tweets, but they saw that the attorney general of the United States, Bill Barr, had essentially overruled the career prosecutors. archived recording Breaking news involving President Trump. A stunning reversal in the sentencing recommendation for Trump confidant Roger Stone. peter baker And said, no, were not going to ask for a sentence this heavy. Were going to ask for something lighter. michael barbaro So not seven to nine years, something less. peter baker Not seven to nine years, something less. It doesnt specify what, but something below what the guidelines would normally call for. And so this is causing a huge furor in the U.S. attorneys office in Washington. archived recording What is going on? President Trump knows how to get away with stuff when were not watching. peter baker The four career prosecutors who worked on the Stone case, all four of them, quit. archived recording Were following some truly stunning, breaking news, still developing by the minute this hour. Federal prosecutors in the Roger Stone criminal case have resigned this afternoon. peter baker One after the other. One, two, three, four, just like that. archived recording This does not happen. Prosecutors dont resign just days before they go to sentencing after a case that theyve worked so hard on. peter baker One of them actually quits his job altogether, leaves the Justice Department as a whole. archived recording In protest. peter baker Well, they dont say it, but thats the obvious conclusion. Yes, theyre protesting the overruling of their recommendation. And I think that they felt like they had an ethical obligation. If they had told the court this is the sentence we think is appropriate, and then suddenly a day later the same department is coming and saying, no, we dont how is that tenable for them to continue on that case? michael barbaro And, Peter, given what has just happened the firing of Vindman, Sondland, Vindmans brother what is the reaction to this intervention? Not just the retribution, but this protection? peter baker Well, in effect, the Democrats are saying we told you so, right? archived recording (chuck schumer) No serious person believes President Trump has learned any lesson. He doesnt learn any lessons. He does just what he wants, what suits his ego at the moment. peter baker Senator Schumer, the Democratic leader in the upper chamber goes to the floor and gives a pretty passionate speech in which he says that the natural consequence of acquitting the president on the Ukraine matter means that he feels completely unleashed and empowered to do whatever he thinks is right for his own political interests. archived recording (chuck schumer) We are witnessing a crisis in the rule of law in America, unlike one we have ever seen before. Its a crisis of President Trumps making, but it was enabled and emboldened by every Senate Republican. peter baker Even amongst some Republicans, youre seeing you know some discomfort, particularly among moderate Republicans who tried to give the president the benefit of the doubt by standing with him in the impeachment trial. A couple of them had said even, well, maybe hell have learned a lesson from all of this and hell be more measured, hell be more restrained in the future and that that would be a good thing. Well, what youre hearing a lot of people saying is that doesnt seem to be the case. And I think that the question going forward is going to be, is it just a burst of energy and lashing out in the days after the acquittal, or is this the beginning of a months long recalibration of his administration? What is he going to do going forward? michael barbaro Right. Is this the post-aquittal presidency, one in which enemies are punished and allies are at all costs protected? peter baker Right, exactly. And that the instruments of government are to serve the presidents interests, not just the publics interests. michael barbaro Peter, what you have described here is what an old school political terms might be called a strategy of carrots and sticks, but on steroids, right? You protect those who have done right by you, and you punish those who have somehow wronged you. And in the case of the president, that steroided up strategy clearly worked when it came to impeachment. And we talked to you. We talked to many of our colleagues about the fact that there was genuine fear of crossing this president, and that that influenced how the Senate voted in the impeachment trial. So if this strategy is working and by all accounts, it is working why shouldnt the president keep it up? peter baker Well, its a great question. I think one of the things weve learned about the last three years is that the norms, the standards, the lines that we used to think of that constrained a president were more aspirational and conceptual than they were legal. You go look. You go back far enough, youre going to find plenty of presidents who punished their enemies and protected their friends. But in the post-Watergate period in particular, when we put in new guardrails, we put a new laws, we put in new systems, we thought that that had been minimized at the very least, right? That, yeah, youre going to probably give an appointment to somebody whos been good to you. And youre going to maybe take away a grant from the state of somebody who crossed you on a vote. These things happen. They happen under any presidency. This is that, as you put it, on steroids. And its overt. Its right out there in the open. He wants everybody to know what hes doing. He wants everybody to understand. You are loyal to this president or you should get out. And thats true of people in government. Thats true of people even in Congress. Hes made very clear that the Republican Party has no room for anybody who is not on his side. Youre either in his camp or youre not. michael barbaro And, of course, theres a larger context here, which is were in the middle of a presidential election. And I wonder how this behavior by the president fits into his re-election strategy. peter baker You say that all this fits into a broader approach by this presidential politics. Its not about unifying. Its about dividing. Its about us versus them. And this is what the appeal is to his constituents. It is: I am fighting for you. And they are trying to stop me. Its the deep state, its the Democrats, its the fake news media. Theyre all trying to stop me, and by extension, you. And thats why you should stick with me in this election this fall. So this idea that Washington is all alarmed by retributions and protections of friends because it violates norms doesnt hurt his appeal to many of his voters out there, because its part of this larger argument that hes making. And the larger argument is I am a force of disruption. I am a force that is shaking things up. And the reason why youre seeing things in the news that are bad about me is because theyre fighting back. And you should stay with me because its not just me. Its about you too. michael barbaro Peter, thank you. peter baker OK, thank you. michael barbaro On Thursday, in an interview with ABC News, Attorney General Bill Barr said that the presidents interference in cases like Roger Stones was making it all but impossible for him to run the Department of Justice. archived recording (william barr) To have public statements and tweets made about the department, about people in the department, our men and women here, about cases pending in the department and about judges before whom we have cases, make it impossible for me to do my job and to assure the courts and the prosecutors and the department that were doing our work with integrity. michael barbaro But Barr did not directly criticize the president, and confirmed in the interview that he had overruled prosecutors to recommend a more lenient sentence for Stone. Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. archived recording Are there any senators in the chamber wishing to change their vote? If not, the yeas are 55, the nays are 45. The joint resolution as amended is passed. michael barbaro In this Aug. 1, 1963, file photo, Bayard Rustin, leader of the March on Washington poses in New York City. California's governor announced Wednesday that he was posthumously pardoning Rustin, a gay civil rights leader, while creating a new pardon process for others convicted under outdated laws punishing homosexual activity. Read more Bayard Rustin, a gay civil rights icon with Philadelphia-area roots and a confidante of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and who was convicted for homosexual activity under outdated laws, has been posthumously pardoned by California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Rustin was born in West Chester in 1912, where he grew up to lead nonviolent protests and learn the Quaker principles that propelled his activism. He was a key organizer of the historic 1963 March on Washington, protested Chester Countys segregation in local theaters and lunch counters, and participated in one of the first Freedom Rides. Rustin, who died in 1987 and was honored by then-President Barack Obama with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, had counseled King on the principles of nonviolence. He was arrested on more than one occasion spending more than two years in jail after protesting Japanese internment camps during World War II, and then arrested and beaten during the 1961 Freedom Rides but it was his 1953 arrest in California that shaped the rest of his life. Rustin was found having sex with two men in the backseat of a car in Pasadena, where he was appearing as part of a lecture tour on anti-colonial struggles in West Africa. He served 50 days in Los Angeles County jail and was forced to register as a sex offender. The arrest prompted his religious and political associates to distance themselves, California legislators who advocated for the pardon said. On Wednesday, Newsom pardoned Rustin and issued an executive order for a new initiative to identify others who were incriminated by outdated homophobic laws and might be eligible for pardons. At the time of Rustins arrest, police and prosecutors nationwide used charges like vagrancy, loitering, and sodomy to punish LGBTQ people, the governor noted. Rustin is far from alone, Newsom said in the order. He encouraged others in similar circumstances "to seek a pardon to right this egregious wrong. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf commended Newsoms pardon on Twitter Thursday morning. Rustin never hid the fact that he was gay. But his sexual orientation and his belief in the Quaker principle of humility kept him out of the movements spotlight, John DEmilio, author of The Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin, told the Inquirer in 2013. He attended the segregated Gay Street School and later West Chester High School, which was integrated because there were not enough black students to fill a separate school. He later studied at what is now Cheyney University. As a teen, Rustin sat in the white section of Warner Theater to protest segregation. He frequently returned to West Chester from his home in New York to attend rallies and speak on behalf of racial equality. Bayard Rustin High School in the West Chester Area School District is named for him. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The Gold Rush Everything you need to know about this year's awards season race. Three long-denied Academy Award nominees describe in detail their moments on the podium and how long the high lasts. Photo: Valerie Macon /AFP via Getty Images In the mid-90s, the title of Best Actress Whod Never Won an Oscar was held by Susan Sarandon. Shed been nominated four times without a win, and was coming off a three-in-four-years stretch of Thelma & Louise, Lorenzos Oil, and The Client. When she finally won in 1996 for Dead Man Walking, her acceptance speech was fast and breathless, like shed just finished a 5K. In the early 90s, the title of Best Actor Whod Never Won an Oscar was held by Al Pacino, whod been nominated six times without a win, going back to the first Godfather. Early in the 1993 ceremony, in Best Supporting Actor, he lost a seventh time. Then finally, in Best Actor, his moment came. When his name was called for Scent of a Woman, Pacino leaned back in his chair, as if thanking the heavens. Once he ascended to the podium, he savored the moment, waiting 35 applause-filled seconds before beginning his speech. You broke my streak, he joked. In other words, while winning an Oscar undoubtedly feels good no matter who you are, the specific experience is different for everyone. The relative pleasure imbued by an Academy Award down the line may vary, as well. Does the sun shine brighter, food taste sweeter? Or does the high wear off quickly, with the lucky winners finding themselves stuck in traffic on Monday morning just like everyone else? To find out, I decided to speak to people who would not only know what it felt like to win an Oscar, but who also had plenty of experience in not winning that small handful of Hollywood luminaries who had to get nominated seven, eight, nine times before they finally won. What did their big moment actually feel like? You never reach anywhere. You just go on working. Alexandre Desplat wins Best Original Score at the 2015 Oscars. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images Though hes now a two-time winner, Alexandre Desplats first trophy was a long time coming. After working regularly in Europe, the French composer burst onto the American film scene after scoring Girl With a Pearl Earring in 2003. The Academy took notice of him three years later, for The Queen, which kicked off an Oscar hot streak: six nominations in eight years. But no wins. He didnt take it personally. I decided that I should never think that Id be winning, because its too disappointing, he said over tea, in a brief break from his ongoing Little Women campaign. (He carries his own packets of green sencha.) I knew from things that I had heard that it would come when it had to come. Its like love: It may take a while, but it happens boom, its there. At the 2015 ceremony, Desplat was convinced he would once again be going home empty-handed. He was nominated twice in Best Original Score, for The Grand Budapest Hotel and The Imitation Game, and naturally assumed the vote would be split. When it came time for Julie Andrews to present the award, he slouched in his chair; after Andrews announced hed won for Grand Budapest, he ambled unexpectedly to the stage, kicking off his speech with a stunned Oh, well merci beaucoup. After missing out so many times, he had enough perspective to know that the win was less a statement about the quality of the work, and more about timing. As good as you think your score is, what counts is the vibe of the moment, the composer says. Its about whats happening around the world, in the industry, and in cinema at the same time. It doesnt mean that the score that wins is the best; its just the one that at that moment is the most attractive. That night, Grand Budapest turned out to be the movie of the moment. This was the year the Academy welcomed Wes Anderson into the club, with the film taking three other trophies as well, and though Anderson himself wouldnt win anything, he had cracked the Best Director lineup for the first time in his career. The movies so stunningly different, inventive, and fun, Desplat says. And the music is playing almost all the time. So what did it feel like to get up onstage and finally win? Fabulous, he says. He had been judged by a jury of his peers and declared worthy of entering the pantheon. Youre the flower of the day, and its beautiful. But the win also brought with it a new pressure. Youre part of the family of the best filmmakers, so your work should be as good, if not better, Desplat recalls thinking in the wake of the victory. And I must say for that the next year or two, I was really obsessed by that. I just thought, Dont stop. Dont relax. Dont think that youve reached a point. You never reach anywhere. You just go on working. He was back on a job in Paris within days of the ceremony. Desplats hard work would pay off three years later, when he won another Oscar for the Shape of Water score. You might think that nothing could compare to your first Academy Award; you would be wrong. Desplat had previously scored movies like The Kings Speech and Argo, where the film won big, but hed missed out. And on the Grand Budapest win, as great as that night was, his joy couldnt be shared with Anderson. But on Shape of Water, we won everything, he says. Best director, best film, best composer, best production design. Before the others had an Oscar, I was part of the band, but I was not playing with the band. Then, there, I could play with the band. Id go into a store, and the teller would say, Have a nice day, and congratulations on your Oscar. Paul Massey wins Best Sound Mixing at the 2019 Oscars. Photo: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP/Shutterstock Sound mixer Paul Massey had to wait even longer for his first Oscar, finally winning for Bohemian Rhapsody last year, his eighth nomination. (Like Desplat, Massey is nominated again this year, for Ford v Ferrari.) When I first started doing film mixing in the late 80s, it seemed like just the possibility of getting an Oscar nomination was wildly extravagant and ridiculous, he says. It was so beyond the horizon I didnt even think about it. Like Desplat, Massey says that he was content with his place in the industry even without a win. He was established and comfortable, and working on exciting movies. At every ceremony he tried to push any thought of winning out of his mind, and just have a good time. To be on the safe side, though, he did always prepare a speech beforehand. Unlike actors, Im not a public speaker on a regular basis, he says It would be absolutely horrific to get up on the stage and just go blank. At the 2019 ceremony, Bohemian Rhapsody was widely pegged to take home both sound awards, but Massey didnt put any stock in those predictions; it would only screw with his head. He neednt have worried. BoRhap did indeed win Sound Editing and Sound Mixing, and Film Editing and Best Actor, too. The victory was even sweeter for being shared, and for Massey, whod gotten his start working in the music industry, there was a special meaning in the win coming for this particular project. As I walked down to the stage, Brian May and Roger Taylor got up and shook our hands. It was pure joy, to be honest. How did winning feel for Massey? I obviously felt a sense of satisfaction, but it was like something in my bucket list that I didnt even know was in my bucket list, he says. I felt like I had achieved a goal I hadnt really set for myself, to be honest. He noticed, too, that in the days afterward, people began to treat him differently. Within the industry, they seem to take you a little more seriously, which is pleasant. And people outside the industry think its just magic. Massey lives in Ojai, a small city about two hours north of Los Angeles. After his win, it suddenly felt like everyone in town knew him. Id go into a store, and the teller would say, Have a nice day, and congratulations on your Oscar. Id never met them before in my life. It was a bit surreal. Masseys Oscar now sits on the mantelpiece in his family room; every so often hell glance at it, and get a nice warm reminder of the months he spent working on Bohemian Rhapsody. Desplat had spoken of an industry legend, the Oscar curse, after which winners find themselves in a professional lull everyone assumes theyre too busy, or have gotten too expensive. In the 12 months since his win, Massey has not experienced that. Or he hopes he hasnt. Put the word out there, he says, laughing, the rates havent changed! I ran to the stage in a full sprint. Kevin OConnell wins Best Sound Mixing at the 2017 Oscars. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images But Desplat and Masseys Oscars droughts might as well have been a sandbox compared to sound mixer Kevin OConnell, who held the record for nominations without a win: 20, stretching back to Terms of Endearment. I dont think anybody can put it in perspective more than someone who has gone 20 times without winning, he says. Both Desplat and Massey claim they would have been totally happy without ever getting an Oscar, which is of course a slightly easier thing to say after youve already won. For OConnell, constantly coming up short was agonizing. When it came time for the Sound Mixing award, his body temperature would rise, and his heart would start pounding only when someone else won would things return to normal. Everybody used to say, Oh, this is your 12th time. You must have a better chance next year. Or This is your 15th time, then This is your 18th time But it really doesnt matter. Actors may be able to build a case over time for a makeup award. For sound mixers, every year is a reset; he had to start all over again. It got even worse once he became the record holder. Thats a title I dont wish on anybody else on the planet, he says. Its not a fun thing to own. The record got him lots of press, but not always the good kind of press: Headline writers, pressed for a punchy angle, had a habit of referring to him as Hollywoods biggest loser. In 2006, he even made the cover of the L.A. Times. I said, The one thing is, I wish you wouldnt refer to me as a loser. Then the headline read: Sound Advice From a 14-time Loser, with my picture on the cover. I gotta be honest, it didnt feel good. It didnt feel good at all. Even now the L-word remains a touchy subject; OConnell has been burned too many times by reporters who swear they wont use it, then go ahead and do it anyway. It got so bad that when OConnell got his 21st nomination, for mixing Hacksaw Ridge, he didnt want to do any press at all. Especially now that his children were old enough to read interviews, he didnt want them having to read about how their dad was a loser. Finally the films producer Bill Mechanic (who also happened to be an Academy board member), as well as a family friend whose husband had won an Oscar, convinced him it was worth it to get back out there, especially as it had been nine years since his last nomination. At the 2017 ceremony, that nine-year gap came into play in unexpected fashion. OConnell had been used to an Oscars format where the names of the winners were read first if he didnt hear a keh sound come out of the presenters mouth, he knew he hadnt won. But in the interim, the Academy had switched it up: Presenters now said the name of the movie first. When he heard Chris Evans say the H in Hacksaw Ridge, he didnt clock that hed finally won. All of a sudden, my wife was shaking me, he says. Three years later, OConnell remembers what happened next in vivid detail: I flipped out. I barely composed myself. What the show didnt show was that I ran to the stage in a full sprint. When I got up there, I saw what I had been dreaming about for 37 years, which was standing on that stage and looking at the audience, rather than sitting in the audience and clapping for the person onstage. At the end of his acceptance speech, OConnell gave a shout-out to his late mother, Skippy OConnell. The year hed been nominated for Apocalypto, Skippy was in the hospital. Kevin says he rushed from the ceremony to go see her, and shed died in his arms an hour later; the two events had been emotionally tied together in his memory ever since. Skippy had gotten him his first job working in movies, and now he finally had the chance to give her the proper thank-you shed requested all those years ago. Mom, I know youre looking down on me tonight, so thank you, he said onstage, to a round of applause. The rest of the night unfolded in a blur. From talking to people whose friends had won, he knew the drill: You take photos, you answer some questions, then you party. But when I was actually doing it, it was as though I had died and gone to heaven in some respect, OConnell says. I wasnt even sure it was actually really happening. He was the last person to be interviewed at the ceremony itself, and he was set to be the first person interviewed on Good Morning America, which had a four in the morning call time. So, to the dismay of his wife, OConnell decided to skip the Vanity Fair after-party, and just head home and get a little sleep. After everyone else went to bed, it was just him and the Oscar in the middle of the kitchen, at 2:30 a.m.. I was just sitting there looking at it, thinking, I cant believe this really happened. Then, the next morning, he went back to work on a Netflix film he was mixing. No one could believe that I was actually sitting there, he recalls. But you know what? I thought to myself, nobody was going to be at my home. My kids had to go to school and my wife is going to be out. I just didnt want to sit home all day. Id rather be at the studio, which is where this all happened. And the best thing about the long-awaited win? Nobody that year referred to me ever as the loser, OConnell says. It was the best year of my life. China has mobilized all resources available to battle against the novel coronavirus. In the race against the virus, all society members are united as one, supporting the countrys epidemic prevention and control so as to finally overcome the difficulties with concerted efforts. Hubei Province started using helicopters to ensure smooth and timely transportation of emergency supplies since Feb. 1, 2020. The first helicopter transporting medical materials to Xiangyang arrived at 16:33. The materials were distributed to medial institutions by the Xiangyang branch of the Sinopharm Group. (Photo by Wang Hu from Peoples Daily) At present, finance departments at various levels are strengthening financial support for epidemic prevention and control. Governments are supporting local enterprises to deliver assistance to places in need of help. Medical corporations are working day and night to produce medical materials and develop anti-virus drugs. The whole society is donating supplies and money for epidemic control with strong enthusiasm. As of Feb. 3, finance departments at various levels have allocated a total of 47 billion yuan in subsidies for the prevention and control of the epidemic. The money has been mainly used for treating patients, subsidizing medical staffs and epidemic prevention workers, and purchasing equipment needed for epidemic prevention and control and rapid diagnostic reagents. In addition to the financial support, customs and civil aviation departments have also acted to ensure the curbing of the virus. According to customs statistics, from Jan. 24 to Feb. 2, customs across the country imported 240 million pieces of epidemic prevention and control materials in 94,000 batches with a total value of 810 million yuan. Protective equipment including 220 million pieces of masks, 2.529 million pieces of protective suits, and 279,000 pairs of goggles, which was worth 610 million yuan, accounted for 74.9 percent of the imports. As the forefront of the battle against the epidemic, customs of Wuhan Tianhe International Airport inspected and released 7.77 million pieces of imported epidemic prevention and control materials in 22 batches by Feb.1. At present, Chinese customs have set up special service counters and green channels at customs clearance sites across the country to provide convenient and efficient customs clearance services for epidemic prevention and control materials, so as to help the country get through the difficulty. A worker makes medical protective suits at Ji Hua 3502 Career Apparel Ltd., Shijiazhuang, north Chinas Hebei Province, Feb. 3, 2020. (Photo by Wang Baolong from Peoples Daily Online) By Feb. 2, a total of 4,330 flights have delivered 604,563 pieces of protective materials such as masks, protective suits and disinfectants weighing 4,671.54 tons. Among them, 138 flights headed to Hubei, delivering 192,475 pieces of prevention and control materials weighing 1,213.62 tons. At the same time, the civil aviation authority actively coordinated various airlines, transporting 7,558 medics and bringing 399 Chinese stranded overseas back home by charter flights. Affected by the epidemic, some enterprises encountered temporary difficulties in production and operation. To solve the issue, various provinces and cities in China have successively introduced relevant measures to support the healthy development of these enterprises and those engaged in the production of anti-epidemic materials. On Feb.3, the Beijing municipal government issued relevant measures to assist enterprises to guarantee the supply of protective materials and raw materials, as well as logistics and transportation. The measures are also expected to supervise and guide enterprises to ensure smooth operation and safety. Binzhou, east Chinas Shandong Province, formulated twelve policies to support the development of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The municipal finance department raised 30 million yuan to establish a financial stability fund for the SMEs to get through the epidemic, and provided bridging funds for enterprises that see short-term difficulties of capital turnover to repay and renew loans on time. North Chinas Hebei Province has coordinated and organized a total of 142 key logistics parks and enterprises to guarantee the supply of daily necessities. All of them are actively preparing and transporting materials to guarantee market supply. In addition, people from all walks of life have been donating materials and money to support the fight against the virus with rising enthusiasm. As of 7:00 a.m. Feb. 3, the Red Cross Society of northwest Chinas Qinghai Province received donations totaling 37.58 million yuan, including 35.08 million yuan of monetary donations and materials worth 2.5 million yuan. On the same day, Liuzhou Iron & Steel Co. Ltd. based in south Chinas Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region announced to donate 30 million yuan to support the autonomous region, as well as Liuzhou, Fangchenggang, and Yulin under its administration. Pharmaceutical companies across China also gave a quick response in a united manner. Up to now, more than 40 biomedical companies in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area have participated in the fight against the novel coronavirus, and the products developed by more than 20 companies have been directly used for epidemic prevention and control. Four antiviral drug production enterprises in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, including Shijiazhuang Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Shijiazhuang No.4 Pharmaceutical, Yiling Pharmaceutical, and Shineway Pharmaceutical have been running at full capacity to produce medical materials. They have expanded their daily output by 2 to 3 times. As of Feb. 2, 15 medical and health material manufacturing companies in the city produced 36,600 pieces of surgical masks, 4.4 million pieces of protective masks, and 95,000 pieces of isolation suits. These medical supplies have offered strong support for national epidemic prevention and control. The death toll in Chinas novel coronavirus outbreak went up to 563 as 73 people died on Wednesday, the highest one-day fatalities so far, while total confirmed cases rose sharply to 28,018, Chinese health officials said on Thursday. On Wednesday, 73 people died due to the virus and the new confirmed cases of the epidemic went up by 3,694, the countrys National Health Commission announced. Overall 563 people have died in the country due to the virus so far and 28,018 confirmed cases have been reported from 31 provincial-level regions, the Commission said. Among the deceased, 70 were from Hubei Province and its provincial Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus outbreak. Tianjin, Heilongjiang and Guizhou provinces registered one death each, the Commission said. Another 5,328 new suspected cases were reported on Wednesday of which 2,987 are in Hubei. Also on Wednesday, 640 patients became seriously ill and 3,859 remained in severe condition, the commission said. As the virus is transmitted from human-to-human, over 2.82 lakh close contacts of the patients have been traced, with over 1.86 lakh others still under medical observation. By the end of Wednesday, 21 confirmed cases had been reported from Hong Kong 10 in the Macao and 11 in Taiwan, the commission said. The virus cases abroad climbed to 182 on Wednesday. The Philippines reported first death abroad while Hong Kong announced its first casualty on Sunday. Chinese officials hope the cases will come down in the coming days with more specialised hospitals being set up in Wuhan. Chinas Ministry of Science and Technology said that a batch of Remdesivir, an antiviral drug, which will be put into clinical trials to test its efficiency on the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), is expected to arrive in China soon. Remdesivir has been used to treat Ebola infections abroad, a media report said. So far there is no set treatment to cure the coronavirus cases. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming speaks to reporters at the government complex in Seoul, Thursday, before meeting top foreign ministry officials over issues about the deadly new coronavirus. Korea Times photo by Cho Young-bin By Jung Min-ho Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming claims the Chinese government can bring the deadly new coronavirus under control in 10 days. Citing "the best scientists responding to the virus in China," Xing told reporters Thursday that the situation will improve "in seven to 10 days," before meeting high-ranking foreign ministry officials at the government complex in Seoul, according to the Hankook Ilbo, the sister paper of The Korea Times. "We (China) can overcome this," Xing said in Korean. "Trust us." Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Xing Haiming speaks to reporters on arrival at Incheon International Airport, Jan. 30. Yonhap Specific deals and menus have not yet been released, but organizers will make updates to the CBRW website. Also check the groups Facebook page at facebook.com/officialchicagobrw. Unlike Chicago Restaurant Weeks prix fixe menus, Chicago Black Restaurant week participants will set their own prices, ending in 20 cents as a nod to the year. (Last year, prices ended in 19 cents). A neighbor and an Airbnb guest renting the basement of the man suspected of killing Utah college student Mackenzie Lueck told police they witnessed him start a fire in his backyard where her remains were discovered. Ayoola Adisa Ajayi, who has been charged with 23-year-old Lueck's murder and desecration of a body, was seen burning items in his yard by an Airbnb guest and a neighbor, according to newly released court documents. A neighbor described the smell of the blaze as 'something I've never smelled before', while his Airbnb guest said he 'could not believe Ayoola had ignited the fire in his backyard'. The tech worker, 31, claimed he was burning pallets near his home in the Fairpark neighborhood of Salt Lake City. A neighbor and Airbnb guest say they saw the suspect in Mackenzie Lueck's killing light a fire in his yard after she disappeared Ayoola Adisa Ajayi is arrested on June 28 last year after 23-year-old Lueck disappeared Lueck's charred body was found with her arms bound behind her in Logan Canyon, 85 miles north of Salt Lake City, in August. Some of her remains and belongings were discovered by police in a shallow grave in Ajayi's backyard. She died from blunt force trauma to the head. 'Ayoola had the pallets and what he described as a white door on fire behind the garage. He said he stayed on the patio and did not approach the fire. [He] said a neighbor lady then started yelling at Ayoola and telling him if he did not put the fire out she was going to call the fire department. '[The renter] said he could not believe Ayoola had ignited the fire in his backyard and went inside because he did not want to be involved with the incident,' a search warrant affidavit filed in 3rd District Court revealed, according to Deseret News. Recently unsealed search warrants served during the investigation into the killing have revealed potential witnesses who may have been inside the suspect's house when Lueck disappeared. According to warrants, one man or possibly two were staying at Ajayi's house at the time Lueck was allegedly killed. The second claims to have left the residence before Lueck went missing on June 17. A man from Texas, believed to have been the Airbnb guest who witnessed the blaze, said he woke up on June 17 to find Ajayi already awake, the warrant states. '[He] said Ayoola was sitting on a trash can in front of his open garage next to his Kia Optima. [He] said Ayoola asked him if he knew how to get gas out of a vehicle.' the warrant says. The man alleged that Ajayi said he 'had been trying to siphon gas out of his car and had been unsuccessful. The warrant continues: 'Ayoola then told him he had been up all night and was 'going on no sleep.' Police found a human bone, charred muscular tissue, part of a scalp with hair and personal items including a cell phone in the excavation area of Ajayi's yard, charging documents state. Charred items were also found in an alley next to Ajayi's home. 'Those items included what looked like black clothing and a possible strap from a purse or backpack. Mackenzie Lueck was wearing a compact backpack, black in color, in surveillance video from the SLC Airport, the last location where she was seen on camera,' a warrant states. Only Ajayi has been charged in connection with Lueck's disappearance. A preliminary hearing is set to begin March 12. Lueck disappeared shortly after returning from visiting her hometown in California for her grandmother's funeral and taking a Lyft from the airport to a park. Ajayi's neighbor described the scent of the blaze as 'something I've never smelled before', according to newly released court documents A human bone, part of a skull and charred personal belongings were found by police in the backyard of the suspect, a warrant reveals She exchanged text messages with Ajayi and met him at the park, apparently willingly, but her phone was turned off a minute after the final text and wasn't turned back on, prosecutors have said. Police say Lueck was last seen getting into Ajayi's car on June 17. She was reported missing three days later. Police and prosecutors have not said how Ajayi and Lueck were connected, but court documents show that investigators searched social media and dating sites while trying to find a link between them, including one called Seeking Arrangement, which bills itself as a way for wealthy 'sugar daddies' to meet women known as 'sugar babies'. On June 22, Lueck's father told police he found his daughter had been using a credit card that he did not know she had, according to the warrants, as well as a separate bank account. She was also using TextMe, a third-party messaging application for cell phones. Ajayi was charged with aggravated murder, obstruction of justice, aggravated kidnapping and abuse or desecration of a human body in connection with Lueck's death. In a separate case, Ajayi is also accused of assaulting a woman, who has not been named, who he met on Latter-day Saints dating app, Mutual, in March 2018 at his house. Police officers outside Ajayi's home in the Fairpark neighborhood of Salt Lake City He has pleaded not guilty to aggravated kidnapping and three charges of forcible sexual abuse and is due to face trial in this month. The woman was allegedly sexually assaulted and reported the crime to police after Ajayi was charged over Lueck's death. Investigators have also said they are looking into a report from a construction contractor who said Ajayi approached him in April about building a secretive and soundproof room in his home. In early August, Ajayi was also charged with 19 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after investigators discovered child pornography on his computer. Ajayi had images of children as young as four years old, prosecutors said in charging documents. He has not yet entered pleas to those charges. They had taken the computer as part of the investigation into the death of Mackenzie Lueck. The Salt Lake Legal Defenders Association, which has been assigned to represent Ajayi, said it does not plan to make any comments on the charges. Lueck has been remembered as a bubbly, nurturing person who loved spending time with her family and looked forward to a career in medicine or health care. A California native, Lueck was a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and a part-time senior at the University of Utah studying kinesiology and pre-nursing. She was expected to graduate in spring 2020. Ajayi is an information technology worker who had stints with high-profile companies and was briefly in the Army National Guard. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 Trend: As part of an Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers and the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) in Baku, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has met with his counterpart from Uzbekistan, Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. During the meeting, the parties highlighted the importance of developing cooperation in the political, economic, trade, transport, cultural and other fields between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Noting the need for increasing trade between the countries, the foreign ministers of the two countries mentioned the important role in this aspect of holding the next meeting of the Commission on Intergovernmental Cooperation. The ministers emphasized that mutual visits, including high-level ones, are an important impetus for the further development of the relations. The sides also discussed issues of cooperation between the two countries within international organizations. Mammadyarov expressed gratitude to his colleague for the principled position that Uzbekistan demonstrates on international platforms in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. During the meetings, the parties also exchanged views on the agenda for cooperation within the Turkic Council. Students and activists carry signs during the annual "March for Life" in Washington, DC on January 18, 2019. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo credit should read ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) California State University Pays $243,000 to Settle Lawsuit With Pro-Life Student Activists The California State University (CSU) system and CSU San Marcos agreed to pay $243,000 to settle a lawsuit after a district court judge ruled that the public university unfairly treated a group of student activists because of their pro-life viewpoints. CSUs board of trustees and the student government at CSU San Marcos signed an agreement (pdf) with the campus chapter of Students for Life (SFL) and its former president Nathan Apodaca to settle the 2017 lawsuit. According to the settlement terms, CSU will pay $240,000 in legal fees to the students lawyers at the conservative advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom and $3,000 in damages to SFL. University officials also pledged to adopt viewpoint neutral standards when making funding decisions in the future. The dispute started when CSU San Marcos Associated Students Inc. (ASI) refused to use fees it charged from all students to provide $500 for an SFL event. The event would feature Mike Adams, a prominent anti-abortion commentator and University of North Carolina-Wilmington professor. Meanwhile, ASI-funded Gender Equity Center and LGBTQA Pride Center together received more than $296,000 for their activities advocating for abortion and LGBTQ rights during the same school year. Alliance Defending Freedom, on behalf of Apodaca and SFL, filed a federal lawsuit against the university for disfavoring conservative groups in its allocation of student fees. Last year, District Judge M. James Lorenz of the Southern District of California ruled in favor of Apodaca and SFL, saying that CSU San Marcos engaged in viewpoint discrimination against the pro-life student group. The Court disagrees with Defendants that the ASI funding process disburses the mandatory ASI fee based on viewpoint-neutral criteria, Lorenz wrote in a 28-page decision (pdf), adding that under current guidelines, the ASI was given unbridled discretion to promote or suppress certain viewpoints through the allocation of funds. Lorenz also ruled that CSU San Marcos could not use the mandatory student fees paid by members of SFL to support organizations with opposing views, such as Gender Equity Center and LGBTQA Pride Center, until specific and detailed standards guiding decision-making is adopted. Public universities should encourage all students to participate in the free exchange of ideas, not create elaborate and secretive funding schemes to award their favored few with first-class status while denying even economy class to opposing views, Caleb Dalton, Alliance Defending Freedoms senior counsel, said in a statement. Were grateful the district court rejected the universitys unfair, secretive, and discriminatory policy, and that the university has agreed to allocate student fees only in a viewpoint-neutral manner, instead of picking favorites. There are 518 patients on trollies in Irish hospitals this morning. The numbers were released by the INMO's Trolley Watch. 347 are waiting in the emergency department, while 171 are in wards elsewhere in the hospital. The worst-hit hospitals today are: University Hospital Limerick 63 Cork University Hospital - 55 University Hospital Galway - 53 The figure has dropped from yesterday when Read More: The US Embassy in Madrid has warned Americans visiting Spain to take extra precautions because of a steady increase in the number of sexual assaults over the last five years in the country. Embassy officials said they were unaware of any similar alerts for a European nation. The security alert, issued on Monday, came as Spanish authorities are investigating a rape accusation filed by three American sisters against three Afghan men over events on New Years Eve in Murcia, in southeastern Spain. It also warned of the challenges that those who experience sexual assault face when seeking justice in the Spanish legal system. The embassy said its alert was a response to an increase in sex attacks against young US citizen visitors and students throughout Spain. It cited data from Spains interior ministry, noting that the embassy in Madrid had dealt with six reported cases of sex attacks in January, which followed from 34 such reports last year. In an interview with the Spanish newspaper ABC, Benjamin Ziff, deputy chief of the US mission in Madrid, said the issue is not only about data of sexual attacks and harassment but the treatment that North American citizens get after the attack. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty In response to the alert, a spokesman for the Spanish interior ministry acknowledged on Wednesday that Spain had seen an increase in the number of reports of sexual assault but said that Spain still had one of the lowest sex crime rates in Europe. He also suggested that the rise in reported crimes in part reflected a greater readiness by victims to come forward and was in line with the trend in other Western countries. The United States has issued travel warnings for Spain and other European countries over the risk of terrorism, notably after a van attack on Barcelonas most famous promenade killed 16 people in 2017. That warning was updated in October after a secessionist conflict in the Catalonia region spiralled into several nights of violence in Barcelona and other northeastern cities. The embassy also issued a specific warning in September against a Seville-based tour operator who was accused of assaulting American students. Spain is a highly popular destination for tourists around the globe, with a record 83.7 million visitors last year, according to data released on Monday by its national statistics office. That included more than 3 million Americans, a 13 per cent increase from the previous year. Yet Spain has faced stinging criticism over its handling of several high-profile sexual assault cases in recent years, with womens rights activists charging that the countrys judiciary is dominated by men who judge cases based on faulty ideas about issues like what constitutes consent. Several verdicts have prompted street protests, including some of the worlds largest marches on International Womens Day. One of the most contentious cases came into the spotlight in 2018, when a court sentenced five men to prison for the continuous sexual abuse of an 18-year-old woman during the Pamplona bull-running festival but cleared them of the more serious charge of rape, which under Spanish law must involve violence or intimidation. That verdict against the five men who had filmed the assault using a cellphone and who dubbed themselves the wolf pack was overruled in June by Spains Supreme Court, which found them guilty of rape and increased their prison sentences on the main charge to 15 years, from nine. People shout slogans during a protest in Pamplona on April 28 2018 after the wolf pack gang had a sentence less severe than rape (Xabier Lertxundi/Getty) Yet in October, a case involving the sexual assault of an unconscious 14-year-old girl also resulted in the conviction of five men on a charge of sexual abuse rather than rape, when that Spanish court ruled that they had not used violence. That type of distinction is part of what led the US Embassy to issue its caution this week, warning that US citizen victims of sexual assault in Spain can find it very difficult to navigate the local criminal justice system, which differs significantly from the US system. In the interview with the Spanish newspaper, Mr Ziff, the US diplomat in Madrid, also cited other problems with the institutional response to sex attacks in Spain, ranging from how women were treated when reporting to a hospital to how they were questioned by police, including about the clothing they were wearing and their alcohol consumption as well as whether they had an insurance policy to cover a possible sexual assault. In the court case involving the three American sisters who are accusing three Afghans of raping them on New Years Eve, the lawyer of the defendants has cited the fact that the sisters were insured against such an attack as evidence that they fabricated their rape accusations. The New York Times Comedian and actor Kevin Hart was the highest-paid stand-up comedian in 2019, making $59 million, according to Forbes. And he has been called the "hardest working person in show business." But in September, Hart was in a serious car accident that left him with major back injuries and changed his perspective on what's important in life. While recovering in the hospital, "I got a chance to think about what matters, and it's not fame," Hart, 40, told Men's Health in an interview for the March issue. "It's not money. It's not jewelry, cars, or watches. What matters are relationships." The harrowing accident inspired Hart to focus on spending more time with family and three kids with wife Eniko Parrish Heaven, 14, Hendrix, 11 and Kenzo, 2 and have boundaries when it comes to his work schedule. "I'm sitting with the kids before and after dinner," Hart said. "We are doing taco Tuesdays, Mexican-food Thursdays, Chinese-food Sundays. We got movie night twice a week. Now I'm walking my f---ing dog. I'm picking up dog sh---." The best advice that Hart got about work-life balance was: "You can't be married to your career and date your family," he told Men's Health. To Hart, that means "make sure you're implementing the same amount of time and energy into being present for what matters," he said. That does't mean committing to more balance has been easy for Hart: "I'm addicted to the f---ing work," he told Men's Health. "I'd much rather that be my addiction than be strung out on crack, but now I have to struggle to find balance," he told said. "That hustle is not going anywhere, but I want it suppressed and balanced so I can put the same kind of energy into my family." Hart was ranked the highest-earning stand-up comedian and one of the highest-paid entertainers in 2019 by Forbes. In addition to his career as a stand-up comedian, Hart has starred in hit movies, like "Ride Along," "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" and "Night School." Growing up in Philadelphia, Hart lived in a small one-bedroom apartment with his mom and brother. When Hart started to make money as a young comic, he struggled to manage his finances, he told CNBC Make It in Oct. 2018. "In my defense, so many people don't understand the value of money until they have it, and then no longer have it," he said. "So, when you have it and lose it, you understand the value of it and its importance." Hart has also had marital problems in 2017, he had an affair while Parrish was pregnant with their third child, leading him to publicly apologize to his wife and family in an Instagram video. The comedian isn't the only celebrity to struggle with balance. Chance the Rapper has said that it's "very strenuous" splitting "time and energy between family and work." Beyonce told Elle in December that balancing her work and life is "the most stressful thing." Don't miss: Freezing rain, ice pellets and more than 30 cm of snow are expected to hit the province today, tomorrow and into Saturday, Environment Canada says. Much of the province is under either a snowfall warning or a freezing rain warning. Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for: The Acadian Peninsula Bathurst and Chaleur Region Campbellton and Restigouche County Edmundston and Madawaska County Grand Falls and Victoria County Miramichi and area Mount Carleton - Renous Highway Woodstock and Carleton County Those regions of the province could see between 15 and 35 cm of snow or more fall today, tomorrow and into Saturday morning. Light snow will begin falling this afternoon and temporarily stop this evening. Environment Canada says the snow will "re-intensify overnight and become heavy at times" throughout Friday. By Saturday morning, the snow will taper off to flurries. Strong easterly winds Friday night and into Saturday morning could reduce visibility and rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult. Tina Simpkin, a meteorologist for CBC News, said she thinks the weather will impede travel. "it's going to make the roads very, very slippery," Simpkin said. "A lot of snow is going to fall with this system." Environment Canada says people should consider postponing non-essential travel until conditions improve. A freezing rain warning was issued for the following two areas: Grand Manan and Coastal Charlotte County Saint John and County Those areas can expect to see ice-build up and an extended period of freezing rain tonight and Friday. CBC Precipitation along the Fundy Coast will start off as snow this morning and switch to ice pellets and freezing rain tonight. Friday will see freezing rain mixed with ice pellets, except near Grand Manan Island. Temperatures on Grand Manan will remain above zero with rain. Freezing rain or rain along the Fundy Coast will switch to flurries Friday night. Prepare for messy driving Story continues Highways, parking lots, roads and walkways could become slippery and dangerous to walk or drive on. The City of Saint John is urging motorists to prepare for deteriorating driving conditions. The remainder of the southern half of the province remains under a special weather statement for Thursday morning into Saturday morning. Snow will begin falling in the southwest this morning and spread north across the rest of the province throughout the day. Temperatures in Fredericton will reach a high of -5 C today, but the wind chill will make it feel like -17 C this morning and -7 C this afternoon. The city can expect to see two to four centimetres of snow accumulate today and five centimetres of snow and ice pellets accumulate tonight. In Moncton, the temperature will reach a high of -4 C and the wind chill will make it feel like -16 C this morning and - 6 C this afternoon. Ten centimetres of snow and ice pellets could accumulate in Moncton tonight. Saint John will see a high of -3 C today, but the wind chill will make it feel like -14 C this morning and -5 C this afternoon. Manchester, New Hampshire Senator Bernie Sanders lambasted the Iowa Democratic Party for its inability to get the results of the Iowa caucuses out quickly, and he claimed victory in the popular vote in the caucuses. "We are ... in Manchester, New Hamsphire, today, holding a press conference that should have occurred three nights ago in Des Moines, Iowa, but for the inability of the Iowa Democratic Party to count votes in a timely fashion," he said. "That screwup has been extremely unfair to the people of Iowa. It has been unfair to the candidates, all of the candidates and all of their supporters." He thanked the people of Iowa "for the very strong victory they gave us in the Iowa caucuses Monday night," even though the results have still not been released in full. "Our campaign is winning the popular initial vote by some 6,000 votes," he said, adding that in the realignment, he is leading by 2,500 votes. Pete Buttigieg leads in the count of state delegate equivalents (SDEs), which determines how Iowa's delegates will be apportioned in the race for the nomination. But Sanders called the difference separating the two "meaningless" because both Buttigieg and Sanders are likely to receive the same number of national delegates, given the small difference between them in SDEs. Sanders also called Iowa's caucus "far too complicated." The Iowa Democratic Party has still not finished releasing its results. As of late morning, he was close behind Pete Buttigieg in the Iowa caucus results with 26.1% and 97% of the results reported. Potentially complicating the issue is that Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez has called for an immediate recanvass of the caucuses. Sanders' presidential campaign also announced Thursday it will ramp up staffing in Super Tuesday states and make an aggressive $5.5 million television and digital ad buy in 10 states. That will include an expansion of prior investments in Texas and California, following a $25 million January fundraising haul. Story continues "Bernie's multiracial, multigenerational, people-driven movement for change is fueling 2020's most aggressive campaign for president," Sanders' campaign manager Faiz Shakir said. "Working class Americans giving $18 at a time are putting our campaign in a strong position to compete in states all over the map." The investment follows the campaign's single best fundraising month to date with over 1.3 million donations from more than 648,000 people. More than 219,000 new donors gave in January. "Teacher" was the most common occupation of Sanders' January donors. The five most common employers were Amazon, Starbucks, Walmart, the United States Postal Service and Target. The average donation was $18.72. Since the campaign's February launch, Sanders has raised more than $121 million from over 6.4 million individual donations with an average contribution of $18. More than 99.9 percent of donors have not maxed out and can give again. To date, over 1.5 million people have donated to the campaign. The total does not include an additional $12.7 million in transfers all made in 2019 from Sanders' other federal accounts. Mitt Romney faces fallout over impeachment vote in home state Trump lashes out in speech after impeachment acquittal Sanders thanks Iowa for a "very strong victory" despite recanvass The United States Senate on Wednesday evening acquitted President Donald Trump after weeks of impeachment trial. Forty-eight senators, including one Republican, found Trump guilty of abuse of power, while 52, all Republicans, voted to acquit him. Also Read: Send Nigerians In The USA Back Home Comedian Mr Jollof Orders Donald Trump (Video) The acquittal vote was the final step in a two-week trial marked by arguments from House Democrats against the President and stalwart support from Senate Republicans for the president. If convicted on either charge, Mr Trump would have had to turn over his office to Vice-President Mike Pence. The Democratic-led House of Representatives approved the articles of impeachment on 18 December. It was the 2004 European elections. Mary Lou McDonald was a candidate for the European Parliament. I was to accompany her on a canvass, preferably in her local neighbourhood of Rathgar, Dublin, where she grew up. It quickly became clear that I would not be observing how she would be received in the leafy, middle-class suburbs. Eventually, there was a take-it or leave-it offer from Sinn Fein of an old local authority estate in Crumlin. I took it. The following year, an attempt was made to set up an interview between me and the then Dublin MEP. There was no way of contacting her directly. Quite incredibly, her press officer in Brussels seemed to be out of contact with her for days at a time. Eventually, a limited time slot was found. Were not trying to be cute, McDonald said, when we finally met, in response to my queries about the partys approach, and the notion that she might not be in charge of her own media destiny. At the time, as Sinn Fein chairperson, McDonald was a massive addition to the party. She had joined in early 2000 and had risen rapidly through the ranks. There must have been any number of occasions when she had to swallow hard politically. The term donut (meaning a political candidate who sticks to a party leader to get in photographs and TV shots to increase their own visibility) seemed to have been made for her, as then leader, Gerry Adams, seemed to never appear in public without Mary Lou at his shoulder. What fascinates is how this woman, who was a convent girl at the private Notre Dame school in Churchtown, was drawn to Sinn Fein and managed to get to the top of it. As part of that 2005 interview, I asked her how she adjusted to working with colleagues who had been involved in campaigns of violence, killing people and serving jail terms. Answering wasnt a problem. She did not have any sort of hang-ups on that. People act from the circumstances in which they find themselves. Where there arent political alternatives, and people are repressed, armed action takes place. "There is a history of that in Ireland. The 30-year campaign is not unique in that respect, McDonald said. Politically, she was initially attracted to Fianna Fail, but has previously explained how that party, for her, fell down on issues of social and economic equality. She felt she was simply in the wrong party. Ive written previously of appearing with her at a Women in Media event in Ballybunion a few years ago; how she delivered a speech, without any notes, and had every woman (and the few men) in the room eating out of her hands. She was bright, warm, empathetic, funny, feminist, and smartly political. She spoke of how women are uncomfortable with the notion of power and of using it. She told of how when she met men of a certain age, they would shake her hand, look at her, and say: Youre a terrible woman. She told of how she had taken, recently, to looking directly back at them and saying maybe I am rather wickedly. Mary Lou, we felt that day, had the measure of these men. But when it came to the main political man in her life, Gerry Adams, there was that odd, unquestioning public loyalty. To this day, you wonder at its source. It would be far easier to understand from someone born and bred in the North and shaped by the Troubles. Perhaps it is because of her outsider status that she is still trying to prove herself to that older generation of IRA men which remains in the shadows of the party. One of the starkest examples of that was her angry denunciation of the arrest of Adams in 2014, over the 1972 murder of Jean McConville. That fervent defence established McDonalds sympathy for those colleagues and comrades who had seen active service. Subsequently, the force of her support for Adams when he was criticised for his handling of sexual abuse allegations involving IRA members seemed utterly at odds with Mary Lous image of a strong, heartfelt, female politician who was never afraid to say it as it was. This week, in the closing days of the election campaign, we have had a classic Sinn Fein/Mary Lou dissembling response to the horrific 2007 murder of Paul Quinn, from Co Armagh, and the subsequent remarks made by the Norths finance minister, Conor Murphy, linking the dead man with criminality. In that way of politics, you simply dont know how anyone will perform as leader. Mary Lou began well. The referendum on the Eighth Amendment and abortion rights rolled around in 2018 and she shone, making a particularly good impression on women traditionally outside the Sinn Fein support base. But just over a year ago, a year after she took over the job (uncontested) of leader, she was going through a difficult time and the party was well down in the polls. There was an uncharacteristic, bad-tempered episode during a group photograph of serving and former female TDs and senators in the Dail chamber, to mark 100 years of womens suffrage. Mary Lou ended up in a stand-off with former Fianna Fail minister, Mary Hanafin, over the seating arrangements. Hanafin, who had been directed to that seat by Oireachtas staff, graciously agreed to move in the face of such bullishness. Sinn Fein had a bad presidential election in 2018 and poor local elections late last year. Questions began to be asked as to whether party loyalty would hold as steadfastly to her as leader as it used to Adams. The party reviewed how it had been presenting itself to voters. The perception is that they always seem to concentrate on the negative and dont offer solutions. A tough exterior is always problematic for female politicians, so McDonald has noticeably softened her approach. During this campaign, there have been plenty of effective quips and smiles. Mary Lou McDonald is on a roll. There is an excitement among many voters that she can deliver change. While she and the party may be as surprised as everyone else by the seemingly massive SF swing, they are cresting that wave with all the political savvy at their disposal. One of her biggest fans in the party, health spokeswoman Louise OReilly, said this week that at the childcare protest on Wednesday in Dublin, women were shouting Mary Lous name and queuing up for selfies. Im a huge fan of Mary Lou. She is part of the reason I joined Sinn Fein her intelligence, her tenacity. She is a very nice decent person and an incredibly hard worker, said the Fingal TD. The partys appeal, according to recent opinion polls, has broadened in an extraordinary manner. Chances are that, this time around, Mary Lou might even have agreed to a canvass in Rathgar. How her party performs overall in the election will be one of the most eagerly awaited results in a long, long time. With threat from coronavirus looming large, a Chinese woman got married to an Indian man in East Midnapore on Wednesday, in the absence of her family as they could not make it to the wedding due to suspension of flight services between two nations. Jiaqi from China got married to East Midnapore's Pintu at his residence on Wednesday. She had met Pintu Jana during a business deal in China seven years ago. "They are well, they are happy and well, today is marriage and they couldn't be able to come here as virus speeded in China, now this time there is adjournment and virus also spread, flight services of China and India are closed," the Chinese bride told ANI. On the question of going back to China, Jiaqi said, "We will go back but do not know when that virus will be cleaned. When everything is done we will go there and complete the registry and everything." "We wanted to get married here. Her family couldn't come due to coronavirus outbreak. We'll do another function later in China," said the newly wedded groom. "Our union is a mixture of Bengali and Chinese culture,'' he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australian researchers have potentially uncovered the reason why so many people may be allergic to cats. Professor Bryan Fry, from the University of Queenslands Venom Evolution Lab, took a team of researchers to Indonesia to study slow lorises, which are the only primates that produce venom. While trying to learn more about the nocturnal tree-dweller's toxin, which is secreted from glands under their arms, the researchers made unexpected discoveries. The venom has a similar chemical make-up to cat saliva, a compound that causes allergy problems for many people. Australian researchers studying slow lorises' venom have discovered it may be linked to cat allergies in humans (stock image) And slow lorises spread the substance over their bodies in what appears to be a tactic to ward off predators - suggesting cat saliva may function the same way. 'Cats spread that chemical in their saliva all over themselves, and that is what makes some people allergic to cats,' Dr Fry told the Brisbane Times. 'Obviously, individual cats might be killed, but over time if a predator starts having an unpleasant experience, cats in general would be less likely to be predated upon.' Cat allergy is one of the most common allergies and causes symptoms ranging from itchiness, sneezing, raised welts, to anaphylactic shock in rare cases. Professor Fry said the discovery opened up several new directions of research such as the possibility that allergies to bees and ants are shaped by evolutionary processes. Researchers could also delve into whether big cats, like lions and tigers, once held the allergen in their saliva, but it became obsolete as they progressed to the top of the food chain. Queensland researchers have made a surprising discovery that cat saliva, which causes allergies, could be a chemical used to ward off predators 'This is a field of research thats been virtually unstudied - is allergy induction a useful defensive weapon, and this suggests that it would be,' Dr Fry said. The Queensland team studied lorises at Cikananga Wildlife Rescue Centre, an organisation houses animals rescued from illegal wildlife trading. Slow lorises are an endangered species which are frequently targeted by wildlife-smugglers for pet trading. Their looks make them an ideal candidate for smugglers, who remove their sharp front teeth and sell them online, across borders, or to local wildlife markets. CAIRO - The U.N.s special representative for Libya said Thursday the countrys warring sides are working to turn a provisional cease-fire into a formal agreement as they emerged from four days of talks, a prospect that appears to face steep obstacles. Ghassan Salame, head of the United Nations support mission in Libya, said rival military leaders are negotiating the remaining sticking points in a cease-fire deal. Those include the return of internally displaced people, the disarmament of armed groups and ways to monitor a truce, which each side has accused the other of violating. He said the cease-fire would be monitored by the military representatives in Geneva with support from the U.N. Mission in Libya. Another unresolved issue, he said, is how to deal with heavy weaponry, which powerful foreign backers continue sending to Libya, despite their pledges not to at a high-profile summit last month in Berlin. There are still two or three points of divergence, Salame told reporters in Geneva. He said delegates will reconvene Friday to discuss the latest draft. That agreement must then be sent back to their respective leaders for approval. The latest round of fighting erupted last April when eastern-based forces under the command of Khalifa Hifter laid siege to Tripoli in a bid to wrest power from the U.N.-backed government led by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj. Sarraj and Hifter both sent delegations of military officials to represent them at the Geneva talks. Yet even as the delegates conferred, the suburbs of Libyas capital came under heavy fire, health authorities said, which killed at least four civilians in the last 24 hours. A 15-year-old boy struck by a shell last week died from his wounds late Wednesday, pushing the toll to at least five. Ive noticed more strikes this week, and the victims have been civilians said Assad Jaafar, a spokesman for Libyas Red Crescent based in Tripoli. The uptick of violence comes amid intensified diplomacy among world powers seeking to end the conflict that has ravaged Libya for nine years. The U.N. Security Council in New York met this week to discuss a draft resolution to uphold the widely flouted arms embargo. And Algerias foreign minister visited Hifter and tribal leaders Wednesday to present a still opaque, African Union-backed alternative to European efforts. Libyas fate lies in the hands of foreign powers, which have conflicting interests in the oil-rich country and are reluctant to make concessions. Hifters forces, which control much of Libyas east and south, rely on military assistance from the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, as well as France and Russia. On the other side, Turkey, Italy and Qatar prop up the embattled Tripoli-based government. In the latest twist, Turkey has deployed Syrian fighters affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State to the Libyan battlefield. Current cease-fire talks, meant to pave the way for negotiations have yielded a violent political process instead of quiet, said Anas El Gomati, director of the Tripoli-based Sadeq Institute, offering diplomatic cover to Hifters forces as they embark on a military offensive. Rival Libyan leaders and their foreign backers are using military tools to put pressure on talks, and are making civilians into bargaining chips, he said. Two civilians were killed and four were wounded early Thursday when they were struck by errant shells, according to Health Ministry media advisor Amin al-Hashem. Another two were killed in a similar attack by Hifters forces the day before, he said. Artillery rounds crashed into the bustling centre of Tripoli University on Wednesday, causing panic among students but no casualties. The U.N. deputy spokesman in New York, Farhan Haq, raised alarm over recent civilian causalities in the capital. He also said ongoing fighting around the key coastal city of Sirte has forced over 2,000 people to flee. In a separate incident, six people, including one Libyan citizen, were killed when a pick-up truck packed with smuggled migrants crashed into a fuel tanker in the southwest, the U.N. migration agency said Thursday. The war has turned Libya, which sits on Africas Mediterranean coast, into a major conduit for Europe-bound migrants. Salame said an economic track of the diplomatic process will resume in Cairo on Sunday and seek to address a standoff over oil production in the country. For weeks, tribes loyal to Hifter have choked off virtually all of the countrys oil exports, jeopardizing the already battered Libyan economy to gain political leverage. On Thursday, the countrys National Oil Corporation warned that with oil production falling to the lowest point since war convulsed the country in 2011, Libyas power and clean water supply could be severely affected in the coming weeks. ____ Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. PIERRE, S.D., Feb. 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Elizabeth Waletich, of Britton, South Dakota, turned to surrogacy to make her dreams of having a child come true. Now she and Emilee Gehling, an attorney, of Gehling Osborn Law and co-founder of Dakota Surrogacy fear that same dream will be denied to other women. Proud Parents Elizabeth and Gavin Waletich with the woman who had just given birth to their daughter via surrogacy. "It was already difficult for us to find a suitable surrogate when we had our baby. Now I worry it will be even harder. There's this awful misconception that surrogates are performing this service for the money they might make or that couples are paying for babies. Nothing could be further from the truth. Surrogates face a lot of associated costs along with the pregnancy. There are legal costs to ensure that the surrogate's rights are protected during and after the pregnancy. There are the costs of doctor's appointments, testing, medications, vitamins and the cost of the delivery, not to mention the lost wages due to all the medical appointments, illness, and recovery. It's not reasonable to ask someone to not only make a huge decision of carrying another couple's child, but also to cover all the costs associated with that pregnancy and delivery. Wanting to give something to the person who carries your child for you for nine months is natural." For the estimated 6.1 million women in America who suffer from infertility as a result of cancer treatment or other conditions, the bill being voted on in the South Dakota legislature could make finding a surrogate extremely difficult. Concerns have also been raised by opponents due to the broad language in the proposed legislation. Emilee Gehling, explains, "The language in the proposed bill is extremely broad. We're worried it will needlessly criminalize people with good intentions. As it stands, anyone who introduces a couple or an individual to a potential surrogate could be labeled a surrogacy broker and face criminal charges. Often, those who make the introduction are friends and family members of both sides involved in surrogacy. In addition, this bill would not allow parents to pay for a surrogate's attorney or other costs she has to pay just to be a surrogate. Why are we making it so much harder for infertile couples, who have gone through years of heartbreak, or cancer survivors, who have had to go through chemotherapy or hysterectomies and who have already suffered so much, to simply have the family they so desperately desire?" The proposed legislation, Bill 1096, which opponents say needs revision and further consultation is set to be voted on in the South Dakota legislature on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020. We invite those interested or concerned about the legislation to contact representatives of the South Dakota legislature, fund their advocacy efforts via a Gofundme campaign and to share their thoughts using the hashtags #FightForLife #SDsurrogacy. For more information, or to arrange an interview, please contact: Emilee Gehling 712-226-4601 [email protected] https://www.golawfirm.com Related Images image1.jpg SOURCE Gehling Osborn Law Firm Related Links http://www.golawfirm.com VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 06, 2020)) (the "Company" or "EXM"), a producer of high-grade cannabis extracted ingredients for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, therapeutical and cosmetic industries, is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Kinley CPA,CA to the position of Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Kinley, a former partner with KPMG, has been the President of Winslow Associates Management & Communications Inc. since 1993, a private consulting firm which provides professional services to junior public companies. Mr. Kinley is a Chartered Professional Account and has served as an officer and director for several public companies over the past thirty years. His appointment is effective immediately. Jonathan Summers, CEO and Chairman of the Board said: "Mr. Kinley brings with him extensive experience in the regulatory market and has a long history of leading junior companies. Mr. Kinley is a great addition to the EXM management team, and he frankly impressed us from our first conversation. I am pleased to welcome Michael as permanent CFO and I am looking forward to working with him on executing our strategy in becoming a leading low-cost producer of high-quality cannabis and hemp ingredients for the European and North American markets." Additionally, EXM and the minority shareholders of EXMceuticals Portugal, Lda ("EXM Portugal"), have signed an agreement, under the terms of which EXM has acquired the minority stake (30% of EXM Portugal) for its nominal value. As a result of the acquisition of EXM Portugal at the present date, EXM holds, directly and indirectly, 100% of the share capital of EXM Portugal. EXM Portugal is the entity that holds a licence for cannabis research and development issued by INFARMED, the Portuguese National Authority of Medicines and Health Products. This license authorizes the Company to import, research and refine cannabinoids and cannabis by-products in Portugal. EXM Portugal operates a state-of-the-art pilot-scale refinery in Portugal for the transformation of cannabis-based ingredients on a R&D environment and conditions. EXM also owns 100% of the share capital of EXMceuticals Portugal II Lda ("EXM Portugal II"), which is the industrial company currently finalising the internal design and equipment plans for the factory building located in Setubal, just south of Lisbon. The EXM Portugal II facility will consist of both extraction and refining installations, be designed and operated to GMP standards, and once licensed will distribute pure cannabinoids to commercial buyers. The Company also announces that it has granted incentive stock options to a director of the Company to purchase up to an aggregate of 466,931 common shares of the Company pursuant to the Company's Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan (the "Plan"). The stock options are exercisable at a price of $2.00 per share for a period of 10 years from the date of grant. The Company has also issued an aggregate of 2,250,000 restricted share units ("RSUs") under the Plan to executive officers of the Company. The RSUs have a deemed price of $0.50 per unit and entitle the holder to receive one share of the Company per RSU, subject to vesting in equal annual instalments over a three-year period. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF EXMCEUTICALS INC. Jonathan Summers, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer For further information contact: Investor Relations Email: investors@exmceuticals.com Media Enquiries: Email: media@exmceuticals.com Melanie Guillemette: +1 819 668 2734 FOR MORE UPDATES ON THE COMPANY Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EXMceuticals Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/exmceuticalsinc/ ABOUT EXMCEUTICALS EXM is targeting the wellness and medical applications of cannabis. EXM's activities are focused on the sustainable cultivation of cannabis and hemp, and the production of high-grade cannabis and hemp ingredients for the pharmaceutical, therapeutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic industries. The Company proposes to sell the produced ingredients to international markets. EXM is not a recreational cannabis company. EXM was recently granted the required authorizations and permits in Portugal for its existing laboratory and pilot refinery for cannabis research. EXM has previously completed research projects with its university partners, Universidade Nova de Lisboa and Universidade Lusofona as well as applying for P2020 research grants. Following receipt of these unique Portuguese cannabis authorizations and permits, EXM is proceeding with its planned R&D program, lab work and testing. In addition to this more scientific mandate, EXM is now projecting and building a significantly larger refining facility in Portugal which once complete and licensed will be used by EXM as its base for distribution of cannabis ingredients in the EU and North America. EXM has also submitted applications and undertaken negotiations with local governments and partners in Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, Eswatini and Burundi, in order to obtain licences to permit the cultivation of cannabis and hemp, as well as the processing, transformation and export of psychotropic and non-psychotropic cannabinoid ingredients. In Ethiopia, EXM is in its final stage of negotiation with the government for an agro-industrial park, of 4,000 hectares (9,880 acres) encompassing a free trade zone, for which EXM has already obtained land rights over 2,000 hectares (4,940 acres) in the Amhara region. CSE: EXM | FSE : A2PAW2 Neither the CSE nor the FSE has approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor the FSE accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "will be", "expected", "proposes", "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements regarding the Company's business operations, including the cultivation of cannabis in Ethiopia and elsewhere, the extraction of cannabis ingredients and the exportation of the extracts, the results of testing at our facilities established for the European market, future laws and regulations governing the sale of our products in Europe and elsewhere, and the potential to generate sales, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of EXM to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. 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 forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. EXM will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. Afterpay has hit back at calls for regulation of the fees it charges retailers, claiming it should not be viewed as a payment system due to its small size and because it competes with Google and Facebook to generate leads for merchants. As the Reserve Bank considers intervention that could damage Afterpay's business model, the buy now, pay later (BNPL) service has warned the central bank that forcing it to remove a rule that stops retailers from surcharging would stifle innovation. Afterpay CEO Anthony Eisen said the company's offering to retailers meant it "should not be considered a payment system." Credit:Elke Meitzel Afterpay, a stockmarket darling with a market capitalisation of about $10 billion, makes most of its revenue from merchant fees, which are typically between 3 and 6 per cent of the purchase price. This is far higher than what retailers pay to accept credit cards and, unlike these schemes, Afterpay requires that merchants do not recoup their costs by adding a surcharge to customers on the purchase price. TOKYO, Feb 6, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) has announced its consolidated financial results for the first nine months of fiscal year (FY) 2019 ended December 31, 2019.Estimate of Consolidated Financial Results for FY 2019For the fiscal year 2019 ending March 31, 2020, MHI is expecting 4,150 billion yen in revenue, 0 yen in Profit from business activities, (10) billion yen in profit before income tax, and 100 billion yen in profit attributable to owners of parent. This estimate is based on the assumption of currency exchange rate of USD 1.00=YEN110 and EUR1.00=YEN120 for the portion yet to be fixed.We have decided to voluntarily adopt IFRS from beginning with the first quarter ending June 30, 2018 onward, so estimate of consolidated financial results have been made based on IFRS.Please note that this estimate has been projected with currently available information and data. As such, these projections involve risks and uncertainties. For this reason, investors are recommended not to depend solely on these projections for making investment decisions. The actual results, therefore, may diverge broadly with the influence of a variety of outside factors such as economics surrounding MHI, currency movement of the yen to the U.S. dollar and other foreign currencies, and trends of stock markets in Japan. Also, the results projected here should not be construed in any way as being guaranteed by the company.For the full report, visit https://bit.ly/2vUDsKM.About Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group is one of the world's leading industrial firms. For more than 130 years, we have channeled big thinking into solutions that move the world forward - advancing the lives of everyone who shares our planet. We deliver innovative and integrated solutions across a wide range of industries, covering land, sea, sky and even space. MHI Group employs 80,000 people across 400 locations, operating in three business domains: "Power Systems," "Industry & Infrastructure," "Aircraft, Defense & Space." We have a consolidated revenue of around 40 billion U.S. Dollars. We aim to contribute to environmental sustainability while achieving global growth, using our leading-edge technologies. By bringing people and ideas together as one, we continue to pave the way to a future of shared success.For more information, please visit MHI's website: https://www.mhi.comFor Technology, Trends and Tangents, visit MHI's new online media SPECTRA: https://spectra.mhi.comSource: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.Copyright 2020 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. SUNBURY A Northumberland County woman who promised her then 14-year-old stepson in 1989 wed find his mother is concerned she is going to be made out to be a liar. The reason, Lynn Miller said Thursday, is the family of Barbara E. Miller has not heard anything in months about the investigation into her disappearance and death. Her promise was made to Eddie Miller Jr. after his mother disappeared on July 1, 1989, she said. Barbara Miller was seen at her Sunbury home after attending a wedding but never made it to a bar in Mifflinburg where she was to meet friends. A judge on Oct. 10, 2002, declared her dead and her death is classified as a homicide. Her remains never have been found. Then Sunbury Police Chief Timothy S. Miller, no relation, in 2016 reactivated the investigation into the cold case. He discovered bone fragments in a cellar wall of a Milton duplex, used forensics experts and searched Barbara Millers home. After Miller resigned as police chief in July 2018, county Judge Charles H. Saylor asked the state attorney generals office to take over the investigation. That November the AGs office promised a careful review of the case but, according to a disgusted Lynn Miller, nobody has heard anything in months. Im very upset they havent talked to us about things, she said. The flood gates opened. Everything came out. The flood gates closed, is how she characterizes the investigation. The state Attorney Generals office said earlier this week it had no comment about the status of the probe. Miller said her stepson was called shortly after the AGs office took over the investigation and she is aware statements have been taken. Former chief Miller, now a barber in Williamsport, said he was interviewed early on but in recent months I havent heard a peep. It is his belief Milers death is linked to the 1986 drug-related murder of Rickey D. Wolfe, who was killed execution-style at a Susquehanna River boat ramp north of Montandon. Prior to her disappearance, she received threatening letters accusing her of planning to go to the police, a search warrant affidavit states. Scott R. Schaeffer in court documents states Barbara Miller told his ex-wife after his conviction for killing Wolfe she had information that would exonerate him but she feared for her life. Miller disappeared two days later. The same documents identify those who Schaeffer believes were involved in the Miller and Wolfe killings. There is speculation the AGs office is not talking about the Miller investigation because it is waiting for a ruling on Schaeffers request to have DNA tests of certain evidence in the Wolfe case. Schaeffer maintains he was wrongly convicted of Wolfes murder and is counting on the DNA tests to confirm that. He and William Lloyd Hendricks have maintained their innocence. Their life sentences were vacated in 2004 and they were resentenced to 10 to 20 years followed by 10 years probation after pleading no contest to charges to commit third-degree murder and kidnapping. The AGs office opposes the DNA tests, arguing since Schaeffer did not plead guilty his actual innocence cannot be established. 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. -- Recent John Beauge stories on PennLive Mistrial declared in trial of Williamsport woman accused of nightly locking 5-year-old in bedroom Counterclaims dismissed in State College area apartment spy camera case Residents ring Sunbury treasurers phone off the hook after getting erroneous tax notices Shamokin area man says he got letters from inmates intended for nonlicensed attorney Northumberland County man charged with practicing law without a license Senate hands Trump victory, but analysts say trial without witnesses gives Democrats ammo to frame it as cover-up. Washington, DC The Republican-led United States Senate handed Donald Trump his biggest victory yet on Wednesday after it acquitted the president of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Its a big win for President Trump, said Jessica Levinson, a professor of law and director of the Public Policy Institute at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. Hes going to say this was exoneration, Levinson told Al Jazeera. That was indeed the word coming from the White House after the final votes on Wednesday. The shame impeachment attempt concocted by the Democrats ended in the full vindication and exoneration of President Donald J Trump, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement. Trump on Wednesday spoke from the White House, saying it was a day of celebration. The president labelled the impeachment and Democrats as evil and corrupt. This should never ever happen to another president, Trump said in televised remarks. We went through hell, unfairly. We did nothing wrong. Wednesday votes fell largely along party lines, with only one Republican, Senator Mitt Romney, breaking ranks to vote with the Democrats on the first article: abuse of power. Even with his support, the vote fell well short of the two-thirds majority needed to convict and remove a president. Republican senators viewed the case primarily as a partisan attack by Democrats on their president. Democrats meanwhile contend that Trumps acquittal gives him a greenlight to do similar things in the future. If Trump gets re-elected, I dont think there will be any constraints on what he does, said John Jackson, a visiting politics professor at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at the University of Southern Illinois. US senators casting their votes on the second article of impeachment obstruction of Congress during the final votes in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump [File: Senate TV/Handout via Reuters] The presidents acquittal in the Senate is a measure of his political strength among Republican voters and the combination of admiration and fear with which he is regarded by Republican officeholders. Trump took charge of his own defence early on. He denied House Democrats allegations, fought off investigators demands for information, and with the help of allies in Congress held Republicans together in turning the whole affair into a partisan exercise. While the outcome gives Trump a political win, it does not resolve questions about his handling of aid to Ukraine and pursuit of foreign help in the upcoming 2020 US presidential election to be held in November. And the way the trial was conducted also gives Democrats ammunition to try frame the acquittal as not a big victory for Trump, but a loss for the country, analysts say. Cover-up Democrats will frame the trial as a cover-up and will use the Ukraine case to foster doubts among US voters about Trumps corruption and dishonesty, said Keith Whittington, a politics professor at Princeton University. Democrats will continue to denounce not only the president for abusing power but also the Republican senators for limiting the scope of the trial, Whittington told Al Jazeera. Republicans in the Senate refused Democrats demands to call witnesses and maintained party discipline to reject strong arguments by the House that Trump abused his power and obstructed Congress. At the core of Trumps impeachment was a phone call in which the US president asked his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy to announce investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden who served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company, Burisma. There is no evidence the Bidens did anything wrong. Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during a bilateral meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly [File: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters] Prior to the call, Trump froze nearly $400m in congressionally approved US security assistance for Ukraine and directed officials to tell Zelenskyy privately the money would not be released until the investigations Trump wanted were announced, according to testimony. House investigators interviewed 17 witnesses and held 35 hours of public hearings to build a record in support of their case. But the White House refused to allow Trumps closest aides to testify in the inquiry and withheld emails and documents demanded by investigators. A key turning point in the Senate trial came when Republicans voted 51-49 to reject a demand by Democrats that the Senate call witnesses, including Trumps former NSA John Bolton whose forthcoming book reportedly details conversations with the president, one in which Trump told the former White House aid the military support was conditioned on the investigations. The blocking of witnesses by Republicans enables Democrats now to disparage Trumps acquittal. Rob this country of a fair trial and there can be no representation that the verdict has any meaning, said Democrat Adam Schiff, the lead House manager. How could it, when the outcome was baked-in, Schiff said in closing remarks to the Senate. Schiff speaks during a debate ahead of a vote on calling witnesses during the impeachment trial against Trump [File: Senate TV/AP Photo] In a statement after the acquittal, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said: The president will boast that he has been acquitted. There can be no acquittal without a trial, and there is no trial without witnesses, documents and evidence The president is impeached forever. In addition to Bolton, Democrats wanted to call Trumps current Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and two other White House officials to testify in the Senate trial. Democrats also wanted the Trump administration to turn over White House, State Department and Defense Department emails and documents that were withheld during the House impeachment inquiry. But Democrats failed to win over at least four Republicans that would have been needed to demand witnesses and documents. Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called the outcome a perfidy and a grand tragedy when the Senate turned away from the truth. US senators casting their votes on the first article of impeachment abuse of power [File: Senate TV/Reuters] Ultimately, many Republicans said regardless of any disputes about facts and witnesses, they did not believe Trumps misconduct rose to the level of impeachment, or removal, especially with the 2020 presidential election only nine months away. Weve got to bear in mind, despite again what Mr Schiff said he said this isnt overturning the results of an election actually it is, said Republican Senator Josh Hawley. We would effectively be invalidating the choice of the American people, Hawley told reporters at the Capitol last week. Its very weighty, he said. And the standard of proof becomes very hard. 2020 election It remains to be seen what lasting political and legal implications Trumps acquittal will have. House Democrats will likely continue their investigations into the Ukraine affair. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said on Wednesday, the House will likely subpoena Bolton to testify. Still, while the impeachment saga has consumed Washington, DC, most Americans have viewed it from a distance through their own partisan lens. As a result, few voters minds were changed about Trump, said Jim Henson, a pollster and director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas. Viewership was down for the Senate trial phase. People were not interrupting their schedules to watch, Henson told Al Jazeera. Most people view it as the latest episode in partisan fighting that is just getting more and more intense, he said. President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber on Capitol Hill as Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker Nancy Pelosi look on [File: Leah Millis/AP Photo] Whether the impeachment and later the acquittal make an impact at the ballot box remains an open question. Ultimately, the impeachment was about influencing the 2020 election, Whittington said. Trump is only the third US president to endure an impeachment trial. No president has ever been removed from office via impeachment. And even if Democrats continue their investigations, impeachment is probably going to be a dead letter after this, Southern Illinoiss Jackson said. New Delhi, Feb 6 : UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay on Thursday hailed the Indian government for successfully promoting girls' education in the country and said that India has influenced the vision and objectives of the world body through the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi. Commending India for successfully promoting education of girls in the country, Azoulay, who is on a three-day visit to India, told media here, "India has influenced the vision and objectives of UNESCO through the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi." She also expressed confidence that India and UNESCO would carry forward this relationship further to realize their shared objectives. Terming her earlier meeting with the Minister of Human Resource Development Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank as a very fruitful one, she said, she was very happy to note India's efforts at making quality education available to every section of the society. Azoulay had met Nishank on Tuesday, when the two sides discussed the initiatives being taken by India in the education sector. Pokhriyal informed the UNESCO DG that the Gross Enrolment Ratio of girls in the country had, for the first time, surpassed that of boys across various levels. Nishank also talked at length about the various schemes such as Nishtha, Leap, ODB-Smart Classroom, Dhruv, Swayam Moocs portal that India has taken up. This is Azoulay first official visit to India after she took charge as the DG of the world body. On Tuesday, Azoulay visited Raj Ghat after arriving in Delhi to pay her respects to Mahatma Gandhi and met Nishank, and the two signed an agreement on the education sector. The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has expressed support for the controversial ban of motorcycles and motorcycles in parts of Lagos State. Mr Fashola, who served as governor of the state between 2007 and 2015, said the use of motorcycles and tricycle for commuter services constituted a serious threat to the states security. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, last week, issued a directive banning commercial motorcyclists and tricyclists from plying certain roads in the metropolis. He said this was to reduce traffic congestion in the former Nigerian capital city. Mr Sanwo-Olu said the state government would provide alternative means of transportation for Lagosian. But the ban has been met with criticism from some Nigerians in and outside Lagos. Mr Fashola, at a public lecture organised by the United Action for Change (UAC) in Lagos on Thursday, declared his support for the governor over the issue. If you care about security, you should back your governor on Okada ban. As a centre of excellence, Okada cannot be part of the plan, the Cable newspaper quoted the minister as saying. Mr Fashola related how he was robbed at his home 21 years by criminals riding on motorcycles. Ive always held this position. Motorcycle has always been a conduit pipe for the opioid crisis among youths. We must act to eliminate anonymity. I was robbed in my home, in fact on my bed in 1999. Organised crime is dynamic, criminals are aware that people dont keep money at home again, now they diversified into kidnapping people for ransom. We must have data to identify people. You have SIM cards on your phone. Its called subscriber identity module which can be tracked everywhere in the world. The attorney-general of each state and legislators should act, the minister said. The Criticism Meanwhile, criticisms continued to trail the ban on different social platforms, despite the addition of buses and ferries to cushion the effects of the ban on Lagosians. While many argued that the governor reneged on his campaign promise not to ban Okada in Lagos, others based their criticisms on the states lack of preparedness for the effects of the measure. In a video widely shared, Mr Sanwo-Olu, as a guest at The Platform in October last year, said he would harmonise all of them and be able to come up with a regulation system where we can account for every Okada rider, instead of an outright ban. In his defence, the governor, through his chief press secretary, Gboyega Akosile, said he never promised not to ban commercial motorcyclists in the state. On Wednesday, PREMIUM TIMES reported how a schoolgirl was hit by a stray bullet at Iyana Ipaja, Lagos, during a face-off between a group protesting the ban and security operatives of the Lagos State Task Force. Editor's Note: Frida Ghitis, a former CNN producer and correspondent, is a world affairs columnist. She is a frequent opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to the Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. Follow her on Twitter @fridaghitis. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author. Read more opinion on CNN. (CNN) Do not despair; all is not lost. Something heartening happened as we prepared to see the Senate complete its pantomime of a trial and acquit President Donald Trump. From the well of the Senate, two profiles in courage emerged. Two senators -- one a Republican, the other a Democrat -- dug into their consciences and announced, at potentially great personal cost, that they would endure whatever wrath may come and do what in their hearts they know is right: vote to convict the president. Senators Mitt Romney of Utah, a Republican, and Doug Jones of Alabama, a Democrat, do not possess enough power to change the preordained outcome of the vote. But their decision to pay the price of doing the right thing -- the onslaught of a president and his party, and a backlash from voters, respectively -- is a balm for a traumatized nation. This deeply divided country, where partisanship and self-interest seem to be sweeping away principles and patriotism, is still home to at least two men of integrity. Romney's decision came as a surprise, and it means that for the first time in US history, senators from both parties have voted to remove the president from office, even if they could not persuade enough of their colleagues to make it happen. Romney is defying a party solidly aligned behind a vindictive president. He recently revealed that he has spoken to his family about this vote, because he knows his wife, children, even grandchildren will feel the blowback. Already, Trump's son Don Jr. has called for his expulsion from the GOP. That makes Romney's decision all the more remarkable. Speaking in the Senate, he explained his decision in moving moral, ethical and patriotic terms. He paused to regain his composure, saying, "I take an oath before God as enormously consequential." Judging the President, he said, was "the most difficult decision I ever faced." But the judgment of history weighed heavily. He faced his responsibility with modesty and gravity. "I will only be one name among many, no more, no less, to future generations who look at the record of this trial." After examining that record, he found that "what the President did was wrong, grievously wrong." Romney was implacable in his judgment of a president who, "asked a foreign government to investigate a political rival," then "withheld funds from that government to press it to do so," and did it for personal political gain. He called it "an appalling abuse of public trust," reaching a devastating conclusion, "corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath of office that I can imagine." Romney is a conservative and said he agrees with much of what Trump has done, "but my promise before God to apply impartial justice required that I put my personal feelings and political biases aside." It was as much an indictment of the President as an unspoken judgment of his Republican colleagues, who excused, denied and minimized the President's behavior. Some, like Sen. Susan Collins, Lamar Alexander and Lisa Murkowski, acknowledged the President acted improperly, but refused to do anything about it. Most others wouldn't even allow a real trial, blocking witnesses and then disingenuously claiming there was insufficient testimony to convict. The decision to convict was no less wrenching for Sen. Jones, who admitted to spending many sleepless nights before making his decision. Jones may be a Democrat, but he comes from Alabama, where Trump approaches demigod status and has his highest statewide approval rating. Jones faces a tough reelection campaign this year. His decision all but drives a nail in his political coffin. In fact, a PAC affiliated with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell mockingly announced Jones' "impending retirement from politics." But like Romney, Jones' own conscience stood in the way of political expediency. In announcing his vote, he quoted from Robert Kennedy: "Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues. ... Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence." But, it is "an essential quality for those who seek to change the world." Standing before a Congress where many Republicans reportedly say they are "disgusted and exhausted" with Trump's behavior, Jones added, "country before party, is a rare commodity these days." Jones found his courage listening to the case against Trump, hearing the president's own words. What stood out most starkly for him, he said, was the President, saying, "under the Constitution, we have Article 2 and I can do anything I want." That, he said, explains the President's actions toward Ukraine and toward Congress. In a statement, Jones said he was "deeply troubled," but Trump's lawyers calling for "virtually unchecked presidential power." In the end, he saw, "a picture of a president who has placed his personal interest above the interest of the nation, and in so doing threatened our national security..." Listening to the Alabama senator, I commented on Twitter that his was an example of a profile in courage. Then I heard him, almost as if replying, that some will "look at what I'm doing today and say it is a profile in courage." He corrected me. "It is not. It is simply a matter of right and wrong. And doing right is not a courageous act." I disagree. An ethical core and stubborn integrity, are the rocket fuel of courage. Both Romney and Jones were modest in their bravery, bracing for what comes next. But it is not they but many of their colleagues who should lower their gaze. The bravery of two members of Congress underscores the cowardice of so many others. Philosophers have noted that our choices determine who we are. Our acts define us. With their integrity, Romney and Jones defined themselves for future generations. Americans can take solace, knowing partisanship and political self-interest have not completely destroyed patriotism. Sadly, in today's Senate, the principled politicians remain a minority. This story was first published on CNN.com "Mitt Romney and Doug Jones' profiles in courage." Bigg Boss 13 Preview: Paras Chhabra Disrupts Immunity Task For Shehnaaz And Arti After He Is Declared Out Of The Race! World Radio Day: 7S6WRD active from Grimeton Sweden's national amateur radio society SSA report on the activities at the World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station to celebrate World Radio Day on February 13 A translation of the SSA post reads: On World Radio Day on Thursday, February 13 at 1 p.m. 17.00 The World Heritage Grimeton Radio Station's new artistic design, the Transmission by Aleksandra Stratimirovic, will be inaugurated. Representatives of the station and Varberg Municipality offer welcome greetings and inaugural speeches. Mats Lindstrom accompanies with electronic music. The work consists of two laser projections mounted on one of the radio station's towers and will make visible the imaginary communication. The laser transmission will be visible sporadically in the evening in the sky with a few miles radius. Special signal from Grimeton. During the evening, the radio amateurs from the Association Alexander are in place in the new amateur radio station SK6SAQ and sends a general call about the work Transmission with the special signal 7S6WRD. There will be an opportunity to look in where the operators are sitting and broadcasting. Read about the laser projections at https://grimeton.org/konstnarlig-gestaltning/ Grimeton https://grimeton.org/?lang=en SSA in Google English https://tinyurl.com/SwedenSSA A gun-toting Houston homeowner shot a would-be intruder early Thursday at a Fifth Ward home. The man heard noises coming from the back of his house in the 1800 block of Capron Street in northeast Houston around 1:30 a.m., according to Houston Police Department Lt. Ronnie Wilkins. Checking on the noise, he saw someones hand reaching into the home near an air-conditioning unit, so he went and grabbed a pistol, Wilkins said. MORE FROM JAY R. JORDAN: Person found dead in north Houston apartment fire The suspected burglar then ran around the house and confronted the homeowner. During that confrontation, the homeowner shot the intruder once, Wilkins said. Paramedics rushed the man to Ben Taub Hospital. He is expected to survive. The homeowner was not immediately charged. 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 An East Frankford man will spend more than a decade in prison for the violent, gunpoint sexual assault of a 15-year-old Bucks County girl. Kyle Lamar Black, 20, was sentenced Thursday to 11 to 22 years in prison for the crime, which took place in Bristol Township in May 2018. Black also faces 10 years of probation after his release, and must register as a sex offender for 25 years, according to court records. The conduct that the defendant engaged in that night was torturous. It was sadistic, Deputy District Attorney Matthew S. Lannetti, the lead prosecutor, said in a statement. Not only did he rob and sexually assault her. He relished in robbing and sexually assaulting her. Black was initially charged with rape and involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, among other offenses. But a jury acquitted him of the more serious crimes at his October trial, instead convicting him of robbery, indecent assault, and burglary. His attorney, David Knight, said Thursday that Black apologized to his victim and wished her no ill will, but had no good explanation for his action. He and his family were very happy the jury found him not guilty of the most serious charge, Knight said. I think they all realize, for what he did do, hed have to face a significant penalty, which he did today. Investigators said that on the night of the assault, Black, then 18, went with two other teens to the victims home in Bristol Township. There, Black demanded that the victim pay him gas money for giving a ride to her ex-boyfriend, one of the teens who accompanied him. When she refused, Black held the girl at gunpoint and forced her to perform a sexual act, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest. Afterward, the group attacked the teen, dumped garbage on her, and forcibly cut her hair, the affidavit said. Her iPhone was taken from her at gunpoint. This is always going to be part of our family, the victims mother said during the sentencing hearing Thursday. We can put it behind us, but we can never forget it. In handing down her sentence Thursday, County Judge Diane Gibbons admonished Black, saying she had known people shoot and kill people that werent as mean-spirited as this. South Korea said Thursday it will toughen monitoring against hoarding of protective masks and hand sanitizers as the new coronavirus outbreak has sparked a sharp rise in demand. The central disaster headquarters said it is pushing forward measures to mandate that manufacturers and wholesalers of facial masks and hand sanitizers report to the government before shipping or selling their products. Under the planned measures, all manufacturers have to report to the government every day on the amount delivered in the domestic market as well as the export amount to the overseas market. "Stern judicial actions will be taken against those who commit illegal activities such as failing to report or falsely reporting the amount through a pan-government crackdown," Kim Gang-lip, deputy head of the central disaster headquarters, said in a briefing. The measures come amid heightened concerns over prolonged shortages of the products, with some business owners being fined for their unfair business practices. The government has said that market manipulation of protective masks, such as price rigging, will be treated as an administrative and criminal offense. The supply of facial masks has fallen far short of demand due mainly to hoarding of protective goods in anticipation of higher prices, with industry watchers blaming Chinese tourists and merchants for going on a buying binge here to protect themselves from the coronavirus. The new coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in mid-December last year. South Korea confirmed four more cases of novel coronavirus infections, bringing the total here to 23, as of early Thursday. (Yonhap) TOKYO, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Zigmabit has announced the launch of its endothermic cryptocurrency mining rigs. The company uses its 7nm ASIC ZigmaBit BoosterX chips in its hardware, coupled with a cooling system, tough compact construction and a low operating noise characteristic that makes it suitable for installation at home, office or in dedicated datacentres. Zigmabit Zigmabit is innovating to bring new, improved mining equipment to the market. Currently, the company's offering consists of ZigBit range of mining rigs. They are multi-cryptocurrency mining platforms that support operations on Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum and Dash blockchains. The company is currently offering three different products - ZigBit 2.0, ZigBit 3.0 and the latest ZigBit 5.0, which support profitable operations on the blockchain of choice, according to a statement. Hash rate is a crucial factor to consider while choosing a crypto mining rig. It is the speed at which a given mining machine operates. A higher hash rate is always preferred by the miners because it increases their opportunity of finding the next block and receiving the reward. ZigBit 5.0 is ZigmaBit's current cryptocurrency mining hardware offering designed to make it easier for anyone to set up their own cryptocurrency mining operation. The device ships with all the operational parameters pre-set so that users can just connect the hardware to the power supply and start mining. The hardware features direct liquid cooling and a high hash rate power. With a rated power consumption of 2400W, it can generate 2000 TH/s, 300 GH/s, 75 GH/s and 50 GH/s for Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum, and Dash respectively. Related Images image1.jpg SOURCE Zigmabit Related Links https://zigmabit.com This is truly a one-of-a-kind complex that will be key in supplying a high-quality gasoline blendstock to the market. The Next Wave alkylation unit will utilize several of the latest innovations from DuPont as we continue our commitment to providing the most advanced and efficient technology. DuPont Clean Technologies (DuPont) has been awarded the contract to supply Next Wave Energy Partners (Next Wave) with licensing, engineering and proprietary equipment for a STRATCO alkylation unit near the Houston Ship Channel in Pasadena, Texas, known as Project Traveler. In order to meet North Americas growing octane demand and desire for cleaner-burning gasoline, Next Wave commissioned DuPont for a STRATCO alkylation unit with 28,000 bpsd of alkylate production capacity from an ethylene feedstock. The STRATCO alkylation unit will enable Next Wave to generate low-sulfur, high-octane, low-Rvp alkylate with zero olefins that exceeds the current U.S. gasoline specifications with an octane greater than 96.0 (R+M)/2. Startup is targeted for mid-2022. DuPont is excited to provide Next Wave with our STRATCO alkylation technology in the worlds first stand-alone alkylation complex, said Kevin Bockwinkel, Global Licensing Business Manager, STRATCO Alkylation Technology. This is truly a one-of-a-kind complex that will be key in supplying a high-quality gasoline blendstock to the market. The Next Wave alkylation unit will utilize several of the latest innovations from DuPont as we continue our commitment to providing the most advanced and efficient technology to our customers. Dan Fahey, Next Wave Vice President, Engineering & Technology, commented, We value the relationship and technical contributions by DuPont over the last several years to progress our project to final investment decision. DuPont has supported Project Traveler in a role that is more than just a supplier of technology; they have become a trusted advisor who will be with us through the life of the unit. The STRATCO alkylation technology is the established global leader in the industry with over 100 units licensed worldwide and more than 915,000 BPSD (35,800 kmta) of installed capacity. STRATCO alkylation technology is a sulfuric acid catalyzed process that converts low-value olefins into high-value alkylate, a key desirable component for clean fuel. With units built over 80 years still in operation, the STRATCO Alkylation technology is a highly effective, reliable solution for producing cleaner-burning fuel with high octane, a low Rvp, low sulfur and zero olefins. About DuPont Clean Technologies The Clean Technologies division of DuPont is a global leader in process technology licensing and engineering, offering critical process equipment, products and services that enable an array of industrial markets, including phosphate fertilizer, nonferrous metals, oil refining, petrochemicals and chemicals, to minimize their environmental impact. We provide extensive global expertise across our portfolio of offerings in key applications MECS sulfuric acid production, STRATCO alkylation, BELCO wet scrubbing, and IsoTherming hydroprocessing. We are dedicated to helping our customers produce high-quality products used in everyday life in the safest, most environmentally sound way possible, with a vision to make the world a better place by creating clean alternatives to traditional industrial processes. We make everyday life better, safer, cleaner. To learn more about the Clean Technologies division, please visit http://www.cleantechnologies.dupont.com. About DuPont DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials, ingredients and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, construction, water, health and wellness, food and worker safety. More information can be found at http://www.dupont.com. 2/6/2020 DuPont, the DuPont Oval Logo, and all trademarks and service marks denoted with , or are owned by affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. unless otherwise noted. More former Boston athletes are headed to Los Angeles. Former Boston Celtics Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Morris are headed to the Clippers in a three-way trade according to ESPNs Adrian Wojnarowski who tweeted: The Clippers, Knicks and Wizards have agreed to a three-team trade that will land Marcus Morris and Isaiah Thomas with the Clippers, league sources tell ESPN. Jerome Robinson will join the Wizards, Moe Harkless and a 2020 first-round pick to the Knicks. Morris, who was leading the Knicks at 19.6 points per game, and Thomas (12.2 points, 3.7 assists per game) both likely lose touches while gaining wins. New York, is floundering at 15-36 and Washington isnt much better at 17-34, while the Clippers have the second-best record in the West at 36-15 and are a legitimate title contender. The Clippers will visit the Celtics on Feb. 13. Morris twin brother Markieff Morris, a forward for the Pistons, has also been involved in trade rumors. Harkless was averaging 5.5 points per game off the bench for the Clippers, while Robinson, a Boston College alum was a 2.9. More trade deadline content: Miami Heat trade with Memphis Grizzlies: how Andre Iguodala, Justise Winslow, Jae Crowder, Dion Waiters impact new teams NBA trade rumors 2020: DAngelo Russell dealt to Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Andrew Wiggins New Delhi: Where is Farooq Abdullah? Why is he being prevented from performing his duties as an MP?, questioned Opposition parties as they staged a walk out in Lok Sabha against his detention in the wake of abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir last August. Abdullah, his son Omar - both former chief ministers of J&K, PDP leader and also a former CM Mehbooba Mufti are among several political leaders who have been kept in detention under the stringent Public Safety Act in J&K to prevent them from speaking to public. Three former chief ministers including Farooq Abdullah are languishing in jails for the past six months, they have been put behind bars without giving any proper reason. He has been illegally detained, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said while demanding the release of Abdullah in Zero Hour. Another Congress member Kodikunnil Suresh also raised the matter but was cut short by Speaker Om Birla following which the Congress and other Opposition members entered the Well of the House and started raising slogans Save the Constitution. It is the responsibility of the government and House to ensure his welfare and also that he exercises his right as an elected representative, Suresh said as Congress and other Opposition members walked out of the House in protest. Trinamul Congress leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay while raising the issue of detention of Abdullah said this point was also raised during the all-party meeting and the Business Advisory Committee meetings. I would request the government to intimate this House at least about his health condition, Mr Bandyopadhyay said. Congress party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tweeted saying, Its been six months since two ex-Chief Ministers have been incarcerated without any charges and millions of people were locked down in J&K. Six months ago we were asking how long this will carry on? Now we are asking whether we are still a democracy or not. Art lovers in suburban Mumbai can rejoice as the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) will hold the first Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) Art Fest in December 2020. Ideating along the lines of the popular Kala Ghoda Arts Festival in south Mumbai held every February, the week-long event will include art exhibitions, music, and dance shows, theatre, shopping stalls, and street food. MMRDA is yet to finalise the location and dates for the festival. BKC will be well-connected via the various transit nodes that are being developed. It also has a lot of space. Apart from being a commercial hub, we want BKC to also be an arts centre, said RA Rajeev, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA. Over the next couple of years, BKC will be connected via the fully-underground Metro-3 (Colaba-Bandra-Seepz), Metro-2B (DN Nagar-Mandale), and the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor. It is already connected via the BKC-Chunabhatti corridor and the Santacruz-Chembur link road (SCLR). MMRDA has also undertaken the work of extending SCLR. While the suburbs have various art fests through the year, Mumbais two major festivals Kala Ghoda Art Festival and the Ballard Estate Festival are held in the island city. There should be a fest for suburban Mumbaiites which is easily accessible too, said a senior official from MMRDA. Anita Garware, chairperson of the Indian Heritage Society (IHS), however, said, It is a very good idea to hold a festival in the suburbs but I dont think BKC will be the right place as of today. There is a cultural fest in Bandra, which could also be expanded. Apart from an art fest, MMRDA is also considering placing art installations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region as part of its plan to renew urban spaces. We have invited proposals from consultants to create a master plan with which we can identify the spaces, Rajeev said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Donald Trump on Wednesday appeared en route to becoming the third US president to remain in office following acquittal in a Senate impeachment trial. But what might it mean for Trumps future that he was impeached at all? Related: What are the articles of impeachment against Donald Trump? Heres a look at the two previous impeachment cases, and at the one case in which a president resigned in the face of impeachment. Visit our previous coverage for more details of why past presidents were impeached. Impeachment No 1: Andrew Johnson (1868) Even if Trump does not win re-election in 2020, he will be hard-pressed to match Andrew Johnson for a disastrous post-impeachment career. The Republican partys embrace of Trump has only grown with impeachment. By contrast, the Democratic party turned its back on Johnson in 1868, declining to nominate him for a new term. (As Abraham Lincolns vice-president, Johnson was elevated to the presidency in 1865 after Lincolns assassination.) Johnsons return to private life was rocky. His son committed suicide, he mounted a failed US Senate bid and he contracted cholera. But then, six years after leaving office, he won election to the US Senate from Tennessee, only to die later that year from multiple strokes at 66. He is a mainstay on lists of historys worst American presidents. Impeachment No 2: Bill Clinton (1999) Bill Clinton has the distinction of being the most popular US president at the time to be impeached. He enjoyed a 61% approval rating in January 1998, before his denial in a sworn deposition that he had a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky. A month later, benefiting from widespread support for his policies and skepticism about the medias coverage of the allegations, according to a Pew Research study, Clintons approval rating was 10 points higher at 71%. While Clinton at the time of his impeachment was leagues ahead of Trump in terms of popularity, a Gallup poll published on Tuesday indicated that Trumps approval rating has likewise climbed to near all-time highs post-impeachment, with 49% of respondents giving him good marks. Story continues However, a renewed focus on past sexual assault allegations against Clinton in the #MeToo era and a reconsideration of the power dynamics of his relationship with Lewinsky have diminished his public standing in recent years. I now see how problematic it was that the two of us even got to a place where there was a question of consent, Lewinsky wrote in Vanity Fair in 2018. Instead, the road that led there was littered with inappropriate abuse of authority, station and privilege. Near miss: Richard Nixon (1974) Richard Nixon resigned under pressure from fellow Republicans before he could be impeached. But the story of his near-impeachment, in terms of his personal popularity, runs exactly counter to the Clinton case. Post-re-election in 1972, Nixon enjoyed a 68% approval rating. But a break-in at the Watergate hotel engineered by members of his re-election team had planted the seeds for his downfall. By April 1973, Nixons approval had fallen to 48%, still higher than Trumps average. But unlike Trump, Nixon kept dropping, to hit 24% approval by the time he resigned. A few years after receiving a pardon from Gerald Ford, Nixon granted a series of interviews to the journalist David Frost, telling him: When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal but also admitting: I let down the country. Nixon lived for 20 years after his resignation, mixing semi-official travel with book-writing, speeches and other public appearances. He won the occasional White House invitation and opened a presidential library. His face is tattooed on Roger Stones back. A pastor at the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus outbreak is asking Christians around the world to pray as the death toll and number of infections continued to rise on Wednesday. At least 490 people have died from the virus, which first appeared in Wuhan, in China's Hubei province, in December. As of Wednesday, there were over 24,000 cases worldwide, although the majority are in China. The unidentified pastor said in an open letter published by China Source that the outbreak was a "test of our faith". He described the situation as "so critical" but said that Christians there were trusting in God and praying for the city. "It is readily apparent that we are facing a test of our faith," the pastor wrote. "The situation is so critical, yet [we are] trusting in the Lord's promises, that his thoughts toward us are of peace, and not evil (Jeremiah. 29:11), and that he allows for a time of testing, not to destroy us, but to establish us. "Therefore, Christians are not only to suffer with the people of this city, but we have a responsibility to pray for those in this city who are fearful, and to bring to them the peace of Christ." He went on to say that although Christians had the peace of Christ, that peace "is not to remove us from disaster and death, but rather to have peace in the midst of disaster and death, because Christ has already overcome these things". "[When] disaster strikes us, it is but a form of God's love," he said. "Spoken for today, Wuhan's pestilence cannot separate us from the love of Christ; this love is in our Lord Jesus Christ." He asked Christians worldwide to pray for God's mercy on Wuhan, adding that it was especially the duty of Christians living in Wuhan to seek God's peace for the city, its people, officials and all those affected by the virus. NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on Friday Centre's appeal against Delhi High Courts order rejecting its plea to separately execute the death row convicts in 2012 Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case. The apex court order came a day after Delhi High Court rejected the Centre's plea and directed the convicts to avail all their legal remedies within the next seven days. The High Court ruled that all the four convicts in Nirbhaya case should be hanged together, not separately. The Centre then moved the top court, seeking an urgent listing of its appeal against the Delhi High Court verdict rejecting its plea against stay on their execution. In its petition, the Centre told the top court that it is unable to hang the Nirbhaya case convicts due to stay on their execution. Passing the order on Wednesday, Justice Suresh Kumar Kait of Delhi High Court observed that no doubt the Nirbhaya case was a heinous crime, the convicts will take every remedy available. Live TV The four convicts on death row are Mukesh Singh, Vinay Sharma, Pawan Gupta and Akshay Thakur. The order came on a petition filed by the Centre challenging a Delhi sessions court's order which stayed the death warrants issued against the four convicts. On February 4, 2020, Nirbhaya's parents' lawyer had sought an early disposal of the matter. The Centre had moved the Delhi High Court through Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to challenge the January 31 order of Patiala House Court Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana. In a related incident, President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday rejected the mercy petition of Akshay Kumar Singh, one of the four convicts facing execution in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. This was confirmed by the Home Ministry. Notably, President Kovind had already rejected the clemency petition of two other Nirbhaya case convicts - Mukesh Singh and Vinay Kumar Sharma. A major Christian organization is pledging to spend $50 million and reach 22 million evangelical, Catholic and pro-life voters as part of a digital and grassroots campaign to highlight President Trumps accomplishments and re-elect him this year. The Faith & Freedom Coalition, founded by Ralph Reed, launched the campaign Wednesday, calling it the largest pro-family voter education campaign in modern American political history. It released a two-minute digital ad, Promises Kept, that opens with images of Trump becoming the first president to appear at the March for Life. But it touches on other issues, too, including the economy, criminal justice reform, religious liberty and federal judges. The ad calls Trump the most pro-life, pro-family, pro-religious freedom and pro-Israel president in history. It ends with the tagline: Promises Made. Promises Kept. In 2016, Donald Trump won 81 percent of the evangelical vote, said Timothy Head, executive director of the Faith & Freedom Coalition. At that time, many evangelical and faithful Catholic voters did so on faith. Now, there is an impressive and historic record of accomplishments. These are promises made and promises kept, not only to the faith community, but to the American people. Thats a message we will ensure every faith-based voter in every key state and Congressional district gets between now and Election Day. Technically, it is an education campaign and not a re-election campaign, but the effect largely is the same. Register 1 million new voters. Knock on 4 million doors. Make 10 million get-out-the-vote calls (2 million by volunteers and live operators). Distribute 40 million voter guides in an estimated 117,000 churches. Make tens of millions of SMS and email contacts. The campaign will target battleground states, including Florida, North Carolina, Arizona, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin. The first digital ad also touches on human trafficking, the U.S. withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, and the moving of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. The campaign will include an estimated 6,000 volunteers and paid staff. Faith & Freedom visited 2.2 million homes leading up to the 2018 elections. The 2020 campaign involves a doubling of that effort, according to a press release. Related: 'We Are the Voice for the Voiceless,' Trump Tells March for Life in Historic Speech Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Tasos Katopodis/Stringer Video courtesy: Faith & Freedom Coalition Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Kerala on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that it has initiated the process for drafting a law exclusively for Sabarimala Temples management and sought more four weeks to complete the process in consultation with Attorney General for India, KK Venugopal. A bench of justices NV Ramana, Sanjiv Khanna and Krishna Murari granted the request when senior counsel Jaideep Gupta, who represents the state, told the Supreme Court about the process and sought the extra time. The submissions were made in a 2011 case related to the temples administration. Kerala in August told the Supreme Court that it is mooting a separate law to deal with the administration of the temple. When the matter was heard in November, the court noted the state had not made any move to enact it. Instead, it placed draft amendments to the Travancore Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act to deal with Sabarimala. The court disagreed with such a move and asked the state to enact a new law. The ownership of sacred ornaments belonging to the temples deity, Lord Ayyappa, also came up during the hearing on Wednesday. A plea filed by members of the Pandalam Royal family stated that the ornaments belong to them as a whole. The family has two branches - Valiakoikkal and Kochukoikkal. It was alleged by the petitioners that the president, secretary, and treasurer of the Travancore Devaswom Board, who belong to the Valiakoikkal branch, were attempting to appropriate the sacred ornaments. The applicants sought a declaration that the ornaments belong to the Pandalam royal family as a whole. The court asked the state to inform the court about its stance on safe custody of ornaments. The matter will be heard again on February 7. The Sabarimala Temple has been in the news since the Supreme Court in September 2018 opened the hill shrine to women of all ages. The practice of barring women in the 10 -50 age group is rooted in the belief that Lord Ayyappa is a celibate. The Supreme Court in November 2019 had referred the matter to a larger bench in response to over 60 review petitions against the September 2018 judgment. Containers seen at Vietnam's Thanh Tan border gate with China in northern Lang Son Province. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy. Vietnams trade with China fell 11.8 percent year-on-year in January as the Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday reduced the number of workdays. The combined value of exports and imports was $8.29 billion, down 26 percent from December, according to a report by Vietnam Customs, which said that there were only 16 working days in January. Tet fell in February last year. Vietnams exports to China fell by 35.3 percent from December to $2.75 billion and imports by 20.1 percent to $5.54 billion. Vietnams main export items in January were agricultural products, crude oil and ores, while its imports were gas, computers, electronics and cars. Last year, China was Vietnams biggest import market, accounting for 29.8 percent of its shipments. Overall, Vietnam recorded a trade deficit of $232 million in January as against a surplus last year. Vietnams foreign trade for the first time reached $517 billion last year, with trade surplus a record-high of $9.9 billion. (Natural News) Editorial note: To all national security personnel reading this from Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Canada, the USA, Russia and other nations, you will want to urgently forward this to your commanding officers, as this story is verified and true, confirmed through our Taiwan investigators. It indicates a dangerous, global escalation of warfare tactics by a lawless, authoritarian regime that you already know has been dispatching spies to your countries, stealing intellectual property and infiltrating your universities, governments and military weapons research institutions. Chinas end game goal is world domination, and there is no weapon they wont deploy to achieve it. On the heels of the bombshell revelation that China has been engineering an offensive biological warfare weapon that accidentally escaped their BSL-4 facilities and launched a global pandemic, we are now getting confirmation from our investigators in Taiwan that China has deployed a biological warfare attack against Taiwan by seeding an evacuation flight of Taiwan citizens with an infected Trojan horse human weapon who contaminated the entire evacuation flight. This is a damning escalation of tensions between communist China and Taiwan as the coronavirus pandemic explodes, nearly doubling the number of confirmed infections every 3.5 days (i.e. exponential, self-sustained pandemic outbreak). As part of an evacuation operation carried out by the government of Taiwan, the communist Chinese government refused to allow Taiwan to charter its own plane to rescue its citizens from the Wuhan region. China demanded that its own airplane be used, refusing to follow the Taiwan governments request that old women, women with children and children should be the priority of evacuees allowed to take the flight. Instead, China placed three passengers on the flight who were not on Taiwans list of citizens, and one of those individuals, completely unknown to Taiwan, turned out to be infected with coronavirus. China now trying to spread the coronavirus across Taiwan The covert operation appears to be a biological warfare attack on Taiwan by the communist Chinese regime, which deliberately intended to infect the entire flight with coronavirus so that infected passengers would further spread the pandemic in Taiwan. Such actions, of course, violate international laws, the Geneva Convention and various international treaties that outlaw the deployment of biological weapons. Translated from Chinese, via Liberty Times Net: (emphasis added) When senior media person Cai Yuzhen accepted an interview with Faith today, he criticized the Chinese side for a series of actions that were black box operations there was no protective measures for the entire charter plane, and no one knew who was infected. It was not until the passengers returned to Taiwan for examination that one person was confirmed [infected]. This charter flight took two hours. The virus is inserted into the charter flight, the rest of the passengers become a high-risk group. What can you say to them? Its a helpless situation. How can we use the original method to evacuate the rest of the people? The worst part is how can a confirmed case get on the flight? Once its on the flight, its treated the same as the rest of the people, theres no quarantine. Can you still trust this kind of China? The Minister of Health Fu Chen Shizhong who did his best to prevent epidemics was sentimental and wept, because a confirmed case was like a black hole in epidemic prevention on an unprotected charter plane. It caused him to shed tears [for the safety of the people of Taiwan] Heres the original Chinese article, for those who are able to read it: China knows its political power will be crippled by the coronavirus pandemic It now appears China is attempting to export its pandemic to Taiwan by swapping seeding evacuation charter flights with human weapons who are known to be infected with the coronavirus. Given that China already realizes its economic and political future is now uncertain in the face of an exploding pandemic that has likely killed at least 25,000 Chinese, the deceptive communist regime appears to be attempting to cause the maximum damage to Taiwan as a form of lashing out against its political enemies as its own domestic situation turns to chaos. The nCoV strain of the coronavirus was genetically engineered by Chinese scientists to create the perfect biological warfare weapon, which would one day be deployed against the United States, stunning new investigations have revealed. This underscores Chinas philosophy of achieving the extermination of its political enemies using horrifying weapons of death and destruction. This is why Chinas sudden biological warfare Trojan horse attack on Taiwan should come as a surprise to no one. Brighteon.com/a2192ba5-0b24-4b02-be20-698673aef67f Taiwans infectious disease officials brought to tears over Chinas biowarfare attack Taiwan is working feverishly to protect its citizens from the malicious, criminal actions of the mainland Chinese regime, but given that China is willing to deploy pandemic sleeper cells on Taiwan evacuation flights, the Taiwan government is now facing an enormous burden to screen, quarantine and treat patients who may be in various stages of the coronavirus incubation. For this effort, the communist Chinese regime should be labeled a criminal regime that is committing crimes against humanity, yet the compromised W.H.O. remains committed to China, even absurdly praising China for its transparency. Every institution in America from Hollywood to the tech giants and even the U.S. Senate seems to be running cover for China, one of the most inhumane, cruel authoritarian regimes in the history of our world. China routinely kidnaps innocent civilians, subjects them to rape and torture, murders political enemies, runs education camps that imprison Muslims, and even runs organ harvesting factories to generate profits from the international black market of human organs. China also routinely bullies Taiwan and even threatens global corporations with retribution if they do not bow to the demands of the communist regime. By any reasonable standard, China is truly one of the most dangerous, evil and destructive regimes on our planet, and it proves that designation yet again by illegally deploying a human weapon biological warfare attack against Taiwan. Why is there no outcry from the United Nations or the WHO? Where is the outcry from the scientific community? Where is the coverage in the mainstream media? Its nowhere to be found, because all the corrupt, criminal institutions of our world have already sold out to the communist Chinese regime. (Much of the controlled U.S. media is now run by communists. CNN is now called the Communist News Network.) Surely Chinas biological warfare attack on Taiwan should trigger a considered response from the United States, but so far, no one is even acknowledging this incident has taken place, since its not reported anywhere in the (controlled) U.S. media. President Trump is likely not even aware this has happened. The entire mainstream media is lying to you about the coronavirus pandemic and China in particular. But you already knew that, of course. Fascinatingly, media lies about the coronavirus seem to be spreading almost as fast as the virus itself. ANN ARBOR, MI -- Imagine telling your phone to pay your bills for you. The ability to talk to mobile devices and command tasks is what Clinc, an Ann Arbor company founded in 2015, is focused on developing as it prepares to move into the old Kiwanis Club thrift store downtown. Aiming for comprehension a cut above Apples Siri, Clincs voice-controlled system, named Finie," understands a users tone, and words it wasnt programmed to know, said marketing director Emma Furlong. Its a way for humans to interact with technology through their voices. Being able to speak to it like a human in the room, said Furlong. Weve done all sorts of digital experiences in that market, many of which are mobile. Imagine opening your Chase bank app, and being able to ask anything about your finances," such as whats my balance? A demonstration of the conversational artificial intelligence technology can be viewed here. Two University of Michigan computer science lecturers and Ph.D. students started the company, Furlong said. They basically invented a new way to build conversational AI, Furlong said. ... Financial services is our main market. Since 2015, the company has raised $60 million in investment and works with global corporations like Barclays, Ford Motor Company, USAA and Isbank in Turkey, she said. Furlong said the company will deploy its system on Isbanks mobile application for users to perform a multitude of tasks, such as checking their balance, transferring money and paying bills. Clinc has offices in San Francisco, China and Ann Arbor, but the company is renovating a 21,376-square-foot space at 200 S. First St. to move more than 100 of its employees from the Cahoots co-working space and a Kerrytown office into the former Kiwanis Club thrift store building at 200 S. First St. The space is expected to be ready by mid-May. The former thrift shop closed in October 2017 to reduce debt the organization was facing after purchasing a second Kiwanis property off of Jackson Road in 2015. Kiwanis Club sold the building for $2.75 million to Ann Arbor-based Wickfield Properties. Jim Chaconas of Colliers International handled the sale of the building. The multi-level building will have a cafe, a transparent garage door, a living room area, a prayer room, mothers room, conference rooms and ample open office seating, said Erik Krievs of building operations. "Originally, it was two buildings. The back portion looks more so like a barn. We think that was actually built in 1901. Theres a little placard on the wall, Krievs said. The brick portion on First and Washington was built after that. At some point, they were kind of merged together. The cafe will stretch between the two buildings, with a rooftop patio. Furlong called Clinc "living proof that you dont need to be in Silicon Valley to be successful. Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor to vote on selling downtown location Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor prepares to close downtown thrift store Kiwanis Club OKs $2.75 million sale of Ann Arbor building PITTSBURGH In 2003, when SARS was spreading, Edward Zhang was not yet a teenager and living with his parents in Wuhan, China, largely dependent on the morning paper and the nightly news to know what was happening in the next city over. The world has changed a lot since then. Now, as the coronavirus renders his home city a ghost town, overwhelming hospitals and forcing his friends and family to don masks in their own homes, Mr. Zhang is updated constantly despite living over 7,000 miles away, in Pittsburgh. I might be finding things out faster than my parents, he said, describing a steady stream of videos, photographs and reports from his friends in Wuhan, even information about specific apartments in specific buildings where the coronavirus has apparently struck. Its a small world after all, a frightening thought if the virus becomes a global pandemic, but a mixed blessing for the scores of Wuhan natives living in Pittsburgh, which has been a sister city of Wuhan for nearly 40 years. A Virginia kayaker who vanished during a solo trip in the Florida Everglades has been found after his cell phone washed ashore and authorities used it to recover data on his location. Mark Miele, 67, was last seen on January 22 when he left for his kayaking trip, the Collier County Sheriff's Office said. He was supposed to return seven days later, but his family did not hear from him. On Sunday, park rangers found his belongings, including his wallet and phone, on the bank of the Lopez River near the Monroe County line, authorities said. "By downloading the data on Mark's phone Sunday night, deputies found his most recent coordinates logged on January 31 and our aviation unit began a targeted search of the area," the sheriff's office said. Shortly before noon Monday, the aviation unit located him and provided his location to a Marine Unit along with officers from the National Park Service. He was found a few miles from where his phone had washed up wearing a life jacket and floating faceup in the river. Rescuers in boats rushed to the area and plucked him from the murky waters. "First concern when we found him it didn't look like he was moving and we didn't know if it was going to be a recovery or a rescue," Cpl. Ed Henderson, who helped find him, told CNN affiliate WINK News. "He'd been in the water for two solid days and it's been really cold." Miele was dehydrated and hypothermic, and was convulsing when he was found, authorities said. He is hospitalized in stable condition, and his family thanked local and state authorities for rescuing him. "It's a miracle he's alive and in the condition he is in," his family said in a statement. No more information was immediately available. The U.S. Navy has spent weeks trawling the North Atlantic in the hunt for a deadly Russian submarine that was known to have deployed into the waters off the East Coast of the United States. The Project 885 Yasen class guided missile submarine Severodvinsk is built from the very latest in Russian technology and was thought to be just a few hundred miles away from the North American coastline in the fall of 2019. Such was the worry of the U.S. military, the search involved a large number of Navy submarines, ships, and maritime patrol aircraft, all of which proved fruitless after the sub remained undetected throughout, according to The Drive. The vessel, which can carry up to 40 Kalibr missiles, among other weapons, is known for having an especially low acoustic signature and proves especially difficult to pick up on all manner of sophisticated detection equipment including Sonar. The worry from Navy commanders was the possible presence of nuclear missiles with a possible range of up to 1,600 miles being so close to the U.S. mainland. The Yasen Class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines (SSGN) represents the most modern and potent Russian submarines are and widely regarded as being similar to the latest Western submarines Crewmembers of the Russian Navy's Severodvinsk nuclear submarine undergo basic training The 13,800-ton, 390-foot long, submarine is a highly automated vessel with a crew of only 32 officers and 58 enlisted submariners The submarine is thought to be the most powerful multipurpose submarines in the Russian navy, armed with 24 cruise missiles and with a top speed of up to 35 knots The mission to find the secret sub was remarkably similar to that of the plot of the Tom Clancy novel and 1990 film, The Hunt For Red October, which told the story of a Soviet submarine equipped with innovative stealth technology. In the film, the submarine Red October was heading for the East Coast and was virtually invisible. It appears that such technology is on board the Russian's latest spy sub, the Severodvinsk of which the country hope to build eight similar vessels. Some Russian sources such as Russia Beyond the Headlines have suggested that Severodvinsk is equipped with active anti-torpedo defenses and some sort of anti-air capability. The 13,800-ton, 390-foot long, submarine is highly automated vessel with a crew of only 32 officers and 58 enlisted submariners according to USNI News. The sub also carried anti-submarine missiles and has the capability to lay mines along with its normal complement of torpedoes. The Russian attack boat was under construction since 1993 before it began sea trials in 2011 and then fully operation in 2014. There is major concern in the rise in the number of increasingly deadly Russian submarines patrolling the East Coast. Pictured, a Russian nuclear submarine, the Yuri Dolgoruky, in 2009 A major operation launched last year to track Russia's most deadly subs and ships. Pictured, Russian nuclear submarine Nizhny Novgorod News of the essentially failed mission comes as U.S. Sailors have been warned to be on alert as they sail to and from ports along the Eastern seaboard and to no longer assume the Atlantic Ocean is a 'safe haven'. The unsettling warning came earlier this week from Vice Admiral Andrew 'Woody' Lewis, the current commander of the United States Second Fleet and NATO Joint Force Command for the Atlantic. Lewis says the issue is a rise in the number of increasingly deadly Russian submarines patrolling the East Coast - the same waters the Navy operate out of. Unsettling warning came from Vice Admiral Andrew 'Woody' Lewis, pictured, the current Commander of the U.S. Second Fleet and NATO Joint Force Command for the Atlantic 'The homeland is not a sanctuary. Sailors can expect to be operating in a contested space once they leave Norfolk,' Lewis said during a maritime security event on Tuesday at the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'Over the last 20 years, most of the time we got underway from Norfolk in order to operate somewhere else, not in the Atlantic,' Lewis said. 'Our ships can no longer expect to operate in a safe haven off the east coast or merely cross the Atlantic unhindered to operate in another location,' Lewis was speaking just as the Pentagon also confirmed it had deployed a new, low-yield submarine-launched nuclear warhead known as the W76-2. Vice Admiral Lewis says the issue is a rise in the number of increasingly deadly Russian submarines patrolling the East Coast - the same waters the U.S. Navy operate out of 'We don't have to look hard to see that the world is only getting more complicated... the Atlantic Ocean is a battle space that can't be ignored.' 'We are seeing an ever-increasing number of Russian submarines deploy in the Atlantic. And these submarines are more capable than ever, deploying for longer periods of time with more lethal weapons systems.' The stark warning came just weeks after reports that a Russian spy ship was lurking in waters off the East Coast and operating in an unsafe manner. 'We have seen some of our ships, the USS Mahan for example, in the early stages of their training cycle operating on station in the Atlantic with a Russian intelligence ship when it visited our coastline late last year,' Lewis said. 'Real world requirements do not discriminate. The intelligence ship did not care at what phase of training our ships were in or if it had achieved its full certification.' The Russian ship, the Viktor Leonov, was operating in an 'unsafe manner' off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia according to the Military Times. The Russian ship, the Viktor Leonov, was operating in an 'unsafe manner' off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia in December and sailing with its lights off and ignoring radio calls 'The homeland is not a sanctuary. Sailors can expect to be operating in a contested space once they leave Norfolk,' Lewis said. Pictured the USS Dwight D Eisenhower at Naval Station Norfolk Lewis, pictured,now heads the U.S. Navy's Second Fleet which was originally created to keep an eye on Russia during the Cold War. It was dissolved in 2011 but restarted again in 2018 Russia's Severodvinsk Submarine The Yasen Class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarines (SSGN) represent the most modern and potent Russian submarines are and widely regarded as being similar to the latest Western submarines. The closest comparison is the US Navy's Seawolf Class but the Russian design incorporates a large bank of vertical launch tubes (VLS) for cruise missiles. The submarine is thought to be the most powerful multipurpose submarines in the Russian navy, armed with 24 cruise missiles. The 13,800-ton, 390-foot long, submarine is a highly automated vessel with a crew of only 32 officers and 58 enlisted submariners. It is far quieter than previous Russian submarines and has a maximum 'silent' speed of about 20 knots. Some Russian reports state the sub has a maximum speed of 35 knots. The boat has 24 missile tubes which can carry the supersonic NPO Mashinostroyeniya P-800 Oniks anti-ship missile which can hit targets roughly 200 nautical miles away. It can also carry Novator RK-55 Granat nuclear-capable 1,600 nautical mile-range subsonic land attack cruise missiles. Source: USNI News and Covert Shores Advertisement 'This unsafe operation includes not using running lights while in reduced visibility conditions, not responding to hails by commercial vessels attempting to coordinate safe passage and other erratic movements,' the Coast Guard posted on a bulletin in December. 'Vessels transiting these waters should maintain a sharp lookout and use extreme caution when navigating in proximity to this vessel. Mariners should make reports of any unsafe situations to the United States Coast Guard,' the Coast Guard said in its safety message. The Russian spy ship was operating a 'couple hundred' miles off the East Coast. It's not the first time the Viktor Leonov has been spotted conducting intelligence operations off the U.S. coastline. In 2017, the Leonov was trailed by a Coast Guard vessel but was operating in international waters. The Russian surveillance ship has been spotted conducting operations on a U.S. submarine base in New London, Connecticut, and other Navy bases in Florida and Virginia as far back as 1998. 'They routinely deploy intelligence vessels worldwide to monitor the activities and particularly naval activities of other nations, but then again conducted lawfully in international waters and not unlike operations we conduct ourselves,' then-Penatgon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said in 2017 about the Leonov. A ceremony took place in December at the Admiralty Shipyard to launch the Project 636.3 submarine B-603 Volkhov of the Russian Pacific Fleet, the latest Russian sub The Navy's 2nd Fleet became fully operational on New Year's Eve. The fleet was originally created to keep an eye on Russia during the Cold War but the Navy dissolved the fleet in 2011 in order to focus on counter terrorism in the Middle East and Afghanistan. However, in recent years with Russia once again emerging as a threat, the Navy again resurrected the 2nd Fleet in an attempt to once again dominate the waters of the Atlantic and Arctic. This year, PPL is marking a century of people powering life. To celebrate our centennial, we're honoring the people who work to transform lives in their communities. They are the bright lights powering progress and making a difference. The PPL Foundation will give a total of $100,000 in grants to help illuminate the outstanding contributions of individuals working in the nonprofit sector. Ten Bright Lights grants of $10,000 will be awarded in honorees' names to the nonprofit agencies they support. "For 100 years, PPL has been a vital part of the communities we serve, helping to power life's moments for generations," said Ryan Hill, president of the PPL Foundation. "Our centennial is a significant milestone, and we want to celebrate by shining a spotlight on the transformative work of individuals who are leading the charge to create a better world." The foundation is accepting Bright Lights nominations from February 1 to April 30. Submissions will be reviewed based on a variety of criteria, including impact, innovation, inspiration and dedication, and will be featured on the Bright Lights program website. Award honorees will be announced in September 2020. Nominees must be residents of the 29 counties in Pennsylvania served by PPL Electric Utilities and must be employed by nonprofit agencies aligned with PPL Foundation's mission. To learn more about the program and submit a nomination, visit pplweb.com/100years/bright-lights-grants/. About the PPL Foundation Through strategic partnerships, the PPL Foundation supports organizations that are doing innovative and groundbreaking work to create vibrant, sustainable communities and supporting children's success from cradle to career. The PPL Foundation contributes more than $3 million annually to a wide variety of nonprofit organizations in Eastern and Central Pennsylvania. Help India! By Imran Inamdar, TwoCircles.net Solapur (Maharashtra): Support TwoCircles Protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) have intensified across the country as more communities other than Muslims are coming out to voice their dissent. The latest is from the textile city of western Maharashtra, Solapur, where differently aligned organizations have united to join the fight against NRC and CAA by staging flag marches and candlelight vigils. Lawmakers should concentrate on education, womens safety, poverty and unemployment instead of harassing their citizens in the name of acts and laws, says Darshana Gaikwad, District General Secretary of Bheem Army Womens Wing. Gaikwad is leading the states Shaheen Bagh inspired protest from 2 February at Poonam Gate near Zilla Parishad Compound. Speaking with Twocircles.net, Darshana expressed that at a time when rising unemployment among youth and declining economy are major concerns, the Centre is busy imposing brutal laws. Darshana gives an example of how the youth is not only actively fighting against the Act but are also taking care of everyone in the crowd. This, she feels resonates with values of the Indian constitution that provides equality and freedom of speech to all its citizens, adding that they will keep fighting 247 for the same. On day 1, about 1500 including nearly 800 women from all communities registered their presence and raised the slogans against NRC & CAA and sang the song of Azadi, says Darshana. She remarks that at a time when the incidence of rapes are increasing in the country, it gives her great happiness to see the women and young girls come out and join the protests in such a large scale. According to a press note released by the Bheem Army Womens Wing in the State, female activists of major NGOs like Jijau Brigade, Bhartiye Bodhha Mahasabha, Sant Rohidas Samajik Sanghtna, Bahujan Hak Parishad, Raj Mata Ahilya Devi Mahila Sanghtna, Phule Shahu Ambedkar Padmashali Vichar Manch and Lodhi Samaj Mahila Sanghtna are part of the protest. Darshana adds that male activists from Jamiya-E-Ulema city unit and other political parties have also come forward to support female protestors. We are here to save our Constitution by demanding to withdraw the dangerous Act, said Praniti Shinde, MLA of Solapur central constituency while speaking with the media. Shinde also visited the protest spot to extend her support. She adds that as two-three states have already passed the resolution against the Act, she expects the Maharashtra government will do the same. A number of 17 Romanian citizens are aboard a cruise ship which has been put in quarantine in the Japanese port Yokohama, after several cases of coronavirus infection were detected on board, the Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) informed on Thursday. According to the quoted source, Romania's Embassy in Tokyo has been notified in this regard by the Japanese Foreign Affairs Ministry. Of the 17 Romanians, two are tourists and the other 15 are crew members of the ship. Moreover, the MAE added that Romania's Consulate General in Hong Hong urgently requested local authorities pieces of information regarding the presence of some Romanian citizens aboard a ship docked in this port. So far, the local authorities haven't made notifications regarding the existence of any Romanian citizens among the passengers of the ship, and, at the consular office level, no assistance requests have been received on behalf of any Romanian citizen regarding this situation. Romania's Embassy in Tokyo and Romania's Consulate General in Hong Hong continue the demarches with the local authorities to gather additional information and are prepared to grant assistance if necessary. As of Tuesday, the Japanese authorities started to look for cases of contamination on the Diamond Princess ship, which arrived on Monday evening near Yokohama port, in south-west of Tokyo, taking into account that a case of coronavirus infection was detected in Hong Kong at a person who was previously aboard the ship. According to the Japanese press, the number of cases of contamination aboard the ship reached 20 on Thursday, where there are approximately 3,700 passengers and crew members. AGERPRES Financing round led by Forbion with participation from BioMedPartners and founding investor BioGeneration Ventures Azafaros B.V. announced today the successful closing of its Series A financing round raising EUR 25 million (approximately USD 28 million). This round was led by Forbion, with participation from BioMedPartnersand founding investor BioGeneration Ventures (BGV). Azafaros was established in 2018 to translate innovative science from Leiden University (LU) and Amsterdam University Medical Center (Amsterdam UMC) into novel disease-modifying treatment modalities for rare genetic metabolic disorders such as lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs). "The Series A financing round is a very significant achievement and endorsement for Azafaros. It allows us to build our organization and expand our executive team with passionate and experienced people and to advance our rare metabolic disorders pipeline," commentedOlivier Morand, Chief Executive Officer at Azafaros. Azafaros holds an exclusive license from LU and Amsterdam UMC to a library of novel patented compounds discovered by internationally recognized experts in the field, Professor Hans Aerts, PhD, Professor Hermen Overkleeft, PhD Professor Stan van Boeckel, PhD and their co-workers at the Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University. Professor Hans Aerts stated: "Azafaros has secured the capital to develop a pipeline of first-in-class small molecules that have great potential for treating patients with rare diseases. Based on their mode of action, these compounds provide the prospect for a disease-modifying treatment combined with a convenient oral administration route that allows a life-long treatment." In conjunction with this Series A financing, Azafaros' board of directors now includes: Carlo Incerti, MD, Forbion Operating Partner, Chairman and Non-Executive Board Member Vanessa King, PhD, independent Non-Executive Board Member Olivier Morand, PhD, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Board Member Sander Slootweg, MSc, Forbion Managing Partner, Non-Executive Board Member Edward van Wezel, MSc, BGV Managing Partner, Executive Board Member Andreas Wallnofer, PhD, MBA, BioMedPartners General Partner, Non-Executive Board Member Carlo Incerti, Chairman of Azafaros, added: "I dedicated most of the last three decades of my professional life to the discovery and development of drugs for rare disorders. Azafaros represents the ideal continuation of this journey as it is developing new therapies which have the potential to meaningfully impact patients suffering from LSDs through a unique mode of action. These are major unmet medical needs, particularly in such diseases affecting the central nervous system. Azafaros' lead oral small molecule holds the promise of becoming an innovative approach to treating these conditions." Carlo Incerti is a medical doctor who brings a wealth of experience in the development and commercialization of products for lysosomal storage disorders. Following a successful academic career, he was one of the early employees at Genzyme, eventually spending 28 years at the company. Most recently, he held the position of Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Global Medical Affairs at Sanofi-Genzyme. About Azafaros Azafaros was founded in 2018 by a team of experienced industry professionals and scientists aspiring to address rare genetic metabolic disorders through a pipeline of oral small molecules with disease-modifying potential. Based on discoveries from Leiden University and Amsterdam UMC, Azafaros' proprietary lead compound AZ-3102 will initially address inherited life-threatening lysosomal storage diseases for which there are no effective therapies today. This orally available azasugar compound interferes with the metabolism of glycolipids and uniquely affects several key disease pathways through a dual mode of action. Leveraging the know-how of its team and partners in orphan drug development, the company is advancing its lead program toward first-in-man studies while further expanding its product pipeline into other rare metabolic diseases through its drug discovery efforts. For more information, please visit www.azafaros.com. About Lysosomal Storage Disorders Lysosomal storage diseases such as Gaucher, Tay-Sachs, Fabry, Sanfilippo or Pompe disease, are a group of rare inherited metabolic disorders caused by lysosomal function defects. Lysosomes are cellular compartments filled with a variety of enzymes that are involved in the turn-over and degradation of proteins, polysaccharides, nucleic acids, or lipids. For example, dysfunctions in the aforementioned enzymes in the brain can result in the cytotoxic accumulation of degradation products, resulting in severe symptoms including developmental delays, seizures, respiratory infections, loss of vision and hearing, and cognitive functions. For more information on lysosomal storage disorders, please see here. About Forbion Forbion is a dedicated life sciences venture capital firm with offices in The Netherlands and Germany. Forbion invests in life sciences companies that are active in the (bio-) pharmaceutical space. Forbion's investment team has built an impressive performance track record since the late nineties with successful investments in over 60 companies. Forbion manages well over EUR 1 billion across ten funds. Forbion is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. Besides financial objectives, Forbion selects investments that will positively affect health and well-being of patients. Its investors include the EIF, through its European Recovery Programme (ERP), LfA, Dutch Venture Initiative (DVI) facilities and AMUF facilities and the KFW through the ERP Venture Capital Fondsfinanzierung facility. Based in Naarden, The Netherlands, Forbion operates a joint venture with BGV. For more information, please visit www.forbion.com. About BGV BGV is a specialized life sciences venture capital firm, with a focus on early stage European biotech companies. BGV has a strong track record of significant financial returns through investing in innovations in healthcare and providing the expertise to build world-class teams. BGV manages funds investing in areas where the science, the unmet medical need, and the potential to rapidly demonstrate a significant proof of concept all come together. Successful investments include Dezima Pharma and Acerta Pharma. BGV was founding investor in both companies. The Acerta Pharma sale was the largest exit to date of a privately held European biotech company. Since inception BGV has made over twenty-five investments. BGV is based in Naarden, The Netherlands, and closely collaborates with Forbion. For more information, please visit www.biogenerationventures.com. About BioMedPartners Based in Basel, Switzerland, BioMedPartners is an independent European venture capital firm that acts as lead- or co-lead investor providing private equity to early- to mid-stage life sciences companies. Since 2002, BioMedPartners has invested in several highly innovative companies of which twenty-two have already either successfully been acquired by leading biopharma companies or have completed an IPO. With more than CHF 350 million in capital under management and a strong team of experienced industry experts as well as an extensive scientific and pharma network, BioMedPartners has established itself as one of the leading early-stage human healthcare investors in Europe. In February 2018 the company announced the closing of BioMedInvest III, their third equity venture capital fund of CHF 100 million. In this third fund BioMedPartners is focusing on the build-up of companies with highly innovative early stage assets and technology platforms. The first investment of BioMedInvest III was in the Swiss immuno-oncology company Amal SA (Geneva) which has been acquired by Boehringer Ingelheim in June 2019. For more information, please visit www.biomedvc.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005369/en/ Contacts: For further information: Azafaros B.V. Email: info@azafaros.com https://www.azafaros.com Address: J.H. Oortweg 21 2333 CH Leiden The Netherlands Postal address: Gooimeer 2-35 1411 DC Naarden The Netherlands For Media Inquiries: Trophic Communications Marie Weickert or Laura Mittmann E-mail: weickert@trophic.eu or mittmann@trophic.eu Phone: +49 89 2388 7730 or +49 151 5986 2418 It is disappointing, said Ma, who was to meet his clarinet teachers and friends from the middle and high school attached to the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. I was going to have a great time in China. My parents were planning to go to Shanghai for the last performance of the tour, and after we were planning to do a small trip to cities around Shanghai. Here we go again. Another big storm system is heading our way in the heart of winter but temperatures will be too warm to support snow. So instead of getting a major snowstorm, most of northern New Jersey is bracing for an icy mix of sleet and freezing rain, followed by plain rain. And the rest of the state will receive a heavy soaking of rain, possibly enough to cause flooding on some streets and highways. Heres the latest information on the storms timing, how much ice and rain are expected and which rush hour will be worse for commuters. UPDATE THURSDAY MORNING: Flood watch issued with up to 3 inches of rain, wind gusts up to 45 mph in forecast Storm starting time? The first batch of precipitation is expected to arrive in New Jersey between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Wednesday, according to the latest forecasts from the National Weather Service. It will start in the western counties and move across the central and eastern regions of the state. Want more weather news? Enter your email address to be the first to know: Rain, sleet or freezing rain? What falls from the sky will depend on where you are. In six northern and western counties Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Warren forecasters are expecting an extended period of sleet and freezing rain Wednesday night into early Thursday morning. They say as much as one-tenth to one-quarter of an inch of ice could accumulate on cold surfaces like roads, sidewalks, cars, tree limbs and power lines. In other northern counties, like Bergen and Essex, the precipitation will likely start as a mix of rain and sleet before changing to rain. In the rest of the state mainly areas south of Interstate 78 all of the precipitation should be just rain throughout the duration of the storm. But the rain is likely to be moderate to heavy at times. Forecasters say the morning commute could be messy early Thursday, with ice in northern New Jersey and rain across the rest of the state.National Weather Service Will driving conditions be dangerous? The National Weather Service says drivers should expect slick and hazardous travel conditions in any area where a thin layer of ice accumulates Wednesday night and Thursday morning, so be on alert in North and West Jersey. Regardless of exact amounts, any amount of ice can cause untreated roads to become near impossible to drive on," the weather service noted in its latest storm briefing. When will the ice threat be over? The National Weather Service believes late Wednesday night through early Thursday morning will pose the biggest risk of ice accumulation on roads and power lines but the ice risk could linger into the mid-morning Thursday in far northwestern sections of New Jersey. The exact timing depends on when surface temperatures rise above freezing (32 degrees). Forecasters say high-terrain areas are more prone to icing than low-lying valleys, and areas with heavy ice buildup could experience minor tree damage and scattered power outages. Weather forecasters are worried that a thin layer of ice could form on streets and power lines in northern New Jersey late Wednesday night into Thursday morning.National Weather Service When will the rain end? Waves of rain will likely continue overnight Wednesday, through most of the day and night Thursday and into late Friday morning. The rain should finally taper off Friday afternoon, but winds will turn gusty. As of now, Saturday is shaping up to be a mostly sunny day, but with cold temperatures, ranging from the mid-30s to around 40 degrees. How much rain will fall? The National Weather Service is expecting about 2 inches of rain to fall between Wednesday night and Friday afternoon, with some areas getting as much as 3 inches. The heaviest amounts are more likely in the central and southern regions of the state than the northern region, particularly in areas east of Interstate 95. Weather forecasters are worried that a thin layer of ice could form on streets and power lines in northern New Jersey late Wednesday night into Thursday morning.National Weather Service Weather alerts Because of the ice threat not snow a winter weather advisory will be in effect from 8 p.m. Wednesday through 10 a.m. Thursday in Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties. A winter weather advisory will be active in western Passaic County from 11 p.m. Wednesday through 10 a.m. Thursday. Because of the heavy rain thats expected, a flood watch has been issued for most of New Jersey, effective from 1 p.m. Thursday through 4 p.m. Friday. It covers these 14 counties: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Salem and Somerset. Areas shaded in green are under a flood watch from Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon because of heavy rain that's on the way.National Weather Service Will rush hour be affected? For now, the evening commute on Wednesday looks fine, but forecasters are most worried about the Thursday morning commute particularly in areas near and north of Interstate 78. During the Thursday evening and Friday morning commutes, the biggest issue will likely be ponding on some roads and highways where the heaviest rain falls. In addition, some streams and rivers could overflow their banks in areas that end up with 2 to 3 inches of rain, the weather service said. In some cases, flooding on the larger rivers could persist into the weekend, the flood watch notes. Most precipitation, including rain, starts out as snow high up in the atmosphere. The droplets change as they fall through warmer air and colder air.National Weather Service Sleet vs. freezing rain Just a reminder that sleet and freezing rain are different forms of precipitation. Sleet starts out as frozen precipitation high in the atmosphere, melts as it hits a shallow layer of warm air, then refreezes into small ice pellets before hitting the ground or other objects, like your car. Freezing rain also starts as frozen precipitation high in the atmosphere, then melts into rain drops as it passes through layers of warmer air. And just like regular rain, it lands as liquid. However, it freezes when it hits cold surfaces or cold objects, such as roads, sidewalks, cars, trees and power lines. LIVE WEATHER RADAR ALSO: Early spring in N.J.? Some weather forecasters dont agree with the groundhogs. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @LensReality or like him on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Oil advanced for a second day on hopes that OPEC and its allies would further curb oil production as the deadly coronavirus outbreak hits global energy demand. Futures climbed 0.4% in New York on Thursday after a panel of technical experts from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries recommended cutting output by an additional 600,000 barrels a day. But Russia remained noncommittal, asking for more time to decide. Theres a little bit of hope OPEC will support the market, said Michael Loewen, director of commodity strategy at Scotiabank. Even before the virus, OPECs prior production cuts still left markets oversupplied and Russia has been reluctant to stick to these, so that also casts doubt on what theyre willing to do here. Prices have lost 17% this year as the spread of the coronavirus has disrupted travel and fuel consumption, wiping out about 20% of oil consumption in China, the worlds second largest economy and key engine of crude demand. The outbreak has prompted the state oil company of Saudi Arabia, the worlds largest oil exporter, to make deep cuts to the price of crude it sells to Asia. West Texas Intermediate crude advanced 20 cents to settle at $50.95 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange after earlier gaining as much as 2.9%. Brent traded 35 cents lower to close at $54.93 on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange, putting its premium over WTI at $3.79. Also weighing on OPECs decision is the blockade of Libyas ports which has hampered oil exports. The United Nations will hold a conference in Cairo on Sunday to discuss Libyas oil production as the countrys warring sides are working to turn a provisional cease-fire into a formal agreement. OPECs ability to cut production is fairly constrained as it is, says Ryan Fitzmaurice, commodities strategist at Rabobank. The coronavirus is still front and center but theyre also balancing the supply side risks in Libya. Libyas oil output has since plunged to its lowest levels since the NATO-backed uprising against Qaddafi. The warring factions attended an international meeting in Berlin last month amid a tentative cease-fire. [February 06, 2020] Affirm's Fourth Office Lands in the Windy City Affirm, Inc., the technology company offering a more transparent and responsible way for users to split payments at top retailers, today announced plans to open a Chicago office in the city's River North district. Affirm was founded in 2012 by serial entrepreneur Max Levchin, founding CTO of PayPal (News - Alert), with the goal of creating honest financial products that improve consumers' lives. Today, Affirm serves more than 4.5 million consumers, enabling them to buy now and pay later through simple monthly payments. Affirm is different from traditional credit cards. The product has no compounding interest or late fees and instead shows consumers exactly what they'll owe, over what period of time - with no hidden fees. "Chicago was my first home after immigrating to the United States when I was a teenager and, in many ways, it still feels like home," said Max Levchin, founder and CEO of Affirm. "I'm excited for Affirm to join this great community, and look forward to welcoming new, exceptional talent that will help us grow Affirm's network of merchants and consumers." Affirm has already gained traction with local talent, securing 20 hires so far. "Growing companies like Affirm know that Illinois' top talent, world-class universities and expansive transit systems make our state a highly competitive place to do business," said Governor JB Pritzker. "Illiois is home to a thriving - and expanding - tech industry, with major companies like Uber and Facebook (News - Alert) doubling down on their commitment to the state, and we are excited to welcome Affirm into the community." Affirm's expansion to Chicago comes at a time of great growth for the company. Affirm chose Chicago for its next location for variety of reasons: Access to diverse talent : To achieve the company's mission of improving lives through honest financial products, Affirm is building a team as diverse as the consumers it serves. Chicago's workforce allows Affirm to maintain its commitment to diversity. : To achieve the company's mission of improving lives through honest financial products, Affirm is building a team as diverse as the consumers it serves. Chicago's workforce allows Affirm to maintain its commitment to diversity. Longevity : With nearly 140 quality higher-ed institutions in the area, Chicago has the potential for the long-term talent growth that companies like Affirm can benefit from. : With nearly 140 quality higher-ed institutions in the area, Chicago has the potential for the long-term talent growth that companies like Affirm can benefit from. Central U.S. outpost: Chicago's location and position as the foremost business hub in the midwest offers Affirm the opportunity to bridge the gap between existing offices on the coasts in San Francisco, New York and Pittsburgh. "Illinois is a great place to do business, with over 36 Fortune 500 companies calling the state home. Thanks to Governor Pritzker's Rebuild Illinois capital plan, innovative companies like Affirm will continue to come to Illinois," said Erin Guthrie, Acting Director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. Affirm plans to expand its workforce by hiring for sales, customer success, engineering and product roles in Chicago. To learn more about working at Affirm and open roles in Chicago, head to https://www.affirm.com/careers. About Affirm Affirm was founded with the goal of creating honest financial products and services that empower consumers and improve lives. Our goal is to revolutionize the banking industry to be more accountable and accessible to consumers. Today, Affirm provides millions of shoppers an alternative to traditional credit cards at the point of sale, giving them the flexibility to buy now and make simple monthly payments for their purchases. Unlike payment options that have compounding interest and unexpected costs, Affirm shows customers up front exactly what they'll pay each month - with no hidden fees and no surprises. Affirm gives shoppers the ability to pay over time at any store and also partners with over 4,000 merchants including well-known brands across retail like home furnishings, travel, personal fitness, electronics, apparel and beauty, and more. Loans are made in partnership with Affirm's originating bank partner Cross River Bank, Member FDIC. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005314/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] ITHACA, NY - A woman was rescued from the Six Mile Creek gorge in Ithaca Wednesday afternoon by Ithaca firefighters after a passerby heard the woman calling for help. Police were dispatched to the area near Giles Street about 3 p.m., where they found the woman down a 40-foot embankment, fire department officials said in a Facebook post. She was below Treva Avenue, which does not have trail access, officials said. The woman was cold and exhausted and had been down there for some time, the fire department said. Using rope rescue equipment, firefighters, with aid from police and paramedics, went down the cliff to treat her injuries, and then haul her back up. She was then transported by ambulance to an area hospital. The woman was not identified. Firefighters cautioned people should be careful around gorges, and always carry a cell phone. 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. President Donald Trump holds up a newspaper during his victory speech a day after being acquitted on two articles of impeachment, in the East Room of the White House on Feb. 6, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Trump Pledges to Protect Religious Freedom at Prayer Breakfast, Speaks Out Against Impeachment Trial President Donald Trump vowed to protect religious liberty, at the 68th national prayer breakfast in Washington, using his first public remarks since the Senate acquitted him a day earlier to also speak out against the impeachment trial. As he walked onto the stage, Trump held up two different newspapers that bore the word acquitted on the front. Sitting just a table away was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who also gave remarks. The night before, as the president wrapped up his State of the Union address, Pelosi had pointedly torn up a copy of the speech, telling reporters later the document was a manifesto of untruths. Other attendees included Cabinet officials, members of Congress, Vice President Mike Pence, and his wife, Karen Pence. We come together as one nation, blessed to live in freedom, and grateful to worship in peace, Trump said at the annual breakfast held in Washington. The president then spoke about the impeachment inquiry and trial, which have dominated American politics and media headlines since September. My family, our great country, and your president have been put through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people, Trump said. They have done everything possible to destroy us, and by so doing, very badly hurt our nation. They know what they are doing is wrong, but they put themselves far ahead of our great country. Trump said Republicans had the fortitude and strength to do what everyone knows was right. He also made an apparent dig at Pelosi, who said in September that she was praying for the president all the time in an interview days after announcing that the House was starting its impeachment inquiry. I dont like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong. Nor do I like people who say, I pray for you, when they know thats not so, he said. Trump dedicated many of his remarks to reiterating that he, his administration, and America will always protect the right to faith. In everything we do, we are creating a culture that protects freedom, and that includes religious freedom, he said. In America, we dont punish prayer, we dont tear down crosses, we dont ban symbols of faith, we dont muzzle preachers, we dont muzzle pastors. In America, we celebrate faith, we cherish religion, we lift our voices in prayer, and we raise our sight to the glory of God. Toward the end of his remarks, the president received a standing ovation when he spoke about construction on the Mount Pleasant churchone of three African American churches that were set on fire in Louisiana by arsonists. He said: In the wake of such shocking evil, America witnessed the unshakable unity, devotion, and spirit of Reverend Toussaint and his entire highly spirited, beautiful congregation. Families quickly came together in prayer. Soon, people from all across Louisiana came to help any way they could. Americans in all 50 states and 20 different countries heard about it and they donated more than $2 million to help rebuild Mount Pleasant. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (D-Calif.), Pelosi, and others seated at the long tables surrounding the podium also stood up and clapped during that moment. Pelosi, who spoke before the president, asked for prayers for religious minorities who were persecuted for their faith. Let us pray that we never become immune to the atrocities that continue to challenge the collective conscience of our shared humanity, she said. On Feb. 5, senators voted along party lines to acquit the president of the two charges against him: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Only Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) voted with Democrats to convict on abuse of power. After the breakfast event, Pelosi took the opportunity to provide a detailed rationale for why she tore up a copy of Trumps prepared State of the Union remarks in her weekly press conference. She told reporters that the president had lied to the American people. It was, in my view, a manifesto of mistruths, of falsehoods, blatantly, really dangerous to the well-being of the American people if they believed in what he said, she said. So again, we do not want the chamber of the House of Representatives to be used as a backdrop of his reality shows with unreality in his presentation. Following the prayer breakfast, Trump spoke at the White House about the failed impeachment effort against him. We did nothing wrong, he said. It started from the day we came down the elevator and it never really stopped. Weve been going through this now for over three years. Malerkotla has become the epicentre of anti-CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), NPR (National Population Register) and NRC (National Register of Citizens) protests in Punjab. Students, women, farmers and Sikh activists have hit the streets to show express their displeasure over implementation of the controversial Act. Students of Government College and ITI Malerkotla, under the banner of Punjab Students Union (PSU), boycotted classes on Thursday. Even on Wednesday, hundreds of school students had come out to protest against CAA, NRC and NPR in Malerkotla. Following the call of PSU, students of Government College and ITI boycotted classes. ITI students did not go to the institute. However, some classes were attended by students at the Government College. We held a marched on the college campus to oppose the anti-people law, said Sukhdeep Hathan, district secretary of the PSU. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to make India a Hindu nation under its fascist policies and is targeting educational institutes and minorities across country. However, we will not tolerate such policies in a democratic nation, he added. Rally on February 16 The Muslim community of Malerkotla has been on an indefinite protest against CAA since January 9. And, farmer unions and other organisation from across state have decided to hold a massive demonstration in Malerkotla on February 16. Activists of different outfits have been holding meetings and rallies in different villages of Punjab to mobilise people for joining the rally. Members of Punjab Lok Sabhyacharak Manch will organise street plays and musical performances in villages from February 9 to 15 to invite people to join the anti-CAA protest. We will hold a massive rally on February 16. Street plays and other performances will be held to make people aware about the controversial law, said Amolak Singh, convener of the Manch. Prince said he is not going to sign the resolution first approved in December by the Common Council prior to the start of his term and plans to discuss his decision with council members. The resolution supports the return to local control of the school city and forgiveness of its debt. The council had planned to send the resolution to Indianapolis to be shared with the legislature. Bala Chauhan By Express News Service BENGALURU: The Bidar district police, which registered a sedition case against three people in connection with the anti-CAA play performed at the Shaheen Primary & High School have said that video footage of the play was deleted from the school CCTV camera. They claim this is also one of the reasons the police had to question students, parents, and school staff. The school has installed CCTV cameras at various places in the campus. After receiving a complaint regarding the play, police went to the school on January 27 to conduct the panchnama. When the investigating officer asked for the video footage of the play they had staged on January 21, they found that the files were deleted. The video footage would have helped the police in verifying the complaint (against the school) and in further investigation, Superintendent of Police, Bidar, Nagesh DL said. The digital video recorder (DVR) has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory for data retrieval. Data can be retrieved if it was deleted normally and has not been overwritten, said the officer. Nagesh was posted to Bidar on February 2. On January 30, the Bidar New Town police had arrested the headmistress of the school Fareeda Begum, and the mother of a nine-year-old girl who had acted in the play Nazbunissa, under sedition charges. The two women are in judicial custody. Meanwhile, Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) member Dr Jayashree, visited the school on Wednesday and interacted with students, parents and staff. She will be submitting the report to the Commission on Thursday, said KSCPCR Chairperson Father Anthony Sebastian. Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code on sedition says, Whoever, by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law in India, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment, which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine. Drop sedition charges against a school, Congress legislators urge state police chief Congress legislators on Wednesday urged Karnataka Police Chief Praveen Sood to drop sedition charges against three people connected with the Bidar school for staging a play against the Citizenship Amendment Act and release those arrested. In a letter to the DG&IGP, six Congress MLAs, including KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao said, By no stretch of the imagination, can an innocent act of protest be perceived as sedition or treason. Urging the state government to direct the police to withdraw sedition charges and release those arrested in the case, the Congress leaders expressed concerns over the widespread misuse of the law against sedition, affecting the lives of vulnerable. Senior Congress leader and former Governor Margaret Alva said she was shocked and pained by the CMs silence at the events unfolding in the school. The Board of Selectmen hear from COA Director Erica Girgenti about the Senior Center's free tax prep services available at the Visitor's Center. Call 413-743-8333 for an appointment. Adams Town Staff Making Every Effort For 2020 Census Town Clerk Haley Meczywor and COA Director Erica Girgenti talked about the local and federal censuses Wednesday. ADAMS, Mass. Town officials are making sure that everyone gets counted in the 2020 Census. Town Clerk Haley Meczywor and Adams Council on Aging Director Erica Girgenti laid out a plan to Selectmen on Wednesday night for getting a high return rate on the massive decennial undertaking. "A lot of people, because it coincides with the (yearly) town census, say 'Oh I already got that.' It is very different. It's very important for a lot of different reasons," Girgenti told the board. "There are a few changes that are happening in this Census that community members would never have seen in previous Censuses. Haley, myself, and our local Librarian Holli Jayko have partnered together to set up a series of informational sessions in our community." Issues the Census affects include, but certainly aren't limited to, many avenues of federal funding, grant money, public safety funding, and even job creation. Population and demographic data the Census provides also leads directly to the number of congressmen by which their particular state will be represented. Massachusetts did indeed lose a congressional seat after the 2010 Census that resulted in redistricting in the western portion of the state. Selectman John Duval, who sits on the executive committee of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, also stressed the importance of filling out the census. "The Census determines Title 1 aid, which our school district does receive. All of our federal grants, the school federal grants, federal highway projects. It's huge in the number of people it impacts in our community," he said. Girgenti ran through what to expect when it comes to recognizing and filling out the 2020 census. "They are requesting that you do the return digitally. Between March 12th and 20th you'll expect an invitation in the mail to respond to the Census. That will look like a small postcard with an identification number on it. The community members will have to go online ... and enter that information." Girgenti said two reminders will be sent out after the initial mailing if the Census still has not been filled out. After the reminders, a paper questionnaire might be sent out with another reminder. Finally, she said if you still fail to fill it out "the door knockers will come." Citing the older demographic in Adams, Girgenti listed several dates the town will be holding workshops or help sessions to fill out the Census forms. Two information sessions will be held March 9 at 11 a.m. and March 12 at 6 p.m., both at the Senior Center. Six help sessions to fill out the Census: April 1, 9 to 11 a.m. at the Mill Houses April 2, 9 to 10 a.m. at Barrett House April 3, 9 to 11 a.m. at Adams Housing Authority, 4 Columbia St. April 9, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the library April 14, 9 to 11 a.m. at the Senior Center Girgenti, Meczywor, and Jayko will have laptops available at all six sites to assist anyone who is having trouble filling out the census. Meczywor doesn't want residents to forget the smaller, but no less important, local census sent out every year by the town. "Everyone should have received the annual town census in the mail by now. If you haven't I suggest you call Town Hall and inquire why you haven't received it. Included with the census is a dog license application so if anyone wants to fill that out, we are more than happy to license your dog and mail it back to you. Also included is an informational sheet about the federal Census for 2020," Meczywor said. Meczywor said her office tries to hit a 65 percent return rate for the town census. The clerk's office will accept town censuses the entire year. Hi there, We hope that you have managed to remain unaffected by all the hate speech going on in the country. By unaffected we do not mean that you are not updated, we just hope it hasn't left you too deeply disturbed or led you to serious verbal fights with friends and family. You know people these days are even ending relationships over such differences. Now, we don't say ideological differences don't count, but ending friendships over what Narendra Modi says or what Rahul Gandhi thinks may not be a great idea. Or over what Union minister Giriraj Singh said about the Shaheen Bagh protesters. Singh actually didn't say it as in say it. He tweeted that squads of suicide bombers are being readied at Shaheen Bagh. .. pic.twitter.com/NoD98Zfwpx Shandilya Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) February 6, 2020 Singh is quite the veteran not just in politics, but at making controversial comments too. Some can argue that making controversial comments is also politics. Without getting into any argument on that, we say yes. But as we read Singh's tweet, we began thinking about suicide bombers. Yes, suicide bombing was institutionalised as a terror tactic by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Sri Lanka (yes, the same LTTE who were behind the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi), but the first act of suicide bombing happened on March 1, 1881. The victim was the Tsar of Russia, Alexander II. Ignacy Hryniewiecki, who threw the bomb at Alexander II, outlived his victim by a few hours. Both eventually died the same day. There, however, has also been a suicide attack in which the attacker survived (the attack, not the punishment). The world's first failed suicide bomber was Russian poet Ivan Kalyayev. The explosion killed the Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich, but not the bomber. Kalyayev, who was caught from the crime scene, was later hanged till death. Now, going by the definition of suicide attack, some can argue that this was no suicide attack. Because there was no suicide. But let us first tell you the definition of a suicide attack. A suicide attack is any violent attack in which the attacker accepts her own death as a result of the method used to harm, damage, or destroy the target. Now, even if the attacker survives, it still remains a suicide attack because the attacker knew she could have died. Interestingly, if someone tries to kill herself and survives, it is a failed suicide bid. But if someone carries out a suicide attack, kills the target, but survives herself, it is a successful mission. Yes, warped. But suicide per se is a taboo word in India. But we think it is important to break that taboo because 37 per cent of all global suicides among women, and 24 per cent among men, are in India. According to a study by The Lancet, suicide deaths in India increased from 1,64,404 in 1990 to 2,30,314 in 2016, an increase of 40.1 per cent. So, you see how big the problem is. And when a problem is this big, it needs to be talked about so that we don't hold it as a taboo subject. Suicide thus is our Word Of The Day. The word suicide breaks down into the Latin words sui and caedere, which together translate to "kill oneself". However, not all suicides are about the end of life. For instance, a politician can commit political suicide by speaking publicly about a politically 'forbidden' topic. You know, like a Congressman speaking against Rahul Gandhi or a BJP person criticising Amit Shah publicly. A slip of tongue too could prove politically fatal (even if hate speeches enrich political careers). One may also survive a slip of tongue. But three people died and 179 were injured when a plane skid off a runway in Turkey today. You may be wondering how. Well, the runway was wet. The plane that was flying into Istanbul skid for 50-60 metres and broke into three pieces. The plane that skidded off the runway in Istanbul killing three people. (Photo: Reuters) You can read the full details of that tragedy here.This tragedy reminded us of a graver tragedy that took place in 2007. The runway was responsible there too. Do you know how many people died in that disaster? 199. The plane was going from Porto Alegre to Sao Paulo in Brazil. On the evening of July 17, 2007, the Airbus A320-233 overshot the wet runway during moderate rain and crashed into a nearby TAM Express warehouse, next to a Shell filling station. The plane exploded upon impact and the 187 people onboard were killed instantly. Another 12 people working on the ground died too. Here's a video of that crash, recreated, if you want to see: Plane accidents are so scary. Chances of survival are so rare. Quite understandable why so many people sit reciting prayers in planes. Reciting of prayers reminds us that reciting of Hanuman Chalisa could be the favourite for Indians who pray. Are you wondering how we arrived at that conclusion? No, not Arvind Kejriwal, we trusted Alexa on this one. So, we all know that Alexa is known for on-demand music and according to Amazon, the most requested song in 2019 was Hanuman Chalisa - which was requested more than 4 times in a minute! And people are loving Alexa. In fact, not just loving, they seem to be in love with Alexa. Why else would they say "Alexa, I love you," once every minute? We have no answers to that. This has left us as surprised as probably it has done you. But we say, as long as people are talking love not hate, "Alexa, keep it going." This is Love in the Time of Corona. Of course, we are better prepared to deal with it than Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in the Time of Cholera characters, but for Hong Kong, the problem is a little more serious than the rest of the world. Hong Kong has run out of toilet papers. Some say the problem is because of rumour-mongering, but for others, the problem is really serious. Now, for many in India, this is no problem at all because they say why use paper when there is water. Departmental stores in Hong Kong are seeing a sudden paucity of toilet papers. (Photo: Reuters) To them we say, we are all creatures of our habits. So, people used to using papers definitely are in deep sh*t, literally. Before commercial toilet papers were used, people used leaves, grass, ferns, corn cobs, maize, fruit skins, seashells, stone, sand, moss, snow and water. In India, we still use water. The first country to have used toilet paper was China, where those who were rich had several types of soft, stylised and perfumed toilet paper. Finally, American inventor Joseph Gayetty discovered commercial toilet papers. It is said Gayetty was so impressed with his discovery that he got his name on the product. And you were thinking who would want their name on a toilet paper! The product was a commercial disaster because of its high cost. But it inspired others to make toilet papers. Our bathroom habits in India though are still a little better off, we would say. It's more hygienic, you'd agree. Since we're on water, remember there was a time Tiger Shroff spoke a lot about water conservation when (because) his film Baaghi was about to release? Well, it is time for Baaghi 3 now. Tiger & Co. dropped the trailer of their third Baaghi today. He has now moved to the desert where water anyway is scarce and, what do we say... watch it for yourself. Now decide who to aim that bazooka at: the director or the cast. You'll probably need the rest of the day to get over this. Take your time. We will see you tomorrow. Also read: DailyOh! PM Modi announces Ram Mandir trust as Air India bites Boston's Kunal Kamra A judge has told how he was once given an "awful talking to" by a police officer for failing to properly secure his son in a car. District Judge Barney McElholm referred to the incident while hearing the case of a mother-of-four whose two-year-old daughter was not in a child seat, nor secured with a seatbelt, when her car was stopped at a checkpoint on Buncrana Road in Londonderry last November. A Public Prosecution Service solicitor told Mr McElholm the woman made full admissions at the scene and also admitted to driving without a licence. Defence solicitor Seamus Quigley said his client had earlier placed her daughter in a child seat, only for the child to unbuckle herself and climb out, unknown to her mother. Mr McElholm said the episode reminded him of a incident when his son was 11 months old. "I'd strapped him in earlier. I told the officer my son had let himself out, but the officer obviously didn't believe me," he said. Mr McElholm fined the woman 75 and gave her three penalty points. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) still won't commit to negotiating a Class III gaming compact with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians Ivey told reporters on Wednesday that she wants the "facts" before moving forward on a deal with the tribe. Her demand also applies to a lottery, which is seen as a critical component of expanded gaming in the state. "Thats all I want is the facts, not recommendations," Ivey told reporters, AL.Com reported. "I just want the facts about how much monies the state can expect to gain if we just do a lottery or if we do expanded gaming or if we do a compact." And what the heck does a compact look like?" Ivey continued, according to AL.Com. "What are the components of a compact? What are the responsibilities of both parties? We dont know. Our open letter to Alabama legislators: https://t.co/qzXr87luuN #winningforalabama Winning for Alabama (@Win4Alabama) February 2, 2020 With a campaign called Winning for Alabama , the tribe has already offered some broad outlines of what a compact would look like, at least when it comes to revenue sharing. The tribe believes expanded gaming would bring in $1 billion in the first year of operation alone, though that figure is contingent on opening two new facilities in the state in addition to offering Class III games at its existing properties. "We have a comprehensive plan that includes both a clean lottery and regulated casino gaming that will provide a reliable source of revenues that the state can count on," Poarch Creek Chair and CEO Stephanie Bryan wrote in a letter to lawmakers . "Our plan draws on the lessons we have learned by doing gaming right. We have built well-run, profitable gaming businesses that create jobs, support families and communities, and produce real economic development." "We understand the economic power of gaming, so our plan calls for large licensing fees to be paid to the state in return for the privilege of running deluxe, resort casinos that are tourist destinations," Bryan continued. "Those fees will provide an immediate, much needed infusion of funds to Alabamas budget." Alabama is one of the few holdouts in terms of Class III gaming, with Texas and Nebraska also refusing to come to the table despite repeated requests from tribes. Nearly every other state, on the other hand, has negotiated the government-to-government agreements that are key feature of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988. Class III gaming is a category that includes slot machines, most table games like blackjack and ball and dice games, such as craps and roulette. According to IGRA, tribes can only offer such gaming through a compact or through procedures approved by the federal government. Class III gaming are considered more lucrative than Class II gaming, which covers bingo and electronic forms of bingo. The Poarch Band only offers Class II games at its properties in Alabama. The tribe, through its Wind Creek Hospitality enterprise, operates or manages Indian gaming and commercial casinos across the U.S. and in other countries. Read More on the Story Join the Conversation Related Stories BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) The latest issue of the Hungarian edition of Forbes magazine has been recalled from newsstands due to a court ruling regarding privacy concerns, the magazine said Wednesday. According to a statement from Forbes, the owners of Hell Energy, a Hungarian energy drink manufacturer, objected to their inclusion on the magazine's list of the 50 richest Hungarians and to the publication of their identities. Forbes also removed the names of Hell Energy's owners from the online version of its richest Hungarians list. A preliminary injunction issued by a Budapest court led to the printed magazine's recall, but a court case about the publication of the names was just starting, Forbes said. Forbes said that if other courts used such an extreme interpretation of European Union data protection and privacy rules, it would damage press freedom and will fill newspapers with PR articles instead of real articles. The EU's General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, has been in effect since mid-2018. If this interpretation of the law is generalized, business journalism will be made impossible in Hungary, Marton Galambos, editor-in-chief of Forbes' Hungarian edition, said in a statement. According to the current reasoning of the court, in the case of every article permission would have to be sought ...before writing down the name of any business leader. Only one of the owners of Hell Energy made the Forbes list, coming in at No. 26 with an estimated fortune of 48.5 billion forints ($158 million.) In earlier articles, that person's family was also named among the company's owners. At least one of the family members is a co-plaintiff in the Forbes litigation. Forbes said that since Hell Energy received state subsidies, the owner should naturally be expected to agree to at least minimal public identification. Facebook has come under attack for plans to secure people's private messages by using stronger encryption. The company is considering adding end-to-end encryption, of the kind already used on WhatsApp, to Facebook Messenger and Instagram Direct. Privacy advocates and Facebook itself have argued that adding such encryption ensures that messages cannot be intercepted as they are passed between phones, and that personal and private communications stay secure. But many of the world's biggest child protection organisations have written to the company arguing that such protections would increase the threat to young people by allowing for abusive communications to be more easily hidden. The letter, organised by the NSPCC which has repeatedly agitated against Facebook's plans was signed by more than 100 international groups and academics. It also received the backing of home secretary Priti Patel, who gave her support to the NSPCC and said that "tech companies like Facebook have a vital responsibility to balance privacy with the safety of vulnerable children". In recent years, members of the government have repeatedly pushed for weaker security for people's messages, citing concerns about terrorism as well as child abuse. 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 The NSPCC says it understands the value encryption plays in keeping people's data safe but said the tech giant has failed to satisfy their "deeply held concerns". They have asked Mr Zuckerberg not to proceed until he can guarantee children's safety will not be compromised. Recommended Facebook apps account for nearly half of all child abuse reports "At a time when we could be looking to build upon years of sophisticated initiatives, Facebook instead seems inclined to blindfold itself," they write. "We urge you to recognise and accept that an increased risk of child abuse being facilitated on or by Facebook is not a reasonable trade-off to make. "Children should not be put in harm's way either as a result of commercial decisions or design choices." In 2018, the company made 16.8 million reports to the US National Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) - more than 90% of the 18.4 million total reports that year. The National Crime Agency (NCA) estimates that in 2018, NCMEC reporting from Facebook resulted in more than 2,500 arrests by UK law enforcement and almost 3,000 children safeguarded in the UK, the letter goes on. "Facebook may be happy to shut their eyes to abuse but they can't close their ears to this unanimous concern shown by international experts," NSPCC chief executive Peter Wanless said. "Mark Zuckerberg has a choice whether to allow sexual abuse to soar on his sites or listen to those from all over the world asking him to rethink how to implement encryption without putting children at risk. "In its current form, encryption would breach Facebook's duty of care for children so the UK Government must ensure a new regulator has the power to hold them financially and criminally accountable." Barnardo's, 5Rights, the International Centre For Missing and Exploited Children, and Child USA are also among the list of concerned signatories. "We know that communication between abusers and children often starts on public platforms before moving to private channels," said Javed Khan, Barnardo's chief executive. "Two-thirds of the vulnerable children supported through our sexual exploitation services were groomed online before meeting their abuser in person." David Miles, head of safety for Europe, Middle East and Africa, responded saying: "Strong encryption is critically important to keep everyone safe from hackers and criminals. "The rollout of end-to-end encryption is a long-term project, protecting children online is critically important to this effort and we are committed to building strong safety measures into our plans. "We are working closely with child safety experts including NCMEC, law enforcement, governments and other technology companies to help keep children safe online. "We have led the industry in safeguarding children from exploitation and we are bringing this same commitment and leadership to our work on encryption. "Over the last few years, we've tripled the size of our safety and security team and now have more than 35,000 people working to protect the people using our platforms. "We are also continuing to invest billions in safety, including artificial intelligence technology to proactively find and remove harmful content." Chief Constable Simon Bailey, the National Police Chiefs' Council lead for child protection, responded to the letter saying that fast access to the technology criminals were using was "vital". "Not only can this evidence help secure prosecutions but it can also identify victims so police can bring an end to their exploitation," he said. "If Facebook proceed with their current plans for end-to-end encryption, they will knowingly put the safety of children at risk - ignoring the warnings of police, charities and experts across the world. "There is a moral responsibility on them to ensure this does not happen." Additional reporting by agencies President Donald Trump brought his trademark disruptive approach to the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, telling attendees of a gathering meant to promote reconciliation, unity and prayer that his political opponents are "dishonest and corrupt people" and that God is on the side of his supporters. The president's speech at the annual breakfast followed a stream of addresses and prayers by other members of Congress and keynote speaker Arthur Brooks, author of last year's book "Love Your Enemies." Each emphasized the Christian call for forgiveness and humility. Speaking just before Trump, Brooks called on the audience of more than 3,000 at the Washington Hilton hotel to spread the faith by modeling unity in a divisive time. The president's address came the morning after a deeply divided Senate voted to acquit Trump of two impeachment charges. He questioned recent professions of faith by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., a Catholic, and U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, a Mormon who voted for impeachment Wednesday. The speech stunned many longtime attendees of the event and put on display two very different visions of Christian witness. At past prayer breakfasts, "the president has always tried to stay above the fray," said Kevin Kruse, a Princeton University historian who has written several books on religion and politics. "To see Trump use this speech as a way to not just reject basic Christian fundamentals like forgiving your enemies, but to use it to cast doubt on other politicians' public faith, was remarkable because the whole thing is supposed to be a celebration of public expressions of faith by public officials. "This event has usually been to bring Washington together," Kruse said. "And that instead he used it to further denigrate others' faith and cast doubt on their public expressions of faith is stunning." Romney had cited his Mormon faith in casting the lone Republican vote to convict Trump of abuse of power. The senator's vote and emotional speech visibly moved Trump critics, while Trump supporters questioned Romney's motives and loyalty. On Thursday, Trump attacked Romney for the vote, trying to frame himself as the only metric of true faith. No one thought he could win in 2016, Trump told the crowd, "except for the people in this room believed we were going to win. God was with them. God is with the people in this room." Trump also made implicit references to Romney and to Pelosi, who has said in the past that she prays for the president. "I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong," the president said. "Nor do I like people who say, 'I pray for you,' when they know that that's not so. So many people have been hurt, and we can't let that go on." He spent a good portion of his 20-minute address decrying the impeachment process. The people who launched it, Trump said, "have done everything possible to destroy us and, by so doing, very badly hurt our nation." About half of Americans have said in surveys that they supported Trump's impeachment. Upon entering the gathering, Trump grinned as he held up newspapers to show headlines reporting that he had been acquitted. The breakfast brings people of various faiths, but mostly Christians, from around the world to Washington for a couple of days of networking, prayer and meetings - including the central event, the breakfast, at which the U.S. president always speaks. Many in the crowd and GOP lawmakers on the stage with him gave Trump rousing, extensive applause during his talk. Founded in 1953, the event is intended to "unite individuals of different nationalities, religions and political perspectives through the power of prayer," said the formal invitation for the breakfast. It is hosted by lawmakers from both parties. In particular, the event gives Trump a chance to connect directly with a group that strongly favors him: white evangelicals. While attendees at the prayer breakfast aren't homogeneous, the event attracts many white evangelicals from around the country. Others watch on television or via live stream. Brooks, former head of the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute, implored attendees to find a way to bridge gaps that can seem unbridgeable in today's polarized world. "The problem is: The devil is in the details. How do you do [love your enemies] in a country and world roiled by hatreds we can't seem to bridge? Contempt kills," Brooks said. "Ask God to give you the strength to do this hard thing. To go against your human nature. To follow Jesus' teaching. You believe in Jesus! Follow his teachings." Then came Trump, who kept his hand down when Brooks asked the crowd to raise their hand if they love anyone who disagrees with them politically. Trump said as he opened his speech that he wasn't sure if he agreed with Brooks's address but didn't say what specifically he disagreed with. "When they impeach you for nothing, then it's not easy to like them," Trump said of his political opponents. "It's not easy, folks." Multiple attendees of both parties declined to comment on the president's speech. The co-chairs of the breakfast, Reps. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Thomas Suozzi, D-N.Y., did not immediately return a request for comment. Some who did talk tried to veer the focus away from the president. "I thought the speech [Arthur Brooks] gave was the most incredible, timely, precise, exacting speech for the moment we needed on contempt," said Bob Roberts Jr., pastor of evangelical NorthWood Church in Keller, Texas, who considers himself nonpartisan. "We were there to pray, to build bridges." Trump's comments about Romney and Pelosi, he added, "were unnecessary and did not capture the spirit of what our speaker was talking about. I don't care for it when President Trump gets harsh and mean with people." Roberts said he also didn't think it was appropriate for Pelosi to show her disapproval of Trump at Tuesday night's State of the Union speech by tearing up a copy of the address in full view of television cameras. "[Brooks] had a fantastic sermon he gave in front of those two people," Roberts said. "I don't know what they'll do with it." Moolenaar and Suozzi opened the breakfast by noting the deep and bitter political division in the country and in Congress. "If we're to heal our division, we need to spend time together; we need to stop judging one another," Suozzi said before comparing the shared bonds of Americans - and lawmakers - with that of a married couple. "What is this thing, marriage? It's like a long journey with lots of ups and downs. Because in life you can't have a rose without thorns. You can't have the good things in life without the suffering." The pair unveiled the theme of this year's breakfast: religious persecution. They showed a video of people around the world of various faiths who have suffered violence and imprisonment because of their faith. The video opened by highlighting clips of Pelosi and Trump both speaking about freedom of religion. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf revealed to Fox News Tucker Carlson on Wednesday night that the DHS was immediately suspending several Trusted Traveler Programsincluding Global Entryfor all New York state residents, claiming the move was in response to the states recent passage of the so-called Green Light Law. During Wolfs interview on his primetime Fox News program, Carlson described the New York lawwhich allows undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licensesas a massive security threat to the rest of the country since it gives government IDs to people here illegally. Wolf, meanwhile, noted that besides providing IDs to illegal aliens, he was extremely concerned that the Green Light Law prohibited the states DMVs from sharing criminal records with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Wolf went on to insist that the DMV data was imperative to national security and customs, noting that Global Entry and other TTPs need the information in order to assess which individuals are low risk. I would say that today, we sent a letter to New York indicating because they took these measures, that New York residents no longer are eligible to enroll in these Trusted Traveler Programs, the acting DHS chief said, confirming to the Fox host that the move would impact everyone in New York. They cant enroll or re-enroll in these Trusted Traveler Programs that Custom and Border Protection offers because we no longer have access to make sure that they meet those program requirements, he continued. We need to do our job. Of course. And good for you, Carlson said. Its just that that will be a shock to a lot of New Yorkers but I support that completely. Mr. Secretary, thank you. New Yorkers who are now ineligible for these Trusted Traveler Programs won't be able to enjoy expedited processing upon arrival into the United States from international destinations. New York commercial truck drivers leaving or entering the U.S. will also be affected, resulting in longer processing times. TSA PreCheck, however, is one TTP that was not included in the order. Story continues The move by DHS comes a day after the president used his State of the Union address to take aim at New Yorks sanctuary laws, specifically blaming them for an elderly womans death. Just 29 days ago, a criminal alien freed by the Sanctuary City of New York was charged with the brutal rape and murder of a 92-year-old woman, the president exclaimed in his Tuesday night speech. The killer had been previously arrested for assault, but under New York's sanctuary policies, he was set free. If the city had honored ICE's detainer request, his victim would be alive today. Wolf giving Carlson the exclusive on Homeland Securitys latest immigration policy crackdown makes perfect sense considering the Fox hosts extreme anti-immigrant rhetoric during the Trump era. Carlson has faced a sustained advertiser backlash since claiming in December 2018 that immigrants make America poorer and dirtier. In recent weeks, meanwhile, he said rising housing costs are 100 percent an immigration problem and asserted that the Potomac River had gotten dirtier and dirtier due to litter left almost exclusively by immigrants, remarks that were condemned by the Potomac Conservancy. 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. The Bachelor Episode 6 Season 24 Episode 6 Editors Rating 3 stars * * * Previous Next Photo: Francisco Roman/ABC A Chilean doctor heads into a waiting room filled with Instagram influencers and fashion bloggers. Im sorry. I did all I could but I just cant save him. A woman who is named either Victoria or something ending in Y rushes to the doctor. Please. We cant He cant He doesnt know my heart yet! The doctor pulls his blood-stained face mask off and puts his head in his hands. He just doesnt see any of you as his wife. The waiting room bursts into tears. The doctor rips off his gloves. Can I walk you out? Friends. Its worse than we thought. Lets just break down the multiple reasons that this is so fucked up. Where is the great love story this season? Were probably about halfway through and I dont feel like Peter is into anyone for any reason other than they are a human woman near him. Im not exactly sure what Peter wants. What type of woman is he looking for? He wants someone who is willing to give more than they receive and who has been in love before. That seems to be it. Its just a bonus if theyre a model for an Amazon third-party seller. I wish this utter lack of standards was Peters only problem. Not only is Peter a coward who is incapable of making a decision that would be considered even the slightest bit unpopular and has no standards for choosing his partner, but he seems completely and totally devoid of any willingness or ability to do the work thats required in a relationship. Actually, what might be worse is he thinks hes doing the work for these relationships to succeed. Listen, dating upwards of 20 women is definitely not the best way to start a relationship, but now that were working our way toward single digits, Peters gauge of someone putting in the work and how his own effort is being received is completely off. Peter looked at Victoria F. multiple times in this episode and felt like she was being genuine and forthcoming with him. Peters basic strategy is to sit across from a ladytestant, describe them in vague terms, and just bark at them, ARE YOU READY? If you pumped in some Jock Jams underneath the episode, Peter could be a very good WNBA announcer. SHES FUN TO BE AROUND, NEVER BEEN IN LOVE, AND DOESNT WANT TO SWIM WITH THE MINNOWS. HANNAH ANN, ARE YOU READY? Very good for welcoming Sheryl Swoopes to the court, not so great for finding his wife. Lets get to it. The episode starts and weve been teleported to Santiago, Chile. In addition to production making a list of situations where its appropriate for these women to beat each other physically for group-date options, theyve made a list of locations where Peter can show off his Spanish skills. Hes ready to let the mountain air flow over his scar and for a drama-free week. Oh, you sweet little dumdum. You will never be free from the drama. The drama is a part of you. The ladies are having a very tense drink outside, and for some reason, Tammy and Mykenna are now the enemies of the house. The show would have us believe that this is Americas deepest and most passionate rivalry. Move over Oklahoma and Texas, make room for Tammy and Mykenna! Victoria F. decides to chime in and calls Mykenna a sad, wet dog on the side of the road. Victoria F. is able to assert dominance among other women but when shes around Peter, she turns into leg-having Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Peter arrives and is taking Hannah Ann on a date. Hes really excited about her and they joke around in the way that only very beautiful people do: mild sarcasm about something sincere for way too long. As the telenovelas show later in the episode, literally no ones strong suit is comedy. Hannah Ann gets the traditional stroll around the city date except that Peter decides to SHOVE A HOT DOG COVERED IN MUSTARD IN HER FACE. Playfully shoving something with whipped cream in someones face could be cute. Bopping a little dot of chocolate mousse on someones nose and seductively licking it off is a fantasy I regularly have about Chris Evans in nothing but one of those linen Bon Appetit aprons. But shoving an entire hot dog with mayo, mustard, and ketchup in someones face is completely unreasonable and not sexy at all. Imagine the smell of mustard up your nose while youre trying to be romantic with your boyfriend. Imagine having mayo in your eyelashes as your boyfriend tries to kiss you. This is romantic-comedy terrorism and it will not stand. Peters main issue with Hannah is that someone told him shes 23 and thats about it. It doesnt seem like hes ever had a conversation with her before, because he doesnt know what she wants to do with her life, if shes had past relationships, or if she only speaks in Instagram quotes about the shallows of life. They sit down for the night portion of their date and Hannah Ann knows shes ready to commit to Peter because of his qualities. What qualities? Pilot. Peter gets frustrated because Hannah Anns answers are too perfect and he excuses himself from the table. Hannah Ann starts crying and goes to see him. This immediately solves whatever emotional quandaries were in Peters mind. Has anyone investigated if he just thinks women crying is the sign that youre really working through something in your relationship? Because I recently cried because I saw a video about a gopher eating veggies and my boyfriend was worried about my emotional well-being. That was not a pivotal moment in our relationship. It takes more than just tears, Peter. Peter rewards her for expressing a feminine emotion by giving her a rose. Its time for the group date card to arrive and, oh shit, theres another date card. Sydney, Natasha, Kelsey, Victoria P., Madison, Tammy, Kelley, and Mykenna are all on the group date. They read the second date card and Victoria F. is getting another one-on-one date because we didnt get a fair shot. PETER. Whatever youre doing, please dont be like this. This is clear favoritism. Peter could take one of these women on a one-on-one date and get their awkward date footage between him and Natasha or Tammy, but instead hes choosing to go on another date with Victoria F. just because her ex-boyfriend and alleged country star showed up. Its time for the group date! They should have gone full Americas Next Top Model and had the ladytestants do the telenovela completely in Spanish off cue cards with their lines written phonetically. Instead, The Bachelor is afraid of a viral moment. Peter tells us that he used to watch telenovelas with his grandma and thats how he learned Spanish. The content of the telenovelas is essentially useless except for the psychological torture inflicted on Mykenna. And Kelley saying Incest is best. The other form of humor that hot people can execute is reciting T-shirts they saw at Spencers Gifts in 2009. Its time for the cocktail party. Everyone realizes this might be the only chance theyll get to talk to Peter, so its time to ask Peter about where their relationship stands. Kelseys conversation with Peter isnt so bad, as he categorizes the beginning of their relationship as heavy. Theyve already overcome so much to be together when hes not with 12 other women. Maybe this is why Peter is so incapable of putting in the appropriate work in these relationships, because someone taking a Champagne bottle from the girl youre dating counts as a major struggle to overcome in a relationship. Victoria P. decides to attempt to navigate this conversation, and instead of returning any of her feelings or merely being cool for 18 goddamned seconds, Peter looks her in the eye and tells her that he cant see her as his wife. Then Peter cant fathom that Victoria P. would want to get as far away from him as possible. Maybe he should have found a more sensitive way to express that sentiment to avoid Victoria P.s exact reaction, which is, Can I get a cab? This bitch is willing to pay her own fare to the airport to get out of here. After Peter walks Victoria P. out and tells the ladytestants that she wasnt good enough and had to be eliminated, Mykenna and Tammy start going after each other. Mykenna made the fatal mistake of enjoying her day and Tammy is fucking pissed. Tammy says Mykenna lives in a fantasy world and is only on the show to build her brand. Tammy loves to tell someone to shut the fuck up. Peter and Madison can hear them over the sounds of their making out. Madison gets the group-date rose. Its time for Victoria F.s one-on-one date. Victoria F. has figured out this method of talking to men where shes confused and conflicted and the guy swoops in to save her. Its probably worked for her thus far. Unfortunately, she picked the wrong motherfucker to try this one because the first sign of actual relationship uncertainty, Peter starts suggesting that Victoria could just leave. They have arrived at a romantic impasse. But what is Peter fighting for? Victoria F. has all the charisma of a mid-tier Bath & Body Works candle, and this bitch is a Sun-Ripened Raspberry trying to pass herself off as a Cucumber Melon. When Peter asks her to provide literally any details about her emotions or feelings or state of mind, she rushes away from the table. At one point she says that she has issues and she wishes there was some way for her to deal with them. THERAPY. THERAPY, BITCH. Peter says that hes dealing with her issues now and hes not going to stop. Oh. Oh, no. Please everyone hit your ejector seats on this relationship. Victoria F. gets the rose. Back at the hotel suite, the ladies are all sitting around trying to psych themselves up for the cocktail party when another date card arrives. Its for Mykenna and Tammy. Its a two-on-one in name only. Its happening before the cocktail party and theres no rose on the table when they arrive. The date card also says enough is enough, as if this Mykenna and Tammy feud has been happening all season. And really the problem is Tammy. Mykenna is just any vaguely Christian fashion blogger, which is the Bachelor equivalent of a Red Shirt. Tammy is one of the purest Bachelor villains in a while. Shes definitely worn out her welcome and the writing is on the wall. Tammy and Mykenna sit in silence and periodically launch into full monologues about the other persons flaws. My favorite is when, in the middle of a tirade of Pinterest inspirational quotes, Mykenna says, You made me found my damn voice. Someone please, cross-stitch that onto a pillow for me. Peter sits down with each woman and Tammy tells him that Mykenna has been calling it The Mykenna Show and Mykenna is trying to get her own hashtags started. Considering we didnt get any Mykenna screen time until like two weeks ago, Tammys case is pretty thin. They both tell Peter that they deserve a chance at love and theyre not done fighting for what they want: a thriving Instagram Live presence. Peter finally tells Mykenna that he can trust her, so Tammy is out. Its finally time for a cocktail party. Peter sides down with everyone including Victoria F., who already has a rose. My God. Hes so bad at this. In the end, Kelsey, Kelley, and Natasha, a woman that Ive never seen him kiss or experience any chemistry with, get roses. Sydney is pretty pissed because she came with all her walls down and her heart open. Mykenna has a full on meltdown and were all left wondering why he didnt just send her home with Tammy. The only explanation is Peter feeds off her pain. See you all next week for one episode in Lima, Peru! Then in 2018, he said, he walked 27 days through the desert to get back to the United States. Speaking through a CASA translator, Eddy said in an interview that he was determined to come back to be with his three children. MBABANE Loftus (Pty) Ltd wants compensation of E742 753.54 from Mhlaleni Filling Station (Puma Mhlaleni) for allegedly filling its vehicle with diesel from a black nozzle pump. In its particulars of claim, Loftus (Pty) Ltd alleged that on April 1, 2019, a motor vehicle registered TSD 464 AH, double cab, white in colour and valued at E540 000, being a company car and driven by Jabulani Simelane, filled fuel at the defendants garage. The plaintiff claimed to have requested the fuelling or filling of diesel 50 ppm from the yellow nozzle representing the said diesel herein. Loftus (Pty) Ltd claimed in its submission that however, it was common knowledge that the defendant filled or fuelled the said motor vehicle with diesel from the black nozzle instead of the yellow one representing the correct product for the aforementioned motor vehicle. This was done by the defendants filling station employee, who was at all material times doing such, during the course and scope of employment, alleged Loftus (Pty) Ltd in its submission. plaintiff The plaintiff further claimed that it was common cause that the plaintiffs driver (Simelane) of the said motor vehicle drove from the defendants filling station to Lozitha along the Manzini Mbabane high way, and felt the motor mechanism developing a problem. These are allegations contained in particulars of claim whose veracity is still to be tested in court and the defendant is yet to file its papers in the event it is disputing the claim against it, The plaintiff submitted that when the driver purportedly stopped the motor vehicle, a ball of black unusual smoke was being emitted by the vehicle. Loftus (Pty) Ltd further claimed that the driver then drove the vehicle until he reached Gables Shopping Complex. That was the end of the life mechanism of the vehicle to date. Plaintiffs motor vehicle was eventually towed by a breakdown to Mbabane Isuzu garage where it was certified mechanically defective and non-functional, alleged the plaintiff. The plaintiff further alleged that the entire car engine valued at E194 053.54 was damaged and dysfunctional. Loftus (Pty) Ltd also claimed that it was common knowledge that the damaged car belonged to the plaintiff and that the non-functional motor vehicle was a valuable asset to it which generated income on a daily basis. With that, the plaintiff claimed that it was an unbearable continued and accumulating loss to it to this date. It is common knowledge that the wrongful and unlawful malicious damages on the plaintiffs motor vehicle valued at E194 053.54 resulted in the continued accumulating inconvenience to the plaintiff, further alleged Loftus (Pty) Ltd. After the incident, the plaintiff purportedly reported same to the defendant. A CCTV footage at Puma Mhlaleni was allegedly run and it showed that the defendants employee did put the black nozzle of diesel in the vehicle instead of the yellow nozzle. The defendant herein is liable for the product that was supplied to the plaintiffs car as a consumer. It is common knowledge that this product was supplied to the defendant from Puma Matsapha depot, claimed the plaintiff. The plaintiff claimed that the incident was reported to Puma Matsapha as the supplier of the product to the delictually liable defendant garage for the product. damage Despite the purported respective reports of the delictually damage and patrimonial loss herein, no one had bothered to restore the mechanism of the wrongful and intentional delictually damaged vehicle (car engine) to its status quo ante, to this date. Samples were duly taken for the chemist expert report in due course. The expert report shows that the diesel or product that was filled into the said vehicle does not meet the specification in accordance to the tests conducted, because the results showed that the diesel that was filled in the car was bright and clear with trace free water, claimed the plaintiff. Loftus (Pty) Ltd alleged that the experts letter was conclusive that the defendant was liable for the contaminated diesel (product liability) in collaboration with the supplier herein. The plaintiff claimed that it should be noted that the report of the contaminated diesel was lawfully done by Puma Matsapha Depot supporting the delictual claim and patrimonial loss suffered by it. The plaintiff also alleged that the wrongful and intentional conduct of the defendant was duly committed during the cause and scope of employment by the defendants employee styled petrol and diesel attendant. It is submitted that the conduct resulting in the complete damage of the plaintiffs motor vehicles engine and diminishing value of the vehicle is wrongful, unlawful with intent to maliciously injure the vehicle in question, alleged the plaintiff. Furthermore, Loftus (Pty) Ltd averred that despite the two consecutive reports to the defendant by the plaintiff for the vicarious liable company, the defendant refused, neglected or did not bother to give clear explanation and concise legal interpretation and meaning of the laboratory report/results and restore the damaged car engine to its status quo ante. The plaintiff further alleged that the Puma Depot Matsapha duly represented by the Chief Executive Officer, identified as Mr Simelane advised the plaintiff to submit samples of the diesel that was drained from the damaged vehicle. After the laboratory results of the said diesel, the plaintiff averred that the defendant duly represented by Puma Matsapha Depot gave back the laboratory report and findings plaintiff. As a result of the wrongful and intentional damage of the said plaintiffs vehicle the plaintiff has suffered patrimonial loss and delictual damages in the sum of E742 753.54 excluding loss of daily business income as damages for the diminution value of the vehicle E548 000 and compensation for the damaged car engine and reasonable repairs costs at E194 053.54 and towing costs at E700, alleged the plaintiff. compensation The plaintiffs prayers to the High Court were that he be paid the E742 753.54 and that its compensation should incur an interest of nine per cent per annum. Loftus (Pty) Ltd further sought that the costs of suit be incurred by the defendant. In the event the defendant was disputing the claim, Puma Mhlaleni was advised to within 10 days of receiving the summons file their notice of intention to oppose and serve a copy thereof to the plaintiff. Thereafter, the defendant was further advised that they should within 21 days after serving notice of intention to defend, file with the registrar of the High Court and serve upon the plaintiffs attorneys, a plea, and exception, notice to strike out with or without a counter-claim. Loftus (Pty) Ltd is represented by attorneys from Nkosi Attorneys. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 06:46 705 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062cc510 1 National East-Nusa-Tenggara,NTT,tourism,coronavirus,Asita Free The coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, may have affected global commerce and tourism in recent weeks, but it is likely to have little to no impact on tourism in East Nusa Tenggara, according to the Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA). ASITA chairman Abed Frans said this was due to the fact that Chinese visitors only accounted for a small percentage of annual foreign tourist arrivals in East Nusa Tenggara. Our tourism is free from any disruption caused by the deadly virus, as Chinese tourists only represent a small number of foreign visitors in East Nusa Tenggara, he said in Kupang on Wednesday as quoted by Antara news agency, adding that the province mostly received an influx of tourists from Australia, the United States and Europe. He said the viral outbreak had yet to have a significant impact on Indonesia in general, since China remained the number two biggest international tourism contributor to the country after Malaysia. Read also: [UPDATED] Suspected Wuhan coronavirus in Indonesia: What we know so far We feel grateful for the governments decision to halt all flights to and from China for the foreseeable future as part of an effort to break the virus global infection chain, Abed added. Indonesia imposed a travel ban to and from mainland China on Wednesday, preventing people who have been in China in the previous two weeks from visiting or transiting in the Southeast Asian country amid fears about the spread of the coronavirus, which was first detected in Wuhan. Read also: It will start at midnight': Indonesia insists on travel ban despite Chinas protest The government has also suspended visa-free and visa-on-arrival provisions for Chinese citizens. As of Wednesday, the coronavirus had killed at least 492 people in mainland China, one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines and spread to more than 20 countries, according to Johns Hopkins CSSE. (rfa/wng) As nocturnal creatures, most mammals hide under the cloak of darkness. Squirrels are one exception to that rule. Even young children recognize gray squirrels, fox squirrels, and chipmunks that frequent backyards and city parks during daylight hours. And of all North American squirrels, only one large diurnal ground squirrel is celebrated by both its own holiday and motion picture. Everybody knows Groundhog Day. Punxsutawney Phil Each year on Feb. 2, Groundhog Day, handlers at Gobblers Knob, Pennsylvania, remove Punxsutawney Phil from his den. Its an event that makes local and even national television news. If Phil sees his shadow, well have six more weeks of winter. No shadow, and we get an early spring. At least thats the myth, the legend, the old wives tale. Of course, its all hogwash. Rousing a sleeping groundhog from hibernation to see its shadow Feb. 2 is no better a predictor of winter weather than checking woolly bear color bands in the fall. But its all harmless fun. Just ask the folks in Punxsutawney. Groundhog Day is a huge event there; thousands of visitors attend, and corporate sponsors even help make it happen. Its the one day of the year when just about everyone pays attention to groundhogs, if only for a few hours. Eastern states And Pennsylvania isnt the only place that really celebrates Groundhog Day. More than a few other states have come up with ways to honor (and cash in on) groundhogs. In Ohio, for example, Buckeye Chuck assumes Phils role. In Michigan, its Woodchuck Woody. Staten Island Chuck takes center stage in New York. And in West Virginia, its French Creek Freddie, named for his home at the State Wildlife Center. Maine has W. Chuck Berry. Dunkirk Dave presides over western New York. In Raleigh, North Carolina, Sir Walter Raleigh makes the forecast. And the Tennessee Aquarium is home to Chattanooga Chuck. Western alternatives Because groundhogs occur only in the eastern U.S., some western states have come up with creative ways to be part of the holiday. Sarah Palin signed legislation that designated Feb. 2 as Marmot Day when she was governor of Alaska. Several additional species of marmots live in western states. Colorado, for example, relies on the wisdom of Flatiron Freddie, a yellow-bellied marmot. The silliness of all this is that groundhogs at midlatitudes rarely venture from their burrows Feb. 2. They are still sound asleep deep in their burrows. After they enter their winter dens in the fall, groundhogs plug the entrance to the burrow and curl into a snuggly ball. Their body temperature drops about 57 degrees to 40 degrees, and their pulse drops from more than 100 beats per minute to just four beats per minute. Clearly few wild groundhogs see the light of day Feb. 2. European origins So how did the tradition of Groundhog Day begin? It actually started centuries ago with a European church holiday, Candlemas. A verse from an old English song set the stage: If Candlemas be fair and bright; Come Winter, have another flight; If Candlemas brings clouds and rain; Go Winter, and come not again. In that short verse and others like it from Europe, lay the roots of Groundhog Day. Candlemas dates back to early Christianity in Europe, celebrating Christ as the light of the world. On Feb. 2, the clergy blessed and distributed candles for the people to display in their windows. Early Europeans watched to see if hedgehogs saw their shadows to predict the remainder of winter. In the absence of hedgehogs in North America, early Americans decided groundhogs would make a reasonable substitute. German settlers brought with them the tradition of Candlemas. The belief was that at the midpoint between the winter solstice and spring equinox, if the weather was fair, the second half of winter would be cold and cruel. If the skies were cloudy, an early spring would follow. The first record in 1842 of groundhogs being used to predict winter weather can be traced to Pennsylvania Dutch culture in Berks County, Pennsylvania. 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. Press Release 6 February 2020 Hilton, the world's first global hospitality company, and BuzzFeed, the world's leading digital media company, today announced a new partnership that pairs content from BuzzFeed's travel brand, BringMe, with Hilton's industry-leading direct-booking benefits to streamline the consumer travel experience and make it easier than ever to book a travel experience. Advertisements Through the partnership, Hilton is now the exclusive global hotel partner and the official title sponsor of BringMe as of January 2020. The partnership includes an extensive affiliate program that directs readers to Hilton promotions in relevant BringMe content and utilizes BuzzFeed's innovative marketing operating system including native and experiential strategies. "BuzzFeed's strength is building brands that drive action IRL. Tasty empowers millions of people to cook and try new recipes every day and now BringMe is inspiring young people to visit new places and explore new things," said Jonah Peretti, BuzzFeed's CEO and founder. "Partnering with Hilton brings us even closer to our audience, and also makes it easier for them to make travel plans by booking directly. Through our shared consumer-first approach, we're able to provide utility for our audience in a new way." Since its launch in 2018, BringMe has become the largest and fastest-growing travel and experience digital publisher, and has built a strong relationship with its massive audience to become the No. 1 travel creator globally per unique viewer and by minutes watched, according to Tubular Labs. Hilton has a longstanding history of embracing technology and innovation and has invested resources to anticipate consumer needs and facilitate the best possible travel experiences. BringMe's unique and accessible travel content combined with Hilton's direct booking benefits helps audiences go one step further from seeing an experience online to booking it for themselves. "Today's consumers are rapidly evolving their content consumption habits, which means getting the right message in front of the right customer at the right time requires innovation and agility," said Kellyn Kenny, Hilton's chief marketing officer. "We're partnering with BuzzFeed because they're a powerhouse digital media company with the tools to showcase Hilton's incredible portfolio of brands and award-winning Hilton Honors loyalty program in a way that will inspire millions of travelers around the world." Industry trends reveal that younger audiences tend to focus on overall travel experiences, rather than singular made-for-Instagram moments, trust peer-to-peer influence over big aggregators to guide their travel planning and are more likely to book with a company with a strong corporate responsibility record. By approaching travel through an accessible point of view, BringMe is uniquely positioned as that trusted friend who can lead them to the right experience and its content has a proven track record for driving real-world action. "BuzzFeed is developing best of breed content experiences and integrating with Hilton's world- class brands and diverse portfolio of properties," said Armin Molavi, Hilton's vice president of global media strategy and execution. "This partnership is going to develop true value for their readers and our guests." Through the partnership, Hilton becomes the bridge and travel champion for younger audiences as they increasingly travel more for both business and leisure all over the world. With 18 brands offering distinct experiences, Hilton is perfectly positioned to make their dream travel experiences reality in addition to the assurance they are booking with a company that embodies values they care about. Hilton is the first major hotel company to use science-based targets to reduce carbon emissions and is committed to doubling its investment in social impact and cutting its environmental impact in half by 2030. Efforts such as its food donation program that will feed 160,000 annually across the U.S. and Canada while also reducing millions of pounds of food waste to landfills are part of a global corporate responsibility strategy Hilton calls Travel With Purpose. The company also leads in efforts to send zero soap to landfills and reduce single use plastics and collaborates with organizations such as the U.N. and local groups on promoting more sustainable travel. In the U.S., Hilton was voted the #1 Best Place to Work, #1 for diversity and inclusion and #1 for women and #2 in the world by Fortune and the independent Best Places to Work organization. The partnership builds on BuzzFeed's recently announced plans to fix the longstanding attribution problem where digital middlemen capture profit for the value that media publishers provide. Through this partnership, BuzzFeed's industry-leading affiliate business is applying learnings from mastering retail and building a more sophisticated affiliate business for travel. By creating a direct link from BuzzFeed content to Hilton's booking capabilities, the partnership helps readers directly engage with offerings relevant to their specific interests from BringMe's unique destinations, travel activities and city journey guides. "BuzzFeed has built an industry-leading affiliate business and we're excited that this partnership helps us further extend into a more sophisticated model," said Peretti. "This is the first step in solving an industry-wide attribution problem for publishers, and we're proud to pave the way and work with an innovative leader like Hilton to create content that inspires our audience to travel." Pairing BuzzFeed's travel content with Hilton's industry-leading direct booking efforts amplifies Hilton's "Expect Better. Expect Hilton." direct booking campaign, which addresses consumers' travel frustrations by providing more flexibility, better perks, better on-property experiences and a price match guarantee plus a 25% discount if a traveler finds a lower rate.* Additionally, BuzzFeed will get credit for inspiring the bookings. To learn more, visit buzzfeed.com/bringme. *Terms & Conditions are available on the Hilton website. About BuzzFeed BuzzFeed is the world's leading tech-powered media company, with a cross-platform news and entertainment network that reaches hundreds of millions of people globally. The company produces articles, lists, quizzes, videos, original series; lifestyle content through brands including Tasty, the world's largest social food network; original reporting and investigative journalism through BuzzFeed News; strategic partnerships, licensing and product development through BuzzFeed Marketing; and original productions across broadcast, cable, SVOD, film and digital platforms for BuzzFeed Studios. How are Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge adjusting in the wake of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harrys decision to exit the royal family? According to one insider, theyre very upset that the Sussexes have left and moved to Canada, but they appear to be pressing on with royal engagements and carrying on with their expected royal decorum. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William | Samir Hussein/WireImage Prince Harry and Meghan exit the family Prince Harry and Meghan took an extended break over the holidays and returned with some big news they wanted to leave their royal duties for good. After Queen Elizabeth called a special meeting to hammer out the details of the Sussexes request, she released a statement showing her support for the couple. The queens statement shared, in part: I am pleased that together we have found a constructive and supportive way forward for my grandson and his family. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family. I recognise the challenges they have experienced as a result of intense scrutiny over the last two years and support their wish for a more independent life. The statement continued: I want to thank them for all their dedicated work across this country, the Commonwealth and beyond, and am particularly proud of how Meghan has so quickly become one of the family. It is my whole familys hope that todays agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life. How have Prince William and Kate felt about Megxit? Following Prince Harry and Meghans exit, royal fans have wondered how Prince William and Kate have been handling this huge upheaval in the family and whether theyve had to take on more responsibilities in the Sussexes absence. A palace source shared there was genuine worry, telling The Mirror: Harry and Meghan deciding to up sticks and leave without any thought about how it could affect them is pretty selfish. If the Sussexes are only here half the year then it will fall to William and Kate to pick up the slack with more engagements, more pressure, and that has not even been considered, the source added. The Cambridges are also reportedly very upset over the Sussexes move, with a source telling The Sun: Understandably William and Kate have been very upset by what has happened. Not only has William lost his brother as a working member of the family but he and Kate now have a much greater burden. Theyve been leaning on Kates mom Its believed that, in this trying time for the Cambridges, theyve been leaning on Kates mother, Carole, for some support. Royal author Phil Dampier told Fabulous Digital: Kate turns to [Carole] for advice and comfort all the time, noting that the Cambridges have spent more time with Carole following Prince Harry and Meghans exit from their royal duties. There will be stressful times ahead and Kate and William will need the support of Carole and Michael more than ever, Dampier added. 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Targeting Cookies We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. 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. Senator Frank Feighan has said that rural Ireland, after many difficult years following the recession, is fighting back and Fine Gael wants to see it reach its full potential. Fine Gael believes in rural Ireland and wants to see it flourish. Ten years ago, rural Ireland was a place of high unemployment, soaring emigration that had little reason for optimism. Read Also: Green Party's Blaithin Gallagher insists family farms are the economic backbone of the North West Today, in contrast, rural Ireland is fighting back, 77,000 jobs have been created outside of Dublin since mid-2017 and of course, we still have much more to do. Fine Gael is investing 1bn in job creation measures in rural areas and delivering improvements in our towns and villages with a population of less than 10,000 people. Great canvass earlier today in Ballinamore #Leitrim with my colleague Cllr Ita Reynolds Flynn and supporters. A lovely day in Leitrim!#VoteFrankieNo1 #Frankiedelivers pic.twitter.com/KTc9nJl0NS Senator Frank Feighan (@FrankFeighan) February 4, 2020 All of these measures, whether it be regeneration funding, town and village renewal, Leader grant-aid, are directly benefitting this constituency. The population of rural Ireland is 1.75 million and is increasing. We must cater for their needs. Making remote working is key to this as we look to improve peoples work-life balance. Read Also: Eamon Scanlon insists Fianna Fail are committed to supporting farmers That is why the roll-out of the National Broadband lan is critical and Fine Gael is the only party committed to this plan that will bring broadband to every, home, business and farm in the country, he said. We have seen the great success of tourism initiatives and I will be lobbying for additional funding under the Wild Atlantic Way and Hidden Heartlands initiatives to develop even more walkways, cycleways and blueways for this constituency. Fine Gael is the only party for rural Ireland and we will continue to bring employment, opportunity and people back to rural Ireland, he concluded. Boko Haram responsible for 59,311 orphans, 59,213 widows: Nigerian governor Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The governor of the Boko Haram-infected Borno state in northeast Nigeria has reportedly revealed that the extremist group is responsible for making tens of thousands of widows and orphans in the state as it continues its reign of terror. Borno Gov. Babagana Umara Zulum served last week as a guest lecturer at the National Defence College in Abuja. He spoke about his new white paper Strategic leadership: The challenges of Insurgency in Borno State. The lecture was attended by senior military officers and policymakers from inside and outside Nigeria, according to independent online newspaper The Cable. Zulum, a college professor who was elected last year as Borno's governor, did not mince words as he criticized ineffective government leadership for its inadequate response to the insurgency that continues to wreak havoc in his state. Boko Haram, which began in 2002, has killed and abducted thousands across the Lake Chad region in recent years and has developed a reputation as one of the worlds deadliest terrorist groups. Zulum provided a glimpse into how Boko Harams violence has impacted over 100,000 people. According to the Daily Post newspaper, Zulum said Boko Haram is responsible for the creation of 59,311 orphans and 59,123 widows throughout its existence. Although President Muhammadu Buhari has claimed to have defeated Boko Haram, the group which has splintered into two different cells continues to murder and kidnap. Although Boko Haram did not kill as many people in 2019 as the group has in years past, experts warn the decline is due to a change in a tactic by the militant group to focus more on kidnappings. The Nigerian government has faced international criticism for its failure to protect citizens and thwart Boko Haram's attacks and abductions. According to Daily Post, Zulum said part of the problem is an unwillingness of those close to people in power to tell the truth about the situation. He added that there is an unwillingness of political leaders to hear the truth. However, telling the truth and accepting the truth has been our major problems in Nigeria, Zulum said. Some people will never tell you the truth when you are in power and honestly, many of us in power also do not want to hear the truth, we prefer to be told what we like to hear and that is a serious deficit in leadership in the country. Zulum contended that a strategic leader must be a strategic listener and reader. A strategic thinker must also be a strategic learner, Zulum was quoted as saying. A strategic leader must be willing to hear the truth and to learn. Zulums remarks come weeks after the execution of pastor Lawan Andimi, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigerias chapter in the Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, gained international headlines. Andimi was abducted by Boko Haram in January and was seen praising God in a ransom video released online. But days later, Andimis killing sparked an outcry from the Christian community and Christian Association of Nigeria. CAN criticized the very questionable leadership of the security sector. On Sunday, thousands of Nigerian Christians participated in a nationwide prayer walk demonstration to call for security and protection led by General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, along with CAN. There are some things that the government can do alone and there are others that they cannot do alone, that is why we have to pray for the country that God should have mercy on Nigeria, Adeboye told The Nation. We pray that there will be peace and security in Nigeria. God sees all things and knows where the terrorists are, we pray that God sends His light to Nigeria and expose the evildoers in the country. That God should uproot all their sponsors. Buhari pushed back against criticism from the Christian community in a recent op-ed in which he explained that Boko Haram is not primarily targeting Christians. He argued that 90 percent of all Boko Haram victims have been Muslims. It is a simple fact that these now-failing terrorists have targeted the vulnerable, the religious, the non-religious, the young, and the old without discrimination, Buhari wrote. And at this point, when they are fractured, we cannot allow them to divide good Christians and good Muslims from those things that bind us all in the sight of God: faith, family, forgiveness, fidelity, and friendship to each other. Nigeria ranks as the 12th worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USAs 2020 World Watch List. Last month, Nigeria was placed on the U.S. State Departments special watch list of countries that tolerate or engage in severe violations of religious freedom for the first time. We are designating [Nigeria] special watch list for the first time because of all of the increasing violence and communal activity and the lack of effective government response and the lack of judicial cases being brought forward in that country, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, told reporters on a press call in December. It is a dangerous situation in too many parts of Nigeria. The government has either not been willing to or have been ineffective in their response and the violence continues to grow. Local author sees first in a series of three books hit library shelves across the UK This article is old - Published: Thursday, Feb 6th, 2020 An author and senior lecturer at Wrexham Glyndwr University has seen her first book on the subject published and is set to bring out two further works this year. Helen Coleman was asked to write the book, called Polish Your Academic Writing as part of a series of skills guides from academic publisher SAGE Publishing. Another book from Helen Your Super Quick Guide to University is due out in April with a third, looking at her specialism of statistical research and methods, expected this Winter. I have had a long standing relationship with SAGE Publishing, who are a really lovely company when the opportunity came up to work with them on these books, it was just brilliant, she said: SAGE have created this series of texts, which are all about supporting students in their first months at university the idea is these books equip them with some of the tools they can use to progress and to gain confidence. When they asked me if I could do this, I knew it would be a great opportunity to get the work we do here at Glyndwr with our students noticed and that it would be exciting for our students too! Its something that helps me to support our students and build their confidence it all means we can be there to guide them as they develop as a person at university. It is a concise book of all the good bits of advice, which I have been given and those, which I wish I had been given when I started university. Writing it has been a really lovely experience. Helen, who is originally from Middlesbrough, has taught at Glyndwr for a decade. She is both a Time to Change champion and a Dignity at Work advisor at the university, and among a growing number of Glyndwrs academic staff whose work can be found on the universitys bookshelves. She has also discovered her academic writing guide popping up in university libraries across the UK and even seen it making bookselling charts online. She added: As you might expect, its at the Bodleian Library at the University of Oxford which is one of the oldest libraries in Britain and one of the countrys legal deposit libraries. Ive also heard there are copies at the University of Durham my old university too! It has found itself on a bestsellers list on Amazon for its subject category and my second book is selling well on pre-orders too. However, what its really about is the students if any of these books gives one student a little more confidence and helps them realise their strengths, then that is the main thing for me. Jai Seaman, Publisher for Study Skills & Research Methods at SAGE, added: SAGE is committed to providing clear, concise and accessible learning resources that give students the confidence and skills to succeed at university. The Super Quick Skills series helps them build key academic and life skills they can instantly apply, using practical activities, short summaries and eye catching visuals designed to instantly engage. More information about Helens work on SAGE Publishing, can be found here. For more on undergraduate courses at Glyndwr, visit the universitys website. A container ship at the port in Qingdao, in China's eastern Shandong province. STR | AFP | Getty Images China on Thursday announced that it will halve tariffs on hundreds of U.S. goods worth about $75 billion. Retaliatory tariffs on some U.S. goods will be cut from 10% to 5%, and from 5% to 2.5% on others, according to a statement from China's Ministry of Finance. The adjustments will take effect from 1:01 p.m on Feb. 14, it said, without specifying which time zone it was referring to. The cuts apply to about $75 billion worth of imports from the U.S. that was slapped with tariffs on Sept. 1, 2019, according to a separate statement on the ministry's website. After the cut, duties on U.S. crude will be reduced to 2.5%, from 5%, and the tariff on soybeans will be trimmed by 2.5%. The statement on the Ministry of Finance website said the move was made in order to "advance the healthy and stable development of China-U.S. trade." A separate article on the website noted the cut in tariffs was timed in conjunction with a U.S. decision in January to halve tariffs on Feb. 14 for $120 billion of Chinese goods from 15% to 7.5%. CNBC Tweet: China on Thursday announced that it will halve tariffs on hundreds of U.S. goods worth about $75 billion. China's Ministry of Finance did not mention if the move was related to the current coronavirus outbreak. China said that the next adjustment will depend on how Sino-U.S. trade ties evolve, adding it hopes to work with Washington to completely eliminate all tariff increases. China and the U.S. have imposed punitive tariffs on billions of dollars worth of each other's goods in their trade battle which started more than a year ago. However, both countries reached a so-called phase one trade agreement in January, which helped avert further escalation to the trade war. Markets rallied after the news. Mainland Chinese stocks surged by as high as more than 2%, as did Hong Kong markets. Japan shares rose nearly 3%. The Chinese yuan strengthened, with offshore last strengthening to 6.9652, and the onshore yuan last at 6.9648. One analyst says this development could be a sign that China is ready to move on beyond the so-called phase-one trade agreement. I think that would be good ... if we can get these tariff barriers lowered, and get a normalization of relations that also includes some negotiation about those other sticking points. Kingsley Jones chief investment officer at Jevons Global "Who knows the exact motivations, I mean that's quite plausible, that they're under (economic) pressure. But I think the development is very welcome because you know, that language suggests that there is a bit of an olive branch here. And a bit of a desire to move forward beyond the phase one and possibly take on phase two," said Kingsley Jones, chief investment officer at Jevons Global. "I think that would be good ... if we can get these tariff barriers lowered, and get a normalization of relations that also includes some negotiation about those other sticking points, you know the IP and so on. Then I think that's very positive," he said. The first same-sex couple to waltz together at the Vienna Opera Ball have said they 'don't want to challenge tradition' but 'just want to dance' with each other. Students Sophie Grau, 21, from Fellbach and Iris Klopfer, 22, from Ludwigsburg, both from Germany, will be among the 144 couples to dance at the prestigious event in the Austrian capital on 20th February. The two dancers will be the first same-sex pair to dance together in the 206 year history of the Austrian society ball. The school friends, who are not a couple, said they would abide by the strict dress code, which includes donning white tie and tails and floor-length gowns for the event. Students Sophie Grau, 21, from Fellbach and Iris Klopfer, 22, from Ludwigsburg, are set to become the first same-sex couple to dance together at the Vienna Opera Ball (pictured left, Sophie and right, Iris) Every year 5,000 people travel to the Austrian capital to mix with opera stars and other celebrities and politicians for the ball that always begins with the dance of the debutants. The pair told German newspaper Der Spiegel: 'This isn't about ideology. We just wanted to dance together.' They said they would be like 'any other couple' at the event, because they are 'good dancers and will stick to the dress code'. The ball is considered one of the highlights of the European social calendar. The two women have said they will abide by the strict dress codes of the ball, with Sophie donning a black tailcoat, which is traditionally the male's outfit, for the event (pictured, the event last year) The couple, who describe themselves as passionate dancers, agreed that it would have been fantastic if they could dance together in the 'iconic setting' which has taken place since 1814 as a distraction for the crowned heads of Europe during the middle of the Napoleonic wars. It has taken place in the opera house since 1877, and is often accompanied by left-wing demonstrators against capitalism outside. The two women said they were not in a relationship but counted many gay people among their friends wanted to make a step for equal opportunities and traditional events. They said they had no problem matching the strict dress code that included hiding tattoos and for Iris wearing a tiara. The school friends, who are not a couple, said they didn't want to break tradition but just 'wanted to dance together' Iris will wear a white ballgown with elbow-length gloves and tiara for the event, while Sophie will wear a black tailcoat, white waistcoat, white gloves and white bow tie. Iris said that she herself felt 100 percent comfortable as a woman, but by taking part she wanted to 'support Sophie in breaking up gender norms'. And Sophie said while she loved dancing, it had always bothered her that it was the man which lead. They will join the 144 other couples, and at the end of it, Iris will be able to take home the tiara that she is given by the organisers for taking part, and Sophie will be able to keep the cufflinks. The couple will dance alongside 144 couples at the event in Vienna at the 206 year old event at the end of the month (pictured, the event last year) This year's ball has 5,150 registered guests and will be watched live on TV by 2.5 million viewers. This year's theme was inspired by the Queen of the Night from Mozart's opera The Magic Flute. Speaking about the decision to accept the pair, organiser Maria Grossbauer said: 'I thought it was absolutely the right thing to accept a female pair who at the end meet the most important criteria, which is to be able to master the left Waltz.' One journalist at Caixin, which has produced a series of accountability reports citing interviews with Wuhans doctors and public health officials, said the outlet and its reporters have been warned by the government about activity on social media. But central propaganda authorities otherwise have not interfered with its newsgathering or publishing in recent weeks, said the staffer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive internal matters. A 30-year-old man was arrested in Central Delhi's Karol Bagh for allegedly robbing Rs 5 lakh cash from his former employer at gunpoint, police said on Thursday. Chandan, who had a grudge against his former boss for firing him two years ago, planned the robbery along with his two friends, Ranjit (24) and Jaan Mohammad, they said. Police have arrested Ranjit (24) but Mohammad is absconding, an official said. On January 23 at 8:30 pm, Chandan and Ranjit robbed Sanjay Sahdev, a garment trader, outside his house. The duo allegedly fired in the air to scare Sahdev and then robbed his bag, containing cash and other documents, before fleeing in their vehicle, said Mandeep Singh Randhawa, Additional Commissioner of Police (Central). Police scrutinised CCTV camera footage from the crime scene and nearby area to identify the suspects, he added. Chandan and Ranjit were nabbed from their respective houses in Azadpur and Model Town area on Wednesday, the officer said. A scooter used in the crime, the looted money, some documents of Sahdev, and a mobile phone purchased after robbery have been recovered, he said. During interrogation, Chandan told police that he wanted to teach Sahdev a lesson since the day he was fired. He started working at another shop in Gaffar Market and kept waiting for the right moment to rob Sahdev, the officer said. Chandan knew that Sahdev earns good money in winters by sale of jackets and takes the cash home at night, he said. After the incident, Chandan deposited Rs 40,000 in his bank account, while Ranjit purchased an expensive mobile phone, the police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BRECKSVILLE, Ohio Government and business leaders Thursday heralded the news that the Sherwin-Williams Co. will move its research and development facility here, anchoring the redevelopment of a 103-acre former hospital campus off of Interstate 77. We are excited about Sherwin-Williams plans, which would bring an infusion of jobs and additional tax revenue into our community, Brecksville Mayor Jerry Hruby said in a statement in the companys news release. We believe the new R&D center in Brecksville would be a catalyst to attract increased office, residential, hospitality and retail investment. Hruby did not respond to a phone call Thursday seeking additional comment. The Plain Dealer also reached out to Brecksville city councils president and vice president but did not hear back. Sherwin-Williams announced that it will keep its corporate headquarters in downtown Cleveland, at a new facility it will build on parking lots just west of Public Square. It will move its R&D facility, currently at the Breen Technology Center along the Cuyahoga River in downtown Cleveland, to the former U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs property at the northwest corner of Brecksville and Miller roads. Sherwin-Williams will invest at least $600 million total in the two projects. The move to the new Brecksville facilities will not take place until 2023 at the earliest. The future R&D center also will house workers who will move from a Warrensville Heights facility, according to the company. In all, the two facilities will house 3,500 workers, with room to add more. It was unclear Thursday how many of those workers would be based at the Brecksville site. Asked about this, a company spokeswoman said she did not have further information to share at this time. A map of the proposed Sherwin-Williams R&D center in Brecksville (Sherwin-Williams). At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson said his administration tried to keep the R&D center in Cleveland, but Sherwin-Williams could not find a site big enough to fit its needs. "We had a difficult time accumulating the kind of acreage that they would need to have a joint headquarters and research facility that allowed for the expansion that they know they would need in the future, he said. He said the company considered several possible R&D sites in Cleveland, all of them downtown. The Brecksville facility will occupy 500,000 square feet at the site, which is being redeveloped by Independence-based DiGeronimo Companies. The city has been working with DiGeronimo on a mixed-use redevelopment of the property. The project has been dubbed Valor Acres. The Valor Acres website describes the property as the soon-to-be home of Sherwin-Williams employees and the premier mixed-use live-work-play real-estate development in the Cleveland-Akron corridor. The project appears to include plans for residential, retail and hospitality components, in addition to offices. DiGeronimo did not respond to a phone call Thursday, but said in a statement on its website that the company is aware of the Sherwin-Williams announcement and thrilled for Northeast Ohio, Cleveland and Brecksville. This news is the culmination of significant efforts by many and is validation of our philosophy of treating our business partners as family; and building trust with stakeholders before building the real estate, the statement reads. While it is far too early in the process to comment on the project specifics, we look forward to sharing our enhanced vision for Valor Acres and the surrounding area when it is appropriate to do so. Kris Toth, president of the Brecksville Chamber of Commerce, said he is glad to see something other than retail being included in Valor Acres. [Sherwin-Williams is] obviously going to be an anchor here, he said. He and chamber Executive Director Jon Kozesky said they believe the R&D facility will rank among the citys top employers. Other large employers include the Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc. headquarters and R&D center on Brecksville Road, and CrossCountry Mortgage on Miller Road, they noted. We are very excited to welcome Sherwin-Williams R&D headquarters to our Brecksville family of businesses. Their local retail store has been a member of [the chamber] for many years, and we are excited to not only grow our relationship, but help them grow the impact they make on individuals living in and around our wonderful community, Kozesky said. While we are home to many large employers ... this expansion will surely make Sherwin Williams one of our top employers, and a wonderful anchor to Valor Acres. Sherwin-Williams is in talks with local and state entities, including the city, on possible financial incentives. Approvals of the Companys economic development packages and other matters remain pending and are expected over the next several months, the company said. Asked whether it plans to own its future facilities, a Sherwin-Williams spokesman said, It is too early in the process to confirm these details. This was also Sherwin-Williams response to a question about how many acres of the Valor Acres site it will occupy. Based on a map provided by the company, it appears it will take up at least half. The news was also lauded by U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-14, whose district includes Brecksville. After years of relentless efforts, Mayor Hrubys vision to repurpose the vacant VA hospital and bring new investment to Brecksville has become a reality, Joyce said in a statement. "I look forward to seeing the new jobs and economic growth this new center will bring to Brecksville and expect it to ignite continued investment in the Buckeye State for years to come. Read more Sherwin-Williams coverage: Sherwin-Williams new HQ should create positive ripples in Public Square, downtown Cleveland Local businesses say great news Sherwin-Williams staying downtown Sherwin-Williams confirms plans for new downtown Cleveland HQ, Brecksville R&D center Ohioans react on social media to Sherwin-Williams announcement Sherwin-Williams to stay in downtown Cleveland, sources tell The Plain Dealer Sherwin-Williams looking for new headquarters, company confirms What experts say Sherwin-Williams will consider in search for a new global HQ Sherwin-Williams has been a Cleveland fixture for 154 years Saudi Arabia has announced a major agreement with Virgin Hyperloop One (VHO), the worlds leading hyperloop company, for a ground-breaking pre-feasibility study on the use of hyperloop technology for the transport of passengers and cargo, thus laying the groundwork for a network of hyperloop routes to be considered across Saudi Arabia. Pioneering the national hyperloop project, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Transport (MoT) said it is the first study at a national level to be carried out anywhere in the world and will examine viable routes, expected demand, anticipated costs and explore the socio-economic benefits of creating jobs and develop high-tech skills. The study, which will serve as a blueprint for future hyperloop projects, builds on the developers long-standing relationship with the kingdom, which peaked when HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, viewed VHOs passenger pod during a visit to the US. The announcement is the latest in a series of existing partnership in the kingdom that include MiSK Foundation, the Economic Cities Authority, as well as King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). Announcing the agreement, Engineer Saleh bin Nasser Al Jasser, Minister of Transport said: "Prince Mohammed bin Salman has outlined the role of transport in shaping the future of the Kingdoms economy within Vision 2030. As we enter a new decade, we intend to make rapid progress in building the infrastructure required to define mobility for the future, enabling the efficient movement of people and goods." "With the transformative hyperloop technology, Saudi Arabia will not only unlock unparalleled benefits for its people and the economy but will continue to lead the region into an era of prosperity," he stated. Building on Saudi Arabias commitment to be a leader in the adoption and implementation of hyperloop technology, the agreement forms the foundation for creating groundbreaking transportation infrastructure that will transform Saudi Arabias economy, enable the creation of jobs, and develop of high-tech talent. Virgin Hyperloop One chairman Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem said: "Technology will continue playing a pivotal role in the progress and transformation of Saudi Arabias economy as part of this, Virgin Hyperloop One and the technology that underpins it will help shape the future of the Kingdom." "Together with the Ministry of Transport, we are confident that hyperloop technology will transform the movement of people and cargo in Saudi Arabia and help realize the ambitions of Vision 2030. The evolution of hyperloop offers an unparalleled opportunity to shape a connected Saudi Arabia, linking cities and nations in the region via a variety of routes," he added. Bin Sulayem said the Virgin Hyperloop One system is real, rapid-speed, mass transportation. "With the completion of more than 400 tests, VHO has positioned itself as the most viable option for investors, governments and businesses across the globe," he stated. "Already, seventeen states in the US are exploring potential hyperloop routes. In India, we recently reached a milestone for Virgin Hyperloop One, signing a landmark framework agreement to develop the Pune-Mumbai Hyperloop Project," he added. Having already attracted major investors from the UAE, including VHOs main investor, DP World, as well as others such as Abu Dhabi Capital Group, a hyperloop system would see passengers travel at speeds exceeding 1,000km/h, cutting the travel time from the capital to Jeddah to 46 minutes. Similarly, a journey from Riyadh to Qiddiyah would take only 5 minutes. While a trip from Jeddah to Neom could be completed in 40 minutes, and from Riyadh to Abu Dhabi in only 48 minutes. Speaking about the transformation potential of hyperloop technology in the kingdom, CEO Jay Walder said: "In line with Vision 2030, I am confident we will see the worlds first commercial hyperloop within the decade. The kingdom is on the forefront of this new era in transportation by being the first in the world to explore a national hyperloop route." "The economic potential is enormous to connect passengers and cargo at unprecedented speeds with zero direct emissions. The system would be up to ten times more energy efficient than short haul flights and 50% more efficient than high-speed trains. In fact, a hyperloop in the region could be powered entirely by solar panels which cover the tube, making the technology hugely attractive to the sun-abundant kingdom," he added. Speaking about the recent developments in the Kingdom, Harj Dhaliwal, Managing Director for the Middle East and India, Virgin Hyperloop One, said: This new agreement with the Ministry of Transport in Saudi Arabia brings us one step closer to the realization of our vision for a Connected Saudi Arabia and a Connected Gulf." "As the countrys leadership embraces new and innovative technologies VHO is uniquely positioned as a forward-thinking transportation partner, engineered for the 21st century. VHO can connect major hubs in the country, and potentially the entire region, which supports the leaderships renewed effort to propel the Kingdoms economy to the forefront of innovation," he added.-TradeArabia News Service Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Budget session in the Lok Sabha on Thursday assured that no Indian's citizenship would be affected due to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), including Muslims. "I want to clarify it to my 130 crore Indians. The CAA will not have any effect on any religious community -- be it Hindu, Muslim, Sikhs or Christians," he said. Much has been said about CAA, ironically by those who love getting photographed with the group of people who want Tukde Tukde of India: PM @narendramodi PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 6, 2020 PM Modi accused the Congress was spreading misinformation about the CAA. He also targeted Pakistan for trying to influence India's Muslims. Attacking the Congress and other Opposition parties, the PM said they wanted to divide India in the name of religion. He said people who had been removed from office by the people of India were now doing the unthinkable. "They see citizens based on their faith. We are different. We see everyone as an Indian," the PM said. Also read: 'Fiscal deficit, inflation in check,' says PM Modi in Lok Sabha PM Modi also criticised India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru without naming him. "Someone had to become Prime Minister, so streak was drawn in India and India was divided," Modi said. PM Modi also said there were statements made by former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir that were "unacceptable". "These are leaders who don't trust Kashmiri people that is why they used such language, but we trusted Kashmiris and abrogated Article 370," said Modi. PM Modi said if the Opposition was so concerned about saving the Constitution, what had prevented it from implementing the Constitution in Jammu and Kashmir. Also read: PM Modi says will keep Congress MPs unemployed Also Read: 'Problem solved': Rahul Gandhi tells PM Modi to sack Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman By AFP WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump was acquitted by the US Senate on Wednesday following a historic impeachment trial that shone a harsh light on America's divisions, without ever shaking the loyalty of his voter base. In a political triumph for the US leader, Trump drew on staunch Republican support to easily defeat a Democratic effort to expel him from office for pressuring Ukraine to help bolster his re-election effort. The president immediately claimed "victory" while the White House declared it a full "exoneration" -- and Democrats rejected the acquittal as the "valueless" outcome of an unfair trial. But the vote in the Senate showed just how solid a grip the former real estate mogul holds over the Republican Party -- an asset nine months before he seeks a second four-year term. Even though several conceded Trump's behaviour was wrong, Republicans ultimately stayed loyal in voting to clear the president of charges of abuse of power, by 52 to 48, and of obstruction of Congress, by 53 to 47 -- far from the two-thirds supermajority required for conviction. "Two-thirds of the senators present not having found him guilty of the charges contained therein, it is therefore ordered and adjudged that the said Donald John Trump be, and he is hereby, acquitted," said Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who presided over the trial. One Republican, Senator Mitt Romney, a longtime Trump foe, risked White House wrath to vote alongside Democrats on the first count, saying Trump was "guilty of appalling abuse of public trust." He voted not guilty on the second charge. Trump's impeachment and trial will leave a permanent stain on his record, as it did for the only two presidents to have encountered the same fate, Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998. But the Senate verdict was never truly in question since the House of Representatives formally impeached Trump in December, and it has now cleared out a major hurdle for the president to fully plunge into his campaign for re-election in November. - Trump to speak Thursday - Responding to the verdict, Trump announced he would deliver a formal statement Thursday from the White House "to discuss our Country's VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!" The president had earlier tweeted a montage depicting a fake cover of Time magazine declaring him president for all eternity. Trump later tweeted a video attacking Romney, the first senator in US history to support convicting a president from his own party. While the White House declared that Trump had obtained "full vindication and exoneration," Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker, warned that by clearing Trump Republicans had "normalized lawlessness." "There can be no acquittal without a trial, and there is no trial without witnesses, documents and evidence," said the top Democrat in Congress -- who a day earlier ripped up her copy of Trump's State of the Union address on live television. "Sadly, because of the Republican Senate's betrayal of the Constitution, the president remains an ongoing threat to American democracy, with his insistence that he is above the law and that he can corrupt the elections if he wants to." Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said the acquittal was "virtually valueless" since Republicans refused witnesses at his trial, something which Democrats said had never happened before at any impeachment trial. - 'Forever impeached' - The Democrats' intense 78-day House investigation faced public doubts and high-pressure White House stonewalling, a tactic which led to the obstruction charge. Concerned about the political risk for the party, Pelosi rejected a call early last year to impeach Trump on evidence compiled by then-special counsel Robert Mueller that he had obstructed the Russia election meddling investigation. But her concerns melted after new allegations surfaced in August that Trump had pressured Ukraine for help in his 2020 campaign. Though doubtful from the outset that they would win support from Republicans, an investigation amassed with surprising speed strong evidence to support the allegations. The evidence showed that from early in 2019, Trump's private lawyer Rudy Giuliani and a close political ally, Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland, were scheming to pressure Kiev to help smear Democrats, including Trump's potential 2020 rival Joe Biden, by opening investigations into them. "We must say enough -- enough! He has betrayed our national security, and he will do so again," Adam Schiff, who led the House prosecution, argued on the Senate floor this week. - 'Colossal' mistake - In the trial, Trump's defense was not seen as having undermined the facts compiled by Schiff's probe, and several Republican senators acknowledged he did wrong. But his lawyers and Senate defenders argued, essentially, that Trump's behavior was not egregious enough for impeachment and removal. And, pointing to the December House impeachment vote, starkly along party lines, they painted it as a political effort to "destroy the president" in an election year and insisted voters should be allowed to decide Trump's fate. As he wound down the Senate proceedings, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was confident impeachment would ultimately benefit Republicans. "They thought this was a great idea. At least for the short term, it has been a colossal political mistake." Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Ken Hunzeker served 35 years in the U.S. Army, commanding forces at every level through Division Command (1st Infantry Division), commanding the U.S. Army Fifth Corps (Germany), and culminating his career as Deputy Commanding General of all U.S. Forces in Iraq. After retirement from uniformed service, Ken served as Vice President of government relations at ITT Defense. He later served as CEO and President of Vectrus, an infrastructure and global logistics company. Recently, Ken was selected as a 2020 Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Military Academy, an honor reserved for West Point's most accomplished graduates. Kathy Hildreth served five years as a Maintenance Test Pilot and Aviation Maintenance Officer in the U.S. Army. She then worked in the defense industry sector for more than 15 years before co-founding a company providing a wide range of capabilities in aviation support services, logistics, engineering services, information technology, training services, supply chain management, acquisition and facilities, and equipment maintenance. Kathy grew M1 Support Services from a company of two employees to one now employing more than 7,000 people worldwide, many of them veterans. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Bill Selman served five years on active duty in the U.S. Army before joining and eventually retiring from the U.S. Army Reserves. In his civilian life, Bill worked with Mobil Oil before joining Graham Company, one of the largest insurance and employee benefits brokers in the country, where Bill serves today as Managing Director. Bill's experience in insurance, risk management, and a variety of consulting challenges will serve WWP's board on many of the complex issues facing organizations serving the needs of injured veterans and their families. "Bill Selman, Kathy Hildreth, and Lt. Gen. Ken Hunzeker will help us in innumerable ways to better serve warriors and family members," said WWP CEO Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Linnington. "Their experience in the military, and in business, will help Wounded Warrior Project continue to expand services to serve more warriors and families and in even more impactful ways. The values they forged through life-long service to our nation are perfectly aligned to help shape Wounded Warrior Project for the foreseeable future." WWP's board supports the organization's mission to honor and empower wounded warriors. It includes individuals with experience in military, business, nonprofit, government, and medical fields, and with varying educational backgrounds. The board regularly evaluates its composition to ensure it includes the appropriate skills, experience, and perspective. WWP has added 11 of its 12 board members since late 2016. Learn more about the board here. About Wounded Warrior Project Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more. SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project Related Links http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org A Court of Appeals of Tehran has upheld prison sentences of three women for defying the forced veiling laws but reduced it to a combined 31 years and seven months from an earlier total of 55 years and six months. According to Amir Raeesian who represents Monireh Arabshahi and her daughter Yasamin Ariany, the Court of Appeal issued its verdict in the absence of the accused and their lawyers "due to a Shiite public holiday" without even sending them a notice. Video in this tweet shows the three women's rights activists handing out flowers to other women on International Women's Day last year in an underground car in Tehran. Mr Raeesian who published the verdict of the Court of Appeals in a tweet on Wednesday said his clients will challenge the verdict. They want a retrial, he said. Monireh Arabshahi, her daughter Yasamin Ariany, and Mojgan Keshavarz were arrested in April 2019 for dropping their headscarves in Tehran underground and offering flowers to other women on March 8, 2019 on the occasion of the International Women's Day. They posted a video of their civil disobedience action against forced hijab on social media. The three women's rights activists who are held at the notorious Qarchak prison were charged with "assembly and collusion to act against national security," "propaganda against the regime," as well as "inciting and facilitating corruption and prostitution" through promoting "unveiling" of women. WINNIPEG - There's renewed talk of transporting western oil through the northern Manitoba port in Churchill, but any such project is likely to run into opposition from environmentalists and some people who live there. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/2/2020 (705 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Port of Churchill in Churchill, Manitoba is shown on Wednesday, July 4, 2018. While there is renewed talk of transporting Western oil through the port in Churchill, Manitoba, any such project is likely to run into opposition from environmentalists and some who live in the region. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods WINNIPEG - There's renewed talk of transporting western oil through the northern Manitoba port in Churchill, but any such project is likely to run into opposition from environmentalists and some people who live there. Using the sub-Arctic port on the western shore of Hudson Bay as a route for Prairie oil has been floated before. But it has been condemned largely due to the area's fragile ecosystem and Churchill's reputation for eco-tourism. "It's a terrible idea to even consider shipping crude oil through Hudson Bay," Eric Reder, Manitoba director for the Wilderness Committee, said in an interview this week. Pundits and politicians have pushed for a pipeline to Churchill as a way to get oil from Alberta and Saskatchewan onto ocean tankers bound for international markets. It has also been touted by some who back western separatism. The idea was brought up again this week in Saskatchewan, where the government has formed a committee to examine ways to get more pipelines built. The Saskatchewan Party also has a 10-year economic plan that includes "supporting efforts to export oil by tanker through the Port of Churchill." Premier Scott Moe said Wednesday the idea of a pipeline to Churchill is worth exploring, especially since the rail line in the region was reopened in 2018 after its owner sold it to a coalition that includes area First Nations. "The rail line is a lifeline for those communities, quite frankly, and what is keeping that open is exports. So the conversation with respect to the potential of shipping some of our energy products out of a northern or an Arctic port is a fair conversation for us to have," Moe said in Regina. For Reder and other opponents, a main concern is the boggy tundra and muskeg in northern Manitoba. The ground frequently heaves and shifts, and has historically caused delays and disruptions in rail service. "The pipeline would go through enormous stresses," Reder said. Manitoba's former NDP government spoke out in 2013 against a plan to ship crude oil by rail through the region, because of the possible environmental impacts of a spill. In Churchill, a town of 900 known as the "polar bear capital of the world," feelings are mixed, said Dave Daley, president of the chamber of commerce. He said there would be big economic benefits to shipping oil through the port, which used to routinely handle bulk fuel supplies destined for communities in the Arctic. But any proponent of a new crude shipment plan would have work to do. "We have polar bears and beluga whales and pristine country, tundra ... river systems," Daley said. "You'd have to really have a sound plan and you'd have to come to Manitoba, to Churchill, and prove to everybody that this can be done safely." Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, which represents 26 northern First Nations communities, declined to comment. The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs said any project would need Indigenous involvement from the start. "First Nations in Manitoba must be involved, consulted and engaged in the process in a manner that respects their rights and interests," Grand Chief Arlen Dumas said in a written statement. With files from Stephanie Taylor in Regina This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 5, 2020 The family of a 14-year-old boy in Texas is speaking out after neighbors called the police on him. Last Sunday, the Bexar County Sheriffs Office responded to call about a person walking around in a military uniform while carrying a gun in the Falcons Landing neighborhood, which is just outside of San Antonio. When police arrived, they encountered 14-year-old Diego Mercado, a young military buff and congenital amputee who had been out with his airsoft rifle, a type of air gun and replica toy weapon. Mercado has been wearing camos since he was 6 years old. Diego Mercado likes to wear a military uniform just like his father, Jason Mercado. The police were called to their home last Sunday by concerned neighbors. (Photo: Courtesy of Jason Mercado) What kind of surprised me is that I've been here for a year, Mercado, who was born with one leg and just two fingers on his right hand, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. I've been outside every day and I'm well known to this community, and two officers show up at my door and ask me if I'm the kid walking around with an AR [Armalite rifle], that's what the surprising part is. After explaining that hed been wearing camos but was not armed with a gun, the teen was not cited and said that the deputies were very understanding. The minimum age to be able to carry an Airsoft gun is 16 in San Antonio, but since Mercado was outside of the city limits, he had not broken any laws. I knew this would happen eventually. A new resident comes in, I look like a soldier, you see a guy walking around with an AR, I understand that, but it has a big orange tip at the end, Mercado said. Diego Mercado in his military uniform and Airsoft gun. (Photo: Jason Mercado) Though this was the first time that the police were called, this was not the first time neighbors had been concerned with the teens appearance. The Mercados moved into their new neighborhood last year while Diegos father, Jason, was stationed in Afghanistan. While overseas, Jason had happened to come across a post about Diego on the community Facebook page that seemed to paint a fearful image of him. I set the record straight, Jason said. I've gone through great lengths to inform them that hes a kid and this is what he likes to do and I support him in that, and help them understand the reasons why he does what he does. Story continues Because he was born with amniotic band syndrome, the boy is unable to follow in the military footsteps of his father, who has been on active duty in the Army for 20 years. But he has pursued his passion by wearing the uniform since he was a young child. He has also worked with amputee veterans and went viral in 2016 after posting a video to Instagram of a workout session he had with one of the vets. For Mercado, the military gear he dons on a daily basis is more than just for play. I've always seen my dad put on his uniform and head out to work, and that's always inspired me because he defends our country, and I've always wanted to defend our country, he admitted. Though the teen expressed a bit of apprehension about continuing to walk around the neighborhood, he and his father agreed they could continue to educate the community. I just want them to feel safe and comfortable with me walking around, Mercado said. And I don't want to be seen as a threat. I just want to be seen as a friend to this neighborhood. I want to know everybody. I just want everybody to be friends. Jason said he hoped his sons story would inspire others. We have an entire country filled with other Diegos, Jason explained. There's kids with special needs that want to be a part of the community [and] I think Diego represents that. When [children] see this story, one, they'll say I can do that too and two, they will say, this is how he did it, so we now we have a formula for success. Since the initial complaint, Diego has been invited to a SWAT training in the spring with the Bexar County Sheriffs Office. The Bexar County Sheriffs Office has not yet responded to Yahoo Lifestyle's request for comment, but confirmed to WOAI/KABB that they received a complaint last Sunday. Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. Maria Arana, Saeed Jones, Casey Cep and Tim OBrien are among the authors coming to town for this years San Antonio Book Festival. The lineup for the festival, which will be April 4 at Central Library and the Southwest School of Art, was announced Wednesday evening during a party at Say Si. Arana is the author of Silver, Sword & Stone, an epic history of Latin America. Jones wrote the award-winning memoir How We Fight for Our Lives. Ceps debut, Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud and the Last Trial of Harper Lee, was a bestseller. And OBrien, author of the Vietnam War classic The Things They Carried, recently published the nonfiction work Dads Maybe Book. Clay Smith, the festivals literary director, said he strives for a breadth of topics as well as diversity in writers and publishers from small presses to major houses when he puts together a lineup. There needs to be serious political or newsy books. There needs to be funny books, Smith said. I try to think about the issues that people in San Antonio are speaking about. San Antonio-area authors taking part in the festival include Paulette Jiles, who is launching her follow-up to News of the World, and Naomi Shihab Nye, who has a new book of poems for middle school readers. CBS newsman Scott Pelley, a San Antonio native, will be at the festival with his book Truth Worth Telling: A Reporters Search for Meaning in the Stories of Out Times. And Sandra Cisneros, a longtime resident of the city who now lives in Mexico, will be joined by four of her favorite writers in a new festival event called Sandra Cisneros Presents. The city itself also will be in the spotlight at this years festival. Every year theres been maybe one book about San Antonio, Smith said. But something has happened in the past year that I really cant explain. We just have a ton of books about San Antonio in this years lineup. On ExpressNews.com: The must-see concerts, shows and events of 2020 Three works of adult fiction are set in the city: The Duchess of Angus, a posthumously published novel by Margaret Brown Kilik; Odd Birds by Severo Perez; and the poetry collection Tortured Barrio Songs by Reyes Cardenas. Smith said he tries not to repeat the authors and ideas presented at the previous years festival. Every year the books are different, he said. There is a joy every year because you can present new ideas and new ways of doing events. It feels like youre always helping the community by getting people to think about important issues. As an example, he pointed to books by and about women. Last year was a great year for books related very concretely to #MeToo, he said. We did a panel about womens political anger. The books that Im seeing this year about women go a little bit deeper. They go beyond politics. Those books include Why We Cant Sleep: Womens New Midlife Crisis by Ada Calhoun and Ordinary Insanity: Fear and the Silent Crisis of Motherhood in America by Sarrah Menkedick, both festival participants. On ExpressNews.com: Elaine Ayala: American Dirt deemed a buzz book for all the wrong reasons Several of the authors coming to the festival deal with issues of race, ethnicity and identity. Among them are Lauren Michele Jackson, author of White Negroes: When Cornrows Were in Vogue and Other Thoughts on Cultural Appropriation, and Eduardo Porter, author of American Poison: How Racial Hostility Destroyed Our Promise. All were invited before the American Dirt controversy roiled the book industry. Jeanine Cummins novel about a Mexican mother and her son fleeing cartel violence is one of the new years buzz books and an Oprah Winfrey book club pick. It also has drawn sustained attacks from critics who charge that the books depiction of immigrants is superficial and stereotypical. Cisneros was dragged into the fight by critics upset that she had endorsed the book, calling it a great novel of las Americas. She continued to support it in an interview with NPR after the controversy broke. Smith didnt want to comment on American Dirt, but he did say a book festival can be a good place to address difficult issues. One thing that a book festival, even a short one like ours, can do is remind people of context and history and place ideas of anxiety in a larger context, he said. A new feature of the festival this year will be Lit Crawl, part mini book festival and part pub crawl, which will take place April 3 in the Blue Star Arts Complex. Thats a little bit more edgy, Smith said. Its really an attempt to involve the audience in a more interactive way. Organizers expect to release the festival schedule in March. For a full list of participating authors, go to the festival website, sabookfestival.org. Jim Kiest is the arts and entertainment editor for the San Antonio Express-News. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jkiest@express-news.net | Twitter: @jimik64 Solidarity-People Before Profit has compared the 2020 General Election to the marriage equality and eighth amendment referendums. Left parties have surged in the February election, greater than all years previously and smaller parties are hoping to be the king-makers come Monday morning, as both traditional major parties are highly unlikely to have the numbers to form a majority government. PBP @RBoydBarrett urges left parties to show courage and not "squander the opportunity of a left government by propping up Fianna Fail and Fine Gael". Mr Barrett added that the mistakes of the Greens and Labour should not be made again, and urged voters to stay left this weekend. pic.twitter.com/qfBKR09AYH aoife moore. (@aoifegracemoore) February 6, 2020 There is a political earthquake under way with an absolutely enormous tide demanding an end to 100 years of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, and the possibility for the first time for a left government, so were appealing for a huge turnout in this election, Richard Boyd Barrett said on Thursday. This is the political equivalent of the repeal and marriage equality movement. Solidarity-People Before Profit, which hopes to keep all its five seats and is polling around 4-5%, says it is confident that the excitement of the younger voters will propel the left, and keep Fianna Fail and Fine Gael out. The party has also urged major left-leaning contender Sinn Fein to rule out propping up either Fine Gael or Fianna Fail, which the party has yet to do. The party believes a left-coalition in government could mark an historic shift in Irish politics. I think the parties of the left, whether its Sinn Fein, the Greens or the Social Democrats should have the same ambition and aspiration that is clearly being displayed by the people on the doorsteps and in the polls, they want a break from Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, they believe a left government is possible so the rest of the left parties should grasp that with both hands, instead of keeping the option of going into government with the parties of the past, Mr Boyd Barrett said. Those who are expressing absolute fury at Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for failure to deliver on housing and health, and tackling the climate crisis, should come out and make their voice heard and sweep away the two party state. Were appealing to parties of the left to have the same courage to break the cycle of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael rule and stay left, not to squander this historic opportunity. The mistakes of the Green Party and Labour Party of the past should not be repeated again. Stay left and dont betray the hopes for change once again by propping up Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. People Before Profits Brid Smith, a prominent Repeal the Eighth campaigner, says the message on the doorsteps is that young people are hungry for change. People Before Profit TD Brid Smith, left, compared the General Election to the Repeal the Eighth movement (Niall Carson/ PA Wire) The young people are the determining factor, yet again, in this historic election, its like the Repeal moment only its more exciting in a way, everywhere you go people are talking politics and young people are so engaged, she said. People arent saying; What are you going to do for me?, its about the big picture, and that really matters to young people, and they do want to see a fundamental shift in Irish politics and its extraordinary to hear how much support there is for the left and the left really needs to be proud and hold that moment as very important and make the most of it, and stick to a position that wont see Fianna Fail or Fine Gael returned to power. The Groupement Petrolier (petrol group) has come out with strong criticism of the government's climate policies, brandishing them as an ideological and purely political move. At their press conference on Thursday, the Groupement Petrolier above all took aim at the government's decision to increase fuel excise duty. The group took issue with the increase on diesel, which holds 61% of the market's share of fuel due to lorry traffic. According to Romain Hoffmann, the group's president, the excise increase and CO2 tax are both too high and being introduced too quickly, leading lorries to move to getting fuel in Belgium or France. Hoffmann described the move as illogical, questioning why the government is doing without revenue and no longer accepting money that contributes to Luxembourg's standing in the international transport domain. Additionally, this would put pressure on residents and cross-border workers without having any effect on the climate. Hence, the government's policy is ideologically-driven rather than intelligent, according to Hoffmann. He elaborated, stating that Luxembourg's motorways will continue to be used for international transport, but residents would be hit the hardest. By increasing excise duty and introducing a new CO2 tax on 1 January 2021, the government would increase prices by nearly 20 cents a litre in a 20-month period. Turkey deploys military reinforcement near Syria border A fresh military convoy was sent to the Syrian border on February 06, 2020, after the Assad regime forces' attack against Turkish troops. Group of tanks reached to Reyhanli district of Hatay province on Thursday to reinforce the border units in the province. PERSONNEL CARRIERS WERE SENT Turkey continues to reinforce its troops in the region, sending personnel carriers and military tanks. More than 1 million Syrians have moved near the Turkish border due to intense attacks over the past year. Turkey remains the country with most refugees in the world, hosting more than 3.7 million migrants since the start of the civil war in Syria in 2011. as part of its reinforcements for its troops along the Syrian border. Turkey deploys military reinforcement near Syria border WATCH Toronto-Dominion Bank has announced that it has cut its five-year posted rate for fixed-rate mortgages from 5.34% to 4.99%, and its special rate to 3.09% (or 3.11 with annual carrying fees). The decision came earlier this week with the drop of the five-year government bond yield to 1.34%, from the 1.70% in mid-December. This development was in part due to the widespread fear surrounding the coronavirus threat. Based on current market conditions, lower funding costs have led to a growing variance in customer rates versus posted rates, bank spokeswoman Ana Aujla told The Canadian Press. Ryanair has doubled down on its claim it is 'Europe's greenest airline' - a day after UK regulators ruled it misled consumers in adverts over its green credentials. Yesterday, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said that the budget carrier broke rules on environmental claims and misleading consumers in its press, TV, and radio ads from September 2019. The print ad compared the carrier's CO2 emissions per passenger, per kilometre, to four other big European carriers and claimed 'Ryanair has the lowest carbon emissions of any major airline', while the TV and radio spot referenced 'low CO2 emissions'. Ryanair has doubled down on its claim that it is 'Europe's greenest airline' - a day after UK regulators ruled it misled consumers in adverts over its green credentials The ASA said the 'ads [...] must not appear again in their current forms', as the claims could not be substantiated. It added that customers would interpret the ads' claims to mean that travelling with Ryanair would mean they were contributing less CO2 than travelling with other airlines, which could not be proved. But today, Ryanair hit back by releasing its own CO2 emissions data for January along with a statement from its marketing officer Kenny Jacobs, who maintained the carrier is 'Europe's greenest/cleanest airline'. He said: 'With the youngest fleet and highest load factors, Ryanair is Europes greenest/cleanest major airline. 'Our CO2 per passenger/km is the lowest in the industry, having been cut from 82g to 66g over the last decade while other high fare competitors currently generate over 120g per pax/km. 'The single most important thing any consumer can do to reduce their carbon footprint is switch to Ryanair. 'We are pleased to announce that our CO2 per pax/km for January was 69g, half the rate of other flag carrier European airlines, and we are committed to reducing this by a further 10 per cent to under 60g per pax/km by 2030.' Ryanair's Kenny Jacobs said: 'With the youngest fleet and highest load factors, Ryanair is Europes greenest/cleanest major airline' After the statement was released, MailOnline Travel contacted Ryanair to ask why it described itself as 'Europe's greenest airline' - given yesterday's ASA ruling. In reply, the airline said: 'Ryanairs CO2 emissions per passenger km is 66g, which is 25 per cent lower than the other major European airlines. 'Ryanair is delighted with its latest environmental advertising campaign, which communicates a hugely important message for our customers. The single most important thing any consumer can do to halve their carbon footprint is switch to Ryanair. 'We successfully ran this advertising message in 10 countries across Europe. We made minor adjustments to the advertising in the UK market at the request of the relevant approval bodies. 'We were surprised we had to make these small changes, as the message was approved in other markets and we provided all the supporting data they required.' It is unclear what 'small changes' have been made to the UK ads. The ASA, which says it does not regulate 'press releases or public relations material', declined to comment. Close Briton who tested positive for coronavirus on board ship was on honeymoon The third person to have been diagnosed with coronavirus in the UK is believed to have caught the disease in Singapore. It comes as Japan reported 41 new cases of the illness on a quarantined cruise ship near Yokohama. Before the new cases, 20 infected passengers had been escorted off the Diamond Princess. Meanwhile, a Chinese doctor who had been threatened by police after sounding the alarm about the coronavirus died. The illness has killed 636 people and infected 31,161, with 260 cases recorded outside of China. Follow the latest updates COLUMBUS, Ohio Just months after enacting it, the Ohio House of Representatives has moved to undo a stealthy law change requested by a wealthy village in Stark County making it easier for residents there to switch school districts. House members, as part of a larger education bill on Wednesday, approved an amendment that repeals the school-territory transfer language tucked into last years state budget bill. If approved, Hills & Dales residents could still continue using the new process which allows township residents to call for an election on whether to switch to a nearby school district as could any other communities, as long as they begin before Sept. 1. A spokeswoman for Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder declined to comment for this story, citing a pending lawsuit about the transfer law. But the Ohio Education Association, a union that represents teachers, requested the amendment, according to Scott DiMauro, the groups president. Lawmakers felt cutting off the new law immediately would raise constitutional issues, since Hills & Dales has already used it to file for a local election, DiMauro said in an interview. But, he said the OEA will continue to support Plain schools in fighting the change, whether its through the districts ongoing legal challenge or a local election campaign. We wanted to make sure that doesnt happen anywhere else where a small group of people can circumvent the process to move from one district to another, he said. To take effect, the amendment repealing the new law would have to be approved by the state Senate and signed by Gov. Mike DeWine. Whether or not that happens is unclear, since the overall bill is wrapped up in a larger stand-off between the two chambers about how to reform a state voucher program that pays for eligible children in low-performing school districts to attend private schools. The new transfer was requested by influential residents of Hills & Dales, a village of roughly 200 people, last summer. The village for years had been trying to switch to nearby Jackson schools. But the State Board of Education, whose approval was needed for transfers under the old transfer process, blocked it in 2005. A state hearing officer ruled the switch to Jackson schools, a richer and whiter district, would increase economic and racial segregation and financially hurt Plain schools. So, the district turned to state lawmakers, hiring a lobbyist to seek to change the law. The amendment was approved without debate as part of dozens of last-minute changes to the 3,000-plus page bill. State lawmakers have refused to say who requested it. Plain schools has sued the state over the law change, seeking to have it thrown out. The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled against the district, ordering Stark County elections officials this week to proceed with the new process. But a separate school lawsuit filed in federal court continues. Amanda Martinsek, an attorney representing Plain schools, said Thursday she is reviewing the new House amendment but had no immediate additional comment. Read other recent Ohio state news: Proposed $13 minimum wage ballot issue clears Ohio panel, can begin collecting signatures State leaders address hot-button issues during AP forum: Capitol Letter Ohio legislative leaders noncommittal on DeWine gun bill in 2020 Path cleared for top GOP state lawmakers re-election after Democratic opponent disqualified Ruling Democratic Party of Korea floor leader Lee In-young, second from left, speaks during a party meeting at the National Assembly in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap By Jung Da-min While the government is trying to contain "fake news" on the coronavirus outbreak to prevent unnecessary fears among the public, rival parties are taking advantage of it as a political tool to attack each other's policy measures. Last week, the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) denounced the government's plan to send 3 million protective masks to China, saying the government was mass collecting masks to send to China while people here suffer from a shortage of masks. But the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said the LKP is buying into fake news since most of the funds for the mask aid came from the private sector, such as alumni associations of Koreans who studied at universities in China, and the government simply offered logistical support. The masks were delivered to China on a plane which the government chartered to evacuate Koreans from Hubei Province, and about half of the planned 3 million masks have been sent so far together along with protective clothes, eyewear, gloves and hand sanitizers. The DPK also said the LKP's claim that the ruling party and four other minor parties had cut the budget related to masks is also fake news. Rep. Min Kyung-wook of the LKP claimed the five parties reduced this year's budget for masks to be distributed to the underprivileged from initial plan of 57.4 billion won to 46 billion won, but minutes of the Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee and Special Committee on Budget and Accounts showed LKP lawmakers had demanded more reduction of the budget, according to the DPK. "Spreading fake information that has not been confirmed in a time of national crisis is an act of jeopardizing people's lives," DPK Rep. Cho Jeong-sik, who heads the party's policy planning committee, said during a party meeting at the National Assembly, Thursday. DPK spokeswoman Lee Jae-jung also said a day before in a commentary: "LKP leader Hwang Kyo-ahn was at the front in spreading fake news that arouses hatred against foreigners, which is more fatal than the virus." Wine Country Geographic today announced the launch of OrganicallySonoma.com, a new website designed to help consumers and wine professionals find estate wines from certified organic vines from Sonomas leading vintners. We hope consumers and the wine industry will make 2020 the year to Drink Well,' said Pam Strayer, Wine Country Geographic founder and publisher as well as the author of the Organically Sonoma site. Dry January is over. With this new site, consumers now have new and better tools to help them find the wines that fit their eco friendly and health conscious lifestyles. You could call it a personal Green New Deal for wine." "In addition to meeting consumers' concerns about pesticides in wine, organically grown wines also offer a more climate friendly solution," Strayer said. The latest scientific study shows that organic or biodynamic vineyards put 9-13 percent more carbon back into the soil than conventional or sustainable wine, she said. While we can all appreciate that the sustainable wine movement may be helping the overall wine industry to pivot to better farming in the long term, sustainable wine guidelines do not provide the pesticide restrictions that meet consumer concerns about health, Strayer continued. Organic growers and vintners offer much safer alternatives for people, wildlife, birds, bees and planet. Testing in the U.S. and France has found that conventional and sustainable wines contain up to 500-1000 percent more glyphosate and copper residues than organically grown wines. In addition, consumers should be aware that many conventional and sustainable wines are grown with herbicide and fungicides that contain unlisted ingredients: arsenic, heavy metal and pesticide residues, she said. GIVING VOICE TO SONOMA'S ORGANIC SIDE Voices from the organic side of Sonomas wine industry have been largely unheard, said Strayer. There are 47 estate wineries with certified organic vines in the county, she said, and many are among the finest producerswith national and international reputations. All the organically grown wines from Sonoma do contain sulfites, as do most fine wines from organic or other vines around the globe. While 20 of the 47 wineries with organic estate vines are 100% organic within brand, 27 are not. "The site helps consumers identify choices on a wine by wine basis," Strayer said. "Brands may have organic estates but then purchase grapes for other wines from conventional or sustainable growers. Organically Sonoma lists only the wines from certified organic vines." WINE QUALITY HIGH Organic grape growers are extremely attentive to their vines, Strayer said, and that results in better grapes and high quality winemaking in the hands of fine winemakers. Many of the organically grown wines in Sonoma get scores from top critics (like Wine Advocate and Antonio Gallonis Vinuous) of 90-95 points. Consumers can have their cake and eat it, toobuying organically grown wines from fine wine producers." Sonomas organic growers mirror the wide variety of grapes Sonoma is famous forCabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel are the top three varieties produced. ORGANIC VINEYARDS ARE 3% OF SONOMA COUNTY'S VINES Sonoma County has approximately 1,870 acres of certified organic or biodynamic vines, representing 3% of the countys 59,193 planted vineyard acres. Of these,1,491 acres are owned by estate wineries. Growers certify an additional 379 acres of organic or biodynamic vines. SONOMA'S LEADERSHIP ROLE IN BIODYNAMICS Sonoma County has 10 biodynamic estate producers and three biodynamic growers. "It's the county with the largest number of biodynamic wineries and growers in the country," Strayer said. (Other regions - Oregon and Mendocino County - have more acreage, but fewer wineries). The countys total biodynamic acreage is 426 acres, which represents 21% of the certified organic acreage. Three of Sonomas biggest organic vineyard owners are both organic and biodynamic. A WIN WIN: CONSUMERS IN THE KNOW CAN DRINK THE BEST WINES AND AVOID PESTICIDES According to the California Dept. of Pesticide Regulation, in 2017 Sonoma growers and vintners used 74,815 pounds of glyphosate on wine grape vines. Glyphosate is the leading ingredient in Roundup, she said, which we now know is a carcinogen. While seven cities and the county of Sonoma have all voted to ban glyphosate from public spaces, parks and schools, Sonomas growers continue to pour thousands of pounds of Roundup on to the soil, she added. Unlike food, organically grown wines cost no more than other wines. ORGANIC AND BIODYNAMIC STANDARDS STRICTER AND BETTER ENFORCED We know from the wine industrys own market research that 43% of consumers think sustainable means organic, Strayer said. Its time for consumers to know the facts. Almost all of Sonomas sustainable growers, according to their pesticide use reports, use agricultural chemicals that may contain bird and bee toxins, carcinogens, developmental and reproductive toxins and other chemicals of concern. According to state statistics, in 2017 Sonoma Countys growers applied 9,751 pounds of one fungicide, boscalid (a bird and bee toxin), on grape vines. At a time of decreasing biodiversity and ecological imbalance, consumers should know they can support growers and wineries that promote life, she said. Enforcement is another issue. While wine growers have generously funded and aggressively marketed their Sonoma Certified Sustainable program, we have seen that lapses in program enforcement have led to using banned toxins in wines bottled with the programs little green labels, she added. The standard is not enforced by federal law. ORGANIC IS A GROWING TREND AND ESPECIALLY AMONG MILLENNIALS The organically grown wine category has expanded rapidly in Europe, where approximately 10% of vineyards in Spain, Italy and France are either certified or in transition to organic certification. Experts predict that the organic wine market in the EU will increase dramatically by 2022. Sonomas organic growers are definitely in the vanguard of this movement and have made tremendous strides, thanks to the vineyard management leadership over decades of dedicated experts like Phil Coturri, Amigo Bob Cantisano and of committed wineries who care, Strayer said. Now consumers can finally see each and every producer and the wines they make from organic vines. SUBSCRIBER BENEFITS A subscription to OrganicallySonoma.com costs $25 a year and gives readers access to: PRODUCER PROFILES In depth producer profiles on 47 estate wineries with certified organic vines in Sonoma WINE LISTS Lists of wines from certified vines: 250+ wines (from $20-$250) and tasting notes on selected wines A list of 20 everyday wines (under $25) NEWS AND ARTICLES News on selected wines TASTING AND TOURING Info on dozens of great tasting and touring destinations WINERY OFFERS Discounts on wine, shipping and two for one tastings at participating wineries. Visitors can check out the new website at http://www.organicallysonoma.com. Wine Country Geographic also offers services including wine buying consults, trip planning, and tour guide services to help consumers and the food industry explore, try and buy organically grown wines. It receives no sponsorship or advertising revenue from wineries. ----------------------------------- ABOUT WINE COUNTRY GEOGRAPHIC Wine Country Geographic is a publishing company that provides consumers and wine professionals with guides to wines grown from certified organic or biodynamic vines. Wine Country Geographic was founded by Pam Strayer, a leading expert on organic and biodynamic wines from the U.S.. She has written and spoken widely on vineyards and pesticides and on organic and biodynamic wine topics. Her articles have appeared in the industry magazines Wines & Vines, Wine Business Monthly and Beverage Media. Ms. Strayer has also conducted online classes on organic topics for Women of the Vine & Spirits and spoken to classes at Healdsburg SHED, Santa Rosa Junior College, and Sonoma State Universitys Wine Business Institute. She served as Conference Program Director for Demeter USAs 2018 International Biodynamic Wine Conference and is a Senior Editor for California wines in Slow Food's bestselling wine book, Slow Wine Guide 2020. Contact: Pam Strayer, Wine Country Geographic winecountrygeographic@gmail.com or info@organicallysonoma.com (510) 213-9525 Wine Country Geographic Follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/organicallysonoma Follow us on Twitter @winecountrygeo COMING SOON: OrganicallyNapa.com Biodynamic Wines & Vines (bd.wine) Two more sites, one on California's Central Coast and one on Oregon, will launch this spring. FACT SHEET Certified Organic Vines in Sonoma Certified Acres | 1,870 acres of certified organic vines Percentage | 3% Number of producers with organic estate vineyards | 47 Number of producers who make only organically grown estate wines | 20 Number of wines | 250+ Organic certifiers used by Sonoma vintners | CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmer), Organic Certifiers Biodynamic Certifier | Demeter USA Organically Grown Wines from Sonoma Wines from Bordeaux grapes (Cabernet, Cab blends, Merlot and more) were the most popular. Rhone wines (Grenache, Syrah, and more) made up the second largest category. 28% | Bordeaux: Cabernet and more 21% | Rhone: Grenache, Syrah and more 18% | Burgundian: Pinot and Chardonnay 16% | Heritage Reds: Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Blends and more 7% | Rose 4% | Italian Grapes: Barbera, Fiano, Greco, Montepulciano, Sagrantino and Sangiovese 6% | Other: heritage whites, sparkling wines. dessert wines Financial Impact Sonomas organic grape growers represent $23.3 million in wine grape value.* Based on calculations by the Sonoma County Vintners of the total wine value from wines made in Sonoma, the portion represented by the organic sector in terms of retail value is $240 million.** *Calculated at 3% of the total value of all wine grapes - $777 million - in Sonoma in the 2018 Sonoma County Crop Report. **Calculated at 3% of the total value of all wine from Sonoma, reported to be $8 billion by the Sonoma County Vintners. Website: https://sonomawine.com/wine-community-impact/ SYRACUSE -- Yes, the weather in Central New York is cruddy with rain and sleet this week, and with more snow predicted. All the better, though, for winter bald eagle watching this weekend at the southern end of Onondaga Lake behind the Destiny USA Mall. Alison Kocek, president of Onondaga Audubon told Syracuse.com Wednesday her groups weekly eagle count on Onondaga Lake resulted in the sighting of 11 eagles. And Im guessing that number will go up with the cold front and snow, she said. An added extra for this weekend is a birding walk set for Saturday to see the eagles and more hosted by Onondaga Lake Conservation Corps. It involves a one-mile birding walk along the shore of Onondaga Lake to explore newly restored habitats that attract thousands of wildlife, dozens of bald eagles and other wildlife during the winter months. The birds congregate each winter in the trees overlooking the open water near the countys sewage treatment plant and the mouth of Onondaga Creek. The warm water coming out of the plant keeps the water open and attracts schools of gizzard shad and other fish. The birds are there for the food. They eat fish and occasionally a duck or a goose. An adult bald eagle flies over Onondaga Lake. The main vantage point for seeing the eagles is in the parking lot behind Best Buy, close to the road in the back of the Destiny USA mall; from on top of the first level parking ramp near Best Buy and along the Creek Walk along Onondaga Creek. The end part of the creek walk is closed this time of year, but occasionally eagles can be seen overlooking the open water along the creek looking for food. The birds visible from the mall parking lot can be seen roosting about 100 yards away in the trees on Murphys Island. Bring a good pair of binoculars or a spotting scope. Saturdays field trip will begin at Honeywells Onondaga Lake Visitors Center located at 280 Restoration Way, Syracuse, NY 13209. It will last from 10 a.m. to noon. Space is limited and registration is required. Call 315-365-3588 or email montezuma@audubon.org, writing Onondaga Lake in the subject line. Participants should wear shoes or boots that can get muddy or wet. The walk will be easy to moderate with flat trails, but with some uneven footing. Binoculars and field guides will be provided. The event will proceed rain or shine. The fee for the event is $5 per person, $15 per family. Please bring exact change to the event. For more, see the Conservation Corps website. And on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being prime time), what are the changes of seeing a bald eagle? Pretty good, Kocek said. Scoring or speed gauges with numbers one through ten. Based on her comments, the fact that 11 were spotted this week and that the lake freezing over more and more each day, well give it a 7. MORE: How to see wintering bald eagles on Onondaga Lake 51 bald eagles spotted in trees at Onondaga Lakes southern end Onondaga Lakes wintering bald eagles an awesome sight (video) Public investments in utilities, land and marketing are starting to pay off with new businesses and jobs in Colleton County, with a number of recent economic development announcements. Wayne Brothers Cos., a construction firm from Davidson, N.C., said this week it will invest $7 million in a regional operations center at Colleton Venture Park near U.S. Interstate 95. The company plans to hire 75 workers. The 33-acre site will house construction management, recruitment and human resources staff as well as a construction equipment maintenance shop and a trade skills training center. Keith Wayne, the company's president and CEO, said subsidiary Preferred Construction Supply will also build a distribution center to send materials to contractors throughout the Carolinas. "This announcement speaks to the world class labor force here and the great location that Colleton Venture Park provides," said Lee Petrolawicz, chairman of the Colleton County Economic Alliance. Wayne Brothers joins Colonial Precast Concrete of Carolina, which announced a $2.5 million investment at the industrial park in September. The company produces, delivers and installs precast hollow-core beams, columns and precast stairs. It plans to hire 55 workers and begin operations later this year. State Sen. Marjorie Bright-Matthews, who represents the Venture Park area, said efforts "bring quality jobs and investment to Colleton County is finally paying off." Venture Park grew out of the 2011 closure of New York Wire, the county's largest manufacturer at the time with 224 workers. The county bought the New York Wire building the following year to save it from demolition and later invested $200,000 in new offices and an executive parking lot for Indian textile manufacturer Sarlaflex. At about the same time, the county joined the Southern Carolina Regional Development Alliance a partnership of seven counties that are pooling resources to tout their industrial sites, adding marketing heft. The New York Wire property sale came with an additional 125 acres that Colleton decided to develop as Venture Park. Residents approved a 1 percent sales tax referendum in 2014 to help pay for infrastructure improvements throughout the county. More recently, Colleton secured nearly $1.5 million in grants for new water and sewer lines at Venture Park, which should be in place within a year. "We are investing in product development, which includes improving shovel-ready sites immediately on I-95, financing the purchase of an industrial rail line that traverses the middle of the county and crosses I-95 and constructing speculative industrial buildings," said Heyward Horton, executive director of the Colleton County Economic Alliance. The idea, he said, is to have attractive industrial sites available when businesses come calling. In the past couple of years, Colleton and Walterboro the county seat have announced about $85 million in business investments bringing close to 650 jobs to an area that once had one of South Carolina's highest unemployment rates. More is likely on the way, with Colleton recently joining the state Commerce Department and the South Carolina Power Team to purchase an 870-acre "mega site" near I-95 designed to attract a large manufacturer along the lines of Volvo Cars or Boeing. Horton said the property "will play a significant role in the long-term future of Colleton County," adding the County Council has thrown its support behind efforts to diversify the area's industrial base. "They are bullish on the future, and they want good companies to locate in the county, to invest in facilities and to hire our citizens from the county and surrounding region," he said. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Editor's Note: This is the second of a two-part op-ed from an evangelical who kept his faith in response to evangelical-turned-atheist's Luke Douglas' op-ed, "I Lost My Faith in a Chick-fil-a." The first part of the op-ed series can be read here. (3) Presuppositional Apologetics. Luke Douglas merely mentions the phrase presuppositional apologetics once. There is no reason to believe that he had a mature or developed understanding of this apologetic tradition except what was mediated to him through his childhood icon, Ken Ham. I also learned of presuppositional apologetics. I read some of the key works of Cornelius Van Til as well as those who were influential scholars in the field: Greg Bahnsen, John Frame, and James Anderson. As part of my apologetic development I spent time in two summer seminars at Dr. Bahnsens house in California. The first time we were required to read two books (totaling nearly 800 pages) by atheist philosopher Michael MartinAtheism: A Philosophical Justification and The Case Against Christianity. We then spent three days critically examining the arguments of Martin. The second seminar I attended was a detailed discussion of transcendental argumentstheir nature, structure, and relevance for Christian apologetics. Douglas does attempt to provide something of a description of the kinds of arguments he once believed. He writes: See, my whole upbringings teaching was that, apart from God, there would be no basis for morality, for purpose, or even for logic itself. If there were no higher power Whose nature exemplified right, there would be no such thing as wrong. The further removed I become from presuppositional apologetics, however, the less sense that whole line of argument makes. But given Douglas simplistic understanding of these issuesat least as described in his writinghe seems unaware of the more sophisticated versions of these arguments. I have actually defended versions of these arguments regarding morality and purpose in public forums. The argument from logic as that which needs a theistic base has been defending by philosophers James Anderson and Greg Welty in their paper "The Lord of Noncontradiction: An Argument for God from Logic." Of course, Douglas offers no reasons as to why he does not accept these arguments and the alternative foundation for morality that he offers is not well thought out. He simply states, without evidence or reason, the following: My morality post-evangelicalism is driven by tough questions about maximizing happiness in a complex world. Its driven by empathy for my fellow beings This is a fine sounding sentiment, but is it rational given an atheistic worldview? Does an atheistic worldview have the needed philosophical resources to ground the ethic Douglas espouses? A Humanist ethic is not simply justified by rejecting theistic ethics. As William Craig argues, The problem the humanist confronts is this: If theism is false, humanism doesnt win by default. If theism is false, youve got to ask yourself, why wouldnt nihilism be true? What proof do you have that nihilism is not the correct remaining alternative? It is not merely Christian philosophers or those with a theistic background that make this argument. A number of atheistic philosophers also draw the same conclusion. Consider the words from Tamler Somers and Alex Rosenberg from their article "Darwin's Nihilistic Idea: Evolution and the Meaninglessness of Life": But when we combine an evolutionary account of ethical beliefs with the conception of Darwinian theory as a universal acid the result is moral nihilism. If all apparently purposive processes, states, events, and conditions are in reality the operation of a purely mechanical substrate neutral algorithm, then as far [as] explanatory tasks go, the only values we need attribute to biological systems are instrumental ones. An evolutionary account of moral belief will not only explain ethics but it will explain it away. This is an argument I find persuasive but it doesnt appear that Douglas has yet to critically engage with this challenge. He doesnt show how his commitment to naturalistic evolutionwhich was the primary cause of his leaving the faith of his youthdoes not reduce his ethics to moral nihilism. Where is Jesus? Conspicuously absent from Luke Douglas account of his Christian past is the person of Jesus. For an evangelical, this is puzzling. Albert Einstein is noted as saying, I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene. No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. Yet for Douglas, in his narration, Jesus hardly merits mention. Even in his recounting of his apologetics there is no concern for the historical rootedness of the Christian faith, nor for the historical arguments that have been marshaled for the resurrection of Jesus. There was also very little in Douglas account about the personal dynamics of his relationship with Jesus Christa usual staple of evangelical spirituality. He does, however, mention, spending hours on my knees in prayer, my entire emotional focus pinned on talking to God, only to hear nothing back. This experience of divine silence is not an anomaly for those who follow Jesus. As philosopher Paul Moser notes, the existential problem of divine hiddenness can be said to even touch Christ Jesus himself in his tortured moments on the cross when he cries out, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Mark 15.34) Thus, it may be that times and seasons of divine silence and the perceived absence of Gods presence may be a normal part of the Christian life. In my own experience there have been those seasons of divine silence. I remember one particular time as a pastor struggling with the seeming absence of God. The usual antidotes to such times do not normally include philosophical theology but it was during this season I did read a piece that was helpful. Notre Dame philosopher, Michael Rea, wrote an essay entitled "Narrative, Liturgy, and the Hiddenness of God" which actually helped as part of the process of navigating that time. I bring this up, not to appeal to this essay as the panacea for all persons and times of seeming abandonment, but, rather, to show that there are intellectual resources available for such issues. Without meaning to demean Luke Douglas own internal crisis, I do wonder if his youthful and intellectually undeveloped faith might not have been helped by wise guidance and more mature reflection available from within the Christian tradition. The Way Forward for Luke, Me, and Others Luke Douglas has moved from evangelical Christian faith to atheism. He has embraced this new worldview with the zeal of a new convert. He has become the Executive Director for the Humanist Society of Greater Phoenix. In a recent interview Douglas speaks of his goal of campus outreach to attract a younger audience as well as prostheletizing militant nonbelief. I also was raised in the evangelical Christian tradition and have stayed in. This was not as result of closing my mind to alternatives; my faith has been sharpened and honed over the past thirty some years since my time in high school. I, too, am still zealous for outreach on college campuses which is part of the reason I am associated with Ratio Christi which seeks to influence faculty and students on college campuses by giving them historical, philosophical, and scientific reasons to follow Jesus. A large part of my journey has been shaped by the influence of Christian philosophers and theologians. This has served to both deepen and stabilize my faith. J. P. Moreland and Klaus Issler poignantly articulate the importance of Christian scholarship for the church in their book In Search of a Confident Faith: Overcoming Barriers to Trusting in God: A helpful strategy of offense is to develop a counterculture in which believers are regularly exposed to Christian scholars, sophisticated Christian alternatives to secular ideas, and thoughtful Christian books, magazines and journals. Note, such exposure is not important merely so Christians can come to develop Christian alternatives to secular ideas. It is not just secular ideas that must be countered. It is the process of secularization itself that must be confronted, including the process of socializing Christians into thinking of themselves as marginalized, weak, gullible, uneducated people. Thus, even if you are not yourself particularly well-educated, and even if you cannot understand the line of reasoning of articulate Christian scholars and carefully thought-out Christian books, exposure to the very existence of such things can provide you with confidence and remove doubt rooted in cultural background assumptions. I hope and pray the church will heed this admonition so that this might be one of the means used to stem the flow of those leaving the faith. One wonders what might have been the outcome if Luke had been exposed to such scholarship. So for now, heres where things stand: Luke left; I stayed. But Luke still can come home to Jesusthere is every reason to do so. By ANI CHENNAI: The Income Tax Department on Thursday recovered Rs 65 crores from the residence of Tamil actor Joseph Vijay's financer in Chennai during raids which were carried out in the connection with an alleged tax evasion case linked to AGS Cinemas, said sources. The department is conducting raids and surveys at Actor Vijay, Financer and Producer Anbu Chezhiyan residences. Around 38 premises have been covered in the raid. ALSO READ: 'Thalapathi' Vijay under scanner in alleged tax evasion case According to IT sources the counting of money is still on so there are chances that the amount will rise. Vijay's wife was at Chennai home when IT sleuths carried out a raid at his residence. Speaking on the reports of the Actor being intervened during the shooting of the film, the income tax official said, "Actor Vijay was not picked up between his shooting as reported in some media reports." The actor was shooting for his upcoming film "Master" in Neyveli when he received the news of the raid. "Actor Vijay had cut short his shooting and returned to his home immediately after getting the news of raids, now the officials are ready to facilitate him to continue his shooting if he wishes to," sources from Income Tax said. In reality, where we all live, the White House and Republicans scrambled Monday to deal with the situation created by John Bolton, who has blown the impeachment trial open with his leaked manuscript. There were new revelations about Bolton's book Monday from the New York Times, which first broke details on Sunday and is now reporting that Bolton told William Barr, the attorney general, that he was concerned President Donald Trump was doing personal favors for autocratic leaders. Trump's alternate reality In the cloistered confines of the Senate chamber, Trump's defense team made its arguments as if the Bolton bombshell had no impact on their case. "Nothing in the Bolton revelations, even if true, would rise to the level of an abuse of power or an impeachable offense," said Alan Dershowitz, the first and only Trump defender to mention the manuscript said Monday. "That is clear from the history. That is clear from the language of the Constitution," he said, arguing that presidents routinely intertwine their personal interests with policy and that quid pro quo between world leaders is perfectly normal. "You cannot turn conduct it is not impeachable into impeachable conduct simply by using words like 'quid pro quo' and 'personal benefit.'" What Bolton knows According to reports on a leaked manuscript of his book, Bolton alleges that Trump absolutely tied the release of US security aid to investigations by Ukraine into his political rival Joe Biden. It all confirms and amplifies the storyline behind the charges that Trump personally abused his power and obstructed Congress. More: 3 ways Bolton contradicts Trump's defense These are the bullet points from a much more in-depth story from CNN's Marshall Cohen about how Bolton pokes holes in the defense Trump's team is currently presenting: - Quid pro quo confirmed, again - No policy reason for aid freeze - Firsthand accounts of Trump Read the whole thing here. Bolton's book is called "The Room Where it Happened" That last point about firsthand accounts is so important. Since most White House aides agreed to ignore House subpoenas, this is key first-hand testimony, confirming US Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland's account that Trump was directly orchestrating the pressure campaign. Or, rather, it would be first-hand testimony if Republican senators want to hear it. The cat is out of the bag Whoever handed over the manuscript -- Bolton's attorney has blamed a White House review process -- has unleashed Bolton's allegations into the world. Regardless of whether Bolton actually testifies under at the Senate trial, he's given his side in the court of public opinion. Impossible to ignore The Times reported the White House could feasibly block elements of his book from publication. The leak solves that too. The White House had suggested that Bolton's testimony could be blocked for violating Trump's executive privilege. But now the White House would be blocking something that's already known. However, Bolton could lose protection from prosecution for disclosing something that's privileged or classified if he intentionally sidesteps that White House approval process. Read more about how books are approved by the White House, at a little-known office within the National Security Council. Stop it, John Bolton, says former Bolton aide Bolton's former chief of staff and longtime colleague, Fred Fleitz, worried about executive privilege and the President's ability to get sound, confidential advice, asks in a Fox News op-ed for his former boss to withdraw his book. Will Bolton change Republican minds? Republicans feel blindsided by news of Bolton's book. They shouldn't. Bolton basically begged to testify in the House impeachment hearings, but back then he wanted the imprimatur of a judge to protect him. His lawyer specifically said he had knowledge of things that hadn't been reported. And, out of nowhere earlier this month, he said he would no longer require a judicial decision. He'd happily testify at the Senate trial. The White House got Bolton's book December 30. They didn't tell Mitch McConnell. But the fact that the White House had the manuscript for so long and didn't bother to tell any of the Republicans serving as Trump's jurors has caused some frustration. Were they trying to bury it? Or did they just not think of it? To oppose his testimony after Bolton's accusations is willful ignorance of a direct allegation of abuse of power from someone spit out of the inner circle of the White House. And CNN's Dana Bash reported today that even if Bolton's name was not mentioned by Trump's defense, it was all over the halls of Capitol Hill as senators assessed the fallout. That doesn't mean most Republicans won't vote with the White House and oppose his testimony. But it does make that vote more difficult. Democrats need four Republicans to subpoena Bolton. We still only know of two Democrats need four Republicans to support their calls for Bolton's testimony. Two -- Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine -- have said they'll likely want to hear from witnesses. Another, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, is on the bubble. More Republicans expected to support Bolton testimony "It's relevant and therefore I'd like to hear it," said Romney, although he would not speculate about how it would affect his final vote on the trial. But stay tuned for more Republicans backing Bolton's testimony. "I think it's increasingly likely that other Republicans will join those of us who feel we should hear from John Bolton," he said. But who? Romney was criticized by a colleague for his openness to witnesses. "After 2 weeks, it's clear that Democrats have no case for impeachment. Sadly, my colleague @SenatorRomney wants to appease the left by calling witnesses who will slander the @realDonaldTrump during their 15 minutes of fame. The circus is over. It's time to move on!" said Sen. Kelly Loeffler on Twitter. When does curious become committed? Sen. Lisa Murkowski is, as yet, no more than curious about Bolton. "I said before I was curious about what Ambassador Bolton might have to say. I'm still curious," she told reporters Monday. Historical note on Romney Republicans: Remember when John Bolton endorsed Romney's presidential campaign in 2012? Democrats, meanwhile, are invigorated "The Senate needs to hear from Bolton," said Alabama Sen. Doug Jones, the most at-risk Democrat in the Senate, on Twitter. "The American people deserve to hear from Bolton. If we can't get Bolton let's get a subpoena for the book!" The arguments you'll hear Republicans make against Bolton testimony He's just trying to sell books Sen. John Barrasso, a solid Trump supporter, downplayed the Bolton news. "Yeah, there's really nothing new here. It does seem to be an effort to sell books," Barrasso said. Here are the other arguments against a subpoena for Bolton: Issues with testimony, executive privilege GOP sources told CNN's Manu Raju they expect the Senate Republican leadership to reiterate to their conference the arguments they've been making for weeks: That seeking John Bolton testimony would raise constitutional and executive privilege concerns, It'll take a long time If the White House going through a protracted legal fight for his testimony would accomplish very little since Trump is expected to get acquitted anyway. Not their job Republicans in the Senate, as well as Trump himself, have argued it's not the Senate's job to conduct a probe. The House should have done it. Of course abuse of power is against the law When Trump's defenders argue he has broken no law and committed no crime, they point to a paper written by a Harvard law school professor, Nikolas Bowie. But they're wrong, according to Bowie, who argues in the New York Times that abuse of power and obstruction of Congress are common law crimes not specifically written out in statute. Read: crimes so obvious nobody thought to pass legislation outlawing them. "Abuse of power may be 'unwritten' in any code, and obstruction of Congress may be 'implied' by statutes, but these crimes are now as well established, well defined and destructive of the public trust as bribery or treason. If the President did what the House accuses him of doing, he can and should be punished." Irony alert: The media and Hunter Biden Trump's defense team spent much of the day Monday focused specifically on Hunter Biden and his involvement with Burisma. And while Trump has often complained there has not been enough coverage in the news media of this storyline, the case presented by his team rested largely on mainstream media reports. Trump has repeatedly made unfounded and false claims to allege that the Bidens acted improperly in Ukraine. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe or Hunter Biden. Fact Check: Daniel Dale breaks down the Trump team's arguments on Hunter Biden Witness swap? Not happening, Democrats say Joe Biden, who spent most of his career sitting in the Senate alongside some of the very same people who are now pushing for Hunter Biden to testify, made clear that his son is not to be used as a bargaining chip. On the campaign trail Monday in Iowa he repeated a line he used over the weekend, saying that Republicans have maligned his "only surviving son" -- a reference to the 2015 death of his son Beau Biden. For all their efforts to push for testimony from Bolton, Senate Democrats are already fighting the idea that Hunter Biden might have to testify. The idea of a swap is an attempt to "feed red meat to their base but also red herrings to distract us from the central issue," Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts said on CNN Monday. Kenneth Starr warns of "age of impeachment" He singlehandedly brought about the Bill Clinton impeachment, so Ken Starr's inclusion on the Trump defense team is an incredible thing. What does he offer to the process? In addition to his legal expertise, he's a handy reminder of the Clintons, and Trump is always interested in reminding Americans of the Clintons. As independent counsel more than two decades ago, Starr published the investigative report that bears his name and went into great detail about Bill Clinton's extramarital affair, contributing to an intense partisan standoff that paved the way for today's state of affairs. On Monday he stood before the Senate and warned about a "grave disruption of government," and pleaded that all future impeachments must be bipartisan. It was a bizarre trip into an alternate reality where the 1990s never happened. Read here for our refresher on what happened back then. One past impeachment witness speaks up Another person hoping to re-cast the view of 1990s history is Monica Lewinsky, the former White House intern who had an affair with the President but was entrapped by Starr and then called to testify at Clinton's impeachment, back when Republicans wanted to hear witnesses at impeachment trials and Democrats did not. Trial schedule The Senate impeachment trial continues Tuesday at 1 pm ET. Guidance for the rest of the week from CNN's Ted Barrett: Trump's legal team is expected to continue its opening argument although a White House official working with the defense lawyers would not provide guidance on what they will say. It's the third and final day of their presentation. The White House official wouldn't say how long their arguments will take but the team is not expected to use all 24 hours that were allotted to them. After the defense ends its opening arguments, there will be up to 16 hours of questions by senators, submitted in writing to Chief Justice John Roberts, and then read aloud to the House managers and defense team. This will likely take two days but the exact schedule is not set yet, and some of the time could be yielded back. Next, there will be four hours of debate, equally divided between the two sides, to argue on the question of whether to "subpoena witnesses or documents." The trial organizing resolution says these arguments will be "followed by deliberation of the Senate, if so ordered under the impeachment rules." Senators and aides are a bit blurry as to exactly how or if these deliberations might take place, since senators aren't allowed to speak on the floor during the trial. The big vote on whether to compel witnesses and documents likely will occur Friday or Saturday, Sen. John Thune predicted. A vote on the articles would happen sometime after that. Reminder: The Iowa caucuses are on February 3. Francisco Garcia Parames (Trades, Portfolio), manager of Cobas Asset Management, disclosed this week that his firm established six new holdings for fourth-quarter 2019: Diamond S Shipping Inc. (NYSE:DSSI), Israel Chemicals Ltd. (XTAE:ICL), International Petroleum Corp. (OSTO:IPCO), TI Fluid Systems PLC (LSE:TIFS), Kongsberg Gruppen ASA (OSL:KOG) and AmoreG (XKRX:002790). Parames managed Bestinver's Bestinfond (Trades, Portfolio) until September 2014, where his 25-year track record near the top of performance rankings make him one of the prolific European asset managers in the value school. The fund manager said in his quarterly shareholder letter that Cobas, which has completed its third year, maintains its long-term stance in value investing through both the firm and its stakeholders. Parames applies key value investing principles from Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.A)(BRK.B) co-managers Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio) and Charlie Munger (Trades, Portfolio) within the framework of the Austrian business cycle theory. 37ac2ee0e94ff826fb62aa4086301c44.png The author of "Invirtiendo a largo plazo," Spanish for "investing for the long-term," said in his letter that value investing means "buying low and ignoring the latest fads," i.e., buying stocks growing at reasonable rates and trading at low multiples. As of quarter-end, the fund's $745 million equity portfolio contains 67 stocks with 10% turnover. The fund's top three sectors in terms of weight are energy, consumer cyclical and industrials. 56785eb577ef1eb85aab57d082131a06.png Diamond S Shipping Cobas purchased 501,029 shares of Diamond S Shipping, giving the position 1.02% weight in the equity portfolio. Shares averaged $14.99 during the quarter. b954549b3cf6d76c13a9054f158fbf79.png According to its website, the Greenwich, Connecticut-based company provides seaborne transportation of crude oil, refined petroleum and other products in international shipping markets. GuruFocus data shows that while the company's equity-to-asset ratio of 0.54 outperforms 62.36% of global competitors, Diamond S Shipping's debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77 underperforms 65.89% of global oil and gas companies. Story continues Israel Chemicals Cobas purchased 1,633,171 shares of Israel Chemicals, giving the stake 0.94% weight in the equity portfolio. Shares averaged 16.09 shekels ($4.68) during the quarter. 498716ece9dd9c1cda08083c5743a57b.png The Israeli agricultural inputs company extracts raw materials in three operating segments: fertilizers, industrial products and performance products. GuruFocus ranks Israel Chemicals' profitability 7 out of 10 on several positive investing signs, which include expanding profit margins and a return on equity that outperforms 71.10% of global competitors. fdf00bb5adeafe6879676bd17211dfe9.png Israel Chemicals' valuation ranks 10 out of 10 on several signs of undervaluation, which include a share price, price-book ratio and price-sales ratio near a 10-year low. Additionally, the company's EV-to-Ebitda ratio of 5.71 outperforms 81.11% of global competitors. ff615baeac0a7e8aa39e07f75a6363ea.png International Petroleum Cobas purchased 1,742,871 shares of International Petroleum, giving the holding 0.93% weight in the equity portfolio. Shares averaged 38.47 Swedish kroner ($4.01) during the quarter. 36fed794ae6327ff3b5be801f0d4cad1.png The Vancouver, British Columbia-based company explores for, develops and produces oil and natural gas through development projects in Canada, Malaysia, France and the Netherlands. According to GuruFocus, the company's net margin and return on equity are outperforming over 80% of global competitors, suggesting good profitability. 0532ecb91d6e7b40b51866c34ce9aa97.png TI Fluid Systems Cobas purchased 1,165,234 shares of TI Fluid Systems, giving the stake 0.49% weight in the equity portfolio. Shares averaged 2.14 pounds ($2.78) during the quarter. 6296c4dce80cafda3841a0a6ede7000c.png The U.K.-based company manufactures automotive fluid storage, carrying and delivery systems, primarily providing products for light vehicles. According to GuruFocus, the company's debt-to-equity ratio underperforms 77.12% of global competitors despite having a solid Piotroski F-score of 6. b2cd835d52413be16b33360b918b151f.png Kongsberg Gruppen Cobas purchased 262,070 shares of Kongsberg Gruppen, giving the position 0.48% weight in the equity portfolio. Shares averaged 135.19 Norwegian kroner ($14.67) during the quarter. 8d64ef1449bbaf1316b38fdcf0a226e2.png The Norwegian industrial company supplies products and services to the defense, maritime, oil, gas and aerospace industries. GuruFocus ranks the company's financial strength 5 out of 10: Although the company has a solid Piotroski F-score of 5, Kongsberg's debt ratios are underperforming over 51% of global competitors. 601909664cbd9eb854bb6edc2e0e600f.png AmoreG Cobas purchased 10,566 shares of AmoreG, giving the position 0.09% weight in the equity portfolio. Shares averaged 77,790.1563 won ($65.68) during the quarter. f4b5714c04ed7235971b02a9edfa29ee.png The South Korean personal care company manufactures and markets cosmetics, personal care products and other related products. GuruFocus ranks the company's profitability 9 out of 10 on the back of strong revenue and earnings growth over the past 10 years, as suggested by its 4.5-star business predictability rank. f7cd61f56864dd08ebfc30136876064e.png Disclosure: No positions. Read more here: Yacktman Asset Management's Top 4 Buys in the 4th Quarter Value Screeners Seek Good Opportunities Ahead of Valentine's Day Matthews China Fund's Top 5 Buys in the 4th Quarter Not a Premium Member of GuruFocus? Sign up for a free 7-day trial here. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Lottery seems like a sham, until someone wins it. Last year, a Telangana farmer won a lottery of over Rs 28 crore in Dubai and now a little boy has become a crorepati. Father of 1-year-old Indian baby boy from Kerala, purchased a ticket in his name and won a whopping $1 million (more than Rs 7 crore) in a monthly raffle draw in UAE, according to PTI. Representative Image/Unsplash Mohammad Salah's father Ramees Rahman has been a regular participant in the Dubai Duty Free promotions and he bought the winning ticket number 1319 online in Series 323 under his son's name. The result of Rahman's ticket's lucky draw was announced on Tuesday. Representative Image/Unsplash "I am extremely delighted with this great news and I thank Dubai Duty Free for this amazing promotion. My son's future is now well secured," Gulf News quoted Ramees as saying. 31-year-old Ramees is an accountant for a private company in Abu Dhabi. Mohammad Salah his son is going to turn one on February 13, according to Gulf News. Representative Image/Unsplash Well, the child will probably be considered very lucky for the family and we hope the father sets out a substantial sum of the lottery for the little boy so that you know uski life set ho jaye. Dishing up familiar pizza favorites like pepperoni, chicken, sausage, or steak, Domino's Pizza (NYSE:DPZ) hasn't risen to its No. 1 worldwide pizza sales position in recent years by selling chic experimental cuisine. Nor does its tasty but everyday fare necessarily outdo the food offered by local gourmet pizza shops. Domino's dominance in the global pizza market is built on wholly different factors, from efficient, technologically assisted delivery to specialized artificial intelligence (AI) built right into its ovens -- not to mention good business sense. Here's a closer look at five important factors in the restaurant chain's success and how likely they are to keep producing profitability in 2020 and beyond. It's using GPS to keep its competitive delivery edge Domino's showed leadership from the start in integrating quick delivery service with the electronics age. Its CEO, Patrick Doyle, famously dubbed it a tech company that delivers pizzas, introducing digital ordering ahead of competitors in 2007. While it isn't the first restaurant to use GPS for deliveries, it's currently making a major move into utilization of this technology. After extensive, apparently successful testing, Domino's delivery GPS tracking is getting rapidly integrated into its U.S. restaurant locations. Approximately 25% of its American stores were upgraded in this way by the end of 2019. The same system uses satellite data to send customers text message notifications when their pizza is two minutes away, and again on arrival, relieving them from waiting tediously at the door. It's watching new tech for opportunities Domino's seems to be brainstorming for novel ways to improve service with the latest innovations. E-commerce vice president Christopher Thomas-Moore recently noted that the company's research personnel are looking to boost ordering efficiency with fast, high-bandwidth 5G networks. 5G might seem to offer little advantage over current connections for pizza ordering, but the key takeaway is that even if 5G doesn't end up adding anything to operations, Domino's actively explores every possible new avenue for improving its business. That's how it comes up with innovations like using analytical AI to measure multiple pizza parameters, boosting prediction accuracy of preparation and delivery times from 75% to 95% and thus improving customer satisfaction. Its international expansion is vigorous International markets are a key area for any company looking to continue growth and expansion in the modern economy, and Domino's puts strong effort into this crucial sector. Its Australian branch, Domino's Pizza Enterprises (ASX:DMP), is currently the biggest pizza chain in the land of koalas and kangaroos, while it's expanding rapidly in Germany, France, and elsewhere in Europe. It also entered new Eastern European markets with the opening of its first franchise in the historic city of Brno, Czechia, in November 2019. According to its most recent financial report, Domino's opened a net 174 restaurants internationally during the third quarter of 2019, compared to 40 net openings in the U.S. This brings its total to 5,985 locations currently operational in America and 10,543 abroad. Its current two- to three-year guidance calls for 6% to 8% net growth in its global number of restaurants during that period. It's delivering real, and growing, profits All of Domino's innovation, expansion, and energy wouldn't matter if they didn't translate into actual gains for the bottom line. Fortunately for people investing in restaurant stocks who want to add the shares of a successful pizza chain to their portfolio, the company seems to have the skill to turn its strategic and technical good sense into plenty of dollars and cents. Same-store sales growth in the U.S. gained 2.4% year over year for the third quarter, marking -- as Domino's likes to point out -- the 34th consecutive quarter of domestic same-store sales growth. International same-store sales growth lagged somewhat at a 1.7% gain for Q3 2019, but grew for the 103rd consecutive quarter. Domino's ratio of cash flow to capital expenditures stood at 7.6:1 for the first three quarters of 2019. The company is well able to cover capex from revenue, without the necessity of external funding, while its free cash flow of approximately $282 million for the period gives it a robust foundation for future operations. It pays attention to investors' interests Domino's regularly carries out share repurchases to make its stock more valuable over time. In its Q3 2019 report, Domino's indicated it had repurchased 384,338 shares during the period, totaling over $93 million and helping to wrap up the $1 billion planned buyback authorized in 2015. Immediately following the quarter's end, at the start of October 2019, CFO Jeff Lawrence and the board of directors authorized an additional $1 billion of share repurchases over the next several years. Lawrence also pointed out that the combination of dividends and share buybacks have provided approximately $1 million daily in increasing value to shareholders over a 12-month period from the end of Q3 2018 to the end of Q3 2019. As Lawrence's statement highlights, Domino's orderly, consistent, long-term share buybacks aren't the only way the company provides value to investors. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) increased 5.1% year over year for the third quarter to $2.05. It also paid a $0.65 per-share quarterly dividend on Dec. 27. The most important Domino's topping appears to be success Domino's is company that has found a solid formula of accessibility, cutting-edge technological integration, and management acumen to create a reliably profitable business model over time. It has applied these interrelated strategies effectively over the past decade to achieve such milestones as dethroning Pizza Hut as the world's largest pizza seller in 2018. The company's ongoing pursuit of fresh approaches and dedication to flexibility show it has what it takes to compete in the 21st-century restaurant market. Regular dividends, growing EPS, and a rational, continuous share repurchase program provide steadily increasing value to investors. It pays attention to both the domestic and international arenas, producing consistent gains in both. Despite the inevitable random hiccups along the way, Domino's appears to be a solid investment to add to any portfolio. Iranian Christian who met with Trump details how regime shut down her familys church Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment WASHINGTON Persecuted Iranian Christian Dabrina Bet Tamraz vividly remembers the day that her familys church was shut down. The day was Monday, March 30, 2009, when her family home received a phone call from the government demanding that her father, Victor Bet Tamraz the pastor of an Assyrian Pentecostal congregation in Tehran meet at his church. The family arrived at the church and were greeted by lots of cars and big men. The pastor was given the choice by a government official to either give up the keys to the church or ensure that the church only allows Assyrian speaking members. Speaking at a Family Research Council panel discussion on religious freedom in Iran Wednesday afternoon, Tamraz explained that the family and church members asked to be given a few hours to pray about what their decision will be. After a couple of hours, Tamraz said her father walked out of the church and handed the keys to an official from the intelligence service. [My father] said, Thank you very much. You have done us a great favor. We dont know how to thank you. Please close down the church, Tamraz recalled. He looks at my dad and said, Are you crazy? Why are you saying thank you? Tamraz said that during the prayer time in the church, the congregation heard from God that if they allow the authorities to close down the church, He will open the gates of Heaven. My father said, Thank you, because I cant wait for God to open the gates of Heaven for people to shout Hallelujah on the streets, Tamraz said. Today, Tamrazs father, mother, and brother are among dozens of Christians facing jail time, abuse and torture in the Islamic Republic of Iran simply because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Tamrazs father is in the process of appealing a 10-year prison sentence he received in 2017. He was arrested in 2014 during a Christmas gathering and was held for 65 days in solitary confinement. Tamrazs father was accused of acting against national security by conducting house church meetings and evangelizing. While Tamrazs mother, Shamiram Isavi, is appealing a five-year prison sentence, Tamrazs brother, Ramiel Bet Tamraz, turned himself in last month to serve the time remaining on a five-month prison sentence he received after his 2016 arrest at a picnic gathering. In 2019, at least five, six times [my parents] were told to go to the court for their court hearing only to go there and to hear that their case has been canceled or postponed for various reasons, Tamraz detailed. The latest [excuse] was the court was too crowded. Its been two-and-a-half years that my parents have been dealing with court cases and trials and hearings. Tamraz said her parents next appeal hearing is scheduled for late February. Tamraz herself was arrested and detained in a mens detention center in 2009. However, she was able to escape Iran after her release. She is now based in Switzerland where she's engaging in an international campaign pressing for the release of her parents. Tamraz was among several persecuted believers from across the globe who met with President Donald Trump during the 2019 U.S. State Department Ministerial on International Religious Freedom. Vice President [Mike] Pence as well as Secretary [Mike] Pompeo in statements many times have asked for my parents' release, Tamraz told The Christian Post. They have asked in written and verbal statements. Weve had requests and tweets asking for the release of my family. Tamraz explained that the crackdown on Christianity in Iran goes much deeper than her parents case. Governed by Islamic law, Iran ranks as the ninth worst country in the world for Christian persecution by Open Doors USA as the regime has relentlessly persecuted Muslim converts to Christianity. Although Assyrian and Armenian Christians are said to be recognized minorities in Iran, Tamraz said Assyrian and Armenian churches face severe limitations on their ability to practice their faiths. Today, there is not a free church. There is no free evangelical church, nor free Pentecostal, she said. The only churches that are allowed to function are orthodox or Catholic churches with restrictions. They are not allowed to have books in Farsi. They are not even allowed to, nowadays, print books in our own language. Any Christian literature or Bible even in our own language is not permitted. They are not even allowed to speak to a Farsi person near the church. Furthermore, Tamraz explained that the Iranian Intelligence Service closely monitors Christian activity. Together with the Revolutionary Guard, they are arresting all attendees. They raid Christian gatherings at home, restaurants, everywhere that they meet, Tamraz said. They arrest them and confiscate their belongings, their houses. Most of these Christians are subjected to intensive and often abusive interrogations. They are often tortured physically and mentally. Tamraz said her family knows all too well what it feels like to be monitored by the government. We have had cars following us for years. It was normal, she recalled. I left Iran 2010, 2011 [and] it took me nine or eight years to stop looking back or look in the mirror to see if there is a car following me or not. Growing up, I thought that was very normal. Now that I am in a normal country, I now know what normal looks like. Tamraz said that her family has had to be careful for our entire life. We have been monitored, our house has been broken in. My father was regularly arrested and interrogated, she said. Sometimes it was just before the Sunday service began. We always had to be prepared to preach in case my dad got arrested. That became normal but it was part of our life growing up. According to the human rights monitoring group Article 18, at least 25 Christians were arrested in Iran in 2019 while at least 13 Christians received sentences that ranged from four months and five years for allegedly acting against national security. According to Tamraz, dozens of other Christians that were sentenced in previous years are still waiting for their court hearings. Most of these Christians have been arrested, sentenced and charged with charges mainly acting against national security. They lack due process in the trials, Tamraz said. The case of my parents is case in point. On the 24th of February in a few weeks, [my parents] will face their final court hearing, if it takes place, she continued. We do really pray that their sentence will be dropped and they can practice their faith in peace and dignity and in freedom as the ought to. Also speaking at the FRC panel discussion were Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh, two women born into Muslim families who led two house churches and evangelized to Muslims. The two were arrested in 2009 and spent 259 days in Irans notorious Evin Prison. Although they were sentenced to death, Rostampour and Amirizadeh were released from prison thanks to immense international pressure. Rostampour and Amirizadeh left Iran in 2010. We know first-hand how difficult it is for those who attend house churches because they risk their lives to attend house churches, Amirizadeh said. Any time if the government find out, they can raid the gathering, arrest people, torture them and confiscate their property. She assured that it can happen to any of them. That is why they have to be very cautious about their communications, she explained. They cant worship God loudly. We have to stay very quiet because you never know who is your neighbor and it can happen at any time. Despite the persecution, the panelists agreed that the underground church in Iran is one of the fastest-growing church movements in the world. According to Open Doors USA, there are an estimated 800,000 Christians in Iran, almost double the persecution watchdogs estimate of 450,000 in 2016. Underground churches are growing in Iran and many people are coming to Christ, Amirizadeh assured. Now people are seeing the true face of Islam and they are very open to Christianity and the message of salvation. People are experiencing the love of Jesus through Christianity. Ukrzaliznytsia, Deutsche Bahn sign memorandum of cooperation 10:00, 06.02.20 15888 The memorandum foresees strategic cooperation between the companies for up to 10 years. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Cleveland police supervisor charged with assaulting a woman he arrested at a gas station in 2017 has failed to convince an appeals court to throw out the case before it goes to trial. The 8th District Court of Appeals on Thursday dismissed the appeal of Sgt. Christopher Graham, who is charged with misdemeanor assault and unlawful restraint in Cleveland Municipal Court. Grahams lawyers argued in motions to dismiss the charges that the longtime cop acted appropriately when he choked a woman and threw her to the ground by her hair. They also contend that the supervisor is immune from prosecution because he was working in his official capacity. Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Jazmin Torres-Lugo rejected those arguments in a January 2019 decision and set the case for trial. Defense attorney Marcus Sidoti appealed the decision to the 8th District Court of Appeals, where a three-judge panel on Thursday found that Torres-Lugos denial was not a final appealable order and they therefore could not rule on it. Sidoti said in a text message Thursday that he plans to appeal Thursdays decision to the Ohio Supreme Court. The charges stem from a Sept. 17, 2017 report of a fight at a Sunoco gas station near West 140th Street and Lorain Avenue. Shortly after Graham and other officers got to the gas station, dispatchers told them that one of the fighters might have a gun, according to court filings. No gun was ever found at the scene. Graham arrested a 17-year-old boy and put him in the back of a police car, and another officer arrested the other person reported to be fighting, court filings say. The boys friend, Angelina Martinez, walked over to the car and was talking to him through the window when an officer told her to get away from him. Graham grabbed the 80-pound Martinez by the throat, and she reacted by striking him in the groin, according to city prosecutors. Graham then slammed the woman to the ground and arrested her. Grahams lawyers contend that Martinez kicked him in the groin before he grabbed her throat, and that a Cleveland police officer who teaches use-of-force policy in the departments academy watched body camera video and concluded that Graham followed the department's policy. Martinez was initially charged with assault of a police officer. Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael OMalleys office later dismissed those charges, and city prosecutors charged Graham. Read more stories Cleveland cop asks judge to dismiss assault charge stemming from gas station arrest Body camera video shows charged Cleveland cop choke, rip woman to ground by hair Lakewood woman says she was choke-slammed by now arrested Cleveland cop Arrested Cleveland cop slammed Lakewood woman to the ground after arresting boyfriend, police say Cleveland police officer attacked woman and then arrested her on false charges, court records say An Abeokuta Chief Magistrates Court on Thursday sentenced a 78-year-old man to five years imprisonment without a fine option, for raping two minors of the same parents. The Chief Magistrate, I.O. Abudu, convicted Ayomikunleyin Adekunle following his guilty plea to a two-count charge of sexual abuse. Mrs Abudu held that the septuagenarian did not feel remorse for his action but was smiling while admitting guilt. Earlier, the prosecutor, Bukola Abolade, told the court that Mr Adekunle committed the offence sometime in October 2019 at No. 3, Gbokoniyi Ojere Road, Onikolobo, Abeokuta. Ms Abolade said the defendant sexually abused the two sisters (name withheld) aged 15 years and 13 years. According to the prosecutor, Mr Adekunle was a friend to his victims father who died six years ago. The defendant confessed that he was sleeping with both the elder and younger sisters; when he finished, he gave them N500 each, claiming he was assisting them to eat, he said The prosecutor noted that the offence contravened Section 33 of Child Right Law of Ogun, 2006. (NAN) Australian shares continued to climb on Thursday, brushing aside ongoing uncertainty surrounding Chinas coronavirus outbreak to close at fresh two-week highs. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 rallied 73.1 points, or 1.1 per cent, to 7049.2, finishing just below its highs for the session. The index has now gained 2.2 per cent from the lows hit on Monday and sits just 1.3 per cent below the record high hit in January. Following a record close on Wall Street sparked by strong economic data and hopes for a quick turnaround in finding a treatment for the coronavirus, the local market opened higher and just kept on going, boosted in the latter parts of the trade by news China will lower tariff rates on $US75 billion worth of US imports on February 14, providing investors with an early Valentines Day present. Across the sectors, the gains were led by energy which jumped 1.6 per cent, helped by a strong bounce in crude oil prices on Wednesday after falling heavily earlier in the week. Woodside Petroleum led the gains with an increase of 2.7 per cent to $34.36. Financials also rallied 1.4 per cent. Investment managers Pinnacle Investments and Janus Henderson were standout performers, the former surging 11.2 per cent to $5.57 with the latter jumping 7.1 per cent to $41.16. The healthcare sector closed at a record high, gaining 1.3 per cent. Heavyweight CSL did much of the heavy lifting, closing at fresh high of $320.62, up 1.6 per cent for the session. Materials also climbed 1.2 per cent on the back of firmer commodity prices. BHP gained 1.7 per cent to $39.54 while Rio Tinto rose by a smaller 0.7 per cent to $99.14. Lynas Corporation jumped 4.6 per cent to $2.27. Building materials suppliers Adelaide Brighton, Boral and CSR also rallied following upgrades from investment bank UBS. CSR led the charge higher, lifting 4.4 per cent to $5.01. Outside of the investment managers, rural conglomerate Elders was the other notable gainer for the session, jumping 6.2 per cent to $8.31 as rain fell across large parts of drought-ravaged eastern Australia. At the other end of the spectrum, Service Stream slumped 9.1 per cent to $2.50 following its first half profit update. Pilbara Minerals, one of the star performers on Wednesday, fell sharply to close down 5.8 per cent to $0.325. John Thuesen had alleged in court documents 20 claims of ineffective counsel during his 2010 trial in the shooting death of Rachel Joiner and her brother, Travis. He also filed two claims related to evidence and the constitutionality of the death sentence. All 22 claims were rejected by the court, documents show. Judge Travis Bryan III, of the 272nd District Court, sentenced Thuesen to death in May 2010 for the March 2009 slayings. According to a previous story in The Eagle, Thuesen had been dating Rachel Joiner for about six months before she asked him for space in the relationship, roughly a week before her death. A story in The Eagles archives states that the night of the siblings deaths, Thuesen had been waiting at Rachels house for her to come home. Thuesen shot her after they started arguing, then shot her brother when he came out of his bedroom after hearing the gunfire. The siblings were pronounced dead later that night. Thuesen called authorities and confessed to the murders. As the Chicago Auto Show opens this weekend, the Jeep brand is introducing new editions of the Wrangler and Gladiator in the form of new High Altitude models, which deliver a new level of premium content combined with legendary Jeep 4x4 capability and a new customized appearance. "Our new Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator High Altitude are in direct response to customers who continue to ask for even more luxurious materials, premium content and technology in two of the most capable vehicles that we've ever offered," said Jim Morrison, Head of Jeep Brand FCA North America. "We've taken the most capable SUV and midsize pickup on the planet and delivered a pair of truly unique vehicles, inside and out, so there's clearly no compromise between luxury and capability." Wrangler and Gladiator High Altitude models will arrive in Jeep showrooms in the second quarter of 2020. 2020 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator High Altitude Packed with standard premium amenities, the new 2020 Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator High Altitude represent the top of the line in Jeep luxury and capability. The exterior of each High Altitude edition model boasts a premium look starting with new 20-inch fully painted gloss black aluminum wheels and a full suite of exterior LED lights daytime running lamps with LED accents, front LED fog lamps, LED reflector headlamps and LED taillamps. Premium exterior enhancements continue with matching body-color treatments hardtop, fender flares, exterior mirrors, door handles, tailgate handle, as well as the front and rear bumpers that distinguish the High Altitude models. Running boards with an integrated step and a matte black Trail Rated badge round out the luxurious look of each High Altitude model. Inside the cabin, High Altitude models feature a full leather luxury interior boasting a leather-wrapped dashboard, center console and door panels, and Nappa leather seats with quilting. Two interior color options Black and Steel Gray (late availability), as well as a black leather-wrapped steering wheel, are offered as well. Wrangler and Gladiator High Altitude models mark the first time either vehicle has featured 20-inch wheels. Bridgestone Dueler H/L Alenza all-season tires (275/55R20) provide the perfect balance of looks and rugged all-terrain capability. An array of technology and other premium features are also standard on the High Altitude models: 8.4-inch touchscreen display with Alpine premium audio system, 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, automatic high-beam headlamp control, GPS navigation, remote proximity keyless entry, Blind-spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Path detection and ParkView rear backup camera with dynamic grid lines. Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator High Altitude models are available in Billet Silver, Black, Bright White, Gobi (Gladiator exclusive), Granite Crystal, and Ocean Blue (Wrangler exclusive), Snazzberry (late availability) exterior paints. Jeep Brand Built on more than 75 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The Jeep brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence. The Jeep vehicle lineup consists of the Cherokee, Compass, Gladiator, Grand Cherokee, Renegade and Wrangler. To meet consumer demand around the world, all Jeep models sold outside North America are available in both left- and right-hand drive configurations and with gasoline and diesel powertrain options. Jeep is part of the portfolio of brands offered by global automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. For more information regarding FCA (NYSE: FCAU/ MTA: FCA), please visit www.fcagroup.com. Follow Jeep and FCA news and video on: Company blog: http://blog.fcanorthamerica.com Media website: http://media.fcanorthamerica.com Jeep brand: www.jeep.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeep or https://www.facebook.com/FiatChrysler.NorthAmerica/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/jeep or www.instagram.com/FiatChrysler_NA Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeep or www.twitter.com/FiatChrysler_NA YouTube: www.youtube.com/thejeepchannel or www.youtube.com/fcanorthamerica SOURCE FCA Related Links http://www.fcagroup.com "Serving in the military changes you. The shades and degrees of change vary for everyone, but no one is ever the same as... How to teach citizens to become active members of the society? Peter Ehrstrom, Head of Research in Regional Science, and Marina Lindell, Project Researcher at the Social Science Research Institute of Abo Akademi University in Vaasa, Finland, approached the question by inviting a group of students on a course that utilized a method called Deliberative Walks. The experiment produced very positive results. Deliberative Walks, developed by Ehrstrom and Harri Raisio, University Lecturer at the University of Vaasa, is a model of participatory democracy that combines citizens' juries and development walks. The method is intended to be applied in matters concerning, for example, urban planning. It can help to find out the views of various groups of people on how a particular area should be developed. "Some of the models of participatory democracy are too theoretical. In case a method aims primarily at collecting expert views, there is a risk that people with lower levels of education, for instance, feel that they are at a disadvantage. That would be unfortunate, as the specific purpose of participatory democracy is to listen to all opinions, not just those of the elite", explains Ehrstrom. The participants of the course included both international and local students of various subjects, women as well as men. They were assigned to deliberate on the planning of an area around the Abo Akademi University campus in Vaasa and create new development ideas for the area. "The idea is to bring together people from various backgrounds and with different skills and to get them to discuss, deliberate, compromise and make decisions. As a result of all this, they should be able, as a group, to present and justify the conclusion they have reached together. It is especially valuable to offer international and local students a chance to meet, work together and establish relationships across subject, language and cultural borders. The ability to be open and receptive to new impressions, ideas and opportunities for cooperation is particularly important in today's world", says Ehrstrom. The course also had an educational aspect: In order to strengthen the participants' learning processes, it combined different teaching methods, both place-based and theoretical ones. The course started with a series of lectures on, for example, participatory democracy, urban planning, architecture and art. After that, the participants took a two-hour development walk in and around the Academill building as well as in the museum area of the inner harbour of Vaasa. During the walk, the participants had the opportunity to see and experience the area and meet people who work there to learn about their points of view. To wrap up the course, the participants spent a whole day discussing ideas on how to develop the area. Many proposals were made but in the end the deliberation process led to a concrete outcome with five practical proposals that all participants agreed upon. These proposals were presented to local decision-makers and representatives of the media. According to feedback from questionnaires and interviews, the course increased the participants' engagement in the society as well as their understanding of participatory democracy as a part of political decision-making. "We should keep in mind that we need more than just active citizens. Many of our students will become decision-makers in the future, and it is important for them to understand that tools like this are available for decision-makers to engage citizens", says Ehrstrom. The course experience also enhanced the participants' sense of inclusion and boosted their self-confidence to express and discuss their own opinions. "By adding elements like place-based learning and outdoor pedagogy and by including varied discussion formats, we make discussions more inclusive and more appealing to people who normally might not take part in them at all. Decision-makers and citizens move closer towards each other and learning becomes more equal", says Marina Lindell. "Above all, the method aims at making all participants feel that their opinions are valuable. Some contribute by bringing in theoretical expertise while others provide local knowledge, and all of them should feel that their contribution is important", Ehrstrom points out. Ehrstrom arranged a course like this in Hamburg, Germany, in 2019. As both experiments have been very successful, similar courses will be offered within the subject Regional Science at Abo Akademi University in Vaasa during the academic years 2020-2022. "Universities can play a central and important role in societal development when it comes to teaching citizens to become active members of the society. Universities could also take a more active role in facilitating discussion on political issues of long-term importance. By creating methods and models to be applied in the development of the society and citizen participation, we can strengthen the civic society on various levels. To be able to develop as democratic citizens, we need to learn to debate and discuss", says Lindell. ### Sabarimala case: A nine-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court began deliberations on the legal issue of whether the top court can refer questions of law to a larger bench while exercising its review jurisdiction New Delhi: A nine-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court Thursday began deliberations on the legal issue of whether the top court can refer questions of law to a larger bench while exercising its review jurisdiction. This question arose during the hearing in the Sabarimala case which relates to gender discrimination against women at religious places. A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde is hearing the issues relating to discriminations against women at various places of worship including the Sabarimala temple. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that the apex court was right in referring the questions of law to the larger bench and added, "as custodian of fundamental rights, it was the duty of the court to lay down an authoritative pronouncement on these questions of law". "Your Lordships are duty bound as custodians for posterity. Issues regarding review, reference, curative, these cannot be gone into. If there is a question of law, the court has the liberty to constitute a larger bench to settle the issues," Mehta said. The other members of the bench are Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan, L Nageswara Rao, MM Shantanagoudar, SA Nazeer, R Subhash Reddy, BR Gavai and Surya Kant. Many senior lawyers including Fali S Nariman, Kapil Sibal, Shyam Divan, Rajeev Dhavan and Rakesh Dwivedi argued on 3 February that while exercising review jurisdiction, the Supreme Court does not have the power to refer a question of law to a larger bench. They said last year's 14 November verdict of a five-judge bench, headed by the then CJI Justice Rajan Gogoi, was wrong in making a reference of broad contours while deciding the review petition against the 2018 judgement which allowed women of all age groups to enter Kerala's Sabarimala temple. Besides Sabarimala, last year's verdict had also referred issues of entry of Muslim women into mosques and dargahs and of Parsi women, married to non-Parsi men, being barred from the holy fire place of an agyari, to the larger bench. The senior lawyers had assailed as "erroneous" the reference made to a larger bench by the five-judge bench on questions related to gender discrimination against women in religious places while dealing with the Sabarimala case. The top court had said it will frame the legal issues to be adjudicated by a nine-judge Constitution bench on religious discrimination against women at various religious places. The Constitution bench said it will inform the parties about the time frame for the hearing and would commence the proceedings by next week. The apex court had said that as of now it would go by the reference order of 14 November last year, made by a five-judge bench. By a 3:2 majority, it said the larger bench will have to evolve a judicial policy to do "substantial and complete justice" in matters of freedom of religion, such as restrictions on the entry of Muslim and Parsi women into their respective places of worship. It had taken note of vehement opposition by the senior lawyers who claimed that the apex court was wrong in making a reference of broad contours while deciding the review petition against the 2018 verdict. The top court had said it would deal with the legal issue, raised by the senior lawyers, of whether a reference order can be made in review jurisdiction for a hearing by a larger bench. Sibal, appearing for the All Indian Muslim Personal Board (AIMPLB), had said though the Board has clarified that Muslim women are allowed to enter mosques to offer Namaz, the court should not enter into matters of faith and decide essential religious practices while entertaining a PIL filed by a person not belonging to a particular faith. Mehta had referred to the Supreme Court Rules and said the court can undertake a larger debate "on the contours of Articles 25, 26 (fundamental right to religion)". Mehta, senior advocates K Parasaran and Ranjit Kumar had said the top court while exercising the review jurisdiction can refer a larger issue, which has arisen during the adjudication of the dispute, to a larger bench. A five-judge bench, by a majority of 3:2 on 14 November last year, had referred to a larger bench the issue of discrimination against women at various religions' places of worship. A majority verdict by the then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justices AM Khanwilkar and Indu Malhotra decided to keep the pleas seeking a review of its decision regarding entry of women into the shrine pending and said restrictions on women at religious places were not limited to Sabarimala alone and were prevalent in other religions also. By a 4:1 majority verdict, the apex court had lifted the ban that prevented women and girls between the age of 10 and 50 years from entering the famous Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala and held that the centuries-old Hindu religious practice was illegal and unconstitutional. Gather around, America, we need to have a chat. The Academy Awards are almost upon us, and its time to discuss our collective cultural weakness that has apparently only grown more intense over time: His name is William Bradley Pitt. You might have seen him practically floating through award season, buoyed by a glowing narrative that has him poised to win the Oscar on Sunday for best supporting actor for his role in Quentin Tarantinos Once Upon a Time in ... Hollywood. He has picked up the prize at every major ceremony, including the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards and the Baftas. His acceptance speeches are met with delighted reactions from viewers and stars in the audience, especially when he references his single status. He went viral for wearing a name tag to the Oscar Nominees Luncheon. The pictures of a cordial reunion at the Screen Actors Guild Awards with his ex-wife Jennifer Aniston caused an internet-wide meltdown. On one hand, thats great for Brad Pitt. After a three-decade career, the 56-year-old actor remains a unifying fixture, an A-list movie star who brings joy to many. Its also great for us, because honestly, we need a distraction from the onslaught of stress-inducing news about politics, climate change and other disasters. On the other well. The Aniston pictures have a strange undertone, because as you may remember, she and Pitt were still married when rumblings of his famously controversial courtship with Angelina Jolie began. And Pitt is single after a very messy split from Jolie in 2016 that resulted in some ugly headlines. The glare of the award season spotlight can easily darken, prompting minor to severe backlash against any given front-runner. Sure, there have been critical comments online. Some have tried to remind people of the Aniston-Jolie backstory, while others didnt care for an eyebrow-raising joke from his SAG Awards speech that compared his failed marriages to his role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: A guy who gets high, takes his shirt off and doesnt get on with his wife. Its a big stretch. (Its also implied in the movie that Pitts character, a laid-back stuntman, may have murdered his wife.) 19 films that should never have won Oscars Show all 19 1 /19 19 films that should never have won Oscars 19 films that should never have won Oscars A Beautiful Mind (2001) A Beautiful Mind is one of the mustier Best Pictures winners of the century so far. While its win was a coup for DreamWorks the film was the studio's third victor in a row it was far from a deserving recipient, especially considering Ron Howard won Best Director over Robert Altman and David Lynch for Gosford Park and Mulholland Drive, respectively. Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars Chariots of Fire (1981) While Chariots of Fire is precisely the type of film the Academy usually takes under its wing, the fact it won was a big surprise, considering everybody present had expected Reds to win the top prize. The Warren Beatty film would have been a far worthier winner, too. Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars Cold Mountain (2003) Cold Mountain lucked out by being nominated in what was a particularly weak year for Best Supporting Actress. Renee Zellweger recovered from failing to win for Chicago the previous year and, in doing so, earnt the unremarkable drama its "Oscar-winning" tag. Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars Crash (2004) Viewers of the Oscars have grown used to unexpected victories, but none was more ill-judged than when Paul Haggis' drama Crash beat Brokeback Mountain to Best Picture. Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars Dances with Wolves (1990) It's quite soul-destroying to think that Dances with Wolves scooped a total of seven Oscars in the same year that Goodfellas was nominated. Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars The Danish Girl (2015) Alicia Vikander's performance in The Danish Girl is by no means weak, but it was nothing on Rooney Mara's affecting turn in Todd Haynes' film Carol. Had Tom Hooper not won five years before for The King's Speech, it seems unlikely that the drama would have picked up any nominations. Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars The English Patient (1996) Put simply, The English Patient isn't a very good film. Of the nine (nine!) Oscars it won, Juliette Binoche's trophy for Best Supporting Actress was perhaps the most surprising. The French star herself could barely contain her shock. Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars Gladiator (2000) This will most likely be this list's most controversial placement, but let's be honest: Gladiator is not the fantastic film it's regularly hailed as. Ridley Scott's overlong historical drama boasts plenty of swords-and-sandal bravado, but not much else. Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars Going My Way (1944) The musical Going My Way may have been the biggest cinematic hit of its year, but it certainly wasn't better that classic noir Double Indemnity, which it beat to win Best Picture. In fact, it's nowhere near director Leo McCarey's greatest film (he won six years previous for the Awful Truth and would be nominated again for The Bells of St Mary's two years later). Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars Grand Hotel (1932) There's a reason why Grand Hotel is the only film to ever win Best Picture without receiving a nomination in any other category. An entertaining film, sure, but nothing more. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 19 films that should never have won Oscars The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) It's ironic that a film with the word "greatest" in its title has gone down as one of the worst winners in Oscars history. A prime example of when the Academy voted for spectacle over quality. Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars Green Book (2018) To those who don't care about awards ceremonies, Green Book is a crowdpleaser that boasts decent performances from Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali. To everyone else, it's the damp squib that somehow came out of nowhere to snatch Best Picture from under Roma's nose. Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars The Imitation Game (2014) The Imitation Game won Best Adapted Screenplay, which begs the question: what the hell was this distinctly average film doing having any nominations at all? Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars The Iron Lady (2011) Meryl Streep has won enough Oscars for the world to know she's evidently one of the finest actors who'll ever live. Her win for The Iron Lady, though, was one Oscar too many. Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars Life is Beautiful (1998) The year of 1999 marked one of the most remarkable Oscar ceremonies in history for the sole reason that the majority of its winners were terrible choices. Right up there was Roberto Benigni, who beat Tom Hanks (Saving Private Ryan) and Edward Norton (American History X) to win Best Actor for, of all things, Life is Beautiful. Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars The Pianist (2002) It might finally be accepted that disgraced film director Roman Polanski shouldn't be handed accolades, but back in 2003, this was still what the Oscars were doing. He won Best Director for The Pianist, an award the French-Polish filmmaker could have done without. Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars A Place in the Sun A Place in the Sun is a fine little film, but fine little films shouldn't be winning Oscars especially when they see off competition from more deserving opposition. In this case, director George Stevens beat John Huston (The African Queen), William Wyler (Detective Story) and Elia Kazan (A Streetcar Named Desire) to the Director prize. Paramount Pictures 19 films that should never have won Oscars Shakespeare in Love You have to hand it to Shakespeare in Love, it played the Oscars campaign trail perfectly, overtaking war favourites Saving Private Ryan and The Thin Red Line to win the evening's biggest prize. This doesn't mean its success has gone down as anything more than evidence of poor judgement from the Academy. Rex Features 19 films that should never have won Oscars Slumdog Millionaire It's often good to hold your hands up and admit that a film is nowhere near as good as you recall. Sadly, Slumdog Millionaire is one of those. While its win no doubt put smiles on the faces of commuters reading the morning papers the next day, the shine has worn off its success in recent years. The rightful winner The Dark Knight wasn't even nominated for Best Picture. Rex Features Yet mostly, when it comes to Brad Pitt ... well, few people seem to really care about anything negative. They just want to root for him. How did he escape the scrutiny? It could be because he has such good will in the industry, operating behind the scenes as a producer for acclaimed movies such as best picture winners 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight. Or, as celebrity oracle Elaine Lui wrote on Lainey Gossip when she dissected his SAG speech, Whats the lesson here? A beautiful man can say anything. Or it might have something to do with our own psyches. For some deep-seated reason, people cling to the idea of Brad Pitt as they think they know him or, though its impossible to know what goes on behind closed doors, as they want to know him: the strikingly attractive, humble Missouri native who just happened to become a superstar and has made serious mistakes but is trying to change. Maybe we just yearn for simpler times, and in our minds, that time is represented by a tanned and sculpted Pitt at his peak, named Peoples Sexiest Man Alive not once, but twice. It has been so surreal its like theres this nostalgia for some kind of perceived stability from the 1990s when everything made sense, said Christopher Schaberg, who co-edited a collection of essays that analysed Pitt. I think theres a really deep and weird expression of longing here. ... We forget this is Hollywood, this is a celebrity, this is a lot of makeup and camera work. Theres a really weird urge to express authenticity around Brad Pitt. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Schaberg, an English professor at Loyola University New Orleans, remembers when he brought up a potential book about Pitt. He was half-joking, but his colleagues loved the idea: Deconstructing Brad Pitt was released in 2014, co-edited by Robert Bennett. One of the things thats always intrigued me is the way we want to see him as this idealized white male figure, but so many of his roles are self-destructive, Schaberg said. But whether hes actually destructive in Fight Club or falling into a serial killers trap in Se7en or playing a breezy criminal in Oceans 11, it doesnt matter. Even if its the Hollywood machine shaping a narrative with magazine covers and talk show appearances, Brad Pitt is just a safe, neutral icon to kind of rally around right now. Not too long ago, that didnt seem as if it would be the case. Pitt and Jolies sudden breakup in fall 2016 dominated the news cycle as reports emerged about an alleged altercation between Pitt and one of their children on the familys plane. The Los Angeles County Department of Child and Family Services was called, and Pitt was cleared after an investigation. But the situation devolved into warring stories about Pitts alcohol issues, child custody and financial battles as Pitt and Jolie worked through their divorce, which reportedly still is not finalised. Pitt essentially went into hiding until the following spring, when he sat for a GQ cover story to promote Netflixs War Machine. He opened up about how his drinking became a problem; the pain of divorce and the call to child services; and how jarring it was for his kids to suddenly have their family ripped apart. It wasnt the easiest conversation to go into, but he was willing to, said author and journalist Mike Paterniti, who wrote the story. Pitt also revealed that before he got sober, he hadnt gone a day since college where he didnt drink or smoke. Brad Pitt jokes about failed marriages in SAG winners speech He felt like he had to explain himself, Paterniti said. It was his way of acknowledging that his behaviour was not commensurate with who he wanted to be as a person. Pitt agreed to speak candidly about any topic for a lengthy Q&A, and there was no publicist in the room. It felt like he had to reset the conversation around himself. Although Paterniti remembers some critics didnt buy into it, the quotes were picked up by hundreds of publications and websites, which had a generally positive tone. Paterniti theorizes that the simple act of Pitt appearing to be candid continues to draw people to him; he has now opened up in multiple interviews about his sobriety or attending Alcoholics Anonymous. Theres something enticing about that level of honesty, Paterniti said, especially from someone who happens to be Brad Pitt. As Pitt strolls merrily along to his likely first Oscar win (this is his fourth acting nomination), his many acceptance speeches have also reminded the public: Brad Pitt is funny. At the Golden Globes, he said, I wanted to bring my mom but I couldnt, because any woman I stand next to, they say Im dating. He declared he would put his SAG trophy in his Tinder profile. At the National Board of Review gala, he explained his goals were to be happy, stay healthy, not get into a financial situation where I have to do Oceans 14. At the Baftas, co-star Margot Robbie read a speech in his absence that said he would name his trophy Harry because he is really excited about bringing it back to the States with him. (In the audience, Prince William and Duchess Catherine cracked up.) 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Show all 27 1 /27 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Alice in Wonderland (2010) Its only 108 minutes long, but Alice in Wonderland manages to feel longer than a Lord of the Rings extended cut. There are no laughs and theres no enjoyment factor beyond, Oh, look, its Johnny Depp being weird and quirky again! It might be a visual marvel, but Alice in Wonderland shouldnt have won an Oscar for Best Art Direction because anything that would encourage people to see this movie is wrong. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Beetlejuice (1988) Tim Burton's Beetlejuice won an Oscar for the only category it was nominated in Best Make Up. While the film was deserving of far more recognition, its status as an Oscar-winner may come as a surprise to many. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Death Becomes Her Death Becomes Her might not have given Meryl Streep one of her 20 Oscar nominations, but it did win Best Visual Effects ahead of Alien 3 and Batman Returns. The award seems quite rogue given all we get is a stretchy neck and a woman with a hole in her body, but then it was the 1990s. For her part in the film, on-screen legend Streep described the shoot as tedious and like being at the dentist, and claimed it would be her first, last and only effects-driven movie. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Dick Tracy (1990) Warren Beatty spearheaded this live-action version of Dick Tracy, which featured an all-star cast including Al Pacino (pictured). Despite negative reviews, the film racked up an impressive seven nominations and won in three categories: Best Art Direction, Best Make Up and Best Original Song. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them JK Rowling's extension of the Harry Potter universe is a far cry from the adaptation of her original wizarding book series. However, Fantastic Beasts won an Oscar for Best Costume Design with its first film a win made even more surprising by the fact that, despite being nominated for 12 Academy Awards across eight films, the Harry Potter series never won a single one. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar The Golden Compass This adaptation of Philip Pullmans Northern Lights might have a rating of 42 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, but it still managed to win an Oscar for its visual effects. The Academy was impressed by the computer-generated animals and grand vistas of the Arctic. But the flashy CGI doesnt take away from the fact the film makes one of the most fantastical books ever published utterly dull. So unpopular, this box-office bomb caused its studio, New Line Cinema, to merge with Warner Brothers. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar The Grinch The Grinch might be the greatest Christmas film, but its still not a great film. Still, Jim Carreys furry green get-up did win it the Oscar for Best Makeup. Considering it took around eight hours to apply each day, you could say it was deserved. Jim Carrey told Graham Norton that a CIA operative had to be brought in to teach him specialist techniques for enduring torture and said the procedure was like being buried alive every day. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar The Exorcist When taking into account the Academy's inability to nominate horror films over the past few decades, it's increasingly impressive to learn the film considered one of the most shocking of all time won two back in 1974. The Exorcist is a terrific film that deserved its wins for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound. It received a further eight nominations, including Best Picture. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Happy Feet Mumble the penguin might look more real than the animations that came before him, but he also looks more lifeless. Happy Feet was one of the first films to use motion capture technology instead of Walt Disney style hand-drawn animations. But who wants an exact replica when you can have big white eyes and toothy grins? Apparently the Oscars do, because they gave Happy Feet Best Animated Film. Granted, the scene where a baby Mumble raps Close to the Edge is cute. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Harry and the Hendersons (1987) It's doubtful that even the makers of Harry and the Hendersons expected their film about a family's encounter with the cryptozoological creature Bigfoot to win an Oscar. But it did (Best Makeup). Universal Pictures 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar The Imitation Game The Imitation Game is as difficult to decipher as a heap of unbroken code. It features a number of historical inaccuracies, which range from the benign to the outright offensive. One scene shows a detective using Tipp-Ex in a time period where it hadnt been invented yet. One plotline slanders Alan Turings memory by suggesting he covered up for a Soviet spy. But despite the film's confusing diversions and ridiculous accusations, Graham Moore won for his screenplay. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1985) While a far cry from the four Oscar wins awarded to Raiders of the Lost Ark, sequel Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom considered to be the weakest of Steven Spielberg's original trilogy took home the award for Best Visual Effects. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Innerspace (1987) Innerspace hasn't endured as a must-watch classic like similar films that were released in the 1980s, but it has an Oscar win to its name the science-fiction adventure, starring Dennis Quaid, Meg Ryan and Martin Short (pictured), won Best Visual Effects. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Men in Black It does seem weird that Men in Black won an Oscar for makeup considering the two main characters arent wearing any. But when you think of all the oozing purple aliens they shoot at, it starts to make more sense. The action film also won an Oscar for Best Musical Score thanks to contributions from Will Smith himself (though we all know the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme tune is his only award-winning sound). Sony Pictures Releasing 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar The Muppets The plot of The Muppets is essentially: One day a boy and girl fell in love and together they overcame an obstacle of some sort. While the old films featured big-name celebrities, in the reboot there is a feeling of will this do? Jack Black is paraded out like he were Hollywood royalty, even though at this point in his career, he was probably accepting offers to turn Christmas lights on. It managed to win an Oscar for the song 'Man or Muppet'. To be fair, there were only two others nominated in the category. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Pearl Harbor Theres nothing the Oscars loves more than a war film, so that explains why they would give a film as bad as Pearl Harbour three awards. Michael Bays movie manages to make his retelling of the Pearl Harbor disaster orientate around a self-indulgent love triangle. Bay has no excuse for the poor quality, the film cost more to make than the real Pearl Harbour cost the US government. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest Back in 2007, we were all far too love-drunk on the image of Jonny Depp in eyeliner because somehow we convinced ourselves that Pirates of the Caribbean 2 was a good film. No one finds Johnny Depp in eyeliner attractive anymore so we can all be a bit more honest: its not good. The overly complicated, rambling sequel was nominated for four Oscars and ended up beating Superman Returns to win Best Visual Effects. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Rango (2011) Johnny Depp's reptilian underdog Rango beat out a boot-wearing pussycat as well as a panda with an affinity for kung fu to win Best Animated feature at the Oscars. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Song of the South (1946) Song of the South has long had controversy heaped upon it with many believing the film's African-American characters to be racist and offensive stereotypes. Because of this, it might come as a surprise to learn the film is an Oscar winner, taking home the Best Original Song trophy for "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah". Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Spider-Man 2 There havent been many Oscar nominations for superhero films, which makes sense because they often arent very good. Aside from Peter and Marys upside-down kiss in the pouring rain, Spiderman 2 is boring. Still, it managed to beat Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and I, Robot to win Best Visual Effects. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Suicide Squad After Suicide Squad won an Oscar Suicide Squad has more Oscars than became a meme. Twitter pointed out that the Marvel anti-hero team-up has won more gold men than Gary Oldman and Willem Dafoe combined. To be fair it didnt win Best Film, but Best Makeup. Regardless, that anyone managed to bear the unbearable Joker and the overly sexualised Harley for long enough to notice what anyone looked like is a miracle. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) Sweeney Todd took home the best Art Direction Oscar, an impressive feat considering other Tim Burton films have been far more deserving of the prize, but failed to even be nominated. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Tarzan Toy Story 2s 'When She Loved Me' is sad enough it could make Ross Kemp cry, but it didnt get the Oscar in 2000. Instead, Tarzan won Best Music for Phil Collins 'Youll Be In My Heart' a song which lacks all the emotional resonance of drum hit 'In the Air Tonight'. In an extremely bizarre decision, Collins soundtrack was inserted in rather than sung by the characters, because co-director Kevin Lima thought a singing Tarzan would be ridiculous. Because a man swinging from trees like a monkey isnt ridiculous? Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar U-571 A French-American submarine films tarring Matthew McConaughey and Jon Bon Jovi isn't a film you'd ordinarily assume would win an Oscar, but U-571 proved an exception. It won Best Sound Editing. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar The Wolfman Rick Baker won Best Makeup and Hair for his work turning Benicio Del Toro into a ferocious wolf. After multiple director changes and other backstage drama, Joe Johnstons much-troubled production nearly didnt get made. Humankind would have been better off if they hadnt managed to resolve their issues. The Wolfman is poorly paced and divulges into CGI overload for an action-heavy climax that is too grizzly for its own good. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar The Young Victoria This film is about as passionless as the Victorian era itself. Watching it is to spend an hour and three-quarters waiting for it to start. The Young Victoria was meant to reimagine the Queen as a young woman full of life, but director Jean-Marc Vallee ends up replacing all of Emily Blunts smouldering mischievousness with drab reserve. Luckily, two-time Oscar winner Sally Potter saved the period drama by winning yet another costume design award. Rex Features 27 films you'll never believe won an Oscar Ex Machina (2015) Nobody expected the fantastic Ex Machina to win anything at the Oscars, but when it was named as the victor in the Best Visual Effects category, it went down as the best twists of the evening. It beat Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Martian, The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road Leslie Bennetts, a longtime Vanity Fair journalist who authored the famous Aniston profile post-divorce in which the actress proclaimed Pitt had a sensitivity chip missing, said Pitts knack for humour, self-deprecation and candidness has played a key role in how he has shaped his perception in the past several years, especially after his split with Jolie. That could have been a career-ending image if it gained traction, especially in the current climate but instead, whether its a genuine reflection of his real personality or handling this in a smarter way than most men, hes defused the whole thing, Bennetts said. He has done something that is very rare with men in public life, which is own his mistakes. Fully. Hes said, I had things to deal with and I dealt with them. Bennetts vividly recalls the overwhelming interest in the Pitt-Aniston split, and wasnt surprised by the extreme reaction to the SAG Awards photos of the two exes sharing a nice moment backstage. The images led to a deluge of headlines, generally along the theme of Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitts Hug at the 2020 SAG Awards Is the Only Thing That Matters (E! Online published that one). The response, Bennetts said, proved the incredible persistence of our sort of fairy tale fantasies that are as simple-minded as those of a typical romcom. Ultimately, it goes back to why these celebrity stories hit a nerve: People see themselves in them. They want to believe that a couple who seemed like soul mates can reunite even after a devastating breakup. They want to believe that Pitt, despite the wealth and fame and scandals, is just a nice guy from the Midwest who has never forgotten his roots. And even if people had issues with Pitts past behaviour, they believe in his redemption. Brad has handled this awards season masterfully, said Kate Coyne, executive editor of People magazine. Even if you havent seen the movie, but you heard him make these ongoing jokes about Tinder profiles and his much-remarked upon personal life hes been funny, hes been charming. You look at him and go, That is a movie star. Washington Post Names of 10 members of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra trust, a body constituted to oversee the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, were announced The names of 10 members of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra trust, a body constituted to oversee the construction of a grand and magnificent Ram temple in Ayodhya, were announced by the Centre on Thursday. The 15-member bodys formation was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday during the Budget Session of Parliament. The body comprises seven members, three trustees and five nominated members. The lawyer who represented the Hindu parties during the Ayodhya title dispute case, religious leaders from across the country, a Nirmohi Akhada member, Ayodhya locals and a representative from the Dalit community are among the members. Here is the full list of the members of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra trust: Civilians K Parasaran Described as the pitamaha of the Indian Bar Association, Parasaran is an erudite Hindu scholar. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2003 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2011. He was then nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2012. Parasaran started practising in the Supreme Court in 1958. During the Emergency, Parasaran was the Advocate General of Tamil Nadu and was then appointed as the Solicitor General of India in 1980. He served as Attorney General of India from 1983 to 1989. During the Ayodhya title dispute hearing in the Supreme Court in which he represented the Hindu parties, the 92-year-old senior lawyer had told the apex court his last wish was to finish the Ayodhya case. A report by News18 said, "Assisted by a team of young associates, it was Parasaran's spiritual relationship he felt with Ram that kept the nonagenarian lawyer going. He worked on each and every aspect of the case before the hearing began every day at 10.30 am and after the day wrapped up at 4 pm or 5 pm." The 92-year-old senior lawyer has also allowed his house in Delhi's Greater Kailash to be used as the trust's office. Vimlendu Mohan Pratap Mishra A member of the Ayodhya royal family, Mishra is a member of the Ayodhya Ramayana Fair Patronage Committee. He tried his luck in politics in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, when he contested on a BSP ticket, but lost. Dr Anil Mishra A homeopathic doctor from Ayodhya, Mishra is the registrar of the Homeopathy Medicine Board of Uttar Pradesh. Originally a resident of Ambedkar Nagar, he was instrumental in the Ram Mandir movement in 1992 along with former MP Vinay Katiyar. Kameshwar Chaupal Chaupal was given the first karsevak status by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. A native of Patna, he is known to have laid the first brick of the foundation stone at Ram temple in 1989. He is a member of the Scheduled Caste community. He contested the Lok Sabha elections in 1991 against Ram Vilas Paswan. Mahant Dhirendra Das Mahant Dhirendra Das is the head of Ayodhya's Nirmohi Akhara, a body of seers that was one of the main parties from the Hindu side, and claims to have worshipped Lord Ram for over seven centuries. The Supreme Court had said in its November verdict that the trust should include representation from the Akhara. Religious leaders: Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Vasudevanand Saraswatiji Maharaj, Prayagraj He is the Shankaracharya of the astrology bench in Badrinath. He made headlines after a dispute broke out over him being made a Shankaracharya. Jagatguru Madhwacharya Swami Vishwa Prasannathirthaji Maharaj, Pejawar Math, Udupi He is the 33rd Peethadheeshwar of Pejawar Math in Karnatakas Udupi and took over the math following the demise of Peetadheshwar Swami Vishweshtirth in December 2019. He was born in 1964 at Haleyangady-Pakshikere in Dakshina Kannada district to Krishna Bhat and Yamunamma. Yugapurusha Paramanand Ji Maharaj, Haridwar He is the head of the Akhand Ashram in Haridwar. He has written over 150 books on Vedanta and also addressed the Summit of Spiritual Leaders at the United Nations in 2000. He was born in Mawie Dham in Uttar Pradesh. Swami Govind Dev Giri Ji Maharaj, Pune Born in Maharashtras Ahmednagar, Swami Govind Dev is a disciple of noted spiritual guru Pandurang Shastri Athawale of Maharashtra. He is a renowned Hindu scholar who is a master in discourses on Ramayana, Srimadbhagavadgita, Mahabharata and other mythological texts. Nominated members: The temple trust will select two prominent persons by majority resolution to be part of the trust. One representative to be nominated by the Central government, which will be a serving member Indian Administrative Services, at least of joint secretary level. One representative to be nominated by state government and would be a serving member of Indian Administrative Service under the state government. District Magistrate, Ayodhya will be the ex-officio trustee. If serving DM is not a Hindu than additional magistrate will sit on the board. The chairman for the administration development of Ram Temple complex will also be selected by the trust board and will be an ex-officio. Meanwhile, Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas member Ram Vilas Vedanti has said he is not concerned about his name not being included in list of the trusts members. "I am not concerned that my name is not there in the list of trustees. I am happy that the trust has been constituted for construction of the Ram temple. My body can also be used for the foundation, but there should be a grand temple," Vedanti was quoted by PTI as saying. The trust, which will have its registered office in Delhi, will have a representative from the Dalit community. While making the announcement for the trust in Lok Sabha, the prime minister said the Union Cabinet also decided to transfer 67.703-acre land to the trust. The Uttar Pradesh government agreed to give five acres of land to the UP Sunni Wakf Board as directed by the Supreme Court in the Ayodhya matter, Modi added. Uttar Pradesh government spokesperson Shrikant Sharma said the land is in Dhannipur village in Ayodhya on the Lucknow highway, about 18 kilometres from the district headquarters. Modi said that keeping in mind the construction of the temple and the spirit of the devotees who would come to pay obeisance to Ram Lalla, in future the government has taken another important decision to transfer the whole of the approx 67.703-acre acquired land to the new trust. "This trust will be empowered to take independent decisions on construction of the temple and other related subjects," the prime minister said in the Lok Sabha. In a tweet, Home Minister Amit Shah said the trust will be independent to take every decision related to the temple and 67 acres of land will be transferred to it. While delivering the judgment on November 9, the Supreme Court said the trust should be formed within three months for the construction of the temple at the site where many Hindus believe Lord Ram was born. The verdict allotted the disputed site to the Hindu parties. Many women who work in New Jersey politics and government have a story to tell about enduring unwanted touching, demeaning remarks and other forms of sexual harassment. And most have chosen to keep these experiences to themselves, fearing their candor will cost them career opportunities. But if the #MeToo era has encouraged anyone to break their silence, a panel of high-profile women says it is ready to listen. The newly formed Workgroup on Harassment, Sexual Assault and Misogyny in New Jersey Politics announced it will host its first public hearing at the Fort Lee Community Center on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen formed the group after NJ Advance Media published a Dec. 29 report featuring 20 women who described their experiences with sexual harassment, sexual assault and the marginalization of women in New Jersey politics. The report triggered calls from lawmakers for changes in Trenton, and pledges from the hosts of two marquee annual political events to create a safer and respectful environment for women. Several women said they had been raped or groped at the state League of Municipalities convention in Atlantic City. Others said they were groped or felt unsafe on the annual Chamber of Commerce Walk to Washington train trip. This is just the first of a series of public and closed-door listening sessions where we want to hear from women in politics, government and the public sphere about their lived experiences relating to harassment, sexual assault and misogyny, and on steps that can be taken to positively change the political climate for women, Weinberg said in a statement Wednesday. We put together the workgroup we did because we knew it was important to be independent of the states male-dominated political power structure if we wanted to assure women that their voices would be heard, and that their confidentiality would be respected, she said. Future hearing dates and a closed-door session for people who seek anonymity will be announced in the next week. In addition, the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault is also conducting an anonymous survey through March (njcasa.org/njpolitics/) on misogyny and sexual misconduct in New Jersey politics that will inform the workgroups research. What were talking about is power and control. Therefore, understandably, some people may be uncomfortable attending a public forum, so we will also be hosting closed-door listening sessions for those who want to share their stories privately and anonymously," said Patricia Teffenhart, executive director of the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault. "In addition, many have already left anonymous comments in the open field section of NJCASAs on-line survey. That option remains available. Advocates from local sexual violence service organizations will attend for support and guidance for "anyone interested in exploring personal pathways to justice and healing, Teffenhart added. The Workgroup on Harassment, Sexual Assault and Misogyny in New Jersey Politics goal is to lay a foundation for New Jersey to address the misogynistic culture that has made womens involvement in policy and politics unsafe and unhealthy, according to the announcement. Together, we will address issues relating to power, control, coercion, silencing, retaliation, side-lining, harassment and assault. Together, we will seek to create policies, practices, and accountability mechanisms with a shared vision for a safer, more equitable New Jersey. The workgroup includes: Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver; Alison Accettola, Senate Majority General Counsel; Laurel Brennan, Secretary-Treasurer, New Jersey State AFL-CIO; Elizabeth Coulter, Director of Public Health, Planned Parenthood Action Fund of New Jersey; Sonia Delgado, Partner, Princeton Public Affairs Group; Rosa Farias, Deputy Executive Director, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority; Jeannine LaRue, Senior Vice President, Kaufman Zita Group; Sabeen Masih, Vice President of Public Affairs, Capital Impact Group; Debbie Parks, International Vice President, AFSCME; Crystal Pruitt, Franklin Township Council; Lisa Randall, Commissioner, Bergen County Improvement Authority; Julie Roginsky, Co-Founder, Lift Our Voices; Christine Shipley, Executive Director, New Jersey Senate Minority Office; and Patricia Teffenhart, Executive Director, New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault. On Tuesday, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the annual Walk to Washington "chamber train to Washington D.C. announced it will partner with the Coalition Against Sexual Assault to offer sexual harassment prevention seminars throughout the state this year. The forum will be held at the Fort Lee Community Center, 1355 Inwood Terrace, Fort Lee from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Attendees who intend to testify are urged to sign up in advance at NJCASAs website at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/fortleeforum or by emailing publicpolicynj@aol.com. Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook. Tesla's sharp declines Wednesday were characteristic for a commonly shorted stock, so investors should not be too worried, CNBC's Jim Cramer said. "Tesla's reversal today is something that inevitably happens to red-hot stocks that are too heavily shorted," the "Mad Money" host said. "But unlike so many other heavily shorted names, Tesla's too legit to quit." Tesla shares rose nearly 20% on Monday and followed that with a 13.7% gain on Tuesday, at one point hitting an all-time intraday high of $968. But Wednesday brought about a 17.18% pullback for shares of Tesla, closing the session at $734.70. The declines represented the second-worst day for Tesla; it fell 19.3% on one day in 2012. "This is simply what happens after the sellers let some air out of the balloon, although the fact that Tesla's still up 75% for the year tells you there's plenty of helium left," Cramer said. Cramer also rejected comparisons of Tesla's past week to bitcoin's massive run in late 2017, when it reached an all-time high of nearly $20,000, and the Tilray short squeeze of 2018, when the cannabis company went from $109 to nearly $3,030 intraday in only a few sessions. The implication of drawing those parallels is that Tesla's declines have only just begun, Cramer said. "I think the stock can go lower ... but I think that those comparisons are ludicrous," he said. "Bitcoin was overwhelmed by multiple alternative currencies. Tilray was one among many marijuana companies that came public around the same time, and it was shorted way too soon by many hedge-fund managers, and there was no supply." A 26-year-old man has confessed to murdering his father, after police originally let him go when they pulled him over for a traffic stop and found him 'covered in blood'. Jared Noiman confessed to stabbing and strangling Jay Noiman to death while he was sleeping in the Florida parking garage they lived in because he didn't like how he treated him and had thoughts of murdering him, police said. Boca Raton officers were called to reports of a dead man, who appeared to have been stabbed, in a parking garage on Monday morning. While on the scene, Delray police pulled Noiman over in his vehicle for a traffic stop and found him 'covered in blood', the Boca Raton Police Services Department said in a statement. Jared Noiman (pictured) confessed to stabbing and strangling his father to death while he was sleeping in the Florida parking garage they lived in because he didn't like how he treated him and had thoughts of murdering him, police said Noiman told police he had been in an altercation, 'would not elaborate on who was involved in the altercation and did not wish to report a crime', police said. Delray Police notified the cops investigating the man's death in the garage but let Noiman go. Surveillance footage from the crime scene then also led investigators to identify Noiman as a murder suspect. The suspect was pulled over for a second traffic stop by a Boca Raton police officer that afternoon. Boca Raton officers were called to reports of a dead man, who appeared to have been stabbed, in a parking garage (above) on the morning on February 3 While Boca Raton officers were on the scene (above), Delray police pulled Noiman over in his vehicle for a traffic stop and found him 'covered in blood'. Noiman told police he had been in an altercation, 'would not elaborate on who was involved in the altercation and did not wish to report a crime', police said He was arrested for driving without a valid driver's license and taken to the police precinct for interview and then to Palm Beach County Jail. However, Noiman was able to walk free without charge once more because 'probable cause had not been established to charge him with a crime related to the stabbing', authorities said. Noiman returned voluntarily to the police department Tuesday and confessed to the slaying of his father, police said in a statement on Wednesday. 'He said the two lived together out of his father's vehicle and they slept in the parking garage at One Ocean Plaza,' the statement said. Jared Noiman (right) was let go by officers after the traffic stop. He was pulled over for a second time that afternoon and let go again, before he returned voluntarily to the police department Tuesday and confessed to the slaying of his father Jay (left) 'Noiman said he did not like the way his father treated him and he started having thoughts about killing him.' Noiman gave officers a detailed description of how he stabbed and strangled his father while he was sleeping in the garage, authorities said. Noiman was taken into custody at the Palm Beach County Jail and charged with first degree murder. The suspect is scheduled to appear in court Thursday after he allegedly refused to turn up Wednesday morning. Five missiles targeted the US Embassy in Baghdad Jan. 27, with one missile striking the inside of the reinforced embassy in the Iraqi governments Green Zone. It is not unusual for missiles to fall near the surroundings of the embassy. But this attack was different in that it targeted the inside of the embassys restaurant and hit five people whose nationalities and occupations remain unknown. Oddly, armed Shiite factions rushed to deny involvement in the operation. Sources close to some factions of the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) told Al-Monitor, Shiite factions are working on avoiding a direct clash with Americans at the moment, and they are waiting for the political and governmental stance vis-a-vis expelling the US troops. However, it does not mean they did not target Americans in the past few weeks. They just decided not to announce it to avoid embarrassing the Iraqi government. The sources added, The factions, especially those who are engaged in political work, do not want to risk their interests and gains. They wish to settle matters politically and not resort to military solutions. A PMU leader told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, We expect a US military attack on the PMU factions soon. He indicated that some information from Washington points to the party that attacked its embassy. The leader said, The US knows very well who attacked its embassy and their names. Armed Shiite factions that threaten US interests in Iraq never adopted or denied an attack, but this time they rushed to deny responsibility. Both Fatah Alliance leader Hadi al-Amiri, who spearheaded an attack against the US Embassy on Dec. 31, and Asaib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali, who threatened to avenge Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis' assassination and who is listed as a terrorist by Washington, washed their hands clean of the operation. Hezbollah Brigades the elite of the Shiite factions condemned the timing of the attack and was the only party to refrain from adopting or denying involvement in it. Al-Monitor tried to meet some of its leaders to ask them questions, but they refused. In a brief statement a day after the attack on the US Embassy, Hezbollah Brigades said, The operation targeted the evil US Embassy. Although this is a normal reaction from the ardent Iraqi people, its timing is inconvenient and might humiliate the Iraqi government. Why didnt Shiite factions adopt or deny previous attacks? Why did they instead focus on the public denial of this attack? Are the PMU factions afraid of the United States' reaction? Watheq al-Hashemi, director of the Iraqi Group for Strategic Studies, told Al-Monitor about the reason armed factions and the PMU did not assume responsibility for the attack. He said, There are concerns about the US sanctions that are expected soon, and Iran is pressuring toward halting attacks on Americans due to the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran. The factions seem reluctant to target US interests in Iraq directly. Perhaps this is related to the aggressiveness of the US response to any such behavior. For instance, the attempt to raid the US Embassy in the last days of 2019 was met with a harsh response and cost Iran and the PMU their two most prominent military leaders. Spokesperson for Asaib Ahl al-Haq Mahmoud al-Rabihi told Al-Monitor, The resistance movements did not shell the US Embassy and decided to give a chance to political and diplomatic work and public pressure. However, this will not be the case forever and will be set by influential circumstances. The weapons of the resistance will always be ready, but this will be the last resort. Hisham al-Hashimi, a researcher at Al-Nahrain Center for Strategic Studies, talked about a problem within the PMU ranks, which is the presence of two groups: the governments PMU and the factions PMU. He told Al-Monitor, The governments PMU abide by the leadership decisions, unlike the factions PMU, which are hybrid forces. Some of those support the government and follow the law, administration and money, while others follow the resistance axis and Irans strategy and care for its interests in exporting the revolution. He added, The second group did not have a commander to rein them in, and decisions were left to the jurisprudence of leaders of the factions to implement the agenda of the axis of resistance, after the assassination of Soleimani and Muhandis. Such chaos can only be contained by the [Islamic] Revolutionary Guards Corps. On Jan. 8, after the assassination of Muhandis and Soleimani, leader of the Sadrist current Muqtada al-Sadr, who spearheads a movement of armed factions, called on the factions not to be hasty in executing military attacks against US interests until all political and legal methods are used up. The discourse of Sadr and the other factions known for their rebellious spirit changed after Soleimani's and Muhandis assassinations, and they modified the way they deal with the US presence in Iraq, which they initially refused. They are well aware there is no military balance between them, and they do not want to suffer any losses that would embarrass them in front of their rivals and the public. Therefore, they are trying to resolve the problem with the United States politically. For the armed factions, the political and legal action to expel US troops is a way out of humiliation in front of their popular base, which is wondering about the delayed response to Muhandis killing despite inflated threats and Irans response to Soleimanis assassination. In a nutshell, the scattered stances of these movements indicate they will not engage directly with the United States and will adopt a strategy of intermittent attacks, like the one that targeted the US Embassy at the end of January. It looks like there is no real alignment of stances after the killing of Muhandis, who was their real leader and organizer. NEW YORK, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Greystone, a leading national commercial real estate lending, investment, and advisory firm, announced it has provided approximately $105 million in total HUD-insured financing to preserve over 480 units of affordable housing in New York City. Greystone provided a $54,965,400 HUD-insured loan to refinance 31-41 23rd Street in Astoria, Queens, a 241-unit property spanning nearly 200,000 square feet. Built in 1979, the Catherine Sheridan Senior Apartments is 100% affordable Section 8 housing. The loan was originated by Greystones Christine Griffin and Ken Rogozinski. Earlier in 2019, Greystone provided $50 million in HUD-insured financing for 199 Avenue B in the East Village. The long-term, fixed rate financing preserves affordability for at least the next 35 years for its 91 units, which house residents whose incomes do not exceed 50 percent of Area Median Income (AMI). The complex is a 4 building Section 8 property being preserved as the result of an agreement between owners CDC and LIHC Investment Group, New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. The financing for both assets enable comprehensive, multi-million-dollar renovation plans to be executed, which will preserve the semi-aging properties for long-term habitation at affordable rents. In addition, based on the current value of the assets, the financing packages enable both borrowers to invest in new affordable housing development projects with the proceeds. Greystones guidance in both preserving our existing affordable housing stock with long-term FHA financing and extracting value from the assets in order to proliferate more affordable housing, was incredibly helpful, said William N. Hubbard of CDC, the co-owner of 199 Avenue B. There are many parties involved in making a transaction of this complex nature such a success, and the hundreds of residents are the ultimate beneficiaries of this financing. About Greystone Greystone is a real estate lending, investment, and advisory company with an established reputation as a leader in multifamily and healthcare finance, having ranked as a top FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac lender in these sectors. Our range of services includes commercial lending across a variety of platforms such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, CMBS, FHA, USDA, bridge and proprietary loan products. Loans are offered through Greystone Servicing Company LLC, Greystone Funding Company LLC and/or other Greystone affiliates. For more information, visit www.greyco.com . I am a publicist, in the perception business, and I have been a victim of perception, Peggy Siegal, told Vanity Fair in its more than 6,500-word article in the April Hollywood issue. The story deals with her effort to keep Peggy Siegal Company afloat in the aftermath of a New York Times blockbuster last July that credited the then-celebrity PR powerhouse and NYCs most prominent professional hostess with helping to rehab the image of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. After the Times journalist Jodi Kantor contacted Siegal about the disgraced Epsteins social life, she contacted a lawyer who referred her to Matt McKenna, a crisis PR specialist who worked for Bill Clinton. McKenna told Maureen OConnor, who wrote the VF piece, that since there was going to be reporting about Siegal he wanted the first foundational story to be in a paper of record. Peggy Siegal The Times article ran on the front page on July 14 and then made its way to the Hollywood press. After reading a story in the Hollywood Reporter, Siegal told VF that she couldnt believe what was happening to her. This is what itd be like to go to your own funeral. Or to be a casualty of war. I mean, if I had been in Nazi Germany, it could not have been worse, she said, invoking ancestors who died in the Holocaust. I thought, Oh, my God, Im on the train station. Im getting on that train and Im going to the camps. And this is exactly what came to mind. This is the kind of political, social, horrific nightmare that came to fruition. Life has come full circle. Ive finally been attacked for nothing more than being Jewish, or being a woman, or being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Siegel spoke to VF because getting her account out is her best shot at keeping the lights on at Peggy Siegal Company. Until you, or I or anybody else can get the truth out that I have been unjustly accused as a woman, then I have no business, she told OConnor. I go out seven nights a week. I have an apartment on the Upper East Side. I have no family. My life is my work. Its always been that way. During the past six months, Siegal has been informally consulting with power publicists Leslee Dart, Cynthia Swartz and Susie Arons. The VF piece notes that in 2007 as an investigation into Epstein was playing out in Palm Beach, New York magazine writer Philip Weiss met with Epstein in the office of PR heavyweight Howard Rubenstein. A spokesperson for Rubensteins firm told VF that the firm dropped Espstein and stopped returning his calls after he was convicted in Palm Beach. In 2008, Epstein was convicted in Palm Beach for soliciting sex from a 14-year-old girl. He served 13 months in Palm Beach County Jail with work releases that allowed him to leave for 12 hours a day. He returned to New York in 2010, where Epstein and Siegal where social friends. She described that term as: I can call then on the phone. They can call me. I can send him an invitation without being embarrassed because its not a cold invitation. I can greet them at the door. I can talk to them after the movie. Three Jersey Shore resort towns are exploring the possibility of merging EMS and paid fire departments to cut costs and improve efficiency during emergencies. Wildwood, North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest are applying for a state grant to determine if sharing these resources across the five-mile island would be in the communitys best interest, officials announced last week. We have this very close working relationship among these services already, and we thought this would be an opportunity to see if theres a way to make it even more responsive and more efficient, North Wildwood Mayor Patrick Rosenello told NJ Advance Media. The proposal would include the paid fire departments in Wildwood and North Wildwood, and the EMS departments in those two towns plus Wildwood Crest. Wildwood Crest plans to keep its volunteer fire department, but would consider an EMS partnership, Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera said. Each town has its own personality each town wants to make sure its taxpayers are protected, Cabrera said. Combining Wildwood and North Wildwoods fire departments could free up some of the more than $2 million the two towns alone have tied to emergency services, budget documents show. A decision on whether the agreement will move forward isnt expected any time soon. The New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Local Efficiency Achievement Program, which is sponsoring the grant, will accept applications through the end of February. Rosenello estimates it will take another two to three months before funds are awarded. There isnt a timetable for the completion of the study. Gov. Phil Murphy announced Wednesday more than 1,000 shared services agreements have been reached across New Jersey since his administration announced an initiative last year. The program offers about $10 million in funding to assist towns in exploring and entering new agreements, according to the state Department of Community Affairs website. Rosenello said one of the biggest hurdles of combining departments is the uncertainty of how the three towns would share oversight, but the initial response has been positive. "I think there is a real willingness to looking at taking the next step, Rosenello said. Jenna Wise may be reached at jwise@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JennaRWise. 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 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. Republicans are reportedly plotting a way to expunge Donald Trumps impeachment should they regain control of the House of Representatives in 2020. The idea comes on the heels of a months long process that Democrats began last year in the House, and has now led to the acquittal of Mr Trump after he became the third president to be impeached in US history. Now, though, after being taunted by House speaker Nancy Pelosi that impeachment lasts forever, it appears that minority leader Kevin McCarthy wants to rewrite history should he take the gavel from the Democratic leader. This is the fastest, weakest, most political impeachment in history, he told the New York Post, echoing a talking point he and other Republicans have used previously nearly word-for-word. He continued: I dont think it should stay on the books. 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 comments came just before the Senate voted to acquit Mr Trump on both articles of impeachment he faced, with just one senator breaking ranks during the vote, Mitt Romney. It is not clear that expunging Mr Trumps impeachment will have much impact, according to constitutional law experts. While there may be some precedent Republicans have noted that the House voted to expunge the censure of Andrew Jackson in 1837 experts say any effort on that front would be largely symbolic. Theres nothing in the Constitution that provides for a procedure of expungement, James Gardner, a law professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo, told The Independent. It would be of no significance. Certainly of no legal significance, Mr Gardner said. It might be of political significance. In an email, lawyer Jonathan Turley the lone impeachment witness called by Republicans during the House trial last year said a future expungement can only go so far. "Expungement is more cathartic than constitutional. The President was impeached the minute a majority voted on Article I," he said. "Resurrection is a biblical not a constitutional concept. The House can express the view of that House as to the basis for impeachment, nothing more. It will create a record of its own but not alter the record of the prior Congress. " Should the presidents record be expunged during the next Congress, it would likely mean that he also won re-election in the coming November elections. Republicans have also promised to immediately begin impeachment proceedings against Joe Biden should be elected president. ALTON Carl Draper wasnt a millionaire. But he was worth all that and more to Alton Memorial Hospital staff and physicians. Draper, 82, died Jan. 30 at his Wood River home. At last springs volunteer appreciation luncheon, he was honored for surpassing 40,000 volunteer hours in his 22 years at AMH. AMH officials calculate that, based on the average hourly wage at the hospital through the years, Draper might have been worth close to $1 million to the facility for his 40,585 hours his final ones put in the day before he died. Carl was buried in his AMH windbreaker, wearing his 40,000-hour pin we just gave him at that luncheon, said Kathleen Turner, volunteer coordinator at AMH. Carl also helped me every month with collecting the volunteers time cards and adding up everyones hours, then putting out new cards for everyone, she said. AMH was his home away from home and we will all miss him very much. Draper was a very dependable volunteer, according to Irene McLaughlin who retired as volunteer coordinator in 2016 but still volunteers at AMH. When he wasnt here you would worry something was wrong, she said. Several years ago he had surgery. He showed up to volunteer before he was released from the doctor. I had to explain to him that I needed his release from his doctor. Needless to say, he was not happy to have to leave and go home. Born March 12, 1937, in Granite City, Draper graduated from East Alton-Wood River High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from McKendree University in Lebanon in 1960. He served as a McKendree trustee since 1998. He worked in the mapping department for the Department of Defense in St. Louis for more than 35 years before retiring in 1998. The best thing about volunteering is getting the chance to work with all of the rest of these volunteers, he said at last years volunteer luncheon. I answered the call to volunteer after Chaplain Jo Greenwood sent out a request for volunteers through all the area churches, including mine (First United Methodist of East Alton). Draper volunteered in the chaplains office before moving to the emergency room at AMH where he stocked supplies, helped remake beds and fill the blanket warmer. He also helped fill the complimentary soup sacks in the surgery department. Forty thousand hours, McLaughlin said. There will never be another Carl Draper. According to a new piece of information that just surfaced, four Chinese smartphone OEMs aim to provide competition for Googles Play Store. Huawei, Xiaomi, Vivo, and OPPO play to compete with the Play Store. This information comes from Reuters. Those four companies are allegedly joining forces to create a platform for developers outside China to upload apps onto all of their app stores simultaneously. Huawei, Xiaomi, OPPO & Vivo will try to challenge the dominance of the Play Store This, according to analysts, basically means that those OEMs are trying to challenge the dominance of the Play Store. Advertisement So, just to be clear, those four companies are not exactly creating a single store that would compete with the Play Store. Developers would be given a way to tweak it one way, and for it to work on app stores from all those companies. Needless to say, more companies could join this movement in the future, of course. Chinese OEMs are amongst the biggest players in the Android world, so this could really mean something for the platform. This movement was almost certainly born following the US ban of Huawei. As most of you know, Huawei is not allowed to pre-install Google services on its phones, and thus doesnt have access to the Play Store, and other Google apps. Advertisement That has managed to create quite a problem for the company, and its no wonder it wants to be more independent. This move would probably make sure that happens. Global Developer Service Alliance (GDSA) is the alleged name theyll use This alliance is called Global Developer Service Alliance (GDSA). The aim of the platform is to make it easier for developers to market their applications overseas. The source claims that this platform will launch in March, at least that was the plan. It is unknown whether the coronavirus outbreak will affect that timeline. Advertisement Reuters notes that all four companies in question denied to comment, and the same goes for Google. It is worth noting that those four companies account for 40.1-percent of global smartphone shipments. At least that was the case in Q4 2019. Xiaomi, Vivo, and OPPO still have full access to Google services (including the Play Store), but they are probably afraid that will change following what happened to Huawei. These four companies certainly have enough appeal to get developers to notice them. That alone makes this piece of information quite interesting. Well see if the announcement will arrive in March, or later on. Three tough-on-gun-crime bills sponsored by Republican Rep. Bill Rehm, a retired Bernalillo County Sheriffs captain, and backed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham deserve serious consideration as means to focus law enforcement efforts on the armed violent offenders who have N.M. residents on edge. House Bill 35 would increase the sentencing enhancement for using a gun to commit a crime from one year to three years for a first offense, and from three years to five years for a second offense. New Mexico SAFE a coalition of faith-based, nonprofit and community groups notes the bill would not give a judge discretion to suspend the enhanced prison time in favor of probation. But Albuquerques record murder rate last year proves those who use a gun to commit a crime show flagrant disregard for the safety of others. House Bill 114 would make it a crime to carry a firearm while trafficking a controlled substance. While drug trafficking is already a second-degree felony, the bill would create a new third-degree felony crime with an additional three-year sentence. Practically speaking, this bill is unlikely to change the nature and danger of drug deals, where one or more parties is often packing heat. But when teens are shot to death over a $40 marijuana debt, its time to send a message that drugs + gun = extra time in prison. The third bill, House Bill 113, would change the crime of being a felon in possession of a firearm from a fourth-degree felony to a third-degree felony, meaning a basic sentence would double from 18 months to three years. It also would expand the definition of a felon to include anyone who has ever been convicted of a felony, instead of those who have completed a sentence in the past 10 years. Lawmakers would do better to focus on those convicted of violent felonies there is a huge difference between armed robbery and shoplifting, for example and ensure the consequences fit the crimes. Clearly, something must be done to curb the persistently high rates of violent crime in Albuquerque and other areas of the state. The governor says the three bills target the worst of the worst, paving the way for longer prison sentences for violent felons. Lawmakers should ensure the language in the bills truly matches that sentiment. 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. BEIRUT - Lebanese president Michel Aoun on Thursday reiterated that it is necessary to repatriate as soon as possible most of the Syrian refugees who fled to the country during the ongoing conflict since 2011. Reports were from Syrian media, which noted that the head of state had inserted a reference to the issue of repatriating Syrians in a ministerial statement approved by the government Thursday morning in Beirut. Aoun said that most areas in Syria had been made ''peaceful'' by the Russian and government offensives in western Syria. Lebanon, which has a population of just under four million people, hosts about a million Syrians, mostly on the edges of cities or in makeshift refugee camps. Libya has lost almost one billion dollars in revenues since a blockade of its most vital oil export facilities led to a slump in production, the National Oil Company said Wednesday. Groups allied to military strongman Khalifa Haftar launched their blockade of eastern Libya's main oil terminals on January 18. Production has since declined from "more than 1.2 million to 187,000 barrels a day", a fall of more than 80 percent, according to the NOC website. The blockade started the day before an international summit in Berlin that called for an end to foreign interference in Libya's conflict and a resumption of peace efforts. The ensuing cuts in production due to storage capacity problems has caused "losses estimated at $931 million", the NOC said. Exports were suspended at the ports of Brega, Ras Lanouf, Al-Sidra, Al-Hariga and Zweitina in the country's "oil crescent", the conduit for the majority of Libya's crude exports. The NOC had previously condemned the closure of valves at a pumping station in the southwest that shut down production at the major fields of Al-Sharara and Al-Fil. The blockade of the country's main source of revenues was decided in protest at Turkey's despatch of troops to shore up Haftar's rivals. Turkey has backed the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord, while Haftar has support from Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Libya has been mired in chaos since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising that killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with rival administrations and militias vying for power. The conflict deepened last April when Haftar, whose forces control much of Libya's south and east, launched an assault to seize Tripoli. The embassies of the US and Britain as well as the EU delegation in Libya called for a resumption of NOC operations, warning of the risks of exacerbating the humanitarian hardships facing the country. Superintendent of Police, Triveni Singh said, 'FIR has been registered against 35 named and over 100 unidentified persons involved in anti-CAA protests near Jauhar park in Bilariaganj area. Of them 20 have been arrested' Azamgarh: The police have registered an FIR against at least 135 people, of which only 35 have been named and the rest are unidentified, for allegedly protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Bilariaganj area in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh. Twenty people named in the FIR have been arrested, police said. "FIR has been registered against 35 named and over 100 unidentified persons involved in anti-CAA protests on Tuesday near Jauhar park in the Bilariaganj area. Of them 20 have been arrested," Superintendent of Police, Triveni Singh, said. He said the protest was led by Ulema Council national general secretary Tahir Madni, who was also arrested on Wednesday. The protesters were using foul language against Hindus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he alleged. The SP said a reward of Rs 25,000 each has been announced on absconding Ulema Council leaders Nurul Huda, Mirza Shane Alam, and Osama. UTICA N.Y.- NEWSChannel 2 has heard from Law Enforcement, Attorneys, Victims of Bail Reform, and Local Officials. Now the City of Utica Common Council is talking about the new bail reform laws. The Common Council is urging New York State to amend the new bail reform legislation. The Council's resolution is asking the state legislature to look at the laws, and consider giving judges more discretion when it comes to setting bail, and work with law enforcement agencies and the District Attorney's Office to make positive, effective changes. Jack LoMedico, Utica City Councilor at large explains to NEWSChannel 2 why changing the legislation is important to Utica. "Our crime rate is going up because we have these same people out there that are doing these crimes over and over again. The way the new law is, is that it's a cookie cutter law, the judge can't take a look at their past record, all (the judge) can do is just say come to court on this day, and they release them. It's just not fair to these crimes." said LoMedico. If the Common Council this resolution, it would be forwarded to state and local officials. Representative image Indias continued buoyancy in sustainable seafood exports in the face of stiff global competition would be on full display at the 22nd India International Seafood Show (IISS) here from February 7-9, officials said here on Thursday. Also showcasing the latest technological interventions in the aquaculture sector, the event would witness industry leaders and experts deliberating on policies and actionable roadmaps to achieve the country's marine products export target of USD 10 billion by 2022, they said. Blue Revolution: Beyond Production to Value Addition is the theme of the three-day marine industrys biennial event being jointly organised by the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), the nodal agency of the Union Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and the Seafood Export Association of India (SEAI). Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan would inaugurate the show here on Friday. Minister of State Commerce and Industry Som Parkash would present the awards a day later. Billed as one of Asia's largest seafood fairs, the IISS is being held in Kochi after a gap of 12 years, they said. MPEDA chairman K S Srinivas said the IISS 2020 offers a platform to all stakeholders to deliberate on various aspects of the seafood industry for striking business deals. It also provides tremendous scope for tapping new avenues and introducing various technologies and products to the global market. A major objective of the event is to highlight the country's commitment towards sustainability in the entire value chain of seafood products such as primary production, processing and transportation, he told a press conference here. The event also offers a platform for all stakeholders to discuss new techniques in processing and traceability and value addition to products for export, he said. IISS 2020 would have 1,500 delegates, with 50 of them from 12 foreign countries. Entry would be open to the public on February 9 with a fee of Rs 100. SEAI national president Jagdish V Fofandi said Indias seafood industry is poised for stronger focus on value addition of the products. During 2018-19, India exported over 14,37,000 tonnes of marine products worth over USD 6.70 billion as per provisional figures. With a multi-pronged strategy, addressing capture fisheries and aquaculture, it is expected to achieve an export turnover of $ 15 billion in the next five years, Fofandi said. Internationally acclaimed experts from France, Singapore, the UK, USA, Japan, the Netherlands, Germany and Fiji besides India would address technical sessions on topics of current interest such as Prospective Markets & Regulatory Environment, Certification, Traceability & Value Addition, and Tuna export value chain - Better harvest practices. India is the second largest aquaculture producer in the world, largest exporter of shrimp to USA. India is also exporting significant volume of shrimp to Europe and other markets in South East Asia. PREM Information Filter by Category All Company Announcement - General Additional Listing AIM Admission AIM Notice Base Rate Change Block Listing Interim Review Capital Reorganisation Change of Name Conversion of Securities Drilling/Production Report Final Announcement Released Geographical Distribution Intention to Float Issue of Debt Issue of Equity Joint Venture Net Asset Value Portfolio Update Price Monitoring Extension Product Launch Publication of a Prospectus Publication of Final Terms Research Update Restoration Rights Issue Stabilisation Notice Statement Suspension Tender Offer Trading Statement Treasury Stock All Mergers, Acquisitions and Disposals Acquisition Merger Form 8 (DD) Form 8 (OPD) Form 8.3 Form 8.5 (EPT/NON-RI) Form 8.5 (EPT/RI) Form 8.6 Rule 2.9 Announcement Offer By Offer For Offer Update All Results and Trading Reports 1st Quarter Results 3rd Quarter Results AGM Statement Annual Report Final Results Half-year Report Notice of Results Result of AGM Result of EGM Result of Equity Issue Result of General Meeting Result of Tender Offer Syndicate Results All Dividends Dividend Declaration Dividend Currency Election All Executive Changes Directorate Change Change of Adviser Change of Registered Office All Directors' Dealings Director/PDMR Shareholding All Advance Notice of Results Notice of AGM Notice of GM Notice of EGM Notice of Results All Non-Regulatory News All Transaction in Own Shares All Holding(s) in Company Total Voting Rights Notification of Major Holdings Actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan is back to films with a bang. He is already working on two movies a remake of Pink and another one with director Krish. A third film by Harish Shankar of Gabbar Singh fame has been officially announced. Now, according to a source, the actor may give his nod to two more films. Pawan promised director Kishore Parthasani (Dolly) at the time of Katamarayudu that he would work with him again, said the source. Another director, KS Ravindra (Bobby), is also writing a script for Pawan Kalyan and the actor may give him the nod too. They worked together for Sardar Gabbar Singh, the source said. Kona Venkat and Bobby are working on the story and they are planning to meet the actor and narrate it to him. These five films are sure to keep Pawan Kalyan busy for the next two years. FILE PHOTO: French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier and German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz arrive to attend a joint news conference after a meeting in Paris By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Europe's future must be based on fair competition rules, EU antitrust regulators said on Monday, after Germany and France reiterated calls for a speedy overhaul of the bloc's rules to help EU companies better compete with U.S. and Chinese rivals. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, Italian Industry Minister Stefano Patuanelli and Poland's Development Minister Jadwiga Emilewicz in a joint letter to EU competition and digital chief Margrethe Vestager called for proposals by the end of June. Le Maire and Altmaier kicked off the debate more than a year ago after Vestager vetoed Siemens and Alstom's bid to merge their rail operations to face off Chinese competitors. To mollify such concerns, Vestager has subsequently said she was looking to update various elements of EU competition rules to meet digital and green challenges and also reviewing guidelines on state aid and agreements between companies. She will also issue rules in the coming months which will rein in U.S. tech giants' market power. Vestager's spokeswoman said the letter from the four ministers would be taken into account in the debate. "Europe's future industrial, ecological and digital strategy must be based on fair competition," spokeswoman Arianna Podesta said. "Sound EU competition rules can enable pro-competitive cooperation, including data sharing and data pooling, support the growth and development of strong European companies, whether larger ones or SMEs, and further enable and support the greening of our economy." EU antitrust enforcers should take into account state aid provided to foreign companies, use interim measures to tackle online platforms' dominance, reinforce advisory committees made up of national competition watchdogs and set up an independent scientific expert body to assist them, they said. (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Additional reporting by Leigh Thomas in Paris; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) Our very own Luxembourg Wurst has made the headlines in Ireland, where they clarify that it is, indeed, satirical. A couple of days ago, the Wurst published an article with the title "Irish English replaced British English as EU working language". Given the backdrop that there have been concerns about English in the EU once the UK leaves, one could forgive the uninitiated for not realising it's satire. If they only read the headline, that is. If you ask this editor, the best line comes right at the end: "The difference can be seen in a statement that was published on the EU homepage in late January, which referred to the UK leader as Prime Minister Boris Johnson, but by Feb.1 the words had been changed to your man."" Fact-checked in Ireland It seems that not everyone did read the entire article, however, or failed to realise that it was satirical. Irish news outlet The Journal have published a fact-checking article explaining that the claims made in the Wurst are not true: "The most important factor in compiling the evidence is the status of the publication. Forgive us as this is a bit of a verdict spoiler, but Wurst.lu is a satirical site based out of Luxembourg. (Think Waterford Whispers News for Luxembourgers.)" At the end of the article, they declare the "claim" made by Wurst is "NONSENSE". We prefer "HILARIOUS". In addition to the main Wurst website linked above and below, we've got plenty of Sausage on Today as well. . Septembers Hurricane Dorian was the worst to ever hit this archipelago, but what many people might not know: while Grand Bahama and the Abacos face years of rebuilding, the storm left most of the archipelago's 700 islands untouched. Tourist dollars go a long way toward the northern islands recovery and it's an exciting time to visit the Bahamas, thanks to a group of recently arrived and renovated indie hotels that channel the pride of their owners. North Andros After Dorian, the team behind family-run Kamalame Cay raised more than $30,000 for the affected communities, gathering food and supplies and offering employment opportunities to those who were displaced. And the storm didnt stop owners David and Michael King-Hew from moving forward with regular improvements: they opened two new villas in 2019, with 10 more in the works for later this year. Island House. | Jessica Antola/Courtesy of Island House New Providence With a Zen temple aesthetic, an in-house wine label, and an art-house cinema, the 30-room Island House provides a more intimate atmosphere than Nassaus larger beach resorts. Guests have exclusive access to a private beach club nearby, but if that feels too crowded, have the staff arrange an overnight to Highbourne Cay, their private island in the Exumas. Caerula Mar. | Courtesy of Caerula Mar South Andros In 2016, HGTV Canada stars Bryan and Sarah Baeumler purchased a 1960s-era resort and began transforming it into the 24-key Caerula Mar, which opened last month. Spread across ten beachfront acres, its the islands first new hotel in nearly 20 years and the owners have already seen it bringing new life to this once-sleepy area, with infrastructure updates and new local businesses like conch shacks and bone-fishing charters. The Other Side. | Zorn Photography/Courtesy of The Other Side Eleuthera Solar-powered safari camp might not be your first thought when planning an island vacay but the Other Side, on one of the countrys least developed out islands, is not your usual beach hotel. A stay here is barefoot luxury incarnate, with outdoor bathtubs, in-room massages, and access to the propertys 30-foot Hinckley yacht. The three tented suites and and three hilltop cottages (they call them shacks) will soon be joined by three new villas, with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the sea. A version of this story first appeared in the February 2020 issue of Travel + Leisure under the headline Boutique Bahamas. 02/06/2020 Photo (c) HighGradeRoots - Getty Images While most of what happens in Washington, D.C. happens at a snails pace, it was only a matter of months after the Trump administration called for a ban on e-cigarettes that it was put to work. Effective Thursday, that plan went into effect. The ABCs of the policy The essential things consumers need to know about the policy are pretty straightforward: While its called a ban, its not a law and its not binding -- at least not at the moment. Whats covered is the manufacturing, distribution, and sale of flavored (e.g. fruit and mint) vaping cartridges or pods. An example of those would be what Juul was offering prior to the ban. Disposable vapes that use an open-tank system, and their respective flavored e-liquids, are not banned. Flavored e-liquid thats not packaged in a cartridge is not banned, either. If you happen to see an e-cigarette on the market, its there illegally. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not given any e-cigarette manufacturer premarket authorization and it continues to put violators in its crosshairs. Our review of premarket product applications will help evaluate the public health benefits and harms of a tobacco product to ensure that those authorized for marketing are appropriate for the protection of public health, said Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless, M.D. This will include understanding the likelihood that those who do not use tobacco products such as kids will start using them, as well as the likelihood that tobacco users will stop. The FDAs intention is to prioritize the shutdown of flavor cartridge-based vaping products. Menthol and tobacco flavors are not included in the policy. Teens continue to be the focus The number one goal of both the FDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is keeping teens from falling into the e-cig trap. The United States has never seen an epidemic of substance use arise as quickly as our current epidemic of youth use of e-cigarettes, said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. HHS is taking a comprehensive, aggressive approach to enforcing the law passed by Congress, under which no e-cigarettes are currently on the market legally. To that end, the FDA just rolled out The Real Cost, a video campaign featuring teenagers sharing cautionary tales about their e-cigarette addiction. In one of the series, called My Vaping Mistake, teenagers get personal about the physical and emotional effects vaping addiction had on their lives. We will not stand idly by as this crisis among Americas youth grows and evolves, and we will continue monitoring the situation and take further actions as necessary, Azar said. Getting around the ban Agencies behind the ban have their work cut out for them. The New York Times reported just last week that teens have already found a loophole in the ban and are working it to their advantage. The wrinkle in the ban? Disposable vapes. Students were telling me that everybody had gone to Puff Bars, which are disposable, Lauren W. Williams, a teacher at McCracken County High School in Kentucky told the Times. The one we confiscated here this week is Banana Ice. Students are not using Juuls anymore because no one wants menthol or tobacco. Possible exceptions Its important to note that individual states may have their own vaping bans. Two examples are North Carolina and Missouri. According to Bloomberg Government, law-enforcement agencies in two states have told stores that sell cigarettes that state enforcement of tobacco rules isnt changing yet, even though federal law prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes and vaping devices to minors. The reason isnt a lack of desire. It has more to do with the layers and layers of getting statewide regulations into play. You cant just turn a battleship around on a dime, Mike OConnell, communications director for the Missouri Department of Public Safety, told Bloomberg. While the world continues to build toward collective mass hysteria re: coronavirus, one British man claims to have found a surprisingly simple (and, depending on your taste in booze, potentially delightful) cure for the deadly illness. Twenty-five-year-old teacher Connor Reed, reportedly the first Brit to contract the illness, claims to have cured his own case of coronavirus just by sipping whisky. I used the inhaler which helped control the cough and drank a hot whisky with honey until that ran out, Reed told the Sun. Reed, who has lived in China for three years, reportedly contracted the virus two months ago and spent two weeks in the Zhongnan University Hospital in Wuhan, China. I was stunned when the doctors told me I was suffering from the virus, he told the Sun. I thought I was going to die but I managed to beat it. Reed said he did so without the help of the antibiotics he was prescribed, which as Vice noted may not be as foolish as it sounds. Last week, the World Health Organization took to Twitter to explain in a lengthy thread that the coronavirus is, in fact, a virus, and therefore antibiotics, which are used to treat bacterial infections, are not an effective treatment. The thread also cautioned that other rumored cures including pneumonia vaccines, eating garlic, snorting saline solution and covering the body in sesame oil are also unlikely to prove effective. However, according to one whisky-swilling Brit anyway, a little Johnny Walker cant hurt. Its an old fashioned remedy, but it seemed to do the trick, he told the Sun. I am proof coronavirus can be beaten. While we should maybe leave proof up to medical professionals, Reeds recovery is as good a reason as any to pour one out. Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter. The post A Twenty-Something British Man Says He Cured His Coronavirus With Whisky appeared first on InsideHook. (Sharecast News) - London stocks were off earlier but still in the green by midday on Thursday, with sentiment underpinned by China's plans to cut tariffs on $75bn of US goods. The FTSE 100 was 0.3% higher at 7,504.35. The mood was lifted after China said it would halve tariffs on more than 1,717 US products. The cut on levies will be introduced on 14 February, which is the day the US is set to reduce tariffs on $120bn worth of Chinese imports. CMC Markets analyst David Madden said: "The move by Beijing is a nice way to take the pressure off the Chinese economy in light of the coronavirus situation, plus it's a great distraction for dealers - it will take their mind off of the deepening health crisis. The reduction in levies from the Chinese side shows they are willing to play ball with the US, and it should help mend the frayed trade relations." In equity markets, catering company Compass rallied after it said organic revenue for the three months ended 31 December grew 5.3%, driven by strong levels of new business wins and good retention rates, particularly in North America. NMC Health rose following a report that the company's founder is looking to buy out his Emirati partners and return to an "active leadership position" at the UAE private healthcare operator. According to the Financial Times, Indian-born entrepreneur BR Shetty is conducting an operational review ahead of formal talks to explore various options with shareholders and regulators. Insurer Beazley was the best performer on the FTSE 250 after it posted a 250% surge in full-year pre-tax profit as three of its six divisions achieved double-digit growth. Ashmore pushed higher as the emerging markets wealth manager reported a 28% year-on-year interim rise in assets under management, driven by net inflows and despite a tougher global economic climate. On the downside, GlaxoSmithKline was weaker again after disappointing full-year results a day earlier. Royal Mail tumbled as it said recent trading was broadly in line with expectations but company warned that its outlook was challenging. Letter volumes will fall faster than expected next year and the parcels and letters business is more likely to be loss-making, it said. Neil Wilson, chief market analyst at Markets.com, said: "Royal Mail's restructuring plans are being derailed by strikes and the company is likely to miss its targets. This should hardly be a big surprise to investors - in November it warned that its transformation programme was behind schedule. Ongoing industrial action threats are a persistent drag on the stock. "What's more worrying is that we've been waiting for something to happen for a long time now and still it's the same old story. Parcel volumes up, letters down, GLS doing ok and no change in the culture or management of this ex-monopoly." Tate & Lyle reversed earlier gains after saying it expected full-year earnings per share growth to be in a range of flat to low single digits on a constant currency basis as it maintained guidance for the full year. Software company Sage was under the cosh as its stock went ex-dividend. Market Movers FTSE 100 (UKX) 7,504.35 0.29% FTSE 250 (MCX) 21,568.33 0.22% techMARK (TASX) 4,135.87 -0.09% FTSE 100 - Risers Kingfisher (KGF) 213.50p 2.74% Barclays (BARC) 177.24p 2.47% Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 226.90p 2.39% Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 703.00p 2.39% Tesco (TSCO) 254.00p 2.30% Ashtead Group (AHT) 2,651.00p 2.28% Vodafone Group (VOD) 150.04p 2.08% Compass Group (CPG) 1,943.50p 1.94% Aviva (AV.) 415.10p 1.64% TUI AG Reg Shs (DI) (TUI) 850.80p 1.60% FTSE 100 - Fallers GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) 1,705.00p -1.99% Flutter Entertainment (FLTR) 8,502.00p -1.71% Sage Group (SGE) 769.20p -1.21% Barratt Developments (BDEV) 829.60p -1.17% Persimmon (PSN) 3,064.00p -1.16% Smith & Nephew (SN.) 1,859.00p -0.99% Taylor Wimpey (TW.) 220.50p -0.90% BP (BP.) 479.95p -0.90% Smith (DS) (SMDS) 370.70p -0.88% Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) 2,876.00p -0.83% FTSE 250 - Risers Beazley (BEZ) 580.50p 8.50% Rank Group (RNK) 307.50p 4.77% Aston Martin Lagonda Global Holdings (AML) 470.80p 4.07% Ashmore Group (ASHM) 571.00p 3.25% Pets at Home Group (PETS) 301.60p 2.72% Marks & Spencer Group (MKS) 185.40p 2.63% Hunting (HTG) 327.00p 2.44% Fresnillo (FRES) 636.80p 2.12% Hiscox Limited (DI) (HSX) 1,354.00p 1.96% Playtech (PTEC) 354.20p 1.93% FTSE 250 - Fallers Royal Mail (RMG) 174.15p -8.03% Energean Oil & Gas (ENOG) 725.00p -3.97% Future (FUTR) 1,142.00p -3.87% Finablr (FIN) 70.20p -3.44% PureTech Health (PRTC) 300.00p -2.28% Tate & Lyle (TATE) 784.00p -2.15% Redrow (RDW) 795.00p -1.97% Countryside Properties (CSP) 505.00p -1.56% FirstGroup (FGP) 123.10p -1.52% Coats Group (COA) 71.60p -1.45% Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 19:02:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- A mainland spokesperson on Thursday expressed firm opposition to any form of official interaction between the United States and Taiwan. Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks when he responded to a question about Lai Ching-te's trip to the United States and his contact with the U.S. side. "Lai Ching-te's trip to the United States, meeting with U.S. officials and members of U.S. Congress at his request, and his plot to seek 'Taiwan independence' and split the country are despicable dirty tricks," Ma said. In the event you needed more foreshadowing, theres a subsequent scene in the female changing quarters where dancers gossip about a male member of the troupe who was kicked out for being gay. Tbilisi, where this movie, written and directed by Levan Akin, is set and was shot, looks like a pleasant place to live, but also like a land out of time. The young members of the Georgian dance group all smoke like chimneys, and their world, and the world around them, has seriously retrograde ideas about human relations. This means trouble for Merab, who has more than a socially unacceptable new love on his plate: his family is struggling in poverty. Gelbakhiani, the lead actor, has a lean physique, striking red hair and certain facial features that suggest hed actually make a great Alfredo Linguini in a live-action remake of Ratatouille, not that such a thing should happen. He and the rest of the cast perform with conviction, and the whole movie is attractively, solidly put together. But its dramatic components, fraught as they are, are tepidly delivered. The movie catches fire only in its final scene, in which Merab expresses his rebellion in the language of dance, not words. And Then We Danced Not rated. In Georgian, with English subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 53 minutes. New Orleans, LA - Pooja Mehta, M.D., clinical assistant professor of obstetrics & gynecology at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, was a member of a research team that found 13% of deaths occurring during or up to one year after pregnancy among Louisiana women in 2016-17 were homicides. Results are published online in JAMA Pediatrics, available here. The team conducted a retrospective analysis of vital records data provided by the Louisiana Department of Health of all cases of maternal death that year. Of the 119 maternal deaths, homicide accounted for more deaths than any other single cause. Mortality from homicide was 12.9 per 100,000 compared to mortality from hypertensive disorders at 3.2 or obstetric embolism at 4.8 per 100,000. "This is distinct from findings that focus on 'pregnancy-related' death - a different definition of 'maternal mortality,' which are deaths confirmed on case review to be directly linked to or worsened by pregnancy," notes Dr. Mehta, who was the Medical Director for the Louisiana Pregnancy-Associated Mortality Review at the time of the study. "The key finding from this study is that pregnant and postpartum women in Louisiana are more likely than others of the same age to experience a homicide." The authors write that their estimated rate is among the highest reported across a growing number of jurisdictions, possibly due in part to improved case ascertainment through the use of linked and verified data and/or reflecting a truly higher incidence within Louisiana, given the state's consistently high incidence of homicide among women and girls. "This points to the fact that pregnant people are in fact more vulnerable to violence--those who interact with pregnant and postpartum individuals inside and outside of the health system need to work together to better support these individuals," adds Mehta. "We have to see each death as something that is worth preventing, and within our power to prevent." ### The research team also included Maeve E. Wallace, Ph.D., and Katherine P. Theall, Ph.D., at Tulane University; and Joia Crear-Perry, M.D., at the National Birth Equity Collaborative. The study was supported by funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health. LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans (LSU Health New Orleans) educates Louisiana's health care professionals. The state's health sciences university leader, LSU Health New Orleans includes a School of Medicine, the state's only School of Dentistry, Louisiana's only public school of Public Health, and Schools of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Graduate Studies. LSU Health New Orleans faculty take care of patients in public and private hospitals and clinics throughout the region. In the vanguard of biosciences research, the LSU Health New Orleans research enterprise generates jobs and enormous annual economic impact. LSU Health New Orleans faculty have made lifesaving discoveries and continue to work to prevent, advance treatment or cure disease. To learn more, visit http://www.lsuhsc.edu, http://www.twitter.com/LSUHealthNO, or http://www.facebook.com/LSUHSC. A capsule carrying a crew of three from the International Space Station returned to Earth Thursday. They came down safely in Kazakhstan. One of the three was Christina Koch of the United States. She spent a total of 328 days in space. That broke the record for the longest continuous stay in space by a woman. The old record was set by Peggy Whitson, another American astronaut. During her time on the International Space Station, Koch traveled over 223 million kilometers. That is how far you would travel if you went to the moon and back 291 times. Historic space walk by two women Kochs mission in space began March 14, 2019. Since then, she has left the space station and completed spacewalks six times. Koch made history on October 18 by working outside the space station with another female astronaut, Jessica Meir. It was the first walk in space by an all-female team. One reason this has not happened before is that the space station had only one spacesuit that was the right size for a woman. Peggy Whitson held the record for the longest space flight by a woman until Koch broke it in December. Whitson still holds the record for the longest time in space for a woman over her entire career: 589 days. Scott Kelly holds the record for the longest time in space for any U.S. astronaut, 340 days. Landing in Kazakhstan The Russian space agency Roscosmos released images of the capsule landing on a snow-covered field in Kazakhstan. Koch returned to Earth with Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov. All three were said to be in good spirits after the landing. Parmitano and Skvortsov spent 201 days in space. Next stops: the moon and Mars The U.S. space agency NASA says Kochs mission will provide researchers with the chance to see the effects of a long-duration spaceflight on a woman. It is important information because NASA plans to return to the moon under the Artemis program. The space agency is also preparing for the human exploration of the planet Mars. Koch grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina. She now lives with her husband Bob near the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston, Texas. She told The Associated Press last month that taking part in the first all-female spacewalk was the highlight of her space station visit. Im Jill Robbins. Jill Robbins wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Her story was based on reports from The Associated Press and the Reuters news agency. George Grow was the editor. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story capsule n. a small part of a spacecraft that is separate from the rest of the spacecraft and that is where people live and work mission n. a flight by an aircraft or spacecraft to perform a special operation duration n. the time during which something lasts or exists highlight n. something of special interest What do you think of NASA's plan to return to the moon and send humans to Mars? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section. India can consider evacuating Pakistani students from the coronavirus-hit Hubei province "if such a situation arises" and resources are available, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday, while making it clear that Pakistan had made no request for it till now. Hundreds of stranded Pakistani students in the coronavirus-hit Wuhan city have made desperate pleas to the Imran Khan government to evacuate them from China's worst-affected Hubei province, urging his administration to take a leaf out of India's book. Asked about the pleas by the Pakistani students and whether India could help in their evacuation, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "No such request has been received by us from the government of Pakistan. But if such a situation arises and keeping in mind the resources available, we can look into it." However, he did not clarify what would be the specific pre-conditions for considering the request. India airlifted 654 people, including seven Maldivians, on Saturday and Sunday from Wuhan. Watching the Indian students leave, the Pakistani students posted videos on social media asking their government to do the same. In one of the videos, a Pakistani student while showing the Indian students boarding the bus to go to the airport, said while India was evacuating its citizens, the Pakistan government says "you live or die we will not evacuate or facilitate" their journey home. "Shame on you Pakistan government. Learn from India how it takes care of its people," he said in the video that went viral. Pakistan has more than 28,000 students in China, including 500 in the worst-hit city of Wuhan. China has praised Pakistan for resuming flights to the country, a day after it received special medical kits from Beijing to detect the deadly virus cases. Clashes in Iraq's Najaf kill eight after cleric's followers storm protest camp - medics An Iraqi demonstrator burns tires to block a road during ongoing anti-government protests in Najaf, BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least eight people were killed in clashes in Iraq's southern city of Najaf on Wednesday after supporters of populist cleric Moqtada al-Sadr stormed an anti-government protest camp, medical and security sources said. The medical sources said at least 20 more were wounded in the violence but did not provide further details. The security sources said that supporters of Sadr, known as blue hats for the blue caps they often wear, had tried to clear the area of anti-government protesters, who in turn tried to stop them. Fights broke out between both groups, the blue hats threw petrol bombs at protester tents and live gunfire rang out shortly afterwards, wounding and killing eight people, they said. Iraq's designated Prime Minister Mohammed Allawi, who was tasked last week with forming a new government, condemned the violence and called on Twitter on the outgoing cabinet which is acting in a caretaker capacity to "protect protesters". Sadr, who supported Allawi's candidacy in an agreement with Iran-backed parties that dominate Iraq's government and state institutions, has at different times both supported and abandoned Iraqi protesters who demand a removal of the entire ruling elite. The cleric says he opposes all foreign interference in Iraq, but has aligned himself more closely with parties backed by Tehran in recent months. He urged followers last week to help authorities bring "day to day life" back to Iraq's streets by clearing roads blocked by sit-ins and ensuring businesses and schools can reopen after months of protests in which nearly 500 people have been killed in clashes between protesters and security forces. Sadr has also urged the blue hats to allow protests to continue. (Reporting by John Davison in Baghdad, Ali Hafthi in Hilla, Editing by William Maclean) By Trend Chinese tourists trips to Azerbaijan have been postponed indefinitely, Member of the Council of Experts of the Association of Travel Agencies of Azerbaijan Kanan Hanifayev told Trend. Hanifayev noted that due to the cancellation of these tours, the reservations of travel agencies for February and March were canceled or postponed. The council member emphasized that this is detrimental to Azerbaijani tourism. Trips of local tourists to China have also been suspended, and the flights have been postponed, said Hanifayev. Our tourists, who have previously planned trips, return tour packages. AZAL and China Airlines return air tickets without penalties. The council member added that the spread of coronavirus had a negative impact on the Chinese tourism market. The number of tourists coming to China has decreased by almost 90 percent, Hanifayev noted. This is directly related to the coronavirus. The epidemic will also have a significant negative effect on the countrys economy. Tourism, logistics and trade spheres will suffer major damage. The council member added that according to forecasts, the process of complete neutralization of coronavirus can be continued until mid-March. We hope that there will be progress in the fight against the virus very soon and tourists will be able to travel safely to any country, said Hanifayev. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. Since then over 560 people have died and over 28,000 people have been confirmed as infected. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. The symptoms include cough, headache, fatigue, fever, aching and difficulty breathing. It is primarily spread through airborne contact or contact with contaminated objects. Chinese health authorities say that the majority of the people who have died were either elderly or had underlying health problems. Aside from Mainland China, the cases of coronavirus spreading have also been confirmed in Japan, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, Germany, the US, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Macau, France, Canada, the UAE, India, Italy, Russia, Philippines, the UK, Nepal, Cambodia, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Sweden and Sri Lanka. --- Each year, thousands of Central Indiana residents pay hundreds of dollars to file their taxes without knowing they may be eligible for free filing. The Indy Free Tax Prep program eases the financial burden of the tax preparation process and ensures individuals and families with a household income of $66,000 or less receive their full tax refund. The program is part of a network of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites throughout Central Indiana and is administered by United Way of Central Indiana (UWCI). Mary Jones, senior director for community impact at UWCI, said the organization has seen the impact the program has had on individuals and communities as a whole. This is overall one of United Ways strategies for financial literacy and financial stability, Jones said. Last year, we were able to serve 6,900 households in Marion County that received back $6.3 million in returns, and this was all done without any fees or cost for them, and they can use those funds for what they need most like groceries or paying off debts. Jones emphasized the money residents get from tax returns ultimately returns back to the community, helping to create financial stability in neighborhoods as well as individual households. Indy Free Tax Prep is designed to ensure that our residents receive all the tax credits and deductions for which they are eligible, Mayor Joe Hogsett said in a press release. With the money residents save on tax preparation fees, they can work to reduce debt and build savings. This program supports United Ways goal of reducing the number of financially unstable households in our community. Kimberly Brown-Harden, branch manager at the 38th Street public library, said the tax assistance program is important to the community because there arent as many resources. We are in the middle of what we consider not only a food desert, she said, but were in the middle of a financial desert. VITA sites in Marion County Heritage Place of Indianapolis, 4550 N. Illinois St., 317-283-6662 Holy Angels Church, 740 W. 28th St., angel.ingr@gmail.com John Boner Neighborhood Centers, 2236 E. 10th St., 317-808-2393 Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center, 1920 W. Morris St., apiland@maryrigg.org Oasis of Hope, 1701 E. 25th St., 317-925-7513 Shepherd Community, 4107 E. Washington St., 317-375-0203 Southeast Community Services, 901 Shelby St. 317-236-7400 Zion Hope, 5950 E. 46th St., 317-643-1304 38th Street Library, 5420 E. 38th St., 317-275-4352 What to bring Valid photo ID Social security cards for everyone on the return W2 forms Interest and dividend statements Forms 1095-A All 1099 forms Education expense receipts and Form 1098 Child care receipts, along with providers address and social security number or employer identification number Real estate property tax receipts Landlord name and address Bank, credit union or prepaid card account and routing number Copy of last years tax return (not required but helpful) Learn more at uwci.org/vita-2020. Tax timeAiryelf Dancing With The Stars' Angie Kent rocked a retro ensemble as she celebrated her 30th birthday at the Michael Arthur Boutique launch party. The bright-eyed beauty donned a pastel-pink gingham two-piece, with a retro-inspired tie-front crop top and peppy matching pants. The blonde bombshell styled the quirky ensemble with a pale pink headband with pearl accents, which kept her long locks off her face. Gingham girl! Angie Kent rocked a retro ensemble on her 30th birthday as she led a host of Sydney's biggest reality stars at the Michael Arthur Boutique launch party Sparkling! Angie was dripping in jewels at the designer event, with multiple dazzling rings adorning her fingers Angie was dripping in diamonds at the designer event, which included a sparkling choker and multiple rings adorning her fingers. All up, they were worth a staggering $100,000. The former Gogglebox star was joined by her beau Carlin Sterritt, who sported a light linen jacket and crisp white shirt. The 30-year-old acting hopeful accessorised with stylish round glasses. Bachelorette beau: The former Gogglebox star was joined by her beau Carlin Sterritt, who sported a light linen jacket and crisp white shirt The Bachelorette duo were joined by a host of Sydney-based reality stars, including some of Married At First Sight's biggest names, despite Angie telling The Sun-Herald she thought the controversial show was 'super trash'. Returning bride Elizabeth Sobinoff led the Married At First Sight alum, styling a strapless white bandeau top, ivory pleated skirt and a floral Dolce and Gabbana clutch bag. She pulled her brunette locks off her delicate decolletage as a staff member added a silver necklace to the elegant ensemble. Glowing: Elizabeth styled a strapless white bandeau top, ivory pleated skirt and a floral Dolce and Gabbana clutch bag Trying it on: Returning bride Elizabeth Sobinoff pulled her brunette locks off her delicate decolletage as a staff member added a silver necklace to the elegant ensemble MAFS' Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli stepped out to their first event since moving to Sydney. Martha looked chic in a white ribbed Dion Lee midi-dress with cutout detailing. She styled the look with $200,000 worth of jewellery from the brand. She let her newly cut bob flow, which brought plenty of attention to her jewels. Getting some fresh air: Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli headed to their first event since moving to Sydney New Sydneysider: Martha's curvaceous figure stood out in a white ribbed Dion Lee midi-dress with cutout detailing Martha wore a face full of makeup which included dewy foundation, black mascara, a hint of blush and nude lipstick. The former Married At First Sight star completed her look in slip-on shoes. Meanwhile, her beau Michael looked cool in an oversized cream coloured T-shirt and white trousers. He completed his look in matching shoes. Breakfast at Michael Arthurs? Love Island star Tayla Damir kept things classic in a black strapless number Love Island stars Tayla Damir and Cassie Lansdell also attended the event, both wearing very different midi-dresses. A newly grey-haired Cassie shone in a yellow cowl-neck slip dress, while Tayla kept things classic in a black strapless number. Former Bachelor star Nikki Ferris put on a raunchy display in a revealing black mini-dress with silver tassels. Sunshine! A newly grey-haired Cassie Lansdell shone in a yellow cowl-neck slip dress Stunner: Monique Morley wasn't about to let the camera catch her in an awkward moment, perfectly posing in a sleek metallic cowl-neck dress with a high slit Her fellow Bachelor alum Sogand Mohtat donned a navy-blue strapless midi-dress, looking on in mock horror as Nikki flaunted her assets. Actress Suzan Mutesi pursed her lips as she posed for the hilarious snap, as she stunned in a black mini-dress with statement oversized off-the-shoulder sleeves. Meanwhile, Monique Morley wasn't about to let the camera catch her in an awkward moment, perfectly posing in a sleek metallic cowl-neck dress with a high slit. Electric two-wheeler maker Okinawa Scooters plans to almost double its sales to around one lakh units in the next two years and expand its sales network to 600 dealers, said a top company official. The company, which has a line-up of 9 products, on Thursday unveiled the prototype of maxi-scooter Cruiser at the auto expo here, which it plans to launch in the third quarter of next financial year. According to the company, Cruiser, which will be based on fast charging detachable lithium ion battery, would have a range of 120 KM in a single charge with a top speed of 100 km per hour. "At Okinawa, we are growing at a fast pace and have multiple developments in the pipeline. We are planning to launch the Okinawa Cruiser in third quarter of the next financial year," Okinawa Autotech Founder and Managing Director Jeetender Sharma said. The company has a sales network of 350 dealers and sold around 60,000 vehicles. "We are targeting to sell over 1,00,000 e-scooter units in the coming financial year," said Sharma. Moreover, Okinawa will also be establishing a new facility in Rajasthan soon, he added. Founded in 2015, Okinawa is a disrupter in the segment and is also the first company to get FAME-II approval. "Okinawa has always believed that key to innovation is in identifying the requirements of our users. Keeping this in mind, Okinawa has launched its products with unique features and eye-catching designs that would serve the purpose for users of any age," Sharma said. The electric vehicle industry is still very nascent in India and there are many speculations and myths associated with the performance of EVs when compared with petrol run vehicles, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Need to be frank: Malaysia PM on India palm oil curbs after CAA remark Mahathir Mohammad says remarks on French attack taken out of context How India got Malaysian PM to remain silent on Kashmir India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 06: Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad refrained from issuing any statement on the Kashmir issue during a joint press statement with Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan. The Ministry of External Affairs told the Parliament that it does not expect any country to comment on issues such as Kashmir and the citizenship law as these are purely internal matters. The joint statement by Malaysia and Pakistan merely said that Imran Khan had raised the Kashmir issue. The statement did not specify that both sides had agreed on the Kashmir issue. The Prime Minister of Pakistan briefed the Prime Minister of Malaysia on the illegal and unilateral actions of the Indian Government of August 5, 2019, the statement read. PM Mahathir Mohamad says Malaysia has right not to extradite Zakir Naik It appears as though the Malaysian Prime Minister refrained from making any statement in the backdrop of India issuing an informal advisory not to buy palm oil from Malaysia. The advisory came in the backdrop of Mahatir making adverse comments on issues such as Kashmir and the new citizenship law, which India has maintained is a purely internal matter. The commerce ministry earlier this month held a detailed meeting with edible oil industry stakeholders and asked them informally to avoid purchase of Malaysian palm oil. India, the world's largest importer of vegetable oils, buys nearly 15 million tonnes annually. Of this, palm oil comprises 9 million tonne and the rest 6 million tonne is soyabean oil and sunflower oil. "We import 30 per cent of the palm oils from Malaysia, while 70 per cent from Indonesia. Our refiners can import from Indonesia which produces much higher than Malaysia," the source said. Indonesia and Malaysia are the two countries which supply palm oils. There would not be any extra cost to import from Indonesia as the product and price is same, the source added. Malaysia produces 19 million tonnes of palm oil in a year, while Indonesia produces 43 million tonnes, the trade data showed. "It does not make any difference for refiners to import palm oils from Indonesia when the product and the prices are same. Why would refiners take risk when the government has informally asked us not to buy," an industry source said. Mahathir Mohamad, 93, slams leading powers over 'undemocratic UN Instead of palm oils, India can think of increasing import of soyabean and sunflower oils to boost the domestic supply, the source added. On December 20, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad had reportedly said,"I am sorry to see that India, which claims to be a secular state, is now taking action to deprive some Muslims of their citizenship." "If we do that here, you know what will happen. There will be chaos, there will be instability and everyone will suffer," he said. Earlier, Mahathir had said in the UN General Assembly that India had "invaded and occupied" Kashmir. The Congress on Thursday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address in Parliament as one that oscillated between "stand-up comedy" and "rank communalism", and said he should apologise for "misleading" the country by quoting Jawaharlal Nehru "out of context". Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said it was unfortunate that the prime minister made a reference to Pakistan seven times during his address and accused him of hyphenating India with Pakistan during the last five years. Tiwari was referring to Modi's reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address He also accused Modi of destroying the Indian economy and said the prime minister is covering this up by dividing society through polarisation. "It is extremely unfortunate and deeply regrettable that the prime minister's comments oscillated between stand-up comedy, half truths and rank communalism. It is regrettable that the Prime Minister of India should quote one of his illustrious predecessors Jawaharlal Nehru completely out of context," he said. "The prime minister should apologise to the country for quoting an agreement signed with another country completely out of context. The prime minister deliberately chose to mislead the House," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Often, when we hear labour shortage, we immediately jump to rural or northern Ontario. Smaller, remote communities with fewer people far from the big city. While its true that those communities are in significant need of workers, small and medium-sized businesses in urban centres like Toronto are equally as likely to report that theyre having trouble finding the employees they need. We are hearing about the labour shortage across all sectors, from trucking companies at a loss for drivers, to flooring retailers looking for installers, to restaurants looking for servers and waitstaff. The issue is particularly acute in the construction sector problematic when new housing, transit lines and sewage and water infrastructure are major city priorities for the new decade. One GTA construction business owner told us he has $40/hour positions he cant fill. Toronto needs more skilled workers. It needs them now, and its going to need them more and more as we progress into the next decade. The immigration system will no doubt play a major role; however it needs to be retooled for todays labour needs. Ontario has strong demand for workers not only in construction, but in transportation, agriculture and personal services. However the process and paperwork involved in recruiting abroad can be so burdensome and expensive that its not worth it. In fact, the process is so onerous, it received a CFIB Paperweight Award which highlights bureaucratic nightmares just last week. CFIB has long advocated for an Introduction to Canada Visa a program that would create a pathway toward permanent residency for temporary foreign workers at all skill levels, bringing more potential staff into the workforce. Under the program, temporary foreign workers would work with an employer for a minimum of two years as a defined step toward permanent residency. While the immigration system can help address the labour shortage, especially in the near term, to achieve long-term sustainability we must look to the education system. One thing the provincial government could do is emphasize work-integrated learning in the classroom, not only in colleges and universities but also at the high school level, where 53 per cent of small-business owners report being dissatisfied with the level of employment preparedness among students. No one knows what skills are needed in the workplace better than those doing the hiring. Integrating community businesses into the classroom to help oversee and participate in hands-on experience for students will expose youth to new skills and career pathways. Bringing local expertise into the classroom will also help connect employers with potential hires down the road, and perhaps help change existing concerns employers have around general motivation and attitudes among youth. Last year I spoke to a Grade 10 civics/careers class at a GTA high school and asked the students if anyone was considering college or a trade. Not a single hand went up. Theres nothing wrong with wanting to go to university, but it seemed like other options never crossed their minds. Its not a todays youth problem, either. I was in the exact same boat at home and at school when I was thinking about my next steps. The trades were simply not part of any conversation. It wont be enough to put labour market information or salary statistics into the hands of students and parents. There needs to be a real culture change around the way we talk about the trades. Fortunately, the Ontario government is taking action to address the issue. In mid-January, Labour Minister Monte McNaughton announced a new advertising campaign as part of a broader provincial initiative to end the stigma around skilled trades. The campaign not only tries to build interest among students considering their career options, but also targets the misconceptions. Its an excellent start. The trades taboo needs to be busted. It shouldnt stop at high school. Many university classrooms especially those outside of the hard sciences lack any connection between the skills and material taught and their practical application in the workforce. Finally, there is the cost of training. Small-business owners report that it costs nearly double to train a new hire with no experience versus a new hire who has some. Because a lot of small-business training happens informally and outside the classroom setting, its often not recognized by existing training grants and tax credits. We strongly encourage government at all levels to pitch in, introducing programs such as training tax credits or EI rebates that have the flexibility employers are looking for in helping cover training costs. Toronto faces several challenges over the next 10 years. The labour shortage is a complex one. If governments work together, we can come out of 2030 all the stronger, with a labour force well-positioned to take on the challenges in the decade to come. 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. Ryan Mallough is director of provincial affairs for Ontario for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. By Marafeale Mohloboli MASERU (Reuters) - The wife of Lesotho's prime minister was freed on bail overnight ahead of her trial for the murder of his previous wife, her lawyer said on Thursday, and police said they feared she could flee justice if allowed to travel abroad for medical reasons. Maesaiah Thabane was detained and charged this week for the murder of Prime Minister Thomas Thabane's estranged wife Lipolelo, who was shot dead near her home in Lesotho's capital, Maseru, on June 14, 2017, aged 58. Maesaiah Thabane, who is now 42, denies any guilt in the case. The prime minister has yet to speak about it publicly. Thomas Thabane, now 80, took office two days after the killing, then married Maesaiah two months later. The case has stunned citizens of Lesotho, an independent kingdom lying in the middle of a South African mountain range. The trial is scheduled for Feb. 18, but her lawyer Rethabile Setlojoane said Maesaiah Thabane would travel to South Africa on Thursday for a medical examination. "My client is entitled to bail. She is still innocent until proven guilty by the courts of law. She is not a flight risk," Setlojoane told Reuters by phone. Setlojoane said she would not comment on the allegations against her client as she had yet to enter a plea. POLICE FEARS The deputy police commissioner, Paseka Mokete, said police feared the suspect could now evade justice. "Had we been allowed to oppose the bail, we would have raised the possibility of her escape," he told Reuters, noting she had disappeared when police first tried to question her. "We are of the view that should she skip the country, it will be very easy for her (to escape)," he said, adding that if she failed to turn up police would seek assistance from South African authorities to seize her. In a sign the murder case could drag in other political figures, on Thursday police arrested the prime minister's spokesman Relebohile Moyeye on suspicion of helping Maesaiah to evade police questioning and go to South Africa last month. Story continues Thomas Thabane was going through an acrimonious divorce with Lipolelo at the time of her killing. [nL8N29L4BT] Mokete said police believe Maesaiah Thabane had hired eight assassins to kill Lipolelo and had not actually been present at the shooting herself. Mokete said police had tried in December to question the prime minister after it was found that his phone had been used to call one of the assassins shortly after the killing. "We are yet to determine whether or not he is a suspect," Mokete said. (Writing and additional reporting by Tim Cocks in Johannesburg; Editing by Gareth Jones and Peter Graff) By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following reports that some universities based in China were contacting their students based in the state and asking them to return to the country, the state health department has decided to intimate the Centre on the development. It may be noted that in China, where the novel coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak was first reported, the death toll has risen to 460 now. The government has taken note of the reports that say some universities based in China contacted their students here regarding their return. This will be brought to the attention of the Centre. The state will persuade the Centre to contact the Chinese government and bring clarity, said Health Minister KK Shailaja on Wednesday. Advisories issued To bring in more clarity to the prevention and control activities against the nCoV, the health department released an advisory for tourism, education and animal husbandry departments. They have been asked to conduct a meeting with stakeholders to ensure capacity building and form a cell to facilitate activities as per guidance. Animal husbandry The department has been asked to identify animals in nCoV-isolated households and quarantine them till the isolation period of the family ends. Fodder and water should be ensured. Unusual signs, symptoms or death of pet animals should be reported. Tourism Hotel/resort/homestay/lodges and others were asked to keep a register of all travellers arriving through Wuhan or any nCoV-affected country. The stakeholders are also asked to prepare multi-language dos and donts leaflets with helpline numbers. Education The department has been asked to ensure that students/staffers from families of Wuhan returnees should not attend classes. Every Monday, awareness sessions will have to be held in schools. The health department on Wednesday conducted research to assess the level of compliance among those who are in home isolation. After assessing the net result, the department said that 84 per cent registered a high level of satisfaction about their home isolation. MEMOIR Dinner with Edward by Isabel Vincent (One 12.99, 240pp) Youll be familiar with the magic of the ageless friendship if youve ever treasured a close attachment to someone 30 or 40 years older or younger. Its a magic tinged with poignancy, because you both know that the older one will probably die first, leaving the younger to face decades feeling bereft. This charming and moving memoir, by hard-nosed New York reporter Isabel Vincent, celebrates just such a friendship. When, in her mid-40s, Canadian Isabel moves into a flat in Roosevelt Island (a former penal colony in Manhattans East River) with her Serbian war-photographer husband and their daughter, Hannah, all is not well. Its a marriage of immigration convenience, and its on the rocks. The couple start spending as much time as possible apart, eating separate meals. Canadian Isabel Vincent (pictured last July) has written a memoir of the unlikely friendship she formed after moving to a flat in Roosevelt Island. She called it Dinner with Edward Down the road on the same island lives Edward, the recently widowed 92-year-old father of a friend. Out of loneliness, pity and curiosity, Isabel pays the old man a visit. Its a meeting that will change her life. And it starts with the most delicious dinner she has ever had. Grilled Sirloin Steak, Sauce Bourguignonne, New Potatoes, Chocolate Souffle, Malbec. Thus opens Chapter 1, and every later chapter begins with a similarly delectable menu in italics. It so happens that Edward is a superb, and generous cook. And Isabel is a superb describer of his cooking. Sometimes, just after pan-frying the potatoes to a crispy yet silky perfection, he would toss in fresh parsley and minced garlic, she writes, causing the mouth to water. Edward makes individual apricot souffles with pureed dried apricots, their puffy meringue swirls tinged golden brown, dusted with confectioners sugar and topped with whipped cream. This book doubles up as an inspiration for cooks: I may start brining my chicken in apple cider and salt before roasting it. Her marriage to a Serbian war-photographer was not going well and out of loneliness, pity and curiosity, Isabel paid the father of a friend a visit. He used to cook her meals and hand her Martinis on arrival (file image) Edwards hospitality and cooking are manifestations of his deeper nature of kindness, good manners and taking care over the small things in life. This is a revelation to Isabel in her life of hurry and enforced brashness as a news journalist. As soon as she enters Edwards apartment which she now does on a weekly basis she starts to feel healed and de-stressed, not just by the perfectly mixed martini he hands her but by the aura of gentle civilisation he exudes. He was teaching me the art of patience, the luxury of slowing down and taking time to think through everything I did. Edwards hospitality and cooking are manifestations of his deeper nature of kindness, good manners and taking care over the small things in life (file image) Edward is in deep mourning for his beloved wife Paula, whom he married in 1941. Paradise was me and Paula, he says. You feel that both he and Isabel, without saying so aloud, are rescuing each other. One evening Isabel arrives at Edwards apartment, bursts into tears, and tells him her marriage is falling apart. He doesnt interfere or offer marital advice. Theres always a seemly distance between them. Dinner with Edward by Isabel Vincent (One 12.99, 240pp) But he takes her to Saks Fifth Avenue and encourages her to buy a lovely dress that makes her feel gorgeous. And he sends her off with the heartfelt words, I hope youre happy, Darling. Thanks to him, she does start to feel happier. Theirs is a platonic friendship, but theres a whiff of possessiveness on both sides. Isabel is disconcerted to discover that Edward cooks for another woman called Megan whos in her 30s, and has many other friends. In his turn, he misses her when she moves back to central Manhattan. Divorced from her husband, Isabel keeps choosing men like Edward, who can cook or mend things (Edward is also an expert upholsterer). Eventually she finds a delightful lawyer who grows herbs. The sudden lurch in health that we dread in any old person we love does happen to Edward. He collapses one evening when Isabel is dining with him. They never make it to the dessert of a tart made with prunes pre-soaked in Earl Grey. Seeing that the end is in sight, Edward writes to her: Nobody knows how much we love each other. She writes to him: Know that for me you already live for ever. You feel that their brief but deep friendship will fuel Isabels ability to spread happiness of her own. Edward died just before this homage to their friendship was published. Kara Cvechko recalled her heart pounding as she scrambled headfirst down into an outdoor grease pit to save her 5-year-old daughter who had fallen through an unsecured opening at a West Virginia restaurant. Kambria Cvechkos birthday celebration turned to horror on Nov. 11 when she stepped on the loose lid and fell through. Submerged in grease, she was eventually pulled out. You see an accident and your mom instincts just kick in, Cvechko said. It was at least the fourth such incident involving a child falling into a grease pit nationwide since 2017. Two of them were fatal. Now legislation is moving through the West Virginia Legislature to toughen fines for restaurants that fail to secure the lids of those collection pits. The state Senate passed a bill on a 33-0 vote Tuesday that would increase fines from $5 to $50 for each day that a restaurant fails to comply. It now goes to the House of Delegates. The outdoor grease pits would be required to have locked manhole covers designed to withstand loads and prevent access by children. We need to take every measure possible to ensure the publics safety, said the bills sponsor, Sen. Glenn Jeffries, a Putnam County Democrat. Cvechko said she would also like to see other states pass similar laws. She and her family were leaving a Charleston restaurant when Kambria and other children ran to play on a grassy area. When Cvechko told the children to come to the car, Kambria unknowingly walked across the pits lid, which flipped like a teeter-totter, sending her through the narrow opening. Screaming for help, Kara Cvechko scurried down the hole headfirst as two other children anchored her feet. She could hear her daughter gasping for air. The smell is something I cant even describe, Cvechko said. I really thought it was raw sewage. The substance was so slick that it required her holding onto her daughters arm with both of her own arms, and she was still slipping. I was just really scared and overwhelmed at the whole situation. Eventually, Kambria was lifted to the surface. She underwent X-rays at a hospital and was treated for a few cuts but otherwise was fine. Outdoor grease tanks can hold hundreds of gallons and are designed to keep used oil and grease out of sewer systems. Cvechko said she later found out that the restaurants grease pit had been recently cleaned and wasnt completely full of sludge. Cvechko said the screws on the pits lid had been removed and were not secured. The pits flat green cover resembled a 2-foot plastic disc and wasnt readily noticeable. They should be more visible to where people know they are there, she said. In 2015, a 2-year-old boy in Greenbrier County died after falling into a tank used for spent cooking grease outside a car wash. The tanks lid had been removed. In 2017, a 3-year-old girl drowned after falling into a grease pit in Auburn, Alabama, and a 3-year-old boy died in a similar accident last July in Rochester, New York. Alabama lawmakers passed legislation requiring more secure grease trap covers. A similar bill was introduced in the New York legislature in September. Cvechko said her daughters experience has kept her family on alert. We just went on a trip and it made her very aware of her surroundings, and I as well, to see if there was anything I had to warn my kids about, Cvechko said. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation Virginia During Syracuses most recent fentanyl bust, a suspect snapped a phone into pieces as he tried to flee police, court records said. Three men were arrested in the latest fentanyl bust. DEA agents seized a kilo of the drug and one of its analogues, butyryl-fentanyl, investigators said in court records. Fabian Sanchez Martinez, Jose Hiraldo and Joel Fernandez were arrested Saturday, according to court records. The records do not give ages or addresses for the defendants. DEA agents who learned of a heroin or fentanyl shipment headed to Syracuse set up surveillance including a recording device at a Syracuse bar Friday night, an investigator wrote in an affidavit. Police listened to a conversation in Spanish between Martinez and Hiraldo at the bar. The men revealed where they planned to meet the next day to complete the drug deal, according to investigators. The information proved critical as agents observed a somewhat complicated transaction, between three men, that involved switching two vacuum-sealed packages of fentanyl and a package of butyryl-fentanyl from car to car. When police moved in to seize the drugs Saturday morning, Martinez snapped a phone into pieces as he tried to flee, investigators wrote in court papers. Police were able to apprehend the three men involved. Two admitted theyd traveled to New York City prior to meeting up in Syracuse. All three men face a minimum of 10 years in prison on the charges. Public Affairs Reporter Julie McMahon covers courts, government, education and other issues affecting taxpayers. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992 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. Australian PM Reshuffles Federal Cabinet After Two Resignations Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday announced a reshuffle of the Federal cabinet after two senior ministers resigned. Darren Chester, the minister for veterans and defense personnel from Victoria, will maintain his position but be promoted to a Cabinet post. Keith Pitt, a member of Parliament from Queensland, will move from the backbench to be Australias minister for mining and resources and northern Australia. He will also be the new water minister. Pitt takes the mining and resources and Northern Australia portfolios from Nationals senator Matthew Canavan, and the water portfolio from Nationals deputy leader David Littleproud. Canavan quit the Cabinet on Tuesday, relinquishing his oversight over mining and resources and northern Australia as a gesture of support for Barnaby Joyce. Joyce failed in challenging rival Michael McCormack as the leader of the National Partythe junior partner in Morrisons Liberal-National coalition government. Deputy Prime Minister McCormack, the leader of the Nationals party, will continue his role as minister for infrastructure and transport. Littleproud, who is a newly-elected deputy of the Nationals party, previously oversaw agriculture in 2017-2019 and will regain that portfolio, replacing former Nationals deputy Bridget McKenzie. McKenzie resigned from her role as minister of agriculture on Sunday after an investigation found she breached ministerial standards in failing to declare she was a member of a shooting club before awarding it a $36,000 community sporting grant. Littleproud will also continue in his role as drought and emergency management minister, but his water portfolio was transferred to Pitt. Australias resource sector welcomed the appointment of Pitt. Keith Pitt has a reputation for straight-talking, and as a regional Queenslander, he knows first-hand about the importance of the resources sector to create jobs and investment in regional communities, said Ian Macfarlane, chief executive of the Queensland Resources Council in an emailed statement, Reuters reported. He also has a strong understanding of the policy issues that relate to the resources sector, in particular, the need for affordable and reliable energy. McCormack says that Pitts and Chesters promotions to the Cabinet show the Morrison governments commitment to northern Australia and defense forces veterans, The Australian reported. Reuters contributed to this report Rahul Gandhi Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that he is distracting the people and is silent on the real issue of unemployment. Rahul alleged the Prime Minister spoke about Pakistan, Nehru and "every thing else which does not concern anybody." He is not speaking about the youth, he said. "The PM is distracting people from real issues by talking about Jawaharlal Nehru, Pakistan and Bangladesh," said Rahul. The government, he said, is not concerned about economic issues impacting the country. The Congress leader said the Union Budget does not offer anything concrete. The Prime Minister, while replying on the motion of thanks to the President's speech, had attacked Rahul Gandhi without taking his name. When Rahul intervened, Modi said: "For some people, the tubelight takes time" and that "he will prepare his back to get it strong as some leaders have said that in 6 months, youth will cane the Prime Minister". Rahul Gandhi while campaigning in Delhi on wednesday said the agitated youth will cane Modi within six months. Addressing a public rally in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said, "The atmosphere in India has changed in the last five years. Brotherhood and peace have vanished from society. Many of you will say that this happened due to Modi, the RSS and the BJP". "But I will put things in a little different manner. The biggest reason is not taking the youth forward. People are scared due to unemployment. And if the youth and the new generation cannot find a way, they will get angry. That anger is being misused by Modi. The real reason is unemployment," he said. Slamming the BJP government at the Centre and the AAP government in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said, "The youth are roaming around on the streets and getting angry due to unemployment. And their anger is being misused by Modi and Kejriwal." He alleged that both Kejriwal and Modi remained silent on the issue of unemployment. "Their politics is of hatred and if they provide employment to you, then their politics will end," he said. The Station House Officer (SHO) of Jamia Nagar Police Station has written to the Registrar of Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) to remove protesters from gate number seven of the University. Upender Singh, SHO (Station house officer) of Jamia Nagar Police Station has written to the varsity administration. The protests are going in and around the university premises since the passage of the citizenship law in December last year. An incident of firing had taken place near gate number five of the University on Sunday night. No injuries were reported in the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Father of killed Moscow metro police officer demands $32k from alleged murderer RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 13:45 06/02/2020 MOSCOW, February 6 (RAPSI, Nikita Shiryayev) Father of Andrey Raisky, a police officer killed in a Moscow metro in September 2018, has filed a 2-million-ruble claim ($32,000) against defendant Nurlan Muratov, RAPSI reports from the Moscow City Court. The man asked the court to recognize him as a civil plaintiff in the case and recover the money from Muratov in compensation for moral harm expressed in suffering and emotional stress over the death of his son. The court granted the motion. On February 5, the jury issued a guilty verdict against Muratov. Earlier, during the trial, Muratov disassociated himself from committing the crime during. The defendant said that he did not know what had happened in a room, where the police officer had been killed, who had shot and who else had been there. According to his testimony, he was feared for his life and left the room. He also added that he had never born arms. Charges have been brought against the native of the Kyrgyz Republic over infringement on the life of a law enforcement officer. He received Russian citizenship illegally, "through an acquaintance", as the defendant said, according to investigators. Investigators claim that late in the evening on September 2, 2018, a police officer stopped a person for checking documents. Later, the policemans body with a firearm wound to the head was found in one of maintenance rooms at the Kurskaya metro station. He was put in detention on a court order. Russia said on Thursday that a number of its military specialists had been killed in Syria, without providing any further details. The foreign ministry said in a statement that in mid-January, Russian and Turkish militaries made a new attempt to impose a ceasefire in Syria's Idlib de-escalation zone, but "terrorists... ramped up their attacks." "The number of dead and wounded among Syrian servicemen and civilians outside the de-escalation zone has grown into the hundreds. Russian and Turkish military specialists have died tragically," the statement said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment to journalists, referring all questions to the foreign and defence ministry. Foreign ministry spokespeople declined immediate comment. Novaya Gazeta, a leading independent newspaper, reported this week that four officers from the FSB security service had been killed in Syria in early February. Citing sources, the newspaper said that the officers had been killed in an ambush near Latakia which is controlled by government forces. Moscow has not confirmed the reports. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amid ongoing protest against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and Register of Citizens (NRC) at Shaheen Bagh, many religious priests are offering prayers for peace in the country at the protest site here. Sikh priest IS Bindra read 'Gurbani' on the occasion and told the people that peace can be established in the country through religion and those who sit here in the protest are brothers and sisters and "we stand by them." Pandit Sant Yuvaraj also performed 'havan' to bring peace in the nation. Father from OLF Church, Jasola, Alexjender Femin read the texts from the Holy Bible, whereas Maulana Shamim Aktar recited the Quran. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) grants citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, 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.) The Europes aerospace multinational, Airbus recent shocking news of knowingly paying huge bribes to a few countries including Ghana in order to secure contracts during Mills/Mahama administration between 2009 and 2015, has prompted President Akufo-Addo to instruct the Special Prosecutor, Mr Martin Amidu to probe into the grave corruption scandal. Ghana, so to speak, has been losing billions of dollars since the adoption of the Fourth Republican Constitution to the remorseless nation wreckers who take delight in swindling the state to the detriment of the poor and disadvantaged Ghanaians, and yet the methods employed by the successive governments in fighting the apparent canker have been extremely disappointing. This article does not intend to grub into the pith of the Airbus corruption case; I will leave it to the Office of the Special Prosecutor. We would, however, like to urge the Special Prosecutor, as a matter of urgency, to roundup and if possible end the political career of the alleged top elected government official one who has been cited in the shameful Airbus corruption scandal. Readers would bear with me that corruption is a serious economic, social, political and moral impediment to nation building, and therefore it is expected that corrupt officials will be held accountable at all times without fear or favour. Corruption, as a matter of fact and observation, is found in all countriesbig and small, rich and poorbut it is in the developing world such as Ghana that its effects are most destructive. Unfortunately, however, it would appear that in Ghana, the justice system more often than not, descends heavily on goat, cassava and plantain thieves, and let go the remorseless criminals who hide behind the narrow political colorations. We have, therefore, been hoping somewhat fervently that with the arrival of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, the justice system is going to descend heavily not only on the goat, cassava and plantain thieves, but as well as the hardened criminals who hide behind narrow political colorations. Indeed, it would be a great news if the Special Prosecutor managed to nab the shameless racketeers in the Airbus corruption scandal. In any case, we are most grateful to President Akufo-Addo for promptly tasking the investigators to probe into the Airbus corruption scandal. Let us face it, President Akufo-Addos actions and inactions towards the fight against the canker of corruption cannot be underestimated. In as much as the well-meaning Ghanaians have every right to bemoan the lack of prosecutions in the alleged bribery and corruption cases, it is unfair for anyone to blame Akufo-Addo and side-line the institutions which have the mandate to investigate and prosecute corruption suspects. More so it would only take an inveterate propagandist or a disputatious character to suggest that Akufo-Addo is not doing enough towards the insurmountable battle against corruption, and therefore he is corrupt to high heaven. How could anyone aim a finger at a man who has created the Office of the Special Prosecutor with the view to combating the corrosive effects of corruption? How would you accuse someone who can even report his own right-hand men to the investigative body such as the Criminal Investigation Department? It is unreasonable for anybody to suggest that a politician who can even reject the juicy trappings of a ministerial post can be corrupt. Believe it or not, the man Akufo-Addo has been in active politics for well over forty years and there hasnt been a single corruption case against him, either directly or indirectly. So, why must anybody with a reflective mind think that the septuagenarian president will now indulge in malfeasance? To be quite honest, it is only the mischievous and the antagonists of Akufo-Addo who would aim accusing fingers when it comes to corruption. In fact, the appointment of the Special Prosecutor and the subsequent inauguration of the Special Prosecutors Board by His Excellency President Akufo-Addo on Thursday 12th July 2018 was a clear manifestation of the presidents unfailing commitment and willingness towards the fight against the corruption menace. Let us, however, be honest, much as the paradox of exposure is somewhat relevant in the fight against corruption, it is not an isolated tool, it goes hand in hand with the prevention and deterrence. Thus, the creation of the Office of the Special Prosecutor, arguably, remains the single most important accomplishment of President Akufo-Addos administration so far. I have always insisted that Westerners are not less corrupt than their African counterparts. However, what makes the people elsewhere much more responsible than a Ghanaian and Africans as a whole is the rigidity of the state institutions and the effective laws and regulations. It is absolutely true that elsewhere, the laws and regulations are strictly enforced, and as such the vast majority of the citizens and denizens prefer the observance to the stringent fines and the harsh punishments. It must, however, be emphasised that in as much as the followers have a duty of obligation, it is up to the leadership to bring sanity into the system by strictly ensuring that all laws and regulations are enforced without fear or favour. So to me, the introduction of a Special Prosecutor is a pragmatic way of tackling the rampant bribery and corruption cases head-on. The fact, however, remains that the benign and somewhat lenient approach towards the fight against the canker of corruption would not curb the widespread sleazes and corruption which have been retrogressing Ghanas advancement thus far. How on earth would individuals turn away from their crimes if the only available punishment for stealing the public funds is a mere plea to return the loot? If we are ever prepared to beseech the fantastically corrupt public officials to only return their loots without any further punishment, we might as well treat the goat, plantain and cassava thieves same. For after all, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. We are, therefore, extremely optimistic that the Special Prosecutor will sternly probe into the shameful Airbus corruption scandal and bring the culprits into book as soon as possible. In fact, some of us cannot comprehend how and why the people we choose to entrust with the national coffers could team up with shifty individuals and steal gargantuan sums of money belonging to the nation without facing any stiff punishment. In a grand scheme of things, the prevention and eradication of corruption should be a collaborative effort amongst governments and other interested parties to cooperate with one another with the support and involvement of groups outside the government such as civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations and community-based organisations. If, indeed, the prevention and eradication of corruption is a collaborative venture, why did the previous governments and their Attorney Generals woefully fail to cooperate with other interested parties to investigate, prosecute and retrieve the stolen monies from the impenitent nation wreckers? "When public money is stolen for private gain, it means fewer resources to build schools, hospitals, roads and water treatment facilities. When foreign aid is diverted into private bank accounts, major infrastructure projects come to a halt. Corruption enables fake or substandard medicines to be dumped on the market, and hazardous waste to be dumped in landfill sites and in oceans. The vulnerable suffer first and worst (Ban Ki-moon, 2009)." Corruption, to be quite honest, impedes economic development by distorting markets and collapsing private sector integrity. Corruption also strikes at the heart of democracy by corroding rule of law, democratic institutions and public trust in leaders. For the poor, women and minorities, corruption means even less access to jobs, justice or any fair and equal opportunity (UNDP 2016). Corruption is a global phenomenon which requires a collaborative effort to prevent and eradicate. Disturbingly, in Ghana, in spite of the fact that corruption is a serious economic, social, political and moral impediment to the nation building, our corrupt officials are bent on siphoning our scarce resources without a second thought. There is no gainsaying the fact that Ghanas transgressed and incompliant politicians and other public officials often get away with murder. But despite the widely held notion that Ghanaian politics is full of extremely corrupt public officials, we have many selfless, morally upright and forward-thinking politicians like His Excellency President Akufo-Addo in our midst. Truly, despite the unrepentant critics unsubstantiated claims of corruption, some of us are yet to sight, read, or hear a single act of corruption that has ever levelled against President Akufo-Addo. On the other hand, there are more alleged bribery and corruption scandals hanging on the neck of Ex-President Mahama than any other president in the history of Ghanaian politics. A typical example of alleged bribery allegation hanging on the neck of former President Mahama is the furtive gift of a brand new Ford Expedition vehicle worth over $100,000 from the Burkinabe Contractor, Djibril Kanazoe. According to the investigative journalist, Manasseh, the Burkinabe Contractor, Djibril Kanazoe, had over the years been bidding for contracts in the country. However, he was not successful until a middleman led him to meet then Vice President Mahama. Subsequent to meeting the then Vice President Mahama, Kanazoe was handpicked to build the $650,000 Ghana Embassy fence wall in Burkina Faso. The account was however given that In September 2014, when officials of the Bank of Ghana met the Public Accounts Committee of Ghana Parliament (PAC), it came to light that an amount of $656, 246.48 had been spent on the construction of a fence wall over a parcel of land belonging to the Ghana Embassy in Burkina Faso. Apparently, PAC requested the Bank of Ghana to look into what it referred to as: the outrageous cost of the project. However, it came to light that the procurement process was breached to the advantage of President Mahamas Burkinabe friend. Amazingly, during an interview with Manasseh, Djibril Kanazoe admitted that he did not put in a bid for the contract, however, the Ghana Embassy in Ouagadougou wrote to his company to request price quotations for the project. He, however, forwarded the necessary quotes and was selected. Subsequently, the Burkinabe contractor delivered to President Mahama, the gift of a brand new Ford Expedition vehicle in 2012, the same year his company was selected, again through sole-sourcing, to execute more projects (See: Burkinabe Contractor offers controversial gift to President Mahama ; myjoyonline.com, 15/06/2015). Moreover, the then vice president, Mahamas dreadful handling of the STX Housing deal which was supposed to provide affordable housing units to the security agencies leaves much to be desired. It was, reported somewhat vividly, that although the deal did not materialise, the then Vice President Mahama allegedly gave us a bill of an excess of $300 million. And, after the failed deal with STX to build 30,000 housing units for the nation's security agencies, the NDC government entered into another deal with the GUMA Group, for the construction of 500 housing units. The deal which was spearheaded by the then Vice President Mahama was widely criticised by various stakeholders, just as the STX deal, following the decision to side-line local construction firms in favour of the foreign company. The unusually high cost of the project was also a source of concern to many. Little did some doubtful Ghanaians believe former Attorney General, Mr Martin Amidu, when he told Ghanaians that our late President, Mills, set up a committee to Investigate then Vice President John Mahama regarding the Processes of the Acquisition of Five Aircrafts (5) including Embraer 190 Aircraft and hanger for the Ghana Armed Forces. In fact, if we are to mull over Mr Amidus exposition, we can infer that the late Mills lost trust in his then vice president Mahama because of the dubious handling of the deal. Truly, if the late Mills set up a committee to investigate his vice Mahama, then he had a glint of suspicion on his mind . In other words, he felt Mahama was trying to rip off the nation, hence setting up a committee to unravel the furtive deal. In a way, upon a carefully considered deliberation, reflective thinkers may conclude that the late Mills was not happy with the deal. And, if that was not the case, why would he set up a committee to investigate Mahama, the architect of the whole deal? As a matter of fact, the traditional exemption of heads of state from prosecution despite the evidence of a case to answer is wrong, so to speak. For if the bribery and corruption; dubious judgment debt payments; stashing of national funds by some greedy opportunists and misappropriation of resources and crude embezzlement by some politicians do not warrant criminal charges, then where are we heading as a nation? The all-important question discerning Ghanaians should be asking is: will the day come when Ghanas political criminals find they have nowhere to hide? To me, Ghanas 1992 Constitution has to be reviewed and the irrational and inexpedient clauses such as the indemnity clauses are expunged and tossed into the dust bin accordingly. How on earth can individuals commit unpardonable crimes (gargantuan sleazes and corruption) against the state and get away with their misdeeds? How serious are we as a nation when we can only descend heavily on the goat, cassava and plantain thieves, and let go hard criminals who persistently dip their hands into the national coffers? In ending, we hope and pray that the Office of the Prosecutor will do a good job by fishing out and prosecuting the conspiratorial plotters ing the Airbus corruption scandal. K. Badu, UK. [email protected] Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit out at the Congress in Lok Sabha over its opposition to the CAA and asked if first premier Jawaharlal Nehru could be described as "communal" for seeking citizenship for religious minorities from Pakistan. Replying to a debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, Modi said that even Nehru had wanted Indian citizenship for religious minorities from Pakistan as he defended the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He said the first prime minister of India (Jawaharlal Nehru) wrote to the first chief minister of Assam (Gopinath Bordoloi), saying there was a need to differentiate between Hindu refugees and Muslim migrants. Modi said Nehru was of the view that even laws can be changed in this regard. He said Nehru had wanted to defend minorities in then West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). "Was he communal, did he want to create a Hindu Rashtra...I want to ask the Congress," the prime minister said. He said Nehru was a big thinker. Why did he not include all citizens but mentioned only religious minorities in the Nehru-Liaquat Agreement? Modi asked. Liaquat Ali Khan was the them prime minister of Pakistan. He said his government is saying today what Nehru had said decades ago. Modi said the government was fulfilling the wishes of the founding fathers. While referring to the Citizenship Amendment Act, President Ram Nath Kovind in his address to the joint sitting of Parliament on January 31 had said that Mahatma Gandhi was in favour of bringing back religious minorities facing persecution in Pakistan. Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks, Shashi Tharoor of the Congress had said Mahatma Gandhi was only partially quoted by the government to defend the amended law. The prime minister went on to cite examples of Bhupendra Kumar Dutta and Jogendra Nath Mandal, two freedom fighters who decided to stay back in Pakistan after the Partition. Modi said Dutta told the constituent assembly of Pakistan that Hindus were being targeted in that country. Dutta later migrated to India before his death. Mandal was the first law minister of Pakistan and he too flagged systematic ethnic targeting of religious minorities in Pakistan, Modi said. The prime minister said that he in his youth had touched the feet of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (popularly called Frontier Gandhi in Pakistan) and named other greats such as Ashfaqullah Khan, Begum Hazrat Mahal and A P J Abdul Kalam to assert that they were all Indians. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Rapid City man has pleaded guilty but mentally ill to four of 25 charges related to shooting at officers and vehicles during a four-hour standoff on New Year's Day 2019. Jordan Wounded Face, 31, entered the pleas Wednesday at the Pennington County courthouse for two counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and two counts of firing at a motor vehicle. He faces up to 80 years in prison. Wounded Face, who appeared calm during the hearing, admitted to assaulting Deputy Jamin Hartland and Officer Santee Clemons with a handgun and to firing at two of the Special Response Team's (SRT) armored vehicles, an MRAP and BearCat. Prosecutors will dismiss 21 other charges against Wounded Face, including attempted first-degree murder charges, drug and firearm charges, and additional counts of aggravated assault against an officer and firing at motor vehicles. They'll also dismiss four misdemeanor and one felony case against him. The felony related to Wounded Face allegedly breaking a window at the Pennington County Jail. A plea of guilty but mentally ill means a defendant admits he committed the crime but when his judgment and decision-making was impacted by a mental illness, Alecia Fuller, Wounded Face's defense lawyer, told the Journal. The plea means defendants are still eligible for the maximum punishment, but if they're sent to prison they must be given any needed mental health treatment, according to South Dakota Codified Law 23A-27-38. The treatment can be provided in prison or at an outside facility under the jurisdiction of the Department of Social Services. If sentenced to probation, the defendant must participate in mental health treatment, according to SDCL 23A-27-40. Before allowing Wounded Face to enter his pleas, Judge Robert Gusinsky spent several minutes reading through a law book, the factual basis document signed by Wounded Face, and a report by psychiatrist Stephen Manlove who found Wounded Face had a mental illness at the time of his crime. Gusinsky didn't ask Wounded Face to explain his crimes or what mental illness he had but instead asked if the factual basis document is true. Wounded Face said the document which has not yet been uploaded to the public court records computers is accurate. What follows was reported in an affidavit for Wounded Face's arrest: Wounded Face's mother called 911 in the morning of Jan. 1, 2019, to say he was making loud noises, throwing things around and may be "dusting," a slang term for getting high off of inhalants. After a police officer identified herself and asked to speak with Wounded Face, he fired shots. The Rapid CityPennington County SRT responded and locked down the 1200 block of Racine Street and evacuated neighboring homes. Wounded Face continued firing more than 20 rounds toward law enforcement, vehicles and stores across the street, hitting a Subway six times and an urgent care once. He came out after law enforcement put gas cartridges inside his home. During two interviews, Wounded Face said he was depressed and hoped to die via "suicide by cop." He said he was was high from using alcohol and dust-off, a brand of compressed air used for cleaning. He admitted to shooting an SRT vehicle and knowing that his bullets could have hit businesses across the street. He said he knew police were at his home but wasn't aware of the officer trying to get in touch with him and didn't try to shoot at her. Wounded Face, who is detained at the Pennington County Jail, is scheduled for a two-day sentencing beginning at 9 a.m. on April 22. Contact Arielle Zionts at arielle.zionts@rapidcityjournal.com. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 1 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. A Huntsville philanthropist and his wife have given a $1 million estate to a north Alabama foster childrens charity. Rey and Cynthia Almodovar donated their Tennessee estate Cerro Tranquilo, Spanish for Tranquil Mountain," to the charity Kids to Love at the end of January. The organization serves foster children and said on its Facebook page that the trust shown by the gift was astounding and humbling. Almodovar is one of the founders of Huntsville defense and aerospace contractor Intuitive Research and Technology. The company, co-founded and chaired by Harold Brewer, also gave a major donation to the U.S. Space & Rocket for the Intuitive Planetarium that opened in 2019. Almodovar and his wife Cynthia bought the home and property north of the Alabama-Tennessee state line as a personal retreat, Cynthia Almodovar said Wednesday. But they began spending less time there and more in Huntsville after the birth of their granddaughter. It was such a big property that there are not a lot of buyers for that kind of property up there in that area, she said. "We had a couple of offers, and they were low offers. Rey and I were talking about it and I said, If were basically going to give it away, then we might as well give it away to somebody who could use it and do some good for somebody.' Kids to Love founder Lee Marshall said Tuesday that the gift will allow the organization to expand its services to foster children. The former WHNT TV news anchor, herself a foster child, started Kids to Love in 2004. Since then, she said it has served more than 265,000 children in Alabama and middle Tennessee with scholarships, Christmas gift drives, foster parent recruiting and other programs. The estate includes a 10,000-square-foot home and 45 acres of land. An example of future use would be expanding Camp Hope, Marshall said. The camp brings together siblings who were not fostered by the same family to keep their family ties together, and Marshall said the estate would be a perfect place for that. Cynthia Almodovar expects those camps to expand from weekends into week-long events. Ultimately, she said, the estate may become a boys home. The property can also be used for training, respite for staff, and possibly even corporate retreats in the future, Marshall said. That last use would let it generate income for its own upkeep and Kids to Love. Kids to Love is a state-licensed childrens charity, Marshall said, and it is always recruiting new foster families. There are 6,000 children in Alabama that need homes, she said, adding, The need, unfortunately, is always rising. Cynthia Almodovar said Kids to Love has the resources to take care of the property. Im looking forward to seeing what they do with it, she said. Hunstanton Cliffs near Old Hunstanton on the Norfolk coast, where white chalk overlays red limestone in a colorful formation known as the candy cliffs (Photo: Getty Creative) From Norfolk to London, and Liverpool to Devon, the UK is home to plenty of weird and wonderful place names, but could you correctly pronounce them all? Its well known that English is a surprisingly complex language, and notoriously difficult for foreigners to learn as its so illogical and full of conundrums. But even local residents can struggle to correctly spell and pronounce locations across the country. Now research has officially uncovered some of the most mispronounced place names in the UK, with Teignmouth, Hunstanton and Gateacre topping the list. Hunstanton is a seaside town in Norfolk, which seems like it should have three syllables; in fact the correct pronunciation is Hun-ston. The english bridge in Shrewsbury (Photo: Getty Creative) READ MORE: Revealed: 2019's most commonly mispronounced words and phrases If you want to hang around in Norfolk, you could visit the historic village of Happisburgh on the coast. People thousands of years ago undoubtedly still struggled with the pronunciation of this place, which weirdly is said Hays-bruh, and not the more obviously sounding Happ-is-bruh. If youre looking for another seaside visit, Teignmouth in Devon wouldnt be a bad spot, but instead of being pronounced Tane-mouth, its actually said Tin-muth. Read on for the full list of 15 place names people struggle to pronounce. READ MORE: These are the top five happiest places in the UK If youre struggling to get your head around all the pronunciations, heres a handy list to refer to: 1. Marylebone (London) Wrong: Ma-ree-lee-bone Right: Mar-lee-bone 2. Teignmouth (Devon) Wrong: Tane-mouth Right: Tin-muth 3. Bicester (Oxfordshire) Wrong: Bi-ses-ter Right: Bis-ter 4. Hunstanton (Norfolk) Wrong: Hun-stan-ton Right: Hun-ston 5. Cholmondeley (Cheshire) Wrong: Chol-mon-de-lee Right: Chum-lee 6. Godmanchester (Cambridgeshire) Wrong: God-man-ches-ter OR Gum-ster Right: God-munch-ester Footbridge in Godmanchester in the county of Cambridgeshire (Photo:Getty Creative) 7. Southwell (Nottinghamshire) Wrong: South-well Right: Suth-ul 8. Magdalen College (Oxford/Cambridge) Wrong: Mag-de-lain Right: Maud-lin Story continues 9. Leominister (Herefordshire) Wrong: Lee-o-min-ster Right: Lemster 10. Shrewsbury (Shropshire) Wrong: Shrews-bury Right: Shroos-bree 11. Happisbrugh (Norfolk) Wrong: Happ-is-bruh Right: Hays-bruh Bluebells in bloom in a field in Gateacre, Liverpool. (Photo: Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images) 12. Gloucester (Gloucestershire) Wrong: Glos-es-ter Right: Glos-ter 13. Belvoir Castle (Grantham, Leicestershire) Wrong: Bel-vwar Castle Right: Beaver Castle 14. Ruislip (Greater London) Wrong: Roo-i-slip Right: Ry-slip 15. Gateacre (Liverpool) Wrong: Gate-acre Right: Gatt-a-ker Tim Alcock from LeaseCar.uk, who conducted the research said: The English language can be challenging at best. Not only do we have words that are spelled and pronounced the same but have different meanings read, bank, bat and bear are good examples to complicate things further, some words contain heaps of letters that just arent needed. You see this a lot with place names like Leominister, which might as well be spelt Lemster, and Happisburgh, which sounds more like Hays-bruh, rendering the majority of the word useless. New Delhi: Passengers who were evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, arrive at the IGI airport in New Delhi on Feb 2, 2020. National carrier Air India's second special flight to Wuhan, landed at th Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Feb 6 : The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday said all evacuees from Wuhan, China, have tested negative for novel coronavirus. "All 645 evacuees from Wuhan have tested negative," said the Health Ministry in a statement released on Thursday. In addition, 510 samples have been tested by ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) network laboratories of which all have tested negative except for 3 already reported positive. "The 3 positive cases are clinically stable," said the ministry. It also said that as on February 6, 138,750 passengers from 1,265 flights had been screened for novel coronavirus illness. Till now, no new case had been detected, accept three positive cases in Kerala. "Community surveillance and contact tracing is going on by Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme for 6,558 persons across 32 states and UTs," said the Ministry. Meanwhile, the fourth Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) meeting was held on Thursday chaired by Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to discuss various technical issues, including review period of follow up required for asymptomatic travellers from China. "Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in coordination with central Ministries and all States and Union territories is taking adequate measures for management of novel coronavirus in India," said the ministry. "In case of fever, cough and symptoms of pneumonia, seek medical attention immediately. The ministry also provided a helpline number as well as an email ID in case of any doubts about the disease. "For any technical query on 2019-nCOV call the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Helpline at +91-11-23978046 or email at ncov2019@gmail.com," said the ministry. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) As the outbreak spread, Chinese authorities have shut roads and highways, and even halted long-distance buses. The shutdowns in China's provinces have hit supply chains, with transport restrictions preventing much needed animal feed such as soybean meal from getting delivered to poultry farms, according to analysts and Chinese state media. Following its pork crisis, China's poultry farmers are now in dire straits because of the coronavirus outbreak. Millions of chickens may soon perish in coming days as much-needed feed is not getting to them in time. This is going to create massive problems in the livestock sector. Even if a local plant has resumed operations, it will still be longer than normal for delivery due to logistics problems. The supply of soybean meal is short to begin with, said financial services company INTL FCStone in a note on Monday, adding that the extension of business shutdowns will exacerbate the shortage. "This is going to create massive problems in the livestock sector. Even if a local plant has resumed operations, it will still be longer than normal for delivery due to logistics problems (lack of labor, road closures, road checks)," wrote Darin Friedrichs, senior Asia commodity analyst at company INTL FCStone. "I think in many regions the transport issue (is impacting) the chicken production. It is expected that not only Q1 production but Q2 would be impacted," Chenjun Pan, senior analyst at Rabobank, told CNBC. Already, farmers in Hubei the epicenter of the virus outbreak are in a "very distressed" situation, Hubei's poultry association wrote in a letter to the national-level China Animal Agriculture Association last week. The letter said transportation is basically paralyzed, and most large-scale farms will face severe shortage of feed soon, which will hit operations. The China Animal Agriculture Association asked feed producers to send 18,000 tons of corn and 12,000 tons of soybean meal to Hubei. According to China's state-owned Global Times, there are around 348 million chickens in Hubei, which is the sixth largest poultry producing province in China. Hubei, also a key egg producer, slaughters about 500 million birds each year. Poultry businesses in Hubei are "in dire need" of feed, said Global Times in a piece over the weekend, adding that existing stocks would only last between three to five days. It cited farmers who said millions of chickens will soon die without new supplies. Some farmers have been reducing daily feeds in order to make supplies last longer, the report said. Bryn & Danes, the Plymouth Meeting-based mini-chain of healthful fast-casual cafes that sell wraps and smoothies, filed for bankruptcy protection to get out of the leases of two shuttered locations, founder Bryn Davis said, adding that it was business as usual at three remaining locations. The voluntary petition, filed Jan. 29 in U.S. District Court, is seeking protection under Chapter 11 of the code, which calls for a restructuring of a debtors assets. Bryn & Danes Global Inc. listed assets and liabilities of $500,000 to $1 million. Davis owns 69.17% of the equity in Bryn & Danes Global, while 14 individuals and entities own the remainder, according to the filing. The filing followed by two weeks the abrupt closings of Bryn & Danes locations in Malvern and Center City Philadelphia which he said involved different business partners. Bryn & Danes current locations in Horsham, Plymouth Meeting, and Bryn Mawr are operating normally and successfully," Davis said. Davis said a location in Uganda was due to open soon and that a store in Doylestown is still on track. The Malvern location opened in early 2018 on Route 29 next to the EZ-Pass onramp to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The Center City location, which opened in August 2019 after numerous delays, was located in the Franklin at 834 Chestnut St. Davis started the business 10 years ago in a Horsham business park with a snack bar serving smoothies and popcorn. This article has been updated to reflect comments by Davis. Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwean Bishops with Zambian President, Edgar Lungu who is with the country's Minister for Religious Affairs At the end of their first consultative meeting, held in Lusaka, Zambia, the Catholic Bishops of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, have decided to seriously consider the formation of a new regional body of Bishops comprising the three countries. Paul Samasumo Vatican City The first Consultative Meeting of the Catholic Bishops of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe took place from 3 to 5 February in Lusaka, Zambia. Enhancing pastoral collaboration In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, the Bishops resolved, among other matters, to consider forming a new regional body. We, the Catholic Bishops of Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, having considered the common factors shared among the three countries such as: historical, cultural, political, religious and socio-economic, which contain a modifying influence on the pastoral situation, noted that the provision of Canon law 431 1 allows for the establishment of the sub-regional conference aimed at enhancing pastoral collaboration and addressing the many challenges that our countries are confronted with, reads the communique made a available to Vatican News. Short and long term plans Given this, the Bishops say, The project (of forming a sub-regional conference) envisions that in the short-term, Malawi and Zambia will continue to belong to the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences of Eastern Africa (AMECEA) and Zimbabwe to the Inter-Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) respectively. However, in the long-term, the sub-region will be delinked from AMECEA and IMBISA, respectively. AMECEA is an association of all the Bishops of Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia, Sudan, South Sudan and Uganda. Somalia and Djibouti have observer status. On the other hand, IMBISA is a regional organisation that groups all the Bishops of Angola and Sao Tome & Principe, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. Significant development for the Church in Africa The happenings this week, in Lusaka, constitute a major development in the life of the Church in Africa. The eventual realignment for AMECEA and IMBISA is worthy of attention. Zambia is a founding member of AMECEA, which was established in 1961. The founding President for AMECEA was the then Archbishop of Lusaka, Adam Kozlowiecki, SJ., later elevated to the cardinalate by Pope Saint John Paul II. The current President of AMECEA is Zambias Bishop of Solwezi, Charles Kasonde. Similarly, for Zimbabwe, the country is currently the host of the IMBISA Secretariat and has been an active member of IMBISA for many years. Speaking earlier in an interview with Zambias Lumen TV in Lusaka, Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops (ZCCB) Secretary General, Fr. Cleophas Lungu explained the reasons for this new development. He said, the three countries felt drawn to each other because they have a lot in common historically, culturally and ecclesiastically. We must acknowledge three factors. Fundamentally, we have strong historical links; we have a lot in common in terms of culture. . . This meeting is coming as fruition of interaction that has been going on at a smaller scale. Third, we have realised that our three countries share more or less similar challenges economically, politically as well as pastoral challenges, said Fr. Lungu. Towards a more effective proclamation of the Gospel The communique released by the Bishops also stated they had been inspired by the Goodwill message sent to the Consultative Meeting by Pope Francis. In his message the Holy Father invited the Bishops of the three Southern African countries to prayerfully discuss the mission of the Church in Southern Africa leading to an ever more effective proclamation of the Gospel and a more fruitful pastoral care of Gods People. Similarly, the Holy Sees Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples challenged the prelates to abandon the complacent attitude that asserts, We have always done it this way and instead be bold and creative in their task of re-thinking the goals, structures, styles and methods of evangelisation. The latter being a reference to Pope Francis document, Evangelii Gaudium. Steering Committee The Bishops have since put in place a steering committee mandated with the task of drawing up draft statutes, proposing operational structures and drawing up a financing plan for the envisaged new sub-regional association of Bishops. The Union Health Ministry on Thursday said that all 645 people evacuated from China's Wuhan city, who were kept in isolation at Army Base and ITBP camps, tested negative for coronavirus. It added that as of February 6, 1,38,750 passengers from 1,265 flights had been screened for the novel coronavirus but no new case was detected. The three cases are clinically stable India has so far reported three confirmed cases of Coronavirus from Kerala. Three medical students studying at the Wuhan University who returned to India recently tested positive for the virus. Besides, 510 samples were tested by ICMR network laboratories, of which all had tested negative except for the three already reported positive cases. The three cases are clinically stable, the ministry said in a statement. It said that all 645 people evacuated from Wuhan, who were kept in isolation at Army Base and ITBP camps, tested negative for Coronavirus. Community surveillance and contact tracing is going on by IDSP for 6,558 persons across 32 states/UTs. The Fourth Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) meeting was held on Thursday under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to discuss various technical issues, including review period of follow up required for asymptomatic travellers from China. The Health Ministry in coordination with central ministries and all states/UTs is taking adequate measures for the management of nCoV in India. India suspends all visas issued to Chinese nationals India has suspended all visas, regular or electronic, issued to Chinese nationals before February 5, no matter where in the world they are travelling from, an immigration official said. But the revocation doesn't apply to Chinese passport holders in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau, the official said, according to ANI. READ | Coronavirus outbreak: Virus evacuees arrive on Christmas Island The World Health Organisation has declared the outbreak a global emergency. India will not admit foreign nationals who have been to China on or after January 15. They can't enter India from any "air, land or seaport, including the Indo-Nepal, Indo-Bhutan, Indo-Bangladesh or Indo-Myanmar land borders," the immigration official said. READ | Couple attends wedding reception via video conferencing amid coronavirus outbreak Death toll reached 563 in China The coronavirus death toll in mainland China jumped by 73 to 563 on Thursday, its third consecutive record daily rise. Experts have intensified efforts to find a vaccine for a disease that has shut down Chinese cities and factories and could damage the world's second-largest economy. Hubei province, the epicentre of the epidemic, reported 70 new deaths on Wednesday and 2,987 new confirmed cases - more than 80 per cent of the total reported by Chinese authorities. READ | 640 Indians evacuated from coronavirus-hit China in complex operation: MEA READ | Coronavirus scare hits Kerala's tourism sector, triggers wave of cancellations (With agency inputs) "Androvett has long been a respected leader in the industry, so to join this incredible team is an honor," said Arias. "I am excited to take on this new challenge and look forward to using what I know to help serve Androvett's many amazing clients." In her previous work for Dallas's The Power Group and her own consulting firm, Arias Communications, Ms. Arias handled public relations, media relations and social media for clients in the energy, commercial real estate, food and beverage, lifestyle and technology sectors. Before entering media and public relations, Ms. Arias was an award-winning television journalist. Her work as producer and executive producer for KPRC-TV in Houston earned multiple industry awards, including three Lone Star Emmys and honors from the Houston Press Club and Texas Associated Press Broadcasters. A native Houstonian, Ms. Arias has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Texas A&M University in College Station. She currently serves as immediate past president of the Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals. "As we continue to build and grow our company, it is important to build it with people who have the knowledge and expertise that can benefit our clients," said Mike Androvett, president and CEO of Androvett Legal Media & Marketing. "We are so excited to welcome April to our team. With her background as a former broadcast journalist and her breadth of experience in media and public relations, we believe she will be an incredible asset to our Houston team." To learn more about Ms. Arias, click here. Androvett Legal Media & Marketing is an award-winning, full-service marketing and public relations agency with unparalleled experience serving the communications needs of businesses and organizations across the U.S. Entering its 25th year, Androvett has offices in Dallas and Houston. For a complete listing of agency services, visit www.androvett.com. Media Contact: Mark Annick 800-559-4534 [email protected] SOURCE Androvett Legal Media & Marketing Related Links https://www.androvett.com Seven killed as rival protesters clash in Iraq's Najaf Najaf, Iraq, Feb 5 (AFP) Feb 05, 2020 Seven people were shot dead on Wednesday in Iraq's shrine city of Najaf after supporters of powerful cleric Moqtada Sadr raided an anti-government protest camp, medics told AFP. It marked the bloodiest episode yet in the escalating tensions between Sadr, a militiaman-turned-politician with a cult-like following across Iraq, and decentralised rallies that have demanded regime change since October. Sadr had initially backed the demonstrations but split with them suddenly this weekend, endorsing Mohammad Allawi as the country's new prime minister designate. The core protest movement sees Allawi, a 65-year-old ex-minister, as being too close to the political elite. Tensions between the two camps have already boiled over, with Sadr supporters -- typically identified by blue caps -- storming squares and harassing rival demonstrators, who have taken up chants against the cleric. On Wednesday, Sadr supporters flooded the main anti-regime tent city in Najaf, witnesses said, and clashes erupted before security forces intervened to separate the two sides. Seven anti-government demonstrators were killed by bullets to the head or chest, medics in the city said, and dozens more were wounded. In the melee, tents where protesters had slept for weeks as part of their sit-ins were burned down. The events prompted solidarity rallies across other protest-hit cities, with a march in Baghdad's Tahrir Square decrying the bloodshed. Earlier in the day in Diwaniyah, another protest hotspot, hundreds took to the streets to condemn Sadr and his supporters for turning against the movement, AFP's correspondent there reported. - 'Brutality in the streets' - Violence broke out earlier this week in the southern city of Hilla, where one protester was stabbed to death after Sadrists attacked an anti-government rally there. Sadr then ostensibly tried to calm the tensions, urging his followers through a Twitter post to focus solely on making sure schools, roads and government buildings shut by months of protests would reopen. "The 'blue hats' have a duty to peacefully secure schools and service centres, not to defend me or suppress the voices that chant against me," he said. He urged his supporters to work with security forces but demonstrators have criticised police for failing to act quickly enough to save lives in Najaf. "It's very sad to see guys get killed under the nose of security forces who just played the role of the bystander," said protester Mohammad Hussein. He spoke to AFP in the southern city of Nasiriyah, where crowds at the main rally camp in Habbubi Square chanted in support of fellow protesters in Najaf. Asaad al-Naseri, a Shiite cleric in Nasiriyah who defected last month from the Sadrist movement, also slammed security forces in a Twitter post. "What law or doctrine permits bloodshed with such brutality in the streets? Where are the security forces when it comes to what is happening in Najaf?" he wrote. - PM-designate meets protesters - Even PM-designate Allawi pressured the outgoing government, saying: "The painful events taking place now push me to ask my brothers in the current government to fullfil their tasks by protecting the protesters." Allawi was appointed on February 1 to succeed Adel Abdel Mahdi, who resigned in December but stayed on in a caretaker role. When he announced his candidacy, Allawi extended a hand to the protesters and urged them to keep up their rallies. He has since met with representatives of the movement, pledging to release anyone detained for demonstrating, compensate the families of those killed in protest-related violence and work with the United Nations to implement demonstrators' demands. Allawi, 65, served as communications minister twice since the US-led invasion of 2003 but also stepped down twice, citing corruption in the government. Rooting out graft in Iraq -- the 16th most corrupt country in the world according to Transparency International -- has been a key demand of protesters. Allawi has until March 2 to form his government, which will be subject to a vote of confidence by parliament. The PM-designate also told protesters that up to two ministers in his cabinet would be activists themselves and that demonstrators could have a say in up to five ministerial nominations, according to Iraqi security expert Hisham al-Hashemi, who attended meetings with protest representatives. Publishes Updated Investor Presentation Old Bethpage, New York, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Power REIT (NYSE American: PW) announces that it has completed the acquisition of two greenhouse properties in southern Colorado through two wholly owned subsidiaries for $3.75 million. The acquisitions represent combined straight-line annual rent estimated to be approximately $700 thousand, which translates to an approximate 18.7% yield. The acquisitions complement Power REITs existing high-quality real estate related to transportation infrastructure, alternative energy and Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). CEA uses innovative methods to grow plants in optimized indoor growing environments for a given crop. Power REIT intends to focus on CEA related real estate for growing various crops, including cannabis. David Lesser, Power REITs Chairman and CEO, commented, These acquisitions represent an expansion of our new focus on investing in CEA greenhouse properties and are immediately accretive to FFO. On a run-rate basis, and omitting future available capital deployments, these acquisitions, along with the other recently announced CEA related transactions should increase FFO by over 43%, relative to our stabilized FFO expectations prior to embarking on our improved business plan in July 2019. Assuming we are able to deploy the remaining capital equally over the next three quarters, our year end run-rate FFO per share should exceed $1.50 per share based on deploying capital at a 12.5% yield relative to the more than 18% yield we have been investing at. This is approximately triple our Stabilized FFO prior to embarking on our new business plan. Mr. Lesser continued, Both properties are well positioned for near-term expansions of greenhouse growing and processing space. The leases provide that we have the option to fund expansions on comparable terms to the original leases with a built-in option that allows us to accretively deploy additional capital on attractive risk adjusted terms. Mr. Lesser concluded, With an extensive acquisition pipeline, we should be able to deploy the remainder of the capital currently available for investment in the near term. As previously disclosed, Power REIT recently completed a $15.5 million debt financing at a rate of 4.62% which fully amortizes over a 35-year term. A portion of the funds were utilized to acquire the two aforementioned assets. In addition to these acquisitions, Power REIT has an extensive pipeline of CEA projects and is actively working to deploy the remainder of the capital available for investment. Concurrent with the closings on the acquisitions, Power REIT entered into triple-net leases that require each tenant to pay all property related expenses including maintenance, insurance and taxes. Each lease has a term of 20 years and provides two 5-year renewal options for the tenant with financial guarantees from affiliates of the tenant. The leases require each tenant to maintain a valid medical marijuana license and to operate in accordance with all Colorado and municipal regulations while prohibiting the retail sale of its products from the properties. ACQUIRED PROPERTIES Maverick 14 was acquired for $850 thousand. The 5.54-acre property has an existing greenhouse and processing facility totaling 8,300 square feet. As part of the transaction, Power REIT has agreed to fund the immediate expansion of 15,120 square feet of greenhouse space for approximately $1.1 million. The tenant has also agreed to fund the construction of an additional 2,520 square feet of processing space. Power REITs total capital commitment is approximately $1.9 million. The property is located in the subdivision, which has been developed through an alliance with the existing tenant and developer who have extensive experience constructing greenhouses. An affiliate of the tenant has also received preliminary approval to operate a dispensary in the town where the properties are located. Sherman 6 was acquired for $150,000. The vacant land parcel is comprised of 5.0 acres, which has been approved for cannabis cultivation. As part of this transaction, the Trust has agreed to fund the immediate construction of 15,120 square feet of greenhouse space and 7,520 square feet of processing space on the property for approximately $1.7 million. Power REITs total capital commitment is approximately $1.8 million. The Sherman 6 tenant is owned by an affiliate of a company that currently has three retail dispensaries in southern Colorado and operates an 18,000 square foot indoor cannabis growing facility that is on a short-term lease. Given current conditions, it is anticipated that product demand will far exceed its current production capacity. STATEMENT ON SUSTAINABILITY Power REIT owns real estate related to infrastructure assets including properties for Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA Facilities), Renewable Energy and Transportation. CEA Facilities, such as greenhouses, provide an extremely environmentally friendly solution, which consume approximately 70% less energy than indoor growing operations that do not benefit from free sunlight. CEA facilities use 90% less water than field grown plants, and all of Power REITs greenhouse properties operate without the use of pesticides and avoid agricultural runoff of fertilizers and pesticides. These facilities cultivate medical Cannabis, which has been recommended to help manage a myriad of medical symptoms, including seizures and spasms, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, migraines, arthritis, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimers. Renewable Energy assets are comprised of land and infrastructure associated with utility scale solar farms. These projects produce power without the use of fossil fuels thereby lowering carbon emissions. The solar farms produce approximately 50,000,000 kWh of electricity annually which is enough to power approximately 4,600 home on a carbon free basis. Transportation assets are comprised of land associated with a railroad, an environmentally friendly mode of bulk transportation. UPDATED INVESTOR PRESENTATION In conjunction with these transactions, Power REIT has updated its investor presentation to communicate the companys strategic business plan and recent activities. A copy of the presentation can be found in the investors section of the Power REIT website: www.pwreit.com ABOUT POWER REIT Power REIT is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns real estate related to infrastructure assets including properties for Controlled Environment Agriculture, Renewable Energy and Transportation. Power REIT is actively seeking to expand its real estate portfolio related to Controlled Environment Agriculture and Renewable Energy. Additional information on Power REIT can be found on its website at www.pwreit.com CAUTIONARY STATEMENT ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This document includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements are those that predict or describe future events or trends and that do not relate solely to historical matters. You can generally identify forward-looking statements as statements containing the words "believe," "expect," "will," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "project," "plan," "assume", "seek" or other similar expressions, or negatives of those expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. All statements contained in this document regarding our future strategy, future operations, future prospects, the future of our industries and results that might be obtained by pursuing management's current or future plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements because the matters they describe are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond our control. Our forward-looking statements are based on the information currently available to us and speak only as of the date of the filing of this document. Over time, our actual results, performance, financial condition or achievements may differ from the anticipated results, performance, financial condition or achievements that are expressed or implied by our forward-looking statements, and such differences may be significant and materially adverse to our security holders. CONACT: David H. Lesser, Chairman & CEO (212) 750-0371 dlesser@pwreit.com 301 Winding Road Old Bethpage, NY 11804 212-750-0371 www.pwreit.com By any reasonable appraisal, President Donald J. Trump is everything his critics say he is. Dishonest. Disloyal. Incurious. Impulsive. Narcissistic. Vengeful. A racist. A cheat. A bellicose bully. An international laughingstock. An abuser of women, oaths of office, marriage vows. And beyond shame. Yet for all that, for all the vulgarity, all the associates behind bars or under indictment, all the impeachment sturm und drang, Trump is rising in popularity and bidding fair for re-election in November. Which is to say that, as usual, it was a bizarre week in American politics. The president acquitted on impeachment articles by a Republican majority in the Senate, even as GOP Sen. Mitt Romney declared him guilty as charged got his biggest boost from those who like him least. From Iowa came The Great Democratic Caucus Crack-up, which demonstrated that a nation capable of dispatching enemies from afar with precision drone strikes remains confounded by the mechanics of counting ballots. Not since the hanging-chad fiasco of 2000 has there been quite such Olympian ineptitude. Two days after Democrats in the state caucused to choose their presidential candidate, long after the contenders had fled the mess and moved on to New Hampshire, organizers were still struggling to post results. Democrats were duly taunted with questions about how they expect to be entrusted with government when they are unable to tally a few hundred thousand ballots. In the aftermath, Democratic candidates continued to do as much harm to each other as any seems capable of doing to Trump. The camps were embroiled in mutual recrimination. There were hints of malfeasance and another establishment sabotaging of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Former vice-president Joe Biden, who performed dismally in Iowa, targeted Pete Buttigieg, front-running along with Sanders, sniffing that it would be a mistake for the Democrats to nominate someone whose only elected experience was as mayor of a town of a few hundred thousand people in Indiana. Trump, of course, as the ballots were or werent being counted in Iowa, basked in the almost lurid spectacle of an American State of the Union address. At it, slavish supporters outdo each other with shows of fetishistic leader-worship worthy of Pyongyang, North Korea. At it, grieving families and other ordinary citizens in the galleries are turned into props for the president. In the 2020 version, the usual bogeymen were trotted out socialists and abortions and illegal aliens, oh my. Ugliness was celebrated. Basic civilities were abandoned. Divisions in a land called United were on flagrant display. Trump continued to debase the office he occupies, conferring on the hate-mongering radio host Rush Limbaugh diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer the countrys highest civilian honour, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Here tonight is a special man beloved by millions of Americans, Trump cooed. Thank you for your decades of tireless devotion to our country. This despite the fact that a review of the greatest hits of Rush Limbaugh would be like a cruise down a sewer in a glass-bottom boat. Biden told a town hall a night later in New Hampshire that Limbaugh made a career dividing people, demeaning people... But look, this is Donald Trump. For such dubious acts by the president, and his many misrepresentations, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi theatrically ripped up her copy of the speech. To some, the photos of her pointed editorial comment stood as a better summation of the state of the nation than the presidents gloating address. For his part, Trump refused to shake Pelosis extended hand. The day after the speech, as they continued to count in Iowa, Romney demonstrated that conscience in the Republican party though an endangered species is not extinct. The former Republican presidential candidate voted with the Democrats to convict the president of abuse of power and remove him from office. It was a flagrant assault on our electoral rights, our national security interests and our fundamental values, Romney said. Corrupting an election to keep ones self in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of ones oath of office that I can imagine. Romney was entirely correct. Yet none of it seemed to do Trump a lick of harm. In his new book Why Were Polarized, Ezra Klein says in these populist times demography and culture, not economic and political developments drive votes. As a way of avoiding internal dissonance and estrangement from their tribe, individuals subconsciously resist factual information that threatens their defining values. The president understands that. He knows that all the fact-checkers on all the cable-TV networks in all the world wont change that. His approval ratings are as high as theyve ever been. His opponents are in disarray and looking creatively inept. Donald Trump has spread chaos across the land. And he has seldom seemed more serene. Read more about: STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As transportation companies continue their push to develop reliable autonomous vehicles, the first fleet of driverless mass transit shuttles has officially hit the streets of the United States. On Feb. 5, the South Linden neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio, launched the countrys first public residential autonomous shuttle, the Linden LEAP. The electric-powered, autonomous shuttles connect South Linden residents with resources and transit centers in the rest of the city, while also providing key data points for other cities that are considering implementing similar programs. Bringing smart technology and mobility into our neighborhoods is an important tool for sharing success and expanding opportunity, said Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther. The launch of the Linden LEAP will help us guide future innovations in the community and beyond, using self-driving technology to help reduce barriers to community resources. The brightly colored shuttles will travel along a 2.9-mile route, providing free rides, seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., over the course of the 12-month pilot program. The autonomous shuttles -- known as the EasyMile EZ10 -- can hold about a dozen passengers and travel for approximately 14 hours on a single charge. The vehicles operate at Level 4 autonomy, meaning the shuttles have full autonomous operational capabilities, though an onboard operator is still able to take control in the event of an error. EasyMile has deployed our vehicles and technology around the world, but Columbus is the first location where our autonomous software is powering a fleet-based system in a residential neighborhood," said Sharad Agarwal, senior vice president of EasyMile in North America. "This represents the next revolution in autonomous mobility, and we are thrilled Columbus can showcase this to communities everywhere. Special rules for the Linden LEAP shuttles have been implemented by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including vehicle speeds being limited to 25 miles per hour, vehicles being restricted to their designated route and vehicles temporarily ceasing operations during nearby schools morning arrival and afternoon dismissal. Though the maximum allowed speed has been set at 25 miles per hour, the LindenLEAP website states that the shuttles will never travel above 15 miles per hour and will typically travel at approximately 12 miles per hour. The Linden LEAP is a pilot program like no other in the nation, said Columbus City Councilmember Shayla Favor. For the first time we are inviting the public to use self-driving technology on public roads in a residential neighborhood. Linden is at the forefront of shaping smart mobility in the United States. AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES IN NYC? The rollout of the autonomous mass transit fleet in Ohio could inspire other states to soon follow suit, though the idea of autonomous vehicles on New York City streets has long been a point of contention for city and state officials. In late 2017, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced plans to allow General Motors and Cruise Automation to begin testing autonomous vehicles on Manhattan streets starting in 2018. Autonomous vehicles have the potential to save time and save lives, and we are proud to be working with GM and Cruise on the future of this exciting new technology, Cuomo said at the time. The spirit of innovation is what defines New York, and we are positioned on the forefront of this emerging industry that has the potential to be the next great technological advance that moves our economy and moves us forward. However, the program never came to fruition, with Mayor Bill de Blasio fiercely opposing the deployment of autonomous vehicles onto busy Manhattan streets, citing safety concerns and a lack of coordination between the state and the citys Department of Transportation and NYPD. I really dont like it,'' de Blasio said at the time. "I think its a mistake. I think that it creates a danger. The last thing we wanna do is create a potential new danger, so were gonna be very aggressive in saying this is not a good idea unless it is carefully vetted. While autonomous vehicles have yet to hit public roads in New York, Optimus Ride, an autonomous vehicle technology company, launched the states first self-driving vehicle program this past August in Brooklyn Navy Yard, a 300-acre industrial park thats home to more than 400 businesses, employing more than 10,000 employees. Currently, six self-driving shuttles are transporting passengers, free of charge, between the recently opened NYC Ferry stop at Dock 72 and Brooklyn Navy Yards Cumberland Gate at Flushing Avenue. The autonomous vehicles are currently confined to operating within the private complex of Brooklyn Navy Yard, with a safety driver and software operator present in the vehicles to ensure that someone can take control if the self-driving software malfunctions. Our system will provide access to and experience with autonomy for thousands of people, helping to increase acceptance of and confidence in this new technology, which helps move the overall industry forward," said Dr. Ryan Chin, CEO and co-founder of Optimus Ride. BELGRADE -- Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has expressed support for a new proposed methodology aimed at making the EU membership process more credible, predictable, and politically inclusive. "My sympathies are with the new methodology," Vucic said on February 6 after talks with EU Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi in Belgrade. He said Serbia could benefit from the proposed plan, which would give member states a stronger role in accession talks and calls for more incentives for well-performing aspirant states. However, backsliding or delays on required reforms could lead to a pause or reversal of the accession process, or even force EU hopefuls to restart entry talks in some policy areas. If approved by EU member states, the new methodology would automatically apply to Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. Serbia and Montenegro, which have already started accession talks with Brussels, would be able to choose between the current approach and the new one. Serbia would review the proposed reforms carefully before making a final decision, Vucic told a joint news conference with Varhelyi. The commissioner, who took office in December, said that EU enlargement in the Balkans was its "greatest priority." "At the end of my term, I would like at least one country from the region ready for accession," the Hungarian diplomat said. On February 7, he is scheduled to visit Montenegro for talks with Prime Minister Dusko Markovic. With reporting by dpa and AFP Retiring Independent Alliance Minister John Halligan has said he would like to see Tanaiste Simon Coveney returned to Government. Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr Halligan said were he not to return, it would be disappointing. Such an intervention from Mr Halligan, a staunch liberal, will catch many by surprise, given Mr Coveney's conservative stance on many issues. Speaking in a personal capacity, it would be disappointing not to see Simon Coveney returned as a Minister in the upcoming government, he said. As both Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister Coveney has been a stalwart advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people and has consistently emphasised the need for dialogue between Israel and Palestine. He also said the Tanaiste was integral to stating Irelands position on Brexit, which as we all know has been an unprecedented economic challenge. This hard work on the part of the Tanaiste cannot and should not go uncredited, he concluded. Mr Halligan is retiring from the Dail having first been elected in 2011. As part of the Independent Alliance, he was appointed to the position of Minister for Skills and Training by then Taoiseach Enda Kenny. He announced in January he was not standing in the General Election. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 5, 2020) - IAMGOLD Corporation (TSX: IMG) ("IAMGOLD" or the "Company") today announced an updated Mineral Resource estimate and filed a supporting National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") Technical Report for its 100% owned Pitangui Project, located approximately 110 kilometres northwest of the city of Belo Horizonte, in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The estimate was completed in accordance with the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") Definition Standards incorporated by reference in NI 43-101. The updated mineral resource estimate, based on an underground mining scenario, comprises an Indicated Resource of 3.33 million tonnes grading 4.39 grams per tonne gold for 0.47 million contained ounces and an Inferred Resource of 3.56 million tonnes grading 3.78 grams of gold per tonne for 0.43 million contained ounces, at a cut-off grade of 2.5 grams of gold per tonne (see Table 1 below). The updated estimate has converted 52% of the resources to an indicated category relative to the previously stated mineral resources (see news release dated February 19th, 2019). Craig MacDougall, Senior Vice President, Exploration for IAMGOLD, stated, "The Sao Sebastiao gold deposit is hosted in a banded iron formation, for which the region is well known, and is an outstanding grass roots discovery made by our Brazilian exploration team who have continued to advance and improve the definition of resources since its discovery. Our ongoing exploration activities continues to target potential mineralized extensions and evaluate additional targets for new discoveries. I would also like to especially acknowledge the outstanding safety record achieved by this exploration team, having recently surpassed ten years without a recordable DART1 incident." TABLE 1: MINERAL RESOURCE STATEMENT, PITANGUI PROJECT, BRAZIL Effective Date: December 31, 2019 Story continues Classification Deposit Tonnes (000) Grade (g/t Au) Contained Ounces (000) Indicated Sao Sebastiao 3,330 4.39 470 Inferred Sao Sebastiao 3,559 3.78 433 Notes: CIM definitions (2014) were followed for classification of Mineral Resources. Mineral Resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 2.5 g/t Au. Mineral Resources are estimated using a gold price of US$1,500 per ounce. High grade capped assay values calculated: Biquinho 22 g/t Au, Pimentao 20 g/t Au, while Tomate did not require capping. Bulk density of the mineralized zones, as determined from 30,505 measurements, varies from 3.03 g/cm3 to 3.25 g/cm3 for the three main mineralized domains (Biquinho, Pimentao, Tomate). Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and have not demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the mineral resource will be converted into mineral reserves. Since its discovery, ongoing systematic delineation drilling has been completed on nominal 50 x 50 metre drill hole centres in the core of the deposit, and up to approximately 100 x 100 metre spacing in the deeper "down-plunge" areas of the deposit. The mineral resource estimate incorporates nearly 33,000 assay results from 216 diamond drill holes totalling 80,041 metres, and was completed by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. ("SRK"). The estimate was prepared using a block model constrained within a three-dimensional wire-frame ("mesh") geologic model of the principal mineralized domains (Tomate, Biquinho and Pimentao stratigraphically from top to bottom) hosted in banded iron formations ("BIF"), see Figure 1 below. The geologic model was constructed by IAMGOLD geologists and validated and modified (as necessary) by SRK into various mineralized subdomains. Values for gold were interpolated into 10m x 10m x 2m blocks (sub-celled to 5m x 5m x 1m sub-blocks) using ordinary kriging. The resource estimate, assuming a long-term gold price of US$1,500 per ounce, was constrained by cost assumptions derived from comparable operating underground mines to support the CIM requirement that Mineral Resources have reasonable prospects for economic extraction. These assumptions, based on a 1,100 tonnes per day mining operation, include US$31.70 per tonne for mining, US$50.70 per tonne for processing and US$5.30 per tonne for general and administrative costs; with mining dilution assumed to be 20% and mining recovery 85%. Metallurgical recovery of 93% was also assumed based on previous preliminary metallurgical test work results. 1Days Away, Restricted, Transferred. The DART rate refers to the number of days away, restricted duty or job transfer incidents that occur per 100 employees. Figure 1: Longitudinal View of the Mineralized Subdomains (looking Northeast); Purple - Tomate, Red - Biquinho, Orange -Pimentao, Black traces - Boreholes. Azimuth/dip of the view - 047/21. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6077/52154_0a0f732744727921_001full.jpg Next Steps Future drilling programs will continue to: 1) test the potential down-plunge extensions of mineralized BIFs with wide spaced step-out drill holes, and 2) on the remainder of the 180 square kilometer Pitangui property, continue to drill test various exploration targets with the objective of discovering additional mineralized zones. About the Pitangui Project IAMGOLD initially identified and acquired the Pitangui property in 2007, with first pass drilling leading to the discovery of the Sao Sebastiao gold deposit in 2011-2012. To date, drilling has confirmed the presence of several parallel, stacked, shallowly dipping and gently folded horizons of BIF within the Archean Pitangui greenstone belt. Locally, the BIFs are moderately to tightly drag-folded next to shallow-dipping thrust planes. Within the BIFs, gold mineralization is associated with sulphide replacement of primary magnetite bands, characterized by the presence of pyrrhotite and lesser amounts of pyrite, arsenopyrite and chalcopyrite. Several active mining operations located in the Brazilian Iron Quadrangle exploit gold deposits of a comparable age, host rock type and mineralization style. These deposits typically comprise multiple mineralized shoots with high plunge to strike-length ratios, a result of complex structural controls on gold distribution. Examples include AngloGold Ashanti's Cuiaba and Lamego deposits. Technical Information and Quality Control Notes The Pitangui mineral resource estimate was completed by SRK and reported in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 requirements and CIM Estimation of Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Best Practices Guidelines. The resource estimate was prepared by SRK Senior Resource Consultant A. Mitrofanov, PhD, P.Geo., reviewed by O. Leuangthong, PhD, P.Eng., Principal Consultant, and all technical work was supervised by SRK Principal Resource Geologist, G. Cole, P.Geo. Dr. Mitrofanov and Mr. Cole, who are Qualified Persons independent of IAMGOLD for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, have reviewed and approved the contents of this release as it pertains to the Pitangui project. A supporting NI 43-101 Technical Report has been filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The information in this news release was prepared under the supervision of Craig MacDougall, P.Geo., Senior Vice President, Exploration for IAMGOLD. Mr. MacDougall is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. SRK has reviewed and verified exploration practices and the resultant database used to complete the mineral resource estimate reported herein, and has expressed the opinion that it is satisfied that the work carried out by IAMGOLD has been conducted in a manner consistent with generally recognized industry best practices and that the exploration data are sufficiently reliable for the purpose of supporting a mineral resource estimate. The sampling and analysis of drill core used to support the mineral resource estimate is monitored through the implementation of a quality assurance - quality control program designed to follow industry best practice. Drill core (HQ and NQ size) samples were selected by IAMGOLD geologists and cut lengthwise with a diamond saw at the project site. Half of the core is retained on site for future reference. Sample intervals range between 0.4 and 1.0 metres in length. Samples were submitted to either ACME Analytical Laboratory or ALS Limited, and assayed for gold using a standard fire assay procedure with an atomic absorption finish ("FA-AA") and a multi-element ICP-MS analysis. From 2015 onwards a percentage of pulps were also sent to SGS GEOSOL as an umpire laboratory for gold (FA-AA) and multi-element ICP-MS analyses. Forward-Looking Information All Mineral Resources estimates reported by the Company were estimated in accordance with the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum Definition Standards (May 10, 2014). These standards differ significantly from the requirements of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Mineral Resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. This document contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements" are made as of the date of this document. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the estimated amount and grade of Mineral Resources; (ii) the optimization study representing a potentially viable development option for the Project; (iii) estimates of the capital costs of constructing mine facilities and bringing a mine into production, of sustaining capital and the duration of financing payback periods; (iv) the estimated amount of future production, both produced and metal recovered; and, (v) estimates of operating costs and total costs, net cash flow, net present value and economic returns from an operating mine. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "envisages", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on IAMGOLD's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. The most significant assumptions are set forth above, but generally these assumptions include: (i) the presence of and continuity of metals at the Pitangui Gold Project at estimated grades; (ii) the geotechnical and metallurgical characteristics of rock conforming to sampled results; including the quantities of water and the quality of the water that must be diverted or treated during mining operations; (iii) the capacities and durability of various machinery and equipment; (iv) the availability of personnel, machinery and equipment at estimated prices and within the estimated delivery times; (v) currency exchange rates; (vi) metals sales prices and exchange rate assumed; (vii) appropriate discount rates applied to the cash flows in the economic analysis; (viii) tax rates and royalty rates applicable to the proposed mining operation; (ix) the availability of acceptable financing under assumed structure and costs; (x) anticipated mining losses and dilution; (xi) metallurgical performance; (xii) reasonable contingency requirements; (xiii) success in realizing proposed operations; (xiv) receipt of permits and other regulatory approvals on acceptable terms; and (xv) the fulfillment of environmental assessment commitments and arrangements with local communities. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. Many forward-looking statements are made assuming the correctness of other forward-looking statements, such as statements of net present value and internal rates of return, which are based on most of the other forward-looking statements and assumptions herein. The cost information is also prepared using current values, but the time for incurring the costs will be in the future and it is assumed costs will remain stable over the relevant period. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risk factors may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions and estimates expressed above do not occur as forecast, but specifically include, without limitation: risks relating to variations in the mineral content within the material identified as Mineral Resources from that predicted; variations in rates of recovery and extraction; the geotechnical characteristics of the rock mined or through which infrastructure is built differing from that predicted, the quantity of water that will need to be diverted or treated during mining operations being different from what is expected to be encountered during mining operations or post closure, or the rate of flow of the water being different; developments in world metals markets; risks relating to fluctuations in the Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar; increases in the estimated capital and operating costs or unanticipated costs; difficulties attracting the necessary work force; increases in financing costs or adverse changes to the terms of available financing, if any; tax rates or royalties being greater than assumed; changes in development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; risks relating to receipt of regulatory approvals; delays in stakeholder negotiations; changes in regulations applying to the development, operation, and closure of mining operations from what currently exists; the effects of competition in the markets in which IAMGOLD operates; operational and infrastructure risks and the additional risks described in IAMGOLD's Annual Information Form filed with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com ) for the year ended December 31, 2018 and in the Corporation's Annual Report Form 40-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR (available at https://www.sec.gov/edgar/searchedgar/companysearch.html). IAMGOLD cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to IAMGOLD, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. IAMGOLD does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by IAMGOLD or on our behalf, except as required by law. Cautionary Note to Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured and Indicated Resources This news release uses the term "indicated resources". We advise investors that while that term is recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") does not recognize them. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. Cautionary Note to Investors Concerning Estimates of Inferred Resources This news release also uses the term "inferred resources". We advise investors that while this term is recognized and required by Canadian regulations, the SEC does not recognize it. "Inferred resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence, and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimates of Inferred Mineral Resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that part or all of an inferred Resource exists, or is economically or legally mineable. Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors The SEC limits disclosure for U.S. reporting purposes to mineral deposits that a company can economically and legally extract or produce. IAMGOLD uses certain terms in this news release, such as "measured," "indicated," or "inferred," which may not be consistent with the resource definitions established by the SEC. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in the IAMGOLD Annual Reports on Forms 40-F. You can review and obtain copies of these filings from the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml or by contacting the Investor Relations department. The Canadian Securities Administrators' NI 43-101 requires mining companies to disclose reserves and resources using the subcategories of "proven" reserves, "probable" reserves, "measured" resources, "indicated" resources and "inferred" resources. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not demonstrate economic viability. A Mineral Resource is a concentration or occurrence of natural, solid, inorganic material, or natural, solid fossilized organic material including base and precious metals in or on the Earth's crust in such form and quantity and of such a grade or quality that it has reasonable prospects for economic extraction. The location, quantity, grade, geological characteristics and continuity of a Mineral Resource are known, estimated or interpreted from specific geological evidence and knowledge. A Measured Mineral Resource is that part of a Mineral Resource for which quantity, grade or quality, densities, shape and physical characteristics are so well established that they can be estimated with confidence sufficient to allow the appropriate application of technical and economic parameters, to support production planning and evaluation of the economic viability of the deposit. The estimate is based on detailed and reliable exploration, sampling and testing information gathered through appropriate techniques from locations such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings and drill holes that are spaced closely enough to confirm both geological and grade continuity. An Indicated Mineral Resource is that part of a Mineral Resource for which quantity, grade or quality, densities, shape and physical characteristics can be estimated with a level of confidence sufficient to allow the appropriate application of technical and economic parameters, to support mine planning and evaluation of the economic viability of the deposit. The estimate is based on detailed and reliable exploration and testing information gathered through appropriate techniques from locations such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings and drill holes that are spaced closely enough for geological and grade continuity to be reasonably assumed. An inferred Mineral Resource is that part of a Mineral Resource for which quantity and grade or quality can be estimated on the basis of geological evidence and limited sampling and reasonably assumed, but not verified, geological and grade continuity. The estimate is based on limited information and sampling gathered through appropriate techniques from locations such as outcrops, trenches, pits, workings and drill holes. Mineral resources which are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. About IAMGOLD IAMGOLD (www.iamgold.com) is a mid-tier mining company with four operating gold mines on three continents. A solid base of strategic assets in North and South America and West Africa is complemented by development and exploration projects and continued assessment of accretive acquisition opportunities. IAMGOLD is in a strong financial position with extensive management and operational expertise. For further information please contact : Indi Gopinathan, VP, Investor Relations & Corporate Communications, IAMGOLD Corporation Tel: (416) 360-4743 Mobile: (416) 388-6883 Martin Dumont, Senior Analyst Investor Relations, IAMGOLD Corporation Tel: (416) 933-5783 Mobile: (647) 967-9942 Toll-free: 1-888-464-9999 info@iamgold.com Please note: This entire news release may be accessed via fax, e-mail, IAMGOLD's website at www.iamgold.com and through Newsfile's website at www.newsfilecorp.com. All material information on IAMGOLD can be found at www.sedar.com or at www.sec.gov. Si vous desirez obtenir la version francaise de ce communique, veuillez consulter le www.iamgold.com/French/Home/default.aspx. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52154 President Moon Jae-in and Chinese President Xi Jinping look at a go board which Xi offered Moon as a present during their 2017 summit in Beijing. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae By Do Je-hae The spread of the new coronavirus from Hubei Province, China, is posing a possible hindrance to bilateral relations between Seoul and Beijing. Cheong Wa Dae is facing a dilemma as it struggles to improve relations with China, particularly important with Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Seoul, while facing challenges at home amid the epidemic. The Korean government is facing growing calls from people here to expand the entry ban of foreign nationals traveling from Hubei Province to other parts of China to prevent further spread of the virus about which the Chinese government has already indirectly expressed discontent. On Sunday the government announced the entry ban, but a growing number of Koreans believe there should be stronger immigration controls to better contain the situation. Opposition parties and even some members of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea are urging an expanded entry ban for people traveling from other regions in China, such as Guangdong, or even the entire country. A slain drug dealer fought her way out of a toolbox but was caught and forced back in before being dumped in a creek, a Queensland court has been told. Iuliana Triscaru was found dead in 2016. Credit:QPS Iuliana Triscaru and Cory Breton's decomposing bodies were found in February 2016 after police dragged the large metal box from Scrubby Creek, south of Brisbane. The pair had been lured to a unit in Kingston 18 days earlier and assaulted by a group of men after Mr Breton told a friend he had a photo of a fellow drug dealer on his phone, the Brisbane Supreme Court has heard. Prosecutor David Meredith says this photo of Stou Daniels, who was giving the orders at the home, is central to the murder trial of Tuhirangi-Thomas Tahiata, 28. A woman has been charged with stalking three-time surfing world champion Mick Fanning and breaking into his home. Sarah Anne Foote was charged with unlawful stalking, enter dwelling with intent and two counts of stealing in Southport Magistrates Court on Thursday. The 38-year-old from Ballina in northern New South Wales is accused of following Fanning between January 29 and February 4. A woman has been charged with stalking surfing legend Mick Fanning (pictured with his partner Breeana) and breaking into his home Foote allegedly broke into the 38-year-old's Gold Coast home on February 2 with the intent to commit an offence. Foote was remanded in custody and will return to court on Friday. Fanning retired from competitive surfing in 2018, finishing second to Brazilian Italo Ferreira in his final contest at the Rip Curl Pro Bell's Beach. The 38-year-old ended his career with 22 elite tour wins and was famously attacked by a shark while competing at Jeffrey's Bay in South Africa in 2015. THE trial of a priest who is accused of indecently assaulting a teenage boy at the parochial house in the Limerick parish where he worked is nearing an end. The 64-year-old has pleaded not guilty to six charges relating to offences which are alleged to have occurred over a 22-month period in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The jury of five women and seven men has heard evidence from the complainant who was aged 17 when the first of the offences is alleged to have taken place. Read also: Irish Greyhound Board CFO seeks to halt disciplinary process against him The man, now aged in his early 40s, made a complaint to gardai in 2016 26 years afterwards. In her closing speech to the jury, Lilly Buckley BL, instructed by State Solicitor Aidan Judge, submitted the complainant had given a clear and vivid account of what occurred. She said if they were satisfied he was telling the truth, they were entitled to return a guilty verdict. Mark Nicholas SC urged the jurors to act like scientists and to forensically examine the evidence before them. He submitted there was no corroborative evidence in the case and that there was no supporting evidence before them. You have to rely entirely on his memory, he said urging the jurors to put any sense of disquiet to one side. Judge Martina Baxter will address the jury this Thursday. A new Michigan Works! office has opened in Waterford. Michigan Works! has service centers located across the state, including six in Oakland County, to help Michiganders seeking employment and to promote workforce development efforts. Services provided include resume building, private consultations, one-on-one job search assistance, job training, interviewing workshops, and networking opportunities. On Thursday, Oakland County Michigan Works! will celebrate the grand opening of its new Waterford service center, 7500 Highland Road. The center is expected to support more than 2,600 job seekers each month. Oakland County Executive David Coulter, Oakland County Michigan Works! Director Jennifer Llewellyn, and Paul Blatt, executive vice president and chief operating officer of JVS Human Services, will attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the occasion. JVS Human Services will manage the Waterford office. The new Waterford office enhances the capabilities of Oakland County Michigan Works! to help residents find jobs and employers hire staff, said Coulter. Our goal is to make sure everyone has the resources they need to find opportunity across the job spectrum. Each year, the six Oakland County Michigan Works! service centers offer assistance to more than 105,000 job seekers. Blatt said JVS Human Services is excited to bring its person-centered approach to employment services to the job seekers of Oakland County. The new office is designed to provide job seekers and employers with a warm and inviting space, he said. It is powered by the latest technology features, allowing for the business community and job seekers to connect seamlessly resulting in a win-win for everyone. Llewellyn said one of the key factors in selecting JVS Human Services was its past work with the county and successful track record of delivering similar services elsewhere in southeast Michigan. Were excited to have JVS Human Services as a key partner delivering services at our new Waterford location, she said. JVS and Oakland County have enjoyed a long-standing relationship and were confident that our customers, both businesses and job seekers, will benefit from the high-quality, customer-centered, services and programs delivered by the fantastic team there. Reports said the spot chosen by the Yogi Adityanath government is located outside the 14 kosi parikrama, or an area of some 42 km around Ayodhya town that devotees circle during religious events. New Delhi: The Centre on Wednesday announced the setting up of a 15-member trust to oversee the construction of a grand and magnificent Ram temple in Ayodhya, an announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha four days before the expiry of a three-month deadline set by the Supreme Court. The announcement of the broad scheme for building a Ram temple and formation of the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teer-tha Kshetra Trust was made by the Prime Minis-ter shortly after a meeting of the Cabinet presided by him gave its approval. Home minister Amit Shah said the trust would comprise 15 members, including a Dalit, who would be in-charge of the entire 67-acre land. Mr Modi said formation of the trust was as per directions of the Supreme Court and the Union Cabinet has decided to transfer 67.703 acre land to it for the construction of temple. The Uttar Pradesh government also allocated 5 acres land to Sunni Waqf Board that the All India Muslim Personal Law Board has rejected. Land for a mosque has been assigned about 25 km from the Ayodhya temple complex and even outside the town, but within the Ayodhya district. The land is in village Dhani-pur in Ayodhya, on the Lucknow highway, arou-nd 18 km from the district headquarters, said UP minister Srikant Sharma. Reports said the spot chosen by the Yogi Adityanath government is located outside the 14 kosi parikrama, or an area of some 42 km around Ayodhya town that devotees circle during religious events. Saints had reportedly asked that the mosque site be assigned beyond the parikrama boundaries. The Prime Ministers announcement, that was promptly followed by a gazette notification, comes at a time when Model Code of Conduct is in place in Delhi which is all set to go for Assembly polls on Saturday where the BJP is trying hard to wrest power from incumbent Aam Admi Party. However, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said that no permission was required from it to make this announcement and this was not a violation of MCC. No permission was sought from ECI and it was not required to be sought since it is Supreme Court mandated action, said an official of the ECI. Union minister for information & broadcasting Prakash Javadekar tried to delink the announcement with Delhi elections saying, This is the decision taken for a temple in Ayodhya. Nothing to do with Delhi. The whole country is not under elections. Let us not confuse the situation. However, AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi questioned the timing of the PMs announcement saying the BJP makes all major announcements keeping in mind polls, and for the Delhi Assembly elections the BJP has played its last card. He added that the session of Parliament is to end on February 11 and the announcement could have come after February 8. Seems like BJP is worried over Delhi Elections, he said. On the basis of the Supreme Court direction, my government has today given approval to proposal for creation of Shri Ram Janma Bhoomi Tirtha Kshetra Trust. The trust will be free to take all decisions regarding creation of a magnificent Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the PM said in Lok Sabha amidst thumping of tables and chanting of Jai Shri Ram by the Treasury benches and silence from Opposition. The Prime Minister said that on the directions of the Supreme Court, the government had requested Uttar Pradesh government to allocate 5 acres of land to the Sunni Waqf Board, and the state government acceded to the request. PM also praised the maturity shown by the country in maintaining peace and harmony following the Supreme Courts decision on the Ayodhya issue. The people of India displayed remarkable faith in democratic processes and procedures. I salute the 130 crore people of India, he later said in a tweet. Keeping in mind the construction of the magnificent Ram Temple and the spirit of the devotees who would come to pay obeisance to Ram Lalla, in future the government has taken another important decision. It has decided that whole of the approx 67.703 acre acquired land will be transferred to thus created Sri Ram Janma Bhoomi Tirtha Kshetra trust, PM added. Soon after the PMs announcement, UP Cabinet announced the allotment of five acres of land to Sunni Wakf Board. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said the Sunni Wakf Board, which will get 5 acres of land in Ayodhya for the construction of a mosque, is not the representative of the entire Muslim community and if it accepts the Centres offer it should not be considered a decision of all Muslims of the country. Painkillers should be renamed pain relievers to reduce unrealistic expectations, say medical experts. They argue the misconception that pain will be completely killed makes people believe they should increase their dose. This is helping drive Britains overuse of opioids such as codeine and morphine, they warn. Painkillers should be renamed pain relievers to reduce unrealistic expectations, say medical experts. Stock picture Professor Jamie Coleman, who advises the Government on medicine safety, wants everything from paracetamol upwards to come under a new label. He said: I would support the idea that analgesia are pain relievers, not painkillers. They argue the misconception that pain will be completely killed makes people believe they should increase their dose. Stock picture People take more pain relief than they should do because they believe the more they take the better it works and thats not the case. Painkillers only work in the long term for one in ten people with chronic pain. But a major report by Public Health England last year revealed 5.6million people had taken opioids the previous year. Some 540,000 of these had been taking them for at least three years. The Daily Mail has been campaigning for three years for greater recognition of the prescription drug addiction crisis. From left to right: CEO of dormitory operator TS Group Shamkumar Subramani on a tour of an isolation room at Tuas View Dormitory, along with National Development Minister Lawrence Wong and Manpower Minister Josephine Teo on 6 February, 2020. (PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore) SINGAPORE Employers in Singapore must report to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on the return of their workers from China to Singapore, said Lawrence Wong, the co-chair of the multi-ministry task force on the Wuhan coronavirus, on Thursday (6 February). Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a visit to Tuas View Dormitory, the National Development Minister said the move will allow authorities to stagger the return of these workers and manage the flow better. Such new measures and more will be part of tighter surveillance and enforcement of the 14-day leave of absence (LOA), made mandatory for all returning workers from mainland China regardless of whether they are Singapore residents or foreign work pass holders. When asked to provide details on how stricter enforcement of the LOA would be carried out, Wong said that the agencies involved are working out the details and will announce in due course, very soon. On tighter surveillance measures, he pointed out that a series of very strict surveillance measures are already in place for those on home quarantine, including phone calls, spot checks, and video calls. Similar technologies can be applied to those serving the LOA, added Wong. On penalties and fines for those flouting the LOA requirement, he said, For example, if it's a company that is dealing with a returning PRC worker who is on a work pass, we do have a range of penalties that we can impose on the company in terms of their work permit privileges as well as on the worker. Financial aid given to employers with workers on LOA Wong also announced that employers whose employees are serving the LOA will also get $100 a day for each affected worker both Singapore residents and work pass holders alike , on top of a waiver for foreign worker levy where applicable. Previously, only employers whose employees are quarantined are eligible for such financial assistance. This extension of assistance is in response to employers who have requested for it to be extended to employers affected by workers who go on LOA, Wong said. Story continues Because whether its LOA or quarantine, businesses are equally affected, they are disrupted and projects are being delayed, he explained. Addressing concerns from landlords who are renting rooms to workers serving the LOA and are living with family members including vulnerable groups like children and the elderly , Wong said that the authorities will work with dormitory operators to provide accommodation to affected workers in such circumstances. Authorities announced on Monday that landlords found to have irresponsibly evicted their residents may face restrictions and even be barred from renting out their flats to foreign work pass holders in the future. Wong noted that landlords renting out units to workers serving the LOA have been for the most part very responsible and cooperative. Only a handful of employers have reached out to the authorities for help on alternative accommodation for affected workers, he added, without providing figures. We are also very mindful that all of these measures that we have put in place will have an impact on employers. Weve said before that we are working out a package of measures to help businesses and employers, and that we will announce this package during the Budget (18 February), he said. Wong and Manpower Minister Josephine Teo were at the Tuas View Dormitory to tour a 32-bed facility converted from a cinema designated for workers on LOA and one of its 50 two-bed isolation rooms. When pressed on how many of the 30,000 work pass holders from China have returned to Singapore, Teo said the majority have not returned given the current flight and travel restrictions in place, without providing figures. On the number of workers currently serving the LOA, she noted that there are not that many, adding that the exact figure is still being tabulated by the authorities. Shamkumar Subramani, CEO of TS Group, which runs the Tuas View Dormitory, said the operator will open its LOA facility for workers who require alternative accommodation but priority will be given to its residents. There are a total of 45 dormitories for foreign workers in Singapore, according to the MOM website. About 11,700 workers employed by 300 companies reside at Tuas View Dormitory, of which less than 10 per cent are from China. The capacity of facilities to accommodate workers on LOA and under isolation can be doubled where necessary and converted from open-air areas such as the dormitorys multi-purpose hall and gym, said Shamkumar. For now, they are only available at the dormitory at Tuas, but depending on the direction of the government, similar measures will be made across the three other dormitories operated by the group, he added. (SOURCE: MOH) Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Related stories: Wuhan virus: 2 more confirmed cases in Singapore, total at 30 Coronavirus outbreak's impact on Singapore aviation sector will be bigger than SARS: Khaw Wuhan virus: Quarantined in Singapore, longing for family in China Wuhan virus: Singapore to support aid with $1m, medical supplies NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Samsara Luggage (OTC: SAML), one of the fastest growing luggage and lifestyles brand in the world, celebrates positive press feedback from notable publications such as Conde Nast Traveler and Forbes. Forbes writes "It's the luggage of the futurist," while Conde Nast says "Samsara's innovations put the brand in a league of its own." Last year, Forbes named Samsara's first generation "Best Smart Luggage 2019." Samsara Luggage Next Gen "This positive recognition from the media indicates that our next generation of smart luggage will deliver an outstanding value proposition for our customers and shareholders," says Atara Dzikowski, Co-founder and CEO of Samsara Luggage. "Our next generation connects with the evolving needs of the modern traveler. We're thrilled to be an industry leader dedicated to providing travelers with connectivity and security solutions, with new and exciting technology that will lead Samsara towards continued success with increased market share." Samsara unveiled its new generation of smart luggage at this year's CES. Forbes broke the news to its online audience calling the new product line "incredible." The review continues with, "A competitor of Away, Samsara wasn't content to stick a battery in their bag and call it smart." AIG Travel's recent consumer Pulse Poll on innovation in travel over the past century found that "the vast majority of leisure travelers who are thinking of buying travel products, services or experiences embrace innovation travel." Millennials are "three times as likely (15% vs. 5%) as traditionalists to eagerly await an innovation in a travel-related service." Forbes concurs that smart luggage is the way of the future stating, "This is more than just a fad. We have a warp speed tech-driven world." Forbes continues to praise smart luggage, calling it a "sartorial statement." About Samsara Luggage: Samsara Luggage, Inc. (OTC: SAML) is a global luggage and lifestyle brand with a deep belief in creating a world where travel isn't a hassle, but rather an effortless experience. By combining smart features, including IoT technology, with innovative design and quality materials, Samsara is dedicated to transforming the luggage industry with its products. Samsara Luggage recently unveiled its next generation product line at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The Next Generation Samsara is the first to market a Wi-Fi Hotspot technology for travelers to access a secured network globally. The smart unit also features a portable and removable wireless charging dock to easily charge cell phones. Equipped with a powerful USB-C connector, the smart unit is also able to charge laptops. Using GPS and Bluetooth (5.1) technology, the IoT tracking solution gives users the most accurate location data for their smart-case. Samsara's safety features are unparalleled with any smart suitcase on the market today. The updated Samsara phone app sends real-time notifications to customers when the suitcase is moving out of range or opened. Partnered with the two-separate built in combination locks, this suitcase was made to give travelers the peace of mind they want to enjoy their travels, whether for work or pleasure. The Samsara Next Generation will be available in 23" the maximum size for US carry-on luggage and 21" for international travel. The new product line is available in both durable polycarbonate and the same lightweight and fireproof aviation-grade aluminum that was used for its first generation. Samsara's Next Generation shares the same ergonomic design as the current model, with a flattop surface that doubles as a mobile desk. Samsara's first generation smart carry-on suitcase was named by Forbes as Best Smart Luggage of 2019, calling it the "it" bag when it comes to smart luggage. Samsara continues to become one of the fastest growing smart luggage brands in the industry, always looking for ways to stay ahead of the tech curve. The smart luggage company continues invest in the development of new and innovative product lines with improved safety features. For more information visit www.samsaraluggage.com Forward-Looking Statements: Certain matters discussed in this press release may be forward-looking statements. Such matters involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially, including, without limitation, the following: changes in economic conditions; general competitive factors; the company's success in obtaining new customers; the company's ability to execute its business model and strategic plans; the company's success in integrating acquired entities and assets, and all the risks and related information described from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including the financial statements and related information contained in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and interim Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. The company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. Samsara Media Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Samsara Luggage Inc Related Links http://www.samsaraluggage.com The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has described as a street show, the protests some Christian leaders held in d... The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) has described as a street show, the protests some Christian leaders held in different parts of the country on Sunday. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) had organised a walk against widespread insecurity in the country. Accompanied by some members of his church, Enoch Adeboye, general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), had hit the streets of Lagos to protest the killings. Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Yusuf Nwoha, NSCIA director of administration, said the demonstration was political. Political mercenaries and religious combatants united by rapacious greed and chronic hatred have occupied the public space with putrid writings and toxic speeches, Nwoha said. Rather than see the monstrosity that insecurity has become as a national challenge that requires collective action, agents of destabilisation seek to score cheap political goals and engage in self-inflicting propaganda. One of them is the recently organised street show by some religious (figures) who give political coloration to the grinding insecurity fueled by hypocrisy and hubris. Speaking on the activities of Boko Haram, he said the insurgents do not represent Islam of Muslims. It is therefore the height of insincerity, wickedness, falsehood and hypocrisy to suggest that Boko Haram is a ploy to eliminate Christians, he said. Were Muslims scholars and individuals not killed in mosques, market squares and villages because they refused to denounce Islam? The director said the federal government should declare a state of emergency on the countrys growing insecurity. We reiterate that the federal government should act decisively now by declaring a state of emergency on insecurity and deploying all the security and military arsenal at its disposal to arrest the trend, the director said. No Nigerian must die needlessly in Nigerian again. Government should urgently deploy intelligence to uncovering the sponsors, beneficiaries and perpetrators of insecurity in our dear country so that we shall not just be chasing shadows. Enough is enough! elon musk spacex Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images Elon Musk tweeted a worldwide invitation to people interested in working at SpaceX to attend a career day at the company's development facility in Boca Chica, Texas. SpaceX is in search of engineers, supervisors, and technicians for its Starship project. Starship is a next-generation spaceship designed to launch into orbit around the Earth by the end of 2020. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Interested in working at SpaceX? Founder and CEO Elon Musk recently tweeted out an invitation to SpaceX's career day in Boca Chica, Texas, along with details on where applicants and those attending the Thursday jobs fair can email their resumes. The event takes place 3 pm to 9 pm local time. SpaceX is looking for people to join its Starship project, a team tasked with building and launching a next-generation spaceship designed to orbit the Earth, the moon, and eventually Mars. The career day is an attempt to fill four production shifts to staff 24-hour operations. Musk said he's looking to hire engineers, supervisors, technicians, and support personnel. Musk also tweeted out instructions for prospective applicants and career day attendees to email their resumes to BuildStarship@spacex.com. spacex starship mark mk 1 mk1 steel spaceship prototype boca chica texas launch site 2019 09 29 GettyImages 1171862750 Loren Elliott/Getty Images SpaceX aims to start suborbital flight tests in mid-March, according to FCC filings. The projected end date is in September. If accomplished, it will meet Musk's goal to send Starship into orbit by the end 2020. You can check out the entire list of open positions at SpaceX over on the company's website. Read the original article on Business Insider SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio -- Atlantas Junior Theater Festival, held each January, is the largest gathering of young stage talent in the world, bringing together 6,000 student performers from across the United States, as well as from countries such as China, England, New Zealand and Australia. So it is understandable that those who make up Mercury Theatre Companys Junior Company -- local students ages 10-18 -- are thrilled with the way things turned out for them in Atlanta. The Northeast Ohio youngsters competed in a category -- one of three into which theater companies were grouped -- for troupes with both high school and middle school students. Mercury traveled to Georgia to perform its production of Disneys "Frozen Jr., which it had presented Dec. 21-23 at Notre Dame College in South Euclid in preparation for the big festival. All told, Mercury was one of 127 junior theater groups entered into the competition, held upon several stages Jan. 17-19. Directed by Mercury Theatre Company Artistic Director Pierre-Jacques Brault, Frozen Jr. won the award as its categorys Best in Music. During the festival, each troupe performs 15 minutes of a Broadway Junior show for adjudication by a panel of musical theater experts. In addition to taking the top prize for Frozen Jr., two Mercury youngsters -- Kristen Lyons, a Cleveland Heights resident and a senior at Cleveland Heights High School, and Jabari Babb, a student at Greenview Middle School in South Euclid -- were selected as Broadway All Stars for their show-stopping performances. Whats more, Kristen, Jabari and cast mate Mary Rose Tamburrino, of Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin High School, were recognized by judges for their excellence in dance. When asked why she believed Mercurys performance was a winner, Kristen said: We put a lot of effort into dynamics and diction, and I think it paid off. It was an amazing experience. We just came together." The experience, she said, included an opportunity for the local youths to make friends with and exchange festival-provided wristbands with other young actors involved in the event. You get to know people from around the world, and its a way to market yourself, she said. Kristen played Elsa in the Mercury production, in a cast that also included Emma Grace Canzano, of Brecksville, as Princess Anna; and Charley Peck, of Chagrin Falls, as Kristoff. Kristen, 18, and the winner of the 2019 Shining Star CLE youth singing competition, saw her hard work pay off. In recent years, she has taken lessons in singing, dancing and acting. She will attend Baldwin Wallace University in the fall as a musical theater major. Thirty-one young performers make up the Mercury Theatre Company Junior Company, which started in 2017 for high school students only, as a means of grooming young actors for college theater and beyond. The troupe met with success from the beginning, winning a variety of awards in 2017 at Disney Worlds National Performing Arts Festival for its production of Bugsy Malone; in Atlanta in 2018 for Fame Jr.; and last year, back at Disney World, for Disney on Broadway. Other MTCJC members include Lauren DiMenna, of University Heights; Gabe Feinberg, of Pepper Pike; Sloane Harris, of Beachwood; Kallista Hayes, of Lyndhurst; Olivia Grace Jezek, of Pepper Pike; Maya Marderstein, of Pepper Pike; Anna Patel, of Gates Mills; Carlo Polisena, of Highland Heights; and Elle Richey, of Shaker Heights. Other members include Logan Chapman, of Norton; Shaylee Frazier, of Willowick; Addie Garst, of Stow; McKenzie Gill, of Euclid; Gabriella Hedge; Ava Krouse, of Twinsburg; Auroras Eva Logan, Emma Robb and Gianna Malie; Noelle Molnar; Stanley Niekamp, of Akron; Piper Noda, of Chagrin Falls; Caden Silverstein; Morgan Sowell; Emmet Vogel; and Dylan Washington. Mercury Managing Director Brian Marshall said that Junior Company auditions for the coming season will take place March 6 at Notre Dame College. The program prepares student performers during the summer session to participate in Mercurys main stage shows alongside the professional acting company. During the second half of the summer session, students receive pre-collegiate training from the professors at Notre Dame College and artistic staff of Mercury Theatre Company. Classes include song study, acting, musical theater dance and audition technique. For information, visit mercurytheatrecompany.org. Read more from the Sun Messenger. Saskatchewan Party Premier Scott Moe has amplified his governments staunch support for the scab operation Federated Cooperatives Ltd. (FCL) has mountedwith the full backing of the police and courtsfor the past nine weeks against 750 locked-out workers at its Regina oil refinery. In a speech delivered Monday to businessmen at the Urban Municipalities Association, Moe railed against the locked-out workers for flagrantly breaking the law, and said police must be ready to take action, i.e., to unleash violence, to ensure FCLs scabbing operation can proceed unimpeded. Picket line at FCL's Co-op Refinery Complex, where 750 workers have been locked out since Dec. 5 In response to pleas from Unifor that he intervene in the dispute, Moe said he was prepared to name a special mediator, but only if the union ceases all illegal activity immediately. This includes, he continued, removing unlawful barricades that are erected at the refinery. Moe was referring to the blockade Unifor has maintained at FCLs Co-op Refinery Complex since January 20. Saskatchewans right-wing premier could hardly have spelled out his support for the highly profitable FCL, its demands for sweeping concessions, and its scabbing operation more bluntly. Whether the union accepted his condition for naming a special mediator or not, the state, he vowed, would ensure pickets could not impede FCLs operations. If the governments offer is turned down, asserted Moe, it is my expectation that the Regina Police Service will uphold the law, they will enforce the court order and they will remove the barricades at the refinery. The premiers statements are a damning indictment of the politics of Unifor and the New Democratic Party. They have been publicly pleading for Moe to wake up and intervene in the dispute. In truth, Moes government has been playing a central role in the lockout from the outset. It green-lighted FCLs scabbing operation, announcing in November that it had no objection to the companys contingency plans and would only intervene if worker job action threatened CRCs output. FCL management, for its part, has explicitly praised Moe for his involvement in the lockout. Revealing perhaps more than he intended, company Executive Vice President Vic Huard said FCL has had several great conversations with the provincial government about its strategy. The company has also been backed to the hilt by the police and capitalist courts. The latter have issued a series of draconian injunctions prohibiting the locked out workers from stopping traffic into the plant, and fined Unifor $100,000 for contempt of court for violating their pro-company orders. Police have shepherded scabs and oil-tanker trucks across the locked-out workers picket lines. On January 20, police responded to the erection of the blockade by Unifor officials, many of them flown in from outside the province, with a violent picket line attack, arresting 14 people and hospitalizing another. A further violent police crackdown could come as early as today, especially if the courts, acting on FCLs request and in line with Moes wishes, broaden the application of their previous pro-company injunctions to explicitly declare Unifors barricade illegal. The union has argued that the injunction currently in force only applies to the locked-out members of Unifor Local 594, and that the barricade was erected and is being manned by Unifor members not employed at the refinery. Moes anti-worker tirade has already emboldened the police in their attacks on the locked-out workers and their supporters. On Tuesday, cops began ticketing the vehicles of picketing workers parked near the FCL facility, charging each worker $75. Then, at around 1 a.m. Wednesday morning, police detained four Unifor Local 594 members who were peacefully picketing, according to a union report. Following Moes Monday speech, the Regina Police Service (RPS) issued a carefully-worded statement in which it noted that the police must remain independent of elected officials, and urged that the dispute over the Unifor barricade be resolved through the use of civil remediesi.e., by reference to the courts. Clearly the police feared that if they were seen to be acting on Moes orders and before the courts had explicitly ordered the blockade removed, they could encounter strong resistance and that the wanton police violence might backfire by rallying further support for the locked-out refinery workers. However, the RPS statement also made clear that once given a clear directive from the courts they will move against the workers. It declared todays contempt of court hearing the appropriate mechanism for ending the blockade. For its part, Unifor has insisted that it is doing nothing unlawful and that it will adhere to whatever the courts decide, as it has done in the past, including by instructing the locked-out oil CRC workers to abide by the injunction forbidding them from impeding traffic in and out of the facility. The bitter reality that must be faced by the FCL/CRC workers and their supporters is that Unifors barricade has always been a maneuver aimed at reaching a settlement largely, if not wholly, on the companys terms, and that if they are to prevail they must take independent action to mobilize the industrial and political power of the working class. The day after the blockade began, Unifor National President Jerry Dias informed FCL management the union was dropping its opposition to changes to the workers defined-benefit pension plan. Two days later, Dias publicly declared the union had dramatically alter(ed) its bargaining stance. Last Friday, the union bowed before company demands that it lift the then 11-day blockade as a condition for FCL to return to the bargaining table. As the company stalled and stonewalled during Fridays talks, refinery managers took advantage of the lifted blockade to push through several large trucks carrying food and other supplies to restock the sprawling scab camp inside the facility, and lined up a steady stream of tankers to move its processed fuel out of the plant. After FCL torpedoed the talks Friday evening, Dias executive assistant Scott Doherty admitted that the unions had offered the company massive concessions, which would have boosted its bottom line by $20 million per year. This included a commitment that workers would pay 6 percent in pension contributions. In the wake of this debacle, Unifor stepped up its calls for Saskatchewans premier to wake up and intervene, ignoring that Moe and his government have been working hand-in-glove with FCL throughout the dispute. Specifically, it urged Moe to impose binding arbitration. Underscoring Unifors determination to shut down the CRC workers anti-concessions struggle, Doherty praised the premier following his provocative, virulently anti-worker comments of this past Monday. Weve asked the premier to interject himself, said Doherty, and we welcome the fact that hes finally woken up and decided that he wants to do something about this dispute. NDP Saskatchewan leader Ryan Meili went even further, calling Moes offer of a special mediator the right thing. The CRC workers have courageously defied a vicious employer that enjoys the backing of the courts, police, and Saskatchewan government. Their militant defiance wins support whenever workers in Canada or internationally are apprised of it, because the experience of workers facing employer rollback demands and, when they resist, state repression is universal. But for this support to be mobilized the CRC workers must seize the conduct of their struggle from the hands of Unifor by establishing an action committee, independent of and in opposition to the corporatist, pro-capitalist Unifor apparatus. This committee must call on Unifor members at Saskatchewans crown corporations, as well as energy, public sector, education, and healthcare workers across the country, all of whom confront similar attacks on their pensions, wages, and workplace benefits, to join the locked-out workers in struggle against the right-wing Moe government. 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"We're doing this to show that the entire state is against CAA, NRC, NPR," said a Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) member. DMK and its allies are running a signature campaign in the State opposing the CAA, NRC and NPR. The campaign will be on till February 8 and signatures would be handed over to President Ram Nath Kovind. Last week, the campaign was started by DMK Chief MK Stalin from his Assembly constituency Kolathur. He also addressed a public rally at GKM Nagar. The amended citizenship law grants citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who came to India before December 31, 2014. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Bloomberg) -- The fallout over a controversial alignment of Chancellor Angela Merkels Christian Democrats with the right-wing AfD now shifts to Berlin after the politician at the center of the crisis became the first victim. Just one day after a shock vote in Thuringia sparked outrage, the Free Democrats Thomas Kemmerich said he will step down as the states premier and seek new elections. Christian Lindner, his partys chairman, is in the firing line and called an emergency leadership meeting on Friday in the German capital to decide whether he should remain in charge. CDU leadership will also convene on Friday to determine a way forward after the local state chapter defied orders from Berlin. That heaps pressure on Chairwoman Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who was already struggling to sustain her position as Merkels heir. German politics was upended on Wednesday when for the first time a state premier was appointed with the far rights help. The surprise move involved the CDU and the Free Democrats deposing the incumbent leader in the state of Thuringia with the backing of the Alternative for Germany party. The move broke a taboo among established parties, which had all vowed not to work with the AfD. There can be no question, Thuringia needs a new beginning, Paul Ziemiak, general secretary of the Christian Democrats, told reporters Thursday in Berlin. For the CDU, this new beginning can only take place on the basis of the decisions of our party conference. The turmoil reflects the tense state of German politics as the AfD makes inroads and Merkel prepares to retire from politics at the end of her term in 2021 at the latest. During a state visit to South Africa, Merkel weighed in, calling the action of her partys state chapter unforgivable and said it should be reversed. In a five-minute press conference in Thuringias capital of Erfurt, Kemmerich reiterated that his party wont cooperate with the AfD, even after the anti-immigration party helped him into office. The FDP barely garnered enough votes to enter the state legislature and needed the unprecedented alliance to narrowly beat Bodo Ramelow from the Left party. Story continues We want to hold a new election to remove the stain of the AfDs support, Kemmerich said. Asked whether hed made a mistake by accepting the post, he responded: No. While Kemmerichs move opens the door to elections, the motion would still need to find support in parliament, where the FDP only has five members in the fragmented 90-seat body. The Left has the most seats with 29, and the AfD is second with 22. Merkels coalition partners scheduled a crisis meeting for Saturday to talk about the consequences of the events in Thuringia. The issue provides an opening for the Social Democrats, the reluctant junior partner, to gain political capital. The CDU leader must show that she has her party under control, SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil told Spiegel. If she cant control the Thuringian branch, then shes a queen without a country. Well hold her to that standard. The AfD, which switched support from its own candidate to back Kemmerich, sent shockwaves across the political spectrum and sent thousands of protesters onto the streets in Erfurt and in cites including Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne. Historical Echoes Bjoern Hoecke, the AfDs controversial state leader, was the mastermind behind the shock move. A notorious figure from the hard-right nationalist wing, he has made headlines by assailing Germanys guilt complex, referring to the Holocaust memorial in Berlin as a monument of shame. A German court ruled in September that he could be legally called a fascist. In a post on Twitter after losing the vote, Ramelow alluded to the fact that the Nazis were first part of a state government in Thuringia, with the success there used as a model for their national power grab. The post included a photo of Hoecke congratulating Kemmerich below a picture of Adolf Hitler shaking hands with then President Paul von Hindenburg. Thirty years after reunification, Thuringia -- like most of the former communist states -- still struggles with lower wages, an exodus of young people and the sense of being second-class to the more affluent West. The AfD has exploited these shortcomings in state elections in the region this fall. The anti-establishment party, which has swept into national parliament and all 16 state assemblies in recent years, came in second place in Thuringia last October. Its inroads meant that Ramelows anti-capitalist Left no longer had a majority to lead a coalition with the SPD and the Greens. The state of 2.2 million people borders Bavaria to its south and is home to some of Germanys most valuable cultural heritage, including its literary capital in Weimar and Wartburg Castle near Eisenach, where Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German. The emotion of the political rupture was evident after the vote. With Kemmerich receiving congratulations, Lefts caucus leader in Thuringia tossed a bouquet of flowers at his feet and walked off without shaking his hand. To contact the reporters on this story: Patrick Donahue in Berlin at pdonahue1@bloomberg.net;Arne Delfs in Erfurt at adelfs@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Chris Reiter, Raymond Colitt 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. Electric scooter maker Okinawa has introduced its new flagship Cruiser EV at the Auto Expo. The Okinawa Cruiser is the first electric maxi-scooter in the country. As far as India is concerned, maxi-scooter segment (big-bodied scooters that are designed for comfortable long-distance touring) is a road less traveled and the previous attempts didnt exactly make an impact. However, with India at the verge of an EV revolution, things could be different now. The Okinawa Cruiser subscribes to the textbook maxi-scooter styling with a front heavy stance. The massive front apron houses one of the largest headlamp clusters we have seen on a scooter. The generously proportioned visor would keep the rider away from wind blast even at high speeds. The steering column emanates from the apron but is angled towards the rider to make for a relaxed riding posture. The Cruiser compensates for the lack of conventional flat foot board with large-enough rider foot rests on either side. The sprawling single-piece seat should make for comfortable long rides for both the rider and pillion. Also, the underseat storage capacity is certainly more than what an average scooter offers. The 14-inch wheels should make for decent riding dynamics. In a nutshell, the Okinawa Cruiser emerges as a quintessential maxi-scooter. Mechanically, the Cruiser is equipped with a hub-mounted BLDC motor whose rated power is still under wraps. The motor is supported by a 72V, 4 kWh lithium ion battery which can be detached from the scooter for charging. The battery can be charged fully in 2-3 hours using a fast charger. Okinawa Cruiser has a claimed top-speed of 100 kmph and a range of 120 km on a full charge. The electric maxi-scooter weights 150 kg. Salient features include LED headlamp and taillight, digi-analog instrument console, keyless entry (whatever entry means on a scooter!), central-locking with anti-theft alarm, USB charging port, reverse assistance, mobile app connectivity with Find my scooter function, cruise speed lock and aluminium alloy wheels. Okinawa Scooters is yet to reveal the pricing of its new flagship. The cruiser is expected to be introduced in the coming months and is likely to benefit from the FAME-II subsidy. The 13th season of Love Street Playhouse productions kicks off Feb. 14 with a trip around the globe with Around the World In 80 Days by Mark Brown. Play performances take place through March 1 at the playhouse, 126 Loves Ave., Woodland. The play follows Phileas Fogg in 1872. He abandons his orderly London life to attempt to travel around the world in 80 days, betting 20,000 lira he can arrive back in London in the 80-day time period. Raising the stakes further, a Scotland Yard detective is convinced Fogg is an infamous bank thief. The play, adapted from Jules Vernes classic novel by Mark Brown transports viewers from London to Bombay and Yokohama to San Francisco on steamships and elephants, through typhoons, out-of-control trains and marauding American Indians, according to a press release from Love Street Playhouse. The entire globetrotting story is tole live on stage at the playhouse with only five actors. David Bareford is the director and set designer. Melinda Pallotta is the producer and costumer designer, Lou Pallotta is the managing director, Mikail Nordquist is the lighting designer, Dave Cavallaro is the sound designer, Melissa Vickery-Bareford is the props designer, Alainna Wiggington is the violence designer and Alisa Brossia is the production manager. Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14, Feb. 15, 20, 21 22, 26 27, 28 and 29; and 2 p.m. Feb. 16, 23 and March 1. Tickets are $21 per person and can be purchased by visiting lovestreetplayhouse.com or by calling 800-966-8865. Local business sponsors and advertisers contributing to Love Street Playhouse include the Port of Woodland, Columbia Bank, Holland America Flowers, Benno and Klazina Dobbe of Woodland, Woodland Truck Lines, Lou Pallotta of Chianti Club Productions, Lelooska Foundation, Erica Rodman of Woodland Real Estate, Sproos Tap House of Woodland, Third Street Villas of Woodland, Hooked on Embroidery of Woodland, Last Frontier Casino in LaCenter, and Woodland Funeral Home. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 This editorial ran in the Feb. 4 edition of The Wall Street Journal: Theres no shortage of mordant fun to be had at the expense of the Democratic National Committee and Iowa Democratic Party after the fiasco of the inaugural 2020 presidential contest, which has yet to yield definitive results apparently as a result of coding errors in a tabulation app created by party insiders. The college of cardinals at least lets the world know with white or black smoke how the vote for pope is going. Here the party that waxes sanctimonious about election security couldnt secure its own election from itself. Here the party that has spent three years questioning the legitimacy of the 2016 election will see the legitimacy of its own custom-designed process questioned. Here the party that promises technocratic management of American health care, energy and finance proved less able to tally votes even than the ancient Athenians. Yet the incompetence and hypocrisy will have real consequences. The first and most important could be a boost for Bernie Sanders, who may be able to claim the mantle of both victor and underdog at the same time. By all accounts the Vermont socialist performed well, with he and Pete Buttigieg leading based on partial results that the party finally released late Tuesday afternoon. Yet many of Mr. Sanderss supporters will believe the technological snafu denied their candidate a clear-cut victory. They believe the party establishment is trying to block their candidate, who until this campaign wasnt officially a member of the party that botched the caucuses. Even if results do finally vindicate Mr. Sanders, those who underperformed (most significantly, Joe Biden based on Tuesdays partial results) are already trying to dismiss their significance. One irony is that while Mr. Sanders can capitalize on anger at the Democratic establishment, that very anger may have contributed to the mess. Mr. Sanderss supporters cried foul after Hillary Clinton beat their candidate in 2016 and demanded rules to make the caucuses more transparent. Unlike in previous years, Iowa caucus sites this year had to report two countsa first alignment, which reflects how many people had each candidate as a first choice, and a second alignment, reflecting the results after supporters of candidates below the 15% threshold moved to their second choice. This may have made tallying more difficult and would have added complexity and muddied the result even if it werent for the technical failure. This is a reminder that changing electoral systems to satisfy populist demands should be done with care, because the unintended consequences can further undermine their legitimacy. Democrats have been griping about how Iowa is insufficiently diverse to hold the first presidential contest, and this may be the last time the state goes first. But lets hope whatever comes next is geared toward producing strong candidates and reliable outcomes and not merely satisfying the demands of partisan opportunists. On that front, we wonder if any of the Democrats who feel as if they wasted months and hundreds of millions of dollars in Iowa are having second thoughts about calls to eliminate the Electoral College. As journalist Dan McLaughlin notes, such state-level failures highlight the perils of a nationwide system for popular vote counting. At least here the failure is contained, and lets hope it can be rectified without calling the entire presidential nominating contest into question. The delayed results in Iowa are a reminder of other potential features of the 2020 election that could create controversy and damage its legitimacy. Recall that in California in November 2018, several Republican Congressional candidates were well ahead based on the Election Day tallies, only to see the results reversed in the following days and in some cases more than a week later as absentee ballots trickled in. We have argued that Californias lax election rules that allow ballot harvesting by party activists will also lead to political mischief. But even if they dont, tallying delays discourage the swift acceptance of outcomes that well-functioning democracies need. In 2018 the California rules seemed to hurt the GOP, but if the states March primary is closely contested, then Democratic candidates could feel the sting. Meantime, if Mr. Bidens performance was as weak as partial results showed, then perhaps Michael Bloomberg, who sat out Iowa and is spending big elsewhere, becomes the partys best bulwark against a socialist takeover. Thats unlikely to calm the passions of Mr. Sanderss supporters or make the 2020 contest any less heated. Buckle up. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 (Newser) Jamie Maynard has been clean for three years, a feat she credits in part to having gone to prison, where she got off heroin. But in a lengthy piece for the New Yorker, Paige Williams makes the case that she should have never been behind bars. The Ohio woman was charged in August 2015 with involuntary manslaughter, trafficking, and "corrupting another with drugs"over some heroin she gave a friend named Courtney Penix. Facing as much as 20 years, Maynard pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 4 years, 11 months. Her case is at the center of Williams' look at the surge in overdose-homicide prosecutions, which are ostensibly meant to scoop up big traffickers and repeat offenders but much more often target people like Maynard: friends, family, or partners who aren't profiting from their role but are simply fellow users. story continues below Maynard herself got hooked on drugs while working as a licensed blackjack dealer at the Hollywood Casino. The pay and benefits were good, but the repetitive nature of the work caused an old rotator-cuff injury to flare up. She started taking black-market opioids for the pain but transitioned to the much-cheaper heroin when her habit hit $600 a week. "A dabbler uses to get high; a person with an addiction uses to stay well," writes Williams, and the bulk of the texts Penix sent the then-26-year-old Maynard were along those lines: The 24-year-old Penix generally needed Xanax, Suboxone, or heroin, stat, to avoid an unbearable withdrawal. On April 27, 2015, Maynard grabbed the heroin Penix had requested when she was at her dealer's and met her in the Walmart parking lot. Hours later Maynard got this text from Penix's number: "Courtney has passed away from an overdose." (Read Williams' piece in full here for much more on Maynard's case and the politics of these types of cases.) 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 A vulnerability in Philips Hue smart lightbulbs and their controller bridges could allow intruders to infiltrate networks with a remote exploit, Check Point Software Technologies disclosed Tuesday. The research stemmed from a detailed paper on the security of ZigBee-controlled Philips Hue smart lightbulbs, which was presented at the 2017 IEEE symposium on security and privacy. Check Point conducted its own research last year, together with the Check Point Institute for Information Security at Tel Aviv University. The researchers notified Signify, owner of the Philips Hue brand, about the vulnerability in November, and Signify issued a patched firmware version through an automatic update. The billions of devices that increasingly run our homes and businesses are the single largest threat vector for digital exploitation by bad actors, given their poor security record and their being relatively easy to take over, said Dion Hinchcliffe, principal analyst at Constellation Research. Baby monitors have been breached, and cameras, printers, network routers all have zero-day vulnerabilities, noted Constellation Research principal analyst Liz Miller. Why is security by design not the de facto for device manufacturers? she asked. The reason is often cost, Miller told the E-Commerce Times. Also, security is far too often an afterthought in product development. Exploiting the Flaw This is how the researchers exploited the flaw: They remotely controlled a bulbs color or brightness to trick users into thinking the bulb had a glitch. The user had to delete the bulb from the Hue app then instruct the control bridge to rediscover the bulb and add it back onto its network. The researchers sent a lot of data through the compromised bulb to set off a heap-based buffer overflow on the bridge. The data could have included malware. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Malware sent that way would connect with a hackers command and control center, allowing the distribution of ransomware or spyware to the target network through an exploit such as EternalBlue. ZigBee was never intended for the security first, zero trust environment that has emerged as a requirement for Internet of Things devices in smart homes and smart cities, Constellations Hinchcliffe told the E-Commerce Times. Its primary feature is its very low power requirements, not security, he added. Despite its popularity in devices like Hue, we need to move to more advanced protocols designed for todays much more security-conscious operating environment. IoT has the poorest track record of any type of technology in not providing a safe environment for connected devices at scale, which is rather ironic. The problem is amplified in industrial controls and critical infrastructure, Miller noted. One entry point into the network of a power plant is the only entry point a bad actor needs, she said. The Threat of IoT Hacking Hue lights was easy and cheap, according to the research paper presented at the 2017 IEEE symposium. Hue lamps contain a ZigBee chip that has a bug in its stacks proximity test. It lets any standard ZigBee transmitter which costs just a few dollars initiate a factory reset procedure that will dissociate lamps from their current controllers from up to 400 meters away. The transmitter then can take full control of all the lamps. The researchers drove around their university campus and took full control of all the Hue lamps installed in buildings along the cars path. They also attached a fully autonomous attack kit to a standard drone, and forced all the Hue lamps installed in buildings hundreds of meters away to disconnect from their own controllers and to blink S.O.S. in Morse code. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Such a drone attack could take out all Philips Hue smart lamps in a city, but its effects could be reversed by bringing each lamp to within a few centimeters of its legitimate controller and reassociating them, the paper states. To achieve a longer-lasting effect, the researchers reverse engineered the process Philips uses to enable lamp firmware updates, which allowed them to upload firmware of their own creation into any Philips Hue lamp. The process was relatively cheap and easy. A single infected lamp with modified firmware plugged in anywhere in a city could start an explosive chain reaction in which each lamp will infect and replace the firmware in all its neighbors within a range of up to a few hundred meters, the researchers said. Infections jump directly from lamp to lamp using only unmonitored and unprotected ZigBee communications. Consequently, they will be very difficult to detect that an attack is taking place and to locate its source after the whole lighting system is disabled, the paper notes. Attackers have to infect just one lamp. Their attack spreads through physical proximity alone, disregarding the established networking structures of lamps and controllers, so it cannot be stopped by isolating various subnetworks from each other, as system administrators often do when they are under attack, the research paper points out. Trouble Ahead for Smart Cities Many governments around the world are planning to develop smart cities that will be chock-full of smart devices, which multiplies security risks. Otherwise innocuous items such as the Bigbelly trash compactors and cans we see so often are smart devices that use cellular communications to signal when they need to be emptied, said Erich Kron, security awareness advocate at KnowBe4. Imagine if these devices were compromised and used to stage a DDoS attack or even as a command and control node for ransomware, he told the E-Commerce Times. The best use from a malicious perspective is likely to infiltrate networks that are not segregated from other, more important systems, suggested Mike Jordan, VP of research at Shared Assessments. Preventing that type of environment, as well a monitoring weird traffic on a network like lightbulbs talking to each other, are manageable steps that should be mandatory if IoT devices are introduced into an organizations environment, he told the E-Commerce Times. City planners should demand some objective evidence that smart devices are safe, using available industry certifications, Hinchcliffe recommended. Id argue that they have a fiduciary and public safety responsibility to do so. At some point, we need to admit that the current data center-driven network security mindset is out of date, woefully incomplete, and simply dangerous in the world of IoT and connected headless devices, Miller remarked. We cant afford to cling to these old network security standards of deeper moats and taller walls. During their quarantine at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, novel coronavirus evacuees from China will be under guard by federal marshals, who will patrol a fenced perimeter around the hotel where they will be housed. The measures in preparation for the evacuees arrival as early as today demonstrate the extent to which the federal government is seeking to prevent the further spread of the deadly virus that emerged in late December in Wuhan, China. Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the division of high-consequence pathogens and pathology at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is in charge of the federal response at Lackland. It involves dozens of employees from several agencies. McQuiston, a veterinarian and captain in the U.S. Public Health Service, said at a news conference Thursday at Port San Antonio that the number of evacuees from Wuhan who will be put under federal quarantine in two buildings at the bases Gateway Inn remained unknown, but the agency was prepared for up to 250 people. Passengers on the flight will be screened for any signs of illness multiple times during their journey, including when the plane refuels at Travis AFB in California. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio officials explain plans for evacuees from China coming to Lackland Still, McQuiston said, they will be treated as potential carriers of the respiratory virus that has sickened at least 30,000 people across the globe and killed more than 600. Anyone with signs of fever, coughing, sneezing or shortness of breath would not continue on to Lackland and would be transferred to a local hospital for further evaluation. Its actually very unlikely that anyone on the flight that is going to land here will have active signs of illness, McQuiston said. There are 12 confirmed cases in six U.S. states. None is in Texas. The evacuees coming to San Antonio are among 1,000 leaving China. Some arrived Thursday at Travis and at Naval Air Station Miramar, also in California. McQuiston said every precaution would be taken to protect people who come in contact with the evacuees at Lackland. A federal contractor will be responsible for maintaining their housing needs, including food, cleaning and laundry services. Individuals who come into contact with the evacuees will be outfitted in personal protective equipment, McQuiston said, which could include gloves, gowns, face masks and respirators, depending on the situation. When a person is taking care of the facilities, the rooms or the patients, as long as theyre in personal protective equipment, theyre not considered exposed, McQuiston said. On ExpressNews.com: Coronavirus evacuees to be in San Antonio this week McQuiston said no one on base at Lackland will have contact with the evacuees, who will remain under quarantine that will start from the time their plane leaves China and last for 14 days. Thats believed to be the approximate incubation period of the virus. If additional coronavirus cases are identified, the quarantine period could be extended. The risk of transmission of the coronavirus to the general public is low, she said. For Americans, the biggest risk continues to be travel to China, she said, along with close contact with those who have fallen ill with the virus. Evacuees will be evaluated for illness multiple times a day. Should any of the quarantined people fall ill and need medical care of any kind, they will be transported to a local hospital. But McQuiston declined to identify the multiple facilities that have been earmarked by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District to receive such patients. Earlier this week, San Antonio public health officials also declined to identify hospitals where the evacuees would be transferred for medical care, citing patient privacy concerns. I think that we want to make sure that they can do their jobs, McQuiston said. Its not clear whether the hotel blocks at Lackland would be used for future evacuations of Americans from China. The government will be responsible for decontaminating the rooms before they are released back to Lackland. McQuiston, a specialist in zoonotic infectious diseases, was deployed to Sierra Leone during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and served as the CDCs deputy incident manager during the 2016 response to the Zika virus. She also has contributed to the agencys work responding to the SARS outbreak, the 2001 anthrax attacks and pandemic flu. While CDC is the lead agency in charge of the Lackland quarantine, staffers from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, the National Disaster Medical System and the Administration for Children and Families also are assisting the efforts in San Antonio. The evacuees backgrounds, including their reasons for being in China, were not known. McQuiston said some could have been travelers who were stranded after the countrys large cities were put on lockdown. Ultimately, the goal is to get these Americans safely home where they belong, she said. She added that her team is working around the clock to make sure that everything is ready and prepared for these passengers to arrive so that they are comfortable, that theyre safe and that the community is safe. Lauren Caruba covers health care and medicine in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | lcaruba@express-news.net | Twitter: @LaurenCaruba Did you know that liberals are seeking to siphon money from successful Americans and they want to feed their grandchildren before yours? Depending on the strength of your reaction to that statement, I might have something to sell you for your retirement account. The above claims are from a Facebook advertisement by affiliates of precious metals company Metals.com, which does business under Chase Metals LLC, Chase Metals Inc. and Access Unlimited. The parent company is TMTE. Unfortunately for folks who responded to that pitch, the company has a history of fleecing its customers, according to regulators in seven states. The Texas State Securities Board kicked off a torrent of state regulatory action last May with a cease-and-desist order. The complaint noted the example of an 80-year-old woman convinced to transfer her entire $850,000 retirement account into another account affiliated with Metals.com that could hold precious metals, disregarding its appropriateness for her situation. The securities board also noted that the firms lawyer sent a threatening Pre-Lawsuit Notice in April 2019 to a 75-year-old retired schoolteacher who publicly complained about investing nearly $66,000 with Metals.com. As part of the sales process, the board found, salespeople convince prospects, many of them elderly, that their existing investments in securities are highly risky and in imminent danger. Only precious metals, the pitch goes, can provide safety in retirement. But this company doesnt target just any elderly prospects. An investigation by Quartz.com described their particular strategy of Facebook targeting. The Quartz investigation details how Metals.com sought to exploit political biases. Specifically, Facebook advertisements targeted a demographic that identified as very conservative, older than 59 and interested in Fox News Sean Hannity. Further, the Facebook ads that led to Metals.com strongly implied linkages linkages that do not exist with Fox News. Facebook ads used Fox News logos and unaffiliated websites such asfoxbusiness.com.co that appeared connected to the media company. Metals.com ran ads that sounded like they originated from political and governmental bodies, although they did not, with sponsors named Republican House Committee, US Retirement Bureau and Conservative Republican Association. These online ads encouraged Facebook users to sign up for more information about how silver and gold investment strategies could protect them from the Deep State and from a grasping federal government. With an ad supposedly sponsored by an account called Proud To Be A Deplorable, the message asked, Is your retirement protected from the Deep State? A newly-liberal majority Congress cares more about chaos than your security! Commissioned salespeople would contact potential victims, initiating a conversation about politics or religion. A former salesperson for the company, interviewed by Quartz, said his instructions were if someone says theyre liberal or they dont like Hannity, you just hang up. My phone calls to Metals.com went unreturned, as did an inquiry through its website. Another opening sales line to use on prospects: I dont know what your religious beliefs are, but Im Christian. Did you know there are 700 references to gold and silver in the Bible? The solution to everything, apparently, was gold and silver investments. In July 2019, Metals.com agreed to a State Securities Board order to offer refunds, up to $10 million, to 84 Texans for the full amounts they invested in precious metals with the company. The companys troubles are not over, however. Following Texas lead, at least six other states have initiated enforcement actions against Metals.com and its affiliates. The latest was a complaint in December from the Securities Division of the Secretary of the Commonwealth in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts filing details one couple who transferred $2.3 million from their retirement account to a precious metals account at the direction of a Metals.com salesperson. Due to the heavy markups employed by the company, the account suffered an immediate $1.5 million drop in value. Transactions by this couple and others described in the Massachusetts enforcement action had markups between 53 percent and 63 percent. As further described in the complaint, Metals.com provided statements showing values in the precious metals had increased, despite observable prices that made those claims fraudulent. One financial lesson we could take from the Metals.com complaint would be to beware of pushy salespeople using scare tactics and political biases to push expensive, inappropriate investments on vulnerable people. Thats fine advice. But it seems to limit the story to the unsavory tactics of a rogue boiler-room operation. I think theres a more general lesson, one that goes far beyond the frightening Metals.com story: Never, ever, buy precious metals as an investment. Gold and other precious metals, including silver, are always primarily a psychological trick used to prey on the financially naive. Massive segments of the financial infotainment industrial complex dedicate themselves to selling us on the idea that gold and silver have a legitimate role in an individual investors portfolio. This simply isnt true. So, yes, beware of boiler-room operations such as Metals.com, which apparently is still in business today, despite multistate crackdowns. But also consider, if you didnt know this already, that the entire retail-investment arm of the precious metals industry is itself a long con. Michael Taylor is a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News and author of The Financial Rules for New College Graduates. michael@michaelthesmartmoney.com | twitter.com/michael_taylor By Lee Gyu-lee Kim Woo-seok, from UP10TION and former K-pop band X1, is gearing up to make his solo debut this year. The artist's agency TOP Media said on its website Wednesday that he is planning to release a solo album in the first half of 2020 and that it will keep fans posted on the exact date and other details. The agency said the first album will include a song Kim has written. Kim debuted as a member of boy band UP10TION in 2015 and shot to stardom after competing in Mnet's K-pop audition show "Produce X" in 2019. He made the top 11 finalists who became members of project group X1. But the group disbanded last month after only five months when the program was accused of rigging the votes that selected the finalists. Kim scheduled his first solo fan meeting for Feb 22, but the agency decided to postpone ticketing for it due to the spread of the new coronavirus. The agency is yet to announce whether the event will be held as planned. Voxpro founders Dan and Linda Kiely have come on board as significant investors in Corks Republic of Work innovation and coworking campus. The pair, who grew VoxPro from a startup above a Cork pub in 1999 into an international outsourcing service giant are injecting 250,000 into the South Mall centre to help grow and expand the business. The brainchild of entrepreneurs DC Cahalane and Dave Ronayne, Republic of Work provides a 140-desk co-working space over three floors and includes an events space, workshop areas, boardrooms, private offices and a dedicated accelerator lab for running programmes and training. Mr Cahalane said it was a hugely significant milestone for them to secure the investment from Dan and Linda Kiely. Three years ago, Dan and Linda were two of the first people who ever heard about the idea behind Republic of Work and from the start have been an incredible support for us, he said. Were delighted that theyve decided to join Dave and myself, for the next phase of our expansion through a significant investment in the business. This investment will allow us to take everything that we have learned in the last three years and apply it to the tremendous growth potential for our firm and SMEs in the region. Mr Kiely paid tribute to what Republic of Work has done to drive forward the Cork entrepreneurial ecosystem. Linda and I are delighted to be able to support the space and hopefully help the next generation of Cork entrepreneurs, he said. Linda and Dan Kiely will help steer the future direction of the campus as key members of its Advisory Board. VoxPro was sold in two phases to Canadian firm TELUS International between 2016 and 2019, in a deal believed to be around 150m altogether. Having begun life with six employees, it now has a staff exceeding 6,000 globally. It counts major international firms such as Google, Airbnb and Wix amongst their clients. Headquartered in Cork, VoxPro has offices in Dublin, San Francisco and Folsom in California along with the Philippines, Romania and Latin America. Republic of Work has seen around 500 companies use the space for innovation workshops, accelerators, meetings and events. Industries currently represented at the centre include healthcare, beauty, food, communications, fashion, banking, insurance, fitness and technology. The size of businesses varies from freelancers and solopreneurs to teams from larger companies. Over half a dozen international companies located in the space. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 23:41:19|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TAIPEI, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan confirmed a further three cases of the novel coronavirus infection, raising its total confirmed cases to 16, the island's epidemic monitoring agency said Thursday. The three new cases were all imported but not from central China's Wuhan city, the center of the epidemic, according to the agency at a press conference. The new cases included a couple in their 50s living in northern Taiwan, who had flown to Italy via Hong Kong on Jan. 22 and returned to Taiwan on Feb. 1 also via Hong Kong, according to the agency. The couple had a cough on Jan. 26 and 28. The husband had fever on the day they returned to Taiwan and showed infection symptoms on Feb. 4. The wife did not have fever when seeing the doctor on Feb. 3 but was treated as a suspected case due to her husband's condition. The third case was a woman in her 40s living in southern Taiwan who had visited Macao from Jan. 21 to 24 and showed symptoms of fever and throat irritation on Feb. 1. She is in stable condition, the agency said. As of 4 p.m. Thursday, the island had 125 suspected cases under quarantine. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has condemned terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities, including Hindus in Pakistan and Muslims in Myanmar. Pompeo made the comments on Wednesday while launching a 27-nation International Religious Freedom Alliance, which will try to adopt a collective approach in protecting and preserving religious freedom across the world. "We condemn terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities, whether they are Yezidis in Iraq, Hindus in Pakistan, Christians in northeast Nigeria, or Muslims in Burma," Pompeo said. "We condemn blasphemy and apostasy laws that criminalize matters of the soul. We condemn the Chinese Communist Party's hostility to all faiths. We know several of you courageously pushed back against Chinese pressure by agreeing to be part of this Alliance, and we thank you for that," he said. "Finally, our Alliance is off on the right foot as countries do their parts to advance this mission," the top American diplomat said. Among the prominent countries to join the alliance are Australia, Brazil, the UK, Israel, Ukraine, the Netherlands and Greece. Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan. According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country. Majority of Pakistan's Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with their Muslim fellows. There have been several reports of forced conversion of Hindu and Sikh girls who are then married off to Muslims in Pakistan. The All Pakistan Hindu Council on January 26 said a Hindu girl was abducted from her wedding ceremony, forced to convert to Islam and married off to a Muslim man in Sindh province. India on January 28 summoned a senior official of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and issued a strong demarche over the abduction of the Hindu girl. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As concerns about Chinas virus outbreak spread, universities are scrambling to assess the risks to their programs, and some are canceling study-abroad opportunities and prohibiting travel affecting hundreds of thousands of students. From Europe to Australia and the United States, universities in countries that host Chinese students have reconsidered academic-related travel to and from China. In the U.S., the cancellations add to the tension between two governments whose relations were already sour. The scare threatens to cause lasting damage to growing academic exchange programs that reached new heights over the last decade and a half, experts say. The travel restrictions also complicate planning for conferences and campus events in the U.S. that scholars from China might attend. "That door has been, if not slammed shut, certainly closed for the immediate future," said Michael Schoenfeld, Duke University's vice president for public affairs and government relations. After U.S. officials recommended against nonessential trips to China, many universities limited travel there, including Duke, which also operates a campus in China in a partnership with Wuhan University, which is in the city at the center of the outbreak. Duke Kunshan University closed its campus in Kunshan to nonessential personnel until Feb. 24. The school also helped students who had recently applied for Chinese residency get their passports from local officials so they could travel home and started developing online learning plans for them. Two of the 12 confirmed U.S. cases are linked to college campuses. One diagnosis was confirmed at Arizona State University and another at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, which said the infected student had recently traveled to Wuhan. China sends far more students to the United States than any other country more than 369,000 in the last academic year, according to the Institute of International Education. The U.S. typically sends more than 11,000 students to China annually. Lately, the relationship has been strained by visa difficulties, trade conflicts and U.S. concerns about security risks posed by visiting Chinese students. This doesnt help the current situation, which is very tense right now, said said Brad Farnsworth, vice president of global engagement at the American Council on Education. This is a low point in U.S.-China higher education relations, theres no question. China's consul general in New York, Huang Ping, said Tuesday at a news conference that students who returned to the U.S. from Hubei province, which includes Wuhan, should report to health officials so they can be monitored. He urged the international community to work together to combat the illness, saying the "virus is the enemy, not the Chinese." By MICHAEL MELIA and KANTELE FRANKO, The Associated Press BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 By Samir Ali - Trend: Six people are under medical supervision at the Department of Infectious Diseases of the Baku's Clinical Medical Center, the press services of the Azerbaijan's Ministry of Health and the State Agency on Mandatory Health Insurance said in a joint statement, Trend reports on Feb. 6. Seven people were placed to this clinic, one of whom has already been discharged. Serious health problems in patients were not identified, and the medical supervision continues. These people were in the cities of China where the coronavirus was not registered, and they had no contact with sick persons, the report said. These people arrived in Azerbaijan by transit flights from Istanbul, Dubai and Moscow. Those who came from regions where the virus is detected are held in a specially designated medical facility. According to the Clinical Medical Center, no problems were revealed in their health status. At the end of quarantine, they will also be discharged. Winston Watusi Music Plus Love is in the air: only a short time now and we can embrace the romantic charm of St Valentine's Day. Regular readers might be surprised at a jaded sceptic such as myself waxing enthusiastically about this. Allow me to elucidate: not only are there two killer gigs happening that night, but I reckon we should also acknowledge that St Valentine's Day as far as days that celebrate things is a pretty authentic one. There's always the cry that certain days have become commercialised. Fair call. Everyone by now knows that Santa Claus dresses as he does ho, ho, ho, in jolly red and white because of a World War One advertising campaign by Coca Cola, reinventing the veritable Christmas icon as being dressed in company colours. And Father's Day is also a bit iffy. It arrived pretty much on the back of Mother's Day. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that someone looked at Mother's Day and said: we want one of those... Mother's Day Mother's Day actually started off in the United States as an anti-war day: in the 19th century, women's peace groups tried to establish regular activities against war, including many meetings of groups whose sons had fought or died during the Civil War. In 1868, Ann Jarvis organised a committee to establish a Mother's Friendship Day, the purpose of which was to reunite families that had been divided during the Civil War. Her daughter Anna continued those efforts: the modern holiday of Mother's Day was first celebrated in 1908, and in 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation making it official. Obviously fathers needed equal rights! But after initial demands in 1910 no one was much interested till the 1930s when the idea was picked up by various dedicated father-lovers, particularly the manufacturers of ties and tobacco pipes. In 1938 the Father's Day Council was founded, by a group who clearly had a deep desire to honour fathers: the New York Associated Menswear Retailers. Long story short, Father's Day eventually made it over the line in the US, finally allowing equality for all those undervalued men. President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972. But forget these modern usurpers. Valentine's Day's origins are really, really old and even in its present form a celebration of romantic love it's pretty damn old. It started in 496AD to commemorate the various martyred St Valentines, since it would appear there were no fewer than three of them. Maybe four. Clearly it was a popular and saintly name. Chaucer The association with love and romance is something for which we can thank the great English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who in 1382, to honour the first anniversary of the engagement of King Richard II of England and Anne of Bohemia, wrote: For this was on seynt Volantynys day / Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make". Yep, English was a bit different back then. What that means is: For this was on St Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate. And from then on it took off. So thank you Geoffrey C, let's just be grateful that the celebration hasn't become, y'know, commercialised... Anyway, leaving aside history lessons, get your dancing shoes ready for two great St Valentine's Day gigs. At Our Place, Tauranga's communal container-created gathering space, from 6pm you can enjoy the fabulous grooves of Banana Mundo, a collective of musicians from Argentina, Uruguay, France, Switzerland, England, and New Zealand, who play an energetic and very danceable mix of Latin and Afro Beat music. They are a blast (and free!) And at The Mount's Totara Street, Amsterdam-based Dutch-NZ trio My Baby are celebrating the release of a new live album with their unique roots-driven dance music. Comprising two guitarists and a drummer, My Baby's sound mixes the influence of gospel and blues and folk melodies with the rawness of 70s funk, African desert blues, Moroccan gnawa, Indian raga and a touch of EDM. Theyve played festivals, including Glastonbury, Isle of Wight, Sziget, Fusion and Exit. Do I need to say they're fantastic? Doors 8pm, tickets $30. An 89-year-old woman who was knocked to the ground by a mugger has said she is proud to have reached this age "but I am sad to say it makes me an easier target". Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Nina MacAuley had just left a hairdressers in Dublin city centre when she was "bashed" into by David Allen (34) who knocked her to the ground. Ms MacAuley banged and cut her head, and also cut her arm. She found herself lying on the ground "with tears running down her face" when she realised her handbag was gone. In her victim impact statement, Ms MacAuley said her nieces now bring her to the hairdresser, when in the past she was happy to walk there. She said she had trouble sleeping after the incident. "Why should the likes of him do that to the likes of me? He wouldn't do it to a strong man. "I am proud to reach this age but I am sad to say it makes me an easier target," she added. The court heard Allen was on bail for robbery when he stole Ms MacAuley's handbag. Allen, of no fixed abode and formerly of Rathangan Road, Monasterevin, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty to robbery at Aungier Street, Dublin, on July 1, 2019. He also pleaded guilty to robbery at James's Street, Dublin, on February 5, 2019. He has 25 previous convictions, including convictions for attempted robbery, burglary and theft. Garda Mark Melbourne told Katherine McGillicuddy BL, prosecuting, that on the date in February 2019, Allen got into a taxi being driven by Noel McDonald (73). Gda Melbourne said that when they arrived at James's Street, Allen took out a knife and demanded Mr McDonald give him money. He gave Allen all of the money he had and the accused ran from the car. In an interview with gardai, Allen admitted to the robbery and said he was "strung out" on heroin at the time. He was released from custody and was on bail for this offence when he robbed Ms MacAuley. Gda Melbourne agreed with Olan Callanan BL, defending, that Allen claimed he had used a pen during the robbery and he had wanted the taxi driver to think it was a knife. Mr Callanan said his client accepted that the offences were "despicable, cowardly and low". He said his client apologised to both injured parties and was ashamed of his actions. Judge Melanie Greally said there was "no doubt" there would be a lengthy custodial sentence. She remanded Allen in custody to May 5. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 By Huseyn Safarov Trend: The latest tough attacks by the Council of Europe are related to the fact that Azerbaijan pursues an independent policy, and in such an unstable world its policy remains reliable and prudent, Head of the Russia-Eurasia: Cultural Politics in Strengthening of Interethnic and Interreligious Peace Mikhail Chernov told Trend. The Council of Europe has no influence on the international processes, Chernov added. The Council of Europe is only concerned with influencing and putting pressure on countries, to drive them into a subordinate, disadvantaged position, to the 'stall' of the European politics. In turn, Director of a branch of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation Pavel Klachkov said that the Council of Europe has a biased attitude towards Azerbaijan, but this is another reason to strengthen the positions in the international arena, including those in the Council of Europe. "There is no sense to prove intelligent and well-informed people that anti-Russian sentiment (Russophobia) and Islamophobia reign in the Council of Europe, Klachkov said. But despite this, Azerbaijan must continue to act as a sovereign, independent state, which is able to build international contacts without radical politicians from Council of Europe." Indeed, the Council of Europe has been rapidly degrading recently, the director of the branch of the Financial University said. The Council of Europe is making more and more mistakes. Each time we see some, let's say, diplomatic nonsense. Of course, certain political bias is greatly felt, Klachkov said. There is the desire to solve important fundamental issues of international politics thoughtlessly, rather than smoothing out contradictions and mitigating conflicts." File image Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said India and the US were moving towards a collaborative approach in the defence sector from the traditional 'buyer-seller' arrangement and asserted that this relationship could become the "biggest collaboration of this century". Speaking at an event at the DefExpo-2020, Singh also referred to several key agreements signed during the "2+2 Dialogue" he had held with US Defence Secretary Mark Esper in December. During the Dialogue, India and the US signed an industrial security agreement that will allow the transfer of defence technology. "The Indo-US relationship will move towards collaboration approach from the traditional 'buyer-seller'. I am confident this relationship will be more dynamic and vibrant in the future," the defence minister said. "The US is one of the largest defence exporters for India and the world. At the same time, the defence manufacturing sector in India is growing at a rapid pace. In such a situation, our collaboration can prove to be the biggest collaboration of this century," Singh said. Assuring investors that the government is reforming the defence sector and would continue to do so, he urged them to take the maximum advantage of the reforms and invest in India. He appreciated the US-India Business Council for its role in improving the bilateral trade ties. Visiting the UP pavilion at the DefExpo, he said the investment opportunities would increase in the state with the establishment of a defence corridor. The five-day expo was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. It is being attended by 38 defence ministers and top executives of 172 foreign defence majors and 856 Indian companies. Climate change has become a weapon with which to wage war over other issues in Australian politics, says former foreign minister-turned Australian National University chancellor Julie Bishop. Ms Bishop also said she had no regrets about the Coalition's campaign against the Gillard government's carbon price. The Australian National University's first female chancellor, Julie Bishop. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen But she did regret the dumping of the National Energy Guarantee, which triggered an internal party furore that ended close ally Malcolm Turnbull's prime ministership, and her 11-year tenure as deputy Liberal leader. "It was a national energy policy we do not currently have a national energy policy, as far as I can see," she said in her first series of interviews as ANU chancellor. B illionaire fund manager Mark Coombs pocketed a 12.8 million payout on Thursday after performance at his emerging market specialist Ashmore boomed. The fund star, who turns 60 this year, hiked a half-year dividend for shareholders by 5% to 34 million, or 4.8p per share. He controls 37% of shares so gets the bulk of the payment. Pension funds and institutions who give Ashmore money to invest looked past US-China trade wars and unstable politics to hand over more cash in the six months ending December. Lured by returns of between 3% and 7%, investors poured an extra $5.7 billion into Ashmores funds, taking total assets to $98.4 billion. That boosted management fees what Ashmore charges customers 18% to 168 million. Coombs, who lives a modest life in south-west London, founded the business in 1999 after taking ownership of the emerging markets division he ran for ANZ bank via a management buy-out. The FTSE 250-listed company, which employs around 300 funds managers and analysts globally, boasts some 30 funds investing in government and corporate debt and equities in places like Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Lebanon. Many investors are too squeamish to invest in emerging markets due to their volatile nature and risk of losing their money. But Coombs has long been a cheerleader for them, today saying the biggest threat for derailing emerging markets actually came from the West. Coronavirus epicenter faces severe test as actual number of infections still unknown Global Times Source:Globaltimes.cn Published: 2020/2/6 8:57:34 Wuhan, the epicenter of the deadly coronavirus in Central China's Hubei Province, still faces a severe test after nearly two weeks of being in lockdown, as a large number of patients have not received timely treatment, causing more pressure and no turning point is in sight yet, officials and experts said. Hubei has reported 19,665 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Thursday, of which 10,117 are reported in Wuhan, the capital city of the province, according to the local health commission. That number accounts for more than 50 percent of the total number of confirmed cases in the province, which is also the highest nationwide. Local authorities in Wuhan said there are 20,629 people in quarantine at home. All the districts in the city are required to finish nucleic acid tests on all suspected cases in order to make sure patients can be treated as soon as possible. Those are highly challenging requests for Wuhan, according to media reports. The numbers of confirmed cases in Wuhan keep growing every day, which does not, however, reflect the whole picture as analysts do not know the exact number of infections. Medical supplies could not meet the rising demand for treatment, heavily weighing on the battle against the spread of the disease. Currently, there are 28 novel coronavirus-designated hospitals with 8,524 beds in Wuhan. A total of 8,182 patients are in these hospitals, Hu Lishan, deputy Party secretary of Wuhan, said during a press conference. "To be honest, we did not do well enough in some areas and we need to do better," Hu said. He noted that there were only 421 beds available in these hospitals on Tuesday so many confirmed or suspected patients could not get a bed in a designated hospital, which Hu said is very heartrending and painful. To treat as many patients as possible, Wuhan has built "Fang Cang" shelter hospitals, converted from Hongshan Gymnasium and Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, as well as a cultural building complex dubbed "Wuhan Living room" as quarantine centers to treat patients suffering from mild symptoms of infection. These hospitals have been gradually put into use starting from Wednesday night. Besides those, local authorities have been turning more places, including hotels and schools, into areas for quarantine. As of Tuesday, 132 quarantine points have been established across the city, offering 12,571 beds to put more suspected patients into quarantine, Hu noted. A total of 2,000 medical personnel from 20 provinces have arrived in Wuhan to serve the three hospitals, he said. People have been classified into different areas according to their symptoms like suspected patients and patients with fever. Their daily demands for medical and living materials are ensured, he said. Also, local authorities required all designated hospitals in Wuhan to only treat patients in severe and critical conditions, and those suspected of being in critical condition, urging them to enhance treatment and lower death rates. Wang Chen, vice president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and an expert on respiratory and critical medicine, said in an interview with a state broadcaster on Wednesday night that it is still too early to predict the inflection point of the epidemic as Wuhan still faces a severe situation, and actual numbers of infections are still unknown. Many people could not be treated in a timely manner, and those who are in quarantine at home can cause further infections in families and communities, Wang said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The backing of the far-right AfD party for Thomas Kemmerich has paved the path to his swift resignation. Berlin, Germany The regional German leader whose election shattered political norms and unleashed a political storm on Wednesday, after relying on far-right votes to remove a left-wing government, has announced that he will seek to resign and dissolve the local parliament. Thomas Kemmerich, of the liberal FDP party, told reporters his decision was necessary to remove the blemish of the votes he received from the Alternative for Germany (AfD). Chancellor Angela Merkel branded his receipt of support from the far-right party inexcusable, while other senior politicians compared the situation to the rise of the Nazi party. There was no cooperation with the AfD, there is not and will not be, he said on Thursday afternoon, denying the previous days vote had been coordinated. His bizarrely short tenure as minister-president, lasting a hair over 24 hours, could mean snap elections in the eastern state of Thuringia, though it remains unclear whether Kemmerich can secure the two-thirds majority required to dissolve the legislature, with the local branch of Merkels conservative CDU rejecting his plan. 200122104814861 In his brief, sometimes-vague news conference, Kemmerich suggested that if he did not secure the dissolution of parliament then he would call a no-confidence motion in himself, which would likely pass, meaning a replacement must be elected within three weeks or new elections called. Wednesdays vote was the first time in modern Germany that a government had been formed with the support of the far right, breaking an unwritten cordon sanitaire between the political mainstream and the AfD, and immediately sparked protests in Thuringias capital, Erfurt, and in cities across Germany. It was a historic event, Kai Arzheimer, a political scientist at the University of Mainz, told Al Jazeera. To accept the support of the AfD means reneging on an agreement between the democratic parties that has lasted for seven decades. Though the FDP barely received enough votes in Octobers regional election to enter the Thuringian parliament, the existing coalition of the left, centre-left and greens fell just short of returning to power the incumbent, Bodo Ramelow, a veteran trade unionist from Die Linke, which placed first in vote share. The AfD overtook the CDU to second place, under the leadership of extreme-right firebrand Jorg Hoecke, who has previously described Berlins Holocaust memorial as a monument of shame, and whose AfD faction, known as the Wing has been investigated by state security services. 170921080912611 With the CDU and FDP refusing to support the left bloc, voting entered a final third round on Wednesday in which the AfD swung behind Kemmerich, who won by 45 votes to 44. Images of Kemmerich shaking hands with Hoecke sparked fury among the countrys senior politicians, with Ramelow tweeting a quote from Adolf Hitler, dated 1930, in which he brags about the Nazis role as kingmakers in Thuringia, which would later elect the countrys first Nazi government. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the CDU leader and anointed successor to Merkel, warned of consequences for her party colleagues if they continued to support Kemmerich, while general-secretary Paul Ziemiak compared some AfD figures to national socialists. FDP leader Christian Lindner thanked Kemmerich for making the only right and possible decision, and announced a confidence vote in his own leadership at a special meeting of the partys executive on Friday. The International Auschwitz Committee condemned the FDP on Wednesday, with Executive Vice President Christoph Heubner saying the party had a huge problem of regaining credibility and trust. The dramatic events in Thuringia have provided a sharp reminder of the consequences of breaching the cordon sanitaire, according to Arzheimer, as well as exposing the fractures within the CDU and FDP over cooperation with the AfD. Both [parties] emerge from this with bloody noses and black eyes, he added. If there are fresh elections, I assume the CDU and the FDP will suffer [but] its not a foregone conclusion that this translates into more than marginal gains for the AfD, which has already performed very well in the last election and might be pushing against the limits of its potential. WHITESTOWN, N.Y. -- Deputies have released the name of a man killed Thursday morning in a two-car crash in Oneida County. William R. Evans, 33, of Utica, died after the car he was riding in crashed into another vehicle in Whitestown, said the Oneida County Sheriffs Office. The accident was reported at 6:43 a.m. on Route 69. Bradlee S. Durant, 29, of Utica, was driving a red Subaru east on Route 69 when he lost control of the car, deputies said. He crossed into the westbound lane and crashed into an oncoming black Mitsubishi, deputies said. Evans was a passenger in Durants car. The driver of the Mitsubishi, Kandi M. Williamson, 42, of Oriskany, and Durant were taken by Central Oneida County Ambulance to St. Elizabeth Medical Center. The drivers injuries do not appear life-threatening, deputies said. Patrol deputies and the sheriffs Criminal Investigation Unit are investigating the crash. So far, no tickets have been issued. The sheriffs office was assisted by the Oriskany Fire Department, Central Oneida County Ambulance, the Whitestown Police Department and the Oriskany Police Department. 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. When I was writing my book, Jamming the Media (1997), while working on a chapter about pirate radio, I went deep down the rabbit hole of hunting down pirate stations, shortwave stations, police and military radio, and number stations. The latter are mysterious radio broadcasts of unknown origin where a series of numbers are read over the air. These are widely believed to be coded messages to spies in the field from the world's intelligence agencies. I was surprised to run into this video on Curiosity Droid and to discover that number stations are still a thing. I would have thought that, in the age of encrypted digital communications, number stations would be archaic and unnecessary, but maybe entrenched government infrastructures are hard to dismantle, even when they're obsolete? Image: YouTube Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan said on Thursday that his country's battle-hardened army will teach India a 'hard lesson' in case of 'any misadventure' Islamabad: In his fresh anti-India rhetoric, Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan said on Thursday that his country's battle-hardened army will teach India a "hard lesson" in case of "any misadventure" by New Delhi. Addressing a rally in Mirpur in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on the 'Kashmir Solidarity Day', Khan asked the Indian leadership to avoid threats of attacks. "Narendra Modi, the statement you gave on this country, and the Indian army chief... this is my message to you both: You have already made a mistake on 5 August," Khan said, referring to the abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Khan said that more than "200 million people of Pakistan and its battle-hardened army will teach India a hard lesson", state-run Radio Pakistan reported. "If you are under the false impression that you will take any action against Pakistan to strengthen your Hindu voter base, it will be the last mistake you make," said Khan. He was referring to Prime Minister Modi's address to the National Cadet Corps in New Delhi last month where he said the Indian armed forces won't take more than a week to ten days to make Pakistan bite the dust. "He (Modi) thought he would end the issue of Kashmir altogether but the way the issue has been internationalised, there is talk of Kashmir where it was never before discussed," Khan said, adding that Pakistan would always stand by the people of Kashmir and fight alongside them. Pakistan's military top brass also termed the recent statements by India as "irresponsible" and said they would thwart any attack by the Indian Army. Army spokesman said that the 229th Corps Commanders Conference held a meeting chaired by Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday during which they reviewed geo-strategic environment, with special focus on internal security and situation on borders. "Provocative statements of Indian leadership are irresponsible rhetoric with implications for region. Pakistan Armed Forces are forces of order and peace and fully prepared to thwart any misadventure, whatever the cost," the spokesman quoted the commanders saying in the meeting. Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said on Thursday that Kashmir was the core issue of Pakistan's foreign policy. "We take the cause of Jammu and Kashmir very seriously. It is the core issue of Pakistan's foreign policy. The observation that the Foreign Office is not taking it seriously is not accurate," she said at the weekly press briefing, dismissing the criticism within the country over its handling of the issue. Farooqui said that Pakistan took the case of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to all international fora including at the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly, Human Rights Council, OIC, Global Refugee Forum and World Economic Forum. "Pakistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have never been shy or negligent towards this core issue of our foreign policy. We are dedicated in taking it forward," she asserted. To a question, she said that Pakistan took the issue of a protest outside its embassy in Kabul with the Afghan authorities. She said the venue of the 'Kashmir Day' event was changed in Kabul due to the protest and "the matter was officially taken up with the Afghan authorities". She also said Pakistan was closely following the developments regarding the US-Taliban peace talks. To another question, she said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would as visit Pakistan next week as per schedule agreed by both the sides. Responding to a question about the coronavirus outbreak in China, she said the Chinese government was providing all the necessary support and treatment not only to Pakistani students and citizens but all in Wuhan city and other parts of the country. The authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have suspended another lecturer, Mr Monday Omo-Etan, over alleged sexual ... The authorities of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, have suspended another lecturer, Mr Monday Omo-Etan, over alleged sexual molestation of a 19-year-old female student of the universitys Centre for Distance Learning. Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, said the University management dealt with another case of sexual harassment, less than three weeks when a lecturer of the Department of International Relations, Mr. Olabisi Olaleye, was investigated and suspended. According to him, the management of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, expressed its zero tolerance against sexual harassment. The management has reiterated its commitment to the total eradication of any form of sexual harassment, molestation or other social vices. he said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 20:51:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities have called for stronger publicity to improve knowledge on epidemic prevention. A circular, issued by the Communist Party of China's central civilization office, urges enhancing people's awareness of ecological conservation to respect nature and protect animals. The circular also requires people to maintain a positive, optimistic, rational and peaceful state of mind to boost confidence in winning the battle against the epidemic. Volunteers and voluntary service organizations should play a proactive role in publicizing the knowledge of epidemic prevention and control, said the circular, also calling for giving publicity to deeds of outstanding figures among medical personnel and primary-level cadres and people. Countries around the world are restricting the entry of Chinese visitors due to the rapid spread of coronavirus from its epicenter in Wuhan, China. Two giant cruise ships lie marooned off Hong Kong and Japan with 5,300 passengers on board, including several Koreans. The U.K. on Wednesday advised around 30,000 of its citizens to leave China, the first country to do so, and France has followed suit. Among Korean patients, four became infected outside China. The government has been focusing on visitors from China's Hubei Province surrounding Wuhan, but it can no longer overlook those coming in from other Asian regions as well. One infected patient here apparently came into contact with more than 600 people before being quarantined, and another with more than 300 people in a single hospital. The virus could yet develop into a pandemic. The number of infections in China is surging at a dizzying rate, growing by almost 4,000 in a single day and bringing the total to more than 24,000 at the last count, 500 of whom have died over the span of just 15 days. Another 3,200 are in serious condition. Chinese authorities locked down the entire city of Wuhan and ordered residents of large cities in Zhejiang Province with populations of 10 million people to stay home. Only one person per family there is allowed to go outside once every two days to buy necessities. But even as China is ordering lockdowns on its own people it accuses foreign countries banning entry to its citizens of "overreacting." The Chinese ambassador to Korea tried to pressure the government here by saying travel bans are "unnecessary," even though China's ambassador to Japan has asked the government there for help and admitted Beijing's inability to stem the spread of the new virus. But the government seems to be bending over backward to avoid agitating China. It is reluctant to expand quarantine to arrivals from parts of China other than Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, although the situation is getting worse. It is simply saying it will monitor situations in regions outside Hubei and China as a whole and take "necessary" measures without actually doing anything. The government will only prove its incompetence once again if it fails to deal with this crisis in a timely and effective manner. The Queen is marking the 68th anniversary of her accession to the throne today. Gun salutes were fired by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Green Park and the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London to commemorate the occasion. The bells of Westminster Abbey, the gothic church where the Queen, 93, was married to Prince Philip and crowned, will also ring out to mark Accession Day. The monarch has faced a turbulent time in recent weeks, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex preparing to quit royal life. The Queen is marking the 68th anniversary of her accession to the throne today. Pictured earlier this week during a visit to Royal Air Force Marham, Norfolk Gun salutes were fired by the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery in Green Park and the Honourable Artillery Company at the Tower of London to commemorate the occasion Members of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery fire a 41-round gun salute in Green Park, London, to mark the 68th anniversary of the succession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne in 1952 And the Queen's second son, the Duke of York, is facing calls to speak to the FBI in the US. Andrew, who turns 60 later this month, stepped down from royal duties in November after his disastrous Newsnight interview about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The Queen - the nation's longest reigning monarch - will mark the anniversary of her accession privately at Sandringham, where she has been staying during her winter break. The date also carries sombre memories for Her Majesty, as Elizabeth became queen on the death of her father King George VI from lung cancer on February 6, 1952. She was out and about yesterday - the day before her accession anniversary - opening Wolferton's new pumping station, which dries out the surrounding marshland for farming on the Norfolk estate. The Queen - the nation's longest reigning monarch - will mark the anniversary of her accession privately at Sandringham, where she has been staying during her winter break. Pictured during her visit to Wolferton Pumping Station yesterday Members of the Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) fire a 62-round gun salute from the wharf at the Tower of London to mark the 68th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II to the throne in 1952 Her Majesty and her husband Prince Philip were in Kenya when her father King George VI died in his sleep from lung cancer Today's date also carries sombre memories for Her Majesty, as Elizabeth became queen on the death of her father King George VI on February 6, 1952. Pictured with Philip returning to Clarence House, London from Kenya on the day after his passing The Queen carried out the engagement 72 years after her father, King George VI, opened the original station in February 1948, and recalled how he used to walk his corgis there. She also visited nearby RAF Marham on Monday to see training demonstrations of engine maintenance and weapons loading at the military base. A fortnight ago the Queen missed a planned meeting at her local Women's Institute because of a slight cold. The Duke of Edinburgh, 98, who spends much of his time on the Sandringham estate after retiring in 2017, spent four nights in hospital just before Christmas for treatment relating to a 'pre-existing condition'. Elizabeth II has ruled for 24,837 days, passing her Silver, Golden, Diamond and Sapphire Jubilees. Pictured in September 1952 at Balmoral Castle with one of her corgis Queen Elizabeth II, wearing the Imperial State Crown, and the Duke of Edinburgh in uniform of Admiral of the Fleet, wave from the balcony to the onlooking crowds around the gates of Buckingham Palace after the Coronation in 1953 Queen Elizabeth II pictured delivering the Queen's Speech during the State Opening of Parliament in October last year The Queen is just two years away from celebrating her Platinum Jubilee - 70 years on the throne. Elizabeth II has ruled for 24,837 days, passing her Silver, Golden, Diamond and Sapphire Jubilees. She became Queen on February 6 1952, on the death of her beloved father at the age of just 25. She was thousands of miles from home on a Commonwealth tour with Philip in Kenya when the King died in his sleep from lung cancer at Sandringham House. The monarch has faced a turbulent time in recent weeks, with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (left and centre) preparing to quit royal life and her second son, the Duke of York, pictured right facing calls to speak to the FBI in the US over his friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein The Queen is just two years away from celebrating her Platinum Jubilee - 70 years on the throne. Pictured with the Duke of Edinburgh touring the grounds of Stormont in Belfast as part of her Diamond Jubilee tour in 2012 The Queen usually returns to London soon after her anniversary. She will be hosting a state visit by the Emperor of Japan at Windsor Castle in the spring. Her granddaughter, Princess Beatrice, Andrew's eldest daughter, is also preparing to marry property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi later this year. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan gave a speech at the National Assembly on February 6. ARMENPRESS reports the 2nd part of the PMs speech. I am not saying that the decisions of the Constitutional Court should be appealed. Let there be atonement. I say that when it comes to the direct powers of other bodies, moreover the authority of the people, the power of the people, the powers of the Constitutional Court must be highly regulated, predictable and limited by the sovereign right of the people. By the way, there is not even a single country in the world where the Constitutional Court is exercising its constitutional authority without a limit. There is no other such country except Armenia. And the situation that we also have in this regard in the Constitutional Court is a direct threat to democracy, because the most important component of democracy is the mechanism of checks and balances. In our country, as I mentioned above, the institute of the President, the institute of the Government, the Prime Minister, and the National Assembly, even though the Constitutional Court has no counterbalance and no restraint at all, can and does actually restrict the highest holder of power - the peoples authority - including the status of the Constitutional Court. This is a direct and terrible threat to democracy, and such a constitutional court was formed to prevent the development of democracy in Armenia, because the writers of this constitution nevertheless planned that there would be neither democracy nor peoples power in Armenia until 2035. Or otherwise, the dogs head is in the Constitutional Court. The only hope of the former corrupt regime is pinned on Hrayr Tovmasyan and the Constitutional Court. But we will not allow it and we will take another action and today we have come together to launch that action. Today, we must make a decision to resolve this issue with the people, and the National Assembly must decide to hold a national referendum on amending Article 213 of the Constitution. The amendment of this article should terminate the powers of all members of the Constitutional Court elected in the old manner. This will happen if the citizens of the Republic of Armenia go to the polling station on the day of the referendum and say yes to the proposed changes and to the peoples authority. In that case, two newly appointed judges will continue to serve in the Constitutional Court: Arman Dilanyan nominated by the General Assembly of judges and elected by the National Assembly and Vahe Grigoryan nominated by the President and elected by the National Assembly. After the referendum, the Government of Armenia, the General Assembly of Judges, the President of the Republic will nominate candidates for the Constitutional Court judge, the National Assembly will elect the judges and within a few months we will have a Constitutional Court elected and acting in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, which will elect the President of the Constitutional Court. Of course, we will set forth a condition before the new Constitutional Court that they should support the adoption of laws and constitutional amendments that balance the oversight powers of the Constitutional Court. And by the end of this process, we will have a constitutional court that will not be under the banner of any political force or grouping or official, but will be before the people, the reporting people, the supreme constitutional court, but no higher than the people. The Republic of Armenia, all of us need a constitutional court that will guarantee democracy and the rule of law the Republic of Armenia, and not be a threat to democracy. Honorable Presidency of the National Assembly, Dear MPs, Proud Citizens of the Republic of Armenia, And in the National Assembly and outside its borders there will be many views, discussions, speculations on the decision to hold a referendum. All necessary legal justifications are available in the draft package. I do not want to go into small or big details and I can record the most important from this high podium. There is no problem in the Republic of Armenia that the people of the Republic of Armenia cannot solve. There is no question in the Republic of Armenia beyond the peoples authority. The citizens of the Republic of Armenia are sovereign and competent; they can solve any problem. By the way, after the non-violent, velvet, popular revolution that took place in spring 2018, there is much talk that the Civil Contract party or the My Step Alliance came to power in a revolutionary way. This formulation is a result of misunderstanding, because the proud citizens of the Republic of Armenia were the ones to come to power in the Republic of Armenia. We are just peoples representatives; we represent the people as envisaged by Article 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. Yes, we represent the people and have the authority delegated to us by the people, and the Constitutional Court today does not represent the people, it represents the corrupt power of Serzh Sargsyan and it must go away. And I want to say that all those people who may try to set legal or other obstacles to the free expression of our peoples will shall be adequately rebuffed as anti-democratic and anti-state forces. And those who accept the supreme authority of the people will become devotees of shaping the future of Armenia. Dear compatriots, I would like to address the members of the Constitutional Court with a few words. Dear Members of the Constitutional Court. I understand that what I said in this talk is not pleasing for many of you; you may deem some of the episodes offensive. But I mean, I do not tend to offend anyone, I just have to call things by their own name. To say more, if anyone in any part of my speech saw some kind of offence, I apologize. But the realities do not change. Yes, there is a crisis around the Constitutional Court that contains the threat of becoming a broader crisis, but I want to say that you can solve that crisis yourself, by doing great service to the state and the people, by providing a valuable service. You, the ones elected under the old procedure, can resign as a member of the Constitutional Court. You can do it today, tomorrow, or you can do it before the President signs the decision on the referendum. By the way, I would like to say that we have been discussing this issue with the President of the Republic and made sure that he approves the proposed option to resolve the situation through a referendum, regarding which I think he will make a relevant statement. So, dear members of the Constitutional Court, you can resign until the President of the Republic signs this decision and you will be of great service to the Republic of Armenia and its people. I would also like to say that I am ready to meet with you all, individually, or all of you, to discuss its details. I can ask you to take this step in person, in your own eyes, and I can offer your support in resolving this situation on behalf of the people. If you accept the offer, we will go ahead. If this is not acceptable to you, then the question, I am sure, will be resolved by the people of Armenia, the proud citizen of the Republic of Armenia, because the Constitution is for the people and not the people for the Constitution. I would like to emphasize that we are ready to invite the leading international observer organizations - the Council of Europe, the OSCE, the European Union, the CIS, etc. - to observe the referendum, and there is no doubt that guarantees for the peoples free will be created just as it was the case with the 2018 free, fair, transparent democratic elections in Armenia, the results of which were not disputed in the Constitutional Court or questioned by any party, social or political group. This is the evidence of one thing: Democracy in Armenia has no alternative. Democracy in Armenia is irreversible. Therefore, Long live Freedom, Long live the Republic of Armenia, Long live we and our children who live and will live in a free and happy Armenia! The Odisha government on Thursday expressed concern over reduction in allocation for railway projects in the state in the Union budget for the 2020-21 fiscal and will request the Centre to increase the outlay. State commerce and transport minister Padmanabha Behera said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's suggestions have not been heeded in the Union budget. "We are disappointed. Only one new line has been proposed while the allocation in state's railway projects for 2020-21 fiscal is less than expectation. We will request Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Piyush Goyal to rethink the budgetary allocation," Behera told reporters here. The allocation of Rs 4,373 crore for different railway projects in the state for 2020-21 is around 27 per cent less than that of the last fiscal when the state had received Rs 5,993 crore, which included Rs 1,400 crore invested by NTPC for construction of Jharsuguda-Barapali coal corridor. Though the railways department has claimed that adequate allocations are made for important projects, the budget included a token allotment of Rs 1 lakh for 241-km-long Sambalpur-Gopalpur new line via Phulbani, which will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 2,957 crore, the state minister said. The project awaits the approval of Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs and NITI Aayog. The ruling BJD also said the cut in budgetary allocation for different railway projects in the state is a "cause of concern". "The reduction in overall allocation for the state is a cause of serious concern as Odisha is one of the least rail coverage states in the country though it contributes maximum revenue," BJD spokesperson and MP Sasmit Patra said. He said no new railway project has been announced in sectors that were suggested by the state with a commitment to share cost. "We expected to get sanction for projects like Puri-Konark, Bargarh-Nuapada, Jajpur-Ardi-Dhamra, Chakulia- Buramara, Gunupur-Therubali new lines where the state has committed assistance," Patra said. The ruling party, however, welcomed the Gopalpur- Sambalpur proposed line. This will be a big economic booster to the area if executed in time, Patra said. Opposition Congress, however, blamed both the state and the central government for the reduction in allocation for railway development in Odisha. "The state government has failed to make proper demand in getting more allocations," said Congress MLA Suresh Routray. After approval of the NITI Aayog on proposed Sambalpur-Gopalpur new line, the allocation for Odisha will certainly increase, BJP spokesperson Golak Mohapatra said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) HAL on Thursday received the modification document from the Director General of Civil Aviation for its Dornier-228 civil aircraft after reducing its gross weight below 5,700 kg. The document was handed over to the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd by Joint DG of the DGCA, G Rajshekhar, during the ongoing DefExpo-2020 in Lucknow. Two civil Do-228 aircraft were produced by the aeronautical agency for launch under the regional connectivity scheme UDAN. But to meet the prospective operator's requirement of a transport aircraft flyable under Commercial Pilot Licence, their maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) had to be reduced from 6,200kg. HAL undertook efforts to reduce the weight below 5,700 kg, the agency said in a statement. Apart from that, HAL Do-228-201 (Upgraded) civil aircraft will also be equipped with a digital cockpit to ensure more accurate readings, precise information and ergonomic data displays with feedback loops and capability for self-check to alert pilot in emergencies, according to the statement. The glass cockpit architecture-enabled aircraft will be the most sought-after "new age aviation technology", it added. Also, the incorporation of civil-certified turboprop minus 10 engine ensures more reliable torque sensing system, higher component life, lighter in weight and higher time between overhaul as compared to previous minus 5 engine. The integration of the five blade propeller to the aircraft will significantly reduce the noise levels, aid faster engine start, less lubrication and better damping characteristics, HAL said. The five-day DefExpo, that began on Wednesday, is being attended by 38 defence ministers and top executives of 172 foreign defence majors and 856 Indian companies. The main theme of the biennial exhibition of military platforms and weapons is 'India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub' and the focus is on 'Digital Transformation of Defence'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FILE PHOTO: People walk past Vodafone Egypt Telecommunications Co in the Cairo suburb of Maadi By Paul Sandle LONDON (Reuters) - Vodafone will remove Huawei technology from the core of its European networks following Britain's decision to restrict the Chinese company's role in 5G and new EU guidelines on the firm's equipment, Chief Executive Nick Read said. Britain last month allowed Huawei a limited role in new mobile networks - defying U.S. pressure for an outright ban on security grounds - but excluded it from the core and imposed a 35% cap in the less-sensitive radio network. Huawei has repeatedly denied U.S. allegations that its equipment could potentially be used by Beijing for spying. "We have now decided, as a result of the EU toolbox and the UK government's decision, to take out Huawei from the core," Read told reporters on Wednesday. "This will take around five years to implement at a cost of approximately 200 million euros." Read said Vodafone would only have to make minor adjustments to comply with the rules in Britain, where it has not deployed Huawei in its core. Vodafone does use Huawei in its core in Spain and in some smaller European markets. Read welcomed the British approach, which he said was evidence based and differentiated between different parts of the network, but he opposed caps on the use of particular vendors by operators. "It hugely impacts customers and the quality of networks if we are forced to do an accelerated swap," he said. "Although this isn't an issue in the UK I wouldn't want this for Europe." He said it could lead to delays of anything between two and five years depending on which countries decided to impose a cap. "The U.S. is racing ahead, China is racing ahead," he said. "We can't hold back our 5G deployment and therefore I think caps would be restrictive on that basis." Read did not specify which of Vodafone's big continental markets - Germany, Italy and Spain - could be affected. Story continues "I'm not hearing European markets saying they want caps, I'm saying were we to go that route, it has consequences," he said. BT , Vodafone's rival in its home market which is already stripping out Huawei from its core, will have to spend 500 million pounds to comply with the UK cap. The costs is to remove radio equipment from some locations and switch contracts to rivals like Ericsson and Nokia . In Germany, Vodafone's largest European market, lawmakers are still arguing over Huawei. Read said Vodafone was working to increase the number of vendors, centred on its OpenRAN initiative, which aims to standardise the design of software and hardware. EUROPE A SLOG Earlier on Wednesday, Vodafone reported third-quarter organic service revenue growth of 0.8%, an uptick from the second, helped by continued recovery in South Africa. Europe, however, remained a slog for the world's second biggest mobile operator, with revenue down 1.4% year-on-year, the same rate seen in the previous quarter. "We expect a further gradual improvement in service revenue growth in Q4, led by Europe," Read said. Shares in Vodafone reversed early gains to trade down 1% at 1149 GMT. Read is focusing Vodafone's operations on Europe and sub-Sahara Africa, and last month the company agreed to sell its 55% stake in Vodafone Egypt for $2.4 billion (1.84 billion pounds) to Saudi Telecom Company. The group also wants to generate more value from its network infrastructure. It has appointed senior managers for its European tower company, Read said, and was preparing for a potential public listing in early 2021, most likely in London or Frankfurt. Vodafone reiterated its full-year guidance of adjusted core earnings of 14.8-15.0 billion euros, and free cash flow before spectrum costs of about 5.4 billion euros. (Editing by James Davey/Kirsten Donovan/Jane Merriman) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said officials in Washington 'fully support' Turkey's justified self-defence actions in Syria writes Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. The United States on Tuesday threw its support behind NATO ally Turkey over its reprisals against the Syrian army following regime shelling in Idlib. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the mortar attack on Turkish posts in Syrias Idlib province a grave escalation and said US officials fully support Turkeys justified self-defense actions in response. Assad regime shelling killed eight Turkish soldiers and civilians in Idlib on Monday, prompting Ankara to retaliate against dozens of Syrian army positions. Twelve Syrian civilians, including a family made up of nine people, were also killed in Syrian regime and Russian airstrikes on Monday and Tuesday. Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Ankara will not allow Syrian regime forces to gain ground in Idlib province, the last rebel-held area of Syria in comments published on Tuesday, a day after the Turkish soldiers died in regime fire. Syria is right now trying to buy time by driving those innocent and grieving people in Idlib toward our borders. We will not allow Syria the opportunity to gain ground there, Erdogan said in quotes published by the Hurriyet newspaper and broadcaster NTV. This is a clear violation of the Idlib agreement. There will of course be consequences for the regime, Erdogan said in the interview, which was given to Turkish journalists on his plane returning from a visit to Ukraine. Erdogan had earlier criticised Russia, the key backer of President Bashar al-Assads regime, for failing to enforce peace agreements in Idlib, but he toned down his rhetoric in the latest statement. We dont need to get into a serious conflict or a serious confrontation with Russia at this stage, he said. As you know we have very serious initiatives with Russia. Turkey and Russia have enjoyed burgeoning trade and defence ties in recent years despite being on opposing sides of the Syrian conflict. Under a 2018 de-escalation deal with Russia, Turkey set up 12 observation posts in Idlib aimed at preventing a full assault by regime forces, although one was surrounded by Assads troops in December. Our military observation posts are playing a vital role there and they will remain in place, Erdogan vowed. The regime and Russia violated the de-escalation deal in April 2019, launching an assault on Idlib province that displaced hundreds of thousands of people. After a brief lull between September and November, Russia and the regime resumed airstrikes and advanced on the ground. On Tuesday, regime forces were within eight kilometres of Idlib city. The UN said on Tuesday that more than 500,000 people had been displaced in the last two months as a result of the attacks. 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 14:04:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Farmers of some 300 million starving chickens in epidemic-stricken Hubei can breathe a sigh of relief now. Over 8,000 tonnes of soybean meal is on its way to chicken farms in the central Chinese province hit hard by the novel coronavirus outbreak. The feed supplied by China Grain Reserves Group, a state-owned grain giant, is required to be sent to farms in a timely manner and within reasonable price ranges. The company's local branch is also resuming production to offer stable feed supplies. The move came amid China's efforts to keep major sectors of the economy stable with targeted steps to ease the impact on small and medium-sized firms. To ensure stable logistics for feed and livestock products, China's agriculture ministry has urged local governments to refrain from blocking related vehicles and shutting down slaughterhouses. From time to time in the last 150 years, a socialist impulse has taken hold among a significant segment of the U.S. population. This impulse was a primary driver behind the 1880s populists movement and among progressives in the 1910s. It was dominant ideology among socialists in the 1930s and among young radicals and intellectuals in the 1960s. Today, there is a similar collectivist sentiment running through America. Although most Americans do not favor government control over the means of production, a significant portion of the population appears to prefer that government, rather than the private sector, be given primary control over the U.S. economy or important parts of it. In a recent poll, 44% favored government control over health care, 35% favored government control over wages of workers, and 33% favored economy-wide government controls. Today, as in the past, the collectivist sentiment is fueled by resentment against a system that they see as having treated them unfairly, distrust of public and private institutions, and a utopian belief that human nature can be changed to make the world a better place. The American left has developed a strong anti-business sentiment and progressive politicians are calling for extensive regulation of business activities, confiscatory taxes on the wealthy, and a general redistribution of income. Into this environment, the Business Roundtable, the CEOs of many of Americas largest companies recently issued a statement fundamentally changing its view of the basic purpose of U.S. corporations. The BRT has scrapped its longstanding view (since 1997) that the paramount duty of management and of boards of directors is to the corporations stockholdersThe interests of other stakeholders are relevant as a derivative of the duty to stockholders. In its place, the BRT stipulates that U.S. companies should consider the interests of numerous stakeholders - including employees, customers, and communities in which the company operates, along with shareholders when making corporate decisions. Underlying the Roundtables new view is its belief that companies have a social responsibility that transcends their role as producers of goods and services in a freely competitive economy. The Business Roundtables examination of the conduct of U.S. corporations is welcome, but wrong-headed. The organization consists of highly respected leaders both within and outside of the business community. Their collective views carry a large weight in public policy deliberations in Washington D.C. But we believe the BRTs new statement of corporate purposes that places shareholders as an also ran alongside other stakeholders, especially an ill-defined group of communities, is misguided. The statement lends credence to an incorrect view of the way American businesses operate in todays economy; it fundamentally misunderstands the role that business plays in a free market economy; and it fails to consider the practical, real world, adverse consequences of demoting shareholders interests. How American Businesses Maximize Shareholder Value The critique of the goal of maximizing shareholder value is based on the erroneous belief that in order to maximize this value, businesses must mistreat employees, short-change suppliers, take advantage of customers, and take actions that damage the community and its surrounding environment. In fact, the exact opposite is true. Maximizing long-term shareholder value requires companies to make sure that employees and suppliers are in a strong position to make the business successful. Investing in employees increases a firms human capital, honest dealings with suppliers add value to the physical capital they provide, maintaining good community relations creates intangible capital. Customers are, of course, the ultimate evaluators of a company product or service. Mistreat any of these stakeholders and shareholder value will decline. Competition from companies who take account of all of their stakeholders ensures this outcome. The Importance of the Duty to Maximize Shareholder Value U.S. Corporations have played a central role in improving standards of living in the U.S. and around the globe. In the basic U.S. corporate structure, investors are shielded from direct legal liability for corporate actions and investors hire corporate executives to run the company. Investors supply capital by purchasing company stock and, in return, become part owners in the company and in its success or failure. This structure has been crucial in allowing companies to raise funds efficiently through capital markets. But this arrangement creates a potential agency problem, wherein company executives have different objectives than the owners. The maximization of shareholder value as the paramount duty of corporate executives addresses this problem by aligning managements objectives, strategies, and decisions with owners interests. It also provides owners with a relatively clear, straightforward way to assess executives performance and, thereby, to ensure accountability. The value of this arrangement, along with corporate governance rules that require executives and board members to own their companys stock, has proven itself over and over again as public corporations have been a dynamic engine behind improving living standards. Milton Friedman and Corporate Responsibility Nearly 50 years ago, Milton Friedman made the quintessential case against the idea that corporations have a more general social responsibility. As Professor Friedman argued, in our system, corporate executives are hired to carry out the corporations responsibilities. They are employees of the companys owners and are responsible to them. Executives conduct their business according to the wishes of the owners, not the desires of others. This conduct is, of course, subject to all parties adhering to applicable laws, customs, and society mores. In economic terms, corporate executives act as agents of owners who are the principals. When executives spend corporate funds, they are spending the owners money. Requiring corporations to behave in a socially responsible way, if it means anything, it is that when the interest of a corporations owners diverges from a social interest, however defined, executives should act in a way that is not in the interest of the owners. If executives choose to pay some employees a higher wage to reduce inequality, hire less qualified workers to reduce poverty, or buy higher priced inputs from local suppliers to support the community, they are spending someone elses money; including the hard-earned money of retirees, workers, and ordinary investors throughout the economy. When the impact of such actions is to lower shareholder returns, its the company owners money. When the impact is a higher price to consumers, its the consumers money. Taking other peoples money without their consent and using it to achieve social purposes is properly viewed as a governmental function. To ensure that this function is applied to publicly preferred social purposes with a minimum financial burden, our government has an elaborate set of checks and balances that operate through representatives chosen by the people through fair and open elections. A policy of corporate social responsibility, on the other hand, gives corporate executives, or corporate stakeholders, the authority to choose which social goals to achieve and how much of other peoples money to allocate to them. This policy circumvents the safeguards provided by the governmental system of checks and balances and effectively places the power to tax in the hands of unelected persons. This as Milton Friedman wrote nearly 50 years ago, is pure and unadulterated socialism. He could have also said that is undemocratic. The Harmful Consequences of the BRT Standard As a practical matter, it is hardly possible that social policy decisions under the BRT standards would be left to corporate executives whose employment is determined by a board of directors consisting solely of owners. More likely, boards would be required to be composed of members representing each of the stakeholders, i.e., company employees, consumer groups, suppliers, and community officials. Indeed, Elizabeth Warren has already proposed requiring 40 percent of board seats be occupied by representatives of the companys employees and requested support from the BRT for this requirement. The new BRT standard will result in corporate decisions that, on balance, sacrifice shareholder value in return for achieving other yet to be specified social objectives. Lower values will cause investors to reduce their inflow of new capital to the sector. Initially, the price will be paid by current investors, including millions of retirees and those preparing for retirement when share values drop. Ultimately, as capital inflows continue to decline, the price will be paid by the entire society as economic growth slows and living standards stagnate. The damage doesnt end there. Under the BRT standard, executives would no longer serve as the agent of a single principal, the companys owners. They would instead serve simultaneously as an agent of the various stakeholders. Each of these masters will have their own goals. Conflicts and trade-offs are inevitable. Employee representatives will seek higher pay and pension benefits at the expense of shareholder value, much in the same way as public employees currently do. Consumer groups will oppose price increases that may well be justified in competitive markets. Representatives of local communities will oppose plant closings in their communities despite company-wide efficiency gains from relocating production facilities from their community to another. The BRTs proposed standard of multiple masters and numerous objectives is a recipe for a lack of corporate accountability. With few ways to measure and assess how much shareholder value has been sacrificed to meet some only vaguely defined social goals, and with conflicting valuations by the various stakeholder groups, boards will be unable to properly evaluate executives performance. The multiple masters and competing objectives will embroil companies in a legal morass as conflicts over goals and disagreements over the appropriateness of actions to achieve those goals produce legal wrangling and litigation. Today, even with a relatively clear paramount duty for corporate executives serving a single master, a drop in a company stock often produces shareholder lawsuits. Imagine the legal quagmire that a system with a multitude of masters with conflicting goals will create. The lack of accountability, endless legal wrangling, and litigation will slow down a companies decisions making and lengthen their response times. Ultimately, the dynamism of U.S. companies which has been so crucial to our rising standard of living will diminish. Like Milton Friedman, we see little benefit, and considerable harm, from attempting to make corporations pursue socially responsible policies. The pursuit of shareholder value as the paramount duty is more often than not accomplished by investing in employees, delivering value to customers, and treating suppliers fairly. As Adam Smith informed us two-and-half centuries ago, the pursuit of private value is the best way to promote the broader interests of society: It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we can expect our dinner, but from their regard to their self-interest. Achieving socially responsible outcomes should be left to individuals pursing their own ends and to elected public officials charged with properly carrying out governmental responsibilities. It must be remembered that corporate executives and shareholders, along with other members of society, are private citizens and, as such, are free to meet their personal responsibilities to their families, charities, and communities. When each of societys members spend their time and energy to meet their chosen responsibilities, they are applying their own efforts. Maximize the resources societys members have available to meet these responsibilities is best achieved by maintaining the paramount duty of U.S. corporations to maximize shareholder value. The business community would have been far better served had the Business Roundtable reaffirmed its 1997 statement and articulated the important role U.S. corporations have played in improving the quality of life in the U.S. and abroad. Attempts to placate progressive politicians will only encourage further efforts to use U.S. corporations for their own social purposes. NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- WeissLaw LLP, a national class action and shareholders' rights law firm with offices in New York, California and Georgia, announces an investigation of L Brands, Inc. (NYSE: LB) ("L Brands," or the "Company"). If you own LB shares and wish to discuss this investigation or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, visit our website: http:www.weisslawllp.com/l-brands-inc/ Or please contact: Joshua Rubin, Esq. WeissLaw LLP 1500 Broadway, 16th Floor New York, NY 10036 (212) 682-3025 (888) 593-4771 [email protected] The investigation focuses on possible breaches of fiduciary duty and violations of federal securities laws by the L Brands Board of Directors for the alleged dissemination of materially false and misleading information in connection with the Company's operations. Specifically, L Brands has come under increased scrutiny due to a recent New York Times article which exposed a "culture of misogyny" and sexual misconduct at Victoria's Secret, one of the Company's most prominent brands. According to the article, L Brands has failed to conduct investigations into complaints of sexual harassment and gender discrimination. The article also alleged that one complainant faced retaliation when following her claims, her access to the building where the Company offices where located was terminated, effectively locking her out of the Company's corporate offices. Additionally, the financial entanglements between the Company's founder & CEO, Leslie Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein have also raised questions. Notably, ABC News has found that Epstein was the trustee of dozens of charitable trusts connected to Wexner, from which Epstein then liquidated large amounts of L Brands stock to purchase planes, mansions, and a private island. WeissLaw LLP has litigated hundreds of stockholder class and derivative actions for violations of corporate and fiduciary duties. We have recovered over a billion dollars for defrauded clients and obtained important corporate governance relief in many of these cases. If you have information or would like legal advice concerning possible corporate wrongdoing (including insider trading, waste of corporate assets, accounting fraud, or materially misleading information), consumer fraud (including false advertising, defective products, or other deceptive business practices), or anti-trust violations, please email us at [email protected] SOURCE WeissLaw LLP Related Links http://www.weisslawllp.com It was quite difficult for Vidhu Vinod Chopra to write Shikara: The Untold Story Of Kashmiri Pandits. For first few years, he wasn't sure if he could make a film. It was painful because he was writing about the events that his mother had gone through. It has been 11 years since Vidhu Vinod Chopra wants this story to be told. Finally, he is ready to narrate the story exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 via Shikara, which he says is his most ambitious project. "I have done much work in all these years but this was perhaps my most challenging as I had to remain dispassionate as a moviemaker to depict the truth, and yet make a compelling argument that the only solution to such hatred is love That is at the centre of my movie. The love between Shiv Kumar Dhar and Shanti (the protagonists), Shanti is also my mother''s name by the way, is a binding factor which forces us to think beyond hatred," said Chopra. YouTube When asked what took so long to make the film since it's been 30 years since he left Kashmir, the filmmaker replied: "I started work on this post my mother''s demise in 2007. The Kashmiri Pandit exodus is a known issue but the complexities and the build-up of events that led to the driving away of the Kashmiri Pandits is not known. This movie required significant research so that we could tell an absorbing story which is fact based and helps in bringing this conversation to the fore." The filmmaker who has donned the director's hat after a hiatus of 13 years, said that the process of writing the movie was not easy. "The writing also took significant time as I had to sift through tons of documentation and video footage to bring reality to celluloid. This movie was difficult to write. I worked with Abhijat Joshi and Rahul Pandita for several years before I could bring it to life." AFP Hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, Vidhu Vinod Chopra wants peace to return to the valley, just as it was in his growing up years. The filmmaker urges youngsters specifically to watch the movie, because he feels they should learn about the valley's tense history, how Kashmir became what it is today. The movie is slated to release on Feb 7. Dundalk Chamber of Commerce members Michael Gaynor and Paddy Malone, travelled to Brussels for a two day visit with Chambers Ireland. This was a fact-finding post-Brexit visit and also came at the start of the new Parliament elected in the summer. There were two threads common to all meetings - Brexit and the priority now being given to the green agenda by President Von der Leyen. In all discussions on future policy it was repeated that the first assessment on all policy will be the environmental impact. Michael Gaynor raised the issue of Europes attitude to the Irish-based beef industry and was critical of the EU Mercosur agreement allowing Argentina beef access to EU. He added that this was hardly eco-friendly when the carbon footprint of transportation was taken into account. Brexit was raised by Paddy Malone at a number of the meetings. He expressed concern that there was not enough time to conclude a deal, the impact divergence by UK would have on cross border controls, if movement from Britain to Northern Ireland was not properly policed. The Commission stressed its commitment to the SME sector and outlined support available to new and existing exporters. They also emphasised their determination to tackle all barriers to trade including red tape and artificial manipulation. There was also discussion on the Common Consolidated Tax Base. Paddy Malone asked that the Commission approach this in two parts - A: the rate which was non-negotiable and B: the rules for calculating taxable profits as distinct from accounting profits. On the latter, Mr Malone added: we should welcome such harmonisation, with both Sean Kelly and Billy Kelleher (MEPS for Ireland South) concurring. Both Mr Malone and Mr Gaynor both emphasised the positive impact WuXi was having on Dundalk. Mr Malone concluded: The trip was a positive one in establishing links with other Irish Chambers and with some EU chambers. It allowed Dundalks business voice to be heard at this critical time for EU/UK relationships. PRINT | EMAIL | PERMALINK Found Objects Coyote It Up courtesy of the artist As a prolific painter, Jesse Littlebird brings us another installment of his vision with Coyote: A Solo Exhibition of Jesse Littlebird opening at Up Gallery (105 Fourth Street SW) on Friday, Feb. 7 from 6pm to close. In Littlebirds own words, his work is inspired by dreams, prophecies and stories that are common among Earthly rooted people for generations. For more information about this free, all-ages event, see jesselittlebird.com. View in Alibi calendar There Will Be Jokes Photo by Bruce Wong Rusty Rutherford brings 10 comedians to Tractor Brewing Wells Park (1800 Fourth Street NW) on Friday, Feb. 7 at 8pm for First Friday's Comedy Contest - Battle of the Sexes 2020. Five women and five men yuk it up and try to outdo each other in this binary gender throwdown. For more information on this free event, see rustycomedy.com. View in Alibi calendar A Sense of Color courtesy of the artist 516 ARTS (516 Central Ave. SW) opens the solo exhibit of Mexico City artist Tania Candiani with a reception on Saturday, Feb. 8 from 6pm to 8pm. Its first showing in the U.S., Tania Candiani: Cromatica is a multi-media exhibit rooted in ancestral craft. For more information on this free, all-ages event, see 516arts.org. View in Alibi calendar FEFU scientists developed method to build up functional elements of quantum computers Scientists from Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU, Vladivostok, Russia), together with colleagues from FEB RAS, China, Hong Kong, and Australia, manufactured ultra-compact bright sources based on IR-emitting mercury telluride (HgTe) quantum dots (QDs), the future functional elements of quantum computers and advanced sensors. A related article is published in "Light: Science and Applications". FEFU scientists, together with colleagues from the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and foreign experts, designed a resonant lattice laser printed on a surface of thin gold film that allows to control the near- and mid-IR radiation properties of capping layer of mercury telluride (HgTe) QDs. The near- and mid-IR spectral range is extremely promising for the implementation of optical telecommunication devices, detectors, and emitters, as well as sensor and next-generation security systems. Recently developed semiconductor QDs represent promising nanomaterials emitting light exactly in this range. However, the main issue is associated with fundamental physical limitations (the Fermi golden rule, Auger recombination, etc.) dramatically decreasing intensity of the IR-emitting QDs. Scientists from FEFU, and Institute of Automation and Control Processes (IACP FEB RAS) together with foreign colleagues for the first time overcame this limitation by applying a special resonant lattice of nanostructures. Scientists formed the lattice by ultra-precise direct laser printing on the surface of a thin film of gold. "The plasmon lattice we developed consists of millions of nanostructures arranged on the gold film surface. We produced such lattice using advanced direct laser processing. This fabrication technology is inexpensive comparing to existing commercial lithography-based methods, easily up-scalable, and allows facile fabrication of nanostructures over cm-scale areas. This opens up prospects for applying the developed approach to design new optical telecommunication devices, detectors, and emitters, including the first IR-emitting QD-based microlaser." - said the author of the work, Aleksander Kuchmizhak, a researcher at the FEFU Center for Virtual and Augmented Reality. The scientist explains that the resonant lattice converts the pump radiation into a special type of electromagnetic waves referred to as surface plasmons. Such waves, propagating over the surface of the patterned gold film within the capping layer of QDs, provide their efficient excitation boosting photoluminescence yield. "For the visible spectral range, quantum dots have been synthesizing for several decades. Just a few scientific groups in the world, though, are capable of synthesizing QDs for the near and mid-IR range. Thanks to the plasmon lattice we developed, which consists of plasmon nanostructures arranged in a special way, we are able to control the main light-emitting characteristics of such unique QDs, for example, by repeatedly increasing the intensity and photoluminescence lifetime, reducing the efficiency of non-radiative recombinations, as well as by tailoring and improving emission spectrum." Said Alexander Sergeev, a senior researcher at IACP FEB RAS. The scientist noted that quantum dots are a promising class of luminophores. They synthesized by a simple and cost-effective chemical method, this material is durable and unlike organic molecules does not suffer from degradation. ### The study supported by grants from the Russian Science Foundation (No. 17-19-01325), the Center for Functional Photonics, City University of Hong Kong, and the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Government of Hong Kong (No. ITS / 402/17). https:/ / www. nature. com/ articles/ s41377-020-0247-6 This story has been published on: 2020-02-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. President Donald Trumps acquittal after a fiery three-week Senate impeachment trial provided him a moment of triumph, a sense of validation, a shot of momentum anything but the finality that he might want Washington: When the history books are written about this day, they will surely record it as the culmination of a monumental three-year political battle that tested American democracy and delivered victory to an enraged and enraging president over his relentless foes. But they will not record it as the end of the struggle. President Donald Trumps acquittal after a fiery three-week Senate impeachment trial provided him a moment of triumph, a sense of validation, a shot of momentum anything but the finality that he might want. The president who vowed to bring an end to endless wars overseas remains at the centre of an endless war at home, one that now moves to the campaign trail and will not be resolved until November at the earliest. Rather than reaching out to bind the wounds, as former president Bill Clinton did after his own Senate impeachment trial in 1999, Trump made clear within minutes of the final roll call that he planned to go on the offensive. He opted to wait until Thursday to make a public appearance, on the advice of aides concerned about complicating the lives of Republicans who cast tough votes for him, but his Twitter feed and staff statements taunted his opponents and touted our Countrys VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax! Nor was the other side ready to surrender. Deflated by the nearly party-line vote, House Democrats took heart in winning over one Republican, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, and quickly signalled that they would continue their investigations into the president. Representative Jerrold Nadler of New York, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said he was now likely to subpoena John Bolton, the presidents former national security advisor, whose offer to testify in the Senate was rejected by the Republican majority. The prospect of continuing conflict over the presidents effort to coerce Ukraine into helping him against his domestic rivals will presumably shape the national debate that is now coming into focus as the Democrats begin voting to decide who will challenge Trump in the General Election this fall. Its referendum on whether we remain a constitutional republic, Representative Tom Malinowski, D-NJ, said in an interview. We can easily survive four years of this, he added, but its a very different landscape if hes reelected after this. It illuminates whats at stake in the election. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, one of Trumps strongest Republican allies, agreed that rather than being settled by the vote on Wednesday, the battle now moved to the campaign trail. The only way this is going to end permanently is for the president to get reelected, Graham said on the floor, and he will. For the president, that may be perfectly fine. The self-described counterpuncher appears eager to prosecute his case against his prosecutors. Even before the Senate vote, he tweeted or retweeted a barrage of messages attacking Speaker Nancy Pelosi for ripping up her copy of his State of the Union address (without mentioning that he had refused to shake her hand). After the verdict, he quickly turned his fire to Romney, posting an attack video mocking the senator. The vote today will open the floodgate for Trump to go after those who have wronged him in this process, said Jack ODonnell, a former president of Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, who has broken with Trump. The so-called hate list which he carries around will be expanded, and efforts to hurt those on the list will begin. He will have no fear, not that he ever had much when going after his enemies. Conciliation and acknowledging mistakes are not in his nature. Gwenda Blair, a biographer of the Trump family, pointed to the presidents mentor, Roy Cohn. Never say youre wrong, always claim victory, get in peoples face, repeat; if they accuse you of something, throw it back at them, double down, triple down, she said. Hes taken Roy Cohns mantra of total and complete belligerence and aggression not just to the next level but several levels past that. While Senator Susan Collins, R-Maine, said this week that she thought Trump had learned from the experiences that had prompted his impeachment and would recalibrate his actions in office accordingly, some who have studied him said that would not be in keeping with the presidents history. I doubt he will be chastened by the impeachment or the trial, said Shirley Anne Warshaw, a presidential scholar at Gettysburg College. In fact, he will probably feel, unlike Susan Collins suggests, that he has open season now to do anything he wants because no one will rein him in for the next eight months. In decisively winning acquittal, Trump demonstrated a command of his Republican Party that would have been almost unthinkable when he came into office. While Romney generated much attention for his vote to convict, the fact that he was the only Republican to break with Trump was a powerful affirmation of the presidents success at building brand loyalty within the party. By not backing down, not even an inch, he forced Republicans to choose between him and his critics, and they almost universally chose him. From Trumps point of view, the trial was simply the latest chapter in a campaign by his enemies to nullify his election that started before he even took office. He sees many of the developments of the last three years through that lens. The special counsel investigation into Russian election interference, the various congressional inquiries, the demands for his tax returns, the prosecution of so many of his former aides and associates all fit together in what he considers a scorched-earth effort to find something, anything, to take him down. But some of his allies said the president understands that the conflict is only part of the calculation over whether he will win a second term, which is why he made no mention of impeachment during his State of the Union address this week even though it almost certainly absorbed him for most of the other 22-and-a-half hours that day. Instead, he focused the speech on promoting his economic record, his military spending, his crackdown on immigration and his appointment of conservative judges. Some of what the president does is theatre, which he revels in, said Christopher Ruddy, the chief executive of Newsmax Media and a friend of Trumps. But he knows that the voters will really judge him on results, and thats why hes more bottom-line focussed than people think. For Trump and his opponents, that bottom line is coming in the form of another up-or-down vote in 272 days. At that point, it will be clear whether it will provide the ending in the history book or just another page to turn. Peter Baker c.2020 The New York Times Company In a major trouble for Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday (February 6) booked the former chief ministers of erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir under Public Safety Act (PSA), sources said. Under PSA, the Jammu and Kashmir administration can keep both Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti in jail for 3 months without trial. Notably, both these leaders have been under detention for the last six months since the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, on August 5, 2019. The 49-year-old National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and 60-year-old Mehbooba Mufti were taken into preventive custody hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre scrapped Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Sources told Zee Media that both Abdullah and Mehbooba will continue to be lodged in Hari Niwas and a bungalow at M A road in Srinagar respectively. The MHA had also slapped PSA on National Conference general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar, former NC MLC Bashir Veeri and PDP leader Sartaj Madni after their release from MLA Hostel in Srinagar on Thursday. On September 16, 2019, the Centre had revealed that former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah had been detained under the PSA. The veteran National Conference leader has been kept under house arrest since August 5, 2019. Live TV Though Farooq Abdullah has been detained under PSA, there is no bar on him meeting relatives and friends at his Srinagar residence, which has been converted into a subsidiary jail. Cuplayer.net scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 28 Nov 2012, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the cuplayer homepage on Twitter + the total number of cuplayer followers (if cuplayer has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the cuplayer homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the cuplayer homepage on StumbleUpon. The total number of people who shared the cuplayer homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the cuplayer homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if cuplayer has a Facebook fan page). Basic Information PAGE TITLE ,flv,mp4,f4v,mov,3gp DESCRIPTION rtmp,red5,wowza,FMSrtmp,http,,5,,,,, KEYWORDS , rtmp, , , , flv, mp4, f4v OTHER KEYWORDS The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. Domain and Server DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE GB2312 DETECTED LANGUAGE SERVER Microsoft-IIS/7.5 (ASP.NET) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Windows Server 2008 R2 Windows Server 2008 R2 Operative System running on the server. Type of server and offered services. Character set and language of the site. The language of cuplayer.net as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for cuplayer.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 type of Facebook page. 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. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND She was left cowering on the sofa while a pig roamed the studio on Wednesday. And Holly Willoughby has now demanded that This Morning has a few days without animals, after an alpaca spat on co-star Phillip Schofield's face while rehearsing for Thursday morning's show. The TV presenter, 38, fell to the floor in a fit of giggles after Pete the alpaca got a little too friendly with Phil and covered his face in saliva, before the Yorkshire Vet revealed that alpacas have a very 'tantric' mating style. What! Holly Willoughby demanded that This Morning has a few days without animals after an alpaca spat on co-star Phillip Schofield face at the start of Thursday's show Phil, 57, was joined by a pair of alpacas - Spitfire and Pete - on the ITV daytime show when Pete took aim at Phil's mouth and spurted some 'warm and wet' saliva in his direction. In the opening segment, producers played a clip of co-hosts Holly and Phil welcoming the South American camelids into the studio when one eyed up Phil. Introducing the clip, Holly stood away from the animals as she feared she might suffer the same fate. Uncontrollable laughter: The TV presenter, 38, fell to the floor in a fit of giggles after Pete the alpaca got a little too friendly with Phil and covered his face in saliva She explained: 'The reason I'm standing here this morning is not because I'm not being very brave, I was feeling quite brave. They are sweet, they look like they give a nice cuddle. 'However, just before we came on air, you will see that Pete looked Phil in the face and then spat in his face.' Whilst watching the clip, Holly quipped: 'It's one of the best things I've ever seen. It properly eyes you up and spat right in your face. What did it feel like?' Gross: The 57-year-old TV presenter was joined by a pair of alpacas - two-year-olds Spitfire and Pete - on the ITV daytime show when Pete took aim at Phil's mouth and spurted some 'warm and wet' saliva in his direction Wow: In the opening segment, producers played a clip of co-hosts Holly and Phil welcoming the South American camelids into the studio when one eyed up Phil He replied: 'Warm and wet.' However, Phil continued to stand holding both the alpacas while Holly read out a list of facts. Fearing the alpaca would spit at him once again, Phil warned: 'Don't do it again! Once is OK, twice is unacceptable. Stop it, don't look at me like that. Pete, stop it. Now calm down. 'He was proper looking at me then, he was going to do it again.' The pair then decided it would be best if the animals left the set as Holly couldn't control her laughter following the incident and fell to the floor Backing off: Introducing the clip, Holly stood away from the animals as she feared she might suffer the same fate Fearful: The pair then decided it would be best if the animals left the set as Holly couldn't control her laughter following the incident and fell to the floor She said between gasps: 'Can we have a few days without animals in the studio please? Can we give them back? Should we give them back? She said between gasps: 'Can we have a few days without animals in the studio please? Can we give them back? Should we give them back? 'Come and grab your llama. Oh my god. I mean they are lovely, and we will be getting to know them a bit better.' Later in the episode the Yorkshire Vet - Julian Norton - revealed that alpacas have a very tantric style of mating. Sensual lovers: Later in the episode the Yorkshire Vet - Julian Norton - revealed that alpacas have a very tantric style of mating Reaction: Viewers were amused by the talk of the alpacas sex life and took to Twitter to share their reactions, with one writing: '11.23 and being educated on how llamas have sex' Holly couldn't contain her laughter and made a joke after he said that he was an expert in measuring llamas genitals Tantric sex is an ancient Hindu practice which means the 'weaving and expansion of engergy', it's a slow form of mating which aims to increase intimacy and pleasure. Viewers were amused by the talk of the alpacas sex life and took to Twitter to share their reactions, with one writing: '11.23 and being educated on how llamas have sex.' Another said: 'Chatting about alpacas sex lives. As you do! #ThisMorning' This comes after Holly got quite the fright during Wednesday's episode of This Morning as Ingrid Tarrant brought her pet pig onto the programme. The presenter, 38, jumped up onto the sofa and cowered in fear behind her co-presenter Phillip Schofield, while the animal roamed around the studio. While Holly squealed at the sight of pet pig George, Phillip appeared enamoured with the creature and ended up giving it a smooch after saying 'kissy kissy'. Not sure! Holly got quite the fright during Wednesday's episode of This Morning as Ingrid Tarrant brought her pet pig onto the programme The fearful presenter admitted: 'Anything but a medium sized dog, I am a little bit frightened.' Ingrid, 65, attempted to reassure Holly by saying: 'He's fine, he's not going to eat you!, however Holly quipped back: 'I've seen his teeth!' Phil was keen to get to know the pig a little better as he told them he was bringing the creature 'closer and closer', while Holly continued to back away. Ingrid instructed Phil to 'give him a kiss', before telling the host to say 'kissy, kissy' to the animal. Ahh! The presenter, 38, jumped up onto the sofa and hid in fear behind her co-presenter Phillip Schofield, while the animal roamed around the studio. Give us a smooch! While Holly squealed at the sight of the pet pit, Phillip appeared enamoured with the creature and ended up giving it a smooch after saying 'kissy kissy' Phil said: 'He might bite my face off. Kissy George, he won't. He's not into me at all.' 'Have I got to go closer?', Phil questioned. After persevering Phillip managed to give the pig a smooch, and instructed Holly to do the same, but she refused and said: 'No, you've demonstrated that. I am more fond of him, getting used to him. He's massive and huge! Compared to a cockapoo!' The TV personality, who was formerly married to Chris Tarrant, revealed that she originally bought two sibling pigs called Peter and Louise. Global alarm mounts over a rapidly spreading new coronavirus in China, but just how worried should you be? The fast spread of a new coronavirus in China has prompted global alarm, with neighbouring states closing their borders, global airlines suspending flights and some governments barring entry to foreign nationals who have recently been to the Asian country. The rapidly spreading virus, which is thought to have originated in the central city of Wuhan in late December and has since been detected in more than two dozen countries, has infected at least 74,576 people and killed some 2,118 in mainland China. Two people in Hong Kong, one in the Philippines, three in Japan, one in France, one person in Taiwan, one person in South Korea, and two people in Iran have also died from the virus, known as COVID-19. In a bid to limit its spread to countries with weak health systems, the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 30 declared the new outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. The UN health agency initially criticised the international travel curbs and flight suspensions against China, but on February 11 said countries should be as aggressive as possible in combating the virus. Key questions answered So just how dangerous is COVID-19 and how worried should you be? The simple answer is we do not know enough yet and will not know until more data becomes available. But experts say the key factors are how contagious the new virus is and what proportion of infected people become severely ill. The new coronavirus is part of a family of viruses that include the common cold and the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which also originated in China in 2002. It spreads primarily through droplets dispersed when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and can also be transmitted via contaminated surfaces. According to Chinese statistics, about 2 percent of people infected with COVID-19 have died so far. In comparison, about 10 percent of the 8,437 people infected with SARS during the 2002-2003 outbreak died, while the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), which originated in Saudi Arabia in 2012, had a fatality rate of about 35 percent. Seasonal influenza outbreaks, meanwhile, kill less than 0.1 percent of people who fall ill, but as many as one billion people are estimated to catch the flu virus annually. That means between 290,000 and 650,000 people could die from the common cold every year. However, it may be too early to estimate fatality rates for the new coronavirus as we are still in the early stages of the outbreak. And, unlike the common cold, the new type of virus has no vaccine and no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat it. Another key measure in judging the danger of the new virus is its transmissibility. According to an analysis published on January 26 by scientists at Harvard University in the United States, each infected person could pass on the new virus to up to three people on average, making it as contagious as SARS. However, new data since then suggests the virus could be far more infectious it has spread to more than 28,000 people within weeks of its detection, outstripping the total from the months-long SARS outbreak. The WHO says it is people living or travelling in the area where the virus is circulating who are at risk of infection. At present, the virus is circulating in China, and non-Chinese nationals who have been infected are among people who have recently travelled there or who have been living or working closely with such travellers. This suggests the risk to most people outside China is low. Citing preliminary information, the WHO also says the virus only seems to survive on surfaces for a few hours. Simple disinfectants can kill the virus making it no longer possible to infect people, according to the agency. And, while there is still much more we need to learn about how the new coronavirus affects people, it is older people and people with pre-existing medical conditions who are more at risk of becoming severely ill if infected, according to the WHO. To protect against any viral illness, the global health agency recommends that people wash their hands frequently and avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth to minimise the risk of transmission. It also recommends covering the mouth and nose with an elbow or tissue while sneezing and coughing, and seeking medical care in case of fever, cough and shortness of breath. When it comes to the scary behavior San Franciscans see on our streets people ranting at no one, stripping off their clothes or threatening strangers theres often a clear culprit: methamphetamines. Starting this spring, there will finally be a clear, short-term answer: a sobering center designed specifically for those high on meth. Believed to be the nations first sobering center aimed at people experiencing meth-induced psychosis rather than high on any sort of drug, the facility will open late this spring on a city-owned parking lot at 180 Jones St. in the Tenderloin. A sobering center was the No. 1 recommendation from Mayor London Breeds meth task force, and the mayor said it can serve the dual purpose of getting high people off the streets and connecting them to addiction treatment and other services once theyre indoors. The reality is that drug use and overdoses are on the rise, and doing nothing is not an option, Breed said in a statement. The public drug use we see every day hurts those who are suffering from addiction as well as the surrounding communities. The spike in meth addiction in the city has been a main driver of the crowding of the psychiatric emergency room at San Francisco General Hospital, overwhelming medical staff there and sometimes resulting in patients being released back to the streets before theyre ready. From 2017 to 2018, 47% of all visits to the citys psychiatric emergency room were related to meth use. The hope is that the sobering center can relieve some of that pressure. The future site of the center was the subject of a mini-controversy when the Mayors Office of Housing asked the public for ideas to enliven the garbage-strewn, underused lot at Turk and Jones Streets in the Tenderloin as it awaits ground-breaking for a 71-unit affordable housing complex. In the slow world of San Francisco development, shovels wont go in the ground for two years. Brian Feulner / Special to The Chronicle The only applicant to activate the space in the meantime was Amy Farah Weiss, a two-time mayoral candidate and founder of the St. Francis Homelessness Challenge, who proposed building a tiny-home village and wellness center on the site. She even had a way to pay for it: funds from an early employee at Facebook who wants to remain anonymous. The Mayors Office of Housing in December told her the whole idea was on hold and left the sad lot empty and ringed with homeless people in tents. When I wrote about it last month, a spokesman for the housing office said cryptically that the mayors administration was looking at city-owned sites that may be viable to aid in addressing needs related to those experiencing homelessness. Now we know the plan. Tents will be erected on the site sometime in the next few months to house 15 beds for people to come down from their meth highs and a staff of nurses and peer counselors to advise them about longer-term help like treatment beds, shelter beds and care for their mental and physical health. The facility will be open around-the-clock and will be run by HealthRight 360, one of the largest providers of drug treatment in the city. It will have a driver and van stationed outside to pick up anybody spotted exhibiting meth-induced psychosis. It may eventually accept people from hospital emergency rooms, but will begin by accepting people only from the streets. Those calls for help could come from police officers, outreach workers or other city staffers. The Department of Public Health is also working on a way for regular city residents to get their calls to 311 diverted to the sobering center if they see a person exhibiting signs of meth-induced psychosis. Each person delivered in the van will be assessed at the sobering centers front door and has the option to leave at any time. The person could stay at the sobering center as long as needed, but the estimate is most people would stay eight to 10 hours. The facility will have security guards on site, as well as showers and storage for peoples belongings. It doesnt appear that the mayors office has done much community outreach to let the neighborhood know about the sobering-center plans, and it could receive push-back from neighbors tired of the Tenderloin being the home of so many homeless and drug services. But the mayors office maintains the center will be an improvement to the site and, frankly, it would be hard for the blighted lot to get any worse. Plus, a meth-sobering center is clearly needed, and the first one has to go somewhere. The mayor plans to open more, and heres hoping theyre sprinkled around the city. Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, co-chair of the meth task force, has said he would welcome sobering centers in his district, which includes the Castro and Noe Valley. 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. Bold, persistent experimentation should be the order of the day right now, he said. We should be trying everything. Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle Dr. Anton Nigusse Bland, the mayors point person for fixing San Franciscos broken mental health and drug addiction treatment systems, said the goal is to make the sobering center safe, warm and welcoming. A similar 12-bed sobering center for people who are drunk exists at Seventh and Mission Streets and is open around-the-clock. It had 5,000 visits last year. Nigusse Bland said the goal is for the centers staff to develop a relationship with people who are addicted to meth and eventually get them to accept longer term help. Breed in December implemented an online bed tracker so anybody can see in real time where treatment beds are available. She is also working to add more mental health and drug treatment beds to the system as a whole. Nigusse Bland said people high on meth often experience paranoia and hallucinations and think theyre being attacked when theyre not. Thats why its not unusual to see crazed people seeming to fight the air or yell at nobody. They might not even recognize other people are there depending on their state, he said. Oftentimes, theyre just afraid and need somewhere safe to be. Soon, theyll finally have it. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight usually appears Sundays and Tuesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf Instagram: @heatherknightsf 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. But the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses. If, on the other hand, you like companies that have revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Tsaker Chemical Group (HKG:1986). While that doesn't make the shares worth buying at any price, you can't deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. 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. View our latest analysis for Tsaker Chemical Group How Fast Is Tsaker Chemical Group Growing Its Earnings Per Share? In the last three years Tsaker Chemical Group's earnings per share took off like a rocket; fast, and from a low base. So the actual rate of growth doesn't tell us much. Thus, it makes sense to focus on more recent growth rates, instead. Like a firecracker arcing through the night sky, Tsaker Chemical Group's EPS shot from CN0.19 to CN0.49, over the last year. Year on year growth of 154% is certainly a sight to behold. The best case scenario? That the business has hit a true inflection point. 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. Tsaker Chemical Group shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 21% to 40%, and revenue is growing. That's great to see, on both counts. The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers. SEHK:1986 Income Statement, February 5th 2020 Since Tsaker Chemical Group is no giant, with a market capitalization of HK$1.7b, so you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects. Story continues Are Tsaker Chemical Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? Personally, I like to see high insider ownership of a company, since it suggests that it will be managed in the interests of shareholders. So we're pleased to report that Tsaker Chemical Group insiders own a meaningful share of the business. In fact, they own 51% of the company, so they will share in the same delights and challenges experienced by the ordinary shareholders. To me this is a good sign because it suggests they will be incentivised to build value for shareholders over the long term. With that sort of holding, insiders have about CN859m riding on the stock, at current prices. 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. A brief analysis of the CEO compensation suggests they are. For companies with market capitalizations between CN702m and CN2.8b, like Tsaker Chemical Group, the median CEO pay is around CN2.0m. The Tsaker Chemical Group CEO received CN1.5m in compensation for the year ending December 2018. That comes in below the average for similar sized companies, and seems pretty reasonable to me. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when its reasonable that does give me a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense. Is Tsaker Chemical Group Worth Keeping An Eye On? Tsaker Chemical Group's earnings per share have taken off like a rocket aimed right at the moon. The cherry on top is that insiders own a bucket-load of shares, and the CEO pay seems really quite reasonable. The sharp increase in earnings could signal good business momentum. Big growth can make big winners, so I do think Tsaker Chemical Group is worth considering carefully. Of course, profit growth is one thing but it's even better if Tsaker Chemical Group 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. Although Tsaker Chemical Group certainly looks good to me, I would like it more if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, too, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for. 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. Kolkata, Feb 6 : The stand-off between the Raj Bhavan and the West Bengal government over the Governor's address in the state Assembly intensified on Thursday -- on the eve of the scheduled event -- with the Mamata Banerjee regime turning down the Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar's suggestions on replacements and additions of paragraphs to the text of the speech approved by the Cabinet. Sticking to his stand, the Governor said that he had the right to make his suggestions as the constitutional head of the state. According to the Raj Bhavan, the text of the address to be delivered by Dhankhar to the state Assembly under Article 176 of the Constitution was sent by the government after Cabinet approval on February 3. "Thereafter the Governor sent his suggestions as regards replacements/additions to certain paragraphs and some additions of new paragraphs to the state government on Thursday morning. "The stand of the state government on the issue was communicated to the Raj Bhavan in the evening, and the government has taken the stand that the text of the address as already sent is the final text," a Raj Bhavan release said. The statement said that Dhankhar had indicated that he would address the issue in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and "that his consistent position all through has been that there has to be strict adherence by all to the Constitution of India". "He also asserted that he will never cross the 'Lakshman Rekha' and not countenance deviation of the Constitution from constitutional provisions by the executive or any authority in the state," the statement said. Meanwhile, interacting with the media in Shantiniketan in Birbhum district, where he inaugurated a rural fair, Dhankhar said that 'history' will be made in the Assembly on Friday. "New history will be scripted as for the first time a Governor born after Independence will address the Assembly for such an address under the Constitution," he said. Referring to the government stand on the speech, Dhankhar said it has the full right to put in the address "all that they want". "They can put their policies, they can put their impressions, they can put their ideas, they can indicate their achievements. That address duly approved by the Cabinet has been sent to me. As the constitutional head, I have the right to make my suggestions," he said. On Wednesday, Dhankhar had hinted at making additions or deletions to the address. A former hitman who killed hundreds of people for the late drug lord Pablo Escobar has died following a short battle with cancer. Jhon Jairo Velasquez, who was also widely known as Popeye, died at the National Cancer Institute in Bogota aged 57, the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute said. Velasquez admitted to carrying out at least 300 murders himself and said he helped coordinate the deaths of some 3,000 other individuals on behalf of Escobars Medellin cartel during the 1980s and 90s. He spent 23 years behind bars for plotting the murder of an ex-presidential candidate and was released in 2014 on parole. Popeye, right, organized thousands of murders for Pablo Escobar, left / Getty Images After being released, he went on to gain notoriety as an author and YouTube celebrity who delivered angry diatribes against leftist rebels and corrupt politicians and at one point expressed a desire to run for a seat in the senate. But he didnt stay out of jail for long. In 2017, authorities announced they were seeking his arrest for violating parole after he was caught partying with a major drug trafficker wanted by the U.S. He was eventually captured in 2018 on charges of extortion. Velasquez spoke of the murders he committed on Escobars behalf in a cold, matter-of-faction fashion, describing in one television interview how he preferred using a revolver and worked from the eyebrows up. John Jairo Velasquez Vasquez pictured at court with his lawyer / AFP via Getty Images Because Im a professional assassin, he said. In a meeting with the daughter of Diana Turbay, a Colombian journalist kidnapped by the Medellin cartel who died from a gunshot wound after a botched rescue attempt, Velasquez said he took responsibility for the crime. I want to ask you for forgiveness, he said. He admitted to participating in some of Colombias most notorious crimes, including the assassination of Luis Carlos Galan, who was poised to win the presidency when he was shot to death in 1989 after speaking out against powerful drug cartels, and the 1989 bombing of an Avianca flight that left 107 dead. Jhon Jairo Velasquez visits the tomb of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar / AFP via Getty Images Escobar died during a firefight with security forces in Medellin in 1993. Even while asking for forgiveness, Velasquez continued to express admiration for his former boss, describing him once as a good friend and a good enemy. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An updated modern version of the classic book and movie Mr. Smith goes to Washington could now aptly be retitled Mr. Romney goes to Washingtrump." Senator Mitt Romneys announcement that he would vote to convict President Donald Trump on one Article of Impeachment, Abuse of Power, was a true profile in courage, conscience and the U.S. Constitution. Romney became the first U.S. Senator to render a guilty verdict against an Impeached president from his own party. No Democrat U.S. Senators had voted to convict Impeached Democrat Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton. From the Senate floor, Romney explained why and how he made his decision out of duty to his oath, faith, conscience and the U.S. Constitution. The following are some excerpts from Romneys historic remarks. As a Senator-juror, I swore and oath before God, to exercise impartial justice. I am a profoundly religious person. I take an oath before God as enormously consequential. Were I to ignore the evidence that has been presented, and disregard what I believe my oath and the Constitution demands of me for the sake of a partisan end, it would, I fear, expose my character to historys rebuke and the censure of my own conscience. The historic meaning of the words high crimes and misdemeanors, the writings of the Founders and my own reasoned judgement convince me that a president can indeed commit acts against the public trust that are so egregious that while they are not statutory crimes, they would demand removal from office. The defense argues that the Senate should leave the impeachment decision to voters. While that logic is appealing to our democratic instincts, it is inconsistent with the Constitutions requirement that the Senate, not the voters, try the president. Hamilton explained that the Founders decision to invest senators with this obligation rather than leave it to voters was intended to minimize - to the extent possible - the partisan sentiments of the public. The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the President committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor." Yes he did." What the President did was wrong, grievously wrong. What he did was not perfect - No, it was a flagrant assault on our electoral right, our national security interests, and our fundamental values. Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of ones oath that I can imagine." Less surprising then Sen Romneys verdict vote was Donald Trump Jr.'s rapid, rabid and crude response to it on social media. On Instagram Don Jr. posted a photo of Romney wearing high-waisted jeans, using the p-word to describe him. Under the photo Don Jr. wrote Mom Jeans, Because youre a p****. Don Jr. followed that with this twitter post. "Mitt Romney is forever bitter that he will never be POTUS. He was too weak to beat the Democrats then so hes joining them now. Hes now officially a member of the resistance & should be expelled from the @GOP." Don Jr. is conveniently disregarding the fact that President Trump himself was a former contributor and supporter of President Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and pro-choice advocates, in the not to distant past. This morning at the National Prayer Breakfast, President Trump tersely took Romney and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to task for invoking their religious faith. "I dont like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong. Nor do I like people who say, I pray for you,' when they know thats not so. preached the leader of the Trump cult devoted to sexual harassment a political corruption. The president will formally address his acquittal in the U.S. Senates sham Impeachment trial at noon from the White House. Wednesday afternoon when I flipped on the cable news and saw Sen. Romney at the podium, my first thought was that he represented the true Grand Old Party which has now been hijacked by Trump and his cult. I remembered how Romney was once the Republican nominee for President. I imagined how it would be for the Republican Party and Nation if Romney was now president instead of Trump, then Romney began his admirable address. Founding member of the Church Peter Koppes has stepped away from the band, leaving Steve Kilbey out front as the only original member of the group that first came together in 1980 in Sydney. Alongside Kilbey and Koppes in those earliest days of the Church was guitarist Marty Wilson-Piper, originally from Liverpool, who joined the band within hours of meeting Kilbey and Koppes. All three appeared on the band's first album, Of Skins and Heart, but it will be new guitarist Ash Naylor lining up on the band's next album, which Kilbey this week said was in the works. Ash Naylor on stage in Melbourne in 2018. Credit:Tameika Brumby Touring band member Jeffrey Cain, who has been part of the Church's live line-up since 2017, is now a full-time member of the band along with former Powderfinger guitarist Ian Haug and drummer Tim Powles, who've been in the band since 2013 and 1994 respectively. Naylor, who is a long-time member of Paul Kelly's touring band, is one of Australia's most respected guitarists, having played with much loved Melbourne trio Even since they formed in 1994. Naylor started out as a teenage guitarist in the late 1980s with the Swarm and along with his many musical collaborations over the years, he's also been a member of the Grapes, the Stems, a long serving member of television's RocKwiz Orkestra and has released a couple of solo albums under his own name. CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government will set up a science centre at a cost of over Rs 30 crore in Ambala cantonment. Named Aryabhatta Vigyan Kendra, the centre will come up on five acres adjoining the War Memorial in the cantonment. Additional chief secretary, science and technology, Amit Jha said the work on the centre will begin in April and it will be completed by December 2021. Jha said this while presiding over a meeting on Wednesday to finalise modalities for the implementation of the project. A week ago, the state government had said a science city will be developed in Gurgaon. Jha said the centre will have a science gallery, 270-degree immersive projection hall, 3D auditorium and a cafeteria besides other facilities. During the meeting, it was decided that the building of the centre will be constructed by the PWD (B&R), while galleries and exhibits will be installed by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Kolkata. Jha said the Kalpana Chawla Memorial Planetarium at Kurukshetra will also be upgraded by the NCSM. D onald Trump has claimed full vindication and exoneration after surviving his historic impeachment trial in the Senate. The White House welcomed the decision to acquit the president, branding the proceedings a witch hunt based on a series of lies. But lashing out following the verdict on Wednesday night, Nancy Pelosi described the move as a betrayal of the Constitution. The House speaker, who led the impeachment proceedings, added that Mr Trump remains an ongoing threat to democracy. Donald Trump has described his acquittal as the 'country's victory on the impeachment hoax' / Getty Images Senators voted 52-48 in favour of clearing the US leader of abuse of power, and then 53-47 of obstruction of Congress investigation. Despite surviving the trial, Ms Pelosi said, Mr Trump "has been impeached forever". The outcome marked the end of only the third impeachment trial of a president in US history. The sham impeachment attempt concocted by Democrats ended in the full vindication and exoneration of President Donald J Trump, the White House said. Mr Trump said he would make a public statement on the "country's victory on the impeachment hoax" on Thursday. On the first article of impeachment, Mr Trump was charged with abusing his power by pressuring Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden. One Republican, Mitt Romney, joined the Democrats in voting for conviction. No Democrats voted for acquittal. Mr Romney called Mr Trump's actions "perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of oath of office that I can imagine". Utah Sen. Romney Says He Will Vote In Favor Of The Article Of Impeachment Against Trump The outcome of the trial capped nearly five months of impeachment proceedings launched in Ms Pelosi's House of Representatives. Mr Trump had eagerly predicted vindication, deploying the verdict as a political anthem in his re-election bid. The president claimed he did nothing wrong, repeatedly branding the bid to remove him from office a "witch hunt" and "hoax". Presiding officer Chief Justice of the US John Roberts reads the results of the vote on the first article of impeachment, abuse of power / AP A whistleblower complaint of Mr Trumps conversation with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy set off alarms that led to the presidents impeachment. The call had been placed the day after Mueller announced the findings of his Russia probe. When Mr Trump told Mr Pelosi in September that the call was perfect, she was stunned. "Perfectly wrong," she said. Days later, the speaker announced the formal impeachment inquiry. The result in the House was the quickest, most partisan impeachment in US history, with no Republicans joining the House Democrats to vote for the charges In her own statement following the non-guilty verdict, Ms Pelosi wrote: Sadly, because of the Republican Senates betrayal of the Constitution, the President remains an ongoing threat to American democracy, with his insistence that he is above the law and that he can corrupt the elections if he wants to. NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / February 5, 2020 / Gaucho - Buenos Aires, an emerging luxury label with global ambitions, is pleased to announce they have appointed in-house designer, Lautaro Amadeo Tambutto as the brand's Creative Director. His role and primary duties as a designer will now be expanded, managing the conception, design, and on-brand execution of materials for the brand. Tambutto will be working primarily out of the business's headquarters in New York City, as well as the atelier in Buenos Aires' upmarket Recoleta district. Off the heels of a successful debut at New York Fashion Week in September 2019, Tambutto joined the growing Gaucho - Buenos Aires brand in December, with plans to incorporate creative silhouettes and lots of leather with an urban spin for the young and culturally aware clientele. Tambutto's "GPS Collection" - slated for 2020-2021 - plots a course on a fashion journey that builds upon contemporary urban and athleisure trends. By injecting elegance and sophistication into streetwear fashion, Tambutto intends to elevate streetwear casual to streetwear elegance, and seeks to globally position Gaucho - Buenos Aires' spirit of Argentina as a major presence in the fashion landscape. Born in Argentina, Tambutto's family originally hails from San Antonio de Areco - otherwise known as the home of the Gaucho. Having received his training in Italy, Vogue Italia has described his aesthetic as a "very modern and richly inspired take on sportswear," and it is indeed an appealing mix of references - "the sweet spot between sportswear, traditional tailoring and Latin American influences," Tambutto says. It all resonates strongly with Gaucho - Buenos Aires' own design DNA. Tambutto sees immense possibilities for the emerging brand to put Buenos Aires on the luxury fashion map and looks forward to bringing long-overdue recognition to Argentinian design. "I'm very excited about taking over the creative direction of Gaucho and working with such a professional group. The team's support and mutual understanding of each other helps us move forward in the right direction. Since the beginning of my career, I saw the image of the Gaucho as an icon and my inspiration, and now with this opportunity as Creative Director for Gaucho - Buenos Aires, I have the platform to show the world my vision, my traditions, and a canvas to highlight this beautiful culture," said Tambutto. Story continues "We could not be more excited to promote Lautaro into his new role as Creative Director. His positive attitude, heritage and talent lends to the authenticity of our brand" said Scott Mathis, Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc.'s Founder & Chairman. "Lautaro's creative vision and style pairs perfectly with Gaucho - Buenos Aires' growing collection of products, the authenticity of Argentina, and the elegance and style of Buenos Aires. We look forward to great things from our team in the future. Our company's future lies in e-commerce, where we have the opportunity to achieve global scale. About Gaucho - Buenos Aires Gaucho - Buenos Aires blends the quality of a bygone era with a sophisticated, modern, global outlook. The brand's beautifully handcrafted clothing and accessories herald the birth of Buenos Aires' finest designer label. In September 2019, Gaucho - Buenos Aires entered the US market with a Spring/Summer 2020 runway show at NYFW celebrating the romance and glamour of Buenos Aires with a modern twist. Drawing on the cosmopolitan vibe of Buenos Aires and the spirit of traditional Gaucho culture, Gaucho - Buenos Aires (www.gauchobuenosaires.com) is a new destination for luxury ready-to-wear and leather accessories. Weaving artisan techniques and materials into innovative contemporary designs, Gaucho is gaining traction as an emerging designer brand to watch. CONTACT: Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc. Rick Stear, Director of Marketing 212.739.7669 rstear@gauchoholdings.com SOURCE: Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/575409/Gaucho-Buenos-Aires-Appoints-New-Creative-Director-Lautaro-Amadeo-Tambutto Washington: The United States on Wednesday announced the launch of a 27-nation International Religious Freedom Alliance, which will try to adopt a collective approach in protecting and preserving religious freedom across the world. It is an Alliance of "like-minded partners who treasure, and fight for, international religious freedom for every human being", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in his address during the formal launch. Among the prominent countries to join the alliance are Austria, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Israel, Ukraine, the Netherlands and Greece. "Defending the right of all people to live their lives according to their conscience is one of this administration's top priorities," Pompeo said in his address. "Indeed, we must affirm, and fight for, that truth now more than ever. More than eight in 10 people in the world today live where they cannot practice their faith freely," he said. "We condemn terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities, whether they are Yezidis in Iraq, Hindus in Pakistan, Christians in northeast Nigeria, or Muslims in Burma," Pompeo said. "We condemn blasphemy and apostasy laws that criminalize matters of the soul. We condemn the Chinese Communist Party's hostility to all faiths. We know several of you courageously pushed back against Chinese pressure by agreeing to be part of this Alliance, and we thank you for that," Pompeo said. "Finally, our Alliance is off on the right foot as countries do their parts to advance this mission," the top American diplomat said. During the launch meeting, according to a senior State Department official, participating countries are to discuss kind of areas that they are going to work and focus on. "The areas will include things like technology and religious oppression, blasphemy and apostasy laws, for instance. Toolbox will include things like, whether it's putting out statements, actions that can take place in international bodies that the group can come together and hopefully come behind, the possibilities of sanctions being used," said the official. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that it is a consensual body. Every nation is not bound to join in each of the items that come forth. "But as countries look at this and say that's something we're interested in, then they can join. And if they decide, look, that's not one we're interested in, then they won't, and there is no penalty or foul for any of participation or nonparticipation," the official said. WILMINGTON, Del., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- M. Davis & Sons, an award-winning company, has been building, installing and servicing corporate facilities for five generations. The company is celebrating its 150 years in business in 2020. With humble beginnings as a tinsmith shop in 1870, M. Davis & Sons has evolved to include more than 475 employees with a commitment to providing safety and quality craftmanship. M. Davis & Sons started with primarily providing services to the Delaware paper mills and DuPont, and have since greatly expanded, working for large pharmaceutical companies including AstraZeneca, and food and beverage companies including Delaware's own Dogfish Head Brewery. M. Davis & Sons has served as an employer to residents in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland for decades. They provide apprenticeship programs for the State of Delaware because of a strong, ongoing desire to grow careers in the trades. M. Davis' own Vice President, Eric Koelsch, teaches electrical apprenticeship classes for the state. With 5 manufacturing and fabrication shops in the Mid-Atlantic region, M. Davis & Sons positions itself to sustain employees, and continuously grow its book of business. Their complete construction, fabrication and maintenance capabilities produce customized, turnkey solutions for mechanical, electrical and control systems. The company has an excellent track record of professionalism and reliability. Quality workmanship, seasoned project management, and a dedication to safety are some of the core values at M. Davis & Sons. M. Davis & Sons also celebrated 10 years of being certified with the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) at the end of 2019, which is the largest 3rd party certifier of women owned businesses. The company attributes much of their growing success to receiving their certification and has since started their own Supplier Diversity program to work with diverse vendors to identify opportunities within M. Davis. In doing so, they continue to promote economic growth and community development. Peggy Del Fabbro, CEO of M. Davis & Sons, Inc. reflects on the company's 150-year anniversary by saying, "This has been the most fascinating 30 years of my life. We started out with a commitment to impeccable workmanship and a "Do What You Say You Are Going to Do" attitude towards every project while providing excellent customer service. Our beliefs are the same today. A big thank you to the hundreds of valued customers and partners that have played a major role in our growth and success." SOURCE M. Davis & Sons, Inc. Related Links http://www.mdavisinc.com A view of the Solar Orbiter spacecraft in the clean room. (Image credit: Amy Thompson/Space.com) CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. Final steps are underway here to prepare the next sun-observing spacecraft, a $1.5 billion joint project between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), for launch. Dubbed Solar Orbiter, the spacecraft will blast off from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station here in Florida, atop a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket. The craft will lift off sometime during a planned 2-hour window that opens on Sunday (Feb. 9) at 11:03 p.m. EST (0403 GMT on Feb. 10). The 3,970-lb. (1800 kilograms) spacecraft, encased in its protective fairing, was hoisted on top of its rocket on Friday (Jan.31), so teams can now finish prepping the duo for the upcoming flight. But before the spacecraft rolled to the launchpad, Space.com got a look at it in the clean room. Related: European Solar Orbiter will give us our first look at the sun's poles Solar Orbiter arrived at the Astrotech Space Operations facility in Titusville, Florida, late last year. (Astrotech, located near NASA's Kennedy Space Center, is one of two processing facilities in the area that readies spacecraft for launch.) NASA invited journalists to the facility to see the spacecraft up close. Representatives from ULA, ESA and NASA were on hand to discuss the mission. In a large conference room, a model of the spacecraft, deployed as it would be in space, stood in front of an image of the sun. Next to the model sat Cesar Garcia, Solar Orbiter project manager at ESA. He gave a general overview of the mission, explaining that the spacecraft is not going to fly as close to the sun as NASA'S Parker Solar Probe (PSP), but Solar Orbiter will stare directly at the sun something PSP doesn't do (and neither should you). A model of the spacecraft deployed as it would be in space. (Image credit: Amy Thompson/Space.com) "It's going to take the closest pictures of the sun ever taken," said Garcia. "And we're going outside of the ecliptic plane and taking pictures of the sun's polar regions." This mission is all about studying the sun, and a close vantage point allows for better observations, Garcia said. Solar Orbiter will be used to study how the sun creates and controls the heliosphere, the vast, bubble-like region of space that contains the solar system. The spacecraft will combine in situ and remote-sensing observations to increase our understanding of the sun and its processes. Penelope Herbst, a contamination engineer for NASA's Launch Services Program, led the team who took us into the clean room. "I want to prepare you for what's going to happen to you," she told us. "We're going to take you downstairs [to the clean room], get you garmented up, inspect your equipment and get you in." Cesar Garcia, Solar Orbiter project manager at ESA, gives a brief overview of the mission. (Image credit: Amy Thompson/Space.com) Garcia explained that the spacecraft needs to be kept very clean because "The instruments are very sensitive to things like particles and molecular contamination." Basically, if any bits of DNA, residue from things like perfume, or dirt from outside the clean room came in contact with the spacecraft, it could spell disaster for Solar Orbiter's instruments. So we all made sure to follow the rules. "At the end of the day, this mission is about allowing our scientists to do the best science, and they can only do that if the instruments are clean," Garcia added. No pressure, right? The spacecraft was housed in a large clean room. Anyone who enters has to follow a strict protocol, including wearing a special garment known as a bunny suit. Donning appropriate clean-room attire is a detailed, multistep process, and a team of folks was stationed in the changing room to ensure that everyone got properly outfitted. Space in the changing room is limited, so only a few people were allowed in at a time. Everyone in the clean room has to wear a super fashionable "bunny suit," like the one I'm wearing here. (Image credit: Amy Thompson/Space.com) The first thing I had to do before I could even enter the changing room was clean my shoes. A special motorized brushing machine sat just inside the door; this removed outside dirt and other materials from my shoes. Next, I was given a pair of cloth booties to slip over my shoes, and then I walked into the changing room. I handed over all camera equipment to the clean room staff, who certified it germ-free after scrubbing it down with alcohol wipes. Herbst handed me a cloth jumpsuit to put on over my clothes. I've been in other clean rooms before and even though this was my first time inside this clean room at Astrotech, the process is the same. "I've dressed you before," she said. "You know the drill." I had to put on another pair of booties to go over the cloth ones; the new pair zipped up to the knees and also covered the jumpsuit. Finally came the piece de resistance: a cloth hood with an opening just large enough for my face. After I got suited up, Penelope made sure that my outfit was tucked in properly. I put on a pair of rubber gloves, and she applied special tape to my outfit to make sure everything was sealed in place. Now I was ready to see a spacecraft! But there was just one more thing I needed to do: walk through the air shower. This shower is an integral part of the clean room procedures, serving as one final safeguard to prevent unwanted particles from ending up on spacecraft. These showers always remind me of the ones I've seen in movies and on TV, like when scientists decontaminate themselves after handling infectious diseases. You open one door, it shuts behind you, and then you're blasted with jets of air to make sure any remaining contaminants are gone. Now, I was finally able to enter the clean room. An up close look at some of Solar Orbiter's instruments. (Image credit: Amy Thompson/Space.com) Solar Orbiter looked a lot different in its launch configuration than the model I'd seen earlier. Its solar panels were tucked away, and its instruments were packed up, but luckily, Ian Walters, the mission's project manager from Airbus Defence and Space (the company that built the spacecraft) was on hand to give us a tour of the spacecraft and its instruments. Solar Orbiter's suite of 10 instruments combine in situ (directly around the spacecraft) and remote sensing (looking at the sun) measurements. Together, these instruments will analyze the sun's magnetic field, study the solar wind or energetic particles flowing from the sun and much more. Five of the instruments peer through holes in the spacecraft's heat shield to observe the sun, while a few look at the environment around the probe to measure solar particles and radiation. Walters pointed out the spacecraft's magnetometer and plasma analyzers. He also explained which instrument belongs to NASA; that instrument, called SoloHi, is a heliospheric imager, designed to image the solar wind and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). The round dish represents the spacecraft's high-gain antenna, which the probe uses to beam data back to Earth. (Image credit: Amy Thompson/Space.com) A high-gain antenna (which looks like a 1.8-meter, or 6 feet, dish) will beam all the data back to Earth. Meanwhile, a combination of medium- and low-gain antennas will help the spacecraft talk to its science team when the probe's closer to Earth in its orbit. Solar Orbiter is scheduled to launch on Sunday (Feb. 9) and is expected to make its first science measurements as early as May. Full science operations will commence in November 2021; that's when the craft's imagers will come online. Follow Amy Thompson on Twitter @astrogingersnap. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook. Energizer Holdings, Inc. ENR posted an earnings miss in first-quarter fiscal 2020, wherein the metric also declined year over year. The top line however improved year over year. Moreover, the company reiterated the view for fiscal 2020. Q1 in Detail Adjusted earnings came in at 85 cents per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 99 cents and declined 48.2% from the year-ago quarters $1.64. This can be blamed on the decline in earnings before income taxes coupled with higher interest expenses. Energizer Holdings, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Energizer Holdings, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Energizer Holdings, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Energizer Holdings, Inc. Quote The company reported net sales of $736.8 million, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $736 million by a slight margin. Also, sales rose 28.8% on a year-over-year basis buoyed by strength in acquired businesses, partly offset by lower organic sales and adverse currency fluctuations, excluding Argentina. Meanwhile, organic sales fell 3.4% during the quarter, mainly because of lower replenishment and phasing of holiday promotional activity. Segments in Detail Batteries revenues (84.4% of total revenues) increased 19.2% year over year to $621.9 million, while revenues at the Auto Care segment grew from $20.5 million to $78.7 million. Revenues at Lights and Licensing segment improved 22.7% to $36.2 million. In the Americas, the company recorded revenues of $514.5 million, up 37.8% from the year-ago quarter. Revenues at the International segment amounted to $222.3 million, mirroring an increase of 12% from the year-ago quarter. Margins Energizers adjusted gross margin contracted 640 basis points (bps) to 41.8%, primarily due to the buyout of lower-margin profile businesses, increased product costs, and adverse impact of foreign currency and tariffs. This was partly compensated by gains from pricing and realized synergies. SG&A expenses, excluding acquisition and integration costs, amounted to $111 million, reflecting an increase of $25.3 million from the year-ago quarter. This includes the addition of $23.5 million from the acquired business. Further, advertising and sales promotion expenses totaled $46.8 million, highlighting an increase of 14.4% from the year-ago quarter. Furthermore, the company reported earnings before income taxes of $58.7 million in the quarter. This represents a decline of 34.8% year over year. Other Financial Details Energizer ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $293.5 million, long-term debt of $3,383.6 million and shareholders' equity of $587.5 million. Cash flow generated from operations was $123.5 million in the first three months of fiscal 2020, while capital expenditures grossed $11.7 million. Adjusted free cash flow summed $136.7 million at quarter-end. During the quarter, the company paid dividends of $22.7 million for its common stock and $4 million for mandatory preferred convertible stocks. Other Developments Subsequent to the quarter, Energizer completed the sale of its Europe-based Varta consumer battery business to Germany-based VARTA Aktiengesellschaft (VARTA AG). The $2-billion battery business operates in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The deal will help VARTA AG expand its product portfolio and strengthen position in the portable battery space. The initial sale proceeds received from Varta AG and Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. SPB were nearly $345 million. Proceeds are utilized to clear the companys downtime term loan debt. Guidance Despite soft earnings in the quarter, this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company is on track to achieve its current-year plans and long-term goals. Moreover, it is encouraged about its initiatives to expand market positions in the Batteries, Lights and Auto Care categories. Also, it expects to deliver organic sales growth and recognize significant integration synergies. Notably, management reaffirmed its fiscal 2020 view. The outlook includes a full-year impact of the acquisitions concluded in the second quarter of last fiscal. However, it excludes gains related to the storm activity in current fiscal, which if occurs, will be incremental. Energizer continues to project fiscal 2020 reported net sales increase in the range of 9-10%. This includes organic growth in combined battery business of 1-2% and combined auto care business at 3.5%. Further, the company continues to anticipate gross margin expansion of 10-40 bps for fiscal 2020. Depending on the first-quarter gross margin performance, management projects an improvement of 200-240 bps in the metric over the remainder of the fiscal year. Moreover, adjusted EBITDA is expected in the range of $610-$640 million. The company still expects adjusted earnings per share in the band of $3.00-$3.20. Adjusted free cash flow is anticipated in the range of $310-$340 million for the current fiscal. 2 Consumer Staples Stocks to Watch The Procter & Gamble Company PG has a long-term earnings growth rate of 7.6% and a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. LW has a long-term earnings growth rate of 8.8% and a Zacks Rank #2. More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone! It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market. Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2020. Click here for the 6 trades >> 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 Energizer Holdings, Inc. (ENR) : Free Stock Analysis Report Lamb Weston Holdings Inc. (LW) : Free Stock Analysis Report Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc. (SPB) : Free Stock Analysis Report Procter & Gamble Company (The) (PG) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Delhi Assembly Election 2020 will be held on February 8. To facilitate people, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has announced it will start services at 4 a.m instead of its usual timing of 5 a.m. This will help poll officials and voters reach their destinations on time. "In order to facilitate the polling personnel and others to reach their destinations on time, Delhi Metro services will begin at 4:00 AM on 8 February 2020," DMRC tweeted. Election Update In order to facilitate the polling personnel and others to reach their destinations on time, Delhi Metro services will begin at 4:00 AM on 8 February 2020. pic.twitter.com/hL5TYrcw2g a Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (@OfficialDMRC) February 6, 2020 Delhi will see triangular contest this time, with all three major parties, including Aam Aadmi Party, Bhaaratiya Janata Party and Congress fielding their candidates from all 70 seats. The results for Delhi Assembly polls will be announced on February 11. Besides, budget airline SpiceJet will also offer air ticket prices at discount for those who'll fly to Delhi for voting. The airline has announced to offer 'hundreds' of 'free' tickets to voters flying to Delhi. The airline will waive the base fare while taxes and surcharges will be charged for people flying to and from Delhi. The airline has said it'll refund the entire base fare if a voter flies to Delhi and returns to his destination on the same day on February 8. The campaigning for the Delhi Assembly elections 2020 will end at 6 pm on Thursday. Present Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP had seen a thumping win in 2015 Assembly elections with the party bagging 67 seats, leaving just three (seats) for the BJP. However, this time, it may not be an easy ride for Kejriwal. As per the Election Commission of India, there are 13,750 polling stations in Delhi and around 90,000 policemen will be deployed for the smooth conducting of Delhi election on February 8. Also read: Delhi Election 2020: Voting date, Exit poll result, election FAQs, full schedule, seats Richard Boyle, who earned the moniker "The Straw Hat Bandit" after a string of 19 bank robberies, appears in surveillance video image during one of his hits. Read more John Dillinger robbed 24 banks before he died in a firefight with federal agents in 1934. Charles Pretty Boy Floyd hit as many as 30, while Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow stuck up 15. Richard Boyles nine-year crime spree across the Philadelphia suburbs may not have earned him their level of criminal infamy. But in sheer numbers, he racked up a record to rank among them all. Boyle a mild-mannered father of four from Bucks County dubbed The Straw Hat Bandit for the distinctive disguises he donned during his crimes was sentenced Wednesday to 71 years in prison after robbing an eye-opening 19 banks between 2007 and 2016. But his is not the story of a wayward soul with desperado dreams and the flashy spending habits to match. Despite stealing more than half a million dollars over the course of nearly a decade, Boyle used his ill-gotten gains mostly to pay his bills. More than $7,500 for a seven-year-old used Nissan Sentra. Some $15,000 in rent. Nearly $40,000 to pay off debts to his dentist. And more than $5,000 to cover tuition at Temple University for his daughter. Boyle, 60, said little when granted the opportunity to explain his crimes in court. After insisting on firing his lawyer and representing himself, he politely declined to offer a defense. Facing a 68-year mandatory minimum sentence, he respectfully maintained his innocence. But U.S. District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter wasnt buying his unassuming affect Wednesday, calling him a bit obdurate, and dismissed the notion he was driven to crime by financial distress. You are no Jean Valjean, sir, she said, referring to the Les Miserables protagonist who was sentenced to 19 years of hard labor for stealing bread to feed his family. You had enough skills that you did not have to steal to make money. Unlike the notorious American bank robbers prosecutors compared him to, Boyles origins in the business are remarkable only for their extraordinary ordinariness. Raised in Arizona and South Florida by an abusive father, he ran away and joined the Navy in 1977, found work as a surgical assistant after he was discharged, and eventually settled into a middle-class life with his wife and children in Plumstead Township. But work was slow and money routinely tight. The family fell behind on rent payments and bills kept piling up. Deep into his 40s, Boyle read a story about a bank heist in a local newspaper and thought he could do it better, his former lawyer Craig Penglase recalled. So, Boyle put on a loud Hawaiian-print shirt and a big straw hat and put his outlandish plan into action. This was the kind of guy you dont forget, Penglase, who represented him in an earlier state case, told The Inquirer at the time of Boyles 2017 arrest. It struck me before that he was just embarrassed that he couldnt afford to support his family. Over two years, Boyle managed to steal $102,000 from eight banks in Bucks, Montgomery, Northampton, and Lehigh Counties without ever brandishing a weapon. I remember the tellers saying he was overly polite, Penglase said. His demand notes said please and thank you. One of the tellers said that had it not been her banks policy just to turn the money over to would-be robbers, she might not have. She thought he might just have walked away. Though Boyle was caught in 2008 and served 3 years in state prison, he picked up his old habits again within a year of his release. The reasons for Boyles robberies hadnt changed, but his methods certainly had. This time starting with the May 2012 robbery of a Colonial American Bank Branch in Horsham he developed a distinctive signature that would eventually lead FBI investigators to his door. Covering his face with a makeshift sackcloth mask and donning his distinctive hat, Boyle terrorized bank employees at gunpoint demanding they open their cash drawers and vaults. He targeted banks near holidays and weekends when he knew there would be more cash on hand. In some of his 11 new crimes, he spread bleach on the floor to cover his DNA. And he routinely placed hoax 911 calls to keep local police distracted before his robberies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Livermore said Wednesday that while those decoy emergency calls often slowed down responding police, they also caused collateral damage. Before robbing First Federal Bank in Wrightstown in September 2012, Boyle called in a bomb threat to nearby St. Mary Medical Center, prompting hospital staff to evacuate ill and injured patients and the Federal Aviation Administration to clear the airspace overhead. His report of an active shooter at Temples Ambler campus before another robbery the next year drew more than 20 assault-rifle-toting officers from six different departments, sent students fleeing across the quad, and culminated with police pointing weapons at a maintenance worker, who they believed could be a suspect, as he cowered in fear in a shed. There are bank robberies, and there is what Mr. Boyle did, Livermore said. When you consider the victims inside the bank [and] outside the bank, the damage that he did, hes more than earned that sentence. This time, too, Boyle grew increasingly willing to spend his cash on luxuries. Although he started out as before paying off credit cards, rent, dental bills, and other mundane debts, he splurged over time on things such as a $4,300 Rolex watch and a monthlong vacation he took with his son to the Florida Keys. But as U.S. Marshals led him away at the conclusion of Wednesdays hearing, he exuded none of the brio of a high-rolling Dillinger, a Pretty Boy, a Bonnie or a Clyde. Slump-shouldered and sighing, Boyle deferentially trudged off to spend the rest of his life in prison. Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with his US counterpart Barack Obama on the sidelines of the G20 Leaders Summit in Hangzhou on September 5, 2016. The Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday issued its long-awaited report on how former President Barack Obama handled Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The bipartisan report found that the Obama administration was ill-prepared to handle the novel election interference offensive and recommended that in the future the "public should be informed as soon as possible" if a foreign active measures campaign is detected. "After discovering the existence, if not the full scope, of Russia's election interference efforts in late-2016, the Obama Administration struggled to determine the appropriate response," the committee's GOP chairman, Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, said in a statement. "Frozen by 'paralysis of analysis,' hamstrung by constraints both real and perceived, Obama officials debated courses of action without truly taking one," he said. Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the committee's top Democrat, said that there were "many flaws" with the Obama administration's response but noted that "many of those were due to problems with our own system problems that can and should be corrected." The report was released one day after President Donald Trump was acquitted by the Senate of a charge that he abused his power by seeking to pressure the government of Ukraine to open investigations into former Vice President Joe Biden. He was also acquitted of a charge of obstruction of Congress. Trump has denied any wrongdoing. Trump, who spent the first two years of his presidency dogged by a federal investigation into whether he unlawfully conspired with the Russian government in the 2016 election, has criticized Obama for his handling of the situation. "He did NOTHING, and had no intention of doing anything!" Trump wrote in a post on Twitter last year. The U.S. intelligence community concluded in 2017 that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign during the 2016 campaign targeting Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and that the Russian government had a "clear preference" for Trump. The attacks included the pilfering of data and emails from Democratic National Committee networks which were then released to outlets including WikiLeaks, an anti-secrecy group, in a manner designed to raise doubts about Clinton's viability. The Senate Intelligence Committee also concluded that the Russian government sought to bolster Trump's 2016 election chances. Former special counsel Robert Mueller, who led the investigation into Trump's campaign, concluded that Trump expected to benefit from Russian interference. Mueller, however, did not establish coordination between Trump's associates and the Russian disinformation campaign. Trump tweet The Senate report released Thursday is the third, out of an expected five, stemming from the committee's probe into the government's handling of Russian meddling efforts. The investigation began in 2017 and has proceeded on a largely bipartisan basis, in contrast with parallel congressional inquiries. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. 105-year-old ethnic Armenian Nourhan Josephovich, who is a citizen of Italy, lives in Armenia for already several months. He says he decided to spend the rest of his life in Armenia and also to get an Armenian citizenship. I visited Armenia for the first time. Unfortunately, I didnt manage to visit Armenia during my working years. But its never late, I came here with a great pleasure and I am very happy for being here, he told Armenpress. Nourhan Josephovich was born in 1915 in Turkey. Firstly, he and his family lived in Istanbul, but later moved to Ankara. His father was a hat maker. He brought the materials from Italy for making hats. He provided all the best conditions for his kids to get a higher education. Nourhan Josephovich studied at a local Italian school. He has always been distinguished with his progress and has been under the spotlight of Italian specialists. After graduating from school Nourhan worked at the Italian Embassy in Turkey for some time, firstly as a secretary on cultural issues, and then as the 2nd, and later the 3rd secretary of the military attache. He completed his diplomatic activity in the position of the 1st secretary. After retirement Nourhan left for Italy where he lived for some time. And just few months ago he came to Armenia. Nourhan Josephovich doesnt have children, his mother and wife have died, and currently he is living with his sister and the family of his nephew in Armenia. Journalist Raffi Hermon Araks frequently provides consulting support to the relatives and friends who came from Diaspora to Armenia. A regular consulting was for his uncle, Nourhan Josephovich. Nourhan has already applied for getting an Armenian citizenship, says is waiting for his passport and the warm weather because there are many plans to discover Armenia. Nourhan Josephovich likes water, sea a lot. Therefore, we plan to visit Lake Sevan to reveal the beauty of that Lake. Of course, this trip will be accompanied with tasting the Sevan trout. Josephovich is also a classic music lover, therefore, there are also plans to visit such concerts, Raffi Hermon Araks said. Nourhan Josephovich is satisfied with these plans, is waiting for the hot weather. I want Armenia to always move forward. Unfortunately, today many Armenians live abroad due to a difficulty in finding jobs in the homeland. It would be better if the situation changed here, and Armenians returned back. Lets see what the new government will do in this regard, Nourhan Josephovich said. Interview by Anna Gziryan Photos by Hayk Manukyan Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan OTTAWA - China's envoy to Ottawa offered glowing praise Thursday for Canada's help in combating the outbreak of the novel coronavirus and suggested that might useful in repairing the diplomatic rift between the two countries. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). China's envoy to Ottawa is offering glowing praise for Canada's help in combatting the outbreak of the novel coronavirus and is suggesting that might useful in repairing the diplomatic rift between their countries. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-CDC via AP, File OTTAWA - China's envoy to Ottawa offered glowing praise Thursday for Canada's help in combating the outbreak of the novel coronavirus and suggested that might useful in repairing the diplomatic rift between the two countries. "Anything that your side has done and will be doing in the next few weeks in our fight against the disease, of course, that's much appreciated, and that's good," Ambassador Cong Peiwu told The Canadian Press in an exclusive interview. He said the two countries must "take measures to address the problems in the bilateral relationship so that we can remove the obstacle and move the relationship back on track." Without naming names, Cong acknowledged that he was referring to the turmoil surrounding the arrests of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou by Canada, and China's imprisonment of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. The RCMP arrested Meng on a U.S. extradition warrant in December 2018 and the two Canadian men were arrested for allegedly violating China's national security nine days later. Neither Kovrig nor Spavor has seen a lawyer or been permitted visits from their families, while Meng has been released on bail and is living in a luxurious Vancouver home while her extradition hearing continues. China's government has angrily denounced the arrest of Meng as unlawful and repeatedly told Canada to release her before any progress can be made on repairing relations. The Trudeau government calls the detention of the "two Michaels" arbitrary and says it is following the rule of law and not interfering in the Meng court case. "Our position has been clear and consistent. So, the Canadian side is fully aware of our position. So hopefully you will address our concern," said Cong. "The competent parties are handling that." Cong was speaking one day after Canada's ambassador to China, Dominic Barton, told the special House of Commons committee on Canada-China relations that "the chill is real" in Sino-Canadian relations, and he's doing everything he can to thaw it. Barton described his first diplomatic interaction in China last fall as rife with anger on both sides. He said his top priority is freeing Kovrig and Spavor and gaining clemency for a third Canadian, Robert Schellenberg, who faces the death penalty for drug smuggling. Barton said he has not hesitated to raise concerns about China's human rights records with his counterparts, including the incarceration of an estimated one million ethnic Uighur Muslims in China's western Xinjiang region. Cong declined to comment specifically on Barton's more than two hours of testimony that also included praise for China's handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Cong said he agreed with Barton's assessment that more "people-to-people" ties in business, education and tourism were key to building strong long-term relations. But he took issue with the committee criticizing China on human rights. "We are concerned about some remarks" that contained misleading information about China, he said. "The special committee is still in its very early stage. So, we do hope that the committee will become a platform for people here in Canada to have a better understanding, a more objective understanding of China," said Cong. He said the Chinese people "have the best say" on human rights issues within the country. Cong praised the co-operation between Canada and China on battling the outbreak and said his country's top priority has been ensuring the safety of Chinese people and all foreign nationals, including Canada's. The disease started in the city of Wuhan and has infected more than 28,200 people across the globe, killing more than 560. "We like to co-ordinate with the Canadian side because we want to make sure it's an international campaign against the disease. From the very beginning we have adopted an attitude of being open and transparent to the outside. So we isolated the virus, we sequenced the genome of the virus and we shared the information with the outside, promptly," Cong said. "Canada has adopted a fairly objective reading of the situation, and it has taken the advice of the WHO not to impose unnecessary trade and travel restrictions. So that's good." Cong said he met Wednesday with senior officials from the National Research Council, and was impressed by Canada's scientific expertise gained from battling the outbreak of the SARS virus almost 20 years ago. Cong said he appreciates Canada's support against anti-Chinese sentiments about the outbreak, including a statement by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denouncing discrimination based on fear. "We are glad to see that here more and more people are standing up to say no to that kind of remark." Cong said he's conscious of China's image in Canada and wants to build that up. He also took a more conciliatory tone than his predecessor in how that ought to be done. Former Chinese ambassador Lu Shaye told The Canadian Press in 2017 that journalists in this country were harming relations with China by disseminating a negative portrait, and that politicians regularly "bow before media" to talk about human rights. Cong said he was happy to have the "opportunity" to speak to the media because it has an important role in deepening the ability of the two countries to understand each other. "That role is very much appreciated." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2020. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Immediately after he trashed the independence of federal judges this week, Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet insisted he had done no such thing. Granted, Donald Trump has made it easier for politicians of all types to perform these feats of rhetorical contortion. But here in Canada, it should still be astonishing to hear a political leader even a Quebec nationalist take a casual, drive-by shot at the Canadian judicial system. Blanchet was reacting to Tuesdays ruling of the Federal Court of Appeal, which gave the go-ahead to construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. Decision to approve the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion View document on Scribd No surprise, the Bloc leader said the judges who delivered the ruling were appointed by the federal government, so they just gave the boss what he wanted to hear. For the benefit of those who might not have been sure they heard him correctly in French, Blanchet then repeated the remarkable accusation in English: What we see is that judges, which incidentally have been named by the federal government, have interpreted Canadian laws and that clearly Canadian laws say that when the federal government wants something, thats the thing thats going to happen, whatever provinces might say. He said this would also happen if the Energy East pipeline project unpopular in Quebec was ever revived and similarly challenged in federal courts. This is the preview for what might happen if there comes again this idea of Energy East going through Quebec, he said. Canada is the boss. Blanchet was speaking to reporters on Parliament Hill, where he was sent by voters last fall to help make Canadian laws. Asked pointedly if he was slamming the judges independence, Blanchet demurred. I didnt hear myself say any such thing, he said. I said they are nominated by one government. This is not an encouraging new frontier in the age-old tension between Quebec and the rest of Canada, which has been guided in large part by respect for the law on both sides. Judges arent perfect. Coincidentally, Tuesday was also the day when the government introduced a law previously supported in principle by all parties to usher in mandatory training for judges in sexual-assault law. This is legislation that was originally sponsored by former Conservative interim leader Rona Ambrose, which was stalled in the Senate and ultimately died when Parliament dissolved before last years election. It is one thing to say that judges need improvement and quite another to say, as Blanchet essentially did this week, that the courts are rigged or biased. Even the politicians who rail against judicial activism, as the former Conservative government often did, tend to be careful about casting the judges as tools of any government or political party. The current version of the Bloc Quebecois in Parliament doesnt talk as much about separation from Canada as its previous incarnations have, but it remains a mark of our democratic maturity that we have representatives in Parliament that would prefer the breakup of the nation. The thing that keeps it all civil and mature is respect for the law and institutions of government. Thanks to a Supreme Court of Canada reference case and the federal Clarity Act of the late 1990s, we even have a legal blueprint for a breakup, should it come to that. I do not recall the Bloc Quebecois or the Parti Quebecois government at the time arguing that the Supreme Court was filled with federal appointees, biased against the provinces interests. A train wreck between politics and the law is currently under way in the United States, where the impeachment hearings have demonstrated that it is indeed possible for a president to be above the law. The only way for a politician to get above the law, though, is by first dragging it down by casting the legal system as rigged and political. So far in Canada, players on both sides of the hottest national political debates from pipelines to Quebecs secularism law have been treating the courts as neutral, if occasionally irritating arbiters of the path forward. Alberta has been frustrated by some of the court rulings on pipelines, but its politicians have resisted the temptation to directly link judges or the courts to its political adversaries in Ottawa. Blanchet appeared to be trying to walk back his remarks on Tuesday or least trying to keep them contained when he shut down further questions on his feelings about judicial independence. That was a good call; perhaps the Bloc leader realized where that road was taking him, and the whole tangled debate about pipelines and national unity. Accusations of a rigged legal system are no longer surprising in the U.S., but they are still conversation-stoppers here thankfully. Susan Delacourt is a columnist covering national politics based in Ottawa. Reach her via email: sdelacourt@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @susandelacourt Unseating an incumbent prime minister is not as easy as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his merry band frame the legitimate, legal, democratic process (the March elections) leading to regime change. A hold on power grants an incumbent a significant advantage over the opposition in setting election campaign agendas. Foreign leaders seek the incumbents company, not necessarily out of any unusual admiration for the man, and his wife, Sara Netanyahu. A foreign leaders handshake with the leader of Israels opposition is an option. A photo-op with the prime minister is a real treat that promises headlines at home. The guest often returns home with an arms deal in his pocket and the promise of a good word to be whispered in the ear of the friend at the White House. My colleague Mazal Mualem attributed the Likud partys improved poll results this week to Netanyahus unprecedented diplomatic blitz in recent days. The accused No. 1 in the indictment filed against him in the Jerusalem District Court on Jan. 28 took advantage of the World Holocaust Forum he hosted in Jerusalem on Jan. 23, to immortalize himself in the company of presidents and barons. With the help of evangelical friends and a settler-loving US ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, the prime minister arranged a display of pomp and circumstance for himself at the White House on Jan. 28 in the guise of a peace plan presentation. On his way home from Washington, he stopped off in Moscow for yet another photo-op with Russian President Vladimir Putin, earning himself a media blitz when he landed back home with the prisoner of Zion, Naama Issachar. Issachar, a backpacker caught with a few grams of hash at Moscow airport, was freed from prison and flew home with Netanyahu. Israel paid in hard currency for her release. His plane engines had barely cooled, and Netanyahu was off to Entebbe, Uganda, where he faced the cameras on Feb. 3, alongside the head of Sudans Sovereign Council, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. We may well see additional handshakes with foreign leaders in the run-up to the March 2 elections and hear of dramatic developments in Israels ties with one or two Persian Gulf principalities. Channel 13 News has been airing a series of reports by its diplomatic analyst Barak Ravid this week, titled Netanyahu of Arabia, describing the prime ministers close ties with the United Arab Emirates. Who even remembers that the 1993 Israeli-Palestinian Oslo Accord, which Netanyahu has savaged, paved the way for major Israeli breakthroughs in relations with the Gulf and Maghreb states, including the opening of official Israeli missions in their capitals? How many young Israeli voters trekking through the ancient Jordanian town of Petra and vacationing in its Red Sea port of Aqaba know that it was the Oslo Accord that paved the way for the peace treaty with Jordan the following year? Indeed, as Mualem wrote, such a blitz of diplomacy has not been seen here in recent years. The explanation is quite simple. In recent years, more than 10 to be exact, Netanyahu has been in sole control of Israels foreign relations. He calls all the shots. The generals running the opposition Blue and White party have been exposed as helpless rookies in the diplomatic arena. Rather than relying on Netanyahus publicly stated December 2018 opinion You cannot bring a diplomatic plan on the eve of the elections without receiving a mandate for it Blue and White hailed US President Donald Trumps deal of the century as nothing short of historic. In doing so, they became mere extras in the play scripted by Netanyahu and his White House partners. From now on, the main opposition party bears joint responsibility for escalating the crisis in Israels ties with the Palestinian Authority, as well as for the Arab, Muslim and international onslaught on the settlement annexation and Israeli-Arab transfer plan included in Trump's peace plan. A party aspiring to lead the countrys next government is muzzling itself against responding to the waves of criticism emanating from the offices of the Arab League in Cairo and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah, which backed the Palestinian rejection of the plan. The party cannot respond to the Kremlins displeasure with the US-Israeli move, nor to the threat issued by the European Unions foreign policy chief Josep Borrell of a severe response to any Israeli attempt to annex settlements. In order to extricate themselves from the deal of the century trap into which they walked, the Blue and White leadership must restore the election campaign agenda to its fitting place the harsh indictment against Netanyahu. The military ranks of the Blue and White leaders do not provide them with an advantage in the public/media arena on security issues, such as the Iranian nuclear program and the conflict with Hamas. They would also do well to leave the elusive vision of peace to the joint ticket of the Labor-Gesher-Meretz parties. All they have to do until March 2 is to avoid all the landmines placed before them, such as the scandal over the seemingly lurid correspondence between a candidate for a judgeship and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, a member of the judicial appointments panel, which gives a bad name to Netanyahus nemesis, the states law enforcement authorities and its judiciary. Netanyahu spares no effort in throwing the public and the media tempting tidbits designed to divert attention from the corruption scandals dogging him. The oppositions best response to the waves of Netanyahu handshakes with foreign leaders is a campaign of head shaking over his alleged corruption. The 63-page indictment filed by the State Prosecution against Netanyahu in the Jerusalem District Court should replace the 181-page document that Trump handed him at the White House on the same day. An indictment of an incumbent premier on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust is a far more historic document than the one with which Netanyahu was presented in the East Room. A no-less-historic document, related to yet another corruption scandal with which Netanyahus name has been linked the acquisition from Germany of submarines and ships to protect Israel's offshore gas drilling platforms also awaits the opposition in the office of the Center of Public Integrity. Last week, five former senior Defense Ministry officials joined the nongovernmental organization's demand that State Comptroller Matanyahu Engelman launch an official probe into the affair, against Netanyahu in particular. All of them, including the then-legal adviser of the Defense Ministry and the head of the defense acquisitions administration, expressed their willingness to testify before the comptroller. Presumably, the State Comptroller, who has earned himself the sobriquet of the state comforter, will not rush to restore the multibillion-shekel affair to the agenda. Perhaps, though, Blue and White did not walk into a trap with the deal of the century. Maybe its leaders embraced the stillborn plan with their eyes wide open. After all, the historic declaration by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak after the failure of his Camp David summit with then-PLO chief Yasser Arafat in 2000 that there is no Palestinian partner has served as the basis for a number of unity governments. By Trend The scale of projects to modernize roads in the light of state programs for the development of Baku and Azerbaijan's regions is expanding every year under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Spokesperson of State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads Anar Najafli told Trend. According to Najafli, the agency is successfully implementing projects to improve and modernize road infrastructure. Thanks to this, Azerbaijan ranks 27th in the world in terms of road quality and first among the CIS countries. "Naturally, much remains to be done. In particular, the priority is the repair of country roads. Thanks to the attention and care of the head of state, road infrastructure is brought into line with international standards," Najafli said. "In 2019, at the expense of foreign creditors, work was continued to expand the 130.15 kilometer-segment of the M-2 Ganja - Georgia border highway to four lanes, toreconstruct the Ujar-Zardab-Agjabadi highway with a length of 70.5 kilometers, the 58.12 kilometers long section of the M-5 Yevlakh - Shaki highway, as well as the 59.8 kilometers long R-32 Bahramtapa-Bilasuvar highway," the spokesperson said. "The project on expanding the segment of the M-2 Ganja - Gazakh - Georgia border to four lanes is being implemented as part of a loan agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. About a third of the work has already been completed. The project to expand the road of the first technical category was launched in February 2019, and is expected to be completed in 2021," the spokesperson added. "Another project is also ongoing under a loan agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development - the reconstruction of the 59.8 kilometers long R-32 Bahramtapa-Bilasuvar highway. The road is being built according to the second technical category. Construction work began in February 2019, and will be completed this year as scheduled," Najafli said. Anar Najafli noted that the project on the reconstruction of the Khaldan - Shaki circle segment of the M-5 Yevlakh - Zagatala - Georgia border highway and the Shaki circle - Shaki highway (12 kilometers) is being implemented as part of a loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank. "Construction work on the 46.21 kilometers long Khaldan - Shaki circle segment of the second technical category, and the Shaki circle - Shaki highway of the third technical category were launched in March 2019, and the project is planned to be completed in 2021. More than half of the work has already been completed,"Anar Najafli said. The agency spokesperson added that at the expense of the funds provided within state investments of Azerbaijan's state budget for 2019, construction of the new four-lane Baku-Guba-Russian border highway with a length of 92 kilometers, as well as construction work on the 132nd-197th kilometer section of the M-1 Baku-Guba-Russian border highway is ongoing. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday received an important briefing by the new Economic Advisory Council (EAC), giving firm commitment that his administration will be bound by their advice on economy related matters. At a meeting with the Doyin Salami-led eight-member council at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, President Buhari gave the first directive from their recommendations that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, address immediately the observed lapses in coordination between ministries and all agencies of government. In his remarks after listening to the report of macroeconomic importance and their views and recommendations, President Buhari said on the issue of coordination, that the lack of synergy between ministries, departments and agencies would no longer be accepted. We are working for the country, not for personal interests. We have the same objective of service to the people and we will resolve this. Reviewing the work of the Council since its inauguration to replace the Economic Management Team (EMT), President Buhari said: I am highly pleased based on what I have read in your Executive Summary with the painstaking thoroughness of your preliminary report. I have noted the salient points of your report and these will be incorporated in government economic policies. Speaking about the challenges facing the economy and the tasks that rest on the shoulders of the members, the President noted that the economy is the most delicate and sensitive of all aspects of national life. A little change in the matrix can lead to major disruptions in the national economy. For example, international changes in oil prices, bad harvests, conflicts in strategic global locations, a major epidemic or pandemic like the current Coronavirus, tariff changes in major world economies, to mention only a few examples that readily come to mind, can significantly affect our plans. President Buhari, who accepted that the EAC should now brief him more frequently, at least once every six weeks, instead of once every quarter, thanked the members for their patriotism and commitment in accepting the challenging responsibilities conferred on them. I cannot he concluded, thank you enough for your patriotism. Earlier in the submission of their report, Mr Salami, a professor, supported by interventions by Council members, responded to questions by the President and his team in which they outlined a number of challenging opportunities facing the economy, and proferred solutions to most of them. In addition to the issue of synergy which the president addressed at the meeting, the Council raised concerns that the rate of the growth of the economy is slower than the rate the countrys population is growing; the need to strengthen national statistical agencies; reform procurement processes; improve education; and the need for job planning in training offered by academic institutions. READ ALSO: 1 The Council also brought to the government their views on borrowing, macroeconomic stability and the need to provide a friendly climate for foreign investment. We need an environment that will attract investment. People will come only when they feel confident and when they come, their exit will not be challenging, said Prof. Salami. The council resolved to focus on legacy projects by the administration before 2023. In addition to Mr Salami, the Chairman, the Council is made up of Mohammed Sagagi, Vice-Chairman and Ode Ojowu as members. Other members are Shehu Yahaya, Iyabo Masha, Chukwuma Soludo, Bismack Rewane and Mohammed Salisu. The two ministers in the Ministry of Finance also serve as co-opted members. Garba Shehu Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity) February 6, 2020 Posted on Tuesday, February 04, 2020 KINGSVILLE (February 4, 2020) Film shorts from a number of countries have been submitted to Texas A&M University-Kingsvilles newly launched film festival, Blazing Sun Independent Film Shorts Festival, including from New Zealand, Canada, Qatar, Ireland, United Arab Emirates and Russian Federation. The festivals mission is to discover and celebrate independent films, and, in so doing, promote excellence and innovation in film storytelling. Our festival is a celebration of the poetic moment and, as such, is not a competition that pits films against each other. Rather, our festival is about excellence, discovering the poetic moment or moments in a film short, said Armando P. Ibanez, founding festival director and assistant professor in the art, communications and theatre department. The moment in a film may be a look, a kiss, a quirky smile, an emerging plant in the aftermath of a fire, or something in the frame seemingly small but is gigantic in meaning to the story. In short, it is poetic. We are excited and looking forward to showcasing films, selected by our festival judges, he added. Joe O. Barrera, one of the festival judges, said that he was most impressed with the film entries he has seen. Im actually stunned at the caliber of entries, said Barrera, named by the Hollywood Reporter as a film music composer to watch. Other festival judges include Michelle Macau, actor, director and college instructor; Andrew Rosen, special effects and animation artist, whose latest work was with Cats; Vira Montes, actor, who was featured in one of Edward James Olmos films; Dr. Manuel Flores, communications professor, Dr. Susan Roberson, English professor, Dr. Patrick Faherty, associate theatre professor, all TAMUK faculty, and Laurie Diane Guajardo, president of the Film Society. Festival judges will award three honors Award of Merit, Award of Excellence and the Pearl Award, the festivals highest honor. The festival will open Wednesday, March 4 at 7 p.m. with screenings of film shorts at the Rio 7 Theater-Kingsville, one of the sponsors of the event. The winner of the Award of Excellence will be announced that night. Pearl Award winners will be announced at Awards Night, Thursday, March 5 at 7 p.m. at the theater. There are two festival categories Independent Film Shorts (professionals) and Student Film Shorts, which has two subcategoriesUniversity and Texas High School. The total running time (TRT) for Independent Film Shorts and University Film Short entries must be three to 20 minutes, while TRT for Texas High School subcategories must be three to 10 minutes. The deadline for submissions of film entries is Wednesday, Feb. 12, exclusively online via FilmFreeway.com: https://filmfreeway.com/BlazingSunIndependentFilmShortsFestival. -TAMUK- STAMFORDAn employee at Hatch & Bailey, the building supply store, has been arrested for allegedly allowing a contractor to steal items from the business for a payoff on the side. Employee Manuel Lugo, 50, was charged with fourth-degree larceny Tuesday and released after signing a written promise to appear in court. According to his five-page arrest affidavit, a complaint from the owner of Hatch & Bailey was made to police on Jan. 22, about an employee stealing building supply items from the business. The owner undertook his own investigation and found a video tape of Lugo giving $1,637 worth of roofing shingles, cases of ice and weather shield, and nail gun nails to the contractor, but only charged him for a few two-by-fours and sheets of plywood, according to police. When Lugo was brought into the owners office and confronted with the video, he confessed to the crime while a police officer was present, the affidavit said. Lugo said the contractor made a deal with him where he would come in on Saturdays when things were slower and load his truck with supplies and pay him off the books for some of the items, the affidavit said. Lugo had been working at the business for over five years, but said it was only over the past three months that he was helping the contractor steal from his employer, the affidavit said. Lugo even admitted to allowing another customer to take items without paying for them on one occasion in January, police said. He told police that after the two contractors pulled out of the store, they would pay him $100 for the extra items that they took. Police say one contractor could be seen on video trying to give Lugo money, but he told the man, Outside, outside, the affidavit said. Lugo was arraigned Tuesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges. jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com Two powerful Republican Senate chairmen have revealed they are cranking up a probe of Hunter Biden's travel in the minutes after the Senate acquitted President Trump of abuse of power over his own conduct toward Ukraine. The Senators, Charles Grassley of Iowa and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, released a letter they wrote to Secret Service Director James Murray seeking documents on the former vice president's surviving son immediately after the acquittal vote. They wrote that they are 'reviewing potential conflicts of interest posed by the business activities of Hunter Biden and his associates during the Obama administration' particularly in Ukraine and China, where he had business dealings. The same day the Senate acquitted President Trump, two GOP senators released a letter they wrote to the Secret Service seeking information about Hunter Biden They are seeking information on any security detail provided to Hunter Biden, as well as travel aboard government aircraft. Their letter underlined that the president is getting the investigation he wanted, after his request for the president of Ukraine to do him a 'favor' and investigate the Bidens and the 2016 elections prompted a House Demoratic impeachment inquiry. Democrats called it cheating and inducing foreign interference in the U.S. elections, but Republicans said it was not an impeachable offense. Every Senate Republican other than Mitt Romney of Utah voted to acquit, and Trump brandished headlines of his acquittal at the congressional prayer breakfast Thursday morning. The letter explains that senators are reviewing transactions by Rosemont Seneca Partners, a companyHunter Biden formed in 2009 along with Christopher Heinz the step-son of former Secretary of State John Kerry. Sen. Charles Grassley, who announced the probe, has been a firm backer of Trump's. He was at the White House Thursday as Trump was set to proclaim victory over what he calls a hoax impeachment Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. released a letter about his own interactions with the Ukrainian president and with President Trump during key parts of the timeframe of the Democratic inquiry Vice President Joe Biden waves as he walks out of Air Force Two with his granddaughter Finnegan Biden and son Hunter Biden (R) on December 4, 2013 in Beijing, China. Biden was on the first leg of his week-long visit to Asia. The senators are seeking information on Hunter Biden's use of government aircraft and exploring any potential conflicts 'We write to request information about whether Hunter Biden used government-sponsored travel to help conduct private business, to include his work for Rosemont Seneca and related entities in China and Ukraine,' the senators wrote. The mentioned Hunter Biden's trip aboard Air Force Two along with his father to China in 2013. During the trip, he reportedly arranged for the CEO of a Chinese firm, Jonathan Li of Bohai Capital, to shake hands with the then-vice president, and ultimately landed a business deal. The public information about their investigation into the vice president's son comes days before the New Hampshire primary, where Joe Biden is trying to turn back challenges from Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg and others. Biden has said Trump wanted to get Ukraine to investigate him because he fears running against Biden as the Democratic nominee. China said on Thursday that it has lodged diplomatic protests with countries whose airlines have cancelled flights to Chinese cities alleging that they are spreading panic in the wake of deadly coronavirus. The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak went up to 563 as 73 people died on Wednesday, the highest single day fatalities so far, while total confirmed cases rose sharply to 28,018, Chinese health officials said on Thursday. The deadly virus has spread to more than 25 countries, including India. Several international airlines, including Air India and IndiGo, have cancelled flights to China over fears of the virus spreading across the world, a move which Beijing described against the WHO guidelines. Several countries including India and the US have also announced travel bans. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told the media briefing online on Thursday that the Chinese government is acting with openness, transparency and a high sense of responsibility in sharing information enhancing international cooperation in dealing with the virus. "WHO lauded China's strong measures and stressed many times that it does not recommend and even opposes imposing restrictions on travel. "As some countries have taken such excessive steps as suspending flights, ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) has also issued bulletins and encouraged all countries to follow WHO recommendations," she said. "We deplore and oppose those countries who went against WHO's professional recommendations and ICAO's bulletins and have lodged stern representations with them," she said. "Their actions, which sowed panic among the public, will not help prevent and control the epidemic. They have gravely disrupted normal personnel exchanges, international cooperation and order of the international market of air transportation," she said. Hua said China's civil flights will not be suspended, and the Chinese government will take its nationals home wherever they are. The Civil Aviation Administration of China has taken effective measures to minimise the possibility of virus spreading in airplanes and to ensure travellers' safety and health on international flights, she said. "We hope all countries can assess the epidemic situation and China's efforts in a calm, objective and rational manner and do not overreact," she added. Hua urged the countries not to restrict the flights. "We urge the relevant countries to think carefully, not to overreact, nor restrict flights operated by airlines of the two sides, with bilateral relations and cooperation in mind. They should immediately correct their policies and wrongdoings in reference to recommendations of the WHO and ICAO and take concrete actions to support China's battle against the epidemic," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Man covered in blood during traffic stop later confesses to stabbing father to death, police say originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A man covered in blood who was pulled over during an early morning routine traffic stop was later found to have allegedly murdered his father in a parking garage. It all started when police in Boca Raton, Florida, responded to a report of a deceased person, who appeared to have been stabbed to death, was found in a parking garage at about 7:30 a.m in the morning on Feb. 3. While on scene, Boca Raton police investigators received information from the Delray Police Department regarding an early morning traffic stop involving a 26-year-old man named Jared Noiman who was covered in blood when officers pulled him over. Noiman told authorities that he had been in an altercation. MORE: Man allegedly kills pro-Trump boss after argument, throws American flag on his body Noiman was covered in blood and claimed to have been in an altercation in Boca Raton, said the Boca Raton Police Services Department in a statement. Noiman would not elaborate on who was involved in the altercation and did not wish to report a crime. Police let Noiman go after the traffic stop but it was that information about Noiman, combined with surveillance footage from the crime scene, that led investigators to quickly identify the 26-year-old as a suspect in the murder of the man found in the parking garage. MORE: Off-duty police officer and mother of 2 killed while helping elderly woman cross the street PHOTO: Jared Noiman, 26, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of his father Jay Noiman in Boca Raton, Florida. (Boca Raton Police Services Department) MORE: Boy, 9, allegedly stabs sister, 5, multiple times, charged with attempted first-degree murder Later that same day, at approximately 5:45 p.m., Noiman was spotted driving by a Boca Raton police officer and another traffic stop was conducted. After a brief questioning Noiman was then arrested for driving without a valid drivers license and he was taken by the Boca Raton Police Services Department. Noiman was interviewed at the police precinct and, according to authorities, remained a suspect in the stabbing investigation and was transported to the Palm Beach County Jail. However, because probable cause had not yet been established by the authorities to charge him with a crime related to the stabbing, he was released without being charged. Story continues MORE: Mother leaves 3 kids alone overnight on school bus to smoke marijuana on boat Investigators got their break the next day when Noiman returned on his own recognizance to speak with the police again. Noiman said he wanted to confess to the murder of his father, Jay Noiman, Boca Raton police disclosed in their statement. He said the two lived together out of his fathers vehicle and they slept in the parking garage Noiman said he did not like the way his father treated him and he started having thoughts about killing him. Noiman continued his statement with a detailed description of how he stabbed his father and then strangled him while he was sleeping in the parking garage. Noiman was then taken into custody again and charged with First Degree Murder in the death of his father. Bhopal/Rajgarh : Rajgarh district collector, Nidhi Nivedita who hit the headlines for allegedly slapping a protester during the BJPs pro CAA rally in Biaora town, last month,A is back in the news after the district police leaked an inquiry report against her for slapping an assistant sub-inspector. In an apparent case of IAS vs IPS battle, the police department leaked a report of investigation conducted by the Deputy superintendent of Police that "established" the Collector slapped an elderly ASI. The DG police was reported to have recommended action against the collector on Wednesday evening. Home Minister Bala Bachchan even told the media that after an inquiry report is received, he would against the collector. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Kamal Nath is said to have questioned the senior officers on how a DSP-level officer could be asked to investigate an issue related to the Collector. If the investigation had to be conducted, the Chief Secretary should have been talked to. On the other hand, on the letter of the DGP written about the action on the Collector, Bala Bachchan who talked about action against the collector changed the tone by evening and denied having received any recommendation from the DGP. Police spokesman Ashutosh Singh had also talked about an investigation report having been sent to the government. The police officials who have been opposing the collector said the letter would boost the confidence of the police field staff. The Collector and her deputy were assaulted by the protesters during a rally on January 19. The police did not act effectively against the BJP rallyists who defied the prohibitory orders under section 144. The collector had also referred to lack to pro-active policing during the protests. The BJP now has a legal handle to corner the government over the slapping of an ASI. The opposition has been trying to build a case against the collector for being temperamental and unfit for her position. Rajgarh District President of BJP Dilbar Yadav has said that the complaint of the case has also been made in the Personnel Department. A group of our MPs have reached Delhi and complained to the Personnel Department about the slapping of activists. Former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted on Wednesday asking Kamal Nath to act against the Rajgarh collector now that there is enough proof of her physical assault against the ASI. BJP state president Rakesh Singh also said the government should immediately punish the collector. Groundwork to freeze military aid to Ukraine was laid on July 24 Open source US officials were still working to expedite the delivery of Javelin anti-tank missiles to the Ukraine days before infamous telephone conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took place on July 25, CNN reported. According to the emails and other documents, which were reviewed by the media outlet, the decision to hold the military aid stunned officials, who had already assessed Ukraine deserved to receive it. Defense officials hoped that U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper might be able to persuade the President to drop the hold. The documents were obtained ahead of U.S. Senate voting on Trump's impeachment case. As we reported earlier, U.S. Senate voted to acquit Donald Trump on two articles of impeachment. Trump was accused of withholding military aide to press Ukraine for an investigation into Joe Biden, a Democratic rival, and obstructing the congressional investigation into his conduct. 52 voted not guilty for the 1st article, 53 - for the 2nd. Iowa's Democratic Party said Wednesday night that delays in final tallies have been further exacerbated by Donald Trump's supporters flooding a hotline being used by precinct chairs to report caucus location results. The telephone number was compromised after people posted photos of Democratic caucus paperwork on an internet message board, with some users urging people to 'clog the line,' and some precinct chair were placed on long holds when they tried to report results, and ended up hanging up. Participants in a conference call with Iowa party leaders Wednesday night told Bloomberg that several of the calls received on the line were from those who expressed support for the incumbent president. Staff of the Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) held the call Wednesday night with the state central committee, which is the party's elected governing body, as they were continuing efforts to report the final results of the first-in-the-nation caucuses. Donald Trump supporters appear to be exacerbating Iowa caucus reporting delays by holding up the hotline where precincts are supposed to report The number was posted on an online message board with urges from users to 'clog the lines' as Iowa had to turn to manual reporting after an app it was using for caucuses malfunctioned Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price said the final results should be released Thursday three days after the caucuses were held With 97 per cent of the precincts reporting in, Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders are in a close competition 26.2 per cent to 26.1 per cent respectively Glitches in the app, which was originally intended to report results of the caucus precincts, caused the final tallies to be delayed and as of Thursday morning, the nation still doesn't know which of the 11 remaining candidates came out the victor. Monday night, the party announced that 'inconsistencies' in the app had forced them to result to paper reporting and manual math, which delayed the results of the caucus. In the call, Troy Price, the Iowa Democratic Party chairman told state party officials that the final results are expected by Thursday three days after the caucuses were held in the state Monday night. By Thursday morning, 97 per cent of the precincts were reported, but the results were still close to call with former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 26.2 per cent and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders just .1 per cent behind at 26.1 per cent. Price alluded to interference on the conference call, but he did not specifically cite any calls from Trump supporters. Ken Sagar, a state Democratic central committee member and president of the Iowa AFL-CIO, was among those answering the reporting hotline. He told those on the call Wednesday that the lines were spammed with Trump supporters. While Democrats had to leave Iowa for New Hampshire the first primary state without knowing who came out on top, Trump, who has no real primary competition, touted his caucus win where he earned more than 97 per cent. The Trump campaign responded to Bloomberg when asked about the supporters calling into the Iowa hotline. 'Don't know anything about that but maybe Democrats should consider using an app of some kind next time,' Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for Trump's reelection campaign, wrote in a cheeky text message Wednesday. The hotline for reporting has such long hold times, that some caucus secretaries said they gave up When the app the IDP was using malfunctioned, they had to result to using the hotline for precinct chairs to report results and some were placed on such long holds, they gave up. Despite efforts to hold off on officially reporting who won the caucus until they are 100 per cent sure, The New York Times published a report Thursday questioning the accuracy. The report noted that on Wednesday, the IDP released a wave of results that showed Deval Patrick far from a frontrunner candidate sweeping central Des Moines. But this was wrong. The votes that came in for Sanders had been incorrectly reported as being for the former governor of Massachusetts. The same issue happened with Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren's tallies, that incorrectly went to billionaire Tom Steyer. These mistakes are likely due to inevitable human error as the Democratic Party resorts to manual tabulations and data entry. The party also assured caucus-goers that the glitches were not an attempt at interference. One caucus secretary from Story County, Iowa revealed in an on-air interview with CNN that he was on hold for an hour trying to report results. While being interviewed by Wolf Blitzer, he finally got someone on the line. But by the time he turned to the phone, live during his interview, to report the results, the state party official had hung up on him. In our previous piece, we looked at how the regime uses its state-run media, fake social media accounts, and bribed journalists to discredit the MEK, which legitimizes the regime and anti-MEK violence. The regime showed its true colors during the 1980s Iran-Iraq War, paving the way for the mullahs brutal rule, which included a crackdown on the Iranian people and their legitimate opposition, who after the Shah was overthrown wanted freedom and democracy. In the war, 2 million Iranians were killed or injured, while 50 cities and 3,000 villages were destroyed, causing $1 trillion in damages, according to former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. At first, the MEK joined the war, defending their homeland from the Iraqi forces under Saddam Hussein. The regimes IRGC shot the MEK in the back, but still, the MEK gallantly fought on. Soon, the war turned and Iraq retreated, announcing that it sought a ceasefire, something the MEK agreed to because a continuing war was not in the best interests of ordinary Iranians. They launched a peace campaign and this really caught the ire of the mullahs. For years, the regimes propaganda outlets had wrongly called the MEK the enemys fifth column and or accused them of collaboration with the enemy. How could they do this when the MEK (and the Iranian people) wanted peace and the mullahs wanted war? Those in the know, were always aware of the hypocrisy of the regime accusing the MEK of terrorism when the mullahs were (and still are) the largest state supporter of terrorism. But how could the people know? After all, the regimes Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and its affiliates would carry out attacks, like the bombing of a sacred shrine in Mashhad in northeast Iran and murdering Christian priests, and blames it on the MEK. (It should be noted that the regime admitted responsibility for these crimes and blaming the MEK in the 1990s, following the chain murders of dissidents and the arrest of former MOIS deputy Saeed Imami.) While ordinary people could reasonably be fooled, international governments, with their own intelligence networks, who put the MEK on terror watch lists should never have been. (Arguably, they werent and this was a way to appease the regime.) The MEK was, of course, removed from these lists following lengthy trials that showed no evidence of terrorism by the MEK. The regime is built on lies and sustained by dishonesty. If they were, to tell the truth, the regime would collapse, which is why the mullahs are experts in deception. The Iranian people know that everything said by regime officials and news outlets is lies. The international community should come to this conclusion too, as this is the only way to implement the necessary solutions to confront this regime. Singer Mama Alto is a trans woman of colour. "I'm definitely on that feminine side of the spectrum that is gender," she says, pinning flowers to her hair when on stage. She describes herself as "jazz singer, cabaret artiste and gender-transcendent diva", partly because her philosophy is that, whatever gender each of us feels or knows we are, "we're all unique in the way we experience and live our genders, and that's a beautiful thing". This year, the Sydney Mardi Gras has a strong emphasis on transgender rights, and many trans and gender-diverse people will be telling stories of their rites of passage and liberated lives to promote understanding, achieve law reform and equity with other people, improve health and save lives. Mama Alto is co-creator with Maude Davey of the all-star cabaret Gender Euphoria, featuring a rainbow of performers whose gender identities range the spectrum. Mama Alto. "Australian culture hates when people play the victim, and try to be the most oppressed of anyone," Alto says. "That's what we're often told whenever we stand up to injustice. That fuelled part of our idea to make a show that was entirely joyous, euphoric and enlightening. We thought, OK, if you don't want us to play the victim, we're going to show you how fabulous we are, and maybe you can get on board with that'." Mama Alto got her name by merging two nicknames while growing up in Melbourne. First came "Alto" because she was placed in the alto section, the lowest female part, in school and extracurricular choirs. Then came "Mama": first because she was bossy and clucky like a mother hen, and second because she sang in an old-fashioned jazz or red-hot mama style like Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Marilyn Monroe or Marlene Dietrich. When illuminated by electromagnetic waves, subwavelength-scale particles of metasurface can couple the incident energy to free space with controllable amplitude, phase and polarizations, such that the transmitted wave can be manipulated flexibly with predesigned functionalities. In recent years, rapid developments of digital and information metasurfaces have stimulated many information processing applications, such as computational imaging, wireless communications, and performing mathematical operations. With the increasing amount of researches focused on the topic of information processing with metasurface, a general theory to characterize the properties of metasurface from the information perspective is urgently demanded. Recently, Prof. Tie Jun Cui's group at Southeast University (SEU) has collaborated with Prof. Lianlin Li at Peking University (PKU), and reported a breakthrough on this topic in National Science Review entitled "Information theory of metasurfaces" (the first author is graduate student, Haotian Wu). In this work, a general information theory of metasurface is proposed to analyze the relation between the information of metasurface and its far-field radiation pattern. To analyze the metasurface from the information perspective, the scientists introduced a general aperture model to characterize the amplitude and phase responses of the metasurface. By incorporating the general aperture model of the metasurface with uncertainty relation in L2-space, the scientists found an upper bound of information contained in the radiation pattern of a metasurface, and revealed the theoretical upper limit of orthogonal radiation states that can be realized by the metasurface. The proposed theory also provides guidance for inverse design of metasurface with respect to given functionalities. That is to say, once the required radiation pattern(s) is/are specified, the size of metasurface must be larger than the value predicted by the proposed theory, otherwise it would be impossible to realize the required radiation pattern(s) no matter what design strategies are adopted. In addition, through investigating the information of disordered-phase modulated metasurfaces, the scientists found the information invariance (1-) of chaotic radiation patterns generated by disordered metasurfaces. The result indicates that the far-field information of the disordered-phase modulated radiation patterns is always equal to 1- ( is the Euler's constant), which is independent of the size of metasurface, the number of metasurface elements, and the phase patterns. To verify the proposed theory, the scientists firstly analyzed the information of far-field radiation patterns generated by multiple sets of metasurface samples with different amplitude and phase modulations. The calculated results are all bounded by the inequality provided by the proposed theory. Additionally, to verify the information invariance of disordered metasurfaces, they calculated the information of far-field patterns generated by multiple sets of disordered phase-modulated metasurface samples: 1-bit digital coding phases with each phase taking on one of the values of 0 and randomly; 2-bit digital coding phases with each phase taking on one of the values of 0, /2, , and 3/2 randomly, and continuous random phase variable described by a uniform probability distribution. The calculated results of the speckle-like radiation patterns match the theoretical prediction (1-) perfectly, which convincingly demonstrate the information invariance of the chaotic far-field patterns. "The presented theory establishes a quantitative framework to characterize the information processing capabilities of metasurface, which provides deeper physical insights in understanding metasurface from information perspective, and offers new approaches to facilitate analyses and designs of metasurface. The findings of this investigation are generally applicable in a wide range of spectra, which would be helpful to lay the groundwork for future researches into the regime of information metasurface." the scientists forecast. ### See the article: Haotian Wu, Guo Dong Bai, Shuo Liu, Lianlin Li, Xiang Wan, Qiang Cheng, and Tie Jun Cui Information Theory of Metasurfaces Natl Sci Rev, doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwz195 https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwz195 The National Science Review is the first comprehensive scholarly journal released in English in China that is aimed at linking the country's rapidly advancing community of scientists with the global frontiers of science and technology. The journal also aims to shine a worldwide spotlight on scientific research advances across China. BAGHDAD - Iraq and Russia discussed prospects for deepening military co-ordination, Iraqs Defence Ministry said Thursday, amid a strain in Baghdad-Washington relations after a U.S. airstrike killed a top Iranian general inside Iraq. The ministry statement followed a meeting in Baghdad between Iraqi army chief of staff Lt. Gen. Othman Al-Ghanimi and Russian Ambassador Maksim Maksimov, as well as a newly arrived defence attache. The meeting comes during an uncertain moment in the future of Iraq-U.S. military relations, following the Jan. 3 U .S. drone strike that killed Irans most powerful military commander, Gen. Qassem Soleimani, and Iraqi senior militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis near Baghdad airport. The attack prompted powerful Shiite parties to call for an overhaul of the existing strategic set-up between Iraq and the U.S.-led coalition. Al-Ghanimi praised Moscows role in the battle against the Islamic State group, saying they had provided our armed forces with advanced and effective equipment and weapons that had a major role in resolving many battles, according to the ministry statement. The statement said the sides discussed prospects for co-operation and co-ordination. Both parties emphasized the importance of exchanging information and co-ordination to prevent the resurgence of IS. Maksimov extended an invitation to al-Ghanimi to visit Russia and meet with his counterpart within the framework of strengthening co-operation between the two sides, the statement said. There was no immediate comment from Moscow. A senior Iraqi military intelligence official told The Associated Press that Russia, among other countries, has come forward to offer military support in the wake of fraught US.-Iraq relations following Soleimanis killing. Iraq still needs aerial reconnaissance planes. There are countries that have given signals to Iraq to support us or equip us with reconnaissance planes such as Russia and Iran, said the official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information. In response to the drone strike that killed Soleimani, Iraqs Parliament passed a non-binding resolution urging a U.S. troop withdrawal, and then caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi openly called for a troop withdrawal. Since then, Iraqi leaders have scaled back the saber-rattling rhetoric. But behind closed doors, the bitterness has poisoned the partnership. Senior Iraqi military officials told AP this week that Iraq told its military not to seek assistance from the U.S.-led coalition in joint operations targeting the Islamic State group and to minimize co-operation. Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, acknowledged recently that relations with Iraq were in a period of turbulence. The Balakot camp of terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), targeted by India in an air strike last February, is active again and currently training 27 terrorists, with the plan being to use them to launch terror attacks in India, intelligence and counterterror operatives said. The camp, targeted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) as a reprisal for the suicide bombing in Pulwama by a Jaish terrorist, and also to prevent further attacks against India, is currently headed by Yusuf Azhar, kin of Maulana Masood Azhar, and is currently providing terror training to 27 extremists for launching attacks against India. According to the counterterror operatives, out of the 27, eight are from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. They are being trained by two instructors from Punjab, Pakistan and three from Afghanistan. The operatives, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the intelligence at their disposal suggests that the training will be completed within this week, after which the terrorists will be ready for insertion into India. At the time when India launched strikes at Balakot, there were no less than 300 terrorists being trained there, according to the operatives. The preparations for the terror offensive come even as around 40 JeM functionaries including Abdul Rauf were arrested on January 22, as part of Pakistans compliance with the Financial Action Task Force, an inter-governmental agency which combats money-laundering and terror financing. Even as Rawalpindi GHQ does this, the Indian operatives say, it may also launch a full-fledged information campaign to actually project the February 26, 2019, Indian Air Force strike at Balakot as a victory for the Imran Khan regime. According to them, the aim of such a campaign would be to boost public confidence in the political and military leadership, lift the morale of Kashmiris, counter the Indian narrative on both Balakot and Kashmir, and present India internationally as a threat to global peace and security. The fact is that Pakistans terror factory is alive and kicking with no less than 32 foreign terrorists belonging to both JeM and fellow jihadist group Lashkar-e-Taiba being gunned down by Indian security forces from January 1, 2019, to January 31 this year. Three LeT terrorists were apprehended and no less than 102 Pakistani terrorists are still active in Kashmir valley, the Indian officials added. Available records show that out of 102, 59 belong to LeT, 37 to JeM and 6 to Hizbul Mujahideen. Yet the Pakistani narrative is designed to establish that Balakot was a victory for Islamabad as the military shot down an Indian MiG-21 Bison fighter and captured Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. The Imran Khan government is expected to use the media to propagate that Pakistan is all for peace but ready for war. The propaganda is designed to convey that the Pakistani leadership was strong as it defeated India in battlefield and at global forums. And it will use the wing commanders return to substantiate its claims that it did so out of a desire for peace and from a position of strength. The officials said that Islamabad was forced to hand over Abhinandan after India signalled its readiness to follow up with a missile strike. Interestingly, the officials said that the Imran Khan government will also try to highlight that for the first time India was brought under international pressure over Kashmir, despite Islamabads continued failure to do so at the United Nations. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Because of all the growth the city of Katy is experiencing, officials plan to spend millions to build an elevated and a ground water storage tank at Water Plant No. 7 at Young Ranch. Katy City Council awarded construction contracts at its Jan. 27 meeting. Maguire Iron Inc. of Sioux Falls, S. Dakota, received the contract to build the 500,000-gallon elevated storage tank. The total contract amount is $1,246,391, which includes contingencies, engineering and the base bid. A contract for $1,061,160 for the one million gallon ground storage tank belongs to Schier Construction Co. of Houston. City Engineer David Leyendecker said the city received three bids on Jan. 8 for the elevated storage tank. The low bid came from Maguire at $1.043 million. The city received eight bids on Jan. 8 for the ground storage tank. Schier Construction submitted the low bid at $888,000, Leyendecker said. Both tanks will be near Kingsland Boulevard and Pederson Road. Leyendecker said the projects are necessary because the city is growing. Funds for the ground storage tank are to be paid from Reserve Funds of the Water and Sewer Fund. In other action, council awarded a construction contract for the Goldeneye Storm Sewer Project to HTI Construction Inc. of Rosenberg. The contract amount totals $119,714. Leyendecker said the city received eight bids for the Hunters Terrace project and the low bid of $97,450 came from HTI Construction. The subdivision is off Katy Hockley Road. In response to questions from Ward B Councilwoman Janet Corte, Leyendecker said he expected construction to start in 30 days. Eight property owners are affected by the project. He said he notified property owners of the project and met three of the homeowners as he visited the homes to leave a project notice at their door. Everyone is ecstatic that the ditch will be closed in, he added. City Council also approved two special-use permits that drew no comments during public hearings. Both permits were recommended to council by the City Planning and Zoning Commission, which met Jan. 14 to consider the requests. Jesus Rescue International Church, 6193 Highway Blvd. received a one-year special-use permit. Andrew Allemand of Beacon Land Services, the applicant for the permit on behalf of the church, introduced himself, and said he was available to answer questions. The report from Anas Garfaoui, city planner, said the board of adjustment last fall granted a parking variance for the church at Tiger Square shopping center, which is located in a C-2 general business district at the corner of Highway Boulevard and FM 1463, across from Katy High School. The church will occupy a 3,750-square-foot space that formerly served another church. Planning staff recommended City Council approved a five-year special-use permit for Aristoi Classical Academy, a charter school, that operates at 5618 Eleventh St., which is zoned commercial. A letter from Brenda Davidson, the academy superintendent, said the open enrollment charter school has operated at this location since 2002. City Council also authorized the mayor to sign a development agreement with Davoody M & J which owns slightly more than 18 acres, which are in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the City of Houston plus 16 acres that are in the city of Katys extraterritorial jurisdiction. The developer wants Katy to annex the property now in the Houston ETJ and has applied to Houston to release the tract. The property is intended for residential development and is near Spring Green Boulevard in south Katy. karen.zurawski@chron.com DETROIT National Pizza Day is February 9. And for Buddys Pizza, its extra special in 2020. The popular chain known for its Detroit-style pizza, is offering a weekend of deals and freebies in partnership with its new home delivery partner DoorDash. On Friday, February 7, 250 pizza fans near Buddys 16 locations can get a free 4-Square, two-topping pizza by using promo code PIZZABUDDYS at checkout when they order through DoorDash and spend $5. The offer is good while supplies last and is not valid for pickup or dine-in. Limit one per person. Oon February 8 and 9 Buddys will continue the celebration with $0 delivery fees on all orders over $12. Buddy's Pizza has seen off-premise sales grow to 41% of their business since teaming with DoorDash, according to a news release from the company. Buddys Pizza bringing Original Detroit-Style Pizza to Lansing While the majority of Buddys business is dine-in, off-premiseincluding deliverycontinues to be a key growth area. As we look to expand, we are eager to utilize this partnership with DoorDash as a way to introduce new markets to the Original Detroit-Style Pizza, said Chief Executive Officer of Buddys Pizza, Burton Heiss. DoorDash allows our current customers to have their favorite pizza delivered while also introducing Buddys to a brand-new consumer base. This is one of DoorDashs largest deals to date in the Detroit area, according to a news release. Were proud to partner with Buddys, a pioneer in pizza and an institution in the Michigan dining scene, to help them build out their delivery channels and reach more customers in more ways across the state, said Brooke Segaran, Head of Regional Merchant Partnerships at DoorDash. Founded in 1946, Buddys Pizza also serves soups, antipasto salad, pastas, burgers and sandwiches. Turkey avalanches leave over 40 dead Istanbul, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2020 The death toll from two avalanches in eastern Turkey rose to 41 on Thursday, the government's disaster management agency said, as rescue teams continued a difficult search for two missing people. Five were killed in the first avalanche in Van province bordering Iran on Tuesday, only for rescuers to be hit by a second avalanche the following day. Three more bodies were recovered Thursday, the DHA news agency said, with the AFAD disaster agency saying a total of 84 people had been injured in the twin avalanches. Rescue efforts continued despite adverse weather conditions that caused transport problems. Authorities have banned civilian access to the scene, DHA reported. Last month, the eastern province of Elazig was hit by a powerful 6.7-magnitude earthquake that killed 41 people and injured more than 1,600 others. A 2009 avalanche in the northeastern province of Gumushane killed 11 climbers in the Zigana mountains. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi pulled no punches in a press conference Thursday morning, the day after President Donald Trump was acquitted of all impeachment charges. When asked how she felt about the president appearing to snub her proffered handshake at the State of the Union, she had a stunning read on the situation. "It was also an act of kindness, because he looked to me like he was a little sedated," Pelosi said. "He looked that way last year too. But he didn't want to shake hands, that was that. It meant nothing to me." "That was not a State of the Union," Pelosi added. "That was his state of mind." Pelosi, who appeared at the National Prayer Breakfast with Trump earlier in the morning, also criticized his demeanor at the bipartisan event, calling it "without class" for the president to bring up Sen. Mitt Romney. Romney was the only Republican who voted "guilty" on one of the impeachment charges Wednesday. MORE: Nancy Pelosi rips up speech after Trump completes State of the Union "[It was] so inappropriate at a prayer breakfast," Pelosi said. The New York Times reported during Pelosi's prayer breakfast speech, Trump "seemed to glower and stared straight ahead, not looking at her." Pelosi also took issue with Trump's questioning of her Catholic faith. In December he tweeted, "She says she 'prays for the President.' I dont believe her, not even close." "He really needs our prayers," she said. "So he can say whatever he wants. He can say whatever he wants. But I do pray for him, and I do so sincerely and without anguish." Early Thursday afternoon, Trump held a press conference, his first since the impeachment acquittal. During his remarks, he said, "Nancy Pelosi is a horrible person... I doubt she prays at all." Katie Dowd is an SFGATE Senior Digital Editor. Contact: katie.dowd@sfgate.com | Twitter: @katiedowd Michelle Troconis in court on January 8 Michelle Troconis' new lawyer has claimed her bail conditions are unfair and stricter than those of Fotis Dulos who killed himself before standing trial in the murder of his estranged wife last week. Troconis was living with Fotis Dulos when his estranged wife vanished last May. The pair were charged first with evidence tampering and then with murdering Jennifer in January. Fotis, 52, was on house arrest but was also allowed to go to work. His conditions were eventually tightened to prevent him working until he killed himself last week. Troconis is also awaiting trial on house arrest but she is not allowed to go to work. She can only visit church. In a court filing on Thursday, her attorney said the bail conditions are unfair. 'She is not allowed to shop for herself, like Dulos was, and must submit to periodic drug testing despite having no prior criminal record or a history of drug use. 'There was no reasonable basis to believe, nor was any information provided at any time, to suggest that Michelle Troconis is or was drug-dependent. 'The court's imposition of mandatory drug testing as a condition of release is, therefore, unsupported, unreasonably punitive, and serves no other purpose besides humiliation and punishment,' her new attorney, Jon Schoenhorn, said in a court filing, that was obtained by The Stamford Advocate. Fotis Dulos was charged with the murder of his estranged wife Jennifer when he killed himself Emergency workers are shown trying to revive Fotis Dulos at his home in Farmington, Connecticut, last Tuesday Fotis Dulos is transported into Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx on Tuesday after attempting to kill himself with carbon monoxide poisoning in his garage in Connecticut before a court appearance Troconis was not charged with murder but with conspiracy to commit murder. Authorities believe Fotis lay in wait for his estranged wife at her home in New Canaan, Connecticut, last May then attacked her in her garage. Her body has never been found but police say there was evidence of pools of Jennifer's blood in her garage that someone had tried to clean up. Her car was later found and authorities think Fotis used it to transport her. They believe he then convinced Troconis and lawyer Kent Mawhinney, then lied to police to give him an alibi. Troconis has not spoken publicly since her arrest. In unsealed police records, however, detectives described how she first stood by Fotis then changed her story to admit lying for him. Hundreds of farmers rallied outside the Agriculture Ministry in Madrid yesterday to protest social conditions and economic problems facing the agriculture sector. This follows last weeks farmer protests in the regions of Galicia, Extremadura and Andalusia. Farmers are protesting the fall in farm-gate prices and rising production costs. According to the Agriculture Ministry, farm income dropped 8.6 percent in 2019 alone. Large supermarkets and grocery chains are hiking their prices but slashing what they pay to farmers. According to Europa Press, in January, final sales prices of agricultural products were on average four times what supermarkets paid to farmers; for potatoes it was seven times more; and for meat, eggs and milk, three times. Other problems facing farmers are linked to the crisis of European capitalism and global geopolitical tensions: trade restrictions and potential cuts in the European Unions (EUs) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies due to Brexit, US President Donald Trumps tariffs on European agriculture, especially Spains olive sector, and EU sanctions against Russia. Before last weeks protests, the Socialist Party (PSOE) regional premier of Extremadura, Guillermo Fernandez Vara, blamed farmers low margins on small minimum wage increases agreed by the PSOE, the Stalinist United Left and Podemos in talks with the big-business Confederation of Spanish Enterprises (CEOE). Vara, who presides over one of Spains poorest, most agriculture-dependent regions, said, with the low prices in this sector, it costs a lot to cover high salary costs linked to the rise in the minimum wage. The main organisers of the farmers proteststhe Union of Small Farmers (UPA), the Coalition of Farmers and Herders (COAG), and the Association of Young Farmers (ASAJA)have not made wage levels for agricultural workers their central issue, for now at least. These protests appear to have a socially heterogeneous character. They include layers of farm workers and impoverished small farmers living on tiny profit margins and incomes, as well as big and medium-sized landowners. This is also reflected in their demands, which go from better insurance systems to wildlife management, transparent labelling, and higher subsidies. Our main demand, COAG General Secretary Ivana Martinez told El Pais, is a fair price for agri-food products. ... They have to be worth what they truly should be worth and not what the big supermarkets and food chains impose, which are prices that always take all the added value. Many farmers are wearing yellow vests, echoing the hundreds of thousands of yellow vest protesters who have united on social media against French President Emmanuel Macrons anti-worker policies. These demonstrations have become Frances most significant opposition movement since the May 1968 general strike. The French yellow vests include significant layers of workers and are not a primarily agricultural movement, and Madrid is clearly terrified of opposition spreading to Spanish workers as well. In an El Pais column on the farmers protests, political analyst Fernando Vallespin wrote, its still not a revolt. Neither is it organised, like the yellow vests in France, through social media. But the latest protests of the countryside in some parts of Spain are likely to make their impact felt beyond the specific problems of agriculture and livestock. Its a wakeup call. Last week, a general strike paralysed Spains Basque country. Tens of thousands of factory workers, education, health, transport and small business workers struck against precarious jobs and low pensions. January saw the destruction of 244,000 jobs, making it the worst month of January since 2014. With more than 3.25 million Spaniards registered as unemployed, an explosive social crisis is brewing. The Barcelona daily La Vanguardia published an article titled Sanchez deploys the whole government to stop the social explosion in rural Spain, reporting: The Prime Minister demands initiatives to stop a yellow vest rebellion. It writes that Agriculture Minister Luis Planes returned to Madrid in shock at popular fury erupting in rural Spain. Regional PSOE premiers, it noted, are warning Sanchez that this could be the embryo of a movement like the yellow vests. La Vanguardia added that Deputy Prime Minister Teresa Ribera will visit the coal-mining region of Leon, another centre of alarm as coal subsidies come to an end. The PSOE-linked General Union of Labour (UGT) union has warned of a possible social outbreak by the miners. The online daily eldiario.org wrote, The governments fears are that the anger will resemble the yellow vests of France and that it will also be capitalised upon by the far-right Vox party. The far-right danger is real: Vox is attempting to capitalise on growing popular anger. While the UPA, COAG and ASAJA said they wanted no political parties present, Santiago Abascal, the leader of the far-right Vox party, attended the rally to give a press conference. In his speech, Abascal criticised Spains other parties for kneeling to the European Union and called for the EU to grant preference on European markets to EU and Spanish products. Abascals speech reportedly received a decidedly mixed reaction, however, ranging from calls of support to jeers and boos. In one of the videos, a protester can be heard shouting, You are couch farmers! Show your hands, Abascal, referring to Abascals career made of high-paid sinecures in government agencies to which he was appointed by politically connected friends. While the danger posed by Vox is real, its rise is driven overwhelmingly from the top. The ruling class has promoted nationalism and police-state repression, especially against Catalonia, to disorient growing social anger at the current governments austerity and military-police repression. The struggle against Vox is inseparable from a struggle to mobilise the working class, drawing behind it layers of farmers and small business, against the PSOE-Podemos government. The PSOE and Podemos are themselves deeply implicated in the crimes of Spanish fascism. On Monday, Podemos and the PSOE joined the right-wing parties (Popular Party, Citizens, Vox) to block the publication of notorious fascist torturer Antonio Gonzalez Pachecos service record. Better known as Billy El Nino (Billy the Kid), he was one of the most feared torturers of General Francisco Francos fascist dictatorship. He was accused of brutally beating up political prisoners, including pregnant women, as a secret police agent. He still lives and has never answered for his crimes. Podemos claimed that they voted this way due to juridical doubts about the initiative presented by the Basque-nationalist EH Bildu party. Amid a public uproar over this vote, Podemos issued a meaningless promise that they might change their vote later. As the WSWS warned two years ago in its piece The anti-fascism of Podemos: A cover for Spains anti-worker Socialist Party government, analyzing the PSOEs review of Pachecos merit awards: A PSOE government backed by Podemos will prove to be a bitter enemy of the working class, whatever symbolic anti-Franco measures it adopts. They will not oppose, but rather fall in line with the EU austerity, wars and far-right attacks on democratic rights. They are indissolubly linked to neo-fascistic tendencies by their historic ties with the European ruling elite and state apparatus. Two years later, the ruling class is showering Podemos with praise for its right-wing record. The conservative daily El Confidencial carried an article titled The unexpected maturity of Iglesias and his ministers, writing: The five ministers of the orbit of Podemos have avoided major stumbling blocks. ... Podemos seem to have left the chrysalis behind to become adults. One example, it noted, was the institutional composure shown by Podemos ministers after the Kings intervention at the opening of Parliament: the ministers, it concluded, were seen clapping impeccably. Democratic presidential candidates Pete Buttigieg (left) and Bernie Sanders remained locked in a tight race in the Iowa Democratic Party caucus. (AP) NEW YORK: (AP) _ Pete Buttigieg clung to a slight lead over Bernie Sanders in a new batch of vote totals released by the Iowa Democratic Party on Wednesday, two days after the state hosted its first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses. But the race remained too early to call. Much of the political world has already shifted its attention to next-up New Hampshire, which holds the first primary election in the Democrats' 2020 nomination fight on Tuesday. Iowa officials attributed their delay to technical problems. The chaos surrounding the reporting breakdown has undermined the impact of the Iowa's election, which typically rewards winners with a surge of momentum heading into subsequent primary contests. The two early leaders _ Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and Vermont Sen. Sanders _ are separated by 40 years in age and conflicting ideology. Sanders, a 78-year-old self-described democratic socialist, has been a progressive powerhouse for decades. Buttigieg, a 38-year-old former municipal official, represents the more moderate wing of the Democratic Party. Buttigieg is also the first openly gay candidate to earn presidential primary delegates. Wednesday's updated results show Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, former Vice President Joe Biden and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar trailing. The Democrats' primary fight intensified in New Hampshire on Wednesday as Biden took aim at both Iowa front-runners. The former vice president suggested that Sanders was unelectable and would hurt other Democrats on the ballot this fall should he represent the party in the general election. Biden also charged that it would be ``a risk'' to nominate Buttigieg because he hasn't been elected to a higher office than South Bend mayor. Speaking at a candidate forum in New Hampshire, Buttigieg was focused on the issues. He said a shift in emotion from ``guilt and doom'' to pride is needed to propel the nation forward on climate change. A stark message was delivered this week by senior gardai in the Sligo-Leitrim Division to people who deal in the sale, supply and use of drugs that they have blood on their hands and are fuelling criminality. Chief Superintendent Aidan Glacken addressed a meeting of County Leitrim Joint Policing Committee last Monday in Carrick-on- Shannon, and warned against the silence in the community that allows the drugs trade to exist and flourish. Speaking about a section of the community from middle Ireland who decide to use a line of cocaine, he said, You are fuelling criminality, you have blood on your hands. Read Also: Fowley's Fall to be developed as a key Leitrim tourist attraction The Chief Supt also warned about the dangers of criminality and said what is happening in other parts of the country could be replicated anywhere else. In this context, he spoke about the continued need for An Garda Siochana, as a policing organisation, to build its relationship with the community based on trust. Describing silence as a weakness, he said, There's a level of maturity required from a lot of people around the silence that exists. We can't survive on our own without the assistance of the public and people trusting us to do our job, the Chief Supt said. Chief Superintendent Aidan Glacken, in a broad-ranging discussion about policing the drugs trade in the Sligo-Leitrim Division, told members of Leitrim Joint Policing Committee that silence in the community is a weakness that allows criminality and drugs and intimidation to stifle people's development. Read Also: Planning application submitted for development of the hospice facility on the Sligo Hospital site There's a lot made about what's happening in other areas of the country but let us not fool ourselves to think those things couldn't be replicated in other parts of the country. That exists and it exists for one reason only, greed. Criminality is built on greed and criminality knows no boundaries and people involved in crime don't care about boundaries and they don't care about who gets abused or thrown under the bus, he said. Referring to young people in schools who are intimidated because they may have small drug debts, he stated, We are working hard to prevent those things from happening, to allow those people to mature and become young and responsible adults. What's killing them is the silence and it's the silence of the weak because we need information and intelligence and let us, as professionals, assist people. But we can't do that on our own, we can't be a lone voice. Stand up and be responsible, he demanded. We as a policing organisation build our relationship with the community on trust and we urge and need the community's assistance to do that, the Chief Supt said. The general discussion came from two questions raised by JPC members Breege Grimes and Cllr Finola Armstrong-McGuire about steps being taken to police the drugs trade in the county. Read Also: Leitrim Snapshots Poll: Who should make it to the grand finale of Snapshots from week two? In response, Supt Kevin English outlined to the meeting the steps being taken by An Garda Siochana to tackle the growing threat of drugs in our society and the challenges they face to monitor and detect those who supply the drugs. He said there are drugs available in Leitrim that are being sold covertly but the state of the art CCTV system in Carrick-on-Shannon is used to monitor any suspicious activity. We have increased the number of stop and searches that we perform on people that we suspect. Only last week we got information of suspicious activity out the Elphin Road and responded immediately and we arrested a man and recovered 25,000 of cannabis herb and did a number of follow up searches, he said, adding that he has a number of operations planned for the year ahead. Detection and prevention of the sale and supply of drugs has to remain the priority. We are continually monitoring. A lot of it has to be intelligence led because these people are travelling to our district and have a huge network. We are doing our best to try and thwart their efforts. We rely on intelligence to effectively identify the people who are supplying drugs, Supt English said. He referenced proactive measures they are undertaking. Last week, he said, CCTV was used to stop and search one person in Carrick town who was detected with 800 of cocaine on his person. We are acutely aware that Carrick-on-Shannon because of its attraction and because it's along the N4 can be used as a transit location and many of our detections have reflected that, he said. Read Also: Are you confused on the Drumshanbo Blueway? He stated he would listen to any recommendations from the JPC as to where his resources should be allocated in the context of drug enforcement. In reply to a question, he said he has use of the divisional drugs unit which he has used regularly. We have a number of covert operations going on but it is a huge challenge for us in relation to drug taking and keeping our young people safe and that is something that remains a top priority for Leitrim in 2020, the Supt said. Cllr Justin Warnock said it is a countywide issue and parents of young teens who are starting to go out are afraid that they will be targeted. Every parent in Leitrim needs to know there's a serious cocaine problem in this county, he said. Subscriber content preview Reducing nutrient pollution from farms has been a much bigger challenge than slowing it from sewage plants and factories. By JOHN SEEWER Associated Press TOLEDO, Ohio Nearly halfway into a 10-year pledge to combat the toxic algae that turns Lake Erie a ghastly shade of green, Ohio has made little progress. Its patchwork of mostly voluntary efforts hasn't slowed the farm fertilizers that feed algae blooms, leading to contaminated drinking water and dead fish. Ohio's governor has authorized an ambitious plan that this year will begin offering farmers financial incentives to adopt new agriculture practices and will create a network of wetlands to capture and filter runoff from fields. . . . A young woman accused of murdering a teenage boy and injuring four others by smashing into them with her car has wept in a Perth court while watching a police interview in which she insisted she only wanted to 'threaten' them. Aya Hishmeh is on trial in the WA Supreme Court charged with murdering Jacob Cummins, 17, in December 2017 and attempting to kill Robert Bell, Augustine Janga, Mark Kickett and Anwre Ige on a footpath in Canning Vale. The 23-year-old cried as she watched her police interview in court on Thursday. Aya Hishmeh is on trial in the WA Supreme Court charged with murder. The 23-year-old cried as she watched her police interview in court on Thursday During the interview, Hishmeh insisted she only wanted to swear at the children and threaten them to stay away from her younger brother and sister, who had earlier been attacked. 'I swear to God, it was not meant to be like this,' she said. 'Yeah, I was angry, but I would never hurt anyone. 'I hate horror movies, I hate watching scenes of people getting killed or whatnot, and now it's real life.' Hishmeh said she got out of the car to help after the crash but she felt no pulse on Jacob. 'I'm so sorry,' she sobbed uncontrollably. She is charged with Jacob Cummins (pictured) death and injuring four others in December 2017 'I was meant to stop next to them. 'It was my stupid mistake of speeding.' Hishmeh said things had 'spiralled out of control'. She said she usually dealt with her anger by 'swearing and yelling a lot'. But she admitted she had previously been suspended from school for two separate acts of violence. Hishmeh said she got out of the car to help after the crash but she felt no pulse on Jacob A boy, who was aged 14 at the time and cannot be named, previously testified he had to jump out of the way to avoid the car. 'It just missed me. Then it went past me and then I yelled at the boys to move,' he said. 'It looked like it was coming straight for us.' The trial continues. In a decision that could have national implications for the wage-equity movement, a federal appeals court Thursday sided with the City of Philadelphia, saying it can ban employers from asking job applicants their salary history. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit partly reversed a 2018 lower-court decision that said the city could not ban employers from asking about salary history but could ban them from relying on it to set wages. The law has been in limbo since 2017, when the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce sued the city, claiming the ordinance violated the commercial-speech rights of employers. Proponents of the law, which include the city and womens advocates, say it would cut down on gender- and race-based discrimination that contributes to the wage gap by keeping unfair salaries from snowballing through an employees career. Studies suggest women on average make about 80 cents for every dollar a man does. That gap is even higher for women of color. City officials said the decision is a green light for them to begin enforcing the law, but they havent set a timetable. The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations would be in charge of enforcing the law, and employers found in violation could face fines and litigation. City Solicitor Marcel S. Pratt, who argued the case before the appeals court, said the city hopes to work with the Chamber on implementation. The Chamber said in a brief statement its clearly disappointed and is reviewing potential next steps. READ MORE: Heres what policymakers are doing (and not doing) to fix the wage gap The 67-page unanimous opinion representing the three-judge panel was written by Judge Theodore McKee, who wrote that while the provision does limit employers speech, it is only because that limitation prevents the tentacles of any past wage discrimination from attaching to an employees subsequent salary. The appeals court disagreed with U.S. District Judge Mitchell S. Goldberg, who favored the Chambers argument that the City of Philadelphia failed to provide evidence showing its law would actually tamp down on the wage gap. McKee wrote that though the citys evidence was sufficient, legislatures arent required to provide data showing the efficacy of a proposal if its an innovative solution that hasnt been widely implemented previously. The Chamber, backed by Philadelphia companies including Comcast Corp., contended in legal filings that the law burdens businesses in their efforts to evaluate what is a competitive salary offer in a tight labor market. Rick Grimaldi, a Philadelphia management-side workplace attorney and partner at Fisher Phillips, said the law is part of what he considers an overreach generally in the city that is somewhat punishing to employers and businesses trying to succeed here. Couple that with the taxes and the regulatory regime, he said, we really do jeopardize chasing businesses out of the city. Grimaldi said this ruling isnt the end of the conversation. The Chamber can petition the U.S. Supreme Court to review the decision. Legal challenges also could be brought in other jurisdictions, and if a different circuit rules against a salary-history ban, it could set up a showdown in the Supreme Court. READ MORE: How slow-to-act Philadelphia came to pass some of the most cutting-edge worker laws in the nation Rue Landau, executive director of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations, said the law, which was unanimously passed by City Council in 2017, comes amid a variety of worker-protection legislation Philadelphia has implemented in recent years. This one, she said, "should be held up as one that is all about equality and protecting peoples civil rights. Ive never understood the argument against it, she said. Former City Councilman Bill Greenlee, who championed the bill, said this is just the right thing to do, despite concerns from businesses and corporations in Philadelphia. They were agreeing that there was wage inequity, but theyre saying this wont solve the problem, he said. Well how do you know if you dont try it? Still, it hardly needs saying that Robbie aces the role and she's not only a gifted clown, but one of the most intriguingly modern Hollywood stars. Like any film about a villain redeemed, Birds of Prey must wrestle with the question of how far the protagonist's naughtiness ought to go. Read Jake Wilson's full review here. The Lighthouse American writer-director Robert Eggers excels at transporting you into the past and putting you under the skin of those you meet there, says reviewer Sandra Hall. Persuading you to be glad that you came is another matter. Eggers can be distinguished from those at the pulpy end of the horror movie market by his obsessive research into the customs, costumes and language of the past and his histrionic flair. Robert Pattinson plays Ephraim Winslow in Robert Eggers' The Lighthouse, alongside Willem Dafoe. If anything, he's a bit too keen on the histrionics. The Lighthouse's opening scene is an example of him at his most excitable, promising a full catalogue of maritime terrors. A single ship is outlined against dark skies and an even darker sea while the soundtrack batters your ears with dissonant sounds presaging certain disaster. Even before Thomas Wake (Willem Dafoe) and Ephraim Winslow (Robert Pattinson) plod up the beach towards the isolated New England lighthouse which is to be their home, you know that things are about to get down and dirty. Confirmation comes when they reach the bedroom they'll be sharing and Wake asserts his territorial rights with a resounding fart. The plot is onion-shaped. It peels away, layer by layer, as both men gradually reveal their seminal secrets. Wake is an old salt, smoked and cured by years spent absorbing sailors' tales and the lore of the sea, while Winslow spent his youth as a lumberjack. The lighthouse job was to be his way into a better-paid, more stable future but he's begun to realise the naivete of that hope. But for both men the confidences are a diversion one more stage in the battle of wills that forms the plot's core. Eggers' decision to film in black-and-white means the cinematography is full of shadow play, especially in the lamp-lit rooms of the tumbledown lightkeeper's cottage. But there's little suspense in any of it partly because the outcome is inevitable. What's more, neither man has managed to generate much sympathy, so it doesn't qualify as tragedy. There is no fall from grace because there has never been much grace to lose. It's all academic. Read Sandra Hall's full review here. H Is for Happiness In the foreground, H Is for Happiness appears to be a bright and sunny comedy set mostly in two locations: main character Candice Phee's unhappy but stylish home, and the multi-cultural schoolroom where she's the kid no one wants to sit next to. We can tell it's a high-key comedy from the first shot a pullback from the wonky eye of Miss Bamford, Candice's teacher, writes reviewer Paul Byrnes. Miriam Margolyes fits the part, if not the computer-generated wobbly eye. Her style in comedy has often been to go the big bash. Richard Roxburgh, Daisy Axon and Emma Booth in H is for Happiness. Credit:David Dare Parker New director John Sheedy, a veteran of theatre and opera, encourages her performance as a statement of principles: if audiences need to be driven to the river of comedy and made to drink, Miriam takes us mid-stream with an anvil. Sheedy does this partly as a ruse. It's not a straight comedy at all, but a drama with comic leavening. On that basis, it sometimes works pretty well. There are a few a happy few laugh-out loud moments that suggest how much potential this project might have had. The rest is a grown-up tragedy, from which 12-year-old Candice would like a break. Her mother Claire (Emma Booth) is four years into a breakdown caused by the cot death of Candice's little sister. Candice's father Jim (Richard Roxburgh) has more misery on top, after breaking with his brother Brian (Joel Jackson) over money. Brian got rich on Jim's business failure. Candice refers to him only as 'Rich Uncle Brian'. Candice's home life is about as much fun as a funeral on a wet Tuesday. Daisy Axon, befreckled and red-haired, is well cast as Candice. She's more than a swot. When she meets Penelope Benson (Deborah Mailman), mother of her new (her only) friend Douglas Benson (Wesley Patten), Penelope recognises the girl's obsessive orderliness and precocious language. 'You're autistic, aren't you?' she asks, gently. Candice demurs, politely. Given that Douglas thinks he is from another dimension in time, she feels reasonably well-adjusted. Sheedy never finds the right tone for this ambitious project. Candice's florid language is great on paper, one of the main attractions of the book, but it's almost impossible to translate to the screen. H is for Happiness is amiable, even quite likeable, just not good enough to compete against much bigger and better-funded foreign movies. Read Paul Byrnes' full review here. Color Out of Space The source material for this film is a 1927 horror story by H.P. Lovecraft, whose vision of a cruel universe ruled by malignant forces seems more popular than ever just now, writes reviewer Jake Wilson. South African writer-director Richard Stanley's adaptation retains the outline of Lovecraft's plot and some of his heavily ominous language, while reimagining the characters for the present day. Hue's next? The colours of the movie change as the alien force takes control. Newly arrived in the woods of Massachusetts are the Gardners, an ordinary American family with some reasonably ordinary problems. Following a mastectomy, Theresa (Joely Richardson) fears her husband Nathan (Nicolas Cage) no longer finds her attractive. The resulting unease also affects their children: young Jack (Julian Hilliard) barely speaks, teenage Lavinia (Madeleine Arthur) practises witchcraft a little too seriously, while middle child Benny (Brendan Meyer) has taken to smoking pot with a local weirdo played by Tommy Chong of Cheech & Chong fame. But all these problems dwindle into insignificance when a meteor crashes in their front yard, possibly summoned by Lavinia's spells. This proves to be a vehicle for an abstract alien entity the "colour" of the title that has the power to cause mutations and to warp reality itself. Like other films inspired by Lovecraft, Color out of Space faces the problem of how to portray a vaguely described menace that supposedly resembles nothing on Earth. Stanley's solution involves a degree of explicit "body horror," but he equally counts on his actors to look appropriately stupefied as their characters learn the nature of the threat. Cage in particular is very much in his element, proving his reputation as an undisciplined weirdo is less than deserved. His performance is one long freakout, but a carefully calibrated one, escalating as the situation deteriorates. Read Jake Wilson's full review here. For Sama Waad al-Kateab is worried that her baby Sama never cries. After all, she has plenty to cry about, says reviewer Sandra Hall. It's 2016 and she's been born into a world that seems about to end under the bombardment inflicted on the rebel-held areas of East Aleppo by Bashar al-Assad's allies, the Russian air force. Filmmaker Waad al-Kateab (right), her husband Hamza, and their daughter Sama. Sama's father, Hamza, is a doctor in the district's only remaining hospital and Waad is a self-taught citizen journalist whose footage is being shown regularly on one of Britain's major television networks. The family once had a house but now they live at the hospital part of a tight little band of medicos who are holding out in the besieged city while they still have patients left to treat. Waad shot 500 hours of film during the six months the siege lasted at first with her phone, then with a succession of cameras that she learnt to operate by using them. Loading For Sama is fashioned as Waad's gift to her daughter. It's both a tribute and an apology to the child for her parents' decision to keep her with them throughout all they endured. It's also a terrifying day-by-day re-creation of what it was like to live at the bloody core of the Syrian war. The Russians made a habit of targeting hospitals and Waad kept her camera rolling no matter what. It jerkily records the frantic dashes she and the others made to reach shelter before each bombardment. And there are the scenes she shot in the operating theatre, tucking herself into a corner to film the surgeries Hamza and the other doctors performed on the wounded. She records their despair when a family of 10 are brought in dead and their sadness when they lose one of their own. Only once does her sangfroid fail her. She's reduced to tears by the sight of a boy they are trying to save, causing Hamza to order her out with the words: "You can't cry in here." LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 6, 2020 / Compare-autoinsurance.org (http://compare-autoinsurance.org/) is a top auto insurance brokerage website, providing car insurance quotes online from trustworthy agencies all over the United States. 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CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing Company Person for contact Name: Gurgu C Phone Number: (818) 359-3898 Email: cgurgu@internetmarketingcompany.biz Website: https://compare-autoinsurance.org/ SOURCE: Internet Marketing Company View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/575509/Best-Car-Insurance-2020-Why-Drivers-Should-Use-Online-Car-Insurance-Quotes A Pennsylvania man who was 16 when he robbed and killed a 77-year-old woman in her home will have to live with his new 30-year to life prison sentence after a state court Thursday refused his plea for immediate freedom. That is still a better deal than the life without parole sentence Shaun Winters, now 41, received after pleading guilty to second-degree murder 25 years ago for the June 1994 slaying in Reading. Winters was resentenced by a Berks County judge last year. His case had to be revisited under a 2012 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that bars automatic life without parole sentences for killers who were under 18 when they committed their homicides. Winters had sought a time served to 50-year resentencing that would have resulted in his prompt release. He appealed to the state Superior Court when he didnt get it. Senior Judge John L. Musmanno wrote the state courts opinion denying Winters appeal. Musmanno rejected Winters claim that attaching a life in prison tail on his new sentence was unconstitutional. Pennsylvania courts repeatedly have ruled otherwise, Musmanno noted. Nor did he credit Winters claim that county Judge Paul M. Yatron didnt fully consider all the factors of the case before imposing the revised punishment. Those factors, Winters said, included his age and maturity level at the time of the murder, and his drug use that began when he was just 7 years old. He insisted that Yatron also failed to adequately consider that he was drunk and high at the time of the robbery/murder. Musmanno found Yatron had covered all those bases. He also cited Yatrons consideration of a 1995 statement in which Winters claimed the killing occurred during an altercation with the victim, Nora Casani, and that he didnt know she was dead until a week later. Winters had to know immediately that he had killed Casani because the physical evidence supports that Winters wrapped a pillowcase around the victims neck and tied it into a knot strong enough to strangle (her) to death, Yatron wrote. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved an amendment to the Banking Regulation Act that will empower the Reserve Bank of India to regulate 1,540 co-operative banks to protect the interest of depositors. This move comes in the wake of the Punjab and Maharashtra Co-operative (PMC) Bank crisis. Briefing media about the Cabinets decision, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said the proposed amendment will aim to enforce banking regulation guidelines of the RBI in co-operative banks, while administrative issues will still be guided by the registrar of co-operative. This means that now the co-operative banks will be required to seek RBI nod before the appointment of CEO, as done in the case of commercial banks. The banks will also have to carry out audits according to the RBI guidelines. The provisions would give the banking regulator the power to supersede and take control of weak co-operative banks. The Cabinet approval is in line with the Budget announcement by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday. To strengthen co-operative banks, amendments to the Banking Regulation Act are proposed for increasing professionalism, enabling access to capital and improving governance and oversight for sound banking through the RBI, Sitharaman had said in her Budget speech last week. The move was initiated in the backdrop of PMC Bank crisis affecting lakhs of customers facing difficulties in withdrawing money due to restrictions imposed by RBI. Currently, there are at least 1,540 co-operative banks with a depositor base of Rs 8.60 crore having total savings of about Rs 5 lakh crore. The Cabinet also gave its nod for setting up a new major port at Vadhavan near Dahanu in Maharashtra at a cost of Rs 65,544.54 crore. A special purpose vehicle (SPV) will also be formed with Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust as the lead partner with equity participation equal to or more than 50 per cent to implement the project. DanHenson1/iStock(NEW YORK) -- Former prison worker Joyce Mitchell was released from prison Thursday morning after helping two convicted murderers escape years earlier. Mitchell was released from the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Westchester County, New York, to community supervision, according to the Department of Corrections. She'll be supervised in Franklin County until June 2022. Mitchell, 55, was convicted for providing material support to Clinton Correctional Facility prisoners Richard Matt and David Sweat in a dramatic case that eventually became the plot for the 2018 Showtime miniseries Escape at Dannemora. Mitchell was charged with promoting prison contraband in the first degree -- a felony -- and criminal facilitation in the fourth degree -- a misdemeanor -- and sentenced to to between 2 1/3 and 8 years in September 2015. She admitted to charges of promoting prison contraband and was also ordered to pay $80,000 in restitution for damages incurred during the escape. The story gained national attention as authorities spent 22 days searching for the escaped upstate New York killers. The manhunt came to an end when Matt was shot and killed by authorities and Sweat was shot and apprehended. It was later revealed that the inmates had seduced Mitchell, who worked as a prison tailor, as a part of an elaborate scheme. Mitchell allegedly smuggled hacksaw blades, chisels and other tools into the prison in frozen hamburger meat, which a guard later gave to the inmates. She also allegedly bought six hacksaw blades and gave them directly to Matt, according to a report from the New York inspector general. The inmates used power tools to cut through the back of their cells, broke through a brick wall, cut into a steam pipe and then slithered through it, finally emerging outside the prison walls through a manhole, officials said. They had arranged hoodies and other clothing in their sheets to make it appear as if they were in their beds, officials said, leaving behind a note that read, "Have a nice day." At her sentencing in 2015, Mitchell told the judge, "If I could take it all back I would." "This is by far the worst mistake I have ever made in my life. I live with regret every day and will for the rest of my life," Mitchell said. Escape at Dannemora -- named after the town where Clinton Correctional Facility is located -- was directed by Ben Stiller and won several awards. Patricia Arquette, who played Mitchell, won a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild award and Critics' Choice Television award for the role. Stiller won a Director's Guild award for best miniseries or TV film. The miniseries was also nominated for seven Emmy awards. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Its always sunny in nostalgia. When my mind summons up sepia-toned Kodak memories of the big protest marches I witnessed as a kid in the 1960s and 70s, it sees big throngs under a bright powder-blue sky, on a crisp autumn day. Protesting in the Trump era has felt absolutely nothing like this. It is always dark, under steel-gray winter afternoons or early nightfall, marching into a stiff wind or icy pellets of drizzle. The so-called Resistance that was born in the 3 a.m. despair of a November night and soon flooded urban boulevards or airport lobbies amid January flurries has always felt like a struggle to stay warm, to keep democracy from dying in the darkness of winters dusk. READ MORE: The truth that mattered at Trumps impeachment trial? America is a monarchy now. | Will Bunch The low February sun was already sinking fast when the U.S. Senate gathered at 4 p.m. Wednesday on Capitol Hill to do what had been inevitable for months to vote on (mostly) party lines to acquit President Donald Trump after a short, make-believe impeachment trial, and to codify the notion that when a president does it, that means it is not illegal. The last echo of not guilty! had barely faded before nearly 200 hearty souls streamed onto Dilworth Plaza at City Hall about a mile from where the yellowing Constitution was drafted to chant that, no, actually, Trump is guilty!, denounce a sham trial, and show whoever is still watching that they are still here. Travis Hegasi and Meredith Hegg grabbed their 5-year-old twins, Harper and Jackson, along with Hegasis 11-year-old nephew, Lucas, and hopped a train up from Clifton Heights. As they stood on the edge of the Reject the Coverup rally one of several hundred that occurred from coast to coast Hegasi said they wanted to teach the kids right from wrong and that the wrongdoers should be held accountable. Temple math professor Hegg, carrying Jackson in her thick wool cap atop her shoulders, said the only way to remove Trump is to knock on voters doors, but we do this" protest "because I want to be able to look back and say that when things went wrong, at least I was there to say that its wrong. I didnt just sit at home and twiddle my thumbs and complain. Sometimes, you have to draw a line in the sand and say, I want to be counted. I want to be able to look back and say that when things went wrong, at least I was there to say that its wrong. I didnt just sit at home and twiddle my thumbs and complain. Meredith Hegg Feb. 5, 2020, was not a great day in the annals of American justice, but it will indeed be long remembered as a day of counting of who surrendered to fear and the crude schoolyard bullying of a man who would be king, and who dug deep into their pockets and discovered that their rusty moral compass still worked. The handful of endangered red state Democrats and the one sturdy Republican who refused to ratify the wrongdoing of an imperial president could not alter fate, but they did ensure their place in American history. In a new decade of greatly diminished expectations, a handful of senators exceeded the dimming hopes of the Trump resistance. Over the last three years, those hopes devolved from the notion that undisputed proof of abuses of power exactly what Democratic impeachment managers provided during Trumps truncated trial would end his presidency, to a belief that a handful of moderate, moral GOP senators might stand up for the truth, to the cold comfort that one Republican did write an epilogue to Profiles in Courage. I will only be one name among many, no more, no less, to future generations of Americans who look at the record of this trial, Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney, his partys 2012 presidential candidate, declared on the Senate floor just before Wednesdays acquittal. They will note merely that I was among the senators who determined that what the president did was wrong, grievously wrong. Romneys vote to convict Trump on one of two impeachment counts abuse of power was met with the predictable ugly threats and playground taunts from the likes of Donald Trump Jr., but it was a courageous display of his faith in a Higher Power than Donald Trump. For 52 other Republicans, cowardice trumped faith. In a New York Times op-ed, Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown wrote of what he sees across the aisle, that [f]or the stay-in-office-at-all-cost representatives and senators, fear is the motivator. But on a day when fear hit a home run, it was the small moments of moral clarity not just Romney but Democrats like Alabama Sen. Doug Jones, fighting for his political life in a blood-red state, who summoned the same courage to oppose Trump as hed once showed in going after the racists whod bombed the 16th Street Baptist Church that got a couple hundred Philadelphians to venture out in the cold one more time. I think the ray of sun coming through the clouds was heading that Mitt Romney, Doug Jones and other centrist Democrats were going to vote to convict, said Ruthanne Tickel-Logan, a 57-year-old activist whod taken the train down from Yardley. But she conceded that recent days have been hard on all of us ... torture. The protesters came despite blow after blow not just the end of impeachment but Trumps rising approval ratings and the increasing confidence of his base, in a week when the Democrats Iowa caucus brought mainly confusion and anger that have increased worries among the Resistance, not just over whether Trump will win but whether the election results can even be trusted. READ MORE: Trump in Wildwood: Americas crude T-shirt president hits the boardwalk, finally | Will Bunch Fascism can be voted in, but it must be driven out! a speaker from the leftist group Refuse Fascism that helped organize the rally boomed, as cars on 15th Street honked and protesters waved signs with slogans like Fight hate! America is better than this! Many in the crowd told me their only hope for Novembers election is that Trumps Democratic rival wins by a huge margin, because POTUS 45 might not leave the White House if the tally is close. Were not going to just accept it we have to voice our opinions and what we know is right, Joanne Jordan, a 67-year-old retired teacher from West Deptford and one of a group of activists from Action Together New Jersey, told me of the impeachment verdict. She captured the mood of a day when so many searched for moral victories because the slim majority of Americans who strongly disapprove of Trumps presidency struggles to find political ones. They were hanging on for dear life to the words of the lead House impeachment manager, Rep. Adam Schiff, that truth matters, and right matters, because without it we are lost. As Jordan spoke, most of the other protesters started to march south down 15th Street into the void of a February night, chanting Trump out! on the day that Trump wasnt voted out. Their destination was unknown. "It's a little bit more of a smaller pond but you can make a name for yourself, and you have a little bit more of an opportunity out there. There's a bit more pressure here in Ontario...you can hone your craft." Of the seven Future Star winners since the genesis of the award, three have captured the award after solid campaigns in Alberta -- Travis Cullen in 2013, Chris Lancaster in 2018 and the most recent recipient, Dave Kelly. A native of Sydney, N.S., who now resides and competes in Alberta, Kelly enjoyed a career year in 2019, driving 108 winners and recording more than $672,000 in purse earnings while also topping the Century Mile driving charts in wins. As a catch driver Kelly reined many top performers including three-year-old pacing filly Rockin Mystery, who he teamed up with for several stakes wins including the Alberta Standardbred Horse Association (ASHA) Breeders Stake on June 15. On the training side, Kelly conditioned 50 winners and horses to almost $275,000 in earnings. "We had a lot of great owners that will kind of willing to reinvest, we got better horses, we got a lot of young horses," Kelly told SC's Rachel Oenema of his award-winning season. "Stakes is where you're going to make your money in the west, that's where we have the majority of our purse pool. So having those [owners] willing to reinvest and willing to buy better horses for me makes my job a whole lot easier." Kelly also discussed some of the highlights of his season as well as the role of his family in his success. The full post-event interview with Kelly and Oenema is available below. This is the third in a series of post-event video interviews with O'Brien Award finalists, sponsored by Horse Racing Alberta. On Saturday, February 1, Standardbred Canada announced the winners for the 2019 OBrien Award at the 31st edition of the annual OBrien Awards Black Tie Gala held at the Hilton Mississauga / Meadowvale hotel in Mississauga, Ont. The OBrien Awards honour Canadas best in harness racing over the past season and are named in honour of the late Joe OBrien, an outstanding horseman and member of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame. The event was covered live on the SC website. The official list of winners is available here, with the official voting results available here. The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the Election Commission's response on a plea seeking rejection of nomination of an AAP candidate for allegedly concealing his educational qualification in his affidavit for the February 8 Assembly polls. A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued a notice to the EC and the AAP candidate from Karol Bagh, Vishesh Ravi, seeking their stand on the plea by Yoginder Chandolia, the BJP hopeful from the area. The bench listed the matter for hearing on Friday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jean De DIEU Momo a Equinoxe Television capture d'ecran Jean de Dieu Momo, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals has pulled another stunt, stating on a live TV show that he now has and enjoys state power since joining government. In an interview over Equinoxe TV over the weekend, the Knight of the Cameroon Order of Valour and National President of the opposition PADDEC (Patriotes Democrates pour le Developpement du Cameroun) said it only took him a phone call to resolve Longue Longues passport issues. Minister Momo gave back the passport of Simon Longkana aka Longue Longue Sunday afternoon during a political rally in Douala after it had been confiscated for close to a year by authorities. Longue Longues passport was reportedly seized last April 2019 following unofficial claims that he had insulted the President of the Republic and undermined territorial integrity by stating that Maurice Kamto had won the 2018 Presidential elections. Since then, Longue Longue publicly went on bended knees, cap in hand, asking for forgiveness and pleading for his passport to be handed back to him so he could meet up with his professional engagements to no avail. Minister Momo said he could return Longue Longues passport because of his position as member of government. Asked to explain what has changed about his life in two seconds, Minister Momo said the following: What has changed in two seconds is that: I now have a driver, a bodyguard and a red carpet rolled out for me. That is to say I have the tools of the state. What I could not do by earning FCFA 100 million as a lawyer, I can do it earning FCFA 900,000 as Minister. Just with a phone call, I could solve the problem of Longue Longue. His passport problem was resolved with a mere phone call. That is not something I could do before. I give you just one example. That is to say, if there is nothing else behind the case, if it is just an issue of a passport, I just have to make a phone call. I am the state. And when you are the state, you represent the state. You have the power to change lives. With just a phone call and I can give a job to somebody. It must not always be in the public service. Even in the private sector, it is possible. This is just to tell you that I have power. I am power and I am in power. Re-gifted items do not normally capture buyers attention at auction. But when a watch is re-gifted by the Shah of Iran, after receiving it from the Apollo 11 astronauts, collectors take note. The Omega Speedmaster 145022-68 ST is being sold by 77-year-old former helicopter pilot Robin White. The Omega Speedmaster in its case (Gardiner Houlgate/PA) It was first presented to the Shah of Iran in 1969 by the crew of Apollo 11, as they toured the world following their historic first moon landing. The Shah re-gifted it to his half-sister, Princess Fatemeh Pahlavi, who gave it to Mr White in return for helping her become the first Iranian woman to fly a helicopter. Mr White, who now lives in Dorset, kept the watch in a safe for many years. The Omega is much venerated but hasnt been seen by many people, he said. It holds lots of good memories for me, but I thought it would be jolly nice if it was worth something. If it sells, Ill take my wife on a cruise. In the late 1960s, former military pilot Mr White, who then worked for Bristow Helicopters, was based in Iran training Iranian military personnel to fly helicopters. His exploits in evacuating Bristows fleet of helicopters from Iran when the Shah was overthrown in 1979 are featured in author James Clavells 1986 novel Whirlwind. Auctioneer David Hare with the Omega Speedmaster watch (Gardiner Houlgate/PA) Mr White recalled how Princess Fatemeh, who died in London in 1987, would regularly order a Boeing 737 plane to fly from Iran to Denmark to collect supplies of alcoholic drinks. After the princess first flew solo, she presented him with the watch in his flight school office. Mr White retired from flying in 1998 due to an eye problem. He returned to the UK recently after living for many years in France. In 1969, the Apollo 11 astronauts visited 23 countries during what was called the Giant Leap goodwill tour, including Iran. The watch will be sold at auction on February 19 at Gardiner Houlgate in Corsham, Wiltshire. Also going under the hammer is Mr Whites memorabilia (Gardiner Houlgate/PA) Auctioneer David Hare said: As re-gifting goes, this watch is something quite special. Story continues Its in lovely condition, and having been associated with the moon astronauts and the Shah of Iran, we anticipate it could fetch as much as 15,000. The watchs presentation to the Shah by the Apollo 11 crew is well documented. We also have Mr Whites flight logs and photos from 1969 showing his lessons with Princess Fatemeh. Its an amazing story like something out of an adventure book. The prestige and reputation of Jain religion boosted, on the auspicious day of the high profile coronation of Jainacharya Yugbhushan Suriji Maharaj (Pandit MS) on February 4, 2020, to the post of the Gachchhaadhipati of Mohjit Vijayji sect. On the blessed land of Chikuvadi, Borivli (Mumbai), the ceremony was performed with a majestic grandeur and celebrations based on Jain rituals. Several dignitaries of the Sangh and thousands of general public witnessed this function. The people present on the occasion felt blessed to observe such rare moments in their lives. Jainacharya Yugbhushansuri became part of 31 living members of the order of saints at the highest rank in Jaina order. Around 100 Jain monks (Sadhus and Sadhvis) adorned him with the seat of Gachchhaadhipati. Jain protagonist Jakshay Shah, Hemant Shah (Canada), Dineshbhai Thadiyawala (Manilaksmi Pilgrimage), Jigneshbhai (Ahmedabad) and Himanshu Shah (Monarch Industry), as well as several heads of Jain Associations and renowned personalities, were present on the occasion. They offered their good wishes to the new Gachchhaadhipati and exuded confidence that being seated on the throne, Jain Acharya Gachchhaadhipati would bless all with enhanced work for the betterment of the Sangh, Shashan (Administration) and people's welfare. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, Amit Shah, Home Minister, and Vijay Rupani, Chief Minister of Gujarat had sent congratulatory letters for the occasion and sought blessings from Jainacharya Yugbhushansuri on this occasion. Amit Shah expressed his wishes in his letter that Jainacharya Yugbhushansuri should lead the way in mentoring the order of world peace. Many followers flew into Mumbai from across the globe to be a part of this historic occasion. The ceremony was an eye-opener for those who were not aware of the robust system of empowerment of religious rights. 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.) The family of murdered Paul Quinn remain without crucial answers about his horrific death at the hands of a brutal IRA gang in 2007. Sinn Fein finally apologised for false accusations about the 21-year-old victim after inflicting 13 years of pain on his grieving family. The apology eventually arrived after Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald came under intense pressure in the closing days of the election campaign. But after Sinn Fein minister Conor Murphy apologised for saying Mr Quinn was involved in criminality, Ms McDonald last night told 'Virgin Media News' that her predecessor Gerry Adams did not have to offer his own apology to the Quinns, despite him linking the murder to "fuel smuggling and criminal activity". Mr Murphy continued to maintain a wall of silence over the role Provisional IRA members played in the murder. Breege Quinn, the murdered man's mother, last night said she would fully accept Mr Murphy's apology for false claims that her son was a criminal only when the MLA "co-operates fully" with the Garda investigation. Expand Close Breege Quinn holds a photograph of her son Paul Quinn who was beated to death.Picture Credit:Frank McGrath 5/2/20 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Breege Quinn holds a photograph of her son Paul Quinn who was beated to death.Picture Credit:Frank McGrath 5/2/20 And she said she wanted an apology from Mr Adams. "We do want an apology from Gerry Adams. Of course we do," she said. Read More Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said he believed the Provisional IRA was responsible for Mr Quinn's murder. He called for a "cleansing" of the "omerta" around the killing. Mr Murphy yesterday withdrew his long-standing claim that Mr Quinn was involved in smuggling and criminality. Expand Close Conor Murphy. Photo: PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Conor Murphy. Photo: PA Wire He said he very much regretted the comments. But he refused to say whether he would provide police with the names of IRA members he claims told him the terror group wasnt involved. Northern Irelands finance minister said: I very much regret comments I made in the aftermath of Pauls murder which have added to the grief felt by the Quinn family. He added that those who murdered the young mechanic need to be brought to justice. However, the Quinn family said Mr Murphy must show he is sincere by providing gardai with the names of IRA members with whom he discussed the killing. Mr Murphy previously claimed to have spoken with people connected to the IRA and said none of their members were involved. But an independent agency tasked with monitoring paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland found Paul Quinn was murdered by members of the Provisional IRA. The International Monitoring Commission said he was beaten to death by people associated with the PIRA at a local level, including as members of the organisation. However, the commission said the murder was contrary to the instructions and strategy of the leadership of PIRA. Speaking to RTE yesterday, Mr Murphy merely said he was willing to meet the investigating authorities to discuss any questions that they may have. However, Ms Quinn said the politicians must do the honourable thing as a human being and go and tell the guards the names of these people he went to see in the IRA in 2007 who assured him the IRA were not involved. If he really cares about the rule of law and human rights, then he needs to do what he can to bring these murderers to justice. Conor Murphy must now tell the police who these people are and also tell whatever else he has known about our sons murder that he has not shared over the years that Sinn Fein ignored us. He [Murphy] has apologised after 13 long years of hurt and tears only because Sinn Fein have been backed into a corner and they are afraid of losing votes, she said. At least we have our childs name cleared at last but we are going to keep after Conor Murphy until he goes to the police and tells them what he knows. Ms McDonald denied in an RTE interview earlier this week that Mr Murphy had ever linked the murder victim to criminality. After being confronted with the direct quotes he gave to a BBC Spotlight interview, she now says this was an honest mistake. But she offered no commitment that Mr Murphy will provide information to the police and said she would absolutely not be asking Mr Murphy to step down as minister. Meanwhile, Ms McDonald last night made a U-turn on her stance on the Special Criminal Court telling Colette Fitzpatrick on Virgin Media News: I dont want it abolished and thats not in our manifesto. Her party has long called for the SCC, which has successfully convicted members of the Provisional IRA, to be abolished. Israeli strikes kill 23 Syrian, foreign fighters in Syria Beirut, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2020 Israeli air strikes killed 23 Syrian and foreign fighters in Syria Thursday, a monitor said, the latest in a spate of raids Israel has said targeted an Iranian presence on its doorstep. Israel has pledged to prevent its main enemy from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where it is backing President Bashar al-Assad's government alongside Russia and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The pre-dawn raids killed three Iranians and seven Tehran-backed foreign fighters near Kisweh south of the capital, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Eight Syrian air defence forces also lost their lives in both Mezzeh and Jisr Baghdad, west of the capital, the Britain-based war monitor said. Five Syrian members of pro-Iran group were killed in the Ezra area in the southern province of Daraa. A Syrian army source quoted by state news agency SANA said air defences responded to two waves of Israeli strikes after midnight that targeted the Damascus area and then positions in Daraa and the adjacent province of Quneitra. "The attack wounded eight fighters," the source said, without elaborating on where they had been stationed or their nationality. He said the raids were carried out from the airspace above the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and southern Lebanon. - Loud explosions - AFP correspondents in Damascus heard loud explosions around 1:15 am (2315 GMT Wednesday). State television broadcast images showing explosions in the sky. An Israeli army spokesman declined to comment on the strikes when contacted by AFP. Israel has carried out repeated strikes in Syria since the civil war erupted in 2011, mainly targeting government forces and their Iranian and Hezbollah allies. Israel's political leadership has spoken publicly of the bombing campaign, although the army rarely comments on individual strikes. Last month, Damascus accused the Israeli air force of carrying out an attack on the T4 airbase in central Syria, which the Observatory said killed at least three Iran-backed militiamen. In December, the Observatory said Israeli air strikes killed three foreigners fighting alongside government forces south of the capital. The previous month, the Israeli army claimed responsibility for a wave of air strikes against Syrian military sites and Iranian forces that killed 23 people including 16 foreigners. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said positions of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards foreign operations arm were among the targets. - 'Will not save' Idlib - The war in Syria has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of pro-democracy protests. The reported Israeli strikes come as government forces press a blistering offensive against Syria's last major rebel bastion, in the Idlib region in the northwest. The Syrian army source said the strikes would not deter government forces from retaking the region, which is dominated by jihadists of Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate. "This escalation will not save the armed terrorist groups that are collapsing in Idlib and western Aleppo under the strikes of the Syrian Arab Army," the source said. The bombardment has killed around 300 civilians since mid-December, the Observatory says. The violence has seen more than 500,000 civilians flee their homes over the past two months, the United Nations says. Lucknow, Feb 6 : Indigenously upgraded Sharang 155 mm gun system will be inducted in the Indian Army, the Indian Army Chief said on Thursday. The induction of Sharang will bolster the Army's combat abilities. "The Sharang artillery gun would be inducted into the Indian Army tomorrow," Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane told media persons. The induction will include 18 Sharang guns. The gun was successfully test-fired last month at the Long Proof Range (LPR) firing range of Khamaria in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh. The firepower of gun has been increased to 39 km. The gun has successfully gone through integrated firing checks on different parameters, which included firing from 0 degree to 45 degrees. The barrel of the gun has been upgraded from 130 mm to 155 mm and this has increased its hitting range by 12 km to 39 km. The Gun Carriage Factory (GCF) in Jabalpur had won the global contract to upgrade the Sharang artillery gun, and it was done with the help of the state-owned ordnance factories, and teams from the Indian Army and DRDO. Sharang is an upgraded version of Soviet-era 130 mm/52 calibre M-46 field guns. The original version has a strike range of 27 km. Its commercial production will begin soon and India would be in position to export it, sources said. The rap fraternity in Kenya is in mourning following the passing of upcoming femcee Razz Msupa. According to reports, Razz Msupa succumbed to illness on Tuesday, February 4. Nairobi Eastlands rapper King Kaka, who featured Razz Msupa in Ligi Soo remix in 2013, confirmed the sad news on Twitter. He said he had just seen her the night before she died and even prayed with her. I am now ready for 2021 too much going on this year, Just saw you jana night and prayed , its sad that you are gone. Razzmsupa Tuko Ligi Soo !!!! Safiri Salama, he tweeted. I am now ready for 2021 too much going on this year, Just saw you jana night and prayed , its sad that you are gone. Razzmsupa Tuko Ligi Soo !!!! Safiri Salama. pic.twitter.com/TYGBubICKc KING KAKA (@RabbitTheKing) February 4, 2020 King Kakas wife, Nana Owiti, had also gone to see Razz, and expressed her shock at the rappers sudden demise. We dont know what to tell Makayla. Why did you give up that fast? Why Razz? @thekingkaka and @darkskinmagero and I came to see you last night. You lay on that bed peacefully as you tried to fight. Didnt know it is the last time we will see you breathing. We are beyond sad, she said. PR practitioner Magero also recounted her last moments with Razz. Last night at a time like this @nanaowiti, @thekingkaka and I came to see you in hospital, we saw you struggle to breathe despite you being on the oxygen mask, this broke our hearts and as we left the hospital @thekingkaka told us itabidi tukuwe wastrong little did we know that, that would be the last time wed see you alive on earth. RIP Dayo. Femi One also mourned Razz, saying, Sad sad news R.I.P Razz. Glad to have known and worked with you. After being introduced to the mainstream rap scene in 2013, Razz took a hiatus to raise her daughter. She returned to the music scene with her come-back single, Spit Barz in 2018. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) A lawmaker on Thursday expressed concern over the Philippine health departments "slow implementation of preventive measures and response to the novel coronavirus or 2019-nCoV, a mysterious illness which has left over 560 people around the world dead in its wake. Senator Win Gatchalian said the reported influx of Chinese visitors which hit close to two million in 2019 should have already raised red flags for officials. You have two million Chinese coming in the country. This is a large amount of warm bodies coming into the country. This should have been a red flag already within the DOH system, Gatchalian told CNN Philippines The Source. With the development, he added the DOH should have flagged President Rodrigo Duterte early on about the virusfirst identified in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December as a timely flight ban could help stop the spread of the disease. Meaning the DOH should have been prudent when this was coming out, when this was already becoming a global crisis. DOH should have advised the President-- to curb the flights, stop the flights from Wuhan and from Hubei, he added. The Chinese government has locked down Hubei the Chinese province where Wuhan is located since January 24, following the continuous rise of coronavirus cases in the area. The Philippine government issued a temporary travel ban to the ground zero on January 31 a day after the Health Department confirmed the countrys first case of the new virus. Duterte has since expanded the travel directive for passengers to and from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. READ: Duterte: Stop being xenophobic towards Chinese nationals China remains as one of the top tourist markets for the Philippines, with over 1.6 million Chinese nationals visiting the country from January to November 2019, according to government data. RELATED: PH tourism to lose 20-B due to novel coronavirus Invest in capability As of Thursday morning, over 28,000 have been infected by the coronavirus, CNN reported. The Philippines recently confirmed a third case a 60-year-old Chinese woman who initially tested negative for the virus. While netizens questioned the medical procedure, Gatchalian meanwhile appealed to fellow officials to invest in capability particularly in the field of science and health. This goes to show that we don't have the capability yet to determine positively and quickly (the case). Because that will dictate how fast we can contain and how fast we can track the people who had contact with person, Gatchalian said. This goes to show that we should invest in capability, he added. DOH, for its part, has repeatedly assured precautionary measures are in place to help protect Filipinos from the new virus. World Bank has warned poverty will rise by a further 50 percent if financial crisis continues. Lebanons government has approved a rescue plan to pull the country out of its worst economic crisis in decades, which has driven months of mass protests. The plan includes restructuring the public sector and seeking help from foreign donors. But it is unlikely to satisfy people living in Lebanons poorest city, who remain sceptical the government can help lift them out of poverty. Al Jazeeras Sara Khairat reports from from Tripoli, Lebanon. Mark R. Frerichs, 57, of Lombard, Illinois is missing in eastern Afghanistan An American citizen has been kidnapped in Afghanistan by a Taliban-affiliated group and authorities are working to rescue him. U.S. officials believe Mark R. Frerichs, 57, of Lombard, Illinois, was kidnapped by the Haqqani network, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to discuss the case by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Frerichs is a former U.S. Navy diver and works as managing director for International Logistical Support, a government contractor that works in conflict zones. He was abducted last week in Khost province, in the eastern part of the country, according to Newsweek, which first reported the suspected kidnapping. U.S. officials believe Frerich was kidnapped by the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network. Taliban militia fighters are seen in a 2008 file photo Art Frerichs, who identified himself as Frerichs' father, told an AP reporter on Thursday that he believed the Newsweek report was true. 'I don't want to say any more now for security reasons,' he said. 'I have the utmost faith in President Trump and the FBI.' The Taliban said it had no information on the kidnapping and nothing to say about it. No one has claimed responsibility for kidnapping Frerichs. The investigation is being handled by the FBI-led Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, a multi-agency effort created by the Obama administration amid criticism over the government's response to hostage-taking. US Army OH-58D Kiowa Warrior scout helicopters fly past the village of Woro Keli, Buwri Tana district in Khost Province, on August 7, 2012 The kidnapping comes as the United States and Taliban try to reach an agreement that would reduce hostilities in Afghanistan and open a window to signing a peace deal to end Afghanistan's 18-year war, bring U.S. troops home and start negotiations between combatants on both sides of the conflict to decide the face of a future Afghanistan. Khost province is the headquarters of the Haqqani network. In November, Anas Haqqani , the younger brother of Sirajuddin, the Taliban's deputy head and chief of the Haqqani network, was freed in exchange for the release of American professor Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks. The two professors at the American University in Afghanistan were kidnapped in 2016 in the Afghan capital, Kabul. Almost a week after the mother of two missing Idaho children missed a deadline to bring the kids to authorities, details continue to trickle out in the bewildering case tied to other mysterious deaths spanning multiple states. Joshua "JJ" Vallow, 7, and Tylee Ryan, 17, haven't been seen since late September, and mother Lori Vallow and her new husband, Chad Daybell, both last seen in Hawaii, failed to meet a court-ordered Jan. 30 deadline to return the children to authorities in Rexburg, Idaho. The latest in the case comes as East Idaho News reported Tuesday an abandoned storage unit belonging to Lori Vallow was full of childrens items, photos and clothing. The news outlet reported police first searched the 10-by-10 unit after they searched the family's home Nov. 27, a day after they tried to do a welfare check on Joshua Vallow. According to video and a contract reviewed by East Idaho News, Lori Vallow rented the unit beginning in October and visited it multiple times over the next two months along with a man who appears to be Alex Cox, her late brother. Cox allegedly shot and killed Lori Vallow's ex-husband, Charles Vallow, after an argument when he arrived in July from Texas to Arizona to visit Lori and their children. In December, Cox also died, and police were awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause of death. More on the Idaho case: Mom of 2 missing children misses court deadline to bring kids to police These undated photos released by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children show missing person, Joshua Vallow, 7, left, and Tylee Ryan, 17. They were last seen on Sept. 23, 2019 in Rexburg, Idaho. It's unclear what's next in the investigation after Lori Vallow missed the court-ordered deadline. Authorities had said she could face contempt of court. Joshua Vallow's biological grandparents, Larry and Kay Woodcock, filed to become his legal guardians once he returns, the Rexburg Standard Journal reported. "We just want to make sure that we're first in line for JJ to be placed with us," Kay Woodcock told the newspaper. Joshua is adopted and has special needs. The bizarre case involves multiple suspicious deaths and alleged connections to cult-like religious beliefs. Story continues Lori Vallow allegedly 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. She also told Charles that she would kill him if he got in her way and that she had "an angel there to help her dispose of the body," court documents said. Daybell has written and self-published more than 25 books, some of which focus on near-death experiences and the end of the world. "I just don't know how people can get so wrapped up that they can end up in this space where these people are. It's just so radical, so different," said Brandon Boudreaux, a relative of the family who was shot at by an unknown assailant in October driving in a Jeep registered to Charles Vallow. Cult connections? Man links 'radical' religious group to his attempted murder in Arizona and 2 missing children in Idaho Boudreaux believes Charles' death, the children's disappearance and his attempted murder are connected to a religious group that the children's mother, Lori Vallow, joined about 18 months ago. Police said in late December that the children had not been seen since September and that Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell had not been cooperative in the investigation. The couple have not been charged in the case. An attorney, Sean Bartholick, issued a statement in December on the couple's behalf, calling Daybell "a loving husband" and Vallow "a devoted mother." At the storage unit, Lori Vallow and her late brother, Cox, carried heavy items and bikes, which were often brought then removed days later, East Idaho News reported. Cox often arrived alone, but an unknown man appeared with him two days before police tried to perform the welfare check on Joshua Vallow, the news outlet reported. Self Storage Plus, located in Rexburg, confirmed in a Facebook post Tuesday that it rented the unit to Lori Vallow and was working with authorities in the investigation. "Self Storage Plus hopes for the speedy and safe return of Joshua "JJ" Vallow and Tylee Ryan," the company said in a statement. Gary Hagen, assistant chief of police in Rexburg, said the department did not have any updates on the case as of Thursday. East Idaho News reported that detectives photographed everything in the unit, but workers said police had not returned since November. In January, Lori Vallow's credit card was declined multiple times, the news outlet reported. When police searched the unit, they found bikes, a scooter, a backpack, winter clothes, photos, including blankets featuring photos of the children, and a jersey with Colby Ryan's name, the report said. Colby Ryan is Lori Vallow's oldest son, who this week also spoke with local media in Arizona for the first time since his siblings went missing. "I feel like my mom would die for the kids, so to see this and hear it, and also be questioning why they're not being found, that's where this all comes into a battle into what you think and what you feel," he told KSAZ-TV in Phoenix. Colby Ryan said his mom moved abruptly from Arizona to Hawaii last year, bringing along his sister, Tylee Ryan, but leaving Charles Vallow and their son Joshua. A month later, Lori Vallow returned, but the couple separated, Colby Ryan told KSAZ-TV. He said when his stepfather, Charles Vallow, died, his mother initially told him he had a heart attack. He later learned it was a fight turned deadly, he told the TV station. "No matter what happened, why was he shot in the chest, why was he killed? That just doesn't make sense, why did he have to die for a fight?" he said in the interview. 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. Colby Ryan, 23, said he learned his family was moving in August when his mom said she got a new job, but he didn't know they were headed to Idaho. Eventually, he lost contact with his family, he told KSAZ-TV. Police first came to him a day before Thanksgiving asking about his siblings, he said. "I called my mom and I'm like, 'Two detectives just came to my door, what is going on?' And she said, 'I got it, I'll take care of it ... Love you,' and that was it," Ryan told KSAZ-TV. Colby Ryan's father, Joseph Ryan, died of an apparent heart attack in 2018 in Gilbert, KSAZ-TV reported. Ryan was Tylee's father and the first of two of Lori Vallow's husbands who died in the past two years. Chad Daybell, her current husband, also recently lost a spouse. 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 Daybell's death. 'She's got an end game': Grandma of 2 missing kids speaks out after mom missed deadline to show kids Colby Ryan told KSAZ-TV that seeing his mother and Daybell together without his siblings in Hawaii struck a nerve. "I'm done. I've been done the day that I saw them without the kids walking around Hawaii," he told the TV station. "That was it." Contributing: Jessica Boehm and Chelsea Curtis, Arizona Republic Follow USA TODAY's Ryan Miller on Twitter @RyanW_Miller This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lori Vallow storage unit had missing Idaho kids' items, report says Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has signed an order regarding measures to construct Yevlakh-Zagatala-the state border with Georgia (155 km)-Gullar-Tulu-Talalar-Sharif-Ajiligbina-Gaysa highway in Balakan district. Under the presidential order, 17.6 million manat will be allocated to the Azerbaijan Highway State Agency for the construction of the road connecting seven residential areas with a total population of 30,000 people. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz This bill goes to the heart of what restorative justice is, she said, saying that is a focus on rehabilitation as well as getting offenders to reconcile with the community. But Craig Wismer, the Avondale justice of the peace, questioned the need for such a law. He said he already has the discretion to decide that some offenders facing financial hardship should be offered the option of community service as an alternative to a fine. This measure, Wismer said, removes the ability of judges to decide who should and should not have that made available. Jerry Landau, lobbyist for the Arizona Supreme Court, said the requirement that judges allow people to work off up to half of their fines presents some logistical problems. In rural areas, he said, there may not be systems set up to monitor volunteer help. The bigger hurdle could be legal. In reducing the amount of the fine, the legislation would also reduce or potentially eliminate the various surcharges that now are placed on penalties. Headed by the chief executive officer of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), Nader Al Moayyed, the Manama Souq Development Committee held its eighth meeting on February 5 at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre. The agenda of the meeting covered several topics including the approval of the previous meeting minutes and reviewing the latest developments of the Manama Souq project. The project aims to maintain and preserve the authentic and traditional identity of the market, but ensuring it is maintained up to a modern standard, this includes changing the signage and shopfronts. Once completed, the revamped souq will also facilitate the flow of traffic. The edifice works include the revamping of the facades of dilapidated buildings, renovating the signage and storefronts of 275 shops located on four main streets in the Souq, which include Bab Al Bahrain Avenue, Sheikh Abdulla Avenue, Al Tijjar Avenue as well as the Crown Prince Avenue. BTEA is closely following the progress and development of the Manama Souq project to ensure that it continues to be implemented in a seamless manner and being carried out to the highest international standards. The work includes unifying the design of storefronts and the maintenance of the buildings to maintain their traditional style. All of these efforts are aimed at preserving the old Souq given its importance as an authentic tourist destination and historical landmark in the Kingdom of Bahrain, said Al Moayed. The meetings are held on a periodic basis, and involve all concerned parties, in order to discuss the latest developments of this pioneering project, which aims to revitalise the tourism sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain and increase its contribution to the national economy. The Manama Souq Development Committee comprises of representatives from the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, Urban Planning and Development Authority, Economic Development Board, Capital Municipality, Capital Secretariat Council as well as a number of Manama Souq traders. BTEA is working closely with the government entities and private authorities involved in the development of the Manama Souq project, which comes in line with BTEAs efforts to enhance one of the most popular souqs in the kingdom with the aim of providing a renewed experience for visitors touring this vital landmark. - TradeArabia News Service Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov and NATOs Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe Tod Wolters exchanged the views on strategic stability and the situation in the regions affected by crisis, a source in the Russian Defense Ministry said, Trend reports referring to RIA Novosti. "Gerasimov met with Walters in Baku on February 6," the ministry said. The military leaders exchanged the views on the strategic stability and the situation in the regions affected by crisis. The sides also discussed the military steps to prevent incidents caused by the military activity of the parties. - Two foreigners have reported to Korle Bu with suspected coronavirus - The Chinese and Argentine have been quarantined and undergoing examination to confirm if they would test positive for coronavirus or not - Doctors at the biggest referral hospital fled the facility when the patients where brought in - Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Chaos broke at Ghanas biggest hospital, Korle Bu on Wednesday, February 5, 2020, when two foreigners suspected to have the deadly coronavirus reported to the facility. According to the head of the Public Health Department at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Philip Amoo, the pandemonium was as a result of the lack of a well-resourced holding bay. He told Accra-based Joy FM that the lack of the holding bay caused chaos among doctors of the facility. READ ALSO: Parliament directs Ghana Legal Council to remark scripts of 2019 failed students He opined, when the two suspected cases of coronavirus reported at the facility, all the doctors fled. He told Joy FM that some doctors on duty even began to flee the health facility for fear of getting infected. Yesterday [Wednesday, February 5] I saw something very funny, he narrated on Joy FM. There is something we call malicious panic: panic that is not founded on anything. Just people [doctors] want to go homeits sad. This one will shout, hey I have little childrenand disappear from the scene. That is the reason why as soon as the epidemic thing steps in into the environment, the case needed to be moved away quickly from routine sites, he explained the actions by the doctors. Meanwhile, the two persons - Chinese and Argentine have been quarantined and their blood samples have been taken and sent to the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) for further analysis. ATTENTION: Read the best news on Ghana #1 news app. Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana Their results are expected to be ready noon of Thursday, February 6, 2020. There are 24,300 confirmed coronavirus cases and 490 deaths in mainland China. READ ALSO: Banking cleanup: AG drags Kwabena Duffuor, Johnson Asiama to court If confirmed, Ghana will be the second country in Africa to record a case of coronavirus. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that two foreign nationals on Wednesday, February 5, 2020, reported at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital believed to have developed some symptoms suspected to be coronavirus. The two patients, a Chinese national and an Argentine national who have been living together in the country for some days have been isolated at the facility. President Akufo-Addo is a "wicked old man" - Angry protester fumes | #Yencomgh READ ALSO: Lovely photos drop as Ras Mubarak marries beautiful Algerian Biochemist 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 Abby Elliott is the third generation of the Elliott showbiz family. Her grandfather Bob Elliott was a TV legend beginning with Bob & Ray in the 50s. Her father, Chris Elliott, starred on TVs Get a Life and Schitts Creek and in movies like Cabin Boy, Groundhog Day and Theres Something About Mary. Abbys new show Indebted has a family theme too. Abby Elliott | Evans Vestal Ward/NBCUniversal Elliott plays Rebecca, whose husband Dave (Adam Pally)s parents (Fran Drescher and Steven Weber) come to live with them. Hilarity ensues for the audience, embarrassment for Dave and Rebecca. Elliott spoke with Showbiz Cheat Sheet after the Indebted panel for the Television Critics Association and revealed a few Elliott family connections. Indebted airs Thursdays at 9:30 p.m. on NBC. NBC runs in Abby Elliotts family NBC has been a part of the Elliott family for generations. Bob & Ray ran on NBC. Chris Elliott got his start on Late Night with David Letterman before Letterman left for CBS. It feels very special, Elliott said. To me, its what I grew up watching. Its what my grandfather was on NBC and my dad started on Letterman when he was on NBC with my mom there. (l-r) Anders Garrett, Abby Elliott, Steven Weber | Trae Patton/NBC Indebted is not Elliotts first NBC job either. She was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 2008 2012. They call SNL the not ready for prime time players, Elliott said. To be on prime time is very exciting. The plot of Indebted sort of reflects Abby Elliotts family Elliott may have been the third generation of her family to be in show business, but she never had to live with them. She only bunked with distant relatives before she got her own place in California. (l-r) Abby Elliott, Steven Weber, Fran Drescher Adam Pally | Trae Patton/NBC I lived with my aunt and uncle actually when I first moved to L.A. but [my parents] were in Connecticut, Elliott said. My dad and my mom like to hibernate and be in their house in Connecticut and be out of the showbiz thing. I was like gung ho full force so I moved out here and went for it. Indebted is a show all families can relate to You dont have to be part of a show business family on NBC to enjoy Indebted. That happens to be Elliotts legacy, but the show is about the comedy that can occur in any family. Abby Elliott and Adam Pally | Trae Patton/NBC It really dives into all aspects of what the generational gap is, Elliott said. Its the little things too and the frustration of not being able to work Venmo or something small. Something that seemed trivial at the time like lying about Daves age to get him into a gifted program, stuff like that that seems like a big deal to our generation but to her is like nothing and learning from each other. Abbie Elliott was an NBC kid too Long before she was an actor on NBC, Elliot watched the classic NBC shows too. And not just the ones her parents and grandfather were on. She grew up on the same NBC comedies that defined the network in the 90s. Seinfeld, a lot of Seinfeld, Elliott said. Ive seen every episode of Friends. I watched the end of Friends, the last season in real time but I would say Friends and Seinfeld, and Will & Grace. (l-r) Catalan deputy premier Pere Aragones, premier Quim Torra and regional government spokesperson Meritxell Budo. Toni Albir (EFE) The new Spanish government, led by the Socialist Party Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, is changing strategy on one of the key points of conflict in recent years with the regional administration in Catalonia: the work carried out by the so-called Catalan embassies. The move signals a new era in relations between Catalonia and the central administration The Foreign Ministry has given its approval to the reopening of three of these delegations, which were originally challenged by the central government and subsequently frozen by the justice system. The new approach from Madrid has come given that the Catalan regional government has reformulated its objectives with these embassies, leading the ministry to conclude that their work will not interfere with Spanish foreign policies. Last Tuesday, the Catalan government the Generalitat, as it is known approved three decrees to reopen the embassies in Argentina, Mexico and Tunisia, after they had been shut by the Catalan regional High Court. But far from being a challenge for the new Socialist-Unidas Podemos coalition government in Madrid, the move has signaled a new era in relations between the northeastern Spanish region and the central administration in Madrid. The decrees were approved by the Foreign Ministry, which had previously revised the legislation and had introduced several modifications, according to ministry sources. The dialogue between the two administrations is in contrast to the tensions that have dominated in recent years in response to the secessionist drive in Catalonia, which reached its peak in 2017 when an illegal referendum was held followed by a subsequent unilateral declaration of independence. This new phase of discussions is being sought by PM Sanchez, who had to make a deal with the pro-independence Catalan Republican Left (ERC) party on talks on the future of the region in exchange for their key abstention at his investiture vote. Under the previous leadership of Josep Borrell, the Foreign Ministry had taken a hard line against the Catalan embassies, on the basis that they were damaging Spains interests abroad. They are being used as a fundamental instrument to promote the secessionist narrative and to damage the international image of Spain, the minister argued at the time. The new approach will also, for now, cancel out the judicial element of the issue. Having rewritten the decrees to reopen the three delegations, the suspension and the appeal against them will no longer apply, according to the interpretation of the Foreign Ministry. The deal between the PSOE and ERC specifically referred to overcoming the judicialization of the conflict. One of the major objections of the ministry regarding the embassies was the term that the Generalitat used to refer to its contacts with other states where they were opened. The Catalan foreign department referred to bilateral relationships between Catalonia and the countries in question, an expression that interfered with the exclusive competencies of the Spanish state in this area. Sources consulted for this story have not clarified whether the term bilateral has been used again, but they said that the changes suggested in the decrees were in that direction. English version by Simon Hunter. GREENBELT, Md. - A man once described by an FBI agent as the worlds largest facilitator of child pornography websites pleaded guilty Thursday to operating a web hosting service that allowed users to anonymously access hundreds of thousands of images and videos depicting the rape and torture of infants and older children. Eric Eoin Marques, 34, faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years after his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to advertise child pornography. A plea agreement will ask U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Maryland to sentence Marques to 15 to 21 years in prison, but the judge is not bound by the recommendation. Marques can withdraw his guilty plea if the judge departs from that recommended range. Chuang is scheduled to sentence Marques on May 11. Marques, who spent years fighting his extradition from Ireland to the U.S., operated a web hosting service on the darknet that allowed thousands of users to view and share child pornography, according to a court filing Thursday. Marques, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Ireland, has remained in custody since his August 2013 arrest in Dublin after an extradition request from the U.S. He was living in Ireland at the time of the alleged offences. The server that he allegedly used was in France. Marques was extradited from Ireland to Maryland last year. The plea agreement doesnt give him credit for the nearly six years he spent in custody in Ireland. The darknet is part of the internet but hosted within an encrypted network. It is accessible only through anonymity-providing tools, such as the Tor browser. Marques created and operated a free, anonymous web hosting service, called Freedom Hosting, on a network allowing users to access websites without revealing their IP addresses. In 2013, FBI agents in Maryland connected to the network and accessed a child pornography bulletin board with more than 7,700 members and more than 22,000 posts. Agents downloaded more than 1 million files from another website on the network, nearly all of which depicted sexually explicit images of children. Did you do the things the government said you did? the judge asked Marques after a prosecutor read aloud a summary of the case against him. Yes, Marques said. Authorities seized nearly $155,000 in U.S. currency from Marques, who said during an August 2013 extradition hearing that his business had been very successful and profitable, according to Thursdays court filing. In a Dec. 19 court filing, Marques defence attorneys said perhaps the greatest overarching question about the case is how federal investigators were able to pierce the Tor networks veil of anonymity and trace the IP address of the server to a web hosting company in Roubaix, France. This anonymity is notoriously difficult for government investigators to penetrate, they wrote. Defence attorneys said they received an initial answer to that question earlier in December, when the government revealed vague details of how they discovered the IP address and location of the server. It appears that this disclosure was delayed, in part, because the investigative techniques employed were, until recently, classified, defence lawyers wrote. One of Marques attorneys, Brendan Hurson of the Office of the Federal Public Defender, said after Thursdays hearing that he could not elaborate on the governments disclosure. Marques was indicted in April 2019 in Greenbelt, Maryland, on four counts: conspiring to advertise child pornography, conspiring to distribute child pornography, advertising child pornography and distribution of child pornography. FBI Special Agent Brooke Donahue has described Marques as the largest facilitator of child pornography websites on the planet, according to court records. Donahue also testified that Marques had been searching online for information about obtaining a Russian visa and citizenship, the Irish broadcaster RTE reported. He was trying to look for a place to reside to make it most difficult to be extradited to the United States, the FBI agent said. Irish authorities didnt charge him with any related crimes while he fought his extradition. That decision was made notwithstanding that (Marques) had offered to plead guilty to at least some of the potential charges that might have been brought against him in Ireland, a justice on the Supreme Court of Ireland wrote in a March 2019 judgment rejecting his final appeal. Hurson said Marques has zero ties to the U.S. and hopes to leave the country as soon as he completes his sentence. In the Clint Eastwood movie Magnum Force, Eastwoods character Inspector Dirty Harry Callahan said that a good man always knows his limitations. As it turns out, a good man has a lot in common with a good government. A good government has got to know its limitations when it comes to federal regulation. Theres nothing wrong with regulation, as long as the right things get regulated. After all, some industries need standards that only the federal government can enforce. But all too often, a regulation intended to target one issue or activity will have an entirely different effect on another. For instance, if a regulation thats meant to increase wages instead results in more unemployment, thats a problem. At their worst, government regulators have little effect on their targeted evils and instead place a cap on economic growth and quality of life. Under President Trumps leadership, the Department of Labor has taken a hard look at our regulatory approach. Weve ramped up enforcement of beneficial regulations and have set about targeting lawless employers who cheat or endanger their workers. Meanwhile, were reducing and reforming regulations that do little more than thwart job creation and prosperity. In fiscal year (FY) 2017, the Department published seven deregulatory actions and zero significant regulatory actions, saving the American economy $112 million. Having gotten warmed up, we published 12 deregulatory actions in FY 2018 and, again, zero significant regulatory actions, saving American businesses $3.28 billion. In FY 2019, our eleven deregulatory actions more than doubled the previous years economic impact, providing an additional $7.96 billion boost to an economy thats enjoying the lowest unemployment rate since 1969 and that has created 6.7 million new jobs since President Trump took office. For example, in 2019, we issued a rule that expands access to retirement savings options for Americas small businesses and their employees. With Association Retirement Plans (ARP), small businesses, including self-employed workers, can band together by geography or industry to provide employees with retirement savings plans like a single large employer, creating greater economies of scale. Among our many other accomplishments, we lawfully updated overtime regulations for the first time in over 15 years and enabled more Americans to access portable health reimbursement arrangements. Story continues In addition to our own deregulatory actions, the other two branches of government have scored helpful assists in our goal of unburdening the labor force. Both Congress and federal courts have issued unfavorable reviews of regulations we inherited from the previous administration. With the Congressional Review Act, Congress helped clean up the regulatory landscape by repealing five Labor Department regulations that covered such noncritical activities as the length of time businesses were required to maintain paperwork after an employee becomes injured. In federal court, four Obama-era labor regulations succumbed to legal challenges and were summarily stricken from the books. Couldnt have happened to a nicer bunch of regulations. In the off chance youve ever heard of the Persuader Rule or the Blacklisting Rule, we doubt you miss them. Yet the road to deregulation has no shortage of Chicken Littles who fear life in a land governed by fewer rules. The Labor Department takes great care to avoid endangering workers and their livelihoods. We target only regulations whose good intentions never materialized or whose burden outweighs whatever supposed benefit the American workforce derives. Sensible regulations that affect your health, safety, take-home pay, or retirement security remain on the books. Sometimes, a business that wants to follow federal regulations may be unsure that all its practices are in compliance. In the past, theres been a justifiable apprehension about whether such a business could go to the government and see if its in compliance without federal agents coming down hard on anything they find. So businesses had to ask themselves a question: Do I feel lucky? The Trump administration, in contrast, has no interest in playing gotcha or enforcing a regulation just because we can. Thats why the Labor Department established the Office of Compliance Initiatives. Were on a mission to help employers who want to follow the law and operate in good faith, and this new office is providing job creators the guidance they need to comply with federal health, safety, and wage regulations without fear of regulatory entrapment. We prefer to educate rather than litigate. But we wont hesitate to litigate when necessary just ask any of the lawbreaking employers who had to pony up an all-time record $322 million in back wages to their employees in FY 2019. Under the Trump administration, deregulation works for everyone. Workers are better off, and the economy is roaring. And that, as Inspector Callahan might say, makes our day. More from National Review Fusion - Squeezing the code The prospect of simulating a fusion plasma is a step closer to reality thanks to a new computational tool developed by scientists in fusion physics, computer science and mathematics at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Harnessing fusion power on Earth requires strong magnetic fields to hold and squeeze a super-heated gas, and the large scale experiments capable of such extreme conditions can take decades to build. Through simulation, a team led by ORNL's David Green hopes to perform virtual investigations of how fusion devices behave using high-performance computing. "The mathematics underlying a fusion plasma are so complex that traditional approaches test the limits of even today's largest supercomputers," Green said. The team has tested a new approach on ORNL's Summit supercomputer and they expect that its combination with ORNL's upcoming exascale Frontier supercomputer will make a virtual fusion device possible. Media Contact: Sara Shoemaker, 865.576.9219; shoemakerms@ornl.gov Image: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/2020-02/Fusion_plasma_simulation.jpg Caption: This simulation of a fusion plasma calculation result shows the interaction of two counter-streaming beams of super-heated gas. Credit: David L. Green/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy Modeling - Efficient infrastructure mapping A novel approach developed by scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory can scan massive datasets of large-scale satellite images to more accurately map infrastructure - such as buildings and roads - in hours versus days. Comprehensive image data is useful for stakeholders to make informed decisions. The new computational workflow uses deep learning techniques to train and deploy models to better address location, environmental and time challenges when mapping structures. "We developed a framework that divides the labor of characterization among several models, each tasked to learn to detect specific objects under near-homogeneous contexts versus one model attempting to detect objects under diverse conditions across a collection of images," said ORNL's Dalton Lunga who led the study. The team tested the approach on 21 terabytes-worth of image data (one terabyte covers about 12,085 square miles) and reduced the computing time from 28 days to about 21 hours. Next, they will characterize even larger image datasets on ORNL's Summit supercomputer. Media Contact: Sara Shoemaker, 865.576.9219; shoemakerms@ornl.gov Image: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/2020-02/Puerto_Rico_Resflow9_0.png Caption: A new computational approach by ORNL can more quickly scan large-scale satellite images, such as these of Puerto Rico, for more accurate mapping of complex infrastructure. Credit: Maxar Technologies and Dalton Lunga/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy Computing - Assessing mental health Oak Ridge National Laboratory will partner with Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, collaborating with CCHMCs' Dr. John Pestian and Dr. Tracy Glauser, to explore ways to deploy expertise in health data science that could more quickly identify patients' mental health risk factors and aid in suicide prevention strategies. ORNL and CCHMC will leverage the lab's expertise in high-performance computing - which includes access to the world's most powerful supercomputers - and proven ability to keep medical records safe and secure to research new computational methodologies using deep learning and artificial intelligence techniques. "Our collaboration's goal is to quickly scan and detect at-risk patients' behaviors and predictive patterns that could lead to mental health solutions, all while keeping personal information protected," said ORNL's Joe Lake. After the pilot phase, the team plans to scale up to larger patient datasets and share the results with other entities that have identified mental health conditions as a top priority, such as the National Institutes of Mental Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Media Contact: Sara Shoemaker, 865.576.9219; shoemakerms@ornl.gov Image: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/2020-02/CADES2019-P00182_0.jpg Caption: ORNL's collaboration with Cincinati Children's Hospital Medical Center will leverage the lab's expertise in high-performance computing and safe, secure recordkeeping. Credit: Genevieve Martin/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy Batteries - Charged up on sodium Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory demonstrated that sodium-ion batteries can serve as a low-cost, high performance substitute for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries commonly used in robotics, power tools, and grid-scale energy storage. Sodium-ion batteries, or SIBs, show promise beyond lithium-ion batteries because sodium's abundance makes it more affordable compared to lithium. However, limitations in the technical design of their anode, cathode and electrolyte systems prevent SIBs from being widely used. In a study, ORNL researchers developed SIBs by pairing a high-energy oxide or phosphate cathode with a hard carbon anode and achieved 100 usage cycles at a one hour charge and discharge rate. "The dedication to lithium-ion batteries over the past 20 years has eclipsed any significant development around room temperature sodium-ion batteries despite the material availability," ORNL's Ilias Belharouak said. "This research shows how SIBs can be designed for improved performance." Media Contact: Jennifer Burke, 865.576.3212; burkejj@ornl.gov Image: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/2020-02/sodium-ion_batteries.jpg Caption: ORNL researchers developed sodium-ion batteries by pairing a high-energy oxide or phosphate cathode with a hard carbon anode and achieved 100 usage cycles at a one-hour charge and discharge rate. Credit: Mengya Li/Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Dept. of Energy ### New Delhi, Feb 6 : The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) on Thursday announced the launch of #BringBackMyBlueSky campaign to highlight the benefits of ethanol in India. The campaign was unveiled at the Auto Expo 2020 in Greater Noida. As part of this launch, an engaging display screen has been setup that will allow visitors to click themselves with popular sites in India, customised with clear blue sky. The display will be available for visitors at the Expo from February 7 to 12. The objective of the campaign is to sensitise people about the toxic air quality in India's urban centres and how ethanol can be a sustainable solution to this problem. The #BringBackMyBlueSky campaign was first introduced by UNICA at the 25th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP 25) in Madrid in December 2019. Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Eduardo Leao de Sousa, Executive Director of UNICA said "Brazil was dealing with similar problems of air quality that Indian cities are facing today. However, with the robust ethanol policy, Brazil today has drastically cut down the CO2 emissions and created a healthier environment. Government of India too has taken considerable steps in this direction." India and Brazil recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote the use of biofuels and assist India in boosting its ethanol program. The move is expected to bring significant environmental and economic benefits to the country. In addition to the reduction of sugar sector subsidies and oil imports, boosting ethanol blends in petrol will also facilitate emission reduction, helping counter air pollution problems in large cities. At present India mandates 5 per cent ethanol doping with petrol. But Brazil has been using much higher level of ethanol-petrol blend for use as fuel by vehicles. If you've received an email from Yahoo in recent weeks alerting you to a data breach settlement, now is the time to pay attention and take action. As part of a proposed class action settlement, Yahoo now part of Verizon agreed to pay $117.5 million to settle claims that it failed to properly protect and respond to five data breaches that occurred from early 2012 through 2016 and affected up to 3 billion users worldwide. Any U.S. resident who had a Yahoo account between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2016 is eligible to join the class, which is expected to include 194 million people in the U.S. and Israel, or roughly 896 million accounts. Under the terms of the settlement, affected consumers or small business could potentially get up to $25,000 in reimbursement if they had out-of-pocket expenses tied to the breach, such as losses or fees incurred as a result of setting up credit monitoring or handling identity fraud. Even if you didn't suffer any direct harm from the breach, you could claim free credit monitoring or a cash payout of up to $100 if you already have credit services in place. For consumers who didn't incur any out-of-pocket expenses from the breach, you have a few options at this point in the process, including doing nothing. But with several deadlines fast-approaching, here's a look at the ways to respond. An email that a CNBC Make It staffer received on Jan. 29, 2020 about the proposed Yahoo settlement. Option 1: Free credit monitoring Credit monitoring is a service that alerts you when there are any changes to your personal information or new credit inquiries. This can include normal updates, such as a change to your address when you move, to potentially fraudulent activity, such as someone opening up a credit card in your name. Consumers affected by the Yahoo breach will have the opportunity to receive at least two years of credit-monitoring services through AllClear ID, which not only keeps an eye on your credit file at Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, but also provides up to $1 million in identity theft insurance and identity restoration services. This service provides assistance for those who actually experience identity theft or fraud, everything from canceling and replacing credit and debit cards to recovering financial losses. It's worth noting that while this service is more robust than many of the free credit monitoring services such as Credit Karma, Credit Sesame and Mint, it can't prevent identity theft or credit card fraud, nor does it prevent scam emails or phone calls. "You can have all the credit monitoring services in the world, and if someone takes your ID and uses it for something non-financial, or uses it to break into your account, or to access your medical records or personal pictures, then it doesn't matter if you have credit monitoring," cyber-security expert Joseph Steinberg tells CNBC Make It. And while Steinberg says this is a "grossly inadequate" service to protect people after a data breach, if you don't already have this layer of protection set up, then "you may as well get it," he says. To claim this benefit, you'll need to fill out a claim form for basic account holders and select the Option 1 (Credit Monitoring Services). To file a claim, you'll need to provide personal details, including your home address and contact information, as well as your Yahoo account info. You need to file a claim before July 20, 2020 to get the credit monitoring. Option 2: Cash Payment You might already be using a site that offers credit monitoring, and if that's the case, you can file a "Alternative Compensation Claim" of up to $100. According to the settlement, the amount of the cash payment paid depends on how many people file for the benefit, similar to what happened last year with the Equifax settlement. "Everybody probably has free credit monitoring at this point," Steinberg says, adding that companies keep giving credit monitoring out after data breaches. So this cash payment option attempts to provide some relief if you fall into that camp. If there are remaining funds after all the claims are paid, the alternative compensation claim amount could increase to $358.80. However, that possibility doesn't seem likely, considering there are 194 million potential class members. If just a third of these people file a claim, the payout is only $1.84 per person. To claim this cash payment benefit, you'll need to fill out a claim form for basic account holders and select Option 2 (Alternative Compensation). As with option 1, to file a claim, you'll need to provide personal details, including your home address and contact information, as well as your Yahoo account info. Additionally, you'll need to provide the name of the credit monitoring service you're using, when you started using it and how long you expect to keep it in place. As with option 1, you have until July 20, 2020 to file a claim. Option 3: Opt out If you don't want to participate in the settlement, but you still want to preserve your future right to sue Yahoo, you have until March 6, 2020 to send in a letter stating your intent. You cannot opt out via email or by calling you must send a letter to: In re: Yahoo! Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litigation c/o Settlement Administrator PO Box 1760 Philadelphia, PA 19105-1760 Your letter also must include the following: The name and case number of the lawsuit: In re: Yahoo! Inc. Customer Data Security Breach Litigation, case number: 16-md-02752-LHK Your full name and mailing address, as well as your email address or telephone number An explanation of why you qualify for the class action, such as the fact that you had a Yahoo account at any point between 2012 through 2016 or that you received an emailed settlement notification. You need to include the words "Notification of Exclusion" or a statement that you want to be excluded from the Settlement You need to include your signature or an electronic signature through DocuSign. An attorney's signature or a typed signature is not sufficient. It's common for settlements to require potential class members to opt out by mail, says Ted Frank, director of litigation for Hamilton Lincoln, which houses the Center for Class Action Fairness. "The procedures are not set up to protect individual class members, it's there to ram the settlement down their throat," he adds. If you haven't yet experienced any harm, yet worry your identity could be stolen in the future as a result of the Yahoo breach and are willing to sue over this then this may be an option. Small business owners, for example, who may be liable for not only their identity, but also customers' information, could fall into this category. Some of the hacked Yahoo data may have been sold on the dark web. That said, Steinberg says that the value of that data may have diminished by this point. There are some pieces of information that don't typically change, such as Social Security numbers and your home address, that do become more valuable over time, aging like a fine wine, Steinberg says. "As time goes on, it becomes more valuable because people are becoming less vigilant and it's still good [information]," he says. In the case of Yahoo, the data that was accessed during the breaches included names, email addresses, telephone numbers, birth dates, passwords, security questions and answers, as well as potentially the contents of emails, calendars and contacts. If you're not going to sue Yahoo on your own, then your best option may be to file for credit monitoring or the alternative cash payment. "If you don't have an attorney who's willing to bring your individual case, it doesn't make sense to opt out," Frank says. "If millions of people opt out, the settlement might go away, but millions of people will not opt out." Option 4: Do nothing Few French wine regions are as protective of their heritage and reputation as Burgundy, so officials should have expected the storm of protests over a plan to expel the acclaimed dry whites of Chablis from the domain. Adding insult to injury, growers and local officials say, is a move to keep allowing the Burgundy label for some Beaujolais -- whose Nouveau reds are synonymous with underwhelming, low-cost tipples. "It's totally unacceptable," said Thiebault Huber, president of the Burgundy federation of AOCs -- the wine appellations governed by France's National Institute of Origin and Quality (INAO). "We don't understand how you can exclude producers who have been part of Burgundy for centuries," he said. An AOC or Protected Designation of Origin is a certification granted to wines, cheeses and other agricultural products from a specific "terroir", or mix of geography and growing conditions said to ensure a distinctive taste. Burgundy wine has its own AOC, which encompasses dozens of smaller AOCs, including Chablis. Each grower in the region can choose Burgundy or Chablis as their AOC for marketing purposes. And that is part of the problem. The INAO has not yet detailed all the criteria for the proposed changes, but says most Chablis houses have effectively given up the Burgundy AOC by failing to use it for years. Instead they prefer to play up the cachet attached to their own AOC of 100 percent Chardonnay wines. An appellation "is linked to the environment, but also to common practices and uses", the INAO's head of territorial demarcations, Gilles Flutet, told AFP. The proposal would also see communes in the nearby Dijon and Cote-d'Or regions prohibited from using the Burgundy AOC, potentially depriving them of a crucial marketing tool. Growers will stage a protest at the INAO's headquarters outside Paris on Thursday, when the body was to decide on ratifying the proposed changes. But the issue was pulled from the meeting's agenda at the last minute because of a rift "between the proposals on the table and the positions of the Burgundy winemakers' unions", an INAO spokeswoman told AFP late Wednesday. - 'Crime against history' - Critics say cutting a wine region's link with its AOC opens the door to other unpredictable changes, jeopardising years of investments by producers. "By this logic, the INAO could also decide that Cremant de Bourgogne (a sparkling wine) is a Champagne, or that a Luberon is a Cotes du Rhone," Damien Leclerc, head of the Chablis growers' association, told the daily Le Figaro, referring to other staunchly defended AOCs. Some 31 million bottles of Chablis, valued at more than 240 million euros ($265 million), are produced each year, with two-thirds sold outside France. At a time of further US tariff threats on French wines, Brexit uncertainties and climate change, Leclerc complained: "This is when they decide to try to exclude us, while promoting Beaujolais." The plan would indeed allow some 40 Beaujolais communes, just south of the historic Burgundy region and sharing many of the same soil traits, to market their wines as Burgundy. Rival houses warn their livelihoods are at risk, accusing high-volume Beaujolais producers of wanting to flood the market with lower-quality bottles that will cheapen the Burgundy brand. "Burgundy wines are under very serious threat," a group of 12 local MPs and senators said, urging Agriculture Minister Didier Guillaume, who oversees the INAO, to reject "a crime against history, geography and the economy". The agency's proposal is an especially bitter blow because it was the traditional Burgundy houses that had asked it to clarify its rules in the first place, to settle geographical disputes going back to the AOC's creation in 1937. The most recent attempt at codifying the rules was rejected by France's State Council in 2014 -- after Beaujolais producers claimed they were being discriminated against. - 'Valued all over the world' - Flutet, the INAO executive, said "nothing is set in stone", adding that "all complaints will be taken into account" before any changes are ratified. He insisted, however, that "very few" communes facing exclusion ever use the Burgundy label, preferring the renown of their specific AOCs. But Dominique Piron, head of the Beaujolais council, argues that his vineyards, just a little south of the Burgundy AOC border along the Saone river, boast much of the same "terroir" and history as their neighbours. "Growers in Beaujolais make Beaujolais as well as Bourgogne and Cremant de Bourgogne, it's a reality that needs to be recognised," he told AFP. "Today the Burgundy name is valued all over the world." A French standards body could stop Chablis winemakers from using the Burgundy (Bourgogne) appellation NAIROBI, Kenya U.S. President Donald Trump meets Thursday with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who comes to the White House with a warning: Africa is not a battlefield for proxy disputes with countries such as China. This is a rare visit by an African head of state to Trumps White House and the leaders second meeting after one in 2018. They are widely expected to discuss the establishment of a free trade agreement between the U.S. and Kenya, though a smiling Kenyatta said Wednesday he could neither confirm nor deny it. It would be the first time the U.S. has signed such an agreement with a country in sub-Saharan Africa. As East Africas economic hub, Kenya has strategic importance as the U.S. tries to counter the influence of China, which more than a decade ago surpassed the U.S. as Africas largest trading partner. Kenyatta on Wednesday, in remarks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, warned against a return to the Cold War era where countries across Africa were forced to choose sides. People must stop seeing the resource-rich continent as there for the taking, he said. Global powers are behaving like Africa is for the taking, Kenyatta said Wednesday. We dont want to be forced to choose. We must begin to look at Africa as the worlds biggest opportunity, and I believe that you can dare to look at it with a fresh eye. Kenyatta rejected concerns that a free trade agreement with the U.S. would undermine a new continental free trade agreement in Africa aimed at creating the worlds largest common market. Kenya was one of the first to sign the deal, he said. According to Kenyattas office, Kenya has been working closely with the U.S. to craft a trade arrangement that guarantees continued market access for Kenyas products in the U.S. after the African Growth and Opportunity Act ends in 2025. Under AGOA, Kenya enjoys duty-free access to the U.S. market, Kenyas third largest export destination. Meanwhile Kenya is struggling to finance its debt due in part to borrowing from the Chinese to finance large infrastructure projects such as a $3.8 billion standard gauge railway line. Part of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, the majority-Chinese financed railway is Kenyas largest infrastructure project since independence from Britain in 1963. Critics say the 610-kilometer (380-mile) project is overpriced. Progress is unclear on an agreement between the U.S. and Kenya to build a highway to link the capital, Nairobi, with the port city of Mombasa. The project is seen as Washingtons countermeasure to Chinas growing influence. In November, U.S. Ambassador Kyle McCarter rejected local media reports saying the Chinese were looking to be awarded the contract after the U.S. abandoned it, calling it fake news. He said the project was on track and would not saddle Kenya with unsustainable debt. Kenyattas meeting with Trump is also expected to focus on security and countering extremism, just weeks after the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group based in neighboring Somalia carried out the deadliest attack against the U.S. military in Africa since 2017 when four soldiers were killed in Niger. Three Americans were killed last month, including a service member and two contractors, and several U.S. aircraft were destroyed at a military base on Kenyas coast. It was the first al-Shabab attack against the U.S. military in Kenya. That attack took place as the Trump administration considers reducing its military presence in Africa to focus on Russia and China. Al-Shabab has launched numerous attacks inside Kenya and is the target of a growing number of U.S. airstrikes inside Somalia during the Trump administration, including 63 last year. Climate change is another concern for Kenya and countries across Africa, which stands to suffer the most from global warming but is the least equipped to deal with it and contributes to it the least. Kenyatta has said Kenya is the only African nation to reach the goal of making renewable energy 75% of its energy mix. My friends, climate change is real, Kenyatta said at the Atlantic Council. We are very clear on that. He said it must be fought collectively. ___ Anna reported from Johannesburg. State Sen. Eric P. Lesser, D-Longmeadow, and other members east-west rail advisory committee expressed disappointment that MassDOT officials didnt go far enough in assessing the potential economic benefits a rail connection between Western Massachusetts and Boston would bring to the region, as well as the resulting boon to ridership numbers. Theres a lot of focus on the costs and limitations, Lesser said during Thursdays meeting of the committee. But there needs to be some presentation of what the benefits will be. What is the expected business investment; what is the expected job creation? Earlier in the day, transportation officials released the cost estimates for six different ways of connecting Western Massachusetts to Boston as part of the ongoing east-west rail study. The cost the six options range from $2 billion to $25 billion, according to the new estimates. The travel times of each option varied too, and estimated ridership numbers were lower than expected, ranging between 36 and 820 new daily boardings. Lesser suggested that MassDOT officials failed to consider the changes in commuting patterns that would take place if the state were to move forward with a project of this scale, and how those changes would impact the regional economy. Frankly the entire point of the project ... is to change the dynamics of how the economy ... is working, Lesser said. The static assumption that the commuting patterns are going to stay the same once this project opens to me doesnt make sense. He told reporters after the presentation that he thought MassDOTs analysis was very incomplete. State Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, a Northampton Democrat, said she has a great deal of frustration with the ridership figures shared on Thursday, noting the success of the Amtrak Vermonter, which saw roughly 21,000 riders out of Northampton alone in 2018, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette. The Vermonter runs only once a day in each direction, extending from St. Albans, Vermont, to Washington, D.C., with stops in Springfield, New York City and Philadelphia. All the alternatives offered multiple daily roundtrips from Western Mass. to Boston. Option 3, for example, would offer 9 roundtrips from Pittsfield to Boston and generate roughly 72,000 annual trips across the state. Sabadosa said that figure the 72,000 trips doesnt account for consumer behavior of this part of the state. We know that theres appetite for it, people want to get on trains, and when you offer that service they do, Sabadosa said. Its very short-sighted. The delegation, organized by the Consul General of Mexico in El Paso, Mauricio Ibarra Ponce de Leon, and headed by the Mayor of El Paso, Dee Margo, supports the objective of building a sustainable bi-national economy, while building strong ties with the Mexican government. "This mission allowed us to strengthen our relationship with Mexico; we identified several opportunities for collaboration in matters that are important for our region," said Mayor Dee Margo. "We believe this visit will allow mutual, long-term benefits to be achieved." "There are more students from Mexico at UTEP than at any other university in America and our graduates live and work on both sides of the border. We want to continue to work closely with our public and private sector partners to strengthen our ties with Mexico and benefit the region we serve." Marcelo Ebrard, Foreign Secretary of Mexico, talked about the importance of improving collaboration in the region. Assistant Secretary Luz Maria de la Mora, pointed out that USMCA offers certainty to investors and highlighted the importance of these visits, because they allow areas of opportunity on the border to be identified. The Secretary of Economic Development and the Secretary of Tourism of Mexico City, Fadlala Akabani and Carlo Mackinlay, respectively, pointed out areas of mutual benefit and the possibility of signing a "Sister City" agreement between Mexico City and El Paso region was also discussed. The busy agenda also included meetings with the Commissioner of the National Migration Institute, Francisco Garduno, with representatives from the United States Embassy in Mexico, and representatives from the Mexican Council of Foreign Trade (COMCE). Also included in the delegation visiting Mexico City was El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego; the President of the University of Texas in El Paso (UTEP), Dr. Heather Wilson; the Executive Director of Borderplex, Jon Barela; Directors of Economic Development from both El Paso and Ciudad Juarez; Representatives from the Border Relations Committee in the City of El Paso. Contact: Olivia Zepeda (915) 493-0716 [email protected] https://www.intersectionofpossibilities.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1085585/FOTO_ELP_CDMX.jpg SOURCE La ciudad de El Paso Texas There are many fictional stories where Germany or Germany and Japan win World War 2. The stories usually ignore how this happens or give a few sentence reason like the Germans develop the A-bomb first. There are other exercises in alternate history where people try to analyze the real history and try to find battles or turning point events where the Germans and Japanese win critical battles. There is a scenario where the Germans attack without delay and effectively to prevent the evacuation of 400,000 British troops from Dunkirk. This scenario ignores that Germany logistics were stretched by the surprising speed and success of their encirclement and defeat of the main French army. The Germans had a multi-day traffic jam as they were moving across France. France overcommitted its best troops into Belgium and the Germans went through the Ardens. There is clear evidence that in head to head battles the French did well. The French and British troops would have been able to hold a longer assault at Dunkirk. The French and British troops holding off the Germans for the Dunkirk evacuation were dug in for urban warfare. There was no encirclement. Many later battles in WW2 lasted for months with urban warfare. What if the Germans had turned toward the Middle East instead of the Soviet Union? What if the Germans won at Stalingrad? What if Russia lost Moscow? The Germans were massively short of oil. The US had about 80% of the oil in the world. In Europe-Asia, Russia had about 70% of the remaining 20% of the oil. The Germans would have had to win Stalingrad and captured and kept the oil in Caucuses. This would have prolonged the war. However, US lend-lease was providing oil, trucks and other material for the Soviets. The Soviets would still have mounted their counter-offensive. The Soviets were making good enough tanks in vastly larger numbers. The Germans winning at Stalingrad might have allowed them to avoid the Soviet encirclement. However, the Soviets would still have won one year later. The scenarios for German or Japanese victory would have to address: * the US had 80% of the worlds oil * the US had higher octane fuel which enables planes that are 10% faster * the US had a vastly larger economy and can outproduce the Germans and the Japanese combined * the Allies had broken German and Japanese codes by 1939-1940 * the US had 27 aircraft carriers in 1945 and 70% of the large Navy ships in the world. By wars end in 1945, the United States Navy had added nearly 1,200 major combatant ships, including twenty-seven aircraft carriers, eight fast battleships, and ten prewar old battleships totaling over 70% of the worlds total numbers and total tonnage of naval vessels of 1,000 tons or greater. 143 aircraft carriers including conversions and the training carriers were completed prior to the end of WW2. The US was building dozens of additional aircraft carriers in 1945. A longer war would have meant the US would have scaled up to hundreds of aircraft carriers. The Japanese lost the battle of Midway and could not recover naval capability, while the US could lose its aircraft carriers at Midway and replace them with new construction within 12 months. * the US had vast superiority in longer-range four-engine bombers. They had thousands at the end of the war and again the US was building a lot more. The nuclear bombs took out cities but waves of long-range conventional bombers fire-bombed Tokyo and Dresden. It would just take one or two weeks for the bomber fleets to destroy a city. * The allies were able to put together a successful sea-lift amphibious assault on D-Day that took a couple of years of preparation, construction, planning and effort. The Germans and Japanese had nowhere near this capability. They could not assault and bring the war to the US. The Germans could not even successfully invade across the English Channel. * Churchill and Stalin did not surrender and would not have surrendered. * the US had the population to mobilize an army four times larger than the troops that were mobilized. It was too early to call a winner based on the initial results, but Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, former vice president Joe Biden and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota were trailing in the tally of state delegate equivalents, according to data released by the Iowa Democratic Party nearly 24 hours after voting ended. The results reflected 71 percent of precincts, or voting districts, in the state. MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is recovering after undergoing surgery Thursday for a broken shoulder she suffered after being tripped by her dog. Ivey spokeswoman Gina Maiola said the procedure went off without a hitch. She is in high spirits and is doing well as she begins her recovery. The governor extends her appreciation to the people of Alabama for their continued support and prayers and looks forward to getting back to work on their behalf, Maiola said in a statement. The 75-year-old governor broke her shoulder last week after tripping on her dog Missy, a 5-year-old rescue dog. The Republican governor gave her State of the State address Tuesday night with her arm in a sling. Ivey told reporters Wednesday she would undergo a little repair work for the injury. Last year, the governor announced that she had been diagnosed with early stage lung cancer and was being treated with radiation. Her office said in January that medical scans showed a good response to treatment and that her doctor considered her cured. Sofa Sessions, bringing the sort of instrumental music rarely heard in Kilkenny to the relaxed surroundings of the Billy Byrnes intimate back room, has finally returned for its 2020 season. Musician, Irish Times jazz critic and Kilkenny resident Cormac Larkin has been curating the series since 2015 and he embraces a wide range of music from jazz and blues to folk, funk, hip hop and beyond. It's the sort of experience you get in a downtown Manhattan jazz club - and I wanted to bring that kind of energy and intimacy to Kilkenny," Larkin explains. Sofa Sessions will kick off proceedings this Thursday by welcoming back Venezuelan virtuoso pianist Leo Osio to the John Street hub. Osio gets regular rave reviews and has been described as one of the most naturally gifted musicians to relocate to Ireland in recent years. Joining him will be top Dublin bassist Barry Donohue and Cormac Larkin himself on drums. The best part? Theres no cover charge and things are set to get going at 9pm. Elsewhere on Thursday, Neil Delamere, star of Fighting Talk, The Panel and BBCs The Blame Game will return to Langtons with new show End of Watch. The premise is that time waits for no man, especially one trying to buy a watch. Delamere isnt one for props or gags. He stays engaged to his material and a Delamere gig is usually characterised by engaging set-ups and explosive deliveries. Tickets are still on sale at set.ie. Showtime is 8pm. Maybe you'd rather watch a film instead? It has been hard to escape news about the Bafta Awards recently and while international headlines remain fixed on Joaquin Phoenixs acceptance speech many here in Ireland were disappointed by the news that Saoirse Ronan and Jessie Buckley lost out. It was Renee Zellweger who instead captured the best actress gong for her portrayal of Judy Garland in the biopic Judy and Kilkennys Watergate Theatre will be hosting a special screening of the film this weekend. Judy is set in 1968 and reveals that Garland, having fallen on hard times, is determined to re-establish herself by returning to stage life in London. Now separated from her children and heavily dependent on drugs and alcohol, she fights a constant battle against loneliness. The Judy screening takes place on Saturday evening at 8pm. Tickets cost 8 including booking fee and are available via watergatetheatre.ie. Check out our Gig Guide for full listings! Rajesh Asnani By Express News Service JAIPUR: In Rajasthan, the Gehlot government has given a virtual clean chit to most decisions taken in the final phase of the former Vasundhara Raje government. The cabinet sub-committee set up by the Gehlot government to review the decisions taken by the previous Vasundhara Raje government in its last 6 months has given a clean chit to 1059 decisions of the total 1067 cases that were placed before it. Continuing with the tradition of reviewing decisions of outgoing governments in the state, the Gehlot Cabinet had decided to scrutinize all decisions of the Raje government in the last six months of its tenure. After the Committee held eight meetings over the past year, it eventually did not accept 8 decisions of the Vasundhara government as correct and cancelled them. After giving a clean chit to most of the decisions of the Raje government, the Cabinet Sub Committee has also completed its work. The Chairman of this Committee, UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal said that the committee will soon submit its report to the Chief Minister. Soon after his government was formed, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had formed the cabinet sub-committee under the chairmanship of UDH Minister Shanti Dhariwal to review the decisions taken by Raje government in its last 6 months. Ministers Dr. BD Kalla, Govind Dotasara and Ramesh Meena were also included in the committee. In more than a year, the cabinet sub-committee held 8 meetings. Despite the clean chit in most cases, the committee has asked for action against culprits in 6 cases. At the same time, there were 30 departments in which no reviewable points were found. No such decisions have been taken in these departments in the last six months of the previous government, in which no exemption has been given. The points of 21 departments were thoroughly reviewed. Apart from this, information of 12 departments was received but due to lack of time, the committee could not see them. While 14 departments were not reported. Political observers say clean chit to the Raje government in majority of cases is a result of bureaucratic non-cooperation. Information from many departments were sort but was never sent by senior officials in those departments and the committee due to shortage of time couldn't take serious action and as a result no bureaucrat nor any politician has been put in dock by this cabinet sub-committee. The final meeting of this cabinet sub-committee was held in the Government Secretariat on Wednesday. The meeting ended in just 5 minutes and accepted the final report. While stating that their work is complete, the committee has left the decision on remaining issues at the level of ministers. COPENHAGEN - Poor visibility caused a Russian helicopter to crash into the Arctic Ocean Ocean with eight people on board who all perished, Norwegian accident investigators reported Thursday. The October 2017 crash took place off Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago that belongs to Norway. The body of one victim was recovered from the seabed about 150 metres (yards) from the wreck, but the others never were found. The Mi-8 helicopter belonged to Russian coal company Arktikugol and was operated by charter company Konvers Avia. The Accident Investigation Board Norway concluded there was no indication that mechanical problems made the helicopter go down. The accident was caused by loss of visual references during the last part of the approach, the report stated. The Norwegian investigators noted that the helicopter was not equipped with neither life raft nor emergency float equipment. It was quickly filled with water due to damage caused by the impact, and probably tipped around quickly before it sank. Svalbard is more than 800 kilometres (500 miles) north of Norways mainland. The helicopter was en route to Barentsburg, a Russian coal-mining town of about 500 people that is the archipelagos second-largest settlement. Under a 1920 treaty, Norway has sovereignty over the archipelago but other signatory countries have rights to its natural resources. LYSANDER, N.Y. -- New York State Police are asking the public to help solve a string of larcenies from cars in Lysander. The larcenies happened near the Radisson area" of Lysander, according to state police. The state police released the photos above in connection with the case but have not said how the people pictured may be connected to the larcenies. They ask that anyone with information contact New York State Police investigator Darren Forgea at 315-638-8328. 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 Election Commission of India, on Thursday, issued a notice to BJP leader and UP CM Yogi Adityanath, demanding an explanation for his comments against AAP. As per EC, Adityanath violated the Model Code of Conduct by making personal comments on Arvind Kejriwal during the campaigns. The UP CM had said that ministers from Pakistan have been supporting Kejriwal and that they are distributing biryani in Shaheen Bagh. ECs notice to Yogi Adityanath In their notice to BJP leader Yogi Adityanath, EC wrote, "Criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their policies and program, past record and work. Parties and Candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of other parties. Criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified claims or distortion shall be avoided. Now, therefore, the commission gives you an opportunity to explain your position in making the above-said statement on or before 5:00 pm, February 7, failing which the Commission shall take a decision without any further reference to you, the letter added. Read: EC issues notice to Sanjay Singh for his "unverified allegations" against BJP Yogi Adityanaths comment against AAP As per the Election Commission of India, the comments were made by Yogi Adityanath in an election rally. He had said, Biryani is being fed to the terrorists today. The Congress party was fond of feeding this biryani in Kashmir and Kejriwal is fond of feeding biryani in events like Shaheen Bagh, but the Bhartiya Janata Party does not. You must have seen yesterday a minister of Pakistan was appealing in support of Kejriwal. Does Kejriwal not have faith in people of Delhi, why does a minister from Pakistan need to talk about him? Brothers sisters please recognize these faces and identify them". Read: Arvind Kejriwal receives EC warning over promises made by him in an official capacity Read: Delhi: Poll panel issues notice to AAP, BJP for violating model code of conduct Sanjay Singh receives notice from EC AAPs Sanjay Singh received a similar notice from the EC on Thursday for his unverified allegations against BJP. He has also been given the time till Feb 7, 12 noon to explain his position. Sanjay Singh had claimed that BJP is going to do something big on February 2 in certain areas of Delhi. Read: EC warns Delhi top cop who revealed Shaheen Bagh gunman-AAP link; bars him from poll work The Servant of the People faction has held a meeting with the participation of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to consider the bill on the land market. "It was about land. We considered additional details. We will work together on this bill in the Verkhovna Rada," member of the faction, Maryana Bezuhla, told an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent. When asked whether the land market bill would be adopted today, she said: "You'll see." In turn, another member of the Servant of the People faction, Oleksandr Dubinsky said that the majority of the faction supported the document during the meeting. "The majority of the faction voted in favor of the bill. Personally I voted against it," he said. Dubinsky also said that during the meeting Zelensky asked the MPs to speed up the consideration of amendments to the bill. The MP added that the chairman of the parliament, in turn, said that the procedure could take a week. Two students have been stabbed by another student, who they did not know, in the middle of a Queensland schoolyard, leaving one of the victims with serious chest injuries. The victims, two boys aged 12 and 13, were allegedly attacked by a 14-year-old boy at Rosewood State High School, which was put into lockdown in the aftermath. Rosewood State High School went into lockdown after the student was injured. Credit:Google Maps Emergency services were called about 11.40am to the school on Lanefield Road in Rosewood, located about 45 kilometres south-west of Brisbane in the Bremer Valley near Ipswich. The 12-year-old boy was rushed to the Queensland Children's Hospital in a serious condition with puncture wounds to his abdomen, but the injuries were not considered life-threatening. As specialists in silicone-based combination devices, Trelleborgs healthcare and medical operation will be attending Pharmapack this year, with experts available to support medical device manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies in this booming technology. Drug-eluting devices, whether implanted or on the skin, are becoming an increasingly popular way for monitoring chronic-disease, such as heart condition or glucose levels, for guarding against inflammation and infection, as well as for drug delivery. The trend toward adding Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) to devices and new delivery mechanisms is rapidly gaining traction in the healthcare and medical industry. According to a report by Allied Market Research published in September 2018, the global drug-device combination products market is expected to reach $139.2 billion by 2025, representing a compound annual growth rate of 6.9% on 2018. Andreas Schmiedel, Technical Manager Healthcare & Medical Europe, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, who will be presenting a technical paper on mixing API with silicone at Pharmapack, discusses the advantages and manufacturing considerations of the two main processes of combining silicone with an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API). The two processes Trelleborg uses are Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) combined with an API before being fabricated into a silicone part. The second is a finished silicone part immersed in a drug-loaded solvent to impregnate it with an antibacterial or antimicrobial. In the pre-fabrication method, an API is usually combined with silicone immediately before extrusion, molding or sheeting. The API is invariably added to the silicone in powder form, as this is typically the most stable form of a drug. The key advantage of adding an API to silicone before fabrication is that an accurate mass ratio of drug to silicone can be achieved, typically plus or minus 5%, or better, of the target mass ratio. The process is ideal for creating devices designed to deliver a precise dose of medication, such as a skin patch for pain medication, a vaginal ring for contraception, or a bio-absorbable device for treating eye disease. However, there are several manufacturing factors to consider when combining APIs with raw silicone. First, some APIs can react, or chemically interact, with the curing system of silicone. Secondly, the upper stability limit of many drugs is relatively low compared to the cure temperature for silicone. Thirdly, many APIs are hazardous in powdered form. Finally, all drug delivery combination devices still need regulatory approval, even if the drug was approved in a different form. Looking at the alternative process of adding API to an existing silicone device through immersion. There are several advantages to this: its a relatively mature technology, the development timeline is usually shorter because the design/manufacturing process for the device does not change, drugs with lower degradation temperatures can be used, the bar is often lower for FDA approval, and the results are highly repeatable. The process involves adding an API to solvents that completely solubilize the drug. The solvent swells the silicone, allowing the API to impregnate the vulcanized piece. After the immersion period, the component is removed from the solution and the solvent evaporates, leaving the API impregnated in the silicone matrix. This method, therefore, is not as precise as adding an API to raw silicone from a mass ratio perspective and is most suitable when precise drug-release rates are not critical. For example, the amount of anti-inflammatory released from a pacemaker lead does not need to be controlled in micrograms per day. Rather, the API is there to improve the safety or efficacy of the device, typically requiring a strong presence of the drug for the first two to four weeks after placement. A number of variables, including the type of drug and the thickness of the materials, determine the amount of API that can be impregnated into the silicone. Due to this, it is important that development and testing procedures are used to determine the degree of impregnation. It should also be born in mind that the immersion method for combination device production is limited to certain materials; silicone and some types of thermoplastic elastomers. Trelleborg experts will be on stand G72 in hall 7.2 at Pharmapack in Paris, France, February 5 and 6 to discuss combination devices and their development in further detail. On Thursday, 6 February at 11am, Andreas Schmiedel will be presenting a technical paper, Products and Processes for Life-Changing Technologies, at Pharmapack that will focus on mixing of APIs with silicone. (SOUND BITE) (English) NASA TV REPORTER, SAYING: "Christina Koch, your record-holder. She is out, thumbs up and a huge smile." After 328 days away from Earth, U.S. astronaut Christina Koch landed in Kazakhstan on Thursday, breaking the record for the longest stay in space by a woman. (SOUND BITE) (English) NASA TV REPORTER, SAYING: "Christina, welcome home." Koch touched down on the frozen Kazakh desert with European astronaut Luca Parmitano from Italy and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov -- all of them eager to enjoy a meal that doesn't come in a silver pouch. (SOUND BITE) (English) NASA TV REPORTER, SAYING: "There are enough chips... salsa on the NASA plane heading home to accommodate several Mexican restaurants back in Houston, I will tell you. No shortage of her favorite delicacy on the way home." NASA said Koch's lengthy mission will provide researchers with much-needed data on how weightlessness and space radiation affect the female body on long spaceflights. Wrapped in blankets, she was carried into a medical tent to restore her balance in gravity. Her data will be studied in the coming months, could prove useful for the U.S. space agency's aim of building a permanent space station on the moon within the next decade. On the International Space Station, Koch achieved another gender milestone, leading the first all-female spacewalk in October. (SOUND BITE) (English) NASA TV REPORTER, SAYING: "Koch letting us know that the status indicator was wrong and they have been able to pull it out." NASA's first attempt at that spacewalk was called off due to a lack of enough spacesuits in the right size, igniting a gender-equality debate in the space community. Astronauts on the space station, whose 20th anniversary in orbit comes later this year, have made 227 maintenance spacewalks. According to NASA, nearly two dozen of them included women astronauts. (SOUND BITE) (English) U.S. ASTRONAUT CHRISTINA KOCH, SAYING: "Alright, excellent! Nice work." A 100-year-old Tuskegee Airman made a special visit to NASA Headquarters in Washington on Wednesday (Feb. 5), the day after he was cited in President Donald Trump's State of the Union address. Brig. Gen. Charles McGee who served in the Second World War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War spoke in front of a packed auditorium about his experience in the Air Force as one of the first African American military pilots to serve in combat. McGee loved flying right from his first lesson, he said in the livestreamed event on YouTube. "When I got called ... for that first ride, I was hooked," he said. "I loved flying, and to be able to get off the ground and do a loop roll and spin and put your feet on the ground again, that's for me." Video: Tuskegee Airman Charles McGee talks about his training and more Related: Northrop Grumman names Cygnus spacecraft for first African American astronaut Retired U.S. Air Force Honorary Brig. Gen. Charles McGee speaks with NASA astronaut Alvin Drew during a Black History Month program titled "Trailblazers, The Story of a Tuskegee Airman," on Feb. 5, 2020, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. (Image credit: Joel Kowsky/NASA) But he also made allusions to the adversity that he and his fellow airmen faced during the early days of the Second World War, when African Americans encountered discrimination and segregation even in the theater of war. Trump also alluded to this discrimination in his address. "After more than 130 combat missions in World War II, he came back home to a country still struggling for civil rights and went on to serve America in Korea and Vietnam," Trump said during his State of the Union speech. "A few weeks ago," Trump added, "I signed a bill promoting Charles McGee to brigadier general. And earlier today, I pinned the stars on his shoulders in the Oval Office. General McGee, our nation salutes you. Thank you, sir." McGee was part of the 332nd Fighter Group, which saw action in Italy protecting bombers, among other adventures but the group preceding him had a larger challenge, he explained at the NASA event. That group, called the 99th Pursuit Squadron, had to wait an extra three months for assignment because "no white commander would take them," he explained. When they finally got overseas, the 99th was assigned to a zone in northern Africa that was far from the real action. Complaints came in that the group, operating in Liberia, had shot down only one German airplane during its first few forays. "Do you know your history?" McGee said, pointing out, as the audience laughed, that most Germans were not in Liberia at that time. Eventually, the 99th were reassigned to something a bit more central to the war-fighting action, he added, but challenges remained. McGee recalled that African American airmen were segregated from their white colleagues, to fall in line with the legislation back home. It wasn't until 1948, three years after the Second World War ended, that President Harry Truman signed an executive order forbidding military discrimination "on the basis of race, color, religion or national origin," which was the first step to abolishing segregation in U.S. armed services. Approved segregation in everyday life, however, persisted long into the 1960s. And African Americans continue to face discrimination today. Robert Pearce, associate administrator for NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (left), moderates questions from the audience during an event honoring retired U.S. Air Force Honorary Brig. Gen. Charles McGee (center) at NASA Headquarters in Washington on Feb. 5, 2020. Seated next to him is NASA astronaut Alvin Drew. (Image credit: Joel Kowsky/NASA) Joining McGee on stage was African American astronaut Alvin Drew, who flew on the space shuttle twice during missions STS-118 in 2007 and STS-133 in 2011. Drew asked McGee about the airman's life and thanked him for his service. "I personally thank you for making an opportunity for me," said Drew, who has logged 632 hours in space. To date, Drew is the last African American to visit the International Space Station, NASA said during the broadcast. Jeanette Epps, who is also African American, was supposed to visit the ISS in 2018, but she was removed from the flight crew a few months before her scheduled launch. Epps later said she was not informed of the reasons for this decision but added that she did not feel it was because of racism or sexism. Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. The final construction phase of a smart motorway on the M23 near Gatwick Airport is still going ahead this month, despite the Government imposing a ban on opening any new versions while a safety review takes place. The last phase of converting the 11 mile stretch from junction 8 to junction 10 - which is costing 164million to upgrade - will recommence during the last weekend of February, Highways England has confirmed. The route, which includes the junction for Gatwick Airport (junction 9), is being developed into an all-lane running smart motorway, converting the hard shoulder into a live lane. It is the first reported instance of smart motorway construction following the Government's decision to launch a safety review following an investigation last month revealing 38 people had died on smart motorways in the last five years. Smart motorways still going ahead: Construction of an all-lane running section of the M23 will recommence at the end of February despite a government safety review, it's been confirmed Work to finish converting the busy stretch of motorway will take place within the next three weeks, according to a report by New Civil Engineer. The section of M23 is one of four smart motorways that were due to open by the spring, including conversions of part of the M6, M20 and M62. While planned works that were already scheduled will continue to take place, Highways England told us these routes will not be opened until the outcome of the government's stocktake on smart motorways. Highways England told This is Money it is 'undertaking a series of weekend closures on the M23 at the end of the month to complete some work between junction 8 Merstham and junction 10 Copthorne' which have been scheduled 'for a number of months'. It added: 'The Secretary of State did not say current construction work would cease.' Conversion of the motorway began in September 2018, including removal of the hard shoulder to create a permanent fourth lane between junctions 8 and 10. That means, on average, there will be one emergency lay-by every mile, which the AA has argued is insufficient. Highways England provided this detailed plan of the works going ahead to convert the 11-mile section of M23 into an all-lane running smart motorway with no hard shoulder The section of M23 being converted is the 11 miles (18km) from junction 8 to junction 10. The turn off for Gatwick Airport is junction 9, making this a very busy section of road Continuation of construction this month is in spite of transport secretary Grant Shapps' statement last week when he vowed that no new smart motorways would be opened until a review launched last November had been completed by the Department for Transport to ensure they were safe for motorists. His decision came after BBC Panorama's investigation into the routes, which highlighted their dangers and the shocking number of fatalities in the last five years. The BBC also learned that smart motorway 'near-misses' had increased dramatically during the same period. A stretch of one of England's major roads has seen a 20-fold spike in these incidents after being converted to a smart motorway. The section of M23 is one of four smart motorways that were due to open by the spring, including conversions of part of the M6, M20 and M62 Highways England told New Civil Engineer that construction of existing smart motorway schemes would continue despite the government's safety audit Conversion of the M23 began in September 2018, including removal of the hard shoulder to create a permanent fourth lane between junctions 8 and 10 Mr Shapps confirmed a safety stocktake would take place, saying: 'We absolutely have to have these as safe or safer than regular motorways or we shouldn't have them at all.' However, a Highways England spokesperson has confirmed to New Civil Engineer that 'construction on the M23 smart motorway will continue' in February, despite the Government's review. Transport secretary, Grant Shapps (pictured), said last week that a review launched in November would determine if smart motorways were safe for motorists to us 'Shapps comments stated that no new stretches of smart motorway would open until the outcome of the evidence stocktake,' they added. 'However, construction on smart motorway schemes would continue. Of course, we stand ready to implement any recommendations that arise from the stocktake.' This is Money has contacted Highways England for further comment. A spokesperson said: 'The Department for Transport is considering a range of evidence during their stocktake. 'We expect the results to be published shortly and to provide the most up to date assessment of the safety of smart motorways. 'We are committed to implementing any new recommendations as part of our ongoing work to make our roads even safer.' Edmund King, president at the AA, blasted the decision to continue with the conversion of the busy route, which Highways England acknowledges suffers from heavy traffic 'travelling to and from Gatwick Airport and between Brighton and London, especially during UK holiday periods'. Mr King said: 'We were led to believe that the review of the stocktake is likely to be this month. 'Perhaps Highways England knows when the stocktake is to be announced and knows the outcome and therefore is planning ahead - otherwise it would seem pragmatic to wait for the outcome before starting work. He added: 'Pressure is mounting to make major changes on smart motorways. It is not good enough to maintain they are as safe as conventional motorways. 'Our ambition should be to make them much safer and that can only be done by radically reducing the likelihood of having to stop in a live lane. 'The AA has campaigned on this for years but now there is a growing outcry from the public, politicians and the police. We now need action not platitudes.' Some 11 emergency refuge areas will be installed on the conversion, which is an average of one every mile. That's an insufficient amount, according to the AA 'If you keep all-lane running open, more people will die' Labour MP Sarah Champion representing Rotherham called for all active smart motorways to be restored to their original layout, including the reintroduction of a hard shoulder. Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday evening, Ms Champion told of the death of her constituent and another motorist on the all-lane running section of the M1 in South Yorkshire, adding that the 16-mile stretch has seen an additional five fatalities in just 10 months. 'I want to be extremely clear, all-lane running is fundamentally flawed, it is profoundly unsafe,' she said. 'The existing sections need to be reverted back to having a hard shoulder with immediate effect. If you keep all-lane running open, more people will die.' Labour MP Sarah Champion representing Rotherham warned that if the government kept all-lane running open 'more people will die' Discussing the M27, which - like the M23 - is in the process of being converted into a smart motorway, Tory MP Suella Braverman representing Fareheam said: 'The prospect of using it is becoming terrifying. 'Many people in Fareham are calling for the smart motorway upgrade on the M27 to be scrapped and reversed. 'Now I welcome the Government's recent announcement of a review of the smart motorway programme and I ask it to seriously question the safety measures in place and consider whether a hard shoulder could be reintroduced on parts of the motorway. 'We need to improve the robustness of the safety measures so that public confidence can be restored.' At last, two more Date Labbers are going all the way. I mean all the way. They're about to embark on the most quintessential (and, probably, expensive) date of their lives: their wedding. That's the good news. The bad news (insofar as there is any in this joyous occasion) is that we didn't actually match them (unlike the four Date Lab couples who've gotten hitched since the column started). They went out on separate Date Lab dates several years apart. But we love a success story, so come let's bask in the glow of unadulterated love for once. The Automotive Hall of Fame's 2020 Inductees include: Mong-Koo Chung, Chairman and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company; Thomas Gallagher, former CEO of Genuine Parts Company; Jay Leno, automotive heritage leadership through his Jay Leno's Garage series on CNBC; and Helene Rother, one of the first women in automotive interior design for General Motors, Nash Motors, and others. "Since 1939, the Automotive Hall of Fame has honored individuals who have significantly benefited the automotive industry and the world of mobility. We are excited to announce our 2020 Inductee Class," said Ramzi Hermiz, Chairman of the Automotive Hall of Fame and President and CEO of Shiloh Industries. "We believe that these four individuals are incredibly worthy of this honor thanks to their outstanding achievements and innovations." Induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame is reserved for noteworthy individuals who created, shaped, and changed the automotive and mobility market. It is considered the single greatest honor in the automotive industry. 2020 Automotive Hall of Fame Inductees Mong-Koo Chung Chairman Mong-Koo Chung is the leader credited with the success of Hyundai Motor Group. Through Chung's leadership, Hyundai Motor became Korea's largest automaker and Hyundai Motor Group is now the world's fifth largest automotive company. Chung is noted for many remarkable accomplishments, including: acquiring Kia Motors; spearheading growth with new plants in key regions, including United States, Europe, China, India, Brazil and Russia; and creating a highly efficient vertically integrated business structure that produces everything from steel to vehicles. Chung's legacy mirrors other legends of the industry who have launched and guided an automotive firm to global growth and distinction. Thomas Gallagher Thomas Gallagher is the visionary leader who led Genuine Parts Company (GPC) as President or CEO for more than 25 years, guiding the organization through a period of robust growth and long-term value creation for the company's customers, independent stores and repair shops, suppliers, and stakeholders. Gallagher served GPC as a relentless innovator who initiated and expanded programs to increase the competitiveness of independent, locally-owned parts stores, train and enhance the image of automotive technicians, and advance the interests of millions of auto owners. Jay Leno Jay Leno is the passion behind every automotive enthusiast. On his CNBC primetime series "Jay Leno's Garage," Jay takes fast and furious car fans for a high-octane spin across the country with a mix of stunts, reviews, celebrity interviews and challenges. There's no wheel Jay won't get behind to tell the story of our love affair with the automobile. The CNBC show is an outgrowth of the Emmy Award winning "Jay Leno's Garage" digital series. Leno has dedicated a lifetime to sharing the stories of all things automotive from classic cars to supercars and everything in-between. He has showcased technology, innovation and the colorful history of the automobile inspiring viewers to enjoy automobiles, from the most prosaic to the most exotic. There's something in every machine that draws his interest, he knows the stories of the people who built them as well. Leno truly is America's automotive ambassador. The legendary comedian and acclaimed late night TV host is also an Emmy Award winner for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," which was rated number one for over two straight decades. Helene Rother Helene Rother became one of the first female automotive designers when she joined the interior styling staff of General Motors in Detroit in 1942. Helene achieved a successful career in automotive design at a time when- as one author put it the glass ceiling couldn't be seen through the iron door that covered it. In 1947, she established her own design studio and was soon selected by Nash-Kelvinator as their interior automotive designer. Helene Rother helped shift the standard of automotive design, post WWII, from basic and simple to elegant and unique. This focus on design and quality features helped establish a new segment in the automobile market with her work on the Nash Rambler from 1948-1956. Rother's accomplishments and natural talent for industrial design mirror the stories of the pioneers and are reflected in the existing list of Inductees in the category of Inventors, Engineers, and Designers. The Automotive Hall of Fame is proud to introduce the Mobility Innovator Award. "This award recognizes the outstanding work an individual has accomplished to introduce the new technologies and services that are redefining mobility," said Automotive Hall of Fame President Sarah Cook. The 2020 Mobility Innovator awardee is Harold Goddijn, CEO of TomTom and a member of its Management Board. He is an entrepreneur and innovator who co-founded TomTom in 1991, having previously founded Psion Netherlands BV in 1989 as a joint venture with Psion Plc. TomTom created the easy-to-use navigation device, one of the most influential inventions of all time. Since then, Harold Goddijn has grown the company from a start-up into a leading global location technology specialist that shapes mobility and an autonomous future with navigation software, real-time maps, traffic and services. As a result of Harold's vision and leadership, the business today benefits a billion users from a multitude of innovative navigation tools. The 2020 Automotive Hall of Fame Induction & Awards Ceremony will take place at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 23, at the MGM Grand Detroit. Tickets and sponsorships for the black-tie gala are available at www.automotivehalloffame.org or by contacting Margarite Fourcroy at 313.240.4000 or [email protected]. About the Automotive Hall of Fame The Automotive Hall of Fame tells the stories of those who have made outstanding contributions to the automotive industry and has honored nearly 800 men and women from around the world. The Automotive Hall of Fame is located at 21400 Oakwood Blvd in Dearborn, Michigan and is open to the public for tours. You can also visit the Automotive Hall of Fame online at automotivehalloffame.org or on our Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram pages. Media Contact Rachael Marzonie, Automotive Hall of Fame, 313-240-4000, [email protected] Related Links http://www.automotivehalloffame.org/ceremony/2020-induction-awards-ceremony/ SOURCE Automotive Hall of Fame Related Links http://www.automotivehalloffame.org The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will be used to operate the Hanoi-Prague route. Photo courtesy of Bamboo Airways. Bamboo Airways will become the first Vietnamese carrier to launch a direct flight to Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, in March this year. After the newest carrier in Vietnamese skies received permission from the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) this week, the first flight connecting Hanoi and Prague will take off on March 29, said Truong Phuong Thanh, Deputy General Director of Bamboo Airways. The Hanoi-Prague direct air route using Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft will operate two flights a week. The expected durations are 11 hours and 20 minutes for the Hanoi-Prague flight and 10 hours and 20 minutes for the return flight, which are significantly shorter than the 14-19 hours taken now, using connecting flights transiting in a European or Middle Eastern city. Flight tickets are on sale in Vietnam from February 5, and in overseas markets from February 10. In early January, Bamboo Airways announced an official cooperation pact with the AVIAREPS group, a leading aviation service solutions provider in Europe, as its general agent in the Czech Republic. Previously, in April 2019, within the framework of the official visit to the Czech Republic by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and a senior delegation of Vietnam, Bamboo Airways and Prague International Airport had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the presence of the Prime Ministers of both nations. Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Ho Minh Tuan at the signing ceremony between Bamboo Airways and Prague International Airport. More than 80,000 Vietnamese live in the Czech Republic now, making Vietnamese the third biggest minority group in the country, which also pushes demand for air travel between the two countries, according to official figures. "The Hanoi - Prague route operated by Bamboo Airways is the only direct route from the Czech Republic to the ASEAN region, a very dynamic area with more than 600 million people. Therefore, this route not only aims to connect Vietnam with the Czech Republic but also connects Southeast Asia with the European Union," said Vietnamese Ambassador to Czech Republic, Ho Minh Tuan. Bamboo Airways said it will offer 5-star service for the route. Photo courtersy of the airline. Launched in January 2019, Bamboo Airways now operates flights on 34 domestic and international routes. It has conducted more than 20,000 flights to date with over 3 million passengers. In just one year, the airline reported pre-tax profits of VND303 billion ($13 million). A recent report by Mastercard said Vietnam has the second fastest growing outbound market in the Asia Pacific region after Myanmar, with projected annual growth of 9.5 percent between 2016 and 2021. The firm also forecast that 7.5 million Vietnamese will travel outside the country in 2021. ISTANBUL - A Pegasus Airlines plane flying into Istanbuls Sabiha Gokcen airport skidded off the end of the wet runway and broke into three pieces after landing on Wednesday, killing three people and injuring 179 others, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. Speaking to reporters in the eastern province of Van, Koca said that three people had died in hospital after the accident, adding that 179 out of the 183 passengers and crew on the plane were wounded. Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya said earlier that the plane was carrying 177 passengers and six crew from the western province of Izmir. He said the wounded were being treated at 18 hospitals in the area. The plane could not hold on the runway due to poor weather conditions and skidded for around 50-60 meters, Yerlikaya told reporters at the airport. An injured person is carried away from Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-86J plane, after it overran the runway during landing and crashed, at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport, Turkey February 5, 2020. Photo: Reuters The plane, a Boeing 737-86J, split into three pieces after what Yerlikaya said was a drop of around 30 to 40 meters at the end of the wet runway. Footage showed the plane landing and continuing at a high speed off the runway. Transport Minister Cahit Turhan said flights waiting to land in Sabiha Gokcen had been diverted to Istanbul Airport. Firefighters work on the Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-86J plane, after it overran the runway during landing and crashed, at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport, Turkey February 5, 2020. Photo: Reuters Pegasus said in a statement that the plane had gone off the runway and that passengers were being evacuated. A spokeswoman for the company did not provide further details. Broadcaster NTV said that the plane had attempted to land in heavy tailwinds despite the previous two flights holding off due to the wind. Television footage showed the planes fuselage, as well as a section of it near the tail, had broken off. Police officers inspect the Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-86J plane, that overran the runway during landing and crashed, at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport, Turkey February 5, 2020. Photo: Reuters Passengers were being led out as the plane lay on a patch of grass next to the runway. Dozens of emergency response personnel took passengers out of the plane and carried them away on stretchers. Earlier footage showed part of the exterior of the plane had caught on fire, which state media said was extinguished by firefighters. Turkish Airlines said it had canceled all its flight in and out of Sabiha Gokcen for the day. CHAMPAIGN After the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention broadened the parameters for what qualifies as a person under investigation, or PUI, over the weekend, one person in the Champaign-Urbana area is suspected of having the respiratory virus. The Champaign County resident is a child, said Dr. Robert Parker, director of the McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus. There was one child identified yesterday that is attached to the community that is now really the first PUI within the catchment area of the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department, he said. The department wouldnt immediately respond to confirm the information or elaborate on the childs condition. Parker said the PUI has had their information submitted to the Illinois Department of Public Health, who submitted it to the CDC. Theyre the only organization able to confirm the presence of the virus, Parker said, as well as designate a PUI for further testing. The PUI designation doesnt mean that the child has coronavirus, rather that health officials have determined the person could and approve of more testing. As of last Friday, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported two confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, a husband and wife in the Chicago area. The state has a total of 41 PUIs, 13 of whom have tested negative for the virus and another 26 are still awaiting results. Parker had personally contacted every Chinese student with a connection to the province where the novel coronavirus is spreading. At this point, Parker said the influenza virus has proven to be a more pressing issue in the area. The influenza virus is far more of concern at this time of the year than the current issue around the novel coronavirus, he said. He stressed hand washing, covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing, and general good hygiene being key to fight any virus. With more than 5,800 Chinese students and the broader parameters, he said only two students had their information forwarded up the chain of command. IDPH determined that neither were thought to have the virus and didnt forward their information to the CDC. Taliban Says Closing Afghan War Needs 'Actions Not Words' From Trump By Ayaz Gul February 05, 2020 U.S. President Donald Trump in the State of the Union address has endorsed peace talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan, saying his administration is working to end America's longest war to bring troops back home from that country. The Afghan insurgent group swiftly responded to Tuesday night's remarks by Trump, saying "practical steps and not words" from the American leader would help end the 18-year-old conflict. In his speech to U.S. lawmakers, Trump praised his troops deployed to Afghanistan for making "tremendous progress" and said "peace talks are underway" in a reference to months of U.S.-Taliban negotiations being hosted by Qatar." We are working to finally end America's longest war and bring our troops back home!," Trump said. "I am not looking to kill hundreds of thousands of people in Afghanistan, many of them innocent. It is also not our function to serve other nations as a law enforcement agency," the president reiterated. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told VOA when asked for his group's reaction to Trump's statement that the Afghan war is not in anyone's interest." We also want that America closes this war to bring its occupation (of Afghanistan) to an end and let Afghans freely decide their future," Mujahid said. "But it is important that actions must speak louder than rhetoric and promises," the spokesman insisted. U.S. and Taliban representatives have been holding meetings for more than a year, trying to negotiate a peace deal that would set the stage for a gradual withdrawal of roughly 13,000 American troops from the country. If signed, the proposed U.S.-Taliban agreement would also seek an immediate resumption of Taliban-Afghan negotiations on a permanent nationwide cease-fire and future power-sharing in post-war Afghanistan. But the dialogue has suffered repeated setbacks in recent months, with both sides accusing the other of stalling the process. The Trump administration is demanding a "significant and lasting" reduction in insurgent violence before concluding the deal, while the Taliban has refused to go beyond its proposed week-long scaling back of operations until the two adversaries in the deadly conflict sign the truce. The United Nations says the war in Afghanistan has killed or injured more than 100,000 civilians, a majority of them women and children, since 2009 alone, and non-combatants continue to suffer record levels of casualties. The U.S. military has lost about 2,400 personnel since the war started in 2001 and has cost Washington around a trillion dollars. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Gargle salt water, use herbal eyedrops, steam-clean a face mask -- false claims about how to combat a deadly coranavirus epidemic emerging out of China are flooding the internet. Social media giants have promoted their strategies to combat misinformation related to the epidemic, which has claimed more than 560 lives in China and spread to 24 countries. Twitter, which reported 15 million coronavirus-related tweets in January, said it had suspended auto-suggest search results that would likely produce untrustworthy content. Facebook also said it was targeting false claims aimed at discouraging treatment or taking appropriate precautious with the respiratory virus. "This includes claims related to false cures or prevention methods -- like drinking bleach cures the coronavirus -- or claims that create confusion about health resources that are available," Kang-Xing Jin, Facebook's head of health, said in a statement. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also launched a campaign to discredit specific claims, such as that sesame oil and mouthwash can effectively kill the virus. Yet the misinformation continues to pollute social media platforms and messaging apps. Here is a selection of the false claims that AFP, which has a specialised fact-checking team, has debunked in recent days: - Boiling fresh garlic - A claim that the coronavirus can be cured overnight if sufferers drink freshly boiled garlic water was shared across Facebook, Twitter and YouTube in Pakistan. "There is no scientific evidence to substantiate the claim that garlic boiled water cures the novel coronavirus nor is there any proper medical research available on the subject," said Dr Wasim Khawaja, an expert at the Pakistani Institute of Medical Sciences, for an AFP fact-check report. - Antibiotic eye drop - In the Philippines, videos viewed many millions of claim the virus can be cured with an eye drop made of sap from a local shrub that is commonly used to treat fever and stomach issues. One 11-minute video, claiming the tinospora crispa plant is an effective "antibiotic" for the virus, was viewed more than 1.5 million times on Facebook. There has been no medical evidence to back this claim. - Steaming face masks - A video of a purported doctor advising people to steam disposable surgical face masks to reuse them was viewed hundreds of thousands of times in multiple Chinese-language posts on Facebook, Weibo and Youku. In Hong Kong, the video was viewed almost 900,000 times within a day after a lawmaker shared it on Facebook. The WHO, the Hong Kong Red Cross and the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection have all issued warnings against steaming - or reusing at all - single-use masks. - Herbal remedies - In the days following Sri Lanka's first confirmed coronavirus case, an article was shared hundreds of times on Facebook claiming that asafoetida, a plant often used in traditional Indian medicine, can prevent infection. The claim was widely refuted by health experts who urged Sri Lankans to follow official Ministry of Health recommendations. "There is absolutely no basis to the claims that various herbs such as perumkaayam can serve as protective barriers against the spread of coronavirus," said Dr Ashan Pathirana, a registrar at Sri Lanka's state-run Health Promotion Bureau. - Gargling saline solutions - A claim that a top Chinese respiratory expert advised people to rinse their mouths with salt water to prevent infection was shared widely on multiple social media platforms, including Weibo, Twitter and Facebook. "No present findings have suggested that saline water can kill the new coronavirus," the expert, Zhong Nanshan, said as he refuted the false claim. * AFP currently works with Facebook's fact-checking programme in almost 30 countries and nine languages. Dozens of other media groups, including news organisations and specialised fact-checkers, work worldwide on the programme, which started in December 2016. Fact-checkers are free to choose how and what they wish to investigate. The show business' love affair with one of its favourite muses, Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe, refuses to die as a new project on the legend is in the works. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Yellowstone" producer 101 Studios and UK production company Seven Seas Films are collaborating to develop a TV series based on the final months of Monroe's life. The show, based on Keith Badman's nonfiction book "The Final Years of Marilyn Monroe", is the first filmed project about the late star's life to be endorsed by Authentic Brands Group, the owner of the Monroe estate. 101 Studios CEO David Glasser said though many people have explored the life of the "Some Like It Hot" star, the upcoming series will be a class apart. "Beloved movie legend Marilyn Monroe has had many memoirs created about her life, but none quite like this. Keith Badman has uncovered gems of never before released details, centered around the last few months of her sensationalized life and the accusations made. The series pays homage to the bright star whose life was extinguished too early," Glasser said. Seven Seas Films co-founder Dan Sefton, who will write and executive produce the project with producing partner Simon Lupton, said the team can't wait to Monroe to life. "Many people think they know the truth about Marilyn Monroe's final months, but it's a complicated and tragic story; one which we want to depict with compassion and sensitivity," he added. Leif Cervantes de Reinstein of Sheppard Mullin brokered the deal on behalf of 101 Studios. A separate drama series on the final months of Monroe's life is in development at BBC Studios and so is a Netflix film "Blonde", a fictional portrait, with Ana de Armas as the screen icon. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan delivered a speech at the end of the discussion on the bill on making amendments to the Constitution at the National Assembly. In his speech, Nikol Pashinyan said the following: The existing Constitution of Armenia provides for a model of the Constitutional Court that international experts have evaluated as balanced. The essence of the model is that three candidates for judges of the Constitutional Court are nominated by the President and Government of the Republic of Armenia and the General Assembly of Judges. The judges are elected by the National Assembly, and the Constitutional Court becomes the upper instance for balancing the three branches of power. Moreover, there are two major subtleties in the new regulations of the Constitution. By the existing Constitution, the President of Armenia and the judges cant be members of any political party. The risks of establishing monarchy in the Constitutional Court on the part of the president of the Constitutional Court have also been mitigated because, by the existing Constitution, unlike the previous one, the president of the Constitutional Court shall be elected for a term of six years, not for life. Moreover, a judge of the Constitutional Court may be elected president of the Court only once. Besides this, the abnormal practice of the same person being member of the Constitutional Court for 35 years has also been eliminated. By the new Constitution, 12 years is prescribed as the term of powers of the judge of the Constitutional Court. Moreover, the same person can be elected judge of the Constitutional Court only once. This model was also introduced as a result of considering and analyzing the problems with the Constitution enshrined in the Third Republic and through the encouragement and support of international experts because, de facto and de jure, the Constitutional Court has contributed to the falsification of elections, the existence of illegitimate authorities and the seizure of power. In this period, Armenia has been in the stage of transition from a semi-presidential system to a parliamentary system, and perhaps we havent managed to have the Constitutional Court of our dreams yet. When will we have the Constitutional Court of our dreams that wont be under the direction of a political group? Will we have it? Yes, but if we dont change anything, we will have it in 2035 the latest because the representatives of the former authorities (Republican Party of Armenia) wrote transitional provisions in the Constitution in order to make sure the Constitutional Court is in effect as long as possible. As a result, we have members of the Constitutional Court appointed by ex-presidents for different terms, and even though the term of office of a judge of the Constitutional Court is 21 years by the existing Constitution, the prevailing majority of the members of the Constitutional Court will serve much longer. The case of the president of the Constitutional Court is a separate case. Although the existing Constitution envisages that the president of the Constitutional Court shall serve for six years, the existing president of the Constitutional Court will serve for 17 years, that is, until 2035. As one of the authors of the existing Constitution or better yet the reliable person of Serzh Sargsyan among the writers of the text of the Constitution, and the de facto leader of the process, he did everything possible to make sure the text of the Constitution is suitable for him. In essence, this was a deal between Serzh Sargsyan and Hrayr Tovmasyan with the following logic: If Tovmasyan writes the text of the Constitution that provides Serzh Sargsyan with the opportunity to serve until the end of his life, then the text also has to give Tovmasyan the opportunity to serve until the end of his life as president of the Constitutional Court. Hrayr Tovmasyan hasnt reduced the terms of office of the old members of the Constitutional Court, that is, he has given them the opportunity to serve longer than the term provided for by the Constitution for his personal interests. He needed to be elected member of the Constitutional Court through the old procedure because it was initially envisaged that he was going to be elected member of the Constitutional Court through the old procedure that provided that opportunity. This is why Hrayr Tovmasyan made sure the old members continue to serve their terms of office according to the existing Constitution. If their terms of office were reduced, Hrayr Tovmasyan couldnt have been elected member of the Constitutional Court for 17 years. As a result of all this, to have a Constitutional Court described in the Constitution, the Armenian people had to wait until 2035 because Hrayr Tovmasyan, with the help of his political party (Republican Party of Armenia) had the status of president of the Constitutional Court until 2035, even though the existing Constitution provided for something that was totally different. I dont want to violate anyones presumption of innocence, but the Republican Party of Armenia has crossed the limit of not only logic and morality, but also the Criminal Code. The problem is that the term of office of former president of the Constitutional Court Gagik Harutyunyan was going to expire on March 25, 2018. If he served until the end, Hrayr Tovmasyan couldnt have been elected member of the Constitutional Court for a term of 17 years. To make this possible, the Republican Party convinced Gagik Harutyunyan (he was already elected president of the Supreme Judicial Council) to resign in early March (20 days before the term of office) so that Hrayr Tovmasyan could be elected president of the Constitutional Court for life during the regular session of the National Assembly starting on March 20, 2018 (the session was the final session before entry into force of the new Constitution). The Special Investigation Service has instituted a case regarding this, but my political evaluation is that this falsehood and the whole story have led to usurpation of power. I would like to declare that the Constitutional Court and its president have usurped the power belonging to the people of Armenia through manipulation of the Constitution. In the text of the existing Constitution, Hrayr Tovmasyan has reserved more power to the Constitutional Court than is reserved to the people of the Republic of Armenia who are the highest bearers of power in our country. The problem is that, according to the existing regulation, it is impossible to make an amendment to the Constitution without the permission of the Constitutional Court. This means that the people of Armenia may want to make an amendment to the Constitution, but the Constitutional Court wont allow it since it will consider the aspiration unconstitutional. Moreover, nobody can dispute the position of the Constitutional Court. So, in this situation, the people of Armenia can have the desire to deprive Hrayr Tovmasyan of the illegal status, but the Constitutional Court wont allow it since it will consider it unconstitutional. This means that Hrayr Tovmasyan and the Republican Party of Armenia have caused the emergence of an entity that is above the people, and this is the Constitutional Court. MONTREAL, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tamino Minerals, Inc., a mineral exploration and development company, (Tamino or the Company) (OTC Markets: TINO), www.taminominerals.ca announces that Tamino continues to be hard at work and is aggressively working towards making several key acquisitions that will enable the company to meet its goals. We are pleased to report that our Exploration Management Team has identified several opportunities, that will allow us to grow at a considerable pace and justify share price appreciation. Our target precious metal is gold, but silver and copper credits are something that we are prepared to explore for. Sonora is the number one gold producer in the Republic of Mexico, metallurgical technology is of importance due to its vicinity with Arizona and Nevada. Extraction and production processes within the region are similar. As we have been mentioning consistently, we have not been diluting the companies shares and our float remains the same as in 2015. We currently have 149,811,161 Common Shares circulating within OTC Markets with a certain level of liquidity that has our largest shareholders satisfied. We plan to initiate exploration very soon; we are working on scheduling a crew to do so. The company has been attentive on Social Media, responding to questions and vigorously making posts in order to generate awareness. TAMINO MINERALS, INC. TAMINO MINERALS INC. is exploring for gold and other mineral deposits within a prolific Gold producing State, Sonora. Under SEC Fair Disclosure Guidelines, persons interested in Tamino Minerals can expect disclosures and updates at OTC Markets, the companys website, www.taminominerals.ca Twitter : www.Twitter.com/TaminoMinerals Facebook : www.facebook.com/taminominerals Instagram : www.instagram.com/taminominerals Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/taminominerals and YouTube: http://bit.ly/33nPS9n On behalf of the Board, - Pedro Villagran-Garcia - Pedro Villagran-Garcia, President & CEO Tamino Minerals, Inc. For further information, please contact the company at 1 (514) 432-7746 or by email at info@taminominerals.ca Keanu Reeves was spotted filming The Matrix 4 in San Francisco on Wednesday by a fan who praised him on Instagram for 'dating a cool woman in your age group'. The 55-year-old actor wore a green jacket over a grey T-shirt and blue jeans while shooting the sci-fi action film in the North Beach area. Reeves was captured in a photo by author Erin Carlson while he filmed in her neighborhood. At work: Keanu Reeves was spotted filming The Matrix 4 on Wednesday in San Francisco in an Instagram post that praised him for 'dating a cool woman in your age group' in the caption 'Walked right into Keanu filming The Matrix 4 in my neighborhood this morning,' Carlson wrote in the caption. 'I wanted to yell, ''I love that you're dating a cool woman in your age group!!!'' (Google Alexandra Grant), but chose not to disrupt his creative process because that's the kind of person I am,' added the author of I'll Have What She's Having: How Nora Ephron's Three Iconic Films Saved the Romantic Comedy and Queen Meryl about actress Meryl Streep. 'Also, an exasperated crew member was all, ''We're working HE-YAH'',' Carlson concluded. Reeves and artist Grant, 47, made their red carpet debut together last year and have attended several events together. Carpet couple: The 55-year-old actor was praised on Instagram for 'dating a cool woman in your age group' with a reference to Alexandra Grant, 47, shown with Keanu in November in Los Angeles Action star: Reeves, shown in September in Los Angeles, and artist Grant, 47, made their red carpet debut together last year and attended several events together Grant and Reeves met in 2009 at a social event and they started collaborating on a book together. He wrote the 2011 picture book Ode To Happiness that featured illustrations by Grant. They worked together again for their 2016 project Shadows, a book and pictures combination. Dystopian future: The actor is shown as Neo in a still from the 2003 film The Matrix Revolutions Grant, Reeves and designer Jessica Fleischmann in 2017 founded the small publishing company X Artists Books. Reeves will reunite with Carrie-Ann Moss, 52, from the original franchise trilogy for the fourth installment of the franchise. The Matrix 4 is scheduled for release on May 21, 2021. It also will star Neil Patrick Harris, Jessica Henwick and Jonathan Groff. The original: Carrie-Anne Moss and Reeves are shown in a still from the 1999 original The Matrix Are you tired of reading about jail overtime? Were just as tired of writing about it. Every year, Syracuse.com reports on Onondaga County government salaries and overtime exceeding $100,000. In 2019, the number of six-figure earners grew to 137, up from 115 in 2018. Onondaga County Sheriffs Department jail deputies are among the highest-paid county employees, doubling or even tripling their base pay with overtime. Out of the top 20 on the list, eight work for the sheriffs custody division. The fat paychecks (and fatter pensions) are easy targets for outrage, ridicule or envy. Jail employees should get paid for the hours they work. And who could blame them for accepting overtime when it is offered? That said, lets not forget that working excessive overtime in a jail setting also poses risks. Deputies pulling double shifts have little time left for sleep or family. That grueling schedule cant be good for them or for the detainees they are watching. Everyone agrees this is a costly problem, in financial and human terms. And yet, year after year, it persists. What could fix it? A new labor contract between the county and jail deputies that gives management more flexibility to manage schedules and gives more weight to the taxpayers footing the bill. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon and Sheriff Eugene Conway are engaged in contract talks with the Deputy Sheriffs Benevolent Association. McMahons spokesman says overtime is on the table, and is still a priority. In 2012, as chairman of the Legislature, McMahon was a vocal critic of excessive jail overtime. A year ago, as the newly appointed county executive, he talked tough about wanting to eliminate archaic provisions in the contract that limit how the jail fills overtime shifts. These included a medical provision that allows deputies to opt out of overtime and a seniority provision that steers overtime to veteran deputies. In November, McMahon was elected to a full four-year term. Hes in a strong position to press for those changes at the negotiating table. Conway also sits at the table. The sheriff says he would like to have more flexibility deploying his staff to cover two jails around the clock, while meeting staffing ratios dictated by state law, and filling in for deputies who are ill or on long-term leave. The county executive appears to be counting on bail reform to cut jail costs. Fewer defendants being held before trial means fewer guards are needed to watch them or does it? It will take more than a months experience with the new law to prove or disprove that assumption. We hope its true, but that wouldnt fix the work rules that invite overtime abuse. Jail deputies deserve a fair wage and humane working conditions. Taxpayers deserve government that operates as efficiently as possible. The balance is out of whack. Were counting on our elected officials the county executive, the sheriff and the county Legislature, which must approve any contract agreement to restore it. About Syracuse.com editorials Editorials represent the collective opinion of the Advance Media New York editorial board. Our opinions are independent of news coverage. Read our mission statement. Members of the editorial board are Tim Kennedy, Trish LaMonte, Jason Murray and Marie Morelli. To respond to this editorial: Post a comment below, or submit a letter or commentary to letters@syracuse.com. Read our submission guidelines. If you have questions about the Opinions & Editorials section, contact Marie Morelli, editorial/opinion leader, at mmorelli@syracuse.com 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. Authorities are searching for a suspect in the robbery of a Birmingham fast food restaurant. The holdup happened just before 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26. Sgt. Johnny Williams said the man entered the Burger King restaurant at 2700 University Boulevard. Once inside, the suspect approached the counter as if he was going to make a purchase. Police are trying to identify the suspect in a Jan. 26, 2020 robbery at a Birmingham Burger King. (Birmingham Police Department) Instead, he waited for the register to open and reached across the counter to grab currency from the register. As the suspect fled the location, two other people inside the suspects vehicle pointed firearms at an employee. There were no injuries. Anyone with information is asked to call Birmingham robbery detectives at 205-254-1753. Tipsters who want to remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward can call Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 14:33 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062f33b7 1 Politics Gibran-Rakabuming-Raka,Surakarta-mayoral-election,Surakarta-mayor,surakarta,Central-Java,Democratic-party,PDI-P,Jokowi,Bobby-Nasution,political-dynasty,Gibran-Rakabuming Free The Surakarta chapter of the Democratic Party has declared its support for President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, in the upcoming Surakarta mayoral election in Central Java. Supriyanto, the head of the Democratic Party's Surakarta chapter, said the party decided to back Gibran because he was a young figure who they believed could carry out programs quickly and on target. We support him unconditionally, because we want a fresh government, Supriyanto said on Wednesday as quoted by kompas.com. He said that former president and Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had also expressed his support for Gibran through the party's Central Java provincial chapter. We have given assurances to the people of Surakarta that Gibran is capable of leading the Surakarta administration, Supriyanto added. Interviewed separately, Gibran said he would take all the help that he could get. I welcome all the support, from the parties, volunteers, citizens and everyone, Gibran said. Besides the Democrats, Gibran has also courted the support of his father's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which is considering pairing Gibran and Surakarta Deputy Mayor Achmad Purnomo, who had been tabbed as the party's nominee before Gibran threw his hat into the ring. Read also: PDI-P may pair Gibran and Achmad for Surakarta mayoral race Meanwhile, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), National Awakening Party's (PKB) and United Development Party (PPP) have also openly showed their support for Gibrans election bid. Gibran is not the only presidential relative gearing up to run the upcoming regional elections Jokowi's son-in-law Bobby Nasution is also seeking support for his own mayoral bid in Medan, North Sumatra. Gibran and Bobby's planned runs have triggered concerns that the former Surakarta mayor is building up a political dynasty, an accusation that Jokowi has denied. (hol) Read also: Jokowi vows he 'won't be campaigning' for son, son-in-law in upcoming mayoral races PITTSBURGH, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Excalibur Data Systems, a pioneer of IT Service Management and Enterprise Service Management solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with AlertOps, the leading major incident management and response platform for IT Operations, SRE and DevOps teams to deliver positive customer experiences for always-on services. This partnership will empower teams to manage major incidents and protect mission-critical services. "We're excited to welcome Excalibur Data Systems as an AlertOps Platinum Partner," said Chella Jamburajan, Founder of AlertOps. "Excalibur and AlertOps are equally dedicated to client success, and Excalibur is now uniquely positioned to be a leader in helping clients manage major incidents to keep mission-critical services up and running." A recent interview by ITIC reported that for 33% of enterprises, just one hour of downtime costs their organization between $1 million and $5 million. AlertOps' provides disruptive features that deliver on the biggest communication challenges that companies face today. This new partnership will help clients drastically improve operational efficiency. For example, 80% of companies are still using spreadsheets for on-call. AlertOps can easily help automate this to, releasing teams to tack more important work. "We're looking forward to partnering with AlertOps on upcoming projects while continuing to offer best of breed solutions to our valued customers," said Mike Fuson, VP of Excalibur Data Systems. As a Cherwell Premier Authorized Partner, Excalibur Data Systems has broad experience across verticals and proven success across North America and look forward to working with AlertOps to achieve further success. About Excalibur Data Systems: In operation since 1998, Excalibur Data Systems is a boutique integrator specializing in ITSM and ESM solutions. We have experience implementing in just about every vertical and bring that broad experience to bear in each engagement validated in our proven success across North America. We are an authorized Cherwell dealer providing all broad service offerings encompassing both licensing of the Cherwell product line and implementation. About AlertOps: The world's largest organizations choose AlertOps to solve their toughest collaboration and real-time communication challenges to protect business-critical services and continually deliver positive customer experiences. To learn more visit www.alertops.com Tabitha Ishman Excalibur Data Systems (724) 387-1331 [email protected] SOURCE Excalibur Data Systems Russian pensioners detention in treason case extended until April 10 16:34 06/02/2020 MOSCOW, February 6 (RAPSI) Moscows Lefortovsky District Court on Thursday extended detention of Victor Korolev from the Primorsky Krai, who stands charged with treason, until April 10, RAPSI reported from the courtroom. The accused was arrested in Vladivostok two months or so ago. According to the defendant, he is a 69-year-old pensioner. Earlier, he was engaged in business but ceased the activities in 2015. According to his social media accounts, he repeatedly went to China, including business trips. The hearing was held behind closed doors because the defendant is accused of infringement on the state security. Photo credit: Allen Berezovsky - Getty Images From ELLE Since its debut last month, Apple TV+'s anthology series Little Americawhich dramatizes eight true stories of immigrants adjusting to life in the U.S.has been hailed as the new streaming service's "first great show." Though each episode functions like a short movie, telling its own discrete story with its own writer and director, the series has a cohesive emotional tone that can be traced back, in part, to executive producers Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani. Two years ago, Gordon and Nanjiani found breakout success with the autobiographical romantic comedy The Big Sick. That film recounted the couple's first meeting and early courtship, which coincided with Gordon's hospitalization for a life-threatening illness. After the critical and commercial success of the movie, Gordon recalls, "We were getting pitched a lot of ideas to attach ourselves to. We turned every single thing down except for Little America, because it was the only one that really stuck with us." You and Kumail co-wrote the episode, "The Rock," which is about an Iranian man who dreams of building his family a house, and ends up buying this plot of land with a huge, immoveable rock in the middle of it. Why did you pick that episode to write? Its such a great metaphor. We all have our rock. We all have some insurmountable thing we can't possibly ever get through. But the idea is, you wake up every morning and youre like, Todays the day. Im gonna nail the rock, Im gonna take it down. Were all just a work in progress. None of us are ever done. Because, spoiler alert, at the end of the episode, the rock is still there! The rock is still there today, by the way, for the real gentleman. Photo credit: Apple The show features largely unknown actors. What was the casting process like? It was intense. If a character was speaking a dialect in the show, we wanted that actor to be able to actually speak that dialect as much as possible. We had some actors that came in from Libya, from Syria, and it was a bit more work. But its a good thing to not just have the same five people in everything, and not just have a really lovely British actor pretending to be Nigerian. They can nail it, absolutely, but we got a lot out of having actors who were so close to the subjects they were portraying. Story continues I read that one of the actors in the finale, "The Son," wasnt permitted to enter the U.S. to film that episode, so it had to be filmed in Canada. Yeah. Adam Ali, who plays Zain, is from Libya, and he could not get a visa to film his episode, about a Syrian man who sought refugee status in America in the '90s. We moved the entire production to Canada for that episode, because he's an amazing actor and it was worth it. It's a sad story that really highlights where we are now. An actor wasnt able to get into the country, whereas [back then], this mans life changed because he was able to come to Idaho of all places. Its a sad irony, but thats where we are. In contrast to the immigrant stories we generally see on the news right now, every episode of Little America ends on a relatively hopeful note. How did you find that balance between honesty and hope? We could have made a show that focused on all the hardships these immigrants go through, but we were very adamant that we didn't focus on the actual immigration policies. We wanted to tell a full picture of these people's lives, of all the things they got out of moving here: disappointment, fear, romance, cookies. We wanted the show to feel light rather than focusing on darkness. There's a lot of amazing art that focuses on the suffering, and that's important. A lot of these people have suffered, but they have also had joy. Photo credit: Apple The club scene in the finale was one of the times I got nervous, but it ends in such a beautiful place. I know, right? [It's] something I didnt realize until I married an immigrantin that scene, when he has his papers taken casually by the bouncer at the door, and he has such a reaction to it. I've been with Kumail when he's gotten his passport taken from him. We were going through the process of getting his green card, and he got very upset. I was like "Its fine! Dont worry about it!" And he was like, "You don't understand what it's like to not have your passport, and have that mean something." It clicked something in my brain. I love that we can create art that clicks that in other peoples brains. Fully acknowledging my own privilege here, it never occurred to me that not having your passport could be such an upsetting thing. It's everything you've worked towards in that man's hand, and he's walking away from you. Were there other moments in the show that resonated with you in that way? Yeah, there were so many little moments that I wouldnt have seen in the same way had I not been married to an immigrant for 12 years. In the cruise episode when the mother is pretending not to speak English, Ive fully seen my mother-in-law do that! Or when Kumail and I would travel, whenever I would joke around with customs people, he would get so uncomfortable. I get it now. Photo credit: Allen Berezovsky - Getty Images The Big Sick was a huge breakout for both you and Kumail. What has the period since been like for you? Really bonkers. Weve both gotten opportunities that we never would have had before, one being this show. I would like to think the show would've been made without us being attached to it, but I do know that [our involvement] helped get it made. We saw the success of The Big Sick as, what can we do to put more good shit into the world? What can we do to usher in other people's stories? I'm doing a pilot with ABC now that's about the experience of being young and chronically sick, with Sarah Hyland, who has publicly struggled with kidney issues. Before the movie came out, almost nobody in my life knew I was sick. I often felt embarrassed. Now I feel much more comfortable talking about it. That's been a beautiful thing for me, personally, that I suddenly have the courage to go, "Hey, I have to get these infusions once a month." I should have had the courage to do that all along, but it took our movie for me to be able to do that. I have to ask what it's been like for you since Kumail posted his The bod? Yup. It's been very strange. I've never been with anyone who's gone through a radical body change. I mean, he looks great, but I've never been a girl who desperately needed to date a guy with an amazing body. I married a standup comedian who was like, a little scrawny, and I loved him. He gets very focused and obsessed, which is something I appreciate about him, but on a day-to-day basis I'm like, "Can you please shut the fuck up about this stuff? I cant" "I can't talk about protein anymore. [Laughing] "Please stop it." But it's like anything else [Kumail] does where he's like, "Yeah, I'm going to do it," and then he absolutely does it. He's often the comic relief in movies, and for Eternals, he was like, "If I'm going to be in a Marvel movie, I'm going to be as much of a superhero as the rest of them. I'm not just going to be comic relief." That was very important to him, and I fully get that. And he is. You should see him in this movie. Oh my goodness. He really stepped up to the task. Yeah, and I dont know what to do with it! I also don't want to compliment him too much because I don't want him to think I didn't like how he looked before. But day-to-day it doesn't mean much. He's just warmer. Physically warmer. Wait, really? Yeah, his bodys gotten warmer. Is thata thing that happens? [Whispers] I dont know! I guess so? And we had to buy new shirts because all his shirts got too small. Ive kind of gotten used to [how he looks], but every time it gets brought up again Im like, "Yeah, no, youre right, this is actually crazy." This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. You Might Also Like Representatives with Dallas, TX-based Kastl Law, P.C., announced today that the law firm is celebrating 20 years helping personal injury clients. "We consider it an honor and privilege to serve our clients for the past 20 years," said Krisi Kastl, founder and spokesperson for Kastl Law and added, The team at Kastl Law has been working with the great people of Dallas and the surrounding area, specializing in workplace injuries and accidents in transportation. Kastl Law has more than 20 years of experience in helping people in the Dallas area with their personal injury cases. The law firm is dedicated to helping people who have suffered personal injuries to get the compensation that they deserve not just to see justice served, but also to help people get the finances they need to look to the future with hope. To celebrate the 20th anniversary, the law firm is offering free evaluations of personal injury cases. "Were very excited to offer this to anyone who has suffered a personal injury, said Kastl. We welcome you with open arms and are ready to serve you with a personal injury case evaluation absolutely free. Injuries can completely change a persons life in an instant, and that often doesnt even mean just the injury, Kastl stressed, before adding, Mounting medical bills, time off from work and the need to reeducate for working in a different field can drastically alter a persons life. In those instances, people in Dallas need the help of personal injury lawyers in Dallas. Kastl Law has a long history of personal injury cases from almost every sector, including 18 wheeler truck accidents, general accidents, car accidents, brain injury, industrial accidents, catastrophic injury, slip and fall liability, and more. If you have been injured as a result of an accident, traffic accident, slip and fall, or another circumstance outside of your control, then you may be entitled to compensation and help for your issue, Kastl said. Kastl Law has experience fighting in a wide range of personal injury cases, from 18-wheeler collisions to negligence and industrial accidents. No matter your case, we can offer you legal counsel and help you seek justice. For more information, please visit kastllaw.com/accidents. About Kastl Law The team at Kastl Law has been working with the great people of Dallas and the surrounding area for over 20 years combined, specializing in workplace injuries and accidents in transportation. Whether you have been injured by an 18-wheeler or as a result of unsafe working conditions, the team here at Kastl Law is here to help. As one of the best personal injury lawyers in Dallas, we have the experience, knowledge and determination to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve, and to help you strike out into the future with confidence. Contact Details: Krisi Kastl 4144 North Central Expressway Suite 1000 Dallas, TX 75204 United States Phone: (214) 937-4424 Source: Kastl Law, P.C. Washington, D.C., Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Washington, D.C. Former United Farm Workers President Arturo S. Rodriguez urged the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis to enact legislation protecting farm workers from dying or becoming ill from extreme heat. It is similar to first-in-the-nation heat rules the UFW pushed through that has saved the lives of countless California farm workers and prevented heat illness among many more. The UFW, working with U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.)then a California state legislator convinced Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to issue the first comprehensive standards in the nation protecting California farm and other outdoor workers from the heat. The union worked with Democratic Gov. Jerry Browns administration to strengthen the rules and their enforcement in 2015. The rest of the nation has yet to find a solution to excessive heat that plagues field workers and other outside laborers. Rodriguez testified at the hearing on behalf of farm workers who are at the frontlines of heat illness. He was accompanied by Pablo Martinez, a UFW Foundation member and former farm worker who labored in the fields of Monterey County for 16 years alongside his parents, harvesting and cultivating grapes, lettuce, strawberries, broccoli, onions, garlic and tomatoes. Having toiled in California fields both before and after the heat standards existed, Martinez has personal understanding of the impact on farm workers of legislation aimed at preventing workplace fatalities. "When I was laboring with no heat standards in California around 2003 or 2004, farm workers were dying because supervisors were not equipped with training to prevent heat illness with things like water, shade, and learning how to recognize the symptoms," said Martinez. "Heat preventative standards should not only exist in California but rather be implemented through all the United States. We want to work but we deserve being treated right. I'd like people to image not only standing in extreme heat but also not having basic shade and water and clean restrooms. These are all basic standards but workers die when they're not implemented." The sight of film crews on the streets of Newark has become a familiar one. Now, an industry publication is taking notice. For the first time, MovieMaker magazine has named Newark to its list of the top places for filmmakers to live and work. Several high-profile productions have set up camp in the city over the past two years, including the Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark, due out this fall; the movie Joker, which is up for 11 Oscars on Sunday; and Steven Spielbergs West Side Story, slated for release in December. Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker," which intentionally excludes New York and Los Angeles this year, is divided into big cities and smaller cities and towns, incorporating locations in Canada. MovieMaker put Newark at No. 10 on its smaller cities and towns section of the list, just below Wilmington, North Carolina. Scenes depicting the 1967 riots being filmed on Branford Place in Newark last May for the "Sopranos" prequel film "The Many Saints of Newark," due out this fall. NJ Advance Media for NJ.com The Los Angeles-based magazine says it focused on factors including tax breaks, standard of living and specific films to make the list, gathering information through research, questionnaires and visits. Since the return of New Jerseys film tax credit program in 2018, local film officials have been buzzing about activity in the area, including big studio films and TV series for premium cable and streaming services. Last month, Gov. Phil Murphy extended the program through 2028. Newark proved to be much more than a stand-in for New York City in 2019, as it made our list for the very first time," the magazine entry says, name-checking West Side Story (which also filmed in Paterson) and The Many Saints of Newark as key films associated with the city. MovieMaker also noted that diversity is a priority in Newark. It highlighted the extra 2% film tax credit for diversity and inclusion as well as the city being home to the Newark Museum Black Film Festival. Newarks proximity to New York City is also mentioned in the list, though that goes both ways. Once, it might have made sense to live in Newark and trek into Manhattan for gigs, the magazine says. Now, you could live in New York City and head to shoots in Newark. Several productions had a direct connection to Newark within the stories themselves. In May, filmmakers staged scenes near Branford Place to depict the 1967 riots for The Many Saints of Newark." They brought armored vehicles and a large number of background actors to the city to play Newark residents, National Guardsmen and police officers. Starting last spring, the HBO limited series The Plot Against America" from David Simon, creator of The Wire transported Newark to the 1940s, resurrecting one familiar haunt: Hahnes department store. Commerce Street in Newark and the National Newark Building on Broad Street were transformed for the 1940s-set "Plot Against America" HBO series on April 15, 2019.Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com Actors, including Zoe Kazan, filmed at the National Newark Building on Broad Street. The series, premiering March 16, also stars Winona Ryder and John Turturro. The production, which filmed in Jersey City along with other North Jersey locations, is an adaptation of the 2004 Philip Roth novel set in Newark. It imagines an alternate history in which Charles Lindbergh won the presidency in 1940, spurring a rise in anti-Semitism. In October, the state Economic Development Authority approved $10.2 million in film tax credits for The Plot Against America. In June, actress Carol Kane filmed scenes in Newark for the upcoming Amazon series "Hunters," which also stars Al Pacino.Amy Kuperinsky | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com In September, Washington Street stood in for 1950s Manhattan as part of scenes filmed for Spielbergs West Side Story," which received $6.9 million in state film tax credits. The Jordan Peele-produced Amazon series Hunters," which stars Al Pacino, filmed in downtown Newark this past June. The drama, which is set in the 1970s and premieres Feb. 21, follows a group of Nazi hunters who uncover a plot to create a Fourth Reich in America. As part of the film set, the regional office of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Washington Place stood in for the Zurich International World Bank, and 70s-era cars lined the streets. Joker filmed on Newarks Market Street in October 2018. Storefronts were outfitted with signs for pornography theaters and heaps of trash bags were brought in to represent Gotham in 1980. In the movie, the city is in the middle of a garbage strike. The NEWARK marquee for the old Paramount Theatre was changed to read NEWART in the film. Newark and Jersey City both play key roles in the Todd Phillips movie, which is nominated for best picture. Joaquin Phoenix has earned raves for his performance in the controversial lead role, and is a favorite to win best actor at the Oscars Sunday. The EDA approved $2 million in film tax credits for Joker." 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. By Marafeale Mohloboli MASERU (Reuters) - The wife of Lesotho's Prime Minister Thomas Thabane appeared in court on Wednesday charged with murdering his previous wife two days before he took office in 2017. The handwritten charge sheet said Maesaiah 'did unlawfully and with intent to kill fire a gunshot at one Thabane Lipolelo and inflicted on her gunshot wounds' on that day. There were no further details and police declined to elaborate. By Marafeale Mohloboli MASERU (Reuters) - The wife of Lesotho's Prime Minister Thomas Thabane appeared in court on Wednesday charged with murdering his previous wife two days before he took office in 2017. The handwritten charge sheet said Maesaiah "did unlawfully and with intent to kill fire a gunshot at one Thabane Lipolelo and inflicted on her gunshot wounds" on that day. There were no further details and police declined to elaborate. A Reuters reporter saw Maesaiah in court before she was taken into detention for the alleged murder of Thabane's then-estranged wife Lipolelo on June 14, 2017. Thabane did not attend the hearing. Maesaiah arrived in a car sandwiched between two heavily armed police vans. Wearing a pink floral dress, she stared impassively at the magistrate as the charges were read out. Police last month issued an arrest warrant for Maesaiah, after she failed to turn up for questioning in connection with the murder and subsequently went missing. Lipolelo, then 58, and Thabane, now 80, were going through an acrimonious divorce when an unknown assailant shot her dead near her home in Lesotho's capital Maseru, two days before her husband's inauguration as prime minister. Mabane and Maesaiah married two months later. At the time the murder was believed to be a political assassination. Magistrate Nthabiseng Moopisa said the trial would start on Feb. 18. Maesaiah was granted bail. The love triangle murder case involving a new, younger wife - Maesaiah is 42 - allegedly killing a first wife has captivated citizens and triggered street protests in Lesotho, a mountain state encircled by South Africa. "We have got ample evidence that actually implicates her to the charge, and also other eight suspects," Lesotho deputy police commissioner Mokete Paseka told the South Africa Broadcasting Corporation. "We are of the view that justice has to be done." Outside the court, her sympathisers and opponents traded insults. "I think for the first time we experience the true meaning of 'all equal before the law'," said Matanki Lebeta, a 49-year-old teacher. "I wish they could deny her bail and throw away the key. She has done enough damage to this country." (Reporting by Marafaele Mohloboli; Additional reporting by Olivia Kumwenda; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Giles Elgood) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. On Tuesday, February 11, at 11.00, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency will host a press conference on the results of a sociological study on the subject: "Assessment of Taxi Services by Population in Big Cities" conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS). Participants include Director of the Institute for Socio-Economic Transformation Illia Neskhodovsky, Executive Director of the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology Natalia Kharchenko (8/5a Reitarska Street). Media accreditation by phone: (098) 1792 68. - Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi said despite Moi having many flaws and strengths alike he earned the title Baba through his strategic political schemes - The former KANU leader served as Kenya's longest head of state as he ruled the country with an iron fist from 1978 to 2002 when he retired - He died on Tuesday, February 4, after a long illness As tributes continue to pour in for the late former president Daniel arap Moi, city lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi has said he was the real Baba, dismissing Railas popular nickname. The senior counsel said the former KANU leader who ruled Kenya for a record 24 years managed to do so without the support of Kenyas two largest communities the Kikuyu and the Luo. READ ALSO: I don't want us to meet in the same heaven - Koigi Wamwere on Moi's death Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi says Daniel Moi's rule for 24 years without majority communities' support made him the father of Kenyan politics. Source: Getty Images READ ALSO: Former street boy narrates how late Mzee Moi rescued him from the streets In a tweet posted on Tuesday, February 4, hours after the former head of state passed on, Ahmednasir said despite Moi having many flaws and strengths alike he earned the title Baba through his strategic political schemes. Don't praise Moi because he is dead. Don't condemn/vilify him because he is dead. He had many flaws and some strength. He ruled Kenya for 24 years without the support of the Kikuyu and the Luo, the two largest ethnic groups in Kenya. He was the true Baba, before the little Baba emerged, he opined. Moi served as Kenya's longest head of state as he ruled the country with an iron fist from 1978 to 2002 when he retired. He previously served as Kenya's third vice president from 1967 to 1978 under the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta. Daniel Moi was accused of several human rights violations during his regime. Photo: Daily Nation. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Mbunge wa Kangema akataa kusifia Moi, asema jembe lisiitwe kijiko He came from a humble background having been born in a small village in Sacho, Baringo county. He studied at the Africa Inland Mission school before training as a teacher, working in that profession until 1955 before venturing into politics. A file photo of city lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi. Photo: Daily Nation. Source: UGC Despite being remembered for the good things such as the introduction of free milk in schools, he was accused of torturing his opponents and running down the economy through public siphoning of funds. Grand Mullah's tweet sparked a heated debate on social media with a section agreeing with him while others said Moi did not deserve such a name over his several human rights violations. Some netizens argued the lawyer simply "hated" the former prime minister. 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. Moi was a dictator - Kenyans mixed reactions on President Daniel Moi's 24-year reign | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke China's Long March-5B carrier rocket arrived at the launch site in southern China's Hainan Province Wednesday after a week of ocean and rail transport, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The rocket will take part in a joint rehearsal with the prototype of the Chinese space station's core module at the Wenchang Space Launch Center. It is scheduled to make its maiden flight and launch the prototype of China's new manned spaceship in April. The Long March-5B is a modified version of Long March-5 rocket and will be China's first 1.5-stage large carrier rocket, according to Wang Jue, chief commander of the Long March-5 rocket. The rocket is 53.7 meters long, with a diameter of five meters and a liftoff weight of 849 tonnes. It uses pollution-free propellant including liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen and kerosene. It has a carrying capacity of more than 22 tonnes in low-Earth orbit. It has the largest carrying capacity in low-Earth orbit among all Chinese rockets. SPRINGFIELD Activists rallied Wednesday in front of the Western Massachusetts office of U.S. Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, urging them to advocate for human rights and democracy in Bolivia and Venezuela. The rally was organized by the Bolivia Solidarity Committee of Western Mass, Western Mass Latin America Solidarity Coalition and other community leaders. They asked the senators to issue public statements condemning the ouster last year of Bolivian President Evo Morales and U.S. interventions there. Activists also asked the senators to recognize the toll U.S. sanctions have taken on the people of Venezuela and call to lift those sanctions, according to Hector Figarela, a member of both organizations. This rally is very important because we want our representatives in the Senate ... to denounce the sanctions, that they denounce the fascist coup that is happening in Bolivia, which is without a doubt a fascist anti-democratic coup that is also being supported and promoted by the Trump administration, he said. Figarela said U.S. sanctions against Venezuela caused more than 40,000 deaths between 2017 and 2018. This is due to the lack of medicine, the lack of food, the lack of vaccines, and sanctions are an illegal act, he said. Celina Della Croce, coordinator of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and one of the organizers of the event, said the U.S. is undermining the democratic process in the South American countries. What happened in Bolivia with the recent coup and whats happening in Venezuela is like a huge violation of both of those countries being able to exercise their rights, so the U.S. steps in and basically overthrows a democratically elected government and then slanders Bolivia and then slanders a democratically active government in Venezuela, she said. During the rally, Figarela read a letter from Warren in which she didnt condemn any U.S. sanctions, as organizations were expecting. It is unfortunate that shes not condemning the sanctions that have killed over 40,000 Venezuelans and also calling (Venezuelan President) Nicolas Maduro a tyrant, Figarela said. Nicolas Maduro was elected, he is the rightly elected leader of Venezuela. He was elected by the Venezuelan people. Juan Guaido was appointed by the Trump administration, and he has very little support in Venezuela. Guaido attended the State of the Union address Tuesday in Washington as a guest of U.S. President Donald Trump, who called the opposition leader the true and legitimate president of Venezuela. Figarela said he considers Warrens letter to be very brief and disappointing. Della Croce said Markey responded after the organizations put some public pressure on him. He publicly condemned the coup in Bolivia and the U.S. involvement in the coup, but he actually supports U.S. sanctions in Venezuela, she said. So our hope is that Sen. Markey will come out and ask for the sanction to be lifted and condemn the sanction and that Sen. Warren would respond to all of the those demands, which she has failed to do so far. Kevin Young, assistant professor of history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Figarella and Della Croce met Wednesday with Nyanna Slaughter and Everett Handford of Warrens office to reiterate their demands. Della Croce said she expects a letter from Warren by next week. The top executive of flooring retail giant Lumber Liquidators Holdings Inc. abruptly resigned from the position he has held for a little more than three years. Dennis R. Knowles resigned as president and chief executive officer and as a board member, effective Wednesday, the Henrico County-based retailer announced Thursday. The companys news release and its regulatory filings did not say why Knowles left. Knowles had led Lumber Liquidators since November 2016 and joined the company as chief operating officer in March 2016. He had served in store operations leadership roles at Lowes Cos. Inc. since 2001, most recently as chief store operations officer. I am proud of the work we have accomplished to resolve many outstanding issues for Lumber Liquidators, and want to thank the employees of Lumber Liquidators for their support and commitment, Knowles said in a statement issued by the company. Shares rose Thursday in early trading, but closed at $7.80, down 6 cents or 0.76%. To the Editor: Re A Caribbean Eden in Ruins (Travel, Jan. 26): In January 1965, John Phillips, Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot and I wandered into the exotic beauty of St. Johns Caneel Bay pitching our tents in the campsite, a gem of the Virgin Islands National Park. We lived in our bathing suits and snorkeled with the millions of fish that swam among the coral reefs. We chartered a catamaran every full moon, dipping in and out of the warm Caribbean. We cooked on the grill and drank rum out of freshly opened coconut shells. When we wanted more glamour, we hopped on our motorbikes and rode up to the Caneel Bay Plantation (now called the Caneel Bay Resort), the Rockefeller resort up the road, to indulge in more drinks and a great tropical lunch once more abusing our American Express cards. The hotel had a wonderful gift shop, where I bought my first bottle of French perfume Cabochard, the same I use today. We made bonfires on the beach at sunset, wrote love songs and sang to Johns sweet guitar. It was truly heaven on earth. Financial Times editorial comment: West Africa needs to be prudent after CFA franc JETROs 2019 survey on business conditions of Japanese-affiliated firms in Africa Following TICAD7, which concluded in August 2019, the momentum for Japanese companies to expand into the African market was expected to increase. JETRO conducted a survey of 423 Japanese affiliated companies in Africa in September and October 2019, and more than 60% of the respondents answered that the importance of Africa in their global strategy would increase. As a reason for entering the market, 80% of companies answered future market potential. There was also significant interest in new trends such as the transition to a digital economy. Kenya considered promising country for fifth consecutive year. Profiled findings: Regarding the operation forecast for 2019, the percentage of companies reporting a surplus slightly increased from the previous year (49.8%50.3%). Looked at by country, about 70% of companies in South Africa showed strong performance. This is due to the anti-corruption measures and financial soundness expected of the new Ramaphosa administration, launched in the general election in May 2019, and business expansion due to the stabilization of the political situation. Nigeria has also shown a steady increase; over half of companies reported a surplus, surpassing the previous year (47.6%50.0%). There was no major disorder brought by the presidential election in February 2019, and the re-election of President Buhari had only a limited effect on business. Meanwhile, only 20% of the companies in Cote d lvoire were profitable. This might be due to concerns about political instability associated with the presidential election scheduled for October 2020, as some companies have pointed out. The percentage of companies that reported they will expand their business in the next 1-2 years reached the majority for the past six consecutive years, and the business expansion trend has continued. Looked at by country, 80% of companies in Cote dIvoire reported business expansion. Multiple respondents reported that, despite concerns about political instability ahead of the presidential election, they are aiming to expand business to neighboring countries. In Mozambique, where rapid growth is expected due to natural gas development, the figure came to just under 70%, and in Morocco, which focuses on attracting companies through free zone development, it came to about 60%. A willingness to conduct new expansion in next-generation business development was also seen in Kenya (59.5%), Egypt (58.6%) and Nigeria (54.5%). While business momentum in Africa is growing, concerns about risks remain. In terms of management issues, preparation/implementation of legal regulations was the biggest risk. Approximately 80% of firms viewed this as a problem, indicating strong concerns about governance. However, its percentage dropped from 87.3% to 77.8% compared to the previous year. This was due mainly to reduced corruption following the transition to a new administration in South Africa (83.2%66.7%) and simplification of the online tax payment system in Morocco (79.2%64.7%). Competitors in the market have changed compared to the previous year. European companies were ranked at the top of the list as the biggest competitors, surpassing Chinese companies, which were the top competitors in the previous year. In the competition with China, the overwhelming majority of companies cited price competition as a factor, while in the competition with European companies, the existence of substantial local networks and support from their governments - including finance and tax incentives under trade agreements -were pointed out. At the same time, there are expectations for business expansion through collaboration with third-country companies. Approximately 70% of respondents cited partner network utilization as an advantage of third-country cooperation. Regarding cooperation with third-country companies, South Africa, France, India and China appear promising. As a regional base, South Africa was considered attractive because of the know-how and market networks accumulated by local companies that now have a head start in regional development. Regarding France, expectations were heard regarding the potential for cooperation in French-speaking African countries. It was suggested that Indias appeal lay not only in its excellent strategy in the African market, where there is much affinity for the country, but also in the fact that Japanese companies could launch operations in Africa utilizing their Indian bases. Regarding China, the possibility of collaboration as a supplier of goods and materials is indicated. In terms of countries worthy of notice in the future, Kenya ranked top for the fifth consecutive year. Also for the fifth year in a row, Nigeria ranked second and South Africa ranked third. Although Kenya is the seventh largest economy in the region, the robust payment system infrastructure found in the high rate of mobile money usage (66% of the population in 2018, according to the Communications Authority of Kenya) is fueling the rise of startups. By country, Kenya ranked the top startup funder in 2018. Nigeria continues to be the continents most populous country and biggest economic power, while South Africa continues to receive high marks for its economic infrastructure. Ethiopia ranked fourth on the back of hopes for the growth of the manufacturing industry through the development of industrial parks and having the lowest wages in the region, as well as reforms expected by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali (inaugurated April 2018), who won the Nobel Peace Prize 2019. The rise of services trade restrictions (OECD) There are two reasons to worry. First, new restrictions impact sectors that enable trade in digital technologies. Barriers include impediments to online payments and the imposition of local presence requirements on cross-border operations. Second, many countries have introduced measures affecting foreign investment and the temporary movement of professionals. The cumulative effect can trap competitiveness and productivity in a tractor beam and propel the cost of doing business into hyperspace. Fortunately, a band of policy-makers have been resisting the dark side. In 2019, Brazil implemented comprehensive reforms to air transport services. The European Economic Area further liberalised cargo-handling, commercial banking and insurance services. Thailand, France and Greece recorded the highest net decreases in the 2019 STRI indicators. Australia is leading the way with a government-wide services export action plan. Trade ministers and sectoral regulators must unlearn what they have learned. Impediments to services trade remain pervasive. Regulatory policies are made with limited regard for economy-wide impacts. Countries should adopt whole-of-government services strategies and bind reforms in trade agreements. [The full text of the OECD Services Trade Restrictiveness Index: Policy Trends up to 2020] Transforming paradigms: Global AI in financial services survey (WEF) A new survey released by the World Economic Forum and the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance finds nearly two-thirds of financial services leaders expect to be mass adopters of AI in just two years compared to just 16% doing so today. The Global AI in Financial Services Survey, which was produced in collaboration with EY and Invesco, looks into many areas of AI adoption in financial services. The reports other major findings include: 77% anticipate AI to have high or very high strategic importance within two years; Nearly half of all respondents see a major competitive threat in Big Tech firms leveraging AI capabilities to enter financial services; Selling AI-based solutions as a service is becoming a distinct business model, currently adopted by 45% of fintechs and 21% of incumbents, which allows firms to capitalize on larger and more diverse datasets through digital platforms. [Related: How to accelerate digital literacy in the enterprise world] US trade realignment: The impact of GSP withdrawal on Indias top exports to the United States (ORF) The benefits that India enjoyed for many years under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) programme of the United States was withdrawn, effective 5 June 2018. India was the largest beneficiary of the programme, of which it has been part since its inception in 1974. This paper evaluates the impact of the withdrawal on specific sectors of Indian exports. For comparison, the paper uses the Harmonized System Code (HS Code) Commodity Classification at the two-digit level for international trade data, as well as data from the National Industrial Classification for domestic industry. Conclusion: The analysis presented in this paper clearly suggests that there will be sizeable negative impact on Indian exports to the US due to the GSP withdrawal. It further elucidates the impact on output, exports and employment in related sectors in domestic economy. There is a definite reason to worry about the GSP withdrawal. Given the US administrations recent combative attitude in trade, the US is unlikely to reconsider its decision withdrawing Indias GSP benefits. As the GSP has always been a privilege and not a right, India has to try its best to convince the US to not go for a total withdrawal of this benefit. Per-capita income figures of India, along with many other human development indicators, indeed suggest that India is still in the bracket of developing country and it has a long way to go before achieving the status of a developed country. The foremost GSP aim of lifting the countries with relatively lower per capita income to a higher level is still very much applicable in the case of the Indian economy. Meanwhile, the Indian government should craft an elaborate plan to cushion the negative effect of the GSP withdrawal on domestic sectors. Such a plan has to consider the realistic possibility of an unrelenting United States. Finding new export markets for the worst-affected domestic sectors will be pivotal to that future plan. In an uncertain global trade scenario, finding new export markets is going to be an extremely difficult job. However, pushing the economy to the next level of growth has never been an easy task for any country. European Union: Report on the implementation of article 66.2 of the TRIPS agreement (pdf, WTO) This document is circulated in accordance with the Decision of the Council for TRIPS of 19 February 2003, according to which developed country Members shall submit annually reports on actions taken or planned in pursuance of their commitments under TRIPS Article 66.2 (incentives provided to their enterprises or institutions for the purpose of promoting and encouraging technology transfer to least developed country Members). As agreed in the Council for TRIPS, this document is a detailed report on technology transfer incentives put in place by the EU and its Members between July 2018 and August 2019. Informal working group on MSMEs: Draft ministerial recommendation on promoting MSME inclusion in regulatory development in the area of trade (pdf, WTO) The following communication, dated 4 February 2020, is being circulated at the request of the delegations of the Russian Federation and Uruguay. Recalling the Declaration on the Establishment of the WTO Informal Work Programme for MSMEs: Recognizing that regulatory changes may be particularly burdensome for MSMEs and that WTO Members could minimize potential challenges by assessing the impact of new rules on MSMEs and by providing adequate opportunity for MSMEs to comment on and adapt to new regulatory requirements; Noting the discussions by the MSME Informal Working Group of horizontal and non-discriminatory solutions in the area of regulatory practices, which are likely to yield benefits for the participation of MSMEs in international trade; Noting that principles of MSME inclusion in regulatory development have been established in a number of Members domestic jurisdictions and included in a number of regional trade agreements; Noting that WTO agreements include rules on consultations with stakeholders in the process of regulatory development but do not explicitly refer to MSMEs; Building on the implementation of Articles 1 and 2 of the Agreement on Trade Facilitation and Article X of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. We recommend that WTO Members: Quick Links: Successful conclusions to Irish trade mission to North Africa Ocean Conference (2-6 June, Lisbon) has potential to be a global game-changer Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles: FAO-Japan Blue Economy project update UNCTAD: Digitalizing the port call process The U.S. Senate yesterday voted to acquit President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial. Party leaders from both sides in Pennsylvania, though, are skeptical about how much voters in the state really cared about or paid attention to the proceedings. Locally, a new police commissioner takes over in Philly on Monday. My colleague went to Oakland, Calif., to learn how that city molded Danielle Outlaw into the person she is today. Also, a Bucks County bank robber got his prison sentence yesterday following a spree of robbing 19 banks in nine years; Vice President Mike Pence visited a West Philly school; and the Sixers face the NBAs best team tonight as they carry a three-game losing streak. Josh Rosenblat (@joshrosenblat, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) Next week, Danielle Outlaw will take over as Philadelphias police commissioner. Shell be the first black woman to lead the department, which has been rocked by racism and sexual harassment scandals. All the while, the city is trying to combat levels of gun violence not seen in years. My colleague Chris Palmer spoke to nearly a dozen of Outlaws associates and friends in Oakland, where she spent the first two decades of her career. The discussions, he writes, reveal that in the insular and testosterone-filled culture of policing, Outlaw, 43, has long approached her work with ambition, confidence, and determination. The U.S. Senate acquitted President Donald Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress yesterday. The votes ended a historic impeachment trial that split almost exactly along party lines. All but one Republican senator voted not guilty on the abuse of power account. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah was the only Republican to support Trumps removal from office, making him the first senator ever to vote to remove a president of his or her own party. When it comes to how the result of Trumps impeachment trial will impact Pennsylvania, a critical swing state for his reelection, elected officials, party activists, and voters arent certain. On the ground, I just dont hear people talking about it, said Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, a Democrat who lives in Braddock, near Pittsburgh. I think minds were made up a long time ago. Pennsylvania is the ultimate political battleground in the 2020 election. And soon, well launch an email newsletter with everything you need to know. You can sign up to get it here. Richard Boyles nine-year crime spree across the Philadelphia suburbs saw him rob 19 banks between 2007 and 2016. The Bucks County man was nicknamed the Straw Hat Bandit because of the disguise he wore a makeshift sackcloth mask and a distinctive hat. Boyle stole more than a half-million dollars, using them mostly to pay his bills for, among other things, a used car, rent, dental debts, and his daughters tuition at Temple. The story goes that when Boyle was deep in his 40s, he read a newspaper article about a bank heist and thought he could do better, his former lawyer said. The 60-year-old was in court yesterday to receive his sentence. You are no Jean Valjean, sir, said U.S. District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter, referring to the Les Miserables protagonist who was sentenced to 19 years of hard labor for stealing bread to feed his family. You had enough skills that you did not have to steal to make money. Pratter sentenced Boyle to 71 years in prison. What you need to know today Through your eyes | #OurPhilly This pic has us thinking of sunshine and spring, @laphillyphoto! 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 His rationale for his vote to acquit is cut from the same self-serving cloth. The senator makes sweeping conclusions about the presidents other possible motives for withholding aid as witnesses with direct knowledge of such facts sit muzzled on the sidelines. writes Thomas Harper, a military officer and attorney from the Lehigh Valley, about Sen. Pat Toomeys impeachment votes. The Inquirer Editorial Board writes that everyone should relax about what happened with the results of the Iowa caucuses. Its important, the board writes, to find a happy medium between being vigilant about our systems and panicking unnecessarily. Is it time for Philly to have rent control? Folks on both sides of the debate write about the issue for The Inquirer. What were reading Hidden City explores the history of South Street, looking closely at the legacy of architect and photographer Denise Scott Brown. SB Nation has a story about Elinor Kaine Penna, a pioneer in pro football writing, a field where women werent welcome. Around 1694, a ship wrecked near the foot of a mountain in Oregon. And for hundreds of years, there were rumors of treasure. No one found anything until one woman began digging, according to a story in the Atavist. Your Daily Dose of | Things to do Looking for things to do this weekend and next week? Weve got you covered with previews of the Philadelphia Auto Show, an Oscars party, and, a pop-up love letter writing desk. If you want to get these recommendations straight to your inbox every week, you can sign up for our free email newsletter. With most of the trees and brush gone, the volunteers are able to spread seeds they collected from other areas that will grow into prairie plants. Its best to do this in cold weather, with the ground frozen, experts say. Ross said crews still have to remove about 4 to 5 acres of trees and brush from Somme Prairie. When the project is complete, most trees will be gone, except for some along the boundaries. Robin Jerstad/For the Express-Ne In the Republican primary for Place 3 on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, voters should easily choose the incumbent, Judge Bert Richardson of San Antonio. Richardson is a former prosecutor and a deeply experienced judge, having served 10 years as an elected district judge, and then, after a Democratic sweep put him off the bench, as a visiting district judge - a post in which he had to earn the confidence of lawyers and the presiding judge in each of the districts he served. He was elected to his current bench in 2014 and has been a thoughtful member of Criminal Court of Appeal, showing a toughness on politically sensitive cases and wisdom when it comes to death penalty rulings. Firefighters across Wales could support NHS services as part of new Welsh Government vision This article is old - Published: Thursday, Feb 6th, 2020 Firefighters across Wales could be given a wider role in keeping people safe as part of new proposals unveiled by the Welsh Government today. Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government, Hannah Blythyn, says there is a clear potential for the three fire services across Wales to make a real contribution to supporting the NHS. This could be by responding to medical emergencies or helping to prevent accidents. The future vision comes as the Welsh Government say that firefighters in Wales have been so successful in reducing both the incidence and severity of fire, that the service has become increasingly under-occupied in many parts of Wales. As a result the Welsh Government state that many rural fire stations now respond to only a handful of fires a month. This is making it difficult to recruit and retain the on-call firefighters on which most of Wales relies, and risks jeopardising the sustainability of the Service in rural areas. In a statement Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government, Hannah Blythyn said: I would like to thank our Fire and Rescue Services in Wales for their continued success in reducing both the incidence and severity of fire. I have little doubt that this success is partly due to the great emphasis that the Fire Service places on preventing fire and improving awareness of fire risks. Firefighters are highly trained to deal with a wide range of incidents besides fires, and have the expertise and respect to raise awareness of and prevent non-fire threats too. There is clear potential for the service to make a real contribution to supporting the NHS in particular, whether in terms of responding to medical emergencies or helping to prevent accidents like falls at home; and clear evidence that this can secure better outcomes and significant savings. There are many impressive examples of this happening, but they are often small-scale and piecemeal. I believe we need to go further, and to do so more consistently and strategically. I want to see a Fire and Rescue Service which deals with a range of threats to peoples health and safety, both in terms of prevention and emergency response, complementing not duplicating the work of other professionals. Only by doing so can we maximise the Services public value and secure a sustainable future for it. There is real potential to capitalise on the success the Service has already achieved and to maximise its value to the people of Wales. A further announcement is expected in the near future, however it is acknowledged that such a vision would require an agreement on firefighters pay and conditions which fairly reflects a broader role. It is also noted that there needs to be a robust and strategic agreement between the Fire Service, the NHS and other partners, so that the formers resources can be deployed where they are most needed. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has commended the Nigeria Police Force for its renewed zeal in fighting criminals, bandits, and kidnappers in Kaduna State. The CAN chairman in Kaduna State, John Hayab, gave the commendation in a statement issued on Thursday in Kaduna. Mr Hayab urged security operatives to keep the momentum until the state and country were freed from criminals. According to him, residents of Kaduna State have suffered untold hardship in the hands of bandits and evil men in recent years. As a result of increase in banditry, many have been chased away from their homes and villages. The sad story is that bandits have kidnapped, killed and collected huge ransoms from victims for years. READ ALSO: When such evil was going on, we cried to the government and security agencies to carry out their Constitutional duties but it seemed the cries fell on deaf ears. However, the news that security men went after bandits in Birnin-Gwari forest and killed many of them on Wednesday brought back hope and the expectations that good and peaceful days may be returning to our dear state and country. Kaduna State chapter of CAN, therefore, commends the Inspector General of Police (I-G) and all the team for doing what law-abiding citizens expected them to do. Even though this effort may be coming late but it is better late than never. Therefore, we celebrate this feat and encourage the police to keep the momentum until every criminal and all their hideouts are cleared for citizens to have (a) new lease of life, he said. The CAN chairman appealed to Nigerians to continue to pray for security agencies and also to render any form of support needed to win the war against enemies of the State. We pray for a quick recovery for those who sustained injuries in the course of the operation. Their sacrifices are appreciated and duly acknowledged, Mr Hayab said. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that police operatives on Wednesday went after suspected bandits in Birnin-Gwari forest. (NAN) Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi glammed up to open the amfAR New York Gala at Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan on Wednesday night. The eight-time Emmy nominee easily defied her 49 years in a curve-hugging white sleeveless Ralph Rucci gown selected by stylist Adam Ballheim. Hairstylist Jeanie Syfu coiffed Padma's perky ponytail for the black-tie AIDS benefit. Babe! Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi glammed up to open the amfAR New York Gala at Cipriani Wall Street in Manhattan on Wednesday night Side view: The eight-time Emmy nominee easily defied her 49 years in a curve-hugging white sleeveless Ralph Rucci gown selected by stylist Adam Ballheim Make-up artist William Scott applied Lakshmi's (born Vaidynathan) Make Up Forever 'Caffeine-colored' lipstick. Before leaving her New York City home, the outspoken New Dehli-born presenter had carefully checked her daisy-shaped pasties to make sure her substantial assets looked their best. Padma - who boasts 1.4M social media followers - admitted via Instastory: 'I have very gregarious nipples. They come out at the drop of the hat!' Charitable: Hairstylist Jeanie Syfu coiffed Padma's perky ponytail for the black-tie AIDS benefit Ready for her close-up! Make-up artist William Scott applied Lakshmi's (born Vaidynathan) Make Up Forever 'Caffeine-colored' lipstick Outspoken: Before leaving her New York City home, the New Dehli-born presenter carefully checked her daisy-shaped pasties to make sure her substantial assets looked their best Padma - who boasts 1.4M social media followers - admitted via Instastory: 'I have very gregarious nipples. They come out at the drop of the hat!' Once seated, Lakshmi had fun rating the bizarre pasta dish served at the awards ceremony with AGT: The Champions judge Heidi Klum. The famous foodie told the German 46-year-old: 'It's moderately yummy - not that yummy, but pretty yummy for a gala like this.' Padma - who confessed 'the pressure is on' - later took to the podium to introduce Vogue editor Anna Wintour, whom she used to freelance for. Hey girl! Once seated, Lakshmi had fun rating the bizarre pasta dish served at the awards ceremony with AGT: The Champions judge Heidi Klum (R) The famous foodie told the German 46-year-old: 'It's moderately yummy - not that yummy, but pretty yummy for a gala like this' 'The pressure is on!' Padma later took to the podium to introduce Vogue editor Anna Wintour, whom she used to freelance for On February 20, Lakshmi and her babydaddy venture capitalist Adam Dell will likely reunite to celebrate their daughter Krishna Thea's 10th birthday. The Colin Kaepernick supporter will next host the 17th season of cooking competition Top Chef: All-Stars L.A., which premieres March 19 on Bravo. '#littlehands': On February 20, Lakshmi and her babydaddy venture capitalist Adam Dell will likely reunite to celebrate their daughter Krishna Thea's 10th birthday (pictured January 28) BOSTON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Moving forward with its commitment to build a net-zero carbon world, Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, announces its membership with The Climate Group's EV100 initiative to launch a Green Fleet policy which aims to replace 100% of its car fleet with electric vehicles by 2030. The announcement coincides with the launch of the 2020 Progress and Insights Annual Report which is released today, which shows demand for electric vehicles is on the up and that organizations are progressing fast towards their goals where models are available. The future of mobility is electric: demonstrating that a rapid shift is within reach According to IPCC's special report, global CO 2 emissions need to be cut by 45% by 2030 to limit climate change to 1.5C globally. Electric mobility is key to achieving this future, coupled with decarbonization, decentralization and digitization of energy. However, adoption of electric mobility is slower than needed. With this commitment Schneider Electric wishes to demonstrate that a rapid shift is achievable, while securing driver comfort and costs. By 2030, Schneider Electric will convert 14,000 company cars in over 50 countries to EV. Schneider Electric will also install EV charging infrastructure in its major offices and factories by 2030, with flagship sites showcasing innovative EcoStruxure e-mobility architecture with microgrid technologies, asset management and new energy management systems. EV100 is a fantastic lever to achieve net-zero CO2 operations by 2030 In 2019, Schneider Electric accelerated its climate strategy, with notably the objective to achieve carbon neutrality in its own ecosystem by 2025 and net-zero emissions by 2030 as part of its validated 1.5C SBT (science-based climate target). By Joining EV100 initiative, led by The Climate Group and bringing together influential businesses, Schneider Electric has committed to accelerate climate action. Transitioning to an electric fleet will enable the Group to bring down direct CO 2 emissions from company cars to zero by 2030. "At Schneider Electric, we committed to net zero operational carbon emissions by 2030, in line with a 1.5C science-based climate trajectory. Joining the EV100 initiative is a key step to deliver this ambition. Such a transformation allows us to embark thousands of our employees, customers, start-ups, together into a variety of innovations. We believe electricity is the future of mobility and we want to demonstrate that a rapid scale-up of EVs can be reached in 10 years. Schneider EcoStruxure's unique end-to-end approach to eMobility infrastructure delivers comprehensive, seamless, scalable and cybersecure EV charging marketplace solutions for fleets and public places.", says Leonid Mukhamedov, Executive Vice-President, Global Strategy at Schneider Electric. Schneider Electric is a triple joiner of the Climate Group's EP100, RE100 and EV100 initiatives, which are complementary transformations to cut emissions from operations to zero by 2030, in line with a 1.5C climate trajectory. In 2017 Schneider Electric partnered with: EP100 initiative: to double energy productivity by 2030, against a 2005 baseline, setting an ambitious target to double the economic output from every unit of energy consumed; to double energy productivity by 2030, against a 2005 baseline, setting an ambitious target to double the economic output from every unit of energy consumed; RE100 initiative: to use 100% renewable electricity by 2030 with an intermediary objective of 80% by 2020. Progress are reported in the Schneider Sustainability Impact (SSI). "Global companies have an important role to play in accelerating the energy transition. By joining EP100 and RE100 and putting smart energy use at the heart of its business strategy, Schneider Electric is already leading by example, said Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group. "We are excited that Schneider Electric are now also joining EV100, making them one of hopefully many more companies to make all three commitments, demonstrating that cleaner, smarter energy and transport go hand in hand". eMobility is not a new concept but a reality for many employees in Schneider Electric With its charging solutions developed since a few years and available on many sites across the world, Schneider Electric employees have been early-adopters of electric mobility. For instance, in Germany, Schneider Electric has helped transform the EUREF Campus into a showcase for low-CO 2 energy and mobility, enabling to meet Germany's FUTURE 2050 carbon-free target 30 years ahead of time. Schneider Electric's employees working at EUREF campus are part of 150 companies and research facilities who benefit from this future-ready infrastructure. In Schneider Electric, several countries such as Norway have already taken the plunge and started to offer their employees to use electric vehicles for their professional needs. This transformation, that will be conducted in over 50 countries in the coming 10 years, will obviously change the habits for many new employees. "Schneider Electric efforts to reduce our impact on the planet is also part of our employees' DNA. I see a high involvement and willingness for our employees to contribute to a more sustainable future." says Henrik Holck-Clausen, Human Resources Vice President in Norway. EcoStruxure for eMobility: Innovative technologies will shape the future of electric mobility To accelerate the worldwide adoption of EVs as a sustainable mobility form, Schneider Electric has launched EcoStruxure for eMobility, the world's only end-to-end EV charging infrastructure. EcoStruxure for eMobility stands out in that it covers the entire EV charging value chain, from audit and consulting, to grid and microgrid management, and smart charging stations: Consulting services to help customers strategize, plan, design, install and maintain smart EV charging systems that are safe, reliable and efficient. to help customers strategize, plan, design, install and maintain smart EV charging systems that are safe, reliable and efficient. Energy and Microgrid Management to optimize the energy consumption of EV charging units thanks to software that increases the efficiency of usage and cost by forecasting the optimum time to consume, produce, store or sell energy. to optimize the energy consumption of EV charging units thanks to software that increases the efficiency of usage and cost by forecasting the optimum time to consume, produce, store or sell energy. Built-in Battery Storage that optimizes grid use and allows for a better management of renewable energy. that optimizes grid use and allows for a better management of renewable energy. IIoT Predictive Maintenance and Operations Management , combined with data analytics, that minimize OpEx and help eliminate downtime. , combined with data analytics, that minimize OpEx and help eliminate downtime. EVlink Charging Stations offer an easy user-experience and can be deployed at scale. To learn more, visit our Automotive and Mobility Solutions web site. Investing Partnering & with E-Mobility Start-ups to Accelerate Global Transition to EV In addition to transitioning our own vehicle fleet to electric, Schneider Electric also helps companies transition to electric fleets by investing and partnering with start-ups such as eIQ Mobility who is focused on fleet electrification consulting services and software, and DST that offers electric fleet logistics as a service and has over 16,000 electric vehicles. Schneider Electric is an investor and partner of Volta, whose innovative business model enables free EV charging for real estate owners and drivers in exchange for advertising. About EV100 EV100 is a global initiative by The Climate Group bringing together forward-looking companies committed to accelerating the transition to electric vehicles (EVs), to make electric transport 'the new normal' by 2030. Electric transport offers a major solution to climate change, as well as curbing air and noise pollution. Businesses can lead through their investment decisions and influence on millions of staff and customers worldwide. By joining EV100 they increase demand, drive mass roll-out, and make electric cars more rapidly affordable for everyone. In driving corporate EV uptake, The Climate Group works closely with regional engagement partners Ceres and Japan Climate Leaders Partnership. Visit: TheClimateGroup.org/EV100 About The Climate Group The Climate Group's mission is to accelerate climate action to achieve a world of no more than 1.5C of global warming and greater prosperity for all. We do this by bringing together powerful networks of business and governments that shift global markets and policies. We focus on the greatest global opportunities for change, take innovation and solutions to scale, and build ambition and pace. We are an international non-profit organization, founded in 2004, with offices in London, New Delhi and New York. We are proud to be part of the We Mean Business coalition. Visit TheClimateGroup.org and follow us on Twitter @ClimateGroup and Facebook @TheClimateGroup . About Schneider Electric At Schneider, we believe access to energy and digital is a basic human right. We empower all to make the most of their energy and resources, ensuring Life Is On everywhere, for everyone, at every moment. We provide energy and automation digital solutions for efficiency and sustainability. We combine world-leading energy technologies, real-time automation, software and services into integrated solutions for Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries. We are committed to unleash the infinite possibilities of an open, global, innovative community that is passionate about our Meaningful Purpose, Inclusive and Empowered values. www.se.com Discover Life Is On Follow us on: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Google+ YouTube Instagram Blog Hashtags: #LifeIsOn #EcoStruxure #ClimateGroup #EV100 #NewElectricWorld #RE100 #EP100 #EV100 #ClimateAction #ClimateChange #ClimateEmergency SOURCE Schneider Electric USA, Inc. In the costal provinces of Lattakia and Tartous, women are taking the place of men who have been killed or are fighting on the front lines for the regime writes Brocar Press. Streets empty of men and government departments where women work all positions, from cleaning up to the administrationas well as women getting involved in work that had been exclusive to men in Syrian society: This has become the normal state of things in the cities of Lattakia and Tartous, which have lost most of their men fighting alongside regime forces since the first day of the repression of the protests and protesters, given its popular base in these cities and the sectarian affiliation. This transformation has made the cities of the coast into cities where women bear all the responsibilities and are forced to work long hours and in professions that do not accord with their physical structure and which are not allowed by traditions and customs. The most prominent of these is the transformation of women into bus and taxi drivers, as well as working in factories and in hard labor where young men had been employed. Women are bearing the burdens of life given the absence of men in their lives because of the increasing rates of dead and wounded and those men who remain on the front lines and in the military sector, far from family and home, as well as the migration of those who reject all thisor their arrest. Most of these men have children and their mothers must work in any profession they can to secure their needs. Heba Hassan, a young woman who works in a shoe factory in Lattakia, told Brocar Press that women are obligated to work in any profession that secures them an income, even if it is only a little compared with the situation and the high prices, and regardless whether this is hard labor, because they do not have alternatives or choices. Although most men have been sent to war by the regime, they have not compensated the women or children and not allowed their families anything but a few issues like getting a license to open commercial stands and work there, which has made it normal to see women working stands and selling in the streets. She added: There are women working in car maintenance, as mechanics, and others working in workshops to repair power and water lines. There have also been institutions opened to train women in occupations they were not accustomed to before the war, with encouragement by the regime in the cities of the coast so that the absence of men does not leave a vacuum in service sectors or government agencies which had depended on men. Some women work more than one job per day to collect enough income for their family, in addition to the duties that they cover at home. Some also work in hard labor professions, such as working in construction, stone quarries, and at sea, and other work, which impacts their psychological and physical condition. 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. European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager talks to the media during a news conference on the concurrence case with Google online search advertising on March 20, 2019 in Brussels, Belgium. Four EU nations are pressuring the region's competition authorities to relax merger rules so European firms are better equipped to fight Chinese and U.S. competitors. Exactly one year ago, the European Commission, which oversees competition rules in the 27-member bloc, denied a merger between Alstom and Siemens. The French and German companies said their project would have created a European rail champion with revenues of about 15 billion euros ($16.5 billion). However, in the eyes of the Commission the project had "serious competition concerns." Since then, some EU countries have called for changes to allow more consolidation, which could in turn help companies on the global stage. "The nature of global competition has changed. European companies now have to compete with foreign companies that sometimes benefit from substantial state support or from protected domestic markets, in some instances to a very high degree," the economy ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Poland said in a letter to the EU's competition chief dated Tuesday. "We therefore call on the Commission to propose a revised version of the guidelines of merger control," the ministers said in the letter, seen by CNBC. A spokesperson for the European Commission told CNBC Thursday: "We confirm receipt of the letter and we will take into account all contributions to the ongoing debate." Margrethe Vestager, who leads the EU's competition portfolio, said in December that a review of antitrust rules and agreements between competitors had already began. She also said that another review on defining the EU's market would begin. This is set to look at the boundaries of the EU market, which at the moment assesses harmful competition on European consumers. MADISON A persistent backlog of commercial building permits at the state Department of Safety and Professional Services has prompted the states construction industry and agency leadership to explore solutions to the problem. For the past several years, the number of plans being reviewed by agency staff has slipped, while the time it takes to conduct these reviews has been rising. John Schulze, director of legal and government affairs for Associated Builders and Contractors, says members have been raising concerns about the process, which he says just hasnt been working. He told WisBusiness.com that blame has been leveled by Republican lawmakers at Secretary Dawn Crim, who was appointed to the position by Gov. Tony Evers in January 2019. But he noted the problem predates her tenure with the agency. I give her credit that shes tried to address it systemically, rather than just throwing overtime at it, he said. In a recent interview, Crim said the agency has been working to determine flaws in the plan review process and fix them. Weve identified some process improvements that were implementing now, she said. I believe they will make a difference for our customers and our staff. During the Gov. Scott Walker administration, Schulze explained that the states construction industry began to rebound from the economic downturn of 2008. As building proposals began to pile up, he said Walkers office tried to solve the problem with more overtime hours. The number of plans being reviewed by agency staff had largely increased between 2011 and 2017 before falling again in 2018 and 2019. In 2011, 6,441 plans were reviewed and by 2017, that number had grown to 8,845. But that number fell to 8,103 in 2018 and 7,408 in 2019. But at the same time, the agency has recently been taking longer to complete reviews, going from 22 days in the first quarter of 2017 to 38 days in the first quarter of 2018, under the previous administration. Under Crims tenure, the average review time has fluctuated from 43 days in the first quarter of 2019, down to 35 days in the second quarter, and back up to 46 days in the third quarter. Plus, over the past 10 years, agency staffing has been trimmed by a third. Professionals who can perform these reviews are tough to find and tough to keep, Schulze said, and the backlog has been getting worse in recent years. He argued that hiring more people wont work, and said both the Walker and Evers administrations have had difficulty filling vacancies for reviewers. The agency employs 18 full-time employees who perform the building plan reviews. DSPS currently has one vacancy for the position of section chief. In the agencys most recent budget request, Crim said she requested 20 positions and was allotted six, three of which are in the industry services area. She said those positions have been incorporated but it hasnt been enough to address the backlog across the agency. DSPS also requested additional staffing last year from the Legislatures Joint Committee on Finance, but the committees co-chairs instead directed the administration to use existing position authority to hire new staffers. The trouble has been, were trying to solve systemic issues with overtime and [limited-time employees], and what were finding is those are not adequate solutions, she said. We really do need the staffing. The Capitol Report is written by editorial staff at WisPolitics.com, a nonpartisan, Madison-based news service that specializes in coverage of government and politics, and is distributed for publication by members of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 12:33 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062e83ee 1 Art & Culture Museum-MACAN,Museum,exhibition,Melati-Suryodarmo,Julian-Rosefeldt Free Jakartas Museum MACAN has launched its 2020 exhibition program in a bid to strengthen contemporary art in Indonesia. The program, featuring works by leading artists from Indonesia and Germany, Melati Suryodarmo and Julian Rosefelt, from Feb. 28 to May 31 will allow audiences to appreciate and discuss new forms of contemporary art. Melati's Why Let the Chicken Run? and Rosefeldts Manifesto will highlight the importance of video and performance as specially trained artists perform daily during the 13-week exhibition; depicting for their audiences a different element of each artist's practice. Performance art and video art are cornerstones of contemporary art practice, and we are proud to present these two important and influential artists to Indonesian audiences," Museum MACAN director Aaron Seeto said in a statement received by The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. Aaron also said the museum hoped that developing and presenting ideas from globally relevant artists would allow audiences to appreciate new forms of practice and plug into worldwide conversations about contemporary art. Indonesia-based artist Melati will perform some of her best-known pieces in her first solo exhibition in a museum. Why let the Chicken Run? will showcase 20 years of her work, including some of the artist's most physically challenging work. Performance art has become an important part of contemporary art. Im proud to be part of the bigger conversation around performance art and its role within todays society, she said. Also launching and making its Indonesian premiere is Rosefeldts Manifesto, a 13-screen multimedia installation featuring Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett. In order to amplify the pieces relevance for Indonesian audiences, MACAN has introduced an interactive education program, allowing visitors to create their own manifesto. (mad/kes) A newborn baby has become the youngest person so far to be diagnosed with coronavirus. According to the Global Times newspaper, the baby in Wuhan, China, has been diagnosed with the infection just 30 hours after bring born. The youngster is said to be in a stable condition and is being constantly monitored. Currently only a small number of children have been diagnosed with the virus, which has so far resulted in 563 deaths. A customer sleeps while waiting for a store selling face masks to open in Hong Kong over coronavirus fears (Getty) The diagnosis in the coronavirus epicentre has led medical experts to suggest the virus can somehow be transmitted between mother and baby. Zeng Lingkong, chief physician of Wuhan Children Hospital's neonatal medicine department, told Reuters: "This reminds us to pay attention to mother-to-child being a possible route of coronavirus transmission. However, Stephen Morse, an epidemiologist at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University in the US, told Business Insider that it was quite possible that the baby picked it up very conventionally by inhaling the virus from its mothers coughs. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Coronavirus: Which countries have citizens infected by the disease? Chinese doctor silenced by police over outbreak warning diagnosed with coronavirus The shunned: People from virus-hit city tracked, quarantined Meanwhile, hospitals in the UK have been told to create "priority assessment pods" for people with suspected coronavirus to keep them away from other patients. A letter from Professor Keith Willett, NHS strategic incident director for coronavirus, said plans were needed to avoid a "surge in emergency departments due to coronavirus. Patients who think they have symptoms will be directed to a pod away from A&E, from where they can call specialist NHS 111 teams on a dedicated phone. A woman passes by a poster about precautions against a new coronavirus at a subway station in Seoul, South Korea (AP) Workers wearing protective gears spray disinfectant as a precaution against a new coronavirus at a theater in Seoul, South Korea (AP) An assessment will be made by NHS 111 and A&E staff told of the patient's location if further testing is deemed necessary. The idea is to keep people isolated and away from other patients until an assessment is made. Story continues The letter, revealed by The Independent, says the pods will then need to be decontaminated each time they are used. It warns that emergency departments must prepare for a bigger influx of patients. People wear masks on a downtown street corner in Hong Kong (AP) People queue at a pharmacy to buy face masks at Siam square in Thailand following the coronavirus outbreak (PA) The letter also reportedly instructs all chief executives and medical directors to have the pods up and running no later than Friday. An NHS spokesperson said: "Anyone returning from Hubei province in the last 14 days should stay indoors, avoid contact with other people and call NHS 111 whether or not they are showing symptoms. "Anyone with a cough, fever, or shortness of breath who attends hospital and has recently returned from China, will be advised to follow signs to NHS 111 pods and call for advice, so they stay isolated from other patients and avoid causing unnecessary pressure in A&E." NEW YORK, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Goodnation , the first online philanthropic platform and advisory service using values to match donors with top-performing charities creating real impact, announced it has created the Jewish Philanthropy Project in partnership the Jewish Communal Fund (JCF) and the Jewish Funders Network (JFN). JCF, a donor-advised fund and JFN, a membership organization made up of individual donors and foundations, share a common mission to provide innovative resources to donors looking to give with greater purpose and discover additional high-performing charities in their areas of interest. There are 1.5 million charities in the U.S, and donors are faced with a sea of choices to know which of those charities are making the greatest impact. Major Jewish foundations invest heavily in research and due diligence before grant making, and Goodnation looks to this information when recommending charities for donors to support. The Jewish Philanthropy Project helps donors interested in giving through a Jewish lens identify their core values, philanthropic goals and cause areas they want to make an impact on, formalizing a philanthropic process to capture the benefits of many of the best practices used by larger foundations. There are so many important issues to support and we want to make sure members can find what's meaningful to them, said Rob Hansen, founder and president, Goodnation. Goodnation believes in the power of engaged philanthropy and the importance of measurable impact and we are here to help donors, not only through the Jewish Philanthropy Project, but all donors, think about their giving and make it more meaningful and more impactful. Goodnation vets and verifies top-performing charities in more than 30 cause areas and takes a values-based approach to match donors with the charities that create real impact, making it easy to decide where to direct their giving. At JCF we distinguish ourselves from other donor-advised funds by offering vital information on charitable giving to empower our fundholders to achieve their philanthropic goals, said Susan Dickman, CEO. Our goal is to provide state-of-the-art tools like Goodnations platform and advisory services for our fundholders to be more effective in their charitable giving. Goodnations evidence-based approach and sophisticated technology enables our fund holders to find high quality Jewish and non-sectarian charities aligned with their core values that they may not have heard of without this tool. Interested donors complete a giving survey related to their giving preferences which will help Goodnation recommend a suggested list of high-performing charities that reflects their core values. With the help of a personal Goodnation philanthropy advisor, donors can tweak their giving portfolio and their selected charities through the Goodnation platform or their donor-advised fund. Donors can also engage with those charities through volunteerism and site visits, all the way up to board service. Our goal is for every single donor to find what is most meaningful to them. Goodnation provides technology with a human side to develop and implement donors personalized philanthropic goals, said Hansen. Giving is a relationship. If you are just beginning your philanthropic journey, or a need has come to your attention and you want to act, we have hundreds of charities to choose from, and that continues to grow everyday. Donors can discover more than 150 high-performing Jewish charities from Jewish day schools, Jewish summer camps, Jewish arts and culture, to fighting antisemitism, Israel education and advocacy by visiting The Jewish Philanthropy Project or to learn more about Goodnation visit www.goodnation.io . About Goodnation Goodnation was founded in 2018 by Rob Hansen who, after 20 years working in fundraising for nonprofits, set out to fill a void he saw all too often. Goodnations mission is to modernize philanthropy, better serve donors and collectively create an impact on our country's and communities toughest challenges. Through the technology platform, in-depth research and personal Philanthropy Advisor service, Goodnation works with major donors to define their core values and interests and connect them with high-performing nonprofits across more than 30 cause areas that are making a meaningful impact. Learn more at www.goodnation.io. About Jewish Communal Fund Jewish Communal Fund is one of the largest networks of Jewish funders, managing $2 billion in charitable assets for 4,000 donor advised funds . JCF's donor advised funds make giving easy, flexible and efficient. Learn more about JCF by visiting www.jcfny.org or calling 212-752-8277. Visit JCF on LinkedIn , Facebook , and Twitter . Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 17:48:31|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Chinese technology companies are supporting the country's fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak, with the help of cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI). The Damo Academy, the scientific research arm of e-commerce giant Alibaba, has helped the provincial center for disease control and prevention (CDC) of Zhejiang in eastern China develop an automated genome-wide detection and analysis platform. With AI diagnosis technology, the platform can shorten the gene analysis time for a suspect case from several hours to half an hour. Based on the computing power of Aliyun, Alibaba's cloud computing branch, the platform will also cover as many confirmed cases as possible in the near future, which will contribute to the vaccine and drug research and development, said Sun Yi from the provincial CDC. After learning abundant coronavirus-related knowledge prepared by medical professionals, a computer system developed by the Damo Academy is helping answer people's questions about the epidemic via an app that offers government services of Zhejiang. As more Chinese provinces and cities have lengthened the Spring Festival holiday and postponed the resumption of business to curb the human-to-human transmission of the virus, working at home has become a new trend for companies and institutions across the country. Alibaba has announced that the full line of services of a home office system, developed by its mobile office tool DingTalk, will be offered free to 10 million enterprises. Nearly 200 million people working from home used DingTalk on Monday, the first day back to work after the Chinese government prolonged the Spring Festival holiday until Feb. 2. Tencent, another Chinese tech giant, provided free service for real-time audio and video communication to allow 300 people to attend an online conference at one time. It has also helped to build online classrooms and smart campuses for students in Wuhan, the center of the novel coronavirus outbreak, with free cloud resources. Peng Yifan, a teacher from a Wuhan middle school, is now able to give lectures to his students through a live broadcast software developed by Tencent. The students could stay at home while watching the live broadcast, Peng said. Chinese Internet giant Baidu developed an online platform in only six days for the Beijing branch of the Chinese Medical Association to provide citizens with consulting services about the new virus. The platform, with a connection of over 1,000 doctors from the respiratory and infection departments of Beijing's hospitals, adopts 5G, AI, video communication and telemedicine technologies, enabling the doctors to answer questions through live videos and online messages. The doctors are arranged in a smart schedule so that they can provide consulting services 24 hours a day. Patients can make a registration appointment and pay medical expenses online through the platform. AI fever screening systems have been deployed in some busy pedestrian areas in Beijing to provide non-contact and efficient temperature inspection for novel coronavirus control during the upcoming post-holiday travel peak. AI company Megvii, the system developer, said its engineers have optimized the system for better recognition of people wearing masks and hats with a margin of error within 0.3 degrees Celsius. The system also supports non-contact remote temperature screening of more than 3 meters. Once a passenger is suspected of having a fever, the system will automatically alert staff members. Person re-identification (ReID), a technology to identify and track a person of interest from group images, enables staff members to quickly locate the passenger for further tests. Megvii researchers said the system can send fever alerts for up to 15 people per second, and one system can cover 16 lanes, basically covering one subway entrance. Meanwhile, only one staff member is needed to work onsite, reducing the risk of infection among frontline staff. BOISE Alaska Airlines plans to begin offering daily service between Boise and Everett, Washington, beginning Thursday, June 18. The flights will leave Boise at 7 a.m. Mountain time and arrive at Everetts Paine Field at 7:45 a.m. Pacific time. The return flight leaves Everett at 7:10 p.m. and arrives in Boise at 9:40 p.m. The cheapest Saver tickets to and from Everett will cost $104. The Boise Airport is excited Alaska Airlines has decided to expand their network in Boise, Airport Director Rebecca Hupp said in a statement. Seattle is our busiest market for air travel, and with the addition of Everett it gives our passengers the opportunity to get to their final destination even quicker. Paine Field, south of Everett, is 37 miles north of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Idaho passengers traveling to cities north of Seattle may find it more convenient to fly to Everett, Boise Airport spokesman Sean Briggs said by phone. We believe this route will become popular, more easily connecting family and friends, workers and businesses, David Besse, Alaskas manager of network planning, said in a news release. To accommodate the Boise flights, Alaska will reduce its daily departures from Everett to Portland from three to two. Before now, Boise passengers seeking to fly to Everett have had to go to Portland and then to Everett. In March, Alaska will also begin offering service to Los Angeles with two flights daily, and it will add an additional daily flight to San Diego. On July 6, Delta Air Lines will begin a daily flight to Atlanta. That flight, which has been in the works for years, will be the farthest east a direct flight goes from Boise. (Previously, Boiseans could only catch a direct flight as far east as Chicago.) This year, Southwest Airlines will add additional weekday flights to San Diego, San Jose and Sacramento, the Boise Airport has said. Southwest will also add an additional flight to Phoenix on Saturdays and Sundays. Alaska began flying out of Everett last March. It offers 18 daily flights to 10 destinations, including Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Spokane, Las Vegas and Phoenix. In that time, Everett has become a popular, convenient option for many travelers, especially those who live north of Seattle, Alaska Airlines spokesman Ray Lane said in an email. More than 680,000 passengers have flown on Alaska flights to and from Everett since the service began, Lane said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Is there anything as much fun as playing 'spot the eco-hypocrite'? The more glamorous they are, the more enjoyable it is. And we've had rich pickings this past few months as the Greta-fuelled environmental wave gathered momentum. While they may no longer be technically royalty, Harry and Meghan are the honorary king and queen of this brigade, pontificating piously in the September issue of 'Vogue' about limiting the number of children they will have in order to save the planet. Unfortunately, their good intentions were instantly undermined by their much-publicised new living arrangements, which have so far involved copious amounts of jetting back and forth across the Atlantic, trailing tonnes of carbon in their wake. Back in August, some of our most glamorous concerned citizens, including Barack Obama and Leonardo DiCaprio, attended the annual Google camp in Sicily. The theme might have been climate change but that didn't deter many of the celebs from arriving in typically glittering style, with more than 100 private jets touching down at the local airport. And who can forget Emma Thompson's contribution to the cause? The actress was a vocal supporter of Extinction Rebellion and even joined in when protesters took to the streets in London. It later emerged she had flown 8,000km just to be there. This current movie awards season is yielding some excellent examples, too. As event organisers rushed to rid meat from the menus and plastic from the tables, behold Joaquin Phoenix, who hopped on a flight to London to attend a vegan protest and then pick up his Bafta wearing, if we are to believe designer Stella McCartney, the same tuxedo he wore to the Golden Globes. Truly, Greta must be so pleased. But perhaps we're all a little bit guilty on the eco-hypocrisy front. Lately I've been feeling pleased with myself about the fact I've dramatically reduced the number of flights I take. Now if I'm entirely honest that's chiefly because, with two small children, flying anywhere is more trouble than it's worth, but that hasn't stopped me boasting about my new-found eco-credentials to anyone who will listen. While I can count on one hand the number of flights I have taken in the past five years, at the same time I have to own up to an abiding love affair with my car, I nearly always forget my KeepCup and am too embarrassed, not to mention lazy, to unwrap all my plastics at the supermarket and leave them there. Other people might judge me for this, but while we're all silently clocking one another's eco-failures, stealthily in the background the real damage is being done by billion-euro corporations whose carbon output dwarfs those of ordinary consumers. In the words of the great environmentalist George Monbiot, the biggest achievement of the world's big fossil fuel polluters is to convince us that it is us who needs to change, not them. "The impacts of most of the world's people are minimal," he writes. "Even middle-class people in the rich world, whose effects are significant, are guided by a system of thought and action that is shaped in large part by corporations." We are trapped in a consumerist culture, he says, that "is locked in by transport, town planning and energy systems that make good choices all but impossible". How right he is. Most of us would prefer not to be clogging up the M50 each morning or jetting to London for yet another business meeting but, hey, late-period capitalism means we are primarily economic units of production and we have to work in order to feed our families. And if those families are fed with supermarket produce flown halfway round the world, what meaningful choice did we really have in that either? Most of us can't afford the type of organic marketplace where you shell out a tenner for a few locally grown garlic bulbs. Even Joaquin and his Hollywood pals accept that in order to keep working in their industry, they will have to keep flying while taking other steps to mitigate their eco-footprint. We are all victims of circumstance, no matter how rich or poor. It has become commonplace in recent years to talk about the impact of small changes, whether it is our health or the planet we are trying to rescue. It gives us the illusion of control and a sense of being able to manage the unmanageable. Never mind that it is patently not working - global carbon emissions are going up, not down. And so we buy a few more KeepCups and stick to meat-free Mondays and plant a few trees to offset our air miles, because there's literally nothing else we can do. Perhaps, after all, we're not so much hypocritical, but human. DUSHANBE -- Tajikistans communications watchdog has instructed private radio and television companies to report about their weekly broadcast plans each Monday. Editors of several private broadcasters in Dushanbe told RFE/RL on February 5 that they were notified about the new requirement by two letters received over the past week. The letters, dated February 4 and January 31, were signed by the head of the State Inspectorate for Radio and Television, Tojiddin Karimzoda. The inspectorate is part of the State Committee for Radio and Television Broadcasting (KTRT). In the letters, seen by RFE/RL, the broadcasters were warned that "measures would be taken" against them if they do not provide their weekly broadcast plans by 8.00 a.m. each Monday. The private radio and television companies were also urged to broadcast more programs promoting patriotism [and] stressing the importance of Tajikistan's independence, its traditions, and history." The head of the National Association of Independent Media in Tajikistan, Nuriddin Qarshiboev, called the demands illegal, saying "nobody has a right to interfere in media outlets' editorial policies." The letters mean direct control over and restriction of the editorial policies of private broadcasters, according to Qarshiboev. Tajikistan ranks 161st out of 180 countries on Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index. The spread of the coronavirus will hit the global economy in the first half of this year because of the impact on supply chains that rely on free movement of air transport to carry spare parts, the head of the World Bank has warned. Bank president David Malpass said a lot of Chinese goods are usually exported in the holds of passenger planes. These have been grounded by governments determined to stem the spread of the virus. As you cut down on passenger flights, you need to adjust the supply chains in order to get the goods out to make the products the whole world economy is operating on, he said, adding that the process worked in reverse with goods going back into China that same way. The country is the worlds biggest economy, and so there is the economic effect, he said. China is the largest in the world by nominal GDP, and also the largest when exchange rates and purchasing power are taken into account So, there will be a lowering of forecasts for at least the first part of 2020, in part due to China but in part due to supply chains. Several factories across China have been shut down to help contain the virus. While the initial focus by economists has been on how the uncertainty created by the virus will affect demand for products from the rest of the world, attention has begun to shift to the effects of the disruption to the supply of intermediate goods that are used in production around the globe. 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 Simon MacAdam, global economist at Capital Economics, said that owing to their deep integration into regional supply chains, several economies in emerging Asia will be worst affected by prolonged factory closures in China. Even industries that appear to have low exposure to Chinese suppliers will almost certainly contain firms that are heavily reliant on inputs from China, he said, highlighting South Koreas car sector where Hyundai had already closed its plants after running out of spare parts despite only 29 per cent of the industrys foreign inputs coming from China. Even if the disruption turns out to be too small to shave anything significant off GDP growth, it doesnt mean that it wont cause serious problems in particular industries. Janet Yellen, the former chairman of the US Federal Reserve, the countrys central bank, said the size of Chinas economy meant there were bound to be spillovers into the global economy. What has happened in the past is there may be a short-term impact of an epidemic or a pandemic, but, longer term, it seems to have relatively little influence, she told the Bipartisan Policy Centre in Washington DC. I think many observers are hoping that this will be true this time, but we dont know where this is going. To my mind, it is clearly a source of uncertainty and risk to the global outlook. However, Mr Malpass added an optimistic note, saying that technology had come a long way in finding antidotes that can affect viruses. So, we have some hope that science response will shorten the full lifecycle of this crisis, he said. A tractor-trailer rollover Thursday morning on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Wilbraham has caused a three-mile back up in the westbound lanes, according to state transportation officials. All westbound lanes of the Mass. Pike were closed following the crash, which left debris on the interstate. The right lane has since reopened, according to Jacquelyn Goddard, spokeswoman for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. Traffic is now being diverted through the breakdown lane, I-90 WB at the 57.8 mile-marker, Massachusetts State Police said in a tweet. Traffic is congested in the immediate area and it may be several hours before all lanes are completely opened. MassDOT ordered drivers to travel slowly Thursday morning on the Mass. Pike, as a wintry mix of snow and rain continues to hit the state, causing hazardous commuting conditions. The speed limit between the New York state line and Exit 11A has been reduced to 40 miles per hour. Tandem tractor-trailer trucks and tanker trucks are banned from the interstate while the speed restrictions are in place. Mumbai, Feb 6 : Actor Jitendra Kumar, who will be Ayushmann Khurrana's love interest in the upcoming film "Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhan", revealed his first encounter with his co-star. Jitendra said: "I met Ayushmann way back in 2009 when I was a student in IIT Kharagpur, he had come to cover a fest on behalf of MTV. The fest was called 'Springfest' and we were huge fan of Roadies, where we all met him & clicked photographs with him. "We ended up reaching his room once we found and it was our first year and he was very welcoming towards us. "He shared his experiences with us and spoke about his college life with us. Coincidentally during that time we spoke about homosexuality, we did not know that after 10 years we would work in a film together." "Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan" revolves around a gay couple and how they try to convince their families and society. Directed and written by Hitesh Kewalya, the film is jointly produced by Aanand L. Rai's Colour Yellow Productions and Bhushan Kumar's T-Series. The film is slated to hit the screens on February 21, 2020. The family entertainer also stars Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao and Maanvi Gagroo in pivotal roles. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed A 52-year-old man was killed and his wife critically injured in an overnight fire in a three-story Ocean Grove home that had been converted into apartments, authorities said. Michael Jennings was found inside his apartment and brought to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office said. His 52-year-old wife remains hospitalized in critical condition. Two emergency responders were also treated for minor injuries, officials said. Neighbors said there multiple apartments on the third-floor where most of the fire damage was visible. Debris from the fire was piled on the sidewalk in front of the building and crime scene tape continued to block access to the area. The flames melted the siding of a neighboring home. Helen Thorpe, who lives two houses away, said she woke up early Thursday to the smell of smoke and sound of fire engines roaring down her street. She got dressed and prepared to evacuate if necessary. The smoke is what woke me up. It was so thick blowing down the street, Thorpe said. Broadway in the Ocean Grove section of Neptune Township was closed in both directions as emergency workers remain on the scene early Thursday, but has since been reopened. The fire broke out at a home near the corner of Central Avenue shortly before 2 a.m., officials said. A fire at an apartment building in the Ocean Grove section of Neptune Township left one person dead and three others injured on Thursday.Avalon Zoppo | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com The fire is not considered suspicious, though an investigation into its cause is ongoing, the prosecutors office said. A Neptune Township fire company that helped fight the fire said on Facebook, We extend our thoughts and prayers to the fire victims and everyone involved." The New Jersey chapter of the Red Cross said it was assisting four people displaced by the fire with temporary housing. ***RIT ASSIGNMENT*** This morning, District 36 RIT (Comprised of Rapid Intervention Team Members from Tinton Falls Fire... Posted by Wayside Fire/Rescue on Thursday, February 6, 2020 Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. 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. Negotiations are continuing in an effort to make the deal sending Andre Iguodala to Miami a three-way trade that would also enable the Heat to acquire Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari, tweets ESPNs Adrian Wojnarowski. One way the Heat could facilitate trade talks is to remove protections on a lottery-protected 2023 first-round draft pick they owe to Oklahoma City, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link). That would free up Miami to unconditionally trade its 2025 first-rounder, explains Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). Because of hard-cap restrictions, Miami will need to send out at least $39.8MM in salary to fit Iguodala ($17.2MM) and Gallinari ($22.6MM) on its roster, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). He notes that Justise Winslow, who is already believed to be part of the deal, Dion Waiters and James Johnson add up to $40.4MM. Johnsons representatives tell Jackson that they are expecting their client to be included in the transaction, but several other teams have expressed interest as well (Twitter link). Jackson identifies the Bucks, Rockets and Timberwolves as teams that have inquired about the veteran forward. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies held Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill out of Wednesdays game in Dallas, and Dillon Brooks spoke after the game as if they were being traded, though that hasnt been confirmed (video link via ESPNs Tim MacMahon). Moving Crowder and Hill along with Iguodala would allow Memphis to take back up to $47MM+ in salary, if necessary. In an interview with Marc J. Spears of the Undefeated, Iguodala said he plans to join the Heat and take his physical in Sacramento on Friday. Hes excited to be coming to Miami, but after not playing since June he isnt sure when hell be ready to be activated (Twitter link). Jimmy Butler is very well respected in terms of passion and hard work he brings to the game, Iguodala said. His temperament and values he has really resonates with the Heat. Theyre very well aligned. Hes brought out the most in those young guys. Those are some of the guys Im really excited about. I feel I can make the most impact with those guys. Im a big fan of Bam [Adebayo]. Really looking forward to playing with him. Been hearing about him last couple of years. Help him get better. Really excited about that opportunity. CMS Hasche Sigle (CMS Germany), one of the largest and most renowned law firms in Germany, will use Deltek Maconomy to optimize its business processes DUESSELDORF, Germany, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Deltek, the leading global provider of enterprise software and solutions for project-based businesses, announced that CMS Hasche Sigle one of the largest and most renowned law firms in Germany will implement the ERP solution Deltek Maconomy as part of its future growth strategy. With the Deltek ERP implementation, CMS Germany will be able to: Accelerate, improve and harmonise financial functionalities and processes across the company Standardise finance processes at a national and international level Increase the level of system support and process automation Access Deltek's industry expertise and best practices "As CMS Germany continues to expand and grow both in Germany and internationally, it has become imperative that our internal finance systems and processes are able to support our visions for the future. In choosing Deltek, we found an ERP solution designed specifically for professional service firms and based on years of industry knowledge," said Hartmut Papenthin, Managing Director Operations at CMS Germany. "With Deltek as our partner, we feel confident in addressing the changing market and in achieving our future goals." "CMS Germany's expertise in all aspects of commercial law paired with its international scope and reach provides an excellent position for their future growth and development. By selecting Deltek, CMS will benefit from process optimisation that will provide improved decision-making and the ability to rapidly adapt to changing market conditions. We are extremely pleased to partner with and support CMS Germany with their business," said Stefan Kim, Deltek Vice President for Nordics and DACH. About CMS Germany CMS is one of the leading commercial law firms in Germany. More than 600 lawyers, tax advisers and notaries advise SMEs and major corporations on all aspects of national and international commercial law. CMS Germany has offices in eight major German business locations, as well as in Beijing, Brussels, Hong Kong, Moscow and Shanghai. https://cms.law/en/deu/ About Deltek Better software means better projects. Deltek is the leading global provider of enterprise software and information solutions for project-based businesses. More than 30,000 organisations and millions of users in over 80 countries around the world rely on Deltek for superior levels of project intelligence, management and collaboration. Our industry-focused expertise powers project success by helping firms achieve performance that maximizes productivity and revenue. Learn more at www.deltek.com. SOURCE Deltek Related Links http://www.deltek.com A 28-year-old man, while flying in a Toronto-to-Jamaica flight, suggested he is infected with coronavirus and it ended up causing a widespread panic among the other passengers. In fact, following safety measures, the pilots and the crew decided to return the flight to Pearson Airport, Canada. The man, however, was lying and he did this ridiculous hoax just to go viral on social media. James Potok stood up from his seat in the flight, filled with over 200 passengers, and declared that he has recently returned from Wuhan, reports Global News. Further adding, the city is the epicenter of coronavirus. I need everyones attention. I have just returned from Wuhan, one of the capital cities of China, and its an epicenter for the coronavirus, Tiffany Richards, one of the passengers onboard lthe same flight ater recalled what Potok said. Im feeling really, really sick right now. I think I might be infected. I need everyone to stay away from me, like please dont come near me, he added, she recalled. Turns out, Potok repeatedly made the same claim before taking his seat. He also recorded a video and wanted it to go viral. Potok, who is actually a YouTuber, later took to the platform to share an apology video. In the video, he mentioned that he said he came back from Wuhan and may have coronavirus. He just wanted to grab attention of people and made the whole thing up. Investigators from Peel Regional Police Airport Division Criminal Investigation Bureau have charged the man with Mischief, reports a blog post published by the police department. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON "At IGEL, we see a world where people can work, when and where they want, without boundaries or limitations when accessing their desired applications and data," said IGEL Founder and CEO, Heiko Gloge. "The rapid rise of IGEL demonstrates that we are successfully capitalizing on a perfect storm of opportunity in the end user computing and cloud workspaces market. It's very exciting to see the transformation of IGEL, and the amazing growth trajectory that has resulted from our becoming a leader in this space." Many enterprises today are moving Windows from local device operation, to the data center where the Windows desktop can be securely accessed using Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) with vendors such as Citrix, Microsoft and VMware. Others are looking to cloud workspaces technology using Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) offerings from AWS (including Amazon WorkSpaces) and Microsoft, with its increasingly popular Windows Virtual Desktop (WVD) offering. IGEL is at the center of this industry movement, with the right technology at the right time delivering a next-generation edge OS for simple, smart and secure cloud workspaces with lower cost and greater manageability. As IGEL takes this exceptional achievement into 2020, it will also be elevating Jed Ayres currently Co-CEO to the post of global CEO. Ayres, who was instrumental in the company's pivot starting in 2016 from a hardware-centric to a software-first company, will lead IGEL's seasoned team of executive leaders as the company works to align with the world's most prominent cloud providers to transform end user computing by simplifying and securing the cloud-delivery of all needed applications and resources. Heiko Gloge will remain a shareholder and member of IGEL's Board of Directors. "It's an honor to be at the helm of such an innovative company comprised of passionate and talented people," said Ayres. "Together, our mission is to make a significant mark on the evolution and future of work so people can best match their work-style with their individual lifestyle." IGEL's momentum going into 2020 is also marked by a number of additional milestones and achievements including: The shipment of 749,000 copies of IGEL OS for a total unit growth of 132%, year-over-year The dramatic growth in the North American IGEL channel partner network which now includes 23 Platinum partners and 26 Gold partners with a sales pipeline of that has increased 100%, year-over-year The recent launch of a visually dynamic and robust new website at www.igel.com which features educational assets, industry resources, case studies and more The unveiling of the IGEL Academy, an online learning platform for customers and partners The success of IGEL's third annual DISRUPT 2020 events in Nashville, Tenn. , January 27-29 , and Munich , February 4-6 , which reached unprecedented attendance levels The naming of IGEL as a "key partner" for Windows Virtual Desktop by Microsoft The receipt of 11 industry awards and honors, including placement on the San Francisco Bay Area's Best and Brightest Companies to Work For list as well as the San Francisco Business Times Fastest Growing Private Companies list For more information on IGEL's vision as the next generation edge OS for cloud workspaces, visit: https://www.igel.com/company/vision/ IGEL on Social Media Twitter: www.twitter.com/IGEL_Technology Facebook: www.facebook.com/igel.technology LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/igel-technology YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/IGELTechnologyTV IGEL Community: www.igel.com/community About IGEL IGEL provides the next-gen edge OS for cloud workspaces. The company's world-leading software products include IGEL OS, IGEL UD Pocket (UDP) and IGEL Universal Management Suite (UMS). These solutions comprise a more secure, manageable and cost-effective endpoint management and control platform across nearly any x86 device. Easily acquired via just two feature-rich software offerings, Workspace Edition and Enterprise Management Pack IGEL software presents outstanding value per investment. Additionally, IGEL's German engineered endpoint solutions deliver the industry's best hardware warranty (5 years), software maintenance (3 years after end of life) and management functionality. IGEL enables enterprises to save vast amounts of money by extending the useful life of their existing endpoint devices while precisely controlling all devices running IGEL OS from a single dashboard interface. IGEL has offices worldwide and is represented by partners in over 50 countries. For more information on IGEL, visit www.igel.com. SOURCE IGEL Related Links http://www.igel.com Canada on February 5 reportedly urged Iran to send the black boxes of the crashed Ukrainian airliner immediately to France where the data can be analyzed. According to international media reports, the Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said that he spoke to his Iranian counterpart Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and stressed that Tehran must arrange for quick download and analysis of the flight's data recorders. However, Iran's civil authority on Tuesday reportedly said that it would keep working with other countries investigating its downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane last month. Campagne, on the other hand, said that the preferred option is, however, for Iran to make use of the facilities offered by France with the technical capacity to do the work. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month also said that the black boxes were damaged and France was one of the few nations able to decipher the data. READ: Iran Knew It Downed Ukraine Plane Killing 176 Passengers, Leaked Recordings Reveal Trudeau also said that Iran did not possess the ability to analyse the downloaded information and that is why the black boxes should be sent to France, however, Kyiv wanted the recorders to be sent to Ukraine. According to reports, an official of the Iranian aviation body on January 18 said that the black boxes would be sent to Ukraine but a day later after the statements, the official backtracked and said that the data will be analysed in Iran. On January 20, Iran's Civil Aviation Organization further said that if they are given the required equipment then it will be possible for them to download the data and reconstruct the series of events that took place in a short period of time. READ: Ukrainian Plane Crash Investigation Handed Over To UN Aviation Experts Plane crash in Iran All 176 people were killed after Iran mistakenly fired two short-range missiles on the morning of January 8 amid high tension between Tehran and Washington. Most of the citizens onboard the Ukranian flight were Iranians or dual citizens; 57 people among those killed were from Canada while 11 were from Ukraine. The downing of the plane was a mistake from the Iranian military side as the accident happened hours after Tehran had fired dozens of missiles on two Iraqi military bases that were hosting the US-led coalition forces. Tehran's missile attacks on US bases were retaliatory action after Washington killed Iran's top military commander Qassem Soleimani on January 3 in a drone attack near Baghdad airport in Iraq. (With inputs from agencies) READ: Iranian Missiles That Hit Ukrainian Plane Were Fired 30 Seconds Apart: Report READ: Iran: Man Who Posted Video Of Missile Striking Ukrainian Plane Arrested A mainland spokesperson on Thursday expressed firm opposition to any form of official interaction between the United States and Taiwan. Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks when he responded to a question about Lai Ching-te's trip to the United States and his contact with the U.S. side. "Lai Ching-te's trip to the United States, meeting with U.S. officials and members of U.S. Congress at his request, and his plot to seek 'Taiwan independence' and split the country are despicable dirty tricks," Ma said. Workers wearing protective gear and an ambulance arrive to transfer passengers, who tested positive for coronavirus, from the cruise ship Diamond Princess to a hospital, after the ship arrived at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Japan February 6, 2020. Kim Kyung-Hoon | Reuters The coverage on this blog has ended but for up-to-the-minute coverage on the coronavirus, visit the live blog from CNBC Asia Pacific's team. All times below are in Eastern time. Total cases: More than 28,000 as of Thursday morning. Total deaths: At least 565 worldwide as of Thursday morning 6:15 pm: Pentagon sets up more military bases to take in quarantined Americans The Pentagon identified 11 military installations near major airports that can support those evacuated from China, where the current outbreak originated. Department of Defense personnel won't be in direct contact with the evacuees and will minimize contact with personnel supporting the evacuees, officials said. The bases are in Hawaii, Illinois, Texas, California, Georgia, New York, Washington state, New Jersey, Michigan and the District of Columbia. Macias 5:25 pm: Hubei reports an additional 2,447 cases, 69 deaths China's Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak, reported an additional 69 deaths and 2,447 cases over the previous 24-hour period. The Hubei Provincial Health Committee said that this brings the total confirmed cases in the province to 22,112 and totals deaths in the province to 618. Feuer 3:55 pm: Hit to global economy will be worse than SARS The new coronavirus outbreak will be worse for the global economy than the 2003 SARS outbreak, IHS Markit predicts. Though estimates vary, economists say that the SARS outbreak in China cost the global economy about $40 billion. But during that 2003 outbreak, China was just the sixth-largest economy in the world, IHS Markit's report says, accounting for 4.2% of the global economy. There's more at stake now. Today, China is the second-largest economy, making up 16.3% of the world's GDP. Feuer 2:46 pm: Significant economic impact seen from drop in Chinese visitors around world 2:15 pm: Stocks snap back fairly quickly from disease outbreaks History shows that stocks typically snap back fairly quickly from disease outbreaks. "On a forward-looking basis, dengue fever, swine flu, Ebola, measles, rubella, Zika, they don't hurt the stock market that much," said Dan Egan, managing director of behavioral finance and investing at Betterment. In 2016, the Zika virus, linked to birth defects in the babies of mothers infected while pregnant, tore through Latin America, the Caribbean and the U.S. The global stock market shed 6% a month after Zika took off. But six months later? It was down just around 0.6%. The deadly Ebola virus that broke out two years later dragged global stocks down more than 7%. Just half a year later, much of those losses rebounded. Stocks were down 2% in the immediate wake of the 2010 cholera outbreak, which eventually sickened more than 6% of Haitians. Six months later, they were up more than 13%. Kopecki 1:56 pm: China grows more isolated as airlines cancel more than 46,000 flights One by one, air carriers have cut service after demand fell sharply and governments took more drastic measures they say aim to contain the spread of the disease. These steps have left China, the world's second-largest air travel market after the U.S., more isolated. Airlines in dozens of countries from New Zealand to Finland to the United Arab Emirates have scaled back service or in the case of U.S. airlines canceled flights altogether to the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong as the coronavirus spreads, a factor that will drive down airlines' 2020 revenue and deprive other segments of the travel industry, including hotels and retailers, of high-spending tourists. Kopecki 1:45 pm: Accuweather says warm spring weather could help contain the virus AccuWeather founder Joel N. Myers said cold weather and weak sun in China right now could be helping spread the virus, but the warm weather coming this spring may help contain it. Meteorologists looked at past outbreaks, including SARS in 2003, the 1918 Spanish Flu and U.S. flu data over the last decade. "There is less viral spread when the sun is strong and the temperatures are warm from May to September," he said. "It's possible the sunshine intensity, the longer daylight periods and the warmer weather could suppress the virus in the summer months." Kopecki 1:16 pm: Estee Lauder and L'Oreal lower profit outlook Cosmetics companies Estee Lauder and L'Oreal said they've taken financial hits because of the outbreak. Estee Lauder lowered its profit outlook fiscal 2020 from between $5.85 and $5.93 per share to between $5.60 and $5.70 per share, citing reduced travel and sales in important tourist and shopping areas. L'Oreal said the outbreak has temporarily hurt sales in Asian airports.The companies have previously seen sales thrive in China as wealthy customers purchase luxury products at beauty stores and duty-free shops. Miller 12:36 pm: China Beige Book sees virus as a short-term concern Global stocks will likely continue to rally as people realize the outbreak is not likely to cause long-term effects on the markets, said Derek Scissors, China Beige Book's chief economist. "This isn't a natural disaster that destroys capital stock," he said on "Squawk Box." "As long as people recover fully, it's not going to affect productivity." China is facing a short-term GDP drag, and companies with international stakes will face some earnings hits, but long-term growth should stay stable, added Scissors, whose China Beige Book firm is an independent provider of Chinese economic data. Bursztynsky 11:57 pm: American Airlines cancels more Hong Kong flights American Airlines is extending extend cancellations of its Hong Kong flights from Los Angeles through March 27, citing weak demand. Earlier this week, the airline said it would suspend those flights through Feb. 20. However, American said it would resume its Hong Kong service from its Dallas/Fort Worth hub on Feb. 21. "We will continue to review our flight schedule to ensure we can accommodate the needs of our customers and will make additional refinements as needed," American said in a statement. American, Delta and United have all canceled their China service over the past week as coronavirus spreads, while more than a dozen other airlines have either halted or scaled back China service. Josephs 11:30 am: WHO officials mourn loss of doctor who sounded alarm on virus WHO officials mourned the loss of Dr. Li Wenliang, the Chinese doctor who first sounded the alarm on the coronavirus. The ophthalmologist reportedly warned fellow medical staff of a virus he thought looked like SARS on Dec. 30, sending a message to a chat group warning them to wear protective gear after noticing several cases. He later posted on social media that local police tried silencing him. He was diagnosed with the new coronavirus on Jan. 30 and died Thursday, according to the Washington Post. Dr. Mike Ryan, who runs WHO's emergency programs, said "we should celebrate his life and mourn his death." He added: "We're very sorry to hear of the loss of any frontline worker whose attempted to care for patients. We ourselves have lost our friends in the frontlines." Kopecki 10:29 am: WHO to convene international coronavirus forum The World Health Organization is inviting scientists from across the globe for a two-day international research forum next Tuesday and Wednesday. "There's still a lot we don't know. We don't know the source of the outbreak. We don't know what its natural reservoir is and we don't properly understand its transmissibility or severity," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporter. There's no vaccine or effective treatments against it, he said. "To put it bluntly, we're shadow boxing. We need to bring this virus out into the light so we can attack it properly." The WHO is convening a global research and innovation forum to share research and ideas on how to combat the virus, he said. Kopecki 10 am: WHO holds press briefing on the outbreak The World Health Organization is holding a press conference at 10 a.m. ET to update the public on the outbreak. At Wednesday's press briefing, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the number of confirmed cases grew by more than 3,100 over the previous 24 hours, which he said was "the most cases in a single day since the outbreak started" on Dec. 31. "Our greatest concern is about the potential for spread in other countries with weaker health systems and who lack the capacity to detect and diagnose the virus," he said. Watch Thursday's live press conference here. Kopecki 9:23 am Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says virus won't hamper trade deal Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the Trump administration doesn't think the outbreak will keep China from meeting its commitment to buy $200 billion in U.S.goods through 2021 as part of President Donald Trump's "phase one" trade deal. That total includes more than $75 billion in additional goods and services in 2020. "Based on our current projections of the virus, we're not worried about that," Mnuchin said in an interview on the Fox Business Network. "But let me again say we are monitoring the virus carefully. We'll have a much better idea over the next two weeks. I think we are going to get more comfortable. But based on current information, I don't expect there will be any issues in them fulfilling their commitments. Higgins 9:02 am: Yum Brands shares drop as CEO comments on coronavirus hit Yum Brands, owner of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut, warned investors that its 2020 results will likely fall below its long-term outlook, hit in part by the virus outbreak and its potential spread to other Asian markets. China is the largest market for KFC and the second largest for Pizza Hut. "While Yum's business model is highly diversified such that the impact on our financial performance will not be as significant what many companies will experience, this will certainly be a headwind for 2020," CEO David Gibbs said. Yum were down 3.1% in early trading Thursday after after Gibbs' comments Lucas 8:55 am: Tapestry lowers forecast, citing coronavirus fallout Kate Spade and Coach owner Tapestry said the majority of its shops in mainland China are closed because of the outbreak. Tapestry said it is expecting sales during the second half of this year to be $200 million to $250 million lower due to the closures. It said its profits could be reduced by 35 cents to 45 cents per share. If the outbreak spreads, Tapestry said the financial impact could become worse. "The escalating coronavirus outbreak is now significantly impacting our business in China, resulting in the closure of the majority of our stores on the Mainland," CEO Jide Zeitlin said. "If the situation further deteriorates, or the outbreak affects demand outside of the country, this impact could be worse." Thomas 8:50 am: Toyota hunts for alternative auto parts suppliers Toyota Motor is looking at alternatives for the production of auto parts made in China because of the coronavirus. The company has halted production at its China plants through Sunday, but may extend the deadline if the situation worsens. Toyota lifted its annual operating profit forecast by 4.2% because of strong currency rates for the Japanese yen and better-than-expected sales. However, the company has not yet factored in the financial impact of the coronavirus, which it said was hard to gauge. Miller 8:10 am: Russia reportedly rejects OPEC's proposal to impose further oil cuts Russia is thought to be standing in the way of further OPEC-led production cuts, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing unnamed cartel delegates. The Saudi-led producer group has been unable to reach a consensus over its response to China's coronavirus outbreak. It comes after delegates representing OPEC and allies, sometimes referred to as OPEC+, met for three days to debate whether further output cuts would be necessary to offset falling demand for crude. Earlier in the day, an OPEC technical panel recommended a provisional cut of 600,000 barrels per day, Reuters reported, citing two sources. International benchmark Brent crude traded at $55.07 on Thursday, down around 0.4%, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate stood at $50.85, around 0.2% higher. 6:30 am: Tesla temporarily closes China stores amid coronavirus fears Tesla temporarily closed its stores in mainland China as of last Sunday, according to an online post from a company sales employee on that date. Tesla has 24 stores in mainland China, according to the company's website. Kolodny 6:20 am: Tokyo 2020 Olympics organizers set up coronavirus task force The organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have set up a task force in an attempt to counter intensifying fears about the coronavirus outbreak. Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto he will run the newly created Novel Coronavirus Countermeasures Task Force, Reuters reported. The group held its first meeting on Tuesday, Muto told reporters, and a second briefing could take place as soon as Friday. The Olympic Games are set to take place from July 24 to Aug. 9, with the Paralympic Games scheduled to run from Aug. 25 to Sept. 6. 5:10 am: US urges WHO to 'engage directly' with Taiwan, prompting China to hit back The little boy hurled from the top of the Tate Modern is now able to move his limbs with the help of a full armour of splints. His parents described the six-year-old as their little knight in heartbreaking messages charting his slow, painful recovery. The August attack left the French boy who was on a family holiday to London with fractures to his spine, legs and arms and a bleed on the brain. He could not move, eat normally or speak. Six months on, the boy, who cannot be named due to a court order, is at last saying his first words but just one syllable at a time. The victim, visiting the London museum with his French family, plunged 100ft on to a roof five floors below (pictured, the aftermath). He sustained fractures to his spine, legs and arms and a bleed on the brain On August 4 last year, Jonty Bravery (left and right) horrified tourists on the Tate towers viewing platform by suddenly lifting up the French boy, on summer holiday with his parents, and throwing him over a chest-high barrier. The boys mother gave a primal scream as her son plunged 100ft The youngster was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition with fractures to his spine, legs and arms and a bleed on the brain. He remains in hospital, severely disabled (pictured, how the horror incident unfolded) A British woman named Vicky has set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for his family. The total now stands at more than 160,000. The parents, via Vicky, have been posting occasional updates. Their most recent, on January 24, says: He can now eat mash. We hope that he will be able to drink soon, with a straw to start with. The previous update said: Our little knight begins to speak! He still has a full armour of splints, but he also begins to move his four limbs now. To donate, visit: uk.gofundme.com/f/ medical-funds-for-tate-tragedy Blockchain ACE Receives ED Funds to Explore Blockchain's Potential The American Council on Education is exploring the use of blockchain in education with a new initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The Education Blockchain Initiative seeks to "help identify and evaluate ways that blockchain technology can improve the flow of data among educational institutions and employers while empowering individuals to translate educational outcomes into economic opportunity," according to a news announcement. "This work is about exploring the potential of blockchain technology to give learners greater control over their educational records," said Ted Mitchell, president of ACE, in a statement. "It's about enabling more seamless transitions between and across K-12, higher education and the workforce. This initiative will explore how this nascent technology can break down barriers for opportunity seekers to fully unlock their learning and achievement." A steering committee made up of experts in technology and education as well as workforce stakeholders will oversee the initiative. Members include: The committee will oversee the development of a research paper that will "review the current use of blockchain in education as well as identify opportunities and challenges for potential applications that can advance equity in educational and workforce outcomes." In addition, the initiative plans to launch a competitive challenge to fund blockchain pilot programs, with winners to be selected by the committee members. A process and criteria for pilot project selection will be released later this year. "Blockchain holds vast potential to better connect learning in diverse contexts and help students achieve their education and workforce goals and ultimately improve mobility," said Louis Soares, ACE's chief learning and innovation officer and lead for the initiative. "ACE is excited to lead this work and ensure the learning from this project is accessible across educational institutions." Scottsdale, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) - TriStar Gold Inc. (TSXV: TSG) (OTCQB: TSGZF) ("the Company" or "TriStar") is pleased to announce that drilling for the pre-feasibility study is advancing well with results including 4m @ 10.8 g/t gold in hole RC-19-383 (46m to 50m downhole) as targeted, highlighting the continuity and predictability of the system. GoldSpot Discoveries Corp. are making good progress on their gold target generation work and two directors of TriStar have exercised a total of 2.8 million employee stock options at prices of C$0.18 and C$0.20, adding $C534,000 to the treasury. "Results from the pre-feasibility drilling program continue to be positive and are confirming our understanding of the continuity of this large gold system. Drilling is expected to continue through March with results expected in the second quarter of 2020" stated Mr. Nick Appleyard, TriStar's President and CEO. He added, "Our work with GoldSpot has already identified machine learning algorithms that will be tested using the wide range of data available at Castelo de Sonhos to help establish new drilling targets. Of particular interest, will be the deeper targets that will help test the theory of gold enrichment along the contact between the underlying granite and the conglomerate". Pre-feasibility Drilling In January 2020, results from 10 RC drill holes from the in-fill program were received. All of which contained significant gold intersections. Some highlights include: Hole RC-19-383, 4m @ 10.8 g/t , from 46 to 50m downhole , from 46 to 50m downhole RC-19-387, 15m @ 0.8 g/t , from 13 to 28m and 20m @ 0.6 g/t from 42 to 62m , from 13 to 28m and from 42 to 62m RC-19-388, 15m @ 1.1 g/t, from 36 to 51m from 36 to 51m RC-19-390, 3m @ 1.1 g/t, from 10 to 13m and 4m @ 1.6 g/t from 68 to 72m from 10 to 13m and from 68 to 72m RC-19-391, 9m @ 1.5 g/t, from 105 to 114m A complete table of all significant intervals along with a set of cross sections is available on our CDS project webpage. All recent holes are drilled vertically with most having a target depth of 120m. True widths of the mineralized intersections are approximately 90% of the indicated drill length. The RC program is expected to be about 20,000m in total and to date we have completed 106 holes for a total of 11,783m. Figure 1, RC drill holes that returned assay results in January 2020. Shown is Esperanca South and the location of the 2019 PEA conceptual open pits. To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4509/52167_c608ebc7944ca800_002full.jpg Figure 2, Location map of Castelo de Sonhos in Para state, Brazil. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4509/52167_c608ebc7944ca800_003full.jpg Assay Methods, Quality Assurance and Quality Control (QA/QC) All drill hole samples are analyzed using a fire assay analysis of the chips collected from RC holes. Any sample that returns greater than 0.1 g/t gold is automatically submitted for a duplicate fire assay analysis and the average grade is used. Samples are transported by truck from the site to the ALS preparation lab in Goiania, Brazil, where they are dried, crushed, pulverized and packaged for shipment to the ALS analytical lab in Lima, Peru. The ALS preparation and analytical labs are accredited to ISO 17025:2005 UKAS ref 4028 and have internal QA/QC programs for monitoring accuracy and precision. In addition to this, TriStar uses standards, blanks and field duplicates in an external QA/QC program to provide independent monitoring of laboratory analyses. Qualified Person R. Mohan Srivastava (P.Geo.), Vice President of TriStar, is the Qualified Person who has reviewed the technical information contained in this news release and has approved its disclosure. About TriStar: TriStar Gold is an exploration and development company focused on precious metals properties in the Americas that have the potential to become significant producing mines. The Company's current flagship property is Castelo de Sonhos in Para State, Brazil. The Company's shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol TSG and on the OTCQB under the symbol TSGZF. Further information is available at www.tristargold.com. For further information, please contact: TriStar Gold Inc. Nick Appleyard President and CEO 480-794-1244 info@tristargold.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. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements under Canadian securities legislation which are not historical facts and are made pursuant to the "safe harbour" provisions under the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects" or "it is expected", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward looking statements in this press release include statements about the use of the proceeds from the Offering and the anticipated sufficiency of the Company's existing capital in order to complete a pre-feasibility study on the Castelo de Sonhos project. Such forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's reasonable expectations and business plan at the date hereof, which are subject to change depending on economic, political and competitive circumstances and contingencies. Readers are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause a change in such assumptions and the actual outcomes and estimates to be materially different from those estimated or anticipated future results, achievements or position expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company's plans to change include changes in demand for and price of gold and other commodities (such as fuel and electricity) and currencies; changes or disruptions in the securities markets; legislative, political or economic developments in Brazil; the need to obtain permits and comply with laws and regulations and other regulatory requirements; the possibility that actual results of work may differ from projections/expectations or may not realize the perceived potential of the Company's projects; risks of accidents, equipment breakdowns and labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties or interruptions; the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated expenses in development programs; operating or technical difficulties in connection with exploration, mining or development activities; the speculative nature of gold exploration and development, including the risks of diminishing quantities of grades of reserves and resources; and the risks involved in the exploration, development and mining business. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52167 YEREVAN. The National Assembly (NA) has no right to debate on the submitted bill without the conclusion of the NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs. Edmon Marukyan, head of the opposition Bright Armenia Party and its NA faction, stated this on February 6, addressing NA Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan during the NA special sitting debates on the bill on making amendments to the Constitution. In response, Mirzoyan noted that the said committees meeting had been convened, the issue had been discussed, but they had not come to a conclusion. He added that then a vote was taken to put the issue on the NA agenda, with the opposition Prosperous Armenia and Bright Armenia MPs voting against it. The ruling bloc then made a decision that the discussion of the bill could not take more than five hours. The bill proposes that Article 213 of the Constitution be edited. Accordingly, this bill states, in particular, that term of office of the Constitutional Court President and members who were appointed prior the entry into force of Chapter 7 of the Constitution shall cease, and the nominations for the vacancies of Constitutional Court judges shall be made in succession by the government, the President and the general meeting of judges. BLOOMINGTON, Minn., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Savigent congratulates long-time customer Seagate Technology for receiving the Smart Factory Manufacturer of the Year award at the Irish Manufacturing Research 2020 Manufacturing & Supply Chain Awards, held in Dublin on January 29. The award recognizes manufacturers that demonstrate the best use of data and AI to maximize competitive advantage within the manufacturing facility. Seagate, a global provider of electronic data storage technology and solutions, uses the Savigent Platform to enable Smart Manufacturing at its state-of-the-art wafer manufacturing plants in Derry, Northern Ireland and Bloomington, Minnesota. The Platform provides connectivity of Seagate's factory systems, equipment and people in both facilities, and captures data in near-real time to store on premises and in the cloud. Savigent's relationship with Seagate spans more than 10 years. Steve Barnett, a company founder and Vice President of Customer Success, said the Savigent team is quite proud of this "richly-deserved" recognition. "The Seagate Wafer Systems teams are an amazing group of process, equipment and data engineers, data scientists and software developers who are continually pushing the boundaries of what digitization can achieve in manufacturing," he said. "It really is exciting to see what they've achieved." In late October 2019, Savigent co-sponsored an Artificial Intelligence Benchmarking Experience hosted by Seagate. Its Director of Wafer Systems, Sthitie Bom, told the group of early adopters from Fortune 500 manufacturers that "legacy and home-grown systems are the realities of our environments and new algorithms must learn how to play well in this vast, well-established ecosystem. This is why systems-thinking is so critical to success." A complete list of award winners is available online at https://www.awards.manufacturingevent.com/ . About Savigent Savigent developed the first intelligent, highly-scalable process and data management platform specifically designed for manufacturers and the supply chain. The Savigent Platform accelerates digital transformation by simplifying how systems, equipment and people interact. Every day, the Savigent Platform operates globally across hundreds of locations connecting more than 10,000 asset types and managing 11 billion data points. Learn more at www.savigent.com About Seagate Seagate crafts the datasphere, helping to maximize humanity's potential by innovating world-class, precision-engineered data management solutions with a focus on sustainable partnerships. Learn more about Seagate by visiting www.seagate.com SOURCE Savigent Related Links http://www.savigent.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 20:43:55|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Unknown gunmen opened fire and killed a local Yemeni political leader in the country's southern province of Dhalea on Thursday, a security official told Xinhua. "Unknown gunmen riding motorcycles opened fire from their assault rifles and killed Abdul-Raqib Ali, a leader of Yemen's Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Islah political party," the local security source said on condition of anonymity. The Yemeni politician died immediately at the scene after receiving several gunshots. According to the source, the assassinated politician served previously as director of the chamber of commerce in the city and was one of the key social figures in Dhalea. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the drive-by shooting attack. Humankinds potential for self-destruction through the lusts of the flesh appears to be limitless. While there is nothing new in the sensual sins and wanton debauchery that we witness in our culture, technology has undoubtedly advanced its influence. And one such sin is being promoted in an apparently fanatical fashion: transgenderism. What Is Transgenderism? The subject of transgenderism, includes, specifically, Trans-sexuality, cross-dressing, and seeking gender identity development, i.e., physical identity through radical surgeries, and hormone treatment; and, more broadly, gender atypicality that includes myriad subcultural expressions of self-selecting gender, and intersectionality with other interdependence movements, i.e., feminism, homosexuality.[1] The idea of transgenderism has its roots in the primordial rebellion of humankind to the creation order of God. Ancient pagan rituals would have included some aspects of transgender practice. More currently, social anarchists such as the otherwise brilliant French social critic, Michael Foucault, argued that Christianity, in particular, has leveraged its cultural powers (a recurring them with Foucault) to repress human sexual expression. Foucault taught that gender is a social construct, not a biological fact. The absurdity of such thinking was largely unchallenged in the 1960s and 70s when Foucault and others were teaching such dogma in prestigious universities in Canada, France, and the United States. Perhaps, we felt that it was too ludicrous to engage. Recently, in 2019, when a former United States Vice-President was asked how many genders there were, he responded, At least three. Such a frighteningly fallacious response by a person of influence constitutes an unmitigated endorsement of Foucaults radical deconstruction of reality. For someone to affirm, with a straight face, in serious dialogue, There are at least three genders is an Orwellian case study in, doublethink, newspeak, and the thought police writ large. To speak seriously about a gender other than male and female is surely the untenable subordinating to the inconceivable. The Medical Truth about Gender Dysphoria At one time it would have been unnecessary, but it, now, has to be said: The American College of Pediatricians should be awarded a courage award for stating the obvious: Human sexuality is an objective biological binary trait: XY and XX are genetic markers of male and female, respectively not genetic markers of a disorder. The norm for human design is to be conceived either male or female. Human sexuality is binary by design with the obvious purpose being the reproduction and flourishing of our species. This principle is self-evident. To those who suffer from gender dysphoria (the new diagnostic language in DSM-5 replacing Gender Identity Disorder in DSM-IV-TR), feeling trapped in a person of the opposite sex, the prestigious association responds with merciful scientific clarity: No one is born with an awareness of themselves as male or female; this awareness develops over time and, like all developmental processes, may be derailed by a childs subjective perceptions, relationships, and adverse experiences from infancy forward. People who identify as feeling like the opposite sex or somewhere in between do not comprise a third sex. They remain biological men or biological women. Then, how do otherwise smart people fall for the newspeak of Michael Foucault and Kimberle Crenshaw, and, increasingly, advocate for public school textbooks that endorse transgenderism? How is it that parents in Long Beach, California, who oppose transvestite drag queens (invited by former First Lady, Michelle Obama) reading to their kindergartners, are considered haters? And that leads us to the Scripture that describes this incredible cultural transformation. Photo credit: Pexels/WendyVanzyl The Biblical Truth about Gender Sexual sins, including transgenderism, were among the most heinous practices of the peoples living in Canaan. The lessons of their judgment because of deviant sexual practices remain as ominous warning signs to us today. When we prefer unbelief to faith in God, in order to advance the lusts of our flesh, we inevitably, and often irretrievably, destine ourselves for judgment. In the cases before us, the people groups living in Canaan digressed from what is clearly shown in creation and in Gods Wordthat we are born as either male or female, and that our God-given human sexuality is divinely sanctioned, and most beautifully expressed as complimentary (man and woman), and within the covenanted bonds of matrimony (husband and wife)led to a veritable infestation of the land, which vomited the people from the land, and led to judicial hardening of their hearts, and their ultimate destruction. 1. Male and Female He Created Them God has not left us without His Word and, thus, His will concerning sexuality. Firstly, humankind is binary. There is no third or fourth category of a human being. Nature attests to what Scripture reveals. Human beings are made in Gods image and created either male or female. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created (Genesis 5:2). Our Savior, Christ Jesus, by whom the world was created and through whom it is sustained, appealed to His own Word in Genesis to affirm the divinely created order, and the sanctity of marriage (Colossians 1:16). He answered, Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate (Matthew 19:4-6). The Scriptures not only provide creation-background for what we see plainly in biology, but the texts also show us that Gods creation wasand is good. Male and female are perfectly complementary in biology, physiology, emotion, and spirit. Humanity finds its fullest expression in the unity of people being made one in marriage, a sacred and inviolable covenant instituted by Almighty God. Thus, it is not enough for us to merely point out the evil and, therefore, the consequent tragedy of sexual sin. We must also be diligent to lift up the beauty and blessings that flow from the created order of a loving God. 2. Sexual Sin as Abomination Secondly, although the text I would cite is concerned with Gods command forbidding same-sex relationships, one could deploy the transgender movements intersectionality instrument to include the passage in our study. Nevertheless, the prohibition against same-sex relations is indicative of Gods abhorrence of such wickedness: You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination (Leviticus 18:22). 3. Cross-Dressing Forbidden Transgenderism is explicitly addressed in the Bible. This fact reminds us that the phenomenon of trans-sexual expression is not new. The practice is a deviant display of witness rebellion against the created order of God. For those, like Foucault, who saw gender as merely social constructs, enforced by puritanical power structures and subject to deconstruction, the voice of God in the Bible still speaks: A woman shall not wear a mans garment, nor shall a man put on a womans cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God (Deuteronomy 22:5). 4. Living in the Land of Unbelief Thirdly, believers should walk carefully in this present, evil Secular Age, as the imminent Canadian philosopher, Dr. Charles Taylor, has described our Post-Christian culture. What did the Lord say to Cain? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it (Genesis 4:7). Every believer must be alert to the dangerous presence of anti-Christian powers, and demonic spirits of this world, using unrepentant sinners who are beating at the door of our consciences to demand that we accept and approve of what God forbids. God called Israel to be conscious of the seducing powers of the Canaanites, whose wickedness in sexual sins led to divine judgment: For everyone who does any of these abominations, the persons who do them shall be cut off from among their people. So keep my charge never to practice any of these abominable customs that were practiced before you, and never to make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God (Leviticus 18:29-30). Male prostitutes were marked out by God as those whose wickedness brought judgment: And there were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations that the Lord drove out before the people of Israel (1 Kings 14:24). We would do well to mark the comments of the old pastor-scholar John Gill (1697-1771) instructing Christians who live in this present evil age (Galatians 1:4): Now Christ gave himself a sacrifice for the sins of his people, that as in consequence of this they might be delivered and saved from the damning power, so from the governing power and influence of all that is evil in this present world; as from Satan, the god of it, who has usurped a power over it; from the lusts that are predominant in it; from the vain conversation of the men of it; from the general conflagration of it at the last day, and from the perdition of ungodly men, and their eternal destruction in hell.[9] Romans 1 and Transgenderism It is difficult to imagine a contemporary social movement that is more dangerously consistent with the downward spiral of Romans chapter one than transgenderism. Read these words from St. Paul and ask yourself if we are not living in the times that he describes: For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools (Romans 1:18-22); For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done (26-28). Though they know Gods righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them (Romans 1:32). In Romans 1:18-32, the Apostle Paul describes unbelieving mans descent into a hell of his own making. Unbelief in the presence of the undeniable coupled with intellectual and spiritual anarchy devolves into not only the normalization of the irredeemable but the codification of the indefensible. Reading Romans Chapter One is like living through the last twenty years. For as Dr. D. James Kennedy once said, When your code cracks, your creed crumbles. One is only amazed at the rapid rate of decline. What's the Big Deal about Sexual Sin? The truth is undeniable: God abhors sexual sins because it strikes at the image of God in Man. Sexual sin, including transgenderism, explicit and exemplarily condemned in the Word of God, degrades human beings. Our women and children will always suffer the most if we allow such corruption to continue without divine intervention. So, the Lord speaks to us today: Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body (1 Corinthians 6:18-20). The gospel is a perennial word of hope. We do not have to fall into these sins. Paul wrote, I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2). Transgenderism is a sad symptom of a soul in torment. The sin is an especially virulent pathology of the human soul. And the disease is spread by normalizing the forbidden, trivializing its lethality to the soul and to the community; and by naively promoting its supposed gaiety. Behind the laughing drag queen, however, is always a tragic and dying soul in need of Jesus Christs love. If, in fact, you or your loved ones have been infected by the strong spirit-killing viruses of this agent of our present evil age, then, you must know: you can be healed. Life and love may be pure and holy before God. You can be fully human. Gospel transformation is not just available but is inevitable when one confesses his sin, turns to the Lord Jesus Christ to receive His mercy, grace, and receives His cleansing power of the cross: His life lived will cover yours. His death offered as a substitute for the punishment of our sins brings you redemption from the devices of the devil and the fetters of the flesh. St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, a notoriously noxious group of sinners, who had been caught in every vile trick of the devil, especially in sexual sin. Pauls words are most instructive for our study: Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God (1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Did you read that? And such were some of you (emphasis added). Our Lord welcomes you into the company of the redeemed. The sin that so easily besets you today will become the chains lying on the floor of that old cell where you used to exist. But, praise God, you are not what you were. You are not what you will be. You are who you are: a sinner saved by grace, a child of God, loved by Him, redeemed by Him, and destined for a life you only imagined. Photo credit: GettyImages/taa22 Note 1. See S. Stryker and S. Whittle, The Transgender Studies Reader (Routledge, 2006), 1,2; https://books.google.com/books?id=HBRR1isU-VAC. The concept of intersectionality, attributed to UCLA and Columbia Law School professor, Dr. Kimberle Crenshaw (1959), an intellectually fertile academic who also coined Critical Race Theory. See, e.g., Kimberle Crenshaw, Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics, u. Chi. Legal f. (1989): 139. Bibliography Association, American Psychiatric. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). American Psychiatric Pub, 2013. Crenshaw, Kimberle. Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics. u. Chi. Legal f. (1989): 139. Cretella, M.D., Michelle A., Quentin Van Meter, M.D., and Paul McHugh, M.D. Gender Ideology Harms Children. American College of Pediatricians. Last modified February 2, 2016. https://www.acpeds.org/the-college-speaks/position-statements/gender-ideology-harms-children. Foucault, Michel. The History of Sexuality. New York: Vintage Books, 1988. Gill, John. Galatians 1:4. In John Gills Commentary of the Bible. Bible Study Tools. Salem Media Group, 2019. https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/galatians-1-4.html. Halperin, David M. Saint Foucault : Towards a Gay Hagiography. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995. Hardiman, Kate. Radical California Curriculum Wants to Start Teaching Kindergartners about Transgenderism. Washington Examiner. Last modified April 17, 2019. https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/red-alert-politics/radical-california-curriculum-wants-to-start-teaching-kindergartners-about-transgenderism. Kel, Deplorable. Michelle Obama Library Promotes Tranny Demon, With Baphomet Crown To Children, n.d. http://silvanuspublishing.com/transgender/666-20/. Lynskey, D. The Ministry of Truth: The Biography of George Orwells 1984. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2019. https://books.google.com/books?id=maBtDwAAQBAJ. Orwell, G. 1984. Arcturus Publishing, 2014. https://books.google.com/books?id=uyr8BAAAQBAJ. Stryker, S., and S. Whittle. The Transgender Studies Reader. Routledge, 2006. https://books.google.com/books?id=HBRR1isU-VAC. Taylor, Charles. A Secular Age. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2018. Foucault, Michel: Feminism | Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://www.iep.utm.edu/foucfem/. MICHAEL A. MILTON (Ph.D., University of Wales; MPA, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; MDIV, Knox Theological Seminary; Cert. in Higher Education Teaching, Harvard University) serves as the Provost and James Ragsdale Chair of Missions and Evangelism at Erskine College and Seminary. A Presbyterian minister (PCA, ARP), Milton has penned more than thirty books, hundreds of articles in journals, magazines, opinion columns, and newspapers. As president of the D. James Kennedy Institute and Faith for Living, Milton has served as a public theologian. His work has been cited on numerous national media outlets as he provides historic Christian insights into faith and life in a changing world. Dr. Milton's record of ministry includes seminary chancellor, president of three seminaries, senior minister of one of America's historic churches, founder of three congregations, and a Christian academy. A composer and artist, Mike and Mae Milton reside in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Learn more at michaelmilton.org/about. [from a press release by McCain& Associates.] LUSAKA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei on Wednesday signed an agreement with the Zambian government aimed at promoting the use of modern technology in higher learning institutions. The Smart Education program aims to provide holistic learning solutions to students using modern technology in order to fully prepare them for a fast-changing world. Higher Education Minister Brian Mushimba said Smart Education offers a unique paradigm shift in the way students access education and that Zambia should not be left behind in the use of digital technologies in the provision of learning materials. "The current status of Smart Education in Zambia and where we ought to be is what has necessitated this strategic partnership with a technical giant like Huawei who have vast experience in building Smart Education platforms for learning institutions across the globe," he said. According to him, the essence of the agreement was to further cooperation in ensuring smart learning for all learners across the country to ensure that the people of Zambia do not remain behind. Anthony Yu, Huawei Zambia Managing Director said his firm was committed to help universities in Zambia improve the provision of learning through the use of technology. He said the firm will use its vast experience in the technology to help universities find space in the Information Technology Communication (ICT) revolution. According to him, Zambia requires a lot of ICT talent to work together to achieve the country's vision of having a Smart Zambia. Kenyans on Twitter were on Wednesday joined by Twitterati from all over the world in mourning the demise of Tim, one of Africas largest elephants who died early Tuesday morning, February 4, 2020, at the Amboseli National Park. The Kenya Wildlife Service in a statement on Wednesday said super tusker Tim succumbed to natural causes in Mada area of the park. He was half a century old. The body of the giant elephant, one of Kenyas National Treasure whose celebrity status scaled beyond the African continent, was moved to the National Museum in Nairobi where a taxidermist will prepare it for preservation to be used for education and exhibition purposes. Some years back, KWS said Tim was struck on the head with a large rock and pierced through the ear with a spear, the tip of which was embedded in his shoulder. Following the injury, Tim is said to have sought out humans who could assist him; he worked his way to the headquarters of the Big Life Foundation, a non-profit outfit and AWF partner dedicated to the conservation of elephants in southern Kenya. Kenya Wildlife Service in collaboration with partners sedated, and treated him and then he found his way back to the Amboseli marsh in fairly short time. Elephant families are matriarchal and males are solitary from the group when they reach sexual maturity. But Tim was always welcome to travel in the company of females and their families. He was unassuming, unpretentious and laid back. A benevolent, slow-moving preserver of the peace at Amboseli, he was well known and loved throughout Kenya, said KWS. The death of the iconic giant was felt from all corners of the world, with thousands of netizens taking to Twitter to mourn Tim via hashtag #RipTim. Some reactions below. Iconic Tim Takes a Bow ? pic.twitter.com/KrrCNvSPMr KWS (@kwskenya) February 5, 2020 BREAKING NEWS: Majestic Tim the super Tusker in Elephants Of Amboseli is no more. He died last night near Kimana gate. He appeared to be in good healthy musth condition. What a huge loss this is for Amboseli National park and to all of us. @kwskenya @tunajibu pic.twitter.com/8Oj5URWM8h Jim Justus Nyamu (@NyamuJim) February 5, 2020 Tim, the Super Tusker elephant in Amboseli has died. Our hearts are broken ?. Tim was one of Africas very few Super Tuskers, and an incredible elephant whose presence awed and inspired many. He was one of Kenyas National Treasures! ? #RIPTim pic.twitter.com/ene1TA2roo wildlifedirect (@wildlifedirect) February 5, 2020 Dear Tim, you were & are an embodiment of Africa grace, strength and magical uniqueness! For years, you have stood guard, protected the land and gave us much pride. Rest easy, YOU WILL BE MISSED! #RIPTim (Photo courtesy) pic.twitter.com/zRo9bvuOoJ Splash World Limited (@Splashworldltd) February 5, 2020 Last weekend we spent time with Tim in Amboseli National Park. Come here @DavidOsiany and see this beautiful giant is no more??#RIPTim pic.twitter.com/O3msqUb5me Syombua Osiany (@SyombuaOsiany) February 5, 2020 Tim was an iconic large male, whose fame catalyzed many conservation collaborations between KWS and conservation organizations. He captured the hearts of people around the world, who would travel to Amboseli to photograph him.#RIPTim pic.twitter.com/KTnLJJ4jx5 Ciku ?? (@Ciku_Muriithi) February 5, 2020 Big Bull Tim, The Super Tusker Elephant In Amboseli Has Died. We Now Remain With Less Than 30 Of This Kind In Africa. This Is Truly Saddening??. #RIPTim pic.twitter.com/emx4UqXCuw ADVENT TOURS AND SAFARIS (@AdventSafaris) February 5, 2020 Ive been crying a lot since this week began ??? The kids and now Tim. We just lost Sudan?#RIPTim ?|courtesy pic.twitter.com/zI5wAIWfvs Daughter of The Soil (@wendybabra) February 5, 2020 Tim, the Super Tusker elephant in Amboseli has died. Our hearts are broken ?. Tim was one of Africas very few Super Tuskers and an incredible elephant whose presence awed and inspired many. He was one of Kenyas National Treasures! ? #RIPTim pic.twitter.com/27LBpZnwui HandsOffOurElephants (@HandsOffEles) February 5, 2020 I met Tim in 2014 during a trip to #Amboseli. I didnt think much of him then. Only later did I know he was such a big deal because of his big tusks. The news of his passing on yesterday is also a big deal. Happy that it was due to old age, not poaching. Tim was 50.#RIPTim pic.twitter.com/HuHuBgVbog Mwangi Kirubi (@mwarv) February 5, 2020 Kenyans are bashing Moi, the dead former president in #GoToHellMoi but praising Tim, a dead elephant in #RIPTim. pic.twitter.com/4p6QWJwFyr ??? ?????? (@AwDoll) February 5, 2020 Utterly devastated ? Louisa Pearson (@louisa1000) February 5, 2020 Very sad an iconic bull in his prime but important to remember that if not for @biglifeafrica @ste_kenya and @aetkenya he would have been killed well before he achieved supertusker status. The Elephant Queen (@TEQmovie) February 5, 2020 ??? what a beautiful reminder to us how majestic these creatures are, and we have an obligation to care for them. R.I.P Tim ? #elephant Claudia Bryan (@ClaudiaBryan01) February 5, 2020 Amboseli will never be the same without Tim. Hussein Loxontonta (@Hus_Loxodonta) February 5, 2020 So sad to say goodbye to a very big old friend. pic.twitter.com/4pDAk354x7 Dr. Paula Kahumbu (@paulakahumbu) February 5, 2020 Kwaheri Tim, you brought so much awe, love and joy into our lives. RIP Tim. https://t.co/YJr1Jo6FYF Dr. Paula Kahumbu (@paulakahumbu) February 5, 2020 I am very saddened to hear this morning that Tim probably the worlds most famous elephant has passed away at the good old age of 50. This is sad news, but it is no tragedy -today we should celebrate his life and the efforts of all those in Amboseli. pic.twitter.com/8FTcLkysc0 David Yarrow (@David_Yarrow) February 5, 2020 He was loved well beyond Amboseli and will be sorely missed by many. Just sorry that he will not be there for our visit next year? RIP Tim. David Thorp (@DaveThorp60) February 5, 2020 BEMENT A Bement man has been charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI in connection with a three-vehicle accident Jan. 8 on Illinois 105 that resulted in the death of one of the drivers. Conrad J. Gillespie, 23, faces charges of reckless homicide, a Class 3 felony; and two counts of aggravated driving while under the influence of alcohol, one a Class 2 felony since it resulted in the death of another person, and the other a Class 4 felony. UPDATE: Bement woman dies in three-vehicle accident south of Monticello The Piatt County Coroner pronounced the 56-year-old dead at the scene. Her name is being withheld pending notification of next of kin. According to Illinois State Police, accident occurred at 2:01 p.m. about 2 miles south of Monticello when Gillespie, who was heading north in his 2008 Honda Accord, attempted to pass a 2006 Ford Fiesta driven by Arthur Anderson, 51, of Bement. Gillespies car instead collided head-on with a southbound 2012 Nissan Sentra driven by Tonya Shearon, 56, of Bement, who died from her injuries. Anderson and Gillespie were also injured. Gillespie is due to appear in Piatt County court March 3 on the felony charges. He was also cited after the accident for operation of an uninsured motor vehicle, unlawful possession of cannabis by a driver, driving on the left where prohibited and improper lane usage. One suspected ULFA(I) cadre was arrested on Thursday for planting two IEDs in Guwahati ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's day-long visit to Assam Guwahati: One suspected anti-talk ULFA(I) cadre was arrested on Thursday for planting two improvised explosive devices in the state capital ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's day-long visit to Assam. Modi is scheduled to visit Assam on Friday and address a public rally at Kokrajhar after the Bodo peace agreement, which was signed in New Delhi on 27 January. Guwahati Police Commissioner Munna Prasad Gupta told PTI that the two IEDs were found in the busy Paltanbazar and Panbazar areas of the city late on Wednesday night. "The bomb squad took the IEDs away from the populous location and those were detonated safely later. We suspect it is the handiwork of ULFA(I)," he added. The police team immediately launched an operation and arrested one suspected cadre of ULFA(I), Gupta said. To queries whether these bombs were planted targeting Modi's visit to the state, Gupta said, "We cannot say immediately that the IEDs were planted targeting to the PM's visit. We are investigating". Police had recovered another five IEDs from Panikhaiti area, near here on the same day. Modi during his visit to Assam has no programme in the city. He will reach the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport here from Delhi and leave for Kokrajhar by a chopper. On the way back he will reach the airport here by a chopper and leave for the national capital in the plane, officials said. [February 06, 2020] HRS Recognized as the 2020 Best in KLAS Leader for Remote Patient Monitoring HOBOKEN, N.J., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a successful year that included the close of Series B funding, Health Recovery Solutions earned 2020 Best in KLAS Category Leader for Remote Patient Monitoring. In Addition, HRS received strong ratings across five categories in the recently released KLAS Remote Patient Monitoring Report: patient communication, ease of use, roadmap and vision, functionality, quality of service and support. Founded in 2012, HRS provides healthcare agencies from home health, hospitals, and physician groups to health systems and ACOs with the top ranked care management platform to better monitor patients and reduce hospital readmissions. Via the platform, patients engage in their care and communicate with their clinicians, improving their overall quality of life. As the prevalence of chronic conditions continues to rise affecting nearly 40% of the US population more patients require the ability to bring healthcare home and quickly access healthcare if their condition deteriorates. HRS is leading the way with individualized, high-quality care for clinical teams and their patients. "HRS was founded on the belief that healthcare must be simple, accessible, and patient-centered. Every day we work with our partners to deliver results and build innovative and sustainable telehealth programs" said HRS CEO, Jarrett Bauer. "We are honored to be recognized by KLAS and are excited to continue providing patients and clinicians with the best remote monitoring platform out there." "Frederick Health Hospital has worked with HRS for over three years. They came along side our chronic care management program and helped us to enhance our standard of care. The support we get from the HRS team is amazing and they are so attentiv to our needs and plans for growth," added Lisa Hogan, Chronic Care Management Team Leader at Frederick Memorial Hospital. "We are looking forward to using the video conferencing more in the future and I know HRS will be right there with us helping us develop and add to our chronic care program. We have had great results from our program in our community and could not ask for a better partner than HRS." "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," said KLAS President, Adam Gale. "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." KLAS is an independent research organization, monitoring healthcare vendor performance. Best in KLAS leaders are selected from among more than 250 vendors based on interviews with over 4,500 hospitals and 2,500 clinics. Health Recovery Solutions will accept the award at the Best in KLAS Awards Reception at HIMSS20 in Orlando, Florida on March 9, 2020. About Health Recovery Solutions Health Recovery Solutions (HRS) supplies leading health systems with the most advanced remote monitoring platform and technology-enabled management services focused on changing patient behavior to reduce readmissions and improve clinical outcomes. HRS' disease-specific telehealth solutions are customized with educational videos, care plans, and medication reminders while also integrated with Bluetooth peripherals to engage patients. For clinicians, HRS' software allows for the management of high-risk patients and provides seamless communication with them through video chat, wound imaging, and text messaging. For family members and caregivers, HRS' software gives them the ability to be fully involved in their family member's care and wellbeing. To learn more about Health Recovery Solutions, visit https://www.healthrecoverysolutions.com/klas-awards or call (347) 699-6477. About KLAS KLAS is a data-driven company on a mission to improve the world's healthcare by enabling provider and payer voices to be heard and counted. Working with thousands of healthcare professionals, KLAS collects insights on software, services and medical equipment to deliver reports, trending data and statistical overviews. KLAS data is accurate, honest and impartial. The research directly reflects the voice of healthcare professionals and acts as a catalyst for improving vendor performance. To learn more about KLAS and the insights we provide, visit KLASresearch.com Media Contact: Tess Meehan, tme[email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hrs-recognized-as-the-2020-best-in-klas-leader-for-remote-patient-monitoring-300999917.html SOURCE Health Recovery Solutions [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] President Muhammadu Buhari will depart Abuja on Friday to attend the 33rd Ordinary Session of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Garba Shehu, the Presidents Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Thursday. Mr Shehu stated that Mr Buhari would join leaders from the 55-member countries of the AU to participate in the Summit with the theme, Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africas Development. The President will attend the 29th Forum of Heads of State and Government of Participating States of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). He will also attend the 27th Session of New Partnership for Africas Development (NEPAD) Heads of State and Government Orientation Committee (AUDA-NEPAD). The meetings will precede the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly. In Nigerias capacity as a member of the AU Peace and Security Council, President Buhari will participate in the High Level meeting of the Peace and Security Council on the situation in the Sahel and Libya, and High Level Ad-Hoc Committee on South Sudan, he said. According to him, the president on the margins of the Summit will deliver a keynote address at a High Level Side Event on Stop the War on Children: Dividend of Silencing the Guns. READ ALSO: The event is co-sponsored by the Governments of Nigeria, Uganda and Norway, and Save the Children International. President Buhari and the Nigerian delegation will also participate in other High Level Side Events in furtherance of Nigerias national, regional and international goals, priorities and aspirations. These include peace and security, countering terrorism and violent extremism, economic development, asset recovery and fight against corruption, he added. He further said the president would also hold bilateral meetings with several world leaders on the margins of the summit. At the end of the AU Summit on Februat 10, the Nigerian president will commence a State Visit to Ethiopia on Feb. 11, at the invitation of the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Dr Abiy Ahmed. The visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between Nigeria and Ethiopia and reinforcing cooperation in key areas of mutual interest between the two countries. Before returning to Abuja, President Buhari will also interact with the Nigerian Community in Ethiopia, he said. Mr Shehu disclosed that the president would be accompanied by Governors of Imo, Hope Uzodinma and Cross River Ben Ayade as well as Sen. Adamu Bulkachuwa, Chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and Yusuf Baba, Chairman House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Others are Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo and Gloria Akobundu, National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer, NEPAD Nigeria. Also on the presidents entourage are the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno and Minister of Defence, Bashir Magashi. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abubakar, are also on the presidents entourage. Mr Buhari is expected back in Abuja on Wednesday. (NAN) Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-07 03:38:42|Editor: zyl Video Player Close U.S. President Donald Trump (1st R, Rear) makes a statement about his acquittal at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States, on Feb. 6, 2020. Donald Trump took a victory lap Thursday, a day after a divided Senate voted to acquit him on impeachment charges. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump took a victory lap Thursday, a day after a divided Senate voted to acquit him on impeachment charges. In a lengthy speech at the White House East Room packed with Republican lawmakers, administration officials and reporters, Trump called the event "a celebration." While holding up a copy of Thursday's The Washington Post with the headline "Trump acquitted," the president joked about going to take the paper home and frame it. On Wednesday, the final day of the Senate trial of Trump's impeachment, senators voted 52 to 48 to reject the first charge of abuse of power, and 53 to 47 against the second charge of obstruction of Congress. Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah and the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, broke from the party by voting "guilty" on the abuse of power charge against Trump, becoming the only member of the chamber who crossed party lines. Taking a shot at Romney, Trump called him "a failed presidential candidate." Romney, in a Senate floor speech on Wednesday explaining his decision, said "the president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust." During Thursday's remarks, Trump also went after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, lead impeachment manager Adam Schiff, and other Democrats, who were pushing the impeachment drive. Pelosi, in her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill on Thursday, said that the House "had a strong enough case to impeach and remove." "You're impeached forever, you're never getting rid of that scar," Pelosi said of Trump. "History will always record that you are impeached for undermining the security of our country, jeopardizing the integrity of our elections, and violating the Constitution of the United States." The strained relationship between Trump and Pelosi is in limelight again after a pair of dramas on the occasion of the president's State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday. Trump, before starting the address, appeared to snub Pelosi's offer of a handshake; when the president finished speaking, the House's top Democrat ripped up her copy of the speech. The Pelosi-led House impeached Trump in December last year after an inquiry triggered by a whistleblower complaint that raised concerns about the White House's interactions with Ukraine. Trump was alleged to have pressured his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, into launching investigations that could politically benefit him by withholding military aid from Ukraine. Furthermore, the White House allegedly tried to cover it up. The president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or a "quid pro quo" with Ukraine. The White House stonewalled the House impeachment inquiry, accusing Democrats of an unfair process. Bitter partisan wrestling continued in the Senate impeachment trial as Republicans and Democrats were sharply divided on whether to allow subpoenas for witnesses and documents till a failed motion last week kicked off an endgame. Trump's acquittal was widely expected as Republicans, largely unified during the impeachment proceeding, control the Senate, making it almost impossible for the 67-vote conviction threshold to be reached. Omani French Friendship Association (OFA) held a second meeting with Salim Al Aufi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil & Gas today (February 6) to continue the discussion started last year on the energy transition. The meeting titled Energy Transformation: a choice or a necessity focused this year in particular on the financial perspective associated with this transition. The impact of fossil fuels on climate change has led governments, business communities, investors and the public in general to recognize the urgency to decarbonise the global economy. It is also widely acknowledged that massive investments are required for a sustainable energy transition but the question is to find out how and who will undertake it. The meeting attempted to balance the necessary financial short-term returns for investors and banks with long term vision. The panellists included Salim Al Aufi, Undersecretary of the MOG, Marie Cecile Grzanka, head of Sectorial Coverage Energy Natural Resources & Energy Financing of Societe Generale, Nigel Govett, chief financial officer of Rakiza Fund & member of the Senior Investment Committee of SGRF and Mohammed Al Riyami, senior manager of Oman Society for Petroleum Services (OPAL) who moderated the panel discussion. The key aim of this informative meeting was to discuss the situation of the sustainable pathway, to ascertain if enough is being done in energy efficiency, to listen to the government plans and position to increase renewables in the energy mix and to understand the current trend in funding projects with less carbon footprint, among other key questions. OFA would like to thank its sponsors for that meeting: TOTAL Oman (Platinum), ENGIE (Gold), PDO and Bank Muscat (Silver), Symtech Solar Mena (Bronze), an OFA statement said. OFA, a non-profit organization registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is chaired by Sheikha Hind Bahwan and fully supported by the French Embassy, and aims at strengthening the bilateral relations between Oman and France thought the organization of monthly events. TradeArabia News Service Three people, including the wife of leader of a right-wing Hindu outfit Ranjeet Bachchan, were arrested in connection with his murder, a senior police official said on Thursday. Lucknow: Three people, including the wife of leader of a right-wing Hindu outfit Ranjeet Bachchan, were arrested in connection with his murder, a senior police official said on Thursday. Smriti Srivastava, described as Bachchan's second wife, her friend Deependra and driver Sanjeet Gautam were arrested, Lucknow Police Commissioner Sujit Pandey said. Smriti told police that a divorce case was going on between her and Bachchan since 2016, but he was delaying the process by not appearing for court proceedings, Pandey said. She claimed that Bachchan was creating hurdles in her marriage with Deependra. Saffron-clad Bachchan, 40, who had founded the Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha, was shot dead on 2 February while he was out on a morning walk, barely a couple of kilometres away from the high-security Uttar Pradesh legislature complex in the heart of the state capital. His cousin Aditya Srivastava was also injured in the attack. "Those involved in the murder are Smriti Srivastava (second wife), her friend Deependra, Sanjeet Gautam (driver) and Jeetendra (the shooter). Deependra was the person who convinced everyone to commit the crime. Smriti was part of the whole conspiracy. We arrested Sanjeet Gautam from Lucknow, Deependra has been arrested from UP-MP border and Smriti too has been arrested from Vikasnagar (in Lucknow)," the police commissioner told reporters. Elaborating about the incident, Pandey said, "Three people (Deependra, Sanjeet and Jeetendra) moved from Rae Bareli at 2.30 am (on the intervening night of 1 and 2 February). On 2 February, Deependra was dropped at Hazratganj crossing, the shooter was dropped near Capitol cinema hall crossing. At 5.40 am, Ranjeet Bachchan, Kalindi and Aditya moved out from their home for morning walk. The shooter followed them in Hazratganj, and attacked them outside Globe Park." Twelve teams were formed to nab the accused persons, the police commissioner said, adding that efforts were underway to arrest Jeetender, the shooter. Earlier, four police personnel, including a sub-inspector, were suspended for alleged laxity. Cleopatra Hospitals Group, one of Egypt's biggest private healthcare groups, is in talks with Alameda Healthcare for a merger that the competition agency says would result in a dominant entity The Egyptian Competition Authority (ECA) has called on the health ministry to stop a potential merger between Cleopatra Hospitals Group, one of Egypt's largest private hospital groups, and Alameda Healthcare, saying the deal constitutes a monopolistic practice that would negatively impact people's rights and the country's economy, a source at the authority said. The two groups are currently in talks over a potential merger that would result in a giant unit with around 2,000 beds, the ECA official, who requested anonymity, told Ahram Online on Thursday. In a letter sent to the health ministry, the competition watchdog warned that the merger would raise the price of medical services offered to patients and limit their options for access to healthcare services at reasonable prices. It added that the deal would create a "dominant entity" that would hamper the entry of new investors into the Egyptian healthcare sector. The Cleopatra Hospitals Group owns six of Cairo's most prominent private hospitals, including Cleopatra, Cairo Specialised, Nile Badrawi, Al Shorouk, Queens and ElKateb hospitals. Alameda Healthcare owns As-Salam International Hospital and Dar Al-Fouad Hospital in 6 October and Nasr City, as well as a number of medical laboratories and rehabilitation centres. The agency called on the ministry to apply a 2014 decision which stipulates that the sale or change of the legal structure of private hospitals and pharmaceutical firms requires approval from the ministry after ensuring it would not undermine patients' rights or affect their access to health services. Health ministry officials were not immediately available for comment. Cleopatra, which had previously announced plans for expansion, said in a stock exchange disclosure that it had not reached a final decision on any deal, local media reported. A source from one of the group's hospitals contacted by Ahram Online said no information about the deal had been shared at the last board meeting of the group. Search Keywords: Short link: The year 2019 saw record decline in CO2 emitted from electricity generation as renewable sources rose to a new high. The European power sector emitted 12 percent less carbon dioxide in 2019 than during the prior year, suggesting the continent has sped up its shift away from fossil fuel energy sources. During the same period, the share of energy from renewables increased to almost 35 percent, according to a new report by two European climate think-tanks. According to the findings, published Wednesday in a joint report by Agora Energiewende in Germany and Sandbag in the United Kingdom, emissions fell last year by 120 million tonnes. Power generation from hard coal declined in every European Union country and sank by 24 percent overall. The coal energy that left the market was replaced in nearly equal measure by natural gas and renewable energy. And for the first time ever, renewables such as wind and solar power produced more energy for Europe than coal plants. Moreover, the report said, the countries that were most ambitious with renewables saw the biggest decrease in their electricity market prices. Not competitive Christoph Podewils, a spokesman for the Berlin-based Agora Energiewende, said that the changes were triggered by the carbon pricing of the European emissions trading system [ETS]. The ETS market cap-and-trade scheme is the worlds first and biggest such policy to fight climate change. Under the greenhouse gas emissions limit, companies from the energy, industrial and intra-European aviation sectors can buy and exchange credits. European energy sector emissions have abated with wind and solar and also natural gas growing substantially [Agora Energiewende] Coal power is now more expensive than [power from] other sources, Podewils told Al Jazeera. Its not competitive anymore. He said that the European carbon price hovering around 25 euros ($27) per tonne provided security to all those investors to deliver on renewable energy and efficiency targets. Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK accounted for 80 percent of the decline in energy produced from hard coal. Electricity produced by nuclear plants decreased slightly, while energy from natural gas rose 12 percent from the previous year. Priced out The least efficient plants in Europe just get priced out, said Dave Jones, a power analyst at Sandbag who described coal as uneconomic in the long term. He told Al Jazeera that coal was basically priced out of the market against natural gas. Generally [coal-fired plants] are not covering their annual fixed costs, he added, saying that the lack of profitability for coal would accelerate plant closures. In Europe, with electricity generally sold on day-ahead markets, renewable capacity is constructed over a much longer time scale, Jones said. Wind and solar projects are built through 15-to-20-year auction contracts where prices have collapsed. But in contrast to the collapse of coal, the increase in the affordability of renewables is seen as an overwhelmingly positive development for customer cost savings and help in the uphill battle against global warming. Year-on-year changes in European electricity generation, in terawatt hours, of wind, solar and biomass [Agora Energiewende] Yet, Jones said, it may be hard to predict the evolution of the market price for carbon, which climate advocates see as part of a tool box that also includes rapid progress for renewable installations and energy efficiency improvements. Carbon pricing appears to level the playing field between different generation sources. However, Jones added, You dont know whats going to happen [with the exact price] until you know what kind of regulation will get brought in. Stricter rules made by lawmakers in Brussels in the future could keep the carbon price at its currently elevated level, incentivising an accelerated transition from fossil fuels. Wind and solar surge In 2019, wind power grew 14 percent, in part due to more favourable weather conditions. Electricity from solar panels increased seven percent. All EU member states except one saw a rise in the wind and solar components of their energy mix. Meanwhile, hydropower shrunk six percent as a result of ongoing drought, while nuclear power reliant on river water for cooling was also impacted by summer dryness. EU goals state that one-third of total energy must come from renewables by 2030. But that will require an annual addition of 97 terawatt hours for the next 10 years. Despite soaring to record heights this year, renewables added just 64 terawatt hours. Wednesdays report from Agora Energiewende said that the EU must reduce the number of issued [carbon] permits faster than previously planned if it wants the emissions trading system to be effective. The report also said that the UK, Ireland and Spain have been most ambitious thus far in expanding renewables. This investment has driven down their electricity costs and made those countries less dependent on both energy imports and carbon prices. Broadly speaking, European economic output has grown, albeit slowly, even as electricity consumption shrinks. As 21 EU members have coal phase-out plans, these trends are likely to continue. But a number of Eastern European countries remain wedded to the combustible black rock. France and Germany are among the EU countries with coal phase-out dates decided, while discussions are still ongoing in Spain. Discussions have yet to begin in much of Eastern Europe, while Belgium, the Baltic states and Cyprus are already free of coal [Agora Energiewende] Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Bulgaria continue to depend heavily on lignite power and have yet to develop phase-out plans, said Jones. Such plans are necessary not only to create a coal-free EU but also because lignite power plants have swung from being an asset to a liability as lower electricity prices and higher carbon prices in 2019 have crushed their economics. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. President Armen Sarkissian received today Ambassador of Sweden to Armenia Ulrik Tidestrom (residence in Tbilisi), the Presidential office told Armenpress. The Swedish Ambassador said 2019 was a productive year for the development of the Armenian-Swedish relations as during this period mutual visits at different levels were held, the cooperation of the two countries received a new quality. The Armenian President highlighted the progress recorded and stated that there are broad opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of new technologies, artificial intelligence, food safety and tourism. President Sarkissian highly valued the assistance provided to Armenia by the Swedish government for strengthening the democratic institutions, protecting human rights and establishing the rule of law. Both sides highlighted the development and strengthening of democratic institutions in Armenia. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan 05.02.2020 LISTEN The Minority in Parliament is demanding the withdrawal of the agreements on the construction of the Pwalugu multipurpose dam over value for money audit issues. Three agreements amounting to US$993 million are currently before the House pending approval. Earlier, the Minority resisted the approval process before Parliament went on recess in 2019 to pave way for the requisite due diligence on the deal. In a Citi News interview, however, Member of Parliament for Adaklu, Governs Agbodza said the House must not approve the agreement in its current state. All that the Majority should do is to come to Parliament and withdraw the whole thing, relay and direct it to the appropriate committees. I am not even sure why the Majority is insisting on doing the wrong thing. It is not possible for any committee in Parliament to approve a billion-dollar contract in three different tranches within an hour. How are we going to do that, I think it is totally wrong. We cant be in a rush to develop our country. We cant ignore the laws. Already, the Minority has said that the cost of the electrical generation components for the proposed Pwalugu Dam is too expensive and must be renegotiated. But the Ministry of Energy has questioned the basis on which the Minority in Parliament claims that the cost quoted for the construction of the Pwalugu multi-purpose dam had been inflated. About the dam 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, with an average yield of two tons per cage, making possible the continuous development of the country's aquaculture and fisheries sector. 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 says 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. ---citinewsroom Today's edition of Paris Live begins with an update on the coronavirus, which has lead to the cancellation of many international flights to and from China and entire cruise ships held in quarantine conditions. The World Health Organization, which has declared the outbreak a global health emergency, has appealed for $675 million to fight the virus. We turn then to the United States where President Donald Trump is taking a victory lap after after his impeachment acquittal in the Senate, just a few months ahead of presidential elections. On the topic of elections, we meet special guest Larry Sanders, brother of Democratic candidate hopeful Bernie. Taking time out from his own political activities in the UK where he's been based for decades, he is in France to garner support for Democrats abroad and get them involved in the campaign. Over in Zimbabwe, we hear why the ruling ZANU-PF party sacked its youth secretary and suspended two other senior officials and how the President has reacted. In Kenya, authorities are faced with human traffickers who target new-born babies at health facilities. We also get a preview of what to expect from this year's African Union Summit in the Ethiopian capital. The main two-day event kicks off on 9 February, with heads of state coming in from all over Africa to discuss this year's main topic: silencing the guns. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he had flagged issues hindering the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to the Congress-led government at the centre when he was the chief minister of Gujarat and finally solved them after becoming the prime minister of the country. He also hit out at the Congress for delaying GSTs implementation during the debate on the motion of thanks to the President of India in the parliament on Thursday. If you knew so much about GST, why did you delay its implementation, he asked, before recounting his meeting with former finance minister Pranab Mukherjee over the need to iron out differences. ALSO WATCH | Tubelight to Fit India: When PM Modis jibes left Parliament in splits As Gujarat CM, I had told then Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee to address the concerns of manufacturing states before rolling out GST. Shri Arun Jaitley addressed those concerns before implementing GST. As PM, I resolved the issues that I had raised as CM, the PM said. Proposal to bring India under the GST regime was discussed both by NDAs Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and the subsequent UPA governments led by the Congress, but it couldnt be implemented owing to opposition by states. Also read | In his Rajya Sabha speech, PM lists out steps taken after scrapping of Article 370 in J-K Modi said his government was open to taking suggestions from even the Congress-ruled states to improve the GST regime, which was introduced by his governments first term. GST was changed several times. GST is a major achievement for Indias federal structure. Do we stop making changes to it if suggestions come from Congress-ruled states? No, we wont. We will make changes according to the need of the hour, the PM said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also listed several firsts achieved by his government in Jammu and Kashmir after Governors rule was imposed in the state while supporting the centres move to abrogate Article 370. For the first time in decades, people of Jammu and Kashmir got benefits of reservation. Block Development Council polls were held, RERA came into being there. For the first time, Jammu and Kashmir got a comprehensive start-up, trade and logistics policy. Anti-corruption bureau was set up there, said the PM. Prime minister said in the 18 months in J&K, 2.5 lakh toilets were made, panchayat elections were held, over three lakh electricity connections were given, over 3.5 lakh Ayushman health gold cards were handed out and women and elders were connected with the governments pension scheme. Only 3.5 thousand houses were made under PM housing scheme till March 2018 while in the last two years over 24 thousand houses were made under the same scheme, he said. Recalling that Tamil Nadu MP and MDMK leader Vaiko had called August 5 a black day for Jammu and Kashmir, the prime minister said August 5 was a black day for those who promoted terrorism and separatism in Jammu and Kashmir. Russian police have detained a person suspected of being involved in the 2009 high-profile killing of Russia's most notorious crime boss, Vyacheslav Ivankov, also known as Yaponchik (The Little Japanese). Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said on February 6 that Murtaz Shadania has been charged with murder and the possession of an illegal weapon. Petrenko said Shadania is suspected of tracking Ivankov's movements and providing a specialized weapon to a gunman who on July 28, 2009, wounded Ivankov as he left a Moscow restaurant. The 69-year-old crime boss died about three months later from the wounds he suffered in the attack. Georgia-born Ivankov was a professional criminal and a crowned "thief in law," a title traditionally given among criminal groups in former Soviet republics to kingpins. Shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, he was unexpectedly released from a prison in Russia where he had been serving a 14-year prison term for illegal firearm possession, forgery, and drug trafficking. In March 1992, Ivankov moved to the United States where he was arrested in 1995 and sentenced to 10 years on charges of extortion, fraud, and illegally entering the country. He was extradited to Russia after spending almost 10 years in the U.S. prison system and tried and acquitted on murder charges in Moscow. Ivankov was buried on October 13, 2009, at Moscow's Vagankovo cemetery, the resting place of many notable Soviet and Russian luminaries. The funeral was widely covered by media as hundreds of kingpins representing criminal syndicates from all over the former Soviet Union attended. Ivankov's assassination is thought to have been part of an ongoing gang war between Ivankov's close associate, Moscow's notorious crime boss Aslan Usoyan, also known as Ded Khasan (Grandfather Khasan), and Georgian crime boss Tariel Oniani. Usoyan, a Georgia-born 75-year-old organized-crime figure, was similarly shot dead by a sniper while leaving a Moscow restaurant in January 2013. With reporting by Interfax and TASS The US on Wednesday condemned Pakistan for not protecting the religious freedom of its minorities, who in its case includes Hindus, as it launched an alliance of like-minded partners who treasure, and fight for, international religious freedom for every human being. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo made the comments during the launch of the 27-nation International Religious Freedom Alliance. We condemn terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities whether they are Yazidis in Iraq, Hindus in Pakistan, Christians in northeast Nigeria, or Muslims in Burma, Pompeo said. The top US diplomats statement comes after India amended a citizenship law to grant citizenship to migrants from six minority communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered the country after December 31, 2014. Reports of Hindu religious sites being vandalised and frequent cases of forced conversion of Hindu girls for marriage frequently emerge from Pakistan. We condemn blasphemy and apostasy laws that criminalise matters of the soul. We condemn the Chinese Communist Partys hostility to all faiths. We know several of you courageously pushed back against Chinese pressure by agreeing to be part of this Alliance, and we thank you for that, Pompeo said. Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Israel, Ukraine, the Netherlands and Greece are among the prominent countries to join the alliance. Defending the right of all people to live their lives according to their conscience is one of this administrations top priorities, Pompeo said in his address. Indeed, we must affirm, and fight for, that truth now more than ever. More than eight in 10 people in the world today live where they cannot practice their faith freely, he said. According to a senior State Department official, participating countries are to discuss the kind of areas that they are going to work and focus on. The areas will include things like technology and religious oppression, blasphemy and apostasy laws, for instance. The toolbox will include things like, whether its putting out statements, actions that can take place in international bodies that the group can come together and hopefully come behind, the possibilities of sanctions being used, said the official. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that it is a consensual body. Every nation is not bound to join in each of the items that come forth. But as countries look at this and say thats something were interested in, then they can join. And if they decide, look, thats not one were interested in, then they wont, and there is no penalty or foul for any of participation or non-participation, the official said. (With PTI inputs) Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Bernie Sanders are almost deadlocked atop the crowded Democratic presidential battle in Iowa, with results from Monday nights caucuses still trickling in. With 97% of precincts reporting and Iowa Democratic Party officials working to verify the final results after days of confusion and frustration among candidates and voters, Buttigieg held a slight edge over Sanders at 26.2% support to 26.1%. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts remains in third place at 18.2%, with former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota rounding out the top five at 15.8% and 12.2%, respectively. No other candidate garnered more than 1% support from caucusgoers. Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend who declared his campaign victorious in a late night speech Monday, leads Sanders by three state delegates, 550-547, out of 2,098 counted. The tight contest will likely see both candidates pick up steam ahead of a New Hampshire debate Friday and the first-in-the-nation primary next Tuesday. Sanders, a progressive senator who lost the nomination to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016, won the New Hampshire primary that year. Democratic officials in Iowa say a delay in reporting results stemmed from technical difficulties with an app that precinct chairs were meant to use to track votes. Many volunteers took to social media on Monday to say they were on hold for hours using the backup call system. AP reported that some tally sheets were still in the mail en route to Democratic headquarters in Des Moines, adding to a delay that President Donald Trump and Republicans have already pounced on as a talking point. The Democrat Caucus is an unmitigated disaster. Nothing works, just like they ran the Country, Trump tweeted on Tuesday. Related Coverage: ALBANY A personal friendship between MyPayrollHR CEO Michael Mann and a Pioneer Bank executive is a central focus in two lawsuits filed against the Capital Region-based financial institution, both claiming Pioneer did not alert other banks of suspicious activity in Mann's accounts while they were in a joint agreement to loan him millions of dollars. But in an interview with the Times Union Thursday, Pioneer CEO Tom Amell said the premise of the banks lawsuits doesn't bode well for them, because they made no indication the banks ever requested the information they were seeking from Pioneer. The lawsuits, filed on behalf of Elmira-based Chemung Canal Trust Company and Massachusetts-based Berkshire Bank, claim that during discussions in 2017 about the banks' participation in multimillion-dollar loans, Pioneer Vice President David Blessing personally vouched for Mann, describing one of his companies, ValueWise, as a "mini Berkshire Hathaway" with $100 million in annual revenue. Mann himself touted his company's purported success in meetings with representatives from Pioneer, Chemung and Berkshire, the lawsuit alleges. But during this time, federal prosecutors say, Mann was in the midst of a $70 million bank fraud scheme that eventually ended in September 2019 with the collapse of MyPayrollHR, which authorities said was caused by Mann's decision to route funds meant for his payroll clients into his own personal bank account in an attempt to alleviate debts he accrued from Pioneer. The payroll company's sudden shuttering led to thousands of workers across the country waking up during National Payroll Week to missing paychecks. A ham-fisted attempt to reclaim the lost money by Cachet Financial Services, the California firm that moved money electronically for MyPayrollHR, led to two paychecks' worth of money being yanked from worker accounts. Mann faces a federal bank-fraud charge to which he has not yet pleaded. A second man pleaded guilty to a federal charge Wednesday after admitting culpability in some of Mann's alleged schemes. The lawsuit, which was first reported by The Daily Gazette, said Pioneer "had a unique window into the ... fraudulent scheme," and should have known that something was amiss with Mann's accounts before his company collapsed. They cite 30 overdrafts worth more than $100 million that occurred over the course of January, June, July and August of last year. Other suspicions cited in the lawsuit include ValueWise's receipt of tens of millions of dollars in third-party financing which the company did not list in internal financial statements and other "suspicious activity" the banks claim may be an indicator of illegal check-kiting, such as frequent, seven-figure round-dollar deposits in Mann's Pioneer accounts. MyPayrollHR fallout: Michael Mann associate pleads guilty to wire fraud Firm that moved money for MyPayrollHR files for bankruptcy Headaches continue for companies affected by MyPayrollHR's collapse Complete coverage of the MyPayrollHR scandal In a phone call Thursday, Amell, the Pioneer CEO, said both banks had "direct, unencumbered access to our entire lending staff throughout this relationship," and said the lengthy lawsuits make no mention of an attempt by either bank to solicit information from Pioneer about the overdrafts. "My first reaction is the excessive length of the complaint," Amell said. "But when I finished reading it, it quickly become apparent to me why it was so long they weaved a very long story, but most striking is what they left out." The lawsuits, which run 47 and 59 pages, make no mention of an attempt by either bank to solicit information from Pioneer about the overdrafts, Amell said. "Their premise is, if they were aware of overdrafts, they would have made a different decision in participating with the loan," Amell said. "Nowhere in the entire complaint do they state that they even ask about what they now claim was their most significant factor in making their decision." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Had Pioneer Bank been on the other side of the issue, Amell said, "We would have asked that question." "I understand that in participations if a loan goes bad, that someones going to be held accountable for the loan decision," Amell said. "What's disappointing to me is that they point the finger at Pioneer and others when they really should be looking into their own people and process." Neither Chemung nor Berkshire could be reached for comment Thursday. The lawsuits seek $15.6 million in damages for Berkshire and $4.2 million to Chemung. Amell said Blessing is still with Pioneer, but declined to elaborate on his standing in the company. He also said he did not know that Blessing and Mann's friendship went back to their time in graduate school, as is alleged in the lawsuits. He said there is nothing unusual about close friends negotiating a loan agreement when one of those friends is an executive at the originating bank. Amell said, without elaborating, that Pioneer has made changes in its business practices after learning lessons from the fallout of Mann's companies. He also said he does not like the fact that the coverage of the fallout from MyPayrollHR has become a "Pioneer-centric story." "Pioneer is just one of the victims," Amell said. "Theres a whole host of people who were duped by Michael Mann and his co-conspirators." Michael.Williams@timesunion.com or 518-454-5018. 06.02.2020 LISTEN The Ghana Innovation Hub launches a call for application for any tech-based start-up to take part in the Accelerator Factory program. This program is free to join and selected companies will get extensive training from experts in their field as well as 30,000 USD in cash and AWS credits and services to support their business. Starting from the 29th of February till 15th May, throughout the program start-ups will also get mentoring from leading industry tycoons. The accelerator program is lead by BlueSPACE Africa - one of the Ghana Innovation Hub consortium partners. The program called Accelerator Factory is there to transform the growth potential of existing start-ups. Rather than following the model established by the first accelerator known as Ycombinator back in 2005, the Accelerator Factory is novel in that it focuses on growth by developing the capacity in four main areas: people, process, product and profits. Located in the Accra Digital Centre near circle, The Ghana Innovation Hub was set up by a consortium of BlueSPACE Africa, the Ghana Technology University College (GTUC) and MDF West Africa, under the eTransform project of the Ministry of Communications with funding from the World Bank Group. For tech based start-up which ideally are over a year old and have generated revenue should register under this link: https://forms.gle/oBLPfPM2YZtgbUec9 The application deadline is Wednesday the 12th of February. New Delhi, Feb 6 : In a frontal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday the government had wrecked the economy and created an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty in the country. Speaking on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, he said the government didn't believe in consensus building and always took a confrontationist approach. He said the government didn't consult states before coming out with the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that allowed citizenship to non-Muslims from the three neighbouring countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The senior Congress leader said the government was suppressing the people's voice and terming the opposition anti-national when it protested against its policies. Sharma said the President's address didn't mention the economic crisis in the country. The nominal economic growth had reached four-decade low and unemployment 45-year high, Sharma said and added India had slipped on the Global Hunger Index and the Transparency Index. Taking on the government for lining up profit-making PSUs for disinvestment, Sharma said it had been selling the public assets to make up for the revenue shortfall, which could eventually touch Rs 3 lakh crore in FY20. Hacking into voting machines remains far too easy. MORE INFO The Iowa caucuses app had another problem: It could have been hacked While there is no evidence hackers intercepted or tampered with the results, a security firm consulted by ProPublica found that the app lacks key safeguards. Read more. Iowa caucuses did one thing right: Require paper ballots In November, some voters in at least nine states will cast their ballots electronically on systems that do not leave a paper trail. Read more. Confusion reigned in Iowa caucus -- even before the chaotic results While Iowans had access to more caucusing locations, confusion about the system kept some from being counted and left advocates for the disability community frustrated with remaining barriers. Read more. It is too soon to say for sure what role cybersecurity played in the 2020 Iowa caucuses, but the problems, which are still unfolding and being investigated, show how easily systemic failures can lead to delays and undermine trust in democratic processes. Thats particularly true when new technology -- in this case, a reporting app -- is introduced, even if theres no targeted attack on the system. The vulnerabilities are not just theoretical. They have been exploited around the world, such as in South Africa, Ukraine, Bulgaria and the Philippines. Successful attacks dont need the resources and expertise of national governments -- even kids have managed it. Congress and election officials around the U.S. are struggling to figure out what to do to protect the integrity of Americans votes in 2020 and beyond. The Iowa caucuses are run by political parties, not state officials, but many of the concepts and processes are comparable. A look at similar problems and some attempts at solutions around the world offers some ideas that U.S. officials could use to ensure everyones vote is recorded and counted accurately, and that any necessary audits and recounts will confirm that election results are correct. As a scholar researching cybersecurity and internet governance for more than 10 years, I have come to the conclusion that only by working together across sectors, industries and nations can the people of the world make their democracies harder to hack and achieve some measure of what I and others call cyber peace. Electronic tampering is not new As far back as 1994, an unknown hacker tried to alter the results of an election -- but the effort failed, and Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa. A similar effort played out in 2014 when Russian-backed hackers targeted Ukraine, attempting to fake vote totals for the presidential election. They were caught just in time, but the sophistication of the attacks should have been seen as a shot across the bow for future elections in the U.S. and around the world. How has the U.S. government responded? More than two-thirds of U.S. counties are using voting machines that are at least a decade old. Because many of these machines are running outdated operating systems, they are vulnerable to exploitation. The multi-pronged strategy used by the Kremlin to undermine the 2016 U.S. presidential election shared parallels with the election in Ukraine back in 2014, including the probing of insecure voting machines, compromising voter-registration lists and weaponizing social media to spread misinformation. To date, the U.S. response has been weak. True, the threats are complex, and partisan rancor hasnt made it any easier for officials to unite against them. Still, local, state and federal government agencies have made some progress. For instance, in 2018 Congress agreed to spend US$380 million to help states buy more secure voting machines. In December 2019, Congress and the president agreed to spend a further $425 million on election cybersecurity, which is in line with estimates for how much it would cost to replace digitally vulnerable paperless voting machines across the nation. These funds will allow more states to upgrade their voting equipment and conduct post-election audits. But this is still less than a quarter of the amount Congress appropriated -- nearly $4 billion -- to upgrade U.S. voting systems after the confusion of the 2000 election. U.S. Cyber Command has been sharing information with local officials, as well as becoming more active such as by shutting down a Russian troll farm on Election Day 2018. Lessons from other nations Like the United States, the European Union has also faced hacking attacks on election systems, including in the Netherlands, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic. In response, the EU has increased cybersecurity requirements on election officials and infrastructure providers requiring things like more robust authentication procedures to help confirm voters identities. It has also urged its members to use paper ballots and analog vote-counting systems to help ward off concerns over compromised voting machines. Nations around the world -- including Germany and Brazil -- that have used electronic voting machines are going back to paper ballots in part due to security and transparency concerns, while a 2019 court order requires paper trail audits in Indian elections. Other mature democracies, like Australia, do far more than the U.S. to protect the vote. Australians all use paper ballots, which are hand counted, and voting itself is mandatory so there are no issues over voting rights. The countrys powerful Electoral Commission also sets nationwide standards and oversees the entire voting process, as opposed to the more decentralized U.S. approach. International initiatives The problem is global, and in my view would benefit from an internationally coordinated solution among both advanced and emerging democracies. Many nations and interested businesses and organizations around the world say they want to join the fight. The G7 and the U.N. have issued statements emphasizing the importance of protecting democracy and securing voting machines. The Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace -- which specifically calls on its backers to cooperate in order to prevent interference in electoral processes by sharing intelligence -- has more than 550 supporters, including 67 nations. The U.S. is part of the G7 and the U.N., but hasnt joined the Paris Call. Nevertheless, U.S. election officials could learn from other countries experiences. Time is growing short In the U.S., states are already trying approaches that have worked in other countries, but federal rules have not yet caught up. Congress could encourage states to follow Colorados example by banning paperless ballots, and requiring risk-limiting audits, which double-check statistically significant samples of paper ballots to check if official election results are correct. That would increase voter confidence that the outcomes were correct. Congress could similarly require the National Institute for Standards and Technology to update its standards for voting machines, which state and county election officials rely on when deciding which machines to purchase. The U.S. could also create a National Cybersecurity Safety Board to investigate cyberattacks on U.S. election infrastructure and issue reports after elections to help ensure that experts and the public alike are aware of the vulnerabilities and work to fix them. Democracy is a team sport. Scholars can also help federal, state and local governments secure the countrys election system, by devising and testing possible improvements. Different approaches around the country may make the overall system more secure, but the diversity of potential problems means the election officials on the ground need help. Theres still time to avoid a replay of South Africa 1994 or Ukraine 2014 in the 2020 U.S. elections. This article was first posted on The Conversation. - Ras Mubarak is reported to have gotten himself a new wife -He took as wife a beautiful and adorable Algerian Biochemist -This happens to be his second wife after he earlier tied the knot with daughter of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asawase, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak The Islamic religion gives its followers the freedom and liberty to marry up to a tune of four women considering the fact that the men can take care of them. Member of Parliament (MP) for Kumbungu Constituency, Ras Mubarak is however reported to have gotten himself another woman. He took as wife a beautiful and adorable Algerian Biochemist. In a post sighted by YEN.com.gh on Irbard Ibrahim's Facebook page, the security analyst revealed that the lawmaker has decided to walk in the steps of Dr Kwame Nkrumah who is known to have also taken an Arab wife. READ ALSO: Missing excavators: We have started retrieving them - Operation Vanguard taskforce My unapologetic polygamist 1st cousin and MP for Kumbungu has taken a second wife in accordance with Islamic teachings. Our second wife is an Arab biochemist from Algeria. Just like Dr Nkrumah tapped into the Arab breed by taking Egyptian Fathiyya and remains a great man in history, may my cousins new Algerian wife bring more blessings to him, the family, Ghana and his political career. Love is in the air, he wrote. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Mubarak married one Huseina, daughter of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Asawase, Alhaji Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital in February 2018. His marriage to his fellow lawmaker's daughter was after his marriage to his first wife reportedly ended. The very first wife, Rashida, who happens to be a serious feminist, later came out to confess that her husband was a very abusive man and also a wife beater. Lovely photos drop as Ras Mubarak marries beautiful Algerian Biochemist Source: UGC READ ALSO: Adorable little girls dressed in church uniform show skillful dance moves in viral video In other news, a woman who claims to be the wife of a Member of Parliament in Ghana is bent on exposing her husband's bad behavior after catching him cheating. In a series of messages sent to relationship adviser David Papa Bondze-Mbir on Facebook, the lady indicated that her husband had been cheating on her for some time. She thus hired a private investigator to monitor his activities and the investigator was able to put a camera in the man's hotel room during a rumpus with his side chic. The private investigator brought her a video of the husband and his side chic having a good time in bed. After getting the video, the peeved wife is contemplating leaking the video online in a bid to disgrace the husband. READ ALSO: 2 suspected coronavirus cases recorded at Korle Bu Mathew Anim Cudjoe showered with money after Hearts - Kotoko game in Accra | #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 Republican Sen. Mitt Romney harshly criticized President Donald Trump on Wednesday over his actions toward Ukraine, saying the President is "guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust" in an emotional speech on the Senate floor. In a stunning break with his own party, the Utah Republican voted to convict the President on the abuse of power charge brought by the House in the impeachment trial, making him the only Republican senator to vote to convict on one of the two articles of impeachment. He voted to acquit on the second article, obstruction of Congress. "The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the President committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor," Romney said. "Yes, he did." "The President asked a foreign government to investigate his political rival. The President withheld vital military funds from that government to press it to do so. The President delayed funds for an American ally at war with Russian invaders," he continued. "The President's purpose was personal and political. Accordingly, the President is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust," Romney said. Romney, an occasional critic of the President, had been closely watched as a potential swing vote. His decision immediately opened him up to criticism from within his own party and the President, who has urged party unity during impeachment proceedings. During his floor speech, Romney spoke of his own faith and of the possibility for retribution he may face over his decision during the speech. "I'm aware that there are people in my party and in my own state who will strenuously disapprove of my decision and in some quarters I will be vehemently denounced. I'm sure to hear abuse from the President and his supporters," he said, "Does anyone seriously believe that I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before God demanded it of me?" Romney said at one point, "My faith is at the heart of who I am," pausing to collect himself before he began speaking again. "I take an oath before God as enormously consequential. I knew from the outset that being tasked with judging the President -- the leader of my own party -- would be the most difficult decision I have ever faced. I was not wrong," he said. House Republicans were united in rejecting the impeachment articles in the House and the GOP-led Senate voted to acquit Trump on Wednesday. Romney had been careful not to show his hand during the trial on how he ultimately planned to vote. He did, however, cross party lines last week to vote in favor of the unsuccessful attempt to allow additional witnesses to testify. This story has been updated to reflect Wednesday's votes to acquit Trump. [February 06, 2020] Dynamic Quest Acquires Cohn Consulting Corporation GREENSBORO, N.C., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Dynamic Quest, a managed service provider offering IT and cloud services to enterprises and businesses, completed the acquisition of Cohn Consulting Corporation ("Cohn Consulting"), a Marietta, Georgia-based managed services provider. Founded in 1994, Cohn Consulting offers managed IT, disaster recovery and hosting services to small and medium sized businesses across a wide variety of verticals. Approximately 70% of Cohn Consulting's revenue is recurring with a strong, loyal customer base. Cohn Consulting President, Dan Cohn, and Vice President, Jon Czerwinski, will join Dynamic Quest's Atlanta office. Javier Gomez, CEO of Dynamic Quest relayed, "We are thrilled to add Cohn Consulting to our Dynamic Quest family. Dan and Jon have built a great company and we look forward to taking the next step of growth together." The transaction will enhance Dynamic Quest's market share in Georgia and provide the ability to cross-sell some services to Cohn Consulting's customer base that are not currently offered. Dynamic Quest will look to leverage its infrastructure including its data center, Philippines remote delivery team and sales and marketing initiatives to enhance service solutions for end clents and accelerate growth. About Spire Capital Spire Capital (https://spirecapital.com/) is an active and experienced private equity firm with an investment focus in small market companies within the technology enabled business services, media, communications and education sectors. Spire Capital was founded on the principle of partnering with management teams and founders to help effectuate the next stage of growth for their companies. Spire professionals have a broad array of past operating, investing and advisory experiences they leverage to help portfolio companies accelerate growth, guide strategic direction and execute their business plan. Spire Capital is a New York-based investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. About Dynamic Quest Founded in 2000, Dynamic Quest is a managed service provider for IT services to enterprises and mid-sized businesses. Dynamic Quest offers a broad set of services including hosted cloud services, disaster recovery, managed IT, service plans, application support, virtual CIO and security services. The Company's headquarters is in Greensboro, North Carolina and houses a data center facility that was built in 2007. Dynamic Quest currently has satellite offices in Winston-Salem and Cary, North Carolina, Marietta, Georgia and Clark, Philippines. For more information, visit https://dynamicquest.com/. About Cohn Consulting Founded in 1994 and based in Marietta, Georgia, Cohn Consulting is a managed service provider for IT services to small to medium sized businesses. For more information about Cohn, visit the company website https://www.cohnconsultingcorp.com/. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dynamic-quest-acquires-cohn-consulting-corporation-301000360.html SOURCE Spire Capital Partners [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Kazakhstan like no other emerging economy is uniquely capable of emulating the American model of agricultural prosperity. Using the American experience as a model, recreating successes and avoiding mistakes, Kusto Group ambitiously aims to establish in Kazakhstan in 10-20 years what it took America 100 years to accomplish. Kusto Group, under the guidance of Chairman of the Board of Directors Yerkin Tatishev, aspires to establish a sophisticated modern agriculture ecosystem in Kazakhstan based on an integrated protein strategy. Tatishev's comprehensive approach will likely have far-reaching implications on the country's economy as Kusto Group aims to take into consideration all aspects of the agro-value chain. Daniel Kunin, Managing Director of Kusto Group, detailed the company's inclusive strategy: "This is a project where the winners can include local farmers in rural and under-developed regions - it can include city dwellers looking for affordable, local sources of food and meat, and it can benefit exporters and foreign customers with a growing demand for healthy products. Many others who stand to benefit in the complex web that is agribusiness. I believe Kazakh agriculture will stand out because it will be sustainable - which is a very attractive way to generate income, reduce poverty and build lasting wealth." Developing an agricultural ecosystem in Kazakhstan The American model of agroindustry advocates and employs techniques that improve crop performance, boost water conservation, encourage non-GMO crop development, and promote a sustainable impact on the land. While the United States and Kazakhstan may not be comparable today in terms of agricultural output and yields - Kazakhstan is uniquely similar in crucial ways. Introducing all elements of success in the American model, the country can jumpstart meat production on a national scale. "We do not approach the deficits or shortcomings experienced today in the industry with pessimism," says Kunin, "but rather with optimism that they provide an opportunity to realize the enormous potential in Kazakhstan." Kusto Agro, the agricultural division of Kusto Group, has already established itself as a rising player in the Ukrainian market after entering eight years ago. The company seeks to take advantage of the competencies acquired there to the maximum extent possible in Kazakhstan. Kusto Group's vision is to contribute to establishing the foundation ecosystem to support Kazakhstan's greater agricultural transformation. The company shares the country's long-term goal of developing a productive, sustainable industry that could one day rival the prosperous oil and natural resources sector. The company, which operates in multiple divisions across three continents, has focused its efforts in five primary domains: non-GMO seed cultivation, feed and agro production, mechanized irrigation and water efficiency, livestock rearing, processing and export. Yernur Aydarkin, Managing Director of Kusto Agro Kazakhstan, explained Kusto Group's holistic approach at the recent Central Asian AgTech Summit saying, "You can draw an analogy with human health - it is ideal when everything works in tandem: sleep, proper nutrition, physical activity, mental state. Also, in the agricultural business, quality inputs will result in a well-functioning system - from the production of high-quality feed, the use of the best seeds and irrigation technology to the sale of finished products." Kazbeef: A holistic approach to livestock Kusto Group's livestock division, KazBeef, has been building and expanding its operations in the beef cattle market for the last few years in the Akmola region of Kazakhstan. Kazbeef was established with a commitment first and foremost to quality. The company seized the opportunity to introduce a new class of livestock and was the first to import premium Angus and Hereford breeding stock from the United States. Today, the company is thriving with 120,000 hectares of pasture in the Akmola region alone, 5 thousand heads of breeding stock cattle and two feedlots with a total capacity of 15 thousand heads of cattle. The company recently built a new state-of-the-art meat processing facility in Schuchinsk, increasing storage capabilities to 6,000 tons of produce per year. KazBeef's production figures illustrate the company's impressive achievements. In 2018, KazBeef supplied more than 1 thousand tons of meat to the domestic Metro distribution network. The company expects to increase output by an additional 50% to 1.5 thousand tons by the end of this year. In the next two to three years, Kazbeef aims to achieve a projected production volume of 8 thousand tons. Given the tremendous agricultural potential of Kazakhstan, these volumes are just the beginning. The ninth largest country in the world has an abundance of wide-open space, rich, fertile land, and a climate ideal for animal rearing - taken together, the country is primed to become a regional and global leader in agriculture. According to Yerkin Tatishev, "The basic ingredients are there, and now we need to make use of the best technology and investment to make it a reality. However, such a transition cannot happen overnight. It requires policymakers and business leaders to work hand-in-glove and develop an approach characterised by a broad range of high-growth, high-skilled and high-quality industries. I am pleased to see this collaborative approach starting to fall into place, particularly in areas that can benefit lower-income rural communities." Helping to fuel growth is a growing demand for high-quality beef in both domestic and neighboring markets such as China, a country with an almost unlimited capacity. "There is definitely demand," says Aydarkin. "For example, we were recently approached by one of the largest beef dealers in China, that sees volumes of more than 500 thousand tons of meat annually. This is more than the entire annual output in Kazakhstan! They looked at our enterprise, tasted our meat and said that they are prepared to take everything that we offer, the condition - a stable supply. Of course, it is important not to put all your eggs in one basket. After all, if you configure the entire system with only an eye on China, any problems entering the market will result in huge losses for the industry. Therefore, our strategy is to sell part of our volume inside Kazakhstan and export the rest. This guarantees us stability. It is also important for us to provide Kazakhstanis with high-quality, healthy meat." Kusto's efforts to introduce innovation and best practices to Kazakhstan An integral part of Kusto Group's strategy is reliable, quality feed production. For the company, securing their own food supply is a key to profitability - ensuring quality and avoiding the volatility of prices and unmanageable logistics. Kusto Group's agricultural operations include the cultivation of non-GMO corn for grain and silage, barley, and other crops. Kusto Group's investment in feed production goes beyond providing a supply for its own integrated livestock operations by offering a high-quality, stable domestic product to farms that partner with the company. Smaller third-party feedlots who do not have the financial means to invest in their own feed operations can also benefit from Kusto Group's feed cultivation. The company continues to pursue a vision of collaboration that benefits the entire agricultural ecosystem of Kazakhstan, not just their own operations. This strategy has motivated Kusto Group's efforts to improve seed production and cultivation abilities and to introduce modern soil irrigation technology. As non-GMO seed production is a fundamental element of the American model of development, the company initiated a joint venture with the Minnesota-based Baumgartner Agricultural Science and Service (BASS) to introduce novel production methods to Kazakhstan. It is estimated that 10% of Kusto Group's production will be used to supply their own operations, and the rest will be sold on the domestic market and exported to Asia and Europe. Kusto Group also signed a deal this year to partner with US-based Valmont Industries, a leading producer of precision irrigation systems, to build a production facility in Kazakhstan. Currently, only 7% of arable land in Kazakhstan is irrigated, which accounts for about 40% of the country's agricultural production. The introduction of modern irrigation technology will no doubt have a positive, far-reaching impact on the industry. The company also inked a landmark deal with Tyson Fresh Meats, a division of the American Tyson Foods, one of the world's largest food production companies, to build a state-of-the-art meat processing facility in Kazakhstan with an estimated harvest capacity of 2,000 head per day. The deal is projected to provide an annual economic benefit in excess of one billion dollars (USD) to the country. Achieving long-term, profitable growth and sustainability "Building a sustainable protein export business and modern agricultural sector in Kazakhstan is a fascinating, supremely complex and interesting project," Daniel Kunin explains. "By definition, it requires long-term thinking, strategic planning, intensive stakeholder mapping and understanding, and the creation of a network of inter-linked partnerships that are both joint ventures but also intensive public-private partnerships." Kusto Group also aims to integrate farmers into their agricultural ecosystem. Farmers are at the heart of transitioning the sector from the framework of Soviet-modeled subsistence farming to a competitive network of small commodity producers. The company's initiatives include a breeding stock rental program to help farmers establish and build their own herds at a lower initial investment cost. Engaging individual farmers in the transition to modern agribusiness will help the entire system to increase productivity and achieve stable, sustainable growth. "Achieving our ambitious - but attainable - vision of helping transform Kazakhstan's agricultural system will create a modern, competitive and prosperous sector in the national economy that can complement and maybe one day surpass the oil industry," says Kunin. "Once the elements of a well-functioning system are established, success will follow." Despite the passing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, African Americans still face barriers in their attempts to cast a ballot in local and national elections, if they opt to vote at all. These issues will be the focus of Jakobi Williams presentation, The Black Vote: Social Justice, Advocacy and the Ballot, on Feb. 6 at Ivy Tech. Williams, a history professor at Indiana University, said one of the biggest problems keeping African Americans from voting is apathy. People between the ages of 18-35 are the people who dont consistently show up to the polls, Williams said. A lot of students on college campuses dont believe they should participate because they dont think their voice matters. One of my presentation themes is: when we vote, we win, speaking particularly of African Americans. Williams cites the 2008 election of President Barack Obama, who had 96% or 13% of the electorate of African American voters supporting him, according to Politico in November 2008. That year, America saw the highest voter turnout in a national election for the first time in 40 years, at 61.6%, according to CBS News. This trend, however, was not consistent. In the 2016 general election, only 55.7% of registered voters showed up to the polls. If we dont take an interest in the affairs of the government, Williams said, we are doomed to live under the rules of fools. Josiah McCruiston, 26, of Indianapolis, votes in every election. A registered Democrat, he votes to ensure his voice is heard. I vote because I know the value of voice matters, McCruiston said. I put every effort into making sure that my schools are well funded and water remains clean. I vote because I dont want to be the one who looks at the results and say[s] I could have. For some young adults, the feeling that their voices arent being heard keeps them from voting. Michaela Harris, 23, has only voted in one local election since shes been eligible to vote, and she doesnt think it made much of a difference. While she cares about environmental and LGBTQ issues, she thinks a general lack of understanding on political issues keeps many young adults from voting. I feel like its weird for me to vote, because I dont know what Im voting for, Harris said. Harris, a junior at IUPUI, thinks colleges and universities should make more of an effort to educate students on current events. All of the prereqs [prerequisite classes] they make you take, she said, they all seem irrelevant. They should have a political science class as a prereq to show you whats going on, and how government works. You learn about all of that once in high school, but not after that. And college is the most important time to learn about that, since thats when you start voting. While apathy toward politics is an issue in African American communities, there are barriers such as voter ID laws in place to make it difficult for Black voters to cast a ballot. Williams said voter ID laws and misinformation campaigns are the two most restrictive barriers African Americans face during elections. In 2013, the Supreme Court made provisions to Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, which originally required states and local governments to get federal approval before implementing any changes to their voting laws or protections. In the aftermath of this ruling, many states, including Indiana, started requiring voters to have a government-issued identification card in order to cast a ballot. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, these laws overwhelmingly affect African Americans, as an estimated 25% of African Americans nationwide do not have a government-issued photo ID, as opposed to 8% of white Americans. Misinformation campaigns through the internet and social media also keep African Americans from casting their ballots. Ahead of the 2016 general election, much of the interference from Russia specifically targeted Black communities in the United States. In several instances, people pretended to be Black Lives Matter activists to discourage African Americans from voting these messages went viral when shared on social media. Williams said the solution to this issue is education and due diligence. Folks must be educated, Williams said. People want their news in 140 characters, and dont want to take time to research. We have to show folks how to do due diligence. With the 2020 general election approaching, Williams hopes his message will spark conversations that will encourage African Americans to vote. I encourage everyone to go to the polls, because there are too many people who have sacrificed, Williams said. Women, African Americans and immigrants have fought and shed blood and given their lives to have that civic duty. Always exercise your civic duty, do your research, and always, always vote. Contact staff writer Breanna Cooper at 317-762-7848. Follow her on Twitter @BreannaNCooper. Jakobi Williams Mayor Sylvester Turner and victims attorneys reacted sharply Thursday to news that owners of a west Houston plant involved in a fatal January explosion had filed for bankruptcy and fired 80 employees. But Watson Grinding & Manufacturing and Watson Valve Services officials said maintaining a viable business was the best path to long-term recovery for the densely packed neighborhood where a toxic blast killed two workers and damaged 450 structures. I am surprised and disappointed to learn that Watson Grinding & Manufacturing Co. filed for bankruptcy and fired 80 employees, Turner said in a statement. Some lawyers for victims expressed outrage at the bankruptcy filing, calling it egregious, cowardly, distressing and irresponsible, but other victims attorneys were unrattled by the legal tactic. A Dallas-based bankruptcy expert with no connection to the case said Watsons decision to begin a voluntary Chapter 11 process appeared well-reasoned, foreseeable and probably unavoidable considering the size of the company and the level of coverage it likely had. Theyre acknowledging this is going to overwhelm them, that theres not enough money to pay out the damages and they want to reorganize and keep operating, said Sid Scheinberg, of Godwin Bowman PC, who has represented creditors in bankruptcy cases for 29 years. Its a wise strategic move on their part, he said. It prevents them from having to shut the doors. Both of Watsons companies submitted what Scheinberg considers bare bones Chapter 11 petitions Thursday in Houston federal court. They dont mention as creditors scores of victims who so far have filed 29 lawsuits seeking damages. The bankruptcy matter is set for an initial hearing Monday before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Marvin Isgur. The judge will issue preliminary rulings about Watsons continued operations, payment of employees, merchandise orders and financing needed to keep the company afloat, Scheinberg said. He said committees for creditors and victims will likely be set up and a U.S. Trustee will be assigned to oversee the bankruptcy proceeding. But the most crucial step for the litigants lining up to sue Watson for the harm they suffered is that the bankruptcy court will likely stay those lawsuits until the conclusion of the bankruptcy matter. The unspoken message behind the prompt bankruptcy filing is that the company doesnt have deep pockets, according to Scheinbergs reading. Kelli Stephenson Norfleet, a Houston lawyer who handles commercial bankruptcies and restructuring for companies in Chapter 11 proceedings, is not involved with the case and agrees with Scheinbergs assessment. Given the number of claims, its not surprising they would file to put an automatic stay in place to stop collection efforts, she said. When you have a lot of claims with hundreds of people affected, it can be helpful to have a bankruptcy process with one place to sort through the claims. Watson Grinding & Manufacturing ceased operations after the Jan. 24 propylene explosion and laid off workers this week due to what a spokesman characterized as a long-term interruption of business operations. Meanwhile, Watson Valve, which also had its business near the explosion site, continues to operate at about 20 percent of normal capacity, the company said. Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by this tragedy and we are convinced that the best way to ensure our organization can play a positive role in the long-term recovery of the area is by remaining a viable business, said John Watson, son of the companys founder and the CEO of Watson Grinding & Manufacturing Co. We are a family business and through this reorganization, we intend to save the company and protect and restore the jobs for our dedicated and hardworking team. The mayor didnt see the move as benevolent. The companys decision must not slow the pace of the recovery or the investigation. It is important that authorities determine both the cause of the blast and hold the responsible party accountable, he said. Stephen R. Walker, whose office represents about a dozen young to elderly victims, said his firm is deeply concerned for our clients and the ability to fix their homes and cover other expenses, including expenses for medical treatment, as they had lost the sanctity of what all humans deserve a safe place to lay their heads at night. While bankruptcy could provide an orderly process to handle the flood of claims, Walker said, Watson Grinding is a successful company with a long history and we will resist any attempt by them to use the bankruptcy system to truncate their responsibility to fully compensate all of the people harmed in the explosion. Attorney Muhammad Aziz, who represents the family of Frank Flores, one of the workers killed in the blast, said he planned to file a motion to try to lift the automatic stay in bankruptcies to allow those he represents access to insurance proceeds. Tony Buzbee, who represents about 50 residents in the neighborhood, said Watson officials appeared to be backpedaling from their earlier posturing. The owner first says he will make everyone who was impacted whole, then the very next week his company declares bankruptcy in an effort to avoid responsibility. Ryan Zehl, of Zehl & Associates, PC, said it was cowardly, egregious and horrendous that the company would move so quickly to begin bankruptcy proceedings. Zehl represents the parents of 3-year-old Paris Burnam and 7-year-old Phillip Burnam Jr., who live about six blocks from the site of the explosion. The familys one-story home had all its windows blown out, and the Sheetrock ceiling caved in on the children, who were sleeping in different rooms. The boy had a ceiling fan collapse on him, Zehl said. Both children suffered neck and back injuries, he said. The real victims are all these families because even if the bankruptcy courts were to liquidate assets that created some amount of money for these families, its going to take years. What are these people supposed to do the meantime? he said. The mayor said the city was partnering with Memorial Assistance Ministries and other nonprofits to help victims and working with officials to tighten regulations for chemical companies in residential neighborhoods and find ways to prevent similar explosions. The incident is still under investigation. A final report on that investigation is expected in the next 60 days. gabrielle.banks@chron.com perla.trevizo@chron.com Gurugram, Feb 6 : A court here on Thursday held Mahipal Singh, the former Personal Security Officer (PSO) of an Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ), guilty of murdering the judge's wife and son in 2018. The incident dates back to October 13, 2018 when Singh in a fit of rage following a heated argument shot dead then ASJ Krishna Kant's wife Ritu Kant and son Dhruva Kant outside the Arcadia shopping complex here in Sector 49. Singh was terminated from service following the incident that has been described as "a cold blooded act carried out in sudden provocation triggered by a minor verbal spat". In a hearing on Thursday, ASJ Sudhir Parmar of Gurugram district court declared him guilty after hearing the arguments of both the defence and prosecution lawyers. The quantum of punishment would be announced on Friday. The shocking footage of the daylight double murder went viral after onlookers had filmed it and later posted on the social media. Vishal Gupta, the prosecution lawyer, said: "We have strong evidence including video footage and reports of forensic and ballistic experts that would help to nail him. There were 62 eyewitnesses who have recorded their statements in the court." "The hearing of this case was done through physical appearance as well as video conference," Gupta said. Explaining the sequence of events, the prosecution lawyer said that on October 13, 2018, the ASJ's spouse and his son after returning from the shopping complex did not find Mahipal Singh near their car. After a while when Mahipal came back, Dhruva sought the car's key to place the purchased items inside the vehicle. Meanwhile, some heated exchanges took place in the short period of "taking the car's key and boarding the car" which provoked Mahipal to shoot both. The interrogators later claimed that the relation between ASJ Krishna Kant, his family members and Mahipal was "very healthy". The heated exchange of words triggered Mahipal to first open fire at Dhruva, and then at the ASJ's wife Ritu Kant when she tried to save her son. Mahipal, after shooting them, could be seen in the viral videos kicking and punching them. "The accused happens to be a policeman having responsibility to protect a family... but he turned out to be a killer. It is a heinous crime and we will urge the court for maximum punishment," Gupta said. Kolkata, Feb 7 : Trinamool Congress leader and the main accused in the alleged brutal torture of two women in Gangarampur in West Bengal's South Dinajpur district was arrested on Thursday. Amal Sarkar, panchayat upapradhan (deputy chief of the gram panchayat), was taken into custody by the police from near his house, taking the total number of arrests in the case to three. A shocking video of the torture inflicted on the two women, one of them a teacher and BJP worker, had gone viral, drawing all-round condemnation. According to the video, the teacher, Smritinaka Das, was seen bound by a rope to a pole at her knees and then hauled over a country road. When another woman -- the victim's elder sister Soma Das -- came forward and protested, she was also flung onto the ground and tortured by Sarkar and three of his associates. The BJP worker and her sister were rescued by the locals and admitted to a hospital. Smritikona Das sustained a head injury. According to the two victims, they were tortured for protesting against the Trinamool-run panchayat for grabbing their land for building a road. Survey reveals common concern of global scientists: interlinkages between crises; Part of Our Future on Earth, 2020, a 50-page synthesis of latest peer-reviewed, state-of-the-planet research and its interconnected complexities The greatest threat to humanity hides in the potential cascading of impacts of five highly-related, highly-likely risks -- a collision that can amplify these effects catastrophically, according to a new survey of 222 leading scientists from 52 countries. Conducted by Future Earth, the international sustainability research network, the survey identifies five global risks -- failure of climate change mitigation and adaptation; extreme weather events; major biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse; food crises; and water crises -- as the most severe in terms of impact. Four of them -- climate change, extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and water crises -- were also deemed by scientists as most likely to occur. Business leaders and policymakers, in a survey released in January by the World Economic Forum, likewise assigned these same five risks, chosen from a set of 30, top rank positions in terms of impact. More than one-third (82) of the scientists, however, underlined the threat posed by the synergistic interplay and feedback loops between the top five-- with global crises worsening one another "in ways that might cascade to create global systemic crisis." Extreme heatwaves, for example, can accelerate global warming by releasing large amounts of stored carbon from affected ecosystems, and at the same time intensify water crises and / or food scarcity; the loss of biodiversity weakens the capacity of natural and agricultural systems to cope with climate extremes, increasing vulnerability to food crises. Some 173 of the scientists surveyed volunteered additional risks, beyond the list of 30, as deserving of greater global attention. Commons themes included erosion of societal trust and values; social infrastructure deterioration; rising inequality; rising political nationalism; overpopulation; and mental health decline. Said the report: "Interestingly, the majority of these touch on issues of societal well-being and social security, suggesting that societal risks may be growing and in need of greater consideration. This is especially pertinent as we consider how society can transition to a climate-safe and equitable future..." "Perhaps the most interesting theme to emerge from these responses was the failure to take into account feedback across different systems." "Despite this ubiquity of connections, many scientists and policymakers are embedded in institutions that are used to thinking and acting on isolated risks, one at a time. This needs to change to thinking about risks as connected." "As the scientific advisors for this survey, we call on the world's academics, business leaders, and policymakers to pay urgent attention to these five global risks, and to ensure that they are treated as interacting systems, rather than addressed one at a time, in isolation." The survey (in full from Feb. 12: futureearth.org/initiatives/other-initiatives/grp), was led by Maria Ivanova, University of Massachusetts, Boston, and scientific advisors Markus Reichstein, Max Planck Institute, Germany; Matthias Garschagen, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen, Germany; Qian Ye, Beijing Normal University, China; Kalpana Chaudhari, Institute for Sustainable Development and Research, India; and Sylvia Wood, Science Officer, Future Earth, Canada office. Joined-up thinking: Our Future on Earth, 2020 Publicly available at futureearth.org/publications/our-future-on-earth The survey is presented as a chapter in a new report, Our Future on Earth, 2020, in which scientists summarize the latest peer-reviewed research on the state of our planet and distill the many, interconnected complexities into an authoritative, 50-page synthesis. Today's environmental problems, the report says, represent a blend of physical, chemical, biological, and social change that all interact and feedback on each other. "Trying to understand how our impacts in one area, such as river extraction, affect another, such as food provision, is a complex task," the report says. "But that's what scientists, sociologists, economists, ecologists, and others are trying to do." "And while our problematic practices in one area can impact many other areas, the good news is that so can our restorative ones: improving biodiversity in a wetland ecosystem can also reduce water pollution and soil erosion, and protect crops against storm damage, for instance." "We are making our own Anthropocene, and we can make it a good one." Among the issues highlighted in the report: The rise and impact of populism, "characterized by a denial of complexity, including the complexity of environmental damage and the systemic, multi-layered interactions required to achieve sustainability," as well as "fake news." Increasing financial risk of climate and environmental change. Now deemed by insurers as their industry's top risk, the report notes the first climate-change-related bankruptcy: California's largest electric utility company, PG&E went under last year after sparking a huge forest fire. Trends in migration, and the impacts of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, on sustainability. The ecological and social science of climate change, our food systems, and the collapse in biodiversity; developments in regulating the high seas; the rise of green finance mechanisms; and the new field of studying "transformations" in society: how, exactly, can we uproot ingrained ideas about economic development or wellbeing and wrench them into new, more sustainable frameworks? "2020 is a critical time to look at these issues," says Amy Luers, Executive Director of Future Earth. "Our actions in the next decade will determine our collective future on earth." Our Future on Earth, 2020 is the first of a series of such reports. Chapter summaries Introduction: Charting the future Author: Gaia Vince, journalist and author, London. We are a vast global population facing unprecedented environmental challenges, yet we still have the time and the capability to prevent extreme outcomes. The past year has been one of extraordinary social awakening to the hazards of environmental change, and of demands for action towards a sustainable future. "Green deals" have been proposed by several nations, and if passed into legislation they could prove transformative. The global population is expected to be 9.7 billion by 2050. Their future is in our hands: can we make it more sustainable, resilient and fair? Climate: Dialing down the heat Lead author: Diana Liverman, School of Geography and Development, University of Arizona Over the last 18 months, major assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the US National Climate Assessment, and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), have all argued that time is running out to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are causing the climate to warm. This has inspired declarations of a climate crisis or climate emergency by the leaders of more than 700 cities, states and governments. Yet, during 2019, the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere reached more than 415 ppm, and the five years from 2014 to 2018 were the warmest recorded over land and ocean since 1880. Despite the evidence, "many countries have not yet risen to the challenge or are reversing prior commitments." What is needed to dial down the heat? This chapter also includes independently-authored boxes looking at the climate and social causes and impacts of wildfire; and the (predominantly negative) impacts of climate change on human health. Politics: Populism versus grassroots movements Author: Richard Calland, University of Cambridge's Institute for Sustainability Leadership; Associate Professor of Public Law, University of Cape Town. Right-wing populism is on the rise around the world: a breed of politics that exploits peoples' fears during times of economic decline and growing inequality, and that focuses on nationalist tendencies to clamp down on borders and reject immigrants. Populism is often characterized by a "denial of complexity", preferring to identify simple, seductive culprits for the erosion of society, the economy, and the welfare of the masses. This often leads to a denial of climate change facts or impacts. But grassroots organizations are emerging as a potentially strong, countervailing force. But is it politically strong enough and will it work? Ocean: Governing the high seas Lead author: Robert Blasiak, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University Over three billion people are dependent on functioning marine ecosystems as their primary source of protein, and the livelihoods of nearly half of humanity are linked to marine and coastal biodiversity. While the ocean was once considered too big to be significantly altered through human activity, it is now clear that it too has entered the Anthropocene, an age in which humans are the dominant influence. Stressors from climate change to pollution, fishing and shipping, have on average nearly doubled over the past decade. Officials from around the world are now negotiating a new United Nations treaty to govern the high seas (Biological diversity of areas Beyond National Jurisdiction), which may be hashed out in 2020. What are the expectations and challenges for regulating fish, seafloor mining, biodiversity and more? This chapter includes spotlights on plastic pollution in the ocean; and the rise of conflicts over seafood resources, sometimes called "fish wars". Forced Migration: Empowering mobility when moving isn't a choice Lead author: David Wrathall, Oregon State University, College of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences As of September 2019, the Syrian Conflict had resulted in over 5.6 million refugees seeking refuge mainly in Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. As of 2018, 800,000 people had fled their home countries in North Africa as asylum seekers and refugees, some embarking on often-deadly boat trips across the Mediterranean. For many observers in the wealthy, industrialized global North, the influx of migrants from Central America and the Middle East has been seen as a sign of an impending flood: their assumption is that climate change impacts will spur violence and/or push hundreds of millions of people into their borders, causing yet more violence and other problems. The truth is more nuanced. Humanity is not at the mercy of forces seemingly beyond our control: it is policy, not climate change, behind the real crises. This chapter also includes an independently-authored box on growing urbanization and solutions to make cities more liveable. Media: Industrializing disinformation Lead author: Owen Gaffney, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research & Stockholm Resilience Centre. The flow of information in the world is changing. Today, around half of the planet's 7.6 billion people are online, where they are deeply influenced by social media, search engines and eCommerce algorithms. These digital platforms tend to favour the spread of information designed to engage with emotion over reason, can cause the propagation of "fake news", and can lead to social harms like an erosion of trust in vaccines. Some politicians are now calling for the tech giants to be split up, arguing that their power and dominance is bad for democracy. Digital information technologies and media, though messy, could support global action for sustainability. Yet it remains unclear whether information technologies will drive the Earth towards a pandemic or away from it; towards a destabilized climate or a potentially-manageable 1.5C warmer world. Biodiversity: The unravelling web of life Lead author: Cornelia Krug, Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland. Humans have now "significantly altered" 75% of our planet's land area; about a quarter of species in assessed plant and animal groups are threatened. In 2018, the world's last male northern white rhino died in his Kenyan enclosure. The Brazillian blue parrot, Spix's Macaw, was declared extinct in the wild, amongst a handful of other birds. And yet studies continue to show that biodiversity helps to make landscapes more resilient to climate change. Countries are now in the process of negotiating a "Global Deal for Nature": a new global biodiversity framework to be discussed through the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 2020. Reversing the trends of loss of life on this planet will require some new ways of thinking about conservation. This chapter also includes a box on the long-term historical perspective of biodiversity change and extinctions, to better contextualize how altered ecosystems can cope with future change. Finance: Making money work for green goals Lead author: Kristina Alnes, CICERO Center for International Climate Research, Norway Finance is a risky business. But the global situation today--economic, political, and environmental, especially thanks to climate change--is conspiring to make it riskier. Examples like the 2019 bankruptcy of the Californian utility PG&E illustrate the impacts of climate on financial risk; recent reports like that by the Network for Greening the Financial Services show how the financial world is starting to take this seriously. Efforts like the nascent Task Force on Climate Related Disclosure are helping to grapple with the issue. The "great acceleration" of economic growth over the 20thcentury put a lot of pressure on earth systems. There is an opportunity now to reverse this trend. This piece looks at the potential for green bonds, sustainability-linked loans and more, to promote sustainable development. Food: Rethinking global security Lead author: Jiaguo Qi, Center for Global Change & Earth Observations, Michigan State University, USA The amount of food produced per person on the planet has gone up more than 40 percent since the 1960s. Yet, ironically, the prevalence of undernourishment--which had been declining for decades--has started to tip upwards again: the total number of people undernourished in 2018 stood at more than 820 million people, up from a record low of 785 million in 2015. We will need to squeeze ever-more food out of the same amount of land for our growing population in our changing climate. Strains on food production are expected to increase, as a result of various forces including climate change, biodiversity loss, and a global population on the rise. Solutions may include eating less meat, precision agriculture supported by new technologies, ensuring less waste, and taking a holistic approach to food production that looks at water, ecosystem protection, social welfare and more. Transformation: How to spur radical change Lead author: Sandra Waddock, Carroll School of Management, Boston College When more than 150 world leaders met in 2015 to develop the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, their key phrase was "transforming our world." Transformative change goes well beyond incrementalism or reform, both of which allow existing practices, goals, and structures to stay in place. Transformation involves a step change, often in fundamental norms or assumptions. An emerging field of research is just starting to unpick exactly how to encourage, guide, and enact such changes, from a shifting mindset about single-use plastics to a revolution in how we think about economic growth. Digital Innovation: Harnessing technology for good Lead author: Dirk Messner, President, German Environment Agency (UBA), Co-Director, Centre for Global Cooperation Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany Massive amounts of data, new computational abilities, and artificial intelligence are spurring disruptive progress: technical systems are becoming as good (or even better) than humans at recognizing faces and voices, diagnosing cancer, translating languages, and producing news articles, music and paintings. Artificial general intelligence (AGI)-- a technical system able to accomplish any cognitive task at least as well as humans--could be achieved within the 21st century. This will all cause massive disruption to labor markets, democracies, and our understanding of the planet and humanity. So far, these technological changes have largely been used to increase consumption, economic growth and resource extraction, rather than saving the planet or promoting just and fair societies. But the digital sector has immense potential for reducing emissions and empowering people to monitor and protect ecosystems. A new field of digital sustainability could be forged to encourage positive action. This chapter includes a spotlight on the energy use of the digital sector. ### Please note: the essays express the opinions of the authors and may not encompass the views of the entire Future Earth community. About Future Earth Future Earth is an international research organization, collaborating with science and society on solutions to global sustainability challenges. It encompasses nearly 30 research-to-action networks, groups of scientists and practitioners around the world, studying the environmental and human aspects of global change. We help incorporate the latest scientific knowledge into decision-making, with a mission to accelerate transformations to sustainability through research and innovation. Future Earth is governed by the International Science Council (ISC), the Belmont Forum of funding agencies, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations University (UNU), the World Meteorological Organization, and the Science and Technology in Society (STS) forum. DUBLIN, Ireland, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Novaerus, an Irish company that manufactures and sells patented medical-grade, clean air solutions, has partnered with seven established distributors across China, in regions such as Hubei, Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Guangzhou City and the Chinese special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. The new partnerships are welcomed at a time of growing concern surrounding the recent infectious outbreak, caused by a novel coronavirus, that started in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. 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 (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. Global health authorities are currently monitoring the recent outbreak, which has been spreading across China, with a growing number of additional cases identified globally. Symptoms of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. There are currently over 28,000 confirmed cases of the virus, with over 500 reported deaths. It's not yet clear how easily 2019-nCoV spreads from person-to-person. However, previous strains of coronavirus, MERS and SARS, were thought to have been spread via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how influenza and other respiratory pathogens spread. "The most difficult disease transmission route to guard against is airborne because we have very little to protect us when we breathe," says Dr Kevin Devlin, CEO at WellAir, the parent company of Novaerus. "Infection prevention specialists have pointed out that surgical masks are not designed to keep out viruses. Cleaning the air is a fundamental component of managing infectious outbreaks." Due to the small size of viruses, many clean air solutions, including standalone filtration, are unable to trap viral particles. Novaerus portable air dis-infection units use a non-selective, rapid killing, patented plasma technology, offering a unique and safe solution to kill airborne viruses 24/7. The technology has also been independently tested to reduce MS2 Bacteriophage, a commonly used surrogate for SARS-CoV* (Coronavirus) by 99.99%. "Given the rapid and consistent kill rates achieved using Novaerus, it is reasonable to anticipate that our plasma technology will show similar impact and rapid kill rates across all viral particles," says Dr Felipe Soberon, Chief Technology Officer at WellAir. Novaerus portable air dis-infection units will be available to healthcare facilities in the regions of Hubei, Beijing, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Guangzhou City and the Chinese special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. About Novaerus Novaerus is part of WellAir, an Irish company on a mission to reduce indoor airborne pollutants to create living, working, and healing spaces that foster rather than detract from human health, productivity, and wellbeing. WellAir and its brands, Novaerus and Plasma Air, can be found installed in hundreds of hospitals, senior living facilities, schools, casinos, railway stations, residences, and industrial facilities in more than 40 countries around the world. For more information visit www.novaerus.com. *(2010 Evaluation of filters for the sampling and quantification of RNA Phage Aerosols, Louis Gendron et al.) Contact: Elizabeth Daly Ni Bhroin, +353-1-907-2750 SOURCE Novaerus Rather than being chastened by impeachment proceedings, Mr. Trump was emboldened. The speech took on the air of a political rally. As Mr. Trump entered, Republicans in the chamber chanted four more years. When he awarded the conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom on the spot! they stood up and cheered, Thank you, Rush! Mr. Trumps critics also made their feelings clear. Fred Guttenberg, the father of a victim of the 2018 Parkland, Fla., high school shooting who came as one of Speaker Nancy Pelosis guests, was escorted out of the chamber after shouting at the president during a section of the speech on gun rights. As Mr. Trump spoke, some Democratic lawmakers those who didnt boycott the speech to begin with walked out. This was a Base First speech for Mr. Trump. Yes, he made attempts to shave down Democratic margins among black voters and suburban women, like when he awarded a young black girl a scholarship. But mostly Mr. Trump focused on rallying his dyed-in-the-wool supporters much as he is likely to do in his general election campaign. The president made sure all parts of the Republican Party got their due. A discussion of the strong economy for fiscal conservatives. Talk of prayer and abortion for social conservatives. And a reminder of the killing of a top Iranian military commander for the hawks who appreciate his aggressive foreign policy. He opened with some strong economic statistics, praising the great American comeback and claiming to have shattered the mentality of American decline. That framing isnt accurate: Mr. Trump is building on an economic rebound started under his predecessor, President Barack Obama. But its clear the narrative of Mr. Trumps campaign will be that of saving the country from imminent economic collapse. Most Republican Senators now acknowledge Donald Trump used a taxpayer-funded military aid package as leverage in a scheme to compel a foreign government to discredit a top domestic political rival. So what? Lamar Alexander, a widely respected veteran Senator and former Education Secretary, echoed many of his GOP colleagues when he said the seven House Democratic impeachment managers made their case that Trump abused the powers of his office and unjustly obstructed a congressional investigation into the Ukraine matter. So what? Republican Senators listened for hours and hours over the last two weeks as the Presidents made-for-television defense team did next to nothing to convince them that Trump did not try to orchestrate a this-for-that trade with Ukraines new and inexperienced president to achieve a personal political advantage over Joe Biden. Remember, the former vice president was at the time the most likely Democratic candidate to capture his partys nomination and square off with Trump this fall. Biden polls well in places like Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin states Trump needs to win again. So what? As they snacked on candy and sipped chocolate milk on the Senate floor, Republicans heard a sitting presidents lawyers unapologetically make a Nixonian case that just about anything a commander-in-chief does is by definitions rejected by most scholars legal and appropriate. And certainly never impeachable. Not even if a president does something iffy while thinking of his or her re-election campaign. If the president does something that he thinks will help him get elected, in the public interest, that cannot be the kind of quid pro quo that results in impeachment, Alan Dershowitz, a celebrity Harvard University professor Trump recruited off cable news, told Senators. A bewildered House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff called many of Dershowitzs claims very odd, and warned Republican Senators he viewed many of the defense teams arguments as dangerous. Based on some questions asked by moderate Republican Senators like Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, they also were scratching their heads at the Constitutional theories being thrown against the Senate chamber walls by the presidents lawyers. So what? At least, in so many words, thats what Senate Republicans ultimately concluded. In doing so, they handed Trump perhaps his biggest victory yet holding the White House after three years of drama and after being just the third sitting chief executive to be impeached is arguably on par with winning it in the first place. Perhaps more to the point: Mr Trump never seems to lose. He embodies the countrys broader political, class and economic divisions and exploits them like no other. No one in Washington ever expected House Democrats impeachment inquiry would lead to Trump being escorted out of the Oval Office and his No. 2, Vice President Mike Pence, quickly being sworn in as the countrys 46th chief executive. The feeling around the West Wing this week was business as usual. The Capitol was as chaotic as ever. The impeachment trial has played on televisions in Northwest DC restaurants and bars for two weeks. Patrons chatted about Sunday nights Super Bowl, griped about their coworkers, traded tales of their children, and offered little more than passing glances at the historic goings-on on Capitol Hill. Since October 1, the torrent of revelations, arguments, claims and counterclaims has changed very few minds. The country was divided down the middle when this affair began, and it remains so today, said Bill Galston, a former aide in Bill Clintons White House. Whats clear is all the Trump naysayers who dismissed his social media posts as just tweets were wrong. Republican lawmakers, even veteran Senators, fear them. Being on the receiving end of a Trump Twitter barrage the likes of which he unleashed earlier this week on Bolton, from whom they opted against hearing, is simply a political death sentence. Trump is simply too popular with most Republicans. Sure, a majority of Americans said they supported his impeachment and thought he should be removed for conducting what Schiff and other Democrats dubbed a shakedown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. So what? Acquittal will embolden the president further, and allow him to advance policy recommendations that will be even more polarizing, said G William Hoagland, a former aide to GOP Senate Majority Leader Bill First. The President will have almost totally solidified his control over the Republican Party, and that will change the path forward for Republicans after the 2020 elections. Trumps approval rating among Republicans remains impressively high or, as GOP lawmakers view it, intimidatingly so. A recent Economist/YouGov survey found 88 per cent of Republican voters approve of the job hes doing. And remember that Utah Senator Mitt Romney, who has criticized Trump during the impeachment affair, has seen his own approval rating among GOP voters tumble by nearly 20 points. The president wields his power like no chief executive before him. Hes brash. Hes overt. Hes ruthless. Hes as adept at getting out of trouble he created for himself even benefiting from it among his base than perhaps any modern US politician. In short, hes everything most US politicians arent. But hes exactly what enough of an increasingly frustrated and cynical electorate craved two years ago and they continue to cheer him on, as a raucous rally audience did in Iowa on Thursday night when he tongue-lashed Democrats over impeachment and their radical socialist policies. 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 Polls conducted since House Democrats launched their impeachment inquiry last October suggest Trump will be a tough out come Election Day in fact, they increasingly suggest he has a real chance of again stitching together enough Electoral College votes to secure a second term. All the Trump critics who said he lacked the political experience and skills to be the boss of a political party that featured a number of heavyweights were wrong. He was and is simply willing to do what others arent. He was and is willing to bend and fracture perhaps even break, depending on whos standing behind that now-famous lectern on the Senate chamber the countrys most sacrosanct traditions and laws. Many polls of hypothetical general election races show Trump trailing all of the top Democratic candidates. Political analysts and pollsters are again counting out the man who continues to defy his detractors, outrun political and legal trouble, beat the odds. So what? Trump appears the only American politician with an answer to that simple-yet-complex question. And, in typical Trump fashion, that answer is shrouded in the vague, fear-inducing language of a conservative populist who just might be, as Vice President Mike Pence recently put it in a candid moment captured by a hot microphone, unstoppable. We will never let socialism destroy American healthcare, Trump said during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night. Socialism destroys nations, and always remember, freedom safeguards the soul." The comment is a sign his acquittal is freeing him up to run the bare-knuckle re-election campaign he wants. But Senate Republicans collective decision, as summarized by Alexander, that the Constitution provides that the people should make that decision on Trumps actions could have consequences beyond November. It will be more difficult to keep the Senate in Republicans control after the 2022 mid-term elections, Hoagland said, making the last two years of a second term of the Trump presidency a complete nightmare. Thats what. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will participate in parliamentary debates of the ruling blocs bill that envisages the termination of powers of Constitutional Court Chairman Hrayr Tovmasyan and some other justices. Deputy Speaker Alen Simonyan told ARMENPRESS that the procedure enables the PM to deliver remarks at the debates. If it is a Constitutional amendment, the Prime Minister is allowed to have a speech before the vote, Simonyan said. On February 6, the parliament convened a special session with one item on the agenda, the bill introduced by the ruling My Step bloc which seeks Constitutional amendments aimed at resolving the crisis around the Constitutional Court. The parliamentary majoritys bill on making constitutional amendments seeks to enable replacing the Constitutional Court justices who were appointed under the previous constitution. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan CBC Prince Edward Island's chief public health officer announced five COVID-19 hospitalizations in the province, and new cases on Monday. One of the hospitalized individuals is currently in the intensive care unit. There are 320 new cases of COVID-19 on the Island to report since new cases were last reported Saturday. These cases are still under investigation. There have been 436 recoveries and there are now 1,517 active cases. COVID-19 cases on P.E.I. There have been 2,893 total cases of COVID-19 o Marcus Lee Washington View Photos Update at 6:15 p.m.: Oakdale Police have released further details regarding a suspect connected with a back to back robbery and carjacking who was arrested in the Twain Harte area after a brief chase on Highway 108. Oakdale police detectives report that around 10:15 p.m. a report of a robbery sent officers to the Chase Bank located at 325 East F Street/Highway 120. A victim told officers that a tall slender Hispanic male and possibly a black male adult threatened him with a knife and stole a debit card while at the ATM. They also tried to ram the fleeing victims car with their Dodge sedan. Officers found the ditched sedan nearby. It was reported stolen out of San Jose. About 40 minutes later, police were alerted to a carjacking at Ryderz Restaurant located several blocks away. There an elderly man relayed that two suspects had threatened him with a knife and took off with his van. Investigators say Washington was positively identified in both crimes. He faces possible charges of robbery, a stolen vehicle, assault with a deadly weapon, carjacking and elder abuse. Details regarding Washingtons arrest and chase are below. Original post at 5:11 p.m.: Twain Harte, CA A man wanted for armed robbery and carjacking led local law enforcement on a short chase this morning in the Twain Harte area. After a Be-on-the-Look Out for a Hispanic male suspect and a stolen white 2000 Chevrolet Express van was sent out Tuesday night from Oakdale Police, it was spotted around12:30 a.m. Wednesday on Highway 108 near Washington Street by an officer that followed it. Sonora Unit CHP officer Steve Machado recounts, It made a left turn onto lower Twain Harte Drive. The Sonora Police Officer activated his emergency light to initiate an enforcement stop on the van. The van immediately accelerated, and a pursuit ensued. The vans driver, 34-year-old Marcus Lee Washington, turned back onto the highway and just under a mile pulled over. Washington and his passenger, 36-year-old Denita Regina Compos both from San Jose were taken into custody without any incident and turned over to Oakdale Police. CASPER Renewable energys standing in the nations electricity sector may eclipse coals as soon as next year. Led by solar and wind, renewable generation could produce as much as 21.6% of the nations electricity by 2021 beating out coal at 20.8%, according to new projections published last month by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In the meantime, coal consumption will decrease another 11% this year, the federal data agency predicted. Thats not a surprise, University of Wyoming economist Rob Godby said in response to the data agencys latest forecasts. While a lot of people still arent aware of it, renewables are really the cheapest and most promising form of new energy generation in most places. Its all part of the same story coal has become less competitive with alternative forms of generation, those being natural gas and renewables, Godby added. The newest forecasts could spell trouble for Wyoming, the largest coal producer in the nation. But several industry insiders also said the rapidity of the shift toward renewable energy could catalyze additional economic opportunities for the Equality State, if the state acts fast. Part of reason behind renewable energys ascent into the upper echelons of the countrys energy market comes down to cost. The price of wind and solar energy generation has declined rather dramatically in the past decade. Technological advancements and manufacturing improvements cut wind installation costs by one-third between 2010 and 2016, according to the Energy Information Administration. And the average cost of solar photovoltaic generators also dropped 37% between 2013 and 2017. The real price decline in solar is basically (due to) economies of scale, said Bruce Parkinson, a University of Wyoming professor and expert on solar energy. Parkinson notes that factories that manufacture parts for photovoltaic systems have sprouted up around the world, especially in China. The economies of scale provided by the growth in large facilities has driven prices of solar generation down. The price (of solar) is just going to continue to go down. Its getting close to being as low as it can go, Parkinson said. Meanwhile, electricity demand has remained static, allowing renewables to eat into coals share of the energy market. Whats more, recent deadlines to cash in on renewable energy subsidies extended by the federal government have also prompted an uptick in wind and solar development nationwide. In fact, one such tax break for wind energy projects was even extended late last year. If developers now launch construction in 2020 and bring a project online by 2021, they can qualify for the federal wind production tax credit. Despite having a prime landscape for wind and solar facilities, Wyoming is still a relatively small contributor to the renewable energy market. Investments in renewable energy often face public scrutiny here given the states fidelity to coal and oil and gas producers. But to Dennis Wamsted, an analyst and editor at energy transition think tank Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, its imperative that state leaders acknowledge and respond to the shift. You actually need to plan for this transition, Wamsted said. You cannot pretend like this transition is not going to occur. Renewables and natural gas, they are both cheaper than coal. Economics aside, public pressure for corporations and utilities to pivot to renewable energy sources in light of human-driven climate change has also mounted in recent years. Companies and lawmakers have responded in kind by setting mandates for increasing clean energy or lowering emissions. That puts coal in a tough place. The Energy Information Administration reported late last year that energy-related activity contributed 5.27 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in 2018, a nearly 3% increase from 2017. Coal contributed to 24% of carbon dioxide emissions among the various energy sources that year. Natural gas contributed even more: 31%. Though constructing wind and solar energy systems also contribute some greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere, emission levels are still less than coal and natural gas. These transitions are hard; there is no doubt about it, Wamsted said. But saying, Something is hard and then saying, Well, I should ignore it thats just a dereliction of duty. Proponents of the renewable energy source point to solar technologys increasing efficiency and cost-effectiveness, not to mention its potential tax and job contributions for the state. Some new solar and wind developments in Wyoming could be just around the corner, though. Energy firm Raven Solar LLC (a part of Energy of Utah) submitted an application last month to construct and operate a new fleet of solar panels on 400 acres of public land near Rock Springs. The solar farm would provide 66 megawatts of generating capacity. The proposed Raven Solar Energy Project is in a 30-day scoping period, a time when the Bureau of Land Management reviews the potential land use impacts of the new venture. In addition, a new 504-megawatt wind farm, proposed recently by Houston-based renewable energy firm ConnectGen, could come online in southeast Albany County as soon as 2022. The Rail Tie Wind Project would flaunt upward of 151 wind turbines on both sides of Highway 287 just outside Tie Siding. Construction could start in the fall of 2021, if the project meets necessary federal and state regulations. How do you prepare for the coronavirus? By cutting up a few limes. Thats the message conveyed by a popular internet meme that shows a pair of hands slicing limes. The image and caption Me, preparing for the coronavirus are a bit subversive: While public health officials worldwide are scrambling to determine how to best treat and contain the virus that has killed hundreds, the meme plays on the name of the beer brand Corona, and suggests theres no real need to worry. Internet memes use images to celebrate, mock or satirize current events and popular culture, and they have become a defining part of how teenagers communicate in the digital world. The recent rise of memes seeming to make light of the Wuhan virus or international tensions offer a glimpse into how teenagers learn about and process world events. Todays tweens and teens get their news via memes on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, while parents, teachers and grandparents still largely rely on news reports and Facebook and Twitter posts. As a result, theres a generational gap between how I learn about and perceive the news, and how my teenage sons learn about and react to the same events. When I learned (on Facebook) that an American drone attack killed Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the powerful Iranian commander, my stomach dropped. Having been married to a Marine deployed in the gulf war in the 1990s, I know that war is no joke. Our sons came home from school that day laughing at World War III memes claiming their generation is ready for war because theyve been training in the video games Fortnite and Call of Duty. [February 06, 2020] LTI Expands Strategic Partnership with OKQ8 Scandinavia Larsen & Toubro Infotech (News - Alert) Ltd. (NSE: LTI, BSE: 540005), a global technology consulting and digital solutions company has expanded its engagement with OKQ8 AB Scandinavia. Over the next five years, this engagement will transform applications and infrastructure landscape with services that include Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Security Services, Application Operations, Maintenance and Development, resulting in improved stability, availability, and predictability of IT operations. Headquartered in Stockholm, OKQ8 is one of Scandinavia's largest fuel companies with a turnover of over SEK 39 Bn and nearly 1,000 stations across Sweden and Denmark. LTI has been a partner of OKQ8 since 2017, and this expanded partnership is an outcome of impact delivered over these years. As a strategic partner, LTI will leverage its rich analytics, automation, and AI capabilities to deliver these services to OKQ8. Mikael Palsson, CIO, OKQ8, said, "To serve our customers better, it is imperative for OKQ8 to integrate our ecosystem comprising fuel stations, convenience stores, car wash, car rentals, financial, and insurance services. As our strategic partner, LTI brings the right experience, technology expertise, and cultural alignment to ensure the complete success of this program." Arun Sankaranarayanan, Chief Business Officer, LTI Nordics, said, "Since its inception in 1999, OKQ8 has consistently set high standards for technology adoption and excellence in customer service. We are excited to expand our partnership with OKQ8 to design next-generation architecture and fulfill the company's digital transformation vision. LTI would leverage its capabilities in exponential technologies and customer-centric approach to help OKQ8 accomplish its strategic goals." LTI has a strong presence across the Nordic region and partners with leading companies to help them compete effectively in a changing world. About LTI: LTI (NSE: LTI) is a global technology consulting and digital solutions Company helpng more than 420 clients succeed in a converging world. With operations in 32 countries, we go the extra mile for our clients and accelerate their digital transformation with LTI's Mosaic platform enabling their mobile, social, analytics, IoT and cloud journeys. Founded in 1997 as a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited, our unique heritage gives us unrivaled real-world expertise to solve the most complex challenges of enterprises across all industries. Each day, our team of more than 30,000 LTItes enable our clients to improve the effectiveness of their business and technology operations and deliver value to their customers, employees and shareholders. Read more at http://www.Lntinfotech.com or follow us at @LTI_Global About OKQ8 AB: OKQ8 Scandinavia: The preferred enabler for sustainable movement. OKQ8 Scandinavia has operations in Sweden and Denmark and is one of Scandinavia's largest fuel companies. We are an engaged, customer-oriented and sustainability-focused organization with approximately 5,000 employees. We work actively to drive the development of more climate- and environmentally friendly fuels and products, to reduce inequality and to contribute to sustainable cities and communities. With around 1,000 service stations, our own bank and one of the market's strongest corporate offerings, we want to be the preferred enabler for sustainable business - now and in the future. Read more at www.okq8.se Connect with LTI: Read our News and Blogs Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn Like us on Facebook View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005408/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Treasury Department has granted a request from Senate Republicans for financial documents related to Hunter Bidens relationship with a Ukrainian gas company, according to Senator Ron Wyden, the ranking Democrat on the Finance Committee, who criticized the move. Senator Chuck Grassley, chair of the Finance Committee, and Senator Ron Johnson, chair of Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, obtained the sensitive financial records as part of their continuing investigation into former vice president Joe Bidens sons possible conflicts of interest involving his lucrative position on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings. Applying a blatant double standard, Trump administration agencies like the Treasury Department are rapidly complying with Senate Republican requests no subpoenas necessary and producing evidence of questionable origin, said a spokeswoman for Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Finance Committee. The administration told House Democrats to go pound sand when their oversight authority was mandatory while voluntarily cooperating with the Senate Republicans sideshow at lightning speed. The Republican committee chairmen, along with Senator Lindsey Graham, chair of the Judiciary Committee, are moving forward with their probe even after President Trump was acquitted by the Senate Wednesday, ending his impeachment trial. They have requested records on Hunter Biden as well from the State Department, the Justice Department, the FBI, the National Archives and the Secret Service. Its unfortunate that Democrats whom weve kept in the loop on our investigations would recklessly seek to interfere with legitimate government oversight, a spokesman for Grassley said. Hunter Bidens position on the board of the Ukrainian company became a focal point of the impeachment inquiry. House Democrats launched a formal impeachment probe after Trump appeared to suggest in a July phone call with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky that he wanted Zelensky to investigate Hunter Biden over allegations that the elder Biden leveraged his position as vice president to benefit his son. As vice president, Biden was in charge of addressing corruption in Ukraine at the time. Story continues In the meantime, the White House temporarily froze $391 million in U.S. military aid to Ukraine intended to help the country ward off Russian aggression, prompting suspicion of a quid pro quo scheme in which Trump is accused of making the aid contingent on the Ukrainian presidents promise that Bidens conduct would be investigated. More from National Review At the entrance of Ngwa Road Market in the heart of Aba in Abia State, an unperturbed Chika Mba sat gently in the midst of broken bottles, used plastic, dirty nylons, and rags. As the stench of waste and rubbish engulfed the atmosphere, Chika, a 34-year-old trader, moved around to call on passers-by for patronage. Beside him stood other traders and customers, all haggling prices among themselves. If they found the offensive smell oozing out of their surrounding unpalatable, they did not show it in their countenances. As seconds turned into minutes and hours, rather slowly, Chika and other customers and traders alike laughed, ate, drank and haggled prices of different clothing materials amidst the offensive odour. He would soon dance around the dirt with reckless abandon, to the delight of passers-by and fellow traders. There is nothing we can do when there is no proper waste disposal system in place, Mr Mba told PREMIUM TIMES in an interview, his words spoken with a tinge of deliberate nonchalance. The point is that if government fails to carry out its responsibility, there is little ordinary people can do, he said. We tried using private waste disposal people but the thing didnt work out. Aba is one of the most commercially vibrant cities in Eastern Nigeria. Residents of the city are renowned for their enterprising spirit and commercial endeavors, making the city one of Nigerias foremost commercial hubs. Due to the influx of traders and buyers into the city, Aba is surrounded by numerous markets, among which Ngwa Road Market is prominent. Located in Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State, the market is popular among residents as the go-to point for buyers of clothing materials, shoes, and other accessories. With significant commercial activities come heavy waste in markets across the city, including Ngwa Market. However, due to poor disposal system, waste and rubbish used by traders and commuters in the market are dumped indiscriminately around. Over the years, the waste has become a permanent feature of the market and the larger Aba metropolis, exposing traders and passers-by to probable epidemic and other environmental hazards. Ngwa market People have stayed in this environment for so long that we do not care about any health hazard any longer, Mr Mba said, his hands widely spread out in helpless resignation. We really care less about those things now. Survival is first and most important. Ngwa Market The filth surrounding Mr Mba and other market users is, however, not perculiar to Ngwa Market Road. Ngwa market PREMIUM TIMES investigations across major parts of Aba revealed that too many strategic roads, markets and streets in the commercial city are littered with rubbish, dirt, and fecal materials. This reporter moved through dirty spots in strategic places including Asa Road, Obohia Road, Ohanku Road, Portharcourt Road, as well as the popular Ariaria Market. Ngwa market Ngwa Market Ngwa Maket section Abas Records of Filth, Decay The commercial city of Aba has always been in the news for its filthy environment. Over a decade ago, a former Nigerian Minister of Urban Development, Halima Alao, described Aba as the dirtiest city in Nigeria. The city earned the unenviable record alongside Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Speaking at a workshop in Ibadan in 2008, the minister expressed displeasure over the environmental sanitation status of Aba and Ibadan, believed to be the biggest city in West Africa. The minister said that in spite of governments efforts, Ibadan and Aba still remained the dirtiest cities in the country. More than a decade after the minister lamented the condition, very little has changed in terms of filth and waste management in the commercial city. Oboihia Road In 2013, an environmental right organization based in Aba, Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD) also described the commercial nerve city of Abia State as the dirtiest city across the country. The organization decried the level of refuse dump littered in the major street in Aba after assessing strategic points like Ngwa Road, Asa road by St. Micheals, Ogbor hill, Jubilee and Hospital Roads, among others. It noted that in most areas, the drainage system has been blocked by waste, with the environment oozing with odour from the gutters. Oboihia road In 2016, data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that four of the worst cities in the world for air pollution were in Nigeria. The cities named and shamed in the WHO report for high PM10 levels include Onitsha, Kaduna, Umuahia and of course Aba. Although the Abia State Government has always claimed to be doing its best to address the environmental menace via the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, the waste armada continues to be a recurring feature of city life in Aba. Clothe section in Ngwa Market As part of measures to tackle the menace, there have been numerous calls on the government to address the waste epidemic in order to avert serious environmental and health disaster in the state. Concerned stakeholders have also called on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for intervention. Abia, alongside Ondo, Edo, Delta, Cross River, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Imo and Bayelsa, are the states in which the NDDC is set up to intervene in various developmental aspects of the peoples socio-economic life. The Abia State Government, perhaps overwhelmed by its inability to handle the waste epidemic, has also consistently called on the NDDC for intervention. Governor Okezie Ikpeazu For instance, in a press statement posted on the website of the state government in February 2013, the immediate past governor of the state, Theodore Orji, once appealed to the NDDC to help address the waste management crisis in the state. When the Senate committee on the Niger Delta visited Abia state to inspect NDDC projects as part of its oversight function, the former governor asked the committee to site more projects in the state. He specifically noted that one of such projects very dear to the people of the state was, according to the statement, an incinerator in Aba the commercial nerve centre of the state to cater for the huge volume of waste produced daily in the city. The statement said Mr Orji lamented that the project kept reappearing in the NDDC budget and regretted that nothing concrete had been done in that respect. The former governor has since vacated his position after ruling the state for eight years, moving on to occupy one of the senatorial seats on the state. But more than six years after his lamentation, little or nothing has changed about the waste epidemic and filthy condition of the commercial city despite NDDCs continued presence and huge allocation. Traders amid dirt in Ngwa market School Road Market NDDCs Allocation Advertisements The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was established in 2000 by the NDDC Establishment Act. This Act repealed the oil mineral producing areas Commission decree 1998. It also established the Niger Delta Development Commission with a re-organised administrative structure for increased effectiveness. The Act sets out the mandate of the Commission which is to deploy allocations from the Federation Account for tackling problems which arise from exploration of oil minerals in the Niger-Delta area. The commission was created largely as a response to the demands of the population of the Niger Delta, a populous area inhabited by a diversity of minority ethnic groups. The vision of the NDDC is to provide a lasting solution to the socio-economic challenges of the Niger Delta Region while its Mission Statement is to facilitate the rapid, even, and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into a region that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative, and politically peaceful. According to the law establishing it, one person who shall be an indigene of an oil producing area would represent each of the member states including Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo, and Rivers State. Since its inception in 2001, the NDDC has received about N1.534 trillion for developmental interventions across all the states. In Abia, according to a report by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) on revenues, deductions, disbursement, and application of funds by NDDC, the agency allocated huge sums for several intervention projects in the state between 2007 and 2011. The intervention areas included construction of roads & bridges (N7, 979, 578,000); town halls/housing (N247,150,000); Jetty and erosion reclamation (N70,000,000); hospital and medical (N73,432,000), as well as water projects (N737,190,00). Allocation for waste disposal intervention may have received no special attention within the period under review. The concern, ostensibly categorized alongside other projects under the line item tagged other, got N506, 222,000 with a poor completion record of 7 percent. Checks by PREMIUM TIMES across the state showed that there is no significant intervention in waste management as strategic parts of the state are littered with broken bottles, fecal materials, dirty water and related rubbish, exposing residents to health hazards. Heap of rubbish on Crystal Park Junction Crystal Park road Ariaria Market of Flood The Ariaria International Market is a market located in Aba. The market is one of the largest markets in West Africa. Aba itself is colloquially referred to as the China of Africa because of the peoples versatility in the making of wears and leather works, chief among whom are traders in Ariaria. Ariaria Market Section But due to poor waste disposal system, the market is barely different from a pigsty whenever it rains. When PREMIUM TIMES visited in October 2019, traders were thrown into chaos as blocked drainages vomited fecal material, broken bottles and used plastic onto the major pathways leading into the market. Inside Ariaria Market Ariaria is a mess whenever we have a little downpour, Emeka, a young trader who sells clothing material, told this reporter. As big and commercially vibrant as this market is, this waste problem is one major issue we face every year. You can see how flooded our shops and other parts have become. Another petty trader who identified herself simply as Mary also complained that they record poor sales whenever it rains as traders and customers are often in a hurry to move out of the mess. She said: Many of us that sell edible food for traders run into loss anytime there is rain. The entire place becomes a mess. Government ought to have done something here to intervene. As it is in Ariaria, Abas dirty outlook spread to other markets and strategic places across the city, as PREMIUM TIMES investigations revealed. For instance, on Asa Road area of Aba South Local Government, there are waste materials dumped on the major road with abandon when this newspaper checked. The sight at Asa Road was quite palatable when compared to what obtained at the dilapidated portion of the notorious Obohia Road, also in Aba. Since the road is broken and already abandoned, it had literally been turned into a dumpsite by residents and passers-by. When PREMIUM TIMES toured the long stretch of road in October, it was littered with feaces, used nylon, and other dirty materials. Other parts of the road have been overgrown by weed. A passer-by who declined to have his name in print attributed the development to poor waste disposal system and residents negligence. Oboihia Road All of us in this area are guilty, he said, half-jokingly, half-seriously. But, my brother, we dont have government in the state too. Just look at this area, should human beings be living here? Is there any sign that there is a government here at all? Oboihia road The same was the situation at Ohanku Road, School Road Market and Ngwa Market, including the premises of the Nigerian Army 144 Division in the area. Learning, Undergoing Treatment amidst stench On Port Harcourt Road, by far the most despicable mountain of waste is located at the purported entrance of National High School. The spot, popularly known as Crystal Park Dustbin Junction, is notorious among residents of the state for its heavy stench and fecal waste materials that have blocking the dilapidated and now abandoned Port Harcourt Road. Mountain OF REFUSE ON Crystal Park Junction, PortHarcourt Road Many students have had to withdraw from the school for fear of epidemic, a student, Eze, told PREMIUM TIMES. According to him, residents too have had to relocate due to the heavy stench coming out of the site. Dirt on Port Harcourt Road Midway into the dirty Obohia Road, there is Amaufuru Health Centre serving the residents and others around the environment. But PREMIUM TIMES observed that the stench from the larger Obohia road was palpable even around the premises of the health centre, raising concerns among residents. We really dont have any option but it worries our people, said Nkechi Daniel, a resident. What we try to do is keep the health centre premises clean as you can see but then, the larger environment too matters. There is little individuals can do when government does not care. NDDC Reacts PREMIUM TIMES efforts to speak to the NDDC failed as the spokesperson, Charles Odili, declined comments. But earlier in October 2019, the commission pledged to distribute 32 waste disposal trucks to the nine states covered by the commission. A statement issued Mr Odili, the Commissions Director of Corporate Affairs, quoted Akwagaga Enyia, the Acting Managing Director, as saying this while inspecting three NDDC warehouses in Port Harcourt at the time. Mr Enyia also said the commission was also planning to distribute 64 waste bins as well as 16 modular cold chains to the various ministries of environment in the area. The 16 modular cold chains would be used to store vaccines while the 32 trucks and 64 waste bins would help in the campaign for a clean and healthy environment, she said. We will take the necessary steps to facilitate the distribution of equipment and tools to the relevant government agencies and institutions in the region. Days after he was hospitalised in Delhi, veteran actor Rishi Kapoor has been admitted to a Mumbai hospital with viral fever, a source close to the family said Thursday. The 67-year-old was admitted to a Mumbai hospital on Tuesday, the same day the actor went on Twitter to say he was back home and is doing "fine". The Kapoor family insider said, "He has been admitted to Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in south Mumbai two days ago due to viral fever. He is fine and there is nothing to worry about". Pictures of Rishis son and actor Ranbir Kapoor visiting him in the hospital have surfaced online. The actor can be seen wearing a mask as he arrives at the hospital. After days of speculations around his health when he skipped the wedding celebrations of Armaaan Jain over the weekend, Rishi took to Twitter to share the exact nature of his illness. The actor, who had been filming in Delhi, had to be rushed to a hospital after he got fever. He wrote on Twitter on Tuesday, Dear family,friends,foes and followers. I have been overwhelmed by all your concern about my health.Thank you. I have been filming in Delhi past 18 days and because of the Pollution and my low count of neutrophils, I caught an infection whereby I had to be hospitalized. Also read: Varun Grover had the perfect reply for people questioning him for wearing nail paint: Surprised why more people dont wear it Dear family,friends,foes and followers. I have been overwhelmed by all your concern about my health.Thank you. I have been filming in Delhi past 18 days and because of the Pollution and my low count of neutrophils, I caught an infection whereby I had to be hospitalized. (1)..... Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) February 4, 2020 I was running a slight fever and on investigation,Dr.s found a patch which could have lead to pneumonia,was detected and is being cured. People seem to have assumed a lot different. I put to rest all those stories and look forward to entertain and love you. I am now in Mumbai. Rishi Kapoor (@chintskap) February 4, 2020 Continuing the same Twitter thread, he said, I was running a slight fever and on investigation,Dr.s found a patch which could have lead to pneumonia,was detected and is being cured. People seem to have assumed a lot different. I put to rest all those stories and look forward to entertain and love you. I am now in Mumbai. Earlier, while in Delhi, Rishi had said, I have had an infection which I am getting treated. Nothing dramatic. Pollution got me, I guess. Rishis son Ranbir Kapoor and his girlfriend Alia Bhatt flew to Delhi to visit Rishi. In videos shared online by a fan club, the couple was seen wearing masks as they accompanied Neetu Kapoor to the hospital. (With inputs from PTI) Follow @htshowbiz for more WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Rep. Judy Chu, U.S. Rep. David Trone, former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, and former U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith will join fellow policymakers, health care professionals, and advocates this morning to shine a spotlight on mental health and addiction in the Russell Senate Office Building's Kennedy Caucus Room. Hosted by The Kennedy Forum, Agenda for Change: Unite. Connect. Act. will explore the current state of mental health and addiction in the United States, promoting specific actions needed in policy, philanthropy, employment, and research. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), one in five U.S. adults experienced mental illness in 2018, and one in 14 people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder that same year. Overdose death rates, which fell modestly in 2018, continue to outnumber deaths from motor vehicle accidents and are still rising for fentanyl, cocaine, and psychostimulants like methamphetamine. While U.S. life expectancy is no longer decreasing as in prior years, it is still lower than its peak in 2014and lower than 10 peer nations, despite the U.S. spending far more per capita on health care. Speakers will call on leaders to increase access to lifesaving measures such as affordable mental health and addiction care, preventive care, brain research funding, and more. "As a nation, there are tangible steps we can take right now to save more lives," said Rep. Kennedy, Mental Health for US co-chair and founder of The Kennedy Forum. "This is about equality for those with mental health and addiction challenges. We must act now to prioritize measures and resources that truly address these systemic problems and create meaningful, lasting change." In that spirit, the event will highlight several new reports, initiatives, and resources that will be critical for defining next steps. Andy Slavitt, board chair of United States of Care and former Acting Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will address recent data finding huge out-of-network utilization disparities between mental health/addiction and medical/surgical care for inpatient facilities, outpatient facilities, and office visits. John Madigan, senior vice president of public policy at American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Sen. Smith, and Daniel Gillison, incoming CEO of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), will discuss Mental Health for US, a 90-member nonpartisan, educational coalition aiming to elevate mental health and addiction in policy conversations during the 2020 election cycle. Joe Pyle, MA, president of The Scattergood Foundation, will moderate a panel discussion profiling powerful new tools to drive social change, including "Health in Mind," a guide from the Center for High Impact Philanthropy (CHIP) at the University of Pennsylvania. The guide outlines philanthropic recommendations for aligning financial investments with the needs of those with mental health and addiction challenges. "Mental health conditions and substance use disorders (SUDs) affect thousands of individuals and families nationwide and are tightly linked to other social impact areas, including homelessness, incarceration, education, and foster care. In our latest guide, 'Health in Mind,' we show how donors can help," said Katherina Rosqueta, founding executive director of CHIP at Penn's School of Social Policy & Practice. "There are a range of philanthropic approaches that can enable these individuals, their families, and communities to thrive." The panel will also explore "Healing the Nation," a new report from Well Being Trust that outlines a framework for federal policymakers and pinpoints specific recommendations to support prevention, treatment, and recovery an update to The Kennedy Forum's 2017 policy guide for the 115th Congress. "It's beyond time for a new approach to ensure mental health and well-being for all. There are many comprehensive and integrated approaches to care, which have been proven to be better for people, improve health, and save money. We must have an agenda that guides usone that calls to put federal resources behind these policies and programs to bring them to scaleso no one suffers needlessly," said Benjamin F. Miller, PsyD, chief strategy officer at Well Being Trust. Mike Thompson, president and CEO of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchasing Organizations, and Brandon Staglin, president of One Mind, will also take part in the panel discussion, addressing needs in the areas of health care purchasing and brain research. Agenda for Change: Unite. Connect. Act. is open to the public and will be livestreamed on The Kennedy Forum You Tube page. Registration is free, but a ticket is required to attend. Members of the media are invited to attend and interview speakers. Summary: What: Agenda for Change: Unite. Connect. Act. Where: The Kennedy Caucus Room, Russell Senate Office Building 2 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20002 When: Thursday, February 6, 2020 9:30-11:30 am EST Media Registration: 9:00 am EST Contact: Amber McLaughlin, [email protected] Phone: 703-407-6070 Who: Rep. David Trone, Chair of the Freshman Working Group on Addiction Rep. Judy Chu, House Ways and Means Committee Former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, Co-Chair of Mental Health for US Former Sen. Gordon Smith, Co-Chair of Mental Health for US Katherina Rosqueta, Center for High Impact Philanthropy (CHIP) at the University of Pennsylvania John Madigan, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Benjamin F. Miller, Ph.D., Well Being Trust Joe Pyle, MA, Scattergood Foundation National policymakers and advocates Registration: https://bit.ly/3akFyDh About The Kennedy Forum Founded in 2013 by former Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.), The Kennedy Forum leads a national dialogue on transforming the health care system by uniting mental health advocates, business leaders, and government agencies around a common set of principles, including full implementation of the Federal Parity Law. Launched in celebration of the 50th anniversary of President Kennedy's signing of the landmark Community Mental Health Act, the nonprofit aims to achieve health equity by advancing evidence-based practices, policies, and programming around mental health and addiction. The Kennedy Forum's "Don't Deny Me" campaign educates consumers and providers about patient rights under the Federal Parity Law and connects them with essential appeals guidance and resources. www.TheKennedyForum.org SOURCE The Kennedy Forum Related Links http://www.TheKennedyForum.org Photo credit: Caroline Delbert From Popular Mechanics The math wizards at Numberphile have brought back an age-old multiplying algorithm known as halves and doubles, peasant math, Egyptian math, oras math presenter Johnny Ball describes itRussian multiplying. To do the method, begin by writing the two numbers you want to multiply at the top of two columns. In the left column, you progressively halve the number and take the integer floor of any and a half values, all the way down to 1. In the right column, you double the number as many times as there are digits in the left column. Photo credit: Caroline Delbert With your completed table, scan through and remove any rows where the left column has an even value. That includes the original term at the very top. Photo credit: Caroline Delbert Now, when you add the remaining terms in the right column, you get the solution. Photo credit: Caroline Delbert The method works for all numbers, and it works either way you arrange your original terms. Photo credit: Caroline Delbert Wait, What's Going On Here? Johnny Ball presents the method as a fun thing he was taught long ago while hanging out in the "children's room" of a pub. (Never change, U.K.) The person who taught it to him called it Russian multiplication, and Ball explains that the method originated not in Russia, but thousands of years before in ancient Egypt. And, critically, the method maps to a binary number system. Binary is the common term for what's technically the base-2 number system, where values are represented by 0 and 1 positioned in powers of 2. Here are a few integers written out as binary values so you can see the value at each position. Photo credit: Caroline Delbert If you're noticing that the "halving and doubling" method bears at least a superficial resemblance to how binary values double from column to column, you're right. Making binary numbers from decimal (base-10) values is kind of like making change: you find the highest denomination that fits your number without going over, then subtract it. Then you find the highest denomination that fits your new number without going over, and subtract that. Story continues Ancient people still had to do math, but imagine calculating even fairly simple things without any scratch paperor if you were never taught to write. The method most children learn in school, long multiplication, involves many steps with separate products you have to note and recombine later. Halving and doubling let our ancestors use physical counters and do calculations by "making change." If you're like me, you spent much of the Numberphile video wondering if the method was a trick, like that trick that relies on math facts about the number 9 to make sure you guess someone's "secret number" right every time. And maybe you also wondered about exceptions to this method. As far as I can tell, there really are none. Even a power of 2 itself will break down so that you've crossed out everything in both columns except the final onethe final "1," actuallyand that single value is your answer. Photo credit: Caroline Delbert You Might Also Like Minutes after President Donald Trump wrapped up his State of the Union address, MSNBC host Chris Matthews praised the president for giving a speech that regular people would like, adding that it was full of good stuff. With the hour-plus speech featuring made-for-TV feel-good moments such as the president offering a single mother a scholarship for her child and surprising a soldiers wife with her returning husband, Matthews insisted that the people where I came from will like the speech. I think people will like the speech tonight, Matthews added. I think regular people, they'll see the schmaltz, the corniness, they'll see itbut theyll like it! Its all good stuff, whatever purpose it had." Matthews, who was once chief-of-staff to former House Speaker Tip ONeill, went on to assess current House Speaker Nancy Pelosis performance, specifically commending her for standing and applauding when Trump introduced Juan Guaido, whom the president referred to as the true president of Venezuela. Pelosi ripping up her copy of the speech at the end of Trumps address, however, didnt come up in Matthews' analysis. Nor did Trump snubbing her handshake at the beginning. At the same time, the MSNBC host took the opportunity to contrast Trump with Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, whom Matthews has repeatedly criticized in recent weeks. Im telling you, Trump set up the fight and he laid down the gauntlet tonight about him and Bernie, the veteran MSNBC personality declared. Its as if he was following Bernie won the popular vote in Iowa yesterday. There he is going after Guaido, going after socialism, tying all socialism to the kind we really dont like, the tyrannical socialism of the Latin Americans like Castro, he continued. I thought that was interesting. Pelosi stood up and applauded that. She knew where this country stands. We dont like those leaders. And Bernie does. And thats a problem for him. Story continues 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. A fiery streak lit up the California night sky as the U.S. Air Force conducted an early morning test of an unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile. The missile was launched from California early on Wednesday on a test flight to a target in the Pacific Ocean, the Air Force Global Strike Command said. The missile blasted off at 12:33 a.m. from Vandenberg Air Force Base and its reentry vehicle traveled 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands as part of a developmental test, the command said from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. An Air Force statement says such tests are scheduled years in advance to verify the accuracy and reliability of the weapons system and are not a response or reaction to world events or regional tensions. The launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile occurred early on Wednesday at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California The missile blasted off at 12:33a.m. PST and its reentry vehicle traveled 4,200 miles (to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands as part of a developmental test, the command said The local police tweeted out pictures of the missile launch The Minuteman 3 missile system's accuracy and reliability is routinely tested with launches from the Vandenberg Air Force Base. Each firing sends a missile's reentry vehicle on a 4,200-mile (6,759-kilometer) flight to a target in the Kwajalein Atoll of the Marshall Islands Developmental tests use a spare missile from storage to validate flight worthiness of new or replacement components. That differs from test launches that use randomly selected operational missiles. Modernization programs are essential to sustaining the aging Minuteman 3 weapon system, Col. Omar Colbert, the 576th Flight Test Squadron commander, said in a statement. The launch can produce some spectacular images, particularly with an open shutter. This image was taken during a similar test in October 2019 This image provided by the U.S. Air Force shows an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile test launch early Wednesday morning, at Vandenberg Air Force Base The launch was conducted by airmen from the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, and the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota. Vandenberg's 30th Space Wing, now a part of the new U.S. Space Force, provided support. The Air Force said test launches are not a reaction to world events. The launch calendars are developed three to five years in advance, and planning for individual launches takes six months to a year. A grumpy python was filmed striking at a snake catcher's camera as he tried to relocate the creature. The three-metre-long coastal carpet python, weighing more than 12 kilograms, lashed out during an attempt to move it near Brisbane, Queensland. The python can be seen coiled up as filming begins but within five seconds strikes at the camera with incredible speed. This is the terrifying moment a coastal carpet python strikes at the camera of a snake handler after it was relocated near Brisbane, Queensland As the clip ends the python falls right back into its pre-strike pose to continue to warn the handler off. Carpet pythons are spread across northern, eastern and southern Australia and while they are non-venomous their bites can cause large and deep lacerations. A tetanus shot is also recommended to anyone who is bitten by a coastal carpet python. Coastal carpet pythons are between two and four metres in size, and mostly move around at night after basking in the sun during the day. The largest coastal carpet python recorded to date was 4.2 metres in length and the species is the most commonly encountered snake in south-east Queensland. While the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is spreading fast globally and India is also facing a possible outbreak, there is some good news to pacify the nerves - India has a huge spare capacity to make enough gloves, coveralls (a one-piece protective garment), and masks in case of an emergency. As per the data collected by the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMeD), the umbrella association of Indian manufacturers of medical devices, 20 out of the 22 manufacturers of masks and coveralls informed that they have a capacity of 222.5 million pieces of three-layer masks per annum, 15.6 million two-layer masks per annum and 3.7 million pieces per annum of coveralls. These domestic manufacturers have a spare capacity to make an additional 55 million pieces per annum of three-layer masks and 7.2 million pieces per annum of two-layer masks. Also read: Coronavirus scare: Hospitals get cautious and ready Out of the 30 manufacturers of gloves, 11 manufacturers informed they together have a capacity of 1.7 billion pieces, with 18 per cent spare capacity (300 million). Of the current production of 1.7 billion pieces, 44 per cent or 753 million pieces are exports. The current Indian market for gloves are estimated to be over four billion pieces, of which half are surgical gloves and 45 per cent are examination gloves. Latex free nitrile gloves, generally used in the food industry, constitute about 5 per cent and there are only 4-5 manufacturers with limited capacities, Rajiv Nath, joint managing director of Hindustan Syringes & Medical Devices and Forum Coordinator of AiMeD exclusively told Business Today. He said India imports about 1.8 billion examination gloves from countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and China. Due to the inability of the domestic manufacturers to compete with cheap imports from these countries, most manufacturers have huge idle capacities. "In the case of an emergency, in addition to over 5.5 lakh pieces of masks being sold daily, another two lakh pieces per day can be easily supplied by the Indian manufacturers. The spare capacity is huge in the sector as most manufacturers were finding it difficult to compete with the Chinese in the international markets," said Rajiv Nath. Although the Ministry of Health has asked the manufacturers about their manufacturing capabilities, firm orders are yet to be placed to increase the production, said sources. Meanwhile, the government in Delhi on Saturday set up a round-the-clock National Centre for Disease Control Call Centre (+91-11-23978046) to attend to public queries. The Central government has come up with a travel advisory and guidelines for meeting any emergency. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has also approved the 'restricted use' of a combination of drugs used widely for controlling HIV infection in public health emergency for treating those affected by novel coronavirus (nCoV). While three confirmed cases are undergoing treatment in Kerala, news reports today said three more persons, suspected to have contracted the coronavirus, have been admitted to government hospitals in Balrampur, Agra and Gonda districts of Uttar Pradesh. The Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), suspected to have originated from a market in Wuhan, China, has now spread to 28 countries and territories worldwide, with 28,276 confirmed cases and 565 deaths. Also Read: Coronavirus update: India temporarily suspends e-visa facility for Chinese citizens, foreigners in china Pro-life groups have claimed that three professional health bodies that agreed there should be no abortion restrictions up to 24 weeks in Northern Ireland are driven by a pro-abortion agenda. Dawn McAvoy from Both Lives Matter hit out at the proposals by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Royal College of Midwives and the Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare for a regulatory framework for abortion services in Northern Ireland. The Government must put legislation in place by March 31. Ms McAvoy said Both Lives Matter acknowledged "the reality of the new legislation", but added that "there is no legal requirement for Northern Ireland to implement an abortion framework which goes far beyond the British model of abortion provision". "Rather than imitate something drawn up in the last century, that is out of step with modern advances in medical science and which is failing women and discarding pre-born children, Northern Ireland can offer better," she said. Unrestricted terminations would be available here up to 12 or 14 weeks under government proposals. Mental wellbeing grounds may allow an abortion after 14 weeks under official proposals. But the joint submission by midwives and obstetricians said "there is no clinical basis for introducing a restriction at either 12 or 14 weeks". The colleges added: "The professional groups agree that restricting access to abortion care at arbitrary gestations before 24 weeks will only create barriers for women. This is particularly true for women who are most vulnerable or disadvantaged - such as victims of domestic or sexual abuse, or who are experiencing social or economic deprivation - who, as a result of their circumstances, are more likely to present at later gestations." Life NI spokeswoman Aisling Dundee said if the proposal is accepted "Northern Ireland would have more liberal abortions laws than most of Europe". "Not only have the people of Northern Ireland had abortion imposed on them by Westminster but now they face the possibility of the floodgates being opened to the most extreme abortion laws. We implore the government to reject this proposal," she said. Nola Leach of Christian charity Care said: "The position being taken by these professional health bodies is deeply regrettable. It is striking that GB medical bodies feel the need to interfere, ignoring the views of NI health professionals, many of whom are opposed to the new abortion framework." When John Jibrin drove his mother to Maitama District Hospital, Abuja, on January 7, it was with the hope of taking her back home the same day or after a few days. He never knew that would be her last day on earth. Mr Jibrin is the last child of Georgina Jibrin, a 69-year-old woman who allegedly died due to the negligence of the hospital. Mrs Jibrin died at the emergency ward of the hospital, following an earlier complaint of head pain. The upset son of the deceased said his mother would not have died if the doctors had handled her treatment professionally. He told PREMIUM TIMES how the doctors on duty left his mother unattended to for several hours until she suffered a partial stroke which eventually led to her death. He also alleged that a doctor, identified as Betty Ani, denied his mother blood transfusion despite recommendations from other doctors. How it all started Late Mrs Jibrin reportedly visited the Maitama District Hospital on Friday, January 3, having complained of malaria. The doctor on call had told her to run some tests and scan which was done in a private laboratory and the result was presented to the hospital on Monday, January 6. On this day, she met a different doctor who prescribed some drugs for her and told her to go home. However, she was back to the hospital the next day having complained of head pain with a severe cold all through the night. On Tuesday, 7th January, my mother was brought back to the hospital because she had complained of head pain with a severe cold all through the night. She was admitted at the emergency ward and one Dr Mustapha was assigned to carry out preliminary investigations on her health condition. As at 10.30 a.m., my mother was still conscious and could answer questions from the doctor, Mr Jibrin said. There was, however, a turn of events, when the female doctor on duty complained bitterly about some of the drugs previously prescribed for his mother. She immediately instructed that my mother be placed on a drip. The drip was, however, disconnected when the specialist noticed my mother had developed excess fluid in her legs. After this, no further treatment was done and there was no communication from the doctor. At 2pm, we saw the doctor leaving the hospital without giving any update on my late mothers health, he said. Refusal to transfuse blood Mr Jibrin alleged that Ms Ani, the doctor who took over from the previous one, declined all pleas to give his mother blood, to ensure stability. At about 3 p.m., Dr Chaha observed that my mother was looking pale. She called for the result of the PCV test which shows 34 per cent blood level but she wasnt convinced. She suggested that a blood transfusion is needed, this was affirmed by Dr Mustapha who was present alongside Dr Ani. But, Dr Ani, who was the doctor on duty did not consider the blood transfusion neither did she provide an alternative, he said. He explained that his late mother was left with no further treatment until she suffered a partial stroke. He said Ms Ani was still not proactive, despite the development. Advertisements From the time Dr Chaha left the emergency ward, no treatment was carried out except for an injection to stop her from vomiting. At 6.30 p.m., my mother began to vomit and also suffered a partial stroke attack. We called for help but Ani didnt come until 7 pm with one Dr Garba, he said. Lack of consumables, adequate equipment Mr Jibrin told PREMIUM TIMES that scans and tests requested were done in a private laboratory due to the lack of some equipment in the hospital. Dr Garba asked us if we can afford a brain scan for my mother and we said yes. Then we asked him if it can be done within the hospital, he said no. He suggested we use an independent laboratory in the morning. At this point, we were really disturbed because the night was long and no alternative was being suggested, he said. He also said the hospital had no syringe or gloves at this time. When they were taking blood, they were no blood tubes in the hospital. The blood was taken in an ordinary syringe that we bought. We also bought a packet of glove because they were no gloves in a government-funded hospital, he said. He also alleged that the electronic bed provided by the hospital was not functioning. You can imagine having a bed in the emergency ward that cannot be adjusted. It is called an electronic bed but its in a form of V shape. My mum wasnt comfortable on the bed. Nobody in the hospital could adjust the bed. I drove to my office to get a fuse so they can connect it electronically and adjust it, only to realise all the switch in that department were not functional, he said. Negligence Mr Jibrin explained that the doctors left his mother without giving them any update on her health status. Dr Garba and Dr Ani told us to step out so they can decide on what to do as a team. We stepped outside and was waiting for them but no one surfaced. All of a sudden, my mum had the second stroke attack and it was when we started shouting for help we realised Betty and Garba were no longer in the hospital. Garba had closed for the night, we dont know where Betty went to, he said. He said it was at this point Dr Dan, another doctor, came to their rescue and ordered for a blood transfusion immediately. This woman doesnt have blood, that is why her body has been cold all day, he said. According to Mr Jibrin, the doctor immediately asked for his mother to be placed on oxygen and begin the process of blood transfusion. The process, however, suffered another setback when they met Ms Ani who insisted there will be no blood transfusion. At this time, we pleaded to be given an undertaken indicating that we approved blood transfusion for my mother but if they fail to do, we will hold them responsible if anything happens. But nobody did anything about it. My wife was the first to notice my mums pulse has stopped. I placed my head on her chest, her heart wasnt beating. We were screaming doctor, no doctor came. My mother was gone. Till today, no doctor came to examine my mother and ascertain that this woman is dead, he said. In the eye of a witness A witness, David Ahamf, told PREMIUM TIMES how doctors in the hospital were reluctant in performing their professional duties. I understand that a doctor that has been managing the woman for like a year advised the female doctor on call to give blood but she refused. She left the patient without a word and the family of the late woman was looking for her. The family kept calling different doctors and they kept saying we are coming, we are coming. The painful part is, this is an emergency ward. Its called an emergency ward where everybody should be on their toes. The doctors were just very reluctant in carrying out their professional duties, he said. Esther Umoru, who lost her mother some minutes before Mrs Jibrin gave up, said the tragedy would have been averted if only the doctor gave her blood. My mother had just died in the same emergency ward, so I was mourning. But, I overheard them saying if you dont give her the blood and she dies, we will hold you responsible. About 30 minutes later, the woman died and the family was devastated. If only she gave her the blood, maybe she will be alive today, she said. Goodluck Ommah said the doctors in the hospital are unprofessional and rude. The young man and his family were pleading with the doctor to give their mother blood. The female doctor behaved really bad to the family. She was shouting at them to get out, despite the reality that their mother was really sick. It wasnt long after all of this (that) the woman died. The hospital is not organised at all. It seems they are just waiting for people to die, they are not trying to save lives, he said. Hospitals reaction The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Sule Ahmed, said he will not be reacting to the situation. The case is in court so I cannot say anything for now, he said. Hong Kong: 3 more infections reported The Centre for Health Protection today said it is investigating three additional cases of novel coronavirus infection, taking the number of confirmed cases in Hong Kong to 24. The centre said according to preliminary investigations, some of the confirmed cases are believed to be locally infected. The first case involves a 55-year-old woman with good past health who is the wife of the 21st confirmed case. She had developed a sore throat since February 1, and a fever and diarrhoea from February 2. The woman had consulted a private doctor before seeking treatment at Princess Margaret Hospital on February 4. She went back to the hospital the next day and was admitted for isolation and management. She is in a stable condition. The patient departed for Tokyo, Japan with her husband on January 28, and took Hong Kong Express Airways flight UO651 on February 1 and arrived home on February 2. Passengers on board that return flight are urged to call the centres hotline at 2125 1122 which runs from 8am to midnight daily. The taxi drivers who drove the couple or the patient from February 2 to 5 should also call the hotline. Quarantine will be arranged for the patient's other home contacts - her parents-in-law and domestic helper - who are asymptomatic. The second case involves a 63-year-old woman with good past health. She had developed a cough and malaise since January 26. She had consulted a Chinese medicine practitioner and a private doctor before seeking treatment at Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital on February 5. She was admitted on the same day and is in a stable condition. The patient lives in Ko Mong Building, Shau Kei Wan. She visited her husband who lives in Lai To Home For The Aged in Sai Wan Ho during the incubation period and after the onset of symptoms. She had no travel history during the period. Her husband, as well as her son and granddaughter who live with her, are asymptomatic and quarantine will be arranged for them. The third case involves a 65-year-old woman with underlying illnesses. She had developed a fever and cough since January 28. She consulted a private doctor before seeking treatment at Prince of Wales Hospital on February 5, where she was admitted for management. She is in a serious condition. The patient lives alone in Sui Shek House, Shek Mun Estate in Sha Tin and had no travel history during the incubation period. The taxi driver who drove the patient from Hilton Plaza, Sha Tin to Prince of Wales Hospital around 12.15pm to 1pm on February 5, is urged to call the centres hotline. The centre called on the public to maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene, which is key to personal protection against infection and prevention of the diseases spread in the community. It will update reported novel coronavirus infection cases on its dedicated webpage. This story has been published on: 2020-02-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A public meeting has been called after shocking conditions at a big primary school in Laois have been highlighted to General Election candidates by parents. The meeting will be hosted by the Board of Management of Scoil Mhuire Abbeyleix due to a litany of ongoing building defects in the school building. The organisers meeting will also set about forming of an action plan to actively pursue a new school build as soon as possible. "All parents and guardians are requested to attend, however, we would encourage members of the wider community to attend on the night also. At this meeting it is hoped to update parents as to the measures carried out by the BOM and previous BOM's to date, the current situation & proposed future actions," said the organisers. The conditions at Scoil Mhuire, which has more than 300 boys and girls enrolled, were spelled out clearly and graphically to public representatives at the meeting organised by the Irish National Teachers Association in the run up to the General Election. Blocked toilets and damp, water pouring through ceilings into classrooms were highlighted to candidates which included Minister for Justice, Charlie Flanagan and the other two outgoing Laois TDs, Brian Stanley and Sean Fleming. The meeting heard that staff have to place plastic containers and buckets under the ceiling in several classrooms to catch the rain coming through the roof. Some ceilings are on the point of collapse. The building has no insulation in the ceilings and roof which has also driven up heating bills. Ms Ciara Phelan spoke on behalf of a group of ten parents who attended the meeting. She said the problems were ongoning for a number of years. In an impassioned plea to the politicians, she highlighted the many shortcomings in the building which was built nearly 40 years ago. My main concern is the sewerage system. It doesn't exist, it is not working. I am hearing all of this through my children. I didn't get notified at all, she said. She highlighted an incident which reveals the unhygenic conditions the children have to face. There was one situation where my eldest daughter has told me there was a child sitting on a toilet when it overflowed on her. To me that is just disgusting in this day and age, she said. She highlighted other issues. There is no adequate heating. Our children have to sit in class all through winter with their jackets on. The ceiling is practically caving in on our elder daughter's class. There are leaks constantly, she said. Ms Phelan said, I think we are in a situation where we need a new school. It is a high priority, she said. Irish National Teachers Organisation representative Joe McKeown backed the parents. Clearly we are in a situation where the school is not safe or fit or healthy for pupils or staff, he said. Ms Phelan said was also shocked to hear other issues raised by teachers such as pay inequality and secretarial difficulties. I just can't believe how bad it is. It is just horrendous, Ciara Phelan told the meeting. The meeting was also told that the Department of Education knows about the problems as an engineer's reported was submitted. Following the meeting, the Leinster Express asked the Department of Education if any application for a school building has been submitted and the status of this application. We also asked if not, what measures can be taken to address health and safety issues facing children and staff, and if any measures are in train. The Department replied, The Department is aware of the issues at the school and will be putting arrangements in place to have them addressed. The Department will keep the school fully informed as arrangements are made. New extensions were added to Scoil Mhuire in recent years to accommodate Autism Spectrum Disorder units. New schools have been built in the Abbeyleix area at South National School and in nearby Ballyroan. Three Laois TDs said visited the Scoil Mhuire in Abbeyleix and saw the issues for themselves. Laois Fine Gael candidate and Minister Charlie Flanagan said he met with the principal, teachers and parents. I was shocked and found it utterly unacceptable, he said. Minister Flanagan said he had reported the situation to the Minister for Education. He said it would be a top priority after the election if he was elected. He said up to 70 million has been spent in schools in Laois. Mr Flanagan admitted to parents that he did notice the bad smell caused by the sewers and damp when he went into the building. Fianna Fail TD Sean Fleming said he also visited the school before Christmas and again recently and was also shocked by what he witnessed. He warned, however, the school is not on the Department of Education's priority list for new schools as the Department is focused on areas of the country where there is rapid population growth. He said his number one priority was to get a new building for Kolbe in Portlaoise followed by a replacement for Scoil Mhuire. If I am back in Government I will make sure the next Minister personally meets the representatives of the school, he said. The TD told the Leinster Express that when he visited the school the smell of damp and sewerage was instantly noticeable. Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley demanded that Scoil Mhuire get a new building. He said he was genuinely shocked by the condition of this building, and the environment that pupils and teachers have to function in. The school needs to be put immediately on the school building programme and it is a scandal that it not already on it. As a matter of urgency, the Department now needs to engage a contractor to carry out urgent repairs to the roof and the sewerage system, he said. He said he was amazed parents were not banging the door down. He said work had been carried out on schools that were not as bad. Fianna Fail candidate Pauline Flanagan said it was absolutely shocking that TDs did not know about the conditions long before now. She pledged to fight for the school if elected. To have a school that sounds like it is from a third world country on our doorstep that is not fit for purpose, where someone sits on the loo and it overflows, I find that an absolute disgrace, she said. Cllr Noel Tuohy urged parents to get county councillors involved in their campaign. The public meeting takes place on Tuesday, February 25 at 8pm - Scoil Mhuire School Hall. WASHINGTONAttorney General William Barr said Thursday that Chinas dominance of 5G telecommunications networks was one of Americas top national security and economic threats, amplifying warnings issued for years by intelligence officials but that President Donald Trump has sometimes undermined. Barr said that allowing China to establish dominance was not only a monumental danger as Beijing could use the technology for monitoring and surveillance, but also that the stakes are far higher than that. Our economic future is at stake, Barr said in a speech delivered during a conference in Washington on threats that China poses to the United States. The risk of losing the 5G struggle with China should vastly outweigh other considerations. Barr noted that two Chinese telecom giants, Huawei and ZTE, account for about 40 per cent of the global 5G infrastructure market, which is expected to serve as the backbone for trillions of dollars worth of economic and industrial activity in an increasingly digital global economy. 5G networks promise substantially faster network speeds and prospects for new commercial applications in multiple industries like transportation and health care. Barr said it was the first time in history that the United States was not the leader in a major technological sector that will underpin future innovation. The next generation of telecom networks and the equipment for them that is currently being built has emerged as a key fight in the battle between the United States and China for technology supremacy. U.S. intelligence officials also say that equipment made by Chinese telecom companies could pose a threat to national security and have urged allies not to use it in their systems. The White House and U.S. national security experts have said that companies including Huawei are too closely tied to the Chinese government and that their equipment could give Chinese officials unlawful access to data and communications if networks across the world decide to use it. The companies have long denied that they are beholden to the government. No country poses a greater threat than communist China, John Brown, assistant director of the FBIs counter-intelligence division, said during separate remarks at the conference. He said that the world must decide whether its communications will go through China or the United States. But the Trump administration has taken an inconsistent approach toward Huawei and ZTE, and those companies continue to play an essential role in the new, 5G telecom networks being built around the globe. A proposed rule change that would restrict sales of U.S. computer processing chips to Huawei was placed on hold after Defense Department officials argued that such a move could undermine national security by discouraging the use of U.S. components abroad. Trumps response to the security issues posed by 5G has been mixed. Last summer he said that Huawei is something that is very dangerous. But during the same remarks, he raised the prospect of including Huawei in a trade deal with China. If we made a deal, I can imagine Huawei being included in some form or some part, he said. And in 2018, Trump lifted tough sanctions that the United States had imposed on ZTE, which had violated sanctions on Iran and North Korea and that defence advisers said posed a threat to national security. President Xi Jinping of China had personally asked Trump to intervene. Intelligence officials and Republican lawmakers decried the move, saying that ZTE had not only failed to remedy its sanctions issues but had also lied about its efforts. Nevertheless, the Trump administration has asked allies not to use equipment made by Huawei, in some cases threatening to withhold intelligence from countries that do not ban the company. But that pressure campaign has had limited success. China has threatened to economically retaliate against countries that ban equipment made by its technology companies. Last month, Britain, one of the United States closest allies and part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, decided to allow Huawei on its new 5G wireless network. The British government said that it would only use Huawei in the parts of its new wireless network that would not compromise its national security. Officials also said it had to use Huawei because after years of mergers and industry consolidation there are too few competitors in the network-equipment space. It asked allies to work with the private sector to foster more competition. Barr agreed that too few companies were making 5G equipment; Nokia and Ericsson are the only other global competitors. He said that proposals had already been floated to address this problem, including the possibility that a consortium of private American and allied companies could put financial might behind one or both of those firms to make them more competitive and guarantee their staying power. Its all very well to tell our friends and allies that they shouldnt install Huawei, but whose infrastructure are they going to install? Barr said. Read more about: (Bloomberg) -- Qualcomm Inc. fell as much as 5.2%, the biggest intraday drop in six months, after a weak forecast for sales growth and renewed European Union scrutiny on whether it broke antitrust rules. Wall Street analysts shrugged off the weakness and continue to be optimistic about the chipmakers longer-term outlook with the rollout of 5G networks. Once again Qualcomm posted a confusing report that showed the Street had mismodeled seasonality, Raymond James Chris Caso said. Wednesday nights earnings helped validate the companys claim that new handsets will eventually spur growth, Caso said. Citis Christopher Danely told investors that the stock weakness and tamped-down expectations from coronavirus-fueled disruption will be temporary. Morgan Stanley offered a more tempered view, pointing to a gradual transition to 5G. Raymond James, Chris Caso March quarter guidance was well ahead of what Qualcomm indicated last quarter, Caso wrote, citing the 5G flagship rollout and a significant 36% rise in content, driven from both 5G modems and new RF content. While the June quarter outlook missed expectations, the upside in March was more than the downside in June. Caso sees higher volume offset by lower-content per device and 5G moves downscale. He has a strong buy rating on the stock. Citi, Christopher Danely Qualcomm should be able to shake off the stock weakness as the chipmaker is one of the largest beneficiaries of the roll-out of 5G networks. Buy rating reiterated. Citi raised its fiscal 2020 sales estimate to $21.7 billion from $21.2 billion and 2020 earnings per share estimate to $3.19 from $3.07. The bank kept its 12-month price target at $108.00. Morgan Stanley, Joseph Moore Indications that the June quarter will be flat are modestly disappointing vs. consensus, but consistent with historic seasonality. Qualcomm likely will meet estimates in 2020. We are probably less enamored than consensus around the 5G theme for 2020, given relatively slow deployments of 5G infrastructure, and an end user experience that will not be dramatically different than 4G until higher spectrum is deployed. Story continues We are unlikely to see an accelerated move to 5G - more of a gradual transition, in line with the companys targets. That leaves Morgan Stanley with an equal-weight rating. To contact the reporter on this story: Cristin Flanagan in New York at cflanagan1@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Catherine Larkin at clarkin4@bloomberg.net, Steven Fromm 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. Bharti Airtel has stated that it will not bid on 5G spectrum in Indias upcoming auctions if the reserve price remains fixed at US$68.58m/MHz, as per regulator TRAIs advice. The operators already substantial debt burden has been increased by the recent Supreme Court decision to support a reclassification of adjusted gross revenue (AGR). Airtels dues are estimated at around US$5 billion. Gopal Vittal, the operators MD and CEO for India and South Asia, was blunt about TRAIs recommendations: 5G requires a large block of spectrum. 100 Mhz spectrum for INR 50,000 crore, we can't afford. Airtels CFO Badal Bagri did note that the industry is collectively beginning to increase mobile and data rates, correcting years of race to the bottom pricing and tumbling ARPU. However, Vittal commented that the tentative increases do not go far enough. We have ARPU of Rs 135. In the end state, I think we need to see ARPU of Rs 300 in Indian telecom. I think that is when we will turn a reasonable return of capital on the overall business, said Vittal. While our ARPU will go up in next quarter because of tariff increases, they are just not good enough. At Rs 200, we will barely be head above water in terms of return on capital. While Airtel registered a substantial net loss in the previous quarter, it was optimistic about the future, with significant gains to its 4G customer base. It is awaiting a verdict on its request to pay its dues over the course of several years. Bagri was upbeat on the prospect, saying: We are hopeful that we will get favourable outcome from the engagement with judiciary and regulator that will ensure long term growth and viability of the sector. A MAN and a woman have been arrested in Rotherham on suspicion of facilitating female genital mutilation (FGM). Police said the arrests came after a woman attended a police station in Rotherham and reported she had been subjected to FGM, which is a criminal offence, elsewhere in the country. Det Sgt Tom Bishop said: This brave woman told specialist officers she had been the victim of female genital mutilation, which is a barbaric and violent crime. We know that FGM is often not spoken about or reported, so I commend this victim for taking the courageous step to come forward and speak to us about what happened. As a result of her report, two people a 40-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman have been arrested on suspicion of facilitating female genital mutilation. Both have been released on police bail pending further enquiries. Under the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003, it is illegal for FGM to be performed in the UK. It is also an offence for a UK national or UK resident to carry out FGM even outside the UK, or help and enable someone else to carry out FGM. This applies even when the victim is taken to a country where this practice is legal. If convicted, the perpetrator can face up to 14 years in prison. Det Sgt Bishop added: As today is the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, we wanted to take the opportunity to highlight the bravery of this victim and the swift, decisive action taken by our officers to arrest suspects. We are working closely with other agencies and forces in the UK as our investigation into this matter continues. I would urge anyone with concerns about FGM to contact police, please help us to protect women and girls from this awful crime and stop this cycle of abuse. Anyone wishing to report any concerns about FGM in South Yorkshire should contact 101. Further information, advice and support is available by contacting the NSPCC FGM Helpline on 0800 028 3550 or emailing fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk. Alternatively, contact Childline on 0800 1111 or visit www.childline.org.uk, or visit the Daughters of Eve website at www.dofeve.org. You can also contact Karma Nirvana, a national charity that specialises in help and support for victims of honour based abuse and forced marriage, on 0800 5999 247. TORONTO - Monitoring for the novel coronavirus in Canada will now shift into a new phase, focusing on people returning from areas of China that haven't been quarantined, top provincial and federal medical officials said Thursday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne updates reporters on the evacuation of Canadians from China in Ottawa, Thursday, February 6, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld TORONTO - Monitoring for the novel coronavirus in Canada will now shift into a new phase, focusing on people returning from areas of China that haven't been quarantined, top provincial and federal medical officials said Thursday. It has now been 14 days the maximum incubation period for the virus since some cities in China were essentially locked down, including the city of Wuhan where the outbreak originated. Anyone who returned from those regions before that time would have likely already shown symptoms if they were infected. But Dr. David Williams, Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health, said officials can't be complacent. Even with the incubation period ending for anyone who would have come to Canada from the now-quarantined cities, more people in Ontario are still being tested each day for the virus, Williams said. More and more, doctors are asking for patients to be tested who don't strictly meet the case definition of symptoms plus recent travel to the affected area, he said. People who have been to areas near the quarantined cities may still have been in contact with an infected person, Williams said. "Even if you weren't in the big city of Wuhan your concerns may be valid enough that we'd like to talk to you and we'd like to have you self-monitor or maybe self-isolate, depending on the situation," Williams said. "And if you do get symptomatic, we probably will want to test you because you may have been close enough to a travel area of concern that you might have inadvertently gotten exposed." Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, said efforts to monitor the potential spread of the coronavirus is entering an important period. Health authorities, she said, are assessing whether quarantines put in place overseas have helped curb the outbreak. "In the next days we hope to see if there's any signs that some of these measures may be beginning to take effect," she said. Tam is recommending that travellers returning from Hubei province, the most affected area that includes Wuhan, limit contact with other people for 14 days after departure. "We're looking for people to self-isolate to contribute to the global containment effort to interrupt the line of spread," she said. "During this period of time, out of precaution and total amount of prudence, if you like, we feel that this is the right message." People entering Canada from other parts of China should closely monitor themselves for symptoms, Tam said. Those include fever, cough and difficulty breathing. The outbreak has now infected more than 28,200 people globally and killed more than 560. In Canada, there are five cases, three in Ontario and two in British Columbia. Canadians with concerns are being asked to contact their local public health department. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2020. State of New Mexico The Legislature of the state of New Mexico continues its historic 30-day session at the state capitol in Santa Fe. This years session started on Tuesday Jan. 21 and it continues through Thursday, Feb. 20. During the 10 days since the session came to life, prefiled legislation began to make its way through different committees, new legislation was introduced and some measures were modified or updated. The Governor also gave a speech and made the rounds to support her favorite bills, including those for education, budget initiatives and recreational cannabis legalization. Heres a look at some of those legislative activities as seen through the eyes of an observer. SB 5 This senate-based bill is known as the Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Act. It provides a legal framework for removing firearms from the possession of New Mexican citizens who pose a threat to themselves and others. Under the law, a judge or a member of law enforcement would make case by case decisions about gun removal. There was a lot of debate over this measure. Many citizens showed up for the public committee hearing to tell tales of gun violence in the state. Many of those present favored stronger gun laws, but many others came to protest the intent of the bill. More than a dozen county sheriffs from around the state attended the hearing to argue that the legislation infringed on the constitutional right to bear arms. A NRA rally on the capitol steps on Friday drew hundreds of firearm enthusiasts who also came out against the bill. Many of them brought their weapons to the steps of the roundhouse for the protest. The bill got a fair hearing in the state Senate Public Affairs Committee last week. It passed by a margin of 4-3 and now advances to the Judiciary committee. SB 3 The governors proposal to fund an early childhood education trust using windfall profits realized from the states close association with the oil and gas industry advanced through one committee and awaits further discussion. The Senate Education Committee cleared the plan on an unanimous vote, sending the proposal to the Finance Committee for an in-depth look at the legislations economic feasibility. SB 3 calls for some New Mexico tax profits from oil and gas to be diverted to an early childhood education trust fund. That would happen in years when state cash reserves are 25 percent larger than spending levels for the same time period. During this upcoming fiscal year, the plan would secure about $320 million for use in such a trust. SB 104 This is the second year in a row that the Legislature has faced proposals aimed to temporarily ban oil and gas cultivation that uses an extraction method called hydraulic fracturing in the process. This year, recently appointed Democratic Albuquerque State Senator Antoinette Sedillo-Lopez is the sponsor of the legislation. Though the bill was prefiled, it has yet to be heard in committee and may have to wait until next years full 60-day session. Nonetheless, Senator Sedillo-Lopez is hopeful about the legislation which would basically ban fracking in New Mexico, telling the local daily on opening day, I think its important for the state to take a breather and look at it. Opponents of SB 104 say a ban on fracking, even a temporary stop, would endanger up to 100,000 jobs in the southeast and northwest of the state. HB 29 and 77 Two bills, HB 29 and HB 77, would reduce the amount of taxes that people who retire in the State of New Mexico pay through the social security system, and they made it through their respective committee hearings this week and are now on the way to the House Taxation and Revenue Committee. Santa Fe non-partisan think tank Think New Mexico reports that this state is only one of 13 nationwide that taxes social security benefits. Under the proposalswhich were approved by unanimous votes in the House Labor, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee this past Fridaythat tax would be reduced or entirely repealed. That would mean about $700 extra annually for state seniors social security checks. Opponents of the measure point out that a repeal of the tax would mean almost $130 million per year in lost revenue for the state. Overall, six different proposals for reducing or eliminating the tax on social security have been introduced at this years legislature. SB 102 Besides providing money to improve and repair the states public education system, some legislators are convinced that the revenue from New Mexicos booming oil and gas industryNew Mexico is now third in the nation in terms of oil and gas productioncould be used for other things, too. The New Mexico Agricultural and Natural Resources Trust Fund Act would set aside money from surplus oil and gas revenue. This money would be used to fund habitat restoration and sustainability as well as to fund sustainable agriculture projects across the the stateand that includes using the fund to positively affect areas impacted by residential, energy, mineral or industrial development. TDT/Manama The High Organising Committee of Khalid bin Hamad Innovation and Artificial Intelligence Competition has held a meeting to review the recent developments with regards to the preparations for holding the third edition of the prestigious contest. The event was chaired by the Head of the High Organising Committee, Shaikh Ali bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, Deputy CEO of Resources and Information Affairs at Bahrain Polytechnic and was attended by Hamad Al Saei, Microsoft representative, Mohammed Al Hussaini, Al Moayyed Computers representative, Ahmed Al Shaikh, Director of HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa Media Office and Mr Ali Hassan, Deputy Head of the IT Department at Bahrain Polytechnic. At the beginning of the meeting, Shaikh Ali welcomed the attendees before discussing the items listed on the agenda of the meeting. Furthermore, the meeting approved the suggested dates for launching the competition as well as the supporting workshops. It also discussed the possible ways for upgrading the contest via supporting students post the competition in order to make their projects real so they can benefit the government or the private sectors. Furthermore, the committee praised the support provided by HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa Media Office and its constant follow-up on the progress of the preparations for organising the event in a bid to make it an enormous success. At least six people got injured in a clash between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) BJP and Trinamool Congress (TMC) TMC workers allegedly over the construction of a BJP office in the area here. The incident occurred on Wednesday at Anchra area under Salanpur Police Station of Asansol, which is the parliamentary constituency of the Central Minister Babul Supriyo. "In Barabani, Trinamool MLA is thinking that they will win the coming Assembly elections in 2021 by doing all this but this won't happen. The public is watching everything. This was a planned attack," said Arijit Roy, BJYM, Paschim Bardhaman District president. BJP workers allege that TMC workers had come to the spot and stopped the work while TMC workers allege BJP hadn't obtained permission from Panchayat for construction. On the day of the incident, TMC leader, Arman Khan said, "BJP workers attacked Hare Ram Tiwari, the Deputy Principal of our Panchayat after he asked the BJP workers regarding the permission for the inauguration. During the clash TMC workers received injuries." Later, the activists of both the political party entangled into a fight following which several people including BJP Anchra Block president Pintu Tiwary and others received injuries. The injured were sent to Asansol District Hospital for the treatment. On receiving the information, police personnel of Salanpur Police Station reached the spot and investigation into the matter is underway. Earlier the BJP party office here was set ablaze a few days ago allegedly by the TMC workers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) India on Thursday reacted sharply to the reference to Jammu and Kashmir in a Pakistan-Malaysia joint statement, saying the Malaysian leadership should develop a better understanding of facts and acknowledge that Pakistan remains an epicentre of global terrorism. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India completely rejects the references made with respect to Jammu and Kashmir, which is an integral and inalienable part of India. "We once again call upon the Malaysian leadership to develop better understanding of the facts, including that Pakistan remains an epicentre of global terrorism, which continues to recruit, train, arm and finance cross-border terrorism against India," he said. A joint statement issued by Malaysia and Pakistan at the end of Prime Minister Imran Khan's visit recorded that the Pakistani premier had raised the issue of Kashmir during talks with his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir bin Mohamad. Khan had also thanked Mahathir bin Mohamad for "speaking up" on the Kashmir issue. India-Malaysia ties have been hit in recent times following the remarks by Malaysia on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the Kashmir issue. In December, India had summoned the Charge d'Affairs of the Malaysian embassy and lodged a strong protest with him over the Malaysian prime minister's "insensitive" comments criticising the new citizenship law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (CNN) The squeeze to succeed comes from everywhere: parents, teachers, advertisements, social media -- even our friends. And it starts early: We're told from the time we can talk what slang we should use, what we should wear, how much money we should make and the type of home we should live in if we want to be considered winners in life. Even for the most laid-back type B's among us, the strain can pummel our self-esteem and take real effort to escape that hateful thought: "Am I good enough?" Just imagine the pressure fermenting inside a type A perfectionist, who consistently strives to achieve unrealistic standards for nearly everything they do. What is perfectionism? Perfectionism isn't the same as working really hard, trying your best or being competitive, say specialists. Instead, the mindset is an unrealistic reach for the unattainable, where mistakes are personal flaws, there is no self-compassion and only being flawless will make you "good enough." There are three types of perfectionists, according to psychologist and leading perfectionist researcher Gordon Flett, who directs the LaMarsh Centre for Child & Youth Research at York University in Toronto. Flett and fellow Canadian psychologist Paul Hewitt defined these attributes in a groundbreaking study decades ago. The first type is called self-oriented perfectionism, where you put demands on yourself. The second type is other-oriented, where you demand perfection from others. And the third is called socially-prescribed perfectionism, where the person believes they are being held to high standards by others. A self-oriented perfectionist might say things like: "It makes me uneasy to see an error in my work," or, "I set very high standards for myself." With an other-oriented perfectionist, the person will be critical and judgmental of family, friends and colleagues, saying such things as, "I can't be bothered with people who won't strive to better themselves." The third type is socially driven, with the person's self-esteem tied to an unrealistic performance level they believe society, family or bosses expect, and which they often see as unrealistic and unfair. "I feel that people are too demanding of me," and "My family expects me to be perfect," are the typical thoughts of a socially-prescribed perfectionist. While no type is healthy, research shows that "socially-prescribed" perfectionism appears to be the worst for our health. It's a recipe for a host of serious medical concerns, including anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive behavior, chronic fatigue, eating disorders, suicidal thinking and deliberate self-harm. And that's on top of the more typical headaches, fatigue and insomnia that stress can bring to any kind of perfectionism. What's to be done? Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is the typical treatment of choice for perfectionism. With CBT, counselors challenge rigid thinking and unrealistic beliefs, while encouraging flexible thinking and self-acceptance. Therapists typically set "SMART" goals -- intentions that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. Mindfulness, typically via meditation, is also increasingly common; the internet is full of self-help offerings, some free, some not. But does science show the technique works? One 2018 study found that musicians who mediated weekly reduced their anxiety about their performance. However, a 2015 study found that meditation only helped those who were not perfectionists. "The reasons why perfectionists are usually low in mindfulness include focusing on the past or the future excessively and not the here and now," Flett said, adding they also "have difficulties with being authentic and genuine due to the need to project an image of being perfect." A new study, published Wednesday in the journal Psychophysiology, explored how various meditation techniques would affect the heart rate of perfectionists, which typically rises with anxiety over performance and falls with relaxation. After taking a baseline heart rate, the students were given "this really difficult task and then told they had failed, "said Hannah Koerten, a graduate student at Bowling Green State University in Ohio who conducted the research. Since all of the students scored high on a test of perfectionism, Koerten said, frustration and heart rates went up at the mention of failure. Then the students were randomly assigned to four interventions: a control group were told to rest but practiced no meditation; the second practiced progressive muscle relaxation; the third a standard meditation that focused on breathing; and the last listened to a meditation that urged the perfectionist to stop judging themselves. The first three groups showed a reduction in heart rate, although it wasn't statistically significant. However the students who were urged to let go of their negative thoughts and self-judgments had "marginally higher" recovery during the last five minutes, Koerten said. "So mindfulness with a focus on non-judgment of emotions may be especially important to help perfectionists," Koerten said, "but we definitely need more research to confirm that this is actually the case since our findings are marginal." The rise in perfectionism Addressing perfectionism is a growing need, specialists say, because the behavior is on the rise. According to a 2018 meta-analysis of British, Canadian and American college students between 1989 and 2016, today's college students are twice as likely to demand personal perfection than previous generations. "Today's young people are competing with each other in order to meet societal pressures to succeed, and they feel that perfectionism is necessary in order to feel safe, socially connected and of worth," said study author Thomas Curran, a psychologist at the University of Bath, in a statement last year. Why such a change in a quarter century? Because British, Canadian and American societies are more "individualistic, materialistic, and socially antagonistic," the study says, "with young people now facing more competitive environments, more unrealistic expectations, and more anxious and controlling parents than generations before." A search for perfection that creates an imperfect legacy for generations to come. This story was first published on CNN.com "Searching for the 'perfect' meditation to fight perfectionism" BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Delegation of the Belarusian State Concern for Oil and Chemistry (Belneftekhim Concern) will arrive in Nur-Sultan today, Feb. 6, to hold talks on Kazakhstans oil export to Belarus, Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus Igor Lyashenko said, Trend reports with reference to the press office of Belarus government. Lyashenko said that the agreement on Kazakh oil and petroleum products export to Belarus is almost ready, only administrative procedures are left. I think that the agreement will be signed in the near future. The issue remaining is whether export will be with or without additional tax. Belarus is of course interested in absence of taxes which will allow for the price to be as close to cost of Russia's oil as possible, Lyashenko said. He also added that the oil will most likely be transported via pipelines. Earlier this month, by a decree 27, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko authorized the countrys government to carry out negotiations with Kazakhstan on the topic of trade and economic cooperation in area of oil and petroleum goods' import to Belarus, as well as on the agreement draft and its signing when it is approved. According to Kazakhstans then Minister of Energy Kanat Bozumbayev, during Lukashenkos visit to Kazakhstan in April 2019, parties signed a preliminary agreement on export of Kazakhstans oil and petroleum products to Belarus and on overall cooperation in the area. As noted earlier by Asset Magauov, Kazakhstans Vice Minister of Energy, Kazakhstan is counting on signing the agreement on oil export to Belarus in the beginning of 2020. Kazakhstan is planning to export from 1 to 3.5 million tons of oil and petroleum products a year to Belarus. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh The Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat are currently tied for third in the Eastern Conference, but the Heat made a move to bolster themselves with less than 24 hours to go before the trade deadline. According to multiple reports, they have reached an agreement to acquire Andre Iguodala from the Memphis Grizzlies. As part of the deal, Miami is giving him a two-year, $30 million extension. According to ESPNs Adrian Wojarowski, the second year is non-guaranteed. Its unclear who is involved in the deal, but ESPNs Tim McMahon reports Jae Crowder and Solomon Hill were late scratches after preparing to play tonight for the Grizzlies. The addition of Crowder and Hill will seemingly offset whomever the Heat are giving up to make the deal work. Normally, draft pick would be used as sweeteners to facilitate a trade like this, but Miami doesnt have any to work with for a while. The Grizzlies acquired Iguodala from the Warriors in a salary dump as Golden State worked a sign-and-trade for DAngelo Russell. Iguodala and the Grizzlies agreed that he would not report to the team and hed sit out as Memphis worked to trade him. According to Wojnarowski, Justise Winslow will be part of the deal heading to Memphis. The addition of Winslow to the deal should help boost the Grizzlies, even if theyre giving up Crowder and Hill. This will almost certainly have a greater impact on the draft pick the Grizzlies owe Boston. Its top 6 protected, but the Grizzlies are currently a .500 team and the West eighth seed, so it will almost certainly convey. Update: Wojnarowski now reports this could expand into a three-team deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder that includes Danilo Gallinari going to Miami. MORE CELTICS COVERAGE Grant Williams is a self-described nerd, not a numbers guy: Im just playing the game and having fun Brad Stevens on Boston Celtics trade deadline: I dont anticipate any huge changes' Celtics injuries: Kemba Walker, Marcus Smart, Daniel Theis out vs. Orlando Magic; Robert Williams gets more good news Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 5, 2020) - CHC Student Housing Corp. (TSXV: CHC) ("CHC" or the "Company") announces that it has closed the previously announced sale of its London property for total gross proceeds of $55.0 million. As previously announced by the Company, with the closing of the sale of the London property, the Company has ceased to have active operations, no longer meets the continued listing requirements for the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") and will be transferred to the NEX. The NEX is a separate board of the TSXV that provides a trading forum for listed companies that have fallen below the TSXV's continued listing requirements. Before payment of transaction expenses but after payment of a $33 million first mortgage on the property and accrued and unpaid interest thereon, a prepayment penalty associated with the first mortgage, a $14 million second mortgage on the property and accrued and unpaid interest thereon, a balance of certain deferred interest on the second mortgage, a profit participation payment payable to the lender on the second mortgage, and standard real estate transaction adjustments for matters such as property taxes and rental adjustments, the Company received net proceeds from the sale of approximately $5.2 million. As previously disclosed, the Company will use the net proceeds from the sale of the London property to settle its debts, in an amount of approximately $3.8 million, return capital to its shareholders in an amount to be determined, and seek out alternative business opportunities which could potentially result in additional value for shareholders. The Company will announce further details with respect to any of these matters as they develop. Forward Looking Information Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "plan", "expect", "may", "will", "intend", "should", and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements regarding the expected sale of the Company's London property. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release represent the Company's expectations as of the date hereof, and are subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities regulations. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For more information, please contact: Simon Nyilassy, President and Chief Executive Officer CHC Student Housing Corp. Telephone: (416) 504-9380 Email: snyilassy@marigoldandassociates.com Ron Schwarz, Chair CHC Student Housing Corp. Telephone: (416) 593-7085 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52166 A second Qantas flight is set to arrive in Wuhan on Friday to rescue hundreds more Australian residents caught up in the coronavirus outbreak. Australians trapped in Hubei province have now begun making plans to make their way to the airport to board the emergency flight, which is expected to land in Australia before the passengers are transferred to Christmas Island's detention centre. The first Qantas flight from Wuhan arrives at RAAF Base Larmonth in Western Australia. Credit:Defence However, it is unclear whether all passengers will go to Christmas Island with the North West Point Detention Centre on the island approaching capacity for the purposes of quarantining people. While still subject to final approval by the Chinese government, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has scheduled the flight to leave just around midnight on Friday evening local time. New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday rejected the mercy petition of Akshay Thakur, one of the four convicts in the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder case, official sources said. On February 1, Thakur had filed a mercy petition before the President of India. Thakur was the third convict in the case to file a mercy petition before the President. Earlier, Kovind rejected the mercy petitions of convicts Vinay Sharma and Mukesh Singh. A Delhi court had earlier issued a death warrant for convicts -- Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Sharma -- for their execution on February 1. Earlier in the day, Delhi High Court granted a week's time to the four death row convicts to avail of all legal remedies available to them. A single-judge bench of Justice Suresh Kumar Kait said that the proceedings against the convicts for the execution of death warrant will be initiated after a week. The High Court observed that according to Delhi Prison Rules, if a mercy petition is submitted, 14-days period has to be given to the convict after the dismissal of the mercy plea. The death warrant against all four convicts cannot be executed separately, it said. 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. Nsoatre, February 6, 2020: The Ghanaian German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration (GGC) is providing skills apprenticeships and self-employment support for 150 young people in five communities in the Bono Region with the launch of its project Community Works Training and Start-Up Support. The project, which has a budget of 48,000 Euro and funded by German Development Cooperation, is aimed at reducing youth unemployment by providing self-employment opportunities. Through this, it will provide alternatives to irregular migration whilst at the same time support the successful socioeconomic reintegration of returning migrants into their host societies. The GGC, which is implemented by GIZ Ghana, is part of the German Development Cooperation with Ghana, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Through its collaboration with the Ministry for Employment and Labour Relations and its Labour Department, the GGC provides individual counselling services and advice for both returning migrants and the local population in Ghana, economic and social (re)integration support, information on vocational and educational prospects, and employment opportunities including entrepreneurship (self-employment). Also, the GGC advises on regular migration, raises awareness on the challenges of irregular migration, whilst offering capacity-building support for the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations. According to a Senior Advisor at the GGC, Mr. Kwaku Yeboah, inability to access employment opportunities among the youth is widely cited as a major contributory factor to the decision to leave family and friends in search of opportunities abroad. He added that, in partnership with other German Cooperation projects such as the Program for Sustainable Economic Development under the Migration and Employment Promotion Component (MEP-PSED), the GGC has provided 34,665 opportunities (direct employment, entrepreneurship support, counselling among others) to the Ghanaian youth and diverse reintegration support schemes for returning migrants. The apprenticeship programme shall train 150 unemployed youth, including returning migrants in the Bono Region (a focus region of the Ghanaian German Centres services) in readily available community and district demand-driven services such as Tiling, Masonry, Plumbing, Tailoring, Dressmaking, Hairdressing and Cosmetology etc. The beneficiary communities are Nsoatre, Odumasi, Chiraa, Fiapre and Kwasibourkrom in the Jaman South Municipality. The beneficiaries and vocational areas were selected through a comprehensive stakeholder engagement and training needs analysis (TNA). The GCC will support the trainees to form cooperatives to help promote their services better. The Ghanaian-German Centre (GGC) The Ghanaian-German Centre for Jobs and Reintegration (GGC) is part of the global project Programme Migration for Development (PMD), which is commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in Ghana in collaboration with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR). GGCs objective is to support Governments effort at improving living conditions and provide opportunities to enhance job prospects, now and in the future. This entails activities to promote education, training and employment opportunities. The support is aimed not only at the local population and internally displaced people, but also at those returning home from Germany. About GIZ As a provider of international cooperation services for sustainable development and international education work, GIZ is dedicated to building a future worth living around the world. GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment, energy and the environment, and peace and security. The diverse expertise of our federal enterprise is in demand around the globe, with the German Government, European Union institutions, the United Nations, the private sector and governments of other countries all benefiting from our services. We work with businesses, civil society actors and research institutions, fostering successful interaction between development policy and other policy fields and areas of activity. The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) is our main commissioning party. Currently, GIZ promotes sustainable development in Ghana via about 50 programmes and projects. Our activities cover currently four priority areas: Economic Development, Agriculture, Governance and Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. Additionally, our portfolio extends to other areas such as environment, peace and security. Another focus of GIZs work is linking business interests with development-policy goals. Most of the programmes and projects we support in Ghana have successfully brought together national and international private companies, the public sector, and civil society groups to collaborate on development initiatives. Chinas coronavirus outbreak has triggered an unprecedented clampdown on travel to and from the worlds second-largest economy, leaving thousands of people stranded across the globe and dealing a major blow to the international aviation industry. At least 14 countries and territories, from the U.S. to India and Hong Kong, have now introduced some form of China-related travel restrictions as policy makers try to contain the spread of a virus that has killed more than 560 people and infected nearly 30,000. Airlines suspended 26% of scheduled services in and out of the country from Jan. 23 to Feb. 3, according to Cirium, an air-travel analysis firm. The abrupt and sometimes chaotic implementation of the curbs has left travelers like Neren Gaffud stuck in limbo. The 39-year-old, who works as a housekeeper in Hong Kong, was visiting her family in the Philippines when President Rodrigo Duterte banned travel to the financial hub, along with mainland China and Macau. The restrictions were announced Sunday, the day Gaffud flew from her home province to Manila. While she worried about her trip back to Hong Kong, she was told it wouldnt be a problem. That changed by the time she tried to check in for her Monday morning flight operated by Cebu Pacific. It was a total shock to all of us, Gaffud said. There were many overseas workers on that flight who needed to get back to Hong Kong. It was very frustrating. All some of us could do was cry. We had to sit and sleep on the pavement. We were also worried we might catch the virus because it was so crowded, she said, adding that some people were panicking about losing their jobs. Some employers have said they will need to end their contracts and find other help. Olivia, a Hong Kong-based insurance agent, is among the thousands of residents across greater China now caught in the middle of the travel curbs. She traveled to the mainland during the Lunar New Year holiday to visit her mother for the first time in 25 years, and will have to be quarantined if she wants to come back to Hong Kong. Elsewhere, an estimated 5,000 Chinese tourists are stuck in Indonesias popular resort island of Bali after the country banned direct flights to and from the mainland. While its too early to gauge the full extent of the impact on airlines, OAG Aviation Worldwide Ltd. says China has never seen a rush of flight suspensions this large. Carriers from Delta Air Lines Inc. to British Airways have halted all services to the country. Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., Hong Kongs dominant airline, is slashing mainland flights by 90% and putting nearly 27,000 staff on rotating unpaid leave from March 1 to June 30. Investors have noticed. The Bloomberg World Airlines Index has dropped 5% since mid-January and is trading at a nearly seven-year low versus the MSCI World Index of global shares. Many Chinese aviation companies, including the maker of the countrys first homegrown single-aisle jet, have pulled out of next weeks Singapore Air Show, a biennial event billed as the biggest aerospace and defense industry gathering in Asia. The coronavirus will cast a long shadow over the confab, which often brings blockbuster deals for Boeing Co. and Airbus SE. The manufacturers are already struggling with pressing issues such as the global grounding of the 737 Max, production delays and a bribery scandal, while airlines in the fast-growing aviation market have been strained by challenges such as the impact of anti-government protests on travel to Hong Kong. Its going to be a very tepid, lukewarm show, said Mark Martin, founder of Dubai-based Martin Consulting, which advises airlines and airports. I am not expecting anything earth-shattering with so many companies canceling due to the virus. Investor pessimism toward the industry could deepen as the virus continues to spread. Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moodys Analytics, said the crisis could persist throughout the first half of this year and the number of infections may run into the hundreds of thousands, with several thousand people likely to die before it is brought under control. Declines in Chinese tourist numbers to the U.S. will surpass the more than 50% slump during SARS in 2003, he said. For people like Gaffud in the Philippines, the stakes are far higher than a canceled vacation. In a desperate attempt to get back to Hong Kong, where she has worked for nine years, Gaffud tried to book a flight through Bangkok only to be denied by immigration officials. Attempts to fly via Singapore also failed, she said. Exhausted after the 24-hour ordeal, Gaffud decided to take the long bus ride back to her home village, where concern over the virus has caused a shortage of face masks. Gaffuds family decided to skip church on Sunday and watch mass on television instead. We are being careful and avoiding crowds everyone is, she said. The only thing we can do is wait. With assistance from Anurag Kotoky, Angus Whitley and Bei Hu Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. While radio astronomers are figuring out the impact of satellite constellations on their work, optical astronomers are already tracking satellite streaks in their fields of view. In mid-November, Cliff Johnson, an astronomer at Northwestern University, was monitoring the Chilean night skies when he saw a train of 60 bright points. It was SpaceXs second batch of satellites, launched days earlier. It was just incredible watching one after the other after the other, Dr. Johnson said. At the time, he was using the Blanco 4-meter telescope at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory to observe the outer edges of the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds two dwarf galaxies. Dr. Johnson suspected that when the satellites passed in front of the telescope, he might capture one or two of them. Instead, he counted 19. And SpaceX has since sent 120 more of the satellites into orbit. If you have tens of thousands of satellites in orbit, thats the sort of image you would expect to have very, very frequently, said Patrick Seitzer, a professor emeritus of astronomy at the University of Michigan. The growing constellations could pose a serious problem to the Vera C. Rubin Observatory (formerly known as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope) a 27-foot telescope under construction in Chile that will scan the entire sky every three days. Because the telescope has such a wide field of view, it will more easily pick up the new satellites and could lose significant amounts of observing time, particularly near dusk and dawn. On the surface, OneWebs satellites might appear to pose a smaller problem than Starlinks. First, there will be fewer orbiters in OneWebs constellation. They also orbit at a much greater distance from Earth. And they are designed to be smaller with a rough surface that reflects less light. Those three characteristics make the satellites fainter than Starlinks, and invisible to the naked eye. That means the satellites wont obscure your view of the cosmos during a camping trip, as so many feared when Starlink was first deployed. But any telescope will be able to see them. In addition, their higher orbit poses a distinct challenge for large research telescopes like the Rubin Observatory. Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - As Central African Republic (CAR) celebrates the first anniversary of the signing of the Khartoum Peace Agreement on Thursday, violence and sexual abuse continues, a rights group has said Silicon Valley billionaire Reid Hoffman funded the creation of ACRONYM, the group that sabotaged the Iowa caucus results, after bankrolling voter manipulation campaigns including the notorious online false flag operation in Alabamas 2017 senate race. At the time of publication, February 6, the winner of the Iowas Democratic Party caucus is still unknown. Senator Bernie Sanders, the clear winner in virtually every exit poll, is currently ahead in votes. Yet somehow Pete Buttigieg, a favorite of the party establishment who was unknown to most voters until last year, has claimed victory. The force accused of sowing the confusion and disarray surrounding the first Democratic Party contest of the 2020 election season is a dark money nonprofit called Acronym. It was Acronym that launched Shadow Inc, the mysterious company behind the now-infamous, unsecured, completely unworkable voter app which prevented precinct chairs from reporting vote totals on caucus night. The exceptionally opaque Acronym was itself created with seed money from a Silicon Valley billionaire named Reid Hoffman who has financed a series of highly manipulative social media campaigns. The billionaire founder of LinkedIn, Hoffman is a top funder of novel Democratic Party social media campaigns accused of manipulating voters through social media. He is assisted by Dmitri Mehlhorn, a corporate consultant who pushed school privatization before joining Hoffmans political empire. One of the most consequential beneficiaries of Hoffmans wealth is Acronym CEO Tara McGowan, a 33-year-old former journalist and Obama for America veteran. Once touted as a weapon of a woman whose innovative tactics make her critically important to the Democratic Party, McGowans name is now synonymous with the fiasco in Iowa. She also happens to be married to a senior advisor to Pete Buttiegs presidential campaign. Back in December 2018, McGowan personally credited Hoffman and Mehlhorns Investing in US initiative for the birth of her dark money pressure group, Acronym. Im personally grateful and proud to be included in this group of incredible political founders + startups @reidhoffman and his team, led by Dmitri [Mehlhorn], have supported and helped to fund over the past two years, she declared on Twitter in December 2018. Im personally grateful and proud to be included in this group of incredible political founders + startups who @reidhoffman and his team, led by Dmitri, have supported and helped to fund over the past two years. https://t.co/o0QApPbHWY Tara McGowan (@taraemcg) December 21, 2018 At the time, Hoffman had just been exposed for funding Project Birmingham, a covert disinformation campaign consisting of false flag tactics that aimed to depress voter turnout and create the perception of Russian interference in the 2017 Alabama senate election. Hoffman and Mehlhorn have also faced scrutiny for their alleged operation of a series of deceptive pages which attempted to manipulate center-right users into voting for Democrats. Today, Acronyms McGowan oversees a massive Facebook media operation that employs similarly deceptive techniques to sway voters. Through youthful, tech-centric operatives like McGowan, Hoffman and Mehlhorn are constructing a massive new infrastructure that could supplant the partys apparatus. As Vanity Fair reported, Hoffman and Mehlhorn, after all, are not just building a power base that could supplement traditional Democratic organizations, they are, potentially, laying the groundwork to usurp the D.N.C. entirely. Laying the groundwork to usurp the D.N.C. entirely Having fostered friendships with nationally known Silicon Valley oligarchs like right-wing libertarian Trump supporter Peter Thiel and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Reid Hoffman, the founder of LinkedIn, is now making his name as a top sugardaddy of the Democratic anti-Trump resistance. Following Trumps election in 2016, Hoffman plowed his money into an array of new Democrat-aligned social media groups through a funding hub he founded called Investing in US. To run Investing in US on a day-to-day basis, Hoffman tapped Dmitri Mehlhorn, a venture capitalist and political strategist accustomed to walking the line between the corporate world and Democratic Party. There was no risk-capital or growth-capital arm of the resistance, and so that is what weve tried to build, Mehlhorn told Vanity Fair. Now, in terms of what that implies, that implies that we are backing founders, so people who we think have big, potentially game-changing ideas. Mehlhorns career path tracked closely with neoliberal party favorites like Pete Buttigieg and Cory Booker. He studied at Harvards Kennedy School of Government, launched his career at McKinsey Associates, and became a leading advocate for school privatization as the chief operating officer of Michelle Rhees StudentsFirst. According to Mehlhorns bio, he sits on the board of American Prison Data Systems, a company that claims to reduce recidivism by giving prisoners tablets to study coding for five hours a day. Mehlhorn is also an advisor to the Democratic group DigiDems, which Pete Buttigiegs 2020 presidential campaign paid $1,540 for technology services. In a 2018 Medium post, announcing the founders that Investing in US planned to back, Mehlhorn resorted to distinctly neoconservative talking points to emphasize the mission of his organization. After quoting Ronald Reagan, he declared, Trump and his movement, borrowing heavily from other authoritarian criminals such as Hugo Chavez and Vladimir Putin, promised to hollow out Americas principles in favor of his own personal enrichment. Pledging to inoculate our politics and our economy against corruption, white nationalism, and mass deceit, Mehlhorn announced major donations to diverse groups with names like Woke Vote, PushBlack, and an anti-Nazi organization known as Integrity for America. Among the top recipients of support from Investing in US was McGowans Acronym, which Mehlhorn described merely as a media group. As The Grayzone reported, Acronym has ballooned since its founding into a massive dark money operation, even launching a Super PAC dubbed Pacronym that has raked in money from hedge fund billionaires like Seth Klarman and Donald Sussman. What Mehlhorn and Hoffman never disclosed to the public, however, was their support for a Democrat-aligned group that waged a covert online disinformation campaign which aimed to influence the outcome of the 2017 special senate election in Alabama. Project Birmingham: From New Knowledge to no knowledge The 2017 senate election in Alabama was one of the most dramatic races of President Donald Trumps first term in office. Treated by national media as a referendum on Trump in a red state, it pitted a far-right Republican, Roy Moore, against Doug Jones, a moderate Republican who ran as a Democrat. In the end, Jones won an upset victory in a deep red state, thrilling Democrats across the country. As Dan Cohen wrote in a series of reports for The Grayzone, the outcome of the 2017 Alabama race was heavily influenced by an online disinformation operation. The campaign, which was unknown to voters at the time, was called Project Birmingham. Silicon Valley billionaire Reid Hoffman provided $100,000 to the architects of this black ops campaign. His money was pipelined through American Engagement Technologies (AET), a company run by Obama administration veteran and Democrat tech operative Mikey Dickerson. Through AET, another firm comprised of Obama campaign veterans and national security state operatives called New Knowledge was contracted to carry out the secretive voter manipulation project. In internal documents first covered by the New York Times, Project Birminghams architects described the scheme as an elaborate false flag operation which aimed to convince voters that the Kremlin was supporting Moore through thousands of fake Russian bots. Project Birmingham went to absurd lengths to drive voters away from Moore. Its architects deployed a phony Facebook page encouraging Alabamians to vote for an obscure write-in Republican candidate, arranged interviews for the candidate in major newspapers, and even sought to arrange SuperPAC funding for his dark horse campaign. The deeply un-democratic campaign was overseen by a cast of characters remarkably similar to those who bungled the 2020 Iowa caucus count. Like the staff of Acronym and Shadow Inc., the New Knowledge operatives who carried out Project Birmingham were 30- and 40-something techies who had worked in the Obama administration and on various Democratic campaigns. (New Knowledge was rebranded as Yonder after the scandal was exposed in national media.) The devious tactics they waged in Alabama likely influenced the outcome of the election. A leaked Project Birmingham Debrief claimed that New Knowledges black operations moved enough votes to ensure a Doug Jones victory. After the scheme was exposed, Hoffman issued a public apology and claimed he had no knowledge of the New Knowledge disinformation project. He said nothing about the Investing in US employee who worked directly on Project Birmingham, however. This was hardly the first time Hoffman and Mehlhorns finger prints were discovered on a deceptive voter manipulation campaign. Aiming to mirror the tactics of Russias Internet Research Agency Following the 2018 midterm congressional election, Reid Hoffman and his henchman Dmitri Mehlhorn faced further scrutiny in national media, this time for operating a fake news-style organization called News for Democracy. This shady outfit managed an array of community Facebook pages initially focusing on sports, Christianity, patriotism, and other topics that were likely to generate interest from right-wing voters in swing states. Yet the seemingly locally-branded cultural pages took a decisively political turn as election night approached. After racking up millions of likes, News for Democracy slipped in ads for Democratic Senate candidate Beto ORourke on a Facebook page targeting evangelical Christians, and attacked a Republican candidate, Senator Marsha Blackburn, on a page focused on local Tennessee sports. While Hoffmans right-hand man, Mehlhorn, claimed to reject the spread of misinformation, he told the Washington Post that through projects like News for Democracy, he aimed to mirror the tactics of the notorious Russian Internet Research Agency troll farm. Tech billionaire Reed Hoffman funded the @NewKnowledgeAI Alabama black op. His advisor, Dmitri Mehlhorn, has called for efforts to "mirror" the tactics of the Russian Internet Research Agency troll farm. This IRA Facebook ad is clearly worth emulating. https://t.co/rh90K8WND7 pic.twitter.com/yq7cuOLPWQ Max Blumenthal (@MaxBlumenthal) December 27, 2018 Facebook eventually launched an investigation into the insidious manipulation ploys of Hoffman and Mehlhorns News for Democracy. The very tactics that landed the two in hot water are remarkably similar to those that Tara McGowan, the Acronym founder who disrupted the Iowa caucuses, has put on display. McGowan recently founded Courier Newsroom, a seemingly journalistic initiative that appeared to take on a more overtly partisan role with time. Like News for Democracy, Courier Newsroom has opened local news pages on Facebook with unassuming names like The Virginia Dogwood or Arizonas Copper Courier. After seeding the pages with folksy local stories, Courier Newsroom bombards users with pro-Democrat political messaging. As Bloomberg reported, McGowan used her sizable war chest and digital advertising savvy to pay to have her articles placed into the Facebook feeds of swing-state users. McGowan then used that feedback to find more people like them. One of McGowans dubious news pages, the Virginia Dogwood, spent a whopping $275,000 on Facebook ads during the 2018 midterm elections. Well try it, see if we can make it work, and hopefully become a permanent piece of the new infrastructure, McGowan told Bloomberg. Tara McGowans shenanigans in Iowa could be seen in the light of a wider string of manipulations by the Silicon Valley-backed neoliberal network behind her. While Democratic Party elites blame incompetence for the fiasco in Iowa, the history of Acronym and its billionaire backers casts a disturbing shadow over the whole episode. MIAMI, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Carlos Dorado, vice-president of Italcambio Casa de Cambio, advanced and sustained the strong foundation set by Mr. Mario Pizzorni, who set the first stone in creating this company in Caracas, Venezuela in 1948. Mario Pizzorni arrived in Venezuela as an immigrant from Milan to retreat from the ramifications of World World II and start his entrepreneurial ambitions. He went on to single-handedly establish a foreign exchange house that, over the decades, established itself as the longest-standing in Latin America and maintains a leading position in its sector. It has become an indispensable pillar in local economies and provides support to a vast ecosystem of economic partners in the South American continent. Today, Grupo Italcambio has extended its reach and influence beyond Latin America by branching out of banking and introducing new activities such as travel, fashion, real estate development, minting, art, licensing, and most importantly, starting the Frida Kahlo Tequila brand. Vice president Carlos Dorado stated, "We are and will continue being a one hundred percent family-owned business, bound by the principles handed down to us by our founder and the rule of law. We firmly believe that work and honesty are the most important elements to be able to continue existing through time; and despite the difficult economic times which Venezuela is going through, we still maintain our leadership, with a network of 60 offices that provide more than 700 jobs and taking on new challenges and setting new goals every day. We aspire to keep contributing to the development of Venezuela, as we have done for the last 72 years." Italcambio, which is ISO 9001 certified, is proudly responsible for paying the pensions of all Italians residing in Venezuela and is the exclusive representative of the American money transfer company Money Gram. The Venezuelan people living abroad have developed a strong and trusting relationship with Italcambio due to their consistently affordable and secure way to send money from and to Venezuela. [email protected] Related Images italcambio.jpg Italcambio SOURCE Grupo Italcambio Researchers revise timing of Easter island's societal collapse EUGENE, Ore. - Feb. 6, 2020 - The prehistoric collapse of Easter Island's monument-building society did not occur as long thought, according to a fresh look at evidence by researchers at four institutions. "The general thinking has been that the society that Europeans saw when they first showed up was one that had collapsed," said Robert J. DiNapoli, a doctoral candidate in the University of Oregon's Department of Anthropology who led the analysis. "Our conclusion is that monument-building and investment were still important parts of their lives when these visitors arrived." Easter Island, a Chilean territory also known as Rapa Nui, is located about 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) from South America and 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) from any other inhabited island. Rapa Nui is believed to have been settled in the 13th century by Polynesian seafarers. They soon began building massive stone platforms stacked with megalithic statues and large, cylindrical stone hats that were used for cultural and religious rituals, including burial and cremation. A widely-held narrative is that monument construction stopped around 1600 after a major societal collapse. In the new research, detailed online ahead of print in the Journal of Archaeological Science, DiNapoli's team presents a chronology for the statue platform construction by integrating existing radiocarbon dates with the order of assembly required to build the monuments and the written records of Dutch, Spanish and English seafarers who began arriving in 1722. Taken together, DiNapoli said, the integration of data, using Bayesian statistics, brings clarity to radiocarbon-dating at various sites. Rapa Nui islanders, the researchers concluded, continued to build, maintain and use the monuments for at least 150 years beyond 1600. The project began as part of DiNapoli's dissertation, which is focused on the process of building the monuments' architecture. Looking at 11 sites, the researchers examined the necessary sequence of construction, beginning with building a central platform and then adding different structures and statues. That helped make sense of differing radiocarbon dates found at various excavation sites. Monument construction, according to the team, began soon after initial Polynesian settlement and increased rapidly, sometime between the early 14th and mid-15th centuries, with a steady rate of construction events that continued well beyond the hypothesized collapse and the European arrival. When the Dutch arrived in 1722, their written observations reported that the monuments were in use for rituals and showed no evidence for societal decay. The same was reported in 1770, when Spanish seafarers landed on the island. "Their stays were short and their descriptions brief and limited," DiNapoli said. "But they provide useful information to help us think about the timing of building and using these structures as part of their cultural and religious lives." However, when British explorer James Cook arrived four years later, in 1774, he and his crew described an island in crisis, with overturned monuments. "The way we interpret our results and this sequence of historical accounts is that the notion of a pre-European collapse of monument construction is no longer supported," DiNapoli said. "Once Europeans arrive on the island, there are many documented tragic events due to disease, murder, slave raiding and other conflicts," said co-author Carl Lipo, an anthropologist at Binghamton University in New York. "These events are entirely extrinsic to the islanders and have, undoubtedly, devastating effects. Yet, the Rapa Nui people - following practices that provided them great stability and success over hundreds of years - continue their traditions in the face of tremendous odds," he said. "The degree to which their cultural heritage was passed on - and is still present today through language, arts and cultural practices - is quite notable and impressive. I think this degree of resilience has been overlooked due to the collapse narrative and deserves recognition." The approach developed for the research, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, may be useful for testing hypotheses of societal collapse at other complex sites around the world where similar debates on timing exist, the researchers noted. ### Co-authors with DiNapoli and Lipo were Timothy M. Rieth of the International Archaeological Research Institute in Hawaii and Terry L. Hunt of the University of Arizona. Source: Robert DiNapoli, doctoral student, Department of Anthropology, 541-346-5109, rdinapol@uoregon.edu Links: About Robert DiNapoli: https:/ / anthropology. uoregon. edu/ profile/ rdinapol/ UO Department of Anthropology: https:/ / anthropology. uoregon. edu/ Related findings by DiNapoli: https:/ / around. uoregon. edu/ content/ study-suggests-fresh-water-was-key-easter-islands-monuments?utm_source= ato01-16-19 About Carl Lipo: https:/ / www. binghamton. edu/ anthropology/ faculty/ profile. html?id= clipo This story has been published on: 2020-02-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. by Karlene Lukovitz @KLmarketdaily, February 6, 2020 Nielsen has hired Eric Bosco as chief product officer of its Global Media division, effective Feb. 10. Bosco will spearhead product strategy and execution and will be responsible for all elements of the divisions product framework, with emphasis on designing and creating scalable products, Nielsen said. A key part of his role will be "shepherding a unified product strategy that aligns with Nielsens unified technology and data framework." Bosco most recently served as vice president, product and design for TripAdvisor Experiences, where he led a global product and design organization with teams in various locations across North America, Australia and Europe. Over the past 20 years, he has served as general manager of SmarterTravel, CEO and COO of ChoiceStream, and senior vice president of global products and U.S. operations at AOL. advertisement advertisement He also served as executive vice president, chief product officer at Comscore for six months in 2010. At the time, Comscore CEO Magid Abraham said in a memo that Bosco's departure was by mutual agreement, and resulted because of a change in the senior leadership team and organizational structure. Comscore decided that its "Product organization's immediate success depends on a decentralized organization structure," he wrote, thanking Bosco for his efforts while on staff. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Kazakhstan has prohibited export of surgical masks to China, Spokesman for Kazakhstan's Health Ministry Dias Akhmetsharip said, Trend reports with reference to Kazakh media. Akhmetsharip said that selling medical masks by manufacturers to China is unethical. We would like to highlight the unethical behavior of surgical masks manufacturers and distributors. They were selling masks to China, which is why Kazakh government introduced the export prohibition. We currently also are considering import of surgical masks due to inability of local manufacturers to meet the increasing demand, he said. He also answered the question of who is to wear the masks. There is no necessity to wear the mask if the person does not have any sickness symptoms, Akhmetsharip said. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. Since then over 560 people have died and over 28,000 people have been confirmed as infected. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. The symptoms include cough, headache, fatigue, fever, aching and difficulty breathing. It is primarily spread through airborne contact or contact with contaminated objects. Chinese health authorities say that the majority of the people who have died were either elderly or had underlying health problems. Aside from Mainland China, the cases of coronavirus spreading have also been confirmed in Japan, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, Germany, the US, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Macau, France, Canada, the UAE, India, Italy, Russia, Philippines, the UK, Nepal, Cambodia, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Sweden and Sri Lanka. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh Netcompany grew revenue by 23.4% and realised an adjusted EBITA margin of 26.8% in Q4 2019 Company announcement no 2/2020 06 February 2020 Summary In Q4 2019, Netcompany realised reported revenue of DKK 671.0m, of which DKK 654.7m was organic, corresponding to 23.5% (constant 23.4%) growth in reported currencies and an organic revenue growth of 20.5%. Adjusted EBITA margin, when not including the non-organic impact from the Netherlands reached 27.9% which was 3.8 percentage point higher than Q4 2018. The average number of full-time employees grew by 25% from 1,979 in Q4 2018 to 2,468 in Q4 2019. Part of the increase was related to the acquisition of Netcompany Netherlands, which affected the average FTEs in Q4 2019 by 85. Free cash flow remained strong and increased by 412.3% from DKK 22.8m in Q4 2018 to DKK 116.8m in Q4 2019. For the full year 2019 Netcompany realised revenue growth of 19.5% (17.7% organic) and grew revenue to DKK 2,453.9m in line with most recent expectations. Adjusted EBITA margin was 25.2% including the negative impact from the acquisition of QDelft in the Netherlands. Adjusted for this, margins was 25.9% - also in line with most recent expectations. For the full year 2019 Netcompany realised revenue growth of 19.5% (17.7% organic) and grew revenue to DKK 2,453.9m in line with most recent expectations. Adjusted EBITA margin was 25.2% including the negative impact from the acquisition of QDelft in the Netherlands. Adjusted for this, margins was 25.9% - also in line with most recent expectations. Revenue visibility increased by 15.7% to DKK 1,827.8m for 2020 compared to DKK 1,579.4m for 2019. For 2020, Netcompany expects organic revenue growth of around 18-20% in constant currencies and non-organic revenue growth of around 1% in constant currencies. Organic and reported Adjusted EBITA in constant currencies is expected to be around 26%. During Q4, we have continued to deliver high quality in our projects and had important wins in the Danish market. Further, we experienced that delayed projects from the fall were initiated in the recent quarter as expected. During the quarter, we grew revenue by more than 23% and realised close to 27% in adjusted EBITA margin. In addition, cash flow was strong as we start to see the impact from moving work in progress to receivables and subsequent payments also as expected. We have continued to recruit top talent and I am pleased to welcome 210 new employees to Netcompany. Looking into 2020, I am confident that we stand on a strong foundation to continue to grow our business and gradually move closer to our ambition of becoming a Northern European leader. Andre Rogaczewski, Netcompany CEO and Co-founder Performance highlights for Q4 2019 Revenue increased by 23.5% (23,4% constant), hereof 20.5% from organic growth to DKK 671.0m in reported currencies. Gross profit margin was 42.3% against 39.4% in Q4 2018. Free cash flow improved by 412.3% to DKK 116.8m. Cash conversion rate of 80.3%. Financial overview For full details on financial performance, see enclosed Company announcement Q4 2019 and the Annual report for 2019. Conference call details In connection with the publication of the results for Q4 2019, Netcompany will host a conference call on 6 February 2020 at 11.00 am CEST. The conference call will be held in English and can be followed live via the companys website; www.netcompany.com Dial-in details for investors and analysts: DK: +45 32728042 UK: +44 (0) 8445718892 Standard International: +44 (0) 2071 928000 Confirmation code: 4976856 Webcast Player URL: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/iibxxi3i Additional information Andre Rogaczewski, CEO +45 70 13 14 40 Thomas Johansen, CFO +45 51 19 32 24 Attachments The firm also has plants in Canada, Mexico, China and India, with a research and development center in Germany. It is the worlds second-largest independent manufacturer of magnetic steel laminations, which help spin electric motors in vehicles, pumps and generators, Nastas said. One expected area of growth is the sale of parts to makers of electric vehicles. Korean car brand Hyundai has given its Tucson its latest facelift in time for the ongoing 2020 Auto Expo in India. According to Hyundai Motor India CEO, S S Kim, Tucson had redefined the Premium SUV segment with its class-leading features and unmatched performance. Hyundai, being Indias Most Preferred SUV Brand, constantly strives to upgrade its products and services with best-in-class technology that meets the evolving needs of todays customers and their rising aspirations. The changes are very noticeable on the exterior of the SUV. The front now has the signature Hyundai trapezoid cascading grille flanked by headlights with LED daytime running lights at the top and fog lights at the bottom. The back carries the sharp, elongated design for its taillights, massive roof spoiler, shark fin, and now rides in a new set of alloy wheels. Inside, the cosmetic updates on the cabin include a redesigned instrument cluster, USB charging points for the second row, wireless mobile phone charging at the front, and a panoramic sunroof. The 8-inch floating infotainment system, besides being Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatible, comes with voice command and Hyundai Blue Link that provides connectivity with Safety, Security, Geographic Information Services, Vehicle Management Relationship Management, Artificial Intelligence, Alert Services, and Location-Based Services. The long list of safety specs and driver-assist features include electronic parking brake, rain-sensing wipers, electronic stability control, hill assist control, downhill brake control, brake assist, front and rear parking sensors, and anti-lock braking system. What is more, the new Hyundai luxury SUV is made with 70 percent Sigh Strength Steel (AHSS + HSS) for a robust body structure to comply with Hyundais safety standards and the companys safe drive philosophy. The new feature-loaded and more connected 2020 Tucson will be powered by either 2.0-liter petrol or diesel BS-VI engines partnered to the same 6-speed manual with an option of 6-speed automatic transmission which is similar to the current model. The new Tucson will also come in an all-wheel drivetrain. Story continues Also read: The post Auto Expo 2020: 2020 Hyundai Tucson Gets Facelift, Minor Updates appeared first on Carmudi Philippines. A Deputy Communications Director of the governing New Patriotic Party [NPP] Kamal-deen Abdulai says the NDC and members of the Inter-Party Resistance against the New Voter Register; Tuesday demonstration was a form of exercise. After eating, they just want to burn cholesterol, he said in an interview with NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie. The group has been protesting to relay their displeasure about the ECs decision to compile a new voters register. Clad in red t-shirts, head and hand bands, with placards with various inscriptions including, Pay striking teachers, and dont waste money on needless register, No new register etc. hundreds of members joined in the street protest Tuesday morning. The protests began in Tamale with the Tikusayi demo and continued in Kumasi with Yennpini demo. This one, dubbed, W)kp3n33, follows the ECs announcement of the date for compilation of the new voters register despite a planned meeting with the ECs Eminent Advisory Committee. Listen to him in the video 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 Oppo Find X2 is coming soon and the leaks were always bound to intensify. A new photo of the alleged screen glass of the phone gives us an early look at what to expect along with some key specs. The display features a tall 20:9 aspect ratio and a punch hole in the top left corner. The edges have a pronounced curvature, but not quite as extreme as the "waterfall displays" o on the vivo Nex 3 5G and the Huawei Mate 30 Pro. The panel will be of the OLED variety and will sport 120Hz refresh rate and QHD+ resolution. This is the screen cover-plate of OPPO Find X2, not a waterfall screen design, but the curvature is relatively large, 20: 9 OLED screen, WQHD + 120Hz pic.twitter.com/L6wOPoFczg Ice universe (@UniverseIce) February 6, 2020 Previously Oppo confirmed it the Find X2 will pack the Snapdragon 865 alongside a custom M1 co-processor. The phone will also come with a triple camera setup headlined by the upcoming 48MP Sony IMX689 main shooter. An interesting rumor is the supposed 50W wireless fast charging capabilities, although that seems rather unlikely. The Alabama Department of Corrections has posted its first weekly update on the transfer of more than 600 inmates from Holman Correctional Facility because of deteriorating conditions at the prison. The ADOC said as of noon Monday fewer that 5% of the inmates have been transferred. Corrections Commissioner Jeff Dunn announced last week the main facility at Holman was closing because of the difficulty of safely providing power, water, and sewer service due to the hazardous conditions in an underground tunnel used to maintain the utilities. The states death row for men will remain at the prison, although it will move into a different part of the prison, a three-level section for inmates in restrictive housing. The inmates that were there are among the ones being transferred. The first phase of the transfers was the relocation of 21 death row inmates from Donaldson Correctional Facility in Jefferson County to Holman. The second phase involves moving 422 general population inmates and 195 restrictive housing inmates from Holman to other ADOC facilities. Gov. Kay Ivey said today the ADOC is considering moving some of the inmates to a vacant, privately owned prison in Perry County. Its on the table for consideration at least for the interim period to handle the shifting process, Ivey said. "No decisions have been made yet but it is on the table." The Perry County facility, which would hold about 700 inmates, is owned by The Geo Group. Alabama prisons were already at 170% of the capacity they were designed for before the announcement of the partial closing of Holman. The Department of Justice cited overcrowding as a factor in its findings last year that the violent conditions in Alabamas mens prisons violates the prohibition on cruel and unusual punishments. The Ivey administration is pursuing a plan for three news mens prisons and is expecting proposals from development teams by the end of April. The companies would finance and build the prisons and lease them to the state, which would operate them. Because of security concerns, the ADOC is not releasing schedules about the Holman inmate transfers. ADOC is focused on minimizing disruption and ensuring appropriate staffing and security modifications at receiving facilities, the agency said on its website. "It is important to note that ADOC will continuously analyze inmate populations, needs of receiving facilities, and mobilization of resources to ensure continued access to health, educational, and rehabilitative services and programs. To keep the main facility at Holman functional while the transfers are pending, the ADOC is shutting off power periodically to allow workers to safely work in the utilities tunnel, according to the weekly update. "To facilitate safe entry into the tunnel for personnel, the ADOC will shut off power to the main facility for short periods of time while maintenance is being performed. All conditions within the tunnel will be carefully evaluated prior to entry, and medical personnel will be on standby. ADOC will work to schedule these necessary maintenance outages strategically in order to minimize disruption for inmates and staff. The first scheduled maintenance outage occurred on Monday, February 3, safely and without incident." New housing assignments of transferred inmates will be updated on the ADOCs website. Friends and relatives of inmates can check their assignments though the inmate search tool. The father of murdered British student Meredith Kercher has died after being involved in a suspected hit-and-run. John Kercher, 77, was found collapsed on the pavement yards from his home in Croydon, south London, three weeks ago. He had no memory of what happened but suffered multiple injuries, including a broken arm and leg. He then died in hospital on Saturday, reports The Sun. His 21-year-old daughter Meredith was murdered on a student exchange trip to Perugia, Italy in 2007. Her American flatmate Amanda Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted of murdering her but were later cleared on appeal. John Kercher, 77, was found collapsed on the pavement yards from his home in Croydon, south London, three weeks ago. He is pictured with his daughter Meredith who was murdered in 2007 John Kercher is pictured with Meredith's mother Arline and sister Stephanie at a press conference in Italy in November 2007 Drifter Rudy Guede was jailed for 16 years for murder and sexual assault. No arrests have yet been made in relation to her father's death but an investigation is now underway. Murdered: Meredith Kercher The Met Police's detective sergeant Steve Andrews said: 'Despite thorough enquiries made so far, including speaking to witnesses and examining potential CCTV opportunities, we've not as yet been able to establish how he came to sustain his injuries, which included a broken arm and broken leg. 'We are keeping an open mind as to the circumstances of his death, including whether he may have been involved in a collision. 'Please make the call to us, or anonymously via Crimestoppers if you can help us determine what happened.' A Met Police spokesman added: 'Police are appealing for witnesses and information following the unexplained death of a man in Croydon. 'Officers were called at approximately 7.30pm on Monday, 13 January to reports of a man found collapsed suffering injuries on Windmill Road in Croydon. 'The 77-year-old man was taken to a south London hospital for treatment. He remained in hospital but died from his injuries on Saturday, 1 February. Her American flatmate Amanda Knox (pictured being escorted by Italian police in 2008) and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted of murdering her but were later cleared on appeal 'His next of kin have been informed. A special post-mortem examination will be scheduled in due course.' Amanda Knox served four years behind bars in Italy for Kercher's killing. She was released and returned to the US in 2011 after her conviction was initially overturned. She was retried in 2014, but did not return to Italy for that trial, and was convicted for a second time. But in 2015, Italy's Supreme Court overturned her second conviction and brought an end to her legal saga. Since settling in Seattle, Knox has taken part in a Netflix documentary about her case and has written books and articles advocating for people wrongfully convicted of crimes. Her ex-fiance Mr Sollecito recently announced he is enagged to his new girlfriend Andreea Burtea. A 110 million jackpot is up for grabs and could be one of the biggest lottery wins ever (AP) An incredible 110 million Euromillions jackpot is up for grabs this week the eighth largest prize ever if scooped by a single UK ticket-holder. Fridays draw rounds off a winning week for National Lottery players, according to organisers Camelot, after 20 millionaires were made in Tuesdays draw on Millionaire Maker. Andy Carter, senior winners adviser, said: Weve already created 20 new UK millionaires this week and weve got our fingers crossed that Friday will see UK players come up trumps again with a huge EuroMillions jackpot win. Could it be you? This week's Euromillions win could be a 110 million jackpot (AP) Were ready and waiting to welcome 2020s first jackpot winner after last year saw an incredible seven massive jackpots, worth hundreds of millions of pounds, won by UK players. October 2019 saw the biggest jackpot ever awarded to a UK player 170m. The winner took almost a month to claim their prize, but chose to remain anonymous. READ MORE ON YAHOO NEWS UK: Liverpool Council will not fly Union Jack to mark Prince Andrew's birthday 'We have come to slaughter' email was used to buy chemicals before Manchester Arena bombing Builder Steve Thomson and his wife Lenka celebrated their 105m win in November (PA via AP) Builder Steve Thomson, from Sussex, won 105 million last November but vowed to continue working. UK players have won 104 jackpot since Euromillions began in 2004. France has also celebrated 104 jackpot wins, with Spain on 101, Ireland on 16, and Luxembourg just three. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- Pratik Bhakta Mumbai-based fintech company SuperMoney that caters to gig economy workers has raised $1 million from Unitus Ventures, a fund that supports early-stage startups. The company will use the funds to expand its team, invest in business development, strengthen backend operations beyond the 12 cities it is working in. The blue-collar consumer and the emerging gig-economy segments are today not serviced by traditional banks and NBFCs and this is a $100-billion market opportunity that we are tapping into, SuperMoney co-founder Nikhil Banerjee said. A private equity and risk management professional, Banerjee along with Shiv Nandan Negi founded SuperMoney that began operations in January 2018. The company works with blue-collar workers, offering them financial products that focus on credit, savings and insurance solutions. SuperMoney has partnered with enterprises and service providers that have a large pool of workers. It tailors micro-credit and micro-savings solutions that suit different job functions. The average size of the loan is Rs 10,000 for a two-three month term. With 300,000 customer registrations, SuperMoney has facilitated disbursement of more than 55,000 loans to date. The startup has partnered with companies like Uber, Swiggy, Shuttl, Udaan and MedPlus to extend its suite of products. SuperMoney, which has a presence in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata among other cities, aims to serve 1 million customers over the next two years. In October 2017, it raised an angel round of funding from investors including Shachindra Nath, Chairman of Ugro Capital, and Madhukar Gangadi, founder of MedPlus. SuperMoneys enterprise-led approach makes their ability to acquire and service customers more efficient and not just underwrite but also navigate credit cycles better. They are going beyond just credit and offer a suite of financial products that makes them attractive to customers and their employees, said Srikrishna Ramamoorthy, Partner at Unitus Ventures. The "Opportunities in the Western Europe Savory Snacks Sector" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Summary Western Europe was the third-largest region in the global savory snacks sector with a value share of 15.7% in 2018 and is expected to grow from US$20,985.0 million in 2018 to US$25,403.6 million in 2023, at a CAGR of 3.9%. Potato chips were the largest category with value sales of US$7,183.1 million (accounted for 34.2% of the overall value sales in the Western Europe savory snacks sector) in 2018. PepsiCo, Intersnack Group GmbH Co. KG, The Lorenz Bahlsen Snack-World Gmbh Co Kg, The Kellogg Company, and Orkla Group, were the leading players of the sector and accounted for 37.7% of overall value sales. Hypermarkets supermarkets was the largest distribution channel in the Western Europe savory snacks sector, accounting for 59.2% of overall value sales in 2018, followed by convenience stores. Flexible Packaging was the most commonly used pack material in the Western European savory snacks sector, with 97.2% market share in 2018, while bag/sachet was the most popular pack type, accounting for a 92.6% share in the same year. This report brings together multiple data sources to provide a comprehensive overview of Western Europe savory snacks sector. It includes market overview, high growth country analysis, top companies, key distribution channels, packaging formats and case studies. Scope Market overview: Includes sector size, market size, and growth analysis by categories. Change in consumption: Provides a shift in the consumption of savory snacks products by markets across different countries in the Western Europe region. Countries analysis: Provides risk-reward analysis of four countries in Western Europe region based on market assessment, economic development, socio-demographic, governance indicators, and technological infrastructure. Health Wellness analysis: Provides insights on the health wellness products in terms of value and percentage share in the overall Western Europe savory snacks sector during 2013-2023. The analysis includes key health wellness attributes and consumer benefits driving the sales of savory snacks in 2018. It also covers the market share of leading companies offering savory snacks foods with health wellness attributes in the same year. Competitive Analysis: Provides an overview of leading companies in the Western Europe region, besides analyzing the growth of private label in the region. Key distribution channels: Provides analysis on the leading distribution channels in the Western Europe savory snacks sector in 2018. It covers six distribution channels including on-trade. The major distribution channels include hypermarkets supermarkets, convenience stores, food drinks specialists, e-retailers, and others that include department stores, vending machines, cash carries and warehouse clubs, and others. Preferred packaging formats: The report provides percentage share (in 2018) and growth analysis (during 2013-2023) for various pack materials, pack types, closure types, and primary outer types based on the volume sales (by pack units) of savory snacks food products. 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. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive summary 2. Market size and growth analysis (Regional Analysis) Market Size Analysis Western Europe compared to other regions Growth analysis by Region Growth Analysis by Country Growth Analysis by Category 3. Identifying high potential countries in Western Europe Identifying high-potential countries methodology High-potential countries Identifying high-potential countries risk, reward, and opportunity analysis 4. Market size and growth analysis Overview Value and volume growth analysis by country Growth Contribution Analysis by Country Share of Savory Snacks compared to other Food sectors Change in consumption levels by country and Savory Snacks sector Per capita consumption and expenditure analysis 5. Country Profiles Sweden Germany France The UK 6. Success Stories Savory snacks in Western Europe: case studies 7. Company and Brand Analysis Leading companies in Western Europe Savory Snacks Sector Company and brand Share Analysis Leading companies in Western Europe Savory Snacks Sector Leading Brands (including private label) in Western Europe Savory Snacks Sector Private label penetration in the Savory Snacks sector 8. Health Wellness Analysis Health Wellness analysis Overview Health Wellness analysis Growth contribution by country Health Wellness analysis Key product attributes and consumer benefits Leading Health Wellness Companies by Category 9. Key Distribution Channels Leading Distribution channels by country Leading Distribution channels by category 10. Key Packaging Formats Growth analysis by key pack material and pack type Growth analysis by closure type and primary outer type 11. Challenges and Future Outlook Key challenges Future Outlook 12. Appendix 13. Definitions 14. About the Author Companies Mentioned PepsiCo Intersnack Group The Lorenz Bahlsen Snack The Kellogg Company Orkla Group Snyder's-Lance Inc. Unichips Italia Spa Borges International Zweifel Pomy Link Snacks Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/uxlcts View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005419/en/ Contacts: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Angola, IN (46703) Today Snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low 7F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50%.. Tonight Snow showers this evening. Becoming partly cloudy later. Low 7F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Austria Rejects German Financial Transactions Tax Plan by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels 06 February 2020 Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has said that Austria does not agree with new German proposals for a European financial transactions tax (FTT). Under proposals presented by German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz to the 10 European Union member states attempting to come to an agreement on the terms of an EU FTT, a tax of 0.2 percent would be imposed on the purchase of shares in domestically listed companies with a market capitalization in excess of EUR1bn (USD1.2bn). The tax would also apply to depositary receipts issued domestically and abroad and which are backed by shares in these companies. Initial share offerings would be excluded from the FTT. The German Government says such a tax would apply mostly to institutional investors. However, the Austrian Government is concerned that the measures would also adversely affect individual investors. "We don't want only small investors to be affected, because in Austria too few people are involved in the capital market anyway," Kurz said during his visit to Berlin on February 4, 2020. Kurz added that Austria's preference is that the tax be borne by "speculators who were responsible for the last financial crisis." "The current proposal by finance minister Scholz is one that we reject," he was quoted as saying at a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Last month, Scholz issued a statement expressing his confidence that an agreement on the EU FTT would be reached soon. However, Kurz's comments suggest that Austria at least is not on board. Besides Austria and Germany, the other member states taking part in the EU FTT negotiations include Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. These countries are participating in the initiative under the EU's enhanced cooperation mechanism, which allows smaller groups of member states to proceed with EU legislation when unanimity on a proposal cannot be achieved. As initially proposed by the European Commission in 2011, the FTT was to be imposed on all transactions in financial instruments, with the exchange of shares and bonds taxed at a rate of 0.1 percent and derivative contracts at a rate of 0.01 percent. However, member states failed to reach an agreement on the technical details of the draft directive. Many performance companies and new media companies in China have put their shows and movies online and offered pay TV programs to subscribers across the country for free as the country continues to fight the novel coronavirus epidemic, which broke out in late December 2019. Li Leis painting Every Second Counts, which features construction workers at the Huoshenshan Hospital construction site. (Photo/People's Daily) Artists in the country have also used their talents to express support for and gratitude to medical workers and people who have been fighting the epidemic on the front line of the nationwide battle through various art works on new media platforms. During this years Spring Festival holiday, which started on Jan. 24, Chinas National Centre for the Performance Arts launched a series of feature programs via online platforms, including its official accounts on social media platforms like WeChat and Sina Weibo, offering the public art works for free. Many cultural products, such as the highly anticipated movie Lost in Russia and cross talk shows by performance groups in north Chinas Tianjin Municipality, which had been scheduled to hit cinemas and theaters during this years Spring Festival, were made available to enjoy online for free on peoples mobile devices. In Shanghai, cable TV operator OCN has decided to offer subscribers pay programs on at least 10 channels for free from Jan. 27 to Feb. 8. Meanwhile, BesTV, a leading new media-based IPTV service provider in China, provided many widely acclaimed films and TV programs for hundreds of millions of domestic consumers across the country for free. New media platforms have become stages for artists to convey their gratitude to medical workers and promote positive energy in Chinas efforts to combat the current epidemic. On the evening of Jan. 29, the studio of Li Lei, a painter in Shanghai, posted his latest work composed of five sketches and abstract paintings on WeChat. A cartoon Fight the Epidemic showcased in the online cartoon exhibition held by the artists association of Liaoning. (Photo/People's Daily) The pictures vividly depicted scenes of doctors and nurses putting on gloves before treating patients and construction workers hard at work at the construction sites of Huoshenshan Hospital and Leishenshan Hospital, makeshift hospitals built for treating patients infected with the novel coronavirus in Wuhan. Many other literary figures and artists like Li Lei have also put their works on WeChat as a tribute to medical workers and soldiers fighting for the country on the front line of the battle. Artist associations in northeast Chinas Liaoning Province recently held an online exhibition of cartoons, which included a drawing by a 3-year-old child of a mother wearing a mask, as well as a work by Li Chun, an 88-year-old cartoonist who painted a picture titled All the People Fight Together Again. On Jan. 28, Shanghai Media Group started shooting on a music video to boost the nations courage in its battle against the epidemic. Named Hand in Hand, the video was the result of collaboration between over 20 artists. Since Chinese people have had to stay at home to avoid infection, these artists all had their respective parts recorded separately in their own homes. By showing several scenes of people sticking to their posts for the battle, such as sanitation workers, delivery men, workers in mask factories, public transport drivers, and police, the music video expresses thanks to those who have contributed to the countrys efforts to fight the epidemic, said Zhang Songhua, deputy director of Dragon TV, a channel of Shanghai Media Group. "I am thrilled to join the remarkable team of talented professionals at UOVO. The company's holistic approach has made it the industry leader, and I am excited to help accelerate the growth of this exceptional business. Together, we will enhance the standard of stewardship for cultural heritage collections," commented Mr. Schmerin. With Mr. Schmerin's appointment, former CEO and UOVO Co-Founder Steve Novenstein joins the UOVO Board of Directors as Co-Chairman. "With his breadth of experience, Dan is the right leader to guide UOVO to the next level. I look forward to working closely with him as we expand our range of service offerings and focus on exceeding client expectations," commented Mr. Novenstein. "It is with great pleasure that we welcome Dan to UOVO. His appointment heralds a new phase for the company, focused on deepening our relationships as we continue to reimagine art storage and services to best accommodate our clients' evolving needs," commented UOVO Founder Steven Guttman. About UOVO: UOVO is New York's number one provider of art, fashion, and collections storage and services. With more than 650,000 square feet of storage across four New York locations, UOVO provides an array of storage options and innovative service and management solutions tailored to meet the specialized needs of any collection including climate-controlled storage, private viewing rooms, transportation, packing, and installation services. Driven by a mission to preserve our collective cultural legacy through a new standard of stewardship, the company has worked with thousands of clients worldwide. These include the world's most recognizable artists, architects, entertainers, fashion designers, galleries, libraries, museums, and private collectors as well as charitable trusts, corporate collections, estates, government agencies, and non-profits. Each UOVO facility is purpose-designed and managed by a team of industry-leading experts dedicated to ensuring that works are safeguarded with the highest caliber of security, discretion, professionalism, and care. To stay connected, follow UOVO on Instagram and LinkedIn. Contact: Anne Maso, 646-747-4306, [email protected] SOURCE UOVO Related Links https://uovo.art/ The Rajya Sabha on Thursday adopted the motion of thanks to the President's Address after a reply by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and walkout of opposition parties. The motion was adopted by a voice vote. Several opposition parties staged a walkout after Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad spoke briefly in the House following the prime minister's reply. Azad said he was thanking the Prime Minister for giving examples and saying that Congress has been in favour of Hindus facing religious persecution in Pakistan getting Indian citizenship. "That has been our policy," he said. Azad said the party was opposed to Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as it does not provide for refugees from countries such as Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan getting Indian citizenship and that it makes a distinction on religious grounds. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man who was hiding in the rafters of a Washington grocery store for at least six weeks was discovered with 28 cartons of cigarettes and a wheel of artisanal cheese worth nearly $400, authorities say. The Auburn Police Department has been called to Haggen Northwest Fresh Market several times since employees claimed an unidentified man was stealing items after hours and then returning to a spot in the ceiling. On Wednesday, authorities took the 'Haggen Grocery Store Burglar' into custody after investigators served a search warrant. They recovered 'very expensive' Beecher's Handmade Cheese worth $394.97, being sold at $22.99 per pound, and several cartons of cigarettes stolen from the store. Authorities say the cheese cannot be re-sold by the grocery store, so it was photographed for the case and then donated to a food bank. Authorities say an unidentified man (pictured) was hiding in the rafters of a Haggen Northwest Fresh Market for several weeks, only emerging after store hours to steal goods When the man was arrested the the Auburn Police Department, they say he was in possession of several cartons of cigarettes and a $394 wheel of artisanal cheese Authorities have not said where or how the man was located, and did not publicly disclose his identity. A definite account of how long he was inside the grocery store has not been revealed, but police received their first phone call on Christmas Day. The man's living status is unclear, but the city reports having around 970 homeless adults as of 2018. The median income for the city of 80,000 people is nearly $67,000. KING 5 first reported the story after authorities released surveillance footage from Haggen Northwest Fresh Market showing the man inside the store. While dressed in all-black with a face mask and a large black duffel bag, the man can we seen walking through the store after hours in search of items to steal. The bag was reportedly filled with thousands of dollars in cigarettes and liquor from the store. During their initial search on Christmas Day, authorities found evidence that someone had accessed a vent in the store's roof. The Auburn Police Department released surveillance footage of the suspect walking through Haggen Northwest Fresh Market on Christmas Day Officers also found jackets, gloves, tools and other debris before later discovering a rope near the vent's entry point. They determined the man was squatting inside the store after employees reported hearing footsteps and seeing the man's legs dangling from the ceiling of a storage closet. Officers would respond to the grocery store twice on January 15 and once on January 16 and 17. New evidence was discovered each time. Employees alerted police of the squatter after hearing footsteps overhead in the ceiling and seeing his legs dangling from the ceiling in a storage closet Auburn Police Commander Mike Hirman said: 'We found where someone had been. Theres ventilation that had been moved and tracks that had been moved. We spent probably about 4.5 hours up in the rafters trying to hunt this guy down.' Police used various of methods to track the man down, including heat-mapping infrared tools and K-9 units. At the time, Hirman admitted that tracking the man down was a challenge for the Property Crimes Unit. 'Its very difficult. There are many, many little hiding places where he couldve been. Its such a large store and its very crowded with venting and everything,' he said. Facing up: The coronavirus started in China but has spread to other regions A third patient in the UK has tested positive for coronavirus. The individual, who caught the infection abroad, is being taken to a specialist NHS treatment centre. "We are using robust infection control measures to prevent any possible further spread of the virus," Prof Chris Whitty, chief medical officer said. The virus has infected 28,018 worldwide and killed 565 people, mostly in China. The NHS was "well prepared" to manage cases, Prof Whitty added, saying "we are now working quickly to identify any contacts the patient has had". Two other patients - both Chinese nationals - are still being treated at the Royal Victoria Infirmary infectious diseases centre in Newcastle upon Tyne. The patients - a university of York student and one of their relatives - tested positive for the virus after falling ill at a hotel in York. Meanwhile, the chair of the new Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group in Ireland said it would not be unexpected if a case of coronavirus was confirmed here. Dr Cillian De Gascun said, head of the National Virus Laboratory in UCS said however, that 99pc of cases are still in China and there are no direct flights from China to Ireland, which is an important factor. The couple of weeks will tell if China's containment efforts have been successful, adding that there has not been sustained human-to-human transmission in any country outside China since the outbreak, which is positive, he told RTE. Dr De Gascun said there was still a lot that was unknown about the virus and while there is a lot of fundamental science and information that needs to be collected, it is not believed to be readily transmissible from person to person, which is why there has not been a huge spread outside China.He said that it would be advisable not to undertake non-essential travel to China. by Paul Wang The 14-day quarantine applies to Chinese, Hong Kong people, foreigners. The strike continues for medical personnel who want the total closure of the borders with China. A ship with 3600 passengers stranded at the Kai Tak terminal. The diocese advises the faithful not to go to mass to avoid large gatherings. It is suggested to pray at home with the bible, follow mass on television, recite the rosary. Those who go to church are asked to use masks, stay away from each other, not to sing. Hong Kong (AsiaNews) - All those arriving from China to Hong Kong will undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine. The head of the territorial executive Carrie Lam announced yesterday, specifying that the order applies to Chinese, Hong Kong and foreigners. The quarantine will be prepared from 8 February to better clarify the regulations and give time to travelers to modify their travel plans. Lam's decision seems to meet requests from autonomous unions of doctors and nurses who have been calling for the total closure of communications with China for weeks. Faced with the government's refusal, they have started a strike for four days. Lam has reduced the communication routes with China: it has closed some ports and communication routes, but leaving the port of Shenzhen Bay, the airport and the mega-bridge linking the territory to Macau and Zhuhai open. For Lam, it is impossible to seal the borders between Hong Kong and China due to the work and transportation of goods (even essential foodstuffs for the area). An example: tens of thousands of people came from China two days ago. A cruise ship with 3600 people on board is stranded at the Kai Tak terminal after two passengers presented virus symptoms. Fear is widespread among the people of Hong Kong, recalling that 17 years ago, the Sars epidemic, which broke out in China, hit Hong Kong hard, with 300 victims. The diocese of Hong Kong today issued a press release specifying new pastoral indications for the celebration of masses and for community gatherings. Due to the "increasingly critical" situation caused by the epidemic, all those who have been in China in areas affected by the virus are advised not to participate in church masses, but to follow the celebration in TV, "receiving spiritual communion , or spend time reading the bible, say the rosary, meditate upon the readings of the Mass. These indications also apply to everyone, to reduce the number of faithful in gatherings and avoid opportunities for the virus to spread. Those who decide in any case to physically participate in the mass, are asked to wear masks, to take care of hygiene, to stay at a certain distance from each other in church, not to sing (except the hallelujah and the "Mystery of faith", after the consecration). Those who are sick or weak are better off not participating in the celebration. On January 21, 2020, the State Securities Commission issued a document allowing Vietnam Pesticide Joint Stock Company to extend submission date of financial statements. - For the quarterly financial statements: within 30 days from the last day of quarter; - Reviewed semi-annual financial statements: within 60 days from the last day of first six months of fiscal year. - Audited annual financial statements: within 100 days from the last day of fiscal year. ANNE DRAGO, Stonington, Girls Basketball, Senior; Drago was named to the all-tournament team at the WCCU Holiday Basketball Tournament. In two games, she scored 38 points and had eight rebounds. DANTE WILK, Westerly, Boys Basketball, Senior; Wilk was named MVP of the WCCU Holiday Basketball Tournament after the Bulldogs beat Chariho in the title game. Wilk had a combined 35 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and eight steals in two tournament victories. TYLER LABELLE, Chariho, Boys Basketball, Junior; LaBelle scored 41 points in two games to earn all-tournament honors at the WCCU Holiday Basketball Tournament. LaBelle had 22 in a win against South Kingstown and 19 in a loss to Westerly. ADDIE HAUPTMANN, Wheeler, Girls Basketball, Senior; Hauptmann scored 32 points in two games in the Montville Christmas Tournament. She also had 20 rebounds, seven assists and eight steals. Vote View Results BURBANK (dpa-AFX) - Disney+, Walt Disney Co.'s streaming service, has recorded 28.6 million paid subscribers as of February 3, in less than three months of its launch. The media giant also revealed that the paid subscriber numbers for ESPN+ and Hulu are 7.6 million and 30.7 million, respectively. Disney+, which was launched in the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands on November 12, 2019, had more than 10 million users as of November 14. On November 19, the service was debuted in Australia, New Zealand and Puerto Rico. Disney plans to launch the service in markets across Western Europe on March 24, while the launch in India will be through Hotstar on March 29. In Western Europe, the service will come first to the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Switzerland. Other Western Europe markets, including Belgium, the Nordics and Portugal, will get the service in summer 2020. Disney+ offers classic movies and shorts, popular series, recent theatrical releases, as well as original content from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm and National Geographic. Disney said the new programs include original Marvel Studios series The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and WandaVision that will premiere on Disney+ in August and December, respectively. Further, popular series The Mandalorian, from Lucasfilm, will return to the service in October. Disney+ is collecting subscribers amid tough competition from streaming services giants such as Netflix and Amazon. However, the subscriber numbers are much smaller while comparing to the industry major Netflix, which has more than 167.09 million subscribers globally. Amazon Prime members in the U.S. is estimated to be 112 million in December 2019. Apple, Inc. also launched its original video subscription service Apple TV+ in November last year adding to the competition. The service is available in more than 100 countries and regions. In the U.S., Disney+ costs $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year, while Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app for $4.99 per month. In comparison, the monthly charge for Netflix and Amazon Prime is around $8.99. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de Brazil's national tourism board has been left red faced after it accidentally posted a tourists review of how they were robbed and left frightened to leave their flat while staying in Rio de Janeiro. Embratur's account mistakenly shared an Instagram post from a holidaymaker which started off praising the crime-hit city for its beauty. But the tourist's following remarks detailed how their family had been robbed and her nine-year-old sister had witnessed a violent robbery. 'I can't recommend a visit to a city where I felt afraid of even leaving the apartment,' the post concluded. Brazil struggles to overcome its violent reputation when attracting tourists, and such a post would have been an embarrassing error from Embratur, a state-owned agency reporting to the country's Ministry of Tourism Brazilian news organisation G1 shared a screen grab of Instagram user withlai's post, which shows her crticising Rio De Janeiro after a nightmare family holiday in the city 'Rio is such a beautiful city, but beautiful is not enough,' Instagram user 'withlai' wrote in an Instagram Stories post. 'I just spent 3 days in Rio with my family, and in those 3 days my family and I were robbed and my 9-year-old sister witnessed a violent robbery. 'I can't recommend a visit to a city where I felt afraid of even leaving the apartment.' Embratur deleted the shared post on Wednesday. It said in a subsequent statement that 'sharing (the post) was a mistake,' adding that it had worked hard to promote a nationwide fall in crime in 2019. Gang violence is common in Rio, contributing to the city's high homicide rate. The police are regularly involved in clashes with gangs, resulting in casualties on both sides Firefights between police and gangs are commonplace on the city's streets The cost of living in such a violent city can be very high. Almost 4,000 murders were registered in Rio during 2019 While at its lowest point since records began in 1991, the violent crime rate in Brazil is still very high. The state of Rio de Janeiro alone registered almost 4,000 murders and 120,500 muggings in 2019. In 2018, Brazil had a homicide rate of 24.7 per 100,000 people, one of the highest in the world. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaros crackdown on criminals in Rio de Janeiro has also led to a sharp 16% increase in killings by police in the city. Even the city's stunning features, such as picturesque beaches, clear blue water and the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue (pictured), Rio struggles to overcome its violent reputation Despite being home to the beautiful Amazon rainforest, famous festivals and picturesque beaches, the country still struggles to attract tourists. Safety concerns along with inconvenient flights, poor infrastructure and high costs have long held back Brazil's tourism industry, which lags behind its South American neighbors. A meagre 5.7% of the country's annual tourism income comes from foreign visitors, according to 2019 statistics from the World Travel and Tourism Council. As news of the mistake went viral, withlai, who identified herself as a Brazilian living in Germany, said in another Instagram post that she hoped 'the person (at Embratur) doesn't get in trouble, we all make mistakes.' She also defended her original post, saying: 'If I don't feel safe or comfortable somewhere, I'll share it.' A Chinese mother, blocked from entering Australia due to the coronavirus travel ban, is losing hope of being able to see her only son before doctors in Melbourne turn off his life support. Xiao Li, 22, who has been in the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition since his car collided with a truck on January 27, was declared brain dead on Monday. Xiao Li came to Australia last May and worked on farms in Queensland and East Gippsland, Victoria. After hearing of her son's crash, Xing Lan Ren scrambled to apply for an Australian visa by January 29. Ms Ren fast-tracked her visa application at a cost of $1145, expecting to hear back within two business days. Avanse Financial Services Limited, a new age, education-focused NBFC, announced the launch of their new branch in Bengaluru. Avanse is dedicated towards creating a robust ecosystem and works with students as well as institutions to provide efficient financing offerings, the company said in a statement. Avanse has been present in Karnataka for over four years now and has been fulfilling aspirations and impacting 51,000 students. It plans to impact the lives of two lakh students in this market by providing the necessary support to fulfill their academic dreams in the next two years. Inaugurating the branch, Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan, who holds the Higher Education, Information Technology and Biotechnology, Science and Technology portfolio said, "The state being an IT hub offers a great potential for attracting talent pan-India and it is important to cater to the evolving educational needs." "Avanse has been instrumental in making quality available by aiding easy education financing solutions," he added. Speaking on the occasion, the CEO of the company Amit Gainda expressed his happiness over the launch of the new office. He said, "We are determined to grow our business by 15-20 per cent in the Karnataka market in the next two years. We see a huge opportunity in partnering with quality education institutions and fintech companies in the region to enhance the education ecosystem. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BELCHERTOWN Belchertown Day School has purchased two acres the former site of the Belchertown State School, where it plans to build a 8,600-square-foot early-childhood education center and afterschool facility. MassDevelopment announced the sale in a news release Wednesday. We no longer will be renting; we will have a school to call our own that will be a forever home, the schools executive director Pat Bruni said in an interview Wednesday. This new school means so much to us. Belchertown Day School paid $133,333 for the land, according to documents filed Dec. 11 at the Hampshire County Registry of Deeds. The seller was the Belchertown Economic Development industrial Corp. Also on file is a document requiring Belchertown Day School to build the childcare facility and to start construction within six months of buying the land. MassDevelopment also said a new road at the 55-acre site, called Carriage Drive, opened in December. At over a third of a mile, Carriage Drive opens the Carriage Grove neighborhood for residential, commercial, and industrial uses and realigns Jackson Street to move traffic away from an established neighborhood. The Day School site is on Carriage Drive. MassDevelopment calls Carriage Grove a new neighborhood at the State School site, part of a master plan for up to 581,000 square feet of mixed-use development. MassDevelopment is proud to oversee the development of Carriage Grove from a former state school into a first-rate mixed-use neighborhood, MassDevelopment President and CEO Lauren Liss said in a statement. The addition of Belchertown Day School, Inc. and the recent completion of Carriage Drive mark two exciting milestones in our redevelopment efforts, and create momentum toward the build-out of this community. Carriage Drive opened Dec. 1, 2019. Funding included a $3 million grant from the Commonwealths MassWorks Infrastructure Program, according to the release. Founded in 1977, Belchertown Day School is a nonprofit providing early childhood education for more than 100 children between ages 15 months and 12 years old. It has toddler and preschool classes, before and after-school programming and vacation and summer programming, according to a news release. Belchertown Day School currently operates out of leased space at 432 State St. in Belchertown. Deeds documents show at least $2.9 million in funding for the project. The new building is financed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Cares Early Education and Out of School Time Capital Fund, according to deeds documents. Additional financing is from Childrens Investment Fund, Blue Hub Capital, and the U.S. Department of Agricultures Community Facilities Program. At least a quarter of the 110 slots in the new school will be set aside for children from low-income families. Following the Belchertown State Schools closure in 1992, the Belchertown Economic Development and Industrial Corporation purchased the Carriage Grove site from the state, according to Wednesdays news release. The main campus of the property contained almost 400,000 square feet of abandoned buildings and utility tunnels with significant environmental issues that required abatement and demolition. MassDevelopment is the states finance and development agency. The Belchertown Planning Board approved a site plan for the Day School in February 2019. Jim Russell contributed reporting. NAPA, Calif., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- 2020 celebrates Luna's 25th anniversary when, in 1995, the winery was born at the foot of the Silverado Trail in the Napa Valley. Mike Moone founded Luna Vineyards in 1995 and, with an eye for innovation, set out to produce cherished Italian varietals like Pinot Grigio and Sangiovese. Luna Vineyards It comes as a surprise to many that Sangiovese is the grape used for the well-known Chianti, made in the Tuscany region of Italy. With the arriving wave of Italian immigrants in the late 19th to the early 20th century, producing Sangiovese in Napa Valley was common. As Cabernet Sauvignon became king, it soon replaced the Sangiovese varietal in the valley. Twenty-five years later, esteemed Chief Winemaker Shawna Miller and CEO Andre Crisp lead the winery with unique Sangiovese sourced from the best vineyard sites in Napa Valley, including Game Farm Vineyard in Oakville. In these shallow, rocky soils, the stressed vines produce superior-quality Sangiovese. Andre and Shawna are proud to be considered pioneers in Napa's resurgence of Sangiovese. They've declared 2020 the Year of Sangiovese and it is the centerpiece of their celebration planned for Aug. 22, 2020. "Reviving traditions, we aim to make wines that are fun and food-friendly, and nothing represents that better than a versatile Italian wine. Sangiovese goes with every occasion and nearly every food. That's why we are celebrating Luna's 25th anniversary with the Year of Sangiovese," says Shawna Miller. The Estate Sangiovese series includes the food-friendly Sangiovese Classico, single-vineyard Sangiovese Riserva with a satin finish, 100% Sangiovese Rose and Canto Super Tuscan blend. The Luna Vineyards Sangiovese series represents the heart of Luna Vineyards and its dedication to creating small-lot wines for a discerning connoisseur. The Estate series is available for purchase online or directly at the Luna Vineyards Lounge at 2921 Silverado Trail in Napa. President Andre Crisp continues to steer Luna's brand success, receiving recognition with its Black Label Estate series consistently picking up 90+ points media wins from James Suckling, Antonio Galloni, Decanter and Wine Spectator. 2020 also boasts another successful year of events and partnerships. On Feb. 19, Winemaker Shawna Miller will host a special dinner for wine club members. The spring also boasts a fruitful collaboration with BottleRock Napa Valley. Luna Vineyards is once again honored to be a featured winery at BottleRock 2020. With a superb lineup, Luna will be pouring award-winning Sangiovese. About Luna Vineyards: Luna Vineyards' pioneering roots began at its estate in Napa Valley 25 years ago. Luna celebrates its innovative vision today under the leadership of winery President Andre Crisp and award-winning Chief Winemaker Shawna Miller. Long known and loved as producers of Pinot Grigio, of which Robert Parker has said "There is no better Pinot Grigio being produced in the New World than Luna's," the Estate series reflects the diversity of Luna Vineyards wines. For more information, please visit www.lunavineyards.com. Press Contact: Nisha Singh Email: [email protected] Related Images luna-vineyards-25th-anniversary.png Luna Vineyards 25th Anniversary SOURCE Luna Vineyards Related Links http://www.lunavineyards.com Last year, in the middle of flu season, the Ontario government took away paid sick days and brought back sick notes. These two policies make it more likely that people with the flu and other respiratory infections will go to work or visit their doctor rather than stay home and recover. This year, as flu season coincides with the emergence of a new coronavirus, its time for Fords government to reverse course: bring back paid sick days, and get rid of sick notes. As former Ontario health minister Tony Clement admitted, Complacency about public health by successive governments including my own contributed to the challenge of containing SARS. This complacency continued creating the problem of hallway medicine that Doug Ford was elected to end. But instead, his government cut public health, putting disease prevention efforts in peril, cut paid sick days, meaning more workers in food services, child care and other high-risk workplaces are going to work sick. He also brought back bureaucratic sick notes so patients with the flu and other infections unnecessarily have to visit a doctor or emergency room. As front-line health providers we see the impact of these policies on a daily basis and for years have advocated for seven paid sick days and an end to sick notes so our patients can heed our advice and stay home when theyre sick. We were alarmed to hear the government justify cutting paid sick days by claiming they had created an explosion of a fake epidemic, the Super Bowl flu, implying that our patients dont need paid sick days for real illnesses and making light of serious public health concerns. Now, as we brace for coronavirus, we are reminded of the dangers of complacency. Fear of coronavirus is spreading faster than the virus itself causing unnecessary precautions, like wearing masks in public, or dangerous behaviours, like blaming Chinese Canadians. However, necessary precautions are out of reach for too many Canadians. As Dr. Eileen de Villa, medical officer of health for Toronto Public Health, explained, Our advice remains the same: if you are sick, stay home and get plenty of rest and fluids to let your body recover. Only seek medical attention if you are not getting better, or your condition is not improving. Weak labour protections make it difficult for patients to follow these basic recommendations. Aside from two paid sick days in Quebec, three in federally regulated sectors, and one (after five years of employment) in PEI, workers in the rest of the country are out of luck. Times of crisis or heightened anxiety whether its SARS, coronavirus or a bad flu season reveal the inadequacies of these protections for our public health. The World Health Organization echoes the call for paid sick leave to ensure ill workers dont have to decide between caring for their health or losing jobs and income. The Ontario Medical Association understands that requiring sick notes poses a significant public health risk because people who are contagious will inadvertently expose others to the virus while making the trip to the doctor or in waiting rooms. Its time for our labour laws to catch up to the medical evidence. In response to the coronavirus, Health Minister Christine Elliott stated that, I want Ontarians to know that their health and well-being is my top concern. The province is actively monitoring and is fully prepared to respond. But the fact is, our patients are not fully prepared to respond because their paid sick days were taken away from them. This could lead to harm, but like other medical errors it is preventable: bring back paid sick days, and get rid of sick notes. [February 06, 2020] Google.org invests $2.5M with NPower Canada to upskill youth for the future of work Tech giant makes philanthropic investment in Canada, to upskill young Canadians for transformative careers in tech TORONTO, Feb. 6, 2020 /CNW/ - Today NPower Canada and Google.org announced that they have partnered to upskill 1,700 low-income, diverse young adults for transformative careers in information technology. Through this effort Google.org is making a $2,500,000 CAD grant to support NPower Canada's work launching underserved young adults into meaningful and sustainable tech careers. "This partnership with Google is transformational for NPower Canada in that it allows us to provide vital in-demand skills and opportunities to more barriered youth across Canada," says NPower Canada CEO Julia Blackburn. "We will be better able to support youth to launch meaningful careers, while also helping to address the tech skills gap and provide companies with the junior-level IT talent they need." "We're investing directly in programs that support digital skills training for all Canadians," says Sabrina Geremia, VP of Google Canada. "We're excited to partner with NPower Canada, which has a strong track-record of supporting successful digital careers in IT, and meeting the ongoing demands of Canadian employers." NPower Canada will pilot, test and integrate the Google IT Support Professional Certificate and the GoogleIT Automation with Python Professional Certificate into its program offerings, providing scholarships, instructional support, and wraparound support for 1,700 learners. This enhancement to NPower Canada's curriculum further supports individuals in pre-employment programs with the certifications needed to secure their first IT jobs and will also upskill program alumni to advance in their tech careers. "Every sector of the Canadian economy is being re-shaped by technology and the nature of work is changing," says Stephen Gardiner , NPower Canada Board Chair. "This investment from Google positions NPower Canada to ensure young workers have the skills and mindset to participate and succeed in the digital economy." This grant also supports the expansion of NPower Canada's programs and impact to Halifax and Vancouver in 2021. Currently NPower Canada operates programs in the Greater Toronto Area and Calgary, delivering a sector-based workforce development program that directly places low-income young adults into meaningful employment by equipping them with the skills required for in-demand technology roles. While sector-based workforce development has emerged over the past 15 years as a leading evidence-based, outcome-focused approach to employing multi-barriered job seekers in the United States, this model is fairly new and remains rare in Canada. NPower Canada's unique approach to workforce development has seen 1,398 youth graduate from its programs in the last 5 years, with 80% of graduates securing junior-level IT employment within 6 months, often lifting themselves and their families out of poverty. NPower Canada NPower Canada is a charitable organization that launches underserved young adults into meaningful and sustainable careers in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) field. Through consultation with a wide range of employers , NPower Canada's comprehensive curriculum ensures participants are equipped with the in-demand technical and professional skills most sought after by industry. NPower Canada has grown from serving 87 low-income youth at one Toronto location during its first full year of operations in 2015 to an anticipated 1,010 low-income young adults in 2020 in the Greater Toronto Area and Calgary. To date, more than 80% of NPower Canada graduates have secured employment and/or enrolled in postsecondary education within 6 months of program completion. Also, 80% of alumni have remained employed at 12, 24 and 36 months post-graduation. Google.org Google.org, Google's philanthropy, supports nonprofits that address humanitarian issues and apply scalable, data-driven innovation to solving the world's biggest challenges. We accelerate their progress by connecting them with a unique blend of support that includes funding, products, and technical expertise from Google volunteers. We engage with these believers-turned-doers who make a significant impact on the communities they represent, and whose work has the potential to produce meaningful change. We want a world that works for everyoneand we believe technology and innovation can move the needle in four key areas: education, economic opportunity, inclusion and crisis response. SOURCE NPower Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Trumps acquittal is bad for many reasons. For one, it would have been fun seeing Pence try to figure out if he wants to call his wife first lady Mother or first Mother lady. But more importantly, now that his executive overreach has been sanctioned by the Senate, Trump is free to basically do anything. Trump is, in effect, a king. Not like King Arthur more like a Burger King. SAMANTHA BEE Even Senators who acknowledge that what Trump did was wrong were unwilling to do anything about it. By voting to acquit Donald Trump, the Senate has set a devastating precedent. Future presidents can solicit foreign interference in an election; they can investigate private citizens. There are no rules. Thats not America; that is Outback Steakhouse. SAMANTHA BEE The only lesson Trump ever learns is that he gets away with everything: multiple bankruptcies nothing. Multiple sexual assault accusations nothing. Hes in perfect health despite eating like a rat behind the Bobs Big Boy nothing! STEPHEN COLBERT Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 23:06:14|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi rejected Thursday the killing of anti-government demonstrators in Iraq's central and southern cities. In his address to Iraqi people, Allawi said that attacks, which caused casualties in several protests sites in the past two days, are "a dangerous indication of what is happening and what can happen." The situation is no longer acceptable, as such actions "put us in a critical situation, that we cannot continue with our mission (of forming government)," Allawi said. Allawi warned that "the priority of the next government is to conduct serious investigations on the violations against our sons," including the demonstrators and the security forces, and to "hold everyone behind such attacks accountable." Allawi's comment came as tensions run high in the southern provinces as anti-government protests turned violent after the followers of the prominent Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr attacked the demonstrators in several Iraqi cities, including the holy Shiite city of Najaf, some 160 km south of the capital Baghdad. On Wednesday, clashes between al-Sadr followers and demonstrators erupted when al-Sadr militiamen stormed al-Sadrain Square in Najaf and set fire to the sit-in tents, sparking clashes that resulted in the killing of up to eight protesters and the wounding of some 100 protesters and al-Sadr followers, according to latest police reports. Mass anti-government demonstrations have been continuing in Baghdad and other cities in central and southern Iraq since October of 2019, demanding comprehensive reform, fight against corruption, better public services and more jobs. A man who spent years fighting his extradition from Ireland to the US pleaded guilty today in a Maryland courtroom to operating a web hosting service that allowed users to anonymously access more than one million files of child pornography. Eric Eoin Marques (34), of Mountjoy Square, Dublin city, faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years after his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to advertise child pornography. A plea agreement will ask US District Judge Theodore Chuang to sentence Marques to 15 to 21 years in prison, but the judge is not bound by the recommendation. Marques can withdraw his guilty plea if the judge departs from that recommended range. US District Judge Theodore Chuang is scheduled to sentence Marques on May 11. A criminal complaint accused Marques of operating a web hosting service on the darknet that allowed thousands of users to view and share images of child pornography, including many depicting the rape and torture of infants. Marques, a dual citizen of Ireland and the US, has remained in custody since his August 2013 arrest in Dublin after an extradition request from the US. He was living in Ireland at the time of the alleged offences. The server that he allegedly used was in France. Marques was extradited from Ireland to Maryland last year. The plea agreement doesn't give him credit for the nearly six years he spent in custody in Ireland. The darknet is part of the internet but hosted within an encrypted network. It is accessible only through anonymity-providing tools, such as the Tor browser. The complaint said Marques was suspected of operating a free, anonymous web hosting service on a network allowing users to access websites without revealing their IP addresses. In July 2013, according to the complaint, FBI agents in Maryland connected to the network and accessed a child pornography bulletin board with more than 7,700 members and more than 22,000 posts. Agents downloaded more than one million files from another website on the network, nearly all of which depicted sexually explicit images of children, the complaint said. "Did you do the things the government said you did?" the judge asked Marques after a prosecutor read aloud a summary of the case against him. "Yes," Marques said. In a December 19 court filing, Marques defense attorneys said "perhaps the greatest overarching question" about the case is how federal investigators were able to pierce the Tor networks "veil of anonymity" and trace the IP address of the server to a web hosting company in Roubaix, France. "This anonymity is notoriously difficult for government investigators to penetrate," they wrote. Defense lawyers said they received an initial answer to that question earlier in December, when the government revealed "vague details" of how they discovered the IP address and location of the server. "It appears that this disclosure was delayed, in part, because the investigative techniques employed were, until recently, classified," defense lawyers wrote. One of Marques' attorneys, Brendan Hurson of the Office of the Federal Public Defender, said after Thursday's hearing that he could not elaborate on the government's disclosure. Marques was indicted in April 2019 in Greenbelt, Maryland, on four counts: conspiring to advertise child pornography, conspiring to distribute child pornography, advertising child pornography and distribution of child pornography. During a 2013 bail hearing for Marques in Dublin, FBI Special Agent Brooke Donahue described him as "the largest facilitator of child porn on the planet". Donahue also testified that Marques had been searching online for information about obtaining a Russian visa and citizenship. "He was trying to look for a place to reside to make it most difficult to be extradited to the United States," the FBI agent said. Irish authorities didn't charge him with any related crimes while he fought his extradition. "That decision was made notwithstanding that (Marques) had offered to plead guilty to at least some of the potential charges that might have been brought against him in Ireland," a justice on the Supreme Court of Ireland wrote in a March 2019 judgment rejecting his final appeal. Hurson said Marques has "zero ties" to the US and hopes to leave the country as soon as he completes his sentence. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has detected no new violations of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) by Iran since the Islamic Republics fifth stage of reducing its nuclear commitments under the deal, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said, Trend reports citing TASS. "After the fifth step, there hasnchr("39")t been any follow-up," he told the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, but admitted that "of course they continue to enrich." "I keep my eyes on whats going on Iran," the IAEA chief continued. "We obviously do not carry out our inspection activities mechanistically, so we listen to what is being said and we prepare ourselves for every possible circumstance." On January 5, Iran announced its steps for the fifth phase of reducing its obligations under JCPOA, signed in 2015. The fifth step of Tehran implies that it will not meet restrictions set by JCPOA on the number of centrifuges for uranium enrichment. On January 14, the UK, Germany and France announced the launch of a dispute resolution mechanism within the JCPOA claiming that Iran fails to adhere to its obligations under the deal. Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Monday that European nations have not yet triggered the mechanism. The future of the Iranian nuclear deal was called into question after the United States unilateral pullout on May 8, 2018 and Washingtons unilateral oil export sanctions against Tehran. Iran argues that all other participants, Europeans in the first place, ignore some of their own obligations in the economic sphere, thus making the deal in its current shape meaningless. Due to this, Iran began the process of stage-by-stage suspension of its commitments under the deal. The lower chamber of the National Assembly has accused neighbouring countries of fueling the high spate of insecurity in the country. This was made known by Babajide Benson, chairman house committee on defence while briefing newsmen on the report of the house investigation. We were to a large extent satisfied with what they said. Like I said, we are also going to table what they said before parliament. Read Also: APC Chieftain Murdered By Gunmen In Ibadan Military issues are not things we should discuss in public but they raised a lot of issues that we must all sit down as Nigerians and discuss. One of them is that, there is probably an international dimension to what we see. There is ISIS, there is ISWAP. These are things that we need to discuss in a very classified manner. But what we want Nigerians to know is that we are committed to them 100 percent, to see that we assist the military and the armed forces and ensuring that this matter is put to an end within the shortest possible time. Update: GPs across the country are being sent 3,000 protective equipment packs to prepare for a possible coronavirus outbreak here. The HSE has said there is no confirmed case in Ireland and people are extremely unlikely to catch the virus off another person here. It comes as a third person in the UK has been diagnosed with coronavirus. The patient, who did not contract the illness in the UK, has been taken a special infectious diseases centre. Earlier: Man in isolation amid coronavirus concerns at Cork University Hospital - reports A man at Cork University Hospital has been placed in isolation due to coronavirus concerns, according to reports. The Echo reports that an Irish man, mid-20s, presented at the CUH "with symptoms similar to those of the virus." The paper reports that following an assessment, fears were raised "that he could have coronavirus and he was placed in isolation". They say tests are ongoing. When contacted, the Department of Health said that to date "there are no confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Ireland." A department spokesperson added: "The Department does not comment on individual cases, other than confirmed cases. "Ireland is well positioned to detect and respond to a case of novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that might arise here. "The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) website is updated daily at 13.00 with the latest information about the novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)." The news comes as two Irish passengers Read More: They are among thousands of passengers who will be quarantined for two weeks on the Diamond Princess after 20 people tested positive for the infection. The Department of Foreign Affairs says it is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance. It was announced yesterday that Ireland is to Read More: The money has been allocated to the World Health Organisation (WHO) which is spearheading the international response. It will be used to support countries in preparing for and responding to the potentially deadly infection. Tanaiste Simon Coveney said: The rapid spread of the coronavirus concerns us all. Ireland sends its deepest sympathies to those who have been affected and salutes the work of the dedicated health service professionals who are assisting those communities most impacted. While the virus is currently concentrated in China, the WHO assesses that it may spread further and is a particular concern in regions where health systems could quickly be overwhelmed. It is vital to take early, co-ordinated action to prevent further spread of the virus. The Government is allocating 500,000 to the World Health Organisation to assist its vital work to help control the spread of the coronavirus. Yesterday, a person understood to be of Chinese origin, has been tested for Read More: It is understood he was placed in isolation as a precautionary measure. - with reporting by Press Association 29.15% efficiency is the new world record for a tandem solar element, developed by Lithuanian and German researchers; the material used to produce the record-breaking solar cell was developed at Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania 29.15 per cent efficiency is the new world record for a tandem solar element. The record-breaking solar cell made of the semiconductors perovskite and silicon was developed by Lithuanian and German researchers. This value has been officially certified by the CalLab of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems; the material used to produce the record-breaking solar cell was developed at Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania. Material, synthesised by Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), Lithuania scientists, which self-assemble to form a molecular-thick electrode layer, presents a facile way of realising highly efficient tandem solar cells. Developed monolayers can be called a perfect hole transporting material, as they are cheap, are formed by a scalable technique and are forming very good contact with perovskite material. The self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are as thin as 1-2 nm, covering all the surface; the molecules are deposited on the surface by dipping it into a diluted solution. The molecules are based on carbazole head groups with phosphonic acid anchoring groups and can form SAMs on various oxides. "Perovskite-based single-junction and tandem solar cells are the future of solar energy, as they are cheaper and potentially much more efficient. The limits of efficiency of currently commercially used silicon-based solar elements are saturating. Moreover, existing production capacities of silicon solar cells can be used", says Professor Vytautas Getautis, the head of the KTU research group behind the invention. By integrating a SAM-based perovskite solar cell into a tandem architecture, the cell, which converts 29.15 per cent of the incident light into electrical energy was produced. This means that the 30 per cent efficiency mark is now within reach. Using traditional technologies, 1 g of silicon (Si) is enough to produce only a couple of square centimetres of the solar element; however, 1 g of the material synthesised at KTU is enough to cover up to 1000 m2 of the surface. In addition, the self-assembling organic material synthesised at KTU is significantly cheaper than the alternatives used in photovoltaic elements currently. The team of KTU chemists has been studying the use of the self-assembling molecules in solar cells for a couple of years. The material, synthesised at KTU, was applied in the production of a functioning solar cell in collaboration with Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB), Germany and Centre for Physical Sciences and Technology (Lithuania) physicists. "The licence to produce the material synthesised at KTU laboratories was purchased by a Japanese company Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., LTD; one more Japanese company has shown interest in the product. This is already the second invention by this KTU research group, which has been licensed successfully", says KTU Intellectual Property Management Project Manager Greta Zekiene. The material called 2PACz and MeO-2PACz will soon appear in the market. This means that innovative technology using self-assembling compounds can be further researched in the best laboratories of the world and eventually find its way into the industry. ### Former Seat boss Luca de Meo is set to become the CEO of French car-maker Renault. Photo: Pierre Albouy/Reuters Luca de Meo, until recently the CEO of Volkswagen-owned SEAT (VOW.DE), is set to become the chief executive of Renault (RNO.PA). Reuters reports that the French automakers board is expected to meet and confirm de Meos nomination later today. Earlier this month Milan-born De Meo resigned from Seat, which had thrived under his leadership, increasing both sales and profitability. He joined the Volkswagen Group in 2009 from Fiat, and was the marketing head for the VW brand, before becoming the board member for sales and marketing at Audi. Renault will be hoping that its new CEO can draw a line under the Carlos Ghosn scandal as well as boosting the car-makers struggling sales. Ghosn, who helmed the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, was arrested on financial misconduct allegations in Japan in November 2018. He jumped bail whilst under house arrest in Tokyo in December 2019 and fled to Beirut, Lebanon. READ MORE: Carlos Ghosn rips into Nissan and Japan's legal system comparing his arrest to 'Pearl Harbor' In a press conference earlier this month, Ghosn, formerly one of the most powerful men in the industry, accused Nissan of plotting to oust him and of colluding with the Japanese prosecutor to have him imprisoned. Ghosn said the plot was linked to Nissans (NSANY) declining performance in 2017, which he blamed on former Nissan CEO Hiroto Saikawa. De Meo, 52, will have the challenging task of patching up the frayed 20-year relationship between Renault and Nissan, which has been teetering on the verge of collapse. Renault chairman Jean-Dominique Senard recently denied media reports that Nissan was looking to extricate itself from the cost-sharing partnership with Renault. Shares in both companies have plunged amidst declining sales and ongoing rumours of a split. British mercenary pilots helped Indian troops in their battle against the Liberation Tigers for Tamil Eelam rebels in Sri Lanka in the 1980s, a new book reveals for the first time. The Indian Peace Keeping Force received air support from these for-hire British pilots despite Indian diplomats publicly condemning the presence of UK mercenaries in Sri Lanka, according to the book, 'Keenie Meenie: The British Mercenaries Who Got Away With War Crimes', authored by UK-based investigative journalist Phil Miller. "Despite India publicly opposing the presence of British mercenaries in Sri Lanka, my research reveals that by 1987 the Indian military were using white pilots to provide air cover for their operations in Jaffna in what appears to have been a case of my enemy's enemy is my friend," said Miller. India's secret use of British mercenaries lasted for four months after the Indo-Lanka accord was signed between former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and then Sri Lankan president Junius Jayewardene in 1987. The book also traces the involvement of British mercenaries in atrocities against Tamil civilians that occurred prior to the arrival of the IPKF. 'Keenie Meenie', from the title of the book, is thought to be an Arabic slang for covert activities and was run by a retired colonel, Jim Johnson, a former Special Air Services commander who had conducted secret missions in Yemen and Oman. Johnson's counter-insurgency experience came to the attention of Jayewardene at the start of Sri Lanka's civil war in 1983, when the Anglophile leader was looking for British aid to defeat the Tamil Tigers. Britain refused to officially send troops to help Jayewardene, fearing it would have jeopardised "substantial commercial and defence" deals with India, who initially supported the Tamil separatists, notes the account. Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's personal envoy to Sri Lanka, Gopalaswami Parthasarathy, warned Britain's most senior diplomat Sir Antony Acland that "UK training of Sri Lankan security forces would not be helpful". Instead, declassified documents reveal, Britain allowed retired UK soldiers to work in Sri Lanka under the control of Keenie Meenie Services. Britain's high commissioner in Colombo, David Gladstone, noted in a telegram: "(Colonel) Johnson confirmed that KMS pilots were flying SLAF (Sri Lankan Air Force) helicopters in support of IPKF operations in the Jaffna peninsula until 27th November (1987), when the last pilot was withdrawn... IPKF will miss the support provided by their pilots." Gladstone added: "The Indians may after all come to regret the reduction in the KMS presence here. In the circumstances, it is not surprising we have heard no recent criticism from Indian sources of KMS activities." By 1985, Britain's Foreign Office believed that "only KMS pilots are currently capable of flying armed helicopter assault operations in Sri Lanka". Miller's book, published by Pluto Press and formally launched in London last week, cites declassified cables that show British diplomats expected there would be "very hard words from India" if a KMS pilot was shot down by the Tamil militants. India's then foreign secretary, Romesh Bhandari, described the situation in Sri Lanka as "genocide" and warned that the role of the British pilots was "unhelpful". However, India's attitudes gradually began to shift and the envoy to Colombo, Jyotindra Nath Dixit, said New Delhi had to publicly deplore the use of UK mercenaries in Sri Lanka but privately he accepted there was "a large pool of ex-military personnel" in Europe and North America who wanted to "market these skills" and if it was not KMS then it would be another "cowboy" outfit involved. The KMS came into being in the 1970s with battle-hardened British veterans and, according to the book based on previously classified accounts, were active in controversial operations around the world with the UK governments of the time unable to fully control them. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 21:56:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CHANGSHA, Feb. 6 (xinhua) -- The Remote Medical Center of the Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in Changsha, Hunan Province, recently received many text messages from community-level hospitals applying for remote consultation on pneumonia cases caused by the novel coronavirus. "Hello, this is Suining County People's Hospital. We have two patients waiting for remote consultation," one said last Friday. Upon hearing the news, Huang Yan, an infectious disease expert, rushed to the remote consultation center, and sat right before the remote consultation screen. "The patients are a couple from Suining County, and they are both infected with the novel coronavirus. The husband is in a serious condition," the local doctor explained on the other side of the screen. Huang also obtained the basic information of the two patients and their examination reports, and communicated with the doctor about further treatment. Huang offered guidance on the medication and treatment plans and helped to determine the severity of the disease. "I made a follow-up visit to the patients three days later, and the patients' conditions were stable," said Huang. Although the telemedicine center is not on the frontline of virus prevention and control, all department staff are ready for duty around the clock during the epidemic. The center also shares knowhow on epidemic prevention and control with other hospitals. Once an application is sent, the center will organize a consultation team of experts to guide the prevention, control and treatment. "Our experience and sources of information can guide doctors at the community level in diagnosis and treatment. Remote consultation is time-saving and efficient, giving patients timely help," Huang said. As a response to the ongoing epidemic, Hunan Provincial Health Commission has set up an emergency service platform for remote consultation across the province, connecting 28 provincial-level hospitals with 116 other hospitals designated for diagnosis and treatment of novel coronavirus. The platform has also been connected to the emergency video conference system of the provincial health commission. At present, more than 3,200 people from 260 health administration departments and medical institutions have received video training on the prevention and treatment of the novel coronavirus through the platform. A provincial-level senior medical expert group was organized to conduct remote consultation on 11 critically ill patients in other cities in Hunan. Recently, a number of hospitals nationwide have also launched free online consultation, so people can receive treatment at home, avoiding contagion. Since Feb. 3, Tang Haozheng, a graduate student at Renji Hospital in Shanghai, and more than 40 other doctors and over 100 postgraduate and doctoral students have formed an online consultation team, taking turns to answer public inquiries. After the consultation, the questions and answers are made public on the site, allowing users to view them and avoiding repeated questions. Since it was launched, the platform has been visited more than 15,000 times. Members of the Space Force helped track and detect the Iranian ballistic missiles that struck an Iraqi air base last month, the fledgling military services vice commander said today. Why it matters: The Pentagon could use the Space Forces early display of capabilities as a pitch to Middle East allies looking to join forces in future galactic fights. Were getting a lot of positive feedback, Shawn Barnes, the Pentagons acting assistant secretary for space acquisition, said in response to a question from Al-Monitor, adding that the United States had hosted a summit for allies last week. Last month, President Donald Trump credited US early warning systems with saving the lives of American troops at Ain Al-Asad air base, though blast waves from the strikes have led to mild traumatic brain injuries in 64 US troops. Whos on board: So far, the Pentagon has talked to the usual set of nations about the Space Force, Barnes said, such as allies in the South America, the Pacific, and NATO member states. But Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which received $8 billion worth of precision-guided munitions that depend on space-based guidance systems in a controversial sale last summer, may also have an interest in the future. Whats next: Before the Space Force gets going, it has to find the right name for the 6,000 airmen who will transfer into the service, and the Pentagon has enlisted the help of linguists at the Defense Language Institute. But it wont be spacemen, said Lt. Gen. David Thompson, the services vice commander. Know more: Check out Jack Detsch's story on how the Pentagon touted the Space Force as a boon to the US military's Mideast operations, and see a timeline of the Trump administration's evolving explanation of US injuries suffered in the Jan. 7 strikes. Trump and his allies have focused primarily on Bidens push to have Ukraines top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin, removed a position supported at the time by other Western leaders who said Shokin was not doing enough to root out corruption in Ukraine. The prosecutor had previously investigated Burisma, but the probe was dormant at the time, according to former Ukrainian and U.S. officials. A quaint village named Islak in Maharashtra has passed a resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) during a gram panchayat meeting. The village has a population of just about 2,000 people and interestingly, there's no Muslim resident. Mahadev Gawli, a villager, proposed the resolution during a meeting in the village. He told news agency ANI that they will launch a non-cooperation movement if the Centre refuses to roll back the new citizenship law and NRC. Twitter "Out of the 2000 people here, 45 per cent of people belong to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and downtrodden sections. They do not have documents to prove their citizenship. We have sent a dossier to the Centre suggesting to make changes in the new law. If not done, we will organise a non-cooperation movement from here," he said. Yogesh Gerange, a member of the Gram Panchayat, said, "The majority of the population here are tribals. They do not have caste certificates and are not able to get the benefits of the scheme launched by the government. They all have given assent on the resolution against CAA and NRC. These people will not be able to submit documents." The Madhya Pradesh cabinet yesterday passed a resolution against CAA in a meeting chaired by chief minister Kamal Nath. Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan and West Bengal have already passed resolutions demanding scrapping of CAA. bccl Protests broke out in several places across the country against the Citizenship Act and NRC last year. At Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi, protests have been ongoing since December 15 due to which Kalindi Kunj road has been shut for traffic movement. 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. The former owner of a Gloucester County industrial business was sentenced Wednesday in federal court in Camden to 30 days in prison for illegally storing hazardous waste that required a $4.2 million clean-up by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said. Thomas Toy, 75 of Elmer, Salem County, must also serve 30 days of home confinement after he is released as part of his sentence, Carpenito said in a news release. Toy previously had pleaded guilty to one count of storing hazardous waste. Toy was the owner of Superior Barrel and Drum Company, Inc., which cleaned and refurbished storage drums to be resold and operated a facility in Glassboro. From Sept. 27, 2013, to Sept. 25, 2014, the EPA conducted a clean-up operation that removed approximately 1,800 containers of waste, much of which was hazardous. Toys company did not have a permit to store hazardous waste, Carpenito said. As part of his sentence, Toy must pay $4.2 million in restitution, Carpenito said. Venezuela's government on Wednesday accused US President Donald Trump of "violent threats" after he said socialist leader Nicolas Maduro's regime would be "smashed and broken" during his annual address to Congress. "Trump offends and disrespects the Venezuelan people by proffering violent threats against its integrity and against the constitutional, legitimate and democratic government of President Nicolas Maduro," Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told reporters. Trump was to meet later in the day at the White House with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who was the White House's guest at the president's State of the Union address to the US Congress Tuesday night. Guaido was given a standing ovation by both Republican and Democrat lawmakers on Tuesday as Trump called him the "legitimate president of Venezuela." Guaido, 36, sprung to prominence a year ago when he declared himself acting president in a challenge to Maduro's authority. He was quickly recognized by more than 50 countries, including the United States. "Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, a tyrant who brutalizes his people," Trump said in his address. "But Maduro's grip of tyranny will be smashed and broken." Arreaza, who read out a government statement, accused the US of "meddling" and described it as an "agonizing effort to revive the already failed strategy to change the government by force." Last year, the Trump administration repeatedly insinuated it was prepared to use military intervention to remove Maduro from office, without ever backing up it's claims that "all options are on the table." The Venezuelan government statement also hit out at the "shameful complicity of those dedicated to selling their homeland for humiliating crumbs tossed to them by their boss, Mr Trump." Guaido had gained some momentum over the first half of last year, generating widespread support in street protests and finding clever ways to defy Maduro's authority. But his efforts fizzed out over the second half of the year as his popularity fell dramatically. This year he's also had to deal with a challenge to his leadership of the legislature by a Maduro-backed rival. An official with the Department of Homeland Security, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details of the plan, said late Wednesday that the move would affect the approximately 150,000 New York state residents who apply to the traveler programs each year. Travelers currently enrolled in Global Entry and programs such as SENTRI and NEXUS would not lose their status, but they will not be able to renew. Australian shares continued to gain on Thursday, brushing aside ongoing uncertainty surrounding Chinas coronavirus crisis to close at fresh two-week highs. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 rallied 73.1 points, or 1.1 per cent, to 7049.2, finishing just below its highs for the session. It now sits just 1.3 per cent below the record high it hit in January. The ASX now sits just 1.3pc below the record high it hit in January. Credit:James Alcock Following big gains on Wall Street, sparked by strong economic data and hopes for a quick turnaround in finding a treatment for the coronavirus, local shares opened higher and kept on going, boosted in the latter parts of the session by news China will lower tariff rates on $US75 billion ($110 billion) worth of US imports on February 14, providing investors with an early Valentines Day present. "Any news along these lines is good news," Robert Rennie, head of financial markets strategy at Westpac Bank told Reuters. "It adds to the sense that there's a number of policies, both domestically and globally, which could help to mitigate the impact of coronavirus." Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has become a financial juggernaut in the Democratic presidential race, raised $25 million in January, a massive sum that he is using to expand investments in staff and television advertising in key states. The Sanders campaign said Thursday that it will spend more than $5.5 million in television and digital commercials across eight new states, and it will increase its advertising California and Texas, which vote on March 3. The campaign is also increasing staff in other states voting that day, known as Super Tuesday. In releasing the numbers, Sanders, I-Vt., was signaling that he will have the resources to stay in the race for the long haul. His news came as the campaigns of former vice president Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., sought to recalibrate after disappointing showings in Iowa. Warren has pulled some TV ads buys and Biden has reshuffled some staff. The month of January, when Sanders began to surge in the polls, was the campaign's best fundraising month, it said. More than 648,000 people gave to Sanders - including 219,000 new donors. "Working class Americans giving $18 at a time are putting our campaign in a strong position to compete in states all over the map," said Sanders campaign manager Faiz Shakir in a statement. The announcement came five days before the primary in New Hampshire, where polls have shown Sanders is in strong position to win. In Iowa, state party officials are still tabulating totals from Monday's caucuses. With 96% of precincts counted, Sanders led in the popular vote, but narrowly trailed former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg among the percentage of delegates earned. The new $5.5 million investment will go toward ads in Arkansas, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah. South Carolina votes on Feb. 29. The rest of the states vote on March 3, when more than a dozen states will hold nominating contests. Sanders is adding to $2.5 million in ads his campaign had previously reserved that were slated to run in California and Texas, two of the largest Super Tuesday states. Sanders' big month brings his total raised this election cycle to $121.3 million - putting him ahead of any candidate other than the two billionaires self-funding their campaigns, former New York mayor Mike Bloomberg and activist Tom Steyer. At this point in the 2016 presidential contest, Sanders had raised $96.3 million. Sanders' total is by far the highest any candidate has reported so far, and it is likely to remain in the lead. Former vice president Joe Biden recently announced to donors that he had the "strongest month of fund-raising since launch," which placed his January haul at likely just under $10 million. Businessman Andrew Yang announced raising $6.7 million. The results from Monday night's caucuses in Iowa are likely to boost Sanders's fundraising even further, along with that of Buttigieg, who has also been a formidable fundraiser by tapping powerful networks of wealthy patrons. Meanwhile, Warren, who failed to generate a fundraising bump after the Iowa results started coming in, said she is trying to conserve cash. Since Tuesday, her campaign has pulled nearly $500,000 worth of ads from Nevada and South Carolina, two states that vote this month. Sanders had the most cash in his campaign account entering January - a big advantage as the primaries are set to become even more expensive. By the time Super Tuesday comes around, the surviving candidates are likely to face Bloomberg, who has already spent $250 million of his own money on ads since entering the race in late November. He recently ordered his aides to double his spending after the mishaps in reporting of the Iowa caucus results. Sanders entered January with $18.2 million in cash on hand, more than other top-polling candidates. Buttigieg had $14.5 million; Warren had $13.7 million; and Biden had $9 million, according to federal filings of the figures as of Dec. 31. New numbers that will be released on Feb. 20 will show how the candidates fared during the month of January. Sanders was the standout Democratic fundraiser in 2019, generating 1.4 million donors from across the country. Among presidential hopefuls, he has built the most loyal and diverse base of donors, with people often donating in small increments. He also has one of the most diverse bases as well, according to a Washington Post analysis. - - - Lee reported from Concord, New Hampshire. Employees at San Franciscos world-renowned Tartine Bakery announced their intent to unionize Thursday morning, a move that is extremely rare in the restaurant industry. They want better pay and a voice in a company that they say is becoming increasingly corporate. Though Tartine began as a standalone bakery in the Mission District in 2002, it now has 10 cafes and restaurants across the Bay Area, Los Angeles and South Korea and recently moved its headquarters to Los Angeles. With so much growth, Tartine Bakery barista Pat Thomas said he wishes there was more opportunity for employees at established locations. If you want to pursue baking as a career, youd like to think Tartine would be the place to end up, he said. But a lot of people treat it as a steppingstone, a resume builder, because working there is not sustainable. Thats why he and Tartine employees at four Bay Area locations the original Tartine Bakery, Tartine Manufactory, Tartine in the Inner Sunset and Tartine in Berkeley began organizing 10 months ago to join the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, the same union that Anchor Brewing workers joined last year. There are more than 200 employees at the four locations, who if Tartine management declines to quickly recognize the union intend to hold an election in four to six weeks. Tartine management did not respond to requests for comment. The efforts at Tartine are very uncommon: Only 1.3% of the 12 million people who work in American restaurants are union members, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Workers believe this is the first unionization effort at a major San Francisco restaurant in decades, though the city used to be a hot spot for restaurant unions. Successful recent strikes from Oakland teachers and San Francisco hotel workers have brought more attention to unions, said Ken Jacobs, chair of the UC Berkeley Labor Center. At the same time, inequality and labor have been dominating the political conversation in California. Youve got high cost of living here and a fairly tight labor market, which potentially gives workers some bargaining power, Jacobs said. These are definitely strong conditions for worker organizing. The unionization at San Franciscos Anchor Brewing Co. last year inspired Tartine employees to try organizing themselves. Anchor was purchased by Tokyos Sapporo Holdings in 2017, driving concerns about corporatization among Anchor employees. Since opening almost two decades ago on Guerrero Street, the original Tartine Bakery has earned international acclaim and a James Beard Foundation Award that named owners Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson the best pastry chefs in the country. The lines outside the Mission District bakery havent ceased. Expansion efforts went into overdrive after Tartines ambitious, multifaceted San Francisco restaurant Tartine Manufactory opened in 2016. There are now five locations in the Bay Area, four in South Korea and one in Los Angeles, with spaces secured for two more. Theres also a coffee roasting business, Coffee Manufactory, based in Oakland. In Southern California, a wholesale operation supplies Los Angeles Whole Foods stores its what remains of Tartines mammoth, 40,000-square-foot restaurant complex in downtown Los Angeles that closed in December after less than a year. Workers pointed to the hiring of a Los Angeles team of executives as a sign of Tartines evolution into a global brand. Those executives include Chief Operating Officer Christopher Jordan, who hails from Starbucks and Verve Coffee Roasters, and managing partner Bill Chait, who has operated dozens of restaurants in Los Angeles. The soul of the neighborhood bakery doesnt exist as much anymore, said Tartine Manufactory barista Emily Haddad. Its really losing its San Francisco homegrown vibe. Justin Phillips / The Chronicle 2019 While workers wouldnt divulge exactly how many support joining a union, they said they have a clear majority. Agustin Ramirez, an organizer with ILWU, said the union recommends getting at least 70% of workers on board before declaring their intent to unionize to ensure they have the votes should Tartine management decline to recognize the union effort. If thats the case, workers plan to file for an election with the National Labor Relations Board on Friday. In four to six weeks, each individual Tartine location would then hold an election. If a majority of workers vote to join, then theyll elect a bargaining committee to negotiate a contract with Tartine. The employees at Tartine Manufactory at SFO are already unionized with other airport workers. The Chronicle interviewed seven Tartine workers who support unionization. They were hesitant to say exactly what they want in a new contract before a bargaining committee forms, but they all agreed on fighting for what they consider to be a living wage. They said most Tartine employees earn minimum wage $15 in San Francisco which results in some commuting to the city from as far as Stockton because they cant afford to live closer. Others have second jobs, or even third jobs. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. In San Francisco, many of us are one or two missed paychecks away from being homeless, Haddad said. You should be able to work at a restaurant as established as Tartine and have that be your only job. Workers also discussed wanting job security, transparency, paid vacation time and more predictable schedules, plus a structured performance review process with the potential for raises. Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle 2016 Though union restaurants are rare today, if Tartine workers organized, it would mark a new chapter in a long history of unionized independent restaurants in San Francisco. In the 1980s, there were more than 70 in the city, according to Jacobs. But the restaurant and hotel workers union that represented them now known as Local 2 lost a key battle over wages after a long strike. That led to some restaurants leaving the union and leaders deciding to focus on hotels. The small number of union restaurants that are not in hotels are really legacies from another time, Jacobs said, citing Johns Grill, Scomas Restaurant and Tommys Joynt as a few of San Franciscos last remaining examples. While there seems to be rising interest in unions, that doesnt necessarily result in more actual unionizing, said Teofilo Reyes, research director at restaurant worker advocacy nonprofit Restaurant Opportunities Centers United. The restaurant industry is a particularly challenging place to pull it off because of the high turnover rate. The day-to-day environment also involves a lot of interaction between management and workers, which means there are many opportunities for an employer to spread an anti-union message, Reyes said. Thats what happened at New Orleans wine bar Bacchanal. Workers there organized as far as Tartines have so far a majority signed a letter announcing their intent to join a union. But, according to news reports, restaurant management strategically dissuaded employees, who ultimately called off the election. In order for restaurant workers to want to unionize, theyd have to see some high-profile successful unionization efforts, Reyes said. And thats something you never really see. The employees at Tartine hope to reverse the trend and spark change at other Bay Area restaurants. People who work in the service industry should be recognized as serious workers, said Regen Williams, lead pastry cook at Tartine in the Sunset. We deserve as many rights as any tech worker. Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker Nobody can pretend to be especially surprised about the acquittal of Donald J Trump today. If you didnt know Republican Senators were planning to stand by their favorite screaming yam by Tuesday, you certainly knew after his MAGA rally-style State of the Union speech, where the number of alternative facts was about equal to the number of standing ovations. Those shiny, happy faces told us we werent going to see an unexpected Republican rebellion in the Senate on Wednesday night. So we didnt hold out any hope. What unexpected joy, then, when Senator Mitt Romney voted guilty. It was like a little slant of light penetrating a room we all thought had been cast into perpetual darkness long ago. And what unexpected horror for the president, who had clearly been intending to claim TOTAL EXONERATION once again. Almost total exoneration except for the Senator for Utah doesnt really have the same ring to it. Of course, he will be punished. He has already ruined the 12pm VICTORY speech about the IMPEACHMENT HOAX promised by Trump on Twitter almost as soon as news of the acquittal dropped. At the same time as the president announced his upcoming speech, Donald Trump Jr was retweeting insults from right-wingers about Romney calling him a useful idiot for the left, a man of gross ambition and forever bitter accompanied by the hashtag #ExpelMitt. The idea that Mitt should be TOTALLY EXONERATED from the Republican Party is now being touted across the internet by people who understood what democracy meant when they were talking about protecting Trump voters in the 2016 election but then conveniently forgot again when one of their own refused to vote with the pack. Should we be congratulating Romney for taking a principled stand? Well, yes and no. He did the right thing, even though he knew there was very little to gain. He did it publicly, and he did it even though he will undoubtedly face severe consequences if Trump wins again in the November election. He knew he was alone. Perhaps he tried to sound others out and they refused to stand with him. He did it after others we thought might cast a guilty vote folded. Romney never wanted Trump to be president. He opposed him in 2016, and perhaps theres even truth in Don Jrs tweet about him being forever bitter about not getting the presidency. He was certainly more qualified to do it. You can see why he might have considered he could do a better job. Mitt Romney to break from Republicans and vote to convict Trump on impeachment But Romney is no liberal hero. He has flip-flopped on abortion many times, at one point describing himself as dedicated to a womans right to choose and at another (and more recently) saying that he would like to see Roe v Wade overturned. He doesnt seem to know whether he believes humans can cause climate change like his stance on abortion, he seems to have gone backwards on the issue. He once thought illegal immigrants should have a path to citizenship, and then apparently he didnt. And when he once seemed comfortable to challenge the NRA, he later solicited their endorsement. So, how do liberals react now he has done something we can all agree with? Do we recognize the risk he took and celebrate him for it? Do we read it as a calculated move by a man who believes Trump is headed for a loss in a few months time? Or do we shake our heads and refuse to give a standing ovation to a single Republican for doing the absolute bare minimum that decency dictates? Like Mitt Romney contemplating whether I deserve bodily autonomy as a woman, Im just not sure. And I dont know whether Im ready even in these dark, dark times to make a dyed-in-the-wool conservative with questionable views on everything except Donald Trump my hero. BJP leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday visited the hospital, where the woman lecturer set ablaze by a stalker in Wardha district has been admitted, and enquired about her condition. Fadnavis visited Orange City Hospital& Research Centre in the city, where the 25-year-old woman is undergoing treatment, in the evening and also met her relatives. The Leader of Opposition in the assembly spoke to doctors treating the victim and enquired about her condition. The woman, Ankita Pisudde (25), a resident of Hinganghat in adjoining Wardha district, was allegedly set ablaze by one Vikesh Nagrale (27) on Monday while she on way to her college. Pisudde suffered 40 per cent burns. In a medical bulletin issued earlier in the day, the hospital said her condition remains critical. Fadnavis demanded that the case be tried in a fast- track court to ensure speedy justice to the victim. "The relatives of the victim want speedy justice and strict punishment to the accused. Our demand is that the state government designate a fast-track court to try the case. "There is a need to create fear of law among people looking at the increasing number of such incidents in Maharashtra. We will give all support to the government on this issue," said Fadnavis. Meanwhile, leading city-based lawyer Prashant Kumar Sathianathan said on Thursday he has been approached by the Wardha police to become the special public prosecutor in the Hinganghat case. He said the Wardha superintendent of police had sought his consent for the assignment and he has given the same. However, no official letter has been issued to him so far by the government, Sathianathan said. Sathianathan was the public prosecutor in the case against former Delhi university professor G N Saibaba, who is serving a life sentence for his links with Naxals. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Republican member of Congress sits with a copy of Ann Coulter's book "Resistance Is Futile!: How the Trump-Hating Left Lost Its Collective Mind," before President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington. AP photo Years from now, will you remember where you were and what you were doing when President Donald Trump was impeached? Have you forgotten already? The country has been on a constitutional bullet train that took off with a whistleblowers highly detailed account of wrongdoing, roared ahead through a cascade of tweets and lurched to a halt after more than four months of inquiry, angst and debate with Trumps acquittal Wednesday. So can you point to Ukraine on a map? American children learn almost by rote that impeachment is a gravely serious proposition, the constitutional means for removing a president from office who commits high crimes and misdemeanors. The words of founders like Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and George Mason are invoked from more than two centuries ago to remind everyone why they thought the federal government needed to have a means to undo an election. Long before anyone split an atom, the founders created the political equivalent of a nuclear weapon, with the fate of the nation in the balance. This time, it just didnt feel like it. We were witness to history in a way few generations have been. But it was a chapter of history laced with artifice. The roughly half of the country that wanted Trump to be impeached and begone knew his acquittal was all but preordained in the Republican-controlled Senate. Just as Trump loyalists thought the matter was a hoax inflicted by the Democratic-controlled House. The Senate impeachment trial delivered eloquence without persuasiveness, a mystery without suspense. It delivered argument without the anguish that accompanied the other impeachment episodes in anyones lifetime today. In the past they wept. In 1974, Republican Rep. M. Caldwell Butler of Virginia wept after he cast a committee vote to impeach fellow Republican Richard Nixon. For years we Republicans have campaigned against corruption and misconduct, he said. But Watergate is our shame. A quarter century later, California Republican Rep. Tom Campbell verged on tears from the weight of the moment when he announced in favor of Clintons impeachment in a near whisper. As partisan and poisonous as that era was, too, Democrats gave their president a tongue-lashing to remember before saving his presidency. Hes not the best Democrat any of us have seen, snapped Rep. Louise Slaughter of New York. Trump commanded fealty from his party like others also stained by impeachment or its threat never did. Only one in Congress broke with the president, and for him the anguish was plain on his face and in his voice. The president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney said on the Senate floor as he explained why he would vote for conviction. The founders were never big on specifics. In essence, they told the House to handle impeachment and the Senate to manage conviction or acquittal as each chamber sees fit. Their atomic bomb from the ages came without a detailed instruction manual or FAQ. As the Senate sat as both judge and jury to assess the impeachment charges against Trump -- for only the third time in history and the first time for a president seeking reelection the limits of the proceedings for addressing misconduct were clear and the artifice became ever more apparent. It was a trial in name only. Senators on both sides openly prejudged the case. Questions were not spontaneous. The lawyers knew them in advance and were prepared with answers that even included slideshows. The senators, muzzled in the chamber for much of the time, rushed to TV cameras to deliver their opinions on what they had just heard, unlike a jury that would be sequestered and forbidden to discuss the case. New facts or documents were not introduced into evidence. No witnesses were called, unlike in the Andrew Johnson and Clinton impeachment trials. Questions of fact and law were put to the prosecutors and defense lawyers, who gave self-serving answers, rather than to the person in the room most suited to the task, Chief Justice John Roberts. Roberts had only limited say in the proceedings substantive matters and little appetite for more, in deference to the elected representatives. Though not a supplicant, he was more of a moderator than a jurist. The president chose his lawyers in part for how he thought they would look on television, an acknowledgment that the audience that mattered to him his base was outside the room. There was ringing rhetoric about the meaning of words on sepia-toned parchment from the 1700s and in 2019 text messages from the smartphones of all the presidents men. The Federalist Papers and the contemporary record of a president pressing another country for a political favor were all part of this continuum. Yet those arguments were in the realm of theater rather than of justice. In the parlance of Washington and these times, everyone was playing a role. With Alexander Hamilton taking a star turn again, like on Broadway. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 19:20:44|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The 36th ordinary session of the African Union (AU) Executive Council, which comprises ministers of the 55-member pan-African bloc, opened on Thursday in the framework of the 33rd AU summit at the AU headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. In the two-day session, the AU Executive Council is expected to consider the draft agenda and the draft decisions and declarations of the assembly with appropriate recommendations for consideration by the AU heads of states, whose session is scheduled to take place from 9 to 10 Feb. The AU summit is held under the theme of the year 2020, "Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa's Development." As a flagship project of Agenda 2063, a blueprint for prosperous and peaceful Africa by 2063, "Silencing the guns by 2020" was adopted by the AU heads of state during the 50th anniversary of the then Organization for African Union (OAU) now African Union (AU) in 2013. Conflict is one of the biggest challenges for the implementation of Agenda 2063, and with the vision of "Silencing the Guns," it was aimed to end all wars, civil conflicts, gender-based violence, violent conflicts and preventing genocide in the continent by 2020. Reiterating that conflicts are still challenges on the continent, the Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, underlined on the need to build peace through implementation of innovative way, such as development and solidarity. The Chairperson has noted that post-election disputes are also still great concern, despite organization of fair and free elections in Africa. He has urged efforts that look into the root causes of conflicts and moves that may affect the peace and stability, and also to take other innovative measures, rather than tending to military solution. "We need to build peace in a different manner by implementing innovative solutions which confer a degree of relativity to military solution by offsetting them with measures from other areas, particularly development and all in solidarity. And I want to stress solidarity," the Chairperson has noted. Expressing concern over post-election disputes in Africa, Mahamat said that "post-electoral dispute burdened political and social climate." "The year 2020 will be in a number of partnership meetings at summit level. But, beyond the material organization of these meetings the problem of, the assessment of the content, the definition the strategic vision participation requires the attention of your council," he said, adding that "a clear orientation on the matter is necessary in order to enable the commission and member states speak in one voice a guarantee for credibility." In her opening remarks, the Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Vera Songwe, has expressed concern over the escalations of armed conflicts at its highest in the last two decades. Noting that the number of countries in conflict also alarmingly high, and the number of armed conflicts has escalated from 7 to 21 in 2005 to 2018, the Executive Secretary underlined on the need to raise the clarion call for the voiceless, for those maimed by the tools of war. "Compared to 2005 when there were only six countries in active conflict on the continent and 7 armed conflicts, 15 years later and 10 years after the Union declared the need to silence the guns we have outperformed ourselves for the worse. The number of countries with armed conflicts has risen to 17. So, an over three-fold increase. From 6 to 7, that is almost 300 percent increase," Songwe has noted. Egypt has been serving the rotating chairmanship of the African Union (AU) since last year, and speaking at the opening of the AU Executive Council session, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, emphasized on the need to further consolidate efforts for Africa's presence in the international arena. "I would like also to insist on the importance of coordinating on the position of African member states on the international arenas, especially when it comes to international candidatures in the UN," he said. "We have managed to succeed in imposing our position for some, for many years and now we need to continue to preserve our achievements and to consolidate our position in our presence in the international arena. And this will only be done through the enhancement of our coordination and our common position," the minister added. Selbyville, Delaware, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global Market Insights, Inc. announces the launch of GMIPulse, an interactive database for market research reports that offer industry research data in an easy-to-use, yet comprehensively dynamic manner. GMIPulse is a business analytics platform designed to provide a 360-degree view to clients across the industry value chain. We pride ourselves in being a customer first organization, said George Taube, President of Global Market Insights, Inc. The platform will allow customers to view data in a real time format which will enable business managers and stakeholders to make informed and rapid decisions. GMIPulse contains reports across domains and industries which include aerospace & defense, automotive & transportation, chemicals, materials & food, energy & power, electronics, next-gen technologies, healthcare and HVAC as well as other industries. In addition to market sizing, the research reports encompass comprehensive analysis and information on competitive landscape, consumer buying behavior, and technology evolution to name a few. GMIPulses rich repository of research reports, helps clients meet the informational requirements of companies across a host of industries. Global Market Insights, Inc. understands that businesses are evolving and becoming increasingly multi-faceted and markets are becoming more complex. GMIPulse, our business analytics platform, provides a highly interactive dashboard which allows the user to be in the drivers seat. Clients can drill down to their focus area(s) and obtain custom views based on their business needs and informational requirements. Some of the key features of the database include: Over 1,500 market research reports in multiple formats (PDF, Excel, PPT) Over 20,000 company profiles Global, as well as regional, country-level, and product-level reports Dedicated account management, custom data and analyst support Latest press releases by Global Market Insights, Inc. Global Market Insights Inc. will provide a 7 (seven) day free trial which allows users to evaluate the platform before making a purchase decision. Purchase options will include a range of options, from a single study and extend to the entire database of reports which are released in the future and can be available on GMIPulse. Explore More: About GMI Pulse: https://www.gminsights.com/gmipulse Get 7 Days Free Trial: https://www.gminsights.com/gmipulse#trial About Global Market Insights Inc.: Global Market Insights Inc. is a global market research and management consulting company catering to leading and multi-national corporations, non-profit organizations, universities and government institutions. Global Market Insights Inc.s main goal is to assist and partner with organizations to provide clients with strategic information to assist managers and stakeholders in the decision-making process. Global Market Insights, Inc. industry research reports are designed to provide quantitative information combined with key industry insights. GMIPulse, our business analytics platform offers an online, interactive option of exploring our proprietary industry research data in an easy-to-use and dynamic manner. 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 Todays consumers live in a digital world, which means they can retrieve all the information they desire at the touch of a button, putting them in control. Added to this, they have become immune to traditional outbound marketing methods such as billboards and television advertisements and they expect brands and businesses to tailor their messages based on customers individual needs and preferences. Despite the new lay of the land, e-commerce businesses can create content marketing strategies that cut through the noise and help push prospects down sales funnels. Content marketing gets three times more leads than paid search advertising, according to the Content Marketing Institute (CMI). It costs 62 percent less than traditional marketing, Demand Metric has found. Thats impressive, but can you confidently say you fully understand how it works? Defining the Term CMI defines content marketing as a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content, in order to attract and retain a clearly defined audience and, ultimately, drive profitable customer action. I like to boil it down to communicating the right message, to the right audience, on the right channels, at the right time. If you follow this approach, your content efforts will reach your desired audience, and the information you push out will be timely, topical, and of high value. That in turn will position your business as trustworthy, insightful and authoritative. What Makes Content Marketing Better? Traditional marketing refers to outbound marketing, which is perceived as the old way of doing things that is, targeting a mass audience through tactics such as television advertising, billboard advertising and cold calling. While this will get your message and brand in front of a lot of people, the right people may not see it. There is a lot of this sort of advertising around, and consumers have become immune to it. Research backs this up. Cold calling is 90.9 percent ineffective, found the Harvard Business Review. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Eighty-four percent of us fast-forward through television ads, suggests an Arris poll. In comparison, content marketing focuses on businesses generating valuable, insightful content and making it readily available to target customers. Its less intrusive when compared to outbound marketing, as it requires the customer to come to your business, through search online and social media channels. Developing Your Strategy To develop a successful content marketing strategy that actually works, you need to go back to basics. You already may be blogging, or vlogging, but without a thorough understanding of your audience and pain points, your efforts will be wasted. To help you map out and work from a sophisticated strategy, Id recommend taking the following four steps: 1. Identify Start by conducting in-depth research into your audience, your business and your offering. Uncover what your audiences challenges are and what theyre trying to achieve, so that you can create content that provides the answers to their questions. Next, delve into your customers content consumption habits. Consider how they find information and what types of content formats they prefer. This could be online, on social media channels, or offline through different publications, news outlets or magazines. If they prefer online content, how do they wish to receive it? One type of content that is making waves online is video. Its been a key trend this year and its growth is expected to continue into 2020. Seventy-two percent of participants in a Wyzowl study preferred to view a video over text when learning about a product or service. Seventy-three percent of marketers surveyed by TopRankBlog were using YouTube to distribute content. Another key aspect to research is what your competitors are doing and whats trending in your wider industry. This will help you identify the hot topics that everyone seems to be talking about and engaging with, and youll be able to share your viewpoint on these topics to add to the conversation. 2. Plan Once youve conducted your research, its time to create your plan of action. I recommend creating a plan for three to six months, as this will give you enough time to run a campaign effectively and produce enough content to identify the top-performing pieces of content. So, what should you include in your plan? Objectives Its essential to include your objectives for your activity in your plan, as this will help focus your efforts on your end game. You can break down your objectives for individual pieces of content. For example, one piece of content may be intended to drive brand awareness, while another may be specifically to encourage people to click through to your website. Audience If you have multiple audience types, its useful to create specific content for the different types of audiences youre trying to engage, as each audience type will have different problems. By breaking down pieces of content based on audience type, youll establish if you have produced the right amount of content for each group. Monthly theme Something I use myself in content marketing plans is a monthly theme and topic. Themes can be based on industry trends, seasonal influences, or be broken down by audience problems. They should function as the umbrella for the rest of the content you produce that month. For example, a monthly theme could be data and it could be broken down into smaller sub topics throughout the month such as data storage, data cleansing, data capture, etc. Content amount Once youve decided on your monthly theme, youll need to decide how much content youll produce for the month. Its useful to begin with your pillar theme and then support it with smaller pieces of cluster content. This way youll be able to maximize your content production efforts and break down the larger piece of content into smaller, bite-sized chunks. Content formats Finally, youll need to decide the content formats youll produce. Depending on your audience preferences, you can create a wide variety of content formats, which will keep your audience engaged. You can pick from guides, blogs, vlogs, social media postcards, infographics, templates, checklists, quizzes, case studies, reports, webinars, polls and podcasts. Creating a wide variety of content types for your website will help it appeal to Google search algorithms and social media algorithms. New, varied content is favored, meaning itll be pushed up in search rankings and social media feeds. 3. Amplify Once youve planned all your activity, its time to begin producing your content and pushing it out. Ensure your content features a mix of promotion along with information and knowledge, to teach your audience something they may not already know, adding value. This mixed approach also will help to position your business as a thought leader, and will enable you to build credibility and gain trust from your prospective customers. Relating back to your initial research, youll then need to push your finished content items on the channels that your audiences use the most. This could be social media, email, specific publications or direct mail. By utilizing several amplification channels, youll create multiple touch points with your audience, which will help keep your brand at the front of your prospects minds. If youre using online digital channels to push your content, remember to use keywords and hashtags where you can. By using the same keywords your audiences are using to search for information, youll appear toward the top of search rankings. That will improve the likelihood of your content being seen by your desired audience. Hashtags work in a way thats similar to keywords, in that they categorize content based on searches. On channels such as Twitter and LinkedIn, adding three hashtags hits the sweet spot, whereas, on Instagram you can use significantly more. 4. Review and Refine You must monitor performance after you set your content live and look back at your efforts to see whats working and what isnt. Look at how your content is performing on social media. Whats achieving the highest levels of interaction, and what does your audience like the most? Review your Google analytics to identify where traffic is coming from, and what website visitors are doing when they land on your homepage. Is there a specific blog that people are visiting the most? By reviewing how people are engaging with your content, youll be able to identify the content topics and formats your audiences prefer, and what you should be producing more of, which will give your audience exactly what they want. Final Words When done correctly, content marketing can help catapult brand in front of the audiences that are searching for answers and information about what your products can deliver. Its useful to remember that content marketing isnt a set it and forget it technique. It is a process that requires regular, consistent, focused production to increase your visibility and demonstrate your expertise. New Delhi, Feb 6 : A Delhi court on Thursday sent Sharjeel Imam, a JNU student facing sedition charges, to judicial custody for six days till February 12. Imam, whose three-day police custody ended today, was nabbed from Kako in Bihar's Jehanabad district on January 28 for allegedly making seditious and inflammatory speeches against the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). Following this, he was sent to police custody for five days which was further extended by three days on February 3. The Crime Branch had registered a sedition case against him on January 26 for delivering a provocative speech on January 13 after its video went viral. Subsequently, he went into hiding and the police launched a manhunt to nab him. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Uttar Pradesh also followed the suit and filed cases against him. In a purported video, Imam was seen talking about splitting the North-East from India to block the implementation of the NRC. Photograph: Jim Bourg/Reuters By all measures, the president was a malicious demagogue with a taste for public performance, reviled for his swaggering vanity. Many considered him incompetent and unfit for office; some called him mad. He impugned the character of the countrys most famous war hero but was, himself, exquisitely sensitive to slights, real or perceived. He inflamed racial tensions and embraced the cause of white supremacists. He liked to humiliate, harass, and hound his enemies, real and imagined. Heedless of consequences, he baited Congress and bullied men, believing his enemies were enemies of the people. A leading senator lamented that he has introduced the most fearful system of corruption and demoralization into any government in modern history. The hostilities between Congress and the president became so great that impeachment was all but inevitable. Sound familiar? Yet much as this may sound like a portrait of the current inhabitant of the White House, it is in fact Brenda Wineapples description of Andrew Johnson in her immensely readable book, The Impeachers: The Trial of Andrew Johnson and the Dream of a Just Nation. Johnson, as we recall, was the first president in American history to be impeached, and like Donald Trump survived removal by the Senate in Johnsons case, by a single vote. Many contemporaneous lawmakers and observers considered the Senates failure to convict a disaster, a dreadful misstep that left a vindictive, divisive and intemperate man in power. And yet as Wineapple makes clear, even if the effort to remove Johnson did not succeed, it also wasnt the failure it was immediately perceived to be. In fact, the impeachment left Johnson badly weakened, reduced to a shadow. He could not even secure his partys nomination in 1868, and was out of office the next year. Mitch McConnell and his minions have essentially given the president carte blanche to ignore constitutional norms Alas, its hard to imagine Trumps impeachment as having any such positive upside. We can safely assume that far from chastened by his brush with removal, Trump will be only more brazen in his demagoguery and authoritarianism. And why not? Mitch McConnell and his minions have essentially given the president carte blanche to ignore constitutional norms, signing off not only on his effort to solicit foreign meddling in the 2020 election, but more disturbingly on his unprecedented stonewalling of Congresss oversight powers. The framers of the constitution created the impeachment process as a critical bulwark against executive malfeasance; Senate Republicans have now in effect removed that bulwark. Story continues Which turns all our attention to 3 November 2020 election day. For those who questioned the tactical wisdom though not the propriety or even the necessity of impeaching the president, focusing on 2020 was always the better way to go. At issue on that day will not be whether Trump committed high crimes or misdemeanors but whether he has earned another term as the nations chief executive. Republican lawmakers cannot accuse Democrats of trying to defeat the will of the people if the people vote Trump out of the White House. That, at least, is the hope. And yet the belief that defeating Trump in 2020 provides a tamper-proof method of removing him from office is to miss the singular menace that this president represents to a basic principle of democratic governance: the peaceful succession of power. Here my concern is not that Trump might try to steal the 2020 election through disinformation, foreign interference and voter suppression, real as those concerns are. Rather my concern is different: what if Trump loses in 2020 election but the result is exceptionally close, turning on the outcome in a handful of swing states? In 2016, Trump essentially announced that he would not accept any outcome short of victory. The fact that Trumps acquittal in the Senate should come fast on the heels of a major app malfunction in Iowa highlights the gravity of threat we face this coming November. Imagine, then, how Trump would spin even the most innocent software glitch in 2020, should he lose: he will unleash a Twitter storm, working to cast any acts of incompetence and confusion at the polls as signs of a grand, organized conspiracy to finish the work that Nancy Pelosi started. In this, he will find support from his megaphones in the rightwing media. And the Senate trial makes clear that far from opposing Trumps refusal to accept electoral defeat, Republican lawmakers will eagerly abet the presidents attack. Come 3 November, a slender victory by the Democratic challenger will not free us from the chaos of this presidency. Trump will not go quietly. He might not go at all. A Shandong Haiyou Petrochemical Group refinery is seen in Ju County, Shandong Province, China on July 25, 2018. (Dominique Patton/Reuters) Coronavirus Paralyzes Short-Term Oil, Gas Sales Into China SINGAPOREShort-term sales of crude oil and liquefied natural gas into China almost ground to a halt this week as a coronavirus outbreak slowed economic activity and hurt demand, and buyers pondered legal action to avoid having to honor purchase agreements, trade sources said. Typically, trade would have revived after the Lunar New Year holiday at the end of January, but China has extended the break into February to try to contain the fast-spreading virus, which has claimed nearly 500 lives. As a result, commodity supply chains have been disrupted, with shipments canceled or delayed and stocks piling up, especially as mild weather had already slowed heating fuel demand. China is the worlds largest importer of crude oil, having imported a record 506 million tonnes in 2019, or about 10 million barrels per day, according to Chinese government figures, and recently became the worlds largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Spot crude trade into Shandong, home to independent refiners that account for a fifth of Chinas imports, is at a halt, three traders said, speaking on condition of anonymity. We managed to sell some cargos even for April arrival (before the Lunar New Year) but this week everything stopped, a Singapore-based trader said. Sellers were reluctant to offer cargos for sale because of concern the buyer might declare force majeure on previous deals, traders said. Companies invoke force majeure when they cannot meet their contractual obligations because of circumstances beyond their control. In the liquefied natural gas (LNG) market, some Chinese buyers said they were considering invoking the force majeure clause on imports, although some producers said they had not received any such notices. Fears of the virus are hampering Energy Transfer LPs efforts to lock in contracts with Chinese customers to deliver LNG from the U.S. Gulf, the companys chief executive said at a conference on Feb. 5. I cant in good conscience let our people go over there at this time, said Kelcy Warren, CEO of Energy Transfer. He said the companys Beijing office is essentially empty. One supplier of LNG to China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), told Reuters his firm received a potential notice of force majeure last week. The source also said his legal department found that, to be legally effective, the notice would need the backing of third-party official documents from local governments declaring a full shutdown situation in receiving terminals. CNOOC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Sources in Sinopec and PetroChina told Reuters they had not issued a force majeure notice. Weve heard similar concerns raised in the market about force majeure into Asia. But to date, we havent had any force majeure declarations, Bill Bullock, ConocoPhillips head of Asia Pacific & Middle East, said on Tuesday. Deliveries from the North West Shelf LNG project, Australias biggest, are running to plan, a spokeswoman for Woodside Petroleum, operator of North West Shelf LNG, said. In addition to the demand slump, several large oil and gas companies said they had restricted travel to China, including Royal Dutch Shell, Halliburton and U.S. refiner Phillips 66. Force Majeure? Last week, a Chinese international trade promotion agency said it would offer force majeure certificates to companies struggling to cope with the impact of coronavirus. But the scope or impact of this on contracts that are typically governed by English law remains unclear, sources said. Force majeure clauses are worded differently in various contracts. They can include provisions for epidemics and acts of government or national laws, law firm Blackstone & Gold said in a briefing note seen by Reuters, which also said the party affected had responsibilities. The party affected by a force majeure event needs to take reasonable steps to mitigate its position, such as sourcing alternative suppliers, the note said. A crude oil seller said the force majeure certificates were meant to protect China exporters, not importers. It needs to be proven that due to the virus, the logistics of the cargo have been delayed or canceled, he said, adding that this could be harder for commodity importers to prove. Chinese firms may also hesitate to declare force majeure for fear of damaging relationships with sellers for the future, traders said, meaning buyers would prefer to try to divert or resell cargos for now. At least one tanker bound for China has been diverted, while a major LNG supplier to China said buyers in China were citing tank-top or brimming inventory as a reason to postpone their cargo imports. By Jessica Jaganathan and Chen Aizhu Kathmandu, February 6 The main opposition party, Nepali Congress, on Thursday obstructed the House of Representatives meeting protesting the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authoritys decision to indict the parliamentary partys deputy leader Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar on a corruption case. Gachhadar was one among 175 defendants indicted in a charge-sheet that the anti-corruption constitutional body registered at the Special Court on Wednesday for their alleged involvement in the notorious Baluwatar land grab case. Speaking at the House meeting today, the partys whip Pushpa Bhusal said the commission indicted Gachhadar just because he was an opposition leader. She said, This incident has proved that the constitutional body is just a helpless shadow of the government. Bhusal was angry after the commission did not indict Navin Paudel, the son of ruling Nepal Communist Party General Secretary Bishnu Paudel and Supreme Court Justice Kumar Regmi, who own two plots of the land, claiming they had promised to return it to the government. Following Bhusals statement, the lawmakers of the party stood up from their seats, forcing the speaker to halt the meeting. WASHINGTON Shunning contrition or reflection, eager to settle scores, President Trump spoke from the White House about the previous days Senate vote, which saw him acquitted on two articles of impeachment. "It was all bulls**t, Trump said of Democratic efforts to remove him from office, which culminated in impeachment but began more or less at the moment he entered the Oval Office. This should never, ever happen to another president, he said, though some have predicted the very opposite, with impeachment potentially becoming a norm of presidential politics. Speaking to a packed audience of White House staffers and congressional supporters, Trump lashed out at the evil and corrupt inquiry, which he said was led by crooked cops. We went through hell, he said. Unfairly. As he has from the start of the impeachment inquiry, Trump maintained that his July 25 phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was perfect and, in his view, preposterously insufficient grounds for impeachment. A very good phone call, Trump said in his Thursday remarks. I know bad phone calls." President Trump holds a copy of the Washington Post in the East Room on Feb. 6. (Evan Vucci/AP) The somewhat rambling address which included an extended reference to former New York Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson saw Trump congratulate the warriors who fought on his behalf. Foremost among them was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who presided over the Senate trial that concluded yesterday. Trump continued by also praising other senators and representatives in attendance, from Chuck Grassley of Iowa, who is one of the chambers most senior members, to Kelly Loeffler of Georgia, who was sworn in only last month. Dogged supporters in the House came in for praise as well, especially since the Republican conference in that chamber has some avid pro-Trump members. He's the most legitimate human being, the president said of Rep. Devin Nunes of California, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee. He is obviously very proud of his body, the president said of Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, another close supporter of the president, famous for never wearing a suit jacket unless absolutely required to do so. Story continues "Honestly, I think you're better looking now, the president said of House Minority Whip Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., an apparent reference to the weight Scalise lost after surviving a 2017 shooting. In addition, he predicted that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., would soon become speaker of the House, surmising that in November the Democrats would lose their majority in that chamber, having squandered their political capital in the presidents view on impeachment. He also criticized a wide array of political enemies, from lead impeachment manager Rep. Adam Schiff (a vicious, horrible person) to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., a frequent critic of the president. He called former FBI director James Comey, whom he fired early in 2017, a sleazebag and reprised a conspiracy theory regarding Hillary Clintons emails from her time as secretary of state. President Trump speaks at the White House one day after the Senate acquitted him on two articles of impeachment. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) Theyre vicious as hell, he said of his political opponents, and theyll probably come back for more, he mused, a reference to ongoing Democratic investigations of the Trump administration. They want to destroy our country, he later said of Democratic leaders. Neither the tone nor the contents of the address were exactly a surprise. Shortly after the Senate voted to acquit him, Trump branded the verdict our Countrys VICTORY in a tweet that called the impeachment inquiry a Hoax, a term he had previously used to describe special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into electoral interference. Wednesday also saw White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham release a statement that called the impeachment inquiry yet another witch-hunt that deprived the President of his due process rights and was based on a series of lies. Grishams statement also wondered whether House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Schiff would pay a price for attempting to remove Trump from office. Will there be no retribution? she wrote. So far, the White House response has been marked by its combative tone, a departure from the last time a president avoided removal from office via impeachment. In 1999, a just-acquitted Bill Clinton used a White House address to apologize for the actions and statements that led to his impeachment. Richard Nixon took three years to apologize for Watergate, which led him to step down from the presidency in 1974. Yep, I let the American people down and have to carry that burden with me for the rest of my life, he told the British journalist David Frost in 1977. Trumps response thus far has been closest to that of Andrew Johnson, who was impeached in 1868 and, like both Trump and Clinton, survived the effort. I have nothing to regret, Johnson said as he left office in 1869. For the most part, Trump has reserved his ire since Wednesdays acquittal for Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, the sole Republican to vote in favor of conviction. In doing so, he became the only senator in U.S. history to vote in favor of convicting a president from his own party in an impeachment trial. By joining Democrats, he kept Trump from claiming that impeachment was a fully partisan affair. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, speaks at the Capitol on Feb. 5. (Senate Television via AP) That has plainly been irritating Trump, who called Romney a failed presidential candidate during Thursdays remarks at the White House, in reference to the senators unsuccessful 2012 White House bid. He added that Romney cant stand the fact he ran one of the worst races in presidential history. Trump had been significantly less tempered in the preceding hours. On Wednesday evening, he shared a video on Twitter that branded Romney a turncoat while also reminding people of Romneys loss to President Barack Obama nearly eight years ago. Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election, he said in a subsequent message. Speaking on Thursday morning ahead of his White House address at the National Prayer Breakfast, Trump continued his attacks on the Utah senator, though without naming him. I dont like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong, Trump said. The reference was to Romneys being a Mormon, which Romney had referenced in remarks on the Senate floor ahead of his historic vote. As a senator-juror, I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice, Romney said in those widely watched remarks. I am profoundly religious. My faith is at the heart of who I am. I take an oath before God as enormously consequential. The notion of a former Republican candidate for president becoming a Democratic hero was, indeed, a surprising development. Speaking at her weekly press conference on Wednesday morning, Pelosi praised a man with whom she has almost nothing in common politically or culturally. God bless him for his courage, Pelosi said of Romney. She branded Trumps attacks on the lone Republican dissenter as without class. Virtually nothing Trump said on Thursday suggested that a reconciliation with the party that impeached him was in the works, though the president did briefly muse about what the two political parties could accomplish if partisan fight could have been put aside. He listed infrastructure and prescription drug pricing as potential areas of cooperation while lamenting the three contentious years that have been squandered. Think, he said, what we couldve done. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Civil War artillery shell leads to street closures in Charleston: Several downtown streets in Charleston, South Carolina's largest city, were closed Wednesday after construction crews found a Civil War artillery shell, police said. The crew called 911 around 10 a.m. to report the shell in downtown Charleston, just over a block from the Old Slave Mart where dozens of vendors sell merchandise, Charleston police said. The police department called the U.S. Air Force to dispose of the shell and closed several nearby roads for about three hours. Investigators initially said the shell appeared to be newer than the Civil War, but after further investigation, concluded it was left over from the war between the Union and the Confederacy between 1861 and 1865, police said. No injuries were reported. The roles and responsibilities of government agencies should Guam see a case of 2019 novel coronavirus infection is "clear as mud," said Vice Speaker Telena Nelson near the onset of an oversight hearing with education, health, airport and customs officials on Thursday afternoon. Nelson was speaking to Guam Department of Education Superintendent Jon Fernandez about how his department would work in tandem with the Department of Public Health and Social Services in responding to an infection. "If I don't have a clear picture, then the people of Guam probably don't have a clear picture," Nelson stated. She later added it was important to understand "all the agencies' functions and their response in how they address each individual case should the case happen." Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Julietta Quinene, the GDOE community health and nursing services administrator, said policy dictates any sick student be assessed by a nurse. A report is generated the same report used by clinics and hospitals to notify Public Health of a communicable disease and GDOE notifies territorial epidemiologist Dr. Ann Pobutsky. The process is established in an existing protocol on communicable diseases. "We call Dr. Ann Pobutsky and let her know this is a student, for instance, who just came back from China and these are the symptoms. We coordinate with Public Health where the student will go, we contact the parent, and of course then exclusion starts until we get clearance back," Quinene stated. GDOE works with Public Health to clean the classroom and survey students who may have been exposed, as well as notify parents, she added. Exclusion is done immediately. Guam must send samples off island to be tested for the new coronavirus, according to Nelson. The return time is about six days, according to Sen. Therese Terlaje. On Wednesday, GDOE also issued a memo to employees and parents that it will implement a mandatory 14-day excused absence for all students and staff who have recently returned from China. This extends to those who are exhibiting respiratory symptoms and those who have had recent contact with someone who recently returned from China. Tom Ada, the executive manager of the Guam International Airport Authority, said airlines should be doing their own screening at departure points. President Donald Trump implemented a travel ban on all visitors from China on Feb. 3. "If that passenger gets on and he or she is coming from China within the last 14 days, if he is a non-U.S. citizen, the airlines should not allow him to board to come into the U.S.," Ada said. If the passenger is a U.S. citizen, airlines are supposed to route the passenger to one of 11 approved ports of entry, he added. This means a citizen living on Guam should be routed through Honolulu, for processing, and then to Guam. If that person was in China recently, there is a mandatory 14-day holding period, Ada said. "Is it a perfect mouse trap? No it's not," he added. GIAA does not have trained clinicians and does not do assessments of passengers when they land. They take information on passengers that have come from China who are then escorted to an isolation room where Public Health will do an assessment. But coronavirus infections have reached several countries, including Japan, Korea and the Philippines. Nelson asked about procedures for people showing symptoms on an airplane. Guam Customs and Quarantine Agency takes over that purview. Customs Chief Ike Peredo said the procedure is to ensure aircraft carriers must attest no one is sick on board before the plane door is opened. "If we are suspicious of a particular passenger ... the officer has discretion to first provide a mask for that passenger, contact Public Health ... and from that point, we escort that passenger to the staging area we have agreed with the airport," Peredo said. Public Health conducts its assessment afterwards, he added. An agreement with U.S. Customs and Border Protection is to provide Guam with information on all passengers coming into the island, should they be coming from an area with a coronavirus infection, Peredo said. An incident of sexual assault on a minor girl was reported from inside the US embassy campus in New Delhi's Chanakyapuri area. According to the Delhi Police, a five-year-old girl was raped allegedly by one of her neighbours at the quarters of the embassy An incident of sexual assault on a minor girl was reported from inside the US embassy campus in New Delhi's Chanakyapuri area. According to the Delhi Police, a five-year-old girl was raped allegedly by one of her neighbours at the quarters of the embassy. The accused, a 25-year-old driver by profession, was arrested, they added. The incident took place on Saturday and a complaint was lodged by the girl's family members on Sunday, the police said, adding that the child was stable now. On the statement of the victim's mother, a rape case was registered under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, they said. According to the police, both the victim and the accused lived at the embassy quarters. The girl's father works as a housekeeping staff at the embassy. The accused does not work at the embassy and stays with his parents in the quarters there. However, his father is employed with the embassy. The girl used to often visit the residence of the accused as they were neighbours, a senior police officer said. On the day of the incident, she was playing outside her house when the accused, on the pretext of playing games on his mobile phone, took her to his residence, where he raped her in the absence of his parents, the officer said. After reaching her house, the victim complained to her mother about discomfort and irritation in her private parts, he said. When the victim's mother questioned the girl, she narrated her ordeal, after which the former approached the police and lodged a complaint. The girl was taken for a medical examination and doctors confirmed a penetrative sexual assault on her, the police said. Meanwhile, the US embassy issued a statement on the matter. "We were deeply disturbed by the alleged misconduct. We promptly took action when we were informed of the allegation, and brought this matter to the attention of the police. Of course, we are cooperating fully with them," India Today quoted the statement With inputs from PTI Irans Reformists have faced an unprecedented number of their candidates being barred from running in the upcoming parliamentary election. However, this could turn out to be a gift to them from radicals. The hard-line-dominated Guardian Council, tasked with vetting the candidates, has paved the way for an easy victory of hard-liners in Iran while rejecting the majority of Reformist candidates across the country. The number of Reformist candidates recognized as disqualified by the Guardian Council is to the extent that the election, as President Hassan Rouhani has stated, wont be competitive. In this vein, Hassan Rasouli, the chairman of the Reformists electoral campaign, said Jan. 24, The Interior Ministry has announced that out of 290 seats of parliament, there is no competition for 158 seats, and we lack even one [approved] Reformist candidate in many of the provinces. Moreover, Morteza Moballegh, a Reformist figure, stated Jan. 21: Across the country except Tehran, there are only 21 [approved Reformist] candidates. Adding that the number of Reformist nominees permitted to run in the election in Tehran is less than the fingers of two hands. The Guardian Councils decision stems from the public losing its hope in the election. In fact, whenever the radicals feel that turnout will be low, which means ordinary people are indifferent to the election results, they get courageous enough to ban as many rivals as possible from running in the election. The radicals have always sought to keep the turnout as low as possible, because thats a game changer, as every time there is hope for any big change, the majority of people, especially the gray voters, who dont usually cast their ballots, line up at the polling stations to vote for Reform-backed candidates. During the past several months, the Reformists have been gravely divided, with the majority preferring not to take part in the election, opining that as long as parliamentarians aren't allowed to speak and decide freely and independently, and the parliament doesnt have its actual power, given that a number of the bills it passed were rejected by the Guardian Council, it wouldnt be useful to take part in the election and have representatives in the race. This argument originates from the Reformists anxiety over losing their base and social capital, which already happened, as the majority of the Reformist lawmakers in parliament ended up siding with hard-liners. The most courageous Reformist parliamentarians and their plans were all obstructed, restricted so that no promises came true. However, they paid a price for their objections and were all banned from running in the upcoming election. In this regard, a few months ago, Reformist theorist Saeed Hajjarian called for a conditional participation of Reformists in the election, arguing that if the number of banned candidates was high, we should leave the race alone. Meanwhile, a minority in the Reformist camp believe that they must have candidates to hold a glorious election. The prominent Executives of Construction Party released a statement ensuring their participation in the election, stating in May 2019, Contrary to the opinion of some friends in the Reformism movement who believe in a conditional [presence], [we] believe in an unconditional participation in the election. Although such statements may have been a signal to the Guardian Council to get along with them and approve most of their candidates. A strategy that evidently didnt pay off. What shouldnt be neglected is that inside this minority group, some figures, including Mohammad Reza Aref, were sure of how the Guardian Council would act, but they apparently sought to send a meaningful message to the Islamic Republic establishment through constant statements urging Reformists to take part in the election to preserve their seats in some power centers. After witnessing the unprecedented disqualifications, the same minority, under the name of the Supreme Council of Reformists, warned that the steps taken [by Guardian Council] will only lead to growing despair and mistrust and deepening the gap between the establishment and the people and increasing corruption and inefficiency of the establishment bodies. This is the biggest threat to the nation's national interest after external threats. The Supreme Council of Reformists then urged the Guardian Council to review its decision so people can vote for their preferred candidates freely. Mostafa Kavakebian, a Reformist parliamentarian, said in December 2019 that the Reformists would place all their candidates on a single ticket if the Guardian Council approved 200 candidates. This also didnt happen, leading to a member of the Supreme Council of Reformists to state that they won't release a ticket, arguing Jan. 24 that there is no [approved] candidates to be put on a ticket. Therefore, the Reformists are seemingly moving closer to the implementation of idea of Hajjarian. Since the majority of Reformists didnt want to enrage the Islamic Republic establishment, they have sought to not welcome Hajjarians proposal formally and collectively. But now, the hard-liners and the establishment have given the Reformists a gift. They are able now to follow the path of their base while presenting the establishment with this argument that high number of rejected candidates caused them not to take part in the election. Mostafa Tajzadeh, an outspoken Reformist figure who apparently had predicted such days, said in May 2019: The [main] principle for the Reformers is to run for the elections unless [the establishment] prevents them from nomination. If Reformists get disqualified, they will tell people that we have no candidate to vote for, and hold [the establishment] accountable. Nonetheless, the Reformists may even make a bold decision beyond Hajjarians idea, resorting to an unofficial boycott of the race, which requires them not to invite people to vote. By doing so, they will preserve their hopeless base and fans while having a solid pretext in face of the establishments wrath. Although it is also likely that a small number of Reformists, who are also not popular among people and fans, to maintain their presence in the election. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 23:23:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HARARE Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Two miners died and about 20 others were still trapped after the collapse of a shaft in a gold mine in Zimbabwe, state media said. The disaster happened on Wednesday night at the Globe and Phoenix Mine in Kwekwe District, 200 km southwest of the capital Harare. Kwekwe District Civil Protection Unit chairperson Fortune Mupungu said a rescue team which went underground to assess the situation found two bodies. Official rescue operations were yet to start, he said. It has also emerged that the trapped miners were conducting illegal mining activities after official operations were stopped in 2007, Mupungu said. Kwekwe is infested with illegal gold panners. After the incident, some illegal miners were still trooping out of the mine's other shafts. Enditem A woman wearing a protective mask prays at the Lungshan temple during the fourth day of the Lunar New year of the Rat in Taipei in January 28, 2020. Sam Yeh | AFP | Getty Images Taiwan has become more and more vocal in recent days about its exclusion from World Health Organization meetings. It comes as the world grapples to contain the growing number of new coronavirus cases that has killed more than 560 people worldwide, most of whom died in China. Due to Beijing's objections, Taiwan has been denied membership to most international organizations including the WHO a United Nations agency. Beijing considers Taiwan as part of its territory that must one day be reunified with the mainland and should have no right to participate in international diplomacy. Taiwan's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Joanne Ou, on Thursday slammed China and the WHO for providing wrong information about the number of coronavirus cases in Taiwan. The World Health Organization reported Tuesday that the island had 13 cases, when there were only 10 at that time. Ou blamed Beijing for the error. "This was wrong information that was provided by China which created the mistake," she said. Taiwan currently has 13 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus outbreak, believed to have originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan in province of Hubei. There are more than 28,000 infected people in mainland China alone, and all but two who have died were in China. Putting political considerations over people's health and safety; this, basically, is extremely vile. Joanne Ou Taiwan's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Earlier this week, Ou criticized Beijing for blocking Taipei's access to WHO, saying its isolation makes the island vulnerable to the deadly virus. All but two of the deaths occurred outside mainland China. "Disease knows no national boundaries and there should be no loopholes in global epidemic prevention," Ou said in Mandarin at the press conference on Tuesday, according to a CNBC translation. "Putting political considerations over people's health and safety; this, basically, is extremely vile." Taiwan Affairs Office an administrative agency under mainland China warned on Thursday that Taipei should not use the the epidemic as a pretext to seek independence. As the virus continued to spread, Taiwan complained it had not been receiving firsthand information about the virus, vital for the protection and well-being of it people. On its part, China reportedly told the WHO in Geneva that it has shared latest information about the coronavirus outbreak with Taiwan on a timely basis. Ou disputed Beijing's claims and said Taiwan has had very limited information, and instead relied on friendly countries such as the U.S. and Japan for information. 'One China' policy Many countries and international organizations, including the United Nations, regard Taiwan as part of China under Beijing's "One China" policy, thus denying Taiwan diplomatic relationships and memberships. Communist China has never ruled over Taiwan. Taiwan participated in the World Health Assembly, the WHO's annual policy meeting, from 2009 to 2016. But relations between Beijing and Taipei have cooled, especially since Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen of the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party took office in 2016. Tsai won a second term in office after sweeping to victory in January's presidential election. WHO has received vital information from Taiwanese authorities and will be reporting back through established channels. World Health Organization Taiwan's diplomatic allies have been speaking out for its inclusion into the WHO, but Taipei has been left with a dwindling list of allies as various nations switch allegiances to Beijing, and cut diplomatic ties with the island. In response to CNBC's queries, the World Health Organization said it was collaborating closely with Taiwanese authorities. Taiwanese experts are involved in all consultations with WHO and are "fully engaged and fully aware of all of the developments in the expert networks," according to a WHO statement. "WHO has received vital information from Taiwanese authorities and will be reporting back through established channels," it added. China's foreign ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying said on Monday: "Taiwan compatriots are our brothers and sisters. If they encounter difficulties overseas, we are always ready to help." "The WHO is a special UN agency consisting of sovereign states. Taiwan's participation in the activities of international organizations such as the WHO must be arranged properly through cross-strait consultations under the one-China principle," Hua said at a scheduled press conference. Travel implications for Taiwanese Homer Givens was 19 years old when he received the title of Americas first World War I hero, as well as one of Frances highest honors, the Croix de Guerre. Givens, born in Florence, Ala., also received a Purple Heart and is now honored on the Walk of Honor at Florences River Heritage Park. Givens enlisted in the military just after graduating from Coffee High School in 1916, not long before the U.S. entered the war. According to the Florence-Lauderdale Public Digital Archive: Homer enlisted in the US Army, sailing for France in June of 1917 as part of the First Infantry Division, the Big Red One, led by Gen. John J. Pershing. The unassuming, bespectacled young man made an unlikely hero but his actions during a bloody battle with German forces left no doubt about his bravery. On Nov. 1, 1917, Givens and fellow soldiers were attacked while on a reconnaissance mission, according to a 2017 article in the TimesDaily. A historical marker in Lauderdale County at Seven Points, which was where the Givens home was once located, recounts Homers heroic actions: Following a bloody two-hour battle on November 1, 1917, Corporal Givens stood alone after his comrades had fallen. He then managed to kill three enemy soldiers before being severely wounded by twenty-three pieces of shrapnel. The Digital Archives gave more details: Cpl. Givens men started back for the trenches but Cpl. Givens himself didnt run, instead firing on the Germans, killing three instantly before he himself was hit (some accounts say it was by a German bomb) and rolled back into the large shell crater where he pretended to be dead. The Germans, assuming he was dead, left. Later a squad of American soldiers came out, discovered the wounded Cpl. Givens and carried him to a nearby field hospital. Givens spent weeks in a hospital overseas but residents of his hometown couldnt wait to honor him. The Sunday, April 26, 1918, edition of the Times Daily announced that Red Cross officials would be delivering the Cross of War (Croix de Guerre) bestowed upon 20-year-old Homer Givens for extraordinary bravery on the battle front in France. The article, quoted in the book Forgotten Tales of Alabama, stated that the cross was sent home from France and delivered by Red Cross Maj. George W. Simmons, who was to present it to Givens father at the event. On April 17, 1918, two weeks before the Memorial Day event in Florence, the New York Times ran an article on Homer and the arrival of his Cross. The Times article stated Homer remained in the hospital where he is slowly winning back to health as the first American hero. Givens received other honors, including Oak Leaf Clusters and the Purple Heart, the Digital Archives said. Due to a government glitch, Givens wouldnt receive his Purple Heart until 1970, just months before he died. Eventually, Givens was well enough to return to the States, where he held several jobs in retail, including owning a general store. In June 1921, he married Edith Roenfeldt in Birmingham. The couple had four children. Givens died in 1971 and is buried in Greenview Cemetery in Florence. When it comes to any merger, you often cant trust the reason the firms are merging, particularly if financial rather than operational managers are driving the process. When it comes to hostile takeovers, you can bet you are being misled, because the rhetoric will address synergy and the power of the two firms together, but the folks driving the effort know the more likely goal is to destroy the acquired company. Carl Icahn, who is one of the most feared corporate raiders in the world possibly the most feared is behind this one. He is known to be the death of firms he touches, while he almost always benefits personally to a high degree. Ill share some observations on Xeroxs attempt at a hostile merger with HP Inc., which I expect to fail, and then close with my product of the week: an interesting gaming laptop from HP. Hostile Mergers: A Game of Misdirection One exception to the usual pattern was Oracles hostile acquisition of Peoplesoft. In that case, Oracle was up front about the fact that it wanted to shut down and absorb Peoplesoft, which was the result. Given the goal was to shut down Peoplesoft, Oracle got rid of a painful competitor and was able to acquire most of the customers, because migrating off Peoplesoft wasnt easy and Oracle executed sharply. This isnt to say the Peoplesoft customers were happy. They mostly werent, but Oracle did do what it said it would do. Generally, hostile mergers are about either destroying a competitor (as was the case with Peoplesoft) or acquiring key technology that the entity backing the merger wants to access. For instance, when Broadcom attempted a hostile acquisition of Qualcomm, it was believed to be backed by Apple, which appeared to want to eliminate iPhone competitors and gain control of Qualcomms intellectual property, potentially returning it to market leadership. The U.S. government blocked the move as a matter of national security, likely out of concern that it would have handed 5G leadership to Huawei and China. That alone could have shifted the balance of power from the U.S. to China. Strangely, Broadcom went on to acquire CA, which suggests that it had another reason for a fast merger the most likely being that it didnt want its financials to settle. One way to hide poor financial performance is to create lots of noise, and mergers create lots of noise. The irony here is CA was a company that also was built by rapid acquisitions and treating customers badly. Even the rumor CA was going to acquire a firm would lead to that firms customers running for the hills. At least that merger didnt appear to be hostile. Xeroxs Hidden Agenda What brought up the latest speculation is the A list directors Xerox brought forward last week, which made it look like it wanted to replace HPs diverse and industry-focused board with one heavy in CEOs and seeming superstars. With an acquisition, particularly a hostile acquisition, the board that remains when the acquisition is over generally is the board the acquiring company started with or, in this case, a board heavy with Carl Icahn employees and arguably controlled by him, even though his name doesnt show up either on the Xerox board or the proposed board. Now, if industry experts ran Xerox, as opposed to financial types, you might assume that the goal might be to eliminate a competitor. However, HP is far broader than Xerox, suggesting that even at the current price, Xerox would be overpaying massively for the benefit it likely would get. Financial types dont overpay for anything it isnt in their nature. So, this effort seems to be focused on getting access to a valuable asset, or assets, that most investors dont realize HP has. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Given the level of effort, the asset or assets must be significant, and I think I know what one or both may be. HPs Hidden Jewels HP has two hidden jewels that are significantly undervalued: its 3D printing technology and its print head technology. The first is beginning to play in manufacturing, particularly automotive, and has the potential to massively change manufacturing on a global scale. They not only has created technologies to handle plastics, and plastics in color, but also moved recently to metals and has volume and cost advantages. It has the potential to redefine manufacturing and is on a path that eventually could turn a factory into what effectively is a large printer. This is big, but it still pales in the face of the second technology. HPs print head technology has been adapted to several industries and falls under the general category of microfluidics. Now, applied, this could do things like revolutionize the way car dealerships fix chips in expensive cars (it can cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair a paint chip in Bugatti, for instance), or it could transform healthcare. This last has massive potential if you understand that blended medications or, more accurately, the steep prices associated with them are a big contributor to excessive medical costs. Further, its currently not easy to match medications with each patients unique body. With the proper sensors, HPs microfluidics technology could do both. It could blend low-cost medications in place, potentially at a fraction of the cost of preblending them, and it could administer exactly the right amount of medicine for a patients unique requirements. That could remove much of the cost of the medications think chemotherapy for instance and virtually eliminate overdoses and massively reduce addiction. This isnt potentially a million dollar or even billion dollar technology it is a trillion dollar technology. Once applied, it has the potential to make HP the most valuable company in the world. Given this is already in lab use, in production, this isnt as far out as you might think. Wrapping Up: Misdirection When a company controlled by a corporate raider like Carl Ichan takes an interest in something, it means there is a part of that something he knows is massively undervalued, because the cost of his effort will be extreme, and he is not known for losing money. Figuring out what he really is after is critical to understanding his strategy, particularly if you are already an investor, because he likely is trying to take a gain that you otherwise might get and make it his own. A D V E R T I S E M E N T He knows how to monetize and sell the most valuable technologies, and he isnt exactly known for leaving much behind, which is why his skill set is known as corporate raider. Those of us who recall what he did to TWA are hoping he doesnt do the same thing to HP. Id almost bet the hidden buyer he has in the wings is connected to China, as it has both the money and the interest in making sure these revolutionary technologies migrate along with jobs and revenue out of the U.S. Since Im focusing on HP this week, I thought Id pick one of the more interesting notebooks I saw at CES. It has a second smaller display above the keyboard, and the touchpad is relocated to the far right so it more easily can be used as you would use a mouse while gaming. It is rigged with a dongle that allows it to play Xbox games from the Microsoft cloud. HP Omen X 2S RTX Studio Laptop While not a cheap date at US$1,999, it provides the combination of full-on desktop performance with a usage model that most serious gamers who need a portable solution would appreciate. I didnt get a chance to do much more than get a feel for the ergonomics which are good but it has an impressive industrial design. While not lightweight by any measure, it is still light enough to carry in a backpack and for those who want a truly powerful gaming system to take with them, this might be the ideal choice. Be aware, though, that it is a tad too large to play easily in an airplane seat. It has the new 2070 Nvidia RTX ray tracing card and an Intel 9th generation processor with six cores, as well as a 1-TB SSD drive, so it likely will outperform your gaming desktop machine. It looks awesome. The second screen is handy if you are playing a game and also watching your email, messaging, or looking for an alert or if your boss, teacher or spouse is sneaking up on you. Its performance means it also is good for photo or video editing, and it would be amazing for those who want the latest automatic Photoshop features showcased in Intel and Adobes CES demonstrations to work properly. While I chose this laptop partially because of my interest in HPs hidden gems this week, another part of HP that stands out is its PC unit, which is one of the most innovative and balanced units in the segment. Its newOmen X2S RTX Studio 15 Laptop is one of the most interesting products in the companys line, so it is my product of the week. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ECT News Network. A 42-year-old man was found dead with stab injuries near his home in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Thursday, police said. Narayan Biswas, who had several criminal cases against him, was found dead in a field near Dighirpar village in Champahati police station area, they said. He was a land dealer. There were several allegations that Biswas used to sell the same piece of land to several people, police said. A person, identified as Provash Mondal of Sunderban, has been arrested, they said. Police said Mondal is the main accused in the case and further investigations are underway. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MANZINI - Provisional results in SNATs possession suggest that its all systems go in as far as their proposed 2018/19 CoLA strike is concerned. The provisional results show that at least 98 per cent of their members who cast their votes yesterday voted for the strike while the remaining two per cent was merely spoilt votes. This is because according to the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) Secretary General, Sikelela Dlamini, as a teachers union, which had about 14 000 members, they were impressed by the number of educators who voted yesterday. The teachers had to cast their votes, either for or against the proposed strike action. The teachers union had two balloting dates for the proposed 2018/19 cost-of-living adjustment (CoLA) industrial action; yesterday and today. In this planned strike action, the teachers and other public sector workers who are organised under the banner of public sector associations (PSAs) will be demanding 6.55 per cent salary adjustment. Impressed Dlamini said they were impressed by the number of members who showed up at the eight balloting centres yesterday. In fact, he said when they counted yesterdays votes, the mathematics proved that about 98 per cent of the teachers who cast their votes, voted for the planned industrial action. I can safely say that yesterday, no one voted against the proposed strike action as the votes of the other two per cent were spoilt, the teachers union secretary general said. However, he said the full results for the balloting process would be announced by the Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration Commission (CMAC), which is conducting the voting process. He said this would be done once the commission had consolidated the ballot papers for yesterday and today. For the strike action to take place, at least half of those who voted should vote for the industrial action. Thereafter, the unions would have to inform government of the proposed dates for the strike action. On another note, Dlamini reminded their members from the branches who would be voting today, to keep time. He said they should remember to carry their national identity (ID) cards, and payslips. He said teachers who were not members of the union, but who wanted to vote, should bring their ID cards, completed stop order form (to be obtained from branch secretaries) and receipt as proof that an individual had paid the joining fee. Furthermore, the secretary general asked branch leaders to be visible at the voting sites from the beginning to the end in order to assist in supervising the process and counting thereafter. It is worth noting that the Swaziland National Government Accounting Personnel (SNAGAP), whose members are also expected to partake in the planned strike action, cast their votes last Friday. However, the official results of the balloting process are yet to be released. On the other hand, the balloting dates for members of the National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAPSAWU) are yet to be announced. Meanwhile, it seems like the balloting process for SNAT members did not affect the operation of schools. This is because the Communications Officer in the Ministry of Education and Training, Gugu Masuku, said even though she might not be in a position to comment about the matter, she did not hear of any complaints. However, she was quick to refer this publication to the regional education officers (REOs), by saying they were the first people who might know if there were disruptions or not. Manzini Acting REO Nhlanhla Dlamini said by close of business yesterday, he had not received any complaints from schools. A French teenager has been taken out of school and placed with her family under police protection after a foul-mouthed rant against Islam on social media triggered death threats and revived debates over religion and freedom of expression. Events surrounding the 16-year-old known to the French public after her Instagram name Mila began on 18 January, when the teenager launched a live video on the network to show her followers her newly dyed purple hair. Following tense exchanges with followers during the live, Mila posted a video using the network's Story function in which she said, among other things, I detest religion, the Quran is a religion [sic] of hate, there is only hatred in it. Islam is shit, your religion is shit. The video was widely shared on social media, eliciting threats of death and rape. School officials advised Mila to stay at home for her safety and Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said Tuesday the girl and her family were placed under police protection in the days following the publication of the video. Freedom of expression versus hate speech The video and the threats that followed also stirred the mix of support and derision that often arises from debates over freedom of expression, blasphemy, religion and hate speech in France. Messages on social media included hashtages #JeSuisMila and #JeNeSuisPasMila (I am Mila and I am not Mila respectively), an echo to the #JeSuisCharlie hashtag that emerged after jihadist gunmen attacked satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo for mocking Islam in 2015. Prosecutors opened investigations into the threats and, more controversially, into Mila herself for provocation to racial hatred. The case was soon closed, with investigators saying they found no elements corresponding to France's laws prohibiting incitement to hatred against members of a community. In closing the case, prosecutors validated the argument of supporters of Mila, who pointed out the teenager was targeting the religion itself, which is legal as France has no laws prohibiting blasphemy, and not targeting Muslims individually. Political reactions But the case underscores how explosive such issues can be when it comes to Islam in France. Matters were not helped when Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet said last Wednesday that while death threats were unacceptable in a democracy, Mila's remarks on Islam were clearly an infringement on freedom of conscience. Belloubet later retracted her remarks, saying obviously I did not intend to question the right to criticise a religion, but right-wing politicians took the opportunity to argue the government was ignoring the threat facing the girl. Bruno Retailleau of right-wing party Les Republicains defended Mila against what he called this political Islam which is trampling our values, and far-right leader Marine Le Pen tweeted This young girl is braver than the whole political class in power over the past 30 years. Support for Mila was more mitigated on the left on the political spectrum. Segolene Royal, former environment minister and presidential candidate for the Socialist Party, defended Mila's total freedom to criticise a religion, but said the teenager should have shown more respect, manners and knowledge and should not be made into a paragon of freedom of expression. Mila defends rant in TV interview Mila told French television programme Quotidien on Monday that while she did not regret her criticism of Islam, she regretted her vulgarity and the use of social networks, the impact of which she underestimated. She explained that among 10 to 30 people watching her livestream was a guy was hitting on my heavily during the live, telling me 'you're beautiful, you're hot, how old are you?'. She said he became aggressive after she responded to a female follower's questions about her sexual preferences by saying she was lesbian and that blacks and Arabs were not her type. She described stopping the live and, after receiving multiple insulting and threatening messages from four or five people, each sending 30 to 100 messages, deciding to create and upload her rant against Islam and religion. I do not regret my words in the slightest, she told the interviewer in regards to her remarks. I excuse myself, a little bit, for the people that I could have hurt, who practice their religion in peace, she added. I never wanted to target human beings. I only wanted to blaspheme, to talk about a religion and say what I thought. CRANFIELD, England A Nissan car has completed a 230-mile journey autonomously in Britain, the longest and most complex such trip in the country as carmakers race to develop the driverless technologies set to revolutionize travel. Britain has been wooing developers of autonomous vehicles, hoping to grab a slice of an industry it estimates could be worth around 900 billion pounds ($1.2 trillion) worldwide in 2035. Aided by eight laser scanners, seven cameras and a radar located around the vehicle along with six electronic control units in the boot, the electric LEAF vehicle made the journey alongside conventional motorists on country lanes and motorways. The 370-km journey began at the Japanese carmakers European technical center in Cranfield, southern England, and ended at its Sunderland factory in the northeast. It included roads with no or minimal markings, junctions and roundabouts, using advanced positioning technology. Other drivers around the vehicle would not have noticed that the vehicle is actually fully autonomous, the head of Nissans research and development in Europe David Moss told Reuters. The vehicle is much more aware of what is happening in that surrounding area than possibly a driver would be because of the amount of sensors which are continually monitoring the environment. The project, known as HumanDrive and led by Nissan as part of a consortium, also received government funding and worked with the relevant authorities to receive approval for the drive. Several safety measures were put into place including regular breaks, risk assessments and having someone in both the drivers and front passengers seat able to take control if needed. Nissan has previously said Britains flexible approach to testing autonomous vehicles helped it pick London for its first European tests in 2017 when a driverless vehicle traveled up to 50 miles per hour. But the advancement of self-driving cars around the world has been hampered by safety concerns and problems regarding insurance liability. Safely completing the longest autonomous drive in Britain is an incredible achievement for Nissan and the HumanDrive consortium, and a huge step towards the rollout of driverless cars on UK streets, said junior business minister Nadhim Zahawi. But it remains unclear when fully self-driving cars will hit the streets for general public use, with questions remaining about the regulations in place and affordability of the technology. The government says its priority is to facilitate the safe rollout of more advanced self-driving cars when the sector is able to do so. Youre not going to see all of this tomorrow in a vehicle, said Moss. But what you will see is elements of it progressively come in over the years. (Editing by Stephen Addison) Topics Auto Europe Autonomous Vehicles Uk E ast Croydon station and surrounding buildings were evacuated this morning as police investigated a suspicious vehicle in the area. Images showed crowds gathered outside the station, who had been told to leave the transport hub, while a cordon was put in place. People were also seen flooding out of other buildings in the area, including office blocks nearby. Scotland Yard were called to reports of a suspicious vehicle at 8.46am in Dingwall Road. They attended the scene and carried out a controlled explosion. The vehicle has been declared non-suspicious and the incident was resolved by around 11am. The Met could not confirm if other areas had been evacuated but pictures from the scene showed several other roads cordoned off, while witnesses described being told to leave nearby buildings. "There is quite a big evacuation so it is quite possible", a spokeswoman said earlier. Photos from the scene also showed a car within the police cordon. One witness shared video of a "police robot" on the scene. A worker at a nearby office told the Standard they heard a "blast" which they believed may have been a controlled explosion by police at the scene. A British Transport Police statement, released earlier on Twitter, said: "We are on scene in #EastCroydon as our colleagues at @metpoliceuk assess a suspicious vehicle in the area. "The station has been closed and trains are not stopping there as a precaution." A witness of the station evacuation told the Standard: "I was sat at East Croydon Costa coffee and I realised their was quite a bit of police around. Then I started to see even more police, sniffer dogs, investigation police. "They then started to tell us to move away from the station now. It was very calm and nobody was panicking." Another nearby office worker told the Standard they were told to leave and head to fire evacuation points. "We were first told About the suspicious car as soon as the police arrived on scene, but were still allowed in the buildings and staff were still arriving," they told the Standard. "Then fire alarms sounded at around 9:30 and fire staff and security were shouting." Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) - Royal Road Minerals Limited (TSXV: RYR) ("Royal Road Minerals" or the "Company") announces that Daniel De Narvaez has resigned as a director of the Company. Mr De Narvaez informed the Company that it was necessary for him to step down from the Company's Board of Directors at this time in order to fulfill the increased demands of another professional commitment arising from recent related positive developments. Peter Mullens, Chairman of Royal Road Mineral, stated; "Daniel was instrumental in assisting Royal Road in establishing and building its business in Colombia. While we are sad to see him go, we understand Daniel's need to step down from the Board and to focus on his other professional commitment and we wish him and his family all the very best for the future." 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. For further information please contact: Dr. Timothy Coughlin President and Chief Executive Officer USA-Canada toll free 1800 6389205 +44 (0)1534 887166 +44 (0)7797 742800 info@royalroadminerals.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52197 Photo: Glacier Media B.C.s independent police watchdog is investigating after a man was found dead in North Vancouver shortly after being released from police custody. According to a release from the Independent Investigations Office, University RCMP, which serves the UBC campus, released a man from custody about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. He was later found dead near Lions Gate Bridge. Subsequently, the IIO was notified and has commenced an investigation to determine whether the death was related to the actions or inactions of the officers involved, a release from the IIO stated. The IIO is tasked with investigating any time someone dies or faces serious harm in their interactions with police in B.C. Virgin Australia is cancelling flights from Sydney to Hong Kong from March 2, the airline announced today. The carrier made the move to save money because not enough customers were booking flights as coronavirus spreads around the world. Passengers flying on the cancelled route before 1 May will be transferred to other airlines for free. Those with bookings after 1 May will be refunded. Virgin decided to axe some international routes and cut 750 jobs after it lost $350million in 2019. Virgin Australia is cancelling flights from Sydney to Hong Kong from 2 March, the airline announced today In November it announced its service from Melbourne to Hong Kong will stop on February 11 - and it also slashed several domestic routes. Virgin Australia Group Chief Commercial Officer John MacLeod said the spread of the coronavirus and recent protests played a part in the decision to also cancel the Sydney route. He said in a statement: 'Hong Kong has continued to be a challenging market. 'With a decline in demand following ongoing civil unrest, and growing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak in the wider region, we have made the decision to withdraw services. 'While the decision to withdraw from the Hong Kong market has been a difficult one, it demonstrates our strong focus on driving greater financial discipline through our network. 'Current circumstances demonstrate that Hong Kong is no longer a commercially viable route for Virgin Australia to continue operating, however international tourism remains an important part of our strategy through our other international routes and partner airlines.' Patients infected by the coronavirus rest at a makeshift hospital at Wuhan International Convention and Exhibition Center in Wuhan City Last month several airlines cancelled flights in and out of China as the coronavirus spread from Wuhan - but only Virgin has cancelled flights to Hong Kong. DFAT's advice for Australians travelling to Hong Kong is to 'exercise a high degree of caution'. All passengers entering or connecting in the city will have their temperatures checked and will not be allowed to board if they have a fever. LONG BEACH, Calif., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SCAN Health Plan , one of the nation's largest not-for-profit Medicare Advantage plans, today announced it provided 45 grants totaling $555,000 in 2019 to community organizations supporting senior health and independence throughout California. Focusing on senior nutrition, mental health, housing and caregiver support, the funding helps recipients continue to deliver crucial services and expand program support. "Community giving is part of SCAN's DNA and we're honored to provide financial support to organizations that make a positive difference in the lives of seniors and their caregivers," stated Dr. Romilla Batra, chief medical officer at SCAN. "We applaud the work of these nonprofits that improve access to nutrition and vital social services within their communities." In keeping with its nonprofit mission and community roots, SCAN provides support to those working on the front lines of senior health and wellness. Often, these organizations provide the safety net services so many vulnerable seniors need in order to remain at home. Grant amounts range from $5,000 to $25,000 and support a variety of resources and services that enable organizations to make a difference in the lives of individual seniors as well as in their communities at large. The following are some of the local and regional organizations who received grants in 2019: Conejo Valley Senior Concerns helped fund an additional 2,000 freshly prepared meals to low income, homebound seniors along with daily wellness checks helped fund an additional 2,000 freshly prepared meals to low income, homebound seniors along with daily wellness checks EngAGE provided monthly food to 800 senior residents of affordable housing communities, ensuring residents have access to fresh and healthy foods provided monthly food to 800 senior residents of affordable housing communities, ensuring residents have access to fresh and healthy foods Affordable Living for the Aging supported ALA's Shared Housing Program, matching 30 low-income housing seekers with 30 seniors in need of financial or daily living support supported ALA's Shared Housing Program, matching 30 low-income housing seekers with 30 seniors in need of financial or daily living support Alzheimer's Los Angeles provided support services and education for family caregivers of those with Alzheimer's in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties provided support services and education for family caregivers of those with Alzheimer's in and Counties Institute on Aging supported the Friendship Line, the only accredited 24-hour crisis line in the nation specific to older adults supported the Friendship Line, the only accredited 24-hour crisis line in the nation specific to older adults Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County helped fund Second Harvest's Senior Hunger Strategy, including Park-it-Market, a partially-refrigerated, free market for seniors helped fund Second Harvest's Senior Hunger Strategy, including Park-it-Market, a partially-refrigerated, free market for seniors Los Angeles LGBT Centersupported the Senior Services Food Insecurity Initiative that provides free groceries and communal lunch to meet nutrition needs and help combat senior isolation In addition to community giving via its formalized grant program, SCAN also provides sponsorships and emergency assistance funds to non-profit organizations throughout SCAN's California service areas. Grant applications may be submitted year round and grants are awarded quarterly. To learn more about SCAN's community giving, please visit www.IndependenceAtHome.org/community-giving. About SCAN SCAN Health Plan is one of the nation's largest not-for-profit Medicare Advantage plans, serving more than 200,000 members in California. Since its founding in 1977, SCAN has been a mission-driven organization dedicated to keeping seniors healthy and independent. Independence at Home, a SCAN community service, provides vitally needed services and support to seniors and their caregivers. SCAN also offers education programs, community funding, volunteer opportunities and other community services throughout our California service area. To learn more, visit scanhealthplan.com or facebook.com/scanhealthplan or follow us on twitter @scanhealthplan . SOURCE SCAN Health Plan Related Links https://www.scanhealthplan.com Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Ottawa, Canada Thu, February 6, 2020 18:08 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad20630075a 2 News Airbnb,Canada,travel Free People under 25 will no longer be able to rent local listings for entire homes on Airbnb in Canada, the company announced Wednesday after a fatal shooting at a Toronto apartment booked through the website. The restriction will apply only to homes young Airbnb users attempt to rent within the communities where they already live. Guests under 25 years will still be able to book a private room within a host's primary residence, and could be exempted from the prohibition if they receive positive evaluations in at least three recent stays. The aim is to curb unauthorized use of Airbnb properties, including for "unauthorized parties," Airbnb Senior Vice President Chris Lehane told a press conference. Read also: 10 things to keep in mind when booking Airbnb accommodation "We know from our research that 99.9 percent of the people on Airbnb are good people... and treat homes like their own homes," he said. "We have a 0.3 percent incident rate across our platform when it comes to issues involving property damage and a 0.6 percent incident rate when it involves personal security issues. "Those numbers," he said, "get higher when you're looking at... reservations made by people under 25... within the community they live in." The pilot, if it succeeds in reducing violence and damage to properties, may be applied in other jurisdictions, he said. It comes just days after three men aged 19, 20 and 21 were shot dead at a Toronto downtown waterfront neighborhood apartment. Two others were injured. On January 8, an 18-year-old was also killed at an Airbnb-rented house in downtown Ottawa. And last October, a gunman opened fire at a house party in Orinda, California that was an Airbnb rental. Four men and a woman were killed. Lehane also announced a 24-hour hotline for neighbors who suspect mischief at an Airbnb property, as well as a partnership with a group of Canadian doctors lobbying for stricter gun control laws. Airbnb says that two million people stay at its listed homes in 100,000 cities every night. Topics : Airbnb Canada travel More than one set of male genitals appears to be savaged in Come to Daddy (others, happily, are displayed without penalty), but not until the midpoint of this dementedly comic thriller do we recognize the means of reproduction as its driving force. Of course, any movie that features the line Semen contains more protein and nutrients than an ear, and opens with paired quotations from Shakespeare and Beyonce, might not be entirely on the level. So thinks Norval (Elijah Wood), a music-industry poseur, of his out-of-the-blue summons to the isolated shoreside home of his long-estranged father. His misgivings only deepen when the drunken, mercurial man who greets him (Stephen McHattie) provokes a confrontation that leaves Norval facing more mayhem and mounting gore than his sensitive soul can comprehend. Bigg Boss 13: Asim Riaz Twitter popularity , Hollywood John Cena Support John Cena seems to have extended his support to Bigg Boss 13 contestant Asim Riaz. The legendary wrestler recently shared a picture of Asim on his Instagram handle, causing a social media meltdown of Asims fans and supporters. Like every season, many celebrities and former Bigg Boss contestants have shared their opinions and favorites in the house. But an international star like John Cena lending his support to contestant Asim Riaz is something thats never been witnessed in the shows history. For the uninitiated, John Cena shares a number of pictures of celebrities, memes et all sans content or captions. Hes made it clear to his followers in his SM description to interpret the posts themselves. And this time, hes shared a picture of Bigg Boss 13s most popular and loved housemate Asim Riaz. It is also being reported that the Hollywood star has also followed a few of Asims fan pages on Twitter, making it very clear that hes rooting for Asim. Check out the fan reactions and comments below: @vnair198: The WWE Universe Star @JohnCena posted a picture of #AsimRiaz on his Instagram account with no caption as usual! This would be such a motivation to him, once he is out! He surely has won a millions of hearts! and some really idols good wishes. #AsimForTheWin #JohnCena @lamamir143: #JohnCena love u @JohnCena for supporting our star boy #AsimRiaz #AsimKeAsliFans @tarande66906180: ALREADY A INTERNATIONAL STAR WHEN A WWE SUPERSTAR POSTED UR PIC ND SHOWING A LOVE FR U WHAT U EARN MORE OTHER THAN THIS.ASIM U R INTERNATIONAL STAR THIS IS BCZ ALL UR HARDWORK,PATIENCE AND MIND. WE LOVE U BRO #AsimForTheWin #AsimKeAslFans #JohnCena #BB13 @sam89691749: Proud of asim such a huge moment that few month back no one know the boy accept few but now the whole world know him .... Respect Johncena post his pictures on his Instagram heart touching moments. @imrealasim @realumarriaz @realhimanshi #JohnCena #AsimRiazForTheWin (All social media posts are unedited.) ALSO READ: Himanshi On Reports Of Asim's Family Against Their Relationship: I Dont Want To Create Any Rift ALSO READ: Bigg Boss 13: Arhaan Khan Gets Legal Notice For Illegally Staying At Rashami Desais House Meghan McCain threw a tantrum in front of The View audience following an on-air spat with Whoopi Goldberg and then clashed with a producer during a commercial break, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal. The 35-year-old Republican paced and 'looked like she was ready to walk off the set,' on Thursday morning, a source told DailyMail.com. The outburst came after McCain lashed out at Goldberg who compared Utah Senator Mitt Romney to the late John McCain, leading Meghan to quip that Romney is 'nothing like my dad.' Tensions further rose when Goldberg, 64, snapped at McCain: 'You're half my age! So hear what I know!' McCain shot back: 'That's very dismissive. I don't understand what my age has to do with my political perspective right now. I just don't think it's very nice.' As soon as the show cut to commercial, McCain got up and began pacing and had a heated conversation with a producer, as the source explained: 'There was definite tension on the set.' Meghan McCain threw a tantrum in front of The View audience following an on-air spat with Whoopi Goldberg and clashed with a producer during a commercial break, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal The outburst came after McCain lashed out at Goldberg who compared Mitt Romney to John McCain, leading Meghan to quip that Romney is 'nothing like my dad.' Tensions further rose when Goldberg, 64, snapped at McCain: 'You're half my age! So hear what I know!' The source continued: 'Meghan seemed like she was reaching a breaking point during the confrontation with the producer.' Fellow co-hosts Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin tried to stay out of the unfolding drama, apparently used to McCain's antics, the source said. Things only calmed down when Whoopi went over to McCain to patch things up before the show returned, with McCain even fixing Whoopi's hair before returning to her chair. Still, after the outburst, 'Meghan barely interacted with the other hosts,' the source said. They added: 'It seemed like Meghan felt she was being attacked. I don't think she's going to last much longer.' McCain joined The View in 2017 and quickly made a name for herself by getting into showdowns with her co-hosts. McCain has exchanged many a heated word with her counterparts in Goldberg, Hostin and Behar - who she once called a b***h on live TV. The outspoken conservative even admitted to having a 'very rough' few weeks, amid media reports about toxic relations on the set of The View. The source continued: 'Meghan seemed like she was reaching a breaking point during the confrontation with her producer.' Last week, McCain admitted to having a 'very rough' few weeks, amid media reports about toxic relations on the set of The View On December 16, Goldberg snapped at McCain live on air and told her to 'stop talking' before she cut to a commercial break. Addressing that incident on an episode of Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live last week, McCain claimed that Goldberg was 'having a bad day' and had 'apologized'. 'Whoopi is the anchor of the show and my life there and she always picks us up when we're down,' the pundit cooed. 'I adore her and I need her as the moderator.' McCain went on to claim that she has no current plans to quit the show, but said she would do so if Goldberg decided to leave, saying: 'If she jumps, I jump.' DailyMail.com previously reported that McCain has been the source of drama behind the scenes at The View for months, causing morale among staffers to plummet to an all-time low. She tried to get The View's Emmy-winning makeup artist Karen Dupiche fired and was given the nickname 'Manic McCain and Elsa' by producers for her inappropriate outbursts and her 'cold and difficult' attitude, sources previously said. McCain creating a 'toxic work environment' was reportedly one of the reasons why former host Abby Huntsman decided to leave last month. Meanwhile, Huntsman blamed her departure on wanting to help her father Jon Huntsman's campaign to run for governor of Utah. McCain creating a 'toxic work environment' was reportedly one of the reasons why former host Abby Huntsman decided to leave last month Huntsman had explained she was asked by her father Jon Huntsman Jr. (pictured together) to help run his campaign 'months ago' and initially thought it wasn't the right time for her. But over the holidays, she reconsidered his offer and accepted After Huntsman announced her departure, CNN ran a report about their bitter feud and how Huntsman had met with ABC executive Barbara Fedida, telling her about McCain and that she wanted out. McCain admitted to Cohen to having a fight with Huntsman, explaining: 'We did have a fight' but quickly added it was 'a very small fight and a friend fight, and all friendships have ups and downs.' McCain went on to say she and Huntsman have since mended their long-time friendship, stating: 'We are very close. I just talked to her yesterday morning. She's campaigning with her dad.' McCain denied claims that a feud was behind Huntsman's decision to quit The View, saying she was saddened by her pal's departure. 'I didn't want her to go, selfishly, because I thought she was an amazing co-host and just having a friend there has been lovely,' McCain stated. 'But it's been really emotionally taxing to have like our friendship used this way in the media. It's taken a real toll on me.' According to Fortune Business Insights, the Animal Vaccines Market is anticipated to rise from a value of USD 9.75 Billion in 2018 to USD 16.01 Billion by 2026. The forecast period is set from 2019 to 2026 and the market is expected to rise at a CAGR of 6.4%. The Animal Vaccines Market is segmented on the basis of product, animal, and route of administration, distribution channel, and geography. Among these, the parental animal vaccines segment will earn the highest revenue in the forecast duration with respect to route of administration. This is owing to the fact that parental animal vaccines are among the most traditional and common forms of vaccinations. On the other side, the companion animal segment is prognosticated to grow at rapid CAGR in the forecast period, with respect to animal. This is attributable to the rise in number of pet ownership on a worldwide basis. The report provides market analysis to give a broader overview of the key players in the market. In addition, the report also covers key strategic developments of the market including acquisitions & mergers, new product & service launches, agreements, partnerships, collaborations & joint ventures, research & development, and regional expansion of major participants involved in the market on a global and regional basis. Key Features of Animal Vaccines Market Report: Overview, Industry Life Cycle Analysis, Supply Chain Analysis Animal Vaccines Market Size, Trends, Growth Drivers, Constraints, SWOT Analysis, Forecast Analysis Competitive Landscapes: Market Share, Product Portfolio, New Product Launches, etc. Market attractiveness and Associated Growth Opportunities Strategic Growth Opportunities for the Existing and New Players Key Success Factors Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/veterinary-animal-vaccines-market-101532 Rise in Disposable Income to Help Asia Pacific Market Grow Rapidly The Animal Vaccines Market was dominated by North America with a revenue generation of US$ 2.97 billion in 2018 AND Fortune Business Insights predicts this region to continue its dominance in the forecast period as well owing to the rapid adoption of efficient veterinary vaccines. This, accompanied by the use of technologically advanced vaccine delivery across all regions is anticipated to help North America remain dominant. On the other side, the market for veterinary vaccination in Asia Pacific market is anticipated to register highest growth in the market. This is attributable to the rise in awareness and increase in disposable incomes of people that made them want to invest in the healthcare and well-being of their pets. Livestock and companion animals from Japan, India, China and the rest of Asia Pacific are taking keen interest in the implementation of timely vaccination. This is further expected to increase the Animal Vaccines Market share in the region. Key Companies and Manufacturers Covered: NEOGEN CORPORATION Eli Lilly and Company Elanco Merial ImmuCell Corporation Ceva Intervet Inc. (Merck Animal Health) Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH Virbac Zoetis Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts:https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/veterinary-animal-vaccines-market-101532 Detailed Table of Content: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Prevalence of Major Animal Diseases by Countries Livestock and Companion Animal Ownership Patterns Recent Industry Developments such as Mergers & Acquisitions Regulatory Scenario in Key Countries Technological Advancements in Animal Immunization Overview of Novel Vaccine Delivery Modes Key Strategies Adopted by Market Leaders TOC Continued! Market Segmentation: By Product Inactivated Live Attenuated Recombinant Others By Animal Companion Livestock By Geography North America ( United States Arizona, California, Texas, Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and Canada ) Arizona, California, Texas, Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and ) Europe ( United Kingdom , Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, and Rest of Europe) , Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, and Rest of Europe) Asia Pacific (Japan, China, India , Australia , Southeast Asia, and Rest of Asia Pacific) , , Southeast Asia, and Rest of Asia Pacific) Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, and Rest of Latin America) Middle East & Africa (South Africa, GCC and Rest of Middle East & Africa) Reasons to Purchase this Report: Detailed business profiles including product offerings, recent developments, key financial information, and strategies employed by main market players. Analysis of various regions and countries that includes the demand and supply based actions, which consequently have a major influence on the markets expansion. Market dynamics and opportunities for growth for players in the near future. Competitive landscape describing the market revenue shares of key players. Market segmentation analysis that deals with quantitative and qualitative research, discussing the influence of policy-based and economical aspects. Our proven methodologies and systematic analysis help in making confident business and strategic decisions. A market study that conducts at Fortune Business Insights can save significant cost and time, and can help prevent making costly mistakes. Order Full Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/checkout-page/101532 About Us: Fortune Business Insights offers expert corporate analysis and accurate data, helping organizations of all sizes make timely decisions. We tailor innovative solutions for our clients, assisting them to address challenges distinct to their businesses. Our goal is to empower our clients with holistic market intelligence, giving a granular overview of the market they are operating in. Contact Us: US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email:sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com U.S. President Donald Trump meets Thursday with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, who comes to the White House with a warning: Africa is not a battlefield for proxy disputes with countries such as China. This is a rare visit by an African head of state to Trump's White House and the leaders' second meeting after one in 2018. They are widely expected to discuss the establishment of a free trade agreement between the U.S. and Kenya, though a smiling Kenyatta said Wednesday he could neither confirm nor deny it. It would be the first time the U.S. has signed such an agreement with a country in sub-Saharan Africa. As East Africa's economic hub, Kenya has strategic importance as the U.S. tries to counter the influence of China, which more than a decade ago surpassed the U.S. as Africas largest trading partner. Kenyatta on Wednesday, in remarks at the Atlantic Council in Washington, warned against a return to the Cold War era where countries across Africa were forced to choose sides. People must stop seeing the resource-rich continent as there for the taking, he said. Global powers are "behaving like Africa is for the taking," Kenyatta said Wednesday. We dont want to be forced to choose. ... We must begin to look at Africa as the worlds biggest opportunity, and I believe that you can dare to look at it with a fresh eye. Kenyatta rejected concerns that a free trade agreement with the U.S. would undermine a new continental free trade agreement in Africa aimed at creating the worlds largest common market. Kenya was one of the first to sign the deal, he said. According to Kenyatta's office, Kenya has been working closely with the U.S. to craft a trade arrangement that guarantees continued market access for Kenyas products in the U.S. after the African Growth and Opportunity Act ends in 2025. Under AGOA, Kenya enjoys duty-free access to the U.S. market, Kenyas third largest export destination. Meanwhile Kenya is struggling to finance its debt due in part to borrowing from the Chinese to finance large infrastructure projects such as a $3.8 billion standard gauge railway line. Part of China's Belt and Road Initiative, the majority-Chinese financed railway is Kenyas largest infrastructure project since independence from Britain in 1963. Critics say the 610-kilometer (380-mile) project is overpriced. Progress is unclear on an agreement between the U.S. and Kenya to build a highway to link the capital, Nairobi, with the port city of Mombasa. The project is seen as Washington's countermeasure to China's growing influence. In November, U.S. Ambassador Kyle McCarter rejected local media reports saying the Chinese were looking to be awarded the contract after the U.S. abandoned it, calling it fake news. He said the project was on track and would not saddle Kenya with unsustainable debt. Kenyatta's meeting with Trump is also expected to focus on security and countering extremism, just weeks after the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group based in neighboring Somalia carried out the Three Americans were killed last month, including a service member and two contractors, and several U.S. aircraft were destroyed at a military base on Kenyas coast. It was the first al-Shabab attack against the U.S. military in Kenya. That attack took place as the Trump administration Al-Shabab has launched numerous attacks inside Kenya and is the target of a growing number of U.S. airstrikes inside Somalia during the Trump administration, including 63 last year. Climate change is another concern for Kenya and countries across Africa, which stands to suffer the most from global warming but is the least equipped to deal with it and contributes to it the least. Kenyatta has said Kenya is the only African nation to reach the goal of making My friends, climate change is real, Kenyatta said at the Atlantic Council. We are very clear on that. He said it must be fought collectively. A Bexar County Sheriff's deputy, who attempted to flee from law enforcement, has been arrested on family violence charges, according to BCSO. Around 5 a.m. Thursday, BCSO patrol deputies and the Public Integrity Unit investigators arrested off-duty deputy John Paul Garza, 30, who was charged with assault bodily injury-married. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox BCSO deputies were dispatched to the location just before 11 p.m. Wednesday in North Bexar County. When deputies arrived, Garza had fled from the scene. Garza was found early Thursday morning and placed into custody. We have taken every measure to prevent this from happening," Sheriff Javier Salazar said. "We will not hire anyone with a violent arrest history. We have implemented family violence prevention training and ethics training for every single deputy. While I am certainly not proud of this one deputys actions, I am proud of the way this case was handled. No member of this agency will tolerate criminal activity by another. Garza has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, the department said. BCSO Internal Affairs will also be conducting a separate investigation into the incident. Garza has been a deputy since July 2012. He is being held on a $3,000 bond. 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 The European Union's markets watchdog said on Thursday it has asked its British counterpart to ensure that ICE Futures Europe and the London Metal Exchange fully comply with the bloc's market transparency rules for commodity derivatives. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) said it "encourages" Britain's Financial Conduct Authority to "employ timely" measures to ensure compliance with transparency obligations at ICE Futures Europe and the LME. Britain has undertaken to apply all EU financial rules during the transition period that began after Brexit last week and lasts until the end of December. (Reuters) Source: www.businessworld.ie A 'recovering' primary school teacher who worked in the profession for 15 years in Australia has revealed the moment that forced her to quit teaching, and how she was worn down by a system where she felt she was pushed to the brink. Gabbie Stroud, from New South Wales, said she loved teaching and had always enjoyed working with kids, but felt she had to quit one day when she issued a standardised test to a 'little one' who she knew was going to fail the exam. 'I knew he was going to fail because the way he had been parented and his home life meant that he came to school probably 12 months behind where most of the other students were presenting at,' Gabbie told The Morning Show. A 'recovering' primary school teacher who worked in the profession for 15 years in Australia has revealed the moment that forced her to quit teaching (Gabbie Stroud pictured) 'At the end of the testing regime, the little one was looking at me like "Who are you? Where is my teacher? Why aren't you supporting me?" 'And that was a terrible moment for me as a teacher. It created a whole heap of anxiety and heartbreak.' Gabbie said she went to see her doctor after the event, and had a 'good long chat'. 'I knew that it was time for me to leave the profession,' Gabbie said. At the end of 2014, she handed in her notice and turned her back on the job she once loved. Gabbie Stroud (pictured) said she loved teaching, but felt she had to quit one day when she issued a standardised test to a 'little one' who she knew was going to fail the exam Five years after she left teaching, Gabbie is the author of several books on the subject - including her latest Dear Parents, which offers messages to parents and advice on what they should know. 'My biggest message to parents would be: Parents, I need you to do the work of a parent at home so that I can do the work of a teacher at school,' Gabbie said. Gabbie said parents need to work with teachers at 'nutting out' a 'working partnership'. 'Time is a teacher's biggest commodity,' Gabbie explained. 'Teachers are professionals, so engage with them as you would another professional. 'Seek a time and a place to meet them, be really clear about what you want and don't have general chats about how your child is going.' Gabbie also said the word 'thank you' can go a long way, if you feel a teacher has helped your child. Gabbie's (pictured) biggest message to parents is that at home they need to 'do the work of a parent' so she can do the 'work of a teacher at school' Gabbie advised against adding your child's teacher on Facebook and messaging them incessantly for guidance and feedback. Gabbie is the author of several books (pictured) on the state of the education system 'Too often, teachers are expected to do things that parents are shying away from,' she told The Morning Show. 'Teachers are not afraid to say no to kids. I think that parents these days are a little too afraid to say no to kids. You need to say no to your child.' She said that while teachers will come and go, parents are the 'lifelong teachers' of their children and so should act appropriately. Gabbie taught in schools both in Australia, the UK and Canada between the years 1999 and 2014. Since then, she has published several books on teaching, including one called 'Teacher' and her latest 'Dear Parents'. Both discuss the fact that the current system is letting down children and parents, and breaking dedicated would-be teachers. Dear Parents attempts to show how you as a parent can help your child to progress in school. For more information about Gabbie Stroud, please visit her website here. The smart education market is expected to grow by USD 117.71 billion during 2020-2024, according to the latest market research report by Technavio. Request a free sample report This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005611/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global smart education market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Education authorities across the world are undertaking various measures to digitize the education system and gain quantitative insights on performance. This is encouraging many traditional educational institutions to adopt smart education solutions to improve the quality of education and manage increasing student enrolments. Moreover, the adoption of smart education solutions offers several economical and environmental benefits for institutions. For instance, the deployment of smart education solutions reduces the dependency on paper as most of the paperwork will be scanned, digitized, and stored in digital forms. In addition, these solutions help educational institutions collect various information and streamline activities of the administrators and other back-office departments. Many such benefits are increasing the adoption of smart education solutions among educational institutions, which is driving the growth of the market. To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR40431 As per Technavio, the increasing number of strategic alliances will have a positive impact on the market and contribute to its growth significantly over the forecast period. This research report also analyzes other significant trends and market drivers that will influence market growth over 2020-2024. Smart Education Market: Increasing Number of Strategic Alliances The market is witnessing an increase in the number of strategic alliances among market players. For instance, in October 2019, CBSE collaborated with Adobe to launch a Creative Challenge across its affiliated 20,000 schools in India. Such strategic alliances are helping vendors in strengthening their market presence and increasing the reach of their products for a wide range of end-users. This trend will have a positive impact on the growth of the global smart education market during the forecast period. "Rising adoption of wearables and IoT, continuous focus on new product development, and the emergence of virtual schools will further boost market growth during the forecast period," says a senior analyst at Technavio. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Global Smart Education Market: Segmentation Analysis This market research report segments the global smart education market by product (content, software, and hardware), end-users (higher education and K-12 schools), and geography (APAC, Europe, MEA, North America, and South America). The APAC region led the smart education market in 2019, followed by Europe, North America, South America, and MEA. During the forecast period, the APAC region is expected to register the highest incremental growth due to the increasing number of schools and higher education institutions that have adopted smart devices in modern classrooms. 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 Some of the key topics covered in the report include: Product Content Software Hardware End-users Higher education K-12 schools Geographic segmentation APAC Europe MEA North America South America Market Drivers Market Challenges Market Trends Vendor Landscape Vendors covered Vendor classification Market positioning of vendors Competitive scenario 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/20200206005611/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: https://www.technavio.com/ French oil and gas group Total on Thursday signed a new deal with Indian company Adani Group to expand their partnership towards the renewable energy sector. Total said it would create a 50/50 joint venture company with Adani Green Energy Limited, to set up green energy projects in more than 11 Indian states with a cumulative capacity of over 2 GW. Total added that the deal with Adani had a value of around $500 million. Former Undercover FBI Agent: Why Its Difficult Catching Chinese Spies | The China Report In this episode of The China Report we speak with Marc Ruskin, a retired undercover FBI agent who spent 27 years in the agency, about Chinese espionage, the types of operations that Chinese spies carry out, and what the United States and other countries can do about it. In the future, robots could take blood samples, benefiting patients and healthcare workers alike. A Rutgers-led team has created a blood-sampling robot that performed as well or better than people, according to the first human clinical trial of an automated blood drawing and testing device. The device provides quick results and would allow healthcare professionals to spend more time treating patients in hospitals and other settings. The results, published in the journal Technology, were comparable to or exceeded clinical standards, with an overall success rate of 87% for the 31 participants whose blood was drawn. For the 25 people whose veins were easy to access, the success rate was 97%. The device includes an ultrasound image-guided robot that draws blood from veins. A fully integrated device, which includes a module that handles samples and a centrifuge-based blood analyzer, could be used at bedsides and in ambulances, emergency rooms, clinics, doctors' offices and hospitals. Venipuncture, which involves inserting a needle into a vein to get a blood sample or perform IV therapy, is the world's most common clinical procedure, with more than 1.4 billion performed daily in the United States. But clinicians fail in 27% of patients without visible veins, 40% of patients without palpable veins and 60% of emaciated patients, according to previous studies. Repeated failures to start an IV line boost the likelihood of phlebitis, thrombosis and infections, and may require targeting large veins in the body or arteries -- at much greater cost and risk. As a result, venipuncture is among the leading causes of injury to patients and clinicians. Moreover, a hard time accessing veins can increase procedure time by up to an hour, requires more staff and costs more than $4 billion a year in the United States, according to estimates. "A device like ours could help clinicians get blood samples quickly, safely and reliably, preventing unnecessary complications and pain in patients from multiple needle insertion attempts," said lead author Josh Leipheimer, a biomedical engineering doctoral student in the Yarmush lab in the biomedical engineering department in the School of Engineering at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. In the future, the device could be used in such procedures as IV catheterization, central venous access, dialysis and placing arterial lines. Next steps include refining the device to improve success rates in patients with difficult veins to access. Data from this study will be used to enhance artificial intelligence in the robot to improve its performance. Rutgers co-authors include Max L. Balter and Alvin I. Chen, who both graduated with doctorates; Enrique J. Pantin at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Professor Kristen S. Labazzo; and principal investigator Martin L. Yarmush, the Paul and Mary Monroe Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. A researcher at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital also contributed to the study. On Feb. 5, Pete Buttigiegs senior strategist Michael Halle posted a bizarre public tweet. Petes military experience and closing message from Iowa work everywhere especially in Nevada where its critical they see this on the air through the caucus. Michael Halle (@mhalle) February 5, 2020 The tweet has raised speculation about who the tweets audience is. Given the construction, it almost sounds like a DM. Warrens campaign manager Roger Lau responded quite quickly with concerns about whether the tweet was an attempt to coordinate with a super PAC and skirt around laws regarding such. Was this meant to be a DM or did you mean to tweet out this instruction to your super PAC?(Fun fact about how some campaigns exploit our broken campaign finance laws: if it was a DM it would be illegal.) https://t.co/yetULmZRjw Roger Lau (@RogerLau) February 5, 2020 If sent via DM, the message would be considered a coordination effort between Buttigiegs campaign and a super PAC, which is considered illegal under campaign finance law. In other words, making the tweet public could be a way to avoid prosecution. Recently, Politico reported that a super PAC named VoteVets, which is run by centrist Democrat military veterans, funded $197,000 worth of Buttigieg advertising ahead of the New Hampshire primary. A spokesman for Buttigieg, Chris Meagher, told Politico, Pete is the only candidate who isnt a millionaire or billionaire. And if the largest progressive veterans group wants to help spread the word about his service, we welcome it, continuing, Veterans have been central to propelling our movement and they will be a central part of the coalition that Pete will bring together to defeat Donald Trump. Nowhere here is a denial that the message from Halle was meant for super PAC viewership. Notably, the CEO of Acronym, whom we previously reported may have been involved with the production of the app Shadow that was the source of problems in the Iowa caucuses, is married to Michael Halle. It runs deep. Now Open 6 February 2020 As the city of Tokyo gears up for an historic summer, a new player makes its grand entrance on the capital's excitingand diversehotel landscape. Opening this February, K5 presents a wholly original concept; a micro-complex where a collective of guestrooms, restaurants, bars and social spaces are bound together by "aimai" a Japanese word roughly translating to vague or obscure, with entirely positive connotations. Tangibly, this manifests as 20 generously sized rooms, each designed by Swedish firm Claesson Koivisto Rune, and defined by dramatic veiled columns, custom-made furniture and a liberal application of native materials. Neatly stacked within a four-storey 1920s structure, the rooms exist in conjunction with a restaurant led by one of the city's newest culinary heroes, a library-styled bar and a coffee shop suited to guests and locals alike. Here, in the heart of Tokyo's financial district, K5 leads the charge of this fast-evolving corner of the city as it redefines and readies itself for the spotlight Situated at a convenient junction between the commercial district of Marunouchi and the up-and-coming Eastern Tokyoand just a 10-minute walk from Tokyo StationK5's central location puts it at a crux of movement in the city. The hotel anchors the newly revitalized district of Kabuto-cho, the erstwhile financial center of Japan where retail, bars, bistros and co-working spaces housed in old buildings are slowly reshaping the landscape of an area best known for the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The four-storey former concrete bank that houses the hotel dates to the 1920s and accordingly aligns with the classic architectural aesthetic typical of this area. Inside, Swedish design firm Claesson Koivisto Rune (CKR) has tackled the revamp with gusto, committing full respect to the original features of the building. As such, original raw concrete flooring is augmented with newer floor coverings honed from the same material, while the presence of traditional accents, such as cedar wood and Japanese stucco, maintain a mood of authenticity and connectivity to the structure's past. Additionally guided by "aimai' as a design concept, Claesson Koivisto Rune have implemented a palpable mood of amorphousness within a series of spaces where unclear boundaries lend themselves to versatile areas that have the capacity to change character throughout the day. This is best exemplified in public areas such as the reception, which also duals as a coffee shop that gently seeps into the wine bar and then the restaurant, thanks to a purposeful blueprint conceived with the intention for all spaces and functions to purposely intermingle. Unusually, the hotel's unique location has directly influenced the lighting and colour scheme in some public spaces. With the rear of the hotel facing an arterial thoroughfare, Claesson Koivisto Rune have utilized passing car lights as a feature, incorporating colored glass into all windows at the back of the hotel for a kaleidoscopic light show in the hotel's corridors. Similar bursts of color are also present in guestrooms, open spaces which are defined by a large central veiled column, cut from naturally dyed fabric in bold shades of indigo. The grand proportions of each high-ceilinged space are compounded by the minimal arrangement of Claesson Koivisto Rune-designed sofas, leather recliners and flowerpots positioned around each veiled core, while record players accompanied by curated vinyl collections introduce a touch of intimacy. These pieces coalesce with Claesson Koivisto-Rune-designed lightingmost prominently, bespoke washi paper lampsand items from Maruni and Emeco, in addition to prints from the architect's 'Faciem' collection. In the K5 Rooms, Junior Suites, and the K5 Loft, bespoke K5 two-seater sofas upholstered in Kvadrat textiles further emphasize the hotel's oscillation between both Scandinavian and Japanese design sensibilities, aptly demonstrated amongst the near 20 items designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune for the hotel-spanning seating to pencils. This extends to bathrooms areas, where custom-made basins adorned with amenities from Brown Alchemist combine with wall-to-wall wood benches, stark white tiling, cedar wood ceilings and both red and white lighting tones. The concept of "aimai" also prevails here by way of unobtrusive Japanese cedar wood partition walls between sleeping areas and bathrooms, and centrally positioned oversized mirrors that impart a marked sense of continuity throughout each space. Rounding out the hotel's impressive offering is a food, beverage and social program that fully completes K5's micro-complex setup. Featuring the basement level B, Brooklyn Brewery's first tap room outside of New York, serving tacos and craft beer, and the ground floor Ao, a celebration of mixology and Chinese medicine, K5 offers a diverse line-up appealing to locals and guests alike. Further underlining the hotel's positioning as social hub is Caveman, a spinoff of the hugely popular Tokyo restaurant Kabi. Led by chef Atsuki Kuroda, the eatery presents progressive Japanese cuisine in a space characterized by wooden parquet flooring, long communal tables and raw concrete walls. More casual outings are suited to Switch Coffee, where the specialty coffee selection is framed by a space in which the hotel's abundance of greenery reaches a stunning peak, not least due to the neighbouring in-house flower shop, which gently spills over into both this room and the reception lounge. Location Set where the evolving Kabuto-cho district adjuncts the commercial hub of Marunouchi and Otemachi, K5 is a springboard to complete immersion in Tokyo's many divergent facets. Within walking distance of Tokyo Station, the shopping areas of Nihombashi and Ginza, and the culturally hip Eastern Tokyo, the hotel sits at the center of a fast-changing district that draws commercial and residential tenants alike. In a significant development, Islak on the outskirts of Ahmednagar in Maharashtra became the first village in the country to pass a resolution against the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register. This assumes significance as the opposition was perceived as being confined only to urban areas. Also, as per reports, not a single Muslim resides in Islak having a population of approximately 2,000. Read: BIG: Maha CM Uddhav Thackeray Disagrees With NCP And Congress, Backs Implementation Of CAA 'They do not have documents to prove their citizenship' The Gram Panchayat took the decision after a majority of the population expressed concern over the lack of documents. Speaking to ANI, Mahadev Gawli- a villager who proposed the resolution during the Gram Panchayat meeting warned the Centre that a non-cooperation movement would be launched if the CAA and the NRC were not rolled back. He revealed that at least 45% of its population belonged to the downtrodden sections who did not possess documents to prove their citizenship. Read: 'No One Will Be Affected Due To CAA & NRC In Maharashtra, MVA Has Stated': NCP Mahadev Gawli remarked, "Out of the 2000 people here, 45% of people belong to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and downtrodden sections. They do not have documents to prove their citizenship. We have sent a dossier to the Centre suggesting to make changes in the new law. If not done, we will organise a non-cooperation movement from here. Read: 72 Yrs To Learn Traffic Rules, 2 Days To Learn CAA? Must Teach Blessed People: Anupam Kher What is the CAA? 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. Additionally, the mandatory residence period for naturalised citizenship for these communities has been reduced to five years. The opposition contends that the Act discriminates on the basis of religion. The law has not only sparked off nationwide protests but it has also been challenged in the Supreme Court. Read: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale Urges CM Uddhav Thackeray To Implement CAA In Maharashtra Maharashtra CM backs CAA Interestingly, the village's stance comes at a time when Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray backed the implementation of the CAA. Thackeray contended that this law did not snatch away anyone's citizenship. Moreover, he opined that there was no need for people to indulge in protests when the NRC had not been introduced. (With ANI inputs) By PTI LOS ANGELES: Veteran actor and Hollywood's Golden Era icon Kirk Douglas, known to fans world over for his films such as "Spartacus", "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", "The Bad and the Beautiful" and "Champion", has passed away at the age of 103, his family has announced. The actor died of natural causes on Wednesday. His son, actor Micheal Douglas shared the news of his father's death on social media. "It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103. To the world he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to." "But to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great-grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband," he wrote alongside pictures of Kirk Douglas through the ages. Michael Douglas said his father leaves a rich cinema legacy behind but he will also be remembered for his contribution to public service. "Kirk's life was well-lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet. Let me end with the words I told him on his last birthday and which will always remain true. Dad - I love you so much and I am so proud to be your son," he wrote. His daughter-in-law, actor Catherine Zeta-Jones also shared a loving photo with Kirk Douglas. "To my darling Kirk, I shall love you for the rest of my life. I miss you already. Sleep tight..." she wrote. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg, who presented Kirk Douglas with an honorary Oscar at the 1996 Academy Awards, remembered the actor who retained his movie star charisma right till the end. Born as Issur Danielovitch Demsky in Amsterdam, Kirk Douglas was one of the seven children of his parents -- Jewish immigrants from Russia. When he came of age, he went to work to support his family. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kirk Douglas put himself through New York's St Lawrence University by working as a janitor. After receiving his bachelor of arts degree, he moved to Manhattan where he received a special scholarship for the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He made his Broadway debut as a singing messenger boy in "Spring Again", starring Grace George and C Aubrey Smith, soon after graduating in 1941. Father-son presenters Kirk Douglas and Michael Douglas shouting out "Chicago" as the best picture of the year at the 75th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles. (File Photo | AP) Next year, he legally changed his name to Kirk Douglas before enlisting in the US Navy during World War II. He attended the Midshipman School at Notre Dame, and was commissioned an ensign. He served on anti-submarine patrol in the Pacific as a communications officer until 1944, when he was honourably discharged as a lieutenant. Post-war, he returned to civilian life and Broadway, replacing Richard Widmark as the juvenile lead in "Kiss and Tell" and appeared in "Trio and Star in the Window". His performance in "The Wind Is Ninety" brought him to Hollywood's attention. What followed was his Hollywood debut in 1946 with the film "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" with Barbara Stanwyck, which led to leading man roles in the 1950s-60s. He starred as a ruthless boxer in "Champion" (1949), a hated, ambitious movie producer in "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952) and iconic painter Vincent van Gogh in "Lust for Life" (1956). He also launched his banner, Bryna Productions, in 1955. He is billed as the first actor to take control of his career through a production house in the post-War era, challenging the stronghold of Hollywood studios. Kirk Douglas not only continued to play opinionated men in "Ace in the Hole", "Detective Story" but also tried his hands at sympathetic roles in memorable films such as "Out of the Past" (1947), "Gunfight at the OK Corral" (1957), "Paths of Glory" (1957) and "The List of Adrian Messenger" (1963). But his most memorable role is off the screen. He was the first major star to defy the McCarthy Era establishment by producing and starring as a slave in "Spartacus", written by blacklisted Hollywood screenwriter Dalton Trumbo. The movie, in a way, is considered a reflection of who he was as a person. He also banked on a then young Stanley Kubrick with "Spartacus". The film became Universal's biggest money-spinner, an achievement that stood for a decade. Kirk Douglas earlier worked with Kubrick in "Paths of Glory". For his banner, Kirk Douglas starred in titles such as "The Indian Fighter" (1955), "The Vikings" (1958), "Lonely Are the Brave" (1962), "Seven Days in May" (1964) and "The Brotherhood" (1968). A decorated artiste, the actor won many honours including the highest award that can be given to a US civilian, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He received the Cecil B DeMille Award at the 1968 Golden Globes. Nominated three times for the best actor Oscar, Kirk Douglas received the Honorary Award for 50 years as a creative and moral force in the film community in 1996. Despite suffering a stroke in 1996, Douglas continued to be active. He made his final screen appearance in 2004, playing an ailing film director in the low budget drama "Illusion". In 2009, he starred in an autobiographical one-man show, "Before I Forget", at the Center Theater Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. An author of 11 books, Kirk Douglas wrote his first, an autobiography "The Ragman's Son" in 1988 and his last "Kirk and Anne: Letters of Love, Laughter, and a Lifetime in Hollywood", was published in 2017. Kirk Douglas is survived by sons Michael and Joel from his first marriage with actor Diane Dill, and Peter and Eric from philanthropist Anne Buydens. [The stream is slated to start at 10:00 a.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] World Health Organization officials are holding a press conference at 10 a.m. ET to update the public on the new coronavirus outbreak. As of Thursday, more than 28,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported, resulting in at least 565 deaths. The WHO declared the virus a global health emergency last week, a rare designation that helps the international agency mobilize financial and political support to contain the outbreak. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday that the number of confirmed cases grew by more than 3,100 over the previous 24 hours, which he said was "the most cases in a single day since the outbreak started" on Dec. 31. However, he emphasized that the overwhelming majority of cases are in China, and of those, 80% are in Hubei province, where the virus was first detected in the city of Wuhan. "Our greatest concern is about the potential for spread in other countries with weaker health systems and who lack the capacity to detect and diagnose the virus," he said. "We're only as strong as the weakest link." "We cannot defeat this outbreak without solidarity. Political solidarity, technical solidarity, and financial solidarity," he continued. Tedros also announced Wednesday that the WHO is requesting $675 million to fund its "strategy preparedness and response plan" for the next three months. He said the WHO has already tapped $9 million of funding from its contingency fund for emergencies. [To see the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit CNBC's live updates here.] CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio -- A 32-year-old man killed outside his apartment building suffered several gunshot wounds as he returned home from a bar with a woman, a Cleveland Heights police report says. Deandre Johns died in the shooting that happened about 2 a.m. Jan. 8 at Belvoir Center Apartments on Monticello and Belvoir boulevards, reports say. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiners Office said he died from several gunshot wounds to the torso and upper chest. The coroner also noted that Johns was shot at an extremely close range. Investigators found him lying unconscious on the ground in one of the parking lots of the apartment complex. Cleveland Heights police officers gave him CPR at the scene, but was pronounced dead about 10 minutes later, reports say. A woman, who went out with Johns, ran up to police and said someone shot him several times as they tried to walk into one of the buildings. The woman only knew Johns as Smithy. She told investigators that they went to a bar down the street prior to the shooting, but she could not say which bar, the report says. Investigators found a number of bullet casings around the parking lot. Police also recovered shattered glass, bullet fragments, cellphones, key fobs, an empty Patron Tequila box and cups in the hallway of the apartment complex where they tried to enter, the report says. An apartment resident witnessed a white Hyundai Elantra leave the parking lot after the shooting. Another apartment resident told police she was in the bathroom when she heard a bunch of gunshots. She also saw a car similar to what another resident described. Investigators have not identified the car or a suspect. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call Cleveland Heights police at 216-321-1234 or the tip line at 216-291-5010. Read related crime stories: Officials identify Euclid man shot to death in Cleveland Heights apartment complex parking lot Police: One person dead in early-morning Cleveland Heights shooting If youd like to comment on this story, visit Thursdays crime and courts comments section. It is an Alliance of 'like-minded partners who treasure, and fight for, international religious freedom for every human being', US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in his address during the formal launch Washington: The United States on Wednesday announced the launch of a 27-nation International Religious Freedom Alliance, which will try to adopt a collective approach in protecting and preserving religious freedom across the world. It is an Alliance of "like-minded partners who treasure, and fight for, international religious freedom for every human being", US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in his address during the formal launch. Among the prominent countries to join the alliance are Australia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Israel, Ukraine, the Netherlands, and Greece. "Defending the right of all people to live their lives according to their conscience is one of this administration's top priorities," Pompeo said in his address. "Indeed, we must affirm, and fight for, that truth now more than ever. More than eight in 10 people in the world today live where they cannot practice their faith freely," he said. "We condemn terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities, whether they are Yazidis in Iraq, Hindus in Pakistan, Christians in northeast Nigeria, or Muslims in Burma," Pompeo said. "We condemn blasphemy and apostasy laws that criminalize matters of the soul. We condemn the Chinese Communist Party's hostility to all faiths. We know several of you courageously pushed back against Chinese pressure by agreeing to be part of this Alliance, and we thank you for that," Pompeo said. "Finally, our Alliance is off on the right foot as countries do their parts to advance this mission," the top American diplomat said. During the launch meeting, according to a senior State Department official, participating countries are to discuss the kind of areas that they are going to work and focus on. "The areas will include things like technology and religious oppression, blasphemy and apostasy laws, for instance. The toolbox will include things like, whether it's putting out statements, actions that can take place in international bodies that the group can come together and hopefully come behind, the possibilities of sanctions being used," said the official. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that it is a consensual body. Every nation is not bound to join in each of the items that come forth. "But as countries look at this and say that's something we're interested in, then they can join. And if they decide, look, that's not one we're interested in, then they won't, and there is no penalty or foul for any of participation or nonparticipation," the official said. ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI -- Police may have found the remains of a missing teen Wednesday, more than 30 years after she went missing. Police found skeletal remains in a shallow grave covered by cement in Allegan Countys Monterey Township on Feb. 5. The remains appear to be human, Allegan County Sheriffs officials said in a statement. Police executed a search warrant after receiving information that the body of a 14-year-old missing girl was possibly buried in the 3200 block of 136th Avenue. According to property records, the backyard officers were digging in is owned by Dennis Bowman. However, sheriffs officials would not answer questions about the case after they gave a short statement at a press conference Wednesday evening. Bowman was arrested last November for killing 25-year-old Kathleen OBrien Doyle. She was found dead in her home in Norfolk, Virginia on Sept. 11, 1980. Bowmans adopted daughter, Aundria Michelle Bowman, also went missing in the late 1980s. At the time of Bowmans arrest for the alleged murder of Doyle, law enforcement said they could not link Aundrias case to Bowman. Her biological mother, Cathy Terkanian, said in a phone interview with MLive/The Grand Rapids Press that she told law enforcement in 2010 that she suspected Bowman. Terkanian found out about her daughters disappearance in 2010 when law enforcement contacted her for DNA to try and rule out the a different Jane Doe. Terkanian said she believes her information about Bowman led police to search his yard. Yesterdays information came from me years ago," Terkanian said. They searched that property, because it was obvious he put her there, to me. Undersheriff Michael Larsen speaks during a press conference at Allegan County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. (Anntaninna Biondo | MLive.com)Anntaninna Biondo | MLive.com Terkanian said she got Bowmans criminal records and followed the Doyle case. Bowman has a criminal record that includes assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct in 1981 and breaking and entering a building in 1999. Allegan County Undersheriff Michael Larsen said after reading a brief statement that Bowman is still in Michigan. But he could not give any further details about potential extradition to Virginia for that case. I cant even discuss that at this moment, because those plans are still changing as we speak," he said. Officials say it could be several weeks before they can determine who the remains belong to. In the homicide case of Doyle, Bowman, 70, of Hamilton was arrested Nov. 22, in Allegan County. The victim was found slain on Sept. 11, 1980, at her home in Norfolk, Virginia. She was the daughter of a naval officer and wife of a U.S. Navy pilot who was deployed at the time, Norfolk Chief of Police Larry Boone said in a statement. She was stabbed with a knife and choked with a cord, the Virginia-Pilot reported at the time. More From MLive: Residents left out of PFAS settlement express frustration Neighbor tried desperately to save mother and her kids in fatal fire Crisis team at schools of kids killed in fire with mom In a phone call with the Russian president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised to meet any aggression against Turkish forces with a forceful response writes Baladi News. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that his country will use its legitimate right to self-defense against any new attacks by the Syria regime. This was said during a phone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on Tuesday, during which the Turkish president stressed that the attack which struck Turkish armed forces on Monday was a slap to the joint efforts to create peace in Syria. He added that Turkey will continue to use its legitimate right to self-defense against any similar attacks by the Syrian regime. The two presidents also discussed the latest developments in the region, primarily in Syria and Libya, as well as the bilateral relations between the two countries. Earlier on Monday, seven Turkish soldiers and civilians were killed during heavy artillery bombardment by the Syrian regime in Idleb province near Saraqeb. The Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement that Turkish forces responded immediately to the source of the fire. It added that the Syria regime had opened fire at Turkish forces sent to the area to stop fighting breaking out in Idleb even though their positions had been coordinated previously. Despite the call for a ceasefire in Idleb, the latest being the Turkish-Russian deal on Jan. 12, 2020, regime forces and Iranian and Russian militias continued their attacks on the area, killing more than 1,800 civilians and displacing more than 1.5 million others to the areas near the Turkish border since the Sochi agreement on Sept. 17, 2018. 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. Tullamore native Erica Prendergast was asked to speak about her recent Tall Ship adventures at Sail Training Irelands Annual Awards ceremony at the Mansion House in Dublin recently. Erica jumped at the chance to take part in her first voyage onboard the tall ship Pelican of London early last Summer thanks to a last-minute place becoming available. She did not realise that her life was about to change. Erica fell in love with the ship, the sea, and the sights. She very quickly decided that this was a life she wanted and went about pursuing a career at sea. With the assistance of Sail Training Ireland, she participated in three further voyages last Summer. Erica was then asked to work on the tall ship Maybe during its winter refit and maintenance. Having endured some personal struggles, Erica credits her first voyage with giving her the confidence to take this new course in life. The voyage opened her eyes to a whole new world of opportunity. She is pursuing a Competent Crew Certificate which she hopes to follow up with Skipper qualifications. To say I am living the dream is an understatement. I love my life at present. Since I started sailing with Sail Training Ireland, lots of things are happening for me. I have my self-worth back, self-confidence, a purpose in life. I can work as a team member and learn new skills. I'm also eager to learn about the ships. I have made good friends on the voyages and have memories I can cherish for life. I now have a purpose in life which before I never had, commented Erica. Sail Training Ireland is a charity that provides training programmes aboard Tall Ships and other vessels to people from all backgrounds and abilities on the island of Ireland. Early childhood development now to help create more well-rounded in the future is the focus of Harris Countys efforts to help thousands of families in the county. To help inform area residents, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced on Wednesday, Feb. 5, that the first of a series of community conversations will be held to help gather input for programs that support early childhood development across Harris County. The first session will take place from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, at the Health Museum at 1515 Hermann Drive in Houston. We know that many families in Harris County don't have access to critical services and support like affordable childcare and, even when they do, high-quality providers are few and far between, Hidalgo said in a news release. Right now, we're in the early stages of planning this new initiative, and would like to build the county's vision alongside the families, practitioners, and other stakeholders who think about early childhood development every day. We urge anyone interested in shaping the future of Harris County to join us. According to the county, research demonstrates that early childhood programs have one of the strongest returns on investment for any type of public program. Decades of studies have shown that children who had access to quality early childhood programs have higher high school graduation rates without suspension, have fewer interactions with the criminal justice system, and enjoy higher rates of employment as adults. According to Texas School Ready (https://texasschoolready.org) it is estimated by states that as many as half of their children, particularly those from low socioeconomic backgrounds and/or learning English as a second language (ESL), are entering kindergarten programs without the basic cognitive foundational skills necessary for them to succeed. To RSVP or for more information on the early childhood development discussions, visit https://cjo.harriscountytx.gov/kids. rkent@hcnonline.com Intraoperative molecular imaging used to illuminate and target non-small-cell lung cancer shows improved outcomes for 26% of patients in multi-institutional Phase 2 clinical trial. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - On Target Laboratories Inc., a privately held biotechnology company developing the use of Purdue University-discovered fluorescent markers to target and illuminate cancer during surgery, has announced the results of a multi-institutional Phase 2 clinical trial in which outcomes were improved for 26% of patients undergoing pulmonary resection for non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The results of the treatment, called OTL38, were presented at the 56th annual Meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), held last month in New Orleans, and were featured in a plenary session as a J. Maxwell Chamberlain Memorial Paper for General Thoracic Surgery, considered to be among the top-rated abstracts at STS. The treatment was developed in the Purdue laboratory of Philip Low in the Purdue Institute of Drug Discovery. Low is the Presidential Scholar for Drug Discovery and Ralph C. Corley Distinguished Professor of Chemistry-Biochemistry in the Department of Chemistry. Currently, there are 288 clinical trials performed or in process using Purdue-developed medical treatments at 4,841 sites across the globe. "Our goal is to provide surgeons with new technology to help them provide a more complete resection to more patients. This gives patients the best chance of improved outcomes after surgery," said Christopher Barys, president and CEO of On Target Laboratories. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Pulmonary resection, either a wedge resection, segmentectomy, or lobectomy, is recommended for most patients who have operable stage I-II non-small cell lung cancer. Intraoperative molecular imaging (IMI) also referred to as fluorescence-guided surgery may increase the likelihood of a more complete surgical resection, which could translate into increased survival for patients and reduced re-operations or adjuvant treatment for hospitals. Conducted over 18 months, the study included 92 patients eligible for analysis. There were no drug-related serious adverse events and 24 patients, or 26%, were impacted during pulmonary resection, with 8% of patients having a change in their stage due to the use of IMI. The study showed that IMI improved localization of small and peripheral lesions, which can be difficult for surgeons to identify visually or through manual palpitation, and enabled localization of otherwise unlocalizable lesions in 11 patients, or 12%. Further, 10 additional cancers were found in seven patients, or 8%. During the Specimen Check Phase, when the surgeon confirms that the nodule is in the specimen and analyzes the margins, surgeons thought all margins were adequate, yet back-table inspection using IMI revealed inadequate margins in eight patients, or 9%. OTL38 is the first technique that is specific to imaging adenocarcinomas of the lung, which is one of the most common types of invasive lung cancer," said Dr. Inderpal (Netu) S. Sarkaria of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "Near-infrared imaging with OTL38 may be a powerful tool to help surgeons significantly improve the quality of lung cancer surgery by more clearly identifying tumors and allowing the surgeon to better see and completely remove them one of the most vital components in the overall care of patients with this disease. OTL38 is under development in two Phase 3 clinical trials for lung and ovarian cancer indications. Both trials are being conducted under a special protocol agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. OTL38 also has received a fast-track designation for both the lung and ovarian cancer indications and an orphan designation for ovarian cancer from the FDA. Low is a co-founder of On Target and the technology is licensed through the Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology of Commercialization. The Purdue Institute of Drug Discovery is situated near Discovery Park District, a $1 billion-plus long-term enterprise to support a transformational center of innovation on the western edge of the Purdue University campus. The district includes the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration, where startups, entrepreneurs, innovators and companies can collaborate with Purdue to address global challenges in health, sustainability, IT and space. The district already includes a public airport with a 7,000-foot runway, and partnerships with international companies including Rolls-Royce, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and Saab. Visit Discovery Park District. About Intraoperative Molecular Imaging To date, there have been limited ways for surgeons to confidently assess the location and full extent of cancerous tissue while operating. On Target Laboratories' fluorescent markers are composed of a near-infrared dye and a targeting molecule, or ligand, that binds to receptors overexpressed on cancer cells. These markers illuminate the cancerous lesions, lighting the way for the resection of malignant tissue and enabling surgeons to see and remove more diseased tissue. On Target's first novel compound, OTL38, targets folate receptors commonly found on many cancers, including lung and ovarian cancers. A small single dose of the compound is administered via IV infusion one to 24 hours before surgery, allowing the surgeon to identify malignant tissue during the procedure using the near-infrared camera. About On Target Laboratories Inc. On Target Laboratories discovers and develops fluorescent markers to target and illuminate cancer during surgery so it can be removed more completely. On Targets intraoperative molecular imaging technology, based on the pioneering work of professor Philip S. Low, reduces the uncertainty associated with finding and removing diseased tissue during medical procedures, empowering surgeons to provide a more accurate and complete surgical resection. OTL38, the company's first target compound molecule, is currently under development for use during surgery for ovarian and lung cancer and is not yet approved. On Target is located in the Purdue Research Park of West Lafayette, Indiana. For more information visit www.ontargetlabs.com. About Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization The Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among leading research universities in the U.S. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university's academic activities. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Place from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. For more information on licensing a Purdue innovation, contact the Office of Technology Commercialization at otcip@prf.org. The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Media contact: Cynthia Sequin, Purdue Research Foundation, casequin@prf.org Huaweis hold over the US telecom market could be temporary. The Trump administration wants US companies to make 5G telecom gear to replace Huawei. New US companies to produce 5G telecom gear to replace Huawei To replace Huawei in the US and its dominance over US telecom gear, the Trump administration is encouraging new US companies to enter into telecom gear production. Among the new companies to enter the hardware race are Dell and Microsoft. Ericsson and Nokia are two companies that are present telecom hardware makers. The cost of their equipment is greater than Huaweis. Huawei has dominated the telecom industry in the US due to its budget pricing on network equipment. Advertisement Dell and Microsoft are new to the mix, though these two companies produce laptops and PCs. They already make mobile equipment, so telecom gear shouldnt be too hard to manufacture. It will require some research, though. Why US 5G telecom gear should come from US companies If something isnt broke, why fix it? That seems to be the question behind the move to see the US manufacture its own 5G telecom gear. Why replace Huawei at all? Huawei is a threat to national security, in the words of US President Donald Trump. The company has Beijing sponsorship, Beijing ownership (CEO Ren Zhengfei owns a mere 2% of the company), and greets its clientele via government officials. Though Huawei says it wouldnt comply with a Beijing order to spy on American citizens, Huawei cooperates with foreign governments to spy on political opponents. Its spy activities are taking place in the African governments of Uganda and Zambia with digital surveillance safe cities. Advertisement Huaweis telecom gear is affordable and budget-friendly, making it hard for businesses to buy telecom gear from Ericsson and Nokia, for example. The Trump administrations $1 billion Utilizing Strategic Allied Telecommunications Act proposal from a few months ago would give monies to US hardware makers. US hardware makers would receive about $750 million towards 5G telecom hardware R&D. American deployment businesses would receive $500 million to deploy American 5G equipment worldwide. Additionally, Congress says it will give subsidies to small carriers to upgrade their telecom gear and eliminate Huawei from American networks entirely. Cisco and Oracle are additional potential hardware makers for the new US 5G telecom gear. Americans look to Huawei for its telecom gear to save money, but in light of Huaweis questionable espionage activities, Trump wants businesses to look to American hardware makers. Ericsson and Nokia telecom gear may cost more than Huaweis, but at least it would be more secure than their Chinese rival. You cant put a price on security. Advertisement New strategy highlights American dependence on Huawei Some say that Trumps new emphasis on moving past Huawei telecom gear is an example of American dependence on Huawei. One reason why Trump continues to do business with Huawei is because of Huaweis dominance in the global telecom industry. Huawei has a hegemony on the global telecom industry. They are hard to beat whether in China or elsewhere. Even without subsidies beyond China, Huawei has still done more R&D in telecom gear than all other global manufacturers. Just as an example, Huawei is currently researching 6G, though customers arent experiencing 5G in all its fullness yet. The company owns 15% of all 5G standards-essential patents. Even after the Huawei Ban, the companys clientele continues to climb a sign that perhaps both the US and Huawei are financially dependent on each other. This American dependence highlights a financial problem. Its not financially helpful to rely on one company at the exclusion of all others. American companies trying to save money are going with Huawei. And yet, Huawei is now a national security threat, moving them to look elsewhere for their telecom gear. Advertisement Trump is asking Dell and Microsoft to enter into the telecom gear race in order to help America become more self-sufficient in its telecom gear. As 5G takes off, theres opportunity for much profit. Huawei sees the financial profit, which is why it invests so much per year into networking equipment. For America to wean itself off Huawei, it will have to diversify its portfolio, a statement former Counterterrorism, DHS, and NSA officials endorse entirely. President Gotabhaya Rajapakses government grandiosely celebrated Sri Lankas 72nd Independence Day on February 4the day marking the formal handing over of political power by Britains colonial rulers to the pliant bourgeoisie. University students rally outside presidential secretariat in Colombo The media published articles on the significance of Independence Day, but cautiously covered up the deplorable record of the more than seven decades of capitalist rule in Sri Lanka. A one-page article in the Daily Mirror headlined 72 years after independence, where are we now? noted: When we gained Independence it was the classic model of moving up towards prosperity. Alas, it did not work out that way Referring to the social inequality between rich and poor, regional economic disparities and corrupt politicians, the columnist insisted, however, that despite many stresses and strains over the years, [the country] has survived, and even at times, flourished. A Sunday Times editorial asked, Is there much to celebrate? and disingenuously answered, Despite the criticism, and some nostalgically yearning for the past, the countrys positives are many. Notwithstanding the propagation of these false hopes, there was no semblance of enthusiasm for Independence Day amongst workers and the poor. On the contrary, Colombos streets, over the past weeks, have seen thousands of young workers and students demanding their rights. Housing Authority workers demonstrate in Colombo Last week alone, thousands of workers from the Petroleum Corporation, housing and archaeology departments, the dengue eradication campaign and trainee teachers, demonstrated outside the Presidential Secretariat. These workers have been sacked by Rajapakses new government over the past two months. A day before the February 4 celebration, and the day after it, thousands of students marched in Colombo demanding job guarantees and decent education facilities. These demonstrations are a continuation of protests and strikes that began under the previous unity government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Confronted with this rising social opposition, the discredited government was torn apart. Rajapakse and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna exploited this popular opposition, whilst at the same time stepping up their communalist propaganda against the Tamil and Muslim communities. Every faction of the Sri Lankan ruling elite uses communalism to try and divide the working class and the poor. Promising to establish strong and stable rule for big business, the Sri Lankan president is militarising his administration, appointing senior officers from the armed forces to key posts, in preparation for intense class war against the working class. The struggles now erupting, in fact, are an expression of the seething anger of workers, youth and the poor over their lack of basic social and democratic rights, demands that the ruling class has never been able to address. Thousands of petroleum corporation and other workers demonstrating in Colombo Seventy-two years ago, the Sri Lankan ruling elite did not win independence in a bloodless struggle against British imperialism, as it falsely and shamelessly claims. In 1946, the Sri Lankan elite, organised in the Ceylon National Congress, which later formed the right-wing United National Party (UNP), did not even demand independence, but called for Dominion Status under the British Crown. The political arrangements for transferring power into the hands of the local ruling elite were organised in a conspiracy with the colonial masters in London and against the insurgent Sri Lankan workers. In 1947, British imperialism, which faced a rising revolutionary upsurge of workers and the poor in India, collaborated with the leaders of the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League to partition the sub-continent and create a Hindu India and a Muslim Pakistan, in the name of independence. The partition provoked communal violence, in which millions were killed. The Stalinist Communist Party of India supported this reactionary carve-up. The Bolshevik Leninist Party of India (BLPI), the then section of the Fourth International on the Indian subcontinent, exposed the fake character of so-called independence in the region, explaining that it was imperialisms transition from methods of direct rule to methods of indirect rule. In a statement on Sri Lanka issued on February 4, 1948, the BLPI declared: Will there be anything for the masses of this country to celebrate? The BLPIs answer to the above question is a clear and unequivocal No! [T]he new status of [what they obtained] is not independence but actually a refashioning of the chains of Ceylons slavery to British imperialism. Police confronting workers outside presidential secretariat yesterday In 1950, although the BLPI entered the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP), which also claimed to be Trotskyist but had a nationalist orientation, its powerful prognosis was confirmed in the ensuing decades. The first act of the new UNP government was to abolish the citizenship rights of more than one million Indian-origin Tamil plantation workers. This deliberate act was aimed at whipping up anti-Tamil chauvinism to divide the working class. And, as the crisis of the ruling elite deepened, the poison of Sinhala chauvinism was also intensified. Immediately after the August 1953 nationwide semi-insurrection of workers, which was supported by the rural poor, the newly-formed Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) began its reactionary Sinhala only campaign, to make Sinhala the countrys official language. The political degeneration of the LSSP, and its adaptation to the crisis of the Sri Lankan ruling elite, helped the capitalist parties to whip up this chauvinism. In 1964, as workers rallied, across ethnic lines, around 21 demands, the LSSP betrayed the principles of socialist internationalism and joined the SLFP government of Prime Minister Sirima Bandaranaike. The LSSPs political betrayal was prepared by the opportunist faction of the Fourth International, led by Michael Pablo and Earnest Mandel, which had broken from Trotskyism. The LSSP leadership played a prominent role in the 1972 constitution, imposed by the SLFP-LSSP-Stalinist Communist Party coalition government. The constitution further entrenched communalism, conferring Buddhism as the state religion and Sinhala as the official language. The LSSPs betrayal helped the emerging Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) gain ground among rural youth. Preaching an ideological mixture of Castroism, Maoism and Sinhala patriotism, the JVP diverted rural youth away from the working class. The LSSPs treachery also dashed the hopes of Tamils in the working class, and paved the way for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to win a hearing for separatism among the Tamil population. The discredited right-wing UNP was able to exploit opposition to the coalition government and the LSSPs betrayals in order to come to power in 1977. The UNP government under President J.R. Jayawardene imposed an autocratic executive presidency and began implementing open market policies. International capital was invited into Sri Lanka and the country became integrated into the processes of globalised production. When public sector employees began a general strike action against the governments policies, Jayawardene sacked 100,000 workers. Maintaining the governments free market policies, Jayawardene systematically whipped up anti-Tamil communalism and, in 1983, provoked the war that devastated the country for nearly three decades. From 1988 to 1990, President Premadasas UNP government responded to the JVPs fascistic campaign against its political opponents and the working class, by unleashing military, police and death squads to suppress the rural youth. About 60,000 young people were killed during this brutal repression. The final years of this bloody conflict took place under former President Mahinda Rajapakse, with Gotabhaya Rajapakse as his defence secretary. The war ended in May 2009, with the final weeks, according to UN estimates, claiming the lives of some 40,000 unarmed Tamil civilians. Today, de-facto military rule and occupation continue in the North and East, where the majority of Tamils live. According to official data, the richest 20 percent in Sri Lanka hold 52.8 percent of total household income, with the poorest 10 percent receiving only 1.8 percent. Expenditure cuts to public education and health are increasing, while private education institutions and hospitals earn ever-increasing profits. Above all, imperialisms grip on the country is tightening, with the connivance of every faction of the ruling elite. In 2015, the US-orchestrated a regime-change operation to oust Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse and bring Sirisena to power. Washington considered Rajapakse too close to China, and insisted on Sri Lanka lining up behind the US military plans against China. This political operation was backed by the pseudo-left, the JVP and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). The TNA has openly declared its readiness to serve US geopolitical interests, in exchange for privileges from the new Rajapakse government. President Gotabhaya Rajapakse has been served notice by President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo not to deviate from Sri Lankas military integration with the US and its build-up towards war against China. Moreover, India, under both the former Congress government and the current regime of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been transformed into a frontline state for Washingtons war plans against Beijing. On February 4, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse issued a statement declaring that there was some cause for satisfaction in Sri Lanka. We are now on the cusp of a golden era once again. This is an outright lie. The new Rajapakse regime, like its counterparts around the world, is rapidly adopting authoritarian methods to take on the increasingly militant working class. Seventy-two years of brutal rule by the Sri Lankan capitalist class have, once again, confirmed Leon Trotskys Theory of Permanent Revolution. The capitalist classes in the countries of belated capitalist development are incapable of freeing themselves from imperialism or addressing and resolving critical social and democratic tasks. These tasks can be achieved only by the working class, in a socialist revolution, as part of the international struggle for world socialism. In every country, globalised production and distribution has welded together the international working class on an unprecedented level. The Socialist Equality Party, Sri Lankan section of the International Committee of the Fourth International, has fought, since its inception in 1968 as the Revolutionary Communist League (RCL), for the political independence of the working class based on an international socialist perspective. On this basis, the SEP fights for a Sri Lankan and Eelam Socialist Republic, as part of a Union of South Asian socialist republics. We urge workers and youth to join this struggle. Rumours on social media about the spread of coronavirus through birds have beaten down poultry prices, which have declined 10 per cent in the past two days owing to a sudden plunge in its demand in the country. Broiler chicken per kg is now being sold to consumers at Rs 65 in Pune and Rs 72 in Delhi as against Rs 73 and Rs 80 a kg, respectively, last week. Similarly, egg prices have declined and are trading at Rs 3.75 per piece. Since the epidemic broke out in a few cities in China and a couple of cases were spotted in India as well, there were rumours that birds were the vector. ... Contrary to popular belief, the cities with the youngest founders aren't startup capitals like Silicon Valley and New York City. That honor goes to New Orleans, Salt Lake City, and Philadelphia, the top three U.S. cities respectively with the youngest founders, according to a new study by online lending marketplace LendingTree. The study compared the ages of founders when they started their businesses in the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. To compile the report, LendingTree used anonymized data from business owners who've sought funding through its platform. The average age of founders in New Orleans is 37 years old, two years younger than the national average of 39, according to LendingTree. Meanwhile, the average age of founders in Salt Lake City--No. 2 on Inc.'s list of the best places to start a business--is 37.2, and in Philadelphia it's just under 38 years old. Cities that boast a younger entrepreneurial population typically have lower costs of living, reducing some of the expenses and lessening the risk for budding founders, says LendingTree research analyst Derek Miller. The median rents in New Orleans, Salt Lake City, and Philadelphia are about $2,700 cheaper than that of San Francisco, according to the real estate database Zillow. "There's always a risk for an entrepreneur," Miller added. "But when the cost of living isn't as high, many young people are willing to take that risk." What's more, cities with younger founders typically have rich talent pipelines from nearby schools, Miller says. For example, Boston--which ranked No. 10 on LendingTree's list and No. 14 on Inc.'s annual ranking--is home to more than 30 colleges and universities, including prestigious institutions like Harvard, MIT, and Babson College. These schools host entrepreneurship programs, accelerators, and incubators to support their blossoming business owners both in and out of the classroom. "Older entrepreneurs may have higher returns, but younger founders are willing to try new things," says Miller. "That can lead to breakthroughs and culturally defining businesses." Preservation advocates are trying to secure landmark designation for the 1926 Toudouze Building, a once-prominent community center and market on the near South Side over the owners opposition. The building once was a retail store operated by prominent South Texas merchant August Charles A.C. Toudouze. Before that, nightly dances were held in its second-story ballroom. The structures Spanish Eclectic architectural features are believed to have been partly obscured by paint and signage from the 1980s, when it was a furniture store, city records indicate. On Wednesday, the citys Historic and Design Review Commission supported a historic designation for the 21,400-square-foot building at 4007 S. Flores St., bounded by Pleasanton Road and Toudouze Street. The matter now will go to the Zoning Commission and later the City Council. Last month, the council initiated a zoning change for the property, including a historic landmark overlay. The listed owner, High Cay LLC, has not supported the designation. On ExpressNews.com: Commission approves Alamo projects first phase In a recent letter to the HDRC, the Conservation Society of San Antonio said the building represents an important chapter in the citys history and reflects Toudouzes influence as a 20th-century business leader. But developer Mark Granados, speaking for High Cay LLC at Wednesdays commission meeting, challenged the idea that the building is historic or even an example of Spanish Eclectic design. He said it had been vacant for eight years when the High Cay group purchased it in 2018. The propertys not historic, Granados told commissioners. Its never been historic. High Cay is related to GFR Entity Management, which is owned by Granados, state records show. The Toudouze Building was considered the first community center of its kind when it opened in the late 1920s, with a large parking lot on a triangular city block. In 1941, the building reopened after a remodeling as the Toudouze Super Mart. We have everything from beefsteak to furniture, Toudouze said at the time. Granados argued that the building functioned as a community center for only 13 years and housed a business that ultimately failed. The last operating Toudouze store, at 800 Buena Vista St., closed in 2011. The commission supported the landmark designation with little discussion. If the change is approved by the Zoning Commission and the council, the building would be eligible for tax incentives on substantial rehabilitation work. The owner also could benefit from state and federal incentives if the building eventually is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In a separate case, the commission approved a zoning change for 214 Lotus, a 1909 Queen Anne-style house in the Lavaca neighborhood south of downtown. The house had been threatened with demolition before preservationists rallied to save it last year. Jose Gallegos, representing Houston-area property owner Hector Ubaldo, showed commissioners photos of damage to the property, including deterioration of its roof, facade and foundation. Gallegos said Ubaldo purchased the house intending to restore it, not knowing it was it in such poor condition. On ExpressNews.com: HDRC acts to protect 1909 Lavaca house Commissioners supported a landmark designation, saying the house has retained much of its historical fabric and structural integrity. Also approved, at the owners request, was a historic landmark designation for an 1880s one-story Folk Victorian house in Tobin Hill, north of downtown. The house was built for Jacinto Gonzales, a mason in the old Rock Quarry neighborhood, who was appointed to the local police force in the 1890s. A later resident, James P. Bridge, was a metallurgist and gold umpire featured in a 1940 article in the San Antonio Light. He would melt down ore samples in a kiln in back of the home to settle disputes between miners and smelters over the quantity of gold in ore shipments. Henry Wedemeyer, who lived in the house after Bridge, served as a superintendent for the U.S. Works Progress Administration, working with artisan and preservationist Ethel Wilson Harris to design tile murals installed at Alamo Stadium, which opened in 1940, a city staff report states. Scott Huddleston covers Bexar County government and the Alamo for the San Antonio Express-News. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | shuddleston@express-news.net | Twitter: @shuddlestonSA I have had contacts with Kadirov, but I wouldnt like to talk about them now so that I dont put the potential plans for our country at risk. This is what former director of the National Security Service of Armenia Artur Vanetsyan stated during a meeting with the editors-in-chiefs of newspapers. I believe all those plans will be implemented soon. The public will be informed, and I will share all the details. I know Ramzan Kadirov very well, and you know that he publicly congratulated me on my birthday, he said. Family members sitting on a dharna along with the body of a teenage rape victim ended their protest on Thursday, after authorities assured them compensation and an inquiry led by a senior officer. IG Jaipur S Sengathir and other police officials held dialogues with the agitating family members and villagers and assured a compensation of Rs 5 lakh. They also assured that a request will be forward to the state government for additional compensation. The 14-year-old girl was raped on January 27 by her neighbour, who also tried to strangle her, according to police. The victim was admitted to J K Lon Hospital in Jaipur after the incident and died on Tuesday evening. The IG said an inquiry led by DIG Vigilance has been ordered and the SHO was being removed from the police station till the inquiry is over. "Suitable action will be taken against anyone found guilty in the inquiry report. During the course of the inquiry, the present SHO will be removed from the police station," he said. The IG said the family members agreed to end the dharna on Thursday evening after getting assurance. Thoi police station SHO Sangeeta Meena was removed from duty and put under APO (awaiting posting orders) status till the completion of the inquiry, police said. The family members and villagers had been protesting with the body of the girl outside the police station since Wednesday. They were demanding compensation, government job for a family member of the victim and action against the SHO for not taking prompt action in the case. The rape accused, Basant Meena, was arrested after the girl's death. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) He revealed that he lived with a pregnant wife and young child, and had quickly quarantined himself as soon as he suspected he was infected. His mother and father were now hospitalized for fever, he said without disclosing whether they or his wife and child contracted the coronavirus. During the Student Governments speaker series What Matters To U event Tuesday, John Kasich, former governor of Ohio, spoke to students at the University of Miami about leadership and civic engagement. Prior to his run as a Republican presidential candidate in 2016, Kasich worked as a managing director in the investment banking division of Lehman Brothers from 2001 to 2009. He also represented Ohios 12th district in the House of Representatives from 1983 to 2001. Moderated by Judge Ellen Venzer, a Miami law school adjunct professor, and Keegan Gibson, a senior majoring in biomedical engineering, the discussion centered on anecdotes from Kasichs experience as a United States citizen looking to make a change in the world. Speaking on the importance of getting civically involved at a local level, Kasich emphasized the significance of this generations impact on the U.S. Citing young thought-leaders like environmentalist Greta Thunberg and the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High Schoolwhere a mass shooting killed 17Kasich called young students in the audience to action. The changesbig changesthat I know young people are aware of, have to come from the bottom up. Politicians follow public sentiment, so if you care about any number of issues that affect young people, thats something everybody should and will care about, Kasich said. Additionally, Kasich highlighted the importance of seeking mental health counseling as part of a students path to success in making change. Prior to leaving office in Ohio, Kasich signed a $2.6 billion state capital budget, which included $112 million to replace the main hospital at a behavioral health care facility. When we break our arm, we go over to the clinic. Never be ashamed to seek help because something is broken in your heart, Kasich said. Never be afraid to go and get help, because we have a crisis among all of you young students. What will happen is, you will learn again to like and love yourself. He went on to address his bipartisan approach to the importance of making change by understanding different beliefs through frequent discourse and most significantlyvoting. We need you. We need your freshness, we need your idealism, we need the hopefulness that you all have. Im telling you all of this because Im counting on all of you to have an impact on where our country goes, Kasich said. David Hernandez, a junior majoring in political science, attended the event looking forward to hearing Kasichs insight regarding experience in politics. His speech really had a tone of unison, and really addressed many of the political issues were facing today. He really emphasized the importance of making change and I was really inspired by that, Hernandez said. Kasich went on to reiterate the importance of peoples uniqueness. [February 06, 2020] OUTFRONT Media Canada Hivestack Programmatic Partnership Launched in January 2019 poised for significant growth in 2020 TORONTO, Feb. 6, 2020 /CNW/ -- OUTFRONT Media Inc. (NYSE: OUT) In early 2019, OUTFRONT Canada officially launched its first foray into the digital outdoor programmatic universe through its partnership with Hivestack. Outdoor programmatic is a rapidly developing area made possible by the rollout of digital screens across the country. Still in it's infancy, programmatic holds significant promise for the Out-of-Home business and provides advertisers with a new way to transact Outdoor campaigns. For those more familiar with on-line digital and mobile, this provides tools and data similar to what they're accustomed to. What have we learned in the past year? Michele Erskine CEO OUTFRONT Canada "Digital Outdoor screens in their first iteration were sold as revolving loops of ads. We weren't tapping their true potential. These screens deliver massive impressions with huge impact and can also be highly targeted, data driven and flexible with the right tools. The emergence of Outdoor programmatic platforms is taking us to another level and opening up our inventory to new buyers. Our relationship with Hivestack was a critical first step and a true partnership. The learning on both sides was invaluable and we look forward to continuig this journey." Andreas Soupliotis, Founder & CEO, Hivestack "From day one, OUTFRONT Canada has shown great leadership in their approach to how they think about audiences and measurement. Driven by their deep desire to deliver audience-based campaigns, programmatic activation of their inventory is now an integral part of their offering to Canadian marketers. Thanks to a great partnership and many collaborative iterations, programmatic digital out-of-home has matured to a point where buyers are able to target custom audiences and attribute business outcomes at all stages of the funnel. OUTFRONT Canada has been leading the charge on programmatic digital out-of-home, and they are just getting started." OUTFRONT Canada has been using Hivestack's supply-side advertising technology since January 2019. The technology includes capabilities such as a publisher ad server, a supply-side platform to connect to programmatic demand channels, a custom audience designer and measurement capabilities that leverage privacy-first mobile location data. For more information or to be featured in this unique space, contact Brendan Dillon; Director of Digital Transformation OUTFRONT Canada. [email protected]. About OUTFRONT Media Inc. OUTFRONT (NYSE: OUT) leverages the power of technology, location and creativity to connect brands with consumers outside of their homes through one of the largest and most diverse sets of billboard, transit, and mobile assets in North America. Through its technology platform, OUTFRONT will fundamentally change the ways advertisers engage audiences on-the-go. Contacts: OUTFRONT Media Canada: Michele Erskine (416) 521-6485 [email protected] OUTFRONT Investors: Gregory Lundberg (212) 297-6441 [email protected] OUTFRONT Press: Carly Zipp (212) 297-6479 [email protected] SOURCE OUTFRONT Media Canada LP [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Sanctuary rules typically bar local law enforcement from detaining people beyond the end of their criminal sentence or the terms of their bond; sanctuary supporters see such detention, which is not mandated by law, as an act of assistance to immigration agents who wish to take the person directly from jail for deportation. Some cities and counties have been found liable in federal court for violating a plaintiffs constitutional rights in such cases and have been compelled to pay damages. Michigan United Methodists to hold special session for Protocol plan to separate over LGBT debate Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Correction Appended The Michigan Annual Conference for the United Methodist Church will hold a special session to determine whether to forward to the denomination's next General Conference a highly publicized plan to separate the UMC over LGBT issues. Last month, UMC leaders and activists of diverse theological views announced their support for a measure called the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation, which among other things would allocate $25 million for theologically conservative Methodists who adhere to biblical standards of marriage and sexuality to vote to leave the UMC and create their own denomination. Bishop David Bard of the Michigan Conference announced Wednesday that his regional body will hold a special session on March 7 to consider the protocol legislation. According to a conference statement, the special session will not amend the proposed legislation, but will simply vote either in favor or against the protocol. If passed, the protocol legislation will then go to the denomination-wide General Conference, scheduled to be held May 5-15 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Michigan United Methodists gathered for this special session of annual conference will decide if we want to serve the wider church by forwarding this legislation. Delegates to General Conference will decide what to do with the legislation, said Bard in a blog entry on Tuesday. I am calling our annual conference into special session because I believe in this liminal season, the delegates to General Conference need the opportunity to consider every good option for the future of our church. Tom Anderson, president of the Michigan Chapter of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a theologically conservative UMC advocacy group, supported the decision to hold a special session. I support holding of a special session of the Michigan Annual Conference, said Anderson. Michigan has the chance to open the door toward a civil, sober and hopeful future for the people called United Methodist. Let us all fast and pray for a day of new beginnings. Over the past several years, there has been increasingly divisive debate within the United Methodist Church over the denominations stance on homosexuality, acknowledging it as a sin and prohibiting the blessing of same-sex unions. Theological liberals have introduced legislation every four years at General Conference to remove the prohibitive language from the UMC Book of Discipline. Their efforts have always failed. In February 2019, a special session of General Conference not only upheld the language, but also passed stricter enforcement of the rules. In response, many liberals in the UMC promised increased resistance to the Book of Discipline and many progressive church leaders have refused to enforce the rules. For example, Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli, senior pastor of Foundry United Methodist Church of Washington, D.C., said at a major gathering of progressive UMC members last year that there would be a wide variety of resistance tactics to the denominations official position. For some of us, resisting the Traditional Plan means violating the Book of Discipline. For some persons in their context, it might not, said Gaines-Cirelli at the time. There will need to be a wide variety of resistance tactics all leaning into and seeking to help accomplish the commitments that we have made together here. Many conservatives have expressed their preference to leave the denomination rather than continue what they consider an endless debate with liberals over the rules. An earlier version of this article published Feb. 6 said that the special session would determine if the conference supported or opposed the Protocol. However, later that day, a representative of the Michigan Annual Conference reached out to The Christian Post and said that the special session will only decide whether to forward the Protocol to General Conference for consideration, not whether they oppose or support the plan. With no U.S. officials to guide them, the evacuees organized themselves over the WeChat app. moving from place to place with each rumor of where they should be and when they might leave. At one point, they were divided in half by the first letter of their last names, which caused chaos when it separated families. Chinese children dont always have the same last name as both of their parents. At least three people were killed when a Turkish jetliner broke apart after landing in wet weather in Istanbul. In addition, 179 people were injured when the Boeing Co. 737-800 operated by Pegasus Airlines veered off the runway at Sabiha Gokcen airport, Turkey Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said, according to the Associated Press. Video footage showed passengers fleeing through gaps in the fuselage. The rear of the jet caught fire, while the front detached and came to rest upside down. Turkish Transportation Minister Cahit Turhan said in televised comments that there were 183 people onboard including six crew members. One person remains unaccounted for, the AP reported. The single-aisle jet had flown from Izmir on Turkeys Aegean coast, authorities said. It appeared to have plowed down a slope from the runway and stopped short of a busy road, one of the main highways going into the city, based on photos of the aircraft. The plane was traveling at 117 kilometers an hour (72 miles an hour) near the end of the runway, according to Flightradar24. A Pegasus spokeswoman confirmed that the narrow-body was a Boeing model, making it part of a fleet that includes Airbus SE A320 aircraft. The 737-800 predates the 737 Max variant grounded worldwide after two fatal crashes, and has a good safety record. Boeing didnt comment. Sabiha Gokcen airport, located on the Asian side of Istanbul, was closed following the incident. All incoming flights diverted to a new hub on the citys European side. The accident wasnt the first such incident for Pegasus. Last month, one of the airlines 737-800s ran off the edge of a runway at the same airport after landing in bad weather, resulting in no injuries. In January 2018, a Pegasus jet carrying 168 people slid off a runway at Turkeys Trabzon Airport. There were no injuries reported, but one of the engines fell into the Black Sea as the Boeing aircraft slid down an embankment. With assistance from Richard Clough. A teenager was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly transporting illegal immigrants. READ MORE: Zapata man arrested, suspected of smuggling 63 migrants Daniel Esquivel, 17, was arrested and charged with 16 counts of smuggling of persons and two counts of smuggling of persons younger than 18 years old. Laredo polices auto-theft task force in conjunction with the U.S. Border Patrol Joint Targeting Team, Border Patrol Field Intelligence Team and Texas Department of Public Safety criminal investigation division launched an operation into the use of stolen vehicles for human smuggling. Authorities said the investigation led them to the 400 block of East Price Street. Police said they observed a red Ford F-250 reversing into the driveway of the residence. Two men then allegedly loaded multiple people into the rear seat of the F-250 as investigators and agents approached the residence. Agents and investigators then observed several individuals fleeing the residence through windows and a rear door, according to police. Police said they could not locate the two people who were loading the immigrants onto the F-250. Assisting officers canvassed the area and located nine people who had fled the residence. READ MORE: Woman allegedly used Laredo employers credit card to pay for bills, trips Police located the passenger of the F-250. He was identified as Esquivel and taken into custody. Authorities said they turned over 18 immigrants who had crossed the border illegally to Border Patrol. St. Petersburg businessman gains rehabilitation over acquittal of gang organization RAPSI 15:40 06/02/2020 ST. PETERSBURG, February 6 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov) - CEO of Petropolis company Mark Bronovsky convicted of a tax refund fraud has sued out a right to rehabilitation after acquittal of creating an organized criminal network, RAPSI has learnt from the United press service of St. Petersburg courts. In April 2019, Bronovsky was sentenced to 6 years and 10 months for a 377-million-ruble ($6 million) tax refund fraud but acquitted of creating an organized criminal network. Bronovsky was put in detention in February 2014. In June 2018, he was placed under house arrest. Therefore, the businessman was released in a courtroom because of the punishment endured. There were 10 other defendants including lawyers and economists. All of them were acquitted of the gang membership. As concerned tax fraud charges, 9 defendants were found guilty, and one of them, lawyer Alexander Shved was acquitted. Investigators claim that between 2006 and 2009 Bronovsky, Shved, then deputy head of St. Petersburg tax service Tatyana Makarova and one more unidentified person organized a criminal enterprise and conspired to commit a 488-million-ruble tax return fraud ($7.5 million). Moreover, they were charged with attempted embezzlement of 377 million rubles. Bronovsky is also a defendant in another 576-million-ruble ($9 million) tax refund fraud case. TORONTO, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Clairvest Group Inc. (TSX: CVG) today announced that Digital Media Solutions LLC (DMS), a portfolio company of Clairvest Group Inc. and Clairvest Equity Partners V (collectively, Clairvest), has signed a term sheet with Leo Holdings Corp. (NYSE: LHC) (Leo) for a proposed business combination. Clairvest refers its investors to the news release issued by Leo today. Clairvest is supportive of its management partners at DMS and the entering into of the term sheet for the proposed transaction. The transaction remains subject to mutual satisfaction with definitive documentation (which will include a customary condition with respect to Leo redemptions) and the approvals of the various parties including the shareholders of Leo, and the board of directors of each of DMS and Clairvest. There can be no assurance that a definitive agreement will be entered into or that the proposed transaction will be consummated. About Clairvest Founded in 1987 by a group of successful Canadian entrepreneurs, Clairvest is a top performing private equity management firm with over CAD $2.4 billion of capital under management. Clairvest invests its own capital, and that of third parties through the Clairvest Equity Partners limited partnerships, in owner-led businesses that have the potential to generate superior returns. Clairvests mission is to partner with entrepreneurs to help build strategically significant businesses. Under the current management team, Clairvest has initiated investments in 50 different platform companies. WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. John Cornyn had Novembers election on his mind when he explained his vote to join most of the Republican-controlled Senate in acquitting President Donald Trump. To say that timing was a coincidence would be laughable, Cornyn said on the Senate floor Wednesday, just hours before the chamber dismissed Democrats charges against Trump, bringing to a close the third impeachment in American history. We are only nine months away from an election nine months away from the American people voting on the direction of our country, Cornyn said. But our Democratic colleagues dont trust the American people, so theyve taken matters into their own hands. Cornyns fate, too, will be decided in nine months, when he faces what many expect will be his toughest re-election fight yet for his fourth term in office. As Texas Democrats aim to build on the momentum from 2018 when Beto ORourke came within 2.6 percentage points of unseating U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz Cornyn is following the same playbook that carried Cruz to victory: Stick with Trump. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Cornyn has been one of the presidents most frequent explainers in Congress, often providing a public policy backbone for actions that Trump doesnt fully explain in his character-limited Twitter feed. Few expect that Cornyns vote to acquit the president will do much to change how people feel about him in November. Its the only possible move for a GOP incumbent. Polling shows Texas voters are evenly split on impeachment, and Trumps approval rating in the state is under water. Still, Cornyn has little choice in Texas, where Trump remains popular with Republican voters. Itd be risky to go the other way, said Jeff Roe, the Republican strategist who ran Cruzs 2018 campaign. Its unified the Republican base like nothing weve ever seen. Cornyn said Democrats failed to prove their case that the president abused his power by withholding military aid from Ukraine to pressure that country into announcing an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden or that the president obstructed Congress by refusing to cooperate with the House impeachment inquiry. Not all Republican senators agree. Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, the lone Republican to vote to convict Trump, said the president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust. Romney called the presidents actions a flagrant assault on our electoral rights, our national security and our fundamental values. Cornyn, however, warned of the precedent that would be set by convicting Trump. He called impeachment the nuclear option and the choice of last resort. He argued that removing a president from office requires evidence of a crime, which he said was lacking. My greatest fear is it would become a routine process for every president, he said. Wed find ourselves in a reoccurring impeachment nightmare. On HoustonChronicle.com: Impeachment adds more heat to 2020 Texas elections Cornyn didnt defend the presidents actions, as Cruz has daily on his popular podcast but he didnt disparage them either, even as some of his more moderate colleagues deemed them shameful and wrong. Cornyn explained to reporters before the speech that he felt it would be wrong to ridicule the president hes voting to acquit, even if he doesnt always agree with the presidents approach. I would say that nobodys going to confuse me with Donald Trump or vice versa, Cornyn said. Even so, Democrats are working to tie the two together as closely as possible. Candidates in the crowded race to challenge Cornyn have deemed him Trumps water boy and accused him of putting political loyalty ahead of his constitutional duty. Mitt Romney shows a moral courage that John Cornyn doesnt have, said U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat many hoped would join the race to challenge Cornyn. He was able to put the country over his own personal political career. John Cornyns not able to do that. Although Trump and Cornyn differ in style, they see eye-to-eye on virtually every matter of policy and the Texas senator has rarely spoken out against the president. Rather, hes taken on a role as a sort of Trump translator, coolly explaining even some of the presidents most controversial moves. When Trump pulled American troops out of Syria last year one of the few decisions hes made that drew pushback from many Republicans in Congress Cornyn said he understood. The president is doing the best he can to protect American lives, Cornyn said at the time. I dont have a quibble with that at all. On HoustonChronicle.com: Sen. Ted Cruzs impeachment podcast tops charts When the White House released a summary of Trumps phone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in which Trump urged the Ukrainian leader to do him a favor Cornyn was among the first to argue that asking another country to investigate corruption isnt necessarily objectionable. He also said that its possible to find some of the conversation troubling without finding it a basis for impeachment. Unlike Ted Cruz, he isnt getting out in front, trying to defend the more questionable aspects of Donald Trumps behavior, said Mark Jones, a political scientist at Rice University. If anything, Cornyns come across as someone whos tried to be a good steward and manage the interests of all 53 members of the Republican delegation, Jones said. Hes kind of like a border collie, emotional support dog. Hes rounding up the herd, hes keeping them all together and hes effectively trying to empathize. But Democrats have accused that herd of conducting a cover-up, blasting Senate Republicans including Cornyn for refusing to allow additional witnesses in the Senate trial, even as potential new witnesses voiced a willingness to testify, notably John Bolton, Trumps former national security adviser. Theyre basically saying he can do whatever he wants as long as he thinks its in the public interest for him to be reelected, said U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, a Houston Democrat who served on the team that prosecuted Trump in the Senate. We are the ones that are there defending our democracy. On HoustonChronicle.com: Voter registrations growing at faster rate along I-35 than rest of the state combined Garcia predicted massive turnout later this year in favor of Democrats. Texas has already set voter registration records, and most of those new voters are along the Interstate 35 corridor, an area that has become steadily less conservative and more Democratic. Its going to be people who are just mad, she said. They think it was shameful, they think it was wrong, they do think it was inappropriate and they do think this president, this man, should have been convicted and he should be removed from office. Angry voters are motivated voters, said Joshua Blank, manager of polling and research at the University of Texas at Austins Texas Politics Project. The fact is, its possible that both parties think what Cornyn is doing is the right thing for them. But whats also clearly right that comes out of it is theres really no argument where it makes sense for Cornyn to fall on the sword on a meaningless vote for him. Cornyns campaign is confident. Krista Piferrer, a campaign spokeswoman, said Texans are enjoying a booming economy, rising wages and low unemployment all of which are going to drive voters to cast their ballots for President Trump and Senator Cornyn in November. ben.wermund@chron.com The FTSE 100 closed up 22.31 points at 7504.79 and the pound was at $1.29 against the dollar. China has slashed tariffs on billions of dollar of imports from the United States following the two countries' 'phase one' trade agreement last month. It comes as China is trying to offset the economic damage from the coronavirus. In company news, Royal Mail has warned the threat of industrial action and delays to its overhaul may lead to full-year losses in its UK letters and parcels arm. It added that if strikes by the Communications Workers Union throw its planned turnaround off course, it may also fail to meet targets under its plan. Compass Group - the world's largest catering firm - saw cost-cutting measures and a solid performance in the US help drive a hike in quarterly sales. The group posted a 5.3 per cent rise in revenues for the three months to December 31. The Government is fighting to pass an emergency law to prevent the automatic release of further terrorists before another is due to walk free. A target of 27 February has been set to rush the bill through parliament following Sudesh Ammans attack in Streatham, south London, on Sunday. Just one day later, Sunderland shopkeeper Mohammed Zahir Khan, who was jailed for four-and-a-half years in May 2018 for posting messages and material that was supportive of Islamic State (IS) on social media, is due for release. Mohammed Zahir Khan is due to be released on 28 February (Counter Terrorism Policing North East) The father-of-one, originally from Birmingham, had served long sentences in the past for drugs supply offences and moved to the north east to make a break from gangs. It is understood that around five others are expected to be let out in March unless the new law is in force. The emergency law comes off the back of convicted terrorist Sudesh Amman's knife attack in Streatham on Sunday (PA) Meanwhile, Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner Neil Basu, head of UK counter-terror policing, said the "threat is, despite our best efforts, not diminishing", after a third attack in as many months. The UK's terror threat level is currently set at "substantial", meaning an attack is likely. It was downgraded from "severe", the second highest rating, in November, shortly before the London Bridge attack. Convicted terrorist Sudesh Amman wore a fake suicide belt as he grabbed a knife from a shop in Streatham High Road on Sunday, before stabbing two bystanders. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Jacob Marshall: Man charged with murder of one-year-old boy MP claims Extinction Rebellion left 20 tonnes of rubbish on streets after protest Labour MP hits back after her shoulder-revealing Commons outfit goes viral The 20-year-old had been jailed for possessing and distributing terrorist documents in December 2018, but was freed automatically halfway through his sentence less than a fortnight ago. He was put under 24-hour police surveillance on his release after it is understood security services regarded him as an "extremely concerning individual. Mr Basu said: "Police and the security services knew the attacker posed a significant risk and we were, unfortunately, proved right in our decision to place him under surveillance. Story continues Police forensic officers work outside of a Boots store on Streatham High Road following Sunday's attack (Getty) "But with 3,000 or so subjects of interest currently on our radar, and many convicted terrorists soon due to be released from prison, we simply cannot watch all of them, all the time. He welcomed plans announced on Monday by justice secretary Robert Buckland, who said the urgent legislation was needed to make sure offenders serve two thirds of their sentence before they are considered eligible for release, at which point their case would be considered by a panel of specialist judges and psychiatrists at the Parole Board. There are 224 terrorists in prison in the UK, with most thought to be holding Islamist extremist views, according to the latest published figures to the end of September. As many as 50 terrorists could be freed from jail this year, figures suggest. Justice secretary Robert Buckland said the urgent legislation was needed to make sure offenders serve two thirds of their sentence before they are considered eligible for release (Getty) The government plans to introduce the legislation in the Commons on Tuesday next week, with the aim of clearing the House by the time it rises for recess on Thursday. The bill will then go to the Lords on 25 February with the aim of getting royal assent on 27 February. The government has not ruled out derogating, effectively suspending, the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in order to apply the new measures. Lawyers have warned the move would open the government up to legal challenges from those already behind bars who were sentenced under the current rules. But officials said they are confident they have the flexibility to change how an offender serves their sentence, by extending the time they spend behind bars rather than on licence. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi said on February 5 that the government may use brute force to clear Delhis Shaheen Bagh of anti-citizenship law demonstrators. The Shaheen Bagh protesters have been raising their voice against the amended Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) for nearly two months now. Their agenda has been discussed widely and debated in the run-up to the February 8 Delhi Assembly election. While Delhis incumbent party has extended its support to their cause, the ruling party at the Centre the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has spared no occasion to rebuke and name and shame them. Owaisi highlighted the angst of the saffron party and predicted a massacre in the waiting at the protest ground once the election is over. Speaking to news agency ANI, the AIMIM chief, who has made controversial statements in the past, suggested that the BJP might go to any extent to clear the protest ground. He said: The BJP members may shoot them. It is possible that they would turn Shaheen Bagh into Jallianwala Bagh, given a BJP leader had suggested to fire shots at them. He was talking about Union Minister Anurag Thakur, who faced immense backlash for prompting his audience to say 'goli maaron (shoot them...)' after referring to the protestors as 'gaddar (traitors)'. Thakur was campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party in Delhis Rithala when the slogan was raised. He was the same person who had also promised that Shaheen Bagh will be cleared of protestors if the BJP wins the February 8 polls. When Owaisi predicted a Jallianwala Bagh-type situation, he was referring to the British Raj-era massacre that took place in the year 1919. Soldiers had opened fire at unarmed civilians who had gathered for a peaceful sit-in protest against the colonial oppressors. In a seven-page draft executive order obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, Trump declares that the federal government since the 1950s has largely stopped building beautiful buildings that the American people want to look at or work in. Future federal government buildings, he decrees, should look like those of ancient Rome, Greece and Europe. Classical architectural style shall be the preferred and default style, he states. Trumps draft order is titled get ready for it Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again. Chicago Sun-Times A federal Crown corporation has signed on to help advise a plan aiming to bring hydroelectricity and broadband connectivity to Nunavut. The Canada Infrastructure Bank (C.I.B.) signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the proposed Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link, according to a press release sent Wednesday. The proposed project involves the construction of a new 1,200-kilometre,150-megawatt transmission line between Nunavut and Manitoba. The proposed project would power five communities and two mines, costing Qulliq Energy Corporation 50 per cent less than diesel-generated power and reduce air pollution and the risk of fuel spills. The Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link promises to provide renewable, sustainable, and reliable hydroelectricity and broadband service connectivity to communities for the first time. The signing confirms the Canada Infrastructure Bank will work with the Kivalliq Inuit Association and partners on the planning and development of the proposed project. The Canada Infrastructure Bank will contribute by conducting market analysis, and providing commercial and investment expertise, according to the press release. 'Important to the North,' says Inuit association Kono Tattuinee, the president of the Kivalliq Inuit Association, said this is an important step in moving the project forward. "We're really looking forward to working with C.I.B. and the federal government on this. It's important to Canada, it's important to the North," said Tattuinee. He also said that the project is an important step toward fighting climate change. "This would be a great way of showing the region, Nunavut and Kivalliq in particular, that we're going to go with the clean energy," said Tattuinee. Tattuinee said construction for the project could potentially begin within three years. This is not the first federal support the proposed project has received. The Liberal government funded a feasibility study of the project at a cost of $1.6 million, in February 2019. According to a recent survey, two-thirds of Americans dream of owning and running their own business someday. Among these, some will actualize their dream and build stable enterprises; some never start at all while others start, but fail a few years into operation. For the last group, a lot is to blame. From the economic climate to cash flow problems to even ineffective marketing strategies. With the advances in technology, IT services are among the most in-demand services today. However, this does not guarantee success to every budding IT outfit. If you are just starting out, here are some marketing strategies to ensure your business flourishes. 1. Know Your Audience Any effective marketing strategy is dependent on how well you know your customers. This clues you in on the IT solutions they might be looking for, the strategies they would respond best to, and which platforms to use to target them. 2. Run a Blog If there is anything that can build your brand awareness, it is blogging. Statistics show that 70% of customers learn about a business through blog posts. What this means is that having a regularly updated blog is better than running ads. Blogs focus more on providing information, rather than making a hard sell. This is probably the reason why customers are more likely to trust the information given out in a blog than in an advertisement. But you must publish the right content. Your articles must be well researched and articulated. If you constantly provide high quality and informative content, prospective customers will start seeing you as an authority and will be more inclined to trust your products. 3. Show and Tell IT is largely practical. Therefore, telling customers what you could do for them might not be as powerful as showing them what you could do for them. It's understandable that you might not be all that eager to spend valuable time giving demos; however, these actions might pay back handsomely. Something as simple as having a "schedule a demo" call to action on your website can communicate positively to customers and differentiate you from the dozens of IT firms without this benefit. 4. Use Social Media While the world of social media is continuously evolving, it has undoubted value in business marketing. Social media gives you a large audience at a fraction of what it would cost to carry out traditional media campaigns. Another key value of social media is its interactivity. A website, even one with a chatbox can be limiting. Social media encourages two-way interactions and helps humanize a company. Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram are great platforms for you to communicate who you are, your company culture, and values. This can draw more clients to your business because clients love aligning themselves with businesses that embrace positive values. 5. Word of Mouth Referrals never go out of style. Clients want to know they are giving their money to a credible business that will deliver as promised. Referrals affirm this. This is especially useful when you are starting out, as most people are apprehensive about going for an 'unknown' brand. At this stage, you can use existing customers to put in a good word for you and help you gain traction. In time, when your budget allows, look at designing an incentive-based referral system where existing clients get something back for each referral. One Last Thing These are great ideas to start with; however, look at what the competition is doing as well as other profitable businesses in different industries. Similarly, measure results, reevaluate, and add more ideas to your marketing mix as you move along. BAY CITY, MI Michigan State Police believe alcohol was involved in an early morning wrong-way driving crash on highway M-13 in Bay County that left the driver with serious injuries. Police received calls around 6:10 a.m. Thursday morning, Feb. 6, regarding a driver traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of M-13 near Prevo Road. Troopers from the state police Tri-City Post responded, with dispatch updating them on the drivers location as more 911 calls came in. Minutes later, the car crashed into a semitrailer near Cottage Grove Road, police say. Based on locations given by police, the driver likely traveled the wrong way for roughly 3 miles before crashing. The truck driver was able to avoid a head-on crash, but the wrong-way drivers car crashed into the trucks trailer and became stuck inside the vehicle. The cars driver, identified as a 20-year-old resident of Bentley Township in Gladwin County, was freed using the Jaws of Life and was taken to a hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The truck driver, a 41-year-old resident of Linwood, was not injured. The Kawkawlin Township Fire Department, Bay County Sheriffs Office, the Michigan Department of Transportation and Mobile Medical Response assisted state police at the scene, according to the release. Police are investigating and are being helped by a crash reconstructionist, according to the release. They believe alcohol was involved. Read more: Bay City police warn against vigilante videos even after one leads to an arrest Man, woman charged in Bridgeport Township credit union robbery Trio charged with maintaining drug house in Bay City FELTON, California, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The scope of global Acute Hospital Care Market was priced at US$ 2.4 trillion during 2018 and is projected to touch US$ 4.0 trillion by the completion of 2026, with an estimated CAGR of 6.7%. The development can be credited to growing size of sick persons at hospitals for acute care, growing occurrence of long-lasting sicknesses, and promising compensation existing for the services over Medicaid and Medicare. Acute hospital care is a medicinal precautionary situation for a short-range. It is intended to propose immediate and essential medicinal action and precaution by means of an intention to release patients once the treatment can be delivered carefully in a setting of low-level cautiousness. This method of care is for those individuals, suffering from severe medicinal circumstances, complaints, illness, injuries, or else recovering from any sort of major surgical treatment. Numerous services incorporated under acute hospital care consist of coronary care, neonatal intensive care, intensive care, cardiology plus others. Acute situations that is to say asthma attack, bronchitis, common cold, heart attack, broken bone, burn, flu, pneumonia and others require treatment in acute hospital care. Drivers and Restraints: Growing occurrence of trauma, increasing demand for acute care hospitals, growing size of elderly patient and unmet medicinal necessities in developing economies are likely to drive the development of the market. Increasing number of hospitals, elderly people having acute sicknesses, improvement in healthcare substructure, better-quality compensation strategies, rising pharmacological production in addition to speedy progressions particularly in the offering of medicinal product boosts the development of the acute hospital care market. Regardless of these motivating factors, restricted availability of apparatus and services combined with poor quality organization of healthcare mainly in low and middle income nations may possibly act as restraints for the market for the duration of the forecast. Get Sample PDF and read more details about the "Acute Hospital Care Market" Report 2026. Classification: The global acute hospital care industry can be classified by Service, Facility Type, Medical Situation and Region. By Service, it can be classified as Coronary Care Unit (CCU), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Others. By Facility Type, it can be classified as Long-term Acute Care, Specialized Hospitals, General Acute Care Hospitals, Rehabilitation Hospitals, and Psychiatric Hospitals. By Medical Situation, it can be classified as Acute Care Surgery, Short-term Stabilization, Trauma Care, Emergency Care, and Others. Regional Lookout: By Region the global acute hospital care market can be classified as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Due to the existence of important companies and deep-rooted acute hospitals within the province, North America retained the principal share of the market during 2018. Reasons for example technical progressions and greater per head expenditure on healthcare along with the support by the government for R&D activities, perform the role of an important motivators. The inclination for the customer focused fitness plans is growing constantly in the global market for healthcare. In line with the American Hospital Association, there are nearby 6,210 hospitals in the U.S.A having approximately 931,203 supervised beds. It was projected that nearby 90% of entire hospitals in the U.S.A have services of acute care. The market for acute hospital care in Europe will grasp the subsequent most important share owing to ease of access of capitals for research and backing from the government for research and development activities. Industrialized markets mostly Germany and France are increasing investment in healthcare and likewise putting additional stress on the organization of hospital. The acute hospital care industry will develop by the speedy step during the period of forecast, in the Asia Pacific region. Reasons leading to the development of the market within this region consist of massive population of patient, presence of healthcare expertise which is fast increasing and greater spending on healthcare. Moreover, the growing demand for acute hospital care particularly in India and South Korea are expected to be the speedily developing. Increasing necessity for excellent devices in healthcare is additional motive that may perhaps motivate the development of the market within this region. The acute hospital care is expected to have negligible share, in the Middle East & Africa, owing to the poor political circumstances within Africa, inadequate medical amenities and a lesser amount of availability of capitals. Companies Some of the important companies for acute hospital care market are Ardent Health Services, Mediclinic International, Ascension Health, HCA Healthcare, Inc., Asklepios Kliniken GmbH, Fresenius Medical Care, Legacy Life point Health, Inc., IHH Healthcare, Community Health Systems, Inc., Universal Health Services, Inc., and Ramsay Healthcare. Browse 142 page research report with TOC on "Global Acute Hospital Care Market" at: https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/acute-hospital-care-market Market Segment: Acute Hospital Care Medical Condition Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2015 - 2026) Emergency Care Short-term Stabilization Trauma Care Acute Care Surgery Others Acute Hospital Care Facility Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2015 - 2026) General Acute Care Hospitals Psychiatric Hospitals Specialized Hospitals Rehabilitation Hospitals Long-term Acute Care (LTAC) Acute Hospital Care Service Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2015 - 2026) Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Coronary Care Unit (CCU) Others Acute Hospital Care Region Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2015 - 2026) North America U.S. Canada Europe U.K. Germany France Italy Spain Asia Pacific Japan China India Australia Latin America Brazil Mexico Middle East and Africa and Saudi Arabia South Africa Browse reports of similar category available with Million Insights: About Million Insights: Million Insights, is a distributor of market research reports, published by premium publishers only. We have a comprehensive market place, that will enable you to compare data points, before you make a purchase. Enabling informed buying, is our motto and we strive hard to ensure that our clients get to browse through multiple samples, prior to an investment. Service flexibility & the fastest response time are two pillars, on which our business model is founded. Our market research report store, includes in-depth reports, from across various industry verticals, such as healthcare, technology, chemicals, food & beverages, consumer goods, material science & automotive. Contact: Ryan Manuel Research Support Specialist, USA Million Insights Phone: +1-408-610-2300 Toll Free: 1-866-831-4085 Email: [email protected] Web: https://www.millioninsights.com/ Blog: https://millioninsights.blogspot.com/ SOURCE Million Insights Legendary Hollywood actor Kirk Douglas, best known for Spartacus, has died, aged 103. It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103, son Michael Douglas wrote on his Instagram account. To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the Golden Age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to. But to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband. Kirks life was well lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet, he added. Let me end with the words I told him on his last birthday and which will always remain true. Dad- I love you so much and I am so proud to be your son. Nominated three times for best actor by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for Champion (1949), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) and Lust for Life (1956) Douglas was the recipient of an honorary Oscar in 1996. Arguably the top male star of the post-World War II era, he acted in more than 80 movies. Amongst his many films were 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, A Letter to Three Wives, There Was a Crooked Man, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral , The List of Adrian Messenger, The Indian Fighter, The Vikings, Lonely Are the Brave, Seven Days in May and The Brotherhood. In 1982 he filmed The Man from Snowy River in Australia. His television credits include Inherit the Wind, Victory at Entebbe, Empire State Building Murders, Touched by an Angel, The Simpsons, Tales from the Crypt, Arthur Haileys the Moneychangers, The Lucy Show and Rowan & Martins Laugh-In. Douglas supported many causes and worked in public service. In 1981 he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Jimmy Carter and in 1994 he was one of the recipients of the annual Kennedy Center Honors. He recently appeared on the Golden Globes 2018 to present the prize for the best scenario and received a standing ovation when he entered the stage. In 1968 the Hollywood Foreign Press presented him with the Cecil B. DeMille Award. On his 99th birthday, Douglas and his wife -now 100- donated $15 million toward a new $35 million care centere at the Motion Picture Television Fund home in Woodland Hills. This post updates. Source: Hollywood Reporter Officials are making their bid for reelection, while new challengers are also looking to throw their hats in the ring. State Rep. Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport, announced his intent to run for reelection on Monday. Steinberg was first elected to the Legislature in 2010 and is currently serving his fifth term. I like to think Im still making a difference, he said. Ive been a student of government in many ways, and I know what Im talking about on a number of issues whether its transportation, health, or energy efficiency. Steinberg serves as House chair for the Public Health Committee, and on the Transportation and Energy and Technology committees. Implementing a statewide plastic bag ban and raising the age to buy tobacco to 21 were some of the initiatives he was most proud of this past term. If elected, Steinberg said he looks to address the states transportation infrastructure alongside several environmental and public health initiatives. I wouldnt be coming back unless I wanted to be an agent of change for things that matter and I think I can do that, he said. Steinberg joins a number of elected officials who have recently made announcements to run for reelection. In January, state Sen. Will Haskell, D-Westport, kicked off what he described as a soft-launch of his reelection campaign. State Rep. Anne Hughes, D-Weston, also announced her bid for a second term in January. She defeated Republican incumbent Adam Dunsby to win the seat in November 2018. In her first term, Hughes supported the Paid Family Medical Leave program and various environmental bills. She kicked off her campaign last month at Silvermans Farm in Easton, which was attended by Gov. Ned Lamont. But it appears Hughes will have some competition to keep her seat this election season. In January, former Weston First Selectwoman Gayle Weinstein announced her bid to challenge Hughes. The 25-year Weston resident said she understands how special small towns like hers are. We need and deserve someone in Hartford whos going to support whats important to us, she said in a campaign video on her Facebook page. I promise Ill support policies that are supportive of our school communities and our school district. Weinstein said this can be done alongside supporting initiatives important to economic development, fiscal stability and social policies for all Connecticut residents. Ultimately this campaign has to be about whats important to you the residents, she said, adding she supports initiatives important to economic development, fiscal stability and social policies. Together I know we can make our towns and the state of Connecticut more resilient and stronger. On Tuesday, former state Rep. John Shaban also announced on Facebook his campaign to challenge Hughes in the 135th District. He previously held the seat for three terms from 2011 to 2017. I will continue to focus on sensible solutions rather than symbolic gestures, Shaban wrote. While many in Hartford are great at spotting problems, too few pursue the fiscal policies needed to solve them. Talk is cheap, but great schools, good roads and a clean environment are not. dj.simmons@hearstmediact.com Vermont State Police and the Department of Corrections are searching for a convicted murderer with ties to Western Massachusetts who cut off an electronic monitoring device and escaped while on furlough. William Wheelock, 55, was convicted in 1987 of second-degree murder and sentenced to serve 21-99 years in prison. He was released on furlough on Jan. 28 and was living in transitional housing in Bellows Falls. Nine days after his release, he cut off and discarded the monitoring device, Vermont State Police said. Bellows Falls and State police searched for Wheelock for several hours after he escaped at about 2:30 p.m., Wednesday. A warrant for his arrest has been issued by the Department of Corrections, police said. Police confirmed Wheelock was last seen at about 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, outside a store in Bellows Falls. He got into a dark-colored SUV, possibly a newer Nissan Rogue, with Vermont license plates and headed north on Route 5 toward Rockingham. Two or three other people were in the car, police said. Wheelock is described as white, 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing about 215 pounds. He has blue eyes, thinning gray hair and a distinctive 666 tattoo on his left eyelid. He has ties to the Springfield area, police said. People are advised not to approach Wheelock but are asked to call 911 immediately if they see him. Based on the circumstances surrounding his abscondence and his lengthy remaining incarcerative sentence, Wheelocks behavior is considered unpredictable and potentially dangerous, police said. Anyone with information about Wheelocks escape or location is asked to call the Vermont State Police at 802-722-4600 or the Bellows Falls Police at 802-463-1234. The first company that was the importer (unofficially, apparently) of MG from early 2015 to mid 2018 made a series of rather dismal mistakes with marketing. To give you an idea, they used taglines such as "Small but Terrible" for the MG 3 hatchback and captions like "Only for the young. If you're 40 and above, please buy other brands" for another model. If you had asked us whether we thought Chinese-made MGs would last in the Philippine market following their first entry into the market in 2015, the answer would have been definitely no. The new MG Motor Philippines, sailed past those problems. The Covenant Car Company, Inc. (TCCCI), the new distributor behind MG (and Chevrolet), left those hilarious issues in the distant past and went to work on marketing and selling properly. The result is staggering: they sold 5,085 units in 2019. The number may seem small in the grand scheme of things, but consider that MG was able to outperform other, more established brands and enter the top 10. Actually, MG's performance in 2019 was so good that they ranked 9th overall, edging out Kia by 66 units. MG also garnered an unusual accolade in the process: by sales, MG is now the top-selling Chinese automobile brand in the Philippines. While British in heritage, MG is now owned and manufactured by SAIC. We at MG Philippines are thankful to our clients, our executive committee, dealer partners, media friends, our partners from SAIC Motor International, our bank partners, and the numerous agencies who worked with us, for making 2019 such a breakout year for the brand." said Atty. Alberto B. Arcilla, President and CEO of MG Philippines. MG says they sold 500 passenger cars, but the overwhelming majority were crossovers with 4,585 SUVs. Clearly the most popular model was the MG ZS crossover with pricing that's more competitive towards B-segment sedans rather than crossovers. MG says the RX5 crossover, MG 6 Fastback Sedan, and the MG 5 sedan sold fairly well. MG says much of their sales performance also resulted from their proactive aftersales programs such as a 5-year/100,000 kilometer warranty, 1-year free PMS, and even an app. They also established a mobile servicing program that allows customers to have their cars serviced at home in case there was no service center available or conveniently located nearby. "We are very grateful for each and every one of you; for the contributions you have made in making MG Philippines what it is today, and for your continued support of this British heritage brand. We have exciting things in store for 2020 and we eagerly enter this new year and decade with renewed anticipation and excitement, bolstered by all the positive indicators we received in the past year, By years end, MG also intends to put up another 7 dealerships, targeting more key locations around the country. The new MG really isn't small but terrible anymore. SAN FRANCISCO With the threat of the coronavirus growing, Aleksandra Kuzmanovic sat at her computer in Geneva on Monday and sent out an important public health email. She works for the World Health Organization and her aim was to assess and stop a global spread not of the dangerous virus but of hazardous false information. She wanted to halt what her colleagues at the health agency are calling an infodemic. She emailed a contact at Pinterest, the image-sharing social media giant based here in San Francisco, to ask if the site could help the W.H.O. combat the blazing spread of misinformation, lies and rumors about the new virus. Offer accepted. Starting Thursday afternoon, when Pinterest users search for coronavirus, they get a link to a page of coronavirus mythbusters from the W.H.O. Since the virus hit, Ms. Kuzmanovic said she and her colleagues have been in regular contact with the worlds biggest and most powerful disseminators of information including Facebook, Twitter and Google, as well as social media influencers around the globe. As a researcher working at KIT, Dorothea Wagner knows the perspective of a university as well as that of a large-scale research institution. (Photo: Tanja Meiner, KIT) Computer scientist Dorothea Wagner, who conducts research and teaches at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), will chair the Council of Science and Humanities, Germanys most important advisory body in research policy. After her predecessor, agricultural economist Martina Brockmeier, and engineering scientist Dagmar Schipanski, Dorothea Wagner, professor and Head of KITs Institute of Theoretical Informatics, is the third woman in this post. The Council of Science and Humanities advises the federation and the states in matters of work content and structural further development of the university system as well as state funding of research institutions. I am convinced that Professor Dorothea Wagner is the right person to largely contribute to strengthening science in Germany, says the President of KIT, Professor Holger Hanselka. While working at KIT, she mainly conducted research into algorithms. Her work in the area of computer science is future-oriented on both the national and international level. Moreover, Dorothea Wagner is an acknowledged expert of the German science system. She gained vast experience as Vice President of DFG, Member of the Council of Science and Humanities, and in a number of bodies of scientific institutions. I cordially congratulate Dorothea Wagner on her unanimous election as new Chairperson of the Council of Science and Humanities, Hanselka emphasizes. The Council of Science and Humanities plays an outstanding role in shaping the German science landscape in its entity. In it, KIT has an unparalleled double function as university of excellence and member of the Helmholtz Association. In many respects, we are therefore pleased about the election of Dorothea Wagner, who is an excellent scientist of KIT and knows both the perspective of a university and that of a large-scale research institution, adds Professor Oliver Kraft, KIT Vice-President for Research. I am looking forward to taking over this office, even more so as this is the right time to chair the Council when judging from my discipline. Many of the upcoming and pressing issues are related to computer science. Within the next years, we will increasingly deal with how science changes in the digitalization era. This will be the focus of my work as Chairperson of the Council of Science and Humanities, Professor Dorothea Wagner says. In the Scientific Commission of the Council of Science and Humanities, whose Vice-Chairperson Dorothea Wagner has been so far, Peter Gumbsch, Professor for Mechanics of Materials at KIT, was confirmed in office as chairperson. More about the KIT Information Systems Technologies Center: http://www.kcist.kit.edu Being The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,600 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 23,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence. "I was very impressed with our youth. It is very active and positive. Despite the fact that the country is at war. Their sights, reflections, desires, ambitions are all very heartwarming," Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko noted Roman Sushchenko Inshe Former Kremlin political prisoner, Ukrainian journalist Roman Sushchenko visited Brussels for the second time since his release in September last year. He met with representatives of European institutions, foundations, Ukrainian diplomats and the diaspora. Roman has an active civic position, he is ready to help in the release of other Ukrainians who are still in Russian prisons due to fabricated cases. In an interview with Promote Ukraine, Roman shared his thoughts on the situation around prisoners and Ukraine nowadays. Roman, what in your opinion was the purpose of a Russian security service operation for your capture? "I get the impression that my case was part of a broader, massive operation against the citizens of Ukraine in order to achieve certain goals. According to the documents in my case, this operation was prepared for one year, from 2015 to 2016. At this time Minsk-II (a new package of measures to stop fighting in the Donbass PU) was adopted and on October 2, 2015, the first constructive talks took place at the Elysee Palace. International actors, including the Ukrainian president, have agreed on some de-escalation of the situation. At the same time, Russian special services began to work in many cases. In 2016 stories with the Crimean saboteurs were created, then my case appeared and many more people were detained including Pavlo Gryb (a young Ukrainian detained in Belarus PU). These operations were planned." Are these operations not completed? Can they continue? "I think so. There are several plans. One of them is about Crimean Tatars. I mean Hizb ut-Tahrir which Russia considers as a terrorist organization. Not to mention the Jehovahs Witnesses whose offices in Russia have been closed. This was all planned. What is the purpose? First, to raise the stakes. I mean it is about increasing the pressure on the authorities of Ukraine and on the Ukrainian people, creating panic moods, straining, psychologically influencing through the victims relatives who are constantly seeking their release and saying that the authorities are doing nothing and so on. Its psychological pressure." Second, to show Europeans, Western partners of Ukraine that we are so and so. Look, they are terrorists, spies and extremists, they are acting against us! It is also used for propaganda, for internal consumption. Russia is showing to its audience the high profile criminal cases: experts, analysts, students, journalists the whole front is against us! And one of the most important tasks is to raise the prestige of their own special services. They want to show that they are busy, they open many criminal cases, held many court hearings, impose many sentences. So give us taxpayers money, we work. Roman, it is more or less clear how Russian society perceived you and other Ukrainian prisoners. And what about people in prison? Did they also believe that you were a spy? "Many of my interlocutors in the Lefortovo detention centre did not believe it at all. Many of them sympathized with Ukraine, they understood everything. For example, one Russian guy from the town of Zelenogorsk had also a fabricated case, it was about drug trafficking. He was going to smuggle goods from India to Russia, and they put drugs in the cargo, he faced years and years in prison. "This man had acquaintances who fought on the side of the separatists in Ukraine. And he said that he knew the situation in Ukraine, who is at war, how much money his comrades get. He said: I understand everything and feel sorry, but what kind of spy are you? How a spy can draw or sit still, read some books and so on? "Prisoners in the colony also had doubts. For example, the connection was broken, I couldnt call my wife. They were changing cables in the colony, and the administration kept telling me: oh, it will take a month or two. So the connection within Russia was possible but not abroad. And then one Chechen man told me: make a call in Russia and they will connect you through a conference call with a foreign country. And I managed to call my wife. Then the guy told everyone: look, if Roman was really aware of all these things, then he wouldnt even have any questions, he would call. So what are you talking about?" Were people like you perceived better by prisoners than in general by Russian society? In prison issues of nationality, politics and religion are a taboo. If a person is imprisoned in a colony for political activities, nobody asks any questions. No one has ever been provoked or bullied. I saw senators serving time there as well, they were treated like the rest. But it is a completely different matter for those who are in jail for various violent crimes, such as rape. Besides all the horrors in this story, were there any positive moments? The experience there taught me to defend myself against possible threats, to think through every action, every word, but in addition it gave me the opportunity to understand people. I communicated with several men in the detention center and in the colony, they turned out to be normal people, whether or not they were real criminals. These human relations were definitely positive for me. I have had many frank conversations with these people. The second thing is books. Working as a journalist, I could not afford to work with books, read a lot. I have read over 250 books being in prison. Some of them were handed to me in Lefortovo by activists, I also took books in a local fund. And in the colony, there was a library of the Soviet era: publications of 1956, 1974, etc. But I read some classics there, which I didnt have enough time for before. So no doubts that in this context it is a positive moment. Do you have any idea how to release political prisoners more effectively? There is a big and powerful mechanism created in Ukraine with the help of partners that works on the release of hostages, political prisoners, prisoners of war. A lot of people are involved there: representatives of special services, the executive power, the judiciary, i.e. the Ombudsman office. This mechanism works and should work. But despite this, decisions are made in one office. And this is the worst. They play a game with the fate, life, health of people who are in a Russian jail. Therefore, there are no specific, creative ideas. And everyone understands this. Both in Europe and in Ukraine and overseas. Everyone understands that there is a bargain, a kidnapping, it must be stopped, but all depends on one person. And he plays and enjoys it. Thus it is very difficult to invent something new. It is only possible to keep pressing. Political will is also needed. It is not enough to have just our desire. Our colleagues and partners must also have the political will to bring the matter to a logical end. And however difficult it may be, people work every day, and I hope that Valentyn Vygovsky, with whom I was in the same colony, will return home soon. I was released but he stayed. And many, many Crimean Tatars stayed. It is a case with Hizb ut-Tahrir, which we consider to be a political and religious organization, but Russia calls them terrorists. All these people who want to achieve something peacefully are all imprisoned. R oman, you have not been to your home country for 3 years, you have returned to another Ukraine. How did you find this Ukraine? I was very impressed with our youth. It is very active and positive. Despite the fact that the country is at war. Their sights, reflections, desires, ambitions are all very heartwarming. I did not see impositions that I observed in the aggressor country. Then the music. Radio stations impressed me a lot: new melodies, new rhythms, new content. Digitalization, services, online platform Home Doctor Ukraine does not stay on the side of the road, it is moving forward. Its worth mentioning architecture. There are so many new homes and new projects. However, there are also tensions, anxiety, and war. But I saw a lot of positive things, it seems to me that Ukraine has not lost these three years, there is some progress in the reforms, life has improved, at least in Kyiv. I went to my mother in Cherkasy, I also saw some positive changes there. What about the mass media of Ukraine? Are there any changes? There is a big problem. I mean a great split among journalists. I feel a certain dispute between professional associations. The leadership of the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine no longer works for the benefit of the journalistic community. Several scandals have erupted, some dirt is getting out, they are arguing with the authorities, then with some journalists, with some media. And there is empty-headed support of pro-Russian media. I mean there is no neutral view. I was invited to a parliamentary hearing on November 5 at the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and after my speech, I listened to my colleagues. I heard some narratives there, which I observed two years ago in Lefortovo, where Skabeeva-2 performed (Olga Skabeeva is a Russian journalist-propagandist PU). It amazed me the most. The same intonation, the same accents. I thought: maybe this person had a master class there? Yes, I understand that certain forces have returned to the Parliament, they are supported by certain channels, there are media assets, journalists work on these channels, and some journalists have a certain tendency to make this split. Information, fake news is an extremely big problem now. Besides the population is not so educated. There is a problem with educational work, how to read the news, how to distinguish fake news from the truth, and so on. But there are also journalists who made wonderful careers. Former colleagues with whom we ran together to events are now editors-in-chief, and they are not just managing processes, but writing in-depth analytical articles. In addition, the Ukrainian language has changed a lot. I am talking now about the Ukrainian language used in mass media. If earlier verbs, some other linguistic units were more or less steel, now they are refined, they catch my eye, attract more attention, and it is very cool that the language itself is developing, that it is alive. Four years ago, I remember that some articles in Ukraine were written with some mixture with Russian words. But now the language became more elegant, it pierces not only the brain but also the soul. Roman, what do you want to do in the near future? Will you continue your work as a journalist, or maybe you become an artist or a human rights activist? I am still a journalist. I didnt think about any human rights activity. If there are any queries, Im ready to share my experience, give some hints. You are always welcome. I also thought about being an artist or not. I would rather do it when I am retired. Interview by Natalia Richardson. Read the original article here. B Arriving at the Primrose Hill flat of rian Cox, I am a little taken aback to find him sewing. F***ing moths, he snorts, the F-word at least getting him closer to the portrayal of the character that has helped to make HBOs Succession such a global hit. Bane of my life. Look at the hole in this jumper. What on Earth would Logan Roy make of you doing your own sewing? I ask. Hed hire someone to exterminate the f***ing moths. I think it is fair to say that Brian Cox the man, a Scottish-born socialist of mostly Irish descent, would loathe Logan Roy, a media mogul motivated by self, money and power. He plays his children off against each other as they vie for his approval and jockey for position within the company as they look forward to the day he dies. But Cox the actor loves Roy, and is loving every minute of bringing him to the screen. When [writer] Jesse Armstrong called me and told me about the idea for the show, and what kind of man Logan was, I could tell this is going to be good. Cox's family in Succession Even he, however, has been surprised by the scale of the success. Not just the US and the UK, he says, which maybe youd expect. Its doing well pretty much everywhere. The Spanish have apparently gone crazy for it. He is in London for a few days, preparing to direct a play, Sinners, at The Playground Theatre in west London, in which his wife, Nicole Ansari, plays a woman about to be stoned for adultery. Afterwards he will head back to the US to work on series three of Succession. Yet when he first had that phone call with Armstrong I was sitting right there, he says, pointing to the sofa the idea was that I would be killed off at the end of series one. That would have been awful, I say. Logan makes the whole thing. This is the great thing about drama and film, he says. You can have your outline, you can have the storylines, but if you want to change them, you change them. Even the basic facts can change. I say how much I enjoyed the fact that the entire Succession team went to Coxs native Dundee, because Logan Roy had also been born there, and the city was recognising its famous fictional son. I ask if he had insisted on that to promote his homeland and the place of his birth, like athlete Usain Bolt, who has insisted anyone who wants to use him for a commercial go to Jamaica to film. He shakes his head, laughs and says: Everyone seems to have forgotten that in the first series, I was born in Quebec, with a very Canadian brother! Then were filming one day and someone tells me we are all heading to Dundee, and they tell me why, and I say: But Logan was born in Quebec. Not any more. Dundee! He was born in Dundee. Cox as Churchill Coxs own childhood was poor, in financial terms, and also he was denied the parental relationships most children have when growing up. His father, Charles, a grocer and shopkeeper, died when he was eight. His mother, Mary Ann, had a series of nervous breakdowns and spent time in institutions, undergoing, among other treatments, electro-convulsive therapy. So the young Brian was raised largely by other relatives including his older sisters. There was a lot of inequality in Dundee at that time. You had some of the richest people in the country because of the jute industry, and DC Thomson, and some of the poorest people, too. But I would say I had a pretty blissful childhood up until my Dad dying and my Mum being taken ill. My Dad was one of the most generous people you could ever meet. There were hundreds at his funeral. He was always giving people credit and not getting the money back. For all the problems, it was a proper community. That is where my basic socialist politics come from. Whereas Roy is very much on the right in politics, Cox, now 73, has always been on the left. He identified with Labour for nearly all of his life. Clement Attlee, he says, was our greatest-ever prime minister bar none. That quiet little man just got on and did so much. I first got to know Cox making films and voice-overs (his speech is perfect for the latter) in support of Labour but Youre not going to like this, he warns me Iraq was a step too far for me. He tells me he recently watched the interview online I did for GQ with Tony Blair. It was absolutely fascinating because you obviously know each other so well. I could see in a way I hadnt seen before his dilemmas and I could see yours, too. There was a part when you were trying to get him to say something bad about Trump and he just wouldnt go there. He said something about having to work with everyone and I could see you wanted him to break free, but he wouldnt and it felt stunted; I found it sad, a bit tragic even. I remember him winning in 1997 and just feeling this was such a fantastic moment. And it was, and that government did a hell of a lot of good, things were so much better then, but I just wish he hadnt done Iraq, I really do. Brian Cox in Manhunter As for Labour today, he finds it very odd that anyone should see the Corbyn project as anything other than a failure. If Rebecca Long-Bailey takes over, it means they have learned nothing. But I would prefer a woman. I dont like Keir Starmer. He is a suit. Too corporate. Too much a lawyer. I much prefer Lisa Nandy. She seems to me to get it more. He is also now strongly in favour of Scottish independence, referring to it as a when not if situation, though he wishes the Scottish National Party would change its name. I dont like the concept of nationalism. I am an internationalist. It is possible for us to be independent and internationalist and I would be much happier if they were the Scottish Independence Party. The whole damned Brexit thing has been about English nationalism, he says. If I felt Scotland could be an independent country in Europe: that would be my ideal now. The idea that this government has the faintest clue or interest in Scotland forget it. I confess to him that when David Cameron first ran for the top job, I said that he would not get it because the country had had enough of Old Etonians running the show. Well you got that wrong, he says. This is the whole problem with Britain. It is f***ing feudal. Know your place. Dont step out of line. You belong THERE! These f***ers are so f***ing entitled. The people are just pawns for them. And it has been like this forever. You just get the odd period, like we had with you guys, when it feels different for a while, but then they come back. It is so depressing. Thats why Scotland has to go it alone. We get held back by it again and again. But, I wonder, can what he calls a feudal system ever be changed while we have a monarchy, a royal family, at the top of the system? No, he replies, but then goes off on an eloquent rant about our media. They [some sections of the media] have forced Meghan and Harry to quit the country. Lets not beat about the bush they have driven them out, and yes, I have no doubt at all, some of it is racist. Its horrible what has happened to them. On the monarchy more generally, though, he says: I think the Queen is an amazing woman, and what she has done is incredible. But when shes gone, the whole bloody shooting match should go, I really think so. We wont end this feudal hold on our culture and system until then. Then comes an equally eloquent rant about the arts, and how it annoys him that so many of todays leading lights, actors, directors, the lot, are from the top private schools. I knew I wanted to be an actor from the age of two, when I stood on a box and danced and sang for the family. And when I first came to London, I had a grant. He says the word grant as like it were a historical relic. So many in that generation had grants to train as actors, to travel, and then you had great working-class writers, too. David Storey, Alan Bennett, Alan Sillitoe; you had Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay, Richard Harris, fantastic actors. I remember seeing Albert Finney in Saturday Night And Sunday Morning, and thinking, That is the kind of thing I am going to do. And I could, and I did. I never became a luvvie. I can look back on my career and think I did a lot of what I set out to do. But kids starting out today, its back to who you know and have your parents got money. Feudal. F***ing feudal. The F-word is flowing even more freely now. One of the reasons he loves playing Logan Roy, he says, is that he Brian Cox loves to swear. A part where I just tell everyone to f*** off is bliss, because I feel like telling people to f*** off all the time in my own life. I dont buy this nonsense that swearing is a sign of limited vocabulary. Good swearing can be incredibly expressive. I tell him that since watching Succession, I have wanted to compile Logan Roys various uses of F*** off as my ringtone. Now I have the chance. First he does a standard F*** off, neither soft not hard, just simple, as if to say, right, I have had enough of this now, so f*** off. Then he goes full Roy, as if the entire menagerie around him has displeased him and he wants them out of the room, en masse, in seconds. Loud, lingering F*** ooooooofffffffff. Next is his nasty f*** off, eyes narrowed, face mean, voice harsh, the expletive sharp: F*** aawf. Finally, what he defines as Scottish weary the Irish tend to use f*** off to get in your face, very direct. A Scots f*** off is just a little bit weary, like Look, youre getting on my tits a wee bit here, and Id prefer it if you went elsewhere. oh just f*** off. And then, he erupts in laughter, in a way that Logan Roy never does when he has F-bombed one of his children, or one of his long-suffering, hapless executives. Its such a great part. And the other characters are so well drawn. We have more fun on set than you would believe. Were like a family a proper family without all the hatreds of the Roys! More rounds of bitter cold after brief windy warm-up with snowfall by Friday night-Saturday... COVID-19 Important links and resources As the spread of COVID-19, or as it's more commonly known as the coronavirus continues, this page will serve as your one-stop for the resources you need to stay informed and to keep you and your family safe. CLICK HERE by Melynda Fuller , February 6, 2020 Meredith Corp. is reporting mixed results across its Q2 revenue report, including a drop in revenue and boost to digital advertising. Total company revenues came in at $811 million, down from $878 million during the same period last year. The company says this drop is due, in large part, to changes within both its Local and National Media Groups. Those include a decrease in cyclical political spot advertising revenues of $61 million in the Local Media Group and a decrease in advertising and subscription revenues attributed to portfolio changes. Those include closures, combinations and changes to rate base and frequency in the National Media Group. During Q2 2020, the National Media Group saw revenues of $597 million, compared to $616 million during the prior year period, and an operating profit of $101 million. Setting records for a fiscal second quarter, the groups operating profit was $92 million when special items were excluded; its adjusted EBITDA was $141 million. advertisement advertisement Total ad-related revenues dropped by 1% to $302 million, again due to portfolio changes. However, People reported revenue growth across print advertising. People, the companys largest magazine brand, saw a double-digit revenue lift in this area. Digital advertising revenues grew by 8% and now account for 44% of total National Media Group advertising revenues. During the same period last year, digital advertising accounted for 40%. The company attributes growth to gains in traffic, impressions per visit and rates and strong video performance. Consumer-related revenues were also impacted by portfolio changes that impacted subscription and newsstand revenues, declining by 10% to $264 million. Changes came from transitioning titles like Coastal Living and Traditional Home to premium newsstand titles, merging Cooking Light into EatingWell and closing Family Circle, Money and Martha Stewart Weddings. Meredith saw an increase of 13% across affinity marketing, licensing and digital and other consumer related revenues. Recently, Meredith has added two celebrity-driven lifestyle magazines to its portfolio with Reveal, in partnership with Drew and Jonathan Scott, and a new quarterly with Ayesha Curry. It also relaunched Cooking Light, Coastal Living and Rachael Ray In Season as consumer-driven subscription and/or newsstand titles. "We are encouraged by comparable revenue trends across our powerful and diversified National Media Group portfolio," said Meredith President-CEO Tom Harty. "At the same time, we continue to innovate, be it our newest titles with the Scott brothers and Ayesha Curry; repositioning popular brands as consumer-driven newsstand products; or continuing to develop our digital brands and capabilities for advertisers and consumers alike. If a California lawmaker has his way, registered voters in the state will be required to participate in every election. On Tuesday, Assemblyman Marc Levine (D) introduced Assembly Bill 2070, making voting mandatory. "Democracy is not a spectator sport it requires the active participation of all its citizens," Levine said in a statement. "California is a national leader on expanding voting rights to its citizens. Those rights come with a responsibility by registered voters to cast their ballot and make sure that their voice is heard by their government." Under the measure, which isn't expected to be considered until the spring, the secretary of state would determine the penalty for not voting. This is an unprecedented bill, and should it go into law, it would likely be challenged in court, the Los Angeles Times says. California's latest statewide report on elections found that there are more than 20.3 million registered voters in the state, with nearly two million more eligible to vote, but not registered. In recent years, voters have been coming out to the polls in higher numbers, with 64.5 percent of California's registered voters participating in the November 2018 election. This year, the state's primary was moved up to March 3, in order to encourage even more people to vote. More stories from theweek.com Trump's wall-building now involves blowing up mountains in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument The real State of the Union How history will view Trump's impeachment Hunter Biden, son of former Vice President Joe Biden, waits for the start of his father's debate at Centre College in Danville, Ky., on Oct. 11, 2012. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo) Senators Seek Hunter Biden Travel Records From Secret Service Shortly After Trump Acquittal Two Republican senators submitted a request for Hunter Bidens travel records shortly after Republican President Donald Trump was cleared of charges related to actions pertaining to Biden and his father, 2020 Democratic presidential contender and former Vice President Joe Biden. Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who both voted to acquit Trump on Feb. 5, sent a letter to James Murray, director of the Secret Service, asking if Hunter Biden used government-sponsored travel to help conduct private business. The request is part of a review being conducted by multiple Senate committees of potential conflicts of interest posed by Hunter Biden, 49, and his associates during the Obama administration. Joe Biden, 77, was vice president when his son began serving on the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company, in 2014. Hunter Biden also conducted business in China. Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, and Johnson, chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, noted in their letter that Hunter Biden flew aboard Air Force Two with his father to China in December 2013, just one month after Rosemont Seneca, an investment firm that Biden helped create, entered into negotiations with Bohai Capital to create investment firm BHR Partners. While in China, Hunter Biden arranged for Jonathan Li, the CEO of Bohai Capital, to shake hands with his father, and afterward, Hunter Biden and Li met for what was described as a social meeting. Vice President Joe Biden waves as he walks out of Air Force Two with his granddaughter Finnegan Biden (C) and son Hunter Biden (R) at the airport in Beijing on Dec. 4, 2013. (Ng Han Guan-Pool/Getty Images) After the China trip, BHRs business license was approved, the senators wrote (pdf), adding that in 2015, BHR and another Chinese firm acquired Henniges, a major U.S. automotive manufacturer. The senators wrote to Murray requesting information, they said, that would help the committees better understand Hunter Bidens travel arrangements to conduct business related to his dealings in Ukraine and China, among other countries, while he received a protective detail. They asked for a description of the protective detail that Biden received while his father was in office and a list of dates and locations or travel for Biden during that time. Information from the Secret Service will likely be unclassified, the senators said. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) talks to media after the closing arguments of the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump in Washington on Feb. 3, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July 2019 to look into corruption allegations against the Bidens. Theres a lot of talk about Bidens son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that so whatever you can do with the Attorney General would be great, Trump said, according to a transcript released by the White House. Joe Biden in 2018 said that in 2016 he pressured Ukraine to oust Viktor Shokin, a prosecutor who was probing Burisma. I said, Youre not getting the billion. Im going to be leaving here inI think, it was about six hours. I looked at them and said, Im leaving in six hours. If the prosecutor is not fired, youre not getting the money. Well, son of a [expletive], he got fired. And they put in place someone who was solid at the time, Biden said at a Council on Foreign Relations event. Trump told reporters in October 2019, when asked whether Ukraine should probe the Bidens: I would think if they were honest about it, they would start a major investigation into the Bidens. Its a very simple answer. They should investigate the Bidens. President Donald Trump speaks to media before departing the White House on Marine One on Oct. 11, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) And by the way, China should start an investigation into the Bidens. Because what happened with China is just about as bad as what happened with Ukraine. Hunter Biden defended his work in Ukraine and China, and Joe Biden has repeatedly said his son did nothing wrong, though he agreed last week that his sons Burisma position was a bad image. Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry after a complaint was filed over Trumps call with Zelensky. The House of Representatives voted in December 2019 to impeach Trump for abuse of office and obstruction of Congress, but the Senate voted on Feb. 5 to acquit him. The vote was split along party lines except for Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who voted for the first article and against the second article. Grassley and Johnson have sent other requests for information on Hunter Biden. In November 2019, they requested documents and other information from the State Department related to the departments interactions with Hunter Biden. That same month, they sent a letter to the Treasury Department asking about any possible reports of money laundering or fraud in the business dealings of Biden. The following month, Grassley, Johnson, and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said they were seeking interviews with former Obama administration officials about Hunter Biden and Burisma. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Heres an idea from a bipartisan group of four U.S. senators: The credit-ratings industry needs an overhaul. Obviously, this is not a novel concept. It seems as if at least once a year, financial journalists publish an investigative piece that highlights how firms including S&P Global Ratings, Moodys Investors Service and Fitch Ratings are loosening their standards, likely in an effort to win more business. The takeaway is that the industrys core model issuers paying for their own grades is broken, distorts markets and sets the entire financial system up for an even bigger fall when the economic cycle turns. Given the role of the credit raters in the 2008 financial crisis, this sort of scrutiny is understandable. For the most part, though, credit investors have learned to live with the system and its faults. Any criticism of the ratings industry amounts to little more than screaming into the void. As of this week, count Republican senators Roger Wicker of Mississippi, Chuck Grassley of Iowa, John Kennedy of Louisiana and a Democratic colleague, Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, among those making noise. The Wall Street Journal reported that the group sent a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission asking why it didnt reshape the credit-rating industry after it helped fuel a housing bubble by awarding top scores to subprime mortgage investments. It comes as other parts of Washington appear to be mobilizing as well: The letter, which could be a precursor to legislation, comes as the House of Representatives is making plans for a hearing on the credit-ratings industry and an advisory committee of bond investors weighs making recommendations on how to revamp the industry's conflicted business model. Maybe Im overly cynical, but when I read that a letter could be a precursor to legislation, that the House is making plans for a hearing and that an advisory committee weighs making recommendations, I interpret that to mean theyre all going to take their time and raise a bit of a fuss but ultimately do nothing. Story continues Consider what happened when popular anger toward credit-ratings companies was highest. The SEC determined in 2010 that the best solution to the industrys inherent conflicts was to allow the firms to publish unsolicited ratings on structured-finance deals they werent hired to analyze. Of course that was never going to take off. The agencies offering the highest ratings would have been brought on in the first place, leaving those with weaker grades on the sidelines. What company would willingly do extra work for free and burn bridges along the way? Indeed, Moodys, S&P, Fitch and Kroll Bond Rating Agency Inc. all told the Journal last year that they hadnt produced any such unsolicited ratings under the SEC rule. Once in a blue moon, a company will publicly question a rivals grades, as Kroll did to Morningstar Credit Ratings almost a year ago. But even then, Kroll didnt put out its own unsolicited rank, opting to just call the investment-grade rating a head scratcher. The senators letter cited the futility of the SECs measure: The failure of other mechanisms to curb conflicts of interest, like the issuance of unsolicited ratings, indicates that another path forward should be considered. This is usually where the conversation ends. Its easy to say something has to change; its hard to actually figure out a new way of doing things that doesnt roil global credit markets. As of a year ago, S&P rated close to $20 trillion of corporate debt worldwide. The ripple effects of any abrupt move could spread far and wide. Wicker, the Journal notes, did get a measure through the Senate a decade ago that would have created an oversight board to assign firms to rate deals. But in yet another sign of credit raters entrenched position in the financial system, the plan made it into the Dodd-Frank legislation with enough wiggle room for the SEC to contend that it studied alternative business models, yet ultimately nothing changed. This is not to say that elected officials, regulators and investors should simply stay quiet and accept the status quo. The persistent attention paid to triple-B rated companies and their fallen angel risk keeps both corporate executives and credit analysts on their toes. Public comments like Krolls, even without an unsolicited rating, are a welcome and healthy development. I wish they were more frequent. But the reality is any attempt to drastically revamp the credit-rating industry faces long odds. SEC Chairman Jay Clayton wrote in response to Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is also concerned about the credit-rating industry, that it is important to consider whether further reforms are necessary or appropriate. The Journal characterized this as potential openness to additional rules. I dont see it that way. The investment-management industry is consolidating, with the biggest firms with the strongest in-house research analysts surviving. They know the incentive structure of credit-rating firms tilts toward higher grades and adjust accordingly. Ask just about any professional corporate-bond buyer, and theyll tell you they dont rely on published ratings because theyre backward-looking relative to the public markets. Its never a bad idea to toss around ideas about how to improve a crucial part of the financial system. For the credit-rating industry, though, a true overhaul is unlikely to get past that deliberative stage. To contact the author of this story: Brian Chappatta at bchappatta1@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Daniel Niemi at dniemi1@bloomberg.net This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Brian Chappatta is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering debt markets. He previously covered bonds for Bloomberg News. He is also a CFA charterholder. 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. Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Getty President Trump may have been acquitted by the Senate on Wednesday. But some of his allies and most prominent lieutenants are in no mood to let the Ukraine impeachment scandal go. Rudy GiulianiTrumps personal attorney whose Biden-related digging and controversial shadow-diplomacy led directly to this presidents impeachmentis very much in the category of Trumpworlds unrepentant. Giuliani, for one, is planning on ramping up his investigations into Joe and Hunter Biden. Its a matter of the fair administration of justice for real, he told The Daily Beast. Giuliani did not go into details regarding what these continued private probes would entail, but the former New York mayor wasnt alone in his enthusiasm. In Giulianis quest to uncover dirt on, or provoke a Ukrainian announcement of an investigation into, the then-frontrunner for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, he openly collaborated with the fervently pro-Trump cable outlet One America News Network. In recent months, OAN launched a series with Giuliani in an effort to exonerate the president and implicate the Bidens in misconduct and corruption, with some accusations being entirely baseless and conspiracy-theory minded. This endeavorwhich included a high-profile joint trip to European countries at the height of the impeachment probe, a jaunt that freaked out various senior officials in Trumps national-security apparatusdid not end up saving the president from being impeached. And yet, the conservative news channel and Trump-propaganda vehicle doesnt appear to be through. OAN President Charles Herring said in an interview Wednesday that his network has more investigations forthcoming on the Bidens, as well. Herring said the first salvo, post-acquittal, will be another hour-long special, part four of our series, featuring personal attorney to the president, Rudy Giuliani. He added that the team was finishing up post-production today [Wednesday], and it will be airing this weekend There are several [Ukrainian] individuals, Viktor Shokin, who will be featured. Andriy Derkach will be featured And a member of the Ukrainian parliament, Oleksandr Dubinsky, is also featured. Story continues As it happens, a TV channel owned by Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky had just been raided by Ukraines security service on Wednesday. Dubinsky has close ties to both Kolomoisky and the news outlet. Some Ukrainian individuals linked the raid to Dubinskys meeting with Giuliani in Kyiv in December, but officials working in the parliament pushed back on that claim, saying the security service was searching the channels office for potential wiretaps that recorded the countrys prime minister. Were considering another international trip, were working on the plans right now, which would lead us to part five of our series, OANs president added, while not commenting on whether or not Giuliani would be going on this trip, as well. Theres a number of unanswered questions regarding Ukraine and the Bidens, among other topics. Were going to continue to dig. During his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, Trump indicated that he would be seeking payback, claiming that so many people have been hurt, and we cant let that go. Later on Fox News Americas Newsroom, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham reiterated that Trump would be using his post-impeachment speech to potentially push for probes into his political enemies. I think hes also going to talk about just how horribly he was treated and, you know, that maybe people should pay for that, she said, adding that Trump believes that people should be held accountable. Additionally, Trump allies on Capitol Hill have already made clear that theyre itching for some payback. About an hour after Wednesdays acquittal, GOP senators Chuck Grassley (IA) and Ron Johnson (WI) announced a review regarding potential conflicts of interest posed by the business activities of Hunter Biden and his associates during the Obama era. It was only two weeks ago that Eric Ueland, Trumps legislative affairs director, had breezed past a group of reporters and was quoted saying, I cant wait for the revenge. To be sure, several Trump administration officials involved in Ukraine policy have already been condemned by the White House, particularly those who participated in the House impeachment inquiry and testified on national television. President Trump described the co-operators as human scum and liars. The White House Twitter account delivered a personal attack on Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman, one of the White Houses top Ukraine experts, smack in the middle of his testimony. Following the appearance of Fiona Hill, Trumps former top Russia adviser, White House loyalists took to social media to try and frame the former official as too emotional. But perhaps no one drew as much ire from Trump as former National Security Adviser John Bolton, who left the administration just weeks after the whistleblower complaint was released in September. Although the former official refused to cooperate with the Houses inquiry in the beginning, he changed his tune later on and said he would answer questions in front of the Senate. That set off a firestorm inside the White House, where officials tried to manage not only the possibility of a Bolton appearance but his upcoming books manuscript, which The New York Times said directly linked Trumps push for investigations in Ukraine to the freezing of military aid. For a guy who couldnt get approved for the Ambassador to the U.N. years ago, couldnt get approved for anything since, begged me for a non Senate approved job, which I gave him despite many saying Dont do it, sir, takes the job gets fired because frankly, if I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now, and goes out and IMMEDIATELY writes a nasty & untrue book, Trump said on Twitter just two days before the Senate voted on whether to bring Bolton in for questioning. Others entangled in the months-long Trump-Ukraine mess dont appear to have the luxury of seeking vengeance. Several of the most entrenched Trump officials ensnared in the Ukraine affair have since ditched the administration, perhaps out of fear of retribution. Others have remained at their posts, but with their roles diminished and future prospects in government thrown into question. While figures such as Giuliani have continued to meet with Ukrainian officials and politicos and plot new investigations throughout the impeachment process, other characters in the Ukraine sagaincluding the three amigoshave drawn back from public view. Some of the officials are still getting wrapped up in inquiries by outside interest groups, such as American Oversight, a Washington-based ethics watchdog that has filed numerous records requests in search of new details about the administrations communications on Ukraine. Parnas Lawyer: Giuliani Delivered Graham Letter Calling for Sanctions on Ukrainian Officials Current and former national-security officials who spoke to The Daily Beast for this story said Kurt Volker, the former envoy to Ukraine in charge of negotiations, played the biggest role on the ground in Kyiv. Volker was the most educated about the region and understood not only the historic struggles of the country but also its deep desire for reform, those officials said. But Volker resigned from the Trump administration one day after the whistleblower report was released in September. He didnt offer a public explanation for why he left. The former Ukraine envoy was the first official caught up in the saga to resign from the administration but he wasnt the last. Shortly after, a slew of Trump officials departed, including Bolton and national-security official Tim Morrison. Jennifer Williams, an aide to Vice President Mike Pence, last week requested an early departure from her post. Meanwhile, top U.S. officials in Ukraine also moved on. Former Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, who was ousted from her post in May, resigned from the administration this week while her successor, Acting Ambassador William Taylor, departed his post just days before Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was set to visit Ukraine and meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky. As the departures and resignations rolled out into the news, current and former officials in Ukraine have worried about the future of their relationship with Washington. Several officials told The Daily Beast they felt no one was left in the Trump administration who was passionate about improving relations between the two countries and worried the U.S. would yet again decide to freeze military aid in the future. Their worries are compounded by the fact that perhaps the only leading Trump official in a position to continue the dialogue EU Ambassador Gordon Sondlandplayed a vital role in helping Trump with his political errand in Ukraine. Sondland has maintained a low profile following his blockbuster appearance in the House impeachment inquiry. Sondland, who donated $1 million to Trumps inaugural committee, was one of the first individuals in the Trump administration to join the push by the president to convince Ukraine to open specific investigations into Joe Biden, his son Hunter, and the 2016 presidential elections. He played a major role in trying to push Ukrainian officials to agree to Trumps demands. In a series of meetings on July 10 at the White House, Sondland created a scene when he brought up with top Ukrainian officials the need for Zelensky to agree to the investigations. Gordon Sondland Stepped In and Things Went Really Off the Rails During his testimony in November, the EU ambassador quite brazenly threw his amigos and Giuliani under the bus, saying Trumps personal attorney led the backchannel effort and that he was acting on the presidents orders. Sondland also corroborated other officials testimony that Trump did, in fact, engage in a quid pro quo. To the observer, Sondlands testimony was sure to elicit blowback from President Trump. Instead, though, the president offered another form of chide. When asked by reporters about his EU Ambassador, Trump said he didnt know Sondland very well before adding, Seems like a nice guy though. Although Trump didnt denounce Sondland in front of the cameras, there was an effort behind the scenes at the State Department to manage the fallout of Sondlands involvement in the Ukraine saga. The EU ambassador did not return to his post in Brussels for several weeks, two State Department officials said, and has since been asked to keep a low profile, particularly on Ukraine policy, throughout the impeachment proceedings. Then-Energy Secretary Rick Perry and Volker joined Sondland at Zelenskys inauguration in May. Vice President Pence was supposed to attend the ceremony but the amigos went in his place, setting the stage for whats been described publicly by national-security officials in the impeachment inquiry as an illegitimate foreign-policy backchannel. While Perry is no longer an official in the White House, his ideas on Ukraine live on in the Department of Energy. Ukrainian officials whove worked with Perry in the past have said they looked to him to help them navigate a way to become less dependent on Russian natural resources. Before he left, Perry worked on developing a plan, in coordination with Kyiv, for America to export its liquefied natural gas to Ukraine through Poland. In August, three countries agreed to co-operate on the project. Polands representatives said the country would commit to sending 6 billion cubic meters of gas to Ukraine starting in 2021. While that plan is still being crystalized, Ukraine and Poland are playing ball, or trying to. The first tanker filled with American LNG landed in Poland in November. Officials are still working behind the scenes to sort varying competing interests for contracts. Despite the bodies left in the impeachment dramas wake, by Wednesdays close of business, the president and his team were busy messaging their way through another supposed victory lapand gleefully raking in cash off of it. VINDICATED! Trump texted supporters, via his 2020 campaign, on Wednesday night. Ive been acquitted from the Impeachment HOAX. We need to send a messageDonate NOW. 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. JACKSON COUNTY, Ore. People filled the Board of Commissioner meeting on Wednesday for the first public hearing on the proposed Jackson County Jail Service District. The public hearing is just one of many steps needed before voters could see the new jail proposal on the ballot. In January, the Board of Commissioner approved the Jail Service District. If the board decides to go through with the process after the hearings, then it will appear on the May ballot. Weve committed to doing our best and I think weve done that with this facility, but this is an opportunity for the voters to speak and for members of the public to speak and to offer their opinions whether its today in a hearing or at a future hearing or by the ballot box," said Sheriff Nathan Sickler during his presentation. The Sheriff has pushed for a new jail before. It failed to make it to the ballot last May. Sickler said that the current jail doesn't support the needs of the community. We need to protect the public and when you look at what are our jail has not been able to do over the past at least decade and probably longer. If you look at the historically, in 1985 we were sued for overcrowding is, thats not being done," said Sheriff Sickler. The current jail was built in 1981. Back then, the population of Jackson county was 134,546. Now it's about 217,479. Right now, the jail itself can hold about 300 people at one time. According to the Sheriff, the jail had about 40,000 bookings from 2016 through 2018. During that time, about 20,000 inmates were force released, or released before they could go to court or post bail due to overcrowding. Multnomah County, they had 95,000 bookings in those three years and only 256 force releases. So were really struggling to keep up with the amount of workload in our county," said Sheriff Sickler. During the public hearing Wednesday, people were allowed to speak on their opinions of the jail. Of those that opposed the new jail, many said it was because of mental health issues. They felt the new jail is just a way to put away more people going through a mental health crisis and doesn't give them the resources they need. In January, NAMI announced its opposition to the new jail. We are focused on the decriminalization of mental illness, said Meesha Blair of the NAMI SO Steering and Advocacy Committees. The new jail is being promoted as a way to get services to people by incarcerating them and holding them longer; thats a step backwards. The Board of Commissioners acknowledged those concerns during Thursday's public hearing, but ultimately approved the first reading. The second reading is set for February 26. In a reflection of the discontent and squabbling over the long-awaited cabinet expansion in Karnataka, only ten BJP MLAs, all defectors from Congress and JDS, would be inducted as ministers today, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said. Following my discussion with the party president and other leaders in Delhi, it has been decided to induct only 10 as ministers on Thursday, Yediyurappa told reporters here. The swearing-in ceremony would take place on Thursday at 10.30 a.m at the Raj Bhavan. Yediyurappa said Athani MLA Mahesh Kumathalli, among the 11 rebel Congress and MLAs who had won on BJP tickets in the December byelections after being disqualified, was being left out in the second expansion of the six-month old cabinet. The revolt by the rebels led to collapse of the Congress- JDS coalition Ministry in July last year, paving the way for the formation of the BJP government. At present, there are 18 ministers, including the Chief Minister, in the cabinet that has a sanctioned strength of 34. Sixteen berths are vacant. Regarding the three other "native BJP leaders" whom he had earlier indicated would be made ministers, Yediyurappa said the party high command has asked him to discuss the matter with them in Delhi. The Chief Minister had announced on Sunday that 13 BJP leaders, including the 10 MLAs who had defected from the Congress and the JD(S), would take oath on Thursday. On Kumathalli, Yediyurappa on Wednesday said "It is difficult to make him (Mahesh Kumathalli) minister now. I will call him and discuss with him. We will try to give him some other responsibility. The Chief Minister had earlier promised ministerial berths to all of them. Another person whom he was keen on making minister was Hukkeri MLA Umesh Katti.However, Katti will also not make it to Yediyurappas cabinet this time. There is no doubt about making Umesh Katti minister. He was also supposed to take oath tomorrow but it has been decided to administer oath to only 10 MLAs, he said. Ever since Yediyurappa made announcement about the cabinet expansion, ministerial aspirants in the party started making a pitch for their case. "Native BJP leaders and another group comprising MLAs from erstwhile Hyderabad-Karnataka region emerged with each demanding ministerial posts. Apparently keen to avoid any rebellion, the party high command after discussing with the Chief Minister decided to induct only 10 people in the cabinet. Earlier after Yediyurappa indicated that three 'native BJP' leaders would also be inducted, rumour mills were agog that they could be Mahadevapura MLA Arvind Limbavali, Umesh Katti and C P Yogeshwar, who had lost to former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy from Channapatna. The two defectors who unsuccessfully contested the by- election have been pushing for cabinet berth for them as a "mark of tribute to their sacrifice of leaving their former party, resigning from the assembly and getting disqualified by the Speaker only to install the BJP government." Kumathalli had turned emotional following speculations he will not secure a Cabinet berth. "We have trusted him (Yediyurappa). We are ready to dowhatever work he will assign. We will firmly remain with the BJP but I am hurt," Kumathalli had said on Sunday. Besides the Chief Minister, the MLAs also made a beeline before Yediyurappa's son B Y Vijayendra ahead of the cabinet expansion. Vijayendra had demonstrated his political acumen when he made a dent into the JD(S) bastion Mandya district in the by- elections and won a seat for the BJP by ensuring victory for Narayana Gowda from Krishnarajpet. "There is nothing unusual about it. I frequently visit Vijayendra ever since I joined the BJP," Mahalakshmi Layout MLA K Gopalaiah told reporters after meeting him. The Congress and the JD(S) have been watching the developments with curiosity even as "dissatisfaction" is hitting some sections of the ruling BJP ahead of crucial cabinet expansion. OMAHA -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to take a more aggressive approach toward releasing water from Missouri River reservoirs this winter in hopes of providing more flexibility when runoff picks up in the spring. The corps increased releases from Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, South Dakota, earlier this week to 35,000 cubic feet per second, up from 30,000 cfs and twice the normal winter rate of 12,000-17,000 cfs. Releases are expected to remain at 35,000 cfs through February. During a conference call with government officials and media Thursday, John Remus, chief of the corps' Missouri River Water Management Division in Omaha, said the unusually high releases will help move above-average January runoff through the reservoir system, leaving more room to catch runoff later in the year and potentially reduce flooding risks or severity downstream. "It gives us the greatest amount of flexibility," Remus said. By clearing water now, Remus said, the reservoirs will have more storage space when runoff increases in early spring, giving the corps the ability to hold back water if downstream areas are flooding or, at least, keep peak releases lower so that a lesser amount of water is heading downriver to flooded areas. Throughout 2019, critics asked the corps why it didn't release more water earlier in the year to lessen flooding in southwest Iowa, southeast Nebraska and Missouri, areas that experienced months of flooding. For much of the spring, summer and fall, Gavins Point releases remained at 80,000 cfs, more than twice the normal rate, to evacuate the near-record runoff from the reservoirs. Runoff in the Missouri River basin above Sioux City in 2019 totaled 60.9 million acre-feet, the second-highest total in 121 years of record keeping behind the 2011 record of 61 MAF. Remus said Thursday that current release schedules are not in response to critics. "This is really to provide us the greatest amount of flexibility to reduce flood risks," he said. On Jan. 22, storage in the six-reservoir system dropped to 56.1 MAF, a mark indicating that all 2019 runoff had been evacuated and the system had its entire 16.3 MAF of flood storage capacity available. With current release schedules, the corps expects storage to drop to 55.9 MAF by March 1, leaving an extra 0.2 MAF of storage for the beginning of the spring runoff season. Weather forecasters warned that flooding is likely this spring along the Missouri River and its tributaries in western Iowa, eastern South Dakota and eastern Nebraska. Kevin Lau, a National Weather Service hydrologist, said soils remain up to 99 percent saturated across large areas of the river basin. Instead of soaking into the ground, most melting snow and spring rainfall will instead run off into streams and rivers. Runoff for 2020 is forecast at 36.3 MAF, a total that would rank as the ninth highest. Average annual runoff is 25.8 MAF. 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. ATTN GAMING MANAGERS - OPEN HOUSE Come have a first-hand look at the latest Electronic Pull-Tab gaming system (CGT)... Tribes are continuing to lose revenues due to the proliferation of non-Indian electronic pull tabs across North Dakota. Scott Davis, a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe who serves as the executive director of the North Dakota Indian Affairs Commission , told the Plain Talk podcast that tribal revenues have dropped an estimated 30 percent to 45 percent. He said tribes were essentially "duped" by state lawmakers, who had promised only a minimal impact on Indian Country when they legalized the electronic games in 2017. Its no small thing for us, Chairman Mark Fox of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation said at the Strengthening Government to Government Relations Conference last month, The Fargo Forum reported. Its of dire concern, at a minimum. Plain Talk by Rob Porter: 'I don't want to use the word duped' The conference, held January 15-16 in Bismark, included a panel titled "Electronic Gaming and Future of Indian Gaming." In addition to Fox, Collette Brown, the executive director of the gaming commission for the Spirit Lake Nation , said electronic pull tabs are hurting tribe's operation. Myself, my tribe, are gravely concerned with the electronic pull tab systems, e-tabs, in the state of North Dakota, Brown said, The Forum reported, citing a 42 percent decrease in revenues. Electronic pull tabs first launched in August 2018. They are now present at non-Indian bars, restaurants, gas stations and social clubs in nearly every county, The Forum reported. Quarterly reports for non-Indian gaming are available from the North Dakota attorney general's office for the quarters ending June 2019 December 2018 and September 2018 . The September 2018 report contains the first figures from the electronic pull tab machines. The reports show that electronic pull tabs bring in far greater revenues than any other type of game. For the quarter ending June 30, 2019, they accounted for more than 70 percent of gross proceeds at non-Indian establishments. The state gets a cut of the revenues through a tax on electronic pull tabs. Charities also receive a share of the funds. Read More on the Story An Opinion Join the Conversation Related Stories Advertisement Harvey Weinstein's rape trial defense got off to a rocky start when his own witness was questioned over texts in which he described the film mogul as a 'sex addict' who was 'voracious' in his pursuit of a 'movie, script or a girl'. Prosecutors at Weinstein's trial hammered Paul Feldsher, who was the first defense witness to take the stand on Thursday, after it was revealed he texted the disgraced mogul 'I will be the inappropriate person who defends you' after his sexual assault allegations came out. The prosecution at the film producer's rape trial rested their case on Thursday afternoon and the defense called their first witness film producer Paul Feldsher to the stand. He claimed he was 'very close' with Soprano's actress Annabella Sciorra and she confided in him that she did a 'crazy thing' with the film producer in the early 1990's, around the time he allegedly raped her. Prosecutors then presented a series of texts that Feldsher exchanged with Weinstein in November 2018. In one he said that there was 'truth to the claims you behaved like a cad and more' and that his 'appetite and ambition for the things you want, a script a movie and a girl are to put it mildly, voracious'. Feldsher, then became visibly uncomfortable in the witness box, and tried to explain his text saying Weinstein 'was very dogged in pursuit of projects'. 'I meant that it's my understanding is that for a very long time that Harvey had a sex addiction and that he dated a lot of women,' he said. Feldsher tried to backpedal saying, 'I'm not a clinician' but stood by his assessment. Sciorra was the first accuser to testify at Weinstein's trial and alleges he violently raped her at her apartment in the winter of 1993 or 1994. On Friday the defense hope to rebound bringing in a film director in hopes of dashing the credibility of a separate rape accuser who acknowledged abusing prescription drugs during a movie shoot before the alleged assault. Soprano's actress Annabella Sciorra once confided in close friend film producer Paul Feldsher (right), that she did a 'crazy thing' with Harvey Weinstein around the time he raped her, his rape trial heard today. Sciorra pictured in court on January 23 The movie mogul looked weary as he left court following a long day of testimonies on Thursdsay Weinstein pictured clinging onto a staircase railing as he left his rape trial on Thursday where the first defense witness took the stand Weinstein's lawyers excepted to attack the credibility of a rape accuser By Associated Press Harvey Weinstein's lawyers are looking to rebound on Friday by bringing in a film director in hopes of dashing the credibility of a rape accuser. Warren Leight wrote and directed 'The Night We Never Met', a 1993 romantic comedy starring Annabella Sciorra, the actress who testified early in the trial that Weinstein barged into her apartment and raped her in the mid-1990s. But that isn't Leight's only connection to the case. Now the showrunner and executive producer on 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,' Leight wrote a #MeToo-themed episode of the show, based on the Weinstein saga. In the episode titled 'I'm Going to Make You a Star,' the head of a big media studio is arrested after he's accused of raping young actresses and forcing one to watch him masturbate at an audition. In a line evoking what accusers have said of Weinstein, the mogul character tells a victim: 'You want this part, dont you?' 'I thought, go big,' Leight told People magazine after the episode aired in September. Sciorra, the first of six accusers to take the witness stand, was friends with Leight and testified that she brought his 'The Night We Never Met' script to Weinstein's attention, even staging a reading with her theater company so the once-revered Hollywood honcho could hear it acted out. Sciorra, now 59, said Weinstein agreed to make the film, but only if she starred in it - something she resisted because she already had back-to-back movie shoots booked and didn't want a third. To help her cope with the grueling schedule, Sciorra said Weinstein sent her a care package that included a bottle of Valium and that, by the time 'The Night We Never Met' started filming, she was hooked on the drug. She said it was around the same time that she started drinking alcohol. On cross-examination, defense lawyer Donna Rotunno questioned if Sciorra was on Valium or drunk the night she alleges Weinstein raped her. The actress denied both, saying she had weaned herself off the drug by then and didn't have much to drink that night. 'I realized I was addicted to the Valium and I was taking it during the day a lot, at nighttime,' Sciorra testified. 'I also knew it wasn't good for me.' 'The Night We Never Met' finished filming in December 1992, according to the Internet Movie Database. Sciorra alleges Weinstein raped her in late 1993 or early 1994 after giving her a ride home from a dinner with people in the film industry. Rotunno foreshadowed Leight's appearance on the witness stand as she grilled Sciorra about her use of Valium and her behavior on the set of 'The Night We Never Met.' At one point, the lawyer asked if Leight ever spoke to her 'about the fact you were intoxicated.' Sciorra said no, but later said, 'He might have, I don't recall.' Leight, 63, went on to write the play 'Side Man,' a 1999 Pulitzer Prize finalist, and was a top producer on the HBO series 'In Treatment.' He started in television as a writer on '100 Centre Street,' a short-lived 2002 drama series about the very New York City courthouse where Weinstein is on trial. Advertisement Feldsher, who worked on the movie The Four Feathers starring Heath Ledger, said he thought she meant she 'fooled around' with the fallen movie mogul. Under cross-examination it was revealed he sent frequent text messages to Weinstein, including one where he called Sciorra 'an a**hole' and said 'I think she's full of s**t'. Feldsher told Weinstein in another text that the women making allegations as part of #MeToo were a 'dogpile of actresses who are suddenly brave in recalling repressed memories.' The defense will present a series of witnesses over the next three days. Thursday morning the prosecution wrapped up their case with Weinstein accuser Lauren Marie Young, 30, finishing her disturbing testimony. She claimed Weinstein masturbated in front of her in a Beverly Hills hotel bathroom in February 2013 and said his semen 'didn't look normal.' Earlier in the New York trial Sciorra cried as she told jurors how Weinstein allegedly raped her and her friend Rosie Perez confirmed that Sciorra told her about the alleged rape around that time, but initially withheld the name of her assailant. Prosecutors question Feldsher's testimony and unravel his close relationship with Weinstein Feldsher said that he got to know Sciorra on the set of The Night We Never Met when he was working for talent agency ICM and representing another actress. Feldsher testified Thursday that he and Sciorra were very close in the early 1990s. They took vacations in Paris, California and had an 'intensive friendship' until the early 2000s when they drifted apart and have not spoken in seven years. Feldsher said he knew Weinstein for 'the better part of 30 years'. Feldsher said that he recalled a long walk they took some time in the early 1990s - he could not remember exactly when - in which she confided in him. He said: 'I remember her say to me she'd done this crazy thing with Harvey.' Asked about the tone of the conversation he said there was 'no component which I found shocking or alarming.' Weinstein's lawyer Donna Rotunno asked: 'What was your understanding of what this crazy thing was?' 'As I understand it all these years later, there was nothing that she told me that was shocking or alarming, there was nothing stressful. My understanding was that she fooled around with him,' Feldsher said. Rotunno asked: 'Did Annabella Sciorra say anything about Harvey Weinstein ever forcing her to do anything?' Feldsher replied: 'No.' Rotunno asked if Sciorra ever talked about having a 'negative experience' with Weinstein, and he said she did not. Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzi asked about the time Sciorra told her about the 'crazy thing', but Feldsher couldn't remember anything else. If it had been 'something provocative or something that had frightened her' he would have asked follow up questions but he didn't. He said: 'If it was something of that nature I can't imagine I wouldn't have pursued it with her or Harvey.' He noted that Sciorra drank during that time and took prescription medication, which he believed to be Xanax or a sedative. He said Sciorra was 'stressed' in the early 1990s as she was working back to back films. Feldsher said: 'I remember her say to me she'd done this crazy thing with Harvey.' Asked about the tone of the conversation he said there was 'no component which I found shocking or alarming.' Feldsher pictured testifying at the trial Thursday Illuzi then hammered Feldsher over frequent messages he sent to Weinstein sent over the past two years, where he at times insults Sciorra. Feldsher was hired by Weinstein in 2016 to work on one of his films called The Outsider for which he was paid $15,000 a week. They ended up getting into a dispute over payment over that film. Under intense questioning from Illuzi, Feldsher initially denied he was in regular contact with Weinstein after he had calmed down over not being paid. But when she produced phone records showing multiple phone calls a day during the summer of 2018 - after he was exposed as an alleged sexual predator - he conceded he had been in 'constant contact'. 'This is somebody I knew was in trouble and I was speaking to him partially because nobody else was. I felt badly that he was completely abandoned I felt it was very difficult to be a recipient of due process,' Feldsher said. 'You were his friend and confidante?' Illuzi asked. Feldsher said: 'I don't know what you mean by confidant. I don't think of myself as a confidant. I was friendly to him. I'm not trying to distance myself from him...it's not like we go hang out together.' When asked how many times he saw Weinstein this year he said, 'Multiple...once a month' and admitted he had talked to Weinstein about the case. Feldsher once messaged the Weinstein: 'I think she's (Sciorra) full of s**t.' Another said: 'I know you guys had an awkward whatever the f**k night 20 years ago.' Annabella Sciorra pictured on The Sopranos where she played Gloria Trillo Prosecutors go through Feldsher's texts with Weinstein where he called accuser Annabella Sciorra 'full of s**t' Illuzi then presented a series of texts that Feldsher exchanged with Weinstein in November 2018. In one he said that there was 'truth to the claims you behaved like a cad and more'. He added his 'appetite and ambition for the things you want, a script a movie and a girl are to put it mildly, voracious'. Feldsher, then became visibly uncomfortable in the witness box, and tried to explain his text saying Weinstein 'was very dogged in pursuit of projects'. 'I meant that it's my understanding is that for a very long time that Harvey had a sex addiction and that he dated a lot of women,' he said. Feldsher tried to backpedal saying 'I'm not a clinician' but stood by his assessment. Illuzi read out another text sent to Weinstein Feldsher who said: 'If a lot of these girls had been my daughter I'd have wanted to beat the shit out of you.' Feldsher elaborated: 'My daughter is 13 so the thought of anyone behaving in that context I find abhorrent at this point. I was trying to put into context, I was trying to be a friend and to say I know the extremes of your personality, your appetite but I didn't believe he was capable of the things he'd been charged.' Feldsher looked even more uncomfortable and protested: 'I had no idea that my text messages would end up in a courtroom.' In other messages to Weinstein Feldsher slammed Annabella Sciorra. He once messaged the producer: 'I think she's (Sciorra) full of s**t.' Another said: 'I know you guys had an awkward whatever the f**k night 20 years ago.' 'The rape version got her an agent at CAA so there's that,' he said in another message. In yet another Feldsher told Weinstein: 'Until some kind of confession or you're proven legally guilty I will continue to be the controversial cum inappropriate person who defends you.' Feldsher tried to crack a joke saying he was using the latin cum, meaning and, and wasn't referring to semen but it fell flat. Feldsher seemed to belittle Weinstein's sting of accusers, calling the women making allegations as part of #MeToo a 'dogpile of actresses who are suddenly brave in recalling repressed memories'. It was revealed around the time he made this comment, Feldsher had asked Sciorra for her number and Weinstein asked him for that number afterwards. In another message Weinstein said 'I love you' to Feldsher - it was the only response of his read out in court. This is somebody I knew was in trouble and I was speaking to [Weinstein] partially because nobody else was. I felt badly that he was completely abandoned I felt it was very difficult to be a recipient of due process Defense witness film producer Paul Feldsher said Thursday Illzui said: 'At some point you say Annabella is an a**hole?' and Feldsher said yes. Illuzi said: 'But here in court you said you still care about her?' and Feldsher said yes. Illuzi asked: 'So is it correct to say you were saying things you thought Harvey Weinstein wanted to hear?' Feldsher said yes. Illzui went on: 'And that's what you're doing today aren't you sir, saying things in this courtroom you think Harvey Weinstein wants to hear?' Feldsher said: 'Categorically, no.' While Weinstein does not face charges related to Sciorra's allegations, she was bought in by prosecutors to establish a pattern of Weinstein's sexual assault and predatory behavior. Prosecution at Harvey Weinstein's trial wrap up their case The prosecution at the film producer's rape trial rested their case after accuser Lauren Young returned to the witness stand for about an hour on Thursday morning. Young said Weinstein's semen looked 'not normal' when he ejaculated on a towel after he relieved himself in front of her in the hotel bathroom. Lauren Young said 'I have never seen anything like that' when asked to describe his semen. The prosecution at the film producer's rape trial rested their case after the 30-year-old model Lauren Marie Young wrapped up her testimony and cross-examination against Harvey Weinstein on Thursday morning. Young pictured leaving court But she did not see Weinstein inject himself with an erection-inducing drug, which key witness Jessica Mann accused the producer of doing. The defense in the trial will now call on their own witnesses and their case will last three days. In total six accusers testified against the disgraced movie mogul accusing him of raping or assaulting them. Jurors heard over two weeks of testimony from Weinstein's accusers. Young was the last of six women to testify graphic accounts of how Weinstein allegedly assaulted them. On Wednesday Young claimed Weinstein allegedly masturbated in front of her and groped her breast in a Beverly Hills hotel room on February 19, 2013. She claims she was lured to the meeting by Mexican model Claudia Salinas who allegedly shut the door and trapped her in the bathroom with the producer. Young describes Weinstein's semen as 'not normal' as defense grills her on 'blacking out' memories Assistant District Attorney Meghan Hast asked Young to describe what it looked like when Weinstein ejaculated. She said: 'It didn't look normal. It was, like, clumpy.' Hast asked if Young looked in the trash - apparently to see if a needle was there. Young said: 'No.' Hast read out a previous statement that Young told prosecutors in which she said of the semen: 'I have never seen anything like that. (It was a) pile.' Weinstein's defense lawyer Damon Cheronis asked: 'Did you see Mr. Weinstein inject anything in his penis?' Young said no. Cheronis grilled Young over inconsistencies in her testimony on the witness stand with what she told prosecutors in interviews in 2018, just as he did yesterday. Weinstein defense lawyer Damon Cheronis grilled Lauren Young over inconsistencies in her testimony on the witness stand with what she told prosecutors in interviews in 2018 on Thursday. Sketch from court Thursday pictured above Attorney Gloria Allred, who is representing a slew of Weinstein accusers, pictured sitting in the front row of the courtroom during Thursday's trial He pointed out that she initially told investigators the alleged assault took place in a different hotel and only realized it was the Montage Beverly Hills when she went there with investigators. Cheronis challenged Young on her recollection that Weinstein did not have any testicles. He said that in her interviews with the Los Angeles District Attorney she said she said there was a scrotum under his penis and his hand and visible testicles. She had told detectives that she could 'make them out'. He said: 'When you said that to the detectives they kept asking you questions until you said maybe he didn't have any balls?' Young said: 'No. I didn't think the scrotum was full.' Cheronis brought up statements that Young said to prosecutors in which she said that Claudia Salinas, the Mexican model who walked with her and Weinstein to the bathroom and allegedly shut the door behind her. Cheronis said that Young told prosecutors that Salinas was 'standing by the bed with a sad look on her face.' Young said: 'She was standing there, the door was open, he (Weinstein) opened it.' Young said that Weinstein was 'somewhere in the room, I just jetted'. Young tried to keep a low profile by keeping her head down and covering her hair with a scarf when she arrived to court on Thursday morning Weinstein arrived in a blue suit and holding onto his walker as he walked into the Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday Cheronis cast doubt on Young's testimony by pointing out that Young initially told the Los Angeles District Attorney that she 'blacked out' for a portion of the alleged assault. Young said: 'I stated it was a blacking out of my memory. I blocked out some memories because it was such a traumatic experience.' 'So when you told (prosecutors in May 2019) you used all your strength to try and open the door, that was just wrong?' she was asked. 'Yes,' she replied, adding she 'recollected all my memories and retraced all my steps.' After Young was done being questioned, Weinstein's lawyers asked for the charges to be thrown out because the prosecution had not proved its case. Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzi went through a summary of the allegations for which Weinstein is charged. She said that 'the people have more than proved this case beyond reasonable doubt'. Illuzi said: 'In all the instances rape in the first degree is made out, and criminal sexual act. Additionally rape in the third degree is made out.' 'Because of the forcible rape and forced sexual assault on Miss Sciorra the people have proved that the defendant committed predatory sexual assault,' she added. In the end, Judge James Burke denied the motion to dismiss the charges. On Thursday Young's friend Ryan Beatty testified how Young came home after meeting Weinstein at the Montage Hotel 'extremely upset'. Beatty above walking into court Thursday morning Prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon announced that the government rests their case during film producer Harvey Weinstein's rape trial on Thursday Earlier on Thursday Young's friend Ryan Beatty testified how Young came home after meeting Weinstein at the Montage Hotel 'extremely upset'. He said: 'She just started crying, not really any words were coming out (of her mouth). It's probably the worst I have ever seen her.' Tarale Wulff, another accuser who testified last week, was briefly recalled by Weinstein's lawyers and asked about another meeting she had with him. Wulff agreed that she did speak to her friend about it as she was trying to put together her timeline of the case. But she couldn't remember when or where it happened. The model tried cover her face as she left court Wednesday Lauren Young, the final accuser in Harvey Weinstein's rape trial, took the witness stand Wednesday. She claims that Weinstein masturbated in front of her and groped her breast in a Beverly Hills hotel bathroom in February 2013 Weinstein's lawyers similarly grilled Young about inconsistencies in her testimony yesterday. In her testimony she said Weinstein grazed her vagina during the alleged assault. But she told police in 2018, 'I don't think he touched me down there.' 'Is that something you just added today?' Cheronis asked Wednesday. 'No,' Young replied. 'Pretty important fact, wouldn't you say?' he shot back. 'I'm not a lawyer,' Young quipped. 'No, but you're a witness and you're supposed to tell the truth,' Cheronis said. The criminal charges that the embattled film producer faces in his New York City trial are based on two allegations: that he raped accuser Jessica Mann in March 2013 at a New York hotel room and that he forced oral sex on former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in 2006 at his New York City apartment. In total he faces five felony charges including rape and predatory sexual assault in New York. If convicted the 67-year-old could spend life behind bars. Additional women, including Young, have been allowed to testify as prosecutors attempt to portray a pattern of Weinstein's predatory behavior and establish a method to his attacks where he invited women to his hotel room to discuss business and ended up demanding sexual favors. Next in the trial defense lawyers will call their own witnesses. One of those witnesses includes a psychologist who specializes in human memory. The defense is looking to raise doubts about the women's recollections of encounters that in some cases are more than a decade or two old. Young claims Weinstein assaulted her at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills (above) on February 19, 2013, just days before the Oscars ceremony Among the images shown to jurors was a picture of the interior of the bathroom where Weinstein was alleged to have masturbated in front of model Lauren Marie Young In a dramatic moment the court was shown the lace dress Young claimed she wore the night of that alleged assault Lauren Young testified how Weinstein 'masturbated in front of her in a hotel bathroom' and said his penis looked like it had been 'cut and sewn back on' On Wednesday she recounted how Weinstein allegedly steered her into the bathroom in his hotel suite at the Montage Beverly Hills hotel and how he disrobed and started to masturbate in front of her and take off her dress. She described in explicit detail had a 'disgusting'-looking penis that appeared to be 'cut and sewn back on' and appeared to have no testicles at his rape trial today. She detailed the film honcho's naked body saying: 'His body was hairy, it had moles on his rolls, a disgusting looking penis.' 'It had looked like it had been cut and sewn back on, not a normal looking scar from circumcision. Something didn't look normal and I remember noticing that and I didn't notice balls in the sack. I just saw a penis,' she added. Young teared up as she alleged Weinstein's friend, Mexican model Claudia Salinas, closed the door of the hotel bathroom to trap her inside with the producer, making it impossible for her to escape. In a dramatic moment Wednesday the court was shown the lace dress Young claimed she wore the night of that alleged assault. The dress may be sent for DNA testing for evidence in the case against Weinstein in Los Angeles, where the incident took place. Young's allegations are partly the basis of criminal charges filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney on January 6, just as Weinstein's New York trial was getting underway. On Tuesday jurors were given naked photos of Weinstein to corroborate key witness Jessica Mann's description of his body as well as that of Young. Mann claimed he appeared to be deformed, had no testicles, had severe scarring, and appeared to be intersex. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said in Lok Sabha that even Jawaharlal Nehru had wanted Indian citizenship for religious minorities from Pakistan as he hit out at the Congress while defending the amended citizenship law. Replying to a debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address, he said the first prime minister of India (Jawaharlal Nehru) wrote to the first chief minister of Assam (Gopinath Bordoloi), saying there was a need to differentiate between Hindu refugees and Muslim migrants. He said Nehru had wanted to defend minorities in then West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). "Was he communal, did he want to create a Hindu Rashtra...I want to ask the Congress," the prime minister said. He said Nehru was a big thinker. Why did he not include all citizens but mentioned only religious minorities in the Nehru-Liaquat Agreement? Modi asked. Liaquat Ali Khan was the them prime minister of Pakistan. He said his government is saying today what Nehru had said decades ago. Modi said the government was fulfilling the wishes of the founding fathers. While referring to the Citizenship Amendment Act, President Ram Nath Kovind in his address to the joint sitting of Parliament on January 31 had said that Mahatma Gandhi was in favour of bringing back religious minorities facing persecution in Pakistan. Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks, Shashi Tharoor of Congress had said Mahatma Gandhi was only partially quoted by the government to defend the amended law. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kuzma/iStock(NEW YORK) -- With the prosecution in the Harvey Weinstein rape trial expected to rest their case this week, the sixth and final woman testifying against him told her story. Lauren Young, who ABC News is naming with permission from her attorney, testified to having been invited during Oscar season seven years ago to meet with Weinstein and his associate Claudia Salinas in California to talk about her script ideas. She was 23 at the time and, she said, "excited" at the opportunity. Weinstein, who was 60 at the time, is not charged in this incident. Young was called to testify as a "prior bad acts" witness in support of prosecutors' efforts to show a pattern of predatory behavior by Weinstein. He is charged with five felony counts. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denied ever engaging in non-consensual sex. Young said she arrived at the bar of the Montage Beverly Hills hotel on Feb. 19, 2013 and had a drink at the bar with Salinas. Weinstein arrived and asked if she was interested in appearing on America's Next Top Model. She demurred, explaining she was trying to transition from modeling to acting and wasn't interested in reality TV. "Follow me upstairs," she said Weinstein told the women, saying he had to get ready for an awards ceremony at which director Quentin Tarantino was being honored. She said she walked behind Weinstein and in front of Salinas into the hotel room and continued to follow him until she found herself inside the bathroom with Weinstein. The door closed behind her, she said. "The girl that invited me closed the door and didn't come in and left me in there," Young said in the courtroom, beginning to cry. "That's when I realized I'm stuck here. I'm stuck." Young continued, "Harvey went straight to the left, turned on the shower and started undressing. I stood there in shock at first I started laughing, shaking my head, [and] he's already naked -- quickest I've ever seen anyone undress." She said Weinstein seemed to recognize her shock and said in a calm voice that "we're just gonna have a talk" before, she claimed, the fully nude producer began masturbating and groping her body. Young said she was wearing a white, lace dress with a slip underneath it, and Weinstein pulled it down off her from the top, exposing her chest and limiting the mobility of her arms. She claimed he groped her breast as he continued to masturbate, saying, "How am I gonna know if you can act?" "I'm saying, 'No, no, no!' And he's just carrying on a normal conversation saying, 'This is what all actresses do,'" she said. She said Weinstein tried to grab her crotch and "glanced" at her vagina, but, "I blocked it and kind of held myself." Young said Weinstein ejaculated into a towel, dropped it on the floor and promptly left the bathroom. "I stayed, standing there in shock," Young continued. "I pulled up my dress and walked out of the bathroom, and Claudia Salinas is standing right there." "I shot her an evil look and left there as quickly as I could," she said. Young testified that it was the first time she'd been alone with Weinstein and that she had never expressed any romantic or physical interest in the Hollywood producer. She said she drove to a friend's house at Venice Beach and recounted the incident to several close friends. She didn't call police that night, she said, "because he's got power" and she "was scared." The next day, Young said she attended a scheduled meeting with a Weinstein staffer at the Weinstein Company offices in Los Angeles. "I wanted to confront the issue," Young testified. "I thought maybe Harvey would be there and I was gonna tell him off." Instead, she entered the office lobby and saw Salinas. "I told her, 'Don't f-ing talk to me,'" Young said, her face tensing up. In the meeting, she was again encouraged to try out for America's Next Top Model and she again refused. As Weinstein was not there, she said, she did not mention the alleged attack. Young said she ignored numerous cheerful follow-up emails and a party invitation from the Weinstein staffer asking for her headshot and resume. Asked why she did this, Young replied, "I didn't want anything to do with any of them." Under cross examination, which began late Wednesday afternoon and is expected to continue into Thursday, she acknowledged she initially told authorities she had been locked into the bathroom from the outside but later recognized she had been wrong. She also said under cross-examination that she initially told authorities the attack occurred at a different hotel, after revisiting the lobbies of several Los Angeles hotels trying to retrace her path. When asked by defense attorney Damon Cheronis why she followed Weinstein into the bathroom, Young said she was walking right behind him and could not see where they were heading as "there was a big fat man in front of me." "Then this 'big fat man' does a ninja tear off of his clothes?" Cheronis shot back, before a sustained objection prevented the witness from responding. Cheronis also took issue with what he described as Young's conflicting descriptions in different accounts of if she saw Weinstein's genitalia. Young responded that it was hard to be sure because his belly hung down over his crotch area and she was in the midst of a traumatic encounter. In a dramatic moment at the end of the day, Cheronis donned plastic gloves, cut open an evidence bag with scissors and held up the white lace dress Young said she was wearing during the alleged attack. He asked her to describe how Weinstein pulled it down from her shoulders to her waist, and she demonstrated. Young is among dozens of women who came forward during or after October 2017, when investigative reports about Weinstein in The New York Times and The New Yorker kicked the #MeToo movement into high gear. If you or someone you know experienced sexual assault and is seeking resources, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. How do you take your mezcal neat, on the rocks, or redistilled with a raw chicken breast? While Oaxacas experienced mezcaleros have long produced mezcal de pechuga, passing heirloom recipes down through generations, the style is little known outside of Mexico. We take a closer look at the production process involved in making mezcal with meat Until recently, few people were aware of let alone consumed mezcal de pechuga. But now this typical Mexican wedding toast is garnering interest outside of native celebrations, and the bigger distilleries are slowly but surely starting to cotton onto its marketability as a point of difference amid the burgeoning mezcal boom. Pechuga is a style of mezcal, it means breast in Spanish explains Eduardo Gomez, founder and director of Tequila & Mezcal Festival. Mezcal is traditionally distilled twice, and pechuga mezcal is made when you take that liquid, add some sort of protein and fruits into the pot still, and distill for a third time. Traditionally people use chicken breast, but its not uncommon to hang other types of raw meat instead, for example, rabbit, turkey, deer, and even Iberico ham (the result of a one-off collaboration between Del Maguey and chef Jose Andres). Its suspended inside the still above a basket containing locally-sourced fruits, grains, and nuts; sometimes spices and herbs, too. The meat which cooks during distillation, FYI doesnt impart any flavour to the liquid; rather, its function is to balance, soften and round out any potentially potent fruit notes. They close the still pot, fire it up, and the liquid will start boiling and distilling and pass through the pechuga and through the condenser, Gomez continues. What you have, as a result, is a pechuga mezcal with very high fruit notes. Without the chicken breast, it would be super sweet because they add banana, guava, apples, peaches, almonds. The botanical proportions which are usually derived from a family recipe passed down from generation to generation varies among distillers and brands. Del Magueys pechuga combines 100 kilos of wild mountain apples and plums, big red plantain bananas, pineapples, a handful of almonds and a few pounds of uncooked white rice with the typical chicken breast. El Jolgorio, by contrast, is made with limes, oranges, pineapples, apples, pears, plantains, and the breast of a turkey cock. If the idea of a meat-infused agave spirit isnt your cup of tea, there are vegan iterations, too. And they werent just invented to appease hipster bartenders, either. While the pechuga mezcal-making tradition dates is thought to back centuries just how far is relatively unknown, since the style is typically made in palenques (distilleries) located in remote countryside villages where there are few written records adding meat to the still isnt necessarily expected. Sometimes, pechuga mezcals just contain fruits and herbs and forgo the protein aspect of the production process. Don Amados pechuga bottling, for example, features wild apples, apricots, bananas, walnuts, cloves, cinnamon and other spices, with not a turkey or chicken breast in sight. While the final flavour varies between bottlings as much as youd expect, there are some generalisations. For starters, pechuga mezcal is typically much sweeter than your standard espadin, says Gomez. Mezcal is usually spicy and smoky and earthy and citrusy, but with pechuga mezcal, because they distil it for a third time, it loses a little bit of the complexity. However, it gets a different complexity from the fruit and the pechuga. Rather than make pechuga year-round, mezcaleros typically make small batches of the spirit to toast specific occasions, from quinceaneras (a party thrown when a girl turns 15 years old) to bountiful harvests. Usually, pechuga mezcal is consumed neat no ice, no mixer, just straight up in appreciation of the elaborate distilling process. In the villages and towns [outside] Oaxaca, when the granddaughter of the master mezcalero is getting married, he will prepare a batch of pechuga mezcal for the celebration, Gomez continues. Weddings in Mexico go for two or three days, its a big celebration, regardless of your economic situation or status, so they will make 500 litres and they will drink 500 litres across the wedding. Mezcalaros may make just one or two batches of pechuga mezcal in a year, so even in Mexico, a bottle doesnt come cheap and the price tag has stuck even among more commercial brands, with bottlings typically starting from 80. When you have time and your credit card with you, have a shot of mezcal pechuga and decide for yourself whether its worth the price tag, says Gomez. gps voice [SPEAKING MANDARIN] amy qin Ill say a few things. So its a rainy day. Very, very gloomy, rainy day. And its a little loud because we have to keep the windows open, because thats the recommendation in these situations. You have to keep everything ventilated. [music] amy qin Two weeks ago, our researcher Elsie and I went down to Wuhan, which is this major city in the center of China that has been the epicenter of the recent coronavirus outbreak. By then, it had been under lockdown for about a week. And we were really curious to see how people were faring and what was going on, especially at the hospitals there. We took the train from Beijing to Wuhan. And we got off, and what we saw was totally crazy. I mean, wed never seen anything like it. This is a city of 11 million that had come to a complete standstill. It felt like being in a parallel reality. To see those streets completely empty was really striking. It was eerie to hear the silence. And the only time we heard anything was the occasional barking of a dog or an ambulance passing by. We were walking around this hospital and we walked into the courtyard in front of the outpatient department. And thats where we came upon this very jarring scene. You had 30 or so patients that were all kind of sitting quietly in the courtyard, all hooked up to IV drips that were hanging from tree branches or in their cars. interposing voices [SPEAKING MANDARIN] amy qin We meet this mother and her two children who are all hooked up to IVs. The mothers name is Yang Ling. yang ling [SPEAKING MANDARIN] amy qin They tell me that they are actually a family of six. Theres Yang Ling. There is her husband, her husbands parents and then their son and their daughter. And they have all been staying together. And she tells us that their grandmother got sick first and one by one, each of them has gotten infected by the coronavirus. And now, her husband is the only one that doesnt have coronavirus. yang ling [SPEAKING MANDARIN] amy qin And then they tell me that just one week after the grandmother started showing symptoms, their grandfather died. yang ling [SPEAKING MANDARIN] amy qin She tells us that after the grandfather dies, the funeral home comes to take the body away yang ling [SPEAKING MANDARIN] amy qin and he is cremated immediately. And she says that yang ling [SPEAKING MANDARIN] amy qin he was taken away just like a dead dog or a dead pig. yang ling [SPEAKING MANDARIN] amy qin As shes talking, her voice is starting to carry across the courtyard outside this hospital. And other people are starting to listen in and crowd around us, and shes starting to get more and more upset. She was so palpably angry that at one point yang ling [SPEAKING MANDARIN] amy qin the mother was waving her arms around in frustration and almost ripped the IV needle out of her hand. yang ling [SPEAKING MANDARIN] amy qin Ive been covering China for seven years. And Ive heard people express frustrations with the government before, but really only in private. This was one of the few times that Ive heard such raw anger toward the government publicly. yang ling [SPEAKING MANDARIN] amy qin And she basically says, is this really my country or is this some kind of [EXPLETIVE] up country a country that doesnt take care of anything? yang ling [SPEAKING MANDARIN]. amy qin And then she says, what kind of government is this? And after hearing that, that made me think that something was happening that was bigger than just an outbreak of a virus. michael barbaro From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily. Today: Inside China, what began as a story of fear over the coronavirus has now become the story of fury over the governments handling of the crisis. Beijing correspondent Amy Qin on what she saw in Wuhan. Its Thursday, February 13. Amy, what is it about this moment that you think is making people like the Zhang family feel free to speak out about their anger and to pretty explicitly criticize the Chinese government? amy qin So for the Zhang family, this is for them a matter of life or death. And it was a common feeling I heard throughout the city. But theres another added frustration boiling across the rest of the country about how the government is handling this crisis. And for them, its really been captured in the story of this doctor named Dr. Li Wenliang. michael barbaro And who is this doctor? amy qin So Li Wenliang is an eye doctor at a hospital in Wuhan. And he had heard about this virus back in December that was going around the hospitals in the city. And so he went on WeChat, which is this big social messaging platform, and sent in a private messaging group with some of his med school classmates a text message basically warning them to protect themselves. And a few days later after he sent that message, he was actually called in by the police in Wuhan. They brought him into the police station and they made him sign a statement saying that he was spreading false and illegal information basically, that he was spreading rumors. archived recording Authorities say it is untrue and eight people were detained for spreading fake news online and no medical staff had been infected. amy qin But of course, it wasnt a rumor. archived recording Chinese health authorities are still working to identify the virus behind a pneumonia outbreak in the central city of Wuhan. amy qin By the time Dr. Li was brought into the police station, 41 people had the coronavirus. And from there, it just spread. archived recording 1 A SARS-like virus, which has infected hundreds in China, has now reached the United States. archived recording 2 Now China has announced the first death from an outbreak of pneumonia caused by an unidentified virus. archived recording 3 121 people are under medical observation in Wuhan. Rumors on social media alleged that the outbreak in Wuhan could be linked to SARS. archived recording 4 The World Health Organization says its a new type of coronavirus. michael barbaro And Amy, at this point, what is happening to Dr. Li? amy qin So after Dr. Li gets taken into the police station and forced to sign this statement, he was actually treating a patient for glaucoma. And she wasnt showing any symptoms at the time, but he ended up contracting the virus from her. michael barbaro Wow. amy qin And from his sickbed, he starts to speak out again. archived recording In a matter of days, Dr. Li Wenliang went from treating patients to becoming one. amy qin He gives some interviews to Chinese media and he starts to become this public figure. archived recording Struggling to communicate, Li spoke with CNN briefly by phone. You can hear the hospital machines pulsing in the background. amy qin He becomes known as a whistleblower archived recording Whistleblowers silenced by police. Calls for Li and the others to be vindicated grew online. amy qin that the government didnt act fast enough on information that they were given, and that they had missed this critical window of opportunity to get the outbreak under control. archived recording Chinas Supreme Court even weighed in, adding quote, It might have been a fortunate thing if the public had listened to this rumor at the time. But for many michael barbaro So hes becoming a kind of spokesperson for a lot of frustrations. amy qin Exactly. archived recording (li wenliang) [INAUDIBLE] [COUGHING] amy qin And so at this point, it just feels like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. archived recording 1 Now, the death toll in the outbreak of a new coronavirus in China has jumped to 17. archived recording 2 Hundreds of people have been diagnosed with a deadly virus known as the 2019 novel coronavirus. archived recording 3 Overall, there are now more than 31,500 confirmed cases worldwide. amy qin More and more people are getting sick. Were seeing the numbers just surge every day archived recording 4 600 deaths. amy qin people who are confirmed cases of the coronavirus, people who are dying of the coronavirus. archived recording 5 Has jumped to more than 700. amy qin Everything felt so uncertain. archived recording 6 Officials are imposing restrictions on travel out of Wuhan, China. archived recording 7 And 13 cities in lockdown this morning. archived recording 8 Near-empty shelves line supermarkets. archived recording 9 A need for masks and protective suits. archived recording 10 Chinas health minister, Ma Xiaowei, has said that he expects infections to continue to rise. And of course, that has everyone here in the country even more nervous. archived recording 11 The citizens are actually freaking out. archived recording 12 China right now is being massively rocked by anger. archived recording 13 And the State Department has said it is chartering a flight to evacuate Americans out of Wuhan. Justin, though, will not be on that amy qin So foreign governments started pulling their citizens out of Wuhan, and thats when I got the call. So it was late last week, and I had been on the phone all day with my editors. And I get a final call saying you need to go to the airport. There was one flight left that was being arranged by the U.S. State Department to go back to the U.S., so I start scrambling. I leave all my masks, my disinfectant wipes, my hazmat suit, my gloves with my colleagues. And then its about a 40-minute drive to the airport. amy qin O.K. So I am at the airport in Wuhan now. And its been a crazy, hectic day. I think that the next few weeks in quarantine on a military base will bring its own interesting moments. michael barbaro And what is the scene at the airport? amy qin The scene at the airport was a little bit frenzied. I mean, at this point, these are really some of the last flights out for these countries who are evacuating their citizens, so it wasnt just the Americans. There were also the Canadians, the Japanese. And we didnt even know at that point where they were taking us to. So Im in the airport lobby and Im waiting for my flight. And then my phone starts to buzz, and Im seeing all these messages come through. And I look at them, and then I see that Dr. Li has just died. And I could sense that this was going to be a big moment, because I had started overhearing people talking about it in the airport terminal. But then I just had to leave. I had to get on the flight. michael barbaro Well be right back. So Amy, Dr. Li has died from the very virus that he alerted the government to, and youre on a plane back to the U.S. from Wuhan. So what happens once you land? amy qin So once I land, I find that I am at the Miramar Marine base in San Diego, California. Im carted off to quarantine, and then I turn on my phone and I start going through my messages. And I see this huge upswelling of outrage over Dr. Lis death. People from every stripe of the political or social spectrum in China so you have people who are business people, who are blue-collar workers, artists, lawyers theyre all posting about Dr. Lis death. And Ive never seen people come together like this before and people were so upset about his death. michael barbaro And what are they saying? amy qin A lot of people were posting candle emojis and other kinds of remembrances for Dr. Li. They were posting photos of him. He had taken a selfie of himself wearing a surgical mask and someone had recreated that image to replace the surgical mask with barbed wire to kind of indicate that he had been muzzled. Some people were posting the anthem from Les Mis, Do you hear the people sing? Singing a song of angry men? michael barbaro Wow. amy qin We actually saw the hashtag I want freedom of speech trending for five hours, which of course, it was quickly censored. And we saw petitions going up by Chinese academics calling for freedom of speech. And we even saw a local government social media account posting a portrait of Dr. Li, along with the lines, Heroes dont fall from the sky. Theyre just ordinary people who step forward. michael barbaro Wow. amy qin So the reaction is really remarkable. I mean, even the hospital where Dr. Li died posted an official notice of his death. And that had three million reactions and 300,000 comments. And so it was so clear that this was something that had really tapped into the frustration that was happening. michael barbaro And what do you make of those reactions? Because it feels like it no longer is really just about this virus and the way that it was handled? amy qin Yeah so at this point, it is clear that this is becoming so much bigger than just the virus. This is really about the government and this social contract that the people have had with the government, where they agree to keep silent as long as the government provides for their prosperity and health. It operates under this principle of stability at all costs. michael barbaro Right. And in their effort to create stability, in fact, they did the opposite. amy qin Yeah. I mean, I think that theres this realization definitely that there is something wrong with the system. And I dont think that it means that people are going out in the streets and calling for a revolution. But the fact that people are calling for freedom of speech, I mean, thats really what this brought out. People in China are already used to a pretty high level of censorship, but when it comes to censoring a warning about public health, that goes too far. And the reaction is so overwhelming that the government quickly realizes that they need to do something. And thats when we see Chinas leader Xi Jinping come forward out of the shadows and try to take control of the situation archived recording (xi jinping) [SPEAKING CHINESE] [LAUGHTER] amy qin He comes out and makes an appearance in Beijing. archived recording (xi jinping) [SPEAKING CHINESE] amy qin He visits a community center and a hospital. He gets his temperature taken. He talks with local residents. archived recording (xi jinping) [SPEAKING CHINESE] amy qin And he does a video conference with doctors in Wuhan. archived recording (xi jinping) [SPEAKING CHINESE] [APPLAUSE] amy qin So by this point, the government has sent the nations top anti-corruption agency to go down to Wuhan and investigate Dr. Lis death. And state media is calling Dr. Li a hero. michael barbaro This feels like a real shift for a government that originally reprimanded Dr. Li and is now sending a team to investigate why he was muzzled. It feels like a concession. amy qin It is. But at the same time, we have to remember that this is also part of the partys ethos, which is to always try to control the narrative. And for them, the path of least resistance in this situation is to hold Dr. Li up as a hero, but also to do it in a way that coheres with the party narrative. michael barbaro Huh. amy qin Erasing the parts that might challenge their legitimacy or authority, which is the fact that he was punished by the government for trying to call attention to the fact that there was this virus going around. michael barbaro Do you think that the people in China view the governments response as an attempt to protect them from the virus or to protect the government from the story of a situation thats out of control? amy qin Both. People really believe that the government wants to get this epidemic under control. But at the same time, they know that the government is only going to do this in a way that does not threaten its own hold on power. And that means taking control of the narrative sending in their own journalists to make sure that only the positive aspects of what theyre doing is being highlighted, and that people who are slipping through the cracks or all the failures of the policy are not being highlighted. michael barbaro Amy, Im curious. Have you been able to speak to the Zhang family since you evacuated, since you took that flight from Wuhan to California? amy qin We have. The last time we checked in with them, their situation had changed. The mother and the daughter were both infected with the coronavirus and have finally been able to get into one of the makeshift quarantine centers set up by the government. Bella, the daughter, sent us a video of the center, and it just shows a huge exhibition center with beds crowded tightly together and all these sick patients in these beds. Meanwhile, Bellas brother and their grandmother are still at home back in the family apartment sick and unable to get into a hospital. The grandmother is in very serious condition. She can barely get out of bed. And theyre also still living with their father, who is the only family member who hasnt gotten infected so fae. Though they all think that it will be a matter of time. michael barbaro So basically, half the family is being cared for and the other half have been kind of abandoned. amy qin Right. And remember, their grandfather had died in their family apartment and was taken to be cremated immediately. And they still dont even know where his ashes are. michael barbaro Is the reality that another death in the family could happen something that they are preparing for? amy qin Yes, theyve been planning for it. They told us that when the grandmother dies, theyre not going to let her go to the crematorium. But actually, the mother said shes going to drag her body to the local neighborhood committee and just put it there on the front steps to show them how their inaction has devastated their entire family. michael barbaro Do you know whether the family knows about Dr. Lis death, or if they were able to watch that video of Xi Jinping in public addressing the situation? amy qin I think if theyve seen, its barely registered. They are so consumed with just trying to survive right now, like so many other people in Wuhan, that theyre just putting their heads down trying to move forward. michael barbaro Amy, thank you very much. amy qin Thanks, Michael. michael barbaro On Thursday, nearly 15,000 new cases of coronavirus were added to the tally of infected people in the Chinese province where Wuhan is located the largest one-day increase of the epidemic so far. That brings the total number of cases to more than 48,000. At the same time, 242 new deaths were also reported, bringing the total death toll in the province to 1,310. Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today. For the second day in a row, President Trump intervened in the prosecution of his longtime friend and adviser, Roger Stone, this time by attacking the judge in the case. On Tuesday, at the presidents urging, the Department of Justice recommended a more lenient prison sentence for Stone, who was convicted of obstructing a congressional investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. That move prompted four federal prosecutors to leave the case in protest. On Wednesday, Trump claimed without evidence in a tweet that the judge who will sentence Stone is biased against the president in what Democratic lawmakers said was a clear attempt to intimidate the judge before she sentences Stone. archived recording (chuck schumer) The president ran against the swamp in Washington, a place where the game is rigged by the powerful to benefit them personally. I ask my fellow Americans, what is more swampy, what is more fetid, what is more stinking than the most powerful person in the country literally changing the rules to benefit a crony guilty of breaking the law? michael barbaro In response, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for an investigation into Trumps conduct. archived recording (chuck schumer) As a result, I have formally requested that the inspector general of the Justice Department investigate this matter immediately. michael barbaro Married At First Sight bride Hayley Vernon awkwardly fielded questions about her rumoured split with David Cannon during a live radio appearance on Thursday. The 32-year-old finance broker, who is believed to be single, kept her cards close to her chest while speaking to Nova 100's Chrissie, Sam & Browny. Host Chrissie Swan wondered why Hayley was doing the interview solo, and asked if she knew the whereabouts of her 'husband'. Under pressure: Married At First Sight bride Hayley Vernon (pictured) awkwardly fielded questions about her rumoured split with David Cannon during a radio interview on Thursday 'Herding up cattle or something, on a farm being a jackeroo or Jack and Jill,' she said. Chrissie then asked Hayley if David, 31, would be doing any publicity with her. 'No. Nah, nah, nah. He's got a big job opportunity, um, herding cattle or something in the middle of Australia,' she replied. Hmm! The 32-year-old finance broker, who is believed to be single, kept her cards close to her chest while speaking to Chrissie, Sam & Browny. Pictured with David on their wedding day Jonathan 'Browny' Brown tried to push her for an answer, saying: 'Come on, Hayls!' Hayley responded: 'Are you serious? Browny, you are not going to get me that easily, darl. This is not my first rodeo.' Hayley and David's car crash wedding featured on Wednesday's episode of Married At First Sight. Single lady? Radio host Chrissie Swan wondered why Hayley was doing the interview solo, and asked if she knew the whereabouts of her 'husband'. It turns out she didn't David's parents, who are both conservative Christians, weren't too fond of Hayley. Hayley also didn't think much of her mother-in-law, who had spoken on the program about the importance of being a stay-at-home mother. 'I don't think... a woman should be defined as mum or a stay-at-home mum,' she said. Strained: Hayley and David's car crash wedding featured on Wednesday's episode of Married At First Sight. Pictured: Hayley and David's parents, who disapproved of their son's rowdy wife 'I'd like to think that in modern day society, a women can be multi-faceted, 100 per cent. It's appalling.' Hayley went on to fuel speculation she and David had split by making disparaging comments about her 'husband'. '[He] wasn't my usual type,' she said. Married At First Sight continues Thursday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine 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. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will make his first trip to sub-Saharan Africa, the State Department said Wednesday, putting a focus on a continent rarely prioritized by the Trump administration. The State Department said that Pompeo will travel to Senegal, Angola and Ethiopia from February 15 to 19, meeting the leaders of all three countries. He will start in Dakar where he will discuss "how to deepen our strong security and economic partnership" with President Macky Sall, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said. In Angola, he will offer support to democratization and anti-corruption efforts that have gathered steam since strongman Jose Eduardo dos Santos exited power in 2017. And in Ethiopia, Pompeo will "support Ethiopia's historic political and economic reform agenda" in talks with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who last year won the Nobel Peace Prize for spearheading domestic change and advancing reconciliation with rival Eritrea. Pompeo will also hold talks and deliver remarks at the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa. President Donald Trump is not known for his interest in Africa and notoriously was reported to have used a vulgar epithet for African countries when discussing sources of immigrants. Pompeo's trip comes exactly two years after his predecessor, Rex Tillerson, paid a five-nation visit to Africa. Trump fired him on his return home, with the White House saying Tillerson learned the news while on the toilet after catching a stomach bug in Africa. Pompeo, a stalwart ally of Trump, will head after Africa to close ally Saudi Arabia for talks in the wake of a US-ordered strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, a top general of the kingdom's regional rival Iran. He will also stop in Oman to meet the new sultan, Haitham bin Tariq, and offer condolences over the death of his predecessor Qaboos, who was the Arab world's longest-serving leader and served as a go-between for Iran and the United States. Before the Africa trip, Pompeo will take part in the annual Munich Security Conference. A magnitude 5 earthquake rattled Puerto Rico yesterday. No one was seriously injured, but residents are still wary, given that it's the 11th quake of at least that size to affect the island in the last 30 days. Here's what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door. (You can also get "5 Things You Need to Know Today" delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.) 1. State of the Union State of the Union addresses aren't usually known for their drama and showmanship. That is, unless you're talking about President Trump's address last night, which was essentially a reelection speech punctuated by loaded partisan moments. The President went through a laundry list of what he considers recent political wins, including the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement that replaces NAFTA and the assassination of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani. Trump awarded conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh with the Presidential Medal of Freedom and even orchestrated a surprise military family reunion. Things got a little ugly when Trump appeared to avoid a handshake from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Pelosi later appeared to rip up the President's speech as he concluded to applause. Analysts agree that despite the obviously partisan bent of his speech -- and some factual inaccuracies -- Democrats will have a hard time stopping his momentum. After all, with the debacle in Iowa and the President less than a day away from a likely impeachment acquittal, it's no doubt Trump has the political upper hand right now. 2. Iowa caucuses A majority of the results are in after a daylong vote-reporting debacle in the Iowa Democratic caucuses. Pete Buttigieg holds a lead over Bernie Sanders, and both hold a commanding margin over the rest of the pack: Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden and Amy Klobuchar, respectively. While Buttigieg claimed victory in the pivotal contest, this year's caucus results reveal a fragmentation among Democratic voters and have done little to separate the field of top candidates. That being said, underperforming candidates, like Biden, have a lot to sort through as the primary season continues. The problems with the Iowa Democratic Party's systems that led to the vote-reporting delay also gave a prime opening for Republicans to criticize their opponents for disorganization and lack of direction. 3. Coronavirus The number of people who have died from the Wuhan coronavirus is nearing 500, and nearly 25,000 have been infected, but the World Health Organization is stopping short of classifying the outbreak as a pandemic. The WHO says its experts are hopeful the virus can be contained, despite its communicable nature and the mass travel of people around the globe. To that end, countries continue to impose quarantines on citizens and tourists who may have come in contact with the disease. Around 3,700 people are being held on a Diamond Princess Cruise ship in Japanese waters after authorities discovered that a passenger who departed the vessel tested positive for coronavirus. 4. Mexico violence At least nine people, including four children, were killed and several others wounded in a shooting at a video arcade in Uruapan, in the western Mexican state of Michoacan. Urapan has seen episodes of grisly murder linked to drug cartels in the past. Michoacan is also the site of another bizarre episode of violence: Two monarch butterfly conservationists were recently found dead in separate incidents. Mexico's State Commission for Human Rights says at least one conservationist may have come in contact with illegal loggers while working on the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in a forested area about 60 miles outside Mexico City. 5. Russia The US military deployed a new type of nuclear weapon that the Pentagon hopes will be a counter to the threat posed by Russia's arsenal of smaller tactical nukes. Like its name implies, the W76-2 low-yield submarine-launched ballistic missile warhead is housed on a submarine, which officials say would cut down on the response time in the event of a conflict in which nuclear force was warranted. These "low-yield" nuclear weapons are less powerful than typical nuclear warheads but are easier to transport and deploy. While some in the defense community think updating US nuclear weaponry is a smart defense tactic, others say the proliferation of low-yield weapons is just a different type of invitation for nuclear war. BREAKFAST BROWSE Florida police found a bag full of drugs fittingly labeled 'Bag Full of Drugs' Deductive reasoning strikes again! Sand dunes can 'communicate' with each other and even give neighboring dunes a shove So, sand dunes are gossipy and pushy. Got it. Wendy's is going to start serving breakfast very, very soon Emotionally prepare yourselves. This is not a drill! A German artist tricked Google Maps into sending out a traffic jam alert by wheeling around 99 phones in a handcart One person's art is another person's needlessly frustrating commute. Disney+ has netted nearly 30 million subscribers, smashing expectations Guess they underestimated how many people want to spend all day in a comforting trance watching old Disney Channel shows and wishing life was new and uncomplicated again. TODAY'S QUOTE "I'm sitting here waiting to get away from this place. People are going to continue to lose their lives here. It needs to be shut down. Our lives are at stake." An inmate of the Mississippi State Penitentiary, also known as Parchman prison, speaking under a pseudonym about the prison's unsanitary and deadly conditions. Nine inmates have died at the prison in a little more than a month, and state leaders and activist groups have been drawing attention to the prison's failing infrastructure and gang violence problems. TODAY'S NUMBER 29,200 The number of apprehensions on the southwest border that were recorded in January, data from US Customs and Border Protection shows. US-Mexico border apprehensions have been declining for eight straight months. TODAY'S WEATHER AND FINALLY Beautiful music and a beautiful surprise? What a day Did you know Sir Anthony Hopkins is a talented composer? Here is Dutch violinist Andre Rieu surprising Hopkins with the premiere performance of the actor's own work, "And the Waltz Goes On." It's OK to cry. (Click here to view.) The 1954 Academy Awards: New Technology and Old Standards On Feb. 9, the 2019 Oscars will be televised, a technology that we take for granted. On March 25, 1954, however, the thought of seeing the Oscars was enticing. For the first time, anyone who owned, borrowed, or was invited to sit before a television could enjoy the mysterious, glamorous event: Hollywood luminaries would be honored for 1953s greatest film achievements at the 26th Academy Awards ceremony. According to cultural historian Thomas Doherty, NBC broadcast live from the RKO Pantages Theatre in Hollywood and the Center Theater in New York, sponsored by Oldsmobile. The cameramens full-dress suits did not prevent old-school Hollywood folks from feeling invaded by the television staging. Many saw the film industrys collaboration with television as joining the enemy, but Hollywood was simply following an old motto: If you cant beat em, join em. That year, From Here to Eternity dominated the Oscars, winning eight awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Fred Zinnemann), Best Supporting Actor (Frank Sinatra), and Best Supporting Actress (Donna Reed). It was the first film to equal the eight-award record of Gone with the Wind from 1939. From Here to Eternity was the big winner at the 1954 Academy Awards. (Columbia Pictures Corporation) William Holden won his only Best Actor Oscar for playing a selfish American POW in 1944 Germany, who is accused of betrayal in Stalag 17. In Roman Holiday, in her American debut, Audrey Hepburn played a lonely princess who enjoys one glorious day in Rome, earning Best Actress and a place among Hollywood royalty. However, these were not the most important Hollywood achievements recognized by the Academy that year. In 1954, William Holden won Best Actor for his performance in Stalag 17. (Paramount Pictures) An Unusual Oscar Not all Oscars went to stars. Academy Honorary Awards are given to deserving people the Academy wouldnt recognize otherwise. In 1954, four Honorary Awards were presented. One was bestowed on Pete Smith, who produced and narrated the comical shorts Pete Smith Specialties. Since 1935, his humorous vignettes on various aspects of American life had been popular precursors to feature-length MGM films. In February of 1954, he had announced his intention to retire that autumn. Two Honorary Awards were given for technical achievements. The first went to Twentieth Century Fox for developing CinemaScope technology. This widescreen process was used in 1953s historical blockbuster in Technicolor, The Robe, which was nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor (Richard Burton), and Best Color Cinematography. It won Best Color Set Decoration and Best Color Costume Design that evening. The other went to the Bell and Howell Company, which manufactured motion picture machinery, for their pioneering and basic achievements in the industry. Founded by two projectionists in 1907, this company was widely respected for its projectors. When announcing the award, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Charles Brackett stated, Without their contribution, the movies of today would still be the movies of yesterday. While the movie industry was embracing a new technologytelevisionthe Academy also was giving a tardy acknowledge to a great indebtedness to Bell and Howells technology, which had been vital for years. The fourth award was given to Joseph Breen for managing the Motion Picture Production Code. As Thomas Doherty stated in his biography of Breen, few television viewers were familiar with his name in 1954. Unlike actors, directors, or writers, he was never credited on the silver screen. Since then, his memory has faded into obscurity. Who was Joseph Breen, and what is the Motion Picture Production Code which he managed? Honoring an Old Friend In 1934, the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA) formed the Production Code Administration (PCA), their latest attempt at enforcing the Motion Picture Production Code, film decency rules adopted in 1930, which hadnt yet been effective. The first PCA Seal of Approval, for the 1934 film The World Moves On. (Remastered photo by Mark Vieira, courtesy of Tiffany Brannan) The PCA was one last try at industry self-regulation before federal censorship would replace local censors to finally curtail the obscenity in early 1930s films. Thankfully, the PCA was destined to succeed, since something was different this time: Joseph Breen had never been in charge before. Joseph I. Breen in the 1950s, working at the Production Code Administration. (Courtesy of Tiffany Brannan) Breen vowed to make all films reasonably acceptable to reasonable people. Self-regulation throughout production ensured they were decent from the start. A family man, Breen didnt want to ruin films through rigid morality; he wanted to make them as entertaining as possible without offensive content. He became the filmmakers friend by making them obey the Code that they had themselves adopted. He and his staff of eight tirelessly reviewed every script, lyric, and costume to help each film receive a PCA Seal of Approval, which was necessary for U.S. distribution. After 20 years of unswerving service, Breen retired on Oct. 14, 1954, due to poor health. The Honorary Award seems like an obvious farewell gesture. Did he deserve this honor? In the Academys 1953 Rules, the requirements for the award were: For outstanding achievements not strictly within the categories listed in Rules Two (competitive awards) and Three (achievement awards). Honorary Awards shall only be given, however, for superlative and distinguished service in the making of motion pictures or for outstanding service to the Academy. His years of turning objectionable material into decent, profitable films made him more than qualified. When Charles Brackett presented the Oscar, he said: The Motion Picture Production Code is a strong protection against self-appointed wildcat censorship groups. For his conscientious, open-minded, and dignified management of a difficult office, the Academys board has voted an Honorary Award to the administrator of the Code, Mr. Joseph Breen. Breen took his Oscar, thanked Brackett, and exited without speaking into the microphone. He had nothing to say to the audience; it was a gesture of thanks between his industry friends and himself. In the background, the orchestra played Dont Fence Me In. He kept filmmakers in line, but Joe Breen never fenced them in. Tiffany Brannan is an 18-year-old opera singer, Hollywood historian, travel writer, film blogger, vintage fashion expert, and ballet writer. In 2016, she and her sister founded the Pure Entertainment Preservation Society, an organization dedicated to reforming the arts by reinstating the Motion Picture Production Code. Donald Trump and Xi Jinping arrive at a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing: Getty China cut tariffs on $75bn (58bn) of US imports in the latest sign that frosty relations between Washington and Beijing are thawing, giving a boost to the global economic outlook. The cuts come after the worlds two economic superpowers signed a phase one trade agreement last month and will affect goods including important US exports such as pork, soya beans and car parts. From February, tariffs will be reduced from 10 per cent to 5 per cent on 916 products, with cuts from 5 per cent to 2.5 per cent on hundreds more items. Chinas move is apparently in response to Americas decision last month to reduce tariffs on Chinese goods. The next steps depend on the development of the Chinese-US economic and trade situation, Chinas Ministry of Finance said in a statement. We hope to work with the United States towards the final elimination of all tariff increases. The news will be welcomed in markets that have been nervous of the prospect of an escalating tariff war. Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: While China continues to be stricken by the coronavirus, signs of de-escalation in its trade war with the US could be more relevant to the markets in the long term particularly if yesterdays reports of a potential vaccine for the outbreak prove accurate. Miners are particularly sensitive to Chinese fortunes thanks to the countrys heavy consumption of commodities and this sector helped lead the FTSE higher. There was no indication Beijing altered its own cuts in response to the rising cost of efforts to contain a virus outbreak that have depressed business activity by closing factories, restaurants and shops. Washington hiked tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018 in response to Beijings multibillion-dollar trade surplus and complaints it steals or pressures companies to hand over technology. China retaliated by increasing duties on American goods. Under the phase one deal in October, Washington cancelled planned additional tariff hikes and Beijing committed to buy more US farm exports. Story continues However, most tariff hikes imposed previously by both sides on billions of dollars of each others good are still in place. The US stopped classifying China as a currency manipulator last month as it prepared to officially sign the long-awaited trade deal. As senior Chinese officials arrived in Washington on Monday to sign the phase one agreement, US trade secretary Steve Mnuchin announced the significant concession to Beijing, reversing a decision made on Donald Trumps orders in August. The US president has railed against China for years, claiming it artificially lowers the value of the renminbi to make its exports cheaper, harming American industry in the process. Beijing has consistently denied the charge. A U.S. citizen working as a contractor was kidnapped in the Khost Province in eastern Afghanistan in recent days, a U.S. official confirmed to CNN. It is not known who the abductors are at this time. The official said efforts to track and locate the individual are ongoing and noted that the contractor was not working for the U.S. military at the time of the abduction. It is not clear to CNN whether the individual was working as part of a U.S. government contract. Newsweek first reported the kidnapping. A State Department spokesperson told CNN: The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State. We have no further comment. CNN has also reached out to the FBI for comment. The kidnapping comes as the Trump administration weighs significant troop reductions in Afghanistan, despite a record high number of attacks carried out there last year by the Taliban and other terrorist groups. There were 8,204 such enemy-initiated attacks during the last three months of 2019, according to a report from the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, with some 37 percent of those attacks being considered successful, which are defined as attacks that result in Afghan military, police, international coalition forces or civilian casualties. The administration says it is considering reducing the number of U.S. troops fighting terrorist groups and assisting local forces in the country from approximately 12,000 to 8,600. The Taliban has a history of kidnapping Americans, including an American professor who was freed in 2019 along with his Australian colleague. Two years earlier, the terrorist group freed an American woman along with her Canadian husband and their three children. One other American is believed to be held hostage by the group in Afghanistan or Pakistan: writer Paul Overby, who is in his 70s. This story has been updated with additional details. The-CNN-Wire & 2020 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Official: Russia To Begin S-400 Missile Delivery To India By End Of 2021 February 05, 2020 Russia will begin delivering surface-to-air missile systems to India by the end of 2021, state news agency RIA Novosti quoted a Russian official as saying on February 5. India signed a $5-billion deal for S-400 missiles in 2018, prompting warnings from Washington that such an acquisition would trigger sanctions. "The contract is being implemented on schedule. The first shipment is due by the end of 2021," deputy director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), Vladimir Drozhzhov, said at Defense Expo 2020 in Lucknow, India, RIA reported. "The training of Indian specialists is to begin before this delivery," Drozhzhov was quoted as saying. In November, the same agency cited the general director of Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport, Aleksander Mikheev, as saying deliveries would start in September 2021. The United States was furious last year at NATO ally Turkey purchasing the Russian system, which Washington says is not compatible with NATO equipment. Russia says the S-400 is capable of engaging airborne targets within a range of about 400 kilometers. A next-generation S-500 system, to extend that range to about 500 kilometers, is reportedly being developed. Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/official-russian- to-begin-s-400-missile-delivery-to-india-by- end-of-2021/30418475.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 Killing communists is like killing vermin; killing African nationalists is as if one is killing an animal, Mr. Hoare told journalists, according to the Guardian. My men and I have killed between 5,000 to 10,000 Congo rebels in the 20 months that I have spent in the Congo. But thats not enough. There are 20 million Congolese you know, and I assume that about half of them at one time or another were rebels whilst I was down here. A specialist Garda team which has been set up to re-examine the murder of Paul Quinn will seek to interview Conor Murphy about his claims that the IRA told him it was not responsible for the shocking crime. The renewed investigation is due to start next week following an in-depth year-long examination carried out by the Serious Crime Review Team (SCRT). It is understood that up to 150 potential new lines of inquiry have been identified, which will now be pursued by the hand-picked investigation team. Senior security sources have revealed that gardai will make a new bid to interview Mr Murphy. The Irish Independent has learned that Mr Murphy met investigating gardai by appointment on one occasion after he made the false claims about Paul Quinn's involvement in crime. It is understood that the top-ranking Sinn Fein member originally agreed to provide gardai with answers to "specific questions" that were deemed important to the investigation. However it is understood Mr Murphy has not met gardai since that time. Paul Quinn's parents, Breege and Stephen, have also said on several occasions that the PSNI and Garda confirmed to them that Mr Murphy did not fully co-operate with the original enquiry. Security sources have said they believe the murder was the work of well-known members of the IRA in South Armagh who have close links to Sinn Fein. One source said gardai were satisfied "it was 100pc the work of the IRA", a fact that was also established by the PSNI and the International Monitoring Commission (IMC). A source familiar with the case said: "The answer as to who was responsible for this crime lies in South Armagh within the ranks of the Republican movement, but they are protecting themselves behind a wall of silence which is just the same as it was during the Troubles." To date, the Garda investigation has resulted in more than 20 arrests, including Padraig 'Paudie' Treanor, a former driver for Conor Murphy. No one has yet been charged. Gardai believe Paul Quinn was targeted by the IRA after he stood up to a number of local Republicans including a senior figure who is heavily involved in organised crime in the area. The problem came to a head when the murder victim beat this man's son in a fist fight. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said his Assam visit will mark the successful signing of the Bodo Accord, which brings to an end a problem that had been persisting for decades. "Tomorrow, I look forward to being in Assam. I will be in Kokrajhar to address a public meeting. We will mark the successful signing of the Bodo Accord, which brings to an end a problem that had been persisting for decades," Prime Minister Modi tweeted. He said the accord marks the start of "a new era of peace and progress". Prime Minister will address a rally in Bodo-dominated Kokrajhar town of Assam on February 7 (Friday). It will be considered as the first visit of Prime Minister Modi since the state has been witnessing anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests.The visit comes days after the government signed a tripartite agreement with representatives of all factions of the banned Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi.The signing of the Bodo agreement led to the surrender of over 1,500 militants of the major insurgent group NDFB.The Bodo groups have been demanding a separate state of Bodoland for the last 50 years. The movement has resulted in extensive violence and loss of hundreds of lives over the years.A summit meeting, which was scheduled to take place from December 15 to 17, 2019, between Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, was cancelled due to the anti-CAA protests.Protests broke out in different parts of the country, including Assam against CAA which grants citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists, and Christians facing religious persecution from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh and who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. People of Assam have been demanding the central government to take back the CAA. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) - Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. (TSX: AVL) (OTCQB: AVLNF) ("Avalon" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the status of both of the Company's rare earth projects and on the business in general. The recent agreement by Canada and the United States, announced on December 19, 2019, to co-operate on critical minerals supply chain development (and rare earths in particular), has resulted in new government initiatives in both countries to support the creation of these supply chains. Avalon has been actively involved in these discussions to assist in developing an appropriate strategy for Canada. It is the Company's view that supporting development of new, more efficient extraction technologies is particularly important for creating economic rare earth supplies in North America. To this end, Avalon has been involved in implementing new rare earth recovery technologies on both the Will Scarlett and Nechalacho Rare Earths projects. Will Scarlett Rare Earths Recovery Project (near Marion, Illinois, USA) On October 23, 2019, Avalon announced it had signed a binding Letter of Intent ("LOI") with a private US company, Coal Strategy Advisors, LLC, ("CSA") to earn up to a 50% interest in Will Scarlett: a closed coal mine site where previous geochemical sampling found elevated levels of rare earths and other metallic elements such as cobalt, nickel, lithium, manganese and zinc in mine waste materials. Since signing the LOI, Avalon has been focused on defining an appropriate process flowsheet to recover a mixed rare earth oxide product from an accumulation of precipitates created through historical lime treatment of acid mine drainage to neutralize its acidity. Previous sampling indicates these precipitates contain total rare earth concentrations in the order of 900 ppm. Avalon is now evaluating a low-cost rare earth recovery process involving dissolution of the precipitates followed by an innovative proprietary new treatment process to recover the rare earth oxides. Next steps involve the implementation of a small-scale pilot facility at the site to confirm recoveries and scalability of the process flowsheet. This is currently being designed by the Company's SVP, Metallurgy and Technology Development, David Marsh, FAusIMM (CP) and is expected to be ready for installation in May/June 2020. A budget for this work is in preparation. Nechalacho Rare Earths Property (Thor Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada) Further to the Company's new release dated October 30, 2019, Avalon has completed its co-ownership agreement for the Nechalacho property. Under the agreement, Cheetah Resources Pty Ltd. ("Cheetah") acquired ownership of the near-surface resources on the property ("Upper Zone") for $5 million while Avalon retained 100% ownership of the heavy rare earth-rich Basal Zone, which was the subject of the Company's 2013 Feasibility Study. Avalon and Cheetah have created a jointly-owned special purpose vehicle to hold and manage the permits and authorizations to operate at the site. Site operations will be being governed by a shareholders' agreement which is currently being finalized. Cheetah will assume management of its planned work program to develop the T-Zone resource in 2020, where it intends to utilize sensor-based ore-sorting technology to produce a rare earth mineral concentrate, as originally contemplated by Avalon. Avalon will continue to provide support services to Cheetah going forward (mainly geological consulting). Avalon President & CEO, Donald Bubar, was pleased to witness a signing ceremony in Vancouver on January 21, where Det'on Cho Nahanni Construction Corp., the economic development corporation of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, was awarded the contract for mining the T-Zone rare earth resource: "I am delighted to see Cheetah collaborate with Det'on Cho Nahanni Construction Corp. to create this positive new precedent in the North for Indigenous business participation in the mineral industry. I hope this agreement inspires more Indigenous businesses across northern Canada to see critical minerals supply chain development as an important new business opportunity." About Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. is a Canadian mineral development company specializing in sustainably-produced materials for clean technology. The Company now has four advanced stage projects, providing investors with exposure to lithium, tin and indium, as well as rare earth elements, tantalum, cesium and zirconium. Avalon is currently focusing on developing its Separation Rapids Lithium Project near Kenora, ON and Will Scarlett Rare Earths Recovery Project in Illinois, to initial production while continuing to advance its East Kemptville Tin-Indium Project, Yarmouth, NS. Social responsibility and environmental stewardship are corporate cornerstones. For questions and feedback, please e-mail the Company at ir@AvalonAM.com, or phone Don Bubar, President & CEO, at 416-364-4938. This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to the Company's project plans, that the next steps involve the implementation of a small-scale pilot facility at the site to confirm recoveries and scalability of the process flowsheet steps involve the implementation of a small-scale pilot facility at the site to confirm recoveries and scalability of the process flowsheet, that Cheetah will assume management of its planned work program to develop the T-Zone resource in 2020, where it intends to utilize sensor-based ore-sorting technology and that Avalon. Avalon will continue to provide support services to Cheetah going forward. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "potential", "scheduled", "anticipates", "continues", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "scheduled", "targeted", "planned", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be" or "will not be" taken, reached or result, "will occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Avalon to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made. Although Avalon has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from expected results described in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to market conditions, and the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses as well as those risk factors set out in the Company's current Annual Information Form, Management's Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure documents available under the Company's profile 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. Such forward-looking statements have been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Avalon does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are contained herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52196 This is an opinion column. To my children, who are still very young and learning, Your mother wont let me listen to NPR with you in the car anymore because shes afraid youll hear things and ask questions were not ready to answer. We have to raise you in a more complex world than the one we grew up in, and Im not always sure were prepared for the job. But until were all ready, Ill put my best answers here. When I was your age, these questions had simple answers: Who is the president? What does the president do? And there werent the follow-ups: Why are so many people mad at him? What is impeachment? Or Is he a bad man? My first reflex is to tell you that life is more complex than good guys vs. bad guys, that sometimes good people do bad things, that no one should be defined only by the worst thing theyve done, and that people whove done horrible things are always capable of redemption. I still believe this and I expect many of the flawed people you meet in life will fit somewhere here. Good people have bad thoughts. Thats natural. Call it a primal nature or an id. Your great grandmother used to call it being trashy. Part of being a responsible human being is learning to keep that lesser nature contained and under control. This isnt repression or self-denial. Consciously choosing to be better than our first impulses is the hard work of being civilized. And if theres a reason this world is harder to explain to you than it was for our parents, its because it is a lot less civilized. But Ive come to believe there are truly bad people in the world. You will inevitably meet some of them. And the way you will know them is by this: Bad people arent merely awful, but also they turn the people around them into the worst versions of themselves. And such a person is our president. Things people wouldnt say privately around their families just a few years ago, they will now put on t-shirts and wear them in public. Words no one dared say on television when I was your age regularly appear in the pages of newspapers after they leave the mouths of the president and his nearest family members. Our president has given people license to indulge their darkest thoughts, to share them openly and to put them into action, and this might be worse than anything he was accused of by Congress. Decent men and women, who believed themselves above such things, have followed him, appeased him, and forsaken principles and crossed lines they never considered. And he has this effect, not only on his friends, family and allies, but also his enemies. Our previous first lady said, When they go low, we go high. But leading members of her party now argue that holding themselves to a higher standard is a certain strategy for defeat. Just this week, the leader of that party broke decorum in the U.S. Capitol, tearing apart a copy of the presidents speech, to the virtual applause of her party. Im writing this to tell you, this is not who we are. Its not who we should be. The opposite of uncivilized isnt being a different flavor of the same thing. Its choosing to be better. No matter how badly you want to, no matter what message you might send, you speak louder by maintaining your dignity. When someone spits at you, resistance means not giving in to that impulse to spit back. Doing so can leave you lonesome. Just look to the one man who voted against his party in Washington this week, a Senator from Utah who once came close to being president, himself. I didnt think so at the time, but he would have made a good one. I finally got to watch @MittRomney's speech. He's truly a man character who hasn't lost sight of his oath, his country and his God. Sadly, he will suffer for it, but I appreciate people with this kind of courage above all others. https://t.co/YGh3lLdpaI Kyle Whitmire (@WarOnDumb) February 6, 2020 He stuck to his principles. He remembered his oath to his country and to his God. He did something that took courage, and he will suffer for it. But he understood that its better to lose your job or even your life than it is to lose your soul. I dont know what this country will look like when youre old enough to understand any of this, but hopefully, it will be better and some of what Im saying here will still make sense. I havent always lived by what Im telling you, because I didnt understand these things before you were here. Other folks worry how God might judge them, and thats fine, but before I have to answer to any higher power, Ill always consider first what you will think of me. I wont always have answers to your questions, but you will always be the answer to mine. Kyle Whitmire is the state political columnist for the Alabama Media Group. You can follow his work on his Facebook page, The War on Dumb. And on Twitter. And on Instagram. More columns and video by Kyle Whitmire By Abdul Kerimkhanov Chairman of Azerbaijan's State Committee For Affairs Of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) Rovshan Rzayev, Head of the election observation mission of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) Peter Taylor and analyst Masha Yanushevich discussed the current situation of refugees and IDPs expelled from their homes as a result of the Armenian occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh. Rzayev met with the foreign guests on February 6, according to the information published on the Committees website. During the meeting, he said that Azerbaijani state shows care and attention to refugees and IDPs. Rzayev further recalled that Armenia, with its aggressive policy, continues to violate a number of fundamental rights of these people, including suffrage. He expressed regret over lack of international pressure on this aggressive state, which does not comply with UN resolutions on the unconditional withdrawal of troops from the occupied territories. Rzayev expressed his hopes that the IDPs will take an active part in the snap parliamentary elections to be held in Azerbaijan on February 9. He also noted that the interference of central and local executive authorities in the election process is impossible. Touching upon the democratic traditions in Azerbaijan, he reminded that its foundation was laid back in the period of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, and during the years of independence, they went the way of further development. Rzayev informed the guests that he had previously participated in parliamentary elections and was familiar with the practice of political struggle. Now, as a citizen, he praised the democratic environment in elections anticipation. In turn, Taylor thanked for the warm welcome and detailed information and spoke about the activities of his long-term observer mission. He also shared his opinion on the participation of refugees and IDPs in the parliamentary elections. Taylor focused on the information of the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Azerbaijan, and added that internally displaced persons will vote in 500 precincts of 14 constituencies. He emphasized that OSCE observers will fulfill their mission in these areas. The parties also discussed other issues of mutual interest during the meeting. Nagorno-Karabakh conflict went down in history as one of the most tragic conflicts of the region, with its consequences seriously affecting the fate of millions of people. Having started with open territorial claims against Azerbaijan and provocations on ethnic grounds in 1988, the conflict resulted in Armenias military occupation of Azerbaijan. The Armenians, who occupied high positions in the Soviet Union, the leadership of Armenian SSR and the Armenian diaspora abroad embarked on a purposeful campaign to seize the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAR), which was established within Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic in 1923, and annex it to Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic taking the opportunity created by the weakening of the central government of the USSR in the early 1980s. The forced expulsion of Azerbaijanis from their historical lands began in Gafan region of the Armenian SSR in late 1987. Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijans breakaway region which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Announcing the launch of a 27-nation International Religious Freedom Alliance, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Wednesday (local time) said that his country condemned terrorists and extremists for targeting religious minorities all over the including Hindus in Pakistan. Speaking at the International Religious Freedom Alliance Dinner, Pompeo, noted that more than eight in ten people in the today live in a place where they cannot practice their faith freely. The International Religious Freedom Alliance is an alliance of "like-minded partners who treasure and fight for, international religious freedom for every human being". "More than eight in ten people in the today live where they cannot practice their faith freely. We condemn terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities, whether they are Yezidis in Iraq, Hindus in Pakistan, Christians in northeast Nigeria, or Muslims in Burma," Pompeo said. "We condemn blasphemy and apostasy laws that criminalise matters of the soul," he added. His speech also mentioned China's treatment against its minorities. "We condemn the Chinese Communist Party's hostility to all faiths," Pompeo stated. The top US diplomat announced that Poland will host the next ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in Warsaw in July this year. "We have built momentum for this important effort ever since I announced our intent to create it at the second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom, which was hosted in this building this past July," Pompeo said. "I am most pleased to announce that Poland will host the next Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom this July in Warsaw. I know there are conversations happening now about who will host in 2021. We look forward to that announcement soon," he said. Pompeo also said that the US is committed to hosting the ministerial again in Washington DC. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Illinois created a program that helps local election officials improve their cybersecurity readiness and conduct risk assessments. It hired IT specialists to help local election offices beef up their security. Iowa is using a federal grant to offer counties cybersecurity vulnerability scanning and to pay for hardware and anti-malware tools. It also is piloting cyberprojects with schools, cities and hospitals. North Carolina developed a partnership with the states National Guard and emergency management division to help local governments, school systems and community colleges recover data compromised during a cyberattack and provide training to help prevent future incidents. Pennsylvania partnered with the county commissioners statewide association to provide security awareness training and phishing exercises for all 150,000 county and state employees and contractors. Phishing victims unwittingly click on emailed links designed to get personal information, such as passwords. (TNS) When the computers of the city of Lodi, Calif., got hit by a ransomware attack last April, the strike disabled phone lines, forced police officers to write reports by hand and prevented workers from sending out utility bills.City officials refused to pay the ransom of 75 bitcoins about $400,000 and instead turned to their cyberinsurance company, which sent in a legal team and security experts to investigate and help return the system to normal.It took a lot of our energy and ended up consuming a great deal of time, recalled City Manager Steve Schwabauer. We ultimately filed a claim of about $250,000, and its not fully closed yet.State legislators later gave Lodi, a city of about 67,000, a half-million-dollar grant to upgrade cybersecurity.As cybercriminals increase their attacks against local governments hundreds of municipalities and county agencies were hit in the past two years some states are helping cities and counties better protect themselves.States have offered election cybersecurity, responses to ransomware attacks that take computer systems hostage, training and other programs, according to a recent report by the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers.Its the right thing to do, said Meredith Ward, the latter groups policy and research director. Cybersecurity is a team sport. States and local government and the private sector all have a role to play.But while 65% of states report that they provide some cybersecurity services to local governments, the scope varies widely. And other states arent doing anything to help, saying they dont have jurisdiction over local governments or they lack money to spare.Its very hard for most local governments, said Alan Shark, executive director of the Public Technology Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that provides training and other support to local government information technology executives. They lack the resources to adequately protect themselves. Yesterdays fixes dont work today. The cybercriminals are encouraged.But Shark said more states are starting to assist local governments in restoring their systems.The states committed to collaboration are on the right track, the report by the governors and IT chiefs groups found.Among them:Its about working outside your comfort zone and forging relationships, said Erik Avakian, Pennsylvanias chief information security officer. We think this is really the path forward for all states. Its something they should be looking at.Cybersecurity remains a serious issue for state governments, as sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals are constantly scanning computer networks looking for vulnerabilities. Those networks contain information such as Social Security numbers, birth certificates, bank account details and credit card numbers of millions of individuals and businesses.But its especially hard for local governments. Just last month, for example, a small school district near Austin, Texas, with 9,600 students, disclosed that it had lost $2 million in a phishing email scam.Local governments saw a spike in cyberattacks in 2019, and experts say it doesnt look like theyre going to abate any time soon.In the past 24 months, at least 370 cyberincidents affecting local governments and public safety agencies were publicly reported in 47 states, according to Aubrey Larson, a marketing manager at SecuLore Solutions, a Maryland-based cybersecurity company. Thats a 150% hike over the previous two-year period, she said.In fact, the majority of publicized ransomware attacks in the United States last year targeted local governments, according to the report by the governors and state IT officers associations. Cities and counties provide essential services to residents and need access to their data to function effectively.Ransomware hijacks government computer systems and holds them hostage until their victims pay a ransom or restore the system on their own.In October, the FBI issued a public service announcement, saying state and local governments have been particularly visible targets for ransomware attacks.Those attacks can be devastating.Democratic New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell declared a state of emergency in December after a ransomware attack hobbled the city. Officials had to shut down more than 4,000 computers and close municipal courthouses. The attack has cost the city at least $7 million.Nearly two dozen Texas cities were targeted in a ransomware attack in August that led Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to order a Level 2 Escalated Response, which is just one level below the emergency management divisions highest alert. The state led the response and helped the cities restore their systems.And Baltimore was hit by a ransomware attack in May that crippled thousands of computers and left workers unable to access online accounts and payment systems for weeks. City officials transferred $6 million from a parks and recreation fund to pay for cyberprotections. In total, restorations and repairs cost $18 million.Preventing and responding to attacks can be complicated when efforts involve jurisdictions that generally operate independently of one another.Some cyberincidents are truly becoming emergencies. (State and local IT officials) shouldnt be exchanging business cards at that point, said Maggie Brunner, cybersecurity program director for the national governors group. They should be doing it ahead of time. Wed love to see state CIOs know every single local IT director.In Pennsylvania, IT security chief Avakian said his agency held quarterly meetings with county IT officials to build relationships and find out about their cybersecurity needs.The fact that weve cracked this nut across jurisdictional boundaries is significant, Avakian said.Because of the collaboration, he said, the state was able to buy licenses for the phishing training exercise in bulk. The larger number of users lowered the cost per unit and saved the state and its 67 counties a considerable amount of money. He wouldnt say how much.Now that weve done this, more people want to come onboard school districts, cities, Avakian said. Its kind of taken off.Michael Sage, chief information officer for the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, called the cybertraining and relationship the counties have developed with the commonwealth a fantastic effort.It has bolstered awareness and helped the counties understand where the threats are coming from, so they can stay vigilant, Sage said. The more we can collaborate and share, the better off were going to be.While some states have provided help, others have little or no engagement with local governments, when it comes to cybersecurity, according to the report by the governors and state IT officials groups, though the report didnt list the states that are uninvolved.That needs to change, they say.Cybersecurity is not just an IT problem anymore, the report said. It is a critical business risk, homeland security and public safety threat, voter confidence issue and economic development opportunity.But there are impediments, said Ward, of the state IT officials group.Sometimes, states will say, We dont have jurisdiction to help local governments. Thats not our swim lane, she said. Or localities will say, Were good, and we dont need your help.And Ward said some states say they dont have the money to help local governments with cybersecurity. Theyll say, Were just trying to keep our head above water ourselves.The report recommended that states overcome those obstacles by building relationships with municipal leagues and county associations and raising awareness by holding cybersummits. States also should explore ways to save money by consulting local governments during the cybercontract planning process.You dont need to have jurisdictional permission nor money to pick up the phone and call someone and build a relationship, Ward said. Thats something anyone can do. Mainly Jem's Birding & Ringing Exploits in the Eastern Province & Ringing Trips to Bahrain Stocks in the news today: Here is a list of top stocks that are likely to be in focus in Thursday'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 Sun Pharma, Adani Power, Eicher Motors, RITES, Hero MotoCorp and Aurobindo Pharma among others. MPC Meet outcome today: Shares of rate sensitive companies will be in focus toay as the central bank's six member Monetary Policy Committee will be announcing its decision on repo rate and the reverse repo rate. Realty, banking and auto shares are likely to react with the outcome of the meet. Avenue Supermarts: The company board at its board meeting has authorised to issue up to Rs 2 crore equity shares of face value of Rs 10 each through QIP, with the floor price set at Rs 1,999.04 per share. Lupin: The company informed that it has received US FDA approval for Leflunomide Tablets USP, 10 mg & 20 mg. The product would be manufactured at Lupin's Pithampur (Unit 1) facility. Leflunomide is used for the treatment of adults with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the filing added. Cipla Q3: The company reported 5.7% rise (YoY) in consolidated net profit to Rs 351 crore during the quarter ended December 31, 2019 as against Rs 332 crore, recorded in a year-ago period. Total income rose -- (YoY) to Rs 4,371 crore in the October-December quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 4,008 crore in the same period last financial year. Total EBITDA registered a growth of 7.1% (YoY) at Rs 758 crore during the quarter ended December 31, 2019, from Rs 708 crore, booked in the corresponding quarter in the previous year Berger Paints Q3: The company reported 36.9% rise (YoY) in consolidated net profit to Rs 182.35 crore during the quarter ended December 31, 2019 as against Rs 133.18 crore, recorded in a year-ago period. Total income rose 4.7% (YoY) to Rs 1,710.13 crore in the October-December quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 1,631.82 crore in the same period last financial year. Cadila Healthcare Q3: The company reported 11.6% rise (YoY) in consolidated net profit to Rs 374 crore during the quarter ended December 31, 2019 as against Rs 335 crore, recorded in a year-ago period. Total income rose 7.3% (YoY) to Rs 3,638 crore in the October-December quarter of the current fiscal as compared to Rs 3,390 crore in the same period last financial year. Q3 Earnings Today: Sun Pharma, Adani Power, United Bank, United Breweries, Eicher Motors, RITES, Hero MotoCorp, Aurobindo Pharma, Indraprastha Gas, Bata, Advanced Enzyme Technologies, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, ICRA, IDFC, Hind Rectifiers, Glaxosmithkline Consumer Healthcare, Metropolis Healthcare, Minda Corporation, Khadim India, NMDC, Rane Holdings, SKF India among others will release their quarterly earnings today. This years New York State Fair is scheduled to run from Aug. 21 through Sept. 7. Thats five days earlier than usual, and five days longer than usual. Nine Counties across the state thought the new schedule would conflict with their county fairs. Herkimer County Fair Manager Gerry Elthorp had concerns over losing their exhibitors to the State. "That was the issue that the exhibitors exhibiting at the fair, you know our animal exhibits, our youth exhibitsthat was our biggest issue here," she said. There were also concerns whether vendors would be able to fulfill their obligations with both the County and State contracts. The State is working out issues with vendors, but have come up with agreeable terms for the nine affected counties. Those agreements are valid for the next 2 years. "Theyre going to allow the exhibits to come in late, and on the same schedule as last year, and thats a guaranteed. Thats not going to affect the exhibitors at all, and that was our biggest concern was our youth, and our exhibits was our main concern." The Governors plan to extend the Fair will cost an additional $4.9 million, which is subject to the State Legislature giving their final approval. Another uncertainty is whether people will attend both the State Fair and local County Fairs. "I dont know the attendance is going to be affected because they still have the rest of the week after our fair is over to go to the State Fair. Those going to the State Fair are going to go to the State Fair probably the same time as they always do. I dont really feel as though its going to affect our attendance a great deal." There may be other events that are affected, but it does appear the State is willing to work with those venues on finding solutions. For an insight into Donald Trump and the White House will use the presidents impeachment acquittal by the Senate and the disloyalty of Mitt Romney, look not further than their official Twitter feeds. Within moments of the Senate voting along party lines, with Romneys exception, not to find Trump guilty on the two articles passed by the House, the president and his team were attacking the Utah senator, and reposting a Time magazine front cover suggesting the presidents influence in office would linger long after he was gone. The president also announced he would be making a noon statement on the issue on Thursday, one that will likely dominate the days news agenda. Get ready, then, for an ugly, ill-tempered election campaign in which the president will bully and attack his rivals and critics, use the witch hunt to energise and fire up his supporters, and made full use of the powers of the presidency to launch the kind of partisan attacks we did not see before Trump won office. Expect lot more talk of shams, and lies and attempts to overturn the results of the 2016 election. 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 How might be expect supporters of Trump, presently basking in an approval rating of 49 per cent, to respond to all of this? The Independent had a good insight last week when talking to fans of the president lined up on an icy night in Des Moines, Iowa, to hear the president deliver a raucous, hour-long campaign rally. To a man and a woman, they said they had felt determined to come and display solidarity with the president, because of the actions of the Democrats. Kevin Ficus, a farmer who grows corn, soybeans, beet and hay, said of the efforts to impeach him over allegations he sought a quid pro quo from Ukraine in exchange for the provision of military aid: I think its a sham, just like he says. Mitt Romney to break from Republicans and vote to convict Trump on impeachment Steve Kivi, a deputy sheriff, said he would score the president 10 out of 10 for the three years he had already served in office. I dont think were in denial, he said. Were realistic and aware of the facts. The vast majority of the public is being mislead. Michelle Haan, 57, from Des Moines, said Democrats and others were desperate to get rid of Trump because they could not beat him at the ballot box. Hes trying to drain Washington DC and the swamp, she said. And the swamp doesnt like. Democrats can say what they want, but I am not buying it. Oh, hell get reelected 100 per cent, said Tony Bailey, 46, a corrections officer from the town of Roland, Perhaps as few as six to eight states will decide the outcome out the 2020 race. The president intends to spend millions and millions of dollars to try and hang onto the narrow path to victory, that allowed him to stun Hillary Clinton and Democrats in 2016. Moments after Wednesdays vote, the president and Republicans, were using it to try and raise money. Washington Democrats and the lamestream media have spent the last three years trying to overturn the 2016 election only to have FAILED, he said in a fundraising email. Theyve been after me since the day I was elected and they have absolutely NOTHING to show for it except millions of wasted taxpayer dollars. He added: Ive requested a list of every Patriot who donates today. Im counting on you at this critical time to step up. I know youve never let me down before. Click here to read the full article. A leisurely, somewhat hazy travelogue compared to the piercing political indictments of his acclaimed prior We Come as Friends and Oscar-nominated Darwins Nightmare, Austrian documentarian Hubert Saupers new Epicentro looks at Cuba on the brink of colossal transition, as the old Communist system is in its apparent death throes, and free-market capitalism waits in the wings. Its a fascinating moment for cultural stock-taking. Yet despite the filmmakers evident fondness for the people and nation, this impressionistic feature feels frustratingly obtuse, unfocused and unstructured. Nonetheless, it won the World Documentary jury prize at Sundance, which along with Saupers reputation should ensure a fair degree of future exposure. Epicentro does start out very well, with Saupers own musing, philosophical narration informing us of Cubas distinction as the place where the New World was discovered and the American flag was first planted overseas followed by, among other locations, the moon. His frequent theme of colonialisms ongoing impact is returned to in a brief recap of Spanish, then U.S. occupation before the revolution, depicted via clever use of archival materials both fictive and not. The early fake news twisting of the U.S.S. Maines almost certainly accidental, explosion-caused sinking in 1898 Havana Harbor into an excuse for the Spanish-American War (and subsequent U.S. seizure of the islands control) remains a key official argument against imperialism in Cuban history books, public education and propaganda. More from Variety We meet a local cartoonist whod depicted those events in animated form for schoolchildren, and hear from schoolchildren themselves. They may be indoctrinated by the standards of many American conservatives, but are nonetheless strikingly articulate and informed for their age. Much of Epicentro is taken up by Sauper hanging out with various grade-schoolers he dubs Young Prophets, in particular one bright, extroverted girl who wants to be an actress. As the documentary gradually drifts away from any historical or political overview toward anecdotal encounters with current Havana residents, his delight in these kids grows less infectious. Yes, theyre cute and likable. But eventually such scenes become not much more pointed than any grandpas home video of precocious wee ones showing off for the camera. Story continues There are still some striking sequences, as when Sauper manages to sneak himself and two Prophets into a luxury hotel whose extravagant exclusivity looks obscene amid the pervasive poverty and decaying infrastructure outside. Several citizens have pithy things to say about President Trump, whos reversed the Obama administrations policy thaw toward Cuba, which no other nation continues to embargo. This has only worsened life for Cubans whove already suffered badly since the demise of the U.S.S.R., its primary trade partner and source of aid. The resulting severe deprivation is evident in a society running on fumes, forced to pander to tourist dollars that locals simultaneously fear will inevitably one day dominate the nation whole, benefiting foreign investors far more than natives. (A clip from Mikhail Kalatozovs astounding 1964 Soviet co-production I Am Cuba illustrates the capitalist excesses of the late Batista era, which history may well be doomed to repeat itself.) There isnt a lot of commentary here on Castros Communist Cuba, or even whether its alleged socialist utopia could be called a success on any level save that of relative longevity. Instead, the gist here is a vague general pulse-taking of a transitional period, when the creaking old system is in final stages of post-Fidel collapse, and change is expected but not entirely welcome. Passers-by from streetwalkers to mechanics seem wary of simply being passed on to a new era of external exploiters. Yet they remain oddly, if ruefully, cheerful even in their cynicism. Many proudly reference the beauty of Cuba and its people, despite all obstacles. We might share their sentiments more enthusiastically if the movie left Havana a bit, or if even the ruin porn of this dilapidated urban landscape were better photographed than the directors own rather ugly digital camerawork allows. As intriguing as a major filmmakers take on this particular national epoch is at first, Epicentro Some are charming, some incisive, others simply testify to his love of cinema itself. (Actress Oona Castilla Chaplin is seen filming a scene here, singing a couple songs, and showing children footage of grandfather Charlie in The Great Dictator.) But too much feels random and meandering, turning the film more ponderous as it goes along. Just what Sauper intends with this affectionate but muddy, knee-deep wade into an embattled culture is further clouded by the incongruous soundtracking of several English-language alt-rock songs of the shoegazer type. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A 50-year-old man allegedly killed his wife and the latter's uncle after a domestic quarrel in Maharashtra's Nagpur city, police said on Thursday. The killing apparently took place on Monday and the partially decomposed bodies were recovered from the couple's flat in Dattatrey Nagar area on Wednesday, they said. The deceased were identified as Manjusha Natekar (55), who was headmistress of a primary school here, and her maternal uncle Ashok Ramkrishna Kate (74), who recently started living with the couple in their apartment. The accused, Jayant Yeshwant Natekar, was arrested from Nagpur railway station on Wednesday when he was about to board an Ajmer-bound train, a police official said. He allegedly throttled the two victims and also stabbed his wife with a kitchen knife, the official said. The couple used to have frequent fights as Jayant Natekar was not doing any work. A few years back, he worked as as a driver but was currently jobless and the couple used to have quarrels over this issue, he said. Their neighbours told the police that they heard the couple fighting loudly on Monday morning. Soon after, the accused locked the house from outside and went away. As Manjusha Natekar did not come to school for three consecutive days and her phone was switched-off, some school teachers contacted her brother. The victim's brother reached her house on Wednesday afternoon and opened the lock with duplicate keys. On entering the house, he found partially decomposed bodies of his sister and uncle in the bedroom and drawing room, respectively, the official said. He raised an alarm following which the neighbours alerted the police, who rushed to the spot along with a dog squad, and finger print and forensic experts. The bodies were later sent for post-mortem. Suspecting Jayant Natekar's role in the crime, the police launched a search and nabbed him at the Nagpur railway train, the official said, adding that he has been booked under Indian Penal Code Section 302 (murder). The couple has a son who is married and lives in Pune, the police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th February, 2020) A 69-year-old male patient received surgery at the Wuhan Union Hospital on January 8 to remove a pituitary tumor in his brain. Three days after the operation, the patient started to develop a fever and CT scans showed signs of lung infection, a local doctor told Sputnik in a phone interview. The patient's lung infection became much more serious five days after the operation. The doctors and nurses who treated him also began to develop fevers. The affected medical personnel were isolated into separate rooms, while the patient was transferred to the designated Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital to be quarantined after being confirmed to have contracted the new coronavirus. After a number of patients began to develop pneumonia symptoms in Wuhan in December, local authorities acknowledged that the affected patients were mostly business owners from a seafood market in the city, but stressed that there was no evidence of "human-to-human" transmission of the mysterious disease. The ongoing outbreak of the virus raised alarms among doctors in Wuhan, with some saying in groups on WeChat a Chinese social media service among colleagues that the new virus could be related to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which caused a global outbreak from 2002-2003. On December 30, Li Wenliang, a doctor from the Wuhan Central Hospital, wrote to colleagues in the WeChat groups that seven cases of SARS infection were confirmed at the Huanan seafood market, as he did not know that the new coronavirus is from a different strain of the virus. Li's post was shared on various Chinese social media platforms and went viral at once, as people grew worried that the deadly SARS virus had returned. The next day, Li, along with seven other doctors who shared similar messages about the ongoing outbreak on social media, was summoned by the local police in Wuhan and was given a warning to avoid making "false claims online" that could seriously disrupt public order. The punishment against the eight doctors in Wuhan became a warning to other medical personnel in the city. Although many doctors in Wuhan were aware that a possibly highly dangerous virus was being transmitted in the city, none of them dared to share more details about how serious the outbreak was with the public. A statement from the Wuhan Health Commission on January 15 stressed that there was no "obvious evidence" of human-to-human transmission of the new coronavirus that had sickened 41 people in the city. Two days before that, doctors and nurses developed pneumonia symptoms after treating the brain surgery patient at the Wuhan Union Hospital. "I almost took part in the surgery of that patient, who showed no signs of pneumonia symptoms when he checked into the hospital. That's why when my colleagues handled this patient they didn't take any protective measures. My hospital only started to isolate suspected infected patients by January 20," Kevin, a doctor from the Wuhan Union Hospital who declined to give his full name, told Sputnik. Although Kevin was aware of the fact that many of his colleagues could be infected by the new coronavirus after treating the infected patient by January 15, he was not allowed to share any of that knowledge with the general public. According to Kevin, 10 nurses from the neurosurgery department and four other doctors were infected by the patient who had brain surgery. Two patients who shared the same room with the brain surgery patient at the neurosurgery department were confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus. "Nobody was allowed to mention the situation with the outbreak, even in internal WeChat groups among the doctors. If someone mentioned it, the person would be accused of spreading false rumors. My hospital issued a directive prohibiting all doctors to share information with the public or be interviewed without approval from propaganda officials in the hospital," he said. Kevin shared a screenshot of the directive issued by his boss in an internal WeChat group among colleagues with Sputnik. Eventually, the Wuhan Health Commission admitted on January 21 that 14 medical personnel were infected by the new coronavirus after treating the patient at the Wuhan Union Hospital, confirming that the new virus could be transmitted between humans. During an interview with the official China Central Television, Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang explained that local authorities in the city can only reveal information about an ongoing epidemic after receiving approval from the central government in Beijing. He also admitted that the information about the deadly virus had not been revealed to the public in a timely manner. After Chinese leader Xi Jinping issued a directive on January 20 urging local authorities in Wuhan to contain the new coronavirus outbreak, the city took strict measures to quarantine the infected patients and went as far as putting local residents under complete lockdown. But the delay in notifying the public about the deadly outbreak has led to many residents in Wuhan becoming infected, as most of them did not try to protect themselves until the directive was issued. According to a study published in the Lancet medical journal by a group of researchers from the University of Hong Kong, the new coronavirus could have infected about 75,815 individuals in Wuhan as of January 25. Local hospitals, including the Wuhan Union Hospital, were flooded with patients with pneumonia symptoms. As part of the efforts to contain the outbreak, the Wuhan Union Hospital has designated a four-floor building and a medical check center as the quarantine zone for the patients who are suspected to be infected. "There's still a long line outside the quarantine zone of my hospital because it could only treat about 500 patients each day. And most of the patients came with their whole family because everybody appeared to be infected," Kevin said. Although Kevin was not working in the quarantine zone, as an anesthetist, he still had to help with some infected patients who needed other medical assistance. Some of Kevin's colleagues had to wear full-body protective gear when they helped an infected woman deliver a baby in the hospital this week. Amid the ongoing epidemic, the patients who need assistance with other medical problems also began to face troubles. "My hospital is one of the top hospitals in Wuhan where patients from all over the province would come for treatment. But after the epidemic started, the number of surgeries per day in my hospital dropped from 300 to 6," Kevin said. Some of the patients with chronic diseases, such as those suffering from diabetes, have been struggling to receive their routine treatment, as the hospital has focused most of its sources on fighting the epidemic, Kevin added. As of this Tuesday, the new coronavirus has infected over 24,000 people and killed nearly 500 globally. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Colonial Coal International Corp. (TSX-V: CAD) (the Company or Colonial) is pleased to announce that since the beginning of the year until February 3, 2020, the Company has received aggregate proceeds of $5,181,688 from the exercise of certain outstanding common share purchase warrants (the Warrants) to acquire an equivalent number of common shares of the Company. The Warrants had exercise prices of either $0.15 or $0.30 per common share and the proceeds from the exercise of the Warrants will now be utilized by the Company for general corporate development and working capital purposes. Overall, from April of 2018 until February 3, 2020, the Company has received aggregate proceeds of $6,994,240 from the exercise of Warrants. The Company currently has 174,211,551 common shares outstanding and no Warrants remain available for exercise. Mr. David Austin, Colonials President and CEO stated, We sincerely thank our shareholders for exercising such a large number of the Warrants and, as a consequence, evidencing their ongoing support for and confidence in Colonial and in its Board of Directors and management. 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. About Colonial Coal International Corp. Colonial Coal is a publicly traded coal corporation in British Columbia that focuses primarily on coking coal projects. The northeast Coal Block of British Columbia, within which our Companys projects are located, hosts a number of proven deposits and has been the subject of M&A activities by Anglo-American and others. Additional information can be found on the Company's website www.ccoal.ca or by viewing the Company's filings at www.sedar.com. Forward-Looking Information Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that relate to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address a company's expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", and "intend", statements that an action or event "may", "might", "could", "should", or "will" be taken or occur, or other similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: risks associated with marketing and sale of securities; the need for additional financing; reliance on key personnel; the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers or directors with certain other projects; and the volatility of common share price and volume. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS NEWS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS NEWS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE SECURITIES LEGISLATION. For further information please contact: Colonial Coal International Corp. Shane Austin 604.568.4962 saustin@ccoal.ca www.ccoal.ca Olmsted Medical Centeris ready to open its latest primary care center in Rochester. OMC, which already has eight care sites in the Med City, is opening a spot in Rochester's Miracle Mileshopping center, 115 16th Ave. NW. Located on the south end of the shopping center, Olmsted Medical CenterMiracle Mile Clinic will officially open Monday following an open house from 4:30 p.m. to 7 today. This new site, which will be open Monday through Friday, will offer "walk-in primary care services" by physicians and advanced practice clinicians. OMC lists the services to be provided at the new site as family medicine, chronic disease management, pediatric/adolescent care, preventative health care, immunizations and exams. It will have an on-site laboratory for tests as well as x-ray imaging equipment. ADVERTISEMENT Construction of the new clinic happened in sync with owners of the mall, located by U.S. Highway 52 and Second Street Southwest, giving the 63-year-old complex a facelift by updating the facade and other improvements. Biz buzz On Wednesday, I reported that Jon and Stacie Zimmermanpurchased Collins Feed & Seed Center at 411 Second Ave. NW from Randy and Ann Collinswith plans to revitalize the longtime Med City shop. After that column was published, the State of Minnesotaposted details about that deal online. The Zimmermans agreed to pay $1.1 million for the 26,988-square-foot building originally constructed in 1952. Olmsted Countyestimated the total market value of the property at $497,300 for 2019-2020. WASHINGTON - A day after his acquittal in the Senate, President Donald Trump celebrated with Republican allies and ripped Democrats - and the lone Republican - who backed his conviction, expressing a litany of lingering grievances in a somewhat subdued stream-of-consciousness monologue. "It worked out," Trump told dozens of Republican lawmakers, Cabinet officials, lawyers and political allies who packed the East Room of the White House. "We went through hell unfairly." The president's triumphant display, which came two days after a State of the Union address in which partisan acrimony was laid bare both by the president and members of Congress, was not an attempt to unify the nation. Despite Trump's calm tone, his words only added fuel to his bitter feud with Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the raging fires of partisanship. "Nancy Pelosi is a horrible, vicious person," Trump said Thursday. "They're vicious as hell, and they'll probably come back for more." ADVERTISEMENT Democrats, he claimed, "want to destroy our country." Trump's unapologetic stridency and the event's fanfare - he entered to "Hail to the Chief" and basked in a long ovation - stood in stark contrast to the contrition expressed 21 years ago by President Bill Clinton, who apologized to the nation after his Senate acquittal for the behavior that prompted a lengthy, divisive impeachment saga. Trump's only apology came at the end of the hourlong speech: "I want to apologize to my family for having them have to go through a phony, rotten deal," he said. Harking back to the 22-month investigation led by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, Trump portrayed himself as the target of never-ending investigations that, in his view, amount to little more than politically motivated Democratic attacks. "We first went through Russia, Russia, Russia. It was all bullshit," Trump said. "We then went through the Mueller report, and they should have come back one day later. They didn't, they came back two years later after lives were ruined, after people went bankrupt." He continued: "They kept it going forever because they wanted to inflict political pain on someone who had just won an election." Trump singled out dozens of Republican lawmakers and officials in the crowd, lavishing them with thanks, praise and jocular ribbing, underscoring his continued determination to keep his party unified behind him. Rep. Mark Meadows, one of the president's most steadfast defenders, told the president toward the end of the event that the people in the room represented the support he has across the country. ADVERTISEMENT "We've got your back," said Meadows, R-N.C. During the first week of the impeachment trial, the lead House impeachment manager, Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., rankled several Republican lawmakers when he referenced an anonymously-sourced news report that Trump had threatened GOP lawmakers that any defections during the trial would see their "head on a pike." But Trump's lengthy rewarding of those who backed him, and his expressions of scorn for the lone GOP defector, showed that, indeed, he does value loyalty above all. As he addressed Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, he bristled momentarily about his state's junior senator, Mitt Romney, who voted Wednesday to convict Trump on the article of impeachment for abuse of office. "A great state, Utah, where my poll numbers have gone through the roof," Trump riffed. "And one of the senators' poll numbers, not this one, went down big. You saw that, Mike? But Mike is a brilliant guy. "Say hello to the people of Utah and tell them I'm sorry about Mitt Romney," he continued. "We can say by far that Mike Lee is the most popular senator from the state." While many of the president's most ardent defenders echoed his claims that he'd done nothing wrong, several Republicans who voted to acquit Trump did express concern about his pressure campaign in Ukraine and the withholding of $391 million in military aid as he pushed the country's new president to announce a corruption investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden, a potential 2020 rival. Some even went as far as to call the behavior inappropriate, even as they said they did not view it as an abuse of office that warranted impeachment. ADVERTISEMENT The White House had been mulling some sort of speech Wednesday following the vote, but that plan was scuttled after Romney's surprise vote in favor of conviction on the abuse of power article denied the president the straight party-line vote he'd hoped for. Thursday morning, Trump spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast and couldn't hide his still simmering agitation over impeachment. He held up two newspapers - "ACQUITTED!" the bold face headlines screamed - as he took the stage and immediately lambasted the Democrats who led the investigation of his shadow diplomacy with Ukraine and argued for his removal him from office. "As everybody knows, my family, our great country and your president have been put through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people," Trump said as other congressional leaders, including Pelosi, sat nearby on the dais. "They have done everything possible to destroy us and by so doing very badly hurt our nation." Without mentioning them by name, Trump singled out Pelosi and Romney. "I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong," Trump said a day after Romney choked up during his Senate floor speech describing his Mormon faith as he explained his vote for conviction as a matter of upholding his oath to God. "Nor do I like people who say 'I pray for you' when you know that is not so," Trump continued, referencing Pelosi's past comments that she was keeping the president in her prayers. Trump's harsh tone during the traditionally bipartisan program directly followed the morning's keynote address from Harvard theologian Arthur Brooks, who delivered an impassioned plea for people to "love your enemies." When Brooks asked the audience who loved someone who they disagreed with politically, almost everyone raised their hands. Trump, seated close by on the dais, did not. "Ask God to take political contempt from your heart," Brooks said. "And sometimes when it's too hard, ask God to help you fake it." When Trump took to the podium, he made clear he was unconvinced. "Arthur, I don't know if I agree with you," Trump said, before launching into his diatribe. When he finished, he acknowledged the discordant tone of his own unabashed vindictiveness. "I apologize, I'm trying to learn," Trump said. "It's not easy. It's not easy. When they impeach you for nothing, then you're supposed to like them? It's not easy, folks. I do my best." Pelosi shrugged off Trump's comments a couple of hours later during a news conference at the Capitol. "He's talking about things that he knows little about: faith and prayer," she said. "He can say whatever he wants, but I do pray for him sincerely." --- (c)2020 Los Angeles Times Visit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Kirk Douglas, the legendary actor who was one of the last remaining stars of Hollywood's Golden Age, has died at the age of 103. His son, actor Michael Douglas, confirmed his father's death earlier Wednesday in a post on Instagram. "It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103," he wrote. "To the world he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to. But to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband." Michael Douglas added that his father's life "was well lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet." He added: "Let me end with the words I told him on his last birthday and which will always remain true. Dad- I love you so much and I am so proud to be your son." Kirk Douglas starred in dozens of films, including "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," "Spartacus" and "Champion." He earned three Oscar nominations over his career for "Champion," "The Bad and the Beautiful" and "Lust for Life." He received an Honorary Oscar in 1996 for his contributions to the film industry. Born to Russian immigrant parents, the self-made star established himself as an actor following World War II, capitalizing on his looks and athleticism. In that regard, he had a good deal in common with another titan of those years, Burt Lancaster, with whom Douglas co-starred in seven movies, including "Gunfight at O.K. Corral" and the political thriller "Seven Days in May." Still, Douglas exhibited a range that went beyond what was available to stars during an earlier stretch of the studio system. And like Lancaster, he seized control of his career in the mid-1950s by forming his own production company, using that leverage not only to find interesting parts for himself but to champion prestige material, as well as talent like director Stanley Kubrick, with whom he collaborated on"Paths of Glory" and "Spartacus." Perhaps foremost, Douglas was as comfortable -- and as good, if not better -- playing a bad guy, a heel, as he was a traditional hero. His steely edge shone through starting with the film noir classic "Out of the Past" in 1947, followed by "Champion," "The Bad and the Beautiful" and "The Vikings." Douglas was equally comfortable with action and serious drama, combining a nasty streak with a wry sense of humor. He excelled at playing terrible characters who nonetheless left the audience feeling a measure of sadness, in spite of themselves, when they met an untimely end. In addition to his career achievements, Douglas had a full personal life. He and his wife, Anne Buydens, were married for 65 years. He had four sons, Michael, Joel, Peter and Eric Douglas. Eric Douglas died of a drug overdose in 2004. Funeral arrangements for Kirk Douglas have not been announced. CNN contributed to this report. Scientists from the University of La Serena, Newcastle University, UK, and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile surveyed ranchers to find out what they thought were the drivers of conflict between people and guanacos (a wild camelid species closely related to the Llama). Ranchers blamed the increased aridity for reducing the availability of pasture, which meant there was more competition for grazing between livestock and guanacos. As the area became drier, guanacos were thought to come down from the mountains in search for better grazing, coming into conflict with the herds of cattle. To reduce this problem, some ranchers wanted to cull the guanacos to protect their livestock. Traditional ranchers in central Chile use summer pastures in the Andes Mountain, where livestock graze in areas shared with wildlife. It is here that, in the last few years, conflicts have intensified between people grazing their livestock and the State Services that protect wildlife due to differences in how these groups want wildlife to be managed. Farmers accuse guanaco (Lama guanicoe), a native and IUCN-listed Vulnerable herbivore, of competing for pastures with livestock, which farmers believe has intensified in recent years due to the increase of guanaco population in the summers grazing pastures of the Province of Petorca, in the Region of Valparaiso. Solange Vargas, the lead author based at the University of La Serena, says: "The problem was more complex than it initially seemed. At first glance, it appeared that farmers were accusing only guanaco as a cause of pasture competition. But there was a key element that ultimately caused competition for pastures: climate change." Farmers claimed that the cause of all changes in the mountain range was ultimately caused by climate change, including what would eventually be reflected in a problem by competition for pastures. Dr Niki Rust, from Newcastle University, and one of the study's authors, adds: "As climate change begins to alter our environments, we are already seeing increased competition for resources between people and wildlife. "The bush fires in Australia, widely claimed to have increased in severity this year due to climate change, have resulted in humans and wild animals competing for scarce water. "These human-wildlife conflicts will likely worsen as global temperatures rise, which is why it is so important that we act now to limit greenhouse gas emissions - to benefit people and wildlife." Pablo Castro-Carrasco from the University of La Serena and one of the study's authors says that "understanding farmers' beliefs are key, because beliefs guide behaviour. "Subjective theories are important to understand in conservation context because they can inhibit or prevent people's behaviour from changing. "In this study, we have seen that the lay knowledge of farmers is very important to help us search for solutions to allow for coexistence between guanacos with human activities." The conservation conflict between guanaco and livestock is also a reflection of other deeper demands. Vargas explains that "where farmers claim to have been abandoned by the State and its public policies, they feel relegated to second place over vulnerable wild species, which they convey to the State through complaints about the species. "We hope this study help people consider that when analyzing these types of complex social-ecological problems, considering the ecological knowledge of local communities is paramount." Rust concludes that "because human behaviour is more often driven by perceptions of reality rather than reality itself, we should spend more time trying to understand how people think the world works and basing conservation interventions on these perceptions, rather than focusing exclusively on education as a way to change behaviour." ### Language used by principal in school newsletter 'inappropriate and racist,' Winnipeg dad says Jamie Sitar said he was "disgusted" when he opened up the latest weekly newsletter from Calvin Christian Elementary School's principal. In the weekly email, which is also posted online, principal John Sawatzky provides regular school information and also writes a brief religious message. In the newsletter sent Tuesday, he referenced Operation Auca a 1956 missionary trip involving five Americans who went to Ecuador to convert Indigenous peoples. The missionaries were killed after they went onto Indigenous land. In the message, titled "Suffering," the school's principal made reference to Operation Auca and referred to "the savage Auca Indians of Ecuador," whose proper name is Waorani or Huaorani. The language "is inappropriate and racist and ethnocentric," said Sitar. "You can't say this." On Wednesday morning, he emailed Sawatzky with his concerns. Language used by principal 'inappropriate and racist,' Winnipeg dad says: The principal initially responded by saying he used the word to describe the Indigenous peoples after reading about the story of the missionaries online. On Wednesday night, Sawatzky sent a statement to CBC News in which he issued an apology, and said he didn't mean to further stereotypes. "I could have found a more helpful way to describe the event I shared, and again apologize to those who may have been unintentionally hurt by such descriptions," he wrote. Word has 'no place in society' The word he used to describe the Indigenous group has a dark history in Canada, says Ry Moran, director of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation in Winnipeg. It was used by settlers to describe Indigenous people during the residential school era, and its use is part of "a very problematic and longstanding narrative that frankly has no place in society anymore," Moran said. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's 94 recommendations include calls to action for faith communities to proactively recognize Indigenous spirituality as being legitimate in its own right, he added. Story continues "Those calls to action all reflect the fact that a lot of what has gotten us into trouble in this country are these notions of superiority cultural superiority, religious superiority, ethnic superiority," said Moran. "We really have to make sure that collectively we're pausing and actively ensuring that respect is afforded equally and equitably to to all facets of Canadian society." CBC Moran said he hopes this can be a learning moment for all Canadians. "I just really encourage people to just continue to become better informed about Indigenous peoples. Our society generally has done an absolutely terrible job in providing education up to this point. "Thankfully, there's a bit of a shift that's happening now, but we've got a long ways to go." Sitar said he's not looking for revenge by speaking out about the email. Instead, he said he hopes to spark a conversation in the community as the incident did with his 11-year-old daughter. "Casey and I read the paragraph, and I said, 'Is there anything wrong with this?' And she gravitated right to the word," he said. "She said, 'That's not right.'" (Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls) NASA astronaut Christina Koch wrapped up her first stay on the International Space Station Feb. 6, 2020, and it is one for the record books. Koch arrived in space in March 2019 and spent a total of 328 days living and working in the orbiting laboratory. Koch's stay set a new record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, breaking the record previously set by NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson. It was also the second-longest single spaceflight by a NASA astronaut, after Scott Kelly's yearlong mission in 2015.. During her time in space, Koch worked on a host of science experiments and performed spacewalks including the first ever performed by two women. Also in the Soyuz capsule Koch rode home were Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov and European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano. Remaining in orbit are NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka. A new trio of crewmembers is slated to launch in April to join them. If Shaheen Bagh shooter is from AAP, then give double punishment: Kejriwal India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 06: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal said if the youth who had opened fire at the anti-CAA protest site in Shaheen Bagh was from AAP, he should be given "double punishment". Kejriwal told the media that there could be no compromise on national security. "I want to urge (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah not to compromise on national security. Whoever is responsible for jeopardising law and order should be given strict punishment," the AAP chief said. The EC, taking exception to Delhi DCP Rajesh Deo sharing with the media probe details that linked the Shaheen Bagh shooter with AAP, barred the officer from poll duty. It said his conduct had "consequences" on "free and fair polls". Click here to read the full article. The inciting incident in Downhill happens during an avalanche. But thats not a spoiler: the film is instead concerned with the aftermath of the avalanche, exposing the precarious emotional dynamics of one family in Austria for a ski vacation. I think with every passing day it just becomes more and more clear how messy and confused and unpredictable humans are, even though we try so hard to control things, says Zoe Chao, one of the films costars, seated on a couch inside a hotel off Main Street the morning after the premiere of Downhill. It had been a late night, and she also had an early start to the day, attending a post-screening Q&A a few hours earlier. And whats so cool about this movie and the story is that it forces the audience to reckon with the same questions that the protagonists are going through, and what would you do in that scenario do you even know? And I think fight or flight, really good humans behave terribly or make mistakes sometime. More from WWD The subtly comedic drama was inspired by as the film is spinning it, not a remake of the 2014 Swedish film Force Majeure. I think its such pristine storytelling and makes a lot, such provocative questions that it poses, Chao says. The films star and producer Julia Louis-Dreyfus felt similarly, so much so that she spent several years trying to get an American version made, recruiting Will Ferrell to share top billing. The cast is like the titans of American comedy, Chao says. Its been really exhausting actually doing the press, because theyre just so funny. Its hard to keep up. Story continues Chao appears in the film as the Millennial girlfriend of a coworker of Ferrells character; the couple turn up (to the chagrin of Dreyfus character) at the ski resort. Rosie is sort of one of those strangers you meet along the way who happens to be there at the right time and right place in a moment of need, and offers some perspective and help, Chao says of her role in the film. Luckily, filming on location in Austria was a smoother experience for the cast: no avalanches, metaphorically or literally speaking. The reason this whole movie was made was because of [Dreyfus] and Im so grateful that she gathered all of us together, Chao says. Her passion and persistence and standard for excellence really guided us the entire time, and shes just such a class act, and you hope for leaders like that on projects. And in this industry, too. Its very reassuring to know that there are such good humans at the top like Will and Julia for someone whos coming up in this business. Downhill marks the start of a busy year for Chao. Shes headed to South by Southwest in March for the premiere of another film, I Used to Go Here, starring Gillian Jacobs, and has Covers starring Tracee Ellis Ross and Dakota Johnson coming out later this spring. She also recently finished filming a show for HBO Max, Love Life, created by Sam Boyd and starring Anna Kendrick. Its cool to be the first wave of content to come out with this newish platform, she says of the forthcoming anthology series. It was cool to play this character because shes really messy and dealing with some hard life stuff. And its been nice to be working on projects that really foreground women. But for the time being, Chao is enjoying her brief, snowy Sundance sojourn. Its so nice to be starting this year here with this movie, and Im just feeling a lot of gratitude for being a part of it, she says. And it would be hard to find a better location than Park City, Utah, flanked by ski lifts and routes, to premiere a movie set entirely at a ski resort. Its jogging all the memories from that shoot, says Chao, whos based in Los Angeles, of being in town for the festival, adding that her last time in a snowy climate was while filming Downhill. I felt like during the shoot, and here, that were sort of in a snowglobe. Best of WWD Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. 06th Feb 2020, Phoenix (Arizona) - Geeks Mobile is a performance-driven IT consulting Phoenix agency. We have been in business for over 10 years and between all our team members have more than 15 years of experience in the IT and cloud-computing Industry. This year, we decided to provide search engine optimization services for our client's website. Being a leading company we offer advance SEO services as per the latest Google algorithms. If you want to be on Page 1 of Google, hire our team of Google certified SEO experts to optimize your website, improve online visibility, generate more site visitors, leads, sales and revenue to your business. 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(Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) Young Voters at Iowa Democratic Caucuses Prefer Candidates Other Than Sanders for Electability IOWA CITY, IowaKevin Drahos was a high school freshman when he worked as an intern for the Bernie Sanders campaign in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 2016. Sanders won the support of nearly 85 percent of young voters in the Iowa Democratic caucuses that year, which helped him secure a virtual tie with Hillary Clinton on caucus night. Like many of his friends, Drahos was drawn to the Vermont independent senators bold messages, he said. This years caucuses, on Feb. 3, were Drahoss first since coming of voting age. But he voted for Pete Buttigieg. I honestly would be behind [Sanders] this round if it werent for a lot of experiences Ive had in politics, Drahos said in a coffee shop in downtown Iowa City on caucus day. Now, Drahos is an international relations student at the University of Iowa. During the past four years, hes served on a state advisory council, written position statements, drafted bills, and worked closely with lawmakers. Those experiences have shaped his understanding of what it takes to be an effective commander in chief, he said. From what I know, you have to be willing to compromise, and you have to be able to get things done, said Drahos. What [Sanders] said on the campaign trail, which has really turned me off, is that hes not willing to compromise. Thats kind of my pragmatic approach. Kevin Drahos at The High Ground Cafe in downtown Iowa City, Iowa, on Feb. 3, 2020. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) Drahos is one of the young Sanders supporters who left Sanderss camp and stepped into either Buttigiegs or Elizabeth Warrens at the 2020 Iowa caucuses. Many University of Iowa students who voted at one of the campus caucus locations shared opinions with The Epoch Times similar to that of Drahos. The Iowa Democratic Party released partial caucus results late Feb. 4, showing Buttigieg in the lead, with 26.8 percent (of state delegate equivalents). Sanders was in second with 25.2 percent, and Warren in third with 18.4 percent. As far as young voters go, it seems Sanders may have been the top pick. According to Edison Research entrance polling for the Iowa caucuses, about half of the voters under 30 years old said they intended to vote for Sanders, with 21 percent voting for Buttigieg and 14 percent for Warren. Buttigieg was most popular among 45- to 64-year-olds. However, poll experts warn that entrance polls have a much larger margin of error than regular polls, because they are conducted by canvassing only some precincts. Buttigieg Can Bring Us Together Joseph OKelly, a social justice student at the university, was 16 when Sanders campaigned in the Democratic primaries in 2016. OKelly said that if he was old enough to vote for Sanders then, he would have. I was a very big Bernie Sanders fan back in 2016, he said. I still like Bernie, I still do. I like the things that he stands for. But in the months leading up to this years caucuses, OKelly was running in and out of Buttigiegs office in Iowa City as a campaign volunteer. He found that many people at the campaign events had either been politically inactive before or only ever voted Republican. In the country thats totally divided right now, hes the one who can bring us together, OKelly said of Buttigieg. Joseph OKelly at The High Ground Cafe in downtown Iowa City, Iowa, on Feb. 3, 2020. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) Though OKelly still likes Sanders, he doesnt like Sanderss socialist identity. Socialism is kind of a scary term for a lot of people. And theyre very turned off by it, he said. Republicans are very against the idea of a socialist president such as Bernie, and even some more moderate Democrats dont want that. Electability is very important to me. But furthermore, its about once you get into office, can you get anything done? Im worried that Republicans arent going to want to compromise and work with someone like Sanders or Warren to get something done. Some Sanders fans werent worried about electability. Ross Clowser, 24, works as a barista in a coffee shop in downtown Iowa City and plays music gigs at local venues. In the 2016 presidential election cycle, he volunteered for Sanders, caucused for him, and saw him lose the nomination to Clinton. I wasnt surprised that he didnt get it, Clowser said. He was bringing something truly different to the table. He was not a centrist. He is a progressive. Clowser says that Sanders helped pave the way for similarly progressive candidates to have a stronger presence in elections. In the months leading up to this years caucuses, he had gone back and forth in his mind between Sanders and Warren. He finally made up his mind the day before the Iowa caucuses. He would caucus for Warren. I want to support a woman in the White House, he said. Medicare for All For Clowser, health care is a top issue. Sanders and Warren both support Medicare for All. The job of a barista or freelance musician doesnt offer health care plans. He is still young enough to stay on his parents insurance plans, but will lose that coverage when he turns 27. Hopefully, at that time, I have a professional career as a music professor, he said. Clowser plans to go back to school and pursue a music degree this fall. Jonathan Issa, who passed out Warren campaign literature on campus, worries that eliminating the private health care industry right away, and making it all public through Medicare for All, would cause a lot of infrastructure problems within the hospitals. It would change peoples plans. So their coverage might be completely different on some of the medications or treatments that theyve already started, he said. Bernie is an ambitious person, but I think that hes too radically left to be able to implement the changes. While I will admit Warren is a very left-leaning person, I feel like her policies are not so radical that she would not be able to put them in place. According to the entrance polls, health care was a top issue for 41 percent of caucus-goers and 57 percent supported Medicare for All. Yang, Sanders, and Unity Some students voted for the underdogs, including Andrew Yang. I really appreciated his data-driven approach, said Vanessa Beck. I think a lot of people, especially younger people, like college or high school students, they just want to go with what the crowd thinks. In Iowas caucuses, people vote by going into a big room together and standing in a section of the room that represents a given candidate. In this system, you can literally follow the crowd. Bits of paper distributed to each voter upon entry, and then collected as the presidential preference cards were distributed, at the Iowa Democratic caucus at Iowa Memorial Union in Iowa City, on Feb. 3, 2020. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) Electability was not a concern for Beck. [If you] only vote for someone electable, then youre leaving your own morals to the side just to try to vote for whoever everyone else will vote for. I think that becomes a dangerous game. She said she wont vote for Trump, Sanders, or Warren in a presidential election. The latter two are off the table, she said, because her mother came from communist Bulgaria and she fears the rise of socialism in the United States as a precursor to communism. If other candidates make it, shell do her research and decide, she said. John Pintozzi also appreciates Yangs data-driven approach. He looks at problems, he looks at the numbers. So like, you know, there isnt enough money in the economy in rural America. How do you fix that? he said. Many of the students who voted for Sanders cited reasons such as his plans to forgive student debt, his stance on relations with Iran, his support of Medicare for All, his support of the working class, and his hostility toward the rich. Emily Poncher, a junior at the University of Iowa, said, Personally, I think hes a bit radical. But I think my friends do like him just because hes promising a lot of good and beneficial things to young people, like the free tuition. She said shed love forgiveness for her student loans, but thinks it may not be fair to the many students who worked hard to pay off their loans and tuition. Poncher, who didnt caucus because she had to work, is from Indiana. She said she will vote for Buttigieg in the Indiana primary. I think one of the most important things, besides all the different topics that go along with the election is were very divided right now. We need to come together, she said. Emily Poncher, a junior at the University of Iowa, works at Iowa House Hotel on the University of Iowa campus the night before the Democratic caucus, Feb. 2, 2020. (Cara Ding/The Epoch Times) More than 150 years ago, when the nation was divided between North and South, the first governor of Iowa, Ansel Briggs, sent a piece of limestone to be part of Washington Monument in the nations Capitol. The stone was inscribed with the words, Iowa. Her affections, like the rivers of her borders, flow to an inseparable union. Between 2001 and 2018, the economic health of 2,375 counties increased while 717 counties experienced a decline during the same period. These are the key findings from the U.S. Department of Commerces Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) report released in December and based on a survey of gross domestic product (GDP) for the nations 3,113 counties during the first decade and a half of the 21st century. The GDP, or the value of goods and services produced within a county, varies as greatly as the county sizes in the U.S. The total level of Real GDP in 2018 ranged from Issaquena County, Miss., at $18.4 million to Los Angeles Countys $710.9 billion. Only 21 counties, 20 of which had population size of less than 10,000, didnt experience any change in GDP. Overall, the report found that the small counties, in fact, were the ones to experience the most change: 1,806 increased and 682 decreased in 2,488 of the 2,508 small counties. The report also highlighted that the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction (MQOG) industry was a leading contributor to economic change. The MQOG industry was the leading contributor to GDP decline in the large, medium and small country categories. In the medium county category (counties with populations between 100,000 and 500,000) the MQOG industry was the leading contributor for both the fastest growing county, Canadian County, Okla. (21 percent), and the county with largest percent decrease, San Juan County, N.M. (-6.1 percent). In the large county category (counties with populations greater than 500,000), the IT industry contributed the fastest economic growth in Santa Clara County, Calif. (10.2 percent). The BEAs report is extensive in its coverage and builds upon prototype data that was produced in December 2018, including new source data, expanding industry details and personal income estimates to provide a clearer understanding of county health. The report is a good place to begin but it cannot be the end of the analysis, according to Peter Temin , Elisha Gray II Professor Emeritus of Economics at MIT. The data presents the information as a blanketed look at the entire country, but the problem is that nothing is exactly the same around the country, he said. Temin also explained that the report deals with things that they can easily observe, but it fails to represent the human involvement in the numbers, which need to be corroborated by the financial, human and social capitals before they can yield insights. It means that our growth track is much less than it seems to be based on an initial review of the BEA report, he added. Youre missing the other dimensions of whats going on in the United States you get a very partial picture when you look at the report. Teryn Zmuda , director of research at the National Association of Counties (NACo) , also expressed concern about using this information to blanket all U.S. counties. She explained that Grant County, N.D. had a 44 percent decrease in GDP but [] the population itself decreased, so thats going to have an impact on your overall economy as well. Especially within small counties, this human capital must be considered to have a full picture of the true economic health because a countys strength can be measured through its capitals, Zmuda said. For example, even if the BEA numbers are low, if the county has a strong social capital then the low numbers may not be cause for alarm. Zmuda emphasized the resiliency factor and explained that Whether [it] be a recession or just a more stagnant growth period, preparing our counties to be resilient in that period of time is how counties can ensure future health. So how do local, county, state officials and leaders implement the information to better their localitys future? By taking BEAs report and continuing a more detailed look into those industries once youve identified trends in the overall economy, Zmuda said. To account for the broad range of county diversity across the nation, the personal capitals and familiarity must be incorporated into the plan because, if a local person sees it and looks at his or her state, then that person has much more information about whats going on, than someone who simply looks at the raw numbers, said Temin. The BEAs report was a necessary first step, but now counties and states can continue a path toward thoughtful, impactful legislation to better assure our counties, states and countrys health. Three suspensions and a disciplinary revocation taken to the next level comprise South Floridas representation on the Florida Bars monthly report of attorneys disciplined by the Florida Supreme Court. In alphabetical order: Colleen Dunne, Key West Colleen Dunne was an assistant state attorney in the Monroe County State Attorneys Office. She gave up that position at the end of December and will give up being an attorney during a suspension that will run until Feb. 15, 2021. According to her guilty plea in her discipline case: While prosecuting William Skinner in an attempted murder and burglary case in 2010, Dunne and an intern listened to Skinners phone calls on the recorded jail line. Among the calls were three conversations between Skinner and his son that refuted many aspects of the defendants purported insanity defense as documented in the defense experts reports. That Dunne listened in wasnt the problem. That the calls were downloaded to a DVD by the intern wasnt the problem. But Dunne didnt come across with the jail house calls when the defense made a discovery request for Skinners statements. She denied being in possession of any additional statements to law enforcement when asked directly by Skinners attorney, Cara Higgins, at the deposition of a defense expert. Thats a problem. After Dunne sent Higgins the phone calls and Higgins filed a motion to exclude them, Dunne told the court she hadnt been in possession of the calls at the time of the deposition and I didnt have them literally downloaded on a disk. That wasnt the case. It wasnt an immediate problem as the court ruled the violation had happened far enough before the trial that any damage could be undone. Skinner was convicted. It held up on appeal. But a series of public records requests revealed the deception in 2013. Skinner is still doing life in prison. His attorneys are trying to argue for a conviction reversal and new trial. Jonathan Gunn, Fort Lauderdale Story continues With a Bar case pending alleging misuse of a clients trust funds from a personal injury case, Fort Lauderdale attorney Jonathan Gunn asked for disciplinary revocation with leave to apply for reinstatement in five years in November 2018. That made the professional beef disappear. In exchange, Gunn is effectively disbarred for at least five years. That means Gunn shouldnt use his trust account, which he did. A check drawn on that account bounced. Gunns disciplinary revocation is now permanent. Roger Rathbun, Plantation The referee in Roger Rathbuns case recommended a one-year suspension. Rathbun would take a one-year suspension after the state Supreme Court tossed out the referees recommendation and raised the punitive time to three years. Rathbun has filed a motion for rehearing. According to the referees report and copies of emails attached to the complaint, Rathbuns opposing counsel in a case, Davie attorney Jay Farrow, filed an appeal for his client. The client filed a Pro Se Motion to Dismiss. Rathbun emailed Farrow, It appears you did not have her consent to file the Appeal. I believe this may have ethical implications. But, I will let the Appellate or State Court to decide on that. My client would like to be able to resolve this without having to bring this to the courts attention or the Florida Bar. My client has spent a few hours on this appeal and would be agreeable not to seek sanctions against you. But, most likely, you will think you can get away with this. When Farrow asked How would your client like to handle, Rathbun replied, Ask my buddy, [disbarred attorney] Mark P. Stopa. How, after dealing with me, worked out for him. Farrow asked, Roger, what is it going to take? and Rathbun said, What is your Bar license worth to you? Mr. Klein (a misspelled reference to Jonathan Kline, opposing counsel for another party in the case). You next. The referee said Rathbuns answers bringing up the Florida Bar threatened Farrow and Kline in order to gain an advantage in a civil case. Thats a violation and Farrow filed a grievance with the Bar. On June 25, 2018, the Bar asked Rathbun to respond to Farrows grievance by July 9, 2018. Rathbun responded to Farrows grievance by responding to Farrow. Roger Rathbun Rathbun began firing off a fusillade of emails including Farrows arrest mugshot from a 2015 arrest in Broward (DUI reduced to reckless driving, probation); a 2013 arrest in Miami-Dade (disorderly intoxication, pre-trial intervention); 2016 litigation by a bank over Farrows home mortgage; and a 1998 arrest in Alachua County (dropped for insufficient evidence). You started this with the police report and subsequent Bar complaint, Rathbun emailed. I was just trying to resolve the appeal without further litigation and without further fees. Now, you get what you get. That email was sent on July 16, 2018, a week after Rathbuns response to the Bar was due. Hes asked for additional time on July 12, 2018, and was given until July 27, 2018. On July 18, 2018, he sent an email to Kline that said, So, this is a Guy you are co-counsel with. So Rape is ok with you and your clients. you got kids. Any girls. Maybe let them hang out with your co counsel. Rathbun finally responded to the Bar Aug. 13, 2018. Said delay was either [Rathbuns] attempt to dissuade Farrow from pursuing his Bar grievance or otherwise retaliate for filing the grievance, or both, neither of which is permissible, the referee wrote. Rathbun argues for shortening his suspension because he sent the emails while he was under undue stress because his home is currently in foreclosure; hes in counseling to deal with substance abuse issues; and the court should consider the financial hardship this would have on his family and his children if a year suspension was imposed. Alka Sharma, West Palm Beach Alka Sharma starts an 18-month suspension Feb. 15 and will enter into a contract with Florida Lawyers Assistance, which helps lawyers dealing with substance abuse, mental health problems or other disorders. Denise and Reginald Rock paid Sharma to file a complaint against Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. Sharma didnt file it, but told the couple he had. For approximately three years, [Sharma] gave the Rocks false updates regarding their case, including information regarding motions and depositions, Sharmas guilty plea said. The Rocks couldnt find any documentation that their lawsuit was moving forward, but after the Rocks continued to make inquiries, [Sharma] informed the Rocks that a judgment had been entered in their favor and showed them a final judgment purportedly entered in their case against Liberty Mutual. Then, Sharma tried to close the loop on the lie by saying she was meeting with a company that was willing to buy their judgment for a reduced rate which would allow them to avoid the appellate process. The Rocks learned the final judgment had been forged. The system would prevent one of the surgeons from having to hold the handler for several hours The project has been conducted in collaboration with the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Department, General Surgery, Urology and Thoracic Surgery of Valencia's General Hospital, through their Research Foundation and with the support of the Valencian Innovation Agency (AVI) of Valencia's regional government, in the framework of a project to boost innovation in robotic surgery. Currently, uterine operations that the robot developed by the UPV would provide support for, are conducted with the Da Vinci robot, with which the operation is conducted remotely by a surgeon. Another doctor inserts a uterine handler through the vagina, thus providing a point of support from inside the womb of the patient, so that the Da Vinci robot can conduct the surgery in a more comfortable and safer way. This second doctor holds said hander for the almost four hours that the operation lasts. Now, the system developed by the ai2 and UPV specialists, will allow for a robotic arm to control the handler that the second doctor currently holds for hours to control the position of the uterus. To do so, the pieces needed to attach the two types of handlers currently used in this surgery were designed in 3D. Likewise, the UPV researchers developed an automated position control system for the robot, as well as another automated control system for the force applied on the wall of the patient's uterus. "It was important for the control systems to be very precise, because if the robot exerts too much strength, it can entail an additional danger for the patient," explains Angel Valera, researcher from the ai2 Institute of the UPV. To learn the range of movements with which to program the robot, the researchers worked with the gynaecologists and surgeons, and even attended several uterus operations. "In the UPV laboratories we have worked with simulation material from the General Hospital such as the ProDelphus surgical simulator, which represents a women's abdomen in a very realistic way, allowing us to manipulate tissues that are very similar to real ones," adds Valera. The project, which has lasted a year, will continue to develop a robot with a specific purpose. "The fact that the robot has a specific purpose will allow for the final design to be very simple and affordable, and for the technology to be entirely manufactured and implemented in the Valencian Community," says Valera. Juan Gilabert, head of the Gynaecological and Obstetrics Department of the General Hospital, explains that "there currently is no articulated robotic arm to conduct uterine mobilisation. The development of this project will allow the head surgeon to have accurate control with three degrees of freedom of the uterine position during the operation, and will also increase the availability of the staff to conduct tasks linked to their training." After developing the robot with a specific purpose, the project will enter the validation stage, with the objective of guaranteeing the absolute safety of the patients. This will require the system to be previously implemented in the simulation centre of the General Hospital. ### Four researchers from the UPV have taken part in this multidisciplinary project as well as Angel Valera: Marina Valles, also from the ai2, Vicente Mata and Francisco J. Valero, from the Centre for Mechanical Engineering Research, and Pau Zamora, from the Mechanical Engineering and Biomechanical Institute of the UPV. Two researchers from the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of the General Hospital also collaborated, Juan Gilabert and Javier Garcia Oms. The team says that the prototype could be exported to other types of surgeries with similar needs, for example, for prostate or colon surgeries. India's new ambassador to the United States Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Thursday presented his credential to President Donald Trump in his Oval Office of the White House. Trump, during the Oval Office credentials ceremony, warmly welcomed Sandhu, a career foreign service official, back to Washington DC and wished him success in his responsibilities as India's ambassador to the US. "The President fondly recalled his friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and their several interactions," the Indian Embassy said in a statement. Sandhu conveyed warm greetings from the President and the Prime Minister of India to Trump and the First Lady, the statement said. Sandhu also added that the vision and guidance provided by Prime Minister Modi and President Trump in the last three years have moved India and the United States towards greater strategic convergence. The Indian Ambassador affirmed his commitment to work towards strengthening strategic partnership between India and the US, which is anchored in mutual trust and friendship, democratic values and people-to-people ties, the media statement said. One of the most experienced Indian diplomats on US affairs, Sandhu was Deputy Chief of Mission here from July 2013 to January 2017. Earlier, he was First Secretary (Political) at the Embassy of India, Washington DC responsible for liaison with the United States Congress from 1997 to 2000. He has also been at the Permanent Mission of India to United Nations, New York from July 2005 to February 2009. Born on 23 January 1963 in a family of educationists, Sandhu studied at The Lawrence School, Sanawar, and graduated from St. Stephens' College, Delhi, with History Honors. He pursued a Master's degree in International Relations at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Sandhu is married to Reenat Sandhu, who is Ambassador of India to Italy. In a distinguished career spanning over 30 years in the Indian Foreign Service since 1988, Sandhu started his diplomatic career from former Soviet Union (Russia) where he worked as Third Secretary (Political) / Second Secretary (Commercial) in the Indian Mission from 1990 to 1992. Following the breakup of Soviet Union, he was sent to open a new Embassy in Ukraine. He served as Head of Political and Administration Wings in Indian Embassy in Kiev from 1992 to 1994. Sandhu was Consul General of India in Frankfurt from September 2011 to July 2013. He has worked in the Ministry of External Affairs in various capacities: as Joint Secretary (United Nations) from March 2009 to August 2011; and later as Joint Secretary (Administration) heading the Human Resource Division. He was Officer on Special Duty (Press Relations), Ministry of External Affairs from December 1995 to March 1997, and was responsible for liaison with foreign media in India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A SENIOR Fine Gael MEP has referred to a recent visit to Auschwitz to warn voters that they must be "very careful of our democracy" and how they vote in this Saturday's general election. Mairead McGuinness made the comments at a Fine Gael campaign event in Virginia, Co Cavan where Taoiseach Leo Varadkar also spoke on Wednesday night. Ms McGuinness spoke of her recent visit to Auschwitz in Poland to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi-run concentration camp. "I have to say it was one of the most moving things I have done in my political career. And I gave a speech outside with the Jewish community, and we were reflecting on when democracy fails and when people are marginalised and dehumanised," she told Fine Gael supporters. "And I suppose essentially, the message I would say to you is that we have to be very careful of our democracy. We have to nurture it, respect it, and we have to vote. Vote in a way that we know is best for our country, and for our communities. "And 75 years is not a long time in history. And I suppose it spurs me on in the work I do in the European Parliament on your behalf- so that we have a community of nations, 27 now sadly, so they can work together." Speaking afterwards to Independent.ie, the four-term MEP said remarks about that visit were not directed at any party in particular and that they were about democracy. She said she has referenced this in multiple speeches in recent weeks since her visit there. The election rally was also addressed by Business Minister and local TD Heather Humphreys who told the audience: "When we entered Government, the house was burning down around us. "Fine Gael have put out the fire and rebuilt the country. Do not hand the box of matches back to Fianna Fail this weekend!" Mr Varadkar said he was more concerned about the future of our country than at any point since the economic crash and warned against the prospect of putting Fianna Fail or Sinn Fein in government. He claimed Sinn Fein tax policies would lead to many companies leaving Ireland and said this would be a gift to Boris Johnsons Brexit Britain. He said Fianna Fails SSIA scheme for first-time buyers is "reminiscent of the Galway Tent and everything that comes with that". With the debacle of the Iowa caucuses fresh in the minds of Illinois politicians, theres bipartisan support to make the Land of Lincoln have the first-in-the-nation primary. But thats still just an idea at this point. Iowa Democratic Party officials say the delay in getting results from the first-in-the-nation caucuses Monday was because of a computer error. Regardless, it threw the primary process into disarray. Illinois state Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, said Illinois should be first instead. So put the complicated caucus system behind us, Manar said. Lets find a state thats more representative of the country as a whole and Illinois I think on all accounts is that state. Illinois population is culturally diverse and the state features both major metropolitan areas and rural areas. State Rep. Dave Severin, R-Benton, said moving Illinois up in the national process may be worth looking at. That might be something to consider, Severin said. But I tell you what else is encouraging to me is the state of Illinois finally is not the worst debacle in the United States. Iowa just took over. Illinois primary this year is March 17. Early voting begins today. The state moved the primary up to the first Tuesday of February in 2008, when Barack Obama was running in the Democratic primary. He was an Illinois U.S. senator and a former Illinois state senator. But Illinois moved the primary back to March in 2012. Manar said he is researching what it will take to move Illinois up in the national process. Its my understanding theres a penalty for any state in terms of awarding delegates that go before Iowa and New Hampshire, I believe, Manar said. Thats the deterrence. He said there may have to be some coordination between state law and private party rules to bump Illinois up. While he says its an idea worth considering, Severin said Illinois has its own election issues to deal with, like the errors in the Illinois Automatic Voter Registration program. We have got to get AVR correct, Severin said. Lets be accurate to a fault rather than having it be a fault. The Secretary of State says it erroneously forwarded the names of hundreds of potential noncitizens to register to vote. There were other issues revealed, including some who opted out of AVR still having their names forwarded to local elections authorities, and even 16-year-olds being forwarded to and rejected by local elections authorities. WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Postal Service reported total revenue of $19.4 billion for the first quarter of fiscal 2020 (October 1, 2019 - December 31, 2019), a decrease of $363 million, or 1.8 percent, compared to the same quarter last year. Due to continuing secular declines in transaction mail, First-Class Mail revenue declined by $168 million, or 2.5 percent, on a volume decline of 571 million pieces, or 3.8%, and Periodicals revenue declined by $24 million, or 7.7 percent, compared to the same quarter last year. Marketing Mail revenue declined by $254 million, or 5.4 percent, on a volume decline of 1.7 billion pieces, or 7.9 percent, compared to the same quarter last year. The majority of volume declines in Marketing Mail were due to high levels of political and election mail in October and November of 2018, that were not replicated during the same period in 2019. Meanwhile, Shipping and Packages revenue increased by $146 million, or 2.3 percent, despite a volume decline of 84 million pieces, or 4.6 percent, compared to the same quarter last year. "We demonstrated once again the power of our unrivaled network and our ability to provide solutions for our customers while growing package volumes during our peak period. Package revenue for the quarter grew by $146 million. However, overall volumes and mail revenues for the quarter were down, and we continue to face systemic profitability challenges due to our restrictive business model and mandated costs," said Postmaster General and CEO Megan J. Brennan. "We will continue to aggressively pursue opportunities to generate profitable revenues and drive greater operational efficiencies under our current structure, while also seeking legislative and regulatory reforms to allow the Postal Service to better invest in our business, compete for customers, control our costs and serve the evolving needs of the public." For the first quarter of fiscal year 2020, total work hours declined, compensation and benefits expense declined by $190 million, and total expenses were down approximately $1.1 billion. However, excluding non-cash fair value adjustments to the workers' compensation liability, total expenses were essentially flat compared to the first quarter of fiscal year 2019. "While many of our network costs are fixed to meet our universal service obligations, we continue to aggressively manage operating expenditures under management's control," said Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President Joseph Corbett. "The Postal Service reduced work hours by 6.4 million relative to the same quarter last year, helping us to reduce overall compensation expenses." The net loss for the quarter totaled $748 million, a decrease in net loss of $789 million, compared to a net loss of $1.5 billion for the same quarter last year. Controllable loss for the quarter was $387 million, compared to a controllable loss of $103 million for the same quarter last year. First Quarter Fiscal 2020 Operating Revenue and Volume by Service Category Compared to Prior Year The following table presents revenue and volume by category for the three months ended December 31, 2019, and 2018: Revenue Volume (revenue in $ millions; volume in millions of pieces) 2019 2018 2019 2018 Service Category First-Class Mail $ 6,472 $ 6,640 14,318 14,889 Marketing Mail 4,411 4,665 20,302 22,044 Shipping and Packages 6,606 6,460 1,737 1,821 International 704 713 240 260 Periodicals 287 311 1,110 1,198 Other 871 922 94 90 Total operating revenue and volume $ 19,351 $ 19,711 37,801 40,302 Selected First Quarter Fiscal 2020 Results of Operations and Controllable Loss This news release references controllable loss, which is not calculated and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP). Controllable loss is defined as net loss adjusted for items outside of management's control and non-recurring items. These adjustments include workers' compensation expenses caused by actuarial revaluation and discount rate changes, and the amortization of Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund (PSRHBF), Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS) unfunded liabilities. The following table presents selected results of operations and reconciles GAAP net loss to controllable loss and illustrates the loss from ongoing business activities without the impact of non-controllable items for the three months ended December 31, 2019, and 2018: (results in $ millions) 2019 2018 Operating revenue $ 19,351 $ 19,711 Other revenue 3 6 Total revenue $ 19,354 $ 19,717 Total operating expenses $ 20,079 $ 21,226 Interest and investment income (expense), net (23) (28) Net loss $ (748) $ (1,537) PSRHBF unfunded liability amortization expense1 225 275 Change in workers' compensation liability resulting from fluctuations in discount rates (543) 505 Other change in workers' compensation liability2 10 55 CSRS unfunded liability amortization expense3 404 360 FERS unfunded liability amortization expense4 265 239 165,000,000 Controllable loss $ (387) $ (103) 1 Expense for the accrual for the annual payment due to OPM by September 30 of the respective year, as calculated by OPM, to amortize the unfunded PSRHBF retirement health benefit obligation. Payments are to be made through 2056 based on OPM invoices. 2 Net amounts include changes in assumptions, valuation of new claims and revaluation of existing claims, less current year claim payments. 3 Expense for the accrual for the annual payment due to OPM by September 30 of the respective year, as calculated by OPM, to amortize the unfunded CSRS retirement obligation. Payments are to be made through 2043 based on OPM invoices. 4 Expense for the accrual for the annual payment due to OPM by September 30 of the respective year, as calculated by OPM, to amortize the unfunded FERS retirement obligation. Payments are to be made over a 30-year rolling period based on OPM invoices. Financial results in the Form 10-Q are available at http://about.usps.com/what/financials/ Financial Briefing Postmaster General and CEO Megan J. Brennan and CFO and Executive Vice President Joseph Corbett will host a telephone/Web conference call to discuss the financial results in more detail. The call will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET on February 6, 2020, and is open to news media and all other interested parties. How to Participate: US/Canada Attendee Dial-in: 844-340-4622 Conference ID: 3738718 Attendee Direct URL: https://usps.webex.com/usps/onstage/g.php?MTID=e784cc54f36f90b61f20f0cf0ec39f41f Alternate URL: https://usps.webex.com Event Number: 825 198 437 The briefing is also available on live audio webcast (listen only) at: http://about.usps.com/what/financials/briefings/welcome.htm The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. Contact: David Partenheimer 202.268.2599 [email protected] usps.com/news SOURCE U.S. Postal Service Related Links http://www.usps.com Los Angeles, Feb 6 : Director Sam Raimi, who helped launch a superhero movie with 2002s "Spider-Man", is in talks to direct "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" for Marvel Studios. If the deal is sealed, Raimi will replace original director Scott Derrickson, reports variety.com. On January 9 this year, Derrickson departed the project due to creative differences. Derrickson continues to remain an executive producer of the project. The film's scheduled production start date is in May. Marvel didn't officially confirm the report. After finishing his "Spider-Man" trilogy for Sony Pictures with 2007's "Spider-Man 3", Raimi made horror movie "Drag Me to Hell" in 2009 and Disney's "The Wizard of Oz" prequel "Oz the Great and Powerful" in 2013. He was also busy as a producer, helping relaunch various horror franchises like "Poltergeist" and his own classic, "Evil Dead". In the sequel, Benedict Cumberbatch is returning as the Sorcerer Supreme after his 2016 debut, and subsequent appearances in "Thor: Ragnarok", "Avengers: Infinity War", and "Avengers: Endgame". Benedict Wong and Chiwetel Ejiofor are also expected to reprise their roles from the original film as, respectively, fellow sorcerer Wong and Strange's compatriot-turned-nemesis Karl Mordo. Elizabeth Olsen has been tapped to reprise her role as Scarlet Witch, aka Wanda Maximoff, for a storyline that Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige has said will link up with her Disney Plus series "WandaVision", which will debut in December. Rachel McAdams will not reprise her role as Strange's colleague Christine Palmer. "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" is scheduled to open on May 7, 2021. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Guyana vigorously defended its oil contract with Exxon Mobil Corp. after the deal was criticized by human-rights group Global Witness just a month before the country holds a general election. The report faulted inexperienced government officials for failing to press for better terms when the contract came up for renegotiation in 2016, the year after Exxon made a giant oil discovery. The deal was signed with little transparency, is heavily weighted in Exxons favor and will deprive the tiny South American country of some $55 billion over the life of the agreement, it said. Guyanas government views the report as a cunning and calculated attack on a sovereign state with a duly elected government mere weeks before an election, the ministry of the presidency said in a statement. The governments share of oil from the Exxon contract after costs are deducted is 60%, in line with both emerging oil and gas producers such as Mozambique and more established countries, it said, citing a study from Oslo-based Rystad Energy. HoustonChronicle.com: Exxon makes new Guyana discovery The debate over oil revenues and how they are spent is becoming a key battleground in the election, the winner of which will lead a country that by the mid-2020s will probably produce more crude per citizen than any other nation in the world. Such is the sheer scale of production, Rystad estimates the governments income will jump from $270 million to $10 billion in the next decade. The government backed Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman, who signed the 2016 deal, saying that signing the contract with Exxon was not just about fiscal terms. Guyana has been in a long-running border dispute with neighbor Venezuela, which has a much larger military. There were geo-political and national security imperatives which could not be ignored, according to the statement. Global Witness deliberately seeks to trivialize the national security and sovereignty of Guyana. Global Witness is non-political and has a history of exposing corruption and accountability issues in the commodities industry, it said in a statement. The report this week exposed that Guyana left billions on the table during its negotiations with Exxon, Jonathan Gant, a senior campaigner at Global Witness, said by email. There needs to be an investigation into why the Exxon deal was so bad for Guyana. The money belongs to all Guyanese people, and they deserve both transparency and accountability into how the deal was negotiated and in whose interest. NEWARK, N.J., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership (IFEL) will host its 2nd Annual Women of Color Connecting Summit at the Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott Hotel on February 13, 2020. The mission of the Women of Color Connecting (WOCCON) initiative is to eradicate the long-standing systemic barriers that Women of Color entrepreneurs face. Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership Inc Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership Inc This year, IFEL is hosting an Introduction to Angel Investing workshop the evening before the Summit at the Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott Hotel on February 12, 2020. This event is presented by the Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership with support from Golden Seeds, New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and Portfolia. "Access to capital is a legacy challenge with roots deep in our American history. While we have more small business support resources than ever, capital constraint remains a defining problem for the majority of Women of Color entrepreneurs. It's time we take a new approach," says Jill Johnson, Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership Co-founder and CEO. She adds, "Angel Inclusion is a campaign to create awareness among women and people of color about the important role of angel investors and how to get involved. Our goal is to open doors to early-stage capital for a broader spectrum of entrepreneurs." This 3-hour workshop will include dinner and a networking reception. Topics will include: Overview of angel investing Who qualifies as an angel investor How to begin your path to making investments Finding the right angel group fit Incentives for NJ angel investors Participants will have an opportunity to hear from and meet local angel investors. Johnson says, "Angel investing is a channel through which women and people of color can create a seat for themselves at the table." This workshop is for people who want to learn more about angel investing. There is no further commitment expected and attendees do not need to meet specific income requirements. To register for this Introduction to Angel Investing workshop or learn more about this campaign, visit: www.angelinclusion.org . ABOUT IFEL: The Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership (IFEL), founded in 2002, is an independent, not-for-profit organization located in Newark, NJ that supports economic development through entrepreneurship. We are experts in creating and implementing economic development and entrepreneurial inclusion programming for corporate, government, and institutional partners. For more information about IFEL, please visit www. weareifel.org . For additional information, contact: Jill Johnson, CEO | [email protected] | 973.353.0611 x 101 SOURCE Institute for Entrepreneurial Leadership Inc A Devlali-Bhusawal passenger train was reversed for about a kilometre in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district on Thursday to rescue a passenger who had fallen off, a railway official said. The incident took place around 9.30 am between Pardhande and Maheji railway stations near Jalgaon, about 425 km from Mumbai. Rahul Patil, a passenger, fell off the train as it was approaching Maheji station, the official said, adding that his friends immediately pulled the alarm chain. Train guard R B Paradhe and loco pilot A K Pandy then reversed the train for about a kilometre to pick up the injured man, the official said. Patil was handed over to Government Railway Police in Jalgaon and was admitted to a private hospital, he added. Divisional railway manager of Central Railway's Bhusawal division, Vivek Gupta, lauded the train crew's quick decision which probably saved the passenger's life. It was completely safe to reverse a train, he said. The crew would be felicitated for their action, a railway spokesperson said. The train was delayed by over an hour because of the incident. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) FELTON, California, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The scope of global Acute Hospital Care Market was priced at US$ 2.4 trillion during 2018 and is projected to touch US$ 4.0 trillion by the completion of 2026, with an estimated CAGR of 6.7%. The development can be credited to growing size of sick persons at hospitals for acute care, growing occurrence of long-lasting sicknesses, and promising compensation existing for the services over Medicaid and Medicare. Acute hospital care is a medicinal precautionary situation for a short-range. It is intended to propose immediate and essential medicinal action and precaution by means of an intention to release patients once the treatment can be delivered carefully in a setting of low-level cautiousness. This method of care is for those individuals, suffering from severe medicinal circumstances, complaints, illness, injuries, or else recovering from any sort of major surgical treatment. Numerous services incorporated under acute hospital care consist of coronary care, neonatal intensive care, intensive care, cardiology plus others. Acute situations that is to say asthma attack, bronchitis, common cold, heart attack, broken bone, burn, flu, pneumonia and others require treatment in acute hospital care. Drivers and Restraints: Growing occurrence of trauma, increasing demand for acute care hospitals, growing size of elderly patient and unmet medicinal necessities in developing economies are likely to drive the development of the market. Increasing number of hospitals, elderly people having acute sicknesses, improvement in healthcare substructure, better-quality compensation strategies, rising pharmacological production in addition to speedy progressions particularly in the offering of medicinal product boosts the development of the acute hospital care market. Regardless of these motivating factors, restricted availability of apparatus and services combined with poor quality organization of healthcare mainly in low and middle income nations may possibly act as restraints for the market for the duration of the forecast. Get Sample PDF and read more details about the "Acute Hospital Care Market" Report 2026. Classification: The global acute hospital care industry can be classified by Service, Facility Type, Medical Situation and Region. By Service, it can be classified as Coronary Care Unit (CCU), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Others. By Facility Type, it can be classified as Long-term Acute Care, Specialized Hospitals, General Acute Care Hospitals, Rehabilitation Hospitals, and Psychiatric Hospitals. By Medical Situation, it can be classified as Acute Care Surgery, Short-term Stabilization, Trauma Care, Emergency Care, and Others. Regional Lookout: By Region the global acute hospital care market can be classified as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Due to the existence of important companies and deep-rooted acute hospitals within the province, North America retained the principal share of the market during 2018. Reasons for example technical progressions and greater per head expenditure on healthcare along with the support by the government for R&D activities, perform the role of an important motivators. The inclination for the customer focused fitness plans is growing constantly in the global market for healthcare. In line with the American Hospital Association, there are nearby 6,210 hospitals in the U.S.A having approximately 931,203 supervised beds. It was projected that nearby 90% of entire hospitals in the U.S.A have services of acute care. The market for acute hospital care in Europe will grasp the subsequent most important share owing to ease of access of capitals for research and backing from the government for research and development activities. Industrialized markets mostly Germany and France are increasing investment in healthcare and likewise putting additional stress on the organization of hospital. The acute hospital care industry will develop by the speedy step during the period of forecast, in the Asia Pacific region. Reasons leading to the development of the market within this region consist of massive population of patient, presence of healthcare expertise which is fast increasing and greater spending on healthcare. Moreover, the growing demand for acute hospital care particularly in India and South Korea are expected to be the speedily developing. Increasing necessity for excellent devices in healthcare is additional motive that may perhaps motivate the development of the market within this region. The acute hospital care is expected to have negligible share, in the Middle East & Africa, owing to the poor political circumstances within Africa, inadequate medical amenities and a lesser amount of availability of capitals. Companies Some of the important companies for acute hospital care market are Ardent Health Services, Mediclinic International, Ascension Health, HCA Healthcare, Inc., Asklepios Kliniken GmbH, Fresenius Medical Care, Legacy Life point Health, Inc., IHH Healthcare, Community Health Systems, Inc., Universal Health Services, Inc., and Ramsay Healthcare. Browse 142 page research report with TOC on "Global Acute Hospital Care Market" at: https://www.millioninsights.com/industry-reports/acute-hospital-care-market Market Segment: Acute Hospital Care Medical Condition Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2015 - 2026) Emergency Care Short-term Stabilization Trauma Care Acute Care Surgery Others Acute Hospital Care Facility Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2015 - 2026) General Acute Care Hospitals Psychiatric Hospitals Specialized Hospitals Rehabilitation Hospitals Long-term Acute Care (LTAC) Acute Hospital Care Service Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2015 - 2026) Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Coronary Care Unit (CCU) Others Acute Hospital Care Region Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2015 - 2026) North America U.S. Canada Europe U.K. Germany France Italy Spain Asia Pacific Japan China India Australia Latin America Brazil Mexico Middle East and Africa and Saudi Arabia South Africa Browse reports of similar category available with Million Insights: Retinal Implant Market Dermatology Devices Market Fractional Flow Reserve Market Liver Cancer Diagnostic Market About Million Insights: Million Insights, is a distributor of market research reports, published by premium publishers only. We have a comprehensive market place, that will enable you to compare data points, before you make a purchase. Enabling informed buying, is our motto and we strive hard to ensure that our clients get to browse through multiple samples, prior to an investment. Service flexibility & the fastest response time are two pillars, on which our business model is founded. Our market research report store, includes in-depth reports, from across various industry verticals, such as healthcare, technology, chemicals, food & beverages, consumer goods, material science & automotive. Contact: Ryan Manuel Research Support Specialist, USA Million Insights Phone: +1-408-610-2300 Toll Free: 1-866-831-4085 Email: sales@millioninsights.com Web: https://www.millioninsights.com/ Blog: https://millioninsights.blogspot.com/ For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. 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WASHINGTON The Department of Homeland Security temporarily barred New Yorkers on Wednesday from enrolling in Global Entry and similar programs that allow travelers to speed through borders and airport lines, escalating a conflict between the Trump administration and the state over a law that allows unauthorized immigrants to obtain drivers licenses. Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of homeland security, said in a letter to the New York state government that residents would no longer be able to apply for such programs because of the so-called Green Light Law. That measure prevents agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which arrests and deports unauthorized immigrants, as well as Customs and Border Protection from gaining access to the states Department of Motor Vehicles databases without a court order. Wolf said that access was needed to thoroughly vet applicants for the programs. Although DHS would prefer to continue our long-standing cooperative relationship with New York on a variety of these critical homeland security initiatives, he wrote in the letter, this act and the corresponding lack of security cooperation from the New York DMV requires DHS to take immediate action to ensure DHS efforts to protect the homeland are not compromised. The Trump administration has long taken aim at the state and, more specifically, New York City for sanctuary city policies that limit cooperation with ICE. But Wolfs decision to suspend enrollment for the programs turned what had most recently been a public relations campaign against local politicians into a punitive policy affecting possibly millions of New Yorkers. This is obviously political retaliation by the federal government, and were going to review our legal options, Rich Azzopardi, a senior adviser to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said late Wednesday. New Yorkers will not be able to enroll in Trusted Traveler Programs, which allow people to cut through long lines at airports if they pass a pre-clearance with the Department of Homeland Security. Participants are granted expedited processing after international travel through the Global Entry program; from Canada through the NEXUS program; and from Canada and Mexico through the SENTRI program. The Green Light law was passed last year by New Yorks Democratic Legislature and was signed by Cuomo, a third-term Democrat and frequent antagonist of President Donald Trump. Under the new law, county and state motor vehicles departments could accept applications for licenses, regardless of immigration status. It provoked a sharp backlash in some moderate suburban communities as well as in some more conservative areas upstate. Several county officials refused to comply or sued to stop the law, although it proved popular in liberal enclaves like New York City. During negotiations over the bill, which passed by a slim majority in the state Senate, Cuomo expressed concerns over federal immigration officials gaining access to DMV records, something that the bill broadly forbids, without a court order. Theyre using that personal data that they get from that database to look up an individuals date of birth, their photo. Theyre using that as they build that case, Wolf told Fox News host Tucker Carlson on Wednesday night as he announced the action. They can no longer do that because of what New York did. But the states attorney general, Letitia James, supported the bills passage, saying it was constitutional and contained ample protections for those who apply for drivers licenses. She promised to defend it if challenged. Activists and immigrants also celebrated the bill, contending that the ability to obtain a drivers license was crucial to survival. Many lined up outside DMV offices after the legislation took effect in December. Wolf said that the action was the result of an initial assessment and that the department would review its response going forward. The administration has also taken aim against New York City leaders, mainly Mayor Bill de Blasio, for not allowing ICE agents to detain unauthorized immigrants already in the custody of the New York Police Department. It was one of the cities that then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions threatened in 2017 to revoke law enforcement funding as retaliation for not cooperating with ICE on deportations. ICE intensified that feud in recent weeks when the agency issued four subpoenas to the city for information about inmates wanted for deportation. Trump dedicated a portion of his State of the Union address Tuesday to the matter, claiming the death and rape of a 92-year-old woman could have been prevented if city authorities had held the man accused in her killing for potential deportation. Since the early days of his campaign, the president has highlighted stories of Americans killed by immigrants living in the country illegally. Stephen Miller, his adviser and a prominent strategist of Trumps immigration agenda, has also in the past directed homeland security officials to spotlight crimes committed by unauthorized immigrants as a way to gain support for his more restrictionist policies. Tragically, there are many cities in America where radical politicians have chosen to provide sanctuary for these criminal illegal aliens, Trump said Tuesday night. But multiple studies have debunked the theory that sanctuary city policies drive crime. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. The leader of the Media Coalition Against Illegal Mining, Ken Ashigbey has slammed the government for failing to devise stringent measures to ensure the safety of the over 300 excavators that were seized by operatives of Operation Vanguard. Speaking to Citi News Umaru Sanda Amadu on Wednesday, Mr. Ashigbey wondered whether these seized excavators which were reportedly carted to designated areas for safekeeping were monitored by police officers. His comments come in the wake of the arrest of some individuals over some missing excavators and other seized equipment from illegal miners in the country. Mr. Ashigbey indicated that these excavators would not have gone missing if the government had put in place the necessary measures to ensure their safety. He further questioned whether the remaining excavators were being closely monitored by police officers. The challenge is that, are they [excavators] under the control of the Police. If they are not under the control of the Police then it is flouting the 2006 Minerals and Mining Act because it is very specific and as a country of Rule and Law we should not allow people to do things anyhow. And I am pretty sure the framers of the law recognise the fact that under the Police care, the security of it will be more guaranteed than currently the way we are doing it. How secure is this location and who is controlling the space? The interesting thing is that if you look at the road map that the interministerial [committee] brought to bring back small scale mining, it talked about registering these excavators. It talked about tagging them and tracking them and the question you want to ask is is that if that were happening then definitely we would not have had the incident where the Minister agrees that some of the excavators are lost. How did the excavators get missing It will be recalled that, at the peak of the fight against illegal mining between 2017 and 2018, about five hundred earth-moving machines were seized by the Lands and Natural Resources Ministry. The then sector Minister, John Peter Amewu who sanctioned the seizure directed them to be parked at the premises of the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs). Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation and also Chairperson for the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), disclosed recently that most of the excavators that were seized from illegal miners had vanished. The Concerned Small Scale Miners Association subsequently told the Minister that they knew where the missing excavators were. A former First Vice Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party in the Central Region, Horace Ekow Ewusi and five others were subsequently arrested over the missing excavators. Ekow Ewusi was contracted by the government to cart excavators and other vehicles and pieces of equipment seized by Operation Vanguard to designated areas for safekeeping. Horace's involvement and arrest The Minister for Environment, Science, Technology & Innovation and also the Chairperson for the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof. Frimpong-Boateng had earlier wrote a letter to the Police CID to investigate Horace Ekow Ewusi over his alleged involvement in the missing earth-moving equipment. We have received information that he sent an unknown number of equipment to unauthorised locations, including one in Tema. This one was confirmed by the caretaker of the depot in Tema, the Minister added in the letter addressed to the CID. This comes on the back of the expose by investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas on Charles Bissue, a former Secretary to the IMCIM. Charles Bissue stepped down from the position after he was seen in a video documentary allegedly collecting bribes to facilitate the issuance of mining licences. Although he has been cleared of any wrongdoing by the police, he is still being investigated by the Office of the Special Prosecutor. citinewsroom Immigration, prohibition, and the development of an American musical style inform Symphoria programming this month. The Feb. 15 Masterworks concert looks back to the first half of the century when a wave of 12-million immigrants entered the United States through Ellis Island. Music Director Lawrence Loh will conduct Peter Boyers 2001 multi-media production that combines dramatic readings, historic film, and orchestral music in Ellis Island: The Dream of America. The large concert work will showcase Symphorias professional musicians alongside student actors from Syracuse Stage directed by Robert Hupp. The actors will perform texts from the Ellis Island Oral History Project, telling specific immigration stories. Im so proud of our organizations for collaborating on the presentation of this important work, Loh says. In program notes for the concert, Peter Rabinowitz explains the video-enhanced work is the response of creator Boyer (born in 1970) to the stories of those immigrants. Boyer conducted extensive historical research to cull, from the oral history project comprised of the stories of two thousand new Americans, a representative group that captures the essence of their experiences. Only after he had developed the text did he compose the music. The stories Boyer chose span a period from 1908 to 1940 and represent people from Poland, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Belgium, Ireland and Russia. The story cycle ends with the stirring words of Emma Lazarus, The New Colossus. The Feb. 15 program will open with Igor Stravinskys World War II-era orchestration of The Star Spangled Banner, which he offered as a gift to his adopted country. Cellist Julian Schwarz, a returning Symphoria guest soloist, joins the orchestra to perform English composer Edward Elgars Concerto for Violincello in E minor. Students from the Syracuse University Drama Department who will do dramatic readings during "Ellis Island: The Dream of America" Feb. 15 are, from left, Kevin Morrison, Thomas Montgomery, Damon Williams, Isaiah Brooks, Giuliana Augello, and Sara Vaccaro. Photo courtesy of Brenna Merritt. I am filled with gratitude to perform again with this incredible orchestra, a group that has believed in and supported me since I was a young performer, Schwarz says. I will never forget my experiences traveling across Western New York with my friends in the (Syracuse Symphony) orchestranow thats more ten years ago. From celebrating at the Cherry Lounge in Jamestown, to exploring the winter wonderland of Lake Placid, I have so many lasting memories of my travels and performances with this great group of musicians. Saying he has graduated from regional tours to a performance at Crouse-Hinds Theater, Schwarz adds, Im thrilled to perform with the remarkable Larry Loh. My first time working with him I felt an instant, musical connection. Now, he is trusting me with one of the all-time great masterworks for cello and orchestra. I hope to perform well enough to deserve my post-concert Dinosaur BBQ rack of ribs. Schwarz, who performed the Elgar for the first time in 2010, says This marks my 10th anniversary with the work. It continues to fascinate me in its narrative, emotional power. As it is Elgars last substantial work, I cant help but channel an autumnal expression. When he brings back the opening phrases at the conclusion of the piece, it is hard not to get chills. Beyond The Stage Young musicians in the Symphoria Youth Orchestras will be treated to a masterclass with Schwarz in a public event at Inspiration Hall on James street Feb. 15 at 11 a.m. When he appeared with Symphoria in 2017, the Juilliard School-trained musician took a seat in the cello section after intermission and played the rest of the concert with the local artists. Symphoria musicians will join with InterFaith Works Feb. 14 for a breakfast dialogue featuring InterFaith Works Spirit of America and members of the orchestra who have immigrated to the United States. The light breakfast is free at the Atrium at City Hall from 7:45 to 9:30 a.m. Spark: Prohibition Feb. 21 Music from the Roaring 20s, light refreshments, and an open bar are on the program Feb. 21, when Symphoria musicians perform at the Greater Syracuse Sound Stage, 24 Aspen Park Blvd. Gershwins An American in Paris, Carmichaels Stardust, and selections from the musical Chicago will create the mood of Americas experiment with prohibition. Kids Series Feb. 8 Families will hear the music of Leonard Bernstein and his contemporaries in the Feb. 8 performance of Bernsteins World at Inspiration Hall. Starting at 10 a.m., prior to the concert, which begins at 10:30 a.m., children are invited backstage to explore and try to play a variety of musical instruments in a petting zoo. Katherine Kilburn will be the guest conductor. During Bernsteins music, she will point out different styles of orchestration and show how sections of the orchestra are highlighted. As in all Symphoria concerts, those under 18 are free with ticketed adults. Children are encouraged to wear Valentine-themed clothing for a parade through the concert hall. Tickets for all concerts are available by calling 315-299-5598 or online at experiencesymphoria.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the door. 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. It's all anyone can talk about, but I still don't want to jinx it. Can you imagine what people would say if it didn'tAh. Almost said too much. Senate Bill 115, the Cannabis Regulation Act, took its first step toward reality last week when it successfully passed through the Senate Public Affairs Committee in a 4-3 vote. It's not quite the landslide we were hoping for, but it will do. The vote followed party lines, which is concerning. According to the Albuquerque Journal, opponents are worried about employers' rights to maintain drug-free workplaces, youth access, crime and drugged driving. President and CEO of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce Terri Cole said that we need technology that can determine intoxication levels for drivers before we can even begin talking about legalization. The technology simply doesnt exist, he said. This creates serious challenges. Of course, that means he wasn't really looking too hard for answers since a California company announced earlier this month that it would be putting its THC breathalyzer on the market by mid-2020. This isn't a complete surprise either. The company, Hound Labs, announced they were developing the device back in the summer of 2018. These concerns also conveniently ignore the very obvious reality to anyone living in New Mexico: Illegal cannabis is easy to come by in a state that has already decriminalized possession of the drug. All of these projected issues already exist under the current laws. At this point, legalization is the only way to regulate an untameable black market. Sen. Jacob Candelaria introduced the bill to the committee. We know that New Mexicans across the state, from rural to urban centers, are with us on this issue, he said. The criminalization of cannabis disproportionately harms and criminalizes young people and people of color, sponsors violence and corruption by those who currently exclusively trade in cannabis in the black market. The current situation, our status quo that relies on a black market outside of the medical program, does nothing to curb youth access to cannabis. Under the proposed bill, private citizens over 21 will be able to possess and purchase cannabis from licensed retailers but won't be allowed to grow it at home. An excise tax of nine percent would be placed on all recreational sales. Cities and municipalities would be given the option of adding their own local taxes (not to exceed four percent) on top of that. To help medical cannabis patients, the gross sales tax on medical cannabis products would be removed and a medical cannabis subsidy program would be instated to provide subsidies to qualified low-income patients. The state's Department of Health would monitor public health statistics as they become available, and the Secretary of Health would be required to appoint a public health and safety advisory committee. While the first obstacle for the bill has been cleared, it still has to pass in two other panelsJudiciary and Financebefore it gets a vote on the Senate floor. It's unclear if Senate Republicans will let the bill through, but Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is still loudly supporting it. In a tweet last week, she celebrated the bill's first milestone. SB 115, legalizing recreational adult-use cannabis, successfully passes out of its first committee! she wrote (note the exclamation point). Recreational cannabis will be the next frontier of our economic expansion, creating 11,000 jobs across New Mexico & true economic potential for every part of the state. The sentiment was reassuring until I read some of the bizarrely uninformed comments below the tweet: And how many kids will end up in hospitals, homelessness to skyrocket far higher than current numbers. [sic] Did you factor in the costs for the increase of impaired driving, drug overdoses, black market crime, and the brain development of our youth. [sic] As if we don't already have enough idiots here, weed for everyone! [sic] For the future of our speciesand our own sanitywe must hope that these were written by trolls or sock puppets or Russian bots or people being forced to tweet at gunpoint. Else, all hope is lost. Hemp Goes for Rebound After a rough first year, the New Mexico hemp industry is reportedly ready to plow ahead. According to the Santa Fe Reporter, the new crop confounded some New Mexico farmers during its first year of legal production. The new market reportedly attracted both wide-eyed, inexperienced farmers and crooked master growers willing to sell bad products. This led to some farmers buying feminized seeds and growing undesired male plants. Many inexperienced farmers also had trouble choosing the right strains to grow in a desert environment. The amount of plants with too much THC (making them marijuana rather than hemp) was relatively low. The state destroyed 3,927 plants and 52.47 acres of plants that were found to have exceeded the THC threshold. From over 400 licenses, the Department of Agriculture issued destruction notices for 34 samples. Despite past problems, experts still say the hemp market is set to improve drastically this year. Retail markets for CBD and CBG are doing well, and farmers are expected to do better this yearnow that they've got some experience under their belts. Judge Murguia admitted to the misconduct and apologized. The order did not make public crucial pieces of information, like when the complaint against Judge Murguia was filed, when the misconduct occurred or what corrective actions had been taken in response to the councils findings. Officials said those details were confidential. The lawmakers letter asked federal court officials when or if more details about Judge Murguias misconduct would be disclosed and what policies had been put into place to prevent it from happening again, among other questions. Secrecy enables workplace harassment and undermines the integrity of the judiciary, the lawmakers said in the letter. Partial transparency, however, is never enough. We hope there will be a frank examination of the adequacy of the steps taken to address what the 10th Circuit has documented as Judge Murguias misconduct and what further actions are needed to ensure that the judicial branch provides a safe workplace for all of its employees. Lawmakers plan to hold a hearing next week on the court systems protections against harassment, discrimination and other types of misconduct. Judge Murguia could not immediately be reached for comment. A judiciary spokesman said on Thursday that the 10th Circuits September decision is not the final step in the process. Former Birmingham Police Lt. Pete Williston was found guilty Wednesday of first degree rape of his stepdaughter when she was a teen. The jury deliberated about 30 minutes Wednesday afternoon before announcing the verdict. Williston, who had been out on bond pending trial, was immediately taken into custody after the verdict. Sentencing has been set for April 3 at 10:30 a.m. before Jefferson County Circuit Judge Stephen Wallace. Jury selection in the trial began Monday and testimony began Tuesday. Williston and his stepdaughter were among the four witnesses who testified during the trial. The jury did their job. We did the best we could but it was a difficult case to try, said Willistons attorney, Scott Morro. We respect the jurys decision and well go from here. Morro said he plans to appeal the verdict and will file a motion asking that Williston be granted bond pending appeal. The prosecution successfully argued that it met the criteria of forcible compulsion, saying that as a father-figure that led to the implication that the sex was forced. The defense argued that the stepdaughter was 16 years old at the time so the sex was consensual. But prosecutors and the stepdaughter said she was 14-years-old and couldnt consent to sexual intercourse at that age. The stepdaughter is now a 26-year-old mother of three. She testified Williston engaged in multiple sex acts with her usually two to three times a week from 2008 through 2011. WUHAN, Feb. 6 -- On Monday evening a transport support team of the People's Liberation Army assumed a new mission of transporting supplies for the building of three makeshift hospitals in Wuhan, the epicenter of coronavirus outbreak. On February 3, local authority decided to build three makeshift hospitals in Hongshan Gymnasium, Wuhan Parlor convention center, and Wuhan International Conference& Exhibition Center to admit patients with mild symptoms, in a bid to accelerate the ward turnover rate and facilitate the triage of the infected. Thousands of new beds will be added to the three new makeshift hospitals. But for a city faced with inadequate transportation, it is quite a test to have all the beds and other supplies ready within short time. At the request of the Wuhan Epidemic Prevention and Control Headquarters, the PLAs transportation support team undertook the transport mission and mobilized 50 vehicles to load materials on Monday evening. Officers and soldiers of the team, having just finished transporting living supplies to outlets in Wuhan during the daytime on Monday, engaged in the new mission with little rest. Senior Colonel Jiang Zuquan, chief of the PLA transportation support team, said that upon receiving the order, officers and soldiers have been racing against time with tenacity, determining to help curb the spread of the epidemic in Wuhan. It is known that the three makeshift hospitals can accommodate 800, 2,000 and 1,000 beds respectively and the patients admitted will be treated with light weight instrument and medication. MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine foreign secretary warned Thursday that abrogating a security accord with Washington would undermine his countrys security and foster aggression in the disputed South China Sea. The warning came after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened last month to give notice to the U.S. to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement, which allows American forces to train in the Philippines, if the reported cancellation of the visa of his political ally, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, was not corrected within a month. Im warning you ... if you wont do the correction on this, I will terminate the ... Visiting Forces Agreement. Ill end that son of a bitch, the brash-speaking Duterte said in a Jan. 23 speech. Dela Rosa served as Dutertes first national police chief and enforcer of the presidents deadly anti-drugs crackdown in 2016. Thousands of mostly poor suspects have been killed under the campaign, alarming the U.S. and other Western governments and human rights watchdogs. Dela Rosa and later Duterte have said Dela Rosas visa was cancelled, but U.S. officials have not addressed the matter. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. used a televised Senate hearing to enumerate what he described as crucial security, trade and economic benefits the accord provides. The U.S. is a longtime treaty ally, a major trading partner and the largest development aid provider to the Philippines. While the Philippines has the prerogative to terminate the VFA anytime, the continuance of the agreement is deemed to be more beneficial to the Philippines compared to any predicates were it to be terminated, Locsin said. The accord, known by its acronym VFA, took effect in 1999 to provide legal cover for the entry of American forces to the Philippines for joint training with Filipino troops. A separate defence pact subsequently signed by the allies in 2014, the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement, allowed the extended stay of U.S. forces and authorized them to build and maintain barracks and warehouses and store defence equipment and weapons inside five designated Philippine military camps. Terminating the VFA would affect more than 300 joint trainings and other activities this year with U.S. forces which the Philippine military and law enforcement agencies need to enhance their capabilities in countering threats to national security, Locsin said. The U.S. provided more than $550 million in security assistance to the Philippines from 2016 to 2019, Locsin said, adding that there may be a chilling effect on our economic relations if the Philippines draws down its security alliance with Washington. American forces have provided intelligence, training and aid that allowed the Philippines to deal with human trafficking, cyberattacks, illegal narcotics and terrorism, Locsin said, citing how U.S. military assistance helped Filipino forces quell a disastrous siege by Islamic State group-aligned militants in southern Marawi city in 2017. U.S. military presence has also served as a deterrent to aggressive actions in the disputed South China Sea, Locsin said. China, the Philippines, Vietnam and three other governments have rival claims to the strategic waterway. Duterte first threatened to abrogate the VFA in late 2016 after a U.S. aid agency put on hold funds for anti-poverty projects in the Philippines. The 74-year-old leader, who has been harshly critical of U.S. policies while often praising China and Russia, has walked back on his public threats before. Aside from threatening to take down the VFA, Duterte has said would ban some U.S. senators from entering the Philippines. He apparently was referring to American senators who sought to ban unspecified Philippine officials from entering the U.S. for their role in the continued detention of Phillippines opposition Sen. Leila de Lima, a vocal critic of Dutertes deadly campaign against illegal drugs. Duterte has publicly accused de Lima of receiving money from drug traffickers and called for her detention. De Lima has dismissed the allegations as fabricated charges designed to muzzle dissent under Duterte. Duterte has also barred his Cabinet officials from travelling to the U.S. and turned down an invitation by President Donald Trump to join a special meeting the U.S. leader will host for leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in March in Las Vegas, according to presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo. Ms. Sanchez was making abstractions with blocky passages of color and interconnected geometric lines and shapes. An untitled work from 1958 looks like a rendering of a complex system floating in oceanic turquoise space. As in so many other places, this kind of gestural painting had become the new Cuban avant-garde; Los Once (The Eleven), the countrys first abstract artists group, debuted the same year as Ms. Sanchezs inaugural solo show, and her work was often exhibited with theirs. The 1950s were also her most expressly political years, as she participated in protest exhibitions against the dictator Fulgencio Batista. The situation changed when Fidel Castro seized power on New Years Day 1959. Ms. Sanchez hasnt said that she left because of the revolution, but already by the end of that first year, Communist Party officials were expressing doubts about the expediency of abstract art to further their cause. The homophobia of the party, and of Cuban society in general, also made it difficult for her as a queer woman making work that would go on to address lesbian desire. Ms. Sanchez moved to New York City in 1960. She would remain a citizen of Cuba but never live there again. New York in the 60s was a modern art mecca, yet it was an unwelcoming place for Ms. Sanchez, who didnt speak the language and didnt identify with the cold, impersonal style of Minimalism, despite its visual connections to her work. She found an expatriate social circle and took printmaking classes, while also holding down a series of day jobs. Most important, though, she was developing her relief paintings, or structures, as she then called them, the idea for which came to her when her father died several years before. The sheet from his bed had been hung out to dry, and she had seen it flapping in the wind and hitting a pipe or tube, creating a haunting, indelible image. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riska Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 17:23 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063000eb 1 Business bank-indonesia,perry-warjiyo,capital-injection,capital-outflow,financial-market,stock-market,liquidity,coronavirus Free Bank Indonesia (BI) has injected about Rp 25 trillion (US$1.82 billion) into the countrys financial markets as investors sell off assets over fears that the rapidly spreading coronavirus will hurt the global economy. BI Governor Perry Warjiyo said on Wednesday that the central bank had been buying government bonds in the market to stabilize prices and liquidity as the coronavirus scared off foreign investors. Do you know how many bonds we have bought from the government with the heavy capital inflow this year? The figure is close to Rp 25 trillion, Perry said during his remarks at the Mandiri Investment Forum in Jakarta. He said the disturbance the virus was causing was not only happening in the spot market but also in the domestic non-deliverable forwards (DNDF) market. Foreign investors dumped Indonesian stocks on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX), recording a Rp 2.07 trillion net selloff in the regular market as of Thursday afternoon. In addition to applying monetary policies, the central bank is cooperating with the government to maintain market stability. We are working closely with the Finance Ministry to stabilize the market and prevent the short-term impact of the coronavirus, he said. Factories are closing, and some workers have been told to work from home as the coronavirus outbreak impairs Chinese cities. As of Thursday morning, 563 had died from the illness with 28,256 cases having been reported. The virus is believed to have originated in Wuhan. (ydp) Read about all of the presidential candidates positions on education issues in our 2020 tracker. Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer released an education plan Thursday that calls for tripling federal funding for high-poverty schools, providing universal preschool, and using federal incentives to raise teacher pay. The billionaire philanthropist also sets an ambitious goal of cutting the dropout rate in half by the end of his first term by establishing a federal task force and requiring states to adopt dropout reduction plans. (Graduation rates are already part of states accountability plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act.) The plan, which Steyer says would be funded by a rollback of unnecessary Trump-era increases in defense spending, is light on details in some areas and offers some overlap on policies released by other candidates in areas like increased federal spending and new limits on charter schools. But it does include some unusual elements. For example: Steyer proposes a national initiative to improve early reading, including support for teachers in scientifically backed methods for reading instruction , which is a hot topic in education circles. The smartest investment we as a society can make is in our people, and my plan will improve the quality of education every student receives regardless of zip code, Steyer said in a statement. Our collective prosperity is at stake here, but this is about more than just the economy its also about the kind of society we want to live in. A robust democracy and a fair society demand that we act with urgency to fulfill the lost promise of our schools. Steyers plan includes a range of promises, including pledges that his administration will: Triple Title I funding for schools with large enrollments of students from low-income households. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg have all made the same promise. And Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has pledged to quadruple the funding. funding for schools with large enrollments of students from low-income households. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, former Vice President Joe Biden, and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg have all made the same promise. And Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has pledged to quadruple the funding. Fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Several other candidates have pledged to expand funding to help schools meet the mandates of the federal special education law. More about that here. Several other candidates have pledged to expand funding to help schools meet the mandates of the federal special education law. More about that here. Halt charter school expansion by banning for-profit charter schools and freezing federal funding for new charter schools. This matches similar pledges by Sanders and Warren and comes as the party wrestles with its position on charters. by banning for-profit charter schools and freezing federal funding for new charter schools. This matches similar pledges by Sanders and Warren and comes as the party wrestles with its position on charters. Improve school infrastructure by providing $100 billion in new federal funds over 10 years. by providing $100 billion in new federal funds over 10 years. Raise teacher pay by matching every new dollar states and districts spend to raise educator salaries with federal funds on a 2-to-1 ratio. The plan also promises to forgive teachers student debt after 10 years of teaching and to reform the existing public service loan forgiveness program. by matching every new dollar states and districts spend to raise educator salaries with federal funds on a 2-to-1 ratio. The plan also promises to forgive teachers student debt after 10 years of teaching and to reform the existing public service loan forgiveness program. I ncrease Title II funding by an unspecified amount to boost teacher professional development in areas like trauma-informed education. funding by an unspecified amount to boost teacher professional development in areas like trauma-informed education. Provide universal preschool. The plan offers few details on this ambitious proposal, and doesnt specify if it would be a federal program or if it would be accomplished through federal support for expansion of existing state and local pre-kindergarten programs. The plan offers few details on this ambitious proposal, and doesnt specify if it would be a federal program or if it would be accomplished through federal support for expansion of existing state and local pre-kindergarten programs. Promote school integration by providing federal funds for voluntary local efforts. Read Steyers full education plan here . Photo: Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer participates in a primary debate hosted by CNN and the New York Times at Otterbein University Oct. 15 in Westerville, Ohio. --John Minchillo/AP Follow us on Twitter @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Politics K-12 reporters @EvieBlad @Daarel and @AndrewUjifusa . Former Lagos state.governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola has revealed how terrorists were nip in the bud while trying to bomb Lagos in 2013. Speaking while delivering a lecture titled Insecurity: Taking actions against organised crime at the fourth annual public lecture of the United Action for Change (UAC) held in Lagos, Fashola revealed citizens were the ones who gave government the information at the time before going on to enlighten the audience that safety is not the jobs of the security agencies alone. Let me be clear that this is the duty of the citizen and it starts with all of us being interested in our own wellbeing and security. It involves not only careful choices about lifestyle which will prevent us from being attractive as victims to criminals. It requires us to show more interest in what/who is around us and to pay more attention to unusual things. Read Also: Former Governor Fashola Backs Sanwo-Olu On Okada Ban It also requires courage, a lot of it, to be able to share information no matter how innocuous, with law enforcement, to enable them keep us safe. There is no magic to Intelligence gathering, it is rooted in civic responsibility. One institution of civic participation that we must revive, reform and reuse is the Residents/Landlord Association. We need them very quickly. Know your neighbour is a critical first line of defence against any criminal activity and in particular against organised crime. It helps to occupy the space of anonymity in which all criminals thrive and provides information or suspicion about irregular or abnormal behaviour that requires attention, said Fashola. Expressing your emotions while grieving may be better for your health. [Photo: Getty] We are often told to stay strong after a loved one passes. While maintaining composure in the face of adversity may sound like a good advice, research suggests bottling up your emotions could be bad for your health. Scientists from Rice University in Houston looked at 99 people who had recently lost their spouse. The team found those who suppressed their emotions had higher markers of inflammation in their blood. READ MORE: Stiff upper lip mentality may drive loneliness in elderly men Inflammation has been linked to everything from heart disease to an impaired immune system. There has been work focused on the link between emotion regulation and health after romantic breakups, which shows that distracting oneself from thoughts of the loss may be helpful, study author Dr Christopher Fagundes said. However, the death of a spouse is a very different experience because neither person initiated the separation or can attempt to repair the relationship. These findings really highlight the importance of acknowledging one's emotions after the death of a spouse rather than bottling them up. READ MORE: What grief feels like on a bad day The participants completed a questionnaire that asked the extent to which they agreed with statements like, when I'm faced with a stressful situation, I make myself think about it in a way that helps me stay calm. Blood samples were collected to measure inflammatory markers. Results - published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine - revealed those who generally suppressed their emotions had significantly higher levels of the immune-fighting proteins interleukin, tumor necrosis factor and interferon-. All of these have been linked to inflammation. Bodily inflammation is linked to a host of negative health conditions, including serious cardiovascular issues like stroke and heart attack, Dr Fagundes said. READ MORE: Widowed mother shares advice: You are not required to smile for anyone The scientists hope their results will help those battling grief. Story continues The research suggests not all coping strategies are created equal, and some strategies can backfire and have harmful effects, especially in populations experiencing particularly intense emotions in the face of significant life stressors, such as losing a loved one, lead author Dr Richard Lopez said. The team plan to analyse people who manage to avoid considerable and prolonged physical and mental health problems six and 12 months after their spouse dies. While expressing your emotions may be beneficial initially, the scientists wonder if continuing to feel down in the long run could be a sign of a serious underlying issue. Get this newsletter in your inbox Monday-Friday by signing up at subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters. Top stories for Thursday, Feb. 6 Beth Nakamura/Staff MERCY CORPS: The Portland-based relief agency on Wednesday issued the results of an outside investigation into its mishandling of sexual abuse claims against one of its founders that concluded some of the international relief agencys leaders made missteps, mistakes in judgment and governance lapses" in their response to the complaints. The Mercy Corps board apologized to the woman who brought the claims, Tania Culver Humphrey, the co-founders daughter (shown with her father, Ellsworth Culver), and another executive resigned. The board ordered the inquiry last fall after The Oregonian/OregonLive published the findings of a 10-month investigation. (Beth Nakamura/Staff) CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK: An Intel technician and his wife are among the nearly 2,700 passengers and 1,045 crew quarantined on a cruise ship off Japan after 10 people aboard tested positive for coronavirus. In Portland, a Materials Show textile convention that was set for next week at the Oregon Convention Center has been postponed because of coronavirus fears - many of the suppliers are based in China. CHILD ABUSE: Oregons hard-to-use database on child abuse reports puts children at risk, according to a Secretary of State audit. Case workers who rely on it are forced to tunnel through a confusing array of screens and have no easy way to access all information at once about a specific child or parent, the review said. RADON FUNDS: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has pledged to seek a record amount of money from Congress to combat environmental hazards like radon gas. The commitment follows a November investigation by The Oregonian/OregonLive that showed many housing authorities are failing to test public housing for radon, the second-leading cause of lung cancer in America. JEREMY CHRISTIAN TRIAL: A Portland homicide detective testified Wednesday that double-murder defendant Jeremy Christian said of his stabbing victims, Its only because they decided to get violent with me that they signed their own death warrant, and I couldnt feel one bit sorry or remorseful about that. 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. SAUDI FUGITIVES: Shane Dixon Kavanaugh, a reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive, was named Wednesday one of six finalists for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting. Kavanaughs investigation of Saudi citizens fleeing the U.S. criminal justice system, presumably with help from Saudi Arabia, resulted in a new federal law requiring declassification of records related to the pattern. STREET PARKING: Portland wants to pay the vendors that operate its paid street parking meters an additional $16.1 million over the next five years to retrofit nearly 2,000 meters and, potentially, add hundreds more stations in new parking districts. Snap of the day READY AND WAITING: Its been nearly a quarter-century since Oregon put anyone to death, but the Oregon Department of Corrections execution chamber remains ready. The department allowed an Oregonian/OregonLive reporter and photographer to see the chamber on a recent visit to the Oregon State Penitentiary. The news organization requested a tour in light of a law passed last year that represents the first major legislative restriction to Oregons death penalty since 1984, when voters amended the constitution to include capital punishment. (Beth Nakamura/Staff) More news Man dead after 2-vehicle crash near Beaverton Portland Streetcar leader: We need more cars to cut travel times, expand service Portland will appeal judges ruling to learn how much is an excessive public records fee Oregon woman firefighter forced to share room with men, then belittled, lawsuit claims Excessive force suit filed against Springfield police officer whose credibility was questioned in two 2018 arrests Man found dead in crashed car was shot to death, Keizer police say Camas principal who suggested Kobe Bryant deserved to die put on leave Multnomah County awarded $2 million grant to reduce its jail population, improve pre-trial services Find more at oregonlive.com Weather and traffic A rainy morning. High 55, low 48. In Sherwood, Southwest Elwert and Haide roads near the site of the new Sherwood high school are closed through April 1. Get the latest forecast at oregonlive.com/weather Stay up to date on traffic conditions at oregonlive.com/commuting Advice Ask Amy: Choice to acknowledge baby granddaughter could end relationship with son Dear Abby: Now on his second divorce, mans thoughts return to first wife Dear Annie: How do I tell a fellow softball player that she has awful underarm odor? Find more, including today's horoscope, at oregonlive.com Todays comics Click here to see today's comics Todays obituaries Click here to find area deaths reported recently Today in history In 1778: During the American Revolutionary War, the United States won official recognition and military support from France with the signing of a Treaty of Alliance in Paris. In 1952: Britains King George VI, 56, died at Sandringham House in Norfolk, England; he was succeeded as monarch by his 25-year-old elder daughter, who became Queen Elizabeth II. In 1996: A warm Pineapple Express jetstream triggered days of flooding throughout Oregons Willamette Valley that ultimately killed eight people and destroyed countless homes and businesses. Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. The most-anticipated event of awards season is nearly upon us, which means it is officially time to start preparing for your Oscars viewing party. On Sunday, the 92nd Academy Awards will take place in the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California, where stars will grace the red carpet before taking their seats to find out which films have been named winners. While most aspects of Oscars night are extravagantly priced - from the jewels to the gowns - there is one luxury that viewers at home can easily enjoy and afford, the champagne. This year, like the past five years, Oscars attendees will be offered unlimited glasses of Piper-Heidsieck champagne - the sole champagne served during the Academy Awards. And, according to Aidy Smith, wine columnist for The Independent and TV presenter of Amazons The Three Drinkers, the bubbly is surprisingly good value. Oscars 2020 Best Picture contenders Show all 9 1 /9 Oscars 2020 Best Picture contenders Oscars 2020 Best Picture contenders The Irishman Robert De Niro stars in Martin Scorsese's gangster epic. Netflix Oscars 2020 Best Picture contenders Joker Joaquin Phoenix as the eponymous villain of Todd Phillips' psychological character study. Warner Brothers Entertainment/Fuji Film Oscars 2020 Best Picture contenders Little Women Saoirse Ronan and Timothee Chalamet in Greta Gerwig's Little Women. Sony Pictures Entertainment Oscars 2020 Best Picture contenders Marriage Story Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson play a couple getting a divorce in Noah Baumbach's film. Oscars 2020 Best Picture contenders Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Brad Pitt plays a stuntman in Quentin Tarantino's film. Andrew Cooper/Sony-Columbia Pictures via AP Oscars 2020 Best Picture contenders Le Mans '66 Matt Damon and Christian Bale star as Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles in James Mangold's racing drama. AP Oscars 2020 Best Picture contenders Parasite A shot from Bong Joon-ho's Parasite. CJ Entertainment Oscars 2020 Best Picture contenders Jojo Rabbit Taika Waititi's film has divided critics. Twentieth Century Fox Oscars 2020 Best Picture contenders 1917 Dean-Charles Chapman and George MacKay in Sam Mendes's First World War film. Ive attended my fair share of awards ceremonies and with the exception of a few, theres always a recurring theme - the wine is challenging, Smith said. However, he says this is not the case with the Oscars. Outside of the grower champagne world, theres few bubbles that for the price, resemble great quality - Piper-Heidsieck is one of them, he told us. What I love about this house is that they are open to the ways in which people enjoy their prized fizz and, in doing so, have pushed the boundaries of exploration when it comes to food and cocktails. According to Smith, despite a lengthy history, dating back to 1777, the champagne house manages to understand the modern era and how people of all walks of life like to enjoy a diverse range of drinks. A typical bottle of Piper-Heidsieck champagne retails for $49.99, while a magnum bottle costs roughly $109. If you want to live vicariously through Oscars attendees and keep your wallet happy, the champagne is a good place to start. This year, attendees will also be offered vegan options at the awards, before attending the Oscars Governors Ball, where it was announced 70 per cent of the menu will be plant-based. The Webb County Sheriffs Office held a remembrance ceremony to commemorate the 34th anniversary of the passing of Correctional Officer Jose Gerardo Curly Herrera. READ MORE: Results revealed from Laredo boil water notice investigation Herrera was fatally shot on February 3, 1986, by an inmate who was about to take to make a phone call. Herrera was taken to Laredo Mercy Hospital and then to Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, where he was pronounced dead a day later. The suspect was convicted of capital murder. We will always remember him for his bravery and determination to public safety, Cuellar said. I want to thank my friend District Attorney Isidro Chilo Alaniz for presenting a frame to me with Curlys uniform during the ceremony. READ MORE: Detox center planned for local homeless addicts This frame will be placed inside our Webb County Jail. The Herrera family continues to receive all the support and respect from our office and from our community as a whole. May God continue to bless them. This composite NASA satellite image shows the extreme low pressure front bringing Storm Ciara to the whole of the British Isles. Credit: Atlas Photo Archive/NASA The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for heavy snow and strong winds in Northern Ireland next week. Motorists have been advised to expect delays and disruption with the snow warning in place from 12am on Monday until midday on Tuesday. The Met Office has also warned of possible 'short term' loss of power. "Frequent and heavy snow showers will affect the region throughout Monday and at first on Tuesday." Snow showers will mainly be over high ground, the Met Office said, including slight accumulations of 1 to 3 cm above 150 metres and 5-10 cm above 300 metres. "Strong winds, gusting 50-60 mph, will lead to blizzard conditions at times and considerable drifting of lying snow. Frequent lightning strikes are also possible, perhaps leading to interruptions to power supplies." "Its likely that some coastal routes, sea fronts and coastal communities will be affected by spray or large waves," the statement added. "There could also be delays for high-sided vehicles on exposed routes and bridges." The snow will arrive in the wake of Storm Ciara, which is expected to bring gusts of up to 80mph from Saturday night through to Sunday, with a high tide increasing the risk of large waves. Heavy rain is expected overnight from Saturday and during the day on Sunday, with further disruption possible from fallen trees and power cuts. Friday will see "a slowly deteriorating picture" across Northern Ireland, with higher winds and an increased chance of rain. Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga with PM Modi (Image: Facebook/ @TajinderPalSinghBagga) This election, the BJP sprung a surprise, giving a ticket to a firebrand nationalist who many refer to as a social media troll. Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga will be contesting from Hari Nagar constituency in West Delhi, come February 8. Bagga, 34, who is extremely proactive on Twitter and wears his patriotism on his sleeve, is possibly the youngest BJP candidate from Delhi. He was made BJP spokesperson in 2017. He had first come to limelight for attacking lawyer-activist and then AAP member Prashant Bhushan for his views on Kashmir. A resident of Delhi, he had even defied (in spirit, if not in letter) a Supreme Court order to ban the sale of firecrackers in 2017 when the national capital was reeling with toxic air quality. I will distribute crackers among children living in Subhash Nagar and Khajan Basti tomorrow. After all, Diwali is a festival children wait for the entire year to burst crackers and enjoy, Bagga had said. In an exclusive interview with Moneycontrol, he opened up about various issues ahead of the all-important Capital contest: When asked about what he would like to do for Hari Nagar constituency, if voted to power, Bagga said, I wanted to do something different. We decided that Hari Nagar will be Delhis first constituency to have its own manifesto. Pollution is the biggest issue facing Delhi. Gautam Gambhir (BJP MP from East Delhi) has set up a smog tower in Lajpat Nagar, and the AQI level reduced from 500-600 to 70-80. Our first promise is that we set up a smog tower in Hari Nagar within the first 60 days and make it pollution free, Bagga asserted. Other promises include proper waste disposal, better roads (gaddha-mukt vidhan sabha), better street-lighting in the constituency and security for women, which includes self-defence for girls. When the BJP released the first list of candidates for the Delhi election, Baggas name had not featured in it, which had led to him being trolled massively on Twitter. We asked him about reports that he wanted to contest from Tilak Nagar, but was given a ticket from Hari Nagar instead: The party takes a decision on who should get a ticket from which constituency. I respect the partys decision. And even if I had not gotten a ticket, I would still be working the same way that I have been, he said. On asking him about his growth trajectory from a social media influencer to a potential representative of the public, Bagga said he never intended to be an influencer and that people follow him on social media because of his work. I have been an active member of the BJP for the last 18 years. I am 34 years old now, and have held some or the other post in the party. I joined the BJP when I was 16 and started working at the block level. In 2007, I became the youngest national member of the BJP Youth. When I was made the spokesperson in 2017, I was the youngest spokesperson in Delhi BJP. So its not that I am just a social media influencer, social media is a tool that we use to tell the people about our work, Bagga said. The young leader, who is going to be contesting from a Sikh-dominated constituency, said theres more to him than social media. Bagga told Moneycontrol, For instance, when the NIT incident happened in Kashmir, the Tiranga was snatched away from students, I took 200 of my people to Kashmir. We were apprehended in Jammu, but we wore a disguise and went again from Amritsar, reached NIT Srinagar and unfurled the Tiranga. Not only this, Bagga has staged sit-ins and hunger strikes for an inquiry into the 1984 riots as well as for womens issues, including reducing the age of a juvenile vis-a-vis the Nirbhaya case, and getting acid attacks on women under the ambit of serious crimes. When asked about the ongoing anti-Citizenship Act protests at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, Bagga said: Whatever is happening in Shaheen Bagh, everyone knows its a paid protest. The people are being mobilised by distributing Rs 500 each, and are being tempted by biryani (500 rupay dekar aur biryani ke lalach se bheed bulaayi jaa rhe hai). He expressed his ire at the slogans he claims are being raised there Jinnah waali azaadi, Free Kashmir, cutting of Assam from India, what Sharjeel Imam said. Shaheen Bagh is a hotbed of anti-national activities (desh-droh ka adda ban gaya hai). People are talking about dividing India over there. There are reports from the IB that these people are being funded by PFI, Bagga said. Reiterating Home Minister Amit Shahs words that CAA will not be withdrawn at any cost, Bagga said, If people think that by creating undue pressure, theyll make the government bow down to their demands, then they are wrong. On being asked what the BJP dispensation will do differently if it comes to powers, Bagga told Moneycontrol, We will take action against every person who is raising slogans against the country within 24 hours be it Kanhaiya, Sharjeel Imam or anybody else. Bagga has also been part of an outfit called the Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena, which describes itself as a task force against traitors, anti-nationals and corrupts (sic). His organisation has claimed responsibility for attacking Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, as well as defacing the walls around Pakistan High Commission by putting up posters demanding freedom from Balochistan. We asked him his views on the Tukde Tukde Gang (TTG). He said: TTG is that which talks about breaking/dividing India; TTG is that which says Assam be cut off from India; TTG is that which says Bharat tere tukde honge, Inshallah Inshallah. People who say 26/11 Mumbai terror attack convict Ajmal Kasab was innocent and that he should not have been hanged; people who say that there should be a referendum in Kashmir, belong to the TTG. These are all urban Naxals. On being asked about his unapologetic social media posts, which has led to his critics and the Opposition branding him as a troll, Bagga said: I dont care what the Opposition says to me. The opposition hurls abuses at you only when the work done by you hurts them. Or, you are exposing them. This is the same opposition which has called PM Modi maut ka saudagar, cockroach, naali ka keeda, gadha. Compared to that, I have not been called any names. So, I dont care. The more they call me names, the stronger I get. A story published by The Indian Express has claimed that his incendiary posts have been removed so as to cleanse his Twitter timeline. Tajinder Singh Bagga will be contesting from the Hari Nagar seat against AAPs Rajkumari Dhillon and Congress Surinder Setia. They confirmed their romance on Monday after sharing several kisses during a shopping outing in New York City. And three days later, Zendaya and her Euphoria co-star Jacob Elordi enjoyed another couple outing in the Big Apple. The actress, 23, bundled up in an olive coat for a morning coffee run with the actor, 22, on Thursday. Love birds: Zendaya and her Euphoria co-star Jacob Elordi enjoyed another couple outing in the Big Apple on Thursday The former Disney star looked effortlessly stylish in a calf-length dark green winter coat, adding camouflage patterned sweats. The gorgeous star, who held a small iced coffee, hit the pavement in brown boots with her long brunette tresses loose around her. Zendaya chose to go makeup free, revealing her flawless complexion and her natural beauty. Jacob donned black jeans with a black top layered over a white one; the handsome Australian-born actor stayed warm in a cream colored coat with white sneakers, crossbody bag and small framed sunglasses to round out his look. Lovebirds: The actress, 23, bundled up in an olive coat for a morning coffee run with the actor, 22 on Thursday Jacob held on to a plastic bag, a bottle of water and his smart phone. They both attended The Launch of Solar Dream hosted by Fendi in New City - although they attended it separately and did not pose together at the event. On Monday, the actors confirmed their romance with a sweet kiss; they locked lips while enjoying matcha beverages with a bit of shopping. The duo picked up their iced drinks before taking a few selfies on the actress' phone; soon after, the twosome sat down and chatted. He still rocked the gold polish on his nails - which he showed off at the American Australian Association dinner last Thursday in New York City. The good-looking duo were see chatting and staying close together at last week's dinner event at Skylight Modern. Keeping it low key: They both attended The Launch of Solar Dream hosted by Fendi in New City - although they attended it separately and did not pose together at the event; seen on Wednesday night Happy couple: On Monday, the actors confirmed their romance with a sweet kiss; they locked lips while enjoying matcha beverages with a bit of shopping; pictured Monday in Soho Beaming: The duo picked up their iced drinks before taking a few selfies on the actress' phone; soon after, the twosome sat down and chatted; pictured Monday in NYC Jacob, who was born and raised in Queensland, Australia, was seen touching Zendaya's arm and standing over her table at the event, 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 and Jacob co-star on the HBO hit series Euphoria; Zendaya plays recovering addict Rue and Jacob plays conceited jock Nate. Very interesting: Jacob 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 Thursday: He still rocked the gold polish on his nails - which he showed off at the American Australian Association dinner on Thursday in New York City Here they are: The co-stars arrived to dinner afterwards at the Soho House at the same time, which took place four days prior Dating rumors began last summer after fans spotted them catching a train together in Sydney and then holding hands together weeks later. In September, Zendaya and Jacob were seen vacationing together in Greece; he also attended her 23rd birthday party. Jacob slammed the rumors in early December during an interview with GQ Australia; he insisted that they are friends, adding: '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 said in the magazine. Adding: '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.' A controlled explosion was carried out on a silver hatchback after reports of a "suspicious vehicle" that prompted a mass evacuation in Croydon. East Croydon station and a number of surrounding buildings, including office blocks, were cleared after Scotland Yard were called to the scene. Officers descended on Dingwall Road at around 8.46am, where there the silver Vauxhall Corsa was parked. Footage from the scene shows officers inspecting the car while a police robot was deployed for inspections. Police cordon East Croydon due to 'suspicious vehicle' It smashed a back window before a blast was detonated to the rear of the car. Witness Ricky Thompson described hearing two bangs and told the Standard: "There were two loud noises, the first being the robot breaking the back right window of the vehicle, the second being what we believe to be a controlled explosion from the rear of the vehicle." Describing the explosion as more audible than visible, he said: "It was mostly sound, followed by a small cloud of white smoke from the back of the vehicle "There was no visible damage to the vehicle from our viewpoint." Another office worker described hearing a blast as the explosion was carried out. A Scotland Yard spokesman said: Police were called at 08:46hrs on Thursday, 6 February to reports of a suspicious vehicle on Dingwall Road, Croydon. Officers, including specialist officers, attended and cordons were put in place. PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-06 13:04:03 As technologys footprint continues growing, marketing and creative professionals struggle to define its role in effective branding AMSTERDAM, Netherlands, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New research from Bynder , the global leader in digital asset management (DAM), reveals that although marketers recognize the acute need for technology, they struggle to balance productivity with creative excellence as capabilities evolve from conceptual possibilities into tangible applications. The 2020 State of Branding Report found that despite 3 in 4 marketers believing automation and artificial intelligence (AI) will affect branding, they remain divided as to whether they will harm or help in the long term. Fifty-six percent of respondents believe these capabilities will negatively impact their branding efforts in 2020, either by diminishing creativity, eliminating jobs or producing less brand differentiation. Twenty-four percent believe AI will have a positive impact, while 23 percent believe branding cannot be automated at all. In addition to uncertainty about the lasting consequences of todays investments, marketers also worry about a range of new challenges accompanying the rise of tech-enabled brandingincluding skills gaps, data overload and more. Although marketing and branding professionals are grappling with how new technologies will impact some aspects of their work, theyre not opposed to capitalizing on the early benefits of new solutionsmost notably in content creation. Under pressure to engage with audiences across more channels than ever, the State of Branding 2020 Report found that 58 percent of marketers plan to create at least 25 percent more content this year, relative to last yearleaning on technology to help them do it. Enabling more efficient content creation is considered the top benefit of automation in marketing, with 1 in 2 marketers planning to leverage technology to automate administrative tasks associated with content creation in 2020. Marketing organizations readily adopted technology for analytics, digital channels and other functions that clearly benefit from automation, observes Andrew Hally, SVP of Global Marketing at Bynder. The challenge ahead is to harness emerging technologies like AI to maintain creative excellence while satisfying business demand for growing volumes and faster delivery. What other trends, opportunities, and challenges are top of mind for marketers in 2020? Growing brand awareness is this years top concern: There are countless platforms, channels, and strategies to prioritize in the hopes of growing brand awareness. Users have more power than ever before, so figuring out the best way to gain mindshare with an audience is a top concern for this years respondents (43 percent). There are countless platforms, channels, and strategies to prioritize in the hopes of growing brand awareness. Users have more power than ever before, so figuring out the best way to gain mindshare with an audience is a top concern for this years respondents (43 percent). As the role of technology in branding evolves, the martech explosion will continue: As the martech industry continues to expand, two-thirds of marketers (68 percent) plan to increase the number of solutions they use this year, while only 10 percent intend to decrease. In addition to widespread confusion about who is responsible for implementation, the rise of tech-enabled marketing brings a new set of challengesmost notably a skills gap in the marketing team (21 percent), data overload (20 percent) and too many options to choose from (18 percent). As the martech industry continues to expand, two-thirds of marketers (68 percent) plan to increase the number of solutions they use this year, while only 10 percent intend to decrease. In addition to widespread confusion about who is responsible for implementation, the rise of tech-enabled marketing brings a new set of challengesmost notably a skills gap in the marketing team (21 percent), data overload (20 percent) and too many options to choose from (18 percent). The impact of enhanced infosecurity regulation is up in the air: When asked whether security and regulation are preventing marketing efforts from reaching their potential impact and audiences, respondents were split: 57 percent reported yes, while 43 percent said no. Overall, despite intensified focus and new regulation like the CCPA, violating consumer privacy remains low on the totem pole of marketer troubles, with only 11 percent citing this as their top concern in 2020. A full breakdown of marketing and branding insights, opportunities and challenges can be found in Bynders 2020 State of Branding Report. Conducted in partnership with an independent market research company, the report features insights from 500 marketing and branding professionals in the United States and 500 in the United Kingdom. The full report is now available for download here . About Bynder Bynder is the global leader in digital asset management (DAM), providing the most powerful and scalable SaaS solution for brand management. Recognized for its intuitive user experience, Bynder helps more than 500,000 brand managers at 1,500 organizations, including Spotify, Puma and Icelandair, to create, share and organize the full lifecycle of their digital content in the cloud. Founded in 2013, Bynder has since grown to over 350 employees in seven offices around the globe, including the Netherlands, USA, Spain, UK and UAE. The company is backed by Insight Partners. For more information, visit www.bynder.com . Media Contact LaunchSquad for Bynder bynder@launchsquad.com (617) 945-1915 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) Heart Evangelista just spent her day rescuing animals affected by the Taal Volcano eruption. In her latest Instagram posts, Heart showed photos of herself joining Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) on site to help the team in providing food and basic veterinary care to hungry and abandoned animals near Taal. The model-actress, who serves as spokesperson of the group, can be seen donning a loose volunteer shirt, a cap and an N95 mask while carrying and embracing stray dogs in the area. Dont worry little one, were all doing what we can to give all of you the love and care you need during this time, Heart said. Heart has been working with PAWS for 13 years, a non-profit organization which campaigns against animal cruelty and pet neglect. Apart from cash donations, PAWS is still in need of chicken feed, hog feed, grass or hay, fresh drinking water, and N95 masks for its rescue efforts for Taal-affected animals. Visit their website for more information. Harare, Zimbabwe (PANA) - Zimbabwes main opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has accused government of curtailing media freedoms through its hiking of licensing and content fees When Facebook launched Messenger Kids in December 2017, it struggled to endear the new app to the public. The day after its release, Jeremy Hunt, then the U.K.s health secretary, slammed Messenger Kids for actively targeting children ages 6 to 12. A month later, more than 100 child development researchers, organizations, and parents penned an open letter calling for Mark Zuckerberg to shut it down. While Facebook stressed that it had worked with parenting experts to develop the app, it was soon reported that Facebook funded most of them. Then, Facebook admitted last August that a design flaw allowed children to participate in group chats with unapproved strangers. Advertisement These scrapes left Facebook in a tough place, especially as its worked to present itself as a company on top of online safety post-Cambridge Analytica scandal. On Tuesday, Facebook seemed to respond to the concerns by announcing major changes to Messenger Kids that give parents more control over their childrens activities on the app. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As the first major messaging app aimed at children, Messenger Kids occupies a polarizing niche in the market. In the past, few internet companies allowed children to sign up for their services because of legal issues associated with the Childrens Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, or COPPA. With Messenger Kids, Facebook sidestepped this problem by having parents create accounts for their kids. Parents then monitor their kids activities through the Parent Dashboard of the main Facebook app. Advertisement Advertisement Before the update released Tuesday, parents preapproved all contacts, had the ability to block contacts, and were notified if their children blocked any contacts. The update gives parents even more opportunities to manage their childrens experience. Now, parents can view their childs recent contacts, images, and videos. They can log their child out of the app remotely and download a copy of their childs information, including all the messages theyve sent and received. (The child is notified of the latter.) The update also includes a new privacy policy and a short, age-appropriate explanation of online privacy that pops up on Messenger Kids. Priya Kumar, a researcher who studies the intersection of digital technology and parenting, thinks these changes are positive. They simply make the app safer for kids. Still, she said, its really important to emphasize though that controls are not a panacea. Its not that having more parental controls is going to solve any of the problems that arise from children and technology use. Advertisement Advertisement Those problems are twofold: privacy on the one hand, child development on the other. As public awareness around digital privacy grows, more people are concerned about data protection, especially for minors. While Facebook has emphasized that it doesnt use childrens data for advertising, it does share this information with third parties for the purpose of operating the service. Facebook says these service providers must adhere to strict confidentiality obligations, but we still dont know exactly who those third parties are or how theyre regulated. As Kumar pointed out, Facebook could be more transparent here. Advertisement Advertisement Most people, though, are more concerned about the impact of screen time on a childs development. Facebook has tried to present Messenger Kids as an app thats beneficial to parents and gives children the opportunity to learn digital literacy skills: something along the lines of, Well, if theyre gonna do it anyway (An adult member of Facebooks kids advisory board has actually compared the desire to shut down Messenger Kids to abstinence-only education.) But the opposing argument is that apps like Facebook Kids condition children as young as 6 years old to live on social mediaand that parents do have considerable control over their childrens smartphone and tablet use. Its not uncommon for parents to want to keep their kids locked away from these devices, or to avow the blessings of the screenless life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement While Kumar understands these fears about screen time, she emphasized that there are no easy answers when it comes to children and technology use, especially since we live in a world where its hard to escape digital technologies. Like a lot of aspects of parenting, these are choices that parents have to make for themselves and for their children, she said. For me, it comes back to parents asking themselves, What are your values? What kind of relationship do you have with technology? And what kind of relationship do you want your children to have with technology? And understanding that those answers can even be different if you have multiple children. But what about the demands on parents? The Messenger Kids parental control features might place an even greater burden on overworked parents to keep track of their kids behavior at all times, further entrenching the relationship between surveillance and parenting. Its not hard to imagine a parents eyes glued to the screen, scrolling through their childs messages one by one late into the night. This is why Kumar stresses the importance of dialogueand trustover closely monitoring your kids, especially as they grow older. Respecting childrens privacy is really important, and I think its easy to gloss over that, especially when you bring up things like safety and risk, she said. Fundamentally, since were dealing with many of the same questions around privacy and boundaries parents have long grappled with, theres no right answer, Kumar said. I hope that that can be a little freeing for parents. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Expectations of robust steel mill restocking have been tempered by demand fears that have knocked iron ore prices down by more than 10% since before the holiday, but big questions remain about ex-China supply factors such as risks to Brazilian production. Supply and stocks The wider iron ore stock situation is key here: Concerns about seaborne supply resume. Heavy rainfall and mining issues at Vale's operations in Brazil are another big risk to iron ore supply in the January-March 2020 period. Brazil shipped 26.73 million tonnes of iron ore in January, down by 19.3% year on year. Vale lowered its March-quarter sales guidance to 68-73 million tonnes from 70-75 million tonnes. 2 million tonnes might only amount to a days worth of trading in China, let alone the world. But with stocks still comparatively low at 131 million tonnes, down by 8 million tonnes from 2018, a further reduction in fresh tonnage is causing market jitters. In 2019, disruptions to Brazilian and Australian supply saw seaborne iron ore prices hit five-year highs and a further year of destocking usually a year of destocking (as in 2018) would be followed by two years of replenishment. Much of that supply returned - notably in the third quarter - but stocks of iron ore at Chinese ports are yet to revive as of Thursday February 6, after briefly falling further in January. Steel mills typically increase raw material buying before the Lunar New Year holiday while blast furnaces continue running during this period and mills prepare for consumer demand in the spring. The outbreak of the Wuhan novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) might also affect local ore production, which rose last year to partially offset the reduction in seaborne supply, and transportation from the ports to plants. Iron ore demand in China continues to reach new heights even as a rally in Chinese scrap supply is creating new competition to supply steel producers. Last year, iron ore demand in China rose by 5.3%, far below the growth in steel, but outside China it also increased and often in markets such as South Korea and Japan, where steel made primarily from scrap, declined. Iron ore demand was expected to be robust after the Lunar New Year holiday for seasonal reasons. Expectations have now been tempered by alleged voluntary production cuts by mills in light of anticipated weak demand downstream and a large revival in steel industry stocks both at producers and resellers, which was planned in advance of the outbreak. If suppliers fears are realized, and steel end users fail to return to the market, a drop in iron production and iron ore demand is inevitable. If demand is merely postponed, then the impact of short-term production cuts could cause 2016-style price spikes. Buyer sources said transportation restrictions were more severe in Shandong and Jiangsu provinces than in Northeast China. Demand for iron ore has been and is likely to be affected more by the cuts in steel production than transportation restrictions. Movie: Baaghi 3 Director: Ahmed Khan Release Date: March 6, 2020 Trailer Ratings: 3/5 Filmmaker Ahmed Khan is back with the third instalment of action franchise 'Baaghi 3'. The first part which released back in 2016 was helmed by Sabir Khan. Tiger Shroff is joined by Shraddha Kapoor, who has previously starred in the original. The makers have unveiled the 3 minute and 41 seconds long trailer of 'Baaghi 3' which promises to be an adrenaline-pumping actioner. Tiger Shroff fans must be jumping in joy, watching Ronnie (his character name) kick some butt and how! The backdrop this time is Syria and how his brother Riteish Deshmukh is held captive by the terrorists. The plot moves in and around this subject and Tiger's lone battle against the whole nation in saving his beloved brother. WATCH BAAGHI 3 TRAILER: But somehow watching an actor like Riteish play second fiddle to Tiger seems hard to digest, given the fact he could deliver a powerful performance. But it would be too early to guess what and how his role features in the movie. Shraddha is seen hurling abuses in her introductory scene which explains she is playing a bindaas, no-nonsense kind of a character. Television actress, who debuted in 'Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi', Ankita Lokhande is playing a supporting role. There's lots happening in the 'Baaghi 3' trailer but the problem is we have seen Tiger do all of this is 'Baaghi 2' and more recently in 'War'. Only this time, the scale is bigger and instead of one, there are many tankers and helicopters attacking him. The heroism is there loaded with full-blown action but it also reminds us of superstar Salman Khan's ''Tiger Zinda Hai'. So, in Tiger, we got our desi Rambo! To The Eagle: About 15 years ago, I met a fellow who was a retired school superintendent from Montana, visiting a mutual friend. During our conversation I asked him how tough it was to be a school superintendent. He said it was really pretty simple. He explained there is a huge database of information on schools nationwide. The data indicates that a school budget should be 80 percent for personnel and 20 percent for facilities or plant, as he described it. And, he said, if you deviate from this ratio very much for very long, it will lead to problems. I think you can get a fifth grader to check your math on this one. Gilbert Vik Cathlamet Pepplitsch again mentioned the possibility of revamping the whole ordinance around animals and the importance of enforcing any new changes. He asked the council how far they want to go in regulation and what they are specifically trying to address with these ordinances. Mayor Fagot responded they want people to be responsible pet owners and Pepplitsch said these penalties may not be substantial on their own. Mayor Fagot said adding a leash law and the escalating fines are a step and things will not change if they do not get peoples attention. Copley said in the end it is up to the citys police officers when it comes to enforcement, Pepplitsch said discretion should be left to law enforcement. The ordinance was passed on first reading and will be heard again at subsequent council meetings. Engineering plans have been completed for water system improvements around the city and bids for the project are ready to be solicited. Pepplitsch said the three project locations are along Cattlemans Dr., between Plum Creek Parkway and south Adams St.; 13th St., between north Adams and Park St. and a section of north Airport Road. WASHINGTON, D.C. The Senate impeachment trial of President Donald J. Trump came to a close on Wednesday, with a slight majority of Senators voting to acquit on both charges. Narrow though the margins were and largely split across party lines those in favor of convicting the President where nowhere close to the two-thirds majority needed to removing him from office. Members of Oregon's Congressional delegation were quick to make their opinions known both before and after the trial came to a close on Wednesday. Much like the Senate votes, opinions were sharply divided along party lines. They're now on the record saying politicians can get away with selling out American interests to rig elections. Politicians willing to fracture alliances, fabricate investigations & amplify foreign propaganda if it serves their political or financial interests will go unchecked. Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) February 5, 2020 It's long past time for Congress to get back to the work of the American people, like lowering prescription drug prices, solving surprise medical billing, continuing the fight against the opioid epidemic, and improving forest management policies to address catastrophic wildfires. Rep. Greg Walden (@repgregwalden) February 5, 2020 While not every member of the Oregon delegation made a statement on the impeachment proceedings, Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden did along with Rep. Greg Walden, whose 2nd congressional district represents the bulk of eastern, central, and southern Oregon. U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore. Today, is a dark, tragic day for our nation. Today, the United Stated Senate completed the first cover up in this institutions more than two hundred year history when the majority of my colleagues voted not to convict and remove Donald J. Trump from office. As many of my Republican colleagues have admitted in recent days, the House Managers proved their case that President Trump used our countrys vast power in an attempt to smear a political opponent and corrupt the integrity of our upcoming national election. These acts are not merely inappropriate, like lying to the public, shunning our allies, or pressing foreign governments to patronize your properties. No, what President Trump did was to direct a corrupt conspiracy that comprised a fundamental assault on our Constitution. It fell to the Senate to hold the president accountable by holding a full and fair trial to uncover the truth, and then rendering impartial justice. Instead, the Senate proved itself neither sufficiently dignified, or sufficiently independent, in the words of Alexander Hamilton. Instead, the Senate majority engaged in a cover-up. No witnesses, no documents, no full and fair trial. And so no exoneration. Todays vote, and the Senates abdication of its responsibility to rein in an out-of-control President is a devastating blow to the norms and institutions, and the checks and balances that have laid at the heart of our Constitution and American democracy since its very founding. Yet we must remember that this outcome does not come in a vacuum. Its just the latest in a long list of examples of our government being systematically rigged by one party for the benefit of the powerful and privileged. Decisions in the Supreme Court like Citizens United, and Shelby County, and Rucho vs. Common Cause have repeatedly given more power to the powerful, and trampled government of, by and for the people. And efforts like stealing a Supreme Court seat and refusing to allow amendments to legislation have only served to erode the Senates constitutional powers and authority. The Senate majoritys refusal to hold a full and fair trial, its blessing to the president to use the powers of the government to attack his political opponents, and its decision to cover it all up are a blow to the heart of the separation of powers. They are a blow to the very idea that We the People are in charge. Government of the people, by the people, and for the people is not a birthright. It is a precious gift bequeathed to us by those who came before us. It will take the goodwill and good faith of the American people to maintain it. I believe in our constitution, I believe in checks and balances, I believe in We the People. If we are going to leave future generations of Americans the same gift we received, all of us are going to have to fight like hell to restore and defend it. U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore. Today I voted to remove Donald Trump, for his abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. His whole defense amounted to a fiction. The president was not fighting corruption in Ukraine, he was causing it. There is no doubt in my mind that Donald Trump misused his office to extort a foreign nation to drum up sham investigations of his political rival. Donald Trump has declared himself above the law, and Republican senators have voted to let him run wild, no matter the cost to our nation. They are now on the record saying politicians can get away with selling out American interests to rig an election. There is no check on politicians willing to fracture alliances, fabricate investigations and amplify foreign propaganda if it serves their political or financial interests. I hope our democracy is strong enough to survive this shameful result. U.S. Representative Greg Walden, R-Hood River In December, I opposed both the House vote to impeach President Trump and the vote to send the articles of impeachment to the Senate. I felt that the justifiably high standards for overturning the outcome of an election had not been met. Nullifying the vote of the American people demands two things: a bipartisan and fair process to determine wrongdoing, and a criminal offense worthy of overturning the outcome of the voters will. Neither of which has occurred. If facts matter, and I believe they do, then the House impeachment managers failed to prove the existence of any criminal offense. Overturning the outcome of a presidential election is a big deal and should not be undertaken to settle a partisan political grudge. The House managers failed to make their case. In the end, this partisan exercise only failed the American people and many important issues have been on hold during this process. It is long past time for Congress to get back to the work of the American people, like lowering prescription drug prices, solving surprise medical billing, continuing the fight against the opioid epidemic, and improving forest management policies to address catastrophic wildfires. It is time to move on. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 6, 2020 / Mota Ventures Corp. (CSE:MOTA)(FSE:1WZ:GR)(OTC:PEMTF) (the "Company") is excited to announce it has entered into a letter of intent (the "LOI"), dated February 5, 2020, with BevCanna Enterprises Inc. ("BevCanna") (CSE:BEV), an arms'-length party. Under the terms of the LOI, the parties will negotiate a joint venture, which is expected to provide the Company with the exclusive right to sell and market BevCanna house brand lines of hemp derived CBD products in Europe. The parties will share ownership in the joint venture equally, along with any costs of the venture. BevCanna will contribute in-house brands, formulations, proprietary intellectual property for water-soluble powders, marketing and manufacturing expertise. The Company will arrange manufacturing, marketing and distribution infrastructure across Europe, with a specific focus on, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. The parties will work together to jointly determine the appropriate product launch, mix and timing for each individual European market. The joint venture is expected to be in place for an initial term of five years with a subsequent five year renewal option. Formation of a joint venture remains subject to ongoing due diligence by each of the Company, and BevCanna, including a review of the intellectual property to be contributed to the joint venture, as well as the negotiation of definitive documentation. The Company will provide further information regarding the joint venture once terms have been finalized. BevCanna and Mota will work together to launch a diverse infused beverage product portfolio ranging from proprietary water-soluble powder, to ready to drink formats. The CBD dosage, flavors, and branding will be jointly determined by the parties for each individual European market based on existing offerings and market dynamics. BevCanna's formulation and product positioning is focused on the health and wellness market in North America. According to Global Wellness Institute (GWI), the worldwide wellness market grew 12.9% from a $3.72 trillion in 2017 to a $4.2 trillion in 2018. Zenith Global estimates the CBD infused drinks market will reach $1.4 billion by 2023 in the US alone, making it one of the fastest-growing segments in the overall industry. CBD infused beverages will open the floodgates to new audiences who want to consume cannabis in different formats. They have many benefits that rival other methods of ingestions: easy to administer, more accessible, functionality and higher precision. "The rising demand for Health and Wellness beverages that are infused with CBD globally is immense. We are at the inception of the revolution in the global CBD infused beverage arena. The market trends are evolving and it is evident the development in the CBD beverage market is a space that cannot be overlooked. A major indicator of how important the emerging beverage market is, was the acquisition of a significant stake in Canopy by Constellation Brands, one of the largest beverage companies in the world. We feel that by positioning ourselves to be early adopters in the European market we are poised to capture significant market share in an emerging industry." stated Joel Shacker, CEO of the Company. About Mota Ventures Corp. Mota Ventures is seeking to become a vertically integrated global CBD brand. Its plan is to cultivate and extract CBD into high-quality value-added products from its Latin American operations and distribute it both domestically and internationally. Its existing operations in Colombia consist of a 2.5-hectare site that has optimal year-round growing conditions and access to all necessary infrastructure. Mota is looking to establish sales channels and a distribution network internationally through the acquisition of the Sativida and First Class CBD brands. Low cost production, coupled with international, direct to customer sales channels will provide the foundation for the success of Mota Ventures. About BevCanna Enterprises Inc. BevCanna Enterprises Inc. (CSE:BEV,Q:BVNNF,FSE:7BC) develops and manufactures cannabinoid-infused beverages and consumer products for in-house brands and white label clients. With decades of experience creating, branding and distributing iconic brands that have resonated with consumers on a global scale, the team demonstrates an expertise unmatched in the emerging cannabis beverage category. Based in British Columbia, Canada, BevCanna has a 292-acre outdoor cultivation site in the fertile Okanagan Valley and the exclusive rights to a pristine spring water aquifer, as well as a world-class 40,000-square-foot, HACCP certified manufacturing facility, with a current bottling capacity of up to 210M bottles per annum. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MOTA VENTURES CORP. Joel Shacker Chief Executive Officer For further information, readers are encouraged to contact Joel Shacker, President & CEO at +604.423.4733 or by email at IR@motaventuresco.com or www.motaventuresco.com Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release, which has been prepared by management. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statement All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to the Company within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including with respect to formation of a joint venture with BevCanna, its plans to become a vertically integrated global CBD brand, its plans to cultivate and extract cannabis to produce CBD and high-quality value added CBD products in Latin America for distribution domestically and internationally and its plans to acquire revenue-producing CBD brands and operations in Europe and North America. The Company provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited those identified and reported in the Company's public filings under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law. SOURCE: Mota Ventures Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/575454/Mota-Ventures-Enters-into-Letter-of-Intent-to-Form-Joint-Venture-with-BevCanna-Enterprises Washington D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today released the agenda for the Feb. 10 meeting of the Fixed Income Market Structure Advisory Committee (FIMSAC). The Commission established the FIMSAC to provide a formal mechanism through which the Commission can receive advice and recommendations on fixed income market structure issues. The meeting will be held at the SEC's headquarters at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C., and is open to the public. The meeting will be webcast live on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and will be archived on the website for later viewing. Members of the public who wish to provide their views on the matters to be considered by the FIMSAC may submit comments either electronically or on paper, as described below. Please submit comments using one method only. Information that is submitted will become part of the public record of the meeting. Electronic submissions: Use the SEC's Internet submission form or send an email to rule-comments@sec.gov. Paper submissions: Send paper submissions in triplicate to Secretary, Securities and Exchange Commission, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-1090. All submissions should refer to File Number 265-30, and the file number should be included on the subject line if e-mail is used. *** SEC Fixed Income Market Structure Advisory Committee Agenda Feb. 10, 2020 9:30 a.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks 9:45 a.m. Credit Ratings Panel Concerning Issuer-Pay Conflict of Interest Martin Fridson, Lehmann Livian Fridson Advisors David Jacob 11:15 a.m. Draft Technology and Electronic Trading Recommendation to Enhance Data Reported to TRACE Josh Barrickman, Vanguard Horace Carter, Raymond James Lynn Martin, ICE Data Services Ola Persson, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority 12:30 p.m. Lunch Break 1:00 p.m. Draft Municipal Securities Transparency Recommendation Regarding Timeliness of Municipal Issuer Disclosures Geidre Ball, Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Emily Brock, Government Finance Officers Association Akiko Matsui, Vanguard Hannah Sullivan, Fidelity Management & Research Company Elisse Walter, Former SEC Chairman 2:00 p.m. Internal Fund Crosses Panel Lance Dial, Wellington Management Kevin Gleason, Voya Investment Management Nora Jordan, Davis Polk & Wardell LLP James Wallin, AllianceBernstein 3:00 p.m. Adjournment ### Eyeing two mega deals worth over $25 billion, US aerospace major on Thursday said it is ready to bring transformative capability and contemporary warfighter technologies to India. is a strong contender for Indian Air Force's proposed deal to acquire 114 fighter multi-role fighter jets and Indian Navy's proposal to procure 57 carrier-borne aircraft. The company has already announced that it is ready to set up manufacturing facilities for its F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft if it bags the IAF contract. An important part of our India strategy is ensuring our defence customers have the most advanced platforms and capabilities, supported by a services model that optimises mission readiness, high performance and safety, said India president Salil Gupte. Another element of our strategy is to harness talent, innovation, engineering and productivity advantages that India offers to build a globally competitive aerospace and defence ecosystem that creates jobs and industrial capacity with Make in India, he said at the DefExpo here. On the Navy's plan to induct 57 jets, he said the F/A-18 on offer to India will be fully compatible with Indian Naval carriers. At present, the Indian Navy has one aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, which is a Russian origin platform. The Navy's long-term plan is to have three aircraft carriers. Indigenously built aircraft carrier (IAC) INS Vikrant is expected to be fully operational by 2022. At DefExpo, Boeing highlighted future investments to accelerate its Make in India efforts and the capabilities being proposed for the Indian armed forces, specifically the next generation F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet fighter that the company said will bring transformative capability and contemporary warfighter technologies to the country. In April last year, the issued an RFI (Request for Information), or initial tender, to acquire 114 jets at a cost of around $18 billion. It was billed as one of the world's biggest military procurement programme in recent years. The top contenders for the deal include Lockheed's F-21, Boeing's F/A-18, Dassault Aviation's Rafale, the Eurofighter Typhoon, Russian aircraft Mig 35 and Saab's Gripen. In 2018, the Indian Navy kick-started the process to procure 57 multi-role combat aircraft for its carriers. At present, six planes are compatible for the aircraft carrier -- Rafale (Dassault, France) F/A 18 Super Hornet (Boeing, US), MIG-29K (Russia), F-35B and F-35C (Lockheed Martin, US) and Gripen (Saab, Sweden). While F-18, Rafale and MIG-29K are twin-engine jets, the other three have a single engine. Surendra Ahuja, managing director of Boeing's India operations, said the company is ready to expand its operation in the country and referred to the recent induction of Boeing's Chinook heavy-lift and AH-64E Apache attack helicopters by the He said the company will also focus on establishing local rotorcraft training and support facilities. We are committed to working with our customers to provide holistic solutions for their defence aircraft and services with the right capability, advanced technologies and cost structure. We have accelerated our efforts to set up a local sustainment support footprint in India to be more responsive to our customers' needs, said Ahuja. Over the last five years, he said, Boeing has quadrupled its growth in India and sourcing up to USD 1 billion of products and services from the country. With its over 200 suppliers employing 7,000 employees, complex components and subassemblies, some of Boeing's most advanced defence platforms, including the F/A-18, F-15, P-8I, CH-47 Chinook and AH-64 Apache, are made in India, he said. The Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited joint venture has increased production of fuselages and aero structures for the AH-64 Apache, he added. The Crime Branch of the Jammu and Kashmir Police has arrested a prime accused in a multi-crore fraud case in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district, an official said on Thursday. Saddam Hussain, a resident of Kalaban village of Mendhar, was arrested from the Bathandi area of Jammu on Wednesday, a spokesman of the Crime Branch said. He said Hussain, along with other co-accused, swindled money from the gullible people of Mendhar and its surrounding areas in Poonch and other areas in Jammu province after inducing and luring them on the pretext of doubling their money within 20 to 40 days. The Crime Branch had registered a case in this connection last year but the accused was not cooperating and was evading his arrest, the spokesman said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (26) CEDAR FALLS Property tax collections would rise by 5.1% under the citys proposed fiscal year 2021 budget, but homeowners would escape the brunt of the increase. Jennifer Rodenbeck, Cedar Falls director of finance and business operations, told the City Council this week during its committee of the whole that is due to the state decreasing the residential rollback, or the percentage of property value used to calculate tax liability. The citys portion of property taxes for homeowners who dont see an increase in their assessed valuation would grow by 1%. Commercial and industrial properties would absorb the biggest share with a 4.38% boost in taxes. Their rollback will remain unchanged, which naturally creates that shift, said Rodenbeck, with the decrease in residential property. The winner, so to speak, is the multi-residential, she added. Those properties are in the midst of an eight-year rollback reduction and will see a 0.84% drop in taxes. Growth of $153 million in the overall assessed value of properties, a 4.7% increase, and a higher tax rate both contributed to the anticipated rise in tax collections for the fiscal year starting July 1. Cedar Falls officials have proposed increasing the property tax rate from $10.95 to $11.43 per $1,000 of assessed value. It is an increase of 48 cents and an increase of 4.38% on the rate, said Rodenbeck. We have the fifth-lowest tax rate right now in the top 20 (largest Iowa) cities, and so we take a lot of pride in that. We do try to keep our tax rate fairly low. For the owner of a $100,000 home, the citys portion of the tax bill would be $629.50, an increase of $6.25. Multi-residential property valued at $500,000 would pay $4,071.94 in taxes, a decrease of $34.31. Commercial property valued at $500,000 would see an increase of $216 to $5,143.50 while a $1 million industrial property would pay $432 more for a total of $10,287. The 5.1% increase in property tax collections would bring the total to $22.73 million, or $1.1 million more. Following the committee meeting, the council approved a maximum tax levy of $21.32 million. The amount was based on a tax rate of $10.23 per $1,000 of assessed value. That approval and a prior public hearing fulfilled a new requirement by the state, but Rodenbeck noted the resolution doesnt show all of the (property tax) levies and so is less than total tax collections. However, the measure is used by the state to determine how much more a city is collecting. If its more than 2% then you need a super majority vote (to approve the budget), and for us thats five votes, she said. Tax revenues are a key piece of the citys $86.76 million budget. Department heads started developing the proposed spending plan last fall by submitting their requests to the city during October and November. And then in December, we have whats really the start of this budget process, explained Rodenbeck. That is when council has their goal setting (sessions). Theres lots of things discussed at that goal setting that really help build parameters for the budget. The proposal assumes 2-3% increases for the citys three union contracts and adds a number of positions in various departments. Six full-time positions would include a human resources specialist, an administrative/parking supervisor, a planner, a designer in engineering, an arborist and a mechanic. Part-time additions would include a library assistant, housing specialist and cultural services assistant. It would also continue to budget for another seven officers in the public safety department hired ahead of being sent to academies and field training. Those dont equate to additional positions. A public hearing on the budget was set for the councils Feb. 17 meeting. Orphaned female river otter fostered in Waterloo finds home at River Museum (PHOTOS, VIDEO) 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. Vodafone Group Plc will hand over management of its Ghana unit to the U.K. carriers separately listed South African division in April, the latest step to bring the companys operations on the continent under one roof. Johannesburg-based Vodacom Group Ltd. will take responsibility for the West African business alongside other units including Tanzania, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa, Chief Executive Officer Shameel Joosub said in an interview. Vodafone Ghana will keep its branding and there will be no transfer of assets from the U.K. parent, he said. The move marks the second change by Vodafone to its Africa operations this year, part of a wider effort to simplify the sprawling global carrier and focus management attention on fiercely competitive European markets. The Newbury, England-based company agreed to sell its Egyptian business to Saudi Telecom Co. for $2.4 billion last month to focus on the sub-Saharan region. And in 2017, Vodafone transferred a minority stake in Kenyas Safaricom Ltd., East Africas biggest company, to Vodacom in an all-share deal worth about $2.6 billion. The changes add the kind of geographical reach that Vodacom could benefit from if the parent company eventually decides to sell down its 60% stake. Even if it doesnt Joosub said such a move is not on the cards putting the African businesses under the same management may help Vodacom gain economies of scale. The larger group has sold some assets in north Africa, and the focus will be on sub-Saharan Africa under Vodacom, Joosub said at the carriers offices north of Johannesburg. The CEO was also awarded a place on Vodacoms executive committee late last year, bringing him closer to the ear of Vodafone CEO Nick Read. Ethiopia Opportunity Vodacom has shown interest in Ethiopias planned privatization of its state-owned phone monopoly, which will involve the auction of two new licenses and the sale of a minority stake in Ethio Telecom later this year. While the timetable was recently pushed back, Joosub said he expects an information memorandum to be issued in April and May and the deals to be finalized in June. Vodacom will partner with Safaricom on any bid, the CEO said. His counterpart at the Nairobi-based company, Michael Joseph, estimated last year that each license would cost about $1 billion, but Joosub countered that its still too early to say. It will come down to the price points, the license fees and what obligations are attached, he said. We have multiple teams on the ground to evaluate the market. They are compiling business plans to understand the opportunity. Other companies to have made their interest in Ethiopia clear are Paris-based Orange SA and Vodacoms Johannesburg-based rival, MTN Group Ltd. With a fast-growing population of more than 100 million and limited high-speed connectivity, the Horn of Africa nation is an attractive market, Joosub said. MANCHESTER, N.H. Iowans pick corn, New Hampshire picks presidents. Thats how the first-in-the-nation primary state typically throws shade at its early state sibling. But the old adage, widely recounted with a chuckle by campaign operatives here this week, has taken on a more loaded meaning since Iowa botched its caucuses Monday night. As activists and longtime politicos here have looked on in horror at Iowas screw-up, theyve also been emboldened in the states quest to jump Iowa in the presidential calendar. At a time when critics are calling for both states to lose their celebrated lead-off roles because of a lack of demographic diversity, some here see opportunity in Iowas meltdown. If Democrats are going to begin the primary schedule with one small, overwhelmingly white state instead of two, the argument goes, it should be New Hampshire. The state prides itself on its dedication to cold efficiency in its primary elections the antidote to Iowas outmoded caucus system. At a packed church Tuesday in Portsmouth, locals chuckled at Amy Klobuchars mere mention of the caucuses. F---ing Iowa, said a Democrat with ties to both states, describing utter exhaustion at the days of uncertainty. This was a major, corn-fed f--- up, a Democratic elected official added. At Bernie Sanders events late Tuesday in Milford and Wednesday morning in Derry, people booed when the senator reminded them that Iowans were still laboring over their vote tallies. For some reason in Iowa theyre having a little bit of trouble counting votes, Sanders lamented, referring to debilitating hiccups with a mobile app that slowed results reporting. But I am confident that in New Hampshire, I know youll be able to count your votes on Election Night, Sanders added, before plugging his own movement. And when you count those votes, I look forward to winning here in New Hampshire. Iowans have selected the Democratic nominee six out the last nine times. One Iowa winner who didn't go on to win the nomination, Tom Harkin, hailed from the state. Only twice in the modern era, with Barack Obama and Jimmy Carter, did they go on to become president. New Hampshire has done a better job of picking presidents from both parties. Story continues On Wednesday, Joe Biden got in on the action in Somersworth. At this rate, New Hampshire will be the first in the country to get to vote, Biden half-joked as he assessed his own stumble into fourth place in Iowa. Im not going to sugarcoat it: We took a gut punch in Iowa. The whole process took a gut punch. The not-so-friendly rivalry, as one activist put it, is a boon to New Hampshires longtime elections chief, Bill Gardner, whose foremost and almost obsessive concern has been maintaining its First in the Nation primary status. Bill Gardner is the happiest person alive, said Irene Lin, a Democratic strategist in New Hampshire who is managing Andru Volinskys gubernatorial campaign. It just strengthens [New Hampshires] case for being first-in-the nation versus Iowa. If Iowa switches to direct-ballot voting, Gardner has said he plans to move the date of the New Hampshire primary up to be a week before. New Hampshire law mandates the primary election take place seven days before a similar election in any other state. For decades, Gardner has interpreted Iowa's caucus to be just different enough from New Hampshire's direct-ballot voting method to prevent it from being a direct threat. Both Democratic and Republican party officials have worked with Gardner to secure the Granite State's status throughout his 40-year tenure. Lin, who managed Democrat J.D. Scholtens campaign against GOP Rep. Steve King in Iowa, is far from a critic of the state. As an intern for Howard Dean in Vermont, she says, Iowa broke her heart in 2004. But it restored her faith in democracy four years later when she worked on Barack Obamas campaign. As an expert on the agricultural economy, she argues that Iowas protected status ensures Democrats dont turn their backs on rural voters. Look, we got an important Senate race; we picked up two congressional seats last cycle. Democrats shouldnt give up on the farm economy, Lin said, expressing a degree of sadness at the wave of stories that snickered at the caucus fiasco. But shes concluded the caucuses have become too complex and cumbersome to continue. I think, hopefully, this buries the caucuses in general, Lin said. Just hours after landing in New Hampshire, Pete Buttigieg had a private, early-morning meeting with Jim Donchess, the mayor of the state's second largest and most diverse city. Democratic presidential candidate former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, in Hampton, N.H. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola) Donchess said he thought Buttigieg won Iowa but the lack of clarity made New Hampshire more important than before. He said it was frustrating the campaign had to rely on internal numbers instead of official results from the Iowa Democratic Party. I don't know why they couldn't deliver it but its disappointing that they didnt, and I don't know what the reason was, he said. I think the election, the result here, becomes more important. It isnt just Iowas slow count that is fueling New Hampshires case. The caucuses this year even with the chance to choose the nominee taking on Donald Trump were also a bust based on early measures of Democratic turnout. The greatest disappointment for me in Iowa was the turnout. It sucked, said Arnie Arnesen, a liberal radio host and former New Hampshire state legislator who is wired into the state. At least for the primary, I think were going to have huge turnout. Scott Spradling, the former chief political reporter for WMUR-TV based in Manchester, covered four primaries and traveled to Iowa to cover their caucuses. He said the holdup could have a lasting effect on Democrats as they fan out across New Hampshire. I think the Hawkeye State just gave the Democratic Party a huge black eye because of this mess up with the results. Now everything's on hold, Spradling said. Donald Trump got to take the podium and with a very high exposure message with the State of the Union and crow about his incumbency. That spotlight shifted to him. "We're not really talking about Iowa," he added. "Were now talking about New Hampshire trying to correct a mistake. Steven Shepard contributed to this report. San Antonio was graced with snow flurries Wednesday night, and many locals took to social media to express their feelings about the rare experience. Some expressed their excitement over the frozen precipitation while others made fun of the lack of accumulation. TALLINN, Estonia, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CoinField has released the very first decentralized wallet app for SOLO, XRP, and Tokenized Assets to support the Sologenic ecosystem. Sologenic allows users to trade any cryptocurrencies against 30,000 tokenized Stocks & ETFs from 25+ stock exchanges across the globe. SOLO is the native token of Sologenic, a platform built on the XRP ledger with the sole mission of merging crypto asset markets with traditional finance markets. This new ecosystem facilitates investing and trading of on-demand tokenized assets, including Stocks and ETFs on top of the XRP Ledger. The decentralized wallet app will allow users to add, access, and manage multiple wallets, view live market prices, review their recent transactions and HODL, and transfer all their digital assets from a single XRP wallet address. Sologenic will be adding decentralized exchange (DEX) functionally to this app in Q2 allowing users to trade securely while they keep their own private keys. When building the app for SOLO, the SOLO core team focused on Security, UI/UX, Transparency, decentralization, and ease of use. Security, ease of use, availability, speed, and decentralization were amongst our top goals when developing the SOLO Wallet apps. The SOLO core team will continue working on the app and will release new updates such as advanced transactions, notifications and Decentralized Exchange (DEX) so users can securely trade digital assets while they keep their own private keys. Said Reza Bashash , Sologenic Technical Lead The app is available to download globally for Mobile and Desktop via the Apple Store and Google Play . Download the desktop version for Windows and Mac . About Sologenic: Sologenic is introducing a sophisticated ecosystem that facilitates users with investing, trading, and on-demand tokenization of assets such as stocks, ETFs, and fiat on top of the XRP Ledger. Learn more on https://www.sologenic.com YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Armenian minister of economy Tigran Khachatryan received member of the World Bank Groups Doing Business reform team Alejandro Espinosa-Wang to discuss the methodological issues of the report, as well as the Banks support to Armenias future business climate reforms, the ministry told Armenpress. The minister thanked for the consulting report that is a useful guideline to address the existing resources to solve the current issues, as well as to organize future works. The minister said the Banks annual assessment is important not only in terms of making comparisons with other countries, but also from environment perspective to get a right and real picture on the existing problems, taking into account the respective regulations accepted in the world. Alejandro Espinosa-Wang thanked the minister for the meeting and productive discussions, and outlined the issues that are on the agenda of this stage. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan North Chinas Tianjin and the city of Anyang in Central Chinas Henan province both reported two new cases of the highly transmissible omicron variant over the weekend. Both cities have launched new rounds of mass testing and designated more Covid-19 risk areas to control the spread of the virus Jan 10, 2022 06:18 PM Crucial independent senator Jacqui Lambie has called for unions representing nurses and emergency services to be carved out of controversial 'ensuring integrity' laws. Senator Lambie holds a trump card in negotiations to pass the coalition's bill making it easier to deregister unions and ban officials. She has raised the prospect of supporting the legislation, which was rejected in the Senate last year, if the government backs her amendments. Crucial independent senator Jacqui Lambie (pictured) has called for unions representing nurses and emergency services to be carved out of controversial 'ensuring integrity' laws 'The sticking point is there's some really great unions out there that have been doing the right thing and have always done the right thing,' she told ABC radio on Thursday. 'I do not want them targeted or part of this bill and they shouldn't be.' Senator Lambie's support has previously hinged on controversial construction union boss John Setka quitting. While he refuses to budge, the firebrand politician isn't resiling from criticism of law-breaking unions. 'It's the bad eggs you want to take down that are not doing the right thing,' she said. One of Senator Lambie's amendments is about protecting the right to strike and take other industrial action. But she wants action against unions bringing themselves into disrepute. 'I will not hold the other unions - I will not hold nurses, firemen and police responsible for that behaviour and they shouldn't be,' she said. 'I want to make sure that if we are going to agree to this bill, that they are completely removed and they are not affected by it.' The Morrison government argues the legislation will only allow tougher sanctions for unions that continually break the law. But Labor and unions fiercely oppose the measures, which also include a public interest test for mergers. The opposition has warned the bill could punish officials for minor paperwork breaches. Pauline Hanson's One Nation handed the government a shock defeat last year, scuppering an attempt to have the laws in place before Christmas. We recognized a need among our business customers for an automated solution that would help modernize and transform their payments from manual and paper-based processes into a simple, seamless solution. Chicago-based Signature Bank announced the launch of Finrails AP, a technology platform to help businesses manage their payments. Finrails AP by Signature Bank offers a fully-integrated payments platform that automates business-to-business payments in a seamless and secure online dashboard across multiple payment methods. Finrails AP leverages virtual Visa commercial cards, as well as ACH and checks to facilitate B2B payments. We recognized a need among our business customers for an automated solution that would help modernize and transform their payments from manual and paper-based processes into a simple, seamless solution, said Anne Doligale, Senior Vice President of Treasury Management at Signature Bank. As a cloud-based Accounts Payable solution, Finrails AP has several advantages over the more typical AP processes: Simple payment instruction via a single file upload in easy to use, common file formats A customer service team to help onboard vendors to electronic payments Increased visibility into cashflow thanks to electronic and mobile approvals Fraud mitigation included, with Positive Pay built right into the system Backed by Signature Bank, an expert in payment processing Visa is proud to be the virtual-card partner for Finrails AP by Signature Bank, said Kevin Phalen, global head of Visa Business Solutions. Our collaboration with Finrails AP gives business owners more choice, flexibility, and security when it comes to making payments. Finrails AP is available to both customers and non-customers of Signature Bank. The platform meets a rising demand for simple and secure electronic Accounts Payable solutions while bringing efficiency and cost savings to its users. You can find out more about Finrails at https://finrails.bank or by sending an email to info@finrails.bank. About Signature Bank Signature Bank is a relationship-based commercial bank wholly owned by Signature Bancorporation, Inc., a privately funded, locally owned bank holding company founded in 2006. Headquartered in Rosemont, IL, Signature Bank provides accessible, strategic, and highly individualized commercial banking services to closely held companies, as well as full-service retail banking capabilities. Technology-driven and well-capitalized, Signature Bank is currently the fastest growing, independently owned business bank in the Chicagoland area. Visit Signature Bank online at http://www.signaturebank.bank. The Queen silently comforted a woman for half an hour after learning she had lost seven relatives in the Aberfan tragedy, a royal biographer has claimed. Her Majesty, 93, visited the Welsh mining village on October 29 1966, eight days after a devastating avalanche of slurry killed 144 people, including 116 children. She was criticised by some for not immediately heading to the national disaster and Netflix drama The Crown showed the monarch, played by Olivia Colman, apparently faking tears when meeting residents. But British royal author Penny Junor, 70, has suggested the Queen was far from apathetic towards the tragedy and 'showed her humanity' to the locals in a quiet manner. Penny made the remarks on ITV's Inside the Crown: Secrets of the Royals, which airs tonight at 9pm. The Queen (pictured right in Aberfan in 1966) silently comforted a woman for half an hour after learning she had lost seven relatives in the Aberfan tragedy, a royal biographer has claimed Olivia Colman, pictured left, as Queen Elizabeth II while visiting the Aberfan tragedy. The monarch, pictured right in 1966, seeing the devastating scenes in the Welsh village. The Crown claimed the Queen faked brushing a tear away, but in reality the monarch actually cried Her Majesty (pictured this week), 93, visited the Welsh mining village on October 29 1966, eight days after a devastating avalanche of slurry killed 144 people, including 116 children She said: 'When she actually arrived she spoke with families and there was one woman who'd lost seven members of her family. 'The Queen just sat with her, quietly, saying nothing, for half an hour. That was the Queen showing her humanity.' It is unclear who the resident was that the Queen visited for half an hour. An entire generation was almost wiped out when 150,000 tonnes of coal waste slid down the hillside before engulfing Pantglas Junior School on October 21 1966. The disaster unfolded, following days of heavy rain, when excavated mining debris from the Merthyr Vale Colliery was dislodged and came thundering towards the village. Prince Philip first travelled to Aberfan without the Queen a day after the tragedy and it is thought his wife stayed away so she didn't distract from the rescue efforts. The Queen's decision to not visit Aberfan immediately is said to be one of her biggest regrets. Pictured: The Queen walking around the Welsh mining village, with Prince Philip behind her The mud and devastation caused when mining spoil from the hillside high above Aberfan came down and engulfed The Pantglas Junior School on 21st October 1966 In episode three of The Crown, it claims the monarch was forced to visit the disaster after a public backlash and showed little emotion towards the situation. During the outing, Olivia's portrayal of the Queen dabs her eye as if wiping a tear away, after talking to the bereaved. She later says: 'I dabbed a bone-dry eye and by some miracle no one noticed.' But Her Majesty's decision to not visit Aberfan immediately is said to be one of her biggest regrets and most royal experts say the decision was made out of practically. Royal historian Robert Hardman also suggested Her Majesty refused to visit the Welsh mining village until she could control her heartfelt emotions. Royal historian Robert Hardman suggested the Queen (pictured visiting the neighbourhood in 1966 with her husband) refused to visit the Welsh mining village until she could control her heartfelt emotions Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip visit the coalmining village of Aberfan in South Wales, eight days after the disaster in which 116 children and 28 adults were killed He said on tonight's documentary: 'Everyone I've spoken to says that the Queen was really worried that she would let the side down. She didn't want to go there and make things worse for these families. 'She was a young mother, Prince Edward was a baby, she knew she was going to be as overwhelmed as everybody else was. And the last thing people want is a sobbing Queen on their shoulder.' Royal author Kati Nicholl added: 'Of course you don't want to be seen as apathetic but we also don't want to see the Queen collapse, unable to cope. Overcome with emotion at times when we are looking to her to keep the nation together. 'The occasions where you see the Queen show her grief are really few and far between but you really do see that emotion on her face [at Aberfan].' Inside the Crown: Secrets of the Royals is on tonight at 9pm on ITV A bottle of beer might not sound like big news. But when the beer in question is Russian River Brewing Co.s Pliny the Younger, news of a bottle just might break the internet. Seems early for an April Fools joke, one fan wrote in response to the brewerys Facebook announcement that it would be selling Pliny the Younger bottles for the first time during its 2020 release, which will take place Feb. 7-20. Pliny the Younger might be the most sought-after beer in the world. And a big part of its appeal is the odyssey required to procure it. Enthusiasts from around the world descend on Sonoma County for the two-week release every February, lining up for hours or days, often in cold, rainy weather, for the chance to get a taste of the limited-edition triple IPA at the brewerys two tasting rooms, in Santa Rosa and Windsor. Last year, Pliny the Youngers economic impact on Sonoma County amounted to $4.16 million in tourism spending, according to the county Economic Development Board. Each visitor is limited to three 10-ounce pours or a stay of three hours, whichever comes first. And the idea has always been: You cant take it with you when you go. We made a point of saying we dont ever have plans to bottle it, said president Natalie Cilurzo, who co-owns the brewery with her husband, Vinnie. Their opposition to bottling was mainly a concern over bootlegging; they feared that people would resell the bottle for many times its original price. Never say never. This year, in addition to the three draft pours, each visitor to Russian Rivers brewpubs will be able to purchase two 510-ml bottles for $10 each. Why the about-face? Theres just a lot more competition out there now, and we felt like we need to be evolving as a company, said Cilurzo. Were so lucky that we have a group of die-hard fans that come back year after year. She wants to reward them. Pliny the Younger or Younger, as Cilurzo calls it, to distinguish it from double IPA Pliny the Elder is famous for its scarcity, but the decision to begin bottling is the latest in a series of moves by the Cilurzos to try to make the beer more widely available. Last year, Russian River doubled production of Younger, from 160 to 350 barrels. That was largely because it had opened a brewpub in Windsor, to supplement the brewing and visitor capacity of its original Santa Rosa location. This year, Cilurzo said, the brewery hopes to make as many as 500 barrels, including about 150 barrels of Younger that will be bottled. The 2019 release was a huge success, she added. The crowds were almost evenly split between the two brewpubs. The lines were a little shorter. In fact, there were times during the two-week period when there wasnt a line at all. People would be driving by Windsor on their way home from work and theyd see a super-short line, pull into the driveway, get some beer and still be home for dinner, Cilurzo said. Those who are hoping for a shorter wait time should try to go to the brewpub midweek, ideally earlier in the day. Another new feature of the 2019 release was the addition of tours at the Windsor brewery, which will continue this year. Visitors who want to avoid the queue can reserve a slot in advance for $15, and theyll get a taste of Younger on the tour. The easier the journey is for their customers, the happier she and Vinnie are, Cilurzo said. It just makes the experience better, she said. Having somebody wait in line for hours on end does not add to the experience. Russian River first released Pliny the Younger in 2005 as a winter beer, a complement to Pliny the Elder, which is available year-round. For a few years, they released Younger every winter without fanfare, but in 2010 it jumped to the No. 2 spot on beer-ratings websites RateBeer and Beer Advocate. Hundreds of people swarmed the brewpub on the first day of its release, swallowing, in eight hours, all 620 gallons that Vinnie Cilurzo had brewed. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Ever since, the brewery has tightly controlled Youngers yearly release, implementing the three-beer/three-hour limit to keep the line moving and to prevent patrons from drinking too much of the beer, potent at 10.25% alcohol by volume. Is Younger worth it? Thats a matter of taste, and most beer lovers would say that there are plenty of others out there, including Pliny the Elder, that can provide as much pleasure for a lot less hassle. Many Younger fanatics love the beer because it tastes perfectly balanced despite its very high alcohol level and high hops content. The Cilurzos will also hold a Younger-themed beer dinner this year in a private events space at the Windsor brewpub. Within two hours of posting the event online, Cilurzo said, all 45 tickets had sold at $140 apiece. I didnt even have a chance to promote it, she said. They plan to have another dinner next year maybe two. Anyone who cant make it to Windsor or Santa Rosa still has a chance of tasting Younger. It will be poured at various events during San Francisco Beer Week, including the opening gala Friday, the Double IPA Festival at the Bistro in Hayward Saturday, and Celebration of Craft at Trumer in Berkeley on Feb. 15. The following bars will have Younger on draft at some point: Toronado, City Beer Store and Pi Bar in San Francisco; Ben & Nicks, Catos and the Good Hop in Oakland; and Hop Grenade in Concord. Bottles will be available only at the Russian River brewpubs. The allure of Younger may change as it becomes more widely available, but Cilurzo hopes that the brewerys fans will appreciate it. We know what was popular in 2010 is not necessarily the same as 2020, she said. People dont have to come to Santa Rosa to get great beer. We dont take that for granted. Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 19:16:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Suspending flights by some countries against the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations will not help contain the epidemic, but sow panic among the public, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Thursday. Spokeswoman Hua Chunying made the remarks at an online press briefing when asked to comment on some countries' decisions to suspend flights after the novel coronavirus outbreak. Hua said since the onset of the outbreak, the Chinese government has taken the most thorough and strict prevention and control measures, and such measures are showing positive effects. The WHO lauded China's strong measures and stressed many times that it disapproves of and even opposes imposing travel or trade restrictions on China, said Hua. The ICAO has also issued bulletins and encouraged all countries to follow WHO recommendations. "We are dissatisfied with and oppose some countries going against the WHO's professional recommendations and ICAO bulletins, and have lodged solemn representations with them," she said. Actions of those countries have gravely disrupted normal personnel exchanges, international cooperation and the order of international air transportation market, Hua said. China urges the countries to think carefully and not to overreact nor restrict flights operated by airlines of both sides, keeping bilateral relations and cooperation in mind, she added. "They should immediately correct their policies and wrongdoings in accordance with recommendations of the WHO and ICAO and take concrete actions to support China's battle against the epidemic," Hua said. PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-06 14:45:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 765 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CYPRESS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 6, 2020 / KushCo Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX:KSHB) ("KushCo" or the "Company"), today announced it has entered into definitive agreements with investors for the purchase and sale of 10,000,000 units, with each unit consisting of one share of common stock, par value $0.001 per share, and a warrant to purchase half a share of common stock, at an offering price of $1.60 per unit, pursuant to a registered direct offering. The warrants will have an exercise price of $2.00 per share, will be immediately exercisable and will expire five years from the date of issuance. The gross proceeds of the offering will be approximately $16 million before deducting placement agent fees and other estimated offering expenses. The Company intends to use the net proceeds for working capital and for other general corporate purposes. The closing of the registered direct offering is expected to take place on or about February 10, 2020, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners is acting as sole placement agent for the offering.This offering is being made pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-231019) previously filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). A prospectus supplement describing the terms of the proposed offering will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC's website located at http://www.sec.gov . Electronic copies of the prospectus supplement may be obtained, when available, from A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners, 590 Madison Avenue, 36th Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by telephone at (212) 624-2060, or by email at prospectus@ allianceg.com . Before investing in this offering, interested parties should read in their entirety the prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and the other documents that the Company has filed with the SEC that are incorporated by reference in such prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, which provide more information about the Company and such offering.This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.About KushCo HoldingsKushCo Holdings, Inc. (OTCQX: KSHB) ( www.kushco.com) is the premier producer of ancillary products and services to the legal cannabis and CBD industries. KushCo Holdings' subsidiaries and brands provide product quality, exceptional customer service, compliance knowledge and a local presence in serving its diverse customer base.Founded in 2010, KushCo Holdings has now sold more than 1 billion units to growers, processors and producers across North America, South America, and Europe.The Company has been featured in media nationwide, including CNBC, Fox News, Yahoo Finance, Cheddar, Los Angeles Times, TheStreet.com , and Entrepreneur, Inc Magazine. While KushCo Holdings provides products and solutions to customers in the cannabis and CBD industries, it has no direct involvement with the cannabis plant or any products that contain THC.For more information, visit www.kushco.com or call (888) 920-5874.Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release may include predictions, estimates or other information that might be considered forward-looking within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements regarding the intended terms of the offering, the use of any proceeds from the offering and the expected closing date of the offering. While these forward-looking statements represent the Company's current judgments, they are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the opinions of the Company's management only as of the date of this release. Please keep in mind that the Company is not obligating itself to revise or publicly release the results of any revision to these forward-looking statements in light of new information or future events. When used herein, words such as: "potential," "look forward," "expect," "believe," "dedicated," "building," or variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in any forward-looking statements made by the Company herein are often discussed in filings the Company makes with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), available at: www.sec.gov , and on the Company's website, at: www.kushco.com KushCo Holdings ContactInvestor Contact:Najim Mostamand, CFADirector of Investor Relations714-539-7653ir@ kushco.com SOURCE: KushCo Holdings, Inc. Syrian forces have fought to open a highway linking the capital, Damascus, with the northern city of Aleppo, Syrias largest. Rebels have kept the highway shut down since 2012, and Saraqeb is the last major rebel-held town in their way. The town also sits at the intersection of another major highway that links eastern and western Syria. BELGRADE, Serbia - The European Unions proposed new system for adding members is meant to reinstate the blocs influence in the Western Balkans, the blocs enlargement commissioner said Thursday. There are worries that if the EU doesnt do more to attract countries in the Balkans, then some may look to bolster relations with Russia and China. The bloc is already under pressure after losing the diplomatic and geopolitical clout of Britain, which left the bloc last weekend. EU commissioner, Oliver Varhelyi, who started his tour of the region in Serbia, said he wants to reinforce the EUs leverage. With the new commission, EU enlargement policy and involvement with the Western Balkans is ever a greater priority, Varhelyi said. His visit comes a day after the European Commission proposed to streamline rules to avoid further delays in the membership applications of potential EU aspirants. The EU is pushing changes to the system it uses to add new members in a move that should make the opening of enlargement talks easier for the Balkan nations. North Macedonia and Albania were left aghast when their hopes of starting accession talks late last year were dashed, with France insistent that the enlargement process was revamped first. Serbia and Montenegro are considered the front runners for joining the 27-nation bloc. Over the past dozen years that were dominated by an economic crisis and the migrants crisis, the appetite for taking in new, poorer nations has dwindled within the EU. The EU hasnt added a member state since Croatia joined in 2013. It started out with six nations in 1958 and lost its first member state when Britain pulled out. A common experience in public schools is when some smart aleck decides to waste everyones time by pulling the fire alarm. The people in charge have to take it seriously. Thered be hell to pay if there was a fire and it was ignored. So, everybody has to file outside, usually in the rain or cold. Then the teachers have to check the whole school before the business of learning can resume. Or as close to learning as can be achieved in public schools these days. Since October, thats whats been going on in Washington. Nancy Pelosi decided it would be fun to pull the impeachment fire alarm. Weve all been standing outside in the cold since, with the Democrats giggling at all the trouble they caused and how cool they are. As more than a few have pointed out, the Democrats seem strangely scared of democracy lately. They wont accept the result of the last presidential election, and are making noises like they wont accept the next one either if it doesnt go the way they want. People notice that type of behavior. When Obama was elected, I commented to a friend that the best which could be expected from his administration would be four years of nonsense and a lot of bad laws to repeal. That proved optimistic. Obama lasted eight years, and weve barely made a start at cleaning up the legislative mess he left. But he was president, duly elected, for better or worse. We were stuck with him until the next election. The country had the opportunity in 2012 to trade in Obama for Romney, but Mitt didnt pass the smell test (and his odor hasnt improved since, to be honest). Republicans concluded that Romney was nothing more than Obama in whiteface and stayed home on election day. Perhaps they hoped that another four years of the affirmative action president would help race relations... Didnt work out that way. The point is that the way our system works gives a president a full term to govern. Then theres a performance review in the form of another election. There have been good presidents and bad presidents, and a whole lot of mediocre ones. But so far, weve been willing to afford them all four full years to show what they can do. And it takes quite a bit to make us cut that short. In fact, the closest weve come to tossing out a president between elections was Nixon in 1974. And he actually resigned before it got to that point. I was too young at the time to really pay attention, but I suspect Nixons problem was a combination of stepping on too many toes in Washington and getting the blame for losing the Vietnam war. Vietnam was the first war we lost, and the country was going to take it out on somebody. Nixon was in the wrong place at the wrong time, regardless of how crooked or how competent he was. The next impeachment was Clinton, for whom I was old enough and engaged enough to watch and learn from. There is no doubt that Slick Willy was guilty of everything he was impeached for, and more. Still, in retrospect, we shouldnt have bothered. At that point the American people knew how corrupt and incompetent Bill Clinton was, but the economy was still riding the Reagan boom and the next guy would be along in a couple of years. Granted, Clinton and his cronies were sowing the seeds of disasters which wouldnt show up for years, but we didnt know that then. So, he got a pass. Which brings us to the present tantrum the Democrats have been throwing about Trump. The biggest problem Democrats have with Trump is that hes a winner in almost every sense of the word. Trump is one of those rare individuals who is successful whatever he tries his hand at. Fortunately, Trump loves this country and decided to help fix whats wrong with it. Perhaps its true what Otto von Bismarck said: God takes care of fools, drunks and the United States of America. The American voter is smarter than politicians tell themselves. We might go along with some stupid stuff (ObamaCare, solar power subsidies, and low-flush toilets) simply because its too much trouble to try and stop before they collapse under the weight of their own foolishness. But, if you think were going to go along with tossing out the first president in thirty years who actually listens to us, and is doing a great job in the process, you dont really have a firm grasp on reality. People can see that Trumps impeachment is nothing more than a cheap political stunt, and a childish one at that. Were not going to trade in a winner for that lying bunch of losers. In America, if a party loses an election, theyre supposed to use the time until the next one to figure out what they did wrong. If we, as a populace, elected the wrong man, well figure that out on our own. And if you, as a political party, havent learned your lesson by the time the next election rolls around, we might just decide to stick with that reprobate until you come up with someone we like better. What really pisses us off is when you try to pull some cheap, nasty trick like impeaching a president who not only hasnt done anything wrong but is doing a bang-up job. It shows that you really dont understand how thing are supposed to work. It also shows that you are pathetic losers, and sore losers at that. Impeachment is serious stuff, Nancy. The founders put it in the Constitution for when the president is an actual threat to the republic, not just a threat to your job. So dont screw around with it when its not really needed. Keep that crap up and youll get sent to the principals office come November. (left) and Alamasieyegha More funds looted from the toll of Nigeria will be brought back home soon, Attorney General of the Federation Mr. Abubakar Malami has said. It is believed that several billions of oars stolen from Nigerias treasury by corrupt politicians and businessmen are sashed away abroad, where help to develop their hot economies. Malami said the Federal Government has intensified negotiations with relevant international agencies and countries to effect the repatriations. According to him, the looted funds expected include money confiscated from convicted former governor of Delta State, James Ibori; former governor of Bayelsa State, the late DSP Alamieyeseigha, money seized from former Petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke; and money looted by the late Head of State Gen Sani Abacha from whom several tranches of money had been returned to Nigeria from Switzerland, US and now Jersey Island. He said the latest Abacha loot being expected from Jersey Island was not the last of the Abacha loot. More will still come, he explained. Malami explained on Channels TV Politics Today that the recently inked agreement with the U.S. and the Island of Jersey for the repatriation of 318.4 million dollars looted by former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha was just one in a series of such efforts to bring home looted funds. The money coming from Jersey Island will hit Nigeria account in the next 45 days, he said. Malami spoke from Washington where he was part of the Nigerian team that signed the agreement with US and Island of Jersey on modalities for returning the Abacha loot. According to him the consortium of international lawyers who worked on the Abacha loot repatriation would not receive any commission above 5 percent of the total money. This, he said, was made possible by President Muhammadu Buhari who nullified the former practice of lawyers getting as high as between 25-40 percent of the recovered money. Under Buhari, it's 5 percent or less, he emphasized. Mr Ferdinand Nwonye, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier in a statement explained that the latest Abacha funds are to be used to fund three major projects, namely, the Lagos-Ibadan Express way, the Abuja Kano Expressway and the Second Niger Bridge. He said that the projects will be supervised by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform that the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the United States of America and the Island of Jersey today, Feb.3, at the U.S Department of States, Washington DC. Signed a tripartite agreement for the repatriation of the sum of 318. 4 million dollars being an amount looted and starched away by former Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha. The agreement which was signed by the Attorney General of the Federation Mr. Abubakar Malami on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, Mr. Mark Temple, Assistant Solicitor General of the Island of Jersey on behalf of the Island. And Mr. Kevin Drisioil, Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the US Department of Justice on behalf of the Government of the United States was witnessed by the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama. And his counterparts from the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment; Humanitarian Affairs, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, the National Security Adviser. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Group Managing Director of NNPC, and the Nigerian Ambassador to the United States of America, among others, Nwonye stated. On April 5, 1976, a white teenager swung a flagpole bearing the American flag at a black man in Boston. The 17-year-old, Joseph Rakes, was at a protest against busing the citys attempt to accelerate the desegregation of schools. The man left bleeding at the other end of the flagpole was 29-year-old lawyer and Civil Rights activist Ted Landsmark. Landsmark found himself in the unfortunate position of being a black man between a racist and the country that racist loves; the country over which he appointed himself sentry. Rakes drove all of America into the black mans body in order to bring black rights to heel, rid his city of black resistance, and maintain white supremacy. Liberals rush to exclude from their tally of patriots the countless men like Rakes who have managed to hold both the love for their country and anti-black violence in the same embrace. Racists are not patriots, their story goes. If Rakes thought his love for his country and race-hatred were compatible, he was mistaken. True patriotism, they argue, requires a love for Americans; all Americans. Bad patriotism, they say, is the minutemen, is forcing detained immigrant women to drink out of toilet bowls. Good patriotism is the bureaucrats who bar entry and ensure orderly deportation. Bad patriotism is colonists goose-stepping throughout the world to the tune of Rule, Britannia! Good patriotism is praising as brave uniformed men and women launching drone attacks at ill-equipped teenage insurgents standing without armour before the unseen terror in the sky. True patriotism and good patriotism are half-hearted attempts to launder xenophobia and ethnocentrism. It legitimises discrimination against foreigners on the basis of their foreignness. Good patriotism believes the country is rolling hills and blowing wheat fields and not the occupation of natural space, not an institution that declared itself to be theWhite Mans Country where the [negro] had no rights which the white man is bound to respect. For the patriot, all history is revisionist history. The constitution becomes a document that has always harboured within it a promise of liberty that was to be perfected and extended outward, generation after generation. It is not the blueprint for a democratised white supremacy despite how its project eventually played out. George Washingtons enslavement and pursuit of Ona Judge was merely an unfortunate oversight by a man who was otherwise committed to the pursuit of liberty. Good patriotism can imagine racism is peripheral to the institution of the country because good patriotism is racist. The lives crushed beneath the tractor wheels of a founded country always matter less than the political ramblings of the men in the drivers seat. Patriotism in imperialist and settler countries despite labour-intensive attempts by liberals to sanitise their colony is racist. It is racist in all countries but it is especially racist in colonising countries. It is a celebrated devotion to the act of wresting land from Indigenous peoples. The settlers country does not exist. It is an act of dispossession repeated day after day which if not interrupted produces an illusion of being a home. The conservative patriot, confronting a country imperfectly ethnically cleansed, is called to look at the Indigenous who remain as objects of hatred, an enemy population or, at the very least, the inconvenient hangers-on of a time before settlement. He stops the Palestinian at the gate of her rights, referencing the Nation-State Law that reassures him that the country was meant for his race only. He rushes out to help strip the Muslim of her protections, erases her mosques in India or her memory in China to cleanse society of cultures that have been forced into foreignness. If he is Indigenous himself, he assimilates fully and, as self-appointed ambassador, places Indigenous cultures around the neck of the state like a garland. Without exception, beneath every act of far-right violence, you will unearth patriotic sentiment. There is no far-right anti-immigration activist in Europe, America or South Africa who does not consider himself or herself to be the quintessence of patriotism. And they are not wrong. The good patriot denies their bad patriot countrymen. Every nationalist-racist assault is out of character for the nation, they say. It is un-American. It is un-American even when the American flag is used as the weapon. When pushed to confront a bad patriots violence, liberals suddenly adopt the argument of gun rights activists: patriotism doesnt kill people; people kill people. Every attack is committed by misguided, racist actors who have perverted true patriotism with their biases and prejudices. But ask them why a human being should be judged not by the content of their character but by the coordinates of their birth. Ask them why ones placement on one side of an arbitrary border should be the sole deciding factor in whether they should be loved and endowed with privileges or kept away. Ask them, and they are silent. Or they mumble thats just the way things are under their breath, albeit with less conviction than those who argued that blacks should be kept in bondage because it was what God intended. Patriotism calls the patriot to suspend recognition of the non-citizens equality and to regard their presence with suspicion if not anger. It is a cult of exclusion. In our current moment of imperialist excitement, patriotism is not above mustering up a defence for murder. American journalists, politicians and presidential candidates dust off their most jingoistic of rhetorical inventions: American blood, and in concert declare that Qassem Soleimani had American blood on his hands, in order to temper discomfort with murder done out in the open. Human blood is nationalised when foreigners are marked for death but is stateless when drawn out by police firing. Whatever American blood might be, it certainly does not pour out of a black woman said to have been reaching for her mobile phone. No officers bring home shot black mens bodies to their mothers in caskets draped in the flag; they are more likely to be left in the street. The counterargument that patriotism can sometimes achieve some social good holds up no stronger than the argument that white supremacy encourages white men to be good fathers. Patriotism decides which sorts of people deserve to be treated well and who should be denied privileges due to nothing other than who they are. The counter that there are good patriotisms and these should not be confused and thrown out with the bad is not persuasive either. Every good that patriotism inspires is, if nothing else, discriminatory. It is discriminatory by definition. And this includes all patriotisms, including those believed to be anti-imperialist. It is difficult to imagine any country without a population that is not trying to slip out of the states commanding grasp. What Nasser-inspired anti-colonial nationalism has not called black Iraqis, black Libyans, black Moroccans, black Palestinians hayawan (brute) from the side of its mouth? Ted Landsmark was not the first black person to be pierced by a country. He was not the first to be covered in blood by a man who thought a non-whites bleeding was tantamount to national defence. I am not the only black tourist who has turned the corner into a neighbourhood blanketed with flags and known at once that I was not safe. I know of Colonial Marines, black freedmen and escapees who burned Washington to the ground in a sight that so distressed a patriot he penned the words that would become the US anthem: No refuge could save the hireling and slave from the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave. And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave I know that secreted in the US national anthem is a threat of racial intimidation; a hate crime. I know the flag that drove into Ted Landsmark still demands of blacks a doffed cap and a show of deference. If not, it drives black teenagers out of school and star athletes from the field. No, I am not a patriot. I am one of the 100s of millions of black people who are the victims of patriotism. No appeal to race-neutral founding documents or ideals, no revisionist claim of an imperfect-but-perfecting union papers over the fact that Thomas Jefferson owned a slave. And while founding fathers slaves are footnotes in white supremacist-patriotic tellings of history they are the whole story in mine. Patriotism is racist. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. A 55-year-old man who had been treated for coronavirus under quarantine at the National Medical Center was released on Wednesday afternoon after making a full recovery. He was the second confirmed case of the disease in Korea and was hospitalized about two weeks ago. "All his symptoms disappeared on Sunday and no traces of the virus were detected in two separate tests conducted 24 hours apart," a hospital spokesman said. The patient had a high fever and pneumonia but started to recover after being administered the antiviral HIV drug Kaletra. But his doctor said, "It's too early to say whether antiviral medication played a decisive role in his recovery." Marina Deetz, 20, a teacher's assistant from Florida, has been charged with possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia after a teenager's overdose death An elementary school teachers aide from Florida has been arrested on drug charges after police say she sold fentanyl to two teenage boys, one of whom later died of an overdose. Marina Deetz, 20, was arrested on Wednesday at her apartment in New Port Richey on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia and two counts of possession/delivery of a controlled substance. Police launched an investigation into Deetz after an 18-year-old boy overdosed on drugs this week. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that can be up to 50 times stronger than heroine and 100 times stronger than morphine. America's opioid addiction crisis has been fueled by deadly manufactured drugs like fentanyl. According to an arrest affidavit cited by the station WTSP, a 17-year-old boy told police he and his 18-year-old friend had gone to Deetz's apartment and procured fentanyl from the Moon Lake Elementary School employee. In exchange, the teens gave Deetz cocaine and $50, the witness alleged. The two young men stayed at the teaching assistants apartment, where Deetz allegedly cut the cocaine and fentanyl on black dishes, and all three of them snorted the powder through a blue straw. Deetz is suspected of selling two boys, ages 17 and 18, fentanyl in exchange for cocaine and $50. The woman admitted to snorting cocaine with the teens but denied giving them fentanyl When police later searched the woman's home, they reportedly found the dishes, the straw and baggies that tested positive for fentanyl, as well as a rubber container with a substance that tested positive for heroin. Under questioning, Deetz admitted to using cocaine with the teenagers but denied giving them fentanyl. The Pasco County Sheriffs Office has not released any information about the 18-year-old who died, citing an ongoing investigation. Court records indicate that Deetz was charged with burglary with aggravated battery/assault in October 2019, but prosecutors dismissed the case two months later. SHENZHEN, China/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - China's biggest telecommunications equipment maker will square off in court against the No. 1 U.S. wireless carrier over whether Verizon Communications Inc should pay Huawei Technologies Co Ltd for patent infringement. Late Wednesday, Huwaei sued Verizon in two U.S. District courts in Texas, alleging the company used 12 Huawei patents without authorization in areas such as computer networking, download security and video communications. The suit sought an unspecified amount of compensation and ongoing royalty payments. Verizon on Thursday called the lawsuits "nothing more than a PR stunt" and "a sneak attack on our company and the entire tech ecosystem." Huawei said in a statement it "is simply asking that Verizon respect Huawei's investment in research and development by either paying for the use of our patents, or refraining from using them in its products and services." Verizon's statement said: "Huaweis real target is not Verizon; it is any country or company that defies it. The action lacks merit, and we look forward to vigorously defending ourselves." Huawei alleged Verizon has "profited greatly" from its technology. It said the U.S. company's Wireline segment, which covers voice, data and video communications products, generated revenue of $29.8 billion in 2018. Huawei and Verizon held six face-to-face meetings over the matter since February last year, according to the lawsuits. Huawei said it met with Verizon in New York on Jan. 21 "but there was no substantial progress and thus no licensing agreement was reached." Huawei said Verizon is providing access to infringing technologies and services that use Huawei patented technology, "such as Cisco Integrated Service Routers, Aggregation Services Routers, Network Convergence Systems, Nexus Switches, Catalyst Switches, and Clouds Services Router 1000v series, which facilitate communications throughout Verizons networks." Story continues In June, Reuters reported Huawei told Verizon it should pay licensing fees for use of more than 230 Huawei patents and was seeking more than $1 billion. The Chinese company decided to take action for 12 patents because it considered evidence clearest and that number was manageable for the litigation, a person told Reuters. Huawei in December also sued the U.S. Federal Communications Commission after the FCC designated the company a security threat, which Huawei denies, and barred it from a government subsidy program. Huawei has received more than $1.4 billion in patent license fees since 2015 and paid over $6 billion for use of patented technology, the company said. (Reporting by David Kirton in Shenzhen, China and David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Christopher Cushing and David Gregorio) Police escort an alleged member of Neo-JMB, a faction of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), during sentencing of suspects in the deadly Holey Artisan terrorist attack in Dhaka, Nov. 27, 2019. Indian authorities have narrowly missed capturing the chief of the Bangladeshi militant group JMB after tracking his movements in recent weeks to communities near the Bangladesh border in West Bengal state, a ranking Indian security official said Wednesday. Salahuddin Salehin is wanted for murder in Bangladesh and for a bomb blast at an Indian temple in 2018. He fled to India after escaping from a prison van in 2014 when militants mounted a daring daylight rescue that killed a police officer and wounded two others. We raided three places. He fled at the last moment, an official with the Indian National Intelligence Agency (NIA) told BenarNews on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. Salehin remains at large, he said. Salehin has been hiding in the districts bordering Bangladesh, the official said, adding that Indian counter-terrorist agents had pursued his trail in the districts of Cochbihar, North Dinajpur, Maldah, Murshidabad and Nadia, where they believe he took on a new alias. Bangladeshi police have offered a 500,000 taka ($5,900) reward for Salehins capture, while the website of New Delhi-based NIA includes him on its Most Wanted list, providing details about his extremist activities and showing his photographs. It is assumed that Salehin, along with fellow militant leader Zahidul Islam (alias Boma Mizan) opened a newer faction of the JMB, naming it Jamaatul Mujahideen India or JMI, the NIA website said. Suspected members of the militant group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) stunned Bangladeshi authorities on Feb. 23, 2014 when they attacked a police van transporting Salehin, his fellow death-row inmate Rakib Hasan and Zahidul Islam, who was serving a life sentence. The van was transporting the three men from a high-security jail to their court hearing in Mymensingh, about 120 km (75 miles) north of Dhaka, when the attackers blocked its path using a van, lobbed explosives and opened fire with rifles. Hasan was re-captured but local media quoted police as saying that he was killed in a gunbattle on the same day. A government inquiry concluded that police officers were involved in helping the three prisoners escape. A high-ranking official of the Kolkata polices special task force corroborated the NIA officials accounts to BenarNews, saying suspected associates of Salehin during interrogation had recenlty confirmed that the Bangladeshi militant was operating in southern India. Salehin (alias Hafizur Rahman Sheikh or Mahin) had hideouts in the south Indian states of Kerala, Karnataka and Chennai, said the official, who did not want to be identified for security reasons. There, he [Salehin] has been involved in preparing a module for the JMB, he said. Bangladesh officials also told BenarNews on Wednesday that Salehin was hiding in India. We are also aware of Salahuddin Salehins activities in India, said Saiful Islam, the Bangladeshi polices deputy commissioner for counter-terrorism and transnational crimes. We have information that Salehin has been active in spreading the activities of the militant outfit in India. Here in Bangladesh, he has some followers who maintain links with him, Islam said. After escaping from Bangladesh, Salehin tried to make the JMB as a regional militant outfit named Jamaatul Mujahideen India or JMI, he said. In July 2017, a propaganda publication for JMI, Saham Al Hind, published an interview with Salehin, who bragged that he was capable of organizing a militant group in India. Bangladeshi police say Salehin faces at least 40 charges across the county. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 2013 for the killing of a Christian named Hridoy Roy in 2005 in Jamalpur district. Militant group claims responsibility JMB claimed responsibility for a nationwide wave of near-simultaneous bombings on Aug. 17, 2005 in Bangladesh. The bombs, mostly detonators or without explosive charges, killed two people, forcing the government to admit the presence of militants in the South Asian nation. Kamruzzaman, an assistant inspector-general at the Dhaka police headquarters, told BenarNews on Wednesday that Salehin was one of the 700 people suspected of involvement in the explosions. Before those blasts, the government of then-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia repeatedly accused the media of publishing cooked and fabricated stories about the presence of extremists in the country. But the bombings catapulted JMB onto the national consciousness. Despite attempts to crush the group, it recently gave rise to a new faction, Neo-JMB, whose members align themselves with the Islamic State. Neo-JMB was involved in Bangladeshs deadliest terror attack at a Dhaka cafe in 2016. Authorities said Salehim had no links to that siege that left 29 people dead, most of them foreigners. Indian authorities, however, had filed charges against Salehin, accusing him of participating in the 2014 explosion that killed two people at a rented two-story house in the Burdwan district of West Bengal state. Counter-terror officials in New Delhi also believe Salehim and JMB members were involved in low-intensity explosion at a Buddhist pilgrimage site in Indias northeastern Bihar state on Jan. 19, 2018, when Tibets spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, was visiting the area. No casualties were reported in the explosion and West Bengal police said they arrested two suspected JMB members. Police said they could not confirm whether the bombs were intended to target the Dalai Lama. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/2/2020 (705 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Nacho cheese and not your truck. Thats the gist of a recent Manitoba RCMP social media post that led to the identification of a suspect and alleged Doritos aficionado after a pickup truck was stolen Jan. 11 in Gladstone. A recent Manitoba RCMP social media post led to the identification of a suspect and alleged Doritos aficionado after a pickup truck was stolen Jan. 11 in Gladstone. The post has since been removed. (RCMP Twitter) "Know anyone with a large skull tattoo who also loves Nacho Cheese Doritos?" reads the post, accompanied by surveillance footage of the suspect. One of the pictures shows a woman walking into a business; on her upper chest, a large skull tattoo is visible. Additional photos show her with a bag of Nacho Cheese Doritos chips. "If you do, call us because this suspect may have stolen a truck in Gladstone on January 11. Need to speak to her about the truck thing & why she chose Nacho Cheese over Cool Ranch!" the post continued. The Manitoba RCMP communications team published the post Tuesday on its social media accounts: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The post went viral and was seen by more than 600,000 people. Within hours, police received more than 40 tips identifying the suspect. Poll Loading... Which flavour of Doritos do you prefer? Cool Ranch Nacho Cheese Which flavour of Doritos do you prefer? Cool Ranch 32% (112 votes) Nacho Cheese 68% (243 votes) Total Votes: 355 View ResultsHide Results Its just one example of how in recent years the Mounties have deployed social media, and a little humour along the way, to crack cases and lessen the burden on front-line officers. "The days of wanted posters on telephone poles are long gone. In some sense, social media is now almost akin to that," said Robert Cyrenne, Manitoba RCMP director of communications and media relations. "When you see these cases and how quickly we can help front-line officers, its both surprising and rewarding. Traditionally, were meant to communicate with the public, and we can still do that. We can communicate with the public and help front-line operations." In 2019, the Mounties began tracking how many cases they were able to close as a result of police social media use. In total, 31 people turned themselves in, or were identified and arrested, after appearing in an RCMP post. On Wednesday, Manitoba RCMP published a post about a man accused of assaulting a young child. Less than two hours later and 10 minutes before he spoke to the Free Press Cyrenne said the man walked into the Thompson detachment and turned himself in. Another #WantedWed success! Within an hour of this being published, Mervin Tait walked into the Thompson RCMP Detachment and turned himself in. Thank you for your assistance. #rcmpmb pic.twitter.com/udShLrOdNY RCMP Manitoba (@rcmpmb) February 5, 2020 "When we first started with this approach, we werent tracking it, but we did start seeing missing people being found, people turning themselves in quickly after social media posts. But those were just anecdotal stories. We didnt have a metric to show social media is a valuable tool to assist in investigations," Cyrenne said. "In 2019, we decided to track... the cases where we dont issue a news release, and we can actually track the outcome back to our social media feed... In June and July, we posted six people and all of them either turned themselves in or we received a tip leading to their arrest." In addition, the Mounties have begun studying how the tone of a post can help, or hinder, the number of views. For a post that deploys more traditional police language, Cyrenne said the RCMP generally reaches 30,000 to 50,000 people across their platforms. But when they throw some humour into the mix, the message can reach more than 500,000. "The tone is always so important to us. The No. 1 philosophy is we never want to embarrass someone or make them feel uncomfortable. The focus isnt on the person. We also dont want to make light of the situation or the person in any way. We dont know the background, we dont know what led to this, and its an alleged crime at this point," Cyrenne said. Roughly four years ago, Manitoba RCMP decided to change its approach. Since then, theyve hired a social media expert to join the communications team and expanded their reach from roughly 10,000 followers to more than 220,000. Officers need to do investigative work; that will never not be the case. But what were studying is: Whats the role of social media in a modern police force? Robert Cyrenne, Manitoba RCMP director of communications and media relations. The impact is exemplified, Cyrenne said, by a 2017 missing persons case. A 37-year-old woman went missing Dec. 12, 2017, leading officers to search addresses in Thompson, Flin Flon, The Pas, York Landing and Winnipeg, among other communities. Despite those efforts, she wasnt found. 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. On Dec. 28, the RCMP communications team got involved, issuing a post on social media. Within four hours, the woman was safely located. Cyrenne said the Mounties will continue to experiment, as they try to figure out how social media can be best be used to help front-line officers. "Officers need to do investigative work; that will never not be the case. But what were studying is: Whats the role of social media in a modern police force? Because, yes, its about sharing the work our officers do, for sure, and engaging with the community," he said. "But... we definitely also view it as a valuable tool to assist investigations. And that levity and those jokes, those memes, thats all to grow our audience." ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @rk_thorpe Centres appeal against the Delhi High Courts verdict confirming the stay on the execution of the four death row convicts in the Delhi gang rape and murder case will be heard by the Supreme Court on Friday. The matter was mentioned for urgent listing on Thursday before a bench made up of Justices N V Ramana, Sanjiv Khanna and Krishna Murari. Watch: This is delay tactics: Delhi gangrape victims mother breaks down in court Centre pleaded that despite the fact that review petitions of all four convicts have been dismissed and curative petitions and mercy pleas of three have been rejected, none could be executed due to the High Courts stay. The Delhi HC had on Wednesday ruled that all the four convicts have to be executed together in line with a trial courts verdict. It also set a weeks deadline for the four convicts to avail the remaining remedies. The court had added that the institutions or authorities concerned will deal with the matter, as per the law, without further delay if the convicts choose not to avail of the legal options available. The Delhi High Court had also slammed the administration for the inexplicable delay in issuing death warrants after the Supreme Court dismissed convicts appeals in 2017. The Centre has challenged the HC verdict in the apex court following an outcry from several sections of the society, including the mother of the victim, who had expressed fears that her daughters rapist-murderers may not be hanged ever due to exploitation of legal loopholes by convicts counsels. She had expressed her frustration after a Delhi trial court stayed the execution of all four convicts -- Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31) indefinitely. The trial court has asked the four convicts to respond by Friday to a plea by Tihar jail authorities seeking fresh date of their execution. Tihar jail authorities have pleaded for fresh black warrants citing dismissal of mercy petitions of three convicts by the President of India and absence of any pending application by convicts before courts. Pawan Gupta is the only convict who has not yet filed a curative petition which is the last legal remedy available to him, after which he has the option of filing a mercy plea before the President of India. The Tihar jail authorities have also argued that since the convicts have been given a weeks time to exhaust their legal options, it would be fitting for the court to fix a new date for their execution. The trial court had first issued black warrants on January 7 and fixed January 22 as the day for execution, which was later postponed to February 1 and later postponed indefinitely. The case pertains to brutal gang-rape and subsequent murder of a 22-year-old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, in south Delhi. Six people including the four convicts, Ram Singh and a juvenile -- were named as accused in the case. The trial of the five adults began in a fast-track court in March 2013 and Ram Singh allegedly committed suicide soon after in Tihar Jail, while Mukesh, Vinay, Akshay and Pawan were sentenced to death in September 2013. - NDC refutes claims John Mahama was bribed in the Airbus saga - According to the NDC, the name of the GO1 is unimportant in the subject matter - Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The opposition National Democratic Congress( NDC) say the identity of the former government official who is alleged to have taken bribe in what has become the Airbus scandal as immaterial. The NDC also rejected allegation by the government NPP that, the unnamed government official in the document is former president John Dramani Mahama. First, no ex-government official of Ghana is cited in any part of the approved judgments for receiving a bribe or committing any offense, Sammy Gyamfi National Communication Officer of the party said at a press conference in Accra on Thursday, February 6. READ ALSO: Doctors at Korle Bu flee hospital over suspected coronavirus case Mr. Gyamfi stated that the name of the said government is really unimportant to the matter at hand. We [NDC] can state with a large degree of certainty that the UK SFO would have stated that bribes were paid to the said GO1 if they had found so in their investigations, he said. He added that to the extent that the said Government Official 1 is not cited for any offence in any of the approved judgement, his or her identity is completely immaterial. A recent Airbus bribery scandal stated that some top Ghanaian officials who were in office between 2009 and 2015 received bribes from Airbus in exchange of a contract from the government of Ghana. ATTENTION: Read the best news on Ghana #1 news app. Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana Even though the ruling by the UK and US courts did not mention specific names, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is alleging the NDC flag bearer, John Mahama is the said GoG official. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: 2 foreign nationals test negative According to the NPP, they believe John Maham is involved in the scandal because he served as Vice President and President during the period in question. But the NDC disagrees and says its an indecent haste to pass judgement. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Ghanas legislature has directed the body that supervises legal education in the country to remark the 2019 Law school entrance exams. A proposal from the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs has noted that based on the controversies that surround the 2019 Ghana School of Law entrance exams, the GLC must consider remarking all scripts. The suggestion from parliament follows a petition from students who wrote the last exams to the president and parliament. Faces of Ghana: Art is Lucrative But Not Appreciated-Ghanas Incredible 3DMotion Designer| #Yencomgh READ ALSO: Queen Elizabeth becomes 5th longest reigning monarch in the world 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 Prince Harry left the country on 'bad terms with his brother' after he and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals, a source has claimed. The rift is said to have begun in 2017 when Prince William warned his younger sibling he was 'moving too fast' with Meghan Markle, People magazine reports. 'They didn't leave on good terms by any means, but they are both relieved that it's over,' the source - described as a friend of the family - said. 'Perhaps [Meghan and Harry] didn't think things through exactly as they could have, but they wanted to be happy. Who can blame them for that?' Prince Harry left the country on 'bad terms with his brother' Prince William after he and his wife Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals and moved to Vancouver. Pictured: Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex at Canada House during their last public outing It comes amid reports that Prince William is desperately sad that the close relationship he once enjoyed with this younger brother has soured. Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan Markle, 38, are currently living in a 10 million Vancouver Island mansion as they plan their new life outside of The Firm, having stepped back from royal duties in January. The Duke of Cambridge, 37, has said he is unable to even 'put an arm round' his younger brother nowadays, after a rift saw them drift apart over the past year. Harry and Meghan's resignation as senior Royals has widened the gulf between the two siblings, with William understood to be 'incandescent' over his brother's blindsiding of the Family. The Duke of Cambridge, 37, has said he is unable to even 'put an arm round' his younger brother nowadays, after a rift saw them drift apart over the past year. They are pictured here with the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex in November 2018 The second-in-line to the throne confided in a friend his raw agony over the cracked sibling bond 'I've put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can't do that any more - we're separate entities,' he told a friend, according to a report in the Sunday Times last month. Harry and Meghan are believed to be enjoying their time since stepping back from royal duties and making the most of life in Canada. The couple are currently residing at the 10 million mansion on Vancouver Island and are said to be enjoying life in Canada They said they'd been enjoying taking long walks and doing yoga, while Meghan has been cooking. Last month, photographs showed the Duchess carrying her son as she walked through a park near the enormous mansion while wrangling her black Labrador Oz and beagle Guy. The Duchess was visibly enjoying walking in picturesque Horth Hill Park during her stay on Vancouver Island. She and Harry took a hike there on New Year's Day, before he flew back to London to sort out the details of their split from the Royal Family. It is now expected they will spend most of their time in North America, meaning Archie will have little contact with his cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis or his aunt and uncle, Kate and William. But while they're enjoying their time in Canada, the couple are also laying the groundwork for their own charity foundation. Another friend said the couple were on 'full throttle' and suggested they had big plans for the next year, with 'a lot happening in 2020'. It doesn't seem that the pair will be returning to the UK anytime soon, as last month, it was reported that the couple are 'hoping' to spend their summer in Los Angeles. It was also said that Meghan has been 'actively looking' for a manager or agent for future projects - two years after giving up her acting career to Marry Harry. Meghan quit her role in the US legal drama Suits in 2017 after becoming engaged to the Duke of Sussex and joining the Royal Family as a working member. But the couple have since stepped back as senior royals as they 'work to become financially independent'. There are at least eight India-first features that Google Maps boasts about. While the "two-wheeler mode" introduced first in the country shows trip routes that use "shortcuts" not accessible to cars and trucks, the "Stay Safer" feature alerts and notifies users travelling using public transport when their vehicle goes off-route, and also enables them to share the live status of their trips with friends and family. New Delhi, Feb 6 (IANS) By providing inspiration to numerous innovations, India has contributed greatly to improving Google Maps, a top executive said on Thursday. There are at least eight India-first features that Google Maps boasts about. While the "two-wheeler mode" introduced first in the country shows trip routes that use "shortcuts" not accessible to cars and trucks, the "Stay Safer" feature alerts and notifies users travelling using public transport when their vehicle goes off-route, and also enables them to share the live status of their trips with friends and family. "India has been a very very strong market for Google Maps and growing very strongly over the last several years as well," Jen Fitzpatrick, Senior Vice President, Google Maps, told reporters here via video conference from Google headquarters in Mountain View, California. "It's a country we are focused on. One of the things that we appreciate is that the insights that we have received from users in India have not only helped us build products there but also in many many other parts of the world as well," she added. There are several other India-first features like "Maps in Local languages". So based on the location, Google Maps displays points of interest, local listings, and road names in two languages. Dual labelling is available in 10 local languages including Hindi, Kannada, Punjabi, Malayalam, Gujarati, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Nepali. Voice navigation is available in seven Indian languages -- Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam. "Bus travel times from live traffic" feature enables commuters to know how long the bus trip will take, by factoring live traffic conditions. The feature is now live in Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune, Lucknow, Chennai, Mysore, Coimbatore and Surat, Google said. With the "Live train status for Indian Railways trains, Google Maps can now help users know when their train is going to arrive by indicating the real-time live running status. The feature was developed in partnership with the Where Is My Train app, which Google acquired. With the "Auto Rickshaw mode", Delhi commuters are able to view suggested routes for their ride, as well as the estimated auto-rickshaw fares, making it easier for people to plan their trips and pay the correct fare. In India, Google Maps also allows landmark-based navigation as it shows major landmarks on the route so that users can more intuitively navigate to their destination. This is especially useful for two-wheeler users as the additional context frees them from checking the phone on the go. The "dining deals" on Google Maps enables users to find great dining deals, and claim them at restaurants across 11 Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Chennai, Kolkata, Goa, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Hyderabad. There are several other India-inspired features such as "Offline Maps" which enables users to get turn-by-turn driving directions, search for specific destinations, and find useful information about places ? like hours of operation, contact information and ratings -- all without an Internet connection. All one needs to do is downloads the map they need. "We do have ads on the Google Maps experience - ads are there in the search context and we are promoting pins on the map which we are doing in few other formats as well," Fitzpatrick said. "When we introduce these ads into the maps experience, we try to make sure that we do that in a way which is deeply respectful of the user experience experience and useful addition to the users in the maps," she added. TROY The city and Rensselaer County have reached agreement on moving ahead with the delayed construction of the $10 million South Troy Industrial Road project, Mayor Patrick Madden said Wednesday night. The terms have been agreed to and the checks have been cut. I anticipate a closing in a matter of days, Madden, a Democrat, told an audience of about 125 people attending his fifth state-of-the-city address at Loft 433 in the Hedley Building. The city has been waiting since September for County Executive Steve McLaughlin and the county Industrial Development Agency to sign closing documents to allow the city to build the road across two sections of county-owned property near Main Street. McLaughlin had held off signing, saying he had concerns the road could affect development of county-owned property north of the Rensselaer County Jail and whether the road would even be built. We believe that we have an agreement that will allow the city to follow through on their to begin this project which is 25 years in the making. At the same time, the county and the city reached a firm agreement for an end date to the project, said Richard Crist, county director of operations and a spokesman for McLaughlin, a Republican. The city has agreed to complete the project by June 2021, Madden said. The county had concerns about the project being completed after 25 years of false starts, the mayor said. The city will go out to bid in a matter of weeks, Madden said. This will open the way to building the road and removing tractor-trailers from South Troys residential neighborhoods. Residents launched a letter-writing campaign to try to convince McLaughlin to sign off on the project so they wouldnt have to bear the fumes and vibrations from the heavy truck traffic. City Hall search Also Wednesday, the mayor said the city will launch a search for a new City Hall site this year. The city is renting space on the fifth floor of the Hedley Building at 433 River St. for city government, its second rental location since moving out of the former City Hall site at 1 Monument Square nearly a decade ago so it could be razed to encourage downtown development. The city is working on its fifth attempt to redevelop the 1.2-acre site between the square and the Hudson River. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Since the ill-fated decision to demolish our last City Hall, our seat of government has endured a nomadic existence. This has proven problematic in a number of ways when issues of broad concern need to be debated and discussed, Madden said. The city hopes to hire a real estate consultant to assist in assessing operational needs, financial capacity and possible locations, Madden said. The city has strengthened its financial situation enough that it can now consider owning instead of renting space for its government, he said. Madden said this move is not a commitment to building a new City Hall in the near future, but a step toward creating a new center for government operations. Theres been an ongoing debate about building a new City Hall ever since city government moved from 1 Monument Square to the former Verizon Building at 1776 Sixth St. and then to its current location in the Hedley Building. Council President Carmella Mantello named a committee in 2016 to consider possible locations. The issue has repeatedly been raised in city elections each year since the move from 1 Monument Square. The Troy Record Building, the Italian Community Center and the Troy Savings Bank Music Halls bank office space have all been considered possible locations for city government. But each had its drawbacks, ranging from costs to convert buildings to government use and inadequate size. When Pamela Hunter's young daughter Ransom was diagnosed with a neurological condition called sensory processing disorder, Hunter noticed that Ransom was often calmed when draped in a homemade woven blanket. "I tested it out on her and immediately we saw her body relax," Hunter says. In the years since, Hunter launched Sheltered Co., a Los Angeles company that sells hand-woven, large, slightly heavy blankets made from sustainable materials. So-called weighted blankets are having a moment, as doctors and celebrities sing the praises of these hefty textiles. Some claim weighted blankets can help people with autism, sensory difficulties, restless legs, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and other ailments. But what exactly do they do? And are they safe for kids? The theory around weighted blankets is that they can help treat anxiety by relaxing the nervous system. "It's hypothesized that the deep pressure and more consistent sensory input provided by these weighted items reduces the level of arousal and stress which our body physiologically has," explains Dr. Amna Husain, pediatrician and founder of Pure Direct Pediatrics. It sounds complicated, but essentially, the soothing effects of a weighted blanket are similar to those you might feel upon receiving a hug when you're upset or anxious. Pediatric occupational therapist Natasha Bravo likens weighted blankets to baby swaddles. "When a baby is swaddled, they are experiencing evenly distributed pressure around the entire contour of their body which is calming and grounding," she says of the cocoon-like experience weighted blankets can provide. "Gentle consistent pressure can also impact breathing patterns into more deep and slower breaths." The blankets are being used in some educational settings, such as the Manhattan Children's Center, a school for autism education, to help children feel calm and focused and to improve their sleep. Indeed, "weighted blankets seem to be the latest trend regarding sleep," Dr. Husain says. "I've seen claims from the fact that they increase serotonin to decreasing anxiety. I do find that it can help reduce restlessness so if you find yourself tossing and turning throughout the night, a weighted blanket might be a solution." Story continues But, she cautions, "the place of weighted blankets in pediatrics still has little data." She describes a 2014 European study that found weighted blankets were no more effective than regular blankets at improving total sleep time for children with autism. But anecdotally, they seem to work. "Children are more likely to prefer the weighted blanket, and parents more likely to rate their child's sleep as better and behavior as calmer," she says. However, occupational therapist Leah Hiller of Hiller Therapy doesn't recommend having kids sleep with weighted blankets. "Having a child sleep with something that's weighted, that's just not safe," she cautioned. If you're thinking of purchasing a weighted blanket, there are options at all price points. Some are filled with plastic pellets, others with glass beads. Or you can get hand-woven organic blankets from the likes of Sheltered Co. As for the weight, the general guideline is 5-10 percent of the user's body weight, max. "Too much weight can be unsafe, especially for children, who are still growing," said Hiller. In a therapeutic setting, Hiller notes that she limits the use of weighted objects for clients to about 10 to 15 minutes in one sitting. It's just not that effective after more time than that, she explains. "You don't have to have a diagnosis like sensory processing disorder or any other diagnosis to benefit from a weighted blanket," says pediatric occupational therapist Natasha Bravo. After all, anyone can benefit from a snuggle. But it's also worth remembering that you can probably experience the benefits of a weighted blanket without actually buying one. "The biggest risk may be investing in a blanket that may not actually deliver all the promises because that actually isn't what your unique sensory system is craving," says Hiller. "You could also get that input in a more 'active' manner like by going for a walk, rough-housing with your kids, or getting a really good big bear hug." 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 Fox News warns Fox News about spreading pro-Trump 'disinformation' on Ukraine The real State of the Union Trump's wall-building now involves blowing up mountains in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument A seaport in HCM City. Ports are among nine sectors expected to be affected by the coronavirus in the short term.-VNA/VNS Photo In its report on the impacts of the epidemic on 23 industries, SSI listed textile, retail, seafood, beer, oil and gas, securities, seaport - shipping, airport services, and aviation as the most vulnerable. It said aviation would be most negatively affected because travel demand has plummeted, especially China-related tourism. In 2019 Chinese national passengers accounted for 40 per cent of all arrivals in Viet Nam. Freight transport from and to China is also set to reduce due to lower demand from Chinese consumers and limited production. While there is no direct impact on the Vietnamese garment industrys exports since it does not export to China much, production is likely to be affected since many textile factories in China have been shut down and they are the biggest suppliers of fabric to Viet Nam. The retail industry will be affected since people are wary of going to public places due to the coronavirus epidemic. Beer consumption will face the same situation. The industry has already been reeling under the effect of Decree 100, which has exponentially increased penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol. Seafood exports to China are also forecast to decline due to lower demand there. Last year the market bought 16.5 per cent of Viet Nam's seafood exports, including 16.1 per cent of shrimp and 33 per cent of pangasius exports. For the oil and gas industry, the price of Brent crude ended 16 per cent lower on January 30, 2020, from a temporary peak formed earlier in the month. The fall in oil prices has been attributed to investor concerns about weakening oil demand in China. The epidemic also had a negative impact on the psychology of securities investors in the short term, but the market is expected to immediately recover strongly when the disease is controlled, as has happened in the past. With consumer demand in China negatively affected in the short term due to disease concerns, SSI said Viet Nam's exports to China would be adversely affected in the first quarter, thereby affecting ports business. SSI expected four industries to benefit from the epidemic: pharmaceutical, information technology, electricity, and water. It had a neutral assessment for 10 industries -- automobile, dairy, housing, industrial park real estate, banks, insurance, construction, steel, cement, and fertilisers. Other experts pointed out that consumers would shift from traditional to modern trade channels and online shopping to ensure hygiene and safety. Thus demand for e-commerce and express delivery services are also expected to increase sharply. Suspect charged as 2 shot detectives recover: 'We thought we were gonna lose one' originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A 22-year-old murder suspect has been arrested in the shooting of two Maryland police detectives following a massive manhunt, authorities said Friday. Joseph Robert Mitchell Willis was found hiding at a home Thursday, one day after he allegedly shot and hurt two Anne Arundel County detectives, said Anne Arundel County Police Sgt. Jacklyn Davis. Willis has been charged with the murder of 44-year-old Christopher Lawrence Jones in Glen Burnie, Maryland, as well as with the attempted first-degree murder of one of the detectives, police said. More charges are expected, police said. PHOTO: An undated photo shows Joseph Robert Mitchell Willis, 22, who was arrested by Anne Arundel County Police in Pasadena, Calif., Feb. 7, 2020. (Anne Arundel County Police) Both officers are recovering in the hospital, Davis said Friday, though they were "seriously injured" from the gunfire, said Anne Arundel County Police Chief Tim Altomare. "The other night we thought we were gonna lose one of them," Altomare said at a news conference Friday. "I'm still worried, but they're in the best place on earth when you get hurt." The investigation began around 5 p.m. Wednesday when officers responded to the homicide investigation in Glen Burnie and determined the victim's car was missing, police said. Willis and the victim were known to each other, Altomare said. MORE: Florida highway patrol officer gunned down while trying to help motorist By 11 p.m., Anne Arundel County detectives found the car in Baltimore and tried to initiate a traffic stop, but the suspect shot one of the detectives, according to Davis. Another detective continued to chase the shooter, said Davis. The suspect shot multiple rounds at the second detective, hitting him, said Davis. PHOTO: Police in Anne Arundel County, Md., were on the hunt for a person of interest who shot two Maryland police detectives after they stopped to question him, Feb. 5, 2020. (WMAR) MORE: Alabama officer shot dead during chase had 2 kids, 1 on the way: Mayor The shootings launched a massive manhunt Wednesday night through Thursday. Officers were going door-to-door and some schools were closed as the search intensified. Story continues PHOTO: Police in Anne Arundel County, Md., were on the hunt for a person of interest who shot two Maryland police detectives after they stopped to question him, Feb. 5, 2020. (WMAR) In a message to the gunman, Chief Altomare said Thursday morning, "We need you to come and turn yourself in ... end this lunacy before another person gets hurt." Chief Altomare stressed his officers are seriously hurt but stable. They are here now at Shock Trauma in Baltimore. He said both detectives are @AACOPD veterans. @WMAR2News #GMM2 pic.twitter.com/2BlB4atdQu Erin MacPherson (@ErinTVnews) February 6, 2020 The injured officers were identified as Detective Scott Ballard, a 22-year veteran assigned to the fugitive apprehension team, and Detective Ian Preece, a 13-year veteran assigned to the homeland security investigations team, the chief said. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan tweeted Thursday, "We have absolutely no tolerance for the violence committed against two Anne Arundel County Police detectives." We are closely monitoring the ongoing investigation, and urge members of the public with any information to call the Anne Arundel Police Criminal Investigation Line at 410-222-3566. This individual is still at large and considered armed and dangerous. Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) February 6, 2020 "All Marylanders are praying for their full and speedy recovery," he said. Social Democratic Party (PSD) interim leader Marcel Ciolacu on Thursday announced, after the consultations at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, that he presented to President Klaus Iohannis the proposal to designate Remus Pricopie as Prime Minister. "Following yesterday's vote in Parliament, when the censure motion passed with 261 votes and the Government was dismissed, we were invited today by the President of Romania to take part in consultations. We came with the same proposal that you already know, namely Mr. Remus Pricopie, for Prime Minister. The decision belongs now to the President, it depends on him how long - a shorter or a longer period - this governmental and political crisis will last," Ciolacu said. President Klaus Iohannis invited, on Thursday, to the Cotroceni Palace, the leaders of the parliamentary parties and groups for consultations related to the designation of a candidate for the office of Prime Minister, after the Orban Government got dismissed on Wednesday by a censure motion. AGERPRES (Bloomberg) -- Huawei Technologies Co. has filed two patent infringement lawsuits against Verizon Communications Inc. following an apparent failure to agree on licensing terms for the use of its intellectual property. The Chinese telecom gear and smartphone-making giant said it had reached out to Verizon a year ago, notifying the U.S. carrier of its breach of multiple Huawei patents. Among the offending pieces of technology are network security measures, remote sharing from a PC, parental controls and even the design of a contacts app for mobile devices. The Huawei lawsuits are a PR stunt, said Rich Young, a Verizon spokesman. The action lacks merit, and we look forward to vigorously defending our company and our nation. Though the content of the legal action doesnt appear to have the highest of stakes, its a fresh sign of Huaweis increasingly combative stance toward U.S. companies in the wake of crippling sanctions from Washington. Huawei sued the Federal Communications Commission in December, seeking to overturn a regulatory decision that would hurt the Chinese corporations business with its last major American clients. Another point of legal conflict surrounds the arrest of Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver, British Columbia, more than a year ago. Meng, also the eldest daughter of billionaire founder Ren Zhengfei, is facing a potential extradition to the U.S. for fraud charges, though she denies any wrongdoing. Shenzhen-based Huawei is one of the worlds most prolific patent holders, with more than 80,000 worldwide and 10,000 in the U.S. alone, the company said in a statement today. Its also one of the leading developers of fifth-generation wireless networking tech, or 5G. It joined IBM, Apple and Amazon as one of the top 10 patent receivers in the U.S. last year, according to an analysis of filings with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Huawei said last summer that it will not weaponize its vast IP pool and was discussing licensing of its portfolio of patents with European and U.S. entities including Verizon and Qualcomm Inc. Story continues A 173-page lawsuit, filed in Waco, Texas, focuses heavily on Huaweis research history, Verizons products and details of licensing talks, including several meetings in New York between representatives of the two companies. Huawei accuses Verizon of infringing on seven patents related to network infrastructure, including routers, and its Smart Family and One Talk applications. Because Verizon has not accepted Huaweis numerous flexible approaches during the yearlong negotiations, Huawei is compelled to now enforce its patent rights through this lawsuit, Huawei said in the complaint. In the second lawsuit, filed in Marshall, Texas, Huawei claims Verizon infringes as many as five patents that relate to the G.709 industry standard for optical transport network systems used to transmit large amounts of data. Huawei said its offer complied with the requirement to license standard-essential technology on reasonable terms. The cases are Huawei Technologies Co. v Verizon Communications Inc., 20-30, U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas (Marshall), and Huawei v. Verizon, 20-90, U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas (Waco). (Updates with details of lawsuits beginning in seventh paragraph.) --With assistance from Scott Moritz and Susan Decker. To contact Bloomberg News staff for this story: Gao Yuan in Beijing at ygao199@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Edwin Chan at echan273@bloomberg.net, Vlad Savov, Colum Murphy 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. Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma has warned his predecessor, Chief Emeka Ihedioha and members of the Peoples Democratic Party... Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma has warned his predecessor, Chief Emeka Ihedioha and members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state to stop misleading Imolites over claims to have won the governorship seat, saying that he would personally call them to order if they continue to breach public peace. Governor Uzodinma stated this today, February 6, 2020 at the government house while addressing members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers NURTW when the paid him a solidarity visit. He said that his government has come to stay and will not take it lightly with any person or group of persons inciting Imo people and breaching the relative peace that the people are currently enjoying in the State. He promised the union that his government will not interfere on their activities in the state, describing them as an integral part of the state economy. Similarly, he attributed the overwhelming support given to him so far by Imo people as a true reflection of their desires for change, promising not to let them down. Meanwhile, he has asked them to continue to be resilient and law-abiding as the new government under his watch will put smiles on their faces. He, however, pledged to partner with the union in the task of restoring Imo to its lost glory. Comrade Izuchukwu Okebaram, the Imo state chairman of the union while speaking extolled the Governor for reinstating him having served in Owelle Rochas Okorocha and Emeka Ihediohas administrations respectively. He said that the union is duty-bound to support his government, adding that the idea was to demonstrate their love and willingness to work with the new government. You can do anything if youre a star. Only this time, it wasnt proven by an Access Hollywood tape. It was the raucous Republicans chanting, Four more years! They just acquitted the president in a trial with no new witnesses, as he waxed triumphant. This is who Trump is. But what has gone so utterly haywire in the Republican party, which is tough to even recognize anymore? Its leaders have lost any moral compass, in the words of New Jerseys former Republican governor, Christine Todd Whitman, a rare voice of sanity. Its like theyve never seen anything quite so incredible in their lives, she reflected Wednesday, on the synchronized clapping at his State of the Union speech. They probably got more exercise than theyve had in a very long time, jumping up and down. Well, count her out. Shed vote for Joe Biden over Trump, or any of the other moderates, she told us. But her partys refusal to stand up to the bully, even though everyone knows he tried to rig our election and cover it up, means the damage is done. How do we function as a democracy when we acknowledge that our President is allowed to break the law and yet look the other way? she vented on Twitter. And does anyone alive actually believe that Trump will rein himself in? He was directly asked about Sen. Susan Collinss claim that he learned a lesson, and said he had no regrets whatsoever: What he did was perfect. Most Americans, including 69% of Republicans, wanted to hear from witnesses in the impeachment trial. Yet Senate Republicans were too afraid to even bring in John Bolton, a member of their own party, because it would mean bucking Trump. A handful of GOPers did ultimately acknowledge that he is guilty. The president did, in fact, pressure a foreign government to corrupt our election process, as Mitt Romney said, the only Republican senator who had the integrity to vote to convict Trump for abuse of power. Yet their partys refusal to take any real action allows Trump to paint this as a partisan ruse, rather than a serious rebuke much like he spun the Mueller report as a complete and total exoneration. Russia or China will only be more likely to interfere in our election in 2020, after witnessing this sham. It would clearly win points with the president, which looks like an opportunity. Why wouldnt they? Whitman mused. We dont seem to care about it. Instead, Republicans are trying to aid in Trumps coverup. How did we get here? We asked Julian Zelizer, a professor of politics and history at Princeton, who says its a pact of mutual survival. Republicans face a shrinking coalition, he notes, making it harder to maintain control in Congress or presidential elections. Instead of trying to figure out how to change their policies to broaden the appeal, they turn to redistricting, or the electoral college: Anything to stay in power. When you think that way, at some point, youre willing to tolerate a lot, he said. Even shameless voter suppression tactics, or thuggish behavior from a president. And whether its Fox News, Breitbart or The Daily Caller, a formidable propaganda machine will spread a message to justify it, unrivaled by anything liberals have developed. So here we are. Trumps lawyer argued that as long as he believes his re-election is good for the country, he can do whatever he wants to secure it. And Republicans just confirmed this. Every authoritarian using dirty tactics to protect his grip on power now has our tacit endorsement. Republicans dont dare cross Trump, because he will pull out all the stops to make sure they dont win again. But their survival comes at an ever greater cost. They were forever branded by their votes on former President Richard Nixons impeachment, which headlined their obituaries no matter what else they accomplished in their long careers. And when this cult disbands, they will again be cowards in the eyes of history. Bookmark NJ.com/Opinion. Follow on Twitter @NJ_Opinion and find NJ.com Opinion on Facebook. Syrian regime forces Wednesday advanced into the strategic town of Saraqeb, a war monitor said, despite a demand from Ankara that Damascus pull back its forces from Turkish-manned posts in Syria's last rebel enclave. The demand came two days after clashes between Turkish and Syrian troops killed more than 20 people in the northwestern province of Idlib, testing uneasy relations between rebel backer Turkey and government ally Russia -- key foreign powerbrokers in the country's conflict. The UN Security Council is to hold an emergency session on Thursday following requests from the United States, Britain and France, diplomats said. The UN envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, is expected in New York to report on the situation in Idlib. "If the regime does not pull back, Turkey will be obliged to take matters into its own hands," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a meeting of ruling party lawmakers in Ankara, giving Syria until the end of the month to comply. Syrian regime forces continued to pound Idlib on Wednesday, as part of an offensive which has killed 300 civilians since December and displaced 520,000 people. Regime forces penetrated Saraqeb, a town in the province that they had been seeking to encircle for days, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "Regime forces have entered Saraqeb, after hundreds of jihadists and allied forces retreated north of the town," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based monitoring group, told AFP. He said government forces had "begun to comb districts of Saraqeb and are on the point of taking control of the all of the M5 road", while jihadists had withdrawn to a village north of the town. According to state television, "units of the Syrian Arab Army have encircled the town of Saraqeb on three sides" and were positioned over the nearby junction of the key M4 and M5 highways. - Ankara will respond 'firmly' - Syrian troops have seized more than 20 towns and villages from rebels and jihadists in 48 hours, according to the Observatory and state news agency SANA. The Observatory said Russian air strikes killed three civilians -? all members of the same family -? on the outskirts of Idlib city on Wednesday. Regime rocket fire killed another civilian in the town of Anjara in the west of neighbouring Aleppo province, the monitor said, while SANA reported four civilians dead in rebel fire on the provincial capital. Erdogan said two of Turkey's 12 so-called observation posts in Idlib, set up under a 2018 agreement with Russia, were now "behind the regime's lines". The post at Morek was surrounded by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December and another at Surman now lies within the regime's area of control. Monday's clashes -- the bloodiest since Ankara sent troops across the border to Syria in 2016 -- prompted Erdogan to ask Moscow, the key backer of Assad's regime, to "better understand our sensitivities in Syria". He spoke with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday and warned that Ankara would respond "firmly" to any new Syrian attack. Syria's military command, for its part, has said the presence of Turkish forces was "illegal and a flagrant act of aggression", vowing to respond to any Turkish attack, SANA reported. - 'Lies and deceit' - Erdogan said the clashes amounted to a "new era" in Syria, and that any further attacks on Turkish forces would be "responded to in kind". "The air and ground elements of the Turkish armed forces will freely move in the Idlib region and if needed will launch an operation," he added. A Syrian foreign ministry source lashed back at Erdogan's "lies and deceit". The mass displacement of civilians in Idlib --one of the largest since the 2011 start of a conflict that has displaced more than half of Syria's pre-war population of 20 million -- has coincided with a biting winter. Turkey, which already hosts some 3.7 million Syrian refugees, says it wants to prevent a further influx. The latest clashes have tested the tricky balancing act between Turkey and Russia, who support opposing sides but have attempted to broker political solutions in Idlib. A fragile ceasefire was brokered by the two countries in 2018, under which Ankara agreed to contain extremist elements among Syrian rebel forces. But Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, has since consolidated its position as the main anti-regime faction on the ground, at the expense of Ankara-backed rebel forces. Jana Jabbour of Sciences Po in Paris said that Russia and Turkey needed "to cooperate... because they are economically interdependent". Their priority, she told AFP, was to ensure a "regional solution, designed by Moscow and Ankara, as opposed to an international solution parachuted in by the West". burs/dwo-hc Syrian regime forces were pursuing their offensive in Idlib province, which has killed 300 civilians since December and displaced 520,000 people The rebel-held town of Ariha in the northern countryside of Syria's Idlib province following an air strike by pro-regime forces Turkey first sent troops to Syria in 2016 The Syrian regime offensive has displaced some 520,000 people in one of the biggest upheavals of the nine-year war DUBLIN, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Concrete Repair Mortars Market by Type (PMC and Epoxy Based), Application Method (Hand/Trawling, Spraying, Pouring), End-use Industry (Buildings & Carparks, Road Infrastructure, Utility, Marine), Grade (Structural and Non Structural) - Global Forecast to 2024" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global concrete repair mortars market size was estimated at USD 2.1 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 2.8 billion in 2024, at a CAGR of 6.1%. The high growth is attributed to rising pressure on the existing infrastructure due to the rise in population. Concrete repair mortars are materials used in replacing corroded concrete in the existing structures, which helps in improving the lifespan of the structures. The major players in the concrete repair mortars market are Sika AG (Switzerland), Fosroc International Ltd. (UK), BASF SE (Germany), Mapei SpA (Italy), Saint-Gobain Weber SA (France), Pidilite Industries Ltd. (India), Remmers Baustofftechnik GmbH (Germany) Flexcrete Technologies Ltd. (UK), The Euclid Chemical Co. (UK), and Adhesive Technology Corp. (US). Buildings & carparks - the largest end-use industry in the overall concrete repair mortars market. Buildings & carparks are projected to be the largest end-use industry of the concrete repair mortars market. The large market size for this segment is attributed to the high need for repair in the buildings & carparks as they are built to last for a long time period. The concrete tends to crack and corrode due to exposure to extreme environmental conditions over a long time period. The demand for concrete repair mortars in buildings & carparks is rising as they prevent the buildings from collapsing and increase their lifespans. Hand/Trawling is the fastest-growing application method segment in the concrete repair mortars market. Hand/trawling is expected to be the fastest-growing method of application in the concrete repair mortars market during the forecast period. This method can be used in various forms and for both structural and non-structural repair. The application method can be used for both horizontal and vertical repair. The polymer-modified cementitious mortars are mostly applied through hand/trawling, having a repair depth of 10-75 mm in this method. This will help the growth of the concrete repair mortars market during the forecast period. APAC is the largest and the fastest-growing market of concrete repair mortars market APAC is projected to be the largest and the fastest-growing market of concrete repair mortars. The high growth rate of the market in the region is due to high investment in the maintenance of public infrastructure by governments, which is expected to drive the concrete repair mortars market in the region during the forecast period. Key countries in the region are China, Japan, India, Australia, and South Korea. High investment in public infrastructure to cater to the large population is leading to a high rate of deterioration of the structures. This is expected to lead to the demand for repairs of structures during the forecast period. Key Topics Covered 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Opportunities in the Concrete Repair Mortars Market By Type and Country 4.2 Global Concrete Repair Mortars Market, By Country 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Pressure on Existing Infrastructure Due to Rising Population 5.2.1.2 Deteriorating Condition of Existing Infrastructure 5.2.1.3 The Need to Increase the Life Span of the Existing Buildings 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 Stringent Regulations in Europe 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Growing Trend of Shifting to Renewable Energy Generation 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Rise of New Construction Technology as A Replacement for Repair Materials 5.3 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5.4 Yc, Ycc Drivers 6 Concrete Repair Mortars Market, By Type 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Polymer Modified Cementitious (PMC) Mortars 6.2.1 SBR Latex 6.2.2 Acrylics 6.3 Epoxy Based Mortars 7 Concrete Repair Mortars Market, By Grade 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Structural 7.3 Non Structural 8 Concrete Repair Mortars Market, By Application Method 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Hand/Trawling 8.3 Pouring 8.4 Spraying 9 Concrete Repair Mortars Market, By End-Use Industry 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Buildings & Carparks 9.3 Road Infrastructure 9.4 Utility 9.5 Marine 10 Concrete Repair Mortars Market, By Region 11 Competitive Landscape 11.1 Introduction 11.2 Competitive Scenario 11.2.1 Expansions 11.2.2 Acquisitions 11.2.3 New Product Launches 12 Company Profiles 12.1 Sika AG 12.1.1 Business Overview 12.1.2 Products Offered 12.1.3 Recent Developments 12.1.4 Winning Imperative 12.1.5 Current Focus & Strategies 12.1.6 Threat of Competitors 12.1.7 Sika's Right to Win 12.2 Fosroc International Ltd. 12.3 BASF SE 12.4 Mapei S.p.A 12.5 Saint-Gobain Weber S.A. 12.6 Pidilite Industries Ltd. 12.7 Remmers Baustofftechnik GmhH 12.8 Flexcrete Technologies Ltd. 12.9 The Euclid Chemical Co. 12.10 Adhesive Technology Corporation 12.11 W. R. Meadows, Inc. 12.12 Ardex GmbH 12.13 Garon Product Inc. 12.14 MC Building Chemicals 12.15 Ronacrete Ltd. 12.16 TCC Materials 12.17 Chembond Chemicals Limited 12.18 Perma Construction Aids Pvt. Ltd. 12.19 Dayton Superior 12.20 Aquafin, Inc. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/e3b4ea 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 The rumors are true The Rolling Stones will perform in Pittsburgh this summer. The band will bring its No Filter tour to Heinz Field in June 23. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 14. They are available through ticketmaster.com. American Express Card holders can buy tickets beginning on Feb. 12. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, prices have not been announced but the newspaper said tickets that went on sale for the Toronto concert started at $199. The Rolling Stones last performed in Pittsburgh in 2015. The No Filter tour starts May 8 in California and includes performances in Canada and Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas, Ohio, New York and Michigan before Pittsburgh. Billboards that appeared recently in and around Pittsburgh appeared to confirm the band would be making a stop in the Steel City. The band last performed in Pennsylvania on July 23 in Philadelphia. We have just launched a brand new website, find out more about the No Filter 2020 USA/CA tour at https://t.co/019DDP3ZA8 #StonesNoFilter pic.twitter.com/GBD5YMSL6b The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) February 6, 2020 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. HELENA The speaker of the Montana House conceded Wednesday that the Legislature will likely do nothing to sanction a Republican state representative after the lawmaker refused calls to resign over his assertion that the U.S. Constitution allows socialists to be jailed or shot. Republican House leaders, including Speaker Greg Hertz, wrote to Rep. Rodney Garcia on Monday, asking him to resign following his "inflammatory" and "deeply disturbing" comments at a Republican gathering in Helena last Friday. Lee Newspapers of Montana first reported Garcia's remarks. Garcia told The Associated Press on Monday the only way he would resign is "if God asked me to." It's not practical to call Montana's part-time lawmakers into a special session to sanction Garcia, given the estimated minimum cost of $50,000, Hertz said. Hertz said he has the authority to remove House members from interim committees that keep working when the Legislature is not in session, but that Garcia is not serving on any interim committees. Constituents in Garcia's legislative district could gather signatures on a petition for a an election to remove him from office, but there are no indications that anyone is doing so. Grounds for recall include physical or mental lack of fitness, incompetence, violation of the oath of office, official misconduct or conviction of a felony offense, said Todd Everts, director of legal services for the Legislature. It's not clear whether Garcia's comments would meet any of those grounds for removal. If Garcia's constituents did seek to recall him, it could be close to the June primary election by the time a petition could be filed with Montana's Secretary of State's Office and signatures could be gathered, Hertz said. Garcia is running for the state Senate this year. "I think people just need to understand there's very little that a legislator can do during the interim, particularly if they're not on interim committees," Hertz said. Garcia likens socialism to treason and asserts that people who are found to be socialists could be jailed or shot. He could not cite which part of the Constitution supports his claims. The Constitution defines treason as levying war against the United States or providing aid and comfort to their enemies. "But more than likely they would never be shot because we just don't do that in today's society," Garcia said Monday. "We're supposed to be civilized." Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday denied reports of Kia Motors shifting from the state. Rajath Bhargava, Special Chief Secretary, Industries, Investments and Commerce, Andhra Pradesh said, "News report of Kia Motors shifting from Andhra Pradesh is not true. KIA and the state government are working together." The senior official also denounced the reports and said, "We strongly condemn the news." Kia Motors has 14 manufacturing centres across the globe and the unit at Erramanchi village in Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur district is the 15th one. Kia Motors, a South Korean car manufacturer, is also planning to manufacture electric vehicles from this unit after 2025. The unit is expected to provide regular employment to 4,000 people and temporary employment to 7,000. "In tune with the government policy of developing backward areas with industrialisation and providing 75 per cent reservation for locals in jobs, KIA project will generate employment for 4,000 permanent employees and 7,000 temporary employees with 100 per cent employment to local people for its unskilled labour requirement," the state government had said in a press statement ahead of unit's inauguration in December last year. The Andhra Pradesh government had signed its first agreement with Kia Motors in April 2017 after which the construction of the plant began in November 2017. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There are things you can do in advance of a PCS to prepare for and mitigate all the potential mishaps that happen while relocating to avoid filing a PCS claim at all. This is not that advice. Instead, let's focus on what to do when things don't go well. Because, let's face it, with the sheer volume of moves that happen every year your household goods (HHG) shipment will likely arrive with at least some damage. Good news: your stuff is insured up to it's Full Replacement Value (FRV) when moving with the military. That means if your stuff is proven lost or damaged, the Transportation Service Provider (TSP), or moving company, is required to replace it with a "like" item. The replacement could be a new or used version of what they broke, or they can also repair the item. That all sounds great in theory, but please remember the burden of proving the item's condition, or existence, before the move is up to you. There are several steps between seeing a splintered armoire and receiving reimbursement, but it's important to document and claim damages as they occur. Not only do military families deserve to own nice things, but we should reasonably expect our things to be treated well. With only about 30-35% of service members filling out the customer satisfaction surveys, claims payouts can offer another data point in performance evaluations for carriers. Filing a claim is tedious, yes. But it can mostly be done digitally through the Defense Personal Property System. Related: How to Use the Defense Personal Property System for Your Military Move DPS is the digital portal where all the magic happens. It is how you have been managing your move all along, so you should be familiar with this site by now. Filing a PCS Claim: Inspecting the Damage The claims process begins soon as your stuff starts coming off the truck. Inspect large items closely as soon as they're unwrapped. Make sure large electronics (TVs) turn on and the screens aren't cracked. Check upholstered furniture for rips and mold if it's been in storage. Look over wooden pieces for scratches, dents or broken legs. If you don't see any damage -- fantastic! Commend those movers. But, if you do, go ahead and start taking photos right there on the yard or driveway and in broad daylight. Ask the driver for a Notification of Loss AT Delivery form that you can both sign and file right then and there. Trust me, this will save you time in the end. You aren't limited to the day of delivery to inspect all your things, so don't panic or rush. This is really just for the big, obvious or missing stuff. You actually have 75 days from the day of delivery to make your first official claim-related move. Completing this step: Grab the Notification of Loss AT Delivery form from the driver that you'll both sign, then you can upload this document to the Defense Personal Property System (DPS). Optional: File a PCS Claim Loss & Damage Report As you're unpacking and getting reacquainted with your things, start to gather up the items you'll want to claim as damaged and notate what's missing if that's the case. By filling out a Loss and Damage Report, you're signaling to the carrier (TSP) that you intend to file a claim later on. It's basically a "heads-up" and buys you a little more time to file your claim with the TSP. Your deadline for this step is 75 days from the day of delivery. The Loss & Damage Report step is optional but highly recommended. If you file the Loss & Damage Report, your next deadline for a claim extends out to 9 months from the date of delivery. If you skip it, you must submit your full claim within 75 days from delivery. Completing this step: Log in to DPS and click the "Start Loss and Damage Report" button. You'll need to select your shipment and input information about the items you will be including on your claim (item, model number, description of damage, estimated replacement value/cost to repair and photos). You will have the opportunity to import all of this over to a claim later on, so go crazy with the descriptions and attachments. Filing a PCS Claim If you filed a Loss and Damage Report, this next part should be fairly straightforward. Moving and getting settled into a new place is chaotic, and you may have bigger things to worry about for the first couple of months. The good news is that you have up to 9 months from the day of delivery to file your actual claim with the TSP. The claim should be itemized and highly detailed with as many photos, videos, receipts and documents as possible to help make your case. If you're claiming full replacement value, be sure to include proof of how much replacing the item would cost with a printout or hyperlink to the website. Don't try to game the system here, folks. You can't claim the Full Replacement Value (FRV) for an Ikea bookcase at Restoration Hardware prices. Also, don't be that guy claiming the FRV of trash at $1 million dollars. It's funny but ridiculous. You can also jump right to this step if you're just that organized, but if you skip the Loss & Damage Report you need to file this claim in full by the 75-day mark. Completing this step: Log in to DPS and click the "Start a Claim" button. You'll be prompted to import the info from your Loss and Damage Report, which is helpful, but be sure to edit the items to include additional information or supporting evidence. Receiving a PCS Claim Response From The TSP The TSP has 60 days from the time you submit your claim to respond. They can offer to pay your claim in full (unlikely), deny your claim or make you an offer somewhere in between. Sometimes an offer can look like sending a repair person out to restore an item, which can be a great solution so stay open to that! Keep in mind that this is a negotiation. You have every right to appeal and counter their offer if you feel it's too far off. Your claim could settle quickly, or it could drag on for quite some time. You can also accept offers on individual items on the claim, and yet keep others open for further discussion. Completing this step: Log in to DPS and click "View My Claim" from the main screen. Here you can check on the status of the claim during the 60-day response window, and also view the itemized offers in response to your claims. Accept what you find reasonable, and communicate with the TSP which offers you'd like to counter. Taking Further Action If you are having problems with this process or you and your TSP fail to reach a settlement, you can elevate the claim to the Military Claims Office (MCO) and they will adjudicate on your behalf. This should be viewed as a last-ditch effort but is available to you as an option. You can also reach out to the MCO for help with partial replacement value if you discover damage or loss that wasn't claimed before the 75-day deadline (and up to two years from your move). -- Kellie Artis is the COO of MILLIE, a startup committed to alleviating the stress of frequent relocations for military families. MILLIE connects members of the military and their families with specialized knowledge and trusted resource providers to support each step of a PCS. Check out MILLIE's Installation Guides, network of veteran and military spouse real estate agents and MILLIE Scouts, an on-demand task service network comprised of military spouses. Keep Up-to-Date for Your Next PCS Get the inside information from those who know. Get PCS help and all the news and benefits information you need delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe to Military.com now. IDEA Public Schools recently cancelled a multimillion-dollar lease for a private jet and San Antonio Spurs tickets after a wave of negative backlash. State officials should dig a bit deeper to ensure IDEA and other charter management organizations, or CMOs, operating in Texas are behaving ethically and in the best interest of all Texas students. Representatives from IDEA claim that the money for the private jet and Spurs tickets came from donations. IDEAs CEO claimed that both the jet and the tickets were acquired to reward committed educators and reduce workload for organization members who may have to visit IDEA schools across Texas, Louisiana and Florida. As taxpayers and education policy professors, were glad to know IDEA wants to reward its teachers and administrators, but these financial decisions raise an important question lawmakers should consider: Can a privately-run educational system using primarily taxpayer money and operating across multiple states be effectively monitored? Because currently, there are instances that raise serious concern. Policymakers ought to do more to ensure that IDEA and others like it have at least some oversight. CMOs are similar to traditional public schools in some ways, but they differ in others. For example, they are not managed by elected school boards. Instead, IDEA and others have privately-appointed boards that may not share the same interests of the communities they serve. IDEA recently stopped allowing business deals between school leaders and their relatives, which included an instance where IDEAs uniform vendor was partially owned by the husband of Chief Operations Officer Irma Munoz. Traditional school districts already have rules against this. IDEA CEO Tom Torkelson also received more than $550,000 in total compensation in 2017. The president and superintendent of IDEA received more than $400,000 in total compensation in that same year. Although attracting top talent is probably a priority, these salaries are significantly greater on a per-student basis than those of typical school district leaders, which should raise questions about how taxpayer public education dollars are being spent. Special education is another area of concern. Special education enrollment in IDEA schools does not reflect state or national averages, as just 5.4 percent of IDEA students receive special education services compared with 9.6 percent statewide. This means in areas where IDEA enrollment is strong, traditional public schools serve a disproportionate share of students with disabilities, which can cause a financial strain on public schools. Teacher turnover is also a critical issue. The state average years of experience for a teacher is 11.1 years compared with 5.1 years at IDEA campuses. Families become less connected to schools with high teacher turnover, and more taxpayer dollars must be allocated to continuously recruit and train novice teachers. And IDEA is expanding, especially in Texas, partly with support from philanthropic organizations and the federal government. IDEAs goal is to go from approximately 50,000 current students in nearly 50 schools to 100,000 students nationwide by 2022-2023. In just one year, from 2016-17 to 2017-18, enrollment at IDEA schools in Texas increased from about 29,000 to 36,000. At the very least, this growth should warrant some attention from state officials and taxpayers who want to ensure tax dollars are used efficiently. Otherwise, districts may find their new campuses underenrolled if charters open in close proximity. Take El Paso for example, one place IDEA is expanding. Some districts have declining enrollment while others have passed more than $1 billion in bonds to build and modernize campuses. Yes, it is true that public school districts and other public organizations can engage in corruption and fail to embrace its community or act with the best interest of taxpayers. But they are monitored. IDEA and other CMOs must be carefully monitored just as public schools are. We have personally visited IDEA campuses and know that their educators are passionate about serving students, but any organization that receives taxpayer money and educates children must have checks and balances to ensure that policy decisions efficiently use public resources so that students benefit to the maximum extent possible. DeMatthews is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at The University of Texas at Austin. Knight is an assistant professor of education finance and policy at The University of Washington. You may or may not like the idea of MLK as a street name; but you cant claim he wasnt relevant to Marysville Breaking his silence on the issue of future of mobility, Tata Group Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata has said the quest for an all-electric future is difficult and the government should take a more measured view that supports more efficient combustion engines and hybrids. The Indian government has talked up electric vehicles in the last three years also devising policies that support EVs over polluting and fossil fuel consuming combustion engines, and wants the automobile industry to make a full transition to EVs in future. In an Instagram post, the well respected octogenarian industrialist said any legislation should be realistic. "I would hope that the governments of the world and the auto industry can take a measured view on the propulsion system for the car of the future. The jump to all-EV is difficult, especially without omnipresent charging infrastructure. The approach should realistically legislate the different types of propulsion systems and our journey to electric vehicles can always be supported by improvement in IC engines and introduction of hybrids," he said in the post. ALSO READ: Auto Expo 2020: Volkswagen unveils electric concept ID. Crozz and its fastest Polo in India His support for hybrid vehicles, something that has been advocated by market leader Maruti Suzuki, Toyota and Honda, however, is at a slight dissonance with his company Tata Motors' thrust on electric cars. The company has developed a new platform for future vehicles that can spawn both combustion engines as well as electric vehicles while setting up a separate EV division while drawing up a pipeline of electric car launches for the future. Last month, it launched an electric version of its compact SUV, Nexon that lowered the barrier for EVs at under Rs 15 lakh. It also showcased an electric version of its premium hatchback, Altroz, which would be launched in the market later this year. "Hybrids should not be seen in the same light as electric vehicles. It is an intermediary step and is more for compliance. With stringent CAFE (corporate average fuel economy) norms in the offing, hybrids would help. Even we have the technology but our focus is on electric," said Shailesh Chandra, president, electric vehicle business and corporate strategy, Tata Motors. "EVs powered by renewable energy are the ultimate answer to climate change." ALSO READ: Auto Expo 2020: After Kona, Hyundai plans to bring in electric car for less than Rs 10 lakh in 3 years The number of confirmed 2019-nVoC infections in Vietnam rose to 12 Thursday after two more people tested positive for the virus. The two new infections were that of family members of an infected Vietnamese worker whod returned from Chinas Wuhan City last month. The worker was one of eight employees of Japan-based Nihon Plast Company Limited whod been sent to Wuhan for training two months ago. They employees had returned to Vietnam on a Southern China Airlines flight (CZ8315) on January 17. They were picked up by the company car at Hanoi's Noi Bai Airport and attended a company meeting in Thien Ke Commune, Binh Son District, Vinh Phuc Province, about 18 km from the airport. Five of them were later confirmed to be infected with the nCoV. The newly infected people are the 49-year-old mother and 16-year-old sister of the 23-year-old worker who remains quarantined in the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi. The mother started coughing on February 3, while the sister showed symptoms of coughing and fatigue. They were quarantined and tests done by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology February 4 showed both of them were positive. They are now staying at the Hanoi hospital and in stable health, the ministry said. Vietnam had officially declared the 2019-nCoV an epidemic on Saturday. The other 10 infected cases include a cousin of one of the workers from Wuhan, a Vietnamese-American visitor who transited in Wuhan, a Chinese man from Wuhan and his son who met him in Vietnam, and a hotel receptionist who served the father and son in Nha Trang. Three of the ten have been discharged from the hospital: the Nha Trang hotel employee, the Chinese son, and one of the workers who returned from Wuhan. The global death toll from the epidemic has reached 565, with 563 dying in China, one in the Philippines and one in Hong Kong. Excluding significant items, third quarter earnings per common share of $0.23(1) La version francaise du present communique sera deposee sur SEDAR. / A French-language version of this communication will be made available on SEDAR TORONTO, Feb. 5, 2020 /CNW/ - Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. (Canaccord Genuity Group, the Company, TSX: CF) today announced its financial results for the third fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2019. "Our fiscal third quarter results underscore our consistent progress against our strategic objectives, as all of our business units contributed to firmwide profitability," said Dan Daviau, President & CEO of Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. "We continue to see momentum for all our business activities heading into the fourth fiscal quarter. We have also identified strategies which we expect will reduce our annual cost base by approximately $20.0 million and contribute to improving margins going forward." Third quarter and nine months fiscal year-to-date highlights: (All dollar amounts are stated in thousands of Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated) All businesses and geographies contributed to firmwide profitability for the third fiscal quarter Excluding significant items (1) , diluted earnings per common share for the third fiscal quarter were $0.23 per share ( $0.17 per share on an IFRS basis) , diluted earnings per common share for the third fiscal quarter were per share ( per share on an IFRS basis) Excluding significant items (1) , diluted earnings per common share for the first nine months of fiscal 2020 were $0.64 per share ( $0.45 per share on an IFRS basis), a decrease of 7.2% when compared to the first nine months of fiscal 2019 (and a decrease of 6.3% from $0.48 per share on an IFRS basis) , diluted earnings per common share for the first nine months of fiscal 2020 were per share ( per share on an IFRS basis), a decrease of 7.2% when compared to the first nine months of fiscal 2019 (and a decrease of 6.3% from per share on an IFRS basis) Excluding significant items, third quarter diluted earnings per share contributed by global wealth management operations was 52.2% of the earnings for the quarter Total client assets in our global wealth management operations increased by 21% year-over-year to $72.8 billion , reflecting market gains and contributions from the Company's expanded Australian operation , reflecting market gains and contributions from the Company's expanded Australian operation Global capital markets business delivered near record quarterly advisory revenue of $60.6 million (second highest quarter recorded) million (second highest quarter recorded) Third quarter common share dividend of $0.05 per share per share Returned $75.4 million of capital to shareholders during the first nine months of fiscal 2020 through common share dividends and buybacks of capital to shareholders during the first nine months of fiscal 2020 through common share dividends and buybacks Share repurchases during the nine-month period totalled approximately $45.9 million through a substantial issuer bid and through purchases under our normal course issuer bid, reducing common shares outstanding by 7.2% from the end of fiscal 2019 through a substantial issuer bid and through purchases under our normal course issuer bid, reducing common shares outstanding by 7.2% from the end of fiscal 2019 $20.0 million in cost reduction strategies have been identified which will contribute to improving margins moving forward Three months ended December 31 Quarter-over- quarter change Three months ended September 30 Quarter-over- quarter change Q3/20 Q3/19 (4) Q2/20 Revenue $308,014 $331,600 (7.1)% $270,697 13.8 % Third fiscal quarter highlights- adjusted1 Expenses - excluding significant items1 $277,004 $285,702 (3.0) % $242,125 14.4 % Earnings per common share - diluted, excluding significant items1 $0.23 $0.28 (17.9)% $0.18 27.8% Net Income - excluding significant items1,2 $30,458 $36,843 (17.3) % $23,760 28.2 % Net Income attributable to common shareholders - excluding significant items1,3 $27,619 $34,491 (19.9) % $21,512 28.4 % Third fiscal quarter highlights- IFRS Expenses $285,731 $290,991 (1.8 )% $254,527 12.3 % Earnings per common share - diluted $0.17 $0.25 (32.0)% $0.10 70 % Net Income2 $22,840 $32,458 (29.6) % $13,178 73.3 % Net Income attributable to common shareholders3 $20,158 $30,106 (33.0) % $11,137 81.0 % 1. Figures excluding significant items are non-IFRS measures. See Non-IFRS measures on page 6 of the MD&A 2. Before non-controlling interests and preferred share dividends 3. Net income attributable to common shareholders is calculated as the net income adjusted for non-controlling interests and preferred share dividends 4. During the nine months ended December 31, 2018, there was an accounting loss of $13.5 million related to the extinguishment of the $60.0 million convertible unsecured subordinated debentures issued in October 2016. This loss was adjusted to reflect directly in shareholders' equity $4.9 million of the loss that was related to the conversion feature of the extinguished debentures. The adjustment had no impact on the calculation of the basic or diluted earnings per share for the three or nine month periods ended December 31, 2018. The comparatives for the prior period have been restated accordingly. Core business performance highlights: Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management The Company's combined global wealth management operations earned revenue of $128.4 million for the third fiscal quarter, a year-over-year increase of 10.7%. Excluding significant items (1), the pre-tax net income contribution from this segment was $18.6 million, which represents 60.0% of the adjusted pre-tax net income attributable to the Company's combined operating businesses for the three-month period. Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management ( North America ) generated $46.0 million in revenue and, after intersegment allocations and before taxes, recorded net income of $4.1 million in Q3/20 ) generated in revenue and, after intersegment allocations and before taxes, recorded net income of in Q3/20 Wealth management operations in the UK & Europe generated $71.3 million in revenue and, after intersegment allocations, and excluding significant items (1) , recorded net income of $14.3 million before taxes in Q3/20 generated in revenue and, after intersegment allocations, and excluding significant items , recorded net income of before taxes in Q3/20 Wealth management operations in Australia generated $11.1 million in revenue and, after intersegment allocations, and excluding significant items (1), recorded net income of $0.1 million before taxes in Q3/20 Third quarter revenue in the Company's UK & Europe wealth management business increased by 15.4% compared to the same period one year ago, primarily due to higher commissions and fees revenue and contributions from the Thomas Miller and McCarthy Taylor acquisitions. Excluding significant items (1), the pre-tax profit margin in this business was 20.1% for the three-month period and 20.7% for the year-to-date. Revenue in the Company's North American wealth management business decreased by 15.1% year-over-year, primarily due to decreased investment banking revenue from lower new issue activity when compared to the same period in the prior year. The pre-tax profit margin in this business decreased to 9.0% for the three-month period and decreased by 1.1 p.p. to 13.1% for the first nine months of the fiscal year. The Company's Australian wealth management business earned revenue of $11.1 million, reflecting contributions from the recent acquisition of Patersons Securities Limited, which was completed on October 21, 2019. Total client assets in the Company's global wealth management businesses at the end of the third fiscal quarter amounted to $72.8 billion. Client assets in North America were $21.0 billion as at December 31, 2019 , an increase of 2.8% from $20.4 billion at the end of the previous quarter and an increase of 14.9% from $18.3 billion at December 31, 2018 . were as at , an increase of 2.8% from at the end of the previous quarter and an increase of 14.9% from at . Client assets in the UK & Europe were $48.1 billion (28.1 billion) as at December 31, 2019 , an increase of 8.9% from $44.2 billion (27.1 billion) at the end of the previous quarter and an increase of 16.9% from $41.2 billion (23.8 billion) at December 31, 2018 . were (28.1 billion) as at , an increase of 8.9% from (27.1 billion) at the end of the previous quarter and an increase of 16.9% from (23.8 billion) at . Client assets in Australia held in our investment management platforms were $3.7 billion as at December 31, 2019 , primarily reflecting contributions from the acquisition of Patersons Securities Limited. In addition, client assets totalling $11.0 billion are also held in other accounts on our Australian wealth management trading platform. Canaccord Genuity Capital Markets Globally, Canaccord Genuity Capital Markets earned revenue of $174.2 million for the third fiscal quarter and $512.9 million for the first nine months of the fiscal year, representing decreases of 16.8% and of 5.8% respectively when compared to the same periods a year ago primarily as a result of decreased trading and investment banking activity during the current fiscal year. Excluding significant items (1), this segment contributed pre-tax net income of $16.0 million for the third quarter and $45.2 million for the first nine months of fiscal 2020. Canaccord Genuity Capital Markets led or co-led 52 investment banking transactions globally, raising total proceeds of C$2.0 billion during fiscal Q3/20. during fiscal Q3/20. Canaccord Genuity Capital Markets participated in 108 investment banking transactions globally, raising total proceeds of C$8.7 billion during fiscal Q3/20. The Company's US capital markets business was the largest contributor of revenue in this segment for the three-month period with revenue of $82.2 million, which included a 125.3% year-over-year increase in advisory revenue, reflecting contributions from the Petsky Prunier acquisition which closed in Q4/19. Revenue in our Canadian capital markets operations decreased by 42.3% year-over-year as a result of lower investment banking and advisory activities and lower commissions and fees revenue. Even with this decrease in revenue this business continues to be a top-ranked domestic underwriter in Canada. For calendar 2019, Canaccord Genuity Capital Markets in Canada was ranked #1 for IPOs and the #2 equities underwriter based on league table data provided by Bloomberg. Excluding significant items, the UK & Europe capital markets business earned pre-tax net income of $3.4 million for the third quarter, increasing its pre-tax net income for the year to $2.8 million. This business was tied for the number 1 ranking on AIM in the UK for the number of ECM deals in calendar 2019 based on league table data provided by Acuris. Revenue in the quarter for the Australian capital markets business was more than double the revenue earned for the three months ended December 31, 2018. Summary of Corporate Developments: During the nine months ended December 31, 2019, the Company purchased a total of 8,485,383 common shares for cancellation. There were 7,272,727 shares purchased and cancelled under a substantial issuer bid that commenced on July 3, 2019 and completed on August 9, 2019.There were an additional 1,202,856 shares purchased and cancelled under the current NCIB and 9,800 shares that were purchased but not yet cancelled as of December 31, 2019. On October 21, 2019, through its Australian business, the Company completed its previously announced acquisition of Patersons Securities Limited, increasing the scale of our wealth management business in Australia and establishing a significant platform for expansion. As part of ongoing efforts to control and manage costs the Company has identified strategies which are expected to reduce the Company's annual cost base by approximately $20.0 million. The Company expects to implement these strategies during the course of fiscal 2021. Results for the third quarter and year-to-date fiscal 2020 were impacted by the following significant items: Amortization of intangible assets acquired in connection with business combinations as well as acquisition-related and restructuring costs for Thomas Miller and Patersons Securities Limited Costs related to the ongoing integration efforts in the Company's UK & Europe wealth management business wealth management business Certain incentive-based costs related to the acquisition and growth initiatives in the UK & Europe wealth business In addition, results for the quarter were impacted by the recognition of $6.0 million of deferred tax assets in the Company's US operations which, because of historical losses, had not been recognized previously. This deferred tax asset recognition resulted in an effective tax rate of 1.8% for the quarter on an adjusted basis and a tax recovery rate of 2.5% on an IFRS basis. Selected financial information excluding significant items (1): Three months ended December 31 Quarter- over- quarter change Nine months ended December 31 YTD over YTD change (C$ thousands, except per share and % amounts) 2019 2018 2019 2018 restated (3) Total revenue per IFRS $308,014 $331,600 (7.1)% $904,219 $905,759 (0.2)% Total expenses per IFRS $285,731 $290,991 (1.8)% $834,414 $818,646 1.9% Revenue Total revenue excluding significant items $308,014 $331,600 (7.1)% $904,219 $905,759 (0.2)% Total expenses per IFRS $285,731 $290,991 (1.8)% $834,414 $818,646 1.9% Expenses Significant items recorded in Canaccord Genuity Capital Markets Amortization of intangible assets $2,458 $639 284.7% $7,394 $1,857 298.2% Restructuring costs - - - - $1,316 (100.0)% Acquisition- related costs - - - $1,806 $1,173 54.0% Significant items recorded in Canaccord Genuity Wealth Management Amortization of intangible assets $3,445 $2,745 25.5% $10,016 $8,353 19.9% Restructuring costs $1,250 - n.m. $2,348 - n.m. Acquisition-related costs - $170 (100.0)% $2,308 $170 n.m. Incentive-based costs related to acquisitions (2) $1,574 $1,490 5.6% $4,435 $4,530 (2.1) % Development costs - $245 (100.0)% $245 (100.0)% Significant items recorded in Corporate and Other Loss on extinguishment of convertible debentures - - - - $8,608 (100.0)% Total significant items $8,727 $5,289 65.0)% $28,307 $26,252 7.8 % Total expenses excluding significant items $277,004 $285,702 (3.0)% $806,107 $792,394 1.7% Net income before taxes - adjusted $31,010 $45,898 (32.4)% $98,112 $113,365 (13.5)% Income taxes - adjusted $552 $9,055 (93.9)% $13,240 $22,620 (41.5) % Net income - adjusted $30,458 $36,843 (17.3)% $84,872 $90,745 (6.5)% Net income attributable to common shareholders, adjusted $27,619 $34,491 (19.9)% $77,349 $82,433 (6.2)% Earnings per common share - basic, adjusted $0.29 $0.35 (17.1)% $0.77 $0.86 (10.5)% Earnings per common share - diluted, adjusted $0.23 $0.28 (17.9)% $0.64 $0.69 (7.2)% (1) Figures excluding significant items are non-IFRS measures. (2) Incentive-based costs related to the acquisitions and growth initiatives in the UK & Europe wealth business. (3) During the nine months ended December 31, 2018, there was an accounting loss of $13.5 million related to the extinguishment of the $60.0 million convertible unsecured subordinated debentures issued in October 2016. This loss was adjusted to reflect directly in shareholders' equity $4.9 million of the loss that was related to the conversion feature of the extinguished debentures. The adjustment had no impact on the calculation of the basic or diluted earnings per share for the three or nine month ended December 31, 2018. The comparatives for the prior period have been restated accordingly. Financial condition at the end of third quarter fiscal 2020 vs. second quarter of fiscal 2020: Cash and cash equivalents balance of $548.7 million , an increase of $89.5 million from $459.2 million , an increase of from Working capital of $533.8 million , a decrease of $12.7 million from $546.5 million , a decrease of from Total shareholders' equity of $851.2 million , an increase of $15.0 million from $836.2 million Common and Preferred Share Dividends: On February 5, 2020, the Board of Directors approved a dividend of $0.05 per common share, payable on March 10, 2020, with a record date of February 28, 2020. On February 5, 2020, the Board approved a cash dividend of $0.24281 per Series A Preferred Share payable on March 31, 2020 to Series A Preferred shareholders of record as at March 20, 2020. On February 5, 2020, the Board approved a cash dividend of $0.31206 per Series C Preferred Share payable on March 31, 2020 to Series C Preferred shareholders of record as at March 20, 2020. ACCESS TO QUARTERLY RESULTS INFORMATION Interested investors, the media and others may review this quarterly earnings release and supplementary financial information at www.cgf.com/investor-relations/investor-resources/financial-reports/ CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST PRESENTATION Interested parties are invited to listen to Canaccord Genuity's Third quarter fiscal 2020 results conference call via live webcast or a toll-free number. The conference call is scheduled for Thursday February 6, 2020 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time. During the call, senior executives will comment on the results and respond to questions from analysts and institutional investors. The conference call may be accessed live and archived on a listen-only basis at: www.cgf.com/investor-relations/news-and-events/conference-calls-and-webcasts/ Analysts and institutional investors can call in via telephone at 647-427-7450 (within Toronto), 1-888-231-8191 (toll free outside Toronto), 0-800-051-7107 (toll free from the United Kingdom), 0-800-91-7449 (toll free from France), 10-800-714-1191 (toll free from Northern China), 10-800-140-1195 (toll free from Southern China), 1-800-287-011 (toll free from Australia), 800-017-8071 (toll free from United Arab Emirates). Please ask to participate in the Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. Q3/20 results call. If a passcode is requested, please use 8444899. A replay of the conference call will be made available from approximately two hours after the live call on February 6, 2020 until April 7, 2020 at 416-849-0833 or 1-855-859-2056 by entering passcode 8444899 ABOUT CANACCORD GENUITY GROUP INC.: Through its principal subsidiaries, Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. (the Company) is a leading independent, full-service financial services firm, with operations in two principal segments of the securities industry: wealth management and capital markets. Since its establishment in 1950, the Company has been driven by an unwavering commitment to building lasting client relationships. We achieve this by generating value for our individual, institutional and corporate clients through comprehensive investment solutions, brokerage services and investment banking services. The Company has wealth management offices located in Canada, the UK, Guernsey, Jersey, the Isle of Man and Australia. Canaccord Genuity Capital Markets capital markets operates in North America, UK & Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East. Canaccord Genuity Group Inc. is publicly traded under the symbol CF on the TSX. Canaccord Genuity Series A Preferred Shares are listed on the TSX under the symbol CF.PR.A. Canaccord Genuity Series C Preferred Shares are listed on the TSX under the symbol CF.PR.C. The Company's 6.25% Convertible Unsecured Senior Subordinated Debentures are listed on the TSX under the symbol CF.DA.A. None of the information on the Company's websites at www.cgf.com should be considered incorporated herein by reference. ____________________________________ (1) Figures excluding significant items are non-IFRS measures. See non-IFRS measures on page 6 of the MD&A. Investor and media relations inquiries: Christina Marinoff, Vice President, Investor Relations and Communications, Phone: 416-687-5507, Email: cmarinoff@cgf.com, www.cgf.com/investor-relations A huge brawl between a driver and a pedestrian at a busy intersection has been recorded on a dashcam. The footage, uploaded to Dash Cam Owners Australia, shows the horrifying moment the male pedestrian and motorist throw punches at the side of the road in Brisbane. The pedestrian pushed his female companion away to get back to the car and the two men came to blows almost immediately. A pedestrian and a motorist (pictured) got into a wild brawl on a Brisbane street before shocked bystanders attempted to pull the men apart They both tumbled out of frame as others are heard shouting at them to stop, the pedestrian's female companion also tried in vein to intervene. After a moment the men appear to have been pulled apart but the pedestrian then runs into frame again and kicks the back of the car, causing the brawl to continue As the two men begin to go at each other again a male bystander finally runs across the road to help break things up. A woman from inside the car with the camera is also seen jumping out of the car to chastise both men as the brawl came to an end. Eventually the motorist, who lost his shirt in the melee, is seen getting back into his car and driving away. 'What's his problem?' a witness is heard saying. A Queensland Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the incident wasn't reported. Protesters gather at City Halls Dilworth Plaza Wednesday evening, one of many nationwide "Reject the Cover Up: Demand Trump/Pence #OutNow" rallies against President Trump's impeachment acquittal. Read more An hour after the Senate acquitted President Donald Trump in his impeachment trial, about a hundred demonstrators gathered in Dilworth Plaza to protest what they called a sham." The Reject the Coverup" rally, organized by the Action Network, was one of more than 200 demonstrations nationwide that had been set for Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. It originally was prompted by the Senates vote on Friday to block consideration of new witnesses and evidence in the impeachment trial. We are here because Trump is guilty, one organizer bellowed to a crowd holding signs with messages such as An acquittal is the same as a cover up and Trump for prison." The group chanted Trump, Pence out now and Trump is guilty as they marched down Broad and Walnut Streets before returning to Dilworth. Their cries were often drowned out by the honks of frustrated commuters, and one counterprotester who followed the group shouting: Four more years! Despite the fact that we knew this would happen, its inconceivable nonetheless, said Ann Peters, a Philadelphian who had No more lies + corruption painted on the back of her coat. Today, our representatives were willing to fly in the face of the truth, said Peters, a 64-year-old archaeologist. The people working for the American people are willing to destroy our future. Congress impeached Trump in December, charging him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, but conviction in the Senate had been unlikely from the beginning, given the Republican majority there. On Wednesday afternoon, both charges fell short of the two-thirds majority, or 67, required by the Constitution to convict. The first count, abuse of power, was rejected 48-52, with one Republican, Mitt Romney, voting to convict; the second, obstruction of Congress, was defeated, 47-53, along party lines. Im not usually somebody that protests, said Keith Sottung, 54, of Fishtown. But I wanted to be here for the head count, to show that there needs to be more concern about this." The acquittal today is devastating to the future and shows that a president can solicit foreign help in elections without being held accountable, he added. Jim Stewart had a sign with the number 349, which he said was the countdown to Jan. 19, which he hopes would be Trumps last full day in office. Hopefully we have enough time to make a difference, said the 75-year-old from National Park, Gloucester County. Im trying to make things right and get our democracy back. The situation is extraordinary: there have only ever been four declarations of public health emergencies of international concern in the past and now there are two at the same time. Whilst the risks associated with the novel coronavirus are still unclear, people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are still battling with an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus which has been ongoing since 2018 and has already claimed over 2000 lives. One issue is the precise characterisation of the pathogen because the ebolaviruses, like lots of viruses, appear in various genetic forms. Only the analysis of its genetic material provides the information necessary to develop specific tests for diagnosis and decide on efficient measures for controlling the outbreak. A German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) team at Charite - Universitatsmedizin Berlin has now developed a test which accelerates the process of identifying the genetic makeup of the virus. There have been multiple Ebola outbreaks in the last decades. Since 2013, at least eight countries have been affected and 30,000 people have contracted the virus. The origin of these outbreaks is often unclear and they are caused by various ebolavirus variants. "At the moment, it often takes months to develop the right tools to fully characterise the genetic material of the ebolavirus causing an outbreak" explains Professor Jan Felix Drexler, a scientist at the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) and Charite. "However, this knowledge is crucial for developing specific diagnostic tests, identifying transmission chains and eventually controlling the outbreak." The scientists in Professor Drexler's team have now developed a test which provides information about the genetic material of new ebolaviruses regardless of the species or the variant, that is, of the genetic makeup. The test is based on the commonly used polymerase chain reaction (PCR), using which the genetic material can be amplified in a manner that allows precise sequencing. The new test is compatible with various technical procedures such as high-throughput sequencing. It has been tested with four different ebolavirus species. "In cases in which different regions and countries are affected by outbreaks of this kind in particular, it is necessary to establish whether the case in question relates to the spread of a previously known variant of the virus or a new outbreak," explains the virologist. This is exactly what the new test can now determine in one process. "Both in the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in future outbreaks, we may now be able to characterise the trigger more quickly and take appropriate effective measures to end the outbreak," says the scientist. ### Scientists from Charite and Marburg DZIF are involved in the current study within the framework of the DZIF working group on "Virus detection and preparedness" and have the use of a high-security laboratory which is equipped for research into highly contagious viruses. The research work was carried out in partnership with the rapidly deployable health expert group (SEEG) at the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and, in addition to the DZIF, it also received funding from the EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The establishment of the method in the GIZ global partner laboratories is currently being tested. Temperatures will slowly drop throughout Wednesday after a cold front pushed through Southeast Texas overnight. Houston will be in the 30s by tonight, according to the National Weather Service. For context, temperature gauges at Bush Intercontinental Airport reached 79 degrees around 3 p.m. Tuesday. MORE FROM JAY R. JORDAN: Houston temps to plunge from 80s to 30s, 'wintry mix' possible with cold front Parts of Texas have already experienced accumulated snowfall after the front pushed through, including in the Texas Panhandle where meteorologists recorded at least 10 inches of the white stuff. But if youre expecting to see snow in Houston soon, were sorry to disappoint: NWS predicts that snow will only fall in communities west and northwest of Houston north of the Columbus-to-Huntsville-to-Trinity line later tonight. While snow is out of the mix, Houston is predicted to experience light rain showers and an occasional thunderstorm overnight Wednesday, however. But before that comes, expect cloudy skies and chilly temperatures Wednesday. Thursday will feature clearing skies and high temperatures in the 50s. 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 by Wang Zhicheng The number of victims rise to 563. Infections to 28,018; 3694 more cases in one day. Suspected cases also jump 5328 to a total of 24,702. you can get infected in 15 seconds. A newborn baby got sick 30 hours after birth. Doctors work for at least 12 consecutive hours, without breaks, without eating, without going to the bathroom because there are not enough suits to change. The Party apologizes for not having many beds available. Beijing (AsiaNews) - Chinese authorities confirm this morning that there are 563 coronavirus deaths in the country; 73 people died yesterday alone. The number of infections rose to 28,018, 3694 more cases in one day. Suspected cases also jumped 5328 to a total of 24,702. Wuhan's doctors continue to point out the lack of medical supplies and medicines, while the two new hospitals have been opened to welcome thousands of patients. Meanwhile, researchers are discovering new aspects of the disease: a 56-year-old man from Ningbo (Zhejiang) was infected after only being 15 seconds together with another man, who was later confirmed to be ill. The two wore no protective masks. An infant was infected just 30 hours after birth from the mother who tested positive for the coronavirus test. This confirms fears that pregnant women may pass the virus on to their unborn babies. In an interview with Caixin, a Wuhan doctor, Peng Zhiyong, recounted how medical personnel live in the epicenter city of the epidemic. Doctors and nurses are overwhelmed by the number of patients, the lack of beds, masks, overalls and treatments. They work for at least 12 consecutive hours, without breaks, without eating, without going to the bathroom because there are not enough suits to change. In the evening, they study the various aspects of the disease. Dr Peng noted that those with strong immune systems begin to heal after the second week, but the second week is crucial because there may be exacerbations that risk worsening the situation. For the third week, acutely ill patients need extraordinary interventions. According to the doctor, the death rate in Wuhan is 4-5%. More generally, the percentage seems to be around 2%, lower than that of Sars, which was 10%. At a press conference last night, Hu Lishan, deputy secretary of the Wuhan Communist Party, apologized to the population for not being able to treat all patients with hospital care as there was a shortage of medical supplies and beds. In recent weeks the members of the Wuhan Party have been criticized not only for the lack of beds, but also for the slowness in responding to the emergency and in declaring it publicly, keeping it silent for over a month and branding the reports that emerged from hospitals as "fake news". China managed to build two hospitals in Wuhan in a very short time that can accommodate 1000 and 1600 patients. In addition, a stage and two conference rooms are being prepared in "modular hospitals" for the treatment of patients with non-serious symptoms. This will add about 3800 beds. Airport delays are all too common. An estimated 40% of travelers who get on an airplane will arrive late, a statistic which has remained relatively unchanged for at least three decades. Yet millions of people still choose to fly every day as, in many cases, its the only feasible way to reach their destination. If youre aware of which airports experience the most frequent delays, you might be able to avoid these destinations entirely or at least leave a bit of buffer time in your schedule. The 10 Airports With The Most Delays Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Jakarta, Indonesia (48.1%) If you take one of the 200,000 flights departing from Jakartas international airport each day, youll only have about a 50:50 chance of getting to your destination on time. 48.1% of flights from this airport are delayed. Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Mumbai, India (39.6%) The domestic and international terminals at Mumbais major airport are located nearly a mile apart, causing major traffic and congestion. As a result, 39.6% of its flights are late. Hong Kong International Airport Hong Kong (36.8%) Hong Kong International Airport might be known for its modern amenities, but not for being on time. The rate of flight delays is 36.8%. Incheon International Airport Seoul, South Korea (34.1%) Despite recently opening a second terminal, 34.1% of flights from Seouls international airport are delayed. Time will tell if the expansion helps reduce this number. Charles de Gaulle Airport Paris, France (33.9%) The most delayed airport in Europe, flights from Pariss Charles de Gaulle airport are delayed at a rate of almost one third, or 33.9%. Frankfurt Airport Frankfurt, Germany (33.8%) With 33.8% of flights departing late, Frankfurts international airport is hanging on just behind Paris as the second most delayed airport in Europe. Kuala Lumpur International Airport Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (33.7%) Kuala Lumpur recently opened a second airport terminal and removed security measures for international connections to help with congestion, but it hasnt been enough. 33.7% of its flights depart late. Ninoy Aquino International Airport Manila, Phillipines (33.1%) Manila is one the worst city in the world for transportation congestion, and its airport is no different. An estimated 33.1% of flights from its international airport are delayed. Schiphol Airport Amsterdam, Netherlands (31.9%) Amsterdam is struggling to keep up with increased traffic to its international airport; 31.9% of flights leave late. Heathrow Airport London, United Kingdom (29.8%) Flying from the Queens Terminal sounds exciting, but might cause you to arrive at your destination behind schedule. 29.8% of flights from London Heathrow are delayed. Getting Compensation For Delayed Flights In many parts of the world, the law says that passengers should be compensated for flight delays past a certain amount of time. The European Union is considered the most passenger-friendly in this sense, with delays of two hours or more requiring compensation of up to $700. Other countries, like the United States and Canada, guarantee you compensation if your flight is overbooked and requires the airline to cover your food and accommodation if you are stranded overnight. In most cases, you have anywhere from six months to five years to file a claim for compensation. Iran's Cyber Police officials on Thursday said two individuals who spread false news about coronavirus outbreak in Kurdestan and Hormozgan provinces have been arrested. According to the Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA), Ramin Pashaei, Social Deputy of Iran's Cyber Police (also known as FATA), has said that an individual who claimed that a coronavirus victim was hospitalized in Kurdestan Province in a video clip shared on social media has been arrested. Colonel Pashaei told ISNA that health authorities in Kurdestan Province have refuted an outbreak of coronavirus. According to Pashaei, the alleged perpetrator has said that he only meant it as a joke. "Spreading rumors in social media to cause public anxiety is a crime and Cyber Police will take legal action against perpetrators," the official was quoted as saying. The Chief of Cyber Police of Hormozgan Province has also denied an outbreak in his province and said the person who was arrested for spreading the rumor has apologized for his wrong-doing. On Thursday Mohammad-Mehdi Gouya, Head of Health Ministry's Contagious Diseases Management Center, said one of the two suspected coronavirus patients in Zanjan Province has been cleared but the other patient, a female Chinese national, is still in hospital. The result of tests done on this patient will be announced soon, he said. Fifty-six Iranian students who on Wednesday were repatriated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, have been quarantined since their arrival at an unspecified location near the capital Tehran. According to Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raeesi, eight hospitals in Tehran have been designated for patients suspected of carrying coronavirus as well as one hospital in each of Iran's 31 provinces. Raeesi on Wednesday said none of the patients in Iran who were suspected of carrying coronavirus have tested positive for the potentially deadly virus. The death toll in China has now risen to 564. Chinese authorities say they have ordered Wuhan to set up mass quarantine centers. 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. Yasin Ozturk | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images Democratic presidential candidates are taking aim at a new tax break for small businesses. Billionaire Michael Bloomberg last week pitched a $5 trillion tax plan that would raise levies on wealthy individuals and corporations. He also wants to repeal the 20% qualified business income deduction, a feature of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which went into effect in 2018. This write-off permits owners of "pass-through" entities, including S-corporations and partnerships, to deduct up to 20% of their qualified business income. The so-called QBI deduction was intended to bring S-corp tax rates into parity with the reduced rates on C-corporations, said Garrett Watson, senior policy analyst at the Tax Foundation. The 2018 tax overhaul lowered income tax rates on C-corps from 35% to 21%. Close to 16 million tax returns claimed the pass-through deduction on their 2018 taxes, according to IRS filing data through July 25, the most recent set of figures available from the agency. The tax break was especially popular among households with adjusted gross income between $100,000 to $200,000. See below. Bloomberg isn't alone. Fellow candidates Sen. Bernie Sanders, Michael Bennet and Pete Buttigieg also have proposed ending the tax break, as well as raising rates on corporations. Tax proposals are no guarantee of how policy will unfold under a given administration, but the chatter is loud enough that small-business owners might want to pause before they commit to a business entity structure. "There is no such thing as a permanent tax law," said Tim Steffen, CPA and an advisor education consultant with PIMCO. "Overall, you need to be careful about making long-term structural decisions in response to something that just pops up," he said. How it works Rafael Ben-Ari The qualified business income deduction can be a sweet deal if you're the right kind of taxpayer. Business owners can claim it if they have taxable income that's under $160,700 if single or $321,400 if married and filing jointly in 2019. Beyond those thresholds, the IRS applies limits to what you can claim. If you're in a "specified service trade or business" that is, you're a doctor, a lawyer or an accountant you can't take the deduction if your taxable income exceeds $210,700 if single or $421,400 if married. If you're not in a "specified service trade or business," the IRS will allow you to take a reduced deduction if your income exceeds the $160,700/$321,400 threshold, but is still below the $210,700/$421,400 threshold. Finally, if you're not in a specified service trade or business and your taxable income exceeds $210,700/$421,400, then the deduction you can claim is capped as a percentage of W-2 wages you pay to your employees. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act put an expiration date on the deduction: It sunsets at the end of 2025. Choose your entity PeopleImages | E+ | Getty Images Political dialogue around the pass-through deduction is forcing entrepreneurs to think more deeply about making changes to their structure. "Do you weigh the cost benefit of doing it or do you want to deal with the headache of changing entity structure down the road?" asked Dan Herron, CPA and principal of Elemental Wealth Advisors in San Luis Obispo, California. Here are a few considerations for entrepreneurs who are weighing an entity change. Work with your tax professional to figure out what works best for your business. Tax treatment: S-corporations and other pass-through entities are known as such because income "passes through" to the owner and is taxed at their individual rate, which can be as high as 37%. C-corporations file their own income tax returns and are assessed a corporate tax rate of 21%. The Karnal police have booked two men for impersonating as Union cabinet secretary and making a phone call to the Karnal deputy commissioner in September last year for transferring an arm licence from Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh to Karnal. A complaint in this regard was made by under-secretary, home affairs, government of India, Rajesh Ranjan to the the Delhi Police. The complaint was forwarded to the Karnal police by Rajesh Deo, deputy commissioner of police, Delhi (crime). The Karnal police have registered an FIR against Vijay Kumar, contractual executive assistant in the ministry of home affairs, and Baldev Singh, a resident of Guniana village of Karnal under Sections 419 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code. As per the complaint, the accused allegedly made a phone call to the then Karnal DC Vinay Pratap Singh from a landline number (011-23444226) on September 4 last year. The caller identified himself as cabinet secretary and asked the deputy commissioner to transfer an arms licence from Hardoi to Karnal. The landline number 011-23444226 was reportedly listed against a deputy director in the ministry of home affairs (NATGRID). But it is difficult to locate from which office the call was made as NATGRID has several offices, read the complaint. But the beneficiary of the said licence (Baldev Singh) belongs to Karnal, Haryana, it added. Karnal superintendent of police (SP) Surender Singh Bhoria said a DSP will supervise the investigation into the matter. Helen McEntee was angered by Micheal Martin's comments on her role in Brexit negotiations. Former European Council President Donald Tusk has weighed into the general election row over EU Minister Helen McEntees role in Brexit negotiations. Mr Tusk said Ms McEntee worked diligently on Brexit and European affairs on behalf of Ireland. She is an exceptional diplomat and I look forward to working with her in the future, he added. The intervention came after Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said Fine Gael overplayed their role in Brexit negotiations and specifically took issue with Ms McEntees role. Speaking on Independent.ie's Floating Voter podcast, he said: Take Helen McEntee for a second, Helen McEntee had no experience going into the job. She was mental health first. I had dealings with Helen when she was in mental health, he added. Mr Martin went on to say the minister did an okay job during Brexit but was not directly involved in the negotiations. Ms McEntee responded by asking how Mr Martin would know how much involvement she had during Brexit talks. Hes had zero involvement in the process nor has he travelled the length & breadth of the EU with me, she wrote on Twitter. The last thing he & his party negotiated with the EU was Ireland's IMF/bailout after they wrecked the economy, she added. Health Minister Simon Harris also weighed in saying Mr Martins mask slips and branding his comments as ignorant and arrogant. Helen plays a key role in protecting Irelands interests from Brexit. She is highly regarded across the EU, he added. Read More Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said Ms McEntee and Tanaiste Simon Coveney are the only two people guaranteed to retain their portfolios should Fine Gael be returned to government. During the podcast interview, Mr Martin praised his own Brexit spokesperson Lisa Chambers. I think everyone accepts Lisa Chambers has been a very effective Brexit spokesperson and shes done well, he said. She engaged with all the ministers and officials and with our own diplomatic team, as I have on Brexit, he added. Mr Martin said the EU should have facilitated Theresa May more in an effort to avoid a situation where Boris Johnson was able to oust her. He also criticised the Irish governments lack of domestic preparation. Cranes and scaffolding are seen at the Notre-Dame de Paris on May 10, 2019, as stabilization work continues in preparation for reconstruction to begin after the cathedral was badly damaged by a fire the previous month. (Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images) Rebuilding Notre-Dame: Something Significant Is at Stake The urge to modernize Pariss beloved cathedral in the post-fire restoration must be resisted Commentary Heres some bad news: When an iconic 800-year-old wood, stone, and whatever-was-handy cathedral was engulfed by a catastrophic fire, the structure was severely compromised. And heres some worse news: Theyre thinking of giving it an update. I refer, of course, to Notre-Dame de Paris, the tourist attraction that burned disastrously in April 2019. And according to Philip Kennicott in a long piece in the Washington Post, the sort of update being considered is one akin to the iconic pyramid with which the iconic I.M. Pei defaced the iconic Louvre. Which has led to an overheated debate about the overheated church. French President Emmanuel Macron suggested building a contemporary spire atop Notre-Dame. Which led Philippe Villeneuve, the chief architect for Frances historic monuments service, to threaten to resign before allowing such a desecration. Which led Gen. Jean-Louis Georgelin, the head of the commission on what to do with the church, to tell Villeneuve to shut his gob or the French equivalent thereof (namely, quil fermer sa gueule). One is tempted to mock such a petty exchange at the risk of joining in. But Im pleased that tempers rather than temperatures are running high, because I think the subject is an important one on which people should have strong opinions. As I do myself. Namely: If Gothic was good enough for Victor Hugo and Eudes de Sully, its good enough for me, and Macron should cease his musings (as in ferme sa gueule). In my mind, contemporary is an architectural term meaning ugly. Not always hideous, though it surprisingly often is. Sometimes, just dreary. But those ads for river cruises always offer to show you old stuff and the countryside. Nobody would pay money to see a modern city. Seen it? Were in it. Dull glass and steel towers. Artificial-looking suburban housing. Scruffy high-rise apartments. Repeat without lathering or rinsing. Once in a while, someone gets an artistic inspiration, and it gets worse fast. Like Michael Lee-Chins carbuncle on the venerable Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, looking as though the Blob had attacked the building after engulfing a bunch of International Style practitioners. Admittedly, the ROM itself is a bit of a carbuncle, built in Early 20th-Century Ponderous (inspired, so to speak, by Neo-Romanesque). Like Canadas Supreme Court building, the very stones reassure us that there is nothing frivolous or even easy-going about the occupants, and the structure will under no circumstances rise into the air. For all its sternness, the original ROM wasnt deliberately ugly and had become a solid, reliable piece of downtown Toronto culture. Whereas the only redeeming feature of the Deconstructionist addition is that function didnt follow form because it leaked and threatened to let in too much light, damaging the exhibits, proving it was a terrible idea. Meanwhile, back in Paris, as Kennicott rightly notes, Notre Dame has been undergoing changes from the time it was first completed in 1260 and immediately modified. Indeed, Hugos famous novel revived interested in the then-crumbling, recently desecrated structure, leading to a renovation that added a bunch of gargoyles everyone thinks are medieval, plus decorations, statues, and a spire to replace one removed 200 years earlier before it fell on everyones heads. The thing is, back then they still knew how to work respectfully within a tradition. As English art critic John Ruskin said, theres nothing wrong with borrowing if you pay interest. But now, it seems theyve forgotten. Even though the French Parliament insisted in July 2019 that the cathedral be restored exactly as it looked before the fire, they cant stop fantasizing about ghastly modern touches. The essential problem is the paradox, itself now venerable, that Notre-Dame is a traditional religious symbol of a militantly secular modernist France. The Jacobins whitewashed it into a Temple of Reason. But Napoleon was crowned there, many French presidents funerals happened there, and when Paris was liberated in 1944, they celebrated with a Magnificat. Because you need to say something at a time like this. As when somebody dies. When Notre-Dame caught fire, everyone knew it had to be rebuilt, and rebuilt as a church because it is a church. But they cant resist rebuilding something other than a church because of novelist John Barths quintessential modernist, if somebody built the Chartres cathedral now, it would be an embarrassing piece of real estate, wouldnt it? Unless he did it ironically. Macron et al. can understand this sentiment and even feel uneasy about it. But the embarrassment remains and hence the urge to do it ironically, because the faith that built the original, and the inherent link between that faith and that style, is now inaccessible to you. Wed be lucky if all they added was a minaret. That a furious argument has erupted is proof that people realize something significant is at stake. Unfortunately, its taking place in a nation that cant even remember why it once built a church, let alone feel a simple, earnest desire to do so again. John Robson is a documentary filmmaker, National Post columnist, contributing editor to the Dorchester Review, and executive director of the Climate Discussion Nexus. His most recent documentary is The Environment: A True Story. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Doctors help each other put on protective uniforms at Cho Ray Hospital in HCMC as they prepare to check on two nCoV-infected patients, February 3, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa. Two weeks after Vietnam confirmed its first novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection, the nation has taken drastic measures to limit its spread. Vietnam has announced 10 infections of the new pneumonia virus and three of them have been declared healthy and discharged from hospital. The first infections were confirmed on January 23 two Chinese nationals: Li Ding, 66, and his son Li Zichao, 28. Ding arrived in Hanoi from Hubei Province's Wuhan City, the epicenter of the epidemic, on January 13, before proceeding to Nha Trang in the central province of Khanh Hoa. His son Zichao, who had been residing in Long An Province for the previous four months, went to visit him in Nha Trang. Both of them traveled to Saigon and neighboring Long An later. Ding developed a fever on January 17, and Zichao followed suit on January 20. Both were admitted to the Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. The son's has been declared infection free, while the father, with multiple pre-existing health problems including hypertension, diabetes and surgery for lung cancer, is still under observation. The son has been discharged after testing negative several times for the virus, while the father, who has tested negative once, remains under observation. Chinese patient Li Zichao receives treatment at Cho Ray Hospital in HCMC February 3, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Huu Khoa. On February 1, a 25-year-old female hotel receptionist in Khanh Hoa Province, where the two Chinese nationals had stayed, tested positive for the virus. She was discharged from hospital on Tuesday. Five of eight employees of the Japan-based Nihon Plast Company Limited sent to train in Wuhan for two months have been confirmed infected with the nCoV at varying dates. They had returned to Vietnam on a January 17 Southern China Airlines flight (CZ8315). One of them was declared healthy and discharged on Monday. A friend of one of the workers visited her family in the northern Vinh Phuc Province during the Lunar New Year, developed high fever on January 31 and has been confirmed positive with the virus as well. The other infection case confirmed so far is a 73-year-old Vietnamese-American who had boarded Flight 660 of China Southern Airlines to Vietnam from the U.S. on January 14. He transited at the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport on January 15 for two hours and arrived in HCMC on January 16. Hotel staff took him to the HCMC Hospital of Tropical Diseases on January 31, four days after he developed a cough. He is still in quarantine at the hospital. Aside from the none confirmed cases, the nation has so far quarantined hundreds of suspected cases with symptoms like high fever and coughing, including some people who had visited infected areas in China. Of these, 78 are in quarantine in hospitals pending test results. More than 400 others are being quarantined at home after having contact with infected patients. Government actions A soldier disinfects a military office in Thua Thien-Hue Province, central Vietnam, to serve as isolation area for Vietnamese citizens to be coming back from China, February 5, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Vo Thanh. Starting January 29, Vietnam suspended all flights to and from coronavirus-hit areas in China and alongside this move, temporarily stopped granting visas for residents from coronavirus-hit areas. The Ministry of Public Security ordered strict entry and exit control at all border gates for all forms of transportation land, sea and air. Strict inspections of people and goods are also part of the order and a prohibition has been placed on import and transport of wild animals. The Ministry of Health on January 31 advised people to avoid crowded places as a safety measure against the deadly new coronavirus. If there was no emergency, meetings should be held online to avoid direct contact, the ministry said, also advising against organizing traditional festival celebrations. This is a time when Vietnam celebrates many spring festivals that usually gather thousands of people in one place. Following this call, several major festivals have been called off across the nation. That same day, 45 rapid response teams were set up at major hospitals across Vietnam to deal with suspected nCoV cases. 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 as well as personal protective equipment for doctors and staff. On February 1, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued a decision declaring the novel coronavirus outbreak an epidemic in Vietnam. The government classified the coronavirus infection a "class A infectious disease of global emergency" that can be transmitted between humans through the respiratory system. Extended break for universities, schools Millions of school and university students in Hanoi and HCMC have got an extended Lunar New Year break after enjoying a 16-day holiday that was to end on February 2. Of the country's 63 cities and provinces, all except Ben Tre in the Mekong Delta have announced plans to extend the Tet break for students by at least two days. Most colleges and universities across the country have made similar moves. On February 3, companies in Vietnam were requested to suspend receiving Chinese laborers returning from coronavirus-infected regions after spending their Tet holiday at home until the coronavirus situation is under control. The same day, Prime Minister Phuc ordered a mandatory 14-day quarantining of all Vietnamese and foreigners entering Vietnam from 31 localities in China that have recorded nCoV infections. The virus is said to have a 14-day incubating period during which the patient remains asymptomatic. Hospitals built post haste Ho Chi Minh City authorities including the municipal military command have begun work on a field hospital with two locations to handle nCoV cases. The hospital, set to be completed by mid-February, will have a total of 500 beds and adequate personnel to deal with an expected rise in suspected cases and actual infections. Meanwhile, the capital city of Hanoi has also prepared to build two field hospitals to quarantine up to 1,000 people suspected of being infected with the novel coronavirus (nCoV). A senior official said the two hospitals will be able to quarantine 1,500 people for 14 days. Public response People flock in to buy face masks at a drugstore in Hanoi, January 31, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh. After healthcare authorities officially recommended the use of a face mask to prevent the nCoV infection, apart from maintaining personal hygiene by frequent washing of hand with soap, the sale of face masks shot through the roof, and many outlets jacked prices up significantly. Authorities have announced that strict action will be taken against such establishments. Meanwhile, social media comments on the mask shortage led to jokes like rich kids could be identified these days by the number of masks they were wearing. In Hanoi, some individuals and stores stepped in to offer free masks to desperate residents. The police later stepped in and distributed free masks as well. Some people, including several celebrities, whipped up panic by posting unverified reports and rumors about localities having infected patients and on people coming in from China. Several of the rumormongers have been censured and fined VND10-15 million ($430-540). 2019-nCoV roundup: Vietnam steps up vigilance, preparations Hanoi fines thousands of drugstores for hiking face mask prices amid coronavirus fears With confusion and worry spreading widely, many companies have decided to let their employees work from home to limit the gathering of many people at one place and many others have cancelled fingerprint check-in procedures and asked that employees wear face masks in the office. Many groups and events have been created on social media platforms, mostly Facebook, exhorting people to work from home. Around 50 people are due to be deported from the UK next week. Potential victims of trafficking and very vulnerable people are among those due to be deported from the United Kingdom to Jamaica, a charity said on Thursday. The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) said the Home Offices planned charter flight from the UK to Kingston on February 11 will have a capacity for up to 50 people. An MP has called for the flight to be suspended until the publication of the lessons-learned review following the Windrush scandal. Many of those facing deportation have been residents in the UK for decades and have close family ties, the JCWI said in a parliamentary briefing. We often see people who are as British as the schoolmates they grew up with being deported for minor crimes like possession of cannabis. Their school friends caught up in the same folly are chastened with a short sentence and allowed to rehabilitate; while they face a life sentence away from friends and family in a country they never knew. We have become aware that potential victims of trafficking have also been served with RDs [removal directions], and we have concerns that some of these may be victims of county lines exploitation. Were also concerned that there are a number of very vulnerable individuals who have not been adequately assessed for their fitness to fly, despite presenting with serious medical conditions. Toufique Hossain, a director at Duncan Lewis solicitors, which is representing 13 of the people due to be on Tuesdays flight, said they were looking at the individual cases in order to prepare urgent applications to stop their removal. He told the PA news agency he had serious concerns regarding the vulnerability of the people on the flight. Hossain said one of his clients is a man who has been in the UK for many years and was convicted of a drugs offence when he was young but it was an offence he claims he was forced to commit by older gang leaders. And that sort of exploitation and forced criminal activity does very much go into the realms of trafficking and modern slavery, the lawyer said. Concerns have also been raised about the phone signal being down in the Heathrow detention centres, causing difficulties for people wanting to contact their solicitors or organisations that assist with referrals to solicitors. Bella Sankey, director at human rights charity Detention Action, which supports people held in immigration detention, told the PA news agency: We call back our clients really regularly to maintain contact and understand if there have been developments in their case, so for example if theyve been issued with a removal direction. But we are calling and calling and calling and not able to get through to people. She added: Weve had 30 clients that weve not been able to make contact with over the last couple of weeks. Detention Action has issued a legal challenge over the issue, seeking to compel the Home Office to issue alternative SIM cards and to ensure that anyone facing removal is given adequate time to access legal advice. The charity said an order has been issued requiring the home secretary to file a written response to the application for interim relief. Speaking about the Jamaica flight, Sankey said: A large number of the people that we know are on the flight are people who have been in the UK since really early childhood. Theyre British citizens for all intents and purposes, and they have really strong family ties and family connections here. Weve got clients who have very many children who theyve been ripped away from. In the House of Commons on Wednesday, Labour MP Nadia Whittome said: Its been two years since the Windrush scandal exposed the wrongful detention and deportation of Commonwealth citizens. While we wait for the publication of the lessons-learned review, the government plans to deport 50 people 50 people to Jamaica by charter flight next week. Will the prime minister immediately suspend the flight until the lessons-learned review is published and the recommendations implemented? Prime Minister Boris Johnson replied: I think the whole House will understand that the people of this country will think it right to send back foreign national offenders. But Shadow Equalities Minister Dawn Butler challenged his assessment: The Home Office press team told journalists that everybody on a deportation flight to Jamaica are serious criminals. Mr Speaker, this seems not to be true. Ive got a constituent of mine He was convicted under the now unlawful joint enterprise rule, he was released after just two months and his wife feels like this stress is going to kill her husband because he has a heart problem. Mr Speaker, how can I get the home secretary to take this seriously and be truthful about the people who are on the deportation flight and if we can halt this flight until we establish the true facts of the situation? The Home Office denied non-criminals would be on the flight, but promised to legally review the 50 cases before Tuesday. The planned charter flight to Jamaica is specifically for removing foreign criminals, said a spokeswoman. Those detained for removal include people convicted of manslaughter, rape, violent crime and dealing Class-A drugs. The spokeswoman added that everyone on the flight will have had their cases fully reviewed to ensure there are no outstanding legal barriers, including trafficking and slavery claims, that would prevent their removal from the UK. The Home Office said that under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must be made where a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more. It added that this is subject to several exceptions, including where to do so would be a breach of a persons ECHR rights or the UKs obligations under the Refugee Convention. In 2018, ministers faced a furious backlash about the treatment of the Windrush generation named after a ship that brought people to the UK from the Caribbean in 1948. Long-term UK residents were denied access to services, held in detention or removed despite living legally in the country for decades. SAN JOSE, Calif. and PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Liquid Agency, an experience design firm headquartered in Silicon Valley, has acquired Vignette: The Employee Experience Agency based in Portland, OR. The move strengthens Liquid's position as the leading experience design firm that offers and aligns brand, customer experience and employee experience solutions under one roof. Liquid's clients include, Walmart, Silicon Valley Bank, ANN INC, Intel, and others. Vignette was an early pioneer in the employee experience space, transitioning its offering in 2005 from one that was consumer centric to employee centric as more of its clients sought expertise in programs designed to engage and retain their employee base. Liquid has been building its own employee experience capability and now has over 20 people within the agency working with clients on multiple employee experience initiatives. "Data shows that companies that invest in employee experience are four-times more profitable than those that don't," said Scott Gardner, CEO of Liquid. "It is a proven business statistic and one that we see increasing as talent continues to be the most powerful company differentiator. With the acquisition of Vignette, we are bolstering our best in class offering to meet the growing need by clients to better serve this vital audience."* With the understanding that today's workforce wants to work for companies they can believe in, Liquid's employee experience offering - combined with Vignette - works with companies to align their employees with their brand. Liquid's focus is on defining a company's purpose, ideal culture, values, and employee value proposition. Liquid's work encompasses conducting holistic assessments to defining the culture's meaning to activating its culture vision through the employee experience using the company's systems, rituals and cues, all in support of a company's brand. "We are big fans of the work that Vignette has done over the years, and in their ability to attract companies looking for ways to connect with their employees to better deliver on the needs of their brand," explained Katie Wagner, VP of Culture and Experience Design at Liquid. "Vignette deepens our employee experience bench which is important as we grow our offering at a time when employees are the key to delivering on their brand's promise." In commenting on the decision to sell Vignette, Shona Lepis, co-founder of the agency said, "This is an exciting time for employee experience. Companies are becoming increasingly more aware that their employees have different priorities and expectations from their employer and the need to invest in employee experience cannot be ignored. Ultimately, employee experience drives customer experience, productivity, and profitability." Shona Lepis has joined Liquid in the new position of Content Marketing Director with responsibility for creating and overseeing the agency's multi-channel content marketing strategy. She will work with Katie Wagner and the employee experience team to leverage Vignette's expertise on an ongoing basis to work across client engagements. Liquid has grown through strategic acquisitions and the development of new offerings over the past 10 years. The agency acquired Neutron in 2009 and its founder Marty Neumeier is now Director of Liquid's CEO Branding offering. Liquid also acquired ID Branding in 2011 and its leader Dennis Hahn is part of Liquid's leadership team as Chief Strategy Officer. About Liquid Agency Liquid Agency Liquid is an experience design firm born in Silicon Valley in 2000. The firm is independently owned and headquartered in San Jose, CA, with offices in Portland, OR, New York, New York and Santiago, Chile. *Source - Jacob Morgan, " The Employee Experience " Media Contact: Toni Lee 203-246-7524 [email protected] SOURCE Liquid Agency Sponsored sleep out to help raise money for North Wales homeless services This article is old - Published: Thursday, Feb 6th, 2020 Staff from a North Wales housing association will swap their warm homes and comfy beds for a sleeping bag and cardboard box later this month to raise much-needed funds for homeless services in the region. ClwydAlyns Big Sleep Out 2020 takes place at four locations across the region on Saturday, February 29 and as well as raising money, the initiative also aims to show solidarity with those experiencing homelessness. Neighbouring housing associations and local authorities in the region have pledged their support, encouraging their staff to get involved in the event, which will also raise funds for the North Wales Air Ambulance charity. The Big Sleep Out has become an annual feature in ClwydAlyns calendar after it was started by an employee eight years ago. Senior Project Officer Lynda Williams came up with the idea, encouraged by her late mum Merle Dobson, after seeing a similar successful initiative in Chester. Since then, the event has raised thousands of pounds of funds to make life a little better for people experiencing homelessness in North Wales. Lynda, who works at Ty Golau, which provides emergency bed accommodation for homeless or rough sleepers in Rhyl, said: Back in 2012, I became aware of a charity sleep out initiative in Chester and thought how good it would be to do something similar in North Wales. With help from my late mum Merle, we held our first sleep out at New Brighton Community Centre, near Mold, holding one annually every year after that in Northop. In 2018, when Clare Budden joined ClwydAlyn as chief executive, she did it with us, and for this next event, we decided to extend the Big Sleep Out across four counties of North Wales to encourage more people to get involved. In my role I see the devastating effect homelessness and rough sleeping has and I hope as many people as possible will support us in helping to raise funds or raise awareness of this issue. Clare Budden, chief executive of ClwydAlyn, and a member of the Welsh Governments Homelessness Action Group, said: This is a fantastic initiative and I feel privileged to be involved. The problem of homelessness and rough sleeping is increasing and, in stark terms, people experiencing homelessness die earlier (in their mid-40s) and are nine times more likely to take their own lives. People sleeping on the streets are 17 times more likely to be victims of crime. This is shocking, its a national crisis and we hope that our Big Sleep Out will not only raise much-needed funds but, crucially raise awareness of this issue and what we can all do to help. It will also enable participants to experience sleeping rough to get a better understanding of what homeless people deal with on a nightly basis. The difference is, we can all go home to a warm shower and a comfortable bed the next morning. Anyone who would like to be involved can email bigsleepout2020@clwydalyn.co.uk Union minister Giriraj Singh alleged on Thursday that "suicide bombers" are being raised in Shaheen Bagh, where an anti-CAA protest has been going on for weeks. The hardline Hindutva leader posted a video of a woman's speech on social media to hit out at protestors. Referring to another video, in which a few children are purportedly making some objectionable comments against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said poison is being drilled into the minds of kids. "This Shaheen Bagh protest is no longer an agitation. A group of suicide bombers is being raised here and conspiracy against the country is being hatched in its capital," he alleged. Asked to explain his comments, Singh told reporters that during anti-CAA protests women were invoking martyrdom attained by Muslims in a battle in Islamic history and added that parents of a child, who died of illness during the Shaheen Bagh protest, claimed that their son was a martyr. Speeches about making an Islamic state in India were made in Shaheen Bagh, he claimed, adding that it reminded him of Jinnah's movement for Pakistan. Many Shaheen Bagh protestors have accused the BJP of maligning their agitation and have claimed that they resorted to a peaceful agitation to lodge their objections against the "discriminatory" anti-Citizenship Amendment Act. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 'Vice president of Vietnam Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh would be on an official visit to India from 11 to 13 February. During the visit, the direct flight between India and Vietnam could be announced', MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said New Delhi: Vice president of Vietnam, Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, will be on a three-day state visit to India, beginning 11 February, said Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday. "Vice president of Vietnam Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh would be on an official visit to India from 11 to 13 February. During the visit, the direct flight between India and Vietnam could be announced," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said during a weekly briefing. During her visit, India and Vietnam will hold delegation-level talks. The visiting vice-president will also call of President Ram Nath Kovind. "India and Vietnam links are built on the foundation fo close cultural as well as civilization links and marked by mutual trust and understanding as well are strong corporations, regional and international fora," said Kumar. After Delhi, the vice president will also visit Bodh Gaya of Bihar. New York, Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Opportunities in the Eastern Europe Savory Snacks Sector" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05842014/?utm_source=GNW 1 million in 2018 and is anticipated to reach US$6015.9 million by 2023, registering a value CAGR of 3.1% over 2018-2023. The growth of the savory snacks sector will be largely driven by high popularity and preference for potato chips and nuts and seeds. Potato chips is the largest category in the region, with value sales of US$1,910.8 million in 2018. The category is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 3.3%, to reach US$2,243.8 million by 2023. In the Eastern Europe savory snacks sector, the top five companies accounted for 39.5% of overall value sales, in 2018. The health & wellness market in the Eastern European savory snacks sector stood at US$154.7 million in 2018. Hypermarkets & supermarkets was the most popular distribution channel in the Eastern Europe savory snacks sector with 53.4% share in 2018. Flexible packaging was the most commonly used pack material in the Eastern European savory snacks sector, accounting for a 96.5% volume share in 2018. This report brings together multiple data sources to provide a comprehensive overview of Eastern Europe savory snacks 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 Eastern Europe savory snacks sector, analyzing data from eleven countries in the region. It includes analysis on the following - - Market overview: Includes sector size, market size, and growth analysis by category. - Change in consumption: Analysis on the shift in consumption of savory snacks by categories across the key countries in Eastern 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 snacks sector during 2013-2023. The analysis includes key Health & Wellness attributes and consumer benefits driving the sales of savory snacks products in Eastern Europe, in 2018. It also covers the market share of leading companies offering savory snacks with Health and Wellness attributes in the same year. - Competitive Analysis: Provides an overview of leading companies in Eastern Europe, besides analyzing the growth of private labels in the region. - Key distribution channels: Provides analysis on the leading distribution channels for savory snacks across the key countries in Eastern Europe, in 2018. It covers the following distribution channels - Hypermarkets & Supermarkets, Convenience Stores, E-Retailers, Food & Drinks Specialists, Dollar Stores (variety stores & general merchandise retailers), and Others that include - Vending machines, Cash & carries and warehouse clubs, and other retailers - 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 outer types based on the volume sales (by pack units) of savory snacks. 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/p05842014/?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. __________________________ A n email address containing the Arabic for We have come to slaughter was used to order 30 litres of hydrogen peroxide seven weeks before the Manchester Arena bombing, the Old Bailey has heard. Suicide bomber Salman Abedi, 22, detonated a homemade explosive at the concert hall on May 22, 2017 after an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people. His younger brother Hashem Abedi, now also 22, is accused of helping to plot the attack, allegedly buying materials to be used in a bomb, experimenting with explosives and helping to store material used. Prosecutor Duncan Penny QC told jurors an email address used to buy the key bomb-making chemical hydrogen peroxide on Amazon was set up using public wifi in Hulme Market in south Manchester on March 20, 2017. The Gmail account was named bedab7jeana and a note of it was later discovered torn up in the bins at the Abedi family home, the court heard. The literal translation of bedab7jeana its Arabic means We have come to slaughter, said Mr Penny. He said traffic cameras caught a car, said to be Abedis, being driven to and from the marketplace at the time the email address had been set up. Thirteen days later, this email address was provided to Amazon in relation to the successful purchase of 30 litres of hydrogen peroxide. The court also heard that in March 2017 Hashem Abedi allegedly asked a friend, Mohammed Younis Soliman, to buy 10 litres of sulphuric acid. Mr Penny said Solimans mobile phone, with evidence of the chemical purchase and his alleged ties to the Abedis, was seized two months before the bombing. But the contents were not analysed at the time. From his quirky 'Tech conversations with Dad', Jeetu Bhaiya in TVF's Kota Factory to now bagging a film alongside Ayushmann Khurrana, Jitendra Kumar has come a long way! TVF He has an ardent fan following which is keenly looking forward to see their crackling chemistry in Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan. But did you know they didn't first meet on the sets of the movie? Jitendra Kumar who will be seen playing the role of Ayushmann Khurrana's gay love interest in the movie, revealed that he first met the Vicky Donor star at his college during a fest. YouTube "I met Ayushmann way back in 2009 when I was a student in IIT Kharagpur, he had come to cover a fest on behalf of MTV. The fest was called 'Springfest' and we were huge fan of Roadies, where we all met him & clicked photographs with him." "We ended up reaching his room once we found and it was our first year and he was very welcoming towards us. He shared his experiences with us and spoke about his college life with us. Coincidentally during that time we spoke about homosexuality, we did not know that after 10 years we would work in a film together." Recently in an interview with Hindustan Times, he was asked about the much-talked about kiss scene in the movie. To this, he said, It was not very different from kissing a girl. Daadhi thodi chubhti hai (laughs), but yeah, it is the same. YouTube Directed and written by Hitesh Kewalya, the film is jointly produced by Aanand L. Rai's Colour Yellow Productions and Bhushan Kumar's T-Series. The film is slated to hit the screens on Feb 21, 2020. The family entertainer also stars Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao and Maanvi Gagroo in pivotal roles. This article by Jeff Schogol originally appeared on Task & Purpose, a digital news and culture publication dedicated to military and veterans issues. A U.S. official has confirmed that an American in Afghanistan has been kidnapped, as first reported by Newsweek. Newsweek has identified the missing U.S. citizen as Mark R. Frerichs, a former Navy diver who has worked as a logistician and civil engineer in Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, and other conflict zones for the past 10 years, according to Frerichs Linkedin profile. No information was available about Frerichs' current job in Afghanistan or how he was reportedly kidnapped on Jan. 31 in Khost province. The State Department and FBI are currently looking for Frerichs, according to Newsweek reporters James LaPorta, Tom O'Connor, and Naveed Jamali. A State Department spokesperson provided Task & Purpose with a generic statement when asked if an American in Afghanistan had been kidnapped. "The welfare and safety of U.S. citizens abroad is one of the highest priorities of the Department of State," the spokesperson said. "We have no further comment." U.S. officials suspect that the Haqqani network is responsible for taking Frerichs, Newsweek reported. The group is affiliated with the Taliban. In 2009, the Taliban captured Army Pvt. Bowe Bergdahl, who had walked off his base in Afghanistan. Bergdahl was held for five years until being released in 2014 as part of a prisoner exchange. Army Master Sgt. Mark Allen was shot in the head in July 2009 while searching for Bergdahl. Unable to walk or speak for the rest of his life, Allen died in October at the age of 46. More articles from Task & Purpose: FBI Director Christopher Wray takes the oath before a full committee hearing on "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation" on Capitol Hill on Feb. 5, 2020. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images) FBIs Wray Acknowledges Illegal Surveillance of Former Trump Campaign Aide Page FBI Director Christopher Wray has affirmed that the bureau conducted illegal surveillance of former Trump 2016 presidential campaign associate Carter Page, in response to questioning by Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) during a Feb. 5 House Judiciary Committee hearing. Ratcliffes questions related to the Dec. 9, 2019, report by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General (OIG) which found 17 significant errors or omissions in the surveillance warrant and its three renewals the FBI took out on Page under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Wray steered clear during the hearing from commenting on the OIG report, other than repeating variations of his top-line response: The failures highlighted in that report are unacceptable. Period. They dont reflect who the FBI is as an institution and they cannot be repeated. Ratcliffe, however, managed to get a more specific acknowledgment from Wray. This was illegal surveillance with respect to at least several of these FISA applications because there was not probable cause or proper predication, correct? he asked. Right, Wray responded. Since the release of the OIG report, the Justice Department (DOJ) has assessed that two of the FISA warrant renewals were invalid, which means the government cant rely on any information obtained using them. That may have broader consequences. While the warrant targeted Page personally, the authority typically granted is so extensive that all Pages contacts, including most, if not all, of the Trump campaign, would have been at least partially within reach. Under the governments two hop rule, the FBI could obtain not only all metadata and content of Pages electronic communications, but also the metadata of all the people he communicated with and all of that reaching months into the past. As such, the warrant may have allowed the bureau to obtain metadata on communications of everyone in the Trump campaign that Page was in electronic contact with. The OIG report found that the bureau has collected a trove of internal Trump campaign information. FBI officials told the inspector general that information wasnt the target of their investigation and that the bureau didnt do anything with it. Political Bias Page and three other Trump campaign aides were targeted by the FBI in 2016 in a counterintelligence investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Moscow to sway the 2016 election. The probe was taken over in May 2017 by a special counsel, former FBI Director Robert Mueller. The probe concluded in March 2019 without establishing any collusion. Several Democrats emphasized the fact that the DOJ inspector general, Michael Horowitz, didnt find documentary or testimonial evidence of political bias in his investigation. Wray declined to comment, saying the report speaks for itself. Ratcliffe pointed out that Horowitz qualified its findings in his Dec. 11, 2019, Senate testimony. While Horowitz said the lack of evidence pertained to intentionality behind the FBIs conduct, he noted the lack of satisfactory explanations for the FBIs conduct. It is unclear what the motivations were, he said. On the one hand, gross incompetence, negligence. On the other hand, intentionality, and everywhere in between. Ratcliffe suggested that evidence other than documentary or testimonial should be considered. Just because no FBI agent tells the Inspector General, I admit, Im biased and politically motivated against President Trump, doesnt mean there isnt overwhelming evidence of political motivation in the record, he said. He gave the example of former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith. Clinesmith was, for some time, the primary FBI attorney assigned to the Russia investigation. Texts to his colleagues on his work phone released by the OIG showed animosity toward Trump. The OIG found that Clinesmith altered an email from a liaison with another government agency by inserting the words not a source into it, thus making it appear that the liaison said that Page was not a source for the other agency. According to the OIG, the alteration contributed to the fact that the final Page warrant renewal again failed to disclose Pages past relationship with the other agency. The other agency has been identified by Page as the CIA. Illegal surveillance and changing evidence to conduct illegal surveillance is the very definition of fraud on the court, is it not? Ratcliffe said. Well, I certainly think it describes conduct thats utterly unacceptable, Wray replied. FISA Reform On Jan. 31, the FBI responded to a list of recommendations from an expert appointed by the FISA Court to evaluate the FBIs proposed reforms of the process it uses to apply for FISA warrants. In a letter brief filed with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), the bureau said it agrees with or is already delivering on a number of the recommendations. It indicated, though, it needs more time on some of them. On Dec. 19, FISC Presiding Judge James Boasberg ordered the FBI to report the actions it is taking and is planning to take in order to address the failures outlined by the OIG. He then appointed David Kris, former head of the DOJs National Security Division during the Obama administration, to help evaluate the FBI reforms. Some Republican lawmakers have voiced concerns about Kris, who has been an outspoken supporter of impeaching President Donald Trump and criticized Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) for a 2018 memo that documented some of the FISA abuses by the FBI in connection with the Page warrants. In his Jan. 15 response to the FISC, Kris said the FBIs proposed reforms point in the right direction but they do not go far enough to provide the court with the necessary assurance of accuracy, and therefore must be expanded and improved. The FBI proposed new and revised forms, checklists, questionnaires, and documents that should help prevent agents from keeping relevant information from the FISC. The FBI is also working on new FISA training that will be mandatory for all agents associated with the FISA process. Without exception, personnel will be required to pass the test in order to participate in the FISA process, the FBI letter brief says. The bureau acknowledged the curriculum for the training isnt completed and pledged to update the court on its progress in a court filing scheduled for April 30. One of Kriss recommendations was that the FISC should require the FBI to brief it on disciplinary reviews stemming from OIG referrals and that the court can take its own measures, including barring certain agents from appearing in the court. The bureau responded by saying it already has longstanding and well-established disciplinary processes and will follow them to ensure individual accountability, where appropriate. Upon completion of its internal review processes, the FBI is available to answer questions the Court may have related to the results, its letter said. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop is dashing any speculation that the Christ Hospital property with its sweeping views of New York City would become residential if the hospital closes. To be clear: that land is zoned Medical Use Only today and if the hospital closes there is zero chance we entertain any changes to the existing zoning, Fulop wrote on Twitter on Thursday morning. Lets take the dreams of big residential value for the property off the table bc it is never going to happen there after a hospital closes. New Jersey Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli has appointed a state monitor to the facility because it is in financial distress and at risk of further financial deterioration, she wrote in a letter this week to the hospitals owners. The facility is one of two CarePoint Health hospitals that RWJBarnabas intended to purchase, but the negotiations have reached an apparent impasse. Fulop said he fears Christ Hospital could close if the sale collapses completely. Located on Palisade Avenue, the 3.8-acre property overlooks New York and is assessed at $52.7 million, tax records indicate. In 2012, the property had a market value $69.3 million, according to the deed. The land went from being classified as exempt charitable use to commercial use in 2012 when a limited liability company created by the owners of CarePoint Health, a for-profit company, purchased the facility and other properties out of bankruptcy for $40 million. As the owners/buyers of Christ Hospital point fingers over the hospitals future, one real issue of difference appears to be related to the land value underneath. Its on a cliff + w/amazing views of #NYC, Fulop tweeted. The hospital closes there is zero chance we entertain any changes to the existing zoning. Lets take the dreams of big residential value for the property off the table bc it is never going to happen there after a hospital closes. #JerseyCity Steven Fulop (@StevenFulop) February 6, 2020 Meanwhile, the Hoboken City Council introduced an ordinance on Wednesday night that would create a hospital district surrounding Hoboken University Medical Center, the other CarePoint Health facility that was part of the proposed sale to RWJBarnabas. Im happy that we unanimously passed the zone change for the hospital," Councilman Jim Doyle said. "A C-4 district is proposed to be created to zone the block where the hospital is as hospital, and the hospital situation is sensitive and perhaps in a precarious place right now and this will help protect the city and the hospital in the city. Jersey Journal staff writer Teri West contributed to this story. Chinese media lavish praise on Thai response to outbreak THAILAND: Chinese media have praised Thailand for its vigorous efforts to help fight the spread of the novel coronavirus as the kingdom vowed to help Beijing in its time of need. healthChinesetourismCoronavirusCOVID-19 By Bangkok Post Thursday 6 February 2020, 10:01AM Manoon Jarornloy, a pilot on the AirAsia evacuation flight, posts on his Facebook page a photo of crew members dressed head to toe in protective gear. Lou Wei, 32, a CCTV reporter based in Thailand for the past seven years, said he was in Hong Kong when the virus outbreak began but followed the news emerging from Thailand, including via social media. I was impressed by video clips on social media showing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, the Immigration Bureau and the private sector giving moral support to people in Wuhan and Chinese people, he said. On Feb 4, I went out and saw placards in department stores offering encouragement to people in Wuhan [the epicentre of the outbreak]. This made me think that Thais are not blaming China, and instead think Thailand and China should work together to solve the problem. This made me feel that Thailand is a good friend to China, Mr Wei said. He also lauded the Thai government and medical personnel for their professionalism in dealing with the outbreak. When he returned from Hong Kong to Thailand on Jan 31, airport screening was rigorous, he said. Li Min, 49, a Thailand-based reporter from the China Media Group, said the monarchy, the government, parliament and Thais in general have sent messages of moral support to China as it battles the coronavirus, and expressed confidence its government can win the war. In a time of problems, nothing is more valuable than assistance and understanding. This is very much appreciated, she said, while also praising the Thai mainstream media for presenting fair and accurate information on the outbreak in China. Sohu.com, a popular tourism website in China, said Thailand does not place blame but is taking action to control the disease. Meanwhile, many other countries have issued travel advisories warning against visiting China, it said. Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai reiterated Thailands support for Chinas battle against coronavirus, saying the kingdom would stand by Chinese people in these challenging times and is ready to give all possible assistance to China. Mr Don was speaking during a telephone conversation with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. Overcoming Barriers To Autism Diagnosis In The African American Community Research suggests that African American children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at a later age compared to children of European ancestry. The question is, Why? What is ASD? ADVERTISEMENT Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication difficulties and restrictive/repetitive behavior. Common symptoms of autism may include: Difficulty reading others emotions or understanding social situations Highly-focused on certain objects Difficulty changing routines Limited eye contact Sensitivity to certain sounds ADVERTISEMENT Trouble speaking In short, no two individuals with ASD are the same, which is why we now call autism a spectrum. Because autism is a spectrum, the process of recognizing symptoms and getting an ASD diagnosis can be challenging. The fact that autism looks different in each person may help explain why many African American children are diagnosed with autism later than European ancestry children. This delay in diagnosis prevents African American children with ASD from receiving prompt treatment, which may negatively affect their response to treatment when they finally receive services. Why the delay in ASD diagnosis? There are many possible explanations for why African American children are diagnosed later. On the one hand, clinicians may not always be available or equipped to work with African American families. On the other hand, African American families may not always be prepared to receive an autism diagnosis. There may be blindspots in clinical care that contribute to the delay in ASD diagnosis for African American families. First, there may be a very long wait time to see an autism specialist in many areas that service African American children. Second, cultural bias may cause a delay in diagnosis if clinicians are not sensitive to the ways in which autism may appear differently in African American children. Third, misdiagnosis may also play a role in the delay. According to a 2009 research report , many autistic African American children have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or behavioral disorders, rather than ASD. Since previous guidelines did not allow clinicians to diagnose both ASD and ADHD at the same time, they may have given a child a diagnosis of ADHD instead of ASD, especially in children whose autism symptoms were less severe. There may be unique experiences and points of view among African American families that contribute to the delay in ASD diagnosis as well. First, financial and social barriers may pose a challenge to obtaining an early diagnosis. Some African American families may be lower-income, leaving them with limited resources (e.g., money, time, transportation) to access quality healthcare. Second, some family members may be hesitant to seek an ASD evaluation or diagnosis due to concern about their child being labeled with a mental disorder. Third, if and when families are able to visit an autism specialist, they may lack trust or confidence in medical professionals due to historical mistreatment of the African American community. All of these circumstances combined may make the diagnostic process more difficult for African American families affected by autism. What can you do as a parent or loved one of a child with ASD? If any of these experiences and challenges sound familiar to you, please know there are several options available. To overcome barriers to ASD diagnosis, you must be proactive. Take steps to educate yourself about ASD and if you recognize the signs and symptoms listed here, make a point to reach out to your childs doctor or school for a referral to an autism specialist. There are several local non-profit organizations across the Los Angeles metro area that can be helpful resources in your childs ASD journey: Autism Speaks, The Help Group, Special Needs Network (SNN), Healthy African American Families (HAAF) and the University of California, Los Angeles Center for Autism Research and Treatment (UCLA CART) are a few to consider. Local Regional Centers will be helpful as well, and specialize in providing ASD diagnosis and services. In addition, the Autism Genetics and Human Diversity study at UCLA is currently investigating genetic risk for autism in the African American community in order to increase racial diversity in autism research. By participating in this study, African American families who suspect their child has autism can receive a free assessment by trained autism specialists to determine if a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is appropriate. The study can also help families whose child has already been diagnosed with ASD by providing basic recommendations based on the autism specialist assessment. In addition, all participating families will gain access to educational resources and future research opportunities through the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART). For more information about the Autism Genetics and Human Diversity study, please contact Erin Graham, Ph.D., at 310-794-4090 or [email protected] Thank you to Dr. Erin Graham, Edna Hubbard, and Nina Sheridan for their work in drafting this informational document. DHG Daniel H. Geschwind, M.D., Ph.D. is the Director of the Center for Autism Research and Treatment, the Gordon and Virginia MacDonald Distinguished Professor in Neurology, Psychiatry and Human Genetics, and the Senior Associate Dean and Associate Vice Chancellor for Precision Health at the University of California, Los Angeles. It Hurts Women: How a Former Abortionist Became Pro-Life As an obstetrician-gynecologist, Dr. Kathi Aultman performed abortions for years, believing she was helping women. She could do that, she says, because she didnt view the fetus as a living human being. Then one day she read an article that compared the Holocaust to abortion, the idea being that the Nazis didnt consider the Jews and all the other people they exterminated to be human. My father had been with the group that liberated the first concentration camp in World War II so Id grown up with all those pictures and stories, and when I became a doctor I couldnt understand how the German doctors could do what they did, Aultman said in an interview after giving a talk at a pro-life event in Toronto last November. But when I read that article I realized that I was just as bad as they were, and the reason that I could do what I did with no feeling or moral compunction was because I didnt see the fetus as a human being. That was when I actually became pro-life. That was Aultmans aha moment, but prior to that there was another turning pointthree abortions that particularly effected her: one where the woman was using abortion as a contraceptive, one who said she just wanted to kill it, and one who already had three children and couldnt afford another, and who cried all the way through the procedure. That was when Aultman, who at one point served as the medical director of Planned Parenthood in Jacksonville, Florida, quit doing abortions. But she still believed in abortion as a womans right until she read the article about the Holocaust. After that, she says, it took a lot of prayer and a lot of counselling for her to be able to get over having ended so many lives through abortionincluding an abortion shed had herself in her early 20s. I didnt have any regret until I read that article comparing abortion to the Holocaust and I understood what abortion was, and thats when I cried and mourned about my own abortion, she says. Aultmans path in life took a sharp U-turn and she became an ardent advocate against abortion. Currently an associate scholar with the Virginia-based Charlotte Lozier Institute, she has testified on a variety of pro-life issues before state and congressional bodies and state courts, has assisted various state attorneys and the U.S. Justice Department, and has spoken at March for Life events. Abortion not only kills babies, it hurts women, she says, despite the fact that the other side is always saying its one of the safest procedures. Aultman says that after she stopped doing abortions and was in private practice, she would often take emergency room calls where she would see women with complications from abortion, such as injury to the bowel or bladder, perforation, life-threatening hemorrhage, injury to the cervix, and infection. Some women are left with permanent reproductive damage that render them unable to have children in the future. Then theres the psychological effects that often set in later. Theres now some data showing that women who have had an abortion, their mortality over the next 10 years is much higher than women who have not had an abortion, because of suicide, drug abuse, and other things like that, she says. There are a few studies now that are showing some of the emotional complications. Theres something called post-abortion syndrome which I didnt know about until I realized thats what I had, and used prayer and counselling to deal with it. Post-Abortion Syndrome Although post-abortion syndrome is not recognized by the mainstream medical community or the American Psychological Association, some anti-abortion advocacy groups have continued to allege a link between abortion and mental-health problems. Dr. Priscilla Coleman, an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, has devoted a major part of her research to the psychological outcomes among women who have experienced abortion. She has said that a body of studiesincluding some of her ownpublished in reputable medical and psychological journals show that the mental-health risks of abortion include depression, substance abuse, anxiety disorders, and suicide ideation and behaviours. Theresa Burke, the founder of Rachels Vineyard Ministries, which offers weekend retreats for healing after abortion in locations across the United States and Canada as well as in several other countries, says abortion can have a deep psychological impact on a woman. When a mother is abruptly and violently disconnected from her child there is a natural trauma. She has undergone an unnatural death event, Burke said in an interview with Zenit News. Aultman says that given what she saw in her practice, I really feel that no woman can kill her baby and remain unscathed. My advice is to not have an abortion because you have to live with the emotional consequences. She believes abortion should be made illegal, but says there needs to be a range of supports in place for women who get pregnant and dont want the baby as part of getting to that point. We need to continue to have compassion for women who get pregnant and dont want a baby, but we need to give them other options. We have to change peoples hearts or they wont accept it, she says. I think the laws need to be changed. I think abortion needs to be outlawed. Now I dont think thats going to happen all at once, its probably going to be incremental, but I think thats eventually what needs to happen, she adds. Since we dont allow parents to kill their children later, why do we allow them to be killed preborn? With files from NTD Television In-the-Know Investors Are Making a Killing Off Americas Fast Growing Cyber Crime Last week, news broke that Amazon (AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos phone was hacked by Saudi Arabia. Rumor has it the hackers sent Bezos a malicious file in a private message. They threatened to steal everything: emails, business secrets, private messages, even nude photos. Youd think if there was one guy on earth who was unhackable, itd be Bezos. Not only is he the richest person in history, hes a tech genius, the head of arguably the worlds most powerful tech company. He has an army of computer geniuses whose sole job is to secure Amazons computer systems from hackers. And his iPhone was still hacked! 35X Cyberattacks accounted for $2 trillion in losses in 2019 alone!In one case, cybercriminals brought Baltimore city to its knees. Hackers digitally seized 10,000 government computers and demanded $75,000 to release them.For five weeks government workers were locked out. Folks in Baltimore couldnt pay water bills, property taxes, or even close on a house. This might sound extreme, but these attacks happen all the time.Hackers recently disabled computer systems in Lake City, Florida. And get this, the city was forced to hand over $460,000 to unfreeze its network. With all of these attacks, its no surprise cybersecurity stocks are on a tear.The largestflew to new all-time highs last week. And its crushing the S&P 500, as you can see below:My longtime readers shouldnt be surprised. A year ago, I wrote aboutI highlighted a small company called, which provides US military-grade cybersecurity everywhere, on any device. If you bought Okta after reading my article, nice callyoure sitting on 65% gains.Ill tell you about a few more cyber stocks set to soar in the coming year. But first, you should understand the one key driver behind the moneymaking boom in cyber stocks that I expect to run for years.Digital networks are the backbone of most companies today. Stuffy old banks used to move cash around with armored vans. Now, they mostly transfer billions of dollars with a keyboard.Hackers are constantly finding new ways to exploit these vulnerable systems. So companies must keep pouring money into their digital defenses.Cybersecurity spending has shot upsince 2007, and it will only ramp up from here. According to top IT research firm Gartner, cybersecurity spending will hit $125 billion this year.CEO Brian Moynihan has said the bank had an unlimited cybersecurity budget. Whens the last time you heard a CEO say a budget for anything was unlimited? In all my time as a professional investor, Ive only ever heard this line from governments.Im investing my own money in the cybersecurity firms that safeguard the US governments computer networks. These companies are called cyber contractors. And theyre the single best way to play the cybersecurity boom.You see, its one thing when Jeff Bezos or the city of Baltimore gets hacked. Although these are serious crimes, theyre not a matter of national security.When it comes to the US governments network, its a different storyIf the US military is breached, people will likely die.For the Pentagon, even a 0.0001% chance of being hacked is unacceptable. Protecting these networks is one of the most crucial tasks in the world.And the US government is spending heaps of cash to keep them safe. Uncle Sam will shell out $18 billion on cybersecurity this yeara 230% jump from a decade ago.is one of the US governments largest cyber contractors. Roughly half of its revenues come from the Pentagon!You can see Leidos is leaving the HACK ETF in the dust:Is another one. Its also crushing ordinary cybersecurity stocks:The rising threat of hackers guarantees billions of defense dollars will pour into these companies. For this reason, these are the stocks I personally own. The Great Disruptors: 3 Breakthrough Stocks Set to Double Your Money" Get my latest report where I reveal my three favorite stocks that will hand you 100% gains as they disrupt whole industries. Get your free copy here. By Stephen McBride http://www.riskhedge.com 2019 Copyright Stephen McBride - All Rights Reserved Disclaimer: The above is a matter of opinion provided for general information purposes only and is not intended as investment advice. Information and analysis above are derived from sources and utilising methods believed to be reliable, but we cannot accept responsibility for any losses you may incur as a result of this analysis. Individuals should consult with their personal financial advisors. 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. New Delhi/Islamabad, Feb 6 : Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan, who was responsible for the terror attacks on Malala Yousafzai and the Peshawar Army school, has escaped from an Army jail in Pakistan. Aarti Tikoo Singh New Delhi/Islamabad, Feb 6 (IANS) Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan, who was responsible for the terror attacks on Malala Yousafzai and the Peshawar Army school, has escaped from an Army jail in Pakistan. In an audio recording released on Thursday and shared via an online private messaging platform, Ehsanullah claimed that he had succeeded in escaping from jail on January 11. Ehsanullah, also the spokesperson of another dreaded group Jamaat ul Abrar, is responsible for several terror attacks in Pakistan and had a bounty of $ 1 million on his head. In 2012, he was involved in the attack on Malala, who later became a Nobel laureate for peace. She was shot in the head for defying Taliban diktats and pursuing her education and highlighting atrocities of the militant outfit. He is also a prime accused in the 2014 Army Public School (APS) attack in Peshawar in which 134 school children and 15 staff members were killed. He was also involved in the suicide bombing of Shiites in Rawalpindi and Karachi, killing of nine foreign tourists and their guide in Gilgit-Baltistan area, twin blasts targeting peace committee volunteers in Mohmand agency, suicide attack near the Wagah border and the 2016 bombing of an Easter gathering in a Lahore park that killed at least 75 people and injured more than 300 others. In 2017, he surrendered before the Pakistan Army under "mysterious circumstances". Soon after his surrender, a Pakistani TV channel was allowed to interview Ehsanullah who at the time claimed that he was working for India's external intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). However, after three years in custody, the Pakistani Army was yet to file a charge-sheet against him, sources in Islamabad said. The sources confirmed that the audio clipping was Ehsanullah's voice. Speaking in Urdu, Ehsanullah claimed that he had followed the law in the last three years, but Pakistan's dishonest and corrupt institutions had deceived him and his family. He said he had been forced to give statements, alluding to the TV news interview, under an agreement between him and Pakistani authorities, but none of the promises were kept. Ehsanullah also said that he would soon expose all the officials who were involved in the conspiracy against him. The ED has questioned some Popular Front of India (PFI) officials in connection with a money laundering probe against it and an NGO linked to it, officials said on Thursday. They said about half a dozen office bearers of the Kerala-based organisation were questioned about the finances, expenditure, various sources of funding and beneficiaries of the funds generated or distributed by it. The central probe agency, sources said, also recorded their statements under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED is probing PFI and NGO Rehab India Foundation (RIF) under criminal provisions of the PMLA as part of an enforcement case information report (ECIR) or FIR filed in 2018. It is also probing charges that the organisations received and distributed funds from their bank accounts that were allegedly used to fuel protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in various parts of the country. The sources said the agency is investigating the exact nature of association of some PFI officials with politicians based in Delhi and other parts of the country. PFI Delhi president Pervez Ahmed was asked by PTI if he had any links with AAP leader Sanjay Singh and Congress politician Udit Raj, as stated in media reports. "Being a social movement, we meet many people as part of our public relations and we met (Sanjay Singh) for introducing our activities," he said. Ahmed added that while he never met Raj, the two had once spoken as the Congress leader wanted the PFI general secretary to participate in an event in Delhi. Singh, a Rajya Sabha member from the AAP, also tweeted on the development from his official handle. He said there is "no official document or statement" from the ED that links him with the PFI and the reports in this context are an attempt to malign his name by the "BJP and Union Home Minister Amit Shah who are attacking from behind like cowards." Raj, who is also the All India Confederation of SC and ST Organisations' national chairman, said while the media has "linked" his name with the PFI, it could be possible that he met and spoke to a number of people for a rally that was held here in December last year. "I speak to and meet hundreds of people. It is not possible to know everyone," Raj said on his official Twitter handle. Sources have said that a total amount of Rs 120 crore, credited at varied times into the bank accounts linked to the PFI, RFI and few others, are under the ED's scanner as part of this investigation. "The Popular Front of India has stated it multiple times that we fully comply with the law of the land and the allegation of Rs 120 crore transferred from the Popular Front's accounts just before the CAA protests is totally baseless and the people who are levelling these allegations should prove these claims," PFI had earlier said in a statement. A National Investigation Agency FIR and charge sheet against the PFI formed the basis for the ED to file the PMLA case two years back. The agency is probing the PFI's alleged role with respect to suspected terror-funding and possible creation of assets by using "tainted" funds. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) People wearing protective facemasks wait at a pedestrian crossing in Singapore on 4 February, 2020. (PHOTO: AFP via Getty Images) SINGAPORE Four additional cases of the novel coronavirus, including a six-month-old Singaporean baby boy, were confirmed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) on Wednesday (5 February), bringing the tally to 28. This makes Singapore the country with the second-highest number of confirmed cases outside mainland China, behind Japan. Three of the new cases, all of whom have not recently travelled to China, are linked to the countrys first batch of local transmission announced on Tuesday, while the fourth one is a Chinese tourist from Wuhan. All four cases are stable. The baby currently the youngest confirmed case here and a 45-year-old Singaporean man is, respectively, the son and husband of a 28-year-old female Singapore permanent resident who works at Yong Thai Heng, a health products shop in Cavan Road popular with Chinese tourists. She and her colleague, a 48-year-old Singaporean woman, were among four cases of local transmission announced by the MOH on Tuesday, including a 32-year-old Singaporean tour guide who brought Chinese tourist groups to the shop. The trio had close contact with a group of travellers from Guangxi, of whom at least two have been confirmed to be infected with the virus, also known as 2019-nCoV. The fourth case confirmed on Tuesday was the 28-year-old woman's Indonesian foreign domestic maid. Her husband tested positive for the virus on Wednesday at about 2pm and is currently warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). The infant tested positive for the virus on the same day and is currently warded in an isolation room at the KK Womens and Childrens Hospital. The MOH said the six-month-old baby was cared for at home and was not in any infant care facility before he was hospitalised. Tour guides family member infected A 40-year-old Singaporean man, the husband of the tour guide, was also among the new cases announced on Wednesday. He reported that he developed a fever on 24 January and visited Hougang Polyclinic with his wife last Thursday. She also visited a supermarket near their home at Buangkok Green. Story continues Subsequently, the man visited the NCID on Monday, where he was immediately isolated and is currently warded. He tested positive for the virus the next day at around 8pm. Prior to his hospital admission, the Singaporean stayed at his home and worked at Diamond Industries Jewellery Company at Harbour Drive which was visited by the same tour group from Guangxi. He indicated that he had visited Pasir Panjang Hawker Centre and had travelled by public transport. The risk of infection from transient contact, such as on public transport or in public places, is assessed to be low, said the ministry. Daughter of previous case infected The fourth case confirmed on Wednesday is a 42-year-old female Chinese national who arrived in Singapore from Wuhan on 21 January, and the daughter of a previously confirmed case. As she was showed symptoms, she was conveyed by ambulance to the NCID on the same day as her 73-year-old mother, also a Chinese national, and immediately isolated. She later tested positive for the virus on Tuesday at about 8pm and is currently warded in an isolation room at the NCID. The health ministry reiterated that there is no evidence of widespread community transmission of the novel coronavirus in Singapore. It also called on Singaporeans to defer all travel to Hubei province, home to Wuhan, and all non-essential travel to mainland China. Itinerary of Guangxi tour group; business meeting at Grand Hyatt Separately, the ministry provided more details on the movements of the group of 20 tourists from Guangxi. They were in Singapore from 22 to 23 January, re-entered Singapore from Malaysia at 3am on 27 January and departed Changi Airport at 6am. Besides Yong Thai Hang and Diamond Industries Jewellery Company, the tour group also visited Meeting You Restaurant at 14 Hamilton Road, Royal Dragon Restaurant at 2 Havelock Road, T Galleria by DFS at 25 Scotts Road and DResort @ Downtown East at 1 Pasir Ris Close. It has been almost 14 days since the tourists visited these places. We have reached out to 142 contacts, and all but one are well. The person has been isolated as a suspect case and test results are pending, said the MOH. The ministry added that they have conducted contact tracing of the crew and passengers of the departing flight on 27 January. Five are still in Singapore and they have been quarantined. Separately, the ministry also gave details of three cases in Malaysia and South Korea, which were confirmed on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. All three had attended a private business meeting involving 109 participants from the same company at Grand Hyatt Singapore from 20 to 22 January. All 94 overseas participants have left Singapore and the ministry said it has informed the relevant overseas health authorities. Of the 15 Singapore residents, 11 are well and four have reported symptoms and have been referred to the NCID for assessment. Update on remaining cases The ministry added that of the remaining 23 cases one has since been discharged , most are stable or improving, except for one patient who requires additional oxygen support but is not in the intensive care unit. As of 12pm on Wednesday, 295 of the suspect cases have tested negative for the virus. Test results for the remaining 62 cases are pending. The MOH said it has initiated epidemiological investigations and contact tracing to identify individuals who had close contact with the cases and the process is ongoing. As of 12pm on Wednesday, the ministry has identified 379 close contacts. Of the 304 who are still in Singapore, 299 have been contacted and are being quarantined or isolated. Efforts are ongoing to contact the remaining five close contacts. Once identified, the MOH will closely monitor all close contacts. As a precautionary measure, they will be quarantined for 14 days from their last exposure to the patient. In addition, all other identified contacts who have a low risk of being infected will be under active surveillance, and will be contacted daily to monitor their health status. 524 individuals quarantined In Parliament on Monday, co-chair of the multi-ministry taskforce Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development, said that a total of 524 individuals are currently quarantined in Singapore. Of that figure, 222 are being housed in government quarantine facilities, with the remaining at home. The minister also revealed that since last Saturday, more than 200,000 face mask packs or 15 per cent of the total amount due for distribution have been given out by the government. The decision to release masks directly from the national stockpile built up over the years thanks to crises like the SARS epidemic to the general public was taken due to a rapid consumption rate by the public, he added. Same family of coronaviruses as SARS The novel strain belongs to the same family of coronaviruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 800 people globally during a 2002-2003 outbreak and also started in China. On Wednesday, China's death toll from the epidemic soared past 490, exceeding the 349 mainland fatalities from the SARS outbreak. The coronavirus has also spread to 27 territories beyond mainland China, sickening over 24,000 people worldwide. Two territories Hong Kong and the Philippines have each reported the death of a patient from the virus. Wuhan virus in numbers. (CREDIT: Yahoo News Singapore) The World Health Organization declared a global emergency over the new virus last week, after initially downplaying the threat posed by the disease. The new strain likely originated from Wuhans Huanan Seafood Market, where live animals or products such as foxes, wolf puppies, giant salamanders, snakes, porcupines, and camel meat are sold. Patients suffering from the new strain may exhibit fever and symptoms of lower respiratory illness such as coughing or difficulty in breathing as well as pneumonia-like symptoms like a runny nose, sore throat and headache. However, some who have died from it have not displayed symptoms of fever, according to details released by Chinas National Health Commission, potentially complicating global efforts to check for infected travellers as they arrive at airports and other travel hubs. This means that temperature screening, the most common measure being used at transport links and airports to check travellers, may not identify some infected people. (SOURCE: MOH) Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Related stories: Wuhan virus: infant tests positive just 30 hours after birth Wuhan virus: NEA releases list of effective cleaning products Wuhan virus: Quarantined in Singapore, longing for family in China Wuhan virus: Singapore to support aid with $1m, medical supplies Wuhan virus: Critical to assess impact of steps by China in next few weeks top MOH official Netherlands Postpones Tax Deadline For Small Traders by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels 06 February 2020 The Dutch Ministry of Finance has announced that around 24,000 small traders will be able to defer their wage tax declarations this year due to problems with the Government's new online portal for businesses. The problems concern the new "eHerkenning" system, a one-stop-shop system that allows business users to securely connect with more than 400 government agencies and service providers. Its use has been mandatory since January 1, 2020, but the Finance Ministry said that a number of small traders have been unable to fully utilize the scheme. The deferral applies to taxpayers who must use the eHerkenning to access the tax authority's "My Tax Office for Business" online portal, as well as to, among others, those using third-party providers or software to file their tax returns, the ministry said. As a result, around 24,000 taxpayers will be able to defer filing their wage tax return until July 1, 2020, the ministry confirmed. The taxpayers in question will be automatically granted this extension, and the tax authority intends to inform those affected by letter in due course. For corporate income tax returns with a filing deadline of May 31, the normal procedure for applying for a five-month extension still applies, the ministry said. WASHINGTON New York residents will be cut off from trusted traveler programs that speed their re-entry into the country, a senior Homeland Security official said Thursday, blaming a new state law that prohibits immigration agents from accessing motor vehicle records. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers will face the inconvenience of slower re-entry because of a law that acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli says puts public safety at risk by preventing federal agents from quickly accessing vehicle and criminal records. I know other states are looking at laws like this, Cuccinelli said. We would urge them to reconsider. The decision to freeze New Yorkers access to Global Entry and three other programs, which the New York governor dismissed as extortion, reflects an escalation of the conflict between President Donald Trump and states and cities that have declared themselves sanctuaries for immigrants in the country without legal authorization. New Yorks Green Light law, which went into effect in December, allows people to get a drivers license even if they dont have legal residency in the United States. It includes a provision prohibiting the Department of Motor Vehicles from providing any data to entities that enforce immigration law unless a judge orders it to do so. That makes it a target for Trump, who has made immigration enforcement a cornerstone of his presidency and knows its a subject that motivates his base. The sweeping move came a day after Trump slammed New York in his State of the Union address. The DHS action on trusted travelers could have economic consequences. It applies to nearly 30,000 commercial truck drivers enrolled in a program that eases their crossing at four U.S.-Canada ports of entry in upstate New York. Cuccinelli told reporters on a conference call that the New York law endangers the public and federal agents, who cant quickly confirm someones identification, check for fugitive warrants or see if a person has a criminal record. Obviously, we would urge New York to undo that law and restore some sanity to its own attempts to help preserve public safety, he said. New York state officials and other administration critics dismissed the DHS action as a political stunt, noting the trusted traveler programs dont require a drivers license. Participants must submit a passport, fingerprints and undergo background checks, allowing them streamlined return to the U.S. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo defended the Green Light law, saying it improved public safety by ensuring drivers have licenses regardless of their immigration status. The state barred immigration agents from accessing the records to prevent the government from using DMV records to deport people in the country without legal residency. The governor said Homeland Security made no effort to work with state officials to work out an alternative way to access criminal records before deciding to suspend New Yorkers from the trusted traveler programs. They didnt do that, he said, They just issued a letter press release immediately because its all politics. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat, called the action political retribution by the federal government. There is no factual basis for this policy, she said. Its true design is to punish New York for embracing diversity and inclusion. Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Mississippi Democrat who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, said suspending access to Global Entry and the other programs will undermine border security and make travel less efficient. Congress needs to respond to this abuse of power, he said. Global Entry and the three other traveler programs enable people to enter the U.S. without having to pass through the standard immigration and customs checkpoints. The permits must be renewed every five years. Cuccinelli said about 175,000 New York residents in trusted traveler programs will be kicked out over the course of 2020 as their permits expire. At the U.S. Customs House in lower Manhattan, where there is an office in which Global Entry interviews are held, a federal employee was turning away people Thursday if they were New York residents. DHS will also immediately remove about 50,000 people who were given conditional approval and were awaiting completion of an interview for full membership along with 30,000 who have submitted an application and hadnt yet been approved. The agency said the export of vehicles from New York will also be significantly delayed because the Green Light law hinders its ability to validate documents used to establish ownership. Cuccinelli said DHS is considering additional penalties against New York and evaluating the progress of a similar proposal in Washington state. They should know that their citizens are going to lose the convenience of entering these trusted traveler programs just as New Yorks did, he said. Other states have allowed people in the country without legal authorization to obtain a drivers license, but New York is the only state that has banned the Department of Motor Vehicles from sharing records with DHS, Heather Swift, a spokeswoman for the agency, said on Twitter. Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently sent subpoenas to law enforcement in Denver and New York seeking information on immigrants they hope to deport, and federal prosecutors in New York say theyre prepared to take the subpoena to court to enforce contempt charges if law enforcement doesnt comply. DHS officials have said efforts to interfere with immigration enforcement keep them from upholding U.S. laws and endanger public safety by thwarting the deportation of criminals. ___ Associated Press writers Ryan Tarinelli in Albany, New York; Deepti Hajela in New York City; and Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report. There are no plans to recruit more private sector specialists as joint secretaries in central government departments, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. Out of 10 vacancies advertised for joint secretary posts via lateral entry mode, the central government has recently appointed eight private sector specialists. The lateral entry mode relates to the appointment of specialists from private sector in government organisations. "No," said the written reply by Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh when asked whether there was any plan for more such recruitment. In response to the advertisement published by the Department of Personnel and Training for lateral recruitment to 10 posts of joint secretary in the government of India, a total of 6,077 applications were received, the minister said. After scrutiny, 65 candidates were shortlisted and called for interview by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). A total of 64 candidates were interviewed, of which nine were recommended for appointment to joint secretary-level posts on contract basis under lateral recruitment, he said. "The recruitment process for selection of a candidate for joint secretary-level post in the department of revenue became infructuous," the minister said. Thereafter, upon acceptance of the terms and conditions of appointment, eight out of the nine candidates recommended by UPSC have been appointed as joint secretary in the ministries/departments of Civil Aviation, Commerce, Economic Affairs, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Financial Services, New and Renewable Energy, Road Transport and Highways, and Shipping, he said. One candidate has not accepted the offer of appointment, the minister added. In another reply, Singh said the candidates who have been appointed as joint secretary under lateral recruitment policy have signed a contract agreement with the government. "As per this agreement, the performance of joint secretary appointed under lateral recruitment policy will be evaluated annually," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In his fresh anti-India rhetoric, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday that his country's battle-hardened army will teach India a "hard lesson" in case of "any misadventure" by New Delhi. Addressing a rally in Mirpur in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on the 'Kashmir Solidarity Day', Khan asked the Indian leadership to avoid threats of attacks. "Narendra Modi, the statement you gave on this country, and the Indian army chiefthis is my message to you both: You have already made a mistake on August 5," Khan said, referring to the abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Khan said that more than "200 million people of Pakistan and its battle- hardened army will teach India a hard lesson", state-run Radio Pakistan reported. "If you are under the false impression that you will take any action against Pakistan to strengthen your Hindu voter base, it will be the last mistake you make," said Khan. He was referring to Prime Minister Modi's address to the National Cadet Corps in New Delhi last month where he said the Indian armed forces won't take more than a week to ten days to make Pakistan bite the dust. "He (Modi) thought he would end the issue of Kashmir altogether but the way the issue has been internationalised, there is talk of Kashmir where it was never before discussed," Khan said, adding that Pakistan would always stand by the people of Kashmir and fight alongside them. Pakistan's military top brass also termed the recent statements by India as "irresponsible" and said they would thwart any attack by the Indian Army. Army spokesman said that the 229th Corps Commanders Conference held a meeting chaired by Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday during which they reviewed geo-strategic environment, with special focus on internal security and situation on borders. "Provocative statements of Indian leadership are irresponsible rhetoric with implications for region. Pakistan Armed Forces are forces of order and peace and fully prepared to thwart any misadventure, whatever the cost," the spokesman quoted the commanders saying in the meeting. Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said on Thursday that Kashmir was the core issue of Pakistan's foreign policy. "We take the cause of Jammu and Kashmir very seriously. It is the core issue of Pakistan's foreign policy. The observation that the Foreign Office is not taking it seriously is not accurate," she said at the weekly press briefing, dismissing the criticism within the country over its handling of the issue. Farooqui said that Pakistan took the case of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to all international fora including at the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly, Human Rights Council, OIC, Global Refugee Forum and World Economic Forum. "Pakistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have never been shy or negligent towards this core issue of our foreign policy. We are dedicated in taking it forward," she asserted. To a question, she said that Pakistan took the issue of a protest outside its embassy in Kabul with the Afghan authorities. She said the venue of the 'Kashmir Day' event was changed in Kabul due to the protest and "the matter was officially taken up with the Afghan authorities". She also said Pakistan was closely following the developments regarding the US-Taliban peace talks. To another question, she said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would as visit Pakistan next week as per schedule agreed by both the sides. Responding to a question about the coronavirus outbreak in China, she said the Chinese government was providing all the necessary support and treatment not only to Pakistani students and citizens but all in Wuhan city and other parts of the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vice President of Vietnam, Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh, will be on a three-day state visit to India, beginning February 11, said Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday. "Vice President of Vietnam Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh would be on an official visit to India from 11th -13th February. During the visit, the direct flight between India and Vietnam could be announced," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said during a weekly briefing. During her visit, India and Vietnam will hold delegation-level talks. The visiting vice-president will also call of President Ram Nath Kovind. "India and Vietnam links are built on the foundation fo close cultural as well as civilization links and marked by mutual trust and understanding as well are strong corporations--regional and international fora," said Kumar. After Delhi, the Vice pPresident will also visit Bodh Gaya of Bihar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Normandy meeting is scheduled to be held in April at the level of the four countries' leaders. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko says he has no official proposals for a meeting of foreign ministers in the Normandy format, which includes Ukraine, France, Germany, and Russia. "I have no official proposals yet. I would still give priority to the leaders' meeting in April," he said at a joint press conference with his Danish counterpart Jeppe Kofod, according to an UNIAN correspondent. Read alsoIncluding Crimea issue in Normandy format may drag "negotiating ship" to bottom French envoy The Normandy foreign ministers could have an opportunity to meet on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in the middle of February. Prystaiko added that he did not want the ministerial meeting to replace the four leaders' upcoming summit in April. Rezi founder and CEO Jacob Jacquet speaks during a seminar at DREAMPLUS Gangnam startup innovation center in southern Seoul, May 25, 2019. Courtesy of Rezi By Lee Min-hyung Jacob Jacquet, an American entrepreneur, is trailblazing new frontiers in the Korean job market by offering cost-efficient and highly-accurate resume review services here. At the age of 23, the founder and CEO of Rezi, an online English resume generator, came to Seoul in 2016, identifying Korea as the key Asian market for the global drive of the company. "Just after China and India, South Korea is the third-largest English market in the world," he said in an interview on Feb. 4. "Incredible focus and importance are placed on secondary education, and English learning, however, the job market here is unable to support young job seekers." Demand for quality jobs remains very high in Korea just like any other countries, but most job seekers here were unable to produce quality English resumes on their own, even if global companies are rapidly making their inroads into the Korean market, according to him. "I think the Korean market is ready to be disrupted," he said. "From an analysis of domestic companies, traditional English resumes services are simply not competitive. Consultants charge hundreds of dollars for English resumes of quality that would never meet the standards of a Rezi product." Rezi is carrying out a two-track strategy to generate revenues. Firstly, the startup chalks up profits from subscriptions of its resume polishing service. The company also makes money by signing software licensing contracts with marketing partners in the United States. One notable feature of the company is that it is operating a business with a high profit margin, compared with most other startups. "Our revenue for 2020 is on track for 250 million won ($210,000) while operating at a very high margin considering we are selling software subscriptions and our company consists of just two employees," he said. The young entrepreneur studied economics in college where he developed a sense of enthusiasm towards how companies interact with each other in pursuit of market share. Rezi runs applicant tracking systems (ATS), allowing job seekers to have more chances of getting jobs, particularly at international firms. "You will be able to generate concise and powerful resumes that allow you to put your best foot forward, thanks to a series of algorithms that optimize your resume for a variety of ATS," he said. He expressed confidence that demand for his platform would grow further down the road, as a growing number of global firms seeks to raise their profile in Asia's fourth-largest economy. "For our services, I see the Korean market expand as global companies enter Korea which drives demand for bilingual job seekers. Industry-shaping giants such as eBay, IKEA, or Amazon, all require an English resume," he said. Detectives have charged a man with attempted murder after a suspicious house fire razed a home in Brisbane's north this week and left a 50-year-old woman in critical condition. Emergency services were called to the burning home on Bundal Street, Chermside, about 4am Wednesday. Paramedics resuscitated the female resident at the scene after flames engulfed the house. Credit:Nine News Queensland The 50-year-old woman was pulled from the building by firefighters after attempts made by neighbours to rescue her were unsuccessful. She was then transported to hospital in a critical condition. Four neighbours were also treated for smoke inhalation. China on Thursday said that 19 foreign nationals living in the country have been confirmed of contracting the novel coronavirus as of Thursday, but did not disclose their nationalities. The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak went up to 563 as 73 people died on Wednesday, the highest one-day fatalities so far, while total confirmed cases rose sharply to 28,018, Chinese health officials said on Thursday. India and several other countries have evacuated hundreds of their nationals from Hubei province and its provincial capital Wuhan, which is a major international education centre. India has airlifted 647 Indians and seven Maldivian nationals. An estimated 100 Indians stayed back Hubei besides 10 others who could not board the flight because they had high fever. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying during an online media briefing said as of Thursday 19 foreign nationals have been confirmed of contracting 2019-nCoV (official name for coronavirus) pneumonia. Among them two have been cured and discharged from hospital while 17 are receiving treatment in isolation, she said but did not disclose their identities and nationalities. Earlier reports said four Pakistanis and two Australians have been infected with the virus. China also sent an advisory to Beijing-based foreign correspondents asking them to take precautions against the virus and urged them not to travel, specially Hubei province and advised 14-day quarantine if they visited Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak. "Proper self-protection is essential, and avoidance of travelling to Hubei province during this period is earnestly advised," the advisory said. Hua said China attaches high importance to addressing the concerns and demands of foreign nationals in China, especially those in Wuhan. The Chinese government has provided timely, multi-lingual information and advisory services on epidemic prevention and control to foreigners in China. "We have strengthened the protection and assistance for foreign citizens Many foreign nationals in China highly appreciate China's relevant measures. China will continue caring for foreign nationals in our country as our own and guarantee their working and living conditions," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In this 2016 file photo, the Philadelphia Housing Authority demolishes one of the high-rises at the site of the Norman Blumberg Apartments in Sharsdale. Read more The leader of a round-the-clock distribution network that made hundreds of thousands of dollars pumping crack cocaine into the Norman Blumberg Apartments was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday for his role in turning the twin North Philadelphia public housing towers into high-rise monuments of urban poverty, blight, and decay. At a hearing before U.S. District Judge Paul S. Diamond, Edward Stinson, 30, apologized for the drugs he sold between 2010 and 2015, though he respectfully insisted he was not the kingpin prosecutors had made him out to be. But as soon as the judge left the bench, Stinson and the courtroom around him exploded. If I cooperate, do I get less time? Stinson shouted, bounding from his chair while hurling obscenities as U.S. Marshals gathered to lead him back to prison. His mother yelled from across the room. Dont you work for the DEA, especially this lying bitch, she said, indicating the FBI case agent standing feet away. In a corner, Stinsons sister repeated a tearful refrain: Yall locked up my brother for nothing. And all the while a cousin stood quietly pleading in vain for the family to keep their cool. That scene capped off a tempestuous two-hour sentencing hearing in which the emotions of Stinson and his family had already threatened to boil over. Even as Diamond was announcing his punishment, his voice was nearly drowned out by loud, sobbing wails echoing from the hallways outside the courtroom. But the tumult Thursdays proceedings triggered within the Stinson family was nothing compared with the damage Stinson had wreaked in the lives of hundreds of his customers and neighbors over years. The defendant created a nightmare atmosphere for the people attempting to live decent lives at the Blumberg complex, Diamond said. I have no doubt that if the defendant were released today, hed be out selling drugs tomorrow. Long before their demolition in 2016, the Blumberg towers near 23rd and Jefferson Streets in Sharswood had emerged as one of the citys foremost examples of the failed American experiment with public housing projects. Crime, drug dealing, and addiction coalesced around the towers from the start. And as early as the crack-cocaine epidemic of the early 90s, residents routinely complained of drug users passed out in urine-soaked hallways while dealers openly sold illicit products in stairwells or next to children playing in the communitys two playgrounds. Stinson grew up in that environment, shunted between the apartments of his grandmother and a crack-addicted mother, depending on how high the latter was at any given time, his lawyer Paul Hetznecker said. While prosecutors conceded Thursday that Stinson had had a horrific childhood," they blamed him for becoming a perpetrator of the same scourges that had negatively affected his life. He is now the aggressor, Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh A. Davison said. He is now the abuser of the future Edward Stinsons. It was unfair he had to grow up in those circumstances, but now hes creating them. Witnesses at Stinsons trial last year traced the contours of the crack-pushing organization he eventually grew to lead one run from the towers top floors and that employed addicts as lookouts and teenagers to peddle product in the complexs alleyways and playgrounds in 24/7 shifts. Tower residents who complained too loudly or rival drug dealers who dared deal on their turf were quickly dealt with by the flash of a gun or the throw of a punch. And Stinson himself, in FBI recordings played for jurors at trial, counseled other members of his organization on how to seduce otherwise law-abiding female tower residents, then persuade them to turn their apartments into gun, drug, or cash stash houses for the group. Even when Stinson was arrested and sent to state prison between late 2012 and 2014, he continued to maintain a tight grip on his organization. Jurors at his trial heard recorded prison phone calls in which he boasted he could sell $3,500 to $4,500 worth of crack cocaine in a night and bemoaned the slipping sales that plagued his organization while he was behind bars. He brainstormed incentives that his sellers might use to drum up more business, like offers of free beer. Despite that, Stinson insisted in court Thursday that he was just one of many drug dealers operating within the towers and by his estimation, not a very good one. I was a pathetic drug dealer, he said. I was living with a female in low-income housing. Her rent was $81, and even being the big-time drug dealer the government is making me out to be, I couldnt even pay that $81 in rent. The majority of the stuff in my case, its made up. Either way, nearly four years after the Blumberg towers crumbled to dust, so too has Stinsons organization. With his sentencing Thursday, he joins 11 other members of his drug ring that the FBI and DEA investigation have already put in prison. (TNS) - The National Science Foundation has awarded St. Edward's University $1,181,608 million to recruit and train undergraduates for teaching careers in biology, chemistry and mathematics.The university aims to recruit 18 undergraduates majoring in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM fields, and support them in becoming highly qualified middle and high school teachers. School leaders and lawmakers say the program will help fill a critical lack of STEM educators across the country.Glenda Ballard, St. Edward's dean of the School of Human Development and Education, said there's a perception that teaching only leads to low-paying jobs and as a result, there's a lack of people entering the field. Ballard said she hopes this new program will help shift the paradigm."My argument as a life-long educator is that it is actually a wonderful entry-level occupation and oftentimes individuals find it does suit their lifestyle," she said. "You can make a difference in kids' lives and you can contribute to this occupation."The first installment of $629,641 will be issued this year and used to develop the program in partnership with Del Valle school district and other area programs focused on innovation in STEM education. Starting in summer 2021, the university will select six junior STEM majors and award them each a $40,000 scholarship. The students will study education practices and connect with other STEM educators in the area. After graduation, the students will be expected to work at least four years in a small school district, ideally in Texas.Nationally, there is a shortage of qualified STEM teachers. While elementary school teachers often are trained to have a basically knowledge of many subjects, teachers at the middle and high school level are encouraged to be experts in their fields. When it comes to STEM, college students often opt for higher-paying jobs in those fields or graduate school instead of teaching. Steven Fletcher, chair of the teacher education department and the grant's principal investigator, said the new program will both introduce students to the benefits of teaching and provide them with a network of support to keep them in those jobs."Students that are able to enter into the program will also have other benefits and will have lots of teaching experience before they graduate as well as a really strong support system," he said.In addition to the Del Valle district, St. Edward's students with partner with several organizations centered around "maker education," which encourages individuals to find creative solutions and use innovative approaches to solve problems. St. Edward's is partnering with UTeach Maker, Co. Lab Community Makers and Breakthrough Central Texas."It's about building a regional community of teachers that care about training and preparing students for the challenges of our next generation," Fletcher said.The program will recruit six students each summer through 2025, after which Fletcher said the school hopes to apply for more grants to continue the recruitment.Texas Sen. John Cornyn, who has supported several STEM initiatives during his time in Congress, applauded the school for its grant application."Investing in the next generation of Texas STEM leaders will provide those students with invaluable skills now and keep Texas' economy strong in the future," Cornyn said in a statement. "I commend local leaders for their successful grant application and thank the Trump Administration for investing in the students at St. Edward's University."George E. Martin, president of St. Edward's, said the school looks forward to working with their regional partners in this venture."This funding will support our efforts to develop a well-prepared teacher workforce that will, in turn, prepare and inspire young people across Texas and the nation to enter careers in STEM fields," he said in a statement. A 49-year-old man fleeing Lincoln police as they closed in to arrest him after spotting him driving a stolen car forced his way into a home in northwest Lincoln, alarming the residents who were home at the time, police say. Officer Erin Spilker said it happened Tuesday afternoon around 4. Investigators with the Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force saw William C. Moore driving a 1997 Toyota Corolla that had been stolen from the area of 12th and Washington streets on Jan. 30. Police tried to stop Moore, but he fled through the neighborhood of North First and Adams streets. As officers circled the area, Moore abandoned the car and ran, allegedly ditching a syringe that tested positive for methamphetamine and a key to the stolen car, Spilker said. Police also found a knife with a 5-inch blade in the car by the drivers seat. She said when he was briefly out of sight, he forced his way into a mobile home, alarming and disturbing the people who lived there who didnt know him. Spilker said Moore quickly left and police captured him, after a brief struggle, in the 100 block of West Fairfield Street. Iranian intelligence agents raid homes of 4 journalists, confiscate equipment: CPJ 02/06/20 Source: Committee to Protect Journalists Washington, D.C., February 5, 2020 -- Iranian authorities should cease raiding journalists' homes and should return all material confiscated in recent raids, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 26 and February 3, intelligence agents of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Iran's political paramilitary force, raided the Tehran homes of journalists Maziar Khosravi, Yasaman Khaleghian, Moloud Hajizadeh, and Yaghma Fakhshami, according to news reports and a person familiar with the cases who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal. cartoon by Ali Miraee, Iranian daily Ghanoon The agents confiscated documents and reporting equipment from the journalists' homes, but did not make any arrests, according to those sources. The raids came in the weeks before Iran's parliamentary elections, which will be held on February 21, according to news reports. "Raiding journalists' homes in the run-up to an election shows that Iranian authorities are intent on stifling discussion and intimidating critics," said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour. "If authorities want to show that the country's elections are open and fair, they must allow journalists to work without fear that their homes will be raided and their equipment confiscated." On January 26, intelligence agents raided the home of Maziar Khosravi, a former political reporter and editor at the reformist newspaper Shargh Daily, according to a report by the exile-run news website IranWire. He is currently the editor-in-chief of the reformist Faraz Online digital newspaper, which often publishes content critical of the government, according to an interview the journalist gave to BBC Persian in September 2019. Agents searched his home and confiscated Khosravi's personal belongings, but did not state a reason for the raid, according to IranWire. The person who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, who is close to Khosravi, said, "the agents had an arrest warrant for Khosravi, but changed their minds last minute. Instead they are taking him every day for interrogations." Khosravi was active on Twitter in the days before the raid, according to IranWire, but his account has since been suspended. Also on January 26, intelligence agents raided the home of Yasaman Khaleghian, a freelance reporter who writes about social issues, according to a report by Iran International, a U.K.-based broadcaster. Authorities confiscated laptops, phones, books, notebooks, and her press credential during the raid, according to that report. Khaleghian worked as a reporter at the semi-official Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) until March 2019, when she was fired after writing about a rape case and a deadly fire, according to Iran International. The agents did not arrest her or declare a reason for the raid, according to the person close to Khosravi, who is also familiar with Khaleghian's case. On February 3, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps agents raided the home of Moloud Hajizadeh, a reporter who covers women's issues at Taadol Newspaper, according to a report by the International Federation of Journalists, a trade organization. The agents took Hajizadeh to Taadol Newspaper's offices and conducted a further search there, the report said. The agents confiscated Hajizadeh's laptop, phone, and press credential, but did not arrest her or declare a reason for the raid, according to that report. Authorities previously detained Hajizadeh in summer 2019 and released her on bail after charging her with "disturbing public opinions," according to a report by the exile-run Human Rights Activists News Agency. On December 3, 2019, she was sentenced to two years in prison, but has not been summoned to begin that sentence, according to that report. Also on February 3, intelligence agents raided the home of Yaghma Fakhshami, a former reporter at the news website Didban Iran, and confiscated documents and his laptop and phone, according to the person who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity, who is also familiar with Fakhshami's case. The person said that the agents did not arrest Fakhshami or declare a reason for the raid. Authorities previously arrested Fakhshami for his work in 2017, as CPJ documented at the time. The person who spoke to CPJ on the condition of anonymity said that Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps agents told all four the journalists that they would be contacted for further questioning in the coming days. CPJ emailed the press office of the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, which is responsible for supervising the Iranian press corps, but did not immediately receive a response. Iran had 11 journalists in jail at the time of CPJ's most recent prison census on December 1, 2019. A person in Texas is being tested for coronavirus, Beaumont public health officials announced on Wednesday. The patient is a man who recently went to China and has since developed flu-like symptoms, according to Click2Houston. In addition to the 12 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is testing 76 people for the infection that has killed more than 560 people worldwide. The latest suspected case comes as a twelfth American - a person in Wisconsin - was diagnosed with the deadly virus that's spread rapidly since appearing at a seafood market in Wuhan, China. So far, 12 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in six US states. A man suspected of having the virus after returning from China is being tested in Texas, state officials said Previously, a Texas A&M student was tested for coronavirus, but has not since been confirmed, suggesting they were negative for the virus. It's not clear if the new patient had been to Wuhan or elsewhere in China. However, there have now been thousands of patients who contracted the disease outside the outbreak's epicenter, including at least two Americans who were infected by their spouses. So far, cases have been identified in Arizona, California - which has the greatest density of cases with six confirmed patients - Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington, and - assuming the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms the state officials' positive results. There are 'people under investigation' in 36, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). SURGE IN CASES EXPECTED AS MORE LABS GET CORONAVIRUS TESTS AND MORE EVACUEES ARRIVE Emergency Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval was given to the CDC's test for coronavirus as of Tuesday night. On Wednesday, officials announced the test had been shipped to state labs, and that they expected an increase in testing and test results by the start of next week. But as the test results of the new Wisconsin patient came back Wednesday, they likely were analyzed at one of the previously-equipped CDC labs. So far, 10 people in Wisconsin have been tested for coronavirus. Seven thus far were negative. Officials said they are still awaiting the results of some tests. Beginning on Sunday at 5pm, all US citizens arriving to the US from China were to be funneled through 11 international airports: JFK, Chicago O'Hare, LAX, San Francisco, Seattle-Tacoma, Honolulu, Atlanta, Dulles, Newark, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Detroit. It remains when exactly or into what airport the newest coronavirus patient arrived in the US. They may well have reached the US before the new travel restrictions were enacted. As of Monday, the CDC said that only one of the confirmed US cases of coronavirus had been detected via airport screening. Another 167 have tested negative, 82 tests are pending, and the CDC is following 36 'people under investigation,' according to the agency's briefing prior to the Wisconsin case's identification. Dr Messonnier said Wednesday that she expects there will be more cases confirmed. A deluge of those diagnoses may be on its way soon, as four additional planes repatriate Americans who had been trapped in Wuhan and as the newly-approved tests reach more labs. 'We should not be surprised if there are cases' from the flights, said Dr Messonnier. 'Negative results do not preclude 2019-nCoV infection and should not be used as the sole basis for treatment or other patient management decisions,' the FDA said in a Tuesday evening statement. ONE EVACUATED CHILD IN CALIFORNIA AND A NEW JERSEY WOMAN WITHOUT SYMPTOMS ARE IN QUARANTINE 'That being said, there's a child with a fever,' she added, referring to a minor who is among the 195 Wuhan evacuees at March Air Reserve, and who was taken to a hospital and quarantined with a fever on Tuesday. 'Those of you that have children know there are many reasons that children develop fevers and, as far as I understand, the child is actually doing pretty well.' She also noted that, of the 11 confirmed cases, most had been doing consistently well and even said that those who had been in somewhat worse shape - potentially a reference to a California couple hospitalized Sunday night - were improving. A woman has been placed under quarantine after flying from Hubei Province, China - where the coronavirus outbreak originated - to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Tuesday. Pictured: A United Airlines flight takes off at Newark, December 2019 The twelfth case of coronavirus has been confirmed in Wisconsin in a patient who recently traveled to Beijing. Pictured: Medical staff in protective suits treat a coronavirus patient at Zhongnan Hospital in Wuhan, January 27 According to Dr Messonnier, the quarantined passengers from the first evacuation flight from Wuhan are 'going on with daily life as best they can' on March Air Reserve. They are expected to be released by February 11. Meanwhile, a woman has been placed under federally mandated quarantine in New Jersey after flying into Newark Liberty International Airport from Hubei Province - the region of China in which Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak is located. She arrived on Tuesday and, as per protocols enacted by the Department of Heath and Human Services, was placed under federal quarantine. She has displayed no symptoms and is being monitored somewhere in Essex County, New Jersey, state officials said. MORE EVACUEES ARRIVE IN THE US AND ARE PLACED UNDER FEDERAL QUARANTINE On Wednesday, another two flights full of a cumulative 350 or so Americans who had been trapped in locked-down Wuhan touched down back in the US. They landed at Travis Air Force Base in Solano County Wednesday and will be staying at the base's Westwind Inn. Like the initial evacuation flight's passengers, they will be held under mandatory quarantine for 14 days. The State Department separately said it may stage additional flights on Thursday. This image shows one of the chartered flights carrying the Americans It's entirely possible if not likely that some will be positive for coronavirus, but those who do not develop symptoms and test negative will ostensibly be released on February 20. More planes are expected to arrive this week from Wuhan at any of Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, and Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska, the CDC said Wednesday. Federal officials have not disclosed where the passengers will be quarantined, but Washington State Patrol revealed on Tuesday that the Fire Training Academy near North Bend will serve as a quarantine facility there. Strong growth of 19.7% Regulatory News: AKKA Technologies (Paris:AKA) (BSE:AKA) (ISIN:FR0004180537): FY 2019 Growth 1 of +6.3%, above expectations Successful integration of PDS Tech in North America Building-up half a billion Euros digital offer 2019 REVENUE ALL 2019 OBJECTIVES CONFIRMED ( million) FY 2019 FY 2018 Change Change proforma Group 1,801.5 1,505.3 +19.7% +6.3% France 661.4 625.4 +5.8% +5.8% Germany 519.3 511.0 +1.6% +1.6% North America* 305.0 70.5 +332.3% +17.6% International** 315.9 298.4 +5.8% +5.8% * PDS Tech has been consolidated since 1 November 2018 ** Excluding Germany and North America 1.8 billion revenue milestone surpassed in 2019 with revenue growth of 19.7%. Proforma revenue increased by 6.3% in 2019. This includes a 17.6% growth rate in North America, 5.8% in France and International business units. AKKA Germany continued to outperform its domestic market with a growth rate of 1.6%. 2019 was the first year of PDS Tech's integration. It has been a great success as AKKA North America delivered 18% revenue growth. 2020 will be the year to accelerate the deployment of synergies between AKKA and PDS Tech. With Data Respons, AKKA will benefit from a digital offer which will generate half a billion in revenues this year. This acquisition is a real game changer. It will create Europe's largest and most comprehensive digital solutions powerhouse for the fast-growing mobility market and will therefore enable AKKA to capture its strong underlying growth. KEY FACTS In FY 2019, AKKA's French BU delivered revenue growth of 5.8% equal to 661.4m, and Economic growth of 6.2%. The BU delivered a strong performance in communications technologies thanks to smart infrastructures,Aerospace and Railway. In Q4, economic growth of 1.9% suggested a temporary slowdown due to key automotive customers' change in governance in addition to the B737 Max program's impact on aerospace suppliers. Without these difficulties, AKKA would have significantly outperformed in France. The German BU grew organically by 1.5% in Q4, which was in line with the BU's 1.6% revenue growth for FY19 to 519.3m. The performance during the last quarter of 2019 was driven by momentum in Aerospace off-setting the revenue trend from automotive suppliers. The strength of the digital platform formed with Data Respons will allow the BU to benefit from the launch of OEM's new digital programs from H2 onward PDS Tech integration is a success. AKKA North America proforma revenue (including PDS Tech) increased by 17.6% to 305m in 2019 and by 4.2% in Q4 2019 despite a high comparison basis in Q4 2018. AKKA's legacy activities in the US increased by 120% in Q4 2019 and by 90% in FY19 thanks to strong commercial synergies with PDS Tech. The commercial dynamics with Boeing and UTC are strong and the sector is expected to accelerate in H2 2020. 2019 focused on integration. 2020 will be about deploying AKKA engineering solutions. The performance of the International BU is contrasted and has been impacted by a very high comparison basis (+17.4% in Q4 2018). FY19 revenue increased by 5.8% to 315.9m. Belgium, Spain and Italy, which represented 60% of its revenue, performed well. Temporary difficulties in Switzerland and in the Energy sector have impacted growth this year. China was impacted by a lacklustre economic climate. The BU delivered 13% growth on a normative approach. The short-term economic environment might be more challenging as some key players in the automotive industry have postponed the launch of their new technology programs to H2 2020 due to internal governance evolutions, and top supply chain players have anticipated a reduction in their R&D spending as a result of Boeing 737 Max's difficulties. Thanks to AKKA's proven strategy of balances and its unique positioning, the Group remains confident in its ability to benefit from the expected acceleration in high-demand digital technologies from H2 onwards and from R&D spending linked to the successful launch of the 777. ACQUISITION OF DATA RESPONS TO BOOST AKKA DIGITAL POSITIONING VOLUNTARY CASH OFFER AT NOK 48.00 PER SHARE Following its announcement on 19th December 2019 to acquire Data Respons, AKKA has launched a recommended voluntary cash offer for all of Data Respons' outstanding shares against a settlement in cash of NOK 48.00 per share. The Offer is friendly, unanimously recommended by Data Respons' Board of Directors and is welcomed by Data Respons' shareholders. On 30th January 2020, the German Federal Cartel Office cleared the Offer. The offer is going as planned and will close on Monday 10th February. BUILDING UP THE LEADER OF THE DIGITAL INDUSTRY AKKA has been developing its digital solutions organically in France and Germany, with the Link&Go concept car in 2009 and through targeted 3 acquisitions in Germany commencing 2014. This unique positioning has enabled AKKA to accompany the German industry's transformation and to outperform the German market. AKKA aims to accelerate the development of its digital portfolio and to be the Digital trusted partner for digital solutions in mobility. In a data driven world, the acquisition of Data Respons is a game changer and will create Europe's largest digital solutions powerhouse. It will address high volumes and the fast-paced growth of the digital market by disrupting mobility and other industry verticals. Data Respons' core technologies include IoT, 5G, AI, embedded software and cloud and mobile services, which are key in enabling future mobility. In line with CLEAR 2022, AKKA revenues will be predominantly digitalwith 75% of revenue coming from digital embedded IT solutions. 2019 OUTLOOK AND 2022 OBJECTIVES CONFIRMED 2019 OUTLOOK Organic growth: 6% Operating margin from ordinary operations: 8% Free cash flow: 5% 2022 OUTLOOK 2.5 billion Revenue 250 million in operating profit from ordinary activities 6 150 million in free cash flow Upcoming events: Full-year 2019 results: Tuesday, 17th March 2020 Q1 2020 Revenue: Wednesday, 6th May 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 engineering consulting and R&D services in the mobility segment. 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 circa 1.8 billion in 2019. 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 APPENDIX REVENUE BY QUARTER Revenue ( million) Q1 2019 Q2 2019 Q3 2019 Q4 2019 FY 2019 France 169.1 161.7 163.3 167.2 661.4 % change 5.4% 11.0% 7.0% 0.3% 5.8% Pro-Forma growth2 5.4% 11.0% 7.0% 0.3% 5.8% Economic growth3 7.1% 11.0% 5.4% 1.9% 6.2% Germany 126.2 129.2 123.5 140.4 519.3 % change 6.4% -3.1% 2.4% 1.5% 1.6% Pro-Forma growth2 6.4% -3.1% 2.4% 1.5% 1.6% Economic growth3 6.4% -1.6% 1.0% 0.0% 1.3% North America 75.6 76.8 78.4 74.2 305.0 % change 1,433.1% 1,392.7% 1,186.6% 36.4% 332.3% Pro-Forma growth2 32.2% 20.5% 16.8% 4.2% 17.6% Economic growth3 35.7% 60.3% 34.8% -1.5% 9.1% International 75.4 77.4 75.9 87.2 315.9 % change 7.7% 4.9% 7.8% 3.6% 5.8% Pro-Forma growth2 7.7% 4.9% 7.8% 3.6% 5.8% Economic growth3 7.3% 4.4% 4.4% 1.7% 4.3% Total Group 446.3 445.2 441.1 469.0 1,801.5 % change 26.1% 24.4% 26.1% 5.7% 19.7% Pro-Forma growth2 9.9% 6.9% 7.4% 1.8% 6.3% Economic growth3 7.3% 4.8% 5.0% 1.3% 4.4% 1 Growth based on proforma figures 2Growth based on proforma figures 3 Growth at constant scope, exchange rates and number of working days View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005720/en/ Contacts: AKKA Contacts Investor Relations Dov Levy VP Investor Relations Tel: +32(0) 2 712 61 24 dov.levy@akka.eu Media Relations Markus Leutert Group Head of Communications Tel.: +32(0) 4 96 26 27 55 markus.leutert@akka.eu FTI Consulting akka@fticonsulting.com Media Relations, France Lea Truchetto Tel.: +33(0) 1 47 03 68 15 After much hemming and hawing, Maine Sen. Susan Collins announced on Tuesday that she would vote to acquit President Donald Trump on both impeachment articles brought against him by the Democratic-controlled House. "I do not believe the House has met its burden that the President's conduct, however flawed, warrants the extreme step of immediate removal from office," Collins said in a speech on the Senate floor. "This decision is not about whether you like or dislike this President or agree with or oppose his policies or approve or disapprove of his conduct in other circumstances. Rather it is about whether the charges meet the very high constitutional standard of treason, bribery or other high crimes or misdemeanors." Which, OK. Collins' argument is similar to the one made by other on-the-fence Republicans like Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Lamar Alexander (Tennessee.) And it boils down to this: Sure, what Trump did isn't great -- and I wouldn't have done it. But inappropriate isn't the same thing as impeachable. Had Collins left it there, she would have been fine. But she didn't leave it there. In an interview with CBS' Norah O'Donnell, Collins said "I believe that the President has learned from this case" and that Trump "will be much more cautious in the future." HA HA HA. These expectations are, of course, patently ridiculous. Which was made abundantly clear when reporters -- at an off-the-record pre-State of the Union gathering with Trump -- asked him about Collins' comments. "It was a perfect call," he reportedly told them. Because of course he did. Trump has never once said anything else about the July 25, 2019, call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Nor has he ever acknowledged even the slightest whiff of inappropriate behavior in tasking his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, to run a sort-of shadow foreign policy in the country -- trying to pressure the Ukrainians to open an investigation into Joe Biden. That refusal to ever admit any wrongdoing or even a lapse in judgment is in keeping with Trump's general attitude about his life, which is that he never does anything wrong and to the extent he is criticized it's because haters, losers and the elites are jealous of him. This is not a man prone to introspection or self-critique. Never has been, never will be. Collins knows that. Trump has made that personality quirk clear from the day he decided to run for president. He doesn't change. He believes himself to be in the right. In every situation. Always. All of which makes Collins' feeble attempt to defend her vote for acquittal frankly laughable. She has every right to say that she doesn't think that Trump committed impeachable crimes. And that convicting him would set a dangerous precedent for future presidents. But attempting to suggest that this whole impeachment investigation has been some sort of teachable moment for Trump and that he "has learned from this case"? Give me a break. No one -- including Collins -- believes that. Thursday is International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, and while the practice is mostly carried out in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, one survivor in St. John's says there are others like her in Newfoundland and Labrador and the province should prepare for more to come. Maryam Sheikh Abdikadir of Kenya was cut when she was six years old. She was subjected to arguably the most cruel and invasive form of female genital mutilation. "To date, if I get the smell of blood, my mind actually goes to that day," she said, recalling screams of the other girls who went through the procedure ahead of her. FGM, which serves no medical purpose and is considered a human rights violation, is generally carried out on children between infancy and age 15, according to the World Health Organization. As Newfoundland and Labrador welcomes more immigrants from places where the practice takes place, Abdikadir said, the province its people and physicians should learn about mutilation. "Can you imagine a young girl who was cut when she was six years old and she doesn't know and she comes to the schools and discovers she is actually a survivor when she's, let's say, in middle school or high school?" Abdikadir said. "How are we prepared to support that girl when she starts thinking there's something wrong with her or all this and that?" Girls at risk Abdikadir, who now resides in St. John's, is part of the End FGM Canada Network a group of individuals and organizations committed to raising awareness about the practice and its relevance in this country. Organizers want to see a national action plan to support survivors and protect girls at risk in Canada. They also want the federal government to commit more international development aid to ending the practice abroad. If we don't talk about it, there will be all the silence and people can do all sorts of things when they're silent. - Maryam Sheikh Abdikadir Story continues "Already we are hearing of anecdotal stories, not founded, of vacation cutting. Girls taken away, out of Canada, back home to be cut and then they are brought back," Abdikadir said. "Is that true? And if that were happening that's something that should make people talk about it." According to the World Health Organization, more than 200 million girls and women alive today have had their genitals mutilated. 'The control of women' "The main reason why it is done is control of women," Abdikadir said. End FGM Canada Network "But of course it is garnished with a lot of other results. It's religious, it is for chastity, it is for virginity, it makes, you know, the organ beautiful there are all these unfounded narratives holding it in place but the main result is the control of women." The procedure can involve removing the clitoris, labia minora or both. In some cases, the labia minora or labia majora are cut, repositioned and sometimes stitched to seal the area. According to the World Health Organization, FGM can cause severe bleeding, problems urinating, cysts, infections, complications in childbirth and increased risk of newborn deaths. "If we don't talk about it, there will be all the silence and people can do all sorts of things when they're silent," Abdikadir said. "We need to open up the conversation and begin discussing it and just make people aware that there are survivors and there are girls who could be at risk." Read more from CBC Newfoundland and Labrador Nepal will count a third gender in its next population census, counting LGBT people as a minority group that can be allocated government jobs and education for the first time in the nation's history. For a long time, the LGBT community in the Himalayan nation has demanded the national census counts sexual minorities. The census is taken every 10 years. Nepal's laws prescribe special quotas for minorities in workplaces, schools and colleges, and access to discounted healthcare, but LGBT people say the absence of census data omits them from such programmes. Members of Nepal's LGBT community are seen in a reflection on a running track as the participate in training at the Dasarath stadium in Katmandu Dhundi Raj Lamichane, an official at Nepal's Central Bureau of Statistics, said Thursday the national census is planned for summer of 2021 but a trial will be done next month in selected districts. Citizens will be able to identify themselves as male, female or other gender. Though the change is specific to gender rather than any person's sexual identity, activists welcomed it as increasing the visibility of the LGBT community. A participant gets ready for the Miss Nepal Pink Pageant on the closing day of three days of South Asian Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) games in Katmandu, Nepal in 2012 They estimate about 900,000 of Nepal's 29 million people are LGBT. 'This is a big step in our campaign. This will help establish our identity as a minority group in Nepal,' said Sarita K.C. of Mitini Nepal. Nepal has long been a beacon of hope for LGBT people, particularly in Asia. A 2007 Supreme Court ruling paved the way for greater rights for LGBT people in the country, and ordered the government to legally recognise a third gender. It also ruled that the government should remove any laws that unfairly discriminate against LGBT people and form a committee to study the legal recognition of same-sex relationships. In response to this ruling, the government identified over 100 laws that discriminated against such groups. In 2015, Nepal become the tenth country to enshrine LGBT rights in its constitution, outlawing discrimination on such grounds. Citizenship certificates and passports now offer a 'non-male, non-female' option in the gender category. The Himalayan nation of Nepal is one of the more progressive nations for LGBT people in South Asia, although both Pakistan and neighbouring India also legally recognise non-binary genders Countries that have legal recognition of non-binary genders A non-binary person is someone who does not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth, or does not identify as either male or female. The following countries recognise non-binary or third gender classifications in law, but not all listed include a LGBT question on their census: Argentina Austria Australia Canada Denmark Germany Iceland India The Netherlands Nepal New Zealand Pakistan Thailand United Kingdom United States Uruguay Advertisement In Britain, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) intends to include a question on gender identity in the 2021 census. Currently, rough calculations by the government estimate that anywhere between 0.9% and 5.5% of people in Britain are not heterosexual. Further estimates suggest that anywhere between 200,000 and 500,000 people identify as transgender. The LGBT charity Stonewall have backed the inclusion of such a question in the British census. 'Accurate population data on sexual orientation and gender identity allows organisations to develop services and initiatives which are targeted to the needs of their LGBT employees and/or service-users and local communities,' the charity said in a statement. In a 2019 census rehearsal by the ONS, the voluntary question posed to participants was: 'Is your gender the same as the sex you were registered at birth?' They were asked to select either yes or no, and to write in their gender. NASA astronaut Christina Koch is all set to return to Earth on Thursday after leading the first all-female spacewalk in 2019 and logging 328 days on the International Space Station. Her mission on the observatory laboratory could yield key insights into deep space travel, International media reported. Capsule would carry three astronauts The 41-year-old astronaut was scheduled to climb into a Russian Soyuz capsule docked at the ISS along with two other returning crew members. The capsule was scheduled to depart at 9:30 pm EST on Wednesday (0230 GMT on Thursday) and land on the desert steppe of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, at 4:12, am EST the next morning (0912 GMT on Thursday). Along with Koch, the parachuting capsule will carry European astronaut Luca Parmitano and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Skvortsov. Read: Spacewalking Astronauts Close To Fixing Cosmic Ray Detector Read: Humanoid 'Vyommitra' To Serve As Herald For ISRO's Gaganyaan Astronauts Kochs mission on the International Space Station (ISS) extended to 328 days setting a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, the US space agency said. Koch, who arrived at the space station on March 14, 2019, eclipsed the record of 288 days set by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson in 2016-17. She was also a part of three expeditions -- 59, 60 and 61 -- during her current first spaceflight, NASA said in a statement. Read: US Astronaut Sets Record For Longest Spaceflight By A Woman Read: Astronaut Shares Images Of Earth From Space, Flat Earthers Not Convinced "Christina's extended mission will provide additional data for NASA's Human Research Program and continue to support future missions to the Moon and Mars," said Jennifer Fogarty, chief scientist of the Human Research Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, US. Koch along with another female astronaut Jessica Mier also created history as they ventured into space for a first of its kind, all-women spacewalk on October 18, 2019. They took the spacewalk outside the International Space Station to replace the battery charge-discharge unit (BCDU). They spent seven hours in the vacuum of space as they replaced the failed power control unit of the International Space Station. (with inputs from agencies) Little Women Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothee Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Louis Garrel, Jayne Houdyshell Director: Greta Gerwig Rating: ***1/2 Director Greta Gerwig's "Little Women", is an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's 1868 novel of the same name. Like the novel, the film too has the timbre of a timeless, literary classic. This tale of four close-knit sisters continues to delight, feeling every bit as alive today, as it must have been when it was originally set in the mid-19th century Massachusetts. Juggling back and forth between time periods, the focal point of the story is Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) and her ambition to be a writer. The film bookends with her, but the rest of the narrative places her sisters Meg (Emma Watson) the teacher, Beth (Eliza Scanlen) the musical one, and Amy (Florence Pugh) the impulsive one and the artist of the family, at the forefront as well. All of them are trying to find a man to love and discovering what love truly is. Diving into the emotional struggles of the characters as the tale progresses, there is quite a bit of depth to the story. Loss and relationships are what keeps this film emotionally afloat. Also, keeping the period in mind, the film subtly resonates with a tinge of feminism, occasionally leaning into speech advocacy of a woman's right to self-actualisation beyond marriage. The narrative packed with frothy moments, lacking drama or purpose and criss-crossing through timelines, initially makes the film appear going nowhere in particular, and this is a sore point. So, by mid-point one tends to dismiss off the film as a juvenile piece of art. But by the final act, the narrative binds you emotionally. What keeps you bound to the screen are the raw and realistic performances of the cast. With her charming, rebel-like demeanour, Saoirse Ronan easily shifts into the period mode to play Jo. She seems to belong to some previous era, without coming across as a rigid and aggressive person. Emma Watson portrays Meg, as the sister who knows what she wants out of life, which makes the character's choice feel like less of a compromise. Eliza Scanlen plays the sweet, gentle-natured Beth, with understatement and affecting serenity. And, Florence Pugh has the tricky part, she manages to turn the most objectively annoying character in the film into a wonderfully complex study of sisterhood. The quartet is aptly supported by the rest of the cast. Laura Dern as their wise-beyond words mother who they fondly address as "Marmee" and Meryl Streep as the girls wealthy Aunt March are perfectly cast. The men, whose lives are intertwined with the girls, have their moments on the screen, notably: Bob Odenkirk as Mr. March, the girls' father who is off fighting the Civil War, Timothee Chalamet as Laurie the curly-headed boy next door, Chris Cooper as Laurie's widowed grandfather Mr. Laurence, Louis Garrel the French Professor Fruedrich Bhaer who is the only character who dares to criticize Jo's writing, inspiring her to compose something more personal and James Norton as Laurie's tutor and Meg's husband, John Brooke. Apart from the performances, it's the production quality of the film that needs a special mention, especially, Jess Gonchor for the Production designs, Jacqueline Durran for the period costumes, cinematographer Yorick Le Saux for the visuals, Alexandre Desplat for the score that elevates the viewing experience and Nick Houy for his editing style. They all have contributed equally to make the film stand out. -- Syndicated from IANS BURNABY, BC, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Acuva Technologies Inc. ("Acuva" or "the Company") today announced the closing of a $5.4M growth financing with a syndicate of existing and new investors to deliver the Company's innovative drinking water purification systems to global consumers. "Securing this round of financing is further validation of Acuva's vision to enable clean drinking water globally and is a testament to the market's appetite for our technology and products," said Manoj Singh, CEO of Acuva. The proceeds of the financing will be used to meet the rapidly growing demand for Acuva's proprietary products in global markets and to fund the growth of the Company's teams both in Canada and abroad. Acuva has established global leadership is UV-LED disinfection technology and secured partnerships with several major international Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to commercialize its Strike series of products encompassing proprietary IntenseBeamTM technology. Acuva's proprietary IntenseBeamTM technology, developed in partnership with the University of British Columbia, combines the proven performance of UV disinfection with the energy efficiency of LEDs, maximizing available UV power through optical lensing. This purifies drinking water with microbial disinfection rates up to 99.9999% to protect health and safety without adding any chemicals into the water, all without requiring any maintenance or ongoing servicing needs. Through its Strike platform of customizable UVC-LED drinking water disinfection modules, Acuva is helping to make safe drinking water more accessible around the world. "We look forward to continuing our work in enabling clean drinking water and beyond," said Singh, "We are in a strong position to capitalize on our many growth opportunities and momentum." About Acuva Technologies Inc. Acuva is a Burnaby-based clean technology company focused on delivering point-of-use water purification systems using leading-edge, proprietary UltraViolet Light Emitting Diode (UV-LED) technology developed at the University of British Columbia. More information about Acuva is available at www.acuvatech.com . SOURCE Acuva Technologies Related Links http://www.acuvatech.com Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp LinkedIn Email Telegram Abuja, February 5, 2020 Nigerian authorities should conduct a credible and transparent investigation into the death of journalist Alex Ogbu, publicize the results of his autopsy, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On January 21, Ogbu, a reporter and editor with the local independent outlet Regent Africa Times, died from head injuries sustained at a protest in Abuja, the capital, held by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria religious organization, according to Regent Africa Times publisher Shola Akingboye and Francisca Ogbu, the journalists wife, who both spoke to CPJ over messaging app and phone calls. Police told Francisca Ogbu that her husband died after he slipped and hit his head on a rock, she told CPJ. However, the local privately owned news website Sahara Reporters published a report on January 23 saying that police had shot and killed Ogbu. The author of that report, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, told CPJ they arrived at the protest just after Ogbus death and spoke with witnesses who said that police opened fire at protesters and a bullet hit Ogbu in the head. The witnesses said that Ogbu died at the scene, the Sahara Reporters author told CPJ. When contacted by CPJ over the phone, Anjuguri Manzah, a spokesperson for the Nigerian police, declined to comment on how Ogbu died and whether police opened fire at the protest, but said police were investigating. Emanuel Ogbeche, chair of the Abuja branch of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, a local trade group, told CPJ that an autopsy had been conducted but the results had not been made public. Nigerian authorities should prioritize the transparency of their investigation into the death of journalist Alex Ogbu, determine exactly how he was killed, and share that information with the public, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator, from New York. Nigerians are too often denied the full truth about how journalists die in their country. Yesterday, police told Femi Falana, a lawyer representing Ogbus estate, that his team should submit a formal request for the autopsy report, according to Marshal Abubakar, a lawyer from Falanas chamber, who spoke to CPJ via phone. Today, CPJ could not determine whether Falanas team submitted the request. Ogbeche told CPJ today that no autopsy results had been released. Akingboye told CPJ that he had not explicitly directed Ogbu to cover the protest, but having worked closely with Ogbu, believed that the journalist would not have passed by a protest and failed to report on it. A member of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Abdullahi Musa, told CPJ in a phone call that Ogbu was not a member of their movement, and was known as a journalist who covered their protests. Francisca Ogbu told CPJ she had seen her husband earlier that day and believed he was on his way to the papers office when he died. Police took possession of the journalists phone after he was killed, and refused to return it to his wife, she told CPJ. MINSK, Belarus - Ukraines parliament is debating a proposed law to allow sales of the countrys rich farmland, a high-tension issue that sparked a brawl among lawmakers Thursday. Proponents say that allowing sales of farmland that are currently outlawed would significantly boost Ukraines struggling economy. Opponents argue the land could end up in the hands of businesses that would crush small farmers or of foreigners, including Russians. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who supports land sales, says the question of allowing foreign ownership should be put to a referendum. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the parliament building during the debate. Inside the chamber, supporters of opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko blocked the area at the front while she occupied the speakers seat. The confrontation ended in a scuffle. About 75% of Ukraines farmland belongs to small landowners who can lease it but not sell it. The rest is owned by the state. Debate of the measure is likely to be lengthy because lawmakers have proposed some 4000 amendments to it. (@FahadShabbir) MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th February, 2020) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin and his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Tasic, during recent consultations, expressed their readiness to strengthen cooperation on regional issues, which are being considered by the UN Security Council and include Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. "A thorough exchange of views confirmed the high level of the concurrence of Moscow's and Belgrade's approaches to key issues [that are] on the agenda of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council. [The sides] expressed readiness to further strengthen close cooperation on regional issues that are addressed by the Security Council Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina and others based on the UN Charter and norms and principles of international law," the ministry said. The ministry added that the diplomats confirmed their commitments to stepping up the core and coordinating role of the UN in settling international issues. Kosovo seceded from Serbia in 2008. However, the move was not recognized by Belgrade. Russia and Israel, among other states, also do not recognize Kosovo's independence. Advertisement Evocative pictures from the 1970s show a version of east London that has long been forgotten since its streets have been taken up by artisinal coffee shops and hipster craft beer bars. A stunning set of black and white photos reveals a vibrant community full of market sellers, children playing in the streets and factories buzzing with workers - a far cry from the studio spaces and yoga dens that now take up most of Hackney and the surrounding areas. Today places like Ridley Road Market in Dalston are home to funky cocktail bars that promise diversity and a great night out for locals. But in the 70s market sellers would line the streets, with customers queuing up to buy fresh produce. While the market is still active today, the number of customers visiting the area specifically for their fix of fresh fruit and veg is depleting. Other images show the River Lea running through Bow and Hackney Wick. Barges carrying various goods would usually be spotted on the water, but now house boats line the river edge and runners are often seen donning their best high visibility gear as they pound the pavements. The lives and trying times of those living in Hackney and the surrounding areas were captured by Stoke Newington native Neil Martinson. He started taking photos while he was still at school in Hackney and has now released a the 'Hackney Archive: Work and Life 1971-1985', which is a unique collection of photos showing Hackney before it became gentrified. Dalston Kingsland's vibrant Ridley Road Market in 1981. These days, world food stalls and veg sellers rub shoulders with trendy bars and clubs. The picture above shows one of the market sellers at a fruit stall where lucky customers were able to purchase ripe peaches prices at a bargain on six for just 20p. A shopping centre can be seen at the end of the street and bananas are also seen hanging from another fruit stall Hackney started to change in the 70s and 80s. Nurses took to the streets in pay disputes outside Bethnal Green Hospital. The four female nurses are seen above in their traditional uniforms. They are holding on to leaflets which say: 'Help us win a fair wage' and 'you can't live on dedication'. Other campaigners were also seen out with the nurses as they flicked through the newspaper A factory worker smokes as he works in a garment factory in Dalston's Shacklewell Lane, 1981. He is wearing a turtle neck jumper and the atmosphere looks casual. Other workers are also seen in the background, one is wearing a striped top and the other wearing a shirt. Health and safety regulations would today state that correct attire would have to be worn at the workplace and smoking would not be allowed The cover of the book which was been released through Hoxton Mini Press is pictured above and shows the image of a man at a barber shop. The new release is Book 7 in a series called 'vintage Britain'. The images included in the book take the reader on a journey through the various areas of Hackney, covering everywhere from Dalston to Clapton the the surrounding areas such as Stamford Bridge The River Lea, in 1971. The river originates in originates in the Chiltern Hills, England, and flows southeast through east London where it meets the River Thames. The barges above are likely carrying goods from one end of east London to another. There are now several bars which are near the river bank and today house boats also line the river, as many struggle to find affordable accommodation in London It was common to see children playing on the streets in the 1970s. The lack of traffic, and very different attitudes, gave children a freedom that seems quite remote now. It is very rare now that you see children all outside in large groups playing together. Now many attend play dates and other organised groups where local people are able to meet and interact with those who have the same interests as them A man has his moustache attended to at a local barber shop. This is a far cry from the hipster salons in Hackney which offer so -called 'clean beauty' treatments. Many salons in Hackney now also offer a range of services and the high streets are home to many various nail stores and afro-Caribbean salons which cater for the diverse population of Hackney and its surrounding areas Rachel Point and her family at their home on the Nightingale Estate in Lower Clapton, 1974. The children beam for the camera in the decor is traditionally 1970s chic. There is a lamp on the right hand side which is complete with tassles. There is also a comfy arm chair and a sofa. The children are wearing cute dresses and are both wearing long white socks, Mrs Point is wearing something similar but without the socks The Telsner family at home in the predominantly Jewish community of Stamford Hill in 1981. Hackney and surrounding areas has played home to multiple nationalities and cultures throughout the decades. One man can be seen reading from a large scripture while the children listen to him. Another child is being read to by a woman. Stamford Hill is now home to a range of Jewish shops Giorgi's Cafe on Bethnal Green Road, 1971. Some of the areas cafes, such as E Pelicci's, have remained in the area since 1900. If you take a walk down Bethnal Green Road today you will still find some of the old shops from the 70s, as many were family run businesses. It now connects hip Shoreditch to the rest of east London and is home to a Nandos, a McDonald's and even a KFC Fresh fish of the day on sale in Dalston's Ridley Road Market in 1981. The owner of the stall smiles and other customers can be seen on the other side of the stall. For sale are various fish such as Salmon, Mullet, Trout and Rainbow Trout. The market is still running today and now includes various bars and pubs as well as the more traditional fruit and veg stores and of course a fish mongers A local rag and bone man rides his horse and cart on Graham Road, Hackney, in 1971. Graham Road is still mainly residential. One end of Graham Road today boast many amenities for local residents and is close to Hackney Central overground station. The other end is closer to Dalston and has a music shop and some smaller independent shops and eateries which local residents can enjoy Hackney Archive: Work and Life 1971-1985 by Neil Martinson is published by Hoxton Mini Press on 6 February (https://www.hoxtonminipress.com/collections/books/products/hackney-archive) Only a third of women like their breasts and the UK and US are among the most insecure nations, a study shows. Researchers surveyed more than 18,000 women in 40 countries in the largest ever study examining body image. Nearly half of all women polled admitted they wanted bigger breasts, while 23 per cent revealed they were keen on having a smaller chest. The remaining 29 per cent were happy with the size of their breasts, according to the team at Anglia Ruskin University. They found that in the UK and US, three quarters of women were unhappy with their breasts, either wanting larger or smaller breasts than their own. Even more dissatisfied were women in Japan and China, where a staggering 90 per cent of women wanted to change their breasts. This compares to Columbia, which ranked number one with more than half (57 per cent) of women content with their chest size. Women who were dissatisfied with their breast size breast size admitted they were less likely to check them for cancerous lumps. They may not notice unusual changes because they prefer not to look at them in the mirror or feel them due to shame, research suggests. Lead researcher Professor Viren Swami said it was a 'serious public health concern' that the majority of women across the world appear to be dissatisfied with their breasts. British women are among the most insecure about their breast size. They rank 9th out of the top 10, with Japan, China, and Egypt the most dissatisfied Figures show that more than 50,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year in Britain. In the US, it is in the region of 250,000. It is estimated one in eight women will develop the disease at some point in their lives - making it the most common form of cancer among females. Experts recommend women check their breasts regularly for any unusual changes so the disease can be spotted early, increasing the success of treatment. The NHS also encourages women to learn what their breasts look and feel like so an abnormal changes can be spotted early and examined by a doctor. Professor Swami added: 'Breast cancer is the leading cause of female cancer-related deaths worldwide and poor survival rates are associated with poorer breast awareness. 'Breast size dissatisfaction may result in avoidance behaviours that reduce breast awareness, particularly if a woman's breasts trigger feelings of anxiety, shame, or embarrassment.' The new survey of 18, 541 women, aged between 19 and 94 years old, was conducted to look at the differences in breast satisfaction between nations. The scientists asked women questions about their satisfaction with their breasts and body generally, as well their age. They also asked them how often women check their breasts for changes such as lumps and bumps. Overall, they found that just 29 per cent of women from the 40 countries, who were an average age of 34, were happy with their breasts, while 48 per cent wanted bigger boobs. Some 23 per cent of women wanted smaller boobs. THE 10 COUNTRIES WHERE WOMEN ARE THE LEAST SATISFIED WITH THEIR BREASTS 1. Japan 10 per cent satisfied with their current size 2. China 13 per cent 3. Egypt 13 per cent 4. UAE 20 per cent 5. Pakistan 21 per cent 6. Malaysia 22 per cent 7. Thailand - 23 per cent 8. Lebanon 24 per cent 9. UK 25 per cent 10. USA 25 per cent Advertisement THE 10 COUNTRIES WHERE WOMEN ARE THE MOST SATISFIED WITH THEIR BREASTS 1. Colombia 57 per cent are satisfied with their current size 2. Paraguay 51 per cent 3. Ghana 52 per cent 4. Spain 45 per cent 5. Norway 44 per cent 6. Netherlands 40 per cent 7. Serbia 36 per cent 8. Israel 36 per cent 9. Costa Rica 36 per cent 10. Philippines 34 per cent Advertisement Less than a third of women are happy with the size of their breasts and almost half want a larger chest, researchers have found (stock image) In Britain, 75 per cent of women were unhappy with their breast size. Fifty-six per cent want larger breasts, while 19 per cent want smaller breasts. Levels of dissatisfaction are far lower in the US, with 43 per cent of women wanting bigger breasts and 32 per cent wanting smaller ones. Women in Japan feel the highest levels of dissatisfaction, with 70 per cent wanting larger breasts and 20 per cent wanting smaller ones. OLDER WOMEN ARE HAPPIER WITH THEIR BREASTS A final key finding of the report was that breast size dissatisfaction decreases as women get older. This may mean they check their breast more often. This was a positive finding considering the older a woman is, the more likely she is to get breast cancer. Dr Swami and his colleagues speculated that this may be down to older women feeling 'less pressure' to obtain their ideal breast size. Women who choose to become mothers and who breastfeed their children may be encouraged to focus on the functional properties of their breasts, while younger women may be more focused on how their breasts look. The authors also found that despite the historical differences between countries for ideal breast size, the disparities had narrowed to the point that the 'objectification' of 'medium-to-large' breasts is now a 'global phenomenon'. Advertisement They were followed closely by women in China, as well those from Egypt and Brazil. The most satisfied were women in Colombia. A third of women want larger breasts, while 11 per cent want bigger breasts. Analysing the results from further surveys, the researchers found links between certain personality traits neuroticism and conscientiousness with breast dissatisfaction. Contrary to what they expected, exposure to Western media had a positive impact on body image. The findings show a direct link between breast size dissatisfaction and poorer awareness about checking them for lumps or changes such as dimpling. It affected those who felt their breasts were small more. Dr Swami and his colleagues pointed to previous research which suggested that women may not be checking their breasts to avoid focusing on the site of their dissatisfaction. They may also be trying to avoid or negative emotions such as shame and embarrassment which they feel when they look at their breasts. In fact, the study showed women who are unhappy with their chest have lower self-esteem. They were also more likely to be down about their overall appearance and weight, and have poorer psychological wellbeing. Dr Swami added: 'Our findings are important because they indicate that the majority of women worldwide may be dissatisfied with the size of their breasts. 'This is a serious public health concern because it has significant implications for the physical and psychological well-being of women.' Dr Swami and his colleagues also found that women who are unhappy with their chest are also more likely to be down about their overall weight and appearance. The findings build on research from Dr Swami in 2018 which focused on British women only. Some 31 per cent of UK women said they wanted smaller breasts, while 44 per cent said they would prefer them if they were larger. But a third of women said they rarely, if ever, checked their breasts for cancer, despite recommendations from the NHS. More than half of women in the study said they would visit their doctor immediately if they detected a change in their breasts during an examination. But one in ten revealed they would delay seeing their GP for as long as possible - or completely avoid booking an appointment. THE 12 SIGNS OF BREAST CANCER THAT WOMEN MUST KNOW Thick mass: A sudden thickening of the breast tissue can be a sign of a serious underlying condition such as lobular or inflammatory breast cancer Indentation: Some people notice a dip, or dent, in the breast. This can be because the cancer is tethered to the breast tissue and so pulls it inwards Skin erosion: In rare cases cancer that is growing under the skin can break through and create a wound Heat or redness: If the breast feels warm to touch or there's redness one-third of the breast, it can be a sign of inflammatory breast cancer New fluid: Spontaneous nipple discharge on one side, which may be blood stained, brown or clear, might mean there is something in the breast that is causing irritation Dimpling: Dimpled skin is a common sign of inflammatory breast cancer Bump: A localised swelling, bulge or bump on the breast should always be investigated Growing vein: Changes such as dilated veins can be a sign that cancer is blocking a blood vessel Retracted nipple: Developing an inverted nipple - i.e. not being born with one - which can't be drawn out, may suggest a lump behind the nipple is pulling it in. New shape or size: Any change in shape or size not associated with the menstrual cycle should be investigated Orange peel skin: Skin that has ridges or appears pitted, like the skin of an orange, can be caused by a build up of fluid in the breast Invisible lump: Even there are many other symptoms, it's crucial to always check your breasts for lumps. A cancerous lump often feels hard and immovable like a lemon seed Advertisement I hated being the blonde with the big boobs, says Ulrika Jonsson Ulrika Jonsson has confessed she has always hated her breasts after being 'sexualised as a blonde with big boobs'. Ulrika Jonsson (pictured in 2003) says she has always hated her breasts The TV star, 52, who had breast reduction surgery from 34L in 2009, said she fought against stereotypes. She even wore high-necked tops in the hope it would deter people from staring at her. The Swedish mother-of-four told ITV's Lorraine show: 'It was not helped by being blonde as well blonde and big boobs. And I was Swedish. All those things indicate a sort of sexual something.' She added: 'I was a late developer and when my breasts came they were quite big and they got in the way. I didn't know what to do with them. 'I was messing around with cars and things, I didn't play with dolls and all that stuff. Then suddenly these things arrive and then as you get older they arrive in the room two minutes before you do.' Miss Jonsson said that 'psychologically, they made me feel fat'. She recalled: 'When I was pregnant I went up to a 36I cup, or something shocking. I always felt big and it changed all the choices I made clothes-wise. I would never wear low-cut things. 'I felt very vulnerable in situations like that so exposed.' Miss Jonsson last month faced a backlash from women who had undergone mastectomies after she lamented the unhappiness large breasts had caused her. She told Lorraine: 'My argument was I am still allowed to hate my breasts [but] I totally empathise.' New Mexico Trout will be hosting its annual conclave and fundraiser from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at the University of New Mexico Continuing Education Center, 1634 University NE. The event is open to the public and will discuss fly fishing. Featured speakers are Brian OKeefe, a fly-fishing photographer and guide, and Geri Meyer, guide and owner of Athena & Artemis Womens Fly Shop. There will also be a raffle, exhibitions and demonstrations, and food trucks will be on site. Tickets are $20, with free admission for children 12 and under with a paying adult. Tickets can be purchased online or at Los Pinos Fly and Tackle Shop. For more information go to www.newmexicotrout.org/conclave. The Delhi High Court Thursday allowed termination of 24-week pregnancy of a minor rape victim, after a medical board set up by the Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital said there was a significant risk to the teenager in continuing with it. The medical opinion of the hospital was placed before Justice Vibhu Bakhru, who discussed it in-chamber with the 16-year-old girl and her parents before delivering the order in the open court. The judge told the doctor from RML, who was present in court, to ensure the procedure is carried out within 24 hours. The doctor told the court that risk associated with the procedure, including surgery, has been explained to the victim and it can be carried out within a few hours of receiving the order. Taking note of the statement, the court said the "procedure be carried out as expeditiously as possible" and to "preserve the DNA" for use as evidence. With the directions the court disposed of the plea filed on behalf of the girl through advocates Anwesh Madhukar and Prachi Nirwan. The court on February 4 had ordered RML to set up of a medical board to examine the condition of the 6-year-old girl and submit a report on whether continuing the pregnancy will pose any risk to her health. The petition was filed as Section 3 of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act does not permit termination of pregnancy in case the period of gestation is more than 20 weeks. The plea had said the pregnancy poses a substantial risk to the girl as she herself is of tender age. The plea had said the rape victim was examined by doctors at a government hospital here on January 25 and she was found to be 24 weeks pregnant. Pursuant to this, a case of rape and criminal intimidation was lodged at Swaroop Nagar Police Station here. The doctor has opined that since the period of gestation is more than 20 weeks, it is beyond the permissible limit and court's permission is required for pregnancy termination. The Union Cabinet had last week approved extending the upper limit for permitting abortions from the present 20 weeks to 24 weeks for "special categories of women" which would include rape survivors, victims of incest, differently-abled and minors, an official statement said. The Cabinet has given its nod to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Beijing resident Anna Wang, 30, is a habitual user of food delivery apps, usually ordering meals and milk tea online every week even though her company provides free meals to employees at an on-site restaurant. That changed about 10 days ago, with the increasing spread of a novel coronavirus that has killed almost 500 people, with more than 24,500 cases reported as of Wednesday. Working from home as recommended by the local government, Wang no longer orders daily meals online: "It could be a risk as the food may contain viruses and contact with the couriers may also cause infection," she said. Instead, she orders deliveries of fresh vegetables and raw produce for meals cooked at home by her parents. While this still entails some contact with couriers, Wang said each order lasts her family about four days compared to having to order cooked food for each meal. They also minimise the potential risk of infection from visiting crowded markets to buy groceries. "We are trying to avoid contact [with others] as much as we can," she said. Wang is one of the many regular users of food delivery services in China, which has one of the biggest on-demand delivery industries in the world. The market for food and grocery deliveries was projected to grow 30 per cent to reach 604 billion yuan (US$86 billion) last year, more than four times its value five years ago, according to a report issued in August by market researcher Trustdata. Food delivery apps in China had an estimated 400 million monthly active users " about 30 per cent of the country's population " in the third quarter last year, up 14 per cent from a year ago, according to a separate report published in November by Trustdata. But the coronavirus outbreak in China has cast a shadow over the booming industry. A sick courier in Shenzhen worked for 14 days before he was diagnosed with the disease, while four staff at a fast-food restaurant in Chongqing were also infected with the virus, according to local reports. Story continues The rapidly spreading respiratory illness has resulted in more deaths in China than the Sars epidemic in 2003. Li Zhanlin, a 34-year-old full-time delivery worker for food ordering app Meituan Dianping, said there have been fewer orders this Lunar New Year holiday from January 24 to February 2. "The average number of daily orders this holiday has been around 20 to 30, but it was around 50 to 60 during the previous Lunar New Year holiday," he said. "I think it's because many restaurants are closed and customers don't like to order food during the epidemic." There is generally lower activity on delivery apps during the Lunar New Year period each year as fewer couriers work, many food outlets close and customers go on holiday, according to Yang Xu, senior analyst at research firm Analysys. "This time [with the influence of the epidemic] the amount of activity is even lower, and the slow period might be longer", she said. "Closed restaurants and extended public holidays out of fears for the coronavirus could bring even more damage for the industry." A Ele.me delivery driver waits to cross the pedestrian crossing in the Futian district in Shenzhen. Photo: SCMP / Roy Issa alt=A Ele.me delivery driver waits to cross the pedestrian crossing in the Futian district in Shenzhen. Photo: SCMP / Roy Issa However, delivery platforms are making adjustments for the unexpected situation, Yang said. Meituan is working with banks to provide loans to restaurants that need support to stay afloat, while Alibaba Group's Ele.me has offered commission reductions to restaurants across the country. Alibaba Group is the parent company of the Post. In response to changes in demand from customers, the delivery platforms are also expanding beyond cooked meals to provide deliveries of medicine and groceries. A Meituan spokeswoman said that sales on the app's grocery delivery service, Meituan Maicai, were two to three times higher than usual in Beijing during the Lunar New Year public holiday. Li said around 70 per cent of the orders he receives every day are now grocery orders, whereas they used to be mostly meal deliveries. Amid fears among customers such as Wang about getting infected through contact with food couriers, Meituan and Ele.me, the two largest delivery platforms in China, are also launching contactless delivery services across the country. The feature allows users to have their food delivered to a designated area, where they can pick up their orders without interacting with the courier in person. Both companies declined to comment on how the outbreak has affected their businesses. Although couriers risk exposure to the virus through their interactions with restaurant staff and customers, Li said he is not considering switching careers for now. Meituan has been distributing facial masks and disinfectant to couriers, which he feels are sufficient protection measures, he said. The platform is also giving him subsidies which boost his earnings to up to 900 yuan (US$129) a week " "not bad", in his view. And despite the challenges the industry is currently facing, Yang is optimistic about its longer-term outlook: "If the epidemic can be contained in the first quarter, I believe the industry performance will recover in the second quarter of this year, and sales in 2020 could be at least the same as last year's," she said. 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. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders declared himself the winner of the Iowa caucuses Thursday amid continued disarray in the count pointing to his lead of about 6,000 votes in the popular vote at a press conference he organized in New Hampshire amid the state party disarray. 'We here in northern new England call that a victory,' Sanders told reporters at a press conference in Manchester. But his pronouncement was one the Associated Press was unable to confirm: the wire service said Thursday it is 'unable to declare a winner,' citing 'irregularities' and because there is no 'clear indication of a winner.' Sanders trumpeted his showing among the total number of Iowans who caucused Thursday afternoon, even as he trailed South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg by a tiny fraction among state delegate equivalents the metric networks and news organizations are focusing on. But he said he might end up prevailing by that metric as well. Both proclamations came amid disarray in counting the results a snafu that led to charges and counter-charges that continued into Thursday. Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders speaks at a news conference in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S., February 6, 2020 where he declared victory in the Iowa caucuses It has taken days for the state party to tabulate Iowa results 'These state delegate equivalents have greatly diminished importance from past caucuses,' Sanders said. He was asked why people should believe his own victory speech over Buttigieg, who on caucus night proclaimed his team 'victorious.' 'Because I got 6,000 more votes,' he responded. Sanders also bashed the Iowa caucuses as overly complex, and says if he has anything to do about it the system will change by the next election. 'That screw-up was extremely unfair to the people of Iowa,' said Sanders. He didn't explicitly call for a recanvass. The state party said in a statement that only after a candidate calls for one would it commence. He also pushed back at former Vice President Joe Biden, who said Donald Trump is 'desperate' to brand him as a socialist, and whether the issue might cause serious blowback in November, when asked about it by DailyMail.com. Democratic presidential candidate former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks at Merrimack American Legion Post 98 February 06, 2020 in Merrimack, New Hampshire. New Hampshire holds its first in the nation primary in five days Sanders said Trump is corrupt and 'pathological liar,' and that he will run against him on that basis. 'Let me tell my good friend Joe when we're dealing with somebody like Donald Trump who lies all the time, he will pin any label that he wants on any candidate. it doesn't really matter,' Sanders said. 'We will expose Trump not only for the liar, pathological liar that he is, but for the fraud he's a total fraud,' said Sanders. 'He is a fraud. He is a liar. And we will expose him for what he is,' Sanders said. Later Thursday, Buttigieg addressed a few hundred supporters an American Legion post in Merrimack. He didn't address Sanders' new victory claim, making only a brief mention of Iowa. 'New Hampshire is not the kind of place to let Iowa or anybody else tell you what to do,' he told supporters after touting his military experience. Sanders pointed to 'mathematical errors' in the count, following a New York Times report on the overall SNAFU, linked to a faulty app ad reporting problems. Democratic presidential candidate former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks during the New Hampshire Youth Climate and Clean Energy Town Hall, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Concord, N.H. Sanders speaks to reporters about his performance in the Iowa caucuses Sanders calls on a reporter at his press conference. He admitted he should have been holding the event three days earlier in Iowa. His campaign released a statement Monday night after the state party failed to announce results 'I really do feel bad for the people of Iowa,' Sanders said, predicting he would do well in all the early states. He spoke shortly after DNC chair Tom Perez called for a recanvass of the state results. 'Enough is enough,' wrote Perez. Iowa state chair Troy Price defend the state party's conduct in a statement. 'While I fully acknowledge that the reporting circumstances on Monday night were unacceptable, we owe it to the thousands of Iowa Democratic volunteers and caucusg-oers to remain focused on collecting and reviewing incoming results,' Price said. 'Throughout the collection of records of results, the [Iowa Democratic Party] identified inconsistencies in the data and used our redundant paper records to promptly correct those errors. This is an ongoing process in close coordination with precinct chairs, and we are working diligently to report the final 54 precincts to get as close to final reporting as possible,' he said. Sanders also raised questions about the 2016 results, where he lost to Hillary Clinton in Iowa, when asked about it. Clinton beat Sanders by a tiny margin that year, but an audit showed errors in the original count. 'I cant give you a definitive answer of what happened in 2016,' he said. 'I dont know. I dont think anybody knows,' he said. 'There is some supposition that we actually won the popular vote,' sanders aid. His press statement, which he said should have come three days earlier in Iowa, coincided with Trump's White House victory party, where he held up a Washington Post headline showing his acquittal in impeachment. As Sanders spoke, with 96 per cent of the vote counted, Buttigieg was leading him by 0.1 percent of the vote in state delegate equivalents. He conceded the two would likely get the same amount of delegates to the national convention out of Iowa. Buttigieg, 38, is expecting a boost out of his performance as a relative neophyte, and flew Wednesday to New York and New Jersey for fundraisers. Per a Bloombergs article, JPMorgan Chase JPM is likely to face a criminal lawsuit over rigging precious-metals futures. The authorities that had previously accused six of the banks employees of the same misconduct are now planning to charge the company. The Department of Justice and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have been investigating the companys precious metals desks trading practices for the past two years. Per the investigators, the bank was engaged in spoofing, i.e. manipulating the market by placing orders and then canceling, in the period between March 2008 and August 2016. The Wall Street biggie has not been accused formally, so far. In 2019, the authorities accused traders, who were working in New York, London and Singapore, including the former global head of base and precious metals trading at JPMorgan, of participating in a racketeering conspiracy to manipulate the markets and cheat customers. Regulators have accused JPMorgan metals traders under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). Under the RICO statute, regulators can charge multiple criminal acts involving a group of people in the same case, on the condition that they were part of the same enterprise. Of the accused employees, two have pleaded guilty and are cooperating with authorities. The Justice Department is conducting multiple criminal investigations into big banks with the cooperation of traders who have pleaded guilty to spoofing-related crimes. Notably, other big banks like Bank of America BAC, Deutsche Bank DB and HSBC Holdings HSBC had to pay penalties for spoofing in 2018. While JPMorgan has resolved quite a lot of litigation issues by now, it still faces investigations by several federal agencies and a few foreign governments for its business conducts in the pre-crisis period. Legal expenses are expected to continue weighing marginally on the companys bottom line in the near future. JPMorgans shares have gained 34.4% in the past 12 months compared with the industrys decline of 18.8%. Story continues Currently, the company carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone! It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market. Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2020. Click here for the 6 trades >> Click to get this free report JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Bank of America Corporation (BAC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft (DB) : Free Stock Analysis Report HSBC Holdings plc (HSBC) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry are trying to figure out whats next as they look at their lives outside of the British royal family. Following Megxit, the pair have remained pretty low-key. Though theyve continued to support various charities and organizations through their Instagram page, Sussex Royal, we havent really seen or heard too much from the duo in the past month. Though the Sussexes have a combined net worth of about $30 million, theyre going to need to find some ways to makes some money to become fully independent of the royal family. For now, the duke and duchess are hiding away on Vancouver Island, but it appears that we might see them out and about in the United States soon. In fact, there are whispers that the Sussexes are headed to Hollywood to make some money, and one very famous celeb has even offered them her swanky NYC digs if they ever want to spend some time on the East Coast. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are looking for professional projects Were not sure what the prince has up his sleeve other than paying back British taxpayers for renovations to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. However, we do know that Markle is a woman who works. It appears that the duchess is eyeing her hometown of Los Angeles so that she can begin adding back to her familys net worth. 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.[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. Obviously a good chunk of this work, including Markles already signed voice-over deal with Disney, will be located in Los Angeles. Los Angeles might not be the ideal place for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Though Markles mother, Doria Ragland, still lives in L.A. and plenty of celebs manage to keep a low-profile in Southern California, it might not make sense for the Sussexes who require extensive armed security. 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. 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. The Sussxes using L.A. as one of their home bases would literally throw the already horrific traffic into chaos. Fist of all, the traffic here is going to be a mess, royal commentator Justin Sylvester told Express. Dont come here, we love you. We love an interracial couple here but please dont come here. Madonna just offered Meghan Markle and Prince Harry her NYC apartment One celebrity isnt impressed with the Sussexes decision to live in Canada or Los Angeles. Madonna feels like Canada, in particular, is simply not good enough for the Sussexes. Hey guys, dont move off to Canada, its so boring there, she joked on Instagram. I will let them sublet my apartment in Central Park West. Two bedrooms, it has the best view of Manhattan, an incredible balcony. Its the best idea, its a winner. Thats got to be a deal-breaker. No, Buckingham Palace has nothing on CPW. Though we adore the Big Apple, we all remember how hectic things got with the duchess baby shower. We doubt the Sussexes will be able to keep a low-profile in NYC either. C.Africa leader urges tough line on peace deal violators Bangui, Central African Republic, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2020 Central African Republic President Faustin Archange Touadera on Thursday called on international partners to take a tougher line on armed groups who were violating the terms of a peace agreement. CAR's government signed a deal with 14 rebel militias a year ago, but more than two-thirds of the former French colony remains under the control of armed groups who often fight over territory and its rich mineral resources. The agreement, signed in the Sudanese capital Khartoum, has eased fighting but not ended a conflict that has ravaged the nation since 2013. "One year later, the time for observing has ended. It is time for firmness so that the agreement is respected," Touadera said. The president called on the African Union and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) economic bloc to clarify possible sanctions on rebel groups who break the accord. Article 35 of the peace agreement allows for sanctions against those who violate the deal but details on the measures have yet to be defined. Amnesty International on Wednesday warned various armed groups were still carrying out abuses of civilians, including killings and sexual violence, despite the peace deal. Touadera, who is expected to run for re-election in December, told reporters the deal was still making progress despite opposition criticism, in a country emerging from three civil wars in less than two decades. A UN mission -- known by the acronym MINUSCA -- has almost 12,000 troops and 2,080 police in CAR in order to protect civilians and foster stability. One of the world's poorest and most unstable nations, CAR has suffered several violent crises since 2003 when former president Francois Bozize seized power in a coup. The country spiralled into bloodshed after Bozize was overthrown in 2013, with rival militias battling for control and fighting forcing nearly a quarter of the country's 4.5 million people to flee their homes. By Krishna N. Das, Reuters | Feb. 03, 2020 Shares of Malaysia's AirAsia Group and unit AirAsia X fell on Monday, after allegations by Britain's Serious Fraud Office that Airbus paid a bribe of US$50 million to win plane orders from Asia's largest budget airline group. AirAsia shares fell as much as 11% to 1.27 ringgit - their lowest since May 2016 - while those of AirAsia X tanked 12% to their all-time low of 11.5 Malaysian sen. Malaysia's anti-graft agency is investigating the allegations from Britain. AirAsia has said it never made any purchase decisions that were premised on Airbus sponsorship, and that it would fully cooperate with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Malaysia's Securities Commission said on Sunday it would also examine whether AirAsia broke securities laws. The allegations were revealed on Friday as part of a record US$4 billion settlement Airbus agreed with France, Britain and the United States. Prosecutors said the company had bribed public officials and hidden payments as part of a pattern of worldwide corruption. Airbus said at the weekend it would not comment on the Malaysian investigations. Analysts said the accusation against AirAsia comes at a particularly bad time as airlines grapple with a slowdown in business because of the fast-spreading coronavirus epidemic that has killed more than 300 people in China and disrupted air travel. "Besides being embroiled in this corruption scandal, we expect a tough operating environment to persist over the medium term with maintenance cost remaining high ... and concerns over the Wuhan virus outbreak which could derail propensity for air travel in the region," Malaysia's Kenanga Investment Bank wrote in a research note. TA Securities downgraded AirAsia Group stock to "sell" from "buy". "We choose the 'sell first, ask questions later' approach to avoid the uncertainty in association with the corruption investigation by MACC, where the impact on AirAsia could be significant in terms of corporate governance," it said in a note. She wants to see the good in people, said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). And then every time where she has reached out her hand, he has literally snubbed her. And I think theres something finally snapped where she said: Enough is enough. Hes destroyed our Constitution. Hes taken no accountability. Hes shown no remorse. And now hes not even willing to go through the pro forma of giving a speech at the State of the Union to find any common ground. Senate Republicans dutiful vote to acquit President Trump on impeachment charges Wednesday was not the exoneration the president and his defenders desperately want. Rank partisanship and a sham trial decided the verdict before it was rendered, robbing it of its power to clear Trump of abusing and diminishing his office. The Senates more meaningful vote was cast last week, when the Republican majority voted not to hear witnesses or consider additional evidence of the presidents abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. It did so even though one willing but unheard firsthand witness, former national security adviser John Bolton, promised crucial testimony about the presidents plot to force Ukraines government to smear his political rivals by withholding military aid and a White House audience. Mitt Romney was one of only two Republicans who did not assent to the first witness-free impeachment trial in history. The Utah senator, former Massachusetts governor and 2012 nominee for president ensured that the trial would be historic in another way Wednesday with an even braver break from his caucus, supporting conviction and thereby joining the first Senate vote for removal of a president to cross party lines. I am aware that there are people in my party and in my state who will strenuously disapprove of my decision, and in some quarters, I will be vehemently denounced, Romney said on the Senate floor. Does anyone seriously believe I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before God demanded it of me? Indeed, while Romney represents a constituency with more misgivings about the president than most ruby-red states, Trump nevertheless carried Utah by 18 percentage points. That gave the senator ample incentive to find a reason to excuse the president and please his fellow partisans, several of whom admitted that House impeachment managers had proved their case. As in a House realigned by the GOPs purge of those insufficiently devoted to the president, Senate Democrats represent politically diverse constituencies to an extent not found on the other side of the aisle. Democratic Sens. Doug Jones of Alabama, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana all hail from states that Trump carried by more than 20 points in 2016, meaning their votes for conviction required more political courage than was shown by any Republican other than Romney. Manchin, whose state favored Trump by 42 points, further exposed the hypocrisy of supposed Republican moderates who called Trumps behavior wrong and inappropriate by proposing a measure to censure the president rather than remove him from office. The only support it drew came from Democrats such as Jones and San Franciscos own Dianne Feinstein. Much as the Senates hopelessly compromised verdict should not be taken as a vindication of Trump, it should not be mistaken for anything less than a presidential license to seek foreign interference in our elections, leverage public funds and policy to get it, subvert the national interest for personal gain, and obstruct every effort to hold him accountable. I will only be one name among many, no more or less, to future generations of Americans who look at the record of this trial, Romney said Wednesday. They will note merely that I was among the senators who determined that what the president did was wrong, grievously wrong. Neither Romney nor any of us knows whether those generations will judge his fellow Republican senators harshly. But they certainly should. 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. 4.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Just moments after a bipartisan vote to convict and remove Donald Trump from office, Republican senators requested documents on Joe Biden sons, Hunter. CBS News reporter Kathryn Watson reported on Twitter that Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) asked the Secret Service for Hunter Bidens travel records. Moments after the acquittal vote, Grassley and Johnson announce their request for Hunter Bidens travel records from Secret Service. Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) February 5, 2020 According to The Hill, the two Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to the Secret Service saying they need the documents as part of an investigation into potential conflicts of interest posed by the business activities of Hunter Biden and his associates during the Obama administration. More from the report: We write to request information about whether Hunter Biden used government-sponsored travel to help conduct private business, to include his work for Rosemont Seneca and related entities in China and Ukraine, the two senators added. As part of their request, the senators specifically want to know what sort of security detail Hunter Biden received while his father served as vice president, and a list of all dates and places Hunter Biden traveled with a protective detail. They specifically want to know if he traveled on Air Force One or Air Force Two, the presidential and vice presidential aircraft, or on another government aircraft, and whether additional family members were present for each trip. The Trump-era Republican Party has no soul Outside of Mitt Romney, who courageously put politics aside to do what was right for the country, the Republican Party has completely sold its soul to the most corrupt and dangerous president in American history. It was bad enough that GOP lawmakers betrayed their country on Wednesday by refusing to hold Donald Trump accountable for abusing his office and selling out American democracy for his own personal gain. Their immediate push to investigate the Bidens the very thing Trump pushed a foreign power to do, which he was then impeached for shows they arent even pretending to uphold their oath of office. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter Looking for something to do this week? From live music to a roundtable, here's a rundown of options to help you get social around town. 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. Friday Night Live! Transitive Vision From the event description: Curated by Detroit native and Grammy-nominated violinist Jannina Norpoth, a collective of distinguished Sphinx Alumni fuse past, present and future through a dynamic collection of contemporary works by Black composers ranging from Sphinx Alum Jessie Montgomery to Rhiannon Giddens of the Carolina Chocolate Drops. When: Friday, Feb. 7, 6-7:30 p.m. Where: Detroit Institute of Arts, 5200 Woodward Ave. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Love Your Heart Health Awareness Fair From the event description: February is American Heart Month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. Education and screening will be provided at this event. When: Saturday, Feb. 8, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Where: New Calvary Baptist Church, 3975 Concord Ave. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Thinkful Webinar | Intro to Data Science: Predictive Modeling From the event description: If youre curious about the field of Data Science, youve probably heard the terms predictive modeling or "machine learning." In this interactive workshop, well discuss the emerging field of Data Science, fundamental concepts in predictive modeling and work together to implement those in a Python environment. When: Saturday, Feb. 8, 4-5:30 p.m. Where: Thinkful Webinar, Online Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets MSU Jazz in Detroit Series, Featuring Jazz Pianist Bruce Barth From the event description: The Carr Center's MSU Jazz in Detroit series continues, with gifted jazz pianist and composer Bruce Barth, joined by the MSU Jazz Octet. Jazz pianist and composer Bruce Barth has performed with iconic jazz masters and collaborated with leading musicians for over 30 years, appearing on over 125 recordings and movie soundtracks. Story continues When: Saturday, Feb. 8, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Where: Detroit School of Arts High School, 123 Selden St. Admission: $10 -$20 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Sista Let's Talk Black Women's Roundtable From the event description: Detroit's chapter of Black Women's Roundtable is looking for some women who want to grow with us and make our communities stronger. If that's you or you have questions to determine if that's you, please join us. This organization is for women who are willing to work together in genuine Sistahood for the betterment of all. When: Sunday, Feb. 9, 1-3:30 p.m. Where: Vanguard Community Development, 2795 E. Grand Blvd. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. A Charlotte murder trial nearing its close came to a sudden halt Thursday due to a reference to one of the most divisive figures in U.S. legal history O.J. Simpson. A jurors comment outside the courtroom about Simpsons mythic 1995 murder case led to a two-hour hearing on whether the juror should be expelled and a mistrial declared in the murder trial of Roger Best. Superior Court Judge Lou Trosch eventually ruled that the two-week trial against Best should go on despite the objections of the Charlotte mans attorney. Video shows cops rush to save shooting victim. 3 years later, hes on trial for murder A quarter of a century ago, Simpson, a former college and NFL football star turned Hollywood celebrity, went on trial in Los Angeles for the brutal slashing deaths of his former wife and her friend. His nationally-televised acquittal divided the country along racial lines. Simpson is African American. His alleged victims were white. Two cases, two sets of gloves One of the pivotal moments in the Simpson case occurred when the defendant was asked to put on what prosecutors insisted were the gloves he wore during the killings. But they were too small. Defense attorney Johnny Cochrane turned the moment into a meme. If they dont fit, you must acquit, he told the Simpson jury. Best is accused of the Feb. 15, 2017, shooting death of Wes Scott, a longtime Charlotte Observer carrier. Prosecutors say the killing occurred during a botched robbery near uptowns Romare Bearden Park. Ironically, Simpsons entanglement in the Charlotte case centers on a glove. On Thursday afternoon, a DNA expert testifying for the state linked a batting glove to Best that had been found in a South Tryon Street recycling can two blocks from where Scott died. Afterward, the jurors were sent from the courtroom while lawyers for both sides debated a legal point before Trosch. The 12 nine white and three black gathered around a table in the private jury room, according to an alternate juror who reported what followed to the judge. Story continues Cop arrives at murder and finds friend: Wes! Thats the paper guy. Who shot him? According to the alternates account, Juror 11, a white middle-aged female, spoke up: If we had had (modern) DNA technology for the O.J. Simpson case, things would have been different. Wes Scott, a longtime Observer carrier, had this screen shot on his cell phone on the night he was shot and killed. The photo shows the 65-year-old Scott and his girlfriend Rosa Young. The alternate juror, a former law enforcement officer who is African American, told Trosch during an interview in the courtroom that he thought the comment was inappropriate and revealed his fellow jurors thinking about the Best case. It sounded to me like she made up her mind, the alternate told Trosch. The alternate juror also said the comment had been heard by most, if not all, of the jurors and might compromise the eventual verdict. When Juror 11 was brought into the courtroom, she acknowledged making the comment, but said it was a general observation about the improvements in DNA testing, not a judgment on Bests guilt or innocence. Trosch, who has repeatedly warned the jurors not to discuss the case before they begin their formal deliberations, asked the juror a series of questions. The judge: Have you made up your mind on Bests guilt or innocence? No, she replied. Because we havent heard all the evidence. Roger Best, 25, is accused of the February 2017 murder of Observer carrier Wes Scott. Trosch then brought all the remaining jurors and alternates into the courtroom, one at a time, to ask the same two questions: Have you heard any juror conversations about the evidence? Have you heard anything that personally prejudices you against either side of the case? No, the jurors said. That was good enough for the prosecution team of Mecklenburg Assistant District Attorneys Bill Bunting and Terra Varnes. But Bests attorney, Samuel Randall, told Trosch that Juror 11 had been guilty of misconduct, and that her comment had indicated bias. He called on the judge to expel her from the jury or declare a mistrial. Randall argued that the alternate juror had initially said the Simpson comment followed some other jurors remark about the glove in the Best case. Randall also referred to another jurors response to Trosch that he had stopped a conversation in the jury room Thursday morning that had threatened to veer into the evidence. What happens if hes not there, Randall asked. The defense attorney said he had great concerns that the juror had referenced the Simpson trial, which he described as one of the most racially divisive on record. Best is African American; Scott was white. In refusing the defenses call for a mistrial, Trosch said he had been convinced by his interviews with the jurors that the Simpson comment did not demonstrate prejudice or bias and had not influenced the trial in any way. He said he would continue to take whatever steps necessary to make sure that our jury makes a decision based on the evidence in this matter ... and not based on the improper comments or information from anyone. The jury is expected to get the case late Friday afternoon. If convicted, Best, 25, faces life in prison without parole. Correction: This story has been changed to correct the day of the jurors comment. The comment and the judges ruling to continue with the trial happened Thursday. He was shot 7 times in uptown. Now Paperman case opens long list of 2020 murder trials BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend: We do not distinguish between citizens of Azerbaijan and Turkey, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters commenting on yesterday's air incident in Istanbul, Trend reports. Cavusoglu stressed that he will always defend the position of fraternal Azerbaijan, and it is an honor for him to receive an order from the head of the Azerbaijani state. "Turkey always defends Azerbaijan's position. This is our brotherly duty. Azerbaijan defends Turkey's position where there is no [Turkish] representative, and Turkey defends the interests of Azerbaijan. We will always support each other's interests," Cavusoglu said. A passenger plane skidded off the runway at the Sabiha Gokcen Airport in Istanbul on Feb. 5, killing three people and injuring 179 others. There was one Azerbaijani passenger among the passengers. In ripping up president Trumps State of the Union speech, House speaker Nancy Pelosi made a powerful PR move that highlighted the position of Congress as the first branch of the government, a role derived from Article I of the Constitution. Trump has run roughshod over Congress, ignoring its requests for a slew of information and a raft of subpoenas. His imperial presidency led to Trump's impeachment on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of justice. Pelosis PR message following the SOTU: Congress is reasserting its power. The only downside of Pelosi's brilliant paper-shredding PR exercise was that it diverted attention from the content of Trump's speech, which was loaded with doozies. The Washington Post fact-checkers found the SOTU chock-full of stretched facts and dubious figures. It analyzed 31 statements. Lets look at two energy whoppers. The president credited his bold regulatory reduction campaign for making the US the No. 1 producer of oil and natural gas in the world, by far. The Post reported that the US has led the world in natural gas production since 2009 and emerged as the No. 1 oil producer in 2013. In other words: The energy revolution he takes credit for began under Obama, noted the Post. The twitter-in-chief also boasted that his Administration has made the US energy independent. Not so fast. WaPo reported that the US imported 9.9M barrels of oil per day in 2018 from nearly 90 countries. Canada accounted for 43 percent of the amount, while the Persian Gulf countries accounted for 16 percent. Comedian Bill Maher dubbed Pelosi the Iron Lady of the Left. The speaker believes Democrats win with a disciplined and focused message and cold-blooded work. The San Francisco Democrat was pretty cold-blooded after the SOTU. She hardly looked like the childish Nervous Nancy insult that Trump uses in his attempt to denigrate the speaker. Trump is no match for Pelosi. [February 06, 2020] ACG Inspection Introduces Groundbreaking Blockchain-based Brand Platform Three-pronged solutions set combines Blockchain, geo- location identification and biometrics tracking through IIOT powered by AI for unsurpassed traceability and transparency MUMBAI, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ACG Inspection - one of the four businesses of ACG Group, the only supplier in the world offering end-to-end manufacturing solutions for the pharmaceutical industry - has introduced an advanced blockchain-based solution that meets and exceeds traceability and anti-counterfeiting requirements in the pharmaceutical supply chain. The company's Brand Security Platform combines GS1 2D Data Matrix, smart contracts, geolocation identification and product biometrics tracking to ensure the whereabouts and contents of packaged medicines are tightly monitored through their entire supply chain journey from manufacturer to end user. The comprehensive new system provides a seamless, uncompromisingly transparent experience to all stakeholders along the supply chain, simplifying the overall process through distributed ledger technology and single ownership. It is designed to overcome several longstanding obstacles to advanced traceability, including the challenges of establishing single-owner data sets, and the prevalence of digitally broken supply chains stemming from, among other issues, struggles with GS1 universality, personnel error and new business models disrupting traditional procedures. ACG Inspection's solution has three primary components, each of which can be incorporated individually or bundled per customer needs. The customizable products also are scalable, amounting to geolocation solutions that can provide everything from basic data management to full-scale, supply chain-wide transparency. Blockchain: With Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and smart contracts, all medicines and buyers, sellers, logistics partners and manufacturers are registered to one network, making it impossible for outsider to manipulate the supply chain at any point without detection. Internet of Things (IoT): All participants in the delivery chain can be connected to the network using any GS1-compatible application, such as the ACG Inspection mobile application, the ACG Inspection web platform, or any other application integrated into the ACG Inspection platform. ACG Inspections Geo Location and product biometrics trackers tagged to the products always provide all the data required for monitoring the location information and biometrics of the package. Artificial Intelligence (AI): Participants can be alerted in real-time regarding any temperature breach if the temperature of the medicine/drug rises above or falls below the desired threshold level, Geo-Fencing breach, or any deviation in the route planning, enabling real-time decisions. If the steady stream of data determines unacceptable deviations, the corresponding package is automatically invalidated. Throughout, real-time data is available to platform users via a dashboard, a unified space for clear and easy access to pertinent information. When the package eventually reaches the end user, the receiving party can validate the drug prior to purchase by scanning its code with a POS scanner. Once the final transaction occurs, relevant data is immutably stored in a digital ledger for reporting or recall purposes. The new solution is part of ACGI's VeriShield suite of services - which, in combination with its QualiShield portfolio, encompasses the full gamut of pharma serialization needs through turnkey compliance with current and pending track & trace mandates in countries across the globe. VeriShield offers serialization and aggregation solutions for cartons and bottles at the primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging levels. QualiShield is a complementary, extensive range of high-accuracy camera inspection solutions for pharma doses, labels, and cartons to help pharma companies consistently deliver best-possible products. ACGI has an extensive portfolio for global Track & Trace requirements with complete coverage of Levels 1-5 serialization needs, from individual line implementation to enterprise IT coordination and government/third-party reporting capabilities. The company has a serialization solutions presence in more than 100 countries around the world; in the U.S., ACGI's Enterprise Management Suite is among the critical solutions deployed for compliance with the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA). About ACG ACG group is the world's only integrated pharma manufacturing solutions company absolutely committed to delivering exceptional solutions to the global pharmaceutical industry. The company's diverse product range of Capsules, Films & Foils, Engineering, and Inspection systems meets international regulatory requirements. ACG is committed to just one goal: to offer everything needed for efficient capsule and tablet manufacturing. ACG has over 5 decades of experience and is present in over 100 countries, with more than 4,500 associates around the world. Our customer-centric approach has won us many loyal, satisfied customers and partners by nurturing relationships. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1087168/Track_and_Trace_Campaign.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/640402/ACG_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Deborah Winters Chaneys 2016 portrayal of Violet Weston is back, but with a twist, in the Feb. 15-23 revival of August: Osage County at Purple Box Theater. There are things Im playing differently this time, the Friendswood Realtor said. She is really a terrible person, and now I believe that she knows shes acting badly but cant really stop herself. I dont think I played it like that before. Shes acting out, and she is aware of it. Director Cathy Holbrook said shes glad that audiences are getting another opportunity to see Chaney in the role of the Weston matriarch in a play about a dysfunctional Oklahoma family that's coming apart at the seams when its patriarch goes missing. To watch Deborah onstage in the role of Violet is mesmerizing. She is such a fabulous actress to watch in everything she does, but this role could win her a Tony Award if she played it on Broadway. Chaney was born in Los Angeles, where she made a commercial at age 5, but acting became her career when she moved to New York City at age 14. The website imdb.com lists some 20 roles she performed as Deborah Winters in movies and TV from 1968 to 1992. She and her husband, writer Warren Chaney, have lived in Friendswood since 1985. The couple met when the actress accompanied her mother, Penny Edwards, to a convention that celebrated Western movies. Edwards had co-starred in six films opposite Roy Rogers when the actors wife, Dale Evans, was pregnant. The Chaneys son, Grayson Chaney, graduated from Bay Area Christian School and Texas A&M University. He is now 28 and a screenwriter in Hollywood. August: Osage County Where: Purple Box Theater, 1309 W. Parkwood, Friendswood When: 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15-23 Admission: $12-$15 Information: 818-642-4665; www.thepurpleboxtheater.com See More Collapse His mother watches lots and lots of films and would like to play those old Helen Mirren roles. The competition isnt quite so bad once you get older, if you can remember dialogue, she said. For me, its repetition, repetition, repetition. A movement in the blocking or a look, knowing the story, will help me remember my lines. Holbrook said she wanted to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Purple Box Theater by reviving some of the groups former successes. The cast of the revival of August: Osage County is comprised of some actors from the 2016 production, including Steve Rockey of Friendswood and Christine Jones of Clear Lake in major roles, along with other performers who are new to the theater. Rounding out the huge cast are Elena Vasquez and Luke Hales of Friendswood; David Schultz and Teresa McLemore of Pearland; Gina McPherson of League City; Pat Monks of Nassau Bay; Russell Zavala of Webster; and Adriana Rodriquez of Deer Park. Amy Keels of Alvin and Brandee Sibley of Seabrook will alternate in the role of Ivy Weston. August: Osage County won both the Tony Award for best play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2008. The title of the play is an homage to the playwrights late mentor, Howard Stark, who penned a poem, August: Osage County, that was published in Family Album: a Collection of Poetry in 1995. The stage managers are Rhonda Bailees and Monica Bunch. Don Maines is a freelance writer who can be contacted at donmaines@att.net A single mother along with principal arrested in Karnataka state, triggering a debate on the misuse of sedition law. Bidar, India A single mother, whose 11-year-old child participated in a play critical of a new citizenship law, has been arrested along with the schools principal in southern Karnataka state, drawing criticism from activists and social media users. Najumunissa and Fareeda Begum were arrested on January 30 on sedition charges a non-bailable offence triggering a debate on the misuse of colonial-era sedition law against people protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) passed last December. The mother has been charged with abetting the use of abusive language, a police official told NDTV news channel. She tutored her daughter to introduce fresh words that were not there in the original script, the officer told NDTV. The Bidar district police have interrogated students, aged nine to 12 years, of Shaheen Urdu Primary School several times in the past week over their roles in the play on the citizenship law. Though the police deny it, school authorities say the seven children who enacted in the play were questioned thrice. Bidar school sedition case: The mother of the pupil and the head teacher arrested may not get bail till February 4. Youngest student cops questioned over play is 9 years old. @prajwalmanipal writes. #CAA_NRC https://t.co/kQibB6vqCX Dhanya Rajendran (@dhanyarajendran) January 31, 2020 They wanted several children to be sent to the deputy superintendent of polices office, but we refused, citing the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act. They did not follow the guidelines while questioning children, alleges Shaheen groups CEO Thouseef Madikere. It was only after the visuals went viral that they started bringing officials from the child welfare department for subsequent sessions. The Amnesty India has asked the police to drop the sedition charges against Najumunissa and Begum and called for their release. The sedition law is excessively vague and broad which makes it an easy tool to stifle dissent and public debate. There is no good way to apply sedition, it said in a tweet. Discriminatory law Indias Hindu nationalist government says the CAA aims to grant citizenship to persecuted minorities from three neighbouring countries, but the new law blocks naturalisation for Muslims. There is no good way to apply sedition. It does not comply with international human rights law. It violates the right to freedom of expression under the Indian Constitution. It goes against Indias tradition of tolerance.#BidarSedition Amnesty India (@AIIndia) February 5, 2020 Activists and opposition politicians have described the CAA as divisive, discriminatory and against the countrys secular constitution. The play was a small act of dissent mirroring the nationwide youth-led protests against the implementation of the CAA, coupled with the governments plan to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR). The government says it has yet to decide on the implementation of NRC but protesters say NPR is a precursor to NRC, which could be used by the government as a tool to filter out millions of the countrys Muslim population. The play was performed on January 21, following which a case was filed for words apparently spoken against Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a clip of the video started doing the rounds on social media. The visuals showing police questioning students widely shared on social media caused an outcry [Harsha Vadlamani/Al Jazeera] Rats ate my papers, then cats ate the rats, which were in turn eaten by dogs. The local municipality took away the dogs, so my papers are already with the government, two students appear to say in the video. Seated among the audience that afternoon, when the play was staged on the annual day celebration of Shaheen English Primary and Secondary School, was local journalist Muhammed Yousuf Raheem. He was live-streaming on Facebook the skit his son was part of. Raheem, who has since gone into hiding, may not have expected the video to go viral, and he was certainly not prepared for the consequences. A local man identified by local media as Neelesh Rakshaal filed a sedition case against Raheem and the school at the New Town Police Station in Bidar, which sits close to Karnatakas borders with Maharashtra and Telangana states. Public outcry The visuals showing police questioning students widely shared on social media caused an outcry. The police claim it was Najumunissa who wrote her daughters lines and got her to repeat jootey maarengey [we will hit you with shoes] several times onstage. The footwear brandished as a prop by the child is now part of the evidence gathered by the police. The two arrested women will be kept in custody at Bidar district jail till February 10, when a court is expected to hear their cases. A single mother, Najumunissa had moved to Bidar from Hallikhed, a small village 34km (21 miles) away, with her only daughter. The familys main source of income is a farm they leased out. The daughter, who is now being cared for by their landlord, continues to attend school and nurtures ambitions of becoming a doctor. Though a student of Urdu medium, she enjoys English poetry. She had participated in last years Republic Day celebrations, too, she says. It was a play on the ill effects of the dowry system among Muslims. Karnataka Womens Congress president Pushpa Amarnath, who was waiting outside the Bidar jail for permission to meet the women, told Al Jazeera that it is inhuman to arrest a single mother without making any arrangements for the childs safety and wellbeing. Students from across colleges and universities in India are protesting, she told Al Jazeera. Cases of sedition are the only weapon the government has now. Whoever speaks against the government is now a deshdrohi [traitor]. It is the only way they can control people now. Supreme Courts guidelines But DL Nagesh, Bidars superintendent of police, says the police do not have a choice but to file a case as per the complaint they received. We have to follow the Supreme Courts guidelines in these matters. The complainant in this case mentioned deshdroha [sedition], so we had to file a complaint under relevant sections. It is only after investigation, when we file a charge sheet, that a court of law will look into the case. The Shaheen group based in Bidar runs 43 schools and colleges in nine states. The group had received a Karnataka state award for its contribution to education in 2013, Shaheen group CEO Madikere said. Our school is multicultural. We have Muslims, Hindus, Jains, Christians and Sikhs among our students, he told Al Jazeera. Nearly 50 percent of them are Muslims, so we thought it important to stage a play on an issue that affects the community at large. Babu Wali, a member of the BJPs state executive committee from Bidar, accused the school of shirking responsibility after the controversy. How is it possible that a big institution like Shaheen lets children come and mouth lines on the stage without any rehearsal before the principal or teachers? Madikere, however, does not regret staging the play against the CAA. Our children should be made aware of what is happening in society. How can we teach social sciences as part of our curriculum and ignore something like this Act? We could have avoided those particular lines in the play, but we have to raise awareness on NRC and CAA. There is discussion everywhere and there is fear among Muslims. OVER the last few weeks, the general election has dominated the news agenda as Ireland goes to the polls this weekend. We asked our readers what the big issues of this election campaign are, and what decide how they vote on February 8. Asked whether health, housing, Brexit, the personality of candidates or party allegiance would serve to sway them, the majority of the more than 10,000 respondents said that health was the most important issue to them. Of the 10,701 who answered Independent.ie's poll, 28pc (2998) said that health was this campaign's major issue. Fine Gael faltered on housing during the campaign, and their fall in the polls could be reflective of that as 23pc (2466) said that for them, that issue will tip the balance as to how they vote. An appetite for change of government has been evident since Taoiseach Leo Varadkar called an election in mid-January, and party allegiance, which is usually regarded as a major factor in voting decisions only polled third on our list, with 18pc (1916). The personality of candidates and Brexit paled in comparison to the other reasons to vote a certain way, with 7pc (749) and 4pc (474) respectively. Some 20pc of people said that their decision would be based on a different subject. One such issue was that of the increase in pension age from 66 to 67, favored by Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. Independent.ie readers voted overwhelmingly that Irish retirees shouldn't have to wait the extra year, with 85pc against the change compared to 15pc in favour. The Labour Party, who were in government with Fine Gael when the pension age was increased from 65 to 66, said that they are not in favour of it increasing again, and other parties, like Sinn Fein have promised to restore the pension age to 65. Asked which party, of the four mentioned, readers would vote for based solely on pension policy, Sinn Fein led the way on 48pc, while Fianna Fail and Fine Gael received 24pc and 19pc respectively, while support for Labour dwindled on 9pc. An actuarial review predicted a pensions timebomb in Ireland with a potential deficit of over 400bn. The review of Social Insurance Fund by accountants KPMG in 2015, said the number of over-66s will rise from 12pc of the population in 2015 to 17pc in 2035 and 23pc in 2055. The review was rejected as inaccurate by SIPTU, as well as Solidarity People Before Profit and other parties. Read More Crime is another issue which has dominated coverage of this election. A spate of crime at the beginning of the campaign, as well as an increase overall in the time of the last government has been a talking point throughout. Asked if the spike in violent incidents nationwide would damage Fine Gael's reputation, 72pc said it would, while the other 28pc said it would not turn them off Leo Varadkar's party. On February 1 a poll from The Times Ireland saw Sinn Fein overtake Fine Gael as the second most popular party in Ireland on 21pc, behind Fianna Fail on 23pc and ahead of Fine Gael on 19pc. A day later, a Red C poll for the Business Post compounded Fine Gael's woes as Sinn Fein drew level with Fianna Fail on 24pc, while Fine Gael's popularity was at 21pc. The most recent, an Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI Opinion Poll on February 3, saw Sinn Fein's popularity continue to grow to the most popular party on 25pc with Fianna Fail on 23pc and Fine Gael dropping further to 20pc. Asked if the polls would have an negative effect for Fine Gael, 79pc said they thought it would, with just 21pc saying that it wouldn't . One area where the current government would have expected to earn points was their Brexit negotiations, which were widely praised. While the topic was repeated by Leo Varadkar and his party throughout the campaign however, only 39pc of readers said that the Government's handling of Brexit would benefit them in the campaign - the other 61pc saying it would have no effect. Amid a Climate Emergency, health policies formed one of the areas of most scrutiny in parties' manifestos this election. According to our readers, however, the policies are not as interesting to them as they are to the media. Only 42pc said that they would researching parties' climate change policies as part of their decision on who to vote for, the remaining 48pc saying they will. Parties like Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and the Green party are proposing an increase in the end-of-decade carbon tax target, with the two larger parties aiming for a 80 per tonne of carbon by 2030, and the Green Party seeking a 100 per tonne tax. An Ireland Thinks poll at the beginning of January found that six out of 10 voters oppose any increase in carbon tax. People Before Profit and Sinn Fein are also against the taxation - the purpose of which is to change Irish habits and decrease the nation's carbon output. We asked our readers if an increase in the tax would urge them to change their habits. 70pc of readers who responded said that the tax would not alter their behaviour, with 24pc saying it would and 6pc saying they were unsure. In voting, it is irresponsible not to be fully informed. While the majority of our readers said that they would not read the green policies of parties, 54pc said that they would read parties' manifestos before voting. Information on paper is clearly preferred however, as only 41pc said that they would engage with canvassers at their door. Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump has spoken up following his acquittal, saying the country needs to move forward "together" just as her father tweeted a trolling video to mark his success. "This factional fever and incoherent, ill-conceived process has finally ended and the President has rightfully been acquitted," Ms Trump, who is also a White House adviser, wrote on Twitter. "It is time for our Country to move forward. Together." Ms Trump then promised that her father would continue forward, and that he "has accomplished so much and is just getting started". The message of loyalty from a daughter to her father and boss came just after the Republican-controlled Senate voted to acquit Mr Trump on both articles of impeachment that he faced. Just one senator from either side broke ranks, with Utah Republican Mitt Romney becoming the only senator in American history to vote to remove a president of his own party. 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 Mr Trump reacted to his acquittal by posting a video showing campaign signs for future campaigns extending more than 100 years into the future. The video has been used previously to troll the president's opponents, who note that the president is term limited to just two four-year stints in office. Mr Trump's age also presents a bit of an issue for future elections, since the 73-year-old would have to shock the world with record breaking longevity if he is to personally compete in an election in year 2100, as the video suggests. Others in Mr Trump's orbit have claimed an outright victory in the matter, with Rudy Giuliani tweeting or retweeting several times after the acquittal vote. "Acquitted for life!" one of those tweets read. Mr Trump is expected to deliver a public statement at noon on Thursday to discuss "our Country's VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!" the president wrote on Twitter. The Memphis Grizzlies finally worked out a trade for Andre Iguodala, and he went to a Boston Celtics rival. The Miami Heat acquired him and old friend Jae Crowder as part of an interesting deal. Heres how it breaks down: Miami receives: Andre Iquodala, Jae Crowder, Solomon Hill Memphis receives: Justise Winslow, Dion Waiters, James Johnson Heres what it means: Miami Winslow can be very good but is often hurt. Waiters can have his moments but hes being paid a lot for having only played three games this season, mostly due to team suspensions (one for a bizarre panic attack after eating a THC-infused edible). Johnson failed conditioning tests and has barely played for the Heat. Johnson is being paid $16,245,602 this year, and has a player option for $16,047,100 next year. Waiters is being paid $12,100,00 this year and $12,650,000 next year. Winslow is making $13,000,000 in each of the next two seasons and has a $13,000,000 team option in 2021-22. That means this year alone, Miami had been paying $41.3 million for 32 combined games between the three of them. In exchange, they picked up Crowder, Hill, and Iguodala. So lets start with the obvious win for Miami in this trade: They get two players in Crowder and Hill that have been able to stay on the court. Memphis fans reacted with sadness at losing two professionals in Crowder and Hill that carried themselves well in mentor roles with the Grizzlies, so theyll fit in well with the Heat culture. Crowder isnt quite the player he was with the Celtics. He 3-point shooting has declined every year since he was traded to Cleveland, but his attempts are fairly high. Hill is easily the better shooter of the two, hitting 38.1 percent of his 3s versus Crowders current 29.3 percent. Crowder will give them some toughness as a wing defender, but no one in this deal can defend like a healthy Winslow can. The problem is that Winslow is never really healthy. Iguodala will be the guy Miami leans on for that one. The legend of Iggy has grown quite a bit with him sitting out all season. The 36-year-old is a former Finals MVP, and hes expected to be unleashed in short bursts much like he was with the Warriors. The Celtics play Miami twice more in April, and you can expect Iguodala to draw the Jayson Tatum assignment late in games and Crowder to probably match up with Jaylen Brown down the stretch. Theres a strong chance Miami steps away from using zone quite as much with these individual defenders at their disposal. Miami had to agree to a two-year, $30 million extension with Iguodala to make this happen, However, the second year is not guaranteed and if Miami finds a star in the loaded 2021 free agency field, they can cut him and move on. The Heat cut their tax bill significantly as well. Crowder and Hills contracts are both expiring this summer, but by trading for them, Miami holds their Bird rights, so they can be re-signed to short term deals if things work out for the rest of this season. In a nutshell: Miami turned $41 million worth of contracts for guys who dont play into $37 million in contracts for guys who do, and do so well enough to help. Its a win for Miami because it adds to their depth and gives them a trusted shooter and two guys who have, in the past, been counted on to defend in clutch situations. The real question is whether those guys can still do that at a high enough level to get Miami into the second seed, into the Conference Finals, and past the Milwaukee Bucks. Miami is better. How much better, though, is still to be determined. Memphis The obvious question here is why on earth would they take back $41 million worth of contracts for guys who didnt play in Miami? Lets start with Winslow. He only turns 24 in March, so theres some hope that he can maybe turn things around with his injuries. Hes been dealing with a lower back bone bruise for two months in Miami, and their patience with him was running thin. In Memphis, theres no rush. Yeah, losing Crowder and Hill hurt them, and its unclear what Waiters or Johnson will give them in the short term, but Memphis shouldnt really be thinking short term. As exciting and fun as they are right now, this isnt about winning this year for Memphis. Memphis doesnt operate like Boston does. They dont operate like Miami or the Los Angeles teams. Small market teams arent working with the same playbook youre used to, so some of what they do doesnt make sense. Cap flexibility is huge for Miami in two years. Its really not as high on the list for Memphis. Free agents arent flocking to Memphis, even if the team is good. So they have to take swings on players like Winslow, who would be a great fit with Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson, and Dillon Brooks. At $13 million, Winslow is worth an extended look in a new situation with young players to do more of the heavy lifting. The pressure is off him. If it doesnt work out? Well, thats the risk Memphis has to take. The worst case scenario is Memphis now owns three contracts that can expire before the summer of 2021, when teams will be lining up for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and many other very good players. Side note: The summer of 2021 could be the most insane free agency summer youve ever seen, surpassing this past summer. Memphis is sitting here with more than $40 million worth of expiring contracts just before summer. They have positioned themselves to take back draft picks in exchange for expiring deals over the next two years for teams lining up to go fishing for the big catch in 2021. Its a long play for Memphis, but a smart one. By then, Morant, Jackson, and Brooks will be lining up for their second contracts. The youth will get expensive, and those picks from big market teams can be used to take useful role players in the middle of drafts. Stagger them correctly, and Memphis could find themselves adding three decent role players over the course of consecutive years to support their stars. If Winslow works out, they can still run that same plan with Waiters and Johnson. In a nutshell: Memphis is running its small market playbook the right way to take a swing on young player with a rough injury history. If it works, then thats great. If it doesnt, they can sell all three players they acquired for draft picks to teams looking to make free agent splashes in 2021. It cost them one guy who didnt want to play for them and two guys who didnt fit their timeline and who were probably gone in a few months anyway. So I see it as a win for both sides. Not a huge win, but both sides seemed to accomplish some goals. UPDATE: Johnson has been traded for Minnesotas Gorgui Dieng. He makes $17.2 million next season and then expires, so the analysis of the trade doesnt change. Just substitute Dieng for Johnson MORE CELTICS COVERAGE Celtics trade rumors: Davis Bertans asking price from Washington Wizards is two first-round picks (report) Romeo Langfords first Boston Celtics start shocked him & his parents: They thought I was in Maine' Jayson Tatum goes from rushing to calmly carrying games: Confidence has a lot to do with it (Bloomberg) -- European Union government envoys in Brussels and the blocs executive arm sought to accommodate Emmanuel Macrons appetite for reform with tighter rules on countries looking to join the bloc and a broader debate on how to make the EU more effective. The European Commission proposed an overhaul of the expansion process Wednesday in a bid to revive the candidacy bids of Albania and North Macedonia which Macron vetoed last year. The plan puts more focus on fundamentals, such as the rule of law and functioning democratic institutions, when assessing candidate countries, though it doesnt envisage new legislation. France and the other 26 EU members already have plenty of opportunities to veto the accession process which involves prolonged negotiations over years or even decades. Any member state can block a candidates progress at any point in the process. By reaffirming the focus on negative consequences and reversibility if candidate countries backtrack on the required reforms, the commission is aiming to provide enough political cover for Macron to drop his opposition to membership talks with the two countries from the western Balkans. EU governments are wary of further delays as the prospect of membership is seen as anchoring fragile Balkan states to a path of democratic reforms. When Macron vetoed the process last October, he earned an unusually strong rebuke from German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Commissions approach is a step in the right direction toward North Macedonia and Albania eventually joining the EU, a French official said, cautioning that this was a long-term objective. France will seek a clear position on whether membership talks must be opened for the two Balkan nations by May, when EU leaders are due to discuss the matter over a special summit in Zagreb, Croatia, the official said. Europes Future On another front prompted by the French president, EU government envoys in Brussels unsuccessfully sought a common stance on the Conference on the Future of Europe -- a two-year deliberation intended to invigorate European unification. Story continues The concept is based on ideas laid out by the French president in 2017 from Pnyx, a hill that was the center of Athenian democracy almost 2,500 years ago. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has also championed the initiative since taking office last year. Diplomats involved in the discussions said the scope, structure and aims of the process are unclear, while EU institutions are at loggerheads over which one will be in the drivers seat. Most member states want to make it clear from the start that the Conference wont lead to changes to EU treaties, a toxic issue after the traumatic experiences at the start of the century, when citizens rejected treaty changes in referendums. France is leading a small group of member states that say treaty changes shouldnt be excluded, according to a diplomat familiar with the deliberations, while Paris is also the main backer of ambitious institutional reforms, such as transnational lists of candidates for European elections. Macrons supporters in Brussels say that the French president is the only EU leader pushing the bloc -- traditionally immersed in inertia -- to discuss its strategic direction. For critics, his ambition is unrealistic and disruptive and doesnt help the decision-making process. Past experience also shows that pioneering proposals often hit a roadblock of competing national interests in Brussels. The latest example is Macrons idea for a joint euro-area budget, which -- after years of negotiations -- ended up with less than 20 billion euros to be spread among the currency blocs 19 economies over seven years. (Updates with reaction from French government in sixth paragraph) --With assistance from Ania Nussbaum. To contact the reporter on this story: Nikos Chrysoloras in Brussels at nchrysoloras@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Ben Sills 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. The Legislative Analysts Office (LAO), which advises state lawmakers on budgetary matters, prides itself on taking an independent, nonpartisan and even nonpolitical approach to important policy issues. That well-established tradition continues in a new LAO report on a pilot program that allows a few community college districts to offer four-year degrees in a few obscure subjects. However, by divorcing itself from the programs political aspects in this case, its also separating itself from reality. The reality is that Californias economy needs more well-trained and well-educated workers, but obtaining a four-year college degree these days is difficult given the inability of the states public universities to handle the demand. Dan Walters: Californias two-tier society California may be an economic powerhouse with global impact, but it also has the nations highest poverty rate, as calculated by the Census Bureau using a method that takes into account the cost of living, with nearly a fifth of its residents poverty-stricken. Thats especially true for low-income students from the states less-populated regions because they must also cope with high living costs as they are forced to leave home to attend college. Community colleges, which offer close-to-home, low-cost educations, do provide lower-division courses, but students still must transfer to four-year universities to complete their degrees. Other states, facing the same dilemma, have responded by broadly authorizing community colleges to offer baccalaureate programs, and Californias pilot program has been an effort to replicate that rational approach. However, political reality has made that expansion difficult. The state university system guards its place in the academic pecking order jealously. As a result, the pilot program was very limited, allowing the community colleges to offer degrees just in a few relatively obscure subjects that the universities ignored. Dan Walters: Community colleges wracked by data dispute As leaders ramp up pressure on local colleges to meet an improvement plans ambitious goals, a sharp-elbow squabble has developed over the data used to chart progress, or lack thereof. Ironically, the state universities resistance to what it regarded as competition for money and students mirrors the resistance that the University of California displayed when the state universities wanted to begin offering some doctorate programs. The LAO report ignored these three-way turf struggles, which have bubbled up for decades, in its lukewarm report on the community college pilot program. We found little evidence that graduates from these pilot programs were better prepared to fill these positions compared to those with other bachelors degrees or that pilot program graduates were helping employers fill hard-to-staff positions, the LAO stated. The most common benefit of the pilot cited by students was the relatively low cost of attending the community college bachelors degree programs. Having four-year programs in the community colleges would be unnecessary, the report suggests, if the two- and four-year systems would simply cooperate more on developing targeted training programs and better aligning course offerings to make transfers from community colleges to four-year schools easier. Well, thats stating the obvious but only if, as the LAO does, one ignores the fact that we dont have a well-integrated system of public higher education in California, despite the existence of a so-called master plan for the last half-century that assumes we do. Dan Walters: Slanting ballot measure titles Ballot measures sponsored by those on the political left, such as unions, receive titles and summaries that enhanced chances of passage, while initiatives from the political right, such as anti-tax groups, are cast in a negative light. We have three separate, often competitive, systems and as long as we do, we should embrace allowing community colleges to offer as many baccalaureate programs as they are financially and institutionally capable of doing, giving students more options and the state more of the well-educated workers it needs. California Community Colleges Chancellor Eloy Ortiz Oakley said it well in a statement responding to the LAO report: These programs are serving many students who might not otherwise have a path to a bachelors degree. The programs are of high quality and lead to meaningful jobs for graduates. CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary. Catch the latest in Opinion Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. A federal appeals court seemed inclined Wednesday to allow some California cities and counties to sue oil companies for allegedly deceiving the public for decades about their industrys impact on greenhouse gases and climate change. The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals hearings in Pasadena came less than three weeks after another panel of the court dismissed a suit by 21 youths seeking stronger federal action against planet-warming emissions. The panel said the problem must be addressed by the president and Congress, not the courts. Wednesdays cases, however, involved suits filed in state courts against oil companies, not the government, under a California law allowing damages for a public nuisance private action that harms the public health. The companies include Chevron, Exxon/Mobil, Shell and BP. Local governments that filed the suits, and environmental advocates who support them, want the cases heard in California courts, which are generally considered to be more familiar with and receptive to the state law than federal courts. Oil companies, with support from the Trump administration, argued that the cases involve national issues and belong in federal court. U.S. District Judge William Alsup of San Francisco agreed in 2018 and then dismissed suits by San Francisco and Oakland, saying regulation of fuel production was a question for policymakers, not judges. But another judge in the same court, Vince Chhabria, ruled in a separate case in 2018 that similar suits by Marin, San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties, and the cities of Imperial Beach, Santa Cruz and Richmond, could proceed in state court. Oil companies challenged that ruling in the first of two hearings Wednesday. The lawsuits involve activity by all oil and gas companies throughout the world, all emissions going back to the Industrial Revolution, including drilling on federal land, said Theodore Boutrous, a lawyer for the companies. The case is drenched in federal issues that federal courts are authorized to consider, he said. But Judge Morgan Christen told Boutrous he was giving short shrift to the local governments claim that the companies had withheld crucial information from the public. Im not sure youre speaking to that in seeking to move the cases to federal court, she said. Judge Sandra Ikuta said the lawsuits seek to hold the companies responsible for local harm caused by global warming the sea level rising and causing (the cities and counties) specific damage. When Boutrous argued that federal courts had jurisdiction because some of the oil drilling took place on U.S. Navy land and was supervised by the Navy, Ikuta, an appointee of President George W. Bush with a generally conservative record, said the Navys role seemed run-of-the-mill. I didnt see close monitoring and supervision. Victor Sher, a lawyer for the cities and counties, argued that their suits do not challenge oil and gas production, but only a 50-year campaign of deception and denial that did not involve the federal government. In the second hearing, attorney Michael Rubin, representing San Francisco and Oakland, urged the panel to overrule Alsup and return the suits to state court. The companies are not being sued for emissions, Rubin said, but for the local impact of a large-scale, sophisticated advertising and communications campaign to promote the use of their products while concealing knowledge of their dangers. But Ikuta said the court, even if it agreed with Rubin, could return the case to Alsup to consider other possible grounds for dismissal. Boutrous argued that the lawsuits sought to use a vague nuisance standard to regulate national and international activity. 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. Judge Kenneth Lee, an appointee of President Trump, noted that the suits had been filed under California law. Ninth Circuit judges are ill-equipped to make judgments under state law, he said. If nationwide activity can be challenged under state law, Boutrous replied, wed have a war among the states. He was joined by Jonathan Brightbill, an assistant attorney general in President Trumps Justice Department, who likened the case to the young peoples suit against the government that the appeals court dismissed on Jan. 17. The federal government, and particularly Congress and the president, must continue to set national policy related to complex issues of greenhouse gas emissions related to climate change, Brightbill told the court. The panel did not say when it would rule. In a similar case, an appeals court in Richmond, Va., heard arguments in December on oil companies appeal of a federal judges ruling that allowed the city of Baltimore to sue the companies in state court. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Aurora Police Department Officer Nathan Meier (pictured) will not face criminal charges after he was found passed out drunk in his patrol car while on duty last March A Colorado police officer who passed out behind the wheel of his patrol vehicle in the middle of the street after downing a bottle of vodka will not face criminal charges. Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler revealed Wednesday that his office is unable to bring DUI charges against Officer Nathan F Meier because the Aurora Police Department intentionally conducted its investigation in a way that would shield the officer. Meier was armed and on duty when he was found slumped in the front seat of his unmarked Ford Taurus just before 4pm on March 29, 2019. Officers responding to a 911 call about the 'unresponsive' officer could be heard on body camera footage saying that they smelled alcohol on him, but his blood alcohol level was never tested. Meier later admitted that he'd gone home during his shift and drank a bottle of vodka, confessing that he was 'impaired' when he passed out. Still, the Aurora Police Department (APD) insisted there was not enough evidence to press charges against him. Scroll down for video Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler (pictured) accused the Aurora Police Department of intentionally shielding Meier from DUI charges by ignoring 'damning' evidence that he was drunk, including the fact that he smelled of booze Meier was armed and on duty when he was found slumped in the front seat of his unmarked Ford Taurus just before 4pm on March 29, 2019, as seen in body camera footage Brauchler's office launched a review of Meier's actions and the subsequent investigation by Aurora police in December. The district attorney revealed the results of that review in an interview with CBS4 on Wednesday afternoon, prior to holding an official press conference on the matter the following day. He explained that he could not access medical records which may indicate that Meier was intoxicated. 'Yes there is damning evidence that convinces me that this guy was drunk behind the wheel, but it's evidence I don't get to use in a criminal case against him because it was compelled or protected by physician-patient privilege,' Brauchler said. He went on to accuse the APD of giving Meier preferential treatment due to his badge. 'At the end of the day, I think this guy beats the system and part of the system helped him do it,' he said. 'I think if instead of a uniformed police officer in a marked patrol vehicle in the middle of the street, it had been Jane Q Lunchpail, I think this thing is handled differently. 'Did they treat this incident and this person the way they would have treated anyone else? The answer that I have come to is no they did not.' Brauchler, whose office opened a review of the Meier case in December, told CBS4 that he couldn't press charges because he can't access medical records which may indicate that the officer was intoxicated at the time of the incident An incident report from Aurora police stated that Meier's patrol car was in the middle of Mississippi Avenue with the engine still running when fellow officers found him incapacitated in the front seat. He was 'disorientated' and unresponsive when Aurora Fire Rescue officials instructed him to open the door, leaving them no choice but to break to passenger-side window to gain access to the car. As officials were working to remove Meier's gun and taser, several of them 'reported smelling the odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage' on the officer, including the police department's Deputy Chief Paul O'Keefe. Despite the discovery, a blood draw was never carried out on Meier to test his blood-alcohol level at the scene. Footage from the incident also shows that several officers switched off their body cameras as comments that Meier was intoxicated were being made - a possible bid to protect their drunken colleague from facing any criminal charges. In his report, O'Keefe wrote that he briefly reentered the car before it was removed from the scene and claimed not to have smelled the odor of alcohol again, leading to believe Meier was suffering from 'some other medical episode', rather than intoxication. O'Keefe added that he originally requested a traffic officer respond to the hospital to investigate a possible DUI, but 'based on the lack of information, my own observations, the fact that the car was stopped (ignition on) with no motor vehicle accident or driving observations, and the lack of any additional evidence (no other noted smells, no bloodshot watery eyes, physical impairment inconsistent with my experience with DUI), it was decided that no testing would be completed at that time.' Rather charge him for DUI, the department labeled what occurred as a 'medical event' and Meier was transported to an area hospital, then sent home, citing a lack of evidence to press charges. Footage from the incident shows that several officers switched off their body cameras as discussions that Meier was intoxicated were taking place - a possible bid to protect their drunken colleague from facing any criminal charges Meier was 'disorientated' and unresponsive to instructions from the Aurora Fire Rescue to open to door of the vehicle, leaving officials no choice but for the department the break to passenger-side window to gain access to car When authorities were working to remove Meier's gun and taser from his person, several off the officers 'reported smelling the odor of an unknown alcoholic beverage' on Meier, including the police department's Deputy Chief Paul O'Keefe However, during a subsequent investigation carried out by the internal affairs summary, Meier later admitted that he had gone home and drank 'vodka from a bottle' mid-shit and confessed he had been 'impaired by the alcohol' when officers found him However, during a subsequent investigation carried out by the internal affairs summary, Meier later admitted that he had gone home and drank 'vodka from a bottle' mid-shit and confessed he had been 'impaired by the alcohol' when officers found him. The summary also said Meier told police he 'had no recollection of anything else until he woke up in the hospital.' The internal affairs investigation concluded that Meier violated four department policies, including alcohol impairment, neglect of duty, conduct unbecoming and 'conformance to law'. Officials did not disclose discipline was imposed as a result. Court records show that no criminal DUI or DWAI charges were ever filed against Meier, nor were any other criminal counts. It's believe that Meier was demoted as a result of the incident, however, he remains employed by the Aurora PD. In December, Larimer County Sheriff Justin Smith blasted Aurora police, saying he was appalled by the department's actions. 'I'm one of the loudest defenders of America's men and women in blue when they are unfairly criticized for doing a very difficult job,' Smith began. 'However, I have no tolerance for misconduct or cover up.' But Crystal McCoy, a spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department, told CBS4 when fellow officers arrived on the scene, 'it wasn't clear what was going on with him'. She said Meier could have been experiencing a diabetic episode or a stroke, and, although there might have been indications of drinking and driving, McCoy went on to say police did not have the authority to get Meier's blood drawn since there had not been an accident and nobody had been injured. 'He had an unknown medical condition,' McCoy told the network, failing to elaborate further. Meier later voluntarily provided his medical records to the department, which showed his blood alcohol level was more than five times the legal limit. Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz also hit back at the claims of a cover-up late last, saying he 'unequivocally' stands by his decisions regarding Meier because he cares 'about the human being who stepped up and owned his incredibly poor decision and continues to courageously own it.' Media attention surrounding the case prompted Brauchler to launch his own review in December. 'I don't have any reason to second-guess the Aurora Police Department's conduct in the investigation at this point, but I'm interested in knowing what information exists,' Brauchler said at the time. 'That interest stems from the fact it involves an officer in that agency.' The best police officers I know all have one thing in common and it is not physical size it is an innate calmness. They go in low, knowing they can ramp up their response as needed. The ones who are a little timid tend to burst in, pretending to be tough guys and increasing tensions rather than providing solutions. Put it this way: hyenas yap constantly; lions rarely need to roar. The most dangerous people in jail are not the tattoo-covered aggressive types but the ones who talk in measured tones and follow through on what they say, according to Curnow. Some family violence offenders on the surface appear unlikely criminals. They pay their bills, deal with their finances and have no history of crime. On anger management surveys they mark zero, zero, zero, saying they never get angry and never lose their tempers, he says. But they are incredibly controlling and are wound up like a spring. They can be scary. Violence, he says, is often the product of fear. From the time he worked in pubs he saw how quickly so-called normal people could become aggressive under the influence. Most people dont want to fight. They may think they do, but they dont. They do because they fear they will be hit or fear they wont meet the expectations of their mates. When Curnow first started working in prisons, he saw how anger management courses failed one class of crooks professional armed robbers. The reason was simple: they were always in control. They had detailed plans, multiple escape routes, dumped their guns and burned their clothes that could have DNA. They thought like lawyers. They were threatening enough to make victims comply but not to the point where they became so terrified [that] they froze. Mr Miyagi, the World War II veteran, mentor and martial arts expert played by Pat Morita in the Karate Kid films. Credit:AP In prison, a world full of deception, he found honesty was his greatest asset. If you say something there, you need to mean it. He would be blunt and direct, using the sort of language he needed to get his point across. Sometimes at Parole Board meetings he has to remind himself that the language of the remand yard should not be replicated in quasi-judicial formal hearings. In one discussion a frustrated maximum-security inmate tried to insult Curnow by saying: You are a cross between Mr Miyagi and Sigmund Freud. The shrink took it as a compliment. Here we need to point out the Parole Board, once the basket case of the criminal justice system, is now the jewel in the crown. Once understaffed and using quill-and-ink technology, it was remarkable that it could function at all. With more money, more staff, new priorities and a new outlook, the number of clients has dropped and the success rate jumped, with more than 80 per cent completing parole successfully. After studying armed robbery gangs that would make around $30,000 a job, Curnow began to look at white collar crooks who averaged $250,000. These offenders, he points out, are mostly trusted employees who own a house, have exemplary employment records and kids in private schools. Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Credit:AP He says the offender is often so trusted that they are assigned by their employer to investigate the initial fraud. Usually, he says, there is a hidden debt through gambling or a failing business venture. The aim is to resolve the financial problem without telling anyone. Many delude themselves by rationalising it as a loan they will pay back and when caught invariably exaggerate the amount of funds they have returned. He says such crimes are often written off as just white-collar thefts, but the effects are profound. The Clive Peeters retail chain collapsed after one trusted employee stole $19.5 million between 2007 and 2009 to buy cars and 44 investment properties. More than 1000 people lost their jobs, he says. But it is the violent criminals that we fear and dominate the headlines. Violence works in the short term, Curnow says, but history shows you usually lose in the long term. Take Melbournes underworld war. Drug traffickers such as Tony Mokbel and Carl Williams made millions before everyone started shooting everyone else. How did they think it would all end?Williams was bashed to death in prison and Mokbel suffered an acquired brain injury when assaulted in jail and appears to have well and truly lost the plot. Jason Moran, who started the war when he shot Carl in the guts, was shot dead in 2003 at the Essendon Auskick. Moran couldnt ever work out that a low profile was a little like Brussels sprouts a little boring but a very healthy lifestyle choice. Drug trafficking and armed robberies gave Moran a comfortable lifestyle, yet his erratic behaviour signed his death warrant. When a driver veered into his lane without indicating at the intersection of Bridge and Punt roads in Richmond, Moran grabbed a wheel brace, smashed the other motorist's windscreen, dragged him from the car and beat him. Jason got back in the car and was laughing," said Morans passenger. Sydney gangster Arthur Neddy Smith also seemed to have it made. The armed robber and heroin trafficker had the most valuable asset in crime corrupt NSW police protection. As he wrote: "I had police organising crimes for me to do, then keeping me informed as to how much if any progress was being made in the investigations ... I had what is commonly known within criminal circles as 'the Green Light, which meant I could virtually do as I pleased. He could control the cops, he could control the crooks, but he couldnt control himself. Time and again he would bash someone for no reason and then have to pay bent detective Roger Rogerson big bucks to make the case disappear. But when he killed a tow truck driver in a road rage attack in 1987 no one could help him. Hes been in jail ever since. The point is that often there is no logic to crime. In the days when Curnow grabbed shoplifters at a luxury department store, more often than not they had the money to pay. They stole because they thought they could get away with it. So why do people do bad things? Some offenders backgrounds almost defy belief. The 10-year-old injected with heroin by his drug-addicted mother so she had company. The boy who could tell by his fathers gait that he was angry drunk and they were in for a bashing. They are people who learned fear at an early age, he says. WASHINGTON The U.S. Senate voted to acquit President Donald J. Trump in what was an emotional afternoon for Connecticut Democrats who supported the impeachment inquiry since it began. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., recounted the immense weight upon him as he rose twice to pronounce Trump guilty of both of articles of impeachment. Ive never said that word in that kind of way, publicly, to pronounce judgment on anyone, Blumenthal said. Ive never been a juror. Ive prosecuted cases and Ive asked juries to find people guilty, but Ive never said that word let alone on the floor of the United States Senate. Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, was the only Republican to cast a vote to convict Trump with Democrats. Romney voted guilty on the abuse of power article, but not guilty on the charge of obstruction of Congress. Romney announced his decision on the Senate floor about two hours before the vote. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who was in the chamber with Romney when he made his speech, was choked up listening to him speak, Murphy told reporters with a still quavering voice minutes after the speech ended. I think history will judge that to be one of the more important speeches of my time in the Senate, Murphy said. Its the hardest thing to do in the world, to stand up to your party and your friends and your donors and just decide to do whats right. I think we all wonder if we would make the same decision if we were in the same position. Blumenthal said he was moved almost to tears by Romneys decision. His decision gives me hope, said Blumenthal. After the vote, Blumenthal approached another lawmaker who wrestled with the decision to convict or acquit: Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. Blumenthal shook Manchins hand after the red-state Democrat cast two guilty votes. I told him I admired his courage and I was proud of him, Blumenthal said. We spoke a little about his decision and how he got there. The Congress and the public knew for months that the Senate lacked a two-thirds majority to support removing Trump from office. Democratic Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, the first Connecticut lawmaker to support an impeachment inquiry, said Tuesday the proceeding still had an influence by sending a message. This has been a foregone conclusion from moment one, but I think it was really important to do, Himes said. I think it was important for the American people to hear the facts. I think it was important for the American people to hear Mitt Romney and see that this is not a purely partisan thing. And I think it is important to history that we be very clear that, on a bipartisan basis, we reject the presidents behavior. And yes, he was acquitted but most Republican senators said the behavior was unacceptable. Many Republicans have objected that the impeachment trial removed them from legislating on behalf of the American people. White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway said Wednesday What was the point? Was this to make [Rep.] Adam Schiff more famous? she asked, referring to the California Democrat who was the lead manager prosecuting the case against Trump. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in a speech before the vote, criticized the trial as a symptom of Democrats unwillingness to accept the results of the 2016 election. He said Democrats were so partisan they now declared broken any function of government that produced a policy or political outcome they disagreed with. There is no sign this attack on our institutions will end here, McConnell said. This is precisely the kind of recklessness the Senate was created to stop. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., defended his caucus saying he was very proud of them. Schumer added that without new witnesses and documents included in the trial, there was a giant asterisk next to the presidents acquittal. He called the acquittal virtually valueless. Trump is expected to speak about the vote on Thursday. White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said the vote indicated the full vindication and exoneration of Trump. As we have said all along, he is not guilty, Grisham said. The Senate voted to reject the baseless articles of impeachment, and only the Presidents political opponents - all Democrats, and one failed Republican presidential candidate - voted for the manufactured impeachment articles. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, countered Tuesday the presidents acquittal made a mockery of the American system of checks and balances. Nearly 232 years ago, our founders set up a system of checks and balances, separation of powers, and rule of law so that no person would be above the law including the president of the United States, DeLauro said. Today, without a single witness called, President Donald J. Trump succeeded in upending that system by breaking the law and getting away with it with the consent of the Senate. Sadly, the vast majority of my Republican colleagues in the House and Senate put their party above their oath to uphold the Constitution. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2, also slammed Republicans after the vote. The Senate Majority has butchered the Article One powers of the Congress, and has created a dangerous shift of power to the Executive Branch that will haunt our nation for years to come, he said. When asked her thoughts on the Senate vote, Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5, said simply, We did our job. We did our job in the House. With the vote behind them, Connecticuts senators said Wednesday evening they had the future on their minds. My worry has been that whether the number was 48 or 50 or 57, if you didnt remove him from office, he would continue to try to corrupt it, Murphy said. And that remains my worry today. Im just not sure the president is going to change and I think thats a real risk for our democracy. Blumenthal said it was imperative that Democratic and Republican senators find a way to come together to address the nations issues. But after weeks of battles duing the trial and a controversial State of the Union address, bridging a jagged partisan rift was work for another day. Blumenthal had a television hit Wednesday night and then headed home to his house in Washington, at last, for dinner and bed, he said. Im going to try to get some sleep, Blumenthal said, which I have not been getting in the amount that I need. PHILIPSBURG:---The Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset invited Mr. Anastacio Baker to present at the general meeting on Monday, January 27th. Mr. Baker, in his former capacity as Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (COCI), served as the ideal guest speaker for the months theme of Vocational Service. As owner and managing director of several family-owned businesses on the island, Mr. Baker was able to provide vital information from both the COCI aspect, as well as a small business owner himself. In 2014 Mr. Baker was elected to the board of the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and in 2015 elected as the Treasurer thereof. In 2016, he was elected as Vice- President of the COCI and re-elected in 2017. In mid-2017, Mr. Baker left Princess Juliana International airport to take up the fulltime position as Executive Director of the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In 2019, he resigned from the position in order to focus on the family businesses fulltime. Throughout Rotary, there is always a desire to build connections and promote entrepreneurship. Therefore, given his recent position held within COCI, he was able to provide up to date information on the closures and openings of registered businesses, as well as information about the focal point of newly registered businesses from 2017 to 2019. Mr. Baker also provided vital information into the status of the economy, as well as viable small business opportunities that have not yet saturated the economic market. Rotary Foundation Chair, Michelette Boasman, as a business owner herself, saw the importance of inviting Mr. Baker to speak to the membership about the benefits and challenges of owning businesses locally, as there are entrepreneurs within the club. Mr. Baker, as a young and local small business owner, served as the ideal guest presenter to provide key information on various ways to assist small businesses as well as the importance of them to our economy, Boasman added. The club would like to thank Mr. Anastacio Baker for his presentation, insights, and advice, especially with few small business ideas provided. The Rotary Club of St. Martin Sunset meets every second and fourth Monday of the month at Carl N Sons Unique Inn and Conference Facilities in Cole Bay at 7:30 pm. The club can be contacted via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via the official Facebook page at facebook.com/rotarysxmsunset. Mien ga, also called chicken glass noodle soup, is always served hot, making it precisely the kind of dinner I needed to counter last weekss cold air. The family member who was with me agreed, too. So we ordered two bowls with glee, thanks to the waitress cheeriness and the joints vivid Lunar New Year displays and took in the steamy sweet broth, crisp basil, juicy chicken and tender starch. Then, a slight chill, and right behind it the question, Hey, want some coronavirus? I looked up. My relative looked back. The waitress stopped mid-text. It was a kid on a bike, who opened the door, asked the question and continued pedaling. The waitress paid no mind. My relative was awash with confusion. I found that the soup had turned sour. It may be a fleeting incident, but it is yet another episode of xenophobia directed at Asians. Apparently we all look like we were born in Wuhan, China, the center of the now-near-25,000-cases-strong outbreak of coronavirus. Buzzkill, high-schooler: You were directing your query at three Vietnamese. In Bellaire, or Houstons Chinatown to the uninformed and semi-informed, businesses are feeling the effect. Among them, Jusgo Supermarket owner Feng Chen was hit hard when a false social media post stated that the store was shut down by city officials because of concerns about the virus. I normally serve around 4,000 customers per day, and I am now seeing maybe a thousand, Chen said to the Houston Chronicle. Last night my aunt and uncle almost got into a shouting match with their son when he said he might go to Bellaire later. You are not to go there, and tell your friends to do the same! my uncle said. Ah, unity something I wish Asian communities would embrace. It turns out Asians not only experience xenophobia from non-Asians but we fear one another. From what Ive seen on two Vietnamese-Houstonian Facebook groups, Nguoi Viet Houston (NVH) and Houston Thong Tin (HTT), coronavirus news has been allowing folks to unleash their latent anti-Chinese sentiment. The posts, all negative and designed to rile others up, include false reasons for the virus like unclean eating habits, too many of them in one space, so on and so forth some of them too acidic to be written here. The coronavirus outbreak presents itself as an opportunity for some Asians to co-opt general anti-Asian fear for their specifically anti-Chinese beliefs. Of course, many Asians have reason to be afraid when it comes to what is happening in Asia. Most social media posts are from people who are worried about their flights: Is mine canceled? Delayed? Should I stay in Vietnam awhile? Should I tell my family that I wont be able to come back in a couple of months? The consensus answer is dont go now. Its also applicable for people wondering if they will be allowed to return to the U.S. The anxiety is at a point where having an extended Lunar New Year break when the outbreak began is far from a plus. All it takes is a cough, and you will be looked at in a different light. From what Ive heard, schools are closed right now, and my work of course is at a snails pace, said my dad over the phone two nights ago. A relative told me that supplies in the fridge are low, but I dont think now is the time to go to the market. Im willing to bet that my worries are similar to other Vietnamese-Houstonians and Asians. And let me tell you the worries are piling on business deals withdrawn, schools canceled, entire families on edge and more. Even without the racism, everything is already a house of cards. Some universities are trying to help their Asian students by shedding light on the hostility toward Asians in the face of the coronavirus outbreak. There is no reason to believe that anyone of Asian heritage or appearance has the coronavirus at ASU, as there is no confirmation anyone with the virus at ASU is Asian, said Tevinh Nguyen, president of the Asian/Asian Pacific American Students Coalition (AAPASC), in a press release Saturday. Even joking about Asians and the coronavirus reifies the idea that there is a valid association between the two. Although a no-brainer, it must be said that the response is richer and more cognizant than UC Berkeleys. That university, specifically its health services, conjured ire after listing Xenophobia: fears about interacting with those who might be from Asia and guilt about those feelings as a normal reaction to the crisis. An apology was issued, but I believe that damage had been done. The belief that every Asian is harmful? Now that kind of damage is far more insidious than any virus. I know Im just one Vietnamese, one Asian and one person, but far from singular is my desire to see more Vietnamese, more Asians and more people band together during this crisis. Focus on the matter that the coronavirus upsets everyone, everywhere, every way. Focus on the thousands who are sick. Educate each other. Look out for one another. Pray. Donate. Eliminate misinformation with fact-checked or government-based links, not those that tap into hysteria. Perform actions to alleviate the chaos . Remember that Vietnam was the first country to contain SARS. Remember that influenza is the much deadlier sickness. Wash your hands. Masks are used to block out a virus, not an entire community. Theyre a preventative measure, not a pass for racism. To the high-schooler: Im no doctor sorry, mom and dad but I wont hesitate to let you know that I am neither a threat to your space nor a joke. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Air India crew that rescued over 650 people as part of special evacuation operations in China was showered with praises and accolades by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday. The cabinet said that the crew did not express any fear while giving priority to their duty. The crew spent around 12 hours with the people who were rescued. Anyone else would have been scared and questioned why they were send to a place where a deadly virus was spreading. Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said. On Saturday, 324 Indians were brought back from Wuhan by the first special flight, while another batch of 323 Indians and seven Maldivians were evacuated from the Chinese city on Sunday through the second special flight. Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani termed it heart-warming, saying Union Cabinets appreciation for the staff of Air India who travelled to Wuhan to evacuate Indians is indeed heartwarming for the entire Air India family and would go a long way in inspiring Air Indians to keep going beyond the call of duty in serving the nation. Air India has carried out similar evacuations in the past from Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait and Nepal. In August 1990, Air India and erstwhile Indian Airline evacuated over one lakh Indians from Iraq and Kuwait via 488 flights in 59 days, created a world record for the largest aerial evacuation since 1948-49. Airborne saviours Air India successfully accomplished Operation Rahat (Yemen) in 2015 as well as operation Safe Homecoming in 2011. Stones were hurled at the convoy of when the Left leader was on his way to address a rally against the CAA in Bihar's Madhepura district on Thursday, which was second such incident in less than 24 hours. The Communist Party of India, which had fielded the former JNU student leader against BJP firebrand Giriraj Singh in Lok Sabha polls last year, issued a statement here condemning the incident and warned of an agitation if preventive steps were not taken. "We strongly condemn the attack on Kanhaiya Kumar's convoy in Madhepura. Yesterday, a similar attack took place in Supaul which left vehicles damaged and a number of people injured. These attacks are being engineered by supporters of the Sangh Parivar and the BJP," CPI state secretary Satya Narayan Singh said in the statement. "If the government does not ask its police to be diligent and provide adequate security, we will be compelled to launch an agitation," he added. Kumar is on a state-wide 'Jan Gan Man Yatra' which was launched on January 30, coinciding with the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, under the banner of 'Joint Forum Against NPR/NRC/CAA'. The campaign is scheduled to conclude with a rally in Patna on February 29. Police officials were not available for comments, though Congress MLA Shakil Ahmed Khan, who has been accompanying Kumar since the beginning of the tour, confirmed the incident. "A couple of stones hit vehicles in our convoy while we were approaching the venue in Madhepura after a successful rally at Saharsa earlier in the day. We chose not to stop, even as a couple of window panes were shattered but there was no injury to anybody," Khan said. "Moreover, it appeared that the attackers had used slingshots and fled after hitting their intended target. We are saddened by the incident, which is indicative of the vitriol that has pervaded the atmosphere. After reaching the Madhepura venue, we informed the police. We must take it all on the chin and brace ourselves for tomorrow's programs," he added. The former JNU students' union president, who was slapped with a sedition case in the capital four years ago, sought to strike a chord with the crowd at Madhepura by beginning his speech with tributes to Ramesh Ranjan, a CRPF personnel hailing from Bhojpur district in Bihar, who died fighting militants near Srinagar. At Saharsa, the Left leader took potshots at Union Home Minister Amit Shah and urged supporters of the BJP to understand that CAA-NPR-NRC was "part of a game plan which is all about engaging you in sectarian squabbles while the son of 'mota bhai' enjoys a stint as the BCCI secretary". While a technical panel of the OPEC+ coalition is recommending an additional cut of 600,000 bpd in response to the lower oil demand due to the coronavirus outbreak, OPECs key ally in the deal, Russia, continues to be a holdout on the need to cut deeper to counter the oil price slide. After three days of discussions of the OPEC+ Joint Technical Committee (JTC) in Vienna, the panel is reportedly recommending a deeper cut, of 600,000 bpd. But Russia, which has sent delegates to the committees meeting, has been uncertain about further cuts all week, and is now asking for more time to have the top officials at home review the recommendation and the market situation, delegates told media on Thursday. Russias Energy Minister Alexander Novak reiterated in Moscow today that it is too early to talk about any decision that should be taken as part of the OPEC+ deal. Russia has been reluctant to commit to cuts in all of the previous OPEC+ meetings, before agreeing to play ball in the eleventh hour. The current consultations and discussions dont look too different from previous such rifts between Russia and OPEC, led by Saudi Arabia, which is pushing for deeper cuts as oil prices are now below the Kingdoms comfort range and much lower than $80-plus a barrel Brent it needs to balance its budget this year. Russia is not so desperate to see oil prices so highit has consistently budgeted for lower oil prices than the actual ones since the 2014 price collapse, and as a result is much more resilient to price drops than Saudi Arabia. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Russias Novak said he is not ready to say whether Russia is ready or not to agree to deeper cuts, because the situation on the market is still unclear. It will take more time to have a clearer view on the impact of the coronavirus on the global oil market, Novak said. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The Engine 10/Ladder 11 fire station at 12th and Reed would be moved around the corner, next to the Fleet Management building, and replaced by an apartment house. Read more Growing cities are ambitious cities. When newcomers were pouring into Philadelphia in the early 20th century, the city went on a municipal building spree, erecting many of the schools, clinics, rec centers, and police stations that we cherish today. It launched a similar campaign after World War II, one that gave us an extraordinary collection of Modernist structures. But when people and jobs fled to the suburbs in the 1970s, Philadelphias ambition withered. Philadelphia has made a remarkable comeback over the last two decades, with 13 straight years of population growth. Yet, when it comes to civic buildings, it still behaves as if it were a city in decline. The Kenney administrations Rebuild initiative is a good first step at reversing that mind-set. But if you strip away the hype, its just a fancy way of branding a deferred maintenance program for libraries and rec centers. Meanwhile, many of the big civic projects that have gotten off the ground in last decade the new Police Headquarters on North Broad, the branch library on South Broad, Family Court on Arch Street have been outsourced to private developers, with mixed results. Philadelphia has chosen to take the privatization route once again with a new firehouse project in South Philadelphia. The Department of Public Property is finalizing a deal that would give Alterra Property Group the right to redevelop the better part of the block across from Columbus Square in South Philadelphia. In exchange, Alterra would replace the existing firehouse at 12th and Reed with a new facility. Theres no doubt that Alterras proposal contains many smart ideas. After all, its based on a version outlined in the citys 2015 District Plan for South Philadelphia. But the deal being negotiated with the developer reveals just how limited the citys architectural ambitions have become. That simple Modernist firehouse was one of 22 similar structures produced between 1950 and the mid-'60s. It was a time of immense upheaval, yet the city was intent on bringing its municipal buildings into the modern age with style and flair. For decades, the firehouse gazed at another product of that idealistic era: a circular stone park pavilion designed by Roth & Fleisher, one of the citys first women-owned architectural firms. That beloved landmark was demolished this winter by the Department of Parks and Recreation. What are the chances that the new firehouse will be as good as either one of those humble midcentury gems? Im not arguing that the firehouse should be preserved unlike the pavilion, which was truly unique. Opened in 1964, the low-slung building, home to the Engine 10 and Ladder 11 companies, isnt the best among those Midcentury firehouses. Nor does it function very well, Fire Department Commissioner Adam K. Thiel told me. Its too small to accommodate the decontamination rooms that firefighters now require after putting out blazes in homes filled with toxin-emitting synthetic materials. The building lacks showers and bathrooms for female firefighters, whose numbers are on the rise. Its also a waste of a terrific piece of real estate. The neighborhood around Columbus Square is growing rapidly, and the park is about to get a major face-lift. Under its proposal, Alterra would erect a midrise apartment building on the firehouse site, overlooking the square. That would give Columbus Squares eastern edge the gracious residential ensemble it deserves. Moving the firehouse makes sense, too. Because it would be located next to the police station at 11th and Reed a small, underappreciated midcentury building designed by a disciple of Le Corbusier the pairing would create a compact municipal cluster. Alterra has also promised to renovate a city-owned maintenance facility on Reed Street. It would turn the handsome, early 20th century loft building into a space for coworking and events, further enlivening the square. Because these sorts of public-private partnerships are now so routine, we hardly stop to consider the trade-offs when the city inks a deal with a developer. The obvious attraction in this case is that Philadelphia gets a state-of-the-art firehouse at almost no cost. No financial cost, that is. But in outsourcing the project, the city cedes control of an important municipal landmark to a private developer, one that isnt known for architectural quality. Alterra, you may recall, is the company that gave us Lincoln Square, the striped metal hodgepodge at Broad and Washington. Whats to prevent Alterra from treating the firehouse as just another real estate commodity to be brought in at the lowest possible price? Put another way, what can compel the developer to create a worthy civic landmark? It may be too late to carve out the firehouse as a pure city project, but its not too late for the city to take a firm hand in shaping its design. Apart from Commissioner Thiel, no one in city government would speak to me about the process for ensuring the firehouse is more than just a glorified garage. But there are disturbing signs. According to a city spokesperson, no one from Public Property or the Department of Planning and Development has yet been assigned responsibility for managing the firehouse project. The last time the city built a new firehouse was 2013, and that building, in Taconys Disston Park, is no model. Despite its lush surroundings, it adds nothing to the streetscape. Alterras managing partner, Leo Addimando, told me he plans to hire a firehouse specialist to ensure the Fire Departments functional needs are met for the new building. Thats good, but not enough. Mayor Jim Kenney should insist that design-savvy staff participate in the negotiations with Alterra and that they continue to oversee the firehouse project until its completion. One of the downsides of embracing the privatization of public buildings is that the city starts to think like a developer. But public buildings, even modest firehouses, are an expression of our civic aspirations. Because developers often flip their properties after a few years, they want to spend as little as possible up front. But cities build for the long haul. Even though many of our old schools and firehouses in Philadelphia are no longer fit for their original purpose, they remain with us, as housing and offices. These high-quality civic structures remind new generations of what the city was able to accomplish. Even more is at stake here. Philadelphia has more fires per capita and a higher number of fatalities than any other American city, Thiel says. It also has some of the oldest working firehouses, including one in Chestnut Hill, which opened in 1894. Its one of the few old firehouses to get an upgrade. Our firefighters deserve better. So do residents, whose lives depend on these buildings. Firehouses are extremely complex buildings, part garage, part home for their crew of firefighters. But they are also democratic hubs, where we go to cast our votes and seek shelter in emergencies. While they no longer require their distinctive towers to dry fire hoses, they need to be designed in a way that speaks to the aspirations of a resurgent city. Philadelphia has come too far to abandon its ambitions now. 14.3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine voted to acquit Donald Trump on Wednesday, and now shes very upset about the angry voicemails shes getting. Collins is so upset, in fact, that she ran to Fox News to complain about the backlash shes received lately. During a discussion with Martha MacCallum in which the Fox News host played two expletive-filled voicemails that Collins received in recent days, the Maine lawmaker whined that it seems we lost the ability in this country to disagree respectfully. Collins called the recent voicemails a continuation of the kind of abuse and harassment that has occurred for my staff, my family and me since my vote for Justice Kavanaugh. I think its a sad commentary that we cant have differences of opinion without resorting to profanity to death threats to vile language, she added. The full video of Susan Collins appearance on Fox News: Just a tip for the senator: If you want to win reelection in November, you should probably bring up your vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh as little as possible. Cry us a river, Senator Collins First of all, no one including this writer is condoning death threats against lawmakers in any political party. There is no place for that in the United States. But heres the deal: Members of Congress receive angry feedback from voters all the time; its part of the job. Collins signed up for it when she decided to run for office. Now, as she seeks to shield herself from the very appropriate outrage her constituents are feeling over her decision to put the corrupt Donald Trump before her country, she is trying to build sympathy by going on Fox News and playing angry voicemails. If Susan Collins is looking for sympathy today the day she so cowardly put her party before her country then shes going to have trouble finding it. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON (Reuters) - World Trade Organization Director General Roberto Azevedo said on Tuesday he would not meet with President Donald Trump during his current visit to Washington, but believed U.S. officials shared a sense of urgency about reforming the global trade body. Azevedo said he was in constant contact with the U.S. Trade Representative's office and could return to Washington if a meeting with Trump or other officials was scheduled. "There is a sense of urgency here as well," Azevedo told a conference hosted by the Washington International Trade Association, underscoring the need for structural changes to the WTO to reflect global economic developments, including the rise of China and emergence of the digital economy. Azevedo said Trump had made clear during a meeting at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last month that he wanted to see the WTO change, and said he had been invited to Washington to discuss how deep such reform would be. But Azevedo said he would not meet with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer or Trump during this visit to attend the conference. "I came here for this event. It doesn't mean that I can't come back. I need somebody to tell me 'This is the time,'" he said, adding that U.S. officials were politically engaged, but it was necessary to "transform those ideas into concrete action." Lighthizer's office had no immediate comment on Azevedo's visit, or a Bloomberg report the United States is considering a plan to withdraw from a WTO government procurement agreement worth $1.7 trillion if the pact is not changed. The White House also had no immediate comment. The European Union, China and 15 other WTO members last month agreed to create a temporary mechanism to settle trade disputes after U.S. action rendered the WTO incapable of acting as the umpire of global trade. Washington froze the so-called appellate body, which acts as a supreme court for international trade, by blocking appointments for over two years. Two of the body's three members completed their terms in December, leaving it unable to issue rulings. Story continues Azevedo described his meeting with Trump at Davos as "superficial," as was generally the case when meeting state leaders, but said the U.S. president was clearly convinced about the need to reform the WTO. "The perception is that there is a need to change what we have and that we need to do it," he said. (Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Dan Grebler and Tom Brown) Union Minister and sitting MP from Nawada, Giriraj Singh, cast his vote in Barahiya of Lakhisarai district, Bihar. (Image: ANI) Union Minister Giriraj Singh has raked up a controversy yet again. This time, the Animal Husbandry and Fisheries Minister has claimed that Shaheen Bagh is no longer just a protest ground, suicide bombers are being trained there now. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister took to Twitter on February 6 to lash out at the demonstrators gathered at Shaheen Bagh to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), which they believe to be a nefarious design to disenfranchise the Muslims of India. .. pic.twitter.com/NoD98Zfwpx Shandilya Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) February 6, 2020 Singh tweeted: He pointed out that "conspiracies against the nation are being hatched in the national capital." While Singh is known for delivering incendiary speeches, he is not the only one who has targeted the protestors gathered at Shaheen Bagh. Amit Shah, Kapil Mishra, Yogi Adityanath, and Anurag Thakur have hit out at them too. The protest has become synonymous with the nationwide outcry against the contentious citizenship law. The protestors, who have gathered at the spot for more than two months now, have been one of the main reasons behind the highly polarised campaign for the February 8 Delhi Assembly election. The favorite snack of 90s kids is back. But why now? We asked General Mills. Feb. 6, 2020 After mysteriously disappearing from American grocery store shelves in 2012, Dunkaroos are back. General Mills announced on Monday that the knuckle-sized cookies with miniature tubs of dippable frosting will once again be sold nationwide, this summer. Brad Hiranaga, General Millss chief brand officer for North America, answered our burning questions. How long has a Dunkaroo renaissance been in the works? Its been years in the making, probably is a fair way to state it. We get literally thousands of consumer requests for the product, since its not been being sold in the U.S. recently. We knew we wanted to bring it back for a while. Why did Dunkaroos disappear from the United States in 2012, but remain available in Canada until 2017? In a first-of-its-kind initiative, MD doctors from all across Europe are attending a seminar 'Predictive Homeopathy - International Seminar 2020', organized by renowned Indian Homeopath Dr Prafull Vijayakar and his school in Mumbai. The 10-day event, scheduled for January 27 to February 7, 2020, is being held at Predictive Homeopathy's corporate office in Khar West. This is the first-ever international seminar on predictive homeopathy in India, where not only the new findings from the field are being presented, but live cases of patients are being taken on stage too. The event, graced by 30 European doctors, was inaugurated by Dr Prafull Vijayakar and Dr Ambrish Vijayakar. In course of the seminar, recent breakthroughs and research carried out by Dr Prafull Vijayakar and his team are being shared with the attendees, that focus on the relevance of modern homeopathy treating a wide variety of diseases. One of the largest gatherings of European homeopaths in India, this also happens to be the only platform, where live cases are being attended and discussed. "An age-old method of treatment, homeopathy has also evolved with time and there have been a lot of breakthroughs in the field. Predictive homeopathy in India has reached a height with its findings and research to treat a wide variety of diseases, that needs to be shared with the world as well as patients. This international seminar is an occasion to spread that knowledge in the presence of the renowned European homeopaths," said Dr Prafull Vijayakar, while talking about the initiative. Predictive Homeopathy by Dr Prafull Vijayakar is the only school of homeopathy, that has received affiliation from ECPD UN. Besides, it's also the only school of homeopathy, that assimilates Genetics and embryology. Conducting more than thousands of seminars across the world, the institute is now hosting this kind of an event for the first time in this country. This story is provided by NewsVoir. 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.) Lord Lisvane, who served as the clerk of the House of Commons from 2011 to 2014 John Bercow's former top official has claimed it was 'impossible' to deal with bullying complaints made against MPs during the Commons Speaker's time in office. Lord Lisvane, who stepped down as the clerk of the House of Commons in 2014, said the difficulty was shown by one alleged example when an MP was accused of harassing a female clerk. Lord Lisvane claimed that Mr Bercow had responded to the allegation by saying he would not rely on the word of a 'f***ing clerk'. Mr Bercow said the account 'doesn't accord with my recollection' and that he was 'concerned to ensure that there was an independent process' to deal with the complaint in question. He told The Times that 'as I recall, Lord Lisvane was supportive of the approach' he had advocated. Lord Lisvane last month submitted a dossier to the parliamentary standards watchdog setting out bullying allegations against Mr Bercow. Meanwhile, David Leakey, the former Black Rod, has accused Mr Bercow of having 'brutalised' him and other members of staff. The former Commons Speaker has denied all of the allegations made against him and described the claims made by Mr Leakey as 'total and utter rubbish'. John Berco, the former Commons Speaker, has denied all of the bullying claims made against him In comments reported by The Times, Lord Lisvane said: 'The problem was exemplified by a complaint against an MP for bullying and harassing a young female clerk, who sadly left the House of Commons Service shortly thereafter. 'Mr Bercow... said that he was not going to have the case proved "on the word of any f***ing clerk". 'Its not surprising that in such circumstances it was impossible to deal with bullying by MPs.' It came after Diane Abbott faced a furious backlash yesterday after suggesting Mr Leakey could not have been bullied by Mr Bercow because of his military background. The shadow home secretary was criticised by Labour MPs and trade union leaders after appearing to back Mr Bercow in his row with Mr Leakey. There is a growing political row over whether Mr Bercow should be granted a peerage. David Leakey, pictured right, accused the former Commons Speaker of 'brutalising' parliamentary staff Diane Abbott suggested Mr Leakey's military service in the British Army meant he could not be bullied Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is thought to have nominated Mr Bercow after Downing Street decided to break with the convention of governments nominating former Commons speakers for positions in the upper chamber. Mr Leakey said yesterday that if the former Commons Speaker was elevated to the House of Lords 'it would be a scandal that Parliament would struggle to live down'. Responding to the allegations made against him by Mr Leakey, Mr Bercow said earlier this week: 'Total and utter rubbish from start to finish.' South Africa: Mbalula updates Parliament on developments at Prasa Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula has assured the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) that the challenges faced by the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa will be addressed. Following my last Scopa appearance and from what transpired, we elected to dissolve the Interim Board and place Prasa [Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa] under administration. This was not an easy decision to make but was necessitated by the urgent need to tackle these challenges and get our trains back on track, the Minister said. The Minister, together with Prasa officials, appeared before Scopa in Parliament, on Wednesday. Mbalula last briefed the Scopa of developments at Prasa in November 2019. The agencys interim board was dissolved in December last year and the entity was placed under administration. Administrator Bongisizwe Mpondo was appointed for a period of 12 months, after which a permanent board will be appointed to run the affairs of Prasa. Mpondo has appointed a Panel of Technical Advisors to assist in turning the companys fortunes around. The advisors will provide Prasa with critical technical expertise and support the Administrators turnaround strategy. They will also advise the Administrator on a number of other critical aspects. Among the administrators key priorities are the following: Addressing all matters raised in the Auditor-Generals report and ensure that there are no repeat findings. Accelerating interventions aimed at improving operational performance. Expediting implementation of the modernisation programme, with priority focus on fencing, signalling, perway and station upgrades. Rolling out security interventions across all corridors. Urgently developing capacity to manage PRASAs capital programme, working with other state entities in the short term. Building capacity to support interventions aimed at recovering the system by establishing requisite supplier panels through competitive bidding or other means permissible. Attending to issues that require engagement with Transnet in order to unlock blockages that negatively affect operations. Ensuring effective consequences management and provide support to investigations currently underway by law enforcement authorities. Undertaking a review of PRASAs organisational design and business model. -SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-02-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Human Robot? Turn to cofounder Jake Atkinson to explain the name of the new brewery and taproom at 1710 N. Fifth St. in West Kensington: The ability to do older-generational beers foundation beers as well as newer ones, like the hazy boys and pastry stouts. Its the evolution of where beer is going." Atkinson, who was in beer sales and got into the brewing side with his friend Alex Bokulich with the gypsy brewery called The Futurist, is working on Human Robot with Chris Roller and Rachael Morris. They took over the defunct Saint Benjamins Brewing Co. Brewer Andrew Foss, who was at Saint Benjamins, is now working on an 8bbl system tucked behind the spacious, brick-walled tasting room. Morris father, Ken Correll, who also coowns Memphis Taproom, is helping with management and because he is a beer-drinker of a certain age advice. He remembers the Anchor Steams and Sierra Nevadas. Brewers today who were doing it 20 years ago are a little dubious of the New England IPAs and the hazy beers and the adjunct things that are in stouts," Correll said. We embrace both worlds. Expect eight beers on tap at the start, including regular IPAs, a double IPA, and an adjunct stout on the robot side, and, on the human side, a Czech pale lager, Czech Tmavy (darker lager) and a German-style pilsner, whose nitro-valve, side-pull tap system allows it to be poured slowly beneath the foam for a creamier taste. Poes Sandwich Joint, which gave up its Fishtown location last year, is selling sandwiches out of a peephole off to the side of the tasting room. Specialties include the Hamilton, which has chicken cutlet, Cooper sharp cheese, fries, crumbled bacon, and ranch dressing on a Sarcones roll. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.-ish daily but later on weekends. Kolkata, Feb 6 : Kolkata's first cabaret dancer Arati Das popularly known by her stage name Miss Shefali passed away this morning. She was 77. Miss Shefali, fondly called 'Queen of Cabaret', breathed her last at her Sodepur residence around 6 a.m. on Thursday. She was undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments. Miss Shefali was synonymous with cabaret dance in Kolkata and was the star attraction of the city's night life in the 1960s and '70s. From Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan to Tollywood superstar Uttam Kumar, everyone would be left spellbound by her sensuous performances. Miss Shefali had also appeared in a couple of Bengali movies such as "Seemabaddha" and "Pratidwandi", both directed by the legendary Satyajit Ray. Last year, Konkona Sen Sharma had announced that she plans to helm a web series based on Miss Shefali's life. The series will chronicle her life, as well as the political environment of West Bengal in the sixties and seventies through her life's journey. Arati Das was the youngest of three sisters hailing from a refugee family of East Bengal (now Bangladesh). It is said that she started performing cabaret at the age of 12 at Firpo's hotel to earn for her family and then there was no looking back. However, she suffered from monetary crisis in her old age. She had also penned her autobiography, which is titled "Sandhya Raater Shefali (Shefali of the Evenings and Nights)". -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text By Trend We do not distinguish between citizens of Azerbaijan and Turkey, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters commenting on yesterday's air incident in Istanbul, Trend reports. Cavusoglu stressed that he will always defend the position of fraternal Azerbaijan, and it is an honor for him to receive an order from the head of the Azerbaijani state. "Turkey always defends Azerbaijan's position. This is our brotherly duty. Azerbaijan defends Turkey's position where there is no [Turkish] representative, and Turkey defends the interests of Azerbaijan. We will always support each other's interests," Cavusoglu said. A passenger plane skidded off the runway at the Sabiha Gokcen Airport in Istanbul on Feb. 5, killing three people and injuring 179 others. There was one Azerbaijani passenger among the passengers. Parents in Finland will be given the same amount of parental leave, regardless of their gender or whether they are a childs biological parents, the government announced. The changes, which were announced Wednesday and could come into effect as early as 2021, are a bid to promote gender equality and inclusivity for same-sex couples and to encourage fathers to take as much time off work as mothers. The measure is one of the latest reforms under Finlands new government, led by Sanna Marin, a progressive prime minister who took up the post late last year. Ms. Marin made news when she took up the post late last year becoming the worlds youngest premier and heading a coalition government made up of all female leaders. Under the new reforms, each parent will be allowed 164 days of paid parental leave, which increased the total allowance for a couple from 11.5 months to more than 14 months, the government said in a statement. Single parents will have the right to use the parental leave quotas of both parents. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has warned of a "significant impact on the Australian economy" from the coronavirus as seafood businesses fear they will have to close their doors. Already the virus is costing tourism $1 billion a month and damaging other industries too due to a lack of more than 106,000 international students. Mr Frydenberg told Channel Nine's Today Show on Thursday his job was to "make sure that the economic harm to the economy is mitigated" but would not say whether the budget, which has been impacted by bushfires and drought, will still be in surplus. Treasury is crunching numbers to indicate the full scale of the impact on the economy and the federal budget, from the disease which has so far claimed more than 400 lives worldwide, and resulted in 15 Australians testing positive to the virus. The order doesnt go into detail about how Crews is being noncompliant. A hearing in Crews case is scheduled for Feb. 21 in Raleigh. Katherine Jean, the State Bars legal counsel, did not immediately return a message Wednesday request for comment. Efforts to contact Crews were unsuccessful Wednesday. The office number listed on the State Bars website appeared to be disconnected. Other phone numbers associated with Crews office also appeared to have been disconnected. It is not clear what role Crews currently has with League of the South, but in 2017, the group played a significant role in the white Unite the Right white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va. During that rally, white nationalist James Alex Fields Jr. drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters, killing Heather Heyer and injuring two dozen others. Fields was convicted of murder and other crimes in state and federal courts and received two life sentences. League of the South and other white nationalist and neo-Confederate groups were protesting that citys decision to remove a statute of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from a downtown park. By Jung Min-ho A Korean-Australian student has been asked to leave her boarding school in suburban Sydney amid fears of the new coronavirus from China. , a local daily, reported Wednesday that the 10th grade student, surnamed Kim, from Korea, was forced to leave her dormitory at Ravenswood School for Girls even though she had not been to China since visiting Shanghai in October. The outbreak of the deadly virus began a month ago in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Kim, who had been medically cleared and allowed into her dormitory last week, was told to leave hours later after the school decided to require students who have recently traveled to "other affected areas" to stay home for 14 days. Infection cases had been confirmed in Korea and Australia by then. Her father told the newspaper that he believes Ravenswood was "massively overreacting." "Despite (my) protest that she did not visit China (since the outbreak) and did not have contact with any visitors from China and no symptoms of any virus, the school maintained that they were erring on the safe side," he said. "To take the measure of not only preventing her from joining class, but telling her to leave her dorm, seems like an extreme response." The measure goes beyond the New South Wales government's policy that requires students who have traveled to China to quarantine themselves for 14 days. Principal Anne Johnstone said Ravenswood "established our safety and health protocols as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of all our students and staff in response to the unprecedented, rapidly evolving public health crisis presented by the novel coronavirus." Kim has since moved to a different school, which allowed her to attend immediately. A 46-year-old Thailand national was allegedly raped by two men here, following which they were arrested, police said on Thursday. The accused hailing from a north Kerala district have been arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged by the woman. Police said the accused-- Mohammed Insaf and his friend Ansaruddin from Kondotty in Malappuram district were arrested after recording the statement of the victim. The woman from Thailand had been a Facebook friend of Insaf for the last seven months after she enrolled her child in a school in Malappuram district. The woman who came from Bangkok recently to visit her child and was staying in a hotel here. When Insaf came to meet the woman, he was accompanied by his friend Ansaruddin and both allegedly raped the woman at the hotel room, police said. All formalities including medical examination of the woman were completed, police said. The accused will be produced before the court on Thursday, they added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Less than an hour after the courts denied his final appeal, a Texas man who killed five people became the states second prisoner in 2020 executed. With his last words, Abel Revill Ochoa thanked Jesus for his salvation and apologized to his victims families. I would like to thank God, my dad, my Lord Jesus savior for saving me and changing my life, he said, strapped to the Huntsville gurney. I want to apologize to my in-laws for causing all this emotional pain. I love yall and consider yall my sister I never had. I want to thank you for forgiving me. He died at 6:48 p.m., 18 years after the crime that landed him on death row. When police initially arrested him years earlier, Ochoa said he couldnt handle the stress and had simply gotten tired of his life. So hed killed his family. The then-30-year-old Dallas man cooperated with police from the start, and confessed to the five murders, ultimately blaming his violent outburst on the drugs hed smoked less than half an hour earlier. My body started wanting more crack, he told police, according to news reports at the time. I knew if I asked my wife for more money, she wouldnt let me have it. I knew shed argue with me about the money, just like we had in the past. A jury found him guilty in just 10 minutes, and in 2003 sentenced him to death. Many of his later appeals centered on claims he didnt have good enough legal representation earlier in the case, but in the final days before his Thursday execution he raised claims about parole board procedures and the prisons reluctance to let him film a clemency plea. Born in Mexico, Ochoa was raised by a father who beat him with sticks and branches but, he later told the court, not a lot. In the early 1990s, Ochoa married his wife Cecilia and settled in a home in South Dallas, according to Associated Press reports. It was a volatile relationship, with occasional separations. Then sometime around 2000 Ochoa became addicted to drugs, financing a crack habit with an illegal loan scheme, according to court records. One Sunday in August two years later, Ochoa went to church with his family. On the way home, he asked his wife for money to buy drugs. She gave in, and he bought a $10 rock of crack, according to court records. He went out back to smoke it, then walked into the bedroom and came back out with a 9mm handgun. He walked into the living room, where he systematically shot his wife, their 9-month-old daughter Anahi, his father-in-law Bartolo and his sisters-in-law Alma and Jackie. He then walked into the kitchen and shot his 7-year-old daughter Crystal four times. Only Alma survived. Afterward, Ochoa got in his wifes Toyota 4Runner and drove away. When police stopped and arrested him minutes later at a nearby shopping center, he told the officer where hed left the gun and gave a detailed written confession. He said he remembers it like a dream, his brother Gilbert told a Dallas-Fort Worth TV station the next day. He was doing that drug outside and then he went into the living room. When the case went to trial, his lawyers argued that hed committed the slayings in a cocaine-induced delirium, and that he had poor impulse control due to frontal lobe damage from drug use. Prosecutors argued that hed simply acted out of anger. After he was convicted and sent to death row, Ochoa filed appeals accusing his trial team of shoddy work. The defense investigator responsible for learning about Ochoas life and uncovering reasons to spare him didnt speak the same language as many of the witnesses she was supposed to interview, he argued to a federal court. The judge had only approved her appointment at the last minute, and the trial attorneys didnt ask for more time until it was too late. But a federal district court decided that it wasnt clear more investigating would substantially improve Ochoas chances of success, and a federal appeals court said Ochoas attorneys were simply seeking to turn over every stone when they asked for the time and money to get another investigator. No stones, in fact, have been turned over, because of the lack of funds, Ochoas lawyers wrote. Far from quality representation, Mr. Ochoa has only had counsel deprived of any means to effectuate his representation. The U.S. Supreme Court turned down Ochoas case in October 2019, but on Wednesday his attorneys tried again in the high court. This time, his legal team wrote that he wanted to send the parole board a video plea for clemency - but the prison system at first wouldnt let his lawyers film him without a court order. Reporters are often allowed to film interviews, and Ochoas lawyers took issue with the prisons initial reluctance to allow them the same access. After Ochoas death, seven more Texas executions already are on the calendar for 2020. This story is published in collaboration with The Marshall Project , a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. Sign up for their newsletters , or follow The Marshall Project on Facebook or Twitter . Russian President Vladimir Putin has received, in accordance with the established tradition, letters of credence from 23 new ambassadors in the Alexander Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace. The ceremony, which officially marks the start of their diplomatic activities in the Russian Federation, attended by the heads of diplomatic missions of 23 countries of Europe, Asia, Africa, America, and Australia. That included three from North Africa: Mohamed Sherif Kourta (People's Democratic Republic of Algeria), Lotfi Bouchaara (Kingdom of Morocco) and Tarak ben Salem (Republic of Tunisia). In his speech at the ceremony, Putin concisely underlined the key global challenges as follows: threat of terrorism growing, arms control system collapsing and global economy increasingly becoming unstable. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Putin took the opportunity, through the diplomatic representatives, to invite foreign leaders and delegations to attend celebrations marking the great event in Moscow. He then proceeded to address specific issues connecting individual countries with Russia. Russia has strong and friendly ties with Algeria. The presidential election held there late last year was a big step towards political and social reform in your country. We support Algeria's balanced policy in international and regional affairs. We see good possibilities for building up economic and military-technical cooperation and for coordinating efforts in the interests of stronger stability and security in North Africa and the Sahel-Saharan zone. I recently had a short conversation with your President in Berlin. I hope to see him in Russia soon, he told Algerian Ambassador, Mohamed Sherif Kourta during the ceremony. Putin further expressed high satisfaction with the present state of collaboration with Morocco, and added both Russia and Morocco have achieved decent results in mutual trade, agriculture, and deep-sea fisheries, but there are still opportunities for advanced Russian technologies and R&D results to reach the Moroccan market. With Ambassador Tarak ben Salem (Republic of Tunisia), Putin stressed: we are resolved to further strengthen bilateral cooperation with Tunis, which is among Russia's traditional partners in the Middle East and North Africa. We are ready to work together on current regional matters, including a settlement in Libya. The newly arrived ambassadors have important and serious diplomatic tasks: to promote the development of comprehensive relations, responsible for expanding political dialogue, make conscious efforts in strengthening trade and economic ties as well as deepening cultural exchanges and promoting people-to-people contacts, facilitate stronger friendship and mutual understanding between their countries and the Russian Federation. The National Weather Service in Birmingham has confirmed that at least two tornadoes struck Alabama early this morning. One of those proved deadly. The weather service on Thursday evening confirmed that an EF1 tornado struck Marengo County south of Demopolis with top winds of 105-110 mph. That tornado is blamed for one death and one injury. Our storm survey team has confirmed an EF1 tornado south of Demopolis from last night. Path length: 1.29 miles. Path width: 400 yards wide. Max winds: 105 to 110 mph. Fatalities: 1. Injuries: 1. This is in addition to the already confirmed tornado in Helena. #alwx NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) February 7, 2020 The tornado touched down at 2:13 a.m. about 3.5 miles southeast of Demopolis and was on the ground for 1.29 miles, according to the weather service. It was 400 yards wide at its widest point. It tracked northeast and caused damage near Starmont Land and Orchard Drive. Two homes had minor damage there. The worst damage was at the intersection of U.S. Highway 43 near County Road 54, the weather service said. Thats where the two manufactured homes were hit and two other homes were damaged. One of the mobile homes was destroyed. One person inside was killed and another was injured. The tornado went on to destroy a barn and topple many trees before lifting before French Creek, the weather service said. The other tornado that has been confirmed was an EF0 in Shelby County. The weather service sent out two storm survey teams today to assess damage and determine whether it was caused by tornadoes or straight-line winds. The weather service issued multiple tornado warnings overnight, and damage was reported in those two areas. The weather service said the worst storm damage appeared concentrated in a band from Marengo County northeast to Shelby County. One of the areas with damage is Helena in Shelby County. The survey team gave the tornado a rating of EF0 and said it had top winds of 75 mph, according to a preliminary report. A tornado path was identified in Shelby County from Southern Ln to the western area of Helena EF-0 though higher intensity may have occurred within inaccessible forested area. We'll revisit this pending our ability to gain access/visual. 2/2 pic.twitter.com/OK1Zv11X20 NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) February 6, 2020 It touched down just before 2 a.m. in a wooded area near Overlook Terrace and tracked northeast for 8.92 miles. It was 275 yards wide at its peak. The tornado damaged trees and several houses along its path and finally lifted just east of Appleford Road at 2:10 a.m., according to the weather service. The weather service added that surveyors couldnt access part of the tornado path so its EF0 rating was preliminary. There were no injuries with the storm. Heres a look at that storm on radar early this morning: Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 08:39 705 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062d5fef 1 Editorial coronavirus,Wuhan-coronavirus,China,economics,Global-Economy-Threats,global-economic-risk Free The global economy kicked off 2020 with a little more hope from the signing of a first-phase trade deal between the United States and China, the two worlds largest economies and whose trade feud has roiled countries worldwide. But weeks into the start of the year, the rapidly spreading 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak that began in Wuhan, China, has sent shockwaves throughout the world economy. The death toll has risen to 492 all but two in China and cases reported reached nearly 25,000 as of Wednesday. From mask hoarders to stock sell-offs, the instant reaction has been panic. Nearly US$400 billion was wiped off the benchmark Shanghai stock market, triggering Chinas central bank to announce a $173 billion injection to boost liquidity in the banking system and currency market. Stock markets, especially in Asia, saw red, including the Jakarta Composite Index, which lost nearly 6 percent from Jan. 17, with an around Rp 3 trillion ($219.14 million) net sell from foreign investors. Read also: Coronavirus can depress Indonesian economy by 0.29 percent: Minister Factories are closing in China and mutiple countries including Indonesia have issued travel warnings to and from the mainland. Economists are estimating that the coronavirus outbreak will slash 1 percentage point from Chinas economic growth, which at 6.1 percent in 2019 was already the lowest in almost three decades. The World Bank has estimated that every 1 percentage point of drop in Chinas growth will cut Indonesias growth by 0.3 percentage point. Southeast Asias largest economy expanded by 5.02 percent in 2019, the weakest in four years, Statistics Indonesia announced on Wednesday. Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto has said that Indonesias economic growth could lose 0.1 to 0.29 percentage points because of the new coronavirus. Uncertainties surrounding vaccines will continue to add downside risks to the global economy, which is facing challenges from climate change, US economic stagnation, public discontent around the world and conflicts in the Middle East. Economic reform is imminent for Indonesias survival through 2020. With trade under extreme pressure from global economic risks, the government will have to rely on investment, consumer spending and government spending. After all, the latest data shows that consumer spending contributes 56 percent to gross domestic product, followed by investment at 32 percent. Government spendings contribution, meanwhile, continued to decline to 8.75 percent in 2019. Read also: Indonesian tourism could lose US$4 million amid coronavirus outbreak: Wishnutama The omnibus bills can serve as avenues to boost investment, increase jobs and spur economic growth. However, consulting relevant stakeholders and public scrutiny must be ensured to achieve well-targeted policy-making. Beyond that, economic diversification, providing legal certainty for investors and cutting red tape to ease doing business needs to be prioritized. Opening up is key at uncertain times, and the last thing the government should do is restrict unnecessary economic activities. Therefore, vigilance is important in the handling of the new coronavirus, but over-restriction should be avoided. The recent temporary ban on travel and live animal trade with China is appreciated. But beyond that, especially limiting imports of processed foods, beverages and other products, would simply be a case of overreaction and will do more harm than good to the Indonesian economy. U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the White House Summit on Human Trafficking in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2020. REUTERS/Leah Millis Reuters Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah caught the White House and the rest of Washington by surprise when he announced Wednesday that he would vote to convict President Donald Trump of one of the two charges against him following a bitter impeachment trial. Within minutes of Romney's announcement speech on the Senate floor, the White House barred reporters from a scheduled Oval Office meeting between Trump and the Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. Romney also did several media interviews about his decision to convict Trump that emerged right after he made the announcement. The Los Angeles Times' Eli Stokols reported that the White House was not informed about any of the interviews before they were published. Romney's unexpected announcement shattered Trump's hope that the Republican Party would not break ranks in siding with him at his impeachment trial. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah caught the White House and the rest of Washington by surprise when he announced Wednesday that he would vote to convict President Donald Trump of one of the two charges against him following a bitter impeachment trial. The House of Representatives impeached Trump last month on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The two articles of impeachment related to the president's efforts to strong-arm Ukraine into delivering politically motivated investigations targeting his rivals. The Wall Street Journal's Michael C. Bender reported that the White House was caught off guard by Romney's announcement. Indeed, within minutes of his announcement speech on the Senate floor, the White House barred reporters from a scheduled Oval Office meeting between Trump and the Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. Romney also gave several media interviews about his decision to convict Trump that emerged right after he made the announcement. The Los Angeles Times' Eli Stokols reported that the White House was not informed of the interviews before they were published. Story continues "I think the case was made," Romney told The New York Times in an interview Wednesday morning. Romney also told the Atlantic staff writer McKay Coppins he prayed for guidance throughout the impeachment proceedings. "This has been the most difficult decision I have ever had to make in my life," Romney told Coppins. "I have gone through a process of very thorough analysis and searching, and I have prayed through this process. But I don't pretend that God told me what to do." The Utah senator didn't mince words when he announced he would vote to convict Trump of abuse of power on Wednesday. "Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath of office that I can imagine," he said. The Senate was scheduled to hold a final vote on whether to convict or acquit Trump beginning at 4 p.m. ET. Romney is the first Republican senator to break ranks with his party by deciding to convict the president. Read the original article on Business Insider (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Germany made post-war history on Feb. 5. In a total shock, one of the countrys 16 state parliaments elected a premier with votes that included members of a hard-right populist party, the Alternative for Germany (AfD). Worse, one of the AfD leaders in that state, Thuringia, is Bjoern Hoecke, considered to be on the partys extreme indeed proto-Fascist wing. Is Germany following the example Austria set decades ago and, 75 years after Adolf Hitler committed suicide in his bunker, normalizing the far right? Not so fast. The Thuringian surprise is a political quake that will reverberate across Germany, and potentially Europe. But it doesnt necessarily represent an accelerating shift to the right, and certainly not the beginning of a descent toward populist nationalism of the sort thats become de rigueur in Hungary and Poland. What took place in Thuringias parliament this week is worrying. But it was constitutionally above board and may yet turn out harmless. Thuringia is usually peripheral in Germany politics, and certainly unusual. Located in what used to be East Germany, it exemplifies that regions political direction since reunification in 1990. The two strongest parties in its parliament are the Left, which is descended from the Socialist Unity Party that once ruled East Germany, and the AfD. The centrist parties that governed West Germany after 1949 and then the reunited country are weak in Thuringia. It was widely assumed that Thuringias previous premier, Bodo Ramelow, would be reelected. He belongs to the Left, which is considered scandalous by Christian Democrats and other conservatives because of that partys connection to former communist dictators. But hes a pragmatic type, and personally popular. He couldnt cobble together a majority in parliament with the Social Democrats and Greens on the center-left, but it was assumed that enough other centrists would support him. They didnt get a chance. After a series of surprising maneuvers, a candidate from the pro-business Free Democrats, the smallest party in the chamber, got himself elected to the premiership in the third round of voting. Thomas Kemmerich won with 45 votes to Ramelows 44, which means he must have drawn support not only from his own party and Angela Merkels Christian Democrats but also from the AfD. Story continues The AfD, predictably, celebrated its coup. You cant ignore us any longer, was its message to the nation. Just as predictably, all the other mainstream parties cried foul: The Left, the Social Democrats and the Greens accused Kemmerich and his Thuringian clique of breaking postwar taboos and kindling political arson. Notably, so did the national leaders of the Christian Democrats, including Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the partys boss and presumed candidate to succeed Merkel as Germanys chancellor. She reprimanded the Thuringian branch of her party for playing with fire. All of this means Kemmerich and his Free Democrats in Erfurt, all five of them, wont be celebrating long. They dont have a stable majority, since they dont agree with the AfD on anything, and theyve already pledged that theyll never negotiate with extreme right-wingers. If Kemmerich plods along, his government will always be one vote of no-confidence away from collapse. One way or another, the likeliest outcome of this crisis is that Thuringia will have to call a new election before long. And this time the regions voters will have looked into the abyss, and will one hopes understand whats at stake. The politics of Thuringia resemble those of Germany and indeed all of Europe in becoming more fragmented and unstable. That doesnt make a rightward drift inevitable. Modern Germanys democracy is mature enough to weather this storm. To contact the author of this story: Andreas Kluth at akluth1@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Boxell at jboxell@bloomberg.net This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Andreas Kluth is a member of Bloomberg's editorial board. He was previously editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist. 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. San Antonio residents expressed their excitement on social media Wednesday as parts of the city experienced light snow. Though there wasn't much accumulation, that didn't stop many people from enjoying the snow flurries, making angels and mini snowmen before it melted away. To see the snow across the Alamo City, click through the gallery above. If you have snow pictures you want to share, send them to us at MySA@mysa.com 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 Former national security adviser John Bolton "refused" to submit a sworn affidavit "describing what he observed in terms of the president's Ukraine misconduct" to House Democrats after the Senate voted not to hear witnesses in President Trump's impeachment trial, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) told MSNBC on Wednesday. Driving the news: Nadler said Wednesday it is "likely" House Democrats will subpoena Bolton and continue investigations into Trump's hold on military aid to Ukraine. Schiff told "The Rachel Maddow Show" that no decision had been made to subpoena Bolton. What he's saying: ""For whatever reason, [Bolton] apparently was willing to testify before the Senate, but apart from that, seems intent on saving it for his book," Schiff told host Rachel Maddow. "He'll have to answer for that, but at this point we have not made a decision about whether or not to move forward with a subpoena, but it is certainly something that we will be discussing." Flashback: Bolton said Monday that he would testify in Trump's impeachment trial should the Senate issue a subpoena. The big picture: The Senate acquitted Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress on Wednesday, with nearly every Republican declining to pursue new information about Trump's Ukraine activities. Go deeper: Nadler says House Democrats will "likely" subpoena Bolton Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal Fresh off its release from federal monitoring of sexual assault and misconduct cases, the University of New Mexico and the Department of the Navy hosted a joint conference about changing the culture surrounding those issues. The all-day conference Thursday was held at a ballroom in UNMs student union, where hundreds of academics and servicemen and women gathered for speakers and panel discussions on sexual misconduct within their institutions, and ways to improve. Theres been a sea change of sorts in terms of societys understanding and acceptance of such harassment in recent years. And the keynote speaker pointed out that the conference at UNM was taking place simultaneously to the criminal trial against movie producer Harvey Weinstein, which in some ways is one of the biggest criminal cases to come out of the #MeToo movement, said Elizabeth Hillman, the president of Mills College and the keynote speaker. Hillman said among things institutions can do to decrease sexual misconduct include supporting the targets of such harassment and improving transparency and accountability by making people aware of the consequences for such behavior. We do know some of the things that help, she said.A determinant if an environment will have a lot of sexual harassment is the perception that sexual harassment will not be taken seriously. The Navy selected UNM as a place to hold discussions about the best ways to address sexual violence on college campuses and service academies because of the universitys reform efforts. UNM recently completed a yearslong reform effort in the wake of a Department of Justice investigation that found systemic problems in the universitys handling of sexual harassment and misconduct complaints. UNM also recently joined the Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education, a national effort to advance the best possible ways to address the issues. This is a matter we take very seriously at the University of New Mexico, UNM President Garnett Stokes said in her opening remarks. We have gone well above and beyond the recommendations and legal requirements of the (DOJ) agreement, making us, I believe, a role model for universities, colleges and service academies in taking on these challenges. She said that more than 37,000 students received in-person sexual misconduct awareness training over a three-year period. Thursdays event, titled A Regional Discussion on Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment at Americas Colleges, Universities on Service Academies, drew about 280 people. About half of them were military members and the rest were mainly academics from surrounding states, said Dan Jiron, a spokesman for the university. Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly, who attended, spoke of the need to support the victims. We have to saddle up to people like that. Regardless of the risk to yourself, to your career, to how you are perceived by your peers, he said. We have to saddle up to people who are hurting. Gas is back on the national agenda. A deal between the Prime Minister and NSW Premier asks the state to target production of an additional 70 petajoules of gas a year in return for $960 million in federal grants or loans to be matched by $1.01 billion in funding from the NSW government to upgrade interstate power transmission capacity. This is supposed to enable renewable energy investment. A coal seam gas construction site in the Pilliga Forest near Narrabri. Credit:Rob Homer Investing in renewables and the grid is good, but why is government subsidising gas? Santos has been seeking the right to extract coal seam gas from a site near Narrabri in Western NSW. The project is slated to produce coincidentally? 70 petajoules of gas a year. In announcing the deal, Scott Morrison claimed Narrabris gas was critical to increasing Australias energy supply, and that we needed the gas to lower domestic power prices and reduce emissions. Misconception about the right to Internet being a fundamental right needs to be cleared, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, emphasising that the country's security was equally important. Communications, Information Technology, Electronics and Law and Justice Minister Prasad during the Question Hour said communication of ideas and views through Internet are part of fundamental right to speech and expressions. "The Supreme Court...has clearly stated that no lawyer argued that right to Internet is a fundamental right...This kind of misconception needs to be corrected. What the Supreme Court has stated is that for communication of your ideas and views the use of Internet will also to be held a part of your fundamental right of speech and expression," Prasad said in reply to a query. Prasad said no one can deny abuse of Internet for spreading violence and terrorism, and Pakistan has been doing it in Kashmir and ISIS prospered because of Internet. "While right of Internet is important, security of the country is equally important.... Can we deny (that) Internet...is abused by terrorists...for violence and there have been attempts to create unrest in Kashmir from across the border through Internet," Prasad stressed. He emphasised that the Constitution which provides rights lays equal stress on its regulation, saying "Use Internet but you cannot create violence...and weaken unity, integrity and security of nation." In reply to a supplementary question by Leader of the Opposition in the Upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad, Prasad said that having been a former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir he had also been on the hit list of terrorists and was well aware of abuse of Internet. Whether it is a BJP government or a non-BJP government, Internet has been restricted on several times on account of its abuse and "what the Supreme Court has done is they have said temporary suspension of rules must be periodically reviewed", he said. He said a committee at the Centre comprising the Home Secretary, the Law Secretary and the IT Secretary reviews it periodically while there are committees in states too. Prasad said law and order is a state subject and decisions are taken based on ground situation which are reviewed periodically. "Once the Supreme Court itself has declared that the use of Internet to propagate one's views and ideas will be held to be fundamental rights...I will like to flag...this will also be subject to reasonable restrictions...for public order, for security and integrity of India," he said. On Jammu and Kashmir, he said he had recently visited Kashmir and on demand of apple growers at Sopore, which produces 300 varieties and sends out 450 trucks daily, had initiated the process of making it an e-mandi. "People in Kashmir are happy," he said and added voice, SMS and landline services have been restored in Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, while Broadband functional in Jammu division. "We have allowed it for white listed websites... there are 783 white-listed websites of government, banking, tourism, ecommerce, transportation, education," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 Trend: The delegation of Azerbaijans State Committee on Work with Diaspora, headed by Chairman Fuad Muradov, which is on a visit to Saudi Arabia, met with Supervisor General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (known as KSrelief) Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah Feb. 6, Trend reports referring to the state committee. Having noted that it is his first visit to Saudi Arabia, Muradov expressed satisfaction with the visit to the country and stressed that the relations founded by Azerbaijans national leader Heydar Aliyev and King of Saudi Arabia Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud have successfully developed thanks to the efforts of the heads of state of the two countries, President Ilham Aliyev and King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The meeting participants emphasized the high level of relations between Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia, expressed satisfaction with the development of ties in the field of economy, trade and tourism and noted the importance of strengthening cooperation in the humanitarian sphere. Having informed the Saudi side about the activities of the structure led by him, Muradov said that Azerbaijanis live in more than 50 countries of the world and easily integrate into local society. The committee chairman noted that various large-scale projects are being implemented for Azerbaijanis living abroad. Muradov also informed the opposite side about the activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the projects implemented by the Foundation in Azerbaijan and far beyond its borders, as well as about the international relations of the organization. It was noted that Azerbaijanis living in Saudi Arabia mainly work in the healthcare sector and contribute to the development of the country where they live. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah informed that the supreme leadership of Saudi Arabia attaches particular importance to relations with Azerbaijan, and is ready to discuss the proposals of the Azerbaijani side in connection with the current state and development of bilateral cooperation. Having informed the Azerbaijani delegation about the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah noted that the activities of the organization led by him cover different directions and the projects implemented by the Center serve to improve the well-being of not only Saudi Arabia, but the entire Muslim world. During the meeting, an exchange of views on the development of cooperation between the two countries took place, and specific proposals were put forward. 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: 6 February 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 25,774 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 1,544 pence 19.96 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 1,530 pence 19.78 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 1,540 pence 19.92 USD Ticker: PSHD Date of Purchase: 6 February 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 16,408 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 20.00 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 19.92 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 19.97 USD Trading Venue: Euronext Amsterdam Ticker: PSH Date of Purchase: 6 February 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 29,141 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 20.00 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 19.90 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 19.98 USD PSH will hold these Public Shares in Treasury. The net asset value per Public Share related to this buyback is 26.59 USD 20.13 GBP which was calculated as of 31 January 2020 (the "Relevant NAV"). After giving effect to the above buyback, PSH has 204,001,559 Public Shares outstanding, or 209,663,299 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 6,955,191 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/20200206005791/en/ Contacts: Media Contact Camarco Ed Gascoigne-Pees Hazel Stevenson +44 020 3757 4989, media-pershingsquareholdings@camarco.co.uk Tonia Ashikodi (pictured) allegedly lied to her town hall bosses in a bid to secure the home A Labour politician collected thousands of pounds in rent from three properties while living in a council house, a court heard. Tonia Ashikodi, 30, allegedly lied to her town hall bosses while applying to be a council tenant. But the Greenwich councillor owned three homes which she rented out to private tenants, jurors heard. Ashikodi declared she had no other property in 2008 when she signed her council tenancy agreement then allegedly repeated the lie four years later, Inner London Crown Court heard. The councillor, who was elected to the Glydon Ward for Labour after a by-election in 2016, still lives at the council home in Plumstead with her father, Tony Ashikodi, 50. She alone denies two counts of fraud by false representation and one count of perverting the course of justice. Ashikodi and her father deny perverting the course of justice by submitting a false document claiming she was only ever the legal owner, not the beneficiary of the properties. Robert Fitt, prosecuting, said: 'These were frauds by false representation because Ms Ashikodi told these lies to Royal Borough of Greenwich (RBG), knowing they were lies, in order to obtain a council house for herself without having to give up any of the three house she already owned. 'As you may well know, social housing is a scarce commodity in London. Waiting lists for social housing in London boroughs are very long - on the facts of this case alone you can see that it took three and a half years for RBG to find a suitable property to offer Ms Ashikodi. Ms Ashikodi has denied two counts of fraud at Inner London Crown Court (pictured) as she stands accused of living in a council house to which she is not entitled 'If RBG cannot find social housing for someone on the waiting list, the council may be obliged to pay for temporary accommodation for that person; putting them up in an hotel or hostel or something along those lines. The reality is that by obtaining a council house that she didn't really need, Ms Ashikodi has prevented someone in real need being offered the tenancy at 13B Robert Street.' RBG estimate a loss of 67,417.46 from keeping someone in temporary accommodation between June 2012 and July 2018. That does not include the subsidised council flat rent paid by Ms Ashikodi, or the significant amounts she received for her rental properties. Ashikodi still lives in her council flat at Robert Street, despite notice being served to repossess the property on 12 July 2018. The Labour councillor was first elected in May 2016 and re-elected to the Glyndon Ward in May 2018. Pictured: The tower block in which Ms Ashikodi has council flat in Plumstead as she accused of knowing 'full well' she is not entitled to the apartment Although Ms Ashikodi was most likely unaware, by the time she was re-elected the council were investigating her, said Mr Fitt. He said: 'On 17 May 2018, Ms Ashikodi approached RBG's Chief Executive, a lady called Debbie Warren. Ms Ashikodi told Ms Warren that she had heard from another councillor that RBG conducted checks at the Land Registry for all newly elected members and that Ms Ashikodi should therefore declare if she owned any properties within the borough. 'Ms Ashikodi went on to tell Debbie Warren that her father, the second defendant in this case, Mr Tony Ashikodi, had transferred two properties to her just three weeks before, so in late April 2018. Ms Ashikodi claimed that she had had no idea that her father had done this and had only discovered it shortly before she went to speak to Debbie Warren.' Land Registry documents show her father Tony Ashikodi, 50, transferred three properties to his daughter on 19 November 2007, over ten years before she claimed to Ms Warren. Pictured: The two properties in Thamesmead that Ms Ashikodi is allegedly renting out after lying to council bosses about her need for a council house Two of the properties are in Thamesmead and one is in Valiant House, overlooking the Valley, home of Charlton FC. Ashikodi received 850 a month in rent for the flat in Valiant House. 'That is quite a lot more than she was paying the council for Robert Street,' Mr Fitt told the court. Evidence shows Tonia Ashikodi knew that she owned those properties outright, a 2012 Land Registry form was even witnessed by solicitor Nicholas Hart. Ms Ashikodi studied a postgraduate law course at the BPP Law School in Waterloo in 2012, the court heard. The prosecution allege she 'knew full well' she was not entitled to a council house. The councillor is also allegedly renting out a property in Valiant House (pictured) which is located in Charlton The 'Trust Deed' document she showed to John Scarborough, RBG's Head of Legal Services, on 18 May 2019 was part of a 'cover up' involving her father, the court heard. The 'sham' document states that Ashikodi would hold properties as 'trustee for sale' for her father from 2007, but the properties were never sold. 'Ms Ashikodi told Ms Warren that she had had no idea that these properties were in her name and only found out about it in May 2018,' said Mr Fitt. 'So how could she have made an agreement with her father to hold the properties on trust for him in November 2007 if she knew nothing about it?' 'Ms Ashikodi now claims that she was only ever the legal owner of the properties and never held the beneficial interest. That is how she attempts now to avoid a conviction for fraud, by suggesting she was not dishonest when she filled out those forms in October 2008 and May 2012 because she was only the legal owner of the properties and held them on trust for her father.' RBG's unauthorised occupancy team leader Paula Clarkson told the court Ashikodi applied for housing while claiming she lived with her aunt in Glenalvon Way, Woolwich complaining of mould and overcrowding in the property. Ashikodi regularly Tweets photographs of herself at the Greenwich Islamic Centre, wearing a headscarf with the hashtag '#gicfamily'. Greenwhich Council state: 'Clearly, it is of paramount importance that Ms Ashikodi's fundamental legal rights to both respond to these charges and receive a fair hearing are respected. Therefore, the Council will not be making any further comment on the matter which will continue to be dealt with by the Chief Executive and Head of Legal Services.' Tonia Ashikodi, of Plumstead, denies two counts of fraud by false representation and one count of perverting the course of justice. Tony Ashikodi, also of Plumstead, denies perverting the course of justice. The trial continues. Ireland has paid a 5m penalty imposed by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for failing to fulfil environmental regulations at the Derrybrien wind farm in Co Galway. However, the State is still clocking up EU fines of 15,000 a day until an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the wind farm is carried out. The 5m fine was imposed by the ECJ last year for failing to conduct an EIA on the wind farm in the Slieve Aughty mountains. The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government confirmed the 5m was paid on January 24. The court said the breach was an issue of "indisputable seriousness", given it had originally found against Ireland back in 2008 for the absence of an EIA. Construction had started on the 70-turbine wind farm when a 2km-long landslide occurred in 2003, stripping large areas of forest and peat. Fish were killed and waterways polluted when an estimated half-a-million tonnes of peat and debris was displaced. The department said the court judgment "will be resolved when the Derrybrien wind farm is subjected to retrospective environmental impact assessment (otherwise known as substitute consent)". It said the ESB has committed to submitting the wind farm "through the statutory substitute consent process as soon as possible". Oliver Varhelyi attends his hearing before the European Parliament in Brussels By Robin Emmott and Michel Rose BRUSSELS/PARIS (Reuters) - France has welcomed the European Union's proposed changes to the way it admits new countries, which could smooth the path towards membership for Balkan countries after President Emmanuel Macron blocked accession talks. The EU's enlargement commissioner Oliver Varhelyi unveiled a new methodology for admitting new member states on Wednesday. The reforms were forced by Macron blocking the start of negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania - a decision EU chiefs described as a historic error - and demanding changes to the bloc's so-called enlargement process. The proposals would give existing EU members more powers to pause or reverse the process of admitting new nations, or even force countries to restart entry talks in some policy areas. "It's a step in the right direction," an Elysee official said in Paris. "There's a real change of methodology that is being proposed. It's an important and positive one." Asked if the reform was enough to dispel French objections, the official said Paris would consult with other EU countries in the spring before making a decision. In Brussels, Varhelyi stressed the EU still aimed to admit six Balkan countries into the bloc - North Macedonia and Albania, as well Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia. Serbia and Montenegro are the most advanced in their negotiations and could join the bloc later this decade. North Macedonia and Albania are next in line to open talks. The European Commission - the EU's executive body - needs to get France on board with the accession process before a Zagreb summit with the six Balkan states in May. 'MEMBERSHIP OFFERED TO REGION' Varhelyi said enlargement was "geo-strategic", a reference to a view that the EU cannot stem its waning global influence without stabilizing the Balkans. "We continue to have full enlargement as a goal," he told a news conference after publishing the European Commission reforms, which were reported by Reuters on Tuesday. Story continues "EU membership is offered to the entire region, including Kosovo." Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move not recognized by five of the EU's 27 member states. Macron's decision in October to block the process of admitting North Macedonia and Albania was backed by the Netherlands and Denmark. The French president argued that the enlargement process was "too bureaucratic" and "automatic" and should give existing member states more power to reverse the process if the situation in candidate countries deteriorated. The following month France, which says it supports accession for the Balkans nations in the long term, submitted a proposal for changes. One EU diplomat urged Paris to allow membership talks to move forward with North Macedonia and Albania. "The Commission has built a solid bridge for France. We are counting on Paris to walk over this bridge now," the diplomat told Reuters. (Reporting by Robin Emmott and Michel Rose; Editing by Marine Strauss and Pravin Char) A plane slid off the runway at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen International Airport on Wednesday killing three and wounding 179 people. The Pegasus Airlines plane, with 183 people on board, overran the runway while landing, caught fire and broke into three parts. The governor of Istanbul tweeted that the accident took place on Wednesday evening when the plane was returning from Turkey`s western city of Izmir. He told reporters that the plane could not grasp the runway because of bad weather conditions, and fell toward a road from a height of 30-40 meters. In a report by Xinhua news agency, the Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca informed that the wounded are being administered medical care. Live TV According to reports, there are people still trapped under the wreckage of the plane and the rescue operation is continuing. Also, there are reports of the presence of American and Chinese citizens among the passengers who were onboard the plane at the time of the accident. The airport was reportedly closed to air traffic until further notice. (With agency inputs) 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. Whats on TV BRIARPATCH 10 p.m. on USA Network. The thing about homicides, well, most of them are damn simple, a lawman says in the first episode of this new murder-mystery series. But every now and then, youll get one thats tricky. Like this one right here. Hes talking to Allegra Dill (Rosario Dawson), a powerful government staffer who has returned to her fictional, very surreal Texas hometown to investigate her sisters death. (The sister was blown up by a car bomb.) The killing is at the center of the series, but its heart may lie elsewhere: Andy Greenwald, a former TV critic who wrote the show (its based on the Ross Thomas novel of the same name), said in an interview with The New York Times last year that he was influenced by shows like Twin Peaks and Lost. They all had a community of characters who you wanted to spend time with and who youd get excited about whenever they appeared onscreen, he said. Who did it? is kind of the most boring question you can ask. It seems like the most important question, but its really just the engine that fuels the deeper dive into the weirder, richer emotional lives of the characters and the community. KATY KEENE 8 p.m. on the CW. The Archie Comics character Katy Keene ditches the fictional town of Riverdale for the stranger-than-fiction New York City in this new, fashion-forward musical series. A spinoff of Riverdale, the show reimagines Katy (Lucy Hale) and a few other Archie Comics characters as young New Yorkers chasing their dreams, which include Broadway stardom and fashion-business success. In May 2019, the US export ban against Huawei came into force, and the company's sales rose by 18 percent to 120 billion dollars in 2019. According to GlobalData, Huawei was able to realign its supply chain to minimize the impact of the U.S. sanctions. In addition, Huawei still generates the majority of its sales in China itself; in 2018, the figure was 52 percent. In Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Huawei generated 29 percent of its sales, compared to only 1 percent in the US. "Huawei sees Europe as a key market for the supply of G5 equipment. According to Catherine Chen, Huawei's senior vice president, Huawei has won 50 commercial 5G contracts worldwide to date, 28 of them with European network operators," said Kantipudi Pradeepthi, research analyst Telecoms Market Data & Intelligence for GlobalData. The US government had put pressure on the EU to persuade member states not to consider Huawei for the construction of their 5G networks. But EU countries feared that the costs would then increase by 62 billion dollars because Huawei was offering cheaper services than competitors such as Ericsson and Nokia. They also feared that the introduction of 5G technology would be delayed by 18 months. Now the EU states only want to keep Huawei away from the core of the network infrastructure. In Australia, Huawei is involved in the 4G network but not in the core infrastructure. Huawei's equipment will not be used by Vodafone Hutchison in Australia to build the 5G network and has switched to Nokia equipment. India, the second largest telecom market in the world, recently allowed Huwaei access to 5G trial projects. "Huawei could therefore soon fully regain its position in the global telecom market," says Kantipudi Pradeepthi, summarizing the results of his analysis. GlobalData predicts that the share of 5G subscribers in the Asia-Pacific region will rise to 21 percent by 2024. But even then 4G will still dominate. InterMiles, the leading loyalty & rewards programme and currency, is delighted to associate with Dineout as the official rewards partner for the 2020 edition of their Great Indian Restaurant Festival (GIRF). This is the second consecutive year that InterMiles and Dineout have joined hands to ensure diners gain the most value out of their culinary adventures. The August 2019 edition of GIRF proved to be an astounding success with nearly 4million diners served and a 3x rise in revenue for participating restaurants. Additionally, InterMiles witnessed a 76% rise in member activity on the dining platform during the last GIRF season. For the 5th GIRF season, InterMiles will be deepening their partnership with Dineout and will be rewarding one daily top spending member with 10,000 Miles and one top spender of the festival with 100,000 Miles apart from miles for every bill paid via Dineout Pay. Through various bonus offers and contests being run, InterMiles foresees a 1.5X increase in participation by members in the current GIRF season vis-a-vis the August 2019 edition. DineOut has been a longstanding InterMiles partner, with the association and bond strengthening year-on- year. The two brands have achieved numerous milestones and revamped the joy of dining out for their members. To take this further, along with this edition of GIRF, InterMiles has also introduced an option to pay for your dining using InterMiles across 18,000+ restaurants. Members can avail of this facility via Dineout Pay. Commenting on the association, Vikas Chandak, Senior Vice President - Strategic Business & Partnerships, InterMiles said, At InterMiles, curating value driven, hassle-free experiences for our members is of utmost importance. We have found a likeminded partner in Dineout and are thrilled to be part of GIRFs success story which helps us connect with our members joy of dining out. We have expanded our partnership with Dineout this year to also offer an option to redeem your InterMiles for your dining experiences across 18,000+ restaurants. Our refreshed association with Dineout is testament of our commitment towards creating enriching partnerships which have a deep value proposition for our members and we look forward to achieving new milestones together with GIRF and beyond. Commenting on the latest edition of GIRF, Ankit Mehrotra, CEO & Co-founder, Dineout said, GIRF over the years has gained unparalleled popularity among people of India. Celebrating the joy of dining out which is also our theme for this years GIRF, this edition will provide dining out experience in a true sense. This year consumers will enjoy heavy discounts across 10,000 restaurants in 20 cities of India. With credible partners like HDFC & InterMiles we are hopeful to add more happy diners and help them in providing a hassle-free experience InterMiles will be amplifying their partnership with GIRF through an integrated consumer campaign, Meals to Miles. The campaign which will be live for the duration of the GIRF season will, tap into the two highlight passion drivers for InterMiles members food & travel. Themed around millennials language Joy of Dining Out (JODO), the month-long celebration of food will kick-off from 31st January and will continue to entertain diners till 1st March. The 5th edition of GIRF will be even grander than its previous editions with more than 10,000 restaurants participating across 20 cities of India. Diners will be able to avail heavy discounts & deals on total bill, food bill, drinks bill, buffet and grab coupons across cities like - Agra, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Udaipur among others. They can also additionally avail 20% cashback on their restaurant bills using Dineout Pay. Along with exclusive cashback offers from HDFC Bank and Bonus InterMiles every day. After Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) voted to convict President Trump for abuse of power in the impeachment trial Wednesday, Republicans doubled down to rebuke the senator while Democrats rushed to his defense. What he's saying: "I am aware that there are people in my party and in my state who will strenuously disapprove of my decision, and in some quarters, I will be vehemently denounced," Romney said on the Senate floor Wednesday. "I am sure to hear abuse from the President and his supporters." Romney was already shunned from the CPAC 2020 conference for voting in favor of bringing additional evidence and witness testimony to Trump's impeachment trial. What Republicans are saying: President Trump tweeted early Thursday, "Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election. Read the Transcripts!" tweeted early Thursday, "Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election. Read the Transcripts!" Earlier Wednesday, the president tweeted a video that falsely accused Romney of being a "Democrat secret asset" who aimed to "infiltrate Trump's administration as Secretary of State." (Trump first tweeted the video in October.) GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel Romney's niece said Wednesday, "This is not the first time I have disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last. The bottom line is President Trump did nothing wrong, and the Republican Party is more united than ever behind him," Romney's niece said Wednesday, "This is not the first time I have disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last. The bottom line is President Trump did nothing wrong, and the Republican Party is more united than ever behind him," Donald Trump Jr. tweeted Wednesday, "Mitt Romney is forever bitter that he will never be POTUS. He was too weak to beat the Democrats then so hes joining them now. Hes now officially a member of the resistance & should be expelled from the @GOP." tweeted Wednesday, "Mitt Romney is forever bitter that he will never be POTUS. He was too weak to beat the Democrats then so hes joining them now. Hes now officially a member of the resistance & should be expelled from the @GOP." "The Utah Republican Party is pleased to see President Trump completely acquitted by the United States Senate. We appreciate the service rendered to our state by Utahs two senators. As a party, we strongly disagree with the vote cast today by Senator Romney." is pleased to see President Trump completely acquitted by the United States Senate. We appreciate the service rendered to our state by Utahs two senators. As a party, we strongly disagree with the vote cast today by Senator Romney." House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) tweeted Wednesday, "The Republican party is unified and President Trump will be acquitted. Mitt's flat wrong on this, and he doesnt represent the views of any Republican in Congress." (R-Calif.) tweeted Wednesday, "The Republican party is unified and President Trump will be acquitted. Mitt's flat wrong on this, and he doesnt represent the views of any Republican in Congress." White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said Wednesday, "The Senate voted to reject the baseless articles of impeachment, and only the Presidents political opponents all Democrats, and one failed Republican presidential candidate voted for the manufactured impeachment articles." said Wednesday, "The Senate voted to reject the baseless articles of impeachment, and only the Presidents political opponents all Democrats, and one failed Republican presidential candidate voted for the manufactured impeachment articles." Former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake tweeted, "I have long admired Mitt Romney, but never more than today. What an honorable man." What Democrats are saying: Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said it was "stirring" to hear Romney's words on the Senate floor and praised his courage to "speak truth to power" in an interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Wednesday. said it was "stirring" to hear Romney's words on the Senate floor and praised his courage to "speak truth to power" in an interview with MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Wednesday. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) retweeted MSNBC's Chris Hayes comment: "Romney will become the first US Senator in American history to vote to remove a president of his own party." (D-N.Y.) retweeted MSNBC's Chris Hayes comment: "Romney will become the first US Senator in American history to vote to remove a president of his own party." Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) tweeted Wednesday "Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath of office that I can imagine." I agree, @MittRomney. Voting to convict this president is an act of patriotism. Thank you for yours." (D-Mass.) tweeted Wednesday "Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath of office that I can imagine." I agree, @MittRomney. Voting to convict this president is an act of patriotism. Thank you for yours." Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) tweeted Wednesday"I sat silently across the chamber, listening to my friend give one of the most important speeches I have ever had the good fortune to hear in person. At a time when many wonder what honor is left in public life, there stands Mitt Romney." (D-Conn.) tweeted Wednesday"I sat silently across the chamber, listening to my friend give one of the most important speeches I have ever had the good fortune to hear in person. At a time when many wonder what honor is left in public life, there stands Mitt Romney." Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) tweeted Wednesday, "Thank you @MittRomney for rising to this moment, for choosing to vote your conscience, and for doing what you know in your heart to be right." (D-N.Y.) tweeted Wednesday, "Thank you @MittRomney for rising to this moment, for choosing to vote your conscience, and for doing what you know in your heart to be right." 2020 candidate Andrew Yang said at a CNN town hall Wednesday, "I just want to congratulate Sen. Mitt Romney for voting his conscience and character." Go deeper: Mitt Romney says he will vote to convict Trump in impeachment trial Editor's note: This article has been updated with Trump's comments. After the White House announced its twin trade triumphs, passage of NAFTA 2.0 and phase one of a multi-phase deal with China, readers emailed to suggest I should write a column on to quote two the "absolutely amazing trade deals" "only President Trump" could have done. Before I pass judgment on so humble a request, it might be prudent to hear what other actual global trade professionals have said about both deals. One of the most experienced pros is Robert Zoellick who, as U.S. Trade Representative under President George W. Bush, helped create todays giant Chinese market by prying the nation into the World Trade Organization. Later, he delivered several farmer-favoring trade deals with Central America and Southeast Asian countries. Zoellicks view of the China and NAFTA pacts is simple; he hates both. His reasons, outlined in a scorching, Jan. 22 Wall Street Journal op-ed, hinge on what the U.S gave away in the China deal and the added costs Americans will pay under the NAFTA update. "Historians," he wrote, "will puzzle over this turn of events: A Republican U.S. president endorses central planning for trade while a communist government in China cautions that international commerce must reflect market conditions." ADVERTISEMENT Upside down as that is, Zoellick continued to note that the U.S.-China pact is made worse because it "permits each side to use its own statistics, so China will likely meet some quotas by reclassifying U.S. exports to Hong Kong" while redirecting "commodity purchases fuels, food chemicals from U.S. producers to third countries." To ensure that even headline readers got his point, Zoellick titled his red-hot, NAFTA/China review "Trumps Pyrrhic Trade Victories." Other ag trade and finance pros saw the market impacts in similar terms. A week after the China deal was signed, a DTN column, excerpted by the University of Illinois farm policy news website, asked a China Agricultural University professor for his on-the-ground view. "It will take a long time for the two countries, as well as the world market, to re-establish a balance to facilitate the deal," he said. Thats a diplomatic way of saying, "Dont hold your breath." A "purchasing manager" for a Chinese soybean crusher told the same DTN writer that he expected little market push. "We already booked our positions all the way to June 2020 from Brazil. Buying more old-crop beans from the U.S. will mean importing U.S. beans in the Brazilian market season. This will flood the China market." So far, U.S. futures prices prove both views correct. Nearly two weeks after the president signed the China deal, both old and new crop soybean futures prices were 40- to 50-cents per bushel lower. Pork futures, the other predicted beneficiary of the deal, were as flat as an Illinois interstate. In fact, most soybean futures contracts stumbled to a 13-cents per bushel loss the day the president signed the China pact, Jan. 15. ADVERTISEMENT Six days later, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue told the American Farm Bureau Federation convention that a third "tranche" of direct farm payments this one an estimated $3 billion to $3.5 billion will be sent to farmers as the final part of the White Houses 2019 tariff mitigation effort curiously named the Market Facilitation Program, or MFP. In the same speech, however, Perdue warned farmers that neither he nor the president saw a need to continue MFP in 2020. The reason, he offered by slyly turning the farmers own catchphrase on the farmers themselves " you want trade, not aid, and were going to get our trade." Well, "good luck on that" seems to be the clear consensus on both deals among trade negotiators, trade analysts, and actual commodity traders. And my view? Its an election year; start pushing for another MFP. Fast. Press Release February 6, 2020 GORDON ON VFA ABROGATION: FOREIGN POLICY MUST BE BASED ON NATION'S NEEDS; NATIONAL SECURITY 'ULTIMATELY MATTERS' As the Senate probes on the abrogation of the Philippines' Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States, Senator Richard J. Gordon stressed that the country's foreign policy must be dictated by the nation's needs and pointed out that national security is what "ultimately matters." "Is it a national interest to abolish the VFA at this point in time? Hindi naman tayo nakikipag-agreement dahil gusto natin pero dahil kailangan natin. Kung hindi natin kailangan, huwag tayong makipag-agree. But we have to be on our own, he said." Gordon underscored the importance of the VFA and said that the military "will be all air and no force, and all coast and no guard" if the agreement will be abolished. "The people must know that our military has been bereft--leaving us dependent on our relationships with other countries. Strengthen the military, enrich the country. We have to look at the interest of our nations," he said. Gordon also pointed out that more equipment from other countries could have been bought when the US military was still in the country, which could have strengthened the armed forces' capabilities. "If we were beefing up our military when the US military was there, then we would have been able to have a more interdependent foreign policy," he explained. The VFA between the Philippines and the U.S. was established in 1999 upon ratification by the Senate of the Philippines. The agreement allows defense forces cooperation between the two nations and permits the U.S. military to participate in the training programs of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Since the creation of the VFA, the US has been providing military support to the Philippines in countering threats such as terrorism, and assisting on the country's internal security operations. Bohol (CNN Philippines, February 6) Authorities in Bohol have started tracing all people who came in contact with the woman who became the Philippines' third confirmed case of novel coronavirus. Dr. Cezar Tomas Lopez, spokesperson of the anti-nCoV technical working group (TWG) of the Bohol provincial government, on Thursday appealed to the public to cooperate if they came in contact with the infected 60-year-old woman, a Chinese national from Wuhan, China. The Chinese national arrived in Cebu City via Hong Kong on January 20. She and her four companions took an Ocean Jet ferry boat to Tagbilaran in Bohol on the same day at 5:40 p.m. Lopez said there are a total of four persons under investigation (PUI) in Bohol. New patients are two American nationals who came from Beijing then traveled to Palawan and Bohol. They are confined at the Celestino Gallares Hospital, the regional hospital in Bohol. The other PUIs are a 31-year-old Chinese woman and a Boholana nurse, who are confined in separate private hospitals. Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said they are also conducting contact-tracing on the 60-year-old woman's flight from China going to the Philippines. Airline company Cebu Pacific said it has already reached out to the crew members of the flight that she boarded going to Cebu. DOH in Region 7 also said it has begun checking on the staff of the hotel and hospital where the woman stayed. The Philippine National Police's Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) has been ordered to help the Health Department track down those who came in contact with coronavirus-infected persons. CNN Philippines stringer Dave Albarado contributed to this report. OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- If youre an Ocean Springs resident attending one of the citys two upcoming Mardi Gras parades and you catch some beads from the City float carrying aldermen and others, hang on to them -- you probably paid for them. Aldermen voted unanimously Tuesday night to use $1500 from the City budget to purchase the beads for use in Saturdays Ocean Springs Elks parade and the Ocean Springs Carnival Association night parade two weeks later. During Tuesday nights discussion, alderman Bobby Cox pointed out that last year there were 10 people expected to ride the City float, but ultimately only four did. City Clerk Patty Gaston said last year those riding the City float were required to purchase their own beads, which may have led to some people opting not to ride. If its only going to be a few people, it isnt worth doing, said Mayor Shea Dobson. Gaston said the first spots on the float were reserved for the aldermen, with others invited after that. Aldermen Joey Bellman and John Gill were the only ones heard to say Tuesday night they were interested in riding. She also said chamber of commerce director Cynthia Sutton suggested chamber officials ride along with those from the City. Dobson said he thought riding in the Elks parade was cutting it too close, but it was left to Gaston to determine if they could put a float in Saturdays parade. Surprisingly, given the Citys financial struggles of recent years, no one questioned the wisdom of spending tax dollars on Mardi Gras beads, with Gaston and aldermen only noting that the money was in the budget. Alderman Rob Blackman asked if a motion to approve the expenditure could be contingent upon a certain number of riders, but ultimately he simply made a motion to approve the bead purchase. If it happens, it happens. If it doesnt, it doesnt, Blackman said. Even after agreeing to spend the $1500, Cox said that likely wouldnt be enough, suggesting those riding the City float would still have to purchase some on their own. Huawei plans to keep its crippled smartphone business afloat with Android bloatware, new reports indicate. The move seeks to remedy the unenviable position wherein Huawei found itself last year. Huaweis said to have presented that bold plan to its Eastern European partners earlier this week. The companys Western ambitions have been declining ever since the U.S. forbade Google from licensing its proprietary Android tech to Huawei. Consumers outside of China, where Google Mobile Services are largely unavailable, consider apps like Play Store inseparable from Android itself. The firm has now drafted a robust software plan to alleviate the effects of those limitations. In essence, Huawei plans to pre-load its future Android devices with a much wider variety of third-party apps. The idea is to minimize the immediate consumer need for Play Store and other Google solutions. Advertisement More specifically, the Shenzen-based giant is planning to pre-install around 70 third-party Android apps on its devices. The exact list will depend on the market as the firm is understandably looking at most popular mobile software in every region. Besides obvious picks such as WhatsApp and Snapchat, Huawei is reportedly also planning to launch third-party alternatives to Google mobile apps. Improving its smartphone ecosystems autonomy is the main goal of that initiative, as well. Naturally, many are already arguing the reported move reeks of desperation. The side effect of the approach is that more users will find their new Huawei handsets packed with what they consider bloatware. Be that as it may, Huawei appears to be choosing the lesser of two bad options here. Advertisement Bloatware or not, Googles the only sure loser here Regarding the alternative to the heart and soul of Google Mobile Services, the firms plans remain unchanged from 2019. In other words, it will unsurprisingly double down on Huawei AppGallery as the central software piece of its mobile portfolio. New Huawei-made Google app substitutes are also on the way. The next such service, Huawei Video, will roll out globally next month. Given how entrenched Googles mobile apps are, some will surely see those upcoming solutions as another example of added Android bloatware. The strategy in question will officially debut with the next wave of Huaweis handsets, insiders claim. It will encompass no fewer than eight Android devices, all planned for release by mid-2020. The high-end P40 lineup will almost certainly be included in the effort, as well. Advertisement Huaweis current predicament was far from unexpected given its long history of issues with U.S. regulators. However, the widely publicized standoff has now lasted long enough that far-reaching consequences are inevitable. For example, its unlikely Huawei would joyously embrace Google apps once again regardless of what happens from here on out. After massive investments in mobile app autonomy, the conglomerate would likely continue treading this path even if the U.S. lifted its ban momentarily. Its officials said as much on numerous occasions since early 2019. As its still the second-largest smartphone maker on the planet, Huaweis U.S. troubles will unquestionably weaken Googles grip of the global mobile market. At least eight Iraqi protesters have been killed in clashes after supporters of influential Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr stormed an anti-government protest camp in the southern city of Najaf, medial officials and activists say. Medical officials said at least 52 others were injured in the unrest on February 5. The fighting marked the deadliest clash yet in the escalating tensions between Sadr, a radical cleric-turned-politician, and the largely leaderless rallies that have demanded the resignation of what they term government "elites." The populist Sadr initially backed the demonstrations but split with them over the past few days, endorsing Muhammad Tawfiq Allawi, who has been designated the country's prime minister. Iraqi President Barham Salih on February 1 appointed Allawi in hopes of ending more than two months of political deadlock. Allawi will run the country until early elections are held. He has a month to form a new government. In November, Adil Abdul-Mahdi resigned as prime minister amid the protests over corruption, falling living standards, and foreign influence in the country, particularly by Iran but also the United States. Nearly 500 protesters have been killed in a deadly crackdown by security forces. In the latest clash between the rival groups, security sources told AFP that supporters of Sadr -- known as "Blue Hats" for the caps they often wear -- had attempted to clear the area of anti-government protesters when fighting broke out. Sadr later appeared to attempt to calm his supporters, saying, "The 'Blue Hats' have a duty to peacefully secure schools and service centers, not to defend me or suppress the voices that chant against me." Allawi condemned the violence and in a Twitter posting called on the country's caretaker cabinet to "protect protesters." Sadr has said he opposes all foreign interference in Iraq, but he has aligned himself more closely with parties backed by Tehran in recent months. He has backed Allawi's candidacy in an agreement with Iranian-backed parties that dominate Iraq's government and state institutions. With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa Bombay High Court on Thursday granted bail to former media baron Peter Mukerjea in connection with Sheena Bora murder case. The High Court, however, stayed the order for a period of six weeks on the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) request so that it can file an appeal in the Supreme Court in the matter. Justice Nitin Sambre granted bail to Mukerjea on a surety of Rs 2 lakh. Peter Mukerjea is accused of murdering his daughter Sheena Bora over a financial dispute in 2012. The crime came to the fore three years later, in 2015, for which he was charged for conspiracy. Mukerjea's wife Indrani is the prime accused in the case and is currently lodged in Mumbai's Byculla jail. The trial, in this case, is underway at the special CBI court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The former prison tailor who helped two convicted killers break out of a maximum-security New York prison in a Shawshank Redemption-style escape was released this morning. Joyce Mitchell, 55, served time at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for helping Richard Matt and David Sweat escape the state prison in Dannemora in June 2015. She admitted to providing the digging tools the inmates used to chisel through walls and pipes before going on the lam. The brazen prison break was followed by an intense manhunt that captivated the nation. Former prison tailor Joyce Mitchell, 55 (pictured in court in 2015), was released from prison Thursday after serving more than four years for helping two inmates escape Mitchell admitted to providing digging tools to inmates David Sweat (left) and Richard Matt (right), allowing them to escape The brazen prison break from the maximum-security Clinton Correction Facility in Dannemora, New York, was followed by an intense 23-day manhunt After 23 days on the run, Matt was shot dead and Sweat was captured and put behind bars for life. The search for the two escapees cost the state more than $23 million. The escapade inspired the critically-acclaimed 2018 Showtime miniseries, Escape at Dannemora, with Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette playing the part of Mitchell. Mitchell was sentenced in September 2015 to 2 1/3 to seven years and was denied parole three times, most recently last June. 'If I could take it all back, I would,' Mitchell said during her sentencing. Mitchell is pictured with her husband, Lyle, and their son. She has denied having sex with Matt and Sweat in prison Mitchell, who was married with a son, has been accused of having sex with both inmates - an allegation which she has vehemently denied. During interviews with investigators, however, she did admit to performing oral sex on Matt out of fear, and sending nude photos of herself to Sweat. According to court records, the prison seamstress said she had agreed to help Matt and Sweat because she believed she was 'caught up in the fantasy,' enjoyed the attention from the inmates and the thought of a different life. In jailhouse interviews with the New York Post after the release of the seven-part miniseries, directed by Ben Stiller, Mitchell argued that she helped the inmates dig their way out of the prison out of fear, not because she was in love with them, or because she was in a consensual sexual relationship with either man, contrary to her portrayal in Escape at Dannemora. 'I never had sex with them,' Mitchell said of Matt and Sweat in December 2018. 'Ben Stiller is a son-of-a-b**** liar just like the rest of the world. He doesnt care about the truth. All he cares about is making millions off me.' Sweat was captured (pictured) two days after Matt was shot dead by police while on the run Oscar winner Patricia Arquette portrayed Joyce Mitchell in the Showtime miniseries Escape at Dannemora Clinton County Sheriff David Favro previously said Mitchell should serve a full seven years. 'With the egregiousness of her actions, and the jeopardy she put our society in as a whole, it is a mockery of our system to let her out after a couple of years,' Favro told the Plattsburgh Press-Republican. Mitchell was approved for conditional release on February 8 after a prison staff committee determined she had earned time off for good behavior. The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision said Mitchells release date is on Saturday, but she was freed on Thursday so she can meet the requirement of reporting to a parole officer within 24 hours. Watch Escape at Dannemora, the series based on the true events, on Showtime or on Stan in Australia. The cable news networks loved it because they love a show but there was no real drama. Americans knew for months how this would turn out. They knew Democrats didnt have the votes in the Senate. It was all about targeting select Republican senators in the next elections. Despite climate concerns and environmentalist backlash against exploration for oil and gas in pristine sensitive regions of the Arctic, companies continue to explore for hydrocarbon resources in the Arctic Circle, in Russia and Norway in particular. The largest Russian energy companies are looking to explore more Arctic oil and gas resources on and offshore Russia, while Norwegian and other Western oil firms are digging exploration wells in Norways Barents Sea. Those companies lead the development efforts to tap more Arctic oil and gas resources as legacy oil and gas fields both offshore Norway and onshore Russia mature. Russias biggest energy firms Gazprom, Rosneft, Novatek, and Lukoil, and Norways oil and gas giant Equinor, as well as Aker BP and ConocoPhillips, are the top oil and gas producers in the Artic region, data and analytics company GlobalData said in a new report. Gazprom is the undisputed leader in Arctic oil and gas production, followed, at a long distance, by two other Russian firms, Rosneft and Novatek, GlobalDatas estimates show. Russian firms are ramping up exploration in Russias Arctic, while Equinor and other Western companies drill exploration wells in Norways Barents Sea, hoping for a significant discovery that could add to the Johan Castberg oilfielda massive discovery which was made in 2011, but which hasnt been replicated in the Barents Sea so far. Yet, both Russia and Norway face specific challenges in getting the most out of their respective Arctic oil and gas resources. Related: The Jet Fuel Crack Killing Oil Wont Last In Russia, the government has made Arctic oil and gas development a key priority and offers tax breaks for firms exploring in the area. Energy giants Gazprom and Rosneft dominate the exploration and development efforts in Russias Arctic. Offshore, Gazproms Prirazlomnoye field is currently the only producing Russian oil and gas project on the Arctic Shelf. But even with tax breaks, Russia may find it hard to develop its offshore Arctic resources, due to the U.S. sanctions banning collaboration on Russian deepwater, Arctic offshore, or shale projects with Gazprom, Gazprom Neft, Lukoil, Surgutneftegas, and Rosneft. These are the largest energy firms in Russia and they dont have access to capital at western banks to develop such projects. In the wake of the sanctions, many Western oil firms withdrew from joint ventures with Russian companies, which are now left without partnerships in technology needed to explore, drill, and potentially produce and process hard-to-extract oil and gas resources. Although Russian firms downplay the effects of the U.S. sanctions on their development plans, and although domestic companies are focused on developing in-house technology solutions to replace foreign-sourced tech, analysts believe that 100-percent local content technology in challenging projects would likely take years to implement. Financing for large onshore projects in the Arctic is not easy either. Rosneft, which wants to develop the Vostok Oil project, to implement a complex development program for a new oil and gas province in the north of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, is looking east to gather funding for the US$157 billion projectto Japan, India, and China. Russias largest private natural gas producer, Novatek, is one of the success stories of Arctic resource development. Novatekwhich already exports liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Yamal LNG plantgave last year the go-ahead to its second LNG project, Arctic LNG 2 on the Gydan Peninsula. Novateks partners in the ventures are Frances Total with a minority stake as well as Chinese and Japanese companies. Related: Brace For A Global Crisis In 2020 Last year, Russian officials said that the Arctic area could become the key driver of Russias natural gas production in less than two decades, as it has the potential to produce 90 percent of all the gas produced in Russia by 2035. Norways Arctic areas open to exploration are parts of the Barents Sea, where companies are struggling to finally make a large-size discovery after Johan Castberg. Norwegian authorities say that the Barents Sea holds 64 percent of the yet to be discovered resources on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, while the North Sea and the Norwegian Sea each are estimated to hold 18 percent of the undiscovered resources. Last year, just five wells were drilled in the Barents Sea, fewer than in 2018. In 2019, a total of 17 new discoveries were made offshore Norway, of which only one was in the Barents Sea. Norways Equinor says that it continues to explore in the Barents Sea because more oil will be needed in the world just to maintain supplies. Discoveries in the Barents Sea can lead to significant economic development, nationally and locally. Based on our understanding of the geology, we hope to find high quality light oil thats in demandand better for the climate. The wells we drill in the Barents Sea are cheaper than many others, thanks to the geology and shallower waters, says the Norwegian giant. In 2020, Equinor will focus on exploration in the western part of the Barents Sea, Tim Dodson, Executive Vice President, Exploration at Equinor, told Reuters in November. Norway and Russia are leading Arctic oil and gas development, but they both face challenges in making the Arctic the next oil hotspot. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: These should be humbling times for the Transamerica Pyramid. This week it ceases to be our citys tallest building. Top honors instead will go to the still-ascending Salesforce Tower. But in architecture, size goes only so far. And when the construction dust settles, dont be surprised if the 853-foot eccentricity that debuted in 1972 is still the tower that comes to mind when people think of San Francisco. Its the symbol of the global metropolis that emerged here after World War II, a corporate attention-getter that lives up to branded hype. The visual shorthand for filmmakers and postcard peddlers who want to make their (literal) point. The embodiment of San Franciscos tension between old and new, cutting-edge and quaint, flamboyant and matter-of-fact. None of this will change once the Salesforce Tower at First and Mission streets passes the 853-foot mark, as the buildings concrete shaft is scheduled to do Friday. The eventual height will be 1,070 feet, with a completion date of next summer. After all, if statistics alone mattered, then the 7-mile-long San Mateo Bridge would be the structural symbol of the region not the Golden Gate Bridge that by comparison stretches a mere 1.7 miles. For that matter, the Transamerica Pyramid as of today is only the 40th tallest building in the United States. But just as the Golden Gate Bridge stirs emotions that have nothing to do with transportation, the Transamerica Pyramid, designed by architect William Pereira, instantly says, You Are Here. Examples? Its the one recognizable peak on the skyline of 23rd century San Francisco in 2009s reboot of Star Trek. Two years later it starred on an Occupy SF leaflet calling for a Financial District protest. When holiday cards go on sale next month, its sure to be the centerpiece image of at least one or two. The 48-story stiletto also remains the registered trademark of the company that built it even though Transamerica no longer has any employees in San Francisco. Our logo is inseparable from the (original) building, said Gregory Tucker, head of public affairs for Transamerica. He works at the companys headquarters in Baltimore a flat-topped high-rise that is crowned by that branded image of the tower out west. I lived in Europe seven years and I can tell you, its one of those icons that is instantly recognizable. This symbolic shorthand is all the more remarkable because the Pyramid began life as a lightning rod. It attracted the fury of residents and onlookers across the country, all of them afraid that San Francisco was changing and changing for the worse. The design was unveiled with fanfare in January 1969, with Mayor Joseph Alioto beaming alongside Transamerica officials. The Chronicles front-page story the next day proclaimed the design to be so unusual it might have drawn a wink or a gasp from the Sphinx. The gasps instead came from almost everyone else. Neighbors filed lawsuits at a time when such tactics were rare. One protest featured marchers wearing dunce caps. When the Bay Guardian weekly in 1971 published The Ultimate Highrise, a book-length diatribe in support of a ballot initiative to place a six-story height limit on new buildings , the coverimage portrayed an ominous-looking caricature of the Pyramid under construction. After it opened, though, most dissenters shrugged and then smiled. A favorable 1976 review in the New York Times asked, What was all the fuss about? The reason that the Transamerica Pyramid has such power is that its an unforgettable (whether good or bad) high-rise in an unforgettable setting. The diagonal lines slide up from diagonal Columbus Avenue, which rolls toward Aquatic Park, shattering the street grid as surely as Pereira shattered downtowns vertical maze of boxy office towers. 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 Pyramid also becomes the hinge between the large-scale Financial District and the low-slung neighborhoods to the north. You get a full-frontal view from North Beach and Telegraph Hill districts that for many regional residents and visitors remain the cultural heart of the City. Sit in a Columbus Avenue cafe sipping cappuccino, or step out the door of City Lights, and the Pyramid stands serenely above the clutter of overhead wires and sidewalk fuss. Front and center. Nothing else comes close. Salesforce Tower, no matter how elegant the proportions or details, will always be part of the crowd. An extrapolation of height amid other towers, clad in a paneled suit of metal and glass like all the other recent buildings around it. And its in a part of town thats virgin terrain for most people, rather than a fondly remembered landscape of the past. This doesnt mean the tapered obelisk, designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, is inferior to Pereiras once-scorned concoction. Time will render the verdict. But the buildings that resonate with the general public do so for reasons beyond architecture. The Pyramid is the Pyramid and no matter how many tape-measure contenders crowd the skyline south of Market Street, Im betting that will always be the case. John King is The San Francisco Chronicles urban design critic. Email: jking@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @johnkingsfchron The European Intellectual Property Helpdesk: ready to answer your IP-related questions Q: You mentioned the European IP Helpdesk is an initiative of the European Commission. When did it start? A: Indeed, the European IP Helpdesk is a service initiative of the European Commission, managed by the Commission's Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME). It receives policy guidance from the Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG Grow). The initiative was launched in 1998. The Commission periodically grants contracts to consortia of partners applying to run the service. The current team behind the European IP Helpdesk started in January 2019 and its contract will run until the end of 2021. Q: Can you tell us more about the team now running the European IP Helpdesk? A: The current consortium consists of four partners: EURICE GmbH, the University of Alicante, TUM-Tech GmbH and the University of Navarra. EURICE provides support for participants in European framework programmes for research and innovation, while TUM-Tech administers access to university and research institution technologies. The university partners both have outstanding IP experts and, in addition, provide IT infrastructure. More information about the partners and their expertise can be found Each team member provides different expertise and know-how. That makes our team very diverse: it comprises IT developers, web specialists, legal experts, communication managers and graphic designers. In addition to our core team, we collaborate with a number of external IP experts from various fields and backgrounds to address IP issues in specific sectors and business areas, especially for training activities. Q: What other services do you offer? A: We have quite a lot going on! For instance, we run a library where our users can find a wide array of different publications to educate themselves on various IP issues. We regularly organize webinars on issues such as licensing, technology transfer or introductions to various IP rights and how they affect businesses. We developed an EU-wide The last thing that is worth pointing out is that the European IP Helpdesk has A: Indeed, the European IP Helpdesk is a service initiative of the European Commission, managed by the Commission's Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME). It receives policy guidance from the Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG Grow).The initiative was launched in 1998. The Commission periodically grants contracts to consortia of partners applying to run the service. The current team behind the European IP Helpdesk started in January 2019 and its contract will run until the end of 2021.A: The current consortium consists of four partners: EURICE GmbH, the University of Alicante, TUM-Tech GmbH and the University of Navarra.EURICE provides support for participants in European framework programmes for research and innovation, while TUM-Tech administers access to university and research institution technologies. The university partners both have outstanding IP experts and, in addition, provide IT infrastructure. More information about the partners and their expertise can be found here Each team member provides different expertise and know-how. That makes our team very diverse: it comprises IT developers, web specialists, legal experts, communication managers and graphic designers. In addition to our core team, we collaborate with a number of external IP experts from various fields and backgrounds to address IP issues in specific sectors and business areas, especially for training activities.A: We have quite a lot going on! For instance, we run awhere our users can find a wide array of different publications to educate themselves on various IP issues. We regularly organizeon issues such as licensing, technology transfer or introductions to various IP rights and how they affect businesses. We developed an EU-wide training scheme , which attracts more than 4 300 participants per year. Research teams or companies can also request tailored workshops at their site.The last thing that is worth pointing out is that the European IP Helpdesk has local ambassadors in almost all EU Member States thanks to a specific collaboration scheme with the Enterprise Europe Network . SMEs can reach out to these ambassadors for advice in their own language, or if they want to discuss some Member State specific issues. So we do what we can to support European innovators on all levels! Not all IPKat readers may be aware of the. By registering aon its website, users can get in touch with a Helpline team to get assistance with their individual IP questions.To help bring the European IP Helpdesks services to the attention of readers and potential users, I conducted a brief interview with Ms Stephanie Weber, the Helpdesk's Communication Manager. Big thanks to Stephanie for taking the time to answer my questionsA: The European IP Helpdesk is an initiative of the European Commission and provides free-of-charge, first-line support on any IP-related issue to help potential and current participants in EU-funded projects, as well as European Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to manage their IP assets. We seek to contribute to the management, dissemination and valorisation of innovative technologies by supporting those developing them, particularly internationally operating SME's and research partners.To this end, we offer a broad range of information materials, on-site and online training events and a Helpline. The main goal is to support IP capacity building throughout the innovation process: from awareness of IP, to strategic use and application of IP, to successful application.A: The scope of potential questions is very broad. We receive many queries from partners in EU-funded, collaborative research projects, for instance those falling within the ambit of Horizon 2020 . They have questions relating to issues such as joint ownership of IP arising from research results, rights of access to existing IP, or uncertainties linked to IP exploitation, which we help them to address. The answers we provide are general and geared towards a first orientation: we do not provide advice on IP strategies in individual cases. Other questions relate to the management of IP portfolios, IP rights in general and different types of IP protection available in Europe.In addition, we regularly receive questions from SMEs that face potential IP issues. For instance, we were contacted by a SME that produces wooden toys and wanted to develop a new line of games based on existing contemporary art works. The European IP Helpdesk advised the SME on the relevant legal framework and general strategies to avoid liability, such as using works that are in the public domain. We suggested engaging an IP lawyer to perform the necessary rights clearance. In another case, a SME was asked by a large multinational company to join a Horizon 2020 project as a subcontractor, and it had questions about its rights and possibilities to keep its know-how confidential. We highlighted best practices for these types of collaborations, such as use of contractual Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), and the rights that subcontractors can derive from the grant conditions of Horizon 2020 projects. In both cases, we were able to help the SME better understand the legal situation it was facing as a starting point for making its business plans or seeking specialist advice.A: Up to a point, yes. The European IP Helpdesks services are all free of charge, but it is important to keep in mind that we only offer first-line assistance. That means we provide orientation to individuals, companies and research partners seeking to understand the IP system and the possibilities it offers, and we can give high-level support on how to tackle certain IP issues.We do not, however, provide in-depth, legally binding advice of the type clients typically receive at specialized law firms. Where users are in need of more comprehensive advice or legal representation, we generally advise them to seek professional legal counsel. Medical journal urges 'state intervention' to override parents opposed to transing their kids Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A group of doctors and surgeons authored an article in a prominent medical journal advising practitioners of transgender medicalization on how to override parents who disagree with their children who self-identify as transgender. The article, "Medically Assisted Gender Affirmation: When Children and Parents Disagree was published in the Journal of Medical Ethics of the British Medical Journal and authored by Dr. Samuel Dubin, a plastic surgeon from the University of Michigan, along with several colleagues. First published on Dec 31, the article discusses the subject of parent-child discord and gives priority to "the developing autonomy of transgender youth in the decision-making process" as it relates to medicalized gender-transition. Parents who object to transgender medical experimentation when their children seek to transition are portrayed as guilty of neglect. Neglect, as a medico-legal term, can be used to initiate an evaluation by Child Protective Services and remove a parent as a childs legal guardian in the most severe instances, the authors write, stressing that the experimental medicine lowers depression and other high-risk behaviors in transgender-identifying youth. We conclude that situations where a parent prevents a minor from receiving treatments related to gender dysphoria violate the Harm Principle and justify state intervention, Dubin and his colleagues said. Such government intervention is already occurring. In 2018, Judge Sylvia Hendon in Hamilton County, Ohio, ruled that a 17-year-old should be removed from the custody of her parents due to their objections to transgender medicine. The proliferation of the medicalization of gender in recent years has been helped along by widespread revamping of practices within doctors' offices, according to Dr. Andre Van Mol, a board-certified doctor based in Redding, California. Van Mol co-chairs the committee on adolescent sexuality for the American College of Pediatricians. "Pediatricians in particular are taught that during certain kinds of office visits they are to interview the child separately from the parents. That may be presented as something with very good intentions, such as discovering patterns of abuse, but it can also be used ideologically to advance the abortion agenda, encourage premature sexual debut and an over confidence in birth control, and now clearly to advance transgender ideology," Van Mol told The Christian Post on Wednesday. "We can also envision that if a parent is wise to this and refuses to leave the room during their childs examination, that the provider is trained to now be suspicious of some malfeasance on the parents part." He added: "Transgender ideologues now seem firmly in the driver's seat of establishing policy for several of these medical organizations, most notably the ones for pediatricians, psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers. It is not based on science or long-term evidence. Many of us see this as a replay of the lobotomy movement of the '50s and '60s. Opposition to it knows no boundaries of politics or faith, and it is gaining momentum." The growing cross-partisan opposition to experimental medicine and transgender ideology has become more visible as state legislatures consider bills that would make it a criminal offense to administer puberty-blocking drugs, cross-sex hormones, and perform gender surgeries on minors. In December, tactics of transgender lobbyists were exposed in the U.K. in a report that exposed documented collusion between the international law firm Dentons, the Thomson Reuters Foundation, and the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Youth & Student Organisation. Dentons and Thomson Reuters said the document does not necessarily reflect their perspective. The document contains a playbook outlining how transgender activists can "get ahead" of both legislation and culture by coming up with their own set of ground rules by which they advise lawmakers about how to shape policy before people are aware of what is happening and thus, frame the narrative in their favor. The report also advises trans activists to tie their proposals to more politically popular reforms, conscious that their ideas are less palatable among the general public in many nations. A parent leader from the nonpartisan Kelsey Coalition a volunteer-run organization that aims to protect young people who identify as transgender or nonbinary from medical and psychological harms told CP in an email on Wednesday that they continue to receive "hundreds" of stories about the damage that was done to their children. Parents are terrified of going public with their experiences, CP was told, because they risk being reported to authorities or having their relationship with their child becoming adversarial, which is why the coalition is speaking on their behalf. "Parental consent is not informed, it is coerced with false information about treatments that have not been well studied for their safety and effectiveness," the Kelsey Coalition parent leader said. "We have received hundreds of testimonials from parents in just the last 11 months, relating stories of how parents have been pressured by medical professionals to start their children on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, often on the very first visit. These children frequently have co-morbid issues which are not explored, such as depression, trauma, and neuro-developmental issues that are ignored while gender treatments are quickly encouraged." The report notes the annual increase in passenger traffic at aviation, land, and sea border checkpoints. Ukrainian border guards have published a statistical report on border crossings throughout 2019. The demand for visiting Ukraine has been growing among foreigners. According to 2014 figures, about 13 million foreigners crossed in and out, 14.6 million in 2017, and 27.3 million in 2019, according to the press center of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. A total of 6.3 million citizens crossed the border with the European Union member states last year, including 2.4 million on the border with Poland. "In addition, 7.9 million foreign citizens crossed the border with Moldova, 4.5 million with Belarus, and 2.8 million with Russia," reads the report. "In total, 21.5 million foreign nationals underwent through passport control routine at land border checkpoints in 2019. At the same time, foreigners are more often choosing air travel to Ukraine. Some 5.5 million foreign citizens crossed the border at airports, and about 265,000 of them passed passport control at sea ports," the service said. Read alsoPoland ups entry denials to Ukrainians by 25% in 2019 Border guards note that since 2018, Ukraine has become a more attractive destination for citizens of Germany, Liechtenstein, the UK, Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden, Luxembourg, and Austria. "At the same time, there was a 7% decrease in entry stats for Russians compared to 2018. The figure also dropped regarding the entry of citizens of Belarus (by 13%), Hungary (10%), Slovakia (14%), Kazakhstan, the Netherlands (9%), Spain (13%), and Bangladesh (21%)," reads the report. The report notes the annual increase in passenger traffic at aviation, land, and sea border checkpoints. [February 06, 2020] Greenlane Renewables Signs New $7.0 Million System Supply Contract with the Renewable Natural Gas Company, a Leader in Landfill Gas to RNG Projects Greenlane Renewables Inc. ("Greenlane") (TSXV: GRN / FSE: 52G) today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Greenlane Biogas North America Ltd., has signed a $7.0 million (US$5.3 million) contract with Ligonier, Pennsylvania based Renewable Natural Gas Company ("RNGC"). Greenlane to supply three biogas upgrading systems, which utilize Greenlane's proprietary water wash technology, for landfill applications in the eastern United States. "We are delighted to have been selected by RNGC to provide the biogas upgrading systems for RNGC's landfill projects where the resulting clean, low carbon renewable natural gas will be injected into the natural gas pipeline," said Brad Douville, President & CEO of Greenlane. "Our technology is ideally suited for this application developed by RNGC to provide robust low-cost operation. We look forward to working with RNGC to make this project a success." The biogas systems will be used in landfill gas projects in Virginia and Missouri. Order fulfilment by Greenlane will start upon receipt of a notice to proceed from RNGC and RNGC's financing approval, expected by the end of the first quarter. "We chose Greenlane's water wash technology based on its reliability, price and performance," said Jeffrey Craig, CEO of RNGC. "We look forward to working with Greenlane on this project and exploring future opportunities to work together." About Renewable Natural Gas Company The principals of RNGC have over 50 years of combined experience in the landfill gas project space. RNGC is uniquely positioned to deliver renewable natural gas to the transportation market. RNGC is a developer of landfill gas to renewable natural gas ("RNG") projects encompassing the full design, construction, ownership, and operation process. For more information please visit www.rngas.com. About Greenlane Renewables Greenlane Renewables is a leading global provider of biogas upgrading systems that are helping decarbonize natural gas. Our systems produce clean, low-carbon renewable natural gas from organic waste sources including landfills, wastewater treatment plants, dairy farms, and food waste, suitable for either injection into the natural gas grid or for direct use as vehicle fuel. Greenlane is the only biogas upgrading company offering the three main technologie: water wash, pressure swing adsorption, and membrane separation. With over 30 years industry experience, patented proprietary technology, and over 100 biogas upgrading units supplied into 18 countries worldwide, including the world's largest biogas upgrading facility, Greenlane is inspired by a commitment to helping waste producers improve their environmental impact, green credentials, and bottom line. For further information, please visit www.greelanerenewables.com. FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION - This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not historical in nature contain forward-looking information. Forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "expect", "likely", "should", "would", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "proposed", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen. The forward-looking information contained in this press release, includes, but is not limited to, Greenlane will supply RNGC with biogas upgrading systems utilizing Greenlane's proprietary water wash technology for landfill applications in the United States; the resulting renewable natural gas will be injected into the natural gas pipeline; the RNGC developed application will provide a robust low-cost operation; the project will be a success; order fulfilment will start upon receipt of a notice to proceed; the customer receiving financing on approvable terms; the receipt of such notice will be expected by the end of the first quarter; and there will be future opportunities to work together with RNGC. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this press release and is based on assumptions management believed to be reasonable at the time such statements were made, including management's perceptions of future growth, results of operations, operational matters, historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other considerations that are believed to be appropriate in the circumstances. While we consider these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to management, there is no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. By their nature, forward-looking information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. A variety of factors, including known and unknown risks, many of which are beyond our control, could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information in this press release. Such factors include, without limitation, the risks that Greenlane will not be able to supply RNGC with the biogas upgrading systems as contemplated; the resulting renewable natural gas may not be injected into the natural gas pipeline; the RNGC developed application may not provide a robust low-cost operation; the project may not be a success or as expected; order fulfilment may not occur as contemplated or at all; and future opportunities to work with RNGC may not be as expected. Additional risk factors can also be found in the Company's filing statement and prospectuses, which have been filed under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. 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 or has in any way approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005290/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] WEBSTER GROVES, Mo. - An Illinois woman has left a $45 million bequest to the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, which will more than double the companys endowment fund, the company announced Thursday. The gift from Phyllis Herndon Brissenden, of Springfield, Illinois, will increase the operas endowment fund to about $80 million from the current $35 million. The organization said it is one of the largest gifts in American opera history. Brissenden, 86, was a life board member and generous contributor to the Webster Groves-based company since it opened in 1976. She died of heart failure on Dec. 17 in Springfield, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. General director Andrew Jorgensen said some income will become available in 2022 but it will be several years, probably not until 2024, before the full effect of the gift is evident because an estate of that size takes time to settle. Brissenden, whose family owned department stores, was raised in Springfield, Illinois, and worked at United Way in St. Louis during WWII. Her husband, Walter Brissenden, died in 1986. She had no immediate family. Brissenden was a friend of Opera Theatre founder Elihu Heindman, said founding general director Richard Gaddes. She was a faithful sponsor, contributor and supporter from 76 on, Gaddes said. She frequently used to say Opera Theatre is my family. Her enthusiasm for Opera Theatre was contagious. She was there a lot. The opera was her life, and shes acknowledged that in her gift. The company said she donated about $2.5 million before her bequest, although she made most of her gifts anonymously. Brissenden led the companys National Patrons Council from 2010 to 2017 and made several trips from Springfield to St. Louis every season, seeing each opera as many times as she could. Opera Theatre of St. Louis will dedicate this seasons production of Carlisle Floyds opera Susanna to Brissenden. Reuters An international telecoms conference in Barcelona that attracts more than 100,000 visitors will go ahead as planned this month, the organiser said, even after Korea's LG Electronics withdrew due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Mobile World Congress has come under scrutiny since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus epidemic a public health emergency of international concern. GSMA, an industry association representing more than 750 operators and 400 companies in the mobile business, said it had seen minimal impact so far on the event, which would be held as scheduled from 24 to 27 February. (Also read: Coronavirus outbreak FAQ: Face masks, safe meat, tips to stay safe from the deadly airborne infection) "We have spoken to LG and regret not to see them at this year's MWC20 Barcelona," a GSMA spokesperson said in response to a Reuters inquiry following the announcement by the South Korean electronics group. The association this week announced measures to help prevent the spread of the virus across the Congress's three main venues, including changing microphones between speakers and advising all attendees to adopt a "no-handshake policy". The newly identified virus, which first appeared in Wuhan late last year, has killed nearly 500 people in China, as well as one person in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines. Mainland China has reported more than 24,000 confirmed cases, while more than 150 cases have been confirmed in two dozen countries and regions around the world. On Wednesday China's Huawei Technologies said it would take part in Congress as planned. "We are keeping a close eye on matters and having to internally adjust accordingly and responsibly," said a spokesman. Huawei is unlikely to send people from headquarters in China, but will instead send local engineers the company has in Europe, sources told Reuters. China's ZTE Corp and mobile phone maker Oppo said they would continue with plans to exhibit at the event while IT services provider NEC Corp said it was pushing forward with plans to attend for now. ZTE Corp said all its staff and management travelling to the Congress from mainland China would undergo two weeks of self isolation after their arrival in Europe and the company would also disinfect its exhibition stand daily. But the company said the majority of its staff attending would travel from Europe rather than mainland China. In 2019, some 6 percent of Mobile World Congress attendees were from China, according to GSMA's post-congress report. Most attendees were from Europe, around 64 percent, as were about 45 percent of the exhibitors. The GSMA estimates that the Mobile World Congress boosted the local Barcelona economy by around 470 million last year, as delegates pack the city's hotels, wine and dine contacts and pile into taxis to the sprawling Fira trade fair ground that hosts the event. Starting a Farm Food Business - From Fork to Farm A seminar on Starting a Food Business will take place in Kilkenny on Wednesday morning, 4th March. The event is organised by the Local Enterprise Office, in conjunction with Teagasc and Kilkenny Leader Partnership and runs from 10.45am 1pm in the Springhill Court Hotel, Kilkenny. A seminar on Starting a Food Business will take place in Kilkenny on Wednesday morning, 4th March. The event is targeted at people interested in diversification into artisan food production to complement their existing farming enterprise. It is an opportunity to meet with local food producers as well as the agencies that support this sector. Speaking ahead of the event, Anne Ging, Chairperson of the Kilkenny Food Strategy Committee and owner of Ballykeefe distillery, highlighted the details of the New Kilkenny Food strategy, launched in Autumn 2019. A strategy aimed at raising the profile of local food and beverages and foster greater commercial growth and added value to primary production and to supply more products to the local market. The strategy will be presented at the event. The seminar will feature a panel discussion amongst food producers that are at various stages of the development of their food business. These include Jimmy Mulhall, Coolanowle Meats; Helen Murphy, Mooncoin Beetroot; Rosemary OShea, Tullyhay Farm and Patricia Butler, Butler Family Farm. Eddie ONeill, Artisan Food Specialist with Teagasc will provide guidance on starting a new food business. Eddie ONeill has many years of experience in supporting new food businesses. There will be opportunities to engage one-to-one with the food producers, Eddie ONeill and relevant agencies that will be on hand to discuss supports and possible funding schemes. The agencies that will be present at the seminar include Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny, LEADER, Teagasc (organics, horticulture, setting up a food business, forest food, bee keeping), Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the County Veterinary Office. Dr Siobhan Kavanagh, Teagasc Regional Manager for Kilkenny and Waterford said; If you are interested in setting up a new food business, this is an important event to attend. You will have access to people that have started new businesses, experts in startups, experts on horticultural options as well as experts on funding availability. To book in for this event visit: https://www.localenterprise.ie/!V7HR5L. For further information, please contact the Local Enterprise Office Kilkenny @ 056- 7752662. It's been four days since they relocated from Melbourne to Sydney's eastern suburbs. And on Thursday night, Sydney's newest residents Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli stepped out to attend the Michael Arthur Boutique launch party. The reality stars had plenty to smile about as they made their first public appearance together since moving to the big city. Sydney's newest residents! Martha Kalifatidis (left) stepped out with boyfriend Michael Brunelli (right) in $200,000 worth of jewels as she attended the Michael Arthur Boutique launch party on Thursday night Dripping! The 31-year-old brunette looked every inch the glamazon as she turned heads in jewels which included a bejewelled Michael Arthur necklace, earrings, a bracelet and an array of rings Martha looked chic as she wore a white slim-fit Dion Lee dress which featured a plunging neckline and rips below her cleavage. The 31-year-old brunette looked every inch the glamazon as she turned heads in $200,000 worth of jewels, which included a bejewelled Michael Arthur necklace, earrings, bracelet and an array of rings. She let her newly cut bob flow, which brought plenty of attention to her jewels. Dazzling! Meanwhile, her beau Michael looked cool in an oversized cream coloured T-shirt and white trousers Martha wore a face full of makeup which included dewy foundation, black mascara, a hint of blush and nude lipstick. The former Married At First Sight star completed her look in slip-on shoes. Meanwhile, her beau Michael looked cool in an oversized cream coloured T-shirt and white trousers. He completed his look in matching shoes. Loved-up! Martha wore a face full of makeup which included dewy foundation, black mascara, a hint of blush and nude lipstick The couple were joined by fellow MAFS stars past and present. They included Elizabeth Sobinoff, who appeared on season six alongside the couple, and The Bachelor's Monique Morley, Emma Roche and Love Island's Eden Dally. The event also celebrated Bachelorette Angie Kent's 30th birthday, who was joined by her hunky actor beau Carlin Sterritt. The Capitol and traffic lights are seen in Washington D.C., the United States, on Feb. 5, 2020. U.S. President Donald Trump was acquitted on Wednesday by the Senate after the chamber voted down both articles of impeachment against him that the House approved late last year. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump was acquitted on Wednesday afternoon by the Senate after the chamber voted down both articles of impeachment against him that the House approved late last year. Senators voted 52 to 48 to reject the first charge of abuse of power, and 53 to 47 against the second charge of obstruction of Congress. Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah and the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, broke from the party by voting "guilty" on the abuse of power charge against Trump, becoming the first senator in the U.S. history to convict a president from the same party in an impeachment trial. No Democrats voted "not guilty" on the two articles of impeachment. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who presided over the Senate trial of Trump's impeachment, announced the votes, saying that they are not enough to convict the president and remove him from office. The acquittal was widely expected as Republicans, largely unified during the impeachment proceeding, control the Senate, making it almost impossible for the 67-vote conviction threshold to be reached. Trump, in a tweet after the votes wrapped up, said that he will be making a public statement Thursday noon at the White House to discuss what he calls the nation's "VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax." House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who led the Congress' impeachment drive against Trump, said in a statement that the president and Senate Republicans "have normalized lawlessness and rejected the system of checks and balances." The Pelosi-led House impeached Trump in December last year after an inquiry triggered by a whistleblower complaint that raised concerns about the White House's interactions with Ukraine. Trump was alleged to have pressured his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, into launching investigations that could politically benefit him by withholding military aid from Ukraine. Furthermore, the White House allegedly tried to cover it up. The president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing or a "quid pro quo" with Ukraine. The White House stonewalled the House impeachment inquiry, accusing Democrats of an unfair process. Bitter partisan wrestling continued in the Senate trial of Trump's impeachment as Republicans and Democrats were sharply divided on whether to allow subpoenas for witnesses and documents till a failed motion last week kicked off an endgame. According to the U.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 100-member Senate and requires at least two-thirds of its members to vote in favor of at least one article of impeachment after a trial. Currently, the Senate has 53 Republicans, 45 Democrats, and two independents caucusing with Democrats. No sitting U.S. president has ever been removed from office through impeachment. RICHMOND At times, it can seem like Virginia is two states: rural and urban/suburban. Sometimes rural residents feel demonized by those in urban and suburban Virginia. And people in urban and suburban Virginia feel misunderstood by people in rural areas. In an effort to foster a better understanding and respect between different regions, Gov. Ralph Northam initiated an exchange program. Two local governments in Northern Virginia and two in Southwest Virginia will pair up to send delegations to visit the other region to gain firsthand knowledge of the different issues, challenges and cultures. The pilot program of the Virginia Local Government Exchange Program will begin with Wise County and Norton teaming up with Alexandria, while Danville will connect with Loudoun County. Lets visit each other and look at other peoples cultures and what they need and then come back to Richmond to make policy and do good things, Northam said Thursday. The initiative acknowledges how the growing regionalism can have corrosive effects on democracy and relationships among legislators. Democrats increasingly have represented urban and suburban areas, while Republicans have dominated elections in rural Virginia. Legislators said regionalism coupled with partisanship have affected how some issues are debated in Richmond. There is much more we have in common than divides us, Northam said. Northam referred to an episode on the Senate floor this week as an example of how the regional divide leads to legislative head-butting. It was an unusual event in the typically conciliatory chamber that became the topic of conversation at the Capitol. Sen. George Barker, D-Fairfax, proposed a bill to provide a tax deduction for commuter benefits. His intention was to lessen the financial burden faced by many in Northern Virginia , where annual toll bills can top $400 a month, legislators said. The legislation produced a tense back-and-forth on the floor involving rural and Northern Virginia lawmakers. Sen. Mark Obenshain, R-Rockingham, criticized the geographic disparity of the tax credit and said it was unfair. Were asking people all over Virginia to subsidize this tax deduction for this benefit that is unique to Northern Virginia, Obenshain said. Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, said the tax credit disparity goes both ways. He pointed out there are tax credits and subsidies for farmers. Saslaw represents one of the states most urbanized areas, while agriculture is a leading industry in Obenshains Shenandoah Valley district. The exchange later devolved into a spat between Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax and Senate Minority Leader Tommy Norment, R-James City, over the rules that dictate how Senate floor discussions flow. I dont expect you to admonish me on the rules of the Senate, Norment said. I dont expect you to admonish me, either, Fairfax said. I will remind you that you are not a member of the Senate, Norment said. I was elected by 1.36 million voters, Fairfax said. The Senate then took a break, and Senate Clerk Susan Clarke Schaar pulled the four men into a backroom for a conference. Legislators said the regional divide can sometimes lead them to talking past one another. Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Washington, said Southwest Virginia benefits from tax credits not available to Northern Virginia. We have to become aware that its important we help one another and not put ourselves in silos, Pillion said. Northam hosted legislators and local leaders from the municipalities that will participate in the exchange program. They said they werent naive to think everything will get better over a year, but they said its a start to encouraging a more effective way of working together. Firsthand knowledge is always best, and seeing it up close and personal, like the crumbling schools were trying to work out a problem, we need to work together to address these problems, Pillion said. 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. EU To Soon Launch Tax And Trade Talks With UK by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels 06 February 2020 The European Commission has taken the first step toward negotiating a new relationship with the UK by issuing a recommendation to the European Council that the talks should commence. On January 31, 2020, the UK withdrew from the EU. Under the agreed transition period, EU law will continue to apply to the UK until at least December 31, 2020. The transition period can be extended if a decision is made on this issue by July 1, 2020. The Commission's recommendation to the Council is based on the existing Council guidelines and conclusions, and on the Political Declaration agreed between the EU and the UK in October 2019. It includes a proposal for negotiating directives, defining the scope and terms of the future partnership the EU envisages with the UK. These directives cover all areas of interest for the negotiations, including trade and economic cooperation, law enforcement and judicial cooperation, foreign policy, security and defence, participation and Union programs, and other thematic areas of cooperation. According to the Commission communication, "the envisaged partnership should include an ambitious, wide-ranging, and balanced economic partnership," which "should be comprehensive, encompassing a free trade agreement as well as wider sectoral cooperation where it is in the Union interest." The document added that the partnership "should aim at establishing a free trade area ensuring no tariffs, fees [or] charges provided that a level playing field is ensured through robust commitments." The Council now needs to adopt the draft negotiating directives, which will formally authorize the Commission to open the negotiations. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said: "It's now time to get down to work. Time is short. We will negotiate in a fair and transparent manner, but we will defend EU interests, and the interests of our citizens, right until the end." Michel Barnier, the European Commission's Chief Negotiator, said: "The Commission will continue working very closely with the European Parliament and the Council. Our task will be to defend and advance the interests of our citizens and of our Union, while trying to find solutions that respect the UK's choices." Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 23:10:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- For a nation, the greatest glory consists not in never falling, but rising when it falls. The coronavirus outbreak, which is still developing, is a setback for China in a crucial year when it aims to complete building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. A setback may bring trouble in the short-run, but will not stop China from achieving its long-term goal. While the virus battle continues, normal social and economic operations are being restored. People are on their way back to work after the Spring Festival holiday. Some are wearing masks, and some are working at home to prevent infections. Many years later, it will become an unforgettable memory for the Chinese. The annual "No. 1 central document" was released as scheduled. Agriculture, rural areas and farmers' issues remain China's top priorities for nearly two decades. This year, the world's most populous country is in its final push to eliminate poverty. Diplomacy continues. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen visited China on Wednesday, showing support for China at this difficult time. With the arrival of the virus, discrimination against the Chinese, excessive travel bans on China, and a smear of China's social systems all occurred. These ill-advised overreactions will not interrupt China's virus battle, however. The country sits unmoved and unaffected amid noise and turbulence and steadfastly takes care of its own business. China is still at a critical stage of the battle. Hubei Province, at the epicenter of the epidemic, continues grappling with rising infections and shortages of masks, protective suits, safety goggles and other medical supplies. The mortality rate is yet to decline. But Hubei is not alone. All-out support efforts are being made across the nation. Construction of two makeshift hospitals has finished in two weeks. Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, has converted more public venues into hospitals. Doctors and nurses from other provinces are working in this river-town city, saving many lives. Easy passes are given to masks, vegetables and other resources to enter into Hubei to fill up the yawning gap. Authorities are making every effort to ensure the supply of medical and daily necessities for citizens in Hubei. The virus outbreak is a test to China's strength in every respect. But with greater unity, courage and composure of the Chinese people, with more effective governance, more resilient economy and more advanced technology, the final victory against the virus will be secured. The combat is a mere interlude on China's final passage to becoming a moderately prosperous society. UN's World Urban Forum in Abu Dhabi 8-13/2 for 2030 goals Focus on sustainable development, equality, poverty, environment (ANSAmed) - NAPLES, FEBRUARY 6 - Cities of Opportunities: Connecting Culture and Innovation is the theme chosen for the 10th edition of the World Urban Forum (WUF). The international conference is being held by UN-Habitat in Abu Dhabi February 8-13. The forum is being held at the Abu Dhabi Exhibition Center, which will host hundreds of delegates from the most important cities in the world, state governments, the UN, cultural institutions, universities, associations, and businesses. UN-Habitat Executive Director Maimunah Mohd Sharif noted that urbanisation had clearly changed the planet and our lives since the first WUF in 2002. He said that by 2012 the challenges had become much more complicated with over half the world living in cities and metropolises but that it was now widely recognised that it is necessary to direct urbanisation well in order to achieve sustainable development, for which world leaders have set goals for 2030. Sharif said that the WUF was working on making sure that cities are inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable and that ''it is clear'' that cities are the fulcrum of such global challenges as poverty, inequality. environmental degradation, climate change, and conflicts. He vowed to work on these challenges in Abu Dhabi ''with all stakeholders'' in order to meet the 2030 objectives. The WUF week will be packed with appointments and events on the issues, with administrators from around the world illustrating both practices and models that were successful and ones that were not in order to enact improvement. Subjects will include culture, resilience, social inclusion process, responses by cities to energy transformation crises, and balance between cultural heritage and the need to expand residential areas. There will be focus talks on major issues affecting large cities such as waste collection, transportation, and renewable energy. The Malta headquarters of the International Center for the Development of Migration Policies will discuss Mediterranean strategies for increasing migrants' contribution to sustainable development of cities, while the issues discussed by EU representatives will be cooperation between cities in the development of sustainable urbanisation. Italy's Universita Federico II of Naples will be taking part, the only Italian university with a campus in Abu Dhabi, as well as the LUPT research center, which studies women's inclusion as it contributes to development and innovation. The 2018 WUF in Kuala Lumpur drew 24,000 attendees. (ANSAmed). BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 Trend: Azerbaijani Foreign Affairs Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic Chingiz Aidarbekov on the sidelines of the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States (Turkic Council) in Baku, Trend reports with reference to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. The ministers had a broad exchange of views over various issues of bilateral cooperation agenda. At the meeting, Minister Chingiz Aidarbekov noted with satisfaction that he was received by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and stressed that the meeting was fruitful. The sides highly appreciated the existing cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan and stressed the importance of further strengthening of the bilateral relations. The ministers touched upon cooperation within the Turkic Council and underlined the importance of further developing of trade, economic and other relations between the participating countries. In this regard, the sides focused on the prospects of Kyrgyzstan to become more active in regional transport corridors by developing railway projects. The effectiveness of cooperation within the framework of international organizations was also stressed at the meeting. President Trump did not commit the impeachable offenses that he was charged with in the House, calling impeachment an extreme effort to unseat the president, Sen. Richard Shelby said on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon in explaining why he was voting to acquit the president on abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges. Even if the facts are as they have stated, the [House] managers have failed, I believe, as a matter of constitutional law to meet the exceedingly high bar for removal of the president as established by our founding fathers, the framers of the Constitution, said Shelby. Alabamas senior senator, a Republican, said Democrats were motivated to impeach the president out of personal hatred and not according to the threshold outlined in the Constitution. The framers of the Constitution, Shelby said, provided for impeachment only in a few limited cases: Treason. Bribery. And high crimes and misdemeanors. Only those offenses justify taking the dire step of removing a duly elected president from office and permanently taking his name off the ballot, the senator said. This institution should not lower the constitutional bar and authorize their theory of impeachment for abuse of power. Its simply not an impeachable offense in my judgment. Trump is not guilty of the obstruction of Congress charge, Shelby said, because Trump was within his rights to intend to use executive privilege in response to requests from the House. That is his constitutional right, and has been the right of former presidents from both parties. The presidents mere assertion of privileges and immunities is not an impeachable offense, Shelby said. Endorsing otherwise would be unprecedented and would ignore the past practices of administrations of both parties. Adopting otherwise would drastically undermine the separation of powers enshrined in our Constitution. This is not what our framers intended. Nowhere in the Constitution or in federal statute is abuse of power or obstruction of Congress listed as a crime. Nowhere. Shelby said Congress should move forward with other business. Basically, I believe it is time to move on, he said. The American economy is booming. The United States is projecting strength and promoting peace abroad. And the president is unbowed. Dozens of human rights activists have protested at a port in the English Channel against the arrival of a Saudi cargo ship meant to stock up on weapons suspected of fueling Yemen's conflict. The Bahri Yanbu ship was due to dock at Cherbourg port on France's northern coast late on Thursday afternoon. It was met with a frosty welcome. About 100 people from human rights organisations such as Amnesty International, turned out in protest against its presence with signs reading 'War crimes in Yemen' and 'Made in France.' The day before, a group of 17 NGOs wrote a letter to French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe expressing their concern about the ship's arrival. They called on France to identify what would be loaded onto the Bahri Yanbu, which they say has an exclusive contract with the Saudi defence ministry. No guarantees If they are weapons, the NGOs demand "guarantees" from France that the weapons "will not be used illegally against civilians" in Yemen's conflict. There has been no official comment on the nature of the shipment from the French government. France has been under fire for maintaining arms sales to the Saudi government despite its offensive against Huthi rebels, supported by Iran. French authorities have insisted there is no proof that civilians are being targeted by Riyadh, one of the biggest purchasers of French military equipment in the Middle East. Last May, President Emmanuel Macron defended the sales to Saudi Arabia, which he called a key ally in the fight against terrorism. Saudi ship stopped Days later however, the government was forced to halt a planned stopover of the same Bahri Yanbu ship after activists complained. Earlier this week, activists in Belgium succeeded in stopping the Saudi ship from docking in the port of Antwerp. After France, the ship is due to stop in Sheerness, Britain and in Genoa, Italy. More than 100,000 people have lost their lives in the war in Yemen, now in its fifth year. The Saudi naval blockade has left more than 17 million people on the brink of famine with the UN calling it the world's worst humanitarian crisis. A render of Amazon's 43-story office tower in Bellevue. Construction is expected to be complete by 2024. Amazon will hire more than 15,000 employees in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue, the company said Thursday. Many will work out of the new tower the company is building there. Planning for the 43-story tower, its tallest yet, is currently underway. Amazon's plans for the proposed building, referred to as Bellevue 600, were unveiled last July. The building will have about 1 million square feet of office space and is expected to be completed by 2024. Amazon said it expects to bring the 15,000 jobs to Bellevue over the next few years. More than 2,000 employees currently work in Bellevue, and the company has about 700 job openings in the city. The company opened its first office building in Bellevue in 2017. The city is also where Amazon got its start. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos founded the company in 1994 out of a 1,540-square-foot house in West Bellevue. By PTI NEW DELHI: DMK leader K Kanimozhi on Thursday accused the Modi government of not only painting the contemporary India "saffron" but going back in history to paint the past in the Hindutva colour as well. Speaking during a discussion on the Union budget, she hit out at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for "going out of way to rename Indus Valley civilisation as Saraswati Sindhu civilisation" and asked the government to leave such work to scholars and historians. Even experts have not come out with any conclusive proof of the existence of "mythical" Saraswati river, she said, accusing the BJP of always attempting to rewrite history. In her budget speech on February 1, Sitharaman had said that entrepreneurial enterprise existed in ancient India and referred to "Saraswati-Sindhu" civilisation. Kanimozhi said even scholars had not been able to decipher Indus script as she wondered as to how Sitharaman quoted from the era. The DMK leader asked as to how the government will meet its targets as proposed in the budget when economic growth is only 5 per cent. Criticising the recommendations of 15th Finance Commission on divisions of tax revenue between the Centre and states, she said they are unfair to states which have controlled population growth due to their consideration of demography as a basis for its proposals. She also criticised the move to ask states to pay for defence allocation, saying it comes under the Centre's purview and its expenditure should be borne by it. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GTX Corp (OTC: GTXO) (GTX) , a pioneer in the field of GPS wearable technology, people & asset tracking Location-Based Services (LBS) and Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS), today announced the launch of its new Health and Safety suite of products. This new platform will focus more on NFC, BLE and IoT technology along with other patented technologies to produce a variety of products that can be used alone or integrated across a wide array of vertical markets and applications. While the Company is staying true to its ethos of wearable technology, this Health and Safety platform will expand beyond footwear and the senior community, which is what GTX Corp is most well known for. Some of the new channels will be hospitals, schools, oil and mining, construction and the art world, adding to its existing channels serving seniors, Alzheimers, autism, military and law enforcement. Building for the future, we are expanding into larger and broader market segments. Our new Health and Safety platform of products are designed to help businesses and families address simple yet vital common everyday issues. We will have solutions for hospitals, construction sites, mines, oil rigs, schools, assisted living facilities and a host of other designated sectors that have a lot of people and equipment which need to be monitored, identified and accounted for, but due to cost, size and power consumption, cannot use standard GPS tracking devices. Our low cost and easy to use NFC tags and BLE beacons will have months of battery life without needing to be charged, will easily attach to the human body, clothing, or equipment and high value assets , and will report to the cloud for access from any internet capable device, stated Patrick Bertagna, GTX Corp CEO. While the applications and use cases are endless, the Company is expecting to launch more products under this platform which has already garnered interest from existing distributors and customers along with potential new channel partners. Distribution agreements are currently in discussion and are expected to be signed and announced this quarter. Most widely known for its patented GPS SmartSole and Smartphone GPS Tracking App, GTX also owns and licenses a large portfolio of patents in the GPS and wearable technology space, is a U.S. military contractor, has several consumer products available on its online store and Amazon and most recently soft launched its new NFC Veritap solution. To find out more how you can buy or become an authorized reseller contact info@gtxcorp.com business development. About GTX Corp GTX Corp (OTCQB: GTXO) is a pioneer in smart, mobile and wearable GPS tracking and recovery location-based solutions, supported through a proprietary IoT enterprise monitoring platform and intellectual property portfolio. GTX offers a global end-to-end solution of hardware, software and connectivity and develops two-way GPS tracking technologies, which seamlessly integrate with consumer products and enterprise applications. GTX utilizes the latest in miniaturized, low power consumption GPS, Cellular, RF and BLE technology, enabling subscribers to track in real time the whereabouts of people or high value assets. GTX is known for its game-changing and award-winning patented GPS SmartSole -- think Dr. Scholls meets LoJack, the worlds first invisible wearable technology tracking device created for those at risk of wandering due to Alzheimers, dementia, autism and traumatic brain injury. GTXs business model is built around technology innovation and holds over 85 patents, with many issued patents in the area of GPS tracking. The company has international distributors servicing customers in over 35 countries and is a U.S. Military Government contractor. Other customers include public health authorities and municipalities, emergency and law enforcement, private schools, assisted living facilities, NGOs, small business enterprises, senior care homes, and consumers. GTXCorp.com Track My Workforce GPS SmartSole.com Social Media Hashtags - #withyou #smartsole #connectedandprotected #trackwhatyoulove GTX Blog https://gtxcorp.com/press/ https://www.facebook.com/gtxcorpcom https://www.twitter.com/gtxcorp https://www.linkedin.com/in/gtxcorp https://www.pinterest.com/GTXCorp/ https://instagram.com/gtxcorp General information, investor relations, wholesale licensing, consumer purchase: 213.489.3019 Info@GTXCorp.com IR@GTXCorp.com Contact Us GTX Corp United Kingdom In the UK, GTX Corp operates from its London office. Please contact: Nelson Skip Riddle Email: NSRiddle@GTXCorp.com Tel: +44 7785 364100 Disclaimer: GTX Corp does not warrant or represent that the unauthorized use of materials drawn from the content of this document will not infringe rights of third parties who are not owned or affiliated by GTX Corp. Further GTX Corp cannot be held responsible or liable for the unauthorized use of this documents content by third parties unknown to the company. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. The terms and phrases expects, would, will, believes, and similar terms and phrases are intended to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by GTX in light of its experience and its perception of current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that GTX believes are appropriate in the circumstances. Many factors could cause GTXs actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Certain risk factors that may cause actual results to differ are set forth in GTXs Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (which may be obtained on the SEC Website ). These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on GTXs forward-looking statements. GTX has no intention and undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required. Attachment Officials have been urged to reclassify a motorway at Ballymena as a dual carriageway to allow farmers easier access to a livestock market. Councillors at a meeting in the town unanimously supported a proposal from DUP representative Tom Gordon to write to the Department for Infrastructure (DfI). The move follows reports that farmers currently have to negotiate a "nightmare" junction to leave the A26 road to avoid the M2 Ballymena bypass. The matter was raised at a meeting of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in Ballymena this week. A motion proposed by Mr Gordon said: "That this council supports the efforts of the farming community and the Ulster Farmers' Union in their bid to secure the reclassification of the stretch of motorway from Teeshan to Larne Road roundabout to dual carriageway; in the interests of road safety, by writing to the Department for Infrastructure." Mr Gordon said that in the mid-1960s it was decided to build a bypass around Ballymena to take through traffic out of the town and a stretch of the M2 Motorway was built from the Larne Road Roundabout to Teeshan in 1969. This small section creates serious problems for the farming community and agricultural contractors because tractors are not allowed on a motorway Councillor Tom Gordon He said the initial plan was to have a motorway all the way from Belfast to the north Antrim coast "but as we all know that never happened and still hasn't happened". Mr Gordon told the meeting a further section of the A26 was constructed as a dual carriageway from Teeshan to Glarryford in 1975 and other parts of the road were subsequently upgraded as dual carriageways. "So we have the construction of six stages of dual carriageway all the way from Dunsilly to the Drones Road Roundabout - 24 miles - except for a small section in the middle from Teeshan to the Larne Road Roundabout as motorway which is four miles long. "This small section creates serious problems for the farming community and agricultural contractors because tractors are not allowed on a motorway. "Tractors coming from the Glarryford direction travel up the inside lane of the dual carriageway but as they approach Teeshan these slow moving vehicles have to move out to the fast lane, where speeds at and over 70mph occur, in order to exit the road and take a detour on roads which the bypass was designed to keep them off." The councillor said the livestock market was previously situated where the Fairhill Shopping Centre is now in Ballymena and it was then held in Cullybackey and Ballyclare but is now in the Woodside Road Industrial Estate in Ballymena. Seconding the motion, DUP councillor William McCaughey said he had been contacted by several farmers about the matter. He said the motorway was a "needless barrier" for the farming community, prohibiting access from one side of the town to the other. Eugene Reid (SDLP) said farmers should be allowed to have easier access to the livestock market. William McNeilly (Ulster Unionist) said he was a farmer and had been contacted by the Ulster Farmers' Union. The councillor said a farmer told him it was a "nightmare" to cross on to the fast lane at Teeshan. CARETAKER PM SAYS HE WAS NEVER SERVED WITH CHARGES [February 06, 2020] Steelville Accelerates Network Transformation and Subscriber Turn Up Times by 75 Percent With Calix Professional Services Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) today announced that Steelville Telephone Exchange (STE) has partnered with the Calix Professional Services team to accelerate an extensive upgrade to a GPON and Active Ethernet-ready network built on AXOS. The combined effort resulted in STE completing the upgrade well ahead of schedule-and under budget-freeing the STE operations team to focus on driving the availability of advanced services for subscribers. The regional communications service provider (CSP (News - Alert)) selected the AXOS E7-2 Intelligent Modular System over competing solutions because it simplified the network and enabled them to serve subscribers using Active Ethernet, a familiar technology. This also allowed Steelville to leverage the everyPON capability of AXOS to seamlessly migrate to higher bandwidth PON technologies like 10G-PON as they executed their expansion strategy into adjacent service areas. This network transformation required the migration of subscribers to the new network within a compressed timeframe. The Calix (News - Alert) Professional Services team customized tools to STE's environment in order to automate and accelerate this migration that allowed STE to free up its operations team and eliminate the risk of potential errors due to traditional manual approaches. Not only did Calix offer the end-to-end network solutions that made sense for STE, but the Professional Services team was able to guide them through implementation and subscriber turn up in just a little over three months-a pocess that typically takes more than a year. "If you factor in our timeline and our need to get to market quickly, this network transformation was the impossible made possible, and it's a testament to the Calix team working on this project," said Kevin Ancell, general manager for Steelville Telephone Exchange. "This entire project, from inception to turn up, has been the best experience of my career. I am from Missouri, the 'Show-Me' state, and Calix did show me how we could get the job done. We couldn't be more pleased-from sales to sales engineering to product availability and shipping as well as the installation and Calix project management. It was a phenomenal effort." Missouri-based Steelville Telephone Exchange, Inc. delivers the latest communications technology, enabling its subscriber to fulfill their personal goals. Recognizing that the Internet is essential to the communities it serves, STE enables the success of businesses, provides virtual learning opportunities for rural students, and delivers lifesaving access to medical care through telehealth and distance medicine. All of this connectivity comes at the speed of light over this new high speed, ultra-low latency fiber network the regional provider has built with Calix. The Calix Professional Services team aided this mission by speeding time to market while introducing several operational and cost efficiencies that freed the STE team to maintain its focus on subscribers. Steelville has also recognized the tremendous value of elevating its subscriber experience and plans to deploy new managed Wi-Fi services with Calix Support Cloud and the GigaSpire, powered by EXOS. This combination of the upgraded, software defined network with a differentiated subscriber experience positions Steelville as the provider of choice in its markets. "Calix Professional Services is thrilled to partner with the Steelville Telephone Exchange and play a critical role in making this aggressive network transformation a reality," said Matt Collins, chief marketing officer for Calix. "The power of our services organization is our ability to help CSPs every step of the way as they transform not only their networks but also their businesses. Calix Professional Services combined with our industry leading access platforms, cloud and premises systems are unmatched at helping CSPs achieve their goals, delight their subscribers, and stay ahead of competitors." For more information on the Steelville story, register here for our March 4 webinar. Also, visit us online for more information on Calix Professional Services. About Calix Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) - Innovative communications service providers rely on Calix platforms to help them master and monetize the complex infrastructure between their subscribers and the cloud. Calix is the leading global provider of the cloud and software platforms, systems, and services required to deliver the unified access network and smart premises of tomorrow. Our platforms and services help our customers build next generation networks by embracing a DevOps operating model, optimize the subscriber experience by leveraging big data analytics and turn the complexity of the smart, connected home and business into new revenue streams. This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are based upon management's current expectations and are inherently uncertain. Forward-looking statements are based upon information available to us as of the date of this release, and we assume no obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking statement to reflect any event or circumstance after the date of this release, except as required by law. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from current expectations based on risks and uncertainties affecting Calix's business. The reader is cautioned not to rely on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Additional information on potential factors that could affect Calix's results and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC (News - Alert) and available at www.sec.gov. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005298/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Immediate past governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi has been appointed as the deputy national chairman of the ruling All Progressive Congress(APC) following a congress held at the party national secretariat on Wednesday in Abuja. His emergence, it was gathered has caused rancour among the party faithful as some are against his candidacy. However, Ajimobi is said to enjoy the backing of some national leader of the Party. Read Also: Ajimobi Left N19k From N5.2b Withdrawn 3 Weeks To Handing Over: Gov Makinde The former governor replaces Otunba Niyi Adebayo who was the immediate past deputy national chairman South after his appointment as Minister for Trade and Investment. New Delhi, Feb 6 : A group of 12 young men and women, dressed in white kurtas and blue jeans, singing "Kya hua tera vaada?", a popular old Bollywood song, at a street corner in Janakpuri was amusing for many. But it's just a slice of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) poll micro engagement plan, which is focusing on street plays, small meetings, medium-sized rallies and roadshows, instead of huge extravagant rallies. The BJP has adopted "go local" style of poll campaigning after drubbing in the 2015 Assembly elections, where the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) focused on smaller engagements, like "nukkad baithaks" and reaped rich political dividends. Since January 12, such street plays are being performed in almost all Delhi districts by 14 groups. The aim is to reach out to around 50 lakh voters. And the song -- Kya hua tera vaada -- is to remind people of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's promises of free WiFi and CCTVs and others. Even roadshows have gone low-key. Former BJP chief Amit Shah's a roadshow for Hari Nagar candidate Tajinder Bagga, which started at Subhash Nagar, was a good example of that. It snaked through narrow roads with sweet shops, post offices and small garment showrooms on its sides. Shah also appeared much more approachable. In fact, all roadshows, be it of new BJP chief J.P. Nadda, Delhi party chief Manoj Tiwari or present or former party Chief Ministers, were organised in that manner to maximise contact with people. At several rallies, the number of participants were within hundred. In fact, these small meetings even upset a BJP Chief Minister. When he raised objections with the party he was redirected to another meeting. But there too just a few hundred people formed the audience. "They are used to address big rallies. But our hands are tied. The idea is to hold small meetings or medium-sized rallies to let leaders engage directly with the audience," said a BJP insider. The BJP has also gone back to its door-to-door campaign style. Most party MPs have been deputed to reach a voter's house to seek vote. Despite personal inconveniences, the party MPs are following the instructions as even Shah is making such door-to-door visits. Its been a decade and a half since Google Maps first started telling us where to go, and Google is giving it a proper celebration. So, to mark 15 years of service, Google has refreshed the Google Maps app on Android with a new design, a new icon, and new features. Google isnt reinventing the wheel here, but users will notice several changes. The new Google Maps design is rolling out on iOS and Android beginning today. Google New Google Maps tabs provide easier access to contributions and saved places. The most obvious tweak (other than the icon) is with the navigation menu. Instead of three simple Explore, Commute, and For You tabs, youll now find five tabs spanning the bottom of your screen: Explore and Commute as before, along with Saved, Contribute, and Updates. The Saved brings your favorites out of the sidebar, while Contribute makes it quicker to share missing places and reviews. Finally, Updates is basically For You, with a feed of stories, trending nearby spots. Its also where youll be able to send messages to businesses. Public transportation is also getting some new features to help you plan your trip, including the temperature, accessibility options, security, and even the number of carriages that are available on the subway you will be taking. Google is using crowd-sourcing and user surveys to estimate this information, which will appear alongside public transit routes. Google says the new features will begin rolling out globally in March. Google Google will provide updates on temperature, security, and accessibility inside the subway car youre riding. Finally, Google is also beefing up its AR-powered Live View walking directions to show exactly how far a place is from where youre standing. Additionally, Google says Live View will be receiving updates over the coming months, starting with better assistance whenever youre searching for a place. Along with the new features, Google Maps chief Jen Fitzpatrick has taken a look at the first 15 years of the service and what a gargantuan task it is. Thanks to AI and machine learning, Fitzpatrick says Google has mapped as many buildings in the last year as we did in the previous 10, and is using the technology to better identify handwritten building numbers in areas where formal street signs are uncommon. In Lagos, Nigeria, she says machine learning has helped Google Maps add 20,000 street names, 50,000 addresses, and 100,000 new businesses. Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of top nows as of 06.02.2020: Armenian parliament should have discussed Thursday two controversial bills over the Constitutional Court. However, the author of the bills, My Step ruling bloc MP, Vahagn Hovakimyan has recalled them amid some technical reasons. The bill had stipulated that amendments to the Constitution could be made without obtaining the respective CC conclusion. According to Hovakimyan, My Step faction wont adopt the bill in the first reading, but will propose to hold a referendum for the bill. This is exactly what direct democracy is all about, he said. The only draft included in the current special session proposes a draft on constitutional amendment, which provides for the suspension of the powers of CC members, elected before April 2018. Meanwhile, Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan was heading to Armenian parliament to deliver a speech. An Armenian serviceman was killed on February 5, during the Syrian armys battle in Saraqib town, Aleppo's Kantsasar daily reported on Facebook. The deceased soldier is Jean Katanjian, born in 1988. His funeral will take place today at the Armenian Holy Cross Catholic Church in Aleppo. The Appeal Criminal Court of Yerevan, chaired by Judge Sergey Marabyan, has rejected the attorneys groups complaint about the courts ruling to extend the term of the arrest of Armenian SRC ex-head, ex-finance minister Gagik Khachatryan. Gagik Khachatryan, who is accused of abuse of power and embezzlement, has been under arrest for 7 months now. New arrests have been carried out over the case of Armenian soldier Vahram Avagyans death in Artsakh. Conscripts, Privates D. M., Kh. G., and A. S. have been arrested in this regard charged on violating the code of conduct of relations between servicemen, which negligently caused grave consequences. Earlier, ex-MP Arakel Movsisyans son, who was also one of the detainees, was arrested. MEP Costas Mavrides hosted a conference on Wednesday at European Parliament on Anti-Armenian pogroms of Baku. The conference was co-organized by the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy and the Armenian mission to the EU. The keynote speakers were the former deputy speaker of the House of Lords the Baroness Caroline Cox, an American-Armenian author and human rights advocate a Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte as well as David Babaev, a lecturer at Universite Libre de Bruxelles. The latter are both survivors of the Baku pogroms. The Baroness Caroline Cox pointed out the genocide of Armenians continued in Baku, Sumgait and Nagorno Karabakh-Artsakh and needs to be recognized so that it does not continue with impunity. The coronavirus death toll has reached 565. The total number of infected is 28,276, of which 3,863 (14%) are in critical condition. The number of cured is 1173. Meanwhile, according to Armenian embassy in China, another 8 Armenian citizens who are in China's Wuhan city have refused to be evacuated. According to the statement, as of February 6, two Armenian citizens were evacuated. By the way, a newborn baby was diagnosed with coronavirus in China. The baby was born on February 2 in Wuhan has become the youngest person to be diagnosed with the virus. The diagnosis was made 30 hours after the birth. The US Senate on Wednesday acquitted President Donald Trump of both charges in his impeachment trial as it found him not guilty of obstructing Congress. In the second of two impeachment votes, the Republican-controlled Senate cleared the Republican president of Democrats accusations that he obstructed Congress investigation into whether he acted improperly in withholding US security aid to Ukraine. The Senates 53-47 vote on the second article of impeachment brought the proceedings to an end. American actor Kirk Douglas died at the age of 103, said his son, actor Michael Douglas. "To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years," commented Michael Douglas. Kirk Douglas suffered a stroke in 1996. He is famous especially for his role in Spartacus and many more movies and the actor has been nominated for an Oscar three times. The Academy Awards also honored him with an honorary Oscar in 1995. The prison seamstress who helped two convicted murderers escape from a New York prison in 2015 was released from prison Thursday. Joyce Mitchell, 55, had a tentative release date of Saturday, Feb. 8, however the New York Department of Corrections and Community Supervision announced earlier this week that inmates cannot be released on a weekend. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 Trend: The University of Chicago Booth School of Business, in partnership with EY Azerbaijan, has held a masterclass titled Lessons from the Global Financial Crisis. It was held in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, and attracted top business executives and aspiring professionals representing various industries who wish to advance their careers. The masterclass was led by professor Randall Kroszner, Chicago Booth's deputy dean for the Executive Programs. Along with having a lively discussion on the state of the world economy, Mr Kroszner also presented unique features of the Universitys Executive MBA program and its impact on professional development and career progression. Randall Kroszner is a known and respected figure in the world of business. From 2006 until 2009, he served as a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States. He was chairman of its Committee on Supervision and Regulation of Banking Institutions during the global financial crisis. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) Six passengers who took the same Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines flights as the Chinese couple infected with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) have been reported to show flu-like symptoms, the Philippine National Police said Thursday. Four of those who earlier showed red flag signs of the contagious new virus, which was first identified in a seafood and animal market in Wuhan, China, are already on quarantine in different hospitals while the two are at home. PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Deputy Chief, Colonel Rhoderick Armamento, said personnel from the Health department will fetch the two individuals on quarantine within the day. The investigative arm of the PNP was tasked to track down people who were in contact with the Philippines' first two confirmed cases of infection with the new coronavirus. The couple arrived in the country two weeks ago from Wuhan the Chinese city at the epicenter of the 2019-nCoV outbreak. The involvement of the police came after Senator Ronald Bato dela Rosa, a former top cop, suggested during a Senate hearing Tuesday on the governments response on the 2019-nCoV outbreak, that the Health Department submit to the PNP passenger manifests from airline companies. He said the PNP would be able to track down those people in 24 hours. Dela Rosa made the suggestion after the DOH admitted at the hearing that it has been able to assess only 58 of the 331 plane passengers who may have come in contact with the pair. Armamento said they established a communications center being manned by personnel from the CIDG-National Capital Region, PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group, and the Department of Health to contact the 193 passengers who took the following domestic flights together with the couple with nCoV infection: -DG 6519 (Cebu-Dumaguete), Jan. 21, 2020 -PR 2542 (Dumaguete-Manila), Jan. 25, 2020. All passengers are being reached through phone and email and are being advised to avoid further unnecessary contact with people and stay at home as much as possible, the police official said. However, Armamento admitted they are having issues in reaching other passengers because their contact numbers are not working. Tiningnan namin, vinalidate namin 'yung mga numbers and it seems yung iba doon, apparently, non-existent, he said. [Translation: We are looking at and validating the (passengers) numbers because it seems that some of them (contact details) are apparently non-existent.] He added that they already talked to the airlines concerned to provide them with contact details that work. The couple also arrived in Cebu on January 21 from Hong Kong on Cebu Pacific flight 5J 241. One of the confirmed coronavirus cases in the country, a 44-year-old Chinese man, died from health complications Saturday, making him the first 2019-nCoV fatality outside of mainland China. He has yet to be cremated, according to health authorities. His partner, a 38-year-old Chinese woman, no longer has fever, cough and colds but recent tests showed she is still infected with 2019-nCoV. She is still confined at the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila. The death toll from the 2019-nCoV has reached over 560 people and infected over 28,000 -- mostly in China. The number includes two newborns in Wuhan, with the youngest case diagnosed at 30 hours old, CNN reported, citing China's state media. CNN Philippines Digital Producer Catherine Modesto contributed to this report The Union and the Kerala governments opposed each other in the Supreme Court on Thursday regarding the reference to a larger bench of legal questions surrounding the entry of women into the Sabarimala temple. The bench reserved its verdict, saying an order will be pronounced on Monday. To say that reference was not possible because it was a review petition is absurd. Technicalities should not come in Your Lordships way to discharge justice for posterity, the Centre second senior-most law officer, solicitor general Tushar Mehta told the court. However, senior counsel Jaideep Gupta, representing the Kerala government, opposed the reference. In a review, the court can only look into whether there is an error apparent on the face of record, Gupta argued. A nine-judge bench of the top court heard the limited issue of whether a bench of the Supreme Court, while hearing a review petition, can refer questions of law to a larger bench. The Centre and Kerala government have also been at loggerheads regarding the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA -- with the state even filing a petition in the Supreme Court last month challenging the contentious central law. That petition is yet to be heard by the Supreme Court. On November 14, 2019, a five-judge bench that heard the Sabarimala review petitions framed seven questions to be answered by a larger bench, resulting in the constitution of a nine-judge bench. When the bench assembled on February 3 to finalise the issues to be heard by it, senior counsel Fali Nariman, appearing for one of the petitioners, disputed the jurisdiction of the five-judge bench to frame legal questions and refer the case to a larger bench. He argued that the jurisdiction vested with Supreme Court while exercising the powers of review is very limited. A review bench, he argued, can only correct errors in the judgment which is being reviewed; it cannot frame legal issues and refer it to a larger bench. The nine-judge bench then decided to assemble on Thursday to first settle the issue raised by Nariman before proceeding with the hearing. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta told the court on Thursday that the power of the Supreme Court to refer matters to a larger bench is unfettered irrespective of whether the court is hearing a review petition or a curative petition. Mehta also cited the case on Section 377 of Indian Penal Code, in which fresh petitions by Navtej Singh Johar and others were entertained by the court and referred to a Constitution bench even though curative petition against a 2013 judgment in which the court had upheld the validity of Section 377 was still pending. The court eventually struck down Section 377 in the fresh petitions by Johar. Jaideep Gupta, however, argued that the scope of review jurisdiction is very limited. In a review petition, he submitted, the court can only look into whether there is an apparent error in the judgment which is being reviewed. Besides, the same has to be considered depending on the law as it existed when the main case was being heard. If there is a subsequent change in law, that cannot impact the review. If in reference SC changes the law, then parties will ask for new law to be applied in review. That cant be allowed because review should be decided only on error apparent as law stood when main case was heard. Based on a subsequent change in law, an earlier case will not be reopened, Gupta said. The CJI, in his observations, appeared to weigh in favour of the central government. He remarked that reference of legal questions by a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court to a larger bench was only a procedural innovation and did not prejudicially affect anybodys rights. It might, at the most, be an innovative procedure, he said. Senior counsel K Parasaran and Abhishek Manu Singhvi supported the submissions advanced by the Centre. Parasaran, representing the Nair Service Society (NSS), said that unless there is an express bar in the Constitution on the jurisdiction of Supreme Court, nobody can argue that top court does not have jurisdiction to refer cases to larger bench while hearing a review petition. Senior counsel Singhvi said that if during the course of hearing of review, if the judges have a doubt, they can ask a larger bench to clear the doubt. Senior counsel Indira Jaising, appearing for Bindu Ammini, one of two women who entered Sabarimala in 2019, submitted that the order of the review bench lacks clarity as to whether it was passed in writ petitions or review petitions. The Sabarimala temple which is the abode of Lord Ayyappa, the presiding deity is one of the busiest pilgrimage sites in South India. Ayyappa devotees believe that the deity has vowed celibacy, what they call naishtika brahmacharya, which is the basis for barring entry of women between 10 and 50 years of age into the temple. The top court in its September 2018 judgment allowed the entry of women of all ages, leading to about 60 review petitions challenging the 2018 verdict. A five-judge bench, hearing the petitions, in November 14 last year said framing of seven larger questions should be considered by a larger bench. Trump promises to grant Iraqi Christians facing deportation extensions to stay in US Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment President Donald Trump vowed last week to grant extensions to stay in the United States to some Iraqi Christians that his administration had earlier sought to deport despite concerns they could face persecution upon return to the Middle East. He made the promise to grant extensions to a community of Chaldean Catholic immigrants during his speech last Thursday at an auto parts manufacturing plant in Warren, Michigan. Hundreds of Iraqi Christian immigrants live in the Detroit area. In the last few years, they have lived in fear of deportation as the administration focused on enforcing outstanding deportation orders from the Obama administration and other previous administrations. "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 [to Washington], we're going to give those who need it an extension to stay in our country." Many of the Iraqi Christian immigrants in Detroit had lived in the U.S. for decades. With the community leaning conservative, many of them were pulling for Trump in the 2016 election. The administration had sought to deport as many as 1,400 Iraqis nationwide as part of a reported deal with the Iraqi government in 2017. The Iraqi government previously did not accept Iraqis returned by the U.S. until the deal was reached to keep Iraq off the administrations travel ban list. The administrations plans to deport hundreds of Iraqi Christians back to a land where Christians were recently victims of genocide by the Islamic State drew concerns from evangelical leaders affiliated with the Evangelical Immigration Table and other human rights activists. Trump explained during his remarks in Warren that he had discussed the deportation of Iraqi Christians with Republican lawmakers from Michigan during their flight from Washington. According to Reuters, five Republican lawmakers from Michigan attended the Trump event in Warren. [T]he congressmen were telling me on the plane how rough its been for [the Iraqi Christians], Trump said. Its been a very tough time for a lot of Christians all over the world. And so were going to be extending them. And a lot of people in Michigan have been asking for that. So well work with that when we get back with your great congressmen. One of the lawmakers who made the trip with Trump was Michigan Republican John Moolenaar. Moolenaar, along with Michigan Democrat Democratic Rep. Andy Levin, introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives last year that would pause Iraqi deportations. The bill was introduced months before the August 2019 death of 41-year-old Jimmy Aldaoud, a mentally challenged Chaldean who lived in the U.S. since he was six months old but was deported last year. Aldaoud, who lived in the Detroit area prior to his deportation, was reportedly unable to receive care to treat his diabetes in Iraq. Levin responded to Trumps vow in a tweet. The presidents words inspire me with cautious optimism, but let me be extremely clear relief must be extended to all Iraqi nationals who would face danger if they are deported against their will, Levin stated. In a tweet following his Air Force One ride with Trump, Moolenaar reiterated that the Iraqi Christian deportation issue has been a key priority for our state. It is not safe for Christians in Iraq, Moolenaar wrote. Wetsuweten Nation leaders say they never consented to Coastal GasLink pipeline project in British Columbia. Canadas federal police force (RCMP) has moved in to clear an Indigenous camp in an area of northern British Columbia (BC) slated for pipeline construction, Indigenous land defenders said, a move that has been condemned by rights groups. RCMP Assistant Commissioner Eric Stubbs told reporters on Wednesday that police intended to enforce a court injunction ordering the Morice West Forest Service Road cleared to allow for construction on the Coastal GasLink pipeline. Members of the Wetsuweten Nation have set up camps and checkpoints along the forestry road near the town of Houston, BC, over 1,000km (621 miles) northwest of Vancouver, to try to stop the pipeline from being built on their traditional territories. Wetsuweten leaders say they never consented to the 670km (416-mile) pipeline, which will cut across vast swaths of their land as it transports natural gas from northeast BC to a terminal near the town of Kitimat, where it will be prepared for export overseas. Theyre tearing down the tents at the watch camp at 39km, Jennifer Wickham, the media coordinator for one of the camps, the Gidimten Access Point, told Al Jazeera in a brief phone call at about 5:15am local time (13:15 GMT) on Thursday. In late December, the BC Supreme Court granted the company behind the Coastal GasLink project, TC Energy, an injunction to continue construction activities. The court also issued an enforcement order for the RCMP to clear the area. We encourage all of the protesters to abide by the injunction and leave the area and they will not be arrested, Stubbs said during the news conference on Wednesday. If there are arrests to be made, there are peaceful options that will require a minimal use of force. Early-morning raid Another encampment set up to reclaim traditional Wetsuweten lands in the area, the Unistoten Camp, said six people were arrested in the RCMP raid on Thursday morning. Dogs were used, media was banned from filming arrests. Militarised police with night vision and automatic weapons raided the camp in the dead of night, the group said on its website. Our understanding is these tents at 39KM were NOT blocking the road and are NOT in violation of the injunction area, the group tweeted earlier in the day. The RCMP did not immediately respond to Al Jazeeras request for comment via email and phone. In a statement after the early-morning actions, the RCMP said it was enforcing the courts injunction. It did not comment on the reported arrests, but it said police would enforce a full exclusion zone at a checkpoint it set up on the forestry road in mid-January. I just got out from #Gidimten clan territory on #Wetsuweten yintah, where RCMP conducted an aggressive, pre-dawn raid. Six land defenders arrested: pic.twitter.com/JkKempHUGM Jesse Winter (@jwints) February 6, 2020 As of February 6, 2020, the RCMP will not allow access to anyone who is not part of the enforcement team, with some exceptions for Wetsuweten hereditary chiefs and elected council members, the statement read. The raid was condemned by rights groups, including the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, an Indigenous advocacy group, which accused the RCMP of engaging in senseless violence. We are in absolute outrage and a state of painful anguish as we witness the Wetsuweten people having their title and rights brutally trampled on and their right to self-determination denied, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip said in a statement. Indigenous rights are human rights and they cannot be ignored or sidestepped for any reason in the world, and certainly not for an economic interest. Negotiations with BC The conflict centres around unresolved Indigenous land claims and raises questions about how major resource development projects may infringe on Indigenous rights that are protected under Canadas constitution and laws. It is one of several disputes happening across Canada over oil and gas pipeline projects. TC Energy says it reached agreements with 20 elected First Nation bands along the pipelines route and has the necessary permits to build. It has hailed the Coastal GasLink project as a way to create jobs and bolster economic development. But Wetsuweten hereditary chiefs, who under Indigenous law hold authority over approximately 22,000sq km of land, say they never gave Coastal GasLink their consent to move ahead with the project. Protesters demonstrate in downtown Seattle, Washington, to support the Wetsuweten First Nation, a community in British Columbia, Canada opposing a natural gas pipeline [File: Ted S Warren/AP Photo] The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 1997 that the Wetsuweten never ceded their rights or title to that vast swath of territory. Canada has what is called a duty to consult Indigenous peoples whose rights may be affected by such projects. It also signed on to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which outlines the principle of free, prior and informed consent for Indigenous peoples. The Wetsuweten land defenders say the Coastal GasLink project poses a risk to the land, the water, and their way of life. Since the court issued the injunction in late December, the Wetsuweten hereditary chiefs have evicted Coastal GasLink workers from their territories. They have insisted on meeting with the BC government to settle the dispute. The province and the hereditary chiefs announced on January 30 that they would enter into a seven-day negotiations period. On Tuesday evening, they said those talks had broken down. While we were not successful in finding a resolution to the current situation, we continue to remain open to dialogue with the Wetsuweten leadership on this issue, Scott Fraser, BC minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, said in a statement. Coastal GasLink President David Pfeiffer said in an open letter on Thursday that it was truly unfortunate that we were unable to find a path forward that allowed for the construction of Coastal GasLink with the support of all. Now that our work has resumed, we will press ahead in accordance with our construction schedule and do not anticipate any further disruptions, Pfeiffer said. Protecting our territory Meanwhile, the Wetsuweten hereditary chiefs and other members of the community have also raised concerns about the RCMP using force to clear their camps. Heavily armed RCMP officers cleared the Gidimten Access Point in January 2019. Fourteen people were arrested at that time, and the RCMP officers were authorised to use lethal force during the dispersal, The Guardian recently reported, prompting widespread criticism. The threat of their extreme use of violence and force hasnt gone away since the day of the raid. Were constantly under that threat and that pressure, Sleydo (Molly Wickham), a Wetsuweten land defender and spokeswoman for the Gidimten checkpoint, told Al Jazeera in December. 1/2 URGENT UPDATE from Molly Wickham at Wet'suwet'en Access Point on Gidimt'en Territory as the RCMP raid was getting started ALL EYES ON WETSUWETEN TERRITORY!#WetsuwetenStrong pic.twitter.com/0kONt793Q5 Gidimten Checkpoint (@Gidimten) February 6, 2020 At the news conference on Wednesday, the RCMP said it had no choice but to enforce the injunction. Orders and injunctions from the Supreme Court of British Columbia are not optional invitations or suggestions for the parties and the police. Instead, they are mandatory directions from the court. Police are not at liberty to choose which law to follow, said Stubbs. But on Thursday morning, Sleydo said the RCMP had no jurisdiction on Wetsuweten lands. Its time to make it known that Indigenous people will not be oppressed any longer, that the RCMP cant come in and remove us from our territories, she said in a video posted on Facebook. We have a right and a responsibility to be protecting our territory, to be protecting our water, to be protecting our future generations. A four-alarm fire at a duplex in South Boston displaced seven residents Wednesday evening and caused an estimated $2 million in damages, officials said. Two firefighters working to put out the blaze were also taken to the hospital with minor injuries, the Boston Fire Department said in a series of tweets. One was treated for heat exhaustion, and the other suffered a laceration. Its probably the most alarms that have been struck this year, Brian Alkins, a spokesman for the department, told MassLive. The fire started around 5:20 p.m. in the basement of the left side of the duplex at 409 East 7th St., which was unoccupied and remains under construction. The blaze spread to the right side of the building, where six adults and a child live. All residents were safely evacuated, the department said. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The American Red Cross is working with the displaced residents to find them housing. 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 Los Angeles freeways and expressways connect about 515 miles of L.A. county. For funsies, KPCC's Take Two asked listeners if they had ... a favorite one? The response was a resounding, "NO," but there was one that stood out as overwhelmingly tolerable: the 2. Driving is a part of life here in Los Angeles, so youre bound to have a favorite freeway, right? Which one is yours? Take Two (@taketwo) February 4, 2020 The 2 Freeway runs 87 miles from Echo Park to the San Gabriel Mountains. It's periodically been written about, and it's a favorite for its scenic views and relative emptiness. It's even inspired love letters. Here's a piece of from Brenda Rees, published on The Eastsider: "...the 2 throws off its unassuming cloak of ordinary and transforms into an engineering marvel that promises - and DELIVERS - an exhilarating driving experience with matching natural scenery." But once upon time, the 2 was supposed to cut through Silver Lake and intersect with the 101, then continue west through Hollywood and into Beverly Hills all the way to the 405. Consequently, it was once known as the Beverly Hills Freeway. So what happened? To understand that, you need to take a step back and understand that early L.A. city planners once had a grand vision for our freeways. "In 1959, state highway engineers planned a 1,500-mile freeway network crisscrossing the L.A. region," Robert Petersen, host of Hidden History L.A., told us. "No neighborhood was to be more than four miles from a freeway." Initially, these plans looked like they would become a reality. But by the late '60s and early 1970s, funding issues, rising construction costs, community opposition, protracted litigation, environmental concerns, appeals for mass transit, and options other than freeways, all contributed to an uncertain future for freeways in Los Angeles. It was these types of obstacles that ended up stopping the 2 freeway extension and grounding it in Echo Park. "There were disputes between the city, the county, and the state,"said Petersen. "Oh, there was also funding problems. Freeways got more and more and more and more expensive. And then finally, community opposition ... And then once you had a lot of community opposition, just like we've seen with the 710 that trying to finish that, it's hard. You need a lot of political will and that just wasn't there." Though it would have, in theory, capitalized on convenience, the failed extension of the 2 brought about something else. "If you ever think about the corner in Silver Lake -- of Silver Lake Boulevard and Sunset -- where all those restaurants are, the freeway would have gone right through there," said Petersen. "So all those restaurants all those homes would have been demolished. And really the character of Silver Lake would have been radically transformed if the freeway had gone through there." Correction: An earlier version of this post misspelled Brenda Rees' last name. LAist regrets the error. At the meeting, PM Hun Sen said recently signed agreements between the two countries have proved that the bilateral relations are developing strongly. Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (L) and RoK President Moon Jae-in (Source: Yonhap) He hoped that the agreement on double taxation avoidance will open opportunities for RoK investors to enter Cambodia. Meanwhile, the RoK leader said since his visit to Cambodia last year, the bilateral relations are continuously developing as shown in the signing of the pact and an agreement on double taxation avoidance and mutual legal assistance in criminal cases. Cooperation projects between the two sides in agricultural development, including their joint research on the bilateral free trade agreement (FTA), are also underway, he said. Moon pledged that his country will actively cooperate with Cambodia to successfully organise the 13th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) this year, expressing his hope that the two countries will further tighten their cooperation in 2020. The two leaders agreed to expand trade promotion platforms between the RoK and Cambodia, and their finance, agriculture and IT cooperation; and approve the joint research on the RoK-Cambodia FTA. They stressed that RoK-ASEAN and RoK-Mekong summits held in November last year were important turning points to implement the "New Southern Policy of the RoK. The two also agreed to conduct close discussions in order to foster the cooperation mechanisms./. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has sent a condolence letter to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan. I was deeply saddened by the news of heavy casualties caused by an avalanche that happened in Van, reads the letter. On the occasion of this tragedy, on my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my deep condolences to you, the families and the loved ones of those who were killed, and wish the injured recovery. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Hyderabad, Feb 6 : A fast-track court in Nalgonda district of Telangana on Thursday sentenced to death a 29-year man for rape and murder of three minor girls. After 42-day continuous hearing, the court held Marri Srinivas Reddy guilty of kidnapping and killing the girls, aged 11, 17 and 14 years. He had committed the first crime in 2015 and the two other crimes in 2019. He dumped the victims' bodies in two farm wells in Hajipur village. He was found guilty of kidnapping, rape, murder and destroying evidence. Observing that it fell in the category of the rarest of rare cases, First Additional and District Sessions Judge S.V.V Nath Reddy ruled that the convict be hanged till death. The sentence has to be confirmed by the Telangana High Court. Reddy was arrested in April 2019 for sexual assault and murder of a 14-year girl. The investigation revealed that he had earlier committed two similar crimes and dumped the victim's bodies in two dried-up wells. Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat said the charge-sheets in the three cases were filed in three months. The court pronounced the order after examining 101 witnesses. "The judgment gives a great relief to the society in general and family members of the victims in particular," he said. According to police, a 11-year-old was the first victim of Reddy. On April 22, 2015, the girl on way to her village Mysireddypally from her maternal aunt's house in Hajipur. The accused followed her and after the sexual assault threw the body into the well. In the second case on March 7, 2019, he kidnapped a 17-year girl after offering her lift on his bike. After rape and murder, threw the body into another well. On April 25, 2019, the accused used same modus operandi and gave lift to a 14-year girl. He strangulated her to death after sexual assault and buried the body in the same well. While investigating the missing complaint, the police detained him on suspicion. The probe unearthed the shocking crimes. According to the police, Reddy was also involved in rape and murder of a woman in Kurnool town of Andhra Pradesh in 2016. It's second time in a week that a fast-track court in Telangana has awarded death sentence in the rape and murder case. An Adilabad district court on January 30 had sentenced to death all three convicts of the gang-rape and murder of a woman. This judgment had come 66 days of the crime in a village in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district. HARTFORD Seated just behind the rows of state Senators in the well of the House of Representatives, Jennifer and Richard Rodriguez, sat quietly with their daughter, 7-month-old Leahni, absorbed in Gov. Ned Lamonts State of the State speech. Lamont had invited them. Then he turned and addressed them directly. Jennifer, Richard, you just told me the story about how if youd taken that small raise, if you did a little more overtime, you would have lost all of the benefits of Care 4 Kids, you would have lost money doing it, and instead we made it easier for middle class families to afford it so that your beautiful daughter, youll know, will have a great place, a safe place, while youre hard at work, Lamont said. The entire chamber of legislators rose to offer the family a standing ovation. As the sunlight streamed through the stained glass windows on the first day of the legislative session, they took in a moment they had never imagined. It was a big experience for us, Richard Rodriguez said. We felt really appreciated for that. My wife is a day care teacher, and it means a lot to her especially because she has been trying to get more help not just for us but for other people in the middle class. Our story, that we make too much so we didnt qualify for care but we couldnt afford to pay for daycare, isnt that unusual. The Rodriguez family lives in New Haven, where he works at CarMax, a used car dealership, and she is the lead teacher at the non-profit childcare center, Hope for New Haven. Their oldest daughter is 9 and in public school, and their middle daughter, who is 4, is in school part time, but requires day care the rest of the time. Even with a reduced rate at the day care where she works, affording childcare for three children, which they need so they can both work full time to pay rent and all of their bills, is a stretch. Theyre one of tens of thousands of families in Connecticut and millions across the nation facing the same dilemma as pre-school childcare costs rise quickly. Without assistance through the Kids 4 Care program, Richard say they would pay $300 to $400 per week for childcare. Last fall, Lamont announced a change to the program that raised the bar for a familys average income to qualify for the assistance and not lose the subsidy, and made a small change to the program that doesnt immediately disqualify families from the program if they get a small raise or work overtime that raises their income beyond the threshold. A modest raise of $50 a week would not make up the difference for the cost of childcare but it would have previously disqualified the family from receiving the subsidy, effective immediately. Now if I get a raise its not going to kick you off immediately, he said. They know that if you make that $50-$60 more its not going to kick you off. They give you a good window to actually make changes. The Rodriguez family met briefly with Lamont ahead of his speech, and said they didnt waste the opportunity to thank the governor for the change that has already significantly improved their quality of life. But they also reminded him theres still a long way to go to help middle income families make ends meet in a state with growing costs. Hes right, what he said, we should celebrate the positives that theyre trying to achieve, Richard said. Care 4 Kids is a big movement forward from where it was, it still isnt where it should be, but we should celebrate the move forward that will help us and the rest of the middle class families. Its very difficult and its just something that they should take away that it is a positive that we are moving in the right direction. kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP Announces Investigation on Behalf of V.F. Corporation Investors Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP ("GPM") announces an investigation on behalf of V.F. Corporation ("VF" or the Company") (NYSE:VFC) investors concerning the Company and its officers' possible violations of federal securities laws. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click her to participate. On January 23, 2020, V.F. Corporation announced that it intends to sell the brands comprising its work segment, excluding Dickies and Timberland PRO. The Company also disclosed that its work brands contributed only about $865 million in revenue and $130 million in adjusted operating income for fiscal year 2019. On this news, V.F. Corporation's share price fell $9.16 per share, or nearly 10%, to close at $85.41 per share on January 23, 2020, thereby injuring investors. If you purchased V.F. 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/20200205005903/en/ A drug dealer has been sent to prison after he was caught sending class A substances disguised as protein powder through the mail, according to police. Dmitrijs Tarkakanovs was spotted on CCTV sending a parcel that had been flagged as containing 1kg of MDMA and 100g of cocaine and then traced back to a post office in Peterborough. Police were alerted when the man tried to send more packages in the post office in November. They arrived and arrested Tarkakanovs, who had more than 60 individual parcels containing crystal meth, heroin, ecstasy and LSD, according to police. The 27-year-old would use special delivery to send his drugs, Cambridgeshire Police said. Smugglers hide drugs in food Show all 11 1 /11 Smugglers hide drugs in food Smugglers hide drugs in food Methamphetamine in chocolate bar This July 2012 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows methamphetamine disguised as a chocolate candy bar in Los Angeles. Officials said a California man tried to smuggle more than 4 pounds of methamphetamine out of the country disguised as 45 individually wrapped chocolate bars at Los Angeles International Airport. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine in coffee This October 2015 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows a packet of cocaine hidden in a bag of ground coffee in Miami. Three bags of roasted, ground coffee arriving at Miami International Airport in a package from Guatemala in October were actually filled with more than 3 pounds of heroin, customs officials said. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine in powdered milk This November 2014 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows bags of powdered dairy product that contained cocaine in New York. A woman arriving at Kennedy International Airport in New York from Guyana was found with six bags of milk and custard powder that were filled with cocaine. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine in custard powder This November 2014 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows bags, marked as holding powdered dairy products, that hold cocaine in New York. A woman arriving at Kennedy International Airport in New York from Guyana was found with six bags of milk and custard powder that were filled with cocaine. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine in various foods This October 2015 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows an array of food products concealing cocaine in Newark, N.J. A U.S. citizen arriving from Peru at Newark Liberty International Airport in October had an assortment of food in his luggage that customs officials found also included 10 pounds of cocaine. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine in vanilla wafers This April 2015 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows vanilla wafers filled with cocaine in Houston. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine in vanilla wafers A Guatemalan citizen arrived at George Bush Intercontinental Airport from Guatemala City in April with packages of vanilla wafers. But when customs officials opened them up, they said they found they were filled with cocaine instead of cream filling. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Liquid cocaine in rum bottles This December 2014 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows rum bottles filled with liquid cocaine in New York. A man arriving from Guyana at Kennedy International Airport in New York was found to be carrying the bottles that customs officials said were filled with 18 pounds worth of liquid cocaine. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine paste in chocolate syrup This February 2012 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows plastic packets of chocolate syrup and salad dressing concealing cocaine paste in Los Angeles. A mother and daughter traveling from Spain were carrying bags of condiments that customs officials at Los Angeles International Airport decided felt unusually thick. They opened it up to find a plastic bag with cocaine paste placed inside, and then found another syrup packet in their checked-in luggage that contained more cocaine paste. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Opium in cinnamon packets This June 2012 photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows packets of opium covered in cinnamon hidden inside a rice cooker in Los Angeles. Officials found the rice cooker stuffed with 3 pounds' worth of black opium, which had been coated in cinnamon and wrapped in plastic, being transported by a man arriving at Los Angeles International Airport from Iran. AP Smugglers hide drugs in food Cocaine in frozen meat This undated photo provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in October 2015 shows a block of cocaine concealed in a package of frozen meat in New York. A man arrived at Kennedy International Airport from Trinidad with three large packages of frozen meat in his suitcase. AP After his arrest, police searched Tarkakanovs house in Peterborough and found more cannabis and ecstasy. Cambridgeshire Police said he has been sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs. Andrew Donaldson, a detective constable, said the drug dealer thought he had found a loophole to exploit. The addresses on the parcels were to all around the world, including Australia, he said. Thank you to the post office staff in Peterborough and the police and customs officers in Jersey. The Jersey customs officers diligence in spotting the drugs disguised as protein powder has helped put him behind bars. Tarkakanovs was sentenced to six years in prison at Peterborough Crown Court. Additional reporting by agencies The outbreak of the pneumonia epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus has boosted the rise of online education and telecommuting platforms in China, Shanghai Securities News reported. A teacher produces online courses at the No. 1 Middle School of Urumqi. (Photo/Xinhua) Yuanfudao, Chinas online tutoring platform, crashed on Feb. 3 after it was overloaded by students entering the free live broadcast of courses it provided. The number of users topped 5 million that day, said a manager of Yuanfudao. The same thing happened to telecommuting platforms such as WeChat Work and Ding Ding. On Feb. 3, the first workday after Chinas Spring Festival, several million companies used WeChat Work, three times that of the same period last year, according to a manager with WeChat Work. Tens of millions of users used WeChat Work and hundreds of thousands of meetings were held on the platform that day, the manager added. Data suggest that more than 10 million enterprises and organizations resumed work after the holiday on Ding Ding. In response to the explosive demand for telecommuting, major platforms have launched solutions to make it more convenient for users to work outside the office. While Ding Ding allowed 302 people to conduct video conferences for free, Feishu, also a corporate communication and collaboration platform, explained that online offices could accommodate as many as 50 employees at the same time. Each passenger was given a wristband with a number and everyone on the plane wore masks. Most slept throughout the journey and even once they woke, the passengers mainly tried to keep to themselves, Xu said. Their temperatures were recorded before takeoff, twice during the flight and again when they landed in California. There, Xu was called to the front of the plane because her temperature had risen slightly. Vaccine responses in the developing immune systems of children may depend on factors such as age, location and anemia status, according to a study comparing samples from 1,119 Dutch children to 171 children in sub-Saharan Africa who took part in a malaria vaccine trial. By casting light on how geography shapes immune responses in children, the findings could help health authorities conduct more effective vaccination campaigns in developing countries. Children in low-income countries are highly susceptible to both vaccine-preventable diseases and infections such as malaria that have historically lacked a vaccine. However, some immunizations do not work as well in children as in adults, partly because scientists don't fully understand how age, nutrition and genetics influence the developing immune system. Danika Hill and colleagues examined blood samples from 55 children in Tanzania and 116 children in Mozambique under the age of five who had taken part in a phase 3 trial for RTS,S (MosquirixTM) - one of the first vaccines for malaria licensed in Europe. They found that the composition of immune cells in the children evolved over the 32-month trial, and in some cases matured more quickly when compared with samples from Dutch children collected during a previous study. Furthermore, children in Mozambique showed a stronger antibody response to the malaria vaccine compared with Tanzanian children, hinting that geography within continents also influences immune dynamics. One key finding was that children in Tanzania and Mozambique with anemia showed weaker immune responses to the vaccine and lower frequencies of B cells, which, through follow-up studies in the lab, the authors tied to a lack of bioavailable iron. They say their results could explain the poor vaccination outcomes observed in anemic children and iron-deficient adults, but add that further studies should dissect the influence of iron deficiency. ### | By Lou Cortina Roni Ellington, PhD, MA, did her homework in preparing for her role as the keynote speaker at the University of Maryland, Baltimores (UMB) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month celebration on Feb. 5. Shantay McKinily, MEd, director of the Positive Schools Center, accepts the Diversity Recognition Award for Outstanding UMB Faculty/Unit from UMB Interim President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS. The associate professor from Morgan State University reviewed a dozen of the late civil rights leaders speeches and found what she called a new kindred spirit in Kings work. She took the stage at MSTF Leadership Hall and discussed how his messages still resonate in relation to a topic she knows well: promoting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for under-represented minorities. I didnt want to just talk about the I Have a Dream speech, Ellington said during her passionate and eloquent 35-minute presentation before a crowd of 350-plus. And as I was going through Dr. Kings work, this statement stood out: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. He said the realization of justice for any person, community, or nation rests on its ability to end injustice. And where something is unjust, youll find inequitable outcomes, and nowhere are these inequitable outcomes more pervasive than in the STEM pipeline. (View a photo gallery.) Ellington focuses on that pipeline in her work in Morgan States Department of Advanced Studies, Leadership, and Policy and as a speaker, author, and owner of the Transforming STEM Network. But she says efforts to boost minority participation in STEM are not succeeding because educators perceptions are influenced by race, gender, and socioeconomic status when judging students STEM potential. We've been talking about diversity, inclusion, and equity in STEM education for 50 years, yet the outcomes have been dismal at best, said Ellington, who used a PowerPoint presentation to illustrate her points. There has been a failure to actually address the real systemic issues that black and brown children face in the STEM pipeline. I call this places of oppression. In these places, many of our students are not able to realize their full potential. Ellington was familiar with those places as a child and talked about her experiences growing up in Washington, D.C., how she was getting straight As in less-rigorous classes before a geography teacher noticed her academic potential and suggested she move up. And then I had a completely different experience in a gifted-and-talented type of program, she said. I got access to a totally different curriculum. My eighth-grade math teacher called me a genius. I had never been called a genius in my life! Im sharing this story not to brag about my math ability, I'm telling you this because context matters, where children land matters, what they have access to matters. And had that geography teacher not made that recommendation, you might not see me here today. Ellingtons keynote followed a welcome by UMB Interim President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, and a rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing often considered the black national anthem by the Hippocratic Notes, an a cappella group of School of Medicine students who later closed the program with What a Wonderful World. In his remarks, Jarrell talked about past keynote speakers at this event and how they made him think about diversity and inclusion. What do I find valuable about these celebrations? I sit and listen. I sit and learn. What it is like to live in Baltimore? What it is like to grow up in an underserved and disadvantaged community? What it is like to live in a racially prejudiced environment? Jarrell said. But I also learn about how UMB can make progress to overcome these issues. What all of us in this room can do. What I can do. What can be done when promoting STEM for minorities? Ellington provided a framework, saying STEM education must move from merely producing strategies for higher participation to embracing true transformation, that equity must be ingrained at the center of this work and not on the margins, and that it was in everyones best interests that all children have the opportunity to succeed in STEM. She referenced other King quotes, from his famous Letter from Birmingham Jail, in which he expressed frustration with white moderates who were more devoted to maintaining order than seeking justice in the civil rights movement. Dr. King wrote, Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection, and he concluded that these moderates preferred a negative peace, which is the absence of tension, to a positive peace, which is the presence of justice, Ellington said. To promote justice, educators must be willing to disrupt common thinking, perspectives, and systems surrounding STEM education, Ellington said. We must be someone who says, Not on my watch. Not on my watch will people be judged in ways that snuff out their scientific curiosity, their technological innovation, their engineering design thinking, and their mathematical genius, she said. A whole new reality is available for us, which is a world where STEM access, opportunity, achievement, and participation cannot be predicted by race, creed, color, gender, or economic status. After Ellingtons speech, Jarrell presented the annual Diversity Recognition Awards, which are sponsored by UMBs Diversity Advisory Council and recognize individual and/or group achievements in the areas of diversity and inclusiveness. The Positive Schools Center, a K-12 school-based services program within the Social Work Community Outreach Service initiative at the School of Social Work, was honored as Outstanding UMB Faculty/Unit for its work to improve school climate in Baltimore City, teach less punitive approaches to discipline, and strengthen conversations around racial justice and equity. Elodie N. Tendoh of the School of Pharmacy was named Outstanding UMB Student for her leadership and mentoring with the Student National Pharmaceutical Association, the UMB CURE Scholars Program, and the Presidents Student Leadership Institute, among other groups. The fourth-year student is a mother of two and a former biology teacher in her native Cameroon. Bill Joyner, LMSW, senior economic inclusion specialist in the Office of Community Engagement (OCE), was recognized as Outstanding UMB Staff for his role in supporting OCEs strategic planning and recruiting local businesses from marginalized populations to be part of the Universitys supply chain, particularly in relation to catering services. Jarrell noted that the award nomination described Joyners work as literally putting UMBs money where its mouth is. After the presentations, six city students were honored for their participation in UMBs Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical Contest in which they wrote about a King quote or what Baltimore means to them. Jarrell also pointed out a group of UMB CURE Scholars sitting among the crowd. Later, the students in the Universitys STEM pipeline program stood outside the auditorium and spoke to attendees about their research posters, which included topics such as The Effects Social Media Has on Mental Health, New Discoveries in Lung Cancer, and The Impact of Technology on Mental Illness and Society. Read more about Ellington and UMBs Diversity Recognition Award winners. Federal investigators say they cant identify the pilot or the plane caught on camera zooming under the Riegelsville free bridge last Sept. 13. The single-engine, general aviation aircraft passed under the span about 4:30 p.m. that Friday, headed downstream between Riegelsville in Bucks County and Pohatcong Township in Warren County, the bridges owner, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, had said at the time. The commission alerted state police in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and the Federal Aviation Administration opened an investigation into the incident. The FAA said Thursday its investigation is closed: "The agency cannot continue the investigation without the aircraft registration number or the identity of the aircraft owner or pilot." The agency provided the following additional background about the incident: "The FAA enforces civil aviation safety regulations, not criminal laws. Regulations require pilots to fly safely and remain clear of obstructions such as buildings, bridges or cell phone towers. Generally, we need the aircraft registration number, also called the 'N-number' or 'tail number,' which is displayed on the side of every aircraft, to track down the owner or pilot. A pilot who violates regulations may receive penalties ranging from a letter of correction to retraining or a flight check with an FAA safety inspector. In the most serious cases, the agency can suspend or revoke a pilots certificate. "If anyone has credible information that would help the FAA identify the aircraft or pilot, they may contact us and we will look into this further. "Also, general aviation aircraft can fly legally in clear weather without filing a flight plan. This means the flight is not tracked on radar. A pilot who flies low over the water and under a bridge likely is below radar coverage." Anyone with information that may be of assistance to the FAAs investigation may contact investigators via the agencys hotline web page at faa.gov. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. To no ones surprise, the Democrats impeachment drive fell flat in the Senate today. Both articles were decided on a purely party line vote, but for Mitt Romney, who switched sides on the first article (abuse of power). The only mild surprise is that no Democrats voted against removal. Doug Jones of Alabama, for one, can forget about any possibility of re-election. But with Jeff Sessions waiting in the wings, he probably figured he had no chance anyway. Where do the Democrats go from here? They always knew they had zero chance of conviction, so their only motives were 1) the hope that impeachment would tar President Trump and reduce his chances of a second term, and 2) pure spite. So far, at least, there is little indication that Trump has been hurt politically. Impeachment must be viewed in the context of the Democrats effort to destroy Donald Trump that began prior to his inauguration. For more than three years, their get-Trump campaign has dominated the news. Mostly, it was the Russia hoax. The Democrats originally intended to use that as the basis for impeachment. When the Mueller report negated that plan, they switchedliterally overnightto the much weaker Ukraine theory. No matter. It was impeachment or bust, if only to continue filling up the nightly news with purported Trump scandals. Now the smoke will begin to clear, and I dont think the Democrats will like the landscape that comes into focus. Their Iowa caucuses were a laughingstock. They made fools of themselves (Nancy Pelosi, especially) during Trumps State of the Union speech. And, most seriously, they dont have a presidential candidate. Joe Biden is in freefall, and the partys elders, such as they are, concede that Bernie Sanders would be a disaster. Will they turn to Mayor Pete Buttigieg? Will Michael Bloomberg be their savior? Or will Hillary Clinton or John Kerry come out of retirement? I think they are grasping at straws. For a long time now, the Democrats have used their hysterical attacks on President Trump to deflect attention from the real scandalthe misuse of the Obama administrations Department of Justice, FBI and CIA to spy on, and plot against, the Trump presidential campaign and, subsequently, his administration. This is the biggest political scandal in American history, and the Democrats, with the Russia hoax, Ukraine and impeachment now a spent force, are naked, so to speak. One can only imagine with what anxiety they are awaiting the findings of John Durhams investigation and any criminal indictments that may accompany them. Much will change between now and November, but this week has been a dark time for the Democratic Party, and a shining moment for America. Britain's Most Expensive Home: Building For A Billionaire Rating: Home Rating: They say money can't buy happiness but that isn't true. You only have to look at mobile phones billionaire John Caudwell, a man so pleased with his wealth that he's in danger of hugging himself to death. Unfortunately, what money definitely can't buy you is taste. Britain's Most Expensive Home: Building For A Billionaire (C4) was a guided tour of the gaudiest building site in London. Caudwell's Mayfair home, with chandeliers the size of hatchbacks, was like a cruise ship decked out in fancy dress for a Versailles-themed party. The underground cinema is adorned with posters from Hollywood movies, featuring Caudwell family faces superimposed on the stars. The head of his partner Modesta a Lithuanian Olympic cyclist, 31 years his junior is stuck on Marilyn Monroe's shoulders. John Caudwell's London home was like a cruise ship decked out in fancy dress for a Versailles-themed party Around the pool is a red-and-black frieze lit by flashing LEDs. It's supposed to resemble liquid lava. It looks like a skin disease. The house is intended as the backdrop for Caudwell's charity balls, raising money for disabled children and fighting Lyme disease, which has afflicted his whole family. For this, John deserves much credit. But charity can't disguise this rampant ostentation. Every room delivers a monstrosity greater than the last, from the 'river' running like a gutter through the dining room, to the mirrored nightclub dancefloor ('All right if you're wearing trousers,' whispers a workman, 'but my wife wouldn't like it'). John loved to portray himself as a wizard for details and marched around finding fault with minutiae the spacing between studs on the red leather walls, for instance. The contractors agreed that John's business acumen was unrivalled, while they ramped up their estimates. The original budget for the refurb was 10 million . . . but the eventual cost was almost seven times as much, at 68 million. 'I hate minimalism, I love maximalism,' John bragged. He certainly got his bill maximalised. Sadly, the deal was that no one could criticise a word he said. The documentary would have been seven times better if someone had challenged John's delusions of grandeur. 'It's probably going to be London's very, very best private residence,' he announced. Frenetic fix of the week: Chef Tom Kerridge is urging us to Lose Weight And Get Fit (BBC2). To achieve this, he's getting up at 5.20am to go to the gym, then tucking in to creamy eggs with fried veg. That sounds more like Fast Track To A Heart Attack. Advertisement If you like your mansions to be inspired by marquees at a gipsy wedding, he's probably right. The nearest anyone dared come to dissent was a nervous squeak from the designer charged with creating a 300,000 sculpture called the Tree Of Life John's 3D biography, a sort of Christmas tree with models of his cars, yachts and children dangling from the branches. 'I'm concerned,' she gulped, 'it's going to start looking a bit... chavvy.' Whatever his faults, at least John didn't lecture us unlike Home (C4), a breathtakingly pious sitcom about a Syrian refugee named Sami (Youssef Kerkour). Slabs of ghastly dialogue reached a high pitch of awfulness when Rebekah Staton, as groovy teacher Katy, gave a sex talk to a 15-year-old schoolgirl, imagining all the wonderful lovers (male and female) this child would have during the next few years. At the end, the girl's friends whooped and cheered. Bad comedy on telly is hardly unusual, but it's rare to see something so dreadful it's actually nauseating. The speeches about Britain's asylum laws, not to mention gay rights in Nigeria, came almost as a relief. Comedian Rob Delaney admitted this week that his innovative C4 comedy-drama Catastrophe has spawned numerous copycats, many of which 'wind up not being funny enough'. He must have been thinking of Home. The Kerala Police on Thursday arrested two people on charges of raping a 46-year-old Thailand in the state capital. According to the Ernakulam Central Police, a-46-year-old Thailand was allegedly raped by two men here and based on her complaint they were arrested. The accused has been identified as Mohammad Insaf and his friend Ansaruddin from Kondotty in Malappuram district. The police said that the woman had been a Facebook friend of Insaf for the last seven months. They came into contact with each other after she had enrolled her child in a school in the Malappuram district. The woman had come from Bangkok recently to visit her child and was staying in a hotel here, the police said. It was then that Insaf along with his friend Ansaruddin had come to meet the woman and then they had allegedly raped the woman at the hotel room, the police added. The police also informed the reporters that all formalities including medical examination of the woman have been completed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Elder Amos Kevin-Annan, Deputy Youth Director of the Church of Pentecost at the weekend urged Christian couples to develop a positive mindset towards their partners if their marriages are to be fruitful and become a success. He said marriage partners should eschew negative attitudes such as anger, selfishness, secularism, suspicion, split personality and seared conscience that worked against marriages. The Pentecost Elder gave the advice in a sermon at the Fountain of Glory Assemblies of God Church in Accra, on the topic; "Our Marriage Must Work" He emphasized that couples should rather see each other as both a blessing and a burden. He said this would enable them to build a stronger marriage life and reduce the incidence of divorces that had brought many otherwise fruitful marriages to an abrupt end. Elder Kevin-Annan said to create a successful and a happy home, couples should see each other as helpmates, control their anger and suspicions, show loyalty, love, respect, dedication, teamwork and understanding to each other. He reminded couples that, there would be a period of tranquility and turbulence in every marriage, saying in times as that they should avoid marriage comparisons, particularly to those seen in movies. Take telenovelas out of your head, stop comparing your marriage life with what you see on TV. Marriage is a serious business, face your own reality, he reiterated. He advised wives to make the home a welcoming place for their husbands and children so as not to push them away and find solace in other women or company. He said women could do this by finding sweet names to call their partners and also be the fire extinguishers who always strived for peace and harmony in the home. Wives should stop calling their husbands by the name of their first born child. If you call your husband Kojo Papa and tomorrow Kojo is not there, what name will you call him with again? Be a sweet talker as a woman, he stated. Elder Kevin-Annan mentioned that, marriages become stagnant if one partner finds alternatives for the other partner saying, Couples should make each other their utmost priority over work, family and colleagues. He also admonished the youth to be cautious of the things they see while dating or courting as some things when overlooked might repeat itself in the marriage. He further entreated pastors and church leaders to hand over abusive men to the police after praying for them to serve as a deterrent to others. 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: The Canadian Press Tanker anchored in Burrard Inlet outside Burnaby. Almost $150 million allocated to help protect Canada's oceans has gone unspent by the Trudeau government over the past two years. The Liberals have touted their $1.5-billion oceans protection plan as "the largest investment ever made to protect Canada's coasts and waterways" including efforts to mitigate the potential environmental damage from the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline. The pipeline is to carry diluted bitumen from Alberta's oilsands to the British Columbia coast for export to overseas markets, resulting in as much as a six-fold increase in tanker traffic and increasing the risk of oil spills and damage to marine life, particularly whales. But in response to a written question tabled in the House of Commons by NDP fisheries critic Gord Johns about how the ocean protections plan funding has been spent so far, the government admits millions have not been spent. Fisheries and Oceans Canada says some $85.9 million of its share of the program's funding has not been spent over the past two years. Environment Canada says it didn't spend $3.5 million of its share of the funding and Transport Canada says it left $59 million unspent. "We're looking at $150 million just over the past two years that they haven't spent and this is in light of them approving the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion," Johns said in an interview. "They're trying to tell British Columbians and Canadians that they've invested in this world-class oceans protection plan, but they haven't actually been rolling out the money." But a spokeswoman for Fisheries and Oceans Minister Bernadette Jordan said the total of $1.5 billion was to be spent over five years. "There are still nearly two years remaining in the OPP fund and we have ensured that funds remain to continue to support ongoing projects and initiatives," said Jane Deeks in an email. "We have every intention to use the full $1.5 billion by 2021 to protect our oceans for generations to come." Three passengers that were on board the Pegasus Airlines flight that skidded off the runway at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport on Wednesday have died. The aircraft flown by the low-cost carrier was set to arrive at Istanbuls Sabiha Gokcen airport after taking off from the Turkish city of Izmir. It then suffered a rough landing, the Turkish Transportation Ministry said. The airline confirmed the news in a press release early Thursday morning, noting other passengers are still being hospitalized. Specifically a reported 157 passengers are injured, including the plane's two pilots. Plane skids off Istanbul runway, breaks into pieces injuring dozens https://t.co/nqb6pgKYir pic.twitter.com/Hy3OEaVeP6 FRANCE 24 (@FRANCE24) February 5, 2020 "Pegasus Airlines shares in the profound sorrow of all the people affected by this tragic accident," the press release read. "Above all, we would like to express our profound sympathy and heartfelt condolences to those families and friends who have lost loved ones and extend our thoughts to them at this difficult time. Our injured passengers continue to be treated in hospital and we wish them all a swift recovery." The flight was carrying 183 people, including six crew members, crashed into a road and broke into three pieces, according to The Associated Press. Wounded people are being carried to Kartal Training and Research Hospital after a passenger plane skidded off the runway in Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, on February 05, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey. | Anadolu Agency/Getty Images %image1 A view of the site as firefighters, paramedics conducting operations and injured passengers are being dispatching to hospitals after a passenger plane skidded off the runway in Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport, breaking into two, on February 05, 2020 in Istanbul, Turkey. ( | Anadolu Agency/Getty Images "We are deploying every resource to support those affected by this accident. Pegasus Airlines priority is to support the relatives and friends who have lost loved ones, and we will be doing everything we can to help them in the aftermath of this tragic event, as well as doing our utmost to provide our full support in meeting the needs in hospital of our injured passengers," the press release concluded. This, however, is not the first time a Pegasus Airlines flight has skidded off this very same runway. The AP also noted that just one month ago, a similar incident occured while the plane was carrying 164 passengers. And in January 2018, another one of its planes slid off a runway at northeastern Turkeys Trabzon Airport with its nose facing the Black Sea. None of those 168 passengers were injured either. A Chinese youth, who approached the city police here seeking help to get a hotel accomodation, was rushed to an isolation ward of a hospital for observation. The 25-year-old tourist, who was on a trip to India, reached the state capital on Tuesday, police said. When all efforts to get a hotel accomodation failed, he approached the city police commissioner's office with a complaint that he was unable to get a room. As soon the police personnel heard that he had arrived from China, where the novel coronavirus outbreak toll has climbed to 563, they rushed him to the isolation ward, they said. The man, hailing from Sichuan province, does not have any symptoms of the virus. However, his samples have been sent for testing. He is said to have arrived in Delhi on January 23 and reached here by flight on Tuesday. After reaching the state capital, though he went round searching for hotel accomodation, the youth was reportedly turned away as he was from China following which he sought police help to find him an accomadation. The special branch police immediately informed the health officials and district collector's office and on the directions of the district medical officer, he was shifted to the isolation ward at general hospital. Until the results are available, he would continue to be in the isolation ward, police said adding the central government has also been informed. Besides the Chinese youth, two other foreign nationals are among the 2,528 people under observation in the state for the novel coronavirus infection. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A man was convicted Wednesday of murdering a 23-year-old New Brunswick resident and then fleeing the state, authorities said. Christopher C-Dub Thompson, 28, of Edison was found guilty of the Oct. 26, 2018 murder of Larenz OGarro in New Brunswick, according to a statement from the Middlesex County Prosecutors Office. Thompson gunned down OGarro shortly after a related aggravated assault by Eric E-Z Inman who was separately charged for the incident and has already pleaded guilty, the office said. No other details about the aggravated assault were released. He then fled the state but was found a month later at a home in Lithonia, Georgia and was arrested by The U.S. Marshals Service, prosecutors said. Thompson was also found guilty of the attempted murder of another, unidentified man, hindering his own apprehension and weapons charges, according to the statement. He was found not guilty of tampering with evidence. Thompson was also found guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun, the office said. Hes scheduled to be sentenced March 27. 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. Sarah Wairimu Cohen finally reunited with her two best friends, Major and Snow, as she accused the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) of lying about the whereabouts of the pet dogs. Through her lawyer Phillip Murgor, Sarah Cohen accused the State of causing her needless distress while demanding that the rottweilers be released to her. Despite repeated requests for confirmation of the well-being, whereabouts and for the release of the dogs, the ODPP and DCI have not been forthcoming causing our client needless distress, reads Sarahs letter to DCI boss George Kinoti and the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Hajj. Murgor claimed DCI officers Clement Mwangi and Maxwell Otieno lied that the canines were being held at the Police Dog Section. He said they traced the pet dogs to an animal shelter in Karen, the Kenya Society for the Protection & Care of Animals (KSCPCA), where Wairimu reunited with them on Tuesday, nearly five months after they were seized on September 15, 2019. KSPCA management said it was holding Major and Snow under instructions from the DCI, Murgor said. The animal shelter said they required authorisation before releasing the dogs to Sarah Wairimu. We do not think that the release of the pets to our client requires an order of the courtthis is to request that necessary authority be provided to KSPCA to release Major and Snow, Murgor submitted. This comes a week after the Court allowed Sarah collect personal effects from her matrimonial home in Kitisuru, Nairobi, four months after the body of her husband, Tob Cohen, was discovered in a septic tank in the compound. Photos of Sarah and her dogs. Sorcha Gilett, founder and owner of the White and Gold Bridal Shop in conversation with Mary McCarthy. Made to measure When I set up my bridal business in Kinsale last year, it felt like all my experience had come together. After studying fashion and printed textile design at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, I worked as a handbag designer and a fashion designer in France. And when I returned to Ireland, I set up an online vintage business with pop-up shops. I met my husband Paddy at a wedding in Italy. He is a big surfer and was living in Kinsale, and so I decided to do the Ballymaloe cookery course as this was my second passion. Kinsale is such a foodie town and my plan was to open a modern cafe, so I started looking for a location. However, an idea crept into my head when we got married and I had difficulty finding a fun, contemporary wedding dress. There were many stuffy, traditional frocks but I wanted laid-back and stylish. After a lot of hassle, I bought one and made alterations. When my sister got married, she also struggled and had one made from scratch. I started to mull this gap in the market - especially outside Dublin - and I remember the night I decided that I was going to go for it and open my own shop. I was sitting on the couch breastfeeding my two-month-old baby and on a whim booked flights to New York to visit a bridal show and to sell myself to the designers I admired. Time to thrive It may have seemed a crazy time to start a new business with such a young baby, and my boy Benny was aged two, but I knew for certain it was only a matter of time before someone opened something similar. I brought Summer with me to NYC, which proved a big success as the designers later remembered me as the 'Irish lady with the baby'. It was a huge leap of faith for them to trust an unknown setting up shop in another country. But they did. It is so important to meet people face-to-face. Also, my dresses are very expensive and I cannot stock one that I have not tried on, seen and touched, as photos can mislead. I came home from NYC buzzing and when the kids were asleep, it was all systems go. I have always been an extrovert and had found it quite lonely working from home when I had my vintage online shop. But in my shop, I was in my absolute element with so much social interaction. Jaw-dropping silhouettes... and price tags My customers can bring three style advisers - too many voices can get confusing - and we always have the craic. It is such a joyful time in someone's life. I'll pop open a bottle of bubbly, put some music on and the dresses come out. Even though there are cheaper options, many women are prepared to splurge. My dresses are made to order. There is a lot of workmanship and expensive fabric involved, and they range from mid 2,000 to 4,000. There are pricier options in Ireland - a shop recently opened in Dublin doing a roaring trade with dresses for around 8,000. It's not just the day. The process is most of the fun - the organisation, the dress, the hen and the celebration of friends and family. Some customers end up having their hen in Kinsale. It is so welcoming, and I am getting lots of thank-you emails from hotels and restaurants I have recommended. Customers the real salespeople Some brides know exactly what they want at the start and nothing is swaying them. I take the view that while not every bride that makes an appointment may find their dress, they will enjoy themselves. They may buy accessories, or nothing at all. But it is never a lost sale if they have a good time. I give tips anyway; I can't help myself. I even buy my dad's clothes for him. I have a good eye and love to give style advice. I have been amazed at how this goodwill comes back, with people making appointments saying their cousin/friend/colleague was in. I learned early in my career, word of mouth is so powerful; as important as Instagram. I had my second same-sex couple in last week picking out each other's dresses. The first couple had been in separately and one girl had picked out the dress her fiancee would end up choosing. They are definitely up there with my favourite appointments. I meet the coolest women and have ended up going out with some of them after their fittings. Organisational whirlwind Having your own business is a lot of work so if you are passionate about it, that makes it enjoyable rather than a strain. I open the shop Thursday to Sunday; that is when people are free for appointments. We have a minder who comes a couple of days and Paddy manages the rest. When I am at home with the children, I am completely immersed with them and it's all about lots of outdoor play, art and baking. Once they are in bed, the computer comes out. Home life is hectic and I adore going into my pristine shop with everything exactly as I left it. When I was studying at Ballymaloe under Darina Allen, she told us if we wanted to do something we must start it today - if we had something to offer, that we thought people would want, then we must get off our asses and not second-guess ourselves. She really was a huge influence on me. She turned down Josh Kempton's advances whilst pining for Callum Jones. And although Shaughna Phillips is set to be left heartbroken after Callum made a move on new girl Molly Smith, it seems she's had a lucky escape with Josh. The democratic services officer rebuffed Josh earlier in the week, and it has since been revealed that he didn't set out to pursue her. The one who got away: Although Shaughna Phillips is set to be left heartbroken after Callum made a move on new girl Molly Smith, it seems she's had a lucky escape with Josh Kempton Prior to entering the villa, Josh was asked which girls he had his eyes on, and only mentioned Rebecca Gormley, Sophie Piper and Jess Gale. He said of the trio: 'Rebecca is mysterious, Sophie's smile and laugh is contagious and Jess's personality is so kind-hearted.' Josh seemed to have change of heart shortly afterwards, however, as he immediately made a beeline for her and laid it on thick. Pulling her aside for a chat in Monday's episode, he said: 'I'm going to lay my cards on the table here, but I think you're super gorgeous. Your personality is awesome. I think you're great. 'I feel like you and me would get along. If you're pretty safe with Callum, I can't rock that. But I feel like I can give you a bit more than Callum can give.' Moved on: The democratic services officer rebuffed Josh earlier in the week, and it has since been revealed that he didn't plan to pursue her Despite Josh's best efforts, he didn't manage to tempt Shaughna, who has remained loyal to Callum. A first look at Thursday night's Love Island sees the girls left astounded as the boys return to the Main Villa for the recoupling. Shaughna and Siannise Fudge are left unable to control themselves as Laura Whitmore enters the abode to reveal the results of the shock reshuffle. Holding it in: A first look at Thursday night's Love Island sees the girls left astounded as the boys return to the Main Villa for the recoupling Whilst Siannise appears to be secure in her relationship with Luke Trotman, the same cannot be said for Shaughna, whose partner Callum Jones has been romancing new girl Molly Smith. Earlier in the episode, the Islanders in each villa receive a text, detailing that a recoupling will happen tonight and that they must decide whether to stick in their original couples or couple up with a new Islander. Shaughna is left doubting her relationship with Callum as she confesses: 'I'm so scared about putting that trust into someone.' Holding it in: Whilst Siannise appears secure in her relationship with Luke Trotman, the same cannot be said for Shaughna (pictured) as Callum Jones has been romancing a new girl Who will he pick? After finding a connection with Molly Smith, Callum will have to decide whether he recouples with her or sticks with Shaughna In agreement Paige Turley replies: 'Everybody is.' Meanwhile, in Casa Amor, her partner Finley Tapp is thinking about taking the next step with the Scottish beauty as he chats with Luke T. Finn reasons: 'If I enter that villa and she's single, I would feel like, I've come here to find someone and I've found it 100%.' Guess who's back: Shaughna Phillips and Siannise Fudge are left unable to control themselves as Laura Whitmore enters the abode to reveal the results of the shock reshuffle Stick or twist? Earlier in the episode, the Islanders in each villa receive a text, detailing that a recoupling will happen tonight Speaking of Siannise Luke T admits: 'It will probably make it clear that we're exclusive', as Finn replies: 'I was thinking that but I didn't want to say it' As nerves kick in Finn admits: 'I'm really hoping Paige has stuck with me it's just waiting, waiting to see the outcome.' Nas Majeed, who is coupled up with Demi Jones but has been romancing Eve Zapico, predicts: 'This is going to be a fiery one.' And he is right to be concerned, as Demi is seen admitting: 'I hope I'm going to be pleasantly surprised by Nas... I really hope he doesn't bring a new girl back.' Callum, meanwhile, laments: 'Everyone is going to hate me when I get back'. Who to pick? As the original Islanders, and the bombshells, all gather in the Main Villa, they must decide whether to stick in their original couples or couple up with a new Islander Welcome home: It's up to the original boys, which, if any, of the new girls they will couple up with in the Main Villa after they spent time getting to know each other in Casa Amor Tough decisions: Jess Gale, who has been enjoying a flirtation with Mike Boateng but has had her head turned by Chris Biggs and Ched Uzor, admits she's struggling over who to pick Jess Gale, who has been enjoying a flirtation with Mike Boateng but has had her head turned by Chris Biggs and Ched Uzor, admits she's struggling over who to pick. Attempting to assure her, Ched tells Jess: 'My head is still with you. Every day I find out more and more. My head's the same.' Jess replies: 'You've come in, you're a lot more assertive. You've definitely said this is what I want you've acted on it a lot more. 'I like that. I really like confidence and all of that. When we spend time together it is different. I am drawn to Biggs, he's got a unique personality, he's not what I expected.' Love Island airs daily at 9pm on ITV2 MEET THE NEW ISLANDERS: THE GIRLS Name: Jade Affleck Age: 25 From: Yarm Occupation: Sales professioanl She says: Some guy are coupled up but that's a minor setback for me, I'll do anything it takes to get my man. Name: Priscilla Anyabu Age: 25 From: Battersea Occupation: Model and operations manager She says: My personality and my spirit and I think I look good. I've got likeability, it's easy for me to meet and get on with new people Name: Jamie McCann Age: 24 From: Ayrshire Occupation: Eyelash technician She says: I'll give myself an 8 out of 10. I get complimented on my boobs but also I've got nice eyes! Name: Molly Smith Age: 25 From: Manchester Occupation: Model She says: I've got my eye on Luke M, I like how he dresses, I like how he dresses and styles his hair, he seems really into his fashion. He seems confidence as well which I like Name: Eve Zapico Age: 21 From: Bromley Occupation: Recruitment consultant She says: I rate myself 10/10 - how can you expect someone to love you if you don't love yourself? I'd say my hair is my best feature - it's long, thick and bright. Name: Natalia Zoppa Age: 20 From: Manchester Occupation: Student and club promoter She says: I don't really hold back, if I'm in a bad mood people will know about it. I'm not very good at hiding my emotions. Advertisement Mounting a strong defence of the Citizenship Amendment Act, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday referred to Jawaharlal Nehru's letter to Assam's first Chief Minister Gopinath Bordoloi asking him to distinguish between Hindu refugees and Muslim migrants from Pakistan. Replying to a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in Lok Sabha, Modi saidNehru in a letter to Bordoloi, the then Assam Chief Minister, in 1950 had asked him to distinguish between Hindu refugees and Muslim migrants from Pakistan and said the law should be amended to grant citizenship to the refugees if required. "This was not only Mahatma Gandhi's but also Nehru's sentiments. Was Pandit Nehru communal? Did he discriminate between Hindus and Muslims? Did he want Hindu Rashtra?" Modi asked, asserting that several reports, including those of parliamentary panels, had recommended a law like the CAA. Modi said the Congress is having problems when his government is taking decisions to fulfil wishes of the country's "founding fathers". Assam and several other states have been witnessing protests against the CAA. Opposition parties are against the new law. Bordoloi, who was credited with saving Assam from merging with Pakistan during the Partition, was conferred the Bharat Ratna in 1999 posthumously. Bordoloi's bold and competent leadership was instrumental in saving Assam from merging with Pakistan under the Cabinet Mission's plan, a concept created by the British in collaboration with the Muslim League. Bangladesh was created in 1971 and before that the territory was part of Pakistan. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Photo: Carmines Pie House/Yelp Looking to uncover all that Riverside has to offer? Get to know this Jacksonville neighborhood by browsing its most popular local businesses, from a pizza joint to a Thai spot. Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top places to visit in Riverside, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of neighborhood businesses. Read on for the results. 1. Carmines Pie House Photo: carmine's pie house/Yelp Check out the Italian spot Carmines Pie House, which offers pizza and sandwiches, situated at 2677 Forbes St. With 4.5 stars out of 679 reviews on Yelp, it's proven to be a local favorite. Snag a slice during happy hour here on weekdays from 2-6 p.m. 2. The Bread & Board Photo: john l./Yelp Traditional American and breakfast and brunch spot The Bread & Board, which offers sandwiches and more, is another top choice. Yelpers give the business, located at 1030 Oak St., 4.5 stars out of 413 reviews. This spot hosts wedding rehearsal dinners, corporate functions and more. 3. Pattaya Thai on King Photo: matt c./Yelp Pattaya Thai on King, a Thai and Asian fusion spot that offers noodles and more, is another much-loved neighborhood go-to, with four stars out of 109 Yelp reviews. Head over to 1526 King St. to see for yourself. Look for the fried Thai rice with shrimp on the menu. 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 sixth accuser in the Harvey Weinstein rape trial in New York City took the stand on Wednesday, alleging that Weinstein sexually assaulted her in a hotel bathroom in February 2013. Lauren Marie Young, a 30-year-old actress and model, said the incident occurred when she went to a meeting at the Montage Hotel with former Miss New Mexico Claudia Salinas. She said she believed Weinstein wanted to discuss a script with them. Young said the two got a drink while waiting for Weinstein in the hotel lobby bar. Weinstein came down to meet them, she said, before eventually suggesting they move the meeting upstairs. In Weinstein's hotel room, Young claimed, Weinstein led them through a series of rooms, the final one being the bathroom. According to Young's testimony, Weinstein led the way with her in the middle and Salinas behind her. Young said she did not realize Weinstein was leading her into a bathroom and that after she walked in, Salinas closed the door behind her. "I'm saying no, no, no and he's just carrying on with normal conversation," she said, adding that Weinstein told her, "This is what all actresses do to make it." young-dress.jpg A courtroom sketch which shows Harvey Weinstein's defense attorney Damon Cheronis holding the dress Lauren Marie Young, one of Weinstein's accusers, claims she was wearing the night Weinstein allegedly assaulted her. Christine Cornell It was also revealed in court that Young recently found the dress she said she was wearing the night of the alleged incident. Upon cross examination, Weinstein's defense attorney highlighted discrepancies between the account Young gave on Wednesday and ones she previously gave to law enforcement agencies. Young admitted she had incorrectly remembered the layout of certain aspects of the bathroom doors and confused the timeline of certain events. She blamed some of these discrepancies on an inability to access her email records from 2013. Story continues Weinstein has denied all allegations against him and claims any sexual encounters with his accusers were consensual. Young's cross examination will continue on Thursday. 2020 candidates shift focus to New Hampshire "Kirk Douglas used to be a real horse's behind" New South Carolina poll shows Joe Biden's lead slipping "Oteemo is excited and proud to be a part of the LevelUP Codeworks program. We look forward to partnering with LevelUP teams and helping build state-of-the-art software development factories and driving innovation within the Air Force to create, deploy and continuously engineer DevSecOps capabilities," said Raja Gudepu, Founder & CEO of Oteemo. The Air Force LevelUP program utilizes advanced cloud native architectures such as Kubernetes, containers and Istio coupled with lean and agile principles to deliver quality software in the most optimal fashion possible. The program's goal is to transform the way software features can be developed and deployed on all Air Force systems and improve efficiencies in support of our war fighters. "Based on Oteemo's proven DevSecOps transformation experience in helping other commercial organizations in their cloud native journeys, we feel ready to help accelerate the innovation for LevelUP and other programs within Air Force," said Chris Scheich, EVP and Co-Founder of Oteemo. About Oteemo: Oteemo is an Enterprise DevSecOps and Cloud Native Transformation Consultancy. Oteemo is a silver member of CNCF, Kubernetes Certified Services Provider (KCSP) and a certified Kubernetes Training Partner (KTP) of CNCF. Oteemo helps commercial and federal agencies transform the way software is developed, packaged, deployed and continuously engineered using cloud native, kubernetes and container architectures. SOURCE Oteemo Related Links www.oteemo.com Dublin, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "North America Sulphur Fertilizers Market, By Type, By Formulation, By Crop Type, By Application Method, By Region, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The North American Sulphur Fertilizers Market was valued at $1.7 billion in 2019 and is forecast to cross $2.4 billion by 2025. Objective of the Study To analyze and forecast the market size of the North American Sulphur Fertilizers Market, in terms of value and volume. To classify and forecast the North American Sulphur Fertilizers Market based on type, formulation, crop type, application method and regional distribution. To identify drivers and challenges for the North American Sulphur Fertilizers Market. To examine competitive developments such as expansions, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, etc., in the North American Sulphur Fertilizers Market. To conduct the pricing analysis for the North American Sulphur Fertilizers Market. To identify and analyze the profile of leading players involved in the North American Sulphur Fertilizers Market. Growth in the regional market can be attributed to rising population coupled with limited arable land. Increasing sulphur deficiency and growing demand for food are expected to propel the sulphur fertilizers market of North America through 2025. Sulphur fertilizers play crucial role in providing nutrients to crops for formation of chlorophyll that plants use for photosynthesis. Furthermore, it is useful in the activation of enzymes and helps to improve protein and oil percentage in seeds. Major players operating in the North American Sulphur Fertilizers Market include AdvanSix Inc., Yara International ASA, Archer Daniels Midland Company, BASF SE, Dakota Gasification Company, Intraoceanic Corporation, The Mosaic Company, Nutrien Limited, K+S Aktiengesellschaft, Tiger-Sul, Inc, etc. In terms of application method, the market can be segregated into band, seed row, broadcast, and foliar, among others. Broadcast, followed by band, dominated the market in 2019 and the trend is likely to continue in the forthcoming years. The growth of band segment can be attributed to increasing use of fertilizers by banding method as this method helps to maximize yield of crops such as canola which is usually cultivated in the continent. In recent years, demand for foliar application segment is expected to increase in the coming years, as foliar fertilizers are developed specifically to deliver a specific nutrient to crop. Years considered for this report: Historical Years: 2015-2018 Base Year: 2019 Estimated Year: 2020 Forecast Period: 2021-2025 Key Topics Covered 1. Product Overview 2. Research Methodology 3. Executive Summary 4. Voice of Customer 5. North America Sulphur Fertilizers Market Outlook 5.1. Market Size & Forecast 5.1.1. By Value & By Volume 5.2. Market Share & Forecast 5.2.1. By Type (Sulphate Fertilizers, Elemental Sulphur Fertilizers, Sulphates of Micronutrients and Others) 5.2.2. By Formulation (Liquid Formulation and Dry Formulation) 5.2.3. By Crop Type (Cereals & Grains, Oilseeds & Pulses, Fruits & Vegetables and Others) 5.2.4. By Application Method (Band, Broadcast, Seed Row, Foliar and Others) 5.2.5. By Country 5.2.6. By Company 5.3. Market Attractiveness Index 5.4. United States Sulphur Fertilizers Market Outlook 5.4.1. Market Size & Forecast 5.4.1.1. By Value & Volume 5.4.2. Market Share & Forecast 5.4.2.1. By Type 5.4.2.2. By Formulation 5.4.2.3. By Crop Type 5.4.2.4. By Application Method 5.5. Canada Sulphur Fertilizers Market Outlook 5.6. Mexico Sulphur Fertilizers Market Outlook 6. Market Dynamics 6.1. Drivers 6.2. Challenges 7. Market Trends & Developments 8. Competitive Landscape 8.1. AdvanSix Inc. 8.2. Yara International ASA 8.3. Archer Daniels Midland Company 8.4. BASF SE 8.5. Dakota Gasification Company 8.6. Intraoceanic Corporation 8.7. The Mosaic Company 8.8. Nutrien Limited 8.9. K+S Aktiengesellschaft 8.10. Tiger-Sul, Inc 9. Strategic Recommendations For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/gielim Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. How many astronauts can you name without consulting Google or Wikipedia? Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin are easy. They were the first men on the moon. You should probably also remember their Command Module pilot, Michael Collins. But he wasnt one of the first on the moon, so he comes less easily to mind. Christina Koch, who returned to Earth on Thursday from the International Space Station, might be another name youll come to remember. She and Jessica Meir executed the first all-woman spacewalk. Although Ms. Koch performed six spacewalks during her mission, set a duration record for time in space and contributed enormously to space science, that October spacewalk will be what gets her into history books. In the same way, Sally Ride is known for being the first American woman in space, but not for her work in the development of the space shuttles robotic arm. In all of these cases, being first was a matter of timing, not something that was under the direct control of the astronauts credited for their trailblazing. Its not as if there was a race to be on the first all-female spacewalk. In fact, the opposite might be said to be true. Record-breaking Nasa astronaut Christina Koch has dropped down to Earth, along with her two colleagues from the International Space Station. Koch spent nearly 11 months in orbit aboard the station, setting the record for the longest spaceflight by a woman. That mission came to an end when the three crewmates landed safely in Kazakhstan. The Soyuz capsule carrying Koch, along with station Commander Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency and the Russian space agency Roscosmos' Alexander Skvortsov, touched down southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, on Thursday at 3:12 pm local time. Koch wrapped up a 328-day mission on her first flight into space, providing researchers the opportunity to observe the effects of long-duration spaceflight on a woman. The study is important since NASA plans to return to the moon under the Artemis program and prepare for the human exploration of Mars. Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Mystic Mountain, a pillar of gas and dust standing at three-light-years tall, bursting with jets of gas from fledgling stars buried within, was captured by Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope in February 2010 Nasa/ESA/STScI Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures The first ever selfie taken on an alien planet, captured by Nasa's Curiosity Rover in the early days of its mission to explore Mars in 2012 Nasa/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Death of a star: This image from Nasa's Chandra X-ray telescope shows the supernova of Tycho, a star in our Milky Way galaxy Nasa Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Arrokoth, the most distant object ever explored, pictured here on 1 January 2019 by a camera on Nasa's New Horizons spaceraft at a distance of 4.1 billion miles from Earth Getty Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures An image of the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy seen in infrared light by the Herschel Space Observatory in January 2012. Regions of space such as this are where new stars are born from a mixture of elements and cosmic dust Nasa Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures The first ever image of a black hole, captured by the Event Horizon telescope, as part of a global collaboration involving Nasa, and released on 10 April 2019. The image reveals the black hole at the centre of Messier 87, a massive galaxy in the nearby Virgo galaxy cluster. This black hole resides about 54 million light-years from Earth Getty Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Pluto, as pictured by Nasa's New Horizons spacecraft as it flew over the dwarf planet for the first time ever in July 2015 Nasa/APL/SwRI Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures A coronal mass ejection as seen by the Chandra Observatory in 2019. This is the first time that Chandra has detected this phenomenon from a star other than the Sun Nasa Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Dark, narrow, 100 meter-long streaks running downhill on the surface Mars were believed to be evidence of contemporary flowing water. It has since been suggested that they may instead be formed by flowing sand Nasa/JPL/University of Arizona Nasa's groundbreaking decade of space exploration: In pictures Morning Aurora: Nasa astronaut Scott Kelly captured this photograph of the green lights of the aurora from the International Space Station in October 2015 Nasa/Scott Kelly Koch smiled and gave a thumbs-up as support crew helped her get out of the capsule and placed her in a chair for a quick post-flight check-up alongside her crewmates. Russian space officials said they were in good shape. Koch, who grew up in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and now lives near the Gulf of Mexico in Galveston, Texas, with her husband, Bob, told The Associated Press last month that taking part in the first all-female spacewalk was the highlight of her mission. Koch said she and fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir appreciated that the 18 October spacewalk "could serve as an inspiration for future space explorers." Parmitano and Skvortsov spent 201 days in space. After preliminary medical evaluations, the crew will be flown by Russian helicopters to the city of Karaganda in Kazakhstan. Koch and Parmitano will then board a NASA plane bound for Cologne, Germany, where Parmitano will be greeted by European space officials before Koch proceeds home to Houston. Skvortsov will be flown to the Star City Cosmonaut Training Center outside Moscow. Additional reporting by agencies Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) Cambodian prime minister's visit a sign of friendship at special moment China has the confidence and capability to win the battle on the prevention and control of the pneumonia epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday. Xi made the remark while meeting with visiting Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. China will continue to maintain an open and transparent attitude to enhance cooperation with all countries, including Cambodia, to jointly deal with the disease and maintain global and regional health security, Xi said. Noting that Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk had expressed sympathy and support toward China over the outbreak of the disease, Xi said that the visit of the Cambodian prime minister demonstrated the unshakable friendship between the two countries. A friend in need is a friend indeed, Xi told Hun Sen, saying that the Cambodian people are standing together with the Chinese people at this special moment. The Cambodian prime minister's visit to China has shown the core meaning of a community with a shared future for China and Cambodia, which China greatly appreciates, Xi said. The Communist Party of China and the Chinese government have taken the utmost and strictest measures to prevent and control the disease with a high degree of responsibility for the Chinese people and the international community, Xi said. These measures have had positive results, Xi said, adding that the Chinese nation has withstood numerous challenges throughout its history. Xi told Hun Sen that the Chinese government will take good care of Cambodian people living in China, including students, and safeguard their livelihood and health. China would like to keep enhancing high-level exchanges with Cambodia and take bilateral relations to a new stage, Xi said. Hun Sen said his decision to come to China at this special time is to demonstrate the strong support of the Cambodian government and people for the Chinese government and people in their fight against the disease. The Cambodian people stand together with the Chinese people in this difficult time, he said, adding that Cambodia appreciates China's attention to the health of Cambodians living in China. Some countries have taken extreme and restrictive measures to deal with the disease, which is undesirable, Hun Sen said, adding that panic itself is more horrible than the epidemic. Cambodia will continue with its normal exchanges and cooperation with China to build a community with a shared future for Cambodia and China, he added. Premier Li Keqiang also met with Hun Sen on Wednesday, during which Li also expressed confidence in winning the battle against the epidemic. Hun Sen was welcomed by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi upon his arrival at Beijing Capital International Airport on Wednesday afternoon. A man has been arrested in India for allegedly raping a five-year-old girl on the grounds of the US Embassy in New Delhi. The youngster's parents lodged a complaint with police on Sunday morning and cops seized a 25-year-old man on embassy grounds later the same day. Both the girl and the suspect live at the diplomatic site and their families know each other well, according to investigators. Police said the man 'lured' the girl into his house while both of his parents were away from the home. 'The suspect didnt even expect that the girl would inform her parents or that anyone would approach the police,' a senior officer told the Hindustan Times. A 25-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly raping a five-year-old girl on US Embassy grounds in New Delhi on Saturday (Stock image) The five-year-old told her mother about the incident when she returned home. 'The girls mother is pregnant and she fell ill on getting to know of the crime. But she took the girl to a private clinic for treatment,' the officer said. The alleged rapist works as a driver for the embassy and lives on site with his father, who is also a member of support staff. The girl's father works there as a housekeeper. The US embassy in New Delhi is set on a 28-acre compound in an upmarket diplomatic neighbourhood of India's capital and is heavily guarded. US embassy security personnel watch after barricades were removed in front of the US Embassy in New Delhi in 2013. The alleged rapist works as a driver for the embassy and lives on site with his father, who is also a member of support staff The death of a rape victim in December 2019, who was also set on fire by two men accused of raping her have sparked angry protests in northern India, with hundreds demanding justice in the case and more safety for women The majority of the staff, who live in the servants' quarters, are employed from the local area. There were some 40,000 rapes reported in India in 2016, according to the most recent official figures available. In 2018, the Indian government buckled under public pressure and approved capital punishment for repeat offenders and for individuals who rape children under the age of 12. Activists claim the 40,000 number is just the tip of the iceberg as many victims are afraid to report the crimes due to threats by perpetrators or the social stigma attached to sexual assaults. Indians protest against rape and sexual violence in December following the case of a 27-year-old vet who was gang-raped and murdered in Hyderabad In recent months a string of sex attacks, mostly of children, have caused further outrage and protests. On Monday night, a ten-year-old girl was left fighting for her life after she was brutally raped, beaten with stones and buried alive in the Indian state of Rajasthan. The young victim had left her family home at around 9.30pm to buy chocolate from a local shop. Police said an unemployed youth living in her neighbourhood lured the girl into a nearby abandoned house. He proceeded to rape her and beat her up with stones to her head, before trying to bury her alive, police say, according to The Times of India. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday signalled India's readiness to significantly ramp up defence engagements with countries in Africa, a region where China has been aggressively expanding its military and economic clout. In an address at a conclave in the DefExpo here, Singh said India is geared up to provide offshore patrol vessels (OPVs), fast interceptor boats, night vision goggles (NVGs), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Dornier aircraft, and arms and ammunition to African countries. The defence minister asserted that India's development partnership with African nations will be guided by their priorities and capabilities, and it will also focus on combating terrorism, extremism and keeping the cyberspace safe and secure. The India-Africa Defence Ministers' Conclave was attended by delegates from 38 countries, including 12 defence ministers from the African continent. "India will continue to intensify and deepen engagement. It will be a partnership guided by your priorities. "More specifically on the defence cooperation, these include strengthening cooperation and mutual capabilities in combating terrorism and extremism, keeping our cyberspace safe and secure and supporting the UN in advancing and keeping peace," Singh said. It is for the first time that a conclave to explore defence cooperation with African nations has been organised as part of the DefExpo, India's biennial military exhibition. Singh said India looked forward to deeper cooperation in a range of areas including through investment, joint ventures in defence production, defence research and development. "Rapid strides made by the Indian defence industry, both public and private, and defence research and development has opened up new vistas for cooperation to take our engagement to the next level, he said. India's partnership with Africa has been an open partnership with all the possibilities and avenues for collaboration being offered to the continent, the defence minister said. Singh also stressed on the importance of safe secure seas which he said was a pre-requisite for development of blue economy in the region. He said that India recognised the common security challenges in the form of transnational crimes of piracy, trafficking of drugs, arms and humans, and illegal fishing. In the light of these challenges there was a call for stronger partnerships for capacity building, information sharing and surveillance, he added. India's increased engagement in the region has enabled it to be the first responder in providing humanitarian assistance in times of crisis like Cyclone Idai in Mozambique and more recently, Cyclone Diane in Madagascar, Singh said. The conclave adopted an India-Africa declaration on defence cooperation. Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria and Chief of Army Staff Gen M M Naravane were among those present at the conclave. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai, Feb 6 : A Mumbai court on Thursday summoned Congress MP from Wayanad Rahul Gandhi to appear before it in a defamation case filed by a BJP leader for his remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Mazagaon 25th Magistrate Court has directed Rahul to appear before it on February 15 either in person or through a pleader to reply to charges under Indian Penal Code Sec. 499, 500. The defamation case was filed in September 2018 against the Congress leader by a Mumbai BJP activist Mahesh H. Shrishrimal of Girgaum and earlier, the Congress leader was summoned in August 2019. Among other things, the complainant has contended that Rahul's utterances made on September 20, 2018 not only sought to defame Modi but also hurt the sentiments of his supporters. Shrishrimal also submitted tapes of Gandhi's speeches and news media articles of that time to the court with the comments, "Commander in Thief", referring to Modi, and said this had defamed the PM and the BJP. On a September 24, 2018 tweet pertaining to a defence-related matter, Gandhi had posted a video with a caption: "The sad truth about India's Commander in Thief". No Taiwanese test positive for Wuhan virus on quarantined ship ROC Central News Agency 02/05/2020 07:21 PM Taipei, Feb. 5 (CNA) No Taiwanese are among the 10 people on board a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama harbor who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), according to the cruise line operator Wednesday. The 10 people who tested positive include nine passengers -- two Australians, three Japanese, three from Hong Kong, and one American -- and one Filipino crewmember, following the first phase health screening conducted by Japanese health authorities on all 3,700 passengers and crew on the Diamond Princess, according to a Princess Cruises statement. "These 10 persons, who have been notified, will be taken ashore by Japanese Coast Guard watercraft and transported to local hospitals for care by shoreside Japanese medical professionals," the statement said. The cruise liner added that the ship will remain under quarantine in Yokohama for at least 14 days as required by the Japanese Ministry of Health. According to Princess Cruises, there are 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew currently on board covering a range of nationalities. About half the passengers are Japanese. The company did not say how many Taiwanese are on board the cruise ship but local media reported the number at around 20. The ship was due to set off on an eight-day round-trip cruise on Wednesday, but that has been canceled, the company said. Meanwhile, the company's representative in Taiwan, Peter Chen (), told local media in Taipei that the cruise ship in question docked in northern Keelung Port on Jan. 31 and the company is still checking if any of the 10 confirmed infected passengers visited Taiwan during the port call. Port of Keelung, Taiwan International Ports Corporation, said in a press release that according to the National Immigration Agency, a total of 2,694 people on board the vessel entered the country on Jan. 31. As the cruise line company did not make public the identities of the 10 passengers confirmed as having contracted the coronavirus, the port of Keelung is unable to confirm if any of them visited Taiwan, it noted. The cruise ship arrived in Keelung around 7 a.m. before leaving at 5 p.m. The cruise line operator's statement was released after Japanese Health Minister Katsunobu Kato confirmed the 10 cases earlier in the day as Japanese authorities continue to monitor thousands of passengers and crew. According to Kato, health screenings on everyone on board the Diamond Princess identified 273 people for further testing. Of that group, 31 results had been received so far, revealing 10 confirmed cases. The health checks began on Monday evening when the ship returned to Yokohama, after an 80-year-old Hong Kong man who sailed on the vessel late last month later tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus. According to media reports, the infected passenger traveled for five days on the Diamond Princess from Yokohama on Jan. 20 and disembarked on Jan. 25 in Hong Kong, where he tested positive for the coronavirus on Feb. 1, six days after leaving the ship. Taiwan announced Tuesday that cruise ships that have visited China, Hong Kong or Macau in the last 14 days are prohibited from entering Taiwanese ports with immediate effect. Meanwhile, cruise ships that have carried passengers confirmed or suspected of suffering from coronavirus in the last 28 days will likewise be refused entry. A tourism agency representative told CNA Wednesday that due to the ban, Diamond Princess has canceled a port call to northern Keelung Port originally scheduled for Feb. 25, while World Dream cruise has postponed a port call to Keelung originally scheduled on Feb 11 until Feb. 22. The southern port of Kaohsiung prohibited a port call by a World Dream cruise ship Tuesday evening after it was reported that three passengers who sailed on the ship last month later developed coronavirus symptoms. The ship returned to Hong Kong late Tuesday. Port of Kaohsiung, Taiwan International Ports Corporation, said Wednesday that the ban is expected to affect a total of 16 scheduled port calls by cruise ships to the southern port before the end of March. Meanwhile, Port of Keelung, Taiwan International Ports Corporation, said the ban is expected to affect six scheduled port calls by cruise ships before the end of February, with five being canceled and one postponed. (By Yu Hsiao-han, Cheng Chi-feng, and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A group of Senegalese families asked their government to immediately evacuate their relatives from coronavirus-stricken China on Wednesday, after the president said it lacked the means to airlift them to safety. Senegal's President Macky Sall said on Monday that the poor West African country could not match "big countries" in organising emergency evacuations from the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Chinese authorities have cordoned off the city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed at least 560 people and infected over 28,000 more in China. Thirteen Senegalese students are stuck in Wuhan, according to their families. "Our children demand a minimum, their right to be rescued by their motherland," said Yoro Ba, representing a group of families with relatives stranded in Wuhan, at a news conference in Senegal's capital Dakar on Wednesday. Occasionally breaking into tears, he pointed out that states such as Algeria and Tunisia were organising evacuations for their citizens and that Senegal had the resources to do so too. The families were "distraught, heartbroken and bitter" at Sall's statement on Monday, Ba said, adding that the students were nonetheless in good health so far. He claimed, however, that not evacuating them meant "certain death". On Monday, Sall said Senegal lacked the sophisticated medical infrastructure to evacuate stranded Senegalese, pointing to the charter flights, specialised medical personnel and quarantine facilities that would be required. Despite a growing economy, Senegal is a poor country where about 40 percent of the population live on less than $1.90 (1.70) a day, according to the World Bank. However, Sall's announcement provoked outrage on Twitter. One prominent Senegalese columnist, for example, asked what the president would do if his own son was stranded in Wuhan. There has not yet been a confirmed coronavirus case in Africa. But authorities are on high alert as deep trade links to China put many countries on the continent at risk. (FRANCE 24 with AFP) Hundreds of local residents attended an informational meeting on Monday night in Madison Heights, Michigan organized by Democratic Party officials seeking to contain public anger over the contamination of the surface and ground water in the area by cancerous industrial chemicals. The meeting was organized after revelations that a shuttered industrial facility in the Detroit suburb had been oozing the highly toxic hexavalent chromium into the groundwater for several years. The leak was discovered on December 20 by motorists who spotted the yellow-green substance bubbling up between concrete slabs on the shoulder of the Interstate 696 freeway. Informational meeting organized by Democratic Party politicians and government environmental officials to contain the growing public anger about the industrial chemical poisoning of the environment in Madison Heights, Michigan According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), hexavalent chromium is harmful to the eyes, skin and respiratory system, and is considered an occupational carcinogen. After an investigation, government officials reported that the source of the spill was the basement of Electro-Plating Service, Inc., located near the freeway service drive. Additional tests have shown that the surface water in the area, including the nearby Bear Creek that leads into Lake St. Clair, showed the presence of excessive levels of cancer-causing PFAS contaminants. Throughout the crisis in Madison Heights, government officials have told citizens not to worry about contamination of the water supply. However, from the initial report in 2017 that the Electro-Plating Services, Inc. facility was being cleaned-up by the EPA, to the latest revelations that the ground and surface water are contaminated with numerous toxic chemicalsincluding cyanide, trichloroethylene (TCE) and hexavalent chromiumit is clear that government officials are seeking to conceal the full extent of the danger. Held in the auditorium of the high school in Madison Heights, the event featured presentations by local, state and federal elected officials as well as representatives from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It quickly became clear to those in attendance that the main object of the meeting was to both cover up the extent of the chemical poisoning of the public in Detroit and throughout the state of Michigan, and to absolve the Democrats and government environmental officials from any responsibility for the disaster. The first speaker was US Representative Andy Levin of Bloomfield Township who said that the toxic I-696 ooze was in a weird way a blessing, because it revealed the problem so visibly to motorists. Levin said that this was a signal that sites of toxic pollution are hiding from public view. Levin said that there were more than 9,000 hazardous sites across the state of Michigan, but not enough money in the state or federal budget to clean them up. As members of the audience became restless with this report, Levin exited the meeting saying he had to return to Washington, DC for the State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. State Representative Jim Ellison of Royal Oak reiterated the claim by Levin that there were no funds available to clean up the vast number of toxic industrial sites in Michigan that were poisoning the public. Ellisons solutionwhich was met with enthusiastic applause from the panelists but not from the audiencewas to sponsor legislation in Michigan to punish industrialists like the owner of the Electro-Plating Services site, Gary Sayers, who has been convicted and sent to jail for illegally disposing of toxic chemicals. The Bad Actor-Polluter Pay bill packagewhich was hastily pulled together prior to the informational meeting on Mondaywould increase financial and criminal penalties on companies that contaminate the environment. Ellison did not explain how this money is going to be collected from marginal and bankrupt businesses like that run by Sayers, who has already been fined $1.5 million and is now serving a one-year prison sentence. The concept of the bad actor polluter was a central theme of the meeting. While operators such as Sayers are criminally responsible for carelessly and selfishly contaminating the environment, the politicians and environmental officials would have the public believe that these practices are confined to a small group of bad actors. The reality is capitalist enterprises from the largest auto manufacturer to the smallest parts supplier have been poisoning the environment with toxic chemical for decades while government regulators looked the other way. The presentations at the meeting by representatives of Michigan EGLE and US EPA were deliberately abstruse when outlining the investigative techniques, water testing methods and chemical contaminants. These details were used to confuse the public and overwhelm attendees with scientific jargon. The officials entered the meeting on the defensive as an EGLE representative explained, I understand that trust is low in the government. And I understand that, as a representative of a government agency in Michigan, I am working in the shadow of the Flint water crisis. The meeting was moderated by Mike Watza, an attorney with extensive connections to both the political and corporate establishment in Michigan. Watzas role was to make it clear that none of the sentiments of the public would be permitted to be expressed at the meeting. He explained that all questions were to be directed to the panelists in written form. In this way, the organizers sought to ensure that the meeting did not erupt with anger and hostility to the politicians and environmental officials. Once those in attendance began to realize that the meeting was a public relations stunt that would not provide answers to their questions about the extent of the poisoning, or what was being done to clean up the toxic contamination or prevent the pollution going forward, they began heading for the exits. Several of those in attendance spoke to the World Socialist Web Site as they were leaving. One resident said, I have lived in Madison Heights for 27 years and am located right near the freeway where the spill took place. What is happening here and what happened in Flint are truly tragic. I do not believe that the water is okay and there are many people on my street that have gotten sick or who have cancer. He added, This is not a coincidence. It means that something is happening in the environment. We are being poisoned, no one is held accountable and nothing is being done by the government agencies who are supposed to protect us. The owner Sayers who is responsible for the spill was fined $1.5 million but there are some things that money cannot buy. How do you compensate for the lives lost and the children who have been damaged? A retired Teamster who lost half of his pension following the crash in 2008 commented, The government must think that we are really stupid to believe what they said tonight. What has happened is criminal and the problem is we are the ones suffering while they live high on the hog. Four days after a video clip showing two women being dragged on a road by ropes tied to their feet triggered public outrage and prompted the Calcutta high court to seek a report, the police in South Dinajpur district arrested the main accused, Amal Sarkar, the deputy chief (Up Pradhan) of Nandanpur gram panchayat run by the states ruling party Trinamool Congress (TMC). Sarkar has been arrested but we are still looking for two other accused, said Wangden Bhutia, additional superintendent of police, Dakshin Dinajpur. Two others, Tapan Sil and Gobinda Sarkar, were arrested on Monday. On Tuesday, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kailash Vijayvargiya had led a 19-member delegation to meet President Ramnath Kovind and draw his attention to the incident. One of the victims seen in the video, Smriti Kana Das (38), a resident of Nandanpur, had named five people in a police complaint on February 1 and alleged that she earned the ire of the Panchayat deputy chief for objecting to a road proposed to pass through their land. Das thanked the police on Thursday for arresting the main accused, Amal Sarkar. State minister Rajib Banerjee had earlier said that the culprits would not be spared and that the party had decided to expel Sarkar. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The caucus math work sheet is the official report on caucus night to the I.D.P., and the I.D.P. reports the results as delivered by the precinct chair, she said. This form must be signed by the caucus chair, the caucus secretary and representatives from each campaign in the room who attest to its accuracy. Under the rules of the delegate selection process, delegates are awarded based off the record of results as provided by each precinct caucus chair. Just about every election night includes reporting errors. They can be difficult to identify, but can often be corrected during a recount or a postelection canvass. This years Iowa caucuses are the reverse: Errors are now easy to identify, and hard to correct. The errors are detectable because of changes to the way the Iowa Democratic Party reports its results, put in place after the Sanders campaign criticized the caucus results in 2016. This cycle, and for the first time, the party released three sets of results corresponding to different steps in the caucus process. The rules are complex and thorough, and they create conditions in which the results can be obviously inaccurate or inconsistent within a precinct. First, caucusgoers express their preference for a candidate upon arrival, and these votes are recorded in a first alignment. Then, candidates with limited support at a precinct, usually less than 15 percent, are deemed not viable; their supporters get a chance to realign to support a viable candidate. The preference at this point is recorded as well, and its called the final alignment. Former prime minister Bob Hawke's daughter Rosslyn Dillon wants $4.2million from her father's estate Bob Hawke's widow Blanche d'Alpuget has been dragged into legal action the former prime minister's daughter is taking against his multi-million dollar estate. Rosslyn Dillon is contesting the former prime minister's will, claiming the $750,000 he left each of his children is not enough and she instead needs $4.2 million. Ms Dillon is demanding funds to buy a $2.5million house in Sydney furnished with towels worth $4,000 and wants $30,000 to buy a new set of teeth. The recovering heroin addict also claims she was raped by Victorian Labor MP Bill Landeryou in the 1980s and Mr Hawke covered it up to protect his career. Ms Dillon's action was mentioned briefly in the New South Wales Supreme Court on Thursday when it was referred to mediation ahead of any possible hearing. Justice Philip Hallen also agreed Ms d'Alpuget be listed as a third defendant in the matter along with the executors of her dead husband's will, as she holds the proceeds of the couple's former joint tenancy. Ms Dillon's mother, Hazel Hawke, died eight years after Mr Hawke married Ms d'Alpuget, his biographer and long-time mistress. The mediation is to take place in March and the matter to return to court on April 14. Ms Dillon's affidavit, filed in the Supreme Court in December, reveals she is on welfare, lives in a squalid flat, and has had all her teeth taken out. Her list of demands, itemised in a claim originally obtained by the New Daily, begins with $2.5million to buy a house in Sydney's eastern suburbs. Bob Hawke's widow Blanche d'Alpuget has been dragged into legal action the former prime minister's daughter is taking against his multi-million dollar estate. The couple is pictured arriving at the Sydney Opera House for his 80th birthday Bob Hawke's wayward daughter Rosslyn Dillon is demanding a $2.5 million house in Sydney kitted out with $4,000 worth of towels in her lawsuit against his estate. Mr Hawke and Ms Dillon are pictured at the memorial service for Hazel Hawke, his former wife and her mother This would be a considerable upgrade on the one-bedroom flat Ms Dillon lives in now which she claims is in need of repair and infested with cockroaches - despite its $500-a-week rent. Ms Dillon suffers from depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder and agoraphobia, and claims she lives on a disability pension of $1,852.40 per month. She claims the $750,00 set aside for her in Mr Hawke's will was not enough to buy a Sydney home and would slash the pension that is her only income. The 59-year-old's affidavit cites Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that she will live another 27.6 years and would therefore need $1.2million in expenses. Ms Dillon currently has about $21,000 to her name including $6,000 cash and $14,000 in Ansett superannuation from working at a VIP airport lounge in Canberra in the 1980s. The proposed new house would have its kitchen and bathroom renovated for an extra $30,000 each, and be kitted out with all-new appliances. Ms Dillon's affidavit lists $4,000 for linen and towels, $3,100 for kitchen appliances and $5,500 for other kitchen items, $16,000 for household appliances, $50,000 for furniture, and $6,000 for new clothes and shoes. Mr Hawke's second wife, his former biographer Blanche d'Alpuget, received the bulk of his estate including the $9.2million proceeds of selling their Northbridge mansion months before his death Australia's longest-serving Labor prime minister (pictured in 2012) left $750,000 each to his three children Sue Pieters-Hawke, Stephen Hawke, Rosslyn Dillon and his stepson Louis Pratt Ms Dillion wants $30,000 for a full mouth of implanted dentures to replace the ones she has been wearing for the past five years. 'I have no teeth of my own in my mouth,' she said. Rosslyn Dillon's list of demands House in Sydney's eastern suburbs: $2.5 million Stamp duty: $123,090 Conveyancing fees: $2,000 Computer course: $1,030 Dental implants: $30,000 Funeral, burial plot, headstone: $26,000 Kitchen renovation: $30,000 Bathroom renovation: $30,000 Kitchen appliances: $3,100 Linen and towels: $4,000 Kitchen items: $5,500 Household appliances: $16,000 Furniture: $50,000 Clothes and shoes: $6,000 Advertisement 'I had them all removed around five years ago at a cost of $8,000. I do have dentures, however they are uncomfortable and cause me pain. I cannot afford to have them replaced.' Having made no plans for her funeral, she demands a 'reasonably priced' $7,000 funeral, and a $14,400 burial plot at Eastern Suburbs Cemetery with a 'modest' $5,000 headstone or $4,400 memorial plaque. Ms Dillon has no computer or access to the internet but wants $1,030 to attend a computer course, and for her new home to have a sewing machine. Ms d'Alpuget, who was Mr Hawke's second wife, received the bulk of his estate including the $9.2 million proceeds of selling their Northbridge mansion months before his death at 89 last May. She now lives in a $3.9 million flat in One30 Hyde Park she and her late husband bought in her name. She previously dismissed Ms Dillon's brewing legal challenge as being fuelled by grief at her father's death. Another of Mr Hawke's daughters, Sue Pieters-Hawke, told The New Daily her family knew of the rape allegations and that they had distressed their father. She insisted the family was supportive of Ms Dillon at the time but that it 'didn't involve using the legal system'. The Hawke family is pictured during the 1987 election campaign. Daughter Sue is cradling her daughter Sophie, Mr Hawke's wife Hazel is next to him and daughter Rosslyn is next to her Bob Hawke Prime Minister of Australia (1983 - 1991) marries Blanche D'Alpuget in 1995 in Sydney, Australia Ms Dillon alleged in the affidavit she was raped three times in the 1980s by politician Bill Landeryou, a close friend of Mr Hawke. But as she turned to her father for comfort, she said she was met with a 'shocking and hurtful' response as he pleaded with her to stay quiet. Bill Landeryou (pictured) was a close friend of Hawke's. He died in February this year He feared it could derail his political career when he was on the cusp of becoming Labor leader. Ms Dillon said in her affidavit she told her father of the alleged rape soon after it occurred. 'You can't go to the police,' she claims her father said. 'You can't. I can't have any controversies right now. I am sorry but I am challenging for the leadership of the Labor Party.' Ms Dillon admitted she was 'shocked and hurt that (my father) asked this of me'. As a result of pressure from her father, once one of Australia's most beloved politicians, she never went to the police. Now a mother-of-two, Ms Dillon explained she was still 'haunted' by the assaults as she was never able to get 'closure' because of her father's demands. The couple's three-bedroom mansion (pictured) at Northbridge, overlooking Middle Harbour on Sydney's Lower North Shore, sold for $9.2million in March What Ms Dillon claims happened when she told her father Bob Hawke she had been raped According to an affidavit submitted by Rosslyn Dillon, she told her father about the rapes in the 1980s. Dillon: 'Bill (Landeryou) has raped me three times.' Hawke: 'What? he touched you?' Dillon: 'No, he forced me to have sex with him three times. I want to go to police.' Hawke: 'You can't. I can't have any controversies right now. I am sorry but I am challenging for the leadership of the Labor Party. You can't go to police.' Advertisement 'I thought to myself, I could not make any bigger sacrifice to the (my father's) political career if I had tried,' the affidavit said. 'He asked me to let the matter go for him and I did so for him.' 'I am still haunted by the sexual assaults. I feel that I may have had a chance to get over these rapes if I was able to report the incidents to police.' At the time, Mr Hawke was close friends with Landeryou, an MP in the Victorian Upper House. He was one of Mr Hawke's chief supporters in his bid to become prime minister, and had his own state funeral last March. Ms Dillon had been using heroin in the early 1980s when her father intervened to get her a job in Mr Landeryou's office. It was then the sexual assaults began, she claimed. 'During the time I was employed there I was often alone in Landeryou's office. At some time he started to touch me in a sexual way,' she stated. The off-market sale reaped far less than the $15million figure previously reported in the media, including Daily Mail Australia (pictured is a view of Middle Harbour similar to that from the mansion) Then there was a $3.6million apartment (building pictured) with views of Sydney Harbour and Hyde Park which is likely to have appreciated in value since they bought it in November 2015 'Landeryou sexually assaulted me three times at the Hilton Hotel, at Parliament House and at his home in Sunshine, where he sneaked into the spare room where I was sleeping.' Mr Hawke took over the Labor leadership from Bill Hayden in February of 1983 and the following month led the ALP to an election victory which began 13 years in power. He became Australia's longest serving Labor prime minister. Mr Hawke's eldest sister Sue, 62, and brother Stephen, 60, were left the same amount as Ms Dillon, as was Ms d'Alpuget's son Louis Pratt. Ms d'Alpuget was left with everything else, including the proceeds from the sale of the couple's luxury $9.2 million mansion. Mr Hawke's married Ms d'Alpuget, with whom he had conducted a long-running affair, in 1995 after divorcing Hazel, his wife of 38 years. - Animals are lovely creatures, and a male baboon has re-established that fact when it was seen taking care of a lion cub - The baboon stole the lion cub from its pride at Kruger National Park in South Africa and adopted it - The moment was experienced by someone who has spent 10 years walking the length and breath of the park, Kurt Schultz A male baboon in South Africa has shocked many people after pulling a very unexpected moved. This is after the baboon which lives in Kruger National Park stole a lion cub from its pride and took it up a tree to groom it. READ ALSO: 19-year-old Nairobi girl narrates pain of losing two husbands through crime READ ALSO: Ex-soldier excited after learning his 1970 Rolex watch is now worth KSh 70.2 million A man who has walked the length and breath of the park for 10 years, Kurt Schultz, was baffled when he saw the baboon tending to the cub and decided to document the moment. The story was published by IOL which attached a lovely video showing the rare occurrence. Schultz shot the impressive video and uploaded it online where it went viral on different social media platforms. In the video, the baboon can be seen sitting in a tree with the cub as it combs through the cub's fur with its fingers. READ ALSO: Nigerian cross-dresser Bobrisky pleads with God to grant her female reproductive organ READ ALSO: Vituko Bungeni! Spika wa Marekani achana hotuba ya Rais Trump Schultz said what he saw was the best and the strangest sighting of his life. His post attracted the attention of many people who could not believe such co-existence exists. Most people who watched it shared it widely with many urging others to live in harmony and emulate the baboon's love and affection. However, there was fear the cub could die if separated from its mother. 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. Crime of passion | Tuko TV | Tuko Investigates Source: TUKO.co.ke Greta Beer, a Romanian Jew whose decades-long search for her fathers Swiss bank account helped force banks in Switzerland to pay more than $1 billion in compensation to Holocaust victims and their heirs over lost assets, died on Jan. 23 at her home in Brighton, Mass. She was 98. Her death was confirmed by Doina Simovici, a friend and the executor of her estate. Ms. Beers frustrating private hunt turned into a very public mission in 1996. That was when she testified on Capitol Hill about the roadblocks bankers had put up as she and her mother sought to find her fathers account, told by the institutions he had so trusted that it did not exist. May I just say, in that unbelievable hell around us, this was a safe haven, she told the Senate Banking Committee at a hearing designed to pressure Swiss banks to compensate those whose deposited assets were gone. The place where we were was under horrible danger. Her father conveyed his faith in the Swiss banking system to his family even as he lay dying of kidney disease in 1940. But for Ms. Beer, that faith evaporated as her efforts to find the account, which she suspected was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, were rebuffed. She never found justice. The banks never paid her a cent. Oncoming motorists were forced to slow down after a Dublin man overtook traffic on the Inner Relief Road and drove across the hatch markings in the centre of the road, Dundalk District court heard last week. Aaron OConnor (31) of Clonshaugh Avenue, Coolock, had contested a dangerous driving conviction, but entered a guilty plea to careless driving yesterday (Wednesday) - on the day of the hearing. Insp. Liam Archbold outlined how gardai observed the defendants vehicle parked outside an address in Muirhevnamor on January 18th last year. They followed it at a safe distance before it turned onto the Inner Relief road, he crossed over hatch markings while overtaking traffic and caused motorists in oncoming vehicles to slow down. Mr. OConnor stopped a short time later at the Xerox junction and approximately 140 worth of cocaine was recovered when his car was searched. The court heard he was given a one month sentence last week in Dun Laoghaire district court for two drugs possession charges and had a third conviction from 2014. The Defence barrister said his client had a cocaine addiction at the time of the incident and his previous convictions reflect his addiction issues, but he had instructions that a Probation report prepared for last weeks court appearance was relatively positive. He added he now works for a tyre changing company in Crumlin and needs his driving licence for the job. Judge Eirinn McKiernan put the case back to later in the list to determine if that was the case, however, the Probation officer said the accused had undergone drug testing on three occasions and two of the samples were positive for cocaine. The Defence counsel urged the court to give his client one last chance to engage with the Probation Service. Judge McKiernan said she would exercise her discretion and not disqualify the defendant from driving for careless driving and imposed a three month jail term for the cocaine offence. At the request of the Defence the judge fixed recognizance for an appeal on Mr. OConnors own bond of 300, an independent surety of 500 with cash to be lodged. The government on Thursday expressed serious concern over public platforms like YouTube, Google, WhatsApp and others being abused for revenge porn, fake news and content designed to incite violence and cautioned that while digital world cannot be caged, players have to be accountable and responsible. Minister for Law and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad said the issue of fake news is a worry, and added that there are serious parliamentary concerns about internet being abused for child pornography. He also asserted that identification of originator of messages was still a problem with regard to WhatsApp. I am a great supporter of creativity and freedom but there are also social obligations...But the digital world has to be responsible, accountable and most importantly sensitive. For the sake of earning money, is it right to show what we are showing - this question has to be asked, the minister said at an IAMAI event. Stating that India is emerging as a large digital powerhouse that will yield golden opportunities, he asked companies not to allow their platforms to be abused. You must remember, India is emerging as a big global power and there are forces that want to create hurdles... that is their outlook but you don't allow your platform to be abused for that, that is my appeal, he said. Terming digital universe a pious and pure world and one that was empowering, he however noted that issues such as fake news was a problem. Revenge porn is creeping in India...girlfriend and boyfriend split up... then what happens, platform is being abused, the minister said adding that he had even brought the issue of abuse of YouTube to the notice of Sundar Pichai (CEO of Alphabet). I told Pichai also, when you go to YouTube there are many positive narratives like old songs, speeches, enlightening digital material available...but see some of the other parts...the way YouTube is being abused, he said. YouTube, Google, mobile or other related platforms are public platforms that are being misused forporn, fake news, or content designed to provoke violence and flare communal tensions, he noted. On WhatsApp he said there is still a problem in identifying the originator of a rogue message. Ihave one problem, still going on. Who is the initiator of that sinand if it comes from abroad, who was the first in India to start it, Prasad said. He said India, unlike China, will keep its doors open to progressive and new technologies. On data protection legislation, he said it should move through a democratic process. India is a democracy and they (China) closed their doors, we won't and we should not. I am appealing to all of you, it is time for you to enjoy the success of Digital India, it will create a golden opportunity for you but also be responsible and accountable, he said addressing India Digital Summit. 250 Phuket shops cleared of face-mask price gouging claims PHUKET: The chief of the Commercial Affairs Phuket office, Sasiwimon Mongkhon, has confirmed that her office has investigated 250 complaints of retailers overcharging for face masks, but found none of them guilty enough to be charged. They were just increased prices, she said. healtheconomicscrimetourismCoronavirusCOVID-19 By The Phuket News Thursday 6 February 2020, 11:58AM One reader of The Phuket News provided evidence of one shop in Cherng Talay charging B440 for just two face masks. Photo: Supplied Officials deemed that none of the 250 shops investigated were guilty of overcharging. Photo: Commercial Affairs Phuket office Officials deemed that none of the 250 shops investigated were guilty of overcharging. Photo: Commercial Affairs Phuket office Officials deemed that none of the 250 shops investigated were guilty of overcharging. Photo: Commercial Affairs Phuket office Officials deemed that none of the 250 shops investigated were guilty of overcharging. Photo: Commercial Affairs Phuket office Officials deemed that none of the 250 shops investigated were guilty of overcharging. Photo: Commercial Affairs Phuket office Officials deemed that none of the 250 shops investigated were guilty of overcharging. Photo: Commercial Affairs Phuket office The Commercial Affairs Phuket office had officials and Chinese volunteers work undercover to investigate the 250 complaints. From last Wednesday through yesterday (Jan 29-Feb 5) they approached the accused vendors to buy face masks and alcohol gel hand sanitiser, Ms Sasiwimon explained. The campaign began last week after Ms Sasiwimon explained that the Ministry of Commerce had ordered Commercial Affairs officers to inspect the prices being charged and the number of face masks currently available for sale throughout Phuket. Ms Sasiwimon warned all people and businesses selling face masks to clearly have prices marked on face masks for sale, and to not stockpile face mask supplies, or else face legal action. If an officer finds a shop selling face masks at unreasonable prices, the shop owner will face punishment under the Price of Goods and Services Act B.E. 1999, which carries a penalty of up to seven years in jail or a fine of up to B140,000, or both, she warned. (See story here.) Anyone who finds unreasonable prices being charged for face masks are urged to report it by calling the Commercial Affairs hotline at 1569 so officers can investigate immediately, Ms Sasiwimon added. Regarding the 250 complaints investigated, Ms Sasiwimon said yesterday (Feb 5), We found that none of the shops were overcharging for face masks at all. Just increased prices. Asked what was deemed to be a reasonable price for face masks, she said, I cannot confirm that until the Commercial Affairs head office in Bangkok clarifies the standard price to us next week. So far the Commerce Ministry has yet to announce any controlled prices for face masks or hand sanitiser. (See story here.) Four retailers were caught not using price tags to publicly disclose the price of the face masks, Ms Sasiwimon added. We issued them a warning. If they continue to do this, they will be charged, she said. Ms Sasiwimon yesterday defended higher prices being charged for face masks. The high demand has seen retailers sell out of face masks, and forced them to order from other supplies at higher costs. This is why they are costing more, she said. However, The Phuket News has received evidence of one retailer charging B440 for a pack of two face masks. Regardless, Ms Sasiwimon yesterday maintained her warning: If we find shops overcharging we will report them to the Commercial Affairs office in Bangkok to investigate. She also assured that supplies of face masks will increase next week. Currently the supply of face masks is running out. It is not enough to meet demand in Phuket. Manufacturers need to increase their distribution nationwide. Next week, the availability of face masks will be better than this week, she said. For Texas, promise and pitfalls in China Texas companies are betting big on China. But will the nations slowing growth bring a payoff? For Texas, promise and pitfalls in China Texas companies are betting big on China. But will the nations slowing growth bring a payoff? Published Feb. 6, 2020 First of three parts Read more about why we went to China. BINHAI, China A hundred miles south of Beijing, rows of identical, gleaming white apartment buildings stretch to the horizon, with construction cranes signaling many more to come. A 100-story glass and steel office tower looms over a downtown filled with Western-branded hotels and restaurants. A modernist library designed by a Dutch architect sprawls along a city block. The only thing missing: people. The population of Binhai, one of hundreds of former farming communities built into cities over the past decade, numbers more than 4 million, according to official Chinese statistics. Yet sidewalks are devoid of pedestrians at all times of day. Storefronts sit empty, their concrete foundations still exposed. We have to serve not just today, says Liu Xiufeng, curator of Binhais library. We have to look to the future. He is showing off mostly empty bookshelves that reach 60 feet high. They are painted to appear as if they are holding books. It is a potentially telling moment. Texas companies are placing big bets that Chinas economy, long the fastest-growing in the world, will continue to expand. Texans want to sell oil, soybeans and other products to the fast-growing middle class moving into new cities such as Binhai. But growth is slowing in the face of rising wages, competition from lower-cost southeast Asian nations and a protracted trade war with the United States. Analysts and experts are starting to question the once-certain promise of investment in China. So, the question: Is the lure of a bustling middle class, and big payoffs that come with it, just a mirage, like the books in Lius library? Could China be a suckers bet? We export a lot of agriculture and some energy, which were hoping to increase, said Steven Lewis, China fellow at Rice Universitys Baker Institute. These are things the Chinese need. But theres a lot of businesspeople in China who say the outlook is bad. The risks of a Chinese downturn were made stark by the plunge in global stock and commodity markets over growing unease about Chinas ability to contain the coronavirus outbreak. U.S. oil prices are down about 20 percent from last month on fears the virus will slow Asian economies and energy consumption. Few regions of the United States have more at stake than Houston. China is already the regions second-largest trading partner after Mexico. And Chinas continued expansion means it would need more oil, liquefied natural gas and chemicals, products Texas produces and exports in abundance. In anticipation, the energy companies that drive the Texas economy have rushed to expand their footprint in China. Exxon Mobil recently expanded its massive research and testing complex in Shanghai, as it moves to grow its energy business with state-owned Chinese firms. Houston chemical maker LyondellBasell announced in December it was entering into a deal with Chinas Sinopec to build a petrochemical facility along the coast of eastern China. Meanwhile, back on the Gulf Coast, multibillion-dollar LNG facilities and petrochemical plants are going up, at least in part under the expectation that the worlds second-largest economy will maintain its juggernaut pace and hunger for Houstons energy products. They accounted for three-fourths of the regions $7.2 billion in exports to China in 2018. The trade war has slowed deal-making. But in a sign of things to come, Houston company Cheniere Energy last year signed an $18 billion deal to supply LNG to China for 20 years. Rorschach test Among the residents of Beijing and Binhai, there is no end to optimism about their future. Wages and quality of life are on the rise, bringing newfound wealth displayed in designer clothes and trips abroad luxuries unimaginable for many of their parents generation. On the outskirts of Binhai, an animation studio, computer-technology firms and a sprawling apartment complex sit beside what was little more than a mass of struggling farms and a heavily contaminated sewage reservoir rendered relatively clean by a government cleanup project. This used to all be salt marsh, said Lv Kai, deputy director of the complex. You couldnt grow anything. But China is in the middle of a ticklish transition as it attempts to transform itself from an emerging economy based on low-cost manufacturing and exports to a developed nation driven by high-value products and services and domestic consumer spending. Economic growth has declined steadily for close to a decade now to about 6.6 percent, according to Chinas official numbers. Though that might be the envy of most any nation in the world the U.S. economy grows at about 2 percent a year the prospect of a continuing decline is stoking fears about Chinas ability to repay the trillions of dollars of debt it took on during the 2008 financial crisis to keep its industries growing despite slumping global demand. Figuring out the health of Chinas economy is more art than science, considering the limited data the government releases and the general lack of transparency, said Scott Kennedy, an adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., who has studied and visited China for 30 years. There is no consensus on Chinas economy, Kennedy said. Its a Rorschach test. Chinas government is working at what economists describe as a modest spending increase to keep economic growth steady, a vastly scaled-down version of the stimulus a decade ago. But thats just a Band-Aid. Longer term, the government in Beijing is betting on demographics. Along the train tracks between the sprawling modernity of Shanghai and Beijing where high-speed trains move at speeds of more than 200 mph lies an alternate world of subsistence farming and small villages composed of a few dozen stone homes and centered around the smokestack of a small coal-fired power plant. Chinas strategy is to move those people into well-paying jobs in Chinas cities and grow the middle class, increasing consumption while expanding the countrys formidable industrial and manufacturing sectors. President Xi Jinping has ordered regional officials to move about 1 million people out of the countryside each year, not to already overcrowded cities such as Shanghai (population 24 million) but rather to newly designated urban zones such as Binhai. Almost 60 percent of Chinas 1.4 billion people live in cities, compared to 40 percent two decades ago, as the population has shifted from the countryside. That has resulted in megacities such as Beijing, where skyscrapers stretch to the horizon, streets are so wide pedestrians use underground tunnels to cross them and one of the citys train stations is so vast it has two subway stops. Urbanization is the core agenda for Chinese development, given the current demographics in terms of age and income, said Zou Ji, president of the China Energy Foundation, a Beijing nonprofit advocating for clean energy. We are trying to pursue prosperity, to raise incomes for poor people. To this end, the Chinese government has created more than 200 so-called economic-technological development areas such as Binhai, to expand the countrys manufacturing and industry beyond their traditional hubs with a focus on high-technology and other lucrative sectors such as energy, aviation, artificial intelligence and biotechnology. Belt and Road At the same time, Chinas Belt and Road initiative, through which the government commits billions to finance ports, pipelines, roads and other infrastructure projects in developing nations across Asia, Africa and South America, provides plenty of work for Chinese contractors and a cash infusion for the domestic economy as Chinese companies send profits back home. China still has a lot of inefficiencies in their economy, but its still growing, Kennedy said. They still have good fundamentals, a smart, highly motivated flexible workforce and fantastic infrastructure. Not everyone is so confident about Chinas future. A survey last year by AmCham China, which represents U.S. companies operating on the mainland, reported that only 22 percent of its members were optimistic about the business outlook in China during the next two years. Subscribe to the FuelFix Newsletter: Get energy, oil, and gas news updates each weekday. Ratings agency S&P Global also reported that local authorities in China had amassed up to $6 trillion in hidden debt off their balance sheets, accumulated as they went on spending sprees to build roads, bridges and other infrastructure to keep economic activity in their regions in line with mandates from Beijing. Thats a debt iceberg with titanic credit risks, the report said. A debt crisis, should one materialize, would inevitably slow Chinas economy and leave many Texas oil and gas companies in the lurch. Texas firms are not only relying on a booming Chinese economy to absorb vast amounts of crude and natural gas produced in American shale plays, but also have come to rely on billions in Chinese financing from companies such as Shandong Xinchao, a Beijing energy and real estate firm, to fund the development of new fields in West Texas. At least for now, Chinese officials assure American firms there is nothing to worry about. In an interview, He Zhenwei, secretary general of the China Overseas Development Corporation, an affiliate of Chinas economic planning commission, said Chinas projected economic growth, increasing energy demand and plans to reduce its reliance on coal should create a huge market for American LNG, an industry concentrated along the Gulf Coast. The consumption of this market is incredible, he said. We are amazed ourselves (with) how much energy we consume. Ready to grow In Binhai, they are more than ready for growth. On a tour organized by local government officials, they described a train line under development that would connect Binhai to the more established city of Tianjin. They showed off new apartment blocks complete with solar panels. Wind turbines have gone up alongside what was once a cesspool for sewage runoff. At a new maritime museum on the citys waterfront, not far from the site of a petrochemical explosion that killed more than 170 people in 2015, workers were dusting off fossils and stuffed whales ahead of the official opening. Many of the exhibit signs were in English a language not commonly spoken in China outside major cities and cultural sites. Maybe later, a tour guide explained, we will have more foreigners. Support our journalism Help our journalists uncover the big stories. Subscribe today. Part 2: Chinas challenge to the worlds energy capital Part 3: Differing policies in U.S.-China trade negotiations spell trouble for Texas James Osborne has been the Washington energy correspondent for the Houston Chronicle since 2016. Reach him by email at james.osborne@chron.com and follow him @osborneja. Designed by Stephanie Lamm and Jasmine Goldband. *** BJP MP Tejasvi Surya raked up a communal controversy by saying on Wednesday that the majority community has to remain vigilant or Mughal rule will return to the country, as he slammed the anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh. He was participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in Lok Sabha. Surya also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for resolving several critical issues that had been pending for several decades. Referring to the ongoing protest at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act, he said, "What is happening today in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh is a stark reminder that if the majority of this country is not vigilant, the patriotic Indians do no stand up to this, the days of Mughal Raj coming back to Delhi are not far away." His remarks evoked sharp reaction from the Opposition members. READ | BJP's Tejasvi Surya Calls Budget 2020 'progressive', Hails Attempt To Simplify Income Tax Speaking about CAA, he said, as it was aimed at resolving the issues emanating from Partition, that "The new India cannot to built without healing the wounds of the past." He said the CAA was about giving citizenship to persecuted minorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and not for taking away anyone's citizenship. Under the leadership of Modi, Surya said, several issues of the past have seen closure. These include the abrogation of Article 370, construction of Ram temple, Bodo problems and abolition of Triple Talaq. READ | Gifting Amit Shah-Sardar Patel Portrait, Tejasvi Surya Reveals BJP Chief's Key '4 Words' Taking to Twitter, Surya said, "Shaheen Bagh is a symbol of Islamic fanaticism in the garb of constitutional secularism." "Shaheen Bagh is symbol of Islamic fanaticism in garb of constitutional secularism" While hollow opposition is indulging in lies & slander, Sh @narendramodi govt is moving forward with India's development story My talk on President's Motion of Thanks: https://t.co/C7Un5FMQSi Tejasvi Surya (@Tejasvi_Surya) February 5, 2020 READ | Amit Shah Gets Unique 'Sardar Patel Portrait' Gift From Tejasvi Surya In Bengaluru Shaheen Bagh protest The protest has gone on for over 50 days now, though in recent weeks it has become increasingly politicised, both in terms of it becoming a subject over which politics is ongoing and also for the numerous visits that politicians have made there. The protestors occupying the relevant stretch of the area has also caused disruption to traffic, and of late, has also witnessed security threats, with two incidents regarding guns being reported. READ | EC Warns Delhi Top Cop Who Revealed Shaheen Bagh Gunman-AAP Link; Bars Him From Poll Work ADAMS A man is believed to have killed his neighbor with a crossbow as he tried to stop the resident from being mauled by a pair of pit bull dogs. Shortly after noon Wednesday, police responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a dog attack at 19 Bellevue Ave. When the two officers and a K9 unit responded they found two mature male dogs fighting, said Andrew McKeever, spokesman for Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington. When the dogs started to attack responding officers, police shot the animals with their service weapons, he said. Police then found the body of an adult who had been shot and killed by an arrow in the apartment. A child, whose age was not released, was found unharmed in a nearby room, he said. "Investigators currently believe a neighbor heard the commotion, called police and then made entry into the apartment, he said. The neighbor got a crossbow and shot at the dogs. The arrow is believed to have hit one of the dogs, traveled through a door and fatally struck the resident in the next room as he was trying to barricade himself from being attacked by the animals. Early indications are that the death is accidental and the neighbor is cooperating with authorities, McKeever said. The victims name will not be released until family is notified and the Chief Medical Examiners Office confirms his identity, he said. The dogs had a history of being aggressive, McKeever said. The Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorneys Office, with the departments Crime Scene Service Section, Crime Lab and Firearm Identification Section are investigating the death. The Adams Animal Control, Adams Police, The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Berkshire District Attorneys Office also responded to the scene are involved with the investigation, he said. Baaghi 3 Trailer: Tiger Shroff Takes Action To A New Level, Is A One Man Army Against An Entire Nation Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Trevor Hunnicutt (Reuters) Somersworth, New Hampshire, United States Thu, February 6, 2020 11:04 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062de906 2 World #USA,#Elections,Democratic-party,Iowa,Joe-Biden,Pete-Buttigieg Free Former US Vice President Joe Biden vowed on Wednesday to go on fighting for the Democratic presidential nomination despite what he called the "gut punch" he took in Iowa, where partial results show the political veteran lagging in fourth place. "I am not going to sugarcoat it: We took a gut punch in Iowa. The whole process was a gut punch, Biden said in Somersworth, New Hampshire, where he was campaigning. This isnt the first time in my life that Ive been knocked down. With 86.1% of precincts reporting from Monday's caucuses, Biden was behind Pete Buttigieg and US senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren in the first nominating contest of the 2020 campaign. Biden, who bills himself as the most electable Democratic candidate to take on Republican President Donald Trump on Nov. 3, led many national polls in the run-up to Iowa and has a host of high-profile endorsements. But his campaign is in trouble. "There are an awful lot of folks out there who wrote off this campaign...Theyve been trying to do that from the moment I entered the race. Well, Ive got news for them. Im not going anywhere," Biden said. In an unusually direct address, Biden took aim at Sanders and at Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, as he tried to recover ahead of the New Hampshire state primary next Tuesday. Biden, 77, said every Democrat running for the House of Representatives or Senate this year would have to carry the label "socialist" if Sanders became the Democratic nominee. An independent, Sanders calls himself a democratic socialist. Buttigieg, 38, held a narrow lead over Sanders, 78, in the Iowa caucuses, according to partial results released on Wednesday. Problems with an app used for vote counting had delayed a final count. Warren, 70, placed third. There was more confusion later in the day when the party released new figures showing the four top candidates on roughly the same percentages, but then tweeted that there would shortly be "a minor correction to the last batch of results," without giving an explanation. BUTTIGIEG AHEAD As of early Wednesday evening, the Iowa Democratic Party said 86.1% of precincts had reported their results, showing that Buttigieg, who would be the first openly gay US president if elected, had 26.7% of state delegate equivalents, the data traditionally reported to determine the winner. Sanders had 25.4%, Warren was at 18.3%, and Biden garnered 15.9%. Sanders was slightly ahead of Buttigieg in the Iowa popular vote, which is not used to determine the delegates who will formally choose the nominee at the Democratic National Convention in July. After more than a year of campaigning and spending more than $800 million, the results in Iowa had been expected to provide some answers for Democrats desperately trying to figure out how to beat the businessman-turned-president. But the delay has blunted the momentum of the state's eventual winner. The partial results have been released in batches on Tuesday and Wednesday and the Iowa Democratic Party has not said when it will announce the rest. Buttigieg has argued it is time for a new generation of leaders and that his lack of experience in Washington makes him an ideal candidate to break the partisan gridlock there. But he might struggle to win in New Hampshire, where Sanders leads in many opinion polls, and in the next Democratic primary in South Carolina on Feb. 29 where Biden expects to receive strong backing from the African-American vote. Biden accused Buttigieg, 38, of being insufficiently supportive of the achievements of the Obama administration and cast doubt on his experience. Its a risk - to be just straight up with you - for this party to nominate someone whos never held an office higher than mayor of a town of 100,000 people in Indiana, said Biden, who was President Barack Obama's vice president for eight years. Jeannie Collins, 34, who works in human resources in Manchester, New Hampshire, said she was leaning toward voting for Sanders but agreed withBidens concern that the senator may be too left wing for many Americans. That concern was more likely to make her vote for Buttigieg rather than Biden, she said. I just feel like it's time for the younger generation. That's why I really like Buttigieg, she said. She described Sanders as older but his views are younger. Two other Biden opponents - Warren and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg - released ads on Wednesday highlighting their ties to Obama in a move to pick up Biden supporters who may be reconsidering after his poor performance in Iowa. Warrens advertisement about her creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau during Obamas administration uses narration from the former president praising Warren as being very tough and one of the countrys fiercest advocates for the middle class. Bloombergs advertisement quotes Obama praising the former mayors work on gun control and education, saying he has shown what can be achieved when we bring people together to seek pragmatic solutions. DUBLIN It seemed, to some at least, a perfectly reasonable event to include in a series of centenaries planned for the Irish War of Independence from 1919 to 1921: a commemoration of Royal Irish Constabulary police officers who fought and died on the British side. But the public outcry that greeted the events announcement last month not only forced its cancellation but may have damaged the governments chance of retaining power in a general election this Saturday. Beyond its immediate impact, the dispute served notice that in celebrating the centenary, the government is venturing into a minefield that could open old wounds rather than heal them. Opposition politicians accused Prime Minister Leo Varadkars Fine Gael party of suggesting a moral equivalence between members of the Irish Republican Army, who fought for Irish independence, and police officers who died defending British rule. That anger was amplified by the discovery that the 563 officers being officially commemorated would include whether or not the government had realized it not only Irish-born members of the Royal Irish Constabulary and Dublin Metropolitan Police but also members of the Black and Tans and the Auxiliary Division. These mainly British ex-soldiers were recruited as special wartime reinforcements and became notorious for mass reprisals and indiscriminate killings of Irish people. It is shocking to many to commemorate a force that aided the colonial power and the Black and Tans, read one typical tweet on the subject. The French dont commemorate Vichy! it added, comparing the officers to the French government that collaborated with the Nazis. Whoever wins the election will be in place to oversee the sensitive task of commemorating the centenaries of many of the most bloody and divisive episodes in Irelands modern history. As part of a Decade of Centenaries of key dates surrounding Irish independence, the Dublin government has navigated several potentially sensitive commemorations, including the Easter Rising of 1916, which set off armed rebellion, the election of Irelands first pro-independence Parliament in 1918 and the first fatal shots in the War of Independence the next year. Ed OLoughlin is a New York Times writer. WASHINGTONVenezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido on Wednesday scored a long-sought meeting with President Donald Trump, a high point on an international tour aimed at bolstering support for Guaidos U.S.-backed campaign to oust long-time ruler Nicolas Maduro. But Guaido left the White House without the one thing coveted by every leader who visits: an Oval Office photo opportunity with the American president. Soldiers lined the White House driveway as Guaido arrived for the afternoon meeting. Trump stepped onto a red carpet and into a damp chill to welcome Guaido and escort him to the Oval Office for a private meeting after a stroll along the colonnade. Guaido sported a red tie, just like Trump. A day earlier, Guaido was a guest at Trumps State of the Union address. Lawmakers applauded as Trump introduced Guaido as Venezuelas true and legitimate leader and called Maduro a tyrant. The White House said Guaidos visit was an opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of the United States to the people of Venezuela. The leaders were to discuss how the United States can work with Guaido to expedite a democratic transition in Venezuela that will end the ongoing crisis. Vice President Mike Pence and Guaido met at the Capitol before Pence left on a trip to Pennsylvania. Also attending were Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, both Florida Republicans. The United States and nearly 60 other governments say Maduros 2018 election was illegitimate and that Guaido, as leader of the countrys National Assembly, should be named interim president under Venezuelas constitution. These countries blame Maduros socialist policies for a political and economic crisis threatening regional stability. Maduro, however, remains in control, having faced down a failed military uprising, a brief renewal of mass anti-government protests, and sanctions and other U.S.-backed efforts to force him to leave office. Guaido slipped out of Venezuela at a time when he had few options left and was struggling to draw significant numbers of people into the street to protest against Maduro. Guaidos momentum saw an upturn in early January, when he was seen attempting to jump a fence after being blocked by armed riot police from entering the National Assembly legislative building in widely published images. Mr. President, please take this message back to your homeland, Trump told Guaido during Tuesdays speech. All Americans are united with the Venezuelan people in their righteous struggle for freedom. The White House said the United States will continue to work with countries in the region to confront the illegitimate dictatorship in Venezuela and ensure a democratic and prosperous future for its people. Trumps national security adviser, Robert OBrien, called on Russia, China and Cuba to end their support for Maduro. OBrien said Maduro lacks his peoples support and is exercising tyranny over them. We call on the Chinese, the Russians and the Cubans to knock it off and to get out of Venezuela and let the Venezuelans control their own destiny, OBrien said Wednesday to a group of ambassadors to the United States. Venezuela has been a priority in Latin America for the Trump administration, which a year ago was the first among a coalition of governments to recognize Guaido as president. The administration has undertaken what it describes as a maximum pressure campaign of sanctions and other measures designed to hasten Maduros departure from office, but he has remained. Guaidos attendance at Tuesdays speech came as a surprise as he has sought for some time to secure a meeting with Trump, his most important international ally. Guaido visited Miami on Saturday, not far from where Trump spent the weekend at his home in Palm Beach, Florida, but the leaders did not meet then. Guaido has been on a two-week world tour that took him first to Colombia, then across Europe and Canada, where he sought more international help to oust Maduro. Maduro early last year banned Guaido from leaving the country, ordering an investigation after accusing him of violating the constitution by challenging the regime. This is the second time hes disobeyed the ban, both times leaving to rally international support at the risk of arrest upon his return. The administration on Wednesday promised very significant consequences for Maduro if he interferes or harms Guaido when he returns to Venezuela. By Darlene Supervill. With editing by NTD staff. In a country where almost 16% of the population is covered by a medical aid scheme, the growing threat of a Corona Virus outbreak in South Africa may have you wondering about the impact outbreaks of this magnitude might have on your medical aid. CEO of Profmed Medical Scheme Craig Comrie says, Every scheme holds reserves specifically for events like this. The problem is, if an outbreak is sustained for too long then those reserves will deplete quickly. Comrie warns that it is essential that a coordinated approach is supported between the private sector and government to assist any who are infected. Funding the treatment for a widespread pandemic will place significant financial burdens on individuals, medical schemes and the government. When it comes to these type of unusual events, Comrie recommends that you carefully evaluate what benefits your scheme provides while considering the financial health of your scheme which is reflected in what is called the solvency level. Schemes are required to keep a minimum of 25% solvency which effectively is equal to 3 months worth of premiums. Restricted schemes like Profmed tend to have higher solvency levels above 40% while open schemes are usually very close to the minimum requirements. Although, Comrie said that in his two decades of experience in the healthcare industry he cant remember having to ever dig into the reserves however we have extensive experience with other infectious diseases like tuberculosis. South Africa has been insulated from most global pandemics however careful planning is still needed for these types of events. Even if the Coronavirus hits South Africa, Comrie says that your medical scheme should be able to operate as normal. The health of our members is why we exist and our benefits will cover you if you land up requiring treatment for a viral infection, be it the flu, pneumonia, or even Corona. However, since there is no current cure or vaccine for Corona, all medical schemes will take a keen interest in containment and treatment strategies in partnership with the public health sector. For many who travel overseas, Profmed offers its members free 90-day international travel insurance as a scheme benefit. Those who travel to high-risk areas like China will have to consider additional travel insurance. South Africans are extensive travellers and it is interesting that specific Corona cover is already available in the market, says Comrie. There is no doubt that the Coronavirus is spreading quickly, and we should all be concerned, says Comrie. But, since this is a virus, people should stick to the tried and true methods of prevention. According to Comrie prevention methods include: Avoiding close contact with people who are infected Regularly wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds or more, or use an alcohol-based sanitizer with 60% alcohol or higher if you can't get to a sink If you're sick, avoiding interacting with other people Don't go to work if you're sick When you sneeze, cover your nose and mouth Try not to touch your eyes, nose, and mouth Regularly clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that could be contaminated with germs (like your phone) If you suspect you may have the coronavirus, or have recently returned from travelling in China, seek medical attention immediately. Robert Pattinson who is gearing up for his step into the DC Extended Universe as Batman has just been announced as the most handsome man in the world, leaving behind Henry Cavil, Brad Pitt, Bradley Cooper and more. Celebrity facial plastic surgeon Dr Julian De Silva, shared on Instagram a list of actors who were measured base on physical perfection and crowned Robert Pattinson as the winner. The post reads, "The list was compiled using the latest computerized mapping techniques,..Robert Pattinson was the clear winner when all elements of the face were measured for physical perfection." Pattinson was reportedly found to be 92.15% accurate to the Greek Golden Ratio of Beauty Phi - which measures physical perfection. "Henry Cavill was second with 91.08%, Bradley Cooper was third with 91.08%, and Brad Pitt...was fourth with 90.51%," De Silva continued. Some of the other celebrities mentioned in the list are, David Beckham and George Clooney who was a previous winner slumped to fifth place due to ageing and loss of volume on face. Pattinson has already begun shooting for The Batman according to director Matt Reeves's recent tweet on social media. Robert is set to play the leading role in three-planned part as Batman. It will also star Andy Serkis, Zoe Kravitz, and Colin Farrell, Peter Sarsgaard, Jeffrey Wright. Robert Pattinson is also waiting for the release of his upcoming Christopher Nolan's film Tenet. The film also has an incredible buzz around its story, star cast and the director's track record. Birds Of Prey Movie Review: Harley Quinn's Emancipation Is An Eye Candy For Women Empowerment ALSO READ: Marvel Disney+ Trailer Breakdown: First Look At WandaVision, Loki, Falcon And The Winter Soldier Shane Halpin was horrified by his behaviour, the court heard A man attacked and bit a garda who had found him lying in his own vomit on the side of the road and driven him back to his house, a court has heard. Shane Halpin (25), of Fouillard Lane, Lusk, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Garda Derek Dalton, causing him harm, at his address on September 2, 2018. He had no previous convictions. Sergeant John Cannon told John Berry BL, prosecuting, that in the early hours of the morning, gardai received a call about a person lying unconscious on the side of the road at Blakes Cross, Lusk. Sgt Cannon said that Halpin was intoxicated and appeared to have vomited on himself. Gda Dalton decided to take him home and called for a garda van. He was concerned that Halpin might not have given the correct address so he knocked on the door and asked the accused's mother if Halpin was welcome there. After she said that he was, Halpin emerged from the garda van and was "quite aggressive". Fracture He started grappling with Gda Dalton and ripped his radio and torch from his person. The garda raised his arm to shield himself and was bitten. The two men ended up on the ground and Halpin was initially subdued before biting Gda Dalton on the knee. Gda Dalton suffered a fracture to a bone in his hand along with the two bites and an injury to his groin. He could not return to duty for six months. Sgt Cannon told the court that Halpin had returned from a six-month internship in the US that evening and had met with friends over drinks. He said Halpin had little recollection of the incident and was horrified by his behaviour. Judge Melanie Greally said it was a very serious assault on a garda "carrying out an act of considerable kindness". She imposed an indicative sentence of two years' imprisonment and deferred the sentence until April 1. She said that if Halpin was compliant with a bond to keep the peace then she would make an order discharging him from the indictment. She also directed he hand over 3,000 to Little Blue Heroes. [February 06, 2020] Weyland Tech to Launch CreateApp in Taiwan in Partnership with Leading Line Corp. Affiliate, Now Mastery NEW YORK, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Weyland Tech, Inc. (OTCQX: WEYL) plans to launch its CreateApp mCommerce platform-as-a-service in Taiwan within the next few weeks, allowing the more than 1.3 million small-and-medium sized businesses (SMBs) across the country to easily establish and manage a mobile presence. CreateApp enables businesses to create and deploy native mobile applications for Apple iOS and Google Android without technical knowledge or background. CreateApp empowers SMBs to increase sales, reach more customers, manage logistics, conduct financial transactions, and promote their products and services in an easy, affordable and highly efficient way. The CreateApp user base, comprised of businesses across Southeast Asia, grew 47 percent last year to more than 360,000. To support the launch in Taiwan, Weyland has partnered with Now Mastery, LLP, an affiliate of NYSE-listed Line Corporation. Line provides a platform for mobile messaging and communication services, content distribution and financial services primarily in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia. Now Mastery is led by Joseph Kay, a best-selling author in Taiwan who is widely considered the preeminent authority on Internet marketing for small business owners. Kay has attracted more than 400,000 followers on Lines small-business marketplace and 67,000 on Facebook. Now Mastery will offer its followers special subscription pricing for CreateApp of US$25 - $110 per month, depending on the features and modules they use. Now Mastery will also provide ongoing advice and support for users on the platform. The citizens of Taiwan are well-known for being first adopters of the latest technologies and solutions, noted CreateApps chief product officer and founder, Eddie Foong. In fact, technology has been the key driver of Taiwans economy for decades, and it has transformed the island into one of the worlds leading manufacturing hubs, home to some of the worlds largest semiconductor companies. The country has recently been making great strides in strengthening its startup ecosystem, with a surge in venture capital, government support, and reforms helping to revitalize the economy and increase the visibility of the next generation of entrepreneurs. Altogether, this makes Taiwan an ideal marketplace for CreateApp market expansion after Indonesia and more recently North America. While Taiwans population of 28 million is small compared to other markets in the region, its consumer habits and openness make it an easy market to navigate, as well as introduce and test consumer acceptance of new online services. Internet speeds in Taiwan rank among the top in the world; IP protection is well-established, and the cultural similarities to China make for good testing grounds to launch and experiment with new ideas before moving into larger regional markets. According to Export.gov, more than 85 percent f Taiwanese citizens are connected to the Internet and more than 70 percent access the Internet using a smartphone device, making it one of the most connected consumer bases in the world. Further, a significant portion of the population is now shopping on mobile devices. In Taiwan, 48 percent of all online transactions are mobile-based, and this number is expected to reach 61 percent by 2022. Given these favorable market dynamics, we are excited to partner with the esteemed Joseph Kay and his Now Mastery organization to launch CreateApp in Taiwan, commented Weyland CEO, Brent Suen. We expect even a small penetration of their large following to result in a significant contribution to our recurring revenue stream by the end of the first quarter. Weylands recent acquisition of Minneapolis-based Push Interactive is also expected to provide lead-generation tools for Taiwanese SMBs to increase their online sales. About LINE Corporation Based in Japan, LINE Corporation (NYSE:LN/TSE:3938) is dedicated to the mission of Closing the Distance, bringing together information, services and people. The LINE messaging app launched in June 2011 and since then has grown into a diverse, global ecosystem that includes AI technology, Fintech and more. For more information, visit www.linecorp.com. About Weyland Tech Weyland Tech is a developer and global provider of mobile business software applications. The company operates its CreateApp platform-as-a-service (PaaS) across three continents and 10 countries, including some of the fastest-growing emerging markets in Southeast Asia. The platform provides a mobile presence for small-and-medium sized businesses (SMBs) that is supported locally by distributor partnerships. Offered in 14 languages with more than 70 integrated modules, CreateApp enables SMBs to create and deploy native mobile applications for Apple iOS and Google Android without technical knowledge or background. The technology empowers SMBs to increase sales, reach more customers, manage logistics, and promote their products and services in an easy, affordable and highly efficient way. For more information, visit weyland-tech.com. About Push Interactive The e-Commerce platform of Weylands Push Interactive subsidiary features comprehensive customer acquisition capabilities, highly productive media and channel strategies, well-tuned product promotion and messaging, and sales funnel development and optimization. The direct-to-consumer platform provides an end-to-end solution for SMBs and major brands, allowing these organizations to dramatically increase online revenue while lowering the cost of customer acquisition and order fulfillment. Post-sale, Push supports fulfillment, customer relationship management, and further monetization through re-engagement and remarketing toolsets that enhance customer lifetime value (LTV). For more information about Push Interactive, visit www.pushint.com. About AtozPay and AtozGo Through Weyland Techs minority-owned subsidiary, Weyland Indonesia Perkasa (WIP), the company operates AtozPay and AtozGo. The AtozPay mobile payments platform serves the burgeoning mCommerce and e-Payment markets in Indonesia, the worlds fourth most populous country. AtozGo is a fast-growing short-distance food delivery service operated in Jakarta, Indonesia. For more information, visit atozpayindonesia.com. Important Cautions Regarding Forward Looking Statements This release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are forward-looking statements including statements regarding: the ability of the Company to successfully launch CreateApp in Taiwan, the continued growth of the eCommerce segment in Taiwan and the ability of the Company to continue its expansion into that segment and that geographic market; the ability of the Company to attract customers and partners and generate revenues through its partnership with Now Mastery; the ability of the Company to successfully execute its business plan; the business strategy, plans, and objectives of the Company; and any other statements of non-historical information. These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as believes, expects or similar expressions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. The Companys actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Companys periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume any duty to update these forward-looking statements. Company Contact Brent Suen, CEO Weyland Tech Inc. Email contact Media & Investor Contact Ronald Both or Grant Stude CMA Tel (949) 432-7566 Email Contact [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ] Hello. O.K., its happened. Were in business. Hows this? I like it, Alex. Do you always keep instruments near your bed in case inspiration strikes? Well, I have a piano near me all the time, and I always have a good yeah, the answer is yes. Singing: Take me out and take me home. Youre my, my, my, my lover. Ive never really been able to fully explain songwriting other than its like this little glittery cloud floats in front of your face, and you grab it at the right time. And then you revert back to what you know about the structure of a song in order to fill in the gaps. Where were you the moment inspiration struck? It was, I was in bed. I was in Nashville. I got out of bed. I think it was really late at night, and stumbled over to the piano. Voice memo: O.K., so I had this idea thats like obviously I dont know the verse, whatever yet, but I have a pretty cool, really simple, beautiful chorus idea called Lover. Ive been thinking for years, God, it would just be so great to have a song that people who are in love would want to dance to, like slow dance to. In my head, I had just the last two people on a dance floor at 3 a.m., swaying. What did you have in your mind? Was it the title? Was it a lyric? Was it a melody? It was not it was, can I go where you go? Can we always be this close? Singing: Can I go where you go? Can we always be this close forever and ever? I wanted the chorus to be these really simple existential questions that we ask ourselves when were in love. Can I go where you go is such a heavy thing to ask somebody. Can we always be this close has so much fear in it, but so does love. When did you hit upon the word lover? Oh, Ive always liked that word, but Ive never used it in everyday life. When people are like, thats my lover over there or calling each other lover, Ive never done that, but Ive always loved it in the context of poetry or songs. Its a polarizing word. Some people are like, Ugh, that word gives me the creeps. Well, anything I do is polarizing. So, you know, Im used to that. Fair enough. So how much of the song did you get done that night at the piano in Nashville? The whole thing. She sent me that voice note. Whether its a whole song or just a little thing from her, I sort of get this big jolt, and I listen and I block out the whole world for a minute. Every lyric and melody was right there. And I was like [ding] get on a plane. She came in the next day. She sat right there. She played it. Its basically, I dont see it as piano. I think its that kind of dreamy, guitary, throwback, but not like camp throwback. I know what you mean. So [piano] I thought it was the perfect song, which is really interesting because its almost like even more of a duty to do it right. Singing: Youre my, my, my, my lover. That seems so much better. Yeah, I love the walk down. That really fixes that part. I love the walk down. That was the only thing that I was trying to figure out, what the hell is going to happen there? So the That makes it so much better. Singing: My, my, my, my. When Im working with Jack and Taylor, Im working with two extremely creative people who are bouncing ideas back and forth so fast. So my job is to basically not slow them down in any way. Lauras been by my side for every record Ive made pretty much since people started listening to any of my records. Were all three of us are in that process together. Were just like ugh, like its just fun. Were fully, fully acting on impulse. And were acting on intuition, and were acting on excitement and oat-milk lattes. I remember the first thing I did was I went into the live room, which is right there. And at that time I had listened to a lot of Violent Femmes recently, and I was excited about how much feeling you could get out of a snare drum if it was a brush. [drums] And I just remember going in and going psh, one brush. I wasnt even really playing drums. I just kind of had one brush. I just We were using real reverbs and real tape echoes. It gives a really special character to it where it does feel nostalgic. The bass, which is a very, very, very special bass, belongs to the studio. He was calling that the Paul bass. Is that Paul McCartney? Yeah. My old Hofner bass, my little baby. Come on, baby. We were just referencing like what would Paul do W.W.P.D.? Humming: Brum, brum, brum, brum, brum, brum, brum. The bass line is actually the hook. Its not a true Paul bass though. Its not a true Paul bass at all, but its better at that Paul thump than Ive ever gotten out of the violin bass. Humming: Brum, brum, brum, brum, brum, brum, brum, brum, brum. The bass and the drum is sort of like if you just hear those two tracks, like the entire space is so, I think, beautifully filled. In the studio, Im obsessively going over every lyric and making sure thats what I want the final lyric to be. So Ill be over, in my notes, just sharpen that, hone in on that. Were there lines that changed in that process? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I had toyed with the idea of being like, we could leave the Christmas lights up till April. Singing: We could leave the Christmas lights up till January. Doesnt everyone leave their Christmas lights up till January? But its not about that being a crazy thing. Its about how mundane it is. Its about we could put a rug over there. We could do wallpaper, or we could do paint. Singing: This is our place. We made the rules. When young adults go from living in their family to then combining their life with someone else, thats actually like the most profound thing. To be just telling this story I dont know. It almost feels like an old story Ive heard many times. I mean, I guess it is, people falling in love. Tell me about the importance of the bridge to you. I feel like you love a bridge. This is a special bridge. Talk to me about it. I love a bridge. I love a bridge so much. I love trying to take the song to a higher level with the bridge. Theres these, sort of, hand-plucking strings and these kind of flutes that are popping out. I wanted it to be the first time we introduced the idea of vows. Make it feel like a little wedding. Singing: Ladies and gentlemen, will you please stand? I love to take a common phrase and twist it. So the bridge, I took all these common phrases that we say about weddings Singing: With every guitar-string scar on my hand. I like to add something that changes the phrase. Singing: I take this magnetic force of a man to be my lover. Without a bridge, a song can sort of feel almost like a jingle. You know when youre driving through beautiful scenery, and youre like mountains, trees. Oh my God, right? And all of a sudden you go through a tunnel and youre like, what the [expletive]? And then its back. Mountains and trees, so beautiful. Its like you need that third element to take you away from where youve been so youre so excited to get it back. Specifically in Lover when you come out of the bridge and you go back into the chorus, youre just phew. Singing: Can I go where you go? Can we always be this close, forever and ever? And it was all done in that one day. Oh yeah. I mean, I think we were all really excited when we left the studio that day. Even if anybody had been like, I dont think this one is great, I would have been like, Well, I reject your feedback because I love this one. Its the perfect song, and tells that story perfectly and pulls me right into where she wants me, as the listener, to be. Youre my, youre my, youre my, youre my, youre my what? And then [thump] Singing: Lover. Do you have guitar-string scars on your hands? Well, I mean, I have extreme calluses. You cant see them, probably, but theyre all and I have some from just changing strings and not being very good at it. Do you know what I mean? Like some where youre like tuning, tuning, tuning. Pop. Ow. Couples and their dogs are welcome at a wedding open house hosted by the new event venue Walden, featuring engagement photos, samplings of beer and beer-flavored ice cream, and the chance to meet vendors providing hair styling, videography and stationery. Noon to 2 p.m., 2137 W. Walnut St.; 312-361-1176 or eventbrite.com MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th February, 2020) UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said he was shocked by the level of violence and poor humanitarian situation in Burkina Faso. On Wednesday, Grandi visited Burkina Faso as part of his trip to the Sahel, which had already included Niger and Mauritania. "They have fled the most horrifying violence I've heard of ... I'm shocked by the violence and also shocked by the extent of their humanitarian needs," Grandi said on Wednesday, as quoted by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). According to the UNHCR, there are currently about 600,000 internally displaced people in Burkina Faso, with the last year having witnessed a 1,200 percent increase in displaced persons. About 300,000 people have left their homes within the past four months. The situation in the Sahel region significantly deteriorated after the 2011 civil war in Libya, which overthrew long-term leader Muammar Gaddafi and resulted in the rise of radical Islamism in northern Africa. Burkina Faso is suffering from activities of Islamist groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State terrorist organizations (both banned in Russia). The dispute between the grand imam of Al-Azhar and the president of Cairo University reflects deep divisions over Islamic renewal A two-day conference held by Al-Azhar triggered a stormy debate in political and religious circles this week. The Al-Azhar International Conference on the Renewal of Islamic Thought, held on 27 and 28 January, focused on mechanisms needed to renew religious discourse and refute misconceptions about Islam. It addressed Islamic heritage and family issues and the roles of the religious and academic institutions in promoting Islams values of toleration. Sheikh Ahmed Al-Sayed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, said the conferences main goal was to demonstrate the tolerance of Islam and renounce extremism. Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli delivered the opening speech on behalf of President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi before representatives from 46 Islamic countries. The reform of religious discourse has not received enough attention in recent years and this has opened the door wide for extremism to hijack the minds of young people across the Muslim world and spread perverted interpretations of Islam that promote extremism, intolerance and hate, he said. Since coming to office in 2014 President Al-Sisi has repeatedly blamed outdated religious discourse for holding Muslims back, calling upon Islamic clerics to promote a modern religious discourse that can confront extremist ideology and push the Muslim world forward. Renewal of Islamic thought has become a priority. We urgently need to resolve elements of jurisprudence and interpretations of Sharia that fuel differences among Muslims, Al-Sisi has said. Renewal of Islamic thought does not mean changing the basic principles and rules of Islam, the president argued, but requires jurisprudence and fatwas to be regularly updated. Why should not we change many of the rules of Islamic jurisprudence that have remained the same for at least 10 centuries, leaving Muslims unable to move forward with the developments of our age, he asked. Al-Sisi said that when he called for reform of religious discourse he meant that we should move quickly to scrap mediaeval interpretations of the two main components of Islam, the Quran and hadith (prophets traditions). These interpretations justify killing, plunder, assault on public money and lives in the name of Islamic Sharia, and the time has come for religious clerics to introduce different interpretations based on tolerance and innovative thinking, said Al-Sisi. Unfortunately, when the conference got down to business it exposed deep divisions over the renewal of Islamic thinking. Al-Tayeb lamented that the subject of Islamic renewal was too often addressed by people lacking experience or an adequate background. The subject has become a regular matter of debate on the pages of newspapers and TV channels, said Al-Tayeb. It is Al-Azhars centrist and reformist ideology that is most capable of renewing Islamic thinking. Al-Azhar is the institution that can not only stand up to religious fanatics but also to the pro-Westernisation and modernising currents that are mainly interested in tarnishing the image of the symbols of Muslims, smearing their reputation and mocking their legacy. On the second day of the conference, during a session on the role of international, religious and academic institutions in renewing Islamic thought a clash erupted between the President of Cairo University Osman Al-Khosht and Sheikh Al-Tayeb. It is impossible to update religious discourse without a new approach to religious thinking, said Al-Khosht. Religious thinking is not religion itself, it is a product of human beings. It is manmade and should change from one age to another in response to social, economic and cultural trends. According to Al-Khosht, renewing Islamic thought is not the same as restoring an old building. Religious sciences, including jurisprudence and exegesis, are human sciences that seek to understand religion in a certain age. These can change without one facing accusations that this change is against religion. Al-Khosht, one of few secular academics invited to the conference, argued that Muslims are currently held hostage by the interpretations of people who lived centuries ago and that renewal makes it necessary for us to change our way of thinking and the way we see the world. This can only happen if we scrap the views that were held by mediaeval exponents of religion. There was no applause for Al- Khosht in the conference hall. Instead Al-Tayeb responded angrily, insisting that Al-Khoshts words were a call to mock the Muslim legacy and undermined religion. The heritage that some people take so lightly today built a nation and taught people co-existence, Al-Tayeb said. He slammed Al-Khosht for delivering a poorly prepared speech. I would have liked the speeches delivered at an international conference such as this, and on such a delicate topic, to have been prepared well in advance and not to be a collection of improvised ideas and thoughts, said Al-Tayeb who received thunderous applause. I am not one of those who call for scraping Islamic legacy, but I also believe this legacy should not be considered above revision, said Al-Khosht. I am a Muslim, but I am not an Asharite or, indeed, a follower of any Islamic sect. I respect Al-Azhar but I cannot agree with everything Al-Azhar preaches or teaches. A video showing the verbal duel between Al-Tayeb and Al-Khosht went viral on social media. While secularists who believe in radical religious reform showed solidarity with Al-Khosht, clerics joined forces with Al-Tayeb and insisted religious reform shouldnt be hijacked by secularists and atheists. The fact President Al-Sisi did not open the conference fuelled speculation about his dissatisfaction with Al-Tayebs approach to religious reform. On the second day of the conference Al-Tayeb made a reference to politicians who want to hijack religion to achieve political ends. Abdel-Latif Abdel-Aziz, Saudi minister of Islamic affairs, sided with Al-Tayeb, saying the renewal of Islamic discourse should not be considered an attack on Islamic basics. Islamic discourse cant be a matter of change because the message of the Quran is valid for all ages. Modern Muslims should view religion in the same way as early Muslims their Muslim predecessors understood it. Mustafa Al-Fiqi, manager of the Alexandria Bibioltheca, took the middle ground. Renewal should mean tolerance, acceptance of the other, openness to the outside world and its cultures, and co-existence, he said. No one can deny that Al-Azhar is Islams leading moderate institution. It has stood up to extremists and worked hard to correct misconceptions about Islam. I cant say Al-Azhar resists change. Al-Azhar is an institution, a university and has a sheikh who has defended Islam against radical ideologies. Its graduates are the propagators of a message of moderate Islam across the world. After watching Al-Tayeb rebuke Al-Khosht, the president of Cairo University and author of important books on religious philosophy, many thinkers said Al-Azhar can no longer be trusted with renewing Islamic thought. Former minister of culture and frequent critic of Al-Azhar Gaber Asfour said, Al-Azhar does not differ much from ultraconservative and orthodox movements which resist change. Free thinkers and philosophers like Al-Khosht are the ones who can carry the message of change and renovation. The Islamic world needs a movement that can put an end to the hegemony of Islamic clerics, spread enlightenment and relieve the Islamic world of religious bigotry. Moataz Sayed Abdallah, a historian of Islamic philosophy, wrote in Al-Ahram on Monday that Al-Khoshts speech before Al-Azhar was a call for revolution against religious stagnation and for free and critical thinking which has its roots in the Western enlightenment which put an end to the fanaticism and bigotry which dominated mediaeval Europe. Ragab Mohamed Tagen, a professor of public law at Cairo University, said some religious clerics monopolise religion and describe those who object to their views as modernists or even atheists. Alieddin Hilal, a professor of political science and a former minister of youth, argued the dispute between Al-Tayeb and Al-Khosht reflected deep divisions among scholars over the issue of religious renewal. It is a century-old dispute, said Hilal. There is no doubt Al-Azhar is a moderate institution, but many of the views its clerics preach in mosques and schools promote a strict and traditional kind of Islam that needs to change. Wagih Wahba, a political analyst, argued in an article in Al-Masy Al-Youm that Al-Tayebs angry response to Al-Khosht shows that he and many other clerics are intolerant of different views. Al-Azhar is an orthodox and conservative institution that resists change and it is a mistake to believe it can reform religious discourse. *A version of this article appears in print in the 6 February, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly under headline: Long-held positions come to the fore Search Keywords: Short link: Iranian Assyrian Who Met With Trump Details How Regime Shut Down Her Family's Church Dabrina Bet Tamraz speaks at a Family Research Council panel discussion on religious freedom in Iran on Feb. 5, 2020 in Washington, D.C. ( The Christian Post) WASHINGTON -- Persecuted Iranian Christian Dabrina Bet Tamraz vividly remembers the day that her family's church was shut down. The day was Monday, March 30, 2009, when her family home received a phone call from the government demanding that her father, Victor Bet Tamraz -- the pastor of an Assyrian Pentecostal congregation in Tehran -- meet at his church. The family arrived at the church and were greeted by lots of cars and big men. The pastor was given the choice by a government official to either "give up the keys" to the church or ensure that the church only allows Assyrian speaking members. Speaking at a Family Research Council panel discussion on religious freedom in Iran Wednesday afternoon, Tamraz explained that the family and church members asked to be given a few hours to pray about what their decision will be. After a couple of hours, Tamraz said her father walked out of the church and handed the keys to an official from the intelligence service. "[My father] said, 'Thank you very much. You have done us a great favor. We don't know how to thank you. Please close down the church,'" Tamraz recalled. "He looks at my dad and said, 'Are you crazy? Why are you saying thank you?'" Tamraz said that during the prayer time in the church, the congregation heard from God that if they allow the authorities to close down the church, He will "open the gates of Heaven." "My father said, 'Thank you, because I can't wait for God to open the gates of Heaven for people to shout Hallelujah on the streets,'" Tamraz said. Today, Tamraz's father, mother, and brother are among dozens of Christians facing jail time, abuse and torture in the Islamic Republic of Iran simply because of their faith in Jesus Christ. Tamraz's father is in the process of appealing a 10-year prison sentence he received in 2017. He was arrested in 2014 during a Christmas gathering and was held for 65 days in solitary confinement. Tamraz's father was accused of acting against national security by conducting house church meetings and evangelizing. While Tamraz's mother, Shamiram Isavi, is appealing a five-year prison sentence, Tamraz's brother, Ramiel Bet Tamraz, turned himself in last month to serve the time remaining on a five-month prison sentence he received after his 2016 arrest at a picnic gathering. "In 2019, at least five, six times [my parents] were told to go to the court for their court hearing only to go there and to hear that their case has been canceled or postponed for various reasons," Tamraz detailed. "The latest [excuse] was the court was 'too crowded.' It's been two-and-a-half years that my parents have been dealing with court cases and trials and hearings." Tamraz said her parents' next appeal hearing is scheduled for late February. Tamraz herself was arrested and detained in a men's detention center in 2009. However, she was able to escape Iran after her release. She is now based in Switzerland where she's engaging in an international campaign pressing for the release of her parents. Tamraz was among several persecuted believers from across the globe who met with President Donald Trump during the 2019 U.S. State Department Ministerial on International Religious Freedom. "Vice President [Mike] Pence as well as Secretary [Mike] Pompeo in statements many times have asked for my parents' release," Tamraz told The Christian Post. "They have asked in written and verbal statements. We've had requests and tweets asking for the release of my family." Tamraz explained that the crackdown on Christianity in Iran goes much deeper than her parents' case. Governed by Islamic law, Iran ranks as the ninth worst country in the world for Christian persecution by Open Doors USA as the regime has relentlessly persecuted Muslim converts to Christianity. Although Assyrian and Armenian Christians are said to be recognized minorities in Iran, Tamraz said Assyrian and Armenian churches face severe limitations on their ability to practice their faiths. "Today, there is not a free church. There is no free evangelical church, nor free Pentecostal," she said. "The only churches that are allowed to function are orthodox or Catholic churches with restrictions. They are not allowed to have books in Farsi. They are not even allowed to, nowadays, print books in our own language. Any Christian literature or Bible even in our own language is not permitted. They are not even allowed to speak to a Farsi person near the church." Furthermore, Tamraz explained that the Iranian Intelligence Service closely monitors Christian activity. "Together with the Revolutionary Guard, they are arresting all attendees. They raid Christian gatherings at home, restaurants, everywhere that they meet," Tamraz said. "They arrest them and confiscate their belongings, their houses. Most of these Christians are subjected to intensive and often abusive interrogations. They are often tortured physically and mentally." Tamraz said her family knows all too well what it feels like to be monitored by the government. "We have had cars following us for years. It was normal," she recalled. "I left Iran 2010, 2011 [and] it took me nine or eight years to stop looking back or look in the mirror to see if there is a car following me or not. Growing up, I thought that was very normal. Now that I am in a normal country, I now know what normal looks like." Tamraz said that her family has had to "be careful for our entire life." "We have been monitored, our house has been broken in. My father was regularly arrested and interrogated," she said. "Sometimes it was just before the Sunday service began. We always had to be prepared to preach in case my dad got arrested. That became normal but it was part of our life growing up." According to the human rights monitoring group Article 18, at least 25 Christians were arrested in Iran in 2019 while at least 13 Christians received sentences that ranged from four months and five years for allegedly acting against national security. According to Tamraz, dozens of other Christians that were sentenced in previous years are still waiting for their court hearings. "Most of these Christians have been arrested, sentenced and charged with charges mainly acting against national security. They lack due process in the trials," Tamraz said. "The case of my parents ... is case in point." "On the 24th of February in a few weeks, [my parents] will face their final court hearing, if it takes place," she continued. "We do really pray that their sentence will be dropped and they can practice their faith in peace and dignity and in freedom as the ought to." Also speaking at the FRC panel discussion were Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh, two women born into Muslim families who led two house churches and evangelized to Muslims. The two were arrested in 2009 and spent 259 days in Iran's notorious Evin Prison. Although they were sentenced to death, Rostampour and Amirizadeh were released from prison thanks to immense international pressure. Rostampour and Amirizadeh left Iran in 2010. "We know first-hand how difficult it is for those who attend house churches because they risk their lives to attend house churches," Amirizadeh said. "Any time if the government find out, they can raid the gathering, arrest people, torture them and confiscate their property." She assured that "it can happen to any of them." "That is why they have to be very cautious about their communications," she explained. "They can't worship God loudly. We have to stay very quiet because you never know who is your neighbor and it can happen at any time." Despite the persecution, the panelists agreed that the underground church in Iran is one of the fastest-growing church movements in the world. According to Open Doors USA, there are an estimated 800,000 Christians in Iran, almost double the persecution watchdog's estimate of 450,000 in 2016. "Underground churches are growing in Iran and many people are coming to Christ," Amirizadeh assured. "Now people are seeing the true face of Islam and they are very open to Christianity and the message of salvation. People are experiencing the love of Jesus through Christianity." Help India! By Musheera Ashraf, TwoCircles.net Saharanpur (Uttar Pradesh) :It will be better if they give us poison, says 35-years-old Ayesha from Nawabganj, the sole breadwinner in her family. Living in a roughly painted room with minimal utensils, furniture and a sewing machine, Ayesha had lost her parents at quite a young age and being the eldest among four sisters and a younger brother, she is adamant not to marry and instead look after her family. Support TwoCircles Our parents were uneducated, none of us have any birth certificates. They left us behind and now this political propaganda is causing us mental distress. Controlling her tears Ayesha explains that she fears she would be rejected from obtaining the birth certificates of her siblings if they try to apply for them now because someone told her that it should have been made at the time of birth only. As suggested by one of her distant relatives, she is now seeing a lawyer to get her house papers ready. They were sent to camps when they failed to produce their citizenship through their papers Ayesha recounts seeing a video on social media where she saw detention camps in Assam. She is horrified and helplessas she explains she earns her living by sewing clothes and has no time to keep hopping around lawyers and Nagar Nigam to get the official documents made. Assam became the first state in the country to start updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in 2013. On 31 August 2019, the government released the final version of NRC with over 19 lakhs of the state population left out from the list. Under the NRC, the primary criteria to prove citizenship is that the names of applicants family members should either appear in the first list prepared in 1951 or in the electoral rolls dating up to March 24, 1971. To produce documentary proof for supporting the relation with their ancestors under the register, applicants must have documents such as LIC policy, land and tenancy records, passport, permanent residential certificate, government employment certificate, educational certificate and other court records. Here is a list of acceptable documents under NRC in Assam. What happens with the excluded individuals The Association of Protection of Human rights (APDR) has collated 20 names from media reports they claim died of panic over the NRC or committed suicide. From the report, it is evident that most of them were either poor villagers or daily wage workers; who after knocking various government offices in search of legacy documents, gave up. These cases of deaths occurred in Assam after the final NRC list was made public. The announcement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the Pan-India implementation of NRC after Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has caused chaos in the country after the Home Ministers controversial statement that, the exercise will weed out all illegal infiltrators from India. After the implementation of CAA, people all over India have emerged out of their houses protesting against the Act and calling it adivide and rule policy by the government. People are now worried about NRC which is the next in their to-do list. Since decades when our ancestors were voting for them, why didnt they doubt our citizenship then? says Ayesha. She strongly feels that this is just a matter of creating chaos in the country to distract people from questioning the government about failures in development. In a country with literacy rate of house less people 56.07% lower than national average of 74.04%, it is difficult to document ancestral records.I was told to make an affidavit which will cost Rs 250 plus 10 Rs for every year since my daughter was born, I paid 300 Rs along with my husbands aadhar card, says 30-years-old Gulnaaz. Standing among the group of ladies in a queue, she is waiting to get a photocopy of her husbands aadhar card. Gulnaaz lives in Sarakdi Sheikh village of Saharanpur and has travelled some 10 km amid heavy rainfall just to apply for her daughters birth certificate, who is 5 years old now. Her husband is a daily wage worker who earns 500 Rs per day. He couldnt afford their childs delivery in the hospital, so her daughter was delivered at home, leaving them with no official proof from the hospital of her birth.After hearing the news of NRC implementation being planned all over India, she has come to Nagar Nigam to get her daughters birth proof ready. In 2015, our locality was waterlogged, we lost everything, recalls Gulnaaz explaining that the property papers of their small room had also got lost in the disaster. She says they had purchased the room by selling off her jewellery and working day and night as daily wage labourers. She thinks even if she manages to get the papers remade, the government will find other ways to disown them. It is not about papers, it is about the religion card that they are playing, says Gulnaaz with a heavy voice.The common perception that people are facing in sharp connection with implementation of NRC in Assam is of great fear that is ultimately leaving immense scope for arbitrariness and misuse. This fear is not restricted to people who lack evidence, but is also ripe among the ones who have their birth certificates and other documentary evidences with them. Gulnaaz is not the only one who feels this is an exercise targeting and filtering out Muslims in the state. Roti ka masla hal nhi hua tha, ab kagzaat kahan se banwaenge (The matter of food was still unsolved and now how will we prepare documents) says Shabana Begum, a 50-year lady who lives in a rented house in Shamaadar. She has never attended school nor does she have a birth certificate. Like Gulnaaz, she laments that the present government is the government of rich people and even though no one has the right to ask the citizens who they are, they will be silenced if they try voicing out their views. Shabanahas a son whose birth certificate is made but her husband, like her, has none. The situation in the country is not good, she feels. She recounts how thinking about the government demanding ancestral proofs often leads to sleepless nights. If they will treat us like second class citizens we would prefer to die, says Shabana. (This article is part of SEED Fellowship, which is TCNs flagship journalism training and mentorship program for communities traditionally absent in mainstream media.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 18:42:38|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's publishing circles have been urged to contribute to winning the battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak by improving their services. According to a circular issued by the National Press and Publication Administration, publishers are called on to plan and publish a number of popular books on epidemic prevention and control, psychological help and protection against contagious diseases. The administration called for more efforts to publish online and increase the supply and dissemination of quality publications by taking advantage of the Internet. It encouraged publishing agencies to open free of charge through online platforms a range of digital content on literature, history, social sciences and popular science, as well as digital textbooks and online courses tailored for students before schools reopen. Get ready to paint it black, Western New York. The Rolling Stones officially announced their 2020 tour dates Thursday, confirming a Buffalo concert on June 6 at New Era Field. The show at the Buffalo Bills stadium in Orchard Park is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame bands only Upstate New York stop and one of just 15 No Filter shows scheduled in North America. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 14 at 10 a.m. through rollingstones.com. A limited number of exclusive VIP packages will be available; pre-sale tickets will be available Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. to American Express Card Members. Its always a pleasure to return to North America, Mick Jagger, who returned to performing last year after heart surgery, said in a statement, and play for some of biggest and best crowds in the world! The Stones, who last played Buffalo in 2015, first teased the Buffalo concert announcement with billboards featuring their famous tongue logo and phrases like Lets spend the night together, emotional rescue and get what you need. All three are lyrics from Rolling Stones songs. The Rolling Stones, featuring Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood, recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of their 1969 album, Let It Bleed, featuring the title track and Honky Tonk Women. The British rockers have released 30 studio albums, featuring hits like (I Cant Get No) Satisfaction, Wild Horses, Paint It Black, Street Fighting Man, Sympathy for the Devil and You Cant Always Get What You Want. If they stick to the script of the past few years, expect them to mix massive hits like Brown Sugar, Start Me Up and Sympathy For The Devil with deeper cuts like Dead Flowers and Monkey Man. Last year, they even dug out Harlem Shuffle for the first time since 1990 and Mercy, Mercy for the first time since 1969. Rolling Stones on tour again? Heres a look back at their Carrier Dome shows The Rolling Stones 2020 No Filter Tour Dates May 8 San Diego, CA @ SDCCU Stadium May 12 Vancouver, BC @ BC Place May 16 Minneapolis, MN @ U.S. Bank Stadium May 20 Nashville, TN @ Nissan Stadium May 24 Austin, TX @ Circuit of The Americas May 29 Dallas, TX @ Cotton Bowl Stadium June 6 Buffalo, NY @ New Era Field June 10 Detroit, MI @ Ford Field June 14 Louisville, KY @ Cardinal Stadium June 19 Cleveland, OH @ FirstEnergy Stadium June 23 Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz Field June 27 St. Louis, MO @ The Dome at Americas Center July 1 Charlotte, NC @ Bank of America Stadium July 5 Tampa, FL @ Raymond James Stadium July 9 Atlanta, GA @ Mercedes-Benz Stadium Our giant Upstate NY concert calendar: See hundreds of shows from Albany to Buffalo 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. This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. The death toll from two avalanches in eastern Turkey rose to 41 on Thursday, the government's disaster management agency said, as rescue teams continued a difficult search for two missing people. Five were killed in the first avalanche in Van province bordering Iran on Tuesday, only for rescuers to be hit by a second avalanche the following day. Three more bodies were recovered Thursday, the DHA agency said, with the AFAD disaster agency saying a total of 84 people had been injured in the twin avalanches. Rescue efforts continued despite adverse weather conditions that caused transport problems. Authorities have banned civilian access to the scene, DHA reported. Last month, the eastern province of Elazig was hit by a powerful 6.7-magnitude earthquake that killed 41 people and injured more than 1,600 others. A 2009 avalanche in the northeastern province of Gumushane killed 11 climbers in the Zigana mountains. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) David Reich, a geneticist at Harvard Medical School, praised much of the study but said he had doubts about how extensive the flow of DNA back to Africa could have been. It looks like this is a really weak signal, he said of the data. "It was all bullshit," Trump said. "It was hell." "Had I not fired [former FBI director] James Comey, who was a disaster by the way, it's possible I wouldn't even be standing here right now," he added. Comey's firing in the spring of 2017 triggered the Justice Department's appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller. "It was evil, it was corrupt, it was dirty cops, it was leakers and liars," Trump said, claiming he had been targeted since the day he announced his candidacy in the summer of 2015. Trump, who was given a standing ovation and whooping cheers when he entered the White House East Room filled with Republican supporters, gave a free-form speech that ran more than an hour. During the largely ad-libbed talk, he also relived some of his well-trodden grievances, including the Russia probe and the 2016 election. WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Thursday celebrated his impeachment acquittal by excoriating Democrats and Mitt Romney, the only GOP senator to vote to remove him from office. The Senate on Wednesday voted to acquit Trump of both counts in his impeachment trial: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The vote was the final step in a two-week trial marked by impassioned arguments from House Democrats that Trump was a danger to the nation, and stalwart support from Senate Republicans for a president who maintains a political stranglehold on their party. Impeachment rules require 67 votes in the Senate to convict a president and remove him from office. With a 53-47 Republican majority, the odds that Trump would be convicted were slim from the start. Romney, R-Utah, who delivered a searing condemnation of the president's actions Wednesday on the floor of the Senate, broke with his party to vote to convict Trump on the abuse of power count. During his remarks Thursday afternoon, Trump told Sen. Mike Lee, who also represents Utah, to tell voters there he's sorry about Romney. At one point, Trump held up The Washington Post front page, which proclaimed "Trump Acquitted." "We can take that home, honey, maybe we'll frame it," Trump said. "It's the only good headline I've ever had in The Washington Post." Earlier Thursday, Trump spoke at the annual National Prayer Breakfast, where he offered attendees, including Pelosi, a preview of his midday remarks. "As everybody knows, my family, our great country and your president have been through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people," Trump said. "They have done everything possible to destroy us, and by so doing very badly hurt our nation. They know what they are doing is wrong, but they put themselves far ahead of our great country." Back at the White House, Trump said, "I had Pelosi sitting four seats away, and I said things a lot of people probably wouldn't have said. but I said them, I meant every word." Trump's speech, with its long tangents, frequent applause breaks and scathing attacks on his political opponents, resembled a campaign rally as much as it did an official presidential address from the White House. "This is sort of a day of celebration, because we went through hell," Trump said after spending more than 20 minutes heaping praise on his biggest Republican defenders in Congress, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Rep. Devin Nunes of California and Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York. Before he left the podium, Trump gave members of his supportive audience the opportunity to stand up and make a statement. Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., took him up on the offer, declaring, "We've got your back." As a final gesture, the president apologized to his family members for having been embroiled in the impeachment process. Trump's daughter Ivanka and first lady Melania Trump then walked up and embraced Trump at the lectern. National Grid has been recognized for its innovative online marketplace that simplifies the process of installing solar energy for its customers by the Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative (SECC). In 2016, National Grid collaborated with EnergySage, a company that matches solar customers with qualified installers, to create a utility-sponsored, first-of-its-kind online solar marketplace for customers in Rhode Island. In 2018, the program was expanded to Upstate New York and will soon be available to Massachusetts residents via the state's Mass Save initiative. The marketplace has resulted in hundreds of solar installations across National Grid's service territory and thousands of quotes generated by prospective solar customers, driving a transition to clean energy and supporting clean energy jobs in the Northeast. The program foundation is built on educating customers not only on the benefits of installing solar systems to power their home but to make them aware of the resources available through National Grid to advise and consult on the best ways to reduce energy costs and improving consumer sustainability. "At National Grid, customers are at the heart of our clean energy transition, from solar and storage to energy efficiency," said Gregory Knight, Chief Customer Officer at National Grid. "I am proud that our marketplace proactively engages National Grid customers to help them better understand their home's solar potential by providing them with the information and tools needed to make an educated decision. When customers have the knowledge and confidence to move forward in their solar shopping journey, they are dramatically more likely to embrace clean energy technologies and contribute to a decarbonized energy future." The awarded programs are designed to engage customers around solar and storage technologies and to educate them about their options. Each of these steps - from education and exploration to shopping and buying - can be accomplished entirely online with complete transparency. This is accomplished through a number of resources available to National Grid customers: A property-specific Solar Calculator for learning the costs and benefits of going solar. An online Solar Marketplace for comparing multiple, custom solar quotes from local, pre-screened contractors in a standardized, apples-to-apples format. A Consumer Reports-style Buyer's Guide for learning and evaluating panels, inverters, and batteries. Access to trained Energy Advisors available to customers by email and live chat, as well as by phone. "The high engagement that we've seen with this program is testament to the customer's desire for actionable information and National Grid's leadership in this area," said Tess O'Brien, vice president of partnerships at EnergySage. "Thanks to National Grid's forward-thinking, customer-centric approach and EnergySage's commitment to transparency and information, we've been able to achieve meaningful results by providing helpful tools and resources that customers really like." About National Grid About National Grid: National Grid (NYSE: NGG) is an electricity, natural gas, and clean energy delivery company serving more than 20 million people through our networks in New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. National Grid is transforming our electricity and natural gas networks with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions to meet the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. CONTACT: Media Relations - 781-907-3980 Burkina Faso's presidential election will be held on November 22 in parallel with its parliamentary ballot, the government announced on Wednesday. President Roch Marc Christian Kabore will be running for re-election in the West African state, which is in the front line of a jihadist insurgency spreading across the Sahel. "The electorate will be called out for both elections, on November 22, 2020," Simeon Sawadogo, the minister for territorial administration, said after a cabinet meeting. Kabore took office in December 2015, becoming the first elected president since Blaise Compaore was overthrown in protests after 27 years of authoritarian rule. Kabore's expected rivals for the top job include Compaore's former premier, Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, and Gilbert Noel Ouedraogo from the ADF party that had backed Compaore. Tahirou Barry, a minister who resigned from Kabore's first government, has also announced his candidacy. Kabore served as minister several times and prime minister in 1994-96, making him part of Compaore's regime, but he became one of the leading figures of the opposition that helped oust the longtime leader. His election in 2015 showed he could bring together supporters of Compaore as well as backers of the October 2014 uprising that forced the autocrat from power. Security will be a key issue in the elections. Nearly 800 people have been killed in jihadist violence since 2015, according to an AFP count. The armed forces in the Sahel, poorly equipped and trained, have been battered by roadside bombs and highly mobile groups of jihadists. Around 4,000 people were killed in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger last year, according to the UN. Around 600,000 people have fled their homes, sparked a major humanitarian crisis. Haryana has been put on high alert after reports of locus attack in neighbouring states of Punjab and Rajasthan, Agriculture Minister Jai Parkash Dalal said on Thursday. He said special supervision teams have been constituted to tackle the situation and to spread awareness about the recent locust outbreak. "To control the locust attack, the farmers will also get pesticides at 50 per cent subsidy", the Agriculture minister said. He appealed to the farmers to inspect their fields and immediately report any locust attack in their fields and inform about the same to the local Agricultural Development Officer, Krishi Vigyan Kendra of Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar or Deputy Director, Agriculture Department. He said the farmers have also been given special training on how to stop the locust attack. As per the requirement, adequate arrangements of pesticides are also being made and therefore, the farmers of the state should not panic or worry, he said in a statement here. The minister said proper preparations are being made in border districts that are adjoining Rajasthan and Punjab including Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar. Apart from this, arrangements have been made in Bhiwani, Mahendragarh, Rewari and Charkhi Dadri districts and adjoining areas of these districts. Swarms of locusts were also spotted in border villages of Fazilka district in Punjab though timely action by the authorities led to the elimination of the pest. Locusts, popularly known as 'tiddi dal', are short-horned grasshoppers with highly migratory habits and voracious feeding behaviour. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Doug Jones: A Lot of People in Alabama Will Agree With Conviction Vote Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), who represents a deep red state, said numerous voters in Alabama will agree with his vote to convict President Donald Trump on impeachment charges. Jones, who won his seat in 2017 following a close race with controversial Republican candidate Roy Moore, is up for reelection in 2020. He took the seat that was vacated by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a Republican. But he said that his vote on impeachment didnt factor into whether he believes it would get him elected. People in Alabama want somebody who they believe is sincere. Theyre not going to agree with everything I do, Jones remarked on MSNBC. Theres a lot of people in the state that are not going to agree with this, but Ive got to tell you, Lawrence, theres going to be a lot of people that did. Theres a lot of people in the state of Alabama who are not happy with the way things are, and theyre not happy with this particular president. Trump overwhelmingly carried Alabama in 2016 by a 28-point advantage over Hillary Clinton. Since he was elected, Jones has been seen as especially vulnerable in the Senate. According to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, following Joness vote to impeach, the Alabama Senate race is moving away from Jones, no matter what he does, solely on the fundamentals would have been the same had he voted to acquit Trump. But in the MSNBC interview, the freshman senator said he doesnt believe Alabama voters will mind when they cast their ballots in November. I think people are going to be looking at our votes as votes of conscience. You know, people in Alabama are people of faith. People of Alabama are people of conviction. And they like people that have a conscience, that do what they believe is the right thing, even if they dont always agree with it, Jones remarked. No Democratic senators voted to acquit Trump on either charge of abuse of power or obstruction of Congress. And one member of the GOP, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), voted to convict the president on abuse of power but rejected the obstruction of Congress charge. On Tuesday, Trump had avoided mentioning impeachment in his State of the Union address on Tuesday night but instead touted the U.S. economy and a number of new initiatives. People should be held accountable. The Democrats should be held accountable, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham told Fox News. People need to understand what the Democrats did was dishonest and it was corrupt. Facing up: The coronavirus started in China but has spread to other regions The organiser of this month's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, a telecoms industry gathering that draws more than 100,000 visitors, has said it regrets the decision by LG Electronics yesterday to withdraw due to the coronavirus outbreak, but added the event would go ahead as planned. "We have spoken to LG and regret not to see them at this year's MWC20 Barcelona," a GSMA spokesperson said in response to a Reuters inquiry. "As we stated yesterday, we can confirm that there is minimal impact on the event thus far and MWC Barcelona will proceed as planned." China's Huawei Technologies said yesterday that it still planned to hold events around the forthcoming Mobile World Congress. "We are keeping a close eye on matters and having to internally adjust accordingly and responsibly," a spokesman said after South Korea's LG Electronics pulled out due to the coronavirus outbreak that originated in China. "As it stands, London and Barca events still planned. But things are changing constantly." Huawei, the world's top supplier of telecoms equipment and the number-two smartphone maker, is a big exhibitor at the event. Mobile World Congress is being held from February 24 to 27 and will also have a number of Irish firms, analysts and media in attendance. Former Speaker John Bercow received an astonishing rebuke from the House of Commons authorities after he today released his highly controversial autobiography. Officials took the extraordinary step of publicly censuring the controversial politician, saying it was 'unacceptable' that he publicly named parliamentary staff without their permission. Unspeakable went on sale this morning and takes swipes at critics including Mr Bercow's former private secretaries Kate Emms and Angus Sinclair amid a furious row over allegations of bullying made by them. The publication prompted the Commons authorities to go on the offensive against Mr Bercow, who is attempting to carve out a new career as a political commentator and public speaker. A spokesman said: 'House of Commons staff work incredibly hard to enable the effective functioning of our democracy and have a right to expect that their privacy be respected. John Berco, the former Commons Speaker, has denied all of the bullying claims made against him 'It is unacceptable to publicly name current or former staff without their prior knowledge or authority, especially for the purpose of financial gain or commercial success. Bercow's weighty memoir paints picture of a man wronged In his weighty 435-page memoir John Bercow confronts allegations made by his former private secretary Angus Sinclair and his successor Kate Emms. Mr Sinclair broke a non-disclosure agreement in 2018 to allege he had faced angry outbursts and obscene language from the former Speaker before quitting the post. The ex-assistant said he had been repeatedly undermined by Mr Bercow when he worked for him between 2009 and 2010, and found himself the victim of angry outbursts, foul-mouthed tirades and mimicry. In Unspeakable Mr Bercow denies any knowledge of the 85,000 NDA, adding: 'He had left back in July 2010, and had made no complaint in almost eight years. 'But now he was claiming that I had bullied him, an allegation I can only conclude stems from an admittedly heated argument we had behind closed doors in early 2010 in which I expressed my disappointment and displeasure over a matter in which I felt he had let me down.' Ms Emms was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after less than a year of working for Mr Bercow and left the 70,000 post in the autumn of 2011. In the book, Mr Bercow denied any wrongdoing and suggested a report on it by Newsnight in 2018 had been 'theatrical'. He goes on to suggest she was involved in a 'ploy' by the Commons Clerks in 2010 to effectively take control of the way his office worked. After he ruled out her plans to change the way he operated he wrote: 'I never really warmed to her as a person but now found her a little abrupt, even occasionally curt or peremptory'. Writing about her departure he added: 'From that day until the BBC wrote to me on 27 February 2018 - seven years later - not a single soul suggested that I bullied her or that she thought that I had.' Advertisement 'A crucial element of the work of House of Commons staff is to provide confidential, impartial advice to MPs. 'Breaking this confidentiality undermines this important principle and also places staff in a position from which they are unable to respond. 'Parliament's Behaviour Code makes clear the standards of behaviour expected of everyone in Parliament, whether staff, members of the House of Lords, MPs or visitors. 'There is zero tolerance for abuse or harassment.' A spokesman for Mr Bercow defended his decision to name the staff members. 'Given there is a small but highly vocal group of people consistently seeking to blacken his name, it would be odd if Mr Bercow did not comment on their unfounded allegations and the reasons behind them,' they said. 'He was advised by Speaker's Counsel not to do so in detail while he was in office. He is therefore doing so now. 'If the book had not addressed these issues, he would rightly have been accused of serious omission. 'Critics are entitled to air their views. What they are not entitled to do is to make unfounded allegations and expect Mr Bercow to say nothing in return.' It came as Mr Bercow's former top official has claimed it was 'impossible' to deal with bullying complaints made against MPs during his time in office. Lord Lisvane, who stepped down as the clerk of the House of Commons in 2014, said the difficulty was shown by one alleged example when an MP was accused of harassing a female clerk. Lord Lisvane claimed that Mr Bercow had responded to the allegation by saying he would not rely on the word of a 'f***ing clerk'. Mr Bercow said the account 'doesn't accord with my recollection' and that he was 'concerned to ensure that there was an independent process' to deal with the complaint in question. He told The Times that 'as I recall, Lord Lisvane was supportive of the approach' he had advocated. Lord Lisvane last month submitted a dossier to the parliamentary standards watchdog setting out bullying allegations against Mr Bercow. Meanwhile, David Leakey, the former Black Rod, has accused Mr Bercow of having 'brutalised' him and other members of staff. The former Commons Speaker has denied all of the allegations made against him and described the claims made by Mr Leakey as 'total and utter rubbish'. Lord Lisvane, who served as the clerk of the House of Commons from 2011 to 2014 In comments reported by The Times, Lord Lisvane said: 'The problem was exemplified by a complaint against an MP for bullying and harassing a young female clerk, who sadly left the House of Commons Service shortly thereafter. 'Mr Bercow... said that he was not going to have the case proved 'on the word of any f***ing clerk'. 'It's not surprising that in such circumstances it was impossible to deal with bullying by MPs.' It came after Diane Abbott faced a furious backlash yesterday after suggesting Mr Leakey could not have been bullied by Mr Bercow because of his military background. The shadow home secretary was criticised by Labour MPs and trade union leaders after appearing to back Mr Bercow in his row with Mr Leakey. There is a growing political row over whether Mr Bercow should be granted a peerage. David Leakey, pictured right, accused the former Commons Speaker of 'brutalising' parliamentary staff Diane Abbott suggested Mr Leakey's military service in the British Army meant he could not be bullied Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is thought to have nominated Mr Bercow after Downing Street decided to break with the convention of governments nominating former Commons speakers for positions in the upper chamber. Mr Leakey said yesterday that if the former Commons Speaker was elevated to the House of Lords 'it would be a scandal that Parliament would struggle to live down'. Responding to the allegations made against him by Mr Leakey, Mr Bercow said earlier this week: 'Total and utter rubbish from start to finish.' LONDON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Krane Funds Advisors, LLC, the investment manager for KraneShares ETFs, is pleased to announce that Piers Wheeler has joined the firm as Managing Director, charged with business development and client relationship management across institutional and wholesale channels within the United Kingdom and Europe. "We've seen a lot of demand from U.K. and European investors looking for a better way to invest in China," said Jonathan Krane, Chief Executive Officer of KraneShares. "Piers is will be instrumental in helping our clients gain strategic access to China through KraneShares ETFs." Previously, Piers held distribution positions at Eastspring Investments and AMP Capital, establishing their presence in Europe and the Middle East, respectively. He has extensive experience developing distribution businesses across the U.K., Scandinavia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Prior to working in business development, Piers was a strategic consultant at L.E.K. Consulting. "KraneShares revolutionized the way investors access China's capital markets through launching ETFs with exposures that go beyond legacy "out of the box" China benchmarks," said Piers Wheeler. "I believe they will see a clear differentiation. I am excited to introduce our ETFs to new audiences within the U.K. and Europe and expand the firm's presence." Piers holds a BA with Honors from the University of Oxford and an MA from the Cass Business School. About KraneShares Krane Funds Advisors, LLC is the investment manager for KraneShares ETFs. Our suite of China-focused ETFs provides investors with solutions to capture China's importance as an essential element of a well-designed investment portfolio. We strive to provide innovative, first to market strategies that have been developed based on our strong partnerships and our deep knowledge of investing. We help investors stay current on global market trends and aim to 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. 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. Related Links http://kraneshares.com SOURCE Krane Funds Advisors, LLC MBABANE The court found that from the onset, there was no iota of evidence indicating what became of the mobile phone and shoes of the late Mduduzi Schaza Matsebula. Matsebula is the police officer whose battered body was found floating in a river at Ezulwini in May 2017. The cellphone and the shoes were suspected to have been stolen by Lucky Obama Matsenjwa, who was accused of having a hand in Matsebulas death. He was accused of having stolen the items after the death of Matsebula. On Tuesday, Judge Mbufto Mamba acquitted Matsenjwa on the counts of murder and theft. The court went on to acquit the accused on five other charges which include contempt of court, defeating and attempt to defeat the ends of justice. However, the judge found that Matsenjwa had a case to answer on four of the 11 charges he was charged with. Defeat The four remaining charges include attempts to defeat the ends of justice and that of attempting to defeat the course of justice. Matsebula was a key witness in a case involving Matsenjwa and other police officers who were accused of allegedly wrongfully deleting fingerprint records from the criminal data system. Matsebula was also part of Chief Justice Bheki Maphalalas security detail. Matsenjwa was widely believed to have allegedly eliminated Matsebula to prevent him from testifying against him in the ongoing fingerprints case. In acquitting and discharging him on the charge of theft, Judge Mamba said the only evidence before court was provided by the wife of the deceased, Nomvuyo Dlamini. Nomvuyo testified that on the Friday in question, her husband (Matsebula) was wearing the shoes stated when he left the house and he also took with him his cellphone. She said that was the last time she saw the items. Judge Mamba said it was common cause that when Matsebulas body of the deceased was found a few days later, these items were not there. There is no evidence of what became of them or that the accused or some other person or persons, acting in furtherance of a shared or common purpose with him stole these items, said Judge Mamba. Acquitted The court said: Clearly, therefore, there is no evidence implicating the accused on this count and he is accordingly acquitted and discharged thereon. This is contained in a ruling that was made by the court after Matsenjwa filed an application in terms of Section 174(4) of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act of 1938 (as amended) after the Crown closed its case upon leading 34 witnesses. The section provides that; If at the close of the case for the prosecution, the court considers that the accused committed the offence charged or any other offence which he might be convicted thereon, it may acquit and discharge him. Whether or not to acquit the accused is the discretion of the court which, when improperly exercised, according to Judge Mamba, is abuse of such power and no discretion at all. One of the people who testified against Matsenjwa in the case was Terry Ngcebo Vermaak, who is also a police officer. Informed Vermark had earlier informed the court that he was supposed to meet with Matsebula and kept trying his number but failed to reach him. Vermaak said he then called Matsenjwa. From his evidence in chief, Vermaak said Matsenjwa kept calling to ask if Matsebula had returned. He said the accused called him about four times per day and he started to receive threatening calls from unknown people. He alleged that Matsenjwa kept asking him not to reveal that they were ever together at Solanis on the night Matsebula disappeared. Vermaak stated that he overheard a police officer, Malayisha Simelane, who asked about the whereabouts of Matsebula, commenting that; Lomfana wakaMatsenjwa uyobe sowumbulele Schaza. (Matsenjwa could have killed Matsebula). Lucky called me and said should the police question me if we met at Solanis I should deny it. He said I should just deny having been in his company in Mbabane and I agreed, he said. He alleged that Matsenjwa once called him to inform him that he was in Nelspruit to cleanse himself of bad luck because he was suspected to have had a hand in the disappearance of Matsebula. Recorded Vermaak told the court that he recorded and saved on his cellphone his conversations with Matsenjwa. He said the conversations were in the form of voice recordings and WhatsApp messages. The Crown said the recordings could be played in court and the defence did not object. He said he was advised by a senior police officer in the Shiselweni Region not to honour an invitation to Manzini for drinks by Lucky Obama Matsenjwa because he would kill him. Vermaak said he decided to call the senior officer he identified as Shabangu for advice while he was at the residence of the chief justice on duty. Matsebulas body had been found and Matsenjwa, according to Vermaak, allegedly persisted to call him requesting that he should not mention his name when questioned by the police. Vermaak told the court that while he was at the residence of the chief justice in the Shiselweni Region, Matsenjwa called enquiring where he was and he told him that he was at home. He said Matsenjwa allegedly wanted to come to see him at home but he told him that he was about to go back to Mbabane. According to Vermaak, Matsenjwa invited him to Manzini and promised to refuel his car so they would have drinks together. Vermaak said Shabangu advised him against going to Matsenjwa because he would kill him. Fears He said Shabangu also called the then Desk Officer, Solomon Mavuso in Mbabane and informed him about the matter. Vermaak said he requested to meet senior police officers at Mbabane Police Station and he informed them about his fears and what he knew about the matter. He said hardly five minutes after returning to his house, Matsenjwa called and enquired what the meeting was about and he told him that the police wanted to find out what happened to Matsebula because he was still missing. In delivering its ruling, the court noted that Crown relied more on the evidence of Vermaak. Appearing for Matsenjwa was Advocate Lucas Maziya who had been instructed by Human Rights Lawyer Sipho Gumedze. The congratulations come from the President of Belarus, the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan, the Communist Party of France, the A Just Russia Party, the Communist Party USA, the Justice and Development Party of Turkey, the Belgian Labour Party, the Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist), the Portuguese Communist Party, the Communist Party of Greece, the Communist Party of Britain, the Communist Party of Cyprus, the Communist Party of Norway, the Communist Party of Albania, the New Communist Party of Yugoslavia, the Pheu Thai Party, the Workers Party of Tunisia, the Liberty Korea Party, the Socialist People's Alliance of Egypt, the Uruguays Broad Front and the Democratic Patriots' Unified Party of Tunisia. In his congratulatory message, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said the sustainable development and the success of the economy and society have demonstrated the effective leadership of the CPV for the benefit of the Vietnamese people. He firmly believed that the CPVs political prestige at home and abroad will continue to bring prosperity to the Southeast Asian country. Meanwhile, Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan Nikai Toshihiro expressed his respect for the proud 90-year history of the CPV and believes that the solidarity of the two parties will be further cemented. The Communist Party of France emphasised that the two communist parties will continue strengthening their solidarity and historical relations formed during the fight against colonialism. The Communist Party of Greece affirmed that the proud victory of Vietnamese people under the leadership of the CPV and President Ho Chi Minh has become a source of inspiration for millions of oppressed people around the world. The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) said that the prestige and high position of Vietnam in the international arena reflects the strength and the ideological, political and organisational maturity of the CPV. For its part, the Communist Party of Britain noted that the current development of Vietnams economy in the socialist orientation is a role model which shows the CPVs capacity of uniting the people under the flag of communism to ensure economic and social transition. In its message, the Communist Party of Cyprus underlined that the heroic struggle of the Vietnamese people has bolstered solidarity and anti-war movements in the world. President Ho Chi Minhs leadership and modesty has left a long-lasting heritage for all communists in both ideology and practicality. Meanwhile, the Portuguese Communist Party said that throughout the CPVs 90-year history, it has upheld the vanguard role, winning the support, recognition and respect of revolutionary and progressive forces around the world. Javier Miranda, President of the Uruguays Broad Front, voiced his belief that Vietnam will continue to be the hope of all nations of the world, especially of people who are fervently fighting for peace, sovereignty, social fairness and development. Supply shortages could be made worse by the fact that parts for masks and respirators are made in a variety of countries. More than 90 percent of surgical masks sold in the United States are produced overseas, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Parts or sometimes the final assembly may be based not only in China and Taiwan but also in Japan, Vietnam, Mexico and Colombia. These countries could easily cut off our supply chain, said Laurie Garrett, a policy expert and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who has written about the SARS, Ebola and other outbreaks. With Chinas pipeline to the outside world running dry, medical suppliers around the globe, including giants like Honeywell and 3M, are scrambling to find alternative sources. Both companies said through representatives that they were experiencing a surge in demand and were moving to ramp up production wherever they could. Prestige Ameritech, a mask manufacturer in North Richland Hills, Texas, is among companies that received international orders as the coronavirus spread to 24 countries in the last few weeks, including from the governments of Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. I have thousands of emails from people in Asia, said Mike Bowen, the executive vice president. Last week I sent over a million masks to China. Thats one thing I never predicted, that Id be sending masks to China. The Jammu and Kashmir High Court will hear on Friday a public interest litigation seeking a stay on the release of Hindi movie 'Shikara' which is based on exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in 1990. The petition, filed by three social activists, is seeking stay on release of the movie on the grounds that besides not being based on facts, it was also "communal" in nature. "In view of the averments made in the petition and the relief claimed, we feel that there is a real urgency involved in the matter and that the response of the official respondents should be obtained in the context of the interim relief prayed for by the petitioners," a division bench of Justices A M Magray and D S Thakur said in the order while issuing notices to the Centre and the Union Territory administration. The bench proposed to post the matter for Friday in the morning session for having the response of the respondents, especially the official ones. The court also directed the advocate general of the Jammu and Kashmir UT to appear on Friday in connection with the PIL. "Notice is also directed to be issued to the learned Advocate General for appearance before the court tomorrow. List tomorrow (Friday), 07.02.2020 in the morning session," the court said. The petition was filed in the High Court earlier this week. The activists have sought a review and editing of the "objectionable" scenes and narrations of the movie which, they claim, blames the entire Kashmiri population for the exodus of the Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in 1990. The petitioners have maintained that the trailers of the movie that are being shown on the television indicate that the movie has the potential of communal polarisation. The petition seeks directions to the respondents including the producer and director of the movie Vidhu Vinod Chopra to withhold the release of the movie on February 7 till it is reviewed, scrutinised and censored by appropriate authorities. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [February 06, 2020] Lever's Winter Release Introduces Auto-screening, Confidential Postings, and 12 Other Major New Features Lever, the company transforming the way organizations hire, has announced a host of significant upgrades to help companies scale faster and more efficiently. The Winter Release focuses on creating more efficient workflows and supporting more strategic and sophisticated hiring organizations. Highlights of this release include two features called Auto-screening and Confidential Postings, as well as the rollout of Lever's proprietary "Opportunities" data model. Taken together, these updates substantially improve the way companies manage candidate relationships, internal mobility, and inbound applicants. "The Winter Release proves yet again that Lever is able to support even the most complex recruiting processes," said Laura Marino (News - Alert), SVP of Product at Lever. "And not only does this release support more sophisticated workflows, it also streamlines existing ones, providing new efficiencies and helping companies scale faster and more effectively." Auto-screening The new Auto-screening feature lets recruiters more efficiently process a higher volume of inbound applicants. With Auto-screening, recruiters can automatically disqualify candidates who don't meet certain requirements and prioritize cohorts of others. That means recruiters don't waste time manually screening every applicant. The automation rules that undergird the new Auto-screening feature can also automatically "tag (News - Alert)" candidates. This added meta-data helps categorize candidates, enriching your talent database to make it more organized and more easily searchable. For instance, if a job requires fluency in Chinese, Lever can automatically archive candidates who don't speak the language and "tag" those who are proficient. Thi makes it easier to prioritize the candidates to review and to find the right candidates for other jobs that also require or benefit from Chinese fluency. Confidential Postings Confidential Postings support the handling of sensitive roles, such as executives and planned backfills. This feature provides granular access controls that restrict visibility of these postings - and any candidates tied to them - to a custom subset of users on a need-to-know basis. Rather than handle these roles outside the system, hiring teams can use Lever as a single source of truth for all types of candidates. This ensures that reports are always accurate and up to date, regardless of confidentiality. Easy Book Enhancement Easy Book is Lever's self-scheduling tool, a feature that's proven popular for its ability to streamline interview scheduling and cut down on back-and-forth emailing. The Winter Release has expanded on Easy Book to make it more robust and more user-friendly than ever. Previously, Easy Book was limited to scheduling phone screens, but the enhancement has added the ability to designate an alternative interview type. These include Google (News - Alert) Hangouts and Zoom interviews as well as interviews at physical locations. In addition, Easy Book can now be customized to add event descriptions and titles, making it crystal clear for candidates what they should expect and how they should prepare. Taken together, the new capabilities of Easy Book will result in a better candidate experience and a quicker and easier scheduling process. Other updates in the Winter Release include: The rollout of the Opportunities data model to all Lever customers New API endpoints to delete candidates and create feedback forms More granular permissions for exporting candidate data Enhanced Zoom integration allows for a simpler, more streamlined scheduling of video interviews Hibob integration enables users to sync hire and requisition data between both platforms Interview Schedule integration syncs the interviewer's calendar with Lever Performance improvements for quicker load times and in-app navigation About Lever Lever's Talent Acquisition Suite unifies organizations to source, nurture, interview, and hire top talent through effortless collaboration. Lever supports the hiring needs of over 2,500 companies around the globe including the teams at Netflix, Hot Topic, KPMG New Zealand, and Cirque du Soleil. With an overall gender ratio of 50:50, Lever is also fiercely committed to building a team culture that celebrates diversity and inclusion. For more information, visit https://www.lever.co. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005189/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The United Kingdom has officially left the EU. It has now entered a transition period', during which the UK and the EU will negotiate the terms of their future relationship. The transition period will last until the end of 2020. During the transition period, the UK will no longer be represented in the EU's decision-making bodies, but will remain bound by EU regulations and policies. Free movement of goods, services, labour, and capital will continue for the time being, as the UK will remain in the Single Market and Customs Union. It will also remain in the Internal Energy Market for the duration of the transition period. But what happens beyond the transition period is unclear. An EU-UK trade agreement would result in additional administrative (customs) requirements as early as 2021. As WindEurope we don't anticipate new tariff barriers if a deal can be reached. However, even allowing for a starting point of convergence, 11 months is an extremely tight deadline for agreement. In addition, the UK wind industry relies on European engineers to keep wind farms running. Brexit could make the free movement of such personnel much more difficult. The UK remains the world's largest offshore wind market. But the European Commission has taken a hard line on future UK participation in the North Seas Energy Forum. This could have a negative impact on the deployment of offshore wind in Europe - one of the touchstones of the energy transition. WindEurope, in collaboration with RenewableUK, has drafted a more detailed briefing on Brexit and its potential impact on the European wind energy industry. We focus on trade (goods, trade defence measures, services), electricity (trade, interconnectors, compensation between transmission system operators), North Seas Energy Cooperation, and state aid. Read our Brexit briefing BERLIN - A German state governor who got the job with the help of the far-right said Thursday he plans to step down and seek a new regional vote after just a day in office that was marked by mounting criticism, including from Chancellor Angela Merkel. Thomas Kemmerich, of the small pro-business Free Democrats, was elected as governor of eastern Thuringia state by its regional legislature on Wednesday with the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD. The result stoked uproar. It became a major embarrassment for Germanys mainstream centre-right parties and revived questions about the future of the countrys governing coalition. The governor is elected by the state legislature. Merkel whose centre-right partys own regional lawmakers voted for Kemmerich against the wishes of its national leaders condemned his election as inexcusable and said the result must not stand. Kemmerich narrowly defeated a left-wing incumbent after the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, voted for him instead of its own candidate. Left-leaning parties and many from the centre-right said that accepting votes from AfD , whether solicited or not, broke a taboo and was unacceptable. All mainstream parties have vowed not to work with AfD. Kemmerich initially held out against mounting pressure to resign, insisting that he had not made any deal with AfD and would not do so. But with no prospect of forming a viable state government, he pulled the plug after a little more than 24 hours. While insisting he hadnt made mistakes, he said his party would seek the dissolution of the state legislature. With this, we want to bring about new elections in order to clear the stain of support by AfD from the office of governor, he said. Democrats need democratic majorities, he added. He added that his resignation is inevitable, though he didnt specify when. Thuringias local politics have been in a state of uncertainty ever since an inconclusive election in October. Previous governor Bodo Ramelows Left Party finished first, followed by AfD and Merkels Christian Democratic Union. Kemmerichs Free Democrats, traditional allies of the CDU, only just mustered enough support to enter the legislature, with five of its 90 seats. Following the furor over Kemmerich becoming governor, the party may struggle in a new election. The last election stripped Ramelows left-wing coalition of its majority. In a first for Germany, it produced no majority for any combination without either Ramelows Left Party which the centre-right shuns as a descendant of East Germanys ruling communists, though Ramelow is moderate or AfD, which is particularly strong and radical in the east. Thomas Kemmerichs decision is right, but even after 24 hours long overdue, the CDUs general secretary, Paul Ziemiak, said in Berlin. Any impression that Nazis such as (regional leader Bjoern) Hoecke or others in AfD could have an influence on government jobs or even government policy in the future damages our whole country. Merkel said during a visit to South Africa that Wednesdays outcome had been foreseeable so one has to say that this event is inexcusable, and the result must be reversed. Merkel said everything must now be done to show that it doesnt reflect what the CDU thinks and does. Leaders from Merkels often-tense national coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats are to meet on Saturday to discuss the Thuringia mess. Social Democrat leaders have said it raises questions for the CDU that demand quick answers, fueling renewed speculation over whether the coalition will last until its term ends late next year. Merkel said her party has sent very clear signals after Wednesdays events. Martin Florack, a political scientist at the University of Duisburg, told ARD television that the fiasco weakens Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who succeeded Merkel as CDU leader in 2018, and leaves the impression that the CDU in Berlin has no influence in Thuringia. Merkels party has yet to decide who will run to succeed her as chancellor in the next German election. Kramp-Karrenbauer, who narrowly defeated a more conservative rival for the party leadership, has struggled to impose her authority on the party. This weeks events are also likely to hurt Kemmerichs Free Democrats, who are in opposition nationally but have been part of many past German governments. National chairman Christian Lindner stressed the need for a firewall against AfD and said he would seek a vote of confidence from his party leadership Friday. ED questioned some Popular Front of India (PFI) officials in connection with a money-laundering probe against it and an NGO linked to it, officials said New Delhi: The ED has questioned some Popular Front of India (PFI) officials in connection with a money-laundering probe against it and an NGO linked to it, officials said on Thursday. They said about half a dozen office bearers of the Kerala-based organisation were questioned about the finances, expenditure, various sources of funding and beneficiaries of the funds generated or distributed by it. The central probe agency, sources said, also recorded their statements under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED is probing PFI and NGO Rehab India Foundation (RIF) under criminal provisions of the PMLA as part of an enforcement case information report (ECIR) or FIR filed in 2018. It is also probing charges that the organisations received and distributed funds from their bank accounts that were allegedly used to fuel protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in various parts of the country. The sources said the agency is investigating the exact nature of the association of some PFI officials with politicians based in Delhi and other parts of the country. PFI Delhi president Pervez Ahmed was asked by PTI if he had any links with AAP leader Sanjay Singh and Congress politician Udit Raj, as stated in media reports. "Being a social movement, we meet many people as part of our public relations and we met (Sanjay Singh) for introducing our activities," he said. Ahmed added that while he never met Raj, the two had once spoken as the Congress leader wanted the PFI general secretary to participate in an event in Delhi. Singh, a Rajya Sabha member from the AAP, also tweeted on the development from his official handle. He said there is "no official document or statement" from the ED that links him with the PFI and the reports in this context are an attempt to malign his name by the "BJP and Union Home Minister Amit Shah who are attacking from behind like cowards". Raj, who is also the All India Confederation of SC and ST Organisations' national chairman, said while the media has "linked" his name with the PFI, it could be possible that he met and spoke to a number of people for a rally that was held here in December last year. "I speak to and meet hundreds of people. It is not possible to know everyone," Raj said on his official Twitter handle. Sources have said that a total amount of Rs 120 crore, credited at varied times into the bank accounts linked to the PFI, RIF and few others, are under the ED's scanner as part of this investigation. "The Popular Front of India has stated it multiple times that we fully comply with the law of the land and the allegation of Rs 120 crore transferred from the Popular Front's accounts just before the CAA protests is totally baseless and the people who are levelling these allegations should prove these claims," PFI had earlier said in a statement. A National Investigation Agency FIR and charge sheet against the PFI formed the basis for the ED to file the PMLA case two years back. The agency is probing the PFI's alleged role with respect to suspected terror-funding and the possible creation of assets by using "tainted" funds. Press Release February 6, 2020 Gatchalian rallies Filipinos to support local tourism amid novel coronavirus; weighs in on possible full economic impact Senator Win Gatchalian called on Filipinos to help support our local tourism industry as he expects the temporary travel ban on mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau to hurt the tourism sector. He said avoiding out of the country travels can also contain the spread of the virus which experts say looks increasingly like a pandemic. Data from the Department of Tourism (DOT) show that Chinese tourists are the country's second largest tourism market next to South Koreans. DOT records also show that 1,626,309 out of the total 7.4 million international tourist arrivals from January to November of 2019 came from mainland China. Visitors from mainland China are also regarded as the second biggest tourist spenders in the country, as Chinese tourists reportedly spent US$979.4 million or around 51 billion in the country in the first half of 2019. Gatchalian also called on the Department of Tourism (DOT) to embark on an aggressive marketing campaign to intensify the promotion of domestic destinations. This will help the micro and small entrepreneurs and even the menial workers in the regions to cope with possible economic vulnerabilities. "It is during this time when we must show our 'Bayanihan' spirit to help our kababayans, whose livelihoods are affected by the travel ban. Instead of planning a trip abroad this year, let's explore the Philippines more for a change," he said. "Maraming apektado sa travel ban, nandiyan ang mga bangkero, tour guides, mga ordinaryong vendor, lahat yan apektado kapag walang turista. Kaya imbes na magbakasyon tayo sa ibang bansa, dito na lang at matutulungan pa natin sila", shared Gatchalian. The tourism industry of Negros Oriental experienced a big wave of booking cancellations immediately after it was reported that the two persons who tested positive for 2019-nCoV visited the province. The lawmaker, though, weighs in on the full economic impact. During Tuesday's Senate hearing, Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez said it is too early to ascertain the economic effects of the virus scare. Although he did mention that in the immediate term, the temporary closure of factories in China which can cause possible global supply reduction might have a minimal impact on the country's exports. Meanwhile, data from the global ANZ Research published last February 3, 2020 show a 75% decline in the number of visitors and tourists from China in three months which could shave 0.11% points off the Philippine economic growth. The California state capitol in Sacramento, Calif., on March 8, 2014. California leads all states in the amount of unfunded benefits, at $166.6 billion. (Andre m, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons) Report: States Face $1 Trillion in Unfunded Liabilities States are facing more than $1 trillion in unfunded future liabilities related to health and life insurance benefits for their retired employees, a growing shortfall that amounts to about $3,100 for every person in the United States, according to a new report by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). ALEC, which has come under attack by left-wing advocacy groups in recent years, describes itself as the nations largest nonpartisan, voluntary membership organization of state legislators, with more than 2,000 members across the nation. Its mission is to discuss, develop, and disseminate model public policies that expand free markets, promote economic growth, limit the size of government, and preserve individual liberty. The new study, the latest in an annual series from ALECs Center for State Fiscal Reform, comes after critics have complained for years that cash-strapped states dont adequately fund their retiree-related obligations, which has allowed those sums to accumulate. Its authors say that, in the end, government must be held accountable for its actions. Without policy changes, these liabilities could lead to future tax increases or force cuts to core public services in states. Making governments use more prudent actuarial assumptions and increasing transparency prevents state governments from making impossible promises and allowing unfunded liabilities to accumulate, the report states. These unfunded benefit programs for retired public employees fall under a category that fiscal analysts call other post-employment benefits, or OPEB. OPEB excludes public pension plans but includes benefits to retired workers such as health insurance, life insurance, supplemental Medicare insurance, and more. The study examined 132 OPEB plans from fiscal 2013 to 2017, drawing on the most current Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs) and Actuarial Valuation Reports. While a trillion dollars is a rounding error in Washington, D.C., at the state level, its a huge threat to government programs and taxpayers, Jonathan Williams, chief economist and executive vice president of policy at ALEC, told The Epoch Times in an interview. Jonathan Williams of the American Legislative Exchange Council. (Courtesy American Legislative Exchange Council) Governments, if they want to spend more money on new programs, need to view OPEB liabilities as a threat, so I think there is something for both parties to like from tackling these liabilities. Public pensions have generally been prefunded at 80 percent in order to be considered healthy, but now a lot of us are thinking 100 percent is better. OPEB items, by contrast, have generally not been prefunded at all, he said. OPEB liabilities have flown under the radar, but they have become more visible as a result of federal accounting rule changes that force states to list them on their balance sheets, Williams said. Even so, they have been overshadowed by fiscal problems in Detroit and Puerto Rico. Unfortunately, this new transparency has left us with these very huge liabilities, he said. The states with the largest OPEB liabilities are California ($166.6 billion), New Jersey ($130.4 billion), New York ($129.3 billion), Texas ($115.7 billion), and Illinois ($64.4 billion), according to the study. The states with the smallest OPEB liabilities are Nebraska and South Dakota, which Williams said are tied at zero because they dont pay for retired employees health care, followed by Kansas ($285,000), Oklahoma ($9.1 million), and Utah ($210.9 million). There is a lot of doom and gloom in the report, but there are also a handful of states that are doing a good job getting a handle on their OPEB liabilities, Williams said. Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (29) Edmonton, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) -Camino Minerals Corp. (TSXV: COR) (WKN: A116E1) ("Camino" or the "Company") Chairman Keith Peck is pleased to announce that Mr. Olav Langelaar has joined the Board of Directors of Camino. Mr. Langelaar is currently a Managing Director at Dundee Goodman Merchant Partners, a division of Goodman & Company, Investment Counsel Inc. with offices in Toronto and Vancouver. He previously served as a Managing Director at Primary Capital Inc and as Director, for Dundee Securities Investment Banking from 2007 to 2011. Prior to that he had international industry experience, including roles with Ospraie Gold and Amerigo Resources (VP Corporate Development), Placer Dome (Manager of Corporate Finance and Insurance), Cameco, Cominco, and Agrium (Engineer, Maintenance and Construction). Mr. Langelaar has in excess of 25 years experience in the Canadian capital markets with specific expertise in mining operations and investment banking. He earned his Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo, and an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business. He is also a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia. Mr. Jeremy Yaseniuk has resigned as a member of the Board of Directors effective February 5, 2020. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we thank Mr. Yaseniuk for his service and wish him well with his future endeavors. Options The Company has granted incentive stock options to various directors, and officers to purchase up to 2,500,000 common shares of the Company on or before February 6, 2025, at an exercise price of $0.16 per share. About Camino Minerals Corporation Camino is a discovery and development stage copper exploration company. The Company is focused on advancing its high-grade, Chapitos copper project located in Peru, towards potential resource delineation and new discoveries. The Company seeks to acquire a portfolio of advanced copper assets that have the potential to deliver copper into an electrifying copper intensive global economy. For more information, please refer to Camino's website at www.caminominerals.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. The National Assembly of Armenia is debating on the issue of putting the Constitutional amendments bill on referendum. ARMENPRESS reports head of My step bloc Lilit Makunts proposed debating on the issue after the bill was declined at 1st reading. Vice Speaker of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan had announced before the ballot that My step bloc will abstain. The crisis over the Constitutional Court must be solved through referendum, he had said. 36 MPs voted against the bill and 87 abstained. Head of My step parliamentary faction Lilit Makunts announced earlier that their political force wants to put the issue of the Constitutional amendments to national referendum. The power in Armenia belongs to the people. The people implements its power through free elections, referendums, Makunts had said, adding that putting the issue of suspending the powers of key bodies of the country to referendum can significantly decrease undue tensions and keep the country away from shocks. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan Sinn Fein have proposed changes that will lower the barrier to erecting signs in Irish in Belfast. Currently, the City Council policy requires one third of the eligible electorate in a Belfast street to sign a petition to begin the process. A letter is then sent to everyone in that street on the electoral register asking for consent to bilingual signage. The resident has three options - Yes, No and Don't Care. At least two thirds of the people surveyed must be in favour of the proposal to erect a second street sign in a language other than English. If the resident gives a 'Don't Care' reply, or if a letter is not returned, it is considered a negative response by the council. Sinn Fein councillor for Collin, Seanna Walsh, brought a motion to this week's meeting of Belfast City Council proposing changes. Sinn Fein is proposing the council continues with the policy of a third of the eligible electorate in the street initiating the process, but amends the policy so that 50% plus one of respondents would determine if the petition is successful. The party also wants non-respondents and 'Don't Care' responses to be treated as void votes, and not to be considered negative responses, as with current practice. The motion states: "This council has one of the most restrictive policies of any council in the North in regards to Irish Language Street Signage Policy." It adds: "If we, as Elected Members, were held to the same standard as this policy in the Local Government elections, not one Member would have been returned to serve on this Council, as we would not have met those restrictive parameters." Sinn Fein councillor Ronan McLaughlin told the council: "The move we are proposing would bring us in line with the vast majority of other councils, including Lisburn and Castlereagh. We're not trying to change the parameters in which the petition for an Irish street sign is triggered. We are still clear it would require a majority for this to happen." He added: "I don't think any party around this chamber would put Irish language signage where it is not wanted." Meanwhile two streets in west Belfast are getting new Irish language signs at a cost of around 300. Slieveban Avenue will have the name Ascaill an tSleibhe Bhain, and Rockville Street will appear also as Sraid Bhaile na Carraige, after ratification at the next full council meeting. The ex-deputy governor of Imo state, Hon Engr Gerald Irona has said that there will be no governor in Imo State if the Supreme Court fails to upturn her January 14 judgment delivered in favour of Sen. Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressive Congress, APC for the March 2019 Imo state gubernatorial election in 2019. Being Part of a recorded audio statement of Hon. Engr. Gerald Ironna (Supreme Court's sacked Deputy Governor) at the Awareness Creation meeting held in the office of Prof. Pat Utomi in Victoria Island, Lagos, with Civil Society members on Tuesday 4th February, 2020, Irona stated that; we have audio evidences of how the DSS was calling members of the Tribunal and the Appeal court, giving them instructions on what to do and we are ready to tender the conversations between the Director-General of the SSS and some of the Judges involved. So, this matter is survival of democracy. The country is threatened. "Let me just give you an instance to what the Senior Advocate reads, If you look at what Senator Hope Uzodinma presented to the tribunal upon which the Supreme Court of Nigeria gave their judgement; by tomorrow, we will be publishing booth by booth result presented by Senator Hope Uzodinma in ThisDay Newspaper. Now, if you look at No. 69 on the table he presented, we have a total of 492 registered voters. Senator Hope Uzodinma gave to APC 819 votes. These things were in records of the tribunal. He gave himself 819 votes out of 492 registered voters; registered voters not even accredited., not even PVC collected. And then awarded 7 to the PDP. That is 334 votes more than registered voters in that polling Unit. Now, you go to another Polling Unit among the 388 Polling Units, No. 285, on the table presented by Senator Hope Uzodinma, we have 449 registered voters out of which he gave the APC 780 votes and gave PDP 4 votes and you have 335 over voters in that particular booth. Look, I dont want to continue with these. But if you look at the summary of the voting patterns, Senator Hope Uzodinma got average of between 12% and 15% of votes in other Polling Units but when you come to results he presented, he had 98% of votes casted in those 388 polling booths, including my constituency where he couldnt win House of Assembly; he couldnt win election; including His Excellencys the Governors village of Mbutu where he defeated His Excellency and His Excellency couldnt score up to 10 votes and he scored 800 and something votes. So, if you look at these, the Supreme Court of Nigeria did not; and let me even say this; they never believed that we would find out. But, let me say one thing; we have records of fighting. When we were at the National Assembly, the then President Jonathan wanted to dictate to us on who would be the Speaker of the House. We said No, you cannot. He addressed us and we say you cannot! And we defied his order and voted and it was televised. This Im telling you is the 7th House; 2011 when Tambuwal was the Speaker. So, we were at the National Assembly then. So we have history of struggle in our blood so we are not cowards. We were defeated in Civil War, our place was destroyed (but we are alive today). A day before this judgement they brought Army; brought Police from Enugu (82 Div.), brought from Port Harcourt, brought MOPOL from everywhere to Imo state. But we told our people lets hear the judgement, and we have heard the judgement and we believe that we have window for redress. If they refuse to do that, there will not be governor of Imo state; there wont be governance in Imo state. We are crying to the whole world to hear us and we are appealing to the conscience of fair-minded spirited Nigerians and all over the world to rise up and protect democracy. Finally, the man called Senator Hope Uzodinma had never won an election before and I can tell you this. When he went to the Senate, I was running for House of Reps and he the senate. It was our votes; he lost in his Federal Constituency. He had four Local Governments in his Federal Constituency and I had three; it was our votes that made him to win. But to show you that we are not lying, there was a rerun election in Imo state two weeks ago in his Federal Constituency the Orlu/Orsu/Oru-East Federal Constituency. He is from Oru-East. His candidate lost and the PDP candidate won; in his own constituency even as a sitting governor. You see, the momentum of his victory at the Supreme Court would have made his candidate to win. We will not legitimize this illegality. Among other things, help us to insist that those judges must repeal themselves. Help us to escalate these facts; let Nigerians see the facts. We will be happy when Nigerians see the facts and the Supreme Court says all these things you have said we have heard but we wont do it. Then we will now go home and say Buhari, rule other parts of Nigeria but Hope will not rule us. I hope I am not making threats? But I am telling you that democracy is under threat in Nigeria. By Trend The presentation of Japanese cuisine called "Taste of Japan" was organized in Baku by the biggest Japanese H.I.S. tour operator and the Japanese embassy in Azerbaijan, Trend reports on Feb. 5. During the presentation, the products were presented by companies such as Hagimura Seicha Limited, specializing in the production of Kabusecha, Sencha and Gyokuro tea and Matcha chocolate, as well as other companies that presented meat dishes and delicacies from wagyu beef, characterized by its marbling and high content of unsaturated fats. Besides the Japanese companies, the representatives of the local companies, in particular, Shirin confectionery factory and Herba Flora company, as well as of the Turkish branch of Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro) company also attended the event. Opening the ceremony, Head of H.I.S. companys office in Istanbul Dursun Ablat informed the participants about the activity of the company and then invited the guests to taste the refreshments. H.I.S. project manager Takasawa Naoyuki spoke about the work on promoting Japanese products in the global market, including Azerbaijan, in particular, about the assistance provided by the Azerbaijani Herba Flora company in the supply of Japanese green tea to Azerbaijan. Naoyuki stressed that the delivery of food products to the country has a number of difficulties that must be overcome. Japanese ambassador to Azerbaijan Teruyuki Katori stressed that interest in Japanese cuisine is growing in Azerbaijan, the number of sushi lovers is also growing. Nevertheless, the ambassador emphasized, Japanese cuisine has a wide range of national dishes, most of which is unknown to the Azerbaijani consumer today. In particular, Katori talked about wagyu beef products widely represented at the exhibition, among which were delicacies, salads, noodles and rice "Nigiri Zushi" ("hand-pressed sushi") with "wagyu". Yusif Aliyev, director of Shirin confectionery factory, emphasized that the factory will produce five types of Matcha chocolate, which will become a rarity not only in the Azerbaijani market, but also in the European market. Herba Flora co-chairs Rashad Aghayev and Fizuli Huseynov underlined the high level of trade relations between Azerbaijan and Japan. "For Azerbaijani consumers, Japan is primarily associated with high technologies, Aghayev said. I am sure that Azerbaijanis will feel the real Japanese quality in our tea." Director of Azerbajan's Ibio company Irana Mammadzade said that the company is engaged in the import of Japanese products, in particular, wagyu beef within the project. Japanese food products were previously imported through Russia and Europe and could not claim to be 100-percent authentic, Mammadzade added. From now on, Japanese products may be purchased directly through Ibio. Representative of the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Furuichi Vigeru said that the ministry supports the project of promoting Japanese food products in Azerbaijan, stressing that such companies as Ibio and Herba Flora play a big role in connecting the two countries in food industry. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A star is born. Photo: Netflix The bag is safe and sound with Jerry Harris from Netflixs docuseries Cheer. The Navarro College student and cheerleader just signed with influencer management company Digital Brand Architects and its parent company UTA, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Both companies will represent Harris in his new ventures in television, endorsements, literary licensing, touring, and product licensing. Seems like soon well all be able to watch Mat Talk With Jerry on TV while wearing Jerry-branded merch and clutching Jerry Harris autobiographies. Harris is just one of the breakout stars from Cheer. Known for his vibrant personality and powerful pep talks (called mat talk in the cheer world), Harris has already impressed Ellen DeGeneres, Stephen Colbert, Hoda Kotb, and more while promoting the show. Just because he blew up and he knows Ellen now and he has almost a million followers on Instagram doesnt mean hes abandoning the squad. THR reports that Harris will still be taking the mat with Navarro (and, you know, finishing school). US industry sources say they feel very much the same as their Chinese counterparts about the countries latest trade developments, although they are keen to see even greater reform set out in the next draft. China-based in-house counsel were cautiously optimistic and even extremely hopeful about the first phase of the US-China trade deal, according to an article published by Managing IP this week. Among key reforms set out by the new agreement, signed by Donald Trump on January 15, are greater protections for trade secrets, clarity for patent linkage and the creation of patent extensions for human therapeutics. China has done a great job at taking US IP in the past, says the vice president of IP for a US telecoms company. Im not anti-China; theyve just been smart and have played by their rules. Were trying to change that with this deal, and Donald Trumps goal is an important and noble one. It falls short of what is needed, but it is a step in the right direction. There is not a lot of value to be gained in this for a lot of businesses yet, but it will hopefully be a start to building respect for US IP. Rebuilding bridges For the head of patents at a software company in California, the new deal will hopefully serve an important role in improving relations between US and Chinese companies. He explains that numerous US businesses, including his, had been interested in discussing patent cross-licensing with Chinese companies before the start of the US-China trade disputes in 2018. His company had successfully engaged with several firms, he adds. These dealings were difficult to continue after US-China relations deteriorated, and that development left businesses uncertain over whether they could successfully navigate the Chinese company-owned patent landscape in the US and elsewhere. This development had a pretty serious impact, because Chinese companies have thousands of patents in the US, he says. If US businesses cannot mitigate against the risk of patents being asserted against them or transferred to assertion entities, thats a problem. He adds that the trade deal is a step in the right direction for rebuilding the relationships that were put on hold by the trade war. Pharma winners In total agreement with their Chinese counterparts, US-based in-house counsel at pharmaceutical companies tell Managing IP that the first iteration of the US-China trade deal is a huge boon for innovative drug developers. Not only has the agreement set out terms for patent extensions on human therapeutics, similar to those in the US and European supplementary protection certificates, it has also introduced the ability to use supplementary data in patent applications and given greater clarity on patent linkage. Corey Salsberg, global head of IP affairs at Novartis in Washington DC, says these changes are long overdue and represent a great result for the both domstic and international pharmaceutical innovators. We have a significant drug development operation in China and invest heavily there. We are optimistic that their laws will continue to improve in a direction that enables us to facilitate robust growth by encouraging innovation, he says. From the perspective of the pharma industry, this phase one deal is a significant improvement at least on paper. John Todaro, managing counsel for patents at Merck in New York, adds that promises have been made in China before about patent extensions and linkage, so it is good to have these matters written into an international agreement. It does sound good from the pharma side of things, he says. But its definitely a matter of wait and see at this point. If patent linkage comes to China, we will have to list all our patents. We know how to do that because weve done it in Korea before. We got all our information together to do this in China when it first announced plans for patent linkage, but that was two years ago. We dont need no regulation There are more changes that pharma companies would like to see put on the negotiation table, however. Salsberg at Novartis says he would like to see regulatory data protections similar to those offered in the US and EU created in China. Unlike patents, which provide protection from when they are filed, regulatory data protection in the US starts from when the drug gets approved by the regulator. That means that even if the patent term has run out - for example, because of a prolonged R&D timeline - there is still an incentive to continue to develop the medicine, and to invest in and enable its launch in those countries that have such protections in place. Such a development, were it to be included in phase two of the deal as we hope it will, would therefore establish this important incentive in China. US-China relations have been somewhat tense for the past two years, and it seems industry leaders believe this IP deal is exactly what is needed. The only questions that remain are whether more terms will be put on the table to the benefit of China and the US, and whether the final deal can be properly implemented. The material on this site is for law firms, companies and other IP specialists. It is for information only. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Notice before using the site. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws. 2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQs. Share this article Union home minister and former BJP president Amit Shah met BJP corporators in the capital on Wednesday night ahead of the February 8 polls following reports that some corporators were not following the partys instruction on campaigning and supporting the local candidate. According to people aware of the developments, Shah who is overseeing the campaign for the Delhi assembly polls, was peeved over reports of friction in the party unit; where some of the corporators had pulled back from campaigning for the BJP candidates. There were a few complaints that some of the corporators have pulled back from campaigning due to vested interests; some were upset for not getting tickets, said a functionary aware of the details. Also Watch l Delhi Election 2020: What is at stake for AAP, BJP & Congress The BJP, which is pulling out all the stops to wrest Delhi from the Aam Aadmi Party, is ensuring there is no room for intra-party wrangling. According to a person aware of the details, corporators were warned there will be consequences for not following the party line. Among the reasons for the BJPs electoral losses in Maharashtra and Jharkhand was the friction and rebellion in the party ranks and the party leadership wants to ensure there is no recurrence of a fallout within the party in Delhi. The BJP, which won the municipal elections for three terms, has been out of power in Delhi since 1998. Shah himself is overseeing the campaign details and has been canvassing extensively, trying to cover every constituency in the poll-bound state. Even though he is now a campaigner and not a strategist, It was his idea to ask MPs to spend time in JJ clusters and reach out to people, said the functionary quoted above. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Seattle, Washington--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) - CFN Media (OTCQB: CNFN), the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the North American cannabis industry announces publication of an article discussing General Cannabis and its latest acquisition. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6612/52191_587e205314d389ad_001full.jpg Colorado cannabis sales hit $1 billion in total cannabis-related revenue in 2019, becoming the first state in the country to hit that milestone five years after legalization. In addition, Colorado has the highest per-person spending on cannabis at $280 per year, which is significantly higher than the $220 and $130 annual spend in Washington State and Oregon, respectively. General Cannabis Corp. (OTCQX: CANN) recently signed a purchase agreement to acquire SevenFive Farms, a cultivation facility in Boulder, Colorado, to expand its operations into the state, marking another step towards building a network of mature cannabis business across Colorado, California, and eventually, Oregon. Click here to receive an investor deck and corporate updates Building a Foundation SevenFive Farms operates a 17,000 sq. ft. light deprivation greenhouse cultivation facility that has been in place for over four years. Boulder is strategically located along the Front Range where it has easy access to Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and other major metro markets, as well as an easy path to mountain towns that draw tourists. General Cannabis expects to improve production at the facility to approximately 300 pounds of flower per month, which could generate over $5 million in annual revenue and $3 million in positive contribution towards EBITDA. The product will be sold primarily to the wholesale market until the company adds retail operations to its larger business. https://www.generalcann.com/ To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6612/52191_587e205314d389ad_002full.jpg "This acquisition represents another step in executing our Cannabis 3.0 strategy," says CEO Steve Gutterman. "We are acquiring a proven, successful facility. We will deploy Next Big Crop, our cultivation consulting business, to improve production over existing levels. And we will use the production from the facility to supply dispensaries as we add them." The all stock acquisition is pending approval from the Colorado state regulators (MED) and will close when the approval process is complete. Click here to receive an investor deck and corporate updates Cannabis 3.0 Approach General Cannabis aims to capitalize on "second-mover advantage" by cherry-picking assets in mature markets and allocating capital efficiently and effectively to produce outsized returns. Rather than taking execution risk and starting from scratch, the company applies the expertise of its diverse team to find mature opportunities with lesser risk. Prior to the purchase agreement with SevenFive Farms, the company announced a letter of intent to acquire Halsa Holdings Inc., which has purchase agreements or letters of intent with three retail dispensaries in California. The acquisition will also add Chris Colon to the executive team, bringing a wealth of operational experience. "We have painstakingly picked out marquee assets in California," said President Chris Colon. "The assets we have under contract are excellent revenue-producing stores with extraordinary possibilities for expansion." Investors could see similar acquisitions over the coming quarters focused on mature opportunities in California, Colorado and Oregon where it can apply its expertise to expand revenue, improve profitability and ultimately add tangible EBITDA to its bottom line for shareholders. Click the image to watch an exclusive interview with General Cannabis CEO Steve Gutterman and Halsa Holdings CEO Chris Colon Cannot view this video? Visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f_QWHbIs8U Click here to receive an investor deck and corporate updates Looking Ahead With the pending Halsa and SevenFive Farm acquisitions, General Cannabis Corp. (OTCQX: CANN) is executing on the Cannabis 3.0 strategy. The company is focusing on profitability and smart growth, and investors may want to take a closer look at the stock over the coming quarters as it grows its operational footprint in key U.S. markets. For more information, visit the company's website or sign up to download their investor presentation and receive corporate updates. Click here to receive an investor deck and corporate updates Click here to read the full article: https://www.cannabisfn.com/general-cannabis-sevenfive-farms-acquisition-provides-in-roads-to-colorado/ General Cannabis Company Contact CEO Steve Gutterman sgutterman@generalcann.com Click Here to Receive CFN Media's Newsletter Every Week in Your Inbox About CFN Media CFN Enterprises Inc. (OTCQB: CNFN) is the owner and operator of CFN Media, the leading agency and digital financial media network dedicated to the legal cannabis industry. For Visitors and Viewers CFN Media's Cannabis Financial Network (CannabisFN.com) is the destination for savvy investors and business people profiting from the worldwide cannabis industry. Viewers will see breaking news, exclusive content and original programming involving the people, companies and investments shaping the industry. For Cannabis Businesses & Companies CFN Media is a leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the cannabis industry. We help private, pre-public and public cannabis companies in the US and Canada attract capital, investors and media attention. Our powerful digital media and distribution platform conveys a company's message and value proposition directly to accredited and retail investors and national media active in the North American cannabis markets. Since 2013, CFN Media has enabled the world's preeminent cannabis companies to thrive in the capital and public markets. Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: https://www.cannabisfn.com/become-featured-company/ Disclaimer The above article is sponsored content. CannabisFN.com and CFN Media, have been hired to create awareness. Please follow the link below to view our full disclosure outlining our compensation: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52191 Context: controversy on the commission The membership dispute began in late 2018 when three commissioners were not re-appointed after their terms expired. Those three insist they remain rightful commissioners because, they claim, a vacancy only exists if a commissioner voluntarily steps down, a claim that has been hotly disputed by city officials and replacement commissioners. In spring 2019, former Davenport Mayor Frank Klipsch removed four other commissioners who sided with the three term-expired ones. One of those four, Nicole Bribriesco-Ledger, has sued the city and Klipsch over her removal. NEW DELHI: Union Minister Giriraj Singh, who has earlier equated the ongoing anti- Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests at the Shahen Bagh with the Khilafat Movement, said on Thursday that the site is being used to hatch a conspiracy against the country. The senior BJP leader took to Twitter and alleged that Shaheen Bagh - a site for anti-CAA protests for more than 50 days now - is being used to produce squads of suicide bombers. .. pic.twitter.com/NoD98Zfwpx Shandilya Giriraj Singh (@girirajsinghbjp) February 6, 2020 The veteran Bihar BJP politician also shared a video of protesters at the Shaheen Bagh stretch of the Kalindi Kunj locality in Delhi along with his tweet. The explosive statement from Singh came a day after Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad while speaking to Zee Media, said that the Centre is ready for structured talks with the anti-CAA protesters if they come through proper channel. Live TV Importantly on Wednesday, PM Modi also announced in the Lok Sabha his government's readiness to reach out to different sections against the backdrop of the ongoing protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Amid all this, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi expressed concerns that the central government may use force to clear the Shaheen Bagh stretch where an agitation has been ongoing for over 50 days against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The Hyderabad AIMIM MP further told news agency ANI that the central government's use of force might tun Shaheen Bagh into Jallianwala Bagh. "Might be they will shoot them, they might turn Shaheen Bagh into Jallianwala Bagh. This might happen. BJP minister gave a statement to 'shoot a bullet'. The government must give an answer as (to) who is radicalising," Owaisi said. Owaisi made these remarks in view of reports that the government might use force to clear Shaheen Bagh after February 8 Delhi to polls. Further speaking about NPR and NRC, Owaisi said, "Government must give a clear cut answer that till 2024 NRC will not be implemented. Why are they spending Rs 3,900 crore for NPR? I feel this way because I was a History student. Hitler during his reign conducted census twice and after that, he pushed the jews in a gas chamber. I don't want our country (to) go in that way." It may be noted that senior officials of the Election Commission and the Delhi Police had on Wednesday inspected the Shaheen Bagh area and encouraged protesters to vote in the assembly polls due on February 8. The Delhi poll body has put all five polling stations in the Shaheen Bagh area under the "critical" category. Shaheen Bagh, Khureji Khas and Hauz Rani are some of the sites in the city where protesters are opposing the amended citizenship law. Hundreds of people, including women and children, have been protesting since December 15 at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens. A top Donald Trump adviser has suggested rising global anti-semitism would force the expansion of the illegal Israeli settlements encroaching onto Palestinian territory. Robert OBrien, the Trump administrations national security adviser, was defending Mr Trumps Middle East peace plan that was unveiled earlier this month during a meeting with other diplomats on Wednesday. Mr OBrien said Mr Trumps plan, while not perfect, was a good deal for the Palestinians and urged them to give their support. This could be the last opportunity for a two-state solution, Mr OBrien said. The Israeli birth rate is strong and is growing because sadly anti-Semitism in Europe and other places around the world is encouraging more Jews to return to Israel. The settlements are going to continue to expand. If this freeze on settlements doesnt hold. If this peace process doesnt work, it may be physically impossible to have a two-state solution. Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Show all 18 1 /18 Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Palestinian protesters burn pictures of US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a demonstration in the West Bank against the expected peace plan proposal AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan US President and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announce Trump's Middle East peace plan in the White House AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Reuters Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Reuters Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan EPA Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan EPA Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan EPA Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan EPA Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan EPA Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AP The Israeli settlements built in the West Bank have been largely condemned by the international community and by Palestinians as illegal. Mr OBriens statements seem to paint the expansion of Israeli expansion into Palestinian territory as inevitable, which is in line with Mr Trumps overwhelming support of Israel in matters of diplomacy. In 2017, Mr Trump recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel a move that put him at odds with the majority of world leaders and opened an embassy in the city the following year. Mr OBriens argument that Israelis will inevitably overwhelm the Palestinians through reproduction and immigration also didnt account for Palestinian birth rates exceeding that of Israels. The Associated Press reported the Palestinian population has been growing 33 percent faster than that of Israel. The language of ultimatum given by Mr OBrien this could be the last opportunity echoes that of the architect of Mr Trumps Middle East peace plan, his son-in-law Jared Kushner. In an interview with CNNs Christiane Amanpour, Mr Kushner suggested if the Palestinians didnt accept the offer they would be screwing up and would lose the sympathy of the global community. The Palestinian leadership have to ask themselves a question: Do they want to have a state? Do they want to have a better life? If they do, we have created a framework for them to have it, and were going to treat them in a very respectful manner, Mr Kushner told Ms Amanpour. If they dont, then theyre going to screw up another opportunity like theyve screwed up every other opportunity that theyve ever had in their existence. Mr Kushner defended the plan by citing his own expertise on the region, claiming hed read 25 books and had been studying the 72-year-old conflict for three years. Mr Trumps plan includes the eventual creation of a Palestinian state, but does so by forcing Palestinians to give up the West Bank land already occupied by Israeli settlers and to cede the agriculturally significant Jordan Valley home to 65,000 Palestinians to Israel. Palestinian leaders have been quick to voice their opposition to the plan, which Mr Trump touted as the Deal of the Century. After the nonsense that we heard today we say a thousand nos to the Deal of the The Century, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas said. Despite US insistence that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proceed with plans for annexation slowly, Mr Netanyahu said he would vote on the issue at his next Cabinet meeting. More derelict officials to be disciplined Global Times By Chen Qingqing and Yang Sheng Source:Global Times Published: 2020/2/5 23:58:44 Repeat patterns of misconduct, malpractice during SARS: analyst Increasingly more unqualified and irresponsible officials in Central China's Hubei Province, epicenter of the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak, have been punished for dereliction of duty amid rising public fury over some local officials' inefficiency and misconducts in handling public health emergencies. Still, it is too early to see major local officials disciplined, as the country is investing all the energy and resources to battle the outbreak and more derelict officials would be held accountable for their failure to properly perform their duties at the later stage of the outbreak,, analysts said. On Tuesday, the discipline inspection authorities in Wuhan removed multiple officials from their posts for dereliction of duty, according to a report by the Hubei Daily, the official newspaper of the provincial Party committee. The punishment came one day after a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee on the prevention and control of the pneumonia epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, said at the meeting that Party committees and governments at all levels should firmly follow the unified command, coordination and arrangement of the CPC Central Committee. Those who disobey the unified command or shirk off responsibilities will be punished, Xi said, adding that Party and government leaders supervising them would also be held accountable in severe cases. Xia Guohua, deputy head of the Hubei Provincial Statistics Bureau, has been removed from his post and been issued a serious warning, as well as having a serious demerit recorded against him under Party discipline for misconduct while transporting medical masks that broke the regulations of distribution work for emergency materials. Three officials from the Hubei branch of the Red Cross Society in China have been punished for improperly dealing with donations for the prevention and control of the pneumonia outbreak. The move came after some recent incidents ignited public outrage on Chinese social media, which also brought local officials' behaviors into scrutiny. On Saturday, a man took out a box of 3M masks, which are in scarce supply amid the epidemic, from a temporary warehouse of the Wuhan Red Cross Society, and put it into a vehicle. The man told the reporters that he took these materials for his leader. The Hubei Province's anti-corruption and supervisory watchdog said some officials and workers at the branch did not shoulder their responsibilities or failed to perform their duties, and had engaged in misconduct related to information transparency. "It's still crucial time for fighting against the epidemic. This is a real-time battleground, and those who violate discipline and rules will sooner or later face punishment," said Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee. Some officials in Wuhan and other places in Hubei have been harshly criticized for their misconduct in the early stages of the coronavirus outbreak, but Su believed it is yet the proper time for handling all those who failed to fulfill their duties as the country is in the middle of a hard battle against the epidemic. Su noted some of the misconducts repeated that of malpractices during 2002-03 SARS outbreak, such as lack of information transparency. "But this time, they acted more quickly to correct their mistakes," he said. Other cities in Hubei also punished certain officials who slacked off on their jobs in fighting the battle. Huanggang has punished 337 officials and removed six leading civil servants from their posts. The local authorities' lack of awareness and preparation in responding to the outbreak is one of many examples of misconduct highlighted amid the epidemic, according to analysts. In a latest case, a number of residents in dozens of blocks in Baibuting residential community in Wuhan, the epidemic center, have fever, a symptom of the coronavirus infection. The residents were receiving tests for the virus on Wednesday. Five days ahead of the city lockdown of Wuhan, this community organized a huge banquet, a traditional activity at the time of the Chinese New Year, where 40,000 people attended. Getting people together will also add to the possibility of becoming infected, and organizing such large-scale social activities reflected the ignorance of local authorities, which should also be held accountable, according to analysts. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address By Lee Min-hyung Seen above are logos of the nation's leading online payment platforms, Naver Pay and KakaoPay. Courtesy of each company The last episode of "Money Heist" season 3 may have left fans brokenhearted but the new teaser trailer for Money Heist season 4 brings a glimmer of hope as it hinted about the fate of one of its major characters, Nairobi. At the final moments of the third installment of the hit Netflix series, Nairobi was brutally shot. As much as fans want to see her survive fromthe fatal shot, there are speculations of her eventual demise, just as Moscow and Berlin did in the first and second installments of the show. But as the latest teaser trailer for season 4 unveiled, it seems that fans of La Casa de Papel will still see more of Nairobi in the upcoming installment, according to an article by Latin Times. The latest trailer saw all of the cast members from season 3 wearing red overalls. This line-up includes Tokyo (played by Ursula Corbero), Professor (Alvaro Morte), Lisbon (Itziar Ituno), Rio (Miguel Herran), Denver (Jaime Lorente), Stockholm (Esther Acebo), Palermo (Rodrigo De la Serna), Helsinki (Darko Peric), Bogota (Hovik Keuchkerian) and Marsella (Luka Peros), according to Express. Initially, the lineup did not include Nairobi, then at end of the clip, Nairobi is seen also wearing their iconic outfit slowly turning around following a dramatic pause, looking alive and well. It can be recalled that towards the end of the third season, the police lured Nairobi towards the window as she gave up her son Axel, knowing she would not be able to give him a good life. Falling for the their trap, she ended up being shot by a sniper in the chest. The last time fans got to see her, she was left bleeding on the floor and fainting in the arms of Helsinki as the bank robbers tried to keep the police at bay. Whether Nairobi will join the crew remains a mystery, but it's possible that Netflix purposely revealed the character at the end for added suspense. Nairobi's history was not fully shown in season 3, so leaving her until the end of the latest trailer only helps build the hype around what's in store for her next season. Following the release of the trailer, fans online have been developing theories about Nairobi's fate and one of the most talked about theories point out to Axel's teddy bear saving her life. Nairobi was holding the toy when she got shot. "If you'll remember, when the sniper fired the bullet that struck Nairobi, it hit the bear first," one noted. "After travelling through the bear, the bullet loses velocity and is ultimately lodged in Nairobi's body," he added. In the new teaser trailer, Berlin (Pedro Alonso) who was supposedly dead also made an appearance. Other returning characters for the new series are expected to include Alicia Sierra (Najwa Nimri) and Arturo Roman (Enrique Arce). So far, there has been no announcement about any new additions to the cast. "Money Heist" season 4 airs on Netflix on April 3. J ailed former movie mogul Harvey Weinstein has tested positive for Covid-19. Reports that Weinstein, 68, has been placed in isolation at Wende Correctional Facility were confirmed by Michael Powers, president of the New York State Correctional Officers and Police Benevolent Association. Previously, the movie mogul required help walking into New York's Supreme Court, where he was convicted of third degree rape and a first degree criminal sex act on February 24. He was then sentenced to 23 years in prison on March 11 for sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi and raping Jessica Mann, a onetime aspiring actress. Following the sentencing, Weinstein spent time at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan for heart problems, according to his spokesman, Juda Engelmayer. He also has other medical issues, including diabetes and high blood pressure. Harvey Weinstein appears at court / AFP via Getty Images How did the disgraced movie mogul catch coronavirus? Mr Powers said he learned that the test came back positive on Sunday morning and is concerned about the corrections officers, who he said lack proper protective equipment. He added that several staff have been quarantined. A lawyer for Weinstein said on Sunday night that his legal team had not been notified of the coronavirus diagnosis. "Given Mr. Weinstein's state of health, we are of course concerned, if this is the case, and we are vigilantly monitoring the situation," said lawyer Imran Ansari, who is based in New York. The Niagara Gazette, a local newspaper in upstate New York, reported that Weinstein had tested positive for the highly contagious virus earlier Sunday, citing anonymous officials. According to reports a state official said two prisoners at the Wende Facility have confirmed cases of COVID-19. The official said he could not comment on any individual prisoner's medical record. The official added that with each confirmed case, the Department of Corrections works with the Department of Health to identify potentially exposed people. Why did Harvey Weinstein use a Zimmer frame during his trial? Weinstein underwent a three-hour back operation in mid-December for laminectomy - also known as decompression surgery. The procedure involves removing the back part of the bone called the lamina over the spinal column. It is performed to relieve pinched nerves in the spinal column, which often causes back and leg pain. The surgery was scheduled after the 67-year-old began experiencing pain and difficulty walking as a result of what he claims was a car accident in August. Harvey Weinstein arrives in court in December / REUTERS He appeared in court on December 11, the day before his surgery, looking frail and using a walker which prompted questions about his health. The week before, he had also hobbled into court for a bail hearing looking distinctly frail and unsteady on his feet, propped up by two security guards. His attorney Donna Rotunno also revealed at that time that he was suffering from Type 2 diabetes. Throughout his trial and weeks after his surgery, the disgraced movie mogul continued to use a Zimmer frame as he recovered from the operation. Towards the end of January the defendant started using a Drive Nitro walker, which costs around 170 on Amazon. Weinstein was warned by a judge not to let his health get in the way of the trial. Weinstein with his new walker / REUTERS What was the criticism of his frail appearance during his trial? When Weinstein first appeared at court looking unwell, hundreds speculated that it might have been an act to incite sympathy. His lawyers said they were "dismayed" by the suggestion, adding that the media had "incorrectly stated" it as such. "Mr Weinstein was in a serious car accident in August, which resulted in a concussion and has now necessitated the need for back surgery later this week", Ms Rotunno said. "He has been using a walker to assist him as the back pain has increased. He wanted to leave the walker in the car, so it did not appear that was he looking for sympathy, as he is not. Harvey Weinstein appears at court in December / Getty Images "The press surrounding his physical condition is mean spirited and false." However, he faced another onslaught of criticism when he appeared with a Zimmer subsequently. When asked outside the courtroom how his back felt, Weinstein responded with a thin smile and a so-so gesture with his hand. Across the street from the court, actresses and other women who allege they were sexually harassed or assaulted by Weinstein said he was undeserving of anyones pity. He looked cowardly. He wouldnt look at us. He wouldnt make eye contact, said Sarah Ann Masse, a performer and writer who alleged Weinstein once sexually harassed her during a job interview. This trial is a cultural reckoning regardless of its legal outcome, she said. Why was Harvey Weinstein on trial? Harvey Weinstein looks to have been using the frame while in the court rooms / REUTERS Weinstein was facing allegations that he raped one woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and performed a forcible sex act on a different woman in 2006. While more than 80 women have made claims of sexual harassment or assault against the movie mogul, these two were at the centre of his criminal trail in New York. But there are still ongoing criminal investigations into further complaints against him in London, New York and Los Angeles. His trial started at the New York Supreme Court on Monday January 6, where he pleaded not guilty to the five charges against him. The 67-year-old was convicted of third degree rape and a first degree criminal sex act on February 24. He faces up to 25 years in prison and will be sentenced on March 11. He was acquitted on the most serious charge - predatory sexual assault - which carried a potential life sentence. He was also cleared on first degree rape. Weinstein accuser Rose McGowan speaks outside New York's Supreme Court / AFP via Getty Images On January 6, 2020, the Los Angeles County District Attorney announced further criminal charges against Harvey Weinstein as he was facing his trail in relation to the separate allegations in New York. In LA, he is accused of allegedly raping one woman and sexually assaulting another in separate incidents over a two-day period in 2013. Weinstein is charged with one felony count each of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, sexual penetration by use of force and sexual battery by restraint. He has pleaded not guilty and has always maintained that any sexual activity was consensual. It has been more than two years since allegations first came to widespread public attention and catalysed the #MeToo movement. Scientists and artists have more in common than people may realize. Both experiment and think creatively to answer questions and to make original work. They're also curious about the natural world. But their career paths dont often intersect. Four artists Sarah Grew, Kristin Link, Esteban Camacho Steffensen and Rebecca Welti recently experienced that intersection. As MEZCAL Artist at Sea Residents, they worked alongside teams of scientists from Oregon State University and the University of Oregon on research vessels studying the ocean food web during 10-day voyages. The artists loved the work, the people, and connecting to science in different ways, says Mark Farley, strategic initiatives manager at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. It all shows up in their work, he said. That was the other cool thing, they all produced work along the way. Giustina Gallery is currently showcasing their art, along with 54 other Pacific Northwest artists, in Marine Food Webs: Drifters to Swimmers inside the LaSells Stewart Center on the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis. An opening reception is set for Thursday night, and gallery visitors can meet the artists and researchers who participated in the project. The exhibit features photography, watercolor, oil and acrylic paintings, illustrations, fiber arts, mixed media, woodblock, sculpture, glass and metal work, monoprint and "Gyotaku," an ancient Japanese method of printing fish, where ink is applied to its body, then silk or rice paper is pressed on top to create an image. Artworks include varieties of fish, plankton, sea anemones, octopus, whales, sharks, jelly fish, seaweed, kelp and underwater scenes. Grew, Link, Steffensen and Welti were chosen for the residency program by a selection committee from the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Otis, a partner of OSUs Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. The National Science Foundation funded four MEZCAL (MEsoZooplankton trophodynamics in the CALifornia Current) research cruises, with an artist aboard each to study the conditions of the planktonic food web and sample the coastal oceans during two different oceanic upwelling and downwelling seasons: the summer and winter of 2018-2019. The cruises ventured off the Central Oregon Coast and the Trinidad Line, which is off the coast of Humboldt State, Farley said. The artist residencies were part of the centers goal to find an interesting way to engage the public and industry in its research work. Its a different lens to science, Farley said. Artists teamed with 30 scientists to work either day or night shifts on the ships. They performed plankton tows, which brought up many deep-sea creatures, took biological samples and captured photos using a large camera called ISIIS, Farley said. The plankton imaging system is towed underwater to gather data and give the team a snapshot of how plankton are distributed in their natural environment. The artists got to really groove out on that, because you can watch in real-time what is being photographed, Farley said. He said scientists and crew onboard enjoyed seeing what the artists would create in response to the work. Some researchers even joined them to draw, chat and learn about art styles during their downtime. Everyone was inspired by each other. Farley called the project a huge win. Artists and scientists are the same kind of people, they just express their love of the world in different ways, he said. I think bringing them together was super fascinating. There are diverse works among the four residency artists, says Giustina Gallery curator Tina Green-Price. Grew, a Eugene artist and photographer, made microscopic plankton cyanotypes during her residency. Invented in 1842, the photography style uses a mixture of iron-salts, ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide, to sensitize paper or another porous surface, which is then exposed to ultraviolet light to create a blue and white image. The process uses plain water to develop an image. According to a recent interview in Eugene Weekly, Grew brought a portable photo printer on the cruise to print the film negatives. She then squeezed the images against paper, while they were exposed to sunlight on the deck of the ship. Many of the photos were developed using sea water. Grew is also in the process of creating a limited-edition book as part of her project. Her work, Portraits of Pacific Plankton: Cyanotype Impressions, is displayed in one alcove of Giustina Gallery. The art is floating on the wall as if it were in a large aquarium in a random grouping, Green-Price said. Steffensen, a dual national from Eugene and San Jose, Costa Rica, is an ecological-themed muralist. He likes to present facts and accuracy with his art, so he applied all the knowledge he gathered from scientists, Farley said. He was looking at krill, and said, I have been drawing these wrong for years, Barley said and laughed. Steffensen is showing two acrylic paintings on canvas from a larger mural, Viewing Plankton. Welti, of Port Townsend, Washington, creates sculptural and educational woodwork inspired by the life cycle of plankton and its importance to human survival. She presents Plankton Action Figures, small wood-carved sculptures on a shelf. Below them is information on how each compares in size to a nickel or pinhead, Green-Price said. Welti also displays two large Kelp Fronds (Laminaria) made from alder wood and covered with dye. They stand six and nine feet tall. Farley said Link did a lot of pen and ink work of the biological creatures that were brought up from the ocean floor. She was just in heaven, making stuff constantly, he said. Link, an Alaska-based science illustrator, shows 8-by-10-inch images in a variety of media, including graphite and colored pencil, mixed media collage and cyanotype print of drawing on paper. She drew studies of octopus, plankton and others. The remaining artists share many different forms of media and ocean subjects. Philomath artist Courtney Marchesi displays an acrylic painting of a Red Octopus using a vintage windowpane as its frame. Bill Thompson of Albany is one of a few new artists with works in the exhibit. He used cut vinyl to showcase black and white monochromatic studies of an octopus and turtle. Its graphically very striking. There is a lot of texture, Green-Price said. The shades are created by different colors of vinyl. Helene Knott did some really cool three-dimensional hand-stitching and quilting, Green-Price said. Knotts two vibrant wall hangings feature Sea Flowers and Green Anemones. According to Green-Price, some artists make political statements with their works. James Lilly of Washington, who's making his gallery debut, presents a wood and metal sculpture that is a tribute to a humpback whale that died in Puget Sound. Its title is Trial and Error. The curator hopes the exhibit not only engages viewers with visual art, but also elicits conversation. What are we doing to sustain our food web? Green-Price said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 FLHSMV(WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.) -- A Florida Highway Patrol officer was killed in the line of duty Wednesday when he was shot by a disabled motorist he was apparently trying to help, authorities said. At about 10:15 a.m., Trooper Joseph Bullock was assisting a motorist with a disabled car on Interstate 95 in Martin County, near West Palm Beach, when the motorist shot him, Highway Patrol Colonel Gene Spaulding said. A police officer who was passing by then shot and killed the suspect, Spaulding said. I95 at 107mm will be shut down in both directions for several hours due to officer involved shooting. Investigators are assembling. Please avoid area. pic.twitter.com/8X78TZQtlW MartinCountySheriff (@MartinFLSheriff) February 5, 2020 Bullock, 42, was a leader within the highway patrol who trained and mentored new hires, Spaulding said. Bullock served nearly 19 years with the highway patrol, officials said. He was also an Air Force veteran, officials said. Spaulding called his death a "tragic, tragic, loss." "It'll take a long time for the Florida Highway Patrol to heal," he said at a news conference. "The entire Florida Highway Patrol and FLHSMV family is heartbroken as we mourn the tragic loss of Trooper Joseph Bullock," Spaulding and Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Executive Director Terry Rhodes said in a joint statement. "Please keep his family and his team members in your prayers," they said. Bullock's death comes one day after an Alabama police officer, Nick O'Rear, was gunned down in the line of duty. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers: The 9th ABN AMRO Amsterdam Investor Forum (AIF) organized by ABN AMRO Clearing on Feb. 5th 2020 saw once more five alternative investment funds competing to deliver the "most convincing" 3-minute pitch to an audience of 250+ professional investors and managers. Delegates then cast their votes, selecting the most convincing pitch as the 2020 AIF Factor winner. The following five funds were shortlisted: World Carbon Fund, Carbon Cap Management LLP NN (L) Multi Asset Factor Opportunities, NN Investment Partners VOC Fonds, Stuiver Asset Management B.V. Systematic Alpha FX Master Fund Ltd., Systematic Alpha Management, LLC Tages Paladin UCITS Fund, Tages Capital Carbon Cap Management's World Carbon Fund, represented by Founder and CEO Michael Azlen, won the competition with a clear margin. The fund is currently in its final launch phase and will invest across multiple liquid compliance carbon markets. The management and investment team comprises a combined experience of more than 75 years across investment management, energy and carbon market proprietary trading and global carbon pricing policy design and analysis. Azlen believes that the outlook for carbon prices over the next decade is very positive, however, carbon markets can exhibit high volatility driven by a range of "market" and "policy" factors. As such, his fund will deploy two complementary strategies: "Core Long" and "Alpha Strategies". The Core Long strategy will generate returns from a rising carbon price combined with disciplined risk management. The Alpha Strategies will generate returns from arbitrage and relative value strategies deployed across physical carbon, futures, and options. Carbon markets have expanded globally and now trade more than $1 billion per day and are liquid and transparent as well as highly regulated. Azlen pointed out that the World Carbon Fund will not trade in the Voluntary carbon market as it is much smaller in size and does not have daily liquidity. Carbon Cap has completed proprietary research on carbon as an asset class and has determined that carbon has no correlation to traditional and alternative asset classes and has been generating high annualized returns over the past 7 years since the signing and ratification of the Paris Agreement. In addition, alpha opportunities exist due to the unique nature and structure of these markets and Portfolio Manager Nigel Felgate PhD, has been trading carbon very successfully over the past 15 years for major US banks. How carbon markets address an important market failure Climate change and carbon emissions are a good example of what is known as a market failure since the market is not functioning to maximize the welfare of society as it does not factor in the damage caused by carbon emissions. It is generally accepted that the best way to correct a market failure is to place a price on the externality that reflects the true cost. In the case of climate change, this requires putting a price on a tonne of carbon that reflects the real cost to society. This cost is sometimes referred to as the "social cost of carbon" and by some estimates ranges from $10 to up to $5,000 per tonne of emissions. Cap and trade carbon markets have been a successful policy tool to reduce carbon emissions and facilitate the achievement of the Paris Agreement goals to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees. These markets place a cap on total emissions in a region and the cap is reduced annually providing environmental certainty on emissions reductions. Covered entities can trade emissions allowance certificates, and this trading activity ensures that the emissions reductions are achieved at the lowest possible cost. Successes with Emissions Trading One of the earliest success stories for cap and trade was the system implemented in the USA in 1990 to curb sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions that were causing acid rain. The Clean Air Act amendments of 1990 aimed to slash annual SO2 emissions by 10 million tonnes, out of the total 26 million tonnes being emitting mainly by 3,200 coal plants. The government freely allocated emission allowances and then let the companies decide how to trade them in order to meet the requirements under the new, much lower cap on total emissions. Between 1990 and 2004, SO2 emissions from the power sector fell 36%, even though total energy output from coal-fired power plants increased by 25% over the same period. By 2010, total emissions had fallen to only 5.1 million tonnes, a reduction of 81%. The program was so successful that Harvard University produced a full report highlighting the successes and what was learned. In Europe, the EU Emissions Trading System "ETS" was established after the success of the US system and is also considered to be a success. Since its implementation in 2005, annual emissions have declined by approximately 1 billion tonnes or 29% while real GDP grew by 8% over the same period. The EU has one of the lowest per capita emissions in the world and the emissions per unit of GDP continue to fall. Azlen added that his firm is fully committed to "market-based" solutions for climate change that will assist in the capping and reduction of emissions, both directly and indirectly. As the fund grows, it will hold more Carbon, taking this supply out of the market and assisting in providing a strong carbon price "signal" to the market. Secondly, Carbon Cap has committed 20% of the performance fees generated to the purchase and permanent cancellation of carbon allowances/offsets, thereby achieving a direct climate impact. As an example of the impact, Carbon Cap has calculated that a $1 million investment in the World Carbon Fund could eliminate 200 tonnes of carbon per year based on achieving a 10% net return. This is approximately 30 times the carbon footprint of the average European. Michael Azlen is building this firm based on his 25 years of industry experience, including the founding, growth, and sale of a regulated investment management business to a public company. Since the beginning of 2018, he has been researching climate change and environmental investment and has focused his research on carbon pricing and Emissions Trading Systems (ETS). Carbon Cap has written an academic paper "The Carbon Risk Premium" which will be shortly published in an academic journal. | Samsung still did not officially announce the Galaxy Z Flip, but that did not prevent Caviar to announce its luxury takes on the companys upcoming foldable smartphone. Caviar announced three different luxury Galaxy Z Flip variants Caviar is a Russian company that releases luxury, limited edition takes on existing smartphones. This time around, the company decided to take on the Galaxy Z Flip, and it announced three different variants of the phone. Before we get into it, do note that price tags are listed, but the phones are not yet available for purchase. You can pre-order them, though, if you want. Advertisement The most affordable handset is priced at $5,210 The most affordable variant is dedicated to Joker and Harley Quinn. That variant of the phone has both Joker and Harley Quinn imprinted on the phone, and it is priced at $5,210. On the upper portion of the phones back, youll notice the Joker, while Harley Quinn is placed on the bottom. The back side of this phone is gold-placed, for the most part, which is kind of logical as the company is using 999 gold for this particular design. Jewelry varnish has also been used, while the company is using Double Electroplated technology in order to make this happen. Caviar says that only 54 pieces of this particular model will be available. Advertisement Pre-order the Galaxy Z Flip Joker & Harley Quinn from Caviar This variant combines carbon and titanium The middle-of-the-road variant in terms of price is the Carbon Titanium model of the device. This handset is all-black, and it looks quite sleek, thats hard to deny. The company used both carbon and black titanium in order to make this design happen. The price tag for this model is $5,690, and you can pre-order it via the link down below. Advertisement Pre-order the Galaxy Z Flip Carbon Titanium from Caviar The most expensive variant of the Galaxy Z Flip that Caviar has to offer is the Gold option. The vast majority of this phones back is covered by 999 gold, and it definitely looks unique because of it. This handset is priced at $6,000, and it is also available for pre-order. You can get it via the link provided down below. Advertisement Pre-order the Galaxy Z Flip Gold from Caviar As you can see, these price tags are a bit out there. These are limited edition, luxury smartphones, and are not exactly made for mere mortals, to put it that way. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip will become official on February 11, and will go on sale soon after that. Caviar will probably make its luxury takes on the device available soon after that as well. If you pre-order any of these phones, youll be notified by Caviar when will they ship your way. The documents are linked to communications and meetings from July and August last year related to the aid freeze that was at the center of efforts to impeach Trump. Days before the July 2019 call between President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart, US officials were still working to expedite the delivery of Javelin anti-tank missiles to the country, according to emails and other internal documents reviewed by CNN. The new information underscores how the July 18th decision to hold the military aid stunned officials, who had already assessed Ukraine deserved to receive it and were preparing a Javelin missile order as well. The decision reverberated across the government for weeks. Officials grew so concerned over the deferrals by the Office of Management and Budget that they noted the aid was at "serious risk," and questioned if the move was illegal, CNN wrote. In an email to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, who was in his first week on the job, a top Defense official communicated his concern over Trump's "reported view that the US should cease providing security assistance" to Ukraine and its impact on national security. Read alsoU.S. may provide Ukraine with up to US$700 mln in aid in 2020 envoy Defense officials hoped Esper might be able to persuade the President to drop the hold, and included their rationale in briefing notes provided to him for an August meeting at the White House. The documents reviewed by CNN none of which revealed classified information on military operations or sensitive personnel matters are linked to communications and meetings from July and August last year related to the aid freeze that was at the center of efforts to impeach Trump. Among the documents is a July 15th email from Defense Department official Laura Cooper, who testified as a witness in the House impeachment inquiry, to Lieutenant General Charles Hooper, Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. Cooper requested help on expediting the Javelin request to Ukraine as a potential deliverable for an anticipated Trump-Zelensky bilateral "as soon as next month." The email suggested that conditions were normal, and given strong ties between the US and Ukraine, they were looking to speed up the request. Three days later, that plan abruptly changed. During an interagency Policy Coordination Committee meeting discussed by Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and former Ambassador Bill Taylor in their testimonies before the House an OMB official revealed that the office had placed a hold on Congressional notification for $115 million in foreign military funding pending guidance from their leadership on whether funding for Ukraine was still a priority for the administration. An official readout written by Vindman from the July 18th meeting noted that OMB conveyed its view that the hold on security assistance could be broadly applied to other security assistance funds, but that no official instructions to hold other funding has been issued. That was the same day Trump's decision to withhold nearly $400 million in aid to Ukraine was communicated to the State and Defense departments. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar Thu, February 6, 2020 19:39 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063044d6 1 National coronavirus,Bali-Airport,deny-entry,foreigners,travel-ban Free In an attempt to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, Bali immigration officials have denied entry to 17 foreigners since Wednesday. The decision was made after the authorities found that the foreigners had traveled to China within the last 14 days. The head of the Law and Human Right Ministrys Bali office, Sutrisno, told journalists on Thursday that the 17 foreigners comprised four Brazilians, three Armenians, two Moroccans, two Chinese, a Russian, a Briton, a Ukrainian, a Ghanaian, a New Zealander and a Romanian. Up to 12 a.m. [Thursday], we had denied entry to 17 foreigners that had traveled to China within the past 14 days, Sutrisno said. The policy, he went on to say, was based on the travel ban to and from mainland China imposed by the government since Wednesday. Therefore, immigration at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport is investigating travel details while checking passengers' passports. Once we find that they have traveled to China [within the 14 days], we deny them admittance, he said, adding that the airlines were obliged to fly them back to their initial point of departure. As a result of the ban, at least 5,000 Chinese tourists are likely to be stranded in Bali. They, however, are reportedly willing to stay longer in Bali amid coronavirus fears back home. Do you think that you are clicking on that button when your mind decides to do so? Think again Have you ever gone ahead and eaten that piece of chocolate, despite yourself? Do you inadvertently make decisions because you are hungry or cold? In other words, does the brain's processing of internal bodily signals interfere with your ability to act freely? This line of thinking is at the heart of research that questions our ability to act on thoughts of free will. We already know that inner body signals, like the heartbeat, affect our mental states, can be used to reduce the perception of pain and are of fundamental importance for bodily self-consciousness. Thanks to a new discovery, it turns out that these inner body signals do indeed affect acts of volition. Scientists at EPFL in Switzerland have shown that you are more likely to initiate a voluntary decision as you exhale. Published in today's issue of Nature Communications, these findings propose a new angle on an almost 60-year-old neuroscientific debate about free will and the involvement of the human brain. "We show that voluntary action is indeed linked to your body's inner state, especially with breathing and expiration but not with some other bodily signals, such as the heartbeat," explains Olaf Blanke, EPFL's Foundation Bertarelli Chair in Cognitive Neuroprosthetics and senior author. At the center of these results is the readiness potential (RP), a signal of brain activity observed in the human cortex that appears not only before voluntary muscle movement, but also before one becomes aware of the intention to move. The RP is the signature of voluntary action since it consistently appears in brain activity measurements right before acts of free will (like being aware that one wants to reach for the chocolate). Interpretations of the RP have been debated for decades. Some interpret the RP to show that free will is an illusion, since the RP precedes the conscious experience of free will. It seems to show that the brain commits to a decision (chocolate) before we are even consciously aware of having made that decision. [See box The readiness potential and interpretations.] More recently, it was suggested that the RP could be an artefact of measurement, potentially putting free will back into our command. But if we take on the view that our conscious decisions arise from a cascade of firing neurons, then the origin of the RP may actually provide insight into the mechanisms that lead to voluntary action and free will. The way the brain's neurons work together to come to a decision is still poorly understood. [See hidden patterns of brain activity unveiled by higher dimensional algebraic topology.] Our conscious experience of free will, our ability to make decisions freely, may then be intricately wired to the rest of our body. [See box Acts of free will and inner states of the body] The EPFL results suggest that the origin of the RP is linked to breathing, providing a new perspective on experiences of free will: the regular cycle of breathing is part of the mechanism that leads to conscious decision-making and acts of free will. Moreover, we are more likely to initiate voluntary movements as we exhale. (Did you reach for that piece of chocolate during an exhale?) These findings suggest that the breathing pattern may be used to predict 'when' people begin voluntary action. Your breathing patterns could also be used to predict consumer behavior, like when you click on that button. Medical devices that use brain-computer interfaces could be tuned and improved according to breathing. The breathing-action coupling could be used in research and diagnostic tools for patients with deficits in voluntary action control, like obsessive compulsive disorders, Parkinson disease, and Tourette syndromes. Blanke and Hyeong-Dong Park, first author of this research, have filed a patent based on these findings. Free will hijacked by interoceptive signals? More generally, the EPFL findings suggest that acts of free will are affected by signals from other systems of the body. Succumbing to that urge to eat chocolate may depend more on your body's internal signals than you may realize! Blanke elaborates, "That voluntary action, an internally or self-generated action, is coupled with an interoceptive signal, breathing, may be just one example of how acts of free will are hostage to a host of inner body states and the brain's processing of these internal signals. Interestingly, such signals have also been shown to be of relevance for self-consciousness." You may be tempted to blame acts of chocolate binging on interoceptive electrical signals hijacking your free will. The gut-mind connection is an active field of research and interoceptive messages sent to the brain certainly impact food cravings. For now, this latest EPFL research only improves predictions of when you will indulge in that craving, and not what you actually crave. Acts of free will and inner states of the body The prevailing view in neuroscience is that consciousness is an emergent phenomenon of the brain. Firing of the brain's neurons leads to consciousness and the feeling of free will or voluntary action. By belonging to the physical universe, the brain's electrical activity within the constraints of anatomy, is subject to the laws of physics. In this sense, brain signals encoding the body, lungs and heart might naturally affect the brain's cognitive states too and therefore influence acts of free will. To test whether the RP depends on the body's inner state and the brain's representation thereof, Blanke and colleagues asked 52 subjects to press a button at will at Campus Biotech in Geneva. EEGs monitored brain activity, a belt around the chest measured breathing activity and cardiac activity was recorded. The scientists found that the RP and voluntary action (pressing the button) is linked to the body's inner state - the regular breathing cycle - but not to the heartbeat. Participants initiated voluntary movements more frequently during an exhale than an inhale and were completely unaware of this breathing-action coupling. The RP was also modulated depending on the breathing cycle. EPFL scientist and first author of the study Hyeong-Dong Park explains, "The RP no longer corresponds only to cortical activity 'unconsciously preparing' voluntary action. The RP, at least partly, reflects respiration-related cortical processing that is coupled to voluntary action. More generally, it further suggests that higher-level motor control, such as voluntary action, is shaped or affected by the involuntary and cyclic motor act of our internal body organs, in particular the lungs. Still the precise neural activity that controls breathing remains to be mapped." The readiness potential and interpretations Philosophers, psychologists, and more recently neuroscientists have long debated our ability to act freely. The meaning of the readiness potential (RP) has been questioned ever since its discovery by neuroscientists Hans Helmut Kornhuber and Luder Deecke in 1965, and later regarding its relation to free will in neuroscientist Benjamin Libet's experiments. The entire brain consists of approximately 100 billion neurons, and each individual neuron transmits electrical signals as the brain works. Electrodes placed on the head can measure the collective electrical activity of the brain's neurons, seen as wavy lines called an electroencephalogram (EEG). In 1965, neuroscientists Hans Helmut Kornhuber and Luder Deecke conducted a seminal experiment to test voluntary action and discovered a recurring pattern of brain activity. They placed EEG electrodes on top of the subject's head, and asked the subject to press a button at will. Kornhuber and Deecke discovered that the EEG consistently exhibited a rising slope of wavy lines, the readiness potential, 1 second or more before voluntary movement. In the early 1980s, neuroscientist Benjamin Libet further tested the relationship between the RP and conscious awareness or intention of voluntary action. His highly influential results showed that approximately 200ms before his subjects pressed the button, they were aware of an urge or the intention to act, something Libet referred to as the W time, and yet the RP consistently preceded W time. Libet suggested that these findings showed that even before we make a conscious decision of voluntary action, the brain was already unconsciously activated and involved in planning the action. Some have interpreted the relation between the RP and W time as an indication that human free will might be an illusion. The RP is viewed as the brain committing to a decision (to press the button) before the subject is even aware of having made that decision. If commitment to a decision is being made before we are even aware of it, then what mechanism is making the decision for us? For the neuroscientist who considers consciousness to arise from brain activity (versus brain activity arising from consciousness), Libet's results may not surprising, since the conscious experience of free will is viewed as an emergent phenomenon of brain activity. Yet, Libet's results are in conflict with the notion of free will and voluntary action in philosophy of the mind, in folk psychology, in culture, and in legal matters. ### she's not wrong. i hate when people blame shit on alleged death threats to try to turn things around on the people they hurt. Reply Thread Link literally everyone says they get death threats now when they get backlash for anything and then the conversation shifts to, "does this person deserve death threats?" Reply Parent Thread Link yea, it's hard to take seriously at this point. Reply Parent Thread Link this! apples and oranges but same energy as jameela saying she was "forced" to come out as queer after getting criticism for her Legendary hire Reply Parent Thread Link The publisher actually admitted yesterday that they had lied and that Cummings didn't receive death threats. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link I would love for a Mexican author to write a novel that has nothing to do with illegal immigration and poverty and hardship. Like dang that's not all of our reality. It'd be nice to acknowledge that there are mexicans/mexican americans who live perfectly happy lives with the usual life problems of relationships, school, work, friends etc Reply Thread Link I don't know if you're into scifi but Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a Mexican immigrant to Canada and she writes a lot of scifi. Alisa Valdes is not Mexican but she's a U.S. born Latina who writes chick lit type stories that have Latina characters (from various backgrounds). I really liked The Dirty Girl's Social Club (there's a sequel but it's not as great) which is about a group of college friends and how they are trying to hack it in relationships and in their respective fields. Reply Parent Thread Link I know that's not what you meant by this comment, but there are thousands of Mexican and Mexican-American authors that write novels having nothing to do with immigration, poverty, etc. The problem is the publishing industry doesn't promote them, because white audiences are most familiar with that narrative. It's the same reason black actresses can only get nominated for awards by playing slaves. Reply Parent Thread Link Completely agree. But its telling that latinx tales of hardship (and in this case, written poorly in the perspective of a white woman) get published instead because apparently white people at publishing houses would rather only circulate stories of us suffering Reply Parent Thread Link She's right about all of this. It's irresponsible of the publisher to lie about death threats for the exact reasons mentioned. Also, I can't see the name EMILY's List without thinking about learning what it stands for from CJ on The West Wing: "EMILY's list. Early money is like yeast, it's helps raise the dough." Something about Allison Janney's delivery has made that stick in my mind for 20 years now.. Reply Thread Link same Reply Parent Thread Link ha, same! i hear it in CJ's voice Reply Parent Thread Link lmao yes, as she's drying her hair because she fell into the pool "it helps raise the dough." "i get it." "they raise money for women candidates. early money is like yeast. it helps....raise the dough. for the candidates." "i really do get it." Reply Parent Thread Link "Avert your eyes" was the moment I became a low-key CJ/Toby shipper. Reply Parent Thread Link Yes exactly Reply Thread Link get her jade!!! Reply Thread Link I always thought the death threats were a bunch of BS because there was no way shed be able to stand up to valid criticism when confronted but I never thought about it played into the narrative of making Latino people look unhinged, crazy - thats completely fucked Reply Thread Link i'm glad she's speaking out tbh Reply Thread Link Kraimer will probably continue getting advances and writing under a pen name but next time she'll write about the topic of her expertise: white people. Reply Thread Link Good for her for speaking up and calling out Oprah. This entire thing has been abysmal. Reply Thread Link She's not wrong. Reply Thread Link Latino is not a race, you can be Latino and white at the same time Reply Parent Thread Link Shes mixed/mestizo like the majority of Mexicans. Just looked it up and her results were 70% European, 27% Native American and 3% African. Reply Parent Thread Link I mean most of us come from Spanish descent so ofc we'll be European. There are TONS of other mixes though. Reply Parent Thread Link remember that our bio parents give us half of theirs. The results for her parents or grandparents could be different. Reply Parent Thread Link Shes 100% right. Ive always liked her; I think shes also the one Ive read about going to schools and helping out with their special education classes, which would make me love her tbh. Reply Thread Link She has also tried to bring more attention to farm worker rights. https://www.google.com/amp/s/civileats.com/2014/11/24/eva-longoria-talks-farmworkers-rights-new-documntary-food-chains/amp/ Reply Parent Thread Link Omg thats awesome. She seems like a genuinely nice person, I hope thats right and its not just her public image. Reply Parent Thread Link By PTI NEW DELHI: BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said on Wednesday that the majority community has to remain vigilant or Mughal rule will return to the country, as he slammed the anti-CAA protest at Shaheen Bagh. He was participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in Lok Sabha. Referring to the ongoing protest at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act, he said, "Unless majority community remains vigilant, the days of Mughal Raj may not be far away." His remarks evoked sharp reaction from the Opposition members. Surya also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for resolving several critical issues which had been pending for several decades. The CAA, he said, was aimed at resolving the issues emanating from Partition and added, "The new India cannot to built without healing the wounds of the past." He said that the CAA was about giving citizenship to persecuted minorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and not for taking away anyone's citizenship. Under the leadership of Modi, Surya said, several issues of the past have seen closure. These include abrogation of Article 370, construction of Ram temple, Bodo problems and abolition of Triple Talaq. ALSO READ | All five polling stations in Shaheen Bagh put under 'critical category': Delhi CEO K Sudhakaran (Cong) said that a time when the economy was going through its worst phase and unemployment was high, the President in his speech talked about making India a USD 5 trillion economy by 2024. On the comments of the government functionaries that fundamentals of the economy are strong, he said the same expression was used by the then US President George Bush, days before the collapse of America's iconic investment banker Lehman Brothers. Not only that, Sudhakaran said even before the Great Depression, the then US President used to say that fundamentals of their economy were strong. Anupriya Patel (Apna Dal) demanded that the government set up All India Judicial Services Commission to ensure representation of the backward community in the judiciary. Khagen Murmu (BJP) regretted that the West Bengal government was not implementing the welfare schemes of the Centre in the state. Badruddin Ajmal (AIUDF) said that people of all communities have fought for the freedom of the country and it would be incorrect to declare everyone opposing the government's policies as 'gaddar' (traitor). He said that the government should talk to people protesting against the CAA at Shaheen Bagh and other places, and explain the provisions to them. Shrirang Appa Barne (Shiv Sena) demanded that the ruling party fulfil all promises it had made to the people of the country. He regretted that although the government promised to double the income of farmers by 2022, farmers were still committing suicide. STOCKHOLM, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SciBase, a leading manufacturer of solutions within skin diagnostics announced today that they will present at the Swiss-Nordic Bio 2020 conference in Zurich this week. "I look forward to presenting an update on our progress at SciBase in Zurich. On the back of the release of Nevisense 3.0 in 2018 we have seen a significant increase in 2019 in both usage and sales of our Nevisense system for the detection of melanoma. At the same time we've been pleased to see increased traction for Nevisense in the US and look forward to discussing our plans for that market. I will also present an update on the new clinical applications we plan to launch during 2020, and our upcoming product Nevisense Go. We are seeing significant interest from both the research world and from industry in our new skin barrier assessment application, where our goal is to improve management of chronic and prevalent atopic diseases such as atopic dermatitis. This application has been developed through our cooperation with SIAF (Swiss Institute for Allergy and Asthma research). With SIAF being based in Switzerland, we see it as a good opportunity to present SciBase and our products and applications to potential investors and partners. We are also pleased that Professor Cezmi Akdis, Director of SIAF, will also attend the conference." Simon Grant, CEO of SciBase. For more information please contact: Simon Grant, CEO SciBase Tel: +46 72 887 43 99 Email: simon.grant@scibase.com Certified Advisor: Avanza Tel: +46 409 421 20 Email: corp@avanza.se About SciBase and Nevisense SciBase AB is a Swedish medical technology company, headquartered in Stockholm that has developed and sells a unique point-of-care device for evaluation of skin disorders such as skin cancer and atopic dermatitis. Its first product, Nevisense, helps doctors to detect malignant melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer. Further development has led to Nevisense also being used as a tool to assess the skin barrier and inflammation. SciBase was founded by Stig Ollmar, Associate Professor at The Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. Nevisense is based on substantial research and has achieved excellent results in the largest clinical study ever conducted on the detection of malignant melanoma. Nevisense is CE marked in Europe, has TGA approval in Australia and an FDA approval (PMA) in the United States. Nevisense is based on a method called Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), which uses the varying electrical properties of human tissue to categorize cellular structures and thereby detect malignancies and abnormalities. SciBase is listed on First North Growth Market ("SCIB"). Further information is available at www.scibase.com. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/scibase/r/scibase-to-present-this-week-at-swiss-nordic-bio-2020,c3028117 The following files are available for download: Concurs repetat pentru selectarea unei companii sociologice, care sa efectueze un studiu tematic "Barometrul opiniei publice in domeniul schimbarilor climatice" YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan made a speech at the extraordinary session of the National Assembly, which discussed the proposed draft amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, Nikol Pashinyan he stated in his remarks: Honorable National Assembly President, Distinguished Vice-Presidents, Dear National Assembly Members, Dear People, Proud Citizens of the Republic of Armenia, The applicable Constitution of the Republic of Armenia provides for a model of the Constitutional Court that is widely regarded by international experts as balanced. The essence of this model is as follows: Candidates for three Constitutional Court judges are nominated by the President of the Republic, the Government, the General Assembly of Judges, the election is made by the National Assembly, and the Constitutional Court becomes the upper instance for balancing between the three branches of power. At the same time, the new constitution has two important nuances. Unlike the former Constitution, the RA President in office cannot be a member of any party, judges cannot be partisans either, and given the fact that the Speaker of the National Assembly has been deprived of the right or is not entitled to nominate a judge for the Constitutional Court, we can state that the risks of politicization of the Constitutional Court are mitigated as much as possible in the applicable Constitution. The risks for the Constitutional Court Chairman to exercise pressure on the Constitutional Court are also mitigated, because unlike the previous one, the Constitutional Court Chairman is elected for a six-year term, not for life. In addition, a CC judge may be elected president of the court only once. In addition, unlike the previous Constitution, the President of the Constitutional Court is elected by the judges of the Constitutional Court and not by the National Assembly. In addition, the abnormal practice where the same person could be a member of the Constitutional Court for 40 years has also been eliminated. This is an abnormal practice, because when any president or prime minister remains in office for 30 or 35 years, we consider it a monopoly, dictatorship, but we deem it quite natural when the same person is a member or the chairman of the Constitutional Court for 35 years. Under the new Constitution, the term of office of a judge of the Constitutional Court is 12 years. At the same time, the same person may be elected as a judge of the Constitutional Court only once. This is how the Constitutional Court is described in our Constitution at the moment. And this model, also with the encouragement and support of international experts, was chosen and introduced as a result of the recording and analysis of constitutional problems recorded in the history of the Third Republic, because de facto and de jure the Constitutional Court has become an advocate of electoral fraud and illegal power in the Third Republic of Armenia. In the 1996, 1998, 2003, 2008, 2013 presidential elections, the Constitutional Court acted as an instrument that prevented the people from exercising their right to form a government in the country. The Constitutional Court made it clear that the citizens could not form a government in the country because it contradicted the conventional restraint of the sanction presupposition of a particular part of the case law. Then the members and the Chairman of the Constitutional Court wrote books on the need to conventionally impose sanctions on a particular part of the precedent logic of case law; they kept reading lectures, defending doctoral theses, and gave medals to European and not only European top lawyers. But they could not answer a simple question of the people. ballot stuffing, dead souls coming to the polls, bribery, beatings, threats to get fired, total control of the TV. Therefore, in order to leave the burden of these cruel and unanswered questions in the past, to turn a new chapter in the constitutional law and history of our Constitutional Court, the new Constitution chos the balanced and logical model that I spoke about at the beginning and about which many words of encouragement and gratitude structures and experts. Let us call this model the Constitutional Court of Our Dream. But now I have to ask a question that may seem weary in the light of what I have said from this podium because what I said is envisaged in the currently applicable Constitution. So, do we have that constitutional court of our dream today, I mean a balanced constitutional court? The answer is No. Okay, we have been in a transition stage from the semi-presidential system to the parliamentary system during this period, maybe we just have not managed to have the Constitutional Court of Our Dream. When will we have one that will not be under the banner of a political grouping? Will we have such a constitutional court after all? Yes, we will, but, attention, in 2035 at the earliest, if things keep going like this, if nothing changes in our country, just because as they wrote the transitional provisions of the currently applicable Constitution, the RPA officials formulated it the way to let the notorious constitutional court continue in office for as long as possible. In fact, the former Republican government officials said the following: True, we have found the model of the Constitutional Court of Our Dream, where the Constitutional Court judge shall remain in office for 12 years, but we do not diminish the powers of the members of the old Constitutional Court, let them be members of the Constitutional Court as required by the Constitutions of 1995 or 2005. As a result, we have two Constitutional Court members appointed by Levon Ter-Petrosyan, whose term of office expires in 2026 and 2029 respectively, two CC members appointed by Serzh Sargsyan, whose term of office expires in 2021 and 2037, one member nominated by Hovik Abrahamyan and elected by the National Assembly, whose term expires in 2027, another CC member nominated by Galust Sahakyan and elected by the National Assembly whose term of office expires in 2031 and one CC member nominated by Ara Babloyan and elected by the National Assembly whose term expires in 2035. And although the incumbent Constitution stipulates a 12-year term of office for CC members, the overwhelming majority of members of the old constitutional court will serve much longer, sometimes three times longer than stipulated in the applicable Constitution. A separate case is that of the Chairman of the Constitutional Court. Although the current Constitution stipulates that the Chairman of the Constitutional Court should be in office for 6 years, the incumbent CC Chairman will serve for 17 years until 2035. The case of incumbent CC Chairman Hrayr Tovmasyan is a separate story that needs a separate investigation. Being one of the authors of the text of the current constitution, or rather Serzh Sargsyans trusted man in the editorial group and the de facto leader of the process; he did his best to adapt the text of the Constitution to his own plans. In essence, a deal was made between Serzh Sargsyan and Hrayr Tovmasyan with the following logic. Should Hrayr Tovmasyan conceive a text of the constitution that would give Serzh Sargsyan the opportunity to serve for life, then that very text should give Hrayr Tovmasyan the opportunity to serve as CC Chairman for life in spite of the Constitution itself. By the way, Hrayr Tovmasyan did not reduce the term of office of the members of the old Constitutional Court, that is, he gave them the opportunity to serve more than the term prescribed by the new constitution for his own interests, because he had to serve in the old Constitutional Court until the age of 65, or for some members until the age of 70, because he originally intended that a CC member should be elected in the same way as he was given the opportunity. He was elected to the Constitutional Court on March 2, 2018 though he knew that after some 37 days the procedure for being elected to the CC would be completely changed. NA Speaker Ara Babloyan nominated him for CC candidate, although he knew that only 37 days later the NA Speaker would be deprived of the right to nominate a member of the Constitutional Court, he was elected to the Constitutional Court for 17 years, though he knew that 37 days after his election the term of office of judges was to be 12 years. To this end, Hrayr Tovmasyan ensured that, despite the existence of a completely new description of the Constitutional Court, in the current Constitution, the old members of the Constitutional Court would continue to serve because if their term of office were reduced, Hrayr Tovmasyan could not be elected to the CC for 17 years. The same is true for the CC Chairman. Hrayr Tovmasyan was elected Chairman of the Constitutional Court on March 21, 2018 in the National Assembly, although he knew that only 19 days later the National Assembly would be deprived of its power to elect the Chairman of the Constitutional Court. Hrayr Tovmasyan was nominated for CC chairmanship though he knew that only 19 days after NA Speaker would be deprived of his power to nominate a CC Chairman, where it is written that the CC Chairman is elected by the Constitutional Court for a term of six years, the same person may not be elected President of the Constitutional Court more than once. And now, to have such a constitutional court as is stipulated in the Constitution , the Armenian people have to wait until 2035, because Hrayr Tovmasyan, with the help of his party, the Republican Party, has secured the seat of CC Chairman until 2035, contrary to the text of the Constitution. I do not want to break anyones presumption of innocence, but the Republicans seem to have breached not only logic and morality on this path, but also the Criminal Code. The problem is that the term of office of former President of the Constitutional Court Gagik Harutyunyan would expire on March 25, 2018. If he had continued in office until the end of his term, then Hrayr Tovmasyan would not have been elected to CC chairmanship for 17 years by the National Assembly. And to make this possible, they persuaded Gagik Harutyunyan, who had already been granted the status of Supreme Judicial Council Chairman, to tender his resignation in early March, 20 days before his term expired, so that Hrayr Tovmasyan could be elected to the Constitutional Court for life at March 20 National Assembly session, which was the last regular session of the National Assembly before the new Constitution came into force. Gagik Harutyunyan submits his resignation on March 5, 2018, but the staff of the National Assembly understands that if Gagik Harutyunyan resigns on March 5, there would be procedural obstacles that could make it impossible for Hrayr Tovmasyan to be elected CC Chairman for 17 years on March 20, 2018 at the regular session of the National Assembly. Therefore, according to published data, they resort to fraud and register Gagik Harutyunyans resignation on March 2, allowing official falsification. A criminal case has been instituted in this Special Investigation Service and my political assessment is unanimous. With this fraud and this whole story, the embezzlement of power has been allowed. Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to state that due to a number of constitutional manipulations, the incumbent Constitutional Court and its Chairman have appropriated the power of the people of the Republic of Armenia. I already talked about its first episode. We are talking about Article 213 of the incumbent Constitution, which allowed the old Constitutional Court to continue in office under the new Constitution and in spite of the Constitutional Court described in the new Constitution. But there is another, no less important episode. Hrayr Tovmasyan has been given more authority over the Constitutional Court than the people of the Republic of Armenia, who is the highest holder of power in our country, at least in the constitutional text. The problem is that under the current regulation, the constitution cannot be amended without the permission of the Constitutional Court. That is, the people of the Republic of Armenia may wish to change anything in the constitution, but the Constitutional Court will not allow it, considering it to be unconstitutional. At the same time, no one can dispute this position of the Constitutional Court. That is, the people of Armenia may wish to deprive Hrayr Tovmasyan of his unlawful status of CC Chairman, but the Constitutional Court will not allow it, considering it unconstitutional. That is to say, due to the efforts of Hrayr Tovmasyan and the RPA, an entity has emerged in our country, which is above the people and that subject is the Constitutional Court. This is a cruel example of the usurpation of power. Absurd is the conclusion that the Constitutional Court can make irrevocable decisions even on its own status. This is a really scandalous absurdity, how can the Constitutional Court make such decisions about itself? There are lawyers who argue how the National Assembly can make a decision on itself, the government can make a decision on itself, and the President, too, can do so. It seems like a powerful argument, but the decisions and laws adopted by the National Assembly can be appealed to the Constitutional Court by several entities, government decisions can be appealed to the Constitutional Court, the Administrative Court, the Presidents decrees and orders can be appealed to the Constitutional Court, the Administrative Court and the only body whose decisions, including its status, cannot be appealed is the Constitutional Court. Find the continuation of the PMs speech in 2nd part Pharmaceutical firms and research groups in China, US and other countries are racing to find a vaccine for new virus. In medical research labs around the world, scientists are racing to develop a vaccine for a new type of coronavirus that has infected more than 28,000 people and killed over 560 others. Weeks after the virus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year, at least a dozen biopharmaceutical firms and academic research facilities in China, the United States and others have launched programmes to find an effective vaccine. One scientist at the Imperial College in London, UK, announced on Wednesday that his team could move towards trials on animals as early as next week and then onto humans within a matter of months. Meanwhile, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a global partnership launched in 2017 to fight new infectious diseases, said it had launched three programmes to develop vaccines and hoped to have a potential vaccine for clinal testing within 16 weeks. Experts say the effort to combat the coronavirus is among one of the quickest responses in recent history. It took researchers more than 20 months to come up with an experimental vaccine for the virus that caused the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), a deadly outbreak that also originated in China and infected more than 8,000 people between 2002 and 2003. The new virus, officially named as 2019-nCov, belongs to the same family as SARS and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which has killed more than 850 people since it was first detected in 2012. The vaccine for MERS is still under development. The apparent rapid progress in the search for a vaccine to fight the coronavirus, according to analysts, is due to a decision by Chinese authorities to share information about the virus with the public. Advancements in new technology and better collaboration between researchers has also aided the process. Soon after the 2019-nCov was first detected, scientists in China said they had cracked the viruss genetic sequence and sharing it publicly online on January 10 a move that allowed virologists and immunologists to begin work on a vaccine almost immediately. We downloaded those sequences, immediately ran them through our computer algorithm, which is what we use to design our DNA medicine, and approximately three hours later we had a fully designed DNA vaccine against the novel coronavirus, said Kate Broderick, senior vice president of research and development at the US-based Inovio Pharmaceuticals, one of the companies working with CEPI on an effective treatment. We just take a tiny little piece of the genetic sequence of the virus and we specifically use our algorithm to find motifs of the virus that we think would be the best thing to design a vaccine against, she told Al Jazeera. Inovio was previously working with CEPI to develop a vaccine for MERS and is using the candidate it produced to combat MERS as a starting point. Unlike traditional methods that involve working with proteins or samples of the virus, new DNA platform technology allow scientists to identify commonalities between two viruses and alter existing vaccines rather than building them from scratch. This greatly speeds up the process, according to Inovio, and makes the resulting drug easier to produce at scale and more durable. Because were so far along in our development for our MERS vaccine that means that were really perfectly positioned to apply what weve learned to this novel coronavirus, Broderick said. In a statement, Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, cautioned there were no guarantees of success. But, our aspiration with these technologies is to bring a new pathogen from gene sequence to clinical testing in 16 weeks which is significantly shorter than where we are now, he said. In addition to DNA platforms, CEPI partners are also pursuing other non-traditional methods. Researchers at the University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia, owners of the molecular clamp technology, said they hoped to have a vaccine within six months. In a statement, the university said it has found promising results so far from trials targeting viruses that have caused deadly outbreaks in the past, including Ebola, Nipah and MERS. CEPI has since announced a partnership between British drugmaker GSK and the UQ. The company will provide researches access to its adjuvant system a substance that is added to some vaccines to enhance the immune response and creating a stronger and longer-lasting immunity against infections, according to the company. The US-based Moderna Therapeutics, another CEPI partner, is working on a vaccine based on ribonucleic acid (RNA), molecules that instruct cells to make proteins to prevent or fight diseases. For pharmaceutical companies, the race to create an effective vaccine offers a number of incentives. Winning the race bestows a reputational boost, provides a showcase for the firms bespoke technology and will bring in revenue from the stockpiling of vaccines by health authorities around the world. Though the design of new vaccines is taking place at record speed, clinical trials and regulatory hurdles mean it could take months before a drug is proven safe for humans and authorised for widespread use. By that time, the outbreak could be abating. However, Amesh Adalja, senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, hailed the effort as unprecedented. I think its a very extensive enterprise probably one of the quickest weve seen with any emerging infectious disease outbreak in modern times, he told Al Jazeera. The growing diversity of vaccine programmes and approaches is a sign that the international response to major outbreaks is becoming more coordinated and efficient, he said. There may be room for multiple different vaccines for different purposes and different age groups and different risk groups. The more different approaches and varied approaches we have, and the bigger menu we have of vaccines, the more resilient well be against coronavirus outbreaks in the future. Though vaccines will remain a mid- to long-term solution to addressing global epidemics like the new coronavirus, the new technologies and methods being explored by researchers could eventually pave the way for their usage in the earlier stages of other outbreaks. With this really being the first one of the first outbreaks where youre really seeing different approaches being tried all at once in a proactive manner, we may find an approach that can be used in [the future] that will allow vaccines to have a measurable impact in the shorter-term, Adalja said. In addition to vaccines, researchers are also looking into using antiviral drugs as a treatment. Several clinical trials have already begun on already approved antivirals and steroids to test their effectiveness in treating the new coronavirus. The experimental drug Remdesivir, produced by US biotech firm Gilead to combat Ebola, and the common antimalarial chloroquine have both proven highly effective in laboratory studies, according to scientists at Wuhans virology institute. The drug is set to enter clinical trials in the country, Bloomberg reported. With an effective treatment months, if not years away, authorities stress that public health approaches must remain a priority in containing the spread of the disease and treating those who have become infected. These include basic protective measures, such as the frequent washing of hands, avoiding close contact with infected people, and seeking early medical care in the event of a respiratory infection. The states Cannabis Control Commission is one step closer to being able to review and enforce contracts between marijuana businesses and the towns and cities in which they seek to open up shop. The House passed a bill that would empower the CCC to oversee the contracts, known as host community agreements, after hours of debate Wednesday afternoon. About 121 voted for and 33 voted against the proposal. The major piece that we were trying to do today was to try to get a clarification, said House Speaker Robert DeLeo, a Winthrop Democrat. We heard from some of the folks that there was no clarification as to enforcement or where they could go if they felt they were wrong and some felt that the legislation as is right now wasnt clear enough." Under state law, applicants seeking marijuana business licenses must enter into a host community agreement with a town or city before the Cannabis Control Commission will consider an application. The agreements should not run for more than five years, and municipalities shouldnt impose a fee beyond a maximum of 3% of gross sales to offset the local impacts of a marijuana business. The bill would give the CCC authority to regulate and enforce the agreements, which the agency and applicants have raised concerns about since at least November 2016, when voters approved a ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana. Additionally, the bill proposes to allow a municipality to waive the requirement to have a host community agreement; clarify that the five-year duration of the agreement begins on the day the business starts operations; and specify that no financial obligations are allowed beyond the maximum 3% of gross sales fee. Yet the process has been marred by complaints that towns are demanding higher impact fees than the states law allows and the high-profile indictment of former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia, a Democrat, on charges that he embezzled money from marijuana businesses seeking to do business in the southeastern Massachusetts city. Some have recommended requiring that host community agreements be approved by municipal bodies, such as city councils, rather than mayors. While the bill gives more oversight power to the CCC, its still up to a mayor to approve the contracts. There is obviously an unfortunate situation in Fall River, but it has not been a sweeping dramatic outburst of these sorts of problems, said Rep. David Rogers, a Cambridge Democrat and the Houses chair on the Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy. "Were going to have a continuing dialogue about this issue, but at least at this juncture, we didnt see the need to change the law because of one unfortunate situation. Some critics say the economic empowerment applications have been held up by municipalities who are slow to negotiate community agreements with prospective marijuana businesses. Shops in 2019 reported $420 million in sales, but none of them were part of the CCCs economic empowerment or social equity programs. If we want to give smaller entrepreneurs a chance, this bill is helpful to them, Rogers said on the House floor Wednesday afternoon. 4 At applicant forum, prospective marijuana business owners ask for more communication from CCC The CCC voted in January 2019 to formally request lawmakers to give them oversight power over the agreements. A Suffolk Superior Court decision issued in December ruled that the CCC has no role under state statute to review agreements. A CCC spokesperson said the commission will continue to monitor future developments on the agreements. The Cannabis Control Commission appreciates the steps taken by the Legislature to address concerns raised about host community agreements and to bring some clarity to the Commissions authority," the spokesperson said in a statement. The Boston Globe reported in November that a federal grand jury was looking into the agreements with marijuana businesses. According to the report, Great Barrington, Eastham, Leicester, Newton, Northampton and Uxbridge had received subpoenas from Lellings office seeking details on those agreements. Northampton is home to NETA, one of the first recreational stores to open in Massachusetts. Mayor David Narkewicz said hes unsure if the CCC, if given the authority to review the agreements, would take issue with any host community agreements that have been signed in the city. In addition to the 3% maximum fee, agreements in Northampton also called for businesses to voluntarily contribute no less than $10,000 to a nonprofit for marijuana education and prevention programs. All of the potential applicants that I met with throughout the process all said that they wanted to contribute to Northampton and they wanted to contribute to nonprofits in Northampton and be good citizens, he said. The only real opposition that I had heard throughout the process of developing our zoning was from our public health, particularly our youth health advocates who are concerned about underage use of cannabis so the one thing that we have in there is the requirement that they would make a grant available to a nonprofit thats doing work around responsible use and youth prevention and thats what we have in there. That grant must be applied for and does not go to the city, the mayor said. That will be a question for the cannabis commission to look at I suppose, he said. To date, there hasnt been anyone that has objected to that rather modest clause in our contract but well see. The process of creating host community agreements was challenging for the communities with the first retail stores, Narkewicz said. When Correia was mayor in Fall River, he issued 14 non-opposition letters, which are required for licensure of medical marijuana facilities. According to court documents, Correia told the vendors tied to the alleged scheme that he would only issue five or six non-opposition letters. Then he blocked the city councils efforts to limit the number of marijuana businesses that can open in Fall River. Correia allegedly pocketed about $600,000 from bribes in exchange for non-opposition letters. The non-opposition letters can make or break a companys chance of entering into an agreement with a municipality. But Fall River has a new mayor now. Paul Coogan came out on top in the citys primary election last year and defeated Correia in the general race. Northeast Alternatives is a dispensary in Fall River selling only adult-use recreational marijuana. The dispensarys license was renewed in October, pending a suitability investigation. A second recreational dispensary, Hope Heal Health, opens on Friday. Coogan said he hopes to not only restore a sense of normalcy to the approval process but to see the pot shops become part of the citys business community. Hope Health Health has another 100 people on the payroll. Theyre supposed to grow to 200 by the end of the year. Thats economic development for Fall River, Coogan said. He added: They should be joining the chamber. They should be getting involved in the community so they wont be perceived as outliers. Material from the State House News Service was used in this report. MassLive reporter Jackson Cote contributed to this story. Related Content: By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada and China are both 'furious' over the case of a Huawei executive detained in Canada in 2018 and its aftermath, but there are signs the two sides can hold constructive talks, the Canadian ambassador to Beijing said on Wednesday. Canadian police picked up Huawei Technologies Co Ltd chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. arrest warrant in December 2018, after which China arrested two Canadian citizens on security charges and blocked imports of canola seed. By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada and China are both "furious" over the case of a Huawei executive detained in Canada in 2018 and its aftermath, but there are signs the two sides can hold constructive talks, the Canadian ambassador to Beijing said on Wednesday. Canadian police picked up Huawei Technologies Co Ltd chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. arrest warrant in December 2018, after which China arrested two Canadian citizens on security charges and blocked imports of canola seed. "We're angry, we're very angry because of our people that have been taken. China is very angry as well, furious, we're both furious," Dominic Barton told a special committee of legislators looking into ties with Beijing. Barton was appointed Canada's envoy to China in September 2019. "The first conversation I had there was probably one of the most unpleasant conversations I have ever had ... there wasn't even a basis to have a discussion," he said. The first phase of the legal battle over whether Meng should be extradited to the United States wrapped up last month. China demanded Ottawa release her but the Canadian government says it will not interfere in the judicial process. Barton noted what he called small improvements in relations, such as China's decision last year to lift a ban on imports of Canadian meat products. "There's a momentum - they want to have this sorted and we want to have this sorted ... I see lots of green shoots," he told legislators. Barton also noted progress in talks on lifting the canola seed ban but said there had been no results yet, and praised China's efforts to combat a major coronavirus outbreak. Barton said bilateral ties could not properly be restored until the release of the two detained Canadians, however. China's foreign ministry said in December 2019 that their case had been turned over to prosecutors. "I am unbelievably inspired by their resilience," he said. (Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. More than 2,000 Jefferson Parish students could find themselves in new schools in August in the second year of sweeping changes to the state's largest public school district, according to a plan presented Wednesday night to the Jefferson Parish School Board. Superintendent Cade Brumley's plan would consolidate some underperforming schools with higher-scoring ones, redraw the attendance boundaries of several others, create five new pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade schools, expand behavioral and mental health services, and give incoming ninth-graders the chance to attend a school outside of their attendance zone. It's the second year Brumley has pitched major changes to parish schools. Last year, the board approved a plan to close three elementary schools and create nine new preK-8 schools in their place. At the time, Brumley said studies showed the Jefferson school system lost hundreds of students each year between the fifth and sixth grades, when many students had to move from elementary to middle schools, and that a preK-8 model would stem those departures. On Wednesday, he said the early returns show that plan is working. Last academic year, the district lost 550 students after fifth grade; this year that was down to 386, he said. And the system took in 90 new sixth-grade students who hadn't been in public schools in Jefferson before, he said. The plan unveiled Wednesday will require the board's approval. It plans to vote in March. At least one board member expressed skepticism. Ricky Johnson said he had a lot of questions. "How many teachers and principals are going to lose their jobs?" Johnson said. "We are moving backwards five years." Brumley's plan also seeks to address some problems created by the district's aging facilities, many of which are more than a half-century old. Many of those older facilities are also well under capacity, according to a report produced in 2018 by a consulting firm. That report urged $700 million in building upgrades, something impossible for the school district without a massive influx of new tax revenue. "We wanted to put students in better-performing schools," Brumley said Wednesday of the changes made so far. "We knew we had to live within our means." 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 Brumley's plan would save money through a combination of reduced facility costs and central office job cuts, as well as other budget trims. Some programs, such as adult education, would be shifted to other agencies. Brumley said there would be a reduction of 21 budgeted central office positions through attrition and reassignments. Employees at closed schools will have job opportunities at the new schools, he said. Among the plan's consolidations, the 272 students at Washington Elementary in Kenner would be absorbed into Ralph Bunche Elementary in Metairie. Thibodeaux and Pitre elementaries would be combined at Pitre's Westwego campus, which is in better shape, but with Thibodeaux's name and administration because that school has a better grade, Brumley said. Students from Frederick Douglass Elementary on the west bank would be split between McDonogh 26 Elementary and Johnson Gretna Park Elementary. Jefferson Elementary would be combined with Riverdale Middle at the Riverdale campus, with the combined preK-8 school to be called Jefferson Elementary. In addition to Jefferson Elementary, four other schools Ella Dolhonde Elementary in Metairie, Harahan Elementary, Hazel Park Elementary in River Ridge and Woodland West Elementary in Harvey would be converted from preK-5 schools to preK-8 schools, according to the plan. Some school attendance boundaries would also change. For instance, some students at Clancy-Maggiore Elementary in Kenner would be moved to Tom Benson Elementary, also in Kenner. In Metairie, some J.D. Meisler Middle School and T.H. Harris Middle Schools students would be redistricted to John Quincy Adams Middle School. On the west bank, some John Ehret High School students would shift to Higgins High School. Brumley's plan would also allow ninth-graders the opportunity to choose any high school in the district, with the exception of the Advanced Study Academies and John Ehret and Riverdale, both of which have International Baccalaureate programs. Brumley has proposed opening up 20% of the freshman seats at each high school to students who live outside that school's attendance zone. If more students select a school than there are seats, there would be a lottery, he said. The choice would be open only to ninth-graders, and each student would get only one chance to make the choice. Each student changing a school would be moving to one with a higher grade than the one they left, he said. Brumley's plan would also ensure that there are social workers at each school five days per week, and expand partnerships with outside agencies to provide social services. To help pay for the plan, the district also will seek ways to make the transportation system more efficient. Some of the abandoned campuses would be sold or leased, Brumley said. This adorable puppy is a real-life cyclops - after being born with one eye. The mutant mutt - nicknamed Kevin after the Minions cartoon character - was in a litter of two in Chachoengsao, central Thailand. Two days after its birth on Sunday (February 2), the pooch is now fit and healthy - while being bottle-fed every day. Footage shows the newborn puppy enjoying the company of its mother, Khainui, brother Mah, owner Somjai Phummaman, 45, and his wife Amphan, 49, at their home. The abnormal puppy has only one eye in the middle of its head and a mouth with big lips that resemble those on a monkey. He was moving his head around curiously while wiggling his tail. Owner Somjai, a government worker, said he was getting dressed when he noticed his pet Aspin dog sitting on his bedroom having given birth to two puppies. He put them in a basket to keep warm then noticed the fascinating mutation Somjai said residents who visited the home pointed out the puppy's likeness to the cartoon character from the popular animated film. He said: "We are wishing that the puppy survives, even though it has a deformity. We want to keep him as a pet until he grows up. ''Everybody has been amazed by him and saying that it is a lucky sign. People said that he looks like the yellow cartoon character with one eye, so we can nickname him after that.'' Somjai's daughter, Parn, said all the family were delighted to have a newborn puppy with the physical abnormality. It is still not clear if the puppy's single eye will function properly as it typically takes around two months for a dog's sight to develop fully. She said: "We have taken good care of the puppy so far. He cannot be breastfed the proper way, so we have to hand feed him with the milk bottle." After the news was spread across the village, other neighbours came to Somjai's house to see the lucky puppy, using the day he was born for their lottery numbers. Somjai added there were many friends asking him to give them the pup, but he wants to keep him. He said: "The puppy and mother dog Khainui are both healthy so our family will raise them by ourselves." As the London speciality coffee scene becomes more and more crowded, its hard for one cafe to stand out and rise above all others. Here comes Rosslyn, one of Londons finest coffee shops. In a short time, less than two years since opening, theyve built a loyal community and won the praise of the industrys leading experts. A Sprudgie Awards finalist in 2018, Rosslyn is also one of the best new cafes in the world according to Drift magazine. One of the worlds most decorated chefs, Alain Ducasse (who also delves in speciality coffee with his Paris roastery), is a fan and personally paid them a visit. No, Rosslyn isnt your average coffee shop. Lets start with the location: this isnt a cool warehouse space in East London. Rosslyn is a 40-square-meter wedge-shaped cafe surrounded by food and coffee shop chains in Queen Victoria Street. We are in the heart of the City, one of the centers of Londons financial world. The Bank of England and St. Pauls Cathedral are a few hundred meters away. The City is an old, historic, and crowded neighborhood, home to brokers, insurers, and lawyers; its also quirky, full of character, and a true melting pot of people. While Rosslyn isnt the only speciality coffee shop in the City, it is certainly among the busiest. I recently snuck in during a slight pause in the action and had a chat with James Hennebry, who together with Mat Russell founded Rosslyn in early 2018. The Aussie-Irish duo met while working at Caravan Coffee Roasters in London, but their coffee journeys started on the other side of the world, in Melbourne. Its there, at Five Senses Coffee on Rosslyn Street, that Hennebry says he learnt how to make coffee. Russell grew up not far from there and also started his coffee career in the city, learning the trade of roasting at Reverence Coffee. Coming from different countries, Hennebry and Russell have found the idea of working in London, to contribute to the city and to the local area, something that they really enjoy, says Hennebry. Their experience in Australias hospitality industry and wholesale background also makes them perfectly suited to grow a successful brand and face the challenges of the London market. Rosslyns aesthetic is dominated by minimal wooden furnishings; white and light grey walls and floor-to-ceiling windows; shelves lined with coffee bags, Mork Chocolate, and handmade ceramics. Pinned up on the wall are the pink paper pages of the Financial Times, whose shiny new headquarters are located right up the street. Two doors create a natural flow of customers coming in from the right side, right up to the till, moving to the left side of the counter to collect your order, then going out through the door on the left side. Before youve even placed your coffee order, youre met with a smile and an offer of still or sparkling water. Its not something you take for granted in London and one of the small things that sets Rosslyn apart. The machines, as would be expected, are some of the best in the industry: a La Marzocco KB90, Nuova Simonelli Mythos One grinders, a BUNN batch brewer, and Marco SP9 single brewers. On the coffee front, the menu is split into three categories: black (espresso or long black), white, and batch filter. The bespoke Rosslyn blends are roasted by Origin Coffee in Cornwall and delivered to London in tin cans in an effort to minimize their environmental impact. The milk is supplied every day by The Estate Dairy in reusable buckets and thus saving an estimated 13,000 plastic milk bottles per year. In addition to Rosslyns own coffee, the bar serves a rotating selection of the best single origins from the leading roasters in the world on pour-over. I taste a washed Kenyan with plenty of red berries in the cup from Bocca Coffee of Amsterdam. In past months, Rosslyn showcased a washed Ethiopian by Roasted Brown (Co. Wicklow, Ireland), and a natural processed Kenyan roasted by Proud Mary in Melbourne, and Cat & Cloud coffee from Santa Cruz, California. Hennebry keeps track of all of them in a thick binder, which he proudly shows me while recounting anecdotes about each coffee. Everything at Rosslynfrom the coffee to the cups, from the machines to the baristas and the front of the houseis the best it can be. And they make sure to keep their staff happy too: Rosslyn is proud to pay the London living wage, one of only two certified coffee shops in the city to do so. At the end of the day, theres one thing that matters the most. Whether its a restaurant or a bar or a coffee shop, it needs to be a nice place to be, Hennebry tells me. Some places forget the most important thing: theres no point making great coffee if its not a nice place to be. Hennebry and Russell have worked hard to create a nice and positive environment. We make sure, first and foremost, that we know our customers by name and by order, says Hennebry. If we were to close tomorrow, a piece of peoples day would be missing and thats genuinely something we are really proud of. Giulia Mule is a Sprudge.com contributor based in London. Read more Giulia Mule on Sprudge. (Alliance News) - The following is a round-up of company director and manager changes announced on Thursday and not separately reported by Alliance News: Ceres Power Holdings PLC - Hires former Vodafone Group PLC executive Warren Finegold as an independent non-executive director from March 1. Finegold was an advisor to Vodafone as head of the Technology Team at UBS Investment Bank, Ceres noted, before moving to the telecommunications firm, where he served as group strategy & business development director. Van Elle Holdings PLC - Chair Adrian Barden will step down from the board of the geotechnical engineering firm at the 2020 annual general meeting, or sooner if a replacement is found, having been chair since the company's listing in 2016. Senior Independent Non-Executive Director Robin Williams also will step down, at the end of July. Veteran executive and non-executive director Charles St John has been hired as a new non-executive director from February 24. Land Securities Group PLC - Chris Bartram will retire as non-executive director on March 31, having served on the board for more than a decade. Samuel Heath & Sons PLC - Managing Director David Pick will retire on December 31, replaced by Sales Director Martyn Whieldon, who will be deputy MD effective immediately. Whieldon has been with Samuel Heath since 1995. Future PLC - Hires Meredith Amdur as independent non-executive director from Thursday. Amdur is chief executive officer of Rhetorik, a data supplier to technology vendors. 7digital Group PLC - Hires Helen Gilder as an independent non-executive director, joining the music-as-a-service platform's board immediately. Gilder was chief financial officer of ZOO Digital Group PLC from 2006 to 2018. By Tom Waite; thomaslwaite@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. WASHINGTON - Hours before he cast the lone Republican vote Wednesday to remove President Donald Trump from office on the charge of abusing his power, Sen. Mitt Romney said he fully expected the decision would make him a target of derision for the president and his allies. He didn't have to wait long to be proved right. Soon after he made his announcement, at 2 p.m. during a Senate floor speech, the criticism came rolling in fast and furious as he drew denunciations from senior campaign officials, the president's family members, fellow GOP senators and his own niece. "Mitt should be expelled from the @SenateGOP conference. #expelMitt," Donald Trump Jr., wrote on Twitter before logging onto Instagram to mock Romney for wearing "mom jeans." "Only the President's political opponents - all Democrats, and one failed Republican presidential candidate - voted for the manufactured impeachment articles," said White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who worked for Romney's presidential campaign in 2012. And Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, Romney's niece, offered him no quarter. "This is not the first time I've disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last," she said in statement. "The bottom line is President Trump did nothing wrong, and the Republican Party is more united than ever behind him. I, along with the GOP, stand with President Trump." Whether the thirst for vengeance against Romney is sustained will hinge on Trump, who has long smarted from the Utah Republican's criticism of him and takes pride in hitting back at perceived and real enemies. Party and campaign officials said privately that they hoped Trump wouldn't obsess over the lone defection and move on from impeachment, basking in his acquittal instead of engaging in a days-long tiff with Romney. The president has firm control of the party and could dictate a strategy that is more aggressive, advisers said, if his pique at Romney flares. Trump told advisers in recent weeks that he was more worried about Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, than Romney, according to people who heard his comments. In the end, Collins and Murkowski voted with the president. Trump is scheduled to speak about the Senate vote to acquit him of the two House impeachment charges at the White House on Thursday - an event that will serve as an indication whether he's ready to move on from Romney's vote or try to make him another of example of what happens to Republicans who cross him. Romney said he couldn't let concerns over breaking with his party guide his vote, which he cast as one of conscience and rooted in his religious beliefs. "I am aware that there are people in my party and in my state who will strenuously disapprove of my decision, and in some quarters, I will be vehemently denounced," Romney said on the Senate floor. "I am sure to hear abuse from the president and his supporters. Does anyone seriously believe I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before God demanded it of me?" The senator said he had not slept past 4 a.m. since the Senate impeachment trial began last month, wrestling over how he should vote, and eventually decided to buck the president because he saw the evidence that Trump pressured the leader of Ukraine to investigate his political rivals as overwhelming. Romney told The Washington Post that he asked the White House for more information about actions taken toward Ukraine, particularly concerning acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, but none was provided. He wanted former national security adviser John Bolton to testify, which he said could have potentially raised "reasonable doubt" that the president did anything wrong and lead him to vote to acquit. The Senate rejected subpoenaing Bolton. Republican and campaign officials said among the steps that could be taken to punish Romney are continued attacks on Twitter or through paid advertisements. Trump allies could also help fund an opponent in his state, though he's not up for reelection until 2024, or push operatives or donors not to support or work for him. White House officials could block policy or budget priorities that Romney wants, according to aides who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations. A senior Trump campaign official said the longer the Romney news cycle drags on, the worse it is for the president, because it focuses attention on his impeachment. Advisers were encouraging Trump to not dignify Romney's vote with a response, and there were no immediate plans to campaign against Romney. "Irrelevant relic," Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale wrote on Twitter. "Little punch. Move on. It's over," one senior campaign official said, to describe the strategy. "We were already done with him." Romney's colleagues are highly unlikely to kick him out of the Senate Republican conference, but the president's allies could push for such a move and make life uncomfortable for Romney and his colleagues. While several senators criticized Romney's vote, many were quick to oppose giving him the boot. "I'm glad Mitt is a Republican," said Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he was "surprised and disappointed" with Romney's vote but said the former presidential nominee was largely supportive of the president. "We don't have any doghouses here. The most important vote is the next vote," he said. McDaniel issued the statement quickly to make clear whose side she was on and to get ahead of potential stories that were likely to question her loyalty to the president if she remained silent, a Republican official said. She did not receive a heads-up from her uncle, and the president did not ask her to put out a statement, according to the official. The White House did not receive an advance notice of Romney's decision, though some aides were preparing for the idea that he would go against the president. Neither Trump nor White House staffers lobbied Romney, according to aides. "It wouldn't have helped," said one senior White House aide directly involved in the impeachment process. Still, Trump takes particular pride in Republicans sticking with him, regularly peppering aides with questions about any Republican defections on legislation. During impeachment, he repeatedly told advisers that he wanted a bipartisan acquittal - hoping to get at least one Democrat to vote with him, and for Republicans to stick together. No Democrats voted to acquit the president, leaving Romney as the only senator to break with party. Trump spent much of a weekend in early October attacking Romney on Twitter, but advisers said that was largely designed to telegraph to other Republicans that they should not buck the president. Party officials said they did not give instructions for anyone to call for Romney's expulsion from the party, but one Republican fundraiser said that donors who once supported Romney are now solidly behind Trump. As the Republican Party noted in its missive attacking Romney, the president is more popular than the senator in Utah. "I suspect that donors and operatives are not going to be allowed to play both sides of the field. They are going to have to choose," said Andrew Surabian, a Republican strategist and adviser to Donald Trump Jr. "He is going to be considered a pariah moving forward." Trump has complained that he endorsed Romney in 2012 for president and 2018 for Senate and that Romney has taken every chance he can to hurt him, including an opinion article attacking the president soon after he joined the Senate in early 2019. Trump met with Romney after he won the election in 2016, and advisers said he was considering him for secretary of state - though he was never likely to get the nomination. Aides note that Romney was at the White House twice in November, including for a lengthy meeting on vaping in the Roosevelt Room. During a November Oval Office meeting with political advisers, some suggested attacking Romney but Trump told them to hold off, hoping he would stick with Republicans on impeachment. People close to Romney say he knows where he currently stands in the Republican Party - on an island - but will not be cowed by Trump's attacks. While he agrees with Trump regularly on policy, his advisers said he sees standing up against some of Trump's behavior as a moral imperative. "He's not someone who operates from a center of fear. I don't think it had anything to do with his decision," said Stuart Stevens, a former adviser to Romney and a critic of Trump. "He tried to look at this as if, what would he do if a Democrat was in office? He wanted to be a true juror. He took it very seriously. I think Mitt Romney will sleep very well tonight." Brendan Buck, a longtime adviser to former House speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., said Romney would get attacked repeatedly just as Ryan did when he occasionally criticized the president. "What was remarkable to me was him knowing how bad the politics would be, and being OK with that. You don't see that very often anymore. I am surprised that people are capable of that," Buck said. "As someone who got attacked periodically, it's never a fun time. And I imagine he has a lot of that coming." NCC cadets from institutes run by former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand offered a salute to him and visitors at his ashram were served a special 'prasad' after his release on bail from the district prison. Chinmayanand walked out of the prison on Wednesday, two days after being granted bail in the case in which he is accused of sexually abusing a law student. Chinmayanand's advocate Om Singh said NCC cadets saluted him when he visited Mumukshu Ashram. When contacted, a police official said Chinmayanad should not have been given a salute as he is an accused. He, however, added that this might have happened as he heads the Mumukshu Ashram, which runs various colleges. Amit Singh, a relative of Chinmayanand, said after his release, hundreds of supporters gathered at the ashram, where they were served food prepared as 'prasad' for the occasion. Superintendent of Police (City) Dinesh Tripathi on Thursday said, "For the security of the law student, a guard has been deployed. One gunner each was deployed for her and for her family, and they are still there." The SP said Chinmayanand's gunner was withdrawn after his arrest. "If there is any demand for the gunner, a committee will take a decision, and provide security to Chinmayanad," the SP said. Chinmayanand's advocate Singh alleged that a conspiracy was hatched against the politician. Chinmayanand, 72, was released from the Shahjahanpur district jail on Wednesday after the completion of legal formalities, prison superintendent Rakesh Kumar said. The Allahabad High Court had granted him bail on Monday. But he was not released earlier as the bail papers had not reached the jail. While granting him bail, Justice Rahul Chaturvedi also transferred Chinmayanand's trial from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow, taking note of the victim's apprehension that he could influence proceedings in his hometown. Outside the Shahjahanpur jail, Chinmayanand's supporters waited for him with flowers. He was then driven to his ashram, where he offered prayers before leaving for his home. Chinmayanand, whose trust runs the Shahjahanpur law college where the woman studied, was arrested on September 20 under section 376-C of the IPC, a charge short of rape. It is applied when someone in authority takes advantage of his official position to "induce or seduce" a woman to have sex with him. In a parallel case, the woman was arrested for trying to extort money from Chinmayanand, whom she had accused of rape. She and her three friends had allegedly threatened to release video clips of massages she claimed she was forced to perform on the politician, who was disowned by the ruling BJP after the sexual abuse charges surfaced. The high court granted the woman bail in the extortion case on December 4. Last year, the Supreme Court had stepped in when the 23-year-old student went missing for a few days in August after posting a video clip on social media, alleging sexual abuse. A special investigation team of Uttar Pradesh Police, formed on the directions of the apex court, later arrested Chinmayanand and the student. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New York: As Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted a young aspiring actor in a Beverly Hills hotel in 2013, he said, "This is what all the actresses do to make it," she told the jury at his trial on Wednesday, US time. Within minutes of meeting Lauren Young, who was eager to pitch him on a screenplay about her life, Weinstein used it as a ruse to trap her in his room, Young testified. "I was in shock," she told the panel in New York state court in lower Manhattan. "I'm saying, 'No, no, no,' and he's just carrying on a normal conversation." Young told the jurors he said, "How do I know you can act?" Lauren Marie Young departs a Manhattan courthouse after testifying in the rape trial of Harvey Weinstein. Credit:AP Young, 30, is the latest witness to describe a gruesome encounter with the former Hollywood power broker, who is on trial for rape and predatory sexual assault involving two women. She is the last of three other women whom prosecutors have called to establish a pattern of predation. Weinstein, 67, maintains that the encounters were all consensual and the relationships mutually beneficial. Highlights Realme could launch a new Snapdragon 865-powered 5G phone at MWC. Realme's MWC 2020 event could also see the debut of a smart TV. The Realme MWC event will be organised on February 24. MWC 2020 is a major event in the tech world wherein a big number of smartphone companies participate to show off their new technologies and products. The tech convention also offers a platform for new companies to gain a global identity. The two-year-old smartphone brand Realme has now teased it is attending the MWC 2020 where the launch of a new smartphone is expected. The announcement was made by Realme in a cryptic manner though Realme posted an image on Twitter that asks Where to host realme 1st Global Launch? followed by the geographic coordinates of a location that belong to Barcelona. Realme is making its first appearance at the global tech event where it will likely announce its foray into more markets, probably the European ones. It is not clear what products will be launched at Realme's MWC 2020 event but a strong guess would be the long-rumoured Snapdragon 865-powered phone and the company's first smart television called Realme TV. There has been a mysterious Realme phone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor that has popped up on AnTuTu benchmarking website. The name of the phone and other details are unknown as of now. Another product that could see the light of day is the Realme TV. Realme TV was recently teased by Realme CMO Francis Wang in one of his tweets. He said that something exciting is going to be announced about TV at the MWC 2020. Now, it is not clear whether it will just be an announcement, a showcase of the upcoming TV, or a formal launch of Realme's first television. In fact, the details on the Realme TV are also scarce presently. With the launch of its smart television, Realme will compete with the likes of brands such as OnePlus, Xiaomi, Nokia, and Motorola. Realme could also show off its 5G solutions, in the form of technologies it is currently working on or the Snapdragon 865 phone that is expected. The company launched its first 5G smartphone the Realme X50 5G in January in China. At the MWC, Realme's event will begin at 10 am local time, which translates to 2.30 pm IST on February 24. New Delhi: A new levy of 1 per cent tax deducted at source (TDS) on e-commerce transactions proposed in the Budget 2020-21 could hurt the working capital of small businesses, Amazon India Country Manager Amit Agarwal said on Wednesday. Speaking at an industry event here, Agarwal said that the government should focus on removing friction and bottlenecks in doing business in India. "Just look at the most recent Budget. There is an introduction of tax collection at source. These seem like harmless papercuts but could really impact the working capital of small businesses," Agarwal said. He further advocated a clear focus on skilling, grassroots entrepreneurship, driving equal opportunity through greater women's participation, as well as artificial intelligence (AI)-backed solutions. He exuded confidence that the bold economic reforms of the last few years and India's rising tech clout globally, backed by the success of Aadhaar, UPI and other initiatives, will help the country scale new highs. In her second Union Budget presented on February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sithraman proposed a new levy of 1 per cent TDS on e-commerce transactions. The provision, however, is applicable where the seller's gross amount of sales during the previous year via e-commerce amounts to more than Rs 5 lakh. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 By Ilhama Isabalayeva - Trend: Chinese tourists trips to Azerbaijan have been postponed indefinitely, Member of the Council of Experts of the Association of Travel Agencies of Azerbaijan Kanan Hanifayev told Trend. Hanifayev noted that due to the cancellation of these tours, the reservations of travel agencies for February and March were canceled or postponed. The council member emphasized that this is detrimental to Azerbaijani tourism. Trips of local tourists to China have also been suspended, and the flights have been postponed, said Hanifayev. Our tourists, who have previously planned trips, return tour packages. AZAL and China Airlines return air tickets without penalties. The council member added that the spread of coronavirus had a negative impact on the Chinese tourism market. The number of tourists coming to China has decreased by almost 90 percent, Hanifayev noted. This is directly related to the coronavirus. The epidemic will also have a significant negative effect on the countrys economy. Tourism, logistics and trade spheres will suffer major damage. The council member added that according to forecasts, the process of complete neutralization of coronavirus can be continued until mid-March. We hope that there will be progress in the fight against the virus very soon and tourists will be able to travel safely to any country, said Hanifayev. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. Since then over 560 people have died and over 28,000 people have been confirmed as infected. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. The symptoms include cough, headache, fatigue, fever, aching and difficulty breathing. It is primarily spread through airborne contact or contact with contaminated objects. Chinese health authorities say that the majority of the people who have died were either elderly or had underlying health problems. Aside from Mainland China, the cases of coronavirus spreading have also been confirmed in Japan, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, Germany, the US, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Macau, France, Canada, the UAE, India, Italy, Russia, Philippines, the UK, Nepal, Cambodia, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Sweden and Sri Lanka. A small wallaby has been rescued after it was seen struggling to stay afloat more than six kilometres out to sea in Australia. A member of the public found the female wallaby off the coast of south-east Queensland's Stradbroke Island on January 29 and called emergency services to help get her to safety. When Queensland Water Police arrived, the wallaby was fatigued and swimming in circles 6.2km from the nearest coastline. Acting Sergeant Gene Hill then began the process of getting her out of the water. The small wallaby is rescued from the water / Queensland Police "I think she was so relieved to have somebody bring her out of the water, she didn't resist at all. She was very relieved to be in the boat," he said. "It was a great sense of satisfaction." A police statement read: "Water police officers jumped into action and arrived on scene, observing a very fatigued marsupial swimming in circles. "Officers promptly conducted person overboard drills and a very relieved wallaby was assisted from the water." Officers nicknamed the wallaby 'Dawny' after Australian Olympic swimmer, Dawn Fraser. The wallaby was then wrapped up in a towel to prevent her from losing heat and nursed until they got back to the shore. "I gave her lots of cuddles on the way back to shore and she didn't object in any way, and I think she was happy with the attention. It was a good feeling all around," Mr Hill added. Ryan Shiotani, SVP & General Manager for BBC Studios South & South East Asia, today (6 February) announced that Cheryl Png has been promoted to VP, Distribution, South East Asia and Stanley Fernandes has been promoted to VP, Distribution, South Asia. This will see both Cheryl and Stanley working across Affiliate Sales, Digital Sales, and Content Sales, in a more integrated and geographically-focused approach to our distribution business in these territories. Previously Cheryl headed up the Affiliate Sales business for the South East Asia region, while her counterpart Stanley led Content Sales for South and South East Asia. They will also oversee new revenue opportunities for the distribution business, in a more holistic offering to the client. Ryan Shiotani, SVP & GM for BBC Studios South & South East Asia, said: Im delighted to be able to promote Cheryl and Stanley, who are first-class commercial leaders, with a passion and knowledge for BBC Studios content. This new approach also puts the focus on our valued clients, offering them an integrated content distribution service in the hands of their local experts. In addition, Sweta Sriram has been promoted to Manager, Content and Brands for the South Asia region, working to Stanley. "The primary appeal of Khazaradze is not the man himself, but what he represents."- FP - GeorgianJournal President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, as Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., watch. Patrick Semansky/AP Images President Donald Trump delivered his third annual State of the Union address on Tuesday. His national address came less than two months after the House charged him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress and a day before the Senate was set to end his impeachment trial with an acquittal, something Trump did not mention. The president defended his record and celebrated what he described as his achievements, particularly the state of the economy, in a speech designed to lay out his path to reelection. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump delivered his third annual State of the Union address on Tuesday night, less than two months after the House charged him with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress and a day before the Senate was set to end his impeachment trial with an acquittal. The president, who did not mention impeachment during the speech, defended his record and celebrated what he described as his achievements, particularly the state of the economy. At a meeting with news anchors on Tuesday, Trump said his fourth address to a joint session of Congress would be "low key." The president touted a "great American comeback," three years after decrying "American carnage" in his inauguration speech. "In just three short years, we have shattered the mentality of American decline, and we have rejected the downsizing of America's destiny," Trump said. "We are moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago, and we are never going back!" Trump has been boosted by strong poll numbers in recent days. A Gallup poll released Tuesday showed Trump with the highest approval rating of his presidency amid the Senate impeachment trial. Two Democrats delivered the party's official response following Trump's address. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan focused her speech on the economy, and Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas delivered an address in Spanish highlighting the president's anti-immigrant policies and rhetoric. Story continues "It doesn't matter what the president says about the stock market," Whitmer said in her prepared speech, The New York Times reported. "What matters is that millions of people struggle to get by or don't have enough money at the end of the month after paying for transportation, student loans, or prescription drugs." Follow along below for a recap: Female members of the House and the Senate largely wear white state of the union white MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images Most Democratic women from the House and the Senate wore white to Trump's State of the Union address as a nod to the suffragette movement. Trump snubs Pelosi by denying her a handshake Trump Pelosi AP Photo/Patrick Semansky Pelosi reached out to shake the president's hand, and Trump snubbed her by turning away without a greeting. The House speaker looked somewhat surprised and bemused as he walked away to begin his address. Trump touts the economy President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, as Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., watch. Patrick Semansky/AP Images Trump spent the first several minutes of his speech boasting about the US economy. "In just three short years, we have shattered the mentality of American decline and we have rejected the downsizing of America's destiny," Trump said. "We are moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago, and we are never going back." Trump exaggerates his military investments, claiming 'our military is completely rebuilt' trump military Getty Trump claimed his administration had "completely rebuilt" the military. The statement is an exaggeration the US military still has outdated equipment, as noted by The New York Times. Trump also said his administration had "invested a record-breaking $2.2 trillion in the United States military." The figure is closer to $2.1 trillion, and Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush each spent more on the military between 2007 and 2012 than Trump had. Trump awards the conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom Rush Limbaugh awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor by First Lady Melania Trump Tom Brenner/Reuters Trump invited the conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh, an outspoken supporter of his, as his guest to the address, just a day after Limbaugh announced he had advanced lung cancer. Trump had announced earlier Tuesday that he would award Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The first lady, Melania Trump, bestowed the award on the radio host during Trump's address. Limbaugh is a polarizing figure with a long history of making racist comments, among other controversial statements. Trump celebrates the killings of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Iranian general Qassem Soleimani FILE - This file image released by the Department of Defense on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019, and displayed at a Pentagon briefing, shows an image of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The Islamic State group seemed largely defeated last year, with the loss of its territory, the killing of its founder in a U.S. raid and an unprecedented crackdown on its social media propaganda machine but tensions between the U.S. and Iran in the region provide a comeback opportunity for the extremist group. (Department of Defense via AP, File) Associated Press Trump talked about the recent US assassinations of the Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Iranian Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The president honored Carl and Marsha Mueller, whose daughter Kayla was killed while being held hostage by al-Baghdadi. He also honored Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Hake, who was killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb that Trump said was planted by Soleimani's forces. Trump stages reunion of military family Sgt Townsend Williams (R) waves next to his children after returning from deployment in Afghanistan as his wife Amy (2L) looks on during the State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 4, 2020. MANDEL NGAN /Getty Images Trump invited Amy Williams, whose husband, Sgt. 1st Class Townsend Williams, was deployed to Afghanistan. He surprised Amy Williams by bring her husband home and to the address on Tuesday. "Amy's kids have not seen their father's face in many months," Trump said. "Amy, your family's sacrifice makes it possible for all of our families to live in safety and peace we thank you." Nancy Pelosi rips up a copy of Trump's speech Screen_Shot_2020 02 04_at_7_27_23_PM ABC News At the end of Trump's address, Pelosi ripped up a printed copy of his speech and tossed it aside as the president left the lectern to applause from the chamber. The stunning rebuke from Pelosi came after Trump appeared to snub the House speaker when she attempted to shake his hand before his speech. As she exhibited the chamber on Tuesday, Pelosi told reporters she ripped up the speech because "it was the the courteous thing to do considering the alternatives." Read the original article on Business Insider In Kane County, we incarcerate black and brown men five to nine times more often than we do white men. Most of these cases are drug cases. The fact is drug use is consistent across racial and ethnic lines. The question is why is it our jail is full of black and brown men when drugs are being used across Kane County by everybody? On the day that US President Donald Trump proclaimed a a blue-collar boom in his State of the Union address, the Federal government reported that the number of students experiencing homelessness had hit a record high. More than 1.5 million public school students, from kindergarten to high school, experienced homelessness at some point in time during the 2017-18 school year, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Center for Homeless Education. The number is the highest recorded since the organization began tracking student homelessness. In this Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012 photo, Zach Montgomery and his niece Alexys watch TV in the motel room that is their home in Clermont, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) In his State of the Union address, Trump presented the United States as a paradise for American workers, declaring The years of economic decay are over Gone, too, are the broken promises, jobless recoveries, tired platitudes and constant excuses. Trump has consistently pointed to the booming stock market as proof that the economic situation of workers has never been better. However, the report is just one of many recent social indicators that expose mounting inequality and social distress in the United States. The three richest people in the US have as much wealth as the bottom half of US society. Life expectancy in the country has declined for three years in a row, driven by overdose, suicide, and deaths of despair. On average, wealthier Americans live almost ten more disability-free years, after the age of 50, than the poorest. The report defines homelessness as individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence. This includes students living in hotels or motels, sharing housing with other families, living in homeless shelters, or in inadequate housing such as abandoned warehouses or vehicles. Compared to the 2015-16 school year, the 2017-18 school year showed a 15 percent increase, from 1,307,656 to 1,508,265, in students reported as experiencing homelessness. The number from 2017-18 was more than double the 680,000 students who experienced homelessness in 2004-05, the first year examined by the organization. Sixteen states experienced a growth of more than ten percent in their homeless student population, from 2015-16 to 2017-18. Texas saw the largest increase over the period, with its number of homeless students doubling to more than 231,000. Texas, California, and New York account for more than a third of all homeless students. Overall, fourteen states reported a decrease. Only six, however, reported decreases of more than ten percent. During 2017-18, 74 percent of students experiencing homelessness shared housing with others, due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reasons. Twelve percent of homeless students lived in homeless shelters. Seven percent primarily resided in hotels or motels, and another 7 percent were identified as unsheltered. The report noted a 137 percent increase, over a three-year period, in students (totaling more than 102,000) who reported staying in unsheltered places, such as vehicles or abandoned buildings, while homeless. The number of students who lived in hotels or motels increased by 24 percent, while students who doubled up with other families increased by 13 percent. In contrast, the number of students in shelters declined by 2 percent. Further statistics reveal that the severity of the issue has worsened. More children in primary school and early childhood education are homeless than those in middle and high school. Unaccompanied homeless youth, who are often fleeing neglect or abuse, make up nine percent of the homeless student population. Eighteen percent of homeless students are disabled and 31 states reported that at least 20 percent of their homeless students had an identified disability. Under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, school districts are eligible for federal aid to support homeless students. In 2017-18, 4,387 school districts, just under one quarter of the total in the country, received subgrants under the Act. Funding under the McKinney-Vento Act rose by almost $12 million between 2015 and 2017, with states providing an average $76.50 per pupil. However, per pupil funding hardly changed, due to the larger number of homeless students. The insecurity and lack of stability that homeless students face severely impact their ability to learn and assimilate information, in the most formative period of their lives. During the 2017-18 school year, only 29 percent of students facing homelessness achieved academic proficiency in language arts. Only 24 percent achieved proficiency in mathematics, and just 26 percent in science. Barbara Duffield, executive director of SchoolHouse Connection, a nonprofit based in Washington that supports homeless youth, told the New York Times that the causes behind the rise in student homelessness were complex and depended on where students lived in the United States. The sharp rises in states such as Texas and Florida were driven by natural disasters, including hurricanes and extreme flooding. During the 2017-18 school year, the Gulf Coast was ravaged by storms that destroyed thousands of homes. Duffield also explained that lack of affordable housing, the opioid and methamphetamine addiction crises, and local economic factors, such as factory closings, all influenced the increase in student homelessness. More than 14,000 passengers have undergone screening at the international airport here in nearly three weeks for the novel coronavirus after returning from China and currently four persons are under observation, said a Maharashtra health department official on Thursday. He said of the four persons under observation for suspected coronavirus infection, three are at Nagpur-based Government Medical College and Hospital, while the fourth one has been admitted to civic-run Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai. Swab sample test report of a person admitted at Nagpur came negative on Thursday, while the reports of the other two are expected on Friday, the official said. Until now, a total of 22 people have been discharged from various hospitals after their swab sample reports were found to be negative for the viral infection, he said. No confirmed case of the deadly virus, which has killed 564 people in China till now, has been detected yet in Maharashtra. Since January 18, a total of 14,373 passengers, who returned from coronavirus-hit China, have been screened at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for the infection, said the official. The health department is also surveying for people who have returned from China and until now 129 such people have been found since January 18, he said. Today in regional survey, some new passengers were found at Jalgaon, Nashik and Ahmednagar, who have returned from coronavirus affected areas. District-wise surveillance teams are taking follow-up of them, the official said. A Maharashtra government release said people returning from China are being examined as per directives issued by the Union government. Until now, the government has kept a follow-up of 129 people who have returned from coronavirus-hit areas of China, and 54 of them have completed 14-day quarantine, it said. On Wednesday, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope appealed to citizens not to believe in messages and rumours under circulation on social media about curing the coronavirus infection. 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 novel strain and not seen before. Common symptoms of the novel coronavirus strain include respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the WHO. The WHO has declared the coronavirus epidemic as a global health emergency. The virus - which first emerged in Wuhan city in China's central Hubei province - has spread to 25 countries, including India (three confirmed cases have been reported from Kerala), the US and the UK. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Wildlife centres around Australia are being inundated with native animals rescued from the massive bushfires, with carers warning that the loss of so much habitat will likely delay the creatures' release back to nature. As the threat of fires eases with wetter weather predicted for much of eastern Australia, wildlife care is shifting from the immediate treatment of wounded and scorched animals to securing the food and space necessary to mind them until their habitat recovers. John Moore, a US-based photojournalist from Getty, spent weeks visiting the firegrounds, capturing images of dedicated rescuers - mostly volunteers - helping to save wildlife in distress. These included giant eagles delivered to the care of Higher Ground Raptors in the NSW Southern Highlands. Peggy McDonald, the founder of the raptor centre, said she had "the best job on the planet", adding that many of the big birds had an "extraordinary" ability to work with humans they sensed would help them. GUERNSEY, Sask. - The federal government on Thursday ordered lower speed limits for all trains carrying large amounts of dangerous goods, hours after a fiery derailment in rural Saskatchewan sent thick black smoke into the air. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Smoke billows up from a derailed Canadian Pacific Railway train near Guernsey, Sask., on Thursday, February 6, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Matt Smith GUERNSEY, Sask. - The federal government on Thursday ordered lower speed limits for all trains carrying large amounts of dangerous goods, hours after a fiery derailment in rural Saskatchewan sent thick black smoke into the air. A Canadian Pacific Railway freight train carrying crude oil jumped the tracks about 6:15 a.m. near Guernsey, 115 kilometres southeast of Saskatoon. Thirty-one of 104 cars derailed and a dozen caught fire, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency said. It also said there were no injuries. "It looks like the back third of the train (derailed) and ... (there's)heavy, heavy smoke," said Blaine Weber, who lives in nearby Lanigan. "There's probably at least 15, 20 cars ... all stacked up on the crossing that comes off the Yellowhead Highway." A pillar of dark smoke continued to billow from the flaming wreckage well after daybreak. Jack Gibney, reeve of the Rural Municipality of Usborne, which includes Guernsey, said about 85 residents were evacuated from homes in the agricultural community. The hamlet is surrounded by farmland and is near a potash mine operated by Nutrien. Tom Lukiwski, the member of Parliament for the area, said he was shocked to learn the derailment was the second to happen on the same stretch of rail within two months. About 19 cars on another CP train ran off the tracks Dec. 9 about 10 kilometres to the west, causing a major blaze and leaking 1.5 million litres of oil. "To have two major derailments that are incredibly serious is something that is almost incomprehensible," Lukiwski said. "I am not a big believer in coincidence, and this seems to be that it's more than just coincidence." Transport Minister Marc Garneau said the ministerial order requires trains carrying 20 or more cars of dangerous goods to travel at lower speeds while the crash is investigated. "That speed reduction will require them to go at no more than 25 miles (40 kilometres) per hour across the country except ... 20 miles (32 kilometres) per hour in built-up metropolitan areas," Garneau said in Ottawa. Those speed limits are half as fast as limits currently listed on Transport Canada's website. "This will be put into effect for the next 30 days. We could shorten that we're looking for the causes to see if there is a common pattern or we could lengthen it depending on how things are progressing," he said. "I realize there will be an effect on the economy of the country because our trains move important goods ... but it is very, very important that we not sacrifice safety." Transportation Safety Board investigators were heading to the site. CP Rail said it supports the new speed limits. "Until we better understand the facts relating to todays incident, it is prudent to operate with an abundance of caution," CP president Keith Creel said in a written statement. The company also promised to clean up the area and to help evacuees. Patty Prentice was driving to work just after the derailment and, in the pre-dawn darkness, initially thought she was coming across a small fire. "The flames just got bigger and bigger and I could feel the heat when I drove by," Prentice said. She said she called relatives who also live in the area and heard they were told to get out. "They knocked on doors, told them ... to meet at the community centre if they wanted to know more information." The section of the Yellowhead Highway, a major route through Western Canada, was closed in both directions. RCMP allowed through a couple of semi-trailers and front-end loaders, which were being used to put out the flames. Weber said he wants answers on why there have been two recent derailments in the area. "I'm really, really concerned about the seeming lack of accountability." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2020 By Kelly Geraldine Malone and Steve Lambert in Winnipeg A bipartisan group of six Senators have urged the Trump administration to work with the Indian government to reduce its import tariff on US from 7.5 percent to 5.5 percent. In a letter to US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, the Senators said that thousands of US jobs rely on the industry and keeping tariffs low will help US workers and economy nationwide. The letter, dated February 3, was signed by Senators Mike Enzi, John Barrasso, Richard Blumenthal, David Perdue, Jeff Merkley, and Ron Wyden. In October 2019, producers in India recommended doubling the tariff on soda ash imports from 7.5 percent to 15 percent as part of the government's 'Make in India' policies. "It is vital to fair trade that the GOI reject this blatant protectionism," the senators wrote. "A tariff reduction would principally benefit US exporters rather than other exporters such as those from China who produce more costly and environmentally-damaging synthetic soda ash. India's history of restricting US soda ash should no longer be tolerated," they said. The senators said natural US soda ash which is a key component in glass, detergents and paper is the most competitive and environmentally-friendly soda ash in the world. About 58 percent of US soda ash production is exported. According to the senators, because of the global rise in environmentally conscious policies and the thousands of US jobs dependent on soda ash, the US has prudent interests in keeping tariffs low with India and other nations. A report that suggested Wuhan coronavirus could spread before the onset of symptoms was flawed, according to public health experts. Chinese officials had previously said that patients can be infectious even if they are not presenting symptoms. An early study on asymptomatic transmission of the virus published last week in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine and appeared to confirm Chinese health officials' assessment. But public health officials now say the report may be flawed. Interviews with the Chinese patient at the center of the case revealed she may have actually had mild, nonspecific symptoms. There have been more than 20,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in China, with a death toll of 425. The disease has spread internationally, infecting 170 people in more than 20 countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Patient not initially interviewed The original report said a Shanghai resident came to Germany on a business trip and did not exhibit symptoms of illness while she interacted with several German colleagues. On her return flight to China, she became ill and later tested positive for the novel coronavirus. After her visit, four individuals at the company -- two of whom had direct interactions with their Chinese colleague -- tested positive for the virus. In an email to CNN on Tuesday, German public health officials said the report was incorrect. "In contrast to first reports according to which the index case (a Chinese traveling in Germany) seemed to have been asymptomatic during the time of likely transmission here, recent interviews by the Bavarian health authorities and the Robert Koch Institute in Chinese language revealed that she might have had mild unspecific symptoms including back pain and also took antipyretic medication." One of the paper's authors previously told CNN they relied on interviews with the German patients. "This was likely an error of being inadequately careful by the authors, an error that is understandable in a crisis situation, but is still problematic," said Marc Lipsitch, a professor of epidemiology and director of the Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Lipsitch was not involved with the NEJM study. "Data has circulated that the new coronavirus would be infected throughout the incubation period," The Public Health Agency of Sweden posted on its website. "This information has not been presented in a way that provides scientifically substantiated facts. Rather, it has emerged that the data is unfortunately based on misconceptions. We believe that it is impossible for the new corona virus to infect throughout the incubation period ... This applies, among other things, to an article in the New England Journal of Medicine that has subsequently proven to contain major flaws and errors." Research already cited Before German public health officials addressed the report's flaw, US health officials and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website had cited the research. "It was not clear whether an asymptomatic person could transmit it to someone while they were asymptomatic. Now we know from a recent report from Germany that that is absolutely the case," Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said during a news conference of the President's Coronavirus Task Force on Friday. CNN reached out to the New England Journal of Medicine. Representatives from the medical journal said it is working on a response, "but we're not yet in a position to make a statement." CNN also reached out to Fauci and the CDC and has not yet received a response. The World Health Organization said in a weekend report that "the main driver of transmission ... is symptomatic cases." The organization said it's "aware of possible transmission" from asymptomatic individuals in a few instances but said that this may be rare and not a major player in the spread of the virus. Since the 1991 implosion of the Soviet Union, the Russian Federations relations with its immediate Black Sea neighborsthe former Soviet republics of Georgia and Ukrainehave veered from frigid to open conflict. Russia engaged in a brief war in 2008 with Georgia; then, six years later, it forcibly absorbed Ukraines Crimea and sparked a separatist war in Donbas. Now, the latest flashpoint between the trio has been over the Sea of Azov and the northeastern Black Sea. On January 18, 2020, Ukraine and Georgia filed a complaint with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) over Russias unilateral and unlawful actions obstructing search-and-rescue operations in the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Kerch Strait, which connects the two larger bodies of water (RIA Novosti, January 18). The same day the complaint was filed, the first deputy head of the Russian Federation Councils (upper chamber of parliament) international committee, Federal Security Service (FSB) General Vladimir Dzhabarov, labeled it a provocation (RIA Novosti, January 18). The incident is the latest in a series of maritime disputes between Russia and Ukraine over the legal status of the Black and Azov seas (see EDM, January 23). Since the beginning of the year, the diplomatic stalemate has resulted in increased saber rattling by both Ukraine and Russia. On January 4, Black Sea Fleet service members in Russias Crimean and Novorossiysk naval bases held an exercise aimed at countering underwater saboteurs (New-sebastopol.com, January 4). Five days later, ships from Russias Black Sea and Northern fleets held a joint exercise off the Crimean coast. President Vladimir Putin observed the deployment from aboard the Northern Fleets Marshal Ustinov guided-missile cruiser, which had been earlier dispatched to the eastern Mediterranean to assist Syria before transiting the Turkish-controlled Dardanelles and Bosporus (often jointly referred to as the Turkish Straits). Fifty ships, a submarine and more than 40 aircraft participated in the exercise, which featured Kalibr cruise missile launches and test-firing the hypersonic air-launched Kinzhal missile (New-sebastopol.com, January 9). On January 18, the same day Kyiv and Tbilisi filed their IMO complaint, Ukraines Joint Forces Operation (JFO) headquarters was forced to deny Ukrainian media reports that it had been mining an area along the countrys Azov coast. Posting on its Facebook page, the JFO headquarters noted, Some Ukrainian media reported on the start of the active phase of the installation of minefields along a probable landing area on the coast of the Sea of Azov. Measures of combat training for the boat-and-cutter unit of the Triton tactical group are of only educational and training nature and do not involve any actions involving the actual mining of a Sea of Azov area (Ukrainskaya Pravda, January 18). To address their regional insecurities, Ukraine and Georgia can theoretically seek Partnership for Peace (PfP) program support from the three North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members located along the Black Sea basin: Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania. However, any maritime assistance from nonBlack Sea NATO members is severely constrained by the 1936 Montreux Convention, which heavily limits the type, tonnage and duration of extra-regional maritime forces that can be introduced to the Black Sea via the Turkish Straits (Treaties.un.org, July 20, 1936, accessed February 1, 2020). In the future, Russias maritime Black Sea dominance is likely to increase given the Ministry of Defenses projected acquisition plans. In 2019, the Ministry signed nearly 50 contracts with Russian defense companies for a record-high total of more than one trillion rubles (over $16 billion) (RIA Novosti, January 2, 2020). This amount includes planned purchases of two Russian vessels similar to the French-built Mistral-class helicopter-carrying amphibious assault ships, reportedly to be laid down in Kerch in 2020. The Russian navys long-running interest in amphibious assault ships underlay its annulled purchase of two French-built Mistrals initiated in 2009, which, had it been successful, would have represented Russias largest acquisition of foreign warships since the World War II Lend-Lease program. That the acquisition would have radically changed the maritime balance in the Black Sea was underlined by the then-head of the Russian navy, Admiral Vladimir Vysotsky. In referring to Russias brief conflict with Georgia in August 2008, he stated that possession of a ship like that [the Mistral] would have allowed the Black Sea Fleet to accomplish its missions in 40 minutes, not 26 hours, which was how long it took us (Apsny.ge, September 15, 2009). The laying down of the two keels in Kerch is proof that the Russian navys interest in such ships continues. Russian-Ukrainian maritime disputes involving the Black and Azov seas seem likely to remain stalemated for the foreseeable future, if for no other reason than that the maritime forces of Ukraine and Georgia remain modest compared to those of Russias Black Sea Fleet. Moreover, Russia can quickly reinforce the Black Sea Fleet by bringing in Caspian Flotilla warships via its internal VolgaDon Canal, as well as introduce further naval units from its Baltic, Northern and Pacific fleets into the Black Sea basin under its Montreux Convention privileges. Despite the diplomatic objections Kyiv and Tbilisi have raised over Moscows unilateral maritime actions in this region, the absence of a united transatlantic front may enable this to become another case of might makes right. Read the original article here. Sorry, we can't find the content you're looking for at this URL. WASHINGTON Attorney General William P. Barr said Thursday that Chinas dominance of 5G telecommunications networks was one of Americas top national security and economic threats, amplifying warnings issued for years by intelligence officials but that President Trump has sometimes undermined. Mr. Barr said that allowing China to establish dominance was not only a monumental danger as Beijing could use the technology for monitoring and surveillance, but also that the stakes are far higher than that. Our economic future is at stake, Mr. Barr said in a speech delivered during a conference in Washington on threats that China poses to the United States. The risk of losing the 5G struggle with China should vastly outweigh other considerations. Mr. Barr noted that two Chinese telecom giants, Huawei and ZTE, account for about 40 percent of the global 5G infrastructure market, which is expected to serve as the backbone for trillions of dollars worth of economic and industrial activity in an increasingly digital global economy. 5G networks promise substantially faster network speeds and prospects for new commercial applications in multiple industries like transportation and health care. Canada has again urged Tehran to send the black boxes from the airliner Iranian forces shot down to France, where the data can be analyzed. Canadian Foreign Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne on February 5 said he called for a "thorough, credible, and transparent investigation" in a call with Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif. After initially denying it had anything to do with the January 8 crash of the airliner, Iran finally admitted responsibility for mistakenly shooting down the Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737, killing all 176 people on board. Canada has said that 57 of the victims were Canadian citizens and 29 were permanent residents returning to the country. On February 4, Iran's Civil Aviation Organization said it would continue to work with other countries investigating the downing of the passenger plane, but it has not released the black boxes. Champagne said the preferred option for analyzing the black-box data was "for Iran to make use of the facilities offered by France with the technical capacity to do this work." The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has said the black boxes were damaged and that France was one of the few countries able to analyze the data. Champagne said he also raised the matter of compensation for families of the 57 Canadians who were killed in the tragedy. Based on reporting by Reuters and dpa Dublin, Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "World - Pepper - Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global pepper market revenue in 2018 is estimated at $4.1B, a decrease of -1.7% y-o-y. This figure reflects the total revenues of producers and importers (excluding logistics costs, retail marketing costs, and retailers' margins, which will be included in the final consumer price). In general, pepper consumption continues to indicate a strong expansion. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2011 when the market value increased by 26% against the previous year. The global pepper consumption peaked at $4.2B in 2017, and then declined slightly in the following year. Consumption By Country The countries with the highest volumes of pepper consumption in 2018 were Viet Nam (166K tonnes), India (86K tonnes) and the U.S. (68K tonnes), with a combined 41% share of global consumption. These countries were followed by Bulgaria, Indonesia, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Germany, the United Arab Emirates and the UK, which together accounted for a further 33%. In value terms, Viet Nam ($904M), India ($506M) and the U.S. ($374M) constituted the countries with the highest levels of market value in 2018, with a combined 43% share of the global market. These countries were followed by Indonesia, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Bulgaria, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, Germany and the UK, which together accounted for a further 33%. The countries with the highest levels of pepper per capita consumption in 2018 were Bulgaria (7,641 kg per 1000 persons), Singapore (5,288 kg per 1000 persons) and Viet Nam (1,724 kg per 1000 persons). Market Forecast 2019-2025 Driven by increasing demand for pepper worldwide, the market is expected to continue an upward consumption trend over the next seven-year period. Market performance is forecast to decelerate, expanding with an anticipated CAGR of +1.2% for the seven-year period from 2018 to 2025, which is projected to bring the market volume to 840K tonnes by the end of 2025. Production 2007-2018 In 2018, the amount of pepper produced worldwide stood at 752K tonnes, jumping by 5.1% against the previous year. In general, the total output indicated a conspicuous expansion from 2007 to 2018: its volume increased at an average annual rate of +3.2% over the last eleven years. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period. Based on 2018 figures, pepper production increased by +55.4% against 2012 indices. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2016 with an increase of 11% against the previous year. Over the period under review, global pepper production reached its maximum volume in 2018 and is likely to continue its growth in the immediate term. The general positive trend in terms of pepper output was largely conditioned by a tangible increase of the harvested area and a resilient expansion in yield figures. In value terms, pepper production totaled $3.8B in 2018 estimated in export prices. Over the period under review, pepper production continues to indicate a remarkable increase. The pace of growth appeared the most rapid in 2011 when production volume increased by 47% against the previous year. The global pepper production peaked at $4.6B in 2016; however, from 2017 to 2018, production remained at a lower figure. Production By Country The country with the largest volume of pepper production was Viet Nam (273K tonnes), comprising approx. 36% of total production. Moreover, pepper production in Viet Nam exceeded the figures recorded by the world's second-largest producer, Indonesia (88K tonnes), threefold. The third position in this ranking was occupied by Brazil (80K tonnes), with an 11% share. In Viet Nam, pepper production expanded at an average annual rate of +8.1% over the period from 2007-2018. In other countries, the average annual rates were as follows: Indonesia (+0.8% per year) and Brazil (+0.2% per year). Harvested Area 2007-2018 In 2018, approx. 570K ha of pepper were harvested worldwide; stabilizing at the previous year. Overall, the pepper harvested area, however, continues to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2009 when harvested area increased by 8% against the previous year. The global pepper harvested area peaked at 622K ha in 2007; however, from 2008 to 2018, harvested area failed to regain its momentum. Yield 2007-2018 Global average pepper yield amounted to 1.3 tonne per ha in 2018, surging by 4.8% against the previous year. In general, the yield indicated prominent growth from 2007 to 2018: its figure increased at an average annual rate of +4.0% over the last eleven-year period. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period. Based on 2018 figures, pepper yield increased by +53.3% against 2012 indices. The pace of growth appeared the most rapid in 2013 with an increase of 22% y-o-y. Over the period under review, the average pepper yield attained its maximum level in 2018 and is likely to continue its growth in the immediate term. Exports 2007-2018 Global exports totaled 392K tonnes in 2018, picking up by 6.5% against the previous year. The total export volume increased at an average annual rate of +2.1% from 2007 to 2018; the trend pattern remained relatively stable, with somewhat noticeable fluctuations being recorded in certain years. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2015 with an increase of 7.9% y-o-y. Over the period under review, global pepper exports attained their maximum at 398K tonnes in 2016; however, from 2017 to 2018, exports stood at a somewhat lower figure. In value terms, pepper exports stood at $2B in 2018. Over the period under review, pepper exports continue to indicate strong growth. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2011 with an increase of 43% against the previous year. Over the period under review, global pepper exports reached their peak figure at $3.4B in 2015; however, from 2016 to 2018, exports failed to regain their momentum. Exports by Country Viet Nam represented the largest exporter of pepper in the world, with the volume of exports finishing at 142K tonnes, which was approx. 36% of total exports in 2018. It was distantly followed by Brazil (73K tonnes) and Indonesia (36K tonnes), together achieving a 28% share of total exports. India (17K tonnes), Germany (16K tonnes), Sri Lanka (15K tonnes), Malaysia (12K tonnes), Mexico (8.4K tonnes), the Netherlands (7.5K tonnes), France (6.8K tonnes) and the U.S. (6.8K tonnes) took a minor share of total exports. From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of exports, amongst the main exporting countries, was attained by France, while the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth. In value terms, Viet Nam ($743M) remains the largest pepper supplier worldwide, comprising 36% of global exports. The second position in the ranking was occupied by Brazil ($243M), with a 12% share of global exports. It was followed by Indonesia, with a 9.9% share. In Viet Nam, pepper exports increased at an average annual rate of +9.6% over the period from 2007-2018. In the other countries, the average annual rates were as follows: Brazil (+7.3% per year) and Indonesia (+2.9% per year). Export Prices by Country In 2018, the average pepper export price amounted to $5,214 per tonne, going down by -14.2% against the previous year. Over the period under review, the pepper export price, however, continues to indicate remarkable growth. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2011 an increase of 51% y-o-y. The global export price peaked at $8,660 per tonne in 2015; however, from 2016 to 2018, export prices remained at a lower figure. Prices varied noticeably by the country of origin; the country with the highest price was the Netherlands ($8,605 per tonne), while Mexico ($2,602 per tonne) was amongst the lowest. From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by India, while the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth. Imports 2007-2018 Global imports totaled 414K tonnes in 2018, picking up by 8.6% against the previous year. The total import volume increased at an average annual rate of +2.9% over the period from 2007 to 2018; the trend pattern remained relatively stable, with somewhat noticeable fluctuations being observed in certain years. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2013 when imports increased by 9.8% y-o-y. Over the period under review, global pepper imports attained their maximum in 2018 and are likely to see steady growth in the near future. In value terms, pepper imports amounted to $2.1B in 2018. Overall, pepper imports continue to indicate a strong expansion. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2011 when imports increased by 41% year-to-year. The global imports peaked at $3.3B in 2015; however, from 2016 to 2018, imports stood at a somewhat lower figure. Imports by Country In 2018, the U.S. (75K tonnes), distantly followed by Viet Nam (35K tonnes), Germany (32K tonnes) and India (31K tonnes) were the major importers of pepper, together creating 42% of total imports. The following importers - the United Arab Emirates (16K tonnes), the UK (13K tonnes), France (11K tonnes), the Netherlands (11K tonnes), Spain (10K tonnes), Japan (9.5K tonnes), Pakistan (8.2K tonnes) and Russia (8K tonnes) - together made up 21% of total imports. Imports into the U.S. increased at an average annual rate of +1.5% from 2007 to 2018. At the same time, Viet Nam (+21.5%), India (+8.8%), the UK (+5.4%), the United Arab Emirates (+3.9%), Spain (+2.9%), Russia (+2.6%) and France (+2.0%) displayed positive paces of growth. Moreover, Viet Nam emerged as the fastest-growing importer in the world, with a CAGR of +21.5% from 2007-2018. Pakistan, Japan and Germany experienced a relatively flat trend pattern. By contrast, the Netherlands (-2.7%) illustrated a downward trend over the same period. From 2007 to 2018, the share of Viet Nam, India and the U.S. increased by +7.5%, +4.5% and +2.7% percentage points, while the shares of the other countries remained relatively stable throughout the analyzed period. In value terms, the U.S. ($391M) constitutes the largest market for imported pepper worldwide, comprising 18% of global imports. The second position in the ranking was occupied by Germany ($188M), with a 8.9% share of global imports. It was followed by India, with a 7.8% share. In the U.S., pepper imports increased at an average annual rate of +5.5% over the period from 2007-2018. In the other countries, the average annual rates were as follows: Germany (+4.8% per year) and India (+14.1% per year). Import Prices by Country In 2018, the average pepper import price amounted to $5,122 per tonne, shrinking by -18.3% against the previous year. In general, the pepper import price, however, continues to indicate noticeable growth. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2011 an increase of 45% against the previous year. Over the period under review, the average import prices for pepper attained their peak figure at $8,550 per tonne in 2015; however, from 2016 to 2018, import prices remained at a lower figure. Prices varied noticeably by the country of destination; the country with the highest price was the United Arab Emirates ($8,027 per tonne), while Viet Nam ($2,485 per tonne) was amongst the lowest. From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by the United Arab Emirates, while the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth. Data Coverage Story continues Market volume and value Per Capita consumption Forecast of the market dynamics in the medium term Production in World, split by region and country Trade (exports and imports) in World Export and import prices Market trends, drivers and restraints Key market players and their profiles For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/1tjkjz Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Many in-home drinking water filters may not remove the most concerning contaminants. In antiquity, crazy as a painter was a phrase borne from the demented behavior of lead-poisoned painters. Before the use of mercury was banned in the 1940s, hat makers used it in their craft, leaving many mileners "mad as a hatter." Women used to use arsenic for their complexion; and we used to impregnate children's wallpaper with DDT. Doesn't that all sound nuts? Like, what were we thinking? The answer is that we didn't know any better. Unfortunately, we are still at this kind of toxic tomfoolery and even worse, we know what we're doing now, and we're doing it anyway. What Are PFAS? Which brings us to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly known as PFAS. Used in a wide array of commercial applications since the 1950s think firefighting foam, non-stick pans, and water-repellents the family of chemicals has come under scrutiny because they accumulate in organisms (like humans) and remain in the environment indefinitely. You may have heard them referred to as "forever chemicals." They are widespread and exposure to them is associated with various cancers, low birth weight in babies, thyroid disease, impaired immune function, and many other health problems. And they are especially present in drinking water. "The chemicals have been detected in the drinking water of more than six million Americans at a level exceeding the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) 2016 lifetime drinking water health advisories level of 70 parts per trillion (ppt) a level seven to ten times greater than the safe level of exposure estimated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2018," notes the NYU School of Law. How Effective Are Water Filters at Removing PFAS? Since the current administration doesn't seem all that concerned about clean water (read more about that at the NYU link above), it's up to us to protect ourselves. So we go out and get our filters, imagining that all that toxic gunk will be removed from our water, but alas. As a new study from Duke University concludes. "The water filter on your refrigerator door, the pitcher-style filter you keep inside the fridge and the whole-house filtration system you installed last year may function differently and have vastly different price tags, but they have one thing in common," writes the University. "They may not remove all of the drinking water contaminants you're most concerned about." The study is the first to look at how well residential filters do in removing PFAS. "We tested 76 point-of-use filters and 13 point-of-entry or whole-house systems and found their effectiveness varied widely," said Heather Stapleton of Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment. The authors conclude that any filter is better than none, but many filters are only partially effective at removing PFAS from drinking water. And some, if not properly maintained, can make it even worse. Which Water Filters Are Best? The winner of the bunch were under-sink reverse osmosis and two-stage filters. Stapleton said: All of the under-sink reverse osmosis and two-stage filters achieved near-complete removal of the PFAS chemicals we were testing for. In contrast, the effectiveness of activated-carbon filters used in many pitcher, countertop, refrigerator and faucet-mounted styles was inconsistent and unpredictable. The whole-house systems were also widely variable and in some cases actually increased PFAS levels in the water. The reverse osmosis filters and two-stage filters they tested reduced PFAS levels by 94 percent or more in water. Activated-carbon filters removed 73 percent of PFAS contaminants, on average, but results were quite mixed. "In some cases, the chemicals were completely removed; in other cases they were not reduced at all." Whole-house systems using activated carbon filters also presented very mixed results. "In four of the six systems tested, PFSA and PFCA levels actually increased after filtration. Because the systems remove disinfectants used in city water treatment, they can also leave home pipes susceptible to bacterial growth," notes Duke. So, reverse osmosis filters and two-stage filters for the win. But even so, the real win would be controlling PFAS contaminants at their source in the first place. But humans are a species filled with folly we may not have crazy painters and mad hatters anymore, but watch out for that tap water. WORCESTER, Mass., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- John C. Roche, president and chief executive officer, and Jeffrey M. Farber, executive vice president and chief financial officer, at The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE: THG), are scheduled to present at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2020 Insurance Conference beginning at 1:45 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 13, 2020. The discussion will be broadcast live through the company's website at www.hanover.com. A replay of the event will be available on The Hanover's website for 90 days, starting approximately one hour after the conclusion of the presentation. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements made during this discussion may constitute forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by these forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including those discussed in the Company's annual report and other documents on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the earnings press release dated February 4, 2020, which are also available at www.hanover.com under "Investors." About The Hanover The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. is the holding company for several property and casualty insurance companies, which together constitute one of the largest insurance businesses in the United States. The company provides exceptional insurance solutions through a select group of independent agents and brokers. Together with its agents, The Hanover offers standard and specialized insurance protection for small and mid-sized businesses, as well as for homes, automobiles, and other personal items. For more information, please visit hanover.com. SOURCE The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. Related Links https://www.hanover.com WhatsApps desktop client reportedly featured a bug that allowed hackers to access files by inserting a JavaScript message. The Facebook-owned messaging app has now patched the vulnerability on Windows and macOS. The security flaw was detected in WhatsApps desktop client from version 0.3.9309 and WhatsApp for iOS version 2.20.10 by security researcher Gal Weizman. He stated that the bug existed in WhatsApps Content Security Policy that had allowed attackers to carry out XSS attacks. For the uninitiated, an XSS attack - aka Cross-site Scripting - means that an attacker can send a misleading file with a malicious JavaScript link. When the victim clicks on the link, an HTTP request is generated from their browser, which is sent to the vulnerable web application. Weizman demonstrated the flaw in his blog post, where he also stated that the scope of the flaw was wider on WhatsApps desktop application over the web client. He also uploaded screenshots that showed the data retrieved from the victims computer by remotely using the WhatsApp desktop application. WhatsApp patched the high classified bug last year after Weizman's intimation. "A vulnerability in WhatsApp Desktop versions prior to 0.3.9309 when paired with WhatsApp for iPhone versions prior to 2.20.10 allows cross-site scripting and local file reading. Exploiting the vulnerability requires the victim to click a link preview from a specially crafted text message, read the description of the flaw provided by the US National Vulnerability Data. A US technology firm has said "it's not a matter of if, but when" it expands into the pizza market in the UK as it opened a new office in Belfast creating 20 jobs. New York-based Slice lets customers order from independent pizzerias across America on its website and mobile apps. The firm said its new office, located in McAuley House on Castle Street, provides it with space to accommodate the expected expansion of Slice's presence in the city. Slice's founder and chief executive Ilir Sela explained the company is "focused on the US market for this year". "The pizza industry globally is worth $155bn and $46bn of that is America," he said. "That's the only market we operate in and we have a national presence there. I am looking forward to expanding internationally at some point. It's not a matter of if, but when." The business was founded in 2010 by Mr Sela and to date it has driven over $600m in earnings for more than 12,000 independent pizzerias in the United States. In 2018 the company committed to creating 50 jobs when it established a new software engineering centre in Belfast after receiving 400,000 in support from Invest NI. Slice has since recruited 35 people and is in the process of filling the remaining 15 roles. Its headcount in Belfast will be brought up to 70 through the additional 20 new posts. We're passionate about authenticity, not only with pizza but also with our team and we're pleased that we've found that in Belfast Slice founder and chief executive Ilir Sela Those 20 jobs will include roles within engineering, product development, design, finance, marketing and analytics. Explaining in more detail what Slice does, Mr Sela said: "The way to think about Slice is the way you think about Domino's. "Domino's has 5,900 locations in the US but the app is where a lot of the transactions are made on the consumer side. On the business side Domino's has invested millions of dollars in terms of their infrastructure, technology, point-of-sale. "So they are a market leader when it comes to an end-to-end platform. Slice is in essence building a massive pizza chain where part of our product is a marketplace where consumers can interact and order from our partner restaurants. "It is vastly different from something like Just Eat, which is more of an aggregator that simply uses small businesses to deliver food to consumers." In total Slice employ about 670 people across five offices - three in Macedonia, one in Belfast and a headquarters in New York. Its New York office has around 120 staff working mainly in product engineering and leadership, while Macedonia is mostly operations and has around 550 staff. Belfast is mainly focused on product development. "We're passionate about authenticity, not only with pizza but also with our team and we're pleased that we've found that in Belfast," added Mr Sela. "Community is critical to the way that we build our business, which is why we want to expand the number and variety of roles available in Belfast. Growing the Belfast office is a pivotal point in Slice's story and our vision is that story will continue to unfold. "Slice is about championing local, independent pizza restaurants in a way that supports the long-term growth of their business. In the same way, we want to invest in Belfast in a way that contributes to the overall growth of this vibrant city." Jason Ordway, chief technical officer at Slice, said like many other US investors the firm was initially attracted to Belfast for the strong engineering talent. "However, since setting up in Belfast we have discovered that strong talent pool extends beyond engineering to many of the other skills we need," he said. "There is a financial benefit, but for me the talent, plus the financial benefit, plus the five-hour difference between New York and UK are the easy ones. "Communication with English speaking people is another benefit and there's a key connection between UK and US as everyone loves pizza. The talent has been unbelievable. "There are known quantities from three different universities with great kids who are coming out with great undergrad degrees and, last but not least, the tech scene in Belfast is enormous. "It went from a small handful of start-ups to everything under the sun form security to mobile. It's crazy here, in a good way. We're excited for what lies ahead for Slice in Belfast." Mr Ordway also stressed Slice would certainly move abroad but "the timing is to be decided". "There are a lot of pizza eaters worldwide so I would surprised if we don't," he added. The Health Ministry has allayed public concerns over the novel coronavirus epidemic, saying there's no need to panic and stockpile food. Vietnam has taken tight control measures and is confident of fighting the novel coronavirus (nCoV), and people should not worry too much or stock up food, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said at a press conference Wednesday. He said the public should stay calm and follow all the guidelines on healthcare and personal hygiene from the ministry and should not be confused by rumors and unverified information. "There has been information calling for people to store food and even gold but its all baseless. "We have implemented preventive methods that are much stronger than those applied to fight SARS back in 2003, and we're going to do our best to control the new coronavirus," Long said. Fears sparked about the spread and impact of the nVoC have sent many citizens flocking to shops and supermarkets to stockpile meat, vegetables and rice to avoid venturing outdoors, especially since last Saturday, when Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc declared it a national epidemic. Elaborating on how Vietnam is managing the ongoing epidemic, Long said the most important step was quarantining. Different layers of quarantining have been applied for everyone returning from China, given that all 31 direct jurisdictions in the country have confirmed infections after the virus first appeared in its Wuhan City in Hubei Province last December. So far, around 900 people have been quarantined in northern provinces sharing borders with China, and most of them are Vietnamese nationals. Anyone who has been in contact with those people are also being closely monitored, the deputy health minister said. Sunlight and airy space Long also gave advice on how to use face masks, saying people could use different types of masks instead of just surgical masks in a normal environment. It is necessary to wear a mask in crowded places but under other circumstances, it would be better to make use of the high natural temperature, sunlight and wind to prevent the virus. "The new coronavirus is afraid of sunlight, wind and airy space and therefore we should open windows to take advantage of natural conditions to weaken the virus," he said. So far, there's still no specific treatment regimen developed for the nCoV infection. The treatment depends on three basic principles: symptomatic treatment, ensuring nutrition and water and electrolyte balance through adequate nutrition. Vietnam is using its own regimen in combination with international methods, including using the HIV and flu medications to treat nCoV infected patients as is being done in other countries including China. "The lesson from fighting SARS is that the most effective solution does not need to be the most complicated one. The National Hospital for Tropical Diseases had succeeded in treating SARS by the method of opening windows to provide airy space for patients." Since January 23 to date, Vietnam has 10 confirmed nCoV infections, three of whom have been discharged from hospitals, and the remaining seven are all recovering well, including the 66-year-old Chinese man at Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, who has hypertension, diabetes, stents in the heart and had undergone surgery for lung cancer. The country so far recorded 409 suspected cases of whom 347 have tested negative for the virus. 349 others who had close contact with infected patients are being closely monitored. Long said it was still too early to evaluate the epidemic in Vietnam but he confirmed that "Vietnamese health sector is capable of treating pneumonia caused by the 2019-nCoV." "We need to stay calm to win this fight," he said. As of Thursday morning, the global nCoV death toll had hit 565 and confirmed infections risen to over 28,200, of whom 1,270 had recovered. A driver who was left fuming after a neighbour slashed their tyres in revenge for parking in front of their house has sparked a heated debate over parking etiquette. Writing anonymously on Facebook group Spotted: Thame, the driver shared a note the neighbour had left, telling them to park in front of their own house. The outraged driver argued that they were perfectly within their rights to park on a public road, but the post received a mixed response from commneters. While some said that the neighbour's actions were illegal and that the driver had done nothing wrong, others sided with the slasher, saying they hate people who park with no consideration for others. A viral Facebook post has sparked a heated debate over parking etiquette, after a driver said their tyre was punctured for parking in front of a neighbour's house Venting their frustration, the driver wrote: 'To whoever put this on my car and punctured my tyre, I am not parking on your road or driveway, I am parking on a PUBLIC road. 'I have fitted cameras in my car so if I see anything again I will know. I am not parking illegally so get over it' The post received a stream of comments, with some saying that the neighbour who slashed the tyres had broken the law. One person wrote: 'You should be OK to park anywhere as long as there are no double yellows...' Another said: 'It's a public road so parking there is perfectly legal. The person that damaged your vehicle has broken the law' What does the law say about parking disputes? If a parking space is available on a public road, even if its directly outside your house, anyone is allowed to park in it. We appreciate this can be frustrating, especially if spaces are hard to come by on your street. If someone has parked in your designated parking space without your permission, our first advice is always to try and resolve the issue peacefully yourself. If you cant find the driver to speak to them, try leaving a polite note on their windscreen. Failing this, please contact your local council as this matter doesnt require the police. The council will attempt to trace the owner and can arrange for the vehicle to be removed if necessary. If you lease a property with a parking space, please contact whoever is responsible for your building, such as the freeholder, council or managing agent. They should help you resolve the issue. Source: Thames Valley Police Advertisement A flood of responses to the post argued that the neighbour had broken the law by damaging the car Others confessed they don't feel sorry for the driver as many people park their car without consideration of neighbours. 'I'm just confused why you don't park outside your own house. Maybe then you wouldn't upset your neighbours. If this is the car that keeps having notes on it on Roundhead drive then don't you have a drive that fits three cars on it and two in front of your house?,' wrote one. Another said: 'Maybe you are making it difficult for them to access their house? It's always nice to practice manners and a bit of courtesy instead of just abandoning your car anywhere that you think is 'legal'' A third added: 'Depends, if you're one of the idiots who parks badly taking up two spaces, half in the road then abandons your car for the week/weekend...' DES MOINES, Iowa -- Reyma McCoy McDeid designed an Iowa caucus precinct that was tailored to voters with disabilities. But it almost got derailed. MORE INFO The Iowa caucuses app had another problem: It could have been hacked While there is no evidence hackers intercepted or tampered with the results, a security firm consulted by ProPublica found that the app lacks key safeguards. Read more. Iowa caucuses did one thing right: Require paper ballots In November, some voters in at least nine states will cast their ballots electronically on systems that do not leave a paper trail. Read more. US could learn how to improve election protection from other nations The problem is of protecting democracy and securing voting machines is global, and would benefit from an internationally coordinated solution among both advanced and emerging democracies. Read more. While normal Democratic caucuses are standing affairs, every caucusgoer at the Central Iowa Center for Independent Living in Des Moines had a chair in their candidates section. When it was time for supporters to give speeches for their candidate, they had a microphone wheeled to them. In an adjacent room, around 20 people with hearing impairment participated in the states only all-sign-language caucus. But a half-hour after residents were supposed to begin caucusing here, long lines and confusion with the Iowa Democratic Party about whether participants had to pre-register left McCoy McDeid, the centers executive director, visibly shaken. Im really irritated, she said, wearing a black T-shirt and jeans. The messaging around accessibility has been great, but the reality has not been great. Its enraging to me. Its absurd. I call it Iowa-nice voter suppression. Some who waited to get in, like Jamie Cotten, who is hampered by an injured ankle and using a knee scooter, didnt know whether they would have to find another location to caucus. This was not what the Iowa Democratic Party had in mind when it attempted to open up caucuses to more participants this year by shortening the candidate selection process and establishing satellite locations that could run hours before the normal 7 p.m. start of other caucuses throughout the state. The state party did not respond to repeated requests from Stateline for comment. The Democratic National Committee emailed a statement from former U.S. Rep. Tony Coelho of California, the partys disability council chairman, who said he was proud of the historic steps to increase participation. It wasnt just uncertainty and the delays in reporting the results of the caucuses that tarnished the process. While caucusgoers throughout the state enjoyed the greater access on Monday, confusion about the system kept some Iowans from being counted and left advocates for the disability community frustrated with remaining barriers. These setbacks could even threaten the future of caucuses as a voting method and Iowas place as the first presidential contest every four years, said Rachel Paine Caufield, a professor of political science at Des Moines-based Drake University. Caucuses are not like other contests in the presidential primary season. Instead of showing up anytime on Election Day to cast a ballot, Democrats in Iowa gather at local precincts to hear campaign pitches and haggle with neighbors before dividing the room by preferred candidate. If a candidate doesnt reach a certain threshold in the room, supporters join another campaign. This complex process can last hours, but its a point of pride for many Iowans who are reluctant to give up the process for a more traditional primary. But voter access is an issue, especially for people with disabilities, night-shift workers, students, single parents or anybody else who cant participate in an hourslong, mobility-intensive democratic exercise. Caufield said potential fixes such as allowing absentee participation and shortening the process are challenging to execute. Caucuses are particularly difficult to adopt some of the standard fixes that you would apply in a primary state, she said. The caucus is such a unique civic culture and practice that involves movement around a space. The Iowa Democratic Party, however, had a plan to increase access this year. Caucus-day frustrations In addition to normal caucus locations, the party approved 60 in-state, 24 out-of-state and three international satellite locations to allow Iowa Democrats to participate at different times in the day or with special accommodations, including disability and foreign language services. Alternative locations included mosques, community centers and colleges around the state. This allowed Mebrhtom Geberetatios and Fiseha Tesfamariam to caucus at the UFCW Local 230 union hall in Ottumwa, Iowa an industrial community of 25,000 along the Des Moines River, an hour and a half southeast of the state capital. The two men, both wearing black leather jackets and white Bernie for Iowa T-shirts, could not caucus later in the evening the 7 p.m. start time was right in the middle of their shift at the local JBS meatpacking plant. But they were among the 15 second-shift workers who showed up at the union hall, where caucusing began at noon. But the Ottumwa caucus wasnt without its hitches. Michelle Grear, who wouldnt get off work at Tenco Industries until after that evenings regular caucuses began, attempted to join the satellite caucus but was turned away. She had failed to pre-register by Jan. 17 a requirement for satellite caucus participation that she hadnt heard about. Party leaders, fearing people might caucus multiple times, this year added the pre-registration requirement for satellite locations. Its really disappointing, she said outside the union hall on an unusually mild winter morning. I wanted to come and participate and get my vote in. I understand there are snafus here or there, but its still frustrating. Zach Simonson, the Wapello County Democratic chairman, understood her frustration. The party should have gotten the word out sooner, he said. This event was organized on a tight schedule, he said. I wish we had more time. This confusion also was apparent in Des Moines, where Drake University students and professors and people living near the school gathered at 4 p.m. inside the campuss field house. Candidate names were taped to track hurdles spread across the turf field. Sophomore Adam Koch thought he was being extra prepared, by printing out what he thought was a confirmation email for the satellite caucus. But when he tried to check in, he was turned away, having mistakenly registered for a caucus running later that evening. In an effort to make caucusing more convenient, it actually became more confusing and difficult, Koch said, rubbing his forehead in bewilderment. Its frustrating that after two years of meeting candidates, this happens. Still, the satellite caucus did allow some students, such as sophomore Gabrielle Melms and senior Aili Huss, to participate without missing their evening classes. Accessibility concerns Every four years, the chorus of caucus cynics belt out the same tune on the campaign trail, cable television and online: Ditch the Iowa caucuses -- not only because of the states predominantly white demographics, but also because the challenging process keeps voter turnout around 16%. In response to this criticism, the Democratic National Committee passed new rules to increase voter access, especially in caucus states, by pushing states to implement measures that allow absentee voting options and greater assistance for voters with disabilities. In the year leading up to the caucuses, party leaders in Iowa and Nevada, which will hold the third nominating contest on Feb. 22, thought they had found a way to make their caucuses more accessible: a virtual caucus. The plan would allow voters to participate by phone in the six days leading up to the caucuses, allowing participation by people with disabilities, residents living in other states or folks who couldnt spend several hours in a room. The Democratic National Committee, however, had security concerns and recommended in August the system not be used. So Democrats in Iowa and Nevada pursued other strategies. The Nevada Democratic Party will expand its early voting efforts by opening early voting sites throughout the state for four days in mid-February, including seven locations along the Las Vegas Strip. At those locations -- one of which, at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, will be open 24 hours a day for graveyard-shift workers -- voters will be able to fill out a ballot with at least three and as many as five of their top preferences ranked. If voters live in the county, they can vote early in any location within that county during the early voting period. We in Las Vegas are a 24/7 economy, said Molly Forgey, the communications director for the state party. We know that people who work here are not on a traditional 9-to-5, Monday-through-Friday schedule. This gives them an option to participate. In Iowa, the DNCs decision not to endorse a virtual caucus forced party leaders to shift their focus to satellite caucuses. The party solicited requests for special accommodations that were due a week before the caucuses, handled by a newly created accessibility team. But over the past two weeks, there has been a lack of communication between the party and voters with disabilities and disability advocates, said Anne Matte, a voting outreach coordinator for Disability Rights Iowa. By the end of caucus day in Iowa, Matte was exhausted, having spent much of Monday arranging last-minute transportation for elderly and disabled voters, which she said should have been done by the Iowa Democratic Party. Several voters she spoke to couldnt caucus because of disability barriers. The party has promised us that this year would be better, that it would be the first accessible caucus, Matte said. The promises were not met. That is not OK. That is not how a well-run caucus should happen. This article was first posted to Stateline, an initiative of The Pew Charitable Trusts. SANTA FE About a month after her appointment as corrections secretary, Alisha Tafoya Lucero signed a $195,000 settlement with the state to resolve a 2013 lawsuit she had filed against the Corrections Department. Tafoya Lucero had accused the agency of violating a New Mexico law requiring fair pay for women. The state agreed to pay $195,000 to settle her claim. The unusual settlement between a Cabinet secretary and the department she runs was revealed just in the past few days, disclosed by the state after the expiration of a six-month confidentiality period imposed by state law. Thom Cole, a spokesman for the General Services Department, which includes the division that defends state agencies in court, said the settlement decision was handled like any other and that Tafoya Luceros role as a Cabinet secretary was not a factor. The states Risk Management Division, he said, examined the allegations, and the potential costs and risks of further litigation, just as it would for any claim. In response to any lawsuit, Cole said, the Risk Management Division is required by law to resolve the litigation in the most cost-effective manner for taxpayers. The settlement agreement with Secretary Tafoya Lucero accomplished that. Tafoya Lucero, appointed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in June, is just the second woman to serve as New Mexicos corrections secretary. Her appointment is awaiting confirmation by the Senate. The settlement stems from a complaint filed by Tafoya Lucero in state District Court about six years ago, accusing the Corrections Department of violating the Fair Pay for Women Act. The department denied the allegations. Tafoya Lucero, a deputy warden at the time, said she was paid far less than a male colleague with the same title, and she accused the Corrections Department of discrimination. The lawsuit said Tafoya Lucero made $29 an hour at the time, or about $60,000 a year. A male colleague with similar duties, meanwhile, made $39 an hour, or $81,000 a year, according to the lawsuit. The case proceeded until 2019, when Tafoya Lucero agreed to dismiss the litigation as part of the settlement. The state agreed to pay $195,000 to settle the case, with some adjustments based on taxes. About $20,000 of the settlement, for example, was attributed to unpaid wage damages from which the state agreed to withhold some money for taxes. The remaining $175,000 is for attorney fees or other damages. The claim by the secretary, Cole said, was handled no different than any other claim filed with the Risk Management Division, and the divisions decision to enter into the settlement agreement had nothing to do with her position in the administration. Lujan Grisham spokesman Tripp Stelnicki said the lawsuit wasnt a factor in Tafoya Luceros hiring as secretary and that she was simply the best candidate for the job. She came to the governors attention, he said, because of her work to address long-standing litigation over conditions inside New Mexicos prison system. She has demonstrated her quality in her steady leadership of the department since the appointment and the governor has full confidence in her management, Stelnicki said. Furthermore, he said, the governor is clear about the importance and value of women earning equal pay for equal work. As secretary, Tafoya Lucero now makes $156,000 a year. STRATFORD One of the closest statehouse races of 2018 looks headed for a 2020 do-over. Former Town Council Chairman Jim Feehan formally announced his candidacy for state representative in the 120th House District, setting up a rematch with incumbent Rep. Phil Young. Young, a Democrat, defeated the Republican Feehan in 2018 by a 13-vote margin but the results were contested since election workers at Bunnell High School gave the wrong ballot to 75 voters. The legislature was ultimately unable to agree on a resolution. The 120th District in north Stratford had traditionally been a Republican seat Youngs victory in a special election in February 2018 made him the first Democrat to represent the district in 44 years. He replaced current Mayor Laura Hoydick, who vacated the seat to run for Stratfords top elected position in 2017. In a prepared statement announcing his candidacy, Feehan cast himself as worthy opposition to the Democratic majority in the legislature, which, he said, possesses an unquenchable thirst for new taxes and tolls. Our families and businesses are being torn apart with hostile regulations and higher taxes. There is a better way! We need common sense in Hartford, Feehan said. The current occupant of the 120th House seat has failed to meet that need and is invisible in the face of these challenges, making the need for someone to step up critical to our future. Jobs continue to leave Connecticut and we are falling behind neighboring states that are benefiting from an improved national economy, Feehans statement said. Trust in our government continues to erode when tough decisions are not made, and housing values continue to decline, the statement went on. In short, this election is about the future of our families, and most importantly our children. Without a promise of prosperity, our children will continue to look elsewhere for a better standard of living and leave Connecticut behind. In a prepared statement, Hoydick said Feehan understands Stratford and every day proves that he would be a tireless advocate for Stratford in the House. As a husband, father, veteran, small businessman, and community leader, he understands the challenges we face and will be ready to go on day one with solutions that will benefit our town, Hoydick said. Young said Wednesday he knows hell have a GOP bullseye on his back, but hopes to stick to facts and have a positive campaign. I know its going to be one of the top targeted races in the state, he said. Ive talked to the majority leader and others and they know it, theyre going to be ready to help and do whatever needs to be done so that were successful. Young currently serves as an assistant majority leader in the house, a vice chair on the Public Health Committee and as a member of the Environment and Judiciary committees. When Jim Feehan says Im not doing anything, he obviously doesnt know what hes talking about, Young said. He said his prospective opponent is regurgitating GOP talking points without offering specific solutions, and pointed to the states growing rainy day fund and increasing minimum wage as two examples of ways Democrats are helping the economy, pointing to research that shows a higher minimum wage boosts consumer spending. If we come out with a positive message and show the positive things were doing in the state and the good things going on, I think people will be more than happy to support me, Young said. A defence lawyer in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case argued on Thursday that only the high court can transfer the case to the special NIA court. A sessions court in Pune is hearing an application filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to transfer the case. The agency moved the court after the Union government transferred the probe to the central agency. The NIA lawyer on Thursday sought transfer of case papers, seized data, court records and proceedings to the special NIA court in Mumbai. Advocate Siddharth Patil, one of the defence lawyers, argued that as per section 407 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a case can be transferred from one district to another only by the high court. "Not only the (main) charge sheet but supplementary charge sheet has been filed and we are in the middle of framing charges," he said. "This court does not have the power to transfer the case," he argued. Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar said she wanted a day's time to argue on the NIA's plea. Additional sessions judge S R Navandar then adjourned the hearing to Friday. The Centre last month transferred the probe from Pune Police to the NIA, a decision which the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra criticised. The case is related to speeches delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave, held at Shaniwarwada here on December 31, 2017, and the next day's violence near the Koregaon Bhima war memorial in the district. Pune Police claimed that the conclave was backed by Maoists, and the speeches made there triggered the violence. During the probe, the police arrested Left-leaning activists Sudhir Dhawale, Rona Wilson, Surendra Gadling, Mahesh Raut, Shoma Sen, Arun Ferreira, Vernon Gonsalves, Sudha Bharadwaj and Varavara Rao for alleged Maoist links. The new government in Maharashtra had taken steps to review the police probe. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Praemium Limited (ASX:PPS), which is in the software business, and is based in Australia, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the ASX, rising to highs of AU$0.68 and falling to the lows of AU$0.45. 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 Praemium's current trading price of AU$0.46 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 Praemiums 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 Praemium What's the opportunity in Praemium? The stock seems fairly valued at the moment according to my valuation model. Its trading around 19.82% above my intrinsic value, which means if you buy Praemium today, youd be paying a relatively reasonable price for it. And if you believe that the stock is really worth A$0.38, theres only an insignificant downside when the price falls to its real value. Although, there may be an opportunity to buy in the future. This is because Praemiums 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 Praemium look like? ASX:PPS Past and Future Earnings, February 6th 2020 Investors looking for growth in their portfolio may want to consider the prospects of a company before buying its shares. 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. Praemiums earnings over the next few years are expected to double, indicating a very optimistic future ahead. This should lead to stronger cash flows, feeding into a higher share value. Story continues What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? It seems like the market has already priced in PPSs positive outlook, with shares trading around its fair value. However, there are also other important factors which we havent considered today, such as the financial strength of the company. Have these factors changed since the last time you looked at the stock? Will you have enough conviction to buy should the price fluctuates below the true value? Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on PPS, now may not be the most optimal time to buy, given it is trading around its fair value. However, the positive outlook 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 Praemium. You can find everything you need to know about Praemium in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Praemium, 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. A second grader brought a handgun to school on Wednesday, according to the San Antonio Independent School District. The gun, which never left the student's backpack, was confiscated after the child told a classmate who notified a staff member. The incident took place at Hirsch Elementary School, located at 4826 Seabreeze Drive on the East Side. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox "We do not believe the student had any ill intentions, but any incident like this is serious and appropriate disciplinary action has been taken," the district said in a statement. "We are encouraged that a student brought this incident to the attention of adults immediately as it indicates that training around 'see something, say something' is taking root." School administrators and district police met with the child's parent, according to SAISD officials. A letter sent to parents Wednesday noted that counselors will be available for students concerned about the incident. 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 At the end of January, twenty-year conscript Vahram Mkrtichevich Avakyan was killed in one of the military units deployed on the territory of the self-proclaimed Karabakh. The investigation hastened to identify the incident as a suicide, however, the relatives of the deceased did not agree with the assumptions of the investigators and refused to bury the young man until the circumstances of his death were clarified. The incident caused widespread public outcry, as a result of which, during the second investigation, Avakyans colleagues David Movsisyan, Khachik Gasparyan, Spartak Avetisyan, who were suspected of committing suicide, were detained. The fact that the detained Movsisyan is the son of the former deputy of the Armenian parliament Arakel Movsisyan adds fuel to the fire. In Armenia, its no secret that the offspring of the heroes of the Karabakh war or Armenian officials, if they do not study abroad but are forced to do military service at home, may require special attention. This is facilitated by the "ideals" that have become established in society - the status of a parent, his abilities and connections can greatly affect the position of a conscript in the course of his military service. This is especially noticeable in regions in which people's capabilities are largely limited. According to the Armenian Statistical Committee, more than 20% of the population still lives in the republic below the poverty line. Financial and labor constraints or lack of prospects are the factor that makes profitable relationships of particular value. This may be reflected in the patronage of the children of high-ranking or financially successful persons by the Armenian security forces, including the military. In this case, the concealment of the "pranks of the golden youth" becomes not just a mundane affair, but rather profitable, since such patronage allows you to gain promising support. This is especially true of the so-called heroes of the Karabakh conflict, which the current Armenian ideology has elevated to the rank of idols. Many of them improved their financial and social situation, as well as their influence in society due to dubious achievements during the period of interethnic conflict. The increased mental stress experienced by conscripts during the course of service can contribute to the transition to interpersonal conflicts at the household level. Psychological stress in a closed male team can lead to irreversible consequences. Pressure from colleagues with the connivance of the command affects the human mind, breaking the will to live. The Armenian army has not been reformed since the collapse of the USSR, but was replenished and updated with new and purchased types of modern weapons, which was widely circulated in the national media. It is not necessary to expect that significant structural changes have taken place in the army itself and that it has got rid of all vestiges of the past. Hazing in the army scares Armenian society more than the likely escalation of the conflict. The tragedy of Vahram Avakyan is not the only one in the modern history of the republic. At the end of last year, Armenia was shocked by the death of conscript Arthur Adjamyan, whose relatives also doubted the version of suicide. In November 2019, conscript Eric Harutyunyan was found wounded in the chin in the armory of one of the Armenian military units, who later died. The main resources for informal dominance among colleagues were physical strength, moral-volitional qualities and country ties. Accordingly, the parents of conscripts, already worried about the unresolved conflict, are forced to constantly be in tension from how belonging to a territorial group will affect the future of conscripts. In other words, how the "Karabakh people" will refer to the "Gyumri people" or "Yerevan residents" is not known. The attitude towards the military in Armenia has changed significantly lately, as the army carefully conceals cases of crimes. The state strives at all costs to prevent image losses, therefore it does not allow criticism of the military and tries to negotiate with the relatives of the killed conscripts. In the militaristic rhetoric of modern Armenian ideology, the army plays a decisive role, as it inspires the population with confidence in the inviolability of the Armenian position in the unsettled Karabakh conflict. The authorities and law enforcement bodies artificially lower the number of killings, since recognition of the fact that the Armenian army is dangerous primarily for Armenia itself, eloquently demonstrates that all the myths about the order and its fighting efficiency are in fact nothing more than a bluff. A spike in Israeli-Palestinian violence on Thursday killed three Arabs and wounded a dozen Israeli troops in a rash of attacks and clashes a week after the Trump administration released its long-anticipated Middle East plan. In the West Bank, Israeli troops shot dead two Palestinians, one during violent clashes, according to Israeli authorities. The shootings came hours after a car-ramming in Jerusalem targeted Israeli soldiers and a gunman wounded a policeman in suspected Palestinian attacks. Long-simmering Palestinian unrest has been stoked by anger at US President Donald Trump's Middle East plan, which was embraced by Israel and rejected by the Palestinians when it was announced last week. The plan would give Israel most of what it has sought during decades of conflict, including the disputed holy city of Jerusalem and nearly all the occupied land on which it has built settlements. At the entrance to Jerusalem's walled Old City, a gunman shot at a border policeman, lightly wounding him, Israeli police said. Police opened fire on the assailant and killed him. The shooting took place not far from a popular nightlife venue where a few hours earlier, a car rammed into Israeli soldiers who were sight-seeing after basic training. One soldier was badly injured and another sustained moderate injuries, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said. Twelve others were lightly injured. Police said they were treating the car-ramming incident, which took place near the Palestinian neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem, as a terrorist attack. The driver was still at large, police said. "It is just a matter of time - and not much time - until we get our hands on the attacker. Terrorism will not defeat us, we will win," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. Israeli troops kill 19-year-old in Jenin In the West Bank city of Jenin, a 19-year-old man was shot dead by troops while throwing rocks at them, Palestinians said. Jenin governor Akram Rajoub said the 19-year-old casualty was a student at an academy that trains budding police officers, and was throwing stones at the troops. An Israeli military spokesman said soldiers came to Jenin to demolish the home of a Palestinian who was involved in the 2018 killing of a Jewish settler. Troops opened fire at Palestinians who shot and threw bombs at them in Jenin, the spokesman said. Palestinian authorities said another Palestinian man, a police officer, had been killed at a Jenin police station by Israeli gunfire. Israeli officials did not comment and it was unclear whether that incident was directly linked to the clashes in the West Bank city. Stone-throwing Palestinian teen killed On Wednesday, Israeli troops shot dead a 17-year-old Palestinian elsewhere in the West Bank, saying he had thrown a fire-bomb at them during a violent protest against Trump's plan. He was the first fatality since the plan was announced. The Israeli military said that there had been a "violent riot", during which "troops identified a Palestinian who hurled a Molotov cocktail at them". Story continues "The troops responded with fire in order to remove the threat," it added. Witnesses told AFP news agency that about 15 protesters had thrown stones at the troops. In clashes following the killing, a Palestinian security official was shot by Israeli troops and later died of his injuries. Also Thursday, Israel struck Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip after three mortar shells were fired at Israel. There was no immediate report of injuries on either side. Deal of century brings no peace Unveiled last week at the White House with much fanfare, Trumps plan envisions a disjointed Palestinian state that turns over key parts of the West Bank to Israel. It sides with Israel on key contentious issues that have bedeviled past peace efforts, including borders and the status of Jerusalem and Jewish West Bank settlements, and attaches nearly impossible conditions for granting the Palestinians their hoped-for state. The plan was greeted ecstatically in Israel, with Netanyahu vowing to speed ahead with annexing parts of the West Bank. But under pressure from the US administration he appears to be scaling back on that promise. The Palestinians dismissed the plan as nonsense and have promised to resist it. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel for the deaths, linking them to what Trump has billed as the "deal of the century". The Palestinians, as well as much of the international community, view the settlements in the West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem - territories seized by Israel in the 1967 war - as illegal and a major obstacle to peace. (FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 By Eldar Janashvili Trend: Azerbaijans consolidated budget was implemented with a surplus of 7.3 billion manat ($4.2 billion), which is almost three times more compared to the forecasted volume, Azerbaijans Minister of Finance Samir Sharifov said at a meeting of the ministry on the results of 2019 and the tasks set for the ministry in 2020, Trend reports. Revenues of the consolidated budget amounted to 33.8 billion manat ($19.8 billion), or 9.4 percent compared to 2018, and expenses amounted to 26.5 billion manat ($15.5 billion). In turn, the state budget revenues amounted to 24.2 billion manat ($14.23 billion), or 4.5 percent more than the approved forecast, and expenses amounted to 24.4 billion manat ($14.35 billion), or 3 percent less than the forecasted volume. Accordingly, the state budget deficit amounted to 207 million manat ($121.7 million) compared to the forecast of 2 billion manat ($1.1 billion), thereby showing a tenfold reduction in relation to the forecasted volume, achieved primarily due to the fulfillment of forecasts by the tax and customs authorities on budget revenues, as well as rational cost savings. (1 USD = 1.7 AZN on Feb. 6) --- Follow the author on Twitter: @eldarjanashvili Wilmer Maldonado Rodriguez, 36, had been attacked previously in October 2018 by nine members of the MS-13 gang after he stepped in to stop them from intimidating two teens Long Island authorities on Wednesday said a homeless man scheduled to testify against MS-13 gang members was killed earlier in the week. Wilmer Maldonado Rodriguez, 36, had been attacked previously in October 2018 by nine members of the MS-13 gang after he stepped in to stop them from intimidating two teens. They were arrested as a result, with Maldonado prepared to testify against them. Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder explained that on January 30, one of the witnesses from the trial was shot at. Rodriguez was beaten up two days later but managed to escaped, Ryder explained to News 12. The 36-year-old was killed on Sunday, police state. His body was found behind an abandoned home in New Cassel on Broadway. According to the Nassau District Attorney's Office, Rodriguez had been protecting the teens when he was beaten and stabbed by gang members calling themselves the 'Gang of Nine.' All nine were arrested and charged with assault and witness intimidation and are still currently behind bars. The 36-year-old was set to testify against them but was found bludgeoned to death on Sunday Authorities initially believed that Rodriguez's identity was released because of new discovery laws in the state that went into effect on January 1 and would allow for defendants to be informed of the witnesses testifying against them. But Ryder released a statement stating that that was not the case. 'As I indicted at my press conference there is no direct link between the death of Wilmer Maldonado Rodriguez and criminal justice reform,' he said. 'The information and facts of the case that I provided are accurate.' According to the Nassau District Attorney's Office, Rodriguez had been protecting the teens when he was beaten and stabbed by gang members calling themselves the 'Gang of Nine' MS13, an international gang was founded in Los Angeles in the 1980s by immigrants fleeing a civil war in El Salvador. MS-13 now has 8,000-10,000 members in the U.S. alone - most of Salvadoran, Guatemalan and Honduran descent. While MS-13 has been around for decades, law enforcement officials on Long Island say the region has seen a unique surge in activity since 2015 - the same time the area received a major influx of unaccompanied minors from Latin America. MS-13 leaders in the U.S. often communicate and take orders from gang leaders in El Salvador. Long Island communities have been strongly impacted by the violence and suffering spread by MS-13. Police suspect the gang was involved in at least 25 killings on Long Island between 2016 and 2018. The gang's motto is 'mata, viola, controla' which means 'kill, rape, control'. President Nana Akufo-Addo 06.02.2020 LISTEN The quality of a politician is measured by his sincerity. When politicians refuse to acknowledge good performance because this is originating from the opposite side of the divide, they lose respect and can be regarded as myopic. The Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, the longest-serving MP who has announced that he would seek re-election is not one of such politicians with blinkers on their eyes. He has won the hearts of observers of the political terrain by a feat he exhibited during the President's working visit to the Upper West Region. His assurance of support to President Akufo-Addo's government and others which are development oriented is a tacit acknowledgment of the good work the First Gentleman and his government are doing to turn the fortunes of the country around. The rare acknowledgement from the other side of the political divide is remarkable and for us blazes a trail worth treading by sincere politicians. Goodness no matter where it originates should be acknowledged. That does not call for the expunging of his name from the roll of his political party. He is just being real, and that is the way to go. Our country needs this grade of people to grow and depart from the path of lies and calumny which some of his colleagues think should be the attribute of politics. Those who have no praises for the goodness exhibited by others should refrain from hurling unkind remarks at them. They had the opportunity to make their marks but failed to do so. Such an enterprise cannot bring good fortunes to themselves safe opprobrium. We have observed a constituency on the part of others on the other side of the divide to describe contemptuously the inroads made by their opponents. The importance of leaving positive footprints in the sand of our history should not be ignored come what may. Continuously criticizing and not praising where this is due would reduce us to envious persons unworthy of being adopted as role models by the growing generation who should be prepared to take up the baton in the future. Development has no political coloration which is what has driven the Second Deputy Speaker/MP to give the President the testimonial he did. The solar project commissioned by the President is the kind of clean energy the world is working towards adopting all over. That, we in Ghana have taken a step towards dealing a blow to the fallouts of climate change, calls for celebration, not condemnation. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Question: Which economic headwind is projected to cost Ireland some 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion) between now and 2025? No, not Brexit. The answer is corporate tax reform. Last month, Irelands finance minister Paschal Donohoe, whose ruling party Fine Gael is struggling in opinion polls ahead of Saturdays general election, raised this red flag as one of several global risks threatening the small, trade-reliant country of 4.9 million people. As the international loopholes allowing elaborate tax-dodging schemes made famous by the likes of Starbucks Corp., Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc. gradually get closed, and as countries around the world start to overhaul the way taxes are collected, Donohoe warned that Ireland should budget for an estimated 500 million-euro hit every year from 2022. His country has been a magnet for the tax-optimizing plans of international companies via its 12.5% corporate tax rate and other perks. This may sound like a relatively gentle readjustment, given the slow pace and complex nature of OECD-led tax talks between 135 countries. But the emergence of two ideas a fairer allocation of corporate profits to where customers and sales are actually located, and a minimum global corporate tax rate has rattled the Irish. As a domestic consumer market Ireland is tiny, meaning it would probably get less profit to tax. And with a corporate tax rate thats lower than that of the G20 and most European Union members, a shift to a minimum global levy would reduce Irelands attractiveness to multinational companies. Youd hope that this might lead to some national soul-searching. Prime Minister Leo Varadkars Fine Gael and its historic rival Fianna Fail have spent the past few years ensuring Irelands wagon is hitched firmly to a low-tax model one that, according to one research paper, sucked an estimated $100 billion in corporate profits away from other countries in 2015 alone. Sure, the taxes are lucrative, bringing in 10.9 billion euros last year, and are redistributed fairly. But at what cost? Story continues The Irish economy is increasingly distorted by its dependence on foreign firms, which account for 80% of corporate taxes and some 10.5% of local jobs(2) , and which offer workers generous accommodation packages even as house prices soar. Domestic companies, meanwhile, are seeing their productivity fall. Irelands decision to stand with Apple after the European Commission demanded the company pay $14.5 billion in illegally-avoided taxes shows the power and influence of U.S. tech in particular. Saturdays election wont be fought on corporate tax, however. Neither Fianna Fail nor Fine Gael known as Tweedledum and Tweedledee see any reason to change Irelands economic model, nor its 12.5% rate. Donohoe says careful planning and running a budget surplus is preparation enough. Smaller parties Sinn Fein and the Greens, which have enjoyed a bounce in the polls, are calling for more taxes on property and the rich but would keep the 12.5% levy. Labour, while saying it wants the 12.5% rate to be an effective rate (not just a headline one), says its open to lowering that rate depending on where companies invest. The importance of foreign direct investment to Irelands economy explains why far-reaching tax reform hasnt quite reached the Irish Overton window, even as voters get more exercised about inequality. Irelands recent history is dominated by booms and busts: Squeezing a source of national wealth and jobs might seem self-harming. Even the do-gooder (and famously tax-efficient) rock star Bono once said: Tax competitiveness has brought our country the only prosperity weve known. But theres something of the boiled frog about Irelands stance, where the heat is being turned up so slowly it will only realize whats happening too late. A structural shift on global tax rules could be accompanied by a worse-than-expected Brexit outcome. The EU has stood by Ireland during the British negotiations, but that may change once they are over: Other member states arent thrilled by Dublins tax regime. U.S. President Donald Trump might intensify his trade war on the EU, or pressure American companies to bring jobs and cash back home. The tech firms that populate Dublin might face more EU tax and antitrust rulings. The Irish economy is so dependent on U.S. companies that Goodbody Stockbrokers economist Dermot OLeary calls it the 51st State. What can be done? Dropping the appeal against the Apple fine and bringing those billions into the states coffers would be a start all parties, not just Sinn Fein, should be advocating this. Taking a proactive part in OECD-led efforts to revamp tax rules would also help. And spending more on skills, education and housing might make Ireland more attractive to investors at home and abroad, regardless of where tax rates go. Clearly, Ireland will always depend heavily on the wider world. Yet that world is finally waking up on fair taxation. (1) This relates specifically to "FDI-assisted jobs,"involvingcompanies that work through Irelands FDI agency. To contact the author of this story: Lionel Laurent at llaurent2@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Boxell at jboxell@bloomberg.net This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Lionel Laurent is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Brussels. He previously worked at Reuters and Forbes. 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. New Delhi: India will see Mughal rule once again if the majority community of the country is not vigilant, said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha MP from Bengaluru South Tejasvi Surya on Wednesday (February 5, 2020) while criticising the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protest at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi where assembly election is on February 8. Surya made the comment about Mughal rule in India while speaking during the debate on Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in Lok Sabha. Referring to the ongoing protest at Shaheen Bagh against CAA, he said, "Unless majority community remains vigilant, the days of Mughal Raj may not be far away." Mughal ruled Indian from 1526 AD starting with Babur and their reign came to an in 1857. Surya's statement led to sharp retorts and reactions from the Opposition MPs in Lok Sabha. Surya also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for resolving several critical issues which had been pending for several decades. The CAA, he said, was aimed at resolving the issues emanating from Partition and added, "The new India cannot to built without healing the wounds of the past." He said that the CAA was about giving citizenship to persecuted minorities in Pakistan, Bangaladesh and Afghanistan and not for taking away anyone's citizenship. Under the leadership of Modi, Surya said, several issues of the past have seen closure. These include abrogation of Article 370, construction of Ram temple, Bodo problems and abolition of Triple Talaq. Congress MP K Sudhakaran said that a time when the economy was going through its worst phase and unemployment was high, the President in his speech talked about making India a USD 5 trillion economy by 2024. On the comments of the government functionaries that fundamentals of the economy are strong, he said the same expression was used by the then US President George Bush, days before the collapse of the America's iconic investment banker Lehman Brothers. Sudhakaran said even before the Great Depression, the then US President used to say that fundamentals of their economy were strong. Anupriya Patel (Apna Dal) demanded that the government set up All India Judicial Services Commission to ensure representation of the backward community in the judiciary while Khagen Murmu (BJP) regretted that West Bengal government was not implementing the welfare schemes of the Centre in the state. Badruddin Ajmal (AIUDF) said that people of all communities have fought for freedom of the country and it would be incorrect to declare everyone opposing the government's policies as 'gaddar' (traitor). He said that the government should talk to people protesting against the CAA at Shaheen Bagh and other places, and explain the provisions to them. Shrirang Appa Barne (Shiv Sena) demanded that the ruling party fulfil all promises it had made to the people of the country. He regretted that although the government promised to double the income of farmers by 2022, farmers were still committing suicide. Israeli police injured in Jerusalem, attacker killed Second attack on Thursday morning in city (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, FEBRUARY 6 - An Israeli policeman was shot and injured Thursday morning in an attack near the entrance gates to the al-Aqsa Mosque complex in Jerusalem's Old City. The complex is referred to as Temple Mount by the Jewish population. The police reported the news and said that the policeman had not been seriously injured and that ''the terrorist was neutralised''. Media reports say that the attacker was killed by other policemen after he opened fire. The attack is the second today in Jerusalem.(ANSAmed). A detention centre guard who married an illegal African immigrant and had his baby after he escaped custody has been cleared of wrongdoing. Adriana Martinovic, 41, was a guard at Villawood Immigration Detention Centre when she met Aziz Ali Abdulkader, who had arrived from Chad without the correct visa. Mr Abdulkader fell ill and was taken from the detention centre to hospital in Queensland in January 2014. He fled the ward and was later picked up in a car by Ms Martinovic. The couple moved into a house in Greenacre, in Sydney's west, and Ms Martinovic fell pregnant shortly after. Ms Martinovic was in hospital to give birth to their son when Mr Abdulkader was arrested and taken into custody in October 2014. Adriana Martinovic, 41, was a guard at Villawood Immigration Detention Centre when she met Aziz Ali Abdulkader, who had arrived from Chad without the correct visa Mr Abdulkader was taken to hospital in Queensland in January 2014 and fled before being picked up in a car by Ms Martinovic. Pictured with their son Ms Martinovic was charged with harbouring an unlawful non-citizen. In the Sydney District Court on Wednesday, the mother-of-three was found unanimously not guilty by a jury. 'It has been a long legal battle and I'm grateful that finally my name can be cleared in the community,' Ms Martinovic told the Daily Telegraph. Ms Martinovic has always maintained her innocence, and said Abdulkader lied to her abut having a visa when he called her from the hospital. Adriana Martinovic is seen leaving the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney in September 2018 The pair met while Ms Martinovic worked as a guard at Villawood Immigration Detention Centre Ms Martinovic's lawyers told the court she didn't know Abdelgader was on the run. 'He told me he had a visa and I believed him,' Ms Martinovic later told police. Crown prosecutor Adrian Williams told the court Ms Martinovic used 'subterfuge' to keep her relationship with Mr Abdelgader a secret from her bosses at the detention centre. Ms Martinovic and Mr Abdulkader married in 2015 and he has obtained a spousal visa to live in Australia. Ms Martinovic always maintained her innocence, and said the Chad-native lied to her abut having a visa when he called her from the hospital During her 2018 trial, the first of two trials, Ms Martinovic's barrister told the jury the case was a 'love story' which began in a place not known for romance. 'In today's climate it's online, it's Tinder. You meet your partners everywhere,' Mr Clarke said at the time. 'Human nature means you don't know where you're going to meet the person who you think is Mr Right or Ms Right.' Photograph: Drew Angerer/Getty Images Will historians find Donald Trumps impeachment remarkable because Republican politicians turned a blind eye to such egregious wrongdoing and acquitted him? Or will they find it remarkable because it was the last time a cadre of Republican officials publicly turned against Trump? While most of the career civil servants who defied the president by testifying in the impeachment inquiry do not publicly identify as Republican, many were Trump appointees with strong Republican ties, while other key figures such as former national security adviser John Bolton are wizened party warriors. In the end, only one elected Republican, Mitt Romney, voted against Trump, making the question of his ultimate survival of impeachment not even close. So, while Trump will forever be an impeached president, his acquittal should count as a major political win. Heres how it went down: The base stuck with him In a string of speeches this week, Republican senators have explained their votes to acquit Trump by impugning the strength of the Democratic case, repeating quibbles with the process in the House of Representatives, and expressing offense at various things the impeachment managers or top Democrats said or did. But did Trump really avoid removal because the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, passed out pens after the articles of impeachment were signed, or because the lead impeachment manager, Adam Schiff, made reference to a news story about senators heads on pikes? A more likely explanation for Trumps survival was the unchanging opposition of the Republican base to removal. The proportion of Republicans favoring removal fluctuated between 8% and 10%, while support for removal among Independents was likewise stationary at around 42%, according to FiveThirtyEight. That wasnt enough pressure to get lawmakers attention. Elected Republicans stayed in line Where the base goes, the elected politicians shall follow, and in this case the base went nowhere. And so elected Republicans went nowhere, with the exception of Romney, supporting Trump from (Senator Lamar) Alexander to (Representative Lee) Zeldin. Story continues The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, Lindsey Graham and others said before the trial that they would not be impartial jurors, despite a sworn oath of impartiality they took as the trial began. Against such loyalty to Trump, what piece of evidence or argument could be expected to make a dent? In some cases, the extent of Republicans defense of Trump seemed to exceed what was strictly necessary to protect the president from removal. Instead of questioning witnesses, Republicans in the House wove conspiracy theories about Hunter Biden. Instead of calling witnesses, Republicans in the Senate discoursed at length on the sheer impossibility of knowing what Trump was thinking when he withheld aid to Ukraine. The Senate is broken From the dust of Democratic losses in the 2014 midterm elections halfway through Barack Obamas second term rose a new Senate majority leader, McConnell, who cruised in with a 10-seat majority on sub-basement turnout. In the two US Senate election years since then, Democratic candidates have attracted a whopping 29 million more votes than Republican candidates but the Republican majority has shrunk by only a couple of seats. Thats because each state gets two senators no matter how few people live there. In short, the US Senate is not representative of the country, which as a whole favored the introduction of witnesses and documents at the trial, a step blocked by Republicans. Mind-blowing stat: 48 Senators who voted to convict Trump represent 18 million more Americans than 52 Republicans who voted to acquit Ari Berman (@AriBerman) February 5, 2020 No thanks to Schiff Whatever factors Trump can point to that aided his survival in office, not on the list is the performance of the House impeachment managers, led by the intelligence committee chair Schiff. As soon as Democrats realized the White House was trying to prevent a whistleblower complaint from reaching Congress, Schiff opened the investigation that Pelosi deemed a formal impeachment inquiry on 24 September. Over the next four-plus months, Democrats fought against a blanket gag imposed by Trump to gather evidence and bring the details of the case to the public. After Trump ordered his administration to refuse to comply with subpoenas, Republicans faulted Democrats for failing to gather evidence. After lawyers for Bolton threatened the House with a lawsuit if he were subpoenaed, Republicans faulted Democrats for not issuing the subpoena. Against each obstacle, the managers and staff worked forward, conducting depositions, holding public hearings, issuing public reports and finally prosecuting the case in the Senate well. At trial, Schiff in particular anthologized the facts against Trump to weave damning accounts of the presidents conduct. However, Trump will claim victory at having escaped removal, the case against him is in the can. Vaginal Speculum Market: Global Size, Trends, Competitive, Historical & Forecast Analysis, 2019-2025- Increasing cases of cervical cancer worldwide is anticipated to drive growth of Global Vaginal Speculum Market. Global Vaginal Speculum Market is expected to grow with a CAGR of 2.1% over the forecast period. A vaginal speculum referred as a medical device that allows physicians and health providers to better view a womans cervix and vagina during pelvic exams. Most of the specula are made of metal and plastic, and physicians insert a portion of the speculum into the patients vagina to separate the vaginal walls. The most common type of vaginal specula has two blades which are manipulated by use of a locking handle. It is available in a variety of sizes to accommodate all women, with an especially small version used in cases where a womans hymen is intact. As of 2019, gynecologists routinely use the speculum for vaginal examinations. According to the Mayo Clinic, cervical and vaginal examinations are important in identifying abnormalities in a womans reproductive anatomy, such as cysts and cancers. Global Vaginal Speculum Market report is segmented on the basis of product type, application, end-user and region & country level. Based upon product type, global vaginal speculum market is classified into plastic, stainless and others. Based upon application, global vaginal speculum market is divided into surgery, examination and others. Based on end-user, the vaginal speculum market is classified into surgery, examination and others. Get Sample Copy of This Premium Report @ https://brandessenceresearch.com/requestSample/PostId/604 The regions covered in this Vaginal Speculum Market report are North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. On the basis of country level, the market of Vaginal Speculum is sub divided into U.S., Mexico, Canada, U.K., France, Germany, Italy, China, Japan, India, South East Asia, Middle East Asia (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt) GCC, Africa, etc. Key Players for Global Vaginal Speculum Market Report Some major key players for Global Vaginal Speculum Market are BD, CooperSurgical, Inc., Welch Allyn, Pelican Feminine Healthcare, MedGyn, Aesculap AG, STERIS Corporation, Sklar Surgical Instruments, Medicon, Robinson Healthcare and others. News- OBP Medical Launches Expanded Portfolio of Single-Use Lighted Specula at ACOG 2017. May 4th, 2017; OBP Medical, a leading global developer of single-use, self-contained, illuminating medical devices, launched a new extra-small size and first-in-market extra-large size of its OfficeSPEC and ER-SPEC vaginal specula. Already available in small, medium, and large, the addition of extra-small and extra-large sizes makes OBP Medicals line of single-use lighted specula the most complete on the market. OfficeSPEC and ER-SPEC are completely self-contained and entirely single-use vaginal specula. Each device comes out of the package ready for use and is thrown away after a single exam or procedure. Further, OfficeSPEC and ER-SPEC have an integrated, hands-free, single-use LED light source that is among the brightest in the industry, making rechargeable and plug-in light sources obsolete. With OBP Medicals disposable vaginal specula, health care organizations experience faster patient throughput, improved efficiency, and enhanced patient safety and satisfaction. Increasing Cases of Cervical Cancer Worldwide and Rising Government Initiatives to Prevent and Screen Cervical Cancer Are Driving the Growth of Global Vaginal Speculum Market. The major factor driving the growth of global vaginal speculum market is increasing cases of cervical cancer worldwide. For example; As per WHO; Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women with an estimated 570,000 new cases in 2018 representing 6.6% of all female cancers. Approximately 90% of deaths from cervical cancer occurred in low- and middle-income countries. The highest regional incidence and mortality rates are seen in Africa, where the rates are 7 to 10 times higher than in North America, Australia, New Zealand and Western Asia. In addition, increasing government initiatives to prevent and screen cervical cancer are also supplementing the demand for vaginal specula. Go Further (launched in May 2018) is an innovative public-private partnership between the U.S. Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the George W. Bush Institute (Bush Institute), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and Merck (known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada). For maximum impact, the partnership focuses on reaching HIV-positive women in countries with among the highest HIV prevalence and cervical cancer incidence rates in the world. An estimated 100,000 women are diagnosed annually with cervical cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa. Without treatment, 62 percent of these women would be expected to die from the disease. Additionally, women who are HIV-positive are five times more likely to develop invasive cervical cancer. To address these risks, Go Further is increasing access to the human papillomavirus vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, expanding the availability of vital cervical cancer screening, and providing treatment for women most vulnerable to developing cervical cancer. Request for Methodology @ https://brandessenceresearch.com/requestMethodology/PostId/604 Furthermore, increasing technological advancements in healthcare industry are also supplementing the market growth. However, risk of infection by vaginal specula and lack of awareness regarding cervical cancer in emerging economies may hamper the market growth. In spite of that, increasing advancements to develop more innovative vaginal specula can provide various opportunities for the further growth of the market. North America is Expected to Dominate the Global Vaginal Speculum Market. The Global Vaginal Speculum Market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific Latin America and Middle East & Africa. North America is expected to dominate the global Vaginal Speculum market within the forecast period attributed to the highly developed healthcare infrastructure and increasing cases of cervical cancer and hence increasing number of cervical cancer diagnosis in this region. For example; as per U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; In 2019, it is estimated that there will be 13,170 new cases of cervical cancer and an estimated 4,250 people will die of this disease. In the United States, Hispanic women are most likely to get cervical cancer, followed by African-Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, and whites. American Indians and Alaskan natives have the lowest risk of cervical cancer in this country. In addition, presence of leading players and increasing government initiatives for prevention and screening of cervical cancer are also fostering the market growth. Europe is projected to capture the second largest share of global vaginal speculum market owing to the well-developed healthcare infrastructure in this region. Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness a significant growth in global vaginal speculum market owing to the increasing research and development for new and imroving healthcare infrastructure and large patient pool in this region. Key Benefits for Global Vaginal Speculum Market Report Global Vaginal Speculum Market report covers in-depth historical and forecast analysis. Global Vaginal Speculum Market research report provides detail information about Market Introduction, Market Summary, Global market Revenue (Revenue USD), Market Drivers, Market Restraints, Market Opportunities, Competitive Analysis, Regional and Country Level. Global Vaginal Speculum Market report helps to identify opportunities in marketplace. Global Vaginal Speculum Market report covers extensive analysis of emerging trends and competitive landscape. Get Full information of This Report @ https://brandessenceresearch.com/medical-device/vaginal-speculum-market-size-and-share Global Vaginal Speculum Market Segmentation: By Product Type: Plastic Stainless Others By Application: Surgery Examination Others By End-User: Hospital Diagnostic Centers Ambulatory Surgical Centers Clinics By Regional & Country Level: North America US. Canada Europe UK. France Germany Italy Asia Pacific China Japan India Southeast Asia Latin America Brazil Mexico Middle East and Africa GCC Africa Rest of Middle East and Africa About us: Brandessence Market Research and Consulting Pvt. ltd. Brandessence market research publishes market research reports & business insights produced by highly qualified and experienced industry analysts. Our research reports are available in a wide range of industry verticals including aviation, food & beverage, healthcare, ICT, Construction, Chemicals and lot more. Brand Essence Market Research report will be best fit for senior executives, business development managers, marketing managers, consultants, CEOs, CIOs, COOs, and Directors, governments, agencies, organizations and Ph.D. Students. We have a delivery center in Pune, India and our sales office is in London. Contact us at: +44-2038074155 or mail us at alan@brandessenceresearch.biz Website: https://brandessenceresearch.biz Website: http://www.themarketstatsnews.com Related Report: Medical devises Industry Reports 2019 Beauty Supplements Market Global Size, Trends, Competitive, Historical & Forecast Analysis, 2019-2025 Data Center Cooling Market Global Size, Trends, Competitive, Historical & Forecast Analysis, 2019-2025 ROMAN Catholics in Winnipeg and southern Manitoba who care about climate change and the plight of Indigenous groups in the Amazon are invited to a Share Lent workshop on Saturday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. ROMAN Catholics in Winnipeg and southern Manitoba who care about climate change and the plight of Indigenous groups in the Amazon are invited to a Share Lent workshop on Saturday. The workshop, sponsored by the Manitoba chapter of Development and Peace-Caritas Canada, the social justice and development arm of the Canadian Roman Catholic church, will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Patricks Parish Hall (172 Worth St.). The purpose of the event, according to Janelle Delorme, regional co-ordinator, is to help people learn more about this years campaign, titled: "For our Common Home: a future for the Amazon, a future for us all." "Its a chance to deepen our understanding of the issues related to climate change, and the ecological issues facing Indigenous people in the Amazon," she said of the workshop, which will equip participants to share about the campaign in their home parishes. In particular, the event will focus on the challenges facing the Mura people, who are calling for proper consultation with regards to a Canadian-financed mine that would extract potash from their land, and the Seringueiros, a group of rubber-tappers who are losing traditional land and livelihoods to logging. In addition to learning about the issues facing these two groups, participants will be invited to sign a solidarity letter to be sent to people in the Amazon and shared with the Canadian government. The message expresses concern over the plight of Indigenous people in that region of the world, and thanks them for defending the land and waters of the Amazon rainforest, Delorme said. 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. To date, 27,000 Canadians have added their names; the goal is 65,000 signatures. Lent starts this year Feb. 26 and runs to April 9. Through the Share Lent campaign, which is supported by the Archdioceses of Winnipeg and St. Boniface, Canadas 6,000 Catholic parishes, 1,500 religious communities and 3,000 Catholic schools come together during to learn about international development and raise funds for Development and Peace-Caritas Canada. Last year, Roman Catholics in Winnipeg donated over $327,000 to the organization through the Share Lent campaign. The workshop is open anyone, including non-Catholics and non-churchgoers, Delorme said, adding she hopes people will come away from it inspired, knowing "they can work for change." For more information, email jdelorme@devp.org or call 204-231-2848. faith@freepress.mb.ca A six-year-old boy named Arjun Singh from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh was presented with the Atal Youth Award for excellence in archery. The young archer has won silver at an international archery competition in Macau and bagged the third position inh another competition in Malaysia. Arjun said that he wishes to become successful and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Mainland China Reports New Coronavirus Deaths, Cases By VOA News February 05, 2020 The number of new cases and related deaths from the new coronavirus rose Wednesday in mainland China, Chinese health officials said, while the discovery of new cases outside the mainland indicated the increasing spread of the outbreak. However, despite its increasing detection in numerous countries, the World Health Organization said the outbreak of the new coronavirus has not yet reached the level of a pandemic. Dr. Sylvie Briand, WHO's director of epidemic and pandemic diseases, told reporters in Geneva Tuesday the outbreak is at the phase "where it is an epidemic with multiple foci." As of Wednesday, at least 490 people, the majority in mainland China, have died from the coronavirus since it was first detected in December in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, with the total number of confirmed infections exceeding 24,000. There are about 150 confirmed cases in 23 other countries, including one death in the Philippines -- the first outside of China. The epidemic has also been detected on the high seas. Japanese officials said 10 people tested positive for the coronavirus on a cruise ship quarantined at the Japanese port of Yokohama. They said the more than 3,700 remaining passengers and crew will remain quarantined on board Carnival Japan's Diamond Princess for further testing. The U.S. Department of Defense said about 350 Americans left Wuhan on Wednesday aboard two charter planes that are scheduled to land later in the day at two military bases in the U.S. western state of California. The U.S. State Department said it may schedule more flights to China on Thursday but did not provide additional information. Two U.S. based airlines on Wednesday announced plans to temporarily suspend flights to Hong Kong. American Airlines and United Airlines said they were halting flights there through February 20. Hong Kong Meanwhile, medical workers in Hong Kong staged a second consecutive day of strikes Tuesday as the Chinese territory reported its first death from the coronavirus. Hong Kong shut down nearly all land and sea border crossings with the mainland at midnight local time after more than 2,000 medical workers walked off the job Monday demanding that all border crossings be closed completely. Hong Kong was hit hard by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002-03. Hong Kong health authorities identified the victim as a 39-year-old male with a pre-existing illness who had recently visited Wuhan. Also Tuesday, the Chinese gambling territory of Macau said it will temporarily shut down all casino operations for two weeks to help curb the spread of the virus. Link to bats A new study published Monday in the journal Nature said experts from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which specializes in the study of viruses, say the new virus is 96% genetically identical to one found in bats in southern China's Yunnan province. The study said the new coronavirus is 80% genetically similar to the SARS virus that killed more than 800 people in 2002 and 2003. Chinese officials do not know exactly how the virus could have been transmitted from animals to people, but believe open-air markets in China, where wild and domesticated animals are sold, may be a contributor. WHO said it expects the number of cases to grow as test results are returned on thousands of pending cases. Chinese authorities have tried to stop the spread by instituting bans on movement in certain regions, and extending holidays to keep people away from schools and other large gatherings. Travel bans irk Beijing Beijing, however, is upset that a number of countries are restricting travelers from China from crossing their borders. Government spokeswoman Hua Chunying accused the United States of spreading fear and not offering any substantial assistance in response to the outbreak. She said Washington has "unceasingly manufactured and spread panic," noting that the WHO has advised against travel restrictions. U.S. President Donald Trump has offered to send experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to China, but Beijing has yet to accept the offer of help. The United States began mandatory 14-day quarantines Sunday for U.S. citizens who had been in Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital. But non-U.S. citizens who have been in China over the past two weeks are barred. Chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman said Monday the United States is already prepared to provide housing for up to 1,000 people who may need to be quarantined. He also said the United States is "always planning for eventualities and how we may be asked by civilian partners to assist." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A devout Christian couple who believe being gay is a sin claim they were discriminated against over their religion. Byron and Keira Hordyk, who are members of the Free Reformed Church of Baldivis, had their application to be foster parents denied by Wanslea Family Services. The couple, who have their own children, took their claim to the Equal Opportunity Commission but were turned away as the commissioner who found the complaint lacked 'substance', WAToday reported. Byron and Keira Hordyk, who are members of the Free Reformed Church of Baldivis, had their application to be foster parents denied by Wanslea Family Services The case was then referred to the State Administrative Tribunal and is in the process of being prepared for a hearing. The Hordyks' claim argues Wanslea would only move forward with foster parent applicants who held the same LGBTQI view as the organisation. The couple began the application process to be assessed as potential foster parents in January 2017. An initial report from Wanslea suggested the Hordyks would be suitable carers. The couple would often speak about their devout Christian beliefs, additional formal assessments found, and the organisation asked the Hordyks how they would care for a child who identified as LGBTQI. While the couple said they could love a child in the same manner they care for their birth children, they said an LGBTQI identification was a sin they would help the child overcome. The Hordyks' claim argues Wanslea would only move forward with foster parent applicants who held the same LGBTQI view as the organisation (stock image) In September last year, the couple received a letter from Wanslea explaining their application would not go further. The Hordyks' opinions on LGBTQI issues did not meet the 'providing a safe living environment' competency specified by the Department of Communities, the letter said. The couple argue they were discriminated against because their application was denied over their religious beliefs. They believe Wanslea could still approve them as foster carers for children who do not identify as LGBTQI. Update (24 February 2017): A police spokesman has confirmed that the force investigated an allegation of financial irregularities, reported on 4 June 2014, involving a charitable trust based in Southwark. Enquiries were led by detectives from Southwark CID. The initial investigation has now concluded; there are no active lines of inquiry and there were no arrests. Detectives are investigating allegations of fraud at the Golden Hinde visitor attraction on the Thames. The board of trustees contacted police after an analysis of trading records raised concerns about chaotic just-in-time management at the Golden Hinde Trust, which runs the full-sized reconstruction of the ship used by Sir Francis Drake to circumnavigate the globe. Troy Richards, the charitys chief executive, and his general manager, Kuku Leadbeater, were suspended pending an internal investigation. They both deny any wrongdoing. At a crisis meeting of trustees to review the findings of that investigation, Mr Richards and Ms Leadbeater faced questions over the running of the Bankside attraction, which is visited by 20,000 schoolchildren a year. The trustees main concern was that Mr Richards had set up a private trading company subsidiary Golden Hinde Trading Ltd and made himself a 60 per cent shareholder with Ms Leadbeater holding 20 per cent, which the trustees say was done without their knowledge. They said there should have been a paper for the trustees, discussion and a minuted decision before any company was established. The trustees considered that the arrangement was insufficient to provide comfort that funds were not being used inappropriately and put the charity at very serious risk with regards to its tax status. Mr Richards told the Standard that the establishment of the company had been discussed with the trustees last October. Trustees also questioned why the trust had paid for a visa application for Ms Leadbeater, an American, to work for the organisation even though she apparently did not have the human resources experience they had identified as a priority. Mr Richards told the Standard that Ms Leadbeater had been the right person for the job. He also said the police would find no crime, no money was missing and that he had not deceived the trustees. He pointed out he had increased turnover five-fold and everything he had done was in the interests of the charity. According to the minutes, trustee Martin Crawford-Brunt said there had been a systematic breakdown of confidence in management. He and the six other trustees resigned with a recommendation to their successors that Mr Richards and Ms Leadbeater be dismissed. The trust has yet to file its accounts for 2012-13 in breach of rules. Heavily pregnant Lara Bingle covered up her baby bump on Thursday as she stepped out with actress pal Phoebe Tonkin for breakfast in Los Angeles. The 32-year-old looked incredibly stylish in a cream coat and toted a Bottega Veneta handbag, worth a cool $3,850. Lara is expecting her third child - a son - in the coming months with husband Sam Worthington, 43. One stylish mama! Heavily pregnant Lara Bingle covered up her baby bump in a chic coat and carried a $4,000 designer bag as she joined Phoebe Tonkin for breakfast in Los Angeles on Thursday Lara teamed her chic coat with a black hooded jumper and tights. She completed her outfit with black combat boots and appeared to be makeup free, with her short locks out and around her face. Meanwhile, The Originals star Phoebe, 30, also looked trendy in a black coat, which she teamed with a jumpsuit and flats. Trendy twosome: Lara paired her chic coat with a black hooded jumper and tights. The Originals star Phoebe, 30, (left) also looked trendy in a black coat, which she teamed with a checkered jumpsuit underneath and flats The pair have been close friends for years and appeared in high spirits on the day, smiling and laughing as they strolled in the sun. Despite the rumour mill spinning for months, Lara only confirmed her pregnancy at the end of November. She already shares two sons, Rocket, four, and Racer, three, with her actor husband Sam, whom she married in late 2014. Baby on board! Despite the rumour mill spinning for months, Lara only confirmed her pregnancy at the end of November 'Yes, I'm pregnant,' she told Vogue Australia in November. 'I'm having a boy, early next year. It's my third boy, and we're all very happy.' 'I think any addition brings joy and happiness to the family, but more so when you can share it with the other boys. It's such a boys' club in my house!' The notoriously private couple began dating in 2013 and tied the knot just a year later. A normal resting heart rate (RHR) can vary significantly among individuals, hinting that its not always between 60 and 100 beats per minute, a new study finds. The heart is a vital organ, pumping blood and delivering the needed oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. The heart rate or pulse rate is the number of times the heart beats in a minute. Most healthy people experience little variation in their heart rates at rest, but a team of researchers at the Giorgio Quer of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, California, has found that normal resting heart rates can differ between people by a staggering 70 beats per minute. Image Credit: file404 / Shutterstock Normal resting heart rate differs Published in the journal PLOS ONE, the study sheds light on the difference of resting pulse rates between and people and how a doctor can assess whether the heart rate is normal or not. In some people, their heart rates may be normal at 100 beats per minute while it may be a sign of heart disease in others. The scientists further recommend that visiting a doctor regularly is important to evaluate ones heart health and doctors should gauge deviations in heart rate to determine ones heart health than to compare the findings to the normal range in the general population. Further, the researchers suggest that measuring fluctuations in the resting heart rate of a patient is better to gauge heart health. The doctor can measure the heart rate, but measures are rarely actionable unless they fluctuate and deviate markedly from a normal range. The use of wearable monitors that assess or measure heart rates over time is crucial to determine ones normal resting heart rate at the individual level. The large-scale study Vital signs measure ones overall health status, including the blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate or heart rate, and respiratory rate. All these measures are important to determine a persons health and status. Resting heart rate is perhaps the most fundamental vital sign, but is also the most temperamental, which means it can change from time to time. The normal heart rate ranges between 60 and 100 beats per minute, with 70 as the normal reading in a healthy adult. However, in athletes, the reading tends to be far below that, and in pregnant women, it exceeds the maximum normal of 100 bpm. Previously, resting heart rates more than 90 bpm and less than 65 bpm, have been tied to a higher cardiovascular risk. Doctors have long recognized that this viral has limitations, saying that it provides little information about the current health of a patient unless it drastically deviates from the expected range. To land to their findings, the team conducted a retrospective, longitudinal cohort study involving 92,457 people from the United States between March 2016 and February 2018. The researches collected daily resting heart rate, and its link to BMI, sex, age, sleep duration, and variations over time. They found that normal variations from person to person occur by as much as 70 bpm. Individuals have a daily RHR that is normal for them but can differ from another individuals normal by as much as 70 bpm. Within individuals, RHR was much more consistent over time, with a small but significant seasonal trend, and detectable discrete and infrequent episodes outside their norms, the team concluded in the study. The team also observed a small seasonal trend in the RHR, with January incurring higher values, and July has lower values. Further, some people experience occasional heart rate fluctuations that differ by 10 or more beats per minute from their normal range. Heart monitoring sensors With the advent of smartphones and wearable sensors, doctors can monitor their patient's daily resting heart rates, providing a clear picture of their heart health. The study sheds light on the importance of tracking a patients daily resting heart rate could help doctors assess a persons heart status than a one-time check. The team also said that day-to-day changes in RHR could be the first individualized digital vital sign, thanks to wearable sensor technologies. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed his readiness ... to "bail on" the EU after the transition talks. He made this bold statement at a meeting with business groups in Greenwich a month before negotiations with the EU. Boris Johnson, addressing British entrepreneurs, said that signing a trade agreement with Brussels "does not mean" that London will accept EU standards of competition, subsidies, the environment or fisheries. "We will agree that the autonomy of our right-wing system will not be affected in any way. Following the example of Canada, Australia, whose economies are weakly connected with Europe and which have zero trade tariffs with the EU," eccentric Johnson announced. The Old World will face even greater surprises when the Brexit transition period ends. Boris Johnson hopes to introduce stringent environmental standards in the UK, much strict than those existing in relation to the automotive industry in the continental Europe. The British prime minister plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars. The rule, he said, will not affect the domestic resale market - i.e. UK citizens will be able to sell their cars with any engine to each other, in accordance with applicable law. But after the transition period it will be possible to bring only electric vehicles to the island, or an even newer, more perfect vehicle in terms of environmental standards, when or if it appears. The Brexit transition period is designed for an incomplete year and in order to avoid shocks the EU and Great Britain have to sign very detained agreements. So does it make sense if the British leader declares that he will act as he sees and evaluates the situation himself, proceeding from the UK interests? Contrary to expectations, Brussels' reaction was rather phlegmatic. EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier, who recently claimed that Britain would pay dearly for Brexit, suddenly stated that Johnsons zero-tariff idea was real. It seemed that only head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen was struck by Boris Johnson's "arrogant plans". She made a lapidary statement in which she noted that talks with London would be tough and clear, and that the interests of the EU and its citizens would not be affected. Apparently, that's when you say this is diamond cutting diamond. But it seems that London has the initiative before the negotiations, and Johnsons concessions, if any, will turn out to be a goodwill gesture and a guarantee of future constructive relations. At least because after the transition period, perhaps nothing will be able to prevent the UK from establishing standards that are not totally high, as Johnson says, but, on the contrary, in certain areas lower than those adopted in the EU. And it seems that it will be so, because London is negotiating with Washington on a free trade zone, and plans to harmonize its trade legislation with the American one, whose standards in a number of areas are significantly lower than European ones. This is bad for Europe because a number of its goods and services may be pushed out in its space by the British ones. That is, Britain, having left the EU, can launch a trade and economic attack on the continent. The UK left the EU on February 1, 2020 after a 47-year EU membership. The exit from the EU was celebrated in London by fireworks, festive illumination and release of a 50p coin, which features the inscription 'peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations'. What are the changes? The UK is no longer represented in the EU institutions and can no longer take part in decision-making. But until the end of this year, it lives in accordance with EU rules, as originally agreed. London does not intend to require a visa from EU tourists. But citizens of the EU about 3.5 million people must register before the end of the year to be able to keep on living in the kingdom. However, the registration system is almost identical to the 2019 one, and only a few are refused, mainly due to conflicts with the law. But next it's up to Boris Johnson and other representatives of the British government. Pro-Brexit supporters believe that greater independence of the UK will create more jobs and stop the influx of migrants at the same time. It was these two circumstances that prompted them to vote for Brexit. Opponents of leaving the EU, mainly young people, employees of high-tech companies, explain that now it is more promising to move from the UK to continental Europe - Germany or Holland, which they did not plan and "do not really want to." But this part of the population has lost. The EU, of course, is not happy with the UK exit, which is the fifth largest economy in the world. But despite all the attempts, warnings and even mild threats, Brexit took place, and, according to David Henig, the UK trade expert from the European Centre for International Political Economy, cited as saying by the Financial Times, "it's going to be messy and unpredictable." Especially given Boris Johnson's plans to act exclusively in the interests of the kingdom and its subjects. Known internationally in evangelical Christian circles because of his missionary family history, Florida-based mission worker Jaime Saint can also claim a unique Winnipeg connection. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Known internationally in evangelical Christian circles because of his missionary family history, Florida-based mission worker Jaime Saint can also claim a unique Winnipeg connection. Saint is the grandson of missionary pilot Nate Saint, who along with four other American missionaries was murdered in the Ecuadorian jungle in 1956. Those murders were the jumping off point for local writer Joan Thomas in her novel Five Wives, winner of the 2019 Governor Generals Literary Award for fiction. The Florida-based Saint had not heard of the novel, not yet released in the United States, before agreeing to speak at Missionfest Manitoba, an annual missionary conference which opens on Friday at Church of the Rock in Winnipeg. "It certainly is a huge influence in what I do now," he said of the killings by members of the isolated Waorani tribe, also referred to as Waodani. "Just the fact (my grandfather) was obedient to the call of God in his life, regardless of the cause." At the time, the missionaries called the tribe Aucas, and their initiative to spread Christianity to them was dubbed Operation Auca. Saint is scheduled to address a youth event at 7 p.m. on Friday and the main conference at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The Minnesotan-born Saint said his approach to missionary work differs from that of his grandfather since he collaborates with local partners to develop capacity and skills through Indigenous Peoples Technology and Education Centre, a or I-TEC for short, a Christian non-profit agency. "Going and doing for people is not sustainable," explained Saint, who travels about 100 days annually on training sessions. "Going and teaching them is really the biblical approach to discipleship." Saints organization trains people in remote areas around the world in basic medical and dental procedures, video production and small engine repair. Steve Saint, father to Jaime and son of Nate, founded the organization in 1996 after elders from the Waorani tribe asked for training instead of having North American Christians come in to help them. To complement those weeklong training sessions, engineers at I-TEC developed a portable dental chair that fits inside a suitcase, a lens ladder that allows people to check out different powers of corrective lenses, and an unmanned aerial vehicle for delivering goods to remote areas. "Were trying to train local people with services that dont currently exist so they can help their own people," explained Saint, who has visited Ecuador more than 30 times. He said I-TECs mission is to support local churches, which means the people they train are required to be Christians, although those local leaders can serve anyone who needs their help. Winnipeg writer Joan Thomas grew up hearing the story of the murdered missionaries, and decades later read about the Waorani dealing with polluted water due to development by oil companies. Her novel imagines the lives of the five widowed women, but she created fictional names for their children and grandchildren and does not mention Jaime Saint. Thomas calls the missionaries efforts to reach the remote Indigenous tribe through loudspeakers attached to an airplane a "bungled initiative and badly managed" and she doesnt consider them Christian martyrs. Instead, those missionaries might have done better had they tried to learn from these residents of the east Ecuadorean rainforest instead of trying to convert them to Christianity. 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. "Its very interesting to me to know that the Waorani people are at the forefront of fighting for rainforest protection," said Thomas, who doesnt plan to hear Saint while he is in Winnipeg. "Sometimes I wish that cultural transference had gone the other way and that missionaries had become more sensitive about what the Waorani people knew about living in the rainforest and the natural order." Saint said his organization has connections to people in the tribe but does not get involved in environmental or political lobbying. Missionfest attracts up to 5,000 people to workshops, speeches, and displays by 130 mission and church organizations, said executive director Brian Hamilton. "It is to inform and inspire and to encourage people to become involved in the work of mission and ministry here and around the world," he said of the annual event, which has a $100,000 budget. brenda@suderman.com The attempt to construct a low and intermediate level nuclear waste dump near the shores of Lake Huron began in earnest 15 years ago when Ontario Power Generation first tried to get a license to excavate a Deep Geological Repository 2,200 feet underground. It appears to have ended with the landslide vote of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation against the dump on Jan. 31. OPG respects the decision of SON members, OPG Chief Executive Officer and President Ken Hartwick said in a statement after the vote. We will now move forward to develop an alternate solution. Paul Mitchell, a U.S. representative from Michigans 10th District, hailed OPGs decision to stop the project. It is welcomed news OPG finally halted their plans to build a nuclear waste dump on the shore of Lake Huron, Mitchell said in a statement Feb. 3. Stopping construction on this irresponsible project has been a priority of mine since I first came to Congress. Eugene Bourgeois, an opponent of the dump who spoke at the Symposium on Nuclear Waste at St. Clair County Community College in November 2015, cheered the decision, calling it dead and good riddance in an email. But Bourgeois, who lives within eyesight of the eight nuclear reactors at the Bruce station, also tempered his celebration. Just because the DGR will no longer be built here, the waste will stay here for a very long time, right on the shores of Lake Huron, said Bourgeois. The dirty little secret that OPG never raised was that even if the DGR had been built and wastes would go into it, nuclear wastes of all levels would have remained on this shoreline at least until the middle of the 22nd century. Production of electricity from nuclear energy is slated to last at least until 2064, and that means the Western Waste Management Facility, where the DGR was proposed to be built, would continue to receive and process them. WWMF incinerates much of the low level waste it receives, reducing its volume if not its toxicity, and stores intermediate level nuclear waste in a variety of casks and buildings. The dump was proposed for a 47-acre plot of WWMF land in the middle of the 2,300-acre parcel on which Bruce Power operates eight nuclear reactor on the shores of Lake Huron in the municipality of Kincardine, Ontario, Canada. The proposed dump site sits a half-mile from the beach and about 110 miles uplake from Port Huron. The vote The SON proposal read: Do you support OPGs proposed DGR project as the permanent solution for low and intermediate nuclear waste in the SON territory? In total, 86% of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation opposed the project. The final vote was 1,058 voting no and 170 voting yes. Four ballots were spoiled. SON is made up of the Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation and the Chippewas of Saugeen First Nation. Their territory encompasses the Bruce Peninsula and extends down the coast of Lake Huron past Goderich and along the shores of Georgian Bay to just beyond Collingwood. SON has about 4,500 members. In 2013, Ontario Power Generation committed to SON that it would not build the DGR without our support, said the Chiefs and Council of SON in a press release after the vote. OPG told The Voice during a visit to the proposed waste site early in 2016 that the excavation of DGR hinged on the SON vote. There was some doubt about whether OPGs promise would be honored. Catherine McKenna, who served as the minister of climate change and the environment 2015-2019, under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, suggested that her decision on dump might differ from SONs wishes. I will make a decision based on science and traditional knowledge, taking into account the Joint Review Panel Report and the report by the Agency on the additional information, including the views of Indigenous peoples, the public and other stakeholders, McKenna said in 2017. The low and intermediate waste from the Bruce reactors, the four reactors at Darlington and the eight reactors at Pickering, both east of Toronto, are now stored above ground near the proposed site of the DGR. OPG will explore other options and will engage with key stakeholders to develop an alternate site-selection process, Hartwick said. Any new process would include engagement with Indigenous peoples as well as interested municipalities. The dead DGR OPG proposed to dig huge cavern out of a band of limestone more than 2,200 feet below the earths surface, bounded by shale on the top and granite below, that has been stable for 450 million years, and store the nuclear waste there. The DGR was projected to hold 200,000 cubic meters of waste, some of which would remain toxic for at least 100,000 years, roughly 10 times longer than the Great Lakes have been in existence. Putting so much poisonous waste so close to the lakes amounts to madness, critics contended, especially given that all major underground repositories for nuclear waste to date have been compromised. The project received massive opposition over the years including, most recently, a December 2017 petition opposing the dump signed by 104 mayors, township supervisors and other elected officials in the region, including 14 from St. Clair and Macomb counties. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a number of scientific and medical groups have considered radiation unsafe at any level. There is no firm basis for setting a safe level of exposure above background levels of radiation, according to the EPA. Jim Bloch is a freelance writer. Contact him at bloch.jim@gmail.com. DALLAS, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) announced yesterday it will share $667 million with its Employees through its ProfitSharing Plan for 2019, which includes a discretionary, incremental profitsharing award for compensation from The Boeing Company related to the 2019 financial impact of the MAX groundings. This $667 million profitsharing award is equivalent to $1.8 million a day and is more than six weeks' pay for every eligible Employee. This reward equals approximately 12.2 percent of each eligible Employee's eligible compensation. On March 13, 2020 most Employees will receive 10 percent of eligible compensation as a contribution to the ProfitSharing Plan, and the remainderapproximately 2.2 percentin cash. Some Employees will receive the entire profitsharing award as a contribution to their retirement accounts as specified in their collective bargaining agreements. Combined with the $925 million contributed in health and welfare benefits, as well as $542 million contributed to 401(k) plans, Southwest's total retirement and benefits contribution to Employees in 2019 was $2.1 billion. "Our Employees delivered outstanding results despite a challenging year, and it's a pleasure to reward our People for all they contribute to our continued success," said Gary Kelly, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Airlines. "We recognize their resolve, persistence, resilience, and devotion to each other, our Customers, and our cause." For 46 consecutive years, Southwest Airlines has rewarded its Employees with a profitsharing award. Southwest Airlines was the first in the industry to offer a ProfitSharing Plan, and over four decades, Southwest ProfitSharing has totaled nearly $5.8 billionwith over $5 billion in the past two decades. ABOUT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES CO. In its 49th year of service, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) continues to differentiate itself from other air carriers with exemplary Customer Service delivered by more than 60,000 Employees to a Customer base topping 130 million passengers annually. Southwest became the nation's largest domestic air carrier in 2003 and maintains that ranking based on the U.S. Department of Transportation's most recent reporting of domestic originating passengers boarded. In peak travel seasons, Southwest operates more than 4,000 weekday departures among a network of 102 destinations in the United States and 10 additional countries. Southwest coined Transfarency to describe its purposed philosophy of treating Customers honestly and fairly, and low fares actually staying low. Southwest is the only major U.S. airline to offer bags fly free to everyone (first and second checked pieces of luggage, size and weight limits apply, some carriers offer free checked bags on select routes or in qualified circumstances), and there are no change fees, though fare differences might apply. Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world, known for a triple bottom line approach that contributes to the carrier's performance and productivity, the importance of its People and the communities they serve, and an overall commitment to efficiency and the planet. Learn more about how the carrier gives back to communities across the world by visiting Southwest.com/citizenship. Book Southwest Airlines' low fares online at Southwest Airlines or by phone at 800-I-FLY-SWA. SOURCE Southwest Airlines Co. Related Links http://www.southwest.com American rapper, Meek Mill has clapped back at his former girlfriend, Nicki Minaj, after she accused him of being obsessed with her and assaulting the women around him. KanyiDaily had reported that the latest beef between the former couple started when Nicki Minaj and her husband, Kenneth Petty, ran up on Meek Mill in the same clothing store in West Hollywood, California. The situation was tense as they almost went physical following what TMZ described as an epic screaming match. The next day, Meek Mill liked an Instagram meme of Minajs husband Kenneth Petty that mocked his clothing by comparing it to a Jimmy Jazz mannequin. Nicki Minaj responded by going berzerk on Meek Mill with some wild accusations. She accused him of beating his own sister, spitting on her and taping it. Nicki also claimed Meek Mill kicked her in front his mother and sent her to the hospital. Meek Mill has now responding to the allegations by bringing up her brother, Jelani Maraj, who was recently was sentenced to 25 years in prison for raping his stepdaughter. Meek said Nicki Minaj knew about her brother sexually assaulting his stepdaughter, which is the reason why he ended their relationship in 2016. As far as being a woman beater, Meek Mill denied the claims and slammed Nicki Minaj for being a hateful person. KanyiDaily had reported that Nicki Minajs brother Jelani Maraj has been sentenced 25 years to life for raping his 11-year-old step-daughter. After her brother was arrested for raping his step-daughter back in 2015, Nicki Minaj shelled out for the best legal defense money could buy, but in the end, Jelani Maraj was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Political donations are forcing Brisbane City Council decisions to be made by public servants rather than councillors, some on the council have warned. In November 2019, as part of the state government's Belcarra reforms, laws were tightened so councillors would have to declare gifts or donations totalling more than $2000 made to themselves or their party, if the donor was involved in a matter before council. Lord mayor Adrian Schrinner criticised the laws in November when all LNP and Labor councillors recused themselves on discussion of the lease for Mt Coot-tha's cafe. Credit:Tammy Law Since then, across eight meetings, the Brisbane council has referred four issues back to chief executive officer Colin Jensen for a decision after most councillors declared conflicts of interest. With Brisbane council dominated by the 20-strong LNP administration and five-strong Labor opposition, the law has repeatedly required every councillor except Jonathan Sri (Greens) and Nicole Johnston (independent) to stand and declare a conflict of interest, ending any debate. What happened The price of oil rebounded on Wednesday, with the U.S. benchmark West Texas intermediate (WTI) closing up more than 2%. That brought its price back above $50 a barrel, which is a key level for most producers. That uptick in the crude oil market helped fuel a rally in most oil stocks. Several surged double digits at one point during the day, including Chesapeake Energy (OTC:CHKA.Q), Denbury Resources (NYSE:DNR), Whiting Petroleum (NYSE:WLL), and Oasis Petroleum (NYSE:OAS). So what The main factor fueling the rally in the price of oil was easing concerns surrounding the spread of the coronavirus in China. On top of that, crude oil got a boost from a decline in gasoline inventory levels in the U.S. and the expectation that OPEC might announce deeper production cuts to help offset the expected decline in Chinese oil demand due to the virus. Several oil producers need the price of crude to stay well above $50 a barrel to provide them with the cash flow to support their operations as well as pay off debt. Because of that, the virus-driven slump in oil prices over the past few weeks has hit deeply indebted oil producers like Chesapeake, Denbury, Whiting, and Oasis hard. That quartet has each lost more than 25% of their value this year, even after accounting for today's rally. That's because investors are growing more concerned about their ability to operate, especially if oil continues slumping. Given their weak financial state, each one of those companies has been looking to sell assets to bolster their balance sheet. Denbury, for example, agreed to a $50 million asset sale late last year to help boost its financial situation. Chesapeake, meanwhile, has reportedly been working on selling its Haynesville shale assets to a company controlled by the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. Oasis Petroleum is also working on selling some assets. Just today, Bloomberg reported that the company was considering a sale of its MLP Oasis Midstream Partners (NASDAQ:OMP). Oasis owns a majority stake in the midstream company, which supports its operations in the Bakken Shale of North Dakota. A sale of that business would not only bring in cash but remove its associated debt from Oasis' balance sheet. This year's slump in the price of oil has made it both more challenging for these companies to sell assets as well as a more pressing need. If crude oil doesn't stabilize, it could force financially weak oil companies to sell assets at fire-sale prices so they can stay afloat. Now what While oil prices are bouncing back today, it's not yet clear how much the virus will impact Chinese oil demand. According to a report by the Financial Times, the outbreak might dent demand in that country by 25% this month, which is more than 3% of global consumption. Because of that, crude prices could remain quite volatile in the coming days, which could cause these energy stocks to take another plunge. Democratic presidential candidate former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg answers questions from college students while appearing in Concord, New Hampshire, on Feb. 5, 2020. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Buttigieg Keeps Lead in Iowa With 86 Percent of Votes Reported Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg remained in first in Iowa, with more of the caucus results reported on Wednesday. Buttigieg, 38, had 511 state delegate equivalents, or nearly 27 percent of the equivalents, according to results released by the Iowa Democratic Party. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), 78, remained in second with 488, or 25 percent. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), 70, had 351 equivalents; former Vice President Joe Biden, 77, had 305; and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), 59, had 232. No other candidate had more than 19. Iowa has an estimated 49 delegates, comprised of 41 pledged delegates and eight superdelegates. Voters go to the caucuses and fill out a card with their top choice and results are tallied and reported in what the Iowa Democratic Party refers to as the first alignment, or first expression of preference. For candidates who dont reach a set viability threshold of 15 percent, their supporters can either switch to another candidate or try to lure other voters whose first-choice candidates were non-viable, in hopes of making a non-viable candidate viable in the second round. Supporters of candidates who meet the threshold arent allowed to change to another candidate. After the switches, results are tallied again and reported in whats called the final alignment, or final expression of preference. Those results are used to reach a number called the state delegate equivalents that each candidate earned. That number determines how many national delegates the candidates get at the Democratic National Convention, which is being held in July. Iowas delegates wont get to vote until then but candidates, donors, and other Democrats will watch closely to see who got the most support. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) walks from the Senate subway to the Senate chamber to cast a vote in the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on Feb. 5, 2020. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images) As in previous releases, Sanders was first in final alignment votes with 39,954, or 26.1 percent; followed by Buttigieg, who had 39,006 votes, or 25.5 percent; and Warren, who had 31,264 votes, or 20.5 percent. The Iowa Democratic Party party initially released results showing Buttigiegs lead growing by 0.7 percent but later said it incorrectly attributed delegates to Tom Steyer, the 62-year-old billionaire investor, and Deval Patrick, the 63-year-old former Massachusetts governor. The corrected results showed that Sanders had actually cut into Buttigiegs slim lead by 0.4 percent. The party was slated to release results on Monday night after the caucuses but said an application developed by a company called Shadow Inc. failed to work properly. The party hasnt said when the full results will be released; 62 percent of the results from all 99 counties were posted on Tuesday night, with additional results released later in the day, bringing the total to 71 percent before the release on Wednesday brought the total to 86 percent. Shadow Inc. CEO Gerard Niemira said that employees at the company feel bad about what happened. Im really disappointed that some of our technology created an issue that made the caucus difficult, Niemira told Bloomberg News. We feel really terrible about that. Niemira said people had been using the app for weeks and that the issues that prevented some precinct chairs from logging in on Monday, the day of the caucuses, arose for the first time that day. All the data that was produced by calculations performed by the app was correct. It did the job it was supposed to do, which is help precinct chairs in the field do the math correctly. The problem was caused by a bug in the code that transmits results data into the state partys data warehouse, he said. The issue could have been foreseen but the app still failed, Niemira said. And we own that, he said. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Nothing is over until we say its over. Thats the message that were already getting from the Democrat-led House of Representatives. The Dems this year finally got what many of them had long wanted: They impeached President Donald Trump. They had a Senate trial. Washington came to a standstill (not that many ordinary Americans cared. Or even noticed). Unfortunately for the Dems, the GOP-led Senate acquitted the president in very short order. The only Republican that the Dems could coax across the line was Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah. The same Mitt Romney who couldnt even hold red Staten Island against President Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election. Whos hardly considered a Republican by Trump supporters anyway. And who only voted to convict on one of two articles of impeachment. Cmon, Mitt. Go hard or go home. And, yes, bravo to the Dems for keeping any of their own senators from defecting and voting to acquit the president. Well see if Sen. Doug Jones can hold that seat in Alabama. But thats it as far as impeachment victories go. And at the end of it all, Trumps approval rating was at a personal best, and had actually improved among all-important independent voters. And the Dems had lost a House seat when Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey switched to the GOP. Good job, Dems! Not that the Dems seem to be getting the message. On Wednesday, following Trumps State of the Union address, and before the Senate formally acquitted the president, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), one of the impeachment managers, said that the House would likely subpoena former Trump national security advisor John Bolton. It's been reported that Bolton in his upcoming memoir will claim that Trump told him personally that aid to Ukraine was to be withheld until Ukraine announced an investigation of Democrats, including Vice President Joe Biden and Bidens son, Hunter. The allegation was at the heart of the Democrats impeachment push. Which came after their Russia collusion gambit. And after the Robert Mueller report gave the party nothing to pin on Trump. All of which came after Trump beat Hillary Clinton in 2016, a defeat that Democrats still refuse to accept. Senate Republicans voted against calling Bolton or any other witnesses at the impeachment trial. And interestingly, Bolton has subsequently refused to give a sworn affidavit about Trump/Ukraine to the House. How sure can we be about any information he has? So now it looks like the House will drag Bolton in via subpoena. The investigations continue. The fishing expeditions. The drip-drip-drip of allegations, many of which turn out to be far less than what was advertised, or actually fail to materialize at all. But theres nothing in the Constitution to bar the Democrats from launching yet another impeachment proceeding. It might be a tough political lift, but there are likely plenty of rabid anti-Trump types who would vote for it today. Theyre the same ones who called for impeachment literally the day Trump was elected. Theyre nothing if not consistent. Its nothing less than what Trump has said since day one: It will never be over. They cant beat me at the ballot box, so they have to remove me by any other means necessary. And the Dems problems dont end there. The Iowa caucuses debacle has cast doubt on the partys entire nominating process before its even really begun. Add to that the fact that establishment Dems are sweating through their shirts about the possibility of Bernie Sanders being the party nominee. Theyre spitting in the faces of their own party members who back Sanders. Swamp rats. Can a presidential candidate be impeached? We may find out. A Tuesday afternoon police chase through Greene County ended in a crash and the arrest of a Charlottesville man on plethora of misdemeanor and felony charges, according to court records and law enforcement officers. Greene County Sheriffs Office deputies arrested Kerry Vonreese Cooke, 47, after searching a neighborhood near where the car they were pursuing crashed and the driver ran from the scene. Deputies said the chase began at about 1:20 p.m. when an officer attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic offense near the Ruckersville Walmart on U.S. 33 near U.S. 29. The vehicle sped away going west in the eastbound lane of U.S. 33. Sheriffs vehicles traveling eastward in the eastbound lanes were forced to swerve off the road to avoid colliding with the vehicle, which deputies said attempted to ram them. The vehicle crashed farther up the road and deputies said the driver ran into a nearby subdivision. After a short canvass of the neighborhood by Greene County Sheriffs Office deputies, the suspect was located and taken into custody, said Sheriffs Lt. Kevin Freid. Experts for skilling Bangladesh's coastal fishermen to tap potentials of marine fisheries February 06,2020 | Source: UNB Experts at a programme in Dhaka on Wednesday stressed the importance of developing the skills of the countrys 6.5 lakh coastal fishermen to tap the extraordinary potentials of Bangladeshs blue economy. We need to assess our marine resources and train the fishermen to tap the potentials to accelerate the economic development of the country alongside improving the livelihoods of fishermen, said Hasan Ahmed Chowdhury, Project Director of Sustainable Costal and Marine Fisheries Project (SCMFP), a new project. Social Development Foundation (SDF) arranged the workshop titled Supporting Implementation of Community Empowerment & Livelihood Transformation (Component-3) of Sustainable Costal and Marine Fisheries Project (SCMFP) at the Cirdap auditorium in the city, marking the inception of the new project. SDF Managing Director AZM Sakhawat Hossain delivered the welcome address, while Shyamol Chandra Karmakar, Additional Secretary (Fisheries), Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, spoke at the event as the chief guest. Presided over by former Secretary and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of SDF MI Chowdhury, the workshop was addressed, among others, by Milen Dyoulgerov, Senior Environment Specialist and Task Team Leader, SCMFP, World Bank, and Stephena Kestev, Fisheries Management expert of FAO. The experts said Bangladeshs coastal region is known as one of the highly productive areas of the world due to the geographical position and climatic condition. According to official information, mechanised boats and trawlers now can fish only up to 70 kilometres from Bangladeshs shoreline out of its total of 660-km area, while the rest of the area remains untapped. Milen Dyoulgerov said the Costal and Marine Fisheries Project will be able to address the livelihood problems of Bangladesh fishermen, who are the poorest of the poor. Though Bangladesh has the success in community empowerment, the livelihood of this section could not yet be ensured, he added. SDF, co-implementing agency under the Financial Institutions Division, Ministry of Finance and the Department of Fisheries (DoF) under the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock are jointly implementing the project with funds from the World Bank. The USD 50.24-million new project is aimed at improving the livelihood of the poor fishers community of the coastal area with the capacity to better manage local resources and expand their participation in more exclusive and sustainable development. The five-year project will be implemented in 450 coastline and coastal fisher villages of 45 selected upazilas under 13 coastal districts of the southern part of Bangladesh. United News of Bangladesh Theme(s): Fisheries Development and Aquaculture. "With LCS 19's delivery, the U.S. Navy has 10 Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ships in the fleet. LCS 7 recently deployed, and it is gratifying to know that our team has delivered a ship that is relevant for today's fight and that is needed around the world," said Joe DePietro, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager, Small Combatants and Ship Systems. "Our team is encouraged by the positive feedback we've received about LCS 7 on deployment, and we continuously look to incorporate fleet input into capabilities on LCS hulls." Today, the Freedom-variant LCS delivers advanced capability in anti-submarine, surface and mine countermeasure missions. LCS was designed to evolve with the changing security environment. Today, as we see an increase in near-peer competition from large nation states, Lockheed Martin is partnering with the Navy to evolve LCS to meet these threats. Upgrades are already underway the LCS computing infrastructures are receiving cyber upgrades and naval strike missiles are being installed in support of upcoming deployments. LCS 19 is the tenth Freedom-variant LCS designed, built and delivered by the Lockheed Martin-led industry team and will be commissioned in Pensacola, Florida, this summer. "Fincantieri Marinette Marine's shipbuilders are proud to deliver these proven warships, and we are honored to continue working with our partner Lockheed Martin and our customer, the U.S. Navy, to give them the capabilities to keep our nation and her interests safe," said Jan Allman, Fincantieri Marinette Marine CEO. Photo and video assets of LCS 19's December Acceptance Trials are available below: For more information, visit www.lockheedmartin.com/lcs. About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 110,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. About Fincantieri Marinette Marine Fincantieri is the leading western shipbuilder with a rich history dating back more than 230 years, and a track record of building more than 7,000 ships. Fincantieri Marine Group is the American subsidiary of Fincantieri, and operates three Great Lakes Shipyards: Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding, and Fincantieri ACE Marine. Fincantieri Marine Group's more than 2,100 steelworkers, craftsman, engineers and technicians in the United States specialize in the design, construction and maintenance of merchant ships and government vessels, including for the United States Navy and Coast Guard. About Gibbs & Cox Gibbs & Cox, the nation's leading independent maritime solutions firm specializing in naval architecture, marine engineering and design, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. The company, founded in 1929, has provided designs for nearly 80 percent of the current U.S. Navy surface combatant fleet; approaching 7,000 naval and commercial ships have been built to Gibbs & Cox designs. SOURCE Lockheed Martin Corporation Related Links http://www.lmsg.lmco.com/gsa I had a real spring in my step after leaving Chase Bank in December. I didnt just leave the branch, I left the bank properly and forever: Closed my account, took my money back, peaced right out of there. I felt like doing that Fred Astaire move where he jumps up and clicks his heels, but I didnt. Im kind of a nervous person and there were teenagers close by. I was giddy because Id finally fulfilled a promise to myself, that I would leave Chase and stop helping them destroy the planet. I joined a credit union and posted a picture of my chopped-up Chase cards on Instagram. Suddenly, all of my friends and their friends were clamoring to know how they could do the same. I broke the internet. It was exactly like the time Kim Kardashian released photos of her shiny bare bottom, except this time it was just me, and a constructive action taken to prevent total climate collapse. Everybody wanted to know how they could leave too. Id been meaning to leave for ages, ever since I learned about how Chase and other American banks invest their customers money in the fossil fuel industry. Last March, I called Chase and the lady in customer services hung up when I asked her about the banks deadly habit. I wish I could have left then and there, but I wanted to pay off my credit card bill first. I owed Chase thousands of truly unnecessary dollars because my credit card had a mind of her own! She was forever putting me into Lyfts instead of letting me walk or take the train, constantly ordering food online instead of allowing me to cook, and staying up late buying too many skin-care products on Amazon. The funny thing is, walking calms me down, I like cooking, and I never worried about my skin until I started buying all those potions. It is not lost on me that the things I spent money on the real reasons I got stuck with Chase took a heavy toll on other people, land and animals. Buying, taking and using exhausts me and depletes everything around me, except the companies profiting from my behavior. My credit card put me in a car driven by a person trying to get by in a punishing gig economy. Unlike Lyft drivers, public transport workers are unionized and paid a fair and regular wage (and, of course, the carbon emissions are lower than cars). My old credit card made Seamless an easy choice too, but ticking the box that mockingly says Spare me the napkins and plasticware. Im trying to save the earth made me furious. The food arrives in plastic boxes and bags, and the fact that Earth is not capitalized is just too on the nose. Stephen Colbert spent a large portion of Wednesday's The Late Show With Stephen Colbert monologue thanking Mitt Romney. The Massachusetts senator was the only member of the GOP party who voted to convict President Trump on charges of abuse of power during his impeachment trial. Romney cited the oath he took before God to honor the Constitution, as the reason for the vote. He said in a speech on the Senate floor, "Were I to ignore the evidence that has been presented and disregard what I believe my oath and the Constitution demands of me for the sake of a partisan end, it would, I fear, expose my character to history's rebuke and the censure of my own conscience." While Colbert admitted that he has made his fair share of Romney jokes, he also said he appreciates the senators faith. "Hearing Mitt Romney take his oath to God seriously was like finding water in the desert, said Colbert. "Because we know Republicans are lying when they say that Trump didn't do anything wrong or that maybe he did but he shouldn't be removed." Colbert alluded to senators like Lamar Alexander who said he didn't need witnesses to know Trump did what he's been accused of, but still voted for acquittal. And it's because of senators like Alexander, that Romney's vote against the president was so meaningful to Colbert and worthy of his thanks. "So please join me in thanking Mitt Romney for being honest, for not lying to us or himself, for serving the constitution rather than that monstrous child in the White House, said Colbert, adding, "Why can't he be president? Thanks, Obama." The Duchess of Cornwall (centre) alongside governor Natasha Wilson as she arrives for a visit to Her Majestys Prison Downview in Sutton, Surrey (Matt Dunham/PA) Women prisoners have told the Duchess of Cornwall about a programme of training preparing them for life outside and their appeal to the Duchess of Sussex to join their literary festival. Camilla met trainee chefs, seamstress and photographic shop workers during a tour of HMP Downview in south London where outside companies are working with staff to turn around the lives of inmates. Downview has Europes biggest female wing housing more than 200 prisoners out of a total population of up to 300, with the institution home to a range of inmates from those serving sentences for fraud to murder. In the prison library the duchess chatted to the organisers of the Penned Up literary festival, staged in male prisons but now in its second year at Downview with inmates hoping to attract a range of celebrities and inspirational speakers for its launch in March. The Duchess of Cornwall (centre) speaks with Kelly, (left) a prisoner working in the Clink charity kitchen (Matt Dunham/PA) A prisoner, who did not want to be named, told Camilla: A lot of the people who have joined Penned Up have been incarcerated to, its good for ladies like us to see that so that when we go back out into the public we can succeed. When we write to these people were trying to get people who will inspire us. A lot of them are like book writers, songwriters or they can help us get out feelings out through drama. She said with a laugh: One was Meghan so we can aim high. The Duchess of Cornwall with staff and prisoners (Matt Dunham/PA) The women said they have yet to hear back from Meghan who has begun a new life with Harry and son Archie in Canada after the Sussexes gave up royal life for financial freedom, but have said they hoped celebrity chef Levi Roots would be among the guest speakers. Meghans involvement with the charity Smart Works, which provides women with work wear for job interviews, was the main reason they decided to ask her to participate. Camilla told the inmates organising the festival: I think all these festivals are such good fun because you learn so much from them. Camilla chatted to a reading group in the library with Lucy, 40, a prisoner convicted of fraud offences, telling her: Being inside has made me want to become a teacher. The library has recently started working with the National Literacy Trust, which Camilla supports as patron, to implement Books Unlocked, a programme funded by the Booker Prize Foundation which gives prisoners the opportunity to own, read and discuss Man Booker Prize-shortlisted titles. Another inmate praised the librarians, saying: They deal with us, keep us sane, were hard work sometimes. It takes us away from everything thats going on in the wings. The Duchess of Cornwall (centre) alongside governor Natasha Wilson (left) speaks with a prisoner (Matt Dunham/PA) Later Camilla sampled canapes made by prisoners in the Clink charity kitchen, who undergo training which can earn them an NVQ, and served at prestigious events at Londons Guildhall in the City. The duchess chatted to trainee chef Kelly, 37, who told the royal: Im a newbie here, Ive only been here for a week and a half. She said afterwards: Im in here for drugs, possession with intent to supply, Im quite open about why Im inside. Cooking gives me something to work towards when I get out, something legit. Kelly added laughing: And people always want food no matter what happens in this world. Today in Sutton, The Duchess of Cornwall arrives at @HMPDownview to meet staff and prisoners, and learn about their rehabilitation programmes. The prison is one of only 12 female prisons in the country. pic.twitter.com/IN4zwpGNey The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) February 6, 2020 When the duchess met trainee seamstresses she had a conversation with an emotional Eastern European inmate who told Camilla she was being freed in a few days. She later said her conviction related to human trafficking. Camilla praised the women benefiting from Making For Change, a fashion training and manufacturing unit established by the Ministry of Justice and London College of Fashion in 2014. She said These ladies are very talented they obviously know how to sew, and when the prisoner said she was returning home to Lithuania in a few days Camilla replied: Well good luck, you have to keep sewing. The duchess visit to HMP Downview in Sutton was hosted by Governor Natasha Wilson, described the visit as a great event for her staff and the prisoners. The Duchess visits the Max Spielmann Academy, an onsite shop where prisoners in @HMPDownview are trained in up-to-date photographic industry techniques. pic.twitter.com/Hw5iYbcf8W The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) February 6, 2020 She said about the inmates: It makes them feel trusted in being able to interact with her and it actually gives them a lot of hope and makes them feel empowered. The governor went on to say: A lot of our women have got a very difficult past and dont have the highest level of self-esteem so it helps with that. New Delhi, Feb 6 : The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has granted permission to Delhi Metro to construct a bridge over the Yamuna flood plains under the Phase-IV of the project. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel while allowing the construction of the bridge, also imposed certain conditions. The NGT said the construction should not cause any change in flow conditions or difficulty in the barrage upstream or Signature Bridge downstream. The various other conditions that the tribunal imposed were -- activities should be carried out with minimum effect on the flood plains, restoration of the flood plain that may be impacted adversely or otherwise by the construction of bridge alignment in the Yamuna flood plain, the muck and debris generated should be disposed off scientifically and no dumping shall be allowed on the flood plains. "We may also observe that to ensure further environmental safeguards for river Yamuna and its flood plains on account of such activities in future, besides individual evaluation of such projects on environmental yardstick, Cumulative Impact Assessment is required to be carried out. The Cumulative Impact Assessment would be able to capture holistic picture in terms of impact of such future developmental activities and the required mitigation measures," the NGT said. The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by DMRC seeking permission to construct a bridge on the Yamuna flood plains under Phase-IV of the DMRC project. It further stated that the compensation of the trees to be cut during construction and operational phase of the project to be carried out by DMRC without fail. The green Court also cautioned the DMRC that any failure in abiding by any conditions thereof will lead to withdrawal of permissions. WASHINGTON (AP) An American citizen has been kidnapped in Afghanistan by a Taliban-affiliated group, a U.S. official said Thursday, and authorities are working to rescue him. U.S. officials believe Mark Frerichs of Lombard, Illinois, was kidnapped by the Haqqani network, according to an official who was not authorized to discuss the case by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. It was not immediately clear why Frerichs was in Afghanistan or where precisely he was picked up, though Newsweek which first reported the kidnapping said he was taken into custody last week in Khost province, in the eastern part of the country, and that he has worked as a contractor in conflict zones. The investigation is being handled by the FBI-led Hostage Recovery Fusion Cell, a multi-agency effort created by the Obama administration amid criticism over the governments response to hostage-taking. Art Frerichs, who identified himself as Frerichs father, told an Associated Press reporter on Thursday that he believed the Newsweek report was true. I dont want to say any more now for security reasons, he said. I have the utmost faith in President Trump and the FBI. The Taliban said it had no information on the kidnapping and nothing to say about it. No one has claimed responsibility for kidnapping Frerichs. The kidnapping comes as the United States and Taliban try to reach an agreement that would reduce hostilities in Afghanistan and open a window to signing a peace deal to end Afghanistans 18-year war, bring U.S. troops home and start negotiations between combatants on both sides of the conflict to decide the face of a future Afghanistan. Khost province is the headquarters of the Haqqani network. In November, Anas Haqqani , the younger brother of Sirajuddin, the Talibans deputy head and chief of the Haqqani network, was freed in exchange for the release of American professor Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks. The two professors at the American University in Afghanistan were kidnapped in 2016 in the Afghan capital, Kabul. _____ Associated Press writer Kathy Gannon in Islamabad contributed to this report. Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg is building the most robust field organization in Michigan of any Democratic presidential candidate. Days after Bloomberg held a Detroit rally attended by an estimated 450 people, his second visit to Michigan since launching his presidential bid last November, the campaign announced plans to open 10 field offices throughout the state. Bloomberg is skipping the first four primary contests and pouring resources into Michigan, telling voters Tuesday that Democrats need a nominee who can win the critical battleground state. All the other Democratic candidates have flown to New Hampshire now, Im here in Michigan because we have to win this state in November to beat Donald Trump," Bloomberg said. Theres no mistake about it." Bloomberg hired 65 organizers for his Michigan operation and will raise that number to 90 in the next few weeks, according to the campaign, complemented by $7.6 million spent on television advertising so far. The campaign will hold office openings in Ann Arbor, Flint, Warren and Bloomfield Hills this weekend, adding to two offices already established in Detroit.' Democrats are still waiting for some resolution from the Iowa caucus on Monday. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez called for a recanvass Thursday, after a faulty smartphone app, technical glitches and organizational issues caused delayed results. While we still await the results of the Iowa caucus, Mike isnt focusing on just a couple of states, hes focused on beating Donald Trump in November, said Bloomberg campaign States Director Dan Kanninen. Thats why Mike is making investments across the country and campaigning coast to coast, and this weekend youll see that in action. The new offices will open in Washtenaw, Oakland, Genessee and Macomb counties, three of which voted Democrat in 2016. Macomb County, a union-heavy area and the third-largest county in Michigan, surprised pundits when it flipped for Trump. Because Bloomberg is self-funding his presidential campaign, he didnt meet debate thresholds to participate in Fridays Democratic debate in New Hampshire. The New York billionaire has instead been meeting with voters and building up his presence in states that will vote on Super Tuesday -- when more delegates will be up for grabs than any other day in the primary. The expansion in Michigan, which has its March 10 primary scheduled after Super Tuesday, is part of a larger effort to take advantage of his competitors attention in states where Bloomberg wont be on the ballot. He jaunted across California, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island this week and dispatched 2,100 staff in 40 states. Bloomberg spent more than $252 million on traditional advertising across the country, according to Advertising Analytics, including a $10 million spot during the Super Bowl. Bloombergs estimated net worth is $61.5 billion, according to Forbes. Matt Grossman, director of Michigan State Universitys Institue for Public Policy and Social Research, said Bloombergs resources are nearly unlimited." Bloombergs decision to scale up his organization in states that vote later in the primary is unprecedented, Grossman said, as is his self-funded campaign. It appears to be paying off. A January poll released by EPIC-MRA of Lansing found Bloomberg has a 7 percentage point lead over Trump in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup. Bloombergs stock is rising across the country, according to a Morning Consult survey released this week. The poll found 41% of voters felt more likely to vote for Bloomberg after the Iowa caucus. It indicates that advertising works, Grossman said. Its not just about awareness, people have increasingly positive perceptions and decreasing negative perceptions. Thats a common consequence of advertising, especially when its not countered. The big thing is, nobody else is advertising in Michigan. Grossman said the blitz may not translate to votes in March, but Bloombergs fortune means he can continue flooding the airwaves indefinitely. The ads generally hammer home the simple message that Bloomberg is a problem-solver and job-creator with a track record of success. Meanwhile, the Bloomberg campaign plans to hold more than 30 voter contact events across Michigan to mobilize voters ahead of the March primary and take advantage of new changes to election laws. Michigan voters can already request an absentee ballot for any reason, so technically voting started here before Iowa. The campaign is launched an outreach program targeting seniors and retirees, who typically vote at a high rate. Grossman said that could be a way to counter the strong support U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has with younger voters. If you expect the race to come down to Bernie sanders versus someone else it makes sense to target older voters, Grossman said. If you have enough staff, money and ads theyll get to target all the constituencies in Michigan. Bloombergs also met with more than 50 mayors and ministers across the state during his Tuesday stop in Michigan. The former mayor picked up endorsements from Wayne County Executive Warren Evans and the former mayors of several Michigan cities, including Flints Karen Weaver, Inksters Byron Nolen and Adrians Jim Berryman. Former Lansing Mayor Verg Bernero also offered his endorsement, saying Bloomberg has been in the trenches fighting Americas biggest battles" through his activism and philanthropy. Not only can Mike Bloomberg beat Donald Trump, hes the leader we need to bring integrity, common sense and civility back to Washington," Bernero said in a statement. Read more on MLive: Who is on Michigans March presidential primary ballot? Bloomberg tells Detroit hes their best chance to beat Trump Bloomberg spending historic amount on Michigan Democratic primary Syracuse, N.Y. -- The New York Mets booster club 7 Line Army will be marching through Syracuse again this fall. The group has announced it will visit NBT Bank Stadium on June 5 to watch Syracuse host Columbus. It hasnt released ticket information for the trip yet. The 7 Line Army is a avid gathering of hundreds of Mets fans that goes to games at Citi Field several times a year. The group also takes road trips, including journeys to the teams minor league affiliates. It made its initial swing through Syracuse last year, New Yorks first season as the parent club of the Triple-A team here. More than 500 members showed up for that party. The group is named after the 7 train of the New York City subway, which stops near Citi Field. Lindsay Kramer is a reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard and Syracuse.com. Got a comment or idea for a story? He can be reached via email at LKramer@Syracuse.com. 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 Supreme Court will tomorrow take up petitions filed by the central and Delhi government who want a black warrant issued to execute the four men convicted for the rape and murder of a 23-year-old paramedic trainee in 2012. Additional Solicitor General KM Natraj mentioned the appeals for an early hearing before a bench led by Justice NV Ramana on Thursday who ordered that the case be listed tomorrow. The two governments are appealing against the verdict of the Delhi High Court that turned down a request to hang at least two of the four convicts who have exhausted their legal options. The high court had cited the Supreme Court verdict in an unfortunate case where after one convict was executed, the co-accuseds death sentence was commuted to life. Convict Mukesh (who was the first to file a mercy petition) cannot be adversely segregated from the similarly placed convicts simply because he has been sincerely and earnestly pursuing his legal remedies, Justice Suresh Kumar Kait of the Delhi High Court had ruled. The Centre had sought to hang at least two convicts who have exhausted all legal remedies available to them -- review plea, curative petition and the mercy plea before the President. As on Wednesday, three of the four convicts mercy petitions stood rejected. The fourth convict, Pawan Gupta, is yet to file a curative plea and seek mercy from the President. As Mukesh did, they are entitled to challenge the rejection of the mercy petition in the Supreme Court. The four death row convicts have timed their mercy petitions in a sequence, allegedly to buy time. Justice Kait had noted that the convicts adopted all the delaying tactics to frustrate the warrants but noted that the government hadnt acquitted themselves either. Once the Supreme Court rejected their criminal appeals on 5 May 2017 against the death sentence, the judge said nobody had bothered to execute the death warrants. A review petition filed by Mukesh Singh was rejected on 9 July 2018. Even thereafter, all authorities concerned were sleeping and waited till Akshay Kumar Singh filed a plea with 950-day delay on December 10, 2019 and the same was dismissed on December 18, 2019, the judge wrote in his order. Chubarov: Situation with water in occupied Crimea worse than reported by Russian media 13:40, 06.02.20 4676 At the same time, the official emphasized, there is no "humanitarian catastrophe" in Crimea. ADAMS The Berkshire District Attorney has identified the victim accidentally killed by a neighbor who was trying to stop a pair of attacking pit bulls with a crossbow, as a 27-year-old town resident. Joshua Jadusingh was killed during a dog attack that occurred shortly after noon, Wednesday in an apartment on 19 Bellevue Ave. Initially, police responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a dog attack at the apartment building. When the two officers and a K9 unit responded they found two mature male pit bulls fighting, said Andrew McKeever, spokesman for Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington. The dogs turned to attack responding officers and police shot and killed the animals with their service weapons, he said. Police then found Jadusingh had been hit and killed by a crossbow arrow - known as a bolt - in the apartment. A child, whose age has not been released, was found unharmed in a nearby room, McKeever said. Investigators currently believe a neighbor heard the commotion, called police and then made entry into the apartment, he said. The neighbor got a crossbow and shot at the dogs. The arrow hit one of the dogs in the neck, penetrated a door and hit Jadusingh as he was trying to barricade himself from the animals, Harrington said. The death has been determined to be accidental, Harrington said. One of the dogs belonged to Jadusingh and the second was owned by another adult. They were known to be aggressive and one had attacked someone in 2018, Harrington said. The Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Berkshire District Attorneys Office, with its Crime Scene Service Section, Crime Lab and Firearm Identification Section are all investigating the death. The Adams Animal Control, Adams Police, The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the Berkshire District Attorneys Office also responded to the scene are involved with the investigation, he said. Shooting comes amid an escalating dispute between the Trump administration, New York City over its sanctuary policies. Federal authorities are investigating the shooting of a man in New York City that involved a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, a case that is inflaming passions around the citys sanctuary policies. The shooting happened around 8:15am (13:15 GMT) on Thursday in the Bensonhurst neighbourhood of Brooklyn. Federal authorities were trying to arrest Gasper Avendano-Hernandez, a Mexican man accused of being in the country without documents. ICE said two of its officers were physically attacked during the arrest and taken to hospital. At least one of the officers opened fire during the confrontation, striking another man accused of interfering with Avendano-Hernandezs arrest. That man, whose name was not released, received injuries that were not considered life-threatening, authorities said. It was not clear whether he was armed. ICE released a statement saying New York City police arrested Avendano-Hernandez on Monday on a felony charge of possessing a forged instrument. Federal authorities attempted to lodge an immigration detainer for his deportation, but he was released from custody, ICE said in its statement. This forced ICE officers to locate him on the streets of New York rather than in the safe confines of a jail, ICE said. The shooting comes amid an escalating dispute between the administration of President Donald Trump and New York City over its sanctuary policies. ICE has expressed frustration in recent weeks that the city does not honour the vast majority of its detainer requests. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio addressing the New Hampshire Democratic Party state convention in Manchester, New Hampshire, US [File: Gretchen Ertl/Reuters] Mayor Bill de Blasios administration has said it complies with detainer requests for defendants only after they are convicted of a violent or serious felony. The city does not turn over defendants awaiting trial. The mayors office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Trump administration on Thursday temporarily barred New Yorkers from several programmes that allow faster security checks when they enter the US, widening the dispute over the New York state law limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the action, which took effect on Wednesday, would bar both new passes and renewals and would not apply to Transportation Security Administration pre-checks. Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli told reporters the states lack of security cooperation with federal immigration authorities necessitated the suspension of such travel programmes as one known as Global Entry. Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services, speaking to the news media at the White House in Washington, US [Leah Millis/Reuters] He assailed the state about a law passed last year limiting the information the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, which issues drivers licences, could share with federal immigration authorities. Trump has made his immigration crackdown a focus of his 2020 re-election campaign. The president criticised so-called sanctuary jurisdictions during his annual State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. New York Governor Andrew Cuomos senior adviser, Rich Azzopardi, said it was obviously political retaliation and that the governors office was studying its legal options. The suspension also will apply to programmes that allow for expedited travel between the US, Canada and Mexico, including a programme for commercial truck drivers. The DHS estimated that the suspension could affect between 150,000 to 200,000 New York residents who attempt to renew membership in the travel programmes if the ban remains in place through the end of the fiscal year, which runs to September 30. (Alliance News) - Norway's oil fund, the Government Pension Fund Global, on Thursday decided to revoke its exclusion of Drax Group PLC. Drax was excluded from investment by the fund back in 2016 after an assessment of new product-based coal criterion. At that time, it was estimated that the company had coal power capacity in excess of 30% of total capacity. "Since then, the company has undergone significant restructuring, with a transition from coal to biomass as fuel. Our estimates now indicate that the company's coal power capacity is less than 30% of the total power capacity by a good margin, and thus that the company bases less than 30% of its operations on coal," said Norges Bank, the Norwegian central bank, which manages the fund. The decision to revoke the exclusion was based on a recommendation from Norges Bank Investment Management, the asset management unit of Norges Bank. Shares in the FTSE 250-listed power generation firm were up 3.7% at 301.45 pence in London on Thursday. By Lucy Heming; lucyheming@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Of all the things actor Mandy Patinkin was asked to do in 96 episodes of the critically acclaimed drama Homeland, the toughest was simply walking away. The role has changed him forever, he says. The 67-year-old actor returned home to New York after filming the eighth and final season and tried to resume his daily life, having lunch with an old friend whom he had not seen in more than a year. Homeland star Mandy Patinkin. "He comes into the restaurant and says, 'You're free, it's over'. And I'd been waiting for it to be, to come to its conclusion," Patinkin says. "I'd been waiting to see what the rest of my life will be, and when he said that I started to open my mouth and I just started weeping and couldn't speak. "I said, 'What is, what am I, what is this happening? Why am I crying? What?' I couldn't even get it out," he says. "I struggled to breathe and then I tried to talk again and I'm a basket case again and I said, 'What is this? I've been waiting for a long time to get to this moment'. And he just put his hand on mine and he said, 'Mandy, this was an enormous part of your life. For eight years'." Police in Kerala's Malappuram has arrested two men for allegedly raping a Thailand national. The 46-year-old woman from Bangkok had recently come to Kerala to visit her child who was studying in a school in Malappuram and was staying in a hotel. BCCL On Wednesday, the accused, one of them, identified as Mohammed Insaf whom the woman had befriended on Facebook after she got her child admitted in the school in Kerala came to meet her in the hotel. Insaf was accompanied by his friend Ansaruddin, both residents of Kondotty in Malappuram district. Inside the hotel room, Insaf and Ansaruddin raped the woman and fled the scene. The duo has been arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged by the woman. All formalities including medical examination of the woman were completed, police said. BCCL/ REPRESENTATIONAL IMAGE Wednesday's incident once again shows how unsafe women in India are, both citizens and visitors. Such incidents will also result in the image of the country being affected globally and get branded as an unsafe location for visitors. This is particularly bad for a state like Kerala, which is heavily dependent on its tourism industry. According to the Kerala Government, till September 2019, over eight lakh foreign tourists had visited the state. Kerala's reputation as a foreign-tourist friendly location had taken a beating in 2018 after Liga Skromane, a Latvian Tourist was raped and murdered by two men in Kovalam. The woman who was in Kerala for Ayurvedic treatment for depression had gone missing from the Ayurvedic treatment center after she stepped out. Nearly a month later a decomposed and headless body was found at a mangrove forest near Kovalam, which the family identified as of Liga's. BCCL In November 2019, the United Kingdom has issued an advisory to its citizens who are planning to travel to India or are living in the country to be wary about their safety, especially of women. The advisory said that women travellers should exercise caution when travelling in India even if travelling in a group. The advisory also has listed several recent cases of sexual assaults on British citizens in India in recent times. In March 2019, the US governments India travel advisory- which places India at level 2 security that requires travelers to exercise increased caution said, Indian authorities report rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India. Violent crime, such as sexual assault, has occurred at tourist sites and in other locations. [February 06, 2020] Aural Analytics Appoints Four New Advisory Board Members Aural Analytics, Inc., a privately held digital health company developing the world's most advanced speech analytics platform, today announced the appointments of Greg Hickok, Ph.D., professor of cognitive sciences at the University of California, Irvine; Robert Bowser, Ph.D., chief scientific officer, professor and chairman of neurobiology, director of the Gregory W. Fulton ALS and Neuromuscular Research Center, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center; Michele Chin-Purcell, Ph.D., vice president, regulatory affairs and quality assurance, Nalu Medical, Inc.; and Tyler Knutson, head of the data analytics hub, Aetna, a CVS Health Company, to its advisory board. "We are delighted to welcome Greg, Robert, Michele and Tyler to the Aural Analytics advisory board," said Eric Reiman, M.D., Aural Analytics advisory board chairman and chief executive officer, Banner Research and executive director, Banner Alzheimer's Institute. "Their industry knowledge, combined with deep scientific, technical, regulatory and operational expertise, will help to further shape the company's approach within the digital healthcare space." The independent experts who comprise the Aural Analytics advisory board will serve as strategic resources as the company continues to advance its proprietary speech analytics platform technology. "Our advisory board plays an important role in how Aural Analytics approaches the industry's most challenging areas, notably the complexities of clinical-grade speech analytics in various settings across the continuum of care in neurology," said Daniel Jones, co-founder, chief executive officer, Aural Analytics. "I look forward to Greg, Robert, Michele and Tyler providing important counsel around our strategic direction and helping to expand our reach and impact." About the New Aural Analytics Advisory Board Members Greg Hickok, Ph.D., Dr. Hickok's research focuses on the neurobiology of language, speech and hearing with application to understanding the nature of acquired language disorders (aphasia). He has published over 165 peer-reviewed scientific papers and book chapters and edited several book volumes on the neurobiology of language and hearing. His research uses a multi-method approach including functional MRI, electrocorticography, neuropsychology and computational modeling, and has been funded by the National Institutes of Health for the last three decades. He is also a PI on the NIH-funded Cener for the Study of Aphasia Recovery (C-STAR (News - Alert)). Dr. Hickok was the inaugural Chair of the Society for the Neurobiology of Language, founding director of UC Irvine's Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, and Editor-in-Chief of Psychonomic Bulletin & Review from 2014-2019. He is the author of The Myth of Mirror Neurons: The Real Neuroscience of Communication and Cognition. Dr. Hickok received his Ph.D. in Psychology and Linguistics at Brandeis University in 1991 and did post doctoral training in Cognitive Neuroscience at MIT (News - Alert) and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. He joined the faculty at UC Irvine in 1996, where he is currently Professor of Cognitive Sciences and Language Science. Robert Bowser, Ph.D., is chief scientific officer, professor and chairman of neurobiology, and director of the Gregory W. Fulton ALS and Neuromuscular Research Center at the Barrow Neurological Institute and St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Ariz. He was a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine for 18 years prior to his recruitment by the Barrow Neurological Institute in 2011. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed scientific publications and has seven issued patents around technologies developed in his laboratory. Dr. Bowser is co-Founder of two biotechnology companies, Knopp Biosciences, LLC and Iron Horse Diagnostics, Inc., companies advancing new drug treatments and ways to diagnose neurologic disorders. Dr. Bowser's research interests are to determine the molecular and cellular basis of motor neuron cell death in ALS and translate these findings to the clinic. His laboratory was the first to publish a panel of protein biomarkers that can distinguish ALS patients from healthy individuals or other diseases with high accuracy. Additional work in his lab includes the use of nanoparticles to target drug therapies to motor neurons and the central nervous system, and the discovery of new RNA binding proteins linked to ALS. He has national and international leadership positions in the field of ALS, and co-Chairs the NEALS Biofluid Biorepository. Dr. Bowser earned his bachelor of science degree in biological sciences from Carnegie Mellon University and his doctor of philosophy degree in cell biology from Yale University School of Medicine and completed fellowship training at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Michele Chin-Purcell, Ph.D., has over twenty years of experience in Research, Quality and Regulatory Affairs in the life sciences. Dr. Chin-Purcell is currently the Vice President of Regulatory Affairs and Quality Assurance at Nalu Medical. She has served in several senior leadership roles at medical device companies such as St. Jude Medical, Spinal Modulation, Inc., and Boston Scientific. She has extensive successful experience working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and European Notified Bodies to obtain and sustain market approvals. Dr. Chin-Purcell received her Ph.D. and MS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and her BS in the same discipline from the University of California, Berkeley. Tyler Knutson is the head of the data analytics hub at Aetna, a CVS Health Company. Knutson has over twelve years of experience in the U.S. healthcare sector and focuses on combining a strategy consulting approach with data science methodologies. Knutson has worked as a director for the natural language processing (NLP) technology startup Quid, and previously as an engagement manager for Strategy& (formerly Booz & Co.), one of the world's premier strategy and management consultancies. In his current role, Knutson partners with clinical leadership and advanced analytics teams to find and deliver new sources of value for the enterprise. Knutson earned his bachelor of science degree in finance and international business from the University of Minnesota - Twin (News - Alert) Cities. The Aural Analytics advisory board is comprised of the following members: Michael del Aguila, Ph.D., chief science officer, Doctor Evidence Robert Bowser, Ph.D., chief scientific officer, professor and chairman of neurobiology, director of the Gregory W. Fulton ALS and Neuromuscular Research Center, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center John Caviness, M.D., Professor of Neurology, Founder, Movement Neurophysiology Lab, Mayo Clinic Michele Chin-Purcell, Ph.D., vice president of regulatory affairs and quality assurance at Nalu Medical, inc. David Dodick, M.D., medical director, headache & concussion, professor of neurology, Mayo Clinic Gregory S. Hickok, Ph.D., professor, cognitive sciences school of social sciences, center for language science. B.A., University of California, Irvine. Tyler Knutson, senior director, head of the data analytics hub, Aetna, a CVS Health Company Eric M. Reiman, M.D., executive director, Banner Alzheimer's Institute, chief executive officer, Banner Research, professor of psychiatry, University of Arizona, professor of neuroscience, Arizona State University, clinical director, neurogenomics, Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) and director, Arizona Alzheimer's Consortium Stacy Rudnicki, M.D., senior director, clinical research, Cytokinetics Todd Schwedt, M.D., professor of neurology, chair of research, neurology, Mayo Clinic Jeremy Shefner, M.D., head of neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute About Aural Analytics, Inc. Aural Analytics, Inc. is a privately held digital health company developing the world's most advanced speech analytics platform, built on a foundation of 25 years of speech neuroscience research and data. The Company's platform technology is based on pioneering research from Arizona State University and reinforced by multiple high-caliber peer-reviewed publications. Winners of the 2017 Global SCRIP Award for Best Technology in Clinical Trials, Aural Analytics' first-to-market technology platform powers health applications all over the world. The Company maintains headquarters in Scottsdale, Ariz. For more information, please visit auralanalytics.com or follow Aural Analytics on Twitter, LinkedIn, Medium and Facebook. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005304/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald has condemned the actions of those who planned to blow up a ferry crossing the Irish Sea on Brexit day. It comes as she confirmed she is to speak to Breege Quinn, the mother of murdered Paul Quinn, today. The PSNI were told on January 31 that there was a device attached to a lorry in Belfast docks, but nothing was found. After an extensive investigation, detectives discovered the device attached to a truck in Lurgan, Co. Armagh, on Tuesday. Police say dissident republicans are responsible and that if the device had of exploded it could have been fatal. Ms McDonald said there is no excuse for their actions. She said: "There is no appetite anywhere in the island for a return to armed or violent actions of any sort and those that attempted this act know that and I would say to them desist, stop it, you achieve nothing'." Mary Lou McDonald says she is to be speak to Mrs Quinn by phone at 5:30pm amid ongoing controversy over comments made by her party colleague Conor Murphy. When asked whether she had found the last few days of the campaign hard, considering the ongoing controversy, Ms McDonald said her priority was the Quinn family. Any time youre asked to deal with something that involved trauma or loss for any family, of course its hard, Im a human being and Im also a mother, she said. It doesnt come any more difficult than a mother who has lost her child in such a brutal way. A senior DUP MP has called for Mr Murphy to quit or be sacked over his controversial claims about the IRA murder victim. Sammy Wilsons remarks appear at odds with the DUP leadership, which has stopped short of calling for Conor Murphys removal as finance minister. Mr Murphy apologised on Wednesday for comments made 13 years ago in the wake of Paul Quinns murder when he branded the South Armagh man a smuggler and criminal. I always believe that when you take on a job, you should take on the responsibility that goes with it, White, a Democrat in his fifth term, said near the close of the hearing. I served in the military not once, not twice, but three times, so I know about commitment to duty. So Im going to be at my duty station every day, discharging my duties to the best of my abilities to make sure this situation doesnt happen again. With rise in Omicron cases, SC to conduct hearings virtually for next two weeks Can't allow every person who thinks of some solution to COVID-19 to file petition: SC Nirbhaya case: SC to hear tomorrow Centre's appeal for separate hanging India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Feb 06: The Supreme Court will on Friday take up petitions filed by the central and Delhi government seeking separate hanging of the four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape-and-murder case. Additional Solicitor General K M Natraj mentioned the appeals for an early hearing before a bench led by Justice N V Ramana on Thursday who ordered that the case be listed tomorrow. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected the plea from the Centre to hang the four convicts separately. The high court also faulted the authorities concerned for not taking steps for issuance of death warrant after the rejection of appeals of the accused by the Supreme Court in 2017. Complete legal remedies in 7 days: Delhi HC tells Nirbhaya convicts The high court, however, said, "It cannot be disputed that the convicts have frustrated the process by using delaying tactics. NEWS AT 3 PM, 6th, FEBRUARY 2020 "The Centre and the Delhi government had challenged the trial court's January 31 order staying "till further orders" the execution of all the four convicts in the case -- Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31), who are lodged in Tihar Jail. Donald Trumps critics like to think of him as an anomaly an accident of history whose rise to the U.S. presidency resulted from the quirks of the American electoral college system aided and abetted by malevolent Russian interference. Once Americans come to their senses, this theory goes, Trump will be booted from office, the U.S. will return to normalcy and countries like Canada will be back to business as usual. That is the theory. But in reality, both Trump and Trumpism have shown remarkable staying power. Trump the man has survived impeachment by the House of Representatives and trial by the Senate. He has survived the Mueller Report into alleged Russian meddling. He has survived the journalistic fact-checking designed to expose his many whoppers. Indeed, the latest Gallup poll estimates that with a 49 per cent approval rating, he is more popular now than he has ever been. He presides over a booming economy. Unemployment is down and wages are up. His Republican Party remains unified behind him. Polling shows that more than 80 per cent of Republicans approve of Trump. Meanwhile, his Democratic rivals remain deeply split over policies like universal medicare. In short, Trump is well positioned to win a second term in Novembers presidential election. Even more important, however, has been the political success of Trumpism. The U.S. president is hardly a political theorist. His language is sloppy and his views often inchoate. But behind his bluster, there is a rudimentary view of the world that rests on three principles. First, the U.S. is on its own. It has no permanent allies. Even its so-called friends such as Canada are likely to abuse American generosity in order to enrich themselves. In such a hostile world, the best America can do is make short-term deals from a position of strength. Hence the bias against multilateral trade pacts. To a Trumpist, multilateralism simply allows other nations to gang up on the U.S. Better to face your adversaries one at a time, thus allowing America to maximize its extraordinary advantage in wealth and power. In the recent North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations, for instance, the U.S. first struck a deal with Mexico and then presented Canada with a fait accompli. Classic Trumpism. The second principle of Trumpism is that America always reserves the right to renege on deals, even those it has signed. Thus Trumps threat to use national security as a rationale for imposing punitive tariffs on Mexico if it fails to toe the U.S. line on migration regardless of what NAFTA says. The third, and perhaps defining principle of Trumpism is the use of tariffs as weapons of economic warfare. Tariffs are in bad odour among mainstream economists who argue, correctly, that such levies raise the prices paid by consumers. When Trump imposed punitive tariffs on imports from China in an effort to force that country to change its trade practices, he was roundly mocked as a dangerous know-nothing. Some critics argued that the strategy wouldnt work since American consumers, not Chinese producers, would bear the cost. Others warned that the uncertainty created by a tariff war could send the world into an economic tailspin. In the end, though, the strategy did work. China agreed to change some of its practices. It also agreed to buy more agricultural products from the U.S. to the potential detriment of Canadian farmers. This certainly wasnt a victory for the liberal world order that Canada likes to promote. Rather, it was a victory for that peculiar school of political economy known as Trumpism and for the even more peculiar man who gives that school his name. Thomas Walkom is a Toronto-based freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Reach him via email: is a Toronto-based freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Reach him via email: walkomtom@gmail.com Read more about: As part of the new voter-protection effort, Texas Democrats have hired two full-time staff members, plan to add two more in the next month and could continue to grow the team in the months ahead. The party will also create a voter-protection council that will pull together the many groups and individuals who are already working on these issues. During the general election this fall, the party plans to send volunteers to polling locations across the state to observe the process, answer questions from voters and ensure that all votes are counted properly. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The pilots of an Emirates flight that crashed in 2016 and caught fire in Dubai did not realize the engines of their Boeing 777 remained idle as they tried to take off from a failed landing attempt, according to an investigative report released on Thursday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this Aug 3, 2016 file photo, a damaged Boeing 777 is seen at the Dubai airport after it crash-landed, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. An investigative report released Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, found that the pilots of an Emirates flight that crashed in 2016 and caught fire in Dubai failed to realize the engines of their Boeing 777 remained idle as they tried to take off from a failed landing attempt. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell, File) DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - The pilots of an Emirates flight that crashed in 2016 and caught fire in Dubai did not realize the engines of their Boeing 777 remained idle as they tried to take off from a failed landing attempt, according to an investigative report released on Thursday. Without power from the engines to lift the plane, Flight EK521 coming from Thiruvananthapuram, India, was doomed to crash on the runway at Dubai International Airport on Aug. 3, 2016. But prior to its attempt to land, air-traffic controllers also failed to warn the pilots that two other flights before it couldn't land due to windshear, a final report by the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority said. The crash represents the most-serious incident ever to face the government-owned long-haul carrier in its 34-year history. While the 300 passengers and crew onboard the Boeing 777-300 escaped with their lives even as high winds blew away some of plane's evacuation slides, a subsequent explosion that engulfed the aircraft in flames killed a firefighter on the ground. The flight crew reliance on automation and lack of training in flying go-arounds from close to the runway surface ... significantly affected the flight crew performance in a critical flight situation which was different to that experienced by them during their simulated training flights, the report said. In a statement, Emirates chief operating officer Adel al-Redha said the airline had taken steps to improve based on the findings of the investigative report, as well as from its own internal probe into the crash. Maintaining safe operations is a top priority at Emirates and we are committed to the continuous review and improvement of our operations, al-Redha said. Dubai Air Navigation Services, which runs the air-traffic control at the airport, did not respond to a request for comment. As pilots attempted to land the flight, they didn't realize that the plane touched down for some six seconds on the runway, the report found. Because of that, they didn't realize the plane's takeoff-go around switch had been turned off, investigators said. That switch automatically pushes up the throttle of the airplane, providing more power to head back into the sky again. Without that power, the plane tilted upward only to slam back down onto Runway 12L at the airport, the world's busiest for international travel. The plane skidded down the runway for 800 metres (half a mile) before coming to a halt. 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 report praised the flight's cabin crew for their highest professional standard in getting all the passengers onboard off the aircraft, even when the wind blew slides away and some passengers pushed their way off with their carry-on luggage. Among those onboard, 21 passengers, one of the pilots and six cabin crew members suffered minor injuries, while four cabin crew members suffered serious injuries, the report said. Some suffered burns on their feet as the temperature of the airport's runway was 68 degrees Celsius (154 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the report. The overall temperature at the time of the crash was 48.9 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit). The hotter the temperature, the more power is needed to get a plane airborne. There also had been windshear reported at the airport. That's a sudden change in wind speed or direction which can affect planes. The Emirates crash-landing came after another Dubai government-owned airline, discount carrier FlyDubai, suffered a March 2016 crash in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, that killed all 62 people aboard one of its 737-800 jetliners. Russian investigators blamed pilot error for that crash. ___ Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/2/2020 (705 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Wash your hands, think logically, and don't panic. That's a succinct summary of what a panel of experts in Winnipeg stressed Wednesday morning as the world continued to respond to the emergence of the novel coronavirus, an airborne pathogen the World Health Organization has deemed a high-risk public health emergency. "The risk to Manitobans remains low," Dr. Brent Roussin, the province's chief public health officer, told about 50 people at a lecture hall at the University of Manitoba's Bannatyne Campus. According to the most recent report by the WHO, there have been a total of five confirmed cases of the virus in Canada, with no fatalities. Most of the cases confirmed thus far world-wide are in China, where the Hubei province and the city of Wuhan have been the hardest hit. In Chinawhere over 1.4 billion people live24,363 cases of the virus were confirmed as of Wednesday, with 491 fatalities. In North America, there have been a combined 16 confirmed cases, with zero fatalities. "The risk to Manitobans remains low," Dr. Brent Roussin said. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press) Roussin said that at this point, the province's focus is largely centred on early identification, diagnosis, and treatment of the virus should it appear, and to prepare a wide-scale response should one become necessary. "The larger risk to Manitobans remains influenza," he said, encouraging those who haven't yet done so to get their flu shots, to frequently wash their hands, and practice proper cough etiquette. "The larger risk to Manitobans remains influenza." Dr. Brent Roussin Roussin said that much of the attention toward this strain of coronavirus has been driven by the fact that it's new; the initial novelty is not dissimilar to the 2009 anxiety over the H1N1 virus or the 2003 SARS outbreak. Because this coronavirus is not yet characterized, the province is taking extra precautions, he said. But he and other panelists each reiterated the importance of remaining rational and informed to combat any sort of national mania, instead relying on evidence-based approaches to deal with any outcomes. "We know fear and stigma can often be a pathogen's greatest ally," he said. Dr. Michelle Driedger, a professor in U of M's department of community health sciences, said that clear communication would be essential as the situation evolves. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press) And that fear and stigma has been accompanied at times by unbridled racism toward Chinese and Asian people, similar to when SARS led to panic and anxiety 17 years ago. Yiduo Zhao, a dental hygiene student at the U of M, told the audience that she hadn't personally experienced that phenomenon, but that she'd seen online people wearing masks and mocking Asian people. "There's no reason to be wearing masks. It's not effective." Dr. Brent Roussin Asked whether masks are even needed, Roussin said that unless someone is sick or working in a health-care setting, "There's no reason to be wearing masks. It's not effective." Panelist Inez Vystrcil-Spence, a citizen of Nelson House, said this virus brought up memories of H1N1, when First Nations and Metis communities weren't properly considered or involved in the institutional response. Nearly 20 communities in Manitoba are fly-ins, and many still don't have fully reliable or any running water, so advice about washing hands or seeking medical help if needed needs to address that discrepancy, she said. Panelist Inez Vystrcil-Spence said this virus brought up memories of H1N1 when First Nations and Metis communities weren't properly considered or involved in the institutional response. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press) Dr. Kevin Coombs, a professor of medical microbiology and the chair of the National Virology Panel, said the virus could be a flash in the pan, but it's still important to remain vigilant and rational. He pointed out that the fatality rate of the virus so far amounts to about two per cent, and that since the first case was confirmed, about 100 time as many people have died from influenza, with even more dying of tuberculosis or malaria. 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. Dr. Michelle Driedger, a professor in U of M's department of community health sciences, said that clear communication would be essential as the situation evolves. "The likelihood of the coronavirus causing anything catastrophic in Winnipeg approaches zero." Dr. John Embil "The likelihood of the coronavirus causing anything catastrophic in Winnipeg approaches zero," added Dr. John Embil, an infection control physician with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. "What we're trying to do locally is reinforce basic approaches." The local health system, Embil said, has public-health protocols in place and the situation is being monitored. "We have to maintain an element of common sense with everything we do," he added. ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca By Alex Ho Investing.com - The U.S. dollar steadied on Thursday in Asia following the release of firmer services and private labor market data. The U.S. Dollar Index Futures last traded at 98.185 by 12:40 AM ET (04:40 GMT), up 0.03%. Overnight, ISM non-manufacturing data for January showed an uptick to 55.5, beating expectations of 55. On the labor market front, private payrolls grew by 291,000 last month, a sharp increase from the 199,000 in December, according to a report released Wednesday by ADP and Moody's Analytics. That beat the economists' forecast of 156,000. The U.S. employment report for January is set for release on Friday. Meanwhile, the AUD/USD pair gained 0.2% to 0.6758 even afterPrime Minister Scott Morrison said the impact of the virus on Australias economy is likely to be significant. "We need to be clear about the full extent of the virus and how much further it will spread, the success of containment measures in other jurisdictions, that is not known and that's why I think a scenario analysis is really important," Morrison said. "And that's being done now." Treasurer Josh Frydenberg echoed his comments and said the coronavirus outbreak will have a significant impact on Australias economy due to the nations deep ties with China, though it was too soon to quantify the expected hit. The Chinese economy today is four time bigger than it was back in 2003 and our relationship is much stronger than it was back then with tourists increasing by sevenfold and students doubling, he told ABC Radio on Thursday. We dont know how severe or how sustained the virus outbreak will be. The EUR/USD pair was unchanged at 1.0997.German factory orders for December are due Thursday, followed by industrial production on Friday. The USD/JPY pair rose 0.2% to 109.95. Related Articles Oil Prices Rise on Reports of Possible Vaccines for Coronavirus Solid U.S. data and virus optimism supports dollar Forex - Dollar Edges Higher as Bullish Data Points to Economic Strength Guinea's main opposition parties on Wednesday said they would boycott a referendum on constitutional changes that critics say are ploy by President Alpha Conde to stay in power for a third term. Conde, in office since 2010 and re-elected in 2015, on Tuesday announced a constitutional referendum will be held on March 1 despite months of massive protests. At least 28 civilians and one gendarme have been killed in the sometimes violent protests in West African state's capital Conakry and other cities since October. A presidential decree also set upcoming legislative elections for the same date, threatening to further inflame tensions in a country struggling with poverty and a legacy of instability. "Nothing that Alpha Conde does would surprise us. It is up to us to do as we have promised," said one leader of opposition Liberal Bloc. "To deny him the referendum on the new constitution and deny Alpha Conde a third term." Another opposition party, the Union of Democratic Forces, or UFD by its French initials, called the "coupling" of the legislative election and the referendum together "political banditry." "We are going to urge our voters not to touch a single ballot sheet in the referendum and that we only vote in the legislative elections," UFD president Mamadou Bah Baadiko told AFP. The current constitution allows the president only two consecutive terms. Conde has neither confirmed nor denied claims he intends to run again this year. A draft constitution submitted in December maintains the two-term presidential limit. But critics fear the 81-year-old incumbent may use the new constitution as a pretext to restart the clock, enabling him to stay in office for another two terms. The president has said the former French colony's basic law "concentrates corporate interests" and needs reform. Jailed under previous hardline regimes, Conde became Guinea's first democratically elected president in 2010 and was returned to office by voters in 2015 for his second and final five-year term. His election rallied hope for democratic change after decades of authoritarian rule in Guinea, a major producer of bauxite and alumina. But critics say he too has since drifted toward authoritarianism. Hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets since October at regular rallies organised by an umbrella group called the National Front for the Defense of the Constitution or FNDC. "This is a trick to try to make more people go to the polls," FNDC leader Abdouramane Sanoh said of the decision to run the constitution and the election together on March 1. Staging the referendum and legislative elections on the same day will "trigger a situation which is going to be very difficult to manage," Abdoul Gadiry Diallo, head of the Guinean Organisation for the Defence of Human Rights (OGDH), said. "Peace and national unity in Guinea have never been so threatened," his organisation said in a statement on Tuesday. On February 6, 1990, the National Salvation Front (FSN) registered with the Bucharest Municipal Court after a decision to run in elections as a political formation with its own manifesto, according to 'Romania. Data and Facts. 1989-2009,' published by the AGERPRES National News Agency (2010). The National Salvation Front was set up on the evening of December 22, 1989, as the new state power body, with the aim of ''establishing democracy, freedom and dignity for the Romanian people.' The same day, a "Communique to the country" of the FSN Council was broadcast on radio and TV, which stated: "From this moment on, all the power structures of the Ceausescu clan are being dissolved. The government is hereby dismissed, the State Council and its institutions cease their activity. The entire power in the state is taken over by the FSN Council," according to 'Istoria Romaniei in date' (Chronology of Romanian History), Enciclopedica Publishing House, Bucharest, 2003. At the same time, a manifesto was unveiled for the democratisation of political and social life in Romania. The FSN manifesto included the following: the abandonment of the leading role of a single political party and the establishment of a pluralistic democratic system of government; organising free elections in April; separation of legislative, executive and judicial powers; drawing up a new constitution; promoting free initiative in the economy; supporting small peasant production; democratisation of education and culture; respect for the rights and freedoms of national minorities; full respect for human rights and freedoms; integration with the process of building a united Europe, etc. The National Salvation Front was registered as a political party with the Bucharest Municipal Court under Ruling 27 of February 6, 1990, according to it is mentioned in the work ''Dictionar al partidelor si coalitiilor politice si al uniunilor etnice din Romania'' (Dictionary of Romania's political parties and coalitions as well as ethnic unions) published by ROMPRES (1993). On April 7-8 1990, the works of the National Conference of the National Salvation Front was held in Bucharest, during which the election platform was established, and Ion Iliescu was elected national chairman of FSN as well as the FSN candidate for the presidential election. In the first post-communist elections in Romania, which took place on May 20, 1990, FSN won the majority in Parliament, having won 66.31 percent of the votes (263 seats) in the Assembly of Deputies, and 67.2 percent (91 seats) in the Senate, as well as the president's office. Subsequently, two groups gradually emerged inside FSN with divergent views on the nature of the reforms that were to take place. At the National Convention of FSN in March 1991, the party's statutes were adopted along with the offices of national leader of FSN - won by Petre Roman - and executive chairman - won on Aurel Stoica, and a motion called 'A future for Romania.' Following the National Convention of March 27-29, 1992, when Petre Roman was elected chairman, the group that subsequently created the Democratic National Salvation Front (FDSN) split away. FDSN was formed as 125 MPs (65 deputies and 60 senators out of a total of 342 lawmakers elected on the FSN lists), five ministers and several county organisations that supported President Ion Iliescu broke away. After the parliamentary election of September 27, 1992, the National Salvation Front garnered 10.38% of the votes to the Senate of the total validly cast votes (18 seats), and 10.18% of the votes to the Chamber of Deputies (43 seats). An extraordinary meeting of the FSN National Convention May 28-29, 1993, established the merger of the National Salvation Front with the Democratic Party, with the new name of the party becoming the Democratic Party (FSN). New statutes were adopted at the time, with Petre Roman becoming the national leader of the party. Later, the name ''FSN'' was dropped from the name of the party. AGERPRES Deputy Varujan Pambuccian stated, on Thursday, after the Cotroceni consultations, that the group of national minorities others than Hungarian does not desire early elections and will support the Prime Minister proposed by President Klaus Iohannis. "We have stated to him the reasons for which we'd rather not prefer early elections and that we will vote absolutely any proposal the President makes for Prime Minister," said the leader of the group of national minorities, Varujan Pambuccian.The delegation that participated in the Cotroceni Palace consultations also featured Dragos Zisopol, Iulius Firczak, Daniel Vasile and Gabriel Grosaru.Previously, the President had consultations with the representatives of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Social Democratic Party (PSD), Save Romania Union (USR), Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR), People's Movement Party (PMP), Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) and Pro Europa.President Klaus Iohannis invited on Thursday to the Cotroceni Palace the Chairs of the parties and formations in Parliament for consultations in view of designating the candidate for the position of Prime Minister, after the Orban Government was demoted by censure motion. AGERPRES Heavy rain has wreaked further havoc on south-east Queensland roads, including the Centenary Highway, on Friday morning as parts of Brisbane recorded falls of more than 100 millimetres. It followed a day of drenching on Thursday that left motorists stranded on a South Brisbane road and flooded a number of others, leading to several crashes, hour-long bus delays through the city and almost 5000 homes without power. Flash flooding on Didsworth Street, South Brisbane, after heavy rain on Thursday morning. Credit:RACQ / Twitter A burst sewer main on the Centenary Highway at Jindalee had caused a "sinkhole" and forced the closure of all northbound lanes. One lane was reopened just after 9am, with bus routes travelling through the area diverted to nearby train stations until mid-morning. Police detain suspects in case on arson of Radio Liberty journalist's car in Lviv The police of Lviv region have detained the suspects in the case on the arson of a Mitsubishi Colt car, which belonged to journalist of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Halyna Tereschuk, Interior Minister of Ukraine Arsen Avakov has said. "The police of Lviv region have detained the suspects in the case on the arson of the car, which belonged to journalist of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Halyna Tereschuk. Searchers have been carried out. The evidence base is sufficient. The arsonist is a student, a citizen of Moldova. We are identifying who the instigator is. Security of journalists is a priority," Avakov said on Twitter on Thursday. The Office of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Lviv region, in turn, reported on Facebook that it has identified and detained the suspect in the case. "A native of Khmelnytsky region, who, according to the investigators, torched the car, which belonged to journalists Halyna and Vasyl Tereschuk, in Lviv, was detained in Odesa," reads the statement. The law enforcers notified him of suspicion under Part 2 of Article 194 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. As reported, on January 30, a lawbreaker torched a Mitsubishi Colt car, which belonged to journalist of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Halyna Tereschuk. The incident happened between 12:00 a.m. and 12:10 a.m. on Kubiyovycha Street. Tereschuk has been working as a correspondent of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Lviv since 2000. The onslaught of abuse that Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, predicted would come after he broke ranks with Republicans by voting to convict President Donald Trump of abuse of power Wednesday continued materializing overnight as conservative media figures came out in full force to denounce him. Romney was the only Republican to vote to remove Trump from office, explaining his decision in an emotional speech on the Senate floor where he cited his faith and a duty to uphold the Constitution. While Democrats praised Romney's courage, the right - led by vocal pro-Trump commentators - immediately attacked after the president was acquitted of impeachment charges. "Utah's junior senator reminded us of why he couldn't connect with most regular, working-class people," Fox News host Laura Ingraham said Wednesday night. "They don't like politicians who claim to be holier than thou when they're really just sticking a shiv in your back." "He's the ultimate selfish, preening, self-centered politician," she added. The tone and message of Ingraham's monologue echoed widely across Fox News and conservative news outlets Wednesday as Trump's supporters rushed to make an example out of Romney. Critics viciously dissected Romney's political career and cast him as a traitor who not only betrayed the president but also the Republican Party and his constituents in Utah. Trump got in on the Romney bashing, tweeting a video that labeled the senator "a Democrat secret asset." Late Wednesday, Trump lashed out at Romney again in another tweet, this time taking aim at the senator's unsuccessful presidential run in 2012. "Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election," Trump wrote. The president's reaction, however, was mild in comparison to the attacks being mounted by his numerous supporters in conservative media. Breitbart News, a right-wing media outlet, led its homepage with a column titled, "Mitt Romney stabbed American workers in the back long before he stabbed Trump." "Anyone who has followed Mitt's career could have seen this betrayal coming," the column said. "This isn't the first time he's behaved like a bitter sanctimonious weasel when it comes to Donald Trump." The betrayal theme continued on Fox Business Network, where host Lou Dobbs said Romney would be "associated with Judas, Brutus, Benedict Arnold forever." Meanwhile, Fox News host Tucker Carlson couldn't even bring himself to say Romney's name on-air. "That senator shall go unnamed on this show on the grounds that silly moral preening should not be rewarded with the publicity that it's designed to garner," Carlson said. Following Carlson was Fox News host Sean Hannity, who introduced his viewers to a new nickname for Romney: "Pierre Defecto," a play on the senator's secret Twitter alias, "Pierre Delecto," which became public last October. "I know a lot of you, especially in Utah and around the country, are mad at Mitt tonight and you have every right to be," Hannity said, slamming Romney's arguments as "constitutionally incoherent." "Frankly, it is sad. Mitt Romney is now a diminished figure. Clearly, losing a presidential election ruins people." Ingraham took her censure of Romney a step further, urging him to resign. "If he were up for reelection this year, the people of Utah would have their own payback against him because they were defrauded by Romney," she said, accusing the senator of choosing Democrats "over common sense and conservatism." Ingraham went as far as saying that she would move to Utah to run against Romney if necessary. "We won't ever forget," she said. "Utah should never forget." Though Romney won't face reelection until 2024, that didn't stop conservatives from arguing Wednesday that his vote to convict Trump marked the end of his time in politics. "His career is done," said former White House aide Sebastian Gorka on his radio show. Romney has not publicly addressed the criticisms that poured forth Wednesday, but he told Fox News's Chris Wallace ahead of the vote that he was prepared for the backlash. "I know in my heart that I'm doing what is right," the senator said. "I understand there's going to be an enormous consequence. And I don't have a choice in that regard." Clashes erupted at an anti-government protest site in Najaf when supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr raided the sit-in. Baghdad, Iraq At least five people have been killed and dozens of others wounded in clashes between anti-government protesters and supporters of Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr in southern Iraq. The violence broke out on Wednesday at a protest camp in the holy city of Najaf after al-Sadrs supporters attempted to forcibly remove demonstrators from the site, where they were holding a sit-in. According to Reuters News Agency, al-Sadr supporters known as the blue caps because of the headgear they often wear hurled petrol bombs at protesters tents and live gunfire rang out shortly afterwards. Ali al Bayati, of the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights told Al Jazeera that at least five people were killed and dozens more were wounded, while medics put the death toll at six. A Najaf resident told Al Jazeera that the protest camp was completely emptied of demonstrators and had come under the control of pro-Sadr men and local police forces by nightfall. A video posted online showed medics attending to at least three wounded people in a crowded hospital emergency room. Faisal Said al-Mutar, founder of youth empowerment organisation Ideas Beyond Borders, tweeted on Wednesday that his tent was burned down in the attack. The deadly incident is the latest in a string of violent clashes between al-Sadr supporters and anti-government protesters, as the schism between the two groups continues to widen. 200128220456441 It came just hours after al-Sadr called on his supporters to come together to reveal the saboteurs and the nationalist pretenders by helping the security forces. The blue hats have to pave the way for this with love peace and compassion. Al-Sadr initially backed anti-government protests when they erupted in October, as Iraqis in the capital, Baghdad, and Shia-majority areas of the south took to the streets to demand an end to corruption, better economic opportunities and basic services. However, in January, he said he was withdrawing his support for the protests, prompting loyalist Sadrist demonstrators to leave the uprising, only to call on his followers to return to the streets last week. On Sunday, he changed position again following the appointment of Mohammad Allawi as prime minister-designate, asking his followers to help security forces clear roadblocks set up by demonstrators. The protesters have rejected Allawis candidacy. The spokesperson for al-Sadrs militia, Saraya al-Salam, blamed unknown perpetrators for burning a number of tents of the demonstrators and protesters there were a number of minor injuries among the blue hats and this proves that they were targeted by another side. Allawi called on the caretaker government to protect the demonstrators until a new government that meets the aspirations of all Iraqis is formed. Najaf governor Luay al-Yassiri announced that public buildings would be closed on Thursday due to the fluid security situation. Meanwhile in Baghdads Tahrir Square, protesters late on Wednesday night surfaced from inside their tents calling, Najaf we will not forget you, all Baghdad is with you. This is the moment a weary mechanic decided to do a handstand on a pile of tires and instantly regretted it. The hapless worker had to be rescued by a colleague at Texas Tires garage in Burleson, Texas, after he tried out the move to celebrate the end of a 13-hour shift. And his gymnastic manoeuvre was caught on CCTV. The video begins with the employee stood in the workshop as he pushes down on a stack of tires to check its stability. He then re-positions both his hands along one of the rims before pushing off from the ground with his left foot. The unnamed man desperately attempts to use his upper-body strength to keep his balance but he suddenly tips over with the momentum of his own body weight. The CCTV footage was recorded at the Texas Tires garage in Burleson, Texas. The unnamed man checks the stability of the stack of tires before pushing himself off the ground to attempt a handstand He ends up dropping head-first into the stack of tires as the rest of his body continues to travel until he is laid flat on his back. His colleagues, who are watching the clip on the computer screen, can be heard giggling in the background. They mock him and repeatedly say 'I got stuck' as the employee rudely gestures toward the camera. He desperately attempts to use his upper-body strength to keep his balance but he suddenly tips over with the momentum of his own body weight before he is left lying flat on his back He comically begins to flail his legs in a panic as a fellow mechanic makes his way across to lend a helping hand. He successfully manages to hoist his colleague out of his predicament and the video ends shortly after. It is thought that the employee had been attempting a handstand to celebrate the end of a 13-hour working day. It was not immediately clear why Frerichs was in Afghanistan or where precisely he was picked up, though Newsweek which first reported the kidnapping said he was taken into custody last week in Khost province, in the eastern part of the country, and that he has worked as a contractor in conflict zones. The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Mr. Kennedy Agyapong has warned that he has in his possession dirty records of all potential candidates the National Democratic Congress has penciled to partner Mr. John Mahama in the 2020 Presidential elections. Without mincing words, the astute politician named Mr. Alex Mould as one person who has seriously damaged his reputation for poorly handling the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation. In a conversation on Net 2 TV which was monitored by Ghbeyondpolitics.com, Mr. Kennedy Agyapong stated that ,it is sad he (Alex Mould) is mourning his daughter but if you know the serious damage this man did to Ghana at GNPC, you would know that having a sole aim to acquire wealth at the expense of the poor person isnt what we should strive for. Former President John Mahama is set to select a running mate for the 2020 elections and numerous names have come up. Among them include Mr. Alex Mould, Dr. Johnson Asiama, Dr. Kwesi Botchwey, Hannah Tetteh, Marrietta Brew Appiah Oppong, Prof. Jane Naana O. Agyemang, the youngest of the Ahwoi brothers among others. Source: ghbeyondpolitics.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 Surviving WWII Congo troops honoured for colonial-era battles Kinshasa, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2020 Albert Kunyuku Ngoma was a young Congolese corporal in the colonial Belgian army when he was forced to battle in WWII as far away as Myanmar. Now 97, Ngoma is one of only two surviving former members of the colonial "Public Force" military living in the DR Congo capital Kinshasa, who are honoured in a new documentary entitled "The Shadow of the Forgotten!". Recalling the battles of six decades ago, Ngoma described fighting side by side with Belgium troops against the Japanese in Myanmar, which was then called Burma. "In the trenches in Burma, we saw Belgian officers fall to enemy bullets," Ngoma said. "It was a real shock for us." The Public Force was formed as a military unit when Belgium's King Leopold II controlled the colony. Thousands of Congolese were drafted as part of the colonial armed forces, and fought during WWII in east Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Dressed in their worn-out former uniforms, Ngoma and his former brother-in-arms Daniel Miuki, 94, were praised as "living monuments" of Congolese history at a recent showing of the documentary by academic Jose Adolphe Voto. In the film, the pair were shown proudly wearing their campaign medals on their chests as they recalled details of their postings from Leopoldville, as Kinshasa was once known, to the Middle East and to Burma, a former British colony invaded by the Japanese during the war. Caps on their heads and canes in hand, two men leafed together through a yellowed photo album from Miuki's home showing pictures dating from 1940-1945. American troops were not great shots, they recalled, but they praised the combat skills of the Japanese, Chinese and Korean troops on the ground. -'Tossed aside like towels'- Both remember the racial segregation they had to face even as they fought shoulder to shoulder with the Belgians. "We were like slaves, because it was Belgium that brought us into this war. We could not say anything," Ngoma said. "When the bombs began to fall, white and black would die the same way," said Miuki, a former infantry nurse. As Belgium's premier visited the DR Congo this week, Miuki criticised what he called the "ungrateful" attitude of the former colonial ruler towards its Congolese ex-soldiers, saying they were tossed aside "like dirty towels". "France still takes care of Second World War veterans from its former colonies, and their heirs," Ngoma said. Congolese soldiers never received any compensation from the countries for whom they fought in 1940-45, according to a complaint filed in 2018 in the DR Congo by seven children of ex-combatants from the Public Force. They accuse the former colonial power as well as France, Britain and the United States of neglecting their parents and claimed more than $7 million (6.3 million euros), according to the Belgian Ministry of Defense. The case was in court late last year, but no judgment has been made. "I wanted to pay tribute to those who gave their all, not only for the Congo but in the World War," said Voto, the documentary director. "I wanted them to be rewarded morally. When I spoke with them, I was disappointed to learn that they have never been recognised by Belgium." Ryanair has boasted of being Europe's greenest airline a day after being banned by the advertising watchdog for repeating this 'misleading' claim. The budget airline was rebuked by the Advertising Standards Authority on Wednesday for a TV, press and radio campaign which ran last autumn. After being named last year as one of Europe's top ten carbon emitters, the ads described Ryanair as has 'the lowest carbon emissions of any major airline' based on emissions per passenger per kilometre flown. A smart move?: After being named last year as one of Europe's top ten carbon emitters, the ads described Ryanair as has 'the lowest carbon emissions of any major airline' ASA banned the ads, ruling them as misleading as Ryanair did not have 'adequate evidence to substantiate' its claims. This included using data from 2011. Yesterday in a typically provocative move Ryanair issued a press release repeating the same claims it has been banned from using in adverts. ASA pointed out it does not regulate 'public relations material' so will not take any further action. But Jo Dardenne, of environmental group Transport & Environment, said the ruling showed Ryanair's environmental claims should be taken 'with a pinch of salt'. The process for opening provident fund (PF) accounts of nearly 4.5 lakh teachers appointed since 2006 through panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) has finally begun from Patna following the Patna High Court directive for compliance of the provisions of the Employees Provident Fund & Miscellaneous Provisions Act. The code numbers for PF have been issued in Patna and subsequently the process for generating Unique Account Number (UAN) for all the employees will have to be taken up by the establishments concerned. Similar process has also been initiated a few other districts, though it is not clear how long it would take. At present we are doing it provisionally, as the matter is still in the court. The court will take a decision on the modalities and that is something the education department has to decide, said Regional PF commissioner R W Syiem, when asked if the accounts will be made functional from retrospective effect. In the education department, officials feigned ignorance about any development on PF of school teachers. District programme officer (DPO), establishment, Keshav Prasad, said he was not aware about any government directive on PF of school teachers appointed since 2006. A senior official said that the legal opinion of the advocate general had also been sought on the matter. The problem is that the teachers have worked for nearly 14 years without any EPF facility. They now want EPF benefits from the date of their joining, creating a difficult situation for the government in the election years. The Bihar Secondary Teachers Association has already written to the government in this regard. Syeim, however, said he could not comment on what the education department was doing. But we have initiated the process. After code number generation, the establishment has to take things forward for generation of Universal Account Number (UAN), which would require Aadhaar number and other details of the individual employees, he said. Hearing a petition by two teachers from Muzaffarpur, the bench of Justice Ashutosh Kumar had observed on January 29 last that it would be appropriate for the concerned authorities to let the representationists know that efforts being made to extend such privilege and that any lacklustre approach of the government in this regard would not be appreciated. Last year, the bench of Justice Anil Kumar Upadhyay had directed the regional PF commissioner to see that the petitioners were benefited by the EPF scheme. Necessary action in terms of the provisions of the Act must be taken by the officer at the earliest, preferably within a maximum period of 60 days from the date of receipt/production of a copy of this order, the bench had observed. The petitioners had sought a court direction to the government to extend the benefits of the EPF to all teachers and librarians and others appointed under Bihar Panchayat/Nagar Nikay Elementary Teachers (Appointment and Service Conditions) Rules, 2006/2012. It was also submitted on behalf of the petitioners that notwithstanding the stand of the regional PF commissioner that such beneficial welfare measures are extendable to contractual employees including teacher, librarian and others of the education department also, nothing concrete has been done towards implementation of such Scheme. The petitioners also presented a communication made by the chief secretary to all the departmental secretaries for implementing the PF scheme to all the organisations where the employees are more than 20, including contractual employees. But to date, no effort has been made nor any contribution collected from such employees and therefore nothing has been deposited with the EPF Commissionarate. A PIL was filed in the High Court vide in 2017, wherein the division bench by order dated January 11, 2018, took note of the fact that a decision at the governmental level has already been taken and therefore the matter would not require any immediate attention under PIL, the petition said. In 2017, former chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh had written to all the departments, citing the letter from additional PF commissioner (UP and Bihar), to start a special campaign for enrolment of all employees be it contractual, daily wagers or outsourced for enrolment with EPF. Bullet box A safety net for teachers Nearly 4.5 lakh teachers appointed since 2006 through panchayati raj institutions Have worked for nearly 14 years without any EPF facility Now want EPF benefits from the date of their joining Last year, hearing a petition by teachers, HC directed the regional PF commissioner to see teachers gets EPF benefits Code numbers for PF have been issued in Patna SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ABOUT THE AUTHOR Arun Kumar Arun Kumar is Senior Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times. He has spent two-and-half decades covering Bihar, including politics, educational and social issues. ...view detail Ghanaian students in the Chinese coronavirus hit-Wuhan have reiterated calls on government to evacuate them as they face depleting food supplies amid an ongoing shut down of the city. Wuhan is ground zero for the coronavirus. The students say they are yet to receive food and protective items despite the release of almost GH40,000 by the Ghana Embassy in Beijing. Some of the students in an interview said: the little foodstuff we have is what we've been surviving on. For instance, if you're someone who eats three times a day, you would have to eat once a day so you'll be able to survive with what you have. So the message is just one. We need evacuation. Almost all the East and North African countries have evacuated their people from Wuhan but Ghana of whom we have the most populated African students in China is delaying in evacuating its citizens. We are starving, one of the students lamented. Another Ghanaian student said, Imagine you are in a university and all your mates have been evacuated. Those coming from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and other places are gone and you are here alone and you dont know your fate. Things are becoming difficult. I have a friend who bought a nose mask two weeks ago and it has still not been delivered. Groups call for evacuation The China chapter of the National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) called on the government to evacuate all Ghanaian students in China to avoid any possible contraction of the contagious coronavirus. The University Students' Association of Ghana (USAG) also added its voice to the call for evacuation of Ghanaians students from China. In a statement, they expressed unhappiness that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had not commented on the issue and demanded the evacuation of Ghanaian students in China. The Member of Parliament for the North Tongu constituency, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa had also asked the government to, as a matter of urgency, evacuate students and other Ghanaians trapped at Wuhan in China's Hubei Province due to the outbreak of the deadly virus. He said, considering the fact that the outbreak has been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization, it would be better to have the Ghanaians returned to the country especially as there is no confirmation that any of them are infected. citinewsroom Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 16:57:23|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ROME, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and 27 others injured after a high-speed train derailed in Italy in the early hours of Thursday, local media reported. The train derailed at 5:30 a.m. local time (0430 GMT) near the northern Italian province of Lodi after departing from Milan, the state railway body said in a statement. Broadcaster Sky Italia said the two dead were members of the train crew, while trains between Milan and Bologna have been suspended due to the accident. The cause of the accident is currently under investigation. - Nyakim Gatwech, a former refugee with thick black skin has become a flourishing model - The beautiful 26-year-old faced heartbreaking criticisms growing up but has toughened through the harsh words to become a sensation - According to Nyakim Gatwech, bleaching her skin is completely unnecessary at it is a blessing to have a melanin skin A 26-year-old African model called Nyakim Gatwech with deep black skin has become a stunning sensation on social media with amazing photos flaunting her proud complexion. The beautiful model was born in Sudan and became a refugee at camps in Ethiopia and Kenya before her family immigrated to the United States when she was 13 years old. READ ALSO: Actress Jackline Wolper admits sleeping with sponsors for money READ ALSO: Shave it or keep off: Jackson Kibor insists heavily bearded men won't attend men's conference Pulse.com reported that Nyakim Gatwech was never ashamed of her super dark skin and her South Sudanese heritage when she was still in her country but began to suffer abuse when she found herself on a white mans land. She was a target of bullies simply because of her skin colour. It is reported that many people the young lady interacted with while growing up had very negative opinions about her skin. READ ALSO: Legendary artiste Gabbu's fans maul him online for calling late President Moi a thief There were some people who literally feared her because of the glowing complexion while others cautioned her to just get rid of it by bleaching. Once, an Uber driver even asked her to bleach for KSh 100,000. According to the young lady, she has been blessed with the melanin skin and there was no cause to change it for any reason. READ ALSO: Mabinti wa marehemu Mzee Moi ambao huishi maisha ya faragha To her, bleaching is totally needless and unnecessary. Nyakim Gatwech toughened through the criticism and is now flourishing as a stunning black model. 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. Crime of passion | Tuko TV | Tuko Investigates Source: TUKO.co.ke Movers and shakers? Re: Striving to keep progress going this decade, by Molly Cox, Other Views, Thursday: I read this and have a question. These 6,000 people out of our entire population who contributed to the community vision how were they chosen? Were people from voter rolls, tax rolls or drivers license records randomly solicited to volunteer for this service? Or were the usual political movers, shakers and developers who are determined to change us to Dallas or Austin the base of the selection? Penelope Talley Teach president, too Re: Briscoe Elementary students become a league of distinguished gentlemen, Front Page, Friday: What an uplifting article on Briscoe Elementary Schools program for young boys. All San Antonio schools should adopt this program to teach our young children social graces, personal elegance and leadership skills. How I wish these children could travel to Washington, D.C,. and teach the occupant of the White House these very same skills he obviously didnt learn! Kudos to Anna Ulate for her dedication to teaching. Joani Gohn On ExpressNews.com: Boys mind their manners and learn them after class Towers over Trump I see President Donald Trump has begun referring to 5-foot-8 Michael Bloomberg as Mini Mike. I wonder if Trump realizes if he and Bloomberg stood on their wallets, Bloomberg would be way taller. Ken Phelps Fleets of bright red electric bikes run by Uber will hit Australian roads this year. The new Uber-run e-bikes by international company Jump will be trialled across metropolitan Melbourne in March 2020. The announcement comes after previous bike-sharing scheme oBike, introduced in the city in 2017, failed after hundreds were pulled from the Yarra River. The company then withdrew from Melbourne after the Environment Protection Authority announced fines of $3,000 per dumped bike, payable by the business. The new Uber-run e-bikes by international company Jump (pictured) will be trialled across metropolitan Melbourne in March 2020 Despite the failure of oBike, Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp said new scheme wouldn't be like previous bike-sharing attempts. 'Share bike schemes are widely used around the world without the anti-social behaviour experienced previously in Melbourne, Ms Capp told The Age. 'We believe locals and visitors will work with Jump and our councils to make this a success.' Around 400 bikes will be available for hire via the Uber app will be tested across Melbourne, Yarra and Port Phillip councils. HOW JUMP E-BIKES WORK Tap the mode switch on the home screen to switch the app view to bikes. The user will see the available bikes in the area. Reserve them through the app and scan them to unlock. Retract the lock from the rear wheel to start. When finished riding, lock the bike using the built in cable lock in the e-bike zone shown on the app's map. Loop the helmet through the cable lock before locking up. Source: Uber Advertisement Henry Greenacre, Jump General Manager, said Melbourne has the highest per capita number of bike riders and bike lanes in Australia and was the obvious choice for the one-year trial. The bikes will cost $1 to unlock, according to The Age, and feature batteries so commuters can easily ride up hills. They can travel up to 25km/h and come with locks, helmets and GPS traceability. The cost per minute is yet to be announced. Cyclists who try to dump the bikes or park them illegally will be fined $15 by Uber. Parking guidelines state footpaths must be kept clear and bikes must be parked a minimum 1.5 metres from properties. SANTA FE Bipartisan legislation that would make state settlements public immediately rather than after a six-month wait is headed to the Senate floor. The proposal, Senate Bill 64, cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee late Wednesday. General Services Secretary Ken Ortiz said the proposal would boost transparency and simplify the law on settlement disclosure. It would, for example, eliminate a provision in state law that now requires a six-month confidentiality period before a settlement is released. Supporters say the bill also addresses loopholes that could be used to hide a settlement agreement even longer. Sen. Sander Rue, R-Albuquerque, said its in the publics interest to reveal the spending of taxpayer money without delay. 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. Ignoring opposition objections, Armenias parliament decided on Thursday to hold a referendum on constitutional changes that would dismiss seven of the nine members of the Constitutional Court locked in a bitter dispute with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians government. They would be replaced by other judges to be confirmed by the current 132-member National Assembly in which Pashinians My Step bloc holds 88 seats. The decision was unanimously backed by virtually all My Step deputies. Lawmakers representing the opposition Bright Armenia Party (LHK) voted against it while their colleagues from the other parliamentary opposition party, Prosperous Armenia (BHK), did not vote at all. My Steps Vahagn Hovakimian, who presented the draft amendments during the parliament debate, said that the Constitutional Court is Armenias least trusted state institution. Addressing the National Assembly shortly before the vote, Pashinian also strongly defended the amendments rejected as unconstitutional by opposition deputies. He again accused Constitutional Court Chairman Hrayr Tovmasian and six other judges installed by former Armenian governments from 1995-2018 of being linked to the corrupt former regime. The Constitutional Court represents the corrupt regime of [former President] Serzh Sarkisian, rather than the people, and it must go, he declared. Pashinian also claimed that Armenias highest court limits the peoples power and poses a terrible and direct threat to democracy. Its legal powers must therefore be superseded by sovereign rights of the people, he said. Pashinian went on to warn his political opponents against attempting to thwart the constitutional changes through legal or other mechanisms, saying that they would be declared anti-state elements in that case. The warning prompted an angry response from LHK leader Edmon Marukian, who accused Pashinian of blackmail. Is it you who decides who are anti-state forces and who are patriots? Is this the democracy you dream about? Marukian asked him on the parliament floor. Marukian reaffirmed his partys view that the draft amendments run counter to other articles of the Armenian constitution. He also noted that the current Constitutional Court consists of judges appointed under different governments. This is an important safeguard for the courts independence, he said. Another senior LHK figure, Taron, Sahakian, insisted that under Armenian law the amendments cannot be put on a referendum without being examined and endorsed by the Constitutional Court. Parliament majority leaders gave no indications that they will submit the amendments to the court for approval before setting a referendum date. They cited articles of the constitution which make no reference to such a validation. Pashinian and his allies hinted that the decision to hold the referendum should be endorsed instead by President Armen Sarkissian. The prime minister said Sarkisian has already agreed in principle to the holding of the vote. The president has made no public statements on the matter so far. The Constitutional Court judges and Tovmasian in particular have for months been under growing government pressure to resign. The parliament also passed in December a government bill offering them financial incentives to retire before the end of their mandate. None of them has accepted the early retirement scheme so far. Later in December, prosecutors brought criminal charges against Tovmasian. The Constitutional Court chairman rejected the accusations as politically motivated and again ruled out his resignation. He has said that the authorities want to get rid of him in order to gain control over the court. Tovmasian claimed to be unfazed by the latest developments when he briefly spoke to RFE/RLs Armenian service on Thursday evening. He said that he did not follow the parliament debate. I dont care whats happening in the National Assembly, he said. Earlier in the day, Tovmasian hosted a reception for fellow judges and Constitutional Court staffers to mark the 24 anniversary of the courts establishment. Rest assured that the members of the court will never make a decision of which they will be ashamed, he said in a speech. NEW DELHI: In more trouble for senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh, the Enforcement Directorate sources on Thursday claimed that he has close links with the Delhi unit chief of Kerala-based radical Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI). Several documents pertaining to the central financial probe agency, which were accessed by the Zee Media, suggested that Mohammed Perwez Ahmed, the Delhi Unit chief of PFI, has close links with AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and several other political leaders. The ED sources further claimed that Perwez was in regular touch with Sanjay Singh through phone calls, personal meetings and WhatsApp chat. Apart from Sanjay Singh, the Delhi PFI chief is also said to be having close links with senior Congress leader Udit Raj, the ED sources said. Perwez had also actively participated in the anti-CAA protests at the Shaheen Bagh and other localities of Delhi, they added. Live TV Meanwhile, Sanjay Singh has categorically denied having any links with the Delhi PFI chief and accused the ruling BJP of ''hatching a conspiracy against Delhi ruling AAP leaders.'' ''Just three days are left for polling in Delhi, a lot more will come against us. We are ready to face all such things and conspiracies against AAP,'' Sanjay Singh said on his alleged links with Delhi PFI chief. He also alleged that his party has revealed photos of top BJP leaders with several notorious persons and asked if any action will be taken against them and also urged the Election Commission to take action in this regard. Singh had recently come under scanner over alleged links with Shaheen Bagh shooter Kapil Baisala Gurjar, who was later identified as an AAP worker by Delhi Police. Commenting on the development, BJP chief JP Nadda had said that it exposed Kejriwal and his party's dirty face. Replying to this, AAP's Sanjay Singh alleged that photos of the shooter, which were part of the investigation being carried out by Delhi Police, were leaked to the BJP. He also said the party will approach the Election Commission to raise this issue, which has cropped up four days before the polling date. Importantly, the claim about PFI link with AAP and the Bhim Army has surfaced just two days ahead of the Delhi Assembly election. Following a direction from the Home Ministry, the financial crimes probe agency is probing the political links to the anti-CAA agitation which turned violent in some parts of Uttar Pradesh last December. The PFI has come under the scanner of ED following certain dubious transactions from accounts linked to the outfit and its related entities. The investigative agency has found that 27 bank accounts were opened in the name of Popular Front of India since the amended citizenship bill was passed by Parliament. ''The amended citizenship bill appeared in the Parliament on December 4 and since then crores of cash started flowing into the accounts linked with PFI,'' the ED probe has revealed. The central agency, which is probing PFI for its alleged involvement in terror-related activities, has found that nearly Rs 120 crore was transferred to several beneficiaries through 73 bank accounts maintained by the outfit. ED suspects that those who deposited the money were instructed to deposit less than 50 thousand rupees at a time. "But to me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great-grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband. "It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103. To the world he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to," he wrote. "Kirk's life was well lived, and he leaves a legacy in film that will endure for generations to come, and a history as a renowned philanthropist who worked to aid the public and bring peace to the planet. Kirk Douglas. Credit:CHRIS PIZZELLO "Let me end with the words I told him on his last birthday and which will always remain true. Dad- I love you so much and I am so proud to be your son." The screen icon - who served in the US Navy from 1941 to 1944, before moving into showbiz in radio and theatre had a career spanning six decades in film and TV, including classics such as Spartacus, Ace in the Hole, Lust For Life and Paths of Glory. At the Oscars, he was nominated for three best actor awards, for 1949s Champion, 1952s Bad and the Beautiful and 1956s Lust For Life, where he played Vincent van Gogh. However, he only took home his first trophy in 1996, a lifetime achievement award honouring 50 years as a creative and moral force in the motion picture industry. TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ICL (NYSE: ICL) (TASE: ICL), a leading global specialty minerals and specialty chemicals company, is pleased to invite institutional investors, analysts and media to a unique event that will take place on March 18, 19 and 22 in London, New York and Tel Aviv, respectively. The event, titled 'ICL: Leadership, Innovation and Growth' will focus on how ICL is leveraging its unique market position and capabilities to develop technologies, processes and new growth drivers across its end markets. ICL's senior management team and business heads from ICL's operating divisions will share their perspectives on the Company's market-leading positions and long-term strategy. The events will take place in the following location: March 18 ME Hotel, London ME Hotel, March 19 Sofitel, New York Sofitel, March 22 Tel Aviv Stock Exchange Conference Center More details regarding the venues and agenda can be found here. Attending the events requires pre-registration and approval by contacting Rose & Company ( [email protected] ), or Limor Gruber, Head of Investor Relations, ICL ( [email protected] ). A live webcast of the event in New York will be available in the Investors section of ICL's website at www.icl-group.com. Please allow extra time prior to the presentation to visit the site and download any software that may be needed to listen to the Internet broadcast. A replay of the presentation will also be available on the company's website. About ICL ICL is a global specialty minerals and specialty chemicals company operating bromine, potash, and phosphate mineral value chains in a unique, integrated business model. ICL extracts raw materials from well-positioned mineral assets and utilizes technology and industrial know-how to add value for customers in key agricultural and industrial markets worldwide. ICL focuses on strengthening leadership positions in all of its core value chains. It also plans to strengthen and diversify its offerings of innovative agro solutions by leveraging ICL's existing capabilities and agronomic know-how, as well as the Israeli technological ecosystem. ICL's operations are divided into four business divisions: Industrial Products (bromine value chain and complementary business); Potash; Phosphate Solutions (P2O5 Chain); and Innovative Ag Solutions. ICL shares are dually listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (NYSE and TASE: ICL). The Company employs more than 11,000 people worldwide, and its sales in 2018 totaled approximately $5.6 billion. For more information, visit the Company's website at www.icl-group.com. INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT PRESS CONTACT Limor Gruber Adi Bajayo Head of Investor Relations Scherf Communications 972 3-684-4471 +972 52-445-4789 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE ICL Related Links http://www.icl-group.com 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:
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The Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying the Expedition 61 Flight Engineer Koch, Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos and Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency) reached Kazakhstan safely at 2.42 pm India time. Koch in December set a new record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman, eclipsing the record of 288 days set by former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson in 2016-17. Her stay is just 12 days short of all-time US record set by Scott Kelly during his one-year mission in 2015-16. "Having the opportunity to be up here for so long is truly an honour. Peggy is a heroine of mine and has also been kind enough to mentor me through the years, so it is a reminder to give back and to mentor when I get back," Koch said in December. Koch, who arrived at the space station on March 14, was expected to be on a typical six-month mission. NASA extended her stay, partly in a bid to collect more data about the effects of long-duration spaceflight. Koch will have spanned 5,248 orbits of the Earth - a journey of 139 million miles, roughly the equivalent of 291 round trips to the Moon. She conducted six spacewalks during her 11 months on orbit, spending 42 hours and 15 minutes outside the station and witnessed the arrival of a dozen visiting vehicles and the departure of another dozen. "Earth is alive, and I have witnessed its power and beauty from a special vantage point 250 miles above the surface," said Koch. "Back on Earth I anticipate looking up and seeing the space station streak across the sky, wondering how my friends and colleagues are doing up there without me. For almost 20 years humans have continuously lived and worked in space and the mission continues," she added. At the time of undocking, Expedition 62 formally begins aboard the station, with NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Morgan as flight engineers and Oleg Skripochka of Roscosmos as station commander. They will remain on board the orbital outpost until early April, when NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Nikolai Tikhonov and Andrei Babkin will launch to the station. ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan used his sixth State of the State address Wednesday to elevate the unrelenting violence in Baltimore as the state's most pressing problem, and to draw a contrast with the rancor defining national politics. Hogan, a Republican, made a direct appeal to the Democratic-majority General Assembly to embrace his agenda. He pressed his approach to reducing violent crime, securing a sweeping tax break for all retirees and overhauling political redistricting - proposals he has floated for years but lacked the political muscle to pass. In tone and substance, the governor drew a contrast with the theatrical State of the Union speech President Donald Trump gave the night before, 30 miles down the road in Washington. Government is strongest, Hogan told a joint session of the General Assembly, when opposing sides find compromise. "He was obviously trying to be un-Trump. He was friendly, open," state Sen. James Rosapepe, D-Prince George's, said. "It worked - no one tore up his speech - it was a bit of a 'kumbaya.' " The governor also implored lawmakers to toughen ethics laws after several Democratic lawmakers were indicted on federal bribery or fraud charges over the past three years, and pitched a plan to improve the state's education system that is less costly - and less sweeping - than what Democrats have proposed. Hogan put special emphasis on quelling violent crime in Baltimore, an issue that tops the Democratic agenda as well. He noted that the gun violence has claimed toddlers and senior citizens, and said no other issue debated in Annapolis is as important. "People are being shot every single day in Baltimore City," Hogan said. "This is an urgent crisis, and we have an obligation to do something about it right now. There can be no more excuses and no more delays." The governor urged lawmakers to toughen penalties for repeat violent offenders who use illegal guns and for those who seriously injure or kill witnesses as a way to intimidate them. He also wants more transparency and accountability from judges - one proposal calls for the publication of detailed, judge-by-judge information on sentences handed down for violent crimes across the state. "Yes, we do need prayers, but prayers are not enough," Hogan said. "We are also going to need you to take action to get these shooters off our streets." Baltimore lawmakers both appreciated the emphasis and criticized Hogan for suggesting law enforcement was the sole solution in a city with systemic poverty, lackluster schools and high unemployment. "It shows a gross misunderstanding of how violence and criminality develop in the first place," said Del. Stephanie Smith, D-Baltimore City, chair of the Baltimore delegation. "You can't find me a safe place where people don't have jobs, don't have good education, don't have access to good recreation." Democratic legislative leaders on Tuesday announced their own anti-violence plan, including criminal penalties for lost or stolen guns, additional resources for parole and probation agencies and a statewide audit of gun crimes to identify where the weapons are coming from. "Of course accountability has to be a component of crime reduction, but so does the long-term investment - ensuring people don't choose crime in the first place," Senate President Bill Ferguson, D-Baltimore City, said Wednesday. Democrats are also pushing legislation to hold the Hogan administration accountable, including the state parole and probation agencies. They noted that nearly 31% of homicide victims in Baltimore last year were on parole or probation when they were killed, and almost 28% of suspects were under state parole and probation supervision. The division over the most comprehensive way to address violent crime notwithstanding, Hogan sought a conciliatory tone in his speech. He paid tribute to two important Maryland Democrats: former House speaker Michael Busch, who died in April, and Senate President Emeritus Mike Miller, who stepped down as the country's longest-serving Senate president this year amid a battle with cancer. Hogan also acknowledged the ceiling-shattering ascent of House Speaker Adrienne Jones, who is the first woman and first black person to lead the chamber. "It is my distinct privilege to be the first Maryland governor to begin a State of the State address by saying: Madam Speaker," Hogan said to loud and lengthy applause. Democratic lawmakers said they support Hogan's legislation to end witness intimidation and plan to work with his administration to provide more resources to the state attorney general's office to prosecute violent offenders. The General Assembly has been less receptive to some of Hogan's other proposals, including legislative redistricting and his push to eliminate or dramatically cut income taxes for retirees who earn $100,000 or less. On Wednesday, Hogan also celebrated projects he values: the construction of the Purple Line light rail in the Washington suburbs, the expansion of a century-old tunnel in Baltimore that bottlenecks freight leaving the port, and his insistence that Pennsylvania and the Environmental Protection Agency do more to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. In discussing redistricting, Hogan noted that the Maryland State House was briefly an early U.S. capitol after the Revolutionary War and that polls show a majority of residents today support his perennial proposal to let a nonpartisan panel draw congressional districts. "When it comes to free and fair elections, we are failing to live up to that proud legacy," he said. "In this highly partisan time in America, you have a chance to do the right thing." Hogan and Democrats have separately endorsed nearly identical proposals to spend $2.2 billion more on school construction projects over the next five years, enough money to launch every education project in the state. The governor cited this agreement, among others, as the type of political alignment that can set Maryland apart. "Sadly, the country that we all love is increasingly divided by toxic politics," the governor said. "And while Washington seems to be more bitterly divided than ever, here in Maryland, we have faced our challenges with civility and moderation." He ended his address on a hopeful note that illustrated his appeal to critics of Trump within the Republican Party, some of whom courted Hogan to launch a primary challenge last year. Hogan declined to run, but he has continued to position himself as a potential GOP leader. On Wednesday, he said optimism and fairness are the antidotes to the partisanship and dysfunction of national political discourse. "As America searches for healing and a path forward," he said. "Let them look to us." The family of a construction worker killed after falling from a forklift at a banquet hall construction site in Morris County in 2016 has settled their wrongful death lawsuit for $2 million. Michael Montero, 21, of Elizabeth, wasnt wearing a safety harness while standing on a pallet on the forklift after being told to retrieve a ladder, according to his familys attorney and the Occupational Safety Health Administration. As Montero was being lowered, the forks broke off the forklift, causing him to fall 20 feet. He was rushed to an area hospital and pronounced dead minutes later, according to Clark Law Firm, which represented Monteros family. The subcontractor and the contractor in charge of building the Legacy Castle in the Pompton Plains section of Pequannock agreed to the settlement in late 2019, according to the New Jersey Law Journal which was the first to report on the settlement. Clark Law Firm also issued a statement announcing the settlement. ABN Realty, the owner and developer of the Legacy Castle and subcontractor GK Brothers, the Belleville non-union roofing company that employed Montero, each paid $1 million. Neither the driver of the forklift nor any of the workers had received safety training on Nov. 18, 2016, the law firm said. Earlier in the day, Montero and a co-worker were on the forklift about 50 feet off the ground without safety gear to install copper finial ornaments. The owner of ABN Realty watched on with approval of this dangerous method, Clark Law Firm said in a statement. "All workers exposed to fall hazards six feet or more have to be protected from falls with a harness and lanyard or other protection. Directing workers on a platform on a forklift is dangerous and against basic safety rules. Months after Monteros death, OHSA fined GK Brothers $38,025 - $12,675 for each of three serious safety violations it committed. Monteros parents, Miguel and Anna Montero, are the beneficiaries of their sons estate. Attorneys for ABN Realty and GK Brothers couldnt immediately be reached for comment. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. 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. State Senator Mike Bell (R-Riceville) filed legislation on Thursday "to ensure the legislature asserts its constitutional authority on refugee resettlement." Senate Bill 2730 would clarify the General Assemblys role in determining Tennessees policy on refugee resettlement. As the states ultimate appropriator, the legislature must be involved in any decision that involves state funds. Because refugees have a significant financial impact on the state, the power to appropriate funds for their resettlement in Tennessee lies with the legislative branch under our state constitution, said Senator Bell. While the executive branch does have an important role in governing the state, it is critical that Tennessees co-equal legislature does not have its authority usurped on this or any other issue. It is our responsibility as a citizen legislature to make sure our appropriation authority is retained in all matters now and in the future. Executive Order 13888 issued by President Donald Trump allowed states and counties to opt out of resettling refugees within their borders. In December, Governor Lee elected to continue to allow refugees to resettle in Tennessee. This legislation is not about accepting or rejecting refugees in our state, but instead is about keeping each branch of government in their constitutional lanes, added Senator Bell. BOSTON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Brattle Group is pleased to introduce the five outstanding experts who were recently named as principals. These professionals support clients through their expertise in corporate finance, international arbitration, merger disputes, regulated infrastructure, securities litigation, tax, and other areas. We look forward to many more years of shared successes. Our new principals are: Matthew Aharonian, Boston & Toronto Dr. Aharonian delivers rigorous, resourceful, and principled consulting services and expert testimony on matters related to corporate finance, securities, tax, and international arbitration. Lucia Bazzucchi, Rome Dr. Bazzucchi has extensive experience consulting on economic and regulatory issues related to the infrastructure and transportation sectors, including toll roads, airports, and railways. Sujay Dave, Washington, DC Mr. Dave provides financial and economic analysis in complex commercial litigation and regulatory proceedings. He works with clients and experts on securities cases and valuation matters related to capital markets and financial institutions. Laurence Freed, New York Mr. Freed is a finance and media industry expert with 20 years of experience in financial services. He draws on this experience to testify as an expert and consult on a number of financial subjects, including the valuation, structuring, and trading of many asset classes. Jack Stirzaker, London Mr. Hutchings specializes in conducting economic analysis in complex tax, securities, and antitrust matters. He testifies, supports experts, and leads case teams in analyzing and developing economic and financial evidence to support attorneys. About The Brattle Group The Brattle Group analyzes complex economic, finance, and regulatory questions for corporations, law firms, and governments around the world. We are distinguished by the clarity of our insights and the credibility of our experts, which include leading international academics and industry specialists. Brattle has over 350 talented professionals worldwide, with 11 offices across three continents. For more information, please visit brattle.com. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1086960/The_Brattle_Group_elects.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/320171/the_brattle_group_logo.jpg Shimla, Feb 6 : The financial closure of the 900 MW Arun-III hydro power project in Nepal was achieved on Thursday, the executing company said here. The total debt tied up with banks is Rs 6,333.48 crore that includes Rs 1420.86 crore stand-by line of credit, if required, the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (SJVNL) said. The debt portion of Indian banks is Rs 5,374 crore, while Nepalese banks have Rs 960 crore. The financial Closure is a stage of project development when all the conditions of a financing agreement are fulfilled prior to the initial availability of funds by the financers. The SJVNL Chairman Nand Lal Sharma said the company would be investing approximately Rs 6,959 crore in Nepal in five years. The total financial benefit up to handing over of the project to the Nepal government is estimated to be around Rs 21,166 crore. The financial closure will ensure realisation of 70 per cent of the funding in the form of structured debt while the remaining will be direct equity from SJVNL. As on date, investment of around Rs 875 crore has already been made. Sharma said that the project is helping in socio-economic growth by generating employment opportunities for locals, boosting local industries, and fostering entrepreneurship and development of infrastructure such as roads and bridges and providing financial support for healthcare facilities and community centres. SJVNL is a joint venture between the central and the Himachal Pradesh governments, where the former holds 74.5 per cent stake, while the remaining 25.5 per cent is held by the state government. However, the central government sold 10 per cent equity in May 2010. Vice President Mike Pences speech at the Women for Trump event in Cumberland County Wednesday marked his first public appearance since the U.S. Senates vote to acquit President Trump. He didnt shy away from taking pleasure in the moment. Pence excoriated Democrats time and again for the impeachment investigation and trial. Pence called the impeachment a sham investigation. The U.S. Senate voted Wednesday to acquit Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Before an enthusiastic crowd at the Radisson Hotel in East Pennsboro Township, Pence described the impeachment effort as a failed attempt to overturn the will of the American people. I think they tried to impeach the president because they know they cant defeat President Trump in 2020," Pence said. News that the U.S. Senate had voted to acquit Trump was greeted in this solid Trump base event with a loud round of cheers and applause. Michele Zeigler heard the news of the acquittal of Trump Wednesday night while waiting to hear Pence speak at the Women for Trump event. The Senate acquittal brings to an end a historic Congressional attempt to censure a president for conduct widely considered beyond the reach of the office. But to the Trump supporters at the event, the months-long impeachment trial amounted to one thing. I call it a scam, Zeigler said. The Democrats were wasting time and wasting money on something that wasnt true. He did nothing wrong. At the end of the day it was just part of his job." Jill Costopoulos of Perry County took a broader view. The Democrats were trying to remove Trump even before he became president, she said. They have spent millions of dollars of tax money on this and the result is that they have not proved anything. The historic impeachment trial was focused on the presidents actions toward Ukraine, specifically withholding Congressionally appropriated funds for the war-torn country in exchange for a political favor. But his supporters at the Trump for Women event were, like the majority of the Senate, unconvinced that the president was guilty of any wrongdoing. Cherrie Zeilinski considers the Trump impeachment a waste of time driven by Democrats desire to overturn the 2020 election. She said Democrats, in pushing for impeachment, are responsible for dividing the country. They should be impeached and held accountable, Zeilinski said. Pence first mentioned the Senate acquittal of Trump a few minutes into the speech. What a week, Pence said. Last night I had a really good seat at the State of the Union.Presdient Trump stepped forward and he described the great American comeback. I got the feeling the women next to me didnt like the speech as much as I did...And if last night wasnt enough.just a little while ago the United States voted to acquit President Donald Trump. The crowd broke into thunderous applause and began to chant four more years. Its over America, Pence said. Pennsylvania and America need four more years of President Donald Trump in the White House." More from PennLive Listen to the latest episode of PennLives new political podcast Battleground Pa. on your favorite app including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts. Battleground Pa. examines the changing political climate across the Keystone State leading up to the 2020 election. 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. A year ago, Marilyn Alterman found herself trapped in her Seattle home by a snowstorm, fearing she would slip on the ice. Thats when she decided it was time to leave town. They had to reroute the buses because they couldnt get up the hill, said Ms. Alterman, a born-and-raised New Yorker from the Bronx. In New York, even if we have a blizzard, I can always get outside. Before heading west in the early 1990s, she spent years on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She was robbed at gunpoint near her West 74th Street apartment and later bought a two-bedroom co-op on West 84th. But by then she was thinking of leaving New York, and in 1992 she bought a house in the Green Lake neighborhood of Seattle, where she had friends. Her co-op limited sublets to two years, so she had to sell the apartment when New York was on the down, she said. Had I been able to keep that apartment, I would be a millionaire by now. [Did you recently buy or rent a home in the New York metro area? We want to hear from you. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com] Over the years, her 1920s house in Seattle became a burden to maintain, so she moved to a two-bedroom duplex in the Queen Anne neighborhood, paying $3,850 a month. All the while, she yearned to return home. I had been coming to New York once or twice a year, and always longing in my heart, she said. The snow was the clincher. For slightly less than she was paying in Seattle, she thought, she could get a much smaller apartment in New York: I knew I would have to trade down and give something up. Ms. Alterman who spent her career in sales and marketing, but most recently worked in the facilities department of a child-welfare agency retired and went on the hunt for a one-bedroom in a prewar elevator building in her beloved former neighborhood, the Upper West Side. Her requirements included ample sunlight and, because she is an avid cook and baker, a big kitchen with a dishwasher and gas for cooking. Her budget was up to $3,500 a month. Last summer she visited a handful of places and came away disheartened they were small, dark or dirty. I was devastated, Ms. Alterman said. Kitchens were in the living room up against the wall. She was referred to Ronen Agadi, an associate broker at the Corcoran Group. For Ms. Altermans budget, he said, you are not getting a large, fancy one-bedroom, though it depends on what kind of building you are in. People say they want to spend no more than X amount, and they end up spending a little more. Among her options: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Congress saying that it should say 'Save the Constitution' more often to realise their past mistakes. The Prime Minister was replying to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Lok Sabha. "There has been the talk of 'Save Constitution'. I agree Congress should say this 100 times in a day. Maybe they will realise their past mistakes. Did you forget this slogan during the emergency? When state governments were dismissed? When cabinet resolutions were torn?" Modi said. "Who brought 'remote control governance' through the Advisory Council (NAC), which had a bigger role than the position of the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister's Office," he added. The Prime Minister said that those who are talking about respect for Constitution "never even implemented it in Jammu and Kashmir for so many decades". Taking a jibe at Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, Modi said, "Shahi Tharoor Ji you have been the son-in-law of Jammu and Kashmir, you should have shown concern." The Prime Minister said that there are lawmakers in the House who have suffered due to political violence in West Bengal. "When they start speaking, it will make things uncomfortable for many associated with the Opposition," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chung to be the first Korean inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame, industry's top honor Automotive Hall of Fame inducts business leaders who have contributed to advancement of auto industry each year Chung recognized for being a steadfast champion for automobile industry and Korean economy SEOUL, South Korea, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Mong-Koo Chung will be inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame, the industry's top honor, in the class of 2020. Chung will be the first Korean inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame, which was established in 1939 and has honored nearly 800 business leaders from around the world. The 2020 Induction and Awards Ceremony will be held in Detroit at the MGM Grand Ballroom on July 23. The organization annually honors people who have contributed greatly to automotive history with one of five types of awards, including: Hall of Fame Induction, Industry Leader, Distinguished Service Citation, Mobility Innovator, and Young Leadership & Excellence Award. "Induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame is reserved for individuals who have created, shaped, and changed the mobility market. These individuals have exceeded in a way that stands out from their peers - they are responsible for a step change in innovation, business operations, and impact on consumers and the public," Hall of Fame President Sarah Cook said. The Hall of Fame Induction is recognized as the most prestigious and honorable award in the industry. Past inductees have included: Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford, American inventor Thomas Edison, founder of Mercedes-Benz Karl Benz, founder of Honda Motor Company Soichiro Honda, and Toyota Motor Corporation founder Kiichiro Toyoda. Previously, the Automotive Hall of Fame honored Chung with its Distinguished Service Citation Award in 2001. According to the Automotive Hall of Fame, Chairman Chung has been credited with the success of Hyundai Motor Group. Chung's legacy is on par with other legends of the industry who have launched and guided automotive firms to global growth and renown. Through Chung's leadership, Hyundai Motor became Korea's largest automaker and Hyundai Motor Group became the world's fifth-largest automotive group. To find out more on Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung's Induction into Automotive Hall of Fame, please visit: globalpr.hyundai.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1087126/HMG_Chairman_Mong_Koo_Chung.jpg Sometimes politicians can't help themselves. They get careless. They say stuff they shouldn't say. They tell the truth that they have been trying to disguise. So it went for Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst on Monday night. Following an afternoon at the Senate impeachment trial in which President Donald Trump's legal team made the case -- without any established factual basis -- that former Vice President Joe Biden had acted inappropriately in 2016 when he called for the resignation of the top prosecutor in Ukraine, Ernst told reporters this: "Iowa caucuses are this next Monday evening. And I'm really interested to see how this discussion today informs and influences the Iowa caucus voters, those Democratic caucus goers. Will they be supporting VP Biden at this point?" Whoops! Remember that Republicans -- including Ernst -- have been arguing for months and months that Trump's effort to get Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to look into the activities of Biden and his son, Hunter, in Ukraine had nothing to do with the fact that the former vice president was a) running for the 2020 Democratic nomination and b) was a front-running candidate to be the nominee. Trump's interest was solely in rooting out corruption! This wasn't about Biden at all! (Trump's attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden and Joe Biden, his potential political rival, are at the center of the President's impeachment trial. Trump has repeatedly made unfounded and false claims to allege that the Bidens acted improperly in Ukraine. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe or Hunter Biden.) Ernst's comments on Monday are the most obvious evidence yet that, of course, this isn't just about corruption in Ukraine. Look at the words she uses -- "informs and influences the Iowa caucus voters." "Influence!" What Ernst is saying is that she hopes that the focus by the Trump legal team on Biden -- which included the airing of all sorts of entirely disproven rumors about both him and his son -- will change minds of Iowa Democrats when they go to their caucus on Monday night. It's impossible to separate Ernst's hope that the White House legal team did Biden political damage from the fact that the former vice president, in virtually every national poll, runs best against Trump in a hypothetical general election matchup. In a Fox News survey released Sunday, Biden stands at 50% to Trump's 41%. A Washington Post poll released Monday gave Biden a 50% to 46% edge. A CNN poll out last week gave Biden a 9-point edge. It's just not terribly complicated to see what's going on here. In fact, to assume that there isn't -- and wasn't -- any sort of political motivation for the intent focus on Joe (and Hunter) Biden by Donald Trump and his administration requires you to suspend all logic and reason. Of course, Trump and his fellow Republicans want to ding up Biden. Of course they view the former VP as a major threat -- because polling shows he is! The only thing that's at all surprising here is that Ernst came right out and told reporters all about it. A day after a divided Senate acquitted President Donald Trump on charges that got him impeached in the House, the feud between the president and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi showed no signs of ebbing. At the national prayer breakfast Thursday morning, Trump, after holding up newspapers with Acquittal headlines, evoked Pelosi, a devout Catholic, by saying that he didnt like people who say I pray for you when they know that thats not so. Pelosi in December said she prays for the president all the time. "My family, our great country, and your President have been put through a terrible ordeal." pic.twitter.com/THqdjvU39s The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 6, 2020 Speaking with reporters later Thursday morning, Pelosi defended her decision to rip the presidents State of the Union address in twain as he wrapped up his Tuesday night speech from the rostrum of House chambers. Ive always tried to be gracious with him, Pelosi said, noting she extended Trump a handshake before the speech but was rebuffed. It was an act of kindness. He looked sedated; he looked that way last year, too. Pelosi dismissed the presidents speech as a compilation of falsehoods based on his state of mind, and a parade of guests rather than a serious policy speech. She also suggested the president should offer Presidential Medals of Freedom in the Oval Office, not where Congress works. Trump granted conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh the honor in the middle of the speech. Pelosi said Trump shredded the truth in his speech and shredded the constitution in his conduct. I shredded his state of mind in his address. She added, however, that the founders of the country worked through differences and everybody is a possibly ally in whatever comes next. Trump also took the opportunity Thursday to jab Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, a Mormon who cast the lone Republican vote to convict the president Wednesday after saying that his oath before God compelled his decision. JUST IN: Mitt Romney becomes first GOP senator to say he'll vote to convict in Trump's impeachment trial. Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of ones oath of office that I can imagine. https://t.co/G4oou9Qubc pic.twitter.com/FZwle2D1Y0 CNN (@CNN) February 5, 2020 I dont like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong, Trump said. So many people have been hurt. We cant let that go on. On Twitter early Thursday morning, Trump called Romney a failed presidential candidate. Feb. 6 is the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation and a study by the Population Reference Bureau indicates that the number of women and girls in Massachusetts who have had FGM performed on them or are at risk totaled 14,591. That number may not be entirely accurate, said UNICEF USA community engagement associate Giovana Ortiz-Barrera to MassLive, saying the total number may be higher. There are women and girls that arent necessarily accounted for because people are not very open about it. The Bay State ranks 12th in the nation for at-risk populations. FGM involves removing part of a girls sex organs and surrounding tissue for non-medical reasons. This can result in complications in childbirth or psychological trauma. In 2012, the UN General Assembly designated Feb. 6 as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, to amplify and direct the efforts on the elimination of this practice worldwide. In 1996, the U.S. passed a federal law that made FGM illegal. However, on Nov. 20, 2018, U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman said Congress lacked authority under the Commerce Clause to adopt the 1996 law, and that the power to outlaw FGM belonged to individual states. As despicable as this practice may be, it is essentially a criminal assault, said Friedman. FGM is not part of a larger market and it has no demonstrated effect on interstate commerce. The Commerce Clause does not permit Congress to regulate a crime of this nature. UNICEF, state representatives, as well as smaller organizations in Massachusetts, are working to pass a bill that will make the Bay State the 36th to ban the practice. UNICEF was brought into the mix to help show that this practice is not just particular to one community, said Ortiz-Barrera. It happens across many different communities and in fact, Mariya Taher actually founded an organization called Sahiyo that helps tell the stories of many women, including white women in the United States that are survivors of FGM. Taher is one of five women that started the advocacy group, Sahiyo that raises awareness of the issues around FGM. Sahiyo is the Bohra Gujarati word for saheliyo, or friends, and reflects their organizations mission to engage in dialogue with the community to find a collective solution towards ending female genital circumcision. At the time it happened to me, said Taher. There were no laws. At the age of 7, Taher was subjected to the practice known in India as khatna because her mother, aunts and grandmother believed their religion required it. In May 2017, a robust plan of attack began against me and other women who dared to share our khatna stories online, wrote Taher in an article on the website Medium. It was led by the Dawoodi Bohra Women for Religious Freedom (DBWRF), a group that formed to silence and invalidate the claims of women who dared to say that FGC hurt them. FGC is a term that is also used by activists and health advocates to show the dangers associated with the practice. This term is sometimes also referred to as female genital mutilation/cutting or FGM/C. These are all terms used to refer to the practice of removing part of female genitalia for non-medical reasons. Massachusetts has a legacy of leadership on issues related to womens reproductive rights and gender equality. It is time we continue this commitment by rising up with the 35 other states that have moved to ban the practice of FGM, said Sen. Joe Boncore. This bill is one way the Legislature moves to denounce gender-based violence. We should be doing everything we can to ensure that women and girls grow up in a safe environment. Bill S.834 was submitted to the Massachusetts House of Representatives by Sen. Joseph A. Boncore, Rep. Natalie Higgins and Rep. Jay Livingston as well as 35 other petitioners. The numbers are shocking, said Rep. Lindsay N. Sabadosa who cosponsored the bill. Its condemned by religious groups. Its brutal, cruel, deforming, the list of adjectives could go on. Its important for Massachusetts to stand up. According to the World Health Organization, its estimated that more than 200 million girls and women have undergone FGM in the countries where the practice is concentrated. There are an estimated 3 million girls at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation every year. The majority of girls are cut before they turn 15 years old. FGM is a violation of girls and womens human rights and comes at a cost society cannot afford. On behalf of UNICEF USA, I respectfully urge you to take a stand for child rights and support this legislation, Ortiz-Barrera wrote addressed to the Sen. James B. Eldridge and Rep. Claire D. Cronin who will chair the Joint Committee. "At Subaru of America, we consider the Philadelphia Auto Show our hometown event, so we're especially excited to help animals in our community find loving homes with our friends and neighbors in the Philadelphia area," said Alan Bethke, Senior Vice President, Marketing of Subaru of America, Inc. "Our partnership with these local shelters in our very own backyard reinforces our commitment to protecting and improving the lives of pets everywhere." In order to facilitate the adoption event, Subaru has partnered with six shelters local to the Philadelphia area: 1 Love 4 Animals, Morris Animal Refuge, TLC Rescue PA, Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society, Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue and Providence Animal Center. Shelter partners will alternate their presence daily throughout the eleven days. Auto show attendees will be able to interact with the adorable pets from the six partnering shelters during select times and dates, including the Black Tie Tailgate: Friday, February 7 Black Tie Tailgate 7PM to 11:30PM 1 Love 4 Animals 1 Love 4 Animals Saturday, February 8 9AM to 2PM Morris Animal Refuge Morris Animal Refuge 3PM to 9PM TLC Rescue PA TLC Rescue PA Sunday, February 9 9AM to 2PM Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society 3PM to 8PM 1 Love 4 Animals 1 Love 4 Animals Monday, February 10 12PM to 4 PM 1 Love 4 Animals 1 Love 4 Animals 5PM to 10PM Morris Animal Refuge Morris Animal Refuge Tuesday, February 11 12PM to 4PM Philadelphia Annual Welfare Society Philadelphia Annual Welfare Society 5PM to 10PM 1 Love 4 Animals 1 Love 4 Animals Wednesday, February 12 12PM to 4PM Providence Animal Center Providence Animal Center 5PM to 10PM Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue Thursday, February 13 12PM to 4 PM Morris Animal Refuge Morris Animal Refuge 5PM to 10PM TLC Rescue PA TLC Rescue PA Friday, February 14 12PM to 4PM Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue 5PM to 10PM 1 Love 4 Animals 1 Love 4 Animals Saturday, February 15 9AM to 2PM 1 Love 4 Animals 1 Love 4 Animals 3PM to 9PM Morris Animal Refuge Morris Animal Refuge Sunday, February 16 9AM to 2PM Philadelphia Annual Welfare Society Philadelphia Annual Welfare Society 3PM to 6:30PM Providence Animal Center Providence Animal Center Monday, February 17 9AM to 5PM 1 Love 4 Animals All adopters are subject to standard guidelines and procedures. Prospective adopters should bring with them a photo ID. This Philadelphia Auto Show adoption event is a part of the Subaru Loves Pets initiative, which is dedicated to helping improve the safety and well-being of animals in communities nationwide. The automaker's commitment to pets is one part of its Love Promise company vision. For more information about Subaru Loves Pets, please visit www.subaru.com/pets. About Subaru Love Promise The Subaru Love Promise is our vision to show love and respect to all people at every interaction with Subaru. Together with our retailers, we are dedicated to making the world a better place. About Subaru of America, Inc. Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company's vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA has donated more than $165 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged more than 40,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do. For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Diane Anton Corporate Communications Manager (856) 488-5093 [email protected] Charles Ballard Product & Technology Communications (856) 488-8759 [email protected] MWW PR [email protected] SOURCE Subaru of America, Inc. Boston's got a bad reputation when it comes to race. And unfortunately, much of it's deserved. Of course, there are people who are trying to fight and make a positive difference despite the segregation that's left the predominantly black neighborhoods behind in schooling and socializing. Which is why the Boston Teacher's Union planned a week-long series of events in coordination with Black Lives Matter, to help educate students on inclusion and restorative justice. After all, February is Black History Month. So that all sounds good, right? The Boston Police Patrolmen's Association disagreed, and sent a letter to BTU President Jessica Tang condoning the events. In the letter, BPPA President Michael Leary refers to Black Lives Matter an "anti-police organization" who has endangered the lives of Boston police officers. This is demonstrably untrue. But BPPA refuses to let the facts get in the way of their feelings. The letter continues on about the "irrational hatred" of BLM, accusing them of "inaccurately demonizing police as racists who kill innocent people" before passive-aggressively warning about the potential dangers of not cooperating with Boston Police, like some kind of mob protection racket. The Boston Police patrolman association wants to shut down Black Lives Matter as School Week while citing racist propaganda as their reasoning. #notsurprised #blacklivesmatteratschool #bostonteachersunion pic.twitter.com/TsayDTCH72 BLM Boston (@BlmBoston) February 5, 2020 BPPA is also upset about an education initiative to provide more funding for guidance counselors, instead of just shoving more police officers into schools to solve behavioral problems by threat of force. "Imagine if the BPPA encouraged the public to 'Fund Police Not Teachers' you would be insulted too," the letter says, which is particularly ironic, given that the city just approved a budget that adds 2,200 police officers and a new unsolved homicide department while failing to proportionally increase the education budget in some districts. In the BPPA's defense, their letter does point out that the current political climate has made it more difficult to recruit new officers, and this is technically true. But that assertion conveniently ignores the context of things like why do we need more cops, who are these recruitment efforts towards, what are the actual consequences of this, and what other solutions might be available to address the issues that are supposedly left behind by these vacancies. Thomas Nolan, a retired Boston police officer who now teaches criminology and criminal justice at Emmanuel College in Boston, said, "This letter is garbage. It's an embarrassment to Boston police officers." And I'm inclined to agree with him. The 500-member Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers and the local NAACP chapter also expressed their concerns about the letter. As of Wednesday evening, the Boston Teachers' Union is firmly standing by their commitment to the Black Lives Matter events, and the Mayor and Police Union rep have both offered some wishy-washy platitudes that vaguely allude to unity and understanding. In letter, Boston police union blasts Black Lives Matter, drawing sharp rebuke [Danny McDonald / The Boston Globe] Image: Piotrus / Wikimedia Commons (CC 3.0) Getty Images/iStockphoto A man armed with a crossbow accidentally killed his neighbour while trying to ward off a dog attack, according to Massachusetts prosecutors. Police responded to several 911 calls on Wednesday to find two pitbulls "engaging in a volatile confrontation" in an apartment building in Adams, Massachusetts. The officers killed the animals, then discovered the body of man with a fatal crossbow bolt injury inside the building. Officers also found an unharmed child in a nearby room. Investigators with the Berkshire County District Attorney's Office believe a neighbour heard the dogs attacking the man, then grabbed a crossbow and shot at the dogs. A bolt struck one of the animals, then pierced through a door and hit the man on the other side, where he was barricading himself from the attacks, prosecutors say. The victim's identity has not been released, pending an exam from the Chief Medical Examiner's Office and notification of his next of kin. District Attorney Andrea Harrington's office determined that his death was accidental. The neighbour who fired the crossbow, described by authorities as a "good Samaritan", is cooperating with police. On Wednesday, state and local police blocked off Bellevue Avenue at Glenn Street in Adams while investigating the killings. The police-involved shooting is being investigated by the state police, Adams Animal Control, Adams Police and the district attorney's office. Philip Fong / AFP via Getty Images SEOUL Health authorities are scrambling to halt the spread of a new virus that has killed hundreds in China, restricting visitors from the country and confining thousands on cruise ships for extensive screening after some passengers tested positive. But with important details about the illness and how it spreads still unknown, officials and medical personnel are struggling. Governments have rushed to get their citizens out of China, which is orchestrating historys largest anti-viral campaign by blocking 50 million people from leaving Wuhan, the center of the outbreak, and nearby areas. A growing number of Chinese cities are discouraging people from even leaving their apartments. Villages have blocked entry points with piles of dirt and rubble, while businesses and offices remain closed indefinitely. A 30-year-old was duped of 1.2 lakh on the pretext of a job offer in United Kingdom, police said on Thursday. The complainant, Pujan, of Nanakpur village in Pinjore, told the police that he received a mail and later a call on June 11, 2019, about a job opportunity in UK. He was told he would have to incur a visa fee of 395 pounds (34, 863) and no other fee, other than this, would be charged for the process. Police said as per the complainant, the fraudsters gave him details of a bank account in which he was told to deposit the amount. On June 13, 2019, the complainant deposited the fee through a cheque. but after two days he was again asked to deposit work fees amounting to 970 pounds (85, 296). They told me that the work fee will be refunded to me once I reach UK. With their assurance, I deposited the amount on June 17, the complainant told the police. Assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Raj Kumar, investigating official in the case said that as per the complainant the accused again asked for more money following which Pujan called the UK embassys helpline number where he was told that he had been scammed. The ASI said Pujan then sought a refund of his amount for which he was asked to deposit another 300 pounds. The complainant alleged that he then contacted the UK employer namely Rev Austin who told him the amount would be refunded on June 28 and a mail would be sent to him. But, he never called or texted again in this regard, said the ASI. The complainant later received a mail from a person identifying himself as a representative of UK embassy from an ID in name of UK high commission. The ASI said the complainant kept received calls from the person who assured him of a refund but kept dilly-dallying the matter. When Pujan refused to pay more money, the man stopped calling. The complainant has submitted the bank account details and emails which are being verified. We have initiated investigation in the matter, the ASI said. A case was registered under sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 420 (cheating) of the Indian Penal Code at Pinjore police station. Indian banking system may be staring at big challenges, but is at the cusp of huge growth in the next decade, a top TCS executive said on Thursday. There are very few industries which can boast of a 15 per cent growth on a yearly basis for ten years, TCS chief executive Rajesh Gopinathan said, conceding that this makes him envious of the business. In many ways, you are where Indian IT sector was 20 years ago, looking at a huge opportunity, Gopinathan said, speaking at a technology awards of banking industry lobby IBA here late in the evening. There are very few businesses globally where one can confidently speak about a 15 per cent yearly growth over a decade, he said. Gopinathan acknowledged that there will be challenges in the process but exuded confidence in the Indian banking sector meeting those. The sector has moved mountains silently till now, he said, noting its work on a slew of aspects like taking banking services to the grassroots and connecting a billion people. He said Indian banking will have to play an important role for the country to achieve the USD 5 trillion GDP target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by FY2025. It can be noted that the Indian banking system is currently plagued with the problem of huge pile of non-performing loans which are nearly 10 per cent of all the assets, and also facing sluggish credit growth. TCS counts on banking and financial services as its biggest revenue generator, and also serves SBI. In his presentation, Gopinathan presented case studies from across the world, where technological interventions helped storied lenders. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The accused was arrested by the police on April 30, when the police recovered the body of a missing 14-year-old girl from an abandoned well belonging to Reddy. (Representational image) Hyderabad: Almost 282 days after the arrest of serial killer Marri Srinivas Reddy, the fast-track court at Nalgo-nda on Thursday found him guilty in three offences, and awarded him the death penalty in two. In the third case, he was sentenced to life. Hajipur, a village of nearly 300 families, wore a look of dread, with only the bereaved and their supporters sitting outside the gram panchayat office waiting from the morning till the special judge pronounced his verdict late in the evening. Reddy (29) was a lift mechanic who was arrested on the allegations of kidnapping, rape and murder of two minor girls, and the kidnap and murder of a minor girl from the same village. The accused was arrested by the police on April 30, when the police recovered the body of a missing 14-year-old girl from an abandoned well belonging to Reddy. Srinivas Reddy confessed to the kidnap, rape and murder of the victim in April 2019. During questioning he also confessed to the rape and murder of a 17-year-old in March 2019, and the kidnap and murder of an 11-year-old in 2015. His modus operandi was to offer each victim a lift on his bike. On the village outskirts, he smothered them, raped them and then killed them. In the 2015 incident, the girl was smothered to death. He dumped two victims in an abandoned well he owned, and one victim in a nearby well. After investigation, the police had filed a charge-sheet before the fast-track court at Nalgonda in August. The trial in the three cases began on October 28 and continued till Thursday. The prosecution produced 101 witnesses and 164 exhibits against Srinivas Reddy mentioned the series of killings as the rarest of rare cases and had prayed for the death penalty to the accused. On Wednesday, Srinivas Reddy, lodged at Nalgonda district jail, was produced before the court under high-security. After hearing the arguments from the prosecution and defense counsel, the court convicted Srinivas Reddy and pronounced the quantum of punishment. During trial, Srinivas claimed he was impotent and could not drive a bike. The prosecution produced medical certificates to prove he was not impotent, and eye-witnesses who saw him driving the bike. The Rachakonda police deployed additional personnel at the village besides the police picket installed following the vandalising of Srinivass newly-constructed house. Public outrage forced his parents and elder brother to flee the village for good. A central team on Thursday reviewed Odisha's preparedness to deal with novel coronavirus, as two persons have been quarantined in a hospital and 26 others under home surveillance in the state with suspected nCov cases, officials said here. The state government has sent blood and swab samples of seven suspected coronavirus patients to the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, for examination and five of them have tested negative, Director of Medical Education and Training (DMET) Prof CBK Mohanty said. Reports are awaited for the other two cases. Mohanty accompanied the three-member team of the Ministry of Health that visited the SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) in Cuttack where two persons have been admitted at the isolation ward with suspected nCoV cases. The central team headed by Dr Shikha Vardhan, deputy director of the Centre for Environmental & Occupational Health of National Centre for Disease Control, was also accompanied by the state's Regional Director, Public Health, Susant Kumar Kar. "The central team has expressed satisfaction over the precautionary measures taken by the state government," Mohanty said adding that there was no confirmed case of novel coronavius in Odisha so far. The special ward for nCoV cases in the SCBMCH presently has two patients -- a woman medico who had returned from Wuhan, the epicentre of the coronavirus disease in China, and a man who had come from Hongkong. Their swab and blood samples have been sent to the NIV, Pune, and the report is yet to come, said B N Moharana, the emergency officer of the medical college. "Of the total seven blood and swab samples sent to the NIV, five have tested negative to the dieases," Mohanty said. He said a male medical student, who came from China, has been discharged from the SCBMCH after his blood sample tested negative to the disease. Prof Mohanty said so far a total of 33 persons have returned to Odisha from nCoV affected countries. Of them, five have tested negative to the disease and reports are awaited for the other two. The remaining 26 persons are presently under home surveillance, he said adding that state health officials are in regular touch with them and advised them to immediately contact the department if they develop any symptoms of the novel coronavirus. Apart from 84 beds at the SCBMCH, the state government has opened isolation wards with at least five beds in each district headquarters hospital. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON - Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has gotten an earful about President Donald Trump while presiding over the president's impeachment trial, and received a few words from the man himself Tuesday night at the State of the Union address. The trial may be over, but these two are hardly done with each other. Currently, the chief justice is either writing or reviewing the Supreme Court's decision on whether Trump acted within his power to end the program protecting young immigrant "dreamers" from deportation. A decision could come at any time before its term concludes at the end of June. Next month, Roberts will call the court to order to decide whether Trump may shield his personal financial information from a congressional committee and New York prosecutor each investigating matters beyond the president's impeachment. It ensures that controversies over investigations into Trump's conduct will continue into the heart of the presidential election campaign. And on and on it will go. Trump's expansive view of his powers has met an unprecedented legal pushback from Democrats and civil rights organizations, and the president's lawyers have not hesitated to run quickly to the conservative Supreme Court, which they see as a counterbalance to liberal federal judges. Even as Roberts presided one day at the trial, the Supreme Court on a 5-to-4 vote granted an emergency request allowing the Trump administration to begin implementing new rules making it easier to deny immigrants residency or admission to the United States because they have used or might use public-assistance programs. Roberts, who marked his 65th birthday attempting to "carry out ill-defined responsibilities in an unfamiliar setting," invited lawmakers to visit, saying the front row of the court is always reserved for members of Congress who "who might want to drop by to see an argument or to escape one." He emphasized that "we carry out our common commitment to the Constitution through the distinct roles assigned to us by that charter." It was in line with the genial and neutral persona he tried to develop as the bitter, partisan fight was waged before him. "If nothing else was clear from the last week or so," said Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas, "it's that he has one of the best poker faces in Washington." That look was on display in the House chamber Tuesday night, as Trump stopped to speak with Roberts on his way to deliver the State of the Union speech. A court spokeswoman declined on Roberts' behalf to reveal what Trump said, but Roberts responded with three nods of the head and a terse "thank you." Anyone familiar with how Roberts has carried out his role as chief justice knew he would try not to emerge as a central figure in the impeachment proceedings. Liberals criticized his passive approach, but in his most substantive statement during the trial, Roberts made clear he saw impeachment as a political event involving the elected branches. He was spared from being called upon to break a tie on whether to call witnesses. But he made clear later he would not have voted. Reminded Friday night by Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., that Chief Justice Salmon Chase had broken ties during the 1868 impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson, Roberts said he has done the research. "One concerned a motion to adjourn, the other concerned a motion to close deliberations," Roberts said. "I do not regard those isolated episodes 150 years ago as sufficient to support a general authority to break ties." He added: "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." Roberts' only real intrusion in the trial was twice refusing to relay questions from Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that would have revealed the name of the whistleblower whose allegations powered the impeachment inquiry. But the investigations are hardly over, and the Supreme Court will play a pivotal role. House Democrats are pressing ahead in pending court battles with the Trump administration over witnesses and evidence as part of their "ongoing inquiry" into the president's conduct. The federal appeals court in Washington could rule at any time in a pair of separation-of-powers cases over subpoenas for testimony from former White House counsel Donald McGahn and secret grand jury evidence gathered by special counsel Robert Mueller investigation during his investigation of Russia's interference in the 2016 election. House general counsel Douglas Letter told the court that investigators are examining whether Trump lied in his written responses to questions from Mueller. . In a third pending case, the chairman of the House tax-writing committee sued the treasury secretary and the head of the Internal Revenue Service after the agencies refused to comply with subpoenas for the president's tax returns. The judge has delayed ruling in the matter until the appeals court has resolved the cases over McGahn's testimony and the grand jury evidence House Democrats seek. But already on the docket are Trump v. Mazars, Trump v. Deutsche Bank and Trump v. Vance, cases that could result in landmark rulings on a president's immunity from investigation while he is in office. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and three Democratic-led congressional committees have won lower-court decisions granting their subpoenas for a broad range of Trump's financial records relating to him personally, his family and his businesses. Unlike other modern presidents and presidential candidates, Trump has not released his tax returns. He and his personal lawyers have mounted a vigorous effort to keep that information private and defeat attempts to obtain the records from financial institutions and his accounting firm. "The subpoena cases may not end up as 5-4, but even before the impeachment trial, I think it stood to reason that the chief justice would be the central figure in them," Vladeck said. "Whether sitting through those presentations and machinations have affected his thinking is a fascinating question; I'm just not sure we'll have any sense of the answer until the rulings come out." _ _ _ The Washington Post's Ann E. Marimow contributed to this report. Mandela is their original production. The music is gripping. Its a unique fusion of the traditional Xhosa songs, jazz tunes and modern music. Nelson Mandela was one of the worlds most inspiring statesmen, and I think its really important for Chicago to see his life told through such an intimate way and through the eyes of his own people. A 20-year-old man who stabbed his grandfather and cousin in an unprovoked early morning attack was handed a five-year sentence yesterday (stock photo) A 20-year-old man who stabbed his grandfather and cousin in an unprovoked early morning attack was handed a five-year sentence yesterday. The barrister representing Dale Lewis said there was "no rhyme nor reason nor motive" for the double stabbing which occurred in north Belfast on October 29, 2018. Lewis, whose address was given as Hydebank YOC, was told by Judge Neil Rafferty QC that he will spend half the sentence in custody, followed by a period of two-and-a-half years on licence. Belfast Crown Court heard the incident - which was carried out after Lewis consumed alcohol, Xanax and Diazepam - has had a devastating impact on the family circle. Prosecuting barrister Kate McKay said Lewis appeared at his grandfather's home at around 6.30am. He was invited in and asked if he wanted something to eat, then his grandfather left the house to get bread and a newspaper. When his grandfather returned, Lewis told him he was going up to the toilet. A short time later, he went to check an upstairs bedroom where another grandson, aged 17, was sleeping. Ms McKay said that when he entered the room and turned the light on, he "discovered the defendant on top of his cousin". The wounded teen later revealed he was woken up by pain, then when he realised what was happening, he tried to reason with his older cousin, who appeared calm, told him to 'ssssssh' and continued to stab him. The grandfather intervened, and after pulling Lewis off his cousin, he was also stabbed. Whilst he sustained five stab wounds to his head and face which required 14 stitches, the 17-year-old victim was treated for stab wounds to his arm and neck. Ms McKay said that when Lewis was arrested, he denied attacking his two relatives and claimed he hadn't been at his grandfather's for a fortnight. The prosecutor branded the attack as "unprovoked" and spoke of the vulnerability of the 17-year-old victim, who was asleep when the assault began. She also said that whilst both victims have recovered from their injuries, the incident was an example of "wanton violence" carried out after the consumption of large quantities of drink and drugs. Defence barrister Chris Holmes said that whilst Lewis accepted he was responsible for what occurred, he had no memory of an incident which has "torn apart" his family. Saying Lewis initially told police "a pack of lies", Mr Holmes said he has since shown "deep remorse for his behaviour" which he accepted was "appalling". Mr Holmes spoke of Lewis's poor mental health, which became apparent at an early age and which worsened due to his client's abuse and misuse of drugs. The barrister also said there was no reason or motive for Lewis's "bizarre" behaviour - but said it was set against a backdrop of poor mental health. Judge Rafferty said that after reading victim impact statements, it was clear that the incident has had a devastating impact on the family. The Judge also said: "It is clear this man has some form of mental health difficulty, but none of the doctors have been able to put a name or tag to that. He remains undiagnosed." After handing Lewis a five-year sentence, Judge Rafferty concluded: "I hope there is some form of healing in the family after the sentence I have imposed". The Chinese community in Rome expressed sadness and anger on Wednesday, about the increasing anti-Chinese sentiments emerging in Italy, following the virus outbreak that has killed hundreds of people in China. On the wave of the twitter campaign #Jenesuispasunvirus launched in France by the local Asian community against racist behaviours, an Italian national of Chinese origin, 29-year old Massimiliano Martigli Jang, recently posted on Facebook an emotional video to try to raise awareness of anti-Chinese sentiment. The video shows him blind folded in Florence and wearing a face mask standing next to a sign reading "I am not a virus, I am a human, Eradicate the Prejudice." In the video people start hugging him and then remove his mask and eye cover in a sign of solidarity. In Rome, businesses run by Chinese people have been suffering. "While regular customers, those who know us, continue to come, while new customers walk away once they notice we are Chinese" said 20-year-old Ling Tiang Sheng, who works with his father in a coffee, stressing how he visited China only twice in his life, and he feels more Italian than Chinese. While fear triggered sporadic episodes of anti-China sentiment in Italy, the majority of Italians expressed solidarity. "Ignorance is the worst of all epidemics, I am very sorry about what is happening," said 61-year-old Francesca Mammolo while drinking her cappuccino in the coffee place owned by a Chinese family in Rome. Fear of the new virus has also led many Italians to desert Chinese restaurants. "As soon as the virus broke out in China, no more work, suddenly there were no more people coming, where did they go?" said 50-year-old Sonia Hang, a businesswoman and owner of the "Hang Zhou" Chinese restaurant in Rome. Her restaurant is still open thanks to the attention of the media, but she says, "Many are in worse conditions than me, more than ten Chinese restaurants (In this area) have recently closed" explained Hang. "We are all angry" said Hu Lanbo, Editor-in-Chief of 'Cina in Italia' (China in Italy) monthly magazine. Lanbo is a longtime and well respected resident in Rome, with many Italian friends, she said. These racist feelings are unacceptable, she explained. "We are already worried about our homeland, and families" she added. Italy's Prime Minister expressed concern on Tuesday about the anti-China sentiment arising in the country. "There are some signs of discrimination, that could turn into violent acts. We cannot allow this because there are not the conditions to be alarmed or to panic" said Giueppe Conte, speaking in London. The Italian government said on Wednesday they were taking the temperatures of all incoming airline passengers in new prevention measures aimed at halting the spread of the virus. On January 30, Italy barred all commercial flights to and from China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, the same day two Chinese tourists from hard-hit Wuhan tested positive for the new virus in Rome. But to boost precautions involving passengers from other countries, the Italian health ministry and civil protection agency announced they would use thermo-scanners "on all arriving passengers." The two Chinese tourists in Italy afflicted with the virus took a turn for the worse on Tuesday and were moved into intensive care at Rome's Lazzaro Spallanzani infectious disease hospital, suffering also from viral pneumonia. As of Thursday, China has had 563 deaths and 28,018 confirmed cases of the virus on the mainland. =========================================================== Clients are reminded: (i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com (ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service (iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory. Architecture materializes culture, but to impact culture it has to represent and argue for a broad cohort of communities. Diversity is key. Monica Ponce de Leon, Dean, Princeton School of Architecture This is the Star Power issue, and it was our own star editor Sam Cochran who informed me that the deans of the architecture schools at an astonishing five Ivy League universities, among other top programs, are now female. Certainly this is a significant triumph and major step forward in a traditionally male-dominated field, and I find the words of these five intellects (all luminaries, but mercifully not a starchitect in the lot) enormously inspiring, refreshing, and compelling. Our mandate is to identify questions that are relevant and urgent, questions like ethics, climate change, and housing, says Harvards Sarah Whiting. There is a deep responsibility to lead students into fields that are critical today. Martien Mulder All five of these exceptional educators made similarly sensitive statements in their interviews with Cochran for his feature on the welcome wave of female talent impacting these institutions and the world beyond the ivory tower. Its a very engaged moment, says Columbias Amale Andraos. Academia can change the profession. Photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna Photo: Benjamin Lozovsky/BFA.com Looking for stars of a different sort? Breaking Bads Aaron Paul shares the good life in Idaho, and Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West reveal fresh aspects of their spare California mansion, as reimagined by the esteemed Belgian master of minimalism Axel Vervoordt. It was a coup to get Axel to come to Calabasas to redo a McMansion, which is essentially what the house was, comments design connoisseur Kanye. Behold the coup! Jackie Nickerson AMY ASTLEY, Editor in Chief Instagram: @amyastley Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest The reporting by Weiss and Mohr is the result of interviews with more than 100 former members of the church, their relatives, advocates, law enforcement officials and others. The two reviewed more than 100 hours of video and audio recordings secretly taped by former members, legal documents and a sworn deposition from 2017 by Whaley. 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 After 10 years of fully supporting Windows 7, Microsoft ended its official support for the out-of-date Windows operating system on Tuesday. The popular classic Windows 7 OS still runs on some 200 million PCs around the globe, according to industry estimates. Users include small business owners, some larger companies, and hordes of consumers holding onto aging personal computers. Microsoft committed to providing 10 years of product support when it released Windows 7 in 2009. The companys focus now is on supporting technologies that provide new user experiences, it said. Microsoft has recommended that Windows 7 users move to Windows 10 prior to the end of support. Those that failed to heed the companys warning will become part of a very large attack vector for hackers, malware, viruses and spyware. This end-of-life date is well known to hackers, and they are armed and ready to exploit, said Kate Donofrio, payment card industry technical lead and manager of Schellman & Company. Windows 7 Pro and Enterprise users can purchase extended security update support for three years from Microsoft. Windows 7 Home editions and Ultimate editions are not eligible for extended support, she told TechNewsWorld. Much like mobile devices using the Windows Mobile or Windows CE operating system, a PC/laptop/terminal using Windows 7 will not just stop working the day that the OS end of life begins, noted Brian Harvey, lead systems engineer at Barcoding. However, the end of support does mean users no longer will get support, security updates or bug fixes for Windows 7, he told TechNewsWorld. Continuing to use Widows 7 can put your data and potentially your customers data at risk. Must Do Something PCs running Windows 7 probably will not become victims of attacks overnight, but the risk is not IF but WHEN malware, spyware, or viruses will find an opening into any particular unprotected computer. Of course, Microsoft wants lingering Windows 7 users to upgrade to Microsoft 10. For those with computers no older than four years, a software upgrade can be applied. For older computers, a new purchase is the easiest and fastest way to avoid security risks and issues related to loss of support for Windows 7. Purchasing a new PC will not be necessary if your existing system meets a baseline configuration, said Banish Angural, owner of Social Media Fellow. A D V E R T I S E M E N T That baseline configuration includes a 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster processor or SoC (System on Chip) with at least 1 gigabyte RAM for 32-bit or 2 GB RAM for 64-bit computers, he told TechNewsWorld. The system should have 16 GB of hard drive space for the 32-bit OS version and 20 GB of storage space for the 64-bit OS version. Also needed is a DirectX 9 or later graphics card with WDDM 1.0 driver and a screen display capable of 800600 pixels. If the hardware is not compatible with Windows 10, another option is to repurpose the older hardware by installing a Linux distribution as an alternative to Windows 7, Barcodingss Harvey suggested. The Linux operating system offers distribution options targeting Windows users and enterprise operations. The cost to download a complete Linux OS is free, and many Linux OS developers offer paid support options similar to what is available for Microsoft Windows 10. Thousands of software applications that run on Linux also are free to download. Tools such as WINE let users run must-have Windows programs on the Linux platform. Upgrade for Free Upgrading to Windows 10 is the most convenient step for users who want to continue using Windows on their computers, said Kenny Trinh, managing editor of Netbooknews. The upgrade process is very easy, and you get to keep all your files in most cases. That solution has two hurdles, though, he told TechNewsWorld. Your device has to meet the spec requirements to be able to run Windows 10, and you have to buy a Windows 10 license, which costs US$119. For those whose specs arent adequate or who dont want to shell out for a license, installing a Linux OS is your best bet, Trinh said. Linux is free to use, so you wont have to shell out a dime to use it. Plus, a number of Linux distros are specifically designed to run on older computers, so hardware wont be a concern. Early on, Microsoft provided free upgrades to Windows 10. All you needed was a computer running an earlier version of Microsoft Windows and a product code number to qualify. That free offer officially ended a few years ago. However, its still possible to get a free Windows 10 upgrade using the Windows Media Creation Tool. This upgrade isnt meant for the general consumer, but it works for many nonetheless. First, you must download the upgrade on the computer still running Windows 7, 8 or 8.1. Second, go to the Microsoft page to download the Windows Media Creation Tool. On that page, select the option to upgrade. Then enter your Windows 7 or Windows 8 license key. A D V E R T I S E M E N T If you have a Windows 7 or 8 Home license, you can update only to the Windows 10 Home version. With a Windows 7 or Windows 8 Pro product key, you can update only to Windows 10 Pro. The free upgrade is not available for Windows Enterprise. Whats the Risk? The main reason to stop using Windows 7 is the security risk. That risk may be minor in the short term, but the longer you use the now-unprotected Windows 7, the higher your chances grow for trouble. Microsoft will not provide security updates or fixes. You also will not get technical support for any issues. This leaves your computer at greater risk of being hit with viruses and worse. Zero-day attacks get a lot of attention. The majority of vulnerabilities that get exploited by hackers are well known and have patches readily available to fix them, noted Kevin Landt, vice president of product management at Cygilant. These patches no longer will be freely available, and hackers will be developing and sharing exploits, he told TechNewsWorld. I believe the hardest hit with the end of extended support will be the home consumer users and business owners not keeping up with current threats, Schellman & Companys Donofrio said. Those who cannot afford to upgrade their systems or buy new systems to replace old Windows 7 systems will be at the highest risk, she warned. There is also a chance, even with Microsoft popping up warnings on end-user systems, that some consumers will not understand what all of this entails or take the threat seriously. These will also be the types of users who will not understand techniques to try and mitigate risks when new vulnerabilities are found and likely a high target for attackers, Donofrio added. Outdated systems are major targets for attackers who are well aware of the upcoming end of support dates, she noted. That is especially the case for an operating system like Windows 7, which has large mainstream use by both businesses and consumer home users. You can purchase a Windows 10 upgrade if you want to start with a fresh installation. On the Microsoft download page, download a disc image (ISO file) that can be used to install or reinstall Windows 10. The image also can be used to create installation media using a USB flash drive or DVD. What Else to Do If you are unable to upgrade or purchase extended security updates for Windows 7, you should take steps to reduce the attack surface of these systems. For example, disable all ports and protocols except those required for business reasons, suggested Cygilants Landt. If possible, isolate the servers on separate network segments from those that have direct access to the Internet. The remaining risks should be documented and given a priority level for future remediation, he said. Microsoft gave plenty of notice about the impending end of support, said Satnam Narang, senior research engineer at Tenable. Larger businesses likely have the infrastructure to migrate their systems, but smaller organizations may not have the necessary resources to prepare for the switch, he told TechNewsWorld, so those companies should take the following measures to protect themselves: Rely on endpoint detection and antivirus software to detect known threats; Implement email protection, as threats can often come in the form of emails and can slip through the cracks of email filters; and Enforce security awareness training for all employees. Isolation and Layer Are Key To the maximum extent possible, those continuing to use Windows 7 should try to isolate or segment the machines with the unsupported (outdated) software or OS. This obviously can be a challenge in many cases, given that if an organization has a requirement to keep using the unsupported software or OS, then that would imply some level of criticality to that device, observed Troy Gill, manager of security research at AppRiver. So naturally, there may be limitations on just how isolated it can be while still performing its critical role. Always practice least privilege. And in a case like this, the importance of least privilege is amplified, he told TechNewsWorld. Another way of bolstering Windows 7 from outside attacks is to take a defense-in-depth approach by adding security layers to help reduce risk with the unsupported system, Gill added. This should include the use of both network and personal firewalls, as well as placing the high-risk devices behind added hardware such as IPS. Another consideration is to make sure you have uninstalled all unnecessary software and disabled unneeded services on these devices. This is always a best practice, but it can become even more important on a system relying on an unsupported OS or other outdated software, he said. Business Risks Intensify Even if you or your company no longer run Windows 7, businesses and others who still use the obsolete operating system could endanger your privacy. Consumers need to practice safe computing even if they run Windows 10, macOS or the Linux OS. Organizations that continue running Windows 7 not only put their company and staff data at risk, but also that of their suppliers, partners and customers, because security patches no longer will be available, said Ken Galvin, senior product manager at Quest Software. Many businesses are still running Windows 7 because they have been slow to act, hadnt seen it as a priority, or thought of it as too much of a daunting challenge to upgrade all their systems. Daunting as it may be, we are now at the stage where the best option is to upgrade, he told TechNewsWorld. However, if businesses cannot and have made arrangements with Microsoft to pay for continued Windows 7 patching support, it is critical that they make sure their patch management system will be able to apply them, Galvin added. It is not an impossible task, however. IT teams can and should be taking advantage of automation tools to assist with the migration and invest in ongoing endpoint management to make sure that these systems are continually up to date without the team needing to break their backs, he said. Businesses should prioritize gaining visibility over all their systems so they can be 100 percent sure that each one is secure. No Recourse, No Safety The obvious risk is that Windows 7 systems no longer will receive patches from Microsoft. That means if a new vulnerability is discovered in Windows 7, all Windows 7 systems will be at risk for exploitation from malicious attackers, warned Mehul Revankar, director of product management at SaltStack. Going forward, Windows 7 systems will become ripe targets for attackers to exploit, he told TechNewsWorld. When the next major Windows 7 vulnerability strikes, these would be the systems attackers would go after first, own them very quickly, and cause business disruption. So, what should Windows 7 users do? Get an accurate inventory of all their assets and identify all Windows 7 systems in their organization, suggested Revanker. They also should stop procrastinating and take action. Upgrade those assets to Windows 10 or later. If you cant upgrade for one reason or another, get them off the Internet at the very least, and add mitigating controls so that only authorized users have access to them, Revanker said. The most likely problem is that systems will not be updated or will be slow to update and the longer the wait, the higher the risk that this results in a costly attack. A Ray of Hope, Perhaps Windows 7 will keep working come Jan. 15. Nothing will change overnight, said Chris Morales, head of security analytics at Vectra. It is true that Windows 7 will be more vulnerable to attack. That is the expectation. But I dont think the actual impact will be catastrophic, he told TechNewsWorld. For home users who want to cling onto Windows 7 for whatever reasons, many of the potential problems could be mitigated using other tools and methods, like VPN, encryption, security software, and a good secure home router, Morales noted. Many enterprises simply will sign up for Windows 7 Extended Security Updates for the next three years of coverage, which will protect against anything deemed critical or important. Not much will change in the attack landscape for enterprises with the Windows 7 Extended Security Updates. Most major apps like Google Chrome browser will also continue to be supported with updates for all users, said Morales. For everyone else, an update to Windows 10 or a move to another supported OS should already have happened, he added. An unsupported operating system never should be used for public-facing Internet use, like browsing the Web or handling email, he added. It is bad practice. A Common Problem Thomas G. Plante, professor of psychology at Santa Clara University, has been concerned about loss of support for Windows 7 on his own laptop. Long story short, the universitys IT department recommended that he invest in a new computer with Windows 10, he told TechNewsWorld. That seems crazy from my point of view, as my computer is only 5-1/2 years old and works fine but that is what IT here suggests, Plante said. Like many users, Plante relies on his employers IT department for help. The universitys IT staff claims that the hassles involved in upgrading make getting a new computer a better and more cost-effective option. Plus, the university will only service computers that are four years old or less to boot, he lamented. Seems nutty but hey . Representative Matt Gaetz, an outspoken Florida Republican and Trump supporter, wrote on Twitter that he's filing an ethics complaint against Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for ripping up the president's State of the Union Speech on Tuesday night. Gaetz shared a copy of the complaint letter sent to the House Committee on Ethics, writing "Nobody is above the law. She must be held accountable." In the letter, the Florida legislator called Pelosi's actions a "flagrant violation of decorum" and requested a "criminal referral" for her potential violation of clauses 1 and 2 of House Rule XXIII that dictate the Houses official code of conduct.. "Her unseemly behavior certainly warrants censure," he wrote. Drew Hammill, Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, responded to Gaet's complaint. This is a frivolous stunt from a Congressman desperate to get back in the Presidents good graces after he voted with Democrats and against the President on Iran," Hammill wrote in an email statement. "We appreciate the irony of this particular Member making judgments about the dignity of the House. Gaetz claimed in the letter that Pelosi appears to be in violation of a law that prohibits willfully destroying paper or documents filed or deposited in public office. ALSO: Nancy Pelosi rips up speech after Trump completes State of the Union As President Trump finished his speech, Pelosi, D-Calif., stood and tore the advanced copy of the speech that Trump had presented to her into several pieces. "It was a manifesto of mistruths, Pelosi told reporters as she left the Capitol. The ripping was not planned, a person close to the speaker told the Associated Press. Vice President Mike Pence was standing in applause next to Speaker Pelosi at the speech's conclusion. "I didn't see her do it," Pence told "Fox & Friends." I found out just a few moments later, and I think it was a new low. I wasn't sure if she was ripping up the speech or ripping up the Constitution." Gaetz wrote in his letter, "It is hard to overlook the symbolism of such a gesture the sense that Speaker Pelosi was utterly dismissive of the President's achievements, and more importantly, the achievements of the American people." The lawmakers called on the ethics committee to conduct a probe and then "make referrals to the Department of Justice for further investigation and prosecution. MORE: Nancy Pelosi issues stern warning after Matt Gaetz taunts Michael Cohen over 'girlfriends' Gaetz has served as the U.S. representative for Florida's 1st congressional district since 2017. He made waves in social media last year when he taunted former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen on Twitter leading up to Cohen's testimony for the House Judiciary Committee. Gaetz tweeted, "Hey @MichaelCohen212 - Do your wife & father-in-law know about your girlfriends? Maybe tonight would be a good time for that chat. I wonder if she'll remain faithful when you're in prison. She's about to learn a lot..." Following the tweet, Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., called on the House Ethics Committee to investigate Gaetz for witness intimidation. "One of my colleagues, a duly elected member of Congress, has taken to twitter to intimidate a witness," he tweeted. "This is grossly unethical and probably illegal... House Ethics must investigate this disgrace and stain on our institution." SFGATE digital reporter Eric Ting contributed to this story. Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. File image Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on February 6, attacked the opposition for questioning why the government was in such a hurry. PM Modi said that the Centre would not have been able to deliver on numerous initiatives had it worked the old way. The opposition has asked why is the government is in such a hurry (to legislate), PM Modi said, adding: If we worked as per the old ways: Article 370 would never have been history. Muslim women would have kept suffering due to Triple Talaq, Ram Janmabhoomi issue would have remained unsolved. Kartarpur Sahib Corridor would not be a reality. There would be no India-Bangladesh land agreement. The prime minister said that people of India had seen our work for five years and then once again blessed us, so that we work even faster. We are aware that the country is not ready to wait for too long even after 70 years of independence. Hence, we want to work with speed and scale, sensitivity and solution, PM Modi added. The prime minister said that it is due to the speed of this government that in the last five years, 37 crore people got bank accounts, 11 crore people got toilets in their homes, 13 crore people got gas connections and two crore people got their own homes. #PMinLokSabha | "This is just a trailer," says Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury to PM Modi in #LokSabha, as Opposition raises "Long live #MahatmaGandhi" slogans PM #NarendraModi replies, "For you, Mahatma Gandhi can be a trailer for you. For us, he is a lifeline" pic.twitter.com/AazelIrwtU moneycontrol (@moneycontrolcom) February 6, 2020 He also said that things were changing in the Northeast and that the region was becoming a growth engine. Great work has been done in so many sectors. Ministers and officials are regularly visiting the region, he added. PM Modi added that the recently signed Bodo Accord is special because it has brought all stakeholders together and we are moving towards a more peaceful era. The prime minister urged Members of Parliament (MPs) to discuss and debate on economic issues in Parliament. Much has been said about CAA, ironically by those who love getting photographed with the group of people who want Tukde Tukde of India, the prime minister said. Pakistan did not leave any stone unturned to instigate Indian Muslims. Now that Pakistans instigations are not working, some Indians are doing it, PM Modi said. Those who have been removed from office by the people of India are now doing the unthinkable. They see citizens on the basis of their faith. We are different. We see everyone as an Indian The day Congress starts seeing India from Indias point-of-view, they will realise their mistakes. Had Congress not opposed CAA, the country would not have seen their true face, PM Modi added. PM Modi was replying to the Motion of Thanks taken up by the Lok Sabha on President Ram Nath Kovinds address. On January 31, President Kovind had hailed the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) as "historic" in his address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament. This had prompted some opposition members to protest. President Kovind had also said that Parliament has created a record in the first seven months of the new government headed by Narendra Modi by enacting several landmark legislations. Taking a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over the latters earlier remark that the youth will hit PM Modi with sticks in six months time if he is unable to address the issue of unemployment in the country, PM Modi said: I have decided that I will increase my frequency of 'Surya Namaskar' so that my back becomes so strong that it can bear the hit of so many sticks. HERNDON, Va., Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ISeeYouCare has entered into a Strategic Alliance Agreement with Unissant, Inc. for the companys award-winning Universal Smart Health Card Data Management System. In addition to expanding ISeeYouCares footprint in the State and Federal Healthcare space, Unissant shall also provide operational and maintenance technical support services in support of all collaborative deployments. The Smart Health Card utilizes smart-chip technology in conjunction with the My eMHR Personal Health Records system, a cloud-based universal personal health records system that is owned and controlled by the patient/consumer and which is C-CDA, CCD, CDA, CCR and XML capable. It pulls medical records from every certified Electronic Health Records system in North America; these records are then parsed, normalized and aggregated into one unified medical record onto a smart chip embedded in the card and made available to every provider at any point of care. ISeeYouCare has solved the interoperability problem that has plagued the North American Healthcare system for decades. The result: the solution provides the patient control of and access to all of their medical records. This in turn empowers both the patient and the physician throughout the continuum of care. The primary purpose for the development of the Smart Health Card is to fulfill the mission statement of ISeeYouCare: Creating technologies that place physicians in the optimum position of having every piece of historical medical data on any given patient available to them, absent not one piece, that if known, would alter their diagnosis and subsequent treatment of that patient. Robert E. Higgs, Founder/President/CEO of ISeeYouCare, Inc. We are very excited about being able to bring this patient-centered cloud-based data interoperability platform to the Federal Health market, says Ken Bonner, President of Unissant Inc. This platform provides a revolutionary solution to interoperability, capitalizing on existing patient portals for accessing medical records data. We see great promise with this platform and look forward to working closely with ISeeYouCare and our Federal Health clients to implement this for all federal health insurance beneficiaries. About ISeeYouCare ISeeYouCare, Inc. is a software development and Telemedicine/Telehealth solutions provider for the healthcare industry. Over the last ten years, the company has developed the largest eco-system of patient-centric, data-driven healthcare solutions of its kind. Our commitment to developing and advocating for change in the US Healthcare System is unrivaled as evidenced by the development of some of the most disruptive technologies in the world. www.icucare.com About Unissant, Inc. Unissant is an advanced data analytics and business transformation services provider with expertise in healthcare and health IT, finance, national security, and energy. The company delivers innovative solutions to assist government agencies and private sector businesses in tackling their biggest challenges. Founded in 2006, Unissant is a prime contractor on various government vehicles such as CIO-SP3, GSA PSS, GSA Health IT SIN, and GSA 8(a) STARS II and is a CMMI Level 3, ISO 9001 & 27001 certified company headquartered in Herndon, Virginia with a satellite office in San Antonio, Texas. In March 2017, Unissant received the Government Project of the Year award by Small and Emerging Contractors Advisory Forum (SECAF). www.unissant.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f9da2254-a0d8-465e-b5c8-383e78b2c063 The ongoing assault by the regime, Iranian militias and Russia has targeted health facilities in Idleb, crippling their ability to help injured civilians reports Alsouria Net. The severity of warnings has increased about the collapse being witnessed by the medical sector in Idleb province, with the intensifying recent military campaign and Assads forces and Russia striking hospitals and medical centers in the province, the weak capacities available and the retreat of the international community from supporting this sector. The World Health Organization has warned of the health risks facing hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have been forced to flee because of the intensified fighting in Idleb, saying in a report issued on Monday that over January, 53 health facilities suspended their services because of a lack of security and threats related to the attacks or because of populated areas turning into vacant areas after their residents were expelled by bombardment. The head of the media center in the Idleb Health Directorate, Emad Zahran, told Alsouria Net that the health situation in Idleb was very bad, adding that the southern countryside of the province had become entirely emptied of any medical point because of the systematic bombardment carried out by regime and Russian warplanes. According to Zahran, more than 49 health facilities were struck in the countrysides of Idleb, Aleppo and Hama by the regime and Russia, 21 of them destroyed entirely and going out of service in the period between April 2019 to today. He added: Ninety percent of residents of the southern Idleb countryside have been displaced to northern areas, while there is still a not insignificant number of people unable to flee because of their poverty, and are deprived of any medical services there. Needs are many times above capacities In light of the limited capacities, the Idleb Health Directorate and organizations working in the area are trying to respond to the poor medical sector in the area by taking measures to contain the crisis. Zahran told Alsouria Net that the directorate had taken a number of measures, including moving all medical points which have not been struck by bombardment to areas where displaced people are gathered in northern Idleb, as well as supporting the medical centers already in the north through contact with international groups to secure additional support. Zahran said that the medical situation had been affected by the lack medical support offered, saying that international support had been reduced by 40 percent in 2019 over 2018, while the need for medical services had increased greatly over 2019 as a result of the military campaign on the area. The German GIZ organization at the start of last year suspended its support for health projects in the provinces of Hama, Idleb, Aleppo and Lattakia, which has led to voluntary work. 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. (Newser) A breakthrough could be near in the case of Kristin Smart, a Cal Poly student who vanished after attending an off-campus party almost 24 years ago. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office says "items of interest" were recovered Wednesday after search warrants were served at four locations in California and Washington state, the New York Times reports. "We will now analyze those and see how they relate to the case," says sheriff's office spokesman Tony Cipolla. KCAL reports that one of the locations searched Wednesday was the home of Paul Flores, who is believed to have been the last person to see the 19-year-old alive. He has long been considered a person of interest in the case. story continues below Flores told investigators that he and Smart parted ways after they got to his dorm building after walking back from the party on May 25, 1996. His dorm room was not searched until more than two weeks later, after he had moved all his belongings out, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reports. Smart's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against him later that year. Smart was legally declared dead in 2002, but no body was ever found. Investigators also searched the home of Flores' mother Wednesday as spectators shouted "Dig her up." Police say two trucks that belonged to the Flores family in 1996 were located and taken into evidence last week. (In 2016, police searching for Smart's body excavated three sites on the Cal Poly campus.) The UN's special representative for Libya said Thursday the country's warring sides are working to turn a provisional cease-fire into a formal agreement as they emerged from four days of talks. Ghassan Salame, head of the United Nations support mission in Libya, said rival military leaders are negotiating the remaining sticking points in a cease-fire deal. Those include the return of internally displaced people, the disarmament of armed groups and ways to monitor the truce. "The cease-fire agreement is made of a number of issues, and there have been points of convergence on many points. And there are points of divergence,'' Salame told reporters in Geneva. According to Salame, the United Nations expects eastern Libyan tribes leaders to submit by Thursday their list of conditions to reopen blocked oil terminals. The latest round of fighting in oil-rich Libya erupted last April when eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) under the command of Gen. Khalifa Haftar laid siege to Tripoli in a bid to wrest power from the Government of National Accord (GNA) led by Prime Minister Fayez Sarraj. Sarraj and Haftar both sent delegations of military officials to represent them at the Geneva talks. The cease-fire talks come amid intensified diplomacy among world powers seeking to end the conflict that has ravaged Libya for nine years. LNA forces, which control much of Libya's east and south, rely on military assistance from the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, as well as France and Russia. On the other side, Turkey, Italy and Qatar prop up the embattled Tripoli-based government. World powers have deplored the reality on the ground and pledged to uphold a widely flouted UN arms embargo at a peace summit last month in Berlin. But continued violations of the ban have dimmed hopes that international players in Libya can resolve the crisis. * This story was edited by Ahram Online. Search Keywords: Short link: MBABANE While the country is doing the most in tracking Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) popularly known as coronavirus at points of entry, informal crossing areas remain a risk. This is what one gets to conclude after the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi, said there was nothing they had planned currently to control those who were entering the country through informal crossings. Many people make use of the informal crossings if they do have proper documentation that will allow them to either enter or leave the country. The minister said this when she visited Matsamo and Ngwenya Border Gates to check the services offered to the people entering the country in as far as screening for the virus is concerned. Information sourced was that the country was currently covering eight entry points, two of which have big scanning cameras, while the others have small ones. Asked why only eight entry points had the screening devices, the minister stated that those were the ones that received a large number of people, especially those coming from international trips. Screening When engaged on how the informal crossing areas were going to be managed as part of governments efforts to ensure proper screening of everyone entering the kingdom, the minister said there was nothing they were going to do about them in the meantime. She added that they would only rely on asking the general public who had knowledge of people who entered through informal crossing to advise them to go and seek medical attention. This question emanates from that there are a lot of goods imported from Mozambique into the country, some of which come with people from China. A number of those people access the country through informal points of entry which then makes it hard to track them down. The people will become a threat to the people they are with, not just to themselves, said the minister. At the Ngwenya Border Gate, there is a big camera that captures body temperatures of individuals who are queuing to get their travel documents stamped. Temperature According to a health officer, who is stationed at the border, once the camera, which is backed by a screen that reflects the camera readings shows that ones temperature is high, that person is taken aside and they get screened. If there are any alarming signs, they are then taken to the health facility situated at the border. If the signs are there, ours would be to call the emergency services to take that person to hospital, the minister said. Gathered Information gathered was that the health office also worked closely with the Immigration office which informed them of people who were from countries close to China. They check the other stamps within the passport to see when that individual had gone to or near China then they signal me to scan them, narrated the officer. Virus While the country is on a mission to ensure that there is no spread of the virus, reports suggest that China has found the cure for the virus which, however, has not been confirmed by the authorities of that country. This would form the centre of a grid with 57 other two-bay sites spaced every 200 kilometres at existing service stations along major highways across WA, mostly providing 50-350 kilowatts (150 kilowatts or above where the grid allowed). While most 2019 electric car models charge at 150 kilowatts, it is expected that from 2020 most models will charge at 350. Minimum charging time under ideal conditions would be 6 minutes at a 350-kilowatt station, 15 minutes at a 150-kilowatt station and 44 minutes at a 50-kilowatt station. The report estimated this network would cost just $23.6 million and could be rolled out on a route-by-route basis to open up one destination at a time. Most EVs would be in the metro area and up to 90 per cent of all charges would remain at homes or businesses during the work day or overnight, on "destination" chargers that are essentially a power point and trickle the energy in over several hours. The report said WA lagged well behind other states, and particularly far behind New Zealand, and that EVs would not become mainstream without statewide fast-charging infrastructure to address "range anxiety". At the time the report was published WA had just 13 public charging sites, all only 50-kilowatt, plus one Tesla-only site (in comparison, Australia had 57 sites plus 22 Tesla-only, while New Zealand had 169 plus six Tesla-only). UWA operated one in Crawley; City of Swan operated one; RAC had funded a network of 11 between Perth and Augusta, dubbed the 'Electric Highway'; Tesla had one site in Bunbury (exclusive use for Teslas); and Tesla was planning another site in Perth. Chargefox and Fast Cities, both established in the eastern states, had plans to install a couple of charging sites in WA but were unlikely to spread further without government incentives. Queensland's electric superhighway runs from Cairns to Coolangatta. Manufacturers were also reluctant to introduce new EVs into Australia as they perceived the market to be weak due to lack of subsidies and political support. Mr Jones said he got the feeling the government didnt really want to move on electric cars, possibly because the gas industry wielded so much power. They are pushing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles a complicated, expensive, far-off-in-the-future way of maintaining charge on an electric car, he said. The gas industry loves the idea because they produce hydrogen and have the raw materials and they see it as their clean coal; their green way out. And because they are an established industry that returns royalties I think the government is listening to them, simply because there is no equivalent to the gas industry in the electric car world. Mr Jones said in future, nickel and lithium mining giants might lobby in this space but for now a "chicken or the egg" situation remained. The government may be suspicious of spending on something that doesnt look used for a couple of years, he said. But ... if the stations were there and installed and people saw the fast charges at all their favourite destinations, they might be more inclined to pull the trigger. There were other simple and inexpensive steps governments could take, he said, like free registrations or removing stamp duty on electric vehicles, which had encouraged Australian Capital Territory residents to make the switch. Loading Government and utility fleets, which were buying new cars anyway, could set a 25 per cent electric car target, ensuring a flow-on of second-hand cars to the wider market. A state government spokeswoman said the working group was considering the report as part of developing a state electric vehicle strategy, an action plan to increase the share of electric vehicles in government fleets, and alongside the state climate policy under development. She said the government had introduced a new electric vehicle tariff to provide a discount to EV owners who charged their vehicles between 11pm and 4am, and various government agencies were trialling electric vehicles. She said the government had installed 17 charging stations across the state, including making new government buildings (such as the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation) EV-ready. CLEVELAND, Ohio - While a 12th case of the coronavirus has been confirmed in the United States, China is expanding its efforts to fight the virus in a different arena. Chinese officials have announced they will cut in half a number of new tariffs on goods imported from the U.S. in an attempt to settle financial markets both at home and abroad that have fallen on fears over the virus and its impact on manufacturing and other business sectors. The current death toll stands at 565 with more than 28,000 infected. Live coronavirus tracker Coronavirus news in the United States The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is donating $100 million to coronavirus relief efforts (CNN) Unidentified person in Wisconsin is the 12th confirmed case of virus in U.S. (New York Post) U.S. plans more evacuations from Wuhan (CBS News) Illinois suspects enter Walmart with Caution I have the Coronavirus sign and spray substance on $7K worth of produce (Fox News) Two Iowans in quarantine, being tested for virus (KWWL) Four hospitalized as quarantine starts in San Diego (SD Union-Tribune) Coronavirus news around the globe Medical staff strike over coronavirus concerns outside government headquarters in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. In Hong Kong, hospitals workers are striking to demand the border with mainland China be shut completely to ward off the virus, but four new cases without known travel to the mainland indicate the illness is spreading locally in the territory.(AP Photo/Vincent Yu)AP How to avoid virus on flights: Forget masks, says top airline doctor (Bloomberg) Coronavirus threat to economy of China and beyond (BBC) Aspiring rapper charged after coronavirus stunt grounds airplane (The Verge) Newborn becomes youngest person infected with virus (Fox News) Hong Kong mandates quarantine for all arriving from mainland (NPR) Alleged leak suggests China is underreporting death toll, infection rate (CCN) Hidden cases could thwart containment, scientists warn (The Guardian) China sacrifices a province to save the world (Bloomberg) Local coronavirus news Ohio health officials are more tight-lipped about latest suspected coronavirus case (cleveland.com) Ohio monitoring possible case, awaiting test results (WHIO) Former UC QB quarantined on army base after evacuation from Wuhan (WLWT) WLU graduate and China native talks coronavirus (WTRF) Two U.S. citizens among those who tested positive for virus on cruise ship (Dayton Daily News) Read complete prior coronavirus coverage on cleveland.com In a report, Trend Micro presents security projections for 2020. The japanese security specialist Trend Micro wants to sensitize companies to the latest cyber-crime threats. The software manufacturer has published the report The new standard: Trend Micro security forecasts for 2020. The report of Trend Micro describes how the threat landscape will expand in the new decade and what steps companies can derive from it. The report supports companies in making informed security decisions for specific areas of focus that will pose challenges in 2020 and in the years ahead. It is no longer a current trend for companies to operate networks behind a corporate firewall. There are now a wide variety of applications, services and platforms that should have multi-layered security systems. Blackmail, concealment and phishing are still part of daily business, but cyber criminals are also developing new methods to damage companies. The developments around artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications in particular open the door to hackers. New attack vectors and tactics Cyber criminals are still not afraid to damage systems for their own benefit. But they are changing their attack vectors and tactics which means users and businesses, should always be ahead of them. Attackers punish incomplete, hastily developed patches Attackers punish so-called patch gaps. These are security gaps between a bug in an open source component that is being fixed and its patch. Banking systems are in the crosshairs due to open banking and ATM malware. Attacks with mobile malware on online banking and payment systems are expected to be very popular in 2020, as online payments will become more important in the wake of the revised EU Payment Services Directive. Furthermore, according to Trend Micro, the sale of ATM malware will increase. Deepfakes are the next wave in corporate fraud. Deepfakes are AI-based forgeries of images, video and audio material. Their use will change from fake pornographic videos of celebrities to the manipulation of companies and their operations. Especially the members of the management are in the focus of the criminals, as they often participate in telephone conferences or appear in videos. The attackers exploit vulnerabilities and deserialisation bugs that are susceptible to worms. There will be further attempts to exploit critical and serious vulnerabilities, such as BlueKeep, which is worm-susceptible. Common protocols such as Server Message Block (SMB) and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) will be exploited to compromise vulnerable systems. The latter are already a common entry vector for ransomware. IT and OT becomes vulnerable to risks The converging future will lead to old and new forms and techniques of attack, making information and operational technology (IT and OT) resources vulnerable to risk. Cyber criminals nest on IoT devices for the purpose of espionage and blackmail. Increasingly, cyber criminals use machine learning (ML) and AI to tap into networked devices such as smart TVs and speakers to eavesdrop on personal and business conversations. The acquired material can be used for extortion and corporate espionage. 5G users will have to deal with the security implications of moving to software-defined networks. Upgrades in connection with 5G are similar to updates for smartphones and therefore contain vulnerabilities. Exploiting 5G vulnerabilities via low-cost hardware and software platforms has already proven to be feasible. Critical infrastructures are even more affected by attacks and production downtime. Trend Micro is currently expecting attacks on the utilities sector, but food production, transportation, and manufacturing are also expected to be targets of hacker attacks. Cloud and DevOps migrations present opportunities and risks Cloud and DevOps migrations present both risks and opportunities for users. They highlight the importance of security across the entire deployment line. Vulnerabilities in container components are becoming a top security concern for DevOps teams. Companies must keep an eye on their security in relation to different components of the container architecture from container runtimes to orchestrators to development environments. Serverless platforms are a target for attack due to misconfiguration and security vulnerable code. Outdated libraries, misconfigurations and known and unknown vulnerabilities can be the entry points of attackers on serverless applications. Cloud platforms fall victim to code injection attacks via third party libraries. As cloud computing models for software, infrastructure and Platform-as-a-Service become more widespread, there will be an increase in data breaches in the cloud. Security skills shortage The shortage of safety experts and a lack of safety hygiene are fuelling a failure in protective applications. Risk management and comprehensive threat information are essential to creating a secure environment. The following aspects help companies defend against hacker attacks: Total transparency Threat protection with efficient containment managed detection and response Behaviour Monitoring Endpoint Security intrusion detection and prevention If you would like more detailed information about the threats and possible countermeasures, you can find the complete report on the Trend Micro homepage. The Kerala Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution moved by state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to withdraw the proposed amendment to the section 6 of Income Tax Act, which lays down conditions for residential status for tax purposes in India. This comes three days after Vijayan had raised concerns regarding proposed amendment in the Assembly."With the amendment, those working in foreign countries will have to stay abroad for 240 days per year instead of 182 days at present, for retaining their non-resident status. The proposed reduction of the period from '182 days or more' to '120 days or more' will adversely affect professionals leaving for employment from Kerala particularly in Gulf countries," he had said. He had said those running partnership business abroad and working in areas like oil rigs, will be most affected. Congress members in the House had also raised their concerns regarding the proposed amendment. Vijayan had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in this regard, wherein he said: "Most of the people working in the countries of the Gulf Region, from Kerala, are having homes and families in Kerala. They visit and stay in their home state to look after domestic affairs. Tax evasion is not their intention and they do not fall in the category of persons who shift their bases to escape taxes." . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Opposition MLAs on Thursday created a ruckus in the Goa Legislative Assembly seeking the arrest of state BJP spokesman Premanand Mahambrey for filing a "false complaint" against Independent MLA Rohan Khaunte, which led to adjournment of the House four times. As these legislators continued to disrupt the proceedings when Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stood up to present the state budget around 3 pm, they were finally escorted out of the House by the marshals. As soon as the fourth day of the budget session of the Assembly began at 11.30 am on Thursday, Khaunte and other MLAs belonging to the Congress, the Goa Forward Party (GFP), the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) rushed to the Well of the House and disrupted the proceedings. They demanded that Mahambrey be held for filing a "false complaint" against Khaunte, who was arrested on Wednesday midnight and released on bail in the wee hours of Thursday. Mahambrey had filed a police complaint against Khaunte on Wednesday for allegedly threatening him on the assembly complex premises. He had also submitted the complaint to state Assembly Speaker Rajesh Patnekar. Based on his complaint, Khaunte, former state revenue minister, was arrested from his residence at Porvorim in North Goa district and booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 341 (wrongful restraint) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt). As the opposition MLAs repeatedly disrupted the proceedings, the speaker adjourned the House four times within three hours- between 11.30 am and 2.30 pm. When Chief Minister Pramod Sawant stood up to present the state budget at 3 pm, these MLAs once again rushed to the Well of the House shouting the slogans of 'shame shame'. The speaker asked these legislators to go out and let the House transact the business. However, as they refused to do so, at least nine opposition members, including Leader of Opposition Digambar Kamat, GFP MLA Vijai Sardesai and MGP MLA Sudin Dhavalikar, were evicted from the House by the marshals. Talking to reporters earlier in the day, Sardesai had said, "The opposition benches will not allow the House to function till BJP Goa spokesman Mahambrey is arrested. The complaint (against Khaunte) is false." He alleged that the Pramod Sawant-led government was "frustrated" and the speaker's act of giving assent to the arrest was "against the Constitution". Khaunte was held after the Goa Police approached the Assembly speaker, seeking his consent for the legislator's arrest. The speaker's permission is required as Goa Assembly session is currently underway. The budget session will conclude on February 7. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As aid groups urge ceasefire in Idlib region, UNSC set to meet over Turkey-Russia tensions, diplomats say. Eight humanitarian aid organisations have called for an immediate ceasefire in northwestern Syria, where hostilities have displaced half a million people in the past two months. Russian-backed Syrian government forces have upped their deadly assault on the last major rebel bastion in the northwest since December, chipping away at its southern edge. The violence in the rebel-held province of Idlib has forced 520,000 people out of their homes since the start of December, according to the United Nations, in one of the biggest upheavals in the nearly nine-year war. The aid groups including the Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children, Care and the International Rescue Committee labelled the situation a humanitarian catastrophe. They called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in addition to immediate access to safety for the millions of civilians currently under fire. The latest wave of people fleeing follows 400,000 others who were displaced by an earlier round of fighting in Idlib last year. Many have fled north towards the border with Turkey, where camps are overcrowded and thousands more have instead set up haphazard tents in olive groves. Staggering exodus Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, warned that the new arrivals were running out of options as to where to go. Camps are hosting five times their intended occupancy and rental prices have skyrocketed in towns in the northwest, he said. We are calling on Turkey to let these terrified families seek safety either across the border or in areas Turkey controls in Syria. Andrew Morley, the head of World Vision International, said children were sleeping in flooded fields, and some families were even burning their clothes to stay warm. The exodus of people is staggering, and tens of thousands more are joining them every day, he said. Doctors have said cold weather, disease and a lack of shelter and medicine continues to threaten hundreds of thousands of civilians as they flee fighting in Idlib. People are facing a tragedy. For the last two weeks, its been very, very cold. There is rain and mud, and influenza is spreading, said Wassim Zakaria, a doctor who works in a clinic in Idlib city that closed on Monday due to heavy bombardment. Some are having to flee by foot, while many others are having to sleep in their cars, as Syrian and Russian warplanes bombard the highways leading north towards Turkey. The World Health Organization said on Monday that the violence had forced 53 medical facilities in northwest Syria to close in January and warned of critical health threats to fleeing civilians. Turkey-Russia tensions Meanwhile, the UN Security Council will meet on Thursday for an emergency session on Syria following deadly clashes between the Turkish and Syrian military, diplomats said. On Monday, eight Turkish military personnel were killed by Syrian government shelling in Idlib, prompting a Turkish military response in which Turkey said it struck more than 50 targets and killed 76 Syrian government troops. The Syrian government made no official comment on the reported deaths. The diplomats said the meeting at the UN, which will be open to the public, was requested by the United States, France and the United Kingdom. On Wednesday, the US envoy for Syria, James Jeffrey, said his country is very, very worried about the escalation in Idlib. The UN envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, is expected to report on the situation in Idlib, the diplomats said. The Russian-backed Syrian government offensive on the northwestern region has drawn strong warnings from Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey, which backs certain opposition groups in Idlib, has set up 12 observation posts in Idlib as part of a 2018 deal with Russia. If the Syrian regime will not retreat from Turkish observation posts in Idlib in February, Turkey will be obliged to take matters into its own hands, Erdogan said on Wednesday Turkeys air and land forces will move freely in all operation areas [in Syria] and in Idlib, and they will conduct operations if needed, he added. Since hostilities intensified in the so-called de-escalation zone in Idlib on April 29, United Nations monitors have verified incidents in which 1,506 civilians, including 293 women and 433 children, were killed, UN human rights spokesman Jeremy Laurence said last month. Syrias war has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced more than half the countrys pre-war population since starting in 2011 with the repression of anti-government protests. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 24 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on Feb. 6, 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. L: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaks on stage at "First in the West" event in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Nov. 17, 2019. (Bridget Bennett/AFP via Getty Images) R: Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg talks to the press after a Sunday morning service at Greenleaf Christian Church in Goldsboro, North Carolina, on Dec. 1, 2019. (Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images) Bernie Sanders Declares Victory in Iowa After Buttigieg Does So Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) declared victory in Iowa following the state Democratic Partys botched release of the caucus results. His declaration came after Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., similarly told supporters that he won Iowa before moving onto New Hampshires primary. I want to thank the people of Iowa for the very strong victory they gave us at the Iowa caucuses on Monday night. Some 6,000 more Iowans came out to support us than any other candidate. With eight strong candidates competing, that is a decisive margin of victory, Sanders wrote in a statement. About 97 percent of Iowa precincts have now reported results, showing Buttigieg with 26.2 percent of state delegate equivalents as of 12:50 a.m. ET on Thursday. Sanders has 26.1 percent of the state delegate equivalents, although Sanders had support from 44,753 caucusgoers, which is a 2,518-vote lead over Buttigiegs 42,235. These state delegate equivalents have greatly diminished importance from past caucuses. And they should, Sanders told supporters New Hampshire. In the past, a candidate with more delegates to the state and county conventions could actually change the number of national delegates from that allocated on caucus night but that is no longer the case. The Iowa results were expected to be delivered on Monday night but were delayed when an app created by Shadow Inc., which was used by the Iowa Democratic Party, experienced problems. It caused each precinct to verify the results manually. Since then, the results from the caucuses have slowly trickled in, days after they were expected. But after the announcement of the delay, Buttigieg told his supporters that he won, saying, By all indications, we are going onto New Hampshire victorious. The former mayor s campaign later said he was citing internal campaign data. Sanders, his supporters, and several other campaigns offered critical words for the states Democratic Party for the delay. Even President Donald Trump weighed in on the counting fracas, calling it an unmitigated disaster. The only person that can claim a very big victory in Iowa last night is Trump,' the president wrote early on Tuesday. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) third with 18.2 percent of the total equivalents, former Vice President Joe Biden was in fourth-place with 15.8 percent, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) was fifth with 12.2 percent of the equivalents. Sanders told the Washington Examiner that he had questions following discrepancies in the vote count. I dont know, I dont think anybody knows. It turned out that in 2016, I think, Secretary Clinton got one or two more delegates than we got in the state process. There is some supposition that we actually won the popular vote, I cant say definitively, he said. I can say definitively that in 2020, we did win the popularnow I want to reiterate do, so were clear, You got 180,000 people voting, when you got eight candidates, when you win the popular vote by 6000 votes, that is a pretty good victory. The confusion prompted Democratic National Committee chief Tom Perez to say that he has doubts about the figures that have been released so far. As a result, he has demanded a recanvass of the Iowa results. Enough is enough. In light of the problems that have emerged in the implementation of the delegate selection plan and in order to assure public confidence in the results, Perez wrote on Twitter. I am calling on the Iowa Democratic Party to immediately begin a recanvass. A recanvassing of results mainly involves double-checking existing voting records. It differs from a recount, where a court orders a process that is more lengthy and rigorous. Photo: Dolo Iglesias/Unsplash Looking for something to do this week? From live jazz music to a painting class, here are some solid options to help you get out and about in the days ahead. 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. First Friday Five Points Jazz Hop: Bee Boisseau Trio at Goed Zuur, presented by Mile High Festivals From the event description: The historic Five Points neighborhood in Denver keeps culture alive! Join us every First Friday in Five Points for live jazz music. The Bee Boisseau Trio is one of six jazz bands that will provide an unforgettable soundtrack for the First Friday Five Points Jazz Hop. When: Friday, Feb. 7, 8:30-10:30 p.m. Where: Goed Zuur, 2801 Welton St. Admission: Free Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Maroon Bells painting session at Sipping n' Painting Highland From the event description: At Sipping n' Painting Highland, you will have a blast relaxing, creating and tapping into the right side of your brain while sipping on the beverage of your choice from our bar. No experience necessary! We will walk you through the featured painting with step-by-step instruction. You will leave with your own unique canvas art creation and memories to share. When: Saturday, Feb. 8, 7-9 p.m. Where: Sipping n' Painting Highland, 4995 Lowell Blvd. Admission: $30 Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Whip It: All Vinyl 80s Dance Party with DJ Jason Heller and Erin Stereo at Ophelia's Electric Soapbox From the event description: Come experience the Whip It: All Vinyl 80s Dance Party, hosted by DJ Jason Heller and Erin Stereo at Ophelia's Electric Soapbox. When: Saturday, Feb. 8, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. (doors open at 8:30 p.m.) Where: Ophelia's Electric Soapbox, 1215 20th St. Admission: $10 (upper level, mezzanine); $14 (general admission, advance); $17 (general admission, day of show) Story continues Click here for more details, and to get your tickets Dissonance and Reconciliation by Anima Chamber Ensemble at Augustana Lutheran Church From the event description: Join Anima Chamber Ensemble for an evening of Dissonance and Reconciliation. This one-night-only performance will feature Jeffrey Van's stirring A Procession Winding Around Me with guest guitarist, Alex Komodore. This stunning extended work for chorus and guitar features powerful Civil War-era poetry by Walt Whitman. The concert will be rounded out with works by Narverud, Uusberg, Lauridsen, Trumbore and Craig Hella Johnson. Joining them are two phenomenal high school choirs from Castle View High School in Castle Rock. When: Sunday, Feb. 9, 7-9 p.m. Where: Augustana Lutheran Church, 5000 E. Alameda Ave. Admission: Free (student admission); $20 (adult general admission, online); $22 (adult general admission, at the door) Click here for more details, and to get your tickets This story was created automatically using local event data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. I was hearing the same stories again and again about gendered division of labor, this idea that women get the coffee and men get to sit in the meetings. Those stories kept coming up, again and again and again. So Green embarked on a screenplay, not about Weinstein specifically in the finished film, the predatory boss has no name, and is never seen on screen but a story of one day in the life of this person with the least power at a very powerful organization. These women are our next generation and their stories will make a difference to every one who hears them. It is my honor to give them this platform. Held last September in Chicagos suburbs, Young Latina Talks inspired local Hispanic women ages 15 to 25 to share their stories of forging their own paths to success in front of a worldwide audience. Its overwhelming popularity and positive response has led this engaging event to do an East Coast edition for the very first time. The Young Latina Talks East Coast event will be held Saturday, April 18, 2020 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital at 1 Robert Wood Johnson Place in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The event was created as an extension of Todays Inspired Latina (TIL), an internationally acclaimed book series highlighting the success stories of Latinas. Jacqueline Ruiz, TILs creator, explained how the event was an idea from Elizabeth Colon-Rivera, a TIL author, who suggested that young Latinas do a Latina Talks event of their own after participating in one. Elizabeths idea resonated with me because I know in my heart that there are many young Latinas who want to share their stories to help others like themselves, Ruiz said. In our inaugural event, 12 of these ladies candidly expressed what it was like to come to the United States, to sometimes be the first of their families to attend college and to share family situations that are not always the best. Their stories touched our hearts and Im very excited that we are bringing this powerful event to New Jersey. After an application process, potential speakers are invited to participate. Those participants will also vie for a $1,000 Amazing Young Latina Scholarship. This scholarship will be used to help with college expenses. Ruiz kindly thanks the following businesses that are partnering for this special event: Host Sponsor: Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Silver Sponsors: Cien + Easy Consulting Latina Surge Capturing Beauty Photography Bronze Sponsor: Mercedes Consulting and Services, LLC Senator Teresa Ruiz Partners: Bellas Fashionistas Univision 41 Prospanica HISPA ALPFA Mexican Alliance of New Jersey Ruiz hopes that the public will come and support these Latinas presenters. These women are our next generation and their stories will make a difference to every one who hears them, she said. It is my honor to give them this platform. Todays Inspired Latina 6 Books: 152 Authors: 1 Common Dream A Todays Inspired Latina is an award-winning book series of inspiration and hope, a poignant collection of personal stories that will activate your passion. The series is the largest collection of stories in a book anthology series in the world with 152 to date in six volumes. Volumes seven and eight will be published in 2020 for more than 200 Hispanic female authors. These are success stories that need to be told, to motivate our community for generations to come. By overcoming language barriers, self-doubts and other obstacles in their way, these strong Latinas are a great example of how inspiration and perseverance can lead you to happiness and success in business and life. Its a positive, empowering read for anyone sitting on a dream and thinking it cant come true. Todays Inspired Latina shows that it can! For more information, visit: http://todayslatina.com. ### [February 06, 2020] ISACA Announces 2020 Slate of Events for Business Technology Professionals Around the Globe ISACA, a global association serving business technology professionals in audit, security, cybersecurity, executive, compliance, risk, privacy, control and IT roles, announced its annual event schedule, which includes learning opportunities focused on emerging technologies, innovation, best practices and professional development. Disruptive technologies, forthcoming ISACA research on global election security, and ISACA enterprise solutions, including the CSX Training Platform and the CMMI Cybermaturity Platform, will be highlighted in conferences in 2020. The 2020 CACS conferences, set for North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, the Oceania region and Latin America, will offer educational sessions in audit and assurance, big data, risk management, governance and more. The CACS Conferences are the premier events for audit/assurance, COBIT, compliance, risk, security, and strategy/governance professionals. Knowledge, tools and strategies will be shared at all levels of expertise. Additional conferences offer more focused content for in-depth learning. Capability Counts 2020 will gather global thought leaders from diverse industries to share best practices that advance organizational capabilities and performance. The Governance, Risk, and Control Conference (GRC), co-hosted with the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), offers an immersive event featuring networking, education and professional development specific to internal audit and IT risk professionals. "ISACA's learning and networking opportunities offer professionals innovative content and interactive experiences to not only enhance their current skills but to also prepare for the future of tech and the challenges that they and their enterprises will face," said Julia Kanouse, senior vice president of membership at ISACA. "Being strategic amidst change and adding value to their roles and organizations is necessary given the fast-paced environments in which we are now working. ISACA's events and programs support the continuous education journeys needed to help both individuals and enterprises realize the positive potential of technology." ISACA features a variety of learning opportunities that fit almost any schedule, including in-person training weeks for individuals and on-site trainings for enterprises, as well as online opportunities like virtual trainings with a live remote instructor, live webinars, and a library of on-demand sessions. ISACA conferences include options for pre- or post-conference workshops for networking and for in-depth, hands-on training. ISACA's 2020 conferences and educational events are listed below. For a complete look at ISACA's global events and education, visit www.isaca.org/training-and-events. 2020 ISACA Events Capability Counts, 21-22 April 2020, Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia, USA https://cmmiinstitute.com/capability-counts/2020 North America CACS, 12-14 May 2020, Baltimore, Maryland, USA www.isaca.org/conferences/north-america-cacs-2020 GRC Conference, co-hosted with The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), 17-19 August, 2020, Austin, Texas, USA www.isaca.org/conferences/governance-risk-and-control-conference-2020 Latin CACS, 27-28 August 2020, Punta Cana, Dominican Republic www.isaca.org/training-and-events/conferences (Check soon for updated information) Oceania CACS, 31 August-1 September 2020, Perth, Western Australia www.isaca.org/conferences/oceania-cacs-2020 Asia Pacific CACS, 11-12 September 2020, Chennai, India www.isaca.org/training-and-events/conferences (Check soon for updated information) Africa CACS, 5-6 October 2020, Lagos, Nigeria www.isaca.org/training-and-events/conferences (Check soon for updated information) EuroCACS/CSX, 28-30 October 2020, Helsinki, Finland www.isaca.org/conferences/euro-cacs-csx-2020 About ISACA For more than 50 years, ISACA (www.isaca.org) has advanced the best talent, expertise and learning in technology. ISACA equips individuals with knowledge, credentials, education and community to progress their careers and transform their organizations, and enables enterprises to train and build quality teams. ISACA is a global professional association and learning organization that leverages the expertise of its 145,000 members who work in information security, governance, assurance, risk and privacy to drive innovation through technology. It has a presence in 188 countries, including more than 220 chapters worldwide. Twitter (News - Alert): www.twitter.com/ISACANews LinkedIn (News - Alert): www.linkedin.com/company/isaca Facebook (News - Alert): www.facebook.com/ISACAGlobal Instagram: www.instagram.com/isacanews/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005752/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] On Nov. 27, 2016, a New Orleans police officer handed Tiffany Lacroix a piece of paper that was titled subpoena, instructing her to meet with thenNew Orleans Assistant District Attorney Laura Rodrigue. At the top, the document warned, A fine and imprisonment may be imposed for failure to obey this notice. But that piece of paper wasnt a legally issued subpoena, which would have required a judges signoff. It was one of the many fake subpoenas issued by the DAs office, a tactic that even the New Orleans District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro himself now agrees was an improper method used to pressure witnesses to meet with prosecutors and provide evidence. Lacroix challenged the validity of the fake subpoena and won. The office stopped using the fake subpoenas shortly after they were exposed to the public. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Shortly after this practice became publicly known, thanks to an investigation by the Lens, the ACLU and Civil Rights Corps brought a civil rights lawsuit against the New Orleans District Attorneys Office and 11 individual prosecutors, including Rodrigue, alleging that their clientsall individuals who were served fake subpoenas, some of whom were jailed as material witnesses as a resultwere victims of a district attorneys office already known for concealing evidence, prosecuting witnesses who tried to come forward with the truth, and doing pretty much anything else in the quest to win. Now, more than two years after the original lawsuit was filed, Cannizzaros office is trying to wriggle out of taking responsibility for admittedly improper acts. Advertisement On Wednesday, the New Orleans District Attorneys Office argued before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that, contrary to the district judges view, they cant be held liable for the illegal subpoenas, even if they knew that they were wrong at the time. The office claims that prosecutors have absolute immunity from civil lawsuits, meaning that they cannot be sued for bad acts the same way law enforcement officers and other public officials can. This argument relies on a doctrine thats been propped up by the Supreme Court, which has held over and over again that prosecutors arent like anyone else. Advertisement The U.S. Supreme Court first invented the doctrine of prosecutorial immunity in the 1976 decision in Imbler v. Pachtman, which made the issue of prosecutorial immunity dependent on types of conduct rather than intent.* Imbler set the rule that prosecutors cannot be held liable for any acts done as advocates for the state. Justice Lewis Powell, who wrote the opinion, went on to say that prosecutors could nevertheless be held liable for administrative duties and investigatory functions. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Paul Imbler was charged with first-degree felony murder and was sentenced to death in a Los Angeles court based largely on eyewitness accounts. After Imblers conviction, the lead prosecutor himself wrote to the California Supreme Court and argued that there was evidence that Imblers alibi was correct and that at least one of the witnesses was unreliable. This was not enough to overturn Imblers death sentence until a federal court looked at the evidence and set Imbler free. He then sued law enforcement and the prosecutor for concealing evidence at his trial. In their decision, the court found that individual prosecutors needed absolute immunity from civil suits in prosecution decisions because harassment by unfounded litigation would cause a deflection of the prosecutors energies from his public duties, and the possibility that he would shade his decisions instead of exercising the independence of judgment required by his public trust. But Powell allowed when prosecutors acted like law enforcement officers through investigation, they should not have absolute immunity, but only a good faith defense. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The Supreme Court strengthened this largely bulletproof immunity in the case of John Thompson, who was sent to death row by the New Orleanss District Attorneys Office for a murder he did not commit because the office intentionally hid evidence proving Thompson was innocent. In a civil jury trial against the DAs office, Thompson won a $14 million verdict. But, in an extraordinarily cruel twist, the Supreme Court, in a decision written by Justice Clarence Thomas, reversed Thompsons success at trial and held that the district attorney could not be held liable for failing to train his lawyers to follow the law. Thompson spent 18 years on death row and died in 2017. A 2011 Yale Law Review article points out that the Thompson holding was a huge blow for prosecutorial accountability because it forecloses one of the few remaining avenues for holding prosecutors civilly liable for official misconduct. Beyond that, the Thompson holding is an example of the federal judiciary inventing doctrines out of whole cloth at the behest of local officials who seek immunity for violating the civil rights of their citizens. While it may have made sense at one point to give prosecutors immunity for making decisions in the heat of trialalthough police officers are not given such luxuries despite the difference in job descriptionwith 94 percent of state criminal cases resolved with a guilty plea, its hard for prosecutors to maintain that they should have free rein to do as they wish. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To get around this sweeping immunity, the plaintiffs made two main arguments in the 5th Circuit. First, the plaintiffs argue that the fake subpoenas fall into the narrow exception Powell provided to prosecutorial immunitythat the prosecutor is investigating rather than prosecuting. The strength of this argument may depend on the eye of the beholder. Is interviewing a witness you might call to the stand investigating? Or is it trial preparation? At the hearing, the 5th Circuit judges appeared interested in the second rationale, which also persuaded the district court Judge Jane Triche Milazzo: the fake subpoenas are so outrageous that they are clearly outside the bounds of blanket immunity. Milazzo, in her decision refusing to dismiss the claims related to the fake subpoenas, described them as systemic fraud that immunity was not ever intended to support; she went on to explain that Cannizzaros offices arguments grant prosecutors a license to bypass the most basic legal checks on their authority. This seems to indicate that there are bounds to immunity. Advertisement During the argument on Wednesday, a judge asked Cannizzaros office skeptically whether immunity would cover forging a judges signature on a subpoena. The prosecutors office said it would. Advertisement Advertisement Aside from the unconstitutionality of the general practice, Molly Kovel, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU, said that she is worried that her clients, many of whom are sexual assault and domestic violence survivors, are still subject to arrest and prosecution, after being harassed and endangered under false pretenses. This isnt an unprecedented fear. The New Orleans District Attorneys Office has prosecuted a witness who recanted testimony that led to a wrongful conviction and defense investigators for doing their job. Its an office that has long operated on terror and misinformation, using the shield of immunity to guide its win-at-all-costs culture. But, Kovel noted, the judiciary has given the New Orleans DA no reason to change their ways: Even though the defendants are behaving shockinglyno one is suggesting the fake warrants are OKa judicially created doctrine leads them to think that they are wholly without accountability. John Cope is the Deputy Director of Public First and the former Head of Education and Skills at the CBI Brexit is done. But that was just the battle winning the peace will require us to think hard about what an independent, buccaneering UK looks like. Singapore-on-Thames is one way of articulating this a UK that is more competitive on tax, regulation, innovation, and trade. Education will be critical to making this happen. Not just in schools, where England is climbing international league tables, but for people in work where we have a real upskill battle. We first need to grasp the scale of the challenge. Careers are getting much longer, with most likely to be working into their seventies. Artificial intelligence, driverless cars, automation the most visible sign being the death of the checkout are pervasive, but still largely discussed as the future. Algorithms can often better understand our buying habits, relationships, and motivations, than we do ourselves, putting whole professions under threat. Our lethargy to adapt shows UK workers are less productive than German workers by a quarter and lower than the G7 average by a sixth. Singapore-on-Thames we, currently, are not. The importance of getting this right couldnt be higher, so its unedifying to see government and business groups like the CBI trapped in a perennial scuffle over the last week. The Government has made clear it will not accept employer demands for a more open post-Brexit immigration system, with a frustrated No10 firing back that business ought to spend more time investing in its own workers than bleating to the Government about easier hiring from abroad. The independent Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) also weighed in, publishing evidence that currently the UK has set too high a bar for the definition of exceptional talent for a visa something the Johnson administration refers to as their brightest and best approach, albeit with no May-ite cap on numbers. The MAC also said the salary threshold needed for a work visa should fall from 30,000 to 25,600 to include more lower and mid-skilled people. This debate misses the bigger picture. No10 is right to be frustrated. Despite the pace of change, employer spending on training is stagnant, barely moving from 43.8 billion in 2011 to 44.2 billion in 2017. A dramatic fall when you consider the huge rise in the number of people in work since 2010. Add in the fact the number of adults in education is at a two-decade low, and you can see why No10 is touchy. Business is right though, that Brexit should not be about pulling up the drawbridge, or just letting in the brightest and the best. An immense strength of the UK, and free economies around the world, is an openness to people, trade, and a free market economy. Importantly, most British people get this. Focus group after focus group shows what most people want is not quotas or a shameful hostile environment they want to know criminals are stopped at the border, the system is under democratic control, and migrants are in work and contributing their fair share to public services. A generous work visa supports that. The mistake No 10 and business groups make is to portray investing in homegrown talent and attracting it from abroad as mutually exclusive. We desperately need employers to spend more on training as much as we need to stay an open, welcoming country. And it also misses the point which is how we get employers to spend more on training. Having spent several years at the CBI working with employers on education, the elephant in the room is the Apprenticeship Levy a 0.5 per cent tax on businesses with a payroll above 3m. A good policy idea that has struggled on implementation. When it was introduced, the purpose was clear: get more money into apprenticeships, make them core to our education system, and hold employers feet to the fire on training. Several years on, apprenticeship starts have fallen with young people affected most. The Levy has become overspent with funds rationed to smaller firms. Anecdotally Ive met CEOs who admit that to pay the Apprenticeship Levy, theyve reduced, or replaced, other training. There has also been an explosion in degree apprenticeships where employers, with justification, are finding ways to use Levy funds to pay for training they did in the past. Some examples of this have made restrictions inevitable, including reports of highly paid CEOs and senior directors spending Levy funds on an MBA for themselves. Reform of the Levy, especially due to the overspend, is inevitable. First, the government should top up the billions companies pay to fix the overspend and immediately make more cash available for training. Greater flexibility will be needed so employers can use the Levy on high-quality training that doesnt fit the apprenticeship model, including the creation of a new kind of retrainership to upskill existing staff. Smaller firms need more support as they struggle the most to offer training and take on apprentices. Finally, on degree apprenticeships, some form of salary cap (yes, I see the irony within this article) of around 35,000-40,000 could protect degree apprenticeships while preventing higher earners from accessing the Levy. These changes would all help. Most importantly though, its time to stop the attracting vs growing talent debate and embark on a greater ambition by doing both. We wont be Singapore-on-Thames overnight, but getting employers investing more in training through an improved Levy will certainly help our upskill battle. Industry body TAIPA on Thursday said it is disappointed that the Union Budget did not outline any relief measures for the telecom sector which is facing financial stress. Tower and Infrastructure Providers Association (TAIPA) said the industry had been hoping for support from Budget on the alignment of DoT-issued Right of Way (RoW) Rules in every state, which has been pending for the last three to four years. RoW Rules refer to norms for rolling out telecom infrastructure. "Out of 37 States/UT's, only 16 states have broadly aligned their policy with RoW Rules 2016 and other remaining states still need to align their policy with Row Rules 2016," TAIPA said. Stating that the telecom industry had played a key role in shaping India's economy, TAIPA Director-General T R Dua asked the government to come up with specific measures suitable for the telecom industry at a time when the sector is facing financial stress. "Today, the telecom industry is not in a financially healthy situation and we urge the Government to come up with the best measures suitable for the telecom industry which has a lot of potential in terms of expansion and opportunities," Dua said. On the issue of Right of Way, TAIPA said that policy anomaly in the states will deprive citizens from seamless network and internet connectivity and impede the rollout of new technologies. "Representatives of TAIPA have been making enormous efforts for the implementation of the policy through joint meeting, submissions with various advisories and directions by Department of Telecom (DoT) but no action has been taken by the various State Governments in these many years," the association rued. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Body of an unidentified man, believed to be a militant, was recovered on Thursday from the encounter site in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama where one ultra was killed last month, officials said. The body was recovered by locals in the Khrew area where an encounter had taken place between militants and security forces on January 22, a police official said. He said the slain man was mostly likely a militant killed alongside another ultra during during the encounter. The identity of the slain person is being ascertained, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Taiwan issues red travel advisory for China ROC Central News Agency 02/05/2020 07:16 PM Taipei, Feb. 5 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) issued a red travel advisory for China Wednesday amid growing novel coronavirus infections across the globe. MAC Minister Chen Ming-tong () made the announcement at the Central Epidemic Command Center, urging the public not to visit China and noting that anyone returning from that country will be quarantined at home for 14 days. On Jan. 28, the MAC introduced a red travel advisory for China's Hubei Province, in the wake of the provincial capital Wuhan being the epicenter of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak, with the first confirmed case reported in December. Wuhan City and Hubei Province were subject to an orange travel advisory on Jan. 21 and Jan. 25 respectively, following the spread of the virus. In a statement issued late Wednesday, the MAC said 19 provinces in China have reported more than 100 confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV virus, with cluster infections reported in Beijing and Shanghai and travel restrictions imposed on Zhejiang, Henan, Shandong, Helongjiang, Jiangsu and Fujian provinces. Meanwhile, the travel warning level for Hong Kong and Macau has been upgraded to a yellow advisory, meaning Taiwan nationals should avoid unnecessary trips, Chen said. There had been 18 and 10 confirmed cases in Hong Kong and Macau, respectively, as of early Wednesday morning with the risk growing rapidly in neighboring Guangdong Province. To date, the coronavirus has claimed 493 lives globally, including 491 in China, according to the latest statistics provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). There have been 24,554 confirmed cases across the globe as of late Wednesday, 24,352 of which have occurred in China, WHO statistics show. (By Flor Wang and Chen Wei-ting) Enditem /AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On behalf of British Columbians, the Trial Lawyers Association of BC (TLABC) is deeply disappointed to see the provincial governments announcement of a no-fault insurance scheme for British Columbia. Not only is this a broken 2017 campaign promise, this is an alarming move that puts injured and vulnerable British Columbians at further risk. In the spring of 2019, the provincial government introduced legislative changes, including what they promised the public was a minor injury cap. In fact, the cap included brain injuries, depression, PTSD, chronic pain and many other serious injuries. Nine months into this new law, government is announcing the injury cap policy has failed, said John Rice, TLABC President. This is a broken promise to British Columbians, a failed policy, and now a deliberate taking away of the right of British Columbians to receive fair access to courts and fair settlement for those injured on our roads. Today, this government is doubling down on its failed policy to take away the legal rights of British Columbians while protecting ICBC management who have gotten us into this mess in the first place, added Rice. This move will reward bad drivers and will reduce the ability for injured and vulnerable British Columbians to receive a fair settlement when injured. A letter accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.tlabc.org/docDownload/1562300. About TLABC The mission of the Trial Lawyers Association of BC is to support and promote the rights of individuals in British Columbia. State Bank of India chairman Rajnish Kumar on Thursday said one of the major challenges for public sector in the near future is the merger process. In August last year, Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had announced merger of 10 Kumar said that are in the middle of the merger process need to be careful on information technology integration. "One of the challenges before public sector banks in the near future is the merger of the bank...IT merger needs to be handled very carefully," Kumar said at an event organised by Indian Banks' Association. In April 2017, SBI had merged its five associate banks- State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore. The four new set of proposed mergers included Punjab National Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India will combine to form the nation's second-largest lender; Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank will merge; Union Bank of India will amalgamate with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank; and Indian Bank will merge with Allahabad Bank. These mergers will bring the number of state-run banks to 12 as against 27 in 2017. Saudi Arabia has shown reluctance to accept Pakistan's request for an immediate meeting of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) foreign ministers on Kashmir, Dawn reported citing a Pak diplomatic source. Pakistan has been pushing for a long time for the foreign ministers meeting of the 57-member body since Indian abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to people of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, last August. Though a meeting of the contact group on Kashmir took place on the sidelines of UNGA last year in New York, there is no progress on the Council of Foreign Ministers' (CFM) meeting. According to the report, Saudi Arabia, which holds the most important place in OIC, is avoiding the CFM meeting by proposing several proposals to Pakistan including holding a parliamentary forum or speakers' conference from Muslim countries and a joint meeting on Palestine and Kashmir issues. With the delay of the meeting, Pakistan's frustration is growing and is visible. Last week during his visit to Malaysia, Imran Khan said, "The reason is that we have no voice and there is a total division amongst [us]. We can't even come together as a whole on the OIC meeting on Kashmir." After Islamabad pull out of the Kuala Lumpur summit in December, Riyadh Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan indicated some flexibility on the proposal for the proposed meeting. The Saudi flexibility too was short-lived and soon Riyadh reverted to its position on the CFM on Kashmir, the report added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A dding to its already expansive collection of true crime documentaries, Netflix has just released The Pharmacist, which details the tragic murder of Danny Schneider in 1999. Told through the perspective of Danny's father Daniel, a pharmacist from Poydras, Louisiana, the four-part docu-series reveals how Daniel not only investigated the death of his son, but how he uncovered the truth about the use of opioids in the New Orleans area. The chilling new series, which is available to stream on Netflix now, has already got viewers worldwide on the edge of their seats. Here, we take a closer look at the murder of Danny Schneider and the opioid epidemic exposed in the series. Daniel Schneider and family In 1975, Daniel Schneider began working at his local Bradley's Pharmacy in Louisiana's St Bernard Parish. He then met wife Annie, and the pair eventually went on to have two children together: Danny and Kristi. In the Netflix series' opener, Schneider compares his family to the Giswolds from the National Lampoon's Vacation films, which is backed up with home footage of the foursome travelling around the America together. Daniel Sr also describes his son and firstborn Danny as a "good natured, compassionate kid." According to Daniel, his son grew up to be a "sort of peacenik." His sister Kristi says her older brother was very creative and he had a passion for writing poems. Danny also had a girlfriend who was attending college in Mississippi. According to his parents, he was struggling with grades in his final year and his sister Kristi describes him as having been lost. Danny Schneider was 22-years-old when he was shot in the head in New Orleans' 9th Ward / Netflix The murder of Danny Schneider In 1991, 22-year-old Danny Schneider told his parents he was heading out to study with friends, but would be "back soon". At 2am the next morning, Danny's parents Daniel and Annie got a knock on the door from police, who informed them their son had been killed. They informed the couple that Danny had been shot in the head in his red Ford Ranger pick-up truck, and they had discovered some cash crumpled in his hand. The authorities believed Danny was killed while trying to buy crack in the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans. None of the Schneider family knew Danny was taking drugs. Daniel Schneider then crusaded to avenge his son's death - unearthing the chilling truth about the opioid crisis in the States. New Orleans' 9th Ward and the police The programme reports that, around the time of Danny's death, New Orleans was the murder capital of America, with the highest number of homicides - most of which were left unsolved. Residents of the 9th Ward also describe the place as being a predominantly black neighbourhood, remarking how Danny's presence stood out to them as they saw his truck drive past. A news report featured in the series states that in the last three years, more than 100 police officers had been dismissed or arrested for offences ranging from bribery to murder. Police sergeant Fanguy, who was dealing with Danny's case, was recorded during a phone call saying: "One out of every two hundred dope deals somebody gets stupid and somebody gets shot." He then cited: "I'm telling you the kid didn't give the money to the guy." Angered by the lack of further investigation by the police, Schneider then called news stations and campaigned for justice for their son, questioning locals to try and unearth some clue as to what happened to his son. The opioid epidemic Eventually, Daniel Schneider returned to work and began noticing an alarming number of young, healthy people coming into the pharmacy with prescriptions for Oxycontin. Oxycontin, or Oxycodone, is an opioid medication used to alleviate severe, ongoing pain. It is often prescribed to those who have cancer. As Schneider delves deeper into the murder of his son, he learns that Dr Jacqueline Cleggett, a medical professional who was working from a practice off the Chef Menteur Highway, was prescribing Oxycontin illegally. Soon after the clinic was set up, it transformed into a pill mill; she took cash from patients and operated until 5am sometimes, prescribing "patients" with opioids for a fee of around $400. Thanks to Schneider's investigation and his collaboration with the Medical Board, DEA and FBI, Cleggett's medical licence was revoked. She then subsequently filed for bankruptcy in 2004 and was forced to sell her house. The former chief of Sri Lanka's national carrier was arrested Thursday over allegations he received bribes for a multi-billion-dollar Airbus aircraft deal, as the fallout from corruption probes into the aviation giant grew. The country's president ordered an investigation into the purchase after court documents mentioned SriLankan Airlines in corruption probes into Airbus. A French court in late January approved a 3.6 billion euros (USD 4 billion) fine to be paid by the European firm to France, Britain and US to settle the investigations. Investigators in Britain had accused Airbus of failing to prevent persons associated with the company from bribing directors or employees of the airline to "obtain or retain business or advantage". Kapila Chandrasena -- who was chief executive of SriLankan Airlines during the 2013 purchase -- was Thursday remanded in custody for two weeks after being charged with money laundering and bribery. His wife, Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayaka, was also arrested on money laundering charges. The charges came as AirAsia's chief executive Tony Fernandes and executive chairman Kamarudin Meranun Tuesday stepped aside this week amid a Malaysian probe into similar claims raised by Britain's Serious Fraud Office. Sri Lanka's previous government had called for a criminal investigation into the purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft, but it petered out without conclusion. Sri Lanka's national carrier is deeply in the red, with estimated accumulated losses of USD 1.24 billion and debt of about USD 750 million. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UK Government will tell councils they are no longer required to fly flags to mark Prince Andrew's 60th birthday after he stepped back from public duties over his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But the bells of Westminster Abbey were still expected to ring out in celebration of Andrew's milestone birthday on February 19. The policy of flying Union flags on royal birthdays was being re-examined after councils were initially ordered to do so for Andrew, as is the custom. Downing Street said the matter was being looked into after critics branded the celebration "crass and offensive". A UK government spokesman said: "The Department of Culture, Media and Sport will be advising councils that there is no requirement to fly flags on February 19 following the decision by the Duke of York to step back from public duties for the foreseeable future." The decision will also apply to other government buildings. Certain royal birthdays, including the duke's, are traditionally marked by the ringing of bells at the Abbey. A spokeswoman for the landmark London church said: "Westminster Abbey is a Royal Peculiar and the bells are rung for the birthdays of HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh; their children; and TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children. "There are no plans to change these arrangements." Pattye Stringer, a guide at Laurel Hill Cemetery, stands before the George W. Childs mausoleum, in the cemetery, and holds up a picture of George W. Childs, the past editor and owner of The Public Ledger newspaper in Philadelphia in the 1800s. Read more Pattye Stringer sent us on a treasure hunt. Stringer is a guide at East Falls historic Laurel Hill Cemetery. She leads people past the graves of the famous and the forgotten, including the cemeterys Millionaires Row, where the bodies of Phillys former moguls and industrialists rest in their own ornately decorated miniature mansions. Her favorite resident of the row: 19th-century newspaperman George W. Childs. What happened to the many things collected by George W. Childs, 19th century millionaire newspaperman? His collection included a handwritten manuscript by Edgar Allan Poe. He had no siblings or children, Stringer asked our Curious Philly portal. Curious Philly is where readers ask us questions, and our reporters track down the answers. READ MORE: ASK US: Submit your question to Curious Philly here Solving the mystery A bit of Googling and a visit to The Inquirers archives on Newspapers.com yielded the locations of two of Childs prized possessions the original, handwritten manuscript of Edgar Allan Poes 1841 short story The Murders in the Rue Morgue, and that of Charles Dickens novel Our Mutual Friend. Tracking them down now is a worthy modern mystery. Rue Morgue is considered the first modern detective story. It can now be found in the Rare Book Department of the Free Library of Philadelphia, the city in which Poe wrote it. Our Mutual Friend, also handwritten and autographed by Dickens, is in the Morgan Library & Museum in New York. How they got there, though, is one those stories that reminds us not only that we cant take it with us, but that our stuff may not stay exactly where we leave it after were gone. READ MORE: What Barnes Foundation founder Albert C. Barnes definitely did not want Who was George W. Childs? If Childs (1829-1894) was more of a modern-day hero, Tom Hanks might be playing him in a movie. Though little seems to be known of Childs early years one reference describes him as born in Baltimore, the illegitimate child of a prominent father he grew up fast, becoming someone known for his business savvy, his friendships, and his generosity. READ MORE: The most curious things we learned about Philly over the past year Stringer has done her share of the detective work on Childs. He joined the Navy when he was 12. ... When he was 14, he decided hed had enough of the Navy. So his commanding officer at the time arranged for him to have a job as a clerk in a bookstore in Philadelphia, she said during a recent visit to Childs mausoleum. He saved his money and "went into a partnership with a gentleman by the name of Robert Peterson, who happens to be married to a woman whose father was a prominent judge. So they got into the business of publishing law books, Stringer said. The publishing house was in the same building as the Public Ledger, one of a number of daily newspapers in Philadelphia at the time, and George, she said, made no secret of the fact that he hoped to own the paper someday. The opportunity came in 1864, when the Ledger, the only paper in Philadelphia not to take the Unions side in the Civil War, was struggling. Childs bought the Ledger with his partners, brothers Anthony and Francis Drexel, and they turned it around in two years, she said. He would run the presses. He would write stories if needed be, he would sweep the floors, wash the windows, anything he just wanted the place to run smoothly. And he gave his people benefits. Stuff like this was just not happening in the 1860s. But they got insurance and pensions and paid vacations. And my favorite thing, he paid the women at the same rate as the men. The Inquirer, which competed with the Ledger until absorbing its Sunday and morning editions in 1934, wrote frequently about Childs. It was front-page news when he entertained a Spanish duke and duchess at his Radnor country residence, Wootton, and when he traveled west on a visit to Denver. When he suffered an attack of vertigo the stroke that would eventually kill him The Inquirer, as well as the New York Times, posted prominent updates on his condition. Even Childs 64th birthday rated a Page One mention. Where did his collection go? He hobnobbed with presidents and former presidents, including Ulysses S. Grant, but his closest friend appears to have been Anthony Drexel, who named one of his sons George W. Childs Drexel. And after the older Drexel founded the Drexel Institute now Drexel University in 1891, Childs or his widow donated much of his collection to the school, including the Poe and Dickens manuscripts and David Rittenhouses Astronomical Musical Clock. With Drexel they would remain until the 1940s, when the school began to look into liquidating some of its collections, triggering an outcry from alumni, teachers, and students. In January 1944, Drexels president, George P. Rea, demanded to see the schools student newspapers story on the proposed sale for censorship, reported The Inquirer. A few months later, Rea resigned, and the paper quoted his denial that it was tied to the attempt to dispose of such institute treasures as the Rittenhouse clock and the original manuscript of Poes Murders in the Rue Morgue. Sometimes called the most important clock in America, the Rittenhouse timepiece remains at Drexel today. The manuscripts, however, were put on the block, with Rue Morgue" fetching $34,000. Sold to Charles Sessler, a Philadelphia collector and dealer, it became part of the collection of Richard Gimbel. Gimbel, the grandson of the founder of the old Gimbels department stores, was a fan of Poes and had bought the writers former home on Seventh Street. (Its now operated by the National Park Service as the Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site.) After Gimbel died in 1970, his Poe collection, along with the house, went to the Free Library. So thats where Poe ended up. Its definitely a point of pride because there is not a lot of Poe material like the manuscript out there," said Janine Pollock, chief of the Free Librarys special collections division. The title page, which shows that the writer crossed out part of the original title, changing Rue Trianon-Bas to the spookier Rue Morgue, is somewhat faded, so its not on permanent display. But you can still see it: Reservations to see the manuscript can be made through the librarys Rare Book Department: 215-686-5416 or erefrbd@freelibrary.org. What about the Dickens? Dickens manuscript, whose $17,000 sale was hailed by The Inquirer as 'Our Mutual Friend Comes Back to City, did not remain long in Philadelphia after its reported purchase by Philadelphia art dealer and book collector A.S.W. Rosenbach. But Rosenbach was only the intermediary, said Elizabeth E. Fuller, librarian at the Rosenbach, which houses the collections of Rosenbach and his brother, Philip. The real buyer was New Yorks Morgan Library. Rosenbach got the headlines for the record prices he set by skillful bidding regardless of whose money he was doing it with, and reporters sought him out because [they] knew theyd get good copy from him whether or not he talked about the purchaser, because he was also good at explaining the objects themselves why they were interesting and important enough to be worth such prices. His possessions may have scattered, but the late Mr. Childs is easy enough to find. Laurel Hill Cemetery is open 365 days a year, from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. between Nov. 1 and April 30, and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. the rest of the year. Free maps are available, as are free mobile apps for Apple and Android. Private tours may be arranged through the cemeterys website: thelaurehillcemetery.org. By Abdul Kerimkhanov The current political atmosphere in Armenia impedes the implementation of reforms in the country, head of Armenian public organization "Alternative Projects Group" Vahe Hovhannisyan said on February 5. Hovhannisyan believes that today, Armenia is not ready for tomorrow's prospects and developments. Comparing the country's path with Azerbaijan, Russia and Europe, he came to the conclusion that Armenia was not ready for the challenges of the future. Describing the path of Azerbaijan, Hovhannisyan noted that reforms and profound changes are taking place in this country. "There [in Azerbaijan] really is a stage in the formation of a new elite towards modernization of the country, and while we are constantly talking, real reforms are begin carried out there," the expert said. He also emphasized that Azerbaijan managed to gain a technological advantage in the military sphere. "If Azerbaijan manages to gain an advantage in terms of the formation of the state, its chances will increase sharply. Azerbaijan is going in this direction. There is a war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over who will go faster and deeper to modernize the state. The tragedy is that in Azerbaijan they understand this, but in Armenia they dont," he claimed. Hovhannisyan said that Azerbaijans authorities have a clear vision about the countrys future. Armenia however, lacks any competent long-term development program and a roadmap for modernizing the country, the expert said. Noting the changes taking place in Russia, Hovhannisyan fears that this can negatively affect Armenia if the new Russian elite revises its priorities in the region. "This opportunity is quite real. It will be something in the direction towards which the Azerbaijani state has been working for over the 10 years and foundations of which have already been created," Hovhannisyan said. Commenting on the Armenian-Russian bilateral relations, he said that today Yerevan makes dangerous mistakes in relations with Moscow in terms of the future of the relations. In particular, he cited unfriendly moves as the closure of Russian channels, the dispatching of anti-Russian public organizations in Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region, the jailing of ex-president Robert Kocharian (who is considered a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin). Hovhannisyan is also pessimistic about the relations between Armenia and Western countries. There are no concrete results, no specific goals, neither are there any major programs. We could not remain interesting for the West ..., the expert underlined. He said that Western structures suffered as the current government urged people to besiege courthouses during 2019, threatened judges with the aim of forcing necessary judicial verdicts, among other things. He cited the statement made by the PACE co-rapporteurs on the topic of the Constitutional Council (where political repressions towards Armenian Constitutional Court were mentioned), and the text issued by Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, who is a Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe (in which he expressed concern over the open conflict of the authorities with the Constitutional Court) as the signals that the West is running out of patience with Armenia. At the same time, Hovhannisyan added that there is no work program and no real agenda between Armenia and the West. Based on the above, he came to the conclusion that in the current political situation, no promising in-depth reforms in Armenia are possible, and this country has not time for reforms. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Nagpur : , Feb 6 (IANS) US Consul General in Mumbai, David J. Ranz, on Thursday visited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh headquarters in Nagpur for various engagements, official sources said. Ranz visited and paid homage at the memorial of RSS founder K.B. Hedgewar besides paying tributes to B.R. Ambedkar at the famed Deekshabhoomi here. He also discussed religious freedom and coexistence with Archbishop Elias Gonsalves. Among those present on the occasion included top officials like Rajesh Loya and Arvind Kukde, among others, on Ranz's first visit to Maharashtra's second capital. Winnipeg police say they helped bust an interprovincial drug courier who carted around $10 million worth of meth and cocaine across the Prairies. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Winnipeg police say they helped bust an interprovincial drug courier who carted around $10 million worth of meth and cocaine across the Prairies. A 33-year-old Calgary man was arrested on Jan. 30 after Calgary police allegedly found more than 100 kilograms of drugs in the pickup truck he was driving. The accused is believed to have passed through Winnipeg in October, on his way to his home in Calgary from Ontario. Investigators with the Winnipeg Police Service learned about his whereabouts through an intelligence investigation, Insp. Max Waddell said. They believed the accused was transporting fentanyl and heroin, in addition to the meth and cocaine that were seized. "We received intelligence that this individual was transporting these drugs into our community, which we acted on and, as a result of our findings, we felt it was better to hand the investigation off to Calgary to locate his whereabouts," Waddell said Thursday. The Calgary Police Service said it received tips from police in Winnipeg and Edmonton leading up to the arrest. Police said they believe the accused was only the courier. The investigation continues to determine who else was involved in ordering and distributing the unusually large shipment of drugs, said Calgary Staff Sgt. Kyle Grant. "That will cause a huge disruption of their business. The unfortunate part about it is that they will get another shipment, so I believe that there will be an impact, but it will be short-lived," he said. "The problem that we face is that the violence around the drug trade, especially now since this has been taken off the streets, (will) probably increase as people are out a bunch of money and they were probably looking to recoup that somehow." Calgary police believe the drugs were ordered by a "loose-knit organization." 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. "A seizure of this kind is actually very rare, very rare for probably Canada," Grant said. Taking it off the streets has an "immeasurable" impact, he said. "We don't know how many lives are saved due to overdoses or the violence around the drug trade," and other crimes associated with it, Grant said. Waddell said the community needs to help people with addiction in order to curb the drug trade. "This is the only way we're going to stop the flow of illicit drugs, is to cut off the demand. So we need to get people help," he said. Jacob Cody Neumann has been charged. Download Image: Web Lycoming College celebrated student successes at the 52nd Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival, Region 2, from Jan. 14-18. This years festival hosted 15 Lycoming students and several faculty at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center at the University of Maryland. The theatre department takes a group of students each year to this vibrant and enveloping festival and each year Lycoming Students thrive. While at the festival, students presented their work to reviewers, competed for recognition and awards in their respective areas of specialization, took part in collaborative projects with students from various theatre programs in Region 2, took professional workshops, observed theatre productions, engaged in discussions, and learned from the best theatre practitioners and faculty in the northeast United States. This years festival, with its proximity to the active theatre community in Washington, D.C., offered a number of very rewarding experiences, from a keynote by Maria Manuela Goyanes, the newly-selected artistic director of Woolly Mammoth Theater Company, to chances to meet and talk with an array of theatre professionals. Lycoming College had five students and four partners compete for the prestigious Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship. Each of these groups received excellent feedback from faculty respondents from across the region. Students Dan Egan and Cason Morgan, along with a partner from West Liberty University, won awards for improvisation in the festivals Games and Misdemeanors competition. Jessalyn Smith was recognized for her participation in, and completion of, the ASPIRE Arts Leadership program. Allison Feinstein participated in the Monologue Slam event. All Lycoming students took advantage of an opportunity to see eight selected performances, representing some of the best college theatre from our seven-state region. The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival is one of the most valuable experiences that our students have each year, said Biliana Stoytcheva-Horissian, Ph.D., associate professor of theatre, chair of the department, and head of acting and directing. The festival allows our students to bridge their classwork and the outside world of theatre. KCACTF provides many opportunities for discussions, partnerships, and other learning activities where our students can directly apply the things they are doing in our classrooms. The KCACTF is a national theatre program involving 20,000 students from colleges and universities nationwide annually, and a network of more than 700 academic institutions throughout the country. KCACTF encourages, recognizes, and celebrates the finest and most diverse work produced in university and college theatre programs. This years student participants included: Sara Altieri 21 (New Castle, Pa.) theatre major; French minor Nicholas Auletti 20 (East Quogue, N.Y.) theatre major; history minor Esmeralda Cabrera 20 (North Hollywood, Calif.) corporate communications major; theatre minor Daniel Egan 20 (Upper Darby, Pa.) corporate communications, business administration major; theatre minor Allison Feinstein 22 (Philadelphia, Pa.) undeclared major; education certification Heather Flatley 22 (River Vale, N.J.) theatre major; entrepreneurship minor Amanda Goulden 20 (Whippany, N.J.) film and video arts, theatre major Caleia Hagwood 21 (Bridgeport, Pa.) theatre major; corporation communications minor Mitchell Kelly 23 (New Orleans, La.) theatre major; entrepreneurship minor Cason Morgan 21 (Danville, Pa.) theatre major; film and video arts minor; education certification AFeyah Smith 20 (St. John, Virgin Islands) theatre major; photography minor Jessalyn Smith 20 (East Windsor, Conn.) art major; entrepreneurship minor Jennifer Spencer 20 (Philadelphia, Pa.) theatre major Kiera Vinson 22 (Clarion, Pa.) theatre, French major Tara Wands 23 (New Columbia, Pa.) theatre, psychology major Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 19:04 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206303b9d 1 National coronavirus,Garuda-Indonesia-Airways,China,repatriation,Natuna,Indonesians Free National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has stated its willingness to set out on a repatriation mission for Indonesian citizens trapped in a number of provinces in China outside Hubei, where the Wuhan coronavirus epidemic first broke out. Garuda is ready whenever the government asks to evacuate Indonesian citizens from other cities in China, president director Irfan Setiaputra said after a meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday, tempo.co reported. Irfan said Garuda was not able to reach Hubei because the airline had no flights to the region. Garuda is also ready to fly home the evacuees who are currently under two-week observation and quarantine in Natuna, Riau Islands, if needed. Nevertheless, Garuda might have a problem reaching Natuna as the airline uses wide-body aircraft, said Irfan. The government has not yet discussed sending home [the evacuees] from Natuna. But again, we are ready. We have flights to Batam as well, said Irfan. The government has repatriated 238 Indonesian nationals from Wuhan and its surrounding cities in Hubei following the coronavirus outbreak. Many applauded the heroism and bravery of Batik Air, a Lion Air subsidiary, which used an Airbus A330 in the evacuation over the weekend. Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said the evacuation would be carried out carefully and with consideration to recommendations from the relevant ministries and institutions. The government is discussing efforts to handle around 3,000 Indonesian citizens in China after Indonesia imposed a travel ban to and from mainland China on Wednesday. (syk) The Siberian tiger is a subspecies of tiger commonly found in Russias Far East region and Northern China. It is known by several names depending on the region where it is observed. Some of these names include Manchurian tiger, Amur tiger, Ussurian tiger, and Korean tiger. The Siberian tiger is listed as Threatened in the IUCN Red List because of the dwindling numbers. Its hunting is fully prohibited and punishable. From its physical appearance to behavior and hunting technique, this subspecies of tiger in unique in every way. Here are some of the fascinating facts about the Siberian tiger. The largest cat in the world The Siberian tiger is the largest subspecies of tiger and the worlds largest cat. An adult tiger averages 70-82 inches in head and body length, with the male being larger than the female tiger. The male averages 77 inches while the female averages 72 inches. Its long and flexible tail measures 39 inches in male and 36 inches in the female. Historically, a wild male Siberian tiger weighed 475 pounds while the female weighed 303 pounds. However, the contemporary tigers weigh an average of 389 pounds but can weigh up to 600 pounds. One specimen raised in captivity weighed an impressive 1025 pounds. The second-largest cat is the lion, followed by the jaguar, cougar, and leopard respectively. Mainly found in Russia About 95% of the Siberian tigers in the world are found in eastern Russia. A small population inhabits Northern China but the number depends on the movement of tigers crossing Chinas border with Russia. Although the tigers ascribe to two small areas in Russia, their range is greater than other subspecies of tigers. The animals can travel considerably (up to 1,000 km from south to north in eastern Russia) in search of food. The Amur tigers are mainly found in Sikhote-Alin Mountains and Primorye and a small number inhabit the mountain system of East Manchuria. The only tiger that can survive in the snow The Amur tiger is the only subspecies of tiger that can survive in extremely cold areas. It is has developed certain physical characteristics that enable it to endure the cold climate of its habitat. The tiger has a thick layer of fat that insulates the body against heat loss. Additionally, the thick, dense fur that covers its body keeps the animal warm, especially when it is extremely cold. The Siberia tiger is always on the move and does not idle for long. The constant movement ensures that the body generates a lot of heat to keep it warm. No two tigers have the same striped pattern The Siberian tigers can be distinguished by their striped fur. Just like humans with unique fingerprints, no two Amur tigers have the same striped fur pattern. The striped pattern is unique for every tiger. Although the ground color of the pelage is generally pale, it varies in length, form, and sometimes in color from one individual to the other. In general, the fur is moderately thick, sparse, and coarse compared to other felids living in Russia. The summer coat is brighter than the winter coat. Solitary and territorial animal Unlike lions that form a pride of up to 12 females or 3 males, Siberian tigers are generally solitary and territorial animals. They usually mark rocks and trees to establish their territories. Rarely do they walk or hunt in groups except when a female tiger is taking care of her cubs. However, even the cubs are trained to hunt as early as eight weeks by their mother and soon become independent. A males territory can take up to 100 square kilometers and that of a female is around 20 square kilometers. The male tiger can allow 2-4 female tigers into its territory and even share a meal with them. Eats up to 27 kg when hungry Although the Siberian tiger eats an average of 8-10 kg of meat in one sitting, it can consume up to 27 kg when hungry. The Amur tigers are not always successful on its hunt mission. It can take 20-30 minutes stalking its prey until it is closer enough to pounce on it. It uses its striped fur to camouflage and hides from its targeted prey. When successful, the tiger drags the captured prey to a secluded place before feasting on it. Siberian tigers mainly feed on hoofed animals such as bears, deer, boars, and elk. They also feed on smaller species such as fish, rabbits, hares, and pikas. The gestation period is about 105 days The Siberian tiger has a short gestation period of about 105 days or 3-3.5 months but the female tiger gives birth only once every two years. Although the female can have a litter of up to 7 cubs, only two cubs usually survive. Siberian tigers can mate at any time of the year and subsequently give birth at any time of the year. When the female tiger is ready for mating, it signals her receptiveness by leaving scratch marks and urine deposits on trees and spends 5-6 days with the male. It is only during mating that a tiger can be heard roaring. The subspecies almost became extinct The Siberian tiger has faced several threats that almost caused their extinction. In Korea, the species was completely wiped out during the period of Korea under the Japanese. During the same period, the population of the tigers was only 20-30. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, there was widespread deforestation and illegal poaching of the Siberian tiger in Russia. In the 1990s, the tiger was listed as Critically Endangered. However, it is now classified as Endangered. According to the latest census, there are 562 Siberian tigers in the wild. Efforts have been made to curb poaching and deforestation. The importation and selling of tiger parts have also been outlawed in several countries including the US. Other facts you must know The Siberian tigers night vision is six times stronger than humans, meaning that it can go about its activities at night with little difficulties. The tiger is also an excellent swimmer and rarely move away from water sources. Its ability to swim makes it prey on fish. The Siberian tiger can attain a speed of 60 km/h and can jump up to a height of 5 meters and a length of 10 meters. Comedian Michael Colyar Talks Motivation, New Tour & Overcoming Addiction Michael Colyar is bringing motivation to the masses. Thats all I want to do. I want to be an artist that heals people, he said to the Los Angeles Sentinel Newspaper in a sit down interview in Canago Park. Colyar was just leaving his radio show with fellow comedian Earthquake wearing a gold suit that highlighted his energy. Just like gold, he was shining with positivity. Despite those positive vibes, the comedian addressed the recent death of Kobe Bryant. ADVERTISEMENT I was leaving church when I heard the news about Kobe, said Colyar speaking in a low tone. Bryant, including his daughter Gigi and seven other passengers, lost their lives in a helicopter crash just miles from the interviews location. This young man had everything, said Colyar as he looked down at the floor. And now he is gone. So many people wake up today and have plans. Things like that make me remember that we have to live with an attitude of gratitude each day. Colyar has been living in gratitude since his sobriety from crack nine years ago. He attends AAA meetings that help him focus on his career. The comedians career includes starring roles on Martin to most recently appearing in ABCs comedy black-ish. Im so grateful for life. I love waking up and turning to my beautiful queen in bed. Here I am right in the middle of my dreams. Im doing plays, comedy shows but its the little things that matter to me, said Colyar. His dreams continue to come true with his play Michael Colyars Momma that chronicles his story from drug addiction to sobriety. The comedian credits his achievements to his mother who was a beacon of light during his darkest times. The two-hour play walks audiences through Colyars tumultuous life of rags to riches. ADVERTISEMENT I play 17 characters, Colyar said before letting out a huge laugh. I play different ages, my dad, my mom, the crack heads in the community. Its a dramatic comedic piece dedicated to my mother and how she impacted my life. The comedian performed one-hour shows from 1986 to 1995 every weekend on Venice Beach. Money started flowing in his bank account as his audience grew. The new wealth became more than checks and bills. It started a drug addiction that almost wiped out his career. I was getting high and wilding out. You smoke crack for a while and crack smokes you. The comedian found himself in dirty motels doing drugs with unknown people. It was his mother that made him reconsider his habit. We never talked about the addiction but your momma knows. She understood and loved me anyways. When people can understand you and love you anyways, thats what heals people, said Colyar as he held up his motivational book titled Michael Goes Motivational. Colyar is now bringing his plays and book to a national audience. The comedian has embarked on a 100-city tour. Audiences can find more information about his tour and book on his website at realmichaelcolyar.com. Colyar is hoping his career brings joy to everyone. Im happy God has given us another opportunity to live with joy. Anytime joy appears, that is God. Miscreants looted Rs 2.6 lakh from a shop at Mantripukhri area in Imphal West district, police said on Thursday. Four miscreants on Wednesday evening looted the money at gunpoint from the shop dealing with mobile handsets, the police said. "Investigation is on", a police officer said, adding "it is highly likely that the miscreants knew the proprietor. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) HOUSTON The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas sued the federal government over a raid near Dallas where immigration enforcement officials arrested hundreds of workers. The lawsuit was a response to Immigration and Customs Enforcements refusal to release the search warrants associated with the April raid in Allen, which is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northeast of Dallas. ICE detained 280 workers at CVE Technology Group, which refurbishes and repairs electronics. At the time, ICE said the employees were working in the U.S. illegally. ICE denied ACLUs open records request for the search warrants used in the raid, which was one of many high-profile busts of businesses around the country as part of an immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in federal court in Houston, alleges ICE violated the Freedom of Information Act. ICE has 30 days to respond to the lawsuit. The agency didnt immediately respond to the Fort Worth Star-Telegrams request for comment on the lawsuit. David Donatti, attorney for the ACLU of Texas, said reviewing the warrants is crucial to ascertaining whether federal authorities violated peoples civil rights in the raid. We have serious questions about the way this raid was conducted and whether rights were violated, Donatti said. While ICE has plausible reason for denying the ACLUs records request, it has a legal obligation to explain why, Donatti noted. ICE told ACLU in a letter that it denied the request because releasing the warrants would interfere with ongoing investigations. But Donatti said that reason is invalid because the warrants have already been executed. By filing a lawsuit, we have compelled them to go in front of a court and make that showing to a judge, he said. NEW YORK, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Weyland Tech, Inc. (OTCQX: WEYL) plans to launch its CreateApp mCommerce platform-as-a-service in Taiwan within the next few weeks, allowing the more than 1.3 million small-and-medium sized businesses (SMBs) across the country to easily establish and manage a mobile presence. CreateApp enables businesses to create and deploy native mobile applications for Apple iOS and Google Android without technical knowledge or background. CreateApp empowers SMBs to increase sales, reach more customers, manage logistics, conduct financial transactions, and promote their products and services in an easy, affordable and highly efficient way. The CreateApp user base, comprised of businesses across Southeast Asia, grew 47 percent last year to more than 360,000. To support the launch in Taiwan, Weyland has partnered with Now Mastery, LLP, an affiliate of NYSE-listed Line Corporation. Line provides a platform for mobile messaging and communication services, content distribution and financial services primarily in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand and Indonesia. Now Mastery is led by Joseph Kay, a best-selling author in Taiwan who is widely considered the preeminent authority on Internet marketing for small business owners. Kay has attracted more than 400,000 followers on Lines small-business marketplace and 67,000 on Facebook. Now Mastery will offer its followers special subscription pricing for CreateApp of US$25 - $110 per month, depending on the features and modules they use. Now Mastery will also provide ongoing advice and support for users on the platform. The citizens of Taiwan are well-known for being first adopters of the latest technologies and solutions, noted CreateApps chief product officer and founder, Eddie Foong. In fact, technology has been the key driver of Taiwans economy for decades, and it has transformed the island into one of the worlds leading manufacturing hubs, home to some of the worlds largest semiconductor companies. The country has recently been making great strides in strengthening its startup ecosystem, with a surge in venture capital, government support, and reforms helping to revitalize the economy and increase the visibility of the next generation of entrepreneurs. Altogether, this makes Taiwan an ideal marketplace for CreateApp market expansion after Indonesia and more recently North America. While Taiwans population of 28 million is small compared to other markets in the region, its consumer habits and openness make it an easy market to navigate, as well as introduce and test consumer acceptance of new online services. Internet speeds in Taiwan rank among the top in the world; IP protection is well-established, and the cultural similarities to China make for good testing grounds to launch and experiment with new ideas before moving into larger regional markets. According to Export.gov, more than 85 percent of Taiwanese citizens are connected to the Internet and more than 70 percent access the Internet using a smartphone device, making it one of the most connected consumer bases in the world. Further, a significant portion of the population is now shopping on mobile devices. In Taiwan, 48 percent of all online transactions are mobile-based, and this number is expected to reach 61 percent by 2022. Given these favorable market dynamics, we are excited to partner with the esteemed Joseph Kay and his Now Mastery organization to launch CreateApp in Taiwan, commented Weyland CEO, Brent Suen. We expect even a small penetration of their large following to result in a significant contribution to our recurring revenue stream by the end of the first quarter. Weylands recent acquisition of Minneapolis-based Push Interactive is also expected to provide lead-generation tools for Taiwanese SMBs to increase their online sales. About LINE Corporation Based in Japan, LINE Corporation (NYSE:LN/TSE:3938) is dedicated to the mission of Closing the Distance, bringing together information, services and people. The LINE messaging app launched in June 2011 and since then has grown into a diverse, global ecosystem that includes AI technology, Fintech and more. For more information, visit www.linecorp.com. About Weyland Tech Weyland Tech is a developer and global provider of mobile business software applications. The company operates its CreateApp platform-as-a-service (PaaS) across three continents and 10 countries, including some of the fastest-growing emerging markets in Southeast Asia. The platform provides a mobile presence for small-and-medium sized businesses (SMBs) that is supported locally by distributor partnerships. Offered in 14 languages with more than 70 integrated modules, CreateApp enables SMBs to create and deploy native mobile applications for Apple iOS and Google Android without technical knowledge or background. The technology empowers SMBs to increase sales, reach more customers, manage logistics, and promote their products and services in an easy, affordable and highly efficient way. For more information, visit weyland-tech.com. About Push Interactive The e-Commerce platform of Weylands Push Interactive subsidiary features comprehensive customer acquisition capabilities, highly productive media and channel strategies, well-tuned product promotion and messaging, and sales funnel development and optimization. The direct-to-consumer platform provides an end-to-end solution for SMBs and major brands, allowing these organizations to dramatically increase online revenue while lowering the cost of customer acquisition and order fulfillment. Post-sale, Push supports fulfillment, customer relationship management, and further monetization through re-engagement and remarketing toolsets that enhance customer lifetime value (LTV). For more information about Push Interactive, visit www.pushint.com. About AtozPay and AtozGo Through Weyland Techs minority-owned subsidiary, Weyland Indonesia Perkasa (WIP), the company operates AtozPay and AtozGo. The AtozPay mobile payments platform serves the burgeoning mCommerce and e-Payment markets in Indonesia, the worlds fourth most populous country. AtozGo is a fast-growing short-distance food delivery service operated in Jakarta, Indonesia. For more information, visit atozpayindonesia.com. Important Cautions Regarding Forward Looking Statements This release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are forward-looking statements including statements regarding: the ability of the Company to successfully launch CreateApp in Taiwan, the continued growth of the eCommerce segment in Taiwan and the ability of the Company to continue its expansion into that segment and that geographic market; the ability of the Company to attract customers and partners and generate revenues through its partnership with Now Mastery; the ability of the Company to successfully execute its business plan; the business strategy, plans, and objectives of the Company; and any other statements of non-historical information. These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as believes, expects or similar expressions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. The Companys actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Companys periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume any duty to update these forward-looking statements. Company Contact Brent Suen, CEO Weyland Tech Inc. Email contact Media & Investor Contact Ronald Both or Grant Stude CMA Tel (949) 432-7566 Email Contact Five cars on a Norfolk-Southern train derailed early Thursday in Somerset County on the way to Ohio, authorities said. The incident occurred about 6 a.m. near Main Street in Bound Brook, according to Rachel McDonnell Bradshaw, spokeswoman for Norfolk-Southern. There were no injuries to the crew and no hazardous materials involved in the incident. There were no passengers onboard. Railroad personnel and contractors are on-site working to coordinate cleanup and recovery efforts and to resume normal operations, McDonnell Bradshaw said in an email Thursday afternoon. The westbound train was en route from Oak Island Yard, a freight rail yard at Port Newark, and headed to to Mingo Junction, Ohio, McDonnell Bradshaw said. The cause of the derailment is under investigation. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. A Georgia police officer who claimed his wife shot herself dead while the two were arguing, has been charged with her murder. Michael Perrault, 43, was arrested and Wednesday for the murder of Amanda Perrault, 44, who died a few days after he was arrested for domestic violence, which he denied, and was released on $1,500 bond. Before she was fatally injured on Monday, Amanda had warned a friend that something could happen to her. Instead of calling 911, Perrault called his Eatonton police chief boss Kent Lawrence, who then alerted the relevant authorities about the shooting at their Lake Oconee home in Putnam County. Husband Michael Perrault told authorities that he and his wife Amanda were arguing when she pulled out a gun and shot herself on Monday Michael Perrault was charged with the murder of his wife Wednesday (left), who died on Monday. The cop was arrested last week and charged with simple battery, family violence and cruelty to children in the third degree (pictured right) He had been a Eatonton police officer since 2018 and was placed on administrative leave after his arrest and subsequent charges of simple battery, family violence and cruelty to children in the third degree. The latter charge stemmed from his daughter witnessing the incident at the home which was purchased in November 2018. Police said in a press conference Thursday that the couple had been in a relationship for a long time but they had only been married for a couple of years. After spending the night in jail for the domestic violence dispute, he had returned to the family home. 'She said he had nowhere else to go,' Amanda's mother, Sharron Brookshire, previously told The Daily Beast. Sheriff Howard Sills said Thursday he had personally spoken to Amanda at the domestic violence hearing and she gave permission for her husband to return home. The sheriff said Mr Perrault had complained of back pain during his hearing and that he saw a jail physician about the pain on Thursday morning. But on Thursday the sheriff denied Amanda had paid the bond money and he only shared the name of a bail bondsman company. On the day of her death Amanda has changed her Facebook profile picture to this image. She had earlier told a friend to keep pictures of her alleged abuse 'in case anything ever happens to me' Perrault had told authorities during the hearing that he didn't hit his wife, but his eight-year-old daughter from another relationship said she saw her father shove her stepmother out of the entryway of the home. Sheriff Howard Sills said the couple was seen at a convenience store after 10am on the day she died. Sills said Perrault had previous misdemeanor arrests in the past but they were not related to domestic violence. Amanda Perrault, who called her husband 'super jealous', had red marks on her neck and chest. Amanda had earlier written to friends saying: 'Have a nice place but living in a prison. Going to delete these msgs He may still see them But keep them for me pls. 'I'm good for now, I promise. Held my own for 8 yrs with him.' The mother had told friend Carrie Tegeder to keep pictures of her alleged abuse 'in case anything ever happens to me' and she had told friends her husband took out a life insurance policy against her without her knowledge. Michael Perrault did not call his wife's parents following her death. On the day of her death Amanda has changed her Facebook profile picture to an image from their wedding. Responding police requested the assistance of the crime scene unit from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) office in Milledgeville because they didn't want anybody to think there was interference or special treatment because Perrault is a cop When authorities arrived at the couple's home Monday, Sills said Michael Perrault was 'very distraught.' He attended the scene around 1.30pm with deputies and Detective Lt. Harry Luke and Detective Chris Harper. He later requested the assistance of the crime scene unit from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) office in Milledgeville. 'I did that for a couple of reasons,' Sills told the Union Recorder. 'One, this is a city police officer and I didnt want anyone to think that was any inference that there was any kind of special treatment being done because he was a police officer. 'And very candidly, yes, it is being handled much differently because he is a police officer. Its being scrutinized far more in that regard. And of course we have the incident of last week where he was arrested and charged with simple battery of his wife. 'And secondly, the scene needed an extraordinary amount of time to process it properly, and as yall know, I am understaffed.' Michael Perrault told authorities he didn't hit his wife, but the couple's eight-year-old daughter said she saw her father shove her mom out of the entryway of the home Perrault was questioned but not initially arrested. Perrault told Sills that Amanda took a .380-caliber gun from the nightstand and shot herself while in bed. No one else is believed to have been in the home at the time. Sills said he talked to Perrault 'for a good while' and then 'he eventually left with his daughter'. 'The bottom line is that he (Michael Perrault) says they were arguing and then she suddenly produced a gun and shot herself,' Sills previously said. Perrault was finally taken into custody on Wednesday while staying at his sister's home in Newton County. Perrault had legal custody of his daughter but she was in the care of her maternal grandparents at the time of the arrest. Amanda seemed to have an adult daughter. On Wednesday, Allison Perdue posted online alongside an image of herself as a baby with the victim: 'RIP Mommy. This is so heart breaking. So beautiful, inside and out! 'Justice will prevail.' OPEC+ officials have recommended additional oil production cuts of 600,000 bpd in response to the coronavirus outbreak that has crushed oil prices but Russia has yet to agree to the cuts, Reuters reported citing sources from the group. The recommendation is for a cut of 600,000 bpd. Russia has asked for more time for consultations, one of the Reuters source said. Yesterday, Bloomberg cited participants in the meeting as saying that Russia remained opposed to deeper cuts although it was not against the extension of current ones. This opposition is hardly surprising: Russia has consistently budgeted for lower oil prices than the actual ones since the 2014 price collapse, and as a result is much more resilient to price drops than Saudi Arabia. It has also signaled repeatedly it is making a compromise with its oil industry in supporting the cuts as they are. If it were intractable they would have left by now, RBC Capitals Helima Croft told Bloomberg. Its a quest for consensus still. But certainly it shows that this is not easy. The meeting in Vienna was called as an emergency response move after oil prices took a nosedive following the outbreak of the coronavirus in China. Soon after news of the virus spread, analysts began warning of a negative impact on Chinas oil demand and, consequently, on prices. Prices anticipated the drop in demand, however, falling before the first data about lower fuel sales came in. Saudi Arabia is pushing for additional cuts of half a million barrels daily, according to reports cited by Al Jazeera. Russia is against it and this time it may have an additional reason for its opposition; additional cuts may simply not work. Libyas production recently went from some 1.3 million bpd to about 300,000 bpd because of a continuing blockade of its oil export terminals that also led to the shutdown of several fields. This means a production decline of as much as 1 million bpd. Prices, however, have remained indifferent to this drop in global output. One could argue that traders are much more responsive to concerted actions by OPEC+ but this response will not last long. Even the December agreement to extend the existing cuts failed to push oil prices lower for more than a week. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Twelve months ago we concluded an editorial about Gov. Ned Lamonts rookie budget address by imploring him to seize the honeymoon period that only comes once for an elected official. Well, that didnt happen. Lamonts malleable stance on tolls defined him as indecisive. He is back to where he was before he even took office, trying to pitch a toll plan limited to big rigs. During Wednesdays State of the State address to kick off a short session, Lamont seemed to ask for a do-over. He pointed simply to the Democrats proposal to toll trucks and the Republicans preference to fund infrastructure enhancements by diverting money from the Rainy Day Fund. Then he strayed from his scripted remarks to playfully ask for a show of hands to settle the matter. Its not that simple, but were encouraged that Lamont recognizes the need to stop tolls from jamming traffic for just about every other issue the General Assembly will consider over the next 13 weeks. He was also true to his spirit of congeniality commonly cited by lawmakers, along with the goofier side of his personality (weve got our mojo back). Just hours after President Donald Trump apparently snubbed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and she responded by shredding his State of the Union, there was a welcome demonstration of political civility in Connecticut. Lamont didnt take sides on the funding issue, and resisted snarky remarks about his Republican colleagues. He referred to everyone on a first-name basis, regardless of political party. He also promoted Connecticut instead of wallowing in its setbacks. Yes, there was plenty of hyperbole (Connecticut has always had the best-trained, best educated, most productive workforce in the world, and that starts with the best teachers in the world), but weve long opined that our state suffers from an Eeyore Complex, bemoaning its ills rather than celebrating its strengths. No more badmouthing the great state of Connecticut, Lamont said. The rest of the country is looking at our state in a new light, and so should its leaders. Optimism can be contagious. We want to be optimistic that this short session will be efficient and productive, but the top issues are warmed-over leftovers. Right after tolls are matters such as reducing the cost of prescription medication and health care, legalizing recreational marijuana, creating a public health insurance option for small business and individuals and gambling expansion. Meanwhile, there are some vital challenges that cant be postponed, such as assisting state homeowners with crumbling foundations. Lamont did not pitch bold progressive policies a la his predecessor, Dannel Malloy, whose legacy was defined by directives regarding gun safety, criminal justice reform, pay equality and immigration, but he did offer a sound bite that made it clear he stands behind similar moral principles. Those are Connecticut values and were a Connecticut family, he said. Hopefully, Connecticut Republicans and Democrats will remember they are in the same family over the next 13 weeks. In view of the ongoing anti-CAA protests in Shaheen Bagh, the Delhi poll body has put all five polling stations in the area under the 'critical' category New Delhi: In view of the ongoing anti-CAA protests in Shaheen Bagh, the Delhi poll body has put all five polling stations in the area under the "critical" category, a top official said on Wednesday, while asserting that confidence-building measures are being undertaken to reassure voters. Addressing a press conference, Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh said the area is under "tight vigil" and "there is no obstruction" in areas where poll activities will be conducted, so voters will face no problems. Singh, accompanied by the district election officer and nodal police officers, had visited Shaheen Bagh area on Friday to assess the situation and preparedness ahead of the February 8 Delhi Assembly election. "In view of the ongoing protests in Shaheen Bagh, we have declared all five polling stations in the area as critical polling stations. There are about 40 booths encompassing those five stations. All these booths are therefore under the critical category," Singh told reporters on Wednesday. Besides police security, polling stations falling in the "critical category" get paramilitary cover. Activities will be monitored through webcasting, he said. Police and election machinery are on "extra vigil" and assessing the situation all the time across the National Capital, he added. Shaheen Bagh falls in the Okhla assembly constituency. The area has become the epicentre of protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the national capital and the agitation has been thrust by political parties into a poll issue. Hundreds of people, including women and children, have been protesting since 15 December at Shaheen Bagh against the CAA and the National Register of Citizens. The protesters have blockaded a busy thoroughfare in south Delhi and have been demanding that the CAA be repealed. Polls for the 70-member Delhi Assembly will be held on 8 February. The counting of votes will be taken up on 11 February. Singh said security personnel carry out marches and patrolling in the area to boost the confidence of voters and "I see no reason to worry". "During my visit on Friday, the pulse I got from the local people was that there is no fear in their minds and the ongoing issue and the protests have not affected their psyche. We are quite hopeful that voters in the area will come out and exercise their franchise without any fear," he said. The Delhi CEO also said that no complaint has been received from local people of Shaheen Bagh about any safety issue for the polling day. There are 13,750 polling booths, besides one auxiliary booth, located at 2,689 locations across Delhi. Singh said 1,47,86,382 people are eligible to vote in the Delhi polls, including 2,32,815 in the age group of 18 to 19. "As far as critical polling stations are concerned, there are 516 locations and 3,704 booths in that category," he said. Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence) Praveer Ranjan, on the sidelines of the press conference, said 190 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will be deployed as part of the security measures. This is nearly four times the number of CAPF personnel deployed during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he added. On the FIRs filed against political parties under the model code of conduct (MCC) norms and the Delhi Defacement Act, Singh said 30 FIRs have been filed against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) -- three under MCC category and rest under the Delhi Defacement Act. Four FIRs have been filed against the BJP under the Delhi Defacement Act and one under the MCC category, while for the Congress it is one for MCC violation and eight for defacement, he added. Officials said 27 proposals were received for holding programmes or other events, out of which 16 were approved by the Election Commission and nine by the CEO. For video vans, 191 applications were received and 185 granted and six rejected, Singh said. Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) Cell has received 217 applications so far, out of which 188 certificates have been issued, six applications are pending and 23 rejected for amendment, he said. The Delhi CEO said cash worth over Rs 10 crore has been seized by poll authorities till date and bullion worth Rs 31.66 crore has been seized. Over 6.47 lakh posters, banners and hoardings have been removed since 6 January, when the poll code came into force, the officials said. Over 1.47 crore voters in various categories include males (81,05,236), females (66,80,277), service voters (11,608), third gender voters (869), and senior citizens (aged 80 and above) voters (2,04,830), they said. Motorola is bringing a gold version of the new Razr to market. Based on images shared by Evan Blass over on Twitter. The phone will of course be the same as the already available model that comes in Noir Black, at least thats the suspicion. The images were not accompanied by any sort of information. So its reasonable to assume for now that the device has nothing different about it other than the color itself. Of course there is a chance Motorola could charge more for the gold color. Even though the Noir Black model is already expensive at $1,500. Advertisement Theres no mention of price for the gold Motorola Razr The fact theres no mention of price leaves just a tiny bit of room for the possibility that it could cost more. However considering the phone already costs a lot its also very possible it will just release at the same price as the one you can pre-order right now. Phone manufacturers typically launch more than one color of a phone these days too without charging more for them. See Samsung, Huawei, and Google as examples. That is, unless the gold color would come with different components that are more high-end. Theres nothing to indicate that it does, but that would be one reason why it would have a higher price. Advertisement Gold is an iconic Razr color option For those that have been around long enough to remember the original Razr in all its different hues, the gold version is an iconic one. The gold Razr V3i was a model offered in partnership with Dolce & Gabbana, a popular high-end fashion brand. When it launched it was the talk of the town between everyone that had any interest in high fashion. And it quickly became the must-have model of the already very popular mobile device. Perhaps due to its popularity among other colors, it was only a matter of time before Motorola decided to make a gold color option for the new Razr with the foldable display. Advertisement There could be other colors too The Razr was a phone that went on to be offered in just about every color under the sun. Or so it seemed. The standard silver was of course the first. It was later offered in black, gold, and variations of blue, red, purple, pink, and more. You were even able to find it in orange and green. This doesnt mean Motorola has plans to launch the new Razr in this many colors. But it does open up the possibility that Motorola could have other colors in mind for this new model. Advertisement Especially if the company wants to continue playing the nostalgia card to drive sales of this device. The royal family may be going through one of its biggest upheavals in decades, yet Kate Middleton and Prince William are not letting the drama get to them. In a rare occurrence, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were spotted packing on the PDA at an engagement in South Wales. The appearance comes weeks after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their exit, a move that shocked the monarchy to its core. Prince William and Kate Middleton | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images The Cambridges put on a good show The royals experienced a very rough start to 2020. At the beginning of January, Harry and Meghan formally announced their resignation as senior members of the royal family. Moving forward, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are planning on becoming financially independent and are moving to Canada for a portion of the year. The announcement reportedly came as a surprise to the rest of the royals, who scrambled to get the situation under control. Happy sixth wedding anniversary to Kate Middleton and Prince William! See 12 times the couple shared rare PDA: pic.twitter.com/RdDLznpQ55 InStyle (@InStyle) April 29, 2017 Despite all the drama, Prince William and Kate Middleton have kept their composure in public. In fact, the two have shown little signs of stress and have even started to pack on the PDA like never before. There is little doubt that Kate and William are dealing with some major issues behind the scenes, but they are definitely putting on a united front for the public. Inside Prince William and Kate Middletons joint events Last month, William and Kate appeared together for an event in Bradford. The Cambridges met with business owners in the region and potential job candidates. Kate Middleton later attended a workshop as part of her Early Year initiative, where she learned more about projects that benefit families who have children that are under the age of five. The Duchess of Cambridge later shared photos from the event on social media, which gained a lot of praise from fans around the world. The two also attended the BAFTAs in London, where Prince William made jokes about how many actors have won awards playing members of the royal family. While it was great to see William and Kate perform their royal duties together, they really laid on the PDA during their most recent event. Kate Middleton and Prince William pack on the PDA According to Express, Kate poured on the PDA during a recent event in South Wales. The Duchess of Cambridge was spotted placing her hand on Williams shoulder during the engagement in what proved to be a rare show of affection for the couple. The PDA happened when the two appeared at a Lifeboat Station at The Mumbles. The pair later boarded one of the lifeboats and spoke with crewmembers for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution. Photos: Prince William, Kate Middleton show PDA like Prince Harry, Meghan Insider https://t.co/HFyPpR22UA Marvin Floyd (@marvinfloyd) February 5, 2020 Kate Middleton donned a red gown and a blue coat for the event and completed her look with a matching scarf and clutch. Although the royals are experiencing a lot of drama at the moment, Prince William and Kate have clearly kept their cool in public. It is also interesting that they are showing more affection than ever before, as most members of the royal family tend to be much more reserved in public settings. Brad Pitt takes a swipe at the royals While Prince William and Kate Middleton continue to express their love for each other, their appearance at the BAFTAs was not without some controversy. Brad Pitt was nominated for an award at the ceremony but was unable to attend due to previous commitments. In his stead, Margot Robbie accepted the award and gave a speech that Pitt wrote for the occasion. In his acceptance speech, Pitt thanked everyone for their hard work and made a joke about the royals that made headlines the following morning. The jab was leveled at Harry and Meghan, who are currently living in Canada. Hes gonna name this [BAFTA] Harry, because hes really excited about bringing it back to the States with him. His words, not mine, thanks! Robbie shared. William and Kate have not commented on Pitts dig. The cameras did, however, catch the couples reaction to Robbies speech. The two appeared to take the joke in stride and laughed alongside everyone else. In light of Harry and Meghans exit, Prince William and Kate Middleton are expected to take on more royal duties in the coming years, which should give them plenty of opportunities to show a little more PDA. Director Lee-Kil Bora, right, stares at the graves in the military cemetery in Hoi An, Vietnam, in this March 8, 2016 photo. / Courtesy of Cinema Dal By Kwak Yeon-soo Nguyen Thi Thanh, 60, still vividly remembers the day she lost her mother and two siblings in the 1968 Phong Nhi massacre. Her mother, who was raising four children alone after husband's death, was out in the field picking vegetables when Korean soldiers broke into their house and started firing guns. Nguyen's sister was shot when running through a back door. Her little brother was shot in the mouth. The two died following heavy blood loss. Nguyen was shot in her thigh when crawling into the kitchen, and her big brother in his buttock. The two luckily survived. When soldiers set fire to their house to cover up their crime, Nguyen hurriedly escaped, gasping for fresh air. Only eight years old at the time, she left her dying siblings behind and went searching for her mother. Neighbors assured her that mother was still alive, but that was a lie. Korean soldiers had pushed her mother onto a pile of bodies in the field and shot her to death. Nguyen Thi Thanh, survivor of the Phong Nhi massacre, speaks in the film "Untold." Director Lee-Kil Bora's documentary "Untold," also known as "A War of Memories," follows Nguyen and two other survivors who struggle to live with the hurtful memories of the Vietnam War. For Lee-Kil, the unanswered questions around the silence of her grandfather, who was a Vietnam War veteran who served in the Korean Army, were a source of intrigue. "My grandfather died after struggling with the aftereffects of defoliant," Lee-Kil said. "He was a proud veteran who frequently showed off his medals and awards he received from the country in exchange for the sacrifices he had made." However, one day she found out about the 1968 Phong Nhi and Phong Nhat massacre conducted by Korean soldiers. Roughly 325,000 Korean soldiers were deployed to Vietnam to fight alongside the U.S. between 1964 and 1973, but the story of the country's involvement in the war is largely untold. Korea's GDP increased four-fold between 1963 the year before soldiers were first deployed to Vietnam and 1973 the year of withdrawal. Some scholars estimate that financial gains from the war accounted for 7 to 8 percent of Korea's GDP between 1966 and 1969. "No one really had much information about what had actually happened. So I decided to go to Vietnam to find out about the massacre," Lee-Kil said. Her trip was fruitful. Not only did she learn about the tragic event, but was inspired to make a film about it. "I was moved by how Nguyen treated me with tolerance and hospitality despite the fact I was a granddaughter of a Korean veteran who served in the Vietnam War," she said. Of the three survivors who testify in the documentary, one is a woman and the remaining two are men with disabilities. "Because I'm a CODA, an acronym for the children of deaf adults, I'm naturally drawn to stories told by physically impaired people. On this project, I thought it was important to get their side of the story," she said. "Women, the disabled and the elderly are the most vulnerable in war." Nguyen Lap, survivor of the Ha My massacre, speaks in the film "Untold." In the film, Nguyen Lap, the survivor of the 1968 Ha My Village massacre with visual impairment, tells the story of losing his two brothers in the mass killing, which was also conducted by Korean soldiers. The perpetrators gathered about 140 villagers into four or five different places, and killed them all, according to Nguyen. He was 13 when he witnessed the mass killing. His mother sent him to Da Nang for his safety. Dinh Cam, another survivor of the massacre who is deaf, recollects memories of the massacre, adding that Korean soldiers raped Vietnamese girls during the war. "While shooting and editing the documentary, many thoughts crossed my mind," Lee-Kil said. "A few questions I kept asking myself while shooting were: Why do people marginalize the role of women during the war? Why should a younger generation that has never experienced war refrain from talking about war?" Dinh Cam, survivor of the Ha My massacre, speaks in the film "Untold." It took her five years to produce the documentary because she wanted to film Nguyen, the survivor of the Phong Nhi massacre, giving her testimony in the hypothetical court hosted by local civic groups last year, calling on Korea to admit to and apologize for its war crimes. Though it was a mock trial, it was held in preparation for their envisioned lawsuit for state compensation against the Korean government. Neither the Korean nor Vietnamese government has officially recognized the massacre of Vietnamese civilians by Korean soldiers. "Getting people to open up about their involvement was very challenging because it was something that a lot of people wanted to forget," she said. Director Lee-Kil, second from left in third row, poses for a photo with Nguyen Thi Thanh, fourth from left second row, camera crew and Nguyen's family in front of Nguyen's house in Phong Nhi village, Vietnam, in this March 4, 2016 photo. / Courtesy of Cinema Dal The two men accused of stalking and fatally shooting a man on Route 80 in Lodi last month now face charges in a second killing four days earlier in New York, authorities said Thursday. Nassau County Police announced the new murder charges against Douglas Coudrey, 22, of Eastport, New York, and Kenneth Regan, 21, of Centerreach, New York, in the shooting death of Justin Gottlieb, 27, of Plainview, New York on Jan. 14. Both Coudrey and Regan are already charged with murder in the drive-by shooting death of Louis Perez, 27, of New York, on Route 80 westbound on Jan. 18. Nassau County homicide detectives investigated a 911 call that a person had been shot in front of a house on Margaret Drive East at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 14, according to a Nassau County police statement. When officers arrived, they found Gottlieb with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a local hospital and later pronounced dead. Coudrey and Regan are both scheduled to be arraigned in Hempstead, New York on Thursday on the New York murder charges. In the New Jersey killing, Coudrey and Regan began tailing Perezs car in New York and followed him onto Route 80, said Robert Anzilotti, the chief of detectives for the Bergen County Prosecutors Office. While Regan drove, Coudrey sat in the passenger seat, trailing Perezs sedan, he said. Shortly after midnight, the SUV pulled alongside Perezs car and one of the occupants opened fire, said Anzilotti. The gunfire hit Perez in his neck and chest, killing him. Investigators believe Coudrey fired the shots, said Anzilotti. At a Jan. 23 press conference in Hackensack, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal said that Perezs death was the result of a targeted killing" and not a random shooting. While authorities did not specify possible motives for the shooting, they indicated that those involved were familiar with each other. 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. WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. John Katko said Thursday hes willing to help Gov. Andrew Cuomo resolve a dispute with President Donald Trumps administration that led to New Yorkers being barred from trusted traveler programs. Katko sent Cuomo a letter offering to serve as an intermediary after the Department of Homeland Security said it will no longer allow New Yorkers to enroll in programs that give travelers expedited clearance for international travel and border crossings. Im happy to be the go-between on this one, Katko, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee told Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard. Homeland Security officials blamed their decision on New Yorks policies to limit federal access to state drivers license data for criminal background checks. The policy changed when New York began offering drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants in December. The state wanted to prevent the federal government from targeting those without legal status. Cuomo and U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., called the Trump administrative move political retribution for the states decision. Katko, R-Camillus, said he told Cuomo in his letter that the state should be able to find a way to give the federal government the access it needs. He said California and 14 other states that offer licenses to undocumented immigrants have managed to share information from their DMV database. They are the only state in the country that doesnt allow federal officials to enter their database, Katko said of New York. The other states have reached separate agreements with federal authorities that prohibit state DMV data from being used for immigration enforcement, Katko said. He said that New Yorks position is disturbing, given that the state was Ground Zero during the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. After the attacks, the 911 Commission criticized the lack of information sharing among government agencies as a weakness that made the nation vulnerable to future attacks. This is how they do their verification and keep people safe, Katko said, referring to the Department of Homeland Security. This is how they keep terrorists from slipping through. Katko said he was not notified in advance of the federal decision, but he said he understands why Homeland Security officials imposed the ban on New York. Katko said he spoke by phone Thursday morning with Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf about the federal decision, and agreed New York has to do something to change its policy. Its completely illogical to me what theyre doing, Katko said of state officials. I wish it never came to this. But I dont think Homeland Security had a choice. Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 Read more Whos affected by Trumps crackdown on NYs trusted travelers 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. India can consider evacuating Pakistani students from the coronavirus-hit Hubei province if such a situation arises and resources are available, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday, while making it clear that Pakistan had made no request for it till now. Hundreds of stranded Pakistani students in the coronavirus-hit Wuhan city have made desperate pleas to the Imran Khan government to evacuate them from Chinas worst-affected Hubei province, urging his administration to take a leaf out of Indias book. Asked about the pleas by the Pakistani students and whether India could help in their evacuation, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, No such request has been received by us from the government of Pakistan. But if such a situation arises and keeping in mind the resources available, we can look into it. However, he did not clarify what would be the specific pre-conditions for considering the request. Watch l Coronavirus: Will India evacuate Pakistani students from China? Govt answers India airlifted 654 people, including seven Maldivians, on Saturday and Sunday from Wuhan. Watching the Indian students leave, the Pakistani students posted videos on social media asking their government to do the same. In one of the videos, a Pakistani student while showing the Indian students boarding the bus to go to the airport, said while India was evacuating its citizens, the Pakistan government says you live or die we will not evacuate or facilitate their journey home. Shame on you Pakistan government. Learn from India how it takes care of its people, he said in the video that went viral. Pakistan has more than 28,000 students in China, including 500 in the worst-hit city of Wuhan. China has praised Pakistan for resuming flights to the country, a day after it received special medical kits from Beijing to detect the deadly virus cases. [February 06, 2020] SASOL LIMITED ALERT: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. Announces That a Class Action Lawsuit Has Been Filed Against Sasol Limited and Encourages Investors to Contact the Firm Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C., a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm, announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of investors that purchased Sasol Limited (NYSE: SSL) securities between March 10, 2015 and January 13, 2020 (the "Class Period"). Investors have until April 6, 2020 to apply to the Court to be appointed as lead plaintiff in the lawsuit. Click here to participate in the action. On October 27, 2014, Sasol announced the construction of a of an $8.1 billion ethane cracker and derivatives complex in Lake Charles, Louisiana, dubbed the Lake Charles Chemicals Project ("LCCP"). According to the Company, the LCCP includes seven manufacturing units, some of which are in continued development, including the low-density polyethylene ("LDPE") facility and Ziegler alcohol, ethoxylates and Guerbet alcohol facilities, among others. On June 6, 2016, Sasol reported "that the expected total capital expenditure for the [LCCP] could increase up to US$11 billion, including site infrastructure and utility improvements"; a slower rate of capital "resulted in an extended project schedule and contributed to further project cost increases"; "[t]he expected returns for the project have reduced due to changes in long-term price assumptions and the higher capital estimates"; and "[t]he increase in the estimated LCCP capital cost and extended schedule will reduce the expected project returns by approximately the same amount as the Company's lower long-term price assumptions." Following these disclosures, Sasol's share price fell $3.53 per share, or 10.99%, to close at $28.60 per share on June 6, 2016. On May 22, 2019, Sasol disclosed that "the cost estimate for the LCCP has been revised to a range of $12,6 to $12,9 billion which includes a contingency of $300 million." Sasol cited a $530 million change in the project's cost forecast because of a "[c]orrection for duplication of investment allowances of approximately $230 million"; a "[c]orrection for certain contracts and variation orders managed by Sasol, outside the primary engineering, procuremnt and construction contract, of approximately $180 million"; and forecast improvements that were "not expected to be realised and adjustments for potential insurance claims and procurement back-charges of approximately $120 million." Following these disclosures, Sasol's share price fell $4.50 per share, or 14.93%, to close at $25.64 per share on May 22, 2019. Later, on August 16, 2019, Sasol issued a press release disclosing that it was delaying the announcement of its 2019 financial results because of "possible LCCP control weaknesses." On this news, Sasol's share price fell $0.74 per share, or 4.02%, to close at $17.67 per share on August 16, 2019. Then, on October 28, 2019, Sasol disclosed that its review of the LCCP control weaknesses had brought to light "errors, omissions, and inaccuracies in the [LCCP] cost estimate," and a number of unethical and improper reporting activities that took place at the highest level of management. Sasol also announced the resignation of, inter alia, its Joint Presidents and Chief Executive Officers ("CEOs"), effective November 1, 2019, and Senior Vice Presidents and others previously in charge of the LCCP. Finally, on January 14, 2020, Sasol issued a press release confirming that on January 13, 2020, the Company "experienced an explosion and fire at its LCCP low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit." Sasol stated that "[t]he unit was in the final stages of commissioning and startup when the incident occurred" and "has been shut down and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident, the extent of the damage and resulting impact on the LDPE unit's [beneficial operation] schedule." Following these disclosures, Sasol's share price fell $1.70 per share, or 7.84%, over the following two trading days, to close at $19.99 per share on January 15, 2020. The Complaint, filed on February 5, 2020, alleges that throughout the Class Period defendants made materially false and misleading statements regarding the Company's business, operational and compliance policies. Specifically, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Sasol had conducted insufficient due diligence into, and failed to account for multiple issues with, the LCCP, as well as the true cost of the project; (ii) construction and operation of the LCCP was consequently plagued by control weaknesses, delays, rising costs, and technical issues; (iii) these issues were exacerbated by Sasol's top-level management, who engaged in improper and unethical behavior with respect to financial reporting for the LCCP and the project's oversight; (iv) all the foregoing was reasonably likely to render the LCCP significantly more expensive than disclosed and negatively impact the Company's financial results; and (v) as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. If you purchased Sasol securities during the Class Period, have information, 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 Melissa Fortunato or Marion Passmore by email at [email protected], telephone at (646) 860-9156, or by filling out this contact form. There is no cost or obligation to you. About Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C.: Bragar Eagel & Squire, P.C. is a nationally recognized law firm with offices in New York and California. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in commercial, securities, derivative, and other complex litigation in state and federal courts across the country. For more information about the firm, please visit www.bespc.com. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005851/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Here's my fearless prediction for the 2020 presidential election: To borrow a Grateful Dead lyric, it's bound to be a long, strange trip. No way it resembles a "normal" election year, whatever that would be. Hillary's dubious distinction So here's the good news: For all their assiduous efforts, President Donald Trump and Attorne Unremoved but very far from being exonerated, President Donald Trump isn't going down without a wild spectacle. That much is sure. Indeed, he may not go down at all. Otherwise, the national experience of Trump's presidency resembles that of a family dealing with a mentally ill relative. Nobody can possibly imagine what mad follies may come next. Over time, crazy people just wear everybody down. It's easier sometimes to just let them have their way. Might Trump push out Mike Pence and make daughter Ivanka his running mate? Bomb Tehran? Have Hunter and/or Joe Biden arrested? The throwback candidate The thing about Joe Biden, as the all-important, ultimately trivial Iowa caucuses loom, is t Crazy, yes. Impossible? Not at all. Meanwhile, Trump's Democratic opponents, collectively speaking, inspire limited confidence. Moreover, as long as the U.S. economy surges, stimulated by runaway deficit spending of a kind Republicans pretend to abhor when Democrats are in power -- Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin again predicts that Trump's tax cuts will pay for themselves despite record trillion-dollar deficits -- swing state voters could opt for the devil they know. After all, Trump's nothing if not entertaining. There appears to be nothing he can do, no lie so brazen it offends his cult-like supporters. Thus, while there appears to be little chance of Trump winning a national majority, the GOP's Electoral College advantage makes his re-election entirely possible. U.S. wants real trial To hear some people tell it, House Democrats are like the dog that finally caught the car. V So why am I seeing headlines like this one, in Newsweek? "Only 53% of Bernie Sanders Voters Will Definitely Support 2020 Democratic Nominee If He Doesn't Win." According to an Emerson College poll of 1,128 registered voters, just over half of Sanders' supporters say they'll definitely vote for any Democrat against Trump. (The equivalent number for Biden supporters is 87%; for Elizabeth Warren, 90%.) This despite Bernie's forthright vow at a recent Iowa debate that should any of his Democratic rivals win the nomination, "I will do everything in my power to make sure that they are elected in order to defeat the most dangerous president in the history of our country." Of course, that's not how Bernie acted in 2016, when his support for Hillary Clinton was both grudging and late in coming. But then, like most Democrats, he probably thought there was no chance of Trump's winning the presidency. Sanders probably needs to double down on that vow if he really means it, because a significant proportion of his followers appears disinclined to accept certain basic facts about American politics. Specifically, as Ezra Klein recently explained in The New York Times: "[O]nly half of Democrats call themselves liberals -- and for Democrats, that's a historically high level." Much less radicals, or to use Bernie's preferred term, people seeking a "revolution." Many describe themselves as "moderate" or even "conservative," by which they mostly mean in their cultural and lifestyle orientation. Securing the Democratic nomination therefore requires, Klein explains, "winning liberal whites in New Hampshire and traditionalist blacks in South Carolina. It means talking to Irish Catholics in Boston and atheists in San Francisco. It means inspiring liberals without arousing the fears of moderates." To say nothing of winning the presidency. To put it another way, there just aren't a whole lot of revolutionaries in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin or Minnesota -- states whose electoral votes could decide the November election. Bernie-style leftists predicted disaster during the 2018 congressional season; instead, mostly moderate Democrats took over the House. So it's distressing to read in The Washington Post about Sanders activists resorting to Russian-style Facebook smears against Sen. Warren. "Already, the pro-Sanders crusade has spawned groups calling for protests at the party's national convention in July should Sanders not emerge as the nominee. #BernieOrVest is their rallying cry, echoing the Yellow Vest demonstrations that have roiled France." Yes, because Milwaukee, where the Democratic convention will be held, is exactly like Paris. Now me, I disliked a lot about the '60s the first time around. Historian Rick Perlstein's book "Nixonland" brilliantly depicts how the excesses of self-dramatizing "radicals" back then -- Bernie Sanders among them -- led to a right-wing backlash that's still very much with us. Or as onetime '60s leftist John B. Judis put it in recent essay, "[t]he '60s left's rebellion increasingly took a religious rather than a political form. It consisted of establishing one's moral credibility and superiority in the face of evil." Did you know that Bernie once wrote crackpot columns blaming cervical cancer on women not having orgasms? That he joined a political party taking Iran's side during the 1979-80 hostage crisis? That he honeymooned in the Soviet Union? There's video. Should he secure the Democratic nomination, you will. It's that or the Yellow Vests. Your call. Arkansas Times columnist Gene Lyons is a National Magazine Award winner and co-author of "The Hunting of the President" (St. Martin's Press, 2000). You can email Lyons at eugenelyons2@yahoo.com.) Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A New Mexico legislator wants presidential primaries to be held in his state before any other. Rep. Javier Martinez said Tuesday on Twitter he's filing a bill "to make NM the first presidential nominating contest in the country." The Supreme Court has agreed to hear on Friday the Centre's appeal challenging the Delhi high court's verdict dismissing its plea against stay on the execution of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. Additional Solicitor General K M Natraj, appearing for the Centre, on Thursday mentioned the matter for urgent listing before a bench comprising Justices N V Ramana, Sanjiv Khanna and Krishna Murari. Natraj told the court that jail authorities are unable to execute the convicts in the case despite the fact that their review petitions have been dismissed and curative petitions and mercy pleas of three of them have been rejected. The Delhi high court on Wednesday held that all the four convicts are to be executed together and not separately while setting a week's deadline for them to avail the remaining remedies. If the convicts choose not to make any type of petition in seven days from now, the institutions/ authorities concerned will deal with the matter, as per the law, without further delay, it said. Hours after the high court's verdict, the Centre filed an appeal against it in the apex court. The high court said all the four convicts in the Nirbhaya case have to be executed together, not separately, and faulted the authorities concerned for not taking steps for issuance of death warrants after rejection of appeals of the convicts by the Supreme Court in 2017. The trial court had on January 31 stayed "till further orders" execution of the four convicts in the case -- Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31), who are lodged in Tihar Jail. A lawyer associated with the matter had said the grounds taken for challenge in the top court are almost the same as taken in the high court while filing the appeal against the trial court order. He had said the Centre has stated in the petition in the apex court that the convicts can be hanged separately as Mukesh has exhausted all his remedies, including the mercy plea. From the very beginning of his career, science-fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson has combined literary invention with an imagination somehow realistic and utopian at the same time. His first foray was Three Californias, a triptych of novels first published between 1984 and 1990 that imagine three possible ways that the Golden State could evolve in the 21st century: In The Wild Shore, a young man living in a post-nuclear holocaust navigates the chasm between his immediate communitys survival and the desire to rebuild the United States. For The Gold Coast, Robinson took a page from Philip K. Dick and imagined a hyper-Reaganite, hypercapitalist Orange County and what resistance to the forces of capital and empire might look like in the future. But its the third book, Pacific Edge, which tried to imagine in practical terms how you could build an eco-utopia, that signaled the incredible ambitionand thematic concernsof his future work. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A few years after the Three Californias, Robinson broke into the upper echelons of sci-fi writers with his landmark Mars Trilogyalso about the practicalities of building a utopiaand never looked back. Hes written novels about space colonization (Aurora), a partially submerged postclimate emergency New York (New York 2140), solar system colonization (2312), and even an alternate history in which most of Europe is wiped out by the Black Plague (The Years of Rice and Salt). Now, Three Californias is being reissued as part of Tor Essentials, a new line highlighting hidden backlist classics. Its a wonderful opportunity to discover Robinsons early writing, which is every bit as rewarding, strange, and thought-provoking as his later work. I spoke to Robinson about how Three Californias came about, how his home state influences his work, and how he keeps the utopian imagination alive as the climate emergency becomes less and less escapable as our present and future. This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Slate: Did you always conceive of the three novels as a triptych, or did you start with the first one and then think, I have more to say about California? Advertisement Kim Stanley Robinson: I began with the idea of the three. I grew up in Orange County, and I went to college at UCSan Diego. In that very first year, I was driving home to my parents house and I noticed that how we treated the land was radically different depending on what the goals were, what the laws are. [In] some places it was empty, and other places it was completely covered by housing. It came to me on that drive, the whole idea that you could write a story set in three different futures, where the land was treated in three different ways. Suddenly I was thinking: after the fall, dystopia, utopiayou could do three different ones. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So its a few years later, youre writing The Wild Shore, the first in the trilogydo you remember how you worked out the postnuclear apocalypse world of it? I went back into the history of science fiction and read other after-the-fall novels: Earth Abides by George Stewart, A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter Miller, a couple of Philip K. Dickespecially Dr. Bloodmoney. I also got to study with the California poet Gary Snyder at UCDavis. In terms of these Three California novels, Snyder is as important as anybody in terms of my teachers, because he was the one that established what a California writer ought to be doing: facing Eastern Asia, getting interested in Buddhism, kind of getting rid of the European influences. I began thinking of myself as a poet in the Snyder tradition before I discovered the science fiction. That was always underlying every sentence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Your third California novel, Pacific Edge, is an eco-utopia of sorts. What does utopiaand writing about itmean to you? Pacific Edge was my first attempt at it. I did what I had done with the previous two: I read the utopian literature. Luckily its a rather small body. Sir Thomas Moore and Bellamy and Morris. The stand-out example of the utopian novel as such was Ursula K. Le Guins The Dispossessed. But I needed it to be in Orange County a hundred years in the future. That meant it was going to be a very weird utopia on a small scale. The result was so bizarre that I was dissatisfied on a number of levels, and I thought if you were going to do a utopia properly, it would need to be global, it would need to be historical. So The Mars Trilogy comes out of my dissatisfactions with the constraints I had set on myself with Pacific Edge. I thought, Well, if you were going to be realistic, youd have just do it on Mars. Ive kept coming back to [realistic utopia] throughout the rest of my career as kind of an unsolvable problem. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It does feel unsolvable. But your work has the tension between a utopian spirit of building a better society and a sense of realism about sci-fi tropes. Like in 2312 and Red Moon, weve expanded into the solar system, but the problems of Earth are inescapable. Your utopianism doesnt look like the dreams that sci-fi traditionally holds out. Utopias are like blueprints and novels are like soap operas. What kind of art comes out of that? Sometimes Ive experienced this as intensely stressful. In the domestic realist tradition of the English novel, what you value is, This is what real life is like. Like Elena Ferrantes Neapolitan quartetin theory I would aspire to write a novel like that. Yet here I am trying these utopian efforts time after time. So at a certain point along the way I got over it and just regarded it as a literary problem and an opportunity. My books are unusual, but so what? Thats a nice thing to be. Advertisement Since Pacific Edge, the prognosis for the environment and our impact on it has only gotten worse and worse. Does that make utopian writing harder? The bar has changed. Now utopia would be we dodge the mass extinction event. If we manage to get through this century and stabilize with the biosphere, that is a very utopian future. Utopia has also gone from a minor literary genre to a kind of a survival strategy. We have to do things right, in order to get any balance [with] the biosphere and the support system that weve got here, the one and only planet. Advertisement Advertisement It does seem like weve gone from interested in what the future could be to wondering if there even could be one. The new William Gibson book, for example, is set in an alternative present instead of the future. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I can only speak coherently to my own attempt to come to grips with it. It does feel extraordinarily difficult, but it also feels like, what else are we going to write about? There was always something applied and relevant [in] science fiction that was about what might come to pass, as a kind of scenario building or as a modeling exercise. But not as a prediction exercise, right? Not prediction per se, although its easy to make that mistake. Sometimes your modeling exercise might stumble on something that really does happen. But by and large, the future is radically unpredictable. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. After the announcement by Disney that its fledging direct-to-consumer service Disney+ had exceeded all expectations, analyst Digital TV Research has upgraded its forecasts for the service and expects it now to add 105 million paying subscribers between the end of 2019 and 2025. As it revealed its stunning first quarter results, Disney revealed that by 28 December 2019 it had racked up 26.5 million Disney+ customers since the services launch on 12 November. In the companys analyst call on 5 February 2020, CEO Bob Iger added that since then the total now stands at over 28 million subscribers.Digital TV Research sees Disney+ will be the biggest SVOD winner over the next five years, projecting that the DTC Offer will to take its total to 126 million by 2025. This would represent 53% of Netflixs expected subscriber total by that time, up from only 27% in 2020. Much of this initial growth will come from the US, principally due to the attractive bundling of Disney+ with ESPN+ and Hulu, noted Digital TV Research principal analyst Simon Murray. ESPN+ and Hulu are not yet available outside the US, but we still expect strong Disney+ take-up globally.Digital TV Research believes that as many as five global platforms will have 553 million paying SVOD subscribers by 2025, adding 196 million subscribers between 2020 and 2025. The research showed that Netflix will likely gain 51 million subscribers between 2020 and 2025,revealing that there is still growth left for the most established platform. This would see Netflix will command 44% of the 2025 total for the five platforms, down from 53% in 2020.By contrast, the soon to launch HBO Max is set to have 30 million paying subscribers by 2025 and said the analyst in its updated SVOD Platform Forecasts report, if non-payers are included then this figure could be tripled. The same would true for Apple TV+, which Digital TV Research forecasts will have 26 million paying subscribers by 2025. WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will hold two roundtable sessions this month to train organizations in West Virginia on best practices regarding the Women's Business Center (WBC) grant application process. Information for the upcoming roundtables: Fairmont: Wednesday, Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. EST Robert H. Mollohan Research Center 1000 Galliher Drive Fairmont, WV 26554 Register Huntington: Thursday, Feb. 20 at 10 a.m. EST Robert C. Byrd Institute 1050 4th Avenue Huntington, WV 25701 Register The roundtables will explain how to apply for SBA Women's Business Center grants and get the funding needed to reach more women business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Organizations interested in attending should contact SBA Senior Area Business Opportunity Specialist [email protected] at (304) 623-7448. Advance registration is requested. The SBA's WBC program is a national network of more than 100 locations that offer one-on-one counseling and training to women seeking to start businesses, grow their markets or expand through federal contracting opportunities or international trade. Eligible applicants for the WBC grant must be private, nonprofit organizations with 501(c) tax-exempt status from the U.S. Treasury/Internal Revenue Service in West Virginia. This may include universities, foundations, chambers of commerce, or economic development institutions. The SBA recognizes the importance of Minority Serving Institutions (e.g., Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-Serving Institutions from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Institutions) and encourages their participation in the roundtable. As part of the grant application process, interested applicants must register and receive a certificate from SAM.gov . The SAM.gov certification process for the SBA's Women's Business Centers can take up to 45 days. It is recommended that organizations begin the registration process immediately. Questions about the WBC funding opportunity can be directed to the SBA's Office of Women's Business Ownership (OWBO) at [email protected] . About the U.S. Small Business Administration The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov . Contacts: [email protected] (202) 401-3059, [email protected] (304) 623-7445 Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Blogs & Instagram Release Number: 20-14 SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration Related Links http://www.sba.gov Although no proof was ever presented, Rifkins agent ultimately allowed Garrett and Hymen to tour the home and return several days later to make a list of art and furnishings that Garrett purportedly wished to purchase along with the home, according to the lawsuit. The defining event of the Hungarian world of coffees and bars, the CafeBar Bazaar (KaveBar Bazar) will be organized for the 11th time at the Millenaris Park in Budapest on 8 and 9 February. Hungarian micro-coffee roasters and well-known brands will all be present among the coffee professionals, and you can taste products from the best growing regions of the world. With an entrance ticket visitors can taste the products of 45 exhibitors (coffees, teas, wines, spirits and other drink specialties). You can buy these products too at the stands of course. The air above the most bustling square in central Budapest will be filled with the aroma of coffee, since the entire event center with its 4 halls will provide the venue for the programs and tastings. During the two-day event, three national championships will also take place: baristas will challenge each other at the Hungarian Cup Tasters Championship, and the winner will represent Hungary at the world finals in Berlin. Amateur coffee geeks can compete in the Hungarian Amateur Barista Championship on Saturday. Besides the competitions, professional presentations and workshops will be on offer for visitors on both days: guided tastings of drinks from bubbles through spirits to old teas, Hungarian and foreign speciality cupping, i.e. coffee tastings, round-table discussions, a personal account of a tour on a Hungarian farm in Costa Rica, round-table discussion on domestic and international trends, business forums, a bar conference and numerous products for tasting at the stands of course. Tickets: Daily ticket until 6 February: HUF 3,500 Two-day ticket until 6 February: HUF 6,000 Daily ticket: HUF 4,200 Opening hours: 11 am - 6 pm Venue: Millenaris B Building 1024 Budapest, Kis Rokus u. 16. More: kavebar.hu India and Madagascar on Thursday discussed maritime security cooperation, as part of their efforts to ramp up defence presence in western Indian Ocean. On the second day of DefExpo here, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held dialogue with Lt Gen Rokotonirina Richard, his counterpart in Madagascar, an Indian Ocean island nation off the coast of East Africa and discussed a gamut of issues related to strategic partnership. During the discussions, Singh stressed on enhancing ties in maritime security cooperation in the region, an official release said. Singh said as maritime neighbours both countries have responsibility to ensure a secure maritime environment so that trade and commerce flourish. Underlining the Indian president's visit to Madagascar in March 2018, he said the historic visit reaffirmed the excellent bilateral relationship between the two nations. He emphasised that the MoU signed during the visit provided an enabling framework for defence cooperation between the two sides. The DefExpo 2020 would provide a platform for both the countries to further strengthen the defence ties and in exploring various areas of mutual engagement, Singh said. Gen Richard acknowledged that India has a great role to play in preserving security in the Indian ocean maritime region. He expressed his government's sincere gratitude for 'Operation Vanilla', in which the Indian Navy provided assistance to the affected population of Madagascar post devastation caused by Cyclone Diane. The defence minister of Madagascar invited Singh to the independence day celebrations on June 26 this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In hottest decade on record, climate change appears nowhere in US President's State of the Union address by Elizabeth Weise February 06,2020 | Source: USA TODAY In his State of the Union address Tuesday night, President Donald Trump didnt mention a topic many scientists say will be the defining issue of the 21st century: climate change. The closest the more than hour-long speech came to mentioning global warming was a plug for the One Trillion Trees Initiative, a private-public partnership that aims to plant new trees globally. Instead, in what critics are calling an indirect rebuke of the whole idea of greenhouse gas-induced global warming, Trump touted Americas growing production of greenhouse gas-producing fossil fuels. While the president's remarks might not be surprising given his administration's approach to global warming since he took office in 2017, the absence further alarmed scientists already concerned about a lack of action from global leaders at a time when the Earth just finished its hottest decade in the historical record and the second-warmest year. The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says rapid and far-reaching transitions in energy, industry and transportation will be needed in the next 10 years to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. "The U.S. has an obligation to lead on the great challenges we face as a civilization with climate change at the very top, said Michael Mann, a professor of meteorology and director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University in State College, Pennslyvania. Overall, 86% of Democrats, 55% of Republicans and 78% of independents say they want to reduce the effects of global climate change, a Public Agenda/USA TODAY/Ipsos survey published last month found. Trump has rolled back at least 95 environmental rules since taking office. In November, Trump also began the process of officially withdrawing the United States from the Paris climate agreement. The landmark agreement, signed by 197 nations, allowed countries to set their own goals to curb heat-trapping gas emissions. The Trump administration called it an "unfair economic burden" on the U.S. economy. Conservatives say Trump is taking a business-minded approach to the nation's environmental challenges. But for the 20% or so of Americans who are passionate about climate change and want government action, Trump's silence was likely a political decision, said Jon Krosnick, who studies American beliefs on climate change at Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. By saying nothing, he avoided angering them any more than they are already by his position on the issue. But he also reinforced their impression that this issue is not on his radar screen for future action, he said. John Cook, a climate communication researcher at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, said Trump displayed a lack of leadership. To tout planting trees as a solution to climate change without any mention of reducing emissions is like feeding poison to a child and when they get a headache, continuing to poison them while giving them an aspirin, he said. 2020 USA TODAY Theme(s): Others. South Africa: Minister pays tribute to SACAA employees The death of three South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) employees, who lost their lives in a plane crash in the Western Cape, is a setback for transformation in the aviation industry, says Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula. Their loss represents a major setback in our efforts to transform the sector and open up opportunities for the previously disadvantaged and the youth. To lose a pioneering and all-African crew, who we were the first in their respective areas of expertise, is a loss to the nation, the Minister said. The employees lost their lives in a tragic accident when they were aboard a Civil Aviation Authority's Flight Inspections Unit aircraft on 23 January 2020. The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off from George Airport in the Western Cape. The Minister on Thursday attended the memorial service of the SACAA employees. While we mourn their passing, we must equally celebrate their lives. As we celebrate their great achievements as trailblazers, we must find inspiration in the knowledge that they were head and shoulders above their peers, Mbalula said. Captain Thabiso Tolo qualified in 2013 as captain of this crew and had 4 959 hours of flying to his credit. Among others, he was the first black Captain of the Flight Inspection Unit. He started working as a pilot at the South African Air Force between 1989 and 2003. First Officer Tebogo Lekalakala had 1 050 hours of flying to her credit. She performed her last training as Flight Safety Simulator in San Antonio in the United States. Lekalakala was a co-pilot and the first black woman to fly for the Flight Inspection Unit in 2019. Before joining the SACAA, she was an Air Force pilot between 2006 and 2018. Gugu Comfort Mnguni, a flight inspector, had over 1 300 flying hours to his credit. He conducted his last training at the Global Navigation Satellite System for Aviation, Eurocontrol, in Luxembourg. He was trained in the Flight Inspection System at the CARNAC 30 in France. He became the first black Flight Inspector for the Flight Inspection Unit in 2013. On behalf of government, I convey our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and loved ones. We are with you during this trying time. Thabiso, Tebogo and Gugu have run their race, and we must find comfort in the legacy they have left for future generations, the Minister said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-02-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Contesting South Kildare is Anita Mhic Gib, principal of Gaelscoil Nas an Riogh. A member of Aontu, Irelands most recently founded political party, Ms Mhic Gib describes the party as arguably the most diverse political party in the country with former members of FF, FG, Labour, the Greens and People Before Profit compiling the backbone of Aontu. A mother of five, she knows first hand and through those of her pupils, the appalling lack of support services in education. I am utterly frustrated at the delays in assessments for young children; then trying to access an appointment for an occupational or speech therapist, the delays are horrendous. It can take years for the assessment never mind securing therapists and special needs assistants (SNAs) and all these delays during what are the vital early learning development years for the child. In Baroda Court, Newbridge last week, we met with Dr Deirdre Gleeson on the doorstep, and her experience in trying to secure an assessment for her son mirrored the candidates findings. My son had dyslexia and only we had the resources ourselves to get psychological reports, wed never have secured an assessment, it took two years even at that to complete the process. She stated the two tier pay of teachers, the poor pay/conditions of school secretaries and workers in early child care are all indicative of a lack of investment and interest in the education sector. Wasteful management of funding was another issue she addressed: 60m was returned to the Minister for Children, why? Because monies that was allocated to social workers to handle children in care cases was returned to the Exchequer because there werent enough social workers to cope. Thats shameful, why wasnt the funding distributed to other childcare services or to the voluntary sector? The Indicons Report states that every euro invested in youth saves the state a further 2.20 in other expenditures such as crime prevention, mental health, etc she added. When Ms Mhic Gib, along with her husband Muiris and five children, moved from Newbridge to Kilcullen, she was horrified to find the family was placed on a waiting list to access GP services locally. We were effectively waiting on someone to die, or move from the area, to secure the services of a GP. Ms Mhic Gib empathises with workers in the health service, to which Dr Gleeson, an Occupational Health Specialist, stated: Its intolerable; my colleagues are leaving their GP practices because they are overworked, under resourced, underpaid and grossly under valued! The candidate noted that giving medical cards to U13s sounds like a good idea but when there are far more genuine cases needing the service, this she felt was an election gimmick. The elderly waiting on surgeries such as joint replacements, children awaiting scoliosis procedures its shocking. Resources should be going to where the needs are greatest! Our two tier health system needs to go. Crime and the increase in people using recreational drugs was another point of discussion. We only have 11 gardai in Kildare Drug Squad, said Ms Mhic Gib and three only in Co Laois. Skeletal garda services from Portarlington, across Co Kildare right up to Kill you ring a station and get passed on to a central phone system, thats not good enough. Smaller communities are badly impacted; youth drop out of school and its not even picked up on the radar. Im 20 years a political activist she said Id be well able to speak up for the people of South Kildare in the Dail; remember, the favourites dont always win! A lot of elected representatives are sympathetic on the doorstep, as if they werent in the last government and had nothing to do with policies made! She concluded: Im not going to make empty promises to secure votes, the way other politicians flip flop on important issues". The principal with principles, representing Aontu, the party with a conscience. She certainly has great passion and commitment and offers a completely fresh, new approach to politics, Anita Mhic Gib. Shin Hye Sun Seeks the Truth as seen in the stills of the Poster released For Her First Starring Role In A Film. The actress first debuted her acting skills through the TV drama "School" in 2013 which is an installment of the long-running School series, after successfully passing the audition to cast a few schoolgirl roles. In the drama "School" she portrayed a minor character having the same name as hers. Shin Hye-sun eventually began to take on bigger roles in 2015 with dramas "Oh My Ghost" and "She Was Pretty". Her characters varied significantly in these dramas although both titles were romantic comedies. In the year 2016, she received her breakthrough with the series "Five Enough". Her role in this drama as a gullible, naively-romantic woman including her pairing with actor Sung Hoon gained popularity among the viewers. She also starred in the fantasy romance drama as supporting actress in The Legend of the Blue Sea in the same year. The upcoming film titled "Innocence" is actually Shin Hye Sun's first time in a starring role in a feature film. She formerly appeared in short films with small parts in "A Violent Prosecutor" and "A Day." Currently, Shin Hye Sun is more known for her roles in dramas, most recently "My Golden Life," "Thirty But Seventeen," and "Angel's Last Mission: Love." "Innocence" centers its story on Jung In who is a lawyer portrayed by Shin Hye Sun that is trying her best to prove her mother's innocence and uncover the secrets of a small village with the help of the local mayor played by Heo Jun Ho. Jung In's mother, Hwa Ja portrayed by actress Bae Jong Ok was falsely accused of murder after the rice wine was poisoned at her husband's funeral. The poor lady is suffering from memory loss and cannot be able to defend herself. This film is also Hong Kyung his first screen role portraying as Ahn Jung Soo the younger brother of Jung In who has an autistic spectrum disability. Hong Kyung's character in the drama will play a key role in uncovering the truth behind their mother being framed for murder. Actor Tae Hang Ho is also part of the cast plays Jung In's former classmate named Yang Wang Yong. Being a police officer, Yang Wang Yong will help Jung In in her journey to uncover the hidden secrets of her hometown. Tae Hang Ho showed off unique chemistry with Shin Hye Sun during their audition together To complete the cast by playing local villagers in the drama are Go Chang Suk and Park Chul Min. Go Chang Suk's character will portray as Jung In's relative and explains why the villagers treated Jung In's family with coldness. Park Chul Min, on the other hand, plays a mysterious character who is somehow connected to all the villagers and their secrets that will aid Jung In with her mission to uncover the truth. "Innocence" is scheduled to premiere on March 5 in South Korea. ANKARA, Turkey An avalanche slammed into a mountain road in eastern Turkey on Wednesday, wiping out a huge team of rescue workers sent to find people missing in an earlier avalanche. Officials said 33 emergency workers were killed, 53 were injured and others are still buried under the snow. Wednesday's avalanche increased the overall death toll from the disaster to 38. Some 300 emergency service workers were called to a highway near the mountain-surrounded town of Bahcesaray in Van province, which borders Iran, after an avalanche struck late Tuesday. That snow slide killed five people and left two missing. Around noon Wednesday, the team was struck by the second avalanche. Turkey's emergency and disaster management agency, AFAD, said 33 bodies were recovered from the mass of snow on the steep slope. Earlier, Gov. Mehmet Emin Bilmez said the dead included eight military police officers, three government-paid village guards, three firefighters and nine volunteers Emergency teams were still searching for other colleagues under the snow, Bilmez said. He did not provide a figure of how many more could be missing. New Delhi: Election Commission has informed the Supreme Court about getting electoral bonds from various political parties including BJP and Congress. The detailed report of filing of electoral bonds is found in sealed envelopes. The Election Commission filed an affidavit on Wednesday, 5 February 2020, and told the Supreme Court that according to their guidelines given on 12 April last year, political parties have submitted details of the electoral bonds received in sealed envelopes. CM Yogi's big statement, says, 'Defense Expo will give employment to three lakh people...' According to the information received, the Commission said in an affidavit that a total of 105 parties, including national, state-level national parties and state parties to unregistered political parties, have also given details of the electoral bonds they received. Where the Election Commission has given the details of these bonds of election funding to the Supreme Court in response to the petition of an NGO. At the same time, the petitioners had appealed to discontinue the Central Government's Electoral Bond Project, 2018. Another case of coronavirus surfaced, first patient found in Thailand The Central Government in its plan had made some rules to make the election funding transparent. Under this, only an Indian citizen can buy electoral bonds. A person can buy these bonds individually, and also jointly. These bonds will be encashed by an authorized bank only. The apex court had in April last year refused to put a stay on the Central Government's Electoral Bond Scheme, 2018, and made it clear that it would conduct an in-depth hearing on the petition as the Center and Election Commission impacted on the sanctity of the electoral process in the country. CM BS Yeddyurappa extended cabinet today, these MLAs takes oath A Chinese doctor who blew the whistle on the outbreak of the coronavirus is said to be in a critical condition after initial reports that he had died. Dr Li Wenliang, 34, an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital, sent a message in a chat group on 30 December to fellow doctors warning them of a possible virus outbreak. He was then told by police to stop making false comments. Dr Li Wenliang was diagnosed with coronavirus after trying to warn others about the spread of the disease (Weibo) Last week, Dr Li said he had been diagnosed with coronavirus. Earlier today, Chinese media reports reported he had died in hospital in Wuhan, the city where the outbreak originated. The World Health Organisation even paid tribute to the doctor, with Dr. Mike Ryan, head of WHOs Health Emergencies Program, saying he was very sad. We should celebrate his life and mourn his death with his colleagues, he added. However, soon after, the state-run outlet Global News issued an update saying Dr Li was critically ill after his heart stopped beating. Update: Li Wenliang is currently in critical condition. His heart reportedly stopped beating at around 21:30. He was then given treatment with ECMO(extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation). https://t.co/ljhMSwHBXB Global Times (@globaltimesnews) February 6, 2020 At around 5pm on Thursday, the Global Times posted another tweet saying Dr Li was still under emergency treatment. They said reporters had heard people weeping inside the intensive care unit and described Li as one of 8 whistleblowers who tried to warn other medics of the #coronavirus outbreak in Dec but were reprimanded by Wuhan police. The South China Morning Post reported Wuhan hospital saying on its official Weibo account that doctors were trying to resuscitate Dr Li. Dr Li shared the warning after he noticed seven cases of a virus he thought resembles Sars, the deadly illness which spread in 2003. Four days after his warning he was called to a police station to sign a letter in which he was accused of making false comments that had severely disturbed the social order. Story continues He then shared a social media post saying he started coughing on 10 January, and was hospitalised with a fever three days later. According to the BBC, he wrote: Today nucleic acid testing came back with a positive result, the dust has settled, finally diagnosed. As of Thursday, the global death toll from coronavirus was 565, with the number of confirmed cases being 28,273. Some 260 cases have been recorded outside China, including three in the UK. One case was confirmed earlier on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Chinese ambassador to the UK warned against rumours and panic over coronavirus after concerns were raised that Boris Johnson has not offered a personal message of support to Chinas leaders. Dr Li Wenliang was silenced by Chinese police after warning about the coronavirus outbreak (Weibo) Speaking to reporters in London, Liu Xiaoming called on the UK government to support China in its handling of the outbreak, but insisted relations between Chinese president Xi Jinping and the British PM are good. He said: It is of hope that governments of all countries, including the UK, should understand and support Chinas efforts, avoid overreaction, avoid creating panic, and ensure normal co-operation and exchanges between countries. Third patient in the UK tests positive for coronavirus Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa will expand his cabinet on Thursday during which at least ten rebel MLAs will be inducted as ministers. Commenting on the state Cabinet expansion, Yediyurappa has said that as per directions from the central leadership of the party, only 10 members will take oath on Thursday. Speaking to reporters, the Karnataka BJP strongman said, "As per directions from party president and leaders, only 10 members will take oath on Thursday. I will meet our leaders in Delhi and we will then take the decision to include others in the cabinet." He also confirmed that Umesh Katti, an influential MLA, will be later inducted into the cabinet and given a ministerial berth. Live TV "There is no doubt about Umesh Katti`s inclusion in the cabinet, he will be given a ministerial berth but it is difficult to induct him into the cabinet in this expansion. I will speak to him, he will be given a big responsibility," the Karnataka Chief Minister said. Thursday's state cabinet expansion comes after much squabbling over the names of 13 rebel MLAs who had won the bypolls in December on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tickets after switching loyalties from Congress and JDS. Yediyurappa had earlier said that all 13 legislators who had dejected from Congress-JDS would be sworn in, however, the dynamics appear to have changed within the BJP in the state. As of now, Athani MLA Mahesh Kumathalli and Umesh Katti have been left out of the second cabinet expansion. Meanwhile, preparations for the cabinet expansion have been made and swanky new cars have been ought for the new ministers and lined up at the government guest house. The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms has bought the white colour SUVs for the ministers who would take oath in the expansion of the six-month-old cabinet, sources in the Kumarakurupa Guest House said. The former National Communications Officer of the NDC, Solomon Nkansah is amazed at how corruption has become a norm under the Nana Addo-led government. According to him, the fight against illegal mining also known as galamsey which became prominent in the country was laudable but issues emanating from it now are unfortunate and appalling. Its amazing how seized excavators are flying around like guinea fowls, Solomon Nkansah said on NEAT FMs morning show Ghana Montie. His comment comes after the Criminal Investigations Department [CID] of the Ghana Police Service arrested Horace Ekow Ewusi, over missing excavators seized in the clampdown on illegal mining galamsey. The embattled Vice Chairman was interrogated over his role in some missing excavators and other equipment seized from illegal mining operators. The arrest follows a request made to the CID by the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng. According to the letter written by the Minister, Mr Ewusi was contracted to cart excavators and pieces of equipment seized by Operation Vanguard to designated areas for safekeeping. The Ministers letter said the Ministry had received information that he sent an unknown number of equipment to the unauthorized location including one in Tema and some parts of the country. Watch the video 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 A day after being acquitted at his Senate impeachment trial, President Donald Trump attended a bipartisan National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday and warned his opponents that "we can't let that go on." Trump did not use the word "impeachment" in his opening remarks at the annual Washington event. But his message was nonetheless clear, and it appeared to single out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who was sitting just a few feet away. "So many people have been hurt, and we can't let that go on," Trump said at the religious gathering. He also appeared to reference Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, the only Republican to vote to convict Trump on the abuse of power charge. Romney said on the Senate floor that his faith guided him toward his decision to vote for Trump's removal from office. "As everybody knows, my family, our great country and your president have been through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people," Trump said. "They have done everything possible to destroy us, and by so doing very badly hurt our nation. They know what they are doing is wrong, but they put themselves far ahead of our great country." "Weeks ago and again yesterday, courageous Republican politicians and leaders had the wisdom, fortitude and strength to do what everyone knows was right," Trump said. Pelosi, who delivered a prayer to the crowd before Trump spoke, had personally announced the impeachment inquiry into Trump's Ukraine dealings late last year. The Democratic speaker has frequently clashed with Trump just two days earlier she ripped up the text of his State of the Union address just after he delivered it to Congress. But Pelosi has also repeatedly invoked her faith throughout the process, saying she prays for the president daily. In her remarks at the breakfast, Pelosi prayed "that we treat everyone with dignity and respect." Trump took the podium a few minutes later with a different message. "I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong. Nor do I like people who say 'I pray for you' when they know that that's not so," Trump said. "So many people have been hurt and we can't let that go on. I'll be discussing that a little bit later at the White House." Pelosi said later Thursday morning that she saw those remarks as being directed at Romney. "I thought what he said about Senator Romney was particularly without class" and "so inappropriate at a prayer breakfast," Pelosi said at her weekly press conference. "Mischaracterizing other people's emotions -- he's talking about things that he knows little about: faith and prayer," she said. Before the GOP-led Senate acquitted Trump with every Democrat voting to convict, Romney gave an emotional speech in which he explained why he was going to vote guilty on the abuse of power charge. "My promise before God to apply impartial justice required that I put my personal feelings and biases aside," Romney told the Senate. The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Thursday said after the lies and theatrics in Delhi, the youths of Punjab were waiting for chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh to release the data of eleven lakh jobs given to youngsters by the Congress government in Punjab. Former minister Maheshinder Singh Grewal said the chief minister should release the data and if he cannot, apologize. "Now that the chief minister had recuperated sufficiently after a one day campaign in Delhi, he should release the data of eleven lakh jobs which had been given to youth in Punjab so that he could be felicitated appropriately," Singh said. "If he cannot do this he should apologize to the youths and Punjabis for mouthing lies in Delhi for petty political gains," he added. Singh said that the true facts were known to everyone and lies spoken in Delhi could not change reality. "It is a fact that after farmers the youth have also got demoralised by the CM's failure to fulfil the ghar ghar naukari promise," he said. "Forget creating new jobs, the government has failed to fill up more than 50,000 vacancies which have been created in the last three years. It has also refused to regularize 27,000 contractual employees," he added. Terming placement drives of private technical institutions a flop show he said, "This drive was an abysmal flop show." "Youth have started boycotting the Rozgar Melas of the Congress government because they are being offered jobs even below the prescribed daily wage. There have been instances where not one youth has come forward to participate in the Rozgar Melas," he informed. Stating that the chief minister could not get away with this deceit, Grewal asked Capt Amarinder to disclose why his government had failed to implement Rs 2,500 per month unemployment allowance which had been promised to youths while campaigning in Delhi. Akali leader said Capt Amarinder tried to befool the people. "The CM has claimed that 5,500 smart schools have been created in Punjab even as his education minister has disclosed that the scheme has just taken off. Similarly, Capt Amarinder has claimed that 70 per cent wellness clinics have taken off even though everyone knows that this so-called scheme has already failed and could not take off due to non-provision of staff, medicines and equipment in the proposed Wellness Centres," Singh mentioned. The leader took a jibe at the chief minister and said he should not shy away from Punjabis and also share his "achievements" with them. "It seems the CM knew that Punjabis have been through this web of deceit and false promises during the course of which he did not spare even the holy Gutka Sahib. That is probably why the CM does not face Punjabis now and lists his government's so-called achievements outside the State," the Akali leader said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Video PlayerClose Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, February 5, 2020. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei] BEIJING, February 5 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday met with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Noting that the Chinese government and people are currently doing their utmost to fight the pneumonia epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus, Xi said: "A friend in need is a friend indeed as the Cambodian people stand with the Chinese people at this special moment." Xi said Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and his mother, former Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, had specially extended sympathy and support to the Chinese side. Moreover, the Cambodian prime minister had expressed strong support to China on many occasions and even made a special tour to China on Wednesday, which demonstrated unbreakable friendship and mutual trust between the two sides and showcased the essence of building a community of shared future of the two countries, said Xi, adding China deeply appreciated Cambodia's such moves. Xi stressed that the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government had adopted the most thorough and strict prevention and control measures in a highly responsible manner toward the Chinese people and the international community in dealing with the epidemic. "At present, the prevention and control work is achieving positive results," said Xi. Xi said the Chinese nation had overcome adversity through its development and therefore it has confidence and capability to win the fight against the outbreak of the epidemic. "We will continue to strengthen cooperation with other countries, including Cambodia, in an open and transparent manner to effectively deal with the epidemic and maintain global and regional public health security," said Xi. "We will take good care of Cambodian citizens in China, including Cambodian students studying in China, and protect their lives and health as we treat Chinese citizens," said Xi. Xi said that in 2020 China will maintain close high-level exchanges with Cambodia, implement the action plan on building a community of shared future of the two countries and uplift China-Cambodia relations to new heights. Hun Sen said when China was in a difficult time, the Cambodian people stood firmly with the Chinese people to undergo and overcome common difficulties, and the two countries are truly "steadfast friends." Hun Sen said that he decided to make a special visit to China with an aim to showcase Cambodia's support to China in fighting the outbreak of the epidemic. The prime minister expressed gratitude for China's care of Cambodian citizens in China, expecting this tour to reinforce their confidence. In the face of the epidemic, some countries have adopted some extreme restrictive measures, which are not desirable. What is more terrible than the epidemic is the panic itself, he said. Hun Sen said Cambodia will continue to carry out normal cooperation and exchanges with China and is committed to working with China to build a community with a shared future of the two countries. Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, February 5, 2020. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei] (Source: Xinhua) A Chinese internet security firm has alleged that Indian hackers have targeted local hospitals and medical research institutions amid the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak in the country, according to a state media report. The Chinese tech security company 360 Security Technology told the nationalistic tabloid Global Times that they have evidence that India-based hackers attacked medical organisations through a phishing scheme sent by email. The company didnt share the evidence or specific examples of the attack. Cases have shown that an Advance Persistent Threat (APT) from India is trying to attack Chinese medical organisations through a phishing scheme sent by email, the company said. The internet security firm Kaspersky defines APT as an online attack, which uses continuous, clandestine, and sophisticated hacking techniques to gain access to a system and remain inside for a prolonged period of time, with potentially destructive consequences. The Chinese company said that the attackers using documents titled Preventive measures to cope with coronavirus and Application form of Wuhan passengers as bait, are trying to obtain sensitive information by tricking people into visiting a website carrying a virus. The attack could paralyse computing systems and obtain sensitive medical data, according to 360 Security Technology. The APT from India mainly conducts spying activities in the Asian region targeting China and Pakistan to obtain sensitive information, such as scientific research and education related content, 360 Security Technology noted. The attack might be an individual action, but it hurts Chinese feelings toward India and Indian people, and may cool China-India relations, which are still at a low point, Zhao Gancheng from the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, told the tabloid on Thursday. The Indian government has yet to express a friendly gesture and support for China amid the coronavirus outbreak, which may be due to the Kashmir-related controversy, Zhao said. The Hindustan Times has sent out questions to both the Chinese company and the foreign ministry for comments on the allegations. Scientists have developed a new magnetic resonance (MR) system which could be used to more effectively identify pregnant women at high-risk of pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is a disorder of the placenta which occurs during pregnancy Pre-eclampsia is a disorder of the placenta which occurs during pregnancy and which can lead to serious complications for the mother and baby if not monitored and treated. A team at Nottingham Trent University has found a way to use MR to examine a very small region within the placenta which could identify any issues before symptoms appear. Because magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are very expensive and existing equipment is over-utilized, they are not carried out routinely for this purpose. And while ultrasound imaging is used at several points during pregnancy, it is not capable of early detection of pre-eclampsia. The new system works at a much lower magnetic field than clinical MRI scanners and, as it does not make a full image, would be far less expensive to purchase and run. The researchers say that, while the work is at an early stage, it has the potential to made into an add-on to conventional ultrasound machines and they hope that it could become a standard part of the routine anomaly scan in the future. The MR system measures a property called the transverse relaxation time of the placenta. This decreases throughout normal pregnancy and for cases of pre-eclampsia decrease even more rapidly, providing an early indication of disease. The work, reported in the journal Applied Sciences, has involved investigating samples of different molecular weight silicone oils, which have the same transverse relaxation times as placenta. The new system currently extends to reach an anterior placenta; where the placenta is attached to the front wall of the uterus. The next stage of work is to enable it to also reach deeper to the back wall of the uterus, or posterior placenta. Mild pre-eclampsia affects up to six percent of pregnancies and severe cases develop in about one to two percent. Risks include having diabetes or kidney disease before pregnancy, having a family history of the condition, being over 40 years old, expecting multiple babies and having a BMI of 35 or over. Pre-eclampsia results in high blood pressure and a protein in the urine, increasing the risk to mother and baby. It can lead to a variety of symptoms including swelling of the feet, ankles, face and hands, severe headaches and vision problems. It can also lead to restrictions in the babys growth. The earlier it is diagnosed and monitored, the better the outlook for both mother and baby. MRI scans are notoriously expensive and so are not carried out routinely. Ultrasound imaging provides a technique that is capable of locating the placenta with ease and will be used in combination with our system. Our method would offer a low-cost alternative, capable of measuring transverse relaxation in the placenta and could provide an early prediction of mothers at high risk of pre-eclampsia who could then be closely monitored. Dr. Rob Morris, lead researcher, physicist in Nottingham Trent Universitys School of Science and Technology The work has been carried out as part of a PhD project by Najlaa Almazrouei, who is currently on study release from her role as a Senior Medical Physicist for the Dubai Health Authority. KABUL More than four months after Afghans cast their votes for a new president amid a raging war, the crisis over the elections results deepened as officials on Wednesday ordered a partial audit of a decisive share of ballots. Despite cries from opposition candidates of irregularities in the September vote, the countrys election commission in December declared incumbent president Ashraf Ghani in the lead, with a margin of less than 1% over the minimum 50% required for victory. The government on Thursday allowed exports of Krishnapuram onions, a variety of Andhra Pradesh, up to a quantity of 10,000 tonnes with certain conditions. The Commerce Ministry's DGFT said that the export is allowed only through Chennai port and the outbound shipment of the commodity should be completed by March 31 this year. "Export of Krishnapuram onions, upto a quantity of 10,000 tonnes has been allowed for the period upto March 31, 2020, with immediate effect," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification. Krishnapuram onions are not used in kitchen due to their size and pungency. The onions are imported by Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Singapore. The notification said that an exporter shall have to get a certificate from horticulture department of the Andhra Pradesh government certifying the quantity of the onions for export purpose. The certificate shall be registered by the exporter at the zonal office of DGFT at Chennai. The Chennai DGFT office will also monitor the total quantity being allowed for export and issue registration certificates based on the quantity. Further, customs authorities at the Chennai port will allow export on the basis of certificate from Andhra Pradesh's horticulture department and registration certificate from Chennai's DGFT office. The export of other varieties of onions is banned. In September 2019, the government banned export of onion to increase availability of the commodity in the domestic market and contain rising prices. The government had also imposed stock limits on traders. Retail onion prices had skyrocketed in Delhi and other parts of the country due to supply disruption from flood-affected growing states like Maharashtra. Onion prices in the national capital are currently hovering at around Rs 60 per kg from the peak of Rs 160 per kg in December 2019. Onion production is estimated to have declined by around 25 per cent in Kharif and late-Kharif season of 2019-20 crop year as compared to the previous year due to late monsoon and then excess rains in the major producing states. The ban on export of Krishnapuram onions has impacted farmers as they cannot sell the edible bulb in the domestic market. YSRCP members have raised the issue of ban in Parliament, urging the government to lift export ban on this variety of onions. An intensive care nurse who was high on a 'toxic' level of Tramadol when she killed a 65-year-old driver in a head-on collision days before his 46th wedding anniversary was today jailed for five years. Cerys Price, 28, was at the wheel of her driving instructor father's Isuzu D-Max pick-up truck on the A467 near Rogerstone, Newport, when she crossed into the opposite carriageway while suffering a seizure and smashed into Robert Dean. The father-of-three died instantly from his injuries, and Price's then-boyfriend Jack Tinklin, 30, who was a passenger in her Vauxhall Astra on their trip to a holiday in Gower, South Wales, also suffered serious injuries. Cerys Price, 28, (right) was driving her driving instructor father's Isuzu D-Max pick-up truck on the A467 near Rogerstone, Newport, when she crossed into the opposite carriageway while suffering a seizure and smashed into Robert Dean (left) Price spent around a month in hospital following the crash on July 15, 2016 after suffering a knee injury. During her treatment a blood sample taken from her revealed a high level of the painkiller Tramadol in her system. What is Tramadol and how can it get you in trouble with the law? Tramadol is strong, potentially addictive opiate-based painkiller used to treat moderate or severe conditions. The drug is available only on prescription and comes as tablets, capsules and liquid drops that you swallow. It can also be given by injection but this is usually only done in hospital. As a relative of heroin, it can cause similar symptoms including drowsiness, nausea and sudden mood changes. Tramadol is a Class C drug, so you are only allowed to possess pills that have been prescribed by a doctor and you are not allowed to sell them on. It is illegal to take Tramadol if it affects your ability to drive, so if youre caught driving under the influence, you may receive a heavy fine, driving ban, or prison sentence. Source: NHS and Talk To Frank. Advertisement The medication had not been prescribed and was later found to have been purchased by Price while she had holidayed in Mexico one month earlier after suffering pains connected to a miscarriage. Police found a tub of Tramadol tablets in her smashed vehicle's glove compartment with only 26 of its 100 pills remaining. Tests found 1,803 micrograms of tramadol per millilitre in Price's blood at the time of the accident. The therapeutic level is 400. During Price's trial an expert toxicologist described the concentration of the drugs in her system as 'toxic or lethal', with such levels 'associated with seizures'. Price denied she had taken excessive amounts of painkillers before her journey, claiming someone else had taken painkillers out of the tub, and said her history of suffering epileptic seizures explained why she lost control of her vehicle. But a jury found her guilty of causing death by dangerous driving, and also causing serious injury by dangerous driving in relation to now ex-boyfriend Mr Tinklin. Asda lorry driver Mr Dean's wife Anne said her husband's death - just days before their 46th wedding anniversary - had been devastating. She told the court: 'I totally relied on him and he was my rock. I feel totally lost and empty. He was a wonderful husband, son, father and grandfather.' Outside court Helen Howell, one of Mr Dean's three daughters, said: 'Today is a sad day all around. Two families have been devastated by the use of prescription drugs.' She is on the far right, with Katherine Harris immediately next to her and Rachel Coomer one along The couple's daughter Kathrine Harris said in a personal impact statement: 'I know that Cerys did not set out that day to kill my dad. 'A completely avoidable tragedy - she simply should have known better. I hope that this tragedy will educate. If any good is to come from our loss then this is it.' John Dye, defending, said a 'remorseful' Price had accepted she would never be able to return to her job as an intensive care nurse. 'It's a bitter irony she spent her life preventing loss of life to then find herself sat in court after causing death in the circumstances she has,' he said. 'She'll have to live with that for the rest of her life.' Mr Dye added: 'She hadn't knowingly put people at risk. She's been reckless.' Judge Michael Fitton QC told Price: 'You've destroyed your good name, your prospects, and brought grief to your own family. 'You are perfectly capable of addressing the issues in this case to rebuild your life. You are perfectly capable of making yourself a caring, useful member of society as you once aspired to be. 'You will recover from this. Robert Dean has been denied that opportunity.' Price, from Brynmawr, South Wales, was sentenced to five years and four months in jail, and disqualified from driving for 64 months. Mr Dean (pictured) died instantly from his injuries, and Price's then-boyfriend Jack Tinklin, 30, who was a passenger in her Vauxhall Astra on their trip to a holiday in Gower, South Wales, also suffered serious injuries After the sentence, Kelly Huggins of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: 'Being a qualified nurse, Cerys Price should have known the dangers of driving after taking these tablets, but she drove nevertheless.' Gwent Police said Price had shown a 'flagrant disregard for other road users' after tests showed she had a concentration of 1,803 micrograms per litre of the painkiller in her system. Outside court Helen Howell, one of Mr Dean's three daughters, said: 'Today is a sad day all around. Two families have been devastated by the use of prescription drugs. 'If anything can come from today's sentence it should be an understanding that abusing drugs, even prescription such as Tramadol, and getting behind the wheel of a vehicle destroys lives.' CPS spokesman Kelly Huggins said: 'Being a qualified nurse, Cerys Price should have known the dangers of driving after taking these tablets, but she drove nevertheless. 'Her actions resulted in tragic consequences for an innocent motorist, her passenger and herself.' A Delhi court Thursday dismissed the bail application of former independent MLA in Jammu and Kashmir, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, arrested in a case related to terror-funding activities in the Valley. Popularly known as Rashid Engineer, he was a legislator from the Langate Assembly seat in north Kashmir and is the first mainstream politician to have been arrested by the NIA in the case. Special Judge Praveen Kumar rejected the application saying the prosecution has successfully established that "there exists reasonable grounds to believe the accusations against the accused are prima facie true". Rashid was arrested on August 9 last year, since he was unable to give any convincing answers to the questions, the NIA had said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three companies involved in a dispute over shares in the Galway Clinic private hospital have secured a temporary High Court injunction freezing the assets of a company controlled by US-based medical doctor and businessman Joseph Sheehan Snr. The injunction was secured by Marpole Ltd, BMD Investments Ltd and Parma Investments against Blackrock Medical Partners Ltd (BMPL) which allegedly owes the three firms over 800,000 in legal fees after it was unsuccessful in a High Court action against them. The freezing order was sought over fears of the three companies that funds Blackrock Medical Partners Ltd have recently received from the sale of shares may be dissipated. The court heard that BMPL had up until recently been a shareholder in the Galway Clinic. It had sued Marpole, which is the holding company of the clinic, BMD which had until 2016 been a shareholder of the clinic and was ultimately owned by businessman Brian McDonald and his family, and Parma. Parma which is also a shareholder in the clinic and is owned by the trusts for the family of businessman Larry Goodman, was also sued . In a judgement, delivered last year by Ms Justice Teresa Pilkington, the court dismissed BMPL's action aimed at preventing BMD from transferring its shares in Marpole to Parma. The judge also awarded the three firms their legal costs of the action against BMPL. Rossa Fanning SC for the three firms told the court today that his clients fear that BMPL, which recently came into funds of several million euro following a sale by a receiver of the shares it held in Marpole Ltd to Parma, may attempt to dissipate those funds beyond their reach. Counsel said the price paid to the receiver appointed to BMPL was confidential and commercially sensitive, but exceeded that firm's estimated secured debts of over US$21m. Counsel said that it is his client's case that the Irish-registered BMPL has a cash surplus following the sale of several million euro, and is in a position to discharge the legal costs due to the three other firms. The concerns about funds being dissipated out of Ireland arise out of the fact that BMPL has no assets other than the cash from the share sale, and no ongoing business activities. Counsel said it was also the case that BMPL and Mr Sheehan had defaulted on payment obligations to other parties. There was no reason for Mr Sheehan to leave cash in the firm for any extended period of time. BMPL's parent company is incorporated in the United States, where its ultimate owner also resides, counsel said. Counsel said that undertakings not to move or transfer the funds were sought by his clients, but were not given. Counsel said the exact costs incurred by his side in defending the action have yet to be quantified. However they have been estimated at approximately 800,000. Counsel said that there was a long history of litigation between BMPL and Joseph Sheehan against Parma and related companies in relation to the Galway Clinic and the Blackrock Clinic in Dublin. There was, counsel added a lot of personal animosity and bad blood between Mr Sheehan and Mr Goodman, counsel said. The temporary freezing order, which prevents BMPL from transferring, dissipating or moving its assets outside the jurisdiction was granted on an ex-parte basis by Ms Justice Pilkington. The order also prevents BMPL from reducing its assets, and in particular the proceeds of the sale of the Marpole shares, within the jurisdiction below the sum of 800,000. The judge, who said she was satisfied to grant the order based on the evidence put before the court, adjourned the case to next week. Close Brexit briefing: How long until the end of the transition period? Boris Johnson is struggling to convince the public Brexit is over, as a new poll shows only 15 per cent of people believe he has fully fulfilled his promise to get Brexit done. It comes as the Mr Johnson faces a cronyism row by preparing to give a peerage to billionaire Brexit backer and Tory party donor Peter Cruddas. One of the Citys richest people, he is reportedly on No 10s list of nominees for the controversial dissolution honours. Meanwhile Donald Trump blasted Mr Johnson with apoplectic rage during a heated phone call turning livid over the decision to allow Huawei into Britains 5G network, according to a report. It's been natural for Mackenzie Gartside to build her business in the small, tight-knit community of Courtenay, British Columbia. She was born and raised there and is now raising her family there with her husband, whose family has also lived in the area for generations (and who also works on her team). She makes it a point to sit on a lot of boards and be actively engaged and involved in her community, not only to give herself more credibility in the eyes of the public, but so that they trust her and feel more connected to her. Its not about money. We do so many deals for freetons of themand it costs me lots of money. But its all about building relationships in your community. Whether its being unable to compete with rates or paying legal fees or appraisals, Gartside is more concerned about the long game than about trying to make money on a particular deal. Whereas many brokers are moving to video calls and other ways to accommodate the busy lives of their clients, Gartside said that having face-to-face interactions with all of her clients gives them a little more comfort. Despite this level of engagement, Gartside isnt motivated by her clients. Shes motivated by her employees healthy and happy and financially stable. One of Waldons first arrests was for battery when he was 17. The charge was later stricken but it was not known why. He also was arrested in 2009 and 2010 on a range of charges, including aggravated battery, aggravated use of a weapon and unlawful restraint, according to court records. But those charges were dropped and Waldon pleaded guilty in one case to just robbery and, in the other, one court of aggravated use of a weapon. (Newser) Officials at the US embassy in India are "deeply disturbed" by a new allegationthe rape of a 5-year-old girl on embassy grounds in New Delhi on Saturday, reports CBS News. Police have arrested a suspect, a 25-year-old man who lives in the area of the embassy compound that houses local embassy workers. He doesn't work at the embassy himself, but his father does, reports the BBC. Police say the victim, the daughter of a member of the housekeeping staff, is his neighbor, and he is accused of luring her to his residence using cell phone games before the assault. "The suspect didn't even expect that the girl would inform her parents or that anyone would approach the police," a police officer tells the Hindustan Times. story continues below The girl told her mother, who went to authorities on Sunday; doctors confirmed the girl had been raped. The BBC notes that India introduced the death penalty for child rapists in 2018 thanks in part to a jarring statone out of four rape victims is a child. The assault also comes amid the backdrop of a succession of high-profile rape cases in recent years that have galvanized Indian activists calling for reform. (The assault of a young woman on a moving bus in 2012 made international headlines.) Technavio has been monitoring the surgical lights market and it is poised to grow by USD 185 mn during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 5% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200205005505/en/ Technavio announced its latest market research report titled global surgical lights market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Demand for energy-efficient surgical lights has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, high cost associated with surgical lights might hamper market growth. Request a free sample report Surgical Lights Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Surgical Lights Market is segmented as below: Type LED Incandescent Geographic segmentation APAC Europe North America MEA South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR30899 Surgical Lights Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our surgical lights market report covers the following areas: Surgical Lights Market size Surgical Lights Market trends Surgical Lights Market industry analysis This study identifies the emergence of shadow-less surgical lights as one of the prime reasons driving the surgical lights market growth during the next few years. Surgical Lights Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the surgical lights market, including some of the vendors such as Engineered Medical Solutions Company, LLC d/b/a/ BihlerMed, Herbert Waldmann GmbH Co. KG, Integra LifeSciences, STERIS plc. and Stryker. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the surgical lights market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Surgical Lights Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist surgical lights market growth during the next five years Estimation of the surgical lights market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the surgical lights market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of surgical lights market vendors About Us 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/20200205005505/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Seven people, including three children, were on Thursday killed after inhaling poisonous gas that leaked inside a carpet factory at Jalalpur village in Bisvan area. Sitapur: Seven people, including three children, were on Thursday killed after inhaling poisonous gas that leaked inside a carpet factory at Jalalpur village in Bisvan area, about 35 kms from Sitapur, police said. Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Bisvan, Suresh Kumar said a team of experts has arrived for investigation from Lucknow and a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team is also present at the spot. "The affected area has been evacuated. Any information about the tragedy would be given out after investigation. Some dogs were also found dead around the factory area," the SDM added. Asked for details of the gas leak, he said, "A tanker of the adjoining acid factory was washed near this carpet factory. Possibly, gas leaked from that and caused the damage." The exact cause of the incident is being ascertained, officials said. The factory owner is at large after the incident, they added. In Lucknow, Additional Chief Secretary Home Awanish Awasthi said those who died in the incident included five of a family, comprising three children. They were identified as Atiq (45), his wife Saira (42) and children Ayesha (12), Afroz (8) and Faisal (2). Besides them two others, Motu (75) and Pahalwan (70), also died, he said, adding that all of them were residents of Kanpur. Meanwhile, taking note of the incident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath declared compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the victims' families. Expressing his condolences, the chief minister directed officials to provide all possible help to the affected people and initiate strict action against the guilty. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 Trend: Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry has expressed condolences over the avalanche in Turkeys Van city and the crash of a passenger plane in Istanbul, Trend reports Feb. 6. The condolences have been published on the ministrys official page on Twitter. We express our deepest condolences to the relatives of those who were killed as a result of the avalanche in Van city and the crash of a passenger plane in Istanbul city of fraternal Turkey, and we wish speedy recovery to the injured, reads the message. Your grief is our grief. At least 33 people have been killed by two avalanches near Turkey's eastern city of Van. At least 12 of those killed were part of a search and rescue team hit by the second avalanche as they tried to find a group of people missing following the first avalanche. Governor of Van Mehmet Emin Bilmez said nine people were serious injured and being treated in regional hospitals. About 200 emergency workers were deployed to the mountainous area of Bahcesehir when an avalanche struck late on Feb. 5, killing five people. The teams were searching for two missing people when the second avalanche occurred. Harvey Weinstein held a Super Bowl watch party the day before he appeared to fall asleep in court during his rape trial. The disgraced movie mogul gathered a 'small' group at the Manhattan apartment where he is currently staying in order to watch the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The following day he appeared to nod off in court as accuser Jessica Mann was grilled by his lawyers - eventually suffering a breakdown which led to the hearing being stopped for the day. Harvey Weinstein held a Super Bowl party at the Manhattan apartment where he is staying during his trial on Sunday, before appearing to fall asleep in court Monday Weinstein appeared to nod off as Jessica Mann was grilled by his attorney and ended up having a breakdown, causing the session to be suspended A spokesman for Weinstein told the New York Post: 'Harvey held a small get-together to say thank you. It was his team of lawyers, both current and some previous, his personal attorney and two friends.' However, anonymous sources that spoke to the same publication disputed that account - saying there were around 60 people present. They also said Harvey could be heard bemoaning the #MeToo movement, saying it had 'gone too far'. Weinstein's spokesman added: 'Harvey has stated that he encourages the positive things that have come from the [#MeToo] movement.' Mann broke down in tears on Monday, sobbing uncontrollably while being grilled over why she kept in contact with Weinstein after he allegedly assaulted her. Her breakdown came after she was pummeled with questions all day by Weinstein's attorney Donna Rotunno, who repeatedly asked if she had manipulated the producer and kept a relationship with him to accelerate her career and get invited to Hollywood parties. The questioning was so intense the 34-year-old former aspiring actress looked confused and asked for a break around noon before breaking down. Rotunno asked Mann: 'With your requests to see him on a regular basis, you were manipulating Harvey Weinstein?' Mann paused and said: 'How I handled it and survived it I guess you can say manipulation.' Mann described the movie mogul as her 'abuser' and their dynamic as one where she was obliged to 'obey and jump.' Mann began sobbing uncontrollably on the stand as she recounted intimate details of her relationship with the shamed movie mogul Weinstein's lawyer Donna Rotunno cast doubt on Mann's testimony and focused on her continued contact with the movie mogul after the alleged assaults Mann alleges that Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills in the spring of 2013. She claims he then raped her at the Doubletree hotel in Manhattan in March 2013, after injecting his penis with an erection-inducing drug. He allegedly assaulted her again eight months after the New York hotel attack at a Los Angeles hotel after she told him she had a boyfriend and wanted to end their relationship. Mann admitted to having a twisted relationship with the mogul in which they had multiple consensual sexual encounters, including a threesome. Actress Annabella Sciorra testified two weeks ago against Weinstein, claiming he raped her in her New York City apartment in 1993. Former production assistant Mimi Haleyi testified on January 27 and claimed Weinstein forcibly performed oral sex on her inside his apartment in 2006. Jessica Mann testified Friday on how the movie mogul allegedly raped her in a Midtown Manhattan hotel in 2013. Costume designer Dawn Dunning testified Wednesday January 29 that Weinstein sexually harassed her and tried to pressure her into having a three-way with him and his assistant when she was 24 at a Manhattan hotel in 2004. Aspiring actress Tarale Wulff testified Wednesday January 29 that Weinstein masturbated in front of her as she was working as a cocktail waitress at Cipriani Upstairs in Manhattan and he later assaulted her in his bedroom in 2005. A sixth woman, Lauren Young, claims he groped her in a hotel, masturbated and ejaculated onto a bathroom floor in February 2012 at a dinner event during Oscar season when she was 22. In addition to these six accusers the judge is allowing four other women to testify to establish a pattern of behavior, even though most of their allegations are too old to prosecute as crimes according to state law. The trial started on January 6 and could last until early March. GUERNSEY, SASK.People have been evacuated from a rural Saskatchewan community after a freight train derailed nearby sending scorching flames into the air. The train jumped the tracks about 6:15 a.m. near Guernsey, roughly 115 kilometres southeast of Saskatoon, Canadian Pacific Railway said. About a dozen crumpled rail cars were off the track in the snow just east of the small hamlet. A pillar of dark, thick smoke billowed from the wreckage and a small grass fire surrounded the site where flames poured from the rail cars. Jack Gibney, reeve of the Rural Municipality of Usborne, which includes Guernsey, said about 85 residents were being evacuated from the community. There are a handful of homes in the townsite of the agriculture community. It is surrounded by farmland and the Lanigan mine, operated by Nutrien, operates very close by. Tom Lukiwski, the Conservative member of Parliament for the area, said he was shocked there was a derailment on the same stretch of rail as a separate one only two months before. About 19 cars of a CP train derailed in the same area in December, causing a major blaze and leaking 1.5 million litres of oil. Its unclear what the train in Thursdays derailment was carrying and if it spilled any of its contents. To have two major derailments that are incredibly serious is something that is almost incomprehensible, Lukiwski said. I am not a big believer in coincidence, and this seems to be that its more than just coincidence. Lukiwski has already reached out to Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau calling for a full investigation. Garneau said in a tweet that he was seized with this mornings rail incident. We are gathering the facts and I am following this very closely, he said. The Transportation Safety Board was sending a team of investigators to the site. Patty Prentice was driving to work just after the derailment and, in the pre-dawn darkness, initially thought she was coming across a small fire. The flames just got bigger and bigger and I could feel the heat when I drove by, Prentice said. There was no immediate word of injuries. Prentice said she called relatives who also live in the area and heard they were told to get out. They knocked on doors, told them ... to meet at the community centre if they wanted to know more information, she said. A stretch of Highway 16, a major route also known as the Yellowhead, was closed in both directions. RCMP were allowing through a couple semi-trailers and front-end loaders which were being used to put out the flames. A woman has been ordered to repay her mother hundreds of thousands of dollars after a judge found she acted unconscionably and took advantage of the 84-year-old, who was grieving her husband's death. Hildegard Meiners, 84, alleged her daughter Debra Gunn encouraged her to sell her Armadale home under the pretence the funds would be used for the two of them to purchase a property in Yokine together. But after she sold the property, Ms Meiners said Ms Gunn convinced her to instead buy a lease in a retirement village and then used the rest of the money to buy a home under her own name. The case was heard in the WA Supreme Court. Credit:Erin Jonasson The bitter family feud landed in WA's Supreme Court throughout 2018 and 2019, with acting judge Larissa Strk last month ruling in favour of Ms Meiners, saying the money transactions constituted "unconscionable dealings". China said Thursday it "firmly opposes" a meeting at the White House between US security officials and a senior Taiwanese politician, warning it could damage US-China relations. Vice President-elect William Lai made the visit this week during a personal trip to the US, reported Taiwanese media outlet CNA. On Monday, Lai had a 70-minute meeting with US National Security Council officials, according to CNA, without offering details on what was discussed. The White House meeting has angered Beijing, which sees self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary. A Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman said Thursday that China "firmly opposes" any official exchange between the US and Taiwan. Washington "shall not arrange US leaders, government officials and Congress members to have any form of contact with Lai," said Hua Chunying at a regular press briefing. She called for the US to "stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan independence forces to avoid causing serious harm to China-US relations." The trip comes weeks after Lai was elected to office, along with Beijing-sceptic President Tsai Ing-wen who won a landslide second term. Tsai does not acknowledge Beijing's view that Taiwan is part of "one China". Taiwan and the United States do not have formal diplomatic ties, but Washington is Taipei's main weapons supplier. Taiwan's foreign ministry declined to comment, saying the visit was a "private trip". Lai was also expected to attend a high-profile National Prayer Breakfast in Washington on Thursday, Taiwan's United Daily reported. The event is traditionally attended by US presidents and President Donald Trump attended last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The city Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) wants the owner of the Kreischer Mansion to tweak his proposal to restore the historic home and build an active adult community on the site. The proposal -- initiated by property owner Isaac Yomtovian -- seeks city approvals to upgrade the landmarked mansion and build 48 condominiums earmarked for active adults. He said the condos will be divided into several buildings surrounded by a lot of open space and walkways. The mansion will be preserved, and it will be a place for residents to gather to socialize and eat, he said. Yomtovian presented his proposal to the LPC on Tuesday, and was told to tweak the plan and come back for further review, said Zodet Negron, and LPC spokesperson. The property owner said the LPC expressed general support, but suggested a few changes, such as the proximity of the new buildings to the landmark, roof height of the structures, and adding more landscaping. He said he is going to have a professional landscape designer make changes to the plan. In a way we are dong such a great service to the landmark and to Staten Island. ...Not only will we repair and maintain the Kreischer house, we are going to build those units and the land will become a landmark site, said Yomtovian. We are going to convert the house into a very friendly sociable center. He said that thought will be given to the materials to be used for a retaining wall on the property requested by Councilman Joseph Borelli (R-South Shore). We are also going to make sure we install state-of-art solar panels over public parking areas. The solar systems will generate far more energy than whats required, said Yomtovian. CB3 APPROVAL Last month, Community Board 3 approved the portion of the proposal to upgrade the mansion according to LPC guidelines. The board will vote at a later date on the proposal to build housing for people age 55 and older on the property, which will also need other city agency approvals. PLANS THAT DIDNT MATERIALIZE Yomtovian received approvals to construct 130 condos on the site in August 2006, according to city Buildings Department (DOB) records. He said he revised the proposal to include more open space and less condominiums. The new development would be located adjacent another active adult community, The Tides, on Arthur Kill Road. Yomtovian was already familiar with Staten Island when he bought the estate in 1999 for $1.4 million, with the vision of creating Kreischerville -- a 55-plus community that gave a nod to the 19th century brick magnate who built the mansion and for whom the town of Charleston was originally named. But delays in obtaining permits, which have since expired, coupled with an unstable real estate market, led Yomtovian to make the difficult decision to abandon the project. Before I even moved a shovel out there, I spent more than $1 million for renovations, repair and taxes for the mansion, he said. I had approvals and even secured two construction loans. I spent all the money on the renovation, and then there was the financial meltdown in 2009 (of the real estate market)." Yomtovian also previously had the mansion up for sale, but now he said he hopes to develop the site himself. MANSION HISTORY The home was built around 1885 by wealthy brick manufacturer Balthasar Kreischer for his son, Charles, and the property once housed a second identical house built for his son, Edward. That home was demolished, and the existing property was landmarked in 1968. The mansion also made headlines as the scene of a grisly 2005 murder of a Bonanno crime family associate. The Bonanno hit man found guilty of murder and sentenced to a mandatory life term in prison was a caretaker hired by Yomtovian. The Kreischer Mansion fell into disrepair after a Victorian restaurant failed there in 1997. Yomtovian, who has developed more than 200 custom-built homes and townhouses across the Island, purchased the property two years later. The property has had a history of stops and starts for development and grand plans. With the exception of a short-lived restaurant, none ever materialized. Most recently, the home was used as a recording studio. In addition, several videos were shot in the mansion by Deer God Productions. The property has been used for the last two years for special events, including haunted houses around Halloween, and summer concert series. FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER Cepton Technologies, Inc., a San Jose, CA-based provider of intelligent, lidar-based solutions, raised over $50m in Series C funding. The round, which brings Ceptons total funding to nearly $100m, was led by Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TYO:7276), with participation from existing investors. As part of the transaction, Koito will obtain non-exclusive rights to manufacture and sell Ceptons lidar sensor design for an automotive application, using key components supplied by Cepton. The company intends to use the funds to accelerate development and deployment of its advanced lidar technology in ADAS applications, in autonomous vehicle applications, as well as in other markets such as smart cities / intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and security. Founded in 2016 by Dr. Jun Pei, CEO, Cepton provides intelligent, lidar-based solutions for a range of markets such as autonomous driving, ADAS, intelligent traffic systems, security, crowd analytics, and industrial robotics. Its patented MMT-based lidar technology enables solutions that deliver long range, high resolution 3D perception for smart applications. The company also has registered offices in Germany, Canada and UK and a global customer base. FinSMEs 06/02/2020 Social media bosses will face personal prosecution if they breach their duty of care, the Government will announce. Culture Secretary Baroness Morgan is set to appoint Ofcom to enforce a legal duty of care demanding online giants like Google and Facebook shield children from abuse and self-harm material. Plans are heading to Cabinet today ahead of their expected launch on Safer Internet Day next Tuesday, where Lady Morgan will also reveal the results of a consultation on a White Paper on online harms, the Daily Telegraph reports. The Baroness wants new legislation similar to 'senior management liability' laws seen in the financial sector, meaning firms must appoint a director to be personally responsible for making sure legal standards are maintained, with breaches resulting in possible criminal prosecution. Pressure had been mounting on social media bosses following the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell - whose father said she took her own life after looking at self-harm posts on Instagram - in 2017. Culture Secretary Baroness Morgan is set to appoint Ofcom to enforce a legal duty of care demanding online giants like Google and Facebook shield children from abuse and self-harm material A parliamentary Bill bringing the duty of care into law is expected to arrive by summer, with new regulations potentially in place by late next year. A source said: 'If you go down to individual responsibility, that concentrates the minds of executives in a way corporate responsibility might not.' Ofcom will advise on possible legal measures to take against directors appointed responsible for a firm's legal compliance, including prosecution, enforcement notices, disqualification and fines. The regulator will also reportedly be given license to draw up legally enforceable codes of practice that social media firms must adhere to. It is understood that to make sure the rules can be enforced, firms such as Facebook who are headquartered in the US will be forced to appoint a director based in this country. This is the person who would be held accountable if their company breached new rules on protecting users. The NSPCC's Andy Burrows said: 'Any regulator will only succeed if it has the power to impose hefty fines that hit rogue companies hard in the pocket and hold named directors and tech firms criminally accountable.' Boris Johnson had vowed to make Britain the 'safest place in the world to be online' in the Conservative Party manifesto and his Queen's Speech. It is expected that the Home Office will publish codes for taking down terrorist content and internet child abuse before summer, with other possible online harms including self-harm material, violence, harassment and disinformation that causes public alarm, such as anti-vaccine propaganda, Pressure had been mounting on social media bosses following the death of 14-year-old Molly Russell, whose father said she took her own life after looking at self-harm posts on Instagram Stricter age verification rules for online pornography could also be introduced. Ofcom could be given the ability to impose fines worth up to four per cent of a firm's global turnover for potential code breaches. This might mean fees of 2 billion for Facebook and 5 billion for Google. Ofcom may also be given powers to block access to Britain for persistent and serious breaches of the duty of care. Home Secretary Priti Patel is today backing appeals from child safety groups for Facebook to not extend end-to-end encryption for messaging, which is intended to prevent data being read or secretly modified. Facebook told the Telegraph protection of young people was 'critically important' and it the company was 'committed to building strong safety measures' into its plans. New regulations for internet companies had initially been considered under Theresa May over summer 2019, but pressure on her position meant that the laws were never brought forward. The move to regulate social media companies was in the Conservative manifesto, which said: 'We will legislate to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. 'Protecting children from online abuse and harms, protecting the most vulnerable from accessing harmful content and ensuring there is no safe space for terrorists to hide online.' December's Queen's Speech promised to move forward with new legislation following a consultation, which received more than 2,000 responses. English French Spanish MONTREAL, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Saputo Inc. (TSX:SAP) A conference call for analysts and institutional investors will be held on Thursday, February 6, 2020, at 2:30 p.m. (Eastern Time), to discuss the fiscal 2020 third quarter results. The conference call will begin with a short presentation followed by a question and answer period. The speakers will be Mr. Lino Saputo, Jr., Chair of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Maxime Therrien, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary and Mr. Kai Bockmann, President and Chief Operating Officer, Saputo Inc. and International Sector. To participate in the conference: 1-800-768-3591 Please dial-in approximately five minutes before the call. Please dial-in approximately five minutes before the call. To listen to the call on the Web: http://www.gowebcasting.com/10478 Replay of the conference A replay of the conference call will be available until Thursday, February 13, 2020, 11:59 p.m. The webcast of the call will also be archived on the Companys website. To access the replay: 1-800-558-5253 (ID number: 21951201). To access the archived webcast: www.saputo.com , in the Investors section, under Calendar of Events. Media Inquiries 1-514-328-3141 / 1-866-648-5902 The BJP on Thursday accused RJD leader Tej Pratap Yadav of misogyny for his remark berating Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi at a rally against CAA, NPR and NRC near here. Yadav, who is the elder son of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, put his foot in the mouth at the rally where he allegedly flayed the JD(U), which is headed by Kumar and BJP, to which Sushil Kumar Modi belongs, for the dramatic realignment of the two parties in July, 2017. Kumar had then abruptly cut his ties with the Grand Alliance partners - the RJD and Congress and returned to the NDA. The RJD rally was held at Masaurhi in rural Patna late on Wednesday night and video clips of it were beamed by local TV channels. Kumar had contested the 2015 assembly polls as the chief ministerial candidate of the Grand Alliance but took the drastic step after months of controversy that plagued his government over Yadavs younger brother Tejashwi, who was then the deputy chief minister. Tejashwi's name had cropped up in a money laundering case. Yadav, who was himself a member of the Grand Alliance cabinet, claimed that the JD(U) and BJP were scared of his father, who is now in Ranchi serving sentences in fodder scam cases. The overnight drama that culminated in the realignment of the JD(U) and the BJP and the RJD being stripped of power was a fallout of that fear. I therefore say, Nitish Kumar whom my father had aptly named palturam (turncoat), can also be called Nitish Kumari. And his companion Sushil Kumar Modi, the bearer of the saffron flag, should similarly be called Sushil Kumari Modi. They cannot take us head on ... they sit in their homes wearing bangles, Yadav jeered before the crowds. BJP spokesman Nikhil Anand came out with an angry statement in response demanding an apology from the RJD leader. He reminded Yadav of the allegations of domestic violence that his estranged wife has leveled against him. Was Tej Pratap trying to say that those whose names are suffixed with Kumari and who wear bangles deserve no respect? His tasteless remarks and the applause these received from his supporters are proof that misogyny runs deep in the RJD, Anand said. His misogynistic remarks lend credence to the charges his wife has leveled against him. However, he must apologize to the CM and the deputy CM. If he is trying to emulate his uncouth father, he must beware he may similarly land in jail one day, the BJP spokesman said. Yadav had tied the knot with Aishwarya Roy, daughter of RJD MLA Chandrika Roy, in May, 2018 but filed a divorce petition six months later. Two months ago, his wife who had chosen to stay back at the residence of her mother-in-law Rabri Devi in a bid to salvage her marriage filed a police complaint accusing the mother and the son besides eldest sister-in-law Misa Bharti of domestic violence. RJD national vice-president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, a founding member of the party and an old associate of Prasad, also expressed his disapproval when asked about the young leaders remark. This is not right. In politics, there must not be any place for derogatory remarks. People get carried away and end up with egg on their face, only to repent later, the former union minister said. JD(U) spokesman Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said, What can one say about a remark of such low level, in such poor taste, that it has left a veteran leader of the very same party embarrassed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Trujet, a regional carrier promoted by Hyderabad-based Turbo Megha Airways, announced the addition of Bidar in Karnataka to its network of 'UDAN' services from Friday. Bidar will be connected to Bengaluru with a daily service, it said in a statement. Bidar will be the 24th station in Trujet's network. More than 50 per cent of Trujet's flights fly to RCS airports (Regional Connectivity Scheme-UdeDeshKaAamNagrik - UDAN), the company said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An aerobatic team of the Chinese Air Force will put on flight performances at a Singaporean airshow as scheduled despite the coronavirus outbreak, while the Singaporean side did not quarantine Chinese pilots who arrived in the country on Wednesday, a move that showed Singapores high level of trust in Chinas epidemic control measures, experts said. Under the invitation of the Singaporean side, the Chinese Air Forces August 1 Air Demonstration Team will put on flight performances at the 2020 Singapore Airshow from February 11-16, as nine aircraft, including seven J-10 fighter jets that will feature in the performance, and more than 100 personnel, arrived in Singapore on Wednesday, according to statements released by the Chinese Air Force and the Defense Ministry on Wednesday. Despite the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, which has seen 99 countries and regions including Singapore taking immigration control measures, no change was seemingly made to the Chinese flight performance plan. After the Chinese pilots arrived on Wednesday, they started training for the performances without being quarantined, a source told the Global Times, noting that this showed Singapores high level of trust in Chinas epidemic control measures, which is very different to some Western countries moves. Air defense expert Fu Qianshao told the Global Times that the Chinese military has taken very strict protective measures, especially for pilots. For every flight, pilots have to undergo health checks and anyone found to be sick will not be allowed to fly at all, Fu said. At a time when China is fighting against the virus outbreak, the performances of the August 1 Air Demonstration Team in Singapore will showcase the Chinese militarys confidence, analysts said. The Singapore Airshow is a good chance to show Chinas epidemic control measures, and let the world see the Chinese speed and spirit from the Chinese pilots up close, Fu said. The August 1 Air Demonstration Team, or Bayi Aerobatic Team, is considered Chinas honor guard of the sky, a window of military communication and an envoy of peace and friendship. This will be the first time the team participates in the Singapore Airshow. At least 15 exhibitors have pulled out of the Singapore Airshow due to the coronavirus outbreak. South Koreas Black Eagles Air Demonstration Group also dropped out because of the virus, media reported. As many exhibitors retreat from the Singaporean exhibition, the August 1 Air Demonstration Teams arrival should also be considered a strong sign of support for Singapore, analysts said. Chinese and Singaporean military relations have been flying high since 2019, as the two countries signed an upgraded version of the Agreement on Defense Exchanges and Security Cooperation in October. The Wednesday statement by Chinas Defense Ministry said the Chinese militarys participation in the 2020 Singapore Airshow fully reflects the good military cooperation relations between the two militaries. AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Payment recognizes hourly employees' contributions to the Company Total U.S. investment grows to more than $14 billion since 2009, with nearly 30,000 jobs created to date Based on the Company's 2019 financial performance, FCA US LLC announced today that the eligible profit sharing amount of $7,280 will be paid to UAW-represented employees on March 13, 2020. Approximately 44,000 employees are eligible to receive the payment. With this payment, U.S. hourly employees have received on average more than $36,000 in profit sharing since 2009. The 2019 profit sharing payment was calculated on the terms negotiated as part of the 2015 FCA-UAW Collective Bargaining Agreement. It is based on the adjusted EBIT margin performance of the North American region reported in the FCA N.V. financial results and on individual compensated hours. In total, FCA has invested more than $14 billion and created nearly 30,000 new jobs in the U.S. since 2009. About FCA US LLC FCA US LLC is a North American automaker based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It designs, manufactures, and sells or distributes vehicles under the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, FIAT and Alfa Romeo brands, as well as the SRT performance designation. The Company also distributes Mopar and Alfa Romeo parts and accessories. FCA US is building upon the historic foundations of Chrysler Corp., established in 1925 by industry visionary Walter P. Chrysler and Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino (F.I.A.T.), founded in Italy in 1899 by pioneering entrepreneurs, including Giovanni Agnelli. FCA US is a member of the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) family of companies. (NYSE: FCAU/ MTA: FCA). FCA is an international automotive group listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "FCAU" and on the Mercato Telematico Azionario under the symbol "FCA." Follow FCA US news and video on: Company blog: blog.fcanorthamerica.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FiatChrysler.NorthAmerica/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/FiatChrysler_NA Twitter: www.twitter.com/FiatChrysler_NA Twitter (Spanish): www.twitter.com/fcausespanol YouTube: www.youtube.com/fcanorthamerica Media website: media.fcanorthamerica.com SOURCE FCA US LLC Related Links http://www.fcanorthamerica.com The enemy opened fire, employing proscribed 120mm mortars, anti-tank missile systems, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms. Russia's hybrid military forces on February 5 mounted 13 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action. "Russian occupation forces violated the ceasefire 13 times on February 5," the press center of the Joint Forces Operation Headquarters said on Facebook in a morning update on February 6. "One member of Joint Forces was wounded amid enemy shelling." Read alsoUkraine's General Staff speaks about drills in country's north (Photo) The enemy opened fire, employing proscribed 120mm mortars, anti-tank missile systems, grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms near the towns of Maryinka, Avdiyivka, and Schastia, and the villages of Pisky, Novotroyitske, Shyrokyne, Orikhove, and Travneve. "After midnight on Thursday, Russia-led forces attacked Ukrainian positions near Orikhove, using a 120mm mortar," the update said. No casualties have been reported on Thursday so far. KYIV -- Ukrainian police have detained a man on suspicion of setting the car of RFE/RL correspondent Halyna Tereshchuk on fire in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv last month. According to Schemes, a television program produced by RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service and Ukrainian Public Television, the detainee is a citizen of Ukraine registered in the western Ukrainian city of Kamianets-Podilskyi. Earlier, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on Twitter that the detainee is a Moldovan citizen. "We are working on finding out who prompted him do that. The safety of a journalist is a priority," Avakov wrote on Twitter. Tereshchuk's car was set on fire and completely destroyed on the night of January 29. The journalist, who has worked for RFE/RL since 2000, said at the time that she suspected the attack was linked to her professional activities. Deputy Interior Minister Anton Herashchenko told RFE/RL at the time of the attack that it might have been ordered by a third party. The Ukrainian unit of rights group Freedom House condemned the torching of Tereshchuk's car, as well as that of Andriy Lukin, an activist in Zaporizhzhya, whose car was also set ablaze on January 29. 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 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." LONDON, Feb. 6, 2020 /CNW/ - Docebo Inc. (TSX: DCBO ) (" Docebo " or the "Company"), the world's leading learning platform powered by artificial intelligence has been recognised by Fosway, Europe's #1 HR Industry Analyst, as a Core Leader on its 2020 Fosway 9-Grid for Learning Systems . Docebo supports over 1,700+ companies around the world and has helped to deliver engaging and meaningful learning experiences to more than 8.5 million learners making an impact on the growth of businesses across Europe. "Docebo's recognition as a Core Leader by Fosway comes as a direct result of the dedication our clients have to the growth and the development of their people and we thank them for choosing us as their learning platform," said Claudio Erba, CEO of Docebo. "We are on a mission to consistently research and develop the most innovative learning technology solutions for the enterprise market which has included being the first to deliver AI functionality and meaningful social learning opportunities." Having recently completed their Initial Public Offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange, Docebo continues on a high-growth trajectory attracting many new customers in both the UK and the European market. The Docebo Learning Platform has recently been chosen in the UK and Europe by top technology, finance, manufacturing and retail companies, all of whom are taking advantage of Docebo's capability to enable and orchestrate sophisticated internal and external training programmes. Docebo's dedication in the UK and European region extends well beyond new customers as the company supports the expansion of existing clients including L'Oreal, and Heineken. David Wilson, CEO of Fosway said: "Docebo's consistent performance in customer-focused organisations in Europe and globally see it once again recognised as a Core Leader in the Fosway 9-Grid for Learning Systems. Its continued positive trajectory demonstrates its accelerating track record of enterprise wins as well as a focus on customer advocacy." Supporting growth in the UK and Europe is a pillar to Docebo's global strategy and the company is excited to announce their first-ever DoceboInspire Europe event , hosted at the Tower Hotel in London 6-8th April. DoceboInspire Europe 2020 will be dedicated to uncovering future-forward insights, sharing learning success stories from Docebo's rich client base in Europe and providing an opportunity for the community to take their technical knowledge of Docebo to the next level. Attendees of this year's DoceboInspire Europe 2020 will walk away with insights and actionable learning that will be invaluable as they continue to develop learning strategies and programmes. David Wilson, Fosway CEO will also deliver a keynote session exploring insights on the industry and advice on how organisations can make learning strategies a source of competitive advantage. Join Docebo , 6-8th April along with top learning experts and technology theorists in the heart of London for an unforgettable DoceboInspire Europe 2020 and experience what makes Docebo a Core Leader on the 2020 Fosway 9-Grid for Learning Systems. About Docebo Docebo's mission is to redefine the way enterprises learn by applying new technologies to the traditional corporate learning management system market. Docebo provides an easy-to-use, highly configurable and affordable learning platform with the end-to-end capabilities and critical functionality needed to train internal and external workforces, partners and customers. This allows customers to take control of their desired training strategies and retain institutional knowledge, while providing efficient course delivery, tracking of learning progress, advanced social learning opportunities, and in-depth reporting tools and analytics. Docebo's robust platform helps its customers centralize a broad range of learning materials from peer enterprises and learners into one artificial intelligence-powered Learning Platform to expedite and enrich the learning process, increase productivity and grow teams uniformly. About the Fosway 9-Grid Fosway Group is Europe's #1 HR Industry Analyst. The Fosway 9-Grid provides a unique assessment of the principal learning and talent supply options available to organisations in EMEA. Now in its sixth year, the analysis is based on extensive independent research and insights from Fosway's Corporate Research Network of over 150 customer organisations including BP, HSBC, PwC, RBS, Sanofi, Shell and Vodafone. Visit the Fosway website at www.fosway.com for more information on Fosway Group's research and services. Rob Ayre, Communications & Public Relations Manager, rob.ayre@docebo.com, (437) 241-8417; Dennis Fong, Investor Relations, investors@docebo.com, (416) 283-9930 Officials at a Pennsylvania elementary school called the police on a six-year-old girl with Down syndrome after she pretended to shoot her teacher with her fingers. The girl's mother, Maggie Gaines, has accused Valley Forge Elementary School of mishandling the incident last November that resulted in her daughter Margot having a police report on her record. 'My daughter got frustrated and pointed her finger at her teacher and said: "I shoot you," Gaines told CBS3 this week. 'At that point, they went to the principal's office and it was quickly assessed that she didn't even really know what she was saying.' Gaines said the school contacted her and told her what happened, saying they were required by district policy to report the incident to police - even though it was deemed a transient threat. 'I was fine with everything up until calling the police,' Gaines said. 'And I said: "You absolutely do not have to call the police. You know, this is ridiculous."' Margot's family is now appealing to have the Tredyffrin-Easttown School District remove the policy. Maggie Gaines is fighting a Pennsylvania school district's policy after officials at Valley Forge Elementary School called the police on her daughter Margot (pictured together) because she pretended to shoot her teacher with her fingers last November Gaines explained the incident in an interview with CBS3, insisting that her daughter had no idea what she was saying was threatening Gaines says contacting police was a severe overreaction as it was clear Margot didn't know what 'I shoot you' meant and was merely trying to convey her frustration. 'She really didn't understand what she was saying, and having Down syndrome is one aspect, but I'm sure all six-year-olds don't really know what that means,' the mother said. 'Now, there is a record at the police that says she made a threat to her teacher.' Gaines said authorities have assured her that the record is confidential, but she still fears potential ramifications for her daughter in the future. The mother raised the issue publicly in a letter to the school board last month, saying that school officials are misinterpreting policy and state law. Gaines says she now fears the potential ramifications of her daughter having a police report on her record Margot's parents Maggie and Mark James (pictured) raised the issue publicly in a letter to the school board last month, saying that school officials are misinterpreting policy and state law Pennsylvania state Sen Andrew Dinniman, who was contacted by the Gaines family, also expressed concern with how the district handled the issue. 'As a state senator, an educator, and a parent, I am concerned when I hear that such important decisions appear to be guided blindly by written policy or legal interpretation without those in positions of authority using their judgment, experience, and commonsense to weigh in,' Dinniman said in a statement. 'Furthermore, I am alarmed that a school seems to be acting as an extension of the police department in promulgating data and records on children as young as kindergarteners.' The Tredyffrin-Easttown School District said it would review school safety practices at a committee meeting, but did not indicate whether they intended to amend the policy. 'When developing the current practice, the district worked collaboratively with parents, law enforcement and private safety/mental health agencies and legal consultants to ensure our safety measures reflected considerable input from both our local community and experts in the field of school safety,' the district said in a statement. NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. Claudia Tenney has received an endorsement from neighboring Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, R-21. Tenney is running for representative of the 22nd Congressional district against incumbent Rep. Anthony Brindisi. I am excited to endorse Claudia Tenney for Congress this cycle, Stefanik said. Upstate New York needs someone who will go to Washington and deliver real results for NY-22, someone who will work to further President Trumps agenda, not obstruct it. I know Claudia will be that person and look forward to having her in Congress once again. Tenney also received an endorsement from Stefaniks Elevate PAC, a political group that aims to increase the number of Republican women in Congress. Elise has been the leading voice in working to get more Republican women elected to Congress, Tenney said. I had the honor of working alongside Elise last cycle in Congress and together we were able to help deliver real results to upstate communities. I am grateful for her support and I am looking forward to re-joining her next Congress and getting back to work for our upstate New York communities. Tenney was also endorsed by Congressman Steve Scalise in December. She will run against Franklin Sager and George Phillips in the Republican primary. India and Adani Defence signed an agreement on Thursday to leverage synergies in aerospace and aircraft services, a fast-growing sector that is estimated to generate annual business worth $6.3 billion in the country by 2025. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Anand Stanley, president and managing director of India and South Asia, and Ashish Rajvanshi, the head of Adani Defence and Aerospace. and Adani Defence will explore opportunities for collaboration in the area of aircraft services for Indian and South Asian market, the Airbus said after signing of the pact at the DefExpo2020 in Lucknow. Airbus' global services forecast envisages the Indian aircraft services market to grow to $6.3 billion by 2025. "Airbus is not only the world's leading civil aviation company, but also a major innovator and provider of aircraft services. This MoU demonstrates our commitment to support the development of India as a world-class services hub for aerospace products," Stanley said. With Adani's recent foray into airports, this potential collaboration will leverage the synergies between the product and services excellence of Airbus and infrastructure, engineering and mega-project execution capabilities of Adani, the Airbus said. "India is at the cusp of transformational growth in aircraft services market," Rajvanshi said. "Our collaboration with Airbus is aligned to our vision of nation building and to indigenise critical technologies and services, thus creating a vibrant ecosystem in aerospace capabilities in India." The Airbus showcased its best-in-class military products and cutting-edge defence technologies at the expo. Models of the highly-versatile C295 aircraft, as well as the H145M and the H225M helicopters, were among its top exhibits. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. On Wednesday 5 February 2020, MEP Costas Mavrides (S&D Group, Cyprus) hosted a conference with the title The forgotten refugees: What Happened to the Armenians of Baku? in the European Parliament. The conference was co-organized by the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD) and the Mission of the Republic of Armenia to the European Union, the EAFJD told Armenpress. The keynote speakers were the British humanitarian, Life Peer and former deputy speaker of the House of Lords the Baroness Caroline Cox and eye-witnesses Anna Astvatsaturian Turcotte, an American-Armenian author and human rights advocate as well as David Babaev, a lecturer at Universite Libre de Bruxelles. The latter are both survivors of the Baku pogroms. Members of the European Parliament, EP advisers, students, representatives of the civil society and missions of various EU member states as well as Belgian citizens who are survivors of Baku pogroms, were present. In his opening remark, the EAFJD President Kaspar Karampetian welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of addressing the issue of the anti-Armenian pogroms, in particular in the premises of the house of European democracy. In its resolutions of 1990 the European Parliament unequivocally condemned the pogroms perpetrated against the Armenians by the Azerbaijani authorities, namely in Sumgait, Kirovabad and Baku, stated Karampetian. MEP Costas Mavrides announced that he had decided to host the event, among other reasons, because of his own experience as a child who had to flee for his life after the Turkish invasion in Northern Cyprus in 1974. He emphasized: Remembrance is not about revenge but forgetting is unforgivable because it would lead us to the same crimes. His Excellency the Ambassador of Armenia Tatoul Markarian reminded that the anti-Armenian massacres in Azerbaijan were the first mass killings and ethnic cleansings in the post-Cold War Europe. During their testimonies, Ms. Astvatsaturian Turcotte and Mr. Babaev shared their personal stories and what they witnessed as refugees fleeing Baku. We spent months hiding in our apartment, hoping that the violence against Armenians would end. But it never ended. We left everything behind and fled. We barely escaped but we survived. Many of our neighbors and family friends were not so lucky, said Astvatsaturian Turcotte. Babaev underlined that the killings and pogroms in Sumgait and Baku had not come from nowhere and the ground was already fertile. He noted: These atrocities: violence, intimidation, rape, murder and burning people alive should not stay unpunished. The Baroness Caroline Cox pointed out that the genocide of Armenians continued in Baku, Sumgait and Nagorno Karabakh-Artsakh and needs to be recognized so that it does not continue with impunity. The guest speakers stressed that the Azerbaijani authorities still systematically incite and perpetuate Armenophobia as a state policy in Azerbaijan, a policy witnessed by the victims of Baku pogroms. They concluded by acknowledging the important role of the European Union as a soft power promoting dialog, peace and human rights. The speeches were followed by a lively question and answer session, where the guest-speakers addressed the questions asked among others by Azerbaijani participants. RESTON, Va., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PagnatoKarp is honored to be ranked #12 on the 2020 Best Places to Work in Virginia list. The annual list of 100 companies was created by Virginia Business Magazine and Best Companies Group. The statewide survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Virginia, benefiting the state's economy, workforce and businesses. With $4.8 billion assets under advisement, PagnatoKarp is an independent wealth management firm and multi-family office frequently ranked on top wealth advisor lists by Barron's and Forbes. "We continue to flourish as a Best Place to Work in Virginia," says Paul Pagnato, CEO Founder at PagnatoKarp. "This recognition speaks to our culture of transparency, teamwork, and value creation as we strive to make a positive impact on our clients and the community." In addition to being a Best Place to Work for the fifth year, PagnatoKarp is a 2020 finalist for 'Best Multi-Family Office ($2.5B-$5B)' through the Family Wealth Report Awards. Paul Pagnato is ranked #1 in Northern Virginia on Forbes 2020 Top Wealth Advisors and #2 in Virginia on 2019 Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors: State-by-State. Pagnato is also author of the upcoming book Transparency Wave: Exponential Changes That Will Transform Our World. Companies eligible for Best Places to Work in Virginia fulfill these requirements: for-profit, not-for-profit business or government entity; publicly or privately held business; facility in Virginia; at least 15 employees working in Virginia; and minimum 1 year in business. There is a two-part survey process worth 25%/75% respectively. Part one examines workplace policies, practices, benefits and demographics and part two surveys employee engagement and satisfaction, with combined scores determining the top companies and final rankings. Best Companies Group manages the overall registration, evaluation and selection process. About PagnatoKarp With $4.8 billion assets under advisement, PagnatoKarp specializes in Intelligent Wealth Management for CEO Founders, entrepreneurs, wealth creators and ultra-high-net-worth families. With True Fiduciary standards of transparency, we embrace the legal obligation to put your interests first while focusing on asset protection, cash flow, and value-added opportunities. Frequently ranked on top financial advisor lists by Barron's and Forbes, and a Virginia Best Place to Work, PagnatoKarp's goal is to simplify and elevate your life so you have more time to spend on what matters to you most. Contact: Cathy Rieder Director, Client Experience & Branding PagnatoKarp 703-468-2733 SOURCE PagnatoKarp Related Links http://www.pagnatokarp.com Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) Ten more people on board a cruise ship in Japan tested positive for the novel coronavirus on Thursday, bringing the total number of passengers infected to 20, Japan's health ministry said. The cruise operator of Diamond Princess said there is no Filipino included in the newest batch of patients. 537 Filipinos have been quarantined on board the vessel, which is docked in Japan's Yokohama Bay. The 20 people on board who have been infected consist of one Filipino crew member, three Americans, two Australians, seven Japanese, one from Taiwan, two Canadians, one New Zealander, and three from Hong Kong. They have been taken to local hospitals. Related: 1 Filipino tests positive for coronavirus, 537 other Filipinos quarantined on Japan cruise ship Japanese authorities locked down the vessel on Tuesday after a former passenger, an 80-year-old man from Hong Kong who disembarked 12 days ago, was confirmed to have the coronavirus. Over 2,660 guests and 1,045 crew members are isolated and monitored for 14 days so medical officials can check for flu-like symptoms linked to novel coronavirus. Los Angeles, Feb 6 : Hollywood celebrities paid tribute to legendary Kirk Douglas, the last of the giants who ruled Hollywood's Golden Age, following the news of the actors death. He passed away on Wednesday at his home in Beverly Hills here. His son the actor Michael Douglas announced the death in a statement on his Facebook page. After the news of his demise, stars came together on social media to share tributes to and memories of the late actor, reports hollywoodreporter.com. Michael shared a heartwarming note on Instagram, saying: "It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103. To the world, he was a legend, an actor from the golden age of movies who lived well into his golden years, a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to." In a statement, filmmaker Steven Spielberg expressed how "honoured" he felt to have worked with the late actor. "Kirk retained his movie star charisma right to the end of his wonderful life and I'm honoured to have been a small part of his last 45 years. I will miss his handwritten notes, letters and fatherly advice, and his wisdom and courage - even beyond such a breathtaking body of work - are enough to inspire me for the rest of mine," Spielberg said. Actress Lee Purcell said: "It is with great sadness and respect that I reflect upon the passing of Kirk Douglas. When we worked together on the feature film 'Run', it was a joyful and humbling experience to see Kirk, already the icon of icons for decades, come bounding onto the set each day brimming over with enthusiasm and energy. He set a fine example for everyone from cast to crew to execs. I have a lovely note he sent me just a couple of months ago on my office wall visible as I write this that I will always treasure. Bon Voyage, Kirk, you are a true mensch. My deepest condolences to Anne, Michael and the rest of the family." Actor Rob Reiner also paid his respects to Kirk through a post on Twitter. He posted: "Kirk Douglas will always be an icon in the pantheon of Hollywood. He put himself on the line to break the blacklist. My love goes out to my friend Michael and the whole family." Actor Ed Asner also took to Twitter to express his condolences, writing "I will always be in awe. May your memory forever be a blessing". Actress Jamie Lee Curtis wrote: "'I love you 'Spartacus', like the father I never had'. Antoninus... I did have a father and he loved you as the world loved you. Your Passion. Talent. Politics. Family. Art. Strength. I grew up with the Douglas boys. My love to Anne and all his family from mine." Danny DeVito also wrote: "Kirk Douglas. The inspirational Scalawag. 103 years on this earth. That's got a nice ring to it! Great hanging with you man." Bruce Campbell declared Kirk as "a pillar of Hollywood has fallen", reports variety.com. Mitzi Gaynor, one of Douglas' former co-stars in the Golden Age of Hollywood, thanked him for "sharing your amazing talent with all of us". Actor Mark Hamill wrote: "Kirk Douglas was one of the biggest stars of all time & a brilliant actor with an unforgettable, blazing charisma. He will also be remembered for putting his career on the line by defying the Hollywood Blacklist, hiring writer Dalton Trumbo for the classic Spartacus. #RIP". -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Internally, officials recalled, there was little or no discussion about a pre-election response, as the government was concerned about escalation with Moscow. Officials did not know the full range of Moscows capabilities and were fearful that the Russians might attempt to affect electoral infrastructure, the report states. So the response stuck mostly to warnings of largely unspecified consequences, communicated by President Obama to Russian President Vladimir Putin, from national security adviser Susan E. Rice to the Russian ambassador to the United States, and from Secretary of State John F. Kerry and CIA Director John O. Brennan to their counterparts in Moscow. [February 06, 2020] Immunis.AI to Present at the BIO CEO & Investor Conference Immunis.AI, a privately held immunogenomics company with a patented liquid biopsy platform, today announced that its President and Chief Executive Officer, Mark McDonough, will present at the BIO CEO & Investor Conference being held in New York City from February 10-11, 2020. Date: Tuesday, February 11th Time: 10:00 AM Track: Diagnostics Venue: Ziegfeld Room, New York Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, New York, NY 10036 To schedule a meeting with Mark McDonough during the conference, please contact [email protected]. About Immunis.AI Immunis.AIis a privately held immunogenomics company with a patented liquid biopsy platform that offers unique insights into disease biology, for a truly individualized assessment. Our Intelligentia platform combines the power of the immune defense system, RNAseq technology and machine learning for the development of proprietary disease-specific algorithms. Our approach compares the differential gene expression patterns from two immune cells, using the patient as the control, normalizing and enhancing the signal of the underlying pathology. Intelligentia is a disruptive alternative, leveraging the immune system's surveillance apparatus to overcome the limitations of cfDNA and CTC's (News - Alert), enabling us to improve early stage disease detection, at the point of immune-escape, when there is the best opportunity for cure. For more information, please visit: immunis.ai View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005526/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Precinct workers wait on voters to cast ballots in Madison County in Truro, Iowa, on Nov. 6, 2018. (Steve Pope/Getty Images) Iowa Secretary of State, Judicial Watch Spar Over Claim of Voter Over-Registration Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is disputing an analysis that showed eight counties in the state had more registered voters than their total voting-eligible populationsby a total of nearly 19,000. The analysis, based on 2017 and 2018 data, was released Feb. 3 by Judicial Watch (JW), a conservative nonprofit that describes itself as promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity in government, politics and the law. The organization says its baseline analysis is correct, even though it used older data. The office of Pate, a Republican, said the JW numbers were patently false. Its unfortunate this organization continues to put out inaccurate data regarding voter registration, and its especially disconcerting they chose the day of the Iowa Caucus to do this, Pate said in a Feb. 2 statement. My office has told this organization, and others who have made similar claims, that their data regarding Iowa is deeply flawed and their false claims erode voter confidence in elections. JW President Tom Fitton fired back in a Feb. 3 statement: It is shameful that the secretary of state of Iowa would mislead Iowans and Americans about the accuracy of the states registration rolls. Where Is the Data From? JW relied on 2018 voter registration data that Iowa provided to the federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) in its analysis. Pate relies on data his office releases every month. JW admitted they used old data, said Kevin Hall, Pates communications director, in an email to The Epoch Times. The original JW release did say it was based on EAC data released in 2019, but didnt indicate the data was from 2018. The EAC data is the gold standard, Fitton said in a telephone interview with The Epoch Times. He said that JW has successfully used analyses of EAC data in several lawsuits in other states. He questioned the reliability of the data on the SOS website, calling it informal. There are indeed discrepancies between the two data sets. In the EAC data, Iowa had nearly 2.2 million registered voters in 2018. The Secretary of States (SOS) website data shows a number nearly 24,000 lower as of Nov. 1, 2018 (pdf). The November SOS data seems the most comparable to the EAC data. The EAC asks states (pdf) for the counts of individuals who were registered and eligible to vote in the 2018 general election. Election day was on Nov. 6, 2018, and Iowa allows voters to register up to and including election day. As of Feb. 3, 2020, the SOS data showed about 2.16 million registered voters (pdf). It appears the state has gone to some lengths in recent years to clean up its voter rolls. The SOS data shows, for instance, that between January and February 2017, more than 75,000 names were purged from the rolls. Population The SOS also said JW greatly underestimated Iowas population counts. JW relied on the Census Bureaus 2017 counts of citizens over the age of 18. When parsed with the EAC data, eight Iowa counties indeed had registration rates of over 100 percent. JW said in its original release that it used the most recent Census Bureau data, but three days before JW published its analysis, the Census Bureau released the 2018 data, which showed a less than 0.5 percent increase in Iowas eligible voting population. It isnt clear how much the eligible population has changed since then. Census Bureau estimates show a 1 percent rise in Iowas population over 18 years old between 2018 and 2019. But those numbers include non-citizens. Iowas population has grown in a large part due to an inflow of immigrants, Migration Policy Institute data indicates. It isnt clear how much has the population growth bumped the electorate. The Census Bureau is only slated to release 2019 estimates for citizens over 18 years old in 2021. Comparing the 2018 Census data and the 2018 EAC data, Iowa still had seven counties with more than 100 percent eligible population registered. Using the latest SOS numbers (from February) instead of the EAC data, five counties still had over 100 percent registration. All five of those counties have increased their population since 2018, Hall pointed out. Indeed, 2019 Census data shows growth between roughly 0.3 and 7 percent. But those are numbers for the entire population, and arent limited to eligible voters. He says 17-year-olds can register to vote in Iowa and including them skews JWs numbers. He said there were 5,000 of them registered as of Feb. 4, which is less than a quarter of a percent of the states registrations. Also, EAC asks states to exclude persons under the age of 18 registered under a pre-registration program. The Secretary of States office didnt respond to a question about what kind of data it provided to EAC. Fitton said in an email to The Epoch Times that the newer data is consistent with our baseline analysis. Dirty Voting Rolls Impossibly high registration rates arent necessarily evidence of voter fraud. Sometimes, people remain on voter rolls after theyve left the state or died and, over time, faulty records can accumulate. Also, removing records of those whove left the state takes time, because federal law requires the state to send people a notice to confirm their address. Only if people fail to respond and dont vote in two federal election cycles can the state remove them. Still, states have an obligation to exert reasonable effort to clean up their voter rolls, under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993. Dirty voting rolls can mean dirty elections and Iowa needs to undertake a serious effort to address its voting rolls, Fitton said in a Feb. 3 release. Even voter registration rates lower than 100 percent of the eligible population may indicate messy rolls since its unlikely every single eligible person has registered. No matter how the data is sliced, Iowas overall registration rate is over 90 percent. Meanwhile, based on Census surveys that actually ask people whether they are registered or not, less than 70 percent of eligible Iowans were registered in 2018. Hall took issue with JWs inclusion of inactive votersthose whove failed to respond to the states noticeinto its analysis. Inactive voters are in the pipeline to be canceled. If a voter is inactive for two successive general election cycles, they are sent a final mailing and canceled, he said. Fitton argued that counting inactive registrations is appropriate since a question remains of whether they are cut from the rolls in a timely manner, as required under NVRA. JW has successfully forced several jurisdictions to remove from their rolls voters who have been inactive for too long. Excluding inactive voters, Iowas registration rate would drop to around 85 percent. Iowa was the first state to kick off the primary election process with its Democratic and Republican caucuses held on Feb. 3. President Donald Trump won all the states GOP delegates, getting 97 percent of the votes. The states Democratic Party said its results were delayed by technical issues. Partial results as of Feb. 5 showed Pete Buttigieg narrowly ahead of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Roll Cleanup Push JW has used EAC data to determine there are at least 2.5 million extra voter registrations on the rolls of 378 counties nationwide. Its been using the data in aid of lawsuits filed to force states into compliance with NVRA. JW has so far reached three statewide settlements with California, Ohio, and Kentucky to remove millions of ineligible voters from their rolls. Matthew Vadum contributed to this report. This is not just about a trial that never happened, Yohnka said. This is not just about our courts. This is about our country and who we are. And it means that at every turn we must stand together to protect the civil rights and civil liberties, not just that protect us, that protect everyone. The United States has lent its voice to India's tirade on persecution of Hindus in Pakistan just weeks before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to host American President Donald Trump. Mike Pompeo, US Secretary of State, condemned persecution of Hindus in Pakistan. We condemn terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities whether they are Yazidis in Iraq, Hindus in Pakistan, Christians in north-east Nigeria, or Muslims in Burma (Myanmar), said Pompeo, while launching the International Religious Freedom Alliance in Washington D.C. late on Wednesday. He billed the International Religious Freedom Alliance launched by the US as a coalition of like-minded partners who treasure, and fight for, international religious freedom for every human being. Neither India, nor Pakistan has so far joined the 27-nation bloc led by the US. New Delhi has of late raised its pitch of atrocities on minority religious communities in Pakistan ostensibly to justify the changes Modi Government made to the citizenship law of India. The new Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), which was enacted in December 2019, not only triggered widespread protest across the country, but also drew flak from several international organizations as well as lawmakers in the United States and other countries in the west. The new law makes it easier for migrants of six non-Muslim religious communities Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Parsi, Jain and Christian from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to get citizenship of India, if they have migrated on or before December 31, 2014. Islamabad's acting envoy to New Delhi, Syed Haider Shah, was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs on January 6, when top diplomats lodged strong protest at the recent acts of vandalism and desecration of Nankana Sahib shrine and the targeted killing of a minority Sikh community member in Peshawar in Pakistan. New Delhi also conveyed to Islamabad on January 17 and January 28 its serious concerns over recent cases of abduction of Hindu girls in Pakistan. The US called the protest against the CAA as part of vigorous democratic scrutiny of the new citizenship law of India. Trump Administration also nudged Modi Government to ensure equal protection for all under the law. With less than a fortnight left before the US President likely to visit India, Pompeo on Wednesday apparently tried to strike a balance and soothe the ruffled feathers in New Delhi as he echoed Government of India to condemn atrocities on Hindus in Pakistan. In fact, a handful of countries are only now rolling out their 5G networks, and many countries have not awarded contracts. Certainly in China, which accounts for almost half the world market, domestic suppliers primarily Huawei and partially state-owned ZTE have the lions share. The Chinese governments stated goal under its Made in China 2025 initiative is for domestic companies to own 75 percent of the Chinese market. In reality, it will be closer to 90 percent, industry experts said. Already, Huawei has the contract to run 5G in 40 of 52 Chinese cities, they said. (Photo : pixabay) The last few years have led to an impressive surge in the mental health industry. More and more people have become aware of the declining mental health situation in the United States, and as such, more people are taking a stand to help improve the mental health situation. Unfortunately, this improved awareness has also led people to recognize areas in which mental health is struggling. Many people have been surprised to learn that one of the worst places for someone to struggle with a mental health disorder is in university. It has become increasingly apparent that not a lot of universities put enough time or effort into managing the mental health of their students (even though these exact students are looking for help on campus). This is particularly true for many Ivy League schools, who should be dedicating significant funding to ensuring that their students are in optimal mental health. There are no shortage of options universities can offer their students to help better the current situation. One such example is to offer therapy options online, or to partner with any one of these companies. This would involve minimal costs for the university, while providing unlimited access to students who are likely on a budget. That said, this article will discuss how students on many campuses - Ivy League and otherwise - are struggling with mental health disorders. Colleges, Universities, and Mental Health College and university is a time during which people experience an unprecedented level of stress and pressure. This leads many of these students to develop mental health problems. In fact, more than a third of first-year college students experience a serious mental health problem. One might imagine that this would lead colleges to strengthen the resources available for students with mental illnesses. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. In fact, some schools such as Yale are known to evict students who struggle with mental health illnesses. Recent research has revealed that the more prestigious schools are generally tougher on their students in regards to mental health problems. In fact, of all the Ivy League schools, the highest score in an evaluation was Harvard, which only scored a D+. It's not just Ivy League schools that struggle to meet the demands of their students though. While Ivy League schools may be quicker to make headlines - primarily because they possess the funding to meet these needs and yet choose not to - other schools may genuinely lack the required funding to provide quality mental health programs. How This Affects Students and Schools The students of these schools are often at an immediate loss. A school that is inadequately prepared to meet the mental health challenges of its students leaves them with very few options. Try to overcome the problem on their own, which often takes a great deal of time, effort, and research. This time spent trying to overcome mental health problems will detract from their study time and impact their grades. Try to pretend that they don't have a problem by repressing symptoms and behaviours. This inevitably leads to the problem getting worse. Seek out help from the limited resources at the school, which may lead to them getting improper treatment. It's not just the students that experience problems in regards to this, though. As more and more people are becoming aware of the negligent mental health care system in many schools, the reputations of these schools are starting to suffer. The recent study performed on the Ivy League schools, for example, brought a great deal of undesirable attention to the schools. This may lead to potential students reconsidering their choices, and has led to some negative media coverage. Conclusion Many schools across the United States do not provide the proper resources for their students to get help with their mental health. This has negatively impacted the students' ability to perform, and has also influenced the reputations of these schools. ROME A high-speed train derailed before dawn on Thursday in northern Italy, killing two railroad employees, injuring at least 31 other people and prompting renewed concerns about the countrys transportation infrastructure. The passenger train was traveling near its top speed of more than 180 miles per hour when the engine became detached and the second car went off the tracks at about 5:30 a.m. near the town of Lodi, 19 miles south of Milan, Angelo Borrelli, chief of the Civil Protection, Italys emergency services agency, told local radio stations. Local news reports and the authorities said the engine slammed into a railroad building, killing two drivers who were at the front of the train. Another employee, a cleaner, suffered several arm fractures and 27 passengers suffered nonlife-threatening injuries. The train derailed by a railroad switch that should have been placed in a certain position but wasnt, said Domenico Chiaro, Lodis prosecutor, during a news conference later Thursday afternoon. New York Charges NRA With Violating State Insurance Laws A New York regulator has filed civil charges against the National Rifle Association (NRA), alleging that the organization violated numerous state insurance laws and deceived its members through its marketing. The New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) announced Feb. 5 that it had served a statement of charges against the gun rights group, accusing it of acting as an unlicensed insurance producer by endorsing and marketing insurance products such as the NRA Carry Guard and engaging in unfair and deceptive marketing practices that deceived its members. The Carry Guard program, which was distributed by insurance broker Lockton, was rolled out in 2017 and quickly drew the attention of state regulators. The NRA denies the allegations, saying that it acted appropriately at all times. The NRA did not underwrite, sell, or administer any insurance programs, period. Instead, like countless other affinity groups, the NRA relied on insurance-industry experts to oversee and market products tailored for its members, William A. Brewer III, counsel to the NRA, told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement. The New York Bar Association and Habitat for Humanity have similar programs. None of those other groups have been targeted by DFSbecause todays announcement is about politics, not protecting consumers. The NRA believes it has been singled out to weaken gun-rights advocacy in New York. Undeterred, the NRA will fight for its mission and millions of loyal members. In 2016, the NRA worked together with Lockton to create the Carry Guard insurance program, according to regulators. The program was marketed and sold throughout the United States, and between April 1, 2017, and Nov. 17, 2017, about 680 policies were issued to New York residents. A DFS investigation in 2018 found that the Carry Guard program had provided liability insurance unlawfully to gun owners for certain acts of intentional wrongdoing and for improperly providing insurance coverage for criminal defense for any act of self-defense covered under the policy for gun owners and their resident family members who may be charged with a crime involving a firearm. Lockton agreed to pay $7 million in fines at the time for serving as the administrator of the insurance program. The NRA is now being charged for endorsing the insurance programs and marketing them to its members through its websites and emails, despite not holding an insurance producer license from the DFS, according to the statement of charges (pdf). The regulators said that in return for the marketing, the group received substantial compensation, including royalties that were based on a percentage of the insurance paid by its members. The DFS states that in order to engage in the sale and marketing of insurance products, entities are required to be licensed by the regulator. Moreover, the regulator alleges that the NRA violated state insurance laws because the Carry Guard program offered coverage for losses and costs associated with the aftermath of the purposeful use of a firearm, including defense costs in a criminal prosecution, which cant be insured under New York laws. The regulator also accuses the group of misrepresenting to its members that the insurance products were sold at the lowest cost possible, when, in fact, the group was taking substantial royalties, at times exceeding more than 20 percent of the premiums paid, according to the statement of charges. The charges arent confined to the Carry Guard program, the DFS said. The regulator alleges that the NRA also offered other insurance products without a license dating back to 2000, including coverage for firearms instructors, gun collectors, gun clubs, gun shows, federal firearms dealers, and other aspects involving firearms, as well as life, health, and property offerings for their members. The charges allege that in total, the NRA participated in offering more than 28,000 such policies to New Yorkers and had unlawfully received royalties of about $1.8 million between 2000 and 2018 on the policies in the state. The DFS is seeking fines and other remedies in their action. A hearing is scheduled for April 6. The NRA sued the DFS and Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2018, accusing them of engaging in a blacklisting campaign that aimed at stopping banks and businesses from doing business with the gun rights group. A federal judge dismissed part of the suit but allowed the case to stay alive on First Amendment grounds. The NRA claimed that the state had violated its First Amendment rights by seeking to chill the groups political speech, when Cuomo issued a press release announcing that he was going to direct the DFS to urge companies to review their relationships with the NRA and other gun rights groups. Then-superintendent of the DFS, Maria Vullo, backed the governor by issuing guidance letters (pdf). SINN Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald would not agree to seek an apology from her predecessor Gerry Adams for his claim that murdered 21-year-old Paul Quinn was involved in criminality. Ms McDonald said the reason is that she didn't feel an apology was needed from Mr Adams because Mr Quinn's family took exclusive issue with comments from Conor Murphy, not because he accused Mr Quinn of criminal involvement, but because of the explicitness of his comments. "The family specifically took issue with the remarks Conor made because they specifically implied wrongly that Paul was involved in criminality," she said in a Virgin Media interview with Colette Fitzpatrick tonight. Read More "People made comments about criminality up and around the border region, I don't think the comments were quite as explicit." Its suspected that an IRA gang carried out the brutal attack, however, the then Sinn Fein leader Mr Adams said in October 2007 that "there is no republican involvement whatsoever in this mans murder. The people involved are criminals. They need to be brought to justice," before continuing, "Its fairly obvious to me this is linked to fuel smuggling and to criminal activity. The Armagh man was beaten to death in a 2007 attack that broke every bone in his body. Earlier, Ms McDonald said that she would not be dropping the Norths Finance Minister Conor Murphy from Sinn Fein, after Paul Quinn's family accounted the pain caused by Mr Murphy's own claim of his involvement in crime. Ms McDonald said tonight that she would be happy to speak to Mr Quinn's mother Breege as she described her party colleague's comments as "abhorrent". The Sinn Fein leader also made a u-turn on her stance on the Special Criminal Court while speaking to Virgin Media. "I don't want it abolished and that's not in our manifesto," she said. "What I want is a thorough review that encapsulates everything - Garda numbers, garda resources, judicial process including the Special Criminal Court but not just that, also sentencing practices." By PTI LONDON: Pakistani-national Jabir Moti, described as a "top lieutenant" of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's D-Company, on Thursday lost his fight against being sent to the US to face drug trafficking and money laundering charges, as a UK court ruled there are no bars to his extradition. Judge John Zani handed down his judgment at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London in two parts - one open to the public and partly closed and classified, due to "sensitive" evidence presented in-camera to the court during the course of the extradition trial last year. "I have rejected all your challenges. I have thought them through carefully, but I have decided to send the matter to the Secretary of State to decide on extradition," the judge said, as he handed down the open part of the ruling. UK Home Secretary Priti Patel must now sign off on the court order for the extradition process to take place within two months. The US extradition request had stated that Moti a.k.a. Motiwala a.k.a. Jabir Siddiq reported directly to Dawood, who is a designated terrorist and wanted in India for the 1993 serial bombings in Mumbai. Meanwhile, Moti's legal team indicated that "most likely than not" they would be seeking permission to appeal in the High Court, which can take place once Patel has signed the extradition order. Unlike the India-UK Extradition Treaty, the US-UK treaty involves a relatively simpler legal process for extradition as the requesting state does not require to establish an elaborate prima facie case against the accused before the British courts. An unshaven Moti appeared via videolink from Wandsworth prison in south-west London for the hearing and appeared emotionless as the verdict was readout. Besides money laundering, he faces extradition to the US on charges of extortion and conspiracy to import unlawful substances such as heroin after his arrest by Scotland Yard's Extradition Unit in August 2018. "I find that Jabir Motiwala's extradition to the United States of America to face criminal prosecution complies with his Convention Rights within the meaning of the Human Rights Act 1998 "I also find that there are no bars to this extradition as would intervene to prevent extradition," the judgment notes. The judgement further notes that according to information set out in the US extradition request, the 53-year-old is said to be an important member of an international criminal organisation called 'D Company', based in Pakistan, India and UAE. That organisation is said to have conducted criminal activities in the US, which include drug trafficking, money laundering and blackmail. During closing arguments in the case in November last year, the judge had sought clarity from the US authorities about the terror aspect of the case, due to references to Moti's links with D-Company. "There is an added element to this case in that there is a clear reference to this man's (Moti) position, who is said to be a lieutenant of the man (Dawood) who is involved in the most horrendous crimes, including bombings in India," Judge Zani had noted previously. Moti's barrister Edward Fitzgerald had stressed that the American authorities had failed to provide an undertaking that his client will not be subjected to an additional terrorism charge over and above the drug trafficking allegation. The terror charge would put Moti at risk of being sentenced to life imprisonment without parole under US law, which his lawyer argued would be in breach of his human rights and therefore should block his extradition. They also argued against extradition on additional human rights grounds because he suffers from longstanding depression and made three suicide attempts. The Crown Prosecution Service, arguing on behalf of the US government, had countered these claims to highlight the assurances given by the US authorities. In his ruling on Thursday, Judge Zani concluded that he was satisfied that the US authorities are well aware of Moti's mental health issues and evidence received from them states that they remain confident that his needs will be adequately met and that appropriate medication will be provided. At previous hearings in the case, the UK court has heard that Dawood is a fugitive from Indian justice and currently in Pakistan. "The head of D-Company is Dawood Ibrahim, an Indian Muslim currently in exile in Pakistan. Dawood and his brother and top lieutenant, Anis Ibrahim, have been fugitives from India since 1993, when D-Company was implicated in coordinated bombings in Mumbai that killed more than 200 people," note excerpts of a US Attorney's affidavit for extradition read out in court last year. "The present investigation has revealed that Jabir Motiwala is a top lieutenant in D-Company who reports directly to Dawood Ibrahim," it added. President Donald Trump didnt coin the phrase government schools. But he gave it a big stage and a broader public audience during Tuesdays State of the Union address , when he used it to urge Congress to back a bill that would provide $5 billion in tax credits to support scholarships for private school admission, tutoring, and other educational services. The next step forward in building an inclusive society is making sure that every young American gets a great education and the opportunity to achieve the American Dream, he said, championing a bill that has had little traction in Congress. Yet, for too long, countless American children have been trapped in failing government schools. Some fans of private school choice liked his use of the term. However, public school supporters saw it not as a benign descriptor, but as a carefully crafted pejorative. So how did it turn up in such a high-profile address? And what might the president have been trying to communicate through his word choice? The phrase dates back decades to the earliest origins of the school choice movement. Its been used by both economists like Milton Friedman, who argued free market ideas would strengthen education, and by proponents of faith-based education. Government schools even once turned up in the writings of a pope. Today, its most notably used by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and groups that fervently advocate for alternatives to traditional public schools. To listeners like public school organizations and teachers union leaders, the use of the term seemed intentionally provocative, especially in light of conservatives distrust of government and desire to reduce its reach. The term also seems to paint some public schools with a broad, impersonal brush. And the word choice sought to change the orientation of the debate, said Kevin Welner, professor at the University of Colorado at Boulder School of Education and director of the National Education Policy Center , an organization that is critical of private school choice programs. Rather than presenting vouchers or tax-credit scholarships as an option to allow families to select an alternative to a public school, Trumps language painted the failure to provide such options as limiting students freedom. Its a focus group tested term that is attempting to reframe what we understand as our societal obligation to our kids, Welner said. The counter rhetoric would agree with the basic idea that there are a lot of kids who do not have good educational opportunities and that their public schools are not helping very much and are, in some cases, hurting, he said. But they would say: Why not take the $5 billion a year that President Trump wants to put into these neo vouchers and put it instead into educational interventions in these schools that are of concern toward educational interventions that have been shown to help children? But others said the term was the most appropriate and accurate one Trump could have used. Calling these schools public is inaccurate for a few reasons, wrote Corey DeAngelis, the executive director at Educational Freedom Institute, in a Washington Examiner opinion piece . For one, these schools are not open to all members of the public. Because children are generally assigned to schools in the United States by residence, government-run schools regularly exclude students based on their ZIP codes. Origins of Government Schools Friedman notably used the phrase government schools in his influential 1955 paper on government and schools. In terms of effects, the denationalization of education would widen the range of choice available to parents, he wrote. Given, as at present, that parents can send their children to government schools with out special payment, very few can or will send them to other schools unless they too are subsidized. The phrase has a long history in both scholarship about school choice and in messaging policies like private school vouchers, said Jeffrey Henig, a professor of political science and education at Columbia Universitys Teachers College. Its had this history thats been tied to one sector thats really animated by economic principles and ideas, kind of the wonky economic market stuff like the Milton Friedman folks, he said. And then theres the part of that community thats been animated by religious autonomy and prayer in schools. Those folks arent necessarily the same, but they both use of the term. And I think Trumps more instinctually reacting to the elements of that that are tied to protecting religion and the rights of institutions and inviduals to act based on their religious beliefs. DeVos, an outspoken supporter of publicly funded private-school vouchers and tax credit-scholarships who has privately contributed to advocacy groups, has used the term, or something similar, when speaking to both ideological wings of the choice movement. On her back-to-school tour last fall, she sought to drum up support for the federal Education Freedom Scholarships proposal by telling parents that, if their government-assigned school isnt working for your child, you can take him or her anywhere else. But, in a 2018 speech to the Catholic Alfred E. Smith Foundation, she quoted Pope Pius XIs 1929 Encyclical on Christian Education. Accordingly, unjust and unlawful is any monopoly, educational or scholastic, which, physically or morally, forces families to make use of government schools, contrary to the dictates of their Christian conscience, or contrary even to their legitimate preferences, that writing said. DeVos, who herself attended faith-based schools, linked the popes writings from decades ago to U.S. policy today. There are many in Washington who seem to think that because of their power there, they are in a position to make decisions on behalf of parents everywhere, she said. In that troubling scenario, the school building replaces the home, the child becomes a constituent and the state replaces the family. DeVos, or one of ther aides at the U.S. Department of Education, likely had some input into the framing of Trumps speech. State of the Union speeches are generally drafted with input from a wide array of government agencies. Trump has also used the phrase many times before, in speeches dating back to his campaign. The word choice comes as the U.S. Supreme Court considers a major education case that could open the door for more state-level efforts to publicly fund private schools. DeVos sat in the front row for oral arguments last month as the Trump administration argued in support of Montana parents who argued Montana parents who argued in a major education case before the U.S. Supreme Court that the state violated their religious liberty when it prohibited recipients of state-level tax-credit scholarships from using them at religious schools. Changing the Debate Word choice is very intentional in policy debates, including debates over education, Welner said. He pointed to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, which developed a long-term strategy to advocate for private school choice in Michigan. In a 1999 primer, that organization advised careful messaging and school choice . It laid out a four-fold justification for the use of the term government schools, arguing that the term was a more accurate and descriptive way to distinguish politicized, tax-funded schools from privately funded schools and forms of education. If you shift the discourse, then the policies will follow, Welner said. The phrase has also been popularized in state-level debates, like arguments over school funding in Kansas. Its useful for Trump to paint public schools as a broad, impersonal institution, Henig said. Thats because public polling shows that Americans generally support their local public schools, he said. Data from PDK Internationals annual poll about public perceptions of education finds respondents consistently rate their own local public school more highly than the nations public education system as a whole. And the terminology also serves to link a very specific policy areaeducationto broader, more general themes Trump has sought to emphasize in his presidency, Henig said. Those themes include deregulation and a distrust of government institutions. People like a president, but also like a governor or even a mayor, theyre running on multiple issues at the same time, Henig said. And in these big national battles, its really attractive to a candidate, whether other on the right or left have some themes that cut across issues. People can see the connection, right? Government schools connects very well with socialism, socialized medicine, right? Were the guys who are against government intrusion and bureaucracy. We are the guys who are for you being empowered to make choices that matter for you. So it makes it easier to tie together some disparate positions. Photo: School choice supporters from eight schools demostrated front of the U.S. Supreme Court during oral arguments for Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue in January--Graeme Sloan/Education Week Follow us on Twitter @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Politics K-12 reporters @EvieBlad @Daarel and @AndrewUjifusa . A young Brazilian man, Marcelo Araujo, 21, has been arrested and confessed to brutally killing his wife while they were in the middle of having sex. Marcelo Araujo told the Sao Paulo police that he killed his make-up artist wife, Francine dos Santos, 22 after an argument about her becoming pregnant for the third time. Read Also: Patience Jonathans Cousin Arrested For Attempted Murder Of His Ex-Lover The suspect admitted to not wanting more children because he hated sharing his wife with them, and did not like the financial burden it placed on him as a young dad. The couple already had two children, a daughter, four, and a son, two. On how the fight started, Mr. Araujo said that on December 22 last year, they had a discussion about plans for their family Christmas dinner but things went south as they began to argue about the pregnancy. Not long after the argument, they settled their differences and went straight to their bedroom to make love. During the intimate session, the suspect stabbed his wife several times before slashing her throat with a blade. After the murder, he then tried to kill himself but did not succeed. Hong Kong gambling giant Melco Resorts has bailed on its plan to build up a large stake in James Packer's casino group Crown Resorts, just as a powerful local inquiry prepares to dig through the inner workings of the two companies. Melco announced late on Thursday night it had decided not to go ahead with a deal to buy another bundle of shares in Crown from Mr Packer worth $880 million because it needed to focus on its core business in Asia, which is being hit heavily by the coronavirus crisis. Lawrence Ho and James Packer have torn up their deal to transfer another $880 million of Crown shares. Melco agreed in May last year to pay Mr Packer $1.76 billion for a 19.9 per cent stake in Crown, to be sold in two tranches of 9.99 per cent. At the time Melco boss Lawrence Ho said he was interested in taking a controlling stake in the group. The second tranche was put on hold after the NSW gambling regulator launched an unprecedented public inquiry into probity issues around Crown and Melco, including whether the share sale breached the terms of Crown's Sydney casino licence. A man suffered life-threatening injuries after being shot Wednesday evening in Boston, police said. Officers responded shortly before 6:30 p.m. to a report of shots fired near 149 Magnolia St. in Dorchester and found a man in the area with multiple gunshot wounds. He was taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for his injuries, which were considered life-threatening at the time, Boston Police Sergeant John Doyle told MassLive. The mans age was not disclosed, and there have been no recent updates on his condition, according to Doyle. The shooting remains under investigation, he said. Early-morning surfers dot the ocean off South Africa's rugged Cape Peninsula, catching the foaming waves. Among the polyurethane boards, one stands out -- it's made from wood. It was wood which gave birth to surfing, a sport first documented by British explorers in 18th-century Polynesia. A wooden surfboard needs a sturdy skeleton to cope with the impact of the waves. By RODGER BOSCH (AFP) But when the Age of Plastic dawned, wood was derided as too heavy and clanky compared with light, mouldable plastic. Now it's making a comeback, driven in part by concerns among surfers about the environmental impact of polyurethane. One convert is Matthew Kramer, who bought a wooden board more than six years ago. Hand-made: Patrick Burnett sands a wooden surfboard in his workshop, near Cape Point. By RODGER BOSCH (AFP) "It reinvigorated my love for surfing because it's all a new feel," said Kramer. "It paddles differently, it rides differently." Kramer's board was hand-crafted in a Cape Town beach-suburb by South Africa's leading wooden surfboard manufacturer, Patrick Burnett. The former journalist ships his creations worldwide. Each board takes as much as 60 hours' work and sells for up to $1,700 (1,541 euros). Clamps hold a wooden strip in place to make the all-important 'rail' (edge) of a surfboard in Burnett's workshop. By RODGER BOSCH (AFP) "Wood is a unique material," said Burnett as he planed a surfboard. "We try and design boards that are suitable for wood rather than a copy of the alternative." Burnett largely uses Japanese cedar, a species grown sustainably in South Africa's southeastern KwaZulu-Natal province. While some surfers are going green, others are simply embracing a trend for all things vintage. Burnett prefers to use Japanese cedar, bought locally from sustainable sources. By RODGER BOSCH (AFP) Young people are particularly attracted by Burnett's technique, which he says dates back a century. He has also developed ingenious methods to bend the wood to his will -- using a tea kettle on an electric hob to form the boards' long edges, which are known as rails. Wood "is an amazing material to work with," said Burnett at his workshop, strewn with tools and speckled with dried glue. "But it's very much labour intensive and this will remain a... niche thing." Burnett has sold his hand-crafted boards to surfers around the world -- they sell for up to $1,700 apiece. By RODGER BOSCH (AFP) Burnett is conscious of the limits of working with wood. His creations are heavier than polyurethane boards and not suited to competitive surfing. Yet many seem happy to sacrifice some speed and manoeuverability to be seen with a unique wooden board. Burnett has sold around 850 since he took up the craft in 2007. "We all say how much we love the ocean and how much we respect wildlife," Burnett said. "I think we really should put our money where our mouth is." South Africa: SA, Germany partner to address youth unemployment South Africa and Germany have signed a joint initiative on the promotion of vocational training aimed at tackling the high unemployment rate in South Africa. Youth unemployment in South Africa took centre stage as South African President Cyril Ramaphosa hosted German Chancellor Angela Merkel on an Official Visit on Thursday, at the Union Buildings, in Tshwane. I have made addressing the high rate of youth unemployment in our country a foremost priority of this administration. We have begun to implement the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention to address this challenge, which includes five priority actions over the next five years that will significantly reduce the rate of youth unemployment. An important part of this intervention is to provide young people with the skills that companies require, and to better align the skills development system with demand in the economy. We have to make sure that young people transition from learning to earning at a much faster rate, President Ramaphosa said. Chancellor Merkel arrived in the country on Wednesday at the invitation of President Ramaphosa for a two-day visit. The visit follows the successful State Visit by the Head of State of the Federal Republic of Germany, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Cape Town, in November 2018. Merkel backed her counterparts efforts to address South Africas unemployment rate, which tipped the scales at 29.1% in the third quarter of 2019. The education and training of young people is being done with great passion, and we would like to support you in this regard, she said. Cooperation on energy The German Chancellor also expressed interest in supporting South Africa with its energy supply with particular focus on renewable energy. We would like to support you, especially in as far as renewable energy is concerned. We talked about the replacement of old power plants, said the Chancellor. Merkels interest comes just days after Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe announced at the Mining Indaba in Cape Town that government has agreed that owing to its energy challenges, it should allow mining companies to produce energy for their own use. President Ramaphosa said while South Africa is still 89% reliant on coal, it has started its journey towards renewables. As we move forward, renewables will get a big boost following by the decision we have taken that companies can generate their own energy, he said. South Africa and Germany will meet again in March for the 10th meeting of the Bi-National Commission to fine tune technical aspects of the relationship between the two in fields spanning foreign and security policy, migration and humanitarian assistance, economy and energy development cooperation, environment, science and technology, arts and culture, labour and social affairs and vocational education and training. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-02-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Appointment 6 February 2020 Novotel Dubai Al Barsha Hotel is proud to hire its new Executive Chef bringing over 26 years of top-notch culinary experience to his new post. Chef Kiran Ramsaran holds a bachelor's degree, in hospitality & tourism management and he later specialized in culinary arts. His career began in Mauritius in the most prestigious international hotel groups of the country. 'Peanut Butter Spinach Soup', was the favorite dish of Nelson Mandela that Chef Kiran cooked for him during the official visit to Mauritius in 1998. Chef Kiran has been with Accor the l ast 7 years; his last venture was in Africa where he worked for Fairmont Kenya as Executive Chef. Chef Kiran is not a stranger to Dubai, where he worked for the other large Accor Cluster; the Novotel World Trade Centre as Cluster Executive Chef. In 2005, he pursued his culinary journey at Habtoor Hospitality in Dubai and then his career path continued as Executive Chef where he perfected his skills in sunny Seychelles and Maldives. He also acquired a great knowledge of the oriental & savory Iranian flavors in Iran in 2015, which adds on his varied background. Having worked in such positions as Executive Chef & Sous chef across different countries, he understands what it takes to keep a restaurant running smoothly and to provide unbeatable customer service. Driven by passion, the aim of the new Chef is to make Novotel Dubai Al Barsha a culinary destination. Chef Kiran's cooking style is defined by inspiring and preserving the original flavors of fresh ingredients as well as combining different cultures while keeping the classic cuisine. Having spent his early years in Mauritius to learn a diversity of local foods and cooking techniques he has now a strong knowledge on the Creole cuisine. This allows him to create worldwide flavors from Asia, Middle East, Africa & Europe, thus bringing an international flair to Novotel Dubai Al Barsha restaurants. Apart from his culinary skill, he has been dedicating himself to launch the first Winnow project in UAE within one of Accor hotels, Novotel World Trade Centre, in view of reducing food waste in the kitchen. As Chef Kiran himself testifies, travelling has influenced his culinary skills in a considerable way, allowing him to create original and unique flavored dishes. Today, Kiran delights the guests of Novotel Dubai Al Barsha with exquisite dishes served with international flavor from Dubai, Kenya, Middle East and unique exotic & tropical taste acquired over the yea rs in Mauritius, Seychelles & Maldives. ALBANY - Angelo "Joe" Amore, a tailor born in Italy who for decades thrived as the creator of bespoke suits for the city's powerful politicians and business leaders, has died at the age of 91. Amore died on Tuesday following a year and a half of steadily declining health, his son, Robert Amore said. Despite that, the elder Amore did his best to keep busy, regularly seeking out alterations to perform for his son's clothing shop in Colonie's Newton Plaza. Though other tailors who perfected their crafts near the Capitol moved to the suburbs when the downtown retail business went soft, Amore was a holdout, the last Old World tailor of State Street, the city's historic artery. "He was stubborn," Robert said. "He couldn't bring himself to leave." Amore began his apprenticeship at age 8, in 1936, in his hometown of Siderno, a seaside town in the Calabria region of Italy. He earned his master tailor's diploma in Milan at age 20. When he arrived in Albany in 1960, he began almost immediately to pine for a store he could call his own on State Street, his son recalled. Seven years later, that dream came true. Albany icons Nearly 50 years later in 2016, Amore would recall some of his favorite characters and clients with the Times Union's Paul Grondahl. He recalled how a then little-known lieutenant governor named Mario Cuomo in the late 1970s used to come over from his apartment across the street in Albany's Wellington Hotel. "He'd come in every morning, we'd sing some old Italian songs and talk about our families," Amore said. "I loved Mario. My life is downtown. All my memories are here." He harkened back to an era when downtown Albany sidewalks were thick with wealthy bankers and powerful politicos who thought nothing of dropping more than $1,000 on a custom suit that it took Amore three long days of needle, thread and hunched-over toil to make by hand. He sewed tailored custom suits for governors and mayors, hand-stitched cashmere and wool suits for loyal customers such as Keeler's Restaurant owner Sandy Keeler, banker Peter Kiernan and Mohawk Paper Mills owner Thomas O'Connor. Another longtime customer was Mayor Erastus Corning 2nd, who helped Amore get a favorable mortgage deal to buy the building at 123 State St. in 1981, two years before Corning died in a Boston hospital after a long decline during his 11th term. Corning, a heavy smoker, battled advanced emphysema and lost a shocking amount of weight in Boston. The "mayor for life" summoned his old friend to his hospital room to take in a few suits, hoping against hope he'd return to City Hall. The dutiful tailor went through the heartbreaking ritual. "I loved Mayor Corning. The very best of them all," Amore said. He even held on to three suits of the mayor's that he had tailored, since Corning's wife didn't want them. Longtime customer E. Stewart Jones said every time he stepped foot in the shop it was like encountering a "who's who" of Albany. "Every person of consequence in this region, every person adored him and went to him," said Jones, an attorney of 50-plus years who said he started frequenting Amore's shop as a fresh-faced law school graduate in the 1960s. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Friend to all Amore was not just friends to the powerful. In the 1970s, when the property now home to the Renaissance Hotel was the site of a federal housing project, men from the complex would pop into his store on occasion for a rip or a tear they needed fixed. "They'd offer to pay and dad would say, 'I'll send you the bill, I'll send you the bill,'" his son, Robert, recalled. "He didn't send them the bill. He didn't want to get paid. And he didn't treat them as if they were below him, this master tailor." "As a kid was observing this, I couldn't tell you who was the bank president and who was the regular Joe," he continued. "You just wouldn't know because he treated everyone with dignity." That included the brides-to-be and their bridesmaids, he said. "If something didn't fit right or if someone had gained weight, he always knew the right thing to say," Robert said. "He'd make them feel comfortable and good and special." Jones, whose father went to Amore's shop every Saturday morning and who would later bring his own kids there, said Amore was appreciative of all his customers and knew all their names. "He was the best at what he did," Jones said. "It's a dying art. There are no more Joe Amores, not now and not on the horizon, both by way of the talent he had but also his personality, which just lit up a room. He was just such a gentle, kind, loving, loyal man and I'm grateful to have known him." President of the Constitutional Court of Armenia Hrayr Tovmasyan has conveyed a congratulatory message on the occasion of the 24th anniversary of the establishment of the Constitutional Court. The message particularly reads as follows: Dear compatriots, today, February 6, 2020, marks the 24th anniversary of the establishment of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia. Being responsible for observing the Constitution and ensuring constitutionality, since its establishment, the Constitutional Court has ensured implementation and exercise of the values, principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Constitution in the Republic of Armenia and continues to do so to this day. Through their daily activities and impartiality, the judges of the Constitutional Court contribute to the ensuring of rule of law and implementation of the principle of equality before the law, and with this they guarantee the functioning of a legal state. May the Constitution serve as the major document of a legal state in all times and may every citizen of the Republic of Armenia be protected by virtue of rule of law. Entrenched senior management, a culture of niceness that made criticism difficult and the former CEOs failure of leadership all contributed to Mercy Corps mishandling of sexual abuse allegations by the daughter of co-founder Ellsworth Culver, outside consultants found. The New York-based consultants recommended Wednesday that Mercy Corps own the past by investigating whether Culver abused others. Interim CEO Beth deHamel said Mercy Corps plans to contract with an outside expert with expertise in investigating decades-old sexual abuse allegations. She also offered an emphatic apology to Culvers daughter, Tania Culver Humphrey, and pledged to carry out sweeping recommendations intended to protect Mercy Corps 5,500 employees worldwide and the people and programs it works with around the globe. Those include hiring a chief ethics officer, making significant investments to improve investigations into alleged ethics and abuse allegations, referring allegations involving top officials to outside investigators and imposing term limits on board members. The conclusions by consultants Vestry Laight make it clear, deHamel said, that Mercy Corps added to an abuse survivors pain and for that we are profoundly sorry. We take full responsibility for Mercy Corps failings in this case, she said in a statement. "We have learned lessons from what happened and we are taking corrective action. The $471 million-a-year charity was rocked last fall after The Oregonian/OregonLive published the results of a 10-month investigation that revealed Humphrey in the early 1990s had made credible accusations of sexual abuse against her father to the Mercy Corps board but top officials had allowed Culver to continue at the renowned humanitarian agency in a top role for more than a decade. Mercy Corps executives also dismissed a request in 2018 by Humphrey to reexamine how it handled her original allegations. The reporting prompted the resignations of longtime CEO Neal Keny-Guyer, Mercy Corps senior legal counsel and a longtime board member. The organization scrubbed Culver from its website and the walls of its Old Town headquarters and eventually severed ties with longtime Culver friend, associate and fellow co-founder Dan ONeill, who took part in the original Mercy Corps review of Humphreys allegations. Another top Mercy Corps executive, general counsel Jeremiah Centrella, resigned this week in the fallout. He believes this is the right thing to do in order for the organization to have a fresh start, said deHamel. Humphreys lawyers, C.J. Graves and Jacqueline Swanson, declined to comment in detail on the latest findings because we are working with Tania and participating in discussions with Mercy Corps. They said Humphrey disagrees with portions of the review but strongly supports the recommendations. Tania is hopeful that Mercy Corps will embrace and implement all of the recommendations contained in the report, the statement said. Humphrey, now 49, alleges that her father sexually abused her from when she was a preschooler well into her teens. She disclosed the abuse multiple times over the years, but no one intervened to stop Culver, who enjoyed a reputation as a globe-trotting humanitarian. Culver denied the allegations and was never charged with a crime. He died in 2005. The Oregonian/OregonLives investigation identified eight friends from Humphreys childhood and teen years who confirmed that she told them about the abuse at the time. Three said they saw Culver grope or molest her in a car or during sleepovers. Two said they saw injuries on her legs and neck that Humphrey explained were from her fathers use of force or restraints during the assaults. One of her friends from St. Marys Academy in Portland disclosed that Culver also sexually abused her. Humphrey had not been in contact for years with most of the women who corroborated her account. Mercy Corps commissioned two inquiries in the aftermath: one looking at its handling of the Humphrey case and one of its policies. Both reports were released publicly Wednesday. The Washington, D.C.-based law firm Nichols Liu evaluated Mercy Corps sexual exploitation and abuse policies and whether they were applied to Humphreys claims. Relying on information in The Oregonian report and collected from Mercy Corps, we find that the Boards investigation in the 1990s fell short of Mercy Corps current standards, the firm said. That inquiry was inadequately survivor-centered" and was conducted by individuals with insufficient independence and relied on techniques that may be considered unreliable and intrusive by todays standards," the firm said. In 1994, then-board chairman Ray Vath wrote to Humphrey, telling her that board members believed in a redemptive approach to problems and that it was attempting to give opportunity for growth to all involved in the organization, including your father. The investigation concluded, and Culver remained at the organization in an executive role, traveling the world on Mercy Corps behalf. The law firm said Mercy Corps also made mistakes after Humphreys contact in 2018. It did not have an expert on sexual abuse and exploitation available, and the matter was delegated to a senior executive who lacked training in both areas. If the organization had applied the values underlying its current policies, the communications with (Humphrey) likely would have been far more constructive, the report states. We take full responsibility for Mercy Corps failings in this case, Mercy Corps' interim CEO Beth deHamel said in a statement Wednesday. "We have learned lessons from what happened and we are taking corrective action.Beth Nakamura/Staff The report by Vestry Laight concluded that some Mercy Corps leaders made missteps, mistakes in judgment and governance lapses in responding to Humphrey in 2018. At the same time, the consultants said they did not find evidence of intentional wrongdoing or of any effort to cover up Humphreys abuse or Mercy Corps initial inquiry into her claims. They said a handful of top executives fumbled the organizations response to Humphrey. The report does not identify Mercy Corps employees or board members by name, referring only to the positions they held. It makes clear that Centrella learned of Humphreys allegations in early 2018 when an employee alerted him to a Facebook post by Humphrey alleging child sexual abuse by Culver. Centrella sent the post to Keny-Guyer, who told him the allegations were investigated in the 1990s. Keny-Guyer told Centrella to talk to Robert Newell, the longtime board member who handled that initial inquiry. Newell was still on the board. Centrella relied on Newells recollection of the original investigation and its conclusion that the allegations were unsubstantiated, according to Vestry Laight. Newell had no documents to back up his recollections, he told Vestry Laight. He said he searched for files from the 1990s inquiry among 33 boxes of archived material but found none. Centrella and Mercy Corps let the matter drop until fall 2018 when Humphrey and her husband, Chris Humphrey, contacted the Mercy Corps integrity hotline. They asked Mercy Corps to revisit its handling of the 1990s investigation. The Humphreys wanted to know if that review met current policies and guidelines. At the main entrance to Mercy Corps in Portland sits a small box labeled "Letters for Tania." February 5, 2020 Beth Nakamura/Staff Centrella assigned the request to Barnes Ellis, the Mercy Corps senior legal counsel. He described Ellis to the consultants as an excellent attorney who was wise, compassionate, kind and a straight shooter. But the report makes clear that Ellis lacked experience with sensitive claims like Humphreys. He also acknowledged in an interview with Vestry Laight that he didnt know what a survivor-centered approach would look like in this situation. Vestry Laight concluded that Ellis took an approach consistent with a traditional investigation or a legal matter. He did not offer Humphrey support, communicated only via email, failed to answer the Humphreys repeated questions about the process, their rights and protections and used a tone that contributed to a breakdown in communication between the Humphreys and Mercy Corps. Ellis tried to find out about the 1990s investigation by interviewing those involved and found them to be forthcoming but their recollections vague due to the long passage of time and no documents to refresh their recall. The people he interviewed are not identified in the report. Those who participated in the original Mercy Corps investigation into the sex abuse allegations included Newell, Vath and ONeill, all board members and friends of Culvers. The men told Ellis that they conducted an extensive investigation that included consultation with a prominent expert in recovered memory and a polygraph test of Ellsworth Culver, the report said. They did not recall the abuse allegations being serious and concluded the claims had not been substantiated, Vestry Laight wrote. They had the impression that the allegation was made in part as a result of anger over a bitter divorce. Humphreys parents divorced in 1992 about the time Mercy Corps was investigating the matter. A consultant's report criticized former CEO Neal Keny-Guyer for failing to "embrace a culture that valued constructive criticism from board members or staff likely contributed to Mercy Corps errors in judgments and missteps in dealing with the Humphreys 2018 request." February 5, 2020 Beth Nakamura/Staff Ellis then drafted a memo with his findings and circulated it to those he interviewed and to Centrella. Keny-Guyer, the consultants note, responded with minor edits and stated that he was not concerned about the risk of this going public because the process followed was good, then and now. Ellis told Vestry Laight that no one raised concerns about his review of the matter. At no time while working on this matter in late 2018 did anyone suggest to me that we were mishandling the issue, that we should have brought in someone with sex abuse survivor training or that Mercy Corps should either repudiate or do a full review of its process in 1992-1994 to try now to investigate the claims, Ellis told Vestry Laight. In December 2018, Ellis sent the Humphreys a letter summarizing his findings and stating there was insufficient evidence to require any further action by Mercy Corps. The Humphreys wrote back, detailing disturbing sexual abuse by Culver that Centrella and Ellis were unaware of, the report states. Nevertheless, Centrella, Keny-Guyer and Newell, the report says, concluded that nothing was to be gained by further communications with the couple. The report also noted mistakes by a Mercy Corps committee that is supposed to evaluate risks to the organization. Newell led the committee, but Vestry Laight said he should have recused himself from the Humphrey case due to his involvement in the original investigation. The consultants added that Ellis and Centrella should have insisted on this. The lawyers also failed to fully brief all members of the committee about the Humphrey allegations, the report notes. One member told the consultants she did not receive Ellis memo and that if she had she would have raised the issue with the Mercy Corps board. After the publication last fall of The Oregonian/OregonLive's investigation into Mercy Corps' mishandling of Tania Culver Humphrey sexual abuse allegations, employees of the organization streamed out of the building to meet Humphrey and offer support. Beth Nakamura/Staff Vestry Laight also laid blame for the mishandling of Humphreys allegations on Keny-Guyer. Keny-Guyer told Vestry Laight that he was not briefed about Humphreys account when he became CEO in 1994. Keny-Guyer and Culver were friends. He said he heard vague references to issues between Culver and his daughter and assumed they had reconciled before Culver died. Keny-Guyer, the report concluded, underestimated the risk that mishandling the complaint posed to the organization. He and others involved were overly confident in the Boards prior investigation and conclusion, the consultants wrote. Keny-Guyer was described by Mercy Corps employees as visionary but not a compliance guy. In an interview with Vestry Laight, Keny-Guyer said he worried that too much bureaucracy would squelch the ability to do great things and limit innovation. Employees told the consultants that Mercy Corps culture of niceness makes it difficult to dissent or criticize. Staff members said they are reluctant to speak up and be the squeaky wheel, the report noted. The consultants said diversity among senior leadership may have led to a different outcome. Despite recent changes bringing new members and increased diversity to the board, Mercy Corps global board was still perceived by staff as full of close friends of the CEO who had been there forever and who were unwilling to question his leadership, according to the review. The CEOs failure to embrace a culture that valued constructive criticism from board members or staff likely contributed to Mercy Corps errors in judgments and missteps in dealing with the Humphreys 2018 request, the consultants wrote. Mercy Corps board, management, and staff expressed a great deal of shock and emotion about what Ms. Culver Humphrey endured and about how Mercy Corps handled her request. They expect better of Mercy Corps as an organization and on a personal level and have a strong desire to support Ms. Culver Humphrey, Vestry Laight said. They view helping Ms. Culver Humphrey heal as a priority. Oregonian reporter Kale Williams contributed to this report. -- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have received very different media treatment since both of them joined the royal family (Meghan has since left the family). Over the past few years, Meghan has dealt with a lot of negativity from the British media, and it eventually proved to be too much for her. Earlier this year, Meghan and Prince Harry ultimately decided to leave the family, and it left some people wondering why. But one tweet easily summed up the stark difference between Kate and Meghan when it comes to the media. Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle | Clive Mason/Getty Images Kate and Meghan were reportedly feuding during Meghans time in the family When Meghan first married Harry, it seemed to be the start of a very happy ending. But the Duchess of Sussex quickly realized that things werent going to be so easy. Almost instantly, rumors started to swirl that Meghan and Kate did not get along. Though the rumors were never proven true, it resulted in a lot of the British public choosing sides and many of them chose Kate. The feud seemed to be the fuel that started the fire of poor treatment toward the Duchess of Sussex, despite that there was never any confirmation of a feud to begin with. There is no true proof of a feud between the two duchesses. | Chris Jackson/WPA Pool/Getty Images The two women have been treated very differently by the British press When Kate first joined the family, she was welcomed by the media with open arms. The press instantly adored her, and since they always published positive stories about her, the public quickly learned to love her as well. Plus, Kate was the first wife to marry into the family between Prince William and Prince Harry, which meant the press didnt have anyone to compare her to. Meghan, on the other hand, was instantly compared to Kate when she joined the royals. And since Kate had built up such a strong reputation among the royal public, it was hard for Meghan to compete. Though the comparison wasnt appropriate by the press, it was, in some ways, to be expected. 1 tweet sums up the major difference between the two: Their media treatment Kate and Meghan have, undoubtedly, received completely different media treatment since becoming royals. And it just might be the biggest difference between them. Though the media has suggested the two have nothing in common, the only true similarity they likely dont share is their portrayal in the media. Kate Middleton: *breathes* The Sun: Is there anything she cant do? Princess leads way on fuelling trees. Meghan Markle: *breathes* The Sun: Not only has she stolen your prince, she is stealing your air! Dr Benjamin Janaway (@drjanaway) February 1, 2020 Dr. Benjamin Janaway, a psychiatrist with a verified Twitter account and more than 33,000 followers, tweeted what seems to be the perfect example of the way the media treats each woman. Janaway suggests that The Sun, a popular British tabloid, would spin the same story about each woman into something positive for Kate and something negative for Meghan. Janaways tweet says that if Kate were to breathe, The Sun would say she leads way on fueling trees, but if Meghan were to breathe, The Sun would say shes stealing the publics air. Kate has thrived in the family, but its always been easy for her Kate immediately found her way in the spotlight; the transition for Meghan wasnt so easy. But a major part of that could be that the media instantly took a liking to Kate, which helped her acclimate to royal life so quickly. Its easy to adapt when one is so adored by the public; when its the opposite, its not. Meghan and Harrys decision to leave the family seemed to be the only way to escape the harsh microscope that Meghan was constantly under. Hopefully theyll find their way now that theyve officially exited royal life. Photo: CTV News While flying home from Mexico, a Vancouver woman says she was told by flight attendants on an Aeromexico flight to wear a mask. A Vancouver woman flying home from Mexico this week says she was asked to wear a face mask because she coughed and is Asian. Reed Chen had spent two weeks in Mexico when she came down with a cold, reports CTV News. I emailed my travel agent right away," Chen told CTV. "I said I wanted to come back. She said, 'With your fever, you may not be able to fly, so you may as well stay and relax until you get better.' I slept for three days. I eat nothing, but drink water. As her sickness started to clear, she flew home with Aeromexico as scheduled on Feb. 2. During the flight, she coughed once and was confronted by a flight attendant who asked if she had been to China. She explained she hadnt been in two decades. Another male flight attendant then began interrogating her, presenting a face mask, saying the captain requested she wear it. I said, 'Did you ask all the people coughing to wear it?'" Chen recalled. "He said, 'No, people only complain about you.' I asked, 'Because I cough?' Because Im Asian, of course. Im the only Asian on the whole plane. Chen said she refused to wear the mask. If I ever have anything its a Mexican virus," she said. "its definitely not coronavirus. She told CTV she felt humiliated and discriminated against. "My rights cannot be taken away just because some other people are being paranoid. Aeromexico says it will be reviewing the case. with files from CTV Vancouver Story Highlights 49% prefer that Democrats in Congress have more influence over U.S. direction 43% say the same about President Trump Preferences for presidents to prevail tend to mirror presidential approval WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Americans are closely divided on whether they would rather see President Donald Trump or the Democrats in Congress have more influence over the direction the country takes in the coming year. However, the slight edge goes to the Democrats, 49% to 43%. This differs from sentiment on Barack Obama and Bill Clinton in the first half of their reelection years, when the public tilted toward wanting the president to have the greater influence. Americans' Preference for Who Should Have More Influence Over Nation's Direction Who do you want to have more influence over the direction the nation takes in the next year -- [president] (or) the [party] in Congress?" President Opposition party in Congress Same/Neither (vol.) Presidential job approval % % % % D. Trump/Democrats, 2020 Jan 2-15 43 49 6 44 B. Obama/Republicans, 2012 Jan 5-8 46 42 7 46 G.W. Bush/Democrats, 2006 Nov 9-12 31 61 6 33 G.W. Bush/Democrats, 2002 Jan 11-14 59 36 2 83 B. Clinton/Republicans, 1996 May 9-12 54 41 4 55 Selected trend; vol. = volunteered response Gallup The latest results are from Gallup's Jan. 2-15 poll. A subsequent Jan. 16-29 Gallup survey found Trump with a higher job approval rating, perhaps indicating that preferences for Congress or the president to have more influence may now be narrower than the Jan. 2-15 poll indicated. In addition to asking Americans about Clinton, Obama and Trump during their reelection years, Gallup has asked this question about George W. Bush, but not in 2004 when he was running for reelection. Instead, Gallup asked about Bush in 2002, when Democrats held the Senate, and after the 2006 elections. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks in 2002, most Americans wanted to see Bush have more influence than his rivals in Congress over the course of events in the country. This period coincided with a broad expansion of the authority of the executive branch, as the Patriot Act as well as several executive orders significantly increased the influence of the presidency in unique ways. However, by late 2006, as the Iraq War was dragging on and Americans voted to give control of both houses of Congress to the Democrats, they wanted to see the Democrats in Congress have more influence over the direction of the country than the president. When the war began in 2003, 23% of Americans said it was a mistake for the U.S. to send troops to Iraq; but by November 2006, 55% shared that view. Preference Shadows Presidential Approval For Trump and his three immediate predecessors, Americans' preference for whether they want the president or the opposing party in Congress to wield more influence over the direction of the country seems to shadow that president's job approval rating. Presidents with relatively high approval ratings tended to win out over their legislative rivals in Americans' preference for who should be dominant. In fact, except for George W. Bush in 2002, each president's approval rating is within two points of the percentage of Americans who would like to see that president have the greater influence. Demographic Distinctions As would be expected, Americans are most divided along party lines when asked whom they would like to see wield more influence in the coming year. While most Democrats (89%) want congressional Democrats to have greater influence over the course of the nation, Republicans are just as likely to want Trump to do so (89%). Independents prefer to see the Democrats in Congress have the upper hand in influence over the course of the nation. Given the party leanings of racial and religious subgroups, the data show wide differences between whites and nonwhites, as well as Christians and non-Christians (including those who identify with no religion). While 54% of whites would like to see the president have more influence, 71% of nonwhites prefer the Democrats in Congress. When it comes to religious identification, 49% of those describing themselves as Christians want the president to have more influence, while 67% of non-Christians prefer the Democrats in Congress. Americans' Preferences for Influencing Nation's Direction, by Demographic Group Who do you want to have more influence over the direction the nation takes in the next year, Donald Trump (or) the Democrats in Congress? Trump Democrats in Congress % % Party ID Republican 89 7 Democrat 8 89 Independent 35 53 Race White 54 39 Nonwhite 21 71 Education College graduate 36 54 Not college graduate 46 47 Religion Christian 49 24 Non-Christian 24 67 Gallup, Jan. 2-15, 2020 View complete question responses and trends. Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. An online survey of nearly 500 veterans with Gulf War illness (GWI) suggests a high burden of disease almost three decades after the conflict. GWI affects 25% to 30% of the 693,826 military personnel who were deployed to the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War. The diagnosis of GWI - according to the standard "Kansas" criteria - includes a combination of fatigue, sleep, cognitive, pain, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and skin problems, among others. To understand more about symptom severity and disease course, Air Force 2nd Lt Cayla Fappiano, a medical student at the Georgetown University School of Medicine working with GWI expert James Baraniuk, MD, created an online questionnaire. They published their results in the journal Military Medicine (Feb. 2). Four hundred eighty-five (485) veterans with GWI responded, grading the current severity of 37 symptoms from "none" (0) to "severe" (4). The median symptom score was 95 out of 148, indicating a high level of morbidity, Fappiano says. An overwhelming majority of veterans who responded to the survey reported moderate or severe fatigue, sleep, and pain symptoms over the past six months: 91% with fatigue, 90% not feeling rested after sleep, 89% with joint pain, 84% having problems falling or staying asleep, and 83% with muscle pain. Additionally, 80% reported moderate to severe cognitive dysfunction with difficulty concentrating and memory concerns. In addition to logging symptoms, veterans were asked to estimate when each symptom began. About 20% reported fatigue and sleep symptoms in theatre, but more than 40% of this group reported every measured fatigue, sleep, pain, mood, and gastrointestinal symptom by 1994. Baraniuk cautioned that self-reported symptom inventory studies, like this one, are subject to significant bias. Veterans self-selected as having GWI and may have been more likely to participate if they experience more moderate to severe symptoms. Further, as the population ages and their prevalence of other medical conditions including cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular incidents increases, it is important to discriminate these conditions from GWI in future studies." Cayla Fappiano, medical student at the Georgetown University School of Medicine This study did investigate some co-morbid diagnoses. Chronic fatigue syndrome was present in 89% of those surveyed. Moderate or severe anxiety was present in half. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was diagnosed in 19% before 2000, but half reported being diagnosed in the last decade, totaling 66% by 2018. This suggests late onset PTSD may be a component of GWI. "These symptoms suggest that brain systems related to disordered threat assessment, extreme vigilance, intrusive memories, and irritability may be additional components of GWI pathology," says Baraniuk. "Unfortunately, these symptoms may be misinterpreted as being psychosomatic, which would interfere with the ability of doctors to make the diagnosis of GWI." In fact, 61% of this group had been told that their condition "is all in their head" by a physician or other health care provider. "This study not only demonstrates the need to improve the understanding of GWI in the clinic, but also may serve as a model system for following the health of deployed service personnel in future conflicts so that we can make diagnoses and start appropriate treatments earlier," Fappiano concludes. A server at a Fort Bend County bar was arrested and a patron was believed to be on the run Wednesday after authorities linked them to the drunken driving death of a 17-year-old boy. The duo Edith Melendez and Bicente Castillo are accused of supplying about a dozen pitchers of beer to slain teen James Russell OCanas and his 19-year-old friend, Lee Cruz Trevino Jr., who authorities said was behind the wheel of their car that crashed on Jan. 12 near Rosenberg. Alison Baimbridge, of the Fort Bend District Attorneys Office, said the two teens had been drinking at Brewingz in Rosenberg with Trevinos older brother, Castillo. Melendez served the beer and at no point did she try carding the underage teens, Baimbridge said, adding that surveillance footage in the bar showed the three guzzling beer and at one point drinking it straight from the pitcher. Castillo and Trevino purchased the alcohol in cash, she said. The two teens left the bar at some point and Trevino, of El Campo, made it about 18 miles before losing control of the car around 1 a.m. in the 900 block of Lum Road, police said. He slammed into a tree and the car caught fire. According to authorities, a good Samaritan who lived next to where the wreck happened saw the burning car and pulled the unconscious driver, Trevino, out the window to safety. The witness, Martin Montalvo, was handed a lifesaving award later that month for the deed. After the rescue, Trevino came to and bolted from the scene. He did not attempt to help his passenger, Baimbridge said. Trevino returned to the wreck several hours later and was arrested, she continued. Trevino, who was charged at the time with reckless driving and criminal negligent homicide, was released two days later from the Fort Bend County jail after posting a $50,000 bond. Melendez was apprehended Tuesday night at her workplace, said John Herman, chief deputy of Fort Bend County Constable Precinct 4. She has been charged with the misdemeanor offenses of serving alcohol to a minor and over serving an intoxicated person. Her court records were not immediately available. A warrant was also issued for Castillo, but he could not be immediately found at his El Campo home. It was then believed he had gone to his construction job in Clute, but officials said he could not be found there either. His wife tipped him off and hes in the wind, Hermann said. According to court records, Castillo also helped Trevino post bond from the jail. Trevino is slated on Feb. 24 to appear in court. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission opened an investigation into the Brewingz location on Jan. 15 after the constables office reported what happened, spokesman Chris Porter said. So far, the chain restaurant and bar has not been cited with any alcohol violations. In 2019, TABC issued 15 citations in Fort Bend County for alcohol sales to minors. In neighboring Harris County, the state agency issued 124 citations, Porter said. / -- The curtains came down on the 6th International Young Chef Olympiad, at a dazzling closing ceremony held at the Nicco Park's, Wet-o-Wild, Kolkata. After a nail-biting contest through six days across five Indian cities - Delhi, Pune, Bangalore, Goa and Kolkata, Malaysia's Chen Khai Loong was crowned the winner of YCO 2020. The Silver medal winner was Austin Cale Labago of Philippines while the Bronze winner was England's Bethany Collings. The trophies were given away at the glittering prize distribution by Dr. Suborno Bose, Chairman, YCO and International Hospitality Council, Professor David Foskett, Chairman of the International Hospitality Council and Padma Shri Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, the Principal Judge and Chief Mentor of YCO, and Chef Brian Turner, the President of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, in the presence of the 18 esteemed judges of YCO 2020. The winners lifted their trophies amidst cheering, fanfare and some beautiful fireworks display, as the world watched the entire event broadcasted live through social media network. A special attraction for the gold winner this year was the Gold Toque. At the historic moment, Malaysia's Chen Khai lifted the trophy and donned the gold crown as he bagged the prize cheque of USD 10,000. Organised by the International Hospitality Council (IHC), London in association with the International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM), YCO 2020 was yet another grand successful edition of the world's biggest culinary competition with participants from 50 countries fighting tooth and nail to win the coveted title. This united platform of young chefs was the perfect example of bonding, friendship and learning together. "More than a competition, YCO is now a global youth platform and launchpad for the culinary superstars of tomorrow," said Dr. Suborno Bose. In times when the world is fraught by political and social issues, the International Young Chef Olympiad is seen as a unified platform of young chefs from around the world, bringing friendship and camaraderie to this competition. The Glimpses of the grand finals and closing ceremony can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQd_A2XV1P0 Apart from the three winners, YCO 2020 had a long list of special category winners. The Plate Trophy round held between the participants ranked 11 to 20 in the competition, went to Dominic Muollo of New Zealand this year. The Best Dessert Dish in Round 1 went to Ieuan Jones from Wales while the Late Shakuntala Devi Gupta Award for Best Vegetarian Dish Creation in Round 2 went to Eunjeong Jeong of South Korea. Four Mentor Nominee Awards were given away at the YCO 2020. The winners were judged based on each of the mentor's recommendations written about their respective participants. The awardees were Erik Shahbazyan of Armenia, Kethusegile of Botswana, Egon Euan Le Roux of South Africa and Obidiegwu Anuli of Nigeria. The IHC Best Young Chef Ambassador Awards was another category where participants had to write about themselves, their ambitions about becoming a chef and how they wish to further develop themselves. The four awards in this section went to Giorgia Ceccato of Italy, Samuel Farley of USA, Md Miraj Mia of Bangladesh and Fatima Gomez of Mexico. Based on the hygiene and cleanliness maintained during competition, the participants were marked in the first two rounds. A winner was selected from each city round. Eunjeoung Jeoung from South Korea won the Best Hygienic Practice for the Delhi round, Micaela Da Costa from Portugal won for the Pune round, Savi Rajbahak from Nepal won the Goa round and Mihail Velkov from Switzerland won in the Bangalore round. The Rising Star awards for each city were Claudia Cebria Ros from Spain for Delhi round, Jonathan Larmie from Ghana for the Pune round, Savi Rajbahak from Nepal for the Goa round and Tarran O-Reilly from Ireland for the Bangalore round. The Kitchen Cut Award for best recipe nutritional analysis and costing presentation went to New Zealand, and the entries are judged by Chef John Wood, the founder of Kitchen Cut. YCO 2020 had the theme of Sustainability, embracing the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In keeping with this theme, a special presentation had to be given by the participating countries about Sustainability measures in their own country. Out of the 10 countries who made presentations at the David Foskett auditorium on IIHM Global Campus, Bhutan's Sonam Subba was winner. He was awarded the Green Toque of Sustainability. YCO 2020 had a brilliant panel of esteemed judges from around the world. Led by Prof David Foskett (MBE), Chairman of the Jury, renowned chefs like Chef Brian Turner (CBE), celebrity TV chef and President of the Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, was chief judge of the competition. Chef Andreas Muller, Programme Director (International Cuisine) at VTC, Hong Kong, was Deputy Chief Judge, Michelin-starred chefs Chris Galvin and John Wood, the Founder and Director of Kitchen Cut were senior judges of the competition among several other iconic culinary professionals from around the world. YCO 2020 felicitated some of these special judges for their outstanding work in the field of culinary arts. The Outstanding Contribution to International Culinary Arts Award went to Chef Brian Turner. Outstanding Contribution to Industry went to Chef Andrew Bennett, Chef Apprenticeship Award went to Chef Stuart Littlejohn, Outstanding Contribution to Culinary Arts was for Chef Henri Brosi, the Award for Dedication to Training and Competition Work went to Chef Stefan Hogan while Outstanding Contribution to Culinary Education went to Chef Andreas Muller. Besides the competition, the participants from 50 countries along with their mentors and the judges took part in various Food Aid activities, supporting IIHM's initiative to support the UN's Sustainable Goal Number 2 of Zero Hunger. They visited shelters and homes in the Indian cities where they met the boarders and distributed food among them. In Delhi, they visited SPYM Juvenile De-addiction Centre; in Bangalore, the mentors and participants visited Shumangali Seva Ashram while the judges went to Cheshire Homes. In Kolkata, the judges visited the renowned and respected Missionaries of Charity to pay homage to Mother Teresa and see the huge social work that happens through this organisation. About IIHM IIHM (International Institute of Hotel Management) is the largest chain of premier hospitality and hotel management schools across India that started its journey in 1994 at Kolkata. IIHM is a part of Indismart Group, the conglomerate that operates the Indismart Hotels. IIHM campuses are located across ten national and international cities with the associate institute IAM-IHM located in Kolkata, Goa and Guwahati. Students passing out of IIHM are armed with an international degree from the University of West London and equipped with global hospitality skills that enable easy placements in any hospitality brand across the world. IIHM is dedicated to its pursuit of excellence in teaching and placements. Real time experience is the key to success in hospitality and that makes the institute popular. In recent years, IIHM has been instrumental in organizing the Young Chef Olympiad, a unique idea and initiative inviting young culinary talents across the world to participate in the biggest cookery reality shows of all times. The institute has bagged several prestigious awards in the past 24 years. The list includes the Best Education Brand Award from Economic Times consecutively in 2017, 2018 and 2019. It was also featured in Forbes Magazine as Great Indian Institute and Great Place to Study consecutively in the year 2018 and 2019. IIHM was also awarded as one among the World's Greatest Brands & Leaders 2015-16 by URS International (IMEA - Process Reviewer PriceWaterhouseCoopers PL) and also received the Best Institute in Hospitality Education 2017 Award by Assocham from Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon'ble Minister of State for HRD (Higher Education), Govt. of India. For more information, please visit: http://www.iihm.ac.in Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1084107/IIHM_Logo.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1087124/IIHM_YCO_2020. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) There were 11 cases last year of property belonging to activists being destroyed. Ukrainian police have detained a Moldovan national on suspicion of setting the car of RFE/RL correspondent Halyna Tereshchuk on fire in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv last month. Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on February 6 that a Moldovan student from an unidentified school in Lviv had been detained as a suspect in the arson attack, RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service reported. "We are working on finding out who prompted him do that. The safety of a journalist is a priority," Avakov wrote on Twitter. Read alsoRFE/RL correspondent's car set on fire in Lviv media (Photos) Tereshchuk's car was set on fire and completely destroyed on the night of January 29. Tereshchuk, who has worked for RFE/RL since 2000, said at the time that she suspected the attack was linked to her professional activities. Deputy Interior Minister Anton Gerashchenko told RFE/RL at the time of the attack that it might have been ordered by a third party. The Ukrainian unit of rights group Freedom House condemned the torching of Tereshchuk's car, as well as that of Andriy Lukin, an activist in Zaporizhia, whose car was also set ablaze on January 29. 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 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." The CPI(M) on Thursday alleged that the Left-ruled Kerala government in the state was facing "harsh discriminatory" approach from the BJP-led dispensation at the Centre. An editorial in the forthcoming edition of party mouthpiece Peoples Democracy has said that because of this "prejudiced" attitude of the Centre, Kerala is experiencing a serious financial crisis. "The Modi government seems determined to thwart the LDF government's development agenda by strangulating its finances," it said. The editorial said the Centre has all the powers to raise resources while the states are required to undertake development and social welfare expenditure that far exceed their revenue generating capacities. "While this is a common problem for all states, Kerala is being singled out for exceptional treatment by denying it its due share of taxes and resources," it alleged. Citing examples, the editorial said the central government has reduced the amount of funds that can be borrowed by Kerala in the last quarter of 2019-2020. As per the budgetary allocation, the loan should have been Rs 10,233 crore. But only Rs 1,900 crore has been sanctioned. Instead of the Rs 19,500 crore received as borrowing in the last fiscal, it will just be Rs 16,602 this year, it said. In the place of the Rs 3,200 crore loan received in the last quarter of 2018-19, Kerala will get only Rs 1,920 in the last quarter of 2019-20, it added. The CPI(M) also alleged that there is constant delay in receipt of GST compensation, and the state also did not receive flood compensation given to seven other states despite facing floods in August 2019. "An additional central assistance of Rs 5,908.56 crore was granted to seven states from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for damages during the southwest monsoon in 2019, but not Kerala. "Kerala has been one of the better performing states in implementation of the rural employment guarantee scheme (MGNREGS). However, the centre has been tardy in sending funds and arrears to the tune of Rs 1,215 crore which are pending. For payment of paddy procurement also there are dues of Rs 1,035 crore," it said. The party also alleged that the Union Budget for 2020-21 has further "neglected" and done injustice to Kerala. The 15th Finance Commission in its recommendations for 2020-21 has reduced Kerala's share in the net proceeds of taxes to 1.94 per cent from 2.5 per cent recommended by the 14th Finance Commission. Even the recommended amount of tax devolution by the commission (Rs 16,616 crore) has not been allocated in the budget. The state's share in central tax has been proposed at Rs 15,236.6 crore as against Rs 16.401 crore received in 2019-20, it said. "The Modi government's violation of federal norms and hypocrisy in talking about cooperative federalism is very much on display when it comes to its dealings with Kerala. "The LDF government and the people of Kerala are not going to take these efforts to denigrate their state lying down. They will struggle to assert their rights," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE A plan to create a New Mexico early childhood trust fund that would generate millions of dollars annually for prekindergarten and other programs is one step closer to taking effect, after a 40-0 vote Wednesday in the state Senate. The proposed endowment fund, one of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams top initiatives during the ongoing 30-day legislative session, would get startup funding from an oil-fueled budget surplus. The first-term Democratic governor has called for $320 million to be set aside for the trust fund, though a budget bill awaiting approval in the House would appropriate a slightly smaller amount of $300 million. The Early Childhood Trust Fund is a monumental step forward in our effort to permanently transform educational and economic outcomes for kids and families all across New Mexico, Lujan Grisham said in a statement. It is not the final step, but it is an essential step, and I am immensely gratified by the support our proposal has earned through the legislative process so far. The measure approved Wednesday, Senate Bill 3, calls for a certain amount of energy-related tax collections to be diverted in years when total state cash reserves exceed 25% of spending levels. Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, a sponsor of the bill and an influential budget voice at the Roundhouse, said hes hopeful the fund would grow over the next several years to $1 billion or larger. Its annual distributions would be used to supplement other funding sources for early childhood programs, including federal money and other state dollars, he said. Were hoping to establish a stable long-term plan that takes out some of the (budgetary) hills and valleys, Smith said. New Mexico has rapidly increased spending on early childhood programs in recent years total state and federal dollars are roughly $550 million this year and lawmakers last year approved a new Cabinet-level agency, the Early Childhood Education and Care Department. But some lawmakers have said more needs to be done and have pushed for more money to be taken from the $19.7 billion Land Grant Permanent Fund for prekindergarten, home visiting, child care assistance and other early childhood programs. That approach has stalled repeatedly in the Senate, however, and the Lujan Grisham administration last summer floated the idea of creating a new trust fund as a way of breaking the political stalemate. Specifically, Lujan Grisham has said she is open to various different approaches to reach her goal of having universal prekindergarten in New Mexico or at least 85% of 4-year-olds enrolled in private or public programs statewide. Under the terms of the bill, $20 million would be transferred from the trust fund to the Early Childhood Education and Care Department in July 2021. After that initial distribution, annual transfers of at least $30 million would be made or possibly more depending on the funds overall value. The bill now advances to the House, where a similar bill co-sponsored by House Majority Whip Doreen Gallegos, D-Las Cruces, and Smith has already cleared one committee. An OPEC+ technical panel has recommended a provisional cut in oil output of 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) in response to the coronavirus' impact on energy demand as it awaits Russia's final position on the proposal, two sources said. The Joint Technical Committee (JTC) is not a decision-making body but does advise the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies led by Russia, a grouping known as OPEC+. The meeting ended shortly after 1100 GMT, sources said. OPEC and its allies led by Russia produce over 40 percent of global oil and the new proposed cut ... Qualified and skilled professionals are leaving South Africa in droves in search of better opportunities for them and their families. While emigration was associated with white professionals a few years ago, this problem cuts across racial lines the number of black professionals leaving South Africa now exceeds white emigrants. For every one professional immigrating to South Africa, eight are emigrating to work overseas. Common reasons cited for emigration include escaping South Africas crime problem, better job opportunities, and the option to travel. I am earning almost three-times as much as I was in South Africa, and although it is a lot more expensive to live here, I am able to save more money and travel a lot more than I did when I was living in South Africa, one young IT professional who now lives overseas told MyBroadband. To determine how lucrative job opportunities are overseas compared to South Africa, we compared the average salaries of popular IT positions in South Africa and in the United States. IT salaries comparison We used figures from Indeed, PayScale, and Glassdoor to compare average pay in both countries. The US figures are listed in dollars and are paired with a converted rand figure based on the exchange rate at the time of writing. The average salaries for 10 popular IT jobs in South Africa and the United States are below. IT Salary Comparison Job South Africa United States Computer Support Specialist R216,000 $44,970 (R660,317) Web Developer R227,076 $59,229 (R869,689) System Administrator R231,787 $61,861 (R908,336) Database Administrator R308,872 $73,009 (R1,072,028) IT Manager R368,112 $87,611 (R1,286,436) Software Engineer R401,676 $84,762 (R1,244,603) Information Security Analyst R509,892 $78,315 (R1,149,938) DevOps Engineer R575,250 $93,359 (R1,370,837) Data Engineer R592,079 $91,605 (R1,345,082) Senior Solutions Architect R804,509 $133,226 (R1,956,223) Taxes and net earnings The gross salary comparison between the two countries definitely falls in favour of the United States, but there are also taxes to consider. The amount of tax you pay in South Africa and the USA depends on how much you earn placing you within different tax brackets. The US Federal Income Tax is determined at the end of each year by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Different brackets exist for single and married taxpayers, as well as for heads of households. Below are the tax brackets for the United States, according to the IRS. Rate Single Head of Household Married / Joint returns 10% $0 $0 $0 12% $9,875 $14,100 $19,750 22% $40,125 $53,700 $80,250 24% $85,525 $85,500 $171,050 32% $163,300 $163,300 $326,600 35% $207,350 $207,350 $414,700 37% $518,400 $518,400 $622,050 Below are the 2020 tax bands for South African citizens, according to SARS. SA Tax Bands Up to R195,850 18% of taxable income R195,851 R305,850 R35,253 + 26% of taxable income above R195,850 R305,851 R423,300 R63,853 + 31% of taxable income above R305,850 R423,301 R555,600 R100,263 + 36% of taxable income above R423,300 R555,601 R708,310 R147,891 + 39% of taxable income above R555,600 R708,311 R1,500,000 R207,448 + 41% of taxable income above R708,310 R1,500,001 and above R532,041 + 45% of taxable income above R1,500,000 Spending power Not everything comes down to a comparison between salary and taxes the cost of living makes a big difference in how good your salary actually is. In a country like the United States, the cost of living can vary greatly between states, cities, and coasts, and can therefore be difficult to compare. The salaries in the United States may be much higher than in South Africa, but it is also far more expensive to rent an apartment in New York than in most parts of Johannesburg. While the Big Mac Index is by no means an accurate tool for currency misalignment, it does provide a rough idea of how currencies are valued against one another. According to a report by BusinessTech, combining this data with GDP per capita finds that the rand in 2019 was undervalued by 27% compared to the US dollar. This figure is comparable with purchasing power, showing that purchasing power is greater in South Africa compared to the United States. Now read: Samsung reports massive decline in profit Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train: Govt allots 5.6 thousand cr, Maharashtra will also have to contribute India oi-PTI Mumbai, Feb 06: Even as Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has questioned the high costs and feasibility of the bullet train project, it has now emerged that the Union government has allotted Rs 5,600 crore for the ambitious project for fiscal 2020-21. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to complete the project linking the country's financial capital Mumbai with Gujarat's biggest city Ahmedabad by 2022, to mark the 75th year of Independence. Sources in the National High-Speed Rail Corporation said a provision of Rs 5,600 crore has been made for the 500- km rail project, modelled on the lines of Japan's famous bullet train. Uddhav Thackeray likens bullet train project to 'white elephant' Apart from the Centre's contribution, there is also a move to get Rs 5,000 crore from Maharashtra and Gujarat, which own a fourth of equity in the project, in the form of extra budgetary resources (EBR), the Western Railway's 'Pink Book' said. It can be noted that in FY20, the two states collectively contributed Rs 1,000 crore in EBR towards the project. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has made a soft loan commitment of Rs 1.10 lakh crore to execute the project. The Union government-controlled Indian Railways has a 50 per cent equity stake in the project. In her budget speech last Saturday, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted that the high-speed train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad would be "actively pursued". Thackeray on Tuesday likened the bullet train project to a "white elephant", saying a decision on it will be taken only after he is convinced it will boost industrial development of the state. "Who will benefit from the bullet train? How will trade and industry in Maharashtra get a boost because of it? If it is useful, convince me and then let's go before people and decide what to do," the chief minister said, adding that there should be a comprehensive discussion on its viability. The project has been facing stiff opposition from farmers and tribals whose lands are to be acquired. The bullet train may be a "dream project" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but when you wake up, it is not a dream, you have to face the reality, Thackeray said. "We have to see what is urgent and not take up something because we are getting a loan at zero interest or less interest. We acquire farmers' land for no reason and then look after these white elephants. This is not right," he said. Tejas Express: IRCTC's 2nd private Ahmedabad to Mumbai train flagged off The project was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe in September 2018. At present, Indian trains run at a maximum speed of 180 kmph, and the introduction of the bullet train is expected to mark India's shift to an era of high-speed trains capable of hitting speeds of up to 350 km per hour. The bullet train will have 12 stations across its 500 km stretch. Of the 508.17 km-long bullet train corridor, 155.76 km will be in Maharashtra, 348.04 km in Gujarat and 4.3 km in Dadra and Nagar Haveli. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 6, 2020, 17:04 [IST] "We feel our team is very well prepared to manage patients if we should need to admit any," Lawler said. Once those in quarantine are outside the 14-day incubation period for the virus, they do not represent a significant risk for transmitting it to others, he added. The clock on the quarantine period started when the planes left China. Once they arrive at Camp Ashland, National Guard Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac said the patients should find their accommodations like "a modest hotel" undamaged in the 2019 flooding at the regional training center situated along the Platte River. Families will be able to stay in adjoining rooms in the 85-bed facility built in the 1990s, each of which has a television. Patients will also be able to access exercise equipment and play areas for children. "The Wi-Fi has been dialed way up," said Dana Hall, a regional administrator with the U.S. Public Health Service based out of Overland Park, Kansas. Social workers will be on site helping the patients reintegrate to the U.S. and to meet religious and other needs of those while they are in quarantine, Hall said. Chris Nicholls and Vanessa Romito's honeymoon high doesn't last after leaving Queensland and moving in together in Sydney. Despite production of Married At First Sight lasting from September to December, two deleted Instagram posts suggest the newlyweds were already living separate lives by October. In fact, it appears they were one of the first couples to leave the social experiment after saying 'I do' on September 10. What goes wrong? Married At First Sight couple Chris Nicholls and Vanessa Romito's honeymoon high doesn't last after leaving Queensland and moving in together in Sydney On October 3, Chris shared a photo of himself holding a microwave meal, adding that he was back to eating 'dinners for one'. The selfie was taken inside the apartment the couple shared in Skye Suites Sydney, where the cast stayed during filming, but Vanessa was nowhere to be seen. Three days later, on October 6, Vanessa was out partying in Melbourne with friends. Her maid of honour, Toobi, shared an Instagram Story post of the pair dancing together in a nightclub. Spoiler alert! Despite production lasting from September to December, two deleted Instagram posts suggest the newlyweds were already living separate lives by October Living the single life? On October 3, Chris shared this photo of himself holding a microwave meal, adding that he was back to eating 'dinners for one' The contrasting posts suggest the newlyweds don't last long in the experiment. Interestingly, Chris' photo of his meal-for-one is no longer on his account, and it's possible Nine's publicity department asked him to remove it. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment. During Thursday's episode of MAFS, Chris and Vanessa started to connect on their honeymoon, after a rocky start to their marriage. Living separate lives: Three days later, on October 6, Vanessa was out partying in Melbourne with friends While enjoying a picnic at Hervey Bay in Queensland, Chris told Vanessa: 'There's a lot of things I'm learning that I like about you. 'We say similar things, we have similar values and it's funny how we're sort of awkward together. I'm attracted to you, and who knows where that could go?' After their first passionate kiss, Vanessa said: 'I wasn't expecting that! I had no inkling at all that he found me attractive. That's amazing. 'I am pretty happy with Chris as my husband, for sure. He's what I've been trying to get but couldn't find.' Married At First Sight continues Sunday at 7pm on Channel Nine Internet giant is looking to expand mixed mode commute option to cities across India that displays combination of available for commuting to a particular destination. "The tab on Maps for Android now informs users about a journey that combines auto-rickshaw and It indicates how much time it will take, and which station they should take an auto-rickshaw to/from. The feature is available for Delhi and Bangalore and we're looking to bring it to other cities across India," Maps vice president Jen Jen Fitzpatrick said in a statement. He was speaking on the occasion of Google Map completing 15 years. Fitzpatrick listed 14 features that Google has incorporated in the maps of eight were first started in India and six were inspired from India and implemented in other foreign markets. Information about public toilets inspired from Swachh Bharat Mission, digital address called "Plus codes" for location sharing including mixed mode commute are some of the features for which Google Map got inspiration from India. " now lists over 57,000 public toilets in 2,300+ cities across India. The initiative was launched in 2016 as a pilot in three cities -- New Delhi, Bhopal, and Indore -- in collaboration with the Swachh Bharat Mission and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs," Fitzpatrick said. , We're sorry, this article is not currently available CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mass Innovation Nights (MIN) , Massachusetts leading new product showcase, is partnering with Jobcase to hold a social impact themed event featuring more than 10 innovative products and organizations. Mass Innovation Nights #131 will take place on February 12, 2020 from 6:00PM to 8:30PM. The event is free and open to the public. Partnering with Mass Innovation Nights last year was such a success, we even hired someone as a result of the event, said Marijoy Bertolini, senior director of people & culture at Jobcase, Were so excited to collaborate with them again. By working with corporate partners like Jobcase, were facilitating connections for the entire innovation community, said Bobbie Carlton, founder of Mass Innovation Nights. While our primary goal is the creation of visibility for entrepreneurs and startups, many of the corporate hosts we work with use our events to connect with the local community for recruiting and partnering purposes. Mass Innovation Nights feature business experts, networking, tabletop demos, and presentations from local startups. Participating startups this month include: Business experts will be on hand to share their knowledge with attendees. Guests are encouraged to use #MIN131, Twitter handle @MassInno , and Instagram handle @MassInnovationNights to share photos and social media commentary. About Jobcase Jobcase is dedicated to empowering the worlds workers. As the future of work becomes more complex, we believe that technologys evolution needs to be guided by the question, Does it help people? Thats why Jobcase was created to be a community a positive, social place where our 100 million members forge connections, get practical advice and tools, inspire and support each other, and access job opportunities. From the heart of Kendall Square, were building the future of work. Now. Learn more on the Jobcase website . About Mass Innovation Nights Mass Innovation Nights (MIN) is Bostons leading new product showcase. MIN offers an opportunity for people interested in innovative new products to connect live and online. Since 2009 the organization has helped launch more than 1,500 new products, which have collectively received $4 billion in funding. Boston Magazine called us one of the top spots to rub elbows with the citys movers and shakers. The Department of Homeland Security told New York state officials this week that the states residents will no longer be allowed to join the Global Entry trusted traveler program effective immediately, or to renew their membership if it expires. DHS cited a New York law passed last year that bars the states Department of Motor Vehicles from providing drivers license and vehicle registration data to DHS. The ban also applies to the NEXUS and SENTRI transborder trusted traveler programs but not to the Transportation Security Administrations PreCheck program. Because New York State borders Canada, many travelers there rely on the NEXUS program for speedier re-entry. Global Entry allows vetted and approved U.S. travelers to obtain speedier clearance in Customs and Border Protection checks when they return from abroad. The change only affects those applying for or renewing membership. Current members are okay for now, but could run into problems when their memberships expire. (Global Entry is good for five years and costs $100.) New York State residents sign up for Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI at an estimated rate of about 150,000 a year. Although DHS would prefer to continue our long-standing cooperative relationship with New York on a variety of these critical homeland security initiatives, this Act and the corresponding lack of security cooperation from the New York DMV requires DHS to take immediate action to ensure DHSs efforts to protect the homeland are not compromised, Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf said in a letter to state officials. Wolf announced the move during an interview on Fox News. RELATED: No, there are not 6-hour delays at SFO Customs & Immigration The DHS ban is the latest and most significant attack in the Trump administrations ongoing campaign against so-called sanctuary cities, which limits a local governments cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In December of last year, the change in New York State law made it possible for immigrants to obtain drivers licenses regardless of their legal status. Don't miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our FREE bi-weekly email alerts Wolfs letter said the New York law prevents DHS from accessing relevant information that only New York DMV maintains, including some aspects of an individuals criminal history. As such the Act compromises CBPs ability to confirm whether an individual applying for TTP (trusted traveler program) membership meets program eligibility requirements. The U.S. Travel Association, an industry trade group, blasted the DHS ban. "Travel should not be politicized. Trusted traveler programs enhance our national security because they provide greater certainty regarding a person's identity, citizenship, and criminal background, said USTA executive VP Tori Emerson Barnes. Suspending enrollment in Global Entry and other trusted traveler programs only undermines travel security and efficiency. We are in contact with the Department of Homeland Security to convey this message." A spokesperson for New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said the DHS action was obviously political retaliation by the federal government, and were going to review our legal options, according to The New York Times. 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. Are you all set for the Keanu Reeves day? We're sure you know that Matrix 4 and John Wick 4 are releasing on the same date and hence May 21, 2021 has been declared as Keanu Reeves Day by his ardent fans. Twitter We just can't wait to see Keanu Reeves spread the magic of his charm and high octane action sequences. The man who learned about 200 martial arts moves for The Matrix Reloaded, is back in his avatar as Neo. The shooting of Matrix 4 has begun already in San Francisco and the first behind-the-scene footage has also made way to social media. The leaked footage gives us the first glimpse of Keanu Reeves as Neo in the sci-fi drama. He was seen sporting a beanie hat, blazer and jeans. Was he in the character? Well, it doesn't seem like he was just going around doing his usual business, does it? Do you know Priyanka Chopra is in final talks to join Keanu Reeves starrer Matrix 4? Some time ago, Variety had reported that she is in final negotiations to join the cast of the movie. What role will she play? That remains unknown. Matrix series, which was originally released in 1999, showed a dystopian future where artificial beings take over humanity, which is unknowingly trapped inside a simulated reality, called the Matrix. The film had two sequels -- The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, which released in 2003. Peter Weber takes ten contestants to Santiago, Chile, in the second episode of The Bachelor this week. Along with handing out three date roses, he sends two women home before the rose ceremony even begins. [Warning: The Bachelor Season 24 spoilers ahead] Peter Weber | Paula Lobo/ABC via Getty Images Hannah Ann continues onward as one of the front-runners for the finals MyKenna shoots daggers through her eyes at Weber when Hannah Ann scores the first one-on-one date. The 23-year-old gets to explore the Plaza de Art, the center of Santiago, with the pilot. They walk the streets of Chile and embrace the culture. They ride a trolley up a gorgeous mountainside. Hannah Ann is probably the goofiest girl here, Weber admits. She makes me laugh. She is the perfect girl for this date because she is down for whatever. However, he gets a bit worried because Hannah has not ever been in love before. He wonders if she is ready for a lifelong commitment. Today, I was able to really envision my future with you, Hannah tells Weber later that evening. Weber asks her about past relationships. She admits that she dated someone for three and a half years but wasnt in love. This realization makes him wonder what she thinks of him. Im questioning if we do have that deep enough connection, Weber asks Hannah. When Weber leaves her to think, she begins questioning everything. Hannah ends up having a breakdown, and it turns out that it is precisely what Weber needed to solidify his choice to keep her around. I dont want you to feel like you have to give your happy face all the time and that perfect answer, Weber tells Hannah Ann as he gives her the first date rose of the episode. A fun Novella group date started as your typical 8 on 1 date Weber takes Sydney, Natasha, Kelsey, Victoria P., Madison, Tammy, Kelley, and Mykenna on a date titled, Lights, Camera, Action. The date turns out really light-hearted and fun. All of the women get make-up, costumes, assigned roles, and lines for the show. They are going to act out a Spanish soap opera together with Weber as Pedro. The ladies give it their all during the filming of the show. Even Kelley tries to win Webers heart as Pedros grandmother. In a cute twist, the maid, MyKenna wins Pedros heart over. He picks her up and makes-out with her as Chris Harrison walks in, dressed as Pedros father. Later that evening, Kelsey and Weber talk about how they have overcome so much from the beginning, starting with Champagne-gate. He talks about how real his feelings are for Kelsey, and then they have a solid make-out session. However, she doesnt get a rose. Weber wrote Madi another Tellanovella script. He admits that his heart is with her. I kiss you with a passion to light a million Chilean suns, Peter tells Madi. The 23-year-old has a long make-out session with Weber and then is giggling and smitten in her private confessional room. This rose goes to someone who has me feeling really good about the future, Madi, Weber gives the group date rose to her. Victoria F. does her usual duck and run-out during her one-on-one date Weber takes Victoria F. to a horse farm. She admits that she is totally nervous, as usual. They talk about communication and trust, which is interesting since there are so many lies surrounding her. As Weber is describing how much he could see Victoria F. as his future Mrs. Weber, we find out that she does not feel the same. The pilot is very thrown off by the whole conversation and begins to second-guess their connection. I literally feel physically ill, Victoria P. says, while in the bathroom crying. Hes here for marriage, and I dont know. I dont know what to say. This is the most I have ever cried with anybody. After her usual run-and-cry-in-a-corner spout, she comes back, and they talk about how much grief she has given him. However, he still gives her the date rose! She accepts it, and they have a heartfelt kiss. She promises not to push him away anymore. He feels like shes the first girl he has fallen for that he does not see validation back from. It looks like Weber likes a good chase, after all. Find out if the bachelor keeps pursuing hard-to-get Victoria F. when the show returns Monday, Feb. 10, 2020, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Read more: The Bachelor: One Contestant Abruptly Left the Show Was It So She Could Crown Her Miss Louisiana Successor? People wearing protective facemasks ask for directions at security guarding on a closed street in Hangzhou, around 175km southwest of Shanghai on Feb 5, 2020.(Photo: AFP/Noel Celis) In its daily update, the health commission in Hubei also confirmed another 3,694 new cases. The commission also confirmed the number of infections has reached 28,018 nationwide. The epidemic, which has spiralled into a global health emergency, is believed to have emerged in December from a market that sold wild game in Hubei's capital Wuhan. Hu Lishan, an official in Wuhan, warned Wednesday that despite building a hospital from scratch and converting public buildings to accommodate thousands of extra patients, there was still a "severe" lack of beds in the region. There was also a shortage of "equipment and materials," he told reporters, adding that officials were looking to convert other hotels and schools in the city into treatment centres. Authorities in several other cities in China have placed restrictions on the number of people allowed to leave their homes. Global concerns have also risen about the virus, with cases confirmed in more than 20 countries. [February 06, 2020] IMF Credits CBI for Caribbean Economic Growth and Encourages Digital Currency as St Kitts and Nevis Passes Virtual Assets Bill LONDON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Citizenship by Investment (CBI) is one of the main reasons the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) has registered a GDP growth last year, the IMF staff report in their mission concluding statement. Moreover, the IMF staff suggest that "cautiously piloting a digital currency" is one of the areas that could catalyse the region's resources and capacity, which would particularly help "solidify the monetary union by raising payment's efficiency." St Kitts and Nevis is already building a fintech-friendly legislative and regulatory framework. At the end of January, the St Kitts and Nevis Parliament passed the Virtual Assets Bill, which requires businesses to register, pass due diligence checks and be subjected to a supervisory regime should they wish to participate in virtual asset services. This is aligned with the anti-money laundering standards established by the international policy-maker Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Premier and Finance Minister Timothy Harris said during the bill's second and final reading in Parliament on January 23rd that the move addresses what the governor of the Eastern Caribbean Centrl Bank describes as a "cashless society." PM Harris said that "it is vital at this juncture that we embrace the opportunity to expand our capacities for adaptation to the swiftly changing realities of the technological spheres in which we find ourselves in this 21st century." In December, Prime Minister Harris announced that St Kitts and Nevis would be introducing biometrics to the screening process that all applicants under the Citizenship by Investment Programme must pass before being considered. Once approved, to obtain second citizenship from St Kitts and Nevis, an applicant can contribute US$150,000 to the Sustainable Growth Fund, whereas families of four or more can apply jointly by making a minimum contribution of US$195,000. If successful, investors obtain the right to live and work in St Kitts and Nevis, along with other benefits. Daniel Kelman, general counsel and cryptocurrency supporter, salutes the twin island nation's move towards more fintech integration. "You can have a business in St Kitts and do business all over the world," says Kelman. He added for a government-issued press release: "to have a small business here on the island and reach out to the whole world as if there was no border that is exactly the direction [St Kitts and Nevis] should be going." St Kitts and Nevis saw an improved fiscal performance in 2019, as noted in the preliminary findings of the most recent Economies of Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) report. The authors note a series of positive economic trends in St Kitts and Nevis, namely deflating prices (-0.43%), decreasing debt stock (-3.5%), growing GDP (+3%), fiscal surplus (+191.5 million), growing tourism numbers (+11.9%), several CBI-sponsored infrastructural projects, with positive spillovers in several sectors in terms of job creation and profit margins. Contact Details: [email protected] www.csglobalpartners.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/imf-credits-cbi-for-caribbean-economic-growth-and-encourages-digital-currency-as-st-kitts-and-nevis-passes-virtual-assets-bill-301000213.html SOURCE CS Global Partners [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Amid anti-CAA protests in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused the Congress and the Left of inciting people at protest sites. Replying to a debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in Lok Sabha, Modi also attacked the Congress for its in the last seven decades, saying the party's of last 70 years has been such that no Congress leader can be self-sufficient. Slamming former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah for their remarks on abrogation of Article 370, Modi said Kashmir's identity was buried on January 19, 1990, when Kashmiri Pandits started leaving the Valley due to militancy. "Who made Kashmir only about land grabbing? Who made Kashmir's identity only about bombs and guns? Can anyone forget that dark night of January? In reality, Kashmiri identity is closely linked with harmony," he said. Elaborating on his government's achievements, the prime minister said the people of the country have seen his government's work between 2014 and 2019 and gave a bigger mandate in 2019. "The people of India saw our work for five years. They once again blessed us, so that we work even faster," he said. Modi said India can no longer wait for problems to remain unsolved, and, rightfully so. "That is why, our aim is speed and scale, determination and decisiveness, sensitivity and solutions". "The people of India have not only changed the Sarkar (government). They want the 'Sarokar' (conduct) to be changed as well. If we had worked according to the old ways and thought processes: Article 370 would never have been history. Muslim women would have kept suffering due to Triple Talaq," he said. The prime minister said if his government worked as per the old ways, the Ram Janmabhoomi issue would have remained unsolved, Kartarpur Sahib corridor would not be a reality, there would be no India-Bangladesh land agreement. Modi said the Congress did not remember to save the Constitution during Emergency and the 'Save Constitution' mantra is must "for those who dismissed several state governments". Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi said, "I heard an Opposition MP saying- we will beat Modi with sticks in 6 months. I have also decided I will do more 'Surya Namaskar'. This will make my back even stronger to face abuses. In any case, I have been abused so much for the last 2 decades that their negativity hardly matters". On the economy, the prime minister said the government has kept the fiscal deficit in check, price rise is also under check and there is macro-economic stability. Modi said the agriculture budget, which was earlier Rs 27,000 crore, has now been increased by five times to about Rs 1.5 lakh crore. The agriculture budget has risen 5 times during the tenure of the NDA Government. The prime minister said driven by politics, some states are not allowing farmers to benefit from the PM-Kisan Scheme. "I appeal to them- let there be no in farmer welfare. We all have to work together for the prosperity of farmers of India," he said. He said the PM-KISAN Samman Yojana is transforming the lives of many farmers. Several farmers have benefited due to this. In this scheme there are no middlemen and no extra file work. Modi said the FDI in April-Sept 2018 stood at USD 22 billion, while in April-Sept 2019 it increased to USD 26 billion. This reflects confidence of foreign investors in India, he said. Referring to the Northeast, Modi said for years, distance became a reason to ignore this region. Things have changed now and the region is becoming a growth engine as great work has been done in so many sectors and ministers and officials are regularly visiting the Northeast. "Despite many efforts, the issue was unsolved for years. Whatever was done earlier was for meeting political ends, remained confined to papers. "The Bodo Accord signed now is special because it has brought all stakeholders together and we are moving towards a more peaceful era," he said. At the beginning of his speech, some Congress MPs raised slogans hailing Mahatma Gandhi with party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury saying, "it is just a trailer". At this Modi shot back: "Mahatma Gandhi may be trailer for you, but he is life for us". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New York Wine Events hosts the NYC Winter Wine & Food Festival presented by Citi, Saturday, March 7 at Webster Hall. Visit NewYorkWineEvents.com for tickets and information. Were excited about moving our long-running winter wine and culinary event downtown to the stunning Webster Hall... It offers a spectacular setting where guests can enjoy sampling and learning about a large array of wine, artisanal food, and lifestyle companies. New York Wine Events is pleased to announce its New York City Winter Wine & Food Festival presented by Citi featuring 100+ wines from around the globe will be held on Saturday, March 7, 2020 at Webster Hall in Greenwich Village. The 11th annual winter event moves to the recently renovated landmark venue which features an expansive ballroom and sweeping balconies. General admission sessions for will be held at 2:00-5:00pm and 7:00-10:00pm. Special Premium Early Access and VIP ticket levels offer guests the option of walking the extensive wine and culinary event one hour earlier, commencing at 2:00pm for the afternoon session and 7:00pm for the evening. During each tasting session, guests will enjoy live contemporary jazz performances by internationally acclaimed saxophonist Jesse J. The NYC winter wine and food event will feature an extensive curated selection of wines, craft spirits and other beverages, diverse light fare on the buffets including hors doeuvres and cheese and cracker selections, plus diverse artisan food and beverage tables sampling tapenades, salsas, oils, and dips, charcuterie, granola, kombucha, juices, and other specialty items. Wine tasting tables located throughout the ballroom, halls and balconies will include a diverse curated selection of fruit-forward, dry, and round red wines, crisp, buttery, and smooth white wines, and refreshing sparkling wines. Guests will experience vintages from Old and New World wine regions including France, Italy, Chile, Spain, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa, California, and more. Select New York State wineries will also be showcased, and will offer wine for sale by the bottle for guests to enjoy at home. A VIP Ticket option includes early access to the main tasting plus admission to the exclusive Citi VIP wine tasting suite. The VIP experience takes place in the luxurious Ritz Bar and features 12 high-end wines, plus premium passed hors d'oeuvres including Filet Mignon with Yukon Gold Potato & Bearnaise Sauce, Miniature Maine Lobster & Shrimp Rolls on Brioche, Tuna Tartar with Pickled Cucumber & Wasabi Caviar, Pate de Mousse de Foie Gras with Cranberry Compote on Ficelle, and White Truffle and Pecorino Arancini. Premier wines from major regions such as Champagne, Bordeaux, Rioja, Tuscany, Piedmont, and California will be poured in the spacious suite for VIP ticketholders only. Were excited about moving our long-running winter wine and culinary event downtown to the stunning Webster Hall which recently underwent an incredible $40 million renovation. It offers a spectacular setting where guests can enjoy sampling and learning about a large array of wine, artisanal food, and lifestyle companies as well as experience an incredible performance by saxophonist Jessy J, adding to the always-exciting atmosphere, notes Sam Kimball, founder of New York Wine Events. The conveniently located Greenwich Village landmark venue adds a new twist to New Yorks #1 winter tasting, now in its 11th year. Musical guest Jessy J is an internationally acclaimed artist who brings her unique Latin flair to the musical stylings of contemporary jazz. Jessy and her band will perform live on stage during portions of the event. Sponsors and artisanal food purveyors to date include 90+ Cellars, Alexian Pate, Bazzini Wine, BakeSale Chocolate Chip Cookie Liqueur, The Better Pop, Blossom Water, Brockmans Gin, Brooklyn Crush Wines, Brooklyn Granola, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Castello di Borghese Vineyard, Drunken Fruit, Ferreira-Carpenter Winery, Fragrances of Wine, Gladiator Wine Imports, Green Mountain Energy, HelloFresh, Jamesport Vineyards, Ketel One, Lenz Winery, The Long Drink, Maiden + Liberty, Mengler Family Wines, Olde York Farm Distillery & Cooperage, Organic Olive Juice Co., Our/NY Vodka, Pazdar Winery, Papi Wines, Pierres Spicy, Salsa Di Parma, Sauvage, Sparkling Ice, Springbrook Hollow Farm Distillery, Taconic Distillery, Theme Night Wines, Victorianbourg Wine Estate, Vinkara Wines, Wheatley Vodka, White Claw Hard Seltzer, Yaso Tangbao, and Yankee Folly Cider. More sponsors, wineries, and artisanal food companies will be added in the weeks ahead. For over a decade, New York Wine Events popular New York metro area wine festivals have drawn sold out crowds and the 2020 New York City Winter Festival event is expected to do the same. Participating artisanal food companies and New York State Farm Wineries and Distilleries will feature items for guests to purchase and enjoy at home and select lifestyle vendors selling wine-centric products and apparel will be exhibiting and selling as well. Tickets are on sale now, priced from $55 to $199, depending upon ticket level and time of purchase. Advance purchase for the March 5th wine event is highly recommended. Check the New York Wine Events web site for details about limited time early purchase discounts, 15% savings for groups of 10 or more, and the Taste VIP membership program benefits including complimentary event tickets and discounts. For complete details and to purchase tickets to the NYC Winter Wine & Food Festival, visit NewYorkWineEvents.com. About New York Wine Events New York Wine Events is committed to bringing together New York Metropolitan wine and food lovers, whether its at one of our wine fests, while browsing other New York area food and drink events, or reading our in-depth articles online about the area food and drink scene. The companys goal is to provide a wine tasting experience that allows guests to sample as many diverse wines as possible while enjoying a festive atmosphere and the company of other wine lovers. Visit NewYorkWineEvents.com. A girl is in a critical condition after she was struck by a truck in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs on Thursday afternoon. The teenager was hit on Police Road in Mulgrave about 3pm. The site of the incident at Police Road, Mulgrave. Credit:Nine News She was rushed to The Alfred hospital with head and chest injuries. The driver of the truck stopped after colliding with the girl and is assisting police with their enquiries. Palestinians hurl stones at an Israeli soldier during an Israeli raid in Beit Jala in the Israeli-occupied West Bank By Maayan Lubell and Ali Sawafta JERUSALEM/RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - At least two Palestinians were killed in the occupied West Bank and 16 Israelis were hurt on Thursday in a surge of violence that erupted amid Palestinian anger at a U.S. peace plan. In Jerusalem, an Arab citizen of Israel was killed after he shot and slightly wounded an Israeli paramilitary border policeman at an entrance to the walled Old City, Israeli authorities said, calling the attack politically motivated. The peace proposal announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Jan. 28 would give Israel most of what it has sought during decades of conflict, including the disputed holy city of Jerusalem and nearly all the occupied land on which it has built settlements. With violence on the rise, the Israeli military said it was sending reinforcements to the West Bank, where Israeli troops in the city of Jenin shot dead a 19-year-old man during clashes. Palestinians said he had thrown rocks at soldiers who came to demolish the home of a Palestinian involved in the 2018 killing of a Jewish settler. In a separate incident in Jenin, a Palestinian officer in the police station was killed by what Palestinian authorities said was Israeli gunfire. Israeli officials did not comment, and Israeli media reported he was shot by troops by mistake. In a scene reminiscent of a wave of Palestinian street attacks in 2015, a car ran down Israeli soldiers on a Jerusalem sidewalk, injuring at least 14 of them, Israeli police said. The assailant fled and was arrested later in the day, the Israeli military said, without immediately identifying the driver. Israel's YNet news website identified him as a 25-year-old Palestinian. On a road to a Jewish settlement in the West Bank, a suspected Palestinian gunman slightly wounded an Israeli soldier before fleeing, the Israeli military said. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel for the deaths, linking them to what Trump has billed as the "deal of the century". Story continues Trump senior adviser Jared Kushner, the face of the U.S. plan, said Abbas bore some responsibility for the surge in violence. "I think he does have responsibility," Kushner said of Abbas moments after briefing United Nations Security Council ambassadors on the plan's details. "He calls for days of rage in response and he said that before he even saw the plan." Kushner added that he met personally with Abbas four times as he was crafting the proposal, but "they chose not to meet with us again." The Palestinians, who have long shunned the Trump administration, accusing it of bias toward Israel, say the plan falls far short of their demands for a viable independent state and other rights. Israel supports the Trump plan. The Arab League opposes it, while the European Union has rejected parts of it. Visiting Israeli security forces in the West Bank after Thursday's incidents, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also accused Abbas of inciting violence. "We will do everything necessary to protect our security, to define our borders and to ensure our future," Netanyahu said in a statement. "We will do it with you or without you." On Wednesday, Israeli troops shot dead a 17-year-old Palestinian elsewhere in the West Bank, saying he had thrown a firebomb at them during a violent protest against Trump's plan. He was the first fatality since the blueprint was announced. The Israel-Gaza border has also been shaken by several days of violence. Palestinians have launched mortar fire, rockets and balloon-borne explosives into Israel, causing panic but no serious casualties. Israel has carried out nightly air strikes against sites belonging to Gaza's ruling Hamas Islamists. (Reporting by Maayan Lubell Ali Sawafta; Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Gaza, Dan Williams and Dedi Hayun in Jerusalem and Rodrigo Campos at the United Nations; Writing by Maayan Lubell and Peter Graff; Editing by Angus MacSwan, Daniel Wallis and Grant McCool) Michael Edelman is the CEO of Nanoco Group plc (LON:NANO). This analysis aims first to contrast CEO compensation with other companies that have similar market capitalization. Then we'll look at a snap shot of the business growth. 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. See our latest analysis for Nanoco Group How Does Michael Edelman's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? According to our data, Nanoco Group plc has a market capitalization of UK52m, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth UK505k over the year to July 2019. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth noting the salary is lower, valued at UK322k. We took a group of companies with market capitalizations below UK154m, and calculated the median CEO total compensation to be UK251k. As you can see, Michael Edelman is paid more than the median CEO pay at companies of a similar size, in the same market. However, this does not necessarily mean Nanoco Group 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 Nanoco Group, below. LSE:NANO CEO Compensation, February 6th 2020 Is Nanoco Group plc Growing? Nanoco Group plc has increased its earnings per share (EPS) by an average of 40% a year, over the last three years (using a line of best fit). Its revenue is up 115% over last year. This shows that the company has improved itself over the last few years. Good news for shareholders. The combination of strong revenue growth with medium-term earnings per share improvement certainly points to the kind of growth I like to see. You might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for future earnings. Has Nanoco Group plc Been A Good Investment? Story continues Given the total loss of 56% over three years, many shareholders in Nanoco Group plc are probably rather dissatisfied, to say the least. It therefore might be upsetting for shareholders if the CEO were paid generously. In Summary... We compared the total CEO remuneration paid by Nanoco Group plc, and compared it to remuneration at a group of similar sized companies. We found that it pays well over the median amount paid in the benchmark group. However we must not forget that the EPS growth has been very strong over three years. On the other hand returns to investors over the same period have probably disappointed many. Considering the per share profit growth, but keeping in mind the weak returns, we'd need more time to form a view on CEO compensation. Whatever your view on compensation, you might want to check if insiders are buying or selling Nanoco Group shares (free trial). If you want to buy a stock that is better than Nanoco Group, this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look. 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. Kerrie Sweeney (left), Titanic Foundation Limited, and Judith Owens (right), Titanic Belfast, with Jackie Henry of Deloitte Titanic Belfast is planning to spend 3m on improving its visitor galleries, as it announced it's had six million visitors since opening in 2012. Eighty-eight per cent of its visitors came from outside Northern Ireland. And according to a new economic evaluation, its first seven years generated 319m in additional spending in the economy, growing from 38m a year over its first three years to 60m per year. The economic evaluation was conducted by business advisory firm Deloitte. Deloitte's senior partner Jackie Henry said the report showed the venue was gaining in popularity and had raised levels of ambition in Northern Ireland. And being named the World's Leading Tourist Attraction at the World Travel Awards had helped lead to a 17% growth in out-of-state visitors in 2017. Mrs Henry said: "Having evaluated Titanic Belfast's story from the outset, it stands out as one of Northern Ireland's shining success stories. "Alongside its economic impact, which has grown from 38m on average in its first three years to 60m per year, it has provided jobs and raised levels of ambition and confidence in Northern Ireland." It is now planned to reinvest 3m in improvements to its galleries in the venue's biggest investment since it opened in time for the ship's 2012 centenary. The company said the details of how the money will be spent haven't been confirmed. Judith Owens, Titanic Belfast's chief executive, said: "At Titanic Belfast, we do not rest on our laurels and we are determined to build on our success, push boundaries and stay at the forefront of the industry." The visitor experience at Titanic Belfast consists of nine interpretive and interactive galleries exploring the story of the ship and Belfast of the time. Three of the nine galleries at the venue have already been redeveloped. PITTSFIELD A Pike County city is trying to make its way onto the small screen. Pittsfield is applying to be featured on the new HGTV series Home Town Takeover. The show focuses on hosts Ben and Erin Napier helping to revitalize communities with fewer than 40,000 people. According to Diana Halmick, economic development director for the city of Pittsfield, the shows producers want communities to highlight how they are unique, historic and fascinating. Halmick said Pittsfield should be featured because it has a rich history, vintage architecture and family farms that go back several generations. Founded in 1833, Pittsfield experienced a boom period and had multiple ties to President Abraham Lincoln through friendships, business and politics. Pittsfield also has many houses on the National Register of Historic Places and includes buildings such as Pike Countys historical courthouse and the art-deco styled Zoe Theater. At one point in time, Im told Pittsfield was a grander and more booming metropolis than a small town also in Illinois called Chicago, Halmick said. However, economic conditions have caused the citys historic sites to show signs of age and businesses and families have started to relocate outside of the city. Halmick said Pittsfield can easily be restored and the series could help to enhance and transform homes, businesses and public spaces. Halmick also said that new businesses and people could be enticed to come to Pittsfield if its reputation grows through the show. We that call it home might be known as, people that live in that place that HGTV renovated on the opening season of Home Town Takeover, Halmick said. Discussions have taken place among municipal officials, residents, business owners and stakeholders to prepare the application. Halmick said locations have been scouted and people have been briefed about the process as well as asked for consent to be included. Still photos of the town have been taken, including pictures that will be used to show Pittsfield then and now. Passionate residents have been interviewed and advocated for Pittsfield. As part of the application, Halmick said they worked to establish a narrative of the town that would fit in with story lines that HGTV wants to present. Halmick said the city offers opportunities for the hosts and their crew to showcase their talents. Pittsfield knows how to be hospitable and welcoming place and tell a story, Halmick said. Lets make that story about the past, present, and future. Many of us in the southern jurisdiction often put what happened a short distance from where we live and work into a box labelled "something dark and awful - something in the Northern Troubles". Premium articles will soon be available only to Independent.ie subscribers. But then every now and again something so appalling and brutal occurs, like the savage murder of Paul Quinn. It rocks us out of our indifference/complacency and its happening so recently makes us again confront the IRA-Sinn Fein nexus. The sad reality is that partition has for a century cut both ways. Since 1922 we have had two communities - North and south - functioning separately and only sometimes coinciding. Sinn Fein has engaged slowly in elective politics on both sides of the Border, for the past almost 40 years, and for a very long time it maintained the option of returning to IRA violence. We're told that era is completely over - but how do we know vestiges do not linger? People, especially of a rising generation beyond their party and supporters, dearly want to believe that the "war is over" and the IRA no longer exists. But, Sinn Fein's tolerance of past shocking atrocities, and its issue-dodging of more recent horrors, makes one wonder why the outrage when it is asked about links to republican violence? Our regular IRA informant, "P O'Neill", told us many things down the years. But an tUasal O Neill never, ever told us - to paraphrase, Gerry Never-In-The-IRA Adams - that the IRA "had gone away". It is difficult to assume other than that its grim leaders still exist, wielding influence in the background. Mary Lou McDonald and her party colleagues are wondering themselves at the surprise great success of their ongoing election campaign. They set out believing, given serious reverses in the 2018 presidential and the 2019 local and European campaigns, that this one would be about managing reverses. Now their problem may be their lack of candidates to soak up available votes. Read More But it is time to talk about the murderous story of Paul Quinn. This is not a "history story" arguably linked to the "dirty war" from the outbreak of the Troubles in 1969 to the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. In 2007 Paul Quinn, then aged 21, from Cullyhanna, was lured to a Castleblayney barn, seven miles from his home where he was set on by 10 men with nail-studded bars and beaten for more than half an hour. Every major bone in his body was broken and he died a few hours later. Paul's mother, Breege Quinn, has led a long campaign for justice and has taken exception to comments by Stormont finance minister and Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy. He spoke one month after the murder and asserted that her son had been involved in criminality. "Paul Quinn was involved in smuggling and criminality and I think everyone accepts that," he said. On Monday, the Sinn Fein leader was rather hit-and-miss about all this when interviewed by RTE's Bryan Dobson. It went on a bit, but yesterday, as original footage of his slur was screened by the BBC, Mr Murphy finally issued an apology. But Paul Quinn's mother had publicly rejected his comments in advance. She said she would accept an apology only "on national television, because that is where he made the allegation". Her anger is entirely understandable - and it spills across the Border. Expand Close Justice call: Breege Quinn at home in Armagh with husband Stephen (right) and SDLP MLA Justin McNulty. Photo: Frank McGrath / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Justice call: Breege Quinn at home in Armagh with husband Stephen (right) and SDLP MLA Justin McNulty. Photo: Frank McGrath Ms Quinn called on Mr Murphy to quit and for the Sinn Fein leader to go with him. Some chance of that. But the mother, still grieving after 13 years, also said Mr Murphy should tell investigators north and south of the Border the names of the IRA members who he said told him the organisation was not involved in the murder. "We could have justice tonight if Conor Murphy decided to give it to us," she said. Sinn Fein went into default mode. Circling the wagons, it blamed the "big parties" and "big media" who are out to get it. The sad part here is that it is right on this. Other political parties and mainstream political journalists are a bit old-fashioned when it comes to murder and gangsterism. Vote with care. Houstonians may know Jimmy the Jeweler for his refined sense of bling. Jimmy Phan, aka Jimmy Boi is the creator of some most extravagant, iced-out jewelry designs for noted celebrities from Texas to Hollywood. But those who truly know this man understand that part of what inspires him is giving back to others. The owner of Done Right Jewelers, Phan decided to pay it forward to a lucky military couple right in time for Valentines Day. Phan designed an exquisite $10K, 2.4-carat diamond engagement ring set in 14-karat gold, as a special gift to a U.S. military couple who couldnt afford a Valentines Day proposal. Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary Chad Wolf speaks during a meeting of the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (PITF), in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, on the White House complex, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2019, in Washington. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) will block New York state residents from most of its "trusted traveler" programs in response to a state law that limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf told Fox News on Wednesday. DHS will suspend the ability of the state's residents to enroll or re-enroll in programs such as Global Entry, which allows faster processing for pre-approved travelers entering the United States, Wolf said in a related letter to New York State officials. The suspension will also apply to programs that allow for expedited travel to Canada and Mexico, as well as a program for commercial truck drivers. U.S. President Donald Trump has made his immigration crackdown a focus of his 2020 re-election campaign. Trump criticized so-called "sanctuary" jurisdictions during his annual State of the Union speech on Tuesday night. Wolf singled out a New York law that blocks the state's motor vehicles department from sharing information with immigration enforcement agencies, saying the "lack of security cooperation" from the state necessitated the suspension of the travel programs. If you thought Legos were just a toy for kids, Lego Masters wants to clue you in. The new Fox reality series, which premieres Wednesday, Feb. 5, features teams of adults who build jaw-dropping Lego structures, and are competing for a $100,000 prize. Like the rest of the world, Oregon has its share of grown-up Lego enthusiasts, including two men who are competing as The Bearded Builders on Lego Masters, which is hosted by actor and producer Will Arnett. Troutdales Boone Langston, 35, works as a pre-K teacher. Oregon Citys Mark Cruickshank, 36, is an HVAC installer. Together, theyre The Bearded Builders, and part of their focus on Lego Masters, they say, was representing the Northwest. (How to watch Lego Masters": Lego Masters premieres at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5 on Fox. No cable or antenna? Live stream Lego Masters on Hulu + Live TV or Sling TV; episodes will also be available the day after they air on Hulu.) The challenges were so intense, says Langston. Competing on Lego Masters, he adds, kind of pushed us, and I think we just leaned further into what we already understood about each others abilities. I think multiple times on the show, we really thought about Portland, and the things about the city that kind of inspire us. We cant say exactly what those were until people get to see them on the air. But were hopeful that people who live in this area will be pleased with our project, and us representing where were from. Contestants on the show are given weekly challenges, which test the teams abilities to come up with amazing Lego creations in a fairly short time. Cruickshank says his favorite challenge involved a bridge, because in Portland, going across a bridge is a daily occurrence. Living in the area, he adds, you might go across four of five different bridges, so when the teams were asked to build bridges that could hold a lot of weight, Cruickshank was ready. Related: Lego Masters: How to watch the Fox competition show online without cable Though neither of the Bearded Builders can reveal how they fared in the show, Cruickshank says, When we did our best was when we reflected on the Pacific Northwest, and our hometown common area, focused on where we came from and reflected that. It was great to be able to represent the Portland area in a way that I hope people are proud to see. Oregon's own "Bearded Builders" team, Mark and Boone, compete in "Lego Masters." (Photo: Ray Mickshaw/Fox) The two came to be on Lego Masters, which awards the winning team $100,000 in prize money, a trophy, and the honor of being named Lego Masters, when Langston was attending a Lego digital media panel at San Diegos Comic-Con International this summer. Lego Masters has already been a success in the U.K., and, as Langston recalls, At the end of the panel, they announced that Lego Masters was coming to the United States, and the application to apply to be on the show was going live at the end of that panel. Langston quickly called Cruickshank -- who he already knew after the two met as members of the local Lego enthusiast community and asked, Do you want to be my partner? I said yes, Cruickshank remembers. Absolutely. The two have enjoyed building with Legos ever since they both kids, Langston says. And We both kind of came back to it at around the same time, discovering this club of adults in town that meet up and do this stuff, and there are all these builders that show up at conventions. Cruickshank says, I love working with my hands, and adds that he finds building with Legos is a creative outlet. When work is done, I can go home and relax by building whatever I want, he says. Its so amazing to build something awesome, take it back apart, and do whatever I want. There are no rules. You can just kind of build whatever you want. For Langston, the appeal of Legos also has to do with exercising his creativity. Ive explored a number of different creative outlets, he says, and returning to Legos helps me sort of get ideas out of my head and into the world in this tangible, shareable way. The teams who are competing on "Lego Masters," a new competition series from Fox. (Photo: Ray Mickshaw/Fox) Both Cruickshank and Langston think Lego Masters will appeal to a wide range of viewers. I think everyone will like it, says Cruickshank, because there are so many diverse teams on the show. Boone and I represent the average, mid-30s builder, and there are a lot of those people out there. The show may be a competition, Cruickshank says, but its not a cut-throat drama, instead its more of a fun drama. Everyone is going to have their favorite teams that they root for. We had a great time, and Im so honored to be honored to build with my best buddy Boone on national TV, and make amazing things and then come back home. Langston says he hopes viewers who watch will consider the question, Where in your life do you need a little bit of creativity and fun? For us, thats Lego. We found this incredibly relaxing and rewarding, community-connecting activity. Lego Masters premieres at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5, on Fox. -- Kristi Turnquist kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Seen above is a stopped assembly line of Hyundai Motor plant in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Thursday. The plant's truck assembly line was halted on insufficient supply of parts imported from China. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor By Nam Hyun-woo Hyundai Motor Group will provide financial aid worth 1 trillion won ($847 million) to more than 350 partner companies which are facing setbacks in supplying parts to the group following the outbreak of a novel coronavirus in China. The carmaker said Thursday it will extend 308 billion won in interest-free loans and 692 billion won in advanced payment for parts and investments to companies supplying Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai WIA and Hyundai Transys. The group said it decided to extend the money in order to help its suppliers have a more stable business environment and minimize damages from the fallout of the coronavirus spread and the global slowdown in the automobile industry. Also, the group will support its suppliers with preventive measures at their plants such as installing thermal cameras and providing masks and other sanitization products. The decision came after Hyundai Motor decided to halt the operation of all its plants in Korea from Friday due to an insufficient supply of key parts, including wiring harnesses. Several plants have already stopped due to the shortage. The parts are supplied by three domestic firms _ Kyungshin, Yura and THN. The suppliers had been producing the harnesses at their respective plants in China, but will not be operating the plants until at least February 9, as the Chinese government ordered businesses throughout most of China to cease operations to prevent further spreading of the virus. Along with Hyundai Motor, other domestic carmakers were facing similar parts shortages, with Renault Samsung and SsangYong Motor temporarily suspending operations their plants. Hyundai Motor Group has asked the Chinese authorities to allow suppliers to resume operations there on condition of thorough preventive measures. On Feb. 1, the group sent a letter containing such a request to Shandong Province government, asking it to consider the huge impact on the Korean and Chinese economies caused by setbacks in the Korean automobile industry. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have also begun dialogue on the same issue, the group said. Along with diplomatic efforts, Hyundai Motor Group said suppliers are seeking to increase wiring harness production in plants outside China in order to secure as many parts as possible. "The current cease in production is inevitable due to the spread of the coronavirus, but the group and the government are making efforts to address the current difficulties," an official at the group said. "We believe the aid will be timely for mid- and small-sized suppliers." Royal Mail shares sank to an all-time low on Thursday after the former British postal monopoly warned that its U.K. business could lose money next year as strikes bite. Blighted by sliding letter volumes and union tensions, the company posted productivity gains of 1.5% for the full year on Thursday morning, below its 2% target, and cited delays to its transformation plan and economic uncertainty as increasing the likelihood of a loss in 2020-21. Shares slumped 11% early in the trading session to hit a record low of 168.05 pence per share, almost half the 330 pence per share initial public offering (IPO) price in October 2013. In its first day of conditional dealings on the London Stock Exchange, the stock soared 38% to 455p, but has serially underperformed since then. Over the last two years, shares of the 500-year-old company have plunged 63%. In May 2019, CEO Rico Back announced a 1.8 billion ($2.3 billion) investment in a five-year plan to overhaul the business and achieve sustainable profitability by 2024. Much like the investors, significant portions of its workforce are losing patience with Royal Mail. Union CWU (Communication Workers Union) is preparing another ballot of members for industrial action and the threat of more strikes on the horizon. Prime Minister on Thursday underlined the need for working together to make India a $5 trillion economy, while stressing that the government has been able to maintain macro-economic stability amid tough global environment. In the Lok Sabha, he also exhorted all the members to give suggestions on ways to take advantage of opportunities thrown up by the current global economic situation. "Let's move ahead with the resolve to make India a $5 trillion economy," he said while replying to a debate on Motion of Thanks to President for his address to Parliament. The prime minister said that steps taken by the government have kept the fiscal deficit and price rise in check. "There is also macro-economic stability." Modi also sought suggestions on increasing income of farmers and fisherman. Talking about the investment climate in the country, he said several measures have been taken to increase the trust of investors in the economy. The prime minister said that foreign direct investment during April-September 2019 increased to $26 billion from $22 billion in the same period previous year, adding that this reflects confidence of foreign investors in India. The vision of the government, he said, is to ensure greater investment, better infrastructure, increased value addition and maximum job creation. In the coming days, the government is moving ahead with Rs 100 trillion infrastructure projects as the sector helps in pushing economic growth and job creation, Modi said. "We have taken many initiatives in industry, irrigation, social infrastructure, rural infrastructure, ports, and water ways. Among the things that will drive India's progress is next-generation infrastructure," Modi said adding that Stand up India, Start up India, Mudra schemes are adding prosperity in the lives of people. Further, he said the government is working on labour reforms and that too after consulting the labour unions. Attacking opposition parties, he said driven by politics, some states are not allowing farmers to benefit from the PM-Kisan scheme."I appeal to them - let there be no politics in farmers welfare. We all have to work together for the prosperity of farmers of India," he said adding agriculture budget has risen five times during this government's tenure. The Arvind Kejriwal led (AAP) has finally released its manifesto for the Delhi Assembly polls on Tuesday. Just 4 days before the voting begins. AAP's competitors in these elections, the and the had released their manifestos on Friday and Sunday, respectively. So heres a quick brief of what political parties are offering to win the electoral battle, whose results will be announced on February 11. Starting with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, which has mentioned 11,000 buses and 500-km metro network for better transportation, doorstep delivery of ration, some commercial areas to remain open 24X7 on a pilot basis, amnesty for old VAT cases, no raid raj, and legal protection to street vendors and hawkers within six months They have also promised pucca houses for slum dwellers, free travel for students, besides women in DTC Buses. And speaking of academics, patriotism curriculum and spoken English course in schools has been mentioned in their manifesto. According to a NETA App Survey report, Kejriwal despite falling behind his Deputy Manish Sisodia and two other party MLAs, has impressed the people with his performance in education and development. In case you dont remember, the formed the government in the 2015 assembly election with a landslide victory of 67 out of 70 seats. At that time, the BJP could win only 3 seats while the Congress was left with zero. Next is the Bharatiya Janata Party, which seems to have offered a bigger slice of their cake to women and girls from poor financial backgrounds. The list includes Rs 1 lakh bank deposit for girls from poor families when they turn 21. Also, Rs 51,000 to daughters of poor widows for their wedding. They have also assured scooty to college-going girls, bicycles if she is in 9th standard. For infrastructure, they have allocated Rs 10,000 crore and assured to build 10 new colleges, 200 schools. While the AAP has projected the turnaround in Delhi government schools as a major achievement, the opposition BJP has been critical of its performance and recently released videos showing some schools in a shabby condition. The BJP has also mentioned jobs to all contractual workers until the age of 58 with Delhi govt-run establishments and to facilitate conversion of leasehold to freehold for traders. Well, they have also promised to provide wheat flour to the poor at the price of Rs 2 per kg The on the other hand mentioned to provide free power up to 300 units, 100 units more than that of provided by the AAP party. Besides, the party has also promised to increase old age, widow pension from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000. Provide free education till doctorate to girl students and Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,500 monthly stipend to unemployed graduates and post-graduates, 33 per cent reservation to women in govt jobs, Rs 35,000 crore budget for unauthorised colonies and 25 per cent of the Budget spend to check pollution and introduction of 15,000 e-buses. Speaking of Delhis air quality, during AAP partys tenure, which they have popularised as Acche Beete 5 Saal the Odd-Even vehicle rationalising scheme was implemented thrice to curb air pollution and Kejriwal through advertisements claimed that levels of PM 2.5 (or particulate matters equal to or smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter) reduced to an average of 115 between 2016 and 2018 from an average of 154 between 2012 and 2014, which amounted to a 25 per cent reduction. However, both, the BJP and the Congress had slammed the AAP for what they called "misleading advertisements." Besides, the ruling party is also facing a determined assault from... To know more, listen to this podcast While Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has always been the undisputed leader and face of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), it is his right-hand man Manish Sisodia who is often been described as the de-facto chief minister of Delhi. This is because Sisodia enjoys an unmatched degree of power and trust within AAP and the Kejriwal government. This is evident from the number of, and kind of, heavyweight ministries he handles. Sisodia is the state Minister for Finance and Planning, Revenue, Power, Education, Information Technology and Administrative Reforms, among others. Despite his high political position, many feel that he ended up in that situation by accident. Son of a teacher, Sisodia was a journalist before joining activism and politics. Working for leading news organisations, Sisodia hosted the "Zero Hour" programme for All India Radio in 1996. He later worked for a television news channel as a news producer and reader. It was only in 2005 that Sisodia took up full-time activism. He worked with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) Kabir and Parivartan. Parivartan was secretly started by Kejriwal in 2000. The organisation, then led by close aide Sisodia, facilitated people whose pensions had been stalled by greedy government officers. Sisodia was with Kejriwal when the latter took a two-year leave from bureaucracy and focused on the fight against corruption. They then started a movement seeking the Right to Information (RTI) law. He was one of the few to draft the RTI Act along with Aruna Roy. Later, he helped in formation of Public Cause Research Foundation an NGO that campaigned for transparent, accountable and participatory governance. Also read: It's AAP vs BJP in the national capital; can Congress pull off a surprise? In 2011, he was one of the key members of the India against Corruption (IAC) movement led by activist Anna Hazare seeking the Jan Lokpal Bill. He helped draft the early version of the proposed legislation. Having failed to take the anti-corruption movement to its logical conclusion, Sisodia became one of the founding members of AAP in 2012. A year later, with limited resources, AAP took on the three-time chief minister Sheila Dikshit-led Congress government. AAP emerged as the second-largest party just three seats behind the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Sisodia became a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Patparganj. He holds the seat even today and is contesting to retain it again this time. Also read: Patparganj, New Delhi and beyond key battles playing out in the Capital While the first AAP government lasted only for 49 days, before Delhi was placed under Presidents Rule, a year later, AAP managed to win 67 out of the total 70 assembly constituencies in the national capital. Thats when Sisodia became the first Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi and was handed the command of critical portfolios. Over five years, admirers have highlighted his work in the field of education and radical upgrade of Delhi government schools. This has also been one of AAPs key poll planks. However, critics have dismissed this, claiming that Sisodia has failed to bring in any reform to school education in the Capital. Often called the number 2 of AAP, he was awarded the Champions of Change Award in 2019 for his contributions to the education sector. According to an IANS-Neta App survey released on February 3, Sisodia is the highest-rated political leader from the national capital going into the assembly polls. The poll suggests that Sisodia has been rated 4.3/5 by respondents on key parameters for work done in areas such as health and education. To put this into perspective: Kejriwal, on whose popularity AAP is contesting the election, has been rated 3.5/5 and is placed fourth. Also read | Manish Sisodia emerges as Capital's highest-rated MLA, CM Arvind Kejriwal 4th: Survey In his election affidavit, Sisodia has disclosed that he is facing one charge related to voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty under Section 332 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The charge was filed against Sisodia, Kejriwal and 11 others in 2018 for allegedly assaulting Delhis Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash at the chief ministers residence. Denying these allegations, those charged have accused the Centre of conducting a witch-hunt against the Delhi government that was elected with highest-ever mandate in Indias electoral history. Delhi heads for polling in a single phase on of February 8. Counting of votes will happen on February 11. New Delhi, Feb 6 : Amidst rising toll from the deadly coronavirus in China and the infection spreading fast, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday said that the outbreak of the deadly virus could impact tourist arrivals and global trade. The RBI said that the easing of global trade uncertainties should encourage exports and spur investment activity but the spread of coronavirus could hit foreign tourist footfall and global trade. Two major Indian carriers - Air India and IndiGo have already suspended their flights to and from China. With fear and apprehension growing around the spread of the virus, several countries have shut their borders for the Chinese citizens and also those who visited the country recently. India has also cancelled valid Visa to Chinese and also foreigners who visited China in the past few weeks to effectively contain the infections spreading in the country. Assessing the overall external economic environment in its sixth bi-monthly monetary policy, the central bank noted that crude oil and gold prices shot up in early January sparked by the US-Iran confrontation but both softened from mid-January as geo-political tensions eased. "By end January, crude oil prices dipped sharply due to sell-offs triggered by the outbreak of the coronavirus," the RBI said. In the wake of coronavirus turning into a major public health issue in China, many companies have temporarily shut down manufacturing in and around Wuhan, the epicentre of the deadly virus. This may affect supply chain across the region including India. The death toll due to coronavirus infection has touched over 500 in China and the number of infected persons is estimated to be around 28,000. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) The experts believe that Russian special services and pro-Russian Gamaredon APT group, in particular, use Ukraine as a test site for cyber attacks. "Russian attacks and approach to Ukraine are most likely to be the preparation for the fulfillment of other goals in the interests of the Government of the Russian Federation," head of SentinelLabs Vitali Kremez said. SentinelLabs prepared a report to highlight the escalation of cyber espionage attacks on strategic facilities in Ukraine. The SentinelLabs report indicates that Gameredon has already attacked 5,000 "unique facilities" in Ukraine. Hackers use modified malware for the Windows operating system. The program aims at collecting data, finding instructions for the remote control and monitoring server. As reported, the Security Service of Ukraine neutralized half a thousand cyber attacks on government bodies and infrastructure facilities last year. ol Daily deaths caused by the new coronavirus have reached another record level in China, with 73 fatalities confirmed in figures released by health authorities on Thursday morning, taking the countrys death toll to 563. The number of new infections in mainland China and the total within its central province of Hubei the outbreaks epicentre both fell on Wednesday compared with the day before. There were 3,694 additional cases in the country and 2,987 in Hubei, national and provincial health authorities announced on Thursday morning. The last time the rise in new infection figures slowed was January 28, after the daily increase in confirmed cases again rose on Tuesday 3,887 in China, of which 3,156 were in Hubei. There have been 565 confirmed deaths worldwide from the coronavirus since it first emerged at the end of December, and it has sickened more than 28,000. Permits to visit Taiwan suspended for Hong Kong, Macau Taiwan said on Thursday that it would suspend its online and landing visa services indefinitely for Hong Kong and Macau citizens, while non-citizens of Hong Kong and Macau with a history of travel to mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau are also to be barred from visiting. Beginning [midnight Thursday], we will suspend online and landing visa application services until further notice, announced Chiu Chui-cheng, vice-chairman of Taiwans Mainland Affairs Council, which sets the islands policies towards mainland China. Those with an urgent need to visit Taiwan need to apply to the self-governed islands representative offices in Hong Kong or Macau with proof of not having travelled to mainland China in the previous 14 days, Chiu said. The latest restriction of entry for people from those cities since the outbreak spread was necessary to protect Taiwanese people, Chiu said. Taiwan has raised its alert level for travel to Hong Kong and Macau to Level 2, indicating a potential risk; the highest alert is Level 3, advising against visiting unless strictly necessary. Story continues Taiwans Centres for Disease Control (CDC) had previously said that, beginning on Friday, people arriving from Hong Kong and Macau had to conduct home or hotel quarantine for 14 days after landing. Hong Kong and Macau citizens who already had valid Taiwan entry permits issued before Friday can still enter the island but must fulfil the 14 days quarantine. Several community-transmitted cases with unknown origin have occurred in Hong Kong, indicating the possibility of an invisible chain of infection, the Taiwan CDC said. A worker in the gambling industry in Macau has been diagnosed with coronavirus infection, indicating a second wave of infection in Macau. Cruise ships banned in Taiwan Taiwan has banned all cruise ships from docking at its ports, regardless of whether they have visited Hong Kong, Macau or mainland China after a Taiwanese woman was found to have been infected on a Japanese cruise ship. The woman was among 20 people on board the ship to have tested positive for the coronavirus infection. About 1,000 tourists disembarked from the ship, for a day trip to Taipei and New Taipei City, when it anchored at the northern port of Keelung on January 31, according to Taiwanese immigration authorities. Taiwans Tourism Bureau said tours to Hong Kong and Macau would be suspended until February 29. Taiwan reported two more cases of confirmed coronavirus infection on Thursday, bringing the total number to 13, as its first patient was discharged from hospital after making a full recovery. One of the new cases is a 40-year-old man who visited Wuhan on January 17 and developed symptoms a day after his return to Taiwan on February 2. The second is a 20-year-old woman who worked in Wuhan and returned to Taiwan on February 1, Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said. The woman was hospitalised on February 4 and was confirmed to have been infected on Thursday, he said. Chen said the 55-year-old woman who had previously tested positive for the virus had been escorted home by anti-epidemic team members after she was discharged from hospital on Thursday. Trade deal hitch Mainland media reported on Thursday that the outbreak could prompt China to consider triggering a disaster-related clause in the trade deal it signed with the United States last month. Global Times, a nationalist tabloid affiliated to Communist Party mouthpiece Peoples Daily, quoted an unnamed Chinese trade expert close to the government as saying a decision on launching a consultation with the US on the disaster clause was unlikely until the end of the first quarter. In a commentary published on Wednesday, the newspaper said: The phase one agreement clearly stated that the two parties would consult with each other, in the event that a natural disaster or other unforeseeable event outside the control of the parties delays a party from timely complying with its obligations under this agreement. Without doubt the epidemic fits this scenario. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said she had no information on the disaster-related clause. China announced on Thursday that it would halve some of the tariffs it imposed on American products late last year. 70 new deaths in Hubei epicentre Health authorities in Hubei reported 70 new deaths, a daily record, and 2,987 newly confirmed cases as of Thursday. This brings the totals announced by the provinces health commission to 549 and 19,665, respectively. Officials in Hubei had reported 65 fatalities and 3,156 newly confirmed cases on Tuesday. Some 1,766 of the new cases announced on Thursday were confirmed in Hubeis capital of Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have originated at a seafood and meat market. Diagnosis methods tested Health officials are racing to develop treatments and testing methods for the virus. Wuhan, ground zero of the outbreak, launched an emergency test laboratory on Wednesday. The Huo Yan Laboratory is designed to handle 10,000 samples each day to detect the virus. The lab is now under trial operation. It is expected to significantly increase the speed of virus testing so that suspected infections can be quickly detected and diagnosed. Clinical trial for remdesivir begins Experimental drug remdesivir moved closer to being approved for treatment as a stage-three clinical trial for the antiviral medication started in Wuhan on Thursday. Led by teams from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital and Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, the trial was set to involve 761 patients, of whom 308 had mild to average symptoms and 453 were in serious condition. Remdesivir was developed by US-based Gilead Sciences to treat Ebola but has been repurposed to treat the new coronavirus. It has not been approved by any country. Gilead Sciences has agreed with Chinas ministry of health to fully support clinical trials, including providing the drug for free to use in the trials, according to Beijing-based media group Caixin. The first coronavirus patient in the US was treated with remdesivir and his condition improved, according to his doctors in a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine last week. China has taken unprecedented measures to curb the spread of the virus, including travel restrictions for most of Hubei province, which has a population of more than 50 million. The travel lockdown and other orders have stirred debate globally over whether such steps would be effective and worthwhile relative to the disruption they pose for local residents and the economy. At a recent meeting of the Communist Partys inner circle, the Politburo Standing Committee, President Xi Jinping said local officials would be punished severely if they failed to heed Beijings orders to stop the virus from spreading. 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 Taiwan halts visas for Hong Kong and Macau citizens as coronavirus deaths reach 565 globally first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Joe Biden's third US presidential bid has been left hanging by a thread after a disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses. The former vice-president now heads for New Hampshire with a fretful donor base, low cash reserves and the looming threat of billionaire rival Michael Bloomberg and his unlimited personal wealth. In New Hampshire, Mr Biden put on a brave face, insisting he had a "good night" in Iowa even as he trailed the top moderate candidate, former mayor Pete Buttigieg, of South Bend, Indiana, and the leading progressive, Bernie Sanders, according to initial returns from 71pc of precincts. Mr Biden was running fourth, close to Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, who just days ago polled in single digits. That leaves some establishment Democrats, including some Biden supporters, questioning his contention that he'll reclaim clear frontrunner status in the race against President Donald Trump once the primary fight moves beyond overwhelmingly white Iowa and New Hampshire to more racially diverse electorates. And it's a reminder of how Mr Biden's previous presidential campaigns never advanced beyond Iowa. Expand Close In the running: Bernie Sanders speaks at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp In the running: Bernie Sanders speaks at a rally in Des Moines, Iowa "If he came in fourth, yeah, that could hurt," said Bill Freeman, a Biden donor from Nashville, Tennessee, who added that he hadn't even considered such a possibility heading into Monday's caucuses. "That's a bad night, no matter how you spin it." Most precarious for Mr Biden is that some of the would-be donors he could win over with a strong showing are giving new looks to Mr Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor whose entire strategy of sitting out the four early nominating states is pegged to the possibility that Mr Biden falters. Mr Bloomberg, one of the world's wealthiest men with a net worth approaching $60bn (54bn), isn't asking for money. He's simply looking for support that could cut off financial lifelines to Mr Biden, whose campaign reported just $9m cash on hand to start the year. That's patronage Mr Biden needs to remain competitive with Mr Buttigieg, as well as Elizabeth Warren and Mr Sanders, who have raised massive sums from small-dollar online contributors who have been far less generous to Mr Biden. Alex Sink, a Democratic donor who hosted Hillary Clinton in the 2016 race, said many donors are holding back, waiting to see how Mr Biden does. They are also keeping an open mind about Mr Bloomberg, whose campaign asked Ms Sink last week to attend an event in Tampa. "I was anxious to do it because, like so many others, I'm curious and interested and worried about who our candidate will be and how we are going to beat Trump," she said. "Most of my friends don't know yet who they are voting for." Biden aides have said for months that he didn't have to win in Iowa or on Tuesday in New Hampshire because he was better positioned in Nevada's February 22 caucuses, South Carolina's February 29 primary and a slate of March 3 primaries with more than a third of Democrats' national delegates at stake on a single day. That never meant, however, that Mr Biden could sustain a bad showing in Iowa and New Hampshire. The approach was also an expensive one, requiring deep campaign reserves to finance advertising and staffing in Nevada, South Carolina and delegate-rich states like California and Texas. Mr Biden has a campaign footprint across the March primary map, with paid staff or volunteer offices in 13 states. But his cash flow raises questions about how much he can bolster his existing operation. His uneasy financial situation is underscored by an affiliated super PAC that spent more on Iowa ads than the campaign itself, but still has struggled to raise money and has little left over after Iowa. "Will he have as much money as Bernie Sanders? Probably no. But it doesn't matter - all you need is enough gas to finish the race," said John Morgan, a Florida plaintiffs attorney and one of Mr Biden's top fundraisers. Mr Freeman and Mr Morgan agreed Mr Biden needs to finish in the top three in New Hampshire and ideally as the top moderate. That reflects what had been the hope of Mr Biden's team heading into Monday's caucuses. They didn't expect to win outright, but hoped they could emerge from Iowa as the clear alternative to Mr Sanders. On Thursday, Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Naravane revealed that there was an increase in the ceasefire violations as Pakistan was getting more desperate. Noting that the terrorist-initiated incidents in Jammu and Kashmir had witnessed a significant reduction in the previous 6 months, he stated that Pakistan was resorting to pushing more terrorists across the border despite the advent of the winter season. Furthermore, the COAS mentioned that most of these infiltration attempts have been foiled. Read: 2,335 Incidents Of Ceasefire Violation In Jammu Region From May Last Year To Jan This Year: Govt Manoj Naravane remarked, Well, the situation in the Valley is quite better. The number of incidents in violence has gone down. The stone-pelting incidents have gone down. The terrorist-initiated incidents have gone down whether it is grenade throwing, whether it is IED attacks or firings. We have seen a marked decline over the last 6 months. But that is true of the hinterland, where the terrorism was more. Read: US Names & Shames Pakistan For Persecuting Hindus, 'all-weather Friend' China Also Flayed He added, But, on the other hand, there has been an increase in the ceasefire violations on the LoC. And that was to be expected. Because he is trying his best to push across the terrorists who are there in the various camps and launch pads. Because of the winter, he is finding it difficult to push them across. And therefore, he is resorting to an increased number of violations at different parts of the LoC and trying to push them through to our side, but he has not been successful in that. We are responding in kind. Most of the infiltration attempts have been foiled. And as we have seen, he is now getting desperate to push them across. Read: Congress Scoffs At India's Readiness To Face Pakistan & China; Dares Govt To Take Back PoK '2,335 incidents of ceasefire violations between May 2019 and January 2020' Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday that there had been 2,335 incidents of ceasefire violations along the LoC in the Jammu region between May 30, 2019, and January 20, 2020. This was in response to a question asked by an MP of the Upper House. Furthermore, Naik stated that there had been 177 incidents of cross-border firing along the Indo-Pak International Border in Jammu since May 30, 2019, till January 20, 2020. Read: Taapsee Pannu Calls It 'mockery' After Centre Expresses Doubt About Women Army Commanders (With ANI inputs) 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. Ecoganik.com scored 47 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2.5/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 8 Jul 2014, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the ecoganik homepage on Twitter + the total number of ecoganik followers (if ecoganik has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the ecoganik homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the ecoganik homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the ecoganik homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if ecoganik has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the ecoganik homepage on StumbleUpon. 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Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND ANN ARBOR, Mich., Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The joint committee governing the American National Standards for drinking water treatment units recently lowered the maximum allowable concentration of lead in treated drinking water to 5 parts per billion. Standards 53 and 58 now require drinking water treatment units to reduce the lead in drinking water to 5 ppb or lessa 50% drop from the previous 10 ppband a threshold that matches Health Canadas new maximum allowable concentration level of 5 ppb. The new lead pass/fail criteria of 5 ppb has been published for NSF/ANSI 53: Drinking Water Treatment Units - Health Effects and NSF/ANSI 58: Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Treatment Systems. Previously, a water treatment system could be certified if it reduced lead to 10 ppb or lower and met other requirements set by the standard, such as material safety and structural integrity. These other requirements remain unchanged. Updates to both standards were published in December and are effective immediately for any new filter or filtration device claiming to reduce lead. To be certified by NSF International, drinking water filters and treatment devices are tested with challenge water containing 150 ppb lead, 10 times the U.S. Environmental Protection agencys action level of 15 ppb. In March 2019, Health Canada lowered the national regulatory maximum allowable concentration of lead in drinking water from 10 ppb to 5 ppb. The European Union has also proposed a revision to its Drinking Water Directive to lower lead concentrations to 5 ppb. The World Health Organization and other public health organizations have concluded there is no safe level of lead, and that even low concentrations can cause adverse health effects, especially for infants and children. The primary source of lead in drinking water is from use of lead pipe or lead-containing alloys in supply lines and premise plumbing, fixtures, fittings and solder. Given this widespread use, the cost of replacement and repair with non-lead contaminating materials can be cost prohibitive. Lead contamination of drinking water remains a critical issue, and regulations continue to be put into action to reduce the allowable level of lead in drinking water. Establishing this new pass/fail criteria of 5 ppb for NSF/ANSI 53 and NSF/ANSI 58 will further limit health risks associated with lead ingestion and provide an additional measure of public health protection, said Jessica Evans, Director of Standards Development at NSF International. Residential water treatment industry products have demonstrated the ability to reduce lead concentrations to a level at or below 5 ppb when tested by NSF in accordance with standard protocols. NSF/ANSI 53 and NSF/ANSI 58 and their updates are developed following the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) process designed to ensure openness, balance, consensus and due process for all stakeholders. The Drinking Water Treatment Units Joint Committee is comprised of stakeholders representing consumers, the water industry, and state and federal health and environmental agencies in the U.S. and Canada. The joint committee includes 28 voting members and 80 observers who offer input and expertise during the standard development process and is facilitated by NSF Internationals standards development group. As the final step in the standards development process, the standard is ratified by NSFs Council of Public Health Consultants, which includes representatives from the U.S. EPA, Health Canada and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). To schedule an interview with an NSF International expert on standards development or drinking water filtration, contact Fran LeFort at media@nsf.org or +1.734.773.4253. ### About NSF International In 2019, NSF International celebrated 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. NSF International is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center on Food Safety, Water Quality and Indoor Environment. Attachment WASHINGTON A Trump administration decision to bar New Yorkers from enrolling in trusted traveler programs will immediately affect 80,000 state residents who have pending applications, a federal Homeland Security official said Thursday. About 50,000 of the applicants were awaiting the final step an in-person interview before receiving documents that authorize expedited border crossings and international travel, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Now, none of those applications will be processed, the official said. The federal government also will stop New York residents from enrolling or re-enrolling in the programs. The changes will not affect the vast majority of New Yorkers who dont regularly cross the border or travel internationally. The new rules have no impact on those who travel within the United States. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security notified New York officials of the changes Wednesday in response to the states decision to block federal immigration officials from accessing motor vehicle records. The state stopped sharing Department of Motor Vehicle records over concerns the federal government would use the information to target undocumented immigrants. New York began issuing standard licenses to undocumented immigrants in December under the states new Green Light law. The licenses are not valid for federal identification purposes. Homeland Security officials say the states decision to block access to DMV records threatens public safety because federal officials cant use the records for criminal background checks and to determine if applicants for trusted traveler programs meet requirements. The federal decision will not affect New Yorkers enrolled in the Transportation Security Administrations PreCheck program that gives airline passengers expedited security screening at airports. And border crossings will still be allowed with a passport. Most of the federal trusted traveler programs affected by the change require members to re-enroll every five years. The Department of Homeland Security said about 175,000 New Yorkers re-enroll in the programs each year. Here are the programs where the federal government will no longer accept new applications or renewals from New Yorkers: Global Entry The U.S. Customs and Border Protection program allows pre-approved, low-risk travelers to receive expedited clearance when they arrive in the United States from international destinations. Global Entry members must pass background checks and in-person interviews before they are approved for the program. Members can pass through international border checkpoints with their Global Entry card and a passport or U.S. permanent resident card. They also must have their fingerprints verified by an electronic scanner. In some airports, travelers can use a Global Entry kiosk to speed their clearance. NEXUS This program allows members to have expedited processing when traveling between the U.S. and Canada. NEXUS members are given access to special processing lanes at designated northern border entry points. The NEXUS programs can also be used for those who travel by air at designated airports or who stop at designated marine reporting locations. SENTRI The Secure Electronic Network for Travelers Rapid Inspection (SENTRI) program gives expedited clearance to low-risk travelers who cross into the United States at the southern border. Card holders must pass the same rigorous background checks and in-person interviews as required by the Global Entry and NEXUS programs. FAST The Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program provides commercial truckers with expedited clearance at border crossings with Canada and Mexico. FAST enrollment is open to truck drivers from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. It gives drivers who pass background checks access to special lanes at northern border entry points in New York, Michigan and Washington state and at southern border entry points from California to Texas. About 30,000 commercial truck drivers in New York are enrolled in the program and will lose access when their enrollment expires. Read more Katko offers to help Cuomo resolve NY travel dispute with feds Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 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. Tamil Nadu has conveyed to Andhra Pradesh that it has not been in touch with South Korea's Kia Motors regarding the possibility of moving a plant out of Andhra's Anantapur district, said Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy Office on Wednesday. "Tamil Nadu government reaches out to Andhra Pradesh govt as their principal secretary industries called up his counterpart in AP and conveyed that the Tamil Nadu government has not been in touch with Kia, and has never discussed it. Further, the Tamil Nadu government and govt of AP have a good relationship," Chief Minister's Office said in a statement. The government's clarification comes after a media report, which said that Kia Motors is planning to shift its plant out of the Andhra Pradesh. According to the report, South Korea's Kia Motors is discussing with Tamil Nadu the possibility of moving a plant out of neighboring Andhra Pradesh only months after it fully opened. The Andhra Pradesh government had signed its first agreement with Kia Motors in April 2017 after which the construction of the plant began in November 2017. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government has also denied reports of Kia Motors shifting from the state. Rajath Bhargava, Special Chief Secretary, Industries, Investments and Commerce, Andhra Pradesh earlier in the day said, "News report of Kia Motors shifting from Andhra Pradesh is not true. KIA and the state government are working together. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 03:18:02|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close RAMALLAH, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is to address the UN Security Council (UNSC) next week over the U.S. Middle East peace plan, better known as the Deal of the Century, a senior Palestinian official announced Wednesday. Riyad Mansour, permanent representative of Palestine in the United Nations, told the official Voice of Palestine radio that Abbas will arrive in New York on Monday and address the UNSC on Tuesday. The senior Palestinian diplomat revealed that Palestine will submit a draft resolution to the UNSC. Meanwhile, Saleh Ra'fat, a member of the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee, told reporters that the draft resolution includes the rejection of the U.S. peace plan. "In case America vetoes the draft resolution in the Security Council, Palestine will go to the UN General Assembly," said Ra'fat. He expected the resolution to gain overwhelming majority support of the UN General Assembly, as well as "large condemnation of all Israeli measures." WASHINGTON In the wake of the Senate acquitting President Trump in an impeachment trial over his efforts to pressure Ukraine to investigate his political rivals including former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Republican senators are pressing ahead with their probes into the finances of Mr. Bidens son, Hunter Biden. Last year, the top Republicans on two Senate committees the Finance Committee and Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs requested documents from the Treasury Department related to Hunter Bidens business relationship with Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company, as part of an investigation into whether the Obama administration acted improperly to benefit Burisma. The request sought Suspicious Activity Reports and other documents involving Mr. Biden and 10 other individuals and companies. A spokeswoman for Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Finance Committee, said that Treasury has complied with the request after stonewalling many requests for information from Democrats pursuing investigations into the White House. Yahoo News first reported that Treasury complied. Applying a blatant double standard, Trump administration agencies like the Treasury Department are rapidly complying with Senate Republican requests no subpoenas necessary and producing evidence of questionable origin, Ashley Schapitl, the spokeswoman, said in a written statement. The administration told House Democrats to go pound sand when their oversight authority was mandatory while voluntarily cooperating with the Senate Republicans sideshow at lightning speed. COLUMBIA A Columbia lawmaker who supports former Vice President Joe Biden criticized Rep. Jerry Govans paid work for Democratic presidential candidate Tom Steyer on Wednesday. But Govan says Sen. Dick Harpootlians comments are disingenuous. A lot of what he said was not only disingenuous, it was not accurate, and I think its obviously as a result of what happened in Iowa and the fact that South Carolina has become center stage in the campaign, Govan said. I think it was an act of desperation trying to break the momentum of Tom Steyers efforts in the state. I think he was trying to use me as a target, he said. Govans earnings were published in Steyers Federal Election Commission report, which shows seven payments to The Govan Agency, LLC totaling $43,548.01. All payments were made under the description of community building services. Govan, an Orangeburg Democrat, said he does a lot of surrogate work for Steyer. I travel the country in support of Tom Steyer. Thats basically what it means, Govan said. I also provide advice to the campaign in terms of strategies, working with grassroots communities and things of that nature. Working with communities in terms of how to effectively move Tom Steyers message forward, Govan said. Harpootlian, a Democrat, is a surrogate of the Joe Biden presidential campaign. He tweeted about Govans work on Wednesday. Mr. Money Bags a.k.a @TomSteyer has paid S.C. State Rep. Jerry Govan almost $50,000 for a month worth of work? Is he pocketing the dough or redistributing the wealth? Harpootlian tweeted. Harpootlian also told The (Charleston) Post and Courier: He told me he was with Joe Biden until Mr. Moneybags showed up. This is what happens when billionaires get involved, whether its Donald Trump or Tom Steyer. They just buy things. They dont have to persuade anybody, they just buy them, he said. Fellow Steyer supporter Rep. Russell Ott, D-St. Matthews, also believes the approaching Feb. 29 Democratic primary was a factor in Harpootlians comments. Thats what I perceive to be going on with comments made by one of the senators toward one of the House members. Its not necessarily that he has a problem with it, I think youre just seeing advocacy on behalf of Joe Biden, and the reason youre seeing that right now is because the race is starting to even up, Ott said. Youve got Tom Steyer that is certainly gaining traction and gaining ground on the frontrunner, and so theyre not going to sit by and not do anything about that, Ott said. Ott said he is not performing paid work for the Steyer campaign. Harpootlians comments were condemned by the South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus Wednesday afternoon. Govan is chairman of the 45-member caucus. Several members of the caucus held a news conference about Harpootlians remarks, according to the Associated Press. They said Biden should distance himself from Harpootlian following the comments. We ask that he do it publicly, and that he do it now, House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford said, according to the AP. His refusal to do so will not go over well in the black community, and it certainly will not go over well with members of the Black Caucus that are standing behind me. Tiffiany Vaughn-Jones, a spokeswoman for the Steyer campaign, released a statement saying Govan received monthly payments of $10,000 dating back to September. The $43K amount is the amount Rep Govan was paid from Sept-Dec plus reimbursable expenses. Rep Govan's compensation is consistent with the salaries of other members of the team in South Carolina, the statement said. Govan said, At the end of the day, everything that transpired has been above board, and nothing was improperly done as far as my business relationships. He said, theres nothing illicit, or immoral, or improper about it. Im a consultant. I do consultant work, and Steyer is a client. Contact the writer: bharris@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-596-6530. Love 2 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 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. Bernie Madoff the mastermind of the biggest Ponzi scheme in history says hes dying of kidney disease and wants to be released from his life sentence, according to reports. The former businessman, 81, told The Washington Post in an article published on Wednesday that he is suffering from terminal kidney failure and hopes to be granted compassionate release so he can die outside of prison. Im terminally ill, he said in a phone interview with the outlet. Theres no cure for my type of disease. So, you know, Ive served. Ive served 11 years already, and, quite frankly, Ive suffered through it. Madoff was arrested in December 2008 on allegations that his company, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, had swindled billions of dollars from individuals, businesses and charities. Bernie Madoff | TIMOTHY A. CLARY/Getty Images RELATED: Bernie Madoffs Niece, Whose Family Lost Nearly Everything, Now Brings Hope to Kids with Cancer He pleaded guilty to 11 felony charges related to fraud, money laundering, making false statements and perjury. He was sentenced to 150 years in prison, which he started serving out in July 2009. His attorney, Brandon Sample, said Madoff has less than 18 months to live in a new motion filed on Wednesday, according to CNBC. Madoff does not dispute the severity of his crimes nor does he seek to minimize the suffering of his victims. Madoff has expressed remorse for his crimes, the filing read, according to the outlet. Now, after over ten years of incarceration and with less than 18 months to live, Madoff humbly asks this Court for a modicum of compassion. Madoffs attorney said in the filing that the U.S. Bureau of Prisons had previously recognized that Madoff meets the criteria for a reduction of sentence based on his end-stage renal disease, but denied the request for compassionate release, CNBC reported. Bernie Madoff | Mario Tama/Getty Images RELATED: Andrew Madoff: Ill Never Forgive My Father Story continues The new filing is asking a judge to overturn the decision for extraordinary and compelling reasons, according to CNN. The news outlet reported that Madoffs initial request for compassionate release was denied on December 5. Mr. Madoff was accountable for a loss to investors of over $13 billion, a rejection letter from a warden at the Butner Federal Correction Complex read, according to CNN. Accordingly, in light of the nature and circumstances of his offense, his release at this time would minimize the severity of his offense. Therefore, although he meets the criteria for a (compassionate release), his (reduction in sentence) request is denied. According to online records, Madoff is currently housed at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina. Madoffs attorney did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment, though Sample told Reuters that Bernard Madoff is a broken man, and had a lot of personal loss. 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. Thats not to diminish the impact of his crimes on his victims, but there are larger ideals at work when we consider whether to show compassion on someone in their final days, the attorney said. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman, whose office prosecuted Madoff, could not be immediately reached by PEOPLE. A restoration of divine details One of the most important paintings of the Northern Renaissance hasnt been quite itself for hundreds of years. Over the course of six centuries, large expanses of the Ghent Altarpiece polyptych, also known as the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, have been overpainted, mainly in the mid-16th century, to reflect the tastes of the time or to patch up damaged areas of canvas. Now, the lower register of the Ghent Altarpiece can be seen as the van Eyck brothers, Hubrecht and Jan, intended it in 1432, when the commission was completed for St. Bavos Cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. The cathedral also commissioned the current restoration of the entire altarpiece, which has occurred over a number of phases, this being the end of phase two. The lower register, now revealing the joyful details of the original, is on view in the Villa chapel in St. Bavos Cathedral. The lower register of the open Ghent Altarpiece polyptych in their restored frames, during the final retouching. (LR): The Just Judges, The Knights of Christ, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, The Hermits, and The Pilgrims. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) An Innovative Time for Art Jan van Eycks brother Hubrecht (circa 13851426) was originally commissioned in 1425 to create the altarpiece, but Jan (13901441) took over the task completely when Hubrecht passed away in 1426. Its not understood who painted what, but many assume the majority was painted by Jan. The van Eycks lived at a time when the early Italian Renaissance artists were paving the way for traditional Western art as we now know it. In Florence, Italy, Masaccio was beginning to introduce in his paintings solid figures full of emotive gestures and life, a move away from the rather two-dimensional Gothic style. Masaccio, inspired by his friend the architect Filippo Brunelleschi, used mathematics to pioneer single-point perspective in his paintings. Brunelleschi looked to ancient Roman architecture to revolutionize architecture. At the same time, Donatello was advancing sculpture. Far from Italy, Jan van Eyck didnt have Rome in his backyard, so he looked to life for his models, placing figures intuitively into compositions, while his Italian peers were placing them with mathematical precision. Detail of The Knights of Christ, during the final retouching. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) And while Italian painters continued to paint mainly with tempera, which uses egg to bind pigments, van Eyck preferred oil paints. Using oils gave artists more time to paint than tempera did, as oils dried slowly between each application of paint. And painting with oils also allowed more fluidity of the brushwork. Detail of the virgins during the final retouching. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) Van Eyck perfected the medium of oils. He painted layer upon layer of translucent glazes that allowed for exceptional blending and detailing. Such innovations allowed him to create glossiness and glimmers of reflected light, for example. His luminous figures were full of life, and the details of everyday life are so fine as to be minuscule. He also pioneered the three-quarter-view in portraits while most of his Italian peers used the profile-view in portraits. Detail of the martyrs during final the retouching. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) The Ghent Altarpiece shows these innovationshis brilliant legacyacross the 11 feet by 15 feet polyptych. These are just some of the reasons that the Ghent Altarpiece is deemed the masterpiece of all the works by early Flemish artists. Restoration Over the seven years that conservators worked together on the Ghent Altarpiece project, theyve gained an intimate understanding of the altarpiece and unique expertise, the international team of experts overseeing the project said in a press release. For the last three of those years, the conservation team from the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage has worked tirelessly on the lower register of the opened altarpiece to restore the four original panels painted by the van Eycks. The Just Judges, one of the panels, is a copy of the van Eycks painting. Jef van der Veken created it in 1945 to replace the panel that had been stolen in 1934. Conservators retouch the Ghent Altarpiece paintings for St. Bavos Cathedral, restoring them to their former glory. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) The conservators worked at the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent in a temporary studio, which was open to the public, allowing visitors a peek into much of the conservation process as it happened. Visitors could watch the painstaking peeling away of the old paint. We can see the extent of the overpainting on a conservators diagram of the lower registers central panel, which clearly shows in red, just how much of the composition was overpainted. A conservators diagram of The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb with overpainted parts shown in red. All the overpaints were removed during the restoration, revealing the original paint layer by the van Eycks. (KIK-IRPA, Brussels) Detail of the buildings on the horizon, before treatment. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) Detail of the buildings on the horizon during the final retouching. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) Only skilled hands and exceptionally keen eyes trained to differentiate between the varnish, overpaint, and the original paint could be trusted with such a delicate operation. The conservators looked through stereo microscopes while using surgical scalpels to chip the yellowed varnish and centuries-old paint away flake by flake, retouching paint where needed. A conservator patiently removes some of the centuries-old overpaint that obscured the original painting. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) Luckily for us, the van Eyck brothers original painting was well-preserved, with only five percent of the nearly 600-year-old original paint lost. Now, we can see how the brothers intended the Ghent Altarpiece to be. The Reveal The lower register depicts the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. On the altarpiece wings, we see different groups of people coming to adore the Lamb of God. On the left, the Knights of Christ (on the inner panel) arrive on horseback with the Just Knights not far behind (on the outer panel). On the right, pilgrims (on the outer panel) and hermits (on the inner panel) come on foot. The lower register of the open Ghent Altarpiece polyptych in their restored frames, during the final retouching. (LR): The Just Judges, The Knights of Christ, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, The Hermits, and The Pilgrims. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, during final retouching, along with its restored frame. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) The paintings are rich with symbolism. On the central panel, in the foreground is the Fountain of Life. At the center of the painting is the altar and the sacrificial lamb; the lambs open wound pours blood into a chalice, symbolizing the Eucharist. Detail of the lamb before treatment. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) Before the restoration, the face of the lamb was unremarkable, but after peeling back the layers of paint, the lambs face appears more human than animal. The eyes face forward, connecting calmly with the viewers. Medieval artists commonly depicted the Lamb of God with human eyes. Detail of the lamb during the final retouching. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) Van Eyck painted right down to the microcosm of what the human eye can see. Every little thing is rendered as if it were significant; even the stones on the ground have been granted great detailing. Its almost as if the painting is a hymn, a Hallelujah if you like, to each and every divinely created thing. Detail of the foreground during the final retouching. Even the stones are finely rendered, such was Van Eycks attention to detail. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) Detail of the vegetation before treatment. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) Detail of the vegetation during the final retouching. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) The lower register of the open Ghent Altarpiece polyptych in their restored frames, during the final retouching. (LR): The Just Judges, The Knights of Christ, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb, The Hermits, and The Pilgrims. (KIK-IRPA/Lukasweb.be-Art in Flanders vzw) Maybe this is how heaven will appear to us all. With our earthly concerns left behind, we may elevate to such a sense of awareness of each and every little thing. To find out more about the van Eyck brothers Ghent Altarpiece, visit SintBaafsKathedraal.be and cathedral visitors can learn more about the restoration from the exhibition: The Return of the Lamb. Kia said in a statement it has a long-term commitment to the Indian market and it aims to utilise the full capacity of its Andhra plant before considering further expansion. New Delhi: South Koreas Kia Motors is discussing with Tamil Nadu the possibility of moving a $1.1 billion plant out of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh only months after it fully opened, due to policy changes last year, sources close to the talks told Reuters. Kia inaugurated the Andhra plant, its first in the worlds fifth-largest car market, in December after two years of construction. It has an annual capacity of some 300,000 units and created 12,000 direct and indirect jobs. However, Kia is now in talks with the nearby state of Tamil Nadu, home to many major autoparts suppliers, about potentially relocating the plant, a senior state government official and a second source familiar with the discussions said. (Kia) are facing problems (in Andhra Pradesh), they have been in preliminary negotiations with us ... There is a secretary-level meeting next week, we might have more clarity then, the official told Reuters on Wednesday. Kia said in a statement it has a long-term commitment to the Indian market and it aims to utilise the full capacity of its Andhra plant before considering further expansion. We do not have any plans to shift the manufacturing facility from the current location, it said, without commenting on any policy concerns or talks with Tamil Nadu, which are at an early stage. Kia is being represented in the talks by executives at its sister company Hyundai Motor Co, which is Indias second-largest automaker and has all its car production facilities in Tamil Nadu, the state official added. Hyundai did not respond to a request for comment. The Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh chief ministers offices did not respond to requests for comment. Kia has been troubled by a new Andhra state law on local hiring and by the new state government wanting to review the incentives given out by the previous administration to encourage the company to set up the plant, the second source and a third person with knowledge of the discussions said. Moving the plant to Tamil Nadu could also help Kia in reducing logistics costs as it would bring it closer to some of its parts suppliers, the second source added. It was not immediately clear how swiftly Kia could move production lines from a plant in one state to another, or what sort of disruption that would entail. The sources declined to be named as the talks are private. State policy changes Kia started building the new plant in 2017 and formally inaugurated it in December, when it said the 23 million square foot facility would manufacture vehicles like its Seltos SUV for both the Indian and overseas markets. It said the facility would become a vital part of its global production network in the long-term. But considering relocation within months of the inauguration highlights the challenges foreign investors face while dealing with policy changes at federal or state level in India. Kia was caught off guard in July after the new state government in Andhra mandated companies to reserve 75 percent of all jobs for locals from the state, making it much harder for the company to find suitable employees, two of the sources said. Kia has also been unnerved by the new state governments bid to review certain financial incentivessuch as breaks on electricity tax and deferred land paymentsgiven to the company by the previous administration, one of the sources said. After taking control of Andhra in 2019, a new government has decided to review agreements signed with several companies, including from the renewable energy sector, sparking concerns among foreign investors around sanctity of contracts in India. The Japanese ambassador to India, given Japanese companies interest in the region, told Andhra Pradesh not to renegotiate renewables contracts as it would hit business sentiment in the region, a 7 August letter seen by Reuters showed. Prime Minister Narendra Modis government is separately working on a foreign investor protection law to safeguard against policy changes, Reuters has reported. This is a problem for all companies including Kia ... the cost of moving the plant would be too high and would set the company back by about two years and they have made huge investments, said one of the sources aware of Kias concerns. As concerns over the coronavirus escalate, External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar apprised about the evacuation of over 640 Indians from coronavirus-hit China. Over last weekend, Air India conducted two special flights to Wuhan in China, evacuating 647 Indians and seven Maldivians. The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in China crossed over 500 on Wednesday, as 65 more died in the Hubei province, RT reported citing Chinese state TV. Raveesh Kumar further stated that the complex evacuation operation was done with Beijing's assistance. He added that apart from those evacuated, 10 other Indians have indicated that they want to come back from China but were unable to clear the health screening process. "We've successfully carried out the evacuation of over 640 Indian nationals & seven Maldives nationals on 2 flights. It was a complex operation&we do appreciate the support and facilitation extended by the Government of China during this exercise," Kumar said. READ: Coronavirus: China lodges diplomatic protests over suspension of flights by international airlines 'Existing e-visas from China are no longer valid' The MEA further stated that the normal visas and all existing e-visas from China that have been issued are no longer valid. "All existing e-visas from China are no longer valid. Similarly, normal visas that have been issued are also no more valid. Those who have compelling reasons to visit India, they can contact our Embassy or the nearest consulates to apply for visa," he said. READ: Coronavirus outbreak: Virus evacuees arrive on Christmas Island People Travelling To China Henceforth Will Be Quarantined On Return Aviation regulator DGCA told airlines on Wednesday that any person who will henceforth travel to the country will be quarantined on return. Among Indian airlines, IndiGo and Air India have suspended all of their flights between the two nations. SpiceJet continues to fly on the Delhi-Hong Kong rout. In its circular to domestic as well as international airlines, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said, "People have already been advised to refrain from travel to China through an earlier advisory. People travelling to China henceforth will be quarantined on return." READ: Coronavirus outbreak: Malaysia confirms two new virus cases READ: Saudi Arabia bars citizens from travelling to China amid coronavirus outbreak (With Agency Inputs) But Mr. Trump did emphasize United States leadership with respect to Venezuela, and that is where the problem is. The administration taking up the cause so explicitly a year ago effectively made Venezuela a geopolitical pawn. It is no coincidence that Russias foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, will travel to Venezuela on Friday. The trip not only follows Mr. Trumps State of the Union address, it comes a week after Secretary of State Mike Pompeos visit to Ukraine and other former Soviet states. It is this Cold War redux that effectively undermined the series of negotiations sponsored by Norwegian diplomats from May to August last year. When the opposition, after two months, put the Maduro government on the spot with a concrete proposal, Mr. Maduro hedged in large part because he knew he could count on Russian support. Theatrical announcement of new sanctions by the national security adviser at the time, John Bolton, including a statement that the time for dialogue is over, gave Mr. Maduro the excuse he needed to pull out of negotiations. United States criticism of the negotiation process also emboldened opposition radicals who successfully pushed to end it. Despite Mr. Trumps show of support, at no time in the past year has Mr. Guaido been in a worse position to unify the opposition around the type of political actions that have led to democratic transitions in authoritarian places as diverse as Poland, South Africa and Chile. Not only have opposition radicals with completely implausible plans been emboldened, United States economic sanctions have worsened an economic crisis and migratory exodus and thereby undermined the possibility of opposition street protests. Thus the Venezuela conflict seems destined to be a repeat of the long-term standoff over Cuba that for over 50 years has provided a solid base for South Florida electoral mobilization but has done little for democracy and human rights in Cuba itself. The only way this trajectory could be altered would be through a significant realignment of international forces and policies surrounding Venezuela. The European Union is the only global power that could conceivably challenge the geopolitical confrontation that holds the Venezuela conflict in place. There is little chance that the Trump administration would seek such a change between now and November. By simply carrying on with the current policies toward Venezuela, he will likely secure the crucial Latino vote in Florida. Democrats could begin to formulate an alternative Venezuela policy, however. Rolling back or significantly reformulating economic sanctions could provide relief to the population. Engaging the European Union and countries in the region to impose sanctions multilaterally on Venezuelan government officials could make them more effective. And engaging Russia, China and Cuba in the solution to the Venezuelan conflict could actually be fruitful. Perhaps most important would be a golden bridge that could encourage Mr. Maduro to give up power peacefully, as the former Colombian president and Nobel Prize winner Juan Manuel Santos suggested. Nobody in conflict offers their head on a platter. Only a plan that ensures a viable and attractive exit for Chavismo could provide them with a reason to let go. Sure, its been an unseasonably warm winter. However, a number of Upstate waterways have frozen in recent weeks and ice anglers have gotten out when safe conditions allow. The following photo gallery of impressive catches shared by readers. More will be added as they come in. Justin Ramos, of Herkimer, N.Y. holds up a beefy, 41-inch northern pike he caught through the ice while fishing on Delta Lake in Oneida County. He said he caught it on a shiner from Hometown Bait and Tackle, a bait shop in Marcy. Kerrianne Belline, right, of Olmstedville, N.Y. holds a 43-inch northern pike she caught through the ice on a small Adirondack Lake in Essex County on Super Bowl Sunday. Friend Jason Rogers is also pictured. Read more about this catch: https://www.newyorkupstate.com/adirondacks/2020/02/ny-angler-lands-monster-northern-pike-on-super-bowl-sunday-video.html Photos should be sent to outdoors writer David Figura at dfigura@NYup.com. The angler who caught the fish must be in the photo. Include the anglers full name, where he or she is from, where and when the fish was caught -- and on what. A smiling Andy Wengender, of Webster, N.Y,, holds up a 40.5-inch northern pike he caught through the ice at Wilson Harbor off Lake Ontario in Niagara County. using a chub as bait. Photo courtesy of Niagara Falls USA Fishing Forecast. A happy Shane Muckey of Altmar, N.Y., with a 12-pound walleye he caught through the ice on Chaumont Bay on Lake Ontario. Allen Moore, of Ticonderoga, N.Y. caught this nice lake trout through the ice at the northern end of Lake George using a Ross Custom Bait Gobi, he said. Steve Zehr, of New Hampshire, with his 41-inch tiger muskie caught while ice fishing on Beaver Lake in Herkimer County. Mike Bean, of Ogdensburg, N.Y. recently his caught a 16-inch crappie, left, on the St. Lawrence River near Alexandria Bay. The other crappie he's holding measured 12 inches. He wrote: "Caught them on a small , one-inch hand-painted spoon tipped with spikes (maggots)." He said the 16-incher weighed 2.2 pounds on an official scale. "It was my personal best crappie," he added. Cameron Ackerknecht, 14, caught this impressive 14.5-inch crappie on a waterway in Stillwater, N.Y. in Saratoga County. The fish was released after this photo was taken. Oleg Montik, of Utica, caught this 22-inch, 3.8 pound walleye through the ice on Oneida Lake on Feb. 1 using a tip-up rigged with a buckeye emerald shiner. Moses Verenich, of Utica, landed and released this impressive 44-inch northern pike (19.3 pounds) ice fishing on Delta Lake in Oneida County on Christmas Eve. Marc Escobar, of Swan Lake, holds up a nice brown trout he reeled in through the ice on Big Pond in Ulster County. He said he caught it on a live minnow. Teaghyn Klino, 4, of North Rose, holds up a nice perch she caught on Sodus Bay through the ice. Her father, Josh Klino wrote: "I was out setting tipups for pike when I heard: 'Daddy, I caught a biggggggg one.'' Sure enough, seconds later she came out of the shanty with a 13" perch weighing 1.12 lbs. She set the hook, and reeled it in All by herself. It was caught on a small football jig tipped with a Rosey red minnow. Daddy(me) is getting her a replica mount done as this is an extremely memorable fish for her and I both." Alec McLean holds up an impressive landlocked salmon he caught on Lake Colby just outside the village of Saranac Lake in Franklin County. "I've caught and released some massive salmon this year through the ice." He said all were caught on tip-ups using fathead minnows as bait. Scottie Ray Law Jr., with an impressive crappie he caught on Lake Lake. It is currently the leader in the crappie division in the New York Winter Fishing Classic fishing tournament. It was caught it on a jig tipped with perch minnow. Brian Hammond, of Cicero, landed this impressive walleye fishing through the ice on Oneida Lake. He wrote: "Caught on the north shore on a #5 jigging rap was about 4 lbs and didnt get a tape on it. Beautiful fish." We agree. Zach Eason with a nice walleye he caught recently off Herricks Shoal in Chaumont Bay on Lake Ontario on a slab rap. Kaelynn Nicole Bice, 10, holds a big northern pike she caught in the St. Lawrence River in the Thousand Island area on a tip-up baited with a shiner minnow. Joe Young, of Cicero, wrote the following about this impressive brown trout he caught ice fishing off Sylvan Beach on Oneida Lake: "Slow day out from east side, then this happens. What a blast. Lucky to land it through all the shelf ice. Thing smashed a #7 rap with a bare treble. Always wanted a trout through the ice!" Young said he didn't measure it and released the fish after this photo was taken. Jacqueline McManus, of Mexico, N.Y. in Oswego County, landed this impressive yellow perch through the ice over the weekend on Lake Ontario. "It was wider than the bucket, but we never measured it," she said. She called it "Perchzilla." Hunter Shafer, of LaFargeville, N.Y. holds up a nice 27-inch walleye he caught on the St. Lawrence River near Lake Ontario on a tip-up. It weighed 7.12 pounds, he said. Don Therre, of North Syracuse, had a good day on Oneida Lake. He wrote: "Ice fishing gods were good to me today. I caught 35 perch and kept 25 to eat. I also caught 2 nice walleyes" Tom Beane with a nice northern pike he landed through the ice at Braddock Bay, a small bay of Lake Ontario located in Monroe County northwest of Rochester. Randy White, of Java, N.Y. with a 37-inch pike he caught on a tip- up on Silver Lake in Wyoming County. Dan White caught this 15-inch perch while ice fishing on an undisclosed Finger Lake. It weighed 2.24 lbs and is a leader in the perch category of the NY Winter Classic Fishing Tournament. Joseph Judge of Spencer, N,Y. up an estimated 23-inch walleye he caught through the ice on Oneida Lake off of Sylvan Beach. Ryan Fifield with a nice northern pike he caught through the ice on Scott's Lake in Washington County using a tip-up and a live sucker as bait. Troy Ray McMullen, of Auburn, N.Y., with a nice catch of walleye. He wrote: "All caught last week on Oneida Lake using Rapala jig raps." Joe Saltalamachia, of Unity, Maine, wrote: "Here's another photo for you. 6.43 pounds, 26, male, caught on Herrick Shoal at Chaumont Bay (on Lake Ontario), last week. I traveled from Central Maine, 10 hours, to fish world class walleye. "They didn't bite hard, however. They did bite enough that I'll be back." Nikolas Webster, of Delmar, N.Y., with a nice northern pike he caught on the Great Sacandaga Lake on a live sucker. Veronica Webster, of Delmar N.Y., with a northern pike she caught on the Great Sacandaga Lake on a live sucker. Crystal Taylor, of Comstock, N.Y., holds up a 34 1/2-inch northern pike she landed while ice fishing on Lake Champlain. Gregory Sweet, of Round Lake, N.Y., holds up a lunker largemouth bass he caught and released through the ice on Round Lake in Saratoga County. He wrote: "The fish was caught on a tip-up with a medium-sized shiner at the very end of the day." Billy Seivert caught this 35-inch northern pike on Great Sacandaga Lake. Erica Bailey, of Fabius, N.Y., holds her first northern pike caught through the ice. She said she was jigging a spoon on Lake Ontario near Oswego. Natasha Maldonado, of Binghamton, caught this 33 inch northern pike through the ice while fishing on a pond in Port Crane, N.Y. in Broome County using live bait. Racheal Fonseca, of Watage, N.J. with a pickerel she caught through the ice from a lake in Sullivan County. it was her first time ice fishing. Dylan Lyon, of Boonville, N.Y., with a 43 1/2 inch northern pike he caught on Delta Lake in Oneida County. Thomas Phillips with a 10-pound, 14- ounce walleye he caught through the ice on the Raquette River. Cody Brothers caught this 42-inch northern pike on Privet Pond in Port Crane, N.Y. in Broome County on a medium shiner. Angel Carter, left, caught her 24-inch northern pike with a medium shiner on a tip up on Black Lake, NY. Justin Jerdo, left, caught his 20-inch northern using a jig and a perch minnow. Eric Huppert caught this walleye on Great Sacandaga Lake. "Was my first walleye ever!!" he said. MORE: NY angler lands monster northern pike on Super Bowl Sunday (video) NY freshwater fishing generates more than $2 billion annually to states economy NYs 2019 hunting seasons safest on record (See complete summary of accidents) Winter drift boat fishing on Salmon, Oswego rivers: 10 things to know WASHINGTON Venezuelas opposition leader, Juan Guaido, has long hoped to land a meeting with President Trump that would demonstrate the United States support for his claim to being the countrys rightful president. He struck out when he and Mr. Trump were both in Davos, Switzerland, last month, and then again when they were both in South Florida last weekend. The near misses fueled speculation that Mr. Trump had lost interest in supporting the chief rival of Venezuelas leftist president, Nicolas Maduro, with whom Mr. Guaido had been locked in a yearslong political stalemate. But Mr. Guaidos visit to Washington this week more than made up for those disappointments when Mr. Trump gave him two moments in the spotlight that could lift him at home. First Mr. Trump hosted Mr. Guaido at his State of the Union address on Tuesday night and in his speech delivered one of his most forceful endorsements of the opposition, describing Mr. Guaido as the true and legitimate president of Venezuela and promising that Mr. Maduros grip on tyranny will be smashed and broken. OKLAHOMA CITY - The man arrested for driving into a group a high school cross-country runners in suburban Oklahoma City, killing two and injuring four was talking to himself and spoke of his son, killed in an auto crash the day before, a man who spoke with him moments after the crash said Wednesday. Joe Gonzales said he went to Townsends truck after it stopped Monday afternoon in the street outside Gonzales home about three blocks from where the Moore High School students were struck. Gonzales, 62, said he was babysitting his grandson when he went outside after hearing something crash into his sons car in the yard outside his home and stayed with Townsend until police arrived. He was just talking to himself, looking for his phone, and said I just lost my son, according to Gonzales. Townsends son, Cody Townsend, died in an auto accident Sunday in Moore, according to police. Townsend, 57, is jailed on charges of manslaughter and failing to stop and render aid. Police have said they suspect alcohol was a factor, according to Sgt. Jeremy Lewis, but results from toxicology tests were pending. Jail and court records do not list an attorney who could speak on Townsends behalf and his daughter, Cortney Townsend declined to speak about the crash when contacted by The Associated Press. I just dont think right now is a good time, to talk, Cortney Townsend said. Phone calls to the Cleveland County District Attorneys Office, which was closed Wednesday because of snow in the area, were not immediately returned. Students Yuridia Martinez and Rachel Freeman died of injuries suffered when they were struck by the truck. We are living in a horrible dream that we cant wake up from, the family of Martinez, 16, said in a statement Wednesday released through the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. This is so difficult. We miss her very much. Please continue to pray for us, for Yuridia and for the children and families suffering this loss, the statement said. Students Kolby Crum, Joseph White, Shiloh Hutchinson and Ashton Baza were injured. Crum, White and Hutchinson remained hospitalized Wednesday, Crum in critical condition, White in fair condition and Hutchinson in good condition, according to University of Oklahoma Medical Center spokeswoman April Sandefer. ___ Associated Press researcher Rhonda Shafner contributed to this report from New York. [February 06, 2020] Mexico General Insurance to 2023 - In-Depth Market Analysis, Information and Insights - ResearchAndMarkets.com The "Mexico General Insurance: Key trends and Opportunities to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Summary The 'Mexico General Insurance: Key Trends and Opportunities to 2023' report provides in-depth market analysis, information and insights into the Mexican general insurance segment. This report provides a detailed outlook by product category for the Mexican general insurance segment. It provides values for key performance indicators such as written premium, loss ratio and general insurance penetration during the review period (2014-2018) and forecast period (2018-2023). The report gives a comprehensive overview of the Mexican economy and demographics, and provides detailed information on the competitive landscape in the country. The report brings together the research, modeling and analysis expertise, giving insurers access to information on segment dynamics and competitive advantages, and profiles of insurers operating in the country. The report also includes details of insurance regulations, and recent changes in the regulatory structure. Key Highlights Key insights and dynamics of the Mexican general insurance industry. Comparison of Mexican general insurance segments, along with premium trends and key profitability ratios. A comprehensive overview of the Mexican economy, government initiatives, investment opportunities and enterprise structure. Mexican insurance regulatory framework's evolution, key facts, taxation regime, licensing and capital requirements. Meican general insurance industry's market structure giving details of retail and commercial lines of business. Details of the competitive landscape, M&A and competitors' profiles. Scope This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the general insurance segment in Mexico It provides historical values for the Mexican general insurance segment for the report's 2014-2018 review period, and projected figures for the 2018-2023 forecast period. It offers a detailed analysis of the key categories in the Mexican general insurance segment, and market forecasts to 2023. It profiles the top general insurance companies in Mexico, and outlines the key regulations affecting them. Reasons to buy Make strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to the Mexican general insurance segment, and each category within it. Understand the demand-side dynamics, key market trends and growth opportunities in the Mexican general insurance segment. Assess the competitive dynamics in the general insurance segment. Identify growth opportunities and market dynamics in key product categories. Key Topics Covered: Chapter 1 Executive Summary Chapter 2 Economy Overview Chapter 3 Summary Trend and KPIs Penetration and Growth Consumer Segment and Retention Premiums and Profitability Chapter 4 Regulatory Risk Evolution Key Facts Licensing Requirements Chapter 5 Key Trends by Lines of Business - Retail and Commercial Lines of Business By Consumer Segment Commercial Line of Business Retail Line of Business Chapter 6 Key Trends by Lines of Business - KPIs, Market Share and Concentration Property Insurance Motor Insurance Liability Insurance Financial Lines Insurance Marine, Aviation and Transit Insurance Personal Accident Insurance Health Insurance Other Insurance Chapter 7 Distribution Overview Chapter 8 Competitive Landscape Chapter 9 Competitor Profiles Chapter 10 Insurtech Chapter 11 Appendix Companies Mentioned Grupo Nacional Provincial Qulitas, Compaa de Seguros Axa Seguros Chubb de Mxico, Compaa de Seguros Seguros Banorte Generali, Grupo Financiero Banorte Seguros Inbursa, Grupo Financiero Inbursa MetLife Mxico Mapfre Mexico Seguros Atlas HDI Seguros For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/74mge3 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005450/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday refuted reports that South Korean auto major Kia Motors was seeking to relocate its car manufacturing plant from Anantapuramu district to neighbouring Tamil Nadu with ministers blaming "vested interests" behind the "rumour-mongering." The AP administration said the state and the auto major were continuing their partnership. "Kia Motors and Andhra Pradesh are continuing their strong partnership with Kia planning to ramp up their production capacity in the state from 2 lakh to 3 lakh units per annum by the end of this year or earlier," Industries Special Chief Secretary Rajat Bhargava said. The AP government enjoyed a cordial relationship with Tamil Nadu. "The Principal Secretary to Government, Industries Department of Tamil Nadu, has conveyed that they are not in talks with Kia Motors and that there were no discussions between the two parties in this regard," Bhargava added in a statement. Opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh, however, lambasted the YSR Congress government and alleged the investment climate in the state has been totally vitiated in the last eight months driving prospective investors away, pushing the future of unemployed youths into jeopardy. Some bureaucrats said the reports "though baseless" had done "enough damage" to the investment climate as well as the state's image as a preferred destination. Kia had opened its first Indian plant in Anantapuramu district only in December last year. "Vested interests are behind creating rumour-mongering and trying to divert attention from the industrial progress the state is making," AP Industries Minister Mekapati Gowtham Reddy said in a statement. "After the online reports came to my notice, I spoke to Kia Motors' representatives and they too expressed shock as to how such baseless rumours were being circulated in the online social media platforms in the very first place," he added. Terming the reports false, Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath said action needs to be taken against those circulating such fake "It is very damaging that such irresponsible reports are being circulated in a section of the media and the social media to mislead the people. Kia management has categorically refuted the reports," Rajendranath said in another statement. While Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu said Kia was trying to leave the state unable to bear the the ruling YSRC leadership "harassment," Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan slammed the government's "lopsided" polices. The TDP chief alleged that the state lost Rs 1.80 lakh crore worth industrial investments ever since the Jagan Mohan Reddy government came to power in May last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Maharashtra government is considering allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) into the housing sector, state minister Jitendra Awhad said here on Thursday. The Housing Minister exuded confidence that the government will sign at least one such agreement in the next three months. Awhad also said that the Prince of Dubai will visit Mumbai next week or within a fortnight and the government will try to bring investment from there to the Maharashtra capital. "We are thinking about allowing FDI (in the housing sector)," Awhad told reporters here. The minister said the government is considering to seek 15 per cent to 20 per cent equity in case any foreign firm approaches the government willing to invest 100 per cent in any project. Seeking equity will assure the investing firm the government's support to such projects through clearances, he added. "I am sure we will sign at least one such agreement in the next three months," Awhad said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Since the beginning of February 5, seven violations of the ceasefire regime from the side of the Russian occupation troops were spotted in Joint Forces Operation area (JFO), as JFO HQ reports. The occupants shelled the positions of the Ukrainian military from different automatic grenade launchers and machine guns near Novotroitske (twice), Shyrokine (one time), Mariinka (one time). From similar weapons were attacking positions near the village Pisky. In the Luhansk region, the militants attacked Ukrainian soldiers near Orikhove (four times) and used 120mm mortars prohibited by Minsk agreements. Later, nearby Shastya opened fire from an anti-tank missile system. Ukrainian military did not suffer As we reported, The decision was made to create the Ministry of Occupied Territories, according to the task of the president of Ukraine Also, the Ministry of Veteran Affairs, Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs will be separated and future Reintegration Ministry might be headed by profile vice premier. HUNTSVILLE, Texas - A Dallas man was executed Thursday evening for a shooting in which he killed his wife, two children and two other relatives during a drug-fueled rage nearly 18 years ago. Prosecutors say Abel Ochoa was high on crack cocaine and looking for money to buy more drugs when he started shooting inside his home in August 2002. Ochoa, 47, was pronounced dead at 6:48 p.m., 23 minutes after receiving a lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for the slayings of his wife, Cecilia, 32, and his 7-year-old daughter, Crystal. He also killed his 9-month-old daughter, Anahi; his father-in-law, 56-year-old Bartolo Alvizo; and his sister-in-law, 20-year-old Jacqueline Saleh, and seriously injured his sister-in-law Alma Alvizo. I want to apologize to my in-laws for causing all this emotional pain, Ochoa said, strapped to the death chamber gurney and looking at several of his victims relatives who watched through a window a few feet from him. I love yall and consider yall my sisters I never had. I want to thank you for forgiving me. As the lethal dose of the powerful sedative pentobarbital began, Ochoa closed his eyes and had no visible reaction. Jonathan Duran, who watched Ochoa die, said he accepted Ochoas apology. I accepted the fact as a child, at 12 years old, when I buried my mother, my sisters, my aunt and my grandfather, Duran said. Nothings going to bring them back. Its up to us to keep their memory alive, rebuild what we lost. I cant ever replace my mother or my sisters. After 17 years, me, my family, .. the whole tree. We can finally say we got closure, we got justice. Ochoa was the second inmate put to death this year in Texas and the third in the U.S. Seven other executions are scheduled in the next few months in Texas, the nations busiest capital punishment state. The execution was carried out after the U.S. Supreme Court turned down a request by Ochoas attorneys to halt it. They wanted a review of whether his rights were violated because he initially wasnt allowed to film a prison interview with his legal team for his state clemency petition. A Texas appeals court this week turned down a different request for a stay on claims that there were problems with paperwork related to Ochoas death warrant. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles also turned down a clemency petition. Ochoas attorneys said in court documents that his death sentence should be commuted to a life sentence because of his deep and sincere remorse. Ochoas trial attorneys had described him as a hard-working, law-abiding citizen whose life unraveled amid a 2 1/2-year addiction to crack. Ochoa spent up to $300 a week on cocaine and took out loans to support his drug habit. At one point, he underwent treatment at a drug rehabilitation centre, but then continued to use cocaine, according to court documents. Ochoa had gone 10 days without using cocaine leading up to the shootings. Desperate for the drug, he persuaded his wife to take him to buy crack. After returning home, he smoked the drug in his backyard. While I was lying on the bed my body started wanting more crack. I knew if I asked my wife for more money to buy some more crack she wouldnt let me have it, Ochoa said in his confession to police. Ochoa told police he grabbed his 9mm handgun, walked into the living room and started shooting until he ran out of bullets. He then went and got more ammunition and returned to the living room, where his 7-year-old daughter was still alive, he said. Crystal saw me with the gun and she started running away. I chased after her and I shot her, Ochoa said. Police later arrested him at a shopping centre after he tried to get money from an ATM. At trial, Ochoas attorneys argued that he shot his family in a cocaine-induced delirium and had brain damage from drug abuse. Ochoa testified that he didnt remember shooting his family. Howard Blackmon, one of the Dallas County prosecutors who tried the case, said he argued that Ochoa killed his family in frustration and anger. Its just a horrendous set of circumstances for a parent just to murder, gun down their own children, said Blackmon, who is now a criminal defence lawyer in Dallas. Alma Alvizo testified that Ochoa had become aggressive toward his wife after learning she had a son from a previous relationship. Alvizo said her sister told her Ochoa had pointed a gun at her three weeks before the killings. ___ Lozano reported from Houston. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 The Imo State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the recent fire outbreak at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Orlu Local Government Area of the state. The party described the fire outbreak at the INEC office as a major characteristic associated with the All Progressives Congress. Also Read: Uche Secondus Under Pressure To Resign As PDP National Chairman PDP in a statement released through its spokesperson, Damian Opara, claimed that the ruling party is known for political brigandage and other social vices that have negative commentary on the state in the last eight years of the partys misrule. The party called on the security agencies in the state to investigate the incident and make sure that the perpetrators face the wrath of the law no matter how highly placed the individual is. As coronavirus death toll nears 500, Chinese President Xi Jinping has reportedly called for strong legislative measures and greater judicial and law enforcement efforts to strengthen the capacity to carry out law-based epidemic prevention and control. The government must report information on the virus outbreak in a timely manner and authorities must prevent the epidemic from spreading, Chinas news agency quoted Jinping. Jinping further added that the government will crack down on rumour-mongering related to the coronavirus. Chinas President has been noticeably absent from the public view since the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus which has been declared as a global health emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Experts on Chinas politics have reportedly claimed that the Communist Party wants to shield President Jinping from the brunt of public outrage. The propaganda apparatus has been trying to divert the focus from Jinping and make other officials of Wuhan as the fall guys. According to media reports, Beijing may throw Chinese Premier Li Keqiang under the bus since he has been majorly sidelined in recent years. Read: Chinese Lab Claims Patent For US Drug To Treat Coronavirus Patients 'An emergency for China' Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus briefed the executive board members on the coronavirus outbreak. Calling it first and foremost an emergency for China, Ghebreyesus underlined that 99 per cent of the cases were in China while 97 per cent of deaths reported were in Hubei province. Read: Malaysian, Korean Coronavirus Cases Linked To Singapore Business Gathering WHO Director-General said that they continue to work closely with the Chinese government to support its efforts to address the outbreak at the epicentre. He added that a global research meeting will be convened next week to identify research priorities in all areas, from identifying the source of the virus to developing vaccines and therapeutics, of the coronavirus outbreak. We call on Member States to: 1 share detailed information on the #2019nCoV with @WHO 2 not impose restrictions inconsistent with the International Health Regulations 3 facilitate public-private collaboration for the development of tools to end the outbreak#EB146 Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) February 4, 2020 Read: Instagrammer Charged With Mischief After Faking Coronavirus On Plane Read: 'US, China Working Closely Against Coronavirus Outbreak', Says Donald Trump (With inputs from agencies) The Montana Water Rights Protection Act was recently introduced to the U.S. Senate as an amendment and fix to the flawed 2015 Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Water Compact. Senator Dr. Al Olszewski of Kalispell, who is running for Montana State Governor, will not quit fighting for everyones rights. Senator Dr. Al understands. He is courageously offering a new solution. The solution to forego any sort of fix and to immediately create a Montana water rights defense fund. State sovereignty is clearly under siege. Citizens across our great state fear CSKT off-reservation water claims. To allay this fear, U.S. Senator Steve Daines-R and Representative Kerry White-R Bozeman, console off-reservation citizens of Montana by stating The MWRPA protects the water rights of all Montanans and requires the CSKT to permanently relinquish 97 percent of all water rights claims, forever. Unfortunately, this statement is completely false, dare I say fraudulent! CSKT corporate minutes approved Jan. 7, 2020, reveal shocking insight. Tribal water rights attorney Rhonda Swaney stated, We did not give up 97 percent of our water. The MWRPA will ratify the (2015) compact and the tribal water rights in the (2015) compact. If we accept the settlement under the MWRPA, the Tribes would convey to the state co-ownership of the states upper Flathead Basin Rights, but the Tribes retain the same amount of water. Co-ownership is not giving up 97 percent of the water! Enough with political half-truths! Please endorse Senator Dr. Al for Governor and Senator Bogner for Lieutenant Governor this year. Outspoken actor, Yul Edochie has revealed that catholic priests should be allowed to get married, as against the churchs doctrine. Rec... Now that Im older and wiser, I believe its best for Catholic priests to be allowed to get married. DONT ASK ME WHY! Yul Edochie (@YulEdochie) February 6, 2020 Outspoken actor, Yul Edochie has revealed that catholic priests should be allowed to get married, as against the churchs doctrine.Recall that back in November 2019, a court in Argentina sentenced two Catholic priests to more than 40 years in prison after they sexually abused deaf children at a church school.On Thursday, Edochie took to his Twitter handle to weigh in on the issue, stating that becoming older and wiser has allowed him to see reason in allowing married men to be priests.Now that Im older and wiser, I believe its best for Catholic priests to be allowed to get married. Dont ask me why! the 38-year-old-wrote.He had earlier criticized the practice of sex-for-movie roles, which he claimed has wrecked men in Nigerias film industry, having earlier claimed that he has a calling to serve God.In June 2019, Edochie noted that he repented, after narrating how he miraculously escaped death in a ghastly auto crash. A new case of coronavirus was announced in Wisconsin on Wednesday, bringing the total number of patients testing positive for the pneumonia-like illness in the United States to 12. There are also six cases in California, two in Illinois and one each in Arizona, Massachusetts and Washington state, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (See the map above for locations with confirmed cases.) The adult patient in Wisconsin has been isolated at home after testing positive for the coronavirus Wednesday morning. The unnamed person came to the University of Wisconsin Hospital emergency room in Madison to be evaluated, said Dr. Nasia Safdar, director of infection control at UW Health. Those who came into direct contact with the infected person are also being evaluated. The patient, who has a history of traveling to China, is doing well at home, health officials said. ALSO: 'It was an emotional experience': 178 coronavirus evacuees land in Northern California The new coronavirus has infected more than 24,000 people after originating in the city of Wuhan in December. The majority of cases are in China, but the virus has spread to two dozen other countries, including the United States. On Thursday, China reported 73 more deaths from the new virus, raising the death toll to 563; there have been no deaths in the United States. In the United States, 10 of the 12 people with the virus had recently traveled to China. There are two cases of transmission between spouses. San Benito County: A 57-year-old man who had traveled to Wuhan tested positive for the virus and subsequently transmitted it to his wife, according to officials on Feb. 2. A 57-year-old man who had traveled to Wuhan tested positive for the virus and subsequently transmitted it to his wife, according to officials on Feb. 2. Santa Clara County: The first Bay Area case was identified on Jan. 31; a man returned from Wuhan and Shanghai on Jan. 24, and left his home only for medical care. A second unrelated case was confirmed in the county on Feb. 1 a woman who had visited Wuhan stayed at home except to go to a medical clinic on two separate occasions. The first Bay Area case was identified on Jan. 31; a man returned from Wuhan and Shanghai on Jan. 24, and left his home only for medical care. A second unrelated case was confirmed in the county on Feb. 1 a woman who had visited Wuhan stayed at home except to go to a medical clinic on two separate occasions. Los Angeles County: A resident of Wuhan tested positive for the virus in a screening while transiting through LAX on his return trip to China on Jan. 22. A resident of Wuhan tested positive for the virus in a screening while transiting through LAX on his return trip to China on Jan. 22. Orange County: A man traveling from Wuhan tested positive for the virus on Jan. 26 and is in isolation. A man traveling from Wuhan tested positive for the virus on Jan. 26 and is in isolation. Boston: A man in his 20s tested positive for the virus; health officials confirmed the case on Feb 2. A man in his 20s tested positive for the virus; health officials confirmed the case on Feb 2. Chicago: A woman in her 60s was confirmed to have the virus on Jan. 24, and less than a week later, her husband was diagnosed. A woman in her 60s was confirmed to have the virus on Jan. 24, and less than a week later, her husband was diagnosed. Tempe, Ariz.: On Jan. 26, a man who had recently returned from Wuhan identified as having the virus. On Jan. 26, a man who had recently returned from Wuhan identified as having the virus. Washington state: A 30-something man tested positive on Jan. 21 and was the first confirmed case in the country. The patient from Snohomish County was in satisfactory condition as of Thursday, according to KOMO. A 30-something man tested positive on Jan. 21 and was the first confirmed case in the country. The patient from Snohomish County was in satisfactory condition as of Thursday, according to KOMO. Wisconsin: An adult patient tested for the coronavirus Wednesday morning after traveling to China within two weeks. The patient is doing well in isolation at home, according to health officials. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that impact the respiratory system and can range from the common cold to more severe illnesses such as SARS and MERS. The viral respiratory illness spreading rapidly in China is a new kind of coronavirus known as 2019-nCoV that scientists have never observed in humans before. The new coronavirus can cause fever, coughing, wheezing and pneumonia. The incubation period is thought to be two weeks. The State Department has warned Americans to avoid all travel to China. The decision came after the World Health Organization designated the outbreak a global public health emergency. Amy Graff is a digital editor for SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. Tiffany Trump has kept mum about her father's impeachment trial, acquittal, and politics in general, but that hasn't stopped her billionaire heir boyfriend, Michael Boulos, from bashing President Donald Trump's critics. The 22-year-old heir to the multibillion-dollar Nigerian conglomerate Boulos Enterprises took to Instagram Stories on Wednesday to publicly attack the Democratic party for the first time since he started dating the first daughter nearly two years ago. 'Finally this fake, unfounded, and unconstitutional partisan impeachment is over!! To the radical left democratic party: please go and start working for the AMERICAN PEOPLE and not your party's personal and selfish agenda. #keepamericagreat2020 [sic],' he wrote over an image of a news report announcing the president's acquittal. Future father-in-law? Tiffany Trump's boyfriend, Michael Boulos, took to Instagram Stories to celebrate President Donald Trump's impeachment acquittal on Wednesday Picking sides: The heir to the Nigerian conglomerate Boulos Enterprises advised the 'radical left' to start 'working for the American people' and not their own 'selfish agenda' The Democratic-led House of Representatives impeached Trump last month, charging the president with high crimes and misdemeanors for just the third time in U.S. history, but the Republican-controlled Senate voted on Wednesday to acquit him of the charges. Michael did not mention Mitt Romney breaking ranks with the Republicans during the Senate impeachment trial and voting to remove President Trump from office. Instead, he shared another post lauding his potential future father-in-law by listing 'only some' of his accomplishments in the past three years. He seemed to be cherry-picking from the achievements that Trump listed in his State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, which ranged from true to misleading or downright false. Michael boasted that since Trump took office, there has been a record level of unemployment for women as well as Hispanic, Black, and Asian Americans. The unemployment rate is at its lowest level in 50 years. He noted that there are 'over 7 million new jobs,' which is technically true but missing context. While 6.7 million new jobs have been created since Trump took office in 2017, the U.S. economy added more than 8 million jobs in the in the final 35 months of President Barack Obama's term. Part of the family: Michael, 22, was with Tiffany, 26, on Tuesday when she joined her half-siblings and their respective partners to watch their father's State of the Union address Michael cited 'historical criminal justice reform' and 'historic reforms for paid family leave,' which Tiffany's half-sister, Ivanka Trump, worked on as a White House senior adviser. Involved: Michael also touted some of the president's accomplishments on Instagram Stories on Wednesday after watching the State of the Union speech He said that Trump built 'over 10 thousand new factories,' but he did not point out that more than 8,000 of these factories employ five people or fewer, according to the New York Times. Tiffany's beau also credited Trump with 'killing two of the biggest terrorists in the world' and having the 'lowest level of illegal border crossings in many years.' Michael, who is of Lebanese and French descent, was born in Houston, Texas, but raised in Nigeria where his family's business is based. He is now living in London, though he frequently travels to the U.S. to visit Tiffany while she is in law school at Georgetown University. The first daughter has shown her support for her father on numerous occasions, but she doesn't speak of his politics nor does she appear to be helping with his 2020 re-election campaign. Michael was with Tiffany on Tuesday when she joined her siblings to watch their father's State of the Union address. Her sister, Ivanka Trump, was there with her husband, Jared Kushner, which is no surprise considering they are based in Washington, D.C. and work as White House senior advisers. Supporting dad: Tiffany donned a ladylike blue suit to support her father, though she has yet to say anything about his impeachment trial and subsequent acquittal Packed in: Tiffany was seated between her eldest brother, Donald Trump Jr., and another man. Michael did not sit with her family during the speech Eric Trump and his wife, Lara, traveled from New York City to support his father during the speech, and Donald Trump Jr. brought his girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle. Both Lara and Kimberly have been busy traveling around the country to campaign for the president as part of his 2020 re-election team. The Trumps celebrated their reunion by posing for a family photo together. Most of the president's children posted the snapshot on their Instagram pages, and while Tiffany didn't, her boyfriend did. Michael has attended numerous White House events over the past year and a half, and he seems to feel right at home with Tiffany's family. However, neither Michael nor Kimberly was seated with their respective partners during the speech. Only Ivanka and Eric's spouses were in the same row as the Trump children. Ahead of the State of the Union, Tiffany's mother, Marla Maples, shared a rare message about politics. Night out: Tiffany and Michael attended the Kuwait-America Foundation's gala dinner in Washington, D.C. in November Home: Michael, who is of Lebanese and French descent, was born in Houston, Texas, but raised in Nigeria where his family's business is based. He now lives in London The 56-year-old has said incredibly little about her ex-husband's presidency, but ahead of his address to the nation yesterday, she took to Instagram to encourage people to watch with 'an open heart.' She included Tiffany in the message, and her daughter shared it on her own Instagram page. 'Anyone who knows me or follows me sees that I only choose to speak about love, positivity, and non-judgement... not politics,' she wrote. 'I have so many friends I care about with strong opinions on all sides of this political conversations. 'But tonight is the @SOTU address and all I ask is that you tune in with an open heart, and open mind and just listen. 'I pray, as my daughter does, that we can leave the judgments of the past aside and just listen, maybe learn something new, and surround our Congress and country with positive energy. 'We each have the choice to speak into those things we believe in, vote for who we choose and move beyond this painful dissension,' she concluded. Departure: Ahead of the State of the Union, Tiffany's mother, Marla Maples, shared a rare message about politics on Tuesday night Politics aside: The 56-year-old encouraged people to watch the State of the Union with 'an open heart' Loving him: Marla has been open about her love for Tiffany's boyfriend of nearly two years. She was on hand to celebrate his 22nd birthday last year She finished off with the hashtags #onlyloveheals, #pledgetolisten, #nonjudgement, #beyondpolitics, and #nonpartisan. Marla shared the image of text on her main Instagram page and also in her Stories, and shortly after, Tiffany shared it on her own Instagram Stories. The actress appears to make a point to avoid discussing politics since her ex-husband launched his 2016 presidential campaign. When she's been asked to comment directly in the past, she's deftly avoided saying much. On the Today show in December 2018, Al Roker asked her if Trump had ever surprised her with something she'd done. 'I just think life is about being ready for anything, and I choose not to judge anybody else,' she said. 'I choose not to judge anybody else. I dont want to be judged, so how can I judge another human being? I say to my friends, lets help lift this world, not bring it down.' Tihar jail authorities on Thursday approached a trial court in Delhi seeking a fresh date for the execution of four convicts in the Nirbhaya gangrape and murder case. The prison authorities moved the application under Section 413 and 414 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and sought to fix a new date for the execution. Additional Sessions Judge Dharmendra Rana has sought responses of all respondents, including the convicts, and slated the matter for hearing tomorrow. This comes after President Ram Nath Kovind rejected the mercy petition of convict Akshay Thakur. So far, mercy petitions of Vinay Sharma and Mukesh Singh have also been rejected. Meanwhile, the Central government has approached the Supreme Court against the order of Delhi High Court, which rejected its plea to separately execute the four convicts in the case. Delhi High Court had, on Wednesday, granted a week's time to the four death row convicts to avail all legal remedies available to them and said that the convicts cannot be hanged separately since they were convicted for the same crime. A Delhi court had earlier stayed till further orders the execution of the four convicts -- Akshay Thakur, Mukesh Singh, Pawan Gupta, and Vinay Sharma -- which was earlier scheduled to take place on February 1. The case pertains to the gang-rape and brutal murder 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.) You might think that frequent-flier programs are only for well-traveled adults, but the youngest United MileagePlus Premier member is only five years old. Celine, a young girl who just started kindergarten, loves to travel with her parents, Shauna and Ryan Carlson. And as of 2018, the whole family became Premier members of Uniteds loyalty program. United Airlines even celebrated their youngest member with a video post on social media. So far, Celine has traveled to six continents, 14 countries, and 42 cities, in addition to flying over 250,000 miles on more than 150 flights. According to her father, Ryan Carlson, Celine officially became a Premier 1K member in late 2018, shortly after turning four years old. Carlson wrote in an email to Travel + Leisure that Celines first flight was only at nine months old, from San Francisco to Chicago OHare. Many education and child development experts have said that traveling as a young person as young as six months old can greatly ensure your child is a better world citizen as an adult and even help them do better in school. Currently, the kindergartner is learning two languages Mandarin and Spanish. It looks like Celine is right on track for a bright future. From an education perspective, Celine benefits by seeing the world and different cultures firsthand to truly understand them, Carlson said. Traveling is important for people to learn about themselves and their abilities, especially in new situations, and I feel that's an important step for people at any age. We don't give Celine too many notions about where we travel to and just let her create her own understandings. Ryan Carlson At this point, the Carlsons are experts on how to travel with a child. Carlson wrote that before Celines first flight, we had her nap appropriately and also had her use a bottle during takeoff and landing to help her ears adjust. He added that Celine has partly become such a good traveler because she truly loves to go places, so shes always on her best behavior. The Carlsons also do a lot of prep work and bring plenty of activities for Celine, which is essential for long-haul flights. Story continues We have always followed the travel philosophy of 'focus on what we can control,' which means we're always prepared for nap timing, activities, snacks, and seating assignments, Carlson said. Celine keeps busy with coloring, stickers, and activity books, but we also read together and do various activities while on the plane, along with sleeping. Electronics are rarely used by Celine, which keeps her mood steady. Ryan Carlson Celine also comes from a family of great travelers. Her father is an independent futures trader, so he can work anywhere he can set his laptop. This means that Carlson will work during some trips and meet up with his wife, Shauna, and Celine once the markets close. Celine's maternal grandparents are also Premier 1K members. The family flies almost exclusively with United. Being self-employed is also a big factor in having this flexibility to travel, and the only main restriction is that I only travel on weekends, so I don't miss days the market is open, Carlson said. He and Shauna actually met while traveling, during a particularly unique trip to North Korea in 2005. Below is a video from a tour they were both on during this trip. Celine herself told United that her favorite place to visit is Paris. According to her father, she really wants to visit Italy mostly for the food and art. So far, the only European trips the family has planned in the next year are to France and Switzerland. Regardless of where Celine goes, her favorite thing to do when she gets to any destination is get into the hotel room and jump on the bed first thing. Ryan Carlson Overall, she likes to see different things that amaze, be out in the world with her parents, and just have lots of fun, Carlson added. Travel is an escape from the routines of life, and although she loves her kindergarten class, it's nice to mix things up and live life unstructured. As Celine and her family embark on their upcoming journeys, keep in mind that you can also make travel a priority in 2020. Chinese students desperately trying to get back into Australia are booking last minute holidays to Thailand to get around the coronavirus travel ban. It comes as health authorities confirmed the 14th case of the deadly virus in Australia, as the death tolls nears 500 worldwide. In a series of messages seen by Daily Mail Australia, Chinese students admit rushing to 'visa-free' countries to get around the ban - and enter Australia as soon as possible. More than 100,000 Chinese students are locked out of Australia after the government brought in an emergency ban. Passengers wear face masks to protect against the spread of the coronavirus (pictured) after it was declared a global health emergency Messages (pictured) showed students in online groups planning different ways to ensure they get into Australia as soon as possible Messages (pictured) showed students discussing flying to Thailand to get around Australia's China travel ban It stops people coming into the country if they've been in China within 14 days, as the government scramble to stop the virus spreading. In a desperate attempt to get back on Australian soil, students are abusing a loophole in the emergency measure, which was introduced last week. Many are booking cheap flights to holiday destinations such as Thailand, which has no travel ban, and spending two weeks there before flying onto Australia. This meets the government's requirement that people not enter the country if they have been in China within the last 14 days. Students are flocking to resorts in Thailand to ensure they can return to Australia as soon as possible (pictured, other passengers arriving in Brisbane before the ban) It comes amid fears not enough is being done to protect Australians from the deadly respiratory virus, which has now infected more than 20,000 people worldwide. But the ban has caused havoc for the thousands of Chinese students whose classes are due to start next week, sending Australia's higher education sector into chaos. In one series of texts, which have gone viral on Sydney's Chinese-language media sites, one student bemoaned how long it was taking to get a visa. 'You can go to a visa on arrival country Thailand, Nepal, Laos,' a friend replied. 'A lot of my friends are planning on going via Thailand. [You receive a] 15-day visa on arrival.' Visitors flying in from mainland China are being denied entry to Australia. Pictured are passengers at Brisbane Airport on Friday, just hours before the ban came into place China has gone into lockdown after the virus claimed more than 400 lives (pictured, students in Beijing) 'Im going to check flights,' the first friend replies. 'Ive already bought one,' another said. In a later exchange, a student said a friend had 'just popped up in Thailand' and posted a picture. 'There are 189,000 Chinese students right across our tertiary education sector,' said Education Minister Dan Tehan said over the weekend. 'Forty-four per cent of those students are onshore, 56 per cent are still offshore.' 'We're doing everything we can to ensure [international students] can either study online or study remotely.' In an incriminating message (pictured) a Chinese student says he changed his arrival card to say 'Hong Kong' instead of 'China' as his original place of departure - letting him into Australia HOW DOES THE CHINA TRAVEL BAN WORK? If a traveller has been in China after February 1, they are not allowed to enter Australia Instead, they have to leave China for at least 14 days After those 14 days, they are then allowed to come to Australia It hopes to stop the virus spreading across the country, but people are eagerly looking for ways to bypass the rule Some are lying on their landing cards, and others are going to visa-free destinations - such as Thailand or Laos After spending just two weeks there, they are free to fly to Australia Advertisement Educating international students is Australia's third biggest export, bringing billions into the economy every year. It is one of several countries which has introduced a travel ban, alongside the United States, the UK, Singapore and New Zealand. Multiple airlines have also suspended flights to and from mainland China. But there are still huge numbers of countries which are allowing people to arrive from China, including many where students could easily move on to Australia. Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Malaysia are all still allowing flights to arrive from China. While Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced all border crossings with the mainland would be suspended, people can still travel across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, Shenzhen Bay Port to and from Hong Kong International Airport. Australia is one of many countries organising evacuation flights home (pictured, Singaporeans boarding a charter flight) From Hong Kong, they can travel onto Australia. Earlier this week, Daily Mail Australia exposed a worrying loophole in immigration screening which could expose thousands to the deadly illness. One Chinese student who snuck into Australia bragged about how he flouted the ban, having potentially put thousands in danger of contracting coronavirus. He admitted to lying to immigration officials by claiming he arrived from Hong Kong, when he in fact flew to Sydney from mainland China. Daily Mail Australia alerted the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Border Force to the breach, but did they did not respond to requests for comment. The student, whose name was given as Xiao K, started his journey in China, changing planes in Hong Kong before arriving in Brisbane. Coronavirus (pictured) has spread to more than 20 countries and killed nearly 500 people Revealing he lied on his yellow incoming passenger card, he bragged that he quickly crossed out 'China' as his place of departure and instead wrote 'Hong Kong'. Worryingly, he boasted that customs officials didn't even check his luggage. 'Fortunately, they were focusing on people. 'In the end, they didn't even check my suitcase.' The student claimed he didn't know about the ban when he first boarded a plane in an unknown Chinese airport. He claimed to have thought he would have to go into isolation for 14 days when on Australia soil, but was soon informed about the travel ban by a friend. Before going through immigration in Australian, he then exploited an airport loophole to change his arrival card. Passengers wear protective face masks as they arrive from Shenzhen to Hong Kong at Lo Wu MTR station, hours before the closing of the Lo Wu border crossing in Hong Kong (pictured) Australian citizens evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan have been taken to Christmas Island (pictured arriving in WA before transferring to a charter flight for last leg) 'When I was clearing immigration a customs officer checked my arrival card,' he explained in a series of damning texts seen by Daily Mail Australia. 'Because Id heard the news about the China entry after landing Id changed mine to say Hong Kong. 'They looked at me and told me to go through a different channel with my luggage. 'They just let me go through.' The disease is believed to have emerged in a market in the city of Wuhan that sold wild animals, spreading rapidly as people travelled for the Lunar New Year holiday in late January. The virus has so far spread to more than 20 countries, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency. Earlier this week, Hong Kong announced that a 39-year-old coronavirus patient had died in hospital - only the second fatality outside of mainland China. Gurugram: Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh, who is member of Parliament (MP) from Gurugram constituency, on Thursday met railway minister Piyush Goyal to talk about the rail projects, which are ongoing or proposed for Haryana. During the meeting, Singh, a former six-time MLA from Rewari, raised the issue of proposed EMU train from Delhi to Rewari, which has not yet started despite the electrification of the railway line. Singh, who is the minister of state (independent charge) for statistics and programme implementation, met Goyal with a team of officials from his ministry. An official, who was present in the meeting, said, It is likely the service (EMU train from Delhi to Rewari) will start by March as thousands of passengers commute between the two cities daily. At the meeting, the proposal for Garhi Harsaru to be redeveloped as the main railway station in Gurugram was also discussed. The proposal has been approved by the state and the final action plan is underway. Garhi Harsaru will be connected to six cities Chandigarh, Ambala, Rohtak, Rewari, Jaipur, and Mathura through rail network. The officials present during the discussion said that a meeting is likely to take place next week between the state and railway officials on the final draft of the project. According to the statement released by the Singhs office, Goyal and his team of officials have been requested to expedite the process of preparing the final project report. Also, the issue of incomplete foot overbridge (FOB) at Gurugram Railway Station was raised in the meeting. The FOB project has been pending due to fund crunch. Besides the allocated amount of 4 crore, the railway demanded an additional 4.30 crore, which has not yet been sanctioned by the Haryana government, said the official quoted above, who preferred anonymity. Discussions were held on the electrification of Garhi Harsaru-Farukkhnagar railway line and connecting the Farukkhnagar railway line with Jhajjar and Dadri. Railway officials also provided the current status of Jatauli underpass in Pataudi, which is ready for the construction after the final approval on the project from the Centre and the state. Also, tender for the Patli railway station FOB is in the final phase. The railway minister said that the meetings will be held with the state government to further accelerate rail projects in the state, according to the press statement. By PTI NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday allowed exports of Krishnapuram onions, a variety of Andhra Pradesh, up to a quantity of 10,000 tonnes with certain conditions. The Commerce Ministry's DGFT said that the export is allowed only through Chennai port and the outbound shipment of the commodity should be completed by March 31 this year. "Export of Krishnapuram onions, upto a quantity of 10,000 tonnes has been allowed for the period upto March 31, 2020, with immediate effect," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification. Krishnapuram onions are not used in the kitchen due to their size and pungency. The onions are imported by Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Singapore. The notification said that an exporter shall have to get a certificate from horticulture department of the Andhra Pradesh government certifying the quantity of the onions for export purpose. The certificate shall be registered by the exporter at the zonal office of DGFT at Chennai. The Chennai DGFT office will also monitor the total quantity being allowed for export and issue registration certificates based on the quantity. Further, customs authorities at the Chennai port will allow export on the basis of a certificate from Andhra Pradesh's horticulture department and registration certificate from Chennai's DGFT office. The export of other varieties of onions is banned. In September 2019, the government banned export of onion to increase the availability of the commodity in the domestic market and contain rising prices. The government had also imposed stock limits on traders. Retail onion prices had skyrocketed in Delhi and other parts of the country due to supply disruption from flood-affected growing states like Maharashtra. Onion prices in the national capital are currently hovering at around Rs 60 per kg from the peak of Rs 160 per kg in December 2019. Onion production is estimated to have declined by around 25 per cent in Kharif and late-Kharif season of 2019-20 crop year as compared to the previous year due to late monsoon and then excess rains in the major producing states. The ban on the export of Krishnapuram onions has impacted farmers as they cannot sell the edible bulb in the domestic market. YSRCP members have raised the issue of ban in Parliament, urging the government to lift export ban on this variety of onions. Magnificent scenery UNESCO-recognized geopark Non Nuoc Cao Bang covers more than 3,000 km2 in the districts of Ha Quang, Tra Linh, Quang Uyen, Trung Khanh, Ha Lang and Phuc Hoa, and part of Hoa An, Nguyen Binh and Thach An districts. Non Nuoc Cao Bang is home to 130 geological sites of international value, including a national reserve, five species/habitat management areas, five protected landscapes, two biodiversity corridors, and many historical sites and tangible and intangible cultural heritages. Invested in by Sun Group, Ban Gioc Waterfall tourist complex contributes to promoting tourism in Trung Khanh district in particular and in Cao Bang and neighboring areas in general. Pham Van Cao Trung Khanh District Party Secretary UNESCO-recognized geopark Non Nuoc Cao Bang covers more than 3,000 km2 in the districts of Ha Quang, Tra Linh, Quang Uyen, Trung Khanh, Ha Lang and Phuc Hoa, and part of Hoa An, Nguyen Binh and Thach An districts. Non Nuoc Cao Bang is home to 130 geological sites of international value, including a national reserve, five species/habitat management areas, five protected landscapes, two biodiversity corridors, and many historical sites and tangible and intangible cultural heritages. The geopark has brought opportunities for Cao Bang to develop tourism and promote the culture of indigenous ethnic groups. Photo: Cong Dat Ban Gioc waterfall tourist complex in Trung Khanh attracts both local and foreign visitors. Photo: Trinh Bo Visiting Khuoi Ky rock village. Photo: Trinh Bo A stalactite shaped as an upside-down lotus inside Nguom Ngao cave. Photo: Cong Dat Posing to keep beautiful moments at Ban Gioc waterfall. Photo: Trinh Bo Phong Nam valley in Ngoc Con commune, Trung Khanh district. Photo: Cong Dat Phong Nam valley in Ngoc Con commune, Trung Khanh district. Photo: Cong Dat Located in Dam Thuy commune, Trung Khanh district, Ban Gioc lies on the border between Vietnam and China. The three-layer white water cascade with a width of 50m and a height of 35m is truly a wonder of nature. About 500m from Ban Gioc waterfall is Truc Lam Phat Tich pagoda which is located on Phia Nham mountain. From the pagoda, one can see the whole of Ban Gioc waterfall and the northern border area of Vietnam. In Non Nuoc Cao Bang, one should visit Ma Phuc pass, one of the most beautiful passes in Cao Bang, and Mat Than (gods eyes) mountain in Quoc Toan commune, Tra Linh district. Walking on a path weaving around Mat Than mountain, visitors can explore gorgeous Nam Tra lake and Nam Tra waterfall. Phia Oac-Phia Den national park in Non Nuoc Cao Bang boasts beautiful untouched scenery. It is home to 90 flora and 58 fauna species which are rare, precious and of high values for scientific research, gene conservation and environmental education. The forest on the western side of Cao Bang province is also regarded as a green lung which helps regulate the climate in the region. In winter, Phia Oac is covered with frost and ice. Phia Oac-Phia Den is also home to a special national historical relic- Tran Hung Dao forest. It is where General Vo Nguyen Giap and 34 soldiers established the Vietnam Liberation Army Propaganda Unit, the precursor of the Vietnam Peoples Army. Original indigenous culture Legend of the Tay has it that Cao Bang was where Thuc Phan defeated the enemy and unified the Lac Viet and Tay Au. He founded the country of Au Lac and became King An Duong Vuong. Cao Bang was thus a political and cultural center during the period of founding the country, even though An Duong Vuong later moved the capital to Co Loa in Dong Anh, Hanoi. Khuoi Ky village is home to 400-year-old rock stilt-houses. Photo: Trinh Bo Farmers in Phong Nam commune carry harvested rice on a small wooden bridge over Quay Son river. Photo: Cong Dat Phia Thap village at the foot of Pha Hung mountain is known for its incense making craft. Photo: Cong Dat Dyeing cloth, a traditional craft in Trung Khanh. Photo: Trinh Bo Arrowroot vermicelli in Phia Den is one of the best vermicelli in Vietnam. Photo: Cong Dat Phuc Sen commune has about 150 family forges scattered among six villages. Photo: Trinh Bo Harvesting rice in Ngoc Con valley. Photo: Trinh Bo Harvesting ong (bee) sticky rice, a specialty of Trung Khanh. Photo: Trinh Bo A Tay woman dries rice in the yard of a 400-year-old rock stilt-house in Khuoi Ky village. Photo: Cong Dat In Cao Bang, there are nine ethnic groups, including the Tay, Nung, and Dao, who have created a unique and vivid cultural picture here. Non Nuoc Cao Bang has many craft villages, including the Pac Rang forging village and Phia Thap incense village. The forefather of the forging craft in Pac Rang was believed to be an old man who accidentally passed the area and taught the craft to the Nung An. The Nung An then built a temple dedicated to this man and every Nung An family has an altar at home to worship the forefather of the craft. In Phia Thap village, the incense making craft has been passed from one generation to another. Phia Thap incense is safe and has a natural scent because all of its materials come from forest plants. Non Nuoc Cao Bang is also home to dozens of folk ceremonies, including the Quang Uyen firework festival, and the Long Tong festival of the Tay, Nung, Dao and San Chi. At these festivals, visitors can see beautiful traditional costumes of indigenous ethnic groups and try tasty local dishes. Among the specialty foods in Cao Bang are smoked sausage, roasted duck, roasted suckling pig, grilled meat, sour fish hotpot, and sticky rice with caranium. Visiting Non Nuoc Cao Bang, one will enjoy valuable moments of relaxation in the beautiful natural scenery and the peaceful life of ethnic locals. Non Nuoc Cao Bang geopark has geological value, particularly in the Phia Oac mountain area where nearly 100 million years ago, volcanoes erupted, creating volcanic rocks and numerous minerals, including tin, gold, wolfram, fluorite, and uranium. Dr. Tran Van Tan, director, Vietnam Institute of Geosciences and Mineral Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Story: Trinh Bo - Photos: Cong Dat & Trinh Bo Massachusetts residents still dont know the identities of the 22 Massachusetts State Police troopers who officials say claimed overtime hours they didnt work, pocketing the extra money on the taxpayers dime. The police department declined to name the 22 troopers who are facing termination in connection to the overtime abuse investigation. Thirteen remain on active duty, spokesman David Procopio said. When asked Thursday about the departments decision not to release the names, Gov. Charlie Baker had little to say on the issue. I dont know if theres a legal issue associated with that or not, that would be the key issue from that point of view, so I cant comment on that anymore, he said. The department announced last week that 22 troopers will likely face disciplinary charges and that their cases before Internal Affairs are ongoing. Unlike in criminal cases, where suspects are identified when they are formally charged, the Massachusetts State Police cited the ongoing disciplinary phase of the investigations as a reason not to identify the troopers tied to the overtime abuse probe. Even with this designation, a case is not closed until the disciplinary action occurs through the Departments Trial Board process, Procopio said in an email. During its internal review, the department identified 46 troopers for potential criminal prosecution in connection to the overtime abuse scandal. Many of them were part of the now-disbanded Troop E, which patrolled the turnpike and tunnels. Ten of them faced criminal charges by the U.S. Attorneys office or the state Attorney Generals office. Attorney General Maura Healey announced late Friday afternoon that her office has closed its investigation. Of the 10 that were charged, eight have been convicted and sentenced to house arrest, probation or time served. Last week, former Lt. David Wilson was ordered to pay $18,994 in restitution and serve 200 hours of community service. Another former trooper, Daren DeJong, is scheduled to be sentenced after being convicted of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds. Aside from the 22 troopers still within the department, 14 troopers have retired. Col. Christopher S. Mason said the department would request the pension board to pursue restitution, including potentially forfeiting their pensions. Mason was tapped to lead the agency in November after Col. Kerry Gilpin announced her retirement. Gilpin was appointed in late 2017 and steered the agency through multiple scandals. Her predecessor, Richard McKeon, retired after a scandal involving the redaction of a police report for the arrest of a judges daughter. After last weeks announcement, Mason said the agency still has a long way to go before regaining the publics trust after the overtime abuse scandal. 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. Baker has repeatedly said in the past that any convicted trooper should be blocked from receiving his or her pension. If these folks are guilty of stealing from the commonwealth and stealing from toll payers and taxpayers, they should pay the price," he said. BJP leader N. Ramachandra Rao on Thursday attacked Asaduddin Owaisi for making provocative statements and asserted that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi should be aware that the entire youth of the country is not associated with Jawaharlal Nehru University or some section of Shaheen Bagh. Asking Owaisi to apologise to the nation for making provocative statements, Ramachandra Rao said, "From the day when CAA was passed in both the Houses of the Parliament, Owaisi has been speaking in a very provocative language. Yesterday, he made a controversial statement that Shaheen Bagh will turn into a Jallianwala Bagh. This shows that instead of wishing for peace in the country, he wants to provoke the minority community." Rao demanded Owaisi "to apologise to the nation for giving such provocative statements." He further said that Asaduddin needs to tell the minority community that the CAA is in their interest. "It is an act that gives nationality but does not take away nationality," he added. On Wednesday, while speaking to ANI over the phone, Owaisi was asked that there are indications from the government that after February 8, Shaheen Bagh will be cleared. In reply, he had said, "Might be they will shoot them, they might turn Shaheen Bagh into Jallianwala Bagh. This might happen. BJP minister gave a statement to 'shoot a bullet'. The government must give an answer as (to) who is radicalising." Besides attacking Owaisi, the BJP leader also slammed Rahul Gandhi for saying that the youth will lathi-charge Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ramachandra Rao said, "This type of childish and highly objectional talk by Rahul Gandhi shows that his level of immaturity." "Rahul Gandhi does not know that the youth of this country is not some section of the Jawaharlal Nehru University or some section of Shaheen Bagh. The majority of Indian youth have always been supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In fact, his popularity is increasing day by day. For Rahul, the youth means some students of JNU who are either members of tukde-tukde gang or have the urban Naxal background, are leftist, anti-Modi, anti-India, anti-BJP. If such demonstrations are being exposed in the media. You can't say that this is the entire youth of the country. The youth of this country are nationalists and they will not tolerate any anti- activity which is happening in Shaheen Bagh and JNU," he added. On Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi had launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a rally at Old Delhi's Hauz Qazi. He had said, "Narendra Modi, who is giving speeches, he will not be able to move out of his house in the next six months. The youth of India will lathi-charge him to make him understand that without employment, the country can never progress," Gandhi said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) We have decided to deepen cooperation to combat terrorism: PM Modi after talks with Rajapaksa PM Modi-Rajapaksa summit: Two leaders to discuss over fishermen issue among key bilateral topics Lankan PM Rajapaksa to visit India from Friday; trade, defence, maritime talks on agenda International oi-PTI Colombo, Feb 06: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will undertake a four-day state visit to India and hold talks on a number of key areas including trade, defence and maritime security cooperation, his office announced here on Thursday. The visit, beginning February 7, will be the Rajapaksa senior''s first overseas visit since his brother Gotabaya was elected President in November. He will have meetings with President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "The scheduled meetings will build on the strong relationship that already exists between the two countries," Mahinda''s office said in a statement. Mahinda hopes to finalise the implementation of the USD 450 million line of credit pledged by Prime Minister Modi to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during his visit to New Delhi in November, according to the statement. NSA Doval meets Sri Lankan Prez Rajapaksa, pledges USD 50 mn assistance from India NEWS AT 3 PM, 6th, FEBRUARY 2020 "With the aim of enhancing engagement in sub-regional maritime security cooperation, the two delegations are expected to discuss key areas under the defence and maritime security initiatives that include the Sri Lanka-India annual defence dialogue and the trilateral maritime security cooperation with India and the Maldives," it said. Rajapaksa also intends to visit the religious sites of Varanasi, Sarnath, Bodhgaya and Tirupathi, it said. Two Tamil ministers in the Rajapaksa government -- Douglas Devananda from the north and Armugam Thondaman from the central tea plantation districts -- are expected to be in the 10-member delegation, the statement added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 6, 2020, 12:24 [IST] The new Powerhouse Museum at Parramatta has been declared a state significant project, in what opponents say gives the Berejiklian government license to override community or council objections to the bulldozing of historic buildings on site. The museum's chief executive officer Lisa Havilah also confirmed there would be no traditional planetarium in the new museum. Instead a large-scale contemporary, immersive screen space would present science and astronomy programs. The new Powerhouse Museum earmarked for the Parramatta River. "We are trying to do something even more dynamic than a traditional planetarium," she said. "We are trying to create a space for the future that is flexible, immersive and will continue to present great front-end technology programs for young people for many decades to come." The designation of state significance bypasses Parramatta Council's development controls and comes as Labor has stepped up their opposition to the billion-dollar project in the wake of the state's "black summer", proposing that taxpayers' contribution of $645 million be diverted to bushfire recovery. English French Rueil Malmaison, 6 February 2020 VINCIs 100,000 employees in France become Group shareholders VINCI paid each of its 100,000 employees in France a special contribution amounting to 400, enabling them to become Group shareholders It is strengthening employee share ownership through the Group savings plan VINCI introduced a mechanism last December enabling all its employees in France to become Group shareholders. This system involves paying each employee with at least three months seniority a 400 employer contribution through his or her account in the Group savings plan, then using the funds to purchase units in a company mutual fund invested entirely in VINCI shares. With this original mechanism, made possible by the French Pacte law (on business growth and transformation), all Group employees in France* have become VINCI shareholders without having to invest any of their personal savings. This initiative mirrors the policy that VINCI has been rolling out over the past 25 years aimed at sharing the benefits of its success as widely as possible with its employees. This new contribution, amounting to 40 million, adds to the Groups other initiatives aimed at sharing the benefits of its performance. In total, VINCI paid its employees in France over 400 million through incentive plans, profit-sharing plans and employer contributions in the Group savings plan in 2019. Thanks to this special employer contribution, more than 20,000 employees became VINCI shareholders for the first time. In all, some 165,000 current and former Group employees inside and outside France collectively own close to 9% of VINCIs share capital, making them its biggest shareholder. About VINCI VINCI is a global player in concessions and contracting, employing over 222,000 people in some 100 countries. We design, finance, build and operate infrastructure and facilities that help improve daily life and mobility for all. Because we believe in all-round performance, above and beyond economic and financial results, we are committed to operating in an environmentally and socially responsible manner. And because our projects are in the public interest, we consider that reaching out to all our stakeholders and engaging in dialogue with them is essential in the conduct of our business activities. VINCIs goal is to create long-term value for its customers, shareholders, employees and partners, and for society at large. www.vinci.com Attachment WASHINGTON (AP) And then she tore up the speech. No sooner had President Donald Trump finished his State of the Union address than House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped the paper it was printed on in two. Right there, on camera, behind Trump's back. As he stepped down, she ripped again. Then a third time. And a fourth. If Trump knew about the American carnage going on behind him, he didn't react as he left. But Pelosi was on her turf, with a deep understanding of her audience and she wasn't finished. In case any confusion remained, Pelosi held up what remained of the address to her family in the gallery, in full view of reporters. "It was a manifesto of mistruths, Pelosi told reporters as she left the Capitol. The ripping was not planned, according to a person close to the Democratic speaker who was unauthorized to speak publicly. Even as Republican criticism piled up on Wednesday, Pelosi dug in on the speech-shredding. I felt very liberated last night," Pelosi told House Democrats in their private caucus meeting, according to a Democrat aide in the room, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the remarks. Republicans dismissed her display, on the eve of Trump's acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial, as a tantrum. Vice President Mike Pence, who sat to Pelosi's right during the speech, said Wednesday that he did not see when she tore up the speech. He joined fellow Republicans in criticizing her behavior. I found out just a few moments later, and I think it was a new low, he said Wednesday on "Fox & Friends. I wasn't sure if she was ripping up the speech or ripping up the Constitution. Pence accused Pelosi of trying to make the evening about her and I think the American people see through it. Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said Tuesday night that Pelosi "might as well rip up any plans for attracting independent voters." Republican Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana added in a tweet Tuesday: This speech was about American heroes and American workers. She decided THAT was worth literally tearing apart. Story continues Tearing the speech gave Pelosi the last visual word over Trump, who had spoken to the House from a position of strength. He arrived in the chamber with the full force of the Republican Party behind him. She is leading a party in the throes of a divisive presidential nomination fight that had botched the kickoff Iowa caucuses only the night before. The House had impeached Trump on her watch. But the Senate was poised to acquit him. From the start, the event was awkward because the history between those two was so icy. They had not spoken since October, when Pelosi pointed at Trump over a White House conference table, suggested that Russia controls him and walked out. Now, Trump was returning to the very chamber where he was impeached, standing before the same Democrats who have called him unfit for office and sought to oust him. He stepped to the podium and handed navy blue folders containing his speech to Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence. Photos show that Trump mistakenly handed Pence's copy to Pelosi. The outside reads in gold letters: The President of the Senate of the United States. That's Pence's title. At that moment, Pelosi extended a hand. Trump did not acknowledge it, instead turning around to begin his speech. Pelosi, famous for casting shade, especially on Trump, gave a look. For 78 minutes, Trump extolled a Great American Comeback on his watch, just three years after he took office decrying a land of American carnage under his predecessor. Pelosi read through her copy as he spoke. Trump bestowed the Medal of Freedom on Rush Limbaugh to raucous applause and a glum reception from House Democrats. My fellow Americans, the best is yet to come, he finished. Pelosi had already gathered the papers for her big ripping finish, which she later said was "the courteous thing to do, considering the alternative. The moment was a less joyful echo of last year's State of the Union, when Pelosi stole the show with a smirk-and-clap, eye to eye with Trump. Then, Democrats were triumphant after election gains that flipped the House from Republican control and put Pelosi back in the speaker's chair. That night, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez arrived on the scene wearing a white caped pantsuit and sat prominently at the center of the Democratic section. Tuesday night, on the eve of Trump's acquittal, the congresswoman skipped the speech altogether. After much deliberation, I have decided that I will not use my presence at a state ceremony to normalize Trumps lawless conduct & subversion of the Constitution, Ocasio-Cortez tweeted a few hours before the speech. None of this is normal, and I will not legitimize it. ___ Follow Kellman and Mascaro on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/APLaurieKellman and http://twitter.com/LisaMascaro ___ This story has been corrected to show Limbaugh was given the Medal of Freedom, not the Medal of Honor. Judi Love has opened up about her mother's heartbreaking battle with dementia, and says she 'screamed and cried' when her mum forgot who she was. The comedian, 39, from East London, appeared on Loose Women today, where she opened up about her mother amid a discussion with guest Judy Parfitt, 84, from Sheffield, about her late husband's experience with the degenerative disease. Judi explained that her mum, who she cared for until her death in 2009, couldn't remember who she was due to the condition, which causes a deterioration in memory. The panelist told that she was left 'emotionally drained' by her mother's condition, and detailed how tough it is seeing someone 'you've grown with and you've loved', turn into a 'shell' of a person. Comedian Judi Love (pictured left) has opened up about her mother's heartbreaking battle with dementia, and says she 'screamed and cried' when her mum forgot who she was The comedian, 39, from East London, appeared on Loose Women today, where she broke down in tears at the memory of her mother's diagnosis She said: 'The spirit of the person is gone and you've got the shell. As a carer, I can't even explain the emotional [impact]. It's so draining.' 'I remember one time I was with my mum, she just didn't know who I was. I went to my friends house, and I went to the kitchen and I just screamed and cried and cried and cried. 'I can't explain seeing someone you've grown with or you've loved and they're gone, they're absolutely gone.' However, Judy told that there were glimmers of hope amid her mother's battle, and remembered that she once realised who Judy was and told her daughter she was "so sorry" that she hadn't recognised her. Judi says she was left 'emotionally drained' by her mother's condition, and detailed how tough it is seeing someone 'you've grown with and you've loved', turn into a 'shell' of a person The panelist hugged guest Judy Parfitt, 84, Sheffield, who appeared on the show to discuss her late husband's battle with the same condition Judi told: 'I remember one time my mum was able to just stop for a minute and realise she'd lost her memory. 'She just turned to me and said "I'm so sorry I don't remember"'. The comic went on to insist that it's important to speak about dementia, and urged those whose loved ones have the condition to see it from their point of view. She said: 'I say it is important coming on here and talking about it. 'It's a shock to your system, but imagine the person going through it, knowing one day and then not even remembering who you are. ' Elsewhere, Call the Midwife star Judy, told how her late husband, Tony Steedman, who died in 2001, turned into a 'child' due to the disease. Call the Midwife star Judy told how her late husband, Tony Steedman, who died in 2001, turned into a 'child' due to the disease She explained that she has been working with Dementia UK's Time for a Cuppa campaign, which is raising money to help dementia specialist nurses She explained that she has been working with Dementia UK's Time for a Cuppa campaign, which is raising money to help dementia specialist nurses to support more families facing dementia. Judy said: 'It's very strange. With my husband I lost my husband that I loved, but I gained a child that I loved. 'They become your children. It's wonderful there was someone I could talk to who understood.' The stage and screen star went on to explain that while it was difficult to cope with the 'horrendous' disease, the only way to deal with it is to take each day at a time. She said: 'It's very insidious, it climbs in very gently. You either get on with it, or you get in. 'I remember once standing in the kitchen and the future just frightened me so much and I thought "No". 'I have to shut that in a little room in the back of my mind and just get on with it, but it's horrendous.' To further strengthen security arrangements in government medical colleges in Haryana, more than 1,500 Home Guards would be deployed on an outsourcing basis, state Home minister Anil Vij said here on Thursday. Earlier, approval was granted to deploy 1,652 Home Guards in all primary health centres, community health centres and district hospitals in the state. Vij, also state Health minister, said that in total 3,170 Home Guards would be deployed in all the government medical colleges and health centres. "As many as 828 Home Guards would be deployed in PGIMS Rohtak, 190 in Bhagat Phool Singh Government Medical College, Khanpur Kalan, 200 in Kalpana Chawla Government Medical College, Karnal and 300 in Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewati Government Medical College, Nalhar," he said. He said Home Guards would be posted in health centres of all the districts, including 92 in Ambala district, 120 in Bhiwani, 44 in Charkhi Dadri, 60 in Faridabad, 66 in Fatehabad, 104 in Gurgaon and 137 in Hisar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ready meals was the largest category in the prepared meals sector, accounting for US$2,958.4 million (65.9%) in 2018, and is expected to reach $3,686.7 million by 2023. The pizza category is forecast to register the fastest value CAGR of 5.8% while the meal kits category is predicted to register the fastest volume CAGR of 3.2% during 2018-2023. Mareven Food Central, Hortex, Kachestvennye Produktyzao, Doshirak, and Talosto Shahty, accounted for 20% of the market value in 2018. Hypermarkets supermarkets was the most popular channel for prepared meals in the region, accounting for 61.9% of overall sales, followed by convenience stores with a 26.9% share. Rigid plastics was the most commonly used pack material in Eastern Europe prepared meals sector, accounting for 55.5% of the sector (in volume terms) in 2018. 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. The Labour leader Brendan Howlin says its important to have a critical mass of left parties after Saturdays general election. Brendan Howlin also said he would love to sit down with the Green Party and the Social Democrats next week to hammer out a progressive agenda to respond to crucial issues such as health and climate change. He made his comments during the last leaders debate of the general election campaign tonight which featured Green Party leader Eamon Ryan, Social Democrats co-leader Roisin Shortall, Ruth Coppinger of Solidarity-People Before Profit and Aontu leader Peadar Toibin. The leaders of the smaller political parties which could be king-makers in talks to form the next government made their final pitches for votes during the Prime Time debate during which they outlined their plans to tackle the climate crisis, to deliver affordable housing and fix the health crisis. Free public transport and the introduction of a four-day working week were among the pledges made. Mr Ryan suggested it is possible to have a bus from every town and village in Ireland given the wealth in the country, with Mr Toibin saying Aontu would look at decreasing the cost of the tickets while also increasing capacity. Refusing to take action is no longer an option. @eamonryan establishes that ambition on climate change and biodiversity loss is a red line issue for the Green Party.#WantGreenVoteGreen #RTELeadersDebate #RTEPT #GE2020 pic.twitter.com/XU8mMFHGDq Green Party Ireland (@greenparty_ie) February 6, 2020 But Ms Coppinger went a step further and said her party, if in government, would bring in free public transport. She was pressed for specifics on her partys manifesto suggestion of nationalising the construction industry but she said it would only apply to large construction companies. Mr Howlin said he wanted to be straight with the electorate and not make promises that couldnt be delivered, while at the same time ending the waste of public money. We will end the waste of public money and build homes and fix health. We are not promising big tax giveaways which wont fix the biggest crises we face in Ireland. #rtept #GE2020 pic.twitter.com/zvGnhCufNJ The Labour Party (@labour) February 6, 2020 Ms Shortall agreed largely with Mr Howlins stance on the Slaintecare strategy but she stopped short of answering a question of whether she was prepared to rejoin the Labour fold. She says its great that parties are signed up to the health strategy but said parties need to put their money where their mouths are. Mr Toibin said if people vote in large numbers for Fianna Fail or Sinn Fein this weekend, circumstances could arise that would put Fine Gael back into government. And he said people would feel cheated if they saw Simon Harris or Eoghan Murphy back at the cabinet table after the election. Aontu in government will introduce a tax on banks' profits. Votail Aontu #1 #RTEpt #GE2020 pic.twitter.com/ZauPxnYWrB Aontu (@AontuIE) February 6, 2020 Meanwhile, RTE will publish the results of an exit poll on Saturday night. The Ipsos/MRBI Exit Poll, commissioned by RTE, The Irish Times, TG4, and University College Dublin, will be published simultaneously by RTE and The Irish Times at 10pm. Following an interview with about 5,000 people after theyve voted, the results of this opinion poll are set to give the earliest reflection of voting patterns. SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco announced today that Greg Seibly, President and Chief Executive Officer, has given notice of his resignation effective February 28, 2020. The Banks Board of Directors has named Stephen P. Traynor, Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer, as Acting President and CEO, effective upon Mr. Seiblys resignation. On behalf of the Board and the entire Bank, I would like to thank Greg for his valuable contributions, said Dan Siciliano, Chairman of the Board. Under his leadership, we have seen the Bank expand our member outreach, enhance our community investment activities, strengthen our financial position, and revitalize our culture. Greg was the driving force behind these accomplishments and has been instrumental in shaping the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco into what it is today. It has been an honor to serve this remarkable organization, said Mr. Seibly. After four years with the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, I believe this is the right time for me to make this change. I am proud of our achievements during my tenure; we have a great organization with dedicated employees who are passionately committed to our mission and to serving our members. Mr. Siciliano said, The Banks Board has taken steps to establish a search committee and will conduct a thorough search to identify the next President and CEO. We are confident that Stephen Traynor will continue to drive the Bank forward in his role as Acting President and CEO. We wish Greg the very best in his future endeavors. In his 25 years with the Bank and as a long-standing member of the Banks leadership team, Stephen Traynor has been involved with every aspect of the Banks business. He joined the Bank in 1995 as Assistant Treasurer and was promoted to Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, in 1999. His responsibilities expanded in 2004 when he began managing the Banks Community Investment Department. He was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Banking Officer in 2017. In that role, he has led the Banks Sales, Marketing, Credit, Collateral, Community Investment, and Public Affairs departments. Mr. Traynor earned both a B.A. and an M.A. from Case Western Reserve University. Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco is a member-driven cooperative helping local lenders in Arizona, California, and Nevada build strong communities, create opportunity, and change lives for the better. The tools and resources we provide to our member financial institutionscommercial banks, credit unions, industrial loan companies, savings institutions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutionsfoster homeownership, expand access to quality housing, seed or sustain small businesses, and revitalize whole neighborhoods. Together with our members and other partners, we are making the communities we serve more vibrant and resilient. A twelfth coronavirus case was reported in the U.S. this week, as the death toll from the outbreak climbed to 491 in China and more than 24,500 diagnoses were made globally, according to public health officials. Eleven cases of the virus, named 2019-nCoV, were confirmed in the United States as of Sunday, including the first in Massachusetts reported over the weekend. Another coronavirus diagnosis was reported by officials in Wisconsin on Wednesday. Risk of infection continues to be low in the state and the country, though, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. While person-to-person spread among close contacts has been detected with this virus, at this time this virus is NOT currently spreading in the community in the United States, the agency said on its website. The novel coronavirus has resulted in thousands of confirmed human infections, primarily in China, with a small proportion of cases resulting in death. "Other countries, including the United States, have identified a small but growing number of cases in people who have traveled to China. A UMass Boston student who traveled to Wuhan, China, where the outbreak originated, is currently being monitored by nurses over the phone as he remains quarantined in his off-campus home. The coronavirus patient, a man in his 20s, is doing well, officials with the Boston Public Health Commission said Saturday. Despite the recent diagnosis, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has said the risk of the illness spreading across the state or the city of Boston is low. But worries remain, and some in the state have reported being impacted by travel restrictions put in place to prevent the outbreaks spread. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Jan. 29 that 15 airports in the country, including Boston Logan International Airport, would start to conduct enhanced screenings of passengers from China. Federal officials last week also limited arrivals from the country to 11 airports starting Sunday, according to MDPH. The federal government has also started sending coronavirus test kits to public laboratories across the country. Confirmed cases of the illness internationally increased by more than 10,000 since Monday, and deaths in China jumped by more than 100, according to the World Health Organizations most recent situation report. The first death outside of China was reported in the Philippines. As of Wednesday, 24 countries have reported coronavirus diagnoses. Belgium confirmed its first case, and Canada reported its fifth patient. Thirteen more cases were reported in Japan and six additional patients were diagnosed in Singapore as well as Thailand, the report said. WHO has estimated the total amount of funds needed from February through March to implement priority public health measures to respond to the virus is $675.5 million. My biggest worry is that there are countries today who do not have the systems in place to detect people who have contracted with the virus, even if it were to emerge, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the organizations director-general, said in a statement. Urgent support is needed to bolster weak health systems to detect, diagnose and care for people with the virus, to prevent further human to human transmission and protect health workers. While there is currently no vaccine for the coronavirus, public health officials have urged people to take preventative measures similar to those taken during flu season, including washing ones hand with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, avoiding contact with sick individuals and covering ones coughs and sneezes, as the illness is generally spread through respiratory secretions. State, federal and international public health organizations have also offered information aimed at combating myths about the virus. Related Content: While a neighbourhood was celebrating the actions of two Wolseley residents who used handtools to clear ice and reopen a closed footbridge in Omand Park, City of Winnipeg staff were fretting behind the scenes. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/2/2020 (705 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. While a neighbourhood was celebrating the actions of two Wolseley residents who used handtools to clear ice and reopen a closed footbridge in Omand Park, City of Winnipeg staff were fretting behind the scenes. Staff emails detail the public works and communications departments concern about what the men had done, after the city had moved to shutter the ice-encased structure bridging Omand's Creek until spring. Crews blocked access in early December, after high waters in late November flooded the bridge and nearby paths and froze over. Not content with the citys choice, Brad Hignell and Chris Beauvilain used spades and picks to clear the ice over the course of a mid-December Saturday morning. "Actions of the citizens to remove signing and barricades and ice is reckless and should be dealt with," bridge planning and operations engineer Darren Burmey emailed communications staff the following Monday. "And they have not recognized slip hazards nor could of know (sic) the bridge was not closed for structural reasons." The documents, which were obtained by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation through a freedom of information request, include an early media statement drafted by city staff, which describes the residents' work as showing disregard for public safety, process and municipal bylaws. Download FIPPA Letter of Response 1/2 "What we have now is a situation where residents are being heralded for taking matters into their own hands; in reality, the residents actions caused more risk than existed in the first place," the draft statement said. Aaron Wudrick, federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said frustration expressed by staff could have been avoided if the city responded to the closure proactively. "Just witnessing how much consternation there was about the fact that people were taking matters into their own hands, rather than actually dealing with the problem, I think is a classic frustration that people often have with governments," Wudrick said Wednesday. "We dont want to encourage vigilantism; there are real risks sometimes," he said. "But the citys whole rationale for not dealing with it was that it couldnt be done, and yet, these people, by doing it, proved them wrong." Documents show in the days leading up to the ice-clearing, Burmey informed area Coun. Cindy Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre) reopening the footbridge would require a "big effort." Brad Hignell and a friend used spades and picks to clear the ice over the course of a mid-December Saturday morning. (John Woods / Free Press files) In response to inquiries by the Free Press at the time, city parks staff doubled down on the reasons for the bridge being closed throughout the winter. Parks staff told the communications department there is "no easy way" to remove the ice without doing further damage, and the best action would be "to let nature take its course." After the bridge was cleared by the two men using picks and shovels, the parks department sent crews to remove thick, jagged and uneven ice left behind on the pathways. "This created an incredibly hazardous situation for those using the citizen-cleared bridge and forced us into action," a spokesman for the City of Winnipeg said in a statement to the Free Press. "Crews ultimately did clear the pathways with bobcats (loaders); however, the operation was risky and was only undertaken in an attempt to mitigate the risk of injury on the embankments." 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. "Crews ultimately did clear the pathways with bobcats (loaders); however, the operation was risky and was only undertaken in an attempt to mitigate the risk of injury on the embankments," a spokesman for the City of Winnipeg said in a statement. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Free Press files) The spokesman also said the city is not pursuing any citations against the residents, "at this time." When governments aren't forthcoming about how they plan to address citizen concerns, officials shouldn't be shocked when residents take matters into their own hands, Wudrick said. "If people are presented with an obstacle that they normally count on government to deal with and the government doesnt deal with, its not surprising they would try to fix it themselves," he said. "It seems no one was hurt, it seems the bridge wasnt damaged so clearly, their initial assessment was wrong." danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca B oris Johnson has nominated former Cabinet foe and ex-chancellor Philip Hammond for a peerage. Also heading for the Lords is the former Father of the House Ken Clarke. The inclusion of two Conservatives was confirmed by sources as a sign that the Mr Johnson is determined to reunite his party. Both lost the Tory whip for voting to block a no-deal departure from the EU in a political showdown just before the election that effectively left the Prime Ministers withdrawal deal in deadlock. Former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, who stood down last year, is also being elevated. It comes as Mr Johnson was preparing to reshuffle his Cabinet next week. Kenneth Clarke had ben Father of the House of Commons / REUTERS Two Labour rebels who quit the party in protest at anti-Semitism under Jeremy Corbyns leadership and urged voters to back the Tories in December Ian Austin and John Woodcock have also been nominated and are expected to sit as crossbench peers. Sources confirmed to the Standard that a BBC report of the nominations was correct. Downing Street refused to comment. Philip Hammond stood down as an MP / AFP/Getty Images Former Speaker John Bercow has been put forward for a peerage by Mr Corbyn, but his nomination could be blocked amid allegations that he bullied staff. David Leakey, who served as black rod until 2018, said that granting Mr Bercow a peerage would be a "scandal that Parliament would struggle to live down". State Bank of India Chairman Rajnish Kumar has said that 10 public sector banks that are on verge of merger need to "very" careful when it comes to technology integration. Maintaining that one of the key challenges for PSBs would merger process, Kumar said they needed to be careful on IT integration. "One of the challenges before public sector banks in the near future is the merger of the bank...IT merger needs to be handled very carefully," Kumar said at an event organised by Indian Banks' Association, reported PTI. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in August last year unveiled a mega plan to merge 10 public sector banks into four as part of plans to create fewer and stronger global-sized lenders as the government looked to boost economic growth from a five-year low. The four mergers are PNB (Punjab National Bank) will amalgamate with itself smaller peers Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India, to create the nation's second- largest lender; Syndicate Bank will merge with Canara Bank; Union Bank of India will take over Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank; and Indian Bank will merge with Allahabad Bank. The move will bring down the number of state-run banks to 12 from 19 after the merger of Dena Bank and Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda effective April 2019. As of April 20-17, there were 27 state-run banks in the country, right before the SBI merged with itself its five associate banks -- State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Travancore, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore -- along with the Bharatiya Mahila Bank. The four new set of proposed mergers included Punjab National Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India will combine to form the nation's second-largest lender; Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank will merge; Union Bank of India will amalgamate with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank; and Indian Bank will merge with Allahabad Bank. These mergers will bring the number of state-run banks to 12 as against 27 in 2017. Also read: Double bank credit in 5 years to achieve $5 trillion economy: SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar To commemorate the partnership, the brands are now offering Guinness x Carhartt gear (on sale February 11th), just in time for the Irish celebration. It includes beanies, hats, shirts, hoodies and aprons for both men and women and is a true blend of Carhartt quality and the spirit of Guinness. Gear from the collaboration can be found on Carhartt.com and in Carhartt retail stores across the country starting Tuesday. "When both brands have a rich history rooted in hard work and a true passion for their craft, any product collaboration would have to share the same characteristics," said Janet Ries, Vice President of Marketing at Carhartt. "So the Guinness x Carhartt gear works just as hard on St. Patrick's Day and every day as the rugged people wearing it." In addition, the partnership kicked off with an Outwork St. Patrick's Day Giveaway national sweepstakes** which runs from January 14 March 1, 2020. One lucky grand prize winner will receive a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Dublin, Ireland to experience the legendary history of Guinness brewing. The trip includes airfare, hotel accommodations, spending money, a St. James's Gate Brewery Experience tour and Guinness x Carhartt gear. Other prizes include a trip to Detroit for a unique Carhartt experience, Guinness x Carhartt co-branded gear, and Carhartt gift ecards worth $25, $50, and $100. Visit www.Carhartt.com/Guinness to enter today. Last year, the iconic brands came together to raise money for longtime friends and partners at Team Rubicon, a non-profit organization that serves communities by mobilizing veterans to continue their service, leveraging their skills and experience to help people prepare, respond, and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises. Approximately $50,000 was raised through sales of the Guinness x Carhartt Labor Day Lager and the auction of a custom bar built by renowned designer and engineer Jimmy Diresta. About Carhartt, Inc. Established in 1889, Carhartt is a global premium workwear brand with a rich heritage of developing rugged products for workers on and off the job. Headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, with more than 5,500 associates worldwide, Carhartt is family-owned and managed by the descendants of the company's founder, Hamilton Carhartt. For more information, visit www.carhartt.com. *Diageo Beer Company, USA, New York, NY. Please Drink Responsibly. ** NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES (D.C.) AND CANADA (EXCL. QC) 21 YEARS AND OLDER. VOID IN QC AND WHERE PROHIBITED. Promotion begins January 14, 2020 & ends March 1,2020. For Official Rules, how to enter, prize descriptions and odds of winning, visit www.carharttsweeps.com. If Canadian resident, mathematical skill-testing question must be correctly answered to win. Promotion consists of random drawing sweepstakes & instant win game. 3 sweepstakes prizes and 144 instant win game prizes (approximate retail values from $25 to $13,100 USD) available to be won. Trip prize winner's guest must be 21, alcohol is not included & trip must be completed by 12/31/2020. Instant win game prize winners subject to verification. Sponsor: Carhartt, Inc., 5750 Mercury Dr., Dearborn, MI 48126 U.S.A. Contact: Amy Hellebuyck Carhartt, Inc. (313) 749-6322 [email protected] SOURCE Carhartt Related Links http://www.carhartt.com In Memphis, she listened to the story of a pregnant woman who had been reassured at her doctors visit that her baby was fine only to have a stillbirth shortly thereafter. By lunchtime she was in Nashville, where she met with members of Moms Demand Action: For Gun Sense in America and spoke aloud the name of a mans brother who was the victim of an unsolved shooting: Christopher. Taylor, who has a masters in public health, leaned in when a mother still grieving over her sons shooting death explained how grief counseling isnt covered by health insurance. The next morning, it was Knoxville where she heard a story of how the desperately hungry can be racist toward the very people trying to feed them. The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday cancelled the bail granted to the self-styled godman Nithyananda in 2010 in a rape case Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday cancelled the bail granted to the self-styled godman Nithyananda in 2010 in a rape case. Justice John Michael Cunha cancelled the bail allowing a petition filed by Kuruppan Lenin, on whose complaint police had registered the case against Nithyananda for various criminal offences, including rape. The Judge also directed the trial court to order the arrest of the accused and initiate the process of forfeiting the surety and bonds. Lenin, who worked as Nithyanandas driver, sought cancellation of the bail saying accused was skipping trial. The court observed that Nithyananda has misled the trial court into believing that he was working towards propagating Hinduism whereas his whereabouts were not known to anyone. Lenin had made the charges after Nityananda was embroiled in a controversy after purported video footage showing him in a compromising position with a Tamil actress surfaced. Nithyananda, whose main ashram is in Bidadi in Karnataka, and two of his disciples was recently booked on charges of kidnapping and keeping children in wrongful confinement at an ashram in Ahmedabad. The two disciples have been arrested. The controversial godman had fled the country last year and the Interpol has issued a Blue Corner Notice to locate him. With a final push by major parties in the fray, an acrimonious and bitter political campaign for Delhis assembly elections ended on Thursday evening. Voters will now choose representatives for 70 assembly segments on February 8. On the last day of the campaign, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal held a press conference, seeking the support of voters for what he called a new kind of politics based on performance. Union home minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Amit Shah, who has piloted the partys campaign, did three roadshows in different parts of the city, and attacked the AAP for false promises, appeasement and anarchy. In what is widely seen as a fundamentally bipolar electoral battle between AAP and BJP, Congress leaders also addressed press conferences and rallies. The election campaign broadly revolved around distinct themes for the different parties. In the course of its outreach to voters, the AAP focused on its local governance record and claimed to have improved government schools, public health facilities, electricity and water supply at subsidised rates, among other issues. The BJPs campaign revolved around its decision to provide ownership papers to residents of unauthorised colonies, and a sharp attack on the AAP for what it alleged was support for the Shaheen Bagh protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. This was seen as an effort to turn the election discourse around national and ideological issues, and polarise the electorate. While AAP sought votes in the name of Kejriwal as the CM face, the BJP did not put up a CM candidate and sought support in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. AAP began its campaign early. Back in September 2019, the party started the first phase of its election outreach, holding several janta samvaad (public interaction) programmes at the booth, assembly and even organisational levels. The party then launched its report card AAP ka report card in December, highlighting the major achievements of the AAP government in the last five years and distributing it to the citys residents. Kejriwal did a series of town halls, addressed 16 public rallies, and did close to three dozen roadshows, while the partys candidates did close to 700 mohalla meetings. On Thursday, Kejriwal said, The campaign ends today and I am very happy that we based our entire campaign on development and welfare issues. The BJP, on the other hand, based their entire campaign on Hindu-Muslim issues.On February 8, people of Delhi will decide. The election discourse took a turn in January when Shah began campaigning energetically, primarily around the issue of the Shaheen Bagh protests. Based on AAP leader and deputy CM Manish Sisodias statement that they were with Shaheen Bagh, Shah and other BJP leaders alleged that the AAP was encouraging violence, anarchy and anti-national elements. Minister of state for finance, Anurag Thakur, encouraged the chanting of provocative shoot the traitors slogans and Delhi MP Parvesh Verma said that protesters will enter your houses, they will pick up your sisters and daughters, rape them and kill them, and Modi and Shah would not be able to save them later. Both Thakur and Verma were penalised by the Election Commission. Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath was a key campaigner for the BJP, focusing largely on how a win for the AAP would benefit Pakistan. According to the BJP, senior party leaders held 5,239 rallies, public meetings, nukkad sabhas, party workers meetings and road shows as part of its campaign. While the PM addressed two rallies, Shah covered nearly 60 out of 70 assembly constituencies with either public meetings or roadshows every day since January 23. BJP chief JP Nadda held meetings in all 70 assembly constituencies. He also held public meetings as well as meetings with party workers to check the election preparedness at the grassroots level. While nationalism has remained a key issue for the party, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said the party has been able to damage the ruling AAP with its reality check campaigns. We raised the issue of dirty and poisonous drinking water supplied by the AAP government. We raised the issue of inflated electricity bills, pathetic condition of schools and mohalla clinics. This has hampered the AAPs campaign. We have been successful in exposing the AAP, Tiwari said. The Congress, widely seen as the weakest of the three forces, did not put up a CM candidate and is primarily relying on the local influence of a set of high profile candidates. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi addressed four public meetings across the city Jangpura, Sangam Vihar, Kondli and Matia Mahal and in two of these, party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi also joined him. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed one public meeting in west Delhis Tilak Nagar. The shifting contours of the campaign have made the electoral outcome uncertain. Praveen Rai, political analyst with Centre for Study of Developing Studies, said: For a long time, the election competition in Delhi seemed loaded in favour of the AAP. With the BJP taking up the Shaheen Bagh protest in their poll campaign, the electoral turf has changed to a large extent. Attempts to polarise the voters are visible. He added that while the AAP highlight its development agenda, the partys conflicting stands on Shaheen Bagh did not help. It is difficult to assess at this point how much impact it can have on the February 8 polls. The saffron party is back in contention and the results could be yet another psephological surprise. While elected officials from either party dont agree on the outcome of the impeachment trial, they could agree on how to pray for the proceedings, according to Barry Black, a Seventh-day Adventist minister and the longtime chaplain of the US Senate. So what do you pray after the US Senate votes to acquit Trump on two articles of impeachment, as it did on Wednesday afternoon? You pray that Gods will be done. I think the prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane provides us with the model, Black told CT. The preamble to saying, Let your will be done can be Father, all things are possible for you. If it is possible, let the impeachment trial come out this way, nevertheless, not as I will but let your will be done. Thats the basic setup, but the dominant thematic focus should always be Let your will be done. The minister, with his signature bow tie and deep preachers cadence, says that in the middle of the polarization and partisan sniping, he has urged senators and staff on both sides to seek Gods will. People have been listening closely to Blacks prayers as the Senate has battled over the historic impeachment vote. He draws powerful phrases from his daily devotions and hours of scriptural studies. Before a full chamber of lawmakers, Black prayed the senators might be bold as lions one morning. Another, he pled for of moral discernment to be used for your glory. And one line last week caught a lot of attention: They cant ignore you and get away with it, he said, for we always reap what we sow. The Senate voted mostly along party lines to acquit the president, rejecting the abuse of power charge 52 to 48, and the obstruction of Congress charge 53 to 47. Only Senator Mitt Romney, the Republican from Utah, broke ranks, voting to convict Trump on abuse of power. Romney, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said his religious convictions required him to stand alone. I support a great deal of what the president has done, Romney said. I have voted with him 80 percent of the time. But my promise before God to apply impartial justice required that I put my personal feelings and biases aside. Throughout the intense and contentious month-long process, Black has been encouraged by what he sees from people of faith behind the scenes. I made a statement in one of my prayers that we needed to appreciate the fact that there are patriots on both sides of the aisle, he said. I think theyre aware of that, and where they may have different presuppositions regarding how government best serves the people, they still respect the fact that the other side has valid concerns and valid approaches as well. Black is convinced that God is in charge, and Gods will is being done in the Senate. He pointed out that during the impeachment proceedings, prayer breakfasts and Bible studies continued as usual. If a united, bipartisan submission to Gods will seems unlikely in a heated political moment, things look different when officials join hands in private to pray. I see God at work in the fact that every week senators come together for a prayer breakfast, the chaplain said. I see God at work when I see every week senators coming to a Bible study, again both sides of the aisle. As chaotic as things may seem sometimes, I see God at work in the level of civility that we somehow seem to manage in spite of how polarized our nation is. Now that God has brought the impeachment trial to a conclusion, Black will continue his ministry of prayerfirst at Thursday mornings annual National Prayer Breakfast, and then at a special service of praise and thanksgiving that the chaplains office schedules after challenging periods like government shutdowns, presidential elections, or, now, a divisive impeachment trial. We have wall-to-wall people who come to thank God, Black said, not that what they desired happened, but that his will has been done. And the expressions of gratitude emanate from that knowledge: You answered our prayer because our prayer was Let your will be done. A heartwarming incident has come to light that showed a differently-abled couple from Kolkata getting married as an interpreter gestured the mantra in sign language. The couple, 40-year-old Sumanta Ghosh and 38-year-old Paromita Ghosh were speech and hearing-impaired as well as the 60 odd guests at the wedding. Sign language expert Rajani Banerjee was present in the wedding who interpreted the wedding mantras for the couples and their guests. Banerjee is the daughter of Rameshwar Banerjee who retired as the head teacher's position in Calcutta Deaf & Dumb School in Rajabazar, according to the reports. READ: Mere Dad Ki Dulhan Written Updates Of February 5: Anurag And Guneet Talk About Marriage ISL dictionary to help deaf A lot of disability rights activists across the country have for years sought greater recognition of 'Indian Sign Language' (ISL) within the country's education curriculum as well as in culture. The Indian Sign Language Research And Training Centre in Delhi in 2018 created the first edition of the ISL dictionary to help differently-abled people with better communication. It consisted of 3,000 ISL words. The first of its kind dictionary was reworked in March 2019 with the second edition containing as many as 6,000 words. READ: 'We Back CAA' Marriage Card Duo Has Tricolour-themed Wedding; Bats For Population Control Pakistan's wedding hall's bumper offer Meanwhile, a video has surfaced on the internet which shows a newly constructed wedding hall in Pakistan's Bahawalpur is offering discounts on bookings for men who are interested in getting married for the second, third and even the fourth time. It was reported by a Pakistani news channel and the video clipping was shared on Twitter by Naila Inayat. The voiceover in the video that has gone viral on Twitter is, "Dum hai toh maidaan mein aao. Doosri shaadi karke dikhaao. Bahawalpur mein khulne waale naye shaadi hall ne tamaam shaadi-shuda afraad ko bumper offer pesh kardi". One of the reporters spoke to the owner of the hall who said, "Usme yeh hai ki hume rishton ko jodna hai aur rishton ko todna nahi. Mere paas log aate hain. Humaare paas aayein aur hum Inshallah unko offer denge." But the real offer is valid only for those who fulfil a certain condition. The condition is the man's first wife has to visit the hall and make a booking for her husband's second wedding. The bumper offer challenges men it is 50% off on second marriage, 75% on the third and free on the fourth. The video has managed to garner almost more than 700 likes and netizens posted funny reactions in the comments section. READ: Pamela Anderson And Other Celebs Who Ended Their Marriage In Less Than A Month READ: Pak Wedding Hall Offers Discounts To Men For 2nd, 3rd Marriages But With A Surprise Twist Hilary Duff looked to be in a great mood as she stepped out with pal Alanna Masterson for sushi in Sherman Oaks, California on Wednesday. The 32-year-old star donned a leopard skin pattern trench coat over a pink top with torn blue jeans, rounding out things with gold hoop earrings and beige flat shoes. The Houston native carried a brown Saint Laurent purse and had her blonde locks parted in the middle, beaming as she made her way out of the restaurant. Lots of laughs: Hilary Duff, 32, looked to be in a great mood as she stepped out with pal Alanna Masterson, 31, for sushi in Sherman Oaks, California on Wednesday Masterson, who plays Tara Chambler on The Walking Dead, wore a black ensemble of a top with jeans with a brown belt with black loafers. The 31-year-old Long Island native donned a light grey sweater coat and wore earrings and a necklace, with her dark locks parted and down. Alana, who's the half-sister of actor Danny Masterson, was hysterical with laughter as she and the Lizzie McGuire alum left the establishment. They later posted time of their fun on Instagram, as they enjoyed coffee and a game of dominoes. In September of 2016, Masterson shared a throwback shot of herself with Duff on Instagram, revealing that they initially came in contact in 2001 while living at the complex formerly known as the Oakwood apartments in Toluca Hills, California, a one-time destination for child stars who moved to Hollywood to work in show business. Gorgeous: The 32-year-old star beamed as she made her way from the lunch outing BFFs: The pair have been friends approaching 20 years with one another 'We met 15 years ago at the Oakwood Apt (RIP) and I'll never forget it,' Masterson wrote of Duff in the post, which was to wish her a happy birthday. She added: 'You are truly the coolest person I know, and the best friend one could ask for. I love you little bee!' Both Hilary and Alana are moms to young children: Duff is mom to seven-year-old son Luca, with ex Mike Comrie, and daughter Banks, 15 months, with husband Matthew Koma. Alana is mom to four-year-old daughter Marlowe Masterson with ex Brick Stowell. A toast: Alanna looked stunning as she sipped a glass of wine at the eatery Fun day: The pals posed together with a few four-legged friends Turkish media accuse the adviser to the Turkish President and the ex-deputy of the Turkish parliament Gulsen Orhan's over the death of 33 rescuers under an avalanche that came down on Wednesday in eastern Turkey, RIA Novosti reported. Advisor to the President, Mrs. Orhan, contrary to the warning of the rescuers, ordered to clear the road of snow, since the delegation led by her was heading from the event in a neighboring area along the road located in the exit zone of the first avalanche, said Bulent Aydemir, a HaberTurk correspondent, on the air of the channel. According to him, Orhan ordered to put ahead 4-5 snowplows to clear the road closed from the risk of avalanches from the snow. The noise and vibration of the air from the working machines caused a new avalanche, which covered the lifeguards. Earlier, Van provincial governor Mehmet Emin Bilmez said at least three minibus passengers were killed and two were missing as a result of the avalanche in the Bahcesaray region. On Wednesday, local authorities informed that a new avalanche had covered five vehicles with more than 50 rescue personnel working at the scene. The Turkish emergencies authority reported that another 26 people died and 75 were injured. President Tayyip Erdogan said later the death toll has increased to 33 people. "Coronavirus face masks" offered by third party sellers on Amazon. An investigation has been launched into a retailer of coronavirus face masks being sold via Amazon, Yahoo News UK can reveal. The online retail giant has been forced to remove a face mask product which was ranked as the number one best-seller on its health and personal care category, after it was flagged by Yahoo News UK. On Thursday, Amazon confirmed that the product had been removed from the site. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) also confirmed it has launched an investigation into one of the third-party sellers. It made it clear it is not investigating Amazon. It is not known how many of the masks have been sold as Amazon does not give out third party sales figures. Face masks have become an increasingly common sight on public transport as the coronavirus continues to spread around the world. The virus has killed more than 500 people in China and in excess of 20,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide. On Thursday, the UK had its third coronavirus case confirmed. Yahoo News UK identified a number of products that identify or imply that they were safe to use to protect against the virus. One product, which is no longer listed, sold for 210 and had the following description: CORONAVIRUS SAFE 3M Aura Flat Fold Face Mask Disposable Dust, Mist, Fume, Respirator, FFP3, Valved, 9332+ (10 pieces) The best seller, which was removed, said: 5X Flu Medical Face Mask | Virus | Coronavirus | SARS | Norovirus | Protected in Sealed Bags | UK Stock Public Health England has cast doubt on the effectiveness of face masks outside of clinical settings, with one medical expert telling Yahoo News UK there was little evidence of widespread benefit. This mask had "coronavirus" in its product title. The same mask ranked top in Amazon UK's health and personal care category. It has since been removed. Many of the coronavirus masks sold on the site, including the health and personal care bestseller, provide no information as to whether the masks actually stop the wearer catching or spreading the disease. When Amazon was contacted by Yahoo News UK on Wednesday about the bestselling face mask, the site took down the product listing within 24 hours. Story continues Amazon is also understood to be taking action against the vendor of the bestselling mask, which can no longer be bought on the site. A spokesman for Amazon said: We work hard to build a great experience for our customers and sellers and take action to protect them from those that threaten their experience in our store. We have systems and processes to detect suspicious behaviour and we have teams that investigate and take action quickly. The mask marked with "Coronavirus Safe" in its product title. Public Health England said face masks are only of use if worn and removed correctly, frequently changed, safely disposed and used with good universal hygiene behaviour - which tend to be practised less by wearers the longer they wear a mask. Dr Jake Dunning, head of emerging infections and zoonoses at Public Health England, said: People concerned about the transmission of infectious diseases should prioritise good personal, respiratory and hand hygiene. There is very little evidence of widespread benefit from their (face mask) use outside of these clinical settings. Paul Hunter, professor of health protection at the University of East Anglia, said: The advice is at the moment, for people in the UK, the risk is so low that you dont really need to be that concerned at present. Whether than changes in future, time will tell, but I would advise not to buy and start wearing face masks. He warned that people wearing face masks should not believe they are protected and said he is reviewing the evidence for the effectiveness of face masks but is unsure what the findings will be. However, the USs Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends face masks for people confirmed or suspected of having coronavirus when around other people. The ASA told Yahoo News UK on Thursday it has launched an investigation into one of the sellers that listed its product on Amazon. A spokesman for the ASA said: Following an enquiry on the products (sent by Yahoo News UK)... I can confirm that we are going to initiate an investigation against one of the third party sellers over whether they have breached our social responsibility advertising rules. Coronaviruses on average are just over 0.1 micron (0.0001mm) in dimension, and many masks are unable to filter particles that size. The virus itself is smaller than the pore size of these masks, Prof Hunter said. However, single viruses are not generally the way these things spread. They are spread in aerosols of spit, snot and sputum and those particles are much bigger than the virus itself. Quindell Campbell has been arrested in a sexual assault in Love Park on Jan. 25, 2020. Read more A 23-year-old Olney man was charged Thursday with raping a 41-year-old woman in LOVE Park as she was walking to work last month, Philadelphia police said. Capt. Mark Burgmann of the Special Victims Unit said at a news conference that Quindell Campbell who had never been arrested before was a stranger to the woman he assaulted early on the morning of Jan. 25. Burgmann said investigators recovered surveillance video showing Campbell wandering around Center City for hours before his alleged crime, then following the woman inside the famed plaza before punching her and knocking her to the ground. The assault happened around 5:20 a.m., and people nearby heard screams and called police. Campbell initially avoided arrest by running away from responding officers and into the 15th Street SEPTA station. Police then released surveillance video and images of Campbell fleeing, and the officers union offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. A flood of tips followed, Burgmann said, and that helped investigators from the Philadelphia Police Department, the FBI, and SEPTA police to identify Campbell as a suspect. He was taken into custody Wednesday night at the home he shares with his mother on the 5200 block of North Howard Street, Burgmann said. Burgmann said investigators found clothes at Campbells home that appeared to match those worn by the offender during the assault. He also said Campbell had cut his dreadlocks since the incident, but appeared to be suffering from a leg injury similar to one the suspect had sustained while running away from police. Burgmann said investigators were reviewing unsolved rape cases to determine if any might be linked to Campbell. As part of his arrest, he must submit a DNA sample to authorities. District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement: This is a horrifying crime the type of crime that tells women they are not safe in public in a free society. But he pointed out that the number of reported rapes in the city has been declining and was down 28% in 2019 compared with 2015. His office said that Campbell was charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, sexual assault, and related crimes, and that bail was set at $2 million. It was not immediately clear if Campbell had a lawyer. Alberta, unlike several U.S. jurisdictions, does not require companies to post upfront security deposits for cleanup before drilling, or impose mandatory timelines for cleaning up inactive sites. Lucija Muehlenbachs, an economist at the University of Calgary, said this incentivizes operators to keep them inactive to avoid the costly cleanup. Few are put back into production, she said, even when energy prices rebound. And struggling operators sometimes sell their high-liability wells to smaller companies, who are also strapped for cash. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The citys Department of Health said on Thursday that two more people have met the symptom threshold to be tested for the novel coronavirus the illness that has affected over 20,000 people worldwide, with 11 confirmed cases in the United States. The additional two cases mark the fourth and fifth person in New York City to be identified for testing for the coronavirus. Both individuals, according to the Department of Health, are under 40 years of age. While one person has been hospitalized, the other individual did not have symptoms severe enough to require hospitalization. Under guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that individual will remain under isolation precautions and daily monitoring by the Health Department. New York City is on high alert and prepared to handle any confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, said Mayor Bill de Blasio. My message to New Yorkers remains the same: if you have the travel history and are exhibiting symptoms, please see your health provider immediately. This is exactly what we prepared for and is evidence that the system in place is working as it should, said Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot. More good news tonight, NYC: The 2nd person under investigation was found NOT to have the 2019 novel #coronavirus. Were still waiting on results for the other three people under investigation. Check our website every weekday at 10:30 a.m. for updates: https://t.co/AKpJIDztv1 pic.twitter.com/pb7D6fDJ14 nycHealthy (@nycHealthy) February 5, 2020 Hours before, the Health Department said that the second person in New York City tested for the virus was determined not to have the illness. The first person tested was also determined to not have the coronavirus. The symptoms of the coronavirus cough, fever and shortness of breath mimic those of other respiratory conditions, including colds and the flu, according to the CDC, and they can range from being barely visible to causing severe respiratory distress and even death. The timing of the remaining test results is dependent on the CDCs capacity for testing. Authorities have cautioned that cases under investigation should not be presumed as likely to be confirmed. Staten Island hospital physicians are on heightened alert for novel coronavirus, health officials previously 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. PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY President Donald Trump declared a public health emergency in the U.S. last week in response to the spread of coronavirus. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said the presidents proclamation suspends entry of foreign nationals who have visited (mainland) China within the past 14 days into the United States, and exempts immediate family members of U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents." These people will be allowed to enter the United States, Messonnier said of the exemptions; however, these individuals will receive an additional health assessment and will be screened for symptoms of the virus. If these individuals are considered to be symptomatic, they will be transferred for further medical evaluation, Messonnier said, and will be isolated for 14 days. Given the virus spread outside of China, Messonnier said the CDC is also putting in place measures to detect this virus among those who are allowed entry into the United States," calling the person-to-person spread outside of mainland China a cause of concern. CDC RECCOMENDATIONS For those who feel sick with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, and who have recently traveled to Hubei province China or been in contact with a confirmed case within 14 days of symptom onset, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends: Seek medical care right away. Before going to a doctors office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them about recent travel and symptoms. Avoid contact with others. Do not travel while sick. Cover mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not hands) when coughing or sneezing. Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. For more information about the coronavirus, visit the Heath Department website at nyc.gov/health. This is the convicted terrorist who will be back on British streets unless MPs can win a frantic race to rush through emergency terror laws by February 27. Mohammed Zahir Khan, from Sunderland, is the next offender due for automatic early release on February 28 following a four and a half year sentence. Ministers face a deadline of February 27 to pass the emergency legislation through Parliament that would end automatic release for offenders after half their sentence. Mohammed Zahir Khan, from Sunderland, is the next offender due for automatic early release on February 28 following a four and a half year sentence The prime minister announced the legislation following an attack in Streatham on Sunday, in which convicted terrorist Sudesh Amman, who was released last month despite authorities having serious concerns about him, went on a stabbing spree. Khan, a father-of-one and shopkeeper, was jailed in May 2018 for encouraging acts of terror, disseminating terror material and inciting religious hatred. A Whitehall official described him as an 'extremely concerning individual'. MPs are hoping the legislation will pass through the Commons by the end of next week, before Parliament breaks for a week's recess. That means the House of Lords will have just three days to pass the bill when Parliament returns on February 24. Terrorist Sudesh Amman (pictured on CCTV in Streatham, south London, moments before his attack) boasted of wanting to carry out an atrocity 'worse than London Bridge' weeks before he was released from prison A police officer kneels down and looks at what appeared to be a suicide vest on Streatham terrorist Sudesh Amman's body during the dramatic incident on Sunday afternoon Khan 42, originally from Birmingham, was locked up after he admitted possessing a dossier of terror material. He said initially that had amassed the bile filed material 'recklessly' but a Judge called him out for his 'uninhibited hatred.' Sudesh Amman was shot dead by armed police on Streatham High Road on Sunday Khan spread racial hatred online targeting Shia Muslims saying 'death to shias ... death to every single one of them', describing them as 'dirty and filthy shiite scum' and calling for them to be burnt alive. He also tweeted in January 2017: 'Welcome to the year of fear, IS will make this one the deadliest ever. Mr Kuffar (non-believers) prepare for real war.' His Facebook page also showed an Islamic State flag and a statement about martyrdom. Judge Paul Sloan QC told him: 'You had an uninhibited hatred for Shiite Muslims, President Assad and his regime, non-believers and hatred for some Western countries such as the US.' They are among 50 terrorists who are due for early release this year. The Sole Administrator, Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), Bro. Felix Obuah has urged the good people of the State to take advantage of the dry season to empty their gutters and other water channels to avoid blockage ahead of the 2020 flood warnings by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA). Bro. Obuah made the appeal on Thursday, shortly after his routine monitoring exercise of major streets and roads in Port Harcourt, the State capital and its environs. According to the RIWAMA Sole Administrator: My appeal is premised on the latest prediction by the Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) that there would be greater flooding with disastrous consequences this year, particularly in the South-South States. He regretted that some residents and those doing business in the State have cultivated the habit of indiscriminate dumping of solid wastes and plastics into canals which also cause blockage of canals and cause flooding. Bro. Obuah appealed to Rivers people to make adequate preparation against the coming rainy season, regretting that the incidence of flooding might manifest in the State just as predicted by the NIHSA if people fail to heed the warnings issued by the Agency before the onset of the rainy season. According to the 2020 Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) released by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMet), February 24, 2020 is the predicted onset of rainfall in the South-South while the predicted cessation date is December 28, 2020 implying a longer period of rainy season. Bro. Obuah said the situation called for collaborative efforts by residents across the 23 Local Government Areas to ensure that the State is not caught up by the impending flood disaster and also charged Rivers people to ensure that their gutters and other water channels are regularly cleared of wastes. The RIWAMA boss noted that the Agency had often warned residents and those doing business in the State to adhere to environmental rules by not throwing garbage into the gutters and other waterways, as these would impede the free flow of water. The flood disaster which devastated several parts of the State in 2012 is still very fresh in mind and should serve as a wake-up call for all residents and people doing business in the State to take appropriate steps to avoid a repeat of that experience, Bro. Obuah advised. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - FMC Corp. (FMC) announced, for 2020, adjusted earnings are expected to be in the range of $6.45 to $6.70, reflecting 8 percent growth at the midpoint from 2019, excluding any impact from 2020 share repurchases. The company targets revenue of $4.8 to $4.95 billion, reflecting 6 percent growth at the midpoint from 2019. The company plans to repurchase $400 to $500 million of FMC shares during the year. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report profit per share of $6.67 on revenue of $4.85 billion. Analysts' estimates typically exclude special items. For the first-quarter, FMC targets adjusted earnings per share to be in the range of $1.76 to $1.86, representing an increase of 5 percent at the midpoint from previous year. Revenue is estimated to be in the range of $1.23 billion to $1.27 billion, representing 5 percent growth. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to report profit per share of $1.87 on revenue of $1.25 billion. Fourth-quarter adjusted earnings per share was $1.76, up 21 percent from recast results, prior year. Revenue was $1.2 billion, up 9 percent. 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. A central Pennsylvania man accused of tossing a lit Molotov cocktail firebomb at the Adams County Courthouse is now in even deeper legal trouble of the federal kind. A grand jury in U.S. Middle District Court in Harrisburg has indicted Samson Paul Yohe, 27, of Gettysburg, on two criminal counts. The first is a charge of malicious attempt to destroy a building by fire and explosive. The second is possession of an unregistered firearm. Both charges stem from a Dec. 22 incident outside the courthouse in Gettysburg. Borough police said Yohe threw the firebomb at the courthouse, breaking a window. The device failed to explode. The cops charged Yohe with arson, risking a catastrophe and possessing a weapon of mass destruction. The newly-filed federal charges up the ante for Yohe. The malicious attempt charge alone carries a federal prison term of between 5 and 20 years. Investigators said Yohe was identified as the bomb thrower from video surveillance footage to the incident, which occurred just after 11 a.m. on a Sunday morning when the courthouse was closed. When questioned by officers, Yohe was wearing the same kind of sneakers and a camouflage mask that the bomber wore, police said. They said antique bottles found in Yohes home were similar to the one used to make the dud bomb. During the probe, police found Yohe had prior convictions for assault and aggravated harassment. Court records show Yohe was sentenced to 6 to 23 months in Lebanon County Prison in 2017 after pleading guilty to a aggravated harassment by prisoner charge. He was sentenced to 2 years of probation in York County in 2016 on a guilty plea to simple assault. It is unclear whether Yohe will be prosecuted on both the federal charges and those filed by Gettysburg police. He is in Adams County Prison without bail. In this image from video, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, speaks on the Senate floor about the impeachment trial against President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. The Senate will vote on the Articles of Impeachment on Wednesday afternoon. (Senate Television via AP) Associated Press Republican Sen. Mitt Romney invited the wrath of his own party on Wednesday when he made the shocking announcement that he would vote to convict President Donald Trump of abuse of power following his impeachment trial. Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., said Romney was now "officially a member of the resistance" and "should be expelled" from the Republican Party. Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the party and Romney's niece, also voiced her disapproval. "This is not the first time I've disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last," she said. "Wrong, wrong, wrong move," said GOP Rep. Jim Jordan, one of Trump's biggest attack dogs in Congress. Speaking on the Senate floor ahead of a final vote on whether to convict or acquit Trump, Romney said he expected to face backlash from his colleagues. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. On Wednesday, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah made history by becoming the first senator to vote to convict the president of his own party in an impeachment trial, blindsiding and angering Republicans. Romney announced his shocking decision in a speech on the Senate floor shortly before the chamber was expected to vote to acquit Trump of two articles of impeachment: abuse of his office and obstruction of Congress. Romney's vote was especially notable given his stature in Republican politics. The former governor of Massachusetts, Romney ran for president twice and was the Republican presidential nominee in 2012. His niece Ronna McDaniel is also the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, which has firmly supported Trump and is helping to fund his reelection campaign. "This is not the first time I've disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last. The bottom line is President Trump did nothing wrong, and the Republican Party is more united than ever behind him," McDaniel said a statement. "I, along with the GOP, stand with President Trump." Story continues A press release from the Republican Party following Romney's announcement was titled "Mitt Romney turns his back on Utah." Here's how key Republican figures reacted: Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr., suggested the Republican caucus should expel Romney. Rep. Jim Jordan, the ranking member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee and a crucial Trump ally, said it was a "wrong, wrong, wrong move." Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker, skewered Romney and pointed to comments he made in 1994 criticizing former President Ronald Reagan. Republican congressman Lee Zeldin said Romney voted to convict Trump because he "absolutely despises" the president. In a speech on the Senate floor, Romney said he expected harsh blowback from his colleagues. "Does anyone seriously believe that I would consent to these consequences, other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before God demanded it of me?" he said. The Senate is set to hold a final vote on whether to convict or acquit Trump at about 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Trump was impeached in December. Both articles of impeachment related to his efforts to strong-arm Ukraine into interfering in the 2020 election while he withheld $391 million in vital military aid and dangled a White House meeting that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky desperately sought and still hasn't gotten. At the center of the impeachment inquiry was a July 25 phone call during which Trump repeatedly pressured Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter over the latter's employment on the board of the Ukrainian natural-gas company Burisma Holdings. Trump also asked Zelensky to help discredit the Russia inquiry by investigating a bogus conspiracy theory suggesting Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election to help Democrats and Hillary Clinton's campaign. Documents and testimony from more than a dozen witnesses eventually revealed that the July call was just one data point in a months-long effort by Trump and his allies, including his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, to leverage the weight of the US government and foreign policy to force Ukraine into acceding to his political demands. Read the original article on Business Insider The guy has been around the world far and wide shooting his series of Gymkhana videos and participating in stage rallies. But perhaps this is the first time weve heard the man participate in the grueling Dakar Rally let alone driving a fully electric offroader. These days the simple mention of Ken Block brings up images of smoke, wild machinery banging on the rev limiter, skid marks, and much more smoke. Such is the fame of the DC Shoes proprietor-turned-professional Hoonigan that he carries with him the very definition of having fun behind the wheel wherever he goes and with whatever hes thrown the keys to. Thats right, for the last stage of this years Dakar Rally, Mr. Block was entrusted to pilot the Odyssey 21, a purpose-built offroad rally racer that will supposedly be the base of the upcoming Extreme E all-terrain racing series. Being a series that takes the nuances of EV Racing offroad, the Odyssey 21 is meant to tackle all the harshness and rough terrain Mother Nature has to offer; and this years Dakar Rally ought to be a proper test. Weighing in at 1650 kg and pushing somewhere in the neighborhood of 550 PS, Block feels he could easily place the vehicle along the course and was astounded at the acceleration provided by the EV powertrain it does, after all, do away with 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds. While the Dakar Rally still retains its name as the infamous rally held from Paris, France all the way to Dakar, Senegal, this years rally takes participants across Saudi Arabia. Still, its an equally challenging course for a conventionally powered vehicle let alone an electric one. The Odyssey 21 is, according to its builders, an example of a type of vehicle that will be eligible for the Extreme E offroad series, but manufacturers may have a bit more freedom as far as powertrain options and chassis engineering is involved. Looks like the electrification of the automobile is starting to cross new frontiers, lets see where it will go next. A Chilean farming company has acquired two cherry orchards in the UK in a move that will boost production of the fruit. A new deal has been announced by major cherry producers FGA Farming, based in Chile, and UK fruit company Mansfields. FGA Farming has acquired two cherry orchards from Mansfields, making them the two largest cherry growers in the UK. The deal sees the businesses share their know-how on southern and northern hemisphere cherry production and further build on their businesses. The fruit from the farms will continue to be processed at Mansfields' Kent-based fruit facility. The owners of FGA are two of Chile's most respected growers, San Clemente and Gesex, who themselves produce over 5 million kilos of cherries in the South American nation, which are sold around the world. FGA said the acquisition of the two UK cherry farms will create a 'cherry centre of excellence'. Andrew Wallace, founder of the firm, said: This is a very exciting investment, allowing us to be growers of high quality cherries in both the southern and northern hemispheres. We had started to look at how we could become growers in the UK over a year ago, so we are delighted to have completed this deal. Mansfields have developed two fantastic orchards and we look forward to continuing the great work with the staff at the farms. We look forward to other opportunities this deal could bring through working with Mansfields on other projects. ARLINGTON, Va.-- February 6, 2020 -- Senator Mike B. Enzi (R-WY) and Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA-18) will receive the Edwin C. Whitehead Award for Medical Research Advocacy for the pivotal roles they have played in accelerating life-saving medical progress. Research!America will honor these leaders at its Advocacy Awards Dinner on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C. "Congresswoman Eshoo and Senator Enzi have each contributed in extraordinary ways to strengthening our nation's biomedical R&D pipeline and public health capacity," said Research!America Chair, the Honorable Michael N. Castle. "Under their leadership, public and private sector-fueled research is building knowledge and saving lives at an unprecedented pace to the profound benefit of us all." Throughout his 22-year tenure on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Senator Enzi's leadership and vision has been instrumental in shaping an efficient and effective discovery, development, and delivery ecosystem in the U.S. that drives desperately needed solutions for patients. His stewardship has strengthened key research and public health agencies including NIH, FDA, CDC, and AHRQ, and shepherded mechanisms to ensure basic research translates into a wide diversity of new treatments and technologies. Among his numerous contributions, Senator Enzi helped ensure our nation responded aggressively to the AIDS crisis and has played a lead role in addressing longstanding gaps in autism research and support. "I am honored to receive the Whitehead Award and I congratulate Congresswoman Eshoo," Enzi said. "Throughout my career, my goal has been to help Americans have access to affordable, high-quality health care. Medical research is a critical part of helping folks. I am hopeful we can build on the progress we've made so we can continue to save lives, create jobs, and lower health care costs." Congresswoman Eshoo chairs the Health Subcommittee of the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee. She is an outspoken advocate for bolstering funding for the National Institutes of Health and has played a central role in advancing numerous policy changes to responsibly speed medical advances to patients. Rep. Eshoo has written landmark bipartisan legislation to promote the development of new lifesaving cures in biologic drugs; protect patients' genetic information from being used to discriminate against them; modernize how the FDA regulates and approves medical devices; and promote the development of medicines specifically for children. "It's a great honor to be chosen to receive the Whitehead Award from Research!America with Senator Mike Enzi," said Congresswoman Eshoo. "Today's medical discoveries are made possible by strong federal investments in research which help lay the groundwork for tomorrow's medical breakthroughs. Research!America's advocacy has helped shift U.S. medical research into high gear, and I'm grateful to them for their work and this award." ### Research!America's 2020 Advocacy Awards dinner honors exceptional individuals and organizations in advocacy for medical, health, and scientific research. The Whitehead Award, named in honor of Research!America founder Edwin C. "Jack" Whitehead recognizes exemplary leaders, particularly those in public office, who have demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing medical and health research as a national priority and who galvanize others in support of science. Other 2020 Research!America Advocacy Award honorees are renowned soprano Renee Fleming; former president of the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Bruce Alberts; distinguished professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dr. Myron "Mike" Levine; chief scientific officer of Sanofi, Dr. Gary Nabel; director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Dr. Paul Offit; professor in the Schools of Medicine and Public Health at Emory University, Dr. Michael M.E. Johns; chair of the John E. Fogarty Foundation for Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Mary Fogarty McAndrew; and The National Multiple Sclerosis Society. About Research!America's Advocacy Awards Dinner Established in 1996 by the Research!America Board of Directors, the annual Advocacy Awards program honors outstanding advocates for medical, health, and scientific research. The program recognizes individuals and organizations with extraordinary leadership efforts who have been effective in advancing our nation's commitment to medical, health, and other scientific research. This year the awards event will take place on March 11, 2020 at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit http://www.researchamerica.org/advocacy_awards. About Research!America The Research!America alliance advocates for science, discovery, and innovation to achieve better health for all. Visit http://www.researchamerica.org. With two critically-lauded and internationally celebrated films, life has changed but not much for National Film Award winning-director Rima Das who says she will never compromise with her "creative vision" to woo producers. A self-taught director, Das was a one-woman army when she shot the coming-of-age "Village Rockstars" in her village in Assam's Chhaygaon. "When I did 'Village Rockstars', I had nothing. Same thing happened with 'Bulbul Can Sing'. I don't feel getting a producer is a struggle because I come from nothing. Now other producers are approaching me. But I have my own equipment, honestly I don't feel dependent on someone else," the filmmaker told PTI in a telephonic interview. Das is now ready to fly to Berlinale, just like her last directorial "Bulbul Can Sing". The film had its European premiere at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival last year. But she will be in Berlin in a different avatar - as one of the three jury members of the 14plus International Jury. The other two are, Iranian filmmaker Abbas Amini and South African director Jenna Bass. 14Plus is a sub category of the Generation section at the festival and focused on creating stories for those aged 14 and above. From Chhaygaon to Mumbai to now Germany, the director said the festival, which runs from Febraury 20 to March 1, is making her feel at home. "I had a great experience at Berlinale last time and I'm really glad that they are calling me this time as well. But I didn't expect to be invited there as a jury member and that too so soon," she said. Das' film "Village Rockstars" premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and earned four National Film Awards in 2018, including best film and best editing for the director. The Assamese language feature was India's official entry to last year's Academy Awards in the best international film category. Recounting her time in Berlin last year, the director-writer said she was both "nervous" and "mesmerised". "After 'Village Rockstars', when 'Bulbul' went to TIFF, I knew how to navigate through the festival circuit there. But Berlinale was very new and I knew it has a very experienced audience. Even the kids there are very well-versed and come up to you with a lot of questions. "I remember sitting there with other filmmakers and wondering if my film could get a prize. And now they are calling for me for the jury, it's unbelievable. I feel like I'm still learning. But this is an acknowledgement that they love me, respect my work, and understand it. It gives me a lot of confidence." "Bulbul..." too has had an interesting flight -- the film won best Assamese film at last year's National Film Awards and best indie honour at 2019 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. "When 'Bulbul' won in Melbourne, they gave me a (professional) Blackmagic camera. Earlier, I had a small camera to shoot with, I now have a bigger one," she added. But Das will never trade autonomy of her stories for better funds, she asserted. "If producers who approach me allow me to work my way, it's fine. Otherwise it's pointless. I can always go back to producing my own films. Whether I have an audience of a thousand or a lakh. "Even if a thousand people like my film, it works for me. As I evolve, both as a woman and an artiste, I'll see how it goes. I'd also like to take new challenges. But my creative satisfaction matters the most." The director initially came to Mumbai to pursue acting as a career but things did not go according to plan. Language, at first, was a barrier which she eventually overcame so much so that she might take up her first Hindi feature one day. "Mumbai has become my second home. I had to learn Hindi and Urdu when I came here long ago with a dream to become an actor. Earlier, I had doubts about speaking a different language, but after becoming a director, I don't have that phobia anymore. I can speak freely, I've picked up some Marathi too," she said. "Now that I know the language, there's a sense of belonging with this city. I understand the city much better today. Mumbai has given me a lot and I have given her a lot. I'd want to do something more here," she added. Streaming services are a boon for independent filmmakers like Das, the sound of whose films is sometimes lost in the clamour of big-ticket Bollywood mainstream. Both "Village Rockstars" and "Bulbul..." recently started streaming on Netflix and medium is not a concern for the director. "'Village Rockstars' did well but 'Bulbul' couldn't as there was a big Bollywood release at the time. We couldn't manage the number of screens and the film suffered a lot. The more people get to know about the film, the better. Medium doesn't matter, what matters more is for the film to reach to the masses. I make movies for the cinema halls but when it's not possible, something is any day better than nothing." Das is currently working on a script with actor Tillotama Shome attached to star. "We start soon. I was working on the story for four-five years. I'm talking to producers. But I feel I'm not getting enough time to write more. This year my focus is on writing and making films," she added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A couple accused of murdering their adopted son in India for his life insurance payout cannot be extradited because it would breach their human rights, British judges ruled yesterday. Former Heathrow worker Arti Dhir, 55, and her husband Kaval Raijada, 30, face charges over an alleged plot to kill 11-year-old Gopal Sejani for a 150,000 windfall. They are said to have arranged for hitmen to attack Gopal in Gujarat as he travelled to sign adoption papers ahead of a better life with the couple in Britain. Gopals brother-in-law was also killed. Former Heathrow worker Arti Dhir, 55, and her husband Kaval Raijada, 30, face charges over an alleged plot to kill 11-year-old Gopal Sejani for a 150,000 windfall Despite Britains chief magistrate ruling there is strong evidence to convict Dhir and Raijada based on a confession from one of the hitmen and payments made to him they avoided extradition following a High Court hearing yesterday and are free to walk the streets of Britain. Sitting in London, Lord Justice Dingemans upheld a refusal to extradite the couple on the basis they face the prospect of a sentence of life without parole if convicted of double murder in India. This would be inhuman and degrading treatment, breaching Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights and making their extradition unlawful, it was said. The ruling drew anger last night. Conservative MP Tim Loughton, who sits on the Commons home affairs select committee, said: Do we really want suspected child killers roaming the streets of London? They are said to have arranged for hitmen to attack Gopal in Gujarat as he travelled to sign adoption papers ahead of a better life with the couple in Britain This is an absolutely heinous crime and I think many people would agree there needs to be the harshest of sentences if they are found guilty. It is up to the Indian legal system to decide on the appropriate penalty and we should not be standing in the way of justice being served for the victims. David Green, of the Civitas democracy think-tank, said: If this crime had been committed in this country, a whole life sentence may have been a sentencing option so it seems extraordinary and unjust to not assist a friendly, Commonwealth country in securing justice in a case like this. If they were to be charged with these offences in Britain they would be remanded in custody, so it is perverse they are free because of our inability to co-operate with a country like India, with a thoroughly British-style judicial system. The sooner we repeal the Human Rights Act, the better. However, as the murder was allegedly plotted from the couples housing association flat in Hanwell, west London, they could be investigated in the UK, the High Court said. Last night, Scotland Yard declined to comment on whether it would open a probe. Former baggage handler Dhir was named by Interpol as one of its most wanted shortly after Gopals murder in February 2017 and was arrested in London. They avoided extradition following a High Court hearing yesterday and are free to walk the streets of Britain After Dhir placed an advert in an Indian newspaper looking to adopt, a man approached Gopals family in the poor village of Maliya, promising the boy a better life in the UK. As the adoption progressed, Kenya-born Dhir, who moved to Britain as a child, took out life insurance on Gopal and paid two premiums totalling 30,000. The policy would pay out ten times the value of the annual premium about 150,000 in the event of Gopals death, with Dhir the sole beneficiary. Dhir and Raijada are then said to have hired a former student who lived with them in London to arrange the murder. Nitish Mund said he was recruited to kill Gopal after two unsuccessful attempts left Raijada furious. Gopal and his brother-in-law Harsukhbhai Kardani were ambushed by men on motorbikes on a dirt road as they made their way to sign paperwork. Gopal was abducted and later found with stab wounds on the side of a road. He died in hospital a few days later. Mr Kardani was stabbed trying to defend his relative and also died in hospital. Mund was arrested and charged with murder in India where he said he had been recruited by the British couple to kill the boy. Investigations found Raijada had transferred money to Mund shortly before the killings. Gopals insurance policy was not paid out. New Zealand women defeated South Africa by five wickets in the second T20I here on Thursday. With this victory, the hosts have taken a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series against South Africa. Chasing a decent target of 120 runs, New Zealand did not witness a good start as Rachael Priest gave away her wicket after scoring five runs. Suzie Bates then came out to bat but failed to leave a mark as she only managed to score seven runs before Shabnim Ismail bowled her. Opener Sophie Devine was then joined by Maddy Green out on the field. Devine played furiously and struck three consecutive sixes to Chloe Tryon to complete her half-century. Devine and Green's partnership was broken as the latter was sent back to the pavilion by Nadine de Klerk in the 13th over. Sune Luus provided South Africa with the crucial wicket of Devine, who played a knock of 61 runs, in the 17th over. Hayley Jensen and Katey Martin then came out to bat and took their side over the line. Earlier after being asked to bat first, South Africa women had a poor start as opener Lizelle Lee was given LBW off Rosemary Mair's delivery in the second over. Laura Wolvaardt was then joined by Nadine de Klerk on the field. The duo failed to form a partnership as De Klerk (9) was sent back to the pavilion by Sophie Devine. In the very next over, Wolvaardt (22) was run out. Dane van Niekerk and Mignon du Preez then took the field and provided their side with some momentum as they struck regular boundaries. Lea Tahuhu then broke the partnership as she dismissed Niekerk (25). In the same over, Tahuhu also removed Chloe Tryon on a duck. Amelia Kerr then got the wicket of Du Preez (40). After Du Preez's dismissal, South Africa utterly failed to stitch a partnership and were all out on 119 runs. The third T20I between both teams will take place on February 9. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 By Huseyn Safarov - Trend: Double standards and discrimination by the Council of Europe are applied to those who have their own opinion and dont seek to imitate the so-called European democracy, Russian political observer, conflict expert Yevgeniy Mikhailov told Trend. The expert noted that in the Council of Europe, not only Azerbaijan, but also its partner, Russia, are subject to a policy of double standards. If Baku put the so-called European 'multiculturalism' above its national interests, then the attitude towards Azerbaijan would be warmer, said Mikhailov. Since Azerbaijan is a strong, independent power that cherishes family and national values, like Russia, in contrast to Armenia itself, where gay parades are freely held, and the state leaders are directly dependent on Western subsidies, one shouldnt be surprised at the biased attitude side of the so-called 'civilized' Old World. The political analyst noted that he completely agrees with the opinion of sane politicians and analysts who point out that the Council of Europe has actually become a place of propaganda for open hypocrisy and discrimination. Moreover, I would like to note that this organization is openly degrading and losing influence in the world, Mikhailov added. At the same time, I would like to say that earlier this influence was also very conditional, mainly due to lobbying for the interests of the US and its transnational corporations. Now Europe is at a political crossroads because of the policies of its senior overseas partner, and doesnt dare to make its choice contributing to the strengthening of its sovereignty from external players. The expert expressed confidence that the Council of Europe is a breeding ground for Russophobia and Islamophobia. This should have been taken into account long ago, the Council of Europe isnt worthy to be a partner, Mikhailov said. Its clear that Europe is changing, and not for the better, and thats why one should realize that new alliances are needed, where Europeans wont play a dominant role, and the rights of all participants will be equally respected. The Genie Is Out of the Bottle More marijuana shops open. by John Rosevear From the February, 2020 issue M ichael Barrymore has broken his silence over the death of a man who was found in his swimming pool, saying he "had nothing to do with this". The TV star posted a short clip on Twitter in which he said he could not comment on a documentary that aired on Thursday night about Stuart Lubbock's death nearly 20 years ago, because he has not seen it. Barrymore, 67, issued the statement ahead of Channel 4's programme Barrymore: The Body In The Pool, in which he also protested his innocence. The programme looks into the unexplained death of 31-year-old Mr Lubbock, whose body was found at Barrymore's then-home in Roydon, Essex, on March 31 2001. Barrymore was arrested in 2007, but never charged with any offence. A 999 call made from Barrymores Essex home after Mr Lubbock was found dead was heard by the public for the first time in the documentary. In the call, which includes swearing, a man is heard saying: "A fella has drowned in the pool... We have got them out." He tells the emergency services: "There's a party going on and someone has just gone out and found him." Chilling 999 call made from Michael Barrymore's home after Stuart Lubbock drowned in his pool He goes on: "I tell you what mate, the first time I've been out in four f****** years, I have me kids every weekend, and f****** hell. "You don't expect it do you?" "I think the geezer's dead mate," he adds. In Thursday's Twitter post, Barrymore said he has been repeatedly asked to comment on the documentary, adding: "As I made clear to everyone, I'm not able to comment because Channel 4 are refusing to show it to me, or let me know what it contains. "However, I will say to anyone who would like to get to the truth of the matter is they should watch the ITV interview I did last year with Piers Morgan. "He went into everything and left no stone unturned. The truth is I have always done everything anyone has asked of me, and I've cooperated with everyone. "Essex Police's own QC has said that, 'We know that Mr Barrymore has had nothing to do with this and that there is no evidence linking him with the injuries to Mr Lubbock or the pool'." Barrymore continued: "I have had nothing to do with this whatsoever and yet I keep getting bashed and bullied by the media." He said he may comment after he has watched the programme when it has aired. "In the meantime, my heartfelt sympathies are with the Lubbock family and I truly hope they find peace, and it is for that reason that I have constantly pressed for an independent police force to examine everything to do with the case and reach a proper conclusion, and I shall continue to do so," he added. A Channel 4 spokeswoman said: "We are not obliged to show the subjects of documentaries programmes before broadcast. "Mr Barrymore was given a fair opportunity to respond to the matters raised in the film, and his position is fairly included in it." Barrymore, who was one of the UK's best-known TV presenters at the time of Mr Lubbock's death, last year told Morgan's Life Stories programme that he is "100 per cent innocent". He later sued Essex Police claiming wrongful arrest, which he said had cost him about 2.5 million in lost earnings. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Amid the coronavirus outbreak, Taiwan has banned tourists from China from entering its territory effective February 6. Foreigners who have visited Hong Kong and Macau recently will also be barred from entering the country. However, foreigners who have resident status of Taiwan will be allowed entry. The local authorities said the Taiwanese who have traveled to China, Hong Kong and Macau must undergo 14-day quarantine at home. The local authorities have even imposed limitations on buying face masks in the country per person, and the buyer must produce medical insurance to be able to acquire the preventive masks, Interfax reports. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan By Trend Azerbaijan supports the peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council, spokesperson of Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva said in response to Trends question. Guided by the obligations undertaken when joining the UN as a responsible member, Azerbaijan supports the fulfillment of the international law and principles and UN Security Council resolutions in the conflict resolution and in ensuring international peace and security and the countrys position is based on this. This is a decisive and principled position of Azerbaijan, Abdullayeva said. As in the case of Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict together with the international community we speak for the settlement based on the UN Security Council resolutions, we support efforts aimed at the settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and ensuring peace, security and prosperity in the region. During a meeting with Pakistans Prime Minister Imran Khan in Davos on January 21, 2020, Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan constantly supports Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir issue, Abdullayeva said. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz COLUMBUSOhioans cant seem to get enough of Shen Yun Performing Arts. Landa Masdea-Brunetto is an interior designer who owns her own firm and who brought three guests with her to enjoy the performance at the Ohio Theater on Feb. 5, 2020, after having seen it and loved it years ago. The artistry required in her interior design work is why I appreciate [Shen Yun] so much and I brought my whole family: my mother, my mothers cousin, and my best friend, Masdea-Brunetto said. Its beautiful. I think the choreography is just so magical and so precisioned, which makes it just stunning. The costumes are elegant, Masdea-Brunetto said, adding that Shen Yuns patented backdrop technology stood out to her especially. She found it marvelous when the characters would fly around in other realms, and then suddenly appear on stage as a real-life dancer. New York-based Shen Yuns mission is to revive Chinas five millennia of traditional culture and share it with the world through their performances. China was once known as The Divine Land and contained a rich spiritual essence that emanated throughout all aspects of life. Shen Yun is continuing this tradition by staging themes about sacred life, such as a famous legend about the Creator returning to earth. To do this, they employ highly-expressive classical Chinese dance and use that art form to depict legends, life in ancient China, ethnic and folk dances, and scenes from present-day China about persecution and compassion. I like the stories, Masdea-Brunetto said. Its just nice to learn about the Chinese culture and to understand the oppression that is going on and that its not just a Western feelingthe persecution of your own religion. I think thats what people need to realize, that all peoples everywhere are suffering in various ways and this opens your eyes to it. I have been thinking a lot about it. The pieces about overcoming persecution in modern-day China touched Masdea-Brunetto especially deeply. Since 1999, the Chinese Communist Party has been violently persecuting followers of the spiritual practice known as Falun Dafa. Shen Yun depicts the way real people have reacted to this ongoing campaign by peacefully standing up to Party members, forgiving, and having faith in the divine. Its very sad its just not the way the world is supposed to be, Masdea-Brunetto said. Its not supposed to be like this. You are not supposed to be persecuted because you are in a certain country, you have to believe that because you are born in that country. Being an American thats the beauty of it, that it isnt supposed to be like that I dont like to think that in China there is so much of this going on, probably much more than there is in America. And it makes me want to help everything thats going on in China because those kinds of things should not be happening. But she found hope in Shen Yuns mission itself, which is to help restore Chinas innately spiritual culture, despite immense pressure and despite not being able to perform in China due to the persecution. [Shen Yuns mission], thats wonderful, thats how it should be. I would hope [traditional Chinese culture] would come back, because I think the purity and the respect need to come back understand the differences and being respectful of it again and thats what is not happening [in China]. Masdea-Brunetto said Shen Yun is completely spiritual and commented on the legend of the Creator coming down to earth to save mankind. Yes, I love that [story]. Being Catholic, its kind of the samereligion. She wondered aloud if the Creator depicted in Shen Yun was the same divine being that the people of her faith believe in, and she hoped that it was. She felt purity, divination, and good thoughts during the stories about the Creator. Masdea-Brunettos artistic mind came into full force when she was asked to describe Shen Yun to her friends and colleagues. I would describe it as, first, colorful, shocking. The representation of everything that goes on is kind of, its very cerebral and very beautiful at the same time. You are thinking through and you are kind of mesmerized because you are watching all the colors and the precision of the movement and the gracefulness of everyone: male, female it doesnt matter. Theres just a beauty and a grace that is not something common in most practices. Whats happening now is I think things [in the world] are becoming reduced and more sculpted and more edgy and [Shen Yun] is not, [theirs] is graceful and beautiful and open and inviting. With reporting by Yawen Hung and Brett Featherstone. The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the companys inception in 2006. COLUMBUS The 36th annual Ohio Wildlife Diversity Conference will be March 4 in Columbus. Representatives from a multitude of conservation and natural resource organizations, including the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, will offer displays and be available to answer questions. This years keynote speaker is Jim McCormac, who will present Mysterious Moths: The Darker Side of Butterflies. An Ohio author and photographer, McCormac has spent decades studying Ohios wildlife. Doors open at 8 a.m., and the event is from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The conference will be at Ohio Union, 1739 North High Street, in Columbus. Parking is available in the Ohio Union South parking garage for $10. Pre-registration is encouraged at www.wildohio.gov, or by calling 800-945-3543. For those who register by March 1, the cost is $25. The cost after March 1 and at the door is $35. The student rate is $10. Those who register by March 1 can sign up for lunch. Conference attendees who pre-register may also purchase the 2020 Ohio Wildlife Legacy Stamp and pin featuring an Io moth caterpillar at the discounted price of $12. Stamps and pins will also be available for purchase at the conference for $15. Proceeds from the sale of the Wildlife Legacy Stamp are used to support endangered and threatened native species, habitat restoration, land purchases, conservation easements and educational products for students and wildlife enthusiasts. More information can be found at www.wildohio.gov. SALINE, MI -- Officials in Saline plan to host a community forum Sunday to launch a dialogue of education, understanding and healing in the wake of an uproar over racist remarks made by students and a parent in the local school district. The listening session is scheduled for 1 p.m., Feb. 9 at Saline City Hall, said Washtenaw County Commissioner Shannon Beeman, D-Manchester, in a statement read at a Board of Commissioners meeting Wednesday. Beeman said she, Commissioner Felicia Brabec, D-Pittsfield Township, and Saline Mayor Brian Marl want to give residents a chance to talk to elected officials, instead of vice versa. We want it to be more of a listening session for us as community leaders, Beeman said. We dont want to come in and feel that we understand everything, or even that we have all the answers. We want to come in and honor the experiences of people affected by the incidents of late and give them space to communicate. The city south of Ann Arbor is confronting perceptions of bigotry after video footage of racist remarks at a Monday community meeting spread nationwide. The Feb. 3 meeting on diversity and inclusion in the Saline Area Schools district was in response to a series of racist Snapchat messages between students that came to light Jan. 27. Tensions rose further and gained widespread attention this week after a man asked a Hispanic parent -- who was in the middle of describing his sons experiences with bullying and racism in the district -- why he didnt stay in Mexico." Video footage of the comments and crowd reactions recorded by The Ann Arbor News spread far and wide this week. The Sunday discussion will run until about 3 p.m. at 100 N. Harris St. in Saline. Saline Area Schools will host another forum from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12 at Liberty School, 7265 N. Ann Arbor St. in Saline. Act of racism in Snapchat group denounced by Saline Area Schools Why didnt you stay in Mexico? School diversity and inclusion meeting turns volatile MORE IN SALINE: Tense moment at meeting on racial climate illustrates problem at Saline Area Schools Son calls out fathers racist comment after Why didnt you stay in Mexico? outburst Students weigh in on culture at Saline Area Schools after racist group Snapchat Our reputation as a city is that we are racist, Saline parent says Rally in Saline calls for courage, diversity after racist, bigoted words Brexit could see many popular products disappearing from the shelves of Irish stores as providing them becomes less economically viable for suppliers. That was the message from Musgraves Retail Partners managing director Martin Kelleher as he addressed students at UCC Commerce Societys annual conference. Mr Kelleher who heads the SuperValu and Centrachains, described Brexit as a disruption and distraction, but one that had to be managed. Much of the products we buy come from the UK. It may become uneconomic to provide for a small market we are about the size of Manchester, he said, adding that food labelling changes and tariffs could mean products such as special-recipe items will no longer be available. It may become that some of the brands that we enjoy at the moment will no longer be served in Ireland. Dave Murphy, CEO of the PM Group, which manages projects all over the world, also spoke about the impact of Brexit when he addressed the conference. He said the current uncertainty meant some of their multinational clients have stopped or slowed their capital spending in the UK because they do not know what the future holds for them. If you dont know what the future holds, you are not going to be putting your hand in your pocket and spending a load of money on something that might or might not be needed, he said. Mr Murphy said they were hopeful that by the end of 2020 there will be a trade deal and they could begin to address the pent-up demand in the UK for capital projects. He said the global coronavirus crisis had also impacted on their operations. We have a significant business in China, based in Shanghai, he said. We have 150 people there. We have a lot of projects for our multinational clients, and right now that business is stopped. Its effectively shut down. All our employees are at home. All the construction sites are shut. And we dont know when that will start up again. He used the issue as an example of how businesses need to be flexible and respond quickly to issues as they evolve. The event was the 38th Annual Commerce Conference in the Cork County Hall in partnership KPMG, Enterprise Ireland, Port of Cork, Carey Tools, Cork Airport, and the Irish Examiner. Other speakers at the event were Brody Sweeney of Camile Thai Kitchen, Dave Murphy of PM Group, Peter OShaughnessy from Port of Cork, Aedin Curtin of Google, Noelle Martin from KPMG Ireland, Niall Horgan of Gym+Coffee, and Kevin Cullinan from Cork Airport. A couple have miraculously walked away from a horrific car accident captured on dash-cam just weeks after their five-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. Regan and Rachel Cunliffe were heading home to Kaukapakapa from a medical appointment in Helensville, north-west of Auckland, when an oncoming truck lost control of its trailer on the State Highway 16. Video footage shows the couple approach the bend in the road as smoke billowed from the back wheels of the heavy cargo. Mr Cunliffe, who was behind the wheel, told Daily Mail Australia he drives the road 'all the time' and usually travels along the corner twice a day. Pictured: Regan and Rachel Cunliffe with their four children. The parents were in a car accident weeks after their five-year-old son Theo was diagnosed with cancer They were heading home to Kaukapakapa from a medical appointment in Helensville, north-west of Auckland, when an oncoming truck lost control of its trailer on the State Highway 16 The father-of-four noticed there was smoke from the truck and his first response was to take his foot off the accelerator as they approached. He quickly realised there was no way they weren't going to collide with the truck. 'You have this moment of weighing up your options really,' he said. 'It's really difficult to be able to make that split second decision. You've got to make real quick decisions on the fly.' Mr Cunliffe decided to swerve his car towards the left so the truck could 'take the side of the car as an impact point'. The car accident comes just weeks after the Cunliffe family learnt their son Theo (pictured) has cancer. The five-year-old was diagnosed with leukemia on January 9 'I imagine it would have been lights out of me [if I didn't move],' he said. The dash-cam footage shows the trailer swing towards the car before it rams into the side of the car and shatters the front window. 'I'm thankful in my driving ability to be able to position a car,' Mr Cunliffe said. 'It could have been very different, thank god it wasn't.' The car accident comes just weeks after the Cunliffe family learnt their son Theo has cancer. The five-year-old was diagnosed with leukemia on January 9. A Give A Little page has been created on behalf of the family to relieve the financial burden following the diagnosis and car accident. 'For his family it's a big adjustment and there are lots of unexpected costs,' the page says. 'They will need to get a car to manage Theo's hospital visits and continue to look after their three older kids. Mr Cunliffe, who was behind the wheel, was sprayed by glass in the collision on Tuesday The couple were on their way back from an appointment for Theo when the accident occurred. Their car was completely destroyed in the clash (pictured) 'Theo has had complications with his portacath and had been in and out of hospital since his diagnosis.' The page says the couple were on their way back from an appointment for Theo when the accident occurred. Their car was completely destroyed in the clash. The Cunliffe family 'pride themselves on their hospitality' and often host pizza nights and firework parties. 'Anyone can help by making a donation here and all the fund will be for them to make Theo's and Cunliffe's family better,' the page says. 'They are such good people and I think we can help them in this tough period.' Speaking to the beginning of 2020, Mr Cunliffe said: 'This is just another part of life. Another chapter in a saga.' Mr Cunliffe decided to swerve his car towards the left so the truck could 'take the side of the car as an impact point' The dash-cam footage shows the trailer swing towards the car before it rams into the side of the car and shatters the front window. 'I'm thankful in my driving ability to be able to position a car,' Mr Cunliffe said 'It's interesting times nonetheless.' Mr Cunliffe said he was feeling 'pretty good' a couple of days after the accident. 'It's pretty incredible to walk away with minor scraps,' he said. 'I was covered in glass. Just a few scratches, slapped around the head by the airbags.' Mr Cunliffe said the driver of the truck, who checked on the couple, appeared quite shaken up by the ordeal. The father said he was grateful for the safety features in their car doing its 'job', as well as the emergency crews who attended the scene within six minutes. 'Full credit to the emergency services. They do a pretty hard and thankless jobs at times,' he said. 'They have got to clean up messes all the time and thankfully this time it wasn't. 'Thankful to god and that the kids weren't in the back. 'It could have been a whole lot worse.' The father-of-four said he was grateful for the safety features in their car doing its 'job', as well as the emergency crews who attended the scene within six minutes In 2012 the council adopted a policy to fly the flag on designated days. Belfast City Hall will fly the Union Flag on February 19 to mark the 60th birthday of Prince Andrew. The Duke of York's birthday is one of the designated days on which the flag is flown from Government buildings in Northern Ireland. A Belfast City Council spokesperson confirmed that the flag would be flown on the day. "The flying of the Union Flag at City Hall on designated days follows guidance from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport," the spokesperson said. "19 February is a designated day." The Prince is currently dogged by allegations that he slept with Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was trafficked by convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. he strenuously denies wrongdoing. Local councils are able to decide if they wish to fly the flag from their buildings on designated days. Flags are only flown from Belfast City Hall on designated days after a council vote in December 2012. The decision sparked huge protests, civil disobedience and riots. It is currently flown on 17 designated days, set to be increased to 20 as part of the New Decade, New Approach agreement. It was originally 18 days, but Europe Day was removed as a result of Brexit. Other designated days include Commonwealth Day, St Patrick's Day and the Queen's birthday. Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where designated days are enshrined in law. Expand Close The Duke of York turns 60 on February 19 (Anthony Devlin/PA) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Duke of York turns 60 on February 19 (Anthony Devlin/PA) Prince Andrew stepped down from public life in November after the fallout from a disastrous BBC Newsnight appearance. He was accused of showing a lack of empathy for Epsteins victims and of failing to show regret over his friendship with the disgraced financier. Ms Giuffre, previously known as Virginia Roberts, says she and the duke slept together on three separate occasions, including when she was 17 still a minor under US law. Andrew, who strenuously denies the allegations, is facing calls to talk to the FBI and US prosecutors. Eight years ago, it was a $39,000 watch -- and a doctored photograph -- that got the head of the Russian Orthodox Church in trouble. This time, it's a $16,000 watch that Patriarch Kirill was spotted wearing in a photograph flagged by a Kremlin-critical news site. Kirill's taste for wrist bling is not a major scandal for the church -- yet anyway. But it's the latest in series of semi-embarrassing headlines that have highlighted the wealthy tastes of powerful Russian political figures, religious or otherwise. The watch on Kirill's wrist was spotted by Open Media, a Russian-language news organization financed by the exiled former oil tycoon, Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Since being pardoned by Russian President Vladimir Putin and fleeing Russia, the businessman has become an increasingly open and strident critic of Putin. In a photograph published in January 2018, Kirill is shown attending an event at the Russian upper house of parliament, timed apparently for the Orthodox Christmas holiday. Kirill is shown seated alongside the head of the Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko. As Kirill removes his eyeglasses, a watch can be seen on his left wrist. In its fresh report issued on February 5, Open Media identified the watch as a Ulysse Nardin Dual Time 42 mm model that the outlet valued at approximately $16,000. As of February 6, church officials had not commented publicly on the report. An e-mail sent by RFE/RL to the Moscow press office for the Russian church was not immediately returned. The patriarch's taste in wrist-wear was the subject of scrutiny in 2009, when an earlier photograph was published on the church's official website, showing Kirill seated at a polished wooden table with what appeared to be another expensive watch on his left wrist. It was identified by sharp-eyed bloggers as being a Swiss-made Breguet watch, valued at around $39,000. Church officials at the time explained that the watch, whose case was reportedly made from white gold and whose band was made of crocodile leather, was a gift from a wealthy parishioner. Kirill said he never wore the timepiece. Three years later, the same photograph appeared on the church's website, and the watch was airbrushed out of photograph. However, bloggers noticed that the reflection of the watch was still visible in the polished table. A church employee was forced to apologize, calling the attempt to hide the watch a "foolish mistake." Elite Timepieces The costly chronometers of Russia's elite were in the news as recently as five years ago, when anticorruption crusader Aleksei Navalny published an investigation into a watch seen on the wrist of the Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov. Navalny's investigators determined the watch was a rare Richard Mille RM 52-01, rumored to cost as much as $620,000, Then there was the Russian mafia boss who boasted that he had been gifted a presidential wristwatch by none other than President Vladimir Putin himself. The crime boss, Sergei Mikhailov, posted on his website photographs of the watch, which is embossed with Russia's double-headed eagle and Putin's signature, with an accompanying certificate purportedly signed by Putin. Peskov denied Mikhailov's account. A photograph of the watch in question -- with Putin's signature visible -- is still viewable on Mikhailov's website, along with the accompanying certificate. And then there's Putin's own watches that have been in the news. Back in 2009, when he was serving as prime minister, Putin visited a factory in the industrial town of Tula and struck up a chat with the factory workers. One worker approached Putin and asked for something to remember him by. Putin handed the worker, dressed in blue overalls, his $6,000 Blancpain timepiece. Ayman Asfari became the CEO of Petrofac Limited (LON:PFC) in 2002. This report will, first, examine the CEO compensation levels in comparison to CEO compensation at companies of similar size. Next, we'll consider growth that the business demonstrates. Third, we'll reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. The aim of all this is to consider the appropriateness of CEO pay levels. Check out our latest analysis for Petrofac How Does Ayman Asfari's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? According to our data, Petrofac Limited has a market capitalization of UK1.2b, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth US$2.3m over the year to December 2018. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth noting the salary is lower, valued at US$898k. Importantly, there may be performance hurdles relating to the non-salary component of the total compensation. We looked at a group of companies with market capitalizations from US$1.0b to US$3.2b, and the median CEO total compensation was US$1.8m. That means Ayman Asfari receives fairly typical remuneration for the CEO of a company that size. This doesn't tell us a whole lot on its own, but looking at the performance of the actual business will give us useful context. The graphic below shows how CEO compensation at Petrofac has changed from year to year. LSE:PFC CEO Compensation, February 6th 2020 Is Petrofac Limited Growing? On average over the last three years, Petrofac Limited has grown earnings per share (EPS) by 85% each year (using a line of best fit). It saw its revenue drop 3.1% over the last year. This shows that the company has improved itself over the last few years. Good news for shareholders. While it would be good to see revenue growth, profits matter more in the end. Shareholders might be interested in this free visualization of analyst forecasts. Has Petrofac Limited Been A Good Investment? With a three year total loss of 52%, Petrofac Limited would certainly have some dissatisfied shareholders. This suggests it would be unwise for the company to pay the CEO too generously. Story continues In Summary... Remuneration for Ayman Asfari is close enough to the median pay for a CEO of a similar sized company . We think that the EPS growth is very pleasing, but we find the returns over the last three years to be lacking. Considering the the positives we don't think the CEO pays is too high, but it's certainly hard to argue it is too low. If you think CEO compensation levels are interesting you will probably really like this free visualization of insider trading at Petrofac. Arguably, business quality is much more important than CEO compensation levels. So check out this free 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 16:44:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TAIPEI, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan has confirmed two new infections by the novel coronavirus, raising its total confirmed cases to 13, the island's epidemic monitoring agency said Thursday. At the same time, one patient has fully recovered and been released from the hospital, the agency said at a press conference. The two new confirmed cases were both Taiwan residents -- a male who went to the mainland city of Wuhan, the center of the epidemic, on Jan. 17 and returned to Taiwan on Feb. 2, and a female who returned from Wuhan to Taiwan on Jan. 21, according to the agency. It added that the man showed symptoms on Feb. 3, the woman on Feb. 1, and both of them now have pneumonia and are staying in isolation wards. The agency also confirmed that one Taiwan resident, who had been aboard a cruise ship now quarantined off the coast in Japan, was infected by the virus. The island decided to ban international cruise ships from docking at its harbors starting Thursday, the agency said. JACKSON, MI Those looking to celebrate Black History Month and discuss its influence can attend a free celebration open to the public at Jackson College. The annual celebration will happen from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, in room 144-145 of Jackson Colleges Bert Walker Hall, 2111 Emmons Road. Put on by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, this free event includes soul food, a historical tribute, and music performed by Brandon Marceal. Created by a Jackson College student, the historical tribute will discuss the history of Black History Month. A variety of soul food will be served from multiple places, including Whites Chicken and West Texas. The menu includes fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and sweet potatoes, Lee Hampton, said Jackson Colleges Chief Diversity Officer, said. Various restaurants in town will donate and then the campus will have dishes made by various campus leaders, he said. Campus Continental Services will do some core dishes with the focus on soul food. Marceal will perform traditional African American music on the flute for the crowd, which usually consists of approximately 150 students and community members. Hampton said the event is not just for people of color, but for all students to reflect on the contributions that people of color have made to the advancement of the nation. Its critically important because we live in a diverse society, and in order for a diverse society to flourish, each cultural aspect of that society should be celebrated. The Black History Month celebration has taken place for the last 10 years. Police have seized several kilograms of drugs, forged money and documents from two men, Chinese and Vietnamese nationals, in the 10th district of Budapest, the police.hu website said. The police said the two men are suspected of managing deliveries of drugs into and from Hungary, as well as selling them in the country. The 32-year-old Vietnamese suspect was taken into custody on January 23, with metamphetamine, 900 grams of MDMA pills and 7.5kg of an organic substance suspected to be narcotics seized from his person and from the two flats he used, the website said. His accomplice was taken into custody on Monday, with drugs, forged euro notes and forged documents found in his apartment, the police said. Since the suspect is known to have met people who visited China recently, doctors have examined him for coronavirus, but no further measures were necessary, the police said. Photo courtesy of police.hu Russia backs OPEC+ proposal to cut oil output - Lavrov FILE PHOTO: Journalists and police officers stand outside the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) headquarters in Vienna By Rania El Gamal, Ahmad Ghaddar and Marianna Parraga DUBAI/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Russia supports a recommendation to deepen OPEC+ global oil supply curbs to compensate for a drop in demand caused by the coronavirus, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday. A technical panel that advises the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies led by Russia proposed a provisional cut in output of 600,000 barrels per day (bpd), three sources told Reuters earlier. That is about 0.6 percent of global supply and would extend current curbs of 1.7 million bpd. The OPEC+ group pumps more than 40 percent of the world's oil. "We support this idea," Lavrov said when asked about the panel's proposal at a news conference in Mexico City, according to a live translation of his comments into Spanish. Lavrov said Russian President Vladimir Putin had recently spoken with the king of OPEC's de facto leader Saudi Arabia about the new virus, which has spread through China and beyond and sapped energy demand. "Of course it will have some consequences for the oil market," Lavrov said. Lavrov said Russia was in consultations to determine which were the optimum measures for all market participants. Russia's support could pave the way for OPEC to bring forward to February a ministerial policy meeting planned for early March to formalise the decision. The Joint Technical Committee (JTC), the panel that recommended the cut, is a non-decision-making body that advises the oil producer group. Earlier, the sources said the panel was awaiting Russia's final position on the proposal and that ministers would not change the meeting date if there was no agreement on further supply cuts. The panel had extended its meeting into a third day on Thursday after Russia signalled a preference for an extension of current cuts rather than deeper cuts, one source said on Wednesday. In previous years, Russia has regularly signalled opposition to OPEC before ultimately agreeing on policy during formal meetings. Story continues Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday he could not say for sure whether it was time to tighten output further. Saudi Arabia has been voluntarily holding its output to 400,000 beneath its quota, bringing the total effective OPEC+ cuts to 2.1 million bpd. The OPEC+ JTC has also recommended extending current output cuts of 2.1 million bpd until the end of 2020, two sources said. The current OPEC+ agreement expires in March. One OPEC source said the proposed output cut of 600,000 bpd, if agreed by all members, will start immediately and continue until June. "The 600,000 bpd has taken into consideration the expected return of Libya oil production and all scenarios for oil demand growth," the source said, adding that the proposed cut was enough to counter the expected drop in oil demand due to the coronavirus. Oil prices have fallen by more than $11 a barrel this year to $55, alarming producers. Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members are worried that the continued spread of the virus could hit oil demand and prices further, the sources said. The economic slowdown resulting from the virus outbreak is expected to reduce 2020 global demand growth by 300,000-500,000 bpd, or roughly 0.5%, BP Chief Financial Officer Brian Gilvary said on Tuesday. Brent crude futures lost 35 cents to settle at $54.93 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 20 cents to settle at $50.95 a barrel.[O/R] (Additional reporting by Alex Lawler, Olesya Astakhova, Sharay Angulo and Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Frank Jack Daniel; Editing by Simon Webb and Daniel Wallis) - Due to lack of computers in the school, Richard Akoto drew the interface of Microsoft Word on a chalkboard to teach his pupils - Pictures about him and his chalkboard Microsoft word went viral and he became a subject of discussion - He made headlines in Ghanian news portals as well as international news portals - Following his viral photos, many companies donated a number of computers to the school - Akoto also received scholarships from many institutions including Microsoft to further his studies Richard Appiah Akoto who is a computer teacher went insanely viral on the internet after he shared photographs of himself teaching computer lessons without any machine. In the photos, he had drawn an entire interface of Microsoft Word window simply because the school, Betenase M-A Junior High School in Ghana, did not have computers. READ ALSO: Lucy Gatimu: Kenyans raise over KSh 100k for mother bullied online for seeking help with school fees READ ALSO: Wakenya wamkemea mwanamuziki Gabbu baada ya kumtaja mzee Moi kuwa mwizi mkubwa Despite the hardship that came with him ensuring pupils understood what he was teaching without proper equipment, Okoto said he went the extra mile because he loved his students. But this was not the first time he had used this technique. By the time his story went viral, he had also drawn monitors, system units, keyboards, a mouse, and formatting toolbars in an effort to show his students what a computer screen looks like. READ ALSO: Former street boy narrates how late Mzee Moi rescued him from the streets His story caught the attention of individuals and organisations everywhere. Following his viral photos, many companies including Microsoft donated a number of computers to the school. Similarly, Akoko received scholarships from many institutions, including Microsoft, to do further studies. READ ALSO: Desperate Limuru woman arrested for sneaking into school to visit son she last saw 10 years ago Microsoft also pledged to work the teacher through a local partner in Ghana to provide device and software support required for his students. His fellow teachers who were inspired by his story urged governments to encourage creativity and innovation in teaching by rewarding teachers who demonstrate positive attributes. "We can only get the best teachers in our classrooms when the teachers are aware that their creativity would be recognised," they said. 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 want to give away my baby - Esther Kimotho | My Story | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke UN responds to bans on Chinese entry amid coronavirus outbreak Global Times Source:Globaltimes.cn Published: 2020/2/6 1:04:10 The UN does not recommend any travel and trade restrictions based on current information at this time, UN resident coordinator in China Nicholas Rosellini told the Global Times, in responding to the question about some countries issuing a ban on Chinese entry amid the coronavirus outbreak. Under international health regulations, countries implementing measures which significantly disrupt international travel or trade are required to provide WHO with their public health rationale within 48 hours, UN China said on Wednesday. Rosellini said that the United Nations family is following the latest guidance issued by WHO, on how countries should deal with imported cases, and the WHO and wider UN family are working actively with governments and experts around the world to support its implementation. "In implementing travel and trade measures, countries must consider national policies, their own risk assessment, and capacity considerations," he said. Currently, several countries, such as the US and Australia, have already banned Chinese entry, and while one cannot blame them for their actions in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, they set a poor example to other countries. As the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said: "At this time of heightened anxiety, we must avoid stigma and discrimination, and stand together in solidarity and compassion." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Newscity Dems Tour Border Facility Last week, a number of Democratic Congressional members toured a Border Patrol facility in Alamogordo following two deaths of a migrant children in US custody. According to KOAT, 8-year-old Felipe Gomez Alonzo died at the facility in 2019about six days after being apprehended at the border by US Customs and Border Patrol. The child was reportedly traveling from Guatemala to the US with his father. Alonzo's death came only weeks after the death of another migrant Guatemalan child, Jakelin Caal Maquin, while she was in CBP custody in Texas. The agency announced it would change its policies for handling migrant children following Alonzo's death, but Democratic leaders say it wasn't enough. They are asking for better medical equipment, more personnel and an improved processing systems at all US Border Patrol facilities. They also say the CBP has yet to release specifics on how Alonzo died. We've seen some improvement, but it took the death of two children, said New Mexico Rep. Xochitl Torres Small. It provides some optimism for future progress, but is nowhere near where it needs to be. On Nov. 1, Williams survived after Goforth shot her six times at the same Hammond mobile home, police said. Lake Criminal Court Magistrate Natalie Bokota allowed Goforth to go free on $8,000 cash bond shortly after the initial shooting. It's a fact that should be unfathomable, given that Goforth was charged with attempted murder in the first shooting case. In the first case, Goforth had threatened to kill Williams and then tried to make good on that promise, shooting her those several times in front of her 12-year-old granddaughter, court records allege. Then, while free on bond, it would appear Goforth returned to finish the job, if what police and prosecutors allege is true. He now faces a charge of murder in Williams slaying. Salient questions remain, including why Goforth was released when it was believed he already had threatened to kill and attempted to carry out that promise. Why would our system even provide room for interpretation that such a suspect should be safely locked away until standing trial? By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co said Wednesday Canadian officials have opened a preliminary investigation into the automaker's emissions certification process. Ford said in its annual report Environment and Climate Change Canada has opened a probe into the matter after the automaker disclosed early last year that the U.S. Justice Department had opened a criminal investigation into the issue. In February 2019, Ford disclosed an issue with emissions to the Environmental Protection Agency and California regulators. Ford hired an outside law firm and experts to investigate its vehicle fuel economy and testing procedures after employees raised concerns about analytical modeling that is part of its fuel economy and emissions compliance process. Ford did not immediately comment on the status of its investigation of its U.S. emissions certification process. Ford has said the "potential concern" does not involve the use of defeat devices. Environment Canada also did not immediately comment. The company said Wednesday in its has notified a "number of other state and federal agencies" about the issue and continues "to cooperate fully with these government agencies." In April, Reuters reported Ford had held meetings with the California Air Resources Board and EPA and turned over documents related to its review and had submitted a testing plan that has been approved by regulators, citing a person briefed on the matter. Ford potentially faces significant financial penalties as regulators have taken a tough line on emissions issues. Ford has said it does not know whether it would have to correct data provided to regulators or consumers. U.S. and California regulators have been cracking down on automakers for emissions cheating following revelations in 2015 that German automaker Volkswagen AG had used defeat devices to make models equipped with diesel engines appear to comply with emissions standards when they emitted far more pollution than allowed in real-world driving. In January 2019, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV agreed to an $800 million settlement to resolve claims by the U.S. Justice Department and the state of California that it used illegal software to produce false results on diesel-emissions tests. A criminal investigation is pending. (Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Jonathan Oatis) The future of the Pure Michigan tourism campaign was thrown into limbo last year when its funding was scratched in a line-item veto from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. For Fiscal Year 2021, the Whitmer administration is proposing bringing back some - but not all - spending for Pure Michigan. While presenting the governors plan to members of the legislature, Budget Director Chris Kolb said the administration is calling for $15 million with the ability for the tourism industry to continue contributing additional funding to this statewide effort. During the last budget process, Whitmer initially suggested a $5 million decrease from the campaigns $36 million in funding in Fiscal Year 2019, and the legislature came back and passed a budget that would have increased funding to $37.5 million. When Whitmer signed the budget with 147 line-item vetoes, the entire Pure Michigan line item was defunded - and Pure Michigan wasnt included in subsequent supplemental spending deals. After the veto, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation secured funding to fulfill existing campaigns through the end of 2019. Travel industry insiders have called for Pure Michigan funding to be fully restored - although some critics praised the governors decision to veto funding for the campaign last year, arguing its ineffective and unfairly favors certain industries over others. In a statement, Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association President & CEO Justin Winslow called the elimination of Pure Michigan funding unjustifiable and put Michigans hospitality industry in jeopardy. We are willing and ready to be part of the solution going forward, but the time for political theater is over," he said. "Fix the mistake, restore Pure Michigan, and lets move forward together for the best interests of our state and residents. At a press conference following the budget presentation, Whitmer said she has always supported Pure Michigan, but said she felt the general fund is not the place to pay for the campaign to the extent it was in previous years. The budget Ive introduced makes a sizable investment in Pure Michigan, and Im happy about that, she said. The tourism industry I know thinks that there should be additional dollars there, and Im eager to work with them on where those dollars might come from. Whitmers comments echo past remarks Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, made to reporters in December about the future of the Pure Michigan campaign. Those who benefit the most from Pure Michigan should be the ones who primarily fund it, he said at the time. We came up with a research and development project, a test to see if this would work. Taxpayers funded it, proved that it would work, so it took all of the risk out of that risky investment. And now I believe the industry should own most of it. Several Republican lawmakers have advocated for a full restoration of Pure Michigan funding for both the current fiscal year and moving forward, however. Rep. Jack OMalley, R-Lake Ann, and Sen. Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City, are backing legislation that would restore funding to $37.5 million - the amount initially approved by the state legislature for the current fiscal year before Whitmers veto. Sen. Ken Horn, R-Frankenmuth, chairs the labor and economic opportunity/MEDC subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He said supplemental legislation allocating Pure Michigan funding for the current fiscal year is going to come shortly" and said hes anticipating the Senates Pure Michigan recommendation for the next budget cycle will be higher than Whitmers. The Pure Michigan campaign made its first regional debut in 2006, and was launched to a nationwide audience for the first time in 2010. Pure Michigan has since evolved to become a core part of the states economic development brand, resulting in partnerships with corporations like Coca-Cola. Partnerships with Michigan companies and local artists have produced Pure Michigan ice cream, Vernors cans and an ambient music album. The phrase is featured on the states license plates and welcome signs, and is also a popular hashtag on social media, where people share their best Michigan nature photos and comment on life in the state. Related coverage: No funding coming for Pure Michigan in immediate future Pure Michigan budget cut stings for travel industry: It feels like a veto of our state Pure Michigan ads will remain on airwaves for now, despite budget cut From Water Wonderland to Pure Michigan: A history of the Great Lakes states tourism campaigns The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced September 19 for the Edo 2020 Governorship election. The electoral body also announced that the Ondo governorship poll will hold on October 10. This announcement was made at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, February 6, 2020, which also saw the electoral body reveal plans to establish more political parties in the country. At the press briefing, INEC also announced that it has deregistered 74 political parties on Thursday. Also Read: If Appointed INEC Chairman, I Wont Take A Kobo From FG To Conduct Elections: Galadima With the new decision, Nigeria now has 18 political parties, according to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. D ominic Raab has flown to the other side of the globe on his first post-Brexit trip to begin talks on a fresh drive for free trade deals with countries outside the EU. The Foreign Secretary's first stop was Austalias capital, Canberra, where he and his Australian counterpart reaffirmed their commitments to start negotiations on a bilateral agreement "as soon as possible". Mr Raab said he hoped the country would be part of Britain's "first wave" of "high priority" deals being chased after its official divorce from the bloc on January 31. "We've recommitted today to launching negotiations on an ambitious free trade agreement between our countries as soon possible," Mr Raab said. "Australia would hopefully be part of that first wave of high-priority deals that we're pursuing. Dominic Raab, left, and Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne shake hands / AP Mr Raab said he also discussed with Foreign Minister Marise Payne the UKs decision last week to let Huawei have a limited role supplying new high-speed network equipment to wireless carriers. Britain's decision on Huawei is the first by a major US ally in Europe, and follows intense lobbying from the Mr Trump administration as the US vies with China for technological dominance. Australia angered China, it biggest trading partner, by banning the tech firm on security grounds from involvement in its national broadband network and the rollout of new 5G networks. Mr Raab assured Ms Payne that Britain's decision would not affect its intelligence-sharing relationship with Australia, the United States, Canada and New Zealand, which form the Five Eyes partnership. "We were absolutely clear and looked at it very clearly and there is nothing in the decision that we took that would inhibit or disrupt in any way whatsoever the Five Eyes intelligence sharing and theres nothing in the approach that we are taking that would have an impact on, for example, the sharing of sensitive data," Mr Raab said. Ms Payne said she was confident Australia could strike a free trade deal with Britain. "We are ... at opposite ends of the world, yet we are very ready and able to grab a new era of opportunity for enhanced strategic and economic cooperation," Payne said. A former LAPD officer has been found guilty of killing a Catholic missionary nearly five years after a shooting during an argument outside a nightclub. Rookie cop Henry Solis went on the run in Mexico after gunning down Salome Rodriguez Jr. while off-duty during a fight outside a Los Angeles bar in 2015. The former Marine and Iraq veteran spent nine months with the LAPD as a probationary officer before he was involved in the dispute with the 23-year-old as he left the Viva Tequila Lounge and Nightclub in Pomona. After the argument, Solis chased Rodriguez, who was working as a truck driver at the time, and shot him multiple times in a parking lot, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney's office. Shortly after the killing, Solis' father drove him to El Paso, Texas, where his son crossed the border into Mexico. The 32-year-old was arrested two months later by Mexican authorities and sent back to Southern California. Henry Solis, a former rookie Los Angeles police officer, in court on Wednesday as he was found guilty of second-degree murder following the shooting death of Salome Rodriguez Jr. in Pomona in 2015 Henry Solis (left) was convicted of murder for fatally shooting Catholic missionary Salome Rodriguez (right) in March 2015 His father, Victor, was arrested not long after for allegedly lying to the FBI after helping his son flee to Mexico. Solis claimed he crossed the border into Mexico alone, but surveillance footage showed him crossing with his son. The FBI said the pair walked to Juarez, Mexico, from El Paso just one day after the alleged murder. On Wednesday Solis was convicted of second-degree murder with a gun enhancement and is facing up to 40 years to life in prison. The jury deliberated for more than two days before reaching its verdict, according to the Los Angeles Times. Following the verdict and the three-week trial, the victim's mother said she accepts the outcome, despite hoping for a first-degree murder conviction. During the trial, Rodriguez's family were incensed that Solis' attorney put up a self-defense case and were angry the victim was portrayed as a bad man. The Viva Tequila Lounge and Nightclub in Pomona where she fatal shooting took place in 2015 Solis' father, Victor (in the hat), was arrested in late March 2015 for allegedly lying to the FBI after helping his son flee to Mexico. Solis claimed he crossed the border into Mexico alone - but surveillance footage (pictured) showed him crossing with his son During Solis' testimony under questioning from prosecutors, he reportedly claimed he did not intend to shoot Rodriguez, but was in fact trying to arrest him. He alleged in court he was trying to take Rodriguez into custody for a sexual assault carried out on him earlier that night in a nightclub bathroom, according to the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. However, no physical evidence of an assault was presented in court. Witnesses also testified that Solis was acting strangely, appearing paranoid and aggressive. He reportedly complained about a lack of respect for ex-military personnel and reportedly talked about the suicide of a fellow marine. A homeless man who witnessed part of the scuffle between Solis and Rodriguez said Solis shouted a homophobic slur at the victim and his friends. Henry Solis in court on Wednesday. The ex-cop is facing up to 40 years to life in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder One witness described how when one of Solis' two revolvers were pulled out and waved at Rodriguez, the victim put his hands at his side and showed his palms. Lidia Rodriguez, the victim's mother, told ABC7: 'We're family of prayers and we prayed, and we believed in God and Junior. Today, I prayed to him and the Virgin Mary, and it was happy news.' Bradley Brunon, Solis' attorney, told the media he was disappointed by the verdict. He told the LA Times: 'Henry Solis is a good person. He spent years serving the country honorably, would have made a terrific peace officer. Unfortunately, this event occurred and derailed his plans.' Before being caught in Mexico, Pomona Police described Solis as armed and dangerous. Axa SA is in advanced talks to sell its central and eastern European operations to Austrias Uniqa Insurance Group AG, people familiar with the matter said. The insurers aim to reach an agreement in the coming weeks for the businesses in countries including Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, according to the people. The business could fetch about 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion), one of the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. Uniqa edged out rival bids from Italys Assicurazioni Generali SpA and Vienna Insurance Group AG, the people said. No final agreements have been reached, and other suitors could still try to improve their offers, the people said. Representatives for Axa, Generali, Uniqa and Vienna Insurance declined to comment. Uniqa lacks critical mass in major eastern European markets and would get a significant boost from adding the Axa units. A deal would dovetail with Axa Chief Executive Officer Thomas Buberls push to streamline the second-largest European insurer by pulling out of less profitable markets and pivoting away from life insurance. Axa is also considering options for its Middle Eastern operations including a potential sale, people with knowledge of the matter said last month. Related: Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Europe Mumbai City FC scored a come- from-behind 2-1 victory against Jamshedpur FC in their Indian Super League match here on Thursday. While Noe Acosta (7th minute) scored for Jamshedpur via penalty, Amine Chermiti (60th minute) equalized for the hosts and then Bidyananda Singh (90+2 minutes), scored in the additional time, to seal the victory for Mumbai. The match was going neck-to-neck at 1-1 and four minutes additional time was awarded in the second half. In the 92nd minute, Diego Carlos took the throw from the right and gave it to Mohammed Rafique, who put in a low cross, which was half-cleared by Jamshedpur defender Joyner Lourenco. The ball on the bounce fell to Bidyananda, who slotted home with a right-footed shot. The win helped Mumbai collect three points and maintain their fourth spot, while Jamshedpur FC were knocked out of the tournament. In the beginning, Mumbai scored on a corner kick, but it was declared 'off-side'. Jamshedpur forward Farukh Choudhary earned a penalty for his side after Sourav Das made a challenge from behind and brought him down inside the box. Their Spaniard forwardAcosta, who took the penalty shot, slotted it home to the bottom right corner to take the visitors 1-0 ahead. Mumbai had a chance in the 16th minute when Carlos sent a cross from the left edge of the box to Raynier Fernandes, who took a shot from the edge but Subrata Paul parried it away. Jamshedpur had a chance in the 33rd minute to double their lead. Striker Sergio Castel followed a long through ball from Aitor Monroy and entered the box. He initially beat Mato Grgic and Pratik Chowdhary, but Mumbai defenders eventually blocked his shot. Jamshedpur kept creating chances, but more importantly they did not allow Mumbai to score to go 1-0 ahead at the half-time. After the change of ends, Mumbai kept on building pressure and it paid dividends as they equalized in the 60th minute via Chermiti's header. Diego Carlos took a corner from the right and curled it in. Chermiti, who was in the centre, headed the ball, which first hit the underside of the crossbar and then went into the net. Jamshedpur, via their goal-keeper Paul had managed to keep Mumbai at bay before Bidyananda scored the match-winner. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that prevention and control are at a critical stage and there is a need for collective action to control the spread of the deadly coronavirus. "The infection prevention and control is at a critical moment and there is a need to carry out the work in a law-based, scientific and orderly manner," President Xi Jinping said while addressing a Communist Party`s Central Committee meeting. According to Xinhua, Xi also stressed on the regulation on public health emergency response by the state officials. Xi also emphasised for timely release of the medical data to assist the epidemic prevention and control efforts. The statement from Xi came as the number of confirmed fatalities from China's coronavirus outbreak rose to at least 560 after authorities in hardest-hit Hubei province reported 70 new deaths on Thursday. In its daily update, the health commission in Hubei also confirmed another 2,987 new cases, putting the national total at more than 27,300, based on numbers previously issued by the central government. Live TV The epidemic, which has spiralled into a global health emergency, is believed to have emerged in December from a market that sold wild game in Hubei's capital Wuhan. China has been expanding its quarantine zones 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. 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 United States and seven Asian countries besides China. The US, Australia, and Singapore have temporarily shut their doors to non-citizens who have recently travelled to China. Vietnam has also barred all flights to and from China. NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Symphony Talent, a global leader in employer brand services and candidate experience technology, and SmashFly Technologies, the pioneering recruitment marketing and CRM platform, today announced the return of the Transform Recruitment Marketing Conference in Boston, June 3-4. After Symphony Talent's acquisition of SmashFly in November 2019, the combined company will co-host the industry event, amplifying its vision to help global enterprises transform the talent experience. Inaugurated in 2016 as the first-ever recruitment marketing conference, Transform will unite 250 of talent acquisition's most daring and influential thinkers to focus on how to "Form the Future" of recruitment marketing. The agenda will dive deep into business, recruiting, talent and personal transformation, led by keynotes Sarah Hurwitz, Michelle Obama's former chief speechwriter, and Jake Wood, former Marine, winner of the 2018 Pat Tillman Award for Courage, and CEO of Team Rubicon, a non-profit that hires veterans to deliver disaster relief around the globe. Other initial speakers include Elaine Orler, founder and CEO of TalentFunction; Chris Kneeland, cofounder and chief content officer of The Gathering of Cult Brands; and Torin Ellis, industry-respected diversity strategist. "Transform's growth as an event, a community and a movement has been critical to advance the discipline of recruitment marketing; it brings together the people who have been thinking differently about candidate and talent experience for years, but never had a 'home,'" said Roopesh Nair, CEO of Symphony Talent. "I'm incredibly excited to propel this conference with our combined forces, giving the industry's trailblazers a platform to share their stories and expertise." Nair will kick off the conference with the opening keynote on June 3. Last year's event at The Revere Hotel in Boston saw 200 attendees in-person and 2,500 live stream registrants across six continents. 2019 emcee Tim Sackett, president of HRU Technical Resources, will return to the mainstage in 2020. "It's incredible to see a newly-created conference become so memorable and impactful, and it's why I keep coming back," said Sackett. "Practitioners attend for the first-class speakers, usable content and tons of real time to connect with the people who do what they do. They leave feeling more energized and inspired to think and act bigger." Marquee sponsors currently include Altru, Appcast, SparcStart, Stories Incorporated, Ultimate, and ZipRecruiter. More details regarding additional speakers, sponsors and the full agenda are forthcoming. Registration is now open : Use code PRWIN for 10% off early bird pricing. More About Symphony Talent Symphony Talent is a global leader in Employer Brand and Candidate Experience solutions for some of the world's leading brands. Combining award-winning creative and marketing technology, Symphony Talent offers the most strategic and comprehensive suite of solutions on the market, transforming employer brands to deliver world-class experiences for candidates, employees and recruiters. For more information, visit www.symphonytalent.com and follow us on Twitter @SymphonyTalent_. More About SmashFly Technologies Acquired by Symphony Talent in 2019, the award-winning software company serves more than 100 customers, including 25 of the Fortune 500. Powered by AI, SmashFly's enterprise platform combines CRM, career site, events and analytics solutions to create a smarter, seamless experience for talent and your team. For more information, visit www.smashfly.com and follow us on Twitter @SmashFly. SOURCE Symphony Talent Related Links http://symphonytalent.com Congressional Black Caucus Convenes Emergency Summit in Washington DC CBC members call Black leadership from across the nation together for critical conversation on the Census and 2020 election. The CBC continues to lead the charge of whats at stake for African Americans under the Trump Administration. Under the leadership of Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Karen Bass (CA-37), over 600 Black leaders from around the country joined the Congressional Black Caucus for a 2-Day National Black Leadership Summit. Participants came together to call national attention to two critical issues of the day for the Black community: 2020 Census and Voting Rights, both of which have implications for the development of Black communities in the short and long term. The Congressional Black Caucus convened this National Black Leadership Summit because it is time to sound the alarm. There is a lot at stake in 2020 and we cannot afford to take it for granted. If we do not fix what is going wrong in this country now, the next two and a half generations will be impacted. We look forward to todays discussions and to build a unified consensus on next steps to engage our community and promote the development of underserved communities in America, said Bass. The Summit opened with the Congressional Black Caucus Pac Chair Rep. Gregory Meeks who called out names of candidates that were important to re-elect or elect in an effort to flip the Senate and strengthen the House of Representatives. The night was moderated by Host Roland Martin of Unfiltered. ADVERTISEMENT Day 2 was moderated by Angela Rye, CEO of IMPACT Strategies and former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus (112th Congress). Remarks came from the Chair of the Democratic Caucus Representative Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) and Vice Chair of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee Representative Barbara Lee (CA-13). The keynote was delivered by Bishop William J. Barber, chief architect of the Poor Peoples Campaign. Bishop Barber reminded CBC members that the organization was the conscious of Congress and told CBC members you dont get power to be cute, you get power to get ugly for the people! He also stressed the importance of focusing on the south and poor people with historical facts to back up his point of view. After the church sermon/ keynote address the panels started. The first session, The Fight for Justice, facilitated by the First Vice Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Representative Joyce Beatty (OH-03) drilled down on the disparities in equity and access faced by Black Americans in key issues like healthcare, criminal justice, education, the environment, and the social safety net. Panelists included: Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-8); Marc Morial, president & CEO, Urban League; Kristen Clarke, president, Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law; Andrea James, executive director, National Council for Incarcerated & Formerly Incarcerated Women & Girls; and Mayor Lovely Warren, African American Mayors Association. The second session, The Power of Movement, was facilitated by Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12). The panel took a look at the collective power of the Black community and the work being done to protect the right to vote and to ensure our community is counted. Panelists included: Marcus Bass, executive director, Advance Carolina; Annetta Wells; coordinator, SEIU Local 2015; Dr. Jeanine Abrams Mclean; vice-president, Fair Count; and Dr. Everett Kelley, national secretary & treasurer, American Federation of Government Employees. Next, the members held a press conference where national activist and leader Melanie Campbell gave the charge to do two in 2020 thats vote and be counted. The first six months of the year the primaries elections are taking place and the Census count is taking place. They both are about money power and respect. When asked why was it important for her to be a part of the summit, she responded, our community is being attacked on so many levels. Our community needs to see us coming together to sound the alarm for action. The press conference was followed by a reception in the Library of Congress sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation which has a focus on internships, trainings and scholarships for the young gifted and Black. Daphne Titus a Los Angeles native and Rep. Karen Bass constituent gave her thoughts on the summit, Im so grateful to see my hometown paper here and the message for 2020 is to mobilize more. Mobilize for the Census, mobilize to register to vote and mobilize to get out the vote. ADVERTISEMENT Additional information provided by Congressional Black Caucus. MANILA, Philippines The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has allowed the cargo ships from China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan to anchor in any of the countrys seaports. PPA general-manager Jay Santiago said the cargoes will not be contaminated with the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) as viruses die within 10 hours in an external environment as explained by health experts. The Bureau of Quarantine has already lifted that measure and we will now allow ships even from China, Hongkong, Macau, Taiwan to directly berth and discharge cargoes at the port of Manila and all other PPA operated ports, Santiago said. The official, however, clarified that the crews of the cargo ships will not be allowed to disembark. Personnel from the Bureau of Quarantine will be the one to board the ship to check on the passengers and ensure that none of them present any symptoms of the 2019-nCoV. They will not be allowed to disembark in the Philippines port they will be required to stay aboard the ships, said Santiago. Meanwhile, three sea vessels from China were not permitted to dock in Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental. The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said the cargo ships arrived in Dumaguete City on Tuesday (Feb. 4) afternoon but the 11 Filipino crews were not allowed to get off as they need to undergo the 14-day quarantine. The ships are still awaiting the designated quarantine officers who will check on all the crews. (from the report of Dante Amento) /mbmf The post PPA: Cargo ships from China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan may now anchor in Phl ports appeared first on UNTV News. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 22:41:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close TOKYO, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Police in Japan investigated a record number of child abuse cases in 2019, the National Police Agency (NPA) said in a report Thursday. According to the NPA, probes were launched into 1,957 child abuse cases in the recording period, rising by 41.8 percent from a year earlier. The agency also said that for children aged under 18, a record 97,842 cases of suspected abuse were reported to child welfare centers, rising by 21.9 percent from the previous year. Of the cases investigated by police in 2019, 1,629 cases were related to physical violence, 243 comprised instances of sexual abuse, 50 cases were those connected to psychological abuse, while 35 cases were of neglect. Child abuse cases involving children under 18, including sexual abuse and other crimes, committed through social networking services, totaled 2,095 in the recording period, the NPA said, marking a new record. The figure compares to the previous high logged in 2017 at 1,813 cases. In terms of the most serious crimes committed against children, of 109 cases in the reporting period, 48 cases were of rape, 45 abduction-related, 15 of indecent assault and one case was of attempted murder, the NPA's figures showed. Child abuse figures have been on the rise despite the government early last year stating that all cases reported will be checked within a month to confirm the well-being of children suspected of being abused. The emergency mandate was issued following welfare officials admitting to failing to act in a case of abuse that resulted in the heinous death of a 10-year-old girl near Tokyo. At a meeting of ministers convened at the time to address a lack of effective communication between authorities responsible for protecting children against abuse, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered the relevant ministers to boost cooperation and prioritize protecting the lives of children. He said he would like ministers to make all-out efforts to eradicate child abuse with "strong determination" and to take every possible measure, giving top priority to "protecting the lives of children." The prime minister at the time emphasized that all cases of child abuse that are being dealt with by welfare officials, public elementary and junior high schools, as well as local education boards, must be checked. The annual figure for cases reported to child welfare centers has risen above the 80,000 mark for the second time since comparable data become available, the NPA's latest figures showed. File image Four-month-old Mohammed Jahaan's mother had carried him almost every day to the Shaheen Bagh protest till January 30, when the cold weather in Delhi got to him. The infant passed away in his sleep after acquiring severe cold and congestion following exposure to the winter chill at the outdoor demonstration, reports suggest. While Jahaans death did not change his mother Nazias mind, who reportedly remains undeterred and determined to continue protesting, it shook a twelve-year-old National Bravery Award winner. Zen Gunratan Sadavarte, a recipient of the 2019 Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) National Bravery Award, has written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde seeking directions to prevent children from participating in demonstrations, claiming that it "amounts to cruelty". Sadavarte, a student of Class 7 from Mumbai, has in the letter to the CJI Office said that the parents of the four-month-old and the organisers of the anti-CAA sit-in at Shaheen Bagh "failed" to protect the rights of the kid, resulting in his death. "The Shaheen Bagh protesters at New Delhi, include women, senior citizens, new-borns and children, ignoring the fact that new-born babies need a lot of attention and care as they cannot express their pains in particulars thereafter also ignoring the conditions unfavourable to the children, they are brought to the protest place which is violative of their child rights and natural justice," Sadavarte has said in the letter. Sadavarte has also alleged that the police failed to stop children from participating in agitations harmful to their health. Sadavarte expressed surprise over even the death certificate of the four-month-old reportedly not mentioning the cause of death. Releasing the letter to the media, she claimed that the incident was a violation of the infant's right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution. Sadavarte had received the National Bravery Award for guiding 17 people to safety when a fire broke out at Parel's Crystal Tower in 2018. (With inputs from PTI) Sanjay Gupta's gangster drama, Mumbai Saga, has created a lot of buzz in the industry. After pulling a one of a kind casting coup and putting together a star cast with likes of John Abraham, Emraan Hashmi, Suniel Shetty, Mahesh Manjeraker, Kajal Aggarwal and Prateik Babbar, the internet erupted with praise for John's first look as the gangster in the film. Now, the makers of the film have unveiled Emraan Hashmi's first look as the encounter specialist in the film, and this hits the bull's eye as well. Sanjay Gupta took to his Twitter page to drop a still featuring Emraan Hashmi in his cop avatar and wrote, #MUMBAISAGA One of my favourite moments from the film. Grit and determination to get the bad guys at any cost writ large on his face." He tweeted one more picture and wrote, Everyone on team MUMBAI SAGA was anxious about how @emraanhashmi would pull off the deadly cop's look. Just look with what style he has pulled it off." A fan of Sanjay's narrative styles and the positions of the actors, Emraan revealed he was a little surprised when Sanjay approached him to play a cop and not a gangster. The actor said, "I rejected a lot of offers which were in the same zone as Shoaib Khan from Once Upon A Time In Mumbai, maybe, I was waiting for Sanjay's film. But when Sanjay said he is offering me the role of a cop, I was a little taken aback." Emraan was also a little apprehensive about how the character was written since he wanted to steer clear of a character that was unidimensional and similar to ones already portrayed before in other films. "I was hoping it's not that and to my surprise, the way the part has been penned and the kind of character I play, he is almost like a gangster. An encounter specialist, he can put a bullet into someone if it accomplishes his motive. He is a badass character in a dog-eats-dog kind of world wherein this guy is the wolf. No one would imagine that I am playing a cop but for this policeman, he is, as I said, like a gangster. Be it by fair or unfair means, he will bring down the guy he is going for. So, it's kind of home turf but it's a very entertaining pitch for a character in a pure Sanjay Gupta style, who has created his own brand of cinema. And as an actor, I am always up for doing something different," he further added. Mumbai Saga is produced by T-Series and White Feather Films. The film is slated to hit the big screens on June 19. Emraan Hashmi: 'Mumbai Saga' Is A 'Massy' Film; Says He Is Swimming Against The Tide In Bollywood! Chehre: Emraan Hashmi's First Look From The Film Will Make You Say, 'Why So Serious'! Sheryl Rucker has accepted the position of senior vice president of Strategic & Integrated Services, a division of Information Technology at Erie Insurance. In this role, Rucker will have responsibility over a new area IT Business Enablement as well as Talent Optimization, Process Management, Process Engineering and Quality Management. Rucker joined Erie Insurance in 2003. She was named senior counsel in 2010 and senior vice president of Law in 2018. During her tenure, she has handled complex major litigation, government relations, corporate coverage matters and supported operations areas. Prior to joining Erie Insurance, Rucker served as a judicial law clerk for a U.S. Magistrate Judge and as an associate attorney and later partner with Lamp, Bartram, Levy, Trautwein and Perry in Huntington, W.V. In a separate announcement, Erie Insurance has appointed David Russo to senior vice president of Customer Service, effective March 26. Russo currently serves as senior vice president of Services Operations & Support. In a strategic realignment, the new role will oversee service functions including Eries Center of Excellence and Claims Quality teams, Customer Care Operations, First Notice of Loss, Zone Operations, Policy Processing and Mail & Document Services. Russo joined the company in 1988 while attending Penn State Behrend. In 1990, he was promoted to commercial underwriter and then moved to the Office of the President where he honed his leadership, customer service and operations skills. In 2001, Russo returned to underwriting in Eries former Reinsurance Division. He was promoted to assistant vice president in 2003 and led the companys Commercial Processing Operations. In 2010, Erie consolidated processing operations under Russos leadership in the Customer Service division. Additionally, Erie Insurance separately announced that it has appointed 27-year veteran Sean Dugan to senior vice president of Human Resources. In this role, Dugan will have oversight of the Talent Acquisition, Community Outreach, Diversity & Inclusion, Human Resources Business Partners and Employee Relations, Talent Management and Strategic Workforce Planning teams as well as Learning & Development and Workforce of the Future. Dugan most recently served as corporate human resources officer for Erie. His prior leadership roles include vice president of Talent Acquisition and Community Outreach, vice president of Recruiting and vice president of Corporate Training and Development. Erie Insurance Group is based in Erie, Penn. Source: Erie Insurance Group Topics Talent Training Development Pennsylvania (Newser) The only senator from either party to break with their party in Wednesday's impeachment trial verdict was Sen. Mitt Romney, who incurred the wrath of more than one Donald Trump with his vote to convict the president of abuse of power. In one of several anti-Romney tweets, President Trump shared a video that accused the Republican senator of being a "secret Democrat asset" who had tried to infiltrate his administration. Donald Trump Jr. tweeted that Romney "is forever bitter that he will never be POTUS" and "was too weak to beat the Democrats then so hes joining them now. " Trump Jr. said Romney is now a "member" of the resistance and should be kicked out of the GOP. On Instagram, he slammed Romney for wearing "mom jeans." More: McConnell is "disappointed." Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was "disappointed" and "surprised" by Romney's vote, but he would still seek his support in the Senate, the Hill reports. "We've got a lot more votes to cast between now and November, and I'm going to need his support on a whole variety of things that are important to the president and to the country," he told Fox News' Sean Hannity. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was "disappointed" and "surprised" by Romney's vote, but he would still seek his support in the Senate, the Hill reports. "We've got a lot more votes to cast between now and November, and I'm going to need his support on a whole variety of things that are important to the president and to the country," he told Fox News' Sean Hannity. Romney's own niece criticizes him. Romney's niece, Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, made it clear she did not support his decision, the Washington Post reports. "This is not the first time Ive disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last," she said. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who worked for the Romney campaign in 2012, described him as one of the president's "political opponents" and a "failed Republican presidential candidate." story continues below A historic first . The vote made Romney the first senator in American history to vote to convict a president from his own party after an impeachment trial, reports Slate. Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson were acquitted without any Democratic votes to convict. Romney voted to convict Trump of abuse of power but voted to acquit him on the second article of impeachment, obstruction of Congress. . The vote made Romney the first senator in American history to vote to convict a president from his own party after an impeachment trial, reports Slate. Bill Clinton and Andrew Johnson were acquitted without any Democratic votes to convict. Romney voted to convict Trump of abuse of power but voted to acquit him on the second article of impeachment, obstruction of Congress. Romney cited religion . When he announced his intention to vote for conviction in a speech on the Senate floor, the senator cited his Mormon faith. "As a senator-juror, I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice. I am profoundly religious. My faith is at the heart of who I am," Romney said. "I take an oath before God as enormously consequential." He said Trump's actions involving Ukraine were "grievously wrong." . When he announced his intention to vote for conviction in a speech on the Senate floor, the senator cited his Mormon faith. "As a senator-juror, I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice. I am profoundly religious. My faith is at the heart of who I am," Romney said. "I take an oath before God as enormously consequential." He said Trump's actions involving Ukraine were "grievously wrong." Red state Democrats didn't defect . Trump was denied a bipartisan acquittal vote after three Democrats from GOP-leaning states voted with their party, Politico reports. Sens. Joe Manchin from West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona, and Doug Jones, who faces a re-election battle in Alabama this year, had been considered possible pro-Trump votes. . Trump was denied a bipartisan acquittal vote after three Democrats from GOP-leaning states voted with their party, Politico reports. Sens. Joe Manchin from West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona, and Doug Jones, who faces a re-election battle in Alabama this year, had been considered possible pro-Trump votes. "Enormous consequences." Romney told the New York Times before the vote that he realized there would be "enormous consequences" in store after the vote. "I dont want to be the skunk at the garden party, and I dont want the disdain of Republicans across the country," he said. Romney told the New York Times before the vote that he realized there would be "enormous consequences" in store after the vote. "I dont want to be the skunk at the garden party, and I dont want the disdain of Republicans across the country," he said. Support in Utah . Romney is the junior senator from Utah, and some Utahns praised his decision Wednesday. Supporters held rallies in Provo and Salt Lake City to thank Romney after the vote. "All Utahns ... should be duly impressed with Romneys decision to follow his heart and his conscienceand his Godin doing the right thing when doing the right thing was difficult," wrote the editorial board of the Salt Lake Tribune. . Romney is the junior senator from Utah, and some Utahns praised his decision Wednesday. Supporters held rallies in Provo and Salt Lake City to thank Romney after the vote. "All Utahns ... should be duly impressed with Romneys decision to follow his heart and his conscienceand his Godin doing the right thing when doing the right thing was difficult," wrote the editorial board of the Salt Lake Tribune. Party wants Trump to move on. Sources tell the Post that GOP officials are hoping the president will swiftly move on from Romney's vote instead of plotting a revenge that could include taking out ads against Romney, funding a rival in the 2024 election, or blocking the senator's legislative priorities. The Post's sources say that despite Romney's vote in favor of calling more witness, Trump had thought Sens. Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski were more likely to vote to convict. (Read more Mitt Romney stories.) The discrepancy comes from minor cases in and around Wuhan going under-reported, with limited beds and testing equipment at hand, say experts. Fatalities from the coronavirus epidemic are overwhelmingly concentrated in central Chinas Wuhan city, which accounts for over 73 percent of deaths despite having only one-third the number of confirmed infections. In Wuhan, the epicenter of the disease, one person has died for every 23 infections reported. That number drops to one on 50 nationally, and outside mainland China, one death has been recorded per 114 confirmed cases. Experts say the discrepancy is mainly due to under-reporting of milder virus cases in Wuhan and other parts of Hubei province that are grappling with shortages in testing equipment and beds. "In an outbreak, you really have to interpret fatality rates with a very skeptical eye, because often its only the very severe cases that are coming to peoples attention, said Amesh Adalja, an expert in pandemic preparedness at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore. "Its very hard to say those numbers represent anything like the true burden of infection" said Adalja, who estimates current fatality rates are likely below 1 percent. As of Tuesday, 4 February, 24,551 cases have been confirmed globally. A 1 percent fatality rate would put total cases at over 49,000, based on the current death toll of 492. Gauden Galea, the World Health Organisation (WHO) representative for China, told Reuters on Sunday that a crude calculation done by dividing total cases by deaths put the rate at 2 percent and said the rate was generally falling. Trying to really demystify those fatality numbers by including mildly symptomatic cases will help people to better understand the risk, said Adalja. In Wuhan, some patients with milder symptoms have been turned away from hospitals in recent weeks because of the strain on resources, several people in the city told Reuters. Others have opted to self-isolate. Wuhan resident Meiping Wang said she and her sister both believe they have mild cases of the virus after their mother tested positive, but have not been tested. There is no use going to the hospital because there is no treatment, Wang, 31, said in a telephone interview. Under-reporting mild cases which increases fatality rates could have a negative social and economic impact as global health authorities race to contain the disease. Its good to remember that when H1N1 influenza came out in 2009, estimates of case fatality were 10 percent, said David Fisman, an epidemiologist at the University of Toronto, who was working in public health at the time. That turned out to be incredibly wrong. As the denominator is growing in terms of case numbers, and case fatality goes down and down... you start to realize its everywhere, he said. The global response to the coronavirus epidemic has been swift and fierce. Several countries have implemented partial or full travel bans on Chinese travelers. There are many actions going on all over the world that really are premised on the idea that this is a very severe illness, said Johns Hopkins Adalja. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday that the bans were an unnecessary interruption to travel and trade. Former White House chief of staff John Kelly says he believes John Bolton's allegation that President Donald Trump told the former national security adviser that US security aid to Ukraine was conditioned on an investigation of the President's political rivals, adding that Bolton should be heard from. "If John Bolton says that in the book I believe John Bolton," Kelly said Monday night when asked about the leaked draft manuscript during remarks at the Ringling College Library Association Town Hall lecture series, according to the Herald Tribune of Sarasota, Florida. Kelly said Bolton "always gave the president the unvarnished truth" and is a "man of integrity and great character." "I mean, half of Americans think this process is purely political and shouldn't be happening, but since it is happening, the majority of Americans would like to hear the whole story," Kelly said. "So I think if there are people that could contribute to this, either innocence or guilt ... I think they should be heard. I think some of the conversations seem to me to be very inappropriate but I wasn't there. But there are people that were there that ought to be heard from." Bolton's allegations, contained in a draft manuscript first reported by The New York Times, have led to fresh calls from Democrats for Bolton to testify in Trump's impeachment trial and added uncertainty to a vote, expected this week, to determine whether the Senate should subpoena for witnesses and documents. A source with direct knowledge of the manuscript has told CNN the Times' telling of Bolton's account is accurate. The President, though, has denied claims he told Bolton aid to Ukraine was tied to an investigation of the Bidens. Trump's attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate Hunter Biden and Joe Biden, his potential 2020 rival, are at the center of the President's impeachment trial. Trump has repeatedly made unfounded and false claims to allege that the Bidens acted improperly in Ukraine. There is no evidence of wrongdoing by either Joe or Hunter Biden. Kelly, who left the White House under contentious circumstances in January 2019, has occasionally voiced criticisms of the Trump administration since leaving his post. In October, the retired Marine Corps general said the President would not be in the middle of an impeachment process if he were still chief of staff, implying that White House advisers could have prevented it. He also said before he left the White House he advised Trump on hiring his replacement. "I said, whatever you do and we were still in the process of trying to find someone to take my place I said whatever you do, don't hire a 'yes man,' someone who won't tell you the truth don't do that," Kelly said at the time. "Because if you do, I believe you will be impeached." This story has been updated to include additional background information. Elizabeth Smart has revealed she was sexually assaulted on a Delta flight by a fellow passenger. On Thursday, Smart, who has advocated on behalf of kidnapping victims after she was abducted and sexually assaulted at 14, told CBS This Mornings Gayle King about the incident which happened last summer. According to Smart, she was asleep onboard a Utah-bound Delta flight in 2019 when she woke up to the man sitting next to her rubbing her leg. I had been asleep and all of a sudden I woke up because I felt someones hand rubbing in between my legs on my inner thigh, Smart said. I was shocked. The last time someone touched me without my say-so was when I was kidnapped and I froze. I didnt know what to do. The 32-year-old, who was held hostage for nine months in 2002 before she was rescued, recalled feeling as if she should know how to react to the assault. Youre Elizabeth Smart! You should know what to do, she said. Following the incident, Smart says she informed Delta, which was so apologetic, but that she does not blame the airline. Its not Deltas fault. It was this man, this man made a decision, she told King, adding that she followed up with the FBI about the assault, and that it is now an on-going investigation. The experience prompted Smart to launch Smart Defence, a self-defence class for women and girls developed with help from both law enforcement officers and experts in martial arts. US sexual assault statistics Show all 8 1 /8 US sexual assault statistics US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq The class, which Smart hopes will teach women to give themselves an opportunity to get away, is currently only available in Salt Lake City, Utah, but will be available in cities across the US in the coming months. The Independent has contacted Delta for comment. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal In November, as the city tied its previous record for homicides, Mayor Tim Keller said his office and the Police Department had been working for months on a Violence Intervention Program. They planned to ask the Legislature for $10 million for a statewide fund, $2 million of which would go to Albuquerque. But legislators say they received the request in the form of a proposed bill from the city too late, and now theyre worried the funding wont be included in the final budget. The $10 million fund was not included in the version of the $7.6 billion budget that passed the House 46-24 Wednesday. However, it could still be included in the final version of the bill that passes the Senate. The problem is on the money request; it may or may not be too late, said Rep. Daymon Ely, D-Corrales, one of the sponsors of the bill. Im hoping we can get there, but Im not optimistic. He said he saw the bill for the first time right before the 30-day session began. Although it cleared the House Judiciary Committee, it has not been heard by the House Appropriations and Finance Committee. It wasnt a delay in the legislative process, Ely said. Its one of those things. I just think were all going to have to get better at working partnerships between local and state entities, and even among the legislators themselves. Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque, another sponsor of that bill, echoed Elys concerns. I dont fault the city for this, because theyre constantly looking for solutions, Chasey said. We probably needed to have started talking about this as a funding priority in the summertime, at the latest. On the other hand, Keller, a former state senator, said he is not concerned. Theres a long road ahead, he said. Were running it as a stand-alone bill because we want to educate people on how important it is and what it is. Those bills usually get rolled in as the budget leaves the House or in the end as it leaves the Senate. Thats the way well know if were going to get that funding or not. On the same page At a November news conference, officials from the city and the Albuquerque Police Department described the Violence Intervention Program as a partnership among law enforcement, prosecutors, social service providers and the community, and said it would address violence as a public health issue by focusing on victims and offenders of violent crimes. They said it would be modeled after Ceasefire in Oakland, California, which targets gang-related violence, but would also address domestic violence. Many facets of the initiative had already been proposed by 2nd Judicial District Attorney Raul Torrez almost two years ago. And last April, Torrez announced his Crime Strategies Unit was creating scorecards of every shooting with injury or fatality in Bernalillo County as part of the first phase of the Violence Intervention Program. His office also entered a contract with the National Network for Safe Communities from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, in New York City, in which a team of analysts reviewed three years of gun violence to determine the biggest issues for Albuquerque. Its something weve tried to get moving in Albuquerque for some time, and its just taken a while for everybody to get on the same page, Torrez said. But now it looks like everyone is, and if it gets fully funded and properly organized, I believe it will drive down gun crime. Last month, Torrez, the mayor, a deputy chief of police and members of the Chamber of Commerce visited John Jay College in Manhattan, as well as a Ceasefire pilot program in New Haven, to learn more about what they need to do to implement the Violence Intervention Program. The next step is receiving the results of the analysts review of shootings. Torrez said his office has funding set aside for its part in the Violence Intervention Program. The Police Departments part of the program is also not dependent on money from the Legislature, according to an APD spokesman. And Alicia Manzano, a spokeswoman speaking on behalf of the city for legislative issues, said the program will be implemented regardless of whether the city receives the funding. House Bill 301 will help cities of all sizes direct services to both the people who are driving and who are most affected by crime, Manzano added. We were heartened by the bill making it through the House Judiciary Committee, and the conversation that happened in that committee meeting underscored the need for the fund. Our VIP initiatives will move forward either way, and we will continue to advocate for funding that will benefit similar programs throughout the state. Accountability a focus House Bill 301 would provide a one-time appropriation of $10 million to be distributed by the Department of Health to cities determined to be disproportionately impacted by violent crime, including homicides, shootings and aggravated assaults. Starting in July, the DOH would receive and review applications from cities for grants to combat violent crime. At least two of the cities must have a population of 50,000 or less, which would include Espanola, Roswell and Gallup. At least 20% of the $10 million $2 million would be appropriated to a city with a population above 500,000. Albuquerque is the only city in the state that is that size. If a city received a grant, at least 50% of the funding would have to go to community-based organizations. And once a year, in November, the city would be required to report on its processes, outputs and outcomes to the DOH and the New Mexico Sentencing Commission. Ely said this last requirement is why he thinks a bill like this is so important. I like the philosophy of the bill, which is we can no longer give local entities money without making them accountable for whether theyre meeting their goals or not, he said. Chasey also said she thought the bill was an important step toward combating violent crime and has the potential to provide restorative justice in the community. She said it was a shame officials didnt start discussing funding a year ago. What Im hoping at this point is perhaps the city of Albuquerque could get some funding through a grant or the Department of Justice, Chasey said. Im not sure if those kinds of dollars are available anymore, but there were a number of years that would have been a possibility, at least to start it and try to get it funded in the future. Journal staff writer Jessica Dyer contributed to this report. American airlines removed a male passenger from its flight after he wore a gas mask, Fox News reports. The man caused some passengers to panic and it led to a delay after he refused to remove the mask. With the issues surrounding the spiking number of infected persons with Coronavirus, it is not surprising why people who were on the flight panicked. One of the passengers posted a photo of the man who wore the mask before he was escorted off the plane. Joseph Say, one of the passengers and the man who posted the photo on social media, said that some of the passengers on board were worried because the man might have snuck something on the plane and that the man was wearing a gas mask for his own safety. Say told one of the news outlets, "What we heard from the lady sitting next to him as he said he wanted to make a statement. I don't know what the statement was," he added, "I'm not sure what his goals were." In a separate interview, Say said that the incident happened just before the flight took off on its scheduled flight from Dallas-Forth worth International Airport. Say recalled: "I had a seat in the back. I was sitting there. I was talking to the lady next to me. We heard a little bit of commotion. I looked up and saw a guy coming onto the plane wearing a full gas mask, which was kind of odd. He didn't have a filter, which I thought was more strange." Say also said that people started to talk about the man and wanted him out of the plane immediately. Moreover, people on the plane wanted to know the reasons why the man wore a gas mask on the plane in the first place. Joseph Say also said: "What we heard from the lady sitting next to him as he said he wanted to make a statement. I don't know what the statement was. I'm not sure what his goals were. To me, it seemed inconsistent. You couldn't see his face. You couldn't identify any features on him. People were worried he had sneaked something on-board and that he had the mask for his own safety." Moreover, until now it is still not known why the man wore a mask and if there were any charges filed against him. The American Airlines Flight 2212 took off 50 minutes later than its scheduled flight from DFW International Airport just before 7:00 p.m. and it arrived at Bush Intercontinental Airport at around 9:07 p.m. A news outlet asked American Airlines about the situation on Friday and a representative said: "The passenger was rebooked on the next flight to Houston, and flew without the mask on yesterday evening." It was found that the man who wore the gas mask had previously flown from Los Angeles to Dallas and was not wearing a mask during that time. Alessandra Ambrosio is famed for her barring her stunning supermodel figure for the camera lens. The Brazilian beauty was much more covered up, however, during a casual make-up free coffee run on Thursday in the Pacific Palisades. Her outing comes as 100 other models signed an open letter to the CEO of Victoria's Secret accusing the company of fostering an environment of 'misogyny, bullying, and harassment.' Low key: Alessandra Ambrosio stepped out for a casual make-up free coffee run on Thursday in the Pacific Palisades amid controversy surrounding Victoria's Secret The 38-year-old kept things low key in a pair of terracotta colored sweat pants and a seafoam green crew neck sweatshirt that read 's'il vous plait' on the front in lavender lettering. She was spotted makeup-free chatting on her cell phone while she held a small black coffee cup from Sunlife Organics in one manicured hand. In keeping with her comfortable style of the moment, the catwalker donned a pair of furry grey EMU Australia slides. Alessandra's former workplace, Victoria's Secret is in hot water over allegations of 'misogyny and harassment' at the lingerie company. Off-duty model: The 38-year-old kept things low key in a pair of terracotta colored sweat pants and a seafoam green crew neck sweatshirt that read 's'il vous plait' on the front in lavender lettering Just rolled out of bed: In keeping with her comfortable style of the moment, the catwalker donned a pair of furry grey EMU Australia slides The Model Alliance advocates for the protection of models and claims the 'culture of misogyny, bullying, and harassment' was 'even more egregious and more entrenched than previously understood.' They've now written two open letters to CEO John Mehas; the second was published yesterday. Signatories of the letter include catwalk stars such as Christy Turlington Burns, Iskra Lawrence, Edie Campbell, Amber Valletta and Felicity Hayward. Models who have worked with Victoria's Secret such as Karen Elson and Caitriona Balfe also co-signed the document. Alessandra Ambrosio was not one of the 100 nor were many of the VS big wigs like Giselle, Miranda Kerr, Behati Prinsloo, Kendall Jenner or the Hadid sisters. Alessandra was a Victoria's Secret Angel from 2004-2017. Hot water: Her outing comes as 100 other models signed an open letter to the CEO of Victoria's Secret accusing the company of fostering an environment of 'misogyny, bullying, and harassment' (L-R Models Lily Aldridge, Adriana Lima, Elsa Hosk, Alessandra Ambrosio and Taylor Hill in 2016) A New York Times article described a 'culture of misogyny, bullying, and harassment' at Victoria's Secret among current and former executives, employees and contractors. They allege a climate of misogyny was fostered by two top executives - Ed Razek and Les Wexner - at Victoria's Secrets parent company, L Brands. 'We believe that this moment can be a wake-up call for Victoria's Secret,' the letter states. The group go on to allege they met with bosses at the firm but their complaints were not taken seriously. At work: Alessandra Ambrosio was not one of the 100 nor were many of the VS big wigs like Giselle, Miranda Kerr, Behati Prinsloo, Kendall Jenner or the Hadid sisters; Alessandra was a Victoria's Secret Angel from 2004-2017 (Pictured in 2017) Razek, 71, a former executive at L Brands who stepped down in October, allegedly asked women to sit on his lap and kiss him, according to sources who spoke to The Times. The article detailed complaints of inappropriate conduct towards models and employees. Sources claimed crotch-grabbing, body shaming, lewd remarks and retaliation for the rebuffing advances were common among workers. Accusations: Razek, 71, a former executive at L Brands who stepped down in October, allegedly asked women to sit on his lap and kiss him, according to sources who spoke to The Times (The signed letter pictured) It also stated the models' images were used unauthorized and some were pressured to pose nude without any pay. In order to protect future models against abuse and harassment, the alliance is recommending for Victoria's Secret to implement a RESPECT Program within its brand. It wants signatory companies to make a commitment to require employees, agents, photographers and other contractors to follow a code of conduct and install a robust system for complaints made against abusers. Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, army general Valery Gerasimov on Thursday met with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Colonel General Najmaddin Sadigov and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in Baku and discussed issues related to international and regional security, reports RIA Novosti. RIA Novosti reported that Gerasimov and Sadikov discussed international and regional security issues, as well as pressing issues on military and military-technical cooperation. They also discussed the cooperation of the defense ministries in the Caspian Sea and reaffirmed their interest in continuing the contacts, the Department of Information and Mass Communications of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation added. Earlier today, Gerasimov was received by Aliyev. It won't be an exaggeration to say that the entire world is on tenterhooks, amidst fears of catching the Wuhan Coronavirus -- with the disease spreading from China like wildfire. Official Chinese reports have pegged the death toll to have crossed 500, with 3000 new cases of Coronavirus contractions reported in the last week. However, many feel that these numbers arent accurate and the death toll has crossed over 24,589 people. Reuters Chinas second-largest conglomerate, Tencent accidentally displayed figures for the Coronavirus on a Chinese website this past Saturday, which showed over 154,023 people were infected by the virus and over 24,589 actually dead -- which is several times more than what the official Chinese state media has reported till now. This particular website also showed at least 78,808 people in the suspected cases section -- four times more than the actual numbers. Source: Taiwan News First reported by Taiwan News, this was seen on Tencents Epidemic Situation Tracker website. However, moments after displaying the aforementioned numbers, the display changed it to the official figures of 14,446 infected and 304 dead. It wont be the first time the Chinese Communist Party is under-reporting casualties related official figures. Reports have also revealed that crematorium workers in Wuhan -- the place where it all began -- that human corpses are being sent to them, but not being added to the official records. AP Although we strongly recommend you take this with a pinch of salt, as we dont exactly know whether it was the real figures or some error on the part of the team responsible for updating the numbers, it is astonishing nonetheless. India among other countries are suspending flights and visas for visitors from China. In case you didnt know, the Wuhan Coronavirus causes pneumonia-like symptoms and is seen in people with poor immunity -- mostly young and old -- while also causing breathing issues, cold, etc. Liz Borland with her new car and representatives from Action Cancer and Charles Hurst A north Belfast woman battling ovarian cancer has been presented with a new car after a charity raffle. Liz Borland was thrilled to win the 25,000 Toyota Corolla Hybrid after purchasing six tickets for 1 each. The 59-year-old, from the Crumlin Road area, was handed the keys to her car yesterday by representatives from Action Cancer and Charles Hurst Toyota. The St Vincent de Paul nursery dinner lady bought the ticket from a colleague selling them on behalf of the charity. However, chance had a role in her win, with Liz ending up with one ticket too many. She believes that the extra ticket was the one pulled out in the draw. Liz had just received the devastating news that a tumour had been found in her ovaries when she was announced as the winner of the raffle live on the radio in December. Since then she has undergone a hysterectomy and is due to receive the results of a biopsy on Monday. Despite battling cancer, the win has brightened up Liz's outlook no end. "I bought the tickets last year, but I can't remember yesterday. I totally forgot I had bought the tickets," she said. "I filled in six tickets, but I only bought five, so I had to run back and pay the extra 1. I think that could have been the winning ticket. "I've worked at the nursery for eight years, but I'm off after I had to get the hysterectomy. "I had the surgery after they found a cyst in my right ovary. My left ovary was stuck to my other organs. "They said there was a lot of debris on my organs, so they had to clear all of that away. "I get the results of the biopsy on Monday. "I've been very tired and I just want it to be over. "The car has given me something to look forward to over the last few weeks." While she does not have a driving licence, Liz's partner Eugene Christie plans to take the car out this weekend. Liz promised neighbours and best friends Joan Belton and Annie Campbell that they could come along too. After being handed the keys to the new white Toyota Corolla Hybrid yesterday, Liz said: "I'm delighted. I'm speechless. It's absolutely gorgeous." Liz's neighbour Joan, who is also going through treatment for ovarian cancer, was over the moon for her friend."We are giving each other an awful lot of support," she said. A total of 90,000 was raised for Action Cancer through the car raffle, which was run in association with Marks & Spencer and Charles Hurst Toyota. Georgina Campbell from Action Cancer said she was delighted that Liz's ticket was pulled out in the draw and described her as a deserving winner. "She is just the salt of the earth," she said. "We are delighted because she's going through a difficult time at the minute health-wise. "We hope the prognosis is good for her. "She had just got the news she had a tumour on her ovaries before we made the call about the car raffle. "She had bad news on one side and good news on the other, but she was just delighted. "It got her through Christmas and she's going to be 60 next month, so it's an early birthday present as well." Ross Graham from Charles Hurst Toyota congratulated Liz on her win. "She was working when we made the call and she basically didn't believe us," he said. "It was great news for her to get on the Friday before Christmas and she's very deserving of the win." Attorney General William Barr arrives at the State of the Union address in the chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington on Feb. 4, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) Barr Sounds Alarm on Chinese Regimes Technological Blitzkrieg on US The United States is aggressively pushing back against Chinese economic espionage and foreign influence activities, partnering with private enterprises, academia, and its allies to combat this threat, top U.S. officials said on Feb. 6. The Chinese regime is deploying an all-tools and all-sectors approach to steal their way up the economic ladder at the United States expense, FBI Director Chris Wray told a Washington conference on the Department of Justices (DOJ) China Initiative program. That demands our own all-tools and all-sectors approach in response, Wray said. In late 2018, the DOJ launched the China Initiative to crack down on state-sponsored theft of U.S. trade secrets and Beijings foreign influence activities. Since then, the department has brought dozens of China-related espionage cases against a variety of actors, including Chinese intelligence officers, Chinese and U.S. academics, and Chinese companies. Some of these actors are non-traditional collectors, such as Chinese graduate students participating in university research programs. More than 80 percent of all economic espionage charges brought by federal prosecutors since 2012 have implicated China, according to the department. The communist regime employs a wide range of techniquessuch as cyber hacking, corrupting company insiders, and physical theftto target valuable scientific and technical information held by the private sector and academia, Wray said. They are attempting to capture the benefits of our free society by outright stealing our technology. The stealing of technology is not a sideshow. It undergirds and propels their efforts, Attorney General William Barr said at the same event. Barr described the regimes efforts as a technological blitzkrieg that poses an unprecedented challenge to the United States. The technologies targeted for stealing can be found in Beijings Made in China 2025 plan, which lays out core technologies the regime aspires to dominate in the futureincluding artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals, and aerospace. Since the launch of Chinas industrial plan in 2015, the DOJ has brought trade-secret theft cases in eight of the 10 technology sectors slated for aggressive development, Barr said. The FBI has about 1,000 investigations involving Chinas attempted theft of U.S.-based technology, in all 56 field offices, covering almost every industry and sector, Wray said. In the 2019 fiscal year, the bureau arrested 24 people in China-related counter-intelligence cases, John Brown, assistant director of the FBIs counterintelligence division said, adding that this number is set to be exceeded this fiscal year with 19 people arrested to date. Most recently, the DOJ announced three separate prosecutions relating to alleged actions to aide the Chinese regime: the chair of Harvards chemistry department was charged for allegedly lying about his ties to a Chinese recruitment plan that authorities say facilitates the transfer of sensitive U.S. research and technology to China; a Chinese military officer studying at Boston University was charged for allegedly concealing her ties to the military; and a Chinese researcher was charged over allegedly attempting to smuggle vials of stolen biological research. To give a sense of the scale of the feds efforts, Wray noted that all three cases were investigated by just one of the FBIs 56 field officesBostonand charged in a little more than a month. Working With Business, Academia The statue of John Harvard sits in Harvard Yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on Aug. 13, 2019. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) DOJ and FBI officials said they were increasing their engagement with the private sector and academia to raise awareness about the threat of Chinese economic espionage. This approach does not, however, mean that the U.S. businesses and academic institutions should stop doing business with China, hosting Chinese guests, or welcoming Chinese students, Wray noted. But rather, firms and academia should keep the long view in mind when engaging with China. Weve got to be clear-eyed and thoughtful about the threat from China and do everything possible to ensure a level playing field between our two countries, Wray added. William Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, countered criticism that the federal campaign was driven by a racial issue, saying that this is a fact-based issue of the theft of intellectual property and trade secrets and ideas by a communist country. Wray said the FBI was asking business executives to carefully consider the implications of working with Chinese firms, such as through a joint-venture. It might make a lot of money today; it might sound great on the next earnings call, he said. But it might not look so great a few years down the road, when they find themselves bleeding intellectual property or hemorrhaging their most sensitive data. Authorities are also encouraging universities to protect students from intimidation by foreign governments, to seek transparency in agreements with foreign institutions, and to conduct due diligence on foreign nationals working and studying on campuses, Wray added. University and think-tank colleagues: Do not allow the theft of technology under the guise of academic freedom, Barr said. Do not allow the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] to dictate your research or pressure you into ignoring diverse voices on controversial topics. Consider whether any sacrifice of academic integrity or freedom is worth the tradeoff. ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Florida Law Enforcement Officers have been accused of violating the rights of the citizens of Florida on numerous occasions involving the carrying of firearms. Several lawsuits have ensued. Further, Florida Carry, the states only grassroots organization working to protect Floridians' right to keep and bear arms recently sent a letter to all Sheriffs and Police Chiefs warning them that their deputies and officers will be held accountable for lack of knowledge of and obedience to the law. In their letter, Florida Carry wrote: Florida Carry is demanding that frontline law enforcement officers receive proper training on how to interact with law-abiding citizens who are simply exercising their legal rights. Further, they warn that incidents, where these rights are violated, will result in legal action. "If your officers and deputies do not receive this more thorough and appropriate training and continue to violate our rights, we will respond. We will bring lawsuit after lawsuit until the message is delivered." In response to this crisis, the partners of Katz & Phillips, P.A. who wrote the best-selling, Florida Gun Law: Armed and Educated, are offering FREE training to any law enforcement agency in the state. According to Senior Partner, James Phillips, "all any agency has to do is call our office and we will coordinate directly with them to come to them anywhere in the state and provide a training seminar to the officers and deputies. They can also visit our website www.thefirearmfirm.com/law-enforcement-training/ and fill out a Law Enforcement Training contact form and we will coordinate directly with them" Original Source SOURCE Law Offices of Katz & Phillips, P.A. In a first, the Maharashtra chief ministers office (CMO) will have a politician to assist the states head of government. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has approved the appointment of senior Shiv Sena leader Ravindra Waikar as coordinator in the CMO. Waikar, a former minister, will be expected to handle crucial infrastructure projects, policies related to municipal corporations and coordinate between the party (Shiv Sena) and the government. The state government is a coalition between the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress. Known to be a close aide of Thackeray, Waikar was the minister of state (MoS) for housing in the Devendra Fadnavis government and is also former chairman of the civic standing committee in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). A senior Mantralaya official, who did not wish to be named, said Waikar will be given the status of a minister, with all facilities that a minister is entitled to and a cabin in the CMO and at Varsha, the official residence of the chief minister at Malabar Hill. It is for the first time that a former minister has been appointed as a coordinator in the chief ministers office. Waikar will be expected to coordinate matters largely in the interest of Shiv Sena and play a link between governance and administration. Waikar has experience in BMC and with civic elections set to come up, his role will be important, said a Sena minister, on condition of anonymity. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Find all our Student Opinion questions here. Do you think there is a certain age when someone becomes an adult? How can you know what that age is? What are the privileges associated with adulthood in your state or country? What are the responsibilities? What about within your family? Are you expected to do certain adult things by a certain age? In When Are You Really an Adult?, Maria Cramer writes about a Vermont senator, John Rodgers, who proposed a bill to outlaw cellphone use by anyone under 21 to make a point about a Vermont law that banned the sale of firearms to most people under that same age: There are all these pushes around some parts of the country for 16-year-olds to vote but were saying theyre not mature enough to smoke or purchase a gun. So which is it? said Mr. Rodgers. When are you really an adult? It is a question that has possessed both poets and lawmakers. But there is not much clarity in state laws. In Alaska, teenagers as young as 14 can get married with a court order. Only a handful of states allow drinking under 21 and that is under strict circumstances, like when a parent or legal guardian is present. Eighteen-year-old adults can run for office, go to strip clubs, be sentenced to life in prison, and volunteer to go to war or be drafted, but as of last December, they cannot vape or smoke tobacco products. And since 1984, when states began raising the legal age of drinking to 21 from 18 in exchange for federal highway funds in some cases barely a decade after lowering it they have not been able to buy a beer at a bar in most of the United States, a restriction that has infuriated college students ever since. If 18-year-olds are burdened with the responsibility of adulthood, they should be afforded some of its privileges, said Charlotte Lawson, a 21-year-old fourth-year student at the University of Virginia who wrote an opinion piece in the campus paper in 2018 calling for the drinking age to be lowered from 21. Its interesting these are people who work full-time jobs, pay their own rent, pay taxes and are eligible to vote, she said. Yet none of this constitutes adequate proof that a person is responsible enough to drink. The article looks at the history of the changing drinking age throughout the 20th century: After the end of Prohibition in 1933, most states set the drinking age at 21, which was also the minimum voting age at the time. Lawmakers reasoned that if you were old enough to vote, you were old enough to drink, Mr. Parent said. That philosophy continued in 1971, when Congress lowered the voting age to 18 in response to fury over the draft during the Vietnam War, which conscripted thousands of men between 18 and 21 into war. States, in turn, lowered the drinking age to 18, Mr. Parent said. But in 1984, President Ronald Reagan began pushing hard for states to raise their drinking age, citing what he called a great national problem of drinking and driving by teenagers. In July of that year, Congress passed the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, which required states to raise the age of drinking to 21 or risk a 10 percent cut in their federal highway funds. Scientists are also trying to answer this question by looking at brain development: The scientific consensus that most brains do not fully develop until age 25 has led to a host of reforms in the criminal justice system and reexaminations about how society should punish young adults. But it has also fed the confusion over what young adults should be allowed to do when scientists know that they use less restraint and discipline than older people, said Warren Binford, a law professor at Willamette University and founder of the schools Child and Family Advocacy Clinic. Were constantly trying to balance the rights to protection and the rights to participation, said Ms. Binford. We are a society that loves its liberty, but were also a society that recognizes that children are unique and special and deserving of protection. Students, read the entire article, then tell us: Do you feel that you are an adult now? Why or why not? How will you know when you have reached adulthood? Do you think adulthood is connected to being a certain age or having specific responsibilities? Are there legal rights, like voting or drinking, that you think will help you demonstrate your own transition into adulthood? What do you think should be the legal minimum age for doing the following adult activities: getting married, voting, enlisting in the military, buying alcohol, buying cigarettes, owning a firearm, being tried as an adult in court? Do you think minimum age requirements are necessary to protect young people from adult risks and responsibilities? Who do you think should be responsible for setting these age requirements? What do you think should inform or determine those decisions? Should it be brain development, educational achievements, maturity or something else? Benming Zhang, who was elected to the City Council in Williamsburg, Va., during his final undergraduate year in college, said he faced the most skepticism about his campaign from his peers. Why do you think that was? Would you trust one of your peers if he or she was running for a political office now? How about in five years? Do you think there are certain experiences or qualifications that someone needs to be in a role of political leadership? How do you feel about the voting age in the United States? Do you think that you, or your peers, would be more active politically if you were able to vote? How do you think the voting age should be determined? Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 02/05/2020 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 ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. couple Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner are blaming Zach Justice for the problems in his relationship with wife Mindy Shiben , saying the personal trainer is not mature and too into himself.Jamie and Doug, who starred on Season 1 of , gave Zach a piece of their minds while watching back Zach and Mindy's honeymoon in Panama on television.Zach told the cameras at one point he was missing a playful and fun connection with Mindy because most of their conversations turned out to be serious, but Jamie suggested Zach was the reason why Mindy couldn't relax and enjoy herself."I can see what he's saying though, as much as I totally see what she's saying -- she hasn't been able to just relax and have a good time," Jamie said during Lifetime's January 30 broadcast of : Couples Couch, which features commentary on encore broadcasts of 's tenth season."But, like, how could it not be?!" Jamie reasoned."She married a stranger and he's pretty much saying every single day that he's not into her. I wouldn't be able to relax and let loose either."On Night 1 of their honeymoon, Zach allegedly told Mindy he wasn't attracted to her, and he seemed to harp on that issue in subsequent days of the honeymoon.But Jamie didn't even understand how Zach couldn't be attracted to Mindy."How is [Zach] not attracted to [Mindy?] I literally have a girl crush on her -- she's so cute, and so sweet and so smart. She's so likeable!" Jamie gushed."Maybe it's her head," Doug noted."What do you mean?" Jamie asked her husband."It doesn't seem like they're on the same page mentally," Doug explained.Jamie struggled to accept that explanation, pointing out of Mindy, "She's so mature though.""I know," Doug agreed. "I don't think he is."Jamie nodded her head and then watched a clip of Mindy expressing how it was difficult to hear her husband wasn't attracted to her. Mindy therefore asked Zach how she could make him happy."So tell me, [Zach], what does it take to make you happy? Sounds like [it takes]," Jamie admitted.Zach was then shown telling Mindy he could see that his looks didn't mean everything to her, which naturally implied Zach views himself as being very good looking."He's so full of himself! Did he just say that?" Jamie yelled.Mindy called Zach out in the episode and said, "Do you think everyone finds you attractive?""He thinks he's so hot!" Jamie yelled out in astonishment."Why would that be your answer to 'I want to know what makes you happy?'" Doug questioned."He -- 'I know it's not just about my looks,'" Jamie recalled Zach saying in disbelief."He's so into himself! That's the problem -- Zach is more into himself than anybody else!"Jamie said Zach needed to realize looks aren't all that make you attractive to someone.In Mindy's case, she even told her fellow brides on the show she's not attracted to a man just because he has abs."Yeah, Mindy, you tell him!" Jamie shouted. "A six pack does not make you attractive; a full head of hair does not make you attractive. It's all about what's underneath, Zach!"Doug and Jamie also bashed Zach for not wanting to have deep conversations with his wife.Doug claimed Zach "clearly can't have" deep conversations, and then Jamie added, "In-depth conversations are not your strong suit there Zach."Jamie speculated maybe Zach was turned off by how tall Mindy is."Maybe he doesn't like that she's the same height as him," Jamie wondered. "Some guys are intimidated by that."Following a dinner Mindy and Zach had with the other four couples, he complimented Mindy on her confidence that night and not comparing their relationship to others."She's always had confidence!" Doug insisted."Yeah, he's like always judging every move she makes," Jamie said. "Like, why are you giving her a report card on her behavior tonight?""Right," Doug agreed. "So tonight I'm giving you an 'A' on confidence."Doug concluded Mindy and Zach just weren't on the same page."She is not clicking with [Zach] on intellectual level at all," Doug said."No," Jamie agreed. "He's good to look at, but that's about it.""That is it!" Doug echoed.Jamie and Doug also observed Zach critiquing Mindy's actions instead of being vulnerable and opening up about himself and how he was personally feeling about their relationship."Everything is weighted on her," Jamie explained."Is she attractive enough? Is she confident enough? Is she having fun enough? Like, what about you, Zach?! Maybe she's not into everything that you do."In addition to Mindy and Zach, 's tenth season also stars Meka Jones and Michael Watson Taylor Dunklin and Brandon Reid Katie Conrad and Derek Sherman , and Jessica Studer and Austin Hurd currently airs on Wednesday nights at 8PM ET/PT on Lifetime.Interested in more news? Join our Married at First Sight Facebook Group The Save Romania Union (USR) Chair Dan Barna on Thursday said, after the Cotroceni Presidential Palace consultations, that he told President Klaus Iohannis about the decision to uphold the snap election scenario. "I told the President about the USR position, a stance declared for two years now, the early elections are the moral, ethical, correct, and necessary solution for Romania right now. Unfortunately, any other scenario would only continue what has happened in the past three months, to have a government that in fact cannot govern and (...) we will uphold the early elections scenario very clearly, we will vote against the investiture [of any government, ed. n.] so as to make sure that the following gov't will have no parliamentary support, so that we make the next step toward snap election," Barna asserted. President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday has invited at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace the chairs of the parliamentary parties and formations for consultations with a view to designating a candidate for Prime Minister, after the Ludovic Orban gov't was dismissed on Wednesday, through a no confidence vote.AGERPRES(RO - author: George Onea, editor: Claudia Stanescu; EN - author: Maria Voican, editor: Simona Iacob) Karl Stefanovic may be in his mid-forties, but he's still got a youthful fashion sense. On Wednesday, the Today show host rocked a pair of very skinny jeans while heading for a business lunch at Verde Restaurant in Darlinghurst, Sydney. The 45-year-old journalist, who is expecting his fourth child in May, showed off his noticeably slimmer figure in an all-black ensemble. Age is just a number, baby! Karl Stefanovic rocked a pair of very skinny jeans while heading for a business lunch at Verde Restaurant in Darlinghurst, Sydney, on Wednesday He paired a T-shirt with tight-fitting acid wash jeans and boots, and accessorised with several colourful bangles on his wrist. The breakfast TV host wore his shirt in a French tuck, showing off his designer belt. It comes after Karl debuted a brand new accessory at his wife Jasmine Yarbrough's birthday dinner last month. Daddy, daddy cool! The 45-year-old journalist paired a T-shirt with tight-fitting acid wash jeans and boots, and accessorised with several colourful bangles on his wrist Flashy: It comes after Karl debuted a brand new accessory at his wife Jasmine Yarbrough's birthday dinner last month: a pendant necklace with two charms Karl wore a white linen shirt, which he left unbuttoned to reveal a new necklace. The silver accessory appeared to be a pendant with two charms, a trendy style very popular with younger people. Proving that age is just a number, Karl has also signed up to TikTok, a social media app popular with children and teenagers. The father-of-three recently made his TikTok debut by posting a cringeworthy 'dad dance' video featuring his 14-year-old daughter, Ava. Doin' it for the kids! Proving that age is just a number, Karl has also signed up to TikTok, a social media app popular with children and teenagers. Pictured with his 14-year-old daughter, Ava Last month, Karl and Jasmine revealed the sex of their baby at a lavish gender reveal party in Melbourne. According to The Sunday Telegraph, the couple are expecting a baby girl. Karl has three children from his previous marriage to Cassandra Thorburn: sons Jackson, 20, and River, 12, and daughter Ava. ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- X-energy is pleased to announce the appointment of Katherine Moshonas Cole as Canada Country Manager effective immediately. Katherine will lead X-energy's strategy and commercial development activities in Canada and report directly to X-energy CEO Clay Sell. Sell stated, "Katherine's deep knowledge of Canada's energy sector, leadership experience, and strong working relationships make her an ideal fit for our team," Sell stated. "2020 is a big year as we expand our 'go-to-market' strategy to Canada with our reimagined approach to producing clean, price competitive, always-on energy. I know Katherine is the right person to lead us in achieving our goals." The Xe-100 builds on proven, reliable fuel technology and design that distinguishes it from the old generation of nuclear power reactors. The fourth-generation reactor runs on fuel "pebbles" coated in ceramic casings so the fuel can never be exposed to the environment. Its unique gas-cooled reactor design does not rely on water. Its modular size, operational temperatures, and safety case allow for flexible application in a broad range of locations and applications. These attributes make the Xe-100 design more in tune with efforts to preserve precious natural habitats and water resources. "I am tremendously excited to be joining the X-energy team. I believe we are facing a historic opportunity for Canada and the world. Canada was one of the early pioneers in nuclear technology, and we now have an opportunity to be at the forefront of a global transformation of the energy industry. The world needs a step-change in energy innovation, and I believe X-energy answers this need. The Xe-100 will provide clean, reliable, flexible, and affordable energy. It is a true innovation, not simply an incremental improvement on the previous generation of nuclear technology," said Ms. Moshonas Cole. Ms. Moshonas Cole has served as an Executive Board Member of the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) and Chair of the Regulatory Affairs Advisory Committee of the CNA. She has held key executive positions, including General Manager at Kinectrics and leadership and strategic support to the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) for their decommissioning program. Ms. Moshonas Cole previously served as Managing Director of ITER Canada, during Canada's early efforts to support nuclear fusion research and commercialization. Ms. Moshonas-Cole has a degree in Engineering Science from the University of Toronto. About X-energy X-energy is an advanced nuclear reactor design and TRISO-based fuel fabrication company. Our high temperature gas-cooled pebble bed reactors require less time to construct, use factory-produced components, cannot melt down, and are "walk-away" safe without operator intervention. In concert with our reactor designs, X-energy is actively producing TRISO-based fuel forms and is implementing pilot scale manufacturing capacities. Twitter: @xenergynuclear; Website: www.x-energy.com Media please contact: [email protected] SOURCE X-energy Related Links http://www.x-energy.com CLEVELAND, Ohio The Sherwin-Williams Co., one of the regions most prominent employers, will build its new headquarters in the heart of downtown Cleveland, where offices will rise from a sea of pavement west of Public Square. Read the Latest: Sherwin-Williams confirms plans for new downtown Cleveland HQ, Brecksville R&D center On Thursday morning, the global paint manufacturer will announce plans for the headquarters project and for new research and development facilities in Brecksville, according to sources who spoke to The Plain Dealer on the condition of anonymity. In an email late Wednesday, a Sherwin-Williams spokeswoman said, We have nothing new to report. When we have an update, well issue an official announcement. That announcement will end years of rumors and months of speculation about the intentions of the publicly traded company, a 154-year-old business founded in Cleveland and based in the same downtown office complex for nearly a century. By recommitting to the central business district, Sherwin-Williams is bucking a decades-long trend of Fortune 500 employers, including major manufacturers, leaving for the suburbs and other states. And with its choice of headquarters site parking lots that span nearly 7 acres north of Superior Avenue, on both sides of West Third Street the company is positioned to dramatically alter a downtown landscape that bears scars of demolitions dating to the 1960s. The win for Cleveland, which faced the loss of more than 3,300 jobs and $15 million in annual tax revenues if Sherwin-Williams decamped, is tempered by the companys decision to consolidate its research and development operations in the suburbs. The new R&D facilities will be located in Brecksville, on the site of a former VA hospital being repositioned as a mixed-use campus. Now that Sherwin-Williams has made a decision, wrapping up months of discussions cloaked by confidentiality agreements, the process will become much more public. Financial incentives will require legislation and public votes, at least at the city and county levels. New offices and R&D buildings will undergo design and planning reviews. Construction wont be complete until 2023, at the earliest. Sherwin-Williams confirmed in September that it was exploring options for new facilities, with sites in Cleveland, elsewhere in Northeast Ohio and out-of-state on the table. The citys hold on a marquee employer with global brand recognition - and an office-and-research footprint totaling 1.25 million square feet - was uncertain. The $51 billion company employs roughly 4,400 people in Northeast Ohio, or about 7% of its global workforce. About 3,000 of those employees are housed in the company-owned Art Deco headquarters complex, the Landmark Office Towers, and nearby leased space. More than 300 employees work at the Breen Technology Center tucked behind Tower City. During a conference call in October, Chief Executive Officer John Morikis told analysts that the companys search for space was being driven by its need to keep and attract talent. Moving to new buildings from a smattering of older properties would bring teams of workers closer to each other, boost efficiency and, ultimately, save money. From the outset, the parking lots on Public Square and in the Warehouse District were logical contenders for a corporate headquarters project. The Public Square lot, owned by the Richard E. Jacobs Group of Westlake, was cleared in 1990 to make way for the Ameritrust Center, a skyscraper that would have been Clevelands tallest. That project was shelved due to a bank merger. A much more modest office tower, proposed in 2008, never materialized. The larger parking lots, owned by Warrensville Heights-based Weston, Inc., once teemed with historic buildings. Those structures were razed gradually, from the 1960s into the 1990s, leaving a prominent stretch of downtown barren. Developers have imagined everything from a convention center to offices, retail and apartments on the properties in the intervening years. But nothing, including plans for more than 3 million square feet of buildings announced by a Weston joint venture in 2015, has moved forward. The companys future research and development site, by contrast, is a relatively new opportunity. Sources say the R&D facilities are headed to Valor Acres, a 100-acre redevelopment of the former U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital property off Interstate 77. The project is a joint undertaking by the DiGeronimo Companies, of Independence, and the city of Brecksville. Its unclear what will happen to Sherwin-Williamss existing buildings when the company consolidates workers and moves. Real estate experts say the Landmark Office Towers, which the company has owned since 1985, could be attractive candidates for a historic-preservation project involving a mix of uses, including housing. Read more Sherwin-Williams coverage: Sherwin-Williams new HQ should create positive ripples in Public Square, downtown Cleveland Sherwin-Williams staying downtown, moving R&D to Brecksville is great news for local businesses Ohioans react on social media to headquarters news What experts say Sherwin-Williams will consider in search for a new global HQ Sherwin-Williams has been a Cleveland fixture for 154 years New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam Wendy Matthews today presented the first prize worth VND8 million to Ho Tu Anh as the winner of logo competition to celebrate the 45th anniversary of New Zealand-Vietnam diplomatic relations. The winner Ho Tu Anh (left) receives the award at a ceremony held by the New Zealand Embassy in Hanoi on February 6. I have never been to New Zealand but friends Ive spoken that have visited told me that it is a country beyond expectations. I put a lot of effort in to coming up with my logo, hoping to be lucky enough to win this competition. I am so happy that I won! Tu Anh explained. The logo competition asked entrants to design a creative logo that showcases the strong and growing partnership between New Zealand and Vietnam and to commemorate the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Nearly 120 submissions were received. Ambassador Matthews said: We really wanted to get from the Vietnamese public their ideas on how to they interpret our close partnership. The winning logo captured the essence of New Zealand and Viet Nam. It has two iconic images: New Zealands silver fern and Vietnams lotus. It is also a fresh modern design that demonstrates New Zealand and Viet Nams strong past cooperation and our bright future ahead. The winner of the most engagements (likes, shares and comments) on social media was a 19 year old student Pham Gia Thien. His entry also showcased New Zealand and Vietnam cultures coming together, with a kiwi bird wearing the iconic Vietnam conical hat. He was awarded with a Tiki voucher for a Kindle. Other winners of Runner up, Most fun logo and Youth Award were awarded with fresh and tasty New Zealand apples by the Ambassador. Mai Lan HALIFAX - Talks are ongoing regarding the repayment of millions of dollars in outstanding loans owed to the province by the mothballed Northern Pulp mill, Nova Scotia's premier said Thursday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Northern Pulp mill in Abercrombie Point, N.S., is viewed from Pictou, N.S., December 13, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan HALIFAX - Talks are ongoing regarding the repayment of millions of dollars in outstanding loans owed to the province by the mothballed Northern Pulp mill, Nova Scotia's premier said Thursday. Stephen McNeil told reporters following a cabinet meeting that the current discussions with representatives from Northern Pulp concern things such as a repayment schedule, interest, and how the loans will be repaid. "Those loans are owed to the people of the province and we expect them to be repaid," McNeil said. "That's what the conversation has been about it's never been about not repaying them." The loans, made by previous governments, include two to the mill itself and one to an affiliated company. A spokesman from McNeil's office confirmed Thursday the outstanding total is roughly $84.9-million. McNeil also said there are currently no talks around the province's potential liability related to the closure of the mill's Boat Harbour effluent treatment facility, which comes a little more than 10 years ahead of the scheduled end for the lease on the property. McNeil says he believes the liability is less now that the mill is not moving ahead with a new treatment facility as a result of the government's legislated Jan. 31 deadline for the early closure of the treatment lagoons near the Pictou Landing First Nation. "That liability in my view is very different than what it would have been if they had been continuing to operate," he said. However, Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston said he believes there is still a big risk to taxpayers. "I hope they will be able to manage the negotiations with the company better than they've managed this file to date, but I suspect this will end up in the courts," Houston said Thursday. The majority of the approximately 230 unionized workers at the mill finished their final shifts last Friday as the company puts the facility into so-called "hibernation.'' Northern Pulp opted for the move after its plan for a new treatment system that would see it pump treated effluent into the Northumberland Strait was rejected by the province in December. The company has since asked for a judicial review of the environment minister's decision to require an environmental assessment report for its proposed effluent facility. However, it's also committed to continue with the assessment process and is currently reviewing a draft terms of reference issued by the province. Final terms will be issued to the company in April and it will then have up to two years to complete a report. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2020. A woman who repeatedly told the national NAACP that her supervisor in the North Carolina conference had sexually harassed her is suing the national group and her former boss. Jazmyne Childs is seeking at least $15 million for her emotional and mental distress that she says civil rights organization condoned through its inaction. In the lawsuit filed Monday in Durham County court, attorneys for Childs said she was sexually harassed by the Rev. Curtis Gatewood when she was youth and college field secretary for the state conference in 2017. She suffers from depression, anxiety, nervousness and insomnia, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit seeks more than $5 million in compensatory damages and more than $25,000 in punitive damages on each of three claims: battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. NAACP officials and Gatewood did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. The national NAACP knew about the harassment when it received a report from an outside investigator in October 2017 that concluded that Gatewood harassed Childs, yet took no action, the lawsuit says. The NAACP is liable for the misconduct for Gatewood because the National NAACP ratified Gatewoods conduct, it says. Gatewood, who was interim field director and managed the state conference NAACP staff, suddenly resigned in June 2017, the lawsuit said. However, he continued to show up at events attended by Childs, even after receiving a cease-and-desist letter in December 2017, the lawsuit said, leading to her resignation. Childs, who was hired in January 2017, resigned in August 2018 because she feared Gatewood would continue to stalk and intimidate her, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit says that Childs, now 27, first became fearful of the now 60-year-old Gatewood on Feb. 6, 2017, when he closed an office door as they met to discuss a rally. While talking to her, he kept looking her up and down in a sexual and intimidating manner, the lawsuit says. Ms. Childs was afraid. Similar harassment continued over the next few months, the lawsuit says. On May 2, 2017, Childs was in a conference room with the lights off as she prepared for a co-workers farewell party, it says. Suddenly, she felt someones breath on the back of her neck and then felt someone press his penis up against her buttocks, the lawsuit said, adding that Gatewood was behind her. Why are you hovering over me. Thats gross. Move, Childs yelled, according to the lawsuit. Gatewood said he was looking for a receipt and left the room, it says. Childs described the harassment at a news conference in September after she had written several letters to NAACP President Derrick Johnson. She wrote him in June and twice in September and sought a disciplinary hearing for Gatewood in her second letter. The NAACP responded to none of the letters, she said. Johnson suspended Gatewood from membership the day after Childs news conference, pending a hearing on her allegations. Johnson also postponed the state conference elections, scheduled for October, which included a race for president between Gatewood and Rev. Anthony Spearman, the incumbent. At the state conference that was held Oct. 5, Johnson told the delegates that he didnt know about Childs accusations against Gatewood until he received her letter on Sept. 11, even though email records showed he received the outside investigators report almost two years earlier. He publicly scolded and rebuked Ms. Childs for going to the press and not handling the matter within the organization, the lawsuit said. Ms. Childs was present and heard President Johnsons remarks. In October, Gatewood said in an email that while he never intentionally harassed anyone, he realized his actions may have been received as sexual. He was less conciliatory in January, when he emailed several people, including some NAACP officials, asking that Childs and others be removed from NAACP membership. Therefore, I would respectfully and strongly suggest on one hand, you use the list of individuals I have provided, and graciously remove each of these members per the NAACP Constitution & Bylaws, he wrote in the Jan. 14 email. He also asked that the NAACP restore his membership. Attorneys for Childs declined comment on lawsuit. Topics Lawsuits North Carolina October 20, 2007 - Paul Quinn, from South Armagh, is lured to a farm shed across the Border in Co Monaghan. He is beaten to death with iron bars by a gang of men. Every bone in his body was broken. * October 22, 2007 - Gerry Adams, Sinn Fein leader at the time, claims: "There is no republican involvement whatsoever in this man's murder. The people involved are criminals. They need to be brought to justice. It's fairly obvious to me this is linked to fuel smuggling and to criminal activity." * November 2007 - Sinn Fein MLA Conor Murphy claims on the BBC that "Paul Quinn was involved in smuggling and criminality and I think everyone accepts that". He also said he had spoken to IRA members and had been told the IRA was not involved. Mr Quinn's family - led by his mother Breege - will spend 13 years looking for Mr Murphy to withdraw the slur. * April 2008 - The agency tasked with monitoring paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland found that Mr Quinn was murdered by members of the Provisional IRA. The International Monitoring Commission (IMC) said he was beaten to death by people who had been "associated with the PIRA at a local level" including members. However, it also said the murder was "contrary to the instructions and strategy of the leadership of PIRA". * October 25, 2018 - Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald fails to give a straight answer to LMFM Radio on whether she will ask Mr Murphy to retract his comments as requested by Breege Quinn. "I will ask Conor Murphy to say and do things that give confidence and comfort to the Quinn family as I would expect of any of our elected representatives," she says. * February 3, 2020 - RTE's Bryan Dobson asks Ms McDonald if she will ask Mr Murphy to apologise for the 'criminality' comment. Ms McDonald says that she spoke to Mr Murphy and "he is very clear that he never said that". * February 4, 2020 - Ms McDonald is confronted with Mr Murphy's quotes by Miriam O'Callaghan in the 'Prime Time Leaders' Debate'. She had remembered Mr Murphy was "not quite as direct" when he made the remarks in 2007. She said Mr Murphy "apologises" and "withdraws" the remarks. * February 5, 2020 - Mr Murphy apologises and "unreservedly" withdraws his remarks. He calls on anyone with information on the murder to go to gardai or the PSNI. However, while telling RTE he is happy to talk to the investigating authorities, Mr Murphy refuses to say if he will give the names of IRA members he claims he spoke to about the case to the police. Elsewhere, Ms McDonald said her remarks to Mr Dobson were "an honest mistake". She brushed aside a question on whether Mr Adams should apologise for his comments, saying the Quinn family was clear it was Mr Murphy they wanted the apology from. The Quinn family have accepted Mr Murphy's apology but want him to give IRA names to gardai. Christian Democrats mostly support Biden; atheists more likely to support Sanders, Warren: Pew Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Christian members of the Democratic Party are more likely to support former Vice President Joe Biden while atheist and agnostic members prefer either Sens. Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren, according to Pew Research Center. A report released by Pews Fact Tank on Friday found that among Democratic candidates, Biden polled the strongest with Christian respondents. According to Pew, 36 percent of Protestants, including 37 percent of the subcategory of white evangelicals, picked him as their first choice for the Democratic presidential nomination. Sanders placed a distant second among Protestants with 13 percent, while Warren, herself a member of the United Methodist Church, had 11 percent support, and Episcopalian Peter Buttigieg had 5 percent, tying former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Biden was also the top choice among his fellow Catholics, with 34 percent of Catholic respondents selecting him as their first choice as the nominee. By contrast, 18 percent of Catholic respondents chose Sanders, 10 percent chose Warren, 8 percent chose Bloomberg, and 7 percent chose Buttigieg. Sanders did poll the strongest among religiously unaffiliated respondents, with 28 percent of unaffiliated picking him as their first choice. Sanders also led in the subcategories of unaffiliated, with 30 percent of atheists and 36 percent of agnostics picking him over the rest of the Democratic field. For her part, Warren placed second among the three classifications, getting the support of 21 percent of unaffiliated respondents, 29 percent of atheists, and 23 percent of agnostics. Among respondents labeled Nothing in particular, another subcategory of unaffiliated, Sanders led with 23 percent, followed by Biden with 18 percent, and Warren with 16 percent. The national survey was conducted in January in advance of the Iowa Caucus, drawing from a sample of 5,861 voters classified as Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters. While a practicing Catholic known to be open about his faith, Biden has garnered the occasional public opposition from Catholic Church clergy over his stance on abortion. Last October, for example, Biden was denied communion by Father Robert E. Morey of Saint Anthony Catholic Church of Florence, South Carolina. Holy Communion signifies we are one with God, each other and the Church, Morey told SC Now at the time. Our actions should reflect that. Any public figure who advocates for abortion places himself or herself outside of Church teaching. WASHINGTON Attorney General William Barr waded into diplomatic tensions between the United States and China on Thursday, decrying what he said was Beijings determination to establish dominance in the market of next-generation, high-speed wireless networks. Barr spoke as the Trump administration has accelerated efforts to warn other countries to be wary of Chinese investment and influence. The U.S. government has been lobbying allies to ban Chinese tech giant Huawei from involvement in the network because of cybersecurity concerns. Barrs comments came at a conference for FBI and Justice Department officials centered on concerns about Chinese economic espionage and intellectual property theft. The number of FBI arrests in cases related to Chinese espionage has risen sharply in the past five years, corresponding with what the U.S. government sees as an urgent threat to American economic prosperity and intellectual property, federal law enforcement officials said. There were 24 China-related arrests in the past fiscal year, up from 15 five years earlier, and there have been 19 this year, according to Justice Department figures presented Thursday. Officials described urgent law enforcement and intelligence efforts to counter Chinas targeting of corporate trade secrets and academic research, including defense information, software for wind turbines and high-end medical technology. In recent years, U.S. officials say, China has relied not only on hacking to steal information but also on recruitment of scientists and other individuals. The long-term existential threat to the security of our nation is real, said Bill Evanina, the U.S. governments top counterintelligence official. An email sent to the Chinese Embassy seeking comment was not immediately returned on Thursday. The U.S. officials highlighted a series of prosecutions over the past year that they say underscore the threat, including the recent arrest of a hospital researcher in Boston accused of attempting to smuggle biological material from a laboratory to China. Last week, the Justice Department charged the chairman of Harvard Universitys chemistry department with misleading U.S. authorities about millions of dollars he had received from China and about his participation in a talent recruitment program run by the Chinese government. To be clear, this is not about the Chinese people as a whole, and it sure as heck isnt about Chinese Americans as a group, FBI Director Chris Wray said. But it is about the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party. Eric Tucker is an Associated Press writer. Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (27) President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for greater legislative, law enforcement, judicial and law observance efforts to strengthen the capacity to carry out law-based infection prevention and control. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the statement when presiding over the third meeting of the Commission for Overall Law-based Governance of the CPC Central Committee. Xi is the head of the commission. Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu and Wang Huning, who are deputy heads of the commission, attended the meeting. Documents including the commission's guidelines on practicing law-based infection prevention and control of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus were adopted at the meeting. While addressing the meeting, Xi said the infection prevention and control is at a critical moment and stressed the utmost importance of carrying out the work in a law-based, scientific and orderly manner. Xi spoke of the need to improve legislation related to epidemic prevention and control, strengthen the building of supporting institutions and improve punishment procedures. Laws and regulations on epidemic prevention and control and emergency response must be strictly enforced, risk assessment be improved and decisions be made prudently and in accordance with the law, Xi said. He also stressed strict enforcement of law on prevention and control of infectious diseases and the regulation regarding its implementation, laws on wildlife protection and animal quarantine, as well as the regulation on public health emergency response. Xi called for a severe crackdown on illegal activities and crimes ranging from resisting epidemic prevention and control efforts, assaulting medical workers, manufacturing and selling fake products, to rumor-mongering that undermines epidemic prevention and control efforts. Donations and receiving donations should be carried out according to the law, Xi stressed, noting that all donated funds and goods should be used for epidemic prevention and control in a timely manner. Xi also stressed timely and accurate release of the epidemic information in accordance with the law, as well as strengthened public legal education and legal services related to the epidemic prevention and control. Xi told Party committees and governments at all levels to improve law-based governance through coping with major emergencies. The meeting stressed implementing judicial reforms, strengthening rule of law in rural areas and reforming the system of administrative reconsideration. Chinese socialist rule of law is the most basic, stable and reliable guarantee to the governance of systems, said the meeting, adding that law-based governance should be advanced to boost the role of rule of law in modernizing China's system and capacity for governance. Chartered Insurance Institute of Ghana (CIIG) has organised a health walk for its staff and professionals in the insurance industry. The walk began from the National Insurance Commission (NIC) office through to Asylum down, Circle, Ring Road and back to the NIC held on Saturday, February 1. This was followed by a very intense aerobics session and health screening exercise which lasted for more than an hour. Shaibu Ali, the Vice President of the Ghana Insurance Brokers Association (GIBA) said the event is to kick start the year with a healthy wellbeing of the staff and members of the insurance industry. "We believe that at the beginning of the year we come together to walk, do some exercises and shake off some stress. we are also starting the year with a couple of new directives from the regulator and we want to get our members in the right shape to implement these regulations to the full," he stated. He calls on sector players to help the regulator achieve full implementation of the sector policies through compliance. "We have the motor insurance database trying to curb fake insurance. People are selling fake insurance and one way for the regulator to check these excesses is the implementation of this database. Motor insurance will now be written and if you are an insurance company and you don't have access to the database you cannot write the insurance or issue stickers. it will largely curb fake insurances in the system where people get accidents, they go to the police station and they realise that the documents are fake. "It is still work in progress and we as an industry have made some requirements to the regulator. We hope the regulator will listen to us on key aspects of the software. we are gearing ourselves for a very eventful year," he intimated. Madam Yvonne Osei Addo, General Secretary of CIIG said it was important for staff of members companies to exercise for good health which will impact positively on their operations as intermediaries. This health walk was to exercise and get the professionals together. CIIG is the professional body of the institutes, so it is here that we bring together the insurance companies, the reinsurance companies, the brokers, the lost adjusters to fraternise and socialise. We have series of programmes like the Presidents Cocktail, the Annual General meeting, public lectures and many others to come, so this is just to set the tone for this year," she stressed. Mr. Kofi Okoampah Akoto, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of CIIG said, the health walk among other programs seeks to create awareness among members and the public of the Institute. He noted that alot will be done this year to increase the insurance penetration in the country from the single to double digits through education and public sensitisation. Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has described the United States, US, President, Donald Trump as the best th... Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has described the United States, US, President, Donald Trump as the best thing that happened to the country. Omokri made the remark after the US President escaped an impeachment. Recall that the US Senate had yesterday voted that Trump was not guilty of abuse of power. The lawmakers vote was 52-48. Senators on the platform of Democrat had moved for Trumps removal and had even impeached him at the House of Representatives. The US president was accused of demanding that Ukraine dig up dirt on his political rival, Joe Biden. He was also said to have obstructed Congress investigation of the affair. However, Omokri in a tweet wrote: Acquitted! I love you @realDonaldTrump! My time, money and my entire familys vote is for you in November. You are the best thing that happened to the good old US of A #AcquittalDay. C hris Rock and Samuel L Jackson both star in the first trailer revealed for Spiral the latest offshoot of the Saw franchise. Rock stars as Detective Zeke Banks, who leads an investigation into a mysterious cop killer. In the clip, Banks heads to a crime scene and discovers that an officer has been murdered; later, it's revealed a spree of killings has taken place across the city. At the end of the trailer, Rock is chained to a radiator by his wrist and ominously picks up a saw. Jackson seems to be doing his usual schtick, shouting after the killer: "You wanna play games, motherf*****?" The official plot synopsis released by Lionsgate reads: Working in the shadow of an esteemed police veteran (Samuel L Jackson), brash Detective Ezekiel Zeke Banks (Chris Rock) and his rookie partner (Max Minghella) take charge of a grisly investigation into murders that are eerily reminiscent of the citys gruesome past. Unwittingly entrapped in a deepening mystery, Zeke finds himself at the centre of the killers morbid game. The film, full title Spiral: From the Book of Saw, is the ninth film in the horror series, and the first since 2017s Jigsaw. Rock is hands-on with the project, having developed the idea for the film himself. Max Minghella and Marisol Nichols also star in the film, which is being directed by Saw II director Darren Lynn Bousman. The film is released on May 15 2020. TRANSCRIPT OF SEN. GRACE POE'S OPENING STATEMENT Senate hearing on VFA Feb. 6, 2020 Magandang umaga po Mr. Chair at sa lahat ng ating mga panauhin ngayon. It is our Constitutional duty to uphold the principles of separation of powers especially checks and balances which gave rise to the need for Senate action on treaties. Hindi natin ito pribilehiyo lang. Tungkulin nating busisiin ang mga treaty na pinapasok at inaalisan ng Pilipinas. In the fulfillment of this duty, we need to evaluate the Visiting Forces Agreement beyond the political noise and assess it on its own merit. Sa loob ng mahigit dalawang dekada ng VFA, nakabuti ba sa atin ito? Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, who was former Chairperson of the Legislative Oversight Committee on the VFA and a world-renowned international law expert, reminded the Senate body over and over again to assert its position that the Philippine government must "renegotiate or abrogate the VFA". Over the years, Senator Miriam passionately argued in favor of Philippine sovereignty as well as the rights and dignity of its citizens which she said, and I quote, "suffered immensely due to the lopsided provisions." Hindi naman natin sinasabing walang benepisyo ito sa atin, pero pwedeng talakayin kung ano ang ikinabuti natin dito at kung ano naman ang pwede pa nating igiit sa kanila. If we are to withdraw from any bilateral agreement, let it be with basis. If we are to concur on any executive action, let it be ultimately for the interest of the people. Maraming salamat po. The chair of the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire has asked the attorney general for a pledge to prevent oral evidence given by corporate witnesses from being used to prosecute them in the future. Sir Martin Moore-Bick wrote to Geoffrey Cox QC requesting a pledge which will stop any evidence given in person by staff involved in the blocks refurbishment from being used against them in criminal proceedings. Many had threatened to remain silent on the grounds they may incriminate themselves. On Monday, the inquirys chief lawyer, Richard Millett QC, advised Sir Martin to accept the request, saying: Without it you will not get to the truth. However, Michael Mansfield QC, for the victims, previously described the move by key firms as abhorrent, saying the potential perpetrators of this inferno are trying to essentially dictate the terms in which they will provide their assistance. Stephanie Barwise QC, for another group of victims, said the timing is highly disingenuous and bears all the hallmarks of sabotage of this inquiry. 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 A ruling published on Thursday made clear the rationale behind the request was to allow witnesses to provide a truthful account to the inquiry without fear of the future. The ruling said: Any recommendations we may be able to make will depend for their weight and authority on the evidence that underpins our findings ... it is essential that we be able to explore with the witnesses their states of mind and the reasons for their actions. It adds: We think it likely that for many witnesses the pressure of being asked to admit shortcomings with the risk of criminal proceedings in the background will prove too great. Scotland Yard is conducting its own investigation into possible crimes ranging from gross negligence manslaughter and corporate manslaughter to health and safety offences. The pledge would not act as a blanket providing total immunity from prosecution nor cover statements or documents submitted to the inquiry. Described by the inquiry panel as limited in its effect, it would only prevent authorities from bringing a prosecution against a witness based on their oral testimony or using that evidence as part of a prosecution. But it does not prevent the prosecuting authorities from making use of answers given by one witness in furtherance of proceedings against another, according to the ruling. The ruling said: We shall write to the attorney general immediately asking him to grant an undertaking in the following terms: No oral evidence given by a natural or legal person before the Inquiry in Modules 1, 2 and 3 will be used in evidence against that person in any criminal proceedings or for the purpose of deciding whether to bring such proceedings... Any undertaking will not cover anyone charged with either conspiring to or giving false evidence to the inquiry. It adds: It is for the attorney general, of course, to decide whether it would be appropriate for him to give an undertaking and, if so, in what terms. It will be for him to balance the competing demands of the inquiry against the need to avoid prejudicing any future criminal proceedings. Witnesses from firms involved in the fitting of flammable materials had been due to be cross-examined, but they submitted a last-minute legal bid seeking the pledge last Tuesday. In the aftermath of the fire two of the firms involved Rydon Maintenance and Harley Facades said they would cooperate fully with the investigation. The application relates to witnesses from firms including external wall subcontractor Harley Facades, main contractor Rydon, architects Studio E, and window and cladding fitters Osborne Berry. The firms argued such requests for immunity had occurred in other inquests, such as the Bloody Sunday inquiry and the Ladbroke Grove inquiry. The second stage of the inquiry has heard the main designers, contractors and fire safety consultants appeared to predict two years before the disaster that a planned cladding system would fail if exposed to fire, according to internal emails disclosed to the hearing. The inquiry continues. Additional reporting by Press Association Cement exports from Bangladesh slide in 7MFY19-20 06 February 2020 Bangladesh's cement industry has earned an export revenue of US$6.11m in the 7MFY19-20 (July 2019-January 2020), compared to US$6.55m earned in 7MFY18-19, a contraction of 6.7 per cent YoY. The export figure also includes a minor amount of salt, stone and related products, says data of Bangladesh Export Promotion Bureau (EPB). However, the export value for cement increased by 0.5 per cent above the the 7MFY19-20 government target of US$6.08m. The EPB had set a lower export target for the cement industry at US$10.5m for FY19-20 compared to US$14m for the previous fiscal year, following a decrease of cement export earnings to U$10.41m in FY18-19. The country's total export earnings continued to decline as merchandise shipments witnessed a 5.2 per cent fall during the last seven months of current fiscal year of 2019-20. The aggregate export earnings during July to January of FY19-20 stood at US$22.91bn, against US$24.17bn earnings of the corresponding period of last fiscal, according to the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data. Cement is reportedly being exported by Bangladeshi cement producers to India, Myanmar, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka. Published under Milk producers in Ukraine see over US$104.8 mln in profit 16:20, 06.02.20 804 Poultry and dairy cattle breeding remained profitable in 2019 as well. FEBRUARY 6, 2020 Sergio Alcocer, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, has joined the faculty of the UTSA College of Engineering as a professor of civil engineering. He is a fellow of the American Concrete Institute, former president of the of the Academy of Engineering of Mexico, and was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2017 for his work on enhancing seismic safety of buildings in developing countries through improved design standards and government policies. As a distinguished researcher, Alcocer will collaborate with UTSA faculty in grant development and provide public and institutional lectures at UTSA for students, faculty, and the community. In addition, Alcocer will serve as a senior liaison to Mexican Programs, working with Vice Provost of Global Initiatives Lisa Montoya to advance UTSAs commitment to internalization, multiculturalism and knowledge enterprises that are of mutual interest to both UTSA and Mexican institutions. Dr. Alcocer brings substantial foreign policy and civil engineering expertise to UTSA, said JoAnn Browning, dean of the College of Engineering. In addition to working with Global Initiatives to increase the number of cooperative venturesincluding study abroad, joint degreesthat UTSA has with universities in Mexico, he will play a lead role in mentoring our engineering faculty for increasing their academic visibility and success. Alcocer earned his B.S degree in civil engineering from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico in 1986 and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from UT Austin in 1991. After completing his doctorate degree, he served as the head of the Structural Engineering and Geotechnical Area for the National Center for Disaster Prevention at UNAM from 1991 to 2000. Between 2000 and 2003 he was director of research for the center, followed by his promotion to become the director of the Institute of Engineering from 2003 to 2007. He served as secretary general and provost of UNAM from 2007 to 2011, and as the vice president for innovation and development at UNAM in 2012. Between 2011 and 2012, Alcocer was appointed by the Mexican government as the undersecretary for energy planning and technology development within the Ministry of Energy. He again served as the undersecretary for North America in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Mexican government from 2013 to 2015. Learn more about UTSA's College of Engineering. Throughout his distinguished career in academia and public service, Alcocer held the appointment as a research professor for UNAM from 1995 until accepting his new position at UTSA. He has received numerous awards, including the 2014 Award of Distinction from the Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration, the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award from the Cockrell School of Engineering at UT Austin, the Charles S. Whitney Medal from ACI, and the Research Prize from the Mexican Academy of Sciences. Alcocer was recruited to UTSA through the Accelerated Hiring of Nationally Recognized Faculty Program (NRP) a component of the Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiative launched in 2019. The NRP supports the hiring of additional nationally and internationally recognized, highly accomplished full-time, tenured faculty who will advance research excellence at UTSA through enhancing academic distinction and student success outlined in the Presidents Vision and Strategic Plan for UTSA. We are using the NRP to bring distinctive faculty to UTSA, and we are very excited to welcome Sergio Alcocer as our third tenured faculty member who is a member of the National Academies of Science, Engineering or Medicinea marker of faculty quality that contributes directly to the quality of the classroom experience of our students, said Kimberly Andrews Espy, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. The relationship of our city and university to Mexico is an important one, and Dr. Alcocer brings an esteemed reputation and a tremendous network of collaborators to help UTSA further enhance our partnerships in Mexico. Also joining the college are Mario Flores and Karina Vielma. 1.8k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard The following is an open letter to Nancy Pelosi from a group of friends in Detroit, Michigan. Dear Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Thank you for upholding democratic principles. It has been a great relief to have a person who has both integrity and courage serving in an authoritative governing position at this time. I admired your cautious approach to impeachment. I watched as you accepted its growing necessity, and began sober work on the inevitable, sad, carefully-constitutional, legal process. The current challenges to the governing promise of the United States are stark. These same challenges are at full play, and have made it difficult, then impossible, for the House of Representatives to complete a fair and valid process. The Senates inappropriate, often illegal collaboration with the White House to prohibit both the content and workings of a legitimate trial are creating a potentially lawless future that we must work to overcome. The House Managers are remarkable, excellent, and have been engaged in transparent, fair, and deliberate processes. They have worked hard; it has been a long slog. We are grateful for their trustworthiness, determination, and indomitable focus and energy. These folks and many, many others, unnamed and uncounted locally, regionally, and nationally are uplifting and inspiring as we move forward in confronting degraded policies and processes, which are compounded by unthinkably dishonest, obdurate politicians. I am hopeful that we will find our way, that the next step will make itself known, and that we will move, unified, toward home. Your public act of procedural disavowal, literally and symbolically tearing apart the falseness of the speech in full view of the world, was a declarative, singular protest. No one else could have, perhaps would have, done this. It was in your hand, it was up to you, only you, Batter Up, and you found the one thing that you could do, in that brief, but critical moment of opportunity, to express the wrongness wrought on all of us. Your repeated ripping dont miss this, folks let us know that you were not having it; this House is not accepting a shoe-in dictator from a variety-reality show/rally. Your calm, deliberate hands, here in the last few seconds of this game, will become an iconic image of discipline, restraint, civility, and yes, diplomacy. Historic. Heroic. Classic. Classroom stuff. One day there will be a Democracy Action Doll, dressed in a white suit, who will come with a color change of medium-heeled pumps, and tiny, multiple copies of the 2020 SOTU speech. Batteries will make it possible for her to rip the speech into pieces, over and over and over and over. Instructions will include history. We will all learn anew how to take care of things that matter. Ariana Henri and friends Detroit, Michigan The funds raised will finance its operations and help support the clinical development of setanaxib in multiple fibrotic indications The Phase 2 study in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis financed by the NIH is expected to be launched in the coming weeks Regulatory News: Genkyotex (Paris:GKTX) (Brussels:GKTX) (Euronext Paris Brussels: FR0013399474 GKTX), a biopharmaceutical company and the leader in NOX therapies (the "Company"), today announces the result of its capital increase with preferential shareholders subscription rights (the "Rights Issue") through the issuance of new shares (the "New Shares") whose subscription period ran from January 23 to February 3, 2020 inclusive. The gross proceeds of this rights issue, issue premium included, totals 4.9 million and will result in the creation of 2,447,297 New Shares at a subscription price of 2.02 per share. The primary purpose of the proceeds of this issuance of New Shares will be to provide the Company with additional resources to continue, over the next 12 months, the clinical development of its lead product candidate, setanaxib, in multiple fibrotic indications including primary biliary cholangitis (PBC, an orphan fibrotic disorder), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and diabetic kidney disease. To this end, the Company is planning to use the proceeds of the Rights Issue to: organize a meeting with the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) in the first quarter of 2020 on the design of the Phase 3 study in PBC, with an expected agreement on this design during the first half of 2020 (0.4m), support the evaluation of setanaxib by supplying this compound for the needs of two Phase 2 studies undertaken on the initiative of the investigators (1m): in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), financed by the NIH (National Institutes of Health), which should begin in February 2020, in diabetic kidney disease associated with type 1 diabetes (DKD), entirely financed by the JDRF (Juvenile Research Foundation Australia) and the Baker Institute in Australia. An initial 13 patients have already completed the full 48-week treatment and the study has recently been expanded to another 3 countries: Germany, Denmark and New Zealand. Ethical committees have already approved the study protocol in New Zealand and 3 centers are pending activation. Germany and Denmark will follow. initiate a Phase 1 study for setanaxib at high doses in order to define the maximum dose to be used in future clinical trials (1m), continue the development of new generation NOX1/4 molecule inhibitors (0.4 m), and finance the Company's working capital requirements and its running and structural costs (2.1m net of research tax credit). Elias Papatheodorou, CEO of Genkyotex, says: "I would like to thank all existing and new shareholders who contributed to this pivotal fundraising operation for our company. Thanks to their support, and particularly that of our longstanding shareholders Andera Partners, Vesalius, Neomed, N5 Investment AS and Wellington who subscribed to this issue, we will be able to continue evaluating setanaxib within the framework of our clinical program, with investigator-initiated Phase 2 trials in IPF, due to be launched very shortly, and in DKD, currently underway, as well as preparations for a planned international Phase 3 trial in PBC. We now have a strengthened financial structure enabling us to calmly work on the latter's design, for which we expect FDA approval during the first half of 2020, while continuing our other projects with strong potential in fibrotic disorders. The Genkyotex Board of Directors, which met on February 6, 2020, noted the total subscriptions amounts to be received and set the definitive terms of the Rights Issue decided on January 15, 2020. Results of the rights issue Following the subscription period, which ended on February 3, 2020, the gross proceeds of this Rights Issue, issue premium included, totaled 4,943,539.94 euros and will result in the creation of 2,447,297 New Shares at a subscription price of 2.02 per share, with a subscription rate of 80.67%: 1,148,748 New Shares (i.e. 46.94% of the New Shares) were subscribed to on an irreducible basis, i.e. a subscription rights exercise rate of 37.86%; New Shares (i.e. 46.94% of the New Shares) were subscribed to on an irreducible basis, i.e. a subscription rights exercise rate of 37.86%; 283,730 New Shares were requested on a reducible basis and will be fully allocated (i.e. 11.59% of the New Shares); New Shares were requested on a reducible basis and will be fully allocated (i.e. 11.59% of the New Shares); 1,014,819 New Shares (i.e. 41.47% of the newly issued shares) were allocated by the Board of Directors, within the framework of its ability to freely distribute unsubscribed shares, to Andera Partners, Neomed, N5 Investment AS, and Vesalius that, in accordance with the commitments given prior to the launch of the operation, had pledged to subscribe (it being specified that Wellington, which had also undertaken to subscribe, will separately receive 268,054 New Shares with respect to its subscription on a reducible basis included in the 283,730 New Shares requested on a reducible basis mentioned above). In accordance with the commitments described in the Company's Prospectus that was approved by the French stock market authority (AMF) under number 20-012 on January 16, 2020, Andera Partners, Neomed, N5 Investment AS, Vesalius and Wellington, shareholders that had pledged to subscribe to the Rights Issue up to a maximum of 4.62 million euros should it not have absorbed at least 75% of the Capital Increase and not reached a total of at least 4.5 million euros, together subscribed to a total of 2,286,136 New Shares (or 93.41% of the New Shares issued) in the Rights Issue for a total of 4,617,994.72 euros. Following the capital increase, the Company will have a share capital of 11,548,562 euros consisting of 11,548,562 shares with a par value of 1 euro each. The settlement-delivery of the New Shares and their admission for trading on the Euronext regulated markets in Paris and Brussels is scheduled for February 10, 2020. The New Shares will carry full rights (jouissance courante) and will be traded on the same listing line as the existing shares (ISIN FR0013399474). Impact of this issue on the shareholder structure and a single shareholder's situation The following table presents the capital distribution, to the Company's knowledge, before and after the Rights Issue. Number of shares before the transaction % of capital and theoretical voting rights before the transaction(1) Number of shares after the transaction % of capital and theoretical voting rights after the transaction(1) Andera Partners Funds 1,863 079 20.47% 3,001,692 25.99% Eclosion2 SA 1,393 285 15.31% 1,393,285 12.06% Vesalius Biocapital II SA, SICAR 691,529 7.60% 1,087,568 9.42% Neomed Innovation V L.P 544,550 5.98% 940,589 8.14% Wellington 161,185 1.77% 482,967 4.18% N5 Investment AS 33,970 0.37% 67,633 0.59% Management employees 434,730 4.78% 434,730 3.76% Other investors 3,970,624 43.63% 4,131,785 35.78% Treasury shares (2) 8,313 0.09% 8,313 0.09% TOTAL 9,101,265 100.00% 11,548,562 100.00% Theoretical voting rights. All shares have the same voting rights, with the exception of Treasury Shares held by the Company. Shares held on February 5, 2020 within the framework of the liquidity contract with Kepler Cheuvreux. For informative purposes, the impact of the issue on a shareholder with 1% of the Company's share capital prior to the issue and who has not subscribed to it (calculated on the basis of the number of shares constituting the Company's share capital on the date the Prospectus was granted a visa) would be as follows: Shareholder's stake (%) Non-diluted basis Diluted basis(1) Before the issuance of New Shares(2) 1.00% 0.96% Following the issuance of 2,447,297 New Shares 0.79% 0.77% In the case of the issuance of a maximum of 345,904 ordinary shares upon exercise of all outstanding equity warrants and stock options. Based on the number of shares in the Company's share capital on the date of the Prospectus, i.e. 9,101,265 shares. Indicative timetable of the rights issue February 10, 2020 Issue of New Shares Settlement/delivery. New Shares admitted for trading on Euronext Paris and Euronext Brussels Resumption of the ability to exercise business share warrants and stock options Financial intermediary Gilbert Dupont Lead Manager and Bookrunner Availability of the Prospectus The Prospectus approved by the French financial markets authority (AMF) on January 16, 2020 under number 20-012, comprises (i) the Document de Reference filed with the AMF on April 26, 2019 under number R.19-014 (the "2018 Document de Reference"), (ii) the universal registration document filed with the AMF on January 16, 2020 under number 20-0012 (the "Universal Registration Document"), (iii) the Note d'Operation dated January 16, 2020 (the "Note d'Operation") and (iv) a summary of the Prospectus (included in the Note d'Operation Copies of this Prospectus may be obtained from the Company's head offices (218 avenue Marie Curie Forum 2 Archamps Technopole, 74166 Saint-Julien-en-Genevois cedex, France). It is also available on the Company's website (www.genkyotex.com) and the AMF's website (www.amf-france.org). About Genkyotex Genkyotex is the leading biopharmaceutical company in NOX therapies, listed on the Euronext Paris and Euronext Brussels markets. Its unique platform enables the identification of orally available small-molecules which selectively inhibit specific NOX enzymes that amplify multiple disease processes such as fibrosis, inflammation, pain processing, cancer development, and neurodegeneration. Genkyotex is developing a pipeline of first-in-class product candidates targeting one or multiple NOX enzymes. The lead product candidate, setanaxib (GKT831), a NOX1 and NOX4 inhibitor has shown evidence of anti-fibrotic activity in a Phase II clinical trial in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC, a fibrotic orphan disease). Based on its positive results, a phase 3 trial in PBC is being planned. setanaxib is also being evaluated in an investigator-initiated Phase II clinical trial in Type 1 Diabetes and Kidney Disease (DKD). A grant from the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH) of $8.9 million was awarded to Professor Victor Thannickal at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) to fund a multi-year research program evaluating the role of NOX enzymes in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a chronic lung disease that results in fibrosis of the lungs, the core component of the program will be to conduct a Phase 2 trial with the setanaxib in patients with IPF. This product candidate may also be active in other fibrotic indications. Genkyotex also has a versatile platform well-suited to the development of various immunotherapies (Vaxiclase). A partnership covering the use of Vaxiclase as an antigen per se (GTL003) has been established with Serum Institute of India Private Ltd (Serum Institute), the world's largest producer of vaccine doses, for the development by Serum Institute of cellular multivalent combination vaccines against a variety of infectious diseases. For further information, please go to www.genkyotex.com Disclaimer This press release may contain forward-looking statements by the company with respect to its objectives. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs, estimates and expectations of Genkyotex's management and are subject to risks and uncertainties such as the company's ability to implement its chosen strategy, customer market trends, changes in technologies and in the company's competitive environment, changes in regulations, clinical or industrial risks and all risks linked to the company's growth. No guarantee is given on forward-looking statements which are subject to the risks described in the universal registration document filed with the AMF on January 16, 2020 under number 20-0012. The realization of part or of all of these risks would be likely to have a negative effect to the activities, situation, financial results or objectives of the Company. Important information This press release does not, and shall not, be deemed to constitute a public offering or an offer to buy or as designed to solicit the public's interest for purposes of a public offering. No communication and no information in respect of this Rights Issue or of Genkyotex may be distributed to the public in a country where registration or approval obligations must be fulfilled. No action has been taken (or will be taken) in any country (outside France) in which such steps are required. The purchase of Genkyotex shares or subscription rights may be subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. Genkyotex assumes no responsibility for any violation of any such restrictions by any person. In France, an offer of securities to the public may only be made pursuant to a prospectus approved by the AMF. With respect to the member States of the European Economic Area (the "Member States"), other than France, no action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make an offer to the public of the shares requiring a publication of a prospectus in any relevant Member States. Consequently, the securities may not be offered and will not be offered in any Member State (other than France), except in accordance with the exemptions set out in Article 1(4) of the Prospectus Regulation, or in the other cases that do not require the publication by Genkyotex of a prospectus pursuant to the Prospectus Regulation and/or applicable regulations in the Member States. This press release does not constitute an offer of the securities to the public in the United Kingdom. This press release has not been issued or approved for issue by an "authorised person" within the meaning of Article 21(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Consequently, this press release is intended solely for (i) persons located outside the United Kingdom, (ii) investment professionals within the meaning of Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended, (iii) persons referred to in Article 49(2) (a) to (d) (companies with significant shareholders' equity, non-registered associations, etc.) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (persons cited in paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) all of whom being designated as "Eligible Persons"). The securities of Genkyotex are directed only at Eligible Persons and no invitation, offer or agreements to subscribe, purchase or otherwise acquire the securities of Genkyotex may be proposed or made other than with Eligible Persons. Any person other than an Eligible Person may not act or rely on this document or any provision thereof. This press release is not a prospectus approved by the Financial Conduct Authority or any other UK regulatory authority for the purposes of Section 85 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. This press release does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction (other than France). Securities may not be offered, subscribed or sold in the United States unless they have been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or are exempt from registration. The shares and subscription rights of Genkyotex have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act and Genkyotex does not intend to make a public offer of its shares or subscription rights in the United States. Distribution of the present press release in certain jurisdictions may constitute a breach of applicable law. The information contained in this press release does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan. This press release should not be published, transmitted or distributed, either directly or indirectly, in the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan. This document may not be published, distributed or circulated, either directly or indirectly, in the United States, Canada, Australia or Japan. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005870/en/ Contacts: GENKYOTEX Alexandre Grassin CFO Tel.: +33 (0)5 61 28 70 60 investors@genkyotex.com NewCap Dusan Oresansky Tel.: +33 1 44 71 94 92 genkyotex@newcap.eu Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 20:44:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- For those temporarily idle due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, Walmart is now offering an unusual answer. The global retail giant is offering part-time jobs to those who are out of work amid the epidemic, as supermarkets need more staff due to robust shopping demand during this period. The job-sharing model is gaining popularity among retail players in China. Growing online orders of fresh produce for cooking meals at home are creating temporary jobs for many, especially in the catering sector. Such innovation has helped the country keep the people away from virus while working. Recruitment fairs are giving way to online enrollment and interviews. The country's human resources ministry is encouraging local employment agencies to digitalize their services. Chinese authorities have urged local governments to take care of employees in places hit hardest by the epidemic, and offer support such as subsidies for small and medium-sized firms. More local jobs will be created while those setting up their own businesses will enjoy financial support, an official guideline said. Given the important role of enterprises in keeping employment stable, it is crucial to keep the affected firms, in particular small and micro businesses, afloat amid the epidemic, said Du Yang, a labor economics researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Local governments are ratcheting up efforts to keep the job market flowing as the post-Spring Festival period used to be a high employment season. Southwest China's Chengdu will host an online job fair next week via popular social media platform WeChat. "The door to jobs remains open online despite the closing of tradition job fairs," said western China's Gansu Province in a letter to migrant workers. Recruitment releases are now free on many Chinese recruitment platforms, which are also organizing online job fairs and offering free online interview platforms for small and medium-sized enterprises and college students. "History tells that the outbreak may only deal a limited and short-lived blow to employment. The labor demand will see a rebound with the rapid recovery of economic activities soon after the epidemic ends," Du said. Icelandic English Skeljungur hf. will publish its 2019 Consolidated Annual Financial Statements after market have closed on Thursday, February 13, 2020. Skeljungur will host an open meeting for investors, analysts and the press on Friday, February 14, at 8:30 am at Skeljungurs headquarters, Borgartun 26, 8th floor, 105 Reykjavik. Light refreshments will be served from 8:15 am. CEO Arni Petur Jonsson and CFO Olafur or Johannesson, will give an overview of the financial results and operational highlights. After the presentation attendees will have opportunity to further discussion with Skeljungurs management. The presentation will be available on Skeljungurs website, https://www.skeljungur.is/fyrir-fjarfesta after the meeting. For further information please contact Arni Petur Jonsson, CEO, investors@skeljungur.is. Skeljungur is an energy company with operations in Iceland and in the Faroe Islands. Skeljungur sells fuel and oil to consumers and businesses in fisheries, agriculture, transportation, aviation and construction under the brands Skeljungur, Orkan, and Magn. Skeljungur is also in the retail market under the brand Kvikk. The company also sells fertilizer and other chemical products and is on the retail market. In Iceland the Company runs 65 gas stations and 4 oil depots. Magn P/F, Skeljungurs subsidiary in the Faroe Islands, runs 11 retail and gas-stations and 2 oil depots. Magn also serves and sells oils for house heating to individuals and companies in the Faroe Islands. Skeljungurs goal is to serve the energy needs of consumers and businesses in an efficient and safe way and in harmony with the environment. www.skeljungur.is https://www.linkedin.com/company/skeljungur-hf/ Between 1942 and 1962, millions of Mexican contract workers crossed over into the US on short-term contract program known as the Bracero Program. Bracero is a Spanish term which translates to manual labor. The ongoing debate about Trumps immigration policies, including discussions on the new guest workers program has made it necessary to understand the Bracero Program. While most Americans may not be aware of the program, it remains the countrys largest guest workers program. Although the Bracero Program was controversial in its time, it did not have a significant impact on the American labor market neither did it raise wages for American-born workers. The Genesis of the Program America always depended on Mexican labor even before the Bracero Program was initiated. However, towards the end of World War II, the US faced a serious shortage of workforce. This challenge forced the US to initiate a series of diplomatic agreements and laws with Mexico with the aim of recruiting Mexicans to work on US farms and railroads. In 1942, the US and Mexico approved Mexicos Farm Labor Agreement, which, among other things guaranteed the Mexican workers decent living conditions as well as a minimum hourly pay of 30 cents. These agreements were known as the Bracero Program. Migrant Labor Agriculture was enacted in 1951 as part of the 1949 Agricultural Act to set the terms for the implementation of the Bracero Program. Program Implementation The Bracero Program was jointly implemented by the Immigration and Naturalization Services, Department of Labor, and the State Department. The program started in August 1942 in Stockton, California and spread throughout the US. Between 1942 and 1947, only a small number of Mexicans were admitted to the program, despite the country depending on the braceros. From 1942 to the end of the program in 1964, braceros signed up to 5 million contracts, with many braceros returning more than once on different contracts. An estimated 2.5 million braceros were hired in the US on a short term contract during the program period. Some braceros gave bribes to secure contracts. The short-term contract was the reason for the increase in the number of undocumented immigrants, some of who were hired outside of the programs terms. In Texas, the program was stopped for several years on allegations of discrimination and mistreatment of Mexicans. Renegotiation and Termination American farmworkers were not comfortable with the Bracero Program as they feared that the braceros would compete with them for lower jobs. In 1948, a negotiation for a new program begun, with the Mexicans seeking to have the US impose sanctions on employers who hired undocumented workers. On the other hand, the US government wanted to be the guarantor of the contract and not the employers. In 1951, Congress formalized the Bracero Program with Public Law 78. Effectively, the braceros were not permitted to replace US workers, participate in strikes, or negotiate their wages. The US government also was to decide how the workers got into the country to control illegal immigration. In 1963, the program was extended for one more year which came to an end in 1964. [February 06, 2020] Halfaker and Associates, LLC Sponsors District of Columbia Society Sons of the American Revolutions Sweethearts and Patriots Gala ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Halfaker and Associates, LLC (Halfaker), a technology solutions provider within the Federal Government's health, intelligence, defense and security sectors, today announced its sponsorship for the sixth-annual District of Columbia Society Sons of the American Revolution Sweethearts and Patriots Gala to be held at the Embassy of France on February 8, 2020. Halfaker Chief Executive Officer and President Dawn Halfaker will serve as an Honorary Host for the event, which will benefit two Veteran and military-focused charities: Code of Support Foundation and Terre Fraternite. "I'm honored for this opportunity to make a significant difference for our military, Veterans, and their families," said CEO and President Dawn Halfaker. "Halfaker's mission is to Continue to Serve and I feel privilged to be able to support Sweethearts and Patriots through this mission." Sweethearts and Patriots began in 2014 to bring the Washington, D.C., community together in support of the military, Veterans, and their families. Since its inaugural event, Sweethearts and Patriots has raised more than $100,000 to support this goal. 2020 beneficiary Code of Support Foundation helps bridge the growing divide of understanding and engagement between our military and civilian communities, leveraging their trained case coordinators and Veteran peer navigators who provide assistance to service members as they transition into civilian life and work. Terre Fraternite, a French association founded in 2005, aims to help support the wounded, their loved ones, as well as the families of the dead in service of the French Army. About Halfaker At Halfaker, we design, create, modernize, integrate, and secure mission critical systems and business applications for government organizations to improve the health, security, and well-being of all Americans. We are proud to be a service-disabled Veteran-owned, woman-owned, small business. To learn more about Halfaker, please visit www.halfaker.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/halfaker-and-associates-llc-sponsors-district-of-columbia-society-sons-of-the-american-revolutions-sweethearts-and-patriots-gala-301000511.html SOURCE Halfaker and Associates, LLC [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) announced that it will organise the 10th edition of the Sharjah Light Festival, a cultural and artistic event that celebrates the emirates achievements in the fields of education, knowledge, and innovation, from February 5 to the 15. The latest edition of this unique spectacle will mark a decade of creativity and excellence in harnessing technological capabilities in the field of lighting to produce stunning imageries that tell the story of Sharjah. The Sharjah Light Festival 2020 is set to present fascinating shows that will light up the emirate, attracting those looking to explore the authentic history and heritage of this region. The details were announced by SCTDA during a press conference held on January 27 in front of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry building. The Sharjah Light Festival 2020 will officially kick off on February 5 with a show on the architectural icon, Sharjah City Municipality building, narrating the history of Arab culture and its impact on the past and present. Sharjahs most prominent architectural landmarks will transform into canvases for light shows that portray the emirates position as the meeting point of world civilisations for 11 consecutive nights till February 15. The latest edition of the festival will be held in 19 sites spread across the emirate, including Al Dhaid, Khorfakkan and Dibba Al-Hisn on the east coast, which will feature creations of talented international and local artists, who have previously demonstrated their expertise at various similar international festivals. The festival comprises new locations every year as well as innovations in light technology and unique collaborations. The 10th edition of the Sharjah Light Festival will witness participation of students from the American University of Sharjah and the University of Sharjah, as a part of knowledge transfer and reflecting community involvement in the important events that are held in the emirate. During the press conference, SCTDA announced the locations covered by the 10th edition of the festival, which will also include three interactive shows, two of them at Al Majaz Waterfront and one on the facade of the University City Hall. The interactive show at University City Hall will feature a blend of video mapping technologies and augmented virtual reality to create an illusion of travelling around the world, inspired by the unique elements of Sharjah. These shows, which use a remote-control panel, will provide the public with the chance to be part of the experience by allowing them to change the features of the show, thereby, changing the atmosphere with each experience. A major live show will be held daily at the Al Majaz Waterfront at 9 pm, featuring the participation of a group of international teams that will dazzle the audience with their artistry, before concluding with a breathtaking firework display over Khalid Lagoon. During his speech at the conference, Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, said: The Sharjah Light Festival today has garnered local and international reputation and continues to attract an increasing number of visitors from within the UAE and globally. This year, we celebrate 10 years of the rich legacy of this cultural and artistic spectacle, which would not have been possible without the continuous support of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah. The 10th edition represents an important milestone in the success of this unique event, which continues to garner wide international attention by presenting impressive lighting displays that embody the spirit and culture of Sharjah and live up to the expectations of visitors and residents. It also contributes to the promotion of Sharjahs tourism, cultural and heritage attractions in an innovative way. Above all, it highlights our commitment to continue our efforts to take Sharjah's tourism achievements to new heights, while also promoting the emirate as a preferred destination for family tourism, Al Midfa, added. The locations of Sharjah Light Festival 2020 include the University City Hall, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah Police Academy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah Mosque, Sharjah City Municipality, Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority, Al Majaz Waterfront, Masjid Al Noor, Al Qasba, Omran Taryam Square, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Al Hamriyah Area Municipality, Al Wousta TV Building (Al Dhaid), University of Sharjah- Kalba, House of Justice - Khorfakkan, Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport - Khorfakkan and Masjid Sheikh Rashid bin Ahmad Al Qasimi (Dibba Al-Hisn). This years edition of the festival will see the return of the Food Truck Zone opposite University City Hall and in front of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Among the new sites that have been added to the festival this year are the University of Sharjah, Sharjah Mosque, the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority, the Omran Taryam Square, the Al Wousta TV Building (Al Dhaid), the House of Justice - Khorfakkan and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport in Khorfakkan. Daily shows will be held in all locations from 6:00 pm to 11:00 pm during weekdays, and from 6:00 pm to 12:00 midnight on Thursdays and Fridays. The 2019 edition of the festival attracted more than 1,200,000 visitors, recording an increase of 20 per cent compared to 2018, to revel in impressive light shows presented over 11 days by international artists. The festival underscored the importance of family ties and cultural values and traditions of the emirate of Sharjah across 17 different locations in the emirate. The festival this year is sponsored and supported by a number of local authorities, namely Sharjah Municipality, Sharjah Police Headquarters, Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority, Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority, Bee'ah, Al Majaz Amphitheatre, and many more. - TradeArabia News Service A developer is moving forward with plans to build an eight-story mixed-use project near the La Villita Historic Arts Village downtown. Dennis McDaniel of Weal Development wants to construct the building on a parking lot at South St. Marys and East Nueva streets, across from St. Johns Lutheran Church. Dubbed St. Johns Square, it will include 252 units, ground-floor retail space and a parking garage. After green-lighting early designs this spring, the citys Historic and Design Review Commission OKd a certificate of appropriateness for the project Wednesday, giving Weal Development the go-ahead to begin getting permits and start the construction process. The developer is teaming with the San Antonio Housing Authority on the project, and 54 units will be set aside for residents making 50 percent of the area median income, said Marivel Resendiz, a spokesperson for the agency. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox That figure stood at $24,850 for one person, $28,400 for a couple and $35,500 for a family of four in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The housing authoritys involvement means the project will be exempt from property taxes. The agencys board approved $50 million in tax-exempt bonds. It is also seeking housing tax credits valued at roughly $4.3 million for the project, Resendiz said. The city awarded Weal Development $3.2 million in incentives in 2017. The land is owned by St. Johns Lutheran Church and will be leased for the $65 million project, city documents indicate. The Crockett Hotel and the Joskes building inspired elements of the designs, said Mark Odom of Mark Odom Studio, the architecture firm handling the project. The retail space could easily fit a co-working space, restaurant, street-side cafe or a combination of many (options), he said. McDaniel, who also built the Steel House Lofts complex at 1401 S. Flores St., didnt respond to inquiries. The Conservation Society of San Antonio opposed the coloration of the projects facade and suggested using a palette more compatible with the surrounding area, Virginia Van Cleave told commissioners on behalf of the group. With their approval, commissioners added a stipulation that the architect return to city staff with a proposed range of colors for part of the building, including the metal panels. At Wednesdays meeting, they also gave the go-ahead to a developers plans to restore a historic building in the Lone Star area. On ExpressNews.com: A developer wants to build condos and townhomes in Tobin Hill, but some question affordability California-based Harris Bay is turning the Antiques Warehouse at 1405 S. Flores St. into lofts and retail space, and plans to renovate the building next to it as well. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Fest family operated the building at 1425 S. Flores St. as a store, boarding house, dance and meeting hall, offices, supermarket and department store, according to CREO, a local architecture firm handling the buildings rehabilitation. It was most recently used for apartments. The firms work will include restoring the structures storefronts and replacing doors and windows. At the Antiques Warehouse building, Harris Bay has added energy-efficient features and made other improvements while retaining historical aspects of the building, said managing partner Jake Harris. The lofts are expected to be finished in the next few months, depending on water main upgrades. The next phase is street-level retail, including small restaurants and a bar/coffee shop. The firm is in discussions with food truck operators and chefs who are considering testing out brick-and-mortar locations, Harris said. madison.iszler@express-news.net Kazakhstan has banned the exports of protective masks after their sales to neighboring China surged amid the coronavirus outbreak. Kazakhstan, which has a 1,800-kilometer-long border with China, has not reported any confirmed domestic cases of the virus, but has quarantined dozens of people for tests. "We would like to note that some producers and distributors have behaved unethically. They sold their stock to China," a Health ministry spokesman told the media on February 6. The government is also working on securing imports of masks to meet surging demand, he said. The virus has killed 563 people in mainland China, with more than 28,000 confirmed cases. Two people have also died outside mainland China, one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines. Based on reporting by Reuters Texas' two Republican senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, voted with a majority of their chamber to acquit President Donald Trump of two articles of impeachment on Wednesday. The final vote 52-to-48 to acquit after a Senate trial in which there was little question about the outcome from the start. U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, was the sole Republican to join all Democrats in voting in favor of convicting Trump. Both Texans, who were each prominent lawyers before joining the Senate, served as jurors in a process with little past precedent to follow, and cloaked themselves with inscrutability as they listened to legal arguments over the president's fate. But outside the chamber, they deployed their training to defend the president to the public and left little doubt where they stood on the matter. House Democrats charged Trump in December with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The first charge was rooted in a series of testimony over the fall that alleged the president pressured Ukrainian leadership to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, in exchange for U.S. military aid that Congress had previously appropriated. The second charge came about as the White House refused to allow a number of presidential advisers to testify before the House. Rather than litigate for months if not years over the enforcement of subpoenas, the House moved forward and sent the impeachment articles to the Senate in mid-January for trial. Cornyn and Cruz similarly voted with nearly all of their GOP conference to oppose testimony from new witnesses before the Senate. And in the process, they served as fierce defenders of the president and his actions. For Cornyn, the impeachment trial came as he gears up for his fourth U.S. Senate campaign. But it also served as a reminder for how closely he is aligned with Senate leadership. Once the second-ranking Republican senator, internal term limit rules forced Cornyn to step down from that post last year. But even without the title, there is little question over his proximity to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. And Cornyn emerged over the last month as the leading spokesman for the party in interviews with reporters, on social media and in television appearances. His commentary was pointed. He frequently defended Republican positions on rules and taunted Democrats mostly U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the senators running for president who were forced to stay in Washington amid the lead-up to the Iowa Democratic caucuses. Cruz, once the bombastic black sheep within the Senate Republican conference, has spent the last year or so as a quieter presence around the halls of the Capitol. Chastened from a second-place finish to Trump in the 2016 GOP nomination fight and a shocking near-loss to former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, Cruz kept a lower profile of late at the U.S. Capitol. But impeachment brought out the old Cruz. The intellectual swagger, the frequent trips to microphones to speak to reporters and, surprisingly, as the host of the top podcast in the country a daily podcast on the proceedings that reached No. 1 on the iTunes charts. Democrats frequently underscored that the man Cruz so vigorously defended once insulted the appearance of Cruz's wife and falsely accused his father of participating in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, was the Democrat with the most up-close view of how the state's two senators handled themselves over the process. Day in, day out for nearly three weeks, she sat at the front of the chamber in her capacity as a House impeachment manager. Effectively a Trump prosecutor, it was her role to appeal to a chamber of Senate-jurors, including her home state senators. Inside the room, both men were subdued. Cruz frequently scribbled on a legal pad and listened while leaning back in his desk chair toward the rear of the room. Cornyn sat close to the front in a nod to his seniority. He listened closely, often with a furrowed brow. "I do try to make eye contact," Garcia told reporters last week. "But frankly, they're very hard to read." Garcia, a former municipal court judge, noted Cornyn's past on the bench and described him as wearing a poker face that was the "same sort of demeanor and posture when he's listening as I do." She found Cruz even more inscrutable. "They both seem to be listening," she added. "I've not seen them take a lot of notes. I'm hopeful that we can persuade one of them, but it's doubtful." The state Democratic Party seized on the vote, with Cornyns reelection in mind. Throughout this entire impeachment process, complicit John Cornyn showed his true colors, said Texas Democratic Party spokesman Abhi Raman. Every opportunity he's had to do his job and stand up for Texans and our Constitution, he's instead stood for McConnell and Trump. Texans see right through John Cornyn and ready to send him home in November." The senators' votes to acquit could prove to be among the most notable votes of their careers. Or, like every other extraordinary development of the Trump era, who did what during impeachment could fade into the background as the next drama takes hold. Cruz will not face voters for another five years. Cornyn, however, is on the ballot in November. Most political handicappers project that he is a safe bet for reelection. But on the heels of Cruz's close finish in 2018 and the overall political turbulence in the ether, even Cornyn cranked the alarm last year to his fellow Texas Republicans. It's an open debate among political operatives over whether impeachment will be a top issue in November. At one point during a debate over rules, Cornyn urged his followers and Senate colleagues to litigate Trump's removal in November rather than throw him out of office now. "Save the rest for 2020 election," he wrote. Headlining the changes to the 2020 Civic Type R are numerous improvements to its world-beating driving dynamics. New two-piece brake rotors and brake pads are designed to reduce fade and improve high-speed braking efficiency, while suspension revisions for 2020 include updated dampers for improved ride comfort, stiffer rear bushings for better grip, and revisions to the front suspension and steering for even better steering feel. Additionally, the grille has been redesigned to allow better engine cooling under high demand. Inside, the 2020 Civic Type R will feature additional refinement that includes a new Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, and a new shifter with a restyled knob and shorter shift throws. Every 2020 Civic Type R will be equipped with the Honda Sensing suite of safety and driver-assistive technologies, making the Honda Sensing suite standard equipment on all Civic models and trims when the 2020 Type R it goes on sale. Under the hood, the 2020 Civic Type R draws power from a race-bred 2.0-liter direct-injected and turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with VTEC valvetrain putting out a peak 306 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque (both SAE net), with power to the front wheels delivered through a close-ratio 6-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential. As before, drivers can choose between three driving modes Comfort, Sport and +R that vary suspension firmness, steering and throttle response. New for 2020 is Active Sound Control, which modifies interior sound in concert with the chosen drive mode. The Type R's selectable drive modes and sophisticated design make it both a thrilling companion on a mountain road or a racetrack and a remarkably civilized daily driver with a degree of flexibility unmatched in its competitive set, especially at the price. Additional information about the 2020 Civic Type R, including pricing and all specifications, will be available later when it goes on sale later this winter. About Honda Honda offers a full line of reliable, fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive vehicles with advanced safety technologies sold through over 1,000 independent U.S. Honda dealers. The Honda lineup includes the Fit, Civic, Insight, Accord and Clarity series passenger cars, along with the HR-V, CR-V, Passport and Pilot sport utility vehicles, the Ridgeline pickup and the Odyssey minivan. Honda has been producing automobiles in America for more than 35 years and currently operates 19 major manufacturing facilities in North America. In 2019, more than 90 percent of all Honda brand vehicles sold in the U.S. were made in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts. For More Information Additional media information including detailed pricing features and high-resolution photography of all 2019 Honda models is available at hondanews.com. Consumer information is available at automobiles.honda.com. To join the Honda community on Facebook, visit facebook.com/honda. SOURCE American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Related Links http://www.honda.com FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: The Huawei logo is seen on a communications device in London, Britain LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump was "apoplectic" with Boris Johnson during a phone call to discuss the British prime minister's decision to allow Chinese firm Huawei a role in Britain's 5G mobile phone network, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. Citing unnamed officials in London and Washington, the FT said the president was livid during the exchange last week after Johnson's government said Huawei could have a limited role in building Britain's 5G mobile network, despite warnings from the Trump administration. The paper said one individual who was briefed on the contents of the call on Jan. 28 said Trump was apoplectic. It cited another who said the call was "very difficult" and Trump's tone had taken aback British officials. When asked about the FT report, Johnson's office said they had nothing to add to their statement released soon after the leaders' call to discuss the Huawei decision. "The prime minister underlined the importance of like-minded countries working together to diversify the market and break the dominance of a small number of companies," that statement said. There was no immediate comment from the White House. Washington argues Huawei is a security risk because it is an extension of the Chinese state and it helps Chinese intelligence to steal secrets - an accusation dismissed by the company. The United States has applied strong pressure on countries to exclude the company, the world's largest maker of telecoms equipment, from mobile networks. Britain said excluding Huawei altogether would have delayed 5G and cost consumers more. Trump has made no public comment about Britain's Huawei decision but U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo played down any rift when he visited London last week. Although Washington has long suggested it could limit intelligence sharing with countries that failed to exclude Huawei, Pompeo said the "Five Eyes" relationship was strong and would remain in place. Story continues The United States and Britain share intelligence through the "Five Eyes" group which also includes Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Johnson has also said the decision would not affect U.S.-UK relations and Pompeo spoke optimistically about the prospects of a post-Brexit trade deal between the two countries. (Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Andrew Heavens) In the case of President Trumps impeachment, the overwhelming majority of Republican senators calculated (correctly) that support for his removal might end their careers and thus preclude them from future public contribution. They calculated (correctly) that their votes would probably make no difference to the final outcome. They calculated (correctly) that a vindictive Trump would never forget their disloyalty and that a vindicated Trump (at least in his own eyes) would feel permission for retribution. And some GOP senators I communicated with were convinced that removing Trump under these circumstances would exacerbate Americas political and cultural rifts in potentially dangerous ways. Why not allow American voters to remove Trump (if that is their verdict) nine months from now, in a process that would have more evident legitimacy? The national death toll of Australia's 2019/2020 bushfire season was 33 as of Monday, March 2, with 25 confirmed deaths in New South Wales, three in South Australia and five in Victoria. OCTOBER New South Wales: Robert Lindsey, 77, and Gwen Hyde, 68, were found in their burned out Coongbar home near Casino on October 9th. NOVEMBER New South Wales: The body of 85-year-old George Nole was found in a burnt out car near his home in Wytaliba, near Glen Innes. Vivian Chaplain, a 69-year-old woman from Wytaliba, succumbed to her injuries in hospital after attempting in vain to save her home and animals from the blaze. The body of 63-year-old Julie Fletcher was pulled from a scorched building in Johns River, north of Taree. Barry Parsons, 58, was found in a shed at Willawarrin, near Kempsey. Chris Savva, 64, died after his 4WD overturned near burnt-out South Arm bridge, near Nambucca Heads. A 59-year-old man was founded sheltered in a Yarrowitch water tank on November 7. He died of injuries on December 29. Victoria: David Moresi, 69, died after being involved in a traffic incident while working at the at the Gelantipy fire in East Gippsland on November 30. DECEMBER New South Wales: Firefighters Andrew O'Dwyer, 36, and Geoffrey Keaton, 32, died on December 19 after a tree fell on their truck while they were travelling through Buxton, south of Sydney. Samuel McPaul, 28, was battling a blaze in Jingellic, in Green Valley, about 70km east of Albury on the border of NSW and Victoria, on December 30 when a 'fire tornado' caused his 10-tonne firetruck to roll. South Australia: The body of 69-year-old Ron Selth was found in his Charleston home, which was destroyed by the Cudlee Creek blaze on December 21. NEW YEAR'S EVE FIRES New South Wales: Dairy farmer Patrick Salway, 29, and his father Robert, 63, died trying to save their property in Cobargo, near Bega, on December 31. A 70-year-old man, named by local media as Laurie Andrew, was found dead outside a home at Yatte Yattah, west of Lake Conjola. The body of a 70-year-old man was found in a burnt vehicle on a road off the Princes Highway at Yatte Yattah on the morning of New Year's Day. The body of a 62-year-old man was found in a vehicle on Wandra Road at Sussex Inlet about 11.30am on New Year's Day. A body, believed to be a 56-year-old man, found outside a home at Coolagolite, east of Cobargo on New Year's Day. An off-duty RFS firefighter, believed to be 72-year-old Colin Burns, was found near a car in Belowra after the New Year's Eve fires swept through. Victoria: Beloved great-grandfather Mick Roberts, 67, from Buchan, in East Gippsland, was found dead at his home on the morning of New Year's Day. Fred Becker, 75, was the second person to die in Victoria. He suffered a heart attack while trying to defend his Maramingo Creek home. JANUARY New South Wales: David Harrison, a 47-year-old man from Canberra, suffered a heart attack defending his friend's home near Batlow on Saturday, January 4. A 71-year-old man was found on January 6. Police have been told the man was last sighted on December 31, 2019 and was moving equipment on his property in Nerrigundah. An 84-year-old man who stayed to defend his home in Cobargo, NSW, dies in hospital three weeks after fire hit. His pet dog Bella, who stayed by his side as fires raged, was also killed in the disaster. Three American firefighters are killed when Coulson Aviation C-130 Hercules water bomber Zeus crashed while fighting fires near Cooma on Thursday January 23. They have been named as Capt. Ian H. McBeth, 44, First Officer Paul Clyde Hudson and Flight Engineer Rick A. DeMorgan Jr, 43. On January 24, Michael Clark, 59, was found in a Bodalla home destroyed by bushfires near the NSW South Coast town of Moruya. Victoria: Forest Fire Management firefighter Mat Kavanagh, 43, was killed Friday January 3 when he was involved in a two-car crash on the Goulburn Valley Highway. Bill Slade, a 60-year-old father of two from Wonthaggi was fighting fires with Parks Victoria at Omeo when he died on January 11. He has been remembered as one of the longest serving, most experienced and fittest firefighters. South Australia: Well-known outback pilot Dick Lang, 78, and his 43-year-old son, Adelaide surgeon Clayton Lang, died in the Kangaroo Island bushfire after their car was trapped by flames. The Australian Federal Police have dropped its investigation into Angus Taylor over claims he used fake document in a political attack. The Energy Minister was accused of a doctoring a document to attack the travel expenses of Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore. The scandal sparked a New South Wales Police investigation before being referred to the AFP last month. However, an AFP spokesman said on Thursday it was halting its investigation as it was unlikely to result in 'sufficient evidence to substantiate a Commonwealth offence'. The Australian Federal Police has dropped its investigation into Angus Taylor (pictured) over claims he used fake document in a political attack 'The AFP assessment of this matter identified there is no evidence to indicate the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction was involved in falsifying information. 'The low level of harm and the apology made by the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction to the Lord Mayor of Sydney, along with the significant level of resources required to investigate were also factored into the decision not to pursue this matter. 'The AFP now considers this matter finalised.' Mr Taylor accused Cr Moore of driving up carbon emissions by spending more than $15million in council money on domestic and international travel, but the figures were found to be false. A council report from 2017-2018 showed international out-of-pocket travel costs such as meals and taxis were only $1,728, and domestic costs were $4,206. Mr Taylor admitted the travel figures he cited were wrong but insisted the council had different versions of its annual report online. Mr Taylor's office in November used a doctored document to attack the travel expenses of Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore The minister has since apologised to Cr Moore but has not explained where the numbers came from. The Department of Environment and Energy's original draft of the letter for Mr Taylor didn't include any mention of the council's travel figures. The false travel spend figures were added by the minister's office before being sent off. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Taylor's office for comment. The North Dakota Industrial Commission is often described as having a dual mandate, as both promoter and regulator of the states oil and gas industry. That description is inaccurate from a legal perspective. The NDIC is empowered by state law to regulate oil and gas activity, but it has no legal authority to promote the interests of the industry. As a practical matter, however, the NDIC often operates in precisely the opposite manner -- furthering the interests of the oil and gas industry while failing to exercise its legal authority as regulator. The misconception that the NDICs mandate includes the promotion of the oil and gas sector is based on a statute that declares a state policy to foster, to encourage, and to promote the development, production, and utilization of natural resources of oil and gas in the state in such a manner as will prevent waste That policy statement appears at the beginning of a lengthy statute detailing the regulatory authority of the NDIC. A policy statement is often included at the beginning of a statute to express the legislative intent behind the law. Many conclude that the NDIC has a dual role by focusing on the word promote, but that word is qualified by the key phrase in such a manner as will prevent waste. The Legislature essentially told the NDIC that one of the main goals of its regulatory authority is to promote responsible development to prevent the waste of the states oil and gas resources. The Legislature did not give the NDIC a general power to act as a cheerleader for the industry. Five years ago, the North Dakota Legislature considered and rejected a bill to replace the word promote with the word regulate. Why did some lawmakers feel the need to strip the NDIC of a general promotion mandate that it does not actually have under state law? Part of the reason is that even lawmakers have misinterpreted the statute by focusing only on the word promote. But the larger reason is that the NDIC often seems to be promoting the interests of the industry, for which it does not have a legal mandate, rather than preventing waste, which state law explicitly directs it to do. A clear example of this is the NDICs failure to prevent the flaring of natural gas. One of the statutory definitions of waste is the production of oil or gas in excess of transportation or marketing facilities. The wasteful flaring of billions of cubic tons of natural gas fits squarely within that definition. Oil and gas companies produce more natural gas than the transportation and processing infrastructure can handle, so they burn off excess gas at the wellhead. By doing so, they are wasting a finite resource, robbing mineral owners of royalty payments, depriving the state government of tax revenue and polluting the air. The Legislature gave the NDIC the statutory power to prevent this mindless and shortsighted squandering of natural gas. Yet, the NDIC has for years refused to exercise its legal authority in a meaningful way, acting as though it lacks the power to solve the problem. In reality, the NDIC is advancing the oil industrys desire for unfettered development instead of using its regulatory power to prevent waste and protect the interests of the state and its citizens. A misinterpretation of state law and the NDICs one-sided approach have created the erroneous assumption of a dual mandate. The NDIC should stop focusing on its fictional mandate as promoter of the oil and gas industry and do a better job with its actual legal mandate as regulator. Tory Jackson is an attorney and writer. His legal practice involves real estate and business matters, with a particular focus on historic rehabilitation projects. He holds degrees from Bismarck State College, the University of Virginia and Harvard Law School. He lives in Bismarck, where he was born and raised. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 16:57:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Medical care team members queue to board a plane setting off for central China's Hubei Province, in Nanchang, east China's Jiangxi Province, Feb. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Wan Xiang) The recent ups and downs -- results of short-term herd behavior -- will neither swing the Chinese economy's growth expectations nor reduce its resilience and potential in the long run. BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, capital markets in China and other countries have seen notable fluctuations. But there's no need to panic. For the Chinese economy, the impact of the disease is only temporary. The recent ups and downs -- results of short-term herd behavior -- will neither swing the Chinese economy's growth expectations nor reduce its resilience and potential in the long run. After experiencing an initial decline, the value of some relevant Chinese assets has rebounded; shares in Chinese companies listed in the U.S. stock markets have gone up; offshore and onshore RMB exchange rates have come back to the mark of 1 to 7 against the U.S. dollar; domestic shares have also begun to stabilize and post gains. These developments can be taken as a signal that the market has moved away from panic and has started to come to its senses. Overseas Chinese load medical supplies donated to China in a truck in Kiev, Ukraine, Feb. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Dongxu) Various international organizations have also voiced their confidence in China's ability to overcome the virus shock, as they believe that the long-term competitiveness, potential for expansion, and resilience of China's economy will not change, in spite of the epidemic challenge. The World Bank tweeted on Monday, "The Chinese authorities have policy space to respond & have announced a sizeable injection of liquidity, which should help mitigate the costs to economic growth." "We are confident that China's economy remains resilient," the International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a statement posted on both Twitter and Weibo. The Chinese economy is resilient, and will remain so because of a cluster of fiscal, monetary, and financial measures Beijing has taken. The central bank and several other departments have said that China will work to maintain reasonable and sufficient liquidity, while beefing up financial support for the anti-virus campaign. Another reason to believe in the strength of the Chinese economy is that the country has the largest middle-income group of populations in the world, a massive market and huge potential for demand. The epidemic may stem market demand, but only temporarily, with a bounce well anticipated afterwards. Workers make protective suits at the workshop of a company in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Feb. 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Lu Boan) The confidence in a resilient Chinese economy also comes from the country's role in global supply chains. China is the only country in the world to host all industrial categories of the United Nations industry classification system, with a notable edge in productivity and infrastructure. As China continues to reform, restructure its economy, and upgrade its industries, it has been climbing up the global industrial, supply, and value chains. The ongoing epidemic cannot change that. "China's long-term trends of moving toward a more consumption-oriented economy of rising services share in the overall economy and technological upgrade should continue as well," global financial services company UBS said in a research note on Monday. All in all, China's economic strength and material foundation have enabled the country to secure long-term economic development in the midst of the current public health emergency. With the raft of measures China has taken to fight off the disease, along with the efforts of the international community, the epidemic will ultimately be defeated and its impact minimized. [February 06, 2020] Google deepens investment in Canada, announces three new offices in Toronto, Montreal and Waterloo TORONTO, Feb. 6, 2020 /CNW/ - Ruth Porat, Senior Vice President and CFO at Google, is in Toronto today to announce the construction of three new Google offices in Canada along with significant funding for digital skills programming for Canadians. The news coincides with the launch of new research about Google's impact on the Canadian economy. Google's Growth in Canada Today, Google is pleased to announce the expansion of its presence in Canada with plans to build three new offices in Waterloo, Toronto and Montreal. By 2022, Google's Canadian offices will accommodate up to 5,000 employees. Google has a long history of investing north of the border. In 2001, Google opened its first Canadian office in Toronto with one employee. Nineteen years later, Google employs more than 1,500 people including engineers, game developers, sales leaders and AI researchers. Google's Economic Impact in Canada Google's investment in Canada extends beyond its growing offices. New data illustrates how Google is helping Canadian enterprises of all sizes unlock the prosperity of the internet. According to research released today from Public First, Google's search and advertising products helped generate an estimated $23 billion CAD in annual economic activity for more than 500,000 businesses in Canada last year alone - a total impact equivalent to approximately 1.1 percent of Canada's entire GDP. "The open web allows any size company or individual creator in Canada to become a global business and reach customers," says Ruth Porat, Senior Vice President and CFO at Google. "Canada's digital economy is now bigger than its forestry, mining and gas industries, and the transition to digital reflects incredible momentum for Canadian businesses leveraging data and online technologies." Investing in Canada's future workforce To help Canada's workforce leverage the opportunities presented by digital technologies, Google.org is also announcing today a $2.5 million grant for NPower Canada, a charitable organization that launches underserved youg adults into meaningful and sustainable careers. The grant will go towards scholarships for the IT Support Professional Certificate and the IT Automation with Python certificate, to equip Canadians with in-demand tech skills to land new jobs in Canada's booming digital economy. "We're investing directly in programs that support digital skills training for all Canadians," says Sabrina Geremia, VP of Google Canada. "We're excited to partner with NPower Canada, which has a strong track-record of supporting successful digital careers in IT, and meeting the ongoing demands of Canadian employers." Google for Startups Accelerator Launch As part of today's announcements, Google will also be launching the first Google for Startups Accelerator in Canada. The Accelerator will be based in Waterloo, and will be Google's 12th accelerator globally. Google has been working with Canadian founders and ecosystem partners to invest in their potential so more Canadian startups can grow, scale and reach global success. "Google is committed to helping the Canadian startup ecosystem thrive by investing in an Accelerator in Waterloo," says Steve Woods, Canada Engineering and Waterloo Site Lead. "As the Toronto-Waterloo corridor continues to be a global centre of tech talent and innovation, it's the perfect place for us to expand our footprint and help grow the next generation of founders in Canada." Attributable quotes Doug Ford, Ontario Premier "Google has a global reputation for advancing innovative technology and many people from Ontario have played a pivotal role in the company's ongoing success. By expanding their footprint in Ontario, Google will continue to tap into some of the best talent in the world in one of the most business friendly environments in the world. Ontario is open for business and open for jobs and we welcome investments like the one announced by Google today." John Tory, Toronto Mayor "Today's announcement by Google means more jobs and more investment in our city - this is good news for Toronto and Canada. We are the fastest growing city in North America with one of the fastest growing tech and innovation sectors. I am proud that Google recognizes the importance of continuing to grow its presence here and in nearby Waterloo. These investments will ensure Google continues to contribute to our ongoing success story." Tony LaMantia, President & CEO, Waterloo EDC "Google has carefully and steadily grown its mandate and presence in Waterloo to become a major, collaborative anchor company in our globally significant tech scene. More importantly, it has strengthened our ecosystem by becoming a magnet for great local and global talent. I congratulate Google for their Waterloo expansion and, along with my peers in Toronto and Montreal, commend their commitment to the Canadian tech scene with genuine enthusiasm." Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy and Innovation and Minister Responsible for the Lanaudiere Region "Economic development and growing wealth are among the Quebec government's priorities and these objectives will be achieved by strengthening innovation, boosting exports and increasing foreign investment in this province. The opening of this Google office in Montreal, which will have capacity to welcome up to 1,000 employees, is extremely heartening news. Earlier in December, Quebec Premier Francois Legault met with company executives at Google's headquarters in Mountain View to praise all that Quebec has to offer in terms of artificial intelligence and video gaming. Quebec is an innovative society in the midst of rapid technological boom and has, once again, been able to attract one of the biggest players in the world." Additional Resources Google Canada 2020 Economic Impact Report 2020 Economic Impact Report Google Canada Press site About the Economic Impact Report Google commissioned Public First to estimate the economic activity generated by Canadian businesses, content creators and developers that use Google services. Estimates of the economic activity are based on top-down and bottom-up approaches to provide a reasonable range of potential impact given publicly available data and Google's privacy policies. The estimates in the study are based on data for the twelve month period between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019, and are referred to as 2019 estimates. About Google Canada Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. As a global technology leader, Google's innovations in web search and advertising have made its website a top internet property and its brand one of the most recognized in the world. Google Canada has offices in Waterloo, Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa with over 1,500 Canadian Google employees working on teams across Engineering, AI Research, Sales and Marketing. SOURCE Google Canada [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Jesus often used stories to teach. In fact, he used them so much so that the disciples directly asked him, Why do you speak to the people in parables? (Matt. 13:10). CT has featured a wide variety of articles that examine and reflect upon the meaning of Jesus compelling and convicting stories. Here are some of our best articles on the parables of Jesus. Jesus Use of Parables In these articles, Virginia Stem Owens discusses Jesus intentional use of surprising teaching techniques, and William Childs Robinson explores how the parables weave together to point listeners and readers to Jesus himself. The Prodigal Son The story of the Prodigal Son is one of Jesus most well-known parables, and it has been discussed extensively in the pages of CT. It is the third in Jesus parable trilogy of lost things: a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. Here are some of our best offerings on the prodigal: our 1998 cover story about the pursuing father, Miroslav Volfs candid discussion of how the parable relates to forgiveness, and Carolyn Arendss brief reflection on the older brother. The Good Samaritan The Good Samaritan and its accompanying conversation about loving ones neighbor is central to our understanding of the gospel and Christian virtue. Here, L. Nelson Bell uses the Good Samaritan (as well as the parable of the sheep and the goats) to discuss how faith is evidenced in loving action. In addition, John Piper examines a common misunderstanding of Jesus listeners to explore a contemporary misunderstanding of this parable: an overemphasis on self-love. The Sheep and the Goats The parable of the sheep and the goats and Jesus teaching about treatment of the least of these is commonly referenced to discuss biblical justice and compassionate action. In this article, Andy Horvath asserts that many Christians today misunderstand the parables focus even as he affirms an emphasis on compassionate action in response to the gospel. The Parable of the Sower In the parable of the sower, Jesus uses various types of soil to illustrate the different ways people respond to the word of God. Here, Edith Schaeffer and L. Nelson Bell ruminate upon this parable, drawing out themes of evangelism, surrender, and discipleship. The Persistent Widow and the Importunate Friend Jesus told several parables related to prayer. In Luke 11, he described a person repeatedly seeking help from a friend; in Luke 18, he told the story of a determined widow dealing with an unjust judge. Here, Curtis C. Mitchell explores what both parables can teach us about cultivating persistence in prayer. The Pharisee and the Tax Collector In another of Jesus parables related to prayer, he describes a religious leader who looks down upon a tax collector praying nearby. Edith Schaeffer draws upon this parable (as well as Jesus teaching about a log in ones eye) to reflect on the danger of self-righteousness. In addition, Mark R. McMinn discusses this parable alongside the Prodigal Son to explore the depth of Gods grace. The Slavery Parable Jesus story about servants (or slaves) in Luke 17:710 is one of his lesser-known parables. Here, Alec Hill expounds upon the parable, detailing spiritual lessons hes gleaned from it about the nature of discipleship and obedience. Consider the Cost Parables Jesus told two stories in Luke 14 that illustrate the importance of considering the cost of discipleship. In this article, Andy Crouch meditates upon how these parables speak to and challenge American Christians. The King and the Wedding Banquet While many of Jesus parables powerfully depict Gods love, others may leave us scratching our heads. Here, Mark Galli comments upon one of Jesus more uncomfortable parables in which a king throws a man out of a banquet, exploring what the parable reveals about the kingdom of God. The Pearl of Great Price In response to a question about postmodernism, Allister McGrath draws upon Jesus parable of the pearl of great price to offer insights about evangelism. McGrath prompts readers to consider how highly we value the gospel. The Parable of the Talents Jesus story of servants who are given coins to steward on their masters behalf is often used to discuss topics like financial stewardship or how people use their abilities for Gods glory. In this article, David L. McKenna connects the parable to a broader discussion of faith and work. The Unforgiving Servant Many of Jesus parables and word pictures illustrate the challenge of forgiveness. In this piece, Beth Booram examines how Jesus parable of an unforgiving servant invites us into a deeper application of Christlike forgiveness. The Workers in the Vineyard Jesus story about vineyard workers likely strikes us (and his original hearers) as unfair. This reaction was part of Jesus point. Caleb Rosados 1995 article uses the parable as a framework to discuss a contemporary issue: affirmative action. In addition, Femi B. Adeleye connects the parable to the importance of a Christians embracing global view of Gods work and the church. By Trend The Cabinet of Ministers has explained the details of the Decision on Amendments to the Commodity Nomenclature of Foreign Economic Activity of Azerbaijan, Rates of Import Customs Duties and Rates of Export Customs Duties, Trend reports on Feb. 5 referring to the Cabinet of Ministers. The regular work is carried out and concrete steps are being taken in connection with the development and support of non-oil production, import substitution, improvement of the business environment, and attracting foreign investments into the country in accordance with the presidents instructions, said the report. A joint car production plant of Azermash OJSC and Iran Khodro OJSC (Khazar Automobile Plant of AzKron LLC) opened during the Azerbaijan-Iran Business Forum in the Neftchala Industrial Site with the participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in March 2018. At the next stage, it is planned to export the cars of this plant to the CIS, the Middle Eastern and African countries. As part of the abovementioned work, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted this resolution to increase the competitiveness of cars which are produced in the country. For this purpose, the resolution envisages exemption of car parts imported into the country for the complete car assembly process from duties. During the preparation of the draft, the Constitutional Law of Azerbaijan "On Normative Legal Acts", the Law of Azerbaijan "On Customs Tariffs", and the Decision of the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan on the approval of the "Commodity Nomenclature of Foreign Economic Activity of Azerbaijan, Rates of Import Customs Duties and Rates of Export Customs Duties" #500 dated November 17, 2017, as well as a number of other legislative acts were thoroughly analyzed. As expected, this resolution will have a great impact on increasing the competitiveness of cars, which are produced in the country, both in the local and foreign markets and will also create favorable conditions for the creation of new industrial enterprises in this country. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A 50-year old Dalit woman, who was set on fire by a neighbour after she resisted his move to enter her house here in Maharashtra, has died, a doctor said on Thursday. The woman, who suffered about 95 per cent burns in the incident that took place in Andhari village of Sillod tehsil on Sunday midnight, was undergoing treatment at a government medical college and hospital in Aurangabad city. "She died around 10 pm on Wednesday," the hospital's medical superintendent Suresh Harbade told PTI. The accused, Santosh Mohite (50), who knew the woman as he resided in her neighbourhood in Andhari village, was arrested on Tuesday, a police official said. As per the woman's statement given to police before death, she tried to push Mohite out of her house, but in vain. This led to a quarrel between them following which Mohite set her ablaze, Sillod (rural) police station's inspector Kiran Bidve said. "The victim and the accused knew each other and he used to come to her house. But, on Sunday when he came around midnight, the woman opposed it saying their meeting at that hour would defame her," he said. However, despite her opposition, Mohite entered her house and they had a fight, he said. "During the quarrel, Mohite poured kerosene kept nearby on the woman and set her afire," he added. The accused later locked the door from outside and ran away, the police said. On hearing the woman's screams, some of her relatives staying in the vicinity rushed to the place and took her to a local hospital, from where she was referred to the government hospital in Aurangabad city. The accused was earlier booked under IPC Sections 307 (attempt to murder), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 452 (house-trespass with preparation for causing hurt to any person) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), but will now also be charged under 302 (murder), Bidve said. He has also been charged under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the official said. Meanwhile, Lok Sabha member from Aurangabad Imtiaz Jaleel demanded that the case be tried in a fast-track court for ensuring justice to the victim and her family. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader said he has demanded in Parliament that hearing be conducted in fast-track court in this case and that of a woman set on fire in Wardha district. A 25-year-old lecturer was set ablaze by a stalker in Wardha on Monday, leaving her critically injured. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maniesh Paul has quite a zany sense of style, and knows how to turn heads, without going over the top bonkers. Almost always seen in some of the best and casually laidback street outfits, Maniesh Paul, has dropped some serious style goals for us from time to time. Viral Bhayani Having said that, sometimes some of his outfits are actually quite out there. One such ensemble came up when he was spotted in a yellow, very loosely fitting kurta at a recent event. Viral Bhayani Maniesh Paul is seen here wearing a rather bizarrely fitting kurta, with jeans and a quirky pair of sneakers. Viral Bhayani Now, wearing kurtas with denims is quite a common thing, and if you ask us, we think that such an ensemble is the quintessential, contemporary Indian streetwear. As a concept, the outfit is actually quite dope and something that is still extremely fashionable. Viral Bhayani With that being said, there are a few things that you need to pay attention to. First of all, the kurta that you get needs to be of a suitable length. Try to go for one that goes just below the knee, if you are going for a kurta. If you are going for a short one, ensure they just cover your crotch. Viral Bhayani As for the fit, they should be hugging your body. Loose fits, especially with kurtas have a very 2000s vibe and is something that you ought to avoid. Viral Bhayani As cool as Maniesh looks, the kurta is very ill-fitting. Just take a look at the sleeves and cuffs. They are hanging very bizarrely. With that being said, the rest of the outfit does manage to pull the ensemble together. Viral Bhayani For those who're interested, the sneakers that Maniesh is wearing are the Nike Air Jordan 1 'Fearless', which look rather dope, thanks to their patent leather finish. That and the contrasting laces actually look quite cool with the overall outfit. Nike All in all, this is actually a dope outfit. The only problem is the fit of the kurta. If only he had got them tailored before wearing... Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said India and the US are moving away from the traditional buyer-seller' arrangement in the defence sector, asserting that the relationship now could become the "biggest collaboration of this century". Speaking at an event at DefExpo-2020 here, Singh referred to an industrial security agreement signed during the "2+2 Dialogue" in December that allows the transfer of defence technology. "The Indo-US relationship will move towards the collaboration approach from the traditional 'buyer-seller'. I am confident this relationship will be more dynamic and vibrant in the future," the minister said. "The US is one of the largest defence exporters for India and the world. At the same time, the defence manufacturing sector in India is growing at a rapid pace, he said. In such a situation, our collaboration can prove to be the biggest collaboration of this century," he added. Assuring manufacturers that the government is reforming the defence sector, he urged them to take maximum advantage of this and invest in India. The five-day expo was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. It is being attended by 38 defence ministers and top executives of 172 foreign defence majors and 856 Indian companies. At another event, Rajnath Singh signalled India's readiness to significantly ramp up defence engagements with countries in Africa, a region where China has been aggressively expanding its military and economic clout. Addressing the India-Africa Defence Ministers' Conclave, he said India is geared up to provide offshore patrol vessels, fast interceptor boats, night vision goggles, unmanned aerial vehicles, Dornier aircraft, and arms and ammunition to African countries. Singh said India's development partnership with African nations will be guided by their priorities and capabilities. It will also focus on combating terrorism, extremism and keeping the cyberspace safe and secure, he said. It is for the first time that a conclave to explore defence cooperation with African nations has been organised as part of the DefExpo, India's biennial military exhibition. Twelve defence ministers from the African continent were among the participants. Singh also held talks with his Madagascar counterpart Lt Gen Rokotonirina Richard on a maritime security tie-up to increase India's defence presence in western Indian Ocean. He also addressed a seminar on UP's defence manufacturing corridor. The minister said Uttar Pradesh will play an important role in turning India into a five trillion dollar economy by 2024, a target mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. By 2030, India will be among the top three economies of the world. UP will have important role in it," he said. Visiting the UP pavilion, he said investment opportunities would increase in Uttar Pradesh with the establishment of a defence corridor. Chief Minister Adityanath too made a pitch for more investments. Adityanath said the state has already prepared its defence manufacturing policy and has a large land bank. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Minority in Parliament has hinted of plans to boycott all activities related to the approval of the agreements for the construction of the Pwalugu Multipurpose dam. The Minority MPs insist that the government must suspend the deal immediately. Addressing the press on Wednesday, the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu bemoaned what he calls the inflated and padded cost of the project. The caucus has been raising issues about the deal since Parliament returned from recess in January 2020. Haruna Iddrisu said, We are demanding that if this government believes in transparency, and value for money, they [should] make us know how the procurement process was undertaken. We are not against the people [beneficiary communities]. We are concerned about the cost of the irrigation and power facility, he said. He said the caucus is convinced that the contract sum the government is seeking approval for is highly inflated. Haruna Iddrisu insisted that [The current price is] three times [that of] Bui, three times best practices, three times the established figures globally, and it can only be four times padded with fraud, and we state as a Minority that we will not accept this. The Minority Leader then concluded that no one should expect that the Minority will be part of any process to give approval to this because it is a complete rip-off. About the dam 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, with an average yield of two tons per cage, making possible the continuous development of the country's aquaculture and fisheries sector. 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 says 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. citinewsroom Former Britannia chief executive Vinita Bali, 64, has been appointed as a director on the board of global IT major Cognizant, effective February 20. Image Source: IANS News Former Britannia chief executive Vinita Bali, 64, has been appointed as a director on the board of global IT major Cognizant, effective February 20. Image Source: IANS News Bengaluru, Feb 6 : Global IT major Cognizant appointed former Britannia Industries chief executive Vinita Bali as an independent director on its board from February 20, said the US-based software firm on Thursday. "We believe Vinita's experience at large companies, both India-based and multinational, will make a significant contribution to our board," said Cognizant chairman Michael Patsalos-Fox in a statement from New Jersey in the US. Bali, 64, was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Bengaluru-based Britannia Industries from 2005 to 2014. Before Britannia, Bali worked in senior general management, corporate strategy and marketing roles at The Coca Cola company and Cadbury Schweppes. Currently, she is also a board member of the New York Stock Exchange- listed Bunge, an agribusiness and food company, Smith & Nephew, a medical technology business and India-listed Syngene International and Crisil. Earlier, Bali served on the boards of several NYSE and India listed companies. Cognizant chief executive Brian Humphries said, "I also look forward to working closely with our newly appointed independent director, Bali, who brings to our board her extensive global strategic and operational leadership experience and deep India business expertise." Cognizant also said vice chairman Francisco D' Souza will leave the company's board on March 31. "Francisco D'Souza was elected to Cognizant's board of directors in January 2007 and has served as vice chairman since June 2018. He co-founded Cognizant in 1994 and served as the company's CEO from January 2007 through March 2019," said the company in a statement. D' Souza also served as the company's president from 2007 to 2012, handling various senior management positions, including the role of chief operating officer from 2003 to 2006. The citizens of Illinois deserve better from their legislators. Real reform has been ignored and brushed aside so that those in power can remain in power. Now, the people of Illinois are making their voices known on several extremely important issues: fair maps, property taxes, and ethics reform. These initial reforms will set a more stable path for greater transparency and a brighter future for all Illinoisans. Fair maps: I dont know a single person who believes that its good for politicians to pick their voters by drawing their own legislative districts. Districts should be decided through a process putting the power back in the hands of the people. There is no doubt that the speaker of the House or the president of the Senate personally benefit and can keep themselves in power by drawing the districts that will give them the most seats. Property taxes: Some members of the Illinois General Assembly, including our own speaker, have a vested interest in shaping property tax law. The majority party continues to talk about high property taxes. They have super-majorities in both the House and the Senate, yet they do nothing. They created a task force that has done nothing but delay real property tax reform. Right now, there is an opportunity for true bipartisanship which can help stem the tide of out migration from our state. We only ask that our proposals be given the consideration necessary to come to a bi-partisan agreement. Ethics reform: The House Republicans ethics reform package will put an end to Chicago-style politics. Last year, a Democratic senator was indicted, last week a Democratic senator plead guilty to bribery, and just this week a Democratic representative was arraigned in court. Democrats offices continue to be raided. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. It is time for all elected officials to come together and bring trust back to the General Assembly. We must start by holding ourselves accountable to a higher standard. Republicans have a great ethics reform package ready to go today. Why wait? Illinois is an amazing state, with so much to offer. We are the crossroads of America. In order to return to greatness, we need to institute fair maps, lower property taxes and pass meaningful ethics reform. This would be a huge first step to get Illinois back on track. C.D. Davidsmeyer, R-Jacksonville, is assistant Republican leader for the Illinois General Assembly. Optimarin breaks records in 2019 and positions for future growth Optimarin has announced that its final figures for 2019 show a record-breaking year for the ballast water treatment (BWT) specialist, with close to a doubling of revenues for system sales and servicing, healthy profits, and a significantly increased order intake. The Norwegian headquartered firm, which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, is now looking to continue the growth in 2020 ahead of what CEO Leiv Kallestad refers to as the imminent retrofit wave. After a solid 2018, Optimarin continued its upwards trajectory by recording revenues of around NOK 300million (USD 33million) with an EBITDA of approximately 10%. It has now sold close to 1000 of its market proven, USCG approved and simple to install UV-based systems. Dedicated growth In our view, nobody knows BWT like Optimarin and, in a market that needs tried and tested, compliant and reliable technology, that established expertise is operating as a real business driver, Kallestad comments. We understand the needs of our customers intimately and have built an organization that supports them every step of the way from initial enquiries, to system specification and installation, operation, and seamless after sales service and support. Over the past year weve strengthened our management and engineering functions to ensure were positioned to take advantage of the significant growth potential on the horizon, as well as catering for the needs of existing and new customers for the long-term. In addition, weve consolidated our fully redundant supply chain, allowing us to scale-up production and, when required, respond with fast track installations for customers where time is of the essence. He continues: This is a company that is dedicated to both BWT and outstanding customer service the market recognizes that commitment and, Im delighted to say, is responding very positively. Crunch time for decision makers Kallestad says that the second half of 2019 followed a similar pattern to the first six months, with increased business activity in key shipping areas including North West Europe, South East Asia and the Mediterranean, and recovery in segments such as offshore. He states that good progress was made in all target markets. As a result, the orderbook is stronger than ever before and, as Kallestad points out, sales will accelerate to new levels ahead of the imminent retrofit wave occasioned by the need for shipowners to be fully IMO and USCG compliant. 2020 will be a key time for decision makers within the industry, and that should lead to a boom for this specialist niche in the years to follow. Thats why weve invested in the infrastructure and dedicated individuals that will allow us to realize the opportunity on the horizon and supply the market with first class systems and support when they need it, where they need it, and how they need it. That will help us build trusted long-term relationships, delivering long-term value for all our company stakeholders. Leading the way Optimarin is currently working on system refinements that will benefit both new and existing customers. The modular Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) was the first system in the world to achieve full USCG approval (2016), while the firm was also the first BWT supplier to introduce a full five-year parts and service guarantee for fleet agreements in 2017. Current Optimarin customers include names such as Royal Caribbean International, Fednav, GulfMark, Hapag Lloyd, Matson Navigation, McDermott, the Danish Navy, MOL, Seatruck, Technip, and the Royal Netherlands Navy, amongst others. The Optimarin Ballast System (OBS) has certification from a comprehensive range of classification organizations, including ABS, BV, DNV-GL, LR & MLIT Japan. N eflix's latest true-crime docu-drama The Pharmacist features the story of the death of Danny Schneider. The young man was brutally murdered in a botched drug-deal to the disbelief of his parents. Danny's father - Daniel Sr - grew frustrated at the slow pace of the investigation by authorities and so the pharmacist decided to look into it himself. The death sparked an interest in the damage that drugs could do, and ended up with Daniel Sr uncovering how a doctor was selling prescriptions to hundreds of drug addicts for opioid painkillers. Daniel Schneider, a pharmacist from Louisiana, investigated the murder of his son Danny / Netflix The Schneider familys world was torn apart on April 14, 1999. Daniel Senior and his wife, Annie, were woken at 2am to the site of two police officers, who explained to them that their eldest child, 22-year-old Danny Junior, had been found dead. He had been shot in the head in a crack-cocaine deal gone wrong in a drug ravaged part of nearby New Orleans. The Schneiders were shocked and told the police they were wrong, and that their son was upstairs sleeping. They said he had been out studying with his friend the previous night and had returned later that evening. Sister Kristi, 18, went to her brothers room to check on her sleeping sibling and found the bed empty. The Schneiders were shocked - they had no idea "polite, gentle and compassionate" Danny had been taking drugs. But police said they found young man's crumpled body in his Ford pickup truck, with cash in his hand. Retrospectively the bereaved father - who was a pharmacist - recognised signs that his son may have been suffering with a substance problem. Falling grades in his last year of secondary school and a recent conversation about wanting to dissuade other youngsters from taking drugs sprung to his mind. Investigations from the New Orleans Police Department were slow moving and Daniel Sr became frustrated so took the murder investigation into his own hands. In a snitches-get-stitches atmosphere, witnesses were thin on the ground. Mr Schneider began phoning around the neighbourhood where his son was murdered and was met with phones being slammed down. But after hundreds of calls he chanced upon a woman who said she knew something. She told him that the son of a friend - a boy called Jeffrey Hall, 15 - was the killer. Daniel Sr had to talk his witness around to testifying while she received threats in the post and had her house vandalised. The woman and her four children were put in witness protection. Hall was arrested on May 14, 2000, admitted manslaughter and was sent to prison for 15 years. Following the jailing of his son's killer, Mr Schneider started investigating the opioid epidemic in New Orleans and uncovered a massive conspiracy. Top US officials raise alarm over China's economic domination of 5G networks originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The nation's top law enforcement officials convened at a Washington conference Thursday morning to raise alarm over the Chinese government's operations targeting the U.S., with Attorney General Bill Barr issuing a dire warning regarding China's recent moves to expand its 5G high-speed mobile infrastructure into networks around the world. "If China establishes full dominance over 5G, it will be able to dominate the opportunities arising from a stunning range of emerging technologies that would be dependent on and interwoven with the 5G platform," Barr said in remarks to the Center for Strategic and International Studies' China Initiative conference. "From a national security standpoint, if the industrial internet becomes dependent on 5G technology China would have the ability to shut countries off from technologies and equipment upon which their consumers and industries depend." PHOTO: Attorney General William Barr gives the keynote address to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, CSIS China Initiative Conference on Feb. 6, 2020, in Washington. (Cliff Owen/AP) In a wide-ranging speech that detailed various efforts by China to expand its influence and global economic power, Barr described the country as the United States' "top geopolitical adversary." He argued the need for American leadership in 5G is akin to the space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, noting that China already has already captured 40& of the global 5G infrastructure market. MORE: Critics call China's mandatory facial recognition tech in cellphones a 'wake up call' Last November, three of the largest mobile companies in China launched their lightning-fast 5G services in 50 of its cities, according to China's state-run news service Xinhua. "For the first time in history, the United States is not leading the next technological era," Barr said in response. MORE:US grants another extension for businesses relying on Huawei U.S. diplomats and national security officials have recently made appeals to countries like France and the U.K. to not use technology from the Chinese company Huawei in their core tech networks, such as 5G high speed internet. Story continues Barr noted that the U.S. currently does not have an alternative platform to offer countries, but singled out Nokia and Ericcson as potential options for telecommunications companies that the U.S. could partner with to make them "far more formidable" competitors than Huawei. PHOTO: FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies before the House Judiciary Committee at Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 5, 2020. (Tom Brenner/Reuters) The conference included a range of officials from the Justice Department and FBI, who warned American companies and universities to be wary of efforts by the Chinese government to expand its influence in the U.S. Just last week the DOJ filed charges against a Harvard University professor and two Chinese nationals for allegedly lying about their ties to China. The FBI has also arrested 19 people in China-tied cases since last October and, according to FBI Director Christopher Wray, the U.S. has more than 1,000 ongoing investigations related to China's attempt theft of U.S. technology. "This one to me really stands out as the greatest long term threat to our nation's information and intellectual property, and to our economic vitality," Wray said in his remarks at the conference. "This is a threat ... not just to our economic security but to our national security." MORE: China launches 5G networks in 50 cities While U.S. officials in the conference argued the current economic and counterintelligence threat posed by China potentially rivals that of the Soviet Union during the Cold War, Wray and others stressed that their conflict was not with the Chinese people or Chinese Americans, but the country's communist government. "The Chinese government is fighting a generational fight to surpass our country in economic and technological leadership," Wray said. "But not through legitimate innovation, not through fair and lawful competition and not by giving their citizens the freedom of thought and speech and creativity that we treasure here in the United States." He added, "Instead, they've shown that they're willing to steal their way up the economic ladder at our expense." A 46-year-old Thailand national was allegedly raped by two men here, following which they were arrested, police said on Thursday. (Representational Image) Kochi: A 46-year-old Thailand national was allegedly raped by two men here, following which they were arrested, police said on Thursday. The accused hailing from a north Kerala district have been arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged by the woman. Police said the accused-- Mohammed Insaf and his friend Ansaruddin from Kondotty in Malappuram district were arrested after recording the statement of the victim. The woman from Thailand had been a Facebook friend of Insaf for the last seven months after she enrolled her child in a school in Malappuram district. The woman who came from Bangkok recently to visit her child and was staying in a hotel here. When Insaf came to meet the woman, he was accompanied by his friend Ansaruddin and both allegedly raped the woman at the hotel room, police said. All formalities including medical examination of the woman were completed, police said. The accused will be produced before the court on Thursday, they added. When Osama bin Laden was killed under President Obama, all Democrats reveled and cheered the news about a terrorist who killed thousands of Americans. Obama also ordered the use of drones to kill terrorists wherever they were. Obama was also the president who refused to send help to Benghazi (along with Hillary Clinton) which allowed a terror group to kill Ambassador Stevens and burn down an American embassy. Sorry, liberals, it wasnt about a video. Iranian-sponsored terrorists throughout the Middle East and Gaza have always targeted Americans and Israelis. They chant Death to America, and Israel, also arming Hezbollah to fire rockets into Israel. Billions of our taxpayer dollars in cash was secretly sent to Iran by President Obama. This money has been spent by this regime to supply arms to proxy groups aligned with Iran. Killing General Soleimani, who killed and maimed hundreds of our soldiers and the most recent attack on our embassy, deserves none of our sympathy. Democrats and media criticism is getting old. President Trump wont send pallets of money, or bow down to terrorists. If you mess with America, you will suffer the consequences, just like Soleimani. Liberal hatred of President Trump ignores the fact that Soleimani has been waging war on America for years with Iranian weapons and followers. No other country in the Middle East has complained about Soleimanis death, only the Democrats in America. President Trump using our military might is the only way to respond. Peace through strength is this presidents motto. There will be no Benghazi on President Trumps watch. President Trump took an oath to protect Americans at home and abroad. President Obamas apology tour is over, there is a new sheriff in town. Liberal Hollywood should be thankful for someone who protects their self centered, spoiled life a life most Americans will never have. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Yulia Savitri and Ardila Syakriah (The Jakarta Post) Palembang/Jakarta Fri, February 7 2020 Keeping fit: Indonesians evacuated from Wuhan, China, exercise alongside military personnel at the Raden Sadjad Air Force Base in Ranai, Natuna, Riau Islands, on Thursday while in quarantine due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Health Ministry said the 238 Indonesians remained healthy. (Antara/M Risyal Hidayat) Indonesian students returning from China and Chinese Indonesians have had to suffer the effects of misinformation about the novel coronavirus outbreak, which has created a stigma against the two groups. Adam Amrismafasyah, a 19-year-old student at Jiangsu Normal University thought he would be able to rest easy once he arrived in his hometown in Muaraenim regency, South Sumatra, on Saturday. However, he was met with with suspicion and outright paranoia from locals who were not convinced that he was free of the deadly virus. 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 Being rich in Byron Bay isn't about being showy it's about the quality of your linen. And the brief at this seaside fine-diner, down to the Lucy Folk-designed trousers on the waitstaff, is pitch-perfect coastal ease in full louche effect. Like most luxurious items in the area (the mid-century mansions, the weekend-spins-only vintage Porsches, the $25 kombucha, Hollywood-actor-now-Byron-resident Chris Hemsworth's abs), it's all about the DNA. The creamy local burrata is ringed with a delicate zucchini, squash and mint salad. The property in which Raes is housed was owned until the very early '90s by local eccentric Ruth Harris. The sprawling rendered mansion, sitting just metres from Wategos Beach, was built in the 1960s, inspired by the work of Salvador Dali, and it's rumoured that Liberace once played the piano there. It doesn't really matter whether he did, or didn't. The story is the thing. Back in the late '80s, the restaurant La Belle Epoque sat under the house. It was, at the time, the only fine-dining for kilometres. Today, it's the Cellar Bar for the main dining room upstairs, now run by Jason Saxby, who was last seen at Sardinian fine-diner Pilu at Freshwater. It wasn't until Saxby came on board in 2019 that Raes felt like anything more than a luxurious beachside locale for resort-hoppers. Now, things have gotten serious. The Jeep brand is breaking new ground with the Gladiator Mojave, the first Jeep vehicle to carry the brand's newly minted Desert Rated badge. Jeep Desert Rated vehicles represent the ultimate in high-speed off-road capability and performance while traversing grueling desert and sand environments. "4x4 capability has always been the foremost pillar of the Jeep brand and the new Gladiator Mojave is a natural extension of our legendary Trail Rated 4x4 capability leadership," said Jim Morrison, Head of Jeep Brand FCA North America. "Jeep Gladiator is already the most capable midsize pickup on the planet and, with the addition of the new Mojave model, we are delivering our most passionate customers a new level of capability with the ability to master high-speed desert and sand terrains." Gladiator Mojave models will arrive in Jeep showrooms in the second quarter of 2020. Legendary Jeep 4x4 capability evolves to master rugged desert terrain Gladiator Mojave's ability to tackle rugged and punishing desert terrain is a natural evolution of the Jeep brand's nearly 80-year history of 4x4 capability leadership. Jeep Gladiator Mojave models represent the ultimate in high-speed off-road capability and performance in sand environments, courtesy of the brand's renowned 4x4 system with significant suspension upgrades and extensive testing over harsh sand and desert terrain for vehicle durability and protection. Gladiator Mojave models feature new, specially-tuned FOX 2.5-inch internal bypass shocks with external reservoirs, industry-exclusive FOX front hydraulic jounce bumpers, a reinforced frame, a one-inch front suspension lift with a silver front skid plate, stronger axles with cast-iron steering knuckles, aggressive front seats with integrated upper bolsters and standard 33-inch Falken Wildpeak All-terrain tires. All of these standard features enable the Gladiator Mojave to become the Jeep brand's first Desert Rated vehicle. The foundation: Jeep 4x4 capability The starting point for the Mojave edition's new level of capability is Gladiator's proven Command-Trac 4x4 system, which features a two-speed transfer case with a 2.72:1 low-range gear ratio, and heavy-duty third-generation Dana 44 front and rear axles with a 4.10:1 axle ratio and standard electronic-locking rear differential. The Jeep Command-Trac 4x4 system is used to provide higher 4LO (low range) operating speeds for climbing sand dunes and other challenging desert events. A best-in-class approach angle of 44.7 degrees, breakover angle of 20.9 degrees, departure angle of 25.5 degrees and a best-in-class ground clearance of 11.6 inches further enhances Gladiator Mojave's off-road credentials. Other Gladiator Mojave capability highlights include Jeep Performance Parts step sand slider side rails, a silver front skid plate for protection over rugged sand terrain, best-in-class articulation and up to 1,200 pounds of payload and up to 6,000 pounds of towing capacity. More durable suspension and high-performance shocks To earn the first-ever Desert Rated badge, Jeep engineers equipped Gladiator Mojave with specially-tuned high-performance FOX 2.5-inch internal bypass shocks to maximize handling, comfort and bottom-out resistance on high-speed sand runs. The FOX shocks contain internal passages that allow fluid to bypass the piston through regulated ports as it moves through the suspension travel. The result is a predictable ride over normal off-road driving conditions, with the ability to ramp up damping force in extreme use. Front and rear external shock reservoirs keep shock fluid cool, preventing shock fade during long runs through the hot desert at high speed. Military-grade suspension fluid maintains performance at extreme temperatures and is the same fluid used in off-road racing shocks. Industry-first FOX front hydraulic jounce bumpers act as a secondary pair of shocks, which provide additional damping force as the suspension reaches maximum compression, in order to soften impacts and prevent bottoming out in harsh off-road situations at speed. They combine race-proven technology with new, cutting-edge features to provide increased damping performance and bottom-out control in the last few inches of suspension travel. In summary, the FOX shocks and jounce bumpers provide drivers confidence and capability, including bottom-out control on harsh desert terrain at high speed, while delivering a comfortable ride over gravel washboards or broken pavement on the backroads. A half-inch increase in the Mojave's track provides additional stability and allows for packaging of the larger shocks. Jeep engineers also reinforced both the frame and axle to handle rough desert terrains at high speed. Jeep Gladiator Mojave features a one-inch front suspension lift for increased jounce travel, with a silver front skid plate and standard 33-inch Falken Wildpeak All-terrain tires or optional Falken Wildpeak Mud-terrain tires. These engineering enhancements to the Gladiator Mojave's suspension provide ride control and confidence on any high-speed sand or desert terrain, while an Off-Road Plus button allows drivers to take Gladiator to the next level of tractive capabilities. With a push of a button, drivers can adjust throttle, transmission shift points and traction control for peak performance on higher speed passes on sand terrain, as well as during low-speed rock crawling. The Off-Road Plus drive mode on Mojave will also feature, for the first time on Jeep, the ability for drivers to lock their rear axle at high speeds while in "4H" (this feature will debut later this year). Proven powertrain The Jeep Gladiator Mojave's 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine delivers 285 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque and features engine stop-start (ESS) as standard equipment. It is engineered to provide a broad torque band with a focus on low-end torque, an essential trait needed for extreme off-roading. A six-speed manual transmission is standard with the 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 and an eight-speed automatic transmission is optional. The 2020 Jeep Gladiator benefits from the popular V-6 engine's low-range torque, which is needed when out on the trails or during demanding conditions, such as hauling cargo or towing a trailer. With the standard six-speed manual transmission, Gladiator Mojave boasts an impressive crawl ratio of 57.3:1 and 52.6:1 on Mojave models equipped with the optional eight-speed automatic transmission both of which make cresting a dune or scaling any obstacle on the trail easy. Mojave inside and out Inside the cabin, Gladiator Mojave features more aggressive front seats with integrated upper bolsters to hold occupants comfortably in place. The upgraded seats are available in leather or cloth with orange accent stitching and embroidered Mojave logos. Mojave features two interior colors options Black and Steel Gray, as well as a competition-inspired leather-wrapped steering wheel with accent stitching that features an aggressive rim section for extra grip and ergonomic comfort. Featuring a one-inch front suspension lift that results in a more prominent appearance, Gladiator Mojave is adorned with a unique hood decal on its heavy-duty performance hood with center scoop, unique exterior badges, orange tow hooks, unique 17 x 7.5-inch wheels, with Jeep Performance Parts step sand slider side rails between those wheels. An available forward-facing off-road camera allows obstructions in the desert to be easily seen as well (previously a Gladiator Rubicon-exclusive option). Jeep Desert Rated The all-new Desert Rated badge is the first of its kind for Jeep and is a natural extension of the brand's legendary Trail Rated designation. Desert Rated vehicles represent the ultimate in Jeep vehicle's high-speed, off-road capability and performance in grueling desert and sand environments. Every Desert Rated 4x4 Jeep vehicle has been developed and has succeeded against a series of strenuous tests in five categories: Ride Control and Stability, Traction, Ground Clearance, Maneuverability and Desert Prowess. Ride Control and Stability : With a groundbreaking desert-tuned suspension, Gladiator Mojave tackles undulating desert terrain with uncompromising control and comfort : With a groundbreaking desert-tuned suspension, Gladiator Mojave tackles undulating desert terrain with uncompromising control and comfort Traction : By strategically managing and delivering power, Gladiator Mojave conquers unpredictable surfaces such as sand, gravel and loose dirt with confidence : By strategically managing and delivering power, Gladiator Mojave conquers unpredictable surfaces such as sand, gravel and loose dirt with confidence Ground Clearance : Maximized running clearances with an optimized suspension allow Gladiator Mojave to crest dunes, blast through whoops and anything else the desert can throw at it : Maximized running clearances with an optimized suspension allow Gladiator Mojave to crest dunes, blast through whoops and anything else the desert can throw at it Maneuverability : Nimble and responsive handling allows Gladiator Mojave to become an extension of the driver when swiftly navigating desert terrain and climbing extreme angles : Nimble and responsive handling allows Gladiator Mojave to become an extension of the driver when swiftly navigating desert terrain and climbing extreme angles Desert Prowess: Tested and proven to withstand the intense heat, coarse sand, loose gravel and intrusive dust that accompany unforgiving desert environments Jeep Brand Built on more than 75 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. The Jeep brand delivers an open invitation to live life to the fullest by offering a full line of vehicles that continue to provide owners with a sense of security to handle any journey with confidence. The Jeep vehicle lineup consists of the Cherokee, Compass, Gladiator, Grand Cherokee, Renegade and Wrangler. To meet consumer demand around the world, all Jeep models sold outside North America are available in both left- and right-hand drive configurations and with gasoline and diesel powertrain options. Jeep is part of the portfolio of brands offered by global automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. For more information regarding FCA (NYSE: FCAU/ MTA: FCA), please visit www.fcagroup.com. Follow Jeep and FCA news and video on: Company blog: http://blog.fcanorthamerica.com Media website: http://media.fcanorthamerica.com Jeep brand: www.jeep.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeep or https://www.facebook.com/FiatChrysler.NorthAmerica/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/jeep or www.instagram.com/FiatChrysler_NA Twitter: www.twitter.com/jeep or www.twitter.com/FiatChrysler_NA YouTube: www.youtube.com/thejeepchannel or www.youtube.com/fcanorthamerica SOURCE FCA Related Links http://www.fcagroup.com Both Articles 1 and 2 must fail. This entire campaign of impeachment that started from the very first day that the president was inaugurated was a partisan one, and it should never happen again. How many falsehoods can we take? When will it be one too many? What you decide on these articles will have lasting implications for the future of the presidency, not only for this president, but for all future presidents. The president did not condition security assistance or a meeting on anything during the July 25 call. As I stand here today delivering the Houses closing argument, President Trumps constitutional crimes, his crimes against the American people and the nation, remain in progress. Have the facts as presented to you, as a court, as the high court of impeachment, proven trustworthy? Has there been full and fair disclosure in the course of these proceedings? If we are to rely on the next election to judge the presidents efforts to cheat in that election, how can we know that the election will be free and fair? At the end of the day, this is an effort to overturn the results of one election, and to try to interfere in the coming election that begins today in Iowa. Senators, we are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. If Lincoln could speak these words during the Civil War, surely we can live them now, and overcome our divisions and our animosities. Even a single vote by a single member can change the course of history. It is said that a single man or woman of courage makes a majority. Is there one among you who will say enough? Rad Power Bikes, a Seattle-based ebike brand, closed $25m in funding. The round was led by Vulcan Capital and Durable Capital Partners LP. In conjunction with the funding, Stuart Nagae, Director at Vulcan Capital, will also join Rad Power Bikes board of directors. The funding will support new brick and mortar retail locations around the world, along with expansion of the companys mobile service and white glove delivery offerings. Founded in 2007 by Mike Radenbaugh, CEO, Rad Power Bikes is an electric bike brand with more than 100,000 owners across 30 countries and a full lineup of ebikes packed with power and utility for both personal and commercial use. The company designs all of its products in-house at its Seattle headquarters and operates international offices in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Utrecht, the Netherlands. Rad Power Bikes has 200 employees spread across offices in Seattle, Wash., Vancouver, British Columbia, and Utrecht, the Netherlands. FinSMEs 06/02/2020 Huawei sued Verizon in two Texas courts Wednesday alleging the US company used 12 Huawei patents without permission. Chinas biggest telecommunications equipment maker will square off in court against the United States largest wireless carrier over whether Verizon Communications Inc should pay Huawei Technologies Co Ltd for patent infringement. Late Wednesday, Huwaei sued Verizon in two US District courts in Texas, alleging the company used 12 Huawei patents without authorisation in areas such as download security, video communications and computer networking. The suit sought an unspecified amount of compensation and ongoing royalty payments. Verizon on Thursday called the lawsuits nothing more than a PR stunt and a sneak attack on our company and the entire tech ecosystem. Huawei said in a statement it is simply asking that Verizon respect Huaweis investment in research and development by either paying for the use of our patents, or refraining from using them in its products and services. Verizons statement said: Huaweis real target is not Verizon; it is any country or company that defies it. The action lacks merit, and we look forward to vigorously defending ourselves. Huawei alleged Verizon has profited greatly from its technology. It said the US companys wireline segment, which covers voice, data and video communications products, generated revenue of $29.8bn in 2018. Huawei and Verizon held six face-to-face meetings over the matter since February last year, according to the lawsuits. Huawei said it met with Verizon in New York on January 21 but there was no substantial progress and thus no licensing agreement was reached. Huawei said Verizon is providing access to infringing technologies and services that use Huawei patented technology, such as Cisco Integrated Service Routers, Aggregation Services Routers, Network Convergence Systems, Nexus Switches, Catalyst Switches, and Clouds Services Router 1000v series, which facilitate communications throughout Verizons networks. In June, Reuters reported Huawei told Verizon it should pay licensing fees for use of more than 230 Huawei patents and was seeking more than $1bn. The Chinese company decided to take action for 12 patents because it considered evidence clearest and that number was manageable for the litigation, a source told Reuters. Huawei in December also sued the US Federal Communications Commission after the FCC designated the company a security threat, which Huawei denies, and barred it from a government subsidy programme. Huawei has received more than $1.4bn in patent licence fees since 2015 and paid over $6bn for use of patented technology, the company said. At some travel firms, a new reception counter has been set up to receive clients who are cancelling tours and want a money refund. Thu Giang in Dong Da district in Hanoi booked a tour to Nha Trang City for her family members, worth VND50 million. However, she canceled the tour at the last minute because of the fear of the coronavirus. On pre-Tet days, many travel firms had to cancel all the tours to China. Since January 28, or the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Chinese travel firms have been canceling tours to Vietnam. At present, nearly all provinces/cities have stopped receiving Chinese travelers in an effort to control the epidemic. At some travel firms, a new reception counter has been set up to receive clients who are cancelling tours and want a money refund. Quang Ninh, Da Nang and Khanh Hoa, known as the major destinations for Chinese travelers, have become deserted. A senior executive of HanoiRedtours said the travel firm has canceled five tours to China, about 30-35 travelers for each. LienBang Travel has canceled 10 tours with the scheduled departure time in February and Chinese partners have done the same. Saigontourist decided not to organize tours to China for 500 travelers on Tet days. Vietravel also said it canceled tours to Vietnam for 60 groups of Chinese travelers (about 1,000 travelers). There will be no tour from China to Vietnam until the end of March. Du Lich Viet also reported that it has canceled the tours to China for 200 groups travelers this season. Meanwhile, a representative of Vietrantour said the company incurred the loss of VND5.6 billion as it has to cancel 20 tours. The days from Tet holiday to summer are the high season of receiving Chinese travelers. China brings the highest proportion of foreign travelers to Vietnam. Five million Chinese travelers came to Vietnam in 2019 out of total 18.5 million foreign travelers, according to director of Lua Viet Travel Nguyen Van My. Nguyen Van Tuan, general director of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration (VNAT), said Chinese and South Korean travelers account for nearly 56 percent of foreign travelers to Vietnam. On January 30, Vietrantour stated that it will refund 100 percent of money and exempt the tour cancelation fee applied for the tours to China. Pham Trung Luong, former deputy head of the Tourism Development Research Institute, said it is the right time for Vietnams travel firms to focus on attracting Chinese high-end travelers and exploit the West European and North American markets. Travel agencies discuss easing impact of coronavirus outbreak A teleconference was held in Hanoi on February 5 to discuss measures mitigating the impact of coronavirus outbreak on Vietnams tourism. Speaking at the event, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Tourism Association (VTA) and Chairman of the Vietnam Society of Travel Agents (VISTA) Vu The Binh affirmed that domestic travel agencies are determined to partner with the State in the fight against the epidemic. VISTA Vice Chairman Phung Quang Thang said economic losses caused by the outbreak have amounted to tens of trillion VND. Participants asked the VTA to seek the State support in overcoming current difficulties. In the near future, the two organisations will boost domestic tourism, especially in areas outside the epidemic zone. Training establishments and travel agencies will hold seminars on the 4.0 technology in tourism, its development trend and experiences on building community-based ecological tourism products. Binh pledged to collect feedbacks at the event to submit to the government and authorities to seek support. Thanh Lich Doctors, official agencies combat coronavirus fake news The HCM City Childrens Hospital No 1 has not admitted any patient with the coronavirus infection yet, the head of its infectious and neurological diseases department has said. A host of auto companies reported Q4 quarterly numbers this week. While General Motors surpassed earnings estimates, its top rival Ford missed the same. Both the U.S. auto giants reported lower year-over-year earnings. Meanwhile, EV pioneer Tesla signed a two-year deal with Chinas battery supplier CATL. Tesla seeks to diversify sources of battery supply as it gears for production ramp-up.Tesla currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. January turned out to be a decent month for U.S. auto sales, as year-over-year gains were recorded across the board by firms that unveiled monthly sales reports. Nonetheless, one will not be able to get a clear picture of how U.S. auto sales are progressing, as sector biggies like BMW, Volkswagen and Nissan will henceforth announce quarterly sales like Detroit 3 carmakers. Healthy demand for crossovers and light trucks aided January U.S. auto sales of various firms. For instance, January U.S. auto sales rose 5.2%, 17.8%, 8%, 5.1% and 22% at Volvo, Mazda, Kia, Hyundai and Mitsubishi, respectively. While U.S. auto sales of Japans top carmaker Toyota Motor TM recorded a 6.3% rise, that of its close rival Honda Motor HMC declined 4.1% year over year. (Read the Last Auto Stock Roundup here). Recap of the Weeks Most Important Stories 1. General Motors (GM) reported adjusted earnings of 5 cents per share in fourth-quarter 2019 against the Zacks Consensus Estimate of loss of 11 cents. However, the bottom line declined 96.5% from the year-ago figure amid the UAW strike. The U.S. auto biggie reported revenues of $30,826 million, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $35,249 million. Moreover, the top line decreased from the year-ago figure of $38,399 million. The company recorded negative adjusted automotive free cash flow (FCF) of $1.3 billion in fourth-quarter 2019, comparing unfavorably with FCF of $4.2 billion in the prior-year period. Labor strike took a heavy toll on free cash flow during the quarter. The firm forecasts 2020 adjusted EPS between $5.75 and $6.25 per share. (Read more: General Motors Q4 Earnings Top Estimates, Sales Lag) Story continues 2. Ford F reported fourth-quarter 2019 adjusted earnings per share of 12 cents, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 17 cents. In the prior-year quarter, adjusted earnings were 30 cents per share. Ford registered overall fourth-quarter 2019 revenues of $39.7 billion, down from the year-ago quarters $41.8 billion. In first-quarter 2020, the company anticipates adjusted EBIT to fall more than $1.1 billion from first-quarter 2019 due to higher warranty costs, lower vehicle volumes, unimpressive results from Ford Credit and increased investment in Mobility. For full-year 2020, the carmaker anticipates adjusted free cash flow within $2.4-$3.4 billion and adjusted EBIT between $5.6 billion and $6.6 billion. (Read more: Ford Q4 Earnings & Revenues Miss Estimates, Down Y/Y) 3. Tesla TSLA signed a battery-supply agreement with Chinas largest battery producer, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL). The company will determine the battery-purchase volume between July 2020 and June 2022, per its requirement. Tesla expects to deliver at least 500,000 vehicles, marking a year-over-year increase of 36% in 2020. Therefore, the company is working toward securing battery-production capacity from several suppliers, since this rise in deliveries will require more batteries. Tesla had also signed an agreement last August with South Koreas LG Chem Ltd. in order to source batteries for the Gigafactory 3 in China. Tesla will work with both CATL and LG Chem, in addition to its long-time partner Panasonic. (Read more: Tesla Signs Battery-Supply Agreement With China's CATL) 4. Cummins Inc. CMI reported earnings of $2.56 per share in fourth-quarter 2019, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.42. The bottom line, however, declined from earnings of $3.63 a share recorded in fourth-quarter 2018.Its revenues also declined 8.9% year over year to $5.57 billion in the reported quarter. Nonetheless, the top line beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.33 billion.For 2020, Cummins now projects revenue decline of 8-12%. The bleak guidance is attributed to lower truck production in North America, India, Brazil, China, India and Europe. Decline in demand in off-highway markets including construction and mining markets is likely to limit revenues. (Read more: Cummins Q4 Earnings & Sales Top Estimates, Down Y/Y) 5. OReilly Automotive Inc. ORLY reported earnings per share of $4.25 in fourth-quarter 2019, lagging the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny.Nonetheless, the bottomline was up 14.2% from $3.72 in the prior-year quarter. OReillys quarterly revenues came in at $2,482.9 million, topping the consensus mark of $2,473 million. Moreover, the top line was higher than the prior-year level of $2,314.9 million. The auto-parts retailers comparable store sales growth was 4.4% in the quarter ended Dec 31, 2019 compared with 3.3% rise in the comparable year-ago period. Bringing in pleasant news for shareholders, the auto-parts retailer approved additional buyback worth $1 billion, raising the aggregate authorization to $13.75 billion. For full-year 2020, OReilly expects revenues between $10.7 billion and $11 billion. (Read more: OReilly Misses Q4 Earnings Estimates, Boosts Buyback) Price Performance The following table shows the price movement of some of the major auto players over the past week and six-month period. While Tesla has gained the most in the past week, Ford has registered the maximum loss. Even in the past six months, Tesla has been the maximum gainer, while Ford has declined the most. Company Last Week Last 6 Months GM 5.1% -11.1% F -6% -12.8% TSLA 14.6% 214.7% TM 0.4% 10.5% HMC -0.4% 9.7% HOG 4% 5.9% AAP 1.3% -4.9% AZO -1.2% -0.2% Whats Next in the Auto Space? Investors are keenly awaiting quarterly results of a host of auto companies including BorgWarner, AutoNation and Lithia Motors that are scheduled to release next week. More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone! It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 27 billion devices in just 3 years, creating a $1.7 trillion market. Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 6 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2020. Click here for the 6 trades >> 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 Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) : Free Stock Analysis Report General Motors Company (GM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ford Motor Company (F) : Free Stock Analysis Report Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (HMC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Toyota Motor Corporation (TM) : Free Stock Analysis Report O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. (ORLY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Cummins Inc. (CMI) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. China reports 73 people died on Wednesday, the highest since the outbreak began late last year. The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China rose to 563 on Wednesday recording another record daily increase in fatalities as the government rushed to build new hospitals and other countries moved to evacuate citizens and warned against all travel to China. A total of 73 people died from the virus over the 24 hours to midnight, Chinas National Health Commission said on Thursday. Most of the deaths were in Hubei province but three were also recorded elsewhere in Tianjin and Heilongjiang in the northeast and Guizhou in the southwest. The virus has killed two people outside mainland China, one in Hong Kong and another in the Philippines. At least 25 countries have confirmed cases. The director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, asked for $675m to help countries address the expected spread of the virus. He acknowledged that the sum was a lot, but told a news briefing that its much less than the bill we will face if we do not invest in preparedness now. Tedros said that in the last 24 hours, the UN health agency has seen the biggest jump in cases since the start of the epidemic. According to the latest figures early on Thursday, the number of confirmed cases in China jumped by 3,694 to 28,018. Updates for February 6 have concluded. For February 7 updates clicke here: Thursday, February 6 Doctor who sounded alarm over outbreak dies of virus, report says Global Times, a tabloid run by the ruling Communist Partys official Peoples Daily, said Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at Wuhan Central Hospital and among the first doctors to reportedly warn about the coronavirus outbreak, died of the virus in Wuhan. Whuan Central Hospital Weibos page however has not confirmed the death yet. The hospitals last post on Weibo reported that the doctor was in critical condition. WHO expressed its condolences on Twitter, saying that everyone needs to celebrate the work he did on the virus. https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1225440373880782848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Britain says citizen infected with coronavirus outside China The third case testing positive to coronavirus in the UK was infected in an Asian country other than China, authorities said, telling doctors to be vigilant to those showing symptoms from a wider range of countries. Because of that, it is probably now prudent to slightly widen the geographical area where doctors in the UK and NHS know they should test people if they come with the right symptoms, said Englands Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty. He did not name the country from where the patient had returned. He said a wider list of countries would be released shortly from which people who developed symptoms should self-isolate if they showed any of the coronavirus symptoms. WHO says too early to say coronavirus peaking in China The health agency said it was too early to say that Chinas coronavirus outbreak was peaking, but noted that Wednesday was the first day that the overall number of new cases in the Asian country had dropped. WHO official Mike Ryan said there had been a constant increase in cases in Hubei province but that that increase had not been seen in other regions. Executive Director of the World Health Organizations (WHO) emergencies program Mike Ryan speaks at a news conference on the novel coronavirus in Geneva [Denis Balibouse/Reuters] New case in Germany brings number of infected to 13 Germany confirmed its 13th case, with all the cases centred on people working for the same company, auto parts supplier Webasto, whose headquarters outside of Munich was visited by a Chinese trainer. The new confirmed case is the wife of an employee who was previously diagnosed with the virus. Among those infected there are two children of the company employees. Panic isnt going to solve this problem. We spoke to a doctor who put the #coronavirus outbreak into perspective for us. Follow the latest: https://t.co/qQzcgi8x4K pic.twitter.com/upr5dpozCr Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) February 6, 2020 Confused about the coronavirus? As overnments and scientists wor on containing the spreading of coronavirus, misinformation is causing confusion and fear. Start Here answers all your questions about what this virus is, how it infects people, and how you can keep yourself safe. Watch the episode here. US expects China to maintain trade commitments Washington expects Beijing to maintain its commitment to increase purchases of US goods and services by at least $200bn over the next two years, despite the coronavirus outbreak, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. China made the commitment to buy US goods as part of a Phase 1 trade deal with the US. Based on current information, I dont expect there will be any issues in them fulfilling their commitments, Mnuchin said in an interview with Fox Business Network. Total rejects force majeure notice from Chinese buyer A Total executive said the French energy giant rejected a force majeure notice from a buyer of liquefied natural gas in China/ Some Chinese customers, at least one, is trying to use the coronavirus to say I have force majeure, said Philippe Sauquet, head of Totals gas, renewables and power division, said as the company presented its annual results. Sauquet referred to a clause that is included in contracts to remove liability for unforeseeable circumstances that prevent someone to fulfill a contract. UK confirms third case of coronavirus A third person in the United Kingdom tested positive for coronavirus, according to health officials. We are now working quickly to identify any contacts the patient has had, Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said. The patient is being transferred to a specialist health service centre. The first two people in the UK to be diagnosed with the virus were being treated at a hospital in Newcastle. Vietnam confirms number of coronavirus rises to 12 Vietnam has confirmed two new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total to 12. Both the new cases are Vietnamese nationals from the northern province of Vinh Phuc and had close contact with previously detected patients, the health ministry said in a statement. Stop the hype over Taiwan, China tells US China angrily accused the US and allied countries of hyping the exclusion of the Taiwan authorities from WHO meetings on the coronavirus emergency. Stop hyping-up about the so-called Taiwan issue. Dont waste our time, Chinas delegate told the health agencys executive board. Taiwan is not a WHO member because China, which views the island as a wayward Chinese province and not a country, says it adequately represents it in the organisation. UK over-reacted to coronavirus outbreak: Chinese ambassador Britains advice to its nationals to leave China because of the coronavirus outbreak in Hubei province was an over-reaction, the Chinese ambassador to London said. Asked during a news conference if the Chinese authorities had been consulted about the advice, Liu Xiaoming said: We did tell them over-reaction is not helpful. We asked them to take the advice of the WHO to make a reasonable response. Do not over-react. Chinese city accused of stealing virus masks from hard-hit neighbour A Chinese city with only eight confirmed cases of a new coronavirus has been accused of intercepting a shipment of surgical masks bound for a municipality with 400 cases, prompting outrage on social media. The government of Dali city, in the southwestern province of Yunnan, was accused this week of making an emergency requisition of a shipment of masks bound for the hard-hit municipality of Chongqing, state media reported. People in Hong Kong also cleared supermarkets of toilet rolls and queued for hours to buy face masks. [File: Anthony Wallace/AFP] Tokyo 2020 Olympics organisers set up task force to counter coronavirus Tokyo Olympics organisers have set up a task force to coordinate with public health authorities on how to respond to the growing coronavirus epidemic. Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto said at a press briefing that he chaired the newly created Novel Coronavirus Countermeasures Task Force, which held its first meeting on February 4. A second briefing would be held as early as tomorrow, he said. Virgin Atlantic extends suspension of London-Shanghai flights until March 28 Virgin Atlantic airlines extended its suspension of daily operations to Shanghai until March 28 due to the outbreak of coronavirus and increased travel restrictions to mainland China. Given this new FCO advice, the increasing entry restrictions on recent visitors to mainland China, and our rigorous focus on safety, Virgin Atlantic has opted to extend the suspension of Heathrow-Shanghai operations until March 28, the UK-based airline said in a statement. Virgin had previously suspended the flights from London Heathrow to Shanghai for two weeks from February 2. New coronavirus incident in Malaysia first known person to person case in country The sister of a 41-year-old Malaysian man who attended a meeting in Singapore last month has tested positive for the new coronavirus, the first known person-to-person transmission in the country, authorities in Malaysia said. The 40-year-old Malaysian woman had direct contact with the man, who had returned to his hometown for the Chinese New Year holidays on Jan. 23, Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said in a statement. Others in the mans family have tested negative for the coronavirus. We are calling this the first Malaysian-transmitted local case, Dzulkefly said. China air force to appear at Singapore show despite virus Chinas air force will take part in the Singapore Airshow for the first time next week, organisers said, despite the city-state having banned travellers from China due to the coronavirus outbreak. An aerobatics team from the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force had been given permission to take part in Asias biggest air show, which opens Tuesday. The Ba Yi aerobatics team has taken proactive measures like health checks and temperature screenings to ensure that they are healthy before they fly into Singapore, organiser Experia Events said in a statement late Wednesday. Singapore last week barred passengers who had recently travelled to mainland China from landing or transitting through the city in a bid to contain the virus that has killed hundreds and infected tens of thousands. China may delay annual meeting of parliament due to virus outbreak Reuters China is considering delaying the annual meeting of its top legislative body, five people familiar with the matter told Reuters, as it grapples with the coronavirus epidemic. The National Peoples Congress (NPC), made up of about 3,000 delegates, typically gathers for a session lasting at least 10 days in Beijing, beginning on March 5, to pass legislation and unveil key economic targets for the year. A postponement would be the first since China adopted the current March schedule in 1995. The focus remains on taking steps forward towards meeting on schedule, but we are discussing a range of options as the (virus) situation doesnt look likely to be contained by March, a senior government official told Reuters, declining to be identified given the sensitivity of the matter. A delay is one of those options, the official said. It should come as no surprise given that we are in a very difficult time. The ultrastructural morphology exhibited by the coronavirus that is officially known as 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) [Alissa Eckert, MS, Dan Higgins, MAM/CDC/Handout via Reuters] Chinas State Council Information Office and the NPC media centre did not immediately respond to faxed requests for comment. Emergency lab opens in Wuhan to test 10,000 samples a day A 2,000-square-metre emergency test laboratory has opened in Wuhan to accelerate the testing of samples and allow cases of suspected infection to be eliminated or confirmed more quickly. The Huo-Yan or Fire Eye Laboratory is operated by BGI and designed to handle 10,000 samples a day, the company said in a statement. The lab was established by BGI with a number of partners including the Wuhan Municipal Government. WHO investigates Singapore conference linked to virus spread The WHO has begun investigating a meeting in Singapore of more than 100 international staff from a multinational company after three employees contracted the coronavirus. Malaysia and South Korea have confirmed three cases of the virus related to the mid-January meeting held at the Grand Hyatt hotel. Singapore said late on Wednesday four other attendees were showing symptoms. Authorities have not revealed the name of the company that held the meeting or said what business it is involved in. WHO is coordinating with relevant ministries of health in relation to it, Olivia Lawe-Davies, a spokeswoman for the WHO, said in response to questions from Reuters. As countries are stepping up surveillance, the detection of more cases of local transmission can be expected. Taiwan bans all international cruise ships The government of Taiwan said it was banning all international cruise ships from docking on the island effective from Thursday. It earlier turned away the World Dream liner that is now docked in Hong Kong. Three passengers on board have shown symptoms of coronavirus. The 151,000-tonne World Dream cruise liner docked in Hong Kong after it was denied port call in Taiwan [Jerome Favre/EPA] Korean Air flight diverted to Los Angeles for virus screening A Korean Air flight headed to Las Vegas from the South Korean capital, was diverted to Los Angeles on Wednesday over concerns that some of the passengers might have been exposed to a new virus, the airline said. The flight was diverted after it was determined that the three passengers had been in China within 14 days of their departure from Incheon International Airport in Seoul. The three passengers, all US passport holders, were allowed back on the flight after showing no symptoms during a screening at Los Angeles International Airport, the airline said in statement. Officials didnt say if the three had been to Wuhan Chinas Nanchang city to limit access to villages, compounds to prevent virus spread The Chinese city of Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi province, which neighbours Hubei, will strictly monitor the entry and exit of residents from villages and residential compounds as it steps up its efforts to control the spread of the coronavirus. The city, which has a population of 5 million people, said on its official Weibo social media account that each family should assign one member to go out once every two days, and that people running fevers must go to a medical facility. Jiangxi province is separated from Hubei by the Yangtze river 10 more on cruise ship in Japan test positive for coronavirus NHK Ten more people on a cruise ship in the port of Yokohama, south of Tokyo, have tested positive for the coronavirus, NHK said on Thursday, citing the health ministry. Thousands of people are quarantined on the Diamond Princess as the authorities test for the coronavirus [Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters] About 3,700 people are facing at least two weeks quarantined on the cruise ship. Al Jazeeras Fadi Salameh, who is in Yokohama, said the authorities would be delivering 7,000 masks to the ship. Experts are worried the virus could spread in such a congested and enclosed space, he said. They have also advised passengers not to leave their rooms. The ship was caught up in the outbreak after an 80-year-old Hong Kong man tested positive for the virus after disembarking from the ship late last month. Ten people were diagnosed with the virus on Wednesday. Hundreds of US evacuees from Wuhan placed under quarantine at military bases Another 350 Americans airlifted from Wuhan were placed under quarantine at two military bases in California on Wednesday, as the number of confirmed US cases of the disease rose to 12. The people on board two State Department-chartered cargo jets were met by officers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for immediate screening, and are to remain under mandatory quarantine for 14 days, the incubation period of the virus. The two planes arrived at Travis Air Force Base in northern California, where 178 passengers from one plane disembarked to begin two weeks of quarantine subject to round-the-clock health screening. The people brought out of Wuhan by the US are being confined to airforce bases in California for 14 days [Eric Gay/AP Photo] None of the group showed signs of disease, except for a small child who developed a fever during the flight and was taken to a nearby hospital with its mother for further testing and medical treatment in isolation, officials said. The other evacuees at Travis will be housed in a hotel on base. After refuelling, the second evacuation plane flew on to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, near San Diego, where about 170 passengers were placed under quarantine at two housing sites there. The US has now evacuated nearly 400 people from Wuhan. Read updates from Wednesday, February 5 here. Merck said that it will spin off its women's health, biosimilar drugs and older products into a separate publicly traded company as it tightens its focus on growth drivers, such as cancer drug Keytruda and vaccines. The new company's assets make up around 15 percent of Merck's total sales and about half of its drugs that treat people. A congressional hearing aimed at assessing the recent coronavirus outbreak, and the response to it was held on Feb. 5. Its the first hearing of its kind, as numbers affected by the virus continue to grow, mostly in China. The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation heard testimony from three health policy experts, including Jennifer Nuzzo, associate professor and senior scholar from Johns Hopkins University; Jennifer Bouey, a senior policy researcher at RAND Corporation; and Ron Klain, the former White House Ebola response coordinator. Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.), chairman of the subcommittee, said in his opening remarks that fighting the virus is a bipartisan initiative. As of Feb. 5, there have been 12 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, with the latest being reported in Wisconsin by state health officials. A lot of things in Washington, D.C., are partisan; this is not partisan. We as congress understand how rapidly this is moving, Bera said. We also understand that we want to make sure that the administration has all the tools and resources that they need right now. Also, on Feb. 5, federal officials announced that laboratories across the United States would receive coronavirus testing kits this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In her testimony, Nuzzo noted that the trajectory of this epidemic is hard to predict with certainty. Several major Chinese cities, including Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Zhengzhou, have recently announced new rules to enact partial lockdowns. Evidence is mounting each day that it may not be possible to contain this virus, she said. What this means is that if its not possible to completely stop disease transmission, we must plan for how we will mitigate the impacts of the virus as it spreads. Slow Chinese Response During the hearing, ranking member Ted Yoho (R-Fla.) dedicated a portion of his remarks to criticize the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) overall response to the virus. The CCP continues to endanger people throughout Asia by using the WHO to advance its political agenda through the exclusion of Taiwan, he said in his opening remarks. Officials in Taiwan say they are receiving little information from WHO. Yoho said the Chinese regime has failed to work collaboratively with other nations to fight the virus. Despite the severity and infectiousness of this virus, the Chinese government has so far refused to fully cooperate with the global community, he said. We hope this is something that does not become politicized. Yoho brought up how Chinese scientists were able to share the sequence of the strain with international partners. However, he noted that it only happened after the scientists bypassed government censors. So far, China has spurned the help of CDC and refused to provide biological samples to the United States, he said. The slow updates of information and assessments from China also do not help response efforts, Yoho said. The Chinese regime is tightening its grip on information about the coronavirus outbreak, as it seeks to control the narrative on the worsening epidemic that has seen daily surges in infection and death numbers. [It] not only hurts the credibility of China but also hinders our ability as an international community to prevent the further loss of life and spread of the disease, he said. Various courts across China have issued regulations or guidelines clamping down on spreading rumors about the illness. Meanwhile, two jets carrying about 350 Americans fleeing the virus zone in China arrived on Feb. 5 at an Air Force base in Northern California. Officials said 178 of them would be quarantined at a hotel on the base for 14 days while others will be quarantined at a Southern California military base. Epoch Times reporter Cathy He and The Associated Press contributed to this report. From The Epoch Times Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 23:59:22|Editor: Mu Xuequan Video Player Close HARARE, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean Health Minister Obadiah Moyo on Thursday hailed China for its rigorous efforts in fighting the novel coronavirus outbreak. He said Zimbabwe had full confidence in China's capacity to contain the virus. "We are very confident, and we are very pleased with the efforts that the Chinese government is making right now," Moyo said during a joint news conference with the Chinese embassy's charge d'affaires Zhao Baogang. Moyo said that China has made commendable strides in containing the virus, noting that its researchers are already working on producing a vaccine. In Zimbabwe, China has pledged to equip isolation units that have been set up at hospitals throughout the country to deal with any cases of the coronavirus, while joint Zimbabwean and Chinese medical teams have been created to respond to the virus. Rajya Sabha MPs, especially from the BJP and Trinamool Congress, on Thursday demanded the government take adequate steps to curb misuse of antibiotics. Raising health related issues during Zero Hour, Manas Rajan Bhumia (AITC) said there is misuse of antibiotics and microbiologicals in the country and the central government should conduct a survey to ascertain the situation. A recent study shows that India is the top victim of misuse of antibiotics and microbiologicals. The West Bengal government is already scrutinising the matter, he said. On the issue of arsenic content in water, Ahamed Hassan (AITC) called for a proper solution to address this problem and demanded adequate funds to undertake research in this area. Around nine districts are affected in West Bengal. Similarly in Bihar, ground water in 17 districts has arsenic content beyond the permissible limits, he said. Several states like West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar are suffering from this problem. The West Bengal government is trying its best to address the issue but this is a national problem, he added. Raising concern about quality of portable water, Vijay Pal Singh Tomar (BJP) urged the government to direct all bodies concerned to ensure monitoring of water treatment plants and ensure they run in full capacity. He said 80 per cent of the source of potable water is polluted including Yamuna and Ganga in Delhi-NCR region and causing various diseases like cancer and tuberculosis. Mahesh Poddar (BJP) expressed concern over rise in cancer cases in the country and urged the government to create more awareness in this regard. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta has declared a period of national mourning until a state funeral is held for former president Daniel arap Moi, who died on Tuesday at the age of 95. But what legacy did the man leave behind after leading Kenya for 24 years? Daniel Arap Moi, Kenya's second president since its independence, led the country from 1978 until 2002, leaving behind a nation that looks back at his time in power with mixed feelings. Stability vs. freedom His genuine concern, selflessness, loyalty and sincerity enable him to acquire staying power and attract the support of millions of patrons, said vice-president William Ruto on Monday, following news of Moi's death. Despite several constraints, president Moi's determination ensured that Kenya never stumbled or slipped into the precipices that engulfed so many other nations. Instead, he strengthened the post-independent Kenya, consolidated our sense of nationhood and expanded public services to reach all part of Kenya." At a time when many regional neigbhours were encountering instability, war, and genocide; Moi's Kenya remained stable, but it came at the expense of freedom. Those constraints Ruto refers to are the ones brought on by Moi following an attempted coup d'etat in 1981. A constitutional amendment in 1982 effectively made Kenya a one-state party, and any opposition to that was swiftly quelled. Abuse and massacre People are remembering those (crackdowns), but [with] mixed feelings, Martin Oloo tells RFI, a Nairobi-based historian and analyst. There is a sense that perhaps the way he ruled or the way he led at that time may have been fit within the context that Kenya needed a bit of a high hand for it be held together, he says. But that high hand came with a cost of human lives. According to a statement released by Amnesty International Kenya on Tuesday, Kenya under the 24-year-old presidency of Daniel arap Moi experienced some of the worst human rights abuses in its history. For example, on 10 February 1984, more than 5000 ethnic Somali's were killed by Kenya security forces under Moi, though official figures put it at only 57. Known as the Wagalla massacre, it was the government's attempts at the time to disarm ethnic Somali clans in the north-east of the country. The Garissa massacre on 11 November 1980 also targeted ethnic Somalis. A report issued by the Truth, Justice and Reconciliations Commission that assessed his rule notes that the government of Moi was responsible for numerous gross violations of human rights, including unlawful detentions, as well as systematic and widespread torture and ill-treatment of political opponents and human rights activists. A vision for Kenya? While many cannot forget the political style of Moi, many choose to focus on the benefits he brought to Kenya. As a young boy growing up in a small village, it was pure luck that his family helped him get to school, says Oloo. Soon after completing his education, he found work as a teacher. During that time, the area where he was teaching was looking for someone to represent them at the local level. Moi was thought to have just what it took to do that and he was encouraged to run. And from that point on, he just kept on rising explains Oloo. His rise to power included a vision for a stable and fairer Kenya. He really developed the education sector.he built model schools for girls and boys and he realy contributed ot that. Well ahead of his time, he's also responsible for taking on environmental and conservation projects. Many tend to favour his humble beginnings and development projects over his harsh ruling. And his ultimate gift to the country was his ability to keep the country united, as Moses Wetangula, a former minister and lawyer of those who attempted the coup d'etat against Moi, noted on Tuesday. During his stewardship, we all know the turbulence that the country went through. That the country held together is a credit we must not deny him. - Parliament has called for remarking of 2019 entrance examination scripts for Ghana School of Law - The directive from parliament follows a petition from students who wrote the last exams to the president and parliament - Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in Ghanas legislature has directed the body that supervises legal education in the country to remark the 2019 Law school entrance exams. A proposal from the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs has noted that based on the controversies that surround the 2019 Ghana School of Law entrance exams, the GLC must consider remarking all scripts. The suggestion from parliament follows a petition from students who wrote the last exams to the president and parliament. READ ALSO: Banking cleanup: AG drags Kwabena Duffuor, Johnson Asiama to court ....the Committee recommends to the GLC to commence the process of re-marking of the scripts, upon request and payment of reasonable fees. The Committee also stated in its report to the House that the Attorney General and Minister of Justice should also submit a new bill to the House to replace Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill, 2018. According to the Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, the new bill from the GLC should also address all the challenges facing Ghanas legal education system. ATTENTION: Read the best news on Ghana #1 news app. Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana Parliaments proposal follows the mass failure of candidates who sat for the 2019 entrance exam for admission to the Ghana School of Law. READ ALSO: Major Mahama was not only lynched; he was shot by two people - Investigator Out of the 1,820 students who sat for the exams, only 128 of them passed. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that an aspiring New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate, Albert Kan Dapaah Jnr, has described Ursula Owusu-Ekuful as the wrong candidate to contest the NDC in the 2020 parliamentary elections. According to the son of Ghanas National Security Minister, the NPPs parliamentarian for Ablekuma West must be changed. Ursula Owusu is not a marketable commodity in this constituency," he opined. President Akufo-Addo is a "wicked old man" - Angry protester fumes | #Yencomgh READ ALSO: President Donald Trump cleared in his impeachment trial; Senate acquits him 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 Angel investors funding high-risk startups might need to back more than 100 firms to strike it rich with a single bet, according to a top US practitioner of the craft. "Diversification is critical. Certainly the majority of investments fail entirely," John Harbison said ahead of his keynote speech today at the Halo Business Angel Network conference in Co Wicklow. Mr Harbison is chairman emeritus of Tech Coast Angels, the largest angel investment syndicate in the US. Since 1997, it has backed 420 fledgling firms - around 100 of which have folded without repaying a penny of that investment. But the rare winners deliver such oversized returns that a broad angel portfolio will produce profits exceeding equity investments, he said - if you can hold your nerve. "You have to be patient in this type of investing. These are illiquid investments. You have almost no opportunity to cash out until there is finally an exit event," he said, referring to an acquisition or IPO. "You also must have an awfully thick skin, because even the successful investments go through lots of life-threatening events." Of the 420 startups funded by his California syndicate, 180 have produced "an outcome" - 100 collapsed, 20 exited with only a partial return to investors, and 60 produced profits - while 240 others are still in the process of growing or failing. But three of the 420 punts have produced returns equivalent to 260 times, 235 times and 149 times the stake. "The bulk of profit comes from the few," said Mr Harbison, who made millions over the years from his investments in Apple in 1984 and Microsoft in 1986. He ultimately banked profits of up to 1,100 times his investment on Microsoft, and 450 times on Apple. His syndicate's recent top winner was a credit fintech firm called Green Dot that nearly folded - then struck a partnership with Walmart. Fifteen competitors had similar business ideas but folded. His personal best performer last year was Parcel Pending, an Irvine, California-based provider of courier drop boxes for apartments. Amazon's free provision of such boxes nearly killed the firm, he said, until Parcel Pending launched refrigerated drop boxes for perishable food deliveries. That put the small firm ahead of Amazon just long enough to be bought by a French firm, and earn Mr Harbison a 2,000pc return on his investment. Mr Harbison said his syndicate produces three annual funds that allow investors to buy units for $10,000 (9,000) each - and gain stakes in potentially 40 firms. He said angels should avoid rigid metrics for identifying the next big thing. For example, they should not stick to startups led by executives with previous CEO experience. "You would have missed out on Bill Gates at Microsoft, Steve Jobs at Apple, Mark Zuckerberg at Facebook and Jeff Bezos at Amazon - all guys who had never been CEOs before founding the four largest market-cap companies in the world." He said wealthy investors could draw comfort even from duds. "When firms become worthless, you can offset those losses against taxes," he said. "Every year, you get write-offs." Britain wants a Canada-style agreement with the European Union which includes goods and services, Britain's Europe minister Christopher Pincher has said. He also believes the agreement between the EU and Britain on Northern Ireland would hold firm through negotiations. "I think that this deal will stick and it will allow Northern Ireland to be more prosperous and successful," he said. Speaking in the Polish capital, Warsaw, Mr Pincher added: "We want a Canada-style agreement that incorporates goods and services and co- operation in other areas. "We accept that comes with consequences for both sides." The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the EU and Canada sets out the removal of tariffs on 99pc of all types of goods, some over a period of up to seven years. However, it limits volumes of some exports into the EU and Canadian financial firms need licences to operate in the bloc. Many Kiwis are going to be heading to the beach this Waitangi Day. Many will have thought far enough ahead and taken the following day off too, giving themselves a four day weekend. Surf Life Saving NZ wants people who do head to the beach to remember the charitys water safety messaging. While volunteer Surf Lifeguards will be on patrol at some beaches on Thursday and the weekend, in most places there wont be any patrols on Friday, so please be extra vigilant, Chief Executive Officer Paul Dalton says. Paul says swimmers should swim at a lifeguarded beach and between the flags wherever possible. He says people should keep an eye out for rip currents which often appear as calmer and safer areas with less wave action. They may appear as enticing areas to enter the water. However, regardless of how fast rip currents flow, they pose a risk to any swimmer who may quickly find themselves out of their depth and unable to touch the bottom. If you do get caught in a rip, remember the 3Rs Rip Survival Plan. RELAX & FLOAT. Stay calm, relax and float. The rip current will not pull you under the water and is just taking you for a ride offshore. Try to fight the urge to swim back to shore against the current; this will use up energy that you need to stay afloat before help arrives. RAISE YOUR HAND. Signal for help by calling out and raising your arm to attract attention from lifeguards, surfers or someone on the beach who can get help. RIDE THE RIP. Remain floating until the current weakens or stops and you can swim back to shore or help arrives. Many rips will circulate and bring you back into shallower waters closer to the shore where you may be able to stand. Paul says it is important that people look for, read and understand all safety signs that are at a beach. Be sure to ask our friendly lifeguards for advice because conditions can change regularly, he says. He says it is vital that people don't overestimate their ability, or that of their child, to cope in the conditions and that parents always keep a very close eye on young children in or near the water. Keep them within arms reach at all times. Paul says a key safety tip is to never swim or surf alone. Get a friend to swim with you. The same advice goes for rock fishing never go alone. Paul says rock fishers should never turn their back towards the sea and always wear a lifejacket A really simple piece of advice is, if youre in doubt stay out! If youre not sure of the conditions, sit on the beach and read a book, kick a ball around or build sandcastles with the kids. Its not worth risking your life. Paul says it is particularly important that people call 111 and ask for the Police if they see someone in trouble in the water and there are no lifeguards on duty. The Police have a direct line to us. Be sun smart slip, slop, slap and wrap. Protect your skin and eyes from the sun's damaging rays. Paul says above all, stay safe at the beach and have fun. We want everyone to get home safe whether its Waitangi Day at the beach or a long weekend at the beach. Health authorities in Karnataka have constituted a mobile team of doctors to monitor villages sharing a border with Kerala districts. Strong vigil is being maintained by the health authorities in Karnataka after three confirmed cases of Corona virus was detected in Kerala. Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja on Wednesday had informed that three positive cases of Corona virus were found in the state and other suspects were being monitored in isolation. The virus originated in Wuhan in December and has since then spread to various parts around the world. 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. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Could patients experience less pain and possibly have better recovery outcomes if their fears or emotional issues were addressed before surgery? Three researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, recently developed a predictive model to examine that question. Rebecca Koszalinski, assistant professor in the College of Nursing; Anahita Khojandi, assistant professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering in the Tickle College of Engineering; and Bruce Ramshaw, a physician and adjunct professor in the Haslam College of Business, examined data collected from 102 patients who underwent ventral hernia repair surgery. A ventral hernia is a bulge of tissue that pushes through a point of weakness in an abdominal wall muscle, requiring surgical correction. Approximately 350,000 ventral hernia procedures occur each year in the US and are associated with an estimated $3 billion in health care costs. The predictive model suggests that the emotional status of the patient prior to surgery--levels of depression, anxiety, grief, or anger--influence recovery outcomes. Patients may experience less pain if their fears or emotional issues are addressed before surgery. "If we begin prehabilitation, which includes a holistic assessment--not limited to physical and emotional condition--of the person prior to the intervention, then we may be able to affect outcomes," Koszalinski said. The researchers looked at historical patient data, including demographics and details from the surgical procedures, and examined patterns that led to complications following surgery. By associating the information collected before and during the patients' surgeries to their outcomes, the researchers developed a predictive model to identify future at-risk patients. The predictive model, generated by Python programming, could be used as a decision support tool, allowing practitioners and patients to more easily assess the risks involved in this type of surgery. Using predictive modeling to examine health data sets is one example of how artificial intelligence can transform modern health care. There is a lot of potential for developing decision support tools using data science and artificial intelligence. We hear about similar models in the news every day, focused on detecting tumors in chest X-rays, among other things. This is an example of how a tool can be used for shared decision-making and change how individuals interact with the health care system." Rebecca Koszalinski, assistant professor in the College of Nursing The study suggests using the model as a tool for physicians, nurse practitioners, and other clinicians to simulate various scenarios for different patients, examining how the risk factors change for patients. The model could assist in avoiding overtreatment. The predictive model could help direct efforts on patient education and quantify the impact lifestyle changes have on patients. "I focus on the person and how they may be better informed and empowered to share in decision-making," Koszalinski said. "The hope is that predictive modeling coupled by empowered patients and expert clinical professionals could result in optimal patient outcomes." ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland and Labrador, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fortis Inc. ("Fortis" or the "Corporation") (TSX/NYSE: FTS) will release its 2019 annual financial results on Thursday, February 13, 2020. A teleconference and webcast will be held the same day at 8:30 a.m. (Eastern). Barry Perry, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Jocelyn Perry, Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, will discuss the Corporation's 2019 annual financial results. Analysts, members of the media and other interested parties in North America are invited to participate by calling 877.223.4471. International participants may participate by calling 647.788.4922. Please dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. No pass code is required. A live and archived audio webcast of the teleconference will be available on the Corporation's website, www.fortisinc.com . A replay of the conference will be available two hours after the conclusion of the call until March 13, 2020. Please call 800.585.8367 or 416.621.4642 and enter pass code 3581627. About Fortis Fortis is a leader in the North American regulated electric and gas utility industry with 2018 revenue of C$8.4 billion and total assets of approximately C$53 billion as at September 30, 2019. The Corporation's 8,800 employees serve utility customers in five Canadian provinces, nine U.S. states and three Caribbean countries. Fortis shares are listed on the TSX and NYSE and trade under the symbol FTS. Additional information can be accessed at www.fortisinc.com, www.sedar.com , or www.sec.gov . A .pdf version of this press release is available at: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/f870d113-c35c-4c1d-936d-4ec4e3a4e412 For more information, please contact A new policy by Airbnb aimed at reducing the number of violent incidents at short-term rental properties listed on the site is garnering mixed reaction in Ottawa. On Wednesday, Airbnb announced it will begin testing new regulations across Canada this month that will ban local guests under the age of 25 from booking entire homes. Guests under 25 years old will still be able to book a private room within a host's primary residence, but won't be able to rent an "un-hosted home" within a certain geographical distance of where they're living, according to spokesperson Chris Lehane. The company hasn't specified what that distance would be. The announcement came just days after three people were killed and two injured in a shooting at an Airbnb condo in Toronto. In January, Manok Akol, 18, was killed and three others injured in a shooting at an Airbnb on Gilmour Street in Ottawa. There have been even deadlier incidents at Airbnb properties in the United States. Manyok Akol/YouTube Airbnb is also setting up a 24/7 helpline for neighbours to call if there's is a problem with one of its listings, and the company said it's donating $300,000 over three years to the advocacy group Doctors for Protection from Guns. Host applauds move Jeff Boyd, who rents out two units in Ottawa's Hintonburg neighbourhood through Airbnb, applauded the company's initiative. Jeff Boyd "Anything that cracks down on bad actors, we're in favour of always have been," he said. "The only major issue we've ever had with a party was with somebody under 25. It was unpleasant for us, for our guests, for our neighbours. We had to respond several times. Any mechanism that would have prevented that, we would have welcomed." But Jack Hanna, vice-president of the Centretown Citizens Community Association, doesn't believe the new policy goes nearly far enough. "Criminal activity is happening at Airbnbs, we know that, and that's not going to do anything about it," Hanna said. Story continues Instead, Hanna, whose association represents the area where January's shooting took place, believes authorities need to crack down on absentee landlords and Airbnb "ghost hotels." "The police in Toronto have said that the problem is that unlike a traditional hotel, an Airbnb has no desk staff, no security staff, no security cameras, they're inexpensive, so they're good places from which to ... anonymously conduct criminal activities." 'Too little, too late' For one neighbour of the Gilmour Street house where January's fatal shooting took place, Airbnb's efforts are too little, too late. "I'm still overreacting to every loud noise outside," Colin Gillespie said. "I've had three shooting incidents on my street in the last year and a half, and I don't remember shooting incidents on my street before that. So yeah, I'd call it a little too little, too late." The city has moved to restrict short-term rentals to principal residences or vacation properties. Hosts would also have to apply for a short-term rental permit that could be revoked due to bad behaviour by guests. Those changes, if granted final approval, won't take effect for about a year. Lithuanian English LITGRID AB, company code 302564383, registered office address A. Juozapaviciaus g. 13, Vilnius, Lithuania is publishing interim consolidated and the Company's unaudited results for the period ended 31st December 2019. Revenue earned by the Litgrid group in 2019 increased by 1.9 % compared to the year 2018 Revenue earned by the Litgrid group in 2019 amounted to EUR 194.3 million, a 1.9% increase compared to 2018. Revenue from electricity transmission increased by 4% up to EUR 69.3 million compared to 2018. Revenue from electricity transmission accounted for 36% of the Groups total revenue, althoughthe transmitted energy decreased by 2 percent up to 10 277 mln. kWh, compared to 2018. Income growth was driven by 6% higher average actual electricity transmission price. The biggest growth was recorded in revenue from system services it grew by 20% to EUR 70.7 million. The main growth driver was the tariff for system services which had been increased 16% by the National Energy Regulatory Council from 1 January 2019. The Groups operating expenses totalled EUR 191.6 million in 2019, 3.7% higher compared to 2018 (excluding the revaluation of the Companys tangible fixed assets in 2018), system service revenuie grew by 24% up to EUR 74.4 million. The EBITDA in 2019 amounted to EUR 23.7 million. Compared to 2018, the EBITDA decreased by EUR 8.7 million or 27%; the EBITDA margin decreased by 17% to 12.2%. The main reasons for the decrease of the Group's EBITDA are: returned to consumers EUR 3.9 million more of the previous years profits, which exceeds the level set by the Council, compared to the amount returned in 2018; EUR 2.9 million worse balance of system services revenue and costs; EUR 2.8 million lower revenue from connection of new producers and user equipment replacement. The Groups net cash flows from operating acivities in 2019 amounted to EUR 24.7 million, while payments for non-current tangible and intangible assets were EUR 42.7 million and EUR 14.9 million were received as subsidies. Congestion income for the financing of fixed assets investments amounted to EUR 27.3 million and EUR 3.8 million was used. The investments of transmission system operator Litgrid in 2019 (works performed and assets acquired irrespective of terms of payment) amounted to EUR 45.8 million, of which 67% were earmarked for the implementation of eletricity projects of strategic and high national importance, and 33% for the reconstruction and development of the electricity transmission grid. In November 2019 Litgrid finished reconstruction of Bitenai transformer substation. It is the first implemented project of the strategic projects list confirmed by the Government of Lithuania for the Synchronization with the European grid. In 2019 European Commission allocated the grant for financing Baltic States connection with the continental European network from CEF. EU will finance 75% of the first Synchronization stage. It is the largest amount dedicated for energy security projects. The total amount is EUR 432.5 million, EU part will constitute EUR 324 million. At the end of the year Polish and Lithuanian TSOs and INEA have signed a contract for financing Harmony Link, a subsea link. Financing will be used for selecting the route of the link, seabed survey, preparing technical specifications and territory planning works. Attached: Condensed Interim consolidated and the companys condensed financial statements as of 31 December 2019. The individual authorized by Litgrid AB to provide additional information: Jurga Eivaite Project manager LITGRID Communication Division Phone: +370 613 19977 e-mail: jurga.eivaite@litgrid.eu Attachment by Mathias Hariyadi President Widodo is opposed but the government has not yet decided. One major issue is fighters legal status. Once home, they are expected to undergo de-radicalisation. For one scholar, Extremism has already seeped deeply into some key institutions in society and the state. Jakarta (AsiaNews) The Indonesian government has not yet decided on the repatriation of some 600 Indonesians who joined the Islamic State (IS) group to fight in the Middle East. Religious Affairs Minister Fachrul Razi had made an announcement to that effect yesterday, but this has sparked an animated debate that has divided political leaders and public opinion. President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has expressed his opposition to the idea, as has Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs Mohammad Mahfud MD who told the press last night that the issue was still being discussed among top government officials. Two options are on the table, Mahfud explained, repatriating [Indonesian] foreign terrorist fighters or leaving them in the Middle East. At present, the government is working on a final draft of what to do vis-a-vis these two strategies. If the first one is accepted, repatriated jihadis would undergo de-radicalisation as set by the government and the National Counter Terrorism Agency (BNPT[*]). However, one of the thorniest aspects of the issue is fighters legal status. In principle, they have already lost their Indonesian citizenship as they publicly declared their political allegiance to IS, said Prof Hikmahanto Juwana, international law expert and professor at Universitas Indonesia (UI), who spoke to AsiaNews. Under Indonesian law, anyone who swears an oath of allegiance to a foreign country loses his or her Indonesian citizenship. The law, however, allows people to regain citizenship under special circumstances. Whatever the case, the government should carefully consider two important aspects before making any decision based on the law or humanitarian grounds. First of all, the government must figure out how far the jihadis have gone to adopt and implement ISs radical ideology. Secondly, would Indonesian society accept them back? It is necessary to ensure that returnees do not spread extremist ideas among their fellow citizens. I am not referring only to relatives, but also to others and the government of their respective country of origin. I am deeply concerned because nowadays government orders are often not implemented by local administrations. If the latter do not accept the repatriation plan, it would be a serious political error for the central government to do so. Dr J. Kristiadi senior political analyst at the Center for Strategic of International Studies (CSIS) in Jakarta, fears the repatriation of fighters could have a major impact on Indonesian society. "The fundamentalist ideology adopted by IS has certainly undermined the shared foundations that constitute civil society. This happened simply because certain political programmes are rooted in radical ideas, he said. In Indonesia, Extremism has already penetrated deeply into some key institutions in society and the state the first seeds were planted long ago. If the government decides for repatriation, it will be necessary to enforce very strict security protocols, since these former fighters will look for any place and social setting to nurture their ideology. [*] the Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Terorisme Prayagraj/New Delhi: The authorities have handed over papers related to the disputed plot of land awarded in Ayodhya to Hindu claimants in November to the trust that was formed on Wednesday to oversee the construction of a Ram temple at the site. The Union Cabinet on Wednesday formed the trust in line with the Supreme Courts verdict in November awarding the plot to the Hindus. The court had given the government three months to form the trust to oversee the construction. Ayodhyas district magistrate, Anuj Kumar Jha, said the papers were handed over to one of the trustees, Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra, on Wednesday evening. He added they have also got a land transfer letter for the 5-acre land earmarked for a mosque issued to the Sunni Waqf Board. The alternative 5-acre plot was approved by the Uttar Pradesh state cabinet on Wednesday. The Supreme Court on November 9 ruled in favour of the construction of a Ram Temple at the disputed 2.77-acre site, bringing an end to decades-old litigation over a dispute that had acquired political and religious ramifications. The court also directed the Centre to allot an alternative 5-acre plot for a mosque. Vishwa Hindu Parishads (VHP)s national spokesman, Vinod Bansal, said it was for the first time in the countrys history that a trust was announced, registered and the documents handed over to it in a single day. The Central government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done as promised. The way for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya has been paved now and soon the temple construction will commence. VHPs joint general secretary, Surendra Jain, said they will extend all support to the trust and want all Hindus to ensure their participation in the temples construction through donations. In New Delhi, senior advocate K Parasaran, 93, who has been appointed as the trusts head, refused to comment. But his son, Mohan Parasaran, said the task entrusted to his father is a blessing. It did not really come as a surprise to us since we were getting feelers. The news was announced to us formally on Wednesday, said Mohan Parasaran, who is also a senior Supreme Court advocate. K Parasaran represented deity Ram Lalla in the decades-old Ayodhya land dispute case. When asked if the senior counsels age will permit him to participate actively in overseeing the construction, Mohan Parasaran said: He, being 93, argued for days and even refused to sit while making his submissions. He participated in the proceedings on a regular basis. This is a religious call for him and he will do it earnestly. K Parasaran has been involved with the case since 1991. He accepted the offer [to head the trust] after giving it a deep thought. The [Union] ministry of home affairs gave the offer. With his experience, he will manage the trust with other able members, Mohan Parasaran said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Vandalism including the lighting of fires has caused damage and associated repair costs to historic sites managed by the Office of Public Works, according to new data. Damage totalling at least 4,600 to repair was caused at various properties managed by the OPW around the country, with 11 incidents recorded by the national monuments Service section of the OPW last year. Details released under Freedom of Information show the priciest repairs were required at St Marys medieval church and national monument, Callan, Co Kilkenny, where broken windows, first reported by OPW staff on July 1, 2019, cost 2,000. As with most of the incidents reported to the OPW last year, gardai were also notified of the damage at the near-800-year-old structure. A pedestrian gate had to be replaced at a cost of 900 at Dunbrody Abbey in Co Wexford after they were deemed beyond repair following a site inspection. At Baltinglass Abbey in Co Wicklow, it cost 600 to repair a dislodged corner stone reported last July, with the stone returned to its original location. A dislodged corner stone at Baltinglass Abbey, Co Wicklow, cost 600 to repair, according to the new data from the OPW In Co Laois, the Rock of Dunamase required 500 of repairs after its walls were damaged by graffiti. The OPW was alerted to the damage last April via email by a local news reporter who was informed by a member of the public. It cost 300 to repair damage at Monaincha Abbey in Roscrea in Co Tipperary, where fire damage and broken glass were found last June. The damage was reported by the Roscrea Heritage Society. It also cost 300 to repair dislodged stones at Castledermot Abbey in Co Kildare. The incident occurred last July but, according to the OPW, it is an ongoing issue and is being monitored. There was no cost of damages, but the OPW met with gardai at the site of unauthorised access to Kells Gate Tower in Co Meath last June. Similarly, following an incident at St Marys Church in Gowran in Co Kilkenny, gardai were immediately notified. The Rock of Dunamase in Co Laois required 500 of repairs after its walls were damaged by graffiti. According to the OPW: An area of grass was burned following the lighting of a small fire on the site. Dressed stones scorched as a result. Following the incident, which took place over a week last June, Gardai [were] contacted and evidence removed, increased Garda presence, increased community awareness. Elsewhere, the internal and external walls of Duleek Graveyard in Co Meath were damaged by graffiti in January last year, and was repaired by the OPW and an external contractor at a cost of 2,553.75. At the Bronze Age Beltany Stone Circle at Tops, Raphoe in Co Donegal an area of grass was burned following the lighting of a small fire on the site, with the top soil being replaced following the incident last April. Effigies were scratched at St Marys in Gowran in Co Kilkenny. That damage was detected during a site inspection, and the site is now being monitored. The National Historic Properties section of the OPW reported just two incidents last year. At Doneraile House in Co Cork, a silhouette was damaged by mould. The cost of repair of that damage had yet to be finalised. At Kilkenny Castle at oil painting was damaged when it fell from a wall. There too, the cost of repair was awaited. Previous years have seen damage caused to OPW sites by, among other things, skateboarding and the flying of drones. Increased audits The OPW dramatically stepped up its auditing of artworks last year, more than tripling the number of reviews carried out in 2018. A total of 84 locations were audited in 2019, compared with 21 in 2018 and 30 in 2017. According to the OPW: The art management office undertakes routine audits of artworks for which it has responsibility in state-owned buildings. These art audits take place through a programme of spot checks and surveys throughout the year. It said 84 locations were visited for art audit checks between January and December 2019 in Carlow, Donegal, Dublin, Galway, Kerry, Kildare, Kilkenny, Limerick, Longford, Mayo, Meath, Offaly, Roscommon, Tipperary, Waterford, and Westmeath. It said there were no issues relating to missing or damaged artworks in 77 locations and there are outstanding queries in seven locations. Those are likely to be completed in the coming weeks. The OPW did not say why the number of audits had increased so dramatically last year but it is understood one reason is that digital technology allows them to be conducted more quickly. The OPW carried out 30 audits in 2017 and just 21 were done in 2018. It is believed the audits conducted last year included a number of sites that had not been checked for a decade or more. The issue of missing artworks, sometimes unnoticed for extended periods of time, has arisen in recent years. The Comptroller and Auditor General raised concerns about unaccounted for artworks as far back as 2015 while back in December 2017, the Arts Council revealed it had to write off an estimated 110,000 in assets because some artworks had gone missing. At that time it said weaknesses in control over the art collection, first highlighted in an internal audit in December 2013, were reaffirmed during a process involving a physical inventory and using a professional valuer to procure an open market valuation for a substantial proportion of the art collection. Both exercises identified that a number of pieces of art cannot now be physically located and the circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that this may have been the case going back many years, it said at the time. A Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli fire during heavy clashes in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, Palestinian official media said. Yazan Abu Tabikh, 19, was killed and seven others wounded when clashes broke out after Israeli forces raided the northern town of Jenin, the official WAFA news agency reported. An AFP reporter saw the body and mourning relatives in a hospital in the town. The raid was to demolish the home of Ahmad Qanba, a Palestinian charged with aiding a Hamas cell in the West Bank, the army said. It said Qanba had been part of a cell that carried out a January 2018 attack in which a rabbi was killed. Heavy clashes broke out with young Palestinians throwing rocks at the Israeli troops, witnesses said. The army said forces had "identified a number of armed terrorists who hurled explosive devices and fired towards them. The forces responded with riot dispersal means." Tabikh was the second Palestinian to be killed in 24 hours, after a 17-year-old was shot dead in clashes in the flashpoint city of Hebron in the southern West Bank. Israeli forces have been on high alert since US President Donald Trump revealed his long-delayed peace proposals last week. The Palestinians called for protests against the plan, which they said was biased towards Israel. by Nirmala Carvalho The Justice Coalition of Religious group represents 16 religious congregations. It upholds the Constitutions principle of equality. India must respect its commitments to the international human rights treaties and conventions it signed. Mumbai (AsiaNews) A group of Indian priests and nuns have slammed Indias new citizenship law, describing it as unconstitutional. The 36 men and women religious represent 16 congregations working among societys poorest: Dalits and marginalised, including street children, indigenous people, women forced into prostitution and exploited in the sex business, the disabled, as well as the homeless. Calling themselves the Justice Coalition of Religious, they met recently in Mumbai, from 16 to 18 January. In a statement, they noted that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), adopted in mid-January and criticised by activists, intellectuals, Catholics and Churches, violates the principles of the 1950 Constitution, which accepts people of all faiths, creeds, castes, languages and genders as Indians, equally and without discrimination. The group notes that leaders of the Catholic Church agrees with the criticism already expressed by many. In their view, The CAA is the first instance of religion being overtly used as criterion for citizenship under Indian nationality laws and therefore fundamentally discriminatory and divisive in nature. The new law is at odds with secular principles enshrined in the Constitution and contradicts Articles 13, 14, 15, 16 and 21, which guarantee to every citizen the right to equality, equality before the law, and non-discriminatory treatment by the State. The statement highlights the government's hypocrisy in helping only select communities and people since it unfairly disadvantages Muslim groups, such as [Shia] Hazaras and Ahmadis who have historically faced persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh from seeking refuge in India. The CAA leaves out Sri Lankan Tamils who form the largest refugee group in India residing here for now almost three decades. It also excludes the Rohingya Muslims, the worlds most persecuted minority from Myanmar with whom we share a border. For the group of Catholic consecrated persons, the legislation will increasingly affect women, children, slave workers, homeless people, transsexuals, Adivasis and Dalits, who are already poor and do not have the economic opportunities to obtain the documents necessary to prove their residence. Finally, they call on India to uphold its commitments to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, and other international human rights treaties. LINKOPING, Sweden and SHELTON, Connecticut, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- International medical imaging IT and cybersecurity company Sectra (STO: SECT B) has signed a contract with Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa to add cardiology to their existing enterprise imaging solution. This new configuration will provide physicians a complete patient overview and standardize all imaging on one platform. "It is very rewarding to have long-time radiology customers, such as Hillcrest, grow their enterprise imaging platform with Sectra. As we increase our market presence in cardiology, we look to our existing users who appreciate our extraordinary customer service and support," says Mikael Anden, President of Sectra, Inc. Hillcrest Medical Center is a 620-bed hospital offering a wide-range of inpatient and outpatient services including Oklahoma's most comprehensive heart program. All cardiology studies will utilize the existing radiology archive for efficiency and economies of scale. The cardiology contract signed in December 2019 includes workflow for cardiac catheterization, ultrasound echo, nuclear medicine and invasive vascular studies. Sectra's enterprise imaging solution provides a unified strategy for high production environments and supports the goal of shortened report turnaround times, enhanced result distribution workflows, and improved communication between departments. Read more about Sectra and why Sectra PACS is 'Best in KLAS' at https://medical.sectra.com/. Meet Sectra at HIMSS20 and ECR 2020 Sectra's enterprise imaging solution, including Sectra PACS and Sectra VNA, will be showcased in March at HIMSS (booth #6248) and at ECR (booth D11). Book a meeting at HIMSS >> Book a meeting at ECR >> About Sectra Medical Imaging Solutions With 30 years of innovation and approaching 2,000 installations worldwide, Sectra is a leading global provider of imaging IT solutions that support healthcare in achieving patient-centric care. Sectra offers an enterprise imaging solution comprising PACS for imaging-intense departments (radiology, pathology, cardiology and orthopedics), VNA, and share and collaborate solutions. For further information, please contact: Dr. Torbjorn Kronander, CEO and President Sectra AB, +46-(0)-705-23-52-27 Marie Ekstrom Tragardh, Executive Vice President Sectra AB and President Sectra Imaging IT Solutions, +46-(0)-708-23-56-10 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/sectra/r/hillcrest-medical-center-adds-cardiology-to-sectra-enterprise-imaging-solution,c3025695 The following files are available for download: A champion drag racer who took a spoonful of speed in his morning coffee to cope with 60-hour working weeks had pleaded guilty to dangerous driving. Wayne Frederick Newby lost control at a roundabout in a suburban street in Sydney's west and drove into oncoming traffic. The experienced driver, who won the 400 Thunder Australian Professional Drag Racing Series, hit a street sign as he careered onto the wrong side of the road. He drove head first into oncoming traffic with 'two passenger side tyres completely shredded down to the rims', reported the Daily Telegraph. Champion drag racer Wayne Newby (pictured) drove towards oncoming traffic in his Holden Crewman and eventually crashed into a Toyota Rav4 Newby, 44, pleaded guilty at Fairfield Local Court to charges of negligent driving and dangerous driving under the influence of drugs. His laywer told the had been adding a teaspoon of speed to his morning coffee as he tried to battle through gruelling 60-hour-weeks as a heavy vehicle driver. 'Hes said its been particularly difficult to be abstinent from this drug,' his lawyer said. 'He didnt understand that this drug was methamphetamine.' Carrying on driving towards oncoming traffic in his Holden Crewman, he eventually crashed into a Toyota Rav4. Wayne Newby (pictured during an earlier drag race) pleaded guilty to dangerous driving No one was hurt during the incident, which took place on Chifley Street in Smithfield in July 2019. '(Newby) would talk extremely slow, he was clumsy and unsteady on his feet,' police said in a statement of facts. 'He appeared very nervous and his hands were shaking. At times when talking, he would stutter and/or slur his words to the point it was impossible to understand.' Blood and urine tests revealed he had methylamphetamine, also known as speed, and alprazolam in his system at the time of the crash. Magistrate Theo Tsavdaridis said the police's account of events 'do not paint a pretty picture'. (Newby) has many things to be grateful for, including that he has not injured anyone else or killed anyone else. The court fined the driver $1,400 and suspended his licence for 12 months. FBI Director Chris Wray said Wednesday that Russia is engaged in 'information warfare' heading into the 2020 presidential election, though he said law enforcement has not seen ongoing efforts by Russia to target America's election infrastructure. Wray told the House Judiciary Committee that Russia, just as it did in 2016, is relying on a covert social media campaign aimed at dividing American public opinion and sowing discord. That effort, which involves fictional personas, bots, social media postings and disinformation, may have an election-year uptick but is also a round-the-clock threat that is in some ways harder to combat than an election system hack, Wray said. 'Unlike a cyberattack on an election infrastructure, that kind of effort - disinformation - in a world where we have a First Amendment and believe strongly in freedom of expression, the FBI is not going to be in the business of being the truth police and monitoring disinformation online,' Wray said. FBI Director Christopher Wray testifies during an oversight hearing of the House Judiciary Committee The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are on alert for election-related cyberactivity like what occurred in 2016, when Russians hacked emails belonging to the Democratic campaign of nominee Hillary Clinton and probed local election systems for vulnerabilities. But, Wray said Wednesday, 'I don't think we've seen any ongoing efforts to target election infrastructure like we did in 2016.' His appearance came two days after Democratic presidential caucuses in Iowa were marred by a malfunctioning app that caused a delay in the reporting of results. Though local and federal officials have stressed that the problems weren't caused by a foreign intrusion, the error played into existing unease surrounding election security and risked amplifying concerns among American about the integrity of the voting process. Even without signs of election system targeting, Wray said Russian efforts to interfere in the election through disinformation had not tapered off since 2016. He said social media had injected 'steroids' into those efforts. 'They identify an issue that they know that the American people feel passionately about on both sides and then they take both sides and spin them up so they pit us against each other,' Wray said. 'And then they combine that with an effort to weaken our confidence in our elections and our democratic institutions, which has been a pernicious and asymmetric way of engaging in ... information warfare.' At another point in the hearing, Wray avoided a direct answer when asked if President Donald Trump, Attorney General William Barr or other administration officials had asked him for investigations into Trump Democratic rival Joe Biden, his son Hunter, or into any members of Congress. FBI Director Christopher Wray is sworn in. He has warned tat Russia is engaging in information warfare. The question was posed by Rep. Jerrold Nadler of New York, the committee chairman and one of seven House Democratic managers of the impeachment case. He asked whether Trump had requested FBI investigations into the Bidens, lawmakers or former national security adviser John Bolton - who is due out with a book next month said to undercut a key Trump defense - as possible payback for impeachment. Wray initially said: 'I have assured the Congress, and I can assure the Congress today, that the FBI will only open investigations based on the facts, and the law and proper predication.' After Nadler said he assumed that answer meant that neither Trump nor Barr nor other administration officials had requested improper political investigations, Wray tried again: 'No one has asked me to open an investigation based on anything other than facts, the law and proper predication.' Trump has sought, without evidence, to implicate the Bidens in the kind of corruption that has long plagued Ukraine. Hunter Biden served on the board of a Ukrainian gas company at the same time his father, as vice president, was leading the Obama administrations diplomatic dealings with Ukraine. Though the timing raised concerns among anti-corruption advocates, there has been no evidence of wrongdoing by either Biden. Wrays appearance was his first since a Justice Department inspector general report that sharply criticized the FBIs surveillance of former Trump campaign aide national security Carter Page. The errors produced rare bipartisan calls for changes to the federal governments surveillance powers. The report identified what it said were significant errors in applications to eavesdrop on Page, including omitting critical information that cut against the FBIs original premise that Page was a Russian agent - something he has repeatedly denied. After the report was issued, Wray told The Associated Press that the mistakes were 'unacceptable and unrepresentative of who we are as an institution.' He repeated that message to lawmakers Wednesday. The then-chief judge of the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, which authorizes wiretapping of subjects on American soil in national security investigations, responded to the report with an extraordinary public rebuke of the FBI and demanded that the bureau report back on what it was doing to fix the problems. The FBI has laid out a series of changes designed to ensure warrant applications are more closely scrutinized before being submitted for a judges approval and that they contain accurate information about the reliability and potential bias of sources whom agents rely on. The Justice Department has also said the surveillance of Page should have ended before it did. Wray bristled at the suggestion from some Republican lawmakers that he did not take the report's criticism seriously enough. 'Ive been a prosecutor. I've been a defense attorney, I've been an assistant attorney general, I've been an FBI director,' Wray said. 'To me, candor to the court is sacrosanct, and I dont think theres anybody in the FBI who's belaboring under the misimpression that I think its OK to mislead a court.' A special court for Pocso (Protection of children from sexual offences) cases in Nalgonda sentenced 29-year-old Marri Srinivas Reddy to death for raping and killing three minor girls at Hajipur village. Separately, a Nellore court awarded death sentence to a 30-year old interior designer Md Imtiyaz, who was convicted for the murder of a medical student and her mother in Nellore in 2013. The case of Hajipur serial murders came to light on April 30, 2019, when the police had recovered the body of a 14-year-old girl studying Class 9 in a well on the outskirts of the village in Yadadri Bhongir district..The girl had gone missing on April 25 while returning from her school and her parents lodged a complaint with the police the following day. Some passers-by informed the police that she was found going on the bike driven by Srinivas Reddy. The police took him into custody on April 28. During interrogation, Reddy had admitted to raping and killing another 17-year-old undergraduate girl, who had gone missing from the same village in March. Her skeletal remains were also found in the same well, Rachakonda police commissioner Mahesh Bhagawat told reporters. The accused had also admitted to have raped and murdered another 12-year-old girl of Maisireddipalle village in 2015. He had dumped the body in another abandoned agricultural well. The police later exhumed the remains of the body. The police later produced Reddy in the court in Bhongir and filed a charge sheet on July 31. The case was later transferred to special Pocso court . The trial began on October 14 and the court examined 101 witnesses... After going through all the evidences produced by the police, special court judge SVV Nath Reddy awarded the death sentence in two cases of rape and murder committed in March and April 2019 and life imprisonment in the case of 2015 murder, public prosecutor Chandrasekhar said. Meanwhile, in the Nellore case, the accused Md Imtiyaz, engaged for doing interior designing work at the residence of Dinakar Reddy, the owner of a private pharmacy college, attempted to rob his house, with the help of two other accomplices. When Reddys wife Shakuntala (40) and daughter Bhargavi (20), a medical student, resisted their attempts, he attacked them with knives and rods, before fleeing with gold and cash. The victims were later declared brought dead in the hospital. The assailants were caught by the neighbours and handed over to the police. Nellore 8th additional metropolitan court judge S Satyanarayana pronounced judgement on Thursday awarding death sentence to Imtiyaz. The punishment for two other accused is yet to be awarded. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON File Image The US has expressed concern over the current situation of religious freedom in India and raised the issue with Indian officials, a senior State Department official has said. The remarks came in the wake of widespread protests held across India against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The senior State Department official, on condition of anonymity, said that he has met with officials in India about what is taking place in the nation and expressed concern. "We are concerned about what's taking place in India. I have met with the Indian foreign minister. I've met with the Indian ambassador (to express my concern)," the official, who was recently in India, told reporters on Wednesday. The US has also "expressed desire first to try to help and work through some of these issues", the official said as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo launched a 27-nation International Religious Freedom Alliance. "The initial step we try to do in most places is to say what we can do to be of help to you to work through an issue...," the official said. India maintains that the Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens, including its minority communities. It is widely acknowledged that India is a vibrant democracy where the Constitution provides protection of religious freedom, and where democratic governance and rule of law further promote and protect fundamental rights, a senior official of the Ministry of External Affairs has 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 following religious persecution there will get Indian citizenship. The Indian government has been emphasising that the new law will not deny any citizenship rights, but has been brought to protect the oppressed minorities of neighbouring countries and give them citizenship. Defending the CAA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month said that the law is not about taking away citizenship, it is about giving citizenship. "We must all know that any person of any religion from any country of the world who believes in India and its Constitution can apply for Indian citizenship through due process. There's no problem in that," he said. A file image of Daniel Kawczynski (WOJTEK RADWANSKI/AFP via Getty Images) Leading Jewish and Muslim groups have reacted furiously after a Tory MP was given a mere slap on the wrist for attending a festival with fascists. Earlier this week, Daniel Kawczynski sparked uproar when he spoke at the National Conservatism conference in Rome. Among the fellow speakers were Viktor Orban, Hungarys far-right prime minister who has been accused of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. The Conservative Party immediately came under pressure to suspend the Shrewsbury and Atcham MP. On Thursday, however, a spokeswoman only said Kawczynski had been given a warning. Daniel Kawczynski in the House of Commons last week (UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor/handout via REUTERS) She said: Daniel Kawczynski has been formally warned that his attendance at this event was not acceptable, particularly in light of the views of some of those in attendance, which we utterly condemn, and that he is expected to hold himself to higher standards. Daniel has accepted this and apologised. However, the contents of his apology are not known, something picked up by the Jewish Labour Movement as it reacted to the news. Read our reaction to the news that the Conservative Party issued Daniel Kawczynski with a warning before he attended the National Conservatism Conference pic.twitter.com/1jChxOyyqr Jewish Labour Movement (@JewishLabour) February 6, 2020 It said: We note what a spokesperson for the Conservative Party has said but we understand that Daniel Kawczynski was warned about attending the conference in advance. Is there a consequence for Conservative MPs who ignore such warnings? We have yet to hear what Kawczynskis apology consists of and all we can judge him on are his Twitter likes supportive of his attendance at this festival with fascists. This also begs the question of who funded his trip in the first place. A Muslim Council of Britain spokesman said: Serious questions must be asked about why this was allowed in the first place, why the party now feels it was unacceptable, and why it feels a mere slap on the wrist is sufficient. Story continues Kawczynski should have the whip removed, and be subject to a thorough investigation if the Conservatives want to claim, at least in this case, a zero tolerance policy on all forms of racism. The Campaign Against Anti-Semitism also called for Mr Kawczynski to make a public apology, something his office did not have immediate plans to do. Read more from Yahoo News UK Leading Lib Dem leadership contender says party could start 'rejoin EU' campaign within 11 months Coronavirus: Third case confirmed in the UK Government to introduce emergency terror law one day before offender is due to be freed Other speakers at the conference included Ryszard Legutko, the Polish Law and Justice MEP who described homophobia as fictitious, and Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party who has promoted anti-Semitic figures. Earlier this week, Kawczynski was unapologetic in an open letter to his local paper, the Shropshire Star, in which he dismissed the hysterical criticism. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- Donald Trump has lashed out at Nancy Pelosi as he came face to face with her for the first time since his impeachment acquittal, accusing her of religious hypocrisy as they attended a National Prayer Breakfast. In his signature brash fashion, Mr Trump started by going after Ms Pelosi, saying Democrats had put his family and himself through a "terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people". "They have done everything possible to destroy us, and by so doing, very badly hurt our nation," he said, adding near the end of his remarks: "When they impeach you for nothing, it's not easy. But I do my best." The religious audience applauded loudly. The president also contended that Ms Pelosi and Democrats had put themselves before the country. "I don't like people who use their faith for justifying doing what they know is wrong," he said, alluding to Senator Mitt Romney, who was the lone Republican senator to vote with Democrats to remove him from office for abusing his power. During a Wednesday floor speech, Mr Romney cited his Mormon faith and the oath he took as a senator, swearing to God, as a reason he decided to vote to convict and remove a president of his own party. Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Show all 29 1 /29 Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump styles his 'You're fired!' pose in his Trump Tower office in June 2012. At the time he was known as a reality TV star on The Apprentice Diane Bondareff/Invision/AP Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves He was also well known as the patron of the Miss Universe competition Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Early signs of Trump's ambition for the presidency can be found everywhere. Not least in his 2011 book 'Time to get tough: Making America #1 again' Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump with Piers Morgan in November 2010. Piers Morgan has long held that he and Trump are good friends Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump appeared on Fox & Friends, his favourite show, in August 2011 Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump considered running in the 2012 election, where he would have faced Barack Obama. He is speaking here at an event for a Republican women's group Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump was subject to a Comedy Central roast in 2011. He is pictured here being roasted by rapper Snoop Dogg Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Given that this Trump store is in the lobby of Trump Tower, it can be said that Trump sells merchandise of himself out of his own home Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump held meetings with prominent Republicans when considering his 2012 bid. He is pictured here with Alaska governor Sarah Palin Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves He didn't end up running in 2012 afterall, instead endorsing Republican candidate Mitt Romney AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump's golf course in Aberdeen proved controversial in 2012 when he began lobbying the Scottish government against wind power in order that they wouldn't install turbines off the shore by his new course Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves He even gave evidence to a Scottish parliamentary committee discouraging wind energy AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves He still found time for a round of course AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves On 16 June 2015, Trump announced that he would run for the presidency of the United States in the 2016 election as a Republican Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves His campaign was divisive, courting controversy wherever he went. Ultimately he was declared the Republican candidate in June 2016 Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump took part in the TV debate against opponent Hillary Clinton on 9 October Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump and wife Melania vote in the presidential election on 8 November 2016 AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Hillary Clinton conceded defeat at 2:50am on 9 November and president-elect Trump swiftly delivered his victory speech to a crowd of supporters Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves News coverage around the world focused on the huge political upset that Trump's victory spelled AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump met with president Obama to discusss transition planning on 10 November. AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Donald Trump and Nigel Farage pose in the golden elevator at Trump Tower on 12 November 2016. Farage was the first British politician to meet with Trump after the election LeaveEUOffical/Twitter Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves The inauguration of Donald Trump took place on 20 January 2017. Trump's press secretary Sean Spicer boasted that the crowd was the 'largest ever' to witness an inauguration, a claim that was proved not to be true Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves In his first 100 days as leader, Trump signed 24 executve orders, the most of any president AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves One of Trump's most memorable election pledges was to build a wall between the US and Mexico. He is standing here in front of a prototype for a section of the wall Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump's meetings with other world leaders have provided no short supply of photo opportunities Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump was welcomed to the UK by the Queen and a state banquet was held at Buckingham Palace in his honour Reuters Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Not everyone welcomed the president. Mass protests were held in London throughout his visits in both 2018 and 2019 EPA Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves One of the most significant meetings Trump has held with another leader was with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. In June 2019, Trump became the first sitting president to set foot in North Korea Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves 2020 will see president Trump fight for a second term in office, who knows what the next decade will bring? Getty Arthur Brooks, former head of the conservative American Enterprise Institute, spoke in between the speaker and president. Less than two days after their public spat including the president's refusal to shake Ms Pelosi's hand before his State of the Union address and her decision to rip up her copy of the speech Mr Brooks called for "civility". "Contempt is killing this country. Look at primetime television," he said, noting he recently viewed a YouTube clip in which he "rolled my eyes" at a woman as they discussed public policy. President Donald Trump holds up newspaper that reads "ACQUITTED" at 68th annual National Prayer Breakfast "It's a habit, and it's tearing our society apart," Mr Brooks warned the attendees. Mr Trump began his remarks addressing Mr Brooks, "Arthur, I don't know if I agree with you." He lived up to that promise seconds later, going after Ms Pelosi and Mr Romney. The conservative populist president ticked off a list of things he has pushed since taking office, like school prayer and anti-abortion policies. "You better get out there and vote on November 3, because there's a lot of people who don't like what we're doing," Mr Trump said with a shake of his head. As he often does, Mr Trump ticked off a list of other perceived accomplishments, like a bipartisan criminal justice reform law and his contention he is reviving parts of the US manufacturing base even though government data suggests sluggishness in that sector. Despite Mr Brooks' warning, Mr Trump said his administration was reviving the "national spirit". SOUDERTON Plans for new playgrounds in Souderton Community Park have been completed, Borough Manager Mike Coll told Souderton Borough Council at its Jan. 3 meeting. "Where the former softball field was is where we are looking to install two playgrounds a playground for smaller toddlers in an age group up to five and a larger playground structure for... The police in Ondo State on Thursday confirmed an armed robbery attack at a bank in Ile -Oluji, headquarters of Ile Oluji/Oke Igbo Local Government area of Ondo State. Femi Joseph, a chief superintendent of police and Ondo Commands Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), confirmed the incident to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone chat. Meanwhile, NAN gathered that four persons, made up of two policemen and two others who were yet to be identified, were killed in the bank robbery attack. READ ALSO: Yes, there is a report that a group of armed robbers was at a bank in Ile-Oluji, but I cannot ascertain the number of casualties involved in the incident because I have not been properly briefed. Though, our men have been deployed to the scene to handle the situation and restore peace and order to the town, Mr Joseph told NAN on telephone. (NAN) Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The Sudanese political scene is still boiling with expectations over the recent meeting between the president of the transitional sovereign council, Lt By Trend Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 24 times, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said on Feb. 6, 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 jury at Naas Circuit Court has found a man not guilty of a charge of careless driving causing death in a fatal accident in Sallins in 2017. On Friday, January 31, after a four day hearing, the jury at Naas concluded that William Nelson, 41, of 17 Sallins Bridge, Sallins, was not guilty of careless driving, under Section 52 (1) and 52(a) of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, causing the death of 16-year-old Dane Loakman on the Clane road at Castlesize, Sallins, on November 27, 2017. The trial of Mr Nelson, who was represented by solicitor, Matthew Byrne, and senior and a junior counsel, began on Tuesday, January 28. It was presided over by Judge Patrick Quinn. Evidence was given about Mr Nelsons driving from Clane towards Sallins and dash cam footage was shown. There was also technical forensic evidence from the gardai and evidence on lighting from SSE Airtricity. Judge Quinn thanked the jury, acknowledging the difficult aspect of the trial, the verdict on which, came on Danes 19th birthday. The judge also commented on the dignity and good character of Danes mother. He praised the work of Garda Sergeant Fiona Butler who climbed in under a bus to help Dane. Married At First Sight's first lesbian couple did not have sex on their wedding night, despite their strong chemistry at the ceremony. And Tash Herz has since revealed that she was turned off by Amanda Micallef the morning after saying 'I do'. The Adelaide-based bartender, 31, told WHO magazine she had a 'big reality check' in the aftermath of the wedding. 'It was a big reality check': Married At First Sight's Tash Herz (pictured) has revealed why she was suddenly turned off Amanda Micallef the day after their wedding 'You do get swept up in the moment and then when you wake up the next day, there is a very big reality check,' she said. On Wednesday's episode, the newlyweds appeared distant as they woke up the morning after their nuptials. Amanda was asked by a MAFS producer if they'd been intimate and, much to her disappointment, she confirmed they hadn't. The morning after the night before: The Adelaide-based bartender, 31, told WHO magazine she had a 'big reality check' in the aftermath of the wedding. Pictured left: Amanda Micallef Meanwhile, Tash had second thoughts about her whirlwind marriage. She admitted: 'I feel like everything's happening so quickly... I think we just need to take it slow. We got swept up in the romance of the wedding.' It comes amid speculation the pair have gone their separate ways, after Amanda shared an Instagram post last year hinting at a bitter break-up. The post read: 'Who you are and how you hold yourself through the bad times is what defines your character. Over already? It comes amid speculation the pair have gone their separate ways, after Amanda shared an Instagram post last year hinting at a bitter break-up. Pictured on their wedding day 'Anyone can have an entourage of false followers to help mask your s**tty personality, but who you are alone says it all.' Amanda shared the post on October 3, four weeks after filming her wedding on September 5. She deleted it a few hours later. Production didn't wrap until December, when the remaining couples filmed their final vows, which suggests that Amanda and Tash didn't make it to the end of the experiment. Married At First Sight continues Thursday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine KALAMAZOO, MI -- The first two candidates vying for the role of superintendent at Kalamazoo Public Schools interviewed with the district leaders Wednesday. Darrin Slade, assistant superintendent of school leadership at Kansas City Public Schools in Kansas City, Missouri, and Rita Raichoudhuri, executive director of early college and career education at Chicago Public Schools in Chicago, answered questions from the Board of Education and the community in attendance Wednesday, Feb. 5. The board invited four people for in-person interviews after reviewing prerecorded interviews from six candidates during a meeting Tuesday, Jan. 28. The candidates each addressed previous experiences working with budgets and expressed the importance of spending money on students. They spoke about working with diverse populations and incorporating career and technical education in high schools. Both candidates also expressed support for LGTQ students and staff in response to questions from the audience. The search for a new superintendent began in May after longtime district leader Michael Rice was chosen as Michigans new state superintendent. The district chose Gary Start, deputy superintendent of business and finance, to serve as interim superintendent while the board conducted a search with help from the Michigan Association of School Boards. Slade has worked in his current role since 2018, and oversees 16 schools serving about 7,000 students. Prior to that, he worked as a principal in the District of Columbia Public Schools system for about 16 years. Slade holds a doctorate degree in educational leadership, an executive masters in leadership from Georgetown University, a masters degree in teaching from John Hopkins University and a bachelors degree in political science. During his interview, Slade said Kalamazoo has a lot of the same challenges he faces in his current and previous roles, including attendance and graduation rates and behavioral issues. He said some of the schools in Washington D.C. had low test scores and attendance rates when he first began. He told the board about his success in increasing student achievement using tutoring and professional development for teachers. He spoke of working collaboratively with teachers and the community toward a shared goal of helping students. When teachers and staff feel supported, they will work really hard for you, Slade said. He stressed the importance of honesty and transparency, even when dealing with difficult situations. Slade is big on integrity and holding people accountable for their actions, he said during the interview. As assistant superintendent and principal prior to that, Slade said he frequently does home visits with students who are struggling in school. He told the school board in Kalamazoo that its important to hear a persons entire story before jumping to any conclusions. As superintendent, Slade said he would be overwhelmingly visible to the community and honest about his shortcomings. If you dont have transparency, you dont have trust, he said. Board member Ken Greschak asked Slade how his time working as principal would translate to the role of superintendent. Youre the type of person to lead in the trenches, Greschak said. Slade said his time as a principal and teacher before that are assets he would bring to the role of superintendent in Kalamazoo. Working in the trenches is a positive, Slade said. It gives you more credibility with the people you lead. Slade ended his interview by telling the board that he values integrity and leading by example. He also asked that, should he be selected, the board and community hold him accountable as superintendent. I want to be held accountable for everything I said tonight, Slade said. Slade is also a finalist in the superintendent search at Grand Rapids Public Schools, according to Greg Sieszputowski, director of leadership development and executive search services for MASB. Raichoudhuri has worked in her current role with Chicago Public Schools since 2017. Prior to that, she worked as the principal at a Chicago high school for about four years. Raichoudhuri holds a doctorate degree in urban education leadership from the University of Chicago, a masters degree in education and a bachelors degree in environmental science. She told the board its important to build a school culture that empowers people and that the strength of any organization lives within its people. I consider myself a relational leader, Raichoudhuri said. The candidate explained how she helped bring more rigorous curriculum to students and helped staff overcome biases of certain students who they believed werent as capable at succeeding. She also explained her efforts to include parents of high school students and make them more engaged in the system. When asked about being visible to the community, Raichoudhuri said she would plan town halls, attend school events and share information with parents online and in a newsletter. Being accessible to parents is more than simply being present, Raichoudhuri said, but must also include listening to the community and hearing the good and bad from people. Raichoudhuri said transparency is a fundamental part of trust and that leaders who arent trusted wont be able to accomplish their goals. We need to be truthful where there are shortcomings and gaps so we can work together to come up with solutions, she said. Raichoudhuri said teachers should be educated about their students life circumstances and how that impacts their education. Teachers should also incorporate teaching life skills such as empathy, grit and perseverance in all other classes. Students should leave school not only educationally prepared for the next step but also as complete individuals who can take on the world, she said. Raichoudhuri said Kalamazoos former superintendent left big shoes to fill." I hope to build upon Rices momentum to take the district from good to great, she said. The board did not finish asking Raichoudhuri all of their questions because of time constraints. MASB representatives said each candidate will get the same amount of time to interview to ensure a fair process. The final two candidates will interview Thursday, and the board is expected to narrow the candidate pool to finalists for a third round of interviews scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 18 and Thursday, Feb. 19. Fabby Williams, learning area superintendent and school support officer for Guilford County Schools in Greensboro, North Carolina, is scheduled to interview with the board at 6:20 p.m. Thursday. Efe Agbamu, assistant superintendent of schools at St. Paul Public Schools in St. Paul, Minnesota, will interview at 7:45 p.m. Thursday. The candidates full resumes, with some personal information redacted, are available online. Inquiries about the superintendent search should be directed to Greg Sieszputowski, director of leadership development and executive search services at MASB, by calling 517-327-9224 or emailing gregs@masb.org. Also on MLive: Meet four superintendent candidates called back for interviews in Kalamazoo Kalamazoo superintendent search narrows to four candidates Values of collaboration, responsiveness sought in Kalamazoos next superintendent Board emphasizes public participation in search for new superintendent at Kalamazoo Public Schools MALE, Maldives - Maldives police said Thursday they have arrested three people in the stabbings of two Chinese and an Australian that may have been carried out by Islamic extremists. Police were investigating the authenticity of a video circulating on social media showing a masked man claiming responsibility for Tuesdays stabbings. They did not give other details. The victims were reported to be stable. The Maldives is an India Ocean archipelago state known for its luxury tourist resorts. A predominantly Sunni Muslim nation of around 400,000 people, the Maldives was known to have contributed one of the largest number of fighters per capita in Syria. ___ This story has been corrected to show three people were arrested, not two. FILE PHOTO: The EU flag and a smartphone with the Huawei and 5G network logo are seen on a PC motherboard in this illustration By Gabriela Mello SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's economy risks becoming less competitive if a long-awaited 5G spectrum auction is further delayed, an executive of China's Huawei Technologies said in an interview. Huawei is widely expected to take a leading role in deploying high-speed, next-generation telecommunications networks in Latin America despite U.S. efforts to block that growth. But Brazil's 5G auction was delayed from an initially scheduled March date to the second half of the year because of concerns about frequency interference and uncertainties related to the rules governing the spectrum dispute. Analysts have said it could be postponed further, which Carlos Roseiro, Huawei's director of integrated solutions for Brazil, said would be worrisome. "We see it very realistically and we adapt to what we have, but the economy could become less competitive in the midterm if the auction is once again delayed," he said. "If the auction takes place in the second half, Brazil is still perfectly capable of catching up with more advanced economies that first launched 5G networks," Roseiro said. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, whose administration has urged governments worldwide to shun Huawei, arguing its equipment could be vulnerable to Chinese eavesdropping. But Roseiro said he had seen no sign Latin America's largest economy would do so. "We have never been informed about any intention to restrict our operation in Brazil," Roseiro said. U.S. efforts to exclude Huawei were dealt a setback by the UK, another close ally, in late January, when Prime Minister Boris Johnson granted the company a limited role in the country's 5G networks. Roseiro's remarks precede a Thursday meeting by local regulatory agency Anatel to discuss proposed rules for the auction. "It is not just a matter of technology. ... 5G can only deliver the promise of one gigabyte per second if more spectrum is made available to the carriers," he noted, adding it would take at least six months to deploy a 5G network. Story continues Swedish rival Ericsson has voiced similar concerns, warning in an October study of a potential 25 billion reais ($5.90 billion) hit to public coffers by 2025 if the spectrum bidding is delayed to 2021. Roseiro said Huawei is conducting "business as usual" and helping carriers to modernize their infrastructure before 5G deployment starts. In August, Reuters reported Huawei would to invest $800 mln in Brazil's Sao Paulo state by 2022, in a push to ramp up its Latin American footprint. ($1 = 4.2398 reais) (Reporting by Gabriela Mello; Editing by Christian Plumb and Jonathan Oatis) Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 09:29:34|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Syrian air defense missile is seen in the sky over Damascus, capital of Syria, Feb. 6, 2020. Syria's air defense was triggered early Thursday by a fresh Israeli missile attack over the capital Damascus, Syrian state TV reported. The missiles, launched from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, targeted areas west of Damascus, as people there heard powerful explosions, said the report. The air defense intercepted several missiles, and the exact targets are not clear, it said. (Photo by Ammar Safarjalani/Xinhua) DAMASCUS, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Syria's air defense was triggered early Thursday by a fresh Israeli missile attack over the capital Damascus, Syrian state TV reported. The missiles, launched from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, targeted areas west of Damascus, as people there heard powerful explosions, said the report. The air defense intercepted several missiles, and the exact targets are not clear, it said. A complaint was lodged against Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Thursday for allegedly spreading fake news by accusing the Delhi Police personnel of setting ablaze a DTC bus during violence near the Jamia Millia Islamia in December last year. He shared a fake video of the alleged incident on Twitter. The criminal complaint was filed before a special MP/MLA Magistrate court seeking registration of FIR against Sisodia. The complaint, filed by Supreme Court advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, will come up for hearing tomorrow. Several buses were set afire after a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) turned violent on December 15 near Delhi's Jamia Nagar. Judge allows Boston to ban the flying of Christian flag outside City Hall Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A federal judge ruled this week that the city of Boston, Massachusetts, does not have to raise a Christian flag at City Hall Plaza even though the city has raised flags representing other cultural and social groups, including flags indicating support for LGBT rights. U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper, an Obama-appointee, issued an order Tuesday denying summary judgment to a Christian man who sued the city in 2018 after the city government rejected his request in 2017 to fly a Christian flag on a public flagpole outside City Hall. The plaintiff, Harold Shurtleff, runs the organization called Camp Constitution. Camp Constitution exists to enhance understanding of our Judeo-Christian moral heritage. The organization hosts annual Constitution Day and Citizenship Day events at City Hall. But Shurtleffs request for the Christian flag (featuring a cross in the upper lefthand corner) on Constitution Day (September 17) 2017 was denied by the city on the basis of a policy that gives discretion to the city to determine which flags can fly. Shurtleff believes that the citys rejection of the flag equates to censorship of the Christian viewpoint. The city of Boston raised nearly 300 flags by private organizations on the City Hall flagpole between 2005 and 2017, according to court documents. The conservative religious freedom legal group Liberty Counsel, which is representing Shurtleff, argued that the flagpole is designated by the city as a public forum for private speech. According to Liberty Counsel, the city had never censored any flag until Shurtleffs request to fly the Christian flag on Constitution Day 2017. Casper rejected the plaintiffs argument that the flagpole is designed to be a public forum for private speech, saying that the display of flags outside City Hall is government speech. The [then-head of the property management department Gregory Rooney] had never considered a religious flag prior to the Plaintiffs application, the judge reasoned in her ruling. There are no additional facts in the record that would suggest any improper preference for non-religion over religion or selective treatment of any person or group based on religion. The City did not alter its procedures for review of flag applications because of Camp Constitutions request, instead, Camp Constitutions request presented a novel issue for the Citys consideration, which the City considered consistent with its practice and policy. Liberty Counsel has already filed an appeal of Caspers ruling. The city of Bostons open censorship continues against Camp Constitutions Christian viewpoint, Liberty Counsel founder Mat Staver said in a statement. There is a crucial difference between government endorsement of religion and private speech, which government is bound to respect. Censoring religious viewpoints in a public forum where secular viewpoints are permitted is unconstitutional. A statement issued from the office of Bostons Democratic Mayor Marty Walsh contends that the use of the flagpoles is the citys sole and complete discretion. The City maintains that its flag poles are a forum for government speech, the statement from the mayors office reads, according to The Boston Herald. As such, the City maintains selectivity and control over the messages conveyed by the flags flown on our flag poles. The mayors office further argued that Camp Constitutions request to fly the Christian flag can properly be denied because such a flag would send an overt religious message, and could reasonably be construed to be an endorsement of Christianity by the City. The city claims flying a Christian flag would equate to a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Shurtleff told The Boston Herald that he and his legal team will take the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. The Supreme Court ruled last year that religious symbols on public property are permissible. In June 2019, the Supreme Court ruled that a giant 40-foot cross sitting on public property in Bladensburg, Maryland, does not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The Religion Clauses of the Constitution aim to foster a society in which people of all beliefs can live together harmoniously, and the presence of the Bladensburg Cross on the land where it has stood for so many years is fully consistent with that aim, Justice Samuel Alito wrote in the majority opinion. Shurtleff and his attorneys had argued that the city regularly flies flags that contain explicit religious symbols, such as the Boston city flag which contains the Latin phrase for "God be with us as He was with our fathers." However, Casper contended that state, national and municipal flags that use religious symbols in part of its field are not inherently religious flags. Although Boston has approved the flying of an LGBT rainbow flag at City Hall Plaza, the only other flag the city has refused to fly was a straight pride flag last year. Join Hawa Hassan in the Bon Appetit Test Kitchen as she makes Lahoh, Somali pancakes. Lahoh is one of the most common breakfast dishes in Somalia, but unlike other pancakes, these guys go through 2 hours of fermentation before cooking. The Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) on Thursday expelled its MLA, Pradip Yadav, from the party's primary membership days after he met Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi. Yadav is the second party MLA after Bandhu Tirkey to have been axed within a fortnight for alleged anti-party activities. The JVM(P) had bagged three seats in the Assembly elections held last year. Besides Yadav and Tirkey, party chief Babulal Marandi had won. JVM(P)'s principal general secretary Abhay Singh told reporters here that Yadav, who represents Poreyahat constituency, was expelled from the party's primary membership on disciplinary grounds. The party had on February 4 served a notice to Yadav seeking an explanation over his meeting AICC interim president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on January 23. The JVM(P) also sought to know from him about his statements in the media, which were allegedly against party president Babulal Marandi. Yadav, who had also joined a meeting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act organised by the Congress in Godda without his party's permission, was asked to reply to the show-cause notice within 48 hours. The action was taken against him after he failed to reply to the show cause notice, Abhay Singh said. The JVM(P) had on January 21 expelled its Mandar MLA Bandhu Tirkey for allegedly campaigning against the party's official candidate in Hatia constituency during the assembly elections. Tirkey also accompanied Yadav during his meeting with the Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. A day after this meeting, the JVM(P) withdrew support to the Hemant Soren-led government in Jharkhand accusing the ruling alliance partner Congress of attempting to poach its MLAs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) DENVER, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Brand-transformation agency Cactus has launched Citizen Impeachment 2020 (citizenimpeachment.com), a get-out-the-vote content campaign designed to remind Americans that although the U.S. Senate did not have the votes to find a corrupt president guilty, its citizens still have the power to do just that at the polls on Nov. 3. Cactus "Right now, there is no brand that is more important than Brand USA. American democracy matters, and we will always defend and promote it," declared Cactus founder and CEO Joe Conrad. "The current president is damaging the brand and, like any bad CEO of a publicly owned company, he needs to be fired. Citizen Impeachment 2020 is a chance to remind politicians that the people have the power and on Nov. 3, they will send that message loud and clear." The campaign launches with a video and mobile billboards in Washington, D.C., with bold creative that states, "If the Senate won't, we will" and "Grab him by the vote" with the Citizen Impeachment 2020 logo and a call to "Vote on November 3." The campaign website makes it easy to register to vote and it also encourages individuals to help get out the vote. People are encouraged to create their own influencer campaign using a wide array of creative and advertising assets they can download for free along with a playbook for how to launch their own personal campaign. People will find downloadable materials such as bumper stickers, yard signs and campaign literature. Citizens are encouraged to participate in the effort by recruiting other people from their network and communities to join the movement. The most creative minds in the world are encouraged to participate. Members of the creative community and all citizens are invited to submit art, music, film, words and other expressions of creativity, all of which will be showcased in a gallery to inspire others. In the call for creative content, Citizen Impeachment 2020 allows people to use their artistic voice to articulate why they think President Donald Trump should be impeached by the public. The project is also designed to help people channel their frustration and anger about this politically driven process and direct their energy and talent to create a voice. Details on how to submit creative content can be found at citizenimpeachment.com. "The tone of this campaign is serious, direct, profound, provocative and most of all, participatory. We aim to remind all voters that if they lead, the politicians will follow," said Conrad. The campaign social platforms are: https://www.facebook.com/CitizenImpeachment2020 https://twitter.com/CImpeachment20 https://www.instagram.com/citizenimpeachment2020/ Media Contact: Name: Steve Sapka Phone: 305-479-5208 Email: [email protected] Related Images if-the-senate-wont-we-will.jpg If THE SENATE WON'T, WE WILL grab-him-by-the-vote.jpeg GRAB HIM BY THE VOTE Related Links Citizen Impeachment 2020 Campaign Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvtWxqIVQyQ SOURCE Cactus Related Links https://www.cactusinc.com SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- When officers found Eric Lynch driving a car reported stolen in the early morning of Jan. 26, they arrested him and brought him downtown, Syracuse police wrote in court records. He was questioned by police but only ticketed with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Officers lacked the evidence to charge him with stealing the car, said officer Joseph Commisso, a Syracuse police spokesman. Instead, Lynch was released. Fourteen hours after his first stop, Lynch robbed a Syracuse gas station at gunpoint, police said Lynch, 34, of Syracuse, is now accused of beating a man and woman to steal the car and later robbing the gas station in the same day, according to court records. He is being held at the Onondaga County Justice Center without bail, according to inmate records. The initial third-degree unauthorized use of a motor vehicle Lynch faced isnt an offense a person would be jailed on under the previous state bail laws or the new reformed laws. Heres what happened on Jan. 26, according to court records: At approximately 3 a.m. on. Jan. 26, the owner of tan 2006 Chevrolet Malibu reported the car had been stolen, Syracuse police officer Hannah Roebuck wrote in a police report. Witnesses reported a man they later identified as Lynch attacked the driver of the car and a woman with him in the 1600 block of First North Street. Lynch punched the woman in the face and threw her down a nearby houses front steps, police said. He opened a door of the car and punched the man in the face, shoved him out of the car and drove away, police said. At 5:42 a.m., Lynch was pulled over in the Pilot truck stop parking lot on 7th North St. by an Onondaga County Sheriffs Office deputy, police said. Two men, Lynch and Moses Nicholson, were arrested, according to police. Nicholson was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and held at the Justice Center on outstanding warrants, police said. Lynch, however, was released on an appearance ticket because of the lack of evidence, according to police. At 7:41 p.m., Onondaga County 911 dispatchers received a call about a reported robbery at the Mirabito gas station at 800 Wolf St., according to police. A man with a cloth covering his face pointed a loaded Browning Buck Mark .22-caliber gun at the gas stations clerk and told the clerk to give him the money, according to a felony complaint filed in City of Syracuse court and Syracuse police. The man, later identified as Lynch, then pistol-whipped the gas station clerk, leaving a two-inch cut on the back of the mans head, the felony complaint said. Lynch was later arrested and and charged with first-degree robbery, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, second-degree assault and criminal use of a firearm for the gas station robbery, police said. The gas station is about a mile from the Pilot station were Lynch was initially stopped by police. Police eventually developed enough evidence on the initial stolen car to charge Lynch with second-degree robbery. That charge could have lead a judge to set bail for Lynch. 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. Please register or log in to keep reading. No credit card required! Stay logged in to skip the surveys. The Election Commission has issued a show-cause notice to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath over his claim that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal organised the Shaheen Bagh sit-in and is 'feeding biryani' to anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters The Election Commission has issued a show-cause notice to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath over his claim that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal organised the Shaheen Bagh sit-in and is "feeding biryani" to anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters, Indian Express reported. Adityanath at a New Delhi rally on Saturday alleged that those who support terrorists in Kashmir are staging the protest at Shaheen Bagh and raising slogans of 'aazadi'. Hundreds, including women and children, have been protesting since 15 December at Shaheen Bagh against the CAA and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). Addressing another poll rally at Karawal Nagar Chowk in east Delhi last week, the BJP leader had lashed out at anti-CAA protesters, saying "their ancestors divided India, so they have a grouse against this emerging 'ek Bharat shrestha Bharat'". "These protests happening at various places in Delhi are not about the CAA, but it is happening because those people are questioning as to how can India emerge as a major power in the world, and to stop that rising India," he claimed. The EC on 30 Jan had banned Union Minister Anurag Thakur from campaigning in the Delhi Assembly polls for three days and BJP MP Parvesh Verma for four days for their controversial remarks. An EC official said the decision was taken as the poll panel was not satisfied with their reply to the show-cause notices. West Delhi MP Verma had last week said that what happened in Kashmir with Kashmiri Pandits could happen in Delhi, warning that lakhs of anti-CAA protesters in Shaheen Bagh could enter people's homes to rape and kill women. During an election rally in Delhi, Thakur egged on the crowd to raise an incendiary slogan "shoot the traitors" after he lashed out at anti-CAA protesters. With inputs from PTI California Gov. Gavin Newsom during an interview in his office at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., on Oct. 8, 2019. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo) California May Halt Student Fitness Tests Over Discrimination Concerns California students may no longer have to participate in physical fitness tests under a new proposal by Gov. Gavin Newsom over fears they may promote bullying and discrimination against disabled and non-binary students. Currently, state law requires California schools to give all fifth, seventh, and ninth graders the physical fitness test (PFT) which is designed to measure aerobic capacity, abdominal strength and endurance, upper body strength and endurance, trunk extensor strength and flexibility, body composition, and flexibility. Any pupil with a physical disability who is unable to take all of the physical performance test is given as much of the test as his or her condition will permit. BMI screenings, calculated using height and weight, require students to select male or female. The main goal of the test (pdf) is to help students in starting life-long habits of regular physical activity, and results are provided to students and their families to monitor students overall fitness, as well as the school, in order to monitor their physical education programs. However, schools may drop the physical test until at least 2023 as the California Department of Education consults with experts regarding the purpose and administration of the physical performance test. According to the 2020-2021 education budget bill which was released last week, the department would speak to experts and other stakeholders including but not limited to, individuals with expertise in fitness, adaptive physical education, gender identity, and students with disabilities, in order to provide recommendations regarding the purpose and administration of the physical performance test. H.D. Palmer, spokesman for the Department of Finance, told the Epoch Times that schools would temporarily hitting the pause button on the administration of the currently required test during these three years. At issue is whether the test in its current form is discriminatory, principally in terms of non-binary students as well as students with disabilities, he said in an emailed statement. The state Department of Education advises theyve received complaints from districts over the years that the test is discriminatory, including whether the Body Mass Index (BMI) screening in the test discriminates against non-binary adolescents (students must select male or female for BMI screening). Palmer said that BMI screening plays a role in the issues of both body shaming and bullying and cited the U.S. Center for Disease Controls 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which reported that students who identified as LGBTQ were more likely to be bullied and more likely to consider suicide than their peers. California is working to keep all students safe and healthy, consistent with the Governors commitment to a California that respects all students. Given the body of research on the impacts of bullying on transgender and special education students, this temporary pause will allow for a look to determine whether the current test can be modified or whether a new assessment should be developed, the director said. However, Palmer noted that this would not have any effect on PE classes, which will continue as they are currently administered and continue to be a graduation requirement. California has been using The Cooper Institutes FitnessGram assessment, recognized by the Obama administration since 1996, which includes running assessments, push-ups, curl-ups, and sit and reach stretches. However, a study published last year by scientists from Louisiana State University and Adelphi University suggested that while physical tests didnt put students off physical education, they also did not encourage a positive outlook on participation. Our results show that extreme views on this controversial subject may be unfounded, since fitness tests neither put students off PE nor encourage a positive outlook on participation, said Kelly Simonton from Louisiana State University. Whats more, school fitness tests are rarely used to educate students about fitness and theyre often implemented poorly, so we cannot help but think that class time would be better spent in equipping students with knowledge and skills that more closely support the PE curriculum, he added. The researchers suggested, however, that fitness testing could have more impact if it was implemented as part of a fitness education curriculum. AP confirmed that the percentage of fifth graders scoring healthy in the aerobic category has dropped by 3.3 percentage points in the past five years, while the seventh and ninth grades have seen drops of 4.4 percentage points and 3.8 percentage points, respectively. Meanwhile, the percentage of students identified as needing improvement and having a health risk went up by 3.3 percentage points among fifth graders, 4.4 for seventh graders, and 3.8 among ninth graders. Cumulative PIDG Funding, 2002-2018, member and other owner funding disbursed to PIDG ($USD). Data: Source: Private Infrastructure Development Group Annual Report 2018. Graphic: Global Witness 6 February 2020 (Global Witness) We are at the beginning of a year of climate spin by the British Government. This year, the UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow. While the Government claims to be a climate leader, we reveal how a little-known investment group funded by the UK taxpayer has committed over $750 million to fossil fuel projects in some of the worlds poorest countries. The London-based Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), which funds infrastructure for development in poor and fragile countries has received over $1 billion in UK aid money, officially classified as Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), since 2002. It has also received ODA money from the governments of the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Switzerland, and Sweden. PIDG has used UK aid money to fund fossil fuel projects using some of the worlds dirtiest fuels, in some of the worlds poorest countries. This has recently included heavy fuel oil (HFO) power plants in West Africa. Heavy fuel oil is one of the worlds most polluting fuels, polluting the air and accelerating climate change. PIDG has used its $750 million spend on fossil fuels to unlock even greater sums of private sector investment, meaning that PIDG has been a key enabler of many fossil fuel projects across the world. PIDG are also continuing to fund fossil gas power plants. The widespread claim that fossil gas is a bridge fuel to a clean future has been debunked. If the world is to meet climate goals, we cannot build new gas infrastructure. [] PIDG is just one of a patchwork of organisations and agencies funded by the UK Government that has had its huge support for fossil fuels revealed in recent times: Breakdown of total fossil fuel support in PIDG, 2002-2018, by sub-sector ($USD). Data: Source: Private Infrastructure Development Group Annual Report 2018. Graphic: Global Witness Research by CAFOD and the Overseas Development Institute shows that the UK spent 4.6 billion on fossil fuel energy projects overseas from 2010-17, with support spread across a range of departments. UK Export Finance (UKEF), a Government agency tasked with assisting UK business abroad, gave 97% of their energy support from 2010-17 to fossil fuel projects. A study of their latest annual report suggested they provided a full 2 billion in support to fossil fuels in 2017/18 alone. The cross-departmental Prosperity Fund, used aid money to finance two projects in China to promote UK expertise in hydraulic fracturing (fracking). The fund spent money from the Overseas Development Assistance budget on 16 oil and gas extraction projects globally, for a total of 2 million between 2016 and 2018. To these colossal numbers, we can add PIDGs $750 million support for fossil fuels. It is likely that the Government funds overseas fossil fuels via further as-yet-uncovered mechanisms too. This contributes to a farcical situation where the Government, on one hand, spends aid money to mitigate climate change and help vulnerable countries, and on the other hand finances fossil fuels all over the world, making the problem worse for the worlds poorest. The situation is so severe that a committee of MPs warned that this inconsistency threatens to nullify the effectiveness of wider aid spending. Fossil fuels hinder, rather than help, development. With the rapid development of off-grid renewable energy, there is no longer any justification for supporting fossil fuel power generation with aid. If the UK is to be a climate leader, this support for fossil fuels needs to end immediately. [more] In Aid of Who? TORONTOA man accused of kidnapping his toddler son in Canada and hiding him in the United States for three decades made a brief appearance in a Canadian courtroom for the first time on Thursday, well over a year after he was arrested in the case. Allan Mann Jr. has been charged with abduction for allegedly kidnapping his son Jermaine in 1987, Toronto police said. He was extradited to Canada after finishing an 18-month stint in a U.S. prison for illegally obtaining government benefits while eluding authorities. They lived, basically, a life of lies as to who they were and what they did, unbeknownst to Jermaine, Toronto police Det. Sgt. Wayne Banks said upon Manns October 2018 arrest. He was under the impression that his mother had died shortly after birth. Mann was in court Thursday for a bail hearing, but a court official said it was postponed until Monday. Toronto police allege Mann kidnapped his son during a court-ordered visitation in 1987 before fleeing to the U.S. and obtaining fake identities for them both. Manns American lawyer, David Ring, said his client fled Canada with his son because he worried about the boys safety during a bitter custody dispute with his wife, who planned to take the child to Jamaica. U.S. authorities said Mann acquired counterfeit birth certificates for him and his son, which were later used to obtain a Social Security number. American prosecutors said Mann used the alias Hailee DeSouza to collect more than US$125,000 in housing benefits and more than US$55,000 in Medicaid assistance. He pleaded guilty last year to one count of making a false statement. U.S. marshals and Toronto police launched a new effort to find Mann in 2016 while meeting at a law enforcement conference on capturing fugitives. The marshals interviewed several of Manns friends and family members, including a relative who pointed authorities to Connecticut and Manns alleged alias. He was ultimately arrested in Vernon, Conn. Manns son is now in his 30s and reunited with his mother after years of believing she had died shortly after his birth. Lyneth Mann-Lewis of Brampton, Ont., spoke publicly upon their reunion, saying she hoped her story-book ending offered hope to others whose children were taken from them. I am the proof that after 31 long years of suffering, one should never give up, she said at the time. Be patient, be strong, and believe that all things are possible and that anything can transpire. Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, as he expected, faced widespread conservative condemnation this week after voting to convict at President Donald Trumps impeachment trial over his Ukraine scandal. Romney, a onetime leader of the Republican Party as their 2012 presidential nominee, explained that his decision was motivated largely by his deep religious faith. It made him the first senator in history to vote to remove a president from his own political party. Detractors dismissed Romney as a jealous has-been, but he earned support, too, including from late-night host Stephen Colbert. At the start of Wednesdays episode of The Late Show, Colbert, 55, devoted much of his monologue to praising Romney for breaking with his Republican colleagues. On this dark day there was someone I would like to thank for giving me a ray of hope, Colbert said of Romney, 72, whom he jokingly referred to as a Utah senator and dad-explaining-venture-capitalism-to-your-prom-date. Colberts remarks blended humor and sincerity, connecting Romney to a larger theme of personal integrity. Romneys willing to put up with whatever the blowback for this decision is. Yes, his faith compels him to vote for impeachment. And it makes sense: cause the Old Testament does say you should worship God not golden cows, Colbert said. In a Senate speech on Wednesday before the final vote in the impeachment trial, Romney explained his choice to convict Trump, 73, on one of two charges this way: As a senator-juror, I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice. I am a profoundly religious person. I take an oath before God as enormously consequential. I knew from the outset that being tasked with judging the president, the leader of my own party, would be the most difficult decision I have ever faced. I was not wrong. I believe that attempting to corrupt an election to maintain power is about as egregious an assault on the Constitution as can be made and for that reason, it is a high crime and misdemeanor, Romney said. I have no choice under the oath that I took but to express that conclusion. Story continues On The Late Show later Wednesday, Colbert lauded that conviction. RELATED VIDEO: Fran Drescher Reveals the Demand Donald Trump Made When He Made a Guest Appearance on The Nanny Stephen Colbert (left) and Sen. Mitt Romney | Timothy Kuratek/CBS; Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty I do want to say that was an inspiring speech, because hearing Mitt Romney take his oath to God seriously was like finding water in the desert, he said. Because we know Republicans are lying when they say that Trump didnt do anything wrong or that maybe he did but he shouldnt be removed. Every person who leaves the White House and writes a book about it or every journalist who gets to peek behind the curtain they all tell us that Republicans privately are horrified by Donald Trump and want something, someone, to do something to stop him. But they dont have the balls to say that out loud when it matters. Thats why an oath is important. He continued: Now oaths may not mean a lot to some people but when you take an oath you cant think one thing and say another, you are asking God to witness on the pain of your immortal soul that what you whisper in your heart is what comes out of your mouth. Though most of these guys are talking out their ass. Colbert then turned to a literary reference to expound on the importance of Romneys choice, in his view. In Robert Bolts [play] A Man for All Seasons, the main character, Thomas More, is the lone voice opposing Henry VIII, a bloated, golden child who none dared gainsay, who destroyed anyone who did not follow him blindly and then went ahead and destroyed a lot of people who followed him blindly anyway, Colbert explained. And in the play, More says this to his daughter Meg, he says, When a man takes an oath, hes holding his own self in his own hands like water and if he opens his fingers then, he neednt hope to find himself again. Well with the lone exception of Mitt Romney, I think the Republicans have just opened their fingers. They will be missed. So please join me in thanking Mitt Romney for being honest, for not lying to us or to himself, for serving the Constitution rather than that monstrous child in the White House. Colbert was not the only entertainer expressing gratitude for Romney. Celebs including Mark Hamill and John Legend did as well. But in conservative circles, he immediately became a target. Donald Trump Jr., the presidents oldest son, said Republicans should expel him from the party. In a statement, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham called Romney one failed Republican presidential candidate who had allied himself with those leading the witch hunt impeachment. In his Wednesday Senate speech, Romney foresaw all of that but said he was not dissuaded. This verdict is ours to render. The people will judge us for how well and faithfully we fulfilled our duty, he said. The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor. Yes, he did. 19 persons arrested on charges of sedition at Azamgarh India oi-Vicky Nanjappa Lucknow, Feb 06: The Uttar Pradesh police arrested 19 persons on charges of sedition from Azamgarh. The ones arrested are among the 35 persons named in the FIR, the police said. The arrests were carried out during a protest against the citizenship law. The police while countering the allegations said that there was no lathi-charge. The rioters starting pelting stones at the police. It was only then that tear gas shells were used. The women were injured in the stone-pelting by the rioters, the police also said. Bidar school faces sedition charge for 'portraying PM Modi in poor light' It was further alleged that the protesters had gathered on Tuesday afternoon and surrounded the park from all sides. They even beat up people who were standing nearby. The protesters, on the other hand, alleged that the police had used communal slurs against the women. The police denied this allegation and said that at the protest venue, the people gathered had chanted anti-national slogans. Switzerland Confirms Status Quo With UK by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels 06 February 2020 Switzerland has said that the withdrawal of the UK from the EU on January 31 will not change the relationship between Switzerland and the UK in the near future. Switzerland said that the bilateral agreements between Switzerland and the EU will continue to apply to the UK until the end of the transition period on December 31, 2020 (which may be extended). Switzerland noted that during the transition period, the UK will remain part of the EU single market and customs union. EU third-country agreements, including the bilateral agreements between Switzerland and the EU, will also continue to apply during this period. Switzerland has to date concluded five new agreements with the UK in the areas of trade, road transport, air transport, insurance, and citizens' rights. These will enter into force at the end of the transition period. The Swiss Government said that the transition period provides Switzerland with an additional window of opportunity to complement or further develop these agreements in talks with the UK. The UK was Switzerland's sixth largest trading partner in 2018, with trade with over CHF36bn. Co-rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) call on the Armenian authorities to request as soon as possible the opinion of the Venice Commission in connection with the series of amendments discussed during the Armenian parliament's session. The Armenian Parliament decided to hold an extraordinary session on 6 February in order to discuss a series of amendments that would remove the requirement for the Constitutional Court to check the compliance of draft legislation with the Constitution of Armenia. Among other things, this would change the procedure of revision of the Constitution itself. In addition, a constitutional amendment that seems to aim at ending the terms of several members of the current Constitutional Court with immediate effect has been tabled, 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). These two topics are important, and the proposed changes could have long-term repercussions on the functioning of constitutional institutions. In this context, as well as taking into account some of the questions raised in that respect, we call on the Armenian authorities to request as soon as possible, the opinion of the Venice Commission, the Council of Europes expert body on constitutional law. We believe that this opinion, which could be adopted very quickly via an urgent procedure, would be valuable to all stakeholders, including the Armenian electorate if a referendum were to be held. When is a little black dress not a little black dress? When it becomes a cause celebre in the House of Commons, of course. Labour MP Tracy Brabin found herself at the centre of shoulder-gate this week, when her black, off-the-shoulder dress (35, from online retailer ASOS) slipped as she stood at the despatch box. Cue a barrage of abuse from trolls, some of whom said she looked like a slapper. Tracy hit back, calling it everyday sexism. Theres more going on in parliament than my shoulder, she declared. But was her dress really appropriate for the Commons? Or do such strict sartorial codes of conduct belong to a bygone age? Here, three writers argue the point . . . YES She has let other women down, says JENNI MURRAY What on earth was Tracy Brabin thinking when she decided to don a black, off-the-shoulder frock in Parliament? It would have looked gorgeous for a night out, but was she not aware that it might attract the worst kind of publicity when standing at the despatch box? I begin to wonder whether women in power have learned anything from the long history of sexist abuse levied at them. How many times have we seen examples of where what a woman was saying, often of great political relevance, has gone unheard because she was flashing too much flesh? Was Labour MP Tracy Brabin's dress really appropriate for the Commons? Or do such strict sartorial codes of conduct belong to a bygone age? The first was the former Labour Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, who, in 2007, wore a smart white jacket with a low-necked black top underneath. The insults came thick and fast as she displayed what was described as a rather squeezed together line of amplitude about three inches long. When Theresa May, too, rose to the post of Home Secretary, she was accused of attending a busty budget in a boob-busting push-up bra. Similarly, the Labour MP Alison McGovern, displayed her embonpoint on Channel 4 News in 2015. A letter from a Labour Party supporter pulled no punches: Your prominent cleavage distracted your male viewers from hearing what you were saying. We have every right to be appalled at such low insults, and wed like to think we should be able to wear what we want without fear of censure. But we cant. And I believe women who want to have power and influence and be taken seriously have a duty to conform to the convention of appearing businesslike for the sake of those who will come after them. Of course, it would be wonderful if men stopped acting like over-excited teenage boys whenever they see a hint of flesh, but theres no sign of that happening any time soon. Give me Angela Merkel any time. She rose to the position of Germanys Chancellor in 2005, and has arguably become the most powerful woman in the world. No make-up, no fancy shoes, certainly no shoulder flashes. She just gets on with her job. Thats the way to do it! NO It's sexism in action, says SARAH VINE How does the song go? In days of old a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking but now, God knows, anything goes. Except, it seems, if you happen to be a middle-aged female MP whos been caught on the hop in an off-the-shoulder dress. Im sorry, but I really cannot see what all the fuss is about. Yes, Tracy Brabins frock showed off a little more flesh than one normally expects to see on the green benches, but it hardly merits the amount of pearl-clutching it seems to have generated. Nor, for that matter, the frankly disgusting response there has been on social media. How can the sight of a bit of clavicle excite such depths of sentiment? The last time I looked, it was 2020, not 1820. And besides, apart from its asymmetric neckline, the dress itself was remarkably sombre. In sensible black, it certainly showed much less leg than is common among female MPs, and there was not a hint of cleavage. Indeed, front-on, her ensemble, if not exactly monastic, was far from flirtatious. Especially when you realise the context: she had just come from a music industry event which had required cocktail attire and had been thrown a little off balance by a broken ankle clearly in evidence in a bright pink cast. Yes, Tracy Brabins frock showed off a little more flesh than one normally expects to see on the green benches, but it hardly merits the amount of pearl-clutching it seems to have generated. Pictured is Tracy Brabin on Coronation Street Tracy Brabin pictured at the UK music event in central London that she attended in the afternoon before making her appearance in the Commons on Monday. She is pictured with record execs from labels including AIM and BPI But the truth is, even if her outfit had been deliberately conceived to shock, it still didnt merit the outpouring of sexist, misogynistic criticism it received. I think part of the problem is that Ms Brabin, unlike so many in politics often described as showbiz for ugly people is rather physically attractive. On most women her age (shes 58), that dress would have looked positively frumpy. But on Brabin it had a certain va-va-voom. Certainly, the sexual nature of the abuse would indicate that her unconscious slip awoke a range of rather sinister carnal sentiments in some. Either way, the response says far more about how the world views confident, attractive, older women than it does about Ms Brabins sartorial choices. The shocking truth is that we dont seem to have come very far from the days of Gladstone and Disraeli. What are the men so frightened of? Can it really be that in a chamber where macho posturing is the order of the day, the barest hint of a female shoulder is sufficient to have everyone reaching for the smelling salts? Are those male egos really so fragile that they shrivel at the merest glimpse of femininity? If so, then we really have so much further to go than Id realised. Ladies, shoulders (bare or otherwise) to the feminist grindstone: it seems there is still much to do. MAYBE Make wiser choices, says EDWINA CURRIE What a fuss about a bare shoulder! Those nasty comments directed at Tracy Brabin probably tell us more about her critics than they do about whether an outfit is or isnt appropriate for the parliamentary chamber. That said, I do think she can learn something from this. When I was first elected in 1983, there were only 23 women MPs, so what we looked like, what we wore, got endless attention. The length of a hemline, the size of our earrings: we had to think about it all very carefully. When Clare Short strolled into the chamber wearing a trouser suit for the first time, the fuss lasted for weeks. Hobbling: Footage of Brabin in the House of Commons shows her hopping to the despatch box with a broken ankle Youd think with 220 women in the Commons today of all shapes, sizes and sartorial tastes we might have moved on. But it seems we havent. Back then, we put up with the scrutiny and sometimes used it to our advantage. After the proceedings in the chamber started to be televised from 1986, it gave us women a huge advantage over our male colleagues. WHAT IS THE DRESS CODE FOR FEMALE MPs IN THE COMMONS? Female MPs are asked to wear attire that 'might ordinarily be worn for a fairly formal business transaction' in the House of Commons. Male MPs are asked to wear a jacket. Parliament's website says: 'The Speaker has, on a number of occasions, taken exception to informal clothing, including the non-wearing of jackets and ties by men.' Advertisement Red and yellow jackets stood out against the green benches, so our contributions gained public attention. And you can play clever, using clothes to make a not-so-subtle point. When I presented the case for gay rights in 1994, I wore a pink suit. Worked like a dream, too I was voted Parliamentarian of the Year soon after! Maybe Tracys dress was a firm favourite, which had never let her down before. Nevertheless, it wasnt a wise choice. My only quibble and advice would be to bear in mind that the attention it attracted means no one can now recall what she was talking about. It detracted from her performance, rather than added to it. Nevertheless, Tracy shouldnt bow to the trolls. The sun shone as I arrived in the Commons to set up my office that wonderful day in June 1983, so I wore a summer dress and sandals. Only to be confronted by a retired Lady Member who told me that I was improperly dressed. Bewildered, I asked her what I should wear. We Lady Members decided that in the House we wear a black suit, black stockings, a white blouse. And a Het. Not a hat, a Het. I pondered, then shrugged. Im sorry, but I only dress like that for funerals . . . We thank Christian for his exemplary service since he assumed the role as the NVTC principal appointee to WMATA in July 2018, wrote Cristol, who also serves on the Arlington County Board with Dorsey. We are particularly grateful for the model he has set as the first regional, rather than local, appointee to the WMATA Board during a time of transition. Three groups Make A Difference (MAD), the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), and the Society for Civic Education and Gender Equity (SOCEGE) have faulted the judgment of Justice Yusuf Halilu of the Abuja High Court, which convicted Maryam Sanda for the death of her husband. While MAD accused Justice Halilu of failing to diligently follow the letters and process of the law in reaching a decision to convict Ms Sanda, HURIWA and SOCEGE said the verdict was faulty because it was based on circumstantial evidence. In a statement, the Director of Communication and Advocacy of MAD, Lemmy Ughegbe, said the judge committed a fatal blunder when he failed to consider the preliminary objection and rule on it one way or the other before delivering his judgment. Mr Ughegbe added, I have studied the 110-page judgment of Justice Halilu and it is crystal clear that the judge failed to rule on the preliminary objection one way or the other. Based on the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, Justice Halilu had upon hearing the preliminary objection announced that he would go ahead with the trial and when it was all done, he would rule on the objection and its success or failure would determine whether or not to proceed to deliver a judgment. It is trite that when issues of competence of a charge and jurisdiction of a court are raised, the court must dispense with that issue one way or the other. This judge misdirected himself by not considering and ruling on these issues raised and it is settled law that however elegant a proceeding or a judgment is, it becomes invalid, null and void in that circumstance. Also speaking on the matter at a press conference in Abuja, the National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko and his counterpart in SOCEGE, Mary Aniefuna, said the charge of murder and culpable homicide against Ms Sanda was not proven beyond reasonable doubt. They added, It is curious why a judge would trifle with an offence of culpable homicide, which attracts death by choosing to draw conclusions of guilt of Maryam Sanda based on hearsay. No witness testified to seeing Maryam stabbing her husband, no murder weapon was tendered by the police in evidence, no confessional statement was made by Maryam or anyone else for that matter and no two of the six Police witnesses corroborated each others testimonies to the effect that Maryam killed Bilyaminu. This is not the position of the law. The law is that no person shall be convicted for the offence of murder, which attracts capital punishment based on circumstantial evidence. In fact, it was the evidence of all the Police Witnesses that none of them knew exactly what and who killed Bilyaminu. However, PW 1 (Ibrahim Mohammed) and Maryam (Sanda) agreed that she had a serious quarrel / fight with Bilyaminu, whom he took a knife from three times when she wielded it against her husband. In his evidence, he did not say on any of the three occasions he took the knives from Maryam, he got cut. Yes, she was jealous, yes, she was angry. But if she did not hurt PW1, who is her husbands friend when he got the knife from her on three occasions, how could she have planned to hurt her beloved husband. It is our unequivocal view that Justice Halilu breached the letters and process of the law in reaching a decision to convict Maryam Sanda on the charge of taking her husbands life. Maryam had filed a preliminary objection, challenging the competence of the charge and the jurisdiction of the court to try her, but the judge misdirected himself by refusing to even deliver a ruling. Instead, he treated Maryams preliminary objection with disregard and proceeded to deliver his judgment. This action by the judge has denied the judgment of any legitimacy because it is tantamount to abuse of due and lawful process. If properly weighed, that decision to ignore Maryams objection shows prejudicial sentiments and bias of the judge against Maryam and amounts to her being denied her constitutional right to fair hearing. Some lawyers had days after the conviction spoken to PREMIUM TIMES on the legal options available to Ms Sanda, a woman found guilty of stabbing her husband to death with a kitchen knife. The conviction also brought to the fore the argument over the death penalty in Nigeria as punishment for capital offences such as murder, culpable homicide and kidnapping. While many perceived the judgment of Justice Halilu as harsh, others believe it is well deserved. But the convict can still appeal her conviction, according to Nigerias constitution. This has raised the question of whether she will get a softer landing at appeal as well as the various options left for her lawyers to explore. India can consider evacuating Pakistani students from the coronavirus-hit Hubei province 'if such a situation arises' and resources are available, the MEA said. New Delhi: India can consider evacuating Pakistani students from the coronavirus-hit Hubei province "if such a situation arises" and resources are available, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday, while making it clear that Pakistan had made no request for it till now. Hundreds of stranded Pakistani students in the coronavirus-hit Wuhan city have made desperate pleas to the Imran Khan government to evacuate them from China's worst-affected Hubei province, urging his administration to take a leaf out of India's book. Asked about the pleas by the Pakistani students and whether India could help in their evacuation, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said, "No such request has been received by us from the government of Pakistan. But if such a situation arises and keeping in mind the resources available, we can look into it." However, he did not clarify what would be the specific pre-conditions for considering the request. India airlifted 654 people, including seven Maldivians, on Saturday and Sunday from Wuhan. Watching the Indian students leave, the Pakistani students posted videos on social media asking their government to do the same. In one of the videos, a Pakistani student while showing the Indian students boarding the bus to go to the airport, said while India was evacuating its citizens, the Pakistan government says "you live or die we will not evacuate or facilitate" their journey home. "Shame on you Pakistan government. Learn from India how it takes care of its people," he said in the video that went viral. Pakistan has more than 28,000 students in China, including 500 in the worst-hit city of Wuhan. China has praised Pakistan for resuming flights to the country, a day after it received special medical kits from Beijing to detect the deadly virus cases. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 Trend: The CIS observer mission has published an interim report in connection with the parliamentary elections to be held in Azerbaijan on February 9, Trend reports on Feb. 6 referring to the CIS observer mission. The report published on the CIS Executive Committees website covers the period from January 19 through February 3. The Observer Mission from the Commonwealth of Independent States monitors the process of preparation and holding of the Azerbaijani early parliamentary elections upon the invitation of the Azerbaijani government, the document said. On December 5, 2019, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree setting the early parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan on February 9, 2020, the report said. The mission commenced its activity on January 19, 2020. The mission operates freely and independently, guided by the legislation of the Azerbaijan Republic, documents adopted within the Commonwealth, and observing the principle of non-interference in the electoral process and respecting the sovereignty of the state. The Central Election Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan (CEC) accredited 252 observers from the CIS countries, 18 of them work on a long-term basis, the document said. The mission includes the representatives of the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Moldova, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Turkmenistan, the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of the CIS member-states, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Belarus -Russia Union, and the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the report said. "The Observer Mission from the CIS discussed the pre-election campaign with the CEC, the Office of the Azerbaijani parliament, the Foreign Ministry, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court, the General Prosecutor's Office, the Interior Ministry of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the report said. The meetings were held with representatives of the pre-election headquarters of a number of political parties that nominated MP candidates. The mission works openly and transparently, the document said. The missions headquarters issues informational messages. The observers from the CIS who came for a long period are open for communication with the media representatives. "The legal basis for holding elections consists of the Constitution, the Electoral Code of Azerbaijan, the norms of a number of other legislative acts, as well as decisions of the Central Commission adopted to develop the Code, the document said. According to the CIS observers, the elections are organized and conducted by CEC, 125 district election commissions, and 5,573 precinct election, the report said. The Central Commission consists of 18 members who are elected by the Azerbaijani parliament: six members represent a political party in which MPs have a majority in the parliament, six - political parties that make up a minority in the Azerbaijani parliament, and six represent independent MPs, the document said. "The district election commissions consisting of nine members are formed by the Central Commission. The precinct election commissions consisting of six members are formed by the district commissions, the document said. When appointing the members of district election commissions and precinct election commissions, the same principle of equal representation is used as during the formation of the CEC. The registered candidates and political parties that have nominated the candidates may send one representative to the corresponding election commissions as a member of the commission with the right of deliberative vote, the report said. The mission stressed that the Central Commission is consistently working on the organization of the election campaign. The Central Electoral Commission approved a calendar plan of key events for the preparation and holding of early parliamentary elections, the report said. Moreover, a number of resolutions detailing certain provisions of the electoral law have been adopted. CEC pays great attention to the training of the election organizers, the report said. The Central Commission conducted trainings with the participation of representatives of Prosecutors Office, courts and policemen to increase the professional training of members of the district election commissions and precinct election commissions, improve their knowledge and skills in the field of holding the pre-electoral campaign. Moreover, explanatory posters on the procedure for filling out the ballot paper, on the actions of voters on election day, on the rights of observers were prepared for placement in the polling stations, the report said. "The CEC also prepared a memo for MP candidates, which reflects the rules for nominating, collecting signatures, sending the documents for registration to the district election commissions, the rights and obligations of candidates, the report said. Furthermore, memos were issued for observers, police officers and media representatives. The expert groups have been formed under the CEC and district election commissions to consider complaints related to violation of citizens' suffrage. The mission stresses the open and transparent work of the Central Commission, the collegial discussion of the issues under consideration, holding of meetings with the participation of international observers and media representatives, the report said. As part of the monitoring of the pre-election campaign, long-term observers from the CIS reviewed the work of the district election commissions and precinct election commissions of Astara, Bilasuvar, Gabala, Geranboy, Goygol, Guba, Jalilabad, Yevlakh, Ismayilli, Kurdamir, Lankaran, Lerik, Masalli, Oguz, Salyan, Ujar, Shamakhi, Sheki districts, and Baku, Ganja, Lankaran and Sheki cities, the report said. When communicating with members of district election commissions and precinct election commissions, the mission representatives receive the necessary information and have the opportunity to review the election documents, the document says. The mission stresses that the premises of the election commissions are provided with office equipment, backup power supplies, the necessary methodological books and visual aids on elections, the report said. According to the representatives of the mission, CEC, precinct election commissions and district election commissions take the necessary measures to prepare and conduct elections in accordance with the requirements of the law, the report said. "A single voter list is compiled by the CEC and is updated annually on the basis of information provided by the precinct election commissions, the report said. Since January 5, 2020, the lists have been posted on the premises of precinct election commissions for general review and are also available on the CEC website, the document said. Citizens can check the availability of information about themselves in the list, get information about the number of the polling stations and the location of the polling stations. If the voter finds errors or inaccuracies about himself or other people in the list, the voter can inform the precinct election commission about this, the report said. On the election day, citizens who are residing in the territory of the polling station, but for some reasons are not included in the main voter list, may be included in the supplementary list upon the decision of the precinct election commission. According to CEC, over 5.2 million voters are included in the lists for participation in the elections," the document says. "In accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 125 MPs are elected for a term of five years on the basis of a majoritarian electoral system. In accordance with the Electoral Code, the right to nominate candidates belongs to the political parties, blocs of political parties and citizens, the report said. At least 450 signatures of voters must be collected to support an MP candidate on the territory of the constituency in which the candidate is nominated. The deadline to enter to win the Best and Brightest award from The PA Media Group The Patriot-News and PennLive is just one month away. PA Media Group will honor 20 high school seniors as the Best and Brightest to represent the potential of the class of 2020. This is our 28th year of honoring these exceptional students. Recipients are featured in The Sunday Patriot-News in May and in a photo gallery, videos and profiles on PennLive. Students, families and school officials also are invited to an awards reception. Applications are due by Friday, March 6, 2020, at our office, 1900 Patriot Drive, Hampden Twp. A postmark of that day is acceptable. (Please note that the PA Media Group is moving to 1900 Patriot Drive, near our current office at 2020 Technology Parkway this month.) To be eligible, a senior must have at least a B or 3.0 grade point average although a grade point average below 3.0 because of extenuating circumstances does not preclude participation. Seniors must attend a public or independent high school or be home-schooled or attend cyber school in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry or York county. Local residents attending schools in other counties or states are not eligible. Selection is based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities and service to school, peers and community as well as an autobiographical essay and two letters of recommendation. In the essay, students are asked to address any challenges they have faced. Educators assist in semifinalist selection and leaders from business, the arts, education, faith, government and the community choose the 20 finalists. Applications have been emailed and mailed to high school guidance offices in the nine county area. For more information, send an email to Deb Kiner at dkiner@pennlive.com or call 717-257-4749. Shalom Goldman at Marginalia: By the time that Sartre and de Beauvoir arrived in Tel Aviv, Israeli leaders and readers were wary of how Sartre would respond to Israel. In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot , Sartre affirmed Israels right to exist, but his support did not go beyond that affirmation. Clearly his sympathies were with the Palestinians both with the refuges he met in Gaza and with the Palestinians living in the state of Israel as Israeli Arabs. Israeli fears were realized when Sartre, in his talks with Jewish intellectuals, opened each conversation with the request that his hosts acknowledge that the Palestinian refugees are entitled to return to their land. You must understand, said Sartre, that it is impossible to justify the Jewish right of return after two thousand years and to deny the same rights to the Arabs after only twenty years. more here. Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed a motion thanking the President for his address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament at the start of the Budget Session. The Upper House passed the resolution after opposition-sponsored amendments were negated. Prime Minister Narendra Modi replied to the debate on the motion that lasted over 13 hours. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SACRAMENTO Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters, introduced Assembly Bill 2074, to establish clear guidelines for when companies from the olive oil industry can use the term California in their product labeling and marketing. This measure is intended to protect consumers and farmers by providing clear information about the source of the olives and olive oils in the products they buy. The state produces 4% of the worlds olive oil from more than 75 varieties of olives. Due to Californias established reputation for producing high-quality olive oils, the demand for California olive oil is steadily increasing. Because of this spike in demand, there has been an increase in branding of olive oil with the term California or a California regional designation when the product on shelves is actually blended using oils sourced from other regions of the world, Aguiar-Curry said in a news release. As a result, a bottle of olive oil may be advertised and branded as California or a specific California region, but actually come from other countries. This has led to consumer confusion, and places California olive farmers and oil producers at a competitive disadvantage, she said. AB 2074 establishes clear guidelines for when olive oil producers can use the term California in their labeling. The bill strengthens existing law by making it illegal to make any false representation that an olive oil is produced entirely from olives grown within California when it is not. Similarly, the bill prohibits any representations indicating that an olive oil was produced from olives grown in a specific region of California, unless at least 85% of the olive oil was produced from olives grown in that region. Mitt Romney, the only Republican senator to cross the aisle and convict on the first charge of abuse of power during his trial, has said that the American President is "guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust". In an emotional speech on the Senate floor, the 72-year-old lawmaker from Utah, spoke of his own faith and of the possibility for retribution from the ruling he may face over his decision to go against Trump in one of the two charges against the president. "I'm aware that there are people in my party and in my own state who will strenuously disapprove of my decision and in some quarters I will be vehemently denounced. "I'm sure to hear abuse from the President and his supporters," Romney, the Republican Party's nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 election, said. He then went on to ask, "Does anyone seriously believe that I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before God demanded it of me?" "I take an oath before God as enormously consequential. I knew from the outset that being tasked with judging the President -- the leader of my own party -- would be the most difficult decision I have ever faced. I was not wrong," he said. "Mr. Romney's defection, which he announced a couple of hours before the final vote, was a stark reflection of the sweeping transformation of the over the past eight years into one that is now dominated almost entirely by Mr. Trump. And it deprived the president of the monolithic Republican support he had eagerly anticipated," The New York Times noted. On Wednesday, the Republican Party-driven Senate voted that Trump has been found not guilty in his trial, ending a bid to remove him from office. The Senate voted to acquit him 52-48 on charges of abuse of power and 53-47 on obstruction of Congress. Democrats charged Trump in December with pressuring Ukraine to smear former US Vice President Joe Biden, a potential 2020 White House rival from the Opposition Democratic Party. Going against his own party, Romney voted to convict the President on the abuse of power charge brought by the House in the trial. He, however, voted to acquit Trump on the second article, obstruction of Congress. "The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the President committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor," Romney said. "Yes, he did." "The President asked a foreign government to investigate his political rival. The President withheld vital military funds from that government to press it to do so. The President delayed funds for an American ally at war with Russian invaders," he said. "The President's purpose was personal and political. Accordingly, the President is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust," Romney said, justifying his decision to vote against Trump. President Trump was quick to attack Romney and called the senator a "Democrat secret asset." If convicted on either charge, Trump would have had to turn over his office to Vice-President Mike Pence. The Democratic-led House of Representatives approved the articles of impeachment on December 18. WESTMORELAND, N.H. Rick Merkt was showing me around his 150-acre yard, which includes a mountain, when his neighbor Woody came along in a Subaru and stopped to chat. Merkt and I had been discussing the state of the Democratic presidential primary race in the wake of former vice president Joe Bidens dismal performance in the Iowa caucuses on Monday. Woody, who is an aging baby-boomer like both us, had some thoughts on the presidential race as well. But in typical Granite State fashion he had a roundabout way of expressing them. After Merkt introduced us, Woody looked at my hat. Nice hat, he said. Thanks, I said. Its from Ireland. He looked at it again and said, Nice hat again. I didnt get the joke, But Merkt did. He was wearing a red Make America Great Again hat for some photos Id taken. This was Woodys way of saying that it wasnt such a nice hat, but politely as is the custom in New Hampshire. Merkt is a relative newcomer there. The former New Jersey assemblyman moved north from Morris County a few years ago and is now running for a seat in the New Hampshire assembly. It has 400 members and is more of a giant town meeting than a legislative body, said Merkt. As for Woody, hes an independent who will be voting in the Democratic Primary Tuesday. His attitude mirrored what the polls have been saying about the man who had hoped to be the front-runner in the race, Joe Biden. Woody said he used to support Biden, but lately has come around to the side of Pete Buttigieg, the former South Bend mayor who had a surprisingly good finish in the Iowa caucuses. At latest count, it looked like he and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders would split the lead in delegates, gaining 10 each. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren got four, but Biden got a goose egg. If Woodys typical, Biden wont be doing much better in New Hampshire. Woody said he Buttigiegs reserved style of speaking is more in tune with New Hampshire sensibilities. The mood of his conversation, its not combative like Elizabeth Warrens or cranked up like Bernies, he said. Woody noted that after his good showing in Iowa, Buttigieg spent most of his time thanking his supporters. That wasnt what Biden did when he addressed a crowd in Concord Tuesday. He reacted to his poor showing in Iowa by telling the crowd, Theres nothing to come back from yet but Id like you to rocket me out of here to make sure this thing works, Okay? That didnt sit well with Woody. He was like, Vote for me because I need a good showing in New Hampshire so I can go on, he said. It was all about himself. I suspect Biden will have a lot of time to spend with himself in the near future. Merkt said that even the Democrats in the state lean toward the live Free or Die slogan on the states license plates, not a message compatible with a Beltway type like Biden. As for the Republicans, when we got back to the house Merkt showed me a prize hed won in a raffle at a recent Republican club event. It was a brand-new Smith and Wesson .38 caliber automatic pistol. In New Jersey, people have been locked up for merely transporting an unloaded weapon like this in their car trunks. Here, a pistol is a party favor. Thats how you deter unwanted visitors, he joked. Bidens problem is that he doesnt have a message for New Hampshire voters that goes beyond his self-proclaimed ability to beat Donald Trump in November. But that message got diluted by his poor showing in Iowa. He was running a strong second to Sanders in the polls pre-Iowa. But in two polls posted after the Iowa results came in, Buttigieg had moved into second place in one and was tied for second with Biden in the other. Then theres Amy Klobuchar. The Minnesota Senator is also competing for the middle lane in this race. The candidate who gets it will have a lot of support from the many members of the party leadership who want to stop Sanders. Bidens last chance of becoming that candidate may come at the big debate Friday night in Manchester. That debate has on occasion changed the course of a primary race, most notably in 1980 when Ronald Reagan, whose campaign funded a debate with George H.W. Bush, got angry with a moderator who cut off his microphone. I paid for this microphone, Reagan said as he commanded the moderator to turn it back on. He did, and Reagan emerged from the pack. I hereby predict that in the not-too-distant future Biden will emerge from the pack as well. But not at the front. Package labeled Bag Full of Drugs leads to Florida arrests AP At least three die after Boeing 737 breaks into three pieces before bursting into flames in Istanbul Daily Mail (J-LS)/ Some Thoughts On the Business Roundtables Statement of Corporate Purpose RealClearMarkets. UserFriendly: Sigh. Limited Liability Is Causing Unlimited Harm Project Syndicate (David L). Ocean currents are speeding up faster than scientists predicted The Week (David L) More Than a Thousand Scientists Have Built the Most Detailed Picture of Cancer Ever BBC #2019-nCoV Brexit How the Brexit deal can be done FT German state gets new governor, with far-right votes AP (GP). China? Global shares rally after China pledges tariff cuts on US goods FT Thailand scraps China-led project to blast open Mekong River Reuters. And also China had no funding for it. India Impeachment New Cold War Trump Transition 2020 * * * Acronym, the dark money group behind the Iowa caucuses app meltdown, explained Recode. Deathless quote from a Democratic strategist: I dont think theyre evil, but in their thirst to take over the world using a bunch of short-term donor money, they leveraged their political connections to get contracts that they didnt have the expertise to fulfill, one Democratic strategist told me. Leaving open the question, then, of what Democratic strategists do consider evil. Far and away the most disorganized place Ive ever been a part of: Inside Acronyms disastrous foray into the Iowa caucuses The Outline A note to supporters of ACRONYM Tara McGowan (CEO), Medium. Supporters, yet. Tenacious T: I just called this press conference to let everyone know that I am indeed the happiest and most fulfilled human who ever lived. Thank you. * * * Iowa chaos highlights threat of domestic misinformation The Hill. Yeah, you know. Lilke a candidate giving a victory speech when the official count reads zero (0): So let me get this straight, The DNC hires Hillary staffers to make an app, Buttigieg is one of the main contributors, it fucks up the Iowa caucus, and just days before the DNC is looking for the word rigged on Twitter to quote 'stop disinformation'? Are you fucking kidding me? pic.twitter.com/cd7R4IaQDp beth, purity test enthusiast (@bourgeoisalien) February 5, 2020 Class Warfare Google Releases a Tool To Spot Faked and Doctored Images MIT Technology Review. Let the arms race begin! Welfare Surveillance System Violates Human Rights, Dutch Court Rules Guardian Scientists built an AI to figure out what the universe is made of NextWeb (David L) Revolt, Populism, and Reaction Mercatus Center. Resilc: Gurri is the best CIA analyst ever. Antidote du jour (via): And a bonus: If at first you dont succeed pic.twitter.com/EaU8IWF8pt Happy Cat (@HappyCatCentral) February 6, 2020 See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. With 2021 concluded and the 20th anniversary of the ModDB's Mod of the Year Awards wrapped up, we take a stroll down history lane and look back at all the winners over the last two decades. Iran's unsold oil stockpile stored on land, floating in the Persian Gulf and on high seas at the end of January has remained unchanged since September 2019, as it has curtailed production. Oil stockpiles stored on land stood at 61.6 and on the floating ships at 38 million barrels, respectively, the international energy information and tanker tracker company, Kpler, told Radio Farda. In September the total stockpiled oil was 104 million barrels. Hemmed by restrictions, Iran's oil exports swiftly dropped after Washington reimposed its sanctions on the Islamic Republic, in 2018. Nevertheless, Tehran continued for months to produce more oil than it could sell, hoping to circumvent the sanctions. The over-production reached a point that Iran's oil stockpile jumped from 47 million to almost 104 million barrels in autumn of 2019. Iran was basically running out of storage capacity. Based on OPEC's data, Iran has decreased its oil production in recent months to below 2.1 million barrels per day (bpd). Therefore, with local consumption at 1.8 million, and exporting another 300,000 bpd, Iran has practically had no oil surplus. Hence, the volume of the country's stored oil with no buyers has not increased in the past months. Kpler's report could mean that the days of over-production in Iranian oil fields are over, and the Islamic Republic has no more space to store its crude surplus. Earlier, Kpler had informed Radio Farda that Iran had exported 277,000 bpd in January. Compared with the pre-sanctions era, the data shows a ten-fold drop in Iran's oil exports. Under Washington's sanctions, Iran's oil production has also plunged from over 3.8 million to below 2.1 million bpd. International Energy Agency (IEA) also verifies that Iran is currently exporting 300,000 bpd, mainly to China and Syria. However, Iran does not receive any revenue from selling oil to Beijing. Reportedly, Tehran uses the income to pay its debt to China Petrochemical Corp (Sinopec) and China National Petroleum Corp (CNCP) for the development of Iran's super-giant Azadegan and Yadavaran oil fields. The Chinese companies developed the fields after Japanese and European companies pulled out of the projects due to fears of sanctions over Iran's nuclear program. Both oil fields are in the oil-rich southwestern province of Khuzestan. Washington and Beijing signed a trade agreement last month, and Chinese Customs' data shows that the volume of Iranian oil export to China in December dropped to below 100,000 bpd. Since Washington withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers, in 2018, the Islamic Republic has stopped publishing data on its oil production and exports. Following the same secretive approach, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Namdar Zanganeh told the state-run TV on February 4 that as he had always insisted, he would not give away any figures concerning the volume of crude oil exported. "Although the (Iranian) people are our confidants, they are not the only ones hearing me; the enemies also do. In the middle of a war, one should not give away their position to the enemy, let alone to an enemy as ruthless as America," Namdar Zanganeh said, reiterating, "Therefore do not expect me to present any figure or information concerning Iran's crude oil exports." Air France-KLM said Thursday that it would extend until March 15 the suspension of its flights to China, where authorities are struggling to contain a coronavirus outbreak. The French-Dutch carrier had already suspended all flights to and from China until February 9 and last week began flying employees out of the country. If conditions allow, it will gradually resume flights to Shanghai and Beijing starting March 16 before returning to normal schedules from March 29, including to Wuhan, the city at the epicentre of the virus outbreak, Air France-KLM said in a statement. "Air France is monitoring the situation in China in real time and has been working closely with national and international health authorities since the outbreak of the coronavirus," it said. Several airlines have halted flights to China, and some to Hong Kong as well, many citing a drop in passengers because of fears of exposure to a virus that has killed more than 550 people and infected more than 28,000. The outbreak has been declared a global health emergency, prompting several governments to warn against travel to China and ban new arrivals from the country. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gov. Tom Wolf picked a friendly venue when he went to a Carlisle Area School District school on Wednesday to pitch his $200 million college scholarship proposal. Had he chosen to walk into a charter school to promote his plan, the scene could have gotten ugly. Charter school parents are outraged over what they are calling his slash and burn charter school reforms unveiled as part of Wolfs 2020-21 budget proposal. They also were put off by references to their kids schools in his budget address. Some are little more than fronts for private management companies, and the only innovation theyre coming up with involve finding new ways to take money out of the pockets of property taxpayers like setting up sham online schools or exploiting a loophole in special education funding, Wolf said. The Pennsylvania Coalition of Pubic Charter Schools Facebook page was filled with fuming parents reacting to the governors remarks. Our governor is an idiot on so many levels, one cyber charter school parent from Carlisle posted. Another wrote, PA Cyber is FAR FROM a sham. Yet another called his proposal shameful and insulting." Ana Meyers, the charter school coalitions executive director, said parents she spoke with were outraged and felt like their children were being treated like second-class citizens. They felt it was very disrespectful to them," she said. Ana Meyers, executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools, said Gov. Tom Wolf's latest charter school reform intended to save school districts money left parents who chose this public school option feeling like their children were being treated like second-class citizens. Parents feel punished In his budget, Wolf called on lawmakers to establish a flat tuition rate for all cyber charter schools and apply the same formula used to distribute special education dollars to school districts to the states charter schools. The result of those changes? Wolf said it would save school districts $280 million on their charter school tuition bills. But the districts gain is charter schools pain. Losing that amount of money would likely cause some of the smaller charter schools to close down and at the very least, cause others to scale back their programs, representatives from the charter school community said. They see the governors proposal as another attack on their schools that follows other reforms he proposed last fall. Maurice Flurie, CEO of the Commonwealth Charter Academy, said the governor is sending a harsh message to the parents of the nearly 9,000 students attending his Harrisburg-based school. Flurie said parents are essentially asking, Why is the governor punishing my children because we chose a charter school because my school district wasnt working for me? More than 143,000 students or 7% of all public school students across Pennsylvania are enrolled in 180 brick-and-mortar and cyber charter schools. Tens of thousands more are on waiting lists hoping to enroll in one, particularly in Philadelphia, Meyers said. Charter schools rely on traditional public schools for funding. Charter schools dont have taxing authority; they receive tuition payments from their host school districts. The payments, by law, are limited to 75% to 80% of what a district spends to educate a student in their own schools. That results in tuition payments that range between $7,700 and $21,400 per student per year. Costs keep rising School districts complain that the tuition payments for district students who enroll in charter schools are growing to the point that they are crowding out money available to operate district schools. In 2017-18, districts paid $1.82 billion in charter school tuition, according to a report released last week by the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials and the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. Representatives from those groups said they expect districts charter bills this year will top $2 billion and are on track to top $3 billion in five years. Cumberland Valley School District Superintendent David Christopher said his districts cyber school tuition payments have grown by more than $1.2 million since 2015. That presents a problem in his district, which is the fastest growing district in Pennsylvania. Cumberland Valley School District Superintendent David Christopher said, "It seems unconscionable to me that there has been no reform with the way cyber charter schools are funded." This equates to 15 teachers we are unable to add to support our growing student population, he said at a news conference last week at the state Capitol. Without changes to cyber charter school tuition rates that are more in line with cyber school educational costs, the district will continue to see increased class sizes for students in our schools. It seems unconscionable to me that there has been no reform with the way cyber charter schools are funded. Wolf proposed establishing a flat $9,500 cyber charter school tuition rate per student per year, pointing out the typical tuition rate intermediate units charge for their cyber programs is $5,400 per student per year. He estimates this will save districts $133 million annually. But Meyers said the rate Wolf is proposing doesnt reflect the actual costs cyber schools incur. She said they have buildings, technology, technical support, internet reimbursement, family services, learning management systems and state testing expenses, among others. She said intermediate units can charge less to operate their cyber programs because they rely on districts to provide those services. Flurie, a former school district administrator, said it could create a hardship to districts that are paying less than the $9,500 per student rate now while producing a windfall for districts paying more than that, which tend to be the ones with the financial wherewithal to pay it. As for the special education proposal, Wolf wants charter schools to be paid for serving special needs students using the same four-tiered funding formula that the state uses to distribute special education dollars to school districts. This formula was devised to better align funding with actual costs of providing services to these students. Districts receive larger amounts of money for students requiring more intensive services and smaller amounts for those needing less intensive ones. Tuition payments to charter schools, meanwhile, are based on a formula that the state abandoned in 2014 to distribute special education dollars to districts. It assumes special needs students comprise 16% of a districts student population, regardless of the level of services required. According to PA Charter Change, a group of public school advocates that includes the Pennsylvania School Boards Association, that formula resulted in the charter schools being overpaid more than $100 million in 2014-15. Further, they said it creates incentives for charter schools to over-identify children for special education. Moving charters to the current formula used for school districts is estimated to save districts $147 million annually. Meyers said changing the way charters are paid for serving special education students could create serious financial hardships for charter schools. They dont have the ability to raise taxes if the tuition payments they receive dont cover the cost of services for these children. A dispute over charter school funding has been ongoing practically since the 1997 law passed that opened the door for this different form of public education in Pennsylvania. Lawmakers have managed to only make tweaks to the law since then. But despite numerous tries, lawmakers have yet to reach an agreement on a fairer way to fund charter schools that both they and districts can accept. That delay has only served to add to the tension that exists between these two public education sectors. Christopher, Cumberland Valleys superintendent, said at the news conference that he is further concerned about the lack of accountability that exists with cyber charter schools. He pointed out all perform in the bottom 5 percent on state exams. If these were truly public schools that were accountable to local taxpayers, there would be serious questions asked about these schools," Christopher said. "Instead, cyber charters continue to promote free public education in ads they run across the state using taxpayer funds and promote the schools as high quality. To that, Meyers said charter school parents are not worried so much about their schools test scores as they are about the environment in which their children are learning and where their needs can best be met. Those are the reasons why families are exiting even good schools, she said. No family has the intention of wanting their child to learn online because they want them behind a computer. Im sure there are some but the majority of families are leaving school districts because the needs of their children are not being met. Flurie said rather than pitting public education sectors against each other, hed much rather see the state reinstate a practice it ended in 2011-12, where the state reimbursed school districts for a portion of their charter school bills. Then you are supporting one public school entity and not punishing another, he said. Jan Murphy may be reached at jmurphy@pennlive.com. Follow her on Twitter at @JanMurphy. More from PennLive Horse racing industry says 'whoa, Nelly to Wolfs plan to raid its trust fund to pay for college scholarships Heres what towns would pay for state police under Gov. Tom Wolfs fee proposal: Use the database 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. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has signed into law GOP-led regulations on the use of firefighting foams that contain a hazardous chemical that already has been found in Lake Monona fish. The Republican-authored bill was signed Wednesday and limits where firefighters and others could test or train with foam containing PFAS. The new law also allows use of the foam only in emergency fire responses or in approved testing areas. PFAS contamination of groundwater is a serious issue in northeastern Wisconsin and a growing problem in other areas of the state due in large part to the uncontained use of these foams, legislation co-author Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, said in a statement. The bill passed both the Senate and Assembly on voice votes last month, but some Democratic lawmakers have argued the bill does not do enough to address the issue. PFAS chemicals also found in food packaging, non-stick cookware, water-resistant clothing, carpeting and other products have been shown to increase the risk of cancer and other ailments. They are known as forever chemicals because they do not break down in the environment. Democrats have introduced legislation that would require the Department of Natural Resources to establish enforcement standards for PFAS in air, water and soil and to hold polluters responsible for cleanup. The proposal has gained little traction with Republicans, who have said they want to take a more cautious approach. Nygren has said he has been working with Democratic lawmakers on a measure that would help ensure legislative oversight over temporary emergency rules for PFAS chemicals the DNR could issue to protect property owners from contamination. PFAS contamination is a complex and constantly evolving issue that will not be solved by this bill alone, Nygren said in the statement. However, source reduction is a key step in keeping this problem from getting worse. The Department of Health Services has recommended limiting consumption of carp, largemouth bass, walleye and perch from Lake Monona and Starkweather Creek to once a month citing the presence of PFAS in the fish. The department says it is safe to eat bluegill once a week. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) Senator Imee Marcos wants the Philippine government to ask the United States to make China leave Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, but her suggestion was thumbed down during a legislative hearing. "Nakasulat na na talagang tutulong sila (US) pag inatake ang isang vessel ng ating military... E ano kaya, pwede rin po ba natin hingin sa Amerika na palayasin na ang Tsina sa Scarborough Shoal?" Marcos said Thursday during a Senate hearing on the Visiting Forces Agreement and the impact of its possible termination on other agreements, including the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement. [Translation: It's already written that the US will really help if a vessel of our military is attacked... What if we ask America to shoo China away from Scarborough Shoal?] "Subukan lang natin, hingin lang natin sa Amerika (Let's just try and ask it from the US)," Marcos added. Foreign Affairs Secretary Tedoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin, Jr. earlier said that the Philippines has secured a written commitment from US that "an armed attack on the Armed Forces' public forces or aircraft of the Philippines in the Pacific, including the South China Sea, would trigger the Mutual Defense Treaty obligations of the US." US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered a similar statement after a bilateral meeting with Locsin in May 2019. Locsin, however, said he would never follow Marcos' suggestion. "I would not do it simply because this is a Mutual Defense Treaty and not invitation to a war," he said. The senior diplomat added that the Philippines lost its chance when China gained control of Scarborough Shoal after a standoff in 2012. China had since blocked Filipino fishermen from Scarborough, also known as Panatag Shoal, west of Zambales. This prompted Manila to file a case for international arbitration, which it largely won, but China rejects. "We should have asked for it, we should have put up a fight, we should have ignored (former US President Barack) Obama, we should have let our ship sink," Locsin said, adding that this should have triggered the MDT then. Clarita Carlos, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines, also disagreed with Marcos. "With all due respect, I dont think its politic to ask the Americans to do something which we ourselves could not do," Carlos said. The Senate is discussing the VFA after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to scrap it a response to the US' cancellation of Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's tourist visa. EXPLAINER: The Visiting Forces Agreement Locsin said if the VFA would be scrapped, the 1951 MDT which states that each country would come to the defense of the other in case of an attack by a foreign country would be as useless as "deflated balloon." He added that there's no assurance that the defense cooperation would push through under EDCA, which allows the US military to use and control five bases in the Philippines. Locsin said a "vigorous review" of the VFA is called for, but clarified this is not the official stance of the Department of Foreign Affairs which is just awaiting President Rodrigo Duterte's order to send the US a notice to terminate the VFA. Locsin said he will "insist on" negotiating controversial provisions of the VFA during the review, including the lax visa and passport policies for American troops and the authority granted to the US government to retain jurisdiction over military personnel if ever they commit crimes in the Philippines. Technavio has been monitoring the global medical marijuana market since 2018 and the market is poised to grow by USD 22.33 billion during 2020-2024 at a CAGR of over 24% during the forecast period. Request Free Sample Pages This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005614/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global medical marijuana market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Read the 136-page research report with TOC on "Medical Marijuana Market Analysis Report by Geography (APAC, Europe, MEA, North America, and South America), Application (Chronic pain, Nausea, and Others), and Segment Forecasts, 2020-2024". https://www.technavio.com/report/medical-marijuana-market-industry-analysis The market is driven by plans to boost the production and availability of medical marijuana by governments. In addition, the increase in funding for research and production of medical marijuana is anticipated to further boost the growth of the medical marijuana market. The increasing demand for marijuana from dispensaries and patients for medical applications is encouraging marijuana growers and government organizations to improve the access to legal marijuana for medical research. This is encouraging various governments such as the US government to issue plans to legalize the production of marijuana and expand the number of entities that are certified to grow marijuana plants. This will allow users to place orders for medical marijuana products. Thus, the plans to increase production and availability of medical marijuana by governments is expected to drive market growth during 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 Medical Marijuana Market Companies: Aphria Inc. Aphria Inc. is headquartered in Canada and operates the business under various business segments such as Cannabis operations, Distribution operations, and Business under development. The company offers medical marijuana under its brand name Broken Coast. Aurora Cannabis Inc. Aurora Cannabis Inc. is headquartered in Canada and offers products through the following business units: Cannabis and Horizontally Integrated Business. The company offers products such as soft gel, strips, blends, and oils. Cannabis Sativa Inc. Cannabis Sativa Inc. is headquartered in the US and operates under Cannabis products business segment. The company offers medical marijuana products under its brand names including PrestoDoctor and hiDispensaries. Canopy Growth Corp. Canopy Growth Corp. is headquartered in Canada and offers products through the following business segments: Cannabis operations and Canopy Rivers. The company offers products such as soft gel capsules, concentrates, and marijuana oils. Cronos Group Inc. Cronos Group Inc. is headquartered in Canada and offers products through the following business segments: Cannabis operations and Canopy Rivers. The company offers Performance Testing and Engineering services as its stress testing solution concentrates, marijuana oils, and soft gel capsules. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Medical Marijuana Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020-2024) Chronic pain Nausea Others Medical Marijuana Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Billion, 2020-2024) APAC Europe MEA North America South America 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: Legal Cannabis Market Global Legal Cannabis Market by product (legal medical cannabis and legal recreational cannabis) and geography (Americas, APAC, and EMEA). 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/20200206005614/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: https://www.technavio.com President Xi Jinping meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday. PANG XINGLEI / XINHUA By CAO DESHENG Prompt efforts urged as top leadership meets; officials warned not to shirk responsibilities China has stepped up the fight against the novel coronavirus, as the country's top leadership has demanded all-around support to curb the spread of the contagious pneumonia that has claimed 490 lives on the Chinese mainland as of Tuesday. As President Xi Jinping has involved himself in the leadership of the "people's war" against the epidemic, observers said the advantage of the country's system that enables it to gather all necessary resources to address major problems will ensure the nation can win the battle against the outbreak. In a meeting with visiting Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen on Wednesday, Xi said the Chinese government has taken the most comprehensive and rigorous measures to prevent and control the outbreak. Noting that China has undergone a lot of hardships, Xi said the Chinese people have the confidence and capability to win the battle against the epidemic. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, urged prompt and resolute efforts to combat the disease while presiding over a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee in Beijing on Monday. It was the second such meeting in 10 days on the battle against the outbreak, with the number of cumulative confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland reaching 24,324 as of Tuesday. The Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions as well as Taiwan reported a total of 39 confirmed cases of the disease as of Tuesday. The virus has also spread to several other Asian nations and has reached Australia, the United States and Europe as well. Xi stressed at the Monday meeting that epidemic prevention and control efforts directly matter to people's lives and health, overall socioeconomic stability and the country's opening-up drive, and he urged officials to earnestly implement relevant measures and policies targeted at epidemic control. He warned that officials who fail to honestly implement the decisions and policies made by the CPC Central Committee and shirk their responsibilities will be held accountable, and those who neglect their duty will be punished in accordance with Party discipline and the law. Among dozens of officials who have been held accountable across the country due to dereliction of duty in the epidemic control work was Tang Zhihong, director of the Health Committee of Huanggang in Hubei province, who was removed from office on Jan 30 for being asleep at the switch. Three officials from the Hubei branch of the Red Cross Society of China were also punished for improperly dealing with donations for the prevention and control of the outbreak. The key Party meeting came after the World Health Organization declared on Jan 30 that the novel coronavirus outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the declaration aims to enhance international response to the infections instead of being a vote of no confidence in China. Tedros praised the nation's efforts in the prevention and control of the contagion after visiting China last week. While meeting with Xi in Beijing during the visit, he said the high speed and massive scale of China's moves are rarely seen in the world, and it showed China's efficiency and the advantage of its system. Xi's personal guidance and deployment in the fight against the virus show his great leadership capability, Tedros said, adding it is admirable that the Chinese government has shown its solid political resolve and taken timely and effective measures in dealing with the epidemic. Under Xi's leadership, China has taken unprecedented rigorous measures to contain the outbreak, pooling national medical personnel and supplies to the hardest-hit regions. A total of 1,400 medical personnel from the armed forces were tasked with treating patients beginning on Monday in the 1,000-bed Huoshenshan Hospital, which was newly built in just 10 days in Wuhan, the city in Hubei province that is the epicenter of the outbreak. An additional 2,000 medics from around the country will also pitch in. Bernhard Bartsch, a China expert from the Bertelsmann Foundation in Germany, said China's system demonstrates high efficiency in a crisis, as it allows the country to take appropriate steps by pooling all necessary personnel and material resources and employing its well-functioning hierarchical system, according to the website of German newspaper Die Welt. Addressing the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on Jan 25, which was the Chinese Lunar New Year and second day of the weeklong Spring Festival holiday, Xi asked the Party and government officials to put priority on people's safety and health and take the prevention and control of the contagious disease as the most urgent task. The meeting decided to establish a central leading group, which is composed of key government departments officials and headed by Premier Li Keqiang, to guide the fight against the outbreak. Two days after the meeting, Xi issued an instruction on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus, and called on Party organizations and members to play a model role in the fight and to unite the people to win the battle against the virus. Zhang Ying'ai, a community-level Party official from Beijing's Chaoyang district, said she was confident the nation, particularly people from Wuhan and Hubei province, will emerge from the crisis soon as measures adopted by the government to combat the virus take effect. Zhong Nanshan, a leading expert tackling the virus, said on Sunday that the epidemic is still at its growing phase, but he added that "it won't lead to a massive nationwide pandemic, only regional ones if they occur". Leaders and senior officials from various countries also praised the country's timely response to contain the contagion and the transparent manner it has shown in the process. In a recent message delivered to Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that under Xi's leadership, China will curb the spread of the virus with rigorous measures and keep the losses at a minimal level. During a telephone conversation with State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the open, transparent and cooperative attitude and strong and effective measures of the Chinese government are admirable. Analysts said the Monday meeting was crucial, as it laid out an overall plan for the country's epidemic control efforts at the next stage, and also underscored the need to improve the country's emergency management system and capacity for handling urgent, difficult, dangerous and important tasks. "The outbreak is a major test of China's system and capacity for governance, and we must sum up the experience and draw a lesson from it," a statement released after the Monday meeting said, calling for efforts to strengthen the areas of weakness in public health and to crack down on illegal wildlife trade to address major public health risks at the root. Yang Yu, a researcher at the China Center for Urban Development, said the epidemic is like a mirror reflecting weakness in the country's emergency management system. It once again calls for the need to further improve China's governance system and capacity, Yang said. Advertisement Lara Trump was far removed for the action of the impeachment trial on Wednesday as she walked with her two-year-old son Luke near their New York home. Trump wrapped up in a metallic silver jacket while walking near Central Park with her son in a stroller as the president's Senate impeachment trial came to an end, acquitting him of both two charges. Lara, 37, traveled with her husband Eric, 35, President Trump's second eldest son, to the State of the Union in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, returning immediately to the couple's home in New York today. On Wednesday she took her eldest child out for some fresh air, leaving the couple's youngest daughter Carolina at home. Lara Trump, 37, strolls through New York City with her two-year-old son Luke as Trump's Senate impeachment trial finished Lara Trump enjoyed some fresh air with two-year-old Luke before heading for the car and warmer temperatures Lara Trump traveled back to her two children in New York on Wednesday after the State of the Union in Washington D.C. The TV producer wore a silver puffer jacket with blue jeans, a black beanie and white sneakers as she strolled through thew Central Park are with staff. She was seen packing up her son's stroller and entering a car as she left. Lara, 37, braved the New York cold in a metallic silver puffer jacket and jeans before meeting a car with her son Luke Lara, 37, wore a silver puffer jacket, blue jeans and a black beanie while she walked with her son Luke, 2, before entering a car Lara Trump packed up her stroller as she put her son Luke in a car after a quick breath of fresh air in New York City Lara attended last night's State of the Union where she listened to the president's address from the First Lady's box. She wore a sold-out suit from high street store Zara costing just $259.90, in contrast to the $2,240 Givenchy dress worn by her sister-in-law Ivanka. Lara was the only female member of the first family to wear a pantsuit, pairing the double-breasted camel toned suit with brown heels. The Trumps celebrated their reunion by posing for a family photo together, with Ivanka and Lara standing front and center. Lara, center right, joined sisters-in-law Ivanka, left, and Tiffany, right, with Jared Kushner, center left, at the State of the Union The Trump family celebrated the 2020 State of the Union with a family portrait backstage ahead of Trump's address Lara Trump is a common fixture on the 2020 Trump campaign trail and is listed as an advisor on the president's campaign The look was far removed from the long graphic-pattern dress she wore in 2019. Lara was joined in the First Lady's box by the rest of the first family including Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle, and Tiffany Trump and her boyfriend Michael Boulos. Ivanka, 38, donned a $2,240 black Givenchy pencil dress with a red collar and matching red shoes, while Lara opted to wear a more budget-friendly $259.90 tan suit with a double-breasted jacket from the fast-fashion chain Zara. Lara posted an Instagram story from behind the scenes in which first daughter Tiffany Trump and Kimberly Guilfoyle can be seen getting ready for the address. Both Lara and and Don Jr.'s girlfriend Kimberly have been busy traveling around the country to campaign for the president as part of his 2020 re-election team. Lara is listed as a campaign advisor to the president and is the producer/host of Trump Productions' Real News Update. Lara Trump, right, recorded a video featuring Tiffany Trump, center, and Kimberly Guilfoyle, left, that she posted on her Instagram Stories from last night's State of the Union before President Trump delivered his 2020 address Before President Trump was acquitted later in the evening, Lara Trump strolled through New York City on Wednesday Lara Trump, wife of first son Eric Trump, paired a black beanie with a metallic jacket and black belt as she walked in NYC While speaking on Fox News on Monday, Lara declared that senator Bernie Sanders is the Trump campaign's preferred candidate in the Democratic Party's 2020 race. 'Bernie looks very strong right now and I think whenever you're talking about comparing on November 3 of 2020 two different candidates they couldn't be more different between Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders,' she told Fox News host Tucker Carlson as the Iowa caucus was underway. 'It doesn't really matter to us at the Trump campaign who it is because we really feel like people are feeling the results of the Trump presidency in very positive ways every day across this country so we feel great as we go into November. 'But listen, if you want a stark contrast and you want to show people really how frightening it could be out there I guess Bernie Sanders could be that person but we'll have to see what the people of Iowa and all across this country decide.' WASHINGTON New opponents confronted Facebook on Wednesday as it moves forward with a plan to encrypt all of its messaging platforms: child welfare advocates who said that encryption would allow child predators to operate with impunity across the companys apps. Facebook has a responsibility to work with law enforcement and to prevent the use of your sites and services for sexual abuse, a group of 129 child protection organizations, led by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, said in a letter to the Silicon Valley company. An increased risk of child abuse being facilitated on or by Facebook is not a reasonable trade-off to make. The letter indicates how activists and law enforcement agencies have seized on child exploitation as a new way to combat the expanded use of encryption in consumer technology. The Justice Department and its counterparts in Britain and Australia previously used the threat of terrorist activity to rail against encryption, saying that tech companies were shielding malicious and dangerous criminals. But they have recently shifted their focus to child exploitation as tech companies have made good on plans to make it harder to see or stop illicit activity on those platforms. Team led by University of Oregon doctoral student says new evidence, based on statistical modeling of radiocarbon dates, shows the island's monument-building culture was thriving when Europeans arrived EUGENE, Ore. - Feb. 6, 2020 - The prehistoric collapse of Easter Island's monument-building society did not occur as long thought, according to a fresh look at evidence by researchers at four institutions. "The general thinking has been that the society that Europeans saw when they first showed up was one that had collapsed," said Robert J. DiNapoli, a doctoral candidate in the University of Oregon's Department of Anthropology who led the analysis. "Our conclusion is that monument-building and investment were still important parts of their lives when these visitors arrived." Easter Island, a Chilean territory also known as Rapa Nui, is located about 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) from South America and 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) from any other inhabited island. Rapa Nui is believed to have been settled in the 13th century by Polynesian seafarers. They soon began building massive stone platforms stacked with megalithic statues and large, cylindrical stone hats that were used for cultural and religious rituals, including burial and cremation. A widely-held narrative is that monument construction stopped around 1600 after a major societal collapse. In the new research, detailed online ahead of print in the Journal of Archaeological Science, DiNapoli's team presents a chronology for the statue platform construction by integrating existing radiocarbon dates with the order of assembly required to build the monuments and the written records of Dutch, Spanish and English seafarers who began arriving in 1722. Taken together, DiNapoli said, the integration of data, using Bayesian statistics, brings clarity to radiocarbon-dating at various sites. Rapa Nui islanders, the researchers concluded, continued to build, maintain and use the monuments for at least 150 years beyond 1600. The project began as part of DiNapoli's dissertation, which is focused on the process of building the monuments' architecture. Looking at 11 sites, the researchers examined the necessary sequence of construction, beginning with building a central platform and then adding different structures and statues. That helped make sense of differing radiocarbon dates found at various excavation sites. Monument construction, according to the team, began soon after initial Polynesian settlement and increased rapidly, sometime between the early 14th and mid-15th centuries, with a steady rate of construction events that continued well beyond the hypothesized collapse and the European arrival. When the Dutch arrived in 1722, their written observations reported that the monuments were in use for rituals and showed no evidence for societal decay. The same was reported in 1770, when Spanish seafarers landed on the island. "Their stays were short and their descriptions brief and limited," DiNapoli said. "But they provide useful information to help us think about the timing of building and using these structures as part of their cultural and religious lives." However, when British explorer James Cook arrived four years later, in 1774, he and his crew described an island in crisis, with overturned monuments. "The way we interpret our results and this sequence of historical accounts is that the notion of a pre-European collapse of monument construction is no longer supported," DiNapoli said. "Once Europeans arrive on the island, there are many documented tragic events due to disease, murder, slave raiding and other conflicts," said co-author Carl Lipo, an anthropologist at Binghamton University in New York. "These events are entirely extrinsic to the islanders and have, undoubtedly, devastating effects. Yet, the Rapa Nui people - following practices that provided them great stability and success over hundreds of years - continue their traditions in the face of tremendous odds," he said. "The degree to which their cultural heritage was passed on - and is still present today through language, arts and cultural practices - is quite notable and impressive. I think this degree of resilience has been overlooked due to the collapse narrative and deserves recognition." The approach developed for the research, which was funded by the National Science Foundation, may be useful for testing hypotheses of societal collapse at other complex sites around the world where similar debates on timing exist, the researchers noted. ### Co-authors with DiNapoli and Lipo were Timothy M. Rieth of the International Archaeological Research Institute in Hawaii and Terry L. Hunt of the University of Arizona. Source: Robert DiNapoli, doctoral student, Department of Anthropology, 541-346-5109, rdinapol@uoregon.edu Links: About Robert DiNapoli: https://anthropology.uoregon.edu/profile/rdinapol/ UO Department of Anthropology: https://anthropology.uoregon.edu/ Related findings by DiNapoli: https://around.uoregon.edu/content/study-suggests-fresh-water-was-key-easter-islands-monuments?utm_source=ato01-16-19 About Carl Lipo: https://www.binghamton.edu/anthropology/faculty/profile.html?id=clipo YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. Lawmaker Taron Simonyan from the opposition Bright Armenia (LHK) party argues that the parliament cannot call for a referendum around the ruling blocs bill regarding the high court without passing it through the first reading. Earlier the ruling bloc, the My Step faction, itself said they will not pass their own bill in order for it to go for a vote in a referendum. But Simonyan claims the move is impossible. We must confirm it at first reading, and then it must go to the Constitutional Court. After the Constitutional Courts positive conclusion you can vote it down at the second reading, and then only you can raise the issue of referendum, the opposition lawmaker said. He did however note that the goal is understandable, but he asked whether the measures and methods used arent superficial. In my deepest belief they are superficial. As a result of this you are ignoring many legal clauses, violating them, and in the future this entire process will have to bear these violations, he said. The parliament majority, the My Step bloc, will not pass its own bill on replacing the high court judges at first reading in a technical maneuver to propose to call a referendum on the matter, lawmaker Vahagn Hovakimyan from the ruling party said in parliament earlier today. The My Step faction will not adopt this bill on first reading and by virtue of the powers vested in parliament under paragraph 3 of Article 202 of the Constitution it will recommend putting up for vote the decision on presenting this bill for referendum. This is the application of direct democracy, this is the conviction and belief of our political force. We have faith in our people, and we have to listen to our people, he said. The MP said that during this period of time the parliament and the Cabinet have done their best to resolve the crisis around the Constitutional Court. He recalled the parliaments earlier motion that was sent to the Constitutional Court requesting to terminate the powers of chief justice Hrayr Tovmasyan, which however was denied. He also recalled the voluntary early retirement plan for justices, which was approved by the Venice Commission. The parliamentary majoritys bill on making constitutional amendments seeks to enable replacing the Constitutional Court justices who were appointed under the previous constitution. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan SPRINGFIELD A programming error in Illinois automatic voter registration system that mistakenly enrolled more than 500 people was a wakeup call, the states top elections official said Wednesday. One string of code among 8.5 million others controlling the hundreds of functions of the secretary of states office resulted in 574 people who identified themselves as non-U.S. citizens being registered to vote, the agencys senior legal advisor, Nathan Maddox, said. Of those people, 15 cast ballots. Only one was not a citizen, Maddox said. I think that if theres a silver lining to this, its going to cause us to make sure that our systems are as good as they can possibly be, Steve Sandvoss, director of the Illinois State Board of Elections, said. Four Republican representatives spent more than an hour Wednesday, on the eve of early voting opening for the states March 17 primary election, questioning secretary of state and elections board officials. Springfield Rep. Tim Butler said several instances caused fears that our elections system is compromised, and asked what can be done to alleviate further issues. What has come to light in the past few weeks from self-identified non-citizens registering, to 16-year-olds being forwarded through the system, to people who opted out of registering actually being forwarded, to this weeks revelation ... that almost 800 previously incarcerated Illinois citizens had their voting rights cancelled has certainly wounded the integrity of voter registration here in Illinois, Butler said. Secretary of state officials, who took responsibility for the errors, said legislative solutions are not necessary to address lawmaker concerns. Ultimately, Maddox said, there is no part of this that is not going to be reviewed. Jeff Clines, director of information technology for the agency, added that his staff is testing and reviewing the programs in place to ensure there are no other problems and are looking for opportunities to better the system. Maddox said the office plans to add an exit button to the signature pad, as recommended by the elections board. It will enable those applying for a drivers license to not be added to the states voter rolls. The office also plans to make that opt-out language more clear. Officials did not clearly indicate whether more training for the roughly 2,300 Department of Motor Services employees who are on the front-lines of automatic voter registration, Butler said is needed. Currently, regional managers receive memos detailing policies, procedures and best practices. Managers then work with attendants on how to execute those. Brenda Glahn, senior legal advisor for the secretary of states office, said the office is always looking for ways, if we see that a particular error (has been made), we certainly will send out another memo. I do want to point out that this was an error, and there was no effort put forth to hide anything or to cook the books, so to speak, Secretary of State Jesse White said. We want to make sure that not only do we take on the job, but we take on the responsibility that goes along with it; and we want to make sure that the individuals who have registered to vote get an opportunity to do so. Rep. Joe Sosnowski, of Rockford, asked both agencies to update the General Assembly on the progress of any steps that will be taken in May before it adjourns. Secretary of state and Board of Elections representatives emphasized Illinois voter registration and election processes are of the utmost importance. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Proximity Greenhouse Exposes Flaws in Criminal Justice System Through Art and Connection If you drove down Martin Luther King boulevard towards the Baldwin Hills Mall, you might have noticed a greenhouse was erected in the lot in front of the Kaiser Permanente. The greenhouse structure was called Proximity, which was created in partnership with the organizations Trap Heals and Represent Justice. Proximity is an activation that promotes criminal justice reform, built to encourage people to see the movie Just Mercy in theatres. The events planned at Proximity were meant to galvanize attendees and the greater Los Angeles community. Panels on immigration, the cannabis industry, ownership, yoga sessions and pop-up concerts where some of the many events that took place. ADVERTISEMENT They partnered with Brunch 2 Bomb 90s R&B Brunch party for a Martin Luther King Parade Afterparty, music group Las Cafeteras performed later on that week. Coldplay also stopped by to visit. Panelist include Prophet Walker of Treehouse Co-Living, Emmy nominated choreographer Chloe Arnold, L.A. Department of Cannabis Regulation executive director Cat Packer, Johnathan Franklin of L.A. Rams community affairs, and DJ QwessCoast. My desire as a cultural architect is to put everybody in the same place together, said Damon Turner, the founder and CEO of Trap Heals. Its been a lot of really dope programming. Turner is also one of the original members of the Black Lives Matter organization. Vines, leaves and flowers adorned the greenhouse along with art pieces by Damon Davis, the co-host of Damon + Damon: a Podcast. One piece of his artwork was called The Boy and the Horse, which is part of his collection called Darker Gods. Davis created deities for minorities with a hope that it will help improve their views on themselves. I think mythology and stories tell us a lot about what we think of ourselves, he said. If you can change the narrative around, the ways somebody thinks about themselves and think about the world, you can change the world. In honor of the movie Just Mercy Davis profiled four people who are incarcerated through his artwork. Each portrait was patched together in black and white and in color with parts of them painted in gold, they were surrounded in moss and flowers inside an ornate gold picture frame. The gold paint symbolized worth and the moss represents growth. Black and white portrait reminds Davis of mug shots. ADVERTISEMENT That mug shot is a signifier of what they did, but not who they are, Davis said. So, I wanted to take them apart and show the layers underneath, that color and that vibrance that makes them whole human beings. Along with the portraits were pay phones provided the Leimert Phone Company; on the phones, people could hear the story of the incarcerated individual and messages from their loved ones. They also heard about methods to connect to the individuals. Co-founder of Initiate Justice Richard Reseda Edmond-Vargas, connected the four incarcerated people toTurner and others who helped create the Proximity greenhouse. The concept of the four people sharing their stories came from the theme of reaching out to people who are incarcerated from the movie Just Mercy, according to Turner. We wanted to recreate the visitation experience, when you go to prison, but humanize the visitation experience, Turner said. When you have the bench in front of the portrait, we want you to sit down and look at this person eye-to-eye and hold the phone to your ear and hear them talk to you. To learn more about the Proximity activation and four individuals featured in the artwork, visit https://proximityis.care/ New Delhi, Feb 6 : From agitationist to anarchist to terrorist, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwals short political journey has seen many upheavals and sobriquets heaped on him. With just two days to go for polling in the capital, a combative Kejriwal met the IANS leadership team of Sandeep Bamzai and Deepak Sharma and categorically told them that he believes the time has come for Kaam ki Rajniti rather than the divisive politics of hate by playing Hindus versus Muslims. Excerpts: Q: The BJP says AAP will provide free water and power only for a few months if it comes back to power? A: Till Kejriwal is there, it will all remain free. I am saying it on record to IANS. It is there in our manifesto and I give you my guarantee. Water, power, hospitals, schools, travel for women, pilgrimages for senior citizens, all will remain free till our government remains in power. There is no financial burden for us as the Budget is now showing profit while earlier in Sheilaji's (ex-Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit) time it used to be in losses. Taxes have also been cut. I have saved all this money by reducing corruption . Q: If the ballot boxes opened on February 11 show a 'sweep' by the AAP 'jhadu', what is the message this will convey to the electorate and to Indian democracy? A: It is not a message from me but by the people of Delhi, which is that now people will vote only on issues like schools and hospitals, so this Hindu-Muslim issue will not work as people will reject it. They will reject caste politics. If I'm a 'Bania', I don't ask all Banias to vote for me. I only tell them that I have provided education for your children. Vote for me if you want good education for your kids, if you want good medical care for your families, if you want 24-hour power. These are the people who are my votebank. This is how we will build the new India of the 21st century. But this new India will not be built by hurling abuses and by doing Hindu-Muslim politics. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed For newer artists, the festival offers an opportunity to connect to the history of the neighborhood, the long-gone venues and storefronts and the people who did and continue to call it their home. This is a really great way to kind of get their name known, make a couple of great local contacts, and kind of get that energy started so the neighborhood will end up putting them on stage and helping them build their musical journey, said Maass. T he term "painkiller" creates unrealistic expectations and should be banned, a government advisor has said. Professor Jamie Coleman, an expert in pharmacology at Birmingham University, recommended that the term be replaced with "pain-reliever" instead. Only 1 in 10 patients seeking help from long term pain benefit from strong painkillers. In Sunderland, a "painkillers don't exist" campaign is being run to highlight the issue. A report published by Public Health England has also warned of the rise of prescription drug addiction. Dr Stannard said GPs were 'probably' over-prescribing painkillers / ERIC BARADAT/AFP/Getty Images Mr Coleman told the BBC that he empathised with doctors who are often left with no alternative but to prescribe painkillers. He added: "We are seeing more support being made available through social prescribing schemes, but there is a definite lack of alternatives for doctors." Dr Cathy Stannard, a consultant in pain medicine at NHS Gloucestershire said that UK doctors were "probably" over-prescribing painkillers to patients "We probably do over-prescribe. GPs don't have enough time to get to the bottom of what is wrong with patients. "For some a painkiller will be life-changing, but for many it won't work. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on February 6 announced a series of steps to boost loan growth to residential real estate, automobile and micro, medium and small enterprises (MSMEs). "It has been decided that banks will be allowed to deduct the equivalent of incremental credit disbursed by them as retail loans for automobiles, residential housing and loans to MSMEs, over and above the outstanding level of credit to these segments as at the end of the fortnight ended January 31, 2020 from their net demand and time liabilities (NDTL) for maintenance of cash reserve ratio (CRR)," the Reserve Bank said in its statement on Developmental and Regulatory Policies, which it released alongside the Monetary Policy Statement. Follow RBI Monetary Policy LIVE here "This exemption will be available for incremental credit extended up to the fortnight ending July 31, 2020," it added. Further, the central bank said the recently-implemented mechanism of linking floating-rate consumer loans and loans to micro and small enterprises to an external benchmark would also be extended to medium-sized enterprises. RBI extended the one-time restructuring deadline offered to banks towards MSME loans from March 31, 2020 to December 31, 2020. "A one-time restructuring of loans to MSMEs that were in default but standard as on January 1, 2019, was permitted without an assetclassification downgrade... The scheme has provided relief to a large number of MSMEs... It has been decided to extend the benefit of one-time restructuring without an asset classification downgrade to standard accounts of GST registered MSMEs that were in default as on January 1, 2020," the RBI said. The central bank also extended the deadline to classify non-performing loans (NPAs) as standard by a year in cases of commercial real estate, where a project was stuck for reasons beyond the control of promoters. Veteran dancer and actress Arati Das, popularly known as 'Miss Shefali', died of cardiac arrest at her Sodepur residence in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Thursday, family sources said. She was 76. Das, also known as the 'Queen of Cabaret' was a sensation in the 60s and 70s for her superlative dancing skills and oomph. "Pisi (aunt) died at 6 am on Thursday. She complained of chest pain and uneasiness and doctor declared that she died of cardiac arrest," Elvin Shefali, niece of Das told PTI. Das who had worked with legendary film director Satyajit Ray in classics like 'Pratidwandi' and 'Seemabaddha', was suffering from kidney ailment for quite some time, the sources said. She had made her film debut in 'Chowringhee'. Besides, films, she also acted in several stage plays. Her famous plays include 'Samrat o Sundari', 'Saheb Bibi Golam' and 'Ashlil'. Her autobiography 'Sandhyarater Miss Shefali was published recently. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her grief over the demise of Das. She extended her condolences to the dancers family members and relatives. "Saddened at the passing away of actress Arati Das, famous under her screen name, Miss Shefali. She appeared in two of Satyajit Rays films, Pratidwandi and Seemabaddha. Condolences to her family and her admirers," the chief minister tweeted. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) While worship gatherings are important, making in roads in campus settings is how Chi Alpha plans to sustain growth. "We are about small group settings,'' Brown said. "It is where much of the connecting is done. Our worship setting is different in that there are games and there might be rap music and sermons just because young people enjoy that kind of music. But we dig down deep.'' Ashley Hanson and Deanna Palm are two important cogs to the Chi Alpha engine, both using small-group gatherings in their outreach approach. "It is comfortable and convenient for the student,'' said Hanson, a Western Illinois graduate. "It's tough sometime to share in larger settings, to open up to what's important. We get that, it's whatever works for the individual.'' For Palm, who was raised in the church, a message from an old friend, guided her to Chi Alpha. "When it came to classmates I never had any really close friends and that was eating away at me for a time,'' said Palm, who like Hanson, is friendly, outgoing and carries the ability to listen. After completing he course of study at Black Hawk College, Palm has transferred to Western Illinois University. The Borno State government has initiated a special fund to encourage research to control the high prevalence of renal failure and kidney diseases in the state. Isa Gusau, the Special Adviser on Public Relations and Strategy to Governor Babagana Zulum, made the disclosure in a statement in Maiduguri on Thursday. Mr Gusau said the state government had invited foremost researchers to submit proposals to facilitate studies into the causes of the disease. He said the government would provide funds to researchers to conduct studies focusing on water, environment and other causes of the disease. Mr Gusau noted that the gesture was imperative to check the high prevalence of renal failure in the state. He quoted Babagana Mallambe, Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, as saying that the state governor in December 2019, directed the ministry to coordinate research in collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Water Resources. He said the initiative was part of the governments response to the alarming record of renal failure affecting citizens of the state. The research will be supported by the state government and focus on water, environment and possible areas identified which might be of interest. Research proposals are to be submitted to the commissioner, Ministry Science, Technology and Innovation on or before March 1, Mallambe was quoted as saying in the statement. Mr Gusau recalled that the governor had directed the Ministry of Health to provide free dialysis to patients as against the N30,000 fees for weekly sessions. (NAN) A n IT boss who splashed out on diamonds, holidays, cars, and a revamp of his home with more than 500,000 stolen from a leading City asset management firm has been jailed. Anthony Murrell, 44, siphoned off the money from Legal and General Investment Management over three years, buying non-existent computer cables and paying the money to a fake company in his wifes name. The fraud was exposed when he was made redundant from his 80,000-a-year role as infrastructure manager at the firms headquarters near Moorgate. Murrell admitted he started stealing money to prop up a disastrous cottage conversion project after costs spiralled, and also paid for family holidays, hotel stays, cars and 17,000 worth of jewellery. At Inner London crown court yesterday, his barrister Alison Levitt QC was forced to admit Murrells lies had continued with a forged character reference from his new employers which had been submitted to the court. Mr Murrell wrote it himself because he was so frightened of going to prison, she said. Jailing Murrell for three years and four months, Judge Usha Karu, the Recorder of Southwark, said: This was deliberate and calculated fraud, and you must have believed you wouldnt be caught. Prosecutor Carolina Cabral said Murrell used his trusted role to order cabling from a fake company called Lillyputts, submitting invoices in his wifes name and funnelling money to a bank account he controlled. He managed to steal 564,480 through the fraud, which began in October 2014 and only ended when he left his job in June 2017. An investigation had begun in May 2017 over excessive spending at Murrells fake company but he attempted to cover his tracks by using the details of a nursery school and a stables which shared the Lillyputts name to answer probing questions. Ms Levitt told the court Murrell, a father-of-six, ran into money troubles when merging two Essex cottages into his dream home, and he has now sold the property for 1.2 million to pay back Legal and General. It seems in all likelihood his marriage is also gone his wife is taking steps to divorce him, she added. SDLP MLA Mark H Durkan has welcomed Minister for Infrastructure, Nichola Mallons commitment to progressing the delivery of the phase three upgrade on the Derry to Coleraine railway line. Works which had initially been earmarked for completion by 2021 were subsequently shelved by the Department last year. The Foyle MLA commented: I am pleased to hear the Minister for Infrastructure remains committed to the delivery of the phase three Derry to Coleraine rail line. This is positive news, considering that last September the Department cast doubt over the future of this project. Derrys perpetually postponed railway development must be prioritised and whilst I acknowledge the Department has inherited massive budgetary constraints, the Minister has assured me that she is currently working to find solutions that will deliver for our communities. The crucial improvement of travel links inclusive of phase three, was earmarked for completion by 2021 but was subsequently and inexcusably pulled. Improved infrastructure would provide a life-line towards a brighter future for this city, yet the upgrade of the Derry to Coleraine line has remained a dangling carrot over the last decade despite the myriad of benefits it would bring to the North West. Derry has been kept isolated by subpar infrastructure and no deeper is the East/ West divide felt than in relation to transport. I am pleased the Minister for Infrastructure has reiterated her commitment to addressing the regional imbalance and better connecting communities across the North. It is vital we deliver adequate railway provision for the Norths second city. People wearing masks at Lujiazui financial district in Pudong, Shanghai, China, as the country is hit by an outbreak of a new coronavirus, on Feb. 3, 2020. (Aly Song/Reuters) Dozens of Trade Shows, Conferences Postponed Amid China Virus Fears SHANGHAI/BEIJINGMore than two dozen large trade fairs and industry conferences in Asia have been postponed because of the spread of the China coronavirus, shuttering events where billions of dollars worth of deals have been signed in the past. The pushed-back events, including some scheduled as late as the end of March, show the ripple effect the virus is having on businesses globally, with airlines cancelling flights as governments and companies curb travel, and thousand of factories and shops remain shut. The venue of Chinas oldest and biggest trade fair, the Canton Fair, has suspended exhibitions until further notice. The Canton Fair was due to hold its spring exhibition at the complex from April 15. Last year, $29.7 billion worth of deals were signed at the event. Organizers of the East China Import and Export Commodity Fairdue to be held in Shanghai between March 1 to 4said they would postpone the event, without giving later dates. The fair, which usually attracts traders of garments and household goods, announced $2.3 billion in deals last year. The Chinese regime has also asked local authorities and business associations to hold off hosting events and conferences as concerns rise about the disease. Clients are asking me, is it safe to go to China, and thats a very hard question to answer, said Malcolm McNeil, a partner at global law firm Arent Fox, whose clients include U.S.-based firms with business interests in China. A client scheduled to go to Shenzhen in southern China decided to put that off until June, McNeil said. He expects it to take at least six to nine months before people regain full confidence to travel to China again for business. Other postponed events, due to be held in the last two weeks of March, include the annual trade conference for the global chip industry in China, SEMICON, and the International Building and Construction Trade Fair in Shanghai. The annual China Development Forum, a high-level gathering of international leaders, whose past attendees included Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook, will be delayed, its organizers said. It is usually held in late March. The outbreak casts doubt on attendance at high-profile events outside China as well, industry executives said, as companies restrict mainland Chinese visitors from traveling to other countries. Koreas LG Electronics has withdrawn from the Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona scheduled for Feb. 24-27. Hospitality Impact In Singapore, Food & Hotel Asias biennial trade show, which attracted more than 80,000 people in 2018, as well as travel fair NATAS Travel 2020 have been postponed. At least three employees of a multinational company that held a meeting of more than 100 international staff in Singapore in January contracted the virus, sparking a World Health Organization investigation of the case. Some hotels are bracing for the impact to be at least as bad as the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), based on booking cancellations so far, industry sources said. Multinational companies who are the main customers of luxury hotels have halted trips to China all big events have been called off across the country, said Mei Xin, an analyst with Huatai Securities in Beijing, adding that these were key revenue sources for high-end hotels. Hotel occupancy in Chinaat 70 percent on Jan. 14dropped by three quarters within the next two weeks, a report by hospitality industry consultancy STR published on Tuesday showed. A report by data consultancy Tourism Economics published last week forecasted that visits to the United States from China could drop by 28 percent in 2020, equivalent to 4.6 million hotel room nights and $5.8 billion in visitor spending. By Brenda Goh and Sophie Yu The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a woman for allegedly beating her stepdaughter to death in Port Harcourt, Rivers state. A Twitter user by the name Victoria Igbokwe, shared the story on the social media platform, advising women to stay away from men with kids if they are not ready to live in peace with the kids. Read Also: Inside The Lagos Catholic Church Where Deaf People Celebrate Mass Every Sunday (Photo) Sharing the sad photo, she wrote: WOMAN BEAT STEP DAUGHTER TO DEATH, AT BORI CAMP. No, be by force to marry a man with kids ohhhhh. I have been saying this thing. If another womans children irritate you. Please say no to men with kids. You must not marry ohhhh. No be everybody go marry on earth. NEW HAVEN The apartment complex that was emptied of more than three-dozen families within an hours notice and condemned because of serious structural issues is under repair, projected to be open for new tenants by summer. Nearly 80 residents of the 5-story structure at 66 Norton St. abruptly were ordered to leave on Feb. 22, 2018, after problems were found by an inspector from the Livable City Initiative. An engineering report confirmed that the century-old building essentially was being held up by the plumbing stacks, with damage apparent from the basement to the top floor. Manuj Prasad of Exclusive Carpentry Inc. said Wednesday that his Hollis, N.Y., company will be finished with the structural work within two weeks, after which renovation of the 41 apartments will get underway. The company took out a building permit on Jan. 9, with additional permits needed for plumbing and electrical work. The structural work is estimated to cost $236,634 with $7,211 paid in permit fees to the city so far. The building was sold by Ernest Schemitsch of Brooklyn, N.Y., operating under 66 Norton Apartments LLC, on Dec. 24, 2019, for $1.46 million to 66 Norton LLC, managed by Mark Melman, also of Brooklyn. Mendy Katz, the property manager at the apartment building when the problems were discovered, arranged for moving trucks for the tenants who then were put up in local hotels and given food vouchers until they could find other apartments. The previous owners had taken out permits for around $100,000 in interior demolition work in June 2018, according to the city, but additional work stalled until after the recent sale. The New Haven Legal Assistance Association, after the relocations, was able to help some of the 74 tenants in the 37 occupied apartments at 66 Norton St. take advantage of the state statute that provides up to $4,000 in relocation costs. Discovery of the serious structural problems, and other tragedies, such as the deaths of two New Haven residents in a West Street fire where smoke detectors were missing, prompted a call for more housing inspectors and a better system of tracking problematic landlords for more accountability. The property was bought in 2015 for $2.5 million and assessed at $1.4 million in 2018. mary.oleary@hearstmediact.com; 203-641-2577 Flash Around 100 demonstrators on Wednesday rallied in downtown San Francisco to protest the U.S. Senate's acquittal of President Donald Trump over abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges earlier in the day. The gathering, part of a nationwide "Reject The Cover-up" rally, was organized by the city's grassroots organization Indivisible SF and the Reject the Cover-up coalition. The protesters chanted slogans such as "Vote Trump Out," "Move Trump, get out the way," and "The Senate has failed but the people will prevail" to voice their anger over the Senate's acquittal in Trump's impeachment trial that the House of Representatives approved late last year. Senators voted 52-48 to reject the first charge of abuse of power, and 53-47 against the second charge of obstruction of justice. Matt Chamberlin, an insurance professional in the Bay Area, told Xinhua that he believed Trump was guilty because "he's undermining the rule of law and our democratic form of government." "All of the evidence that was gathered by the impeachment managers was abundant that was shown during his trial," he asserted. Bruce Allen, a retired teacher in San Francisco, said he joined the protest because the American people are facing "a regime that is crushing democratic rights." He rejected Trump's claim that more jobs have been created in the country and the U.S.' economy has become better under his leadership. "There is a greater divide between wealth and poverty, between the few that control huge quantities of wealth, and others that control almost nothing but barely survive," he said. The division now is greater than it has ever been, and Trump has not done anything to ameliorate it, he complained. "He's doing everything he can actually to help the wealthy become wealthier." Rally organizers also urged the demonstrators, as well as all other Americans, to register to vote ahead of the November election this year. Similar protests also took place in other Bay Area cities, including San Jose, Walnut Creek, and Oakland. A number of local candidates standing in the upcoming general election have pledged to attend an organised town hall event today (Thursday, February 6) on the subject of disability and disability services. LArche Kilkenny have organised the event at Westcourt Callan due to take place at 2.30pm. Various other disability organisations from around the area are also expected to attend. The event will highlight the crisis in disability services. LArche Irelands CEO Mairead Boland Brabazon will be in attendance to explain the considerable difficulties in maintaining the quality and continuity of care in LArche Kilkenny. LArche says that recruitment and retention of staff are being hampered by the salary levels that can be offered. The service is overstretched in key roles, which I am sure many other services will also highlight, says Chris Hayes, LArche Kilkenny Community Leader. Mr Hayes says that candidates Kathleen Funchion, Malcolm Noonan, John McGuiness John Paul Phelan Adrienne Wallace, Bobby Aylward, Melissa ONeill are to attend the event. The event will start at 2.30pm with tea and refreshments. Everyone will then take their seats, followed by statements by the service providers and candidates on the issues and then a question and answer session. HUDSON, Wis. This year, Wisconsin attorney, Shelly Tomtschik, decided to step up and run for her districts county board. She is running unopposed for her St. Croix county board seat in an election set for April 7. She is also a member of the Pagan community. The Wild Hunt recently caught up with Shelly to chat about the political position shes running for, her personal spirituality, and the juncture between spirituality and political life. TWH: Welcome to The Wild Hunt, Shelly. What is the position you are running for and what prompted you to do so? Tomtschik: I am running for county board, a non-partisan office. I was interested because I like to see the inner workings of how our government is run, whether on a smaller scale like county board or following the presidential hopefuls. I live and work in the community, and have a sense of local issues and needs, but I will be much more informed when its part of my role. When informed, you can make good decisions for the betterment of everyone we live with. TWH: As a member of the county board, what sort of duties will you have? Tomtschik: The board has committees on different issues: transportation, administration, county programs for the court system and family services. Id be on committees to discuss and formulate plans for addressing any issues that the county is facing. TWH: What prompted you to run for the county board? Tomtschik: I have worked in both child welfare and the criminal justice system. I am aware of the issues facing our community, and the greater communities surrounding us. Living in the community, I can see other issues that a community would need to address, like roads, parks, and trails. Ive got a good background of knowledge and an ability to objectively listen to differing views so that, together, the other board members and I can make decisions to have the county make favorable progress for both new programs and regular maintenance. TWH: What is your spiritual practice and general outlook? Tomtschik: I am in a coven, and practice witchcraft. My practice includes ancestor and deity honoring, spell work, and continually delving into new subject areas. Some of my preferred areas of research and practice include herbalism, journeying, and holding space for the dying. TWH: How do you see your spirituality tying into running for a public office position? Tomtschik: Part of my spirituality is service to the community. I work in public service and this position would allow me to extend that reach. TWH: How do you feel your spirituality will impact your role on the county board? Tomtschik: My ethics and morals guide me, just as with hopefully anyone else. I havent thought much of how the position would affect my spirituality on an individual level, though I do not doubt that having a Pagan in office will be bothersome to those with less accepting religious views. TWH: How out of the broom closet are you with your community and how accepting have they been with what they know? Tomtschik: I am involved in spiritual communities around the extended Twin Cities area, though I dont often speak of my spirituality or practices with non-practicing friends. That being said, my friends and office mates are aware that I am Pagan. I am not so open that its something everyone who knows me knows my spiritual practices, but I dont hide in either. I wouldnt at all say that Im in the broom closet, but I dont run on a platform of religion. It bothers me when anyone does that because it doesnt speak to what you are about. I wouldnt speculate on what people may feel about it. Im sure there are those who are close-minded and not accepting, but probably others who dont care. TWH: Any advice to others who are wanting to positively impact their community by running for office while being openly Pagan or coming out openly with your spirituality? Tomtschik: When deciding to run for an office, its the issues youd need to focus on regardless of religion. Obviously, there are many who chose to run based on a platform of religious ideology. When I look at candidates, I have looked past the label to see if the ideas are worth supporting and whether I want to give that candidate my vote. If considering running for office, inform other voters as to why they would want to invest in you with their votes. I dont bring religion into the discussion, but if its asked directly then I would be forthcoming and willing to discuss. People want to know how or why to connect with your message. Either they will be willing to listen, or just want to judge. If they only want to judge you, accept that not everyone will be like-minded and keep moving. For Immediate Release Chicago, IL February 6, 2020 Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include HEICO Corp. HEI, Leidos Holdings, Inc. LDOS, Teledyne Technologies Inc. TDY and CAE Inc. CAE. Here are highlights from Wednesdays Analyst Blog: Military Outlays Boost Factory Orders: 4 Stocks to Gain On Feb 4, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that new orders for manufactured goods in December rose to the highest level since August 2018. Military spending and robust demand for defense aircraft lifted factory orders by 1.8% to a seasonally adjusted $499 billion in December from November. The defense industry is already gaining traction banking on an uptick in new contracts. Thus, investing in some of the solid defense players wont be a bad idea. Military Spending Lifts Factory Orders Per the report of the U.S. Census Bureau, new orders for long-lasting durable goods rose 2.4%, driven by airplanes and computers. Higher demand for defense aircraft and parts helped new orders in this segment to rise 168.3% against 69.1% drop in the previous month. Further, new orders for defense search and navigation equipment increased to 69.6%, while search and navigation equipment orders rose 4.6%. Defense Contracts to Boost the Space The aerospace and defense industry is one of the biggest economic drivers of the United States. The space is generally in the limelight due to geo-political unrest. Contracts awards from the government boost the industry. Additionally, some major contracts and awards in January show that the industry is on a growth spree and defense factory orders increase of 168.3% may only be the beginning of the uptrend. At the beginning of 2020, L3Harris Technologies won a $28 million award for F-16 training system upgrades. The award granted by Greece will help L3Harris upgrade existing Hellenic Air Force F-16 Aircrew Training Devices to the F-16V configuration. On the same day, the companys Greenville, TX division, which works on classified aerospace programs, received a $9 million award to support South Korea's Peace Pioneer program. Story continues A private player, Airbus Helicopters Inc., was awarded $38 million for logistics support and repair maintenance of UH-72 helicopters. On Jan 30, Lockheed Martin received $77 million for its Missiles and Fire Control unit to work on the missile defense systems for Bahrain, South Korea, Germany, Japan and many other countries. The next day, Lockheed Martins Aeronautics division received a $24 million contract for F-16 retrofit. 4 Stocks to Buy Given the positive developments in the aerospace and defense industry, we have shortlisted four stocks that carry a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or #2 (Buy) and are poised to return well. HEICO Corp. designs, manufactures, and sells aerospace, defense, and electronic related products and services. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 17.8% compared with the Zacks Aerospace - Defense Equipment industrys projected earnings growth of 8%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys current-year earnings has been revised 6.3% upward over the past 60 days. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Leidos Holdings, Inc. provides services and solutions in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 14.2% compared with the Zacks Aerospace - Defense industrys projected earnings growth of 10.8%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys current-year earnings has been revised 0.8% upward over the past 60 days. Teledyne Technologies Inc. provides instrumentation, digital imaging, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current quarter is 15.8% compared with the Zacks Aerospace - Defense Equipment industrys projected earnings growth of 7.2%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys current-year earnings has been revised 0.4% upward over the past 60 days. CAE Inc. provides training solutions for the civil aviation, defense and security, and healthcare markets. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current quarter is 22.7% compared with the Zacks Aerospace - Defense Equipment industrys projected earnings growth of 14.5%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the companys current-year earnings has been revised nearly 1% upward over the past 60 days. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates. Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com 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 Leidos Holdings, Inc. (LDOS) : Free Stock Analysis Report Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (TDY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Heico Corporation (HEI) : Free Stock Analysis Report CAE Inc (CAE) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Anyone who has ever admired Vincent Van Goghs Sunflowers or gazed in wonder at his Starry Night owes a thank you to a woman they have probably never heard of. The widow of Van Goghs brother, Theo, Johanna Bonger was a tireless advocate for the artists work after the untimely deaths of both brothers. Her story is the basis for a new play After Mourning, being presented as a staged reading at the Art Studio. The script by Canadian playwright Mike Czuba is making its U.S. debut with a cast featuring Southeast Texas actors Sunny Rae Breland as younger Johanna, Heather Nicole Rushing as older Johanna, and Michael Saar and Chris Presley each playing multiple roles. Director Elayne LeTraunik, a relative newcomer to Southeast Texas, brings a wealth of professional theatrical experience, particularly in Chicago, where she produced another show by Czuba. Whenever he says I have a new script, I say let me read it, LeTraunik said. I just thought a play like this, about someone very few people have heard of and yet that was so instrumental in bringing Van Goghs work to the public, I thought it would be great for an art space. With the help of local friend Marilyn Manson-Hayes, she found a venue that agreed in the Art Studio. Although Van Goghs works are now familiar to anyone with even a passing knowledge of art, his story may be less so. When Van Gogh died in 1890 at age 37, he was impoverished and considered unsuccessful, having sold only one painting during his lifetime. His brother, Theo, had long championed Vincents art, but his death a few months later left Bonger and their young son, Vincent Willem, as the custodians of Van Goghs vast body of work. I dont think very many people know of the struggle that she went through to bring his works to the public, LeTraunik said. His works were considered cut rate. She was offered just a little bit of money for them. Now, of course, theyre worth multimillions. After Mourning Doors open at 6 p.m. for refreshments and drinks with the performance; the performance will be followed by a discussion led by Southeast Texas artist and writer Andy Coughlan. When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday Where: The Art Studio, 720 Franklin St., Beaumont Tickets: $10 Information: 409-838-5393, artstudio.org See More Collapse LeTraunik said this play shows the struggle that women had in those days. It was not considered acceptable for a woman to be a curator of art and a lot of these directors of museums just didnt want to deal with her. Along with Bongers story and struggle, After Mourning touches on the relationship between the two brothers. Audience members dont need to know much about the history of Van Gogh. A lot of that comes out in the play, LeTraunik said. While the focus of any staged reading is on the words of the characters, this performance also will feature slides of Van Goghs works. Tickets for After Mourning are $10. Doors open at 6 p.m. for refreshments and drinks with the performance beginning at 7:30 p.m., followed by a discussion led by Southeast Texas artist and writer Andy Coughlan. For more information, contact the Art Studio at 409-838-5393. Two students have been stabbed during a fight at a school in Brisbane. Terrified staff at Rosewood State High School called police after a 14-year-old boy stabbed two other children. The victims, aged 12 and 13, were allegedly approached in the school yard and attacked. One child was stabbed in the chest and rushed to hospital in a serious condition. The incident, which is understood to have begun with an argument between the trio, happened in the middle of the school day on Thursday. Officials put the school, west of Brisbane, into lockdown as ambulance crews rushed to save the students. A 14-year-old boy has been arrested. Two students were stabbed at Rosewood State High School (pictured) on Thursday morning One suffered serious chest injuries and was taken to Queensland Childrens Hospital. The second child received wounds to his hands, and was also taken to hospital. Mother Paris Grainger told the Courier Mail she was rushing to the scene after getting a text from her son, who is a student at Rosewood. 'The school has told us nothing,' she said. 'I found out they are in lockdown from my son via text message. '(My son) doesnt know what happened, he didnt see anything as he just was in class and the school called lockdown.' After a few hours, parents were allowed into the school one-by-one to collect their children, according to ABC. In a letter to parents, principal Nicole Sherlock said the school 'immediately contacted emergency services who arrived swiftly.' 'I want to reassure you that we treat the safety and welfare of your children, our students, and our staff as our highest priority,' she said in the letter. 'I am in close contact with the relevant authorities and families of the affected students.' The students' injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. The alleged attacker is understood to have fled the scene but was later caught by police and has since been arrested. By John Long Del. Chris Hurst (D-Montgomery County) got himself in trouble recently with an episode of driving under the influence. But what really seemed to rankle feathers was the suggestion that, as a sitting member of the House of Delegates, he was let go by the officer because the Virginia Constitution required it. As well explore in a moment, this is not exactly the way it works. But first let me say something about Del. Hurst. I am of the unshakable opinion that driving under the influence of anything intoxicating is a stupendously stupid thing to do. But to his credit, Hurst agrees. He owned up to his mistakes, apologized, took responsibility, and stated unequivocally that he does not consider himself above the law. That, in my opinion, should end the issue as far as his part is concerned. I also am of the unshakable opinion that your mistakes, when acknowledged and atoned, should not be held against you forever. Think how much more harmonious life (not to mention politics) would be if forgive and forget was more frequently applied. So instead of castigating a repentant Hurst, lets instead discuss the constitutional issue that his near-arrest raised. Can a state legislator do whatever he wants while the General Assembly is in session, and fear no arrest? Have our delegates and senators issued each other automatic get out of jail free cards? Not exactly. Article IV Section 9 of the Virginia Constitution does stipulate that members of the General Assembly shall, in all cases except treason, felony, or breach of the peace, be privileged from arrest during the sessions of their respective houses. (According to reports of the incident, Hurst never identified himself as a legislator, though the officer recognized him as such, and never asked for this legislative immunity. Nonetheless, he was not taken into custody, in part because his blood alcohol levels were only slightly above the legal limit and he had another unimpaired driver in the car. Were Hurst not a delegate, this outcome may well have been the same.) Lest you think this is some secret perk Virginias leaders gave themselves with a wink and a nudge, keep in mind that more than forty other states have similar rules on their books. Even the U.S. Constitution has such a provision for Congress. Article 1, Section 6: Congressional members shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Housesand in going to and returning from the same. This legislative immunity exists for a legitimate, if perhaps anachronistic, reason, going back centuries. Before there ever was a United States of America, British members of Parliament could be detained by the crown as a means of controlling them. Dont like how this guy might vote, Your Majesty? Well throw him in the hoosegow for a while! In more modern times, it seems inconceivable that anyone would try to keep a legislator out of Richmond by means of handcuffs. Our delegates need not fear Queen Elizabeth. But upon sober reflection, I hope we can all agree that protecting legislators from even such theoretical impediments isnt a such a bad idea. After all, many of our constitutional protections deal with theoretical more than impending threats. When was the last time you worried about the government quartering troops in your house? But at the same time, I wouldnt want to repeal the Third Amendment. The intent of the constitutional proviso is not to allow delegates and senators to commit crimes with no fear of repercussions. Its to guarantee unfettered access to the machinery of legislating. A delegate caught shoplifting, in possession of drugs, or trespassing on a neighbors property could indeed be arrested and jailed in theory. Perhaps hed have to be released to attend legislative sessions, but I cant imagine anyone in the Commonwealth, from the lowliest voter to the resident of the governors mansion, would favor him getting off scot-free just because he has a seat at the Capitol. Legislative immunity, if nothing else, says we as a people recognize the work of our lawmakers as important. Yet after the Hurst incident, some have proposed we remove the legislative immunity provision from the constitution of the Commonwealth. Little opposition to the proposal has been expressed. But it strikes this observer as, at best, an overreaction to a single delegates regrettable mistake; and at worst, an unnecessary and potentially unwise tinkering with the highest law of the Commonwealth. Long is a historian, writer and educator from Salem. - The Pegasus Airlines plane was approaching an airport in Turkey when it skid off the runway - The aircraft was carrying 177 passengers and six crew members from Izmir province - It broke into three parts and caught fire before the inferno was put off and passengers rescued - As investigations continue, the accident was attributed to the disruptive weather in the airport At least three people have been confirmed dead and 179 others left nursing injuries in Istanbul, Turkey, after a Boeing 737 plane skid off a runway and broke into three parts. The Pegasus Airlines which was carrying 177 passengers and six crew members was from Izmir province in the west when it crashed at Sabiha Gokcen airport. READ ALSO: Lee Njiru says he's ready for DNA test to prove he's not Daniel Moi's son The plane skid off the runway and broke into three parts. Photo: BBC Source: UGC READ ALSO: Mkasa wa Kakamega Primary: Ibada ya wafu kuandaliwa Ijumaa The accident was attributed to the heavy tailwinds and rain that was pounding the airport, as reported by BBC. "Unfortunately, the Pegasus Airlines plane couldn't hold on the runway due to poor weather conditions and skidded for around 50-60m [164-196ft]," said Istanbul Governor Ali Yerlikaya. Majority of the passengers in the aircraft were Turkish while 22 foreigners were from 12 other countries. Firefighters putting off the fire. Photo: BBC Source: UGC READ ALSO: We don't mind lateness: Nairobi passenger asks Ezekiel Mutua to calmly address obscenity in matatu screens Live images broadcast on Turkish television showed several people climbing through a large crack in the severed aircraft and escaping onto one of the wings at the rear. Other footage on social media showed a blaze inside the aircraft which was later put out by firefighters. The pilots, a Turkish national and a South Korean, were seriously injured and are yet to speak to the authorities, as reported by Transport Minister Mehmet Cahit Turhan. READ ALSO: Uhuru in Washington: President praises BBI in USA, calls for international support The low-cost Pegasus Airlines has a fleet of 83 aircraft - 47 Boeings and 36 Airbus planes - and has been flying for 20 years. However, it was not the first time for such a incident at the airport given in January 2018, another Pegasus Airlines plane plunged down the side of a cliff overlooking the sea. The plane was almost getting into the Black Sea and landed just metres from the water with its wheels stuck in thick mud. There were no casualties. It was later pulled out using cranes and the passengers were rescued. 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 Source: TUKO.co.ke Amid the muted growth in the overall rental market, Hobart remained the best-performing capital city in terms of rents, figures from CoreLogic show. Hobart rents were up 5.8% over the year to January, the strongest growth amongst all state capitals. Adelaide and Perth followed, with rental gains of 2% and 1.9%, respectively. The overall rental market, however, remains generally weak, with rents rising marginally by 0.5% from the previous month and 1.3% over the year. However, despite the slower growth in rents, the market seems to be showing signs of improvement, said Michael Yardney, director of Metropole Property Strategists. "The improvement in rental rates can be attributed to a tightening in rental supply," he said in an analysis for Property Update. The national vacancy rate currently sits at 2.2%, down from 2.3% a year ago, according to SQM Research. Six of the eight capital cities have vacancy rates of below 2.5%. The other two have vacancy rates slightly above 3%. Furthermore, SQM Research figures show that there was a 14.8% decrease in listings in December, with Sydney and Canberra reporting the biggest declines. Also read: Prices Could Rise As Vacancies Remain Low There are concerns, however, about the rising house prices, which dilute rental yields. In fact, the combined gross yield across capital cities at 3.5% was at its lowest in March 2018. Sydney, which leads the nation in terms of price growth, reported a gross rental yield of 3%. Higher rental yields, however, were seen in cities where rental conditions have outpaced the growth in housing values, said CoreLogic head of research Tim Lawless. "Despite overall weak housing market conditions, Darwin's gross rental yields are the highest of any capital city at 5.8%, which is a reflection of housing values falling more than rental rates," he said. Hobart also registered strong rental yields in January at 5%. Lawless said the level of gross rental yields is still higher than the average three-year fixed-rate for investor loans at 3.48%. "This rate is still slightly lower than capital city gross rental yields, implying that more properties will be showing a positive cash flow for investors, and paying off a mortgage may be more affordable than paying rent in many areas," he said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Norman Harsono (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 18:40 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad206301bfc 1 Business ESDM,PLN,electrification Free Indonesia will need private sector help to provide the Rp 11 trillion (US$803 million) in funding required to power isolated regions this year, as the countrys largest electricity company PLN can only fund one fifth of the projects, according to a government official. The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministrys Electrification Director General Rida Mulyana said on Wednesday that the funds would be needed to develop power plants, transmission and substations in such regions. However, state-owned utility PLN, could only finance Rp 2.1 trillion of the necessary work, he added. The energy ministry would talk with the Finance Ministry to create a fiscal incentive for private companies to invest in electrification, he said. The government currently offered such an incentive exclusively for state-owned enterprises. Hopefully, well have a solution in the first half of the year. We could have PLN and the private sector work together to resolve the issue, Riza told reporters in Jakarta. PLN and the energy ministry aim to push Indonesias electrification ratio to 100 percent this year. The country closed last year with a 98.89 percent ratio and the two organizations are struggling to electrify the last stretch, which comprises the most out-of-the-way regions. Energy analysts and politicians have also criticized the electrification ratio as it does not fully represent field conditions. Many villages do not enjoy 24-hour electricity and many have low-power electricity that is only enough to power lightbulbs and charge mobile devices. Neither conditions are suitable to push regional economic growth. Topics : ESDM PLN electrification MURDER accused Kieran Greene was late on his school run with his young sons the morning after he allegedly killed their grandmother Patricia O'Connor, but the secretary "didn't get any indication of anything whatsoever off him." The primary school secretary who spoke to him briefly after he dropped off his children that day told a jury she knew Mr Greene well and he was a "lovely parent." The Central Criminal Court also heard a garda noted he seemed "nervous and edgy" when the family were being spoken to one morning while Ms O'Connor, his partner's mother, was still missing. Evidence for the prosecution was continuing in the joint trial of Mr Greene (34) and three other people over Ms OConnors death in 2017. Patricia's daughter Louise O'Connor (41), Louise's her ex-partner Keith Johnston (41) and their daughter Stephanie O'Connor (22) are accused of impeding the investigation. They all deny the charges. Patricia OConnor (61), a grandmother-of-seven was allegedly murdered on May 29, 2017 at the house at Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham she shared with family including Louise, Stephanie and Mr Greene. Her dismembered remains were found in 15 parts, scattered in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10 and 14, that year. She died from blunt force trauma to the head caused by at least three blows from a solid implement. Garda Fergal Whelan told the jury today he took part in a search of the house on June 21, 2017. In one of the back bedrooms, he found a box from a Tesco Alcatel mobile phone, a pair of brown Caterpillar boots and a black suitcase. A toy shop receipt from June 7 was found in the boys' bedroom. A silver teapot was found in a cupboard downstairs and two rolls of tape were found outside. The jury heard the room the suitcase was found in was recorded by gardai as Patricia's husband Gus O'Connor's. The secretary at Mr Greene's sons' school told the court gardai asked on June 15, 2017 to view CCTV and were particularly interested in May 30. This showed Mr Greene arriving with his children at 9.18am and leaving at 9.21am that day. He used the front door as the side entrance was closed after 9.10am and he was not on time. The secretary agreed with prosecutor Roisin Lacey SC that Mr Greene spoke to her at the hatch and she "didn't get any indication of anything whatsoever off him." In cross-examination, she told Conor Devally SC, for Mr Greene it was hard to say if either parent - Mr Greene or Louise O'Connor - brought the children more frequently than the other. She knew Mr Greene very well, she said and Mr Devally asked if he presented as an average parent. "He was a lovely parent, a very good parent," she said. Garda Padraic Syron said he went to the house at Mountainview Park on the morning of June 12, 2017 to follow up missing person inquiries about Patricia O'Connor. He later made a statement saying Kieran Greene answered the door and let him in. Mr Greene sat on the couch, as well as three other adults who were members of Patricia O'Connor's family. The gardai asked the people questions in relation to Ms O'Connor but he did not remember who was asked. Conor Devally SC put it to him it seemed that it was the other people in the room he addressed rather than his client, Mr Greene. "I addressed everyone," Gda Syron replied. The statement read that the people had heard nothing of Ms O'Connor and could not think of anywhere she might be or any relative she might be staying with. Mr Greene was sitting drinking a cup of tea and "I did note during the conversation he seemed extremely nervous and edgy," the garda said. There was no note of anybody else's demeanor. Garda Kevin Donegan told the jury when he took a statement from Richard O'Connor, Patricia's son, he said that on June 1, "I was talking to Dad about Mam, reporting her missing." The trial continues. A Bucks County man dubbed the Straw Hat Bandit for the distinctive disguises he donned while robbing numerous banks in the Philadelphia area over a nine-year period is headed back to prison. Richard Boyle, 60, of Plumstead, was sentenced Wednesday to 71 years in prison for the most recent robberies he committed. He was convicted last March for 11 separate bank robberies in Bucks and Montgomery counties between 2012 and 2016, as well as weapons and money laundering offenses. Those robberies came after he was released from prison for another string of bank robberies in 2008. Boyles crimes netted him more than $500,000 overall, much of which was laundered through his photography business, authorities have said. He frequently hid his identity with various hats and disguises while brandishing a gun, and often made decoy emergency calls aimed at slowing down responding police. Boyle initially used most of the money he stole to pay bills and other personal expenses, authorities have said, such as buying a used car and paying off debts to his dentist. He eventually began splurging on expensive watches and vacation trips. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) Several meet-and-greet of international celebrities in the country will not push through due to the threat of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Here is the running list of the canceled events due to safety reasons as of Thursday morning: -To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You on February 15 - Noah Centineo Meet & Greet on February 16 - Journey to the Nature Republic in Manila on Feb 22, 2020 with Kpop group EXO - Author Mitch Alboms book signing events on February 15 and 16 - An Evening with 98 Degrees The Philippine Tour 2020 on February 16, 2020, February 19, 2020, February 25, 2020 In a statement, event organizer National Bookstore said Albom was deeply saddened by the news. It also quoted the writer as saying I plan to honor my promise to visit the Philippines as soon as possible. Meanwhile, Netflix, in a Facebook post, shared the message of the lead stars of the To All The Boys sequel, Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, saying they were disappointed their trip to the Philippines was suspended and that they hope to visit the country soon. The pair was supposed to promote their Netflix movie which is set to be released on February 12. On the other hand, the event of the South Korean variety show 'Running Man' and concerts of 98 Degrees and Gary Valenciano were also postponed to a later date. The Running Man event was originally scheduled on February 9, but was moved to June 21 while the series of shows of 98 Degrees was rescheduled in May. VANCOUVER - A British Columbia man says he's "really hurt" that the Canadian government is not doing more to get permanent residents out of the city at the centre of a new coronavirus outbreak. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. VANCOUVER - A British Columbia man says he's "really hurt" that the Canadian government is not doing more to get permanent residents out of the city at the centre of a new coronavirus outbreak. Monte Gisborne, who lives Metro Vancouver, is a Canadian citizen but his wife, Daniela Luo, and their daughter, Dominica Gisborne are permanent residents who are still in Wuhan, China. Monte Gisborne, his wife Daniela Luo and daughter Dominica Gisborne are shown in this undated handout photo. A Coquitlam, B.C., resident says he is "really hurt" that the Canadian government is not doing more to get permanent residents out from the city that is at the centre of a new coronavirus outbreak. Monte Gisborne is a Canadian citizen but his wife, Daniela Luo, and daughter, Dominica Gisborne are permanent residents who are still in Wuhan, in the Hubei province of China. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Monte Gisborne "We have absolutely no direction from the government when they are coming home and what the plan is to get them home," Gisborne said Wednesday. He said discussions with authorities in Ottawa have been "cryptic, unclear ... lacking detail and lacking any hope." He said the government has told him it has no plan to help because they are not Canadian citizens. Gisborne and Luo have been married for about three years. A chartered plane ferrying Canadians from Wuhan is expected to land in Canada on Friday. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said more than 300 Canadians had asked for help to leave the country. Champagne told a news conference Thursday that some of the 211 people who were on the passenger list for the flight did not show up. Gisborne said his wife and daughter left Vancouver for Wuhan on Jan. 17 to celebrate Lunar New Year and had return tickets booked for Feb. 15. "There were rumblings in the media about the coronavirus," he said. The stories got "more ominous" and Gisborne said Luo and his daughter changed their return tickets to Jan. 28. The Chinese government announced a lock down of the Wuhan area on Jan. 23. Chinese health authorities reported over 560 deaths and another sharp jump in the number of confirmed cases to 28,018 on Thursday. The mother and daughter are staying about 10 kilometres from a wildlife market at the centre of the outbreak. "It's normally very busy," Luo said in an interview. "It's like downtown New York but it's empty now. No people walking." The family has been staying inside since the quarantine. Gisborne said despite having to be indoors, his daughter "refuses to crack a frown." She spends her time playing and learning Chinese, he said. "She has the most wonderful smile. That kid's smile lights up the room and keeps everyone more hopeful." He said he wants to see his family on the second Canadian flight out of Wuhan. A letter to Gisborne dated Feb. 3 from Ottawa says Chinese authorities have assured Canada that a permanent resident or a Chinese national may accompany a Canadian minor child who would otherwise be unaccompanied. "We will continue to advocate to keep families together but there is no guarantee that we will be able to," it says. "At the moment, the situation is evolving." With files from The Associated Press. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2020. Hence, we need to do away with existing bottlenecks and remove several obstacles that are constantly hindering further development of the aviation industry across all aspects, including vital airport infrastructure, that will in turn help the tourism industry to flourish as well. In 2019 the tourism industry welcomed an impressive 18 million international visitors, of which about 14.4 million travelled by air, which accounts for a total of 80% of these visitors. There are routes where tourists take over 100% of seat allocation, such as popular travel routes or on flights hired to bring in visitors to Vietnam. Among domestic tourists, about one quarter travel by airplane, equivalent to 21.2 million passengers. These do not include passengers traveling abroad by plane. In 2020, the tourism industry is expecting to welcome almost 20.5 million international visitors and serve 90 million domestic travelers. This number is certain to grow further if Vietnam's tourism industry expands and begins to offer higher quality of services. As a result, the number of airplane passengers will also increase in coming years. Hence, airplanes do not merely transport passengers but also promote the country, the people, culture and the vitally important tourism industry of Vietnam. In recent years, aviation infrastructure within the airports across Vietnam is facing continued degradation due to constant overload. This has become a serious problem and if not resolved soon, the entire tourism industry will feel the constrain and be unable to further expand. Tourism can be gravely affected because of poor air travel facilities as many visiting tourists do not favor travel by road or sea. Currently Vietnam is operating twenty-two commercial airports across the country, which includes four major airports, namely, Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Da Nang International Airport in Da Nang City, and Cam Ranh International Airport in Khanh Hoa Province, the latter bringing much needed tourism to the famous Nha Trang City. All these airports are working their facilities to a maximum, even exceeding capacity. Even Phu Quoc International Airport that was completed in 2012 is now feeling the strains of overload. Although Vietnam has twenty-two airports, the total capacity of all the Vietnamese airports is on par with single airports such as Changi Airport in Singapore, Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia. At a high level forum on tourism in late 2019, many speakers agreed that solving the problems of overload of aviation infrastructure at major airports can be possibly resolved by bringing in more private investors. It is a fact that private participation in aviation infrastructure investment is not entirely unknown in many developed countries. Many countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Thailand offer private investors the task of operational management, which has proved and achieved excellent results. Mr. Vu Tu Thanh, Deputy Regional Executive Director of US-ASEAN Business Council, one of the participants in many forums on overloading of Vietnam's aviation infrastructure, said that short-term solutions have been discussed, such as optimizing the capacity of smaller airports, but the most important solution to be considered is still public-private cooperation, and mobilizing of private capital. Four years ago, the policy of public-private cooperation in aviation infrastructure development was the key trend. Specifically, the National Assembly approved the policy of building Long Thanh airport on the basis of public-private partnership (PPP). However, the Ministry of Transport proposed to assign the Vietnam Airport Corporation (ACV) to invest in Long Thanh airport, thus eliminating the dynamic inclusion of any private sector investor. Currently, many foreign enterprises are interested in investing in Vietnam's aviation industry, but are first awaiting for Vietnam to present more clear and transparent policies. This calls for the Government to review earlier policies and procedures of involving private investors in aviation infrastructure, remove bottlenecks in the functioning of policies, help in developing the aviation industry for the future, and as a result see a surge in a more developed and vibrant tourism industry. Tran Dang A police officer had no right to enter a condo rented to an Airbnb guest who found a video camera hidden in a clock pointed at the bed, an Ontario judge has ruled. The decision effectively ended the voyeurism prosecution of the Toronto condo owner, Michael Chow. He had argued police had breached his rights by going into the apartment and seizing the camera without a warrant, even though the aggrieved guest had invited an officer in. The police not only breached Mr. Chows rights by entering and searching the apartment without a warrant, but they continued to breach his rights by seizing his property and searching it, Ontario court judge Joseph Bovard said in the decision. Admitting evidence that was obtained in such a manner would bring the administration of justice into disrepute. The case arose in September 2018 when Robert Wallenberg, in town for the Toronto International Film Festival, rented the downtown Airbnb apartment from Chow for 10 days. After discovering the hidden camera, Wallenberg contacted Airbnb, which advised him to go to a hotel and call police. Court records show Wallenberg let the officer, identified as Const. Lewis, into the apartment and showed him the clock-camera. On advice of a detective, Lewis seized the gadget and placed it in a property locker at the police station. Another officer later inspected the camera briefly, then applied for a warrant to search the device. After finding stored video of people engaged in various activities in the bedroom, including one man masturbating on the bed and others, including Chow, in various states of undress, police charged the owner with voyeurism. At trial, Chow argued for exclusion of the video evidence on the basis that police violated his rights with the warrantless search and seizure. Lewis testified he made no attempt to contact Chow before entering the condo. He said he believed he was justified in going in at Wallenbergs invitation because the Airbnb guest had the key and temporary ownership of the unit. He said he seized the device on the advice of the detective to preserve potential evidence. In his analysis, Bovard said a key issue in deciding whether police had breached Chows charter right against unreasonable search and seizure was whether the owner had a reasonable expectation of privacy in the condo unit. Bovard concluded Chow did, given evidence that he was the sole owner of the apartment, it was filled with his possessions, and he used it himself at times. In these circumstances, Mr. Chow had a subjective expectation of privacy in the apartment, Bovard concluded. Mr. Chow had a reasonable expectation of privacy in the clock-camera and in the contents of the SD memory card. The judge also rejected prosecution arguments that by renting out his condo to Wallenberg, Chow had undermined his own privacy expectations. Whatever rights Mr. Wallenberg had over the apartment, he could not waive Mr. Chows privacy rights in the apartment and its contents, Bovard said. The judge also concluded the officers suspicion of possible criminal activity did not give him the right to seize the clock-camera or allow police to inspect it without a warrant. Bovard said he realized that excluding the evidence would gut the prosecutions case, but said he had to do so anyway given the cumulative charter violations. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Feb. 6, 2020. By joining Moscow in pressuring the Ukrainian government to organize elections in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, Germany and France risk violating international law. As the undeclared Russo-Ukrainian War approaches its sixth year, there is little sign of progress towards peace in eastern Ukraine. The spring 2019 election of Volodymyr Zelensky as Ukraine's new president had sparked fresh hopes of an end to the conflict. However, Zelenskys first face-to-face meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Paris at the end of last year proved anticlimactic. No breakthrough was forthcoming, reads a piece penned by Michel Waelbroeck and Willem Aldershoff for the Atlantic Council. The Paris summit made clear that there is still considerable distance between the Russian and Ukrainian visions of a post-conflict settlement, according to the article. Officially, at least, disagreement centers on the sequencing of the measures outlined in the Minsk Protocols, which were signed by Ukraine, Russia, France, and Germany in early 2015 in a bid to end active hostilities and pave the way for a sustainable peace. The Minsk Protocols are problematic in a number of ways. First and foremost, it is important to underline that they were signed under duress at a time when Russian forces were rapidly advancing in eastern Ukraine. According to the memoirs of former French president and Minsk Protocols co-signatory Francois Hollande, Putin openly threatened to "crush" the Ukrainian military during the heated all-night negotiations that took place in the Belarus capital prior to the February 12, 2015 signing. Read alsoUkraine to insist on revision of Minsk agreements Aside from the conditions in which they were negotiated, the main practical problem with the Minsk Protocols is the lack of agreement over a definitive timetable. This has left the subsequent peace process hostage to rival interpretations. In particular, debate continues to rage over the sequencing of troop withdrawals, local elections, and the return of the Russian-Ukrainian international border to Ukrainian control. In Paris, President Zelensky called for revisions to the Minsk Protocols and made it clear that Ukraine will not hold any local elections until Russia withdraws its military presence and returns control of the international border to Ukraine. Officials in Kyiv have since reiterated this position. Unsurprisingly, Moscow is resistant to any such changes. Instead, Russia continues to push for elections under conditions that would serve to cement Kremlin control over occupied eastern Ukraine. There is no obvious middle ground between the two positions. Ukraine's best hope of breaking this deadlock may lie in an appeal to international law. It is easy to see why many might dismiss such appeals as futile. After all, with its invasion of eastern Ukraine and annexation of Crimea, Moscow has already provided ample evidence of its readiness to disregard international law. However, by mobilizing international law, Ukraine could consolidate support for its position among the wider international community. At the very least, this could prevent the country from being pressured into calamitous compromises by those seeking a return to business as usual with Russia. Read alsoDonbas elections only possible after Russia pulls its troops U.S. Mission to OSCE In order to make its case without changing the terms of the Minsk Protocols, Ukraine should seek to put the Budapest Memorandum back on the table, the authors suggest. The Budapest Memorandum should not be confused with security guarantees. Indeed, it has often been argued that the security assurances contained within the Memorandum merely restate the existing obligations already flowing from international law and the UN Charter. Nevertheless, these obligations are of the utmost importance. The international legal order is founded on the obligation of each state to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all other states. Likewise, the ability of a state to exercise control over its borders and thereby assure its territorial integrity are essential attributes of its sovereignty. No state can reasonably be required to organize elections in a part of its territory which it does not control. The Ukrainian authorities have every right to demand control over the international border and the withdrawal of foreign troops before agreeing to organize local elections. Russia is unlikely to be moved by such arguments, but this may not be the case where fellow Minsk Protocol signatories Germany and France are concerned. By joining Moscow in pressuring the Ukrainian government to organize elections in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, Germany and France risk violating international law. This carries significant implications. Read alsoZelensky on elections in occupied Donbas: Ukraine must first regain control over border with Russia Furthermore, in line with the terms of the Budapest Memorandum, it also entitles Ukraine to seek diplomatic support from the United States and the United Kingdom in order to resist such pressure. International law and the Budapest Memorandum failed to prevent the Russian attack on Ukraine in 2014, but they could yet have roles to play in the quest for peace and the return of Ukraines territorial integrity. Washington: US President Donald Trump's administration is ramping up pressure against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro`s government, and energy companies with ties to it, from India's Reliance Industries , Russia`s Rosneft to US-based Chevron Corp , should "tread cautiously," a senior administration official said on Wednesday. The comments came in response to a question about possible sanctions against Rosneft on a call with reporters ahead of a White House meeting between Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido and US President Donald Trump. "Everything is an option as regards creating pressure, whether it`s towards Russian entities that are supporting Maduro or others. So, absolutely, that ... remains on the table," the official said, emphasizing that the administration was "concerned" by more than just Rosneft`s behavior. "Whether it`s Rosneft, whether it`s Reliance, whether it`s Repsol, whether it`s Chevron here in the United States, I would tread cautiously towards their activities in Venezuela that are in support, directly or indirectly, of the Maduro dictatorship because ... we`re halfway through our maximum pressure campaign," he added. Rosneft, Reliance Industries , Spain`s Repsol and Chevron did not immediately respond to requests for comment. But some company executives were surprised by the tone of the remarks, since the US government has not taken action since it threatened oil firms dealing with Petroleos de Venezuela, SA, or PDVSA, in August, sources told Reuters. Rosneft, Reliance, Repsol and Chevron have emerged as the main business partners for PDVSA since the United States imposed the steepest sanctions yet on the state-owned Venezuelan company in 2019. Most of them share oilfields with PDVSA in Venezuela, and they also act as intermediaries for sales of Venezuelan oil to markets such as Asia. In 2019, Rosneft was the main receiver of Venezuelan oil, followed by China National Petroleum Corp - which suspended direct purchases from PDVSA, Cuba`s Cubametales and Reliance, according to PDVSA`s internal documents and Refinitiv Eikon data. Washington imposed a first round of sanctions on PDVSA a year ago, depriving the state-run firm of its main market, the United States. In August, it announced new sanctions targeting non-U.S. firms buying Venezuelan oil. "Very Significant Consequences" The official also warned against any interference by the Maduro government in Guaido`s trip back to Venezuela. "Any harm that may be caused on Juan Guaido on his return to Venezuela will have very significant consequences," the official said. Guaido, president of the opposition-held National Assembly, is recognized as Venezuela`s rightful president by dozens of countries including the United States. He was a guest at Tuesday`s State of the Union address, when Trump, a Republican, praised him as a "very brave man who carries with him the hopes, dreams and aspirations of all Venezuelans." Guaido received a standing ovation from Democratic and Republican members of the US Congress. The senior administration official also described "good momentum" since Maduro`s party failed to wrest control of the national assembly from Guaido last month, and said there would be some "impactful measures" within the next 30 days to further cripple Maduro`s rule. The only possible topic up for negotiation with Maduro`s government was a discussion of "certain guarantees" upon his exit, the person added. Looking to capture power after a gap of 22 years, the BJP mounted its one of the most aggressive campaigns in the Delhi Assembly polls so far, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah leading the saffron charge fuelled by its planks of Hindutva and nationalism, and its strident opposition to anti-CAA protest in Shaheen Bagh. The BJP turned the heat on its rivals, primarily the Aam Aadmi Party, over the Shaheen Bagh protests, and its leaders are of the view that their strong stand against the protestors have put the party in reckoning for power in the national capital after it appeared to be "down and out" only months back. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed two rallies and hit out at anti-CAA protests, saying agitations like the one in Shaheen Bagh were not merely a "coincidence" but an "experiment" to damage national harmony. Modi and other top party leaders, including Shah and its national president J P Nadda, also raised development pitch, accusing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of making false promises and highlighting the central dispensation's works in the national capital. However, issues of development were reduced to a sideshow in the BJP's campaign as the party latched onto its pet themes to corner the ruling AAP, which pitched its campaign around issues of development and populist schemes like free power and water supply and bus rides for women. In their bid to rally their supporters, several BJP leaders made controversial and even incendiary remarks against their rivals, prompting the Election Commission to take serious actions like barring Union minister Anurag Thakur and MP Parvesh Verma from campaigning. Verma in a public meeting termed the Delhi chief minister a "terrorist". Shah, who spearheaded the party's whirlwind campaign holding meetings and roadshows in about 60 constituencies, sought to focus on nationalistic, Hindutva pitch by targeting the AAP and the Congress on issues like abrogation of provisions of Article 370, Ram Temple, Triple Talaq, and protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA), in his speeches. His trademark appeal to the voters during the meetings would be to vote for the BJP to defeat the AAP and the Congress accusing them of supporting 'tukde-tukde' gang and support Modi who was "safeguarding" the country. The former BJP chief in a booth level workers meeting in December last year, said the party was going to form a government in Delhi, under the leadership of Modi. Under sharp attack from the BJP heavyweights, both the AAP and Congress hit back accusing the party of trying to "polarise" the elections. Shah and other leaders countered the charge accusing them of practising vote bank politics. The party held over 5,300 rallies, public meetings, nukkad sabhas, roadshows and other campaign related programmes during over three weeks long campaigning that began with start of nomination process on January 14, said party leaders. The campaigning ended on Thursday evening with voting scheduled on February 8. The results of elections on 70 Assembly constituencies will be declared on February 11. Shah held public meetings and roadshows in around 60 constituencies, while Nadda campaigned in all the 70 Assembly segments, said Praveen Shankar Kapoor, co-convener of Delhi BJP's media team for the polls. "During the elections, (campaigning) got a chance to communicate with Delhi people. Delhi suffering from anarchy needs development. It is clear from the support for the BJP seen in Delhi that BJP is going to form the government in Delhi by winning more than 45 seats on February 11," Shah tweeted after the end of campaigning. The star campaigners of the BJP included Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who made vitriolic attacks on Kejriwal and Shaheen Bagh protest, accusing the Delhi chief minister of providing 'biryani' to the anti-CAA protesters. Entire top brass of the BJP, including Union ministers, senior national office bearers, chief ministers of the party ruled states, more than 200 MPs, and workers and leaders from various states camped in the national capital holding small meetings everyday in different constituencies. Bernard Madoff, who defrauded investors of more than $19 billion in historys biggest Ponzi scheme, has asked for early release from his 150-year prison sentence, saying he has 18 months left to live. Madoff, 81, asked U.S. Circuit Judge Denny Chin to release him after serving just 10 years, saying he suffers from terminal kidney failure and other ailments. His lawyer, Brandon Sample, said in a court filing Madoff has chronic kidney failure that has progressed to end-stage renal disease. Madoff also suffers from other conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, esophageal reflux, insomnia, shortness of breath, back pain, itching, leg cramps and anxiety, according to the filing. Madoff humbly asks this court for a modicum of compassion, Sample said in papers filed in Manhattan federal court Wednesday. Early release for Madoff could outrage many of his victims. Investors lost $19 billion in principal when Madoffs securities firm collapsed in December 2008. His victims included thousands of wealthy investors, Jewish charities, celebrities and retirees. He showed no remorse whatsoever for what he did, so why should we? asked Gregg Felsen, a Madoff victim who lives in Palm Springs, California. His crime was horrendous. Ebbers Released If granted, an order freeing Madoff would come on the heels of one granted to former WorldCom Inc. chief executive officer Bernard Ebbers in December for medical reasons. Ebbers, who was convicted in 2005 of securities fraud following WorldComs collapse, served more than 13 years of a 25-year sentence. He died on Feb. 2 at age 78. Madoff built a reputation over three decades as a brilliant stock-picker who delivered uncannily steady returns in good markets and bad. But his results were largely fictitious, and he told his family in December 2009 that the business was all just one big lie. Madoffs two sons turned him in to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. One of his sons later committed suicide while the other died of cancer. The scheme unravelled in 2008 when the economic crisis led to more withdrawals than Madoff could afford to pay out. Some clients learned they lost their life savings after Madoffs confession and arrest on Dec. 11 of that year. Chin sentenced him to 150 years behind bars after the con man pleaded guilty in 2009. This was not merely a bloodless financial crime that occurred on paper, but one that takes a staggering toll, Chin said at the time. The breach of trust here was massive. Robin Swernoff, of Bayside, Wisconsin, urged Chin in a 2009 sentencing letter to confine Madoff for the rest of his life for stealing from so many people, including her mother and father. She hasnt changed her mind. Swernoff said she believes the shock exacerbated her fathers health problems. He probably died earlier than he would have, Swernoff said. My mother is down to nothing. I think he should rot in jail until hes ready to rot in hell, she said. Commute Sentence In July, Madoff asked President Donald Trump to commute his sentence. Legal experts at the time largely dismissed the possibility that his request would be granted, given the magnitude of his crime. While I would never wish dying in jail on anyone, it is hard to imagine a less sympathetic non-violent offender than Bernard Madoff, said Matthew L. Schwartz, a former federal prosecutor on the con mans case whos now at Boies Schiller Flexner LLP. His tens of thousands of victims still continue to feel the profound and devastating harm from his decades-long fraud to this day. A trustee appointed to recover money for Madoffs victims says theyve been repaid some $12.9 billion, as of Jan 24 2020. Madoff is seeking early release under the he 2018 First Step Act, which allows some federal inmates who are over 60 years old, or who face terminal illnesses, to serve the end of their sentences at home. Ebbers was released under the same law. In July, Raj Rajaratnam, cofounder of Galleon Group LLC and the mastermind of what prosecutors said was one of the largest hedge-fund insider-trading rings in U.S. history, was released two years early under the First Step law. Rajaratnam, 62, served nine years in prison. Madoff is serving his time at a federal medical center in Butner, North Carolina. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 5, 2020) - Northway Resources Corp. (TSXV: NTW) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has acquired from Millrock Exploration Corp. and its affiliate (collectively "Millrock") a proprietary exploration database relating to the Company's Napoleon gold property, located in the Fortymile District of Alaska (the "Property"). The database consists of significant geologic and geochemical data, that will allow Northway to reduce the time and costs of generating drill targets on the Property. As consideration, the Company has granted to Millrock a 0.5% net smelter returns royalty on the Property and areas of interest, one-half of which may be acquired by the Company, at any time, for a one-time payment of US$500,000. The Company is also pleased to announce it has appointed Thomas Hawkins as VP Exploration, replacing Luke Van Der Meer. Thomas Hawkins (PhD, P.Geo) has 18 years of international experience identifying, assessing, and advancing mineral exploration projects. He graduated in 2004 from Imperial College, London with a Masters in Geology and Geophysics, and gained a PhD in Geology in 2012 from the University of Brighton, UK. Thomas has extensive experience managing projects in Ghana, Mexico, Canada, the U.K., and Kazakhstan. Thomas is also currently the VP Exploration of Kenorland Minerals Ltd. For more information visit our website www.northwayresources.com On behalf of the Board of Directors Zachary Flood President and Chief Executive Officer Telephone: (604) 363-1779 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. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52174 PHOENIX, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTC: INLB) (Item 9 Labs or the Company), a leader in comfortable cannabis health solutions for the modern consumer, reported operating results on for its fiscal year ended September 30, 2019. Item 9 Labs Corp. continued its rapid revenue growth in fiscal year 2019. Operating efficiencies increased dramatically as seen in the margin improvements over fiscal year 2018. The expansion of the Arizona facility expected to fuel the continued revenue growth. Fiscal year 2019 financial highlights: Revenue more than tripled from $1.4 million in 2018 to $4.9 million in 2019 Gross margin increased to 48% or $2.37 million from 27% or $1 million. Pre-tax earnings of Item 9 Labs operating entities, excluding corporate and financing expenses, totaled $1,046,689 in 2019 compared to a net loss of $468,667 in 2018 Adjusted EBITDA of ($1.8 million) in 2019 compared to ($400k) in 2018 Throughout this fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, we made great strides both operationally and financially. The cannabis sector has been fraught with turmoil and challenges in 2019 and despite this, Item 9 Labs experienced extraordinary growth, with revenues increasing more than 350% over fiscal 2018. Our expanded facilities in Arizona, and our upcoming operations in Nevada will fuel our continued revenue growth into fiscal 2020, stated Andrew Bowden, CEO at Item 9 Labs. Our revenue increase was driven by the expansion of our product line into an additional 48 accounts in the Arizona market. In 2018 our products were in 32% of dispensaries in AZ. We finished 2019 with 74% penetration. We also added seven new product lines including the first of its kind, Cocktails disposable line and Quarter Jars featuring our top tier award winning flower, stated Bryce Skalla, President and Co-Founder at Item 9 Labs. Consumer focused innovations like these new product suites are what have cemented Item 9 Labs as the premier brand in the local market. We are committed to our customers and will continue to innovate and showcase our passion moving forward into 2020 with 40 new product SKUs scheduled to launch this year, added Skalla. Revenue Revenues grew by more than $3.5 million in FY 2019 as we continued our sales growth strategy in Arizona, increasing our product offerings, operating capacity and geographical reach. We anticipate these trends will continue as our Arizona facility doubled in size in the latter part of the year (June 2019) though revenues werent impacted until September. Gross Margin Margins increased nearly $2 million in FY 2019 as our increased revenues allowed us to gain operating efficiencies at lower costs. As we continue to increase capacity and revenue, we should continue to see margins increase due to economies of scale and less frequent usage of sourced materials and supplies. Adjusted EBITDA Adjusted EBITDA decreased in FY 2019 due to higher Operating expenses as the Company increased staffing to prepare for current and future growth, increased expenses in sales and marketing, and incurred additional corporate overhead expenses related to becoming a fully-reporting Company with the SEC. Operating Expenses There was a large increase in operating expenses during 2019, compared to 2018. Of the $12.5 million in operating expenses, $7.9 million were non-cash or one-time charges. Recurring cash expenses expectedly increased $3.6 million as we prepare for growth and execute on growth strategies. Fiscal 2019 Company Updates and Accomplishments Added Key Management Positions Chris Wolven, COO (January 2019), Kyle Jennings, VP of Marketing (March 2019), and Josh Buckheister, Creative Director (March 2019) Began construction of Cultivation and Processing facility in Nevada (April 2019) Increased Arizona market presence, increasing the number of dispensaries carrying our products from 32% to 74% 470% increase in social media and web impressions immediately following key cannabis events with 170,000 impressions, up from an average of 30,000 impressions. Strive Grand Forks North Dakota opened through strategic partnership (May 2019) Completed construction and received approval to operate on Arizona expansion, more than doubling cultivation space (June 2019) Filed Form 10 Registration Statement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (filed June 2019, effective August 2019) in preparation for uplisting to the OTCQX Grand Opening of Corporate Office in downtown Phoenix (September 2019) Increased product offerings (Cocktails disposable vape pens, THCA Diamonds, Sugar Wax, etc.) Post-Fiscal 2019 Company Updates and Accomplishments Appointed Andrew Bowden as CEO and Ron Miller as Board Chairman (November 2019) Expanded into National CBD & Hemp Consumer Goods Market in Joint Venture with Third Eye Investments FY 2019 FY 2018 % Change Select Key Financial Metrics Revenues 4,933,960 1,401,858 252% Cost of sales 2,556,189 1,018,109 151% Gross margin 2,377,771 383,749 520% Operating expenses 12,518,810 1,037,567 1107% Net loss from continuing ops (10,141,039 ) (653,818 ) 1451% Other Income (Expense) 192,401 32,643 489% Net Loss (9,948,638 ) (621,175 ) 1502% Adjustments: Interest 271,342 (32,643 ) -931% Taxes - 88,826 -100% Depreciation 70,384 49,786 41% Amortization 605,750 - Loss on impairment 5,758,827 - Stock based compensation 1,067,617 103,774 929% Provision for bad debt (IP sale in 2018) 376,430 - Adjusted EBITDA (1,798,288 ) (411,432 ) 337% GM% 48% 27% 76% SG&A as a % of revenue 254% 74% 243% Adjusted EBITDA as a % of revenue -36% -29% 24% For information visit Item9LabsCorp.com. About Item 9 Labs Corp: Item 9 Labs Corp. (OTC: INLB) creates comfortable cannabis health solutions for the modern consumer. The Company is bringing best of industry practices to markets from coast to coast through cultivation and production, distinctive retail environments, licensing services, and diverse product suites catering to different medical cannabis demographics. Item 9 Labs Corp. is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, with medical cannabis operations in multiple U.S. markets. Item 9 Labs Corp.s asset portfolio includes Dispensary Permits, Dispensary Templates, and Strive Life. These assets provide services specific to different stakeholder groups. Dispensary Permits is the Companys consulting firm specializing in strategic license application and compliance. Dispensary Templates, a subdivision of the firm, is a technology platform with an extensive digital library of licensing and business planning resources. Strive Life is a turnkey dispensary model for the retail sector, elevating the patient experience with consistent and superior service, high-end design, and precision-tested products. It is currently being implemented in Arizona and North Dakota. In addition, Item 9 Labs Corp. is advancing the industry with its dynamic product suites. The Company has created complementary brands Item 9 Labs and Strive Wellness to channel consumer diversity. Propriety delivery platforms include the Apollo Vape and Pod system, as well as a pioneering intra-nasal device. The Company has received multiple accolades for its medical-grade flower and concentrates. Item 9 Labs Corp. intends to manage cultivation, processing, distribution, and dispensary operations in up to ten U.S. markets by the end of 2019. Current facilities include distribution and processing operations Strive Wellness of Ohio and Strive Wellness of Nevada, as well as dispensary Strive Life North Dakota. For more information, visit Item 9 Labs Corp. at www.Item9labscorp.com. Forward-Looking Statement: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, risks and effects of legal and administrative proceedings and governmental regulation, especially in a foreign country, future financial and operational results, competition, general economic conditions, proposed transactions that are not legally binding obligations of the company and the ability to manage and continue growth. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those indicated. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements we make in this news release include the introduction of new technology, market conditions and those set forth in reports or documents we file from time to time with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to revise or update such statements to reflect current events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Media Contact: Kyle Jennings Item 9 Labs Corp. Kyle@item9labs.com (518) 265-9217 Investor Contact: Jeffrey Rassas Item 9 Labs Corp. Jeffrey@item9labs.com (480) 463-4246 How can journalists personal understanding of faith strengthen their reporting? Given that faith is central to the lives of many Americans, does sharing it help us see the country better? In newsrooms, religious practice often goes unspokenbut maybe it can be an edge. On this weeks Kicker, Kyle Pope, editor and publisher of CJR, hosted a roundtable featuring three journalists of faith. Participants: McKay Coppins is a staff writer at the The Atlantic. He was previously at BuzzFeed. Ari Goldman is a professor of religion and journalism at Columbia University and a former New York Times religion writer. He is the author of four books, including the memoir A Year in Kaddish, about mourning his father, and Being Jewish. Aysha Khan covers Muslim Americans and millennial spirituality for Religion News Service. She writes a newsletter called Creeping Sharia. SHOW NOTES Keeping the Faith, the Editors, CJR The Lords Work, CJR Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Amanda Darrach is a contributor to CJR and a visiting scholar at the University of St Andrews School of International Relations. Follow her on Twitter @thedarrach. When we see images of Earth from space, we see a big blue planet, with some brown terrain. This is our home, the only planet we can survive on. Weve also studied in our schooling years that our planet mostly comprises of water. However, have you ever thought of what would happen if these oceans would dry up? NASA has. Reuters NASA has created an interesting simulation that gives us an idea of what our Earth would look like if the ocean levels would lower around 50 metres. The simulations reveal a considerable change in the way countries look with new land surfacing. The simulation showed Australia and Papua New Guinea becoming one island. Even Indonesia, Vietnam and Philipines fuse to become one huge mass of land. NASA In case you ever thought if one could travel from the US to Europe by road, if the water went down by a kilometre, that would become possible. This simulation gives an idea of how our ancestors travelled in the past, as once upon a time, the water levels were more than 400 feet below than what level theyre at right now. Extra land helped them cross lands that today seem impossible. As the NASA simulation kept on reducing water levels, larger mountain ranges from under the water surfaced. And by the time scientists reached around 6 kilometres or 6000 metres, they saw most of the oceans and seas disappearing. NASA In case you were wondering if the dept of the sea was only this much, youd be astonished to know, that in order to see the deepest point of Earth, the sea levels would have to go down another 5000 metres or 5 kilometres. Check out the entire simulation below. Would you like to live on an Earth with more landmass or do you like the way it is right now? Let us know in the comments. By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai on Thursday proposed $9.7 billion in incentive payments to accelerate the freeing up of spectrum in the key C-band by shifting existing satellite users. The telecommunications regulator had told lawmakers last month it was considering proposing "single-digit billions" in payments. Major satellite firms, including Intelsat SA, are expected to back Pai's proposal to shift them to different parts of the spectrum band. FCC officials told reporters they were optimistic of agreement. Pai said in a speech on Thursday he backed the accelerated relocation payments to "make available the C-band for 5G deployment as quickly as possible" and to "align the satellite companies private interests with the public interest." The C-band is a block of spectrum used by satellite company customers to deliver video and radio programming to 120 million U.S. households. Pai said an auction to use the freed spectrum will begin on Dec. 8 and is critical to the deployment of 5G wireless. Pai said he expects the actual costs of relocating satellite companies is in the $3 billion to $5 billion range. He said new satellites will need to be launched, and filters placed on earth stations to shift spectrum. Pai said he wants to fund transition and incentive payments with a surcharge paid by winners of an auction of 280 megahertz of the C-band. The formal proposal will be released on Friday. Major satellite service providers include Intelsat and SES SA, both based in Luxembourg, as well as Telesat, which all form the C-Band Alliance. The organization said last month it was seeking "fair compensation" to quickly clear the spectrum. The group said the expected order "reflects the tireless efforts of many over the past several years to ensure that this critical spectrum comes to market safely, quickly, and efficiently." Intelsat shares rose as much as 6% on Thursday, but pared gains to close 0.5% higher at $3.74. Intelsat CEO Steve Spengler said on Thursday the company appreciated "the hard work of all stakeholders to get to this juncture." Story continues U.S. Senator John Kennedy, a Republican, said the $9.7 billion figure "is much too high, and its highly unfair to those taxpayers." He added, "We shouldnt be in the business of spearheading Luxembourg bailouts when there are towns in Louisiana and across the country without access to broadband service." Kennedy has proposed a bill with some Democrats to sharply limit how much in compensation satellite firms could receive. Pai said "if Congress wants to direct that auction proceeds be used to address national priorities like rural broadband, it will find no bigger supporter than me." He said that even if the FCC moves ahead on the auction at its Feb. 28 meeting, "Congress could still require this year that auction proceeds be used to close the digital divide." (Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Additional reporting by Arriana McLymore in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Matthew Lewis) DAVENPORT, Iowa, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Von Maur Department Stores announced today that Jim von Maur, president of Von Maur, received the Male Champion of Change Award as part of the 2020 ATHENA + Male Champion of Change Awards luncheon on February 5, 2020. Women Lead Change, the State's premier leadership organization for women, hosted the event in Bettendorf, Iowa, to celebrate the individuals who make the Quad Cities a better place to live, work and play. Affiliated with ATHENA International, the annual ATHENA Awards Event elevates and honors women and men who are setting the gold standard in business and community leadership, and who are helping to bring along the next generation of women leaders. Specifically, the Male Champion of Change Award recognizes one man who steps up and stands out as an ally for women. Beyond demonstrating an exceptional commitment to the advancement and acceleration of women leaders at all levels, the recipient utilizes his influence, talents and abilities to enhance gender diversity. "I am extremely humbled and honored to receive such a tremendous recognition, and while this is an individual award, I truly view it as a resounding testament to the positive culture we've collectively created at Von Maur," said von Maur. "Positioning our team for growth and celebrating our colleagues' success is engrained in the fabric of our company. I take great pride in working with so many confident and driven individuals who feel empowered to explore new ideas, challenge the status quo and evolve the way we do business. As Von Maur continues to grow, I look forward to further demonstrating our unwavering commitment to creating positive, meaningful opportunities for everyone on our team." Jim von Maur is the fourth-generation leader of the family-owned retailer with more than 5,000 employees across its footprint. Throughout his nearly 27-year career with the company, von Maur has continuously demonstrated a commitment to advancing women in to leadership roles. Currently, more than 60 percent of senior manager positions and nearly 85 percent of executive positions at Von Maur are held by women, including von Maur's appointment of the company's first chief operating officer, Melody Wright. Additionally, von Maur is an avid supporter of the company's Executive Training Program. In the last 10 years, more than 90 percent of individuals placed in the program were women, many of whom currently hold key leadership positions throughout the company. "For more than 20 years, I have been proud to call Jim one of my closest mentors, and I cannot think of a more deserving person for this extraordinary award," said Wright. "Everyone at Von Maur would wholeheartedly agree that Jim has fostered and created a fully inclusive environment that paves the way for significant advancement opportunities for our female colleagues. It is because of his support and commitment that so many women, like myself, have been able to grow within their roles and experience such high levels of personal and professional success." Known for its outstanding selection of brand name and specialty apparel, shoes, accessories and gifts, Von Maur is also widely-regarded for its superior customer service, including an interest-free charge card, accommodating return policy, free gift wrapping and free shipping services. The Company also offers its associates above-market wages, excellent benefits and a positive, professional work environment. For more information, please visit www.vonmaur.com. About Von Maur Von Maur was founded 145 years ago in downtown Davenport, Iowa. The Company currently operates 35 stores in 15 states, along with a 120,000 square foot E-Commerce facility that drives its successful online business at vonmaur.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Brendan Griffith [email protected] SOURCE Von Maur Department Store Related Links http://www.vonmaur.com Some have more dollars than sense, they say, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can easily find investors. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' If, on the other hand, you like companies that have revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in China Huirong Financial Holdings (HKG:1290). While that doesn't make the shares worth buying at any price, you can't deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. Conversely, a loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the sweet milk of external capital may run sour. View our latest analysis for China Huirong Financial Holdings China Huirong Financial Holdings's Earnings Per Share Are Growing. As one of my mentors once told me, share price follows earnings per share (EPS). Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. We can see that in the last three years China Huirong Financial Holdings grew its EPS by 8.7% per year. That's a good rate of growth, if it can be sustained. Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. I note that China Huirong Financial Holdings's revenue from operations was lower than its revenue in the last twelve months, so that could distort my analysis of its margins. On the one hand, China Huirong Financial Holdings's EBIT margins fell over the last year, but on the other hand, revenue grew. So if EBIT margins can stabilize, this top-line growth should pay off for shareholders. The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart. SEHK:1290 Income Statement, February 6th 2020 China Huirong Financial Holdings isn't a huge company, given its market capitalization of HK$1.2b. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength. Story continues Are China Huirong Financial Holdings Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? Personally, I like to see high insider ownership of a company, since it suggests that it will be managed in the interests of shareholders. So we're pleased to report that China Huirong Financial Holdings insiders own a meaningful share of the business. Indeed, with a collective holding of 54%, company insiders are in control and have plenty of capital behind the venture. To me this is a good sign because it suggests they will be incentivised to build value for shareholders over the long term. In terms of absolute value, insiders have CN661m invested in the business, using the current share price. That should be more than enough to keep them focussed on creating shareholder value! It's good to see that insiders are invested in the company, but are remuneration levels reasonable? A brief analysis of the CEO compensation suggests they are. I discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like China Huirong Financial Holdings with market caps between CN697m and CN2.8b is about CN2.0m. The China Huirong Financial Holdings CEO received CN1.7m in compensation for the year ending December 2018. That comes in below the average for similar sized companies, and seems pretty reasonable to me. 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. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense. Does China Huirong Financial Holdings Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist? One positive for China Huirong Financial Holdings is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. Earnings growth might be the main game for China Huirong Financial Holdings, but the fun does not stop there. With a meaningful level of insider ownership, and reasonable CEO pay, a reasonable mind might conclude that this is one stock worth watching. Now, you could try to make up your mind on China Huirong Financial Holdings by focusing on just these factors, or you could also consider how its price-to-earnings ratio compares to other companies in its industry. You can invest in any company you want. But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here is a list of companies with insider buying in the last three months. 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. One of the best investments we can make is in our own knowledge and skill set. With that in mind, this article will work through how we can use Return On Equity (ROE) to better understand a business. We'll use ROE to examine easyJet plc (LON:EZJ), by way of a worked example. Over the last twelve months easyJet has recorded a ROE of 12%. Another way to think of that is that for every 1 worth of equity in the company, it was able to earn 0.12. Check out our latest analysis for easyJet How Do I Calculate ROE? The formula for ROE is: Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations) Shareholders' Equity Or for easyJet: 12% = UK349m UK3.0b (Based on the trailing twelve months to September 2019.) It's easy to understand the 'net profit' part of that equation, but 'shareholders' equity' requires further explanation. It is all earnings retained by the company, plus any capital paid in by shareholders. You can calculate shareholders' equity by subtracting the company's total liabilities from its total assets. What Does Return On Equity Mean? ROE measures a company's profitability against the profit it retains, and any outside investments. The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. A higher profit will lead to a higher ROE. So, as a general rule, a high ROE is a good thing. That means it can be interesting to compare the ROE of different companies. Does easyJet Have A Good Return On Equity? 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. If you look at the image below, you can see easyJet has a lower ROE than the average (22%) in the Airlines industry classification. LSE:EZJ Past Revenue and Net Income, February 6th 2020 That certainly isn't ideal. It is better when the ROE is above industry average, but a low one doesn't necessarily mean the business is overpriced. Still, shareholders might want to check if insiders have been selling. Story continues The Importance Of Debt To Return On Equity Most companies need money -- from somewhere -- to grow their profits. The cash for investment can come from prior year profits (retained earnings), issuing new shares, or borrowing. In the first two cases, the ROE will capture this use of capital to grow. In the latter case, the use of debt will improve the returns, but will not change the equity. Thus the use of debt can improve ROE, albeit along with extra risk in the case of stormy weather, metaphorically speaking. easyJet's Debt And Its 12% ROE Although easyJet does use debt, its debt to equity ratio of 0.45 is still low. The combination of modest debt and a very respectable ROE suggests this is a business worth watching. Careful use of debt to boost returns is often very good for shareholders. However, it could reduce the company's ability to take advantage of future opportunities. The Key Takeaway Return on equity is a useful indicator of the ability of a business to generate profits and return them to shareholders. A company that can achieve a high return on equity without debt could be considered a high quality business. All else being equal, a higher ROE is better. But ROE is just one piece of a bigger puzzle, since high quality businesses often trade on high multiples of earnings. Profit growth rates, versus the expectations reflected in the price of the stock, are a particularly important to consider. So I think it may be worth checking this free report on analyst forecasts for the company. But note: easyJet may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with high ROE 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. Advertisement The first Briton and third person to test positive for coronavirus in the UK was confirmed on Thursday after the businessman returned from Singapore last week. The man, believed to be in his 40s or 50s, from Hove, Sussex, took himself to A&E at the Royal Sussex in Brighton on Sunday night after suffering from flu-like symptoms before being rushed 55 miles to Guy's Hospital in London this morning. The businessman was whisked to the specialist infectious diseases unit at the hospital where he will remain quarantined for at least two weeks. Health officials are not believed to be 'contact tracing' people on any Asia-UK flight the latest sufferer may have travelled on. It comes almost a week after two Chinese nationals, a University of York student and his mother, were confirmed to have the lethal virus and they have been quarantined at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. The coronavirus epidemic has so far claimed 630 lives and infected more than 31,500 people in 28 countries and territories around the world - but 99 per cent of infections have been in China. The latest case raises fears the virus is now circulating in higher numbers than previously thought outside of the mainland. NHS bosses are expected to warn GPs to be on red alert for patients with symptoms from other Asian nations later today. The patient went to A&E at the Royal Sussex in Brighton on Sunday night after suffering from flu-like symptoms before being rushed to Guy's Hospital in London this morning. It comes almost a week after two Chinese nationals, a University of York student and his mother, were confirmed to have the lethal virus and they have been quarantined at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle. Meanwhile 93 others are quarantined on the Wirral after being evacuated from Wuhan - the epicentre of the virus - while another among them was rushed to a hospital in Oxford after falling ill on the flight back to RAF Brize Norton on Sunday night The patient went to A&E at the Royal Sussex in Brighton on Sunday night after suffering from flu-like symptoms before being transferred this morning to Guy's Hospital in London (pictured) It comes almost a week after two Chinese nationals, a University of York student and his mother, were confirmed to have the lethal virus in York (pictured: the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle where the patients were taken) The Briton - thought to be a man in his 40s or 50s - was diagnosed at the Royal Sussex in Brighton (pictured) after flying in from Singapore The coronavirus epidemic has so far claimed 638 lives and infected more than 31,500 people in 29 countries and territories around the world - but 99 per cent of infections have been in China INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN SINGAPORE LINKED TO THREE VIRUS CASES At least three Asian businessmen who attended a meeting of more than 100 international delegates at a Singapore hotel have contracted coronavirus, while others are showing symptoms, authorities said on Wednesday. The cases are further evidence the virus is now spreading through human-to-human contact outside China. Malaysia on Tuesday said its first infected citizen - a 41-year-old man - had attended the meeting, which included delegations from China where the virus originated, in mid-January. South Korea also reported two confirmed cases of its citizens who visited the same business conference in Singapore on Wednesday. The cases are linked to a company business meeting involving 109 participants at the Grand Hyatt Singapore hotel on Jan 20-22, which included 94 overseas participants, Singapore's health ministry said. Of the Singapore attendees, four have also reported symptoms and been referred to its National Centre for Infectious Diseases. Authorities have not commented on the company or industry involved. A spokesman for the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Gerald Kheng, said the hotel had been deep cleaned after it was first informed of the incident by Singapore's health ministry on Tuesday but said it was not aware of any other cases among guests or staff. Singapore - one of the worst hit countries outside China in the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) - has reported 28 cases of coronavirus, including some local transmission cases. The city-state says no evidence has emerged of widespread community spread but it announced new precautionary measures on Tuesday including halting group activities such as school assemblies. Several firms in Singapore have suspended business and media events, including a big travel fair, but the Singapore Airshow is set to go ahead next week albeit on a smaller scale. Advertisement Downing Street issued updated travel advice tonight warning Britons flying back from nine countries to phone NHS 111 if they feel even slightly unwell. Passengers who have arrived from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau, should call the NHS 111 service. It comes amid mounting pressure on ministers to ban all travellers from coronavirus-hit China after 16 countries including the US, Australia, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia took the firm action. The Government's new advice added that the nine countries had been 'identified because of the volume of air travel from affected areas, understanding of other travel routes and number of reported cases.' China's ambassador to the UK today criticised the Foreign Office's advice for all 30,000 of its citizens in mainland China to come home, urging the Government to take 'professional advice' from the World Health Organization. At a press conference today, Liu Xiaoming said: '[There] should be no panic, no overreaction. We advise the British side to take professional advice of WHO. They told us they will follow WHO's advice. It seems to me the words do not match with the deeds. 'Life is still normal in most parts of China so I do say again in private and public I hope the British Government and public take an objective, cool-headed view of what is going on. We should support each other rather than weaken the other's efforts.' Downing Street has been slammed for its 'passive' response to the outbreak, with officials torn apart for being days behind other nations in launching a mission to evacuate British expats stuck in the epicentre of Wuhan. Meanwhile thousands of travellers from the disease-stricken country have been pouring into Britain every day without being properly tested for the infection, prompting calls for a similar blanket ban. Experts have warned the UK to brace for more cases after footage emerged of paramedics in hazmat suits swooping on a house in York. Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England, told a press conference this afternoon the patient caught the virus somewhere in Asia but 'not in mainland China'. He said the Government was now advising people who have travelled to a number of Asian countries and returned to the UK with symptoms to immediately self-isolate and call NHS 111 for advice. The DoH will release a list of Asian countries where coronavirus risk is high this evening. Anyone displaying symptoms from these nations will now be tested for the disease, whereas previously it only applied to those returning from Wuhan. A specially-designed tent with controlled ventilation may be set up around the patient's bed to prevent the virus from spreading (similar to this one at the Royal Free in London) But the chief medical officer remained tight-lipped on whether the latest patient was a British national who had been holidaying in Asia. 'Basically, we're all doctors, we have a pretty strong view on this and we're not going to do anything that's in any way going to identify people once you start, you don't stop,' he said. 'What's in the public interest is obviously for us to release the list of countries where we think there is actually potentially slightly greater risk than the rest of the world. And that's what we'll be doing later today.' Dr Bharat Pankhania, a senior clinical lecturer at University of Exeter, suggested the Government should start widening its coronavirus screening to include other Asian countries, not just China. He said: 'According to the Chief Medical Officer, this new infection was acquired abroad and the patient then travelled to the UK. If the third case in the UK is travel-related but not from China, that is as we would expect. 'It's a clear indication that this virus is now circulating in many countries. That tells us that our control containment policies will need to be reviewed, as infected people may be entering the UK from countries other than China. 'The fact that we do not have any additional cases that were contacts of the initial two in the UK signals that our control policies appear to be working, although it's still early days so we must continue our vigilance.' Health bosses around the globe are on red alert for outbreaks because the virus can be spread via a simple cough or sneeze and live for short periods on inanimate objects such as door handles and counter-tops. Direct flights from Beijing to London Gatwick are still available to buy online. British airlines have all stopped flying routes to and from China but Chinese airlines are still active The number of confirmed deaths in China from the new-coronavirus outbreak rose on Friday to at least 630 after hard-hit Hubei province reported 69 new fatalities. In its daily update, Hubei's health commission also confirmed another 2,447 new cases in the province, where the epidemic originated. The number of people infected with the coronavirus has soared since late January. The true toll is expected to be considerably higher as many may have such mild symptoms they never get diagnosed WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE THREE CORONAVIRUS CASES IN THE UK? THE FIRST TWO CASES A University of York student and his mother became the first two confirmed cases of the deadly coronavirus on British soil when they were diagnosed on January 31. But neither have been named. Health officials repeatedly refused to give any details about the two cases, citing 'patient confidentially', and knocked back questions about where and when they entered Britain. But MailOnline later that same day revealed the pair had stayed at a budget hotel in York. Sources at the Staycity apart-hotel said the pair who had been whisked away by paramedics on January 31 never returned or collected their suitcases, clothing or toiletries. It is thought their toiletries remain sealed in their room. Officials have already paid for a sterilisation company to disinfect the room the pair stayed in, as well as surrounding ones. It is not clear if they are open again but the 49-a-night hotel is still operating. Sources then confirmed that both the infected patients had been whisked off to quarantine at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle, one of four specialist centres in the UK set-up to treat contagious airborne infections. The patients are still there being treated. The University of York confirmed one of the patients was a student on February 1. In hope of quashing fears, it said the infected student had not stepped foot on campus before or after he caught the virus. It was later revealed that the second patient was his mother. THE THIRD CASE The patient is thought to have been diagnosed in Brighton and whisked off to a specialist infectious diseases unit at a London hospital, where they will be kept in isolation for at least two weeks. Only four hospitals in England are equipped with these wards, two of which are in the capital - the Royal Free and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. The others are in Newcastle and Liverpool. Public Health England said the patient did not catch the highly contagious disease in the UK, suggesting they had recently flown back from China. Officials have so far refused to offer any more details about the patient. But there has been no flights into the UK from Wuhan since January 22, when Chinese authorities made the unprecedented decision to put the city into lockdown and ground all flights to fight the outbreak. London Gatwick, the closest airport to Brighton just 27miles (44km) north of the seaside city, has direct flights from Shanghai, another Chinese city that has recorded cases of the killer virus. Advertisement The latest patient is currently being transferred to an Airborne High Consequence Infectious Disease (AHCID) unit in Guy's and St Thomas' in London - where they will held for at least two weeks, the incubation period of the disease. Only four hospitals in England are equipped with such wards in England. Access to these units is restricted to a team of trained medical staff who are made to wear protective gowns, face masks, visors and gloves before entering. In some cases, a specially-designed tent with a ventilator is set up around the patient's bed which allows staff to treat and feed them without physically touching them. Dr Michael Head, a senior researcher in global health at the University of Southampton, said it was 'not surprising' to see a third case. He added: 'It has been expected that the UK would see more than just the two previous cases. Therefore, public health and NHS authorities will be well prepared to deal with and follow-up on this news. 'Clearly the outbreak is at a very important point, both globally and here in the UK. It looks at this stage like the infection is imported, rather than acquired through human-to-human transmission within the UK.' It comes hours after video surfaced of medics in full white protective suits and face masks loading a patient into the back on ambulance in York. The medics were seen leaving the residential home, thought to be rented by students, at 7.20pm on Tuesday. A neighbour claimed they saw a young woman being marched out of her home and loaded into the back of the van. The latest incident occurred a mile away from the Staycity hotel where the first two confirmed coronavirus patients - a York University student and his mother - were staying. The witness who filmed the incident on Tuesday said a dozen or so University of York students lived in the home where the woman was collected. They added that the ambulance arrived and took her away without sounding the siren. 'It is a student house with about four or five people living in, so it is most likely she was a student,' they said. 'I imagine the people in the house were concerned. I was just visiting someone on the street, but it was scary to see. The obvious concern is that it is another coronavirus case, which is worrying.' Public Health England refused to comment, saying it will not 'be providing rolling updates on suspected cases'. A neighbour claimed they marched a young woman outside the property at 7.20pm and loaded her into the back of the van Medics in full white protective suits and face masks were filmed leaving a residential home in York in an ambulance on Tuesday night The video was filmed in York around a mile away from the Staycity Hotel from where the UK's first two confirmed coronavirus cases were taken away by paramedics York Central MP Rachel Maskell attacked officials for not being transparent with the panicked public amid the outbreak. She said: 'It is crucial that the public are kept informed of developments associated with the Coronavirus infection. 'I have raised this twice in the House of Commons this week and am awaiting a further meeting with the Minister.' Both York and York St John University have said they were not aware of any new students being treated for the coronavirus. The first confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in the UK - an unnamed Chinese male student from York University and his mother - were diagnosed last Friday. The pair had been staying at the 50-a-night Staycity hotel in the city, when they were taken ill last Wednesday. A spokesman for the University of York insisted the student confirmed to have contracted the deadly virus did not set foot on campus or in student halls after returning from China. A statement said: 'The affected student did not come into contact with the virus on campus or in the Vita accommodation... We understand that this update will cause concern, and we would like to stress that the level of risk remains negligible.' Revealed: The UK Government's 'shambolic' response to the outbreak so far The Foreign Office has been accused of poor organisation during the coronavirus outbreak and of leaving British citizens in China to 'fend for themselves'. Emily Thornberry, Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary, said: 'From the very start of this outbreak, the government's response has been a total shambles, and now they appear to be telling British nationals in China simply to fend for themselves in terms of getting out of the country. 'How on earth has the Foreign Office not got plans and protocols in place for how these crises are managed?' Her comment followed a slew of shortcomings over the past two weeks that included: Dragging its feet before chartering an airlift When the epidemic started to ramp up in late January, the US, France and Japan all evacuated hundreds of citizens on chartered planes. Spain, Portugal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Australia and India all announced plans to rescue expats before Britain did. It wasn't until January 30 that the first wave of British nationals were flown home. Giving just two hours' notice before evacuating When the dithering Government finally organised the airlift, it gave stranded Britons just two hours' notice before taking off. This made it impossible for some citizens to make it to the airport on time because Wuhan was on lockdown, with public transport banned. Leaving expats to make their own way to the airport The Foreign Office made no attempt to arrange buses or taxis to transport British citizens to Wuhan airport. With the city completely sealed off, this reportedly made it impossible for Britons in the wider Hubei province to make the flight. British nationals told to abandon their loved ones Desperate expats were told there were no guarantees their Chinese partners or children would get on the rescue plane because Beijing was stopping its own citizens from leaving. Bus drivers did not wear masks Coach drivers who picked up the evacuees from RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire when they landed from Wuhan were photographed without any protective gear. It came despite the highly contagious virus being able to spread via a simple cough or sneeze, or by living on inanimate objects such as door handles and seats. The photos were even more jarring because medics in full hazmat suits were seen directly beside the bus drivers. Hotel with first confirmed cases allowed to operate as normal The first two patients to have confirmed coronavirus in the UK were staying in the Staycity hotel in York. The budget hotel said it was 'left in the dark' by the Government who refused to tell it whether its customers had in fact been infected with the disease. The hotel was told to 'operate as normal' but keep the room the patients were staying in shut and their belongings inside. This meant dozens of unwitting customers continued to stay and touch door knobs, cutlery and counter tops that may have been handled by the infected pair. Advertisement The UK Government has been slammed for its handling of the epidemic so far for leaving UK nationals trapped in China in limbo, and not having proper screening in place for travellers from the disease-stricken country. Scores of passengers fleeing the coronavirus-hit country have been pouring into Britain every day without being tested for the virus, prompting calls for a blanket travel ban similar to that imposed by the US, Australia and New Zealand. But the UK is still bound to EU immigration laws and obligated to fall in line with any decisions on travel restrictions made by the bloc until the end of the year, despite having technically left on January 31. The Government is said to be considering imposing the ban anyway, against the will of Brussels. But sources say it would be pointless if the EU does not follow suit as passengers could still enter Britain indirectly via another EU state due to freedom of movement rules. 'What is the point in one of you banning flights if none of the others are going to do it?' a senior government source told MailOnline. 'Because you just get in by an indirect route.' Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said last night: 'We can monitor flights from China landing back in the UK but we can't monitor those landing from China in the rest of Europe. EU freedom of movement does make us more vulnerable.' Meanwhile Labour's Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth attacked the Government for being 'irresponsible' in demanding all citizens return home without offering any help. He said: 'If Dominic Raab is saying everybody needs to return to the UK then I'm afraid the government has to do more to get those nationals home. You can't just make those announcements and not offer any serious help. 'The government can put in place plans to get them on flights, they can charter more flights if they think it is important as they presumably do because Mr Raab has said they should come home.' Asked whether the government should be paying for people to return to the UK, he said: 'The Foreign Secretary cannot make these statements and not back them up with any action.' Professor Qing Wang, a China expert at Warwick Business School, said the epidemic had 'exposed many of the inadequacies of the Chinese crisis response system'. 'There will be a period of reflection by the government and the public about why the lessons from SARS were not learned and the same mistake happened again. 'In particular there needs to be a more proactive, rational, and scientific approach to dealing with challenges, rather than relying entirely on the political will and centralised power of the government. 'The narrow focus on scientific research on publications, instead of solving real life challenges, should also come under scrutiny. 'Beyond the rising death toll, the adverse effect of the coronavirus on the Chinese and global economies is likely to be much greater than the SARS outbreak in 2003. 'The global economy is reliant on China, not only as an exporting nation, but as an increasingly important consumption market.' Saudi Arabia today became the 16th nation to ban travellers from coronavirus-hit China entering the country - piling pressure on the UK to ramp up its security. Patients infected with the coronavirus are pictured arriving at a makeshift hospital in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak A medical worker in East Java, Indonesia, examines an isolation chamber which could be used to contain people with the contagious coronavirus A makeshift hospital in Wuhan has started accepting patients infected with coronavirus 20 CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS DIAGNOSED WITH VIRUS At least 20 people on a cruise ship moored off the coast of Japan have been diagnosed with the coronavirus. Despite the deadly contagion spreading on board and passengers being unable to leave, many were seen chatting across their balconies today. A further 10 people tested positive for the deadly virus on the Diamond Princess on Thursday after the same number were rushed off the moored vessel to hospitals on the Japanese mainland on Wednesday. Some of the ship's 3,700 passengers have complained of 'prison-like' quarantine conditions, as those who appear healthy are trapped on deck. Passengers gaze out to port on Thursday as the ship returned to port to collect supplies Japanese authorities have tested 273 people among the passengers and crew after a man who got off the boat last month in Hong Kong tested positive for the new strain. Among the passengers in Yokohama Bay, near Tokyo, are 78 Britons including David Abel, 74, and his wife Sally, who has described having to rely on Facebook to communicate with his fellow passengers. The cruise operator, Princess Cruises, said the infected passengers include three Americans, two Australians, seven Japanese, one from Taiwan, two Canadians, one New Zealander and three Hong Kong citizens, as well as one Filipino crew member. The new cases were reported as the Diamond Princess, which has been ordered to remain at port for 14 days, docked to allow resupply and the removal of sick passengers this morning. At the port, officials could be seen dressed in white hazmat suits, complete with face masks and helmets. An extendable white-tented passageway was wheeled to a door on the side of the massive cruise ship, apparently to protect the identity of people being evacuated from the boat. Advertisement The kingdom has barred its citizens from going to mainland China and suggested it would tear up the passports of anyone who defied the ban. Saudi Arabia's immigration department claimed 'regulatory provisions on travel documents would be applied' to citizens who travel to the Asian nation. No further details were given. The virus hasn't yet been detected in Saudi Arabia, but five cases, including a family-of-four from Wuhan, have been confirmed in neighbouring United Arab Emirates. Fifteen other nations and territories have imposed some form of travel restrictions, including the US, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. As of 5 February, a total of 566 UK tests have concluded, of which 563 were confirmed negative and three positive. York Central MP Rachel Maskell attacked officials for not being transparent with the panicked public amid the outbreak. She said: 'It is crucial that the public are kept informed of developments associated with the Coronavirus infection. 'I have raised this twice in the House of Commons this week and am awaiting a further meeting with the Minister.' The first confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in the UK - an unnamed Chinese male student from York University and his mother - were diagnosed last Friday. The pair had been staying at the 50-a-night Staycity Aparthotel in the city when they were taken ill last Wednesday. A spokesman for the University of York insisted the student confirmed to have contracted the deadly virus did not set foot on campus or in student halls after returning from China. A statement said: 'The affected student did not come into contact with the virus on campus or in the Vita accommodation... We understand that this update will cause concern, and we would like to stress that the level of risk remains negligible.' It comes after scientists revealed they are close to giving the coronavirus an official name. Although the subject of news articles, social media posts and political discussions throughout the past month, the virus has not yet got an approved name. It has been dubbed 2019-nCoV, which means it is a novel (new) type of coronavirus discovered in 2019, but this is just a temporary placeholder. Other unofficial, potentially inaccurate, names for it have emerged, including the China coronavirus, Wuhan coronavirus and even 'snake flu'. But scientists at the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) say they have chosen a name for the bug and submitted it for official approval. The researchers have not revealed the name they settled on but say it could be announced within days. Dr Jarman said thousands more people are expected to die in the outbreak before the month is out Dr Brian Jarman predicted that cases could soar to almost 200,000 by the end of February if the outbreak carries on as it has for the past couple of weeks 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 It must not contain geography, human names or cultural references, they said, to avoid abusive backlash or potential racism, and it should avoid animal or food names because they could be inaccurate. Meanwhile, an email was leaked between Boris Johnson's father Stanley Johnson and China's ambassador to the UK that appeared to show Beijing moaning that the Prime Minister had praised it for its response to the outbreak. The Prime Minister's father accidentally included someone at the BBC in the list of officials he sent an email to after meeting the Chinese ambassador to discuss environmental matters. The BBC reported that Mr Johnson Snr wrote: 'Re the outbreak of coronavirus, Mr Liu obviously was concerned that there had not yet - so he asserted - been direct contact between the PM and Chinese head of state or government in terms of a personal message or telephone call.' Downing Street said Mr Johnson Snr is a private citizen and was not acting for the Government in any official or unofficial capacity. In other developments, more than 80 UK citizens and family members who were the first to be quarantined at Arrow Park Hospital on the Wirral have been told they can leave next Thursday. The group are spending 14 days in isolation but will be released next week as long as they remain symptom-free. Meanwhile, 78 people with British passports - including crew - are currently in quarantine on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan, sources told the PA news agency. Health workers in the port city of Yokohama said on Thursday that 10 more people on the Princess Cruises vessel had tested positive for the disease, in addition to 10 others on Wednesday when the ship was ordered to be isolated. As those 20 people received treatment at nearby hospitals and the remaining passengers were confined to their cabins, Briton David Abel said medical examinations aimed at detecting new cases on board had seemed to have stopped over the past few days. Mr Abel, who is on board with his wife, added: 'And what happens at the end of this quarantine period? There's no guarantee it's going to be 14 days now. It could be longer. 'And what happens when we finally get back to the UK? Are we going to be put in quarantine yet again for another 14 days? 'These are questions I need answered. I'm going to be contacting the UK Government ... to find out.' Sources say no British people on the ship have tested positive for coronavirus so far. There are no plans to fly anyone off the ship and back to the UK at the moment. A separate ship in Hong Kong, the World Dream, has about 66 British passport-holders on board, officials say. Nobody on that ship - of any nationality - has tested positive for the virus. MailOnline understands that passengers are unable to leave the ship but are not in quarantine and can move around freely on board. The World Health Organization today called for countries around the world to pull together more than half a billion pounds to stop China's coronavirus. Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, the director of the organisation, yesterday held a conference at which he called for donations totalling 521million ($675m). Saudi Arabia today became the 16th nation to ban travellers from coronavirus-hit China from entering the country. A total of 31 countries have imposed some form of travel ban or to have suspended all flights to the mainland Which countries have banned people from China entering? US The US has temporarily banned any non-US citizens who have been to China in the past two weeks from entering America. AUSTRALIA Australia has banned entry for any Chinese travellers or foreign passengers who been to China within the last 14 days or even have passed through the mainland during a layover. NEW ZEALAND New Zealand has closed its borders to any foreigners arriving from China after February 2, including passengers who passed through in transit. JAPAN Japan has barred entry for anyone with symptoms of the coronavirus and no travellers from Wuhan are allowed to enter even if they don't have symptoms. MONGOLIA Mongolian citizens have until February 6 to return to their home country if they want to. Travellers from China whether they are Chinese or not are not allowed to enter the country. NORTH KOREA North Korea was one of the first countries to completely shut its borders to travellers and flights from China, introducing the measure on January 21. KAZAKHSTAN Officials have suspended all forms of passenger travel to and from neighbouring China. The country has also suspended the issuance of visas to Chinese citizens. TAIWAN Authorities have decided to ban entry to all foreign nationals who have visited mainland China in the past two weeks. SINGAPORE Singapore has banned travellers who have been to mainland China in the past 14 days. SOUTH KOREA South Korea has banned all foreign travellers who have passed through Wuhan in the past 14 days. THE PHILIPPINES Authorities banned all travellers from China, Hong Kong and Macau except for Filipino citizens and holders of permanent residency visas. PAPUA NEW GUINEA Papua New Guinea has shut its air and seaports to all foreign travellers from Asia. Its land border with West Papua has also been closed. IRAQ Iraq has banned entry for all foreign nationals travelling from China. GUATEMALA Guatemala has banned non-resident travellers who had been to China in the past two weeks. TRINIDAD & TOBAGO Trinidad & Tobago have banned non-resident travellers who had been to China in the past two weeks. SAUDI ARABIA Announced today it was barring anyone coming into the country from China. Any citizens who leave for the disease-ridden country will have their passports torn up. Advertisement More than 28,000 people have now been infected with the coronavirus in China, as well as 260 in other countries, and 565 have died. The WHO money will be used for 'frontline efforts' to help countries contain the virus and to fund scientists trying to create a vaccine, as well as helping poor countries potentially African nations to prepare for possible infections. Dr Ghebreyesus's rallying call comes as a leading statistician in the UK predicts another 3,000 people in China could die of the virus by the end of the month. Dr Brian Jarman, a retired doctor and former president of the British Medical Association, said 199,000 people could have been infected by February 29. Dr Jarman, whose statistics work helped expose the NHS Mid-Staffordshire scandal which found death rates were higher than official figures showed, said he found the rate of the coronavirus spreading 'very worrying' because people appear not to know they are infecting others. 'We are requesting 675 million US dollars to fund the plan for the next three months,' Dr Ghebreyesus said. 'Sixty million of that is to fund WHO's operations; the rest is for the countries that are especially at risk and who need our support. 'Our message to the international community is 'invest today or pay more later'. Invest today or pay more later.' It is not clear which countries Dr Ghebreyesus was referring to, but the WHO has in the recent past suggested African nations could be devastated if the virus were to spread to the continent. There have not yet been any confirmed cases in any African countries. He added: 'My biggest worry is that there are countries today who do not have the systems in place to detect people who have contracted with the virus, even if it were to emerge. 'Urgent support is needed to bolster weak health systems to detect, diagnose and care for people with the virus, to prevent further human to human transmission and protect health workers.' Although international spread has been very limited so far accounting for just one per cent of all cases there is still a risk of numbers surging outside of China. Inside China the outbreak is continue to spread rapidly and thousands more people are being diagnosed with the coronavirus every day, most of them in the city of Wuhan and the Hubei province. Dr Brian Jarman, an retired professor from Imperial College London, has used statistics to predict how the outbreak could progress over the next three weeks. He worked out how many new cases are being diagnosed each day and the rate at which this is increasing, then applied it as a formula to the next 22 days. Dr Jarman found that there could be 31,810 cases and 636 deaths by the end of today, February 6. By February 13, this could rise to 67,409 cases and 1,304 deaths. By February 20, 116,444 cases and 2,214 deaths and, by February 29, 199,230 cases and 3,741 deaths. The calculations assume that the outbreak will continue to escalate at its current rate. He said predicting any further ahead in the same way would be inaccurate because the virus should soon start to slow down naturally. Dr Jarman said: 'I find it very worrying both medically, because the infection seems to have a relatively long incubation period and therefore people are infective for a longer time before they realise they may have the disease, and financially because China is so important to the world economy.' At the World Health Organization conference yesterday, officials also appeared to take a stab at the UK Government's advice for citizens to leave China, but not to screen those who return to Britain. Speaking in Geneva, Dr Michael Ryan, executive director at WHO, said: 'A situation where many individuals are potentially leaving the country [China] we don't believe those individuals are necessarily at the highest risk. 'But an unplanned measure like that needs to be accompanied with the necessary screening and the necessary public health measures to ensure that.' And WHO director general Dr Ghebreyesus scoffed at the idea of a blanket travel ban, saying it was unnecessary. He added: 'We call on all countries to make their decision based on evidence, not just a blanket coverage. 'Even in China there are provinces with very few cases, like other countries neighbouring [China] and beyond. I think that is very important to consider.' How will coronavirus patients be treated in the UK? The first two patients are being treated in a specialist infectious diseases unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. CORONAVIRUS COULD SPREAD ON SURFACES, WARNS WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION Coronavirus could spread on surfaces, the World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday. There is evidence that the coronavirus 'can also be spread via fomites - when the virus survives on inanimate surfaces for a short period of time,' said Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, a member of the WHO's emergency committee on the outbreak. If the possibility becomes a certainty, it's a worrying revelation for hospital settings, where patients coming to be diagnosed and treated for coronavirus may touch chairs, tables, beds, railings and much more. WHO officials are careful to note that it's not yet clear how contagious the new virus is, but its ability to be transferred from surfaces to people could speed its already alarming spread. Experts estimate that the virus has an incubation between two and 14 days - although a small subset of cases suggest that it may be transmissible even before symptoms begin. Advertisement The third is thought to be receiving care in either the Royal Free or Guy's and St Thomas', both of which are in London. Access to these units is restricted to the team of specially trained medical staff who are made to wear protective gowns, face masks, visors and gloves before entering. This must all be disposed of and put into a decontamination facility as soon as they leave. There are various facilities in place in these wards, including a laboratory for carrying out tests on infectious patients and dedicated waste units to avoid contamination with regular rubbish. The air in the ward is funneled through its own filter to remove the risk of infection spreading through the air inside the hospital. Professor Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, told MailOnline the treatment the patients get will depend on their condition. No official information has emerged about how severely ill they are. Mild symptoms could be treated with paracetamol, whereas more serious patients may need oxygen supplies or intensive care. He said the patients would have throat swabs each day to test whether they are still infectious. It is not clear what the conditions of their release will be. How do I know if I have the virus? What are the symptoms and how is it spread? Once someone has caught the virus it may take between two and 14 days for them to show any symptoms but they may still be contagious during this time. If and when they do become ill, typical signs include a runny nose, a cough, sore throat and a 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. The illness can spread between people just through coughs and sneezes, making it an extremely contagious infection. And it may also spread even before someone has symptoms. It is believed to travel in the saliva and even through water in the eyes, therefore close contact, kissing, and sharing cutlery or utensils are all risky. Originally, people were thought to be catching it from a live animal market in Wuhan city. But cases soon began to emerge in people who had never been there, which forced medics to realise it was spreading from person to person. There is now evidence that it can spread third hand to someone from a person who caught it from another person. Is the British public at risk of catching the virus? Should I be worried? The general consensus is that the British public is not at risk. In China, a country of around 1.4billion people, only around 10,000 people were infected to an extent which made them ill enough to get diagnosed in the first month of the outbreak. That is a rate of 0.0007 per cent. Although the true number of cases is believed to be much higher, scientists say that many people would get such mild symptoms they wouldn't notice or wouldn't consider going to a doctor. As of 31 January, a total of 177 UK tests have concluded, of which 175 were confirmed negative and two positive. The RVI (pictured) is only one of two hospitals in England with the specialised ward, the other being the Royal Free Hospital in London Public Health England said on Thursday, January 30: '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 in England, Scotland and Wales and HSC in Northern Ireland to manage these in a way that protects the public and provides high quality care.' The risk of infection is too low for people in the UK to do anything proactive other than practice good hygiene at all times. If I catch the virus, will it kill me? The virus has so far killed 2 per cent of everyone it has officially infected. This is a similar death rate to the Spanish Flu outbreak which, in 1918, went on to kill around 50million people. However, experts say the true number of patients is likely considerably higher and therefore the death rate considerably lower. Experts say it is likely only the most seriously ill patients are seeking help and are therefore recorded the vast majority will have only mild, cold-like symptoms. For those whose conditions do become more severe, there is a risk of developing pneumonia which can destroy the lungs and kill you. Imperial College London researchers estimate that there were 4,000 (up to 9,700) cases in Wuhan city alone up to January 18 officially there were only 444 there to date. If cases are in fact 100 times more common than the official figures, the virus may be far less dangerous than currently believed. Can the virus be cured? The Wuhan coronavirus cannot currently be cured and it is proving difficult to contain. Antibiotics do not work against viruses, so they are out of the question. Antiviral drugs can, but the process of understanding a virus then developing and producing drugs to treat it would take years and huge amounts of money. Experts say the difficulty of containing the coronavirus is that so many patients have mild, cold-like symptoms and don't realise they have the infection but it can quickly turn deadly No vaccine exists for the coronavirus yet and it's not likely one will be developed in time to be of any use in this outbreak, for similar reasons to the above. Scientists across the world are desperately trying to make one. What even is a coronavirus? A coronavirus is a type of virus which can cause illness in animals and people. Viruses break into cells inside their host and use them to reproduce itself and disrupt the body's normal functions. Coronaviruses are named after the Latin word 'corona', which means crown, because they are encased by a spiked shell which resembles a royal crown. The coronavirus from Wuhan is one which has never been seen before this outbreak. It is currently named 2019-nCoV, and does not have a more detailed name because so little is known about it. It is not a type of flu. WHY ARE EXPERTS SO WORRIED ABOUT THE VIRUS? Experts say the international community is concerned about the virus because so little is known about it and it appears to be spreading quickly. It is similar to SARS, which infected 8,000 people and killed nearly 800 in an outbreak in Asia in 2003, in that it is a type of coronavirus which infects humans' lungs. Another reason for concern is that nobody has any immunity to the virus because they've never encountered it before. This means it may be able to cause more damage than viruses we come across often, like the flu or common cold. Speaking at a briefing in January, Oxford University professor, Dr Peter Horby, said: 'Novel viruses can spread much faster through the population than viruses which circulate all the time because we have no immunity to them. 'Most seasonal flu viruses have a case fatality rate of less than one in 1,000 people. Here we're talking about a virus where we don't understand fully the severity spectrum but it's possible the case fatality rate could be as high as two per cent.' Advertisement What can I do to protect myself? Currently, only people who have travelled to Wuhan in China or been in contact with somebody travelling from there are considered to be at a high risk of catching the virus. To avoid catching the virus people should simply avoid close contact with people who have been to Wuhan and practice good hygiene at all times. Good hygiene includes washing your hands regularly with soap and water or alcohol gel, keeping food preparation surfaces and cutlery clean, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze and make sure others don't cough or sneeze on you and avoid contact with people who have cold- or flu-like symptoms. If you feel ill and have reason to suspect it might be the coronavirus that is, you have been to China or been in contact with someone who has you should phone NHS 111 or your local GP surgery. Do not go outside and interact with anyone else, and do not go to a GP surgery or hospital in person unless told to do so. What do I do if I fear a loved one has the virus? If you fear a loved one has the virus, you should not take them to the GP. Instead, you should call NHS 111 and tell them of any symptoms. Doctors are unlikely to send out paramedics in hazmat suits for anyone who is poorly but patients who have travel history that puts them at risk may get rushed to hospital for tests. Make sure you practice good hygiene and keep them isolated as much as possible to prevent the virus spreading. Stop them from coming with anyone else especially patients who have weakened immune systems, such as your elderly relatives and those with chronic conditions. Photos from the runway at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire show paramedics, coach drivers and other staff greeting and even shaking hands with the passengers, who are on their way to be quarantined for two weeks Passengers are greeted by workers on the runway one of the British workers appears to shake hands with a passenger while another is not wearing a mask What do we know about the evacuees? The UK Government sent a chartered flight to Wuhan Tianhe Airport on on the night of January 30/31 and brought back 83 citizens who were stranded there. The airport is closed to commercial flights, there is no public transport and there are roadblocks around the city, preventing people from leaving. According to reports from the people who had booked seats on the flight, the Foreign Office gave them around two hours' notice to get to a meeting point near the airport by 11pm local time on Thursday night (3pm UK time). Some of them said they were unable to make it to the airport in time so they stayed behind in Wuhan. They then had medical checks and were told to sign a waiver agreeing to allow the Government to place them in forced isolation for a fortnight when they arrived. They then boarded a plane which later left at 9.45am on Friday (1.45am Friday UK time). The flight was on a plane chartered from Spanish airline Wamos, whose crew operated the flight alongside RAF personnel and Army medics. It landed at RAF Brize Norton, a military airfield in Oxfordshire, at 1.30pm UK time on Friday, after a 12-hour journey. The Britons shared the flight with 27 people of other nationalities, reportedly mostly Spanish citizens, who were taken onwards to Madrid on the same plane. What will happen to the British evacuees? After arriving at the airfield in Oxfordshire, the evacuees were loaded onto coaches hired from Berkshire company, Horseman. They were driven to Arrowe Park Hospital in Wirral Merseyside, where they will be kept in isolation for two weeks. Scientists believe the coronavirus has an incubation period the time between it entering the body and the last point at which it could cause symptoms of around 14 days. This means anyone who does not get ill within two weeks of being exposed to the virus can be considered infection-free. The evacuees will spend this incubation period cut off from the general public. British crew members from the plane will also be put in quarantine. They will spend the time in an accommodation block which is separated from the main Arrowe Park hospital and will be constantly monitored for signs of infection. If anyone is found to be infected with the coronavirus they will be taken to a specialist hospital likely the Royal Liverpool which has the facilities to contain and treat them. During their incubation time they will be allowed to live normally, with contact with the outside world, access to outdoor space and internet access, but they will not be allowed to physically meet with anyone who was not on the flightIf they make it through the two weeks without showing signs of infection they will be free to go. (CNN) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told House Democrats in a closed-door caucus meeting on Wednesday morning that she "shredded" the President's State of the Union speech Tuesday night because Trump "shredded the truth" in his address, according to one person in the room. In a dramatic move captured on camera, Pelosi ripped up her copy of the President's speech after he concluded the annual address to Congress. Earlier in the night, the President appeared to ignore the House Speaker's attempt at a handshake. Pelosi slammed the speech in the Democrats' closed-door caucus meeting, explaining why she tore it up afterward, according to multiple sources in the room. Pelosi was fired up in the meeting, the sources said, and she told her members that the speech was "a disgrace" for having so many falsehoods in it. "He shredded the truth, so I shredded his speech," Pelosi said, according to one person in the room. She said she felt "liberated" because she felt the speech was so outrageous, according to two sources. The visible clash between Trump and Pelosi during the speech highlighted heightened tensions -- and a deteriorating relationship -- between the House speaker and the President on the eve of a final vote in the Senate impeachment trial where Trump is expected to be acquitted. LIVE UPDATES: Impeachment trial of President Trump Pelosi and the President had not communicated in months, with Pelosi confirming to CNN earlier on Tuesday that she hadn't spoken to Trump since a contentious White House Syria meeting in October, which led to yet another clash between the two leaders. The House speaker and the White House were both quick to go on the offensive after the State of the Union on Wednesday. Following the speech, Pelosi tweeted out a picture of her with her hand outstretched toward the President who appeared to be turning away from her. The caption said, "Democrats will never stop extending the hand of friendship to get the job done #ForThePeople. We will work to find common ground where we can, but will stand our ground where we cannot." The White House Twitter account posted its own message, with references to what the President had addressed in his speech. It read: "Speaker Pelosi just ripped up: One of our last surviving Tuskegee Airmen. The survival of a child born at 21 weeks. The mourning families of Rocky Jones and Kayla Mueller. A service member's reunion with his family. That's her legacy." With Valentines Day just around the corner, the Internet is filling up with different trends as well as memes for couples and singles alike. One of them is the unusual Valentines Day tweet and many are dishing out post using the format. Google India too has joined the trend and netizens are having a good laugh about it. Theres a chance that you too will related to the tweet. The tweet shows a breakdown of the word Valentines Day which may look like a slope to many. With each step of the slope one letter from the term Valentines Day keeps on disappearing until it comes down to the letter y. Wittily, Google India tagged YouTube India along with a song recommendation. It is a sad love song Tanhai from the 2001 movie Dil Chahta Hai. Valentines Day alentines Day lentines Day entines Day ntines Day tines Day ines Day nes Day es Day s Day Day ay y @YouTubeIndia recommends: Tanhaaai Google India (@GoogleIndia) February 5, 2020 YouTube India dished out an equally funny reply but with the term Feeling Lucky. Feeling Lucky Feeling Luck Feeling Luc Feeling Lu Feeling L Feeling Feelin Feeli Feel Fee Fe F Press F for our single comrades https://t.co/GohMD0AGci YouTube India (@YouTubeIndia) February 5, 2020 Posted on February 6, the post has garnered over 1,300 likes. Many found the tweet highly and poured in their hilarious versions. Heres a Twitter user posting with the term Forever Single: Forever Single Forever Singl Forever Sing Forever Sin Forever Si Forever S Forever Foreve Forev Fore For Fo F kumar Vikash (@vickey124harina) February 5, 2020 Another user of the micro-blogging site, took a step further and shared a tweet which goes from being highly optimistic to not-so-much: Apna time aayega Apna time aayeg Apna time aaye Apna time aay Apna time aa Apna time a Apna time Apna tim Apna ti Apna t Apna Apn Ap A -- G Gh Gha Ghan Ghant Ghanta Ghanta a Ghanta aa Ghanta aay Ghanta aaye Ghanta aayeg Ghanta aayega Forever Single Abhishek Raj Ravi (@arrbxr) February 5, 2020 Yet another dropped a different version using the term Valentines Day: Valentines Day alentines Day lentines Day entines Day ntines Day tines Day ines Day nes Day es Day s Day Day ay y You're a single. no need to celebrate valentines day Mahendra (@mahi4414) February 6, 2020 A Twitter user used the phrase its a waste of time, to put forth his version: It's a waste of time t's a waste of time 's a waste of time s a waste of time a waste of time waste of time aste of time ste of time te of time e of time of time f time time ime me e Rahul Chouhan (@Rahulogies) February 5, 2020 A few even spelled out their names using this format: Deepak Eepak Epak Pak Ak K Ak Pak Epak Eepak Deepak Mr.deep2508 (@MDeep2508) February 5, 2020 Harsha arsha rsha sha ha a ha sha rsha arsha Harsha Harsha Chowdary (@harsha_LCA_) February 5, 2020 Each year, around the world, Valentines Day is celebrated on February 14. Its a day where you celebrate love and make your beloved feel special. What do you think of this Valentines Day tweet? A South Jersey man and his girlfriend were charged after the mans 2-year-old son ingested fentanyl and methamphetamine, leaving the toddler in critical condition, authorities said Wednesday. Ray Drayton and Melissa R. Wilkerson, both 36, were charged with aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of a child and cruelty and neglect of children, according to the Burlington County Prosecutors Office. Mount Holly police were called Jan. 13 to a report of an unresponsive 2-year-old boy at a home in the township, the prosecutors office said in a statement. The boy had shallow breathing and showed signs of a drug overdose. Emergency crews rushed the child to an area hospital, where his breathing improved after a dose of Narcan, the anti-opioid overdose drug, authorities said. More tests revealed the boys brain had begun to swell and he was taken to the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. Doctors performed surgery the next day in an attempt to relieve the swelling, according to the prosecutors office, which said tests confirmed he ingested fentanyl and methamphetamine. It is believed the boy came into contact with the drugs from a cotton ball that was contaminated during intravenous drug use at the residence, the offices statement said. He remains at CHOP in critical condition. During a Wednesday detention hearing, a judge ordered Drayton to remain jailed while Wilkerson was freed. It was not yet clear if they had retained attorneys. 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. We wont let any head of government tell the parliament what to do. This is what head of the Bright Armenia faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Edmon Marukyan said during the special parliamentary session devoted to the constitutional amendments today, touching upon the speech by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. A large portion of the Prime Ministers speech was taken from the long letter of the judge of the Constitutional Court Vahe Grigoryan which describes how the presidency of Hrayr Tovmasyan was established in the Constitutional Court, and another portion is from the criminal case instituted against the former parliamentary speaker and the ex-chief of staff of the National Assembly. This gave me something to think about. If there are judges who were appointed by ex-presidents, they shouldnt serve. This is a wrong logic because the bodies that need to exist, according to the Constitution, as independent bodies, need to have judges serving for different terms and appointed by different authorities. The meaning of the Constitutional Court is that various authorities appoint people for different terms, and this is also a guarantee of certain independence. What is troubling and seems dangerous is your approach that you are threatening from this podium the forces that may legally dispute the decisions that are being made today. You say those who try to impede the referendum will be declared anti-state forces and those who support this process will be considered people devoted to the nation. As long as we are in this parliament, we wont let any head of government tell the parliament what to do. Mr. Prime Minister, if those forces disagree with a referendum, are you going to burn their cars and attack them? This is not the path to take. These approaches wont lead to a positive outcome. I say that nobody can declare a citizen of Armenia an anti-state force of the nation. If anyone goes against the referendum, Im ready to stand by that persons side. This parliament wont become a political bureau. The Bright Armenia faction will vote against the draft decision on the referendum and will consider its future actions with the territorial subdivisions of Bright Armenia Party. The political partys decision will be based on the decision of the proud citizens who dont agree with certain steps. Nobody can threaten us. Dont talk to us that way, he said. India: Gross domestic product (GDP) growth fell to 5% in 2019-20, the slowest in 11 years February 06,2020 | Source: Live Mint Across India, families who managed to find employment under MGNREGS, on an average worked for just 42 days in 2019-20 (till 1 February); the average days of employment provided under the scheme is likely to fall to its lowest in five years. A fund crunch also delayed wage payments; currently, 15 states have no money to implement the scheme in February and March. Mandesree and several other women who protested at the block development office are yet to receive the full payment for the two weeks they worked in December. Later that day as the women started to leave, I met Dinesh Thakur who despite being blind, walked seven kilometres to the block development office with his wife Sita Devi and their granddaughter Priya. Years back, Sita had worked under the rural jobs scheme but never received the Rs.12,000 due to her. The head of the village panchayat claimed the attendance sheet was stolen from his car. Sita did not think MGNREGS was worth the effort. But after Thakurs migrant son stopped sending money last monthhis apprenticeship as a carpenter in Mumbai paid poorlythey were worried. The couple walked to the protest venue and back, three hours in all, to find if MGNREGS can help them in these difficult times. At Balrakisun village in Turki block, about an hours ride from the protest site, women were on the edge. A crowd of more than 50 people had gathered late that evening. Low wages under MGNREGS Rs.177 per day compared to both market wages (Rs.350) and stipulated minimum wages ( Rs.380)has driven able- bodied men out of the scheme. In these parts, the only ones interested in MGNREGS are the old, women and widows. Even that is largely driven by a local advocacy group MGNREGA Watch, which helps landless families enrol under the scheme and force government officials and elected panchayats to approve work orders. Sumantra Devi could barely hold her tears. Her husband is bedridden with tuberculosis. She now takes her 13-year-old son to the brick kiln for a paltry wage of Rs.120 per dayeven that reprieve is not available when it rains, leaving her to do odd jobs for a pittance. Sumantra worked for close to a month in the jobs scheme but did not receive the full payment. I have no money to buy the fruits and eggs the doctor prescribed," she said sitting next to her ailing husband, inside a cold and dimly-lit room. Fact is, funding for MGNREGS was choked after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a living monument of failures" of past governments to reduce poverty. At the beginning of every fiscal year, the jobs scheme kick-starts with pending wage arrears of Rs.10,000 crore and by December the funds are nearly exhausted. To break this vicious cycle and ensure that MGNREGS wages do not fall far below market rates, funding has to be raised significantly," said Jean Dreze, visiting professor of economics at Ranchi University... WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump was acquitted Wednesday by the Republican-controlled Senate of charges that he abused the powers of his office and obstructed Congress as it probed his attempts to pressure Ukraine into political investigations - capping a tumultuous, three-week impeachment trial that leaves his fate in the hands of voters in November. Democrats fell far short of the two-thirds majority required to remove Trump from office, as senators voted 52-48 to acquit him on the abuse-of-power allegation and 53-47 to clear him of obstruction. The outcome represented a political triumph for the White House and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who successfully held together nearly the entire GOP caucus in blocking witnesses or additional evidence from the proceedings. Just one Republican, Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, voted to convict the president of abuse of power. Shortly after the twin acquittal votes, Trump tweeted that he will deliver a statement Thursday on "our Country's VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!" He also tweeted a clip featuring a mock magazine cover with signs showing him staying in office far beyond the two terms permitted under the Constitution. And Brad Parscale, Trump's 2020 campaign manager, proclaimed that he had been "totally vindicated." "Throughout this wholly corrupt process, President Trump successfully advanced the interests of the United States and remained focused on the issues that matter to Americans," White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said. "He spent his time achieving real victories for the people of this country, and the Democrats - once again - have nothing to show for their fraudulent schemes." The third impeachment trial of a president in U.S. history concluded one of the most bitter episodes in recent memory in Washington - marked by partisan fighting over what constitutes a fair trial, furious debates over the propriety of Trump's dealings with Ukraine and outsize pressure on a small core of Republican senators who held considerable sway in whether the trial would subpoena key witnesses from the Trump administration who had defied calls to appear before the House during its investigation. But the vote by Romney, the party's 2012 presidential nominee, robbed the president of the unified GOP opposition against impeachment that he had enjoyed and repeatedly boasted of since the inquiry began in September. Romney is the first senator in history to vote to remove a president of his or her own party. Romney called Trump's demand to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that he investigate former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter a "flagrant assault on our electoral rights, our national security and our fundamental values." In a July 25 phone call with Zelensky that he has repeatedly described as "perfect," Trump pressed Zelensky to investigate not only the Bidens but a discredited theory that it was Ukraine rather than Russia that attempted to interfere in the 2016 election. "There's no question in my mind that were their names not Biden, the president would never have done what he did," Romney said in an eight-minute speech delivered in a Senate chamber that was nearly devoid of his colleagues. Later, he added: "Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath of office that I can imagine." Romney was the sole senator who split his vote, choosing to acquit Trump of obstructing Congress. Democrats accused Republicans of emboldening an unchecked president who sought foreign influence in U.S. campaigns for his personal benefit. Republicans portrayed Democrats as a party still embittered by its loss in the 2016 presidential elections that has now decided to weaponize the constitutional impeachment process. "This sham process is the low point in the Senate for me," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., once a Trump foe who has transformed into one of the president's closest allies. "If you think you've done the country a good service by legitimizing this impeachment process, what you have done is unleashed the partisan forces of hell." The question of whether Trump should stay in office now moves from the Senate chamber to the campaign trail. Just one day prior, Trump stayed away from any mention of impeachment in Tuesday's State of the Union address, although he is almost certain to tout his acquittal at rallies and in other venues, such as Thursday's planned statement, as he campaigns for a second term. The issue is also likely to surface in competitive Senate races, mostly as Democrats target GOP senators for aligning themselves with Trump and his conduct. But in a victory lap news conference after the votes, McConnell said the Democrats' decision to proceed with impeachment was a "colossal political mistake." The majority leader noted that Trump is enjoying some of his strongest approval ratings now and added that "as a poll watcher who's looking at polls in certain Senate races, every one of our people in tough races . . . is in better shape today than they were before the impeachment trial started." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., insisted that Democrats were not motivated by politics and said "Democrats walked out of the Senate chamber with their heads held high." Ripples from impeachment also may continue in the House, with Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and one of the impeachment managers, saying Wednesday that Democrats will likely subpoena former national security adviser John Bolton in the near future. "When you have a lawless president, you have to bring that to the fore, you have to spotlight that," Nadler told reporters. Bolton has said he would appear before the Senate if subpoenaed but has been silent on whether he would appear before the House. Despite weeks of protests from Democrats, the Senate last week voted not to hear from additional witnesses, including Bolton, during the trial. An unpublished manuscript from the ex-White House official's forthcoming book has alleged that Trump directly tied the withholding of nearly $400 million in military assistance to Ukraine to the political investigations the president had demanded. The tone inside the chamber during the historic vote was solemn as each senator took turns standing up at his or her desk and proclaiming "guilty" or "not guilty" to each article of impeachment. The public galleries were the most crowded they have been throughout the trial as the backbenches on the chamber floor, reserved for members of the House who wanted to attend the trial, filled in with members from both parties. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the lead prosecutor for House managers, sat in the first chair of their table, turned at a three-quarters position so he could swivel his head around the chamber with every senator's name called out, glancing around the room. When each of the two roll calls ended, he pivoted around to stare at the clerks and parliamentarians as they double checked the votes. Chief Justice John Roberts read the results after each vote, proclaiming Trump not guilty of both charges. Shortly after, McConnell thanked Roberts for presiding over the proceedings with a "clear head, steady hand and the forbearance that this rare occasion demands." Trump was impeached by the House on Dec. 18, as nearly all Democrats there proclaimed that he had abused his powers and then obstructed Congress's attempts to investigate him. At the heart the case against Trump presented by the impeachment managers was the allegation that he withheld military aid and a coveted White House meeting to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. The younger Biden served on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, while his father was vice president. Throughout the acrimonious Senate trial, the only real point of suspense - aside from where a handful of senators would land on the conviction vote - was whether a majority of senators in the narrowly divided chamber would decide to call more witnesses, particularly after the Bolton revelations. Democrats cited polling that showed the public broadly favored summoning witnesses to Trump's impeachment trial, and argued that it was only fair to hear from Trump administration officials whom the White House had summarily blocked from testifying before the House, some even under a subpoena. But most Senate Republicans, many of whom took no public issue with the president's conduct, said it was not their responsibility to secure witnesses and documents, particularly when House Democrats didn't exhaust their options to obtain them, such as going to court. Unlike in the House, in which a handful of Democratic lawmakers split from their party to oppose either article of impeachment, Senate Democrats stayed united in their stance that Trump deserved to be removed from office for his conduct. Sen. Doug Jones, D-Ala., who faces the toughest reelection bid for an incumbent Democrat this fall, chose to convict on both impeachment articles, saying he was "deeply troubled" by the White House legal team's case arguing for "virtually unchecked presidential power." Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., a freshman senator who has bucked her party on occasion, also voted guilty on both. So did Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., one of the few Democratic lawmakers who has a relationship with Trump and was seen as perhaps the White House's best chance at a Democratic defection. Manchin, who in recent days began floating a censure resolution that gained little traction in either party, announced his decision shortly before senators gathered to vote at 4 p.m., and inside the chamber, Sinema approached him and the two whispered to one another and hugged. "Despite the false claim that a president can do no wrong, the president is not entitled to act with blatant disregard for an equal branch of government or use the superpower status of the United States to condition our support of democracy and our allies on any political favor," Manchin said. As for the lone party defector, GOP backlash against Romney began to mount immediately, with the president's son Donald Trump Jr. calling on Senate Republicans to expel him from the conference. Romney's own colleagues were gentler in their disagreement, with Republican leaders saying they did not try to persuade him one way or another on the conviction vote. "He's made it very clear from the beginning, even on the witness vote, that he was going to go his own way," said Senate Majority Whip John Thune, R-S.D. "This is one of those historical votes where everybody has to do what they think is the right thing." The impeachment trial also became entwined with the 2020 Democratic presidential campaign, forcing the four senators still in the race - Bernie Sanders I-Vt., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo. - off the trail just weeks before the first nominating contests began Monday in Iowa. At a campaign stop Wednesday morning in Derry, New Hampshire, before he zipped back down to Washington, Sanders called Trump a "pathological liar" who "probably doesn't know the difference between truth and lies." - - - The Washington Post's Paul Kane, Mike DeBonis, Felicia Sonmez, Colby Itkowitz and John Wagner in Washington and Sean Sullivan in Derry, New Hampshire, contributed to this report. BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Wednesday called for greater legislative, law enforcement, judicial and law observance efforts to strengthen the capacity to carry out law-based infection prevention and control. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the statement when presiding over the third meeting of the Commission for Overall Law-based Governance of the CPC Central Committee. Xi is the head of the commission. Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee Li Keqiang, Li Zhanshu and Wang Huning, who are deputy heads of the commission, attended the meeting. Documents including the commission's guidelines on practicing law-based infection prevention and control of pneumonia caused by the novel coronavirus were adopted at the meeting. While addressing the meeting, Xi said the infection prevention and control is at a critical moment and stressed the utmost importance of carrying out the work in a law-based, scientific and orderly manner. Xi spoke of the need to improve legislation related to epidemic prevention and control, strengthen the building of supporting institutions and improve punishment procedures. Laws and regulations on epidemic prevention and control and emergency response must be strictly enforced, risk assessment be improved and decisions be made prudently and in accordance with the law, Xi said. He also stressed strict enforcement of law on prevention and control of infectious diseases and the regulation regarding its implementation, laws on wildlife protection and animal quarantine, as well as the regulation on public health emergency response. Xi called for a severe crackdown on illegal activities and crimes ranging from resisting epidemic prevention and control efforts, assaulting medical workers, manufacturing and selling fake products, to rumor-mongering that undermines epidemic prevention and control efforts. Donations and receiving donations should be carried out according to the law, Xi stressed, noting that all donated funds and goods should be used for epidemic prevention and control in a timely manner. Xi also stressed timely and accurate release of the epidemic information in accordance with the law, as well as strengthened public legal education and legal services related to the epidemic prevention and control. Xi told Party committees and governments at all levels to improve law-based governance through coping with major emergencies. The meeting stressed implementing judicial reforms, strengthening rule of law in rural areas and reforming the system of administrative reconsideration. Chinese socialist rule of law is the most basic, stable and reliable guarantee to the governance of systems, said the meeting, adding that law-based governance should be advanced to boost the role of rule of law in modernizing China's system and capacity for governance. Accusing the Opposition of inciting protests against the CAA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday warned that street agitations against decisions of Parliament and state assemblies may lead to "anarchy" and that everyone should be worried over it. Strongly defending the Citizenship (Amendment) Act which has triggered protests, Modi reiterated in Lok Sabha that it does not affect any Indian citizen and poses no harm to minorities, and said those rejected by people in elections are fuelling protests against it for their "vote bank politics". He accused the Opposition of using all its might to stoke "imaginary" fears about the law, which grants citizenship to minorities from three Muslim countries in the neighbourhood, and likened its stand to that of Pakistan, saying Islamabad spoke the same language for decades to mislead and incite Indian Muslims. Pakistan could not succeed, and what has surprised him that those thrown out of power by voters here have resorted to doing such things, Modi said in his over 100-minute-long reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address, which was later passed by Lok Sabha. So much criticism of the CAA has been made ironically by those who love getting photographed with the group of people who want "tukde tukde" of India, he said, adding that even courts have asserted that protests should not inconvenience people and be not marked by violence. "We have seen the kind of speeches and remarks were made recently (in these protests). Big leaders of opposition go there. I regret it," he said. Top BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah, have often hit out at these protests, including the one in Shaheen Bagh here, saying anti-India and radical speeches have been made there. The prime minister delivered rebuttal to the Opposition over most issues its members raised to criticise his government and took on the charge that he pursued communal and wanted Hindu rashtra. He cited comments of Jawaharlal Nehru to back the law and said the Congress stalwart wanted citizenship for minorities from Pakistan. Modi also touched on the issues of Kashmir, economy, unemployment and farmers distress while taking frequent digs at rivals, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi whom he dubbed a "tubelight". The Congress was expected to be a responsible Opposition, but it had taken a wrong turn, he said. Noting that the CAA was passed by Parliament and duly notified, he told Opposition parties that the road taken by them raises worries, a reference to anti-CAA protests and support to them by many anti-BJP parties. What will happen if people refuse to accept a decision taken by the Rajasthan assembly, stage dharnas and resort to arson, Modi said and gave a similar example of Madhya Pradesh. The Congress is in power in the two states. "What will then happen? Can the country run this way? This is road to anarchy... Such a way can put you (Opposition) in trouble as well. I am giving this warning as we all should be concerned about the country," the prime minister said. "It is due to your work that people have sent you there," he said, referring to the Opposition benches. "Everybody has a right to put across their point of views but no good will come out of spreading lies and rumours. Respect the Constitution," he added. Hitting back at the Congress over its charge that his government violated the Constitution, Modi said it should be the party's mantra to speak frequently about "saving Constitution" so that it remembers its sanctity. The Congress government imposed the Emergency, curbed judiciary's powers, spoke against people's right to life and dismissed Opposition-run state governments frequently, he said. "We believe in the Constitution," he added. He also dubbed the National Advisory Council, a body set up during the UPA era to advise the Manmohan Singh government and headed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, as a "remote control" that enjoyed a "bigger role" than the prime minister. Questioning if such a body was constitutional, Modi also recalled as to how Rahul Gandhi had torn a bill passed by the UPA government to attack the Congress. Modi recited a verse to take a swipe at Opposition parties for their backing to anti-CAA protests and referred to their leaders making speeches there. People associated with the Congress and the Left have been inciting people, he said. Quoting Nehru, Modi said India's first prime minister in a letter to the then Assam chief minister in 1950 had asked him to distinguish between Hindu refugees and Muslim migrants from Pakistan and said the law should be amended to grant citizenship to the refugees if required. "This was not only Mahatma Gandhi's but also Nehru's sentiments. Was Pandit Nehru communal? Did he discriminate between Hindus and Muslims? Did he want Hindu rashtra?" Modi asked, asserting that several reports, including those of parliamentary panels, had recommended a law like the CAA. He said the Congress is having problems when his government is taking decisions to fulfil wishes of the country's "founding fathers". The Opposition has frequently accused the Modi government of pursuing communal politics, discriminating against Muslims and seeking to make India a Hindu rashtra. The country would not have seen the real face of the Opposition if it had not made so much of noise against the law, he said. Taking a swipe at Opposition members for invoking contributions of Muslims to India's freedom struggle, he said they look at them as Muslims but they are Indians to his party. The prime minister said that he in his youth had touched the feet of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and named other greats like Ashfaqullah Khan, Begum Hazrat Mahal and A P J Abdul Kalam to assert that they were all Indians. Describing Kashmir as "crown jewel" of India, he said his government has pushed development measures in Jammu and Kashmir and asserted that it had faith in the people of valley. Modi cited comments of Kashmir leaders Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, who had warned that any decision to nullify Article 370 may sever the valley's link with India, to ask if those who believe in India's Constitution can tolerate these remarks. Modi said Kashmir's identity was buried on January 19, 1990, when Kashmiri Pandits started leaving the valley due to militancy. Elaborating on his government's achievements, the prime minister said the people of the country have seen his government's work between 2014 and 2019 and gave a bigger mandate in 2019. Modi said India can no longer wait for problems to remain unsolved, and, rightfully so. "That is why, our aim is speed and scale, determination and decisiveness, sensitivity and solutions". Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi said, "I heard an Opposition MP saying 'we will beat Modi with sticks in 6 months'. I have also decided I will do more 'Surya Namaskar'. This will make my back even stronger to face abuses. In any case, I have been abused so much for the last 2 decades that their negativity hardly matters." Referring to the Northeast, Modi said, "The Bodo Accord signed now is special because it has brought all stakeholders together and we are moving towards a more peaceful era. It has ushered in a new dawn. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) In January, Afghanistans National Security Adviser, Hamdullah Mohib, was in New Delhi to address the Raisina Dialogue. There he hailed India as a key partner of his country, sharing the vision for a peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan. Underscoring that violence and terrorism have no constituencies in Afghanistan, Mohib asserted that a ceasefire is necessary to create a conducive environment for talks. Reliance on the US Later, in private, Mohib reportedly asked New Delhi to consider deploying Indian troops in Afghanistan in a peacekeeping role as the peace negotiations between the Taliban and the US gain momentum once again. This is one of those discussions in New Delhi that no one wants to have. There is a seeming consensus in the Indian strategic community that this is a no-go area. It doesnt matter if the costs of inaction are mounting by the day. Afghanistans National Security Adviser, Hamdullah Mohib asked India to consider deploying Indian troops in Afghanistan in a peacekeeping role as the peace negotiations between the Taliban and the US gain momentum once again. (Photo: Reuters) Indias reluctance to proactively shape the ground realities in Afghanistan has made it so marginal that the only recourse it has is of asking other actors to keep its interests in mind. Officially, India has repeatedly ruled out sending troops to Afghanistan, asserting that it would like to help the country through economic and humanitarian aid. In the past, when such requests came from the US, it was easy to dismiss them. So long as US policy supports Indian economic and cultural presence in Afghanistan, it is welcome. But when the US demands that India should go for hard power commitment in the wartorn nation, New Delhi can look the other way. Indias default position on Afghanistan has been to rely on the US military to further its interests. The fact that India could emerge as a significant economic player in Afghanistan, much liked by ordinary Afghans, has much more to do with US forces shaping the battlefield than with any strategic foresight on Indias part. As a result, every time there was a likelihood that the US may withdraw its troops, India would hector Washington on how shortsighted the move is and the costs it would impose on the region. It is indeed ironic that a nation which doesnt want to put any troops on the ground in what is its strategic neighbourhood has not been loath to criticise a nation from where Afghanistan is thousands of miles away. Now, the request has come directly from the Afghan government. It is warily looking at the prospect of the peace deal between the US and Taliban. It is under no illusion that after US forces depart, Taliban would challenge other actors to regain its past supremacy, leading to widespread turmoil and the frittering away of all the gains made over the last two decades. In this context, allies of India would need its militarys protection and support. It would also be important to protect Indias significant investment in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban. But in India, there is actually no policy beyond saying that there shall not be boots from India on the ground [in Afghanistan]. Losing to Pak proxies There are multiple reasons for why an Indian military involvement in Afghanistan will be problematic, ranging from the lack of success of foreign powers in Afghanistan to Indias inability to achieve anything militarily on its own, to Indian forces getting sucked into a confrontation with Pakistan-based proxies. All of these points have some validity. But for a nation whose foreign policy has rapidly evolved in the last two decades, can these reasons be cast in stone? There needs to be a stocktaking now that ground realities are changing rapidly in Afghanistan. For all of Indias claims of being a major partner, it is nowhere in the picture when it comes to the final outcome. Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, India has emerged as Afghanistans biggest regional donor, proving more than $3 billion in official assistance. Breaking shibboleths India has undertaken some key infrastructure projects in Afghanistan and has been involved in building the countrys capacity in various spheres. In the military realm, however, apart from some limited training to the Afghan Army and the police, and four Mi-25 helicopters, India has been reluctant to move forward with any degree of seriousness. As far back as 2013, the then Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, had given India a wish-list of military equipment which included 105mm artillery and medium-lift aircraft among others. That wish has now morphed into Mohibs request for Indian troops. But Indias approach of no military involvement remains consistent. It is something that many in the Indian foreign policy establishment hold dear. For a government that believes in shedding the shibboleths of the past, perhaps there is still time to reinvigorate the idea of India as regional security provider. If Afghanistan becomes a haven for extremists and Pakistan-backed proxies become the ultimate arbiters there, India would have the most to lose. And its credibility as a power of any worth would be in tatters. It is time for Indian policymakers to start weighing the costs of inaction in Afghanistan. (Courtesy of Mail Today) Also read: 18 years after 9/11: Why US troops are still stuck in Afghanistan Finlands government reportedly announced Wednesday that they would grant men equivalent paid paternity leaves as they grant to the women when the parents are expecting a child. The paid leaves can be extended for upto 7 months by the men, additionally qualifying women to extend their maternity leave by a month prior to the day of the childbirth, confirm reports. Aino-Kaisa Pekonen, Minister of Health and Social Affairs, Finnish Member of Parliament reportedly said that the governments focus of the radical reform was to boost gender equality and improve the declining birth rate, which promotes equality between men and women and diversity amongst the families. Both the parents of the child are entitled to parental leaves, without discrimination, she added. Read In San Francisco, Viewers Express Disappointment To Trump Acquittal Reform is expected to go into effect in 2021 According to the reports, the reform is expected to go into effect in 2021 and allows up to 69 days from the paternity leaves to be transferred to one's spouse, and single parents will be able to avail the full amount of paid job off offered to a two-parent family. Finland reportedly grants 4.2 months of paid maternity leave, while paid paternity leave lasts just 2.2 months in a policy distinguished by the gender. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin emphasized in her speech at the World Economic Forum that Finland had to majorly contribute towards gender equality in the Nation as the government aims to achieve equal rights for both the genders within the country, according to reports. Read France's Macron: Distancing Of Russia A 'major Error' For EU She reportedly claimed that the fathers in Finland were unable to spend sufficient time with the newly born, revealing that the government was considering splitting the parental leave equally in policy reform. The steadily declining birth rate in Finland that fell by nearly a fifth despite having the oldest population among the Nordic countries is a cause of concern for the government, suggest reports. Finland reportedly confirmed only 47,577 new-borns annually in a population of more than 5.5 million people. Read More Europeans Flee China Virus As Plane Heads To France Read EU Sets Out New Criteria On Enlargement Post-Brexit British Isis fighters could soon face trial in Syria under new plans announced by the Kurdish-led administration in the countrys northeast that holds thousands of prisoners. More than 1,000 foreign fighters have been held in detention by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) since the defeat of the terror groups caliphate last year, most of whom were captured leaving the battlefield in its final weeks. Among that number are an estimated 10 British men and 30 women, who are being held separately along with their children. The SDF, a mostly Kurdish militia that was the wests main ally in the fight against Isis, had called for foreign governments to repatriate their citizens who joined the terror group so they could face trial in their own countries. But the UK and other European countries have refused to bring them home, citing security risks. The SDFs political arm, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, announced on Thursday that it would begin putting the Isis fighters on trial in Syria in March. The news came following a meeting between the groups foreign relations committee and Finlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Show all 14 1 /14 Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Trucks full of women and children arrive from the last Isis-held areas in Deir ez-Zor, Syria Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Zikia Ibrahim, 28, with her two-year-old son and 8-month-old daughter, after fleeing the Isis caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Men who fled the last Isis-held area of Syria line up to be questioned by American and Kurdish intelligence officials Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate A young girl pulls her belongings after arriving Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate An SDF fighter hands out bread to women and children after they arrive Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Sita Ghazzar, 70, after fleeing from the last Isis-held territory in Syria Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate A family from Russia who recently fled the last Isis-held area of Syria Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent Syria at war: Fleeing the caliphate Richard Hall/The Independent We explained our intention to set up a special court for Isis to the Finnish government and asked for help from the legal and technical aspects, and that this trial be transparent and public, said a statement from the administration. Unfortunately many states have not responded to our appeals. For example, we have handed over less than 10 percent of Isis-linked children to their countries so far. There is the urgent need for a solution to this issue in our region, and to pressure states to receive their nationals, the statement added. The trials will not include the roughly 4,000 foreign Isis-linked women also detained by the SDF in the al-Hol displacement camp. The burgeoning Autonomous Administration, which was founded in the chaos of the Syrian civil war, has already held trials for some 6,000 local Isis fighters under laws it created in 2014 after declaring autonomy from the Syrian government. Sentences range from one to five years for people with minor affiliations with Isis, while life sentences are handed down to those who have been found guilty of war crimes. But the plan to try foreigners is likely to present a different set of problems. They do not have support from the outside to conduct these trials, they probably do not have access to all the witnesses they need, and finally, they probably dont have much of a plan if the trials result in non-convictions, or the detainees are eventually released, said Dr HA Hellyer, senior associate fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Its really quite appalling that the international community, especially those countries where these detainees came from, are not doing more to lift their responsibilities, he added. Clive Stafford Smith, a human rights lawyer and founder of Reprieve who represented a number of clients held at Guantanamo Bay, said: The question is whether the SDF has the resources to do this, when it should be the west. I think this may be a way of calling the bluff of the Europeans who refuse to take responsibility for their own nationals Clive Stafford Smith, human rights lawyer He added that the announcement may be aimed at pressuring the UK and other European countries to take back their citizens. If the trials take place, and British Isis prisoners serve their time, they may then be free to return home. I think this may be a way of calling the bluff of the Europeans who refuse to take responsibility for their own nationals, he told The Independent. If we do fair trials in northeast Syria and someone serves their time, then the British can no longer leave them there. While publicly recusing itself of responsibility for British citizens who went to join Isis, and in some cases removing their citizenship to prevent their return, the British government has explored a number of different solutions for the detained fighters . One of those solutions involved transferring foreign fighters to Iraq to face trial. That plan was stalled due to concerns over the potential legal ramifications of sending prisoners to a country which sentences Isis members to death with little evidence. A government spokesman previously told The Independent: Our priority is the safety and security of the UK and the people who live here. We continue to work closely with international partners to address issues associated with foreign terrorist fighters, including the pursuit of justice against participants in terrorism overseas. Those who have fought for or supported Daesh [Isis] should wherever possible face justice for their crimes in the most appropriate jurisdiction, which will often be in the region where their offences have been committed. The spokesperson added that UK has been clear that any justice mechanism must respect human rights and the rule of law as well as ensure fair trials and due process. The Capital Hotels and Apartments Johannesburg, Sandton, R 17000 - R 20000 per month 3 days ago The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not recorded any new violations by Iran of the nuclear deal since Tehran announced the fifth phase of deviation from this deal, said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, speaking at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington. After the fifth step, there hasnt been any follow-up, Reuters reported quoting Raphael Grossi. Of course, they continue to enrich. Iran announced the final, fifth stage of the reduction of its 2015 nuclear deal obligations on January 5. Tehrans new step suggests that it will not comply with the restrictions set by the Iranian deal on the number of centrifuges for uranium enrichment. On January 14, UK, Germany and France reported that due to Irans actions, they had no choice but to launch a dispute resolution mechanism under the Iranian deal. The official representative of the Iranian MFA, Abbas Mousavi, said on Monday that European countries have not yet activated this mechanism. The future of the nuclear deal came into question after the US unilaterally withdrew from it on May 8, 2018 and Washington imposed sanctions against Tehran on oil exports. According to the Iranian side, the rest of the participants, mostly Europeans, do not fully adhere to their obligations in the economic part of the deal, therefore, it does not make sense in its current form. Iran began a phased suspension of its obligations under the deal regarding uranium enrichment and research activities, and in early January announced the completion of this process. If you own a company, you probably dream of everyone knowing your brand name - or at least becoming a well-known name in your area of expertise. To help you accomplish this dream, we'll gladly give you some handy tips to make your brand better known. 1. Use personalized, branded products Branded products are a super handy tool to make your brand name better known. The market isn't what it used to be - you can offer much more than just pens and stationery. For instance, at your office you can update all your cups and saucers (Dutch: kop en schotels) with your logo, a fun saying or an image. And if you want to give your employees a fun, branded product that they'll actually use instead of throwing in a closet, we recommend powerbanks and handy anti-stress items (Dutch: anti-stressartikelen) like squeezable foam cubes. There's loads of possibilities for branded products, from getting beanies printed (Dutch: mutsen bedrukken) to printing something fun on bubble blowers (Dutch: bellenblaas bedrukken). 2. Invest in free/paid advertising Becoming a well-known brand name takes time. It does really help to invest in advertising. This doesn't always have to cost a lot of money. For instance, building a social media following is a great way to make your brand better known and this can be done without extra investments. Nevertheless, a social media contest with a good prize might help to attract more followers, as do some great paid ads. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are fairly affordable and offer tons of specific targeting possibilities so you can target your ads to your specific audience. 3. Advocate for your brand No one knows your brand and your company better than you do. You - and your employees - are the faces and the salespeople of your brand. When hiring, make sure you find people who are enthusiastic about the brand and fit with the mission and values you've set out. That way, they'll always be great brand ambassadors. To kick it up a notch, it's of utmost importance that employees use social networks like LinkedIn to celebrate the company's successes. Good luck, we hope you can build your brand name a lot more in 2020. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Srinagar, Feb 6 : Tainted J&K Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Davinder Singh has been remanded to 15-day custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) by a Jammu court on Thursday. The remand was granted when Singh along with three others -- Hizb Commander Naveed Babu, his accomplice Mohammad Rafi and law school dropout Mohammad Irfan -- were presented in the NIA special court. Singh, whose police remand ended on Thursday, is likely to be brought to Delhi in the next few days. On January 11, the police arrested Davinder on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway when he was allegedly transporting Naveed, Rafi and Irfan to Jammu. After the initial investigations by the J&K Police, the case was handed over to the NIA. According to the police sources, the two terrorists and the lawyer were planning to travel to Pakistan after reaching Jammu. Singh was posted with the anti-hijacking wing of J&K Police in Srinagar and was part of the security staff that had received a group of foreign diplomats who visited the Valley last month. NO home or business will be left behind under the 84m National Broadband Plan for Limerick, Donal Hanrahan the chief operating officer for National Broadband Ireland assured councillors several times at a meeting of Limerick City and County councillors. And he expects work on the first phase of the project to be completed by the end of the year. National Broadband Ireland, (NBI) councillors were told were appointed by the government to roll out the plan and were committed and obligated under contract to future-proof the internet access. Councillors were also assured that fibre optic cable, which is lightning fast, would be used in all installations. The only caveat were the 2% of households with difficulty of access. But, Mr Hanrahan said, alternatives would be in place for them. You dont have to buy from us, he explained. NBI will provide wholesale access to all the operators who can then offer to customers. There will be a level playing field for all providers for approximately 30 a month, councillors were told. The roll out will involve a total of 21,024 premises in Limerick or 22% of all homes and business. Currently, 93% of city premises have access to high speed broadband but the figure in the county is just 58%. But homes or businesses not in the targeted intervention area for the NBI will be able to apply to be included. . There will be a core hub in Limerick with additional hubs in Adare, Newcastle West, Abbeyfeale, Hospital and Charleville, councillors were told. Those hubs will be used to get to other towns and villages. Read also: Limerick Enterprise Awards are open for entries The first step in roll-out of the plan in Limerick will be a survey in the coming weeks of the area in and around Limerick city, starting with a hub in Dominic Street and extending out to Mungret, Clarina, Lisnagry and Parteen and other townlands, Mr Hanrahan explained. And he expects that phase to be built and completed by late 2020 before moving on to other areas. As we complete our surveys, we will then be planning out the remaining areas, Mr Hanrahan said but he couldnt put a timeline on when different areas would be connected. The answer to the question when is one we will be answering as we go, Nicola Cooke, head of communications with NBI said. There are penalties if we dont meet targets. This is a very very big project, Mr Hanrahan said. But he said, they would use existing poles and ducts as much as possible to reduce costs. The technology would make 150Mbps available from year one, doubling to 300Mbps by year five and to 500Mbps by year 10. It would, councillors were assured, open up possibilities for householders and businesses, including online business, access to services and completing applications. Eir got the handiest gig in town, Cllr John Sheahan said, referring to the areas in the city and county which have high speed broadband already as low hanging fruit. I dont think anything like this can be done cheaply, he added. Ireland is unique in Europe in having its scattered settlements but this brought a price for services. We should be very proud of our scattered settlements, he said. We should be fighting to keep our settlements. But at last, he said, we now have a programme to roll out. Cllr John Egan wanted to get a six monthly report on the progress of the plan in Limerick. The contracts affair claimed a Mes minister, Ruth Mateu. It didnt claim the then vice-president Biel Barcelo, but it contributed to his eventual resignation. There has been a curious link between the Barcelo departure and this weeks stand by Mes minister for social affairs, Fina Santiago. The crisis which has arisen from the scandal of the child sexual exploitation cases is of a very different order to that of the Mes contracts. Most of the public would have been indifferent to the contracts affair; most of the public is not indifferent to this latest crisis. Yet amidst this crisis, and most notably in parliament on Tuesday, there was an absentee - President Armengol. The curious link is that it was Barcelo absenting himself for a fully paid-for trip to the Dominican Republic which led to his resignation. He had a justification for this, just as the president does for her absence - a visit to India to see how Balearic government cooperation funds are being spent. Fina Santiago is actually the minister for cooperation, but be that as it may. At the moment when she most needed Armengol, Santiago discovered that the president was nowhere to be seen. The trip to India had of course been planned in advance, but because of a crisis, should it not have been put off? FILE PHOTO: A J.P. Morgan logo is seen in New York City (Reuters) - U.S. authorities that accused six JPMorgan Chase & Co employees of rigging precious-metals futures are building a criminal case against the bank itself, Bloomberg Law reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. No formal accusations have been made against the bank, the report https://bit.ly/36WJwPP said. The probe raises the prospect of criminal charges and significant fines against the bank, the report added. A probe by U.S. regulators including the Department of Justice and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has already resulted in charges against six current and former employees of JPMorgan in 2018 and 2019 related to alleged spoofing activity between 2007 and 2016. (https://reut.rs/36ZkRKu) The charges have alleged the illegal trading practices took place across JPMorgan's global precious metals trading desks in New York, London and Singapore. JPMorgan has said in U.S. regulatory filings that its metals trading practices are the subject of probes from "various authorities" and that it is "responding to and cooperating with these investigations". In recent years, there has a been a surge in spoofing-related prosecutions in the United States by the DOJ and the CFTC. Spoofing involves placing bids to buy or offers to sell contracts with the intent to cancel them before execution, allowing traders to influence prices. JPMorgan was not immediately available for a Reuters request for comment on the Bloomberg Law report. (Reporting by Bharath Manjesh in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel) L eIla Slimanis novels are described in France as livres chocs, meaning books that scandalise. She ventures into dark corners of the psyche, describing base impulses that many are ashamed to even think about. Adele, her first book, was a thriller about a woman addicted to sex, while in Lullaby, a murderous nanny destroyed a bourgeois family. Lullaby won the Prix Goncourt in 2016 and inspired President Emmanuel Macron to ask Slimani to be his culture minister (she declined though now advises him). But in Morocco, where Slimani lived until she was 17 and went to study in Paris, she remains a controversial figure. What she broaches is taboo in a country where sex before marriage, abortion and homosexuality are punishable by imprisonment. So when she insisted on going on a book tour there in 2015, she was surprised by how many women wanted to tell her their stories. Reading Adele made them feel they were not alone in their feelings about sex; they were emboldened and, because Slimani had written so openly, they trusted her. Sex and Lies tells the stories of 14 of these women and two men, from a range of backgrounds. Slimani, a former journalist, reports their words directly they need no embellishment. As an account of sex lives, it is as revealing as American journalist Lisa Taddeos bestseller Three Women, but it has a more urgent political mission. Sex and Lies by Leila Slimani Slimani rages at the hypocrisy inherent in a country where hymen reconstruction is common because virginity is so prized, and Jennifer Lopez is vilified as a whore from a lewd Western country, but at the same time there are more than 800 illegal abortions a day and prostitution and pornography are rife. Morocco is the fifth biggest consumer of porn in the world. As a filmmaker Slimani speaks to says, this is a country where all day long we watch videos of Daesh [Islamic State], including live assassinations, yet we cant stand to watch a kiss on television. Adele and Lullaby had an impact because Slimani conveyed a sense of people through their actions rather than venturing into their psychology or being too lyrical. This is the case here too. The women she speaks to have complicated choices to make. Often they dont want to renounce their families or faith, so they lead double lives. Slimani presents these personal stories in a wider context, telling us how in June 2015 two women were attacked in a small southern town for wearing their skirts too short, and instead of being protected by the police, were arrested for indecency. In March the following year, two gay men were attacked and a video of it went viral. Again, instead of being protected, the men were arrested and one of them was sentenced to four months in prison and fined for sexual deviancy. Two women were attacked for wearing their skirts too short. They were arrested for indecency, not protected Zhor, a young woman who was raped by three men when she was 15, argues that sexual repression is a means of social control to prevent people revolting against the poverty they face. However, for fundamentalist Muslims, feminism is seen as a colonialist aberration from the West. Slimani, whose parents were Muslim, but doesnt define herself by religion, considers this in global context, quoting Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichies essay We Should All Be Feminists about how she was told feminism is un-African. Sex and Lies tells devastating stories in a spare style, but its not all bleak Slimani is too clever and nuanced for that. Its a positive sign that the people she speaks to refuse to be cowed by the repressive regime. Asma Lamrabet, a theology researcher grappling with how to reconcile being Muslim and having a sex life, tells Slimani 10 years ago that no one would have talked to her for a book like this. There is a quiet revolution under way where behind closed doors people are having sex with whoever they want. After Sex and Lies was published, Moroccan journalist Hajar Raissouni was imprisoned for having sex outside marriage and terminating a pregnancy last year. Slimani was instrumental in a successful campaign to release her, backed by thousands of Moroccan women rising up because they felt they were not alone. Dubbed a national treasure in Kenya, Big Tim died in a national park from natural causes, wildlife officials say. One of Africas last remaining giant tusker elephants has died in Kenya aged 50, the countrys wildlife service (KWS) has said. Big Tim died in Mada area of Amboseli National Park from natural causes, KWS said in a statement on Wednesday. The celebrated elephant died early on Tuesday morning aged 50, the statement said. He was a benevolent, slow-moving preserver of the peace at Amboseli, KWS said. He was well known and loved throughout Kenya. Big Tims carcass was found at the foot of the snowcapped peak of Kilimanjaro, the Amboseli Trust for Elephants said. An elephant is technically a tusker when its ivory tusks are so long that they scrape the ground. Usually, only old bull elephants grow their tusks long enough to reach this acclaimed status. An elephant is technically a tusker when its ivory tusks are so long that they scrape the ground [Ryan Wilkie/Save the Elephants] But conservationists estimate only a few dozen such animals with tusks that size are now left on the continent due to poaching. Animals with the biggest ivory and elephants with the heaviest tusks are most at risk from poachers. Tim was named by researchers who called each elephant in the family herd they were monitoring by the same letter to help identify them; Tim was a member of the T herd. The giant pachyderm once roamed outside the national parks into farming lands and had survived poachers and angry farmers. Vets once treated him for a spear that had gone through his ear and snapped off into his shoulder. Our hearts are broken, said Wildlife Direct, a Nairobi-based conservation campaign group. Tim was one of Africas very few Super Tuskers, and an incredible elephant whose presence awed and inspired many. He was one of Kenyas National Treasures. Big Tims body is being transported to the Kenyan capital Nairobi, where a taxidermist will preserve it for display at the national museum, KWS said. Poaching has seen the population of African elephants plunge by 110,000 over the past 10 years to just 415,000 animals, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Hollywood actor says America needs to invite immigrants, not send them away Actor Harrison Ford takes a question during a press event to promote his new film, 'The Call of the Wild' in Mexico City, Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. (AP) MEXICO CITY: Harrison Ford, in Mexico City on Wednesday to promote his latest film, decried the collapse of US "moral leadership" on issues such as improving the environment and immigration policy. "We need moral leadership. We've lost some of our credibility and we are anxious to regain it," the Hollywood star told reporters. Ford was in town to talk about his starring role in The Call of the Wild, an adventure film set in Alaska in the 1890s and based on a novel by U.S. author Jack London. Relaxed and smiling, the veteran actor also touched on his iconic Hollywood roles in the Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Blade Runner movies. A fifth Indiana Jones movie, starring him as the swashbuckling archaeologist with the unusual first name, is also in the works. "To do another Indiana Jones movie, it seems like a good idea, if we had a good script and I believe we are very close to have the script that we really want, so I am excited about the idea," he said. Speaking on the day the U.S. Senate acquitted president Donald Trump on impeachment charges of abusing his office and obstructing Congress, Ford got sidetracked talking about politics. "We need a complete reform of our immigration policies," said Ford, 77. Cracking down on migrants has been a primary focus of Trump's administration. "We need to invite people into the country, and not to keep them out. This is the history and America depends on immigration," Ford said. He was especially impressed with Swedish teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg.n "I admire her role representing to young people, her courage. Also, I admire her capacity to express herself... It seems young people have a leadership role" in environmental activism. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ardila Syakriah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 10:25 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062db7e4 1 National Wuhan-coronavirus-in-Indonesia,coronavirus,health-ministry,outbreak,World-Health-Organization Free The Health Ministry revealed Wednesday that 40 specimens of individuals being monitored for the novel coronavirus have tested negative, while two others are still under observation. Anung Sugihantono, the ministry's disease control and environmental health director general, said the ministry's medical research and training agency had gathered data from across the country. The Health Ministry was collaborating with regional health agencies as well as private and public health service centers in monitoring the suspected cases, he said. "We are still monitoring public health conditions through a surveillance system," Anung said on Wednesday. Read also: Chinese toddler becomes first suspected Wuhan coronavirus case in Manado He added that the general public was urged to remain calm and cautious regarding the spread of the coronavirus. Anung also reminded people to maintain their health through a healthy lifestyle. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were 24,554 confirmed cases of the 2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease around the globe as of Wednesday. Most of the confirmed cases were in China with 24,363 cases, while 191 cases were confirmed in 24 countries. The United Nations' health agency also recorded that 491 people in China and one person in the Philippines had died from the disease. (dpk) Some of the worlds first ever commercial oil wells were operational near Baku in 19th century Imperial Russia in todays Azerbaijan. The oil abundance produced some of the wealth that Alfred Nobel later put towards the creation of the famous Nobel Prizes for the sciences. Also, the enigmatic Calouste Mr. Five Percent Gulbenkian began his career in Baku. After more than 150 years of extensive oil production activities, the new-found countrys energy-wealth hasnt been depleted yet. Shortly after the Cold War the independent Republic of Azerbaijan struck a deal with western super-majors for what was dubbed the deal of the century. The countrys existing oil fields and future discoveries were supposed to lessen Europes dependence on Russian energy. Although Azerbaijan has failed to meet these expectations, the nation of 9 million souls has earned a tremendous amount of money over the past decades. The effectiveness of the positive cashflow, however, on health care, education and income per capita is questionable as the level of development is fairly similar to its neighbors who lack major energy deposits. The Land of Fire The Azeri-Chirag-Gunashili (ACG) complex of oil fields was discovered in the 80s but production didnt start until the 90s. The majority, approximately 80 percent, of Azerbaijans oil exports originate from ACG. Therefore the lack of new significant discoveries and the depletion of existing fields is a significant threat. Production at ACG peaked in 2010 when 835,000 barrels per day were produced. The oil fields, however, are quickly losing steam. Last year the fields production decreased by 8.4 percent to 535,000 barrels and according to statements from BP, the lead operator of the project, decline seems to be accelerating. Fortunately, some of the decline will be offset by a new platform, Azeri Central East, that is coming online in 2023. Also, Azerbaijan is ramping up the export of natural gas to Turkey and the EU from the massive Shah Deniz gas field. The new pipeline is of strategic importance to the EU where political leaders are desperate to diversify away from Russian energy. Related: Is This The Only Way To Stop Libyas Oil War? A striking development in Azerbaijans long energy-related history is the departure of major Western oil and gas companies. The exit of Exxon in 2018 and Chevron in 2019 could be a sign of worsening conditions concerning profitability for at least the ACG complex of oil fields. Economic hardship The new-found energy wealth was an opportunity for Azerbaijan to develop and modernize. And in some measures, it definitely did. The countrys economic performance between 2000 and 2014 was remarkable with GDP growth hitting 15 percent per year. Industrial areas sprung up across the country and modernization projects were underway with the billions earned from oil exports. However, the Azeri economy lacks the ability to compete on the international stage due to the low diversity of export products. Azerbaijans dependency on the production of oil and gas is one of the highest in the word. With a whopping 95 percent of the countrys exports being hydrocarbons. Also, approximately 75 percent of the states revenue is generated by the oil and gas sector. Therefore, Azerbaijan is highly sensitive to fluctuations in global commodity prices. The oil price crisis of 2014 was particularly problematic for Azerbaijan. The national currency, the Manat, was devalued twice. According to the World Bank, the countrys GDP was halved from around $60 billion in 2014 to just under $30 billion in 2016. Data from the World Bank shows that GDP per capita in Azerbaijan decreased by almost 40 percent between 2014 and 2018. That means its income per capita, at $4,721, was roughly the same as the neighboring nations of Armenia and Georgia, with GDP per capita of $4,212, and 4,717 respectively. This was a staggering development as both Armenia and Georgia lack any significant energy resources of their own. The formers situation is even more dire as its borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey have been closed since its independence in the nineties. Corruption and nepotism are major brakes on Azerbaijans development. Inefficiencies and corruption According to Transparency International, Azerbaijan is 126th of the 180 countries on the corruption index. The ruling family, the Aliyevs, have been in power since the countrys independence. The current president, Ilham Aliyev, effectively took over from his father and rumors have it that his wife is next in line. The dynastic rule was confirmed by the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan in leaked documents which compared the Aliyevs to the infamous Corleone family of the Godfather movies. The countrys oil and gas industry is essential for maintaining stability and the concentration of power. Therefore, it is likely that Azerbaijan will remain an important energy producer despite falling oil production. Within this context, oils importance will decrease while natural gas share will increase. Also, expect the President and his family to maintain their hold on power while the country remains not free (see Freedom House). By Vanand Meliksetian for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: One person was killed and another was injured as high winds destroyed two mobile homes near the town of Demopolis, the Storm Prediction Center reported. The winds left roadsides in that area strewn with pieces of plywood and insulation, broken trees and twisted metal. The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in the area: Our storm survey team has confirmed an EF1 tornado south of Demopolis from last night. Path length: 1.29 miles. Path width: 400 yards wide. Max winds: 105 to 110 mph. Fatalities: 1. Injuries: 1. This is in addition to the already confirmed tornado in Helena. #alwx NWS Birmingham (@NWSBirmingham) February 7, 2020 Kevin McKinney, director of the Marengo County EMA, told Alabama News Network the victim was Anita Rembert. That report states she was in a mobile home with three children and an adult male who was injured. Hours earlier, the weather forced rescuers to suspend their search for a vehicle that disappeared Wednesday with a person inside in north Alabama's Buck's Pocket State Park. As the car started shifting because of the water we noticed what appeared to be an arm reaching out, witness Kirkland Follis, who called 911, told WHNT-TV. Eight agencies responded, but the vehicle quickly disappeared and the water was too dangerous for divers to search, the station reported. As of this morning, two State Park Rangers have begun walking the banks of South Sauty Creek. They will attempt a two-mile hike to Morgans Cove in search of the vehicle, Senior Trooper Chuck Daniel said shortly before noon on Wednesday. The water level has risen several feet above yesterdays water level. Officials with Alabama State Parks will also be putting together a two-week schedule of volunteers and state park officials that will help in the search efforts. Shares in Deutsche Bank soared by more than 10 per cent Thursday after a US fund manager took a large stake in the loss-making German lender, seen as a vote of confidence in its turnaround plans. The bank revealed that asset manager Capital Group had taken a 3.1 stake, making it Deutsche's fourth largest shareholder. Deutsche shares gained more than 12 percent to 9.31 euros (USD 10.20) by 1610 GMT, topping Frankfurt's blue-chip DAX 30 index. "We are happy about the interest in our company, especially from shareholders with the track record and credibility of Capital," Deutsche said in a statement. Analysts saw the move as a show of faith in Deutsche's massive restructuring after the lender reported a 5.7 billion euro loss for 2019. It was the bank's fifth consecutive year in the red. The lender hopes to turn the tide by retreating from some activities and refocussing on its business with corporate clients and its home region of Europe. The group also aims to slash 18,000 jobs. Chief executive Christian Sewing said last week he was "positive" the bank was on the right track, pointing out that last year's hefty loss was in large part due to costs relating to the restructuring. Looking ahead, the bank aims to reach a return on capital employed -- a key measure of bank profitability -- of eight percent by 2022. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One person knitted while others took notes and many more posed questions as Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz made his case to residents for a $2.5 million property tax override during a town hall Wednesday night at the Forbes Library. Several of the roughly 40 attendees weighed in on the Proposition 2 tax hike during the 7 p.m. public forum, expressing concerns over how much big landowners like Smith College already pay in taxes, what the median rate hike will be for homeowners and whether the city has looked into other alternatives for countering an estimated budget shortfall. Narkewicz, though, said the tax overhaul, which will be put to a vote next month, is the only way the city can fill gaps in the citys upcoming fiscal year budget and avoid making cuts in education and city services. The alternative to the proposition is a fiscal cliff looming on the horizon, he said. I would not do it if I didnt think it was absolutely necessary, the mayor told residents. But its the only mechanism we have. Wednesdays discussion was Narkewiczs third to last town hall before voters decide whether or not to pass Proposition 2 on March 3. The mayor announced in January he would be going ward to ward in a series of eight weekly meetings to convince residents of the importance of the override. Narkewicz has said he is optimistic about the proposals future and that it poses a question to residents about what kinds of services they want out of their city. The city is us. We are the city, Narkewicz said. The budgets we pass are a reflection of the community. Proposition 2, if approved by residents in next months ballot, will help fund Northampton and its public schools operating budgets for fiscal year 2021, which will begin in July. The mayor presented the override in early December to the city council, which then approved it. Funds from the proposal are expected to alleviate a roughly $1.1 million shortfall in the upcoming fiscal year budget and last four years, but Narkewicz has said he will try to extend the money beyond that timeline. The mayor pointed out that more than 50% of the citys operating budget is dedicated to education and that most of the funds go toward employees. Its mostly people," the mayor said of Northamptons budget. So, if you make substantial cuts, its going to be people. This years measure is not Northamptons first Proposition 2 tax override. More than 1,000 residents voted in favor of another $2.5 million overhaul in 2013, and other overrides, though lesser in amounts, were passed in 2009 and 1988, Narkewicz noted during the town hall. Two other proposed property tax hikes in 1992 and 2004 went to a vote but were not approved by residents. In 2013, the city was facing a shortfall of $1.7 million in its 2014 fiscal year budget. Narkewicz, then in his first term as mayor, pitched the proposal as a way to avoid cutting city and school services and prevent eliminating 22 staff positions across education, public safety and public works. The funds were expected to last four years but instead were stretched out for seven years due in part, Narkewicz said, to building permit and motor vehicle excise revenue as well as cost savings in health insurance. The mayor told attendees during Wednesdays meeting that the city was also able to extend the funds through installing energy conservation measures like LED street lights and solar panels, investing in technologies to streamline governmental processes and refinancing Northamptons debt system in 2015. Marijuana sales have also helped the city with its budgeting. According to the Narkewicz, Northampton has received nearly $2 million to date from excise tax revenue on purchases at NETA, the first recreational marijuana store to open in the state. The city has collected another $1.8 million from community impact fees from the shop, though the funds are only set to last five years and are not built into the citys general funds, the mayor said. Residents at the town hall asked a range of questions, including how much charter school funding takes away from the communitys budget, how the tax override will appear on the March 3 ballot and whether development in Northampton has aided the city. One of the things that has really helped us sustain those funds is new growth, Narkewicz said of the funds gained from the 2013 override vote. "That actually really helped us expand our tax base. Some attendees asked whether any of the potential $2.5 million from the future override will be used for improvements to the citys streetscape. When it passes, can we please do something about the sidewalks on South Street?, one resident asked the mayor. Yes!Northampton, a group that campaigned for the 2013 measures passage, pointed out in a press release last year that 57% of Northampton residents voted in favor of the proposal and that voter turnout was the highest it had been in 15 years in any city election. The organization supports the new override as well. Additional revenue has not been sufficient in preventing structural deficits, which are inevitable, the group said. The property tax override is part of Northamptons longstanding fiscal strategy to ensure our city remains a great place to live, said Marissa Elkins, co-chair of the organization. A yes vote will keep our schools vibrant, our streets safe and our infrastructure strong. After voters approved the 2013 measure, the city was able to use the money to invest more in its libraries, public works projects, schools and more, according to Narkewicz. It also allowed the mayors office to create a fiscal stability fund that will be replenished if residents vote in favor of the 2020 proposition. The 2013 override added $235 a year to the average Northampton homeowners tax bill. This time around, the average household may see an annual increase of $225, according to the mayors office. Narkewicz hopes to convince residents of the importance of sufficiently funding city services, but he has previously acknowledged it is not easy asking people to raise their taxes. The mayor reiterated Wednesday night he understands the concern. However, the tax overhaul is the only means the city has to combat its budget shortfall, he said. Really, the only tool were left with is this one: Proposition 2, he said. Paul Waterman, a former high school teacher in the community and member of the Northampton School Committee, said he will be voting against the tax override. Waterman, who has lived in the city for more than 60 years, asked the mayor during the town hall whether the city has looked into cutting costs and not people to avoid hiking taxes. How do you reduce costs?, Waterman asked. Its not just about cutting peoples jobs. I think you have to go deeper, he added. Other attendees expressed their support for the Proposition 2 override. Mary Cowhey, a retired Northampton elementary school teacher, said it is important for residents to know that the funds from hike will not just go to education but to the entire community. I support the override. I think the mayor made a good case for it," she said. Obviously, its not something we want to do often. Two more town halls are scheduled this month ahead of the March 3 vote, one at the Ryan Road Elementary School on Feb. 12 and another at Leeds Elementary School on Feb. 24. Both will be held at 7 p.m. Beyond the public forums, Narkewicz has said he will make himself available to anyone who wants to hear his case for the override. Narkewiczs office has posted an online calculator so residents can look at their address and see how much the override will increase their taxes by. Related Content: BP is seeking buyers for its stake in a major Algerian gas plant deep in the Sahara desert after recent talks on a sale to Russian oil giant Rosneft failed, three industry sources told Reuters. BP hopes to raise around $2 billion from the sale of its 45.89% stake in the In Amenas natural gas plant that was the target of a deadly attack by Islamist militants in 2013. The sale is part of a $15 billion disposal programme BP is targeting by the middle of 2021, two of the sources said. The approval of a sale of the Algerian assets will be one of the first major decisions for Chief Executive Bernard Looney who took office on Wednesday after his predecessor Bob Dudley stepped down following a decade at the helm. The sale is politically sensitive for BP and its partners, Norway's Equinor and Algerian state-owned Sonatrach, in the wake of the January 2013 attacks when gunmen raided the site and 40 employees died after a four-day siege. A BP spokesman declined to comment. Equinor and Sonatrach declined to comment. Rosneft did not immediately respond to a request for comment. BP has in recent months contacted a number of major international oil and gas companies to test the appetite for the stake after talks with Rosneft failed last year, the sources said. The collapse in the discussions with Rosneft, in which BP itself holds a 19.75% stake, were partly a result of Equinor's reluctance to partner with the Russian company, which faces U.S. sanctions, the sources who were close to the discussions said. BP and Equinor in December 2017 signed a five-year extension agreement for the In Amenas production sharing agreement with Sonatrach which was ratified in April 2018. Equinor holds a 45.9% stake and Sonatrach has the remaining 8.21% of the In Amenas plant, which has a production capacity is 9 billion cubic metres per year. The plant produced around 46,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2018. Security at Algeria's southern oil and gas facilities has improved in recent years due to a boosted military presence. In 2016, BP and Equinor temporarily withdrew staff from the In Amenas and In Salah gas plants after an attack on In Salah. An investigation carried out in 2013 by Equinor, known then as Statoil, concluded that the operators of the In Amenas site did not have the necessary security measures. BP has sold nearly $10 billion of oil and gas assets around the world since the start of 2019 and expects to announce an additional $5 billion by the middle of 2021, it said on Tuesday. The disposals follow BP's $10.5 billion acquisition of BHP's U.S. shale oil and gas assets and are part of a drive to focus BP's operations on higher profit assets in regions such as the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil. Ovie Omo-Agege, deputy president of the senate, on Thursday, presided over the affairs of the upper legislative chamber for the firs... Ovie Omo-Agege, deputy president of the senate, on Thursday, presided over the affairs of the upper legislative chamber for the first time. Omo-Agege took over the dais from Senate President Ahmad Lawan who had begun presiding over the days business. The moment the deputy senate president took charge of legislative business, James Manager, senator representing Delta south, moved a point of order. Its great to see you there, Manager told the deputy senate president who is also from Delta state. Omo-Agege then replied: Thank you, amid cheers and laughter. This is coming about eight months after the ninth senate was inaugurated. There was the speculation that Lawan did not allow Omo-Agege to preside over the senates plenary sessions because of a rift between them. But Thursdays development may put the speculation to rest. In the previous senate, Ike Ekweremadu, the then deputy senate president, presided over plenary sessions on a number of occasions. He also handled important legislative matters such as the confirmation of nominees to the supreme court. For three days, the delay of the Iowa Caucus results has triggered widespread outcry, received wall-to-wall news coverage and prompted discussions about how the Democratic Party should reduce complexity and expand access to the franchise in its nominating process. That's good. Yet, while the debacle in Iowa - from the problematic app to the archaic system of caucusing itself - is getting some rightful scorn, this kind of disorder and delay is a regular occurrence for black and brown voters across the nation. Nearly every photo of a voting line wrapped around the block has black faces. It is communities of color that often have to wait in the sweltering sun for seven hours to cast their ballot or find out their votes were miscounted. Yet those photos and stories come and go, and they rarely make the front pages and then, too often, in a few hours the problems at the polls are forgotten. Every election cycle, voters of color face tiring long lines, delays, baffling disorder, and countless minor inconveniences that directly impact the accessibility and fairness of our elections. Their complaints are almost never heard. But irregularities in Iowa, a state with an overwhelmingly white population, are cause for a media frenzy and a full-blown political crisis. While the problems for black voters never seem to cause a crisis, they persist long after the initial coverage. Too often, when electoral problems land on the historically marginalized, as a country our response is to shrug. There's no outpouring of anger or disappointment. There's no call for a national conversation to fix this epidemic of mismanagement and disenfranchisement. In 2018, when Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp closed nearly 200 polling places across Black and Hispanic communities ahead of his race against Stacey Abrams - sure, it made the news. And then faded away. Those precincts? Most of them are still closed, headed into 2020. Technical glitches stopped voting for eight precincts in Durham, North Carolina on Election Day in 2016, but the moral panic was muted. Durham's African American population is large and often electorally decisive, situated in a swing state that President Donald Trump won - but Democrats did not expend a fraction of the energy worrying about North Carolina that they have about Iowa this week. In Florida, individual counties have to purchase their election equipment, so poorer counties and precincts have fewer and older machines. That has never been front page news, even when we see the consequences in long lines to vote - lines that are estimated to have kept hundreds of thousands from voting in the last presidential election. A 2019 review of recent academic studies found that across America voters of color waited in line to vote about twice as long as white voters. Even when the franchise is secured, obstacles are immediately placed in front of new voters. Activists in Florida won a significant victory, after decades of hard work, when in 2018, voters passed a constitutional amendment to end the state's laws that permanently disenfranchised felons even after they had completed their sentences. The amendment re-enfranchises over one million voters, fully one-third of whom are Black. In fact, before passage of Amendment 4, nearly one in four Black people in Florida were disenfranchised due to prior felony convictions. But then, the state's Republican legislature passed, and our governor signed, legislation that requires ex-felons to pay any outstanding fines or fees ordered by the court before they could register. This functions as a poll tax that, of course, most heavily affects people of color in Florida as the poverty rates in our community are higher. But the outcry and criticism about Florida's voting rules received decidedly less attention - from many Democrats as well as the media. To win in November, Democrats will need to harness the outrage and opprobrium surrounding the Iowa caucuses for the battle against voter suppression across the nation. Because these are the places that will decide the 2020 election. Already, senseless voter suppression laws have been overturned in Florida to Texas to Michigan. The House has passed legislation that restores the protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that were dismantled by the Supreme Court 2013; it awaits action on Mitch McConnell's desk. The real lesson of this year's Iowa caucuses: All our voices can be heard only if elections are easy to access, open to everyone and strongly protected in law. That means the outrage can't be confined to Iowa. - - - Andrew Gillum is the former mayor of Tallahassee, the 2018 Democratic nominee for governor of Florida and a Fellow at People For the American Way. Palmdale, CA (93550) Today Partly cloudy skies. Low 29F. E winds shifting to SW at 10 to 15 mph. Stronger winds in and below canyons and passes.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 29F. E winds shifting to SW at 10 to 15 mph. Stronger winds in and below canyons and passes. More than 100 models have signed a second open letter to the CEO of Victoria's Secret calling for him to take action on the company's 'culture of misogyny and abuse'. The letter urges John Mehas to end what the group describe as an 'entrenched culture of misogyny' at the lingerie chain. The Model Alliance, a nonprofit that advocates for the protection of models, began the campaign five months ago by proposing the company 'take concrete action to change', it said. But following an investigation by the New York Times, the group claims the 'culture of misogyny, bullying, and harassment' was 'even more egregious and more entrenched than previously understood' and so wrote the second open letter to Mehas published yesterday. Signatories of the letter include catwalk stars such as Christy Turlington Burns, Iskra Lawrence, Edie Campbell, Amber Valletta and Felicity Hayward. Models who have worked with Victoria's Secret such as Karen Elson and Caitriona Balfe also co-signed the document. Barbara Palvin, Yasmin Wijnaldum, Winnie Harlow, Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Alexina Graham on the catwalk Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, Runway, New York, in November 2018. None of the above pictured signed The Model Alliance's letter to CEO John Mehas Caitriona Balfe during 8th Annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. She was one of more than 100 signatories to the open letter The New York Times article described a 'culture of misogyny, bullying, and harassment' at Victoria's Secret among current and former executives, employees and contractors. They allege a climate of misogyny was fostered by two top executives - Ed Razek and Les Wexner - at Victoria's Secrets parent company, L Brands. 'We believe that this moment can be a wake-up call for Victoria's Secret,' the letter states. The group go on to allege they met with bosses at the firm but their complaints were not taken seriously. The letter states: 'The Model Alliance met with Tammy Roberts Myers, Chief Communications Officer of L Brands in New York City last September, it was made abundantly clear that Victoria's Secret does not take these complaints seriously. 'In a follow-up email she told us that Victoria's Secret was not ready to take any concrete steps towards addressing these allegations - rather, the company is simply, ''in the process of continued learning and listening''.' The group goes on to describe the treatment of models at the firm as 'human rights violations'. It read: 'In the face of the horrifying revelations from the past year, this response is utterly unacceptable. 'Human rights violations can't be stopped with a corporate rebranding exercise.' Model Christy Turlington at the Chanel Metiers D'Art Show at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2018. She was one of the most high-profile signatories of the letter Iskra Lawrence (left) and Edie Campbell (right) both signed the open letter to Victoria's Secret CEO about concerns over bullying and misogyny Model Andi Muise alleged that Victoria's Secret stopped hiring her for its fashion shows after she rebuffed Razek's advances. Razek, 71, a former executive at L Brands who stepped down in October, allegedly asked women to sit on his lap and kiss him, according to sources who spoke to The Times. The article detailed complaints of inappropriate conduct towards models and employees. Sources claimed crotch-grabbing, body shaming, lewd remarks and retaliation for the rebuffing advances were common among workers. It also stated the models' images were used unauthorized and some were pressured to pose nude without any pay. Casey Crowe Taylor, a former public relations employee, told the newspaper: 'This abuse was just laughed off and accepted as normal.And anyone who tried to do anything about it wasn't just ignored. They were punished.' According to Last week it emerged billionaire L Brands boss Leslie Wexner, 82, may step down and sell the company after his past association with Jeffrey Epstein has drawn increasing scrutiny. Wexner reportedly hired Epstein as a financial adviser and remained close friends prior to recent accusations. The 82-year-old is reportedly looking to sell Victoria's Secret and step down as CEO, according to The Wall Street Journal. A Victoria's Secret store, a subsidiary of L Brands Inc., in New York. The Model Alliance claim they met with with bosses at the firm but their complaints were not taken seriously The co-signatories of the open letter published yesterday, that included Christy Turlington Burns, Iskra Lawrence, Edie Campbell, Amber Valletta, Karen Elson and Caitriona Balfe Sara Ziff, a former model and the founder of the Model Alliance, said the group has been talking to L Brands about problems around harassment for several months. She said: 'It is both frustrating and deeply disturbing that Victoria's Secret/L Brands still have not taken models' concerns about their safety at work seriously.' In order to protect future models against abuse and harassment, the alliance is recommending for Victoria's Secret to implement a RESPECT Program within its brand. It wants signatory companies to make a commitment to require employees, agents, photographers and other contractors to follow a code of conduct and install a robust system for complaints made against abusers. A spokesman for L Brands said in a statement: 'We absolutely share a common goal with Model Alliance to ensure the safety and wellbeing of models. 'Our robust Photo Shoot Procedures, including training and oversight, were implemented in May 2019 and reflect elements of the RESPECT Program and beyond. 'We're proud of the progress we've made and remain committed to continuous improvement. 'We're always open to engage with those looking to make improvements in the industry.' Last August's letter to Victoria's Secret, also signed by Angel Doutzen Kroes, called out sexual harassment and abuse in the industry. It mentioned the alleged sexual misconduct by photographers Timur Emek, David Bellemere and Greg Kadel, and their power within the Victoria's Secret brand over its models. These male photographers were accused last year of taking advantage of the models they shot and allegedly forcing some to perform sexual favors or pose nude. Three people, including the wife of leader of a right-wing Hindu outfit Ranjeet Bachchan, were arrested in connection with his murder, a senior police official said on Thursday. Smriti Srivastava, described as Bachchan's second wife, her friend Deependra and driver Sanjeet Gautam were arrested, Lucknow Police Commissioner Sujit Pandey said. Smriti told police that a divorce case was going on between her and Bachchan since 2016, but he was delaying the process by not appearing for court proceedings, Pandey said. She claimed that Bachchan was creating hurdles in her marriage with Deependra. Saffron-clad Bachchan, 40, who had founded the Vishwa Hindu Mahasabha, was shot dead on February 2 while he was out on a morning walk, barely a couple of kilometres away from the high-security Uttar Pradesh legislature complex in the heart of the state capital. His cousin Aditya Srivastava was also injured in the attack. "Those involved in the murder are Smriti Srivastava (second wife), her friend Deependra, Sanjeet Gautam (driver) and Jeetendra (the shooter). Deependra was the person who convinced everyone to commit the crime. Smriti was part of the whole conspiracy. We arrested Sanjeet Gautam from Lucknow, Deependra has been arrested from UP-MP border and Smriti too has been arrested from Vikasnagar (in Lucknow)," the police commissioner told reporters here. Elaborating about the incident, Pandey said, "Three people (Deependra, Sanjeet and Jeetendra) moved from Rae Bareli at 2.30 am (on the intervening night of February 1 and 2). On February 2, Deependra was dropped at Hazratganj crossing, the shooter was dropped near Capitol cinema hall crossing. At 5.40 am, Ranjeet Bachchan, Kalindi and Aditya moved out from their home for morning walk. The shooter followed them in Hazratganj, and attacked them outside Globe Park." Twelve teams were formed to nab the accused persons, the police commissioner said, adding that efforts were underway to arrest Jeetender, the shooter. Earlier, four police personnel, including a sub-inspector, were suspended for alleged laxity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) UPPER THUMB The Cass City Board of Education will host two special meetings this month. The meetings will focus on staff and programs in place at both the elementary and junior-senior high school buildings. The informational meetings will give an overview to board of education members of what is happening in each building, regarding technology and programs. The first meeting will be 3:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 10, at the elementary school. The second will be 3:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 17 at the junior-senior high building. The meetings are open to the public. The district strives to keep pace with the latest technology, and recently started using the program Xello, which is a career and college readiness program, and Goingmerry a website to help seniors get access to state and national scholarships. Those are just a few of the unique aspects at the high school. In other district matters, a formal emergency operation plan was put in place. By Michigans state law, each school district has to have an emergency plan in place. That new state law covers everything from contact information and building maps to protocols for various types of emergencies. The resignation of Deb Ross, who was a longtime elementary school staffer, was accepted. She is retiring. The resignation of elementary social worker Tracy Robinson was also accepted. Peck said the protest is just one step many in the group have taken throughout the last two years. Many at the rally also serve as precinct committeemen, write letters to their representatives and have sent postcards to voters in their communities and neighboring states. NEW YORK Reviled Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernard Madoff on Wednesday sought compassionate release from his 150-year prison term, saying he has terminal kidney failure and less than 18 months to live. Madoff, held in federal custody since his 2009 guilty plea to charges that he stole roughly $20 billion from celebrities, charities, financial funds, and average investors, was admitted to the comfort care unit of a Butner, North Carolina, prison in July for "end-stage renal disease," attorney Brandon Sample wrote in a Manhattan federal court motion. The disgraced 81-year-old ex-financier is confined to a wheelchair, suffers shortness of breath that requires him to get supplemental oxygen at night, and also has cardiovascular disease and has other health ailments, the filing said. He was admitted to a comfort care unit at the prison in July. After initially refusing dialysis, the blood-filtering procedure commonly prescribed for kidney-failure patients, he agreed to start that treatment in December, the court filing said. Taxes 2020: When to file taxes for 2019 and what changes to expect Beware of Bitcoin scams: Tesla CEO Elon Musk warns Twitter followers about Bitcoin scams: "This is not cool." File photo taken in 2009 shows Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernard Madoff leaving Manhattan Federal court in New York City after a court hearing. "The nature of Mr. Madoff's serious medical conditions coupled with the effects of incarceration will only cause his overall physical condition to worsen as his illnesses progress and his death becomes ever more inevitable," wrote Sample. While stressing that Madoff doesn't dispute "the severity of his crimes" or "seek to minimize the suffering of his victims," the filing argued that the convicted scammer's conditions meet the guidelines for compassionate release. Sample filed the motion with the court after the U.S. Bureau of Prisons rejected the administrative request for release Madoff filed in September 2019. The ruling said setting Madoff free "would minimize the severity of his offense." Story continues The court that sentenced him represents Madoff's last chance for end-of-life freedom, wrote Sample, who noted in the filing that Scotland granted Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi compassionate release for his crimes after he developed terminal prostate cancer. Sample also cited the case of Bernard Ebbers, the former chief executive of the former WorldCom telecommunications company that went bankrupt in 2002. He was sentenced to a 25-year prison term for an estimated $11 billion accounting fraud. A Manhattan federal court judge granted Ebbers compassionate release in December, based on his age and deteriorating health. Ebbers died on Feb. 2 at age 78. "When this court sentenced Bernard Madoff it was clear that Madoff's 150-year prison sentence was symbolic for three reasons: retribution, deterrence, and for the victims," the filing said. "This court must now consider whether keeping Madoff incarcerated, in light of his terminal kidney failure and a life expectancy of less than 18 months, is truly in furtherance of statutory sentencing goals and our society's value and understanding of compassion." Madoff attracted thousands of investors by delivering improbably steady gains for decades. In reality, he engineered a classic Ponzi scheme using money from newer clients to pay previous investors, including so-called feeder funds that placed their customers with the former Nasdaq chairman. He also used the money to finance a lavish lifestyle, with homes in Manhattan, Long Island's East End and in Europe. Madoff's scheme collapsed in December 2008 as many of his customers, needing cash during the national financial crisis, tried to redeem their investments. They soon learned that the investment gains in the records they'd received from Madoff existed only on paper. The size and decades-long breadth of the scam made it the largest of its kind in U.S. history and one of the top frauds worldwide. Madoff confessed the scam to his sons. They contacted authorities, who arrested the financier and began unraveling the fraud. Declaring that he had acted alone, Madoff pleaded guilty in 2009 without standing trial. Five of his former employees were convicted of aiding the scheme in 2014. Although Madoff's sons worked with him, they said they had no idea their father had masterminded a scam. Both died afterward, one by suicide and the other from cancer. Ruth Madoff, the scammer's wife, lost everything and moved in with relatives and friends. She, too, said she didn't know what her husband had done. According to the Madoff Recovery Initiative website, www.madofftrustee.com, court-appointed trustee Irving Picard had distributed more than $12.9 billion to Madoff's many victims as of Jan. 24. The trustee had reached agreements or recovered approximately $14.3 billion as of that date as well. Both totals are far higher than most authorities had expected at the time Madoff was arrested. If granted release, Madoff would live with a friend who was not identified in the court motion for privacy reasons. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bernie Madoff seeks prison release due to terminal kidney failure PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-06 13:58:02 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 918 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 AUSTIN, TX / ACCESSWIRE / February 6, 2020 / Thermon Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:THR) (the "Company," "Thermon," "we" or "our") today announced consolidated financial results for the third quarter ("Q3 2020") of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020 ("Fiscal 2020").Q3 2020 highlights, as compared to the three months ended December 31, 2018 ("Q3 2019"), include:Revenue of $100.5 million, a decrease of 16% compared to $119.4 millionFully diluted GAAP earnings per share ("EPS") of $0.20 per fully diluted common share, a decrease of $0.09 compared to $0.29Non-GAAP Adjusted EPS of $0.28 per fully diluted common share, a decrease of $0.12 compared to $0.40Generated $22.3 million of cash provided by operating activities, an increase of $14.6 million as compared to $7.7 million"We were pleased with the continued strong free cash flow generation in the quarter of $19.9 million, and we continue to see strength in our pipeline of opportunities. While we projected weaker capital projects in the second half of the fiscal year in comparison to a record second half of fiscal 2019, results fell below expectations on weaker year-end discretionary spending during the third quarter. Due to the lower incoming order rates in the last two quarters, we now expect Fiscal 2020 revenues in the range of $383-390 million," said Bruce Thames, Thermon's President and Chief Executive Officer.During Q3 2020, the Company generated revenue of $100.5 million versus $119.4 million in Q3 2019, a decrease of $18.9 million or 16%. During Q3 2020, new facility construction (or "Greenfield") and facility maintenance, repair and operations and upgrade or expansion ("MRO/UE") activity from our legacy heat tracing business accounted for 38% and 62% of revenue, respectively, which compares to 45% and 55% in Q3 2019. Gross margin during Q3 2020 was 43.3%, as compared to 42.6% in Q3 2019.Q3 2020 total orders were $99.0 million versus $105.7 million in Q3 2019, a decrease of $6.7 million or 6%. Q3 2020 backlog of $102.5 million represents a $33.4 million decrease, or 25%, as compared to Q3 2019 backlog of $135.9 million.Q3 2020 net income attributable to Thermon and GAAP EPS were $6.5 million and $0.20 per fully diluted common share, respectively, compared to $9.7 million and $0.29 per fully diluted common share, respectively, in Q3 2019. After taking into account the impact of an income tax rate reduction in the Netherlands and intangible amortization related to prior acquisition activities (see table, Reconciliation of Net Income attributable to Thermon to Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS), the Company generated Adjusted Net Income in Q3 2020 of $9.5 million and Adjusted EPS of $0.28 per fully diluted common share compared to $13.3 million and $0.40 per fully diluted common share, respectively, in Q3 2019.Adjusted EBITDA was $20.9 million in Q3 2020 as compared to $26.0 million in Q3 2019, a decrease of $5.1 million or 20% (see table, Reconciliation of Net Income attributable to Thermon to Adjusted EBITDA).During the first nine months of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2020 ("YTD 2020") the Company generated revenue of $295.1 million compared to $298.4 million in the first nine months of the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019 ("YTD 2019"), a decrease of $3.3 million or 1%.YTD 2020 orders were $274.9 million compared to $275.3 million in YTD 2019, a decrease of $0.4 million or 0%.YTD 2020 net income attributable to Thermon and GAAP EPS were $14.9 million and $0.45 per fully diluted common share, respectively, compared to $16.0 million and $0.48 per fully diluted common share in YTD 2019. After taking into account the impact of income tax rate reduction in Alberta, Canada and in the Netherlands and intangible amortization related to prior acquisition activities (see table, Reconciliation of Net Income attributable to Thermon to Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS), the Company generated Adjusted Net Income in YTD 2020 of $23.8 million and Adjusted EPS of $0.72 per fully diluted common share compared to Adjusted Net Income of $28.5 million and Adjusted EPS of $0.86 per fully diluted common share during YTD 2019.As of December 31, 2019, the Company had $181.7 million of gross outstanding debt and $37.1 million of cash and cash equivalents representing net debt of $144.6 million. Based on the trailing twelve month Adjusted EBITDA of the Company, our net debt to trailing twelve month Adjusted EBITDA ratio was 1.9x as of December 31, 2019. At the time the THS acquisition closed on October 30, 2017, our net debt to trailing twelve month Adjusted EBITDA ratio was 3.4x.OutlookGiven our Q3 2020 results, we are reducing our Fiscal 2020 revenue guidance to $383-390 million. With our net debt to trailing twelve month Adjusted EBITDA ratio currently below 2.0x, we intend to continue to prioritize our capital allocation towards additional debt reduction and potential M&A opportunities.Conference Call and Webcast InformationThermon's senior management team, including Bruce Thames, President and Chief Executive Officer, and Jay Peterson, Chief Financial Officer, will discuss Q3 2020 results during a conference call today at 10:00 a.m. (Central Time), which will be simultaneously webcast on Thermon's investor relations website located at http://ir.thermon.com . Investment community professionals interested in participating in the question-and-answer session may access the call by dialing (877) 407-5976 from within the United States/Canada and (412) 902-0031 from outside of the United States/Canada. A replay of the webcast will be available on Thermon's investor relations website after the conclusion of the call.About ThermonThrough its global network, Thermon provides safe, reliable and mission critical industrial process heating solutions. Thermon specializes in providing complete flow assurance, process heating, temperature maintenance, freeze protection and environmental monitoring solutions. Thermon is headquartered in Austin, Texas. For more information, please visit www.thermon.com Non-GAAP Financial MeasuresDisclosure in this release of "Adjusted EPS," "Adjusted EBITDA," "Adjusted Net Income" and "Free Cash Flow" which are "non-GAAP financial measures" as defined under the rules of the Securities Life in an immigration detention center on Australias Christmas Island has not been as bad as David Huang feared. It is certainly a far cry from the conditions that thousands of asylum seekers have faced in the countrys offshore detention centers in recent years. Sure, the steel on the buildings facade is rusted in parts. The Wi-Fi is shaky, especially at meal times when he and others are trying to contact their families and friends. Dinner, at least on Tuesday, the first night he spent there, was uninspiring and mushy. Yet after being evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, he had set his expectations low. Image David Huang Mr. Huang, a 22-year-old student from Sydney, is one of about 270 Australian citizens and permanent residents who have been flown out of China in the past week and taken to Christmas Island. None of the evacuees have tested positive for the virus, Australias health minister said on Tuesday. In 1963, Michigan Gov. George Romney, R, appeared unexpectedly with a group of black leaders and civil rights activists in the mostly white Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe. The march took them past real estate offices as hundreds demonstrated against housing segregation. Romney called for "the elimination of human inequality and discrimination," and pledged to appoint a civil rights commission, and received a standing ovation for his remarks, according to a July 4, 1963, edition of the Grosse Pointe News. "I am here because the issues involved in this march today are so fundamental that they are above the partisan level," Romney said then. He forged ahead with his support for civil rights and against extremism, which at times pinned him against his own party. A half-century later, his son Mitt would stand as the lone Republican in the Senate chamber to cross party lines. In voting to convict President Trump of abusing the power of his office, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, on Wednesday became the first senator ever to vote to remove a president in his own party. "I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty to the best of my ability, believing that my country expected it of me," Romney said in his floor remarks. He added: "Were I to ignore the evidence that has been presented, and disregard what I believe my oath and the Constitution demands of me for the sake of a partisan end, it would, I fear, expose my character to history's rebuke and the censure of my own conscience." Historian Geoffrey Kabaservice said Mitt Romney's "sense of Constitution, religion and morality have put him outside the party consensus." "He did a brave thing that's in keeping with his father's example," Kabaservice said. George Romney's participation in that 1963 march was one of many moments that put him at odds with some supporters, fellow members of the Mormon Church, and some in his own party. Letters denouncing his efforts poured in. In the book "Once in a Great City": A Detroit Story," author David Maraniss describes a letter Romney received from a Georgia lawyer after he spoke at a memorial service for a civil rights activist. "We southern Mormons find it difficult to believe that any Mormon Elder could ever advocate integration and subsequent amalgamation of the races," the letter read. The next year, Romney stood before the Republican National Convention and urged against the party's turn toward extremism. In the Nixon administration, as head of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, he ordered the agency to reject project applications from cities and states that favored segregated housing. "Romney's stance made him a pariah within the administration. Nixon shut down the program, refused to meet with his housing secretary and finally drove him from the Cabinet," Nikole Hannah-Jones reported in ProPublica in 2015. Washington Post photo by Dayna Smith Maraniss said Mitt Romney's decision in a way paid homage to the rabble-rousing ways of the father he "worshiped." He compared the immediate backlash Mitt Romney faced on social media to the hate mail sent to his father. "Mitt is a Republican politician in a time when his father wouldn't have survived, so this was an opportunity for Mitt to show the courage he would have wanted to show his father," Maraniss said. In 2011, Mitt Romney proudly recalled his father's work to writer Michael Leahy. "My dad was a champion of civil rights when some in the Republican Party questioned the civil rights movement," Romney said. The governor "has been my greatest influence," Romney said, and is "the person I have admired most in political life" even while acknowledging differences in their political philosophies. Kabaservice said George Romney's support for civil rights illustrated his refusal to ignore principles "for the purpose of political expediency." "He was really an example of a courageous and principled politician," he said, "and I have to believe that would have been in the back of Mitt Romney's mind as he cast his vote." Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE A $7.6 billion spending plan that would fund New Mexico teacher pay raises, road repairs and the creation of a new early childhood trust fund is headed to the Senate. After three hours of debate late Wednesday, the House voted 46-24 along party lines to approve the budget bill, which would increase year-over-year state spending in the coming year by $529 million or 7.5% over current levels. Democrats said the spending plan would continue New Mexicos upward trajectory by increasing spending on economic development, education and tourism-related initiatives, along with more money for infrastructure improvements. Were looking from a budgetary standpoint at building the (economic) base and expanding so were more diversified, said Rep. Patricia Lundstrom, D-Gallup, chairwoman of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee. However, minority Republicans pushed for an alternative spending plan of their own that called for a lower amount of recurring spending than the Democratic-backed proposal and $200 rebates for all New Mexico residents. They expressed concerns over increasing state spending by 20% over a two-year period, saying such an approach could put the state in a predicament if oil production slows or prices were to fall. Do we all just believe that throwing money at a problem is a solution? Rep. Jason Harper, R-Rio Rancho, asked during Wednesdays debate. But their attempt was thwarted by majority Democrats, who argued that New Mexico faces a litany of needs including reducing a waiting list for support services for those with developmental disabilities that would be underfunded by the GOP spending plan. By no means do I believe this is reckless spending or that were trying to break the bank, said Rep. Javier Martinez, D-Albuquerque. Specifically, the spending plan adopted Wednesday would authorize a 5% pay raise for teachers, a 4% raise for other education employees and a 3% bump for state workers. For teachers, the raise would be the second in two years. Lawmakers last year approved 6% salary increases for educators and an increase in starting teacher pay to $41,000 a year. The bill also would authorize several big one-time expenditures, including $300 million for a proposed early childhood endowment fund, $255 million for road repairs around New Mexico and $75 million as part of a plan to bolster one of the states public retirement systems. Roughly $2 billion would still be set aside in cash reserves in case projected revenue levels do not materialize, but some GOP lawmakers said that might not be enough. We have a spending problem here in Santa Fe, said House Minority Whip Rod Montoya, R-Farmington, told a news conference earlier Wednesday. Overall, New Mexicos recent spending increases have been fueled by rising revenue levels, due primarily to an oil drilling boom in the states southeastern corner. Just three years ago, the states budgetary situation was much cloudier, as an extended economic downturn forced lawmakers to enact spending cuts, deplete cash reserves and sweep dollars from various state programs. Passing a balanced budget is arguably lawmakers top task in Santa Fe. Now that the budget bill has been approved by the House, it goes to the Senate with two weeks left in the 30-day legislative session. Although the Senate is expected to make some changes, both chambers must eventually agree on a final version of the bill to send it to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams desk before the session ends Feb. 20. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu on Thursday approved the proposal of Housing and Urban Development (H & UD) Department to set up elevated light rail system in Jammu and Srinagar to provide 'best-in-class' mobility. "Lt Governor, GC Murmu approved the proposal of the H & UD Deptt to set up Elevated Light #Rail System in both the capital cities of #JammuandSrinagar to provide "best-in-class" mobility in terms of safe, reliable, convenient, cost-effective and sustainable public transport system," Department of Information and Public Relations, Govt of Jammu & Kashmir tweeted. Light rail or light rail transit (LRT) is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Jacksonville village trustees are scheduled to meet in regular session at 7 p.m. today in the village hall, 301 Dewey Drive. Among the items on the agenda are: Russia's Cherkizovo Group exported 38% more in 2019 Cherkizovo Group, Russia's largest meat producer, reported that its global exports in 2019 totalled 50,000 tones, a significant increase of 38% over the previous year. In monetary terms, the company's overseas sales surged 78% to RUB5.7 billion (US$90.26 million). This growth was mostly driven by the poultry market, which recorded a 50% increase to 34,000 tonnes following China's decision to open up its market to Russian companies last year. This market accounted for over 40%, or 14,000 tonnes, of the company's poultry exports. Export sales of chicken increased 131% to RUB3.8 billion ($60.1 million), while those of turkey increased 33% to RUB200 million ($3.2 million). "The green light given to Russian poultry by China has been a major factor in the rise of Cherkizovo's exports. A number of lucrative contracts were signed with Chinese partners in 2019, allowing Russian companies to supply a wide range of poultry products, including the country's favorite chicken feet, along with chicken thighs, hips and breast fillets, all of which are set to appear in the largest local retail chains and restaurants", said Andrei Terekhin, head of exports at Trading Company Cherkizovo. Cherkizovo Group's pork exports increased 35% to 11,000 tonnes valued at RUB1.3 billion ($20.52 million), up 25%, while turkey sales shrank 10% to 1,500 tonnes, valued at RUB200 million ($3.16 million), up 33%.. Sausage exports plateaued, remaining at their 2018 level of 4,000 tonnes. Sausage sales brought in RUB400 million ($6.32 million), up 12% from last year. "In 2020, Cherkizovo plans to carry on significantly boosting its exports by expanding its offering and sales channels in the existing markets and, also, by penetrating new markets in Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia", Mr. Terekhin said. SAGINAW, MI A narrative of negativity surrounding the city of Saginaw - embodied by the epithet Sagnasty - is not what the community is now, Mayor Floyd Kloc said on Thursday, Feb. 6, in his State of the City address. Kloc said Saginawesome is how people should view the city and changing perceptions is a continued focus for the city in 2020. That narrative must change, that word is the antithesis of who and what we are," Kloc said. Rather, we are Saginawesome, and we must let everyone hear it from our lips and from our hearts. Kloc addressed city and community leaders at The Dow event center early Thursday, touting some of the citys successes in the past year. He led with a video branding the city with the phrase We Are Saginaw: We Build Opportunity. The city is focused on moving in to the future, not living in the past, he said. Marketing Saginaw as a vibrant, strong community was key for the city in 2019, Kloc said. He said what the community thinks about Saginaw must be the citys greatest strength, or it will continue to be its worst enemy. He highlighted serious crime falling a further 15% in 2019. The city has come a long way from the FBI stats painting it as a national leader in violent crime, he said, including a 40% decrease in homicides and 25% decrease in shootings over the past year. The work of area law enforcement has made Saginaw one of the safest urban core cities in Michigan, he said. We are not that city from five or seven years ago," Kloc said. The crime stats cant get much better than we have gotten it down to here in our city. In recent years, more than $228 million has been invested in the city over 70 significant development projects, creating 840 new jobs, Kloc said. More than $18 million in developments were given construction permits in 2019 and the SVRC Marketplace brought 50,000 visitors downtown in its first year, Kloc said. Delta Colleges new downtown campus building and a new sister city partnership with Amanokrom, Ghana are other accomplishments from 2019 Kloc discussed. Looking to the coming year, he mentioned the city starting the process of adopting ordinances allowing marijuana businesses in the city and emphasized the importance of the 2020 census. Its an amazing community, and we just gotta get people to understand that to participate in it, Kloc said. If they participate in it, theyll know. Read more: Saginaw reviewing rules to allow marijuana businesses in the city Saginaw ranked as Michigans most caring city, according to insurance website Police in Saginaw report 15 percent reduction in crime in 2019 Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) Two barangays in Davao City have cases of the African Swine Fever infection that killed around 30 pigs, authorities said Thursday. The Department of Agriculture in Davao Region and the Davao City Veterinary Office (VCO) said the confirmed cases were found in Barangay Lamanan and Dominga in the Calinan District. We tested the blood sample last January 31 after several deaths of pigs were reported. The deaths (of the pigs) are so fast, said VCO head Cerelyn Pinili in a media briefing. She said the city has banned hogs and pork-based products from leaving the two areas to avoid spreading the virus. The disease killed 1,000 hogs in Don Marcelino, Davao Occidental the first reported ASF cases in Mindanao. The province is now under a state of calamity. There can still be movements of animals within the 10 kilometer radius of Barangay Lamanan and Dominga. However, it should have a certificate that the animals are free from ASF, Pinili said. Pinili said the city will assist hog raisers. We will buy the pigs at 5,000 per head including the sucklings plus an additional per kilo of the prevailing price, she said. "We will weigh the pig and pay it upon the prevailing price of pork in the market." Pork in the Davao City market sells for around P200 per kilogram Meanwhile, other provinces and local governments have implemented measures to prevent the spread of ASF. Mati City, Davao Oriental Mayor Michelle Rabat on Thursday issued a temporary ban on the entry of "swine, hogs, pork, pork-related products and pork byproducts." Borongan City in Eastern Samar also enforced a similar ban for 100 days on swine and swine products but it also covered all meat and processed meat from Mindanao. Earlier, Southern Leyte Governor Damian Mercado imposed a ban on the entry of pork and other pork products in the province. Southern Leyte, with its two ports in the towns of San Ricardo and Liloan, is the main exit point for travelers from Luzon bound for Mindanao and vice-versa. Pork and pork-related products are sourced from other areas within the Philippines are hereby regulated in its entry to the Province of Southern Leyte unless these are accompanied by the following applicable requirements from the point of origin, read Mercado's executive order dated February 3. These requirements are a meat inspection certificate from the National Meat Inspection Service and Veterinary Shipping Permit for locally produced and imported pork, license to operate and certificate of product registration from the Food and Drugs Administration for processed pork and pork products. However, live hogs may still enter the province upon complying with veterinary quarantine requirements. Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Emano also banned pork and processed pork meat such as bacon, tocino, longganisa, chicharon, hams and hotdogs among others from Luzon and the Davao Region where ASF cases were confirmed. Cases of ASF have been confirmed in a number of cities in Metro Manila and some provinces in Luzon, including Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan and Cavite. Reports say cases have also been reported recently in Tarlac and Bataan. ASF does not pose health risks to humans, but humans can carry the virus. The virus quickly spreads in an affected hog, which could lead to death after three to five days, threatening food supply. Stringers Pearl Gajunera and Alwen Saliring contributed to this report. Los Angeles: It's all Hunter Biden's fault. And by all, I mean everything. Just imagine how the last few months would have played out had Biden not taken a seat on the board of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma while his father, then-vice president Joe Biden, was leading the Obama administration's push for a less corrupt government in Ukraine. Look at each key event in the process that led to President Trump's impeachment in the House and acquittal in the Senate. Democrats have defended the actions of Joe (right) and Hunter Biden in Ukraine. Credit:Getty Images By the northern fall of 2015, a number of US and European officials were calling for Ukraine to remove its top prosecutor, Victor Shokin, because he was not pursuing corruption cases aggressively enough. The complaints included Shokin's handling of the allegations against Burisma and the Ukrainian oligarch who founded it, Mykola Zlochevsky. That pressure campaign intensified in early 2016, culminating when Joe Biden - per US policy, with Congress in the loop - insisted that Shokin be fired if Ukraine wanted to receive $US1 billion ($1.1 billion) in US loan guarantees. (The International Monetary Fund was also pushing for a more aggressive anti-corruption effort.) The Ukrainian government eventually complied. Donald Trump was acquitted over impeachment by the US Senate last night, ending a historic and turbulent four-month ordeal and freeing him to seek re-election in November. Republican senators mainly fell in behind the president, with some arguing that even if his conduct in the Ukraine scandal was "shameful" and "inappropriate", it did not warrant removal from office. The Senate voted 52-48 to acquit Mr Trump of abuse of power. One Republican, Mitt Romney, joined the Democrats in voting for conviction. No Democrats voted for acquittal. Mr Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee and Utah senator, broke with his colleagues, arguing that Mr Trump's actions were so "appalling" and "grievously wrong" that he had no other option but to vote to convict. The Senate also voted 53-47 to acquit Mr Trump of obstructing Congress. Mr Romney voted to acquit the president on this charge. Removal had always looked unlikely, with two-thirds of the 100 senators needed to vote for either article for Mr Trump to be removed from office. There are just 47 Democrats and independents. For the president, acquittal ends a saga that has left him seething. He has issued more than 700 tweets or retweets criticising impeachment and has expressed no remorse about his actions. He will attempt to portray the decision as an exoneration. For the Democrats, there will be reflection as they consider the merits of launching an impeachment which drew almost no Republican congressional support, breaking with previous comments acknowledging that only a bipartisan push could work. There will also be political risk with scores of Democrats who managed to win seats in the 2018 midterms in Trump-supporting areas by talking about policy rather than the president facing tough re-elections in November. It could put their House majority in doubt. The pace of Mr Trump's impeachment, from the actions which triggered the Democratic move to his Senate trial, was remarkably rapid, taking place over little more than six months. Mr Trump's telephone call to the Ukranian president when he urged an investigation into his political rival Joe Biden, the moment most central to the impeachment drive, took place on July 25. The Senate vote was yesterday. In the end a string of Republican senators had concluded, after months of denials from the White House, that the facts of the case against Mr Trump as put forward by the Democrats had been established. The president did try to pressure Ukraine into launching an investigation that would help him in the 2020 election, some concluded, and his decision to hold back almost $400m (363m) was at least in part connected. Many Republicans argued the actions did not warrant his removal. But Mr Romney broke with his colleagues, resulting in the remarkable spectacle of the Republican Party's 2012 presidential nominee announcing he would vote to kick its 2016 nominee from office. "The president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust," Mr Romney said yesterday in a speech heavy with history and religion. "With my vote I will tell my children, their children, that I did my duty to the best of my ability, believing that my country expected it of me." ( Daily Telegraph, London) On Wednesday, the US Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power (52-48) and obstruction of Congress (53-47). The largely party-line vote concludes the impeachment process initiated by the Democrats last fall. The result is a political debacle for the Democratic Party that has only strengthened Trump. President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House Chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, as Vice President Mike Pence and Speaker Nancy Pelosi look on. (Leah Millis/Pool via AP) Trump has scheduled a national address today at noon. The purpose, as he stated on Twitter, will be to discuss our Countrys VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax. On Wednesday afternoon, Trump retweeted an image of a Time magazine cover showing a series of signs: Trump 2024, Trump 2028, Trump 2032 Trump 4EVA. This is a repetition of his previous threats to remain in office beyond constitutionally mandated limits. One day before the final vote, the outcome of which was not in doubt, the Democrats gave Trump a platform in Congress to deliver his State of the Union address. Trump used the opportunity to denounce his political opponents, rail against socialism and outline a raft of right-wing proposals. Trump will utilize his acquittal to press forward with his antidemocratic and authoritarian measures. Jonathan Turley, writing in the Washington Post on Tuesday, pointed to the significance of the argument advanced by Alan Dershowitz in defending Trump during the Senate impeachment trial. Dershowitzs claim that neither abuse of power nor obstruction of Congress is an impeachable offense became the central axis of Trumps defense. The presidents defense was then tied inextricably to this extreme and chilling argument, Turley wrote, a defense that has now been endorsed by the Senate. Another comment in the Post, from David Von Drehle, cited a Gallup poll showing Trumps approval ratings rising from 39 percent last fall to 49 percent by the end of the impeachment processthe highest level of his presidency so far and at least three points higher than Barack Obama could claim in early February of his reelection year. Citing the same poll, the Wall Street Journal editorial board gloated that the Democrats may have helped [Trump] win a second term by impeaching him. This outcome is the product of the methods employed in the Democrats campaign against Trump and the class interests involved. If there has been one constant element in the Democratic strategy, it has been to make sure that popular hatred of the Trump administration would be smothered and the Democrats opposition would be directed not to the left, but to the right. Trumps inauguration more than three years ago was followed immediately by protests against his attacks on immigrants, his racist policies against refugees, his appointment of fascists to top-level positions in his administration, his pro-corporate policies and tax cuts, his militarist threats, and his attacks on social programs. The day after his inauguration saw the biggest single day of protests across the country in US history, with more than a million people participating. Popular opposition on each of these issues was suppressed and derailed as the Democrats focused their campaign against Trump exclusively on matters of foreign policy. In particular, they centered their opposition on the concerns within dominant factions of the military and intelligence establishment that Trump was not pursuing the fight against Russia with sufficient vigor. Even before the election, the Democrats began concocting the narrative that Trumps election campaign was the focal point of a massive conspiracy directed from the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin to undermine our democracy and sow divisions within the United States. The anti-Russia campaign assumed hysterical dimensions, comparable only to the McCarthyite rants of the 1950s and the anti-Communist conspiracy-mongering of the John Birch Society. The Democrats turned unsubstantiated claims that Russia spent a few hundred thousand dollars on social media advertisementsa tiny fraction of the billions spent by corporations and the rich on the presidential campaignsinto lurid allegations of a Russian plot against America, in which Trump served as the puppet of Putin. Throughout this process, the Democrats relation to Trump had a schizophrenic character. While they bitterly opposed the administration on foreign policy matters affecting the strategic interests of American imperialism, they wereand remaineager to work with him on key elements of ruling-class policy on which they agree, particularly on social and economic policies to continue the enrichment of the financial oligarchy. This began with President Barack Obamas declaration immediately after Trumps election that his number-one priority was to facilitate a transition that ensures our president-elect is successful. Obama coupled this with the declaration that the election was an intramural scrimmage between two sides on one team. The Democrats then collaborated with Trump in ensuring passage of his corporate tax cuts, his attacks on immigrants, his record military budgets and his aggressive actions against Venezuela, China and other countries. Terrified of and opposed to any mass popular movement against Trump, the Democrats sought to pursue their conflict with the White House using the methods of a palace coupbehind-the-scenes maneuvers involving the intelligence agencies and disaffected factions within the state. The Democrats have utilized the anti-Russia campaign to press their own demands for the suppression of free speech (in the name of combating fake news) and to legitimize their persecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for exposing the crimes of American imperialism. Following the failure of the investigation into Russian meddling led by former FBI director Robert Mueller, the Democrats launched the impeachment campaign to continue their operation. The supposed quid pro quo alleged against Trumpthe basis of the abuse of power chargeinvolved temporarily holding up military aid to the Ukrainian government, which is involved in a military conflict with Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine. The methods employed by Trumps opponents within the state are determined by the social and political interests motivating them. The Democratic Party is a party of Wall Street and the military and intelligence agencies, aligned with privileged sections of the upper-middle class that pursue their interests through the politics of racial and gender identity. The Democrats palace coup has ended in a debacle. Now it is the socialist movement against Trump that must be developed. It is one thing for Trump to prevail against his reactionary and cowardly opponents in the Democratic Party. It is quite another for him to take on the growth of the class struggle. The Socialist Equality Party launched its presidential campaign to build a revolutionary socialist leadership in the working class. Over the past two years, mass struggles have erupted in the United States and internationally. This is the social power that can bring down the Trump administration, end imperialist war, stop the drive to dictatorship and fascism, and put an end to capitalist exploitation and inequality. The movement of the working class must be guided by a conscious socialist, revolutionary and internationalist program and perspective. We call on all workers and young people to support the Socialist Equality Party in the 2020 election and make the decision to join the SEP and its sister parties in the International Committee of the Fourth International. For more information on the SEP election campaign and to sign up, visit socialism2020.org. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta arrived in Washington, ahead of a visit today with President Trump, with a message: the U.S. and China should not see Africa as a battlefield to be conquered, AP reports. What they're saying: Kenyatta stated on Wednesday that world powers are "behaving like Africa is for the taking. We don't want to be forced to choose...We must begin to look at Africa as the world's biggest opportunity, and I believe that you can dare to look at it with a fresh eye." The state of play: Trump and Kenyatta are expected to discuss a possible free trade agreement between the U.S. and Kenya. It would be the first U.S. trade agreement with a country in sub-Saharan Africa, per AP, and could help in the broader U.S. strategy of challenging China's economic clout on the continent. China surpassed the U.S. as a lead trade partner for most African nations more than a decade ago. Expand chart Data: The Observatory of Economic Complexity; Chart: Chris Canipe / Axios Go deeper: ALTON Tonya Stampley-Bratton lost her 5-year old son exactly 20 years ago, but not her memory of him and not her resilience to move forward. On Feb. 6, 2000, Lawrance Stampley a little boy remembered for his love of life and learning was pulled from the pool at the Alton YWCA, 304. E. 3rd St., while attending an open house celebration at the location. The following day, after never regaining consciousness, he died at Cardinal Glennon Childrens Hospital. He was buried in Upper Alton Cemetery. Ever since he passed away, I never celebrated any of his death dates, said Stampley-Bratton. By this being the 20th year, I felt like this was something I needed to do in order for me to heal inside and to push forward in my life, she said. Im still in the process of learning how to forgive myself for not being there and this is a part of that process. Lawrance, or Bobelly as he was often called, was the son of Stampley-Bratton and Corey Neal. He was a preschool student at Essic Robinson Head Start now Riverbend Head Start on East Broadway when the tragedy occurred. According to information in the Feb. 12, 2000, issue of The Telegraph, school staff remembered Lawrance as a curious learner and constant observer of life. His uncles said he was a boy with a mischievous little smile and a sweet soul who greeted the start of every day with excitement. It was a really tragic event, it really was, said his mother. And it was all over town. Theres people still today that I see that still remember. You never can describe a mothers pain from losing a child, she said. Its unexplainable. I just thank God that Im still here today. Now, with three grown children and three grandchildren, Stampley-Bratton has found she still has a lot to live for. More Information God's Promise (adapted from a poem by Edgar Guest) "I will lend you for a little while a child of mine," He said. "for you to love the while he lives and mourn when he is dead. It may be years or months or weeks,of twenty-two or three. but will you, 'til I call him back, Take care of her for Me? He'll bring his charms to gladden you, And should his stay be brief, You'll have his lovely memories as solace for your grief. I cannot promise he will stay, since all from earth return. but there are lessons taught down there I want this child to learn. I've looked the wide world over in search for Teachers True. and from the throngs that crowd life's lanes I have selected you. Now will you give him all your love, and not think the labour vain. nor hate me when I come to take him back to me again?" I fancied that I heard them say, "Dear Lord, Thy will be done; for all the joy this child shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run. We'll shelter him with happiness; We'll love him while we may. And for happiness we've known, Forever grateful stay. But now the angels call for him much sooner than we planned. So we'll brave the bitter grief that comes, and try to understand." See More Collapse I just turned 50 and I am happy with life, she said. Ive got great children, grandchildren. I have three grandchildren and I am crazy about my grandkids. Even though it was hard, I still feel blessed to be here. On Dec. 31, for Lawrances 25th birthday, she made cupcakes for her grandkids and they all sang Happy Birthday to him, celebrating with balloons and other birthday fare. Im not sad about it anymore; its been awhile, she said. Time does heal, but I never will forget. Im able to celebrate his birthdays and death days instead of me crying all the time, she said. So I feel good about that growing through that process, because it took me a long time to get there. Stampley-Bratton attributes much of her resilience to counselling and the people in her life. I had to find self-will, and I had to find myself, she said. A lot of it came from counselling, a good support system, church members. I have a very supportive husband. Ive been married for 18 years. I have my mom here. My son is very supportive. I am overwhelmed by his love for me. Stampley-Bratton said she also has worked hard to forgive those involved in her sons death from the YWCA staff to the reporters and photographers who covered the tragedy. She is trying to forgive them and heal. Colleen Carpenter, the YWCAs executive director at the time, expressed her sympathies to the family in a Feb. 8, 2000, story in The Telegraph. But reports from lifeguards and emergency personnel present during the incident could not be found. Stampley-Bratton said it makes her feel good when people recognize what shes been through and see that shes grown from it, especially since her recovery didnt happen overnight. Im healed from that, she said. I went to counseling. Im still in counseling. Thats where Im at in my life today. Some State AGs sue to Stop First Amendment, Impose Controls on Firearms Information By Dean Weingarten. February 5, 2020 Article Source On 23 January, 2020, state Attorney Generals from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia, filed a lawsuit against various officials in the State Department and the Commerce Department to prevent transfer of some items now under State Department regulation and the International Transfer in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to the Commerce Department. The case was filed in the United States District Court in the Western District of Washington at Seattle. Most of the above plaintiffs had previously filed a similar lawsuit to stop implementation of temporary rules from a settlement which the State Department had made with Defense Distributed. That case is still being litigated in the same Court. The new case will likely be given to the same judge, Senior judge Lasnik. Any appeal of the decision would be directed to the Ninth Circuit. The lawsuit is a direct attempt by some state Attorney Generals to impose their version of international policy and subvert the First Amendment of the United States. The previous policy of finding some computer files as under the control of ITAR rules was established during the Obama Administration. It was challenged as violating the First Amendment by Defense Distributed and the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF). The result of the lawsuit was a settlement in favor of Defense Distributed, which recognized the State Department was likely to lose the case on First Amendment grounds. Previous case law has held computer files to be speech, under the First Amendment. From eff.org: "The government is trying to use the same tactic it used in the 1990s to block researchers from sharing computer code online," said Walsh. "A court first ruled more than 15 years ago that source code was speech protected by the First Amendment, in a case that held the government's export regulations preventing its publication were unconstitutional. The Fifth Circuit should do the same for design files." It is not the Trump Administration which is attempting to void the First Amendment. It is a number of state attorney generals (SAG) who contend they have standing to force the federal government to regulate the way they want. It is a continuation of the Democrat party policy of using district court judges as unelected mini-dictators, able to stop policy by the Trump Administration, with which they disagree. Homemade firearms have been constructed in nearly all nations around the world for centuries. Everything from single shot muzzle loading pistols to sophisticated machine guns and mortars are currently being made in homes and small shops around the world. The information to make guns is widespread and readily available. The SAG claim violating the First Amendment is necessary to attempt to stop the spread of computer files which may make it easier to make some kinds of homemade firearms. The United States Government is forbidden, by the First Amendment, from placing prior constraints on publishing information. The SAG claim not only must the federal government prohibit the international publication of these files, they must prohibit the publication of the files in the United States. If the files can be published in the United States, effectively, the U.S. government cannot stop their export. In their filing, the states attorney generals note this fact. From the complaint: 9. The Final Rules effectively deregulate 3D-printable gun files entirely. Because the Commerce Department lacks jurisdiction over "published" items, the Final Rules create a self-executing loophole whereby anyone can automatically divest Commerce of jurisdiction over Firearm Files simply by disseminating them to members of the U.S. public (which is not prohibited by federal law). This exception to Commerce's jurisdiction is broad and significant because it is so easy to "publish" Firearm Files. Indeed, a private company known as Defense Distributed has already published some Firearm Files, rendering those files outside Commerce's jurisdiction pursuant to the Final Rule. For example, Defense Distributed represented to this Court that it has disseminated its files domestically to members of the public by mail. Effectively, the SAG claim information on how to make guns is dangerous to the public, so it must be controlled by the federal government. This is a direct attack on the First Amendment. The SAG claim they have standing because if guns can be homemade, they make the various heavily restrictive gun laws in those states less effective. The SAG claim the reform regulation, proposed by the Trump Administration, which followed correct administrative procedure, was unlawful: 18.Defendants' unlawful actionsif allowed to standwill lead to the proliferation of downloadable guns overseas and domestically, threatening our national security. The proliferation of untraceable and undetectable weapons within the United States threatens to cripple the various States' extensive and comprehensive systems of firearms regulations designed to keep guns out of the wrong hands. That is a direct attack on the premise of the Second Amendment. The SAG ignore the failure of those regulatory schemes to prevent prohibited persons from obtaining firearms, and that homemade firearms have existed, legally, for the entire period of the United States existence. The SAG claim they have standing because of "Public Safety"! 21.Venue in this Court is proper pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 1391(e) because Plaintiff the State of Washington is located here and a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred or will imminently occur here. In particular, the dissemination of the Firearm Files in question will have an adverse impact on the public safety in the City of Seattle and King County, Washington, which are located in this district. It is extremely difficult to find any issue which does *not* have some impact on public safety. The SAG, not surprisingly, ignore all First and Second Amendment implications of the case. The SAG claim the Trump Administration did not follow procedures fully enough, or diligently enough, according to the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which the lower courts are using as a bludgeon to stop regulatory actions the Democrats disagree with. It is important the appeals courts or the Supreme Court rule quickly against this tyranny by the mini-dictatorships of hundreds of District Court federal judges. States have the power to pass, and attempt to enforce, stupid, ineffective, laws. The federal government is not required to aid them in the enforcement of their irrational regulatory schemes. The Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA) was passed, in part, as a scheme in which the federal government attempted to aid the states in their schemes to infringe on the Second Amendment. This is why the GCA forbids people from purchasing firearms across state lines. It is directly in conflict with one of the purposes of the Commerce Clause, which was to *prevent* states from imposing barriers to trade across state borders. GCA 1968 did not reduce crime. Crime and murder rates soared after the GCA was put into effect. GCA 1968 created a regulatory scheme as a step toward more and more restrictions on Second Amendment rights. The idea that legislation, aimed at the general population, can keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, is a dangerous delusion in a nation with over 400 million guns and hundreds of millions of the tools and technology to make them, in the hands of hundreds of millions of citizens. 2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included. Gun Watch Back to Top This article is part of the Debatable newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Wednesday, Donald Trump became the third American president to be acquitted of impeachment charges. The vote fell almost entirely along partisan lines, with one exception: Mitt Romney became the first senator in history to vote to remove a president of his own party, triggering both the ire of his Republican colleagues and the promise of a seven-figure book deal. Mr. Trumps acquittal came on the heels of a triumphalist State of the Union address and an uptick in his approval rating to 49 percent in one poll, the highest of his presidency. Heres how people are taking stock of the moment and what it means for the 2020 election. Was impeachment a mistake? Speaker Nancy Pelosis worst fears about impeachment have seemingly come to fruition, says The Dispatch. According to the latest Gallup poll, Mr. Trumps position has improved among both Republicans and independents since impeachment proceedings kicked off last fall. Despite Trumps many and obvious weaknesses, The Dispatch says, its clear that Democrats have their work cut out for them now more than ever as they endeavor toward taking back the White House this November. A storm is brewing in Germanys metal and electronics industry, the countrys most important industrial sector. Trade war and technological change are threatening the livelihoods of 4 million workers. The companies are exploiting digitalisation, the transition to electric vehicles, and the transition towards renewable energy sources to gut social achievements and boost profits. Over the last year, the major auto giants, parts suppliers and steel corporations announced tens of thousands of job cuts. The IG Metall union responded by closing ranks with management and wealthy shareholders. At the end of January, IG Metall proposed a Moratorium for a Fair Transition, which offered to impose wage freezes on its members in exchange for a Pact for the Future. The main purpose of the proposed pact is to smother all opposition in the working class. With class conflict erupting in France, Spain and other countries, the union is seeking suppress the opposition of the working class in Germany at all costs. IG Metall officials are urging the corporations to accelerate their restructuring plans and offering its services to crush resistance. Union officials are accusing management of dragging its feet, complaining that in many plants there are still no plans to deal with the crisis, according to IG Metalls document. Therefore, the union intends to take the initiative and play the leading role in the restructuring of the metal and electronics sector. It is urgently necessary to develop a plan for the transition in every plant and begin the required restructuring, investment, and training of the workforce that will be required for the jobs of tomorrow, states IG Metall. To this end, trade union officials propose the immediate launching of talks on the Pact for the Future, during which, it said, union negotiators will avoid demanding pay increases. In exchange, IG Metall asked that during the talks, the companies adopt no one-sided decisions on job cuts, the spin-off of operations, the outsourcing of production, or plant shutdowns. The stress here is placed on the term one-sided. IG Metall is not opposed in principle to job cuts, the spinning-off of operations, outsourcing of production, or plant shutdowns. On the contrary, it deems them necessary. However, the union insists that the bloodletting be carried out with the advice and collaboration of IG Metall functionaries and works councilors. This conspiracy against the workers is to be conducted using the well-worn demagogy about fair transition and social partnership. The IG Metall bureaucrats believe they can swindle workers with these honeyed phrases, ensure labour peace in the plants and protect the corporate and financial elite from a rebellion. Concretely, the moratorium calls on the employers to commit to initiate at IG Metalls request the negotiation of future collective agreements in their companies, which contain concrete commitments to products and investments for the plants and employees, as well as the ruling out of compulsory redundancies. As the bitter experiences of workers in the steel industry, at Opel, Siemens, and many other companies demonstrates, such references to the ruling out of compulsory redundancies are worthless and only designed to lull workers to sleep. The proposals included in the Pact for the Future amount to the same methods the unions have long used to force workers to accept wage givebacks, push workers out of the plants, and compel them to take meagre early retirement packages. These include the reduction of workloads by means of working time accounts, cuts to working hours, short-time working, part-time training, and part-time work for elderly workers, as well as other measures to force workers voluntary early retirement. It is noteworthy that IG Metall wants to negotiate the pact in the companiesi.e., at plant level. This creates a mechanism to play off one plant against another and drive workers into a fratricidal struggle to save their jobs by accepting even deeper concessions than their counterparts. At the same time, IG Metall is offering the employers wage cuts. Although bargaining is only due to begin in the metal and electronics sector in mid-March, IG Metall wants to finalise upcoming collective agreements and agree on a future pact and renumeration prior to the expiration of the labour peace pledge in the current agreement, the moratorium document states. The union noted explicitly that it would not make any wage demands in the talks. Prior to talks, it declares, there is no numerical demand for how much wages should be increased, stated IG Metall. By concluding a new agreement prior to the expiration of the no-strike pledge under the current deal, IG Metall wants to avoid calling the usual one-day strikes associated with the bargaining process. Under conditions of mounting social tensions and a strike movement in France, the union fears that even these limited job actions could trigger a social explosion. To press ahead with the restructuring of the entire industry, IG Metall is ready to mobilise its 40,000 works councillors and 80,000 shop stewards, and drive a wedge between IG Metall members and the workers who have already turned their backs on the union. The Moratorium calls for a bonus for IG Metall members, which is cynically packaged in an environmentally friendly wrapping. IG Metall members should receive additional payments in the form of tickets for public transport, coupons to recharge electric vehicles, or contracts for electricity from renewable energy providers. In its pact against the workers, IG Metall is not only keen to cooperate with the companies, but also the government. The bargaining partners depend on the support of politicians to implement the future pact, states the moratorium document. IG Metall expects the federal government and parliament to adopt all measures to ensure an effective mobility and energy transition now, instead of kicking them into the long grass. The document also appeals for the swift implementation of the measures jointly presented by the bargaining partners. The union names easier access to short-time work, a lengthening of the benefit payments made to workers transitioning to short-time work to 24 months, a reduction of social insurance contributions, and an improvement to the so-called qualification opportunities law. IG Metalls determination to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the employers and German government is not merely a reaction to the crisis in the metal and electronics industry, but also a response to the resurgence of the international class struggle. The year 2019 was characterised by a series of strikes and mass protests in several countriesMexico, Chile, France, and Lebanon, to mention only a few examples. In the United States, the first nationwide strike by autoworkers in over 40 years took place while mass protests on the US territory of Puerto Rico forced the governor to resign. The trade unions see their main task as suppressing the class struggle and stabilising the bourgeois order. In the process, they are cooperating with the most reactionary forces, and urging the government to impose tariffs and other trade war measures to support German industry against its competitors. Last summer, IG Metall transported 30,000 officials to Berlin to call for a corporatist alliance with the government and major corporations under the slogan Fair transition. At the rally, IG Metall leader Jorg Hofmann advocated nationalism and trade war. New emerging economic powers are reorganising the global playing field, he said in his speech. The spheres of influence around the globe are being redrawn. This promotes trade wars and exacerbates current crises. Hofmann appealed for a strong European Union to safeguard the European market with protectionist measures. Last month, one of the most influential IG Metall works council chairmen called for trade war measures against China. Daimler works council chairman Michael Brecht stated in a industry publication that European politicians should help secure European companies against Asian oligopolies, which abuse their power, and establish a European battery producer to rival China. This course is not fundamentally different from the America first agenda pursued by Donald Trump or the nationalism of the far-right Alternative for Germany. The inevitable product of the nationalist policy is trade war and military conflict. Seventy-five years after the end of World War II and 30 years after the dissolution of the Stalinist regimes, the major powers are once again preparing to violently settle their battle over markets, raw materials, and world power, including through the use of nuclear weapons. The German government is carrying through a systematic rearmament programme to pursue its economic and strategic ambitions by military means. In this they enjoy the full support of the trade unions, which are drawing on their most reactionary traditions. During the First World War, the unions concluded a Labour Peace Pact with big capital, and the Kaiser and sent hundreds of thousands of their members to their deaths on Europes battlefields to defend the interests of German imperialism. Then, on May 1, 1933, the General German Confederation of Trade Unions marched under the swastika to signal their obedience to Hitler, who had come to power just three months earlier. However, this did not save their skins, since the Nazis stormed the trade union buildings the next day. In a globally integrated economy, workers can only defend their rights and social achievements by coordinating their struggles internationally and adopting a socialist perspective. This requires a break with the trade unions and the building of independent rank-and-file action committees. These committees must reject the dictates of the corporate and financial oligarchs and their IG Metall servants and organise a struggle against plant shutdowns, lay-offs, and social spending cuts. These committees must make contact with workers at other production sites and in other countries and organise industry-wide and cross-border strikes, mass protests and other forms of opposition. We call upon all workers who want to fight back to contact the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei and subscribe to and distribute the WSWS Autoworker Newsletter. Confirmed cases and death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak in China has continued to rise astronomical as the country recorded its highest number of deaths from the disease on Wednesday. The number of newly infected people continues to rise in Wuhan despite the quarantine and severe population control measures put in place by the government to control the spread of the disease. 24,363 cases of the disease were confirmed in China on Wednesday, as well as and 490 deaths. The deadly disease originated from Wuhan, Hubei province in China, and spread throughout the country. The Wuhan coronavirus has spread to 25 countries since the first cases were detected in central China in December. The World Health Organisation, in a press briefing on the status of the disease on Wednesday, said all hands need to be on deck to curb the spread of disease. It said while scientists are still struggling to find a cure, all countries, especially developed ones, need to join hands in stopping the spread of the disease. WHO, in the last week of January, declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. The UN agency also advised countries to improve on their health security so as to quickly capture any imported case of the disease before it enters into the country. Disease status The Director-General, WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said as of 6 a.m. Geneva time on Wednesday, there were 24,363 confirmed 2019nCoV cases in China, and 490 deaths. He said, in the last 24 hours we had the most cases in a single day since the outbreak started Meanwhile, outside China, confirmed cases are also on the rise and two deaths one from the Philippines and Hong-Kong have been recorded. Among those infected with the disease, 31 cases are of people with no travel history to China, but all are associated with close contacts of a confirmed case or of someone from Wuhan. Mr Ghebreyesus said so far, 99 of the 2019nCoV cases are in China, and 80 per cent of cases in China are from Hubei province. The relatively small number of cases outside China gives us a window of opportunity to prevent this outbreak from becoming a broader global crisis Last night, I said that some high-income countries are well behind in sharing vital case data with WHO. Im pleased to report that since then, the US has reported its cases and Japan has said it will expedite its reporting, although some other countries are still lagging behind, he said. Preparation While many countries are beginning to take precautionary measures and strengthening their health surveillance system, some health experts have raised concerns about the ability of most low and middle income countries to combat the disease. These countries mainly in Africa and Asia Nigeria inclusive have weak health care systems and referral services, making them vulnerable in disease management. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment of a disease with complexity such coronavirus is believed might be difficult to manage in these countries. While no confirmed case of the disease is yet to be reported in Africa, 13 top priority countries Nigeria inclusive have been identified. Mr Ghebreyesus said our greatest concern is about the potential for spread in countries with weaker health systems, and who lack the capacity to detect or diagnose the 2019nCoV virus. We are only as strong as the weakest link. He said the UN agency has released a total of $9 million from our own Contingency Fund for Emergencies. Advertisements WHO is sending half a million masks; 350,000 pairs of gloves; 40,000 respirators; and almost 18,000 isolation gowns from its warehouses in Dubai and Accra to 24 countries, and more countries will be added. Were sending 250,000 tests to more than 70 reference laboratories globally to facilitate faster testing. But we need to do more. Plea for funding WHO said it has launched a Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan to support countries to prevent, detect and diagnose onward transmission. Mr Ghebreyesus said the agency is requesting $675 million to fund the plan for the next three months. $675 million is a lot of money, but it is much less than the bill we will face if we do not invest in preparedness now. $60 million of that is to fund WHOs operations the rest is for the countries that are especially at risk. Once again, we cannot defeat this outbreak without solidarity political solidarity, technical solidarity and financial solidarity. We understand that people are worried and concerned and rightly so. But this is not a time for fear its a time for rational, evidence-based action and investment, while we still have a window of opportunity to bring this outbreak under control, he said. SACRAMENTO California lawmakers are rushing to streamline the process for voters to change their party registration on election day, ahead of the March primary. A bill that would let voters update their party preference or address at any point in the final two weeks before an election, until the polls close, passed both houses of the Legislature this week and was sent to the governor Thursday. The bill, SB207, would allow voters to fill out a short form to amend their registration information at their voting location or the county registrars office, rather than requiring them to re-register and take a conditional ballot. This year, for the first time, Californians will be able to conditionally register to vote on election day at any polling place in the state, and in the two weeks leading up to the March 3 election. The state tested conditional registration in 2018 and saw lines stretch for hours in some places as new voters showed up to participate in a midterm election with historic turnout. People were getting frustrated and they were leaving, said Sen. Melissa Hurtado, D-Sanger (Fresno County), who is carrying the bill. She said the new system would reduce wait times and confusion at the ballot box. A growing number of Californians are registering with no party preference, but those potential voters may lose out on the opportunity to participate in the presidential primary. Independents must request a ballot to vote in the Democratic primary and are blocked from the Republican primary. We dont want to make it harder to vote, Hurtado said. If signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, SB207 would take effect immediately, in time for the primary. A spokesman for Newsom said that as is the case with all pending legislation, when it reaches the governors desk it will be evaluated on its merits. Newsom vetoed a similar, but more expansive, proposal last year. It would have required county elections officials to send notices to registered voters before the presidential primary informing them of their party preference and the ballot they would be eligible to cast. The governor said in his veto message that he shared the intent to reduce voter confusion, but cited the cost to the state. The current version does not have an expected cost. The new bill is sponsored by Secretary of State Alex Padilla and was approved overwhelmingly in both houses of the Legislature. It received bipartisan support in the Assembly, but almost the entire Republican caucus opposed the measure in the Senate on Thursday, where it passed on a 28-9 vote without debate. Senate Republican leader Shannon Grove of Bakersfield said in a statement that the bill does not provide the necessary safeguards to ensure residents are voting in their correct districts. Alexei Koseff is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: alexei.koseff@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @akoseff (Newser) Oh, the drama: Prince Harry and his brother Prince William were at odds before Harry left England with his wife and child last monthand the royal brothers still are, People reports. "They didn't leave on good terms by any means, but they are both relieved that it's over," a family friend tells the mag. "Perhaps [Meghan and Harry] didn't think things through exactly as they could have, but they wanted to be happy. Who can blame them for that?" Seems the fraternal tensions go back to 2017, when William advised the younger Harry not to move too quickly with Meghan Markle, and Harry was none too happy. Meanwhile: story continues below Margot Robbie made a royal quip at the BAFTAs on Sunday when she accepted an award for best supporting actor winner Brad Pitt, Time reports. Robbie said Pitt would call the award "Harry" because he was "really excited about bringing it back to the States with him. His words, not mine!" The camera quickly showed Prince William and Kate Middleton at the awards, sharing a laugh. CTV News reports that Madonna is offering Harry and Meghan the chance to rent out her high-end Central Park West apartment. "Don't run off to Canada," she says. "It's so boring there." Yet an insider tells People that the pair are "enjoying the quiet life" on Vancouver Island. "This decision [to leave] had been weighing on them for a long time, and they are relieved to have it done," the source says. "A weight has been lifted off their shoulders." (Seems Harry and Meghan are seeking a home outside of Canada .) Washington: President Donald Trump was acquitted on Wednesday in his US Senate impeachment trial, saved by fellow Republicans who rallied to protect him nine months before he asks voters in a deeply divided America to give him a second White House term. The businessman-turned-politician, 73, survived only the third presidential impeachment trial in US history just like the two other impeached presidents in his turbulent presidency's darkest chapter. Trump now plunges into an election season that promises to further polarize the country. Trump was acquitted largely along party lines on two articles of impeachment approved by the Democratic-led House of Representatives on Dec. 18. The votes to convict Trump fell far short of the two-thirds majority required in the 100-seat Senate to remove him from office under the U.S. Constitution. The Senate voted 52-48 to acquit Trump of abuse of power stemming from his request that Ukraine investigate political rival Joe Biden, a contender for the Democratic nomination to face him in the Nov. 3 election. Republican Senator Mitt Romney joined the Democrats in voting to convict. No Democrat voted to acquit. The Senate then voted 53-47 to acquit him of obstruction of Congress by blocking witnesses and documents sought by the House. Romney joined the rest of the Republican senators in voting to acquit on the obstruction charge. No Democrat voted to acquit. On each of the two charges, the senators stood at their desks on the Senate floor to vote one by one, with US Chief Justice John Roberts presiding. Trump watched the Senate vote with top aides in a White House dining room that he uses as a private study, a senior administration official said. Trump said he would deliver a public statement at noon (1700 GMT) on Thursday "to discuss our Country's VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!" On Twitter, the president posted a video showing Trump campaign signs for future elections from 2024 onward ending with "Trump 4EVA." The U.S. Constitution limits a president to two elected four-year terms in office. "President Trump has been totally vindicated and it's now time to get back to the business of the American people," Trump's campaign manager, Brad Parscale, said in a statement. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other Republicans engineered a stripped-down trial with no witnesses or new evidence. Democrats called it a sham and a cover-up. Trump called the impeachment an attempted coup and a Democratic attempt to annul his 2016 election win. The acquittal handed Trump his biggest victory yet over his Democratic adversaries in Congress. Democrats vowed to press ahead with investigations - they are fighting in court for access to his financial records - and voiced hope the facts unearthed during the impeachment process about his conduct would help persuade voters to make him a one-term president. "No doubt, the president will boast he received total exoneration. But we know better. We know this wasn't a trial by any stretch of the definition," said Chuck Schumer, the top Senate Democrat. Trump's job approval ratings have remained fairly consistent throughout his presidency and the impeachment process as his core conservative supporters - especially white men, rural Americans, evangelical Christians and conservative Catholics - stick with him. The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted on Monday and Tuesday, showed 42% of American adults approved of his performance, while 54% disapproved. That was nearly the same as when the House launched its impeachment inquiry in September, when his approval stood at 43% and disapproval at 53%. Trump faces no serious challengers for his party's presidential nomination. He is poised to claim the nomination at the party's convention in August and previewed in the State of the Union address on Tuesday his campaign themes such as American renewal, economic vitality and hardline immigration policies. 'APPALLING ABUSE' Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, broke with his party to vote to convict Trump on the abuse-of-power charge. Romney called the president's actions in pressuring Ukraine to investigate Biden "grievously wrong" and said Trump was "guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust." "What he did was not 'perfect,'" Romney said on the Senate floor, as Trump has described his call with Ukraine's president that was at the heart of the scandal. "No, it was a flagrant assault on our electoral rights, our national security and our fundamental values. Corrupting an election to keep one's self in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath of office that I can imagine." Romney, a moderate and elder statesman in his party, became the first senator in U.S. history to vote to convict a member of his own party at an impeachment trial. McConnell, speaking to reporters after the vote, accused Democrats of using impeachment to try to gain an advantage in November's elections for control of the Senate, but called the effort "a colossal political mistake." He said he was "surprised and disappointed" by Romney's vote. Democrats expressed concern an acquittal would encourage a president who already challenges political norms, painting him as a threat to U.S. democracy and a demagogue who has acted lawlessly and exhibited a contempt for the powers of Congress and other institutions. They said the vision of nearly unlimited presidential power offered by Trump's legal team placed any president above the law. The trial formally began on Jan. 16. The Senate voted 51-49 last Friday to defeat the Democrats' bid to call witnesses such as Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton, with only two Republicans joining them. In the previous presidential impeachment trials, Andrew Johnson was acquitted in 1868 in the aftermath of the American Civil War and Bill Clinton was acquitted in 1999 of charges stemming from a sex scandal. Trump, now seeking a second four-year term, has been under the shadow of investigations for most of his presidency. The acquittal marked the second time in 10 months that he withstood an existential threat to his presidency. In March 2019, Special Counsel Robert Mueller found insufficient evidence that Trump engaged in a criminal conspiracy with Russia in its interference on his behalf in the 2016 election. Mueller did not exonerate Trump of obstruction of justice in seeking to impede the investigation but stopped short of concluding the president acted unlawfully. Last July 25, Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy during a phone call to "do us a favor" and open an investigation into Biden and his son Hunter Biden and into a discredited theory beneficial to Russia that Ukraine colluded with Democrats to meddle in the 2016 election to harm Trump. Hunter Biden had joined the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma while his father was US vice president. Trump accused the Bidens of corruption without offering substantiation. The Bidens denied wrongdoing. Dozens of protesters rallied at Market and Powell streets in San Francisco Wednesday afternoon to protest the acquittal of President Trump, accusing the GOP of a cover-up. Activists with community organization Indivisible SF organized the gathering to protest Trump, who was acquitted Wednesday by the Senate of both impeachment charges of abusing his power and obstruction of Congress. Indivisible activists said the gathering was part of a nationwide day of action calling for accountability in what they call a cover-up by the GOP-controlled Senate to protect Trump from removal from office. Some protesters pulled black handkerchiefs over their eyes, others pulled knitted pink caps over their heads, and chanted, Move Trump, get out the way, get out the way, Trump, get out the way, to the beat of a Ludacris song. One woman dressed in a red cape and white bonnet, the style of enslaved women in Margaret Atwoods dystopian book, The Handmaids Tale. Theresa Kaviani, of Lafayette, wore a green khaki jacket with the phrase, I do care, and you should to in white lettering a response to the jacket First Lady Melania Trump wore the day she visited a shelter for migrant children near the Texas border. I heard them reading out the verdict and I think this country has allowed our democracy to die, I really do, Kaviani said through tears, her voice breaking. I think its emotional whenever a criminal is acquitted. Paul Hazell, and his husband, Graham Cruiskshank, both 52 of Richmond, thrust handmade caricatures of US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Trump in the air and listened to speakers take turns at the microphone near the cable car turnaround, joining in on chants of, Vote him out. Hazell said the Senates decision illustrates the Republican partys denial of truth and the unwillingness to look at evidence or hear from potential witnesses in the trial. Cruiskshank said he felt a sense of responsibility to protest the acquittal on behalf of his students at Pacificas Oceana High School, whom he says have disclosed fears of being targeted by the Trump Administrations rhetoric because they are undocumented immigrants or they identify as LGBTQ. 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. Right now were left with one primary option, and that is the election, Cruiskshank said. We all have to get behind that (Democratic) candidate, even if that wasnt our first choice. We have to rally. Megan McCrea, 34, said the United States system of checks and balances failed when the Senate acquitted Trump, calling the verdict a cover-up. She joined dozens of other participants and speakers in calling for people to register to vote ahead of the November election. (Trump) is now completely emboldened to do any lawless behavior that he wants to do to try to get reelected, McCrea said. Lauren Hernandez is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: lauren.hernandez@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LaurenPorFavor A 'stolen' car with a Romanian number plate sparked this morning's evacuation of East Croydon station and saw police deploy a bomb robot to carry out a controlled explosion. Witnesses said there had been a 'loud bang' and shared images of people packed into the streets of South London this morning. One warned people to avoid the area and said the bridge next to the station was also out of use as the operation unfolds. A robot was pictured at the scene approaching a silver car in an image shared on Twitter. Pictured: Police at the scene where they carried out a controlled explosion on this car in East Croydon Pictured: Police in East Croydon this morning as they carried out a controlled explosion in South London Officers are pictured at the scene in South London where they carried out a controlled explosion this morning Pictured: The car which was the focus of a controlled explosion this morning in East Croydon, south London Pictured: East Croydon station this morning in south London as police dealt with what the Met described as a 'suspect vehicle' People are pictured near East Croydon station as police evacuated the area in south London this morning But Croydon officers tweeted later: 'Police in #Croydon dealt with a suspicious vehicle at Dingwall Road this morning. The vehicle was not suspicious, although is believed stolen. The road will remain closed for a short time while the vehicle is recovered. Local people and motorists are thanked for their patience.' One witness had told My London during the incident: 'We think something has been detonated, we just heard a loud bang.' Another said: 'Sounds like a controlled explosion just happened - very loud bang heard.' Workers in nearby offices said that they were been told to stay inside their buildings and 'away from the windows'. The Met Police confirmed that officers were at the scene dealing with a 'suspect vehicle'. A spokeswoman said: 'Police were called at 08:46hrs on Thursday, 6 February to reports of a suspicious vehicle on Dingwall Road, Croydon. Officers, including specialist officers, are on scene and cordons are in place.' Witnesses are taking to social media to share pictures from the scene, with one writing: 'Sh** going down in Croydon!!!! Robot has arrived!!!!' Another said: '#eastcroydon still closed due to suspicious abandoned vehicle nearby. Can't walk over the bridge either. Best to avoid the area.' Footage from the scene shows the police robot probing a vehicle in an empty street as offices stand guard at either end. Other clips show commuters and workers forming huge crowds in the street as the incident unfolds. Married At First Sight's Hayley Vernon has revealed the truth about her gender, after viewers speculated on Twitter that she was a 'transgender bride'. Speaking to Daily Mail Australia at Sydney Airport on Wednesday, the 32-year-old finance broker laughed off the rumours and confirmed that she was born a woman. 'I wish I could pull my pants down and lift my top up [to prove it] but I'm standing in an airport!' she said. Speaking out: Married At First Sight's Hayley Vernon (pictured) has revealed the truth about her gender, after viewers speculated on Twitter that she was a 'transgender bride' Hayley added: 'You know what, why is a strong woman with muscles and someone that does bodybuilding trans?' She went on to say that the rumours people spread say more about them than the people they are discussing. 'What Sally says about Tina, says more about Sally than it does about Tina,' she said. 'I wish I could pull my pants down to prove it': Speaking to Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday, the 32-year-old finance broker laughed off the rumours and confirmed she was born a woman Hitting back: 'You know what, why is a strong woman with muscles and someone that does bodybuilding trans?' added Hayley Last month, Hayley also slammed 'trans' rumours in a since-deleted Instagram post. After a satirical website published an article questioning her gender, she shared a screenshot of it to her Instagram Story on January 9. 'That right I have a penis - f**k I'm in tears with laughter,' she wrote. Amused: Last month, Hayley also slammed 'trans' rumours in a since-deleted Instagram post 'Was Hayley born a man and changed to a woman?' Since first appearing in MAFS trailers last month, viewers have questioned Hayley's gender because of her muscular physique Since first appearing in MAFS trailers last month, viewers have questioned Hayley's gender because of her muscular physique. During Wednesday's episode, she admitted that bodybuilding and strength training had helped her overcome an addiction to crystal meth. 'It gave me direction, it gave me purpose and it gave me focus. And slowly, the pieces of the puzzle and people I love came back into my life,' she added. Married At First Sight continues Thursday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine 'It gave me direction': During Wednesday's episode, she admitted that bodybuilding and strength training had helped her overcome an addiction to crystal meth Hong Kong health workers strike Tyrone Siu/Reuters The first coronavirus death in Hong Kong has prompted thousands of hospital employees to go on strike. The man who died infected his 72-year-old mother, marking Hong Kong's first human-to-human transmission of the illness. Health workers do not believe that a partial closure of Hong Kong's border with mainland China is enough to stop the spread of the deadly virus, which has affected more than 24,000 people worldwide. Chief Executive Carrie Lam said that her government "[agrees] with them on the need to reduce the cross-border flow but at this critical juncture, I could not agree with the use of extreme means." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The first coronavirus death in Hong Kong prompted thousands of hospital employees to walk off the job on Tuesday, the second day of a country-wide health worker strike. The strikers are lobbying for the full closure of the semi-autonomous territory's border with mainland China, where the National Health Commission has reported 24,300-plus cases of coronavirus and nearly 500 deaths. So far, Hong Kong has seen 17 cases seven of them among mainland China residents and the death of one man. The 39-year-old visited Wuhan the day before it was put on lockdown and effectively cut off from the rest of China, Al Jazeera reported. The man then boarded a high-speed train from Changsha to Hong Kong. Local officials told Al Jazeera that the man, who was diabetic, declined rapidly overnight on Monday. An autopsy has been ordered so they can pinpoint what caused his death. The man's mother, 72, contracted the coronavirus from him and is hospitalized in stable condition. This case also marks Hong Kong's first human-to-human transmission of the deadly virus, the Post reported. Other family members have been quarantined. News of the man's death has shaken the close-knit community where he lived. Several relatives lived only three floors below his apartment, Al Jazeera found.' Story continues 'Putting politics above public health' On Monday night, authorities in Hong Kong blocked all but three border crossing points with mainland China and restricted ferry services from Macau. Hong Kong International Airport, the Shenzhen Bay joint checkpoint, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge are currently the only ways in and out of Hong Kong, according to the South China Morning Post. But the public is keen on a total closure. "I think [Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam] understood what the people are asking for yet she's reacting much slower than the infection rate of the virus," a Hong Kong woman, who identified herself only as Karen, told Business Insider. "Not closing the border will only put higher [levels] of stress on the inadequate resources and manpower to treat local patients [and] patients from mainland China." carrie lam hong kong protests Anthony Kwan/Getty Images Seventy-eight percent of 20,000 people surveyed by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute support a full border closure, while 75% said they were unhappy with how the government had handled the coronavirus outbreak and 61% offered their support to the striking public health workers, viewing it a way to put pressure on the government, according to poll results. At a media conference on Tuesday, Lam announced the suspension of high-speed rail and ferry services between Hong Kong and China, the Atlantic reported. The number of flights to mainland China has also been slashed in half and the government is no longer issuing personal travel permits to mainland residents who want to enter Hong Kong. Lam told reporters, however, that she "certainly would not agree with the allegation that we are not addressing this public health concern adequately. Certainly, I do not agree with the allegation that we are putting politics above public health," Al Jazeera said. The Post reported that Lam has also doubled down on the claim that many people from Hong Kong need to cross the border and that it would be unfair to entirely block access from the mainland. "When it comes to infection control, when it comes to a virus, there is no boundary, so you cannot differentiate that people of a certain race, of a certain nationality ... are more prone to infection than other people, we have to treat them equally," she said. Protecting Hong Kong from becoming 'another Wuhan' But Winnie Yu, chairperson of the Hospital Authority Employees' Alliance, a newly-minted labor union that represents an estimated 9,000 employees out of Hong Kong's Hospital Authority's 67,000 staff members, disagrees with Lam. Sixty percent of the 11, 715 visitors who came to Hong Kong from mainland China on Sunday entered through the three border points that are currently open, according to RTHK, a local media group that cited data from Hong Kong's Immigration Department. "There is still a chance to save Hong Kong from the destiny of turning into another Wuhan, being cut off from the world, patients turned away from fully occupied hospitals, and healthcare staff crumbling under the severe pressure," Yu said, according to medical journal BMJ. Around 2,700 people missed work on Monday. The fact that almost 1,200 doctors and nurses were on strike forced cancer treatments and angioplasty surgeries to be postponed, the Post said. That number ballooned to over 7,000 on Tuesday, Al Jazeera reported. Health care worker in Hong Kong Tyrone Siu/Reuters "The measure provided by the Hong Kong government won't work because it is not a complete shutdown of the border," Yu said at a media conference, RTHK reported. "The Wuhan pneumonia carrier may still be able to come into Hong Kong with these measures." On Tuesday, the Hospital Authority said that the strike had made a severe dent in the available emergency services, and asked people with mild illnesses to use private hospitals or clinics rather than public hospitals, according to the BMJ. Despite the knowledge that Hong Kong's medical care will be affected by the healthcare workers' strike and some hospitals might need to shut down entire wards, Yu said the group is receiving "tremendous" support from patients. "A semi-blockage is just as good as none," Yu said, per the BMJ, adding: "[Carrie Lam's] measures are not going to stop the disease from being introduced to Hong Kong." 'The use of extreme means' Ivan Law, the Alliance's vice chairman, also expressed fears that Lam's plan to quarantine everyone who enters the territory from mainland China even local residents from Saturday could trigger an influx of people rushing across the border ahead of the deadline, which could overwhelm medical staff and further spread the virus, RTHK said. Karen echoed the sentiment, saying that this move would have been much more effective had it been implemented during the surge in travel for the Lunar New Year. Meanwhile, Lam made an attempt to assuage strikers' concerns, the Post reported. "I completely understand that medical professionals have been on the forefront, I respect them, and we will do our utmost to supply them with protective gear," she said. "We agree with them on the need to reduce the cross-border flow but at this critical juncture, I could not agree with the use of extreme means." Hong Kong medical workers strike Tyrone Siu/Reuters Many feel Hong Kong hasn't fully been able to put its experience with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) behind it, which may be lending itself to the territory's reaction to the coronavirus. The SARS outbreak originated in China in November 2002, and by August 2003, had affected 8,422 people and killed 916, across 29 countries and three regions, according to a study by the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Because the world was kept in the dark about the seriousness of the outbreak in Guangdong, Hong Kong was caught unprepared when SARS first appeared in the territory via an elderly medical doctor from Guangzhou who had been treating 'atypical pneumonia' patients," the study said. All told, the disease killed 299 people in Hong Kong and triggered an economic slowdown. Read more: The Wuhan coronavirus has killed nearly 500 people and infected more than 24,000. Here's everything we know about the outbreak. A man in the Philippines has become the first person to die of the Wuhan coronavirus outside of China Scientists have published over 50 studies on Wuhan coronavirus in the last 3 weeks. They learned that 75,800 people in Wuhan could be infected. Read the original article on Business Insider Investors in travel firm On the Beach will have to wait until the second half of the financial year before seeing the full payoff from its massive push to win market share from Thomas Cook. The online booking company, which specialises in beach destinations, said its rivals collapse had given it an unprecedented opportunity to take a bigger piece of the market. Bosses more than doubled the amount they spend on offline marketing, but expect that part of the hoped-for payoff will not come until later this year. Chief executive Simon Cooper said: The actions we have taken in the first four months of the new financial year have accelerated our market share gain and mean we are well prepared to take advantage of capacity returning into the market. Incremental investment into offline marketing activity is helping to drive significant growth in awarenessSimon Cooper, chief executive Our incremental investment into offline marketing activity is helping to drive significant growth in awareness of the brand nationally. On the Beach leapt at the chance that it had when Thomas Cook collapsed. The 178-year-old business flew its last passengers last year, partly after it failed to keep up with the sectors move online. But the failure has also pushed up prices across the industry as passengers compete for fewer available seats. Mr Cooper and his team do not expect prices to return to normal until the next financial year at the earliest, they said. Nor are rising prices helped by the grounding of Boeings 737 Max aeroplanes. Airlines across the world were forced to temporarily retire their versions of the plane last year after the model was involved in two crashes. Boeing is still cautioning that it will take time to get the planes off the tarmac and back up into the air. Earlier this week Ryanair said it was delaying it aim to carry 200 million people every year because of the delays in delivering its new 737 Max planes. It does not expect them to be delivered until September or October, the budget carrier said. Photo: The Canadian Press Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne Canadians are being encouraged to leave China while they still can as the federal government and counterparts around the world struggle to evacuate citizens from the centre of the novel coronavirus outbreak and prevent further spread of the disease. Federal cabinet ministers issued the call for all Canadians on non-essential business to leave China on Wednesday as the government's first attempt at evacuating about 200 people from the Chinese city of Wuhan hit a snag due to bad weather. The federal government was also facing questions over how it planned to get other Canadians out of the quarantined city, even as it announced having secured several dozen additional seats on board a U.S.-chartered aircraft. And government officials were reaching out to 251 Canadians stranded on a cruise ship in Japan. The Japanese government quarantined the vessel after a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus, known as 2019-nCoV, was discovered on board. "We have our mission in Tokyo, which has been in touch with the Canadians passengers to offer them consular assistance," Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said. "And we will look to the cruise line, in this case, to repatriate those Canadians when the quarantine ... is finished." Nearly 500 people have died and tens of thousands have been infected, the vast majority in China but increasingly outside the country as well, since the outbreak in Wuhan was first reported to the World Health Organization in December. In response to the outbreak, the Chinese government has imposed the world's largest-known quarantine, locking down Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, and the surrounding Hubei province. Major airlines have also started to suspend flights to and from China. It was in that context that Champagne and federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu issued separate calls for Canadians who could to leave China on commercial flights while they remain available. "Those kinds of things raise some concerns about the ability for Canadians to be able to return in a timely fashion," Hajdu said. "The message to Canadians is: listen, should you not have to be in China, it would be best to come back on a commercial flight." The encouragement came as a government-charted flight that was set to take 211 Canadians from Wuhan early Thursday morning local time was delayed. Crosswinds kept the plane from leaving Vietnam in time to make the narrow period China has allowed each day for evacuations. "We've missed the window by about four hours due to winds," said Champagne, who revealed that 373 Canadians had asked the government for help getting out of Wuhan a number that has continued to grow since the outbreak started. "The Chinese authorities to my knowledge have not allowed any country to evacuate their people in the daytime because they're using the airspace in the daytime to bring food and medical supplies. So all of this happens in the nighttime." The airplane will now leave Thursday night local time, 21 hours later than anticipated. The residence of the lead counsel for the Hindu parties in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case, K Parasaran, will be used as the office of the trust set up to construct a Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya. The office of the newly-formed Ram Temple trust will be set up at the house of two-time Attorney General of India and the lead counsel for the Hindu parties in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title dispute case K Parasaran. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, announced the formation of the trust which goes by the name Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra. The notification issued by the Ministryof Home Affairs mentions, "...a Trust by the name 'Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra' has been registered with its registered office at R-20, Greater Kailash Part -1, New Delhi, 110048." According to the website of Supreme Court Bar Association, this is the residential address of Parasaran. Parasaran, as the lead counsel for the Hindu parties in one of the longest running land dispute cases, successfully argued for the possession of the entire disputed land in the case heard by the Supreme Court. The apex court ruled in favour of the deity "Ram Lalla Virajman" on 9 November 2019. During the hearing, the 92-year-old senior lawyer had told the apex court that it must do "full and complete justice" in all matters and added that his last wish was to finish the Ayodhya case. K Parasaran former Attorney General of India and an erudite Hindu scholar Described as the pitamaha of the Indian Bar Association, Parasaran is an erudite Hindu scholar and often has quoted from the Hindu scriptures in his arguments in the Ayodhya case. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government in 2003 and the Padma Vibhushan, the civillian honour that is second only to the Bharat Ratna, by the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government in 2011. He was then nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 2012. Born in Tamil Nadu's Srirangam in 1927, he comes from a family of lawyers. His father Kesava Aiyengar was a lawyer and a Vedic scholar who practiced at the Madras High Court and the Supreme Court. Now, Parasaran's three sons, Mohan, Satish and Balaji, are also lawyers. Parasaran started practising in the Supreme Court in 1958. During the Emergency, Parasaran was the Advocate General of Tamil Nadu and was then appointed as the Solicitor General of India in 1980. He served as Attorney General of India from 1983 to 1989. A report by News18 said, "Assisted by a team of young associates, it was Parasaran's spiritual relationship he felt with Ram that kept the nonagenarian lawyer going. He worked on each and every aspect of the case before the hearing began every day at 10.30 am and after the day wrapped up at 4 pm or 5 pm." Earlier on Wednesday, the MHA notification also said that the Uttar Pradesh government had already issued the allotment letter of a five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board, one of the Muslim parties to the case, for construction of a mosque, as directed by the Supreme Court. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday morning told the Lok Sabha that the Union Cabinet had given its approval for the constitution of a trust for the construction of the Ram temple. Making a statement in the Lower House soon after the meeting of the Union Cabinet, Modi said, "We have readied a scheme for the development of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. A trust has been formed, it is called 'Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teertha Kshetra'. I salute the 130 crore people of India," he said. Seeking to emphasise the importance of the announcement, Modi repeated twice "Aayee Aayee" (Come come) before urging all members to support in one voice the construction of the Ram Temple, amid "Jai Shri Ram" slogans from treasury benches. The Supreme Court earlier had directed the government to form the trust within three months with 9 February as the deadline. Home Minister Amit Shah said the trust will have 15 members, including one from the Dalit community. With inputs from agencies The President issued the instruction on February 4th following a ban on travel to and from China to curb the spread of the virus. Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Photo: AFP/VNA) Indonesia has also temporarily suspended the granting of visas to Chinese citizens. The same day, trade minister Agus Suparmanto announced a temporary ban on the import of live animal from China, which took effect immediately and will last until the nCoV is contained. President Jokowi said the travel ban and import suspension is necessary to protect Indonesians from the virus. According to him, the move can also create opportunities for domestic industries to produce goods to replace imports and export to other countries. Last year, Indonesia imported 44.5 billion USD worth of non-oil products from China, nearly 30 percent of all its imports. In the first 11 months of 2019, the country received 1.9 million Chinese tourists, accounting for nearly 13 percent of total foreign visitors to the island country. Meanwhile, Xinhua news agency reported on February 5th that Malaysia has had the first recovered nCoV patient. The Malaysian Health Ministry announced on late February 4th that a four-year-old Chinese girl, one of the 10 confirmed cases in the country, has fully recovered and will be allowed to return home to China./. New Delhi, Feb 6 : Amid the ongoing protest at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act, people from all religions offered prayers here on Thursday. The event was aimed to end the atmosphere of "fear and violence" that is prevailing in the country and to send out a message of communal solidarity. People from all religions -- Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism and Christianity -- participated in the event. We are united against those who are trying to divide the country, people said. Image Source: IANS News Sultan Sheikh, a Muslim, was dressed as a Sikh man. "Our Prime Minister talks about recognising someone from the attire. I want him to recognise to which religion I belong," he said, adding that don't try to divide our country. We are united and will live together. Sant Yuvraj, a follower of Hinduism, said: "We are doing this for the unity and solidarity of the country. All religions are united here. No one should consider Shaheen Bagh as a demonstration of Muslims. Sikh people are chanting Gurbani here while Christians are reading Bible along with Muslims who are reading 'aayats' from Quran and I am performing a 'havan' as a Hindu sant. Even this 'havan' has been organised by all the people irrespective of their religion". Image Source: IANS News Alexander Fleming, a Christian, said: "This event doesn't belong to any political party, and the Citizenship Amendment Act introduced by the government is against the Muslims". -- Syndicated from IANS *8 p.m. update* Friday's burst of high winds sent trees crashing down, left tens of thousands without power, disrupted travel and caused some schools to close across central Virginia. An area of low pressure that soaked the region on Thursday strengthened as it swirled off to the Northeast, causing high winds to rush through the state beginning during the morning rush hour and lasting through the afternoon. Gusts ranging from 40 to 60 mph caused numerous trees and branches to fall on roads and power lines. At the peak of the power outages, 36,401 Dominion Energy customers through metro Richmond and the Tri-Cities were in the dark at 9:36 a.m. Statewide, outages affected approximately 120,000 Dominion customers, but half of those had been restored by 5 p.m., according to a spokesperson. Several thousand Rappahannock Electric Cooperative customers were also in the dark throughout the day. The National Weather Service said a tornado touched down in the town of Leesburg in Loudoun County about 7:20 a.m. Friday, damaging several homes and uprooting trees. The tornado, rated EF0, had an estimated maximum wind speed of 85 mph. The weather service was investigating whether other tornadoes touched down in Maryland. In Chesterfield County, a tree fell onto southbound Interstate 95 at exit 62 around 8:20 a.m., which resulted in a three-vehicle crash. Three people were sent to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Lt. Jason Elmore of Chesterfield Fire and EMS. On Interstate 295, a tractor-trailer overturned across the southbound travel lanes of the Varina Enon Bridge at 11:14 a.m. The driver was unhurt after a strong gust caused the empty trailer to lose control. The crash remains under investigation, according to Virginia State Police. A wind sensor on the bridge, 159 feet above the ground, clocked a gust of 65 mph near the time of the crash. Wind speeds are usually stronger over water or on surfaces high above the ground, because there's less friction from the Earth's surface to slow the air. The crash and ongoing high winds prompted the Virginia Department of Transportation to close both the Varina Enon Bridge and the Benjamin Harrison Bridge until sustained winds fell below 34 mph. Several dozen roads in the Richmond region were closed on Friday due to high water, debris, fallen trees and power lines, according to VDOT. Richmond International Airport registered a peak gust of 56 mph at 8:47 a.m., but sustained winds hovered between 24 and 32 mph through the day. The airport saw delays and 17 cancellations on Friday, mainly related to the storm's wider effects from Charlotte to Boston. One arriving flight had to divert to Norfolk during the strongest period of winds in the morning. Hanover County Public Schools closed early and canceled after-school activities due to outages that affected half of the district's schools. Issues with power also affected some campuses of Henrico County Public Schools and Chesterfield County Public Schools. Winds will be much lighter on Saturday, but seasonably cold air will return and bring a low in the lower 30s and a high in the upper 40s despite sunny skies. More showers are in the forecast for next week. The James River is expected to rise above its 12-foot minor flood stage at the Westham gauge between early Saturday morning and Sunday evening, cresting at 14.1 feet on Saturday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service's forecast from Friday afternoon. The City Locks gauge is predicted to crest at 9.1 feet early Sunday, about 1 foot above minor flood stage. The storm's total rainfall for Richmond was 1.95 inches between Wednesday and Friday morning. Daily precipitation records were not set. Amounts generally varied from 1.5 to 2.5 inches in the Richmond region. Statewide, (this also is for Wednesday through Friday morning) up to 5 inches of rain fell in Patrick County and in the far southwestern corner from Wise County to Cumberland Gap. Friday's highest reported wind gust in the state was 73 mph at an offshore weather station between Norfolk and Hampton. *2:15 p.m. update* Here's a look at some peak wind gusts so far today around the region, according to the National Weather Service in Wakefield. Lewisetta: 64 mph Williamsburg: 59 mph Richmond Int'l Airport: 56 mph Crewe: 51 mph Wakefield: 51 mph Petersburg: 48 mph Emporia: 48 mph West Point: 47 mph Tappahannock: 45 mph Midlothian: 44 mph As of 2 p.m., Dominion Energy reported 20,831 customer outages in metro Richmond and the Tri-Cities, a number which continues to decline from a peak of about 39,000 around 9 a.m. *11:45 a.m. update* The very strongest winds may be over, but it will still be a breezy and occasionally gusty Friday across the region. After peak gusts of 56 mph during the 8 a.m. hour, Richmond International Airport reported gusts to 43 mph by 11 a.m. with sustained winds from the west at 29 mph. At 11:30 a.m., the number of outages in metro Richmond and the Tri-Cities had decreased to 28,584, according to Dominion Energy. *10:55 a.m. update* According to Dominion Energy's outage map, approximately 32,000 customers were without power in metro Richmond and the Tri-Cities as of 10:45 a.m., down from 39,000 at 9 a.m. Rappahannock Electric Cooperative's site showed 7,643 customer outages. Winds for the rest of the day will likely be lower than the 56 mph gusts that hit the area during the 8 a.m. hour, but a wind advisory remains in effect until 4 p.m. Occasional gusts to 50 mph could lead to more outages and tree damage. Read more about how the wind is affecting local schools here. *9:05 a.m. update* According to Dominion Energy's outage map, approximately 39,000 customers were without power in metro Richmond and the Tri-Cities as of 9 a.m., up from about 31,000 at 8:45 a.m. So far, the National Weather Service in Wakefield reported that Richmond International Airport experienced a peak gust of 56 mph at 8:54 a.m. A wind advisory remains in effect until 4 p.m. across central Virginia, with gusts to 50 mph possible through the rest of the morning and afternoon. This could lead to even more outages and tree damage. According to NWS Wakefield: "Given that this is expected to be an unusually strong wind event, and soil is saturated from multiple inches of soaking rain during the past 48 hours, scattered to numerous uprooted trees may result." *Friday 8 a.m. update* The flood advisory is over for central Virginia, but a wind advisory is now in place throughout this morning and afternoon. As of 8 a.m., fast-moving showers and storms approaching metro Richmond from the west could bring gusts to 50 mph and a few rumbles of thunder. The rain will be locally heavy but brief compared with yesterday's all-day soaking. Even after the rain departs this morning, windy conditions will continue with some gusts to 45 mph from the west and southwest. This could lead to scattered trees and branches down, plus power outages. *Thursday evening update* Thursday was a thoroughly soaking day for metro Richmond, but the area avoided the major flash flooding and severe storms that struck other parts of the state and led Gov. Ralph Northam to declare a state of emergency. The declaration allows the state to start positioning people, resources and equipment to help respond to the storm and its aftermath. This weather is potentially dangerous, and rivers and streams can reach flood stage hours after the rain has passed, Northam said in a news release. I urge all Virginians to monitor forecasts and be prepared to obey local evacuation orders if needed. We are grateful to first responders who are working to rescue people from flooded homes and keep citizens safe. A flood watch remains in effect until 7 a.m. Friday for central Virginia. *** Southwest Va. hit hardest by Thursday's floods In Tazewell County in Southwest Virginia, 3 inches of rain was all it took to cause the Clinch River to rapidly escape its banks and invade streets and homes in the town of Richlands on Thursday morning. By Thursday evening, more than 500 residents in and around Richlands had been displaced and needed to be rescued from their homes, according to the governors office. The National Weather Service escalated the flash flood warning for Tazewell to a rare flash flood emergency, while local emergency management called for residents to evacuate and stay away from the high water. The Bristol Herald Courier and the Virginia Department of Transportation reported numerous road closures across the states southwestern region due to flooding or mudslides. Scattered reports of water-covered roads also came from Danville and South Boston after that area saw rainfall rates of 2 inches per hour in the late morning hours. *** Severe weather stayed south of Richmond Chilly 40s held tough over Richmond through waves of rain, which busted the prediction for afternoon warmth but spared the area from dealing with any strong thunderstorms. To the south and southeast, springlike 70s fueled severe weather from the Florida Panhandle to Hampton Roads. A tornado watch was in effect for far southern Virginia during the afternoon but resulted in no tornado warnings or sightings in the state. Approximately 13,000 Dominion Energy customers in southeastern Virginia experienced outages following severe thunderstorm gusts to 60 mph. *** James River to rise this weekend As of Friday morning, predictions for the weekend flooding of the James River continue to inch lower. At Richmonds Westham gauge, a crest of 13 feet is expected on Saturday afternoon by the National Weather Service 1 foot above minor flood stage. Downstream, the City Locks gauge is predicted to crest at 7.7 feet on Saturday evening, just below its 8-foot minor flood stage. This will be lower than the flood of Feb. 25, 2019, when the Westham gauge peaked at 16.22 feet and City Locks hit 13 feet. Elsewhere in the region, minor flooding is also expected along the following rivers: the Rivanna at Palmyra; the Appomattox at Farmville; the Roanoke at Randolph; the Dan at South Boston; the Meherrin near Lawrenceville; and the Nottoway near Sebrell. *** Forecast: clearing but windy Friday Rain showers will taper on Friday morning as low pressure quickly exits the region. Gusts could reach 45 mph in central and eastern Virginia on Friday, which might be strong enough to loosen some weaker trees from the saturated ground. Saturday will be calmer and drier, but seasonably cold. Light rain could briefly return to the area Saturday night, with more showers and mild temperatures in the forecast across much of next week. *** A heavy rain by February standards By 8 p.m. Thursday, storm totals in metro Richmond ranged 1.2 to 2.2 inches, with additional amounts of 0.5 to 1 inch expected to fall during the rest of the night. For perspective, Richmond averages 2.76 inches of precipitation during February. It's often one of the drier months, but there have been exceptions. The daily rainfall records are: Feb. 6 - 2.17 inches in 1896. Feb. 7 - 1.37 inches in 1971. Richmond's all-time wettest February day was Feb. 3, 1920 at 2.65 inches. It's very rare for Richmond to have a three-day precipitation total in excess of 3 inches during February. It's happened three times since the 1880s: 4.78 inches ending Feb. 5, 1920. 4.48 inches ending Feb. 25, 1979. And 3.27 inches ending Feb. 18, 1889. That 1979 soaker caused both flash flooding and significant river flooding, though it was boosted by melting snow from a winter storm that hit a week earlier. Hundreds of people, including women and children, have been protesting since 15 December at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens New Delhi: Senior officials of the Election Commission and the Delhi Police on Wednesday inspected the Shaheen Bagh area, the site of anti-CAA protests for over 50 days, and encouraged protesters to vote in the assembly polls due on 8 February, officials said. The Delhi poll body has put all five polling stations in the Shaheen Bagh area under the "critical" category. "Special expenditure observer and special observer police, along with senior police officials, inspected the area for over an hour. We spoke to some of the protesters and they said they would participate in the elections," Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Devesh Srivastava said. The protesters said they will help the authorities in conducting peaceful polls in the national capital, police said. Shaheen Bagh, Khureji Khas, and Hauz Rani are some of the sites in the city where protesters are opposing the amended Citizenship law. Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence) Praveer Ranjan said a briefing led by Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Devesh Srivastava was held on Wednesday morning to assess the situation in Shaheen Bagh ahead of the poll on 8 February. "Recently, I had visited the area along with the Delhi CEO, and we had taken stock of the situation. There may have been some firing incidents in the last few days, but anti-CAA protests are happening in many other parts of Delhi, but no untoward incidents have been reported from those areas," he told reporters. "During our visit to Shaheen Bagh on Friday, we had tried to feel the pulse of people and I don't see any reason for concern. We are hopeful people will step out and vote on the polling day without any fear," said Ranjan, also a nodal officer of the Delhi Police for the assembly elections. In view of the ongoing anti-CAA protests in Shaheen Bagh, the Delhi poll body has put all five polling stations in the area under the "critical" category, its top official said on Wednesday, while asserting that confidence-building measures are being undertaken to reassure voters. Delhi CEO Ranbir Singh also said that no complaint has been received from local people of Shaheen Bagh about any safety issue they feel would be on the polling day. Hundreds of people, including women and children, have been protesting since 15 December at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens. The elections to the 70-member Delhi Assembly will take place on 8 February and results will be declared on 11 February. Campaigning for the Delhi Assembly Election 2020 ended at 5 pm on Thursday (February 6) with the senior leaders of the BJP, AAP and the Congress taking to the roads on Thursday to seek votes for their respective parties. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal held his Vijay Sankalp Yatra roadshow in some areas of South Delhi, while Union Home Minister Amit Shah conducted roadshows in North East Delhi and West Delhi. BJPs national president J P Nadda held roadshows in West and North West Delhi. During the campaigning, the AAP tried to woo the voters by highlighting the works done by the AAP government in Delhi in the last five years. With the slogan, Achhe beetay 5 saal, lage raho Kejriwal', the AAP leaders kept on talking about the work done by Delhi CM Kejriwal in the field of utilities, health and education. "The time for campaigning has come to an end. I am proud of each Aam Aadmi Party worker and supporter who helped carry out a an ideal election campaign, winning people's hearts. God always supports those who do work on the path of truth. I am confident that on February 8, people will vote for those who have worked," said Delhi CM Kejriwal. The BJP's campaign was led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and several top leaders of the BJP including Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed rallies in different parts of the city to woo the voters. The BJP's campaign was focused on nationalism and the steps taken by PM Modi for the development of the country, including abrogation of Article 370 and the Citizenship Amendment Act. "During the election, I got a chance to interact with the people of Delhi. Delhi is tired of false promises, appeasement, and anarchy, and all it wants now is growth. The support shown to the BJP in Delhi shows that it will form the government on February 11, winning over 45 seats," tweeted Amit Shah. The Congress, which remained in power in Delhi from 1998 to 2013 with Sheila Dikshit as the Chief Minister, launched its election campaign quite late and the party remained focused on highlighting the development work that happened during the tenure of late chief minister. For the Congress, its interim president Sonia Gandhi did not campaign due to ill-health and former president Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka only campaigned for a couple of days. The polling for Delhi Assembly election 2020 is scheduled to take place on February 8 (Saturday) and the counting will take place on February 11. Workers continue to prepare beds at Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center in Wuhan, China on Feb. 4, 2020. (Getty Images) More Chinese Cities Announce Lockdown to Stem Coronavirus Outbreak, as Wuhan Sets up Makeshift Hospitals Hangzhou, Nanjing, Zhengzhou, and several other major Chinese cities announced new rules on Feb. 4 to enact partial lockdowns, while newly-opened quarantine centers in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, drew widespread concern for its lack of protection from cross-contamination. Lockdown Zhengzhou City is the capital of Chinas central Henan Province, with a population of 10.12 million as of 2018. Henan lies north of Hubei Province where many Henan residents work. On Feb. 4, the Zhengzhou city government published the latest regulations to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus. The No. 9 rule requested all government departments, state-run companies, residential areas, and villages to close all their gates, but to leave an emergency passageway to allow people to enter and leave the premises. The passageway is guarded by security personnel. Anyone who wants to leave or enter the residential area must fill out a form and have their body temperature scanned. Visitors are not allowed to enter any residential areas or villages. Even a delivery worker can only drop off a package at a designated checkpoint and cannot have direct contact with the recipient. Later that day, the Nanjing city government published its own regulations. Nanjing is the capital city of eastern Jiangsu Province with a population of 8.335 million. Nanjing published the same rules that Zhengzhou enforced. But in addition, all stores, pharmacies, markets, supermarkets, and public areas within all residential areas will be closed; construction projects will be suspended. Any resident who has traveled to the cities where coronavirus cases are confirmed must be quarantined at home for 14 days, and their body temperature must be checked twice a day. On the same day, local officials in Hangzhou City implemented ten rules to all residents. Hangzhou is the capital city of Zhejiang Province and has a population of 9.8 million. Zhejiang is the southern neighbor of Jiangsu Province and Shanghai. In addition to the same rules that Nanjing and Zhengzhou rolled out, Hangzhou also prohibits large gatherings, such as wedding ceremonies, to prevent the spread of the virus. Other cities in Zhejiang Province, including Wenzhou, Ningbo, and Taizhou, launched more restrictive bans on their residents, such as only allowing one person per household to leave the house and run errands. Although Zhejiang is far away from Hubei, a large number of its residents do business in Wuhan and other Hubei cities. Many Chinese cities have launched similar forms of quarantine. For example, in the most northern Heilongjiang Province, its capital city Harbin closed all residential areas on Feb. 4. Linyi City in eastern Shandong Province launched the same rule on the same day. In total, at least 38 cities in Guangxi, Fujian, Jiangxi, Henan, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Shandong, Heilongjiang, Yunnan, Chongqing, Ningxia, and Hubei provinces have launched restrictions on peoples travel by Feb. 4. A medical staff member showing a test tube after taking samples taken from a person to be tested for the new coronavirus at a quarantine zone in Wuhan, China on Feb. 4, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Wuhan Quarantine Centers Wuhan City opened three quarantine centers on Feb. 4 to accommodate the need of tens of thousands of people who couldnt receive hospital treatment. The three quarantine centers are makeshift quarters built inside the Hongshan Stadium, Wuhan Parlor Exhibition Center, and Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center. According to the provincial government-run media Changjiang Daily, any person who has mild symptoms or is suspected to be infected with the coronavirus must go to one of these three centers to get treatment. There are 2,000 beds in Wuhan Parlor Exhibition Center, 1,000 in Wuhan International Conference & Exhibition Center, and 400 beds in Hongshan Stadium. From the photos and videos state-run media released or netizen shared, all the beds are arranged one by one without physical barriers. About ten to twenty beds are walled off by a board about 7 feet high. Despite the boards, there are no curtains around each bed, and all patients are held in an open space. Concerns about cross-infection became a hot topic in Chinese media on Feb. 4. Jiang Mengrong, a medical expert from Chinas National Health Commission, told state broadcaster CCTV: Patients who live there only have mild symptoms, and doctors will make sure they wont cross-contaminate. But on Weibo, a Twitter-like Chinese social media, Chinese netizens criticized Jiangs statement and expressed their concerns about the makeshift hospitals. They even complained that official experts are not forthcoming with their information. On social media, some netizens shared a video and claimed that health authorities are forcing suspected patients to go to the makeshift hospitals. The Epoch Times could not independently verify this information. In the video, five men dressed in protective suits forced a man into an ambulance. The Wuhan government first reported the virus outbreak on Dec. 31, 2019. It has since spread to all Chinese regions and provinces as well as dozens of countries. WASHINGTON Puppies and veterans. Combine them, and you have a bill that both Democrats and Republicans in an often polarized U.S. House cant oppose. When its vets and puppies, its not the hardest sell Ive had in the House, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11th Dist., a Navy veteran who co-sponsored the measure and then helped round up votes, told NJ Advance Media. The legislation would teach military veterans who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and could benefit from service dogs how to train the animals, and then allow them to adopt them. It passed the House by a voice vote Wednesday. As veterans, were very mission-focused, Sherrill said. The bills main sponsor was Rep. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, who brought Vietnam veteran Walter Parker and service dog Jackson to Tuesdays State of the Union address. Parker suffers from PTSD. Stivers, a brigadier general in the Ohio National Guard, saw military service in Iraq. A soldier under my command during Operation Iraqi Freedom recently told me what his service dog means to him: he was able to fly on a plane for the first time in 10 years and he took his fiancee to dinner," Stivers said. "That is the impact this bill can have on the lives of our veterans. Stivers said that having therapy dogs can help reduce the number of veterans suicides, which he said numbered 20 a day, and Sherrill said such animals can help reduce a vets need for medication. So Stivers and Sherrill went about getting enough sponsors to force a vote under to a new rule championed by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th Dist. That guaranteed a floor vote on any bill with at least 290 lawmakers in support, even if leadership opposed it. They didnt have to invoke the new rule as House Democratic leaders agreed to bring the measure up for vote. To enlist co-sponsors,Sherrill approached her fellow Democrats with a card featuring a picture of a Golden Retriever puppy. This is a bill that will really help out our veterans. Its something we really owe to them, Sherrill said she told her colleagues. "I didnt have to say much more than that. The legislation is known as the Puppies Assisting Wounded Service Members (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act. 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. Megachurch pastor John Ortberg allowed volunteer attracted to minors to work with children, church reveals Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment John Ortberg, senior pastor of the nearly 4,000-member Menlo Church in Menlo Park, California, exhibited poor judgment when he knowingly allowed a volunteer who confessed to having an attraction to minors to work with children, church elders said. Ortberg is now undergoing a period of restoration. In an email that was sent to church members on Jan. 21 and shared with The Christian Post by the church, Beth Seabolt, chair of the congregations elder board, said Ortberg was asked to go on personal leave from the church on Nov. 22, 2019, while an investigation of concerns raised by a third party was conducted. In July of 2018, a person serving in the Menlo Church community came to John and shared in confidence an unwanted thought pattern of attraction to minors. The person assured to Johns satisfaction that the person had not acted on the attraction and sought Johns support. John believed the person and provided prayers and referrals for counseling, Seabolt said in the email. Despite the confession, however, Ortberg failed to take the required steps to prevent the person from volunteering with minors at the Menlo Park campus and did not consult anyone else at Menlo Church about the situation, the elder boards chair said. She noted that as soon as the church was made aware of the concern about the volunteer, they informed their denomination and brought in an independent investigator but did not find any misconduct in the Menlo Church community. My statement on Menlo Church and my father; I won't be reading replies to this but I'm grateful to the friends and chosen family who have helped Grace and me through the last few months. pic.twitter.com/elT9I7v9u6 Daniel M. Lavery (@daniel_m_lavery) February 2, 2020 Nevertheless, the investigation showed John exhibited poor judgment that was inconsistent with his responsibilities as Senior Pastor, Seabolt said. John fully understands the Boards concerns regarding his handling of this situation. John is saddened by the potential risk he now realizes he brought on the Menlo community and wholly agrees that he did not handle this matter consistent with his responsibilities to Menlo Church and the Boards expectations of him. He deeply apologizes for his action and decisions, and is committed to the safety and integrity of our community and to ensuring that such a situation does not arise again. She further noted that Ortberg returned to work on Jan. 24 and is currently undergoing a restoration process with limited public engagement. John will only be working internally with staff and the Board during this interim period, focusing on his restoration plan and seeking to rebuild trust. We hope for his return to the pulpit in the near future, if approved by the Board after closely monitoring Johns progress, Seabolt said. In a statement posted to Twitter, Daniel Lavery, a trans-identified woman who is Ortberg's estranged daughter, revealed that it was Lavery who reported the Menlo leader because the church member who has since been removed from their volunteer role had confessed to having "obsessive sexual feelings about young children" for years and had intentionally sought out "unsupervised" positions where they could volunteer with children, including during overnight travel. Ortberg, Lavery said, had continually encouraged this person in their unsupervised work with children." "I have no firsthand knowledge of any criminal activity, and I have real compassion for anyone trying to treat sexual compulsions with accountability and oversight," Lavery noted. "But the situation they had created was risky, unsafe and unsustainable." In 2018, as an investigation of multiple sexual misconduct allegations by several women against Bill Hybels, founder and senior pastor of the multi-campus Willow Creek Community Church in Illinois was underway, Ortberg was among several critics who argued that the probe was "poorly designed" and exposed the women to "grave risks." Menlo elders assured the congregation that all of their volunteers go through a "rigorous screening process" that includes a background check and the requirement of having attended the church for at least six months. The church also does not allow an adult volunteer to be alone with a child. Saudi Arabia has barred its citizens and residents of the kingdom from travelling to China amid the coronavirus outbreak. The kingdoms General Directorate of Passports warned anyone who violates the order will not be allowed to return to Saudi Arabia. It also said regulatory provisions on travel documents would be applied to citizens who violate the travel ban, without further elaboration. Saudi Arabias flagship national carrier, Saudia, has already joined other major airlines in suspending flights to China. Several major airlines have halted flights to China (AP) On Sunday, 10 Saudi students were evacuated from the Chinese city Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, and quarantined upon arrival to Riyadh for two weeks. The virus has not yet been detected in Saudi Arabia, but five cases among them a family of four from Wuhan have been confirmed in neighbouring United Arab Emirates. Other nations, like the United States, have also taken drastic steps. The US is temporarily barring entry to foreign nationals, other than immediate family of US citizens and permanent residents, who have travelled in China within the last 14 days. Researchers have launched a pilot program that aims to create a non-invasive way of testing every Australian child for type-1 diabetes. "Our aim is to be the first in the world to have routine screening for type 1 diabetes," pilot lead Dr Kirstine Bell said. Researchers hope to create a national screening program for type 1 diabetes in children. Credit:istock The tests will look for particular chemical markers that can indicate if a person is at risk of developing the disease months or years before they develop symptoms. Dr Bell, a diabetes researcher based in the University of Sydneys Charles Perkins Centre, said being able to identify the disease earlier means doctors can treat it earlier as well. Abidjan, Cote dIvoire (PANA) - The 4th technical session of the International Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action will be held from 24 to 26 February in Abidjan, according to official sources in the Ivorian economic capital Parliament has recommended to government to wean-off the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) off government subvention and clothe it with more legislative powers to impose administrative fines and destroy impounded substandard goods. The House is convinced that the GSA would be more financially viable if government allows it to retain 85 percent of its Internally Generated Fund (IGF) without capping after being weaned off. To enhance its operations, the Committee on Trade, Industry and Tourism of Parliament, at the plenary on Tuesday, urged the Ministry of Finance to consider restoring the 15 percent share of the one per cent Destination Inspection Levy to the GSA without being capped. The motion for adoption of the report, read by Mr Ato Panford, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee, and seconded by Mr Yussif Sulemana, Deputy Ranking Member, received a resounding aye, signalling the acceptance of the House in support of the call to consolidate all existing legislation for effective administration of GSAs responsibilities. The move, when granted, would also enable the Authority to gain its financial and administrative autonomy. The report of the Committee stemmed from an enquiry by the Committee, directed by the Speaker, on the Challenges of Imported Sub-standard Electrical Cables, Gadgets and Accessories in April, 2019. It came out that from 2003 up to August 2015 the GSA received 15 per cent of the one per cent Destination Inspection Levy on all imports into the country, which translates into an average of $700,000 per month. The Committee said it was also informed that between September and December 2015, the Authority did not receive any monthly allocation. However, in January 2016, an administrative order from the Economic Management Team of the Presidency reduced 15 percent to three per cent, which was further capped to 1.5 percent in line with the Earmarked Funds and Capping Realignment Act 2017 (Act 947), resulting in a reduction of GSA funds to GHC 500,000 per month. The Committee observed that the GSA had been weakened by the amendment of the Exports and Import Act, 1995 (Act 503) and by the introduction of the Export and Import Amendment Act 2000, which provides for destination inspection. It came to the fore that collection and disbursement of revenue is being handled by the Ghana Revenue Authority, an agency under the Ministry of Finance, but not mandated by law. As a result the GSA was unable to conduct frequent and effective market surveillance, test products prior to exports, procure analytical equipment, equip its labs and expand its scope of services to industries. Later, Mr Panford told journalists that action on the proposed GSA Bill, which seeks to help eliminate duplication of roles and conflict with other statutes and regulations should be expedited by Cabinet and tabled before Parliament for consideration without delay. On the assignment from the Speaker, Mr Panford said the GSA in August 2018 undertook an exercise at selected markets in Accra and Kumasi where they sampled some products. The products included electrical cables, electrical accessories, electrical gadgets, electrical appliances, footwear, bags, dresses, vehicle spare parts, household appliances and accessories among others. He said over 90 per cent of the products that were tested failed the critical parameters that had to do with health and safety implications. He said the presence of sub-standard electrical products circulating on the market posed a huge risk of fire outbreak, which could endanger lives and property. Also, coupled with the fact that the GSA had no storage facilities for such compounded non-conforming goods whiles the market is inundated with goods, which do not meet standards with its attendant risk to health, lives and poverty. Therefore, he suggested the need to dispose them off immediately upon confiscation to prevent it from getting back onto the market. Mr Panford said there were delays in the adjudication of cases related to sub-standard, low quality, certified, non-calibrated, damaged goods and equipment. This is because no specialised court existed to deal swiftly with most cases to help sanitise the system, and recommended the establishment of a Specialised Quality Court to fast-track adjudication of quality related cases. He noted that the measurement of crude oil, natural gas and other hydrocarbons was at the heart of governments fiscal oil and gas transaction. Mr Pamford said the Committee was informed that Ghana did not have a National Hydrocarbon Measurement Standards (NHMS), which could help facilitate a transparent audible process in the transfer of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbon products for financial transactions. He said the GSA had extended an invitation to the Ministry of Trade and Industry for a Private-Public Agreement for the development the NHMS for the Authority. 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 PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-06 08:06:08 Record Year for the Iberchem Group With the Completion of Two Acquisitions in Flavors and 19% Growth in Revenues Media: Guillaume Audy Corporate Communication gaudy@iberchem.es The Iberchem Group announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Flavor Inn Corporation and Duomei, two flavour companies located in Malaysia and China respectively. These transactions come as the latest effort in the Groups merger and acquisition strategy initiated last year with the purchase of South Africas Versachem. It brings to three the number of acquisitions carried out since the start of the Groups financial relationship with European private equity firm Eurazeo in 2017. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200205005 The Group has fully revamped the production plant of its flavour unit in Spain, expecting to increase the flavour offerings of the company by almost 40%. (Photo: Business Wire) Ramon Fernandez, CEO of Iberchem Group states: We are pleased to welcome Duomei and Flavor Inn within the Scentium family. This announcement represents another key step in the strategic expansion of Scentium (the flavour division of the Iberchem Group) in Asia, and also in the roll out of our M&A strategy at a Group level. We are confident that both companies will add value and expertise to our existing Flavour offer in China and South East Asia. Both Duomei and Flavor Inn share Scentiums customer-centric culture and values. We are expecting a smooth integration of their activity into our organization in the upcoming year. Founded in 1996, Flavor Inn is a Malaysian flavour manufacturer offering tailored-made solutions to its wide portfolio of customers in the South East Asian region. Flavor Inn Corporation specialises in the development of both natural and artificial flavours for beverages, savoury, bakery and dairy products, and confectionery. Nanchang Duomei Bio-Tech Co., Ltd (Duomei) is a flavour manufacturer based in Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi province in China. Established in 2008, the company quickly gained a reputation within the Chinese flavour industry thanks to its innovative manufacturing methods and dedicated customer service. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. RECORD REVENUES FOR 2019 FISCAL YEAR Iberchem Group also announced financial results for the full year ended December 31, 2019. Despite being amid the aftermath of the raw material crisis that shook the F&F industry in 2018, the Spanish group closed the year outperforming the initial objectives set out in its annual budget. The company reported net revenues of 174 million, representing a net increase of 19%. Throughout the year, the Group successfully registered strong top-line growth and maintained a positive business momentum. Augmenting its value in all of its geographic segments and categories, it increased its profitability throughout the year. The Group has demonstrated, once again, the strength of its fundamentals, representing a unique value proposition for its customers, suppliers, employees and shareholders. The Iberchem Group increased again this year its CapEx program: last October, it completed the construction of its new R&D centre at its head office, adding over 3,000m2 of facilities dedicated exclusively to fragrance technologies. The Group also fully revamped the production plant of its flavour unit in Spain, expecting to increase the flavour offerings of the company by almost 40%. About the Iberchem Group Headquartered in Murcia, Spain, and selling in more than 120 countries, the Iberchem Group has a unique fast-to-customer business model, and benefits from 13 manufacturing facilities across the world and a workforce reaching over 800 employees. The Group operates under two different divisions: Iberchem for fragrances and Scentium for food flavours. Since its creation in 1985, the Group has enjoyed solid and interrupted double-digit growth making it one of the fastest growing company of the industry. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200205005 Iberchem Group Completes Two Acquisitions and Announces Record Revenues for 2019 We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Submit tech2 News Staff Samsung is expected to launch its S20 lineup on 11 February at the Unpacked event, due to will take place in San Francisco. Before the official launch, many reports have shared the speculated US pricing of the smartphone series. Samsung will not only launch the Galaxy S20 series, but it it also expected to unveil its second foldable smartphone Galaxy Z Flip. You can now head to the company India website to register yourself for the Unpacked event. According to a tech analyst Jon Prosser, the series is likely to have three smartphones Galaxy S20, priced $999, Galaxy S20 Plus, priced at $1,199 and Galaxy S20 Ultra, priced at $1,399. Okay, last price update from me: Confirmed via source from Samsung Galaxy S20 US pricing S20 - $999 S20+ - $1,199 S20 Ultra - $1,399 You still buying one? Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) February 4, 2020 A South Korean website has reported that the Galaxy S20 series could be available for pre-order as soon as 14-28 February. The report further reveals that the smartphone series might go on sale on 5 March globally. In addition to this, the report suggested that we might see an exclusive colour variant of Galaxy S20 Plus. As per the previous reports, the main module of Galaxy S20 Ultra is expected to house a 108 MP primary camera, 12 MP ultra-wide camera, and a Time of Flight (ToF) sensor. Below this module, another highlight of the camera system is the 48 MP telephoto 'Periscope' camera that is reportedly capable of 10x optical zoom and up to a ridiculous 100x digital zoom. The render also shows that the 100x label will be placed beside the camera along with its marketing name which hasnt been revealed yet. WASHINGTON Partisan divisions and Republican congressional leaders reluctance to publicly acknowledge Russian election interference in 2016 contributed to a delayed response by the Obama administration in the midst of the presidential campaign, according to a Senate Intelligence Committee report released Thursday. The report painted the Obama administration as moving too slowly and indecisively to address the interference or to counter it, and it cited the heavily politicized environment in American politics in 2016 as one factor preventing a more forceful response. Though separate from its central findings, the mention of Republican congressional leaders role in forestalling a stronger response was notable for a report from a Republican-led committee. Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, reacted skeptically after receiving an intelligence briefing in September 2016 about the Russian interference, a former Obama administration official said in the report. You security people should be careful that youre not getting used, Mr. McConnell told Lisa Monaco, the homeland security adviser under President Barack Obama at the time, according to the report. 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. But the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses. In the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, my choice may seem old fashioned; I still prefer profitable companies like Playmates Holdings (HKG:635). While that doesn't make the shares worth buying at any price, you can't deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. Conversely, a loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the sweet milk of external capital may run sour. View our latest analysis for Playmates Holdings Playmates Holdings's Improving Profits In the last three years Playmates Holdings's earnings per share took off like a rocket; fast, and from a low base. So the actual rate of growth doesn't tell us much. As a result, I'll zoom in on growth over the last year, instead. Playmates Holdings has grown its trailing twelve month EPS from HK$0.21 to HK$0.23, in the last year. That amounts to a small improvement of 9.1%. One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. Playmates Holdings's EBIT margins have actually improved by 2.9 percentage points in the last year, to reach 26%, but, on the flip side, revenue was down 7.7%. That's not ideal. You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. For finer detail, click on the image. SEHK:635 Income Statement, February 6th 2020 Playmates Holdings isn't a huge company, given its market capitalization of HK$2.3b. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength. Are Playmates Holdings Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? Like standing at the lookout, surveying the horizon at sunrise, insider buying, for some investors, sparks joy. That's because insider buying often indicates that those closest to the company have confidence that the share price will perform well. Of course, we can never be sure what insiders are thinking, we can only judge their actions. Story continues Although we did see some insider selling (worth -HK$1.2m) this was overshadowed by a mountain of buying, totalling HK$89m in just one year. This makes me even more interested in Playmates Holdings because it suggests that those who understand the company best, are optimistic. We also note that it was the , Chun Hoo Chan, who made the biggest single acquisition, paying HK$87m for shares at about HK$1.06 each. And the insider buying isn't the only sign of alignment between shareholders and the board, since Playmates Holdings insiders own more than a third of the company. In fact, they own 66% of the company, so they will share in the same delights and challenges experienced by the ordinary shareholders. To me this is a good sign because it suggests they will be incentivised to build value for shareholders over the long term. In terms of absolute value, insiders have HK$1.5b invested in the business, using the current share price. That should be more than enough to keep them focussed on creating shareholder value! Is Playmates Holdings Worth Keeping An Eye On? One important encouraging feature of Playmates Holdings is that it is growing profits. On top of that, we've seen insiders buying shares even though they already own plenty. To me, that all makes it well worth a spot on your watchlist, as well as continuing research. Another important measure of business quality not discussed here, is return on equity (ROE). Click on this link to see how Playmates Holdings shapes up to industry peers, when it comes to ROE. There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of Playmates Holdings, you'll probably love this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. 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. One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021 These Workout Buddies Live 3,600 Miles Apart, But They Still Find Ways to Motivate Each Other Jan-Willem Boerhout started tagging Latoya Shauntay Snell, an ultrarunner and body-positive activist, in his Instagram stories. Boerhout, who lives in the Netherlands, credited Snell as his source of motivation. Boerhout's consistency struck a chord with Snell. "It was like I'd become his invisible accountability buddy," she said. "He reminded me of myself when I started my own fitness journey." For months, they messaged about fitness and life in general, and became long-distance friends. Finally, in January 2020, the workout buddies got to exercise together in person when Boerhout had a business trip to New York. We see more one-on-one workouts in their future. "I have a great reason to go visit the Netherlands," Snell wrote on Instagram. "2020/2021 goal indeed." Hong Kong Cathay Pacific Airways asked its 27,000 employees on Wednesday to take three weeks of unpaid leave while the Hong Kong carrier struggles with plunging revenue due to China's virus outbreak. In a video message to employees, CEO Augustus Tang said the situation is as grave as the 2009 financial crisis, The South China Morning Post reported. On Tuesday, Cathay announced a 90 percent reduction in flight capacity to mainland China, which has canceled group tours and told businesspeople to put off foreign travel while Beijing fights the outbreak centered on the city of Wuhan. The airline cut 30 percent of its worldwide capacity for two months. Employees were asked to take "special leave" some time between March 1 and June 30, a Cathay statement said. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "Preserving cash is the key to protecting our business," the airline said. The airline used similar "special leave" in 2009 and during the 2003 outbreak of SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, which also led to cuts in flights. "I am appealing to each and everyone one of you to help," Tang was quoted as saying. After consultations on Thursday with President Iohannis at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, national leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL), freshly dismissed PM Ludovic Orban announced having presented to Iohannis the PNL decision to support the requirements for early elections being met. "Our pick for prime minister is in accordance with the decision of the National Council, and it is the party chairman, namely me, Ludovic Orban. I also presented to the President the decision of the National Liberal Party to support the conditions being met for early elections being triggered," Orban said. In his opinion, early elections are necessary to ensure a fair representation in Parliament of the current options of the voters. "Romania needs good governance, Romania needs a truly representative parliament, made up of honest, competent people, dedicated to serving the public interest, to truly represent the interests, objectives and aspirations of Romanian citizens. Romania needs a parliament to be an exact mirror of the current options of Romanian citizens and able to establish a stable majority, to support a government that will implement the measures of reform, modernisation, development of Romania at the fastest rate," said Orban. He added that he presented to Iohannis another decision made by the PNL National Council, that the PNL lawmakers should participate in the procedures for the voting in office of two governments, but not cast a vote in order to allow the dissolution of Parliament and early elections being triggered. "Starting next week, we will have a dialogue with all the partners that have been with us and who are still with us, to establish a common strategy for triggering early elections," said Orban. The dismissed prime minister said he was "very pleased" with the government team and said that he could continue "in the same formula" if he was appointed to form the new government. "On Monday, there will be a meeting of the Executive Bureau where we will make the decision related to the composition of the government, the government programme, but after we get the decision from the President of Romania." President Klaus Iohannis invited on Thursday at the Cotroceni Palace the leaders the parliamentary parties and formations for consultations in order to pick a candidate for the position of prime minister, as the Orban Government was dismissed on Wednesday on a censure motion. AGERPRES Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 21:09:58|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close JUBA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- South Sudanese government and multilateral partners on Thursday launched a national campaign that will see more than 700,000 children enroll back in school. A statement from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) issued in Juba, said the campaign will help 709,002 children enroll for early childhood education, primary or alternative education programs. "The campaign is part of the national Back to Learning initiative, providing learning opportunities to children currently out of school," said UNICEF. An estimated of 2.2 million children were pushed out of school due to more than five years of conflict that devastated the economy and left thousands dead and millions displaced. UNICEF said that while access to free quality education is a basic child right, the campaign is focused on reaching the most vulnerable, the ones who are less likely to access education services without support. The worlds largest 3D printed building has officially been completed in Dubai. The two-story 6,900 square foot structure will be used as an office for general administrative functions by the Dubai Municipality. It was designed in collaboration with Apis Cor, a 3D printing and construction company in Boston. Scroll down for video The world's largest 3D printed building has been completed in Dubai, designed in partnership with the Boston-based Apis Cor While there is a taller 3D printed building in the world, a five story apartment building Suzhou, China that tops 90 feet, the Dubai building has the largest square footage, according to Singularity Hub. The building was erected on a pre-cast concrete foundation, atop which the 3D printer built up hollow walls using a fast-drying mixture of recycled construction debris, cement, gypsum, and other compounds. The 3D printing material is roughly 50 percent lighter than conventional concrete and substantially more durable. The 3D printer outlined the walls with layers of the material a few inches thick, then slowly built upward, until the walls were at full height. When the walls were completed, human construction crews took over, installing the roof, cutting out spaces for windows, and filling the walls in with insulation. The walls were laid out in layers by the 3D printer, and after they were completed, human construction crews added insulation For smaller constructions, the 3D printer can be set on pre-set tracks and let run automatically, but because of the size of the Dubai project, builders had to connect it to a crane instead With structures under 500 square feet, builders can set the 3D printer on a pre-set track and let it run on its own, but in Dubai the builders had to set up a large crane to move the 3D printer as it built up the structure. The walls were made from a quick-drying mixture of recycled construction debris, concrete, gypsum, and other compounds. It's said to be fo percent lighter than concrete and more durable The Dubai Municipality hopes that by 2030 25 percent of all new construction in the city will involve 3D printing The Dubai building will be used for general administration by the city government For the Dubai Municipality, the project is just the beginning of what it hopes will be a long commitment to 3D printed buildings. City officials say they want 25 percent of all new construction to be 3D printed buildings by 2030. According to city estimates, moving to 3D printing will reduce the labor necessary for building construction by 70 percent and cut construction costs by 90 percent. Construction 3D printing technology is only at the early stages of development, Apis Cor CEO Nikita Cheniuntai said, in a statement on the company website. We do extensive R&D work to make the technology available for mass use. We are thankful for the opportunity to collaborate with Dubai Municipality. The project gave us unique knowledge and invaluable experience that will help us improve our technology and develop a new version of our 3D printer. The company says its next projects will be built in Louisiana and California, and its also working to develop an affordable 500 square-foot house that can be 3D-printed in 24 hours. The motorcycle industry has seen a downturn and hardships and with much thought, retirement was the best option. - George C. Chaconas, Performance Brokerage Services, Inc. Performance Brokerage Services, a new car and Harley-Davidson dealership broker is pleased to announce the retirement of Tramontin Harley-Davidson in Hope, New Jersey. Over 100 years in the business with an early start in the motorcycle industry, Tramontin Harley-Davidson was one of the oldest dealerships in the State of New Jersey. It took on its name in 1947 when it officially became a Harley-Davidson dealership run by Arthur Bub Tramontin. Strong family ties were amongst many memories shared. Bob Tramontin the son and retiring dealer of the late owner Bub Tramontin commented, After much soul searching and contemplation about selling my familys Harley-Davidson dealership of over 70 years, I reached out to Buy-Sell industry expert George Chaconas of Performance Brokerage Services. Based on current Buy-Sell market conditions, we were unable to find a qualified buyer. Thus after lengthy negotiations, we were able to reach a retirement incentive buyout with Harley-Davidson Motor Company. I sincerely appreciate Georges hard work, dedication and constant communication throughout the process so I could move forward with retirement in Florida. If you are a long-time dealer and considering selling or doing a retirement buyout with Harley-Davidson, I would highly recommend George Chaconas of Performance Brokerage Services." Over the last 5 years, Performance Brokerage Services has represented for sale over 250 automotive and motorcycle dealerships making it the highest volume automotive and motorcycle dealership brokerage firm in North America. George C. Chaconas, the exclusive agent for this transaction and the head of the National Harley-Davidson and Powersports Division for Performance Brokerage Services commented, Closing a dealership and considering retirement is one of the hardest decisions an owner has to make. Current market conditions and industry influences led to working with the Harley- Davidson Motor Company and ultimately proceeding with the retirement. He also went on to say, It was an honor to assist Bob Tramontin in the retirement of his dealership. The motorcycle industry has seen a downturn and hardships and with much thought, retirement was the best option. About Performance Brokerage Services Performance Brokerage Services, an auto dealership broker, specializes in professional intermediary services to buyers and sellers of automotive, commercial truck, Harley-Davidson and Powersports dealerships. The company offers a different approach by providing complimentary dealership assessments, no upfront fees, no reimbursement of costs and is paid a success fee only. Performance Brokerage Services gets paid only after the client gets paid. With over 25 years of dealership brokerage experience, the company utilizes an extensive network of industry related accountants, attorneys, hundreds of registered buyers and enjoys longstanding relationships with most of the auto manufacturers. The intermediaries at Performance Brokerage Services have been involved in well over 700 transactions. Pledging loyal and unwavering representation, confidentiality is vigilantly protected during the selling process and after the transaction closes. For more information about the services offered by Performance Brokerage Services, visit https://performancebrokerageservices.com. Tony Mokbel's nephew is fighting to overturn his jail sentence for gun and driving offences because he says he's learnt his lesson. Anthony Mokbel, 24, the son of the drug kingpin's brother Horty, was last year handed an eight-month jail term and fined $1000 for possessing a loaded revolver and cannabis as well as driving multiple times while suspended. Anthony Mokbel arrives at court on Thursday. Credit:AAP He is on bail as he appeals the magistrate's sentence and is seeking to serve his jail term in the community instead. Barrister Lee Ristivojevic on Thursday told the County Court of Victoria Mokbel's brief time in custody after his arrest in October had been "extremely sobering" and provided "the sense of clarity he needed". National chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) Kelemen Hunor said on Thursday, after the consultations at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, that his Union did not present an own candidate for the position of prime minister and will not support the Social Democratic Party (PSD) candidate either. "I said that we will not rally a majority around the PSD candidate for the position of prime minister. (...) The vote on the censure motion was intended to block the change of the electoral system regarding the election of mayors, it was not aimed at another political project. And I said we do not have a proposal for the position of prime minister," said Kelemen Hunor. President Klaus Iohannis invited, on Thursday, at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace, the chairs of the parliamentary parties and formations for consultations in order to nominate the candidate for the position of prime minister, after the Orban government was dismissed on Wednesday by a censure motion.AGERPRES (Newser) The former upstate New York prison worker who helped two convicted murderers escape in 2015 is about to go home. Joyce Mitchell, sentenced to up to seven years in prison for providing material support to Clinton Correctional Facility escapees Richard Matt and David Sweat, is expected to be released from the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility in Westchester County on Thursday, reports the Democrat & Chronicle. Matt and Sweat reportedly seduced Mitchell, who worked as a prison seamstress, per ABC News. She smuggled hacksaw blades, chisels, and other tools the men used to cut through their cells, a brick wall, and a steam pipe, officials said. story continues below The men eventually emerged out of a manhole. They were on the run for more than three weeks before a confrontation near the Canadian border. Matt was shot dead while Sweat was shot and recaptured. "If I could take it all back, I would," Mitchell said at her sentencing in September 2015. The 55-year-old has since become the subject of the Ben Stiller-directed Showtime miniseries, Escape at Dannemora. In 2018, she told the New York Post she objected to the series, which includes several sex scenes, because she "never had sex" with either inmate. She added she looked forward to reuniting with her husband and writing a book so "the truth will come out." (Mitchell was denied parole in June.) One of the world's major cocaine kingpins, a co-founder of Colombia's Cali Cartel that smuggled some $2 billion in drugs to the U.S., is seeking compassionate early release from a federal prison because he's on 'death's door'. Gilberto Rodriguez-Orejuela, 81, is asking a Miami federal judge to let him return to his family in Colombia because he suffers from prostate and colon cancer. Rodriguez-Orejuela has served about half of his 30-year prison sentence under a 2006 plea deal but wants to be shown compassion under the 2018 First Step Act passed by Congress. 'He has been in various jails for the past 25 years,' his attorney, David O. Markus, said in an email Thursday. 'Our system allows judges to be compassionate, and that's what we are asking for here.' Gilberto Rodriguez-Orejuela, 81, is asking a Miami federal judge to let him return to his family in Colombia because he suffers from prostate and colon cancer. In this November 7, 2002 file photo, he leaves the Combita maximum security prison, in Tunja, 60 miles northeast of Bogota, Colombia Rodriguez-Orejuela has served about half of his 30-year prison sentence under a 2006 plea deal at the Federal Correctional Institution, Butner Medium (pictured) Orejuela (L), is escorted at the narcotic-police airport in Bogota, before being handed over to the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), and boarding in a plane bound for the United States in December 2004 Although not as notorious as Pablo Escobar and the Medellin cartel, Rodriguez-Orejuela and his brother, Miguel, fashioned a sophisticated global smuggling enterprise known for using innovative techniques to hide cocaine in all sorts of legitimate shipments - even such items as frozen vegetables and coffee packages. Officials estimate they smuggled at least 200 tons (181,000 kilograms) of the drug into the U.S. during the 1990s, or about 80% of the nation's supply at the time. But Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela left Cumbita prison early after a judge released him on good behavior November 7, 2002 in Tunja, Columbia. Rodriguez was arrested in 1995 along with his brother, Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela, were arrested in 1995 after confessing to being cartel boss leaders. Gilberto left Cumbita prison early on November 7, 2002 after a judge in Tunja, Columbia released him on good behavior. Federal prosecutors oppose the release of Rodriguez-Orejuela, contending he has gotten good medical treatment in a North Carolina prison and does not deserve to get out. They cite the huge scope of his crimes. This photograph taken from a Colombian television broadcast, shows a Most Wanted announcement offering 1.5 million USD each for information leading to the capture of the leaders of the Cali cocaine cartel Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela (L) and his brother Miguel Angel Rodriguez Orejuela. This was the first time photos of the two leaders were shown in public This August 1995 file photo shows Cali, Colombia, Cartel top leader Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela after his capture. A judge in Cali sentenced Rodriguez to nine years in prison and his brother Gilberto, the other leader, to 10 years, and fined them $12millon for drug trafficking 'Releasing Rodriguez-Orejuela early jeopardizes public safety by diminishing the seriousness of his offense and would send entirely the wrong message about leading such a large scale drug trafficking (operation) and the punishment that must come with it,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Hirsch said in court papers. She also claims he has already recovered from the cancers. At a hearing Wednesday, Miami U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno said he would consider the request but wanted more information on Rodriguez-Orejuela's health, details of his activities in prison and background on the criminal case. Moreno asked for that information within 30 days. 'He was a big-time drug dealer,' Moreno said Wednesday during the first hearing on the petition for release . 'He was, theres no question about that.' But Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela left Cumbita prison early after a judge released him on good behavior November 7, 2002 in Tunja, Columbia. Rodriguez was arrested in 1995 along with his brother, Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela, after confessing that he was the cartel boss Under the brothers' 2006 plea deal, more than two dozen family members were removed from a Treasury Department list designating them as part of the Cali cartel. That spared some of them from prosecution for obstruction of justice or money laundering, and also allowed legitimate family businesses in Colombia to continue operating. Overall, the U.S. prosecuted about 100 Cali cartel members. Miguel Rodriguez-Orejuela, 76, the co-founder of the cartel along with his brother, is serving his sentence at a federal prison in Pennsylvania, records show. Gilberto Rodriguez-Orejuela's lawyer, Markus, said in court papers that he poses no threat to anyone in the U.S. or Colombia and will not seek to resume any smuggling activities if released. 'He has zero interest in re-offending and is instead focused on keeping body and soul together,' Markus said. 'Gilberto Rodriguez-Orejuela is truly a changed man in so many ways. We should be thankful for that.' Taiwan bans entry of all Chinese nationals as Wuhan virus surges ROC Central News Agency 02/05/2020 11:09 PM Taipei, Feb. 2 (CNA) All Chinese nationals will be denied entry into Taiwan beginning Thursday, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced Wednesday, as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in China jumped past 20,000. In addition, all arriving passengers who have traveled recently to China, Hong Kong or Macau, will be subjected to a mandatory 14-day home quarantine, the center said. Those who receive advance approval to enter Taiwan from Hong Kong and Macau will also be required to conduct self-health management for 14 days, the center said. To date, the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has claimed 493 lives in China and one in the Philippines, according to the latest statistics provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). There have been 24,554 confirmed cases across the globe as of late Wednesday, 24,352 of which have occurred in China, WHO statistics show. (By Christie Chen) Enditem/pc NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Islamabad, Feb 6 : PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has said that because former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's daughter, Maryam Nawaz, was not permitted to be with him in London, cardiologists had to change the pre-decided date for his treatment twice. In a statement on Wednesday, the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly said it was very unfortunate that Maryam was not being granted permission to take care of her father, reports Dawn news. He said purely on the basis of humanitarian grounds, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Vice President should be permitted to be with her father. The former premier is currently in London for medical treatment. While Maryam had sought permission to fly abroad to be with her father, the federal cabinet in December 2019 decided not to remove her name from the exit control list (ECL) in the Al Azizia Steel Mills corruption case. On January 14, the federal cabinet placed her name on the ECL for the second time in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills corruption case. "As Nawaz's health is concerning, the margin for medical action is reducing as more time passes," Shehbaz said. He said cardiologists had to twice change the earlier decided date for his brother's cardiac catheterisation as Maryam was not with him. Meanwhile, Nawaz Sharif's personal physician Adnan Khan said that the former Prime Minister, after intensive investigations, was found to have "complex multi-vessel coronary artery disease and substantial ischemic and threatened myocardium", Dawn news said in the report. In a tweet on Wednesday, he highlighted that Nawaz Sharif was scheduled to undergo a procedure last week. However, the procedure was delayed as Maryam was not allowed to travel. He stressed that "any undue delay is taxing on (Nawaz Sharif's) health and could have adverse consequences". Anusha Ravi By Express News Service BENGALURU: Two months after they were reelected from their seats following their disqualification, 10 MLAs of the BJP were inducted as ministers in the BS Yediyurappa cabinet. Disqualified from the current assembly by then-Speaker Ramesh Kumar for anti-party activities as MLAs of Congress and JDS, ST Somashekhar, Ramesh Jarkiholi, Anand Singh, Dr K Sudhakar, Byrathi Basavraj, Shivaram Hebbar, BC Patil, Gopalaiah, Narayanagowda and Shrimanth Patil took oath as ministers after winning on BJP tickets in the December 5, 2019 bypolls. Ten ministers who took oath on Thursday taking took the total strength of the cabinet to 28 including chief minister BS Yediyurappa. As of now, 6 more berths are vacant in the Karnataka cabinet. Yediyurappa's initial plan to induct 13 ministers hit a roadblock after possible induction of CP Yogeshwar, a non-legislator met with severe opposition. While all others took oath in the name of God, Arabail Shivaram Hebbar- MLA from Yellapur took oath in the name of God, his parents and voters of his constituency. Hirekerur MLA BC Patil took it a notch higher by adding the name of Jagatjyoti Basaveshwara in his oath. A packed glass House at Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru witnessed the ceremony as Governor Vajubhai Vala administered the oath of office to new ministers in the presence of Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. While 10 MLAs who quit their parties, joined the BJP barely months ago have gone on to become ministers, the wait continues for BJP loyalists who aspire to become ministers. Yediyurappa is expected to visit New Delhi and discuss with BJP National President JP Nadda over the squabble for berths among party leaders before deciding on his next course of action. Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel has written to Union minister of coal and mines Pralhad Joshi urging him to revise the royalty rates of major minerals, which have not been changed in the last six years. In the letter, dated February 5, 2020, Bhupesh Baghel wrote that as per the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, the royalty rates of major minerals should be revised after a period of three years. Baghel said the royalty rates of major minerals were last revised on September 1, 2014, by the Union ministry of mines. As per the provisions of section of the act, royalty rates were to be revised from September 1, 2017, after a period of three years but nothing has been done till now. The chief minister claimed that Chhattisgarh is losing its mineral revenue since the royalty has not increased and that is an important source of revenue for the state government. The revenue receipts are being adversely affected due to non-revision of the royalty rates of major minerals by the government of India, the letter stated. Alok Shukla, a social activist working in mining areas of Chhattisgarh, said the demand to increase the royalty is legitimate and the Centre should increase it. But, at the same time, he said the state government should also question the auctions of coal blocks and ignoring the interests of the state in the allocation process. The allocation route instead of auction also reduces the revenue of the state. Another important issue is that the allocation and auction of coal blocks in ecologically-sensitive areas like Hasdev should also be opposed by the state government, Shukla said. On January 13, the Centre had decided to set up an 11-member panel including mines secretaries from various states, to examine issues pertaining to the revision of rates of royalty for minerals. The members of the panel include mines secretaries from the states like Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON MBABANE The shortage of courtrooms at the Mbabane Magistrates Court has seen magistrates being allocated working space outside the court premises. Some judicial officers have been allocated working spaces at the Mbabane Municipal Council offices while others will be working from the Mbabane National Court. Before the relocation, the judicial officers shared the courtrooms, resulting in the delay of cases and subsequent backlog. Some cases were postponed due to the delays. The latest developments regarding the situation at the magistrate courts were confirmed by the Chief Justice (CJ), Bheki Maphalala, during a tour at the Mbabane Municipal Council yesterday. Agreement In his brief remarks, the CJ said there was an agreement between the Judiciary and council to turn the chambers into a magistrates court. Maphalala said they decided to engage the municipality concerning the facilities because the country was running short of courtrooms. He said the shortage of courtrooms resulted in backlog of cases as some judicial officers had no working spaces. The CJ said they would appreciate to operate at the municipal chambers from Monday to Friday. Maphalala toured the council chambers with officials from the High Court. They were accompanied by the Chief Executive Officer of the municipality, Gideon Mhlongo, and Director of Corporate Affairs Bongani Dlamini. Also present were other Council officials working under the Legal Department. CEO Mhlongo said he was pleased with the arrangement they had with the Judiciary. He stated that council also had a lot of internal cases they dealt with on a day to day basis. However, Dlamini mentioned that they used the chambers for fixed council sittings, adding that every last Tuesday of the month, council held special meetings. Further, he said there were also random fixed council sittings. The director of corporate affairs said they were yet to revisit their schedule as council. Meanwhile, Magistrate Lenhle Zulu will be using the Mbabane National Court on Thursdays and Fridays starting this week. Accused persons set to appear before Magistrate Zulu have been made aware of the latest developments. Those who are in custody will be taken straight to the national court. Worth noting is that the upgraded national court remains vacant on Thursdays and Fridays as the court presidents deal with cases from Monday to Wednesday. On Thursdays, the Mbabane National Court deals with civil matters, which do not require much space. The Mbabane National Courtrooms almost meet the standards of magistrates court as it has chambers. Mbabane National Court Clerk Velaphi Dlamini confirmed the latest developments. Dlamini stated that the judicial officers engaged them over the working space. It is true that some magistrates would be using the Eswatini National Court on Thursdays and Fridays. Prosecutors were here to confirm that they would be using the courtrooms starting this week, Dlamini said. However, he said the judicial officers have been offered one courtroom as it met the standards. Worth noting is that the Judiciary has revived Lobamba Circuit court which operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Judiciary had also appointed acting magistrates to deal with the cases. Shortage The shortage of courtrooms and chambers is not unique to the Mbabane Magistrates Court. This publication reported last month that a senior magistrate has been forced to use his vehicle as an office due to the shortage of structures at the Manzini Magistrates Court. Magistrate Dumisa Mazibuko was captured working inside his vehicle. He had all his important documents which he uses as a judicial officer. The magistrate was seen seated in the vehicle, a Toyota Hilux double cab. A traffic police officer, Constable Zewula, who is always tasked with fetching magistrates from their chambers before court sessions resume, was seen walking up to the parking lot where Mazibukos vehicle had been parked. The officer had been ordered to get the magistrate to work on some of the fresh matters. This state of affairs was frowned upon by the Law Society of Swaziland (LSS) which said traditionally, the country relied on open courts and using chambers was an exception. A plane carrying evacuees from the virus zone in China lands at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Calif., on Feb. 5, 2020. (Gregory Bull/AP Photo) Americans Evacuated From Wuhan Landing in Texas, Nebraska Likely Wont Be Sick: Officials The hundreds of American evacuees landing in Texas and Nebraska this week likely wont be visibly ill, federal health officials said. The evacuees, numbering around 320, were slated to land in Omaha and San Antonio on Thursday or Friday before being quarantined at a Nebraska National Guard training base and Lackland Air Force Base. The plane landing in Texas would stop first at Travis Air Force Base in California, where people evacuated from China are under quarantine, and anyone showing symptoms would be taken off the plane, said Capt. Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the Centers for Disease Controls division of high consequence pathogens and pathology, at a press conference in Omaha. Its actually very unlikely that on the flight that lands here, there will be somebody with active signs of illness, she said. University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Jeffrey Gold also said that all the evacuees should be healthy when they arrive at Eppley Airfield, which could happen soon as Thursday. Empty lodging facilities at Camp Ashland, Neb., on Feb. 2, 2020. The Department of Defense is providing temporary lodging support for up to 1,000 passengers being evacuated from China to the U.S. in response to the coronavirus outbreak there. (Sgt. Lisa Crawford/Nebraska National Guard via AP) Empty lodging facilities at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. The Department of Defense says it is providing temporary lodging support for up to 1,000 passengers being evacuated from China to the U.S. in response to the coronavirus outbreak there. (Todd Holly/U.S. Air Force via AP) But officials also said that five of the nearly 350 passengers who arrived on Wednesday in California were exhibiting symptoms, including two children. The passengers were determined to have fever or a cough that warranted them being transported to a local hospital for further evaluation, the CDC said in a statement. They were immediately sent to the hospital. And Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the Center for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters in a call on Wednesday that officials expected confirmed infections among travelers returning from Hubei Province, including on the four flights landing this week. We do not believe these people pose a threat to the communities where they are being housed and we are taking measures to minimize any contact. We expect confirmed infections among these and other returning travelers from Hubei Province, she said. The measures we are taking may not catch every single returning traveler returning with Novel Coronavirus given the nature of this virus and how it is spreading but if we can catch the majority of them, that will slow the entry of this virus into the United States. There are up to 1,000 Americans in Hubei Province, McQuiston said at the press conference on Thursday. Chinese shoppers wear masks in a market in Beijing, China on Feb. 6, 2020. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) 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 novel coronavirus, in Wuhan, Hubei province, China on Feb. 5, 2020. (China Daily via Reuters) The situation in China is concerning. The virus is spreading quickly there, and an overwhelmed healthcare system there is going to be challenged to provide adequate care for other urgent medical needs, she said. So its safest for these Americans who are healthy and not known to be infected to be brought home. Seventy Americans would be quarantined at Camp Ashland National Guard Base in Nebraska and up to 250 would be quarantined at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. The patients would be isolated in a hotel that was surrounded by a fence and guarded by federal marshals who are enforcing the quarantines, which last for 14 days from the time people are evacuated from China. The new coronavirus, which started in Wuhan in Hubei Province in December 2019, has spread to roughly two dozen countries and sickened tens of thousands of people, mostly in China. Coronaviruses are common in animals, including camels and bats. In rare cases, the viruses evolve and infect humans before spreading from human to human, as is happening with the new virus. Health officials around the world are still working on trying to discern the origin of the new virus and other details of the disease. There are 12 confirmed cases in the United States, including two contracted through person-to-person transmission. The latest case was confirmed in Wisconsin on Wednesday. That patient recently visited Beijing and is isolated at home. The Associated Press contributed to this report. US Counsel General in Mumbai David J Ranz on Thursday visited the memorial of K B Hedgewar, founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, in Reshimbagh area here. He was accompanied by RSS's Nagpur unit chief Rajesh Loya as he paid tribute at the 'Smriti Mandir'. The US envoy is also expected to visit Deekshabhoomi in the city where Dr B R Ambedkar converted to Buddhism with lakhs of his followers in 1956, government sources said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Strategic planning is a polarizing term. For some people, its cringeworthy, conjuring up images of long meetings that are driven more by outdated process than by purpose. Ive been there myself; I remember one particularly painful strategic-planning session that consisted of two days of irrelevant data analysis and concluded in a few documents that were never referenced again. With experiences like this, its easy to see why strategic planning gets a bad name and why business leaders avoid it like a tax audit. But now is the worst time it to dodge it. How people travel, work, live, shop and communicate changes more frequently and significantly now than at any other point in modern history, and that means you dont have five years to respond and adapt. You might not even have one year. The constant evolution of todays consumer and marketplace means its critical you pay attention to whats going on outside of your organization, industry and geography. If you want to build a business that lasts forever, strategic planning specifically, external analysis must become an ongoing, agile process. Related: 5 Actionable Strategic-Planning Tips Heres the good news: Analyzing your external environment doesnt have to be miserable. Lets reframe the process. At its core, reviewing your external environment is a practice in relevancy testing during times of change. It gives you an opportunity to assess if youll be consumable by, connected with and valuable to cultures and consumers in the future. Rather than using the outdated strategic planning models that arent serving you, and put your leadership team to sleep, practice relevancy testing instead. Heres how you do it in four steps. 1. Look at competitive business models And not just the ones in your industry. DoorDash and Shipt applied Ubers model to transform how people eat, even though the transportation, grocery and restaurant industries are all very different. Other major market shifts virtualizing healthcare, digitizing financial transactions, emphasizing sustainability and the environment may soon impact your business. While its impossible to know what the world will look like five years from now, its important to recognize and analyze trends to prepare for whats coming your way. 2. Select the ones that are relevant to you After youve gathered a collection of trends, determine which ones are relevant to you and your customers, and which arent worthy of further analysis. Organize that list by speed of change; although driverless cars may make a big impact in the future, theyre not coming as fast as other shifts. Place emphasis on thats happening now or soon. 3. Visualize adopting a new model With this new perspective, ask yourself and your team: If we were opening our doors for the first time tomorrow, what would we look like? This question allows you to eliminate creative restrictions and think outside of what currently exists. One day at Iams, Clay Mathile gathered us into a conference room and told us our biggest competitor had expanded into grocery. Our task was to determine how to respond. We didnt know at the time that it wasnt true; the exercise was designed to implore us to look at our business with a new lens and it worked. Related: 5 Steps to Create a 1-Page Strategic Plan 4. Review competitive materials Whens the last time you looked at your competitorss websites to analyze their positioning? Create a habit of understanding how your competitors are changing and what theyre bringing to the table so you can continue to add value and differentiate your business. Last year at Summit, Ailerons annual two-day community gathering, Entrepreneur Editor-in-Chief Jason Feifer spoke to us about bicycles, specifically how many people in the media alleged the invention was doomed for failure and would never be adopted by society at large. Society, as we know, had other plans. This anecdote sheds light on an eternal truth: Change is inevitable, no matter how hard we push against it or how little we plan for it. As leaders, its our responsibility to recognize the inevitability of change and embrace it rather than remaining ignorant. Regardless of the path we choose, change will happen, and we can choose to either be its champion or its prey. Related: How to Uncover Hidden Sales Identifying the 4 Unique Types of Successful People Three Reasons To Adopt AI Automation Technology In Your Grow Operation Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Advertisement The V&A is home to works of art including J. M. W. Turner and John Constable and treasures of the Renaissance such as Rapahel's cartoons, but it also includes more modern and unexpected treasures such as Kylie Minogue's dressing room. In a new BBC2 series, Secrets of the Museum, rock and pop curator Vicky Broackes reveals that the museum has Kylie's entire wardrobe and an exact replica of her dressing room from the Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour, donated on long-term loan by the Australian pop star herself. The items have featured in the London exhibition Kylie Minogue: Image of a pop star since 2009, and curator Vicky demonstrated how all items in the dressing room must remain preserved. Pieces include tour costumes, fan mail and the hair piece worn by Kylie, now 51, following her battle with breast cancer in 2005. Kylie offered her entire wardrobe to the V&A on a long-term loan in 2007, following her comeback tour, and Vicky insisted that the exhibit must remain well preserved, so that people will be able to see it '100 years from now'. BBC2's latest documentary series 'Secrets of the Museum' explores London's Victoria and Albert Museum, including Kylie Minogue's tour dressing room exactly as it was in 2007 (pictured is Kylie's performance make up, and left, the hairpiece she used following her chemotherapy treatment) The time capsule wardrobe exhibit was donated by the iconic pop star, following her Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour (Pictured is Kylie's various performance outfits, hairpieces and gifts sent from fans) She told: 'It's not a case of putting it in a case and putting on display. 'Each object is looked after in a condition that means people will be able to look at it in 100 years from now.' The curator went on to explain how after being invited to Kyle's dressing room, she felt that the pop star was a 'real person'. She went on: 'This is Kylie's dressing room as seen and as existed at Wembley in January 2007. 'We were allowed to go down to a show and meet Kylie in her dressing room and took this photograph to get a real authentic feel of what it actually looked like. 'With that, we were able to evoke the feeling of what Kylie's dressing room. What I saw was a real person. Kylie offered her entire wardrobe to the V&A on a long-term loan following her comeback tour, she is pictured at the launch of f an exhibition of her stage costumes and fashion accessories at London's Victoria and Albert Museum in 2006 'She's a real person with messy shoes on the floor, the costumes hanging up, things that looked like they'd been pulled out and put back in again in a hurry. 'As well as this performance story, the objects communicated that human story. Every year it's checked to make sure it's in good condition.' Kylie was diagnosed with cancer in May 2005 at the age of 36, and days after her diagnosis had to undergo surgery and chemotherapy, which led to her losing her hair. Vicky spoke of Kylies comeback tour following treatment and told how at the time of the exhibit, there was 'such an emotion' about the star regaining her health and stepping back into the spotlight. Kylie Minogue The Exhibition features the overalls Kylie wore as Charlene in Neighbours, the gold lame hotpants featured in her Spinning Around video, the white hooded jumpsuit in her video Can't Get You Out of My Head and the corsets featured in the star's Showgirls tour Several of the popstar's performance costumes were on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 2007 (pictured, some of Kylie's glitzy tour outfits) She said: 'This performance, at the time had been a very emotional moment. Because Kylie had been half way through a tour when she was diagnosed with breast cancer 18-months before and the tour had come to an immediate end. This was the Showgirl Homecoming tour, so there was such a feeling around her. Such an emotion about her coming back on stage and being well.' Museum conservator Susannah continued to point out a hairpiece worn by Kylie, and told how it showed the star did not wish to hide her diagnosis with the world. She told: 'The hair piece really shows us what she had been through, and that related to the fact she had come out of treatment for cancer. One of Kylie Minogue's performance costumes, which is on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 2007 'She had lost her hair, but she wanted to show it, as it was not a disguise. That's certainly what it says to me.' Elsewhere in the dressing room, Vicky showed off fan mail, perfectly preserved, to Kylie from a young fan at the time. Vicky explained: 'It says to Kylie, "Thank you for letting me see you. You are the best ever pop star, from Emily". 'I think a lot of people think that about Kylie.' Secrets of the Museum airs on BBC2 tonight at 8pm President Donald Trump talked about a lot of things in his State of the Union address and painted an inspiring picture of the United States under his leadership. Here are 13 big things he left out: Climate change -- Trump did mention that he wants the US to plant more trees, but he didn't mention the climate crisis, which many people think will be the defining issue of our time. He bragged about US energy independence. He didn't mention that it comes because of increased oil production. Many Democrats want to transition the US away from fossil fuels altogether. Trump has drawn criticism for mocking teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg and also called climate change activists "prophets of doom" during a speech at the World Economic Forum in January. Obamacare -- Trump railed against "Medicare for All." He didn't name that proposal from Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, but he did warn against socialism. He did not, however, offer his own plan for a new health care system even as his administration tries to suffocate the current Affordable Care Act, more commonly known as "Obamacare." He again promised to protect access to coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. He also didn't mention that the entire law could be struck down by the Supreme Court, something his Justice Department supports. Election security -- Trump's campaign manager suggested Monday night that the Democratic Iowa caucuses were "rigged." Trump in 2016 said the same about the general election before he won. Given his own invitation for multiple foreign countries to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, it makes sense for him to avoid the subject of election security, but that doesn't make its absence less awkward. Congress has not been ignoring the issue. Travel ban -- Three years after he first tried to restrict people from certain countries traveling to the US, the administration just recently expanded its travel ban to include six more countries, sparking controversy for targeting Africa. $1 trillion deficits -- Given Republicans' focus on the issue of government spending in the pre-Trump era, it's remarkable that a Republican President would leave out of his address that the federal deficit topped $1 trillion in 2019. Could be because the tax law he signed has made the US deficit spiral. The national debt is getting bigger too. Impeachment -- He's the third President ever to be impeached by the House and he's likely to be acquitted by the Senate on Wednesday, but he didn't bring it up when he was standing in front of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He did ignore her offer of a hand shake. She stood and ripped a copy of his speech when he was done talking. Bipartisanship -- Trump needs Pelosi to pass legislation. But he didn't mention her contribution to helping him achieve the USMCA, the trade deal with Canada and Mexico, or the family leave for federal workers. He did call twice for bipartisan legislation, but he not talk about working across the aisle. North Korea -- Remember when Trump was promising peace with North Korea and an end to that country's nuclear program? Seems like a long time ago. Women voting -- Democratic women wore white to commemorate 100 years of the right of women to vote in the US. The 19th amendment was ratified in August of 1920. While Trump did mention equality, he didn't mention this important milestone. When he mentioned Wyatt Earp and Annie Oakley, he could have thrown in Elizabeth Cady Stanton or Susan B. Anthony. Equal Rights Amendment -- Speaking of equality and Trump's shoutout to American equality, he could have pointed out that Virginia recently ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, possibly bringing it close to passage as a constitutional amendment. Bailouts for farmers -- Trump said his trade deal with China -- although half of what he originally promised -- is a success. And he credited his tariffs imposed on China. He forgot to mention the many billions of dollars US taxpayers had to give American farmers to help them through the China's countermeasures. Even with the bailouts, US farm bankruptcies jumped 20% in 2020. DREAMers -- Trump spent a lot of time bragging about his border wall and his immigration policy. He didn't mention the most controversial aspect of that policy, which is his decision to end the Obama-era program that shielded certain people brought to the US as children from deportation. Congress hasn't solved that problem. It will have to. The Supreme Court could make a decision before the 2020 election. Inequality -- Trump argued that lower income Americans have seen their wealth rise during his administration. He offered it as a sort of rejection of the idea of inequality, which has animated a lot of the Democratic primary this year. Inequality is and remains a serious issue in the US. According to reports, the House of Representatives, on Wednesday, rejected Nigerian manufactured, Innoson cars as part of their legislative welfare package. According to reports, the lawmakers declined a suggestion from a House member to purchase SUVs for members from Innoson Motors based in Nnewi, Anambra State. Also Read: Insecurity: House Of Representatives Summons IGP Reports have it that the lawmaker who made the Innoson SUVs suggestion during the plenary session was shouted down on the floor of the house. Accordingly, it was further learnt that the lawmakers insisted on brand new imported SUVs against the locally assembled and made- in Nigeria brands. Farm contractors are threatening to take tractors onto the streets to protest over the imposition of higher carbon taxes on green diesel. They have also warned of a 5pc hike in contractor charges next year as a result of the carbon tax hike. Under plans announced in the Budget the carbon tax on green diesel will increase by 6/t from May 2020. This will add around 2c/litre to green diesel prices. The Association of Farm and Forestry Contractors in Ireland (FCI) has written to the Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, and the Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed, seeking clarity following confusion on the issue of carbon taxes on green diesel. Following Budget 2020 the FCI released a statement welcoming the fact that contractors would be able to get a rebate on the carbon tax when using green diesel. However, it later emerged this was not the case, with the contractor body blaming Minister Creed for the confusion. FCI chairman, Richard White, said contractors could not absorb the additional charges which the carbon tax will impose. "Contractors should be allowed a similar annual carbon tax deduction/rebate as that available to farmers," Mr White said. The introduction of the carbon tax just as the silage harvest kicks off next May is a further source of contractor anger, he added. FCI pointed out that the silage harvest accounts for consumption of around 214 million litres of green diesel, with total annual consumption by farm contractors exceeding 350m litres. The hike in the carbon tax of 2c/l will cost the farm sector around 4.3m for the silage harvest alone, and close to 7m for the entire year. "Next May is the month when the Government propose to enforce this penal stealth carbon tax on Irish farming. The timing could not be less appropriate," Mr White said. Alternative fuels "Irish farm contractors do not have the option of using alternative fuels. Hybrid or LPG as alternative fuel options are not currently available to power modern agricultural machines," he explained. "Farm contractors are now so outraged by this further increase in fuel costs, coupled with the ongoing inequity of not being allowed to avail of a carbon tax rebate, that they will be forced to increase all contractor charges to Irish farmers for 2020 by 5pc," he added. Given that the annual turnover in the Irish farm contractor sector is in the region of 700m, the FCI estimates that a 5pc increase in contractor charges will cost farmers 35m. TORONTO, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Arch Biopartners Inc., (Arch or the Company) (TSX Venture: ARCH and OTCQB: ACHFF), announced it has closed the non-brokered, unsecured convertible note (Note) financing it disclosed in a press release on February 4th for net proceeds of CAD $500,000 (the Offering). The Note matures on February 1, 2025 and will be convertible, at the option of the holder, into common shares in the capital of the Company (Common Shares) at a price per Common Share of $0.89, in the thirty-day period prior to the maturity of the Note. The Note bears simple interest of 8.5% per annum, which is payable in-kind by the Company with Common Shares to be issued at then market prices for the Common Shares and subject to TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) approval. The Note is unsecured and transferable, subject to resale restrictions under applicable securities laws and regulatory requirements. All securities issued in connection with the Offering are subject to a statutory hold period of four months commencing on the closing date of the Offering. The Company will primarily use the proceeds to fund the remaining costs of the phase I human trial for Metablok and general working capital. Metablok (LSALT peptide) is the Companys lead drug candidate targeting organ injury in the lungs, liver and kidney caused by inflammation. The Offering is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals, including Final Approval of the TSXV, which previously granted Conditional Approval of the Offering. There are no finder's fees to be paid in connection with the Offering. There is no material fact or material change about the Company that has not been generally disclosed. About Arch Biopartners Arch Biopartners Inc. is a clinical stage company focused on the development of innovative technologies that have the potential to make a significant medical or commercial impact. Arch is developing a drug library, led by Metablok, to produce new drug candidates that inhibit organ inflammation caused via the DPEP-1 pathway. Continuing under development in the Arch portfolio are: AB569, a potential new treatment for antibiotic resistant bacterial infections in the lung and wounds; and, Borg peptide coatings that increase corrosion resistance and decrease bacterial biofilm on various medical grade metals and plastics. For more information on Arch Biopartners, its technologies and other public documents Arch has filed on SEDAR, please visit www.archbiopartners.com The Company has 59,882,302 common shares outstanding. Forward-Looking Statements All statements, other than statements of historical fact, in this news release are forward looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, statements regarding the future plans and objectives of the Company. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances or managements estimates or opinions change. 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. Some say volatility, rather than debt, is the best way to think about risk as an investor, but Warren Buffett famously said that 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk'. When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. We note that Samson Holding Ltd. (HKG:531) does have debt on its balance sheet. But the real question is whether this debt is making the company risky. What Risk Does Debt Bring? Debt is a tool to help businesses grow, but if a business is incapable of paying off its lenders, then it exists at their mercy. If things get really bad, the lenders can take control of the business. However, a more usual (but still expensive) situation is where a company must dilute shareholders at a cheap share price simply to get debt under control. Of course, debt can be an important tool in businesses, particularly capital heavy businesses. The first step when considering a company's debt levels is to consider its cash and debt together. Check out our latest analysis for Samson Holding What Is Samson Holding's Net Debt? The image below, which you can click on for greater detail, shows that at June 2019 Samson Holding had debt of US$198.9m, up from US$91.0m in one year. However, it does have US$231.8m in cash offsetting this, leading to net cash of US$32.9m. SEHK:531 Historical Debt, February 6th 2020 How Healthy Is Samson Holding's Balance Sheet? The latest balance sheet data shows that Samson Holding had liabilities of US$278.2m due within a year, and liabilities of US$15.0m falling due after that. Offsetting this, it had US$231.8m in cash and US$97.7m in receivables that were due within 12 months. So it can boast US$36.3m more liquid assets than total liabilities. This surplus suggests that Samson Holding is using debt in a way that is appears to be both safe and conservative. Due to its strong net asset position, it is not likely to face issues with its lenders. Succinctly put, Samson Holding boasts net cash, so it's fair to say it does not have a heavy debt load! Story continues Shareholders should be aware that Samson Holding's EBIT was down 79% last year. If that earnings trend continues then paying off its debt will be about as easy as herding cats on to a roller coaster. When analysing debt levels, the balance sheet is the obvious place to start. But you can't view debt in total isolation; since Samson Holding will need earnings to service that debt. So when considering debt, it's definitely worth looking at the earnings trend. Click here for an interactive snapshot. Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. Samson Holding may have net cash on the balance sheet, but it is still interesting to look at how well the business converts its earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, because that will influence both its need for, and its capacity to manage debt. Over the last three years, Samson Holding recorded negative free cash flow, in total. Debt is usually more expensive, and almost always more risky in the hands of a company with negative free cash flow. Shareholders ought to hope for an improvement. Summing up While it is always sensible to investigate a company's debt, in this case Samson Holding has US$32.9m in net cash and a decent-looking balance sheet. So while Samson Holding does not have a great balance sheet, it's certainly not too bad. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. Take risks, for example - Samson Holding has 2 warning signs (and 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) we think you should know about. At the end of the day, it's often better to focus on companies that are free from net debt. You can access our special list of such companies (all with a track record of profit growth). It's free. 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 European Union has called for an end to the bombings in northwest Syria and the opening of a humanitarian corridor as Syrian forces push into the last rebel stronghold of Idlib. Josep Borrell, the EUs diplomatic chief, said on Thursday bombings and other attacks on civilians in northwest Syria must stop. In a joint statement with European Emergency Response Coordinator Janez Lenarcic, Borrell called for unimpeded humanitarian access to people in need of assistance as well the respect of humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians. The EU reiterated its willingness to provide humanitarian assistance in the face of the extraordinary human suffering being endured by the population, but called for unhindered and secure access to assess and respond to the full range of needs. Al Jazeeras Sinem Koseoglu, reporting from a refugee camp in Syrias rebel-held Atmeh, said the situation was very dire in the area. Atmeh centre, a tent city, is very crowded. People have no infrastructure. There arent enough tents, she said. Koseoglu said the aid could enter from Bab al-Hawa from Turkeys Hatay region, but the security situation made it difficult to do so as the Syrian government has conducted raids against its own citizens. People feel stuck by the border. They cant enter Turkey, they cant go back home, they cant receive proper aid and public service, she said. Renewed offensive Backed by Russian airpower, the Syrian government forces have intensified its attacks since December to gain ground in Idlib. A renewed offensive by Syrian forces has undermined existing peace agreements and led to deadly clashes between Turkish and Syrian forces in which more than 20 soldiers and personnel were killed on Monday. Syrian army soldiers advance in Tall Touqan village in Syrias northwestern Idlib province [AFP] Meanwhile, Turkey on Thursday urged Russia to press for an end to the Syrian government offensive in Idlib. We expect Russia to stop the regime as soon as possible, Turkeys Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters in the Azerbaijani capital Baku. Turkey and Russia back opposing sides in the Syrian conflict, but have worked to find political solutions in Idlib. Cavusoglu said Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin could meet if needed. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said there were no plans currently for Putin and Erdogan to meet, but that such a meeting could be quickly organised if needed. The Syrian government forces backed by air raids had on Wednesday encircled and entered Saraqib, 15 kilometres (9 miles) east of Idlib city, according to a report by the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) that was corroborated by witnesses. The town lies at the junction of two main roads that President Bashar al-Assad seeks to fully control under the campaign to regain Idlib province, the last rebel bastion in the nearly nine-year-long civil war. The swift advance towards Idlib city has caused a new exodus of thousands of civilians towards the border with Turkey, which backs some rebel groups fighting al-Assad. Rebel fighters managed to push back government forces from most of Saraqeb in an attack from the northern part of the town that coincided with Turkish shelling against advancing government forces, the SOHR said. Witnesses said government forces came under shelling from Turkish observation posts in the area, which were established last year under a deal with Moscow. The renewed fighting is taking place despite a January 12 ceasefire agreement between Turkey and Russia. The conflict in Syria has killed more than 380,000 people since 2011 and has driven more than half of the pre-war population of more than 20 million people into exile. The Ontario government is blaming a computer glitch for child-care overpayments that had parents questioning the provinces commitment to resolving the escalating labour dispute with teachers. On Wednesday morning, parents were taking to social media saying they were surprised and dismayed at having received child-care compensation from the government in excess of what they expected and which seemed to include payment for school closures that hadnt even occurred yet. By late afternoon, the Ministry of Education had explained that the overpayment was a mistake and the result of a systems problem that wasnt properly counting the number of days a school had been closed by teacher strikes and that the glitch had been resolved. All Support for Parents applications received undergo a verification process to ensure that they meet the eligibility requirements, said a ministry spokesperson. We will continue to review our systems to ensure all parents receive support during this period of disruption. The system data needed to be adjusted so that it accurately counted the number of days schools had been closed when teachers were on the picket line and did not double-count elementary and secondary school closures. A ministry spokesperson said a very small number of applications were affected and resulted in overpayment. When asked whether parents will have to pay money back, she said the ministry is still working through possible solutions, noting that with more job action planned for next week its possible the math will add up. That is blatant incompetence, said parent Megan Ransom, who was overpaid. On the form you put your childs school board and school. It is not very difficult to figure out how many days. The math is pretty simple. I firmly believe they are making excuses for their incompetence. Before the government clarified what had occurred, one mother told the Star it was so disappointing to see a deposit on Tuesday of $120 in her account, which she assumed was to cover three days of action two of which had not yet occurred. Her son, whos in kindergarten, attends a public school in York Region, where elementary teachers have walked off the job once, and will do so again Thursday and Friday. Every week I think, OK, this is it, this is the last week of strike action, said the woman, who asked not be identified because shes a Toronto public high school teacher who was laid off last fall and fears speaking out could jeopardize her employment. But when you see yourself getting paid for future strike days you can see that the government has no intention of settling this any time soon or even going to the negotiating table. When the Star suggested the overpayment could be a mistake, she noted, I dont think so. Its happened to so many people. Indeed, in recent days, parents have been on social media, expressing surprise and frustration that the government would pay in advance for strike days. Im shocked, one parent, who had received an additional day of pay, wrote on Twitter. The government isnt even trying to pretend they want to negotiate anymore. Another wrote, Its becoming very clear from the accounts of these prepayments, that the (government) had no real intent of negotiating towards a settlement. One teacher said of the situation: This is one more poke in the eye by our government. All four of Ontarios teachers unions are immersed in tense labour talks with the province, and three have held teacher walkouts. Among key issues for unions is the governments plan to increase class sizes and introduce two mandatory online courses in high schools, and the need for more resources for students with special needs. But the government insists the main issue is salary, noting its offering a one per cent increase but the unions want cost of living increases, or about two per cent. In mid-January, as labour talks between the Progressive Conservative government and teachers unions were breaking down, the province offered to compensate parents between $25 and $60 per child, depending on age, for each day that a school or a school-based child-care centre is closed due to strike. At the time, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said the money was to help parents cover child-care costs because of the strikes but Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario, which has 83,000 members, called it an attempt to bribe parents for support. The union, representing public elementary teachers and early childhood educators, reiterated that position in a statement Wednesday, saying: ETFO has called this money a transparent attempt to bribe the public to support the government and cover up the fact that it is making massive cuts to public education. ETFO has been holding daily rotating strikes impacting different boards and has scheduled provincewide strikes on Thursday and next Tuesday. As of Tuesday, the government had received applications for 342,856 children about a quarter of the 1.45 million who are eligible in Ontario. The province will pay $60 per day for children in a school-based child-care centre that is closed, and $40 a day for those in kindergarten, $25 for those in grades 1 to 7 and $40 for those with special needs up to Grade 12. Jessica Lyons, a member of the grassroots group Ontario Parent Action Network told the Star, A small, temporary help on child-care costs is not going to distract parents from the issue that this government is gutting public education. Mississauga mother Rachelle Manios signed up for the Support for Parents compensation program but never actually thought she would receive the funds, which she plans to donate to her daughters schools. I wasnt expecting anything so this is a lovely surprise, said Manios, who has already received $120 for her daughter with special needs. That includes advance strike pay and she suspects its to cover three days of strikes at $40 each. But she hasnt received any money for her daughter in Grade 7. After learning about the computer glitch, she said, Im sure itll all get worked out in the end. I cant see (the government) going back to parents asking for money back. But you never know what theyll do. Republican and campaign officials said among the steps that could be taken to punish Romney are continued attacks on Twitter or through paid advertisements. Trump allies could also help fund an opponent in his state, although hes not up for reelection until 2024, or push operatives or donors not to support or work for him. White House officials could block policy or budget priorities that Romney wants, according to aides who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations. Centre's announcement of alternative site to build Babri Masjid has been met with disappointment with a section of Muslim leaders and litigants demanding that the Sunni Waqf Board, which will receive the land, move the Supreme Court Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday announced in the Parliament that the Uttar Pradesh government has allotted five acres of land in Ayodhya district to the Sunni Central Waqf Board as directed by the Supreme Court, however, the announcement has been met with disappointment with a section of Muslim leaders and litigants pressurising the Sunni Waqf Board, which will receive the land, to move the Supreme Court. Reacting to the development, Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Arshad Madani said the Babri Masjid was a mosque in view of law and justice, and in light of the Shariah. "It would remain a mosque till the Day of Resurrection, no matter what form and name it is given because no individual and party has the right to withdraw his claim from any mosque to any alternative," he said in a statement. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) went a step ahead and said that the Sunni Central Waqf Board is not the "representative of the entire Muslim community", and if it accepts the Centre's offer, it should not be "considered a decision of all Muslims of the country". AIMPLB senior executive member Maulana Yasin Usmani said that the AIMPLB and those associated with it have decided that they "will not take any land in Ayodhya". Though the AIMPLB and other Muslim bodies may find it difficult to impose their opinion, considering the final call will be taken by the Sunni Central Waqf Board on whether or not to accept the land, the reactions to the announcement are not surprising. Here's a look at the possible reasons that may be behind the call to reject the alternative site for Babri Masjid. Location of alternative site The location of the alternative site to build the new Babri Masjid is one of the key reasons behind the call to reject it. According to reports, the land to construct the new Babri Masjid is located in Dhannipur village in tehsil Sohawal in Ayodhya on the Lucknow highway, about 18 kilometres from the district headquarters, and about 30 kilometres from the Babri Masjid site. According to a report in Economic Times, Muslim litigants in the Babri Masjid case are disappointed the alternative land is located outside the Ayodhya city. Haji Mehboob, a key litigant in the Ayodhya title dispute, said that the litigants have said that they don't want land, and if the land was allocated it should have been close to Ayodhya. What is the point of giving land so far away? I dont accept it, he said, according to the report. 'Masjid should be built in the 67 acres acquired by Centre' Ever since the Supreme Court announced its judgment on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case in November 2019, Muslim leaders in Ayodhya, including the main litigant Iqbal Ansari, have demanded that the alternative site should be within the 67 acres of land acquired by the Centre in 1991. "If they want to give us the land, they must give it to us according to our convenience and only in that acquired land of 67 acres. Then we will take it. Otherwise, we will reject the offer, as people are saying 'Go out of Chaudah Kos and construct masjid there'. This is not fair," Ansari had told PTI in November, soon after the verdict. He echoed the same sentiment on Wednesday, stating that the government has wrongly interpreted Ayodhya in the SC verdict, according to a report published in The Indian Express. The report quoted Ansari as saying that "Ayodhya" in the judgment refers to "Ayodhya town, spread over a 5-kilometre radius", but the government has changed the name of Faizabad district to Ayodhya and provided land in Raunahi area of the district. Senior AIMPLB member Zafaryab Jilani also echoed the demand to build the masjid in Ayodhya town on Wednesday. "The decision of the Uttar Pradesh government to give five-acre land for construction of the masjid (mosque) almost 18 kilometres away from the district headquarters of Ayodhya is against the judgment delivered by a constitutional bench of the Supreme Court in 1994 in the cases of Ismal Farooqui." "In the judgment, it was said that the 67 acres of land acquired by the Centre will be used only for four purposes temple, mosque, library and resting place (thahraav sthal). If any land is left, then it will be returned to its owners. Hence, the land for the mosque should be given from this 67 acre of land," he said. Neither is the land at a prominent place nor is it in Ayodhya, which the actual case relates to. Ayodhya in the case was part of Faizabad district, Jilani was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. Jilani also said, "AIMPLB has already decided that it will not take any land in lieu of the land of the mosque. Now, it depends on the Sunni Board to keep this point of view before the government." The issue of Muslim graveyards Speaking to The Economic Times, AIMPLB member and advocate MR Shamshad claimed that the Babri Masjid was surrounded by a Muslim graveyard on three sides and that the Centre shouldn't have transferred at least that portion of the land (about four acres) to the Ram Mandir trust, which was announced on Wednesday. It is obvious that the foundation of the Ram temple will be not only on the land of the mosque where Muslims offered namaz for centuries but also on the graves of Muslims that surrounded the mosque. The centre could have avoided giving this land for the temple," he said. According to the report, in 1961, the Sunni Central Waqf Board while filing a case against the "placing of the idols" inside the Babari Masjid, had claimed rights to the mosque and surrounding land that it said was a graveyard. However, after the 1994 SC judgment, the dispute was confined to just 1,480 square yards. While the November 2019 judgment resolves that dispute, Shamshad said that the fact remains that the mosque was surrounded by graveyards from three sides. Meanwhile, the Shia Board has called for communal amity irrespective of the decision. "The Supreme Court had directed to provide the land to the Sunni Waqf Board. It's their decision whether they take it or not. Whatever decision, it takes there should be peace and communal amity," said All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) spokesman Maulana Yasoob Abbas. He, however, said that the Shia Board is with the AIMPLB on the matter. With inputs from PTI WASHINGTON When the history books are written about this day, they will surely record it as the culmination of a monumental three-year political battle that tested American democracy and delivered victory to an enraged and enraging president over his relentless foes. But they will not record it as the end of the struggle. President Trumps acquittal on Wednesday after a fiery three-week Senate impeachment trial provided him a moment of triumph, a sense of validation, a shot of momentum anything but the finality that he might want. The president who vowed to bring an end to endless wars overseas remains at the center of an endless war at home, one that now moves to the campaign trail and will not be resolved until November at the earliest. Rather than reaching out to bind the wounds, as President Bill Clinton did after his own Senate impeachment trial in 1999, Mr. Trump made clear minutes after the final roll call that he planned to go on the offensive. He opted to wait until Thursday to make a public appearance, on the advice of aides concerned about complicating the lives of Republicans who cast tough votes for him, but his Twitter feed and staff statements taunted his opponents and boasted of the Countrys VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax! With Wednesdays vote to acquit President Donald Trump on two articles of impeachment falling predictably along party lines, U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-5 of Swarthmore, said the Senate had chosen to put party before country in the face of overwhelming evidence, turning its back on the Constitution and the rule of law in the process. I am disheartened and scared of what this president will do knowing that, with few exceptions, the Republican Party is unwilling to challenge his misconduct, said Scanlon, a longtime attorney who serves as vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee. This is a sad day for our country. While I am deeply upset by the Senates decision, I continue to believe that we are better than what we appear to be today and that our Constitution will endure. Scanlon added that she does not believe the fiction that the president will now reform his behavior, having become just the third president in history to go through the impeachment process, but called on her colleagues to redouble their efforts in fighting for things like affordable health care, reducing gun violence, protecting seniors and the environment, and holding the Trump administration accountable. Delaware County Republican Party Chairman Tom McGarrigle did not return calls for comment Wednesday, but Colleen Guiney, chair of the Delaware County Democratic Party, said she believes the impeachment overall will energize both bases going into the primary election and could push a higher turnout. I think that the people who listen to some news outlets will think the president is vindicated and people who listen to other news outlets will believe that the system is sort of broken, she said. The people who believe that the presidents behavior was OK, or if that it wasnt OK, we dont mind theyre even more entrenched because their side decided to agree that the presidents behavior was acceptable to them. And I think for the Democrats, seeing Nancy Pelosi rip the State of the Union in half at the end of that speech, theres a level of frustration that no matter what we do, justice has not been served in this case. Guiney said that some may become disillusioned, but most people that she is aware of are realizing it is only that much more important to become involved with politics and try to make things better. Even if they are not familiar with local races, she said, voters on both sides of the aisle might come out just to pull the lever for the presidential election and select some others that support that agenda, whatever it may be. Pennsylvanias two U.S. senators stuck to their parties on the impeachment vote. Republican Sen. Pat Toomey voted to acquit on both articles; Democrat Sen. Bob Casey voted to convict. Today, I joined a majority of senators in voting to acquit President Trump, said Toomey. The Constitution sets a very high bar for impeachment and removal of a sitting president. While some of President Trumps actions were inappropriate, they did not come close to meeting the very high bar required to justify overturning the last election, removing him from office, and kicking him off the ballot in an election that has already begun. In November, the American people will decide for themselves whether President Trump should stay in office. In our democratic system, thats the way it should be. It is my hope that Congress can now move past this extremely partisan and divisive episode and get back to working on issues that will strengthen our economy and make our communities safer. Casey said it was clear that Trump withheld military aid and a White House meeting from Ukraine for personal, political gain: an investigation of a political rival and a conspiracy theory about the 2016 election. He said it was also clear that Trump had solicited foreign interference in the 2020 election and further abused his power by repeatedly obstructing Congress investigation. Toomey is in his second term, which runs through 2022. A campaign spokesman has said Toomey plans to actively campaign for Trumps re-election in 2020. Casey, a strident critic of Trump, is in his third term, which runs through 2024. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. FILE PHOTO: Mark Bristow, chief executive officer of Barrick Gold, speaks during an interview at the Investing in African Mining Indaba conference in Cape Town By Helen Reid and Ernest Scheyder (Reuters) - Barrick Gold Corp does not want to buy copper mining giant Freeport McMoRan Inc , although it is interested in its rival's flagship Grasberg mine in Indonesia, Chief Executive Mark Bristow said on Thursday. The strategy replicates one that Bristow successfully deployed in 2019: aggressively float interest in an entire company even though the ultimate goal is just one asset. Rumors that Barrick, the world's second-largest gold miner, planned to bid for Freeport are "completely wrong", Bristow told Reuters on the sidelines of the Mining Indaba conference in Cape Town. "People jump to conclusions," he said. The rumors, though, were flamed in recent weeks by Bristow himself in meetings with analysts and investors that leaked out to various media. "People say, 'Are you interested in Grasberg?' I say, 'I have to be; it's a tier one asset,'" Bristow said. Tier one assets refer to high-grade, long-life mines. Buying Grasberg - the world's largest gold mine and second-largest copper mine - would fit nicely into Barrick's strategy of expanding in the Pacific Rim and capitalizing on rising copper demand from the electric vehicle industry. Bristow said he believes copper will be "the most-strategic metal on this planet" in a decade. A Freeport spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In an interview with Reuters last week, Freeport CEO Richard Adkerson declined to discuss Barrick. Bristow last February launched a hostile takeover bid for rival gold miner Newmont Corporation . The fight turned nasty - Bristow at one point called Newmont's then-CEO a "loser" - but ultimately Bristow got what he wanted: a cost-saving joint venture between the two companies in Nevada. Buying all of Freeport, which traces its roots back to 1834, could bring legacy risk associated with old mines, Bristow said. Story continues Freeport in late 2018 relinquished majority control of Grasberg under pressure from the Indonesian government. The deal smoothed relations with Jakarta and keeps Freeport the mine's operator until 2041. Freeport is now spending more than $15 billion to expand Grasberg in what will be the largest underground mine ever developed. Struggling with unrest at the Porgera mine in Papua New Guinea (PNG), Bristow said Barrick offered the government a 52% share of the economic benefits of the mine in response to government demands for a larger stake. If Barrick succeeds in resolving the dispute in PNG, the market will be more comfortable with the company taking on more risk the Pacific Rim, Bristow said. (Reporting by Helen Reid in Cape Town and Ernest Scheyder in Houston; editing by Barbara Lewis and Lisa Shumaker) On January 28th, 2020, former Secretary of State and current state Senator Ruth Johnson, who also chairs the Senate Elections Committee, introduced Senate Bills 756 and 757, legislation that would change the processing of Absent Voter (AV) Ballots in Michigan and how Absent Voter Counting Boards (AVCB) operate. Specifically, as introduced, the bills would allow for local (city or township) clerks with a population of greater than 40,000 to perform specified preprocessing of absentee ballots on the Monday before the election. This would not permit tabulation, just the opening of the envelope. It is my belief that Senator Johnson introduced this legislation in response to concerns expressed by many election officials, as I originally wrote about HERE. In fact, Senator Johnson testified that she drafted the bills with input from the city clerks and other various groups to try to best appease all parties while ensuring the security of the states elections. At a Senate Committee Hearing on the bills, Livonia City Clerk Susan Nash testified that the city processed 16,000 absentee ballots in 2016 and did not finish until 3:00 a.m. She further stated that she is expecting between 30,000 and 40,000 absent voter ballots this year. Rochester Hills City Clerk Tina Barton correctly pointed out that numerous states allow clerks to run ballots through tabulators, without releasing any results, before Election Day, stating that the ability to process ballots days before an election is not new in this country. Unfortunately, Senator Johnson is reluctant to allow for early feeding of the ballots, even though County Clerks can program the election tabulators to only permit tabulation after polls close and precinct/election workers could be sequestered to safeguard any information they were able to glean, during their service. Senator VanderWall called the legislation a knee-jerk reaction to the expected increase of absent voter ballots. What he fails to realize is that many Michigan election officials have held at least three elections since the passage of Proposal 3 of 2018 and we have seen the need for legislation to account for the significant increase in absentee voting. In fact, this legislation cannot be enacted fast enough as election officials need resources and flexibility to administer our elections. Senator McBroom asked what the rush to get unofficial results out to the public was. Simply put, the longer it takes to report unofficial results, the more likely voter confidence will dwindle. Senator Johnson indicated that she would be open to amendments and I am hopeful that she takes a hard look at the following concerns: The bills requirements will force voters to seek out whether or not their community has enrolled in the early opening system if they need to spoil their ballot, which isnt readily publicized. This will cause confusion and may preclude votes from being counted. The tabulator is the safest place for opened ballots to reside. County Clerks can program the tabulators to withhold results until election night and they are locked and secured, which ballots need to be. The population threshold is capricious and does not account for the fact that local clerks of small municipalities may not be able to recruit volunteers to help, and may need the extra day the most. The 40 day threshold is an arbitrary number and is unnecessary. It should be removed. Local clerks should be able to open them the day before if they want to with no limitations. I look forward to substitute legislation being offered that addresses the above concerns and affords the timely release of unofficial election night results. After getting "mistakenly" rejected to fly by Air India, stand up comedian Kunal Kamra's namesake on Thursday said that it was a bizarre incident but after the verification, he was allowed to travel. Days after four airlines imposed a flying ban on Kunal Kamra, Air India cancelled the ticket of a namesake of the stand-up comedian on Wednesday. "I was shocked when I was informed by the Air India staff that my name is in the blacklist. I was travelling from Jaipur to Mumbai but at the airport, I was told that I'm barred from travelling. It was a bizarre incident but after the verification, Air India staff treated me very well," said Kunal, the person who was rejected by the airline. "I requested the airline and told them that I am not Kunal Kamra who has been banned from flying. Later, after seeing all my documents I was allowed to travel. I guess I was confused to be the person who has been banned from flying due to the namesake," he added. Kunal further asserted that in future too he will be travelling by Air India. "I don't want to comment on the decision taken by the Government and airlines to ban any passenger but in future too I will travel by Air India," said Kunal. In a statement released by Air India, the airline said, "Kamra is banned to board Air India. It is mentioned in our system. That is why his name was automatically rejected. After verification of all the credentials of the passenger, we allowed him to board." A flying ban was imposed over Kamra a week ago for heckling journalist Arnab Goswami during an Indigo flight and making a video of it. In the video posted by the stand-up comedian on his Twitter handle, Goswami remained glued to his laptop and did not respond to the former's questions, jibes and comments. Air India, SpiceJet, and GoAir declared a ban on Kamra until further orders while IndiGo has barred him from flying for six months. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) LAGUNA HILLS, Calif., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sonendo, Inc., a dental technology company developing and commercializing products to save teeth through Sound Science, announced today the appointment of Andrew Kirkpatrick as Chief Operating Officer. Andrew Kirkpatrick has extensive experience in technology, including medical technology. Immediately prior to joining the team at Sonendo, Mr. Kirkpatrick was Chief Operating Officer at Accuray, a leading radiation oncology company. In addition, he has served in leadership capacities at two semiconductor equipment companies, as Senior Director of Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions at KLA-Tencor and Director of Product Marketing at GaSonics. Mr. Kirkpatrick received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the United States Naval Academy and an MBA in Marketing and Finance from the University of California, Berkeley. "On behalf of the Sonendo Team, I would like to extend a warm welcome to Andrew Kirkpatrick. Andy is a strong leader with a diverse set of talent and experiences to help drive operations of Sonendo to the next level," said Bjarne Bergheim, President and CEO of Sonendo. "I'm excited to join Sonendo and leverage my operating experience to advance the company's growth. Together, we can continue to deliver industry-recognized innovations that provide effective, efficient endodontic treatments to delight both clinicians and patients," Mr. Kirkpatrick said. About Sonendo Sonendo, Inc. is a privately-held company developing innovative technologies to transform dentistry by Saving Teeth Through Sound Science. The GentleWave System shows significant improvements in clinical efficacy and practice efficiency when compared to standard root canal treatment.1,2, 3 Sonendo is the parent company of TDO Software, the developer of the most widely used endodontic practice management software in the world, designed to simplify practice workflow. TDO software seamlessly integrates practice management, imaging, social media, referral reporting, CBCT imaging, and offers built-in communication with the GentleWave System. 1Sigurdsson A et al. (2016) J Endod. 42:1040-48. 2Molina B et al. (2015) J Endod. 41:1701-05. 3Trope M et al. (1999) J Endod. 25:34550. Forward-Looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements based on management's beliefs, assumptions and expectations and information currently available to management. All statements that address events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future are forward-looking statements, including without limitation our expectations on the timing and progress of research and development activities. Management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made. However, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they speak only as of the date when made. Sonendo does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements publicly, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Actual results, developments, or events could differ materially from those disclosed in the forward-looking statements. Media Contact: Sonendo Investor Relations +1-949-667-7197 [email protected] SOURCE Sonendo Two Mexican cops were arrested by California authorities for attempting to rob a home in San Diego County were they were seeking to haul away $1 million. Jesus Estrada Torres and Marco Quijas Castillo, who were assigned to the Tijuana municipal police department, were apprehended along with four other men by the Federal Bureau of Investigations [FBI] last Friday. The FBI had been investigating the crew since November. The two police officers and one of their accomplices, Ignacio Cruz Martinez, were accompanied by an undercover cop in crossing the Mexico-United States border, according to court documents obtained by Mexican news outlet Punto Norte. Jesus Estrada Torres is one of two Tijuana, Mexico, police officers who were arrested last Friday after they and four other men attempted to rob $1 million from a San Diego home Tijuana cop, Marco Quijas Castillo (pictured), and his partner Jesus Estrada Torres are among a group of six men who were caught by the FBI last week outside a home in Chula Vista, California, that they intended to rob of $1 million Officers Estrada Torres and Quijas Castillo later met up with Mario Eugene Hall, Tomas Emmanuel Ramirez and Jeremiah Nicholas Shaw, all of whom were armed and had traveled from San Bernardino. The Mexican cops and Cruz Martinez provided surveillance in the area while the an undercover FBI agent gathered the other three men for a meeting outside a Chula Vista department store and provided the access code to the home's address. The men were nabbed by the FBI moments after Shaw entered the code into a mail box that contained the residence's door key. Estrada Torres, Quijas Castillo and the four other suspects appeared in San Diego Superior Court on Tuesday before Judge Enrique Camarena, the son of the Drug Enforcement Agency [DEA] agent, Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena, who was assassinated by a drug Mexican cartel in 1985. Agent Kiki Camarena's life is portrayed in the hit Netflix series, Narcos: Mexico. Ignacio Cruz Martinez traveled from Mexico with two Tijuana police officers last Friday and met up with three other men in a failed attempt to steal $1 million from a residence in Chula Vista, California Jesus Estrada Torres rose through the Tijuana police ranks and was named director of a police unit assigned to the district of La Presa Rural Estrada Torres rose through the Tijuana police ranks and was named director of a police unit assigned to the district of La Presa Rural. He has been stripped of his title. The suspects plead 'not guilt' to conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit residential burglary and weapons possession, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. Although officers Estrada Torres and Quijas Castillo were not carrying any guns at the time of their apprehension, the state of California can charge them with gun possession on the grounds that they were 'vicariously' armed during the act of a crime. If convicted, the Mexican cops can face up to 10 years in prison. They remained in custody on a $1 million bail bond. All of the suspects are set to appear in court February 14 and 19. The PM said representative offices abroad play an important role in promoting cooperation activities in politics, diplomacy, economy, culture and tourism. Therefore, besides intensifying political and diplomatic collaboration, heads of representative offices abroad must pay special attention to promoting economic and trade cooperation, he said. PM Phuc asked the diplomats to give recommendations to the Party, State and relevant agencies about issues related to boosting production, export and trade exchanges. The PM also noted the need to help overseas Vietnamese keep the traditional culture and promote the teaching and learning of Vietnamese language. For their part, the ambassadors and heads of overseas representative offices pledged to do their utmost to step up multi-faceted cooperation between Vietnam and other countries. Reuters Vodafone will remove Huawei technology from the core of its European networks following Britain's decision to restrict the Chinese company's role in 5G and new EU guidelines on the firm's equipment, Chief Executive Nick Read said. Britain last month allowed Huawei a limited role in new mobile networks defying US pressure for an outright ban on security grounds but excluded it from the core and imposed a 35 percent cap in the less-sensitive radio network. Huawei has repeatedly denied US allegations that its equipment could potentially be used by Beijing for spying. "We have now decided, as a result of the EU toolbox and the UK government's decision, to take out Huawei from the core," Read told reporters on Wednesday. "This will take around five years to implement at a cost of approximately 200 million euros." Read said Vodafone would only have to make minor adjustments to comply with the rules in Britain, where it has not deployed Huawei in its core. Vodafone does use Huawei in its core in Spain and in some smaller European markets. Read welcomed the British approach, which he said was evidence-based and differentiated between different parts of the network, but he opposed caps on the use of particular vendors by operators. "It hugely impacts customers and the quality of networks if we are forced to do an accelerated swap," he said. "Although this isn't an issue in the UK I wouldn't want this for Europe." He said it could lead to delays of anything between two and five years depending on which countries decided to impose a cap. "The US is racing ahead, China is racing ahead," he said. "We can't hold back our 5G deployment and therefore I think caps would be restrictive on that basis." Read did not specify which of Vodafone's big continental markets Germany, Italy and Spain could be affected. "I'm not hearing European markets saying they want caps, I'm saying were we to go that route, it has consequences," he said. BT, Vodafone's rival in its home market which is already stripping out Huawei from its core, will have to spend 500 million pounds to comply with the UK cap. The costs is to remove radio equipment from some locations and switch contracts to rivals like Ericsson and Nokia. In Germany, Vodafone's largest European market, lawmakers are still arguing over Huawei. Read said Vodafone was working to increase the number of vendors, centred on its OpenRAN initiative, which aims to standardise the design of software and hardware. (Also read: Australia banned Huawei from supplying equipment for a 5G mobile network in 2018) Europe A Slog Earlier on Wednesday, Vodafone reported third-quarter organic service revenue growth of 0.8 percent, an uptick from the second, helped by continued recovery in South Africa. Europe, however, remained a slog for the world's second biggest mobile operator, with revenue down 1.4 percent year-on-year, the same rate seen in the previous quarter. "We expect a further gradual improvement in service revenue growth in Q4, led by Europe," Read said. Shares in Vodafone reversed early gains to trade down 1 percent at 1149 GMT. Read is focusing Vodafone's operations on Europe and sub-Sahara Africa, and last month the company agreed to sell its 55 percent stake in Vodafone Egypt for $2.4 billion to Saudi Telecom Company. The group also wants to generate more value from its network infrastructure. It has appointed senior managers for its European tower company, Read said, and was preparing for a potential public listing in early 2021, most likely in London or Frankfurt. Vodafone reiterated its full-year guidance of adjusted core earnings of 14.8-15.0 billion euros, and free cash flow before spectrum costs of about 5.4 billion euros. The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) says as part of this year's Chocolate Day Celebration, it has instructed its Regional Offices to celebrate with children admitted at the various Government Hospitals across the country. According to a press release signed by the Acting Manager, Corporate Affairs, Jones Aruna Nelson, this year's National Chocolate Day is set to change the widely held perception of the promotion of immoral conduct among the youth most especially on Valentines Day. "The celebration which is under the theme, 'MY CHOCOLATE EXPERIENCE, MY HOLISTIC WELLBEING' is all about the promotion and consumption of made in Ghana chocolate, with the main objective of boosting domestic tourism, promoting the consumption of Made in Ghana chocolate and Cocoa based products," the statement noted. It added that the Chocolate Day aims at creating awareness for Ghanaians to appreciate the health benefits of Chocolate, and to promote Ghana as the preferred chocolate destination. Below is a copy of the press release: PRESS RELEASE GTA TO ORGRANISE 2020 CHOCOLATE DAY The Ghana Tourism Authority in collaboration with COCOBOD and Cocoa Processing Company will celebrate the 2020 National Chocolate Day under the theme, MY CHOCOLATE EXPERIENCE, MY HOLISTIC WELLBEING. The event which is celebrated under the auspices of Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is organised every 14th of February to promote the consumption of chocolate and highlight chocolate as a healthy product. The Chocolate Day activities for this year will commence with a Digital Campaign Competition where people will post a picture of themselves enjoying chocolate or any product produced with chocolate on social media and tag the Ghana Tourism Authority with the hashtag #MyChocolateExperience#ChocolateDay2020#EatGhana. Winners of this competition will be awarded on 14th February, 2020. Other activities of the celebration include: A nationwide Cocoa Art Competition starting from Saturday, 1st February to 10th February, 2020, where participating artists submit a painting depicting the Cocoa Story, to the Accra Tourist Information Center and artists out of Greater Accra will submit to respective GTA Regional offices. Winners for this competition will also be awarded on the 14th of February, 2020. There will be health screening and chocolate distribution at Anum Apapamu, a cocoa farming community near Suhum in the Eastern Region on Tuesday, 11th February, 2020. They will also be joined by the Eastern Regional office of the GTA. On the 14th February, 2020 there will be a Cook Art at Kumasi Anglican Senior High School among selected Senior High Schools in the Ashanti Region. This activity will be joined by the Ashanti Regional office of the GTA. As part of the celebrations all GTA regional offices would visit a government hospital in their respective regions where chocolate and other cocoa based products would be donated to the children on admission in the wards. The 2020 National Chocolate Day will be climaxed at the Alisa Hotel on the 14th February, 2020. The National Chocolate Day is celebrated to change the widely held perception of the promotion of immoral conducts among the youth most especially on Valentines Day, to the promotion and consumption of made in Ghana chocolate, with the main objective of boosting domestic tourism, promoting the consumption of Made in Ghana chocolate and Cocoa based products. Also, it aims at creating awareness for Ghanaians to appreciate the health benefits of Chocolate, and to promote Ghana as the preferred chocolate destination. JONES ARUNA NELSON AG. MANAGER, CORPORATE AFFAIRS With a record 900 publishers participating and a massive turnout of 3.5 million visitors, the 51st Cairo International Book Fair wrapped up on Feb. 4 and has been hailed by organizers as a resounding success. But it has also been criticized by free speech advocates for banning some controversial titles and excluding a number of publishers. "The censorship at the [fair] is part of a wider state of repression and muzzling of free speech and expression in Egypt that has seen hundreds of websites blocked, community libraries shut down and dozens of journalists imprisoned in recent years for no crime other than expressing a dissenting viewpoint," lamented Gamal Eid, head of the Cairo-based Arabic Network for Human Rights Information. Continuing a trend that started in 2015, books by some prominent members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood such as Sayyed Qutb, Hassan El Banna and Sheikh Youssef Qaradawi were absent from the shelves this year. The books were banned on grounds that they "spread radical ideology and sow sedition," according to Nancy Samir of the Egyptian General Book Organization, the organizer of the book fair. She told Al-Monitor that there was an entire section devoted to Islamic books at the fair this year, but acknowledged that all participating publishers had been required to send in lists of the titles to be displayed ahead of the event. A number of Islamic publishing houses were excluded from this year's event. Some of their applications for participation rejected by security officials and other publishers purportedly owned by members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood had been seized by the state. The authorities went a step further this year, extending their exclusion beyond "militant" publishing houses. Tammia, a publishing house founded by jailed Cairo publisher Khaled Lotfy, was also sidelined by the fair's organizers, who cited security concerns. Last April, Lotfy was sentenced by a military court to five years in prison for "spreading rumors" and "divulging military secrets." The charges were in relation to Tammia's distribution of an Arabic translation of a politically sensitive book by Israeli novelist Uri-Bar Joseph. The disputed book, The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel, is a biography of late Egyptian businessman Ashraf Marwan, who was also the son-in-law of former President Gamal Abdel Nasser and a senior aide to his successor, Anwar Sadat. Marwan is widely believed to have been a double agent. Israel claims he was the Mossad's "greatest spy in Egypt," while Egypt insists Marwan had misled Israel during the period leading up to the October 1973 war. "Marwan carried out patriotic acts that it is not yet time to reveal," Mubarak was quoted as saying after Marwan's funeral. Marwan's true identity and his death after falling from a fifth floor balcony in his London home in 2007 remain a mystery to this day. Meanwhile, Lotfy languishes in prison for distributing a translation of The Angel that was already available in bookstores in English. It has also been made into a $12 million-budget film that has been available on Netflix since September 2018. Lotfy's sentence and the repeated rejection of appeals for his release the final appeal was rejected by the Supreme Military Appeals Court in late December has been decried by writers, publishers and rights advocates. Egyptian writer Ahmed Naji, who was himself imprisoned for obscenity, expressed solidarity with Lotfy in a series of tweets that also condemned the five-year sentence handed down to the publisher. "We call on readers, intellectuals, all believers in freedoms, Arab and international publishers, journalists, cultural and civil society institutions to take a clear and unequivocal stand to bring this unjust (ruling) to an end," Naji wrote Feb. 23, 2019. In February 2016, Naji was detained and sentenced to two years in prison for "violating public morality" after excerpts from his 2014 book "Using Life" were published in the state-funded literary magazine Akhbar El Adab. The complainant who filed the lawsuit against Naji claimed that reading the texts had caused him "heart palpitations, sickness and a drop in blood pressure." Naji was released in December 2016 after spending 10 months in Tora, an infamous high security prison in Cairo, pending a final ruling on his appeal. Kristenn Einarsson, chair of the International Publishers Association's Freedom to Publish Committee, condemned the ruling as "incomprehensible." In a statement published on the organization's website Jan. 30, she expressed her disappointment that the Cairo International Book Fair did not support Lotfy by giving his publishing house a stand at the fair. Eid also denounced Lotfy's imprisonment and the decision to exclude Tammia from the book fair as "government hypocrisy." He told Al-Monitor, "The state claims that education and knowledge are important but when a publisher is jailed and his publishing house is denied access to the book fair, this reflects a different, dark reality." Those actions are just the tip of the iceberg: In November 2017, the offices of Merit Publishing in downtown Cairo were raided by police and a young volunteer who was working there was briefly detained. Merit was raided again a month later but this time, several books were confiscated and its owner was taken in for questioning by police. A year earlier, several branches of Al Karama community libraries founded by Eid for children in deprived neighborhoods were raided and shuttered by security forces after the government deemed them "seditious spaces." In September 2018, Ayman Abdel Moati, director of distribution at Al Maraya Publishing, was arrested in a police raid on the publishing house. He was charged with "spreading fake news on social media, joining a terrorist group and aiding the group in its activities." Meanwhile, the state has also seized the assets of the ALEF bookstore chain Egypt's largest with branches nationwide on suspicion that its owner, Omar El-Sheneti, is a member of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. El-Sheneti, an economist and founder of the Multiples Group Investment Firm, was arrested and detained in June 2019 on charges of collaborating with wanted Brotherhood members outside the country who were plotting against the government. The closures of bookstores, the arrests of writers and publishers and the state's seizure of assets allegedly belonging to Muslim Brotherhood members cast a shadow over the event celebrated as the Arab world's largest and most important book fair. Amid rising concerns over freedom of expression and the future of the publishing industry in Egypt, the fair's slogan of "Cultural Diversity" stood in stark contrast to the reality of the country's restrictive cultural environment. Description GIS - 06 February, 2020: Within the objective of converting the Blue Economy into a robust pillar of the country, the sustainability of our marine resources is a key component. Hence the need to act in a responsible and responsive manner for the benefit of the present and future generations. Within the objective of converting the Blue Economy into a robust pillar of the country, the sustainability of our marine resources is a key component. Hence the need to act in a responsible and responsive manner for the benefit of the present and future generations. This was the gist of the message of the Minister of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, Mr Sudheer Maudhoo, this morning, at the launching of the project entitled Enhancing livelihoods, food security and maritime safety through increased resilience of fishing communities dependent on coral reef fisheries in the African coastal countries of the Indian Ocean at the Labourdonnais Hotel, Port Louis. The Ambassador of Japan in Mauritius, Mr Yoshoharu Kato, the UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Christine Umutoni, were also present. The Government of Japan and the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) signed an agreement in 2019 for the implementation of the project for Enhancing livelihoods, food security and maritime safety through increased resilience of fishing communities dependent on coral reef fisheries in the African coastal countries of the Indian Ocean. The total budget is of the order of USD 4.4 Million for a period of three years (01 November 2019 to 31 October 2022). The participating countries are Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles. The Minister highlighted that Mauritius, as a Small Island Developing State, is particularly vulnerable to many natural calamities adding that it is important to use the best available scientific data to guide policies and introduce appropriate programmes for our sustainable development. Speaking about the project, Mr Maudhoo stated that innovation and value addition will be the key factors for improving the resilience of the fishing communities in the future. The concerns of the industry and consumers will also need to be addressed to ensure a better adequacy between fish supply and the needs of the fish market, he said. Furthermore, he indicated that an important component of the project is to improve coral reef fisheries production for food security. The restoration of our fragile ecosystems will help to assist fishing communities to better manage their coral reef resources. He recalled that a s an island economy, Mauritius is very dependent on the sea and its resources for the fisheries and tourism industries. The fisheries sector has always contributed to the nations socio economic development, generated national income and foreign exchange through the export of frozen and processed fish, and also providing employment and most importantly, it has been an indispensable source of animal protein for the people and contributes to food security, he added. For his part, the Ambassador of Japan in Mauritius, Mr Yoshoharu Kato, expressed the need for a continuous investment to the Blue Economy in the region and called for a more energised effort in sustainable management of maritime resources. He indicated that the SIDS and coastal mainland countries of eastern Africa are endowed with extensive coral reefs which are being affected by climate change. He added that the Blue Growth initiative of the FAO provides a framework with tools and approaches to improve their fisheries and to manage for sustainability along the value chain to meet production needs while contributing to enhanced livelihoods, food security and maritime safety. UN Resident Coordinator, Ms Christine Umutoni, recognised the continuous and effective collaboration between FAO and Japan and indicated that this project will help improve the livelihood of people in the targeted countries. She added that the project will target hundreds of small-scale fishers and other fisheries professionals in the five countries, totalling 30 000 direct beneficiaries. The project will, by rendering the fish and crustacean value chains more efficient, contribute to rational and sustainable exploitation of coral reefs areas in the different project areas in the five participating countries, establishing various Marine Protected Areas and diversifying certain fisheries operations. Thus it will improve food security, reduce poverty and contribute to resilient fishing communities, she stated. The project The objective of the project is to improve coral reef fisheries production for food security through restoring fragile ecosystems and assisting fishing communities to better manage their coral reef resources. The overall impact of the project will be resilient coral reef fisheries communities by targeting the following outcomes: improved management of coral reef fisheries both for restoration and protection as well as for income generation; improved fishery value chains and access to markets for coral reef fisheries products; and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing reduced and maritime safety increased. Parts of southeast Queensland have been drenched and flood warnings are in place as other states brace for a massive deluge of rain. Sky News Weather Chief Meteorologist Tom Saunders told news.com.au parts of Queensland and NSW are in for the heaviest rain in years. This major weather event will continue into the weekend, he told the publication. Brisbane Airport has received 38mm since 9am Thursday while Redcliffe, north of the CBD, has received 25. Communities near Tin Can Bay, in the Wide Bay-Burnett region, recorded falls of more than 200mm in the 24 hours to 9am on Thursday. It's been raining in Brisbane So I rugged up and went out for a lovely little walk pic.twitter.com/6VRDTAlLXM Sammy @ Brissie (@SammyTeaTime) February 6, 2020 Coops Corner, in the same area, recorded a whopping 260mm in the same time, taking its weekly total to 390mm. Many coastal locations recorded between 50 and 100mm in just a few hours. Heavy rain drenched the region between Hervey Bay and the New South Wales border on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Brisbane experienced commuter chaos as water covered some major arterial roads. Brisbane residents are in for a wet Friday. Source: Getty Images (file pic) The low-pressure system has pushed south into northern NSW, but forecasters say more rain is on its way. Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Kimba Wong said drought-stricken areas of southern Queensland are expected to get the best of the rain on Sunday, before the weather system moves towards the coast. "We should see some pretty good rainfall totals for drought-stricken areas through the eastern parts of the Maranoa and Warrego and through the Western Downs," Ms Wong said. A flood watch is current for coastal communities south of Caboolture to the NSW border, and southern inland catchments. "Catchments in the flood watch area have received rainfall over the last few weeks so will respond to heavy rainfall," the bureau has warned. Story continues Proper rain for the last 24 hours. The ground is getting a wonderful soaking. Though it usually means the internet stops working. #Brisbane #SouthEastQld pic.twitter.com/PzB2vp7WCc Leesa Watego (@leesawatego) February 6, 2020 Catchments likely to be affected include the Pine and Caboolture rivers, the upper and lower Brisbane River, the Logan and Albert rivers, and Gold Coast rivers and creeks. Inland river systems are also under flood watches or warnings. Brisbane Airport is forecast for between 35 to 60mm on Friday. Similar totals are also predicted for areas on the Sunshine Coast while the Gold Coast could be drenched with up to 80mm. Wet weekend forecast for Sydney Anyone heading to work in Sydneys CBD on Friday morning is going to need an umbrella with between 45 and 90mm forecast for Friday. These conditions should continue through to Saturday and Sunday, making for a wet weekend. BoM has issued a warning for heavy rainfall, which may lead to flash flooding for parts of the Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast and eastern parts of the Northern Tablelands forecast districts from Thursday. Sydneysiders will need an umbrella on Friday morning. Source: Getty Images From Friday, northern parts of the Hunter may be impacted too, BoM said. Coffs Harbour on the NSW Central Coast could receive up to 200mm on Friday, however it should ease on Saturday to between six and 20mm before its kicks off again on Sunday with a possible total of 120mm. Newcastle is also in for heavy rainfall with possible totals of 60mm on Friday and Saturday, and 70 on Sunday. The South Coast wont escape the deluge either with 80mm forecast for Friday in Kiama, and up to 200mm forecast for Saturday. Up to 150mm is predicted for Sunday. Pedestrians try to avoid the rain in Manly. Source: AAP Cyclone could hit WA Residents in Western Australia's Pilbara region are being urged to prepare for destructive winds and possible flooding as a result of a severe tropical cyclone. A tropical low off the Kimberley was expected to develop on Thursday into Tropical Cyclone Damien, the state's third tropical cyclone for the year. The Bureau of Meteorology expects it to reach the Pilbara coast between Port Hedland and Onslow on Saturday as a severe tropical cyclone. Destructive winds with gusts up to 150km/h may develop on Friday night, increasing further on Saturday near the cyclone centre. Abnormally high tides could also cause serious flooding at the coast between Dampier and Wallal. Tropical Cyclone Damien is forecast to develop further and turn towards the Pilbara coast on Friday. Gales are expected on the Pilbara coast later on Friday ahead of a severe cyclone impact on Saturday. #CycloneDamien https://t.co/B1MVXBYXhh pic.twitter.com/tecljy5NMn Bureau of Meteorology, Western Australia (@BOM_WA) February 6, 2020 Rainfall totals may exceed 300mm close to the cyclone path, the bureau says. Residents of towns in the Pilbara between Port Hedland and Mardie, including Karratha and Dampier, are being encouraged to organise emergency supplies such as a first-aid kit, torch, portable radio, spare batteries, food and water. Both Port Hedland and Karratha are home to significant mining and oil and gas and operations. The bureau is also warning that much of southern WA will experience elevated fire danger for the rest of the week as a result of hot and windy conditions. Rainfall can be seen along the east coast while a cyclone forms on the west. Source: Windy.com Perth on Tuesday recorded its hottest day in five years and hottest February day since 1997, with the mercury hitting 42.7C. The temperature was forecast to reach 31 on Thursday, while a possible thunderstorm is forecast for Friday. With AAP Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. Pakistan's persecution of minorities has been exposed once again as a poster put up by a leader of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khans party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has issued a vile and demeaning open threat to Hindus. 'This is the bigoted Naya Pakistan for you' As per a Pakistani journalist, the poster in question has been put up by a leader of Pakistans ruling party PTI in Lahore. It says, Translated from Urdu, it reads Hindu baat se nahin, laat se maanta hai or "Hindus understand the language of violence (a kick), not words." A poster from PTI General Secretary Lahore on Kashmir Day reads: Hindu baat se nahin laat se manta hai. This is the bigoted Naya Pakistan for you. pic.twitter.com/KwQoN1eZ7U Naila Inayat (@nailainayat) February 5, 2020 The poster also carried photographs of Pakistan PM Imran Khan and Mohammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan who led the two-nation theory. A flag of India cancelled out was also added on the poster. The journalist who highlighted it wrote, "This is the bigoted Naya Pakistan for you." Hate messages against Hindus, who form a minuscule minority in Pakistan, are routinely expressed by Pakistani lawmakers and politicians. Recently, two underage Hindu girls were abducted in the Sindh province and were forcibly converted and married off to older Muslim men. US names & shames Pakistan In a big embarrassment for Pakistan, its persecution of religious minorities was called out by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday. Speaking at the launch of International Religious Freedom Alliance, he highlighted the plight of Hindus in Pakistan. Moreover, he stated that 8 out of 10 people in the world faced problems in practising their faith freely. READ | 'Shameful!': Adnan Sami reacts to Pakistan refusing to evacuate students from Wuhan READ | US names & shames Pakistan for persecuting Hindus, 'all-weather friend' China also flayed Similarly, he condemned the Chinese Communist Partys hostility for all faiths. 27 countries including the UK, Israel, Australia, Brazil and Greece are part of this Alliance. Mike Pompeo remarked, Together, we say that the freedom of religion is not a Western ideal, but truly the bedrock of societies. Thats clear from the Declaration of Principles. It is grounded in the International Declaration of Human Rights. Every human being has the right to change their faith or hold no faith at all. More than 8 in 10 people live in a world today where they cannot practise their faith freely. "We condemn terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities whether they are Yazidis in Iraq, Hindus in Pakistan, Christians in north-east Nigeria and Muslims in Burma. We condemn blasphemy and apostasy laws that criminalise matters of the soul. We condemn the Chinese Communist Partys hostility to all faiths." READ | Ecstatic Amitabh Bachchan lauds India's U-19 colts as 'Boys in Blue' beat Pakistan in WC READ | Younis Khan slams Pakistan Cricket Board, says the board owes him 4-6 crore rupees TusharK Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Pune Posts: 3,875 Thanked: 34,336 Times Re: Great Wall Motors @ Auto Expo 2020 GWM R1 The R1 micro EV had its own separate stand next to the Haval SUVs. The R1 is a micro EV which is 3,495 mm long, 1,660 mm wide and 1,560 mm in height. The car's wheelbase is 2,475 mm. The car has a white front fascia with circular projector headlamps. At the rear, it has square-ish tail lamp clusters. A tiny rear fog lamp is placed under the number plate housing. A closer look at the tail lamp The charging port is at the front. The car has a dual-tone interior with blue accents. It has a 3-spoke multi-function steering wheel and a twin-pod instrument cluster. The centre console houses a floating touchscreen infotainment head-unit and three circular air-conditioning vents. The drive mode selector is a rotary dial placed just below the air-conditioning vents. Switches for the power windows, door locks and electronic parking brake are positioned between the front seats. The rear window does not roll down. Rear passengers also get adjustable headrests and grab handles. While the boot looks tiny, it might fit a large suitcase. The electric motor develops 47 BHP and 125 Nm of torque. The car is claimed to accelerate from 0-50 km/h in 5.6 seconds and has a top speed of 102 km/h. The R1 is available with two battery options - 28.5 kWh and 33 kWh. The base variant is said to offer a range of 301 km, while the other has a maximum range of 351 km on a single charge. GWM claims that the battery can be recharged from 5-80% in 40 minutes using a fast charger. Slow charging can take between 9.1-10 hours. The R1 micro EV had its own separate stand next to the Haval SUVs.The R1 is a micro EV which is 3,495 mm long, 1,660 mm wide and 1,560 mm in height. The car's wheelbase is 2,475 mm.The car has a white front fascia with circular projector headlamps.At the rear, it has square-ish tail lamp clusters. A tiny rear fog lamp is placed under the number plate housing.A closer look at the tail lampThe charging port is at the front.The car has a dual-tone interior with blue accents.It has a 3-spoke multi-function steering wheel and a twin-pod instrument cluster. The centre console houses a floating touchscreen infotainment head-unit and three circular air-conditioning vents.The drive mode selector is a rotary dial placed just below the air-conditioning vents.Switches for the power windows, door locks and electronic parking brake are positioned between the front seats.The rear window does not roll down.Rear passengers also get adjustable headrests and grab handles.While the boot looks tiny, it might fit a large suitcase.The electric motor develops 47 BHP and 125 Nm of torque. The car is claimed to accelerate from 0-50 km/h in 5.6 seconds and has a top speed of 102 km/h. The R1 is available with two battery options - 28.5 kWh and 33 kWh. The base variant is said to offer a range of 301 km, while the other has a maximum range of 351 km on a single charge.GWM claims that the battery can be recharged from 5-80% in 40 minutes using a fast charger. Slow charging can take between 9.1-10 hours. John Gray says Ron Carpenter leased him church with $13M debt, refused to meet privately over dispute Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Pastor John Gray of Relentless Church in Greenville, South Carolina, says he is eagerly waiting to go to court Friday with fellow megachurch leader, pastor Ron Carpenter of Redemption Church, in a dispute over payments for the Relentless Church campus owned by Carpenter. Gray, who is fighting a lawsuit filed by Carpenter and his wife, Hope, to evict Relentless Church from the Greenville property, was given until the end of 2019 to take his church elsewhere amid allegations that he had been shady and dishonest in executing an agreement with the Carpenters after they passed the reins of their Redemption Church to him in 2018, which he rebranded as Relentless Church. In dueling statements released by the pastors Tuesday, which were published by Fox Carolina, they promised to present strong evidence showing bad faith by the other party and concerted efforts to settle the ongoing dispute privately. After many unsuccessful attempts to rectify these matters privately and spiritually, we had no confidence that the truth of the situation would be revealed except through the legal process. On February 7, 2020, we will submit to the court over a hundred pages of evidence of Relentlesss slow payments, non-payments, delinquencies, repossession notices, and pre-foreclosure notices related to their operations at the Greenville church campus, Carpenter said in his statement. In 2018, after handing the keys of their church to Gray, the Carpenters moved to San Jose, California, to officially become the new pastors of the 14,000-member Jubilee Christian Center, which they renamed Redemption. Carpenter alleged that it has been a difficult year for his church financially as a result of the dispute and said he is looking forward to a swift resolution so everyone can move on. This last year has been financially devastating to Redemption. We do not have the ability to continue to carry the responsibilities of both campuses in California and in South Carolina. Relentlesss decisions have put us in a position that is not sustainable. Our desire is to simply have a chance to continue the Greenville ministry and save the properties from foreclosure, Carpenter said. In his response, Gray said it was Carpenter who behaved improperly and tried to saddle his church with his more than $13 million debt. Pastor Ron Carpenter publicly handed over the keys to a building he could not legally transfer at the time because of Redemptions outstanding debt to the third-party entity that has a secured interest in the properties. However, Pastor Carpenter still left the city of Greenville and its people to pursue what he said was Gods call on his life. In that, he took the name of the Redemption Church, the core staff and tangible assets while also leaving a campus with over $13 million in debt, with over 10 entities paying to sustain the campus, Gray said. He explained that once his church learned of the Carpenters debt obligation, his church hastily entered into a lease agreement that they have been honoring and disputed the allegation that Relentless Church is in danger of foreclosure. To Pastor Rons assertion that the Relentless campus is in danger of foreclosure, we categorically deny and vigorously refute these claims. The Relentless Church maintains documented proof of every property payment made each month since our arrival. As such, there has never been a chance of any of these buildings being foreclosed on. To say so is not only inflammatory and disingenuous, it is also purposefully misleading and dishonest to members of our community, Gray said. He further noted that he attempted to meet face-to-face with Carpenter at least 10 times to settle the disagreement and he has refused. We eagerly await Fridays court hearing, as we will give copious amounts of corroborating documentation that shows a consistent pattern of disinformation and obfuscation in an effort to hinder The Relentless Churchs ability to do what we are assigned to do: preach Jesus Christ and meet the needs of this city, this region, this nation and the world, Gray added. US Capitol Police on Thursday temporarily shut down the hallway leading to House Rep. Adam Schiffs office after reports of a suspicious substance but later announced that all was clear. A yellow tarp was seen in front of the area just outside the office of the California Democrat, who was the lead House manager of the impeachment of President Trump. The president was acquitted by the Senate on Wednesday. Capitol Police officers are seen above standing near a yellow tarp hung as they investigate a suspicious substance near the office of House Rep. Adam Schiff The area near Schiff's office was sealed off for about an hour while officials investigated Schiff, the California Democrat, was the lead House manager of the impeachment of President Trump The area near his office was cleared for about an hour while Capitol Police investigated. Capitol Police spokeswoman Eva Malecki told POLITICO that officials conducted a thorough investigation and found no hazards. In recent months, Schiff has led efforts among Democrats in the House to investigate the president. The powerful chair of the House Intelligence Committee has also required the presence of a security detail since the start of the impeachment inquiry last September. Earlier this week, federal authorities accused an Arizona man of threatening to kill Schiff in an obscenity laden voicemail. Jan Peter Meister, a 52-year-old registered sex offender, told investigators that he was under the influence when he left the voicemail for the Democrat's Washington D.C. office. Meister shared that he made the call after watching Fox News and googling the politician's number, according to The Informant - a publication that focuses on violent extremism. Jan Peter Meister, a 52-year-old registered sex offender from Arizona, was charged by federal authorities for allegedly threatening to kill Schiff in an obscenity laden voicemail He later told authorities that he strongly dislikes Democrats and blames them for the problems with the country. 'I'm gonna f***ing blow your brains out you f***ing piece of s**t,' Meister is said to have blurted out in the voicemail. Schiff was originally listed as 'Congressman A.S.' in court filings. Investigators searched Meister's home and found an AR-15 style rifle and two pistols inside. There was more than 700 rounds of ammunition at the property. Meister has been charged with making interstate threats and being a felon in posession of firearms and ammunition. The sex offender faces a total of 15 years for the two charges. After Trump's acquittal by the Senate on Wednesday, the White House released a statement from Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham which read: 'Rep. Adam Schiff lied to Congress and the American people with a totally made up statement about the Presidents phone call. 'Will there be no retribution?' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told POLITICO that she does not believe that the 'retribution' mentioned in the statement had anything to do with the suspicious substance allegedly found near Schiff's office. But she said that Trump's words carry 'a ton' of weight and that it is 'wrong' to issue threats. Trump, meanwhile, is said to be considering 'payback' to his perceived enemies. 'He has an enemies list that is growing by the day,' a source told Vanity Fair on Monday. A 'prominent Republican' was quoted by the magazine as saying that 'it's payback time' for Trump. 'Trumps playbook is simple: Go after people who crossed him during impeachment,' the Republican said. Those likely to be on Trump's 'enemies list' include Schiff, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, and House Rep. Jerry Nadler. Romney was the lone Republican senator who voted to convict Trump on one of the two articles of impeachment. Some have speculated that Trump's No 1 enemy is John Bolton, the former national security adviser who is said to have witnessed the president exert pressure to withhold aid from Ukraine if the country did not investigate Joe and Hunter Biden. 'Trump has been calling people and telling them to go after Bolton,' one source told Vanity Fair. "In the brief history of suicide prevention efforts and strategies in Wyoming, there has not been a singular strategy or project that would positively impact Wyoming's very high suicide rate like the current opportunity to create, fund, and operate a dedicated, Wyoming Call Center for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. A dedicated Wyoming call center would be available to all citizens in all 23 counties and the Wind River Reservation. It will be a resource to de-escalate suicidal crisis situations, connect Wyoming residents with resources in their local communities, and SAVE LIVES and BRING HOPE," said Bill Hawley, AFSP Wyoming Chapter Co-Chair . For callers in suicidal crisis, longer wait or hold times are critical and can impact whether a suicide attempt is made or a life can be saved. The use of in-state crisis call centers as opposed to relying on the Lifeline's six national backup centers is crucial. Wait/hold times are typically shorter, and local counselors at in-state crisis centers are familiar with the community and better equipped to provide culturally competent support and referrals to local services. The AFSP Wyoming Capitol Day is a special day for all who have a connection with or a personal story around the topic of suicide. Volunteers will meet with their legislators to share their stories about why they participate in this advocacy effort, giving a human face to this important public health problem. Advocates hope that by sharing their stories, they will help lawmakers understand that investments in mental health and suicide prevention can save lives. AFSP Wyoming advocates are part of a larger national movement of AFSP volunteer advocates who will visit state capitols across the United States in 2020 to bring best practices in suicide prevention to legislators and their staff. To learn more about AFSP's advocacy efforts, visit here: https://afsp.org/our-work/advocacy/. On average, 132 Americans died by suicide each day in 2018, and upwards of 90% of those individuals had a diagnosable mental health condition at the time of their death. AFSP volunteers will urge state lawmakers to be the voice for the hundreds of residents across the state affected by mental health conditions and suicide each year. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. AFSP creates a culture that's smart about mental health through education and community programs, develops suicide prevention through research and advocacy, and provides support for those affected by suicide. Led by CEO Robert Gebbia and headquartered in New York, with a Public Policy Office in Washington, D.C. AFSP has local chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia with programs and events nationwide. Learn more about AFSP in its latest Annual Report, and join the conversation on suicide prevention by following AFSP on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. SOURCE American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Related Links https://afsp.org Ashwini M Sripad By Express News Service BENGALURU: The newly-elected MLAs are yet to be inducted into Chief Minister BS Yediyurappas cabinet, but they are already fighting---not for plum portfolios, but for favourite car registration numbers. This is because it is numerology that is driving them to go in for a particular number. A day before their induction, these MLAs who will be sworn in as ministers on Thursday were placing their demand for particular cars. On Wednesday, the Department of Personnel and Administrative Services (DPAR) officials had parked 15 high-end cars at the Kumara Krupa guest house in Bengaluru. According to officials, all these cars are not brand new. We were told to keep the cars ready, most of them are Innova, said the officials. They said the netas, after consulting their astrologers or numerologists, have come up with their lucky numbers as per their date of birth. For instance, if one adds the digits in the registration number, one should get digits like 9, 2, 7 or 1, which are considered lucky. These numbers are on demand and the leaders are asking for cars with such lucky numbers, an official said. Sources from DPAR said that on Wednesday, KR Pete MLA Narayana Gowda visited the Kumara Krupa guest house, looking for his lucky number car. ALSO READ | With newbies crowding in, loyalists take backseat in Karnataka Cabinet There is a car that has just a single digit 9. Narayana Gowda and ST Somashekar MLA from Yeshwantpur, are asking for the same car. Narayanagowda reportedly said that all his car registration numbers end with number nine, so he wants this particular car, sources said. Vijayanagara MLA Anand Singh is not only particular about the car registration number but also about a particular colour. Singh owns at least 15 pink shirts and he wore shirts of different shades of this colour during campaigning in the bypolls as pink is his lucky colour. ALSO READ | Only 10 will make it to BSY cabinet, old-timers must wait Officials said some netas also demand for a particular colour car which they consider lucky as per their date of birth. It is not just registration numbers, the demand can stretch to bungalows too. Officials are in a fix as there are only three government bungalows available. Excluding ministers from Bengaluru, we may have to accommodate ministers from outside Bengaluru too and we have only three bungalows. The problem does not end here. Mantris who want to move in will be looking for lucky door numbers as well as see if the bungalow is vaastu-compliant. They give letters to senior officials concerned in the DIPR, who will allot accordingly. We just hand over the keys as per instructions, said an official on the condition of anonymity. American tourists are among those quarantined on a cruise ship currently docked in Japan. A total of 2,666 passengers and 1,045 crew aboard the Diamond Princess have begun a lengthy period of quarantine after being exposed to the coronavirus. The ship is being held in Yokohama Bay. When it arrived on Monday, passengers were informed they would not be allowed to disembark. On Tuesday morning, it was announced that 10 people on board were infected with the virus. They were taken ashore by the Japanese coast guard and sent to nearby hospitals. Operator Princess Cruises confirmed that two Australians, one American, three passengers from Hong Kong, three from Japan, and a Filipino crew member tested positive for the coronavirus. 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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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 Speaking to KUTV in Salt Lake City, US citizens Jerri Larson Jorgensen and her husband, Mark, who have been touring southeast Asia for several weeks, told how Japanese authorities came onto the ship and came to each cabin to check peoples temperature. Those with fevers were then taken off the ship. The remainder of the ships passengers have been told to stay in their cabins for a mandatory two week period. Rationed meals are being delivered by crew in face masks. Quarantine officials on the Diamond Princess cruise ship that has been quarantined in Japan (PA) Princess Cruises says that half of the passengers on board are Japanese and it has been reported that 428 passengers are Americans. The ship plans to go out to sea to perform normal marine operations including the production of fresh water and ballast operations before returning to Yokohama where food, provisions, and other supplies will be brought onboard. A second cruise ship, the World Dream, owned by Genting and operated by Dream Cruises, is also under quarantine in Hong Kong, with its 3,700 passengers and crew undergoing testing for coronavirus. The World Dream was refused permission to dock in Taiwan after initially three, now eight, passengers from Mainland China, who had been on a previous cruise on the ship had fallen ill after a trip between China and Vietnam in January. Edith Poon, spokesperson for Genting Hong Kong Limited, the holding company that owns Dream Cruises, confirmed that 30 crew members had self-declared symptoms of the virus. We are currently waiting for the results to come in, she told USA Today. Upon availability of the results, we shall comply with the Department of Health's instruction on the next step forward. Until then, as advised by the Department of Health, all passengers of the cruise ship are to remain onboard. The South China Morning Post reports that Dr Leung Yiu-hong, chief port health officer at the Centre for Health Protection, said of the crew members who later reported feeling unwell, three had a fever and one tested positive for type B flu. All the three crew members running a fever before will be sent to hospital for quarantine, he said. The remaining 27 crew members have minor symptoms of upper respiratory infection such as coughing and a sore throat. Our staff are now taking their samples for coronavirus tests. By Wednesday, a total of 24,631 cases of coronavirus had been confirmed worldwide with 494 deaths. Public Health Response Once the rabies diagnosis was confirmed, UDOH established an Incident Command System structure to develop and coordinate response activities. The goals of the response were to 1) determine the source of the patients infection; 2) identify possible exposure risk to hospital workers, community members, and family members during the patients infectious period; 3) coordinate administration of PEP for exposed persons; and 4) educate health care providers and the public about the risk for rabies associated with contact with bats. Public health investigation and response partners included the Central Utah Public Health Department, Utah County Health Department, Salt Lake County Health Department, Utah Public Health Laboratory, Utah Office of the Medical Examiner, Utah Poison Control Center, Idaho Department of Health, and affected health care facilities, with epidemiologic assistance from CDC. Press briefings were held to provide education and awareness to the general public regarding contact with bats, the risk for rabies, and the importance for persons who had contact with the patient to contact a health care provider or local health department to assess their need for PEP. The patients family reported that, beginning in August, a large number of bats had occupied their attic and frequently were found in the living area of the home, particularly in the master bedroom. On multiple occasions, the patient had removed bats from the home with his bare hands, and on one occasion, the patient awoke to find a bat near his head. In September, a dead bat was found on the floor of the bedroom. Despite the substantial bat contact, no bites were noted. Family members were not aware of health issues related to bat exposure and did not recognize the need to receive rabies PEP after touching bats. After rabies was diagnosed, family members who spent time with the patient were provided PEP. After the patients death, to prevent further exposures in the home, a professional bat removal company assessed the patients home and sealed all openings that posed a threat for future bat colonization. The patients infectious period was estimated to have begun on October 2, 2 weeks before first symptom onset. Because of the prolonged hospitalization before the rabies diagnosis was made and the number of health care entities involved in the patients care, UDOH and health care partners conducted an extensive investigation to identify possible exposures during the patients infectious period. To efficiently assess potentially exposed health care workers, an online exposure assessment tool, modeled after a tool used in a mass bat exposure response in Virginia (4) was developed and distributed to the four affected health care facilities. Responses were collected at UDOH and provided to the health care facilities, which subsequently ensured that exposed employees received PEP according to Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices guidelines (5). The affected health care facilities identified and assessed 242 health care workers known to have had some contact with the patient, which included personnel at each hospital facility, emergency medical transport services, and laboratory workers. A total of 126 (52%) of the 242 exposed health care workers completed the online assessment within 72 hours, and 222 (90%) completed it within 12 days. Among the 242 assessed facility-based health care workers with some contact with the patient, 74 (31%) were determined to have been potentially exposed to infectious materials and received PEP; 63 (85%) of the 74 received PEP within 1 week of initial assessment. The chiropractic workers who initially evaluated the patient were surveyed separately using paper assessment forms; none of the workers were found to have been exposed. In addition to the 242 potentially exposed facility-based health care workers, public health officials also assessed 37 family and community members who had contact with the patient (total persons assessed = 279); 30 (81%) of the 37 family and community members had contact with the patients body fluids and received PEP. The PEP supply used during the response was coordinated and administered by health care facilities throughout Utah. All exposed health care workers completed the PEP regimen as scheduled with only one report of an adverse reaction to the rabies vaccine (gastrointestinal illness reported by one health care provider after receipt of the third vaccine dose). In April 2019, CDC and UDOH conducted focus group discussions with local health departments involved in the response and with health care workers who cared for the patient. The discussions revealed knowledge gaps about human-to-human rabies transmission among health care workers, and rabies prevention among animal control workers and community members. In response, UDOH and CDC delivered a hospital presentation in hospital D, which was broadcast to hospitals A, B, and C and across the health care system to health care workers in urban and rural areas. Posters and fliers describing the risk for rabies associated with bats were distributed by local public health workers to animal health workers, health care facilities, public health offices, and other public locations. ABERDEEN, Feb 6 (Reuters) - French oil major Total has rejected a force majeure notice from a buyer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in China, a Total executive said during the company's full year results presentation on Thursday. "Some Chinese customers, at least one, is trying to use the coronavirus to say I have force majeure," said Philippe Sauquet, head of Total's gas, renewables and power segment. "We have received one force majeure that we have rejected." He did not specify the buyer. (Reporting by Bate Felix, writing by Ekaterina Kravtsova Editing by Keith Weir) YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. The Embassy of Armenia in Russia has said it maintains contact with authorities regarding L. Baghdasaryan, the Armenian national who was evacuated from China by the Russian military amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. The evacuated citizen has been placed in quarantine in Tyumen Region and will remain there for 14 days. After the quarantine period, the embassy will ensure the citizens repatriation to Armenia as necessary and required, the embassy said. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan STRATFORD The Stratford Public Schools has set the dates for registration of kindergarten students for the 2020-2021 school year. Based on the name collection information received, kindergarten registration and appointment information is being emailed between Feb. 5 and Feb. 7. Centralized registration will take place by appointment at Johnson House, 719 Birdseye St., from Feb. 24 to March 20. Children who will be 5 years of age on or before Jan. 1, 2021 are eligible to begin kindergarten this September. The Stratford Public Schools offers full-day kindergarten program in every elementary school. If you are interested in having your kindergartner placed in the Dual Language Program lottery, it is mandatory you attend the Information Session on Tuesday, Feb. 25 or Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. at Victoria Soto School. Snow dates are Wednesday, Feb. 26 and Tuesday, March 3. Students enrolled in Early Learning Services at Second Hill Lane, Franklin Preschool or Victoria Soto Preschool; are already enrolled in the Stratford Public Schools, therefore, a kindergarten registration appointment is not required. Parents should call 203-386-3149 for information about kindergarten registration. Additional information about the registration process and programs is available on the Stratford Public School website, www.stratfordk12.org. Parents need to provide their childs birth certificate, the health assessment record from the physician, and two documents to prove legal residency. Only completed applications will be accepted. Three Bahraini women have been named by Forbes Middle East in its annual 'Power Businesswomen in the Middle East' list, which is packed with 100 exceptional businesswomen in the region. Najla Al Shirawi, Mona Yousuf Almoayyed and Narjes Farookh Jamal found their way to the list after working their way up a steep career ladder for decades to reach the top of their professions. If there were glass ceilings to be smashed, these are some of the titans that first smashed them, the report said. Mona Yousuf Almoayyed ranked ninth on the list is the Managing director of Y K Almoayyed and Sons, a diversified group established in 1940, with divisions specialising in trading, contracting, concrete products, air-conditioning, telecom services and property development. Najla Al Shirawi placed 66th on the list is the CEO of SICO, which has an asset base of $440 million as of September 2019. In November 2019 the Saudi Capital Markets Authority gave SICO regulatory approval to offer asset management services in the Kingdom. Narjes Farookh Jamal, who ranks 80th on the list is the COO of Bahrain Bourse. Bahrain Bourse introduced new Listing Rules in January 2020, which aim to clarify the regulatory and organisational framework governing all operational aspects of the Bourse. Colombo, Feb 6 : The Sri Lankan government will soon commence the construction of a new terminal at the Bandaranaike International Airport here in order to accommodate a large number of arrivals, it was reported on Thursday. Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services Sri Lanka Ltd (AASL), G.A. Chandrasiri told the Daily News that currently the passenger capacity of the airport was 6.9 million, but at the end of 2019, there were 10 million passenger arrivals, reports Xinhua news agency. However, with the completion of the new "Terminal 2" in three years, the airport was planning to accommodate 20 million passengers per year. Since the end of Sri Lanka's civil war in May 2009, the country's tourism sector has seen significant growth with arrivals averaging at 2 million tourists per year. Last year, Sri Lanka received a little over 1.9 million tourists with India, China and Britain being the largest markets. This year, the new government has aimed to attract 3 million tourists, increasing it to 10 million within five years. Along with serving as minority leader for six years, Woods served on various county board committees including the Judicial Committee for 18 years. She also served as vice president of the Labor and Employment Steering Committee for the National Association of Counties and president of the Illinois Association of Conservation Forest Preserve Districts. She also was a board member for Habitat for Humanity. Tourists today spend thousands of dollars to explore and enjoy the lush and thriving rainforests of Guatemala. It's hard to believe the landscape ever looked any different. But according to new research by UNLV climate scientists, the locations where those jungles exist today likely looked very different less than 9,000 years ago -- a blink of an eye by geologic standards. "We often think of ecosystems as being unchangeable -- that a tropical rainforest is there, and has always been there," said Matthew Lachniet, professor and chair of the geoscience department at UNLV. "But that's not true. Any ecosystem responds to climate changes." In a study published today in the journal Nature Communications, Lachniet and colleagues at Indiana State University, the University of Venice, and other institutions examined the rainfall history of Central America over the last 11,000 years. The results provide context for the development of tropical rainforest ecosystems in the region, and long-sought answers to what has been controlling rainfall in Central America for several millennia. "Our results suggest that the rainforest as we know it today must have responded to those climate changes, and must be less than 9,000 years old in terms of its functioning and its structure, because the region was too dry before then to sustain it," Lachniet said. Stalagmite specimens gathered from a tourist cave in Coban, Guatemala, provided this insight and other historical data about the climate history of the region. Researchers found: Solar radiation, or insolation, is widely known to control rainfall amounts in the tropics. Guatemalan cave records, however, tell a different story for the Central American region of the tropics. In Central America, rainfall was weak 11,000 years ago, strengthened to modern levels at 9,000 years ago, and showed only a very weak decrease to today, unlike the history of insolation. When ice sheets from the last Ice Age melted mostly away -- about 9,000 to 7,000 years ago -- temperature rose and Central American rainfall responded in turn. The Central America rainfall record has the same time evolution as ocean and land temperatures over the last 11,000 years; therefore, ocean surface temperatures were more important than the sun's rays in driving rainfall in the region. "We found that as the oceans warm up, rainfall increases over Central America," Lachniet said. The team also found that the rainfall variations over the last 3,000 years, during which time the famed Maya civilization reached its maximum urban development and subsequent collapse, were relatively small compared to the total range of rainfall variation captured by the cave deposits. Lachniet and collaborators spent several days completing field work underground in Rey Marcos Cave, Guatemala for this research, which is a subterranean wonder of stalactites, stalagmites, and a disappearing river. According to Lachniet, the next phase of the team's research in the region will continue to examine the impacts of climate on the Maya civilization throughout its history. In previous research, Lachniet and an international team of researchers used stalagmite specimens to link the rise and fall of ancient Mesoamerican civilizations to changing rainfall. A special NIA court in Delhi on Thursday dismissed the bail application of former independent MLA of Jammu and Kashmir -- Rashid Engineer -- in connection with a terror funding case. Special Judge Praveen Singh rejected the application saying that the prosecution has successfully established that "there exist reasonable grounds to believe the accusations against the accused are prima facie true". Rashid Engineer was arrested on August 9 last year in connection with a case related to the funding of terror activities in the Kashmir Valley and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail. Along with Rashid, Kashmiri separatist leader Yasin Malik, Masrat Alam, Asiya Andrabi, Shabbir Shah are also in judicial custody in the same case The Investigation Agency (NIA) said that Rashid was unable to give any convincing answers to the agency's questions in the matter. According to the NIA, which is probing the case, the accused had received unaccounted funds from Zahoor Ahmad Watali, a co-accused in the case, against whom there has already been found to be reasonable grounds of existence of prima facie case under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. "The applicant had incited, encouraged and helped stone pelters. Accused, through his video, as discussed above, had tried to foment dissatisfaction in J-K police against the army. He had issued veiled threats to the police personnel of J-K," the NIA said. The NIA had alleged that the five accused allegedly carried out "criminal conspiracy and waged war against the government by carrying out terrorist and secessionist activities" in the region. Rashid Engineer was a legislator from the Langate assembly seat in north Kashmir and is the first mainstream politician to have been arrested by the NIA in a terror funding case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 19:29:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close NANNING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- A man confirmed with the novel coronavirus infection has been put under police investigation for endangering public safety in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The man, 47 and identified by surname as Song, is a native of Inner Mongolia in north China. He sought treatment for sore throat and fever in a local hospital in the city of Fangchenggang between Jan. 27-31. He was eventually isolated in hospital for treatment on Jan. 31 and diagnosed with the virus on Feb. 2, said a source of the local police. Song allegedly intended to hold back his prior contact with a confirmed case of the virus and refused to cooperate with doctors while seeking medical treatment, disobeyed preventive measures as required by health and quarantine authorities by visiting public places and attending other activities many times, which led to the spread of the infectious pathogen to unspecific groups of people, according to the source. Hundreds of the man's close contacts have been isolated for medical observation. President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday promised to re-equip and re-professionalize the armed forces to meet the growing exigencies of ... President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday promised to re-equip and re-professionalize the armed forces to meet the growing exigencies of security in the country. Buhari stated this while assuring Nigerians that the promise of ending terrorism would be realised. He spoke at the commissioning of two Nigeria Air Force Agusta 109 Power Helicopters and Mi-17 E Helicopters at the Eagle Square and was contained in a statement signed President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday promised to re-equip and re-professionalize the armed forces to meet the growing exigencies of security in the country. Buhari stated this while assuring Nigerians that the promise of ending terrorism would be realised. He spoke at the commissioning of two Nigeria Air Force Agusta 109 Power Helicopters and Mi-17 E Helicopters at the Eagle Square and was contained in a statement signed and sent by his spokesperson, Femi Adesina. We promise to re-professionalise and re-equip the Armed Forces and security agencies to effectively discharge their duties to our nation. Professionalism, capacity building and adequately equipping the Armed Forces and other security agencies are a major policy thrust of the Administration. Buhari urged the Nigeria Air force to ensure discipline in their operations and a strong maintenance culture that will enable the nation derive maximum benefits from the newly acquired helicopters. I have no doubt that the deployment of these Agusta 109P gunships and the M-17IE helicopter would add impetus to the combat efficiency of the Air Force in combating our contemporary security challenges, he added. The President stated that two earlier commissioned Agusta 109 Power helicopter gunships, which were procured from Italy over a year ago, had made impact on the war against terrorism. He commended the support of the Governments of Italy and the Russian Federation, and efforts of the Italian and Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, at sustaining the strategic partnership which facilitated this acquisition. I want to, once again, salute the resolve of our Armed Forces and the invaluable contributions of all security agencies for their efforts towards the decimation of Boko Haram. Your contributions in internal security, peacekeeping and humanitarian operations in places like The Gambia, Guinea Conakry, Mozambique, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Guinea Bissau and Cameroon have not only been a source of pride to us as a nation, but has also projected us as a reliable regional power. I promised to put an end to Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping and other forms of criminality that have bedeviled our country during my inaugural speech as President. You will all agree with me that the successes we have achieved so far have restored our pride and honour the world over. Consequently, I want to sincerely thank Nigerians for believing in our government in spite of occasional outrages, coming together as a nation, irrespective of political, religious and ethnic affiliations, in our strive to bring this menace to an end. President Buhari appreciated Nigerians for their support of the military and other security agencies against terrorism, banditry and kidnapping, adding that the security challenges would be collectively won. by his spokesperson, Femi Adesina. We promise to re-professionalise and re-equip the Armed Forces and security agencies to effectively discharge their duties to our nation. Professionalism, capacity building and adequately equipping the Armed Forces and other security agencies are a major policy thrust of the Administration. Buhari urged the Nigeria Air force to ensure discipline in their operations and a strong maintenance culture that will enable the nation derive maximum benefits from the newly acquired helicopters. I have no doubt that the deployment of these Agusta 109P gunships and the M-17IE helicopter would add impetus to the combat efficiency of the Air Force in combating our contemporary security challenges, he added. The President stated that two earlier commissioned Agusta 109 Power helicopter gunships, which were procured from Italy over a year ago, had made impact on the war against terrorism. He commended the support of the Governments of Italy and the Russian Federation, and efforts of the Italian and Russian Ambassador to Nigeria, at sustaining the strategic partnership which facilitated this acquisition. I want to, once again, salute the resolve of our Armed Forces and the invaluable contributions of all security agencies for their efforts towards the decimation of Boko Haram. Your contributions in internal security, peacekeeping and humanitarian operations in places like The Gambia, Guinea Conakry, Mozambique, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Guinea Bissau and Cameroon have not only been a source of pride to us as a nation, but has also projected us as a reliable regional power. I promised to put an end to Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping and other forms of criminality that have bedeviled our country during my inaugural speech as President. You will all agree with me that the successes we have achieved so far have restored our pride and honour the world over. Consequently, I want to sincerely thank Nigerians for believing in our government in spite of occasional outrages, coming together as a nation, irrespective of political, religious and ethnic affiliations, in our strive to bring this menace to an end. President Buhari appreciated Nigerians for their support of the military and other security agencies against terrorism, banditry and kidnapping, adding that the security challenges would be collectively won. TO the Shareholders of AB Linas Agro Group NOTICE Vilnius, 5 February, 2020 Hereby we announce the Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders (hereinafter - the Meeting) of AB Linas Agro Group, registered address Smelynes St. 2C, Panevezys, Lithuania, code 148030011, (hereinafter - the Company) is convened. The date, time and venue of the Meeting - 27 February, 2020 at 10.00 a.m., hotel "Smelyne", Conference Hall (Smelynes St. 3, Panevezys, Lithuania). Accounting day of the Meeting is 20 February, 2020. Only the persons who are the shareholders of the Company at the end of the Accounting day of the Meeting shall have the right to attend and vote at the Meeting. The Rights Accounting day is 13 March, 2020. Only the persons who are the shareholders of the Company at the end of the Rights Accounting day shall have proprietary rights. Agenda of the Meeting. Amendment of the Rules for Shares Issue. Initiator of convening of the Meeting is the Board of the Company. The Meeting is convened by the decision of the Board of the Company, adopted on 5 February, 2020. Registration of the Shareholders of the Company starts: 27 February, 2020 at 9.30 a.m. Registration of the Shareholders of the Company ends: 27 February, 2020 at 9.55 a.m. The Company does not provide possibility to attend and vote at the Meeting through electronic means of communication. Persons who at the end of the Accounting day of the Meeting will be shareholders of the Company, or their authorized persons, or persons with whom an agreement on the disposal of the voting right has been concluded, will have the right to personally participate and vote at the meeting. A person attending the Meeting must submit a person's identification document. A person who is not a shareholder must additionally produce a document confirming his/her right to vote at the Meeting. Each shareholder shall have a right in the manner established by the Laws to authorize natural or legal person on his/her behalf to attend and vote at the Meeting. At the Meeting, an authorized person shall have the same rights as the shareholder represented by him/her, unless otherwise specified in the issued power of attorney. A power of attorney issued abroad must be translated into Lithuanian and legalized in the manner established by the Laws. The Company does not require a special form of power of attorney. The agenda of the Meeting may be supplemented by initiative of the shareholders holding shares carrying at least 1/20 of all the votes. The drafts of proposed decisions on proposed issues or, if the decision shall not be adopted, explanation on each proposed issue of the agenda of the Meeting shall be presented alongside with the proposal to supplement the agenda of the Meeting. The proposal to supplement the agenda shall be submitted in writing by sending it by registered mail to AB Linas Agro Group at the address Smelynes St. 2C, Panevezys, Lithuania or by e-mail group@linasagro.lt. The agenda of the Meeting shall be supplemented if the proposal is received not later than 14 days before the Meeting. The shareholders who own shares carrying at least 1/20 of all the votes shall have the right at any time before the Meeting or during the Meeting to propose new draft decisions on the issue already included or to be included in to the agenda of the Meeting. The proposed draft decisions must be presented in writing by sending them by registered mail to AB Linas Agro Group at the address Smelynes St. 2C, Panevezys, Lithuania or by e-mail group@linasagro.lt. The shareholders shall also be entitled to propose draft decisions on the agenda issues of the Meeting in writing during the Meeting. The shareholders shall have the right to present questions related to the agenda issues of the Meeting to the Company. The questions in writing can be presented not later than 3 working days before the Meeting, by providing the shareholder's personal identification number and consent to process personal data by registered mail to AB Linas Agro Group at the address Smelynes St. 2C, Panevezys, Lithuania. Responses of general character shall be posted on the Company's website www.linasagrogroup.lt. The Company will not respond to the shareholder personally if the respective information is posted on the Company's website. A shareholder or a person authorized by him/her shall have right to vote in writing in advance by filling in the General Voting Ballot. Upon a written request of the shareholder holding the voting right, the Company shall send the General Voting Ballot by registered mail not later than 10 days before the Meeting. The General Voting Ballot also will be provided on the Company's website www.linasagrogroup.lt. The filled in General Voting Ballot must be signed by the shareholder or by the person authorized by him/her. If the person who is authorized by the shareholder is voting, the document confirming the right to vote must be attached to the filled in General Voting Ballot. The document confirming the voting right must be in Lithuanian or translated into Lithuanian by authorized translator and his/her signature must be confirmed by notarius. The filled in General Voting Ballot and the document confirming the voting right must be submitted to the Company in written form not later than the last working day before the Meeting, by sending it by registered mail to AB Linas Agro Group at the address Smelynes St. 2C, Panevezys, Lithuania or personally to the Company. The shareholders can familiarize themselves with the documents, related to the agenda of the Meeting, draft decisions on each issue of the agenda, documents to be submitted to the Meeting, and other information regarding execution of the shareholders rights, in the website of the Company www.linasagrogroup.lt, also at the Company's office during business days from 8.00 a.m. till 12.00 a.m. and from 1.00 p.m. till 5.00 p.m. On the day the Meeting is convened the total number of the Company's shares is 158,940,398, and the number of shares granting voting rights is 158,169,426. The own shares in amount of 770,972 acquired by the Company do not grant voting rights. The ISIN code of the Company's shares is LT0000128092. Sincerely, Chairman of the Board Darius Zubas Attachments Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Madison Bogisch (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 10:38 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062dd1ff 1 Entertainment Birds-of-Prey,harley-quinn,Suicide-Squad,dc-comics,superhero-movies,film,movie-review,margot-robbie Free When a movie starts with a break up, youd probably expect it to be a romantic comedy, but this is not the case with Cathy Yans Birds of Prey. As the Suicide Squads sequel sees Margot Robbies return as Harley Quinn, viewers can anticipate the film to be far more entertaining than its predecessor. Viewers can also expect to see appearances from DCs characters: The Huntress/Helena Bertinelli (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary/Dinah Lance (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) and the Black Mask/Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor). Birds of Prey has DC shift its focus from typical male leads and their mild female counterparts to replacing it with an unlikely group of strong females. While Quinn is still more unhinged than ever, shes empowered and breaks away from the side-kick role she played in Suicide Squad. Once known solely for her love affair with the Joker, Quinn steals the spotlight and proves to be an entertaining and intriguing lead. Narrated in a way only Quinns slightly brazen New York accent could, the story follows her rise to independence after her split from Gothams most infamous madman. Her diplomatic immunity perishes and everyone in Gotham appears to be after her. Quinn finds herself being rescued from two men by burlesque waitress Dinah Lance. This is the first we get to see the real Black Canary. Not only can she sing and put up a fight, she also looks out for other women. As Quinn continues to fend off her enemies, the anti-hero finds herself at the mercy of the citys most powerful villain, the Black Mask or Roman Sionis. Read also: Margot Robbie hints at more female action movies at 'Birds of Prey' premiere Much like the comic book version, Black Mask loves to humiliate people. This illustrates the mans cruel tendency and the theme of abuse, which Yan noticeably presents throughout the film in a way that is thought-provoking yet doesnt cloud the storyline. Meanwhile, The Huntress, who is brave yet slightly awkward, is making her way through Gotham seeking to avenge her familys assassination over a diamond. Quinn also meets a juvenile pickpocket and orphan, Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) and finds herself having to play babysitter. Through all the craziness of robbing supermarkets and throwing bombs from cars, the pair find themselves enjoying each others company. However, when the life of the young girl is put in danger, an unlikely sisterhood is formed. Quinn, Renee Montoya, the Black Canary and the Huntress band together to fight the sadistic mastermind in a way only a group of badass women could. In all the madness and mayhem of the film, viewers can expect to see entertaining and original fight scenes. Yan incorporates just the right amount of humor, from inappropriate T-shirt slogans to pet hyenas. Something which also stands out is how the female characters are modern, unabashedly flawed and they refuse to hide behind the perfect female hero stereotype. For a change, DC has given us female leads with personalities and are relatable, hopefully paving the way for hero stories to come. Birds of Prey is a wildly entertaining film that exceeds expectations. It depicts a rise to independence after a breakup while showing the importance of a sisterhood. While Suicide Squad wasnt a huge win for DC, Birds of Prey sets a benchmark for empowering hero stories. (wng) ----------------- Madison Bogisch traveled to Indonesia under a program with ACICIS Study Indonesia. In the interview with the Spanish newspaper, Ziff, the U.S. diplomat in Madrid, also cited other problems with the institutional response to sex attacks in Spain, ranging from how women were treated when reporting to a hospital to how they were questioned by police, including about the clothing they were wearing and their alcohol consumption as well as whether they had an insurance policy to cover a possible sexual assault. In 2007, Judge Batts rejected New York Citys motion to dismiss a lawsuit by the Central Park defendants. In 2014, the city settled, agreeing to pay the men almost $41 million. In 2010, Judge Batts sentenced Mamdouh Mahmud Salim, a reputed former top adviser to Osama bin Laden, to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to stabbing a federal jail guard while he awaited trial on terrorism charges. Judge Batts also oversaw a civil suit against former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey, who was accused of misleading the public when she was administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency about the risk of toxic air pollution after the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center. Judge Batts found that Mrs. Whitman had made statements that were so misleading, they were conscience-shocking. An appeals court, however, dismissed the suit in 2008. Judge Batts was set to preside over the embezzlement trial of Michael Avenatti, the lawyer who is accused of swindling $300,000 from his client, the pornographic film star Stormy Daniels, while he was representing her in her suit against President Trump. (Mr. Avenatti has pleaded not guilty.) One of Judge Battss closest friends, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, recalled on Tuesday that they had both been recommended on the same day for judgeships in the Southern District. From that day forward, we became sisters, Justice Sotomayor said in a statement to The New York Times. Most importantly, she lived her life openly and earnestly, with fortitude and conviction. In May, during a recorded panel discussion held in Manhattan to commemorate Judge Battss 25 years on the bench, she appeared with three other openly gay federal judges. The three Judge Oetken, Alison J. Nathan and Pamela K. Chen said she had been an inspiration. NORRISTOWN An NBC10 television news anchor told a judge she became scared when packages of lingerie, pornography and letters expressing romantic feelings for her were delivered from an unknown person to her Lower Merion home. I always felt very safe in my home. That was my sanctuary. I always felt very secure and very safe. Thats completely gone now, Tracy Davidson testified in Montgomery County Court on Wednesday. I was scared. Every time I received one I hoped it would stop. After a one-day, non-jury trial, Judge Steven T. ONeill convicted David E. Silvan, 42, of Philadelphia, of multiple misdemeanor charges of harassment and stalking, finding he annoyed and alarmed the popular morning news anchor by sending her lewd, lascivious or threatening materials on multiple occasions between October 2017 and January 2019. The court finds overwhelming circumstantial evidence as to each of the counts, ONeill said as he rendered the verdict. Silvan, of the 700 block of West 64th Street, did not react to the verdict. The judge permitted Silvan to remain free on bail pending a sentencing hearing later this year. However, the judge placed additional bail restrictions on Silvan, ordering him to have no communication in any form or manner with Davidson and to stay away from her Ardmore home. ONeill ordered that Silvan undergo psychosexual and psychiatric evaluations in preparation for the sentencing hearing. We intend on seeking a very lengthy supervision term for the defendant. Its clear through his conduct over an almost two-year period that he does need extensive supervision by the court, county Assistant District Attorney Bridget Gallagher said after the trial. Davidson, who began at the station in 1996 and worked as an anchor and consumer reporter, did not know Silvan and did not have any previous contact with him, prosecutors said. It was clear throughout the trial that his conduct, although he may not have personally come face-to-face with the victim, clearly put her in a position where she absolutely feared for her safety, Gallagher said. A person should ultimately feel safest in their own home and it got to the point over a two-year period where the victim felt unsafe in her home. Silvan, who was represented by defense lawyer Christopher Bagnato, did not testify during the trial. Bagnato argued prosecutors didnt have real, pure and direct evidence to link Silvan to the delivery of the items and that someone else could have sent them in Silvans name. But Gallagher showed the judge legal documents containing Silvans handwriting, which matched the handwriting on the packages and letters sent to Davidson. This is not a coincidence. This defendant harassed Tracy Davidson, Gallagher argued. Testimony revealed the first packages were delivered to Davidsons residence, addressed to Misty D, between Oct. 10 and Oct. 16, 2017, and they contained several pornographic DVDs, womens lingerie and other items from Adam and Eve, an online adult store. Silvans address was listed as the billing address, according to testimony and court papers. This had never happened to me. I didnt really know what to do. I was just scared, Davidson testified, adding she notified her supervisors at NBC10 and later Lower Merion police. Prosecutors alleged investigators met with Silvan and made it clear to him he was not to contact Davidson. However, between late 2018 and early 2019, Silvan delivered several unwanted handwritten letters to Davidsons residence, some mailed through the postal service and others apparently hand-delivered with no postmark. The letters, according to court papers, were addressed again to Misty D and signed with only the letter D. Davidson remained calm as she read some of the disturbing passages contained in the letters. The letter expressed having romantic feelings toward Davidson and wanting to initiate an amorous relationship, wrote Lower Merion Police Officer Michael Stieber, referring to one letter in the arrest affidavit. In another letter, Silvan wrote, Gosh, you looked smashing Thursday morning. That red dress Wow, testimony revealed. Investigators also linked Silvan to a letter offering to perform landscaping services for Davidson. Stieber testified he went to Silvans residence in February 2019 and while there showed the letters to Silvans mother. She immediately said, Yup, thats Davids handwriting, Stieber claimed. But when she testified on Wednesday Silvans mother claimed she wasnt certain that the handwriting in the letters matched that of her sons. She also testified Silvan, at 24, was injured in a serious motorcycle crash, suffered a brain injury and is hearing impaired. Key meeting emphasizes treating all patients People's Daily Online (China Daily) 08:01, February 05, 2020 A meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing on Tuesday adopted measures to enable more patients infected with the novel coronavirus in Hubei province and especially Wuhan to obtain treatment, improve recovery rates and reduce fatalities. Participants at the meeting of the leading group of the Communist Party of China Central Committee on coping with the outbreak reiterated that helping Hubei and its provincial capital, the epicenter of the outbreak, are top priorities in curbing the contagion. As of Monday, the number of confirmed cases of novel coronavirus rose to 20,438 on the Chinese mainland, including 425 deaths, with 2,788 people in critical condition. Hubei province alone reported 13,522 infections with 414 deaths. The government will requisition a number of hotels and other venues for purposes of receiving and treating patients with mild symptoms or for medical observation of close contacts, said a statement released after the meeting. Some multi-specialty hospitals will be transformed into dedicated hospitals to receive infected people, and the government will build a number of makeshift hospitals and assign another 2,000 medical workers to support epidemic control and prevention efforts in Hubei, the statement said. Authorities will send more high-caliber medical teams to take over hospitals or inpatient wards that receive critically ill patients, it said. Medical treatment at the primary level will be bolstered, and medical workers will be granted more rest to protect their physical and mental health, the statement said. The meeting also highlighted the need to boost the diagnostic test capacity in Wuhan to reduce testing times, with measures to allow for eligible third-party institutions to conduct nucleic acid tests. It also called for further refining of diagnostic and treatment methods so that therapies already proved effective can be included in standard medical procedures. Participants at the meeting also called for resolute steps to concentrate treatment and protection resources at the outbreak's front line, saying that the supply of key necessities must be ensured. Producers of protective gowns and surgical masks were urged to return to maximum production capacity as soon as possible and to further expand their production capacity, the statement said, adding that imported medical resources that comply with related standards must be put to use as soon as possible. The meeting also underlined the importance of coordinating key businesses, especially central State-owned enterprises, to step up their production of key items. Transport networks must be unimpeded to improve the efficiency of resource distribution and ensure market supply, the statement said. The meeting called for the State Council's mechanism for coordinated control and prevention to be refined to better manage the supply and demand balance of medical resources and ensure better coordinated distribution of key resources on a daily basis. The transport network must be better coordinated to reduce travel congestion after the Spring Festival holiday, the statement said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Modi said the Congress did not remember to save the Constitution during Emergency Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks in the Lok Sabha, during the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament, in New Delhi. PTI photo Amid anti-CAA protests in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused the Congress and the Left of inciting people at protest sites. Replying to a debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in Lok Sabha, Modi also attacked the Congress for its politics in the last seven decades, saying the party's politics of last 70 years has been such that no Congress leader can be self-sufficient. Slamming former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah for their remarks on abrogation of Article 370, Modi said Kashmir's identity was buried on January 19, 1990, when Kashmiri Pandits started leaving the Valley due to militancy. Who made Kashmir only about land grabbing? Who made Kashmir's identity only about bombs and guns? Can anyone forget that dark night of January? In reality, Kashmiri identity is closely linked with harmony, he said. Elaborating on his government's achievements, the prime minister said the people of the country have seen his government's work between 2014 and 2019 and gave a bigger mandate in 2019. The people of India saw our work for five years. They once again blessed us, so that we work even faster, he said. Modi said India can no longer wait for problems to remain unsolved, and, rightfully so. That is why, our aim is speed and scale, determination and decisiveness, sensitivity and solutions. The people of India have not only changed the Sarkar (government). They want the 'Sarokar' (conduct) to be changed as well. If we had worked according to the old ways and thought processes: Article 370 would never have been history. Muslim women would have kept suffering due to Triple Talaq, he said. The prime minister said if his government worked as per the old ways, the Ram Janmabhoomi issue would have remained unsolved, Kartarpur Sahib corridor would not be a reality, there would be no India-Bangladesh land agreement. Modi said the Congress did not remember to save the Constitution during Emergency and the 'Save Constitution' mantra is must for those who dismissed several state governments. Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi said, I heard an Opposition MP saying- we will beat Modi with sticks in 6 months. I have also decided I will do more 'Surya Namaskar'. This will make my back even stronger to face abuses. In any case, I have been abused so much for the last 2 decades that their negativity hardly matters. On the economy, the prime minister said the government has kept the fiscal deficit in check, price rise is also under check and there is macro-economic stability. Modi said the agriculture budget, which was earlier Rs 27,000 crore, has now been increased by five times to about Rs 1.5 lakh crore. The agriculture budget has risen 5 times during the tenure of the NDA Government. The prime minister said driven by politics, some states are not allowing farmers to benefit from the PM-Kisan Scheme. I appeal to them- let there be no politics in farmer welfare. We all have to work together for the prosperity of farmers of India, he said. He said the PM-KISAN Samman Yojana is transforming the lives of many farmers. Several farmers have benefited due to this. In this scheme there are no middlemen and no extra file work. Modi said the FDI in April-Sept 2018 stood at USD 22 billion, while in April-Sept 2019 it increased to USD 26 billion. This reflects confidence of foreign investors in India, he said. Referring to the Northeast, Modi said for years, distance became a reason to ignore this region. Things have changed now and the region is becoming a growth engine as great work has been done in so many sectors and ministers and officials are regularly visiting the Northeast. Despite many efforts, the issue was unsolved for years. Whatever was done earlier was for meeting political ends, remained confined to papers. The Bodo Accord signed now is special because it has brought all stakeholders together and we are moving towards a more peaceful era, he said. At the beginning of his speech, some Congress MPs raised slogans hailing Mahatma Gandhi with party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury saying, it is just a trailer. At this Modi shot back: Mahatma Gandhi may be trailer for you, but he is life for us. When financial advisor Liz Miller took on a client whose spouse had recently died, she realized a piece of the survivor's financial life needed more attention than her wealth management services would provide. That is, the client needed help with the basics of managing money because her late husband had handled everything. "She hadn't been involved in the household finances in many years and had a lot of anxiety about paying bills and managing bank accounts," said Miller, a certified financial planner and president of Summit Place Financial Advisors in Summit, New Jersey. Marc Romanelli | The Image Bank | Getty Images Through a friend, Miller learned of professional daily money managers. After vetting a referral, she connected her client with the pro. "This person helped our client regularly look at her bank accounts and bills, set up an organization process and understand her living expenses," Miller said. "It ended up being a fabulous fit." The profession of daily money managers is small, with the exact number of people in the business hard to come by. The American Association of Daily Money Managers has about 700 members all of whom must agree to a background check scattered across the U.S., with a few in Canada. While practitioners who do not need to be association members come with varying backgrounds, the common thread is that they help people with the nuts and bolts of personal finance: paying bills, staying organized, reconciling medical bills with insurance statements, organizing tax documents, etc. "We know our area of expertise," said Leah Nichaman, founder and president of Everyday Money Management in Rockville, Maryland, and a past president of the association. "For the other things investments, accounting, law we refer them to a person already on their team or help them find the right professional." The cost for a daily money manager ranges from about $75 to $150 an hour, depending on location and specific services, Nichaman said. Some also offer power of attorney services (which comes with a legal fiduciary duty). The association began offering a certification program about 10 years ago in an effort to set standards for the business. In addition to work requirements 1,500 hours of daily money manager experience under their belt applicants have to sit for an exam and be re-certified every three years. They also must adhere to a code of ethics. "The idea was that at some point regulation might come along, but there still is no regulation at the state or federal level," Nichaman said. "So this is our effort to help professionalize the work." I'm in the home every other week, so I'm also being the eyes and ears. Cindy Stevens founder of Personal Financial Solutions Cindy Stevens, founder of Personal Financial Solutions in Fallston, Maryland, earned her certification about six years ago. She typically meets with each of her clients every other week for an hour or so. In addition to the paperwork she handles, she also might notice if something is amiss in the client's life and needs attention. "I'm in the home every other week, so I'm also being the eyes and ears," Stevens said. "They might need help for something else say, medication management and I can refer them to other [professionals]." She also said she's been called on to step in when caregivers family or friends were exploiting their charge and essentially robbing them blind. Other times, her role has simply made it harder for a client to be taken advantage of. "Sometimes we can be a buffer between kids and parents or grandparents who want access to their money before they're even in the grave," Stevens said. More from Personal Finance: How the midlife crisis for women has gotten worse Steps for safeguarding your retirement savings from this risk One in five fear they'll owe the IRS money this spring CFP Elizabeth Windisch has an older client whom she paired with a daily money manager, based on concern expressed by the client's adult daughter about her mother's cognitive decline. "At some point, the client will need someone with [power of attorney] to take over her finances, but she's not quite there yet," said Windisch, a financial advisor at Aspen Wealth Management in Denver. "This has been a really good bridge to help her stay on top of her money day to day." At the same, though, Windisch also has referred younger clients those in their 40s and 50s who simply need help with the nitty-gritty of money management. "They might just struggle to keep on top of their finances," Windisch said. While the ranks of professional daily money managers are still thin, Nichaman, of Everyday Money Management, said there's no shortage of work for her colleagues, whether they are certified by AADMM or not. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dian Septiari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, February 7 2020 Old and new maps: Palestinian girls hold petitions with a map of British-mandate Palestine (left) and a current map of the Palestinian territories without Israeli-annexed areas and settlements, as they take part in a demonstration by women supporters of the Hamas movement against United States President Donald Trumps plan for the Middle East in Gaza City on Wednesday. (AFP/Emmanuel Dunand) Indonesia is pushing for a United Nations resolution to condemn the one-sided Middle East peace deal proposed by the United States last week, as Jakarta seeks to build momentum for a showdown at the Security Council that is likely to be blocked by Washington. The Foreign Ministrys multilateral cooperation director general, Febrian Ruddyard, confirmed that Indonesia, together with Tunisia, had circulated a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution earlier this week condemning illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank as well as the pro-Israel proposal. 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 The problem with holier-than-thou Hollywood Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Did you ever stop to wonder who granted moral authority to famous actors and actresses? Did you ever ask yourself why their opinions should carry extra weight? After all, its one thing to be a certain person, such as a political leader or an athlete or a cancer survivor and to speak from your experience. Its another thing to make believe you were that person. How does making believe qualify you to speak? Read more at https://www.christianpost.com/voice/who-made-hollywood-icons-moral-authorities.html Salini Impregilo S.p.A. (BIT:SAL), which is in the construction business, and is based in Italy, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the BIT, rising to highs of 1.86 and falling to the lows of 1.45. 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 Salini Impregilo's current trading price of 1.46 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 Salini Impregilos outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. See our latest analysis for Salini Impregilo Is Salini Impregilo still cheap? Salini Impregilo appears to be overvalued by 38% at the moment, based on my discounted cash flow valuation. The stock is currently priced at 1.46 on the market compared to my intrinsic value of 1.06. This means that the buying opportunity has probably disappeared for now. If you like the stock, you may want to keep an eye out for a potential price decline in the future. Since Salini Impregilos share price is quite volatile, this could mean it can sink lower (or rise even further) in the future, giving us another chance to invest. This is based on its high beta, which is a good indicator for how much the stock moves relative to the rest of the market. What does the future of Salini Impregilo look like? BIT:SAL Past and Future Earnings, February 6th 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. Although value investors would argue that its the intrinsic value relative to the price that matter the most, a more compelling investment thesis would be high growth potential at a cheap price. With revenues expected to grow by a double-digit 24% over the next couple of years, the outlook is positive for Salini Impregilo. If the level of expenses is able to be maintained, 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? SALs optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading above its fair value. At this current price, shareholders may be asking a different question should I sell? If you believe SAL should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards its real value can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed. Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on SAL for a while, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its true value, which means theres no upside from mispricing. However, the positive outlook is encouraging for SAL, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors 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 Salini Impregilo. You can find everything you need to know about Salini Impregilo in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in Salini Impregilo, 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 17:03:24|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- China released policies and measures Thursday to encourage workers to participate in vocational skills training online to strengthen the containment of the novel coronavirus. Key online courses will be free for workers while the scope of free courses will be expanded for the areas hit hard by the virus, according to a circular issued by the National Development and Reform Commission. The circular also encouraged enterprises to implement online recruitment in cooperation with the online vocational skills training platforms. Workers will also be given the priority to participate in on-site training after the epidemic outbreak based on the hours and credits they accumulate through online training, said the circular. Smart Cities are booming in 2020, with every major industry analyst covering the category forecasting steady and even stunning growth. While were all familiar with the upward mobility of overall IoT and Industrial IoT financial forecasts, it is the edge computing market that may tell the value story associated with not just an operational and secure but highly intelligent edge, leveraging AI and Machine Learning, for example, to support automated systems which is where the most cost savings and functional improvements may be found. Last year, Market & Markets estimated the Edge Computing Market size will grow from USD 2.8 billion in 2019 to USD 9.0 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 26.5% during the forecast period. In their report, they said the Smart Cities segment will drive the most need, with rising demand for low-latency processing and real-time, automated decision-making solutions, and the need to address and manage exponentially increasing data volumes and network traffic. As solution providers roll out impressive building security, parking and traffic management, government asset management, public safety systems, and much more, they are pushing computing to the edge and driving innovation up and down the IoT/IIoT stack but in the physical network infrastructure, which signals a growing demand for (and budgets for) more fiber optic cables which support 5G wireless networks. Edge networking must be supported across hundreds if not thousands of potential combinations of sensors, actuators, gateways, small cells, and more, and applications that run locally while still requiring transmission of data to cloud applications for analytics and reporting. The Market & Markets study also reports that the platform segment is expected to grow at a higher CAGR during the forecast period. With an increase in edge devices and data centers, service providers and enterprises need access to software capable of controlling operations at the edge, from devices to rapidly growing edge data centers, helping connect nodes in the infrastructure and enable the secure, reliable and cost-effective flow of data across various networks. Weve asked a few experts in the field (across domains) to share what they are seeing early in this new year, starting with Eric Simone, CEO of ClearBlade, an IoT and IIoT edge platform developer with many smart building, venue and city projects underway. Were seeing substantial investments in intelligent edge infrastructure by our clients and our partners, Simone said. When you run a platform, you have visibility into everything required to support the rapid rise of automated systems, and you need to orchestrate across the ecosystem everything from the physical infrastructure including edge devices and the gateways that connect them to any number of networks, all the way up to the cloud as applications warrant. Without harmonizing all this which is exactly what quality IoT platforms must do investments will never be fully optimized, and the ROI will not meet expectations, which has been a serious issue for legacy Smart City deployments. Simone explained that the platform helps in the design and provisioning phases, then makes it possible to monitor, measure and manage the solutions that make train crossings safer, for example, make people counting in large public venues possible for applications including responding to potential threats, and simply make logistics and life simpler with traffic routing and parking applications. What many are missing is the use of scalable platforms to normalize many different types of sensors, equipment, local edge networking that doesnt touch the Internet, and edge networking that is designed to leverage the Internet, for example, NB-IOT which a lot of telecom service providers have chosen over many other options including LoRaWAN, Zigbee, Bluetooth and more, Simone said. Based on our clients, interactions with partners, and insights from industry observers, just as vendor neutrality is important to avoid expensive and frustrating lock-ins, protocol neutrality is equally or even more important especially as we move more aggressively into open computing and networking. Smart City planners are just now getting comfortable with the fact that they will need different combinations depending on the application, and that in order to embrace the related complexity, they need to rely on software platforms for visibility, quality assurance and maintenance and management that especially goes along with larger IoT public and private initiatives within our largest cities. ClearBlade is one of three companies who announced with Rocket Wagon Venture Studios last month the establishment of a new Technology Alliance Partner Program, supporting innovation by bringing mature, proven platforms and capabilities to IoT startups, including those affiliated with the Smart City and Edge Computing markets. Don DeLoach, founder and CEO of Rocket Wagon Venture Studios, has been active in the evolution of smart cities since their inception decades ago, working with the Midwest IoT Council and a member of the Executive Committee of the Array of Things Project (a U.S. Department of Energy Smart Cities Initiative) among many other organizations promoting strategies and standards for smart communities. Tomorrows smart cities will rely on edge computing infrastructure to optimize the potential of data-driven tech of the future, designed to support an evolving world of cyber-physical transformation, DeLoach said. We have to focus on the distributed, de-centralized edge more comprehensively and systematically than ever. For example, self-driving cars and other IoT devices have to be built with sufficient processing power so they can perform some work themselves, at the edge, without sending it to the cloud, and those self-driving cars must communicate with other connected cars and smart city traffic systems. Without edge computing, autonomous vehicles will struggle to interact with the heterogeneous infrastructure and other entities in their proximity, and that could be deadly. Look for autonomous vehicles to flourish in the future smart city networks of automated taxis and delivery services, and public transportation whether it be light rail above ground, or new and reconfigured metros underground. The key with edge computing is to keep the data as close as possible to it is generated or collected for processing in order to maximize speed and minimize network latency, said Bob Mazer, co-founder of Smart City Works, a non-profit organization located in the Washington, DC metro area, and currently leading a major initiative in Northern Virginia, working with Virginia Tech, AWS and a range of top public and private organizations and enterprises supported by a grant from the U.S. government. The requirement for building out edge capabilities is great for economic development, given that we truly do need new networks, new edge data centers that bridge end-user and core, by putting small but powerful processing hubs as close as possible to devices. The Smart City movement, which weve been championing successfully for many years, has truly become an industry ecosystem, and is going to require education, training, regulations, new skills and an entirely new level of entrepreneurship. The returns will be exciting, not only in terms of return on financial capital, but the improvement of life in large cities especially with positive impacts on the environment, public safety, and an inevitable reduction in the cost of operating government, government services and the management of climate change. All this requires investment at the edge. Look for the evolution of the Smart City edge to create enormous financial upside opportunities for all companies who bring something to the table, said David Walsh, an American entrepreneur, investor and Internet disrupter whose experience crosses technology and networking as well as capital markets, where he has been running investments in the private equity world for many years, including during thirteen years at JPMorgan Chase & Co.s One Equity Partners. Conquering the challenges of the last mile and today the last millimeter takes a clear understanding of how data is generated, shared, stored, analyzed, and acted upon. Only after we solve for low-latency computing at the edge will we be able to leverage data exchanges, allowing smart city systems to talk to each other, given the co-dependencies in complex digital cities that we are designing to make life feel simpler and safer. Walsh believes we are only now seeing the network effect kicking in and has created a new paradigm called Walshs Law to explain his vision as digitization amps up. IP Networks, expanded by the IoT edge and massive growth in content will drive new peering models, Walsh said, noting that many analysts are missing the importance of not just connectivity but content and context. If N is users and C is content and E is IOT endpoints, Walshs Law is NV = n(n-1)/2 + c(c-1)/2 + e(e-1)/2. Im a huge fan of Bob Metcalf and his early law, which guided the explosion of the Internet twenty plus years ago, Walsh said. As more people, places, and things are connected, and as more content and data traverse networks constantly and contextually, the value of a network is no longer just the squared value of the number of users, as we believed a few decades ago. Rather, the new value of the network is created by the number of users, end points, and content connected by the network. Nowhere will this be more evident than in smart cities. Walsh also believes there will be massive growth in fiber optic cables and related technologies and services. With edge computing, we can be immediately responsive to situations, but only if we can collect and act on data within nano-seconds. Location, location, location is critical, and the ability to compute locally and connect globally is fundamental to smart city applications. Look for smaller, more localized roll outs of fiber optic networks which leverage the natural economics and resiliency of the Internet, and for physical improvements in fiber to allow it to go anywhere including connecting edge data centers with edge devices. Success will be in the mix, and unprecedented returns will happen for investors to understand and place their bets on completely new models combining physical and digital worlds. Edited by Ken Briodagh Dublin, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Digital China - The Other Digital Superpower" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The stunning emergence, over the past decade, of China's digital economic miracle, is transforming the country - and its domestic and global position. Once a follower, digital China is now a world leader in given industries. Persistent and heavy investment in R&D of the latest technologies has laid the foundations of this exciting prodigy. A comprehensive cameo of the Chinese digital landscape, this report covers a full scale of topics: the drive behind its surge into the spotlight what is sparking the explosion of its markets how the government is fostering key technologies like 5G and facial recognition who the major players are, domestically the future shape of the Chinese digital ecosystem the expansion of players' investments abroad List of Chapters 1. Executive summary 2. China is moving into the spotlight 3. Despite remarkable growth, Chinese digitalisation still lags behind global leaders 4. The forces behind the explosion of the digital market in China 5. No longer a copycat in e-commerce and OTT communication markets 6. Leadership in 5G 7. Widespread use of facial recognition 8. Chinese IoT market growth is backed by the government and wide-scale IoT applications by business and consumers 9. The explosion of Blockchain: China is on a fast track to launching a digital currency 10. The rise of domestic tech players is driving the boom of China's digital economy 11. However, the digitalisation of Chinese industry still lags behind other developed countries 12. BAT gain weight on the stock market for an improved monetising performance 13. Ongoing international expansion, but domestic markets remain BAT focus Tables & Figures 2. China is moving into the spotlight Total revenue of telecom services market by region/country, 2018-2022 Revenue of Internet markets in China, USA and EU5, 2019 3. Despite remarkable growth, Chinese digitalisation still lags behind global leaders Evolution of China's digital economy 2019 IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 4. The forces behind the explosion of the digital market in China The penetration rate of 4G subscribers by country, 2019 Number of Chinese Internet user 2010-2019 Number of total fiber subscription by country, 2018 China 5G subscriptions Principal Chinese government initiatives to help the digital economy Examples of government policies set behind of market development Investment in African ICT development by source 2014-2018 Investment in Africa by leading Chinese tech companies 5. No longer a copycat in e-commerce and OTT communication markets Revenue and per-user revenue of OTT communication market, China, USA & Europe Revenue and per-user revenue of e-commerce market, China, USA & Europe Per capita GDP, 2018 M-commerce: Compared shares of e-commerce in USA and China, 2019 Distribution of online retail market shares in China, 2018 Sales of principal shopping festivals in 2019 Most used social media and messaging services in China, 2018 6. Leadership in 5G 5G development timeline of China Origin of 4G and 5G patent holders 7. Widespread use of facial recognition Evolution of Chinese facial recognition market Policies related to facial recognition 2015-2019 8. Chinese IoT market growth is backed by the government and wide-scale IoT applications by business and consumers The volume of cellular M2M Modules/SIMs in China, USA, and EU5 Key city cluster focus on IoT development 9. The explosion of Blockchain: China is on a fast track to launching a digital currency Evolution of the number of blockchain-related companies in China Internet giants invested in blockchain services 10. The rise of domestic tech players is driving the boom of China's digital economy The market capitalisation of major global internet companies 11. However, the digitalisation of Chinese industry still lags behind other developed countries Implementation of digital factories Industry robot density Cloud adoption by enterprise, by region 12. BAT gain weight on the stock market for an improved monetising performance Revenue of top OTT players in 2018 Market capital of BAT and GAFA, 2018-2019 13. Ongoing international expansion, but domestic markets remain BAT focus BAT international expansion Number of users by social platform, South Africa, 2018 Companies Mentioned Ali WangWang Alibaba Amazon Baidu BBK Electronics ByteDanse Central Bank of China China Mobile Didi Facebook Google Huawei Instagram JD KOL Little Red Book Apps Meituan-Dianping MIIT Naspers Netflix PayPal Pinduoduo Qzone Suning Sunsea AIoT Technology Tencent Tmall Toutiao Tuteng VIP Shop Xiaomi YouTube ZTE For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/kn2fxi Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Judging by the response on the doorsteps last week in Wellsley Manor, Newbridge, the consistent calls for accountability and transparency by Independent Councillor Fiona McLoughlin Healy, who was re-elected to the Kildare-Newbridge Municipal District last year, regarding publicly funded boards is striking a chord with voters. Theres certainly no shortage of supporters willing to campaign with the Kildare South candidate. Twenty two were out canvassing last week, ranging in age from 15 to 76 years, with an average of 18 per night. I thought long and hard about running, said Ms McLoughln Healy. Politics can be a nasty business but my decision was based on the mandate I received in the local elections. I feel a real duty to raise issues and to continue my work in fighting for transparency and accountability in governance bodies. She doggedly stuck to her criticism of the lack of accountability in the Kildare Wicklow Education Training Board (KWETB) finances. As she began her canvass, Cllr McLoughlin Healy cited the ongoing overspend on the childrens national hospital and still no hospital; the disgraceful shennanigans of the FAI, and as yet, no one being held accountable. With a blistering knowledge of facts and figures, in the space of a few hundred metres, she spoke of the 20 billion in the national pension fund which was drawn down to bale out the banks after the collapse of the Irish economy. Now that the banks are back in profitability, this money should be reinstated to the National Reserve Pension Fund. Look at the scandalous overspend in the childrens hospital project, 2bn estimated spend and still no hospital. You know Colm McCarthy the economist stated this debacle was scandalous but routine here in Ireland. Companies tender for projects and are awarded contracts on costings submitted, she claimed, but when costs are over run, they look for extened time and more money but no one is held accountable! She continued The childrens hospital project was sold on a its this or nothing I dont believe we know the full story even yet! People now understand why Im constantly harping about transparency and accountability because its money out of their pocket! The first householder who answered the knock and recognised Cllr McLoughlin Healy enthused: Youll be getting at least four number one votes here. We identify with your goals and calls for transparency and good governance its the foundation for a fair society. The householder noted she had previously voted for main parties but would no longer be doing so. Im canvassing on your behalf! she told the councillor. Accountability is everything. The womans husband then raised the issue of commuting and having to drive to Sallins train station which is so much cheaper than just taking a train from Newbridge, the station being a mere kilometre from his home. Its not fair that Newbridge is not on the commuter loop and it is much dearer to travel from here than to take the train from Sallins to Hueston station". Homeowner Andy Cross requested a chat with Cllr McLoughlin Healy and put it straight up to her: What are you going to do for me? He was, he claimed, familiar with her work in recent years and again, transparency and good governance was discussed. The afore-mentioned issues were cited, along with more robust governance controls to prevent cost overruns on major projects; strict criteria for appointments and duration times for board members on publicly funded bodies, strengthening of the Freedom of Information Act, etc. High on her agenda is the restoration of the state pension to 65 years of age, amendments to the tax credit base to benefit the lower paid, health and housing changes and notably, better regulation of the Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs). I have worked with residents of the AHB in Newbridge, Kildare town and Monasterevin to expose on a national level the governance issues arising in their housing associations. This is a local and national issue. Again, with a blistering pace, she listed a number of local projects she would like to see furthered relating to youth and community amenities, promoting our natural environment (Greenway and Blueways Project), greater public transport for South Kildare commuters, cycle lanes and infrastructures plus changes in tax policies for SMEs and the regeneration of rural towns and villages. This journalist had writers cramp after only an hour on the canvass trail with Cllr Fiona McLoughlin Healy. It is as an Independent candidate she stands, and to represent South Kildare as an independent voice in Dail Eireann, "fully accountable to my constituents and supporters". She concluded: "Im not making idle promises on what I might do; vote for me on what I have done and I am proud of what I have achieved as an Independent". ANN ARBOR, MI The presidential debate at the University of Michigan is eight months away, but planning and preparation for events leading up to the high-profile gathering have already begun. Thats where UMs Debate Steering Committee and Debate Core Teams come in. The 19-member steering committee has been engaging with students and the university community to develop events that can take place ahead of and surrounding the Oct. 15 debate at the Crisler Center. Were working on developing themes on the importance of democracy and debate, said Michael Barr, chair of the committee and dean of the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. Were working on classes, volunteer opportunities, extracurricular activities, nonpartisan voter registration, free speech, engagement and making sure all voices are heard. Students have already started to help provide and narrow down ideas for specific events, like media literacy workshops and democracy cafes informal ways for students and faculty to debate issues. Helping put on those events will be the core team, which will help coordinate some of the logistical aspects of different events. UM spokesperson and core team member Rick Fitzgerald said the steering committee is more higher-level leadership, whereas the core team will be more hands-on. The core team will figure out how we turn those ideas from the steering committee into a successful event, Fitzgerald said. So far, Fitzgerald said a lot of ideas are being generated, and that means the core team will figure out what they need for the event and whether its practical or not. He added that student engagement will be key. One of the really important things is involving students in the planning and execution of events, Fitzgerald said. Even for some of the preliminary work that will start this spring and summer, we want to involve students in it as much as we can." Although planning discussions are ongoing, Wilbanks expects there will be a full calendar of events in early September. There may even be events held after the debate, with the November election 19 days after. The debate is about six weeks after the start of the fall semester, and that means a lot of conversations with students have to happen now, before they leave for the summer. Its a lot of planning and pre-work, but it has to get done now, Wilbanks said. More information on the debate can be viewed here. The deadly two-vehicle crash around 11:50 a.m. in the 3800 block of West Lake Street, police said. The Cook County medical examiners office said it occurred at the intersection of Hamlin Avenue and Lake Street, just across from the western edge of Garfield Park. Washington: Coming across as self-absorbed or expressing strong views on controversial topics on your Facebook profile may spurn your chances of landing a job, a study suggests. According to the researchers from Pennsylvania State University in the US, job recruiters are less likely to select candidates who appear to be too self-involved or opinionated in their social media posts. The study, published in the International Journal of Selection and Assessment, also found that recruiters are less likely to hire employees who post content suggestive of drug or alcohol use. Michael Tews, an associate professor of hospitality management, noted that little is known about how much weight hiring managers give to potentially negative social media content. The researchers investigated the effects of three potentially negative topics - self-absorption, opinionatedness and alcohol and drug use on hiring managers' decision making. They recruited 436 hiring managers from a variety of organisations, 61 percent of whom were employed in the hospitality industry and the remainder in companies ranging from information technology to healthcare. The team gave participants a scenario to read in which hypothetical job candidates answered interview questions well and exhibited enthusiasm, but also appeared to be prone to job-hopping. They then asked the participants to review components of the candidates' Facebook profiles and to rate their employment suitability. Each of the participants was randomly assigned to view one of 16 different Facebook profiles showing a male or female exhibiting self-absorption, opinionatedness, and alcohol and drug use, or not showing these traits. After reading these profiles, the hiring managers evaluated the candidates' employment suitability by providing an assessment of person-organization fit, and an overall candidate evaluation. The researchers found that self-absorption negatively impacted recruiters' perceptions of candidates' employment suitability. Self-absorption was also found to be more important than opinionatedness or drug and alcohol use in driving these negative perceptions, the researchers said. "Social networking sites are often lamented as incubators of self-absorption, motivating people to tell others about their every deed and thought," said Tews. "It could be that hiring managers view individuals who are more self-absorbed and focused on their own interests to be less likely to sacrifice for the benefit of other employees and the organization," he said. The team also found that opinionatedness negatively affected perceptions of employment suitability. "Social networking sites have given rise to unprecedented numbers of individuals expressing extreme and controversial ideas in a public forum," said Tews. "People who post divisive subject matter may be viewed as more argumentative and less cooperative. Additionally, their views could run counter to those of hiring managers, which may influence managers' beliefs in candidates' qualifications for jobs," he said. The team found that content suggesting alcohol and drug use negatively affected hiring managers' perceptions of employment suitability, although the effect was much smaller than for self-absorption and opinionatedness. "The social media content we showed hiring managers was fairly benign; there was no reference to binge drinking or actual drug use," said Tews. "One possible reason for the relatively small effect alcohol and drug use content is that hiring managers may perceive the content as relatively normal," he said. The researchers conclude that individuals should refrain from posting content on social networking sites that suggest self-absorption, opinionatedness and alcohol and drug use during the job search process. A US security contractor has been kidnapped in eastern Afghanistan, an official confirmed Thursday, the latest instance of a foreigner being taken in the war-torn country where abductions are common. An Afghan security official with knowledge of the incident told AFP the former US Navy member had been working in Afghanistan as a contractor when he was abducted last week in eastern Khost province, near the Pakistani border. There was no indication whether a militant group or a criminal organisation was behind the kidnapping, while the Taliban told AFP they had "no information" about the matter. Afghanistan's former intelligence chief Amrullah Saleh was quick to blame the insurgents, saying on Twitter the abduction had been orchestrated by "the Taliban & their Pakistani backers. Kidnapping must end & end without ransom". Pakistan has long been accused of backing the Taliban but has repeatedly denied supporting the group. The US State Department said it was aware of reports of the kidnapping, but declined to comment further. The incident comes after the Taliban in November handed two Western hostages over to US forces in southern Afghanistan, three years after they were abducted, in a swap for three high-ranking insurgent prisoners. The exchange of American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks for the militants -- including Anas Haqqani, brother to the Taliban's deputy leader -- was widely believed to be instrumental in kick-starting stalled talks between the two sides. The Taliban later described the exchange as "a step forward in good-will and confidence-building measures that can aid the peace process". The kidnapping of Afghans and foreigners for ransom is common across Afghanistan where swathes of the country are infested with militant groups or criminal gangs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) President Donald Trump has been cleared in his impeachment trial, ending a congressional bid to oust him from office that bitterly divided the US. The Senate, run by the president's fellow Republicans, voted to acquit him 52-48 on charges of abuse of power and 53-47 on obstruction of Congress. Democrats charged Mr Trump in December with pressuring Ukraine to smear a potential White House rival. In November, Mr Trump will be the first impeached president to go for election. In its historic vote on Wednesday, the Senate decided not to remove America's 45th president from office on charges arising from his dealings with Ukraine. If convicted on either charge, Mr Trump would have had to turn over his office to Vice-President Mike Pence. The Democratic-led House of Representatives approved the articles of impeachment on 18 December. How did President Trump react? Mr Trump, who is seeking a second four-year term in the 3 November election, always denied wrongdoing. Trump 'guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust' - Mitt Romney His re-election campaign said in a statement: "President Trump has been totally vindicated and it's now time to get back to the business of the American people. "The do-nothing Democrats know they can't beat him, so they had to impeach him." It said "this terrible ordeal" and "nonsense" was merely a Democratic campaign tactic. The statement added: "This impeachment hoax will go down as the worst miscalculation in American political history." Mr Trump - whose personal approval rating with American voters hit a personal best of 49% this week, according to Gallup - tweeted that he would speak on Thursday about the case. How did the impeachment vote play out? Mitt Romney of Utah was the only Republican senator to cross the aisle and convict Mr Trump, on the first charge of abuse of power. Mr Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, said earlier on the Senate floor that the president was "guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust". Despite Democratic hopes, two other moderate Republicans, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, did not join Mr Romney in voting to convict the president. Some Republican senators criticised Mr Trump's behaviour in recent days, but said it did not rise to the level of impeachment. Three centrist Democratic senators who Republicans had hoped would side with them instead voted to convict Mr Trump. They were Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Doug Jones of Alabama. A two-thirds majority vote was needed to remove Mr Trump, which was always going to be a long shot in a chamber controlled by his party. What was Trump accused of? The impeachment charges focused on Mr Trump's request that Kyiv announce a corruption investigation into Joe Biden, a Democratic White House candidate, and his son Hunter Biden. Mr Trump has argued that the younger Biden improperly held a board position with a Ukrainian natural gas firm while his father was US vice-president and in charge of American-Ukrainian relations. Democrats accused Mr Trump of abusing his power by withholding $391m (300m) in security aid to prod Ukraine's president into digging up dirt on the Bidens. They also charged Mr Trump with obstruction of Congress after the White House blocked testimony and documents sought by the House impeachment investigators. Mr Trump is the third US president to have been impeached. The two others, Bill Clinton in 1999 and Andrew Johnson in 1868, were left in power by the Senate and did not seek re-election. Is this the end of the matter? Mr Trump has probably not heard the last of the Ukraine investigation. Jerry Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said on Wednesday the chamber would "likely" issue a subpoena to Mr Trump's former National Security Adviser, John Bolton. Senate Republicans ultimately declined to seek Mr Bolton's testimony during the president's impeachment trial, provoking uproar from Democrats. A manuscript of a forthcoming Bolton memoir reportedly alleges Mr Trump told his former national security adviser to help him pressure Ukraine. A young girl is facing 'living hell' because of a rare disorder which makes her skin appear like stone. Seven-year-old Rajeshwari, who lives in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, suffers from an incurable condition called ichthyosis which causes her skin to become scaly. The rough blisters have covered her arms, legs and most of her back and make it painful for her to walk or even sit. The seven-year-old lives in a tribal district in Dantewada and travelling to a nearby city for medical appointments is an additional burden. Seven-year-old Rajeshwari (pictured) suffers from a rare and incurable disorder called ichthyosis which makes her skin appear like stone Video footage shows Rajeshwari walking slowly and painfully into an enclosure with the scaly skin covering most of her body. Her legs and arms are almost completely covered in blisters, including her hands and feet, with her stomach and most of her back also affected. There is little health care available in the young girl's district, meaning she has to travel into the city for medical attention. Dr Yash Upender, a dermatologist from Dantewada Hospital, specified the condition as 'epidermolytic ichthyosis'. Ichthyosis is not usually life-threatening, but there is no cure and patients are likely to show the symptoms for life. Medics say ichthyosis patients are also liable to suffer from overheating because of a reduced ability to sweat. The seven-year-old girl's incurable ichthyosis has caused her skin to become rough, dry and scaly, including all over her legs and feet (pictured) The rough and scaly skin has spread across most of the seven-year-old girl's back and stomach WHAT IS THE SKIN CONDITION ICHTHYOSIS? Ichthyosis is an incurable condition which causes dry, thickened skin that can look like stone or fish scales. It is usually inherited, and babies who have it will generally start showing signs before their first birthday. Children can inherit it from parents who showed no signs of the disease. Patients are likely to suffer from redness, blisters and skin coming off as well as overheating and itching. Some people may have a localised version of ichthyosis which only affects certain parts of their body. There is no cure, although certain creams and lotions can relieve pain and vitamin A may be prescribed. Advertisement They are also vulnerable to infections because of cracks in their skin and may have impaired vision or hearing if skin builds up over their ears and eyes. The condition is usually inherited from one's parents, but can also be acquired in connection with other health problems. If a baby has inherited the condition, their skin will gradually become dry, rough and scaly - with symptoms showing before the age of one. People with the condition may need to spend several hours a day caring for their skin, experts say. Vitamin A tablets can help to improve the skin's appearance, but do not improve the underlying inflammation. Doctors in India say there have been few cases in the country which would assist research into Rajeshwari's condition. 'There has not been any major breakthrough in terms of research. Currently, science has no cure for this ailment,' said Dr Satyaki Ganguly of the All India Institute of Medical Science in Raipur. The condition also heavily affects her arms, hands and stomach and makes it painful for her to sit, walk or travel to medical appointments OC Sheriff Reviewing 22,000 Cases of Mishandled Evidence SANTA ANA, Calif.The Orange County Sheriffs Department (OCSD) announced Feb. 4 it is conducting an evidence review for more than 20,000 cases. About 1,500 case-reviews are complete, with the sheriffs staff having started in December. The announcement comes two years after an internal investigation by the OCSD which revealed elemental mishandling of evidence. The examination found deputies often waited months to turn in case evidence, including currency, confiscated drugs, photos, and videos connected to criminal cases. Officers are required to turn in evidence at the end of their shifts, but over 70 percent did not follow department policy between February 2018 and February 2019, the audit found. District Attorney Todd Spitzer told NPR last year that his office was not aware of the ongoing misconduct investigations until he was approached by a reporter about it. Sheriff Don Barnes disagreed, telling NPR that Spitzer was notified an audit was in the works in 2018. These are not merely cases that have been affected, Barnes said in the recent press release. In every one of these cases, a person accused of a crime is owed their right to due process in the criminal justice system. In some cases, there is also a victim who wants to see justice served. I am not only mindful of those facts, theyre the driving force behind my desire to uncover the full scope of this issue and hold accountable those who violated policy. Two OCSD deputies were identified for suspected issues, and have been placed on administrative leave. They are under criminal investigation pertaining to the mishandling of case evidence. Sheriff Barnes does not want misleading conjecture focused on an issue that they are actively working to correct [to] distract the public away from the vast majority of the men and women of the Orange County Sheriffs Department [who] are dedicated professionals who work every day to keep [the] community safe. Sheriff Barnes will hold monthly briefings open to the public beginning February, where he will cover topics pertinent to Orange Countys public safety. Prime Minister on Thursday said the fundamentals of the were strong and had inherent capability for higher growth rates. Replying to the debate in Rajya Sabha on a motion thanking the president for his address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament, he said there was no reason for being despondent. Rejecting pessimism over the target of nearly doubling the size of the economy to $5 trillion, he said aspirational targets were needed to move ahead. "There is no question of thinking small. Pessimism and gloom do not help us. We talk about a USD 5-trillion economy. Yes the aim is ambitious, but we have to think big and think ahead," he said, adding his government is focusing on infrastructure development, small businesses, textiles, startups, and tourism. Modi said the focus on 'Make in India', his government's flagship scheme to boost domestic manufacturing, is yielding results. Also, tax compliance is being simplified to make it easier to do business in the country. On Goods and Services Tax (GST), which from July 2017 amalgamated 17 different central and state taxes, he said frequent changes were a reflection of federal structure of the country and showed the government was willing to improve the law. On Gujarat opposing GST when he was the chief minister, Modi said he had wanted concerns of manufacturing-states such as Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra to be addressed before rolling out of tax regime. These concerns, he said, were addressed when his government came to power, ensuring rollout of the landmark tax reform. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 Trend: Azerbaijani First Deputy Defense Minister, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Colonel General Najmeddin Sadikov met with the delegation led by Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), Commander of US European Command, General Tod Wolters in Baku on February 6, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. Welcoming the guest, Sadikov reminded about the meeting held in Baku last July and noted the development of relations between Azerbaijan and NATO during 26 years, the activities of the Azerbaijani Army in various NATO programs and the contribution made by Azerbaijani servicemen to the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. The chief of the General Staff emphasized that the main goal of Azerbaijan-NATO cooperation carried out in various fields is to eliminate instability, conflicts, and threats in the Euro-Atlantic area, as well as to establish indivisible security system in a worldwide scale. Touching upon the military-political situation in the region, Sadikov reminded that Armenia occupied 20 percent of the Azerbaijani territory and that the negotiation process remains to be fruitless so far. Sadikov emphasized that the solution to this issue is to compel Armenia to fulfill the requirements of the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council on the basis of the norms and principles of international law. The chief of the General Staff highly appreciated NATO's position supporting Azerbaijans territorial integrity and sovereignty and expressed confidence that the Alliance will continue its efforts in this issue. Stressing that Azerbaijan is a reliable partner of Alliance, Wolters highly appreciated the participation of Azerbaijan in the fight against terrorism, the significant contribution in providing airspace for cargo transportation for peacekeeping operations, including the high level of professionalism of Azerbaijani peacekeepers in Afghanistan. Wolters stressed that the Alliance is in favor of a peaceful solution to the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The guest has expressed gratitude to the Azerbaijani leadership for the warm welcome and hospitality, as well as for its assistance in holding the meeting with the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Baku. During the meeting, the parties also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest. Central Asia is a region with very uneven social and economic dynamics. It is rapidly breaking down into areas with different quality of life, economic growth, environmental health, quality of social services and infrastructure access. This makes it hard to find common socio-economic problems that would be of equal concern to those living in big cities and small villages, Modern Diplomacy writes in the article The Paradoxes of Social and Economic Development in Central Asia. At the same time, Central Asia is riddled with many paradoxes that pose serious challenges to the regions socio-economic development, so it is worth examining the situation as an interplay of contradictory processes. First, the Central Asian population is still growing, and high unemployment is compounded by a lack of skilled workforce and low quality of human capital. Despite significant migration outflow over the last 30 years, the population of the region has increased by 47 per cent or more than 23 million people. Considering the youthful population (the average age in Central Asia, as of 2015, ranged from 22 in Tajikistan to 29 in Kazakhstan) and the large number of children in families (for example, in Tajikistan the average number of children per woman is 3.8), it is evident that the growth will continue, albeit at a slower pace. Unemployment continues to be an issue in all the countries of the region, affecting young people the most. According to official statistics, the unemployment rate ranges from 2.3 per cent in Tajikistan to 9.3 per cent in Uzbekistan, while the total number of jobless tops two million. Experts say the problem is much bigger, though, since a large share of unemployed people is unregistered, being classified as seasonal workers or self-employed, as well as migrating to find work abroad. Hundreds of thousands in Central Asia do not register as unemployed for several reasons: the complicated and lengthy bureaucratic procedure, a lack of legal literacy and the very low labour productivity. The share of unemployment is estimated to be 1015 per cent in cities and 4060 per cent in rural areas. This makes mardikor bazaars, or day labourer markets, a universal phenomenon in labour-surplus parts of Central Asia and more than five million people are pushed to travel abroad to find work. At the same time, there is a severe shortage of skilled professionals in the healthcare, education, industry, transport and utility sectors. This is why Central Asian economies annually attract several dozen thousand foreign blue- and white-collar workers from China, Turkey, Russia, India and other countries for implementing new industrial and construction projects. One of the main reasons for this paradox is most peoples persistently low standard of education and skills in the region. The share of the able-bodied population with secondary and higher vocational education in Central Asia is significantly lower than in Russia or Europe. National education systems cannot provide the regions economies with the required amount of adequately skilled workforce. A high level of corruption, low teacher qualifications and weak infrastructure do not allow for training students properly. This is why a large proportion of young people in Central Asia study abroad, in Europe, North America, China and other East Asian countries. Russia has a strong position as the leading supplier of skills for the region, with it currently providing education to more than 100,000 people from Central Asia, which is over a half all the international students in Russia. Even though half of these stay in Russia to work after graduating, people with Russian degrees play a crucial role in Central Asias economic development. I am confident that their numbers should and will grow. Second, Central Asia is characterised by rapid economic growth, which has been accompanied by a significant increase in the quality of life and success in combatting poverty in the last 20 years. At the same time, the poorly diversified local economies are dependent on the external economic situation. The small domestic market, weakened by a wave of currency devaluations in 20142019, cannot produce the required demand and new projects are entirely dependent on foreign companies in terms of technology. In the last 15 years, the Central Asian economies have been growing faster than those of many of their neighbours, such as the EU, Russia, Iran and Turkey. The poorest country of the region, Tajikistan, has seen a drop in poverty from 73 per cent in 2003 to 31 in 2015. Significant changes have also been observed in GDP composition, with a significant fall in the share of agriculture. Yet the regions economies are still dependent either on mineral exports (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) or on workforce exports (Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan). Considering the small middle class its absolute size is difficult to ascertain, but it includes about 30 per cent of the population (from 35 per cent in Kazakhstan to 5 per cent in Tajikistan) and the small domestic market, the countries of the region are bound to go down the path of export-orientated economic development. Even so, the low level of localisation of high-tech manufacturing, the lack of skilled workers, and the dependence on imported equipment and technology in the key economic sectors all create obstacles to developing value-added exports. Despite the obvious successes of individual sectors, such as light industry (textiles, clothing and food), non-ferrous metals, construction materials and transport, Central Asian countries are increasingly reaching the objective limits of their growth. A colossal shadow economy characterises the region. For example, according to Minister of Employment and Labour Relations of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sherzod Qudbiyev, only 40 per cent of the countrys economically active population is officially employed, while the rest are engaged in the shadow sector. Widespread corruption and the active role of the state in the economy hinder the development of private business. Most big business owners either have connections to the state or accumulated their capital abroad. Third, being located in the heart of Eurasia, the region has a unique geographical advantage. Still, its transit potential is poorly realised owing to underdeveloped infrastructure, customs and technical restrictions, as well as a high level of corruption. For example, railway freight transit across Kazakhstan in 2018 only slightly exceeded 17 million tonnes, which is a fraction of the volume carried along the Trans-Siberian Railway. Underdevelopment of the infrastructure is the result of a variety of factors. For instance, Kazakhstan was the only country formed after the fall of the USSR that had a relatively well-developed railway network connecting all its regions. In other Central Asian states, transport between regions relied on transit through neighbouring countries. In Uzbekistan, the only railway connection from Tashkent to Termez was through Turkmenistan. In the almost 30 years since the collapse of the USSR, Central Asian countries have built several thousand kilometres of domestic and international railway lines. Yet serious problems remain. Turkmenistan completed the consolidation of its national railway network into a single system in 2006, Uzbekistan only did so in 2018, while Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan still do not have a fully-fledged national railway network. Road transit capacity also remains an open issue in the region. In addition to the underdeveloped transport network, many parts of Central Asia suffer from an acute lack of other kinds of infrastructure, such as power and domestic gas supply. Systematic power supply restrictions are the norm in many areas of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and challenges related to grid access are among the most critical barriers to developing large-scale industrial production. The housing and utilities infrastructure is also heavily stressed in Central Asian countries. For instance, according to the World Bank, central heating and small boilers are available to only 8 per cent of the population in Tajikistan, with most of those 8 per cent living in the capital Dushanbe. Heating services are also characterised by poor service quality and low supply reliability. As a result of the declining reliability of heat supply, radiators and the domestic heating infrastructure have been dismantled in almost 80 per cent of urban buildings previously connected to the centralised heating system. The severe energy crisis in the winter of 20072008 in Tajikistan and the accident at Bishkek Thermal Power Plant, Kyrgyzstan, in January 2018 highlight the fact that the utility gap remains. To summarise, resolving the paradoxes outlined above will be the strategic goal for all Central Asian countries over the coming 15 to 20 years. This is precisely the key to the big transformation of the region that is currently underway. Former head of Pemex banned from public office for 10 years Mexico City, Mexico The Superior Chamber of the Federal Court of Administrative Justice has reinforced the decision by a previous court that would see former Pemex head, Emilio Lozoya, banned from holding public office for 10 years. La Sala Superior del Tribunal Federal de Justicia Administrativa voted to uphold his disqualification from holding public office for a period of 10 years, which was the sanction previously imposed by the Civil Service in May 2019. In a statement, it was reported that during a public session, eight voted in favor, while there were two abstentions and zero against implementing the former sanction. Magistrates of the Superior Chamber voted to uphold the 10-year sentence against Emilio Lozoya Austin who led the position of director of Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex) during the administration of Enrique Pena Nieto. Their statement highlights their fight against impunity in Pemex, which they reported, was the result of careful administrative responsibilities where it was proven that Lozoya Austin, who is also wanted by judicial authorities, provided false information in his patrimonial declaration, having omitted, on more than one occasion, a bank account of hundreds of thousands of pesos. The Ministry of Public Administration, Irma Erendira Sandoval Ballesteros, referred to it as a positive sign saying that the confirmation of this sanction is historic as it is the first time that the public service disables a former holder of the states productive company, which is a sample of the impartiality, rigor and adherence to the law with which this agency does its job to guarantee an honest and effective government. Voting in the general election in Tipperary will go ahead on Saturday after a "special difficulty order" was signed by Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy this evening. The general election in the five-seat constituency was deferred following the death of Independent candidate Marese Skehan this week. Under the law, an election in a constituency has to be deferred if a candidate dies. The deferral would have delayed the first sitting of the Dail in a fortnight's time. However, the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government said in a statement this evening that the vote will go ahead. "The advice of the Attorney General was sought and, following consideration of that advice, the Minister is satisfied that this order is necessary to address a special difficulty that occurred this week in relation to the holding of an election in the constituency of Tipperary," a spokesperson said. "Minister Murphy expresses his sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Marese Skehan on her very sad passing." Candidates in Tipperary had been told the vote is going ahead, electoral staff are preparing for the vote and the count centre in Thurles is also gearing up again for this weekend. In the last Dail, the county had three Independents, one Fianna Fail and one Labour Party TD. Fine Gael desperately wanted to win a seat but the party was becoming increasingly worried about defeat again. Despite having enough votes to elect a TD, the party managed to win no seat. Party HQs preferred candidate was Mary Newman Julian, but as the campaign went on, they felt Garret Ahern was better placed to challenge Independent Seamus Healy from his Clonmel base. Fine Gael conspired to lose two seats here in 2016, when the county was unified into one constituency. Independents Michael Lowry and Mattie McGrath and Fianna Fails Jackie Cahill were all vying to top the poll. The Labour Party's Alan Kelly was expected to be elected too, but he had to guard his north county stronghold from Independent Joe Hannigan. Sinn Feins Martin Browne was only going to come into the equation if his party was heading for 40 seats on the back of a major surge. The party did not have hopes of taking the seat. Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will be used on the Hanoi-Prague-Hanoi routes Truong Phuong Thanh, deputy general director of Bamboo Airways, said the airline plans to open the first flight on the Hanoi-Prague route on March 29, 2020, with the frequency of two flights per week. The number of flights will increase depending on passenger demand. Bamboo Airways has officially launched tickets in Vietnam from February 5, and from February 10 in overseas markets. The expected flight duration will be 11 hours and 20 minutes for the Hanoi-Prague route and 10 hours and 20 minutes on the way return leg, which is significantly shorter than the 14-19 hours for connecting flights transiting at a European or Middle Eastern city. Bamboo Airways will use the wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to exploit this first route to Europe. The aircraft can carry a maximum of 294 passengers for a distance of up to 17,400km. Dubbed as a "five-star hotel in the air", Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner is expected to fully meet the requirements of Bamboo Airways customers on international flights. In preparation for the operation, in early January 2020, Bamboo Airways announced its official cooperation with AVIAREPS group as its general agent in the Czech Republic. AVIAREPS Group is a leading aviation service solution provider in Europe. The firm has over 25 years of experience and 67 representative offices in 48 countries and represents more than 250 significant partners around the world. Previously, in April 2019, within the framework of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc's official visit to the Czech Republic with a senior delegation of Vietnam, Bamboo Airways and Prague International Airport organised the signing of an MoU witnessed by the prime ministers of the two countries. Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ho Minh Tuan shared that the Hanoi-Prague direct flight by Bamboo Airways will play a vital role in connecting the two nations and the two continents According to the Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Ho Minh Tuan, Bamboo Airways' direct flight will not only bring the Czech Republic closer to Vietnam but also bridge the gap between the ASEAN and the EU. "The Hanoi-Prague route operated by Bamboo Airways is the only direct flight from the Czech Republic to the ASEAN region, a very dynamic area with more than 600 million people. This route aims to connect Vietnam and the Czech Republic as well as Southeast Asia and the European Union," the ambassador said. Passengers will be able to experience the 5-star oriented service offered by Bamboo Airways The direct route offered by Bamboo Airways is good news for citizens of the two countries, especially the Vietnamese expatriates living in the Czech Republic. The event is also part of the activities leading up to the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Czech Diplomatic Relations (February 1950-February 2020). With an outstanding business strategy and 5-star quality-oriented service, Bamboo Airways is looking forward to contributing to tourism promotion and trade co-operation in Europe. The company aims to cover all renowned European political and tourism destinations by 2025. Bamboo Airways is currently exploiting more than 40 domestic and international routes with a fleet of 28 aircraft. The airline has been transporting over 3 million passengers, maintaining the on-time-performance (OTP) rate of 94.1 per cent the highest rate in the entire industry in 2019. Bamboo Airways' fleet will expand to 30 aircraft in the first quarter of 2020 and 50 aircraft by the end of 2020, including 12 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner wide-body aircraft. Bamboo Airways expands fleet with another Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner Bamboo Airways on January 18 welcomed the first commercial flight of the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner from Ho Chi Minh City to the central province of ... Bamboo Airways to list on HSX in second quarter of 2020 Bamboo Airways is expected to list on the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HSX) in the second quarter of 2020. Relatives of a woman and her daughter who suffered brutal deaths in an apartment they shared with their killer say they have been left "absolutely devastated" by their deaths. The family of Giselle and Allison Marimon-Herrera issued the moving statement following an inquest into the deaths of their murdered loved ones held on Thursday. Coroner Joe McCrisken ruled Ms Marimon-Herrera (37) had died from asphyxiation and suffocation, while the cause of death for her 15-year-old daughter had been manual strangulation and suffocation. Steele also raped Allison and killed the pair's beloved pet chihuahua, Benny, who was recovered from a bin in the apartment. The mother and daughter had been murdered by Ms Marimon-Herrera's partner, Russell Steele (38), who was originally from Kilmarnock in Scotland. Expand Close Giselle Marimon-Herrera (37) and her 15-year-old daughter, Allison / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Giselle Marimon-Herrera (37) and her 15-year-old daughter, Allison Thursday's inquest, which was held in Armagh Courthouse, Mr McCrisken praised the Marimon-Herrara family for the dignity they had shown during proceedings. He also paid tribute to the PSNI's "excellent professionalism" in handling the investigation. Ms Marimon-Herrera's sister, Paola was present for the one-day inquest which heard harrowing details of how her loved ones were killed. "You have been through hell this past year," said the coroner. "And you probably will continue to do so for who knows for how long." Expand Close The pairs pet dog Benny / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The pairs pet dog Benny Afterwards, the family said in a statement issued via the PSNI that the loss of Giselle - who was originally from Colombia - and Allison was deeply felt. "The family are absolutely devastated at the loss of Giselle and Allison," it read. "We are a very private family who have been catapulted into the public domain as a result of these murders." The family thanked those who had contributed to an online fund to help them travel to Northern Ireland for their loved ones' funerals. "We would like again to thank the public, Michael Savage SDLP, Neal Rushe Youth Sinn Fein, Newry Credit Union and Kim Winters who organised donations which the family used to travel from France and Colombia to Northern Ireland," they said. This enabled them to meet with pupils and teachers of Newry High School, where Allison had been a student. Following a service, Giselle and Allison were cremated at Roselawn in Belfast. The fund also helped the family lay to rest the mother and daughter's ashes in Portugal, where Allison's father came from. Their statement also urged anyone who is at risk of domestic violence to seek help. The inquest heard that police did not receive any complaint made by Ms Marimon-Herrera in relation to Steele. Redding PD, Anderson PD looking for CVS armed robbery suspects Police are searching for a group of armed men who robbed a CVS pharmacy in Redding, Wednesday. The three robbers stole items but investigators did not say if drugs were targeted. They escaped in a gray Nissan, driven by a fourth suspect, eventually abandoning the car in the 6100 block of Loop Street in Anderson. Deadly officer-involved shooting in Shasta County, new details The Shasta County Coroners Office has identified the man of an officer-involved shooting in Shasta County as 41-year-old Thomas Barbosa. Deputies say they approached Barbosa after responding to a 911 call. Deputies say he sped away from the scene and crashed. Deputies then found Barbosa, conscious, armed with a knife and refused to obey deputies commands to drop the knife. That's when he was shot and killed. The Redding Police Department is handling this investigation. Chico man arrested after 2-month search by Butte County Sheriff's Deputies Another man who led Butte County Deputies on a chase two months ago is starting Thursday in jail. Deputies say they found Joshua Masterson hiding in an attic in Rackerby. Investigators say he crashed into a fence and a sheriff's patrol car during the chase that happened Dec. 11. Masterson is charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon and evasion. 2 Dead In Small Plane Crash, Tuolumne County New overnight, two people are dead after a small plane crash in Tuolumne County. It happened just after 6 p.m. Wednesday. FAA investigators are working to find out what caused the crash. The Tuolumne County Sheriff's Office says there is no threat to nearby communities. The sheriff's office notified the National Transportation Safety Board who will work with the FAA to investigate. Passengers disarmed gunman in Greyhound bus shooting that left 1 dead, 5 wounded A Maryland man is facing charges in connection to that deadly bus shooting on a greyhound bus headed from southern California to the San Francisco bay area. Anthony Devonte Williams appeared in court in Bakersfield Wednesday. Investigators for the CHP say Williams opened fire inside the greyhound bus, killing one woman and injuring five others. Williams is now facing one murder count, and five counts of attempted murder. Not Guilty: Split Senate acquits Trump of impeachment The months long battle over the impeachment of President Donald Trump has finally reached a conclusion. The Senate voted 52 to 48 in favor of acquittal at the end of the first-ever impeachment trial that heard from no witnesses. The vote was split almost exactly down party lines except one republican, Mitt Romney voted to remove. The president is expected to speak at the white house in just a few hours. China opens new hospitals for virus patients, deaths top 560 The now global Coronavirus is hitting China hard on the health front, the economy and travel. The latest numbers this morning: 563 people are confirmed dead. More than 28,000 cases confirmed. China has finished a second new hospital to isolate and treat patients. Astronaut Christina Koch lands back on Earth after a record-breaking 328 days in space. A NASA astronaut is now back on earth! Christina Koch has spent the past 328 days in space. Also with her return early this morning, landing in Kazakhstan, she now holds the distinction of having a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. Orbiting the earth 5, 248 times! Her mission on the international space station started in October 2018. She has been conducting scientific research, station maintenance, and spacewalks. AUBAGNE, France, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Sartorius Stedim Biotech S.A. (SSB) resolved at today's meeting to submit a proposal to the combined Annual General Shareholders' Meeting on March 24, 2020, to pay a dividend for fiscal 2019 of 0.68 per share. The previous year's dividend was 0.57. Under this proposal, the total profit distributed would rise by 19.3% from 52.5 million to 62.7 million. This press release contains statements about the future development of the Sartorius Stedim Biotech Group. We cannot guarantee that the content of these statements will actually apply because these statements are based upon assumptions and estimates that harbor certain risks and uncertainties. This is a translation of the original French-language press release. Sartorius Stedim Biotech shall not assume any liability for the correctness of this translation. The original French press release is the legally binding version. Financial Calendar February 18, 2020: Publication of the 2019 Universal Registration Document, including the 2019 Annual Report March 24, 2020: Annual Shareholders' Meeting | Aubagne, France April 21, 2020: Publication of first-quarter results for 2020 A profile of Sartorius Stedim Biotech Sartorius Stedim Biotech is a leading international partner of the biopharmaceutical industry. As a total solutions provider, the company helps its customers to manufacture biotech medications safely, rapidly and economically. Headquartered in Aubagne, France, Sartorius Stedim Biotech is quoted on the Eurolist of Euronext Paris. With its own manufacturing and R&D sites in Europe, North America and Asia and an international network of sales companies, Sartorius Stedim Biotech has a global reach. The Group has been annually growing by double digits on average and has been regularly expanding its portfolio by acquisitions of complementary technologies. In 2019, the company employed approx. 6,200 people, and earned sales revenue of 1,440.6 million according to preliminary figures. Contact: Petra Kirchhoff Head of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations Phone: +49-(0)551-308-1686 [email protected] SOURCE Sartorius Stedim Biotech S.A Related Links https://www.sartorius.com By PTI COLOMBO: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will undertake a four-day state visit to India and hold talks on a number of key areas including trade, defence and maritime security cooperation, his office announced here on Thursday. The visit, beginning February 7, will be the Rajapaksa senior's first overseas visit since his brother Gotabaya was elected President in November. He will have meetings with President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "The scheduled meetings will build on the strong relationship that already exists between the two countries," Mahinda's office said in a statement. Mahinda hopes to finalise the implementation of the USD 450 million line of credit pledged by Prime Minister Modi to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during his visit to New Delhi in November, according to the statement. "With the aim of enhancing engagement in sub-regional maritime security cooperation, the two delegations are expected to discuss key areas under the defence and maritime security initiatives that include the Sri Lanka-India annual defence dialogue and the trilateral maritime security cooperation with India and the Maldives," it said. Rajapaksa also intends to visit the religious sites of Varanasi, Sarnath, Bodhgaya and Tirupathi, it said. Two Tamil ministers in the Rajapaksa government -- Douglas Devananda from the north and Arumugam Thondaman from the central tea plantation districts -- are expected to be in the 10-member delegation, the statement added. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday cited legal provisions that allow reasonable restrictions on the Internet use to defend the communications blockade imposed in Jammu and Kashmir in August even as he said views expressed through the Internet are part of the fundamental right to speech and expression. While the right of the Internet is important, the security of the country is equally important... Can we deny that Internet...is abused by terrorists...for violence and there have been attempts to create unrest in Kashmir from across the border through the Internet, Prasad said in Parliaments upper House or Rajya Sabha. He was responding to Shiv Sena lawmaker Rajkumar Dhoots question on whether the Supreme Court has declared the right to the internet a fundamental right and supplementary questions raised by several Opposition members over the Internet blackout in Jammu and Kashmir. A communications blackout and a lockdown were imposed in Jammu and Kashmir in August when Constitutions Article 370 was nullified to strip the region of its special status. Most of the restrictions have since been relaxed but access to the Internet remains restricted. Prasad cited the Supreme Courts ruling in January declaring the access to the internet a fundamental right by extension on a bunch of petitions against telecommunications blackout in Jammu and Kashmir. The Supreme Court has clearly stated that no lawyer argued that right to the Internet is a fundamental right...This kind of misconception needs to be corrected. What the Supreme Court has stated is that for communication of your ideas and views, the use of the Internet will also be held a part of your fundamental right of speech and expression. He added the Constitutions Article 19 (2) allows reasonable restrictions on all fundamental rights. In response to Congress lawmaker Amee Yajnik question on whether the government has a specific policy for banning Internet services, Prasad said if they are used for anti-India activities, there will be consequences. Prasad said the government has allowed 783 websites to function in the Kashmir Valley in response to Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azads question on whether the government has made an assessment of the losses due to the internet ban As per government data, Internet restrictions ranging from a few hours to several months were imposed over 700 times since 2017. An official said such restrictions have been imposed in 22 states, including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. 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. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. John 14:1. Ana Maria Gonzales Salinas, age 61, joined our Lord in His heavenly kingdom on Sunday, February 02, 2020. Ana was born on March 11, 1958 in Bryan, Texas to Hilda and Col. Carlos Gonzales. As the daughter of an Air Force pilot, Ana experienced an international childhood, traveling all over the world. Ana graduated from St. Marys University in San Antonio, Texas with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. After college, Ana became a Certified Public Accountant and spent the next three decades performing accounting services for several South Texas businesses. In the 1980s, Ana helped break down barriers as one of the foremost women to enter the field in South Texas as Controller of Lobo Resources, an oil and gas company. In the 1990s through 2000s, Ana worked with Hilltop Farm Ltd., a real estate development company, to usher in two new subdivisions in South Laredo, Los Presidentes and Las Americas. She went on to open her own successful accounting firm, Ana Maria G. Salinas, Inc. A natural born career woman, Ana even met the love of her life at work. Ana met Octavio Salinas II while they were both working with Laredo Packing Company and the two married in 1987. Together, the two were blessed with three beautiful and inherently driven girls, Alejandra and twins, Jacqueline and Dominique. Ana was a loving and compassionate person with an incredible intellect. She was also a devout Catholic who attended and volunteered at St. Patricks Church. Her husband, Octavio, often said, she was the most beautiful and brilliant woman I ever met. She worked tirelessly for her family, friends, and clients and shall forever remain an inspiration to her daughters of what a strong and hard-working woman can achieve. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and her beloved dog, Bella. Ana is survived by her devoted husband of over thirty years, Octavio Salinas II; her three daughters, Alejandra, Jacqueline, and Dominique; her parents, Hilda and Col. Carlos Gonzales; her brother and sister-in-law, Carlos and Teresa Gonzales; her dearest friend, Lucha Franco; and her many nieces and nephews. Funeral Services are pending. For more information, to express condolences, share your favorite memories, and sign the guestbook online please visit us at: www.joejacksonfuneralchapels.com. Arrangements have been entrusted to the care and direction of the funeral service professionals at Joe Jackson North Funeral Chapel & Cremation Services, 1410 Jacaman Road, Laredo, Texas 78041; (956)722-8850. The impact of the deadly Coronavirus outbreak can be seen adversely affecting India's economy too. The Indian diamond traders are predicting a loss of almost Rs 8000 to Rs 10,000 crores for the months of February and March due to declaration of a state of emergency by Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a major diamond export destination, and due to the outbreak of Coronavirus it has shut all schools and colleges till the first week of March. Commercial establishments have also taken a hit due to novel coronavirus. According to Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) regional chairman Dinesh Navadiya, polished diamonds worth around Rs 50,000 crore are exported from Surat to Hong Kong every year. "That's around 37 per cent of the total exports from here. Now, due to coronavirus scare, Hong Kong has declared a month-long vacation. Gujarati traders who had offices there are coming back to India," he was quoted as saying by PTI. "Polished diamonds and jewellery made in Surat reach across the world through Hong Kong only. Now, due to vacation there, our business is totally closed. Traders are also returning to India," he said. Live TV If the situation does not improve, it will have a huge impact on the Surat diamond industry, which polishes 99 per cent of all rough diamonds imported in the country, he added. Hong Kong, one of the world's busiest airports and a major transit point for China, is struggling with as many as 18 people testing positive and one reported death. According to WHO, symptoms of the coronavirus include respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough and shortness of breath. The virus has killed more than 500 people in China and infected more than 27,000 people nearly all of them from Hubei province. CLEVELAND, Ohio A Cleveland man found dead in the parking lot of a muffler repair shop in the citys Collinwood neighborhood was beaten to death, police say. James Ball Jr., 51, died Dec. 6 from blunt force trauma to his head, according to court records. David Lewis, 44, is charged with murder in connection with his death. Lewis was arrested Wednesday and is expected to make his first court appearance on Friday. Ball lay dead for about two days in the parking lot of Star Muffler on East 185th Street, near Neff Road. A 75-year-old man walking his dogs about 10 a.m. Dec. 8 called police and told dispatchers that he noticed the body about noon the day before. He said he thought the man was sleeping, but noted he hadnt moved in the time since he last saw him. Officers said in their reports police reports that the man, later identified as Ball, had a bruise and blood on the left side of his face. Police at the time said the death appeared suspicious and homicide detectives were assigned the case. The man had no identification on him, only a knife and a phone. Lewis criminal history includes two low-level drug convictions and another for receiving stolen property, all in 2005. If youd like to comment on this story, visit Thursdays crime and courts comments section. Read more from cleveland.com: Woman stomped, stripped and robbed in Cleveland, police say Man shot outside RTA rapid station in East Cleveland Man attacked and tried to kidnap two women on Cleveland Metroparks hiking trail, authorities say Man charged in fifth armed robbery in Cleveland since 1978 AS the death toll staggers at over 3,000, it is worrying for all citizens that those in auth AnnaLynne McCord looked radiant as she flaunted her slender figure and toned legs in a striking wrap dress while on her way into Craig's in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The 90210 alum, 32, laughed while strutting down the sidewalk alongside a male friend in nude Louboutin heels and a coordinating Bulgari purse. The Let's Get Physical actress put on a leggy display in her white frock, flashing her left upper-thigh in the sexy white number with grey detailing. Turning heads: AnnaLynne McCord, 32, looked radiant as she flaunted her slender figure and toned legs in a striking wrap dress in Los Angeles on Wednesday Her eye-catching neckline plunged far enough to show her amble cleavage, while her massive shoulder pads made her trim waist look even tinier. McCord went with her signature blonde hair styled in Victoria's Secret-inspired waves and extra glam with her face. She paired her neural look with a bold, plum lip and had a youthful glow while posing for pictures. Striking: Her eye-catching neckline plunged far enough to show her amble cleavage, while her massive shoulder pads made her trim waist look even tinier Night out: For jewelry, she opted to keep the focus on her revealing neckline apart from a pair of shiny earrings and her studded handbag For jewelry, she opted to keep the focus on her revealing neckline apart from a pair of shiny earrings and her studded handbag. Her friend looked more relaxed in an all-black ensemble, including a button down, dress shoes and trousers. Both McCord and her friend had their phones in hand, while strolling around LA. Leggy: The 90210 alum, 32, laughed while strutting down the sidewalk alongside a male friend in nude Louboutin heels and a coordinating Bulgari purse Last month, the former CW star opened about being sexually abused after uncovering repressed memories of the abuse last year in therapy. 'I remembered - and my whole life changed,' McCord told Us Weely, explaining that the revelation came during a therapy session. The actress, who hails from Georgia and grew up in a trailer park, began seeing a therapist to integrate her mind and body after suffering from suicidal thoughts and 'bad sexual experiences'. Survivor: Last month, the former CW star opened about being sexually abused after uncovering repressed memories of the abuse last year in therapy During one of the sessions, McCord underwent an experimental stress-relief treatment known as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EDMR). McCord revealed that she managed to conjure a fragmented memory during the treatment, and worked with her therapist to piece together the puzzle of her past. 'It was this frozen image in my mind,' she told the outlet. 'I'm being slammed in the face with blackness. My clothes are down, it's not good.' Speaking out: In a recent interview, McCord revealed she spent years of her childhood being sexually abused; seen in 2008 The star kept seeing the image over and over in her mind, and she eventually realized that she was seeing herself being sexually abused. 'It went on for years, up until I was 11,' McCord candidly stated. In 2014, she revealed to Cosmopolitan she was also raped by a male friend at 18 and carried a deep sense of shame about her sexuality as she was raised in a strict Christian. Healing: The star is also writing a series of essays as a form of therapy, and has been partaking in meditation to hope cope with her trauma; seen in January Now, after uncovering the truth about her painful childhood, says shes is throwing herself into work with her Together1Heart - a non-profit aimed at ending human trafficking. McCord has been president of the organization for a decade, and says she has received an outpouring of support from its employees and volunteers. The star is also writing a series of essays as a form of therapy, and has been partaking in meditation to hope cope with her trauma. A Dublin concert venue has apologised to a young man who claimed its security staff told him he was not a man due to how he was dressed. Leaving Certificate student David Tynan described his shock and humiliation as he claimed he was told he was not a man by a security guard who refused to search his bag at a Jonas Brothers concert last Friday in the 3Arena. The 18-year-old from Swords, who is a make-up artist, told Liveline on RTE Radio 1 the security guard at the male search queue opened his bag, which contained make-up and make-up brushes, and told David to step aside so that he could be searched by a female security guard instead. David says he was told @3ArenaDublin "I am not searching you, you are not a man to me." Leagh who was there tells @joeliveline he was searched by a female security guard instead #liveline pic.twitter.com/WKRdD2vKrf Liveline (@rteliveline) February 6, 2020 David's friend Leagh, who was in a nearby queue, said she heard the security staff member tell him: "I'm not searching you, you are not a man to me." David was wearing make-up at the concert but says he was dressed in male clothing, including cargo pants and boots. "I felt so misgendered and so belittled. It was just a horrible feeling. I'm still shaken up by it," he said. "I go to the 3Arena to enjoy myself. I paid money for a ticket and I don't go there to be misgendered or to be judged by anyone. It was really shocking to hear it." A 3Arena spokesperson said: "We are sorry for the confusion regarding the concert-goers gender." Prime Minister on Thursday launched a strong defence of NPR saying the country's population register was being updated with demographic information for better targeting of government's welfare schemes. He accused Opposition parties such as the Congress of misleading people on the Population Register (NPR) for their "narrow vote bank politics". Replying to a 13-hour discussion in Rajya Sabha on a motion thanking the President for his address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament at the start of the budget session, he said the NPR was first done in 2010 and was later updated in 2015 by adding photographs and some biometric information. These, he said, help deliver government schemes to their intended beneficiaries. The NPR is a list of "usual residents" of the country. In 2010, the data for NPR was collected along with the house-listing phase of the Census of India 2011. The data was updated in 2015 by conducting a door-to-door survey. Currently, it has been decided to update the NPR along with the house-listing phase of Census 2021 during April to September 2020 in all the states/union territories except Assam. Most of the opposition parties see the NPR as a prelude to the contentious Register of Citizens (NRC), which has been opposed by even NDA allies like the JD(U). The NPR questionnaire asked details like the birthplace of parents. Modi, however, said all states had approved of NPR but some have now suddenly done a u-turn to oppose it for political purposes. He went on to term the additional information being sought in NPR as "small changes" done for administrative purposes. "People should not be spreading lies about it," he said. The topics covered are required for development works as the migration from one part of the country to other has risen and has to be recorded so as to better implement government schemes such as language schools. "Why are you lying and making a fool out of people? Your NPR record is with us," he told the Opposition, adding that the then Home Minister in the UPA government had promoted NPR and urged media to create awareness about it. NPR was implemented in 2010 and biometric data was collected in 2011. "By 2014, when you were out of power, the photo data of crores of people were collected. The work of NPR was on. NPR record which you had prepared was updated in 2015. Your record was used to reach out to beneficiaries left out of welfare schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Direct Benefit Transfer," he said. "Today, you are opposing and stopping people from taking benefits of such schemes." He said census and NPR are "usual administrative" process which has been carried out previously as well but have suddenly become contentious now. "Your actions are against the poor," he said. "Based on the 2020 census, we want to update NPR so that scheme can reach out to poor. You are creating hurdles, ignoring its benefits to the poor." Modi charged the Opposition with creating a political narrative based on their vote bank politics. "When it comes to appeasement, you will choose the path of division instead of growth." "Any party may gain or lose with opportunistic politics, but this will definitely affect the country and create an atmosphere of distrust. So I urge you all to tell the truth to people," he said. Questions asked in the NPR are purely governance-related, he said citing the example of asking citizens of the language spoken by them and their parents are deeply linked to the schools that need to be set up in that particular area. "Don't try to mislead people," he said, asking Opposition parties not to politicise the issue for narrow political gains. "They are opposing (NPR) for narrow and frivolous political narrative. This is anti-poor," he said, adding his government had made productive use of the data collected by previous NPR to give benefits of the schemes to the poor. "We have the record of your NPR, no citizen was persecuted based on that record of NPR," he said, citing the statement of the Home Minister of the Congress-led UPA appealing to citizens to enrol themselves in the exercise. On the opposition to the new citizenship amendment law, the Prime Minister quoted statements by stalwarts like Lal Bhadur Shastri, Ram Manohar Loshi and B R Ambedkar as well as the November 25, 1947 resolution of the Congress Working Committee to say that they wanted minorities persecuted in Pakistan to be given citizenship. "Were our nation builders also communal?" he asked. Modi said it was unfortunate that for their vote bank politics, the Congress party has forgotten the stalwarts who built the nation. "On 25 Nov 1947, the Congress Working Committee had passed a resolution. It says: Congress is further bound to afford full protection to all those non-Muslims from Pakistan who have crossed the border and come to India or may do so to save their life and honour." "I don't think Congress was communal in 1947 and has turned secular suddenly. You could have written all communities coming from Pakistan. Why did you use the term 'Non-Muslims'?" he said. Will Congress also label Shastri as "communal", he asked. Modi said the citizenship law was a sensitive issue and correct information should be given to people. "We should desist from the tendency to misguide and misinform the country," he added. Let us know what you're seeing and hearing around the community. Submit here Stressing that the assembly polls are dedicated to a clean and beautiful Delhi, BJP leaders on Thursday said the country was moving fast on the path of development under Prime Minister Narendra Modi but the AAP and the Congress were trying to "weaken" it. BJP chief JP Nadda hit out at the ruling AAP and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing them of "saving Tukde Tukde gang and endangering security of the country for political gains". "This election is dedicated to a clean, healthy, beautiful, safe and developed Delhi," he said. Nadda addressed meetings in Adarsh ??Nagar, Tri Nagar and Jangpura Assembly segments on the last day of campaigning for the Delhi election. Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari held a series of roadshows in various constituencies seeking support for the party in the 70-member Delhi Assembly. He attacked Kejriwal and his government alleging, "Before the elections, Kejriwal showed only dreams to the people of Delhi and made false promises, but could not fulfil them". His roadshows passed through Ghonda Timarpur, Seemapuri, Karawal Nagar, Seelampur and Babarpur constituencies. The country is moving fast on the path of development under the leadership of PM Modi while the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress are trying to "weaken" it, he said. At an election meeting in Karawal Nagar, Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and BJP national vice president Shivraj Singh Chouhan took a dig at Kejriwal, saying "he has started reciting Hanuman Chalisa as a BJP wave is sweeping Delhi in the elections". Kejriwal recently recited Hanuman Chalisa on a news channel, saying it provided peace to him. Other star campaigners of the BJP, including Union ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Smriti Irani, Anurag Thakur, and Nityanand Rai, party MP Ravi Kishan, Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat, his Haryana counterpart Manohar Lal Khattar, former WWF wrestler Khali and Bollywood actor and MP Sunny Deol, participated in the campaigning on the last day. BJP chief Nadda held 15 roadshows and 29 public meetings, while Home Minister Amit Shah participated in 11 roadshows and 39 meetings in different assembly constituencies. Irani held 26 meetings, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh 12 and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari held 10 meetings. Former chief minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis also held several meetings in the city. The BJP is seeking to capture power in Delhi after a gap of over two decades. It was routed by the AAP in 2015, reducing its tally of seats to just three. The voting for Delhi polls will be held on February 8 and results will be out on February 11. Toronto, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) - Minera Alamos Inc. (TSXV: MAI) ("Minera" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the results from the first drill holes of its ongoing Phase 2 drill program at the Santana gold project. The Phase 2 program has a number of different goals that include further testing of the Divisadero discovery from 2018; better definition of the outer limits of the proposed Nicho and Nicho Norte open pits as well as extensions of mineralization at depth; water well drilling; and ultimately drill testing a number of new mineralized structures believed to be Nicho-style pipes that were defined during 2019. In addition to the Divisadero holes and water drill holes discussed in this release, drilling results from the Nicho area will be released in the coming weeks upon complete receipt and evaluation of assays by the Company. Phase 2 drilling continues with the expectation of approximately 2,500m to 3,000m of drilling each quarter in 2020. The Divisadero discovery was made near the end of the 2018 Phase 1 drilling with a single hole into the new target. Sitting at a lower elevation than the Nicho Norte and Nicho breccia pipes, the mineralization at Divisadero is hosted by porphyritic intrusive rock, associated with sericite-silica-pyrite alteration, a style of mineralization that could be representative of what the Company expects to drill beneath the previously identified Nicho breccia pipes. Encouragingly, it has exhibited disseminated gold grades that were comparable to the nearby Nicho-style breccias. Two follow-up holes -- S19-125 and S19-126 -- were completed using available but limited access roads to confirm the previous discovery. The holes were drilled to a maximum depth of 200m from collars located south of the exposed outcropping limits. All 3 holes now drilled into Divisadero have confirmed the presence of wide intervals of disseminated gold-silver mineralization. New access roads are planned for construction to allow testing of the core of the currently mapped and sampled limits of an exposed target that appears to extend significantly to the north and east. Table 1 - Mineralized intervals from 2018/19 Santana Project drill program (Divisadero Target) Mineralized Interval 1,2 Drill Hole From (m) To (m) Width (m) Gold (g/t) Silver (g/t) Copper (%) Gold Eq 3 (g/t) S18-121 32.0 127.7 95.7 0.85 9.8 0.33 1.47 S19-1255 95.5 191.9 96.4 0.42 3.6 0.12 0.66 S19-126 34.1 167.7 133.6 0.56 6.5 0.16 0.89 Average4 108.5 0.60 6.6 0.20 0.99 Notes: Grades/widths of mineralized intervals represent complete "from" "to" drill depths as shown. The holes were drilled at a 60-70 degree inclinations. The true width of the mineralized zone in this new area is currently unknown. Gold Equivalent calculated using the following metal prices (as per original news released related to drill hole S18-121 issued October 25, 2018) - $1250/oz gold, $16/oz silver and $2.85/lb copper. Weighted average of mineralized intervals from all drill holes. Hole ended at 200m in mineralization "The Santana property mineralization is hosted within a series of well-defined breccia pipes, only two of which have been drill tested in any significant manner. In 2018, the Company drilled one of these previously untested targets near the currently planned starter operations resulting in a significant new discovery, called Divisadero. This new discovery provided Minera Alamos with increased confidence that the overall project area may contain multiple Nicho-style mineralization centres that are easily accessible from surface," stated Darren Koningen, CEO of Minera Alamos. "While we work on cutting new road access that will allow us to better explore the actual limits of this partially outcropping new target area, we took advantage of the opportunity to drill two additional holes to confirm local continuity of the mineralization identified in 2018. As a result, we have now confirmed the presence of Nicho-style gold values over considerable thicknesses in an area that appears to remain open in multiple directions. These broad intervals of good heap leach grade mineralization underscore the exploration potential of the Santana property and the definition of other areas of mineralization should allow us to significantly expand the overall production profile for the property." A review of the data from the recent drill holes appears to show that the overall mineralized intersections were impacted by modest intervals of discrete dilution created from a small number of unmineralized andesite dykes or xenoliths of andesite contained within the mineralized intrusive body. Should the minor amounts of barren andesitic material be excluded from the complete drill intersections (as would occur during potential mining operations) then the residual grade would be notably higher. The overall grades in the first three drill holes into the Divisadero zone are comparable to that expected for the initial mining operations at the nearby Nicho and Nicho Norte zones. In total, these three adjacent mineralized systems now span a considerable strike length in excess of 1km and remain open both laterally and at depth. The Company is currently planning the details for additional drill holes at Divisadero to better define its grade and tonnage potential. Image 1 - Divisadero Target Plan View To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4183/52188_34a9ae1fb40b39a1_001full.jpg Image 2 - Divisadero to Nicho Section To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4183/52188_34a9ae1fb40b39a1_002full.jpg Successful Water Well Drilling During the second half of 2019, the Company completed a technical study to evaluate the main hydrological systems present throughout the Santana project area. Work included a comprehensive program of field mapping and geophysical surveys aimed at identifying structural controls to the local groundwater flows. A total of five priority locations were identified for further evaluation via reverse circulation (RC) drilling. In total, the water exploration drill program initiated in December 2019 completed a total of 800m of exploratory drilling (all holes combined). Water was discovered in all the target areas and two of the areas were selected for follow-up due to their potential for higher water volumes deemed suitable for the Santana mining operations start-up plans as well as capacity for future expansion as the project production growth profile is increased. Water Drill Holes (WDH) 3 and 4 were completed to a depth of 150m and 240m respectively and air-lift tests were performed to confirm the presence of continuous groundwater inflows. The steady-state groundwater table in WDH3 was located at approximately 6m from ground level, while WDH4 encountered artisanal water that was discharged naturally from the collar location. Hole WDH4 has been prioritized as having the greatest potential to provide water volumes sufficient to allow for future expansions of operations. The Company is currently working to expand the diameter of drill hole WDH4 to 10 inches in diameter to facilitate the insertion of a permanent well casing. Following the completion of this work a full-scale pumping test will be completed to verify the continuous water inflow capacity and the ultimate water drawdown elevation. These details will then be utilized to design/construct the final pumping system for the project. Photo 1 - Successful Water flow identified in WDH4 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4183/52188_34a9ae1fb40b39a1_003full.jpg Update on Other Drilling Activities With the rainy season well behind and construction work now underway, the breadth of new targets and mine site drilling will see the Company expand its drilling rates moving forward with two drilling shifts expected to commence shortly. This should provide a steady flow of drilling news while construction moves forward including the maiden drilling of a number of the new breccia pipe exploration targets identified in the field during 2019. QA/QC All diamond drill samples were collected by Minera Alamos personnel including the Company's exploration geologists. Drill core samples were cut in half and divided based on visual observations into typically 1-2 m intervals. One half of the sample was bagged for analysis and the remaining half was logged by Minera Alamos personnel and stored for future reference. Blanks, duplicates, and standards were randomly inserted in the sample stream with the samples sent for analysis as part of the normal QA/QC procedures. All samples were prepared and analyzed for gold using fire assaying with AA/gravimetric finish in addition to a standard 35-element ICP suite. All samples were sent for sample preparation at the ALS-Chemex facility in Hermosillo, Mexico. Mr. Darren Koningen, P. Eng., Minera Alamos' CEO, is the Qualified Person responsible for the technical content of this press release under National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Koningen supervised the preparation of, and has approved the scientific and technical disclosures in this news release. For Further Information Please Contact: Minera Alamos Inc. Doug Ramshaw, President Tel: 604-600-4423 Email: dramshaw@mineraalamos.com Website: www.mineraalamos.com Victoria Vargas de Szarzynski, VP Investor Relations Tel: 289-242-359Email: vvargas@mineraalamos.com About Minera Alamos Inc.: Minera Alamos is an development stage company with a portfolio of high-quality Mexican assets, including the La Fortuna open-pit gold project in Durango (positive PEA completed and change of land use permit granted) and the Santana open-pit heap-leach development project in Sonora (permits received and construction currently underway). The Company's strategy is to develop low capex assets while expanding the project resources and pursue complementary strategic acquisitions. 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. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52188 Launching a sharp attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said if lawmakers who suffered due to political violence in West Bengal start speaking then it will make "things uncomfortable" for many associated with the opposition parties. "There are people in this House who have suffered due to political violence in West Bengal. When they start speaking, it will make things uncomfortable for many associated with the Opposition," the Prime Minister said in a reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in the Lok Sabha. West Bengal has been witnessing violent incidents especially between the workers of the ruling party Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Earlier in the day, at least six people were injured in a clash between BJP and TMC workers allegedly over the construction of a BJP office in Anchra area of Asansol. Meanwhile, during his address in Lok Sabha, Modi spoke about North-East India, saying that the region is becoming a growth engine. He also said that the Centre is working towards the development of the region. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Newser) A man who might have been the biggest male movie star since World War II died on Wednesday. His name was Kirk Douglas. "It is with tremendous sadness that my brothers and I announce that Kirk Douglas left us today at the age of 103," his son Michael Douglas wrote on Instagram, per the Hollywood Reporter. The actor known for his dimples and fierce gaze acted in a wide range of films, from The Bad and the Beautiful to Champion to Lust for Life and Paths of Glory. The three-time Oscar nominee (and recipient of an honorary Oscar in 1996) is also cherished in Hollywood for breaking the 1950s blacklist by crediting Dalton Trumbo for his screenplay on Spartacus, in which Douglas starred. He was also a political activist, family man, and charity benefactor, notes Variety. story continues below His intense ambition was rooted in family. Born to Russian Jewish immigrants in Amsterdam, NY, Douglas was the poor son of a ragman. He rose up by putting himself through university, served in the Navy, and returned to civilian life to act on Broadway and, soon after, in Hollywood. A rebel with strong opinionsand a reputation for being difficulthe started his own film company and made his own films. He was married twice and had four sons, who all went into the movie business. A 1996 stroke nearly led him to suicide, but he fought on. And on the big screen, he's always a giant: "To me, acting is creating an illusion, showing tremendous discipline, not losing yourself in the character that you're portraying," he once wrote, per the New York Times. "The actor never gets lost in the character he's playing; the audience does." (Read more obituary stories.) Chinese fishing trawler seized in southeast waters of Iran February 06,2020 | Source: Financial Tribune A Chinese fishing trawler smuggling 50 tons of lanternfish (or myctophids) worth 20 billion rials ($148,698) was seized in the southeastern port of Jask, Hormozgan Province, on the Makran Coast. According to Abdollah Lashkari, a naval officer, 16 people have been arrested in connection with the incident. Combating maritime trespassing, i.e. violation of our territorial waters, by fishermen of other countries is key to boosting production and employment in border regions. Hormozgan Naval Force will take strict action against violations of Iran's maritime boundary, he was quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency. Financial Tribune Daily and Contributors 2014-2018 Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods. In recent years, at least 138 people deported from the United States to El Salvador have been killed after their return, Human Rights Watch says in a report released Wednesday. Some of the deaths occurred just days after the person was back in El Salvador, The Associated Press reports. Human Rights Watch believes even more people have been murdered, but because of the stigma of being deported, their deaths were not shared with authorities. More than 70 deportees also told Human Rights Watch they have been sexually assaulted since coming back to El Salvador. "Our concern is that many of these people are facing a death sentence," Human Rights Watch's Alison Leal Parker said. Between 2014 and 2018, the United States deported roughly 111,000 Salvadorans, and the deaths occurred during the Trump and Obama administrations. The number of Salvadorans seeking asylum in the U.S. was up nearly 1,000 percent between 2012 and 2017, with most fleeing gang violence. El Salvador has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Under the Trump administration, Central Americans seeking asylum are waiting in Mexico while their claims are being processed; previously, they were able to stay in the United States while waiting for a decision. Parker said many Salvadorans are experiencing violence in Mexican border towns, and Human Rights Watch is "deeply concerned by the Trump administration's effort to literally eviscerate the right to seek asylum in the United States." More stories from theweek.com Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel contextualize Trump's unholy prayer breakfast 'pity party' Report: White House considering dismissing Vindman from National Security Council How history will view Trump's impeachment Two people have been killed and scores injured after a high-speed train derailed near Milan. At least two carriages and the front engine came off the tracks, video from the scene shows. Images shared by emergency services show the train toppled over after it crashed around 5.30am (local time) near Lodi, a town in northern Italy Two train drivers were killed in the crash, according to the head of the national civil protection unit. Twenty-seven people were left with non-life threatening injuries. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty The carriages were not very busy at the time of the crash as it was the first high-speed Freccia Rossa train of the day, according to local media. There were only 33 people onboard when it derailed while travelling around 300 kph (180 mph), according to authorities. Angelo Borrelli, the civil protection unit leader, said the service had left central Milan just after 5am and was heading south to Salerno, a city near Naples, when it crashed. He told state radio that the state-railway train went off the rails, striking another train on adjacent tracks in the countryside near Lodi. The cause of the crash is under investigation. Additional reporting by agencies Norfolk bishops' sorrow over civil partnerships guidance Norfolk bishops' sorrow over civil partnerships guidance Norfolks three bishops have expressed their deep sorrow for the hurt and anger that was caused by the recent House of Bishops' guidance about civil partnerships. The guidance said that the Church of England bishops believed that sexual relationships outside heterosexual marriage are regarded as falling short of Gods purposes for human beings. A message from the Bishop of Norwich Graham Usher, Bishop of Lynn Jonathan Meyrick and the Bishop of Thetford Alan Winton, said: We write with a care for everyone in the diocese of Norwich and with a desire that all may find life in all its fullness as Jesus promises. We are therefore deeply sorry for the hurt and anger that was caused by the House of Bishops statement issued last week about civil partnerships. At our meeting of the College of Bishops of the Church of England this week we continued our commitment to the Living in Love and Faith project which is about questions of human identity, sexuality and marriage. This process is intended to help us all to build bridges that will enable the difficult conversations that are necessary, as together, we discern the way forward for the Church of England. The three of us are committed to working with everyone in the diocese to live our life together well. We pray that we can be a truly diverse and inclusive community sharing the faith, hope and love that we discover in God. When the Living in Love and Faith resources are published later this year, we will work to facilitate good conversations so that as a Church we can discern the wind of the Spirit concerning bringing about this vision of radical Christian inclusion. Pictured above is the Bishop of Norwich Graham Usher. Picture by Diocese of Norwich. Close Mitt Romney to break from Republicans and vote to convict Trump on impeachment Surrounded by his cheering allies at the White House, Donald Trump celebrated his acquittal in his impeachment trial after after appearing at the National Prayer Breakfast brandishing aloft newspaper front pages announcing Wednesday's landmark decision. The president also used the occasion to attack House speaker Nancy Pelosi and Utah senator Mitt Romney, the lone Republican to vote "guilty" with Democrats after excoriating the president in the blistering Senate speech. Wednesday's Senate vote on the two articles laid against him by the House of Representatives abuse of power and obstruction of Congress was split largely along party lines with only Mr Romney daring to break ranks, denouncing the presidents appalling abuse of public trust in an emotional speech from the floor that earned him the ire of a vengeful Republican Party, with members calling for his expulsion and likening him to Judas Iscariot and Benedict Arnold. At her weekly conference, Ms Pelosi criticised Mr Trump's rally-like State of the Union address as a "the compilation of falsehoods" and said she now-famously ripped up a copy of his speech to "clearly [indicate] to the American people that this is not the truth" as the president's allies applauded his remarks. In preparation for his remarks, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham ominously told Fox News that Mr Trump planned to talk about how horribly he was treated and that maybe people should pay for that, suggesting a threatening remainder of his term in office following his opponents' failure to remove him. The White House also issued anti-Romney talking points attacking him as a self-serving politician with a history of flip-flopping. Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Show all 29 1 /29 Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump styles his 'You're fired!' pose in his Trump Tower office in June 2012. At the time he was known as a reality TV star on The Apprentice Diane Bondareff/Invision/AP Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves He was also well known as the patron of the Miss Universe competition Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Early signs of Trump's ambition for the presidency can be found everywhere. Not least in his 2011 book 'Time to get tough: Making America #1 again' Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump with Piers Morgan in November 2010. Piers Morgan has long held that he and Trump are good friends Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump appeared on Fox & Friends, his favourite show, in August 2011 Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump considered running in the 2012 election, where he would have faced Barack Obama. He is speaking here at an event for a Republican women's group Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump was subject to a Comedy Central roast in 2011. He is pictured here being roasted by rapper Snoop Dogg Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Given that this Trump store is in the lobby of Trump Tower, it can be said that Trump sells merchandise of himself out of his own home Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump held meetings with prominent Republicans when considering his 2012 bid. He is pictured here with Alaska governor Sarah Palin Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves He didn't end up running in 2012 afterall, instead endorsing Republican candidate Mitt Romney AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump's golf course in Aberdeen proved controversial in 2012 when he began lobbying the Scottish government against wind power in order that they wouldn't install turbines off the shore by his new course Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves He even gave evidence to a Scottish parliamentary committee discouraging wind energy AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves He still found time for a round of course AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves On 16 June 2015, Trump announced that he would run for the presidency of the United States in the 2016 election as a Republican Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves His campaign was divisive, courting controversy wherever he went. Ultimately he was declared the Republican candidate in June 2016 Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump took part in the TV debate against opponent Hillary Clinton on 9 October Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump and wife Melania vote in the presidential election on 8 November 2016 AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Hillary Clinton conceded defeat at 2:50am on 9 November and president-elect Trump swiftly delivered his victory speech to a crowd of supporters Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves News coverage around the world focused on the huge political upset that Trump's victory spelled AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump met with president Obama to discusss transition planning on 10 November. AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Donald Trump and Nigel Farage pose in the golden elevator at Trump Tower on 12 November 2016. Farage was the first British politician to meet with Trump after the election LeaveEUOffical/Twitter Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves The inauguration of Donald Trump took place on 20 January 2017. Trump's press secretary Sean Spicer boasted that the crowd was the 'largest ever' to witness an inauguration, a claim that was proved not to be true Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves In his first 100 days as leader, Trump signed 24 executve orders, the most of any president AFP/Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves One of Trump's most memorable election pledges was to build a wall between the US and Mexico. He is standing here in front of a prototype for a section of the wall Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump's meetings with other world leaders have provided no short supply of photo opportunities Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Trump was welcomed to the UK by the Queen and a state banquet was held at Buckingham Palace in his honour Reuters Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves Not everyone welcomed the president. Mass protests were held in London throughout his visits in both 2018 and 2019 EPA Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves One of the most significant meetings Trump has held with another leader was with North Korea's Kim Jong Un. In June 2019, Trump became the first sitting president to set foot in North Korea Getty Donald Trump celebrity president: A decade in two halves 2020 will see president Trump fight for a second term in office, who knows what the next decade will bring? Getty Mr Trump called the Russia investigations against him as "bulls***" and attacked former FBI Director James Comey, among several targets in his address (Ms Pelosi, Adam Schiff, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, Robert Mueller, the FBI's "top scum" and "crookedest and most corrupt", among them). The remarks went quickly off the rails, from reenacting the shooting of Congressman Steve Scalise to praising Congressman Jim Jordan's looks, briefly addressed the leaked Access Hollywood tape in which he gloats about assaulting women, and leading standing ovations for his legal defence team and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Meanwhile, the results of the Iowa Caucus, the first state to host an election in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race, are nearly complete, with 97 per cent of the vote totals showing a razor-thin delegate win for Pete Buttiegieg and a majority vote victory for Bernie Sanders, who collected more votes than his opponent. Despite the vote totals being incomplete, Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez has pressured Iowa's party officials to review the results, following significant delays and inconsistencies after an app failure forced officials to review the vote totals manually. The candidates are now campaigning in New Hampshire ahead of that state's primary on 11 February. The president will hold a rally in the state on 10 February. Follow our coverage as it happened: With her outgoing personality, she is not afraid to wear non-traditional fashion selections. And on Tuesday, while at the amfAR Gala in New York, Coco Rocha stepped out in an artistic, feminine look. The mother-of-two was styled in a Jean-Paul Gaultier piece, which she recently modeled at his final show in Paris. Her look: On Tuesday, while at the amfAR Gala in New York, Coco Rocha, 30, stepped out in an artistic, feminine ensemble The 31-year-old was styled in a ruffled, blush jumpsuit. Coco kept with her feminine, artistic ensemble with blush pink, platform heels with ribbed detailing. The gorgeous red head pulled her long locks back in a tight ponytail. The blue-eyed beauty highlighted her eyes with maroon shadow and thick, liquid liner. She topped off her look with bronzey pink cheeks and a brick-colored lips. Where it's from: The mother-of-two was styled in a Jean-Paul Gaultier piece, which she recently modeled at his final show in Paris Completing her look: Coco kept with her feminine, artistic ensemble with blush pink, platform heels with ribbed detailing While at at the gala, which raises money for AIDS research, Coco caught up with fellow supermodels Anne Vyalitsyna and Heidi Klum. Anne looked gorgeous in a classic black halter top with large silver jewelry. Heidi draped her small frame in a large, powder blue satin dress. The gorgeous blonde toned down her look with simple, nude heels. Beautiful: The blue-eyed beauty highlighted her eyes with maroon shadow and thick, liquid liner. She topped off her look with bronzey pink cheeks and a brick-colored lips Women unite: Once at the event, she caught up with fellow super models Anne Vyalitsyna and Heidi Klum Warm greeting: Heidi sweetly kissed Coco on the cheek Since 2010, Coco has been married to husband James Conran. The couple share daughter Ioni and son Iver. In 2018, Ioni joined Coco on stage to walk one of his iconic runway shows, while pregnant with her son. Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar declined to entertain the candidates' plea New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday declined to entertain a plea by 11 Independent candidates against the rejection of their nominations for the 8 February Assembly polls. A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar declined to entertain the candidates' plea, which had also sought to set aside a single judge order dismissing their petition against the rejection of their nominations. The returning officer (RO) had rejected their nominations on 21 January, the last date for filing the same. The plea challenging the rejection was dismissed on 28 January by a single judge of the high court who had said that only an election petition was maintainable after the poll process has started. The petitioner candidates had contended that the single judge's order "was passed erroneously and disregarding the facts and material placed on record" by them. New Delhi, Feb 6 : A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Delhi dismissed a bail application filed by former Jammu & Kashmir independent legislator Engineer Rashid in a terror funding case. Rashid, an MLA from North Kashmir's Langate Assembly, is currently lodged in Tihar jail for allegedly funding terror activities in the Kashmir valley. He was arrested on August 9 last year in connection with this. While rejecting his bail application, special judge Praveen Singh observed that the prosecution has successfully established that there are reasonable grounds to believe the accusations against the accused are prima facie "true". According to the National Investigation Agency, Rashid received unaccounted funds from another co-accused named Zahoor Ahmad Watali, against whom there are reasonable grounds of existence of prima facie case under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. "The applicant had incited, encouraged and helped stone pelters. Accused, through his video, as discussed above, had tried to foment dissatisfaction in Jammu & Kashmir Police against the Army," the agency said. NIA further submitted that the former legislator had also issued veiled threats to police personnel. Amber Uresti said she and her 6- and 3-year-old daughters had gone inside the restaurant before her husband, who was tasked with getting the cake. A large and tech-savvy team of coders from St Johns Senior School recently paid a return visit to Microsoft Dreamspace in Leopardstown, where they honed their growing tech expertise with coding and virtual reality workshops. KidCoders is the name given by the pupils to the separate coding and robotics clubs established in late 2018 at St Johns Senior School to increase computer literacy within the school. The tech group is growing in both size and reputation. KidCoders have doubled in size since their inaugural visit to Dreamspace; this years visitors comprised 17 experienced coders and 17 new members, fulfilling the schools ambition to have junior and senior clubs, with seniors mentoring juniors. On arrival, the group were treated to a tour of the enormous Microsoft campus and its first-class facilities including a gym, and even beauticians and on-site yoga classes. After a visit to the LED pool where thousands of lights are programmed to different looks for different times of the year the real work began. The young coders settled down to a MS coding arcade workshop where they created their own video game. In the second session, they participated in a virtual reality workshop, which combined photo, 3D imaging and video. The theme was Global Goals being aware of the needs of the world around them and the St Johns pupils were told to be as creative as they wanted. Visiting MsDreamSpace provides our students with an opportunity to take a glimpse into a future that our simple coding club is opening up for them, said teacher Anna Marie Feeley, who established and runs the schools coding and robotics clubs. The confidence they are developing in their coding skills was so evident. New concepts did not phase them, as they felt they already had the skills to take them on. Working in MS wont be for everyone but perhaps, for some of our pupils, the seed was sown and the journey has commenced. St Johns Senior School is pushing the envelope when it comes to STEM education. Next up for the KidCoders robotics club is the Vex Robot Challenge, which takes place in late spring at Institute of Technology Carlow. This will be their second year to enter the competition for which they must build their own VexIQ robot affectionately christened Kevin from scratch, and control it remotely to perform various tasks. The club members have been busy working on Kevin 2.0 every day to have him ready for the competition and have already had two visits to the Institute where lecturers from the Dept of Computing and Networking have been monitoring their progress. The trip to Microsoft, and collaborations with third-level institutes like IT Carlow and LIT, are hugely beneficial to our pupils, said Brian Roche, Principal of St Johns Senior School. Through trips like these, they see coding as a really fun extracurricular activity. And by meeting and talking to professional coders, they can see the varied and exciting opportunities for themselves in the future. Research done by the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that in 2010, 48.5 million couples worldwide were unable to have a child of their own. They suffered from infertility, which, the WHO says, is a disease of the reproductive system defined by the failure to achieve a clinical pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Given the advancements in medical science, couples have been trying different medical solutions to have children. Over the years, India has become the hub of the global fertility industry, with reproductive medical tourism becoming a significant activity. Clinics in India have been offering assisted reproductive technology (ART) services such as gamete donation, intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilisation (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), and gestational surrogacy. Surrogacy, in particular, has drawn many childless couples to India in the last few decades. Surrogacy is an arrangement where a woman (the surrogate) offers to carry a baby through pregnancy on behalf of a couple, and then return the baby to the intended parent(s) once it is born. Broadly, surrogacy is of two types traditional and gestational. Traditional surrogacy involves insemination of the surrogate naturally, or artificially, with the semen of the male partner of the childless couple. A child born this way is genetically related to the surrogate mother. This has several ethical, social and legal implications. In the case of gestational surrogacy, an embryo from the ovum and sperm of intended couple is fertilised in a test tube and transferred to the womb of the surrogate. A child born through gestational surrogacy has no genetic similarity to the surrogate mother. While many couples benefited from surrogacy facilities in India, the practice has persisted without any legal framework, working only on the basis of vague guidelines. Under these circumstances, there have been many reported incidents of unethical practices surrounding surrogacy. These practices include the exploitation of surrogate mothers, abandonment of children born out of surrogacy, and the import of human embryos and gametes. There has been widespread condemnation of commercial surrogacy because of these very issues. In 2014, an Australian couple refused to accept one of their biological twins born through surrogacy because of the gender of the child. Many poor women in India took to becoming surrogate mothers repeatedly despite grave implications to their health. Despite this, commercial surrogacy was upheld by the Supreme Court judgment in the case of Baby Manaji v Union of India. Similarly, in the case of Jan Balaz v Anand Municipality, the Gujarat High Court (HC) reiterated the apex court judgment upholding commercial surrogacy. The HC said commercial surrogacy was held to be legal in India as there was no law prohibiting womb-lending or surrogacy agreements. In its 228th report presented in 2009, the Law Commission of India recommended that surrogacy be regulated through a suitable legislation. The Law Commission recommended the only altruistic surrogacy be legalised and commercial surrogacy be totally banned. The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2019, was passed by the Lok Sabha on August 5. The Rajya Sabha, in its meeting held on November 21, 2019, adopted a motion to refer the bill to a Select Committee. The committee studied the best practices in surrogacy globally keeping in mind Indian needs. In the United States and Argentina, surrogacy requests are decided by independent surrogacy committees. In the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium, South Africa, Australia, Canada and Greece, only altruistic surrogacy is allowed. Commercial surrogacy is legally allowed in countries like Russia, Ukraine, and Thailand. In France, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Italy and Iceland, surrogacy is banned in all forms. The Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill is an ethical, moral and social legislation as it protects the exploitation of the surrogate mother and protects the rights of the child born through surrogacy. It seeks to constitute a national surrogacy board, state surrogacy boards and appointment of appropriate authorities for regulation of the practice and process of surrogacy. To begin with, the couple seeking surrogacy will have to provide compelling condition for wanting a child through surrogacy. They have to be Indians, but can also be non-resident Indians, persons of Indian origin or overseas citizen of India. The surrogate needs to be married and have her child as some procedures of surrogacy may lead to infertility. Single women cannot opt to have a child through surrogacy, but exceptions have been made for widows and divorced women if they obtain a certificate of recommendations from the National Surrogacy Board. An insurance coverage for 16 months is proposed for the surrogate mother to take care of all her medical needs in the case of emergency conditions/complications. Surrogacy clinics cannot undertake surrogacy-related procedures unless they are registered with the appropriate authority. Surrogacy is a blessing for many childless couples. The bill tries to ensure that while childless couples get what they want, nobody, including the surrogate mother and the children born out of surrogacy, suffer. Bhupender Yadav is an MP and chairman of the Rajya Sabha select committee on surrogacy law The views expressed are personal Following advances by the regime army, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to take action if Assad does not withdraw from the de-escalation zones writes Daily Sabah. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday warned the Bashar Assad regime to withdraw behind Turkish observation post lines by the end of February or face repercussions. Speaking at the ruling Justice and Development Partys (AK Party) parliamentary group meeting, Erdogan said Turkey will take action if the regime does not withdraw its forces to the designated areas. Turkeys air and land forces will move freely in all operation areas (in Syria) and in Idlib, and they will conduct operations if necessary, the president said, adding that the country will retaliate against all attacks on its soldiers or its allies forces, regardless of the source, while noting that Turkey does not intend to confront any of its allies. The agreements in Syrias Idlib and east of Euphrates are not functioning, Erdogan said, as the regime continues to carry out attacks in violation of Sochi and Astana agreements. He added that Turkey aims to protect the lives and property of innocent civilians in its operations. On Sunday, an attack by the Assad regime forces killed seven Turkish soldiers and a civilian contractor in northwestern Idlib province. Turkey retaliated in kind and destroyed regime targets involved in the attack. Nothing will be the same after the Assad regime attack in Idlib which killed Turkish soldiers, President Erdogan said. He also noted that Turkey expects Russia to understand Ankaras sensitivities in the area. With the aim of providing security to Turkish soldiers and observation points, the military is retaliating against any harassment or threat targeting observation points. Turkish soldiers are also actively supported by the Syrian National Army (SNA). The regime and its backers attacks targeting residential areas and civilians have forced more than 151,000 people to flee toward relatively safer areas near the Turkish border over the last week. The number of displaced civilians due to the regime attacks reached 692,000 since November 2019. Continuing its advance to capture the last strong opposition bastion, regime forces are currently 8 kilometers away from Idlib city. If regime forces start attacking Idlib city, it is expected that nearly half a million people will migrate, causing a humanitarian catastrophe that has never been witnessed during the civil war. Regime forces pushed north from Maarat al-Numan on Thursday toward the town of Saraqib, whose residents have mostly fled in the face of heavy bombardment. Both Maarat al-Numan and Saraqib lie on the key M5 highway connecting the capital Damascus to the second city Aleppo. The regime has been eyeing the road as it seeks to revive a moribund economy ravaged by almost nine years of war. Idlib, the last opposition enclave in Syria, had a prewar population of 1.5 million. The number swelled to around 3 million with new refugee waves after it was designated a de-escalation zone under the Astana agreement between Turkey, Russia and Iran in May 2017. The agreement was intended to pave the way for a permanent political solution in Syria. The Turkish military set up 12 observation posts in Idlibs de-escalation zone after the ninth round of Astana-hosted peace talks. 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. Moscow welcomes the prompt and transparent information exchange with China on the new coronavirus outbreak, said Deputy Minister of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, Aleksey Volin, RT reports. China is providing transparent updates on developments around the new coronavirus outbreak. Every day they report the number of new cases, deaths and recoveries, detailing their steps to fight the epidemic. There is enough information to gauge the real picture, Volin said in an interview to Russia-China: Top News. Volin stressed that the transparency and verifiability of the coronavirus-related updates is being ensured, not only through government channels, but also via the Chinese media, which put the outbreak-related measures under public scrutiny. For example, China Media Groups Yangshipin multimedia platform offers round-the-clock livestreams of the deployment of mobile hospitals in Wuhan, the center of the coronavirus outbreak. Its not just a live broadcast: anyone, Chinese national or not, can comment on it. Many of these online supervisors are qualified engineers and healthcare professionals giving advice that helps to boost construction efficiency. We believe this approach is extremely efficient as it ensures a broader involvement of the public in the countrys management. Russia has also started offering livestreams of the deployment of public interest facilities, Volin said. The Yangshipin platform has already broadcast a round-the-clock livestream from construction sites of two specialized hospitals for those infected with the new coronavirus. The term online supervisors was coined in China for the most active platform users. Their numbers were growing progressively each day, starting from 30 million on Day 1, to 50 million the next day, to 80 million the day after. Not only did they offer advice, but they also supported construction workers any way they could. Some wrote poems and created fanfiction, while others ordered takeout meals and safety masks for them. The fist specialized hospital, codenamed Loki and with 1,000 beds, was unveiled on February 2. The second, 1,500-bed clinic, Thor, was finished on February 5. Construction workers admitted that the help from those online supervisors played a major role in boosting construction efficiency, since they managed to finish construction in 10 days. The Yangshipin platform currently offers livestreams of the deployment of mobile hospitals in Wuhan. They are set up in the stadiums and exhibition centers. These makeshift medical facilities will treat patients in 'non-critical' condition. A total of more than 10 similar centers are planned to be put into operation, with tens of thousands of beds for those infected with the new coronavirus. The number of online supervisors has reached 100 million. The interactive livestream of the operations has been dubbed China's biggest blockbuster of 2020. Observers have praised the unprecedented pace of response by the Chinese authorities to the outbreak of the new coronavirus. Many foreign media have coined the term 'Chinese speed', referring to China's actions to contain the epidemic, including rapid hospital construction and timely updates on the situation on the ground. Barrymore Furniture Co. Ltd., an iconic Canadian furniture maker and retailer with a history in Toronto dating back to 1919, has filed for bankruptcy, leaving a throng of angry, unpaid workers in its wake. The company which employed more than 50 people and was originally located in a brick factory on King Street West before moving to Torontos design district on Caledonia Road left some workers owed nearly $50,000 in unpaid severance and benefits, according to union officials. Barrymore had been profitable until sales tumbled dramatically in 2018, ultimately triggering a bankruptcy filing last month. This is the latest in a string of high-end furniture retailer closures including Rosedale institution Ridpaths Furnishings that experts attribute to an influx of online and international retailers selling much cheaper off-the-rack products, many of them made overseas. Roopchand Doon, chair of the United Steelworkers unit representing the 48 unionized former employees at the company, said workers received only one days notice that operations would cease and they were informed they would not receive termination, severance and benefits payments. Doon said many workers some of whom had decades of service with Barrymore agreed last year to forgo shifts and take pay cuts as part of a work-share program aimed at helping the company through a difficult period. Doon said most of the workers are owed tens of thousands of dollars, some close to $50,000. It was very shocking and upsetting to us, to be treated like that. Its incredibly hurtful. Barrymores bankruptcy trustee, A. Farber & Partners Inc., is staging an asset sale Thursday at the companys showroom and manufacturing facility on Caledonia Road in Toronto. Neither Barrymore nor its legal counsel or bankruptcy trustee could be immediately reached for comment. The auction, featuring more than $750,000 worth of furniture, will take place on the same day that workers plan a rally in Torontos Financial District outside the office of the trustee where the first meeting of secured creditors is to be held. Once again, working people are victims of a rigged system that disregards their interests while giving priority to wealthy investors, said Carolyn Egan, president of the Steelworkers Toronto Area Council. She noted the union has long sought reform of Canadas insolvency regime to prioritize unsecured workers and will keep up the fight, despite a lack of success to date. Matt Manara, partner and portfolio manager at Avenue Investment Management in Toronto, said Barrymore listed $7.5 million in liabilities in its bankruptcy notice of intent filing in November. Manara said the company had been struggling for some time, thanks to its comparatively lofty prices, a result of high manufacturing costs at its Toronto facility. He added that made-in-Canada furniture makers in general are under increasing pressure from a slew of new competitors that manufacture their furniture overseas for much less. Online furniture stores, such as American e-commerce platform Wayfair Inc., have also made buying furniture quick and easy, Manara said, while offering services such as the ability to virtually input pieces in a residential floor plan. There is a part of a market that wants to sit on a couch but the furniture business is hard. You always have cheaper competitors from overseas and you have incredible pricing pressure on margins. Maybe it was the economic times, added the Steelworkers Egan, suggesting that Barrymores experience mirrors an uncertain and volatile economy that may have cut into discretionary consumer spending on high-end custom furniture. Craig Patterson, editor of industry publication Retail Insider, said Barrymore experienced a devastating drop in sales of roughly 40 per cent after 2018. He posits the slump was caused by several factors, including the higher debt levels of Canadian households, smaller living quarters in big cities such as Toronto, and explosive growth in both bricks-and-mortar and online competitors offering quality furniture thats not that expensive. Demographics, cost of living, smaller condos and competition ramping up have all pressured the bottom lines of made-to-order boutique furniture retailers in Toronto, he said, with some forced to reposition their businesses. Weve seen a number of furniture retailers shuttering or reducing their size, Patterson said, noting Barrymores website lacked details on pricing of its sofas, chairs, sectionals and other items, a factor that could have inhibited purchases. Correction - Feb. 6, 2020: This article was edited from a previous version that included an incorrect reference to the closing of DeBoers furniture. New York City has several sanctuary policies that prohibit, with few caveats, local law enforcement from handing criminals over to immigration authorities unless they commit any of 170 crimes the city has listed. (Samira Bouaou/Epoch Times) Trump Highlights Senate Bill That Would Allow Victims to Sue Sanctuary Cities During his State of the Union Address, President Trump highlighted Senator Thom Tilliss (R-N.C.) 2019 legislation that would allow U.S. citizens to sue sanctuary cities and states, which generally refuse to comply with federal immigration policies. The Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act is legislation that holds sanctuary jurisdictions accountable for failing to comply with lawful detainer and release notification requests made by federal authorities that lead to jeopardizing public safety. Unless Republicans can win back the House, it is highly unlikely to become law. Sen. Tom Tillis has introduced legislation to allow Americans like Jody to sue sanctuary cities and states when a loved one is hurt or killed as a result of these deadly practices, Trump said, referencing a guest at the Presidents speech, whose brother was shot and killed by an illegal immigrant in California. Jody is the brother of Rocky Jones, who was murdered in a Visalia convenient store parking lot in December 2018. Authorities said, the shooter, Gustavo Garcia, was an unauthorized immigrant who had been arrested on a drug charge and held at the Tulare County Jail for 10 hours the day before the murder. After being released, Garcia went on a reign of terror through Tulare County, committing dozens of crimes in 24 hours, robbing a gas station, wounding several people, leading police on a high-speed chase, and killing 51-year old Rocky. Joining Tillis as original co-sponsors are Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), and Ted Cruz (R-Texas). The bill creates a private right of civil action for the victims of sanctuary jurisdictions, allowing them to bring an action for compensatory damages against the sanctuary jurisdiction as a result of a violent crime committed by an illegal immigrant. Any sanctuary city or jurisdiction that refuses to waive its immunity as it relates to sanctuary-related civil action would be subject to the withholding of certain Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. The Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act is a direct response to a growing number of sanctuary jurisdictions across the country that either have official sanctuary policies or are refusing to comply with detainer requests and release notifications from the Department of Homeland Security. As of 2019, nine states were declared sanctuaries, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont. Hundreds of cities and towns within those states have also declared themselves as sanctuaries that protect illegal aliens from ICE. Among the significant sanctuary cities are Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Newark, New Jersey. These cities, counties, and states have laws, ordinances, regulations, resolutions, policies, or other practices that obstruct immigration enforcement and shield criminals from ICE, according to the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS). They accomplish that CIS explained: either by refusing to or prohibiting agencies from complying with ICE detainers, imposing unreasonable conditions on detainer acceptance, denying ICE access to interview incarcerated aliens, or otherwise impeding communication or information exchanges between their personnel and federal immigration officers. Such detainers are the primary tool used by ICE to gain custody of criminal aliens for deportation. It is a notice to another law enforcement agency that ICE intends to assume custody of an alien and includes information on the aliens previous criminal history, immigration violations, and potential threat to public safety or security, CIS said. Mark Tapscott Contributed to this report Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will undertake a four-day state visit to India and hold talks on a number of key areas including trade, defence and maritime security cooperation, his office announced here on Thursday. The visit, beginning February 7, will be the Rajapaksa senior's first overseas visit since his brother Gotabaya was elected President in November. He will have meetings with President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "The scheduled meetings will build on the strong relationship that already exists between the two countries," Mahinda's office said in a statement. Mahinda hopes to finalise the implementation of the USD 450 million line of credit pledged by Prime Minister Modi to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during his visit to New Delhi in November, according to the statement. "With the aim of enhancing engagement in sub-regional maritime security cooperation, the two delegations are expected to discuss key areas under the defence and maritime security initiatives that include the Sri Lanka-India annual defence dialogue and the trilateral maritime security cooperation with India and the Maldives," it said. Rajapaksa also intends to visit the religious sites of Varanasi, Sarnath, Bodhgaya and Tirupathi, it said. Two Tamil ministers in the Rajapaksa government -- Douglas Devananda from the north and Armugam Thondaman from the central tea plantation districts -- are expected to be in the 10-member delegation, the statement added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senan Hogan talks to Fr Paul Dempsey, who has become the youngest bishop in the country Newbridge parish priest and new bishop-elect Fr Paul Dempsey was sitting at his desk writing Christmas cards in the middle of December when he received a call from the Papal Nuncio in Dublin. When the Papal Nuncio rings you, either you are in trouble or there is something important he wants you to do. Becoming a bishop was something that Fr Paul had never dreamed of and he insisted he was very happy in Newbridge and indeed in Co Kildare, where he grew up and spent all of his career as a priest. The popular cleric travelled to the Papal Nunciature on the Navan Road in Dublin where he was informed that Pope Francis was appointing him the Bishop of Achonry, a diocese which covers counties Mayo, Roscommon, and Sligo and has 23 parishes, 48 churches and 30 priests. Fr Paul laughed: Im still not over the shock! The Carlow-born priests first appointment after his ordination 22 years ago was as curate in Clane and Rathcoffey parish. It was during this time that he started a popular weekly article in the Leinster Leader newspaper. After seven years he moved to Kildare town as curate. In 2008, Fr Paul completed an honours Masters degree in Theology in the area of Faith and Culture. In 2009 he became curate in Naas, Sallins and Two-Mile-House. In August, 2014 he was appointed to Newbridge and a year later was made parish priest of Newbridge and administrator of Caragh and Prosperous parishes. Fr Paul said of his years in Kildare: My time in the priesthood has been so positive. It's a huge privilege to serve people every day at their happiest occasions such as christenings and weddings but also at very sad occasions such as during sickness and at funerals. I get up every morning and look forward to the day and I know it will bring ups and downs, but God will be with me. Reflecting on the big issues facing the Church, Fr Paul is very clear that while he may not agree with women priests, he believes that women should have more leadership roles within the Catholic church. He said: In Newbridge, our parish team has women in leadership roles and this is very important and very valuable for the parish. I know that Pope Francis believes in a great role for women in the church and this is something that is happening more and more. On the subject of celibacy, Fr Paul says that his personal view is that he would not be able to dedicate himself to Gods message and preach it to others if he didnt have his current relationship with God. He added: If I am living a life of dedication to God, then it may be easier to persuade others of this power in their lives. Fr Paul won't be leaving Newbridge until March and will be quietly saying his goodbyes in the meantime. He added: Im not good at goodbyes but Im sure there will be a farewell event or two and of course I will be returning whenever I can. Singapore is preparing a second evacuation flight in the coming days from Wuhan, the locked down Chinese city at the centre of the coronavirus epidemic, officials familiar with the plans said. The city-state evacuated 92 Singaporeans from Wuhan last Thursday, some of whom have since been confirmed as infected. Authorities said they had to leave some passengers behind who were showing symptoms. The officials, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said the evacuation could happen as soon as Friday. The foreign ministry did not immediately reply to a request for comment. Search Keywords: Short link: FAIRFIELD A man from New Britain and a woman from Bridgeport were charged with forging prescriptions to obtain controlled drugs, police said Jennifer Warren, 24, was charged with was charged with interfering with an officer, second-degree forgery, second-degree conspiracy to forgery, obtaining or attempting to obtain prescription by fraud, conspiracy to the possession of a controlled substance and criminal attempt to the possession controlled substance. Westly Valentin, 25, was charged with second-degree conspiracy to forgery, obtaining or attempting to obtain controlled substance by fraud and conspiracy to the possession of a controlled substance. A Fairfield Police Department report said police were first called to Black Rock Pharmacy on Jan. 29 after a report of a fraudulent prescription for Promethazine Codeine, a narcotic, which was called in the day before and successfully retrieved by an unidentified black woman shortly thereafter. The report said employees told responding officers they had received another call to re-fill the same prescription for the same patient because the medication was allegedly stolen. The pharmacist told the officers that they had called the doctor from whom the prescription was supposedly from and was told it was a fraudulent order. Using security footage from the pharmacy, officers got a description of the suspect and the vehicle they were driving, according to the report. Police said they were conducting surveillance from the parking lot when Warren returned to the business to pick up the prescription and arrested her. Valentin was in Warrens vehicle and arrested after it was discovered he had possession of paper documents of names, dates of birth and specific prescribing doctors information. China is forging ahead in the search for treatments for people sickened by the new coronavirus that has infected more than 28,000 people in a countrywide epidemic, killed more than 500 and seeded smaller outbreaks in 24 other nations. The need is urgent: There are no approved treatments for illnesses caused by coronaviruses. On Thursday, China began enrolling patients in a clinical trial of remdesivir, an antiviral medicine made by Gilead, the American pharmaceutical giant. The drug has to be given intravenously, is experimental and not yet approved for any use, and has not been studied in patients with any coronavirus disease. But studies of infected mice and monkeys have suggested that remdesivir can fight coronaviruses. And it appears to be safe. It was tested without ill effects in Ebola patients, although it did not work well against that virus, which is in a different family from coronaviruses. The police have closed the case against Elisha Abbo, senator representing Adamawa north. At the resumed trial on Thursday, James I... The police have closed the case against Elisha Abbo, senator representing Adamawa north. At the resumed trial on Thursday, James Idachaba, counsel to the prosecution, told the court that he was ready to close his case against the defendant. Only two witnesses were called to give evidence against the senator. Isaac Adeniyi, Abbos counsel, hinted the court of his intention to file a no-case submission for his client. He submitted that the prosecution has not been able to prove the case against them. Abdullahi Illellah, the magistrate, adjourned the case till March 12, for the adoption of the no-case submission. Abbo was arraigned by the police on July 8, 2019, on a one-count charge for allegedly assaulting a woman at a sex toy shop in Abuja. The senator risks serving a three-year jail term if convicted of assault. The criminal code act (2004) reads: Any person who unlawfully assaults another and thereby does him harm is guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for three years. Less than a week after canceling Jeanine Cummins entire American Dirt book tour, including a Jan. 31 appearance in Portland, and acknowledging deep inadequacies in its launching of the bestseller, the publishing company appears to be making changes. A group of Latinx activists met on Monday with officials at Macmillan, the international parent company of Flatiron Books, which published American Dirt, to deliberate steps the publisher could take to increase Latino representation in the industry. After the meeting, #DignidadLiteraria and Presente.org, an online Latinx organizing group, released a statement detailing the unprecedented commitments Macmillan made after the two-hour meeting. According to the release, the publisher made commitments to substantially increasing Latinx representation across Macmillan, including authors, titles, staff and its overall literary ecosystem and developing an action plan to address these objectives within 90 days. Macmillan also said it would regroup within 30 days with #DignidadLiteraria and other Latinx groups to assess progress. This week, #DignidadLiteraria and its allies also is organizing action forums in several cities across the country. The purpose of these panels is to continue the conversation on Latinos and the publishing industry, said Roberto Lovato, a writer and co-founder of the hashtag and group spawned by the outcry. Flatiron Books and Macmillan did not immediately respond to the Los Angeles Times request for comment. Cummins migrant tale American Dirt sparked a raging storm of controversy weeks ago. Published on Jan. 21, the book has been accused by critics of being a harmful act of cultural appropriation, riddled with cultural inaccuracies and stereotypes about Mexico and the struggles of migrants. It inspired snarky parodies on Twitter and spurred discussions about how far the publishing industry still had to go to represent the diversity of the Latino experience. Related: 'American Dirt is unlike any Mexican immigrant story youve ever read. And thats the problem: Commentary; American Dirt reminds Oregons Latino writers, journalists of their own barriers, struggles in publishing Still, the novel was warmly received by prominent notables, including Stephen King, John Grisham and Sandra Cisneros, who reaffirmed her support of the book in an exclusive interview last week. Among the meeting attendees were Bob Miller and Don Weisberg, presidents of Flatiron Books and Macmillan, respectively; Amy Einhorn, the editor of American Dirt; representatives of Oprah Winfrey; and authors and #DignidadLiteraria founders David Bowles and Myriam Gurba. Gurbas negative review of the book became the catalyst of the controversy. #DignidadLiteraria is a network of committed Latinx authors formed to combat the invisibility of Latinx authors, editors, and executives in the U.S. publishing industry and the dearth of Latinx literature on the shelves of Americas bookstores and libraries, according to its founders. Its also a movement fueled by the publishing worlds lack of representation. Latinos are the largest minority voting group in the U.S. and the largest nonwhite demographic, but in 2018 they made up only 3% of the publishing workforce, according to a Publishers Weekly study from last year. Though Bowles called the commitments a clear victory in a video posted on Twitter, #DignidadLiteraria emphasized that the publishing world had a long way to go, urged government officials to investigate the homogeneity of the industry and encouraged the public to demand more Latinx voices in books. Mondays announcement is just the first step in what must ultimately be a sea change in publishing, the group said in the statement. This campaign is not simply about Flatiron Books, or Macmillan USA. Its about seeking change that reverberates through the entire industry so the shelves of U.S. bookstores and libraries reflect its people. Now that Latinos have the publishing worlds attention, Lovato believes that the public is watching the beginning of the end of the folkloric industrial complex in Latino literature. - Doray Pineda, Los Angeles Times Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading global information technology, consulting and business process services company, today announced that Marelli has awarded it a multi-year, global, strategic IT deal. This partnership will help Marelli to standardize, simplify and further enhance their IT services at a global level and consolidate several current vendors across applications management services & workplace end user services. Marelli is a leading global Tier-1 automotive technology supplier. As part of this partnership, Wipro will help Marelli by leveraging its global service delivery model and automotive domain expertise and hyper-automation powered by the Wipro HOLMESTM platform. Dario Castello, Senior Vice President - Chief Information Officer, Marelli said, We are consolidating and further developing our IT services at a global level. This consolidation and standardisation will provide an important pillar of integration within the company. Technology will be used as a key enabler in improving operational efficiency and driving synergies across the globe. We found in Wipro the right partner for the future to enable us to drive this. Vinay Firake, Senior Vice President Manufacturing Business Unit, Wipro Limited said, We are delighted to be selected as Marellis strategic partner and look forward to supporting them in their challenges. Our strong capabilities, backed by extensive global experience in working with some of the biggest automotive suppliers in the world, will enable us to deliver this high value engagement for Marelli. This partnership endorses the value we bring to the automotive industry and bears testimony to our growing footprint in Italy and Japan which are strategic markets for us. Note: The deal was mentioned in Wipro Limited's financial results announcement press release, dated January 14, 2020, for the quarter ended December 31, 2019 (Q3 FY19-20), with a description of Marelli, but without naming the company. Former defence minister Christopher Pyne has been rebuked by Federal Parliament for suggesting a cyber attack was "much worse" than the public had been told. Speaker of the House of Representatives Tony Smith condemned Mr Pyne's comments about the hack on Parliament's computer network in January 2019, saying any suggestion the public had been kept in the dark about the extent of the hack was "false". Christopher Pyne has been rebuked for his comments on the hack against Parliament. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen In an interview with former Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Martin Parkinson on his podcast Pyne Time, Mr Pyne said the cyber attack was serious but he could never talk about the true extent of it. "You and I know how much worse it all was, which we can never talk about," Mr Pyne said with a chuckle to Mr Parkinson. BEIRUT Turkey sent more reinforcements into northwestern Syria on Thursday, setting up new positions in an attempt to stop a Syrian government offensive on the last rebel stronghold in the war-torn country, state media and opposition activists said. The move came after a rare confrontation between Turkey and Syria on Monday that killed seven Turkish soldiers and a Turkish civilian member of the military, as well as 13 Syrian soldiers. In Moscow, the Foreign Ministry announced that Russian soldiers have been killed in a northern Syrian province alongside Turkish servicemen, without saying when the incident occurred. The ministry blamed terrorists for the deaths, saying that the attacks in Idlib province intensified in January. Russian and Turkish military specialists died tragically, the statement said, without specifying when and how many Russian soldiers were killed. Moscow and Ankara are on opposite sides of the Syrian civil war Russia is a main backer of Syrian President Bashar Assads forces while Turkey supports insurgents fighting his government. Syrian troops have been advancing since December into the countrys last rebel stronghold, which spans across the Idlib province and parts of nearby Aleppo region. Turkish troops are deployed in some of those rebel-held areas to monitor an earlier cease-fire that has since collapsed. Turkey has set up four military posts in northwestern Syria to prevent Syrian government forces from marching deeper into Idlib, Syrias Foreign Ministry said. It added that Turkish troops have flagrantly violated Syrias border and deployed in several areas, including the villages of Binnish, Taftanaz and Maaret Musreen. The offensive has led to a humanitarian crisis with more than 520,000 fleeing their homes, according to the United Nations. Many of them have sought safety in areas close to the border with Turkey since the beginning of December. At least 53 health facilities have suspended work in the area, according to the World Health Organization. The European Union called Thursday for an end to the fighting around Idlib and urged warring factions to allow aid workers and supplies into the area. Bombings and other attacks on civilians in north-west Syria must stop, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and the blocs Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarcic said in a statement. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitoring group, said Syrian warplanes on Thursday attacked a military air base in the village of Taftanaz where Turkish troops deployed recently. The Observatory and Syrian state TV said that government forces have laid a siege on the town of Saraqeb, which sits on the intersection of two major highways, one linking the Syrian capital of Damascus to the north, and the other connecting the countrys west and east. Turkish leaders have repeatedly called on Russia to rein in Syrian government forces, a demand to which Moscow responded by expressing concerns over growing terrorist activity in Idlib. Idlib province is home to some 3 million people, many of them displaced from other parts of Syria in earlier bouts of violence. Bassem Mroue and Daria Litvinova are Associated Press writers. Anshu Jain is the ex-colleague of Yes Bank's current Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ravneet Gill, who has made the capital-raising as his top priority after taking over last March Mumbai: Private sector lender Yes Bank has appointed Anshu Jain-headed global investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald and two domestic entities for its fundraising plans, sources said on Wednesday. Other merchant bankers appointed by the capital-starved lender include IDFC Securities and Ambit Capital, they said. Jain is the ex-colleague of Yes Bank's current Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ravneet Gill, who has made the capital-raising as his top priority after taking over last March. Jain was the co-chief executive of German lender Deutsche Bank globally, while Gill was heading the India operations. A bank spokesperson did not respond immediately to an e-mail on the same. Recognition of sour bets taken under his predecessor Rana Kapoor has depleted Yes Bank's capital buffers, and also forced it to reduce its loan book. It has, however, been struggling to raise the required capital for the past three months. It initially announced a plan to raise $2 billion, and had last month announced a new round of raising Rs 10,000 crore in fresh capital. On 10 January, the bank's board had decided that Canadian investor Erwin Singh Braich's $1.2-billion offer will not be pursued further, and also hinted that a $500-million offer from Citax Holdings and Citax Investment Group, which was being favourably considered, is facing headwinds. The bank, which was waiting for regulatory nods as Citax's offer entailed over 10 per cent ownership, has not yet been able to get a clearance on the "conditions precedent". Without specifying timelines, it said the Citax offer will be taken up "during the next round". The scrip gained 7.58 per cent to close at Rs 37.60 apiece on the BSE. (Natural News) A Chinese doctor was reportedly targeted with a reprimand and issued a misdemeanor after he privately warned friends and family members to be cautious about novel coronavirus, which at the time of his warning was still largely a mystery disease. On December 30, Li Wenliang told his medical school alumni group via WeChat, a popular Chinese messaging app, that he had already witnessed seven patients at Wuhan Central Hospital where he works come down with a viral contagion similar to S.A.R.S. (severe acute respiratory syndrome). He then told then to basically be careful. But Lis message ended up going viral on the web with his name attached to it, which almost immediately prompted local health officials, as well as local police, to go after him for allegedly spreading rumors online. When I saw them circulating online, Li says about these text messages he sent, I realized that it was out of my control and I would probably be punished. Li was right, as police quickly went after him for blowing the lid on what has now ballooned into a global pandemic situation with tens of thousands of sick people and hundreds of deaths and this is only the official numbers, which independent reports says are far too low. Ironically enough, Li caught what we now know as novel coronavirus himself from one of his infected patients. He spoke to the media via text message because the sickness has left him unable to speak well due to coughing and other breathing troubles. I only wanted to remind my university classmates to be careful, Li laments, revealing how hes been harassed and basically threatened for spilling the beans when the communist Chinese government obviously wanted to cover the whole thing up, just like it did for S.A.R.S. back in 2002-03. Be sure to listen to this episode of The Health Ranger Report below, as Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, discusses how he warned about this kind of global pandemic eight years ago: This same video is also available at Brighteon.com. Zero Hedge was also censored for speculating on the bioweapon origins of novel coronavirus In the end, Li was summoned to the officials who run his hospital for questioning. He was also issued a misdemeanor citation by local police for spreading rumors online and severely disrupting social order the typical communist response to free speech that were also seeing here in the U.S. In case you missed it, the popular independent news outlet Zero Hedge was recently banned from Twitter for reporting on a Chinese scientist by the name of Dr. Peng Zhou, Ph.D., who has ties to the BSL-4 laboratory in Wuhan where experimental bioweapons are apparently being experimented with and tested in bat carriers. Similar censorship has also occurred against Natural News, along with Infowars and many other independent news outlets that over the past several years especially have been warning about things that our own semi-communist government doesnt want people to hear or know. As for Li, his warnings were correct: Novel coronavirus is spiraling out of control with no end in sight. And the communist Chinese governments handling of the unfolding situation is, in many ways, exacerbating the problem because its still centered around a tactic of remaining hush-hush until its too late to do anything in response. At this point, the hospitals are the hot zones, wrote one Epoch Times commenter about the unfolding situation. Forget the markets, buses, parks, and other typical public areas. A trip to the hospital right now is pretty much a death warrant. The latest coronavirus news is available at Pandemic.news as well as Outbreak.news. Sources for this article include: TheEpochTimes.com NaturalNews.com Brighteon.com NaturalNews.com North Dakotas two U.S. senators voted to acquit President Donald Trump of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress charges. Republicans Kevin Cramer and John Hoeven said the House allegations didnt rise to the level of an impeachable offense and that its time to get on with addressing the nations needs. Our Founding Fathers believed that impeachment should not be used as a partisan weapon, and that the president serves at the will of the people, Hoeven said in a statement. With an election to be held in the coming months, I believe it should be up to the American people to decide who will lead the country. Cramer said in a speech on the Senate floor before the vote that the House was quite frankly ridiculous in bringing forth the articles of impeachment, which he called an affront in fact to this institution and to our Constitution. He also said he believes Democrats have schemed to remove Donald Trump since the day he was sworn into office. Their fixation on his removal was a conclusion in search of a justification, which they manufactured from a phone conversation between world leaders, leaked by one of the many career bureaucrats who seem to have forgotten that they work for the elected leaders in this country, not the other way around, Cramer said. He also said that a vote to begin an impeachment inquiry that has only partisan support and bipartisan opposition is not what the Founders had in mind. He later added that it should not happen to the president of any political party. U.S. Rep. Kelly Armstrong, R-N.D., who earlier voted against the articles of impeachment in the House, issued a statement following the Senate vote saying The Senate did the right thing in voting to acquit, but the Democrats partisan impeachment will have lasting consequences for our Republic. They trampled minority rights and irreversibly lowered the constitutional standard for impeachment simply because they dont like the president. North Dakotas Democratic-NPL Party issued a statement saying the Senate failed to hold a fair impeachment trial. The United States only works when the branches of government act as proper checks and balances against each other, party spokesman Alex Rohr said. The Senate has entirely failed its duty to check the president. Senator John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer voted no today without hearing witness testimony. They abandoned their oaths of impartiality and failed North Dakota. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 24 In an about-face, Facebook has removed the Rise Up Ocean County public page, which has been criticized as a forum for anti-Semitism and hatred toward the countys growing Orthodox Jewish community in particular. In the past, Facebook has resisted pressure to remove the page, including calls by Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Attorney General Gerbil Grewal, with the company asserting that the page had not sufficiently violated Facebooks hate speech policy. But on Wednesday, following further review of the page, Facebook released a statement saying it had updated its position. Upon further review we have determined this Page violates our Community Standards for hate speech and have removed it from the platform, read the statement, released by company spokesman Daniel Roberts. The page was taken down at 10:50 a.m., according to a statement on the Rise Up Ocean County website. The page was not up Wednesday afternoon. In a statement on the website, Rise Up Ocean County condemned the removal as arbitrary and capricious, and said it had taken Facebook up on its offer to appeal the decision. As recent as one month ago Facebook did remove two posts, both somewhat dated, that moved our page quality from green to red, the statement read, referring to the companys community standards ratings. Since that time, we have received no further violations of community standards and as such the decision to unpublish the page is arbitrary and capricious. Removal of the page was applauded Wednesday in a statement from Murphys office. Facebooks action comes ten months after the Director of our Division on Civil Rights, Rachel Wainer Apter, first sent a letter to Facebook expressing concerns about racist and anti-Semitic statements on the page," the statement read. "Since then, weve consistently and repeatedly made clear our view that the page appeared to violate Facebooks terms of service, and we appreciate that Facebook has now decided that this kind of hateful rhetoric has no place on its platform. Rise Up Ocean County still has a Facebook presence, with a closed group page, that was not taken down. Rise Up Ocean County insists that it is not anti-Semitic, but rather is opposed to what it says is the unsustainable rate of growth taking place in northern Ocean County, where the overwhelming majority of newcomers are Orthodox Jews. The pages administrators have also insisted that, as a public page, it can be posted on by anyone with a Facebook account, and that administrators can only remove posts after the fact, not block them up front. When hateful posts are flagged, administrators insist, they are removed. But posts like one last year stating, We need to get rid of them like Hitler did, in reference to the countys Orthodox Jewish population have drawn criticism from groups including the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a global anti-Semitism watchdog group, which have called on Facebook to take down the Rise Up page. Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Update 3:20 p.m.: Broken Arrow police located Bryan Gonzales and reported that he is safe and receiving assistance. Broken Arrow police are seeking the public's help in finding a 37-year-old man who was reported missing Wednesday. Bryan Scott Gonzales was reported missing and possibly endangered, according to the Broken Arrow Police Department. Gonzales' family told police he was traveling from Alma, Kansas, to Amarillo, Texas, on Tuesday. However, Gonzales' vehicle was located recently in Broken Arrow. Gonzales reportedly has health issues and possibly undiagnosed mental health issues, according to a news release. Efforts to contact him and check his well-being have been unsuccessful. Gonzales has no known family or friends in Broken Arrow. Those who recognize Gonzales or know of his whereabouts may contact the Broken Arrow Police Department at 918-259-8400. Gonzales' case number is 20-0877. Mud wasp nests have helped establish a date for one of the ancient styles of Aboriginal rock art in the Kimberley. University of Melbourne and ANSTO scientists put the Gwion Gwion art period around 12,000 years old. "This is the first time we have been able to confidently say Gwion style paintings were created around 12,000 years ago," said PhD student Damien Finch, from the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Melbourne. "No one has been able present the scientific evidence to say that before." One wasp nest date suggested one Gwion painting was older than 16,000 years, but the pattern of the other 23 dates is consistent with the Gwion Gwion period being 12,000 years old. The rock paintings, more than twice as old as the Giza Pyramids, depict graceful human figures with a wide range of decorations including headdresses, arm bands, and anklets. Some of the paintings are as small as 15cm, others are more than two metres high. The details of the breakthrough are detailed in the paper 12,000-year-old Aboriginal rock art from the Kimberley region, Western Australia, now published in Science Advances. More than 100 mud wasp nests collected from Kimberley sites, with the permission of the Traditional Owners, were crucial in identifying the age of the unique rock art. "A painting beneath a wasp nest must be older than the nest, and a painting on top of a nest must be younger than the nest," Mr Finch said. "If you date enough of the nests, you build up a pattern and can narrow down an age range for paintings in a particular style." Lack of organic matter in the pigment used to create the art had previously ruled out radiocarbon dating. But the University of Melbourne and ANSTO scientists were able to use dates on 24 mud wasp nests under and over the art to determine both maximum and minimum age constraints for paintings in the Gwion style. The project was initiated by Professor Andy Gleadow and Professor Janet Hergt, from the School of Earth Sciences, and started in 2014 with funding from the Australian Research Council and the Kimberley Foundation. It is the first time in 20 years scientists have been able to date a range of these ancient artworks. "The Kimberley contains some of the world's most visually spectacular and geographically extensive records of Indigenous rock art, estimated to include tens of thousands of sites, only a small fraction of which have been studied intensively," said Professor Gleadow. Professor Hergt said being able to estimate the age of Gwion art is important as it can now be placed into the context of what was happening in the environment and what we know from excavations about other human activities at the same time. Dr Vladimir Levchenko, an ANSTO expert in radiocarbon dating and co-author, said rock art is always problematic for dating because the pigment used usually does not contain carbon, the surfaces are exposed to intense weathering and nothing is known about the techniques used thousands of years ago. "Beeswax or resin have also been used - usually on more modern samples," Dr Levchenko said. "Although soil is full of carbon, most of it is easily degradable. However, charcoal is more likely to survive for longer periods. There is lots of black carbon in Australian soil because of bushfires." ### Mumbai: Actor Jitendra Kumar, who will be Ayushmann Khurrana's love interest in the upcoming film "Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhan", revealed his first encounter with his co-star. Jitendra said: "I met Ayushmann way back in 2009 when I was a student in IIT Kharagpur, he had come to cover a fest on behalf of MTV. The fest was called 'Springfest' and we were huge fan of Roadies, where we all met him & clicked photographs with him. "We ended up reaching his room once we found and it was our first year and he was very welcoming towards us. "He shared his experiences with us and spoke about his college life with us. Coincidentally during that time we spoke about homosexuality, we did not know that after 10 years we would work in a film together." "Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan" revolves around a gay couple and how they try to convince their families and society. Directed and written by Hitesh Kewalya, the film is jointly produced by Aanand L. Rai's Colour Yellow Productions and Bhushan Kumar's T-Series. The film is slated to hit the screens on February 21, 2020. The family entertainer also stars Neena Gupta, Gajraj Rao and Maanvi Gagroo in pivotal roles. Meghan Markle wore the Staud Millie Dress during her South Africa royal tour, and it is now available to buy [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. Meghan Markle struck a style high note with her array of chic outfits during the royal tour of South Africa last year. Belted shirt dresses, an elegant jumpsuit, printed dresses and jeans were all included in the mums overseas wardrobe. One winning look was a khaki maxi shirt dress from US label Staud, which Meghan wore to visit the oldest mosque in Cape Town. At the time, the dress was only available to pre-order. Now, five months later, its available to buy. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visited the oldest mosque in Cape Town, South Africa, in September last year as part of their royal tour [Getty] The design is a khaki/camel utility style, as it boasts short sleeve, pockets on the bust, as well as a belt detail to accentuate the waist. The dress also features button down detail and falls to the floor. Stauds Millie dress comes in a range of sizes, from US 0 to US 12, which is the equivalent of a UK dress size 4 to 16. The highly-coveted garment costs 290 from Net-A-Porter, and we predict its going to be a huge sell out. Meghan styled the dress with Sam Edelman pointed toe pumps and a cream shawl, but it can also be styled with heeled sandals too. The former Suits actress also wore a very similar dress during their royal visit to South Africa. Meghan slipped into a House of Nonie sleeveless trench dress, when she met Nelson Mandelas widow, before she attended the Creative Industries and Business Reception with her husband. Similar to the Staud dress, the House of Nonie creation features a double-breasted button front detail and a belt around the waist. But this was not the first time Meghan had worn the mid-length item, as she previously slipped into the dress in 2018 to visit the Nelson Mandela Centenary Exhibition. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo Style UK: South Africa: SA open for increased German investment South Africa is keen to attract higher levels of investment from Germany and to increase bilateral trade, says President Cyril Ramaphosa. The President made the remarks while addressing delegates during a South Africa Germany Business Roundtable in Tshwane, on Thursday. The engagement is part of German Chancellor Angela Merkels Official Visit to South Africa. A recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) report has noted that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows to South Africa have increased substantially over the last two years. This confidence is aptly demonstrated across sectors and companies, including by German companies and their subsidiaries with a longstanding presence in South Africa, said the President. South African businesses, the President said, are committed to working with their German counterparts to ensure a mutually productive and profitable experience for companies that invest in and trade with South Africa. Germanys investment has a firm base in South Africa, with 600 German companies in the country, employing more than 100 000 people. This should be used to open up more opportunities in other emerging sectors with high growth potential, not only in our market but in the broader region and the continent as a whole, said President Ramaphosa. He expressed confidence that todays deliberations would result in concrete and tangible outcomes. The President used the platform to urge German businesses operating in South Africa to partner with the countrys technical and vocational colleges to develop the skills needed to make businesses thrive. As I discussed with Chancellor Merkel earlier today, the acquisition of critical skills is among our foremost priorities, as we prepare our workforces to adapt to the changing world of work, said President Ramaphosa. The knowledge and skills transfer that will come with greater German investment in South Africa, he said, will play a key role in propelling the countrys economy to greater heights. Germany is South Africas largest trading partner in Europe. At the second South Africa Investment Conference in 2019, German companies jointly made investment commitments of nearly R11 billion or 740 million Euros into the countrys economy. The investments are mainly in the automotive and advanced manufacturing sectors. Said President Ramaphosa: From our discussions earlier today, it is clear that there is solid political will from the leadership of both our countries to ensure that we deepen economic ties. As South Africa, we are on a drive to position our country as an investment destination of choice. He said the South African government wants to see investment commitments translating into concrete projects that will have a long-lasting impact, and will transform the lives of South Africans. Our deliberations today should contribute to greater trade and more investment opportunities. They should contribute to the full implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the European Union and the Southern African Development Community, said President Ramaphosa. The Economic Partnership Agreement ensures that South Africa and German firms benefit from enhanced market access, which in turn enables producers and suppliers to tap into regional value chains. President Ramaphosa said he would be keen to see how German and South African companies can collaborate in the field of clean and renewable energy. We are eager to explore the ways in which emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology, biotechnology and many others can be harnessed in pursuit of industrialisation and growth. The knowledge and skills transfer that will come with greater German investment in South Africa will play a key role in propelling our economy to greater heights. Benefits for Africa Through public-private partnerships, President Ramaphosa said, governments can take advantage of the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area and develop cross-border investment projects that will, among others, facilitate infrastructure development, technology transfer and boost intra-Africa trade. The President reiterated his commitment to a path of economic reform, saying the country is taking clear and decisive measures to ensure policy certainty, and reducing the cost of doing business. We are committed to regulatory efficiency, legislative reform, fiscal consolidation and pursuing prudent macroeconomic policies. Through these reforms, we will assure our position as an investment-friendly destination, he said. To that end, South Africa is working with the World Bank and key stakeholders to improve the business environment and the ease of doing business in the country. Securing energy supply Regarding energy supply, the President said the country is focused on measures of ensuring a stable supply of electricity, as well as an accelerated introduction of new generating capacity by independent producers. We are working with the leadership and management of our power utility, Eskom, to stabilise its finances, improve its operational performance and achieve a sustainable business model. As we work to address the immediate challenge of power shortages, we are taking steps that will fundamentally transform our energy landscape into the future, he said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-02-06. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Statement of Senator Joel Villanueva on Chinese Tourists Entry in Boracay last Tuesday We need all hands on deck. We have a serious health crisis. We expect the cooperation of everyone to implement the ban. Continuous arrival of tourists from China contradicts the necessary precautions we have to take given the situation. It is irresponsible to disregard the ban for profit. Allowing tourists from China, particularly Wuhan, to arrive in Boracay is irresponsible. It exposes workers, other tourists and residents at risk. It strains our limited resources, particularly our capacity to respond to public health emergency. We need everyone to cooperate so we can prevent the spread of the disease and limit the exposure of the public. Let's follow the ban. It seems that in recent weeks, all anyone can talk about is Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussexs decision to step back from their roles as senior royals. The announcement came as quite a shock, and there are still many details of Megxit that have not been worked out. Many people were blindsided by Meghan and Harry resigning from their royal duties. Queen Elizabeth released a statement regarding her grandson and his wife, saying that she supports what they have decided to do and that she will always care for them as beloved members of her family. Although we havent heard much from Prince Charles regarding Megxit, there is some talk about how Harry and Meghans decision gave the future king exactly what he wanted. Meghan and Harry are doing what makes them happy Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex | Toby Melville-WPA Pool/Getty Images Harry and Meghan desperately wanted privacy in their lives, and the intense media scrutiny they had been dealing with for years was giving them anything but that. Things got so bad at one point that Harry made the unexpected move of releasing a statement expressing concern for Meghans safety. Now that Meghan and Harry have decided to split their time between North America and the United Kingdom, they can hopefully have the privacy they need and be able to spend more time with each other and their son, Archie, out of the spotlight of royal life. Prince Charles wanted to cut back on the number of working royals Roles within the royal family can be a bit confusing. There are quite a few people in the family; however, not all of them are considered working royals. So what is a working royal? It is someone who carries out official duties and engagements on behalf of the queen. Other family members, such as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, have regular jobs. According to New Idea, Prince Charles, who is next in line to the throne, had been hoping to cut back on the number of working royals. One option discussed was having only himself and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall as well as his sons and their wives as the only working royals. As such, they would be the only family members entitled to receive a salary from the Sovereign Grant. Harry and Meghans decision gave Prince Charles exactly what he wanted Although many people might think the royal family is disappointed that Meghan and Harry decided to leave, it looks like they gave Prince Charles exactly what he wanted. Since he had wanted to cut back, their leaving helped to facilitate that. While no one can possibly know what is being said behind closed doors, we can imagine that Meghan and Harrys resignation might be a good thing for Prince Charles. While it might be hard for some fans to see them step back from their roles, the choice to put their family and happiness first was ultimately theirs to make. The banned JKLF on Thursday called for shutdowns in Kashmir on February 9 and 11 to mark the death anniversaries of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and its founder Mohammad Maqbool Bhat. This is the first strike call given by a separatist organisation since the abrogation of Article 370 provisions in August last year. The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) was banned by the government in March 2019. Acting chairman of JKLF Abdul Hamid Butt in an email statement said several programmes will be held to mark their deaths. Guru was hanged inside Delhi's Tihar Jail on 9 February 2013, while Bhat was executed there on 11 February 1984. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The transaction was not successful, but Rs 62,542 from his bank account linked to Paytm was debited to other accounts in 19 different transactions. Hyderabad: Remote access control mobile apps available on the internet are coming in handy for cyber crooks, who are preying on naive e-wallet users on the pretext of updating their KYC details. In a span of three days, two city residents lost over Rs 1.4 lakh from their bank accounts linked to their e-wallets. The police have advised e-wallet users to avoid sharing bank and e-wallet details with strangers and not to download any mobile application without knowing its purpose, as crooks may hack acco-unts through such apps, without the user being aware of it and rob them. During the last week of January, the Cyberabad Cyber Crime police received a complaint from I.V. Ravi Shankar, a resident of Kukatpally, about losing Rs 62,542 to strangers who contacted him claiming they were updating the KYC of his Paytm account. Mr Shankar, who recei-ved a message to update the KYC of his Paytm wallet, responded by calling a telephone number provided within the message. He was then prompted to download a mobile app named Any Desk, which directed him to transfer Rs 100 to their number. The transaction was not successful, but Rs 62,542 from his bank account linked to Paytm was debited to other accounts in 19 different transactions. So-metime later, his mobile number stopped functioning. It was then that he realised he had been defrauded and approached the police. Sometime later, his mobile number stopped functioning. It was then that he realised he had been defrauded and approached the police. Two days later, police received another complaint from Fakruddin Moh-ammed of RC Puram area, about a similar incident. Fakruddin, who was asked on a call to update KYC details of his Paytm account, was instructed to download a Quick Support mobile application to enter details for updating the KYC. He was asked to transfer `1 to check the functioning of the e-wallet. Soon after, Fakruddin got messages from his bank that about `78,399 from his three bank accounts was debited in five transactions. He then lodged a complaint with the cyber crime police seeking action. Ch Y. Srinivas Kumar, ACP, Cybe-rabad Cyber Crimes police, said in recent past, crooks are contacting Paytm e-wallet users by sending messages and making phone calls asking to update their KYC details. If a user believes these callers, they are made to download remote access applications and then made to watch helplessly as their bank accounts get drained. He said at least three or four cases of such modus operandi are reported at the cyber crime police station every day. There are over a hundred popular mobile e-wallets that fraudsters target the customers of popular ewallets. No e-wallet or bank employee calls and seeks KYC details. The users should not forget that, he added. E-wallet users will be made to log into remote access application and then do a sample transaction. While they are entering a password or PIN for their e-wallet, they (offenders) collect details and use them illegally, official said. Jamia protest (file photo) Responding to a police request for clearing a road outside the varsity gate of anti-CAA and anti-NRC protesters, the Jamia Millia Islamia said on Thursday that the request would be "considered in the larger interest of all stakeholders." The Jamia response came in the wake of a letter written by Jamia Nagar Police Station SHO Upendra Singh to the JMI Registrar. In the letter, the Station House Officer pointed out that "some students, old students and local residents are sitting on the Okhla Road outside Gate No. 7 of Jamia to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens. The road from Holy Family Hospital to Jamia Millia Metro Station has been blocked since then." The police officer said: "Law and order in Jamia Nagar area is very critical. All possible steps are being taken to maintain law and order and ensure the safety of protesters and area residents. "Keeping in view Delhi elections on February 8 and to avoid any untoward situation, you are requested to remove the protesters from the road." Peter is enthusiastic about his education and thanks everyone for their efforts to help him. Last year, Niwot High School started the Mwebaza Club to turn shipping containers into classrooms for children in Uganda. The classrooms were a booming success and have greatly decreased the overcrowding at the school. After the classrooms were shipped to Uganda, the Mwebaza Club faded away. Now, Niwot High School has initiated the club again, this time to fund a young boy's education. In Uganda, people are required to pay for school, and many families cannot meet the high prices. So, the Mwebaza foundation has been giving scholarships to worthy students at Mwebaza School for the past five years. One of these students is Kamuhanda Peter. Sadly, Peter was orphaned recently when his father unexpectedly died. He has been a recipient of the Mwebaza Foundation's scholarship program for a couple years now, but his current guardian wants to send him to live with his grandmother in a remote village where there is no schooling. Peter really wants to continue his education, so the Mwebaza foundation has found an alternative guardian in Mwebaza. However, this guardian is a mother of two who is living in a 10-foot by 10-foot apartment. In order to provide Peter and the guardian with the best arrangement possible, the Mwebaza Foundation is raising money to rent a new two-bedroom apartment. In order to do this, the foundation is turning to Niwot High School for help. For the past couple of weeks, students have been donating their time in order to find a way to help Peter. For now, these students have formulated multiple fundraisers, including concession stands at games, Mario Kart tournaments during lunch, and a pie-in-the-face competition. The latter has been the main focus of the Mwebaza Club. Ten teachers have been selected to enter the fundraiser. Ultimately, students will donate money to the top three teachers they want to see get a pie in the face. After two weeks, the three teachers with the most money enter another pool. This time, students buy tickets with their name on them, which are put in a bowl for the teacher they want to pie. The teacher with the most tickets has a name drawn from it, and that lucky student gets to pie the teacher. Through this fundraiser and others, the Mwebaza Club is hoping to raise fifteen hundred dollars. This will support Peter and his guardian for a couple months, although the Mwebaza Foundation hopes to continue raising money so that he may finish primary school and move on to secondary school as well. The Mwebaza Club hopes the community will get involved in Peter's education as well. By going to the following website, https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/PetersFund, anyone can donate money and learn more about Peter. Also, between 5 and 9 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 17, the Chipotle on Ken Pratt Blvd. in Longmont will be donating 33% of the proceeds to the Mwebaza Foundation. One simply needs to tell the cashier that they're supporting the cause, and the money will help Peter obtain the education he deserves. Through this experience, the Mwebaza Club members have become more grateful for what they have and more aware of the plight that others around the world face. They are excited to make a difference in Peter's life, and they hope that through everyone's efforts he will continue his education in a home that can support him. The future of the Wilbur Mansion is no longer intertwined with its neighboring historic bed and breakfast, but the Wilburs owners still plan to transform it into a boutique hotel with the help of a local restaurateur. We are partnering with a local and nationally-recognized restaurateur to create a boutique, luxury hotel with a culinary focus, developer John Noble said. For now, Noble is being tight lipped about who that partner is, but documents filed with the city of Bethlehem provide some clues. The partners -- operating as NIP Wilbur LLC -- want to make the Lehigh Valley a destination for boutique tourism, they write. The Wilbur Mansion is a unique and amazing property to make this happen, they say. The hospitality partners have been able to garner this kind of attention after 12 years in the Lehigh Valley and believe that this next step provides the ability to continue and build upon this legacy with an elevated venue. The historic Wilbur Mansion sits at the gateway to South Bethlehem at the foot of the Hill-to-Hill Bridge, adjacent to the Masonic Temple, which is slated for demolition. Plans for the property have evolved several times since Noble purchased it in 2015. The last iteration sought to expand and bolster the Sayre Mansions events business, while the latest plans aim to carve out a new niche in the Southside. Wind Creek Bethlehem and ArtsQuest have cornered the market on large events space, but no one is offering this sort of niche, luxury culinary experience with flexible small events space, Noble said. On Thursday, Noble comes before the Bethlehem Revitalization and Improvement Authority seeking its support to again alter his plans and more time to do it. Noble needs the board and the states approval because the project sits within Bethlehems 130-acre lucrative City Revitalization and Improvement Zone. The CRIZ allows developers to use certain local and state taxes generated by their project to pay down construction loans. The new project is expected to generate another $60,000 in CRIZ increment bringing the total to about $219,000 in the first year, according to a letter from Alicia Miller Karner, director of community and economic development. Mayor Bob Donchez supports the project, which he recommended for CRIZ inclusion in 2016 after seeking proposals. Back in May 2018, the CRIZ board backed Nobles plans to partner with the owners of the neighboring Sayre Mansion to merge the properties and create a boutique hotel complex. The Wilbur was to feature an 80 seat high-end restaurant on the first-floor, eight hotel rooms above and a four-story addition with a 200-person events space and more hotel rooms. That project has fallen apart and now the Sayre Mansion wants to build a glass conservatory addition to its property, according to plans filed with the city. The Zoning Hearing Board is set to consider a variance request on Wednesday. We just werent compatible business partners, Noble said. Now, Noble plans nine boutique hotel rooms in the restored mansion and a first-floor bar/dining room serving for up to 100 guests. He plans a one-story addition that could provide flexible space for intimate, private events for groups from 10 to 120. The restaurant will have an agritourism focus, relying on the bounty of the Lehigh Valleys farms, and seeks to capitalize on the regions reputation to make it a destination for Philadelphia, New York and the DC-metro area, according to the partners. After more than 20 years in the hospitality industry the restaurant partners know that it is key to plan on flexibility, innovation and a product that is not currently being offered in the market, the partners write. The project is about 18 months out from construction. Theres significant design work that must occur once the project gets CRIZ and state approval and construction would likely take a year or more, Noble said. The Masonic Temple still will be torn down. Behind the mansion, Noble has city approval to build a 64-unit high-end apartment building. When Noble brought the property, he planned restore the mansion, convert it into high-end office space and put on a 3,781-square-foot glass enclosed addition. Robert Sayre and Elisha P. Wilbur were contemporaries and its no accident they were next door neighbors both in Bethlehem and Sayre, Pa. Sayre was the chief engineer of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and he built his Gothic Revival-style mansion in the 1850s. He moved his family into the home in June 1858 and lived there until his death in 1907. In 1865, Wilbur, who was president of the railroad, also built his home in the Gothic Revival-style. Wilbur is the nephew of Asa Packer, who ran Bethlehem Iron Co., the precursor to Bethlehem Steel Corp. Sayre was also vice president and general manager of Bethlehem Iron and he was responsible for the design and construction of the company's first iron works. Wilbur was one of the company's largest stockholders and was one of the chairman and directors of its advisory and finance committee. Bethlehem Lodge 283 bought the Wilbur Mansion in 1924. The masons prided themselves on preserving its woodwork and interior. Amid financial difficulties they sold the Masonic Temple and mansion to Noble in 2015. Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. JERUSALEM, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Adit Ventures, a leading late stage venture capital investment firm, is proud to be attending the 2020 OurCrowd Global Investor Summit in Jerusalem, February 11-13. Founder and CIO, Eric Munson and Senior Analyst, Max Moskovitz will be in attendance. About Adit Ventures: Adit Ventures is a late-stage venture capital firm with offices in NYC and California. An "Adit" is an entrance to a mine and serves as an anagram for the firm's services, since it provides Access, Diligence, Insight and works with Trusted partners across the United States and around the world. Its business model focuses on purchasing shares from early-stage investors or employees seeking liquidity before the company has a liquidity event. Adit's investment objective is 3x return of capital within a 3-5-year time frame. Adit buys both primary and secondary shares on behalf of investors from a global network of relationships cultivated over their 100 years of principal investing experience. Adit seeks to capitalize on long-term secular trends in the global economy where they see dynamic areas of growth. It is in these sectors Adit sees the best opportunities for long term capital appreciation and to make a positive impact on the world by improving quality of life, while generating a healthy return on our invested capital in alignment with their investors & principles. Current sectors of interest include AI & Machine Learning, Big Data, Cybersecurity, Defense, Educational Technology, FinTech, Health Tech, IoT, Life Sciences, Media, Shared Economy and Space. Portfolio companies include Airbnb, Cohesity, Decision Sciences International Corporation, Flexport, Klarna, Palantir, SpaceX and Turo among others. Please visit www.aditventures.com for further information. Adit Ventures uses a 10-step investment process incorporating its proprietary research on both quantitative and qualitative factors. Quantitative: Valuation at entry is a critical discipline, as this is one thing we control. Revenue growth rate drives future valuation, so is a key element to Adit. Margins and cash flows are vital to an enterprise's success, and drive valuation. Scalability of business across various markets is a big factor in the valuation of any business. Profitability: A clear path to profitability is essential to any investment. Qualitative: Is it a good business model, in a good sector with long term secular tends driving it? Is there a good management team, with depth and experience in meeting challenges, competitive threats and executing its goals? Does it have a good capital base, board of directors/investors and well-regarded savvy Venture Sponsors? Does the business adhere to fundamental ESG principles with character and integrity in its practice? Will the business make a difference by adding value for its customers, it's employees and the community it serves, as well as its shareholders? Adit has invested in some of the world's leading companies with exits in GoPro, Spotify, Snap and Lyft. Contact: Julie Klugman [email protected] www.aditventures.com SOURCE Adit Ventures Related Links www.aditventures.com U.S. President Donald Trump's acquittal Wednesday on impeachment charges is a watershed moment in his presidency, exonerating him of wrongdoing just nine months ahead of next November's national election when he is seeking a second term in the White House. He was found not guilty on the first charge of abuse of power, 52-48; and found not guilty on a second charge of obstruction of Congress, 53-47. Trump's acquittal likely will have huge long-term implications on politics and the balance of power in Washington with the president's hand strengthened heading into the campaign season. Only one Republican, Senator Mitt Romney, the losing 2012 Republican presidential candidate, voted to convict the Republican Trump on the first charge of abuse of power, assailing his conduct as "wrong, egregiously wrong". On the second charge of obstruction of Congress, Romney voted not guilty. Trump is in a position now to make use of Wednesday's acquittal to his advantage ahead of the election, even as a collection of national polls shows he remains an unpopular president with a job approval rating in the mid-40% range in a politically divided country. "Its amazing what Ive done," he wrote on Twitter as his impeachment trial neared the end, "the most of any President in the first three years (by far), considering that for three years Ive been under phony political investigations and the Impeachment Hoax! KEEP AMERICA GREAT!" Power of the presidency Trump now is the third U.S. president in the country's 244-year history to have faced impeachment charges, but been acquitted in Senate trials to remain in office, after Andrew Johnson in the mid-19th century and Bill Clinton two decades ago. Trump is the first, however, who has been cleared and then faces a re-election campaign to remain as the U.S. leader. An array of Democratic challengers, none of whom has yet to emerge from a large field of candidates as the clear choice of Democratic voters, is vying to be his opponent. There possibly is a new etched-in-stone understanding of the power of the U.S. presidency, as evidenced by Trump's exoneration on two articles of impeachment, that he abused the power of the presidency by seeking help from Ukraine to investigate a political foe and then obstructed congressional efforts to investigate him. At the outset of the trial, Congressman Adam Schiff, the lead Democrat prosecuting the case against Trump, laid out the stakes. "Our relationship with Ukraine will survive," he said. "But if we are to decide here that a president of the United States can simply say that, 'Under Article 2 [of the Constitution], I can do whatever I want, and I don't have to treat a political branch of government like it exists,' that will be an unending injury to this country. Ukraine will survive, and so will we, but that will be an unending injury to this country, because the balance of power that our founders set out will never be the same." But as the trial wound down, one of Trump's impeachment defense lawyers, noted criminal defense attorney Alan Dershowitz, argued to the 100 senators acting as jurors for an expansive view of U.S. presidential power. He said that even if Trump had engaged in a quid pro quo deal with Ukraine to benefit himself politically, it was not an impeachable offense, a viewpoint disputed by U.S. constitutional scholars. But Dershowitz's view, since Trump has been acquitted, could effectively become the standard by which the actions of future presidents are judged. 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 argued. He later said his comment had been misconstrued and that he did not mean to contend that U.S. presidents always have unlimited power. However, another Trump lawyer, deputy White House counsel Patrick Philbin, said a president asking Russia and China to look into his political opponents, as Trump has done, does not violate U.S. campaign finance laws making it illegal to accept or solicit a "thing of value" from foreign governments. Mere information is not something that would violate the campaign finance laws, Philbin said. If there is credible information, credible information of wrongdoing by someone who is running for a public office, its not campaign interference for credible information about wrongdoing to be brought to light. Interpreting Trump's words During the weeks of the impeachment investigation in the House of Representatives late last year and the trial in the Senate the last two weeks, there was little dispute of what Trump did, rather the interpretation of it. In a phone call last July 25, he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to "do us a favor," to investigate one of his chief 2020 Democratic rivals, former Vice President Joe Biden, his son Hunter's work for a Ukrainian natural gas company and a debunked conspiracy theory that Ukraine had meddled in the 2016 U.S. election to undermine his campaign. At the same time, Trump was blocking release of $391 million of military aid Kyiv wanted to help it fight pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. No one in the public knew about Trump's request for the Ukraine investigations to benefit himself politically until a still-unidentified government intelligence worker familiar with the call between the two leaders filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that Trump had sought help from a foreign government to help him in the 2020 election. Trump adamantly and repeatedly insisted there was no link between the two elements central to his impeachment, denying that he was demanding a reciprocal quid pro quo deal with Kyiv, the military assistance in exchange for the Biden investigations. He claimed the "us" in his request to Zelenskiy referred to the United States, not him personally. He described his request to Zelenskiy for the Biden investigations as "perfect." His Republican defenders said that Trump wanted corruption, broadly speaking, investigated in Ukraine, not just the Bidens, although Trump never raised the issue of corruption generally in the phone call with Zelenskiy, according to a rough transcript of the call released by the White House. Trump supporters also noted that the president released the aid after a 55-day delay without Zelenskiy opening any investigations of the Bidens, proof, they say, that the president had not carried out a quid pro quo deal with Ukraine. But Democratic lawmakers in both the House of Representatives and Senate contended that Trump, despite his denials, had engaged in a deal with Ukraine, seeking to help himself politically while endangering the national security of the United States by denying an ally, Ukraine, vital military aid in its fight against Russia. It was a sentiment that only one Republican, Romney, now a senator from the western state of Utah after losing the 2012 presidential contest, agreed with. Through weeks of testimony in the House impeachment inquiry, however, a string of government officials, some of them appointed by Trump, said they came to understand that Trump wanted announcement of the Biden investigations before the military aid would be released. But, as Trump's Republican defenders often noted, they had not talked directly with Trump and only assumed he wanted the investigations before the Ukraine assistance would be released. That evidentiary shortcoming possibly changed, however, in the last two weeks as news surfaced of a claim in a new book by former Trump national security adviser John Bolton. In his as-yet unpublished manuscript, Bolton said that Trump told him directly last August that he wanted the Biden investigations before he would release the aid. A month later, Trump ousted Bolton from his key White House position as the two feuded over a host of foreign policy issues. Trump denied Bolton's Ukraine claim, but House impeachment managers prosecuting the case against the president fought to have Bolton testify at the Senate trial. Schiff, the lead impeachment manager, said the trial could not be considered fair without testimony and Ukraine-related documents they wanted to subpoena from the White House, the State Department and the Defense Department. Trump assailed his one-time security aide and complained again about the Democrats' conduct of the impeachment investigation and trial. "No matter how many witnesses you give the Democrats, no matter how much information is given, like the quickly produced Transcripts, it will NEVER be enough for them," Trump tweeted. "They will always scream UNFAIR. The Impeachment Hoax is just another political CON JOB!" But Schiff needed the votes of four Republican senators to join with 47 Democrats in the 100-member Senate for a simple majority calling Bolton as a witness. In the end, all but two senators of the 53-seat Senate Republican majority stood with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a staunch Trump ally, and voted against hearing witnesses, including Bolton. With that large hurdle cleared, McConnell moved toward the final stages of the trial on the two impeachment articles, reaching the conclusion with Trump's acquittal on Wednesday. Up to a certain point, this years Oscars seem to be one of the most predictable in recent memory. The four acting races seem to have been decided long ago, and many of the other categories have strong frontrunners as well if Roger Deakins doesnt win Best Cinematography and Parasite isnt named Best International Feature Film, 3,000 people in the Dolby Theatre will go into shock en masse. But how much do we really know? Best Picture has a clear frontrunner but also the tantalizing possibility of an upset that wouldnt surprise too many people. And a number of other categories including animated feature, documentary feature and short and film editing could go in a few different directions. With voting closed, the obvious favorites are 1917 and Parasite, both of which should go home from the ceremony with some shiny new statuettes. But the year that was supposed to be Netflixs Oscar breakthrough, with more nominations than any other company, may not end so well: Martin Scorseses The Irishman could become his second film, after 2002s Gangs of New York, to go 0-for-10 at the Oscars, while Marriage Story will probably win a single Oscar and The Two Popes will be shut out. (But Netflix does have a real shot in the Best Documentary Feature and Best Animated Feature categories.) Also Read: Pre-Oscar Awards Scorecard: 'Parasite' Won the Most, but '1917' Won the Big Ones Assuming that PricewaterhouseCoopers hasnt contracted the ballot counting to the Iowa Democratic Party, heres what we expect to find in those envelopes on Sunday evening. BEST PICTURE Nominees: Ford v Ferrari The Irishman Jojo Rabbit Joker Little Women Marriage Story 1917 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Parasite Parasite is positioned to win this award like no film not in English has ever been. It won the SAG ensemble award and the Writers Guild Award, it picked up more guild awards than any other film, its by far the critical favorite of 2019 and its director and cast have been the hit of the awards circuit since Cannes. It also fits the recent pattern at the Oscars, in which a big, bold movie wins Best Director but a smaller, actor-driven film wins Best Picture: Gravity/12 Years a Slave, The Revenant/Spotlight, La La Land/Moonlight and Roma/Green Book, all within the last six years. Story continues And yet 1917 won the Producers Guild Award, the only major award that uses the same preferential system of counting votes that the Academy does. And it won the Golden Globe for drama, and the Directors Guild Award, and the British Academy Film Award (BAFTA). Films can win those awards and still lose Best Picture La La Land and Brokeback Mountain did but its rare. Unless Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or Jojo Rabbit pulls off a shocker, a film is going to make history on Oscar night: Parasite as the first non-English film ever to win the award, 1917 as the first film since Grand Hotel in 1932 to win without an acting or editing nomination. The question is which one will be favored by the Oscars preferential voting system, in which the second-place choices of the films that receive the fewest votes come into play, or whether that will end up helping Once Upon a Time or Jojo in unexpected ways. Parasite is a tempting pick that would fit with recent trends, but it also has a de facto best-picture category where it will win, Best International Feature Film. And given what else 1917 has won this year, it seems foolish to bet against it. Predicted winner: 1917 Also Read: '1917': How Sam Mendes & Co. Re-Created World War I in a Single Take 1917 Sam Mendes San Mendes on the set of 1917 BEST DIRECTOR Nominees: Bong Joon Ho, Parasite Todd Phillips, Joker Sam Mendes, 1917 Martin Scorsese, The Irishman Quentin Tarantino, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood To split or not to split? In recent years, the Best Director and Best Picture awards have gone to different movies more often than not. But heres an even more powerful stat: Over the last 71 years, this award gone to the director who wins the Directors Guild Award for feature film 63 times and in the last 16 years, the only time the two awards didnt match was when the Academys Directors Branch forgot to nominate Ben Affleck for Argo. This year, the DGA win gives a big edge to 1917 director Sam Mendes, who pulled off a huge movie that looks like a single shot. Parasite director Bong Joon Ho would be a popular alternative, and itd be hard to argue with giving this to Martin Scorsese or Quentin Tarantino, but all signs point to Mendes. Predicted winner: Sam Mendes, 1917 BEST ACTOR Nominees: Antonio Banderas, Pain and Glory Leonardo DiCaprio, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Adam Driver, Marriage Story Joaquin Phoenix, Joker Jonathan Pryce, The Two Popes The four acting categories seem to be all but locked, with the same four actors winning at the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, SAG Awards and BAFTA. Its hard to envision a scenario in which Joaquin Phoenix doesnt win this award for Joker: The film is the overall leader in nominations, even people who dont like it are impressed by his performance, and the massive Joker backlash thatd need to happen for voters to give this one to, say, the subtle perfection of Antonio Banderas performance in Pain and Glory, has never materialized. Face it: If Phoenix has any disappointment on Oscar night, itll be that the menu at the Governors Ball is mostly but not completely plant-based. Predicted winner: Joaquin Phoenix, Joker Also Read: Director Todd Phillips: 'Joker' Sprang From Concern Over World Without Empathy BEST ACTRESS Nominees: Cynthia Erivo, Harriet Scarlett Johansson, Marriage Story Saoirse Ronan, Little Women Charlize Theron, Bombshell Renee Zellweger, Judy This category provided the biggest surprise at last years Oscars, when presumed winner Glenn Close lost to Olivia Colman in The Favourite. But Colman had won at BAFTA, so her upset win didnt come completely out of the blue. Renee Zellwegers portrayal of Judy Garland in Judy, on the other hand, hasnt faced any serious competition all season while Charlize Theron got some initial buzz for playing Megyn Kelly in Bombshell, the movie never quite got the traction it needed to make her a serious challenger. (It doesnt help that shes asking Hollywood to identify with and root for a Fox News personality.) Like Best Actor, this should be one more walk to the podium for a performer whos been there all season. Predicted winner: Renee Zellweger, Judy Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Brad Pitt BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR Nominees: Tom Hanks, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Anthony Hopkins, The Two Popes Al Pacino, The Irishman Joe Pesci, The Irishman Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood The supporting categories provide surprises more frequently than the lead categories, but its hard to imagine a surprise happening this year. In a lineup of pretty iconic actors, the effortless charm of Brad Pitts performance has carried over into a string of delightful acceptance speeches, and who doesnt want to see him deliver one more on the stage of the Dolby? Barring a last-minute decision to make it up to Tom Hanks for 19 years of snubs (nope, thats not gonna happen), Pitt is the one sure winner for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Predicted winner: Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS Nominees: Kathy Bates, Richard Jewell Laura Dern, Marriage Story Scarlett Johansson, Jojo Rabbit Florence Pugh, Little Women Margot Robbie, Bombshell Lately, theres been a growing buzz for two women who could be saluted for more than one 2019 performance: Florence Pugh, who shone in Little Women, Midsommar and Fighting With My Family, and Scarlett Johansson, who was nominated for both Jojo Rabbit and Marriage Story. But Laura Dern was in two movies last year, too, Marriage Story and Little Women, and everybody in Hollywood loves her. Shes been winning all season and shes not about to stop now. Predicted winner: Laura Dern, Marriage Story BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Nominees: The Irishman Jojo Rabbit Joker Little Women The Two Popes For a while, this category seemed to be one of the best chances for The Irishman to avoid an 0-for-10 shutout. But Little Women won the Scripter Award and seemed poised to win here, too until Jojo Rabbit had a very good final weekend before the Oscars, winning at the Writers Guild Awards on Saturday and at BAFTA on Sunday. Barring a surprise from The Irishman or Joker, this now appears to be a showdown between Little Women and Jojo Rabbit. And it might be the prime opportunity for voters to recognize the latter film, which we underestimate at our own risk. Predicted winner: Jojo Rabbit Parasite Bong Joon Ho BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Nominees: Knives Out Marriage Story 1917 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Parasite Even as Quentin Tarantinos Once Upon a Time in Hollywood began to slip from its status as one of the Best Picture frontrunners, the Best Original Screenplay category seemed likely to give him an Oscar win. But Parasite has been coming on very strong in the homestretch: It won the Writers Guild Award, which you cant hold against Tarantino because his script wasnt eligible, and then won the next day at BAFTA, where Once Upon a Time was eligible and had been nominated. Academy voters do like Tarantino, who has been nominated four times and has won for Pulp Fiction and Django Unchained. But BAFTA voters gave him those same four nominations and those same two wins, plus another nom for The Hateful Eight so for Parasite to win there is a real danger sign for Tarantino. Plus, this could be the voters only chance to give Parasite writer-director Bong Joon Ho an Oscar win of his own the Best International Feature Film Oscar will officially go to South Korea, not to Bong. Predicted winner: Parasite BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY Nominees: The Irishman Joker The Lighthouse 1917 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood When 1917 first screened for voters and press in late November, the viewers and pundits agreed on three things: It was a strong Best Picture contender and it was going to win for its score and its cinematography. The first of those is clearly true, the second has turned into a big question mark and the third seems to be a lock. Roger Deakins, who couldnt catch a break from Oscar voters for the longest time, is poised to win his second Oscar in three years for planning and executing the one-take look of 1917, and for that astonishing sequence in the bombed-out French town. If he somehow doesnt win, Robert Richardson probably has the best chance to take this one for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. But this award is Deakins to lose, and hes not going to lose. Predicted winner: 1917 BEST COSTUME DESIGN Nominees: The Irishman Jojo Rabbit Joker Little Women Once Upon a Time in Hollywood There may have been a time when the smart move in this category was to pick the frilliest and poofiest nominee to win but that time is no more, what with Black Panther beating The Favourite last year and Mad Max: Fury Road topping Cinderella and The Danish Girl a couple of years earlier. Still, this years frontrunner does appear to be the one nominee with some (relatively) frilly dresses, Little Women. And it might help that this is one of the few places to honor that film, which was popular enough to land a Best Picture nomination. Of course, every other nominated film in the category is a best-pic nominee, too. And you cant rule out the lure of those groovy period threads in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood or the appeal of Jojo Rabbit, the costumey-est of the nominees or even the power of that red suit in Joker. Predicted winner: Little Women Ford v Ferrari BEST FILM EDITING Nominees: Ford v Ferrari The Irishman Jojo Rabbit Joker Parasite Some people say you need a Best Film Editing nomination in order to win Best Picture (though 2014s Birdman didnt have one), but you dont need to be the Best Picture winner to win here: In the past 10 years, only The Hurt Locker and Argo have turned that trick. Typically, this award goes to a film that is nominated for but doesnt win Best Picture, and one with a liberal amount of action. That seems to favor Ford v Ferrari, but Jojo Rabbit and Parasite won the top awards from the American Cinema Editors, so you have to take them seriously. And you certainly have to take the legendary editor Thelma Schoonmaker seriously. Shes been nominated a record-tying eight times and could become the first editor to win four Oscars if her work on The Irishman prevails here. Could complaints about the films excessive length hurt her chances? Sure if it wins, itll be the categorys longest winner since Lawrence of Arabia won 57 years ago. Predicted winner: Ford v Ferrari BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING Nominees: Bombshell Joker Judy Maleficent: Mistress of Evil 1917 Make an actor look like a famous person, win an Oscar. That worked two years ago for Darkest Hour (Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill) and last year for Vice (Christian Bale as Dick Cheney), and it should happen this year for Bombshell, which features Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson and John Lithgow as Roger Ailes. By contrast, Judy had only one transformation, of Renee Zellweger into Judy Garland but neither it nor any of the other nominees work was startling enough to make voters forget that they had trouble telling Charlize from Megyn. Predicted winner: Bombshell BEST ORIGINAL SCORE Nominees: Joker Little Women Marriage Story 1917 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker After 14 nominations without a win, this was supposed to be the year for Thomas Newman, whose music for 1917 was essential to the movies power. But over the last few weeks, Icelandic composer Hildur Gunadottir, only the ninth woman ever nominated for scoring, has been winning awards for her ominous score to Joker, including the Golden Globes, Critics Choice Awards, Society of Composers and Lyricists and BAFTA. Though Newman still has a shot, the momentum seems to be with Gunadottir. Predicted winner: Joker rocketman elton john taron egerton Paramount BEST ORIGINAL SONG Nominees: I Cant Let You Throw Yourself Away from Toy Story 4 Into the Unknown from Frozen II (Im Gonna) Love Me Again from Rocketman Im Standing With You from Breakthrough Stand Up from Harriet Could Diane Warren actually win her first Oscar after 11 nominations, for Breakthrough, a faith-based indie thats probably the least-seen nominee this side of the shorts? Sure, she could it wouldnt be any stranger than her and Lady Gaga losing the Oscar a few years ago to the worst James Bond song ever written. But shes a longshot behind the song that Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote for the movie about Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Rocketman, and behind Cynthia Erivos song from Harriet. And while you can never write off Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who are 2-for-2 at the Oscars with songs from animated features, their song from Frozen II is more adventurous and less inescapable than Let It Go from the first Frozen. Elton will likely get to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his Lion King win with another trophy. Predicted winner: (Im Gonna) Love Me Again from Rocketman BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN Nominees: The Irishman Jojo Rabbit 1917 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Parasite This probably comes down to two amazing sets (the rich and poor homes in Parasite) v. a recreation of 1969 Los Angeles (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) v. miles of trenches, tunnels and countryside (1917). In recent years, voters have been leaning toward elaborate fantasy over period reconstructions and maybe the nominee that comes closest to fitting that bill is the one that brings the once upon a time to Hollywood. Predicted winner: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood BEST SOUND EDITING Nominees: Ford v Ferrari Joker 1917 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker The eternal question in predicting the sound categories: Will voters pick the same movie in both categories or will they differentiate between editing (the creation of artificial sounds and sound effects) and mixing (the overall audio balance)? In three of the last four years and seven of the last 10, the same film has won both, which is one of the reasons why the Academy is considering consolidating the two categories. So if the same movie will win both categories, will it be the war movie, 1917, or the car-racing movie, Ford v Ferrari? The latter film won the top award from both of the Hollywood sound organizations, the Cinema Audio Society and the Motion Picture Sound Editors, but war movies typically do well here, and 1917 figures to be a voter favorite up and down the ballot. If theres a split between the categories, editing is where Ford v Ferrari could well prevail. Predicted winner: 1917 BEST SOUND MIXING Nominees: Ad Astra Ford v Ferrari Joker 1917 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Theres only one difference in the nominations between sound editing and sound mixing, with the artier, lower-budget space movie Ad Astra slipping into the spot vacated by Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. But like the other sound category, this is a race between 1917 and Ford v Ferrari and, we suspect, another narrow win for the WWI movie. Predicted winner: 1917 BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Nominees: Avengers: Endgame The Irishman The Lion King 1917 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker The Lion King won the top prize at the Visual Effects Society Awards, and a film that consists of nothing but visual effects ought to be a serious contender in this category. But in recent years, Academy voters have usually gone for lower-key visual effects, with last years win for First Man over Avengers: Infinity War only one example. In addition, a Best Picture nominee has lost to a non-nominee only once in the last 49 years, when the low-budget Ex Machina somehow beat Mad Max: Fury Road, The Martian and The Revenant in 2015. The best-pic stat should give 1917 and The Irishman the edge here but with the de-aging effects in the latter film drawing a decidedly mixed reaction, the war movie could be an easier one for voters to embrace. Predicted winner: 1917 BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM Nominees: Corpus Christi Honeyland Les Miserables Pain and Glory Parasite There are other easy categories to predict at this years Oscars, but nothing quite this easy. The five previous films nominated for Best Picture and Best Foreign Language Film in the same year all won in the latter category, and theres really no chance that streak will change just because theyve renamed the category. Unless the Academy voters all got together when we werent looking and decided to give this award to Pain and Glory or Les Miserables so they can save Parasite for Best Picture, Bong Joon Hos film is going to follow in the footsteps of Z, Life Is Beautiful, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Amour and Roma with an easy win here. Predicted winner: Parasite American Factory BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Nominees: American Factory The Cave The Edge of Democracy For Sama Honeyland Theres talk that Honeyland could win because all the Academys international members will vote for that Macedonian film, which is also nominated in the Best International Feature Film category. But the category also contains two films set in Syria and one in Brazil so if regional loyalties figure in the voting, it might benefit the one nominee that is from the United States, American Factory. In fact, American Factory is also a formidable contender because its about American and Chinese relations at a time when those are in the news; its made by two acclaimed and well-liked filmmakers, Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert; its executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, the first film from their Higher Ground Productions; and its on Netflix, making it the most seen of the nominees. But For Sama is an emotionally wrenching doc that focuses on a mother and child bond in a ravaged Syrian town, and Honeyland does get some boost from that international nomination. In a very close race between those three films, American Factory may have a slight edge. Predicted winner: American Factory BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT Nominees: In the Absence Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If Youre a Girl) Life Overtakes Me St. Louis Superman Walk Run Cha-Cha If you watch these five top-notch nominees back-to-back, the one that hits hardest is probably the Korean film In the Absence, a heartbreaking and infuriating indictment of the government response to the Sewol ferry disaster in 2017. In the days when voters had to see all the nominated films at AMPAS screenings, that would probably give it the win. But the BAFTA-winning Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If Youre a Girl) has the same things going for it that 2017s winner Heaven Is a Traffic Jam on the 405 did: a great title and a story that leaves you with some uplift. (Its also a better movie than Heaven.) And St. Louis Superman is a timely reminder that politics can sometimes do good, and one of the few nominated films with a black protagonist. Like doc feature, this is a very close race. Predicted winner: Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (If Youre a Girl) Toy Story 4 Woody Bo Peep BEST ANIMATED FEATURE Nominees: How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World I Lost My Body Klaus Missing Link Toy Story 4 Toy Story 4 must overcome a couple of hurdles here. The first is that in the 18-year history of this category, only one sequel has ever won. (Good news: It was Toy Story 3.) The second is that the Academys love for Pixar has cooled in recent years: After winning the Oscar for six of its eight releases between 2001 and 2010 (with nominations for the other two), it has put out 10 movies, landed five nominations and won three times. For most studios, thatd be great; for Pixar, its a slump. But what can beat it? Netflixs Klaus won big at the Annie Awards, but its hard to trust its sweep at an awards show historically prone to manipulation. A different Netflix film, I Lost My Body, will get the arthouse vote and might have an outside chance if it is widely seen, which is doubtful. Laikas Missing Link isnt that studios best but has been campaigning hard and has a shot if Pixar fatigue has truly set in. And it feels a little late for the Academy to recognize DreamWorks Animations How to Train Your Dragon series. Pixar has won nine times in 18 years, and it didnt win last year. Its due, and theres nothing really positioned to take it down. Predicted winner: Toy Story 4 BEST ANIMATED SHORT Nominees: Dcera (Daughter) Hair Love Kitbull Memorable Sister The French film Memorable, about an aging artist with dementia, may be the most artistic and substantial of the nominees but if voters in the category were looking for artistic and substantial, they would have nominated Theodore Ushevs masterful The Physics of Sorrow, which made the shortlist but inexplicably did not advance. So even though Memorable and the Chinese-American film Sister are imaginative and moving, this race may well come down to the two big-studio offerings, Sonys Hair Love and Pixars Kitbull. Of the two, Hair Love tells a charming and winning story, and is one of the few ways in which voters can recognize diversity in this #OscarsMostlyWhite year. But Kitbull is a touching tale of cooperation and friendship between a stray kitten and abused dog and since the rules in this category were changed to allow the entire membership to vote without attending special screenings, Pixar and Disney have won four times in seven years, including two Pixar wins in the last three years. Predicted winner: Kitbull BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT Nominees: Brotherhood Nefta Football Club The Neighbors Window Saria A Sister The Neighbors Window, the narrative debut from two-time documentary nominee Marshall Curry, is the categorys only English-language nominee, and the kind of expertly-made, crowd-pleasing film that veers from comedy to sorrow and once would have coasted to a win in this category. With a more international Academy, though, it faces strong competition from Saria, which tells a devastating story and packs a real punch; Brotherhood, a disquieting family drama that speaks to issues that plague the Middle East; and even Nefta Football Club, a comedy with the kind of twist ending that voters sometimes appreciate. While the Academy often makes confounding choices in this category, all of the nominees are strong. This will be the fifth time in the last decade with only one American nominee in the category and three of the first four times, that film has won. That may give The Neighbors Window a slight edge in a competitive field. Predicted winner: The Neighbors Window Read original story Oscars 2020: We Predict the Winners in All 24 Categories (Photos) At TheWrap She denied being in a relationship with her regular companion Sophia Hutchins earlier this week. But that didn't stop Caitlyn Jenner from making a splash on the red carpet with her longtime friend. The 70-year-old Olympian was joined by Sophia and a bevy of other celebrities for a party celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Monte Carlo TV Festival, hosted by Albert II, Prince of Monaco. Special occasion: Caitlyn Jenner, 70, was joined by Sophia Hutchins and other celebrities for the 60th anniversary party of the Monte Carlo TV Festival, hosted by Albert II, Prince of Monaco Caitlyn opted for a reserved, business-y look with her white satin blouse. The top included a sash draped down her front, and she contrasted the bright top with a segmented black skirt. The former spouse of Kris Jenner completed her ensemble with a pair of black open-toe heels, and she wore her brunette hair styled straight. Low key: Caitlyn opted for a reserved, business-y look with her white satin blouse. The top included a sash draped down her front, and she contrasted the bright top with a segmented black skirt Simple style: The former spouse of Kris Jenner completed her ensemble with a pair of black open-toe heels, and she wore her brunette hair styled straight Back in black: Sophia looked fierce in a double-breasted black leather jacket with prominent gold buttons Sophia looked fierce in a double-breasted black leather jacket with prominent gold buttons. She also had on a black satin blouse and a set of high-waisted black slacks with black heels. Also stunning in all-black was The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Denise Richards. She wore a black dress featuring a prominent slit to showcase her toned legs. The actress' blonde locks were arranged in thick curls that covered up her dress straps. Elegant: Also stunning in all-black was The Real Housewives Of Beverly Hills star Denise Richards. She wore a black dress featuring a prominent slit to showcase her toned legs No fuss: She was joined by her husband Aaron Phypers, who stuck with a more casual outfit with a grayblue blazer, an untucked gray shirt and a weather pair of jeans She was joined by her husband Aaron Phypers, who stuck with a more casual outfit with a grayblue blazer, an untucked gray shirt and a weather pair of jeans. Beverly Hills, 90210 star Jason Priestly looked virile with his lustrous gray suit and close-cropped salt-and-pepper beard. His makeup artist wife Naomi Lowde-Priestley had on a black jumpsuit with baggy pant legs and a warm black shawl. Cute couple: Jason Priestly looked virile with his lustrous gray suit and close-cropped beard. His wife Naomi Lowde-Priestley had on a black jumpsuit with baggy pant legs and a warm black shawl Country style: Titanic star Billy Zane looked stylish yet casual in a navy blue suit with a maroon turtleneck and a gray driving cap Delicate: He was joined by actress Gabriella Wright, who wore a black jacket with intricate white patterns Titanic star Billy Zane looked stylish yet casual in a navy blue suit with a maroon turtleneck and a gray driving cap. He was joined by actress Gabriella Wright, who wore a black jacket with intricate white patterns. Sabrina The Teenage Witch star Melissa Joan Hart wore a hypnotizing sheer dress adorned with black and white dots. Eye-catching: Sabrina The Teenage Witch star Melissa Joan Hart wore a hypnotizing sheer dress adorned with black and white dots Keeping warm: ER star Noah Wyle was suited up in a classic blue paid double-breasted suit with a red and gray scarf for extra warmth ER star Noah Wyle was suited up in a classic blue paid double-breasted suit with a red and gray scarf for extra warmth. Actress Tuppence Middleton showed off her long legs in a short green floral dress while flashing a winning smile. Priscilla Presley looked cool as a cucumber in her black dress with sheer lacy sleeves. The stars of Dallas and Dynasty met up when Linda Gray and Joan Collins posed on the red carpet. Linda wore a black velvet jacket over a sparkling tiger stripe blouse while Joan rocked a black jacket with large jeweled lapels. Beaming: Actress Tuppence Middleton showed off her long legs in a short green floral dress while flashing a winning smile Cool as a cucumber: Priscilla Presley looked wore a black dress with sheer lacy sleeves Legends: The stars of Dallas and Dynasty met up when Linda Gray and Joan Collins posed on the red carpet. Linda wore a black velvet jacket over a sparkling tiger stripe blouse while Joan rocked a black jacket with large jeweled lapels Royalty: Joan was joined by another English actress, Jane Seymour, who wore a brilliant white blouse over a black outfit and a seashell-like silver necklace. Prince Albert II paired his navy blue suit with a textured light blue tie Joan was joined by another English actress, Jane Seymour, who wore a brilliant white blouse over a black outfit and a seashell-like silver necklace. Prince Albert II paired his navy blue suit with a textured light blue tie. George Hamilton was as tan as ever, and he stood out in a dark pinstriped suit with a silver tie. Kelly Day looked classy in a double-breasted scarlet blazer, which matched her red leather handbag. Controversial Ghanaian clergyman, Bishop Angel Obinim has reportedly launched an anointing oil that will help prevent the deadly Coronavirus. In a report obtained from Yen, the pastor unveiled the Coronavirus oil during the last Sunday service he held at one of his branches. According to the head pastor of International Gods way centre, there is a high chance of the deadly disease entering Ghana, so he urged members of his church to buy the oil to be on a safe side. Read Also: You Are A Terrible Person, A Witch Iyabo Ojo Blasts Fathia Balogun Obinim explained that the oil, which is sold for GHS200, could be used as a repellent to be a defender for both physical and spiritual. The oil has been approved by the heaven department of the FDA, Obinim detailed. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Thu, February 6, 2020 07:02 705 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062cc7b9 2 News Atari,Hotel,united-states,Japan,video-game Free The iconic video game brand is planning to welcome gamers to its own chain of hotels, where there will be more on offer than a restful night's sleep. As it stands, the chain will only operate in the United States. A pioneer of the video game industry and the company behind the epoch-making TV game Pong, which is sure to arouse nostalgic memories in the minds of generations who lived through their teens in the 1970s, Atari has decided to bring its brand heritage to the hotel sector. The company is currently working on the construction of a chain of establishments entirely dedicated to the world of video games. Guests will be able to enjoy virtual reality experiences and participate in augmented reality games in the hotels, which will be identified by Atari's distinctive trademark, a red "A"-shaped logo that is recognized all over the world. The company is now French-owned, however, for the moment the new project will only be rolled out on the American market. The first hotel is set to open before the end of the year in Phoenix, Arizona. It will be followed by the inauguration of new premises in Las Vegas, Denver, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco and San Jose. Geneva (AFP) - For gay rights campaigner Jean-Pierre Sigrist, the new law being voted on in a referendum in Switzerland on Sunday might have stopped him getting beaten up four decades ago. "And maybe I would not have been laughed at when I went to the police," said the 71-year-old, who believes the law will be "an added safeguard against homophobia". The new law would widen existing legislation against discrimination or incitement to hatred on ethnic or religious grounds to include sexual orientation. The change was passed by the Swiss parliament in 2018. But the populist rightwing Swiss People's Party (SVP) and the Federal Democratic Union of Switzerland (EDU), a small party based on Christian values, are opposed. Critics of the law, who have forced a public referendum on the issue, believe it will end up censoring free speech. Eric Bertinat, a UDC local lawmaker in Geneva, told AFP that he believed the law was "part of an LGBT plan to slowly move towards same-sex marriage and medically assisted reproduction" for gay couples. UDF chief Marc Frueh has called it a "censorship law". But Sigrist, founder of Switzerland's association of gay teachers, said it would counter growing intolerance. The retired teacher said he supports freedom of expression, "but not the freedom to say anything at all". All of Switzerland's major parties except the UDC, the biggest political force in parliament, support the law. - No to 'special treatment' - Under the new law, homophobic comments made in a family setting or among friends would not be criminalised. But publicly denigrating or discriminating against someone for being gay or inciting hatred against that person in text, speech, images or gestures, would be banned. The government has said it will still be possible to have opinionated debates on issues such as same-sex marriage, and the new law does not ban jokes -- however off-colour. Story continues "Incitement to hatred needs to reach a certain level of intensity in order to be considered criminal in Switzerland," Alexandre Curchod, a media lawyer, told AFP. But he admitted that there could be exceptions "if it can be shown that, under the cover of artistic production or joking, someone is in fact engaging in incitement". Gay rights campaigners are divided over the legislation. A group called "No to Special Rights!" is opposed, arguing that the gay community does not need special protection. "I fight for the acceptance and normalisation of my sexuality. But for me that also means not asking for special treatment," said Michael Frauchiger, co-head of the group. Opinion polls show that the Swiss as a whole are broadly in favour of the law, but that the margin between supporters and opponents has narrowed in recent months. Lilian Wang returned from a bachelorette trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, this week and encountered a Lyft driver at San Francisco International Airport who refused to unlock the door until her white friend, who ordered the ride, approached. After they climbed in, the driver confronted the women: Where were they coming from? Was Wang the same person with a Chinese name he had just canceled a ride for? Were they sure they hadnt come from China? The driver told them that someone it was unclear who advised him to refuse rides from passengers with Asian-sounding names, said Wang, 31, a San Franciscan of Chinese and Taiwanese descent. It was a little terrifying, said Wang, who said she believed the Sunday night incident was a response to the coronavirus outbreak centered in Wuhan, China. I think he was trying to protect himself, definitely, and the only way that he seemed to know how to do that was to discriminate. (It) was kind of like, Oh, am I not going to be able to get Ubers and Lyfts anymore? Like, what is happening? A spokeswoman for Lyft said Tuesday the company banned the driver from the ride-booking service after Wangs friend filed a complaint. We take any allegation of discrimination very seriously and investigate all incidents, Dana Davis said. Lyft has a long-standing commitment to maintaining an inclusive and welcoming community. Wangs experience is one of many examples of virus-related xenophobia reported as the respiratory illness that emerged in December has spread to dozens of countries, sickening more than 28,000 people and killing more than 560 people, most in China. The virus has infected 12 people in the U.S., including four in the Bay Area. Cruel jokes and memes targeting Chinese culture abound on the internet, as do personal stories of racism. In Ontario (San Bernardino County), children cornered a half-Chinese boy at school to test him for coronavirus, his mother tweeted. In Seattle, when an Asian American Uber rider coughed, his driver said the man might have the coronavirus and rolled down the window, CNBC reported. In West Hollywood, a customer refused to buy a piece of clothing after an Asian American cashier touched it, according to the Los Angeles Times. Hashtag #IAmNotaVirus gained traction on Twitter last week after a French newspaper ran a headline that said Yellow Alert alongside an Asian woman wearing a mask. The headline triggered outrage, including this viral tweet in French: I am Chinese but I am not a virus!! I know that everyone is afraid of the virus, but no prejudice, please. There is concern from a civil-rights perspective that the coronavirus is feeding into xenophobia and fear-mongering, said Cynthia Choi, president of Chinese for Affirmative Action in San Francisco. She said Chinese Americans are particularly wary of racism sparked by the coronavirus scare. Its piling onto another layer of stereotype to treat Chinese with suspicion, that theyre dangerous, that they should be feared. UC Berkeleys health center posted to Instagram a series of normal reactions to the coronavirus outbreak last week, including, Xenophobia: fears about interacting with those who might be from Asia and guilt about these feelings. The post, since deleted, sparked outrage in the Asian American community and beyond. I was absolutely in shock, said Angie Chen, a UC Berkeley alumna and legislative aide for Berkeley Councilman Rigel Robinson. It had to have gone through multiple phases of approval. I was shocked that no one caught it and that they would say something so blatant. Chen is one of several students, alumni and others who blasted the university for what they called in the posts normalizing racism. The universitys Tang health center apologized on social-media platforms Thursday, saying, We regret any misunderstanding it may have caused and have updated the language in our materials. People often perpetuate harmful stigmas and racist language toward communities of color during public health scares, said David Rebanal, an assistant professor of community health at San Francisco State University. He pointed to the SARS outbreak that originated in China in 2002 drawing similar anti-Asian sentiments and the quarantine of San Franciscos Chinatown in the early 1900s following the death of a Chinese immigrant who became infected with a suspected case of bubonic plague. Throughout our history, our society has used public health and health emergencies to perpetuate this forever foreigner stereotype and othering of people from Asia and of Asian descent, who appear to be mysterious and maybe odd and filthy, Rebanal said. Those stereotypes are amplified significantly in the age of social media, he 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. They have long-term consequences, Rebanal added. That is something we need to be mindful of. Organizers for the citys Chinese New Year Parade and festival said the Saturday events will go on as planned. We understand that the newly identified cases have caused some concern, but local health officials continue to reaffirm that the risk to the S.F. Bay Area is still low, spokesman William Gee said. We want to make sure that were sending the correct message in that the epicenter is in China and not Chinese events, especially in areas where there is an established health care system that have protocols in place to manage such incidents. Jay Cheng, spokesman for the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, said his organization has received no reports that the coronavirus has affected attendance at restaurants or businesses in Chinatown. But a drop in business due to unfounded fears remains a worry, he said, and encouraged people to continue to visit Chinatown since there is no health threat. It is a real concern to us that people dont overreact or overpanic and begin to avoid these places, he said. I know that fear can get out of hand. Wang, whose Lyft driver wouldnt unlock his car for her, said she doesnt think its wrong for ride-hail drivers to ask passengers about their travel history, especially at the airport. (But) you shouldnt be screening based on race, she said. If youre going to ask an Asian passenger before they get in, you should also be asking white passengers and everyone else. Editors note: This story has been updated to include the fact that Lyft banned the driver after receiving a complaint from the friend of Lilian Wang who ordered the ride. Anna Bauman and Tatiana Sanchez are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: anna.bauman@sfchronicle.com tatiana.sanchez@sfchronicle.com Hundreds of Chinese buyers will not be travelling to this year's fashion weeks in London and Milan because of the deadly coronavirus, organisers of both events announced on Wednesday. The European events hope that Chinese participants will be doing their shopping online instead, with Milan and London promising to ramp up virtual coverage of their catwalk shows and product promotions. While British organisers said Chinese attendance was expected to be "significantly reduced", their Italian counterparts suggested about 1,000 buyers, journalists and stylists were likely to miss out. The novel coronavirus -- which causes pneumonia-like symptoms -- has infected more than 24,000 people in China, and almost 500 have died. Comparatively few cases have so far been confirmed outside of China. The National Chamber for Italian Fashion (CNMI) predicted the epidemic could cause a 1.8 percent drop in sales for the Italian industry in the first six months of this year. Three Chinese brands, including Angel Chen, have already said they cannot take part in Milan as factory closures have stopped them from finishing collections in time for the event, which begins on February 18. CNMI head Carlo Capasa said he would do his utmost "to convey the emotion and content of fashion to those who are far from the catwalks". "Let's build a bridge with China instead of putting up a wall, as others are doing, to send a positive and unified message against ignorance and prejudice," said Capasa. Among the initiatives Milan would offer, he said, were web meetings with designers from behind the scenes. The British Fashion Council (BFC) said it was making "every effort" to reach audiences in China with its offerings from London Fashion Week, which starts on February 13. "We very much hope that our friends and partners in China are well and able to travel to London again soon," said Caroline Rush, BFC's chief executive. The BFC added that the venue would be "deep cleaned" every evening and anti-bacterial hand sanitisers would be made available. Meanwhile, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) told AFP it had no information about possible show cancellations during New York Fashion Week, set to kick off on 7 February. Chinese fashion houses such as Mukzin and Sheguang Hu said their New York parades would go ahead. Three Chinese brands, including Angel Chen, have said they will not take part in Milan as factory closures have stopped them from finishing their collections on time From its inception, Islam's history with the West has been one of unwavering antagonism and seismic clashes, often initiated by the former. By the standards of history, nothing between the two civilizations is as well documented as this long war. Accordingly, for more than a millennium, both educated and not so educated Europeans knew the latter perhaps instinctively that Islam was a militant creed that for centuries attacked and committed atrocities in their homelands, all in the name of "holy war," or jihad. These facts have been radically "updated" in recent times. According to the dominant narrative as upheld by mainstream media and Hollywood, pundits and politicians, academics and "experts" of all stripes Islam was historically progressive and peaceful, whereas premodern Europe was fanatical and predatory. Whatever else can be said about such topsy-turvy claims and there is much they raise the question: if such a formerly well known, well documented, and bloody history could be revised in a manner that presents its antithesis as the truth with little objection or challenge what then of Islam's more subtle but also negative influences on history, the sort that, unlike the aforementioned centuries of violence, are not copiously documented or readily obvious but require serious historical investigation? Take Islam's role in facilitating the transatlantic slave trade which is otherwise almost always presented as an exclusively European enterprise. Slavery is, of course, as old as humanity. Centuries before the coming of Islam, Europeans Athenians, Spartans, Romans were fully engaged in the slave trade. With the coming of Christianity, and as it spread all throughout the Roman and post-Roman empire (circa fourthseventh centuries), the institution of slavery was on its way to becoming extinct. Then Islam came. While hardly the first to exploit human flesh, it was the most effective to perfect and thrive on it in the post classical, medieval, premodern, and even modern eras with untold millions of non-Muslims enslaved throughout the centuries (one source indicates that 15 million Europeans alone were enslaved). As usual, it was only natural for those near and in constant contact with Islam to be infected by the same vice of dehumanizing and taking advantage of the "other." After all, the few instances of Christians in Europe buying and selling slaves are largely limited to the long war with Islam. Malta's Knights of Saint John, for instance, responded to Islamic slave raids by enslaving the raiders and other Muslims. Similarly, those Europeans who first became involved in the African slave trade, the Spanish and Portuguese, were also the ones who for centuries lived side by side with often in violence and themselves enslaved to Muslims (those of al-Andalus). Islamic slave raids into Africa began in the mid- to late seventh century. Then, according to Muslim records, astronomical numbers of Africans in the millions were enslaved in the name of jihad. By the time seafaring Europeans reached the coasts of West Africa, the Islamic slave trade was bustling. While most Western historians are aware that it was African "tribesmen" who captured and sold enemy tribesmen to Europeans, left unmentioned is that the "tribal" differences often revolved around who was and was not Muslim. As John Alembillah Azumah, an African academic and author of The Legacy of Arab-Islam in Africa, said in an interview: Slavery was a very important part of Islamic expansion in West Africa, and in fact in the Sudan, and from the very earliest period of Islamic penetration of Africa. ... Slavery was a very endemic part of Islamic interaction with Africa. And in West Africa, the jihad's period of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries involved massive slave raiding and slave trading; and many of the slaves that were captured and sold and sent to the transatlantic slave trade [were captured by Muslims]; most of those who were doing the slaving at the time were Muslim communities. A look at historic maps seems to confirm this: the western coast of Africa, where captives were enslaved and sold to Europeans, was a hotbed of jihadi slave raids. The populations from Senegal to Angola the regions where arguably most African-Americans trace their bloodlines were roughly half-Islamic, half-pagan between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. More to the point, if today, when slavery has been formally abolished around most of the world, Muslims groups are still subsisting on the slave trade all throughout Africa "Slavery Prevalent in Africa 400 Years After Transatlantic Trade Began" is the headline of one report the role Muslims played in facilitating the transatlantic slave trade should be evident. Unfortunately, however, and as mentioned, if the obvious things of history such as more than a millennium of unprovoked Islamic attacks on Europe have been revised in a manner that presents the antithesis is truth, surely, Islam's more insidious or subtle role throughout history, such as its facilitation of the transatlantic slave trade, will remain unheard of. Meanwhile, here is a rule of thumb to help cut through all fake, pro-Islamic histories: to know what Islam did in the past, simply look to what it is doing in the present. Raymond Ibrahim, author of Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West, is Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, Judith Friedman Rosen Fellow at the Middle East Forum, and distinguished senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Made Anthony Iswara (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 15:36 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062f841e 1 Business Jiwasraya,finance-ministry,customers,victims,OJK,protest Free Ida Tumota, 60, had only one goal when she walked in the Finance Ministry on Thursday: to get her money back. The single mother had lost about Rp 500 million (US$36,500) of money she had invested in the state-owned insurer Asuransi Jiwasraya for her pension fund and her childrens education. The government has defrauded me. I feel abused -- through my time, efforts, money and my future that I have invested, Ida said in a quivering voice. Ida was among around 50 people some of whom lost billions of rupiah per person that demonstrated inside the Finance Ministry building demanding their money back, indicating fresh efforts from victims to get a resolution to the insurance scandal. Read also: Jiwasraya in talks with foreign, domestic investors over selling Jiwasraya Putra They continued to the Financial Services Authority (OJK) office in front of the ministrys main building in Central Jakarta and were still meeting with the agencys officials at the time of writing. Jiwasraya met with trouble when it was unable to pay holders of policies worth about Rp 16 trillion that fell due in December, prompting the Attorney Generals Office (AGO) to launch a corruption investigation. At the Finance Ministry, protesters demanded to speak directly to Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, Deputy Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara or the ministrys director generals as they delivered an official letter to the minister. Finance Ministry program and administration head Darmawan said that it would forward the letter to the officials but said that neither the minister nor her deputy were available to meet the group. Sorry sir, he said to one of the protesters. If you will allow me, we will make sure to convey the message. Both parties agreed to meet again at Darmawans arrangement and continued to march to the OJK office. Health Minister Steven Miles has rubbished fresh claims his office ordered a ban on software upgrades to key hospital systems during parliamentary sitting weeks to avoid scrutiny. A draft briefing note from October last year, published under Right to Information, states Mr Miles and Queensland Health Director-General John Wakefield had directed planned upgrades to health software systems be scheduled outside parliamentary sitting weeks. Health Minister Steven Miles speaks in Parliament on Thursday. Credit:AAP/Jono Searle It followed months of scrutiny over the performance of the department's $1.2 billion integrated electronic medical record and a series of outages that left hospitals operating on back-up systems. On October 30 last year Mr Miles denied a leaked email that detailing the priority placed on avoiding upgrades during parliamentary sitting weeks had come from his office. By Stephen Nellis (Reuters) - Qualcomm Inc on Wednesday detailed the first significant sales gains from a new category of chip it is selling to mobile phone makers, but also disclosed that an antitrust investigation has started around those chips. The European Union is investigating whether Qualcomm engaged in anti-competitive behavior by leveraging its market position in 5G modem chips in the radio frequency chip market, the San Diego company said on Wednesday in a regulatory filing. The disclosure comes after the company spent years battling regulators - and paid billions of dollars in fines - over allegations that it engaged in anticompetitive patent licensing practices. Qualcomm last year lost a case brought by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and remains locked in an appeal. Qualcomm supplies "modem" chips, also sometimes called baseband processors, that connect mobile phones to wireless data networks. But the company is also expanding into a related field called radio frequency front-end chips, which have become more complex in phones that use 5G networks. Qualcomm has been trying to persuade phone makers to buy its radio frequency chips, together with its own modem chips, rather than selecting parts from separate vendors and integrating them. Other major suppliers of radio frequency chips are Broadcom Inc, Skyworks Solutions Inc and Qorvo Inc. Qualcomm executives said on Wednesday that revenue from the radio frequency market contributed to a sales forecast that beat analyst expectations. In Wednesday's filing, Qualcomm said it was in the process of responding to a probe by the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, after it served a request for information with the company on Dec. 3. Qualcomm said the commission could impose a fine of up to 10% of its annual revenue if a violation were found. Qualcomm was fined 242 million euros by the European Commission in July last year for blocking a rival from the market about a decade ago, its second EU antitrust penalty. The Commission had also fined Qualcomm 997 million euros during 2018 for paying iPhone maker Apple to use only its chips, a tactic aimed at thwarting rivals including Intel Corp . Qualcomm has won radio frequency chip contracts with Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, Alphabet Inc's Google and LG Electronics Inc, among others. Story continues Analysts said the EU investigation was unlikely to slow Qualcomm's progress in the radio frequency chip market. "Qualcomm has been penalized many times for anti-competitive practices. It's one of the risks of the story," said Chaim Siegel, an analyst at Elazar Advisors. "They have market clout because their technology is much better than the competition." (Reporting by Munsif Vengattil in Bengaluru and Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Tom Brown) Kolkatas first cabaret dancer Arati Das, popularly known by her stage name Miss Shefali, passed away on Thursday morning (February 6). Arati was 77-years-old. She was reportedly undergoing treatment for kidney-related ailments. She breathed her last at her Sodepur residence at around 6:00 am. Miss Shefali was fondly referred to as the Queen and Cabaret and was synonymous with cabaret dance in Kolkata. According to numerous reports, she was the star attraction of the citys nightlife in the 1960s and 70s. She has mesmerised many celebrities, right from Tollywood star Uttam Kumar to Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan with her performance. ALSO READ: Tyler G From ABC Show 'Bachelorette' Passes Away Due To Drug Overdose It has been reported that she belonged to a very financially weak family. She reportedly started dancing at Firpos hotel at the age of 12 to support her family financially. Miss Shefali in late years appeared in a few Bengali movies. She was a part of Satyajit Ray directed films Seemabaddha and Pratidwandi. Last year, Bollywood actor Konkona Sen Sharma had announced that she plans to direct a web series based on the life of the legendary dancer Miss Shefali. The web series will not only depict her life but will also talk about the political environment in West Bengal in the 60s as well as the 70s. Miss Shefali in her old age suffered a monetary crisis. Arati Das hails from East Bengal which is now Bangladesh. She was the youngest amongst three sisters and was from a refugee family. She has penned down an autobiography, which was titled Sandhya Raater Shefali, which means Shefali of the Evenings and Nights. ALSO READ: Kushal Punjabi Committed Suicide, Confirms Police After Post-mortem Report Fan mourn Miss Shefali's fans have claimed that the news has left them in a state of shock. Many said that her work will not be forgotten and that she leaves behind a great legacy. Fans took to social media and stated that she used to set the stage on fire with her performance and that they will miss her. She is no more, but her works will remain forever #RIPMissShefali #MissShefali pic.twitter.com/XYytC6MQRd Rahul Bej (@RahulBej) February 6, 2020 ALSO READ: Ritu Nanda Passes Away; Neetu Kapoor Shares A Condolence Post For Her Sister-in-law Miss Shefali was not just the first cabaret dancer of Kolkata but was also a performer. May her soul rest in peace. #Queenofcabaret#MissShefali #CabaretDancer Sarfaraj Nawaj (@snawaj66) February 6, 2020 Miss Shefali was not just the first cabaret dancer of Kolkata who set the party stage on fire but was also a performer, who fought poverty as a refugee and established herself. She died this morning, leaving behind a legacy of a woman who fought her way through #missshefali indrajitsen (@indrasenspeaks) February 6, 2020 ALSO READ: Kushal Punjabi Death: Wife Audrey Dolhen Says He Was Not Serious About His Family The United States has expressed concern over the current situation of religious freedom in India and raised the issue with Indian officials, a senior State Department official has said. IMAGE: Demonstrators attend a protest against CAA in New Delhi. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters The remarks came in the wake of widespread protests held across India against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The senior State Department official, on condition of anonymity, said that he has met with officials in India about what is taking place in the nation and expressed concern. "We are concerned about what's taking place in India. I have met with the Indian foreign minister. I've met with the Indian ambassador (to express my concern)," the official, who was recently in India, told reporters on Wednesday. The US has also 'expressed desire first to try to help and work through some of these issues', the official said as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo launched a 27-nation International Religious Freedom Alliance. "To me, the initial step we try to do in most places is say what can we do to be of help you work through an issue to where there's not religious persecution. "That's the first step, is just saying can we work with you on this," the official said. India maintains that the Indian Constitution guarantees fundamental rights to all its citizens, including its minority communities. It is widely acknowledged that India is a vibrant democracy where the Constitution provides protection of religious freedom, and where democratic governance and rule of law further promote and protect fundamental rights, a senior official of the Ministry of External Affairs has 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 following religious persecution there will get Indian citizenship. The Indian government has been emphasising that the new law will not deny any citizenship rights, but has been brought to protect the oppressed minorities of neighbouring countries and give them citizenship. Defending the CAA, Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month said that the law is not about taking away citizenship, it is about giving citizenship. "We must all know that any person of any religion from any country of the world who believes in India and its Constitution can apply for Indian citizenship through due process. There's no problem in that," he said. Barclays Bank Ghana has held the first engagement session in 2020 for its Business Club Clients as the bank prepares to change to Absa Bank Ghana on February 10, 2020. The session which took place in Accra was to inform members of the Business Club and business owners who are customers of the bank, about the launch of Absa in Ghana. It also accorded the bank an opportunity to educate the Business Club and business owner about Ghanas tax regime, whiles giving them a 2020 outlook on the countrys economy. Speaking at the event, Mrs. Grace Elizabeth Anim-Yeboah, Business Banking Director at Barclays Ghana, said all is set for the official unveiling of Absa to Ghanaians, something that we have anticipated eagerly since the process of transitioning started three years ago. Over the past year we have been sharing with you our transitioning journey from Barclays to Absa and we have now reached the crescendo. On February 10th, Absa Bank Ghana Limited will be a legal entity in Ghana. We are taking banking to new heights in order to support the growth of businesses as well as Ghanas development, Mrs. Anim-Yeboah told the customers. She highlighted some of the benefits of joining the Barclays Business Club saying it is to give customers additional value on banking services for customers. For his part, Mr. Lawrence Hotsonyame, a Senior Lecturer at the Ghana Revenue Authority Training School, who educated customers on Ghanas tax laws, urged business owners to take advantage of the opportunities and incentives provided in tax laws. Mr. Hotsonyame, also took the gathering through some key tax topics such as tax reliefs, tax exemptions, tax filings, tax holidays, tax extensions among others. Earlier, Mr. Kobla Nyaletey, Director of Global Markets for Ghana and Nigeria at Barclays Bank, indicated that Ghanas economic outlook for 2020 is positive and government policies and economic activities are directed towards making sure that there will be more funds for banks to provide financing for businesses. The Barclays Business Club initiative enables SME clients to benefit from capacity building and business operations training programmes as well as trade trips, business advisory services, loyalty rewards, business networking opportunities among many others. 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 Thursday, February 6th, 2020 (12:10 am) - Score 36,485 After a long wait our sources inform us that Sky Broadband (Comcast) are imminently due to add support for Openreachs (BT) national Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network to their range of both superfast and ultrafast packages, which looks increasingly likely to go live later this month (provided some issues can be ironed out first). At this point readers may recall that Sky Broadband officially launched a new range of ultrafast packages last year (here and here), although at the time we noted that those were only based off the hybrid fibre G.fast technology. Back then our sources indicated that their full fibre (FTTP) based variants had been delayed to early 2020. NOTE: G.fast currently covers 2.72 million UK premises, while FTTP can reach 2.16 million ( here ); a small bit of overbuild exists between these two on Openreach s network. According to sources, one of the main reasons why its taken Sky so long to introduce FTTP is because theyve yet to finalise their safeguarding plans for customers who need a reliable landline phone, which obviously works differently on FTTP where an IP-based voice service (e.g. VoIP) is required. Were it not for this then Skys FTTP may well have gone live last month. Officially Sky would only tell ISPreview.co.uk that they now intend to go live with FTTP as soon as possible. We should remind readers that the new Sky Broadband Hub (aka Sky Q Hub 2 or SR203/204) router includes two phone ports for VoIP (note: the SR203 version is for ADSL/VDSL2 lines, while SR204 only works on G.fast). We assume the SR204 will also be used with their FTTP products, although Sky has yet to confirm that. According to our sources Skys FTTP based packages will also offer higher average advertised speeds than their current FTTC and G.fast based plans, which is to be expected given that full fibre lines dont suffer from the same performance caveats as copper. At the time of writing we dont yet know the pricing for these but the assumption is that they will be similar, or the same as, Skys current tiers. Skys Planned FTTP Packages Superfast 80Mbps (c.20Mbps upload) Ultrafast 1 150Mbps (c.30Mbps upload) Ultrafast 2 285Mbps (c.50Mbps upload) Just in case anybody asks. At this time theres no concrete information to confirm whether or when Sky will introduce a 550Mbps or 1Gbps package to match the expected launch of Openreachs new consumer tiers on 23rd March 2020 (here). But for the time being weve assumed that they wont roll this out until later. Separate to all this, perhaps, is the interesting question of Skys expected launch of the new Disney+ channel and content (BT TV are also due to get this), as well as their long awaited plans to introduce a dish-less Sky Q service over broadband in the UK (i.e. like NOW TV but much more extensive and with Skys full line-up of channels/content). Disney+ is due to go live in March but Sky has yet to set a date of its own. In theory both may be set to follow soon after the launch of Skys FTTP products, possibly in March (Disney+ is due to launch then), although officially Sky are not yet commenting on such plans or any related speculation. We do however note that some new functionality is coming to Sky Q soon, including voice control from inside related apps and a trigger word for Sky Q so that customers dont even have to use the remote. Suffice to say that the February to March period this year could be very interesting for Sky. Meanwhile theres the question of whether Sky Broadband will be able to do a deal in order to take advantage of Virgin Medias network (here and here) alongside Openreachs. The outcome of that is expected soon, although it may take longer to actually launch related products (a lot of R&D is needed to adapt to new networks). UPDATE 1:47pm One of our sources has confirmed that Skys FTTP service will actually ship alongside the SR203 rather than the SR204 router (i.e. the one made for ADSL/VDSL2 lines rather than G.fast). Since the two devices are virtually identical, from the perspective of an FTTP service, then this is not a significant difference. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson reiterated his support for a US Middle East peace plan and a two-state solution in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Johnson's spokesman said on Thursday. Last month, US President Donald Trump proposed the creation of a Palestinian state with a capital in East Jerusalem, dependent on Palestinians taking steps to become self-governing, in an attempt to achieve a peace breakthrough. Palestinian leaders have rejected the plan. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi, Feb 6 : Debunking the politics of hate and use of the divisive Hindu versus Muslim hate card, incumbent Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is certain of securing a second term. The combative yet candid Kejriwal was dismissive of polarising politics asserting that his model of 'kaam ki rajniti' will work. Citing proof of concept as his credo, Kejriwal was categorical that his 'bijli', 'pani', 'swasth' and 'shiksha' template was not based on subsidy, but by saving money through rooting out corruption which existed in the system. In an extensive conversation with IANS leadership team of Sandeep Bamzai and Deepak Sharma, he said that the 'bania' last 'dimag' and skillsets learnt from pursuing mechanical engineering and his stint in the revenue service have given him the necessary heft to administer effectively. Excerpts: Q: You have been given many labels in the course of your political journey like 'anarchist', 'agitationist', 'urban guerrilla' and now even 'terrorist'. Please tell us about your journey? A: Greetings to u all. This election will establish a new kind of politics in this country. When our government started working five years back, we knew nothing about politics, we still don't. People used to ask us if we were mad to improve schools and hospitals instead of securing the votebanks of Brahmins, Banias, scheduled castes, Muslims and Hindus. But this is not what we came here to do. We continued to work on schools, hospitals, water and power. This election is being fought on these basic issues. You can send your camera team on the streets and ask people and all those who say they will vote for AAP will tell you the list of things we have done for them. If we are successful in these polls, it will herald a new kind of politics called 'Kaam ki rajniti' (politics of public welfare). These are the kind of issues people will vote for all over the country. This is what our opponents do not want. They have put in all their might to defeat us. I'm up against 200 opposition MPs, 10 CMs and 70 Union ministers and a cross section of several parties like Congress, BJP, RJD, BSP, Akali Dal and LJP, as they do not want this new type of politics to be successful. They are hurling all kinds of abuses against me, calling me 'traitor', 'terrorist', 'anti-national', 'Raavan' and 'thug'. Q: Arvind, you say you are a greenhorn in politics but you are giving a tough fight to the 'Chanakya' of Indian politics. He has told people to press the EVM button so hard that the electric shock is felt all the way to Shaheen Bagh. Is he targeting you? A: You see, our opponents were given the mandate to take care of the municipal corporations by the people, while our task was to improve the schools. They couldn't handle it, they reduced Delhi to a garbage dump in 15 years of their rule. They were responsible for controlling crime, but again they failed. So they have nothing positive to show to the people. They also cannot find any fault with our work. They tried to show fake videos of our schools and Mohalla Clinics. Now they are just left with the Shaheen Bagh issue and the same old Hindu-Muslim divisive politics. I say I will build schools and hospitals, but they keep chanting 'Shaheen Bagh'. What is the real issue in Shaheen Bagh? There is this road where these protesters have gathered. They have to be shifted away somewhere where they can continue to protest, because ordinary people are facing a lot of inconvenience. School buses and ambulances cannot pass through that road. But a powerful Home Minister like Amit Shah cannot get that road vacated? No one is going to believe that Amit Shah cannot get a single road cleared. Shah will have nothing to talk about and it is all dirty politics. They are just raking up the issue and troubling the people of Delhi. Q: Your four pronged campaign of water, power, education and health has been quite successful. But has the BJP managed to upstage you in the past few days of the campaign? You seem to have peaked too early while the momentum has shifted to the BJP? A: They come on TV and say this, but I am not sure they have won people's hearts. A BJP supporter was asked on TV, who he will vote for and he said though he was a traditional BJP voter, he would vote for AAP this time. He said he was a poor man and a nation can progress only when the less privileged section of the society progresses. He also said 'Kejriwal cared about me and my child's education'. He was asked about Shaheen Bagh and he said it is all the BJP's doing, and only Kejriwal will work for us for the next five years. These opposition people can only appear on TV. Q: Do you think you have lost the momentum in the last few days due to the BJP's aggressive campaigning? A: The public understands everything. They know Shaheen Bagh is of no use to them. It is a political drama. They are deliberately not clearing that road as it serves their political interest to keep the public in trouble. Q: There are other opposition leaders also, but why are they hell-bent on destroying you? Are you so important? A: The politics is important as our work in schools and Mohalla Clinics is being discussed around the world. So, they are afraid of that. Delhi is the only state to give 24-hour free electricity. This is a wonder and they can't match it. Q: Are you following good politics but bad economics over this subsidy model? A: The Gujarat CM has spent Rs 190 crore on a new aeroplane, while I used Rs 190 crore to make water and power cheap. So you can compare. Q: Amit Shah says you are bankrupting Delhi with the 'freebies' model of governance? A: The CAG has itself said that Delhi is the most profitable state in the country. All other states are in losses despite not giving any freebies. We slashed taxes, didn't take any loans, but we curbed wasteful expenses and went after corruption and used the money saved to provide facilities to the people. Q: Did a 'Bania's' mind benefit you? A: Yes, a 'Bania's' mind was good for me and also that of a mechanical engineer. Q: Had the court verdict come earlier, would it have helped you? A: Yes, as we have got the powers in the last one-and-a-half years only. The verdict was very helpful for us. Q: Are these ideas of free water and power your own thinking or did someone suggest them to you? A: See, I am a common man. You have been to my flat in Kaushambi. I know the pain of the common man. You must have also faced it when water, power bills came and kids' education bills had to be paid. I have also faced them and I'm trying to solve these problems of the common man. Just to give him some relief. Q: The first three years must have been miserable for you with all the cases against your MLAs and you, till the final verdict came. How did you cope? A: It was very tough... False cases were slapped on me. In fact, there are 33 cases on me. All false cases. The police and other officials were rebuked by the courts also. They spared no effort to crush us and our party, as we were new. They just wanted power alternating between the BJP and the Congress. But God was with us and they failed to crush us. Q: If you return to power, what will be your priorities... like statehood, Jan Lokpal? A: In many things we have to cooperate with the Centre. Other things like free water... Those we will give. Roads can be improved and cleaned. Pollution can be curbed and transportation can be improved. Q: You have been accused of giving biryani to protesters in Shaheen Bagh and funding them? A: If the BJP is benefiting from the issue, why should I help them (protesters)? I am not a fool. Q: Has the BJP succeeded in polarising the elections? A: As the BJP supporter himself has said, it is all BJP's drama. But the public is smart. Q: Has anti-CAA protests hurt the BJP? A: They should resolve the issue, and the concerns. But it will have no impact on Delhi polls. Q: Your base mainly comprises the poor. Did BJP's move on illegal colonies' regularisation hurt your image? A: There are two separate issues of jhuggies and illegal colonies. Now, the BJP has suddenly remembered jhuggiwallas. Same thing used to happen with the Congress. They would remember these poor people only before elections. I gave houses to 10,000 jhuggiwalas. They just make hollow promises, while we actually give houses to the poor. We have improved facilities in 1,281 'kucchi' colonies. They promised registry to 40 lakh people, but only 20 lakh got it so far. Even that is fake. They are only obsessed with Shaheen Bagh. Hindi News Local Bihar Patna 8.5 month old Fetus Released From The Stomach Of A Six month old Baby, Two Hours Of Operation In PMCH 8.5 , 2 , , , 20 /. 15 , , 20 5 . . - NORRISTOWN A $120,000 grant to Upper Salford Township for the purchase of a roughly 13-acre parcel for open space was approved by the Montgomery County Commissioners Thursday. The 13.35-acre property, owned by the Philadelphia Folk Song Society, is located at the intersection of Salford Station and Wolford roads near the site of the Philadelphia Folk Festival. The township and the society settled on a $240,000 agreement to purchase the land, according to the proposal. The $120,000 grant would go towards acquiring the parcel. The agreement stipulated that the organization could use the parcel five days per year for Folk Festival parking, according to the proposal. John Cover, interim director of the Montgomery County Planning Commission, said during the meeting that the Wolford Road lot is a priority preservation area as identified on the county open space trail preservation plan. He added there are plans for a trail to be constructed on the property, and it would be maintained by Upper Salford Township. Its a wonderful open space opportunity, Cover said. Montgomery County Commissioners also awarded several contracts including a voter services department deal for $350,000 with Election IQ, LLC., of Stow, Ohio for furnishing and delivery of ballots for the 2020 primary and general elections, according to Teresa Harris, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. Another contract allotted about 80 parking spots for county employees at the Powell Street garage in Norristown. The county requested the spaces on an as-needed-basis for its workers, according to the commissioners meeting packet. The countys finance department suggested the government enter into a contract with CMMC Inc. c/o Einstein Health Network of Philadelphia. The spaces would cost $60 per month per space, according to the proposal. Commissioners approved a number of other obligations including: Assets and Infrastructure for software from e-Builder Inc., of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. for $33,858. A vehicle from Whitmoyer Auto Group, of Mt. Joy, Pa., for the correctional facility for $34,200. Software for the finance department from OpenGov, of Redwood City, Calif. for $83,416.67. Construction services for the planning commission from Wampole Miller Inc., of Conshohocken, Pa., for $163,255 Engineering services for the planning commission from Gilmore & Associates Inc., of New Britain, Pa., for $85,000. A contract Award for the public safety department with New Holland Auto Group, of New Holland, Pa. for $36,374. Recording system maintenance for the public safety department from Carousel Industries of North America Inc. of Exeter, R.I. for $66,902. The next Montgomery County Commissioners meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Jan. 20 in Suite 800 of One Montgomery Plaza in Norristown. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 01:53:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Palestinian fishermen go fishing on their boat at a seaport in Gaza, Feb. 5, 2020. The Israeli army decided on Wednesday to reduce the allowed fishing zone off the Gaza Strip coast from 15 to 10 nautical miles, said Israeli and Palestinian sources. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) JERUSALEM/GAZA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army decided on Wednesday to reduce the allowed fishing zone off the Gaza Strip coast from 15 to 10 nautical miles, said Israeli and Palestinian sources. The office of the Israeli coordinator of the government's activities in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip said in a statement that the permitted area will be reduced to 10 nautical miles, or some 18.5 kilometers. According to the office, the decision was taken "after security consultations" following "continued rocket firing and explosive balloons from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory." Palestinian sources in Gaza said that fishermen were noted by the Palestinian liaison office about the reduction of the allowed fishing zone until a further notice. Over the past few days, unknown militants from Gaza have been firing makeshift rockets and releasing incendiary balloons into southern Israel. Earlier on Wednesday, Israel war jets struck Islamic Hamas movement's positions in southern Gaza, including a weapons manufacturing site. The assault came after militants in Gaza fired three rockets and several "explosive balloons" at southern Israel, causing no injuries, according to Israeli health officials. No group assumed responsibility for the rockets but Israel said that it holds Hamas "responsible for anything emanating from the Gaza Strip" and warned that the group will "bear the consequences" if more rockets will be fired towards Israel. Earlier this week, Israel also decided to cancel the recent relaxations of the blockade it has been imposing on the coastal enclave for 13 years. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin John Geddie (Reuters) Singapore Thu, February 6, 2020 14:29 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062f23da 2 SE Asia #singapore,#coronavirus,Conference,WHO,investigation Free At least three employees of a multinational company that held a meeting of more than 100 international staff inSingapore have contracted the new coronavirus, sparking a World Health Organization investigation of the case. Malaysia and South Korea have confirmed three cases of the virus related to the mid-January company meeting held with 94 overseas staff at the Grand Hyatt hotel, and Singapore said late on Wednesday four other attendees were showing symptoms. Authorities have not revealed the name of the company that held the meeting or said what business it is involved in. Malaysian health authorities have said people from China including one from the city of Wuhan, where the virus emerged in December, attended. "WHO is coordinating with relevant ministries of health in relation to it," Olivia Lawe-Davies, a spokeswoman for the WHO, said in response to questions from Reuters. "As countries are stepping up surveillance, the detection of more cases of local transmission can be expected." Singapore has reported 28 cases of the coronavirus, including some involving person-to-person transmission. The cases linked to the Singapore business meeting provide more evidence the virus is spreading through human-to-human contact outside China, which the WHO has said is deeply concerning and could signal a much larger outbreak. China reported its biggest daily jump in fatalities from the virus on Thursday, up 73 to 563, although there have been only two reported deaths outside mainland China. Malaysian health authorities first revealed the link to the Singapore business meeting when they confirmed the case of a 41-year-old Malaysian who had attended it, along with colleagues from China. South Korea subsequently confirmed two cases involving South Korean who attended the conference. The Koreans and the Malaysian shared a buffet meal during the conference, South Korean media reported. Of the 15 Singapore attendees, four have been referred to its National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Singapore's health ministry said. All the overseas attendees have left Singapore, the ministry added. A spokesman for the Grand Hyatt, Gerald Kheng, said the hotel had been deep cleaned after it was first informed of the incident by the health ministry on Tuesday and it was not aware of any other cases among guests or staff. The city-state says no evidence has emerged of widespread community spread but it announced new precautionary measures on Tuesday including halting group activities such as school assemblies. Several firms in Singapore have suspended business and media events, including a big travel fair, but the Singapore Airshow is set to go ahead next week albeit on a smaller scale. A parliamentary inquiry will scrutinise the Berejiklian government's response to the bushfire haze which choked parts of NSW throughout the summer with public hearings to begin in April. The NSW upper house health committee will also examine the health impacts of the bushfire smoke, including the effectiveness of protective materials such as face masks and air purifiers. Sunrise over the Sydney CBD amid poor air quality due to bushfire smoke in December. Credit:Ben Grubb It comes after Sydneysiders were exposed to a record 81 days of hazardous, very poor or poor air quality last year. The inquiry, backed by the Greens, Labor and the Animal Justice Party, follows warnings from health and pollution experts about the long-term risks of protracted exposure to bushfire smoke. In less than a week, the Worcester City Council will vote on a Tax Increment Financing Plan, or TIF agreement for Table Talk Pies, that would facilitate its move to the Main South neighborhood in a proposed 120,000 square-foot facility. Last week, the citys Economic Development Committee unanimously backed the agreement before it goes before the full city council on Feb. 11. The unanimous 3-0 vote didnt come without some resistance from the public. That opposition sparked an email from the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce that introduced the risk of Table Talk Pies leaving the city the TIF wasnt supported by the council. They havent come right out and said this is an ultimatum that if they dont get this TIF they would leave, said Alex Guardiola, the director of Public Policy and Government for the Chamber. Our concern obviously is that in the past weve lost companies, iconic companies like Table Talk, that have gone to surrounding towns. Guardiola pointed to companies like Curtis Industries that now calls West Boylston home. Table Talk Pies owner Harry Kokkinis said he is committed to keeping the company in Worcester. One of the reasons Table Talk Pies chose a location in Main South was many of their employees live in the neighborhood. We certainly are committed to Worcester," Kokkinis said. Its not our intention to leave. Our goal is to find a place to stay in Worcester. Weve worked hard to get this. Its not the easiest thing. There arent a lot of pad-ready sites in Worcester. Its not our intention to leave. He echoed those thoughts last week in front of the Economic Development Committee. If I didnt find a place in Worcester, I dont know if I could go home to my mother, Kokkinis said. My mother happens to be the largest shareholder of our company and she has always said Worcester has been very good to us and we'll do whatever we can to stay in Worcester. Thats been our stated goal. The TIF includes $4.4 million in new net revenue for the city, Peter Dunn, the assistant chief development office for the city said. It would also provide savings of $4.6 million for Table Talk Pies due to the fact that taxes at the new location would triple without the agreement. Table Talk Pies pays about $135,000 in taxes annually, Dunn said. The resistance for the TIF revolved around wages of $15 an hour for employees. Worcester residents spoke out against the TIF suggesting it failed to reach the standard of employee compensation of at least $15 an hour. Kokkinis balked at the idea, saying every employee that works at least 500 hours a year received $15 an hour in total compensation, which included bonuses and overtime. He also said employees would be making 125% of the minimum wage within two years of service through a series of wage increases. Kokkinis said Table Talk Pies doesnt have a backup plan currently if the TIF isnt approved. I like to plan for success, Kokkinis said. Weve put a lot of effort into this. And were trying to do whatever it takes to get his thing done. If it doesnt [pass], we havent thought about it. But wed have to reassess what are options are. City Solicitor Michael Traynor also chimed in that wages of $15 an hour were never locked in stone as part of the agreement. We looked at the entire thing. We thought this was a good package overall, he said during the committee meeting. Its good for them. Its good for Worcester. Its good for south Worcester. Its good for our economy. In the long run, well look back and think this is a good thing. Ruth Reyes Severino, left, and her children, Eurianny and Eury, right, were found slain in their Penns Grove, N.J., garden apartment in Salem County on Wednesday morning, Feb. 5, 2020. Her husband, Eugenio Severino, was found dead in an apparent suicide earlier that morning in woods in nearby Carneys Point Township. Read more PENNS GROVE, N.J. Ruth Reyes Severino and her husband had been arguing, and about a month ago she kicked him out of the garden apartment they shared with their two young children. Eugenio Severino, 54, moved out, but called Reyes Severino, 30, and threatened to kill her. That background was provided Thursday by the couples next-door neighbor, Elibeth Ortiz, 36, a day after police found the bodies of Reyes Severino and her two young children all three had been stabbed to death inside their home. The husbands body was found by police Wednesday in the woods in nearby Carneys Point Township. Severinos death was suicide by hanging, according to the medical examiners preliminary report, the Salem County Prosecutors Office said in a news release Thursday afternoon. Reyes Severino and the two children, whom authorities identified as Eurianny and Eury Severino, were ruled homicides by multiple stab wounds. Penns Grove Police Chief Patrick Riley said that the couples daughter, Eurianny, was a 4-year-old preschooler, and that their son, Eury, was 2. Asked whether authorities believe the deaths were the result of a murder-suicide, Riley said: Its an ongoing investigation. Its undetermined at this point. Riley said Reyes Severino had taken out a restraining order against her husband in mid-January. He said police were called to do a well-being check at the apartment shortly before 11 a.m. Wednesday. Its very hard, he said about how officers were dealing with having discovered the bodies of a mother and two young children. The Prosecutors Office said no further information would be released until the medical examiner issues a formal report. Ortiz said police told her that Severino had hanged himself with rope tied to a tree branch. Last month, they had issues, and she had kicked him out, Ortiz said of the couple while holding on to her 1-year-old son. She said Reyes Severino told her that she had obtained a restraining order against her husband about three weeks ago after he called her and threatened to kill her. Severino wanted to reconcile, but his wife didnt want it, Ortiz said. The couple, Ortiz said, had met in their native Dominican Republic, and moved into the apartment on Madole Place more than a year ago. Reyes Severino worked in the La Cuchara Restaurant, which serves Dominican food at a truck stop in Carneys Point. Her husband also worked at the stop, cleaning trucks, Ortiz said. She would bring her 2-year-old son to work with her, Ortiz said. She would always smile, Ortiz said. Friends and family arrived Thursday at the couples two-story redbrick garden apartment and placed stuffed teddy bears, heart-shaped balloons, and flowers outside the door. And they placed a framed photo of Reyes Severino and her two children, standing with angel wings in the background, inside a screen door. Its painful, said a cousin, who did not give his full name. Johnny Solano, owner of La Cuchara and a cousin of Severinos, stood outside the apartment in the rain. He said the couple married about eight years ago and moved to the United States, first to Jersey City, about four years ago. Solano said he last saw Severino on Monday, at the truck stop. Becoming emotional, Solano said the deaths had taken the life and the light of the place from us. She was a unique person, full of life. She was nice to everybody. She was a beautiful lady. She was the best mom, he added. Penns Grove Mayor LaDaena Thomas, who took office in January, was at the Penns Grove Police Department on Thursday for a meeting. In an interview, she said she spoke to Reyes Severinos relatives at Bagwell Funeral Home in Penns Grove. Theyre extremely devastated, she said. I got the chance to talk with them, console them. She said the family was trying to have the bodies of Reyes Severino and the two children sent to the Dominican Republic. She said she would work with the relatives to try to memorialize the mother and children in Penns Grove. This town is pretty close, the mayor said. Nothing like this has ever happened here that I know of, and I grew up here. The thought of a mother and her two children is just unfathomable. The innocent children. I cant imagine. Staff writer Joseph A. Gambardello contributed to this article. Palestinians protest in Hebron in the West Bank The Bishops of the United States urge Israel and Palestine to dialogue directly with each other to solve their conflict, as violence flares in response to the US peace plan for the region. By Devin Watkins US President Donald Trump released his long-awaited Peace to Prosperity: A Vision to Improve the Lives of the Palestinian and Israeli People plan last week. It offers a way to end the decades-old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. In response, Bishop David Malloy, of the Diocese of Rockford, wrote in a letter to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that the attempt merits serious consideration. Dialogue and two-state solution The Chairman of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace also sought to recall a few fundamental truths. First, he said, only Israel and Palestine can resolve their differences and agree on a common resolution to the chronic impasse, and must negotiate directly with each other. Bishop Malloy said the US should offer counsel to strengthen bilateral agreement. Second, he notes, the Holy See and US Bishops strongly support a two-state solution, which the peace plan allows as a possibility and not as an immediate result. Recognition and support Intrinsic to a fruitful discussion is the necessity that each state recognizes and supports the legitimacy of the other, Bishop Malloy said. US Bishops, he said, are concerned Peace to Prosperity makes propositions without these requisite conditions being met. The Catholic Church in the United States recognizes and supports the legitimate aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians to build their nation on the cultural, social and religious values that underpin their society, he writes. Violent response Separately, a string of violence left 2 people dead and over a dozen others injured on Thursday. Israeli troops shot dead 2 Palestinians in the West Bank, both of whom attacked soldiers. Another Palestinian man rammed a car into Israeli soldiers in Jerusalem, injuring at least 13 of them. Israel and Palestine have also spent the last several days exchanging mortar fire and air strikes along their shared border. Former mayor of South Bend, Ind. Pete Buttigieg and Senator Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) were nearly tied for first place in the Iowa Caucus with 97 percent of the results counted as of Thursday morning. While Buttigieg retained the lead with 26.2 percent of the vote and 550 state delegate equivalents, Sanders was right on his heels with 26.1 percent and 547 state delegates. Earlier reports with over 60 percent of results counted had shown Buttigieg clearly ahead of Sanders. 78 state counties have reported all of their results, while precincts in 28 counties were still yet to finalize their tallies. Of the 78 reporting counties, Buttigieg was victorious in 59, with broad support across the state of Iowa. Sanders led in 19 counties, with support mostly concentrated near the cities of Des Moines, Sioux City, and Cedar Rapids. Buttigieg had declared victory on Monday night before official results were released. We dont know all the results, the mayor told supporters, but we know, by the time its all said and done, Iowa, you have shocked the nation, because by all indications, we are going on to New Hampshire victorious. The Sanders campaign, meanwhile, had released its own internal polling figures in an attempt to show that the progressive candidate had won the primary. We recognize that this does not replace the full data from the Iowa Democratic Party, but we believe firmly that our supporters worked too hard for too long to have the results of that work delayed, Sanders senior adviser Jeff Weaver said at the time. The New Hampshire primary will take place on Tuesday, February 11. Democratic candidates rushed to the state shortly after the Iowa Caucus to drum up support. It remains unclear when the remaining results will be released. More from National Review A former head of a government welfare agency allegedly funneled millions of dollars through non-profit programs, which was instead used to pay for retired wrestler Brett DiBiase's treatment at a high-end drug rehab center. The Mississippi state auditor's office is alleging that John Davis, the former executive director of the Department of Human Services, is alleged to have masterminded the 'sprawling conspiracy' which dates back 20 years and is said to involve millions of dollars. The auditor's office investigation found that Davis and another DHS employee created fake invoices to pay DiBiase. Brett DiBiase, 31, is the son of Ted DiBiase Jr, who was best known in the 1970s and 1980s as WWE's 'The Million Dollar Man'. John Davis (left) and former wrestler Brett DiBiase (right) were arrested on Wednesday in what authorities called 'the largest embezzlement scheme in the history' of Mississippi Brett DiBiase is the son of Ted DiBiase Jr (above), the former star WWE wrestler who was known as 'The Million Dollar Man' Since retiring from pro wrestling, Ted DiBiase Jr has gone on to a career as an evangelist and ordained minister based in Clinton, Mississippi. The money given to Brett DiBiase was earmarked for classes that the former wrestler was going to teach about drug use. Instead, the money was used to pay for DiBiase's rehab from opioid addiction at Rise in Malibu, a swanky facility overlooking the Pacific Ocean. 'The funds that were illegally obtained in this case were intended to help the poorest among us,' said Shad White, the state auditor. 'The funds were instead taken by a group of influential people for their own benefit, and the scheme is massive. It ends today.' Davis and another former DHS employee, Latimer Smith, allegedly stole money from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, a government-run welfare initiative. The state auditor alleges that Davis and Smith knew that DiBiase was being paid for work that he wasn't doing. Investigators also say that other recipients of TANF illegally paid DiBiase at Davis' direction. Nancy New and her son, Zach New, allegedly used funds given to their non-profit, the Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC), to help pay for DiBiase's addiction treatment. The News submitted documents to investigators claiming that the funds were earmarked for classes that DiBiase was to have taught, but those classes never took place, it is alleged. Nancy New, the owner of the Mississippi Community Education Center, a non-profit, was also arrested on Wednesday for taking part in the alleged embezzlement scheme Authorities also claim that the News transferred millions of dollars in TANF funds to their own private businesses. They then allegedly converted the funds to their personal use and tried to hide the paper trail using fund transfers, fraudulent documents, forged signatures, and deceptive accounting measures. Nancy New is the founder of New Summit, a private school in Jackson, Mississippi. She is also alleged to have used TANF funds to invest in private medical device companies, according to the Mississippi Clarion Ledger. Davis and the News are alleged to have used the public money to invest in companies like Prevacus, Inc, and PreSolMD. 'I don't care how politically connected a person may be,' White said. 'You do not have the right to treat taxpayer money as your own or to lie to the taxpayers about what you're doing with that money. 'Others doing this kind of thing are on notice: this will not be tolerated now.' Davis, who worked at DHS for decades before he was appointed executive director by former Governor Phil Bryant in 2016, resigned last year after the investigation was launched by the state auditor. Latimer Smith, a former official from Mississippi's DHS, was also arrested for his part in the scheme Davis, Brett DiBiase, Nancy New, Zach New, Smith, and Ann McGrew, the accountant for the MCEC, were arrested on Wednesday. The indictments were filed under seal in Hinds County, according to the Clarion Ledger. DailyMail.com has reached out to the state auditor's office and the MCEC for comment. A phone number connected to Ted DiBiase's Heart of David Ministry was disconnected. Well, thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Wow. Well, thank you very much, everybody. Wow. We've all been through a lot together. And we probably deserved that hand for all of us, because it's been a very unfair situation. I invited some of our very good friends, and we have limited room, but everybody wanted to come. Kept it down to a minimum. Believe it or not, this is a minimum. But a tremendous thing was done over the last number of months. Really, if you go back to it, over the last number of years. We had the witch hunt, it started from the day we came down the elevator. Myself and our future first lady, who is with us right now. Thank you, Melania. And it never really stopped. We've been going through this now for over three years. It was evil, it was corrupt, it was dirty cops. It was a leakers and lawyers. This should never happen to another president, ever. I don't know that other presidents would have been able to take it. Some people said no, they wouldn't have. But I can tell you, at a minimum, you have to focus on this because it can get away very quickly, no matter who you have with you. It can get away very quickly. It was a disgrace. Had I not fired James Comey, who was a disaster, by the way, it's possible I wouldn't even be standing here right now. We caught him in the act. Dirty cops. Bad people. If this happened to President Obama, a lot of people would have been in jail for a long time already. Many, many years. I want to start by thanking some of -- I call them friends because, you know, you develop friendships and relationships when you are in battle and in war, much more so than, "Gee, let's have a normal situation." With all we've gone through, I think we've done more than any president in any administration. Really, I say, for the most part, Republican congressmen and congresswomen and Republican senators -- we've done more than any administration in the first few years. You look at all the things we've done. I watched this morning as they tried to take credit for the stock market. Think of that. Let me tell you, if we didn't win, the stock market would have crashed. The market was going up a lot before the election because it was looking like we had a good chance to win. It went up tremendously from the time we won the election to the time we took office, which was November 8th until January 20th. That's our credit, that's all our credit. Leading up to that point was our credit, because there was hope. One of the reasons the stock market has gone up so much in the last few days is people think we are doing so well. They liked the state of the union speech. It really is, it's a true honor. Making the state of the union speech, I was with some people who have been around. They've been all over the world. One of them is a highly sophisticated person. They said, "You know, no matter where you go in the world, it doesn't make any difference. There is nothing like what I witnessed tonight. The beauty, the majesty of the chamber. The power of the United States. The power of the people in this room." Really, amazing. I don't think there's anything like that anywhere in the world. You can go to any other country, any other location, any other place. It's the beauty of everything. It's what it represents, and how it represents our country. I want to start by introducing some of the people that are here. I know some are going to be left out, but they work so hard. And this is really not a news conference, it's not a speech. It's not anything, it's just -- we are sort of -- it's a celebration. Because we have something that just worked out. I mean, it worked out. We went through hell unfairly, did nothing wrong. Did nothing wrong. I've done things wrong in my life, I will admit. Not purposely, but I've done things wrong. This is what the end result is. So... [holds up front page of The Washington Post] You can take that home. Honey, maybe we'll frame it. The only good headline I've ever had on "The Washington post." But every paper is the same. Does anybody have those papers does anybody have them? They are like that. So I appreciate that. But some of the people here have been incredible warriors. They are warriors. There's nothing from a legal standpoint -- this is a political thing. Every time I say, "This is unfair, let's go to court," they say, "Sir, you can't go to court, this is politics." We were treated unbelievably unfairly. You have to understand, we first went through "Russia, Russia, Russia." It was all bullshit. We then went through the Mueller report. And they should have come back one day later. They didn't, they came back two years later after lives were ruined. After people went bankrupt. After people lost all their money. People went to Washington to help other people. Bright eyed and bushy tail, they say they came, one or two or three people in particular. But many people, we had a rough campaign. It was nasty. One of the nastiest, they say. They say Andrew Jackson was always the nastiest campaign. They actually said we topped it. It was nasty both in the primaries and in the election. But you see, we thought after the election it would stop. But it didn't stop, it just started. Tremendous corruption. Tremendous corruption. So, we had a campaign -- little did we know we were running against some very, very bad and evil people with fake dossiers, with all of these horrible, dirty cops that took these dossiers and did bad things. They knew all about it. The FISA courts, should be ashamed of themselves. It's a very tough thing. And we ended up winning on the "Russia, Russia, Russia." It should have taken the one day, it took years. Then Bob Mueller testified. That didn't work out so well for the oversight. But they should have said that first week, because it came out. Is that right, Jim Jordan? They knew the first two days, actually. Is that right? They knew we were totally innocent. But they kept it going, mark. The kept it going forever. Because they wanted to inflict political pain on somebody that -- I had just won an election, a lot of people were surprised. We had polls that said we were going to win. We have the "Los Angeles times" were going to win. But it was going to be close. We did win. It was one of the greatest wins of all time. And they said, "Okay, he won." I wrote this down because that was where a thing called an insurance policy -- to me, when I saw the insurance policy, and that was done long before the election. It was done when we thought Hillary Clinton was going to win. By the way, Hillary Clinton and the DNC paid for millions. Millions of dollars, the fake dossier. Now Christopher Steele admits that it's a fake. Because he got sued by rich people. I should have sued him, too. But when you are president, people don't like suing. I want to thank my legal team, by the way. Not for that advice, but for other. Pat, Jay, you guys, stand up. Great job. Right at the beginning, they said, "Sir, you have nothing to worry about. All of the facts on your side." I said, "You don't understand, that doesn't matter. That doesn't matter." And that was really true. They made up facts. A corrupt politician named Adam Schiff made up my statement to the Ukrainian president. He brought it out of thin air, just made it up. They say he's a screenwriter, a failed screenwriter. Unfortunately he went into politics after that. Remember, he said the statement? "Don't call me, I'll call you." I didn't say that. Fortunately for all of us here today and for our country, we had transcripts. We had transcribers, professional transcribers. Then they said, "Oh, well, maybe the transcription is not correct." But Lieutenant Colonel Vindman and his twin brother, right? We had some people, really amazing. But we did everything. We said, "What's wrong with that," they didn't at this word or that word. It didn't matter. "At it. They're probably wrong, but added " now everybody agrees they were perfectly accurate. Tim Scott -- I don't know if Tim is here, but he said, "Are --" he was the first want to call me. "Sir, I read the transcript. You did nothing wrong." And, Mitch, he stayed there right from the beginning. He never changed. Mitch Mcconnell, I want to tell you. You did a fantastic job. Somebody said, "You know, Mitch is quiet." I said, "He's not quiet. He's not quite." He doesn't want people to know him. And they said, "Is Mitch smart?" And I said, "Well, let's put it this way. For many, many years, a lot of very smart -- bad, in many cases, sometimes good -- people have been trying to take his place. To the best of my knowledge, I've never even heard the subject come up, because they've been wiped out so fast." This guy is great and I appreciate Mitch. He has also given us 191, now. 191 federal judges. Two supreme court judges. Up to 191. Great guy. Great guy. He's a tough guy to read. I'm good at reading people. A tough guy to read. I told him my wife would say, "How do you do with Mitch?" And I'd say, "Uh, I don't know." That's what makes them good, when you can read somebody. Fantastic job. He understood right from the beginning this was crooked politics. This was crooked politics. How about all these people? They are running for office. They are saying the worst things about me, like eight senators on the democratic side. Most of them got wiped out. They got 1% or less. Most of them got less. They decided to go home. "Let's go back to California. Let's go back to --" wherever they came from. "Go back to New York." How about that? Our New York Senator, Gillibrand. "Let's go back to New York." After they get nothing. Then they take an oath that they will be fair, that they will be reasonable come all the different things. They are not fair. But here's the beauty, we have four left. They are saying the most horrendous things about me. It's okay, it's politics. And then they are supposed to vote! On me! They are trying to replace me, and then they are supposed to be voting. So I think -- I mean, I think it's incredible. So, Mitch, I want to thank you very much. Incredible. We have some of your folks here, they are incredible people. They've been great from the beginning. Again, you are out of session, unfortunately. I only told these folks, "Let's do this today." We did a prayer breakfast this morning. I thought that was really good. In fact, it was so good, it wiped us out. By the time we finished, this will wipe that one outcome of those statements. I had Nancy Pelosi sitting four seats away and I'm saying things that a lot of people wouldn't have said, but I meant everything. I meant every word of it. We have some of the folks that are going to be leaving right after this. They work hard, and they did work hard. Though Bill Cassidy, senator, stand up, Bill. What a guy. Great man. When I need to know about health insurance and pre-existing conditions and individual mandates, I called Bill. Or I call Barrasso. Those two guys, they know more than anybody. A man who just became a senator. He's a little bit like me. We have a couple of them. Very successful guy in business, and he said, "What the hell? I'll run for the senate," from Indiana. And he ran. I saw him on television, destroying his opponent in a debate. I said, "This guy could win." I got behind him, and Mike Braun, you have done some great job. Thank you very much. Tough! A man who got James Comey to choke. And he was just talking in his regular voice. He's the roughest man -- she's actually an unbelievable -- and I appreciate the letter you sent me today. I just got it. He's got this voice that scares people. You know, people from Iowa can be very tough. We are doing very well in Iowa, but I tell you, Chuck Grassley. "You tell me, what did you say," he wasn't being rough, that's just the way he talked. That's when -- I think that's when Comey announced he was leaking, lying and everything else. He choked! Because he never heard anybody talk like that. I wish you got angry, you could have gotten the whole ball game. He would have said, "I give up!" Chuck Grassley is an incredible guy. And a man who -- you know, he was running against a tough, smart campaigner. We learned how good she was, right? She was a great campaigner. In fact, by the end of the campaign, I thought she was more for me than you were, Josh. I was worried. She was saying the greatest things about me. You know I'm talking about I went to a great place, Missouri. And I said, "Who do you have to beat her?" And they said, "Well, we have four people." I said, "Let me see them." Can you imagine can make I'm interviewing people for the United States senate, this is what I do. Where have I gone? But I love it. We get great people. The first when I met with Josh Hawley. After about 10 minutes and said to the people, "Don't show me anybody else, this is the guy." He was the attorney general, ditto phenomenal job in the state. Highly respected. And Claire Mccaskill. The theory was you couldn't beat her. Great campaign-the art. Remember last campaign, she was always going be taken up. People say, "How did that happen chemicals go it didn't happen with him. I'm putting this in the archives is 1 of the best ads I've ever made. She tried to convince people we are best friends, but Josh ended up winning by five or six points. You are unbelievable, you were tough, and you are something. One of the greatest supporters of the impeachment hoax with Josh Hawley. He was incensed, actually. He was incensed at what they were doing and what they were doing. I had some who said, "I wish you didn't make a call," and that's okay. If they need that. It's incorrect. It's totally incorrect. And you have some who used religion as a crutch. They never used it before... An article written today, "Never heard him use it before." But today, it's one of those things. It's a failed presidential candidate, so things can happen when you fail so badly running for president. But Josh Hawley, I want to thank you. You were right from the beginning. Man, did I make a good choice. Thank you, Josh. Tremendous future. A man who is brilliant, and who actually was deceived, to an extent. Comes from a great state, Utah, where my poll numbers have gone through the roof. And one of the senators' poll numbers -- not this one -- went down big. You saw that, Mike? Mike Lee is a brilliant guy. He's difficult. Whenever -- we do sign a lot of legislation, it's big and it's powerful, but it sort of -- everybody has to approve it. I see 99 to one. 99 to one. I say, "Don't tell me who's the one." "Is it Mike?" "Yes." And he always has a good reason for it, too come by the way but he is, he's incredible. Right at the beginning, he knew we were right, Mike. I appreciate it very much. Fantastic. Say hello to the people of Utah, and tell them I'm sorry about Mitt Romney. I'm sorry. Okay? We can say that Mike Lee is by far the most popular senator from the state. But you've done a fantastic job, Mike. In many ways. In many ways. A young woman who I didn't know at all, but she has been so supportive. And I've had great support from other people in that state. She has been so supportive, and she has been downright nasty and mean about the unfairness to the president. Kelly Loeffler, I appreciate it very much. Thank you. She started very early on. We have -- I don't know if we have other senators here, but we've got a hell of a lot of congressmen. I will go over them quickly. They've also been -- it helped when we won, 197 to nothing. That's got to be a first, Kevin, right? Is that, like, a first? Republicans have this image. I say Democrats are lousy politicians because they have lousy policy. Open borders, sanctuary cities. They have horrible policy. Who the hell can -- oh, the new policy is raise taxes. They want to raise taxes. All my life, I wasn't in politics, but I would say if you are a politician you say you want to lower taxes. They want to raise taxes. They have open borders, sanctuary cities, Reeser and Brady's taxes, get rid of everybody's health care, 180 million people in the United States -- and they are really happy. And we are going to give you health care the cost more money if the country could make in 30 years if it does really well. That's one year. I always said, they are. They do two things. They are vicious and mean. Vicious. These people are vicious. Adam Schiff is a vicious, horrible person. Nancy Pelosi is a horrible person. And she wanted to impeach a long time ago. When she said, "I pray for the president, I prefer the president." She doesn't pray. She may pray, but pray for the opposite. They dont pray at all. They do vicious -- they stick to give it prehistorically. I'm not talking about now. They stick together like glue. That's how they impeached, because they had whatever the numbers -- 220 people. So they don't lose anybody. They will be able to impeach anybody. You could be George Washington, you could have just won the war, and they would say, "Let's get him out of office. "They stuck together and they are vicious as hell. And they will probably come back for more, but they may not, because the Republican party's poll numbers, Mitch, have now gone up more than any time, I think, since 2004 or 2005. You know what happened then. But in normal times, decades, you would call it -- that was an unusual time. It was for a very short period. The Republican party's poll numbers -- and Donald Trump's poll numbers of the highest I've ever had. It's no way to get your poll numbers up. Because from my family's standpoint, it's been very unfair for my family. It's been very unfair to the country. Think of it. A phone call. A very good phone call. I know bad phone calls. This is a phone call where Merritt don't like many people -- I think Mike Pompeo was probably on the call. Many people were on the call. They even have "Apprenti come" bring up a favorite word of my current apprentice. They have apprenti on this call. There many people. In the case of Ukraine, he's a new president, seems like a very nice person, by the way. His whole thing was corruption. He's going to stop corruption. We have a treaty, a signed treaty that we will work together to root out corruption in Ukraine. I probably have a legal obligation, Mr. Attorney, to report corruption. They don't even think a corrupt way son who made no money, that got thrown out of the military, that had no money at all, is working for $3 million upfront, $83,000 a month. And that's only Ukraine. Then goes to China, picks up $1.5 billion. Then goes to Romania, I hear, and many other countries. They think that's okay. Because, if it is, Ivanka in the audience? Boy, my kids could make a fortune. It's corrupt. But it's not even that, it's just general corruption. The other thing is mentioned in the call. Something I've told Mike Pence, our great vice president. I would tell him all the time, and I told him when he went on the trip. Because he was over there. He never mentioned anything about this, when you hide your meeting. It's a terrible thing. I told Mike, I said, "Mike, we are giving them money, and you are always torn about that because we have our country to build. We have our cities to build and our roads to fix. But we are giving the money. Tell me, why isn't Germany paying money? Why isn't Frantz? Why isn't the United Kingdom paying money? What aren't they paying money? Why are we paying money? Is that the correct statement to find out what the hell is going on." I told that all my people come on B. Asked that question. Why isn't Germany paying? Why is the United States always the sucker?" Because we are a bunch of suckers. But that's turning around fast. But it makes it harder when stuff like this happens. Because you want to focus, and you want to focus perfectly. Think we could have done, if the same energy was put into infrastructure, prescription drug prices. Think of what we could have done. And I'm now talking both sides. Think of what we could have done if we had the same genus. Because it's genius. I will say, it's genius on the other side. Maybe even more so, because they took nothing and brought me to a final vote of impeachment. That's a very ugly word to me. It's a very dark word, very ugly. They took nothing. They took that phone call that was a totally appropriate call -- I call it a perfect call, because it was -- and they brought me to the final stages of impeachment. But now we have that gorgeous word. I never thought a word would sound so good. It's called, "Total acquittal." Total acquittal. So, I want to come if I could real fast , just introduce a few of the people. I have to start with Kevin. Man, did you do a job. Lucky you are there. It wouldn't have worked out. If you don't have the right people, I tell you, Kevin McCarthy has done an incredible job. He loves his job, he loves his country. I'll tell you what, Mitch and Kevin, they love what they do. Mitch wouldn't even tell you he liked it. Mitch, do you like it? "I don't know." He's the greatest poker player, right? And Kevin would say, "I love it." Right? And I will say, you are going to be Speake of the house because of this impeachment hoax. And I'm going to work hard on it. I'm going to try to get out to those trump areas that we won by a lot. You know, in '18, we didn't win back. We just won two seats in North Carolina. Two wonderful seats in North Carolina that were not supposed to be won. But I went and I made speeches, and we had rallies, and we did a great job and we won. We took two seats, nobody writes about that. If we had lost them they would have been the biggest stories of the year. We are going to go, we are going to do a job, and we are going to enact a lot of seats. People are very angry that Nancy Pelosi and all of these guys -- Nadler, I've known and much of my life. He has fought me in New York for 25 years. I always beat him. I had to beat him another time, and I will probably have to beat him again. If they find I happened to walk across the street and maybe go against the light or something, "Let's impeach him!" So I'll probably have to do it again, because these people have gone stone cold crazy. But I've beaten him all my life and I will beat him again if I have to. But what they are doing is very unfair. Very unfair. So, Kevin McCarthy has been great. So, a few names, right? If you want, you can raise and I will say, "Great, love to have you, wonderful." But we will do the best we can. I have Mike evident but my cabin is different, I appoint them. I didn't see all of them helping so much. They were running there, various bureaucracies. My cabinet is great and they are all here, but today is the day to celebrate these great warriors. They are great warriors, they really fought hard with us. Kelly Armstrong, North Dakota. Kelly, thank you, great job. Jim Banks of Indiana. Jim, thank you, great job. Andy Biggs. Where is Andy? Boy, oh, boy, Andy. There's a guy. He's tough. I hear we are doing well in Arizona, huh? Going good, yeah? I saw a poll that was very good. For me. I think Martha is going to do -- we have some states that are going to be not easy, but Arizona has been great and we are stopping illegal aliens from coming in. We are putting up walls. New Mexico, too, the state that's never been in play for Republicans, is totally in play. Nevada is really looking good. We are doing well. We are going to have a great -- there is more spirit. I will say this, there is more spirit now for the Republican Party, by far, than the Democrats. Mike pence just got back from a place, a beautiful place that Chuck Grassley knows well. Iowa. And he was talking about this fiasco, the Democrats -- they can't count some simple votes, and yet they want to take over your health care system. Think of that. We also had an election out there, we got 98% of the vote. Have two people running, you know. I guess to consider them nonpeople, but they are running. One of them was the governor. One was a congressman. They are running. We've got 98% of the vote, and everybody from the media was saying, "Who are those crowds over there?" They expected to be competitive for everybody's running because they want to enact. And it was Trump. Right, Mark Meadows? It was Trump. This was the trump crowd. Actually, a lot of my guys went there. They went to Iowa, and a lot of friends went there. They say the spirit for the Republican party right now is stronger, I think, than it's ever been in the history of our country. I think it's stronger than it's ever been. And that includes honest Abe Lincoln. A lot of people forget, Abe Lincoln -- I wish you were here, I give him one hell of an introduction. But he was a Republican. Abe Lincoln, honest Abe. Bradley Byrne, Alabama. What a great place. Thank you, Bradley. A man who has been an unbelievable friend of mine and spokesman, and somebody who I really like. And I know, Kelly, you are going to end up liking him a lot. Something's going to happen that's very good, I don't know. I haven't figured out yet. But Doug Collins. Where is he? You have been so great. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you. Really, an amazing job. A young man who is born with a great gene, because I know his father and how great a politician he was. He's from Florida. Sometimes controversial, but actually he's not controversial. He's solid as a rock and a friend of mine, Matt Gaetz. Thank you, Matt. Great job. All right. This guy. So, he is the NCAA wrestling champion when he was in college a couple years ago. That's a big deal. That means in all of college, you are a champ. You the best. His record was ridiculous, nobody could beat him. I see it, every time I see it. When I first get to know him, Jim Jordan, when I first got to know Jim I said, "Huh, never wears a jacket. What the hell is going on?" He's obviously very proud of his body. And they say where he works out with the congressmen, senators, they say when Jim works out, even though he's not as young as he was, when he works out, the machine starts burning. It's a different form of a workout event us, right, sonny? There he is, look at that guy. One day and looking, he looks tough. I'm looking at those years. And I say, "Those years have something going on there." I said, "Did you ever wrestle?" "I did." He doesn't talk, but I checked. This guy was a champion top wrestler. When I had the top -- I had all of the teams. By the way, your super bowl champions are coming. I think next week, or soon. Very soon. Every one of them want to be here. The coach loves us. The coach is great. Andy Reid. Every one of them want to be here. People love it. But we had all of the NCAA championship teams here. They had the golf, the basketball, they had every team here. And one of the teams was wrestling. The wrestling team. Was that Penn state? And Penn state won the title, they have a great team. I walked up with Jim, and it's like I didn't exist. Those wrestlers, they grabbed him, they love Jim Jordan, and we love you, too. Because you are some warrior. A woman who became -- we have a couple of women that became stars. You two. I always like the name, Lesko." I so that face, I had the cards, seven opponents. You have no idea how much the public appreciates how smart, how sharp you are. This, I can't tell. They just said, "You know, she's really good, she's really talented." I said, "Let's go." We worked with her, she won her race. Tough race. It's no longer tough. What she does out there is incredible. Arizona loves her. But you are so incredible, representing -- I don't see me, representing our country and getting us out of this impeachment hoax. We did was incredible. So, Debbie, please stand up. Debbie Lesko. A man who I became very friendly with. I don't know why. You ever have it where -- I'll ask the media. Certain people call, you take the calls. Other people call, if they don't have information, they won't take anybody's call. Both are people call, and this is a guy who -- he's just a very special guy. His wife, I actually like better than him, to be honest. Because he doesn't know that I know that he didn't actually support me right from the beginning, but she did. And on my worst day -- right? On my worst day, my worst, I won't tell you why it's my worst day, she got a bus, got many of the buses, and women all over well, Mark was sort of semi-supporting another candidate. Which he ended up leaving very quickly. I don't think he had a choice, because of your wife. So thank her. Mark Meadows is an extra ordinary guy. The only problem is I guess he's announcing that she would only win by 40 points, but he is announcing that he is not running this time. You have somebody good to run? Is somebody going to win your district by at least 20 points, please? Okay. But he's a tremendously talented man. Not just as a politician, as a human being is incredible. And during these horrible times -- the way he worked, and Jim, and all of you guys, the way they worked was so -- it was like their life was at stake. So many. Ron DeSantis is another one. He worked so hard. He called me, he said, "Sir, I would like to run for governor." I said, "Governor? I don't want you to run. I like you --" "No, I want to run for governor." I said, "Well, if I have to. How can I support you, you are at three." He had no money. Somebody else had $22 million in cash. I said, "If it's important, I'll do it." These and great warrior. By the way, he ran, I endorsed him, his numbers went through the roof. The men who he beat, who was expected to win back easily, called me after the race. He said, "You endorsed him and it was like a nuclear bomb went off. There was nothing I could do." He never even spent his money, he saved it. But Ron DeSantis is another one. And now he's the governor of Florida. By the way, he's a great governor. He is a very popular governor. His numbers are in the 70s, and he's done a great job. But, mark, I want to thank you very much. Fantastic job, thank you very much. Mark Meadows. And Mike Johnson of Louisiana. Where's Mike? Central casting, what a job. You can represent me any time. You can represent me anytime. Thank you. What a job you've done. Thank you, Mike. And a man nobody's ever heard of except the other side. He's the other side's worst nightmare. This guy goes down into dungeons and basements, he will find a document no matter what. He's the most legitimate human being, he's the hardest worker. He's unbelievable. He took tremendous abuse. The media, and the other side, the bad ones, the leakers, the liars, the dirty cops they, they want to destroy him. They tried, but he wouldn't let it happen. In a certain way, he was the first one. Wouldn't you say? This was the first guide. Came out of nowhere. He's saying, "These people are corrupt." He is still saying it. He was unbelievable. Devin Nunes. Unbelievable. Thats so true, Devin. He would come in and say -- I didn't even know them. I just heard there was this congressman who just kept going into a basement come into files. He knew something was wrong. You felt it, right? Now we know a lot more than we knew then, right? You never thought it was as bad as it is, and hopefully we are going to take care of things, because we can never, ever allow this to happen again. Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. Scott, thank you. Thank you, Scott. Really great. Im doing very well over there, by the way. Just so you -- a man who is -- central casting, if I'm going to pick Perry mason, I'm going to do a remake of "Perry mason." Other than Bill Barr, I would pick the sky. But I would pick Barr first. John Ratcliffe. If we were doing a remake of "Perry mason," the man I get -- there is nobody in Hollywood like this. John Ratcliff. Such a great lawyer. Incredible guy, incredible talent. Just a great lawyer. We appreciate it. He gets on that screen and everybody says, "I agree." The other side folds up so fast, we'll probably be using a lot of you in the next year. We've been fantastic, John. We appreciate it. Thank you very much. I meant it was braver than me and braver than all of us in this room. He got whacked. He got whacked, my Steve. Right? I went to the hospital with our great first lady that night. Right, honey? We saw a man who was not going to make it. He was not going to make it. The doctor -- I told him, his wife, I said, "She loves you." "Why did you say that?" Because she was devastated. A lot of wives wouldnt give a damn. I would say, "How is he doing?" ?" She couldn't even talk, she was inconsolable. "Not good." "I'm going home now." She was a total mess. She was really devastated. It really looked like he had a 20, 25% chance -- I think you set a record for blood loss. And Steve Scalise, actually -- honestly, I think you're a better looking, more handsome now. You weren't that good looking, you look good now He looks better now, can you believe it? I don't know what the hell that is. Better now. What a guy. And he was practicing for the baseball game against the Democrats, right? And this whack job started shooting. Hurt Roger. I don't know if Roger is here. Heard a heard a number of people. Steve was the second baseman. He went down, and it was terrible. I mean, I saw the whole thing, and it was terrible. Fortunately, you had to cope brave policeman with you because of your high position in congress. You had to policeman and they were amazing. A man and woman. They came in, they didn't have rifles. They were supposedly against a pretty good sharpshooter with rifles, good equipment. All they had was a gun. They started coming in from the outfield, shooting. They are so far away, that a handgun is not preferred. This guy has a rifle, he's hitting people, and he was going to move up, and there was no out. If he had been able to move up, there was no way to get out. The entrance was a single entrance way on the other side where he was. So everyone went into the dugout, ran into the dugout. But Steve was really hit badly in the stomach. With a bullet that rips you apart. It was supposed to do that, it rips you apart. These two people came, charging forward. Boom, boom, boom. And one of them -- you know who? One of them, him, got the shooter. Hit him. And then got him. Killed him. From long distance. It was amazing. If you didn't have those two people, you could imagine. Right? You could imagine what would happen. Melania and I went to the hospital that night, and he was in such bad shape. He's been working ever since, so hard. Six months ago, they had a baseball game at the national -- I'm watching. It's on television. It's just. It's a game, you want to win it. Right? Steve is second base. The poor guy can't even walk. Do you remember Bobby Richardson for the New York Yankees? He was known for range, Louis. He had the greatest range. If the ball at the shortstop, Bobby Richardson is the second baseman. Bobby Richardson would feel the ball. If it went to first base, he was sure which first base and paint had unbelievable range. This was not Steve Scalise. Steve had no range. 1 foot, and he has to fall down. Right? He was trying to get better. I don't know who the hell put you on the field. And this is a true story. The game starts, and the first pitch, Steve is standing there at second base and the guy is really in bad shape. And I said, "This is terrible." A ground ball, shot, is hit to second. And Steve, I didn't have time to think through much, but I said, "This is not good. That ball is going toward him." And this guy stopped that ball, caught the ball. He's now laying down. He throws the ball to first base, he gets them out. I said -- it's the most incredible thing. I've never seen it. I've never seen anything like it. Right? And he gets him out, and they then took him out of the game. Which was a very wise thing. Because you could ever do that again in a million years. But you aren't going to let that all go through -- I don't care if it was hit by the greatest of all time. Right? That ball is not going through you, because you are a warrior. Steve is fantastic. You are fantastic. You and Liz, Kevin, what a group. I mean, what a group. I got lucky. Because you need the right people. I fired the wrong people, it may be a different story. Maybe we'd be celebrating something else. But I really want to thank you. Steve Scalise. And Elise, you -- I just read this story. Most incredible, what's going on with you, Elise. I even said -- I was up campaigning, helping. I thought, "She looks good, she looks like good talent." But I didn't realize, when she opens that mouth, you were killing them, Elise! You were killing them! Elise, and there's a big story in "The New York Post." I love "The New York Post." They treat me well. There aren't many of you do, but today they are treating you well. I even had a great headline. "New York Times," "Washington post." I had all these great headlines. Maybe we should just send it right there. We had a great story yesterday in the post that people from all over the country are contributing to her campaign. They were so enthralled with the way you handled yourself. What you said, the way you said it. I'll always be your friend. It's really an amazing story. What a great future you have. What a great future, thank you. The first lady agrees, by the way. The first lady agrees. And Michael turner, you can represent me any time. Where is Michael? Where is he? You can represent me. How good were you? There's another "Perry mason" type, I think. What do you think, John? Michael, you are fantastic, and we appreciate it. Brad Wenstrup. Where is Brad? Brad. Great, great job. It's a big day. All the lawyers stayed behind. Lee Zeldin, how good are you? How good are you? Man. And Louis, your name -- they didn't give me your name. If I didn't announce Louie -- whoever the hill made this list, I've got to get rid of them. If I wouldn't have announced Louie, it might have been the end of the presidency. Louie, you have been so great. So tough and so smart. I got it. But Louie has been amazing. He's a tough guy, a smart guy. He's streetwise like crazy. We love Texas. We are with you all the way, Louie. We are with you all the way. Thank you very much. So that's the story. We have a great group of warriors, and there are others left. I guess, probably -- I'm sure I didn't mention a few. I apologize if that's the case. How is CPAC doing, good? Stand up, will you? He's the one who said, "You should run." Right? Matt said -- it's like five years ago, six years ago. I made a speech, and then they do some kind of a straw poll. Who made the best speech? And he said I made the best speech, out of all these professionals -- I hate to say this, with all these professional politicians, they voted that by far the best speech was trump. He calls me and said, "We should run for politics." I said, what do I know about politics," we learned quickly at our country has ever done better than it's doing right now. But thank you, Matt. So that's the story. Even treated very unfairly. Fortunately we have great men and women that came to our defense. If we didn't, this would have been a horrific incident for our country. When you have Lisa and Peter, the lovers, the FBI lovers. I want to believe the path you threw out for deputy director Andrew McCabe. That's the office. There's no way he gets elected, meaning me. "There's no way he gets elected." This is Peter to Lisa. He's probably trying to impress her, for obvious reasons. "There's no way he gets elected. But I'm afraid we can't take the risk." Think of this. In other words, if I get elected, they can't -- they, two lowlifes, they can't take the risk. Think of it. That's where it came up. The greatest word of all, "Insurance policy." But he says, "I'm afraid we can't take the risk. She may lose." "It's like an insurance policy, in the unlikely event you die before your 40. In other words, if I won, they were going to do exactly what they did to us. They were going to try and overthrow the government of the United States. A duly elected president. If I didn't fire James Comey, we would have never found this stuff. Because when I fired that sleazebag, all hell broke out. They were ratting on each other, they were running for the hills. Let's see what happens. Let's see what happens. It's in the hands of some very talented people. We are going to have to see what happens. But I can tell you, in my opinion, these are the crooked-est, most dishonest, dirtiest people, I've seen. They said -- this is Strzok -- "God, who were he should win, 100 million to one." This is about me. This is an agent from the FBI. Look how they let her off. 33,000 emails, deleted. Nothing happens to her. Nothing happens. It's unbelievable. But think of that read "God, Hillary should win." These guys are investigating Hillary. They go to work for Mueller, the two of them. And when Mueller found out that everybody knew that they were 100% this way, he let them go. But they deleted all of their emails and text messages. So when we got the phone, they were all deleted. Could you imagine the treasure trove? Of the illegally deleted so they left, Bob Mueller, he had to look but he didn't have a lot of other things. Always had to look. Mr. G-man. I love the FBI and the FBI loves me, 100%. It was the top scum, and the FBI people don't like the top scum. So think of that, 100 million, he's investigating me. And then, "God, trump is a loathsome human being, isn't he?" These are the people looking at me. I'm really not a bad person. And Page said , "Yes, he's awful." How would you like to have that? This is the good stuff. This stuff, there's stuff 100 times worse than that. These are all dirty people. And now I just heard that they are suing the United States of America. Because they were interfered with. Just not going to let it happen "We cannot let this happen to our country. So, I'm going to leave now. I don't know if any of you have anything to say. You could say it, but this is sort of a day of celebration, because we went through hell. I'm sure that Pelosi and Crying Chuck -- the only time I ever saw him cry was when it was appropriate. I've known them for a long time. Crying Chuck. I'm sure they will try and cook up other things that go through the state of New York. Other places. They will do whatever they can. Instead of wanting to heal our country and fix our country, all they want to do, in my opinion, it's almost like they want to destroy our country. We can't let it happen. Jim Jordan, did you want to say something cannot go ahead. Mark Meadows? Huh? My? [Mark Meadows comment: I just want to say that this reflection today is a small reflection of the kind of support you have all across the country.] This was a highly partisan situation. Pelosi said -- I copied it down exactly. Before the impeachment. She wanted to impeach from day one, by the way. Don't let it fool you. "No, impeachment is a very serious thing." I said, "She wants to impeach, watch." "The impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there is something so compelling and so overwhelming and bipartisan." Bipartisan? It was 170 to nothing. The one failed presidential candidate, and I call that half of the vote because he actually voted for us on the other one. But we had one failed presidential candidate. That's the only half of what we lost. So, we had almost 53 to nothing. We had 197 to nothing. And the only one that voted against was a guy that can't stand the fact that he ran one of the worst campaigns in the history of the presidency. But she said, "It has to be something so compelling and so overwhelming and bipartisan." "I don't think we should go down that path, because it divides the country." She was right about that. "And it's just not worth it." That was Nancy Pelosi a year ago. I think it's a shame. I think it's a shame. As I said, if we can put this genius to work on roads and highways and bridges and all of the things we can do, prescription drugs. You know, we had -- secretary Azar is here, and I want to thank you for this -- we had the first time in 51 years where drug prices actually came down last year. First time in 51 years. We can do working with both parties in congress would be unbelievable. It would be unbelievable. All we can do. I know Chuck Grassley is working very hard on it, and Mitch is working very hard on it. We can do is incredible. What we can do just generally. We've done so much without it. We rebuilt our military, we've cut regulations at a level that nobody thought possible. We will always protect our second amendment, we all know that. I just want to tell you that it's an honor to be with you all. I want to apologize to my family for having them have to go through a phony, rotten deal by some very evil and sick people. And Ivanka is here, my sons, my whole family. And that includes Barron. He's up there, he's a young boy. Stand up, honey. Ivanka, thank you, honey. I just want to thank my family for sticking through it. This was not part of the deal. I was going to run for president, and if I won, I was going to do a great job. I didn't know I was going to run and then when I got in I was going to have to run again and again and again. Every week, I had to run again. That wasn't the deal, but they stuck with me. I'm so glad I did it, because we are making progress and doing things for our great people that everybody said couldn't be done. Our country is thriving, our country is just respected again. And it's an honor to be with the people in this room. Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. CALGARY, AB / ACCESSWIRE / February 6, 2020 / Elephant Hill Capital Inc. (TSVX:EH.P) (the "Resulting Issuer" or "Elephant Hill"), a capital pool company, announces that further to its press release dated January 14, 2020 (the "January Press Release") regarding the business combination (the "Transaction") of Elephant Hill, Artos Pharma Inc. ("Artos") and Tassili Life Sciences Corp. ("Tassili"), Artos has agreed to offer a minimum 20,000,000 to maximum 35,000,000 subscription receipts ("Subscription Receipts") of Artos on a private placement basis pursuant to applicable private placement exemptions under applicable securities laws (the "Offering"). The Subscription Receipts will be offered at a price of C$0.20 per Subscription Receipt (the "Offering Price") for aggregate gross proceeds of up to C$7,000,000. Each Subscription Receipt will entitle the holder thereof, without payment of any additional consideration and without further action on the part of the holder, to receive one unit of Artos (a "Unit"), upon meeting certain terms and conditions described further below. Each Unit shall consist of one Class A common share (a "Common Share") in the capital of Artos and one-half of one Common Share purchase warrant (each whole Common Share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable into one Common Share at an exercise price of C$0.30 per Common Share for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the date the escrow release conditions are satisfied (the "Escrow Release Date"). The Common Shares and Warrants comprising the Units will be exchanged for equivalent securities of the Resulting Issuer on a one-for-one basis in connection with the Transaction. Artos reserves the ability to pay a fee (a "Finder Fee"), in cash and/or securities of Artos, to eligible finders pursuant to the Offering. Artos may pay a cash commission equal to 6.0% of the gross proceeds of the Offering, subject to regulatory approval, and broker warrants exercisable at any time up to 24 months following the closing of the Offering to purchase up to that number of Common Shares as is equal to 6.0% of the number of Subscription Receipts sold pursuant to the Offering, at an exercise price equal to the Offering Price. As outlined in the January Press Release, Elephant Hill, Artos and Tassili plan to enter into a business combination agreement whereby Elephant Hill has agreed to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of each of Artos and Tassili. The Transaction is subject to certain conditions and applicable shareholder, corporate and TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") approvals and will constitute Elephant Hill's "Qualifying Transaction" as such terms are defined under the policies of the Exchange. The Subscription Receipts sold pursuant to the Offering will be converted into Common Shares and Warrants immediately prior to the closing of the Transaction and, upon closing, the Common Shares will be exchanged for Class A common shares of Elephant Hill ("Elephant Hill Shares") on the basis of one Elephant Hill common share for each Artos and Tassili common share. The net proceeds received by Artos from the sale of the Subscription Receipts will be used to fund the Resulting Issuer's pharmaceutical development business and for general corporate working capital purposes. Furthermore, Elephant Hill has filed a listing application with the middle tier of the OTC Markets Group Inc. ("OTCQB") in the United States, for the purposes of listing the common shares of Elephant Hill on the OTCQB in the United States. Overview of Elephant Hill Capital Inc. Elephant Hill is a capital pool company. Elephant Hill's principal business activity is to identify and evaluate opportunities for acquisition of assets or business. Elephant Hill was incorporated on January 15, 2018, and has its registered office in Calgary, Alberta. Overview of Artos Artos is a private company incorporated under the laws of the Province of British Columbia with offices in Vancouver, British Columbia. Artos is a clinical-stage, biopharma company founded by a group of physicians. The company is focused on treating advanced sarcomas, which are rare tumors of connective tissue. Because there are well over 50 histologic sarcoma subtypes, including malignant and non-malignant pathologies, clinical courses and therapeutic management are widely divergent. Sarcomas can occur anywhere in the body and have clinical courses ranging from indolent to highly aggressive. Surgery is still the most common treatment as it remains the only means of curing the disease. In most cases, it is not clear what causes sarcoma. Family history and radiation exposure may increase risk. In 2018, there were an estimated 13,040 new cases of soft tissue sarcoma in the U.S. No first-line therapies for soft tissue sarcoma have been approved in more than 40 years since adriamycin. The active pharmaceutical ingredient in Artos' lead oral drug candidate, ART-2020 (razoxane), has already completed multiple phase 2 clinical trials in Europe indicating safety and therapeutic activity. The company is collaborating with Professor Walter Rhomberg, an investigator who has led two of these clinical studies. In addition, Professor Rhomberg is co-editor of the publication, "Razoxane and Dexrazoxane - Two Multifunctional Agents". Artos plans to conduct a pivotal clinical trial in sarcoma in the United Kingdom and European Union and globally pursue regulatory approval. Each of the following individuals hold a controlling interest in or controls/directs Artos: James Kuo, MD, MBA, CEO and Director (San Diego, California) and William Garner, MD, Chairman (San Juan, Puerto Rico). Overview of Tassili Tassili is focused on treating disorders of the central nervous system using pschedelic compounds possibly in combination with other investigational pharmaceuticals. Tassili plans to collaborate with a top tier research university to conduct pre-clinical studies of its drug combination to establish efficacy based on objective outcomes. Tassili is a private company incorporated under the law of the Province of Ontario with offices in Toronto, Ontario. Tassili, in collaboration with a major research university, intends to demonstrate the preclinical and physiological effectiveness in mild traumatic brain disorder associated with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) of timely measured dosages of psilocybin (a naturally occurring psychodelic compound) and CBD (cannabidiol). Tassili expects this combination to elicit outcomes that are superior to psilocybin or CBD alone. Tassili plans to administer the combination of psilocybin and CBD in certified drug and talk therapy clinics after human clinical trials are completed and the combination is approved by the regulatory agencies throughout the world. Tassili's management believes that the company's proprietary novel approach addresses short term memory (STMs) and long term memory (LTMs) disorders by selectively erasing or suppressing pathological memories as in PTSD, suicidal thoughts and depression. It is also expected to elicit positive clinical outcomes in altering destructive behavior patterns such as drug and alcohol addiction, unconstrained mental and physical activity as obsessive compulsive disorder OCD, and/or Tourette's syndrome and the wide spectrum of memory recall/forgetfulness disorders ranging from the ubiquitous age-related memory breach, up to Alzheimer disease. Tassili intends to collaborate with other academic organizations to pursue research on these programs. Each of the following individuals hold a controlling interest in or control/direct Tassili: George Scorsis, Director (Toronto, Ontario), Jonathan Gilbert, CEO and Director (Roslyn Heights, New York), Jonathan Held, CFO and Director (Toronto, Ontario) and Maghsoud Dariani, Chief Science Officer (Fanwood, New Jersey). Website: https://tassililifesciences.com/ A Letter of Intent was entered into between Elephant Hill, Artos and Tassili dated January 8, 2020 and is to be superseded by a definitive agreement (the "Definitive Agreement") between Elephant Hill, Artos and Tassili with such agreement to include representations, warranties, covenants and conditions typical for a transaction of this nature. The Transaction is subject to, among other things, receipt of all applicable shareholder and regulatory approvals, the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the conditions described below. Completion of the Transaction is subject to certain customary conditions precedent, as described in the January Press Release as well as Tassili shall be responsible for raising at a minimum C$2.0 million ("Minimum Tassili Contribution") towards the Offering and C$500,000 as a pre-Offering amount. Where the Minimum Tassili Contribution is not completed and the minimum offering of C$4.0 million is not closed, Artos shall have the right but not the obligation, in its sole discretion, to terminate the Transaction. Where the Minimum Tassili Contribution is completed and the minimum offering of C$4.0 million is not closed, Tassili shall have the right, but not the obligation, in its sole discretion, to terminate the Transaction. Following the Closing, Elephant Hill will continue with each of the businesses of Artos and Tassili and it is expected that Artos and Tassili will become wholly owned subsidiaries of the Corporation, and will change their names to something applicable as they may determine and which shall be acceptable to the Exchange. General Elephant Hill will issue additional news releases relating to the Transaction, including information relating to the shareholders of Artos and Tassili, summary financial information of Artos and Tassili, and details of insiders of Elephant Hill, as and when new information relating to the Transaction becomes available. In accordance with the policies of the Exchange, the common shares of the Corporation are currently halted from trading and will remain halted until further notice. Further Information In accordance with the policies of the Exchange, a complete description of the Resulting Issuer's business will be contained in a information circular of Elephant Hill containing further details about the Transaction and Resulting Issuer (the "Information Circular"). The Information Circular will be prepared and filed by Elephant Hill on SEDAR at www.sedar.com upon acceptance by the TSXV which will provide further details on Elephant Hill and the Transaction. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the disclosure document to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. For further information, please contact: Elephant Hill Capital Inc. Mohammad Fazil, President, Chief Executive Officer, Director Email: mofazil@gmail.com Phone: (403) 613-7310 Artos Pharma Inc. James Kuo, Chief Executive Officer Email: jkuo@artospharma.com Phone: (858) 220-5703 Tassili Life Sciences Corp. Jonathan Gilbert, Chief Executive Officer and Director Email: j.gilbert@tassililifesciences.com Phone: (917) 693-0215 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. All information contained in this press release with respect to Elephant Hill, Artos and Tassili was supplied by the parties, respectively, for inclusion herein, and Elephant Hill and its directors and officers have relied on Artos and Tassili for any information concerning such party. Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSXV acceptance and, if applicable, pursuant to the requirements of the TSXV, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder and regulatory approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Transaction, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Elephant Hill should be considered highly speculative. This press release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities described in this press release have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended) absent registration or an exemption from registration. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction where such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: the terms and conditions of the Transaction; the terms and conditions of the Offering; future developments and the business and operations of the "Resulting Issuer" after the Transaction. 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; and delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will proceed and 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 forward-looking statements. Elephant Hill, Artos and Tassili disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE: Elephant Hill Capital Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/575530/Elephant-Hill-Announces-Equity-Financing Whistleblower Doctor Who First Exposed Coronavirus Outbreak Dies After Contracting Virus This post has been updated to include the latest reported information from Chinese state media. Li Wenliang, one of the eight whistleblowers who first publicized information about a SARS-like outbreak in December 2019 but was later reprimanded by Chinese authorities, died of the coronavirus on Feb. 7 morning, according to state media. He was 34. He and several doctors in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, alerted the public about the illness before authorities confirmed it. State media initially reported around 9:30 p.m. Thursday evening that Li died. However, at 2:25 a.m. Feb. 7, Chinese media Caixin published a report, citing sources at the hospital where he was being treated, that Li was still being resuscitated. The report said Li received an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ecmo) operation at 9 p.m. Thursday. At midnight, nurses in the hospital said he was still alive but in critical situation. At 3 a.m., netizens began to complain that Chinese censors were removing news articles and social media posts related to Lis death. In a social media post published shortly before 4 a.m., Peoples Daily reported that he died at 2:58 a.m. Friday. Revealing the Truth Back in late December, Li posted a message on WeChat, a popular social media platform, about seven patients at Wuhan Central Hospital, where he worked, who were diagnosed with a pneumonia-like illness and under quarantine. He published the message on a chat group created for alumni of his medical school. Li, an ophthalmologist, wanted to warn his former classmates and friends about the illness because all seven patients had visited the Huanan Seafood Market. Chinese authorities have since said the market could be the source of the outbreak, though they are still investigating. A screenshot of his message went viral on the Chinese internet within hours. Li Wenliang. (Courtesy of Li Wenliang) According to state-run media Beijing Youth Daily, Li was summoned by officials at his hospital and asked to explain the situation on Dec. 31. Later that day, the Wuhan city government announced that there was an unknown pneumonia outbreak. On Jan. 1, Wuhan officials said in a statement posted on Weibo, a Twitter-like platform, that they had taken legal measures against eight people, including Li, who had spread rumors about the disease, which caused adverse impacts on society. Two days later, Wuhan police called Li to the police station, where he was reprimanded for rumor-mongering. Li was forced to sign a confession statement, in which he promised that he wont commit further unlawful acts. After being released from the police station, Li was allowed to return to work. One of his patients was infected with the coronavirus, who transmitted the virus to him. Contracting Virus On Jan. 10, Li began coughing. On Jan. 12, Li was hospitalized. His condition deteriorated quickly. He was soon on oxygen support and sent to the intensive care unit (ICU) for further treatment. On Jan. 31, Li posted his first Weibo message since returning from the police station. From the ICU, he explained how the authorities pressured him to keep silent. After that, Li appeared in several Chinese media interviews, repeatedly saying, Its very important to let the public know the truth, in order to prevent more people from contracting the virus. On Feb. 1, he was diagnosed with the virus. Both of his parents were also infected. A doctor being disinfected by his colleague at a hospital in Wuhan, China on Feb. 3, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is in the same family of pathogens as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), a contagious disease that broke out in China and killed hundreds in 2003; and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), a viral respiratory illness that killed more than 500 people worldwide since 2012. The first Wuhan patient exhibited symptoms in early December. Weeks later, there was a case of human-to-human transmission. But authorities did not inform the public that the virus was contagious until Jan. 20. The virus has since spread all across China and to dozens of countries, with more than 500 officially reported deaths inside China. Health experts and local residents have provided testimonials suggesting the true number of infections and deaths is far higher than what authorities are saying. YOKOHAMA, Japan - David Abels 50th wedding anniversary luxury cruise began with him eating his fill and enjoying the sights of East Asia. Its ending with him quarantined in his cabin aboard the Diamond Princess for two extra weeks, eating a lettuce sandwich with some chicken inside and watching as officials in hazmat-style suits escort dozens of infected people, some of them hiding their identities under sheets, off the ship to hospitals for treatment of a new virus. Officials said Friday that 61 people from the ship had the fast-spreading coronavirus. Its not going to be a luxury cruise; its going to be like a floating prison, Abel said on Facebook from the ship in the port of Yokohama, outside Tokyo. He is among thousands of people on two cruise ships in Japan and Hong Kong who are facing quarantine because of the virus. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Thursday that Japan will deny entry of foreign passengers on another cruise ship heading to Japan Holland Americas cruise ship Westerdam, on its way to Okinawa from Hong Kong because of suspected coronavirus patients found on the ship. The new immigration policy takes effect Friday to ensure border control to prevent the disease from entering and spreading further into Japan, Abe said. As Japanese officials loaded the Diamond Princess with supplies to make the quarantine as bearable as possible, passengers took to social media to highlight kindnesses by the crew and to complain about dwindling medicine, the quality of the food and the inability to exercise or even leave their cabins. Their photos and videos showed the vessel that once had 3,711 passengers and crew is now a ghost ship of deserted reception areas, swimming pools and hallways. Babies on the Hong Kong ship were reportedly running out of diapers and milk. I think for many passengers, its going to be absolute boredom, Abel said in a separate interview. He considers himself lucky that he has a cabin with a balcony. The people I feel really sorry for are those with inside cabins whove got no natural light, no fresh air. Its going to be pretty grim for them for two weeks. Grim is one way to describe the virus and the fear its created. There have been more than 31,000 cases confirmed, and its spread to some 24 countries. Still, fear has spread faster than the disease. Masks and hand sanitizer are sold out in many areas of Seoul, Tokyo and Bangkok. Health workers are striking in Hong Kong and anti-Chinese discrimination has been seen across Asia. Taiwan has banned international cruise ships. On the Diamond Princess, there were signs people were trying to make the best of a bad situation. Yardley Wong, a passenger from Hong Kong travelling with her husband, son and her parents, said on Twitter that the crew gave her son playing cards, coloring pens and other gifts to kill off boredom. Australians Paul and Coralie Williamson said their cabin was smaller than a motel room and they had heard complaints from others about not having medication, or enough information. But, after 34 years of marriage, Coralie Williamson said: If Im going be stuck in a room with anyone, I would rather it be Paul than anyone else. So its OK. We will need to go for a long walk on the beach when we get home, she told Australian Broadcasting Corp. People posted photos of breakfast, a bowl of fruit salad, boiled eggs, juice and a croissant. One passenger celebrating their ninth wedding anniversary got a happy anniversary card from the ship staff. Were here for a long haul. I think it is going to get a little bit testing, obviously. But I dont know. What do we do? We couldnt jump out of the boat; thats a bit cold, Jacqui Fidrmuc from the city of Cairns told Australias Nine Network. Japanese health officials told reporters that a medical team and supplies were being sent to the ship. At the port where the ship dropped off infected patients and loaded up food and supplies, a person in a hazmat bodysuit entered the ship carrying two boxes labeled thermometers. On the World Dream ship quarantined in Hong Kong, its more than 3,600 passengers and crew were being screened because eight passengers on an earlier voyage had the virus. Hong Kong officials said more than 5,000 passengers on three voyages beginning Jan. 19 may have been exposed. Hong Kong lawmaker Jeremy Tan said a woman on board called him Wednesday night to say she and some other mothers were running out of milk powder and diapers for their babies. He said he believed there were five or more babies on the ship, and that he delivered the essentials to authorities Thursday. Life on the Diamond Princess in Yokohama, Abel said, has changed beyond recognition to what you would call a luxury cruise. One meal was just a glass of orange juice, a yogurt and a bit of melon. Another was a lettuce sandwich with some chicken inside and a dessert. When masked crew members hand over and pick up the trays of food, he said, its very brief. Theres no physical contact apart from touching the tray. Even though the sick people have been taken off the boat, there was still unease. Weve been breathing the same air as those that have been removed, Abel said. How do we cope with it? Abel asked on Facebook. We can either be creative and thinking positive things or we can be dragging ourselves down into the gutter. I certainly wont be doing that. ___ Yamaguchi reported from Tokyo. Associated Press writers Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and Rod McGuirk in Canberra, Australia, contributed to this report. NAF president Dr Sattar Khan, addressing a press conference here on Wednesday said that the NMC Act was anti-people. Hyderabad: National Action Forum (NAF) against National Medical Commission (NMC) on Wednesday announced that it will launch nationwide agitation against NMC which has led to bureaucratic-centralisation of medical education and health sectors in the country. They will observe a nationwide NMC Day against the NMC Act on Thursday. NAF president Dr Sattar Khan, addressing a press conference here on Wednesday said that the NMC Act was anti-people. It will make the managements of private medical colleges more powerful and pave the way for them to loot the people fixing abnormal fee structures in the futures, Mr Khan said. Explaining about the National Exit Test, which will be introduced soon, he pointed out that the test will create an unhealthy atmosphere in medical education and the unskilled may get licence to practice as the Act will simplify the syllabus and degrade the standards of education. Regretting that the criteria for establishing medical colleges were relaxed in the NMC Act, he appealed to the people to protest against NMC Act and demand its withdrawal. The High Court in England on Thursday dismissed the Indian government's appeal for the of a UK-based couple to face charges of murder of their adopted son in India. Arti Dhir and her husband Kaval Raijada are wanted in India for the murder of 11-year-old Gopal and his brother-in-law in Gujarat three years ago. Their request had been turned down on human rights grounds by Westminster Magistrates' Court in London in July last year, with the Indian government later granted permission to appeal in the High Court. Lord Justice James Dingemans and Justice Robin Spencer ruled that delays on the part of the Indian government to provide the requisite assurances related to human rights concerns were at the heart of the appeal dismissal. "We accept that there will be financial consequences of discharging Ms Dhir and Mr Raijada and requiring the government to start proceedings again Those financial consequences were brought about by the government's failure to obtain directions in relation to the assurance or to provide the assurance at an earlier stage, the judgment notes. The judges take note of the seriousness of the case and the fact that the Magistrates' Court had previously found a prima facie case against the two accused. "However, that means that the government should have complied with directions from the court to avoid unnecessary delays, they add. The ruling does observe that extradition proceedings may be brought again for the court to consider Indian government assurances afresh. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), which represents the Indian authorities in court extradition proceedings, has indicated plans to reissue extradition proceedings at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot had ruled against extradition last year on the grounds that the couple would be subjected to a double life term without parole if convicted in India, which would be in breach of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The High Court verdict makes clear that further extradition proceedings might be brought if an adequate assurance is provided showing that an "irreducible life sentence" will not be imposed on the couple. Significantly, it notes that as the irreducible life sentence is a Gujarat state related policy, it might be waived by the Centre which could pave the way for the duo to be extradited without any human rights concerns. The case dates back to June 2017, when Dhir and Raijada were arrested on a provisional warrant in the UK and released on conditional bail following "substantial securities". According to details that emerged in court, the murder allegations against the duo relate to their adopted son Gopal Sejani and his brother-in-law Harsukhbhai Kardani in February 2017 in India. An investigation by Gujarat police has claimed that the accused had hatched a plot to adopt Gopal and then insure him for around Rs 1.3 crore before staging his kidnapping and murder in India to split the life insurance payout. The High Court reiterated the Magistrates' Court finding that the couple could face prosecution within the UK itself due to strong evidence of money being sent from the London bank account linked with the accused to the man who organised the killing. DENVER A Colorado bill that would ban racial discrimination based on a persons hairstyle in the workplace, at school and elsewhere is on its way to the House floor. Colorados Black Legislative caucus held a public meeting Wednesday on the issue before the bill was passed by the Democrat-led House Business Affairs and Labor Committee on a 6-4 party-line vote. Known as the Crown Act, for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, the bill is one of dozens around the country addressing workplace bias and corporate grooming policies that disproportionately affect black women and men. Colorado Politics reports that Crown Act laws have been passed in California, New York and New Jersey. In Congress, Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey has introduced legislation that would ban discrimination based on hair textures and hairstyles that are commonly associated with a particular race or national origin. Among those testifying at the public meeting was Simone Ross, a business consultant and district manager for The Riveter, which offers work space and other amenities for startups. Ross said many black women are obliged to change their hair from its natural state to fit into the workplace . She said she once had a manager who urged his colleagues to look at her braided hair. Watching a woman with braids was like being a monkey in a zoo, she said. Hair discrimination is racial discrimination. Chinese tech giant accused US phone carrier of violating its patents in a lawsuit filed on Thursday, broadening efforts to defend company's business in the United States amid government sanctions. Technologies Ltd accused Communications Inc of violating 12 patents on optical transmission, digital communications and other technology, according to a copy of the lawsuit released by the company. said it filed the lawsuit after negotiations failed to produce a licensing agreement. In separate cases, Huawei also is challenging US government measures to limit its access to the American market on security grounds. There was no indication Thursday's lawsuit was related to those. The suit asks a US federal court in Waco, Texas, to award unspecified damages and license fees. Huawei, the No. 2 global smartphone brand and the biggest maker of network equipment for phone carriers, denies US allegations it might be a security risk or facilitate Chinese spying. Sanctions imposed by the Trump administration in May block Huawei's access to most US components technology. The company says it has replaced most American technology in its main products. Huawei's US market largely vanished after a congressional panel warned phone carriers in 2012 to avoid the company. It still serves small, mostly rural American carriers and has grown rapidly in Asia, Europe and developing countries. Huawei has one of the world's biggest corporate research and development budgets at some USD 15 billion last year. The company says it it has collected more than USD 1.4 billion in patent fees from US and other since 2015. Two hundred years ago, a Cork City sugar merchant attempted to take hordes of poor Irish families to a fresh life in a land of plenty, in South Africa. But things didnt quite work out as planned, explains Robert Hume During the 19th century, government emigration schemes reduced the number of poor at home and offered a labour force to the colonies. Enticed by prospects abroad, thousands of people signed up to try their luck in the USA, Canada, and Australia, and, to a lesser extent, in New Zealand and South Africa. Bold designs William Parker, a 42 year-old sugar merchant from Passage West, a married man and father to six children, devised what he called an arduous enterprise to transport to the Cape of Good Hope 500 destitute labourers from the waste bog lands of Ireland, helpless widows, and orphans of seamen, who had become a burthen to themselves and a dead weight on society. Using what M.D Nash (The Settler Handbook, 1987) describes as outrageous impertinence and importunity, Parker boasted considerable commercial, nautical, and agricultural experience. He obtained the backing of Charles Grant, secretary for Ireland, and of Sir Nicholas Colthurst, MP for Cork, and even dared approach the Prince Regent himself for approval. The Colonial Department was keen to allocate a substantial share of the emigration grant to relieve poverty in Ireland, and having considered Parkers request, granted permission for him to take 100 Irish families. Dissatisfied with this response, Parker bombarded the department with letters, and made a series of personal visits, in which he demanded 500 hammocks, seven-and-a-half tons of old sails, and a full supply of arms and ammunition (including 200 horse pistols, 100 cavalry swords, and 100,000 musket balls). All these items were refused. By late October 1819, the Cork man had not yet provided a detailed list of the party, as he was required to do, and was informed that his place was at risk, there being many other applicants, perfectly prepared and equally anxious to go. A motley crew... and passenger list In mid-November 1819, he finally submitted his list. The Colonial Department was furious: nearly two-thirds of his prospective settlers were not from Ireland at all, but from London, and had already been turned down. They accused him of hastily collecting together a group of people of whom you can know but little. After Parkers belated payment of the deposit money, in late December 1819, 48 London families arrived in Deptford to board the East Indian, Captain Archibald Hoggs sailing ship, bound for Ireland. At Cork, Parker and his nephew embarked, together with 26 other Irish families. Ten of the passengers were small farmers all capable of paying their own deposits, and a world apart from the starving and emaciated souls Parker had proposed. On February 12, 1820 the East Indian finally sailed for the Cape, its passengers comprising but a few of the four thousand settlers emigrating to South Africa that year. Trouble ahead Quarrels erupted immediately on the ship, and Parker drew up a list of complaints against several men and women, including the Rev. Francis McCleland, the official clergyman who was accompanying the emigrants. The behaviour of would-be missionary and governess, Elizabeth Coyle, so riled him that he tried to get her certified insane. New Cork When the emigrants ventured ashore at the Cape, Parker was offered a semi-desert area in Drog Valley, Clanwilliam, which he flatly rejected. Instead, he demanded land in Saldanha Bay, where he planned to build the harbour city of New Cork. When his request was turned down, he was convinced that sectarianism lay behind the decision of the Catholic colonial secretary to refuse him, a Protestant. Next, Parker reiterated earlier demands to be appointed superintendent of the town of Knysna and colonel of the militia. When offered neither, he started making threats. This Individual is suffering under a degree of mental derangement, declared Acting Cape Governor, Sir Rufane Donkin. Sir Rufane Donkin Parker shunned taking any further responsibility for the party, which began to split and elect new leaders. Only six families remained in Drog Valley. Thirty-one familes, led by shoemaker William Scanlan, and gentlemen Joseph Latham and David Francis, moved east to Albany; others trekked south to Cape Town some 120 miles away to look for work. The Irish settlers scattered themselves across the Cape, and evidence of their farms can still be seen today, in names such as Home Rule, Kildare, Dromore, and The Dargle. A broken and disillusioned man, Parker was offered, and accepted, a free passage back home in 1822. The Colonial Department and governor breathed a sigh of relief. But it was to be short-lived. The Cork sugar merchant now began a hate campaign in print and in parliament, against both of them. P olice in Northern Ireland are investigating a potential dissident republican plot to blow up a lorry due to cross the Irish Sea on Brexit day. The PSNI said they received a report that an explosive device was on a lorry in Belfast docks on Friday January 31. The report received by police claimed the ferry was due to travel to Scotland. An intensive search was carried out and nothing was found, and the ferry sailed as planned. On Monday, officers received a further report that a device was attached to a lorry belonging to a named haulage company. The ferry was due to cross the Irish sea on Brexit day (Reuters) / REUTERS After a two-day search, which involved the search of 400 vehicles, a bomb was found attached to a heavy goods vehicle in the Silverwood industrial estate in Lurgan, Co Armagh. It was made safe by Army bomb disposal officers. Detective Superintendent Sean Wright, from the Police Service of Northern Irelands terrorism investigation unit, said: It is clear from the information available to police that dissident republicans deliberately and recklessly attached an explosive device to a heavy goods vehicle in the full knowledge and expectation that it would put the driver of that vehicle, road users and the wider public at serious risk of injury and possible death. Had this vehicle travelled and the device had exploded at any point along the M1, across the Westlink or into the harbour estate, the risks posed do not bear thinking about. The only conclusion that we can draw is that once again dissident republicans have shown a total disregard for the community, for businesses and for wider society. A bomb was found attached to a heavy goods vehicle in Armagh (Reuters) / REUTERS Detective Superintendent Wright said he wanted to hear from anyone who noticed any suspicious activity in the industrial estate between 4pm and 10pm on January 31, the day the UK left the EU. In addition I ask that anyone who was driving in the area and who would have dash-cam footage around these same times that they contact police, as a matter of urgency, he said. SNI chief constable Simon Byrne gave members of his oversight body the NI Policing Board an outline brief on the incident at their monthly meeting in Belfast. Sinn Feins policing spokesman Gerry Kelly said there could have been catastrophic loss of life if the device had detonated on board a ferry. The fact is this could have ended up on a ferry, he said. If it had exploded, you are talking about catastrophic loss of life and whoever planted this bomb needs to know that. Asked if he believed the attack was timed to coincide with Brexit, Mr Kelly said: From the detail we have here thats a possibility but whatever the reason there is no logic around it except to cause death and destruction. None of the Democrats voted to acquit the president on either article. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) broke with his party to vote to convict Trump of abuse of power. by Ivan Pentchoukov The Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump on both articles of impeachment on Feb. 5, ending the third impeachment trial in U.S. history. The Senators voted among party lines to acquit the president of the two charges against him: abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The Senators voted 52-48 on the first article of impeachment and 53-47 on the second article of impeachment. The Senate having tried Donald John Trump, president of the United States, upon two articles of impeachment exhibited against him by the House of Representatives and two-thirds of the Senators present not having found him guilty of the charges contained therein, it is therefore ordered and adjudged that the said Donald John Trump be and he is hereby acquitted of the charges in said articles, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said. None of the Democrats voted to acquit the president on either article. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) broke with his party to vote to convict Trump of abuse of power. The president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust, Romney said on the Senate floor before the final vote. What the president did was wrong, grievously wrong. Romney and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine were the only Republicans to vote in favor of calling additional witnesses days before the final vote. Collins voted to acquit the president on both articles of impeachment. This decision is not about whether you like or dislike this president, Collins said before the vote. The Senates vote capped off four months of proceedings which began with an announcement by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Sept. 24 last year. Following a rapid inquiry in the House, Democrats impeached the president in a partisan vote on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The United States Senate was made for moments likes this. The Framers predicted that factional fever might dominate House majorities from time to time. They knew the country would need firewall to keep partisan flames from scorching, scorching our Republic, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on the floor of the Senate before the final vote. Acquittal in the trial was all but assured with Republicans holding a 53-47 majority in the Senate while 67 votes are necessary to remove the president. In a speech before the vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) accused the Republicans of covering up for the president. The House managers established the president abused the great power of his office to try to cheat in an election and the Senate majority is poised to look the other way, Schumer said. During the Senate trial, Democrat impeachment managers accused Trump of abusing the power of his office by pressuring Ukraine to investigate his political rivals, including former vice president Joe Biden. The Democrats alleged the president leveraged a hold on $400 million in aid to Ukraine to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to do his bidding and that once Congress began investigating the alleged scheme, Trump obstructed the inquiry. Trumps attorneys, led by White House Counsel Pat Cippolone, argued that the Democrats failed to prove their case, highlighting the lack of first-hand witnesses who could back up the claims. Throughout the impeachment inquiry and Senate trial, Trump slammed the proceedings as a partisan hoax. The president has pointed to the transcript of his July 25 call with Zelensky as the ultimate evidence of his innocence. On the call, Trump asked Zelensky to look into the firing of Ukraines top prosecutor, Viktor Shokin. Two weeks before Shokin was pressured to submit his resignation, his office had seized the assets of Mykola Zlochevsky, the owner of Ukrainian gas giant Burisma. At the time, Hunter Biden, Joe Bidens son, held a lucrative position on the board of directors of Burisma. Joe Biden has since bragged, on multiple occasions, that he forced Shokins firing by withholding $1 billion in aid to Ukraine. While Joe and Hunter Biden have denied any wrongdoing, Hunter Biden admitted he exercised poor judgement by joining the board while his father was vice president. Joe Biden on Sunday also conceded when asked during an interview with NBCs Today Show that it was a bad image. Yeah. And my son said that, Biden said. Former national security adviser John Bolton added a twist to the trial when claims from his unpublished book were leaked to the press. In the book, Bolton reportedly claimed to have first-hand knowledge of Trumps involvement in the alleged campaign to pressure Ukraine. Democrats abandoned their pursuit of Boltons testimony during the House inquiry, but revived the calls after the contents of the book were leaked. Republicans rejected calling on Bolton and other additional witnesses. The rationale for the Republicans who voted not guilty mainly fell in two categories. Some said the Democrats failed to prove their case. Others argued that even if the case was proven, the charges brought were not impeachable. Trump did not mention the impeachment during an optimistic State of the Union address on the night before the acquittal vote. In a sign of how impeachment widened the schism between the two parties, Trump did not shake Pelosis hand prior to the speech. As Trump concluded his address, Pelosi ripped up a copy of the presidents prepared remarks. The presidents acquittal comes two days after the first 2020 presidential primary election in Iowa. The Democrats alleged that Trumps overture to Ukraine constituted an attempt to interfere in the 2020 election. While Trump scored a handy victory in Iowa on Feb. 3, Iowa Democrats were yet to report on the final results of the caucuses by the time Trump was acquitted on the afternoon of Feb. 5. Party officials blamed the delay on problem with a mobile app used to report caucus results. Trumps approval rating, which has fluctuated in the mid- to low-40s, hit a new high of 49 percent in the latest Gallup polling, which was conducted as the Senate trial was drawing to a close. The poll found that 51 percent of the public views the Republican Party favorably, the first time the GOPs number has exceeded 50 percent since 2005. State Assembly and Senate lawmakers received more than $1.25 million in daily allowances in 2019, a 6% decrease compared to payouts in 2017, the previous non-election year. The decrease came as power in the Capitol shifted from complete Republican control to a Republican-controlled Legislature and Democratic governor after the 2018 election. The Legislature and governor are on track to enact significantly fewer bills this session and likely hold fewer session days. Also, the state budget process wrapped up more quickly last year than in 2017. The daily allowances, also referred to as per diems, cover expenses lawmakers accrue while in the state Capitol on legislative business and are paid out in addition to their yearly salary of $52,999. The top recipient between both state legislative chambers was Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, R-Juneau, who received $20,125 and spent 175 days in the Capitol. Other top recipients in the Senate included Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-West Point, with $15,180 for 142 days, and Sen. Tim Carpenter, D-Milwaukee, with $14,145 for 123 days in Madison. Erpenbach attributes his per diem amount to the time he spends in Madison. I average about three days a week in the office at the Capitol, he said. Fitzgeralds time spent in the Capitol in 2019 was topped only by Sen. Fred Risser, D-Madison, who clocked 208 days and received $10,400 in per diem payouts. Risser ranked 19th in per diem payouts in the Senate and 56th between the two chambers. Key facts The cap for the daily allowance is $115 for Senate lawmakers who live outside of Dane County and $57.50 for those who live within the county. Senate per diems, funded by taxpayers, cover room, board and meals on days lawmakers are in the Capitol on legislative business, excluding Saturdays and Sundays unless a special session or committee meeting is called. Each senator is required to sign an affidavit at the beginning of the legislative session that states how much theyre going to collect per day to cover room, board and meals. The distance between a senators home and the Capitol isnt taken into consideration for these allowances, specifically, but lawmakers are given a travel stipend of 51 cents per mile for one round trip per week, said Wisconsin State Senate Chief Clerk Jeff Renk. There is no maximum for the number of days lawmakers can claim per diems. They could be in the Capitol five days a week for every week of the year on legislative business, Renk said. Across the hall In the Assembly, the top three per diem recipients were Rep. Gary Tauchen, R-Bonduel, with $17,415 and 130 days in Madison; Rep. John Nygren, R-Marinette, with $15,821 for 115 days; and Rep. Joel Kitchens, R-Sturgeon Bay, with $15,689 for 118 days in the Capitol. Rep. Melissa Sargent, D-Madison, who is running for an open state Senate seat in November, spent the most time of the Assembly members in the Capitol, with 153 days for $12,393. That amount ranked 19th-highest in the Assembly. Similar to the Senate, per diem allotments in the Assembly differ between Dane County residents, who can claim $81 per day, and lawmakers who reside outside of the county, who can claim $162 per overnight stay. Rep. Gary Hebl, D-Sun Prairie, followed Sargent as the Assembly member with the second-highest amount of days spent in the Capitol on legislative work, with 145 days for $11,754. Rep. David Bowen, D-Milwaukee, ranked third with 144 days for $11,664. The 2019 per diem amount for state lawmakers is set at 90% of the rate established by the U.S. General Services Administration. But according to state statute, the organization committee of each house sets the actual maximum rates that may be claimed by lawmakers. Top 20 legislater per diem payouts for 2019 Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 English French Deep drilling highlights: 23.57 g/t over 2.60 m, 22.17 g/t over 1.80 m and 14.30 g/t over 2.00 m Infill drilling highlights: 26.42 g/t over 2.05 m and 13.67 g/t over 2.25 m Results continue to validate the 2019 litho-structural model ROUYN-NORANDA, Quebec, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Radisson Mining Resources Inc. (TSX-V: RDS, OTC: RMRDF): (Radisson or the Company") today announced significant high-grade Gold intercepts from the 20,000 m exploration drill program underway at its OBrien gold project located along the Larder-Lake-Cadillac Break halfway between Rouyn-Noranda and Val-dOr in Quebec, Canada. (See figure 1 and 2 ). The ongoing 20,000 m drill program, announced in August 2019, represents the companys first exploration program to test targets defined by the new litho-structural model (released February 2019 ). A key objective of the first round of drilling was to further validate the model and better define high potential targets for resource expansion and conversion. See OBrien Longitudinal Section and Lower 36E longitudinal section Drilling at OBrien continues to deliver excellent results that continue to demonstrate the continuity of high-grade mineralization within and outside the current resource area. Our primary focus so far has been the 36E Zone, where we are pleased to report an over 90% success rate with most holes returning multiple high-grade intercepts over economic widths. We believe this is a testament to our robust litho-structural model that has proven to be quite accurate in predicting high-grade mineralization. We continue to be very encouraged by results from the Lower 36E Zone following up on high-grade intercepts released on October 29, 2019 and January 17, 2020 . Results from newly released holes OB-19-107 (23.57 g/t Au over 2.60 m) and OB-19-106 (14.30 g/t over 2.00 m and 22.17 g/t Au over 1.80 m) demonstrate strong continuity below the current resource and within what appears to be a high grade enrichment vector from 550 m to 850 m. Results to date have reaffirmed our confidence in the geologic model and the resource growth opportunity at OBrien. Approximately 17,780 m of drilling has been completed so far (assays pending for 4,000 m. approx.). While results so far have exceeded our expectations, we look forward to increasing the pace of drilling in the coming months to complete up to 60,000 m by the end of 2020. In the coming months, we look forward to regular exploration updates that we believe will serve as additional catalysts to confirm the significant resource potential at the OBrien project. commented Mario Bouchard, President and CEO. Notable drill intercepts (see table accompanying press release for details): Lower 36E Zone (below 550 m) Hole OB-19-107: 23.57 g/t over 2.60 m from 711.0 m core length with visible gold, within a broader mineralized interval of 8.29 g/t Au over 9.00 m. Hole OB-19-106: Multiple intercepts including, 14.30 g/t Au over 2.00 m from 615.75 m core length; from 615.75 m core length; 22.17 g/t Au over 1.80 m from 634.90 m core length with visible gold ( see photo ). Upper 36E Zone (above 550 m) Hole OB-19-109: Multiple intercepts including, 13.67 g/t Au over 2.25 m from 426.75 m core length including visible gold from 426.75 m core length including visible gold 7.79 g/t Au over 4.00 m from 511.00 core length, including 10.20 g/t over 2.00 m. Upper F Zone, above 550 m Hole OB-19-111: Multiple intercepts including, 26.42 g/t Au over 2.05 m from 608.80 m core length; from 608.80 m core length; 8.91 g/t Au over 2.00 m from 641.20 m core length. Lower 36E Zone Exploration (below 550 m) Drilling so far demonstrates strong continuity within a potential high-grade mineralized vector from 550 955 m (vertical depth). Mineralization at the Lower 36E zone remains open along strike and laterally to depths below 955 m. Hole OB-19-107 intersected 23.57 g/t over 2.60 m at an approximate vertical depth of 700 m and 100 m west of previously released intercept, 16.76 g/t over 4.00 m (hole OB-19-101). The drill rig no.1 is now focused on a potential second high-grade mineralized vector approximately 200 m to the east. This target is located near a historical drill hole that returned 17.46 g/t Au over 1.00 m at 1,120 m vertical depth. This historical drill hole highly correlates to an enrichment vector, and one of the main zones defined in current resources on the Upper 36E Zone. Upper 36E Zone and Upper F zone Exploration (above 550 m) Drilling within the resource area continues to return positive results suggesting the potential for resource conversion/expansion above 550 m. Infill drill hole OB-19-109 completed in the resource area on upper 36E, intersected 13.67 g/t Au over 2.25 m, and 7.79 g/t Au over 4.00 m, respectively at 426.75 m and 511.00 m core length. Infill drill hole OB-19-111 completed in the F Zone, intersected 26.42 g/t Au over 2.05 m, and 8.91 g/t Au over 2.00 m, respectively at 608.80 m and 641.20 m core length. Fully funded to expand current drill program To date 26 drill holes have been completed for a total of 17,780 m, assays are pending for 4,000 m of drilling in 6 drill holes of which 2 contained visible gold. With approximately $8.2M1 in treasury, Radisson is fully funded to complete and expand the ongoing 20,000 m drill program. Further drill plans are expected to be finalized in the near future based on results from the ongoing program. 1 Estimated as at February 3rd, 2020. Drilling results and pending assays Hole Zone From (m) To (m) Length (m) Grade g/t Au Comments OB-19-101W1 36E Infill 243.00 243.60 0.60 14.20 Piche Basalt 304.60 305.60 1.00 12.35 Piche Porphyry OB-19-102 36E Infill 354.70 356.40 1.70 4.87 Piche Conglomerat-Porphyry OB-19-103 36E Infill 414.90 415.90 1.00 9.79 Piche Basalt, VG* 424.20 425.20 1.00 7.05 Piche Basalt OB-19-104 36E Infill 249.50 250.80 1.30 6.64 Pontiac Graywacke 552.75 554.05 1.30 9.90 Piche Basalt, VG* OB-19-105 36E Infill 639.00 641.20 2.20 5.22 Piche Basalt OB-19-106 36E Lower 615.75 617.75 2.00 14.30 Piche Porphyry 634.90 636.70 1.80 22.17 Piche Graywacke Including 635.60 636.10 0.50 79.10 VG* OB-19-107 36E Lower 709.00 718.00 9.00 8.29 Piche Basalt-Porphyry Including 711.00 713.60 2.60 23.57 VG* OB-19-109 36E Infill 426.75 429.00 2.25 13.67 Piche Basalt Including 426.75 427.50 0.75 40.70 VG* 511.00 515.00 4.00 7.79 Piche Basalt Including 513.00 515.00 2.00 10.20 OB-19-111 F Zone 608.80 610.85 2.05 26.42 Piche Conglomerate 641.20 643.20 2.00 8.91 Piche Basalt OB-19-108 Vintage - - - - Assays Pending OB-19-110 Vintage - - - - Assays Pending OB-19-111W1 F Zone - - - - VG* Assays Pending OB-19-112 Vintage - - - - Assays Pending OB-19-113 36E Lower - - - - In progress OB-19-114 Vintage - - - - VG* Assays Pending *VG; Denotes presence of visible gold Results are presented as down hole width; true widths are estimated between 70 to 80% of down-hole thickness. QA/QC All drill cores in this campaign are NQ in size. Assays were completed on sawn half-cores, with the second half kept for future reference. The samples were analyzed using standard fire assay procedures with Atomic Absorption (AA) finish at ALS Laboratory Ltd, in Val-dOr, Quebec. Samples yielding a grade higher than 5 g/t were analyzed a second time by fire assay with gravimetric finish at the same laboratory. Samples containing visible gold were analyzed with metallic sieve procedure. Standard reference materials and blank samples were inserted prior to shipment for quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) program. Qualified Person Richard Nieminen, P. Geo, Exploration manager, acts as a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release. About Radisson Mining Resources Inc. Radisson is a gold exploration company focused on its 100% owned OBrien project, located in the Bousquet-Cadillac mining camp along the world-renowned Larder-Lake-Cadillac Break in Abitibi, Quebec. The Bousquet-Cadillac mining camp has produced over 21,000,000 ounces of gold over the last 100 years. The project hosts the former OBrien Mine, considered to have been the Abitibi Greenstone Belts highest-grade gold producer during its production (1,197,147 metric tons at 15.25 g/t Au for 587,121 ounces of gold from 1926 to 1957; Kenneth Williamson 3DGeo-Solution, July 2019). For more information on Radisson, visit our website at www.radissonmining.com or contact: On behalf of the board of directors Mario Bouchard President and CEO, director For more information on Radisson, visit our website at www.radissonmining.com or contact: Certain information contained in the press release are subject to receipt of all regulatory approvals. 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 All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release including, but not limited to, those relating to the intended use of proceeds of the Offering, the development of the OBrien project and generally, the above About Radisson Mining Resources Inc. paragraph which essentially describes the Corporations outlook, constitute forward-looking information or forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements and future events, could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. A description of assumptions used to develop such forward-looking information and a description of risk factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from forward looking information can be found in Radissons disclosure documents on the SEDAR website at www.sedar.com . By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about managements endeavours to develop the OBrien project and, more generally, its expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important risk factors and future events could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those made in our other filings with the securities regulators of Canada. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law. Story by Daniel Simmons-Ritchie Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by PennLive/The Patriot-News, The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter. HARRISBURG The Pennsylvania chapter of a national advocacy group known for its long-running campaign to improve lobbying transparency and government accountability has been fined for failing to disclose its lobbying expenses. The State Ethics Commission imposed a $19,900 fine on Common Cause Pennsylvania in January after the group filed a quarterly lobbying report 112 days past the deadline. The group has also been late in filing four other reports since the beginning of 2018, state officials said. Lobbying reports are one of the only ways the public can see how advocacy groups, special interests, and big businesses are attempting to influence lawmakers. In Pennsylvania, groups are required to disclose the names of any lobbyists they employ, the subject matter they lobbied on, and the total amount of money they spent on it. Though Common Cause Pennsylvania reports spending only a few thousand dollars each year on lobbying, the Ethics Commission nonetheless expressed its disappointment about the groups failures, especially since it had helped champion the current law. Its such a shame, Chairman Nicholas Colafella said after the Jan. 23 vote to impose the fine. DONATE NOW and show your support for Spotlight PAs team of journalists fighting for accountability in the state capital. When contacted by Spotlight PA, Micah Sims, the executive director of the state chapter, said he was unaware of the fine and was surprised it had been issued. He conceded the filing was late but said it was because of technical difficulties with the Department of States website. He said the group had been in constant communication with the department about the problem. Sims said he could not recall receiving any warning from the Ethics Commission and pledged that his organization would fight the penalty in court. We will be filing a motion against the penalty because it wasnt necessarily our error, Sims said. It was an error of the Department of State. But the Department of State and the Ethics Commission disputed Sims account. Laura Weis, a spokesperson for the state department, said in a statement that at no point had Common Cause Pennsylvania made it aware of any technical issues or problems filing its expense report. Weis also said the department sent two emails to the organization within a week of the missed deadline. The Ethics Commission said it sent a letter on Aug. 29 by certified mail, addressed to Sims, warning him that his organization would be fined if it didnt file within 30 days. I have no information and no knowledge that Common Cause tried to file, said Rob Caruso, executive director of the commission. Common Cause ultimately filed its report Nov. 2. SIGN UP for Spotlight PAs free weekly newsletter and receive exclusive looks at our work, the most important news from the Capitol, and a roundup of cant-miss stories from across Pa. On Jan. 31, eight days after Spotlight PA first inquired about the fines, the board chair of Common Cause Pennsylvania, Brian Cullin, said the organizations failure to file the reports on time is completely contrary to what we stand for. It doesnt matter that the amounts we report are small we are still obligated to file, and to file on time, Cullin said. We failed to do that, and we are very sorry. Cullin said he was not aware of the failure until Spotlight PAs inquiries. In the future, he said, he will personally file the reports and send them to the Common Cause national office to ensure proper oversight. This will not happen again, he said. Cullin said Common Cause Pennsylvania is interested in negotiating a smaller fine from the Ethics Commission, but presently has no intention to fight the penalty in court. In 2018, the legislature imposed stiffer penalties for lobbying groups that file late, and that has led to better compliance, said Caruso, of the Ethics Commission. Before the change, the commission fined about 20 groups each year. In 2019, it fined about 10 of the estimated 1,700 groups. So overall we are seeing good compliance, Caruso said. Sims said Common Cause Pennsylvania has long complied with the states lobbying disclosure law and the late filing was an anomaly. But Weis, the department spokesperson, said the group was late in filing four other quarterly expense reports since the beginning of 2018. Two occasions resulted in formal notices of non-compliance by the Ethics Commission. In each of those occasions, however, the group filed before the commission issued a penalty. Sims said he didnt know why the group had missed the deadlines. But he noted that, with an annual budget of $200,000 and two full-time staff, they spend little on lobbying. According to the Department of States website, Common Cause Pennsylvania spent $5,600 in 2019 on lobbying. Thats about a quarter of the fine it now owes for filing late. Spotlight PA receives funding from nonprofit institutions and readers like you who are committed to investigative journalism that gets results. Become a Founding Donor today at spotlightpa.org. Read more Heres what towns would pay for state police under Gov. Tom Wolfs fee proposal: Use the database Horse racing industry says 'whoa, Nelly to Wolfs plan to raid its trust fund to pay for college scholarships The Pa. agency that looks for wasteful spending wasted $160,000 on guns and ammo it cant use Was Nehru Communal?' Modi quotes first PM to defend citizenship law India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Feb 06: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday defended the newly amended Citizenship law, making references to Jawaharlal Nehru, partition, the 1975 Emergency and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots. "For someone's aspiration to become the Prime Minister of India, a line was drawn on the map and India was divided into two. After the partition, the way how Hindus, Sikhs and other minorities were persecuted is unimaginable," PM Modi said replying to a debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in Lok Sabha. He said in 1950 when the Nehru-Liaquat Ali pact was signed, it said that minorities won't be discriminated against in Pakistan. "A big, secular person like Nehru, a big visionary; and everything to you, why did he not use all citizens and not minorities? There must have been some reason," he added. Many tubelights are like these: PM Modis dig at Rahul Gandhi The PM then asked, "All these instances, was Nehru communal? I want to know? Did he discriminate between Hindus and Muslims? Did he want a Hindu nation." PM Modi said, much has been said about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by those who "love getting photographed with the group of people who want 'Tukde Tukde' of India." Save constitution cry Attacking the Congress for Save Constitution cry, PM Modi reminded the Congress of Emergency. "There has been talk of 'save constitution'. I agree Congress should say this 100 times in a day. Maybe they will realize their past mistakes. Did you forget this slogan during the emergency? When state Governments were dismissed? When cabinet resolutions were torn?" Modi said a person who was associated with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was made as chief minister. "Does a party that keeps talking about secularism not remember 1984 and the anti-Sikh violence. It was shameful. In addition, they did not make efforts to punish the guilty," he said. On Kashmir issue He also hit out at former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah over their remarks on the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. NEWS AT 3 PM, 6th, FEBRUARY 2020 "Omar Abdullah had said removing Article 370 would bring an earthquake that will separate Kashmir from India. Farooq Abdullah said if Article 370 is removed, there will be no one in the Valley to unfurl the Indian flag. Can any person devoted to the Indian Constitution ever accept this?" Modi said. Nehru and Pakistan are Modis tools of 'distraction: Rahul Gandhi "Those who say such words, they do not trust the people of Kashmir. We trusted them, and now the region is developing at a fast pace," he added. "There were statements made by former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir that were unacceptable. These are leaders who don't trust Kashmiri people that is why they used such language, but we trusted Kashmiris and abrogated Article 370," the Prime Minister said. Modi also referred to the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, saying, "Kashmir's identity was buried on Jan 19, 1990." "Who made Kashmir only about land grabbing? Who made Kashmir's identity only about bombs and guns? Can anyone forget that dark night of January? In reality, Kashmiri identity is closely linked with harmony," he said. On article 370, Triple Talaq and Ram Janmabhoomi "Had we continued with the same path of yours, Article 370 would not have been abrogated, Triple Talaq would not have gone," he told the opposition. Delhi needs govt that will give direction, not play blame game: PM Modi "The people of India have not only changed the Sarkar (government). They want the 'Sarokar' (conduct) to be changed as well. If we had worked according to the old ways and thought processes: Article 370 would never have been history. Muslim women would have kept suffering due to Triple Talaq," he added. "If we worked as per the old ways, Ram Janmabhoomi issue would have remained unsolved. Kartarpur Sahib corridor would not be a reality. There would be no India-Bangladesh land agreement," he said. At Huu Nghi International Border Gate (Photo: VNA) Head of the management board of Dong Dang Lang Son border economic zone Phan Hong Tien said the exports are mostly dragon fruit, watermelon, and mango. Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Pham Ngoc Thuong said drivers and workers involved will be isolated after returning to Vietnam from China for 14 days as part of the efforts to contain the virus outbreak. As of February 5, as many as 362 trucks were waiting in Lang Son to carry exports to China. There's nothing like a great Marvin Gaye or Smokey Robinson song to spark a romantic mood. Motown is romance put to music and nobody does the sound of the Motor City better than Sheryl Youngblood.. Youngblood brings her Women of Motown ensemble to Hobart's Art Theatre (230 Main St.) on Feb. 14. More: facebook.com/HobartArtTheatre. "Its all about a good time, said Youngblood, a Chicago Blues Hall of Fame inductee, who was raised on Motown and now loves performing those songs live on stage. "It's all about having fun. Those songs bring back memories for people and make them forget their problems for a while." Youngblood's backing band Say Yes, is well-rehearsed and the ladies -- Youngblood, Arletha Bolton and Andrea Billups -- are each powerhouse vocalists who bring new life to the classic songs, while still remaining faithful to the original artists. Opening the Valentine's show at Hobart Art Theatre will be the group Triple Dose, anchored by the bass grooves of Keith Jackson, a relative of the famous Jackson family, who will surely cover a song of two from his famous cousins once signed to Motown. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Wade Lange, an entrepreneurial and commercialization executive and Purdue alumnus, now serves as Purdue Research Foundations vice president and chief entrepreneurial officer, where he will provide leadership to the growth of Purdues entrepreneurial ideas to impact ecosystem model. Central to this ecosystem and Langes role is the Purdue Foundry, an internationally recognized startup hub. Since its creation in 2013, the Purdue Foundry has generated more than 250 startups, nearly $400 million in funding and investments and nearly 350 new jobs. Greg Deason, the foundations senior vice president for entrepreneurship and place making, said Langes diverse experience in corporate business development and his expertise in guiding entrepreneurs in the Foundry will create a seamless transition. Wade is already well-known and respected throughout the Purdue entrepreneurial ecosystem and is a natural leader with actionable results, Deason said. We are confident that he will move the Foundry and the extended Purdue team to the next level of entrepreneurship and commercialization with impact. Lange will collaborate with the foundations Office of Technology Commercialization, Discovery Park District, Purdue Research Park network and Purdue University to foster an environment that encourages and supports a vibrant entrepreneurial community. Langes entrepreneurial and industry experience includes COO of Magnolia Therapeutics, president and CEO of university technology spin-out ImmuneWorks, president and CEO of the Indiana Health Industry Forum, and as general manager and executive vice president of West Pharmaceutical Services/Walker Clinical Evaluations. He also served as a Foundry Entrepreneur in Residence from 2016 to 2019. Lange earned a degree from the Purdue College of Pharmacy, and a masters degree from the Krannert School of Management. Lange said he would focus on an outsiders approach to expand and advance Purdues impact through new technologies. The Foundry team has done an outstanding job of creating a vibrant environment where the Purdue family are encouraged and supported in their quest to advance their discoveries and thereby impact our world. Im very excited to join this dynamic team to expand the reach of our mission, Lange said. We have already a strong connection among faculty, students, alumni, administrators and our community, and I look forward to expanding the Foundrys reach to include even more inventors, entrepreneurs, alumni, industry leaders, and economic development leaders with a focus on magnifying the global impact of Purdues research enterprise through entrepreneurship. Lange also will support the Discovery Park District, a 400-acre, $1 billion-plus purpose-driven community on the western edge of campus that will include laboratories, advanced manufacturing facilities, offices, retail shops, restaurants, housing, green space, trails and an airport with a 7,000-foot runway. The district, which is a designated opportunity zone, houses the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration, a facility designed to serve as a front door to companies that seek to collaborate with Purdue. Companies interested in locating in the Discovery Park District or Convergence Center should contact David Broecker, the foundations chief innovation and collaboration officer, at dabroecker@prf.org. About Purdue Foundry The Purdue Foundry is an entrepreneurship and commercialization hub in the Convergence Center for Innovation and Collaboration in the Discovery Park District whose professionals help Purdue innovators create startups. Under the leadership of Purdue Research Foundation, the Purdue Foundry received the 2019 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Award for Place from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org. Writer: Cynthia Sequin, casequin@prf.org Sources: Wade Lange, walange@prf.org Greg Deason, gwdeason@prf.org MCH Group cancels 2020 edition of Art Basel Hong Kong MCH Group announces the cancellation of its upcoming edition of Art Basel in Hong Kong due to the outbreak and spread of the new coronavirus. The fair was scheduled to take place at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) from March 19 to March 21, 2020. Following the severe outbreak of the novel coronavirus, which has recently been declared a global health emergency by the World Health Organization, MCH Group has no option but to cancel the upcoming edition of Art Basel Hong Kong. Numerous factors informed this decision, including fundamental concern for the health and safety of all those working at and attending the fair; the severe logistical challenges facing the build-out and transit of artwork to the show; and the escalating difficulties complicating international travel, all arising as a result of the outbreak of the coronavirus. Bernd Stadlwieser, CEO of MCH Group said: "The decision to cancel Art Basel Hong Kong was an extremely difficult one for us. We explored every other possible option, including postponing the fair, and gathered advice and perspectives from many gallerists, partners, and external experts. However, today, we have no other option but to cancel the fair." Marc Spiegler, Member of MCH Group's Executive Board and Global Director Art Basel said: "Our thoughts are with those affected by the recent coronavirus outbreak all around the world. We are acutely aware of the important role that the fair plays within the region's cultural scene and for our galleries, both in Asia and around the globe. Our team dedicated extensive time and effort to ensure our show in March would be a success over the course of the past year. Unfortunately, the sudden outbreak and rapid spread of the novel coronavirus radically changed the situation." Adeline Ooi, Director Asia, Art Basel said: "We are deeply grateful to our exhibitors, partners, and friends all over the world, and especially in Hong Kong, who have stood by our side, lent their support, and shared insights and opinions over the past days and months. Our commitment to Asia and Hong Kong has not changed, and we look forward to the 2021 edition." The next edition of Art Basel in Hong Kong will take place from March 25-27, 2021. Media release online Contact for the media Art Basel Dorothee Dines +41 58 206 27 06 press@artbasel.com www.artbasel.com MCH Group / Corporate Communications Christian Jecker +41 58 206 22 52 christian.jecker@mch-group.com www.mch-group.com MCH Group / Art Basel MCH Group, based in Basel/Switzerland, is a leading international live-marketing company. Its business activities take in the organisation of about 30 exhibitions, including Art Basel in Basel, Miami Beach and Hong Kong, as well as the operation of the exhibition centres in Basel and Zurich and comprehensive services in the field of experience marketing. www.mch-group.com Founded in 1970 by gallerists from Basel, Art Basel today stages the world's premier art shows for Modern and contemporary art, sited in Basel, Miami Beach, and Hong Kong. Defined by its host city and region, each show is unique, which is reflected in its participating galleries, artworks presented, and the content of parallel programming produced in collaboration with local institutions for each edition. www.artbasel.com The students were told that except Singapore citizens, no foreign nationals from China could board the flight A 21-member group of Kerala medical students studying in Dalian Medical University, China is stuck at Kunming international airport. It is learnt that though the students booked tickets to return to India, via Singapore, the airline and airport authorities denied them permission to board the flight. The students were told that except Singapore citizens, no foreign nationals from China had permission to board the flight. The students came to know about the ban on foreign nationals in Singapore only after reaching the airport, as per a report in Manorama. Though we wanted to return to Kerala early, the journey was delayed due to the visa extension procedures. Our visa was to expire on February 28 hence we had to wait until its extension procedure was completed. After getting the visa, we booked tickets in Scoot Airlines from Kunming to Singapore and from there to Thiruvananthapuram. The University authorities permitted us to move out after submitting written agreement that we wont return to the university hostel. So we cant go back, said a student. In the wake of coronavirus epidemic, only a few passenger flights are operating from Kunming airport. The students have sought the help of Indian authorities to return to Kerala. Have you seen any of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, starring Jack Sparrow? Or perhaps you can recall other pirate films from years past, featuring characters like Blackbeard or Long John Silver (not the restaurant). How about Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones? A common theme in each of these movies was the search for a legendary treasure chest, despite encountering great obstacles. What if, once the heroes had overcome great odds and discovered the long-lost treasure, they simply chose to carry it around, or hide it somewhere else, without inspecting the contents of the treasure chest. Wouldnt that be ludicrous? And yet, many of us possess a storehouse of treasure, often within an arms reach, yet we never open it up to see whats inside. What Im talking about are the Holy Bible, which one passage describes as living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4;:12). For many millions of people around the world, the Scriptures arent so readily available. They cant take advantage of Gods Word because it hasnt yet to be translated into their own languages, whether in written or oral form. And in some cultures, including Communist China and many Middle Eastern nations, possessing even portions of the Bible is forbidden. Believers in these lands face opposition most of us in the Western world couldnt imagine. We dont face such obstacles at least not yet. But perhaps because the Scriptures are so easily accessible, in many versions and an ever-expanding assortment of formats in print, online and even apps, we take them for granted. Like the air we breathe, its there but we rarely notice it. This is sad. Because just as pirates would eagerly open a long-sought treasure chest to examine its content, we should be just as enthusiastic about plumbing the depths of the Bibles treasures. Especially since, as Ive discovered, the Scriptures arent like the average treasure chest: Even if we spent a lifetime exploring them, there would be so much more to learn. Here are just several of the passages upon which I have built my life and faith: More than 40 years ago I adopted Proverbs 3:5-6 as my life verse, and its provided great encouragement through the twists and turns life has taken since then. It states, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and learn not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. One day at a conference I heard someone quote Philippians 3:10 from the Amplified Bible, and it soon turned into my personal mission statement: [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding [the wonders of His Person] more strongly and more clearly. What greater purpose could anyone have than to strive to know and understand God through every aspect of life? Then years ago I came across another passage, Psalm 45:1, that captured my ultimate desire as a writer and journalist. It reads, My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Three passages that have aptly described my life, my mission, and my career. But theres been so much more. For instance, numerous declarations in the Scriptures have underscored the importance of making Jesus Christ central to the believers everyday life. A friend, Ted, often quotes Acts 17:28, which says, For in him we live and move and have our being. Another verse, Colossians 1:27 points out it is Christ in you, the hope of glory. I could go on and on, but Ill cite just one more passage that helped to clarify what I desired for God to do through my life. In 1 Chronicles 4:9-10 we read about a seemingly obscure individual: Jabez was more honorable than his brothers(he) cried out to the Lord God of Israel, Oh, that You would bless me and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain! So God granted him what he requested. Nowhere else in the Scriptures do we read anything about this fellow, Jabez. Hes not included in Hebrews 11s hall of faith or anywhere else in the Bible. But I believe this very brief account was included for a very specific reason that if our hearts desire is to serve God and have a greater impact for His eternal glory, God will eagerly answer such a prayer. Have you discovered any buried treasures in the Bible? I hope you have. If you havent, perhaps you havent really been looking. As the apostle Paul prayed for believers he was writing to, that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:2-3). * * * Few political reputations have sunk so low and as quickly as that of David Cameron. We all know why. Almost four years after the 2016 Brexit referendum, he is still something of an embarrassment, even to himself. There are reports that he was asked by Boris Johnson to chair the COP26 environmental summit in Glasgow this November, but all Cameron could say was too soon. Now that the UK really has left the European Union, any remaining hope that what is regarded as his abiding disastrous legacy might be reversed have evaporated. Obviously pro-Europeans and what was left of the centrist wing of his party resented his unforced error of the 2016 vote (in their view). Yet Cameron is treated with contempt universally, even by those who have profited from his mistakes. Dominic Cummings, now the most powerful man in government (some claim), and the brains behind the 2016 referendum win and the 2019 general election, derides Camerons decision to hold the EU referendum in his celebrated blog: Cameron never had to offer the referendum in the first place. His sudden U-turn was a classic example of how his Downing Street operation lurched without serious thought in response to media pressure, not because of junior people but because of Cameron himself and his terrible choice of two main advisers. His rudeness towards Cameron doesnt end there he did not understand many basic features of how the world works. For his part Cameron labelled Cummings a career psychopath and banned him from Whitehall during the coalition government. We all know, too, that Boris Johnson regards his fellow Old Etonian as a girly swot. Danny Dyer put things most pithily on Good Evening Britain a couple of years ago, and many felt he spoke for the nation: So whats happened to that t*** David Cameron who called it on? Lets be fair, how come he can scuttle off. He called all this on, where is he? In Europe, in Nice, with his trotters up. Where is the geezer? I think he should be held to account for it. T***. Two rail workers were killed and about 30 people injured on Thursday when a high-speed train derailed before dawn near Milan in northern Italy, authorities said. The crash occurred just after 5:30 am (4:30 GMT) near the town of Lodi, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Milan. "It was a serious accident that had a tragic end with the death of two rail workers" aboard the train, Lodi Prefect Marcello Cardona told reporters, who added that an investigation was underway. Cardona said none of the injuries suffered were life-threatening and all casualties had been taken to hospital. The Lombardy region's health department put the number of injured at 31. "It could have been a lot worse," Cardona said, adding that there were only 33 people on board the train. Only one person was in the first car and two people in the second when the accident occurred, he said. While noting that all possible causes were being investigated, Lodi prosecutor Domenico Chiaro said that "the train derailed near a railroad switch that was supposed to be in a position but was not." - 'Really loud roar' - "I thought I was dead," a survivor told local newspaper Liberta from hospital in Piacenza where he was being treated for minor injuries. "I closed my eyes and prayed." "The train was going very fast, perhaps 300 kilometres per hour (around 200 miles per hour)," said the unnamed man in his 20s. "Suddenly, I felt a violent blow. A really loud roar," said the man who was travelling with a friend in the second carriage. "We held hands tightly to avoid falling. The wagon overturned and while waiting for help we went out through a hole to save ourselves," he said, adding that they were stuck on the crashed train for 15 minutes. Two helicopters, hundreds of firemen, police and other authorities descended on the open farmland area outside of Lodi. - Ripped metal - The Milan-Salerno train was en route to Bologna when it came off the tracks before dawn. Video images showed ripped metal at the front of the first car, where the engine separated from the train. The first car was flipped on its side and appeared to be still attached to the rest of the train. The engine car could be seen resting on its side on the other side of a nearby railway building several dozen metres away. According to initial findings reported by the media, the engine went off the rails and struck a freight wagon on a parallel track before hitting the building. Italian media reported that work had been done on the track on Wednesday night, but Cardona said it was premature to jump to conclusions on a link between that work and the accident. "Line maintenance is done continually and it's much too early to associate the accident to maintenance," he said. Dozens of high-speed trains on the north-south route were cancelled following the derailment, while other trains were rerouted, adding an hour to the journey, operator Trenitalia said. Railworker unions said they would stage a strike throughout Italy on Friday from 1100 GMT to 1300 GMT in protest at the "very serious and unacceptable" accident. Italy's last serious train accident occurred in January 2018, when three women died and about 100 passengers were injured when a packed train derailed near Milan due to poor track maintenance. Managers and employees of Italy's state railway, RFI, as well as two former members of the national railway safety agency were charged with negligent homicide and other crimes. The cause of the crash near the Italian town of Lodi is still unknown, authorities said The engine reportedly went off the rails and struck a freight wagon on a parallel track before hitting the building The Milan-Salerno train was en route to Bologna when it came off the tracks A ap locating Lodi in Italy, near where a high-speed train derailed Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 16:23 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062fd835 1 World Chinese-tourists,China,Bali-Airport,Bali-tourism,Ngurah-Rai-International-Airport,coronavirus,repatriation Free The Chinese government plans to repatriate its citizens from Bali following the recent cancellation of all flights to and from mainland China, Bali airport authority officials have said. Flights to and from China have been suspended since Wednesday at Ngurah Rai International Airport as part of government measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, stranding thousands of Chinese tourists on the island. Read also: Thousands of Chinese tourists stranded in Bali as govt halts flights to and from China Bali Airport Authority head Elfi Amir said the details of the plan including the number of Chinese nationals to be repatriated from Bali and the number of airplanes to be used for the repatriation were still uncertain. We have yet to receive an official notice. Weve only received verbal information. The permits will be processed in Jakarta, Elfi told kompas.com on Thursday morning. In principle, [the airport authority] supports [the move]. He said the authority had coordinated with related parties to ensure that the technicalities of the plan would be properly addressed. We last heard that [China] was still preparing the required permits and that Indonesia would support the repatriation of Chinese nationals, Elfi said. A Boeing 777 owned by China Eastern Airlines is due to land at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on Friday, he said. It will depart for Denpasar from Shanghai and then go to Wuhan, he said. (rfa) The Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Palo Alto, California, is set to become the first in the U.S., and possibly the world, to make use of fifth-generation cellular wireless technology (5G) to transform the delivery of health care, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said Wednesday. "VA will now have the first 5G hospital in America. As I speak, Palo Alto is about to become the first 5G-enabled health facility in the world and should be operational this year," with parts of the system coming online this week, he said at a National Press Club news conference. The new technology is expected to deliver "richer, more detailed, three-dimensional images of the patient's anatomy with resolution so clear and consistent that it will give us reliable use of important telesurgery services to veterans across the nation," Wilkie said. "That means reliable capacity to allow the VA's best physicians to consult during surgery even when they are not in the same room or halfway across the country." 5G's higher resolution and faster downloads will enhance the VA's expanding use of telehealth to reach rural veterans. Related: VA Secretary Wilkie on Firing His Deputy: 'Nothing Personal,' Just Business In fiscal 2019, more than 900,000 veterans used VA telehealth services, a 17% increase over the previous year, according to department statistics. Using 5G, doctors at the VA's Palo Alto Health Care System (PAHCS), which is affiliated with Stanford University, will be able to "look at a patient and look below the incision line to guide a surgeon in ways that have never been possible," Wilkie said. Doctors will now have the ability to "see beneath layers of skin before the first incision is ever made" through three-dimensional images of a patient's anatomy, he said. Such procedures were not possible under federal guidelines before the advent of 5G, Wilkie added. The Food and Drug Administration "was never able to approve these practices" because the available 4G technology "simply could not carry that much information. We are on the cutting edge," he explained. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Read more: The Pentagon Is Crowdsourcing Names for the Members of Space Force Representative Image Pakistan's bid to call an immediate meeting on Kashmir by Saudi-led Organisation of Islamic Cooperation seems to have failed after Riyadh showing reluctance to the move, according to a Pakistani media report on Thursday. In December, there were plans to convene a meeting of the foreign ministers of the OIC on Kashmir by Saudi Arabia, in an apparent move by the kingdom to please Pakistan which skipped a recent summit of Muslim nations in Malaysia seen by Riyadh as an attempt to create a new bloc to replace the 57-member grouping led by it. Prime Minister Imran Khan had confirmed Pakistan's participation in the summit hosted by Malaysia, but skipped the event at the eleventh hour due to pressure exerted by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - key financial backers of the cash-strapped country. The report by Dawn News came ahead of the bloc's senior officials' meeting in Jeddah on February 9 to make preparations for the Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM). Islamabad's feeling of unease with the OIC over its failure to get the CFM's meeting appears to be growing, as Riyadh was showing reluctance to convene the meeting on Kashmir on Pakistan's request, the report quoted a diplomatic source as saying. The Jeddah-headquartered bloc, which is the second largest intergovernmental body after the UN, has usually been supportive of Pakistan and often sided with Islamabad on the Kashmir issue. Prime Minister Khan voiced frustration over the OIC's silence on Kashmir during his visit to Malaysia. "The reason is that we have no voice and there is a total division amongst (us). We can't even come together as a whole on the OIC meeting on Kashmir," he said this week. Pakistan has been pushing for the foreign ministers' meeting on Kashmir since India abrogated the special provisions of Kashmir in August last year. Although there has been a meeting of the contact group on Kashmir on the sidelines of UN General Assembly session in New York and a report by the OIC's Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission on the alleged rights abuses in Kashmir, no progress could be made towards the CFM's meeting. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, while underscoring the importance of CFM for Pakistan, said it was needed to send a clear message from Ummah (community) on the Kashmir issue. Support from Riyadh is considered a must for any move at the OIC, which is dominated by Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries from the Gulf. The kingdom has made several proposals to Pakistan to avoid the CFM including holding of a parliamentary forum or speakers' conference from Muslim countries and, according to a source, a joint meeting on Palestine and Kashmir issues. Pakistan has persisted with its proposal so far. Saudi Arabia, soon after Pakistan's absence at the Malaysia summit, showed flexibility in December on the proposal for the CFM on Kashmir. The Saudi flexibility, however, was short-lived as Riyadh reverted to its position. India, in a major diplomatic achievement in March last year, addressed the OIC meeting in Abu Dhabi for the first time. India's participation came despite strong demand by Pakistan to rescind the invitation to then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to address the grouping of the OIC which was turned down by the host UAE, resulting in Pakistan's Foreign Minister Qureshi boycotting the plenary. Presidency University (PU) vice-chancellor Anuradha Lohia took ill and left the campus even as students continued to gherao her office on Wednesday evening. An ambulance was summoned to take her home. The students did not stop her but said they would continue the agitation. Students have gheraoed Lohias office since Monday. Though she managed to give them a slip in the early hours of Tuesday, she returned in the afternoon and remained confined to her chamber as students ensured round-the-clock vigil of her office. While a section of faculty tried to mediate , they could not arrive at an amicable solution. Earlier, Lohia could not be contacted and registrar Debajyoti Konar did not respond to messages for a response on the agitation. The students agitation spearheaded by PU students union, run by Students Federation of India, the student wing of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), entered 15th day on Wednesday. We had four demands over hostel renovation when we began our agitation but now we have seven, said students union general secretary Souren Malik. He said the students had submitted memorandums to the V-C but received no response. Since the V-C has refused to speak to us, the agitation will continue, said Deeprajit, a student in the economics department. Education minister Partha Chatterjee urged students to exercise restraint and that gherao wasnt the only solution. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Photo: Michael Schellenberg Summer Wu and her one-year-old son Felix wait on plane destined for Canada at Wuhan airport. UPDATE: 9:35 a.m. A plane carrying Canadian citizens home from the centre of the global novel coronavirus outbreak has landed in Vancouver. The evacuation flight organized by the federal government departed from Wuhan, the Chinese city where the outbreak originated. The plane was originally due to take off on Wednesday, but was delayed due to bad weather. Several dozen more Canadian passengers left China on board a United States government flight that departed a few hours later. All evacuees from Wuhan will spend 14 days under quarantine at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, where they will be monitored to see if they have contracted the virus. Canadian officials have documented five cases of coronavirus in the country so far and say the quarantine is necessary to ensure the virus doesn't spread further. UPDATE 11:45 a.m. A charter plane carrying Canadian citizens home from the centre of the global novel coronavirus outbreak has begun its journey home. The evacuation flight organized by the federal government has departed from Wuhan, the Chinese city where the outbreak originated. The plane was originally due to take off on Wednesday, but was delayed due to bad weather. About 50 more Canadian passengers are expected to leave China on board a United States government flight scheduled to depart in a few hours. All evacuees from Wuhan will spend 14 days under quarantine at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, where they will be monitored to see if they have contracted the virus. Canadian officials have documented five cases of coronavirus in the country so far and say the quarantine is necessary to ensure the virus doesn't spread further. UPDATE: 10:20 a.m. The federal government has chartered a second flight to bring Canadians home from the centre of the new coronavirus outbreak next week. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne says that second flight is scheduled to leave Wuhan on Feb. 10 and arrive in Canada the next day. People have already begun boarding the first flight that will soon take some Canadians out of Wuhan, a city under quarantine in central China. Champagne says some of the 211 people who were on the passenger list for that flight, which had been delayed, did not show up. That flight is expected to land early Friday at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, where passengers will remain under quarantine for 14 days. There are also a few dozen seats for Canadians on a U.S. plane set to leave Wuhan a few hours after the initial flight chartered by the Canadian government. UPDATE: 9:20 a.m. Hundreds of people in Wuhan have begun boarding the flight that will take them out of the centre of the new coronavirus outbreak and back to their families and friends in Canada. Myriam Larouche, a 25-year-old student from Quebec who is in Wuhan, said the flight began to board just past midnight Friday local time. More than 300 people have asked for Ottawa's help getting out of the city, but Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne has said there are 211 passengers expected on the flight. An update from the government is expected later Thursday. Kate Schellenberg said she received a text message from her twin brother Michael as he was waiting to board. He is set to leave China with his wife Summer Wu and their one-year-old son Felix. He told her that he could see the plane, and people wearing yellow hazmat suits. Global Affairs Canada advised passengers to expect delays, noting that Chinese authorities would be performing health screening and immigration controls before people were allowed to board. "The check-in experience will be significantly different to what you may be used to," said an email, obtained by The Canadian Press. "We ask for your understanding and patience." Those who aren't able to get to the airport or who have decided not to make the trip are asked to contact consular officials. Upon their arrival in Canada, evacuees will be quarantined at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in southern Ontario for two weeks. ORIGINAL: 6:20 a.m. Canadian evacuees from Wuhan have been told they will soon board the flight that will bring them home. An email from Global Affairs Canada obtained by The Canadian Press says the flight "will be closing soon in anticipation for boarding." Richard Fabic, whose 15-month-old daughter has been stranded in the locked-down central Chinese city, says he got the email Thursday. Those who aren't able to get to the airport or who have decided not to make the trip are being urged to contact consular officials. Upon their arrival in Canada, evacuees will be quarantined at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in southern Ontario for two weeks. Wuhan has been the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, which has now sickened more than 28,000 and killed 563 in China. Former President John Mahama has warned that anybody any bloody tasty group who the aim to frustrate the National Democratic Congress (NDC) from freely and fairly participating in the December polls, would be held accountable to his government when he wins. Speaking at the one-year anniversary of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence which saw some NDC supporters shot by masked national security operatives, the flag bearer of the biggest opposition party, said: A leading member of the NPP declared publicly that Ayawaso West Wuogon was just a dress rehearsal and that the real events would be on 7 December 2020. He continued, Since he made this statement, I havent heard the President, his Vice-President, the NPP leadership dissociate themselves from this statement that was made by the leading member. The people of Ghana, under the 1992 Constitution, have a constitutional mandate to defend the Constitution and our national sovereignty and we will call on the people of Ghana to prevent any subversion of the will of the people and resist any attempt to undermine the Constitution of Ghana on 7 December 2020, he stated. Mr. Mahama then warned: Let me serve notice that all those contemplating bloodshed and their promoters, if they shed any Ghanaian blood on 7th December, 2020 and by the grace of God, I become the President of this country on 7th January, 2021, they would be held individually to account for their actions. Veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt Jnr also criticised the Ghana Police Services boycott of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence commemoration. According to him, the Services refusal to provide security for organisers of the one year anniversary of the sad happening is an indictment on its professionalism. This is the first time in my life and perhaps the first time in recorded history that a police institution is calling on policemen not to provide security. Now if the police are not providing security, what are the police there for?, he stressed. "What the use of the police is if they are not ready to provide security at such events with the former president and other leaders in attendance," he quizzed. His comments follow a supposed wireless message by the police signed by Emmanuel Afriyie Sakyi as directive that no police officer should be detailed to provide security for the event. Indeed all police officers within the region must dissociate themselves from the event. It concluded that any officer found to have availed his/himself at the ceremony will be severely sanctioned. Accept for strict compliance. The by-election which was held on January 31, 2019, was marred by a shooting incident at the residence of Mr. Kwasi Delali Brempong, the NDC candidate, which resulted in injuries to 18 persons. An observer at one of the polling stations was also assaulted. At the La Bawaleshie School Park, the NDC MP for Ningo Prampram, Mr. Samuel Nartey George, who was observing the elections, was allegedly assaulted by some unidentified persons. Source: The Punch Newspaper Email:[email protected] At 28, Allana Hutchins' number one priority was caring for her three young daughters, Ava, nine, Kora, seven and five-year-old Ana. The New Zealand police officer spent days off taking her little girls on trips across the countryside, playing outdoors and giving them as active a life as possible. So when the busy single mother from Hawkes Bay rapidly lost 10 kilos in the space of two weeks over Christmas in 2018, she gave it little thought, putting it down to stress from her hectic schedule. 'I wasn't trying to lose weight, wasn't exercising any more than usual, but I felt fine so I just put it down to stress,' she told Daily Mail Australia. But as weeks passed, Allana felt increasingly fatigued and during the first week of February 2019, she found a small lump in between the two lowest ribs on the left side of her torso. At 28, Allana Hutchins' number one priority was caring for her three young daughters, Ava (right) Kora (left) and Ana (second from right) A Google search suggested she had a swollen spleen, often caused by a mild infection, and she made an appointment with her GP to get antibiotics. When blood tests showed no sign of infection, doctors ran a series of scans and admitted her to hospital for further investigation. 'Looking back, I definitely felt more tired than I was letting on. I had a lot of symptoms, loss of appetite, going to the bathroom constantly, a lot of nausea,' she said. 'When my kids are sick, I can tell you when they last ate or went to the toilet down to the second, but I guess you just don't take care of yourself so well. You put them first.' The hardworking police officer and single mother always put her children first, thinking little when she grew increasingly tired and nauseous On Sunday morning, March 3, 2019, Allana received the devastating news that a large tumour was growing on her left kidney. 'A specialist came in and asked me if I wanted the results sugar coated, or given to me straight. They'd found a mass and they could tell it was cancerous without even needing to test it,' she said. The growth was stage two papillary renal cell carcinoma, a type of cancer that develops inside the lining of the kidneys. The early symptoms most renal cancer sufferers feel can be easily attributed to everyday pressures, which causes people to dismiss warning signs and can lead to a delayed diagnosis. Tiredness and unexplained weight loss - both of which Allana experienced - can have relatively innocent explanations, but fever, blood in the urine and pain or lumps in the side should be reported to a doctor as soon as they are discovered. Allana struggled to accept her disease, believing she was too young and too healthy to have cancer (pictured with friend Jade in 2017, a year and a half before her diagnosis) 'I cried a little bit, but to be honest that was more because I could see how uncomfortable the doctor was while she was telling me,' Allana said. Doctors scheduled emergency surgery for the following Thursday, leaving Allana just three days to notify her work and meet with lawyers to draw up a will to protect her beloved daughters Ava, Kora and little Ana. 'It was surreal, a total blur. One minute I'm at work, playing with my girls, the next I'm in hospital about to have my organs removed. 'I didn't believe it. I was 28, healthy, with three young kids; I didn't feel sick enough to have cancer,' she said. A seven hour long operation removed Allana's left kidney along with a huge tumour - 11cm wide and 15 cm long - and 20cm of her bowel, leaving her with a straight scar of the same length across her lower stomach. A seven hour long operation removed Allana's left kidney along with a huge tumour - 11cm wide and 15 cm long - and 20cm of her bowel, leaving her with a straight scar of the same length stretching across her lower stomach Symptoms of kidney cancer Symptoms of kidney cancer include pain in the side or a dull ache in the lower back, a lump in the side, unexplained weight loss, excessive fatigue, blood in the urine and unexplained fever. Survival rates are determined by the stage cancer has reached when it is diagnosed. For stage one, the odds of surviving five years or longer are better than 80 percent. By stage four, when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, the five-year survival rate drops to just eight percent. Source: Healthline Advertisement After a week in recovery, the family were overjoyed when a post-operation scan confirmed Allana's cancer had been completely removed, and doctors scheduled check-ups to monitor her condition over the coming months. But in late August 2019, days after celebrating her 29th birthday, the cancer had regrown aggressively in the bed of her kidney and spread to her uterus. It had advanced to stage four. For people with stage one papillary renal cell carcinoma, the odds of surviving five years or longer are better than 80 percent. By the time the disease reaches stage four, the five-year survival rate drops to just eight percent. 'This cancer is so rare at my age, they can't even give me a predicted life expectancy,' she said. 'From the cases they have, some have lasted a year, and some haven't even made it to a year.' After receiving the news, Allana's only thought was of leaving her young children behind. Days after her 29th birthday, when Allana was told the cancer had regrown in the bed of her kidney and spread to her uterus, her only thought was of leaving her young children behind Treatment for Allana's cancer is complicated. Neither chemotherapy or radiation are effective alone, leaving her with no alternative but an experimental and expensive drug called Sunitinib, a daily tablet which costs a staggering $10,315 AUD ($10,760 NZ) per month. While Australia and New Zealand have two of the highest rates of kidney cancer in the world, only behind the US, neither country has a screening programme for the disease and funding is low in comparison to other cancers. Allana's aunt Lisa has started a fundraising campaign to pay for medication, which has received generous donations which will fund her treatment until the beginning of April 2020. Allana hopes to take her beloved daughters around New Zealand to visit family and friends this year, as she bravely continues her battle against cancer Over the past four months the tumour in her kidney bed has shrunk by 6cm, making her eligible to start rounds of chemo to halt cancer from spreading further. But doctors have told Allana they cannot cure her cancer, only slow the progression of her illness. 'Chemo will never cure it. It will slow it down but eventually the cancer will overpower the chemo and it will stop working,' she said. In January, Allana took Ava, Kora and Ana on a trip to the Gold Coast in Queensland where they made swam in the sea and played on the beach, making memories as a family. She hopes to take them around New Zealand to visit family and friends this year as she bravely continues her battle against cancer. North Dakota could see a rise in workers compensation claims if marijuana is legalized, the states workplace safety agency told lawmakers on Feb. 4. Jodi Bjornson, a lawyer for North Dakota Workforce Safety and Insurance, said someone under the influence of marijuana who is hurt on the job would not be compensated presently because it would have been presumed to have caused the work injury. But that could change if the drug is made legal for recreational use unless lawmakers crafted rules to forbid it, Bjornson told the interim Judiciary Committee, a panel tasked with studying of the pros and cons of marijuana legalization. The study is required by a bill the Republican-led Legislature passed in 2019 and comes four years after lawmakers were caught off-guard by voters approval of medical marijuana, forcing a scramble to write rules implementing that law. Backers of two proposed citizen-led initiatives that aim to make the drug legal for recreational use are gathering signatures to get them on the ballot this year. North Dakota voters in 2018 soundly rejected a marijuana legalization initiative that included a provision that would wipe out past pot-related convictions. Supporters contend the legalization would free up law enforcement to tackle more serious crimes. They counted on a shoe-leather campaign to build support, raising little money for their effort and getting only token help from national legalization groups. Neither group has submitted the required signatures to get their proposals on the ballot. The Feb. 4 meeting was the second held by the interim legislative panel, which has heard presentations from law enforcement, regulators and proponents of the proposed ballot measures. Bismarck Republican Rep. Lawrence Klemin, who heads the panel, said he expected at least one more meeting, after which a report would be crafted and presented to the Legislature when it convenes next year. Eleven states already have legalized recreational marijuana use and its under consideration in several more. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Trends Legislation Claims Cannabis North Dakota YEREVAN. There are 20 shops in Yerevan. What are we going to do? The supermarkets and public food establishments want meat with the 5th form [attesting to given farm animals being slaughtered in slaughterhouses]. Villagers protesting in front of the Armenian government today and against compulsory slaughterhouse slaughter of farm animals told this to reporters. According to them, despite the fact that the government gave until July for passing to mandatory slaughterhouse slaughter of farm animals, they have faced problems. "It doesn't benefit all the small-livestock keepers, not big farmers; the costs are huge, they said. "We urge the people, if they are not ready to work under these conditions, let them come together, we will submit our demand to the government." According to them, although the 5th form is not compulsory in small shops yet, they already have a problem selling their meat. In their words, they have calculated and realized that they are losing money as a result. They also complained about the decision to build slaughterhouses away from residential buildings. "An amount of $100,000 is needed to make such an expense," they said, in particular. Villagers called on all cattle farmers of Armenia to gather in front of the government building tomorrow morning to raise their voices of protest. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 18:53:39|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close SAN JOSE, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- China has been handling a novel coronavirus outbreak in a "responsible" and "transparent" manner, Costa Rican Health Minister Daniel Salas has said. The Chinese authorities "have been quite responsible in terms of undertaking the measures to contain (the virus)," Salas told Xinhua on Tuesday. "Managing so many people is a real challenge. They have been handling it and it is laudable that they have been very transparent with the WHO," he said, stressing that Costa Rica has no plans to close its borders to anyone as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). "We follow the recommendations of the leading specialists worldwide ... They have said at the WHO's emergency committee that at this time there is no need to close borders," he said, adding that the virus' low mortality rate does not justify such a drastic measure. A spokesperson of the cross-Strait affairs office of central China's Hubei Province on Wednesday said compatriots willing to return to Taiwan will receive further assistance. Xing Junzhi, also deputy director of the provincial office, called on Taiwan authorities to fully consider the feeling of the compatriots in Hubei and their demands and strengthen cross-Strait cooperation to facilitate their travel as soon as possible. Xing made the remarks after learning that Taiwan authorities refused pending charter planes that are scheduled to send more Taiwan compatriots back to the island on Wednesday and Thursday, citing limited admission capacity. On Monday, the first batch of 247 compatriots returned to Taiwan from Wuhan aboard a China Eastern Airlines flight. Currently, about 900 Taiwan compatriots in Hubei applied for transportation assistance and are waiting to return to Taiwan, according to Xing, adding that some of them had traveled to Wuhan for the flight from remote regions. We kept in touch over the years, Gold said. Amy and I always got along really well, but we never had the same timing. With what shes done with her career, and what Ive done with mine, its almost fitting." KAMPALA The National Drug Authority (NDA) on Thursday, February 6, 2020, arrested four people in Mbale Municipality after they were allegedly found with drugs bearing Not for Sale labels meant for the governments of Uganda and Kenya. The drugs worth 500 million shillings were discovered in a lock-up shop in Mbale Taxi Park. The operators of the Lock-Up disguised as general merchandise traders had a store in the backyard where they kept drugs. The impounded drugs included unregistered medicines like viagra and postinor not meant for our market but Kenya, Malawi and Zambia. Medicines meant for use in public health facilities in Uganda and Kenya GoU/GoK Not For Sale drugs, NDA said in a statement. The suspects are being held at Central Police Station in Mbale. The NDA ongoing enforcement activity in the districts of Sironko, Budadiri, Mbale and Bulambuli has discovered drugs that were unregistered, smuggled, recalled products, GoU/GoK Not For Sale drugs. The activity aims at ensuring the 168 noncomplying drug outlet operators meet NDA licensing requirements. During the exercise 213 outlets have been surveilled and 78 closed. NDA has also continued sensitizing the operators and the crowds that surrounding its inspectors in the course of the enforcement activity to minimize violence, NDA said in a statement. According to NDA, Pilferage of medicines from public health facilities compromises the quality of health service delivery and denies patients their rights of accessing government drugs hence discrediting government programmes. Related AMSTERDAM, Netherlands and NEW YORK, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc. (together with its consolidated subsidiaries, "Apollo") (NYSE: APO), a leading global alternative investment manager, today announced that they have agreed to acquire Covis Pharma BV (Covis Pharma or Covis), a global specialty pharmaceutical company, from an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. (Cerberus), a global leader in alternative investing. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Subject to antitrust approval, the transaction is expected to close by the end of the 1st quarter of 2020. Michael Porter, CEO of Covis Pharma, commented, We are pleased to announce this strategic investment from Apollo. This transaction facilitates the execution of our collective vision to further build out our respiratory continuum of care for our patients, accelerate our global expansion as well as establish new therapeutic franchises. We look forward to accessing Apollos deep industry knowledge, operational expertise and integrated financial platform to drive innovation and accelerate our product pipeline. Apollos investment in our future growth marks a key milestone in Covis continued evolution as a leader in providing highly efficacious therapeutic solutions to patients at affordable prices. I would like to also thank Cerberus for its stewardship and help to establish Covis as one of the worlds leading specialty pharma companies. Samuel Feinstein, a Partner at Apollo said, We are excited to work closely with Covis Pharmas proven leadership team as they continue to develop treatments that improve patients lives. We see significant opportunities ahead as we pursue our shared vision of providing innovative pharmaceutical products to an even broader market. We believe that Covis Pharma is extremely well positioned to grow as a pharmaceutical platform given our collective expertise and Apollos deep financial resources. Brett Ingersoll, President, and Chief Investment Officer of Private Equity, at Cerberus, commented, Covis Pharma has been a great partnership for us. Since establishing the company in 2011, we have worked alongside the team to build a global specialty pharma business, supported by a strong operating platform, robust distribution model, and best-in-class management team. We are proud of Covis Pharmas success during our ownership, including establishing a leading portfolio through 25 product acquisitions and 12 product divestitures. We are grateful to Michael Porter for his leadership and the entire Covis Pharma team for their dedication. Covis is focused on marketing and distributing an array of branded products used to treat chronic and life-threatening medical issues and improve patient outcomes in various therapeutic areas including respiratory, cardiovascular, gastroenterology and central nervous system diseases. Moreover, Covis represents a unique platform opportunity to work with an experienced management team with a proven track record of creatively delivering organic growth and generating value through acquisitions. Earlier this year, Covis announced an agreement with Walgreens, one of the largest drugstore chains in the United States, to reduce the cost for Alvesco (ciclesonide) Inhalation Aerosol. Alvesco is now available for zero or reduced co-pay exclusively at Walgreens more than 9,200 U.S. retail pharmacy locations. Alvesco is an inhaled anti-inflammatory maintenance therapy delivered by a metered-dose inhaler to help control persistent asthma. Rothschild & Co serves as the financial advisor to Covis and Cerberus on this transaction. Dechert LLP serves as legal counsel to Covis and Cerberus. Barclays PLC serves as the financial advisor to Apollo on this transaction. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP serves as legal counsel to Apollo. About Covis Pharma Covis Pharma is headquartered in Baarn, Netherlands with branch operations in Zug, Switzerland. Covis is a global specialty pharmaceutical company that markets therapeutic solutions for patients with life-threatening conditions and chronic illnesses. Additional information is available at www.covispharma.com . About Apollo Apollo is a leading global alternative investment manager with offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, Houston, Bethesda, London, Frankfurt, Madrid, Luxembourg, Mumbai, Delhi, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo. Apollo had assets under management of approximately $331 billion as of December 31, 2019 in credit, private equity and real assets funds invested across a core group of nine industries where Apollo has considerable knowledge and resources. For more information about Apollo, please visit www.apollo.com . About Cerberus Founded in 1992, Cerberus is a global leader in alternative investing with over $42 billion in assets across complementary credit, private equity, and real estate strategies. We invest across the capital structure where our integrated investment platforms and proprietary operating capabilities create an edge to improve performance and drive long-term value. Our tenured teams have experience working collaboratively across asset classes, sectors, and geographies to seek strong risk-adjusted returns for our investors. For more information about our people and platforms, visit us at www.cerberus.com . For Apollo Global Management For investors please contact: Gary M. Stein Head of Corporate Communications Apollo Global Management, Inc. (212) 822-0467 gstein@apollo.com For media inquiries please contact: Joanna Rose Global Head of Corporate Communications Apollo Global Management, Inc. (212) 822-0491 jrose@apollo.com Charles Zehren Rubenstein Associates, Inc. for Apollo Global Management, Inc. (212) 843-8590 czehren@rubenstein.com For Cerberus Torrey Leroy Cerberus Communications (646) 885-3029 tleroy@cerberus.com Iran has seen intermittent strikes by bus drivers, truckers, refinery workers and many others. Labor leaders have been jailed and allegedly tortured, but they keep coming back. The complaints that fuel these working-class protests have been aggravated recently by U.S. economic sanctions, to be sure, but strikes in Iran long predated the Trump administration. They seem to reflect popular anger at internal corruption, inequality and mismanagement, rather than just a response to external pressure. A heated row has broken out in the Channel Islands over Jerseys claim to be the sunniest place in Britain. Officials regularly boast that the island is the warmest, sunniest spot in Britain and use the accolade to attract tourists. But the title is being disputed by neighbour and arch-rival Guernsey, which insists that it is the UKs true top hotspot. Officials there have even accused Jersey of distorting the figures. With a Jersey newspaper branding Guernsey cold, wet and eternally cloudy, the two islands are fighting over the title of sunniest spot in Britain with the winner likely to bag more of the tourist trade, and the loser taking an economic hit. A heated row has broken out in the Channel Islands over Jerseys (pictured) claim to be the sunniest place in Britain Figures released last month showed Jersey had taken the 2019 crown, with a total of 2,298 hours of sunshine measured at its weather station at Fort Regent. But a counter-claim was lodged by Guernsey, which claims the high location of the fort gives a false reading because extra morning and evening sun distorts the figures. Guernsey says it would be fairer to compare the airports on the two islands which sees Guernsey winning by 1,875 hours to 1,781. The row was sparked by an article in the Guernsey Press. Headlined Its official we are sunnier than Jersey, the newspaper went on to say: The marketing strapline of sunniest place in the British Isles has been hugely successful for the biggest Channel Island. 'However, by comparing like with like at the two airports, Guernsey emerges as the clear winner in the sunshine stakes. Guernsey (pictured) claims the high location of the fort gives a false reading because extra morning and evening sun distorts the figures John Searson, principal meteorologist at weather forecaster Jersey Met, said Jersey was typically sunnier than Guernsey, with an annual average of 1,986 hours of sunshine during the 30 years to 2010 compared with 1,868 hours on Guernsey. But he added: We concede that Jersey airport had less sunshine than Guernsey airport. Tourism bodies Visit Jersey and Visit Guernsey have refused to be drawn into the row, but there has been a angry reaction from proud Jersey residents. Daniel Straiton said: The difference is, when the sun shines down on Jersey its lighting up a thing of beauty. When it shines on that other rock, there is nothing worthwhile to shine on. The row comes as Britain braces for Storm Ciara, which is expected to bring gales of 80mph. Weather warnings from the Met Office are in place from midday tomorrow until Tuesday, with coastal areas preparing for potential flooding. By PTI WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has condemned terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities, including Hindus in Pakistan and Muslims in Myanmar. Pompeo made the comments on Wednesday while launching a 27-nation International Religious Freedom Alliance, which will try to adopt a collective approach in protecting and preserving religious freedom across the world. "We condemn terrorists and violent extremists who target religious minorities, whether they are Yezidis in Iraq, Hindus in Pakistan, Christians in northeast Nigeria, or Muslims in Burma," Pompeo said. "We condemn blasphemy and apostasy laws that criminalize matters of the soul. We condemn the Chinese Communist Party's hostility to all faiths. We know several of you courageously pushed back against Chinese pressure by agreeing to be part of this Alliance, and we thank you for that," he said. "Finally, our Alliance is off on the right foot as countries do their parts to advance this mission," the top American diplomat said. Among the prominent countries to join the alliance are Australia, Brazil, the UK, Israel, Ukraine, the Netherlands and Greece. Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan. According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country. Majority of Pakistan's Hindu population is settled in Sindh province where they share culture, traditions and language with their Muslim fellows. There have been several reports of forced conversion of Hindu and Sikh girls who are then married off to Muslims in Pakistan. The All Pakistan Hindu Council on January 26 said a Hindu girl was abducted from her wedding ceremony, forced to convert to Islam and married off to a Muslim man in Sindh province. India on January 28 summoned a senior official of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi and issued a strong demarche over the abduction of the Hindu girl. London: The Scottish government has been rocked by the publication of hundreds of messages its potential future leader sent a 16-year-old boy in a "grooming" bombshell that threatens to engulf the Scottish National Party. Derek Mackay resigned as finance minister after the cache of 260 messages fired off to the teenager on Instagram and Facebook were published by a newspaper on the same day he was due to hand down the government's budget. In messages spanning six months, the 42-year-old openly gay MP invited the boy for dinner, called him "really cute" and offered to pay to take him to a rugby match. Other messages were deleted after being sent. "I take full responsibility for my actions," Mackay said. "I have behaved foolishly and I am truly sorry." The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is eyeing to implement a partial lifting of the ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait. In a statement, DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said he will recommend the partial lifting of the ban to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Governing Board. This was after the Kuwaiti government agreed to sign an agreement on the standard employment contract for Filipino household service workers. I had a fruitful meeting with my counterparts in Kuwait. Both sides agreed on the harmonized standard employment contract. I will talk with the POEA governing board to recommend the partial lifting of the ban, he said. The partial lifting will allow skilled, semi-skilled and professional workers to be deployed to Kuwait. Household service workers are still covered by the prohibition. Meanwhile, balik-manggagawa workers category will be the subject of discussion and decision of the POEA governing board. Bello added that a total lifting of the ban will only be implemented if the Kuwaiti government will provide an official status report on the cases of Jeanelyn Villavende, Constancia Dayag, Joanna Demafelis, and on the Filipina who was raped upon arriving at the airport. In the case of Villavende, I wanted some validation of their claim that they [accused employers] are formally charged and they are behind bars. We have to be contented who have been charged and what are the nature of the charges, he said.AAC The post DOLE eyes partial lifting of deployment ban to Kuwait appeared first on UNTV News. A pedestrian wears a face mask while pushing a stroller past the Tiffany & Co. luxury goods store at Times Square in the Causeway Bay district of Hong Kong, China, on Feb. 6, 2020. Here's a comforting fact as the market grapples with the coronavirus: Your 401(k) plan is pretty resilient. The alarming spread of the respiratory illness that began in Wuhan, China, has already sickened over 28,000 people and killed more than 560 since Jan. 20. Companies are citing the virus in their earnings calls, and one economist, AdMacro Head of Research Patrick Perret-Green, said the outbreak risked a "Lehman-type moment." Take a deep breath. History shows that stocks typically snap back fairly quickly from disease outbreaks. "On a forward-looking basis, dengue fever, swine flu, Ebola, measles, rubella, Zika, they don't hurt the stock market that much," said Dan Egan, managing director of behavioral finance and investing at Betterment. In 2016, the Zika virus, linked to birth defects in the babies of mothers infected while pregnant, tore through Latin America, the Caribbean and the U.S. The global stock market shed 6% a month after Zika took off. But six months later? It was down just around 0.6%. The deadly Ebola virus that broke out two years later dragged global stocks down more than 7%. Just half a year later, much of those losses rebounded. Stocks were down 2% in the immediate wake of the 2010 cholera outbreak, which eventually sickened more than 6% of Haitians. Six months later, they were up more than 13%. "They recovered all of those losses and then some," said Jeffrey Kleintop, chief global investment strategist at Charles Schwab. Kleintop compiled the research on how the market has responded to previous disease outbreaks. Some patterns of the past are harder to learn from. As cases of the swine flu rose in 2009, so did stocks.The coronavirus has triggered similarly nonsensical market movements. One day investors responses are diagnosed as overblown, the next, muted. More from Personal Finance: One in 5 fear they'll owe the IRS money this spring Here's why getting a raise can actually hurt your retirement How to buy a house despite student debt Your takeaway? "Ignore the noise in the short-term," said Steve Wendel, head of behavioral science at Morningstar. Egan at Betterment agreed. "The people who actually come out of this the best are the people who think about things in the context of their own plan, not in terms of trying to predict the trends," he said. Staying calm amid a disease outbreak is not easy, experts say. "It's a topic that feels closer to home and therefore has a more dramatic response in the market," Egan said. And of course, as the disclaimers remind us, past performance is no guarantee of future results. Nevertheless, it's good to know we've been here before and come out ahead. JACKSON COUNTY, Mississippi -- Two Jackson County students are among the 113 statewide who have been selected as candidates for the prestigious U.S. Presidential Scholars program. Jameson Cook of Resurrection Catholic High School in Pascagoula and Kaekoa C. Siangco of Ocean Springs High School now have the opportunity to become one of 161 U.S. Presidential Scholars. Those selected represent excellence in education and the promise of greatness in young people, according to a release from the Mississippi Department of Education. While RCS and Ocean Springs each produced one candidate, Madison Central High School and the Mississippi School for Math & Science each produced a state-high 11 candidates. Elsewhere along the Mississippi coast, Harrison Central has four candidates, Long Beach three, and DIberville, Gulfport and Pass Christian each had two. St. Stanislaus in Bay St. Louis had one. We are very proud of our 113 student candidates for the 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program and encourage them to complete the next phase of the process by returning all of the application materials they received from the U.S. Department of Education," said state superintendent Carey Wright. This is a great honor and showcases the tremendous talents of our graduating seniors in Mississippi. The presidential scholars program was launched in 1964 by executive order of President Lyndon Johnson to recognize the nations most distinguished high school seniors. The program was expanded in 1979 to additionally recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts. In 2015, the program was expanded again to include student who excel in career and technical education. Cook, Siangco and all others selected as candidates must now complete all materials received from the U.S. Department of Education to continue through the next phase of the selection process. The deadline for receipt of those materials is Feb. 25. A national review committee of qualified education professionals evaluates candidates on their academic achievement, personal characteristics, leadership and service activities, and the quality and content of their essays. Semifinalists will be announced in April and the final scholars list will be announced in May. Those selected as presidential scholars will receive an invitation to Washington, D.C., for several days in June, where they will receive the Presidential Scholars Medallion at a ceremony and participate in other events and activities. To view the full list of Mississippi candidates, or those from other states, visit www.ed.gov/psp. Chattanooga is the first community in the nation to develop a localized sustainability certificate thanks to a partnership between green|spaces, EPB and the University of Tennessees Center for Professional Education. The green|leader program is an eight week course that teaches professionals (and students) about the global, regional, and local environmental challenges (including the social and economic contexts) facing our communities. The course also provides communication strategies and applicable management tools to execute and measure sustainable initiatives. We are proud to bring the first and only localized sustainability certificate to the Chattanooga region," said Kelley Cureton, green|light program director. "At green|spaces, our goal is to instigate a change of culture around sustainability and conscious, mindful living, working and building. This professional certificate helps create a pathway for those interested in exploring environmental and social challenges wholistically, with real life tools and strategies to manage this change and inspire others. - green|leader was specifically designed with the Chattanooga area in mind, speaking to Chattanoogas unique natural assets and the specific challenges our community faces in achieving environmental sustainability. The program helps enhance local leadership and expertise about how to preserve the Chattanooga areas natural resources and scenic beauty. The program, completed through UTCs learning management online platform, is fully accredited with participants receiving continuing education units. This certification is designed for students, working professionals, and those interested in leading the way in equitable sustainability in Southeast Tennessee. UTCs Center for Professional Education is excited to partner with green|spaces and EPB to deliver this exciting leadership development program," said John Freeze of UTC. "A key component of our community engagement strategy is to explore community partnerships that leverage local expertise with university resources to support lifelong learning. This program, in particular, is exciting due to its very localized approach to exploring issues of sustainability. green|leader curriculum was created through funding from the Footprint Foundation. In late 2019, seven EPB professionals piloted the program. The green|leader program has really helped me understand global environmental issues as well as those localized to Chattanooga," said Jessica Sanders from EPB, one of the first people to complete the green|leader certificate. "It discusses the steps different people and organizations are making to inspire beneficial changes and has given me the tools to mimic some of their sustainable practices in order to better lead my co-workers by example. The course is now open and accepting participants through rolling admissions. The cost to participate for enrolled students is $500 and for professionals is $1,000. To be part of the first graduating class, please register and begin the course before March 1st. The first graduation ceremony will be held on May 20. For additional information about green|leader or to enroll as a participant, visit www.greenspaceschattanooga.org/greenleader. For questions, contact Program Director Kelley Cureton at 648-0983 or kelley@greenspaceschattanooga.org. Jacob Marshall. (PA) A man has been charged with the murder of a one-year-old boy who died after being admitted to hospital with a head injury. Jonathan Simpson was charged on Wednesday in connection with the death of Jacob Marshall, Merseyside Police said. Simpson, 24, of no fixed abode but originally from the Winsford area of Cheshire, will appear at Liverpool Magistrates Court on Thursday. Jacob was taken to hospital from an address in Belsford Way, Speke, Liverpool, on July 12 last year, but later died. Officers were alerted to concerns for the child by the ambulance service. In a tribute issued through police at the time, Jacobs family said: All of our worlds have been crushed and our lives will never be the same again. We will talk of Jacob every day and of all the amazing memories we all got to make with him. He will live on in us all forever, our gorgeous baby Jacob. The recipients in China include the largest hospitals in the three cities with the highest reported incidence of coronavirusWuhan, Xiaogan and Huanggang. The three cities are all located in Hubei Province, where more than 19,000 cases of novel coronavirus have been reported. Items in Thursday's shipments will also be directed to local agencies in neighboring Chongqing. A number of prominent U.S. private sector companies and foundations are channeling their China assistance through Direct Relief. The HP Foundation on Monday donated $1 million to the effort, with other large cash donations coming from Pfizer and Eli Lilly. 3M and Amazon have donated large quantities of personal protective gear. All emergency shipments to China since Jan. 27 have been sent via FedEx, which has donated its transportation and logistics services to deliver the aid. Deliveries are being coordinated with support from Wuhan United, a group of Chinese Americans in the San Francisco Bay Area who have been mobilizing support to fight coronavirus in Wuhan. "We are extremely grateful for Direct Relief and FedEx for their fast response and generous help with the fight against coronavirus," said Tom Gong, president of Wuhan United. "Thanks to the joint efforts, we were able to quickly clear customs and transport supplies directly to hospitals in Wuhan through our extensive network of alumni, supporters and volunteers in China." Direct Relief is focusing its efforts on helping China's medical workers protect themselves from the fast-spreading disease. Meanwhile, hospital officials have told Direct Relief they don't expect to receive any additional protective equipment from their usual suppliers until next month. Direct Relief has received additional requests for supplies from over 35 hospitals in 19 cities in China. Direct Relief is allocating protective gear from its pre-existing strategic reserve while working to procure new protective gear from manufacturers and distributors, all of which are ramping up production to meet the increased demand. The shipments to China include only items that have been selected by receiving hospitals and organizations, are suitable for use in the current situation, and approved for import by the Chinese government. The cumulative total of the shipments has comprised about two-thirds of the masks Direct Relief had in reserve at the start of the year. It will apportion out much of the rest to hospitals in China, pending distribution channels remaining open, while reserving inventories to address needs that could emerge in California, which has reported six confirmed cases, and elsewhere. "We realized quickly it would be hard to replenish our supplies due to the global shortage of personal protective equipment, so we're looking at how we allocate as much as possible to these hospitals for immediate needs, while retaining the ability to respond to emerging needs and simultaneously replenishing inventories," said Andrew MacCalla, Direct Relief's VP of emergency response. He noted that the initial focus has been on hospitals in Hubei province, where the epidemic began and has by far the most reported cases. "The scenario planning is very dynamic as information changes daily." Thursday's shipment included more than 250,000 N95 protective breathing masks and more than 340,000 protective gloves, along with shoe covers, fluid-resistant coveralls, gowns and more. The 77 pallets being shipped weigh 22,000 lbs. "With the intensified activity in response to a declared global health emergency, it's important to remember that the numbers of cases and activity being reported are about people," said MacCalla. "We want the people in China who are facing a scary situation to know how many people are concerned for their welfare and are doing everything possible to help." SOURCE Direct Relief Related Links http://www.directrelief.org MONTREAL, Feb. 4, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ -One year after the Plante administration's refusal to deploy body-worncameras for SPVM officers, a coalition of elected municipal representatives and community groups is returning to the table to demand the rapid implementation of body cams in the police department to effectively combat racial profiling. Ensemble Montreal will table a motion to this effect at the next Municipal Council session. "With regard to racial profiling, in the past year, there's been no improvement. On the contrary, things have gotten worse. Last October, a report on police stop-and-checks revealed that indigenous and black people are between 4 and 5 times more likely than whites to be stopped by SPVM officers. As for people of Arab origin, they are on average twice as likely to be stopped as a white person," said Mr. Abdelhaq Sari, Ensemble Montreal spokesperson for public safety. Independent Councillor Marvin Rotrand agrees: "For years, the SPVM has been insisting that it takes racial profiling issues seriously with its action plans, policies and employee training. There's been lots of lip service, but very little concrete action. Last year, it had an opportunity to act by recommending the adoption of body-worn cameras after completing the pilot project. But it refused, claiming the costs were too high. That's truly regrettable." The main arguments that the SPVM advanced for not recommending the use of body cams are also challenged in a new report* prepared for Mr. Rotrand. He claims the SPVM improperly assessed the costs of the project as well as the impact of body cams on public confidence. "According to the SPVM, it would cost $17.4 million to implement the technology, and $24 million per year in staff and management costs. These costs are excessive and reflect neither reality nor the many technologies on the market. For example, they chose the most expensive technology for video data storage, while other cities are doing it for much less with other technologies," explained Mr. Rotrand. "These cameras have proven their worth in other cities. They protect both the residents and the police. The captured video provides an additional tool to complement officers' event reports, facilitates evidence sharing with Crown prosecutors, improves public perception of the role of police, and decreases vexatious and unfounded complaints against police officers. Our motion calls on the Plante administration to review its previous decision and authorize deployment of body cameras as fast as possible", said Mr. Sari. Significant support The motion presented by Ensemble Montreal is supported by many groups and organizations thatdefend the rights of Montrealers from diverse origins. Among these are the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR), pointing out that such a motion is highly appropriate at the start of Black History Month. "What Montrealers tell us is that the issue of racial profiling is far from being resolved. We have to put the subject of body cams back on the table. Let's not forget that the technology has greatly evolved since the pilot project ended in 2017. We are of the opinion that body cameras will protect both police and residents. It's a win-win solution," said Mr. Alain Babineau of CRARR. Also, the Vice President and founding member of the Muslim Association of Montreal-North, Mr Abdelaziz Rzik, lent his voice to those of other agencies in favour of the motion. Mr. Rzik was notably a member of the Arab communities' SPVM oversight committee from 2008 to 2018. "I worked for more than 10 years on relations between the Arab community and the SPVM; it's a subject that's very dear to me. My goal has always been to combat profiling and enable mutual respect between police officers and the members of my community. Real action is required to enable us to work together: they must deploy these body cameras," he said. The motion will be debated at the February 24 session of the Municipal Council. * Click here to read the report Bilan du projet-pilote de cameras portatives a Montreal: contre-analyse et pistes pour l'avenir (in French) : https://bit.ly/39 61Gjp SOURCE Ville de Montreal - Opposition officielle a l'Hotel de Ville de Montreal For further information: Marc-Antoine Audette, Press Attache, Office of the Official Opposition, (438) 925-0715 Related Links ville.montreal.qc.ca It turns out Franklin Graham isn't anti-LGBTQ after all. That's what he said, at least, in the face of someone standing up to his Bible-based bullying in a big way last week. On Jan. 26, the North Carolina icon and son of Billy Graham was disinvited from appearing in a Liverpool, England, arena on his upcoming summer tour of the United Kingdom. Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said Graham was unwelcome because of his opposition to gay rights. "We cannot allow hatred and intolerance to go unchallenged by anyone," he said in a tweet. A second U.K. venue announced on Jan. 29 that it too was canceling a Graham booking. In a response on Facebook, Graham said it's all a big misunderstanding. He's not coming to the U.K. to speak against anyone in particular. He's against all sin _ and that includes his own. "My message to all people is that they can be forgiven and they can have a right relationship with God," he wrote. Our Bibles say that Graham is right about all of us being sinners. But there's a Sinai-sized hole in his suggestion that he's an equal-opportunity sin-hater. Graham might say he's "coming to speak for everybody" in the U.K., but he has history of spending an awful lot of time talking about one community in particular. We know this because we counted. In the last six months alone, Graham has singled out the LGBTQ community in at least 19 Facebook posts. He's railed against the "LGBT agenda," mocked gender identity and frequently reminded folks that marriage should be between a man and a woman only. That's far more time than he spent on sins like pride and lust _ or the bigger ones like stealing or bearing false witness or coveting thy neighbor's wife. The only transgression that gave the LGBTQ community a run for its money in being singled out as a sin was abortion, which fell a few posts short. Contrast all those LGBTQ mentions with the number of times Jesus talks about homosexuality in the Bible. That would be zero. In fact, some scholars say the Bible isn't as certain about gays as some think. Those scholars caution against selective literalism _ holding up the passage condemning homosexuality yet ignoring the one that says it's shameful for a woman to speak at church. At the least, the Bible spends a greater portion of its words on other transgressions than does Graham, who to our recollection hasn't called for multiple boycotts of companies and organizations for, say, the sin of greed. Plus, it's a waste of the powerful platform that Graham has. His other Facebook posts often reflect that promise. They're filled with hope and affirmation and the good and important work done by his organization, Samaritan's Purse. Thankfully, Graham's selective pulpit pounding on homosexuality has become a relic as Americans have largely moved the opposite direction, and Graham's status as a spokesman for Christians has been diluted by his laughable insistence to look the other way at Donald Trump's immorality. So why do his Facebook posts matter? Because the LGBT community is seeing a regression under this president and in state legislatures that again are trying to use faith as a justification for discrimination. Graham's outsized obsession with the LGBTQ community is a reminder of the danger that its members still face. Like the U.K., we need to be vigilant in standing up to it. The above editorial appeared in the Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.). It was distributed by Tribune Content Agency. The Supreme Court (SC) pulled up the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) on Wednesday for not meeting the deadline for reducing the inflow of untreated sewage into the Ulhas and Waldhuni rivers. The two rivers supply drinking water to residents of the Badlapur-Thane belt, but receive raw domestic and industrial sewage from cities along its banks. The SC bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and Hemant Gupta directed the KDMC chief to be present in person during the next hearing on March 23 and also directed the National Environment Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) to overlook river restoration work alongside the Maharashtra environment department. The bench was hearing a special leave petition by an environment group, Vanashakti, which is campaigning for the restoration of the rivers. In April 2019, the bench had pulled up the Maharashtra government for its lackadaisical attitude on the condition of the rivers and directed the states principal secretary (environment) to oversee improvement in water quality. During the next hearing in July 2019, four municipal corporations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region - Ulhasnnagar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Ambernath and Badlapur assured the court of complete river restoration by December 2019. An affidavit submitted before the court on Wednesday, reviewed by HT, showed that KDMC was currently treating only 30% or 66 million litres of sewage per day (MLD) against the daily generation of 216 MLD. Remaining sewage enters the river untreated. Meanwhile, three other corporations had improved efforts by installing sewage treatment plants and completing 97% restoration efforts for Ambernath, 90% for Kulgaon-Badlapur and 80% for Ulhasnagar. The court accepted a final deadline of March 2020 for these three civic bodies but was aggravated by horrible performance of the KDMC, said Zaman Ali, environment lawyer representing the petitioners. He added that a show-cause notice was issued by the state pollution control board in 2019 to ramp up restoration efforts. Despite filing a delayed status report, KDMC has asked for overall work completion by December 2020. Even the state environment department was aggrieved by KDCMs shoddy work wherein they were expected to complete 80% work till now but have managed only 30%. KDMC commissioner Govind Bodke said, Work is going on in full swing with three of the eight sewage treatment plants functioning properly. Tenders for remaining ones have already been floated and work is expected to start soon. We will ensure better collection and treatment of sewage. The work will be completed by December 2020. HT had reported in April 2019 that the Thane district public health laboratory had found the water from the rivers unfit for drinking. There are several other issues still plaguing the health of these rivers and will be brought before the court by the next hearing, said Stalin D from Vanashakti. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON It provoked a sharp backlash in some moderate suburban communities as well as in some more conservative areas upstate. Several county officials refused to comply or sued to stop the law, though it proved popular in liberal enclaves like New York City. During negotiations over the bill, which passed by a slim majority in the State Senate, Mr. Cuomo had expressed concerns over federal immigration officials gaining access to D.M.V. records, something that the bill broadly forbade, without a court order. Theyre using that personal data that they get from that database to look up an individuals date of birth, their photo. Theyre using that as they build that case, Mr. Wolf told the Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson on Wednesday night as he announced the action. They can no longer do that because of what New York did. But the states attorney general, Letitia James, supported the bills passage, saying it was constitutional and contained ample protections for those who apply for drivers licenses. She promised to defend it if it were challenged. Activists and immigrants also celebrated the bill, contending that the ability to obtain a drivers license was crucial to surviving. Many lined up outside D.M.V. offices after the legislation took effect in December. Mr. Wolf said that the action was the result of an initial assessment and that the department would review its response going forward. New Delhi, Feb 6 : Noted writer Manoj Das will receive the Mystic Kalinga Literary Award-Indian and Global Languages during the fourth edition of the two-day Mystic Kalinga Festival (MKF), an amalgamation of literary and cultural deliberations, poetry recitation and performances, which commences in Bhubaneswar on February 8. Das will also deliver the keynote address at the festival on "Divine Madness: Knowledge, Ecstasy, and Transformation". Announcing the awards, founder and president of the festival, Rashmi Ranjan Parida, said, "We are glad that art and book lovers will have a chance to hear Padma awardee Manoj Das delivering a fabulous talk on our central theme. It will be an honour to hear him speak on the subject. We will continue to bring great writers and poems to this platform." From this edition onwards, the Mystic Kalinga Literary Award will carry a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh along with a khadi shawl and certificate. The award was instituted to recognise and celebrate prolific and inspiring writers, poets and performers. The Mystic Kalinga Literary Award is conferred to a person making towering contribution to the Odia language, literature and culture. An international jury has been formed to suggest and select the awardees, who will be chosen keeping in mind their contribution to their specific language, genres, contributions and contemporary appeal and relevance. From this year, the festival has also introduced 'Mystic Mi' for stand-up performers. OPERATOR: Good afternoon. Thank you all for standing by. For the duration of the conference, all participants lines are in listen only mode until the question and answer session. At that time, if you would like to ask a question, press star 1. Todays call is being recorded. If you have any objections, you may disconnect at this time. It is my pleasure to introduce Mr. Benjamin Haynes. Thank you, sir. You may begin. HAYNES: Thank you Holly. And thank you for joining us for this briefing to update you on CDCs 2019 Novel Coronavirus response. We are joined today by Dr. Nancy Messonnier Director of CDCs National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases and rear admiral Denise Hinton from the food and drug administrations, she is the chief scientist. Dr. Messonnier and rear admiral Hinton will give opening remarks before taking your questions. At this time Ill turn the call over to Dr. Messonnier. MESSONNIER: Thank you for joining us today. Today I would like to provide a few updates on important developments in the last couple days. Since we briefed you last, there have been no new confirmed novel coronavirus infections. The total number of confirmed positives in the united states remains at 11. Right now, 206 persons under investigation or PUIs have tested negative for infection with this Novel virus. And we currently have testing pending on 76 PUIs. Some of those PUIs that are pending include samples in transit. As we alluded to earlier this week and was reported by many of you last night, FDA signed the emergency use authorization or EUA for our diagnostic test. Today the test kits will start shipping to the over 100 US public health labs, each of these labs is required to perform international verification for CLIAA compliance prior to reporting out. This process is expected to take a few days. Initially 200 test kits will be distributed to US domestic laboratories and another 200 will be distributed to selected international laboratories. Each test kit can perform 700 to 800 patient samples. What that means is that by the start of next week, we expect there to be much enhanced capacity for laboratory testing closer to our patients. Additional test kits are being produced and will be made available for ordering in the future from the International Reagent Resource or IRR. At this time each laboratory that places an order will receive one 2019 NCOV test kit. Distribution of these tests will improve the global capacity to detect and respond to this new virus as well as greatly enhance our national capacity. Availability of this test is a starting place for greater commercial availability of diagnostic testing for ncov. States will now start testing for confirming this virus and you may start hearing from states directly about confirmed cases. As always, their case count will be the most up-to-date. CDC will continue to report case counts on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays on our website. US public health system relies heavily on the work of state, local and territorial health departments who are on the front lines of outbreak responses. Their ability to detect and confirm this virus is critical. We appreciate the dedication and cooperation the state, local, and territorial health departments have shown in the last month as weve developed and cleared this test for use in the United States. As we collaboratively worked aggressively to slow the spread of this virus here in the United States. And I especially want to make sure to stop and thank our colleagues and leadership at the FDA who has helped to make this possible. Now I want to give you an update on another activity. There are four more planes carrying passengers from Wuhan, China back to the United States. The plan is for the planes to arrive at the following locations in three states, Travis Air Force Base in Sacramento, California, marine corps air station Miramar in San Diego, California, Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas and Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska. CDC staff are there meeting the planes and assessing the health of each passenger. The passengers will be screened, monitored and evaluated by medical and public health personnel including before takeoff and during the flight. Medical care will be readily available at the first onset of symptoms, if needed. Like the plane that arrived in March Air Reserve base last week, these passengers will be issued quarantine orders upon arrival at their designated locations. This legal order is intended to protect the travelers, their families and their communities. The quarantine period will begin the day the flight leaves Wuhan and will continue for 14 days. We do not believe these people pose a threat to the communities where they are being housed. As we are taking measures to minimize any contact. We expect confirmed infections among these and other returning travelers from Hubei province. The measures we are taking may not catch every single returning traveler returning with Novel Coronavirus given the nature of this virus and how it is spreading but if we can catch the majority of them, that will slow the entry of this virus into the United States. In addition to these measures, we have a strong public health system that is on high alert to detect this virus in the health care system. Well continue to monitor this situation and adjust accordingly either pulling back or strengthening these measures. As the WHO Director General Tedros said yesterday, We have a window of opportunity. Almost all the confirmed cases with the Novel Coronavirus are in China and the majority of those are in Hubei province, but there have been more than 200 infections detected in 28 locations outside of China including the United States. Now is the time to act so that we can slow the introduction and impact of this virus in the US. The Federal Government and public health systems have been preparing for an outbreak like this for years. All of the pandemic planning that we have done for influenza is the foundation for our response to this virus. There are different outbreak stages and different interventions used for the various stages. This is the beginning of what could be a long response. Right now were aggressively intervening to contain introduction into the United States. If community spread in the US is established, well implement broader measures to mitigate the impact of the virus on our communities. More than 800 people are working on this response at CDC alone including nearly 200 people working at the airports, department of defense bases and in states assisting their investigations. CDCs full expertise in infectious disease and preparedness is being brought to bear for this response. We are helping prepare health care systems and clinicians, by providing them with guidance and resources on how to protect themselves and others. We develop guidelines for the clinical management of patients with 2019 Novel Coronavirus. Were providing direct consultation of frontline clinicians in the US caring for 2019 and Cov patients which will also further our understanding of the disease and improve guidance. Were working with health care and industry partners to understand the supply chain for personal protective equipment. Were putting the tools into place to help reduce the burden public health and health care facilities face when monitoring individuals at risk for this new virus. Those are just some of the things that were doing and the list is much longer. But despite the years of planning, we need to remain humble and understand that we may not have planned for everything. We expect to see additional cases of Novel Coronavirus in the United States among returning travelers as well as their close contacts. We recognize the uncertainty of the current situation. As always, CDC public health experts strive to make the best recommendations US public health experts strive to make the best recommendations based on the most up-to-date data. Which will continue to inform our guidance. And id like to turn the call over to rear admiral Denise Hinton, the food and drug administrations chief scientist talk about the UA. HINTON: Thank you, Dr. Messonnier, for those important updates and for the continued collaboration. My name is Denise Hinton, and I do serve as the FDAs chief scientist and today I want to provide just a few updates on the work the FDA has been doing. The FDA continues to work closely with our international, federal, state and local partners as quickly as possible to gather more information about this public health threat. FDA has been working very closely with the CDC and other U.S. government partners reviewing data as its in real time and with a team working around the clock to ensure tests are available under emergency use authorization or eua. This is to enable the CDC to distribute the test as soon as it is available. Yesterday the FDA, as of February 4, 2020, issued an eua to enable emergency use of the CDCs 2019 Ncov diagnostic test. To date this test has been limited to use at CDC laboratories. Yesterdays authorization allows the use of the test at any CDC qualified lab across the country as Dr. Messonnier had stated. Additionally, FDA announced that it had developed an eua review template to test and detect the novel coronavirus which outlines the data to be developed in a pre-EUA package which is available to developers upon request. As of February 5, 2020, today, FDA has sent the template to 35 diagnostic developers. The FDA is committed to expediting the development and availability of critical medical products to prevent, diagnose and treat 2019 nCOVusing all applicable regulatory authorities to respond to the outbreak. Thank you for your time. And were open for any questions. HAYNES: Thank you, Admiral Hinton, and thank you Dr. Messonnier. We are ready to open it up for questions. OPERATOR: Thank you. If you would like to ask a question, please unmute your phone, press *1 and when prompted record your first and last name clearly so I may introduce you. To withdraw your question press *2. Again, to ask your question press *1. Our first question comes from Betsy McCaughey from the New York Post, your line is open. NY POST: Thanks for taking my call. My question is about the national stockpile. How well prepared is the U.S. to provide hospitals with masks, gowns, gloves, face shields and other personal protective equipment if in fact for at least one or two regions in the country there is a real demand for that? And secondly, is our reliance on china as the manufacturer of a lot of this equipment a weak link? MESSONNIER: I guess that is for CDC. And one thing that I will say is as many of you know, the national stockpile is actually under ASPA now not under CDC, but in general you bring up an important point which is is the current risk to the American public is low, but as we project outward with the potential for this to be a much longer situation, one of the things that were actively working on is projecting the long term needs for our health care system and certainly one of those important projections is personal protective equipment with a priority certainly for our health care workers. So, it is something that we are very much working on with additional meetings today about it. And hopefully well have more to say about this in the coming days. But it is also a good reminder for me to tell folks that as we anticipate the potential for this, we want to make sure that when those personal protective equipment, masks and especially masks but also gowns and gloves are being used, they are being used appropriately to keep our staff and health care workers safe, but not excessively. Because we may need to be preserving them for later when the risk is higher. So, as I said, before we do not think that the American public should be going out and buying masks, we dont think that normal U.S. citizens going about their day to day lives in the u.s. right now are at risk. And so, I would definitely caution people to be patient as we work through these longer-term issues, but to understand that our guidance to folks now is lets make sure that we have enough of those personal protective equipments for the folks at highest risk and specifically our health care workers. And I would say that that is something that were actively working on and part of what we need to sort out is our expectations for how long this will last. If this is something that will be over quickly, obviously that projection looks a lot different than if it is something that will last a longer time. And as were learning more about the situation in china, about how transmission is happening, how it is being spread, it will help us to better do those projections in the united states which again is something that were actively working on. HAYNES: Next question, please. OPERATOR: Next question is from John Woolfolk with san Jose mercury news. You may ask your question. SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS: Can you tell us how this is the people at Travis and the other places are being cared for, what they are doing when they are there, what kind of protections or restrictions or being imposed on the people caring for them, like can they leave and go home? MESSONNIER: The folks that are at Travis air force base who returned from Wuhan are under quarantine. And that means that they cant just walk out and return home. The decision to quarantine them was not an easy decision, but it was based on our understanding of the location that they came from and our calculation of their risk of getting novel coronavirus and the potential risk of them passing it on to their families and their communities. What does it look like to be under quarantine? It means that there is an area where they are, they have housing units and I think that they are going about daily lives there the best that they can. I understand from the folks on the ground that in general they are grateful to be home and have been cooperative, but we know this is not an easy thing we are asking them to do and we appreciate their cooperation because it is really essential. I will also point out that they are getting medical evaluations again as part of the normal course of action. HAYNES: Next question, please. OPERATOR: Next question is from Dawn Kopecki with CNBC. Your line is open. CNBC: Hi, could you talk a little about the trajectory for this illness as it pertains to mortality rates. So, we know that it can take up to two weeks to show symptoms. How long after that are you seeing it take the virus to become deadly enough to end up in fatalities? In other words, were a month into this. If it takes two weeks to show symptoms and another week to three weeks until someone is sick enough to pass away, how does that affect the mortality rate that were seeing today? MESSONNIER: That was a complicated question, but I think that I understand what you are asking. So, let me start by saying that it is really important for folks on this call to understand that the 11 u.s. patients are as far as I know at this moment actually all doing well and the ones that were a little sicker have actually improved. So Im happy to report that the u.s. patients, the ones that are here, are actually really doing well. I think what are you more talking about is the data coming out of china and what you are asking is the time whether the case fatality ratios are being delayed because they are actually getting sicker later. I cant answer that concretely because I dont think that we have the data, however we also should be cautious in interpreting the data about a severity of illness including fatality or death in china right now because we know that early on in the response their case definitions were likely to focus on patients who had pneumonia and the disease and we know from experience with many other outbreaks that it tends to be early on that patients who are [ inaudible ] more likely to seek medical care and be diagnosed. So I dont think that we can say fully whether the 2%, which is where it is 2% that has been relatively stable of the patients being reported out of china who have died, but whether that actually is a real case fatality ratio or not, I just dont think that we have the information right now to say. But I would say again that what we know is that this disease can be deadly. There have been two deaths outside of china and were definitely watching our u.s. patients carefully because of course we know that death is possible with this severe disease. HAYNES: next question, please. OPERATOR: The next question is from Colleen Shalby with the los Angeles times. LA TIMES: Thanks for taking my question. I have two questions for you. One, Im wondering if you can explain a bit the decision to quarantine now versus not to quarantine during the swine flu which had about 60 million cases. And 2, we know that there was a minor taken to the hospital yesterday after developing a fever at march air reserve base. Im wondering if you have any update on that. MESSONNIER: The second one was about a child from can you repeat that again? LA TIMES: Yeah, second one was about a child who developed a fever at march air reserve base who was taken to a hospital yesterday. Im wondering if you had any update on that. MESSONNIER: Let me take the second one first. You know, as weve talked about, the reason that we are quarantining people is that we do think that they are at higher risk for novel coronavirus based on the fact they came from this area where the attack rates are high and still rising. So, we should not be surprised if there are some cases among the people who have already returned or among the additional planeloads of people coming back. That being said, this is a child with a fever. And those of you who have children know that there are many reasons why children have fever. And we need to let the evaluation progress. There are laboratory tests that are being taken and being evaluated. And as soon as we have a concrete answer on that child, well let you know. As far as I understand, the child is actually doing pretty well. We should be happy for that. In terms of the second question, what I say in general is that every one of these situations is different and we have to evaluate it differently. There have been other occasions where the question of quarantining have come up. Within my career 25-year career at CDC, there have been situations where this has come up and what was different about this one is that the outbreak was caught so early before it really got to the united states. And the comparison I made on the last teleconference, h1n1, where by the time we caught it, it was already at our borders. But this is a situation where hopefully because of improved global capacity and surveillance and lab capacity, it was caught early before it spread around the world and we had this window of time in which they could intervene to slow it down. I think that is different from other situations that we faced. HAYNES: Next question, please. OPERATOR: next question is from Johnathan Serrie with fox news. Your line is open. FOX NEWS: Thank you for taking my question. Dr. Messonnier, for the passengers quarantined last week at march air reserve base, is there a specific date for their reviews, in other words, will all be released on the same day 14 days since departing china? What criteria must they meet to be released from quarantine and what will the process look like? MESSONNIER: Yeah, to count 14 days from the day that they left and i understand that that is February 11th i hope that i did that correctly. As long as they are healthy and their immediate family is healthy, our plan is to release them and help them get to their final destinations to their families. If they are sick or their family members are sick, we need to make sure that they are not sick with coronavirus. FOX NEWS: And if i could follow up, once they are released and reunited with their family, will there be any additional guidance, will they isolate in their homes or be declared completely free to go back into the mainstream society? MESSONNIER: As of today, based on what we know about this virus, the incubation period, the far outside of it is 14 days which means that if they reach 14 days without getting illness, we would consider them to be free of disease and ready to go back to their normal lives. Of course if additional information becomes available, well let you know. But right now our plan is to wish them well and let them get on with their lives. HAYNES: We have time for two more questions. OPERATOR: Our next question comes from the washington post. WASHINGTON POST: I have two questions and a followup. You were working on the guidance or what was going to happen with the quarantine and i was wondering if you could bring us up-to-date on the commercial flights where all these people will be housed because there have been a couple people who have been quarantined already. And the second question has to do with the virus. There are reports from china today of babies being infected with vertical transmission. And im wondering if there is any additional information cdc has gotten from other countries where they have cases where maybe the sharing of data has been a little bit more transparent about transmission if there is anything else that you can add about vertical transmission. MESSONNIER: Thanks. So the first question that you are asking is about the individuals that have come back on commercial flights and have been found to be from wuhan. As i said last time, we are working directly with each state and local health department on plans for each individual that has returned who would need to be quarantined. At this point i will not be releasing specific information about each of those states plans or about individual patients who may have been quarantined. We hope in the future to at least provide you some information about the number of people. But that is not something that im at liberty to talk about today. And the second question, like you, we have read with interest this report of neonatal vertical transmission coming from china. For respiratory virus, it would be pretty unusual. However, as weve said all along, there is a lot about the novel coronavirus that we dont know and that report just came out i think within the past couple hours. So i dont think that we know any more than you do. But we are actively looking for a confirmation. Ive heard of no similar reports. This is the first such report that weve seen. HAYNES: Last question please. OPERATOR: Last question is from carla johnson, a.p. your line is open. AP: Thanks for taking my question. Are you ready to express any change in confidence about this situation globally perhaps about the potential for efforts working and there not being a lot of spread outside of china, or from pre-symptomatic people, any indication that this has reached a peak and efforts are being successful? And my second question is, how many people are on those four planes from wuhan and exactly when will each be landing at the military bases that you have identified? Thanks. MESSONNIER: The answer to the first question, i think that this comes down to need to be humble. Of course were looking at the data and trying to answer exactly the question that you are asking. I dont think that weve seen that right now there is any sign that this has stopped. I think that it is premature to comment on whether it has slowed down. But we do believe that we have a window of opportunity now to prepare the united states in case that there is a broader spread of this outside china as well as a broader spread in the united states. And so as i said before, were preparing as if this is a pandemic. That is just good common sense public health. But of course im hoping that it is not. In terms of the planes, what i can tell you is that two either have landed or are landing today and the other two will be landing tomorrow. And i dont have an exact count yet of the number of people on those planes. Well have that after all four have landed and we can provide that information in follow up. HAYNES: thank you Dr. Messonnier. And id also like to thank admiral hinton for joining us. Please remember to visit the 2019 novel coronavirus website for continued updates. And if you have further questions, call the main media line at 404-639-3268 or email media@cdc.gov. Thank you. OPERATOR: And that concludes todays conference. Thank you for participating. You may disconnect at this time. Capital for Colleagues plc - Notice of AGM Capital for Colleagues plc / EPIC: CFCP / Market: NEX / Sector: Investment 6 February 2020 CAPITAL FOR COLLEAGUES PLC ('Capital for Colleagues' or the 'Company') NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Capital for Colleagues, the investment vehicle focused on opportunities in the Employee Owned Business ('EOB') sector, is pleased to announce that Notice convening the Company's Annual General Meeting for 13.00 on Thursday, 27 February 2020 at 8th Floor, 111 Piccadilly, Manchester M1 2HY, has been posted to shareholders in the Company. The document will also be available on the Company's website at www.capitalforcolleagues.com. The Directors of the Company are responsible for the contents of this announcement. **ENDS** For further information, please visit www.capitalforcolleagues.com or contact: CAPITAL FOR COLLEAGUES PLC Richard Bailey, Chairman Alistair Currie, Chief Executive 01985 201 980 PETERHOUSE CAPITAL LIMITED Mark Anwyl Duncan Vasey 020 7469 0930 Capital for Colleagues Capital for Colleagues is an investment company focused on the UK EOB sector. The Company has a proven management team, with a wide network of contacts and affiliates, as well as established access to investment opportunities, enabling the Company to execute its strategy and capitalise on EOB-focused investment opportunities. In addition, the Company educates and assists companies that are looking to launch employee ownership schemes, advising them, amongst other things, on how to secure investment and achieve their objectives. A group of illegal migrants are processed by Italian officials and given basic health checks by members of the Italian Red Cross as they disembark from an Italian navy boat in the harbour at Messina. Oxfam has accused the European Union of using African aid and development funding to strong-arm African countries into limiting migration to the continent. The EU Trust Fund (EUTF) for Africa was established in 2015 to address the root causes of mass migration from some of Africa's poorest and most unstable countries. However, in a report published last week following extensive analysis of the allocation of funds, the charity confederation revealed that over 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) of poverty reduction and development funding was going to EU member states' domestic migration curbing policies. These included enhanced border controls and repatriation of migrants. The EU did not respond to CNBC's request for comment. Oxfam EU Migration Policy Advisor Raphael Shilhav said European governments were focusing on bowing to anti-immigration sentiment at home for short-term political wins, at the expense of long-term development strategies. "The EU needs to stop undermining its own values. Development aid is meant to fight poverty, inequality, and the growing climate crisis and it should not be politicized," Shilhav said in a statement. Oxfam cautioned that tying development policy to domestic objectives undermines economic development, resilience and human mobility which could help improve the lives of people in Africa. The report found that just 56 million euros of the EUTF, less than 1.5% of the total fund, was allocated to regular migration schemes. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a top ally of President Trump, asked the leaders of the House Ethics Committee to investigate House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for ripping up her copy of the president's State of the Union speech. 'She disgraced the House of Representatives, she embarrassed our country and she destroyed official records - the law does not allow the speaker of the House to destroy the records of the House,' Gaetz said, previewing his move on Laura Ingraham's Fox News Channel show. 'And the rules of the House do not permit some little temper tantrum just because you don't like what the president of the United States says.' Late Wednesday night, Gaetz tweeted a copy of the letter he sent to Rep. Ted Deutch, the chairman of the House Ethics Committee, and Rep. Kenny Marchant, the GOP's ranking member, where he calls Pelosi's actions 'deeply offensive' while claiming she broke a U.S. code that prohibits officials from destroying government records. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a top Trump ally, sent a letter to the leaders of the House Ethics Committee Wednesday night asking them to investigate House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for ripping up a copy of President Trump's State of the Union address In the final moments that President Trump was in the House chamber Tuesday night, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stood behind him and ripped up his State of the Union speech President Trump complimented Rep. Matt Gaetz during his speech in the East Room Thursday, which celebrated his impeachment acquittal Politifact had already taken a look at that claim, as it was also made by Turning Point USA's Charlie Kirk, a conservative youth activist, and called it 'pants on fire.' Experts told the fact-checker that Pelosi did not violate the law because her copy of the president's speech wasn't technically a government record. 'Her copy of the State of the Union address is not a government record or goverment property at all,' Douglas Cox, a professor of law at the City of New York University of Law told Politifact. 'It is personal property.' During Gaetz's appearance, Ingraham also cast doubt on his argument that Pelosi was a law-breaker. The Fox News Channel host did buy another point Gaetz made - that there was a double standard. 'And you know what, a lot of Republicans are sick of the double standard here,' Gaetz said. The Florida Republican reminded the Fox audience of the 'excited utterance' made in September 2009 by Republican Rep. Joe Wilson when President Obama was addressing a joint session of Congress on the topic of healthcare. Wilson shouted 'You lie!' at the Democratic president - a shocking outburst at the time. 'The Democrats really brought the heat down on him when he said Obama lied about illegals getting healthcare,' Gaetz said, adding that he agreed with Wilson's sentiment. On Thursday, Pelosi defended ripping up the speech by pointing out what she saw as a double standard. 'It is OK to start saying "four more years!" in the House of Representatives?' she asked reporters at a press conference on Capitol Hill. 'Its just unheard of.' Republicans had started the chant during their time in the House chamber Tuesday night. Pelosi had been asked if her actions went against what she preached - to react to the president with respect. She said they did not. 'I tore up a manifesto of mistruths,' she told reporters. 'Its necessary to get the attention of the American people and say: "This is not true. And this is how it affects you." And I dont need any lessons from anybody especially the President of the United States about dignity,' the California Democrat added. Trump spent Thursday going after Pelosi - knocking her, without saying her name, at the National Prayer Breakfast, before calling her a 'vicious, horrible person' during an East Room speech where he celebrated his impeachment acquittal. As for Gaetz, Trump made it clear he supported the Florida lawmaker. 'He's solid as a rock,' the president said. Gaetz was one of the invited members of Congress, all Republican, to hear the speech. 'Great job,' Trump said. Midtown is quite walkable, is quite bikeable and has good transit options, according to Walk Score's rating system. So what does the low-end rent on a rental in Midtown look like these days and what might you get for the price? We took a look at local listings in Midtown via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to find out what budget-minded apartment seekers can expect to find in this Houston neighborhood. Take a look at the cheapest listings available right now, below. (Note: Prices and availability are subject to change.) 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. 1624 Holman St. Listed at $850/month, this studio apartment, located at 1624 Holman St., is 38.2% less than the $1,375/month median rent for a studio in Midtown. Building amenities include outdoor space, garage parking and on-site laundry. In the unit, look for a ceiling fan and hardwood flooring. Cats and dogs are not welcome. (See the complete listing here.) 3603 Chenevert St. This one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, situated at 3603 Chenevert St., is listed for $1,094/month for its 672 square feet. You can expect a dishwasher and a balcony in the unit. The building features a swimming pool and garage parking. Pet owners, take heed: This property is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. There's no leasing fee required for this rental. (See the complete listing here.) 3550 Main St. Here's a studio loft at 3550 Main St., which is going for $1,148/month. Building amenities include garage parking and secured entry. In the apartment, the listing promises a dishwasher, in-unit laundry, hardwood flooring and a walk-in closet. Neither cats nor dogs are welcome. (See the full listing here.) 2403 Bagby St. Then there's this 692-square-foot apartment with one bedroom and one bathroom at 2403 Bagby St., listed at $1,185/month. Expect to see carpeted floors, a walk-in closet and a dishwasher in the unit. Good news for pet lovers: This property is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. The building features garage parking. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. (See the listing here.) 2350 Bagby St. Check out this one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment at 2350 Bagby St., listed at $1,198/month. When it comes to building amenities, expect garage parking and secured entry. You can also expect to see a dishwasher, a walk-in closet and a fireplace in the furnished unit. Pet lovers are in luck: This rental is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. (Here's the listing.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data from Zumper and Apartment Guide, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Additionally, read on for five marketing tips for real estate agents to showcase local market expertise. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Samsung is having an event on February 11 and we expect to see plenty of new hardware from the S20 debut through a new foldable screen phone to Galaxy Buds+. Apparently, the event will also see Android make its own announcement, according to a tweet that has appeared earlier today. The post said that "something exciting" is around the corner, leaving us guessing what exactly it is going to be. One assumption is that the new Galaxy phones will have native Google Duo video chat support. Earlier reports from South Korea suggested the manufacturer is working on a new format of video messaging for smartphones and this could be one of the answers. Another possible solution is Android wants to demonstrate the optimized interface for foldable screen devices since we expect to see the Galaxy Z Flip make an appearance. Google already announced that Android 10 has native support and offers tools to app developers to visualize how will their product appear in various form factors, including a clamshell design. Source NEW YORK Gucci, one of the worlds leading luxury fashion brands, has joined The Lions Share Fund, a unique initiative raising much-needed funds to tackle the crisis in nature, biodiversity and climate across the globe. Led by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and a coalition of businesses and UN partners, the Fund aims to raise over $100 million per year within the next five years for animal conservation, biodiversity and climate by asking brands to contribute 0.5% of their media spend every time an animal is featured in their advertisements. Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, said: This partnership with Gucci marks the continuing evolution of this innovative fund, which provides a unique opportunity for brands across all industries to join forces and help preserve and protect biodiversity across the globe. Wildlife populations are half the size they were just 50 years ago, and their habitats and ecosystems are destroyed at an unprecedented rate due to human activity. The Lions Share is an idea that is as innovative as it is simple and it makes a real impact on wildlife conservation." Marco Bizzarri, President and CEO of Gucci, said: The Lions Share Fund is an important addition to our conservation strategy. Nature and wildlife provide Gucci with inspired creation that is an integral part of our narrative through our collections and campaigns. With the increasing threats to the planets biodiversity, groundbreaking initiatives like The Lions Share Fund have the potential to be transformative by organically connecting the business community with direct action to protect our natural habitats and most threatened species. Bizzarri continued In a similar way, since 2018, Gucci has been totally carbon neutral across our supply chain and we offset our remaining emissions every year through REDD+, which protects critical forests and biodiversity around the world. Launched in September 2018, the Fund is already having an impact, providing a grant to improve critical radio systems for law enforcement officers protecting wildlife in Mozambiques Niassa Nature Reserve and helping reduce the elephant poaching rate to zero, and providing a grant to help secure land for endangered orangutans, elephants and tigers in North Sumatra in Indonesia. Animals appear in approximately 20 per cent of all advertisements in the world, yet despite this, animals do not always receive the support they deserve. The Lions Share gives brands the opportunity to take urgent and significant action and play their part in protecting our planet. For more information, visit TheLionsShareFund.com. Contact: Christina Pascual, UNDP: christina.pascual@undp.org Claudio Monteverde, GUCCI: claudio.monteverde@gucci.com Mich Ahern, GUCCI: mich.ahern@gmail.com *** NOTES TO EDITORS About GUCCI Founded in Florence in 1921, Gucci is one of the worlds leading luxury fashion brands, with a renowned reputation for creativity, innovation and Italian craftsmanship. Gucci is part of Kering, a global Luxury group managing the development of a series of renowned Houses in Fashion, Leather Goods, Jewelry and Watches. For further information about Gucci, visit www.gucci.com About The Lions Share Fund The Lions Share was established in June 2018 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with Finch, Mars, Incorporated, Nielsen and BBDO as founding members. The fund tackles the crisis in biodiversity and climate by asking advertisers worldwide to donate 0.5 percent of their media spend for each advertisement that features an animal. Those funds are pooled and distributed to projects globally that have a significant impact on animal conservation, habitat loss and the climate crisis. The Lions Share contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals, the UNs universal call to action to end poverty and protect the planet. About the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) UNDP partners with people across societies to help build nations that can withstand crisis, and drive and sustain the kind of growth that improves the quality of life for everyone. On the ground in nearly 170 countries and territories, we offer global perspective and local insight to help empower lives and build resilient nations. For more information on UNDP, visit undp.org. Two or more years ago, Ankara proclaimed that it would never allow the predominantly Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG) in Syria, which it lumps together with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), to sow disruption and violence from any spot in Syria. Acting on this vow, it waged three military incursions to which it could not have given more cynically conceived codenames: Euphrates Shield, Olive Branch and Fountain of Peace. There has been no let up on the jingoism. Only last week President Erdogan reiterated a threat he had made innumerable times before: Turkey will not remain a mere spectator if the situation in Idlib is not resolved immediately. 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. We will not refrain from doing what is necessary, including using military force. Yet, Turkeys use of military force intermittently and in three full-scale operations (or madcap escapades as Turkish opposition parties have described them) failed to achieve their purported aims and dragged Turkey deeper and deeper into the Syrian quagmire. Despite the enormous resources Ankara has invested in its Syrian interventions, the last thing they brought to Syria is stability and peace, despite the codenames. A case in point is Ankaras failure to impose administrative control over Ras Al-Ain and Tel Abyad through the creation of municipal councils. The main reason for this failure is the infighting among the Turkish-backed militias which are constantly at each others throats, exchanging charges of heresy while proving their valour through killing and plunder. According to local reports, some towns and villages have not had a moments peace since they fell under the control of the Turkish army and its jihadist allies. A recent manifestation of the fissures in the ranks of the Turkish-backed forces is the From Idlib to Berlin campaign launched by Syrian activists in response to the warfare in that province. The organisers called for a demonstration in a camp located near the Syrian border with Turkey, opposite to the Turkish town of Reyhanli. The call, broadcast over social networking sites, said that the residents of Idlib, who were being forced from their homes due to the escalating violence in Idlib, had only two alternatives left; either being killed by Al-Assads bombs and chemical weapons or seeking safety in Europe. But given the location, it sent a clear message to Turkey, in its capacity as a guarantor under the Astana agreements. It also carried an implicit charge of treason against Erdogan because of his bartering games with Russia playing mounting violence in Libya against mounting violence in Syria. Whether alarmed at the prospect of a fresh influx of refugees or dismayed by the routing of the Syrian militias, Erdogan has threatened a fourth military operation in Syria if the situation in Idlib is not returned to normal. On his way back from his African tour in January, Erdogan told his reporters that his government told Moscow that Ankaras patience was running out with respect to the situation in Idlib and that if Russia returned to the Sochi and Astana agreements Turkey would continue to abide by them as well. He then sent in reinforcements that included dozens of troops and hundreds of elements from the so-called national army into the western outskirts of Aleppo and set up a new control point north of the critical Saraqib district to replace one at Sawamie to the south. But does this mean that Erdogan will proceed to throw down the gauntlet to the Russians? Moscow has insisted that it has fully adhered to its obligations in Idlib and it pointedly added that it was deeply concerned by the attacks waged by the Turkish-backed militias against Syrian government forces and the Russian Hmeimim Airbase. Then, in the course of the fierce bombardement in Idlib, Russian fighter planes targeted terrorist militias in western Aleppo province on Sunday, just as a Turkish military company was passing. Meanwhile, Al-Assads forces have been making further advances against rebel forces in Idlib and Aleppo. When regime forces captured the strategic city of Maarat Al-Numan from jihadist militias last week, opposition newspapers in Turkey that had warned against the folly of meddling in Syria years ago could barely restrain themselves from saying I told you so. Fragile ceasefire agreements crumbled in areas under control of the Turkish-backed Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (formerly Al-Nusra Front). Damascus now appears within reach of achieving its declared aim of retaking Idlib. If it does, it will have regained control over nearly the whole of Syrian territory, which will come as yet another painful setback to the Turkish regimes policies. Will Erdogan try to forestall this through a fourth military operation? Observers doubt it. Some believe it next to impossible in light of the regional and international contexts. Others warn that would be even madder than the Peace Spring invasion which elicited a universal outcry, rallied international sympathy behind the very people it targeted, and made Turkey more isolated than ever. *A version of this article appears in print in the 6 February, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: On February 7, Mikhail Myasnikovich, the new Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission, will make his first official visit to Armenia. During his trip, bilateral meetings are scheduled with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, First Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, President Armen Sarkissian, and National Assembly Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan. During these meetings, it is planned to discuss strategic directions for the development of Eurasian economic integration envisioned until 2025, as well as the approaches toward eliminating existing barriers, exclusions, and restrictions within the EEU market. Pope Francis has called tax cuts for the wealthy a 'structure of sin' before telling a conference at the Vatican the 'rich world can and must end poverty'. At a seminar on economic inclusion hosted by the Church on Wednesday, Francis insisted that poverty could be beaten if the world's rich play a full part in ending inequality. 'Todays structures of sin include repeated tax cuts for the richest people, often justified in the name of investment and development,' Francis told the meeting organized by the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences. 'We are neither condemned to inequality nor to paralysis in the face of injustice,' he later added. 'The rich world and a prosperous economy can and must end poverty.' The Pope told attendants, including IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, that hundreds of billions of dollars of taxes are not being paid, causing health care and education to suffer. Pictured from left to right: IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, Argentina's Economy Minister Martin Guzman, Pope Francis and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean Alicia Barcena Ibarra pose for a photo at a conference hosted by the Vatican on economic solidarity, at the Vatican yesterday Pope Francis speaks at a conference hosted by the Vatican on economic solidarity, at the Vatican yesterday 'We must be conscious of all being responsible,' said Francis, who has made inequality a central theme of his papacy. 'If extreme poverty exists amid riches which are also extreme it is because we have allowed a gap to grow to become the largest in history.' 'People who are poor in indebted countries suffer from strong fiscal pressure and the cutting of social services,' Francis added. Calling for the 'globalisation of hope,' Georgieva responded that 'the first task is to put the economy at the service of the people,' highlighting the need to address the issue of 'inequality of opportunity.' Francis can be seen arriving at the conference hosted by the Vatican at the Vatican yesterday IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and Argentina's Economy Minister Martin Guzman clap Pope Francis, as he leaves after a photo during a conference hosted by the Vatican on economic solidarity, at the Vatican yesterday The International Monetary Fund head also urged investment in people and education. But she also stressed the need to prioritise the environment as 'none of the economic challenges we face today will be important in 20 years if we do not today confront the challenge of climate change.' Canadas merchandise trade deficit narrowed more than expected in December, thanks to a rebound in crude oil exports in the last month of 2019 from the previous month, when a pipeline outage and a railway strike had crippled oil exports. In December 2019, Canadas merchandise trade deficit with the world narrowed to US$278 million (C$370 million) from US$903 million (C$1.2 billion) in November, mostly due to higher oil exports, Statistics Canada said on Wednesday. The December deficit was one of the smallest deficits Canada has recorded in recent years, and was also lower than expectations, according to Bloomberg. Exports of energy products posted the largest monthly gain in December, at 9.5 percent, led by an 18-percent jump in crude oil exports, Statistics Canada said, noting that crude oil exports were low in November because of a nearly two-week outage of the Keystone oil pipeline. At the end of October, the Keystone pipeline was shut down in the wake of a spill of more than 9,000 barrels of oil in North Dakota. As the situation was resolved before the end of November, crude oil exports rebounded strongly in December, Statistics Canada said today. The eight-day strike at the end of November at Canadian National, the biggest railway in Canada, also sent shockwaves through the struggling oil industry, as crude-by-rail shipments from Alberta were nearly halted during the industrial action. After dragging on for more than a week and threatening to erase billions of dollars from Canadas economy, the strike ended on November 26, after the Teamsters Canada trade union and Canadian National reached a tentative agreement to renew the collective agreement for more than 3,000 conductors, trainpersons, and yard workers. In December, Canadas exports to the United States increased by 2.9 percent, mainly due to the rebound in crude oil exports, according to Statistics Canada. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: European markets advanced on Thursday as earnings dominate investor focus and fears over the coronavirus outbreak start to fade. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed 0.45% higher, slightly paring morning gains. Banks jumped 2% while construction and material stocks slid 0.5%. Global markets received a boost over night as China announced that it will halve tariffs on hundreds of U.S. goods worth about $75 billion. Tariffs on some U.S. goods will be cut from 10% to 5%, and from 5% to 2.5% on others, according to a statement from China's Ministry of Finance. The adjustments will take effect from February 14, it said. Asia Pacific stocks mostly traded higher on Wednesday, building on gains from the previous session, after stocks sold off recently due to worries over the new coronavirus outbreaks. Chinese shares led gains in the region. As of Wednesday night, China says a total of 28,018 cases have been confirmed and 563 people have died in the country. Oil prices were trading higher on Thursday amid hopes that an abating coronavirus outbreak could fuel a rebound in demand for oil from China. On Thursday, a committee that advises OPEC producers and its allies such as Russia (a group known as OPEC+) met for a another day, extending a two-day meeting, as they discuss whether to reduce oil production further to support prices. On the data front, Germany's new industrial orders in December dropped 2.1% month-on-month, ending the worst year for industrial orders in Europe's largest economy since 2008. McDonald's have launched three new burgers as part of their Spicy Chicken range with a hot makeover on a classic favourite. The new range has turned up the heat on McDonald's McChicken burger, with three spicy additions. There will be three spicy options to choose from, including the mild Spicy Mayo McChicken to the spicier Jalapeno McChicken, and finally the Sriracha McChicken. McDonald's have launched their new Spicy Chicken Range including the mild Spicy Mayo McChicken burger (pictured) Those who want a little more heat can try the new Jalapeno McChicken Burger (pictured) Daring customers can take on the new Sriracha McChicken burger (pictured) Chicken McNuggets will also be available with a spicy tempura batter and special spicy dipping sauce to crank up the temperature. 'Our new range is perfect for anyone looking to spice things up a little,' McDonald's Australia Marketing Director Jo Feeney said. 'We know our customers love it when they can try a new twist on their favourite menu items, and with three heat levels - Spicy Mayo McChicken, Jalapeno McChicken and Sriracha McChicken - there's something for everyone.' The Spicy Chicken range is available at McDonald's restaurants in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Tasmania for a limited time. Rare earths group Lynas has been forced to refute claims in Malaysia that it misled the ASX with an announcement last month it had reached an agreement for a site for the permanent disposal of its contentious toxic waste. The announcement - with the Pahang state government - was seen as a crucial step in getting a permanent extension to its licence to operate in Malaysia which has threatened the future of the company over the low level radioactive waste generated by its operations. Anti-Lynas group Save Malaysia, Stop Lynas (SMSL) said on Wednesday the ASX announcement last week was grossly inaccurate after Pahang official Abdul Rahim Muda denied that Bukit Ketam would be a dump site for the Lynas waste. "The denial by a representative of the Pahang government has placed Lynas corporate announcement to the ASX grossly inaccurate and with an intent to mislead," the group said in a statement. In a release to the ASX on Thursday morning Lynas said the state government of Pahang has confirmed today that it has agreed with Lynas Malaysias proposal to locate the PDF (permanent disposal facility) site at Bukit Ketam Kuantan." Looking back at Lyle Lovetts work comes easy these days, due in part to those anniversary years that beguile us. Last year marked the 30th anniversary of Lyle Lovett & His Large Band, his third record, and a Grammy winner. Digging into his past also comes easy because Lovett has been pretty quiet for a while. Release Me, his most recently released recording, is eight years old. That album marked the end of an elaborately long recording contract, which is partially to explain for the silence. He has a new deal and a new album in the works, though a release date and title are both elusive right now. But when Lovett and his Acoustic Group come to the Jefferson Theatre Monday, theyll likely trot out at least one new song. Lovett last year regularly played Twelfth of June, a new tune that will presumably find its way onto the next record. The song is a perfect tune for his Acoustic Group, too. Though Lovett has been including it in his Large Band shows, hes always played Twelfth of June in a trio configuration with fiddler Luke Bulla and mandolin player Keith Sewell, who lock in with Lovett in a gorgeous three-part harmony. They sequence it brilliantly with a reading of Ill Fly Away, the Depression-era hymn written by Albert E. Brumley. Both songs Lovetts original and the old hymn include a lovely lift in their celebration of life on earth as a merely starting point for something bigger. Lovett in the song references, My children and my wife, I will love you three forever, though I fly beyond this life. As a studied and smart writer with more than 40 years of songs behind him, he tells a story here with some mix of history and fiction. And death is never too far away in his songs. Lovett, after all, is the guy who opened a song, I went to a funeral/Lord it made me happy/seeing all those people/I aint seen/since the last time/somebody died. More Information Lyle Lovett More than seven years have passed since Lyle Lovett put out "Release Me," his most recent set of new songs. The good news is that the man from Klein has been recording a new record. And the better news is he's been mixing the occasional new song into his set lists. In this rare Beaumont appearance, he'll be working with his acoustic band. When: 7 p.m. Monday Where: Jefferson Theatre, 345 Fannin, Beaumont Tickets: Starting at $55 Information: 409-838-3435; discoverbeaumont.com See More Collapse Twelfth of June a more recent look at the great beyond has ties closer to Beaumont. Lovett prefaced the song at some shows last year with a story about his mothers family, which from Germany and landed north of Houston in the 1840s. His fathers side of the family, he said, set up nearer to the Big Thicket in the 1850s. He recalled gatherings with covered dishes while family members tended to the family cemetery. It was a joyful place, he said, as I remember it. MEDFORD, Ore. The Jackson County Sheriff's Office has released body cam footage from a deadly officer-involved shooting that happened on New Year's Day in Central Point, ending with the death of a young veteran believed to have been struggling with PTSD. On Wednesday, a grand jury found the deputy "fully justified" in the killing of a 29-year-old Teddy James Maverick Varner, according to the District Attorney's Office. Jackson County DA Beth Heckert made the announcement on Wednesday after the grand jury finished going over presented evidence. The Sheriff's Office began making the body cam footage available to media later that day. WARNING: The attached video contains graphic images and situations of an officer-involved shooting. It has been edited for some strong language. What the body cam (and the deputies) saw Body cam footage from Sergeant Weaver, the officer who fired the shots, largely corresponds with a timeline of events based on both officers' testimony though much of the scene is blocked by the edge of Weaver's vehicle as he takes cover behind it. Deputies responded around 8:15 p.m. on January 1 after someone reported an assault with a weapon and "shots fired" on Blackwell road in Central Point. Weaver and Deputy Hohl arrived on the scene at roughly the same time with lights flashing, about eight minutes after the 911 call. "Deputy Hohl heard arguing coming from inside of a shop building. He immediately took cover behind his vehicle and shouted commands identifying himself and telling the occupants of the building to come outside," the DA's Office said. "Sergeant Weaver provided cover behind his patrol vehicle for Deputy Hohl with his patrol rifle." Minutes later, a man named James Daniel Cecil left the building with his hands up. Cecil cooperated with the officers, the DA's Office said, and told them that there was another man inside the building a veteran armed with a gun. Cecil reportedly told the officers that the other man, Teddy Varner, was "having a PTSD issue." "Immediately after Mr. Cecil exited the building, Deputy Hohl heard another person yell 'F___ you' and saw him slam the door," the DA's Office said. "Sgt. Weaver changed positions slightly behind his patrol vehicle to stay concealed and to provide better cover for Deputy Hohl who took Mr. Cecil into custody. One of the Officers yelled toward the building, 'we just want to talk to you.'" Seconds later, Varner "aggressively" came out of the building with a gun in his hands, again yelling an expletive, the DA's office said. Varner's gun had a tac light mounted on it, and the light was on. The body cam video catches Varner emerging with the tac light shining in the officers' direction, though he and the gun can only be seen clearly in a shadow cast on the shop wall. The gun, and Varner's hands, appear to be pointed forward. "Sergeant Weaver could see Mr. Varner had the firearm up in a position to fire. Sergeant Weaver fired three shots from his rifle from approximately 20 yards away," the DA's Office said. "Sergeant Weaver testified he believed Mr. Varner was going to shoot Deputy Hohl or Mr. Cecil." READ: Sheriff's Office identifies man killed in Central Point officer-involved shooting Sgt. Weaver fired three times, striking Varner twice once in the chest and once in the pelvis. The body cam video abruptly ends there. The DA's Office said that the two officers came up to where Varner lay on the ground after putting Cecil in the patrol car, moving the downed gun away. Paramedics soon arrived and tried to save Varner's life, but he died by the time he reached Rogue Regional Medical Center. An investigation later found that Varner's gun, a Glock, was unloaded and did not contain a magazine. Toxicology results showed that Varner had a blood alcohol concentration of .24, according to the DA's Office. What happened leading up to the officers' arrival Cecil testified to the grand jury that he and Varner had been hanging out and shooting their guns earlier in the day before going to a bar, when Varner began to become agitated. They left the bar and drank more at the river before returning to the property on Blackwell Road. "As Mr. Cecil exited his vehicle, he heard someone shouting commands," the DA's Office said. "Mr. Cecil initially believed Mr. Varner was pulled over by the police. As he approached Mr. Varners vehicle, he saw Mr. Varner pointing a firearm at him and Mr. Varner was telling him to get on the ground." Cecil said that he was able to get close and disarm Varner of the Glock, prompting the other man to become emotional and apologize. More incidents of aggression and momentary de-escalation followed, but Cecil testified that he eventually determined to give the handgun back. "Cecil extended the holster containing the firearm and extra magazine to him, Mr. Varner attempted to aggressively rip the holster from Mr. Cecil," said the DA's Office. "Mr. Cecil pulled the firearm back towards his body while Mr. Varner quickly advanced on him. Mr. Cecil then fired seven rounds from Mr. Varners firearm into the floor of the shop. Mr. Varner backed up and Mr. Cecil then put the firearm back in the holster." It was then that Cecil's girlfriend hear the shots and called 911. When deputies arrived, Cecil said that he left Varner's gun in the holster on a chair inside the shop while he walked towards the door. "Mr. Cecil followed the commands of law enforcement and assumed Mr. Varner was right behind him," the DA's Office said. "Mr. Cecil was being detained by Deputy Hohl when Mr. Varner exited the building. Mr. Cecil saw the tac light was on as Mr. Varner exited the shop building." According to the District Attorney's Office, the grand jury heard from nine witnesses in total, and deliberated for less than five minutes before deciding that the officer was justified under Oregon law. John Bercows hopes of a peerage are in fresh jeopardy after extraordinary criticism by Commons officials for naming staff members in his autobiography. The controversial former Speaker already embroiled in bullying allegations was rapped for the unacceptable decision to identify staff without a right of reply, in his book Unspeakable. The Commons also urged anyone who had suffered bullying to come forward following high-profile complaints made against Mr Bercow by the former clerk of the House and Black Rod. Staff work incredibly hard to enable the effective functioning of our democracy and have a right to expect that their privacy be respected, said a House of Commons spokesperson in a statement. It is unacceptable to publicly name current or former staff without their prior knowledge or authority, especially for the purpose of financial gain or commercial success. The criticism comes after Lieutenant General David Leakey, who served as Black Rod for seven years, that a peerage for Mr Bercow would be a scandal which parliament would struggle to live down. He alleged the former Speaker had brutalised people and would fly into a rage with angry mood swings and outbursts. Lord Lisvane has also protested about bullying, humiliation and use of inappropriate language to staff that he witnessed during his time as chief clerk to the Commons. Mr Bercow has strongly denied the claims, insisting Mr Leakey was completely and utterly ignorant of the situation in an interview this week. 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 is the first former Speaker in 230 years not to be automatically offered a peerage after a Conservative belief that he attempted to block Brexit but he has been nominated by Jeremy Corbyn. However, in the statement, the Commons spokesperson added: Parliaments behaviour code makes clear the standards of behaviour expected of everyone in parliament, whether staff, members of the House of Lords, MPs or visitors. There is zero tolerance for abuse or harassment. We strongly encourage anyone who has experienced bullying or harassment in parliament to submit a complaint via the independent complaints and grievance scheme. In addition, all current and former staff can access the employee assistance programme for emotional support. On the naming of staff, the statement added: A crucial element of the work of House of Commons staff is to provide confidential, impartial advice to MPs. Breaking this confidentiality undermines this important principle and also places staff in a position from which they are unable to respond. The dissolution honours list and a decision on whether Mr Bercow should receive a peerage has been held up in a blizzard of leaks about the names put forward. A spokesman defended the ex-Speaker, saying: Given there is a small but highly vocal group of people consistently seeking to blacken his name, it would be odd if Mr Bercow did not comment on their unfounded allegations and the reasons behind them. He was advised by Speaker's Counsel not to do so in detail while he was in office. He is therefore doing so now. If the book had not addressed these issues, he would rightly have been accused of serious omission. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Lim Sungnam (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Fri, February 7 2020 The chairmanship of ASEAN rotates annually in alphabetical order, and the clock usually starts ticking from the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat. Following this practice, 10 ASEAN foreign ministers gathered in Nha Trang, Vietnam, on Jan. 16 to 17. Just before the retreat, Vietnam officially launched its 2020 ASEAN chairmanship with a theme Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN. In his speech on Vietnams 2020 ASEAN chairmanship on Jan. 6, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc laid out five priorities for implementing this theme. First was ASEANs active role and contribution to maintaining regional peace and stability; he also emphasized the importance of strengthening ASEANs unity as well as cooperation among the ASEAN member states. Ever-increasing regional and external uncertainties arousing from the rivalry between global powers seem to have led to ASEANs need to strengthen its unity and responsive capabilities. 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 Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler is seeking a third four-year term. She confirmed her plans for reelection to the Tribune on Thursday. "I really enjoy the work that I do," Baesler said. "I'm very excited about the team that I've built over the last 7 years in office, and I'm eager to continue doing the work for our 110,000 students and their families in the state." Prior to her first election in 2012, Baesler had a 24-year career with Bismarck Public Schools, including positions as a classroom teacher and a vice principal. She sat on the Mandan School Board from 2004 to 2012 and was its president for seven years. The state superintendent is a nonpartisan official, but North Dakota's Republican and Democratic-NPL parties issue letters of support for candidates. Baesler in 2016 sought and received the Republican Party's letter of support over Joe Chiang, a teacher at Four Winds Community High School in Fort Totten. She went on to defeat Chiang, who went unendorsed, with about 75% of the 2016 general election vote. Baesler said it's important to ensure the office serves all students in North Dakota "regardless of the parties or affiliation of their parents." "I've worked very hard the last 7 years to make sure that I'm working across both sides of the aisle, and I continue to intend to do that same thing," she said. "It's critically important." In campaigning, Baesler said, she talks "to as many voters as I possibly can," visiting schools and communities to discuss education policy. "I will go out and speak with anyone and everyone that wants to share their ideas and thoughts with me," she said. "I believe that's been a critical strand of how I've led." Baesler in 2019 established her 23-member Family Engagement Cabinet to share ideas about how families and schools can better work together. In 2015 she created her Student Cabinet comprising students in grades 4-12 from around North Dakota to solicit their thoughts on education issues. "I invest a considerable amount of time in meeting with my administrator advisory committees and most importantly, continually, have consistent communication with the front-line teachers that are doing such an exemplary job," she said. Baesler, 50, is a Flasher native who lives in Mandan. She has three adult sons. Charles Tuttle, who was an unsuccessful independent candidate for North Dakota's lone U.S. House seat in 2018, also is seeking the state superintendent's office. In a campaign announcement last week, he said he wants "to Make North Dakota Schools Great Again." Democratic-NPL Party spokesman Alex Rohr said a candidate has not yet sought the party's support, which would be decided at the party's state convention in March in Minot. North Dakota's state superintendent sits on a number of state boards, including the Board of University and School Lands, the Teachers' Fund For Retirement Board and the newly established Children's Cabinet and Commission on Juvenile Justice. The superintendent also chairs the State Board of Higher Education nominating committee to recommend names for the governor's appointment. An application period is open for a new member. The state superintendent's annual salary is $122,810, and goes to $125,880 on July 1. Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.com. Love 3 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 5 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly 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. A rare kind of species, fluorescent pink slugs have survived the Australian bushfires which live on the slopes of an isolated and inactive volcano, Mount Kaputar. They derive their name from the name of the volcano. Recently, around 60 of the brightly coloured slugs were identified by NSW Parks and Wildlife Service rangers after Mount Kaputar national park received rainfall, according to the reports. The official Facebook page of NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service shared a picture of the slug and informed followers about their survival. READ: Australian PM Scott Morrison Leads Tribute To Bushfire Victims In Parliament The Mount Kaputar slug measures up to 20 centimetres. These slugs are not found anywhere else in the country and are only present on the slopes of Mount Kaputar. When the volcano exploded nearly 17 million years ago, the slugs remained isolated on the mountaintop for millions of years. Bushfires claim 33 lives The Australian bushfires have been making headlines and have gained worldwide concern for nearly three months. It has reportedly claimed 33 lives, devastated thousands of homes and destroyed more than 5 million hectares of land. Over one billion animals have died from the bushfires that started due to intense heatwaves. The Australian government has raised funds to protect its wildlife from ravaging bushfires. READ: Sydney Cricket Ground To Host Bushfire Relief Match Featuring Lara, Yuvraj Singh Australia gripped by ravaging bushfire Australia has been gripped by ravaging bushfire since September last year and the damage has been so dreadful that it is being dubbed as the worst in recorded history. Properties, people and wildlife are the worst sufferers in the ongoing bushfire down under. In a recent piece of news coming in from Australia, an estimated 37,000 koalas have been killed in the wildfires so far. According to Steven Selwood of South Australia Veterinary Emergency Management, there are only 9,000 koalas that remain out of the 46,000 that were thought to be on the island before this year's bushfire. READ: Firefighters Battle Bushfires Near Canberra Amid Immediate Threat To Lives READ: Dramatic Video Shows Australian Bushfire Changing Direction And Intensity In Minutes As we pulled in front of the plantation house, the ride-hail driver marveled at the oak trees, hung with gauzy Spanish moss. Dont touch it though, she said. Someone told me its full of bugs. Research bore out her advice: The bromeliad can be rife with chiggers, the small red bugs that burrow into your skin, causing pain and itching. As I waited on the porch of the Gamble Plantation, I overheard another visitor say, Its so beautiful. She gazed up at the stately white columns, which had the iconic look of Tara from the movie epic Gone With the Wind. Such grandeur, but also such an ugly history. It was the first time Id ever been to a plantation, glimpsing the past that still touches almost every part of American life. Before we entered the only surviving antebellum mansion in South Florida, the ranger intoned that the house spoke to him, a symbol of survival and self-reliance. If you choose, it can speak to you, too, he said. Survival? Self-reliance? Of whom of sugar plantation slaveholder Robert Gamble, the son of a Richmond, Va., merchant and slaveholder? Fathers and sons wealth rested upon the backbreaking labor of those stolen from their homelands and parted from their families. Gamble had settled there under the auspices of the Armed Occupation Act, designed to attract white settlers to the Florida peninsula and push out the Seminoles. It reminded me that indigenous people in this country would get stripped of their land, language and culture in the generations that followed. As we passed from room to room of the Greek Revival-style mansion, the ranger told us Gamble lost a brother and suffered crop losses, fires and other calamities, but I couldnt muster much pity for a man who owned 190 slaves on his 3,500 acres. The rangers corny jokes grated on me, how Gamble had been hounded by creditors like Visa and MasterCard. At Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp the largest one, which was liberated 75 years ago last week imagine if jocular tour guides focused upon the life and times of the Nazi officials, with only a nod to the 1.1 million victims who perished? In time, Gamble had to sell his estate to men who took the plantations most valuable asset ... The ranger trailed off, but gave us an expectant look, prompting us to elaborate. The slaves, we said. He nodded. The state park is also a memorial to Judah P. Benjamin, the Confederate secretary of state. Fearing he would get tried for treason, Benjamin fled the country via the plantation before eventually becoming a barrister in England. He was buried at the famed Pere Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, where the United Daughters of the Confederacy placed a plaque on his grave in 1938. In this version of history, he was exalted no war criminal. At the end of the tour, the ranger asked if we had any questions. Where were the slave quarters? I asked. 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. Between here and the river, he said, pointing off in one direction. After he had gone into so much detail about Gamble and how the walls of the mansion were made from crushed oyster shells, sand, water and lime, his vagueness upset me. Shouldnt we know the specifics of the horrific conditions that the enslaved lived in? I thought of a Bay Area treasure, Betty Reid Soskin, the 98-year-old ranger at the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond. Her presentations are both intimate and sweeping, connecting past injustices with the present. That day, at the plantations visitor center, I studied a list of slaves, the names rendered in tiny cursive script: John, Margaret, and Betsy Brown, her child Ellen, the scant detail heartbreaking. The tally also included farming utensils of every description chilling proof of how human lives were commodified and considered just another tool. Afterward, I passed a sign for wedding, tour bus and RV parking and strolled into a grove of oak trees veiled with Spanish moss, the sort of backdrop where a bride and groom could pose. Both Pinterest and the Knot, two major wedding planning websites, recently decided to stop promoting wedding venues and content that romanticizes slave plantations. Its a move that asks us to reflect upon context, to avoid getting swept up into a dangerous nostalgia that erases history. To pull back the camera lens to include all those who lived here, and to consider how Spanish moss, beautiful as it might seem, harbors what gets under our skin. Vanessa Huas column appears Fridays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com A Canadian flag is hung up as people board a plane destined for Canada at the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport early in the morning on Feb. 7, 2020 in this handout photo provided by Myriam Larouche. (The Canadian Press/HO, Myriam Larouche) First Canada-Bound Flight Leaves Wuhan OTTAWAA charter plane carrying Canadian citizens home from the centre of the global novel coronavirus outbreak has begun its journey home. The plane is wheels up, Foreign Affairs Minister FrancoisPhilippe Champagne said in a tweet on Feb. 6 after the evacuation flight organized by the federal government departed from Wuhan, the city in central China where the outbreak originated. The flight is slated to stop to refuel in Vancouver before heading to Canadian Forces Base Trenton, where it is expected to land early Feb. 7. All evacuees from Wuhan will then spend 14 days under quarantine on the military base in southern Ontario. They will be monitored to see if they have contracted the virus. Canadian officials have documented five cases of coronavirus in the country so far. They say the quarantine is necessary to ensure the virus doesnt spread further. The plane was originally due to take off on Feb. 5, but was delayed due to bad weather. About 50 more Canadian passengers are expected to leave China on board a United States government flight scheduled to depart later on Feb. 6. The federal government has also chartered a second flight to bring more Canadians home next week. Champagne said that flight is scheduled to leave Wuhan, a city of 11 million people under quarantine, on Feb. 10. It is expected to arrive at CFB Trenton the next day, where its passengers will also be under mandatory quarantine for two full weeks. I think its a good thing because everybody who wants to depart will have a third chance to come back to Canada, Champagne said. The government had secured space for 211 passengers on the first flight, but Champagne said a number of them did not go to the airport. As expected, we had a small number of noshows at the airport, mostly related to individuals who changed their minds at the last minute, he said. Champagne said anyone who decided to stay behind would continue to receive consular assistance. The federal government has not yet confirmed how many passengers ended up on the flight. About twothirds of Canadians seeking to leave Wuhan will have left for Canada, Champagne said. More than 300 people have asked for Ottawas help getting out of the city. Myriam Larouche, a 25yearold student from Quebec who is in Wuhan, said the flight began to board just past midnight Feb. 7 local time. Kate Schellenberg said she received a text message from her twin brother Michael as he was waiting to board. He is set to leave China with his wife Summer Wu and their 1yearold son Felix. He told her that he could see the plane, and people wearing yellow hazmat suits. Global Affairs Canada had advised passengers to expect delays, noting that Chinese authorities would be performing health screening and immigration controls before people were allowed to board. The checkin experience will be significantly different to what you may be used to, said an email, obtained by The Canadian Press. We ask for your understanding and patience. The new coronavirus has sickened more than 28,000 and killed 563 in China since the outbreak was first reported to the World Health Organization in December. This is the heartwarming moment an orangutan tries to assist a man stood in a river by offering its outstretched arm. The great ape, who lives in a protected conservation forest area in Borneo, was seen leaning forward and lending a helping hand to the man who had been in the muddy river searching for snakes. The striking images were taken by amateur photographer Anil Prabhakar, from Indonesia, who had been on a safari with his friends when he spotted the touching scene. Mr Prabhakar later found that the man worked for the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation- a non-profit organisation aimed at protected the endangered species. The orangutan, who lives in a conservation forest area in Borneo, offers an outstretched arm to a man stood in the river The man, who worked for the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, had been in the river to clear away any snakes The worker had been clearing away snakes in an effort to guard the orangutans when he was interrupted by the inquisitive ape. However the amateur photographer revealed the man refused the orangutan's hand after he put away the camera - as it was a wild animal. Mr Prabhakar said: 'Someone told him there was a snake in the river. The warden went there and cleared the bushes. 'An orangutan came to the banks and was watching what he was doing. He then came closer and gave his hand. 'The warden just moved away. I asked him why later and he said: ''It's a wild animal, not one we are familiar with''. The worker, who had been clearing away snakes, watched as the great ape offered him a helping hand The endangered animal, who lives in a protected conservation forest, spotted the man and decided to help 'But they are to protect them.' The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation is an Indonesian non-profit organisation founded in 1991. The foundation, which has 400 members of staff, is currently taking care of almost 650 orangutans. How will we die on Mars? Science fiction media has approached this question for decades. For those who die aboard spacecraft on the journey to Mars or some other cosmic destination (e.g., Spock's death in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and events in the recent film "Ad Astra"), the solution is always the same: toss 'em out of the airlock. But what about burial? Burying people once we get to Mars seems like a decent option. But, if bodies were left out on the surface or buried on Mars, it's likely that they would only mummify over time, as the planet hosts no known bacteria that would decompose the body, and face the effects of radiation. So, instead of throwing beloved crewmates out to freeze, float and eventually break apart in the vacuum of space or leaving friends out on Mars to mummify and get irradiated, it seems that, in real life, we might take more careful measures to mourn and dispose of our dead when off Earth. Related: See photos of dead Mars probes Death in space: a brief history J.J. Hastings practices dying on Mars with a Martian death garment specially designed and made by fashion designer Pia Interlandi. (Image credit: Chelsea Gohd/Space.com) To date, three people have died in space. Following the Soviet Union's launch of the Salyut 1, the first space station, in 1971, the Soyuz 10 mission launched and returned back to Earth early following a problem in docking with the station. That crew made it back to Earth, but the next mission, Soyuz 11, faced trouble after it launched with cosmonauts Georgi Dobrovolski, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsayev. While this crew made it to the station, too, during their descent to Earth (which was also early, due to problems), a valve opened too soon and the crew died from decompression when exposed to the vacuum of space. With the ship already on a return mission to Earth with no surviving crewmembers onboard, there were no people to follow any procedures following the tragic deaths. Currently, space agencies like NASA have procedures for surviving crew members to follow if someone dies in space. In his book "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth" (Little, Brown and Co., 2013), retired Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield explained that astronauts conduct what are called "death sims." In these simulations, astronauts act as if a specific crewmember has died and work out what they should do. They work through questions like "What are we going to do with his corpse? There are no body bags on station, so should we shove it in a spacesuit and stick it in a locker? But what about the smell? Should we send it back to Earth on a resupply ship and let it burn up with the rest of the garbage on reentry? Jettison it during a spacewalk and let it float away into space?" Hadfield wrote in the book. But as it becomes more likely that humans will spend more time on off-Earth locations like the moon and Mars, it's important that we continue to heavily consider and develop plans for what should happen if and when someone dies. What to wear to die on Mars Now, just as we likely wouldn't zip our loved ones into a bag and just toss them out of an airlock if they were to die on a spacecraft, we'll likely have respectful approaches on other planets. Once on the surface of Mars, humans will likely have rituals and protocols surrounding death like those we have on Earth. J.J. Hastings, a bioengineer and CEO of Analogs LLC who served as commander of Sensoria I (the first analog Mars mission as part of the Sensoria program), is exploring what it would be like to die on Mars alongside fashion design researcher Pia Interlandi. The project is made up of two main parts: a ritual death garment and a "human recycler" (my nickname for it, not the actual name of the process or technology). Now, before we get to the "human recycler" aspect of the project, let's discuss the garment. Related: The Search for Life on Mars: A Photo Timeline J.J. Hastings models the "Martian death garment" designed by Pia Interlandi inside the HI-SEAS habitat right next to the airlock. (Image credit: Chelsea Gohd/Space.com) This project aims to conceptualize the process of death and grieving on Mars in a way that aligns with our human sensibilities, both Hastings and Interlandi explained to Space.com. Here on Earth, we have funerals, memorials, wakes, cremation, burial services and more. We have a litany of rituals surrounding death that give us an opportunity to say goodbye to our dead. To create such a ritual for Mars, Hastings worked with Interlandi, who, along with her research, creates custom death garments on Earth for her work with " Garments for the Grave " and has exhibited her work all around the world at renowned institutions including the Museum of Modern Art. For this "Martian death project," Interlandi created a ritual death garment, which Hastings showed to Space.com at the HI-SEAS habitat during the Sensoria I mission. Throughout the mission, Hastings slept on a pillowcase with "Upon my death, here is everything you need" written on it. Inside the pillowcase were all of the pieces of the death garment. Sleeping on the clothes they would wear after they die, the concept goes, would not only remind astronauts of their mortality, but also allow them to reflect in a unique way. The pillowcase would also provide a space-saving method for transporting the garment. It "needs to be transportable. It can't be interrupting things. It needs to be something that fits within your packing," Interlandi told Space.com. Photos: Ancient Mars Lake Could Have Supported Life The garment has four layers and is 100% biodegradable, so the body can decompose more easily without creating additional, synthetic waste. Interlandi's pieces are designed to be easy to put on a stiff corpse, she told Space.com. She further explained that the Martian garment, specifically, consists entirely of different types of silk (different weights and textures). The project used silk because not only does it looks and feels nice, is lightweight, and is made out of protein from silkworms. That means that when the death ritual reaches the "human recycler" stage, the garment's proteins could be processed along with those from the human body. (Wool would also work for this reason, but silk was a better choice because of its feel, textures and weight, Interlandi explained). J.J. Hastings "practices" dying on "Mars" just outside of the HI-SEAS habitat in Hawaii while wearing Pia Interlandi's "Martian death garment." (Image credit: Chelsea Gohd/Space.com) The first layer of the garment is an undergarment, which lies directly against the body. It is a white tunic with ties on its sides. Over this base layer is the second layer, which "is meant to be more decorative, and this would be if I was lying in the room so if there was a memorial or something else," Hastings told Space.com while wearing the flowing garment. This semi-translucent layer is made out of a light silk and features a gradual color fade from from the top to the bottom of the garment, white to dark gray. Third, the garment features a light silk, gauzy piece that wraps around and covers the face. J.J. Hastings practices dying on Mars, this up-close shot shows the gauze-y silk piece which covers the face as part of the "Martian death garment" designed by Pia Interlandi. (Image credit: Chelsea Gohd/Space.com) Finally, the garment includes a large, blanket-like veil made out of a very simple silk that feels and looks almost like a large, thick web. This fourth piece wraps around the body over the other garments. J.J. Hastings holding up the fourth and final layer of Pia Interlandi's "Martian death garment," which Hastings is wearing inside the HI-SEAS habitat. (Image credit: Chelsea Gohd/Space.com) The pieces serve the practical purpose of covering the dead in biodegradable fabrics that are easy to put onto a stiff, dead body. But the act of dressing the dead in the different layers also creates a ritual that allows grieving parties to get close to the body. "The closing of the coffin is often too abrupt and too hard and too sudden. We need to have a process where we can slowly veil and conceal the body [so] that it's a softer, more gentle kind of fading out," Interlandi said. At HI-SEAS, on the side of Mauna Loa in Hawaii, with Mauna Kea in the background, Hastings put on the garments. She demonstrated what a Martian death ritual might look like one day, as you can see in the video above. A human recycler Interlandi's thoughtful death designs serve as the first half of this "Martian death project." The garment facilitates a ritual. But following the ritual, humans living on Mars would need to dispose of deceased humans thoughtfully. And that's where the "human recycler" would come into play. As an alternative, Hastings explained that this human recycler idea would work by composting the body and turning it back into its raw materials. These could then be repurposed and used on Mars. When you're living off-Earth, whether on an orbiting space station, the moon, Mars or beyond, resources are everything. From food to water, energy and so much more, these resources are infinitely precious. So, as Hastings explained, when people die in a location like Mars, the resources that are a part of their body cannot go to waste. From salt and other minerals to carbon, water and so much more, the human body is made up of an enormously long list of raw materials that could be valuable resources for living crewmembers. Hastings said that the project can't yet reveal the specific details of this "human recycler." However, as Interlandi explained, the project members are exploring different options using existing technologies. One such option would be compatible with the protein fabrics (silk) of the death garments. This method, alkaline hydrolysis, sometimes referred to as "green cremation," is an alternative to burial and cremation here on Earth that "has been used by the medical field and agricultural fields for the disposal of animals," Interlandi said. It works by essentially dissolving the proteins of the human body and leaving behind only liquid and bone. As Interlandi suggested, the liquid could be used to, for example, provide nutrients to growing plants on Mars. She added that she and Hastings plan to conduct experiments in which they dissolve the fabrics used in the Martian death garments in this process, to see if there is any residue left over or if it poses any problems. Solving for space solves for Earth It might seem strange and even horrifying to some to simply dissolve their dead friends and family members. But, as both Hastings and Interlandi expressed, this work is yet another example of "solving for space solves for Earth." Alkaline hydrolysis could be a suitable way to dispose of the dead on a place like Mars where sending the dead home may not be reasonable or even possible. And exploring how this disposal process would work under these extreme circumstances could inform us about whether it could be a useful and sustainable burial solution on Earth. So, while it might seem like a far-out or even morbid topic, figuring out how to die on Mars could make life a little more sustainable here at home. Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . The question is why Arvind Kejriwal reinforced his identity that of a devout Hindu who religiously goes to the Hunman temple and sings the Hanuman Chalisa now. Until a few years ago, the 'Hindu vote' was considered a myth. The Delhi election is showing us that no longer holds true. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal attending the News18 conclave, calling himself a kattar Hanuman bhakt and reciting the Hanuman Chalisa which he also did elsewhere shows this. It is the Narendra Modi regime's success in the 2014 and 2019 polls that brought Hindutva politics so boldly and squarely into the public discourse that Opposition leaders can no longer take the electorate for granted. Take for example, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's high-profile visits to temples before elections, his aides declaring him a Shiv bhakt and 'janeudhari brahmin' and photos of his Kailash-Mansarovar trip being released on social media. Or TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, who organises Durga Puja celebrations every year with gusto. Or Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan having to slow walk his position after the backlash to Sabarimala. The BJP has never been apologetic about its Hindutva tilt, but it has become even more outspoken in the face of anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests at Shaheen Bagh and Jamia university. Take, for instance, its 'jaago Dilli' poll song released on social media. The question is why Kejriwal reinforced his identity that of a devout Hindu who religiously goes to the Hunman temple and sings the Hanuman Chalisa now. The answer is that he realised that the BJP'S aggressive pitch of Kejriwal and Amanatullah Khan being principal backers of the anti-CAA protests is resonating with the public. Reports of the PFI pumping money and other logistical support to keep the arterial Noida-South Delhi road blocked and protest going for over 50 days and thereby causing hardship to lakhs and Sharjeel Imams call to cut off North East from the rest of India has brought the BJP into contention for the Delhi polls. The BJP has an assured support base of 30 to 36 percent in the state and the AAP is worried that number of fence-sitters could shift to the BJP. Kejriwal's recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa is part of a counter-narrative he intends to build. The issue is not to predict a win or loss for AAP or BJP but to highlight that what was considered a myth until half a decade ago has become reality and that even the perceived front-runner has to play to Hindu sentiment. COLUMBUS, Ohio - A new study is the first to suggest that children's exposure to discrimination can harm their mothers' health. The findings reveal that when biological and environmental explanations for a woman's health status between age 40 and 50 are accounted for, an association can be found between her children being treated unfairly and a decline in her health during midlife. "Our study suggests that when a child experiences discrimination, these instances of unfair treatment are likely to harm his or her mother's health in addition to their own," said Cynthia Colen, associate professor of sociology at The Ohio State University and lead author of the study. The discrimination captured by the data included high-impact incidents of unfair treatment in the workplace as well as everyday mistreatment ranging from poor restaurant service to harassment. Though previous research has suggested that pregnant women's experiences of discrimination can negatively affect the health of their babies, this is the first time researchers have identified health effects of unfair treatment in the opposite direction, from older children to their middle-aged mothers. The finding prompted the authors to argue that discrimination should be considered not just a social problem, but a health problem. "When we think about discrimination, we tend to think about what happens to an individual if they themselves experience unfair treatment, whether it's because of their sex or their race or something else," Colen said. "This paper argues that the health effects of discrimination reverberate through families and have the potential to reverberate through communities. "Our results suggest that discrimination is better understood as a complex social exposure with far-reaching health implications." The study is published online in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior and will appear in a future print edition. Colen and her colleagues studied two generations of families using data from mother-child pairs in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979, a nationally representative sample of men and women who have been surveyed on a regular basis for over 40 years. The NLSY is run by Ohio State's Center for Human Resource Research. The dataset for this work included 3,004 mothers and 6,562 children, and focused on adolescent and young adults' answers to survey questions about exposure to acute or chronic discrimination and their mothers' self-rated health at ages 40 and 50. The discrimination measures were developed in the 1990s by study co-author David Williams of Harvard University. Acute discrimination could include being unfairly fired from a job or a threatening encounter with police. The chronic discrimination measure assesses the frequency of routine interpersonal exchanges that leave a person feeling disrespected, insulted or demeaned. The measures were determined based on responses to such questions as "Have you ever been unfairly denied a promotion?" or "Have you ever been unfairly stopped, searched, questioned, physically threatened, or abused by police?" for acute discrimination. To measure chronic discrimination, respondents answered questions like "How often have you been treated with less respect than other people?" and "How often have you been called names or insulted?" African American adolescents and young adults reported the most experiences of discrimination: Almost 22 percent of blacks reported frequent instances of acute discrimination, compared to 14 percent of Hispanics and 11 percent of whites. Racial disparities in the mothers' health status also were evident: By age 50, 31 percent of blacks reported having fair or poor health, compared to 17 percent of whites and 26 percent of Hispanics. Analyzing the data in statistical models revealed that mothers of children reporting moderate or high levels of acute discrimination were up to 22 percent more likely to face a decline in their health between age 40 and 50 than mothers of children who reported low levels of acute discrimination. Smaller but significant declines in health were also noted for mothers whose children experienced frequent chronic discrimination. These associations were evident among African Americans, Hispanics and whites. Racial health disparities have been well-documented in previous research, but the specific reasons for these discrepancies can be hard to identify and quantify. Colen expected to find that children's experiences with discrimination would help explain why mothers of color had poorer health than whites, but found that this was true only among African American mothers. The analysis showed that children's experiences with acute discrimination explained almost 10 percent, and chronic discrimination about 7 percent, of the gap in health declines between black and white women, but was not linked to the health gap between white and Hispanic moms - even though the data showed that these disparities exist. Colen said adding health data from the mothers at age 60, which wasn't available when she conducted this research, may provide a clearer picture of the intergenerational health effects of discrimination over time. "We have known for a long time that people who are treated unfairly are more likely to have poor mental and physical health," Colen said. "Now we know that these negative health effects aren't restricted to the person who experiences discrimination firsthand - instead they are intergenerational, and they are likely to be a contributor to racial disparities in health that mean people of color can expect to die younger and live less healthy lives." ### Qi Li and Corinne Reczek of Ohio State's Department of Sociology also worked on the study. Contact: Cynthia Colen, colen.3@osu.edu Written by Emily Caldwell, Caldwell.151@osu.edu; 614-292-8152 Photo: The Canadian Press The Transportation Safety Board says a year after a fatal train derailment near the Alberta-British Columbia boundary, it is ready to compile the information it has gathered into a report. A Vancouver-bound Canadian Pacific grain train was stopped on a mountain slope in the frigid early-morning hours of Feb. 4, 2019, when it began moving on its own and plummeted from a bridge. Conductor Dylan Paradis, engineer Andrew Dockrell and trainee Daniel Waldenberger-Bulmer died in the crash near Field, B.C. The safety agency says in an update that the train consisting of 112 cars and three locomotives separated into three sections after it sped down a treacherous hill in Yoho National Park. It says only the 13 grain cars and tail-end locomotive that remained on the track after the crash were recovered for further examination and testing. The agency says its work so far includes examining all relevant data from the crash site, collecting communications with train crews and conducting interviews. It says it has also looked at railway management and regulatory oversight, the safety culture at Canadian Pacific, decision-making and crew resource management. No data could be retrieved from the recorder in the lead locomotive because it was too damaged. The safety board says its investigation is now moving from examination and analysis to the report phase. For cases as complex as the Field derailment, the board says it aims to complete investigations within 600 days, though that timeline can vary. The train was stopped with its airbrakes applied for three hours, but no handbrakes were used to further secure the train. The safety board said after a job briefing between the previous crew and a supervisor, the conductor applied retainer valves to the high-pressure position on 75 per cent of the cars on the train. After the crash, Transport Canada ordered that railways immediately use handbrakes on all trains stopped on mountain slopes. Police have released the name of a man who was stabbed by three thieves before fleeing with his 115,000 watch. The gang yanked the timepiece from the wrist of Bo Khan, 55, during what police described as a violent robbery, in Berkeley Square, in Londons Mayfair. A violent robbery in broad daylight saw three thieves attack a man before fleeing with his 115 designer watch (PA) Mr Khan was stabbed in the arm as the men snatched the watch off his wrist - but he recalled the moment he chased after the gang. He told the Evening Standard: They tried to cut through the tendon in my arm to disable me and stop me fighting back. They knew what they were doing. I chased after them because it was so out of order. All I can think about is how worse it could have been. The three men attacked a tourist leaving him with a deep wound in his arm before fleeing with his 115,000 watch. (PA) Although its a ridiculously expensive watch, it is quite nondescript. They probably stole it because it looked worth nicking rather than any knowledge of its true value. The Metropolitan Police said Mr Khan was visiting the capital and suffered a deep wound during the incident in June last year. The suspects, all in their 30s and of Mediterranean appearance and medium build, ran off in the direction of Park Lane with the Breguet Tourbillon, officers said. The gang left their victim with stab wounds (PA) Police are hunting the three thieves (PA) Police have now released images of three men they are seeking in connection with the attack. The incident took place about a mile away from where 20-year-old student Mohamed Abdullah Al Araimi was stabbed to death in an attempted robbery over his expensive watch in December last year. Thieves stole a Breguet Tourbillon watch - similar to this - worth a reported 115,000 The Omani national, who was studying politics and economics at Kings College, was targeted near luxury department store Harrods in Knightsbridge. Badir Rahim Alnazi, 23, of Brent, north-west London, has been charged with murder, attempted robbery and possession of a blade in relation to the attack on December 5. Read more from Yahoo News UK: Remains of 42 bodies, some with hands tied behind backs, found on new development on farmland Parent finds cat with missing eye dumped in a bin bag during school run Streatham terror attack: CCTV shows Sudesh Amman moments before knife rampage Story continues Detective Constable Eve Kelly said: This violent robbery was committed in broad daylight and it appears that the victim was specifically targeted for his watch. He and his wife were left shaken and have since received counselling to help deal with the impact of this robbery. We have followed up numerous CCTV and forensic leads but unfortunately not made any arrests, and now we are hoping that the public can help put names to these faces. If you recognise any of these men we would urge you to get in touch. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- Chinese citizens wear face masks to protect against the spread of the Coronavirus as they check in to their Air China flight to Beijing, at Los Angeles International Airport, on February 2, 2020. Mark Ralston | AFP | Getty Images Dai Xin planned to fly to the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang this month to celebrate her 40th birthday. The rapid spread of coronavirus changed her mind. "I'm nervous to come back," the New York-based surgical technician said as she was canceling her Air China flight at a travel agency in the Flushing section of Queens on Saturday because she was worried about the difficulty of returning to the U.S. "It's not worth it" to visit her native China now, she said. One by one, air carriers have cut service after demand fell sharply and governments took more drastic measures that they say aim to curb the spread of the disease, which has sickened more than 28,000 people, most of them in China, and killed at least 565 people as of Thursday morning, according to health officials. These steps have left China, the world's second-largest air travel market after the U.S., more isolated. Airlines in dozens of countries from New Zealand to Finland to the United Arab Emirates have scaled back service or in the case of U.S. airlines canceled flights altogether to the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong as the coronavirus spreads. This will drive down airlines' 2020 revenue and deprive other segments of the travel industry, including hotels and retailers, of high-spending tourists. The outbreak has some travelers exercising more caution with their travel, even for destinations other than China. Many travelers would be inquiring about spring travel during this time of year, said Cindy Guo, who runs Top Travel International in Flushing. "Some people prefer to stay home" because of the virus, she said. The U.S. instituted travel restrictions on Sunday that include requiring returning U.S. citizens who have been in Hubei province where Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus, is located to face mandatory, 14-day quarantines. The Trump administration has ordered self-quarantines for U.S. citizens who have been in other parts of mainland China. Additionally, foreigners who have been in China in the last two weeks, except for immediate family of U.S. citizens and permanent residents and a few others, won't be allowed in at all. U.S. Customs and Border Protection says it processed an average of 371,780 people at U.S. airports each day in the last fiscal year, although February travel demand is much lower than in the summer. Some 14,000 people flew into the U.S. from China each day almost 5 million for that year. At stake are more than 165,000 scheduled flights in and out of China between Jan. 29 and March 28 that would affect 27 million travelers, according to data from aviation consulting firm Cirium. More than 54,011 flights, or 28% of the scheduled flights to, from and within China between Jan. 23 and Feb. 4 were canceled, 14% of them the international scheduled flights. Getting around within China is also becoming more complicated, and close to 32% of domestic flights were called off in that period, Cirium data show. United Airlines this week followed American in halting Hong Kong flights in addition to its mainland China routes. Delta Air Lines also pushed up its planned cuts to this past weekend. The Civil Aviation Administration of China has requested local airlines keep operating international flights to countries that haven't placed restrictions on inbound travel. But even state-owned Chinese airlines are also weighing service cuts. Air China on Monday told the U.S. Department of Transportation it would like to reduce its China-U.S. service to just two routes: from Beijing to Los Angeles and then on to San Francisco, and from Beijing to New York and then on to Washington Dulles. The carrier has authorization to fly nonstop between Beijing and Houston and Newark, but plans to stop those flights. The U.S. Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump on both of the articles of impeachment against him on votes largely along party lines. Both of Ohios U.S. Senators, Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Rob Portman, announced their decisions ahead of the Feb. 5 vote. Portman voted not guilty to both articles of impeachment and Brown voted guilty to both. Portman explained his decision on the Senate floor Feb. 4. Since first seeing the transcript of the phone call between President Trump and President Zelensky four months ago, Ive consistently said that the President asking Ukraine for an investigation of Joe Biden was inappropriate and wrong, said Portman, who is co-chair of the Senate Ukraine Caucus. Ive also said since then that any actions taken by members of the administration or those outside the administration to try to delay military assistance or a White House meeting pending an investigation by Ukraine were not appropriate, either. But while I dont condone this behavior, these actions do not rise to the level of removing President Trump from office and taking him off the ballot in a presidential election season thats already well underway. Brown explained his decision on the Senate floor Feb. 5 ahead of the vote. Over the course of this trial we heard overwhelming evidence that President Trump did things Richard Nixon never did he extorted a bribe from a foreign leader, to put his own presidential campaign above the American people he swore an oath to serve, Brown said. If we acquit this president, it sets a clear, dangerous precedent that you can abuse your office, and Congress will look the other way. One of our fundamental American values is that we have no kings, no nobility, no oligarchs in this country no matter how rich, no matter how powerful, everyone can and should be held accountable. This trial and this vote are about more than just President Trump. The U.S. Constitution requires a two-thirds guilty vote of Senate members present to remove the president from office. Locals had hit the road in the Watgunge area of the city on Wednesday evening, after two officials of a private bank, engaged to collect details for Aadhaar Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to put its drive to update Aadhaar details on hold, following protests by people, who feared that the exercise was being conducted to collect data for the National Population Register (NPR). Locals had hit the road in the Watgunge area of the city on Wednesday evening, after two officials of a private bank, engaged to collect details for Aadhaar, visited the area, a source at the civic body said. The protesters blocked the road, refused to provide details and held the officials captive for three hours, alleging that the process was being carried out for updating NPR, an exercise, which the Mamata Banerjee government said, would not be allowed in Bengal. Banerjee had also stated that NPR was a "dangerous game", which could lay the groundwork for NRC. Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim said all work to update and rectify Aadhaar cards have been put on hold to avoid a breakdown of law and order. "We have asked our officials to immediately stop Aadhaar card updation and rectification at all borough offices. There was some panic in Watgunge area. We don't want any panic as it might lead to a law and order situation," the senior TMC leader told reporters. According to the KMC source, the form for Aadhar update was an old one and had an NPR column, which led to panic among the locals in Watgunge. It was only after the police intervened, the two officials were rescued, he added. Press Trust of India The Haryana government will set up a science centre at a cost of over Rs 30 crore in Ambala Cantonment, a senior official said here on Wednesday. Named Aryabhatta Vigyan Kendra, the centre will come up on five acres adjacent to the War Memorial in the city, he said. Additional Chief Secretary, Science and Technology, Amit Jha, said the work on the centre will commence in April and it will be completed by December 2021. Jha said this while presiding over a meeting to finalise modalities for the implementation of the project. A week ago, the state government had said a science city will be developed in Gurgaon. Amit Jha said the centre will have a science gallery, 270-degree immersive projection hall, 3D auditorium and a cafeteria besides other facilities. During the meeting, it was decided that the building of the centre will be constructed by the PWD (B&R) Department while galleries and exhibits will be installed by the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Kolkata. Jha said Kalpana Chawla Memorial Planetarium at Kurukshetra will also be upgraded by the NCSM. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government has allotted 51 hectares of land in Jalna district to the Sharad Pawar-headed Vasantdada Sugar Institute (VSI), a premier institution for research in sugarcane farming. The move is aimed at boosting research in sugarcane farming for agriculturists in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions. "The land in Patharwala village of Ambad taluka in Jalna district has been allotted to Pune-based VSI on 30 years lease as per ready reckoner rates," an official told PTI on Thursday. The VSI was established in 1975 by the sugarcane growers of the co-operative sugar factories. The institute performs scientific, technical and educational functions relevant to the sugar industry under one umbrella. NCP president and former Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar is the chairman of the institute. When contacted, state Health Minister Rajesh Tope, who is a member of the VSI governing council, said the decision to allot the land was aimed at boosting research in sugarcane farming for agriculturists in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions. "It will be a boon to the farmers in these two regions," he said. "VSI centre in Jalna district will play a major role in academic, extension and research for sugarcane growers," he said. He said the VSI centre will provide sugarcane seeds to farmers and conduct research in breeding various varieties of sugarcane. Tope said that the land was alloted under the condition that it will not be used for commercial purpose. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) What a difference a Dail election campaign makes in a party's attitude to besmirching a murder victim. On January 13, I put the Quinn family's demand for Conor Murphy to retract his slur against their son to Sinn Fein. He had just been made Finance Minister in the new Stormont executive. Now that he was once again a senior government minister, Paul's parents were repeating their request - made countless times over the past 13 years - that he retract what he said and apologise. Sinn Fein didn't even bother to reply. The story ran in the Belfast Telegraph without any comment from the party. The skeletons of the past will keep falling out of the closet until Sinn Fein addresses the injustices endured by victims' families Likely it wasn't worried at all because Murphy's words from 2007 weren't an issue preoccupying other media. It will have calculated that the Finance Minister wasn't likely to ever be asked about criminalising young Paul Quinn when he spoke in The Great Hall in Parliament Buildings. The day we published our story, a general election was called in the Republic. As the Dail was dissolved on January 14, Sinn Fein would never have dreamed that its Finance Minister would end up at the centre of the campaign in a negative way. It was all going so well for Mary Lou McDonald. Her media performances have been first-class. She combines street savviness with charisma and clear capability in a way that few in Sinn Fein do. She can take the party to places that Gerry Adams never could reach because no interviewer will ever ask her: "Were you in the IRA?" But the skeletons of the past will keep falling out of the closet until Sinn Fein addresses the injustices endured by victims' families. The Quinns are no more going to give up than the Finucanes. The McCartneys are as hungry for justice as the families of the Bloody Sunday victims who, bizarrely, some of Robert's attackers were commemorating in Derry hours before they stabbed him to death in 2005. Sinn Fein supporters have been out in force on social media venting their fury about a biased media out to ambush the party when it's on the verge of a major electoral breakthrough. Even if that's partially true, at the heart of this story is a south Armagh couple who first endured their son being brutally taken from then, and then his memory being besmirched. What are they meant to do - sit at home and be silent? Had Sinn Fein and Conor Murphy responded positively to the Quinn family's request - made through the Belfast Telegraph on January 13 - then the story would never have become an election issue They didn't just start asking Conor Murphy to remove his slur against their beloved boy during an election campaign. They asked him countless times over the past 13 years. In 2017 on Paul's 10th anniversary, they appealed to him "as a politician and a father" to retract his statement. And he ignored them then as he had ignored them every other time before. That wasn't just the wrong thing to do morally, it was pragmatically foolish as well. Had Sinn Fein and Conor Murphy responded positively to the Quinn family's request - made through the Belfast Telegraph on January 13 - then the story would never have become an election issue. It would have been done and dusted before Leo went to the polls. An apology to the Quinns then would have been in keeping with the spirit of what is purportedly the new Stormont of New Decade, New Approach. Instead, Sinn Fein reckoned it didn't need to pay any heed to a bereaved family. It gambled wrong. Let's hope it learns from that spectacularly bad call. UCG UniCredit: Board of Directors Resolutions In its yesterdays meeting the UniCredit board of directors has passed, inter alia, the following resolutions: CALL FOR THE ORDINARY AND EXTRAORDINARY SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING The UniCredit board of directors has decided to call an Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders' Meeting in Milan, in a single call, to be held on April 9, 2020 to agree resolutions on the following matters: Ordinary part 1. Approval of the 2019 financial statements; 2. Allocation of the result of the year 2019; 3. Distribution of a dividend from profit reserves; 4. Elimination of so-called "negative reserves" for components not subject to change by means of their definitive coverage; 5. Integration of the board of directors; 6. Appointment of the external auditor for the years 2022-2030 and determination of fees; 7. 2020 Group Incentive System; 8. 2020 Group Remuneration Policy; 9. Remuneration Report; 10. 2020-2023 Long-Term Incentive Plan (2020-2023 LTI Plan); 11. Authorisation to purchase treasury shares. Consequent and inherent resolutions. Extraordinary part 1. Delegation to the board of directors to carry out a free capital increase for a maximum amount of EUR 18,779,138 in order to complete the execution of the 2019 Group Incentive System and consequent amendments to the Articles of Association; 2. Delegation to the board of directors to carry out a free capital increase for a maximum amount of EUR 123,146,209 in order to execute the 2020 Group Incentive System and consequent amendments to the Articles of Association; 3. Amendments to clause 6 of the Articles of Association; 4. Cancellation of treasury shares with no reduction of share capital; consequent amendment to clause 5 of the Articles of Association. Consequent and inherent resolutions. PROPOSALS TO BE SUBMITTED AT THE ORDINARY SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING Approval of the 2019 Financial Statements The draft of the individual financial statements of UniCredit S.p.A. as of December 31, 2019 will be submitted for approval during the shareholders' meeting. For further details please refer to the press release which will be published today on the company's website www.unicreditgroup.eu. The 2019 draft financial statements of UniCredit S.p.A., together with the reports required by law, as well as the 2019 consolidated financial statements and the 2019 integrated report, which constitute a Non- Financial declaration pursuant to Sections 3 and 4 of the Legislative Decree no. 254/2016, will be published, within the time limits provided for by the current legislation, also on the company's website "www.unicreditgroup.eu". Allocation of the result of the year 2019 During the shareholders' meeting, the coverage of the loss from the 2019 financial year through the use of the Share premium reserve will be proposed. In that regard, please refer to the relevant directors' report, which will be published within the time limits provided for by the current legislation also on the company's website ("www.unicreditgroup.eu"). Distribution of a dividend from profit reserves At the shareholders meeting, the distribution of dividend from available profit reserves will be proposed for an amount in line with the objectives of the 2020-2023 strategic plan communicated to the market on 3 December 2019 (Team 23). For further details please refer to the press release which will be published today on the company's website "www.unicreditgroup.eu". Elimination of so- called "negative reserves" for components not subject to change by means of their definitive coverage During the shareholders' meeting, the coverage of the negative reserves from available reserves will be proposed.In that regard, please refer to the relevant directors' report, which will be published within the time limits provided for by the current legislation also on the company's website ("www.unicreditgroup.eu") alongside a press release with further details. Integration of the Board of Directors On the date of the shareholders' meeting, according to the provisions of Article 2386 of the Italian Civil Code, the term of office of directors Diego De Giorgi and Beatriz Lara Bartolome, coopted by the board of directors during its February 5th 2020 meeting, in place of Fabrizio Saccomanni e Martha Boeckenfeld, will expire. To this regard, in order to integrate the board, it is proposed to the shareholder meeting to confirm the directors already coopted, Diego De Giorgi and Beatriz Lara Bartolome. For further details please refer to the press release which was published on the company's website "www.unicreditgroup.eu" on February 5th 2020. Appointment of the external auditor for the years 2022-2030 and determination of fees With the approval of the 2021 financial statements, the statutory audit assignment conferred by UniCredit S.p.A. to Deloitte & Touche S.p.A. for the nine-years period 2013-2021 will expire. Based on current legislation, this appointment will not be renewable. The AGM is required to appoint the new statutory auditor determining also the audit fees, on the basis of the reasoned recommendation issued by board of statutory auditors following a selection process. This reasoned recommendation of the board of statutory auditors will be made available to the public, within the terms and in the manner provided for by current legislation, also on the website www.unicreditgroup.eu. 2020 Group Incentive System The adoption of the 2020 Group Incentive System, which, as required by national and international regulatory authorities, provides for the allocation of an incentive in cash and/or in free ordinary shares is also proposed at the shareholder meeting. This is subject to the achievement of specific performance conditions at the Group, local and individual level over a multi-year period, granted to a selected group of UniCredit Group employees. To illustrate the above-mentioned 2020 Incentive System, pursuant to Section 114-bis of the Legislative Decree no. 58 of 24 February 1998, the disclosure document as of Section 84-bis of Consob Regulation no. 11971/99, will be made available to the public within the time limits provided by the current legislation also on the company's website ("www.unicreditgroup.eu") together with the directors' report on the 2020 Incentive System. 2020 Group Remuneration Policy In order to fulfil the Law requirements currently in force, the 2020 Group Remuneration Policy, which sets out the principles and standards applied by UniCredit to define, implement and monitor the compensation praxis, plans and programs of the Group is submitted to the shareholder meeting. The 2020 Group Remuneration Policy will be made available to the public within the time limits provided by the current legislation also on the company's website ("www.unicreditgroup.eu"). Remuneration Report In order to fulfil the Law requirements currently in force, the Remuneration Report, which provides all relevant Group compensation-related information on the remuneration policies, practices and outcomes is submitted to the shareholder meeting. The Remuneration Report will be made available to the public within the time limits provided by the current legislation also on the company's website ("www.unicreditgroup.eu"). 2020-2023 Long Term Incentive Plan (2020-2023 LTI Plan) A proposal will also be submitted to the shareholders' meeting for the adoption of the 2020-2023 Long Term Incentive Plan, which provides for the allocation of an incentive in UniCredit free ordinary shares to be granted, subject to the achievement of specific performance conditions linked to the 2020-2023 Multi- Year Plan, over a multi-year period to a selected group of employees of UniCredit Group. To illustrate the above-mentioned 2020-2023 Long Term Incentive Plan, pursuant to Section 114-bis of the Legislative Decree no. 58 of 24 February 1998, the disclosure document as of Section 84-bis of Consob Regulation no. 11971/99, will be made available to the public within the time limits provided by the current legislation also on the company's website ("www.unicreditgroup.eu") together with the Directors' Report on the 2020-2023 Long Term Incentive Plan. Authorisation to purchase treasury shares. Consequent and inherent resolutions The shareholders meeting will be requested to cancel the treasury shares that will be purchased under the above authorisation referred to in item no. 11 of the agenda of the ordinary shareholders meeting as well as the additional treasury shares held in the portfolio by UniCredit, for this purpose granting the board of directors of UniCredit with the power to carry out such cancellation. The reasons for which authorisation will be requested as well as the terms and conditions of the buy-back programme will be specified in detail in the directors report which will also be published, within the terms set out in the applicable regulation, also on the website www.unicreditgroup.eu PROPOSALS TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE EXTRAORDINARY SHAREHOLDER MEETING Delegation to the board of directors to carry out a free capital increase for a maximum amount of Euro 18,779,138 in order to complete the execution of the 2019 Group Incentive System and consequent amendments to the Articles of Association Considering that, pursuant to art. 2443 of the Italian Civil Code, the power of the directors to increase the share capital cannot be conferred for a period longer than five years from the date of registration of the relative shareholder resolution, it is necessary to submit at the shareholders' meeting the proposal to grant further powers for the execution of the last tranche of shares to be carried out in 2025, as provided for in the 2019 Incentive System, through the issue of ordinary shares corresponding to a free share capital increase of a maximum of Euro 18,779,138. The shareholders' meeting is also called upon to resolve on the consequent amendment of the Articles of Association. Delegation to the board of directors to carry out a free capital increase for a maximum amount of Euro 123,146,209 in order to execute the 2020 Group Incentive System and consequent amendments to the Articles of Association In line with the indications of the national and international supervisory authorities and the guidelines contained in the European directive CRD IV (Capital Requirements Directive), the instrument for implementing the Group's 2020 Incentive System has been identified in the resolution - in one or more occasions and for a maximum period of 5 years from the date of the shareholders' resolution - by the board of directors, by power granted by the shareholders' meeting pursuant to Article 2443 of the Italian Civil Code, of a free share capital increase, pursuant to Article 2349 of the Italian Civil Code, through the issue of ordinary shares, corresponding to a free share capital increase of up to Euro 123,146,209, to be assigned to the beneficiaries of the scheme who belong to the staff of the holding, the banks and the companies of the Group. The shareholders' meeting is also called upon to resolve on the consequent amendment of the Articles of Association. Amendments to clause no. 6 of the Articles of Association The shareholders' meeting will be asked to make certain amendments to Article 6 of the Articles of Association that are necessary to make the provisions of the Articles of Association consistent with the actual state of implementation of the incentive plans. Cancellation of treasury shares with no reduction of share capital; consequent amendment to clause 5 of the Articles of Association. Consequent and inherent resolutions The shareholders meeting will be requested to cancel the treasury shares that will be purchased under the above authorisation referred to in item no. 11 of the agenda of the ordinary shareholders meeting as well as the additional treasury shares held in the portfolio by UniCredit, for this purpose granting the board of directors of UniCredit with the power to carry out such cancellation. Taking into account that UniCredits ordinary shares have no nominal value, the cancellation will be carried out with no reduction of the nominal value of UniCredits share capital and will be carried out solely by reducing the number of existing shares, with a consequent increase of their accounting par value. The shareholders meeting will be requested to approve the amendments to clause 5 of the Articles of Association which are necessary to implement the above-mentioned resolution. The notice of call will be published within the terms and conditions provided for by current law provisions Milan, 6 February 2020 Enquiries: Media Relations: Tel. +39 02 88623569; e-mail: MediaRelations@unicredit.eu Investor Relations: Tel. + 39 02 88621872; e-mail: InvestorRelations@unicredit.eu The Morrison government has given the states until the end of the year to connect to a national monitoring system for powerful painkilling drugs to reduce the death rate from overdoses and avoid a US-style opioid crisis. Declaring he is passionate about reducing opioid-related harm, Health Minister Greg Hunt has sought to fast-track plans that would give GPs and pharmacists immediate information about a patient's use of addictive medication, such as Oxycontin or Endone, and other high-risk schedule 8 drugs. Denise 'Rustie' Lassam, who has spent decades addicted to opioids after being treated for a spinal condition. Credit:Simon Schluter The idea of a real-time national prescription monitoring system has been on the agenda for years, but the minister has now set a time frame and written to the states and territories urging them to connect as a matter of priority. The Commonwealth expects all other states and territories to integrate their systems by the end of this year, if not the middle of this year, Mr Hunts spokesman told The Age on Thursday. Israeli strikes kill 12 pro-Iran fighters in Syria Beirut, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2020 Israeli air strikes killed 12 pro-Iran fighters in Syria on Thursday, a monitor said, the latest in a spate of raids Israel has said targeted Iranian ambitions to develop a military presence on its doorstep. Israel has pledged to prevent its main enemy from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where it is backing President Bashar al-Assad's government alongside Russia and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The pre-dawn raids killed seven foreign fighters in the Kisweh area south of Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Iranian and pro-Iran foreign fighters were present in the area, the Britain-based war monitor said, but the nationality of the dead was not immediately clear. Five Syrian members of a pro-Iranian group were also killed in the Ezra area of the southern province of Daraa, Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said. A Syrian army source quoted by state news agency SANA said air defences responded to two waves of Israeli strikes after midnight that targeted the Damascus area and then positions in Daraa and the adjacent province of Quneitra. "The attack wounded eight fighters," the source said, without elaborating on where they had been stationed or their nationality. AFP correspondents in Damascus heard loud explosions around 1:15 am (2315 GMT Wedensday). State television broadcast images showing explosions in the sky. An Israeli army spokesman declined to comment on the strikes when contacted by AFP. Israel has carried out repeated strikes in Syria since the civil war erupted in 2011, mainly targeting government forces and their Iranian and Hezbollah allies. Israel's political leadership has spoken publicly of the bombing camaign, although the army rarely comments on individual strikes. - 'Will not save' Idlib - Last month, Damascus accused the Israeli air force of carrying out an attack on the T4 airbase in central Syria, which the Observatory said killed at least three Iran-backed militiamen. In December, the Observatory said Israeli air strikes killed three foreigners fighting alongside government forces south of the capital. The previous month, the Israeli army claimed responsibility for a wave of air strikes against Syrian military sites and Iranian forces that killed 23 people including 16 foreigners. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said positions of the Iranian Revolutionaty Guards foreign operations arm were among the targets. The war in Syria has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced millions since it started in 2011 with the brutal repression of pro-democracy protests. The reported Israeli strikes come as government forces press a blistering offensive against Syria's last major rebel bastion, in the Idlib region in the northwest. The Syrian army source said the strikes would not deter government forces from retaking the region, which is dominated by jihadists of Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate. "This escalation will not save the armed terrorist groups that are collapsing in Idlib and western Aleppo under the strikes of the Syrian Arab Army," the source said. The bombardment has killed around 300 civilians since mid-December, the Observatory says. The violence has seen more than 500,000 civilians flee their homes over the past two months, the United Nations says. Bismah Malik By Express News Service At a time when coronavirus scare is threatening lives globally and has been detected in India as well, an online doctors consultation platform, DocsApp, has come forward with a novel initiative to help alleviate the spread of the deadly virus. DocsApp, founded by ex-IITians Satish Kannan and Enbasekar Dinadayalane and which has signed up over 5,000 specialist doctors on its platform, announced that it will provide free online consultation to the all patients who show symptoms of coronavirus. The assistance provided via doctor consultations will be available 24x7 on-call (08047193443) or chat (app.docsapp.in) on the app. The app is available for download for IOS and Android mobile phones, DocsApp said in a statement. Currently, the deadly virus has consumed hundreds. Nearly 500 people in China and three patients from Kerala have been confirmed to be suffering from the illness. Bengaluru-based DocsApp, with a user base of nearly 10 million, provides more than 2 lakh consultations per month across the country. DocsApp connects patients to specialist doctors across 20 departments such as dermatology, weight management, sexology and more. The patients can even order medicines and book laboratory tests on the platform. The company said it has raised $10.1 million till now from Bessemer Venture Partners, Rebright Partners, TechMatrix Corporation, DeNA networks, Facebooks angel investors InnoVen Capital and various individual investors. DocsApp claims that it will hit the subscription mark of 1 million members for Gold offer, its unlimited consultation services, which will save the users 60 per cent of regular fees charged during doctor visits. DocsApp has been ranked as the No. 1 doctor consultation app in India in the medical category on Google Play Store consistently for more than two years. The brand received the App of the Year 2017 in the medical category by Amazon in association with Facebook. Online consultations to those with symptoms The assistance provided by DocsApp through online doctor consultations will be available 24x7 on-call (08047193443) or chat (app.docsapp.in) on the app. The DocsApp is available for download for IOS and Android mobile phones, the company said in a statement. Livestock is the lifeline of farmers in Rajasthan and a symbol of their social and economic prosperity, Governor Kalraj Mishra on Thursday said. He asked the state veterinary university to work in such a way that it can live up to the expectations of farmers. Addressing a national conference at the Agriculture Management Institute here, Mishra said that livelihood of most people in rural areas depends on animal husbandry and agriculture. "Livestock is the lifeline of the farmers of the state and a symbol of social and economic prosperity of farmers," the governor said. He said that the state has established a distinct identity with its improved livestock. "Rajasthan is among the top states in the country in livestock production. Animal husbandry is predominant in self-employment ventures in rural areas, he said. Mishra said that animal husbandry can bring prosperity in rural areas. He said that if animal husbandry is done scientifically, the income of farmers and livestock owners can increase further. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Hindi News Local Rajasthan Jodhpur New Debate In High Court: Why Boy And Girl Waiting Rights Are Same? : - ? 2 , 6 . . , 21 , 18 14, 15 21 , 125 125 Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the Prime Minister does not want the youth to get employment as it works like oxygen for his politics. New Delhi: Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the Prime Minister does not want the youth to get employment as it works like oxygen for his politics. Addressing a poll rally in Chandni Chowk in old Delhi, Gandhi said there was no need for the prime minister to give lessons on nationalism and he should explain why was he not able to provide employment to the youth. "The youth of India will beat him up with sticks and make him understand that this country will not be able to make progress until jobs are provided to them," Rahul Gandhi said. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi: Ye jo Narendra Modi bhashan de raha hai, 6 mahine baad ye ghar se bahar nahi nikal payega. Hindustan ke yuva isko aisa danda marenge, isko samjha denge ki Hindustan ke yuva ko rozgar diye bina ye desh aage nahi badh sakta. #DelhiElections pic.twitter.com/NXwUeOZ0lA ANI (@ANI) February 5, 2020 Gandhi said before Modi came to power in 2014, there was no Hindu-Muslim divide in the country from 2004-2014 but then "he comes from Gujarat and spreads poison". "The youth now does not know what he has in store for the future. He has fear in his heart. Narendra Modi does not want the youth to get employment because unemployment is oxygen for his politics," he said. Taking a dig at the BJP, Gandhi said patriotism was to fight with the British and make India prosperous through white revolution, green revolution, information and technology revolution. "Now, the real patriotism is to provide employment to the youth and I will fulfil it," he said. The challenge before the country was how to get employment which only Congress could address, Gandhi, asserted. "Youth wants employment but Narendra Modi gets the same youth beaten up and shot with bullets. Soon we will see the countrymen asking Modi step aside. "Neither Modi nor the chief minister (Arvind Kejriwal) will speak on employment," he said. Gandhi said that due to communal discord in the country, India was losing a lot of investments as the world was watching what was happening here. "People have seen India as a country of love and peace and Pakistan as a country full of hatred and anger, but now people are seeing India as a country with violence, hatred and divide. The nation cannot progress if it thrives on hatred," he said. Both Modi and Kejriwal, Gandhi said, talked about eradicating corruption but the entire country knew that this did not happen. Taking a dig at Modi's 'Pareeksa pe Charcha', in which he addresses students to beat exam-related stress, Gandhi said the prime minister should first show his degree. Gandhi said Modi and Kejriwal try to teach patriotism to the youth but there was no need for it. "The politics of Modi and Kejriwal revolves around hatred. The only funda (strategy) of Modi and Kejriwal is to divide people," he said. Addressing another rally in east Delhi's Kondli ahead of the February Assembly polls, Gandhi said it was Congress's 15-year tenure, from 1998 to 2013, in the national capital that gave the city its modern infrastructure such as the metro service. Recalling Congress's rule under Sheila Dikshit, he said the late three-time chief minister never complained or gave excuses like Kejriwal. "Sheila ji never complained," Gandhi said, apparently referring to the bickering between the Centre and the AAP government in Delhi. He said Modi and Kejriwal might have relations with Delhi in last five years but Congress' link with Delhi is emotional in nature. Slamming Home Minister Amit Shah, he exhorted people not to listen to his speech st it was nothing but "trash". He added the speeches of Modi and Kejriwal were nothing but "lies". Polands state companies will no longer buy coal in Russia, State Asset Minister Jacek Sasin said. "I can say that I have completed negotiations with the executives of state companies on the issue and they will no longer import coal," he told RMF FM in an interview broadcast. Sasin noted that this is not only about Russian coal, but also from South America, Columbia, Mozambique and the U.S. Poland imported 1819 million tonnes of coal in 2019, and Russia accounted for more than 70%. A miners trade union has recently blocked a railway line in protest against Russian coal imports. Other miners trade unions plan a warning strike for February 17 and a street protest campaign in Warsaw demanding higher wages and an end to declining local coal output. Antonio Iturbe's novel about a girl risking her life to protect the few books present at the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp became a best-seller in 2012, and now the woman who inspired the amazing story has released her own gripping memoir. Holocaust survivor Dita Kraus, 90, was born in Prague and was 14 when she was transferred from the Theresienstadt Ghetto in then Czechoslovakia to the family camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau in December 1943. She was put in charge of a library with just a few books, before being sent to do slave labour in Hamburg and then being transferred to Bergen Belsen, where she and her mother almost died of starvation before liberation by the British Army in 1945. Reminiscing about her life before, during and after the Holocaust in her memoir A Delayed Life, published today, Dita, who now lives in Netanya, Israel, said that she quickly became numb to what she witnessed all around her as a teenager. When she witnessed women cooking human livers at Belsen, she experienced no 'revulsion or horror', and says she now doesn't know whether she would have taken part in the act of cannibalism had she been given the chance. Dita Kraus, 90, reveals in her memoir A Delayed Life, published today, the horrors she suffered through the war. Pictured before her gruesome experiences of living in two death camps and doing slave work The teenage became, aged 14, the custodian of the few books to be found in Auschwitz-Birkenau's Children's Bloc. Pictured: Children and women photographer after the liberation of the Nazi death camp in 1945 Dita reveals in the book that she and her mother 'decided to die' upon their arrival at Auschwitz, because they had 'reached total despair,' but had no choice but to go on. Following the death of her father within weeks of their arrival in Auschwitz, Dita was made the 'librarian' of the 'smallest library in the world' by Fredy Hirsch, the supervisor of the Children's Block at The Family Camp. The Family camp, which existed from September 1943 to December 1944, was a special area built to deceive the Red Cross about horrifying conditions for Czech families captured by the Germans. It hosted 500 children and a mock school with a few books, of which Dita was in charge. Dita, pictured now, says some of the horrors she witnessed at Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen cannot be told The Holocaust survivor said her time at the Bergen Belsen concentration camp was among the most difficult. Female inmates at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, many of them sick and dying of typhus and starvation, wait inside a barrack, in this photo from April 1945 'My role was to watch over the 12 or so books that constituted the library,' she writes. 'On the ramp, thousands of Jews arrived daily. They were led away, but their luggage remained behind. A number of lucky prisoners had the task of sorting their content,' she explained Most of the books that were found were sent to the family camp, and her small library included A Short History of the World by H. G. Wells and an atlas, while others had no covers but were just loose pages that had somehow been salvaged. This inspired Antonio Iturbe's novel The Librarian of Auschwitz, which tells the story of a young girl guarding books with her life, risk mortal danger in the name of literature. Auschwitz latrines One of the most vivid memories of Auschwitz Dita conserved was the latrines, which were used by thousands of Jews in the camp, both men and women. 'I think that not so many people in the world have seen anything like the latrine of the family camp. It was used by the thousands of inmates, males on the right and females on the left. It had six concrete rows with round holes running from one end of the 'block' to the other. 'The great majority of prisoners suffered from incessant diarrhoea due to starvation, so that the latrine was constantly crowded. 'You knew exactly whose behind was at your back, because you saw him walk in. If he sat down over the hole, you didn't see his anus, only heard the plop, plop, plop. But many couldn't bear to sit on the concrete - even if not soiled, it was cold and scratchy - and they did their business bending forward with their hands on their knees. 'It was horrible but unavoidable to see the faeces bursting out from the poor wretches' backside, often with blood, a sight one had to bear several times a day. 'A very, very unpleasant memory - one I wish I could erase.' Advertisement But Dita was taken away from her library when the Nazis began selecting prisoners to send to forced work sites in Hamburg, Christianstadt and Stutthof. She narrowly escaped death by lying about her age and pretending she was 16 during the selection process. If she had told her actual age, which was 14, Dita would have likely stayed behind and been killed in the gas chamber with the other children who remained in 1944. After working in Hamburg and a few other locations, including Neugraben, with her mother and few other women from the Family Camp, Dita faced the worst horrors of the war as it reached its last year, when she was sent to Bergen Belsen in northern Germany. 'What happened next cannot be described; human words fail to convey such hell. Yet I will try to speak about it because I must,' she said. The situation at Bergen Belsen started to deteriorate as the Allied and Soviet forces grew closer to the camp. Frightened SS guards abandoned the camp, leaving prisoners to die of starvation or typhus. A book, first published in 1993 and now republished for a wider English-speaking audience, uses the autobiographical story of Otto B Kraus, who worked as a counsellor in the Children's Block, part of the Family Camp at Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau (Pictured: children at the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau showing off their identity tattoos in 1945) The only guards remaining were recruits from occupied countries staying in the camp's watch towers, where they had machine guns to make sure no one could escape. In her memoir, Dita recalls how the water supply broke down the day the German guards left, leaving prisoners to scrabble around in the camp's latrine to drink water from a leaking pipe. Left with no food or water, casualties started to mount, and it took only two days for the camp to be covered in faeces and corpses. 'The dead lay everywhere,' she said. 'The limbs were just bones, fleshless, covered in skin, the knees and elbows like knots of ropes sticking out of the heap at incongruous angles. 'The weakened inmates had no strength to walk to the latrine and just relieved themselves wherever they sat. They also died there. 'In a short time there was no way to get around without stepping over the dead.' But Dita had experienced so much horror by that time that she had grown apathetic to seeing so many people suffer and die around her. She was left with 'no sorrow, no pity. I felt nothing at all I existed on the biological level only, devoid of any humanity.' She also reveals that in these dire times, some gypsy women resorted to cooking human livers in order to survive, which at the time, did not shock Dita. 'There was no revulsion or horror, although the implication of what I had seen did register in my brain: I had witnessed cannibalism,' she explained. At the time, Dita herself had not eaten for three day. 'I don't know what I would have done if the gypsies had invited me to join them. Today I hope I would have refused, but I am not certain,' she said. A Delayed Life, by Dita Kraus, is published today by Ebury Press The teenager was on the brink of death when the Allies finally made it to the camp, and was among the lucky ones who made it through liberation on April 15, 1945. It is estimated that 50,000 people died at Bergen Belsen, even though the camp did not have a gas chamber. 35,000 died from January to mid-April 1945 from starvation or diseases. Another 10,000 died after the liberation, due to a typhus and louse epidemic. Dita worked as an interpreter following the liberation of the camp. She helped British soldiers interrogate SS soldiers who had been arrested. Some were women, and one of them, named Bubi by prisoners, had been accompanying Dita from her slave work days in Hamburg. Dita explains in her memoir that Bubi was nicer to the group of prisoners than other SS women, and was rumoured to be a lesbian, with a particular fondness for a beautiful Jewish girl named Lotta. Bubi, whose real name was would visit the prisoners' rooms to speak to Lotta, and even though Dita says she suspected nothing intimate happened between the two women, they would sometime lay in bed together and giggle while the other women went about their day. In an incomprehensible twist, Dita explains that after the SS soldiers abandoned the camp before it was liberated, Bubi intentionally joined the prisoners. 'True, we might have wondered why she chose to suffer with us, risking hunger, infection and lice when she didn't have to,' she said, adding that everyone was so lethargic from hunger in the camp that no one cared at the time. When the British liberated the camp, many SS tried to pass themselves as prisoners to avoid being arrested for their crimes, and so, someone denounced Bubi to make sure she would not go unpunished. Dita reveals that she does not know what eventually happened to Bubi and adds she 'was not interested in the fate of [her] former guards.' Her mother and her were later evacuated to nearby sites with other survivors. After the war, she was sent to Prague where she reunited with her grandmother, one of her only remaining relatives. In 2002, encouraged by her son, Dita visited the Imperial War Museum in London, where the film archives of the liberation of Bergen-Belsen can be consulted upon appointment. She caught a glimpse of herself on film sharing a cigarette with a British soldier named Leslie (pictured) Her own mother had survived the war, only to die in hospital a month and a half after liberation, on June 30th, and Dita writes she had no sense of direction, did not know how she would manage, as she was only 17. She met Otto Kraus, whom she remembered from the Children's Block of Auschwitz - they had never spoken during their time at the camp - and the pair struck a romance. When their oldest child, Peter, was born, Otto did not want him to be circumcised and 'marked as a Jew' for his whole life Dita reveals. She explains that during his time at Auschwitz, her husband, who wasn't circumcised himself, had witnessed the camp barber cut off men's foreskin to 'make them a Jew.' Otto managed to be made proprietor of his parents's old garment factory - German took control of it when Czechoslovakia was invaded by the German forces in 1938. Having settled in Prague, being married and mother to a young child, Dita thought she had finally managed to reach an ordinary, 'orderly' life, but her hopes were crushed when Prague underwent the Communist Coup of 1948. The book, The Children's Block, is a fictional account based on real events by Otto B Kraus, who was deported from the Czech ghetto-turned-concentration camp, Terezin, to Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1943. Krays died in 2000 She, Otto and baby Peter had to move to Israel after the family's factory was nationalised and taken from them. Otto, who died in 2000, wrote the Children's Block, an account of the fate that awaited Czech Jews at Auschwitz, which was published in the 1990s. In the early 2000s, Dita explains she visited the Imperial War Museum in London, where film archives of the liberation of Bergen Belsen can be visited by appointment. That's when the Holocaust survivor caught a glimpse of herself, then a teenager, sharing a cigarette with a British soldier named Leslie. She explains in her memoir that seeing herself on screen made her memories of the Ordeal a 'fact' and not a distorted memory, and became 'tangible evidence' of the horrors of the Holocaust. In the last pages of her memoir, Dita admits that even though her life did not turn into a fairy-tale after escaping the hell of the camps, she experienced 'miraculous things' such as the birth of her children, grandchildren and great grand children. A Delayed Life by Dita Kraus is published by Ebury Press (7.99). Donald Trump will call for retaliation in the wake of his impeachment acquittal and demand that 'people should pay' for their treatment of him. The president will address the impeachment verdict at noon Thursday at the White House. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham previewed his remarks, which the president gave a preview of when he slammed Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Mitt Romney at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday morning. 'He is going to be honest,' Grisham told Fox News, 'going to speak with honesty and with humility and he and the family went through a lot. I think he's also going to talk about just how horribly he was treated and, you know, that maybe people should pay for that.' 'People should be held accountable,' she added. Donald Trump will call for retaliation in the wake of his impeachment acquittal and demand that 'people should pay' for their treatment of him White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham previewed the president's remarks The president went after Pelosi and Romney for using their faith to justify their actions in the impeachment process during his remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast. He did not mention the two by name but his meaning was clear. 'I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong. Nor do I like people who say I pray for you when they know that's not so. So many people have been hurt, and we can't let that go on. I will be discussing that a little bit later at the White House,' he said. Romney was the lone Republican to find Trump guilty on one article of impeachment: abuse of power. He said in his remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday that it was his faith Romney is a devout Mormon that led him to that decision. Pelosi, a devout Catholic, has repeatedly said she prays for the president. She was seated at the head table during Trump's remarks and shook her head at one point during them. She pursed her lips a few times as he spoke. The speaker launched the impeachment inquiry into the president in September. The president admitted he was having trouble liking his political enemies now that his impeachment trial is over. ''We are grateful to the people of this room for the lovely show to religion, not one religion, but many religions. They are brave, they are brilliant, they are fighters, they like people and sometimes they hate people. I'm sorry. I apologize. I am trying to learn. Not easy. It's not easy. When they impeach you for nothing, and you're supposed to like them, it's not easy, folks. I do my best,' he said. Donald Trump slammed Nancy Pelosi and Mitt Romney for using their faith to justify their actions in the impeachment trial and inquiry Speaker Nancy Pelosi sat on the opposite of the head table from President Trump Speaker Pelosi sat grimed during President Trump's remarks President Trump addressed impeachment at the top of his remarks Trump was acquitted on both articles of impeachment by the Senate on Wednesday, bringing to a close the fourth month, contentious process that led to a new level of bitter relations between the White House and congressional Democrats. Harvard professor Arthur Brooks, in his key note address at the breakfast, urged those present not to hold political enemies in contempt, but to do as Jesus preached and 'love your enemies.' 'I don't know if I agree with you,' Trump said to Brooks when it was his turn to speak. And then he proceeded to launch his attacks on Pelosi and Romney. The president addressed the impeachment inquiry at the top of his remarks and, earlier, had triumphantly held up newspaper headlines announcing his acquittal. The audience cheered his move. 'My family, our great country and your president has been put through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people. They have done everything possible to destroy us and by so doing, very badly hurt our nation,' Trump said. 'They know what they are doing is wrong but they put themselves far ahead of our great country. Weeks ago and again yesterday, courageous Republican politicians and leaders had the wisdom, fortitude, and strength to do what everyone knows was right,' he added. The president and the speaker were meeting for the first time since the impeachment verdict at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday morning. Trump walked to the head table to applause and held up the front pages of USA Today and The Washington Post with their oversized headlines proclaiming his acquittal by the Senate. 'Acquitted' read USA Today. 'Trump Acquitted' was the Washington Post's headline. Pelosi stood and clapped as President Trump entered the room. She simply looked on as he displayed the newspapers declaring him acquitted. President Trump waved around a USA Today headline proclaiming his acquittal on impeachment He also waved the Washington Post front page Speaker Pelosi spoke before President Trump at the breakfast Speaker Pelosi led a prayer for the poor Both the president and the speaker were seated at the head table but on opposite sides of the podium. They did not interact. Trump shook hands with his side of the head table when he entered the 68th Annual National Prayer Breakfast and did not walk over to the other side of the podium, where the vice president and the speaker were seated. Pelosi spoke first, leading a prayer for the poor. The president head bowed during her prayer. He did not applaud when she was done. Vice President Mike Pence, when he arrived ahead of the president, shook hands with the speaker and sat a few chairs down from her. Several members of Congress and members of the president's Cabinet attended the annual breakfast. 'The lord works in mysterious ways. I do not think he could have picked a better day to bring us all together,' House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said in his prayer. The president thanked McCarthy and the breakfast hosts in his opening remarks. Mitt Romney cited his faith as the reason for his guilty vote on Trump Trump went after Romney in the wake of the Wednesday's impeachment vote. He tweeted a video accusing the Utah senator of being a 'Democrat secret asset' and criticized him for his failed 2008 presidential campaign. 'Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election,' the president tweeted. Romney cited his faith as one of the reasons for his guilty vote. He voted to acquit the president on the second charge: obstruction of Congress. 'The allegations made in the articles of impeachment are very serious. As a senator juror, I swore an oath before god to exercise impartial justice. I am profoundly religious. My faith is at the heart of who I am. I take an oath before god as enormously consequential. I knew from the outset that being tasked with judging the president, the leader of my own party would be the most difficult decision I have ever faced,' Romney said. And the Republican senator from Utah acknowledged he expected to feel the president's wrath for his decision. I'm aware that there are people in my party and in my state who will strenuously disapprove of my decision, and in some quarters I will be vehemently denounced. I'm sure to hear abuse from the president and his supporters. Does anyone seriously believe that I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before god demanded it of me?, he said. It was also the first time Trump and Pelosi met since Tuesday's State of the Union address when Trump refused to shake her hand at its beginning and she ripped up the text of his remarks at its conclusion. After the president finished giving his annual address Tuesday night, Pelosi stood up and ripped the pages in half, dropping them on her desk. She defended her actions Tuesday night after the speech: 'It was the courteous thing to do considering the alternatives. It was such a dirty speech.' The extraordinary clash between the two started when with Trump snubbed Pelosi's outstretched hand after he came into the House chamber. Trump handed Pelosi a copy of his speech when he reached the speaker's dais the same place she presided over his impeachment vote two months ago but simply turned away as the Speaker took her copy of his speech, then stood in front of a chamber which echoed with cries of 'four more years' from Republicans - and where Democrats sat stone-faced. Pelosi was visibly taken aback after Trump turned away from her offer. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped apart her copy of President Trump's State of the Union address after he finished speaking on Tuesday night Earlier, Trump delivered an astonishing snub to Nancy Pelosi as he started his State of the Union speech Tuesday, ignoring her as she offered him a handshake After the Senate acquitted the president on Wednesday, Pelosi said after the vote that the president remains a 'threat' that the House will continue to combat through its lawsuits against the administration and with the public. 'Sadly, because of the Republican Senate's betrayal of the Constitution, the President remains an ongoing threat to American democracy, with his insistence that he is above the law and that he can corrupt the elections if he wants to. The House will continue to protect and defend the checks and balances in the Constitution that safeguard our Republic, both in the courts of law and in the court of public opinion,' she said in a statement. Albion Venture Capital Trust PLC LEI Code 213800JKELS32V2OK421 Update on 21 August 2019 General Meeting Voting Results At the General Meeting (the Meeting) held on 21 August 2019, an ordinary resolution was proposed to approve changes to the Companys Management Agreement, as detailed in the circular sent to shareholders on 1 July 2019. Whilst the majority of shareholders supported the changes, with 70.4% of the votes cast in favour of the resolution, the Board noted that more than 20% of the shareholder votes were against the resolution. Following the Meeting, in accordance with the UK Corporate Governance Code, the Board has carried out a consultation process with shareholders whose shareholdings represented a majority of votes that voted against the resolution to more fully understand the reasons for their opposition. Of the total number of shares that voted against the resolution, shareholders representing 59% were contacted directly by the Chairman. Responses were received from a number of shareholders and the Board has taken time to carefully reflect on this feedback. There was no clear unanimous reason for the opposition to the proposed changes from this feedback, however some of the views expressed were as follows: The performance incentive fee increase from 8% to 20% of the excess profits above the hurdle, was felt by some to be too high; Performance incentive schemes are inappropriate for VCTs as a whole; The hurdle of RPI + 2% in the current environment felt too low; and The details contained in the Circular sent to shareholders on 1 July 2019 could have been better explained. In light of this feedback, the Board revisited its original benchmarking and carried out further analysis on the management performance incentive arrangements across the VCT industry. The results of this analysis further reinforced the Boards views that the new performance incentive scheme was a fair and effective scheme, with a challenging hurdle, that would help to ensure the delivery of good shareholder returns. Specifically, it was noted that an excess share of 20% is the industry norm and not excessive in the current market. Nevertheless, taking into account the views expressed by some shareholders at the AGM and in our subsequent consultation, the Board has re-negotiated with the Manager to reduce the hurdle from 20% to 15% which will be deemed to have taken effect from 1 April 2019. All other terms, as detailed out in the circular sent to shareholders on 1 July 2019, will remain the same. The Board would like to thank those shareholders who provided feedback on this matter and would like to emphasise that the Board is committed to act in the best interests of shareholders, in line with the UK Corporate Governance Code. 6 February 2020 For further information please contact: Albion Capital Group LLP Company Secretary Tel: 020 7601 1850 In this image from video, Alan Dershowitz, 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. Read more Fifty-two U.S. senators voted against the grammar of the Constitution. Maybe if Congressman Adam Schiff had led a grammatical argument for impeachment, things would have turned out differently. As many Americans learned amid the impeachment proceedings, Article III is the only time the Constitution spells out a crime, treason. But its noteworthy for another reason: The words United States appear 54 times in the Constitution, but the treason clause is the only one that explicitly refers to the United States as plural. Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort, the sentence reads (emphasis added). In every other one of the 53 mentions, the United States is a singular entity a novel idea in 1787. In a few places, the Constitution even goes out of its way to distinguish between the singular United States and the plural states that compose the United States (all emphasis added): [The president] shall not receive any other Emolument from the United States, or any of them. (Article II.) Nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United States, or of any particular State. (Article IV.) The Senators and Representatives before mentioned both of the United States and of the several States (Article VI.) In other words, while the founders were really into the idea of a United States of America that moved and acted as one thing that was kind of the point of the revolution they also recognized that in the special case of treason, the crime could be committed against not just the singular country, but against its individual states. Fast-forward 233 years. Speaking in the Senate, Alan Dershowitz made the argument that anything Trump does in the interest of his reelection is inherently unimpeachable if he believes his reelection is 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. Its an argument eerily reminiscent of Richard Nixons When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal, or Louis XIVs Letat, cest moi (The state, it is I). At this dangerous assertion, senators on both sides of the aisle were presumably too gobsmacked to pivot to the grammatical rebuttal: Lets say for a second that Dershowitz is right, that Trump is the state and therefore unable to commit a crime against himself. In no universe is Trump also the physical embodiment of Pennsylvania or New Jersey or California or Alaska. And as the Constitutions treason clause makes crystal clear, treason is not just against the singular country; it is also against the various states that compose that country. Thats where Dershowitzs argument falls apart. Unfortunately, Senate Republicans have made clear that they give no credence to grammatical arguments. Instead, those plural United States will have to speak loudly, with one voice, at the ballot box in November. The Angry Grammarian, otherwise known as Jeffrey Barg, looks at how language, grammar, and punctuation shape our world, and appears biweekly. Send comments, questions and countable nouns to jeff@theangrygrammarian.com. Police are appealing for witnesses after a woman died and a man was critically injured in a crash in the Sydney Airport Tunnel on Thursday morning. Emergency services were called to General Holmes Drive at Mascot following a head-on collision in a contraflow northbound lane set up for peak hour about 5.40am. There were very long delays from all directions during peak hour on Thursday morning. Credit:Nine Police said the crash occurred when a Ford Falcon, driven by the man, veered into the lane to collide with a Honda CRV carrying four Colombia women on their way to work. The deceased, a 29-year-old, was unable to be revived at the scene. Rajinikanth registered his views on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) very firmly and insisted on the need for the National Population Register (NCR) recently. He also logically questioned how Muslims who remain an integral part of India even after Partition could lose their citizenship because of the CAA. It has been insisted by all the political parties at one or other point of time that India should send back illegal Muslim immigrants of Bangladesh who managed to enter India in the last 45 years and the very purpose of CAA and NPR is to achieve this objective. On expected lines, once Rajinikanth registered his views on CAA and NCR, the political leaders of DMK, Congress and other fringe parties expressed their displeasure and condemned the views of Rajinikanth. The media in TN would chew on Rajinikanths observations in the next two weeks as if he wants to drive out minorities in India and especially in TN. This was the second consecutive assertion by Rajinikanth since January 2020. On the eve of Thuglak magazines golden jubilee celebrations, Rajinikanth spoke about how by his reaction, the then CM of TN M. Karunanidhi gave enormous publicity to the then fledgling fortnightly Tamil magazine Thuglak and Cho Ramaswamy, the then editor of the magazine, for publishing a news item on the procession of Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) headed by E.V. Ramasamy (EVR) in January 1971, portraying obscene images of Lord Muruga, Lord Iyappa and Lord Ram. Instead of acting against the perpetrators of this heinous act, the then M. Karunanidhi government seized copies of Thuglak in February 1971, which gave enormous publicity to Thuglak and Mr Ramaswamy. What Rajinikanth told was the facts to the core and in fact he highlighted the way Mr Ramaswamy and Thuglak gained prominence in TN and nothing against EVR or Karunanidhi. The despicable portrayal of Hindu gods in the Salem procession was also covered in the Indian Express, Dinamani and the Hindu. However, the deputy CM of TN, O. Panneerselvam, DMK chief M.K. Stalin, Puducherry CM V. Narayanasamy, TN minister D. Jayakumar, Vaiko, TN Congress president K.S. Alagiri and leaders of fringe parties reacted so sharply against Rajinikanth for just uttering the facts. Given this, one would expect that the reaction this time would be much more aggressive as Rajinikanth made his observations on the CAA and NCR. What is happening in TN? Why this outcry? Will the condemnation for Rajinikanth by political parties stop with these two incidents? Certainly not. Rajinikanth already announced that he will start his political party in 2020 and would contest in the TN Assembly elections in May 2021. Both AIADMK and DMK have been ruling TN, giving no space for any other party in the last 50 years. The Congress and Communist parties and other marginal players have been satisfied with the titbits thrown at them by either AIADMK or DMK, when being part of the alliance. No political party, including the ones founded recently, have managed to become an alternative to AIADMK and DMK in the last 50 years. The Congress has decayed with hardly any presence and BJP has been unable to expand its limited presence. It is this background that gives enormous confidence to both AIADMK and DMK that they can remain dominant players in TN politics, despite not having a charismatic and effective leadership at the helm. If Rajinikanth forms a party and contests elections, it is not impossible for either AIADMK or DMK to win in the hustings, although he may pose a challenge to both. If anti-incumbency against the AIADMK government is a boon for DMK, AIADMK has strong cadre strength. DMK already hired Prashant Kishor, a brahmin election expert from Bihar to devise a strategy for the 2021 TN elections at a monthly payment of `15 crores and thereby achieved its long-cherished dream of ethnic cleansing of brahmins from TN. Moreover, both the parties and their cadres have mastered the art of bribing voters with a scientific approach in the previous election to get sizable votes in their favour. They even bought the Left parties, which are ideologically unassailable. The DMK paid `10 crores to the CPI(M) and `15 crores to the CPI officially before the 2019 elections and both parties are grateful to the DMK, at least till the 2021 Assembly elections. A small portion of the booty both these parties and their cadres accumulated in the last 50 years is more than enough to execute a bribe for vote scheme. Rajinikanth has none of these advantages. Even today, the AIADMK and DMK put together have a voteshare of 80 per cent of the TN electorate. Despite being in such an advantageous position, why do both the DMK and AIADMK bay for the blood of Rajinikanth on every occasion? A big list of omissions and commissions of these two parties in the last 50 years constitute simmering anger for the sizable electorate of TN. However, no political party has reached a level to become an alternative to these two parties, so that the election contest truly becomes three-cornered. But if a clear third alternative is available before the electorate, one cannot pre-conclude that the electorate of TN will continue to choose either AIADMK or DMK giving a simple majority to either one of them because they are dominant today. The fact of the matter is that AIADMK and DMK formed a powerful lobby of media owners and personnel, owners of educational institutions, government employees, people who amassed wealth by exploiting natural resources illegally, some sections of lawyers and the judiciary and fringe elements who speak against the sovereignty of India. This lobby has been given liberal concessions by the powers-that-be and this powerful lobby has been reciprocating as much as possible to ensure that there is no third force emerging and becoming strong in TN, challenging either DMK or AIADMK. Rajinikanth has no choice other than to face unprecedented opposition not only from AIADMK and DMK but also from this lobby till the 2021 TN Assembly elections. Rajinikanths speech, silence, action and inaction till the 2021 TN Assembly elections will be used to tarnish the image of Rajinikanth and assassinate his character. The DK has already made a police complaint against Rajinikanth and filed a petition in the Madras HC on the speech made by Rajinikanth in Thuglaks function, which was withdrawn to give the police more time to investigate and act against Rajinikanth. The Indian Express, Dinamani and the Hindu published news on the procession carried out by the DK under EVR in 1971 and the resolution passed therein and had to face a court case from one Chokkappa of DK who claimed that these newspapers defamed him and his party and hence action should be taken against them. Given the influence of DK and DMK in judiciary then and even now, the Madras HC accepted the case filed by Chokkappa and passed orders to that effect. It was only after the appeal in the Supreme Court by the three newspapers, the SC set aside the orders of Madras HC. When Annadurai was the CM of TN, a magazine published a news item that a lady, who gave birth to a girl child, mentioned in the hospital records that the childs father was the then public works department (PWD) minister. But the publisher had to face a defamation case in court by the then PWD minister and was sentenced to imprisonment. Rajinikanth may also have to face plenty of legal entanglemant for whatever he says irrespective of whether it stands the scrutiny of law ultimately. Let the electorate decide whether Rajinikanth is an alternative to both AIADMK and DMK. Rajinikanth has been very firm first on his speech in Thuglaks function that he will not apologise and then on his observations on CAA and NCR. Rajinikanth proved since January 2020 that he has enormous mettle and tenacity to be in politics and that is the bad news for DMK and AIADMK. The writer is a public policy analyst Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie says she wants to protect the rights of nurses, firefighters and teachers to take industrial action in pursuit of better pay and conditions as she pushes for significant amendments to the government's union-busting legislation. "I want to make sure these people can go out and strike," Senator Lambie told the ABC on Thursday. Jacqui Lambie is pushing for significant changes to the government union-busting bill. Credit:AAP "We want to make sure this legislation attacks the bad eggs ... A lot of it has to do with the CFMEU. If they won't clean up their own backyard, then unfortunately we're going to have to put in steps that will clean it up for them." Attorney-General Christian Porter's office is drafting amendments to the Ensuring Integrity Bill, which would make it easier to deregister unions and ban officials for breaching industrial laws, incorporating Senator Lambie's changes aimed at softening the impact on non-militant unions. What's been holding back companies and investors from doing more? Capitalism has this strange ability to kind of paralyse the altruistic part of humans. So at the weekends, they're altruistic, they love their grandchildren. Then during the week they take on the character of the corporation whose only job description, says Milton Friedman, is to maximize short term profits. If a human being does nothing except maximize their self interest, they're a sociopath. That's how it's defined. So during the week you behave like a sociopath and as if you have no grandchildren-or as if you hate the ones you have. And then at the weekend you become a loving grandfather again. That is apparently what capitalism does to us, based on the evidence.You've argued that investors should sell oil and gas investments. What does it mean if more investors start to divest? Divestment is not an economic issue in terms of how it affects the oil companies. The economic impact is for the person who is dumping the stock. He is getting out of an industry that has been put on notice that they're going out of business. In the last 10 years they're up 5 per cent or 10 per cent and the S&P 500 has tripled. It has been absolutely awful and I am proud to say that for those 10 years I've been saying, "Don't buy oil stocks." Forget the ethics for a second. It's a bad economic idea. Going forward, if they rolled with the punches and they tried to redesign their business as an energy provider-rather than oil-they could do okay and get a decent return. But they fight it. If you want to lose money in a capitalist system, that is how you do it. You underestimate the forces you're dealing with. PARADISE, Calif. - Paradise Irrigation District said they are close to lifting all water advisories at all standing homes in the town with only 72 home meters left to test. Additionally, almost all properties in the town are now eligible for public assistance funding to remove hazardous trees. Statistics Update 1,214 water advisories lifted 790 building permit applications received 44 homes rebuilt (certificate of occupancy issued) 556 building permits issued Other Updates Community Information Meeting: The meeting was held on Tuesday, Feb. 4. The focus of the meeting was manufactured housing and what that permit-approval process entails. People from the Building Resiliency Center were there to answer questions. If you missed the meeting, you can watch it below. Home Builders Resource Connection: On Friday, Feb. 28, those looking to build in Butte County have a chance to speak with local agencies, realtors, architects, general contractors, lenders, insurance agents and more. This is a free event. Business Outreach Forum: Hosted by the Paradise Ridge Chamber of Commerce with partner agencies, all local businesses are invited to attend the Together We Rise Ridge Business Forum. This will be at the Paradise Lutheran Church at 780 Luther Drive on Wednesday, Feb. 12 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Rebuild Advocates at Building Resiliency Center: Those rebuilding in Butte County have help at the Building Resiliency Center. Advocates are on hand to help people through the process, including helping with unresolved insurance issues. They can also help guide residents through the financial resources available to make rebuilding more affordable such as help people apply for loans and connect with contractors. You may call 530-872-6291 ext. 130 to schedule an appointment. RELATED: Paradise Rebuilding and Recovery: Manufactured homes community meeting Tree Removal: The Paradise Town Council and the Butte County Board of Supervisors passed ordinances requiring the removal of hazard trees damaged by the Camp Fire from private property that may fall into public roadways. Property owners may enter the Government Tree Program to have the trees removed by the State at no out-of-pocket cost. Enrollment in the Government Tree Program requires a Right-of Entry form. Property owners may also identify and remove hazard trees themselves but must submit an inspection form so an inspector may verify the removal of the hazard trees from the property. Property owners may also call the Tree ROE Center directly at (530) 552-3030 or submit Tree ROEs by email at TreeROE@buttecounty.net. The Tree ROE is available for download online at www.ButteCountyRecovers.org/treeremoval. ROE forms may also be picked up at the Tree ROE Centers when they open. An ROE Center will be open at the Butte County Library's Paradise Branch Community Room on 5922 Clark Road, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 pm. Businesses Opening Building Resiliency Center, Ribbon Cutting: Friday, Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. - 6295 Skyway Jens Place, Ribbon Cutting: Thursday, Feb. 13 at 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. - 7126 Skyway Upcoming Meetings & Events Paradise Town Council Meeting When: Tuesday, Feb. 11, 6 p.m. Where: Paradise Town Hall, 5555 Skyway PID Regular Meeting When: Wednesday, Feb. 19, 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Where: PID Boardroom, 6332 Clark Road Home Builders Resource Connection When: Friday. Feb. 28, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Where: Paradise Alliance Church Gym, 6491 Clark Road Business Outreach Forum When: Wednesday, Feb. 12, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Where: Paradise Lutheran Church, 780 Luther Drive Fridays for Lunch Free Lunch When: Fridays, noon to 1:30 p.m. Where: Paradise Lutheran Church, 780 Luther Drive Paradise Community Dinner Photo: Bloomberg/Bloomberg via Getty Images The impeachment of President Donald Trump has ended with Mitt Romney becoming a liberal hero. It is both an anodyne description of Wednesdays events and testimony to how jarring the presidency of Donald Trump has been. Less than eight years after Mitt Romney awkwardly accepted the endorsement of the-then reality television-show host in attempt to ensure victory in Nevadas Republican caucuses, he voted for Trump to be removed from the presidency. The apotheosis of Romneys journey from severely conservative venture capitalist to leader of the resistance was reached just after 2 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. Speaking from a binder full of rebukes of President Trump, the Utah senator announced that he would vote to convict the President for abusing his power the first senator to vote for conviction of their own partys president in American history. Occasionally choking up, Romney posed the rhetorical question whether Trump had committed a high crime and misdemeanor. Then, he answered it with unadorned understatement: Yes, he did. With an eye to his legacy, Romney insisted, I will only be one name among many, no more or less, to future generations of Americans who look at the record of this trial Were all footnotes at best in the annals of history. However, as the Republican Partys presidential nominee in 2012, Romney already achieved a status somewhat more exalted than a footnote; in rolling out his decision with embargoed interviews with Fox News and the Atlantic, he seemed aware of the scrutiny that his decision would receive. Romney spoke to a near-empty Senate chamber, although to a much bigger audience live on cable news. Three Democrats were in the chamber with him: Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, and Patrick Leahy of Vermont. Republican Roger Wicker of Mississippi walked in partway through, then left quickly. After the speech ended, Romney quickly walked toward an exit while Schatz approached him, saying Mitt. Afterward, Leahy said that he had just come into the chamber to prepare for his own remarks when he noticed Romney was due to speak. I was just about to leave. I thought Ill listen to him speak. He added, Almost from the first sentence I could tell by the sound of his voice what he was probably going to say. The Vermont senator, who was first elected in 1974, toted a copy of Profiles in Courage around Capitol Hill in recent days in hopes of somehow inspiring Republicans to break ranks. He said he felt redeemed having the book with him, despite some of its historical inaccuracies in describing one Republican who broke ranks to acquit Andrew Johnson. As Leahy noted with a smile, The man who voted to exonerate Johnson was bribed. Although some on Twitter, like Donald Trump Jr., raged against Romneys decision, Senate Republicans shrugged it off. It is what it is, said Josh Hawley of Missouri. John Thune of South Dakota noted that Romney had made it clear from the beginning that he was going to go his own way. It represented another chapter in the unusual relationship between Trump and Romney. As Thune charitably described it, I think he and POTUS had a little bit of a complicated relationship to start with. Since that awkward endorsement at the peak of Trumps birtherism, Romney cut Trump from speaking at the 2012 convention, denounced him as unfit for office during the 2016 Republican primary, then interviewed with him for a Cabinet position after the general election. Until impeachment, they had since reached an uneasy truce with Romneys election to be the junior senator from Utah. The final vote was as perfunctory as Romneys statement was dramatic. But it was certainly solemn. Few senators were chatting on the floor; the gallery was as crowded as it had been during any point in the trial. Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, perched with hands folded in front of his face, watched the proceedings. A number of Republican congressmen packed onto a bench on the Republican side of the floor. It was so crowded that hard-right firebrand Steve King of Iowa, arriving late, had to sit on the Democratic side of the chamber. The clerk then held a roll call on each article of impeachment and all 100 senators stood up in turn to pronounce their verdict of guilty or not guilty. Republicans tended to wait to do so, standing only as their name was called. Democrats were more likely to stand earlier, often as the name of the senator alphabetically before them was called. The most eager senator was Michael Bennet. He stood up when the roll call on the second article began as Lamar Alexander was asked to render his verdict. Bennet remained on his feet while both Tammy Baldwin and John Barrasso gave judgment before the dark-horse presidential candidate could solemnly say guilty. Once it all ended, the formalities required a certified copy of the verdict sent to both the House of Representatives and to Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of State who played a key and still mysterious role during the Ukraine saga. Then Chief Justice John Roberts departed the chamber and the Senate returned to its normal course of business under Mitch McConnell an assembly line of judicial confirmations. The drama of the impeachment process was finally over. After three weeks of legal arguments and procedural maneuvering almost nothing had really changed. Save, of course, for the first line of Mitt Romneys obituary. Sir, The plight of the people does not matter in the hearts of the ruling class, yet on Sundays they religiously worship the Lord in feigned high spirits. God has turned His back on this nation as money has become a cancer that is systemically destroying the hearts and conscience of pastors and politicians. The Bible is thrust on the poor and static believers, while those in power worship and live large on the money they diplomatically demonise. Anger has ensnared the hearts of the populace after waking up from their slumber and seeing how their respect and kubindvwa kubona has impoverished and taxed them so hard. The high tariffs and insane VAT have destroyed their Ubuntu and industrious character that they end up seeing no significance of going to work or pursuing their educational dreams. Points These are the points that I think have government worried yet it has no care about the causes of this anarchy. They hike electricity so they can cripple our businesses and impoverish our domestic lives. They hike fuel tax in order to steal from commuters and enhance their transport and fuel businesses. They refuse to increase salaries (more buying power) so the civil servants can be slaves of their shy-locking businesses. They are tenderpreneurs so they can steal from government coffers by intentionally delaying projects. They lower the quality of education so we can remain docile in order to be blind loyalists. They captured the justice system so we can never have redress when they evict us from our homes or their monopolies are blatantly strangulating us. They captured the media so they can hide their offshore accounts and dealings and their insensitive corruption and thievery. Contract They place teachers on contract for long, flouting labour laws and save some money but the security forces are fully employed and well fed. They feed the populace with ARVs on empty stomachs. They have captured the church to brainwash static minds and pastors turn a blind eye and show Godly immaturity, phela nabo are living large. I wonder what God says when the greedy, heartless and evil preach to the world! They impoverish us, tax us hard until our ribs protrude, hike every basic commodity and make communication expensive. They have allowed corruption to fester while they enrich themselves and then expect us to be gullible. A 70 per cent poverty rate in such a small country is a disgrace as we have vast arable land, natural resources, good rivers (we should be producing our own electricity) and a good or the best grade of Cannabis. Strength We have the strength to work hard for our riches and success but the environment is hostile and not conducive. Education is no longer a road to success but entrepreneurship and self-employment is. VAT, high taxes, high tariffs, hunger, poverty, monopolies, nepotism, blue-eyed justice, unequal distribution of wealth, poor medical centres, mafias and high class corruption is what will make us lose respect. Government should know that respect is earned not enforced! Impoverishing and taxing hard the populace and insensitive extravagance are what will bring about disrespect and anarchy. The Observer When Turkey's military waged an air and artillery blitz that slaughtered dozens of Russian-allied Syrian troops this week in retaliation for an assault that killed seven of its soldiers, Moscow offered barely a murmur of protest. The worst tensions between Moscow and Ankara since the 2015 downing of a Russian warplane by Turkish fighter jets are testing the marriage of convenience between Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan as they jostle for dominance in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean. The Kremlin's unusually muted response also shows how the balance may have shifted in the delicate relationship between the two presidents. It continued even as Ankara dismissed arguments that Russia doesn't control Syrian government forces in the northwestern Idlib province as an "excuse," and after Erdogan bluntly informed Putin in a phone conversation that Turkey would react "in the harshest way" to any future attacks on its forces. "It's hard for Putin to work with Erdogan, who strongly irritates him, but he hasn't got any choice," said Gleb Pavlovsky, a former Kremlin adviser. "Russia cannot operate in the Middle East if it's in conflict with Turkey, otherwise it'll face major problems." After centuries of rivalry dating to the Ottoman and Russian empires, Russia and Turkey view their recent partnership as a key tool for achieving strategic goals amid declining U.S. influence in the region. It's also a source of lucrative energy and arms deals. Yet despite heading the larger power, Putin arguably has fewer means to restrain Erdogan, who can leverage Turkey's ties with the U.S. to gain room to maneuver with Russia. The widening rift over Syria, where they back opposing sides but are cooperating to try to halt the war, is matched in Libya. A Turkish military intervention earlier this year frustrated a Russian-backed military leader's drive to capture the Libyan capital, Tripoli. Putin is biting his tongue even as Erdogan on Wednesday issued an ultimatum to Syrian President Bashar Assad to pull back forces fighting in Idlib with Russian air support by the end of this month. "We would not want to see our strategic relationship with Russia deteriorate over Syria," said a senior Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "But of course, our priority is our own national interests." Turkey's relationship with Russia has reached its most difficult point in years and appears to be getting worse, another senior Turkish official said. Putin and Erdogan may meet to discuss the situation in Idlib though no date has been set yet, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on a conference call Thursday. The increase in tensions follows the remarkable rapprochement since relations plunged into crisis over the downing of the Russian warplane near the Syrian border. The 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan triggered efforts to restore ties after Turkey heaped praise on Russia for its support amid criticism of Ankara from the U.S. and allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Putin seized the opportunity to woo Erdogan with the sale of advanced air-defense missile systems that the U.S. refused to supply to its ally, driving a wedge between the nations with NATO's two largest armies. He followed up by offering to sell Erdogan Russia's latest stealth fighter jets after the U.S. suspended Turkey from its F-35 program as punishment for buying the S-400 missile system. Turkey has lost confidence in the U.S. and doesn't fully trust Russia, though the relationship with Moscow enables Ankara to assert a more independent foreign policy, according to a third senior Turkish official. The S-400 deal opened the way for cooperation with Russia on missile technology in a similar way to the relationship they've developed on nuclear energy, he said. Russia is determined to maintain its partnership with Turkey after the breakthrough with the $2.5 billion contract to supply the S-400, a senior Russian official said. It's hugely important for Russian security policy to have a key NATO member defying the U.S., the official said. Russia is building Turkey's first nuclear plant at a cost of $20 billion. It opened the TurkStream pipeline last month to carry natural gas under the Black Sea to Turkey and several countries in southeastern Europe, reducing Moscow's dependence on Ukraine's network. Turkey is currently among the top three buyers of Russian gas. Still, the potential for conflict is increasing, with Turkey using its military toehold in Idlib to push back against the bid by Assad's forces to recover the only part of Syria outside government control apart from the oil-rich northeast. Turkish military observers are stationed in the area as part of a deal on a Syria buffer zone that Erdogan and Putin struck in October. Turkey says it fears the Syrian assault may trigger a fresh exodus of refugees across its border from Idlib, which is largely held by fighters allied to al-Qaeda and rebels backed by Ankara. Erdogan has urged Russia to stay out of the fray, while the Kremlin has condemned what it says is "the continued activity of terrorist groups" in the province. Turkey has sought "to manage a difficult situation together with Russia" in Idlib, said Mesut Hakki Casin, a law professor at Istanbul's Yeditepe University who is also a member of the security and foreign policy board that advises Erdogan. "But if the interests of both countries clash then none of them can emerge as a winner." Turkey "wants to avoid attention switching from Idlib to the northeast" of Syria where it maintains a buffer zone to keep Kurdish forces away from its border, said Andrey Baklanov, a former senior Russian diplomat in the Middle East who's an expert at the Valdai discussion club. "Our patience and that of the Syrians will snap at a certain point." Similar tensions are building in Libya. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov complained in an interview to the government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta published Tuesday that hundreds of militants from Idlib have joined the conflict, after Turkey said it would send Syrian rebels to shore up the United Nations-recognized administration of Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj. Turkish soldiers are also training forces loyal to Sarraj. Lined up against the Turkey-backed forces are hundreds of mercenaries from Russia's Wagner security contractor, which is controlled by Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin. They've been hired to support eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar's now-stalled offensive on Tripoli, according to Western officials and people close to the organization. In their phone call Tuesday, Putin and Erdogan urged the warring parties in Libya to comply with a cease-fire negotiated by Russia and Turkey last month, and also agreed to "strengthen the coordination" of Russian and Turkish activities in Syria, according to a Kremlin statement. While negotiations on disputes between Russian and Turkish leaders are characterized by mistrust, "the idea that countries should either be partners on every single front or not at all is an outdated one," said Baklanov. - - - Bloomberg's Selcan Hacaoglu and Ilya Arkhipov contributed to this report. The low-pressure area that formed off Australia's Kimberley coast and lingered there for a couple of days has moved west and developed into Tropical Cyclone Damien off the Pilbara coastline. NASA's Terra satellite passed over the Southern Indian Ocean and provided forecasters with a visible image of the new tropical storm. The Pilbara Coast is also known as the northwest coast of Western Australia. On Feb. 6, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Terra satellite provided a visible image of Damien that showed the storm had a more rounded shape than it did the previous day as it continued to consolidate. A more rounded shape of a tropical cyclone indicates it is becoming a more organized storm. Satellite imagery revealed a small central dense overcast with rain bands wrapping in towards the low-level circulation center. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology (ABM) issued warnings and watches for Damien on Feb. 6. The Warning Zone includes Wallal Downs to Mardie, including Port Hedland, Karratha and Dampier. The Watch Zone extends from Mardie to Onslow, and the inland central Pilbara including Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Marble Bar and Nullagine. A Blue Alert is in effect for residents in or near Wallal Downs to Port Hedland and Mardie to Onslow but not including Onslow, (including the towns of Pannawonica, Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Nullagine and Marble Bar). A Yellow Alert is in effect for residents in or near Port Hedland to Mardie and south to Millstream (including the Town of Port Hedland, Whim Creek, Point Samson, Wickham, Roebourne, Karratha and Dampier). At 11:00 p.m. AWST (10 a.m. EST) on Feb. 6, the ABM said Tropical Cyclone Damien had maximum sustained winds near 75 kilometers per hour (40 knots/47 mph) with higher gusts. It was located near latitude 17.5 degrees south and longitude 118.1 degrees east, about 315 kilometers (196 miles) north of Port Hedland and 385 kilometers (239 miles) north-northeast of Karratha. Damien is moving to the west-southwest at 20 kilometers (12 miles) per hour. The tropical cyclone is expected to continue to intensify as it tracks to the west southwest. Damien is expected to turn south towards the Pilbara coast during Friday, Feb 7. ABM cautioned that, "Severe tropical cyclone impact is forecast for the Pilbara coast during Saturday, Feb. 8." NASA's Terra satellite is one in a fleet of NASA satellites that provide data for hurricane research. Tropical cyclones/hurricanes are the most powerful weather events on Earth. NASA's expertise in space and scientific exploration contributes to essential services provided to the American people by other federal agencies, such as hurricane weather forecasting. ### For updated forecasts from ABM, visit: http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDW60281.shtml By Rob Gutro NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Minority business owners are the lifeblood of American society. Although this group only owns about 20 percent of all small businesses in the U.S., they contribute much-needed diversity to the business landscape. As a grandson of an entrepreneur, I understand what business ownership can do for a household. I learned that entrepreneurship empowers families for generations. After seeing how hard my grandmother worked and the life she created for myself and my mother, supporting minority- and women-owned businesses is an important matter to me personally. The issue: Currently, there aren't enough minority-owned businesses out there. While white-owned firms account for 81 percent of businesses, black and Asian individuals own less than 10 percent of businesses and Hispanic founders own just 5.8 percent. Whether youre a consumer or member of a government agency, there are a whole host of ways for you to get involved and support minority-owned businesses. Consumer Support: Buy Black In the first episode of Trigger Warning with Killer Mike, Michael "Killer Mike" Render attempts to live exclusively on black-owned business's products and services, from shopping to eating to traveling. Killer Mikes struggle to find black-owned businesses points to a larger disparity between white business ownership and minority business ownership. "Business deserts" are created when there is an absence of black-, Latinx- and women-owned businesses. Even though minorities influence cultural needs and trends, these deserts remain when minorities dont own the businesses we need. As a result, many black consumers are taking a stand and putting their dollars back into their communities by buying products and services from black-owned businesses. Trending hashtags like #BuyBlack and #BankBlack encourage people to buy from black-owned stores and use black-owned financial institutions, while online directories like Black Pages and We Buy Black connect consumers to black-owned companies locally and internationally. The University of Georgia reported that black buying power is projected to reach $1.4 trillion by 2020. Latinx buying power is projected to top $1.9 trillion by 2023, and Asian-American buying power could increase 32 percent, to $1.1 trillion, by 2020. For consumers, it's important to remember that where they spend their dollars can make a real difference. If black households spent $1 of every $10 at black-owned stores, between half a million and one million jobs could be created. Alongside the growth of these enterprises, consumers looking to #buyblack would then have a variety of options to spend their money where they see fit. Being intentional about shopping at black-, Latinx- and women-owned companies can help ensure that your favorite stores have the support they need to operate and grow within your community. Image Credit: Roger Britton for B. Renaissance Photography Private Support: Increase Workforce Diversity Private institutions can also implement changes in their companies by creating initiatives that foster more diverse and inclusive work environments. Companies that establish diversity programming can expect a more innovative office, an increase in creativity and a higher retention rate. Recently, Goldman Sachs has refused to take a company public unless theres at least one board candidate contributing to diversity the financial institution is specifically looking for women board members. In focusing their audience on diverse populations, Goldman is attempting to normalize inclusive work environments. Gender diversity in the workplace can foster more productive companies, and diverse businesses can earn 19 percent more revenue. As private companies look to increase their bottom line and advance workplace culture, they can begin with diversity. Supporting women and minority employees can champion innovative solutions to corporate problems that may not have been addressed otherwise. Government Support: Diversify the Supplier Pool Just as consumers and private companies can support minority businesses with their purchasing power, government offices can achieve better economies of scale and assist minority entrepreneurs through supplier diversity initiatives. Supplier diversity is also key to the success of minority- and women-owned businesses. Supplier diversity is about enriching the vendor pool that provides critical goods and services to nonprofits, private companies and government offices. The more diverse these pools, the stronger supply chains and minority business communities can become. Minority-owned business enterprises (MBEs) and woman-owned business enterprises (WBEs) can expect significant financial rewards by participating in supplier diversity programs. These programs can drive an additional $3.6 million to an organizations bottom line for every $1 million spent in procurement operating costs. The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) seeks to connect minority business enterprises with procurement opportunities within its network. With 23 affiliate nationwide regional councils and over 1,450 corporate members, NMSDC matches more than 12,000 certified minority-owned businesses to an extensive network of corporate members looking to purchase their products, services and solutions. Personally, in New York City, Ive aimed to make sure SBSs Minority- and Women-owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Certification Program promotes fairness and equity in procurement processes by connecting certified businesses with opportunities to sell their products and services to city agencies. More than 9,000 of these businesses have been certified, and as they've won over $13 billion in contracts since 2016, these growing diverse businesses directly contribute to the city's economy. Consumers, companies and governments support minorities by contributing their different resources to the larger ecosystem. Consumers can spend within their communities, private companies can adopt diverse hiring and partnership practices and governments can implement certification programming that bolsters economic success. Related: 3 Ways to Support Minority-Owned Businesses From 25 Cents to $25,000 and Beyond: How 15 African-American Entrepreneurs Funded Their Businesses These City Programs Are Giving Minority- and Women-Owned Businesses Access to Capital Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Chandigarh, Feb 6 : Haryana Agriculture Minister Jai Parkash Dalal on Thursday said that after reports of locust attack in Punjab and Rajasthan, the state has also been put on high alert. Special supervision teams have been constituted to tackle the situation and to spread awareness about locust attack in the state. To control the locust attack, farmers will also get pesticides at 50 per cent subsidy, Dalal said in a statement here. The minister has appealed to the farmers to inspect their fields and report the presence of a locust attack to authorities. He said farmers have also been given special training on how to stop the locus attack. The minister said preparations are being made in districts adjoining Rajasthan and Punjab, including Sirsa, Fatehabad and Hisar. Apart from these, arrangements have been made in Bhiwani, Mahendragarh, Rewari and Charkhi Dadri districts as well. Kate Forbes MSP has become the first woman to deliver the Scottish budget, being given less than a days notice before doing so. Earlier today, it was reported that Scotland's finance secretary, Derek MacKay, had resigned from his position after allegedly sending hundreds of messages to a 16-year-old boy. After The Scottish Sun published a series of messages between Mr MacKay and the boy, the 42-year-old politician stated he was resigning with immediate effect. Mr MacKays resignation came hours before he was due to outline the budget for the Scottish governments 2020/2021 financial year. Public finance minister Ms Forbes, a first-term parliamentarian, stepped in to deliver the budget, making her the first female politician to do so. Kate Forbes, 29 years old and a first-term parliamentarian, is about to set out a 34 billion budget with less than a days notice. And the first woman ever to do so at Holyrood or Westminster. Quite a moment for her... tweeted political journalist Philip Sim. Its a massive test, but also a huge opportunity for her, he added. While delivering her speech, Ms Forbes received praise from several Twitter users. Can I also say Kate Forbes is doing a sterling job; as a fellow twenty-something, one person wrote. She was thrust into doing one of the biggest tasks of the year at literally hours notice, and shes doing it amazingly well. She is a real talent and will rise to an occasion we all wish came in better circumstances. Caberfeidh, Kate! someone else stated. All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Show all 17 1 /17 All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Nadia Murad, 2018 The Iraqi Yazidi human rights activist was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 'for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict'. AFP via Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Malala Yousafzai, 2014 The Pakistani activist, who champions female education, became the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize at 17 years old, receiving the accolade 'for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education'. Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, 2011 The Liberian politician was one of three female recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, all of whom received the recognition 'for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work'. AFP via Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Leymah Gbowee, 2011 The Liberian peace activist, who also received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, lead the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace movement, which contributed towards the Second Liberian Civil War coming to an end in 2003. AFP via Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Tawakkol Karman, 2011 The journalist, politician and human rights activist from Yemen was the third person who jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, having co-founded and lead the group Women Journalists Without Chains. Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Wangari Muta Maathai, 2004 Wangari Muta Maathai, a social, environmental and political activist from Kenya, passed away in 2011. Seven years prior, she became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize 'for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace'. AFP via Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Shirin Ebadi, 2003 The Iranian political activist, human rights activist, lawyer and former judge co-founded the Defenders of Human Rights Centre in Iran. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 'for her efforts for democracy and human rights', having 'focused especially on the struggle for the rights of women and children'. Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Jody Williams, 1997 American political activist Jody Williams received the accolade 'for their work for the banning and clearing of anti-personnel mines'. AFP via Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Rigoberta Menchu Tum, 1992 The Guatemalan-born K'iche' Indigenous feminist and human rights activist became the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 'in recognition of her work for social justice and ethno-cultural reconciliation based on respect for the rights of indigenous peoples'. AFP via Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Aung San Suu Kyi, 1991 The Burmese politician, who is the first State Counsellor of Myanmar and the leader of the National League for Democracy, received the Nobel Peace Prize 'for her non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights'. Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Alva Myrdal, 1982 Alva Myrdal, a Swedish sociologist, diplomat and politician, jointly received the Nobel Peace Prize alongside Garcia Robles in 1982. She was a leader of the disarmament movement. AFP via Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Mother Teresa, 1979 Regarded as one of the most prominent humanitarians in history, Roman Catholic nun Mother Teresa was awarded the accolade in 1979. She passed away less than two decades later. AFP via Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Betty Williams, 1976 In 1976, Betty Williams, from Belfast, Ireland, was one of two women to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Williams co-founded the Community of Peace People, previously named the Northern Ireland Peace Movement. Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Mairead Corrigan, 1976 Mairead Corrigan was the second recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976, having co-founded the Community of Peace People alongside Williams. AFP via Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Emily Greene Balch, 1946 Emily Greene Balch, an American sociologist, pacifist and economist, was a leader of the Switzerland-based Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, a role that resulted in her being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. AFP via Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Jane Addams, 1931 Sociologist and activist Jane Addams became the first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in 1931. She was the first international president of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. AFP via Getty Images All the women who have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Baroness Bertha von Suttner, 1905 Baroness Bertha Sophie Felicita von Suttner was the first woman to receive a Nobel Peace Prize, and the second female Nobel laureate after Marie Curie in 1903. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1905, having become a campaigner for disarmament. Getty Images After setting out the budget, Ms Forbes sat down next to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who patted her on the arm as the room applauded. Scottish politician Murdo Fraser spoke next, beginning his question on the budget by saying he wanted to congratulate Ms Forbes on the delivery of her statement in circumstances none of us wanted to see. As an aside, I believe this is the first time the Scottish budget has been delivered by a woman and by an English-qualified chartered accountant, Mr Fraser said. Kate Forbes is congratulated on being first woman to deliver Scottish budget Following the allegations made against Mr MacKay, he said he takes full responsibility for his actions. I have behaved foolishly and I am truly sorry, he stated. I apologise unreservedly to the individual involved and his family. The former finance secretary added that serving in the Scottish government has been a huge privilege and I am sorry to have let colleagues and supporters down. Networking Post U Adds Second EPL Line and IPTV Post University has wrapped up its latest network upgrade. The work at the Connecticut university involved deploying a second Ethernet Private Line (EPL) and streaming television. The institution, a private nonprofit with more than 10,000 students, used gear from Comcast Business. According to David Aldarondo, Post's manager of network services, along with phone, e-mail and texting, students may connect with staff members through video calls. The EPL installation provides point-to-point data services for the university's admissions, advising and financial aid departments. The technology lets the school bypass the public internet and securely transmit over a private connection. "We operate on a virtual desktop environment here," he explained. "Rather than our staff having traditional computers, they instead connect to servers which then connect them to a virtual desktop equipped with internet access and active tools allowing them to effectively communicate with students. Srinagar, Feb 6 : Confirming that a Public Saftey Act (PSA) has been slapped on former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, her daughter Iltija Mufti on Thursday said that her mother received a PSA order sometime back. "Slapping the draconian PSA on 2 ex J&K CMs is expected from an autocratic regime that books 9 year olds for aseditious remarks'. Question is how much longer will we act as bystanders as they desecrate what this nation stands for?" Iltija Mufti, who operates Mehbooba Mufti's Twitter account, tweeted. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are likely to be booked under the Public Safety Act (PSA), sources said on Thursday. Both the senior Kashmir politicians have been under preventive detention under Section 107 of the CrPC ever since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which granted a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, on August 5 last year. Earlier on Thursday, National Conference (NC) General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar and senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Sartaj Madani, an uncle of Mehbooba Mufti, were booked under the PSA, under which a person can be detained for up to two years without trial. Omar's father and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has already been booked under the PSA and lodged at his Srinagar residence, which has been designated as a sub-jail. Speaking on the Motion of Thanks on the President's address in the Parliament on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that Mehbooba Mufti had said on August 5 that India had betrayed Kashmir. Modi said: "She said we made the wrong decision in 1947... Do the people here support these statements? Omar Abdullah said abrogation of Article 370 will bring such an earthquake that Kashmir will separate from the country. Farooq Abdullah said the abrogation will open the way for Kashmir's independence... Can anyone agree with such language?" Modi asserted that the government won't allow peace to be disturbed anywhere in the country, be it Kashmir or the northeast. Meanwhile, Sagar and Madani were booked under the PSA after both were shifted from the MLA hostel here, where they were detained since November, to a government building on Gupkar Road in Srinagar. Sagar and Madani were detained on August 5 along with around 50 other mainstream politicians of Kashmir. Most have since been released. Sagar was allegedly very vocal against the abrogation of Articles 35A and 370. "He was involved in instigating the youth, especially party workers, against the government of India's decisions. His capacity to disturb public order can be gauged from the fact that he succeeded in mobilising voters at the peak of militancy and poll boycotts," a dossier on the NC leader read. The PSA dossier on Sartaj Madani alleged that he played a "pivotal role" during Asiya and Nelofar's alleged rape-murder case in 2009. "He played a vital role in mobilising anti-social elements. He was also involved in provoking people to come on the streets and actively support separatists and propagate secession of J&K from Union of India, especially after Afzal Guru's hanging," the dossier said. A dozen Israeli soldiers were injured in a suspected car-ramming attack in Jerusalem today. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the incident at around 2am was being treated as a terror attack and a hunt was under way for the assailant. One of the 12 injured near the First Station was seriously hurt while the others suffered minor injuries. The troops were on an educational heritage tour when the car rammed into them. Such acts of violence were once common in Jerusalem but have tapered off in recent years. Hospital officials meanwhile said a 19-year-old Palestinian had been killed in clashes in the West Bank city of Jenin. Six others were wounded in the confrontation. The death came just hours after Israeli forces shot and killed a 17-year-old Palestinian during clashes with demonstrators elsewhere in the West Bank yesterday. The rise in violence comes after President Donald Trump last week unveiled his long-awaited Middle East peace plan, which has widely been seen as favouring Israel and has been rejected by the Palestinians. Israeli military spokesman Lt Col Jonathan Conricus said: Attacks from Gaza and in Jerusalem, signs of a rise in hostile activity in Jenin, friction in Hebron. We are trying not to escalate the situation while understanding the complexity and sensitivity of it. In the West Bank, Lt Col Conricus said troops were attacked by Palestinians throwing Molotov cocktails and by sniper fire while carrying out the demolition of a home belonging to a militant allegedly involved in a deadly attack. Attacking Kerala's Left government, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the state's Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has confirmed the hands of extremist groups behind the protest in the state, then why they are supporting the same anarchy in other parts of the country. "I understand the Congress' helplessness but Kerala's Left Front should understand. They should know that Kerala's Chief Minister has said that extremist groups are behind the protests going on in the state and warned of strict action against them," said the Prime Minister during his reply in the Rajya Sabha to the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address. "How can you support the same anarchy in Delhi or other parts of the country with which you are troubled in your state?" asked Prime Minister Modi. He said the opposition ruled states are passing resolutions against CAA in their state Assemblies for the 'vote bank' Attacking the opposition parties, Prime Minister Modi said: "Is it okay to misguide and misinform the nation? Can anybody be a part of a campaign that does the same? The path being taken on CAA by many opposition parties is unfortunate." "All the colleagues should ask themselves questions about whatever is being said about the CAA. We should stop the tendency to misinform and misguide the country ... Opposition members are very enthused these days, those who were silent have become violent," he said. Kerala, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh have passed anti-CAA resolutions in their Assemblies so far. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The news about the Wuhan coronavirus is bad and is getting worse. In terms of its potential for devastation, the current virus is in close competition with its 2003 cousin, the SARS coronavirus. Chinas economy is far more essential to the global economy now than it was in 2003, giving new meaning to the old nostrum, when China sneezes, the world catches a cold. And this time the worlds capacity to catch that cold is far worse, in part due to the rise of social media. Seventeen years ago, during the SARS scare, the world wasnt hooked to social media. Today, we can ... A Florida Highway Patrol trooper was shot and killed by a stranded motorist at a rest stop on Wednesday after he pulled over along Interstate 95 and tried to help. Trooper Joseph Bullock, 42, died in the shooting about 10.15am near Palm City, about a 45-minute drive north of West Palm Beach, said Col Gene Spaulding, the agency's commander. He said a passing police officer from Riviera Beach fatally shot the suspect, whose name has not been released. Officials declined to say why the officer was in the area. City officials also declined comment. Florida Highway Patrol trooper, Joseph Bullock (left and right), 42, was shot and killed on Wednesday by a stranded motorist Col. Gene Spaulding (center) the director of the Florida Highway Patrol, said a passing police officer from Riviera Beach fatally shot the suspect, whose name has not been released Spaulding said that Bullock had been with the shooter for several minutes before the shooting. A tarp is seen over the trooper's body near his patrol car Bullock had stopped to help who he believed to be a stranded motorist around 10.15am. Spaulding said that Bullock had been with the shooter for several minutes before the shooting. Police, who are still investigating the shooting, said it's unclear why the suspect opened fire on Bullock. According to WSVN, a news chopper flying over the scene captured tarps covering both of the bodies. The deadly incident closed I-95 in both directions in the area. The interstate was reopened Wednesday night. According to a statement from Florida Highway Patrol, Bullock was a US Air Force veteran who served nearly 19 years with the agency and was assigned to Troop L- Fort Pierce. Bullock was a US Air Force veteran. He is survived by his parents and sister Officers at the scene of the deadly shooting at mile marker 107 on I-95, about a 45-minute drive north of West Palm Beach 'Trooper Bullock was fatally wounded today in the line of duty while assisting the public on I-95 in Martin County,' according to the release. 'The investigation into the incident is ongoing and additional information will be released as it's available.' Terry Rhodes, executive director of the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and Florida Highway Patrol Colonel Gene Spaulding put out a joint statement mourning the tragic loss of the trooper 'who chose to make selflessly serving and protecting others his life's work'. The officials asked the public to keep Bullock's family and colleagues in their prayers. Spaulding said Bullock is the 49th Florida trooper to die in the line of duty since the agency was founded 80 years ago. Trooper Tracy Vickers had been the last, dying in a September traffic crash near Orlando. 'People don't realize when you approach a car, even a disabled vehicle or a car on a traffic stop, you are worried about not only what is inside that car and what danger is waiting for you, you are also worried about the 80,000-pound tractor-trailers that are barreling down the highway behind you,' Spaulding said. According to Bullock's Facebook page, he lived in Stuart, Florida. He is survived by his parents, sister and several cousins. 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:
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ADRs are U.S. securities that represent foreign shares of a foreign company and require a corresponding number of foreign shares to be held in custody at a depositary bank. The practice of "pre-release" allows ADRs to be issued without the deposit of foreign shares, provided the broker receiving them has an agreement with a depositary bank and the receiving broker or its customer owns a number of foreign shares that corresponds to the number of shares the ADRs represent. The SEC's order finds that ABN AMRO improperly borrowed pre-released ADRs from other brokers when it should have known that those brokers did not own the foreign shares needed to support those ADRs. The order against ABN AMRO also finds that it failed reasonably to supervise its securities lending desk personnel concerning the borrowing of pre-released ADRs from these brokers. Without admitting or denying the SEC's findings, ABN AMRO agreed to return more than $326,000 of ill-gotten gains and pay a $179,353 penalty plus $80,970 in prejudgment interest. This is the SEC's 15th enforcement action against a bank or broker arising from its investigation into abusive ADR pre-release practices. In addition, the SEC charged four individuals for their roles in the improper handling of pre-released ADRs. Monetary remedies ordered across all of these cases exceed $432 million. (List of cases) The SEC's investigations revealed that misconduct by numerous industry participants had the effect of introducing "phantom" ADRs into the marketplace. At times of high demand for ADRs, or when supply from traditional lending sources was limited, a number of brokers sought pre-released ADRs from intermediary brokers, who obtained them from depositary banks. Many of the brokers seeking the ADRs could not represent that they owned the underlying foreign shares to support a pre-release, and so they used intermediaries, which, in turn, obtained pre-released ADRs under false pretenses, including by providing false certifications. The depositary banks that issued the pre-released ADRs and the brokers who took custody of them should have known that under the circumstances, it was highly unlikely that anyone in the chain of transactions actually owned the requisite underlying foreign shares. The pre-released ADRs that were not backed by ordinary shares were often inappropriately used for trading strategies such as dividend arbitrage or short selling, which could not have otherwise occurred. "I would like to thank the dedicated staff in the Division of Enforcement for shining a light on, and bringing strong actions against, the abuse of the ADR pre-release process," said SEC Chairman Jay Clayton. "The pre-release process was designed to accommodate international settlement complexities. It clearly prohibited the uncovered creation of new ADRs. The blatant misconduct identified in these 15 actions had real effects on market pricing. The work of our Enforcement Division should have lasting benefits for retail investors who use ADRs as a way to invest in foreign companies." "The practices uncovered in these actions presented significant risks to the integrity of the ADR market," said Stephanie Avakian, Co-Director of the Division of Enforcement. "U.S. investors who purchase ADRs are entitled to the same protections as investors in any other securities available in U.S. markets." The SEC's investigation has been conducted by Andrew Dean, Elzbieta Wraga, Joseph P. Ceglio, Philip Fortino, Richard Hong and Adam Grace of the New York Regional Office with the assistance of Scott Walster in the Division of Economic and Risk Analysis and has been supervised by Sanjay Wadhwa, Senior Associate Director in the New York office. The Division of Enforcement appreciates substantial contributions made by the broker-dealer inspection programs in its Chicago and New York regional offices. File photo of U.S. astronaut Christina Koch, member of the crew to the International Space Station (ISS), speaks with her relatives through a safety glass prior the launch of Soyuz MS-12 space ship at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. (AP) Almaty (Kazakhstan): U.S. astronaut Christina Koch is set to return to Earth Thursday having shattered the spaceflight record for female astronauts by spending almost a year aboard the International Space Station. Koch of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is expected to touch down in the Kazakh steppes with colleagues Luca Parmitano of the European Space Agency and Alexander Skvortsov of the Russian space agency at 0912 GMT after 328 days in space. The 41-year-old Michigan-born engineer by training surpassed the previous record set for a single spaceflight by a woman -- 289 days, held by NASA veteran Peggy Whitson -- on December 28, 2019. Koch had already made history by that point after she became one half of the first-ever all-woman spacewalk along with NASA counterpart Jessica Meir in October. Koch told NBC on Tuesday that she would "miss microgravity" as she answered questions from journalists ahead of her three-and-a-half hour journey back to Earth. "It's really fun to be in a place where you can just bounce around between the ceiling and the floor whenever you want," she said, smiling as she twisted her body around the ISS. 'Make space for women' Koch called three-time flyer Whitson "a heroine of mine" and a "mentor" in the space programme after she surpassed the 59-year-old's record. She also spoke of her desire to "inspire the next generation of explorers." The first woman in space was Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova whose spaceflight in 1963 is still the only solo mission carried out by a woman. But the cosmonauts Russia has sent to the ISS since expeditions began in 2000 have all been men with the exception of Yelena Serova's launch in 2014. Both Tereshkova and Serova are now lawmakers in the Russian parliament, where they represent the ruling United Russia party. Unlike Koch, whose stay aboard the ISS was extended, Parmitano and Skvortsov are rounding off regular six-month missions. Parmitano handed over command of the ISS to Roscosmos' Oleg Skripochka on Tuesday. The 43-year-old Italian posted regular shots of the Earth while aboard, highlighting the plight of the Amazon rainforest and poetically describing the Alps as "like a spinal column, never bending to time." Four male cosmonauts have spent a year or longer in space as part of a single mission with Valery Polyakov's 437 days the overall record. Scott Kelly holds the record for a NASA astronaut, posting 340 days at the ISS before he returned home in 2016. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer Police are searching for the driver who struck and killed a man Thursday in west Harris County. The man, believed to be in his 50s or 60s, was struck sometime Thursday morning in the 3600 block of Addicks Clodine, according to the Harris County Sheriffs Office. The driver fled without stopping to help, authorities said. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., left, and wife Gayle Conelly Manchin arrive for a State Dinner with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and President Donald Trump at the White House, in Washington on Sept. 20, 2019. (Patrick Semansky/AP Photo) Manchin, Sinema Vote to Convict President Trump on Impeachment Charges Moderate Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) voted to convict President Donald Trump on impeachment charges, but Trump was ultimately acquitted on Wednesday afternoon. The charges brought against President Trump are serious and carry grave consequences for our nation, Manchin said in a statement. Earlier in the week, the senator suggested that censuring Trump would be a better option than impeachment. But Manchins latest move meant that Trump did not have bipartisan support for acquittal. The evidence presented by the House Managers, including video testimony of witnesses under oath in the House of Representatives, clearly supports the charges brought against the President in the articles of impeachment, Manchin added. Trump was impeached for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Manchin, a Democrat who represents a staunchly Republican state, was viewed as a possible swing vote during the impeachment trial. Sinema was viewed in a similar light, although she had issued virtually no public statements on impeachment until Wednesday. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema at Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington on July 10, 2019. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for JDRF) Today, I vote to approve both articles, as my highest duty, and my greatest love, is to our nations Constitution, Sinema said in a statement, announcing that she would vote to convict. The facts are clear; security aid was withheld from Ukraine in an attempt to benefit the presidents political campaign. While White House attorneys claim this behavior is not serious, it is dangerous to the fundamental principles of American democracy to use the power of the federal government for personal or political gain. Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), who also represents a deep red state, also said he would convict Trump on Wednesday. After many sleepless nights, I have reluctantly concluded that the evidence is sufficient to convict the president for both abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, Jones said. The freshman senator added that he has read thousands of transcript pages, watched testimony videos, took notes, and discussed the case with staff, constituents, and staff members. No other Democrats voted to acquit the president. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) broke ranks with the GOP and also voted to convict Trump, explaining on the Senate floor that the president asked a foreign government to investigate his political rival, meaning that he is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust. Before the vote, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) implored other senators to vote against the two articles of impeachment passed in House. The United States Senate was made for moments like this. The Framers predicted that factional fever might dominate House majorities from time to time. They knew the country would need a firewall to keep partisan flames from scorching, scorching our Republic, he said ahead of the final vote. Conflicting reports in Chinas state-controlled media about the condition of the 34-year-old doctor who was detained by the police for sounding the alarm about a mysterious new SARS-like pneumonia spreading in a Wuhan hospital last December spread confusion late on Thursday night. While initially, the state-controlled tabloid, Global Times announced the death of Li Wenliang from Coronavirus in a Wuhan hospital, the tabloid changed the doctors status to critically ill two hours later. It added that doctors were trying to revive Li even though his heart had stopped beating at 21-30 hours. By then, several international media had reported on it; the WHO had announced its condolences and Chinas online platforms exploded with grief and anger. Questions were being raised on Twitter whether the Chinese government had stalled the official announcement of the doctors death to calm the citizens anger that was boiling over online. Li Wenliang, an ophthalmologist at the Wuhan central hospital, is suffering complications resulting from the coronavirus infection on Thursday evening. The doctors wife is pregnant with their second child and his parents have also contracted the disease but are said to be doing better. ALSO WATCH | Coronavirus: Will India evacuate Pakistani students from China? Govt answers On December 30, Li chanced upon a test result of a patient who had been admitted to his hospital with a new, unidentified disease. He shared the information on a private WeChat group with seven other friends, saying that from the results it looked like SARS, an epidemic of which killed hundreds in China in 2002-03 but was initially covered up by the government. Li was a teenager then but clearly remembered the impact of the epidemic. Li later said he only wanted to warn friends about the disease but his post went viral. The doctor and his friends were soon summoned by the Wuhan police for spreading rumours, harassed, detained and then forced to sign a confession. After his release, he went back to the hospital to work and in the second week of January contracted the disease. Li caught the disease while treating a patient with an eye problem but who was also down with the Coronavirus but didnt know about it. He was hospitalised on January 12 and in the following days, as his condition deteriorated, Li was admitted to the intensive care unit. On February 1, he tested positive for coronavirus. Last week, the Supreme Peoples Court criticised Lis detention, saying it might have been a fortunate thing if the public had believed the rumour then and started to wear masks and carry out sanitisation measures, and avoid the wild animal market (in Wuhan). The initial reports of Lis death triggered an outpouring of grief on Chinas Twitter-like Weibo Thursday evening with netizens hailing him as a hero who sacrificed his life to treat the sick. Within hours, the news of his reported death was number 1 on Weibos list of hot topics with more than 50 million having read it; at least 119000 threads of discussions were focussed on his life and death. Many posted angry messages on Weibo. The damned are not dead. The least damned are dead, wrote one user in Chinese. He didnt even receive an apology before death, wrote another. By PTI NEW DELHI: The Congress on Thursday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address in Parliament as one that oscillated between "stand-up comedy" and "rank communalism", and said he should apologise for "misleading" the country by quoting Jawaharlal Nehru "out of context". Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said it was unfortunate that the prime minister made a reference to Pakistan seven times during his address and accused him of hyphenating India with Pakistan during the last five years. Tewari was referring to Modi's reply to the Motion of Thanks to the President's address. He also accused Modi of destroying the Indian economy and said the prime minister is covering this up by dividing society through polarisation. While the country's economy is inflicted by "coronavirus", the NDA-BJP government is giving medicines for the common cold, the Congress leader said. "It is extremely unfortunate and deeply regrettable that the prime minister's comments oscillated between stand-up comedy, half-truths and rank communalism. It is regrettable that the Prime Minister of India should quote one of his illustrious predecessors Jawaharlal Nehru completely out of context," he said. "The prime minister should apologise to the country for quoting an agreement signed with another country completely out of context. The prime minister deliberately chose to mislead the House," Tewari said. Tewari said BJP's Hindu-Muslim and India-Pakistan rhetoric is the only way for the ruling party to cover up for its failure in improving the economy of the country which is in a shambles right now due to its policies. "That is why I told the finance minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) that the Indian economy is afflicted with the coronavirus and you are trying to give it medicine for a common cold," he said. Tewari alleged that Modi took the help of various communications and various agreements which former prime minister Nehru had entered into in order to support or buttress his claims with regard to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. "Unfortunately, the prime minister was deliberately being selective, if not completely untruthful to this country," he said, quoting the agreement that the grant of citizenship should be "irrespective of religion". Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit out at Modi for not talking about the main issue of unemployment and "distracting" people by raising other things from Jawaharlal Nehru to Pakistan. "Talk about the main issue prime minister ji. Tell the youth what you are doing about jobs. His style is to distract the country. He had said two crore jobs will be given to youngsters, but five and a half years have passed. Last year 1 crore youth lost jobs, he is unable to say a word," Gandhi said. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said "Modi ji our elder. The country and I expected him that he could behave in a neutral, serious manner as per his post. I feel he can not meet the expectations of all those believing in sincere political and public life." ALSO READ| Identity of Kashmir buried with exodus of Pandits in 1990: PM Modi in Lok Sabha "I may summarise his reply on President's address as - "'Phate Dhol Aur Bhadde Bol'", he said. "If he would go to buy pulses, tomatoes, onion, mustard oil, cooking gas cylinder he would understand what price hike is and also the pain of the housewives in the country," Surjewala said. Tewari said the Parliament in 1955 chose to make the citizenship act religion-neutral. "Does the prime minister believe that the situation that prevailed in 1947 is the situation which prevails in 2020? Is India in the same position in 2020 as it was in 1947? If this was what the PM was trying to say? It seems that the clock of time has stopped in his mind," he said. The Congress leader also said that it is also unfortunate that for 10 years the UPA government spent all its time and efforts in de-hyphenating India from Pakistan, but in the past five years, Modi has invested all his energy and all his time in hyphenating India and Pakistan again. "The prime minister refers to Pakistan seven times in his speech- if not more. Are we supposed to compare ourselves with what is literally a banana republic - a country which is owned by a military? Does not it demean our self-esteem and our pride as a nation to compare India to a country which is really an extension of their military? This is what the NDA-BJP government has brought India down to," he said. "This Hindu-Muslim, this India-Pakistan, the only swan song which the BJP-NDA government has had for the past five years, is being done with only one purpose - to cover up the complete destruction of the Indian economy in the past five years," Tewari said. Today, he alleged, the economy stands pulverized as its fundamentals- savings; consumption, investment and employment - have been destroyed. After six years of the stewardship of Modi, GDP growth is at five per cent, lowest in 11 years; private consumption is at 5.8 per cent, lowest in seven years; investment growth is at one per cent, lowest in 17 years; manufacturing growth is at two per cent, lowest in 15 years; and agricultural growth is at 2.8 per cent, lowest in four years, Tewari alleged. Inflation is at 7.35 per cent, highest in five years, and unemployment is at 8.45 per cent, highest in 45 years, he claimed. Tewari also said that exports-imports, electricity consumption, household savings - everything is down, but fiscal deficit is up. Appointment 5 February 2020 Top-rated hospitality technology provider Cloud5 Communications expands its sales team with the appointment of Reed Majors as Executive Director of Business Development. Based in Palo Alto, California, Majors will support the growing demand for Cloud5 High-Speed Internet Access (HSIA) and communications solutions from leading hotel brands and management companies in the Western U.S. Majors draws upon 25 years of technology experience and a deep knowledge of guest WiFi, converged networks, telephony, mobile and video solutions. Prior to joining Cloud5, he headed up the Internet business at SONIFI Solutions where he doubled the served base for Internet and integrated video/WiFi solutions. Majors is a technology solutions veteran with business development experience across diverse organizations from Cisco and Intuit to non-profits. He has served in global leadership roles for corporate strategy, sales and product marketing. Cloud5 Communications was recently approved to provide Marriott GPNS Internet solutions for hotels in the Caribbean and Latin America region alongside its base of business operations in North America. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 22:27:08|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close MACAO, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Macao's first confirmed novel coronavirus infection patient had recovered from the disease and was discharged from the hospital, the special administrative region's health authorities said on Thursday. The Health Bureau of Macao said the 52-year-old female patient was discharged due to the improvement of her health after twice negative test results for any remaining presence of the novel coronavirus. All relevant laboratory indicators of her health were now at normal levels. The woman, who had traveled to Macao on Jan. 19 from Wuhan in central China, had been diagnosed with the disease by Macao's Centro Hospitalar Conde de Sao Januario on Jan. 21 and quarantined and treated in that hospital. The bureau added that the patient is a Wuhan resident and had left Macao on Thursday afternoon. Macao has reported a total of ten cases of the novel coronavirus. Among them, the first seven cases were visitors from Wuhan, and the other three were Macao residents. In the memo, Mr. Barr established a series of requirements governing whether investigators could open preliminary or full politically sensitive criminal and counterintelligence investigations into candidates or their donors. No investigation into a presidential or vice-presidential candidate or their senior campaign staff or advisers can begin without written notification to the Justice Department and the written approval of Mr. Barr. The F.B.I. must also notify and consult with the relevant leaders at the department like the heads of the criminal division, the national security division or a United States attorneys office before investigating Senate or House candidates or their campaigns, or opening an inquiry related to illegal contributions, donations or expenditures by foreign nationals to a presidential or congressional campaign. Past attorneys general have said that the department must take extra care with politically sensitive campaign-related investigations in an election year. But Mr. Barr is the first to require that the F.B.I. consult with the Justice Department before opening politically charged investigations. Since he took office, he has handled a seemingly endless series of politically charged investigations and their aftermaths, and he has drawn rebukes for how he has done so. Mr. Barr faced withering criticism over his delivery of the Mueller report to Congress. While he allowed the report to be made available to the public with only light redactions, Democrats and some centrist Republicans accused him of playing down the severity of the findings. The attorney general is also overseeing a criminal inquiry into the decision to open the investigation into Mr. Trumps campaign. For weeks, Mississippis prisons have been gripped by crisis. At least a dozen inmates have been slain or killed themselves, and feuding gangs have forced lockdowns. Images and videos taken on smuggled cellphones have highlighted deteriorating conditions, and legislators and activists have asked for federal intervention. The Justice Department responded to the turmoil on Wednesday by announcing a civil rights investigation to explore whether prison officials have done enough to protect inmates from one another and the quality of mental health care and suicide prevention efforts. In a statement, officials said the inquiry would focus on four prisons, including its facility in Parchman, a Mississippi Delta prison notorious for its history of harsh conditions. The federal investigation follows a burst of violence that began in late December and prompted the lockdown of prisons across the state. Officials attributed the disorder to warring gangs, but the turmoil has underscored the broader troubles plaguing an understaffed prison system as it has descended into chaos. Press Release 6 February 2020 The Boards of Hamilton Hotel Partners ("Hamilton" or "the Firm"), an independent London-based hotel management and investment firm, and Pyramid Hotel Group ("Pyramid" or "the Group"), a privately-owned full-service hotel and resort company based in Boston are delighted to announce today that they have completed a transaction that involves the merger of the two businesses. Advertisements The merger will create a leading international group that will manage or asset manage a total of 141 hotels with 32,000 rooms across 8 countries, and 5.3bn of assets under management. Hamilton is an independent hotel management and advisory firm based in London covering Europe, Middle East and Africa. The Firm specialises in helping hotel owners maximise their returns on capital, providing co-investment, hotel management, hotel asset management, and acquisition and development advisory services to a range of hotel investors and owners including private equity funds, institutional real estate investors, family offices and sovereign wealth funds. Hamilton currently operates or asset manages over 50 hotels across Europe. Pyramid is a privately-owned hotel and resort management company with offices in Boston, Cincinnati, Phoenix and Dublin. With over 40 years of experience throughout the United States, Caribbean and Europe, Pyramid offers the full spectrum of institutional quality hotel management, asset management, project management and consulting services. Pyramid is currently thethird largest independent hotel management company in the U.S., operating 90 US hotels and resorts both independently and under the world's largest hotel brand companies including Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton and IHG The merger will enable Hamilton to leverage Pyramid's extensive institutional hotel management infrastructure and Pyramid will access Hamilton's unrivalled hotel advisory, asset management and management experience and track record in Europe. It was driven by Pyramid's desire to rapidly expand their management platform in Europe, in response to the return of strong US investor appetite. The combined entity will have a multinational base, providing a full service to institutional investors in the US, UK, Europe and the Middle East. Post-merger Hamilton will continue to source hotel and resort transactions, co-invest with capital partners and manage hotels and resorts, while drawing on the strengths and experience of the Pyramid team. Both the Pyramid and Hamilton brands will be retained for the foreseeable future. Co-founder and CEO of Pyramid, Warren Fields, will be the CEO of the combined Group, with Frank Croston and Chris Evans continuing in their roles leading the Hamilton business. Frank Croston, Partner and co-founder of Hamilton Hotel Partners commented: "The appetite for hotel investment activity in Europe remains strong. Capital sources are seeking qualified and aligned management partners to support their growth ambitions. This merger allows us to significantly accelerate our own organic plans for growth and to benefit hugely from the high quality and highly experienced team at Pyramid." Chris Evans, Partner and co-founder of Hamilton Hotel Partners added: "Our firms share the same core values and philosophy with a value-adding, client-centric approach to everything that we do in both organisations. This is a very exciting time for the combined group, and we look forward to the future with confidence." Warren Fields, co-founder and CEO of Pyramid said: "We have been seeking a European partner for what seems like a long time. We have found the right partners in Hamilton and we believe we can create significant synergies and growth opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic." Adding: "this exciting merger will result in an enlarged management platform building on Pyramid's institutional quality management and operational systems and Hamilton's exceptional reputation and experience in the UK and throughout continental Europe. Our combined abilities will position us as a leading provider of hotel management and asset management services providing unrivalled service to both private equity and institutional investors alike. We are delighted to be working with Chris and Frank and their talented team." About Hamilton Hotel Partners Hamilton Hotel Partners is London-based independent hotel advisory firm providing clients with a unique combination of world-class advisory skills and unparalleled experience of operations, development and asset management across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Since 2004, Hamilton has developed a proven track record as a leading operating partner, in both management and asset management, driving performance at the asset level and maximising owner's return on investment. Hamilton's sister-company, Hamilton Hotel Investors, partners with major real estate investors deploying funds into the European hospitality sector. For additional information please visit https://www.hamiltonhotelpartners.com . Dublin, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Taiwan - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in Taiwan's telecommunications market. The report analyses the fixed-line, mobile and broadband sectors. Key Developments Taiwan implements a strategy to attain a significant share of the global IoT market Regulator begins multi-spectrum auction for 5G services Government to release NT$20.5 billion to encourage the development of 5G services and apps Slowing mobile broadband growth predicted through to 2024 DSL sector shrinks as subscribers migrate to fibre The report includes operator data to November 2019, regulator's market data for Q3 2019, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments Taiwan has developed a dynamic telecommunications industry defined by excellent infrastructure and a very competitive mobile market. Private investors are attracted to the territory due to its regulatory certainty, market maturity, an educated workforce and highly clustered ICT sector that sits at the heart of economic development. Overall fixed-line penetration has been in decline since 2012, and this trend is expected to continue in coming years as customers adopt mobile and mobile broadband solutions for voice and data services. The mobile market is dominated by three operators, and high penetration has resulted in intense competition to gain new subscribers. In recent years this was evidenced in the drive to develop 4G services, which were quickly embraced by consumers. The same drive is being repeated with 5G, with operators gearing up to deploy 5G services in a range of bands later in 2020. Taiwan's advanced fixed broadband market is served by a variety of technology platforms including DSL, fibre, HFC, leased lines and wireless. Fibre is the most popular platform, largely due to the migration of DSL subscribers, and has underpinned Taiwan's relatively high standing in global broadband rankings. Growth in the fibre sector is likely to continue to be strong in coming years though more subdued than formally, given that most DSL subscribers have already migrated away from copper. Market penetration in the fixed broadband subscriber market has remained flat over the past five years due to a declining number of fixed lines and the growing dominance of mobile broadband. Over the next five years, relatively slow growth is predicted. One break on fixed broadband growth will come from 5G since the launch of services is expected to encourage some consumers to close their fixed broadband connections. Key Topics Covered 1 Key statistics 2 Telecommunications market 2.1 Historical overview 2.2 Market overview and analysis 2.3 Market revenue 2.4 Regional Asian Market Comparison 3 Regulatory environment 3.1 Regulatory authority 3.2 Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) 3.3 National Communications Commission (NCC) 3.4 Government policies eg Telecom sector liberalisation 3.5 Legislation and market liberalisation 3.6 1996 Telecom ACT 3.7 Foreign investment 3.8 Licensing 3.9 Foreign equipment restrictions 3.10 Amendments to the Radio and Television act 3.11 National Information and Communication Initiative (NICI) 4 Fixed network operator 4.1 Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) 5 Telecommunications infrastructure 5.1 Fixed-line subscribers 5.2 Forward-looking infrastructure project to 2025 5.3 Submarine cable networks 5.4 Satellite networks 5.5 Cloud computing 5.6 Smart infrastructure 6 Broadband market 6.1 Introduction and statistical overview 6.2 Fixed broadband operators 6.3 Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks 6.4 Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks 6.5 Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) and Fibre-To-The-Home (FttH) 7 Digital economy 7.1 Introduction 7.2 e-Payments / m-Payments 7.3 Online Shopping 7.4 e-Government 8 Mobile communications 8.1 Market overview and analysis 8.2 Mobile statistics 8.3 Regulatory issues 8.4 Mobile infrastructure 8.5 Major mobile operators 8.6 MNVOs 9 Appendix Historic data Companies Mentioned Ambit Asia Pacific Telecom Chunghwa Telecom FarEasTone GigaMedia Global Mobile New Century Infocom Taiwan Fixed Network Telecom Taiwan Mobile Tatung Telecom VIBO Telecom WiMAX Telecom For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/eqofnz Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. El Salvador signed an agreement with the US that would allow the country to receive asylum seekers. El Salvador is not ready to receive asylum seekers from the United States and will not accept them until it can offer them the necessary protections and support, Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexandra Hill Tinoco said on Wednesday. El Salvador is one of three Central American governments that signed bilateral agreements with the US government last year that would allow the US to send asylum seekers from its southwest border to instead apply for asylum in Guatemala, Honduras or El Salvador. Guatemala started receiving asylum seekers in November, and Honduras and El Salvador are expected to follow. We are not going to admit anyone seeking asylum until we as a country have the conditions and technical, financial and human capacity to be able to give these people who are seeking asylum and sent to another country the best treatment, Hill Tinoco said. The so-called asylum cooperation agreements are among the controversial measures the US government has taken to close the door to asylum seekers arriving at its border with Mexico. Hill Tinoco said her government is at the point of determining the technical team that will meet with their US counterparts to develop a plan of how it could work. A migrant travelling in a caravan of mostly Central Americans hugs a crying child as security forces block the road near Frontera Hidalgo, Chiapas, Mexico [Andres Martinez Casares/Reuters] The administration of US President Donald Trump did not immediately comment on Hill Tinocos statement, but during his State of the Union address on Tuesday, Trump touted the agreements with Central American countries, calling them historic. 138 deported from US to El Salvador killed The agreements have come under widespread criticism by rights group who say the Central American countries, from where asylum seekers are fleeing, are not equipped or safe enough to receive migrants. In a report issued on Wednesday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said at least 138 people deported to El Salvador from the US in recent years were subsequently killed. A majority of the deaths documented by HRW in the report occurred less than a year after the deportees returned to El Salvador; some were within days. The organisation also confirmed at least 70 cases of sexual assault or other violence following their arrival in the country. The violence underscores the risk faced by people forced to return by US law that mandates deportation of noncitizens convicted of a range of crimes and by Trump administration policies that discourage asylum-seekers, said Alison Leal Parker, HRWs US managing director. Our concern is that many of these people are facing a death sentence, Parker said on Wednesday. Between 2014 and 2018, the US deported about 111,000 Salvadorans back to their homeland, which has long been in the grip of fierce gang violence. The United Nations reported last year that killings in El Salvador, a majority of them linked to gang conflict, have declined from a peak of more than 6,000 in 2015. But the country still has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Meanwhile, the number of Salvadorans seeking asylum in the US grew by nearly 1,000 percent between 2012 and 2017, with many applicants citing threats from gangs. Only about 18 percent are granted asylum. People deported from the United States get off a bus at an immigration facility in San Salvador, El Salvador [File: Jose Cabezas/Reuters] The deaths tracked in the study occurred under the administrations of Trump and his predecessor, former President Barack Obama. Trump has made immigration enforcement a centrepiece of his administration. That has included a policy of forcing asylum seekers from Central America to wait in Mexico while their claims are evaluated and be sent back to their homelands if their claim is rejected. Many of those asylum seekers could previously have been released on parole in the US for a decision that could take a year or more. The Department of Homeland Security says it is trying to make the process more efficient and crack down on fraudulent claims. Rights groups have also urged the administration to repeal the policy that requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico along with the agreements that allow Guatemalans, Salvadorans and Hondurans to be settled in other countries in Central America while seeking refuge. They also want the attorney general to reverse restrictions that made it harder for them to claim US asylum because of threats posed by gangs or gender-based violence. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 6th Feb, 2020 ) :Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health Dr Zafar Mirza on Thursday launchedthe "Sehat Tahaffuz" helpline 1166to provide health-related information services to the people. Through the helpline citizens will be able to obtain immediate assistance to their queries and concerns related to Polio and routine immunisation services. "The Sehat Tahaffuz helpline is an initiative of the Government of Pakistan which is anticipated to bring lasting health benefits to all citizens of Pakistan," said Dr Zafar Mirza. "By calling dedicated 1166 number citizens will get access to reliable information relating to immunisation and vaccine-preventable diseases and enable them to handle misinformation and anti-vaccine propaganda," he added. He expressed his optimism that such helpline would set an example, vowing to win the trust of parents and communities. The inauguration event was attended by donors and partners. Established at theNational Emergency Operations Centre in Islamabad, the state-of-the-art call centre will help to meeting the growing needs of health-related information, including Polio. It will also provide information and address queriesof parents and caregivers related to the vaccine. Dedicated experts will be available to provide information and support as needed. Dr Rana Muhammad Safdar, Coordinator National Emergency Operations Centre, briefed the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on the operations of the Sehat Tahaffuz helpline. "Run by the well-trained staff with local language capacities, the helpline operates from 8 am to 12 midnight every day. It can immediately report a missed child to relevant staff for follow-up and vaccine coverage. The helpline is also provided information related to other health services," said Dr Rana Muhammad Safdar. The Sehat Tahhafuz helpline is aiming to assist the programme in reaching every child with essential polio vaccine as parents are encouraged to report if their children were missed during door-to-door national immunisation campaigns. A donor briefing meeting was organized prior to the inauguration of the helpline where Dr Zafar Mirza apprised the donors on the polio situation of the country and the initiatives undertaken by the government to tackle this daunting challenge. He re-affirmed the government commitment to tackling polio eradication as a top national agenda. Poliovirus continues to paralyse children for life with intensified transmission over the past year. A total of 144 children was paralysed by polio in 2019. Anti-vaccine propaganda continues to hamper the government's efforts to eradicate polio. The helpline will provide reliable and credible information to the concerned parents and caregivers through establishing a direct link. Pakistan remains one of the last two countries in the world, alongside Afghanistan, where poliovirus continues to circulate actively. There is a strong national and international commitment to eradicate polio. It is a collective responsibility to ensure all children are protected, and vaccination is the only and best protection against the poliovirus. "Adventist HealthCare and Howard University Hospital share long traditions of caring for our communities," said Terry Forde, President & CEO of Adventist HealthCare, one of the longest-serving providers in the D.C. region. "We want Howard to continue to be a vital healthcare provider to meet the growing needs of the community, the region and the country now and in the future." As part of the agreement, Adventist HealthCare will work with Howard University to build a new replacement hospital as part of the overall strategy to continue serving the community and region. The partnership between these two institutions will provide access for the talented Howard medical trainees, residents, medical students and graduates to train and work within Adventist HealthCare's network of hospitals. This is vitally important given the national shortage of diverse physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, Howard University is the No. 1 producer of black applicants to U.S. medical schools. Today's announcement will allow Howard to continue to provide high-quality care to the local community in a culturally focused atmosphere. "This is a historic day for Howard University because this union with Adventist HealthCare signifies a stronger foundation for building our academic programs and it enhances our ability to train the next generation of healthcare professionals," said President Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA. "I'd like to thank Adventist HealthCare, the Howard University Board of Trustees, the leadership of the District of Columbia, our friends in the local unions, and the hard-working men and women of Howard University Hospital who helped to make this dream a reality." The new CEO of Howard University Hospital will be Anita L. A. Jenkins, former president of Sycamore Medical Center near Dayton, Ohio. Sycamore is part of the Kettering Health Network in Ohio. Jenkins also served as COO of Kettering Medical Center for four years. Jenkins brings more than 20 years of healthcare experience to the hospital. "I look forward to working with the dedicated physicians, nurses and employees at the hospital to build upon Howard's historic legacy of providing quality and compassionate care to the community," Jenkins said. Adventist HealthCare, founded in 1907, serves patients throughout the D.C. region. Based in Gaithersburg, MD, it employs close to 6,000 people, has more than 1,700 physicians and cares for more than 750,000 community members each year. It includes three acute-care hospitals: Shady Grove Medical Center, White Oak Medical Center and Fort Washington Medical Center. It also features: two rehabilitation hospitals and outpatient clinics; mental health services; physician practices, home care services and outpatient locations. "We are excited to utilize the experience and resources of the prestigious Adventist HealthCare network to bring in a new level of best practices to our current systems," said Hugh Mighty, M.D., Howard University VP of Clinical Affairs and Dean of the College of Medicine. "As the number one producer of black medical graduates, Howard University has a mission to train students to serve diverse communities. This agreement further strengthens our ability to continue this mission right here in the heart of D.C." About Adventist HealthCare Based in Gaithersburg, Md., Adventist HealthCare is one of the longest-serving health systems in the Washington, D.C. region, and one of the largest employers in the state of Maryland. It includes Shady Grove Medical Center, White Oak Medical Center, Fort Washington Medical Center, Adventist HealthCare Rehabilitation, Home Care Services, Adventist Medical Group, Imaging and Urgent Care. Learn more at: www.AdventistHealthCare.com * @AdventistHC * www.facebook.com/AdventistHealthCare * http://blog.adventisthealthcare.com About Howard University Hospital Howard University Hospital is a private, nonprofit institution that has served the community for more than 150 years. It is one of the most comprehensive health systems in D.C., with a Level 1 Trauma Center and an emergency department that sees approximately 50,000 patients annually. It is recognized as a national leader in training future doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. Alonda Thomas, 202-578-1679 [email protected] SOURCE Howard University Hospital Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 12:39 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062e9ef1 1 Business coronavirus,garlic,price,imports,China,Central-Java Free The coronavirus outbreak originating in the Chinese city of Wuhan has affected imports of garlic from China, causing the commodity's prices to rocket by more than 40 percent as stocks plummet in Central Java. Central Java Industry and Trade Agency head Arief Sambodo said on Wednesday the garlic stocks in some of the provinces regions are declining as the virus has held up imports from mainland China. About 95 percent of the garlic supplies here are imported straight from China and the virus is hampering it. We hope there will be import options from other countries soon, he said, as quoted by kompas.com. As a result, garlic prices in Central Java jumped to the current Rp 50,000 (US$3.65) per kilogram from the usual Rp 35,000 per kg. Arief said the local administration is also looking for other options to help lower garlic prices by seeking supplies from local farms in Parakan, Temanggung and Bumijawa, Tegal in Central Java. "But the supplies from these two regions will be very limited," he said, adding that garlic usually grows in subtropical mountainous areas within a certain temperature range. Read also: Coronavirus drags down commodity prices as demand from China drops The coronavirus, which has killed hundreds of people in China and spread to more than 20 countries, has begun to take a toll not only on Indonesias commodity imports, but also on exports. The price of rubber, a key Indonesian export commodity, has dropped sharply in the wake of the outbreak, falling from Rp 9,200 to Rp 7,200 per kg in South Sumatra over the past few weeks as the virus affects trade between Indonesia and China. Indonesia has also decided to ban imports of live animals from mainland China amid fears of the coronavirus spreading into the Southeast Asian nation, which to date has still recorded no confirmed cases. As of Feb. 6, the virus has killed at least 563 people and infected more than 28,000 people worldwide, AFP reported. The majority of those cases were within China and concentrated in Hubei province, but two deaths have been confirmed in the Philippines and Hong Kong. Analysts predict that the virus could reduce Chinas economic growth by 1 to 2 percent this year as it hampers economic activities in the country. (ris) Gaillard Center wins state Verner Award The S.C. Arts Commission has announced winners of the 2020 Elizabeth ONeill Verner Governors Award for the Arts, the state's highest award for achievement in the arts. The Verner Award for Lifetime Achievement goes to Philip Mullen of Columbia. Mullen, a painter whose large-scale work is influenced by abstract expressionism, Fauvism and other styles, joined the University of South Carolina faculty in 1969. Five of his works are included in the State Art Collection, and others are part of the collections of the Guggenheim Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Brooklyn Museum, Columbia Museum of Art, Greenville County Museum of Art, and McKissick Museum. He is the only living South Carolina artist to have been featured, in 1975, in the prestigious Whitney Biennial by the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. The 2020 Artist award goes to Glenis Redmond of Mauldin, poet-in-residence at the Peace Center in Greenville and The State Theatre in New Jersey, as well as a teaching artist for the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. She is the founder of the Greenville Poetry Slam and co-founder of a youth poetry slam in Asheville, N.C. The Individual award goes to Mary Inabinett Mack of St. Helena Island, operator of Red Piano Too Art Gallery, a leading folk art gallery. Mack is a lifetime member of the Penn Center's advisory board. The Arts in Education award goes to Cindy Riddle of Campobello, assistant superintendent for visual and performing arts and gifted and talented services in the Spartanburg District One schools. The Business award goes to United Community Bank of Greenville, whose philanthropy assists arts institutions such as Greenville's Artisphere and its South Carolina Childrens Theatre, and Chapman Cultural Center in Spartanburg. The Organization award goes to the Charleston Gaillard Center, whose education outreach programming has served more than 67,000 students at about 130 schools in the tri-county area. The Verner Awards will be presented with the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Awards at the 2020 South Carolina Arts Awards luncheon on May 6, at the USC Alumni Center, 900 Senate St., Columbia. Luncheon tickets are $50 and are to be available for purchase by mid-March. Call 803-734-8696. Q Concerts offer chamber music show A new Charleston-based chamber music presenter, Q Concerts, will convene classical musicians for its second event, "Speakeasy! A Musical Celebration of the 1920s," set for 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16, at Principle Gallery, 125 Meeting St. Musicians will play string quartets by Amy Beach, William Bolcom and Erwin Schulhoff, as well as tunes by Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington and George Gershwin. On tap are dynamic interpretations of ragtime, waltzes, tangos and jazz. "The concert will explore the ways in which composers honor the musical traditions of other times and cultures, translating them into a language of their own," according to Q Concerts artistic director and violinist Lydia Chernicoff. "Fabulous music in the company of good friends and interesting strangers. Lively, creative collaboration between composers, players, and listeners. Concerts that tell stories about what matters to us now, locally and globally. Thats my vision for Q." General admission tickets are $30; students pay $10. The audience is invited to stay after the concert to meet the musicians. Signature cocktails will be provided by Van Gogh Vodka. Q Concerts presents classical and contemporary chamber music in a casual atmosphere, with programming that makes connections between people, events and cultures. For more information and tickets, go to qconcerts.com. Freshfields Village to show art, film Freshfields Village and Benjamin Walls Gallery are partnering to host a weekend art exhibition and film screening on the Village Green, near the entrance to Kiawah Island, on Feb. 14-17. "The Art of Adventure: A Weekend of Art & Film" coincides with Freshfields Village's annual Art & Wine Walk. The film "Kifaru" by David Hambridge, about the threatened northern white rhino, will screen at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, and again at 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16. The documentary's executive producer will be on hand to discuss efforts to save the rhino from extinction. Artwork by Benjamin Walls, an avid environmentalist, will be exhibited 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, with an opening reception scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on the Village Green. The show also can be viewed 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15; 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 16; and 10 a.m.-noon Monday, Feb. 17. For more information about Walls, go to www.benjaminwalls.com. For more on Freshfields Village and its events, go to https://freshfieldsvillage.com. Adam Parker Starr Insurance Companies recently hosted a group of one hundred brokers and risk managers to mark the opening of Starr's commercial lines presence across the Iberian Peninsula, expanding the company's European network. Madrid is the latest addition to Starr's presence in Europe, which includes the UK, Benelux countries, Central and Eastern Europe. Juan Carro Arbelo, recently named Regional Manager for Insurance, Iberia, will head business development in this important market. The European region offers a wide breadth of Starr's insurance portfolio, which includes property, casualty, accident, aviation and marine. Addressing Starr's invited guests at the reception held at Teatro Real, Maurice R. Greenberg, Chairman and CEO, Starr Insurance Companies, said, "Our business has grown rapidly around the world for more than a decade, but Europe has been a particularly important market for us to serve. The Iberian Peninsula represents a major opportunity for us to accelerate that growth." Jim Herbert, head of the UK and Europe for Starr, hosted the event, along with a select group of other senior Starr Europe executives. [Click here for photos from the event.] About Starr Insurance Companies Starr Insurance Companies (or Starr) is a marketing name for the operating insurance and travel assistance companies and subsidiaries of Starr International Company, Inc. and for the investment business of C. V. Starr Co., Inc. and its subsidiaries. Starr is a leading insurance and investment organization with a presence on six continents; through its operating insurance companies, Starr provides property, casualty, and accident and health insurance products as well as a range of specialty coverages including aviation, marine, energy and excess casualty insurance. Starr's insurance company subsidiaries domiciled in the U.S., Bermuda, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, U.K. and Malta each have an A.M. Best rating of "A" (Excellent). Starr's Lloyd's syndicate has a Standard Poor's rating of "A+" (Strong). Visit us at www.starrcompanies.com or follow us LinkedIn and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200205005876/en/ Contacts: Charlie Armstrong Vice President, Marketing charlie.armstrong@starrcompanies.com, 646.758.8308 BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 Trend: Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijans Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) Orkhan Mammadov has met with Chairperson of the Board of the Azerbaijan-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry Teyba Guliyeva and members of the chamber, Trend reports referring to the Agency. During the meeting, the chambers representatives were informed about the Agencys activities, measures to support SMEs, cooperation with foreign organizations in the field of SMEs including cooperation with the Movement of the Enterprises of France (MEDEF) established last year. The prospects of cooperation between the Agency and the Chamber were also discussed. Enrichment of knowledge and improvement of the skills of business youth and women entrepreneurs, the strengthening of the role of SMEs in employment, access to financial resources and foreign markets, organization of a joint forum with the participation of SMEs, the study of Frances experience in public-private sectors cooperation were mentioned as the main areas of the cooperation. American astronaut Christina Koch, who led the first all-female spacewalk in 2019, landed in Kazakhstan on February 6 after a record stay on the International Space Station, ending a 328-day mission expected to yield new insights into deep-space travel. Koch, a North Carolina-born engineer who joined NASA's astronaut corps in 2013, set the record for the longest stay in space by a woman. Her mission will provide researchers valuable data on how weightlessness and space radiation affect the female body on long spaceflights. "Women acclimate well to space, so I think this is a milestone that will be overtaken by women in the future and it's what we aspire to," said Lori Garver, NASA's former deputy administrator. The Soyuz MS-13 capsule touched down on the snowy Kazakh Steppe at 4:12 am ET (0912 GMT) carrying Koch, 41, European astronaut Luca Parmitano of Italy and Russian cosmonautA Alexander Skvortsov. They will be flown by search and recovery teams to the Karaganda region to begin their journey home. "I'm just so overwhelmed and happy right now," Koch said, sitting in a chair wrapped in blankets as she waited to be carried into a medical tent to restore her balance in gravity. Koch also achieved a gender milestone in a spacewalk with fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir last October that marked the first time two women stepped out of the space station at the same time. They completed two more all-female spacewalks in January. NASA's first attempt at an all-female spacewalk in March 2019 was called off https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-women-space/nasa-cancels-first-all-women-spacewalk-due-to-lack-of-small-spacesuits-idUSKCN1R71CE due to a lack of a spacesuit in the right size, which ignited a gender-equity debate. Koch's 328 days in space eclipsed Peggy Whitson's record for an American woman on a single spaceflight at 289 days. Scott Kelly holds the overall American record at 340 days, and Russia's Valeri Polyakov holds the global record of 437 days aboard the defunct Mir space station. Astronauts on the space station, whose 20th anniversary in low-Earth orbit comes later this year, have made 227 maintenance spacewalks, nearly two dozen of which included women astronauts, according to NASA. Studying the impact of lengthy spaceflights could prove useful for NASA's aim of building a permanent space station on the moon within the next decade. Kelly's 340 days demonstrated that long-term spaceflight causes thickening of the carotid artery and retina, changes in gene expression, and slight cognitive impairment for men. Asserting that all sections of society in Jammu and Kashmir were feeling "betrayed", the PDP on Thursday said the Centre must move beyond "rhetoric" and allow democratic and political process to resume in the union territory. "The affirmation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that Jammu and Kashmir is crown jewel of India and the people here have strong faith in the BJP is contrary to the situation on ground and the figures provided by the government itself present a depressing picture," former legislator and party spokesperson Firdous Tak said. He said instead of "rhetoric", the Union government must restore democracy and allow political process to resume in Jammu and Kashmir. "All sections of society in Jammu and Kashmir were today feeling betrayed. The Union government must move beyond rhetoric and allow democratic and political process to resume in this trouble-torn part of the country," Tak said. "There was no alternative to sincere and meaningful political outreach through dialogue and reconciliation," he added. Tak said when the prime minister recalled the statements made by the former chief ministers regarding the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, he failed to mention the sacrifices the leaders and the workers from mainstream political parties have made for the country. Replying to a debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in Lok Sabha on Thursday, Modi slammed former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti for their remarks on abrogation of Article 370. Tak said the same people who sworn oath of the Constitution and serve the nation are being questioned and targeted. "Illegal and unjustified detention of three former chief ministers and former legislators itself amounts to coercion," he said. "As per official figures, 444 people have been detained under the draconian Public Safety Act across Jammu and Kashmir post August 5, besides those who have been illegally kept under detention just for having a contrary opinion over the government's decision to abrogate Article 370 and downgrading the state to union territory," the PDP Leader said. He said everyone, be it unemployed youth, government employees, business community, traders, transporters or any other section of the society, is feeling the pain of losing statehood and special identity. "The BJP's ghost of development is yet to come out of bottle and instead everything which the people of Jammu and Kashmir so proudly owned is being snatched under a planned conspiracy," Tak said. The void between the administration and the people has widened adding miseries for the common masses, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) HURON COUNTY After visiting several times a few years ago, the Fortunes quickly fell in love with the Thumb region. But after relocating they say it is missing one crucial thing emergency veterinary care. We moved up here and of course we had to have a vet because we had the girls, Kim Fortune said. About two weeks or so after we moved up here they both had some health issues that were quickly resolved with medication, but Aggies blood work came back a little hard and showed something more was going on. Kim said the blood tests showed her beloved miniature schnauzer was in the stages of renal failure, which required specialty care. Shortly after Aggies diagnosis, her other schnauzer Sterling developed a lump. Her vet said I think this needs to be diagnosed further, Kim said. The veterinarian sent the family to the Oakland Veterinary Referral Services, which diagnosed Sterling with an aggressive cancer. It was two and a half hours away, Kim said. They were an outstanding facility. Kim said Sterlings cancer couldnt be treated with chemotherapy or radiation, so instead the couple turned to medication, including alternatives. Meanwhile, to treat their dogs, Kim and her husband Peter either had to drive for specialty care or administer treatment themselves. That was when we started realizing there were no emergency services or specialty clinics around, Kim said. Everybody was being told you go to Saginaw. This area is big enough that we at least need an emergency clinic. Before relocating to the Thumb from Indiana, Kim and Peter said they were within a reasonable distance to multiple emergency animal clinics. Kim said since experiencing her losses, she talked to others in the community, most of whom have pets, and they also agreed there is a need for an emergency clinic. As we all know, dogs and kids dont get sick during 9-5 hours, Monday through Saturday, she said. Everybody has kind of just accepted that this is the way it is. One of my favorite quotes is you can never change what you are unwilling to confront. Kim took steps to try to remedy the situation by writing letters to Michigan State University and Purdue University, each renowned for their veterinary medicine, to encourage action by the institutions. After the girls passed I started my own writing campaign, Kim said. I said if you know of anybody looking for a nice lovely area, this is it. Send them my way. Additionally, Kim wrote for-profit institutions asking them to consider locations in the area. Kim hasnt heard back from any institution she has approached. I think it is because I am just an individual, I am not a chamber of commerce or a city council, Kim said. I am just a person suggesting ideas. Kim and Peter said they are concerned by the lack of emergency care because of the number of pets in the area year-round, plus an added influx over the summer months. There are so many pets up here that it becomes a quality of life issue, Kim said. Not only for you but for your pet, that that is available. Also for tourism you have so many tourists and hunters, and they bring their pets. There is nothing to offer them and there is no place to go. Kim said she has considered approaching Scheurer Hospital, to see if it could get involved in emergency animal care. Another idea Kim presented was the possibility for area veterinarians to get together and create a clinic with a rotation schedule. Kim said ultimately, she hopes for an emergency veterinary center to be located somewhere in the Thumb. Bad Axe is a good centrally located area for all of the communities, she said. There is land here and buildings that could be renovated. If they want to go to Port Austin where we are from, that would be great. We have a Family Dollar store that is empty. Kim said that her goal is to get the word out and hopefully initiate change. What if you have an emergency in the middle of the night and youre an elderly man or woman? Kim said. Are they really going to get in their car and drive at night? Having made the trip herself before, Kim said driving to an out-of-area emergency clinic or specialty clinic is problematic beyond the drive. In situations where someone had to make the decision to euthanize their loved one, they are left with the burden of driving back emotionally distraught and heartbroken. To lose a loved one is devastating and to have to make a long drive back after losing one is so difficult, Kim said. Kim said that it is important for area leaders to consider getting involved with the issue. It is something that is a passion for me now, she said. People are so attached to their pets. There is no excuse of at least not having an emergency facility. If you have a dire emergency, they are not going to make it to Saginaw and they are going to die. It is an economic issue and it is a quality of life issue, she continued. Even if we cant have a specialty clinic, at least we need an emergency clinic. Kim hopes that anyone interested in getting together and try to initiate change would reach out to her. Kim can be reached by email at schnauzermamma@gmail.com. We are serious, she said. The more people involved the better it is going to be. This is not a luxury, it is a necessity. Member of the Airport Medical Service takes a temperature reading from staff members with a digital thermometer at Budapest's Liszt Ferenc Airport on Feb. 5, 2020. (Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images) British National Gets Virus In Asia but Not in China: Coronavirus Updates for Feb 6 Roughly two dozen countries around the world have taken precautionary measures to stem the spread of the new coronavirus as the death toll continues to rise. This page has updates from Feb. 6. For updates from Feb. 7, click here. British Citizen Contracts Coronavirus Outside of China The third confirmed case of coronavirus in the United Kingdom was not contracted inside of China, British health authorities said. The individual did not acquire this in the UK, Englands Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said in a statement on Thursday. The patient, whose gender and age werent given, was being transferred to a National Health Service special facility. We are using robust infection control measures to prevent any possible further spread of the virus, Whitty said. The service was prepared to manage the confirmed cases and health workers are working on identifying any contacts the patient has had. Whitty said that the new patient acquired it in Asia but not in China. Read more here. People wearing face masks are pictured on Parliament Square, on Brexit day, in London, Britain, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Simon Dawson/Reuters) CDC Starts Shipping Test Kits The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started shipping test kits to detect the new coronavirus to laboratories across the United States, as well as some labs outside the country, on Thursday. The kits, which can perform diagnostics for 700 to 800 samples, is designed to be used with an existing test instrument commonly used to test for seasonal influenza. The test can provide results in four hours from samples. Our goal is early detection of new cases and to prevent further spread of the coronavirus, CDC Director Robert Redfield said in a statement. Distribution of these diagnostic tests to state laboratories, U.S. government partners, and more broadly to the global public health community will accelerate efforts to confront this evolving global public health challenge. There are 12 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Donates $100 Million to Improve Response The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation significantly upped the money its providing to bolster the response to the new coronavirus outbreak, announcing it will provide up to $100 million. The foundation said the money would help the global response to the virus, which started in Wuhan in December 2019. The funding will help strengthen detection, isolation, and treatment efforts; protect at-risk populations; and develop vaccines, treatments and diagnostics, it said. Multilateral organizations, national governments, the private sector and philanthropies must work together to slow the pace of the outbreak, help countries protect their most vulnerable citizens and accelerate the development of the tools to bring this epidemic under control, said Gates Foundation CEO Mark Suzman in a statement. Our hope is that these resources will help catalyze a rapid and effective international response. This response should be guided by science, not fear, and it should build on the steps that the World Health Organization has taken to date. The foundation is sending some resources to the organization, responders in China, and other places around the world. The allocation includes an immediate $20 million for speeding up the detection, isolation, and treatment of people with the virus to try to contain the disease. French lab scientists in hazmat gear inserting liquid in test tube manipulate potentially infected patient samples at Pasteur Institute in Paris on Feb. 6, 2020. (Francois Mori/AP Photo) Australia, Hong Kong Announce New Cases Queensland Health, a government department in the Australian state of Queensland, announced one new confirmed case of coronavirus on Feb. 6, bringing the national total to 15. The new case is the fifth in Queensland and involves a 37-year-old Chinese female who is currently isolated at Gold Coast University Hospital. Four others in her tour group had also previously tested positive for the virus. Currently, all five people are in stable condition. In Hong Kong, meanwhile, Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the Center for Health Protection, said that a 55-year-old local woman had tested positive for the virus. The woman, who had worked at the Chinese city of Dongguan, returned to Hong Kong on Jan. 17. She and her husband took a trip to Japan from Jan. 28 to Feb. 1. After returning from the trip abroad, both of them began having a fever and throat pain. Her husband has already been tested positive for the virus. The latest case brings the total confirmed cases in Hong Kong to 22. Thai Authorities Urge People to Make Homemade Masks, Sanitizers Thailands health authorities on Thursday encouraged people to make hand sanitizers and masks at home to guard against the spread of the new coronavirus. Thailand, which has reported a total of 25 cases, put surgical masks and sanitizers under its list of controlled goods earlier this week, as the spread of the flu-like virus led to shortages in stores. Due to lack of supply, health authorities demonstrated how to make sanitizing liquids during a televised news conference. If you cant find hand sanitizers in stores, make it yourself. Mix clean water with alcohol and carry it wherever you go, said Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul at the conference. We have to protect ourselves against the virus. Eat hot food, use serving spoons, wear masks, wash your hands. On Thursday, Thailand started enforcing price control measures on surgical masks and hand sanitizers, amid scarce supplies in drug stores. As a result, anyone selling overpriced masks and sanitizers faces punishment of up to seven years in jail or up to 140,000 baht ($4,500) in fines. People are allowed to buy up to 10 masks with each purchase, and anyone exporting more than 500 masks per shipment must also obtain permission from trade authorities first. Workers set up beds at a Fangcang hospital in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 4, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Expert: Makeshift Hospitals Have Sanitary Concerns Sean Lin, a U.S.-based expert in microbiology and former virology researcher for the U.S. Army, said pictures and video footage of large makeshift hospitals erected in China showed the distance between the beds was too close, risking cross-infection. The distance between two beds should be at least three feet, he said. He added that medical staff should be alert about patients whose conditions are worsening. The patients are likely to be more contagious due to active viruses in his body, which could potentially spread through bodily fluids, airborne particles, or stool. Read more here. 2 Chinese Provinces Announce Partial Lockdowns Northeastern Chinas Liaoning province has announced 30 measures for seal-off management for all the cities, villages, and districts in the province, according to Chinas state-run media. One measure prohibits vehicles not registered locally from entering local neighborhoods. Another measure calls for all people who have traveled outside the province to be subjected to self-isolation at home for 14 days upon their return. Southeastern Chinas Jiangxi province also announced its own set of measures for seal-off management today. One measure requires pharmacies to record peoples IDs when they buy medicine for fever and cough. Another tightening measure only allows one person per household to go outside to buy living necessities every two days. A woman walks past abandoned shared bicycles in the deserted central business district in Beijing on Feb. 6, 2020. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images) Taiwan Bans Tour Groups to Hong Kong and Macau Taiwans Tourism Bureau announced on Feb. 6 that all local tour companies are now banned from organizing tour groups to Hong Kong and Macau. The ban, effective immediately, will run until Feb. 29. However, locals can still travel to the two cities. The bureau has previously announced a ban on travel groups to China and people traveling through Chinese cities. The ban took effect on Feb. 1 and will expire on Feb. 29. Saudi Arabia Issues Travel Ban On Feb. 6, the state-run Saudi Press Agency announced a ban on traveling to China due to the coronavirus outbreak, citing the countrys General Directorate of Passports. Any residents who violate the ban will not be allowed to return to Saudi Arabia. Three days ago, Saudis Ministry of Health announced that 10 Saudi students returning from Wuhan on Feb. 2 had tested negative for the virus, according to SPA. They would remain in quarantine for 14 days. Currently, Saudi Arabia does not have any confirmed cases of coronavirus. New York City Tests 2 More People for Coronavirus New York City health officials are testing two more people suspected of having the new virus, bringing the number of suspected cases in the city to four, after one person was cleared of the virus on Wednesday. Both patients, who are under 40 years old, had recently been to China. One has been hospitalized while the other is self-isolating at home as their symptoms are not severe enough to go to hospital. Mayor Bill de Blasio, in a tweet on Feb. 5, wrote that New York City is one step closer to being able to test coronavirus samples. The CDC has given localities the tools, but we still need our labs to be granted the authority. Were pushing to speed up this process, the mayor wrote. Currently, there are 12 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States. Read more here. Taiwan Reports 2 New Cases Taiwans Centers for Disease Control has confirmed two new cases of the virus, with both patient having recently traveled to China. One patient is a local male in his 40s who lives in northern Taiwan. He traveled to Wuhan for his job in December last year, and he went to northeastern Chinas Liaoning Province on Jan. 17. On Feb. 2, the man returned to Taiwan from Liaonings port city Dalian. A day later, he began having a fever, cough, and headache. The second patient is a Taiwanese woman in her 20s who had been living in Wuhan. She returned to Taiwan on Jan. 21 and began having a cough and chest pain ten days later on Feb. 1. The two are now being treated in isolation wards at the hospital. The announcement added that there are now 13 confirmed cases in Taiwan and that all of them are in stable condition. The Ministry of Health and Welfare added that the first patient to be diagnosed in Taiwan on Jan. 21 was recovering and would soon be discharged from hospital. Johns Hopkins University Releases Real-Time 2019-nCoV Tracker Johns Hopkins University has released a real-time tool to track the spread of the 2019-nCoV outbreak. View the tracker here. Taiwan Bans International Cruise Ships from Docking Taiwans Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has announced a docking ban on all international cruise ships to take effect immediately. The CDC added that the decision was made partly in response to news that a Taiwanese national in her 60s has tested positive for coronavirus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is now docked in the Japanese port of Yokohama. The Taiwanese woman is one of at least 20 people to test positive of the virus abroad the cruise ship. The CDC elaborated that it considers cruise ships a high-risk environment because they are densely populated with people frequently interacting with each other. Officers in protective gears carry luggage cases after people who were transferred from cruise ship Diamond Princess, arrive at a maritime polices base in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Japan on Feb. 5, 2020. (Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters) India Cancels Visas to Travelers from China Indias Press Information Bureau announced on Feb. 5 that all existing visas, including those issued electronically, are no longer valid for any foreign national traveling from China. Indias embassy in Beijing said in a notice that the visa cancellation applied to all Chinese citizens and foreign nationals, who are based out of China or visited China in the last 2 weeks. Intending visitors to India should contact the Indian Embassy in Beijing or the Consulates in Shanghai and Guangzhou to apply afresh for an Indian visa, the embassy said. Visa holders in Macao and Hong Kong are not affected by the cancellation, India Today reported. The bureaus announcement stated that anyone traveling to China will be quarantined when they return to India. The announcement did not specify the length of the quarantine. Wuhan Residents Speak to The Epoch Times From Ground Zero Many residents in Wuhan dealing with the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak have spoken to The Epoch Times about the situation on the ground. Click here to read their stories. A medical staff member disinfecting at a quarantine zone converted from a hotel in Wuhan, the epicentre of the new coronavirus outbreak, in Chinas central Hubei province, on Feb. 3, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) 540 American Evacuees Under Quarantine Two cargo jets, chartered by the U.S. State Department, arrived at Travis Air Force Base in California from Wuhan on Feb. 5. 178 passengers from one of the two planes were subsequently quarantined at the base. The second plane, after refueling, flew to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. 167 passengers on the plane were then placed under quarantine at the two housing sites on the base. There are already 195 passengers quarantined at the March Air Reserve Base, located in Riverside County, California. They arrived from Wuhan on a chartered cargo jet on Jan. 30. Two other planes were slated to land on Thursday, one at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas and one at Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Nebraska. A plane carrying evacuees from the virus zone in China lands at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Calif., on Feb. 5, 2020. (Gregory Bull/AP Photo) Singapore Now Has 28 Cases Singapores Ministry of Health announced four new cases on Feb. 5, bringing the countrys total to 28. One of the new cases involved a six-month-old male Singaporean citizen, who is the child of confirmed cases 19 and 27. The infant tested positive on Feb. 5 along with his 45-year-old father. His mother, 28, tested positive for the virus on Feb. 3. None had recently traveled to China. A 42-year-old Chinese woman, who was tested positive on Feb. 4, arrived in Singapore from Wuhan on Jan. 21. The woman is the daughter of the 13th confirmed case. Visitors wearing masks walk through Gardens By The Bay in Singapore. (Ore Huiying/Getty Images) Virgin Australia Ends Flights to Hong Kong One of Australias largest airlines, Virgin Australia, has announced it is withdrawing its Hong Kong services. It will cease flights between Hong Kong and Sydney beginning on March 2. The airline had previously announced the suspension its Melbourne-Hong Kong services in November last year. The airline stated: The Hong Kong market has remained challenging for the airline and demand has continued to decline following ongoing civil unrest. These factors, combined with growing uncertainty around the recent coronavirus outbreak, have led to the decision to cease operating services. John MacLeod, the airliners chief commercial officer, said: Current circumstances demonstrate that Hong Kong is no longer a commercially viable route for Virgin Australia to continue operating, according to the announcement. South Korea Reports Four New Cases The Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) announced four new casesthree Koreans and one Chineseon Feb. 6, bringing the national total to 23. One patient, a 41-year-old Korean woman, was tested positive on Feb. 5. She is a family member of a previously confirmed case. Another patient, 59-year-old Korean woman, also tested positive on Feb. 5. She was a person who came into contact with the countrys sixth confirmed case. One 46-year-old Korean male tested positive on Feb. 6. He is a family member of the countrys 16th confirmed case. Finally, the 58-year-old Chinese woman, who tested positive on Feb. 6, arrived in South Korea on Jan. 23. People leave after buying face masks at a pharmacy at Myeongdong shopping district in Seoul, South Korea, on Jan. 31, 2020. (Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images) 36 Australian Evacuees from Wuhan Arrive on Christmas Island Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that 36 Australians who left Wuhan with a New Zealand evacuation flight have now arrived at a detention facility on Christmas Island that is being used used to quarantine Australias Wuhan evacuees. Following a health screening and medical checks, the 36 people are expected to join around 240 Australians already at the facility from the countrys first evacuation flight. Morrison said that a second Australian evacuation flight is in the process of being arranged out of Wuhan. The decision to go to a second flight, based on the advice that that would be accommodated at Christmas Island thats the plan we are working to, he said, the ABC reported. Frank Fank, Melanie Sun, Zachary Stieber, Nicole Hao, and Reuters contributed to this report. Female genital mutilation (FGM) remains as prevalent as it was 30 years ago in a handful of countries, thwarting global efforts to eradicate it, the U.N. children's agency UNICEF said on Thursday, the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM. Here are 12 facts about the practice: 1. FGM dates back over 2,000 years and is practised across many cultures and religions. 2. An estimated 200 million girls and women globally have been cut. 3. It is commonly linked to about 30 countries, mostly in Africa but studies suggest it may be practised by communities in about 50 countries worldwide. 4. The ritual, often justified for cultural or religious reasons, is underpinned by the desire to control female sexuality. 5. FGM typically involves the partial or total removal of the external genitalia. In some cases the vaginal opening is sewn up. Other procedures, more common in parts of Asia, include nicking or pricking the clitoris. 6. It can cause long-lasting mental and physical health problems including chronic infections, menstrual problems, infertility, pregnancy and childbirth complications. 7. Somalia has the world's highest FGM prevalence (98% of women have been cut), followed by Guinea, Djibouti, Mali and Sierra Leone. Egypt has the greatest number of women who have been cut. 8. Most of the 28 countries in Africa where FGM is endemic have banned it, although enforcement is generally weak. Countries with no law include Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone and Somalia. 9. There is an increasing trend for FGM to be carried out by health professionals rather than traditional cutters, particularly in Egypt, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria and Sudan. 10. World leaders have pledged to end FGM by 2030, but the practice remains as common as it was 30 years ago in Somalia, Mali, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Chad and Senegal. 11. Even in countries where it has become less common, progress would need to be at least 10 times faster to meet the 2030 target. 12. In countries affected by FGM, seven in 10 women think the practice should end. Half of women who have themselves been cut would like to see it stop. Sources: UNICEF, 28 Too Many Search Keywords: Short link: Stringent medical standards had to be met before a patient was classified as a coronavirus victim, keeping the infection toll artificially low in the first days of the outbreak in worst-hit Wuhan, local Chinese media has reported. Once senior health officials were persuaded to loosen the stringent parameters in the third week of January, the outbreak numbers shot through the roof in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, a frontline doctor working in the city has revealed to Caixin, a Beijing-based multimedia group. You had to have had exposure to the south China seafood market (where the virus is said to have jumped from animal to human), you needed to have had a fever and test positive for the virus. You had to meet all three criteria in order to be diagnosed. The third one was especially stringent. In reality, very few people were able to test for a virus, Peng Zhiyong, a top doctor at the Wuhan University South Central Hospital, told Caixin. It meant that for a good week in the middle of January Wuhan health authorities reported only 41 cases and one death because of the virus. In reality, the previously unknown virus had rapidly spread through human-to-human transmission across the city, then the province and rest of China and then beyond Chinas borders to Thailand by January 17. The first case in South Korea, for example, was detected on January 20 in a woman who had travelled to Seoul from Wuhan with high fever a day before. On January 18, the high-level specialists from the (central) National Health Commission came to Wuhan, to the south Central Hospital to inspect. I told them again that the criteria were too high. This way it was easy to miss infections. I told them this was infectious; if you made the criteria too high and let patients go, youre putting society in danger. After the second national team of specialists came, the criteria were changed. The number of diagnosed patients rose quickly, Peng told Caixin in a detailed and candid interview. Peng described the working hours at the hospital, and how he and his colleagues have to work for hours without a break. The work in the ICU is overloaded. There are three patient wards with 66 beds in South Central Hospital, housing 150 patients. Since January 7 when we received the first patient, no one took any leave. We took turns to work in the ICU. Even pregnant medical staff did not take leave. After the epidemic got worse, none of the medical staff ever went home. We rest in a hotel near the hospital or in the hospital, Peng added. Working while wearing protective gear isnt easy, Peng said, adding there is no eating or going to the bathroom during the shift. In the segregated ward, we wear level-3 protective gear. One shift is 12 hours for a doctor and eight hours for a nurse. Since protective gear is in a shortage, there is only one set for a medical staff member a day. We refrain from eating or drinking during our shift because the gear is no longer protective once we go to the washroom. The gear is thick, airtight and tough on our body. It felt uncomfortable at the beginning, but we are used to it now. On Thursday, the Chinese foreign ministry denied that the number of the infected and dead in the outbreak were low, saying rumours and lies were being spread about the epidemic. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A US trade delegation from the State of Michigan was wrapping up a visit to Cuba on Thursday, hoping for more trade opportunities with the island in spite of tightening sanctions and hostility from the Trump Administration. The delegation met with top Cuban officials in the Agricultural Ministry, holding talks over potential food imports to the island, and exploring possibilities for more engagement in bilateral research and production in the agricultural sector. Cuba imports some 2 billion US dollars of food products annually, with about 275 million US dollars currently supplied by US producers, mostly poultry, beans, pork and wheat products. US President Donald Trump harshly condemned Cuba in his State of the Union address on Tuesday, but delegates say they are hopeful ongoing tensions between the US administration and Cuba can be overcome once the upcoming US elections for president are concluded in November. The head of the Michigan Agri-Business Association, James Byrum, commented after the press conference that he is optimistic trade will win out after the presidential elections, saying: "In nine short months the election will be over, and we look forward to that and I think in the United States most of us do, but as that happens we enter a new era, whoever is the president, if President Trump is re-elected or we have a new president, we will certainly, undoubtedly see a change in some policies, and we hope some of those policies relate to Cuba." US-Cuba relations are at their lowest point since former President Barak Obama started a normalization process in 2014, with the Trump Administration systematically tightening trade sanctions and travel restrictions for Americans seeking to visit and do business on the island. BRIDGEPORT A former Fairfield bus monitor accused of repeatedly abusing a severely autistic 15-year-old student on the bus was given a suspended sentence Wednesday. Joseph Jean-Felix, 59, of Charles Street, had pleaded guilty to risk of injury to a child, third-degree assault and first-degree unlawful restraint. During an emotional hearing, Jean-Felix cried as he apologized for his actions and claimed that the bus company, CT Transport Solutions, failed to properly train him on dealing with severely handicapped students. Superior Court Judge Kevin Doyle sentenced Jean-Felix to a suspended five-year term and three years of probation. In December 2018, the parents of the boy, who is unable to speak, complained to Fairfield police that their son had come home from school with bruising and red marks on his wrists and arms, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. The affidavit said school officials had not seen the injuries on the boy while he was in school. Police watched video from the bus and saw Jean-Felix take a metal tie used to bind the boys harness to the seat and bind the boys forearm to the seat. Jean-Felix then repeatedly hit the boys hand with another tie, the affidavit states. In another video from the bus, the affidavit states that Jean-Felix is seen repeatedly striking the boys bare foot with a metal tie. And in a third video, Jean-Felix is seen securing the boys hand to the seat and bending back the boys fingers. Jean-Felix declined comment as he left the Golden Hill Street courthouse. My client and I are grateful the case has been resolved to the satisfaction of all parties, said his lawyer, Frederick Paoletti Jr. Jean-Felix, who worked for the bus company for two and a half years, was let go on Dec. 18, 2018. Officials of the bus company declined comment Wednesday. However, in the past, Chet Doheny, president of Connecticut Transportation Solutions, LLC, said they were cooperating with the Fairfield Police Departments criminal investigation. The employee involved in this incident has been terminated based on information obtained from both an internal and external investigation, Doheny said in a statement in January. Our company has a culture of responsiveness and a commitment to the safety of the children in our care, we have policies and procedures in place to ensure that safety, and we take very seriously the trust their parents place in us. For anyone interested in learning or interacting in another language, two local organizations can now be found under the same roof. Language South and the Chattanooga School of Language now operate in a shared space at the Chattanooga School of Language location, 4122 North Access Road. Our family could not be happier about Language South moving into the Chattanooga School of Language campus, said Debbie Ingle, whose daughter has participated in the Language South Spanish camp and Multilingual Lending Library and currently takes Spanish classes at CSL. We utilize both organizations, so their combined address is a big win! We are grateful that CSL and Language South are making it even more convenient to learn a new language. Language South is an educational organization in Chattanooga that offers experiential language-learning opportunities to young people in the surrounding region. El Pueblo Spanish Camp is Language Souths flagship program, an overnight language immersion camp for young people in kindergarten through 11th grade. Founded in 2018 by Emily and Teo Valdes, Language South has served 106 young people through its Spanish immersion summer camps. Language South offers a six-night main camp for kids and teens currently in 3rd through 11th grade, and a three-night mini camp for kids currently in elementary school. They have also offered programs that are targeted to adult learners. In addition to their Spanish Main and Mini Camps, Language South is launching an English Immersion Day Camp this spring for current sixth, seventh and eighth grade English Language Learners. Our mission is to inspire and develop lifelong learners and lovers of languages and cultures, explained Paige Moffett, operations manager and camp director of Language South. We felt that by moving into the same space with Chattanooga School of Language, we are only going to be able to expand that mission and have a greater reach. I love being around so many other language learners and educators. For CSL Founder and Director, Laurie Stevens, the move was a no-brainer. It just makes sense to have our organizations in the same building because of the complementary services we offer, she said. Together, we are able to offer even more robust, comprehensive language-learning services and opportunities to the community. Emily and Teo were a part of the Chattanooga School of Language team as language teachers for three years until they decided to pursue full-time their long-time dream of opening and running a Spanish-language summer camp for young people in Chattanooga. Even though no longer teaching at CSL, Emily and Teo still remained close supporters of CSL, and the two organizations have partnered on many efforts, including community events and language programs, and continue to share a passion to spread the love of language learning to others in the community. In their new space, Language South displays their growing Multilingual Lending Library, which currently has more than 350 multilingual books for people to check out and borrow. CSL is helping them expand their mostly Spanish collection with books in additional languages, including German, Portuguese, Chinese, French and more. CSL students and Language South campers receive free membership, and the public can join for a small fee. For more information about borrowing books in the language you are learning, visit the More Fun Stuff page at www.languagesouth.com. English French Villers-les-Nancy, 6 February 2020 - 6:30 p.m. (CET) PRESS RELEASE FY 2019 revenue: 158.55 million, +6.78% Pharmagest Group's meets its growth targets. For the period ended 31 December 2019, the Group reported annual revenue of 158.55 million a 6.78% increase in relation to 2018 (+5.64% like-for-like). All Divisions contributed to this performance. 2020 outlook: sustained growth in revenue and a continuing focus on strategic development in the healthcare universe. In m (IFRS 15) 2019 2018 Change Q1 38.15 34.59 + 10.29% Q2 38.73 37.56 + 3.10% H1 76.88 72.15 + 6.55% Q3 35.28 35.43 - 0.43% Q4 46.40 40.90 + 13.44% H2 81.67 76.33 + 7% Annual revenue 158.55 148.48 + 6.78%* * +5.64% like-for-like (excluding the disposals of CPI and INTECUM and the acquisitions of SVEMU, ICT and I-MEDS). ******** 2019 highlights The Solutions for Pharmacy Division - Europe : the Group's historical business has continued to grow. The Division had annual revenue of 121.18 million, up 5.63% from 2018 (+4.74% pro forma excluding the disposal of CPI and INTECUM and the acquisition of SVEMU). After a marginal decline in Q3 (-0.62% in relation to Q3 2018), the Division returned to a normal level of growth in the last quarter, maintaining its momentum within its different markets: In France, the equipment renewal cycle accompanying the offering of complementary services led to a return to growth in H2 2019 (+6.24% in relation to H2 2018) comparable with that of the first half (+4.99%); In Italy, it should be noted that SVEMU was integrated in Q4 2019. This Division accounted for 76.43% of total Pharmagest Group revenue for 2019. The Health and Social Care Facilities Solutions Division had annual revenue in 2019 of 19.50 million, up 1.2% (-2.39% restated on a pro forma basis, excluding the ICT acquisition). After adjusting for revenue in Q3 and for the first nine months, revenue in Q4 grew 19.47% from the same quarter in 2018 (+6.44% pro forma, excluding the ICT acquisition). Integrated on 1 October 2019, the ICT Group is positioned in new specialties, complementing the Division's existing business lines: community health facilities (maisons de sante, centres de sante and poles de sante) as well as private practitioners. This Division accounted for 12.30% of total Pharmagest Group revenue for 2019. The e-Health Solutions Division registered significant growth with annual sales for 2019 of 16.12 million, up 25.79% from the previous year. All the Division's Business Units contributed to this performance. In December 2019, the acquisition by its UK subsidiary, CAREMEDS, of a 60% stake in its German distributor, I-MEDS, bolstered the Group's market share in Europe. I-MEDS is the distributor of the MULTIMEDS manual pill dispenser in Germany. This Division accounted for 10.17% of total Pharmagest Group revenue for 2019. The Fintech Division had revenue of 1.75 million in 2019 (+4.75% in relation to 2018). The trend reversal experienced since Q3 2019 is confirmed, providing the basis for strong growth of 26.56% in H2 2019. This Division accounted for 1.10% of total Pharmagest Group revenue for 2019. Significant subsequent events In early January 2020, MALTA INFORMATIQUE, which spearheads Pharmagest Group's Health and Social Care Facilities Solutions Division, announced the ramping up of its operations in Europe with the creation of MALTA BELGIUM and the acquisition of the activities for developing software solutions for nursing homes and specialised establishments of the Belgian company, CARE SOLUTIONS. Offering a fit with TITAN, the very comprehensive Care Solutions software suite is fully adapted to the needs of market players in the Belgian nursing home market. This acquisition provides MALTA BELGIUM access to more than 630 ALFs for seniors in Belgium out of the country's total of 1,540 retirement homes. In conjunction with the acquisition of CARE SOLUTIONS' operations, MALTA INFORMATIQUE has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Colisee group, Europe's fourth-largest provider of solutions for elderly care and well-being. For MALTA INFORMATIQUE, this agreement is destined to assist Colisee group in equipping its TITAN software range at all its establishments across Europe. The multi-lingual, multi-establishment and innovative architectural profile of the new TITAN WEB solution will provide a common foundation for all Colisee's facilities in Europe. Outlook Pharmagest Group is looking forward to the new year with confidence based on: The confirmation of positive growth trends for all the Group's activities; The strategic acquisitions completed in 2019 (SVEMU, ICT and I-MEDS) and early 2020 (CARE SOLUTIONS) which will contribute to the Group's development and its structural contributions to the healthcare systems in France and Europe. Pharmagest Group will also continue to develop and promote its digital healthcare platform. Initiated with the Marseilles Public Hospital (CHU), this gateway breaks down silos within the hospital by facilitating the flow of healthcare information between hospitals, healthcare establishments and healthcare professionals. This major innovation will improve coordination between healthcare professionals by streamlining patient care pathways resulting in a more efficient health care system better aligned with patient needs. Financial calendar 2019 Annual Results: 27 March 2020 after the close of trading. Information meeting on 2019 Annual Results: 30 March 2020, 11:30 a.m. - Paris. About Pharmagest Group Pharmagest Group is the French pharmacy information technology leader, with a market share of more than 44% as a provider of software solutions for pharmacies, 28% for ALFs, 43% for HAD programmes, 20% for health care centres. With more than 1,000 employees, the Group's strategy is based on a core business of improving healthcare through information technology innovation and developing two priority areas: 1/ Services and technologies for healthcare professionals; and 2/ technologies for improving the efficacy of healthcare systems. To roll out this strategy, Pharmagest Group has developed specialised business lines: pharmacy IT, e-Health solutions, solutions for healthcare professionals, solutions for health and social care facilities (for ALFs, Home-Based Nursing Services, Hospital-at-Home programmes, senior care service centres, multi-professional and paramedical healthcare providers and hospitals), solutions for pharmaceutical laboratories, apps and connected health devices, and a sales financing marketplace... These businesses are grouped within four Divisions: Pharmacy - Europe Solutions; Health and Social Care Facilities Solutions Division; e-Health Solutions and Fintech. Listed on Euronext Paris - Compartment B Indices: CAC SMALL and CAC All-Tradable par inclusion The Group is included in the Gaia-Index 2019 comprised of socially responsible mid caps. Eligible for the Long-Only Deferred Settlement Service (SRD) ISIN: FR 0012882389 Reuters: PHA.PA Bloomberg: - PMGI FP For all the latest news go to www.pharmagest.com Follow Pharmagest on Twitter: @Pharmagest, LinkedIn and Facebook CONTACTS Analyst and Investor Relations: Chief Administrative and Financial Officer: Jean-Yves SAMSON Tel. +33 (0)3 83 15 90 67 jean-yves.samson@lacooperativewelcoop.com Press Contact: FINEXTENSO - Isabelle APRILE Tel. +33 (0)1 39 97 61 22 i.aprile@finextenso.fr Attachment Navy Awards First Performance-Based Logistics Contract to Supply H1, Other Helos Navy News Service Story Number: NNS200205-04 Release Date: 2/5/2020 10:00:00 AM By Tristan Pavlik, NAVSUP Weapon Systems Support Office of Corporate Communications Public Affairs PHILADELPHIA (NNS) -- Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support (NAVSUP WSS) recently awarded the first Performance Based Logistics contract in support of the H-1 helicopter platform. The five-year, firm fixed-price contract, valued at just over $815 million, was awarded to Bell Textron Inc., based in Fort Worth, Texas. The PBL contract, based on Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 12 (Commercial Item), provides supply support for the UH-1Y, also known as the Super Huey, and the AH-1Z Viper. It will cover 35 individual items including tail rotor blades, gearboxes, and yokes. This contract is dual sourced with Fleet Readiness Center-East slated to perform repairs. According to Capt. Christopher Kovack, NAVSUP WSS director of contracts, this PBL will ensure Bell produces and delivers parts on a regular schedule for the duration of the contract assuring the fleet has the materials it needs to stay mission ready. "We are always seeking new PBLs that enhance the effectiveness of our sustainment strategy and compress the supply chain to improve material availability and fleet readiness," said Kovack. Properly structured and managed PBLs increase value and reduce costs. Kovack said this new H-1 PBL achieves both these goals and should generate delivery schedules that are even more reliable and timely than before. The H-1 PBL contract will include Supply Response Time metrics that will provide time-definite delivery schedules for both high- and low-priority documents that are far superior to schedules under transactional support. With the award of this PBL, Bell and FRC-E will fill backorders in a more timely fashion and keep the H-1 platform mission ready. One of the ways Bell and FRC-E will measure performance of the H-1 PBL is through material availability. The increased replenishment of stock positions will lead to a faster fill rate when the fleet orders material through requisitions. This will decrease wait times for parts and therefore decrease repair wait time. This contract will also include a performance incentive to increase or maintain the Mean Time Between Failure on six main components. Bell achieving better maintenance practices on repair and overhauls will enable the helicopters to fly longer between repair times. Contracting officer Jennifer McCaffrey explained, "The Mean Time Between Failure on various components can greatly impact fleet readiness, and by reducing this we can keep the fleet performing at a higher rate and fill their requirements faster." NAVSUP WSS is one of eleven commands under Commander, NAVSUP. Headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and employing a diverse, worldwide workforce of more than 22,500 military and civilian personnel, NAVSUP's mission is to provide supplies, services, and quality-of-life support to the Navy and joint warfighter. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Our directory features more than 18 million business listings from across the entire US. However, if we're missing your business, add your business by clicking on Add Your Business. [February 06, 2020] Lyftly Launches Groundbreaking Mobile Solution For Youth Mental Health Lyftly launched today a powerful and groundbreaking mobile solution dedicated to youth mental healthcare. Intended to help users achieve and sustain mental and emotional wellness, the app offers personalization, a supportive community and expert peer support. Wellness care is based on what the company calls the three Pillars - Sharing, Seeking Help and Self-Advocacy. An iOS app, Lyftly is making its debut on the Apple (News - Alert) App Store at a time when youth mental illness is undeniably a huge national crisis. "Life can be very stressful, especially for an adolescent in this challenging, unstable and often disconcerting world," said Dr. Ram Ramanujam, CEO of Lyftly. "If you feellonely or disenfranchised, you no longer have to go at it alone. Lyftly offers effective programs, solutions, and live guidance. This is the all-in-one tool to help you on the journey towards wellness." Lyftly is offering a solution to a serious public health problem, the rapid rise in youth anxiety and depression and related issues like teen-suicide. The NIH reports that the prevalence of mental illness is at 25.8%, the highest level of any age group. 31% of high school and college students are experiencing some form of depression. Lyftly is about creating a youth-driven community where the students can engage and help each other in their wellness journey. This app is Instagram-like, dedicated to mental health and wellness. The platform's underlying methodology was developed in coordination with the latest studies at Harvard, Penn, Michigan, and Stanford. With this research-based foundation, Lyftly guides its users to understand the state of their overall wellness and self-monitor their moods. The App guides each user to set and complete goals for improving his or her wellness. Private journaling is built into the app as well. Users can seek and get personal encouragement from others. In addition, one has access to the anonymous, confidential communication and support system, available 24/7. About Lyftly Lyftly got started with funding from the Ram and Thaila Foundation through the Actus Venture Group. They wanted to address this near-epidemic problem among adolescents. The company's growth is currently funded by Angels and Corporate Investors. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005060/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New Covid curbs in UP: Government and private employees to work at 50 per cent capacity Night curfew in Andhra Pradesh: Know timings, guidelines, rules; What is allowed, what is not allowed 46 Covid deaths in 5 days in Delhi, 34 patients had comorbidities, 25 aged above 60: Govt data Contacts of confirmed cases don't need to get tested unless identified as high risk: Govt Omicron has clear growth advantage over Delta with highest level of immune escape: INSACOG Coronavirus: All 645 Indian evacuees from virus-hit Wuhan test negative India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Feb 06: All 645 Indian evacuees from China's Wuhan, who were kept in isolation at Army Base and ITBP camps, have tested negative for coronavirus, the health ministry said on Thursday, 6 February, adding that no new case has been reported. It said that as of February 6,1,38,750 passengers from 1,265 flights had been screened for novel coronavirus illness but no new case was detected. India has so far reported three confirmed cases of nCoV from Kerala. Three medical students studying at the Wuhan University who returned to India recently tested positive for the virus. Besides, 510 samples were tested by ICMR network laboratories, of which all had tested negative except for the three already reported positive cases. The three cases are clinically stable, the ministry said in a statement. It said that all 645 people evacuated from Wuhan, who were kept in isolation at Army Base and ITBP camps, tested negative for coronavirus. Community surveillance and contact tracing are going on by IDSP for 6,558 persons across 32 states/UTs. The Fourth Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) meeting was held on Thursday under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to discuss various technical issues, including review period of follow up required for asymptomatic travellers from China. The Health Ministry in coordination with central ministries and all states/UTs is taking adequate measures for the management of nCoV in India. Foreigners who have been to China on or after 15 January are not allowed to enter India from any air, land or seaport, including Indo-Nepal, Indo-Bhutan, Indo-Bangladesh or Indo-Myanmar land borders, Immigration officials said on Wednesday. The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak went up to 563 as 73 people died on Wednesday, the highest number of deaths in a single day, while total confirmed cases rose sharply to 28,018, Chinese health officials said on Thursday. Kathmandu, February 5 The former prime minister and senior leader of the ruling Nepal Communist Party, Madhav Kumar Nepal, has demanded that the government demolish the newly constructed Republic Memorial at the Narayanhiti Palace in Kathmandu. He says the memorial should be built somewhere else. The memorial should not have been built there, but they have already built it. It is wrong, he said during a meeting of the International Relations Committee in Parliament on Wednesday, Now, it has to be demolished. The government had spent around Rs 450 million to build the memorial to commemorate various people who contributed to the establishment of the republic. President Bidya Devi Bhandari had inaugurated the memorial on the occasion of the Republic Day last year. Strategizing to Mitigate the Misuse of Telecom Networks Shaping the future of trusted communications and a debate about upcoming technologies and trends await visitors at ITEXPO 2020, which takes place February 11-14 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Experts from iconectiv will be taking the stage, focusing on strategies for the reduction of robo-driven spam calling and the best ways to maximize the potential of VoIP. Spam calls with spoofed caller IDs have reached unprecedented levels in the U.S.-to the point where many people simply refuse to answer their phones. These calls are easily the biggest segment of consumer complaints to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC (News - Alert)) and the number continues to climb, with billions of robocalls reported every month. Helping to restore trust in communications is a key priority for the industry as a whole-as well as a critical focus for iconectiv (News - Alert). Technology has evolved in a way and at a speed that regulators could not predict. Bringing unparalleled knowledge and expertise to the event, iconectiv's presence will highlight that if technology helped produce the problem, it can also create and lead the solution. One example being the implementation of STIR (Secure Telephone Identity Revisited) and SHAKEN (Signature-based Handling of Asserted information using toKENs)-and a highlight of discussion for ITEXPO (News - Alert) attendees. Can STIR/SHAKEN End the Spam Robocall Deluge? Panel: Wednesday, February 12, 2020 - 1 PM EST This session will explore the spoofed robocall epidemic, examining who bears the resonsibility for protecting subscribers and how the STIR/SHAKEN framework can help eliminate this growing problem and make it possible to tackle illegal phone number spoofing. From its leadership role as the Policy Administrator for the Calling Number Verification Service in the United States, which is based on SHAKEN, iconectiv is poised to address the impact of STIR/SHAKEN on the complex ecosystem of stakeholders that includes regulators, service providers and enterprises. Principal Solutions Architect for iconectiv, Gary Richenaker, will discuss the challenges and opportunities of STIR/SHAKEN, as well as the technology that exists to help navigate the process of minimizing illegal robocalls and restoring trust back into communications. VoIP Evolution: Thought Leadership Summit - Tools to Scale Your VoIP Business Easily and Profitably Panel: Wednesday, February 12, 2020 - 12 PM EST This session will address the challenges of simple, seamless and secure interconnection of networks, devices and applications that service providers-including VoIP providers-face every day. iconectiv's Theresa Feil Sumpter, PMP, Principal Sales Director, and Bryan Mordecai, Principal Sales Consultant, will share ground-breaking details about the paradigm shift in the VoIP industry and the new opportunities for the ecosystem. The session will also provide an overview of iconectiv and its portfolio, followed by use cases for VoIP leaders. About ITEXPO Since its launch in 1999, ITEXPO is the one event where telecom and IT professionals, C-levels and business owners, developers, and the channel all gather to learn in conference sessions and conduct business on the show floor. It is the annual meeting point in South Florida where buyers of communications and technology hardware and services can sit face-to-face with 100s of manufacturers and solutions providers in one place, for three incredibly productive days. About iconectiv Your business and your customers need to access and exchange information simply, seamlessly and securely. iconectiv's extensive experience in information services and its unmatched numbering intelligence helps you do just that. In fact, more than 2B people count on our platforms each day to keep their networks, devices and applications connected. Our cloud-based Software as a Service (SaaS (News - Alert)) solutions span network and operations management, numbering, trusted communications and fraud prevention. For more information, visit www.iconectiv.com. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005319/en/ Kelly Ripa got a surprise bouquet of roses from her husband Mark Consuelos this Tuesday, she revealed Wednesday. The 49-year-old talk show hostess shared on Live With Kelly And Ryan that she was standing outside the gym when Mark caught her unawares with flowers. When she asked him the reason, he replied: 'It dawned on me when I was flying home - today is 26 years to the day since we met.' So sweet: Kelly Ripa got a surprise bouquet of roses from her husband Mark Consuelos this Tuesday, she revealed Wednesday Mark was filming Riverdale in Vancouver but was briefly visiting New York on Tuesday for a work commitment before dashing back north of the border. During his 'couple of hours' of free time, he made his way to the gym where Kelly exercises and was waiting for her when she left. 'Hey, sexy,' he said from out of her line of vision, and like a true New Yorker her instinct was to assume she was going to be robbed. She shared that 'it never occurs to me that this person is talking to me, but it sounds too close, and I was like: "I'm about to get mugged by somebody - I'm about to be mugged by somebody flirting with somebody who doesn't even have the thoughtfulness to pay attention to me while they're mugging me!"' Hard at work: The 49-year-old talk show hostess shared on Live With Kelly And Ryan that she was standing outside the gym when Mark caught her unawares with flowers Kelly eventually realized it was Mark, who gave her the flowers and told her it was the anniversary of the day they first met each other. 'And I said: "You are kidding me!" I said: "How did you know that?" He goes: "I worked it out in my head, because this is - " when we met, when he flew to New York to screen test for All My Children, that was the day we met,' she dished. 'Isn't that crazy? So he brought me five roses. I'm really not sure the significance of the five roses. I didn't wanna split hairs. I thought it was very sweet,' Kelly added. Kelly met her hunk in 1994 when they became soap stars together on All My Children and they eloped to Las Vegas two years later. Whoops: 'Hey, sexy,' Mark said from out of her line of vision, and like a true New Yorker her instinct was to assume she was going to be mugged Mark dished on Watch What Happens Live last year that he and Kelly briefly broke up just before their marriage. During the split 'we both had to meet' to feature on Live With Regis And Kathie Lee - the show Kelly would eventually co-host with Regis Philbin. 'We were pushing like furniture on for a Queen For A Day, for the Mother's Day special, seriously, and we were together,' said Mark. 'She wouldn't talk to me and that made me go crazy,' he remembered, confessing that he 'followed her into - in Central Park, I stalked her, and then I - we went back to my place and then we got married the next day.' Saudi Arabia on Thursday barred its citizens and residents of the kingdom from traveling to China amid the new virus outbreak. The kingdoms General Directorate of Passports said the measure was in response to the new virus believed to have stemmed from central China. It warned that any residents of the kingdom who violate this order will not allowed to return to Saudi Arabia. It also said that regulatory provisions on travel documents would be applied to citizens who violate the travel ban, without further elaboration. The statement was carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. On Sunday, Saudi Arabias flagship national carrier, Saudia, joined other major airlines in suspending flights to China. Also on Sunday, 10 Saudi students were evacuated from the Chinese city Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and quarantined upon arrival to Riyadh for two weeks.- The viral outbreak that began in China has infected more than 28,200 people globally. China has had over 560 deaths and a death has also occurred in the Philippines. More than 50 million people are under virtual quarantine in Wuhan, where the outbreak began in December and where the vast majority of the deaths have been recorded. Throughout China, cities, towns and villages have enacted varying levels of restrictions and foreign countries have severely restricted travel to and from the country. The virus, believed to have originated in wild animals sold at a food market in Wuhan, is part of a family of coronaviruses, including MERS and SARS, and causes fever, cough and shortness of breath. It is particularly deadly among people over 60 and those with preexisting illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. SOURCE: AP | PHOTO: AP US President Donald Trump vowed Tuesday to "smash" the rule of Venezuelaas leftist leader Nicolas Maduro as he welcomed his rival to his annual address before Congress. In an extraordinarily direct sign of support, Trump invited Venezuelaas opposition leader Juan Guaido -- considered interim president by some 60 countries -- to watch his State of the Union address from the guests' gallery above. "Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, a tyrant who brutalizes his people," Trump said. "But Maduro's grip of tyranny will be smashed and broken," he said. Calling Guaido the "legitimate president of Venezuela," Trump said the 36-year-old engineer-turned-politician was "a man who carries with him the hopes, dreams and aspirations of all Venezuelans." Trump's forceful words come after a period of relative reticence on Venezuela that triggered commentary on whether he was putting the crisis on the backburner. Maduro has shown little sign of leaving more than a year after the United States and most Western and Latin American nations declared him to be illegitimate, citing elections that were widely criticized for irregularities. Maduro presides over a crumbling economy that has sent millions fleeing, often unable at home to find or afford basic food or medicine. But Maduro still enjoys the support of the military, and Guaido's efforts to overthrow him through street protests have fizzled. The leftist leader also enjoys support from Russia, China and Cuba. - Welcoming US support - Guaido welcomed the show of support, voicing his thanks to Trump in a message on Twitter after the speech. "I'll take the commitment and support of the United States back with me to our fight to win Venezuela's freedom," Guaido wrote. Trump's salute to Guaido came in a highly partisan speech that included fresh vows of a hard line on immigration from Latin America as he cited crimes by individual foreigners. But Guaido enjoyed a mostly bipartisan welcome. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi -- who later ripped up Trump's speech -- also applauded as the Venezuelan opposition leader, a serious look on his face, waved back at the chamber. For Trump, however, Venezuela has also become a political byword for socialism as he attacks the rival Democratic Party for proposed reforms such as expanding health care coverage. "Socialism destroys nations. But always remember, freedom unifies the soul," Trump said. Trump was speaking one day before the Senate will vote on whether to remove him from office for pressuring Ukraine to dig up dirt on a political rival. He is widely expected to be acquitted after his impeachment by the Democratic-led House of Representatives. MacMurray College is living a day-to-day fear of running short of funds to keep its doors open. Its a fear that has heavily loomed over campus since December. We have been operating on a deficit; we obviously cant continue to do that, President Beverly Rodgers said. We are currently good for spring 2020. December brought a realization for the recently appointed president when the budget goal of $2.5 million was set to keep its doors open. We just received $30,000 on Monday, which takes us to $1.5 million raised. We are incredibly thankful, but we are still short, Rodgers said. With $1 million to go, Rodgers explained that funding so far has come from both private and business donors, grants and a large amount from the colleges alumni. Board members have stepped up and called alumni for donations, Rodgers said. Rodgers is aware that the way the college has been running its finances has placed it in the position of today. She has been working with staff and created a plan that will be presented to the board of trustees Feb. 21 a proposal the board would have to approve. We have several six-figure donations on hold. They just want to make sure we have a plan in place, Rodgers said, adding that if she was donating her money, she would do the same thing. She has given staff a deadline of Feb. 15 to finish the plan. I used the evolution theory we have to adapt, she said, further explaining that the college has to utilize the community and its businesses and keep the economic growth in mind. The college wants to increase its marketing to attract students, both online and international, so money comes to the college and the community. Currently, MacMurray College is known for its nursing and American Sign Language programs and offers courses from accounting and art to criminal justice and homeland security. Our programs are strong, Rodgers said. For the future, and part of the plan that will go to the board for approval, she hopes to build articulation agreements with community colleges throughout the area. She is talking to eight community colleges in the hopes of creating dual enrollment, building a stronger tie between students, faculty and the school. In addition, she wants to implement programs that would allow non-traditional students to finish their degrees. Our programs are strong, she said. We have an outstanding faculty. Enrollment at MacMurray College is just over 500 and with current housing available, the maximum is 700. Rodgers said she is realistically optimistic about staying open after the spring term. She said she realizes mistakes have been made and will be made, but moving forward, the administration is to work off a realistic budget that is data-based. South Dakota has issued its first permit for a large-scale solar facility a $100 million project on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The Public Utilities Commission approved a construction permit for the Lookout Solar Project during a meeting Monday in Pierre, according to a news release from the commission. The facility, owned by a German company, will be able to generate up to 110 megawatts of electricity. The approval comes after Public Utilities Commission staff and the company addressed commissioners' concerns. The company has now agreed to follow 37 conditions during the construction and operation of the project related to restoration, threatened and endangered species, cultural resources reporting, decommissioning, avian and bat mortality, prairie grouse surveying and other topics. This project contains many unique components. As a result, our permit contains conditions that are equally unique, Public Utilities Commission Chairman Gary Hanson said in the news release. With every siting permit the Public Utilities Commission issues, we aim to include protections for South Dakota citizens and their property. In this case, the property on which this project will be built is individually-owned Indian trust land. The Bureau of Indian Affairs provides an additional layer of oversight for the project and an extra layer of protection for landowners. Lookout Solar Park, which can be traced to a company called Wircon GmbH in Germany, will lease the land from the Rapp family, members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. The BIA holds the land in trust. Lynn Rapp, who spoke for the family at a previous Public Utilities Commission meeting, said the lease agreement is the first of its kind for the BIA. The facility will be within the reservation on the western edge of Oglala Lakota County, about 20 miles east of Buffalo Gap. About 500,000 solar panels would be arranged across 250 acres. There will also be an energy storage facility, access roads, underground 34.5 kV electrical collector lines, an underground fiber-optic cable, a collection substation, an operations and maintenance facility and temporary construction areas. The park would connect to high-voltage transmission lines owned by Western Area Power Administration near Cottonwood Cutoff. A buyer for the power has not been announced. The one thing that I want to highlight in this particular project is the fact that these folks are placing their transmission line underground. Weve not seen that anywhere else," Public Utilities Commission Vice Chairman Chris Nelson said in the news release. Much to their credit, this applicant has chosen the underground option to ensure theres minimal impact on the viewscape. I certainly appreciate them making that effort. The facility is expected to be complete by the second quarter of 2021. South Dakota currently ranks 50th nationally in installed solar generating capacity, with 1.6 megawatts statewide, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. The association says thats enough to power 186 homes. Contact Arielle Zionts at arielle.zionts@rapidcityjournal.com. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 [February 06, 2020] Carttera and Google Sign a 400,000 sf Long-term Office Lease at 65 King East, Toronto TORONTO, Feb. 6, 2020 /CNW/ - Carttera Private Equities Inc. (Carttera) announces a major, long-term, downtown Toronto office leasing transaction at 65 King East, which will be home to Google, occupying 400,000 sf of office space across 18 floors in Toronto's newest, next-generation office development. "We are extremely pleased to announce that 100% of the office floors of 65 King East are now leased to Google: one of the most prominent, influential and well-recognized companies in the world. Our vision for 65 King East has always been to combine innovative office architecture and an employee-centric workplace design with a dynamic, forward-thinking organization. Google truly recognizes how 65 King East promotes sustainability, employee wellness, collaboration, productivity and health," said Dean Cutting, Partner, Carttera. "The fact that Google made a long-term commitment to our project is a testament that we are leading the future of innovative office design. We look forward to a long-term collaborative relationship with Google for many years to come." 65 King East is owned by Carttera in conjunction with institutional co-investors: OpTrust, Manitoba Civil Service Superannuation Board and Investment Management Corporation of Ontario, which will be the long-term holders of the asset. The development's design is a collaboration between world-renowned architects IBI Group and WZMH Architects. 65 King East is currently being built by PCL Construction. Google's tenancy is a consolidation and relocation of offices in the Greater Toronto Area, with occupancy expected in 2021. "Carttera built 65 King East with next-generation tenants and an evolving downtown core in ind," said Jeff Friedman, Executive Vice President Office Leasing, CBRE. "Google's decision to make 65 King East its new Toronto headquarters underscores the degree to which Toronto's downtown core continues to expand. This is a significant statement of confidence in Toronto's tech market and talent pool." Together with the efforts of CBRE, this significant transaction is a great match for the growing downtown core, bringing innovation and tech giants into the fold of Toronto's tight office real estate market. With proximity to the TTC and Union Station, this office building also features over 18,000 sf of outdoor terraces, 196 bike stalls and 10,675 sf of retail space, while also incorporating smart building technologies and sustainability. With Wired Score Gold already accomplished, 65 King East has been designed to achieve LEED Gold certification. About 65 King East Located in the vibrant St. Lawrence neighbourhood, 65 King East is steps from the financial core at King & Yonge, and is less than a 10-minute walk to Union Station with seamless connections to the TTC, Go Transit, Via Rail and the UP Express. 65 King East has dedicated approximately 18,000 sf of terrace space over eight floors, offering expansive views of the city and lake, and is designed with a raised floor HVAC system and exposed concrete ceilings. www.65kingeast.com About Carttera Carttera is a Canadian real estate investment fund manager and developer. The firm invests its capital in innovative urban intensification development projects and is a leader in environmental sustainability in the Canadian development industry. Carttera's strength lies in its track record of success in originating, structuring and executing complex development projects. Carttera has developed projects extending to over $3.3 billion in total value since its inception in 2005, with primary holdings concentrated in the GTA and Montreal. The firm's projects include a wide range of product types including office, mixed-use, industrial, condominiums and rental apartments. www.carttera.com About CBRE CBRE Group, Inc. (NYSE:CBRE), a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company headquartered in Los Angeles, is the world's largest commercial real estate services and investment firm (based on 2018 revenue). The company has more than 90,000 employees (excluding affiliates) and serves real estate investors and occupiers through more than 480 offices (excluding affiliates) worldwide. CBRE offers a broad range of integrated services, including facilities, transaction and project management; property management; investment management; appraisal and valuation; property leasing; strategic consulting; property sales; mortgage services and development services. In Canada, CBRE Limited employs 2,200 people in 22 locations from coast to coast. www.cbre.ca SOURCE Carttera Private Equities Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Federal and local health officials expect a plane carrying Americans escaping the epicenter of a global coronavirus epidemic in China to land in Omaha as early as Friday. About 70 people in all, ranging in age from infants to people over 70, will be transported from Eppley Airfield to the Nebraska National Guard's training site at Camp Ashland for a 14-day quarantine period. Dr. Eric Kasowski, chief of the Population Health Workforce at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said during a press conference on the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus Thursday none of the patients all Americans are showing symptoms of coronavirus. "Because these people lived in Wuhan, the epicenter of this outbreak where there was escalating, communitywide spread of the novel coronavirus, they are considered an increased risk for exposure," Kasowski said. "That doesn't necessarily mean they will get sick." Health officials, including those from UNMC and Nebraska Medicine, expect the people arriving by a chartered civilian aircraft to be healthy and asymptomatic upon arrival, Kasowski added. Each has been screened multiple times, including before takeoff and during their flight, and will be screened upon arrival. "The purpose of the quarantine is to identify any onset of illness among this group right away should it develop," Kasowski said. If anyone begins to show symptoms of the coronavirus, they will be taken by a specialized ambulance to either the 20-bed national quarantine unit or the Biocontainment Patient Care Unit at UNMC, said Shelly Schwedhelm, UNMC's executive director of emergency management and preparedness. The biocontainment unit on UNMC's campus is the same facility that successfully cared for several patients during an outbreak of Ebola in West Africa in 2014-15. Unlike the Ebola virus, which was spread by coming into direct contact with bodily fluids, the coronavirus, a respiratory virus, is believed to spread from person to person by respiratory droplets emitted through coughing or sneezing. In that way, the coronavirus is similar to SARS or MERS, said Dr. James Lawler, an infectious disease expert at UNMC, adding the biocontainment team at the medical center has practiced responding to respiratory viruses. "These are circumstances that our team has been training for for years," Lawler said. "We've trained not only to manage hemorrhagic fever viruses like Ebola, but we've also trained extensively to manage respiratory virus infections as well. "We feel our team is very well prepared to manage patients if we should need to admit any," Lawler said. Once those in quarantine are outside the 14-day incubation period for the virus, they do not represent a significant risk for transmitting it to others, he added. The clock on the quarantine period started when the planes left China. Once they arrive at Camp Ashland, National Guard Maj. Gen. Daryl Bohac said the patients should find their accommodations like "a modest hotel" undamaged in the 2019 flooding at the regional training center situated along the Platte River. Families will be able to stay in adjoining rooms in the 85-bed facility built in the 1990s, each of which has a television. Patients will also be able to access exercise equipment and play areas for children. "The Wi-Fi has been dialed way up," said Dana Hall, a regional administrator with the U.S. Public Health Service based out of Overland Park, Kansas. Social workers will be on site helping the patients reintegrate to the U.S. and to meet religious and other needs of those while they are in quarantine, Hall said. Anyone who comes into close proximity within 6 feet of someone who has been exposed to the virus or prolonged exposure to the 70 or so people federal and local health officials will monitor at Camp Ashland will be required to follow strict procedures. Those who come into contact with a patient will be required to wear masks, gloves and face shields. Anyone who examines a patient will wear a respirator and full-disposable gown. On Wednesday, two planes carrying 350 Americans from Wuhan arrived at Travis Air Force Base northeast of San Francisco, while another plane is destined for Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio. While the coronavirus has spread from China to 28 countries, there are just 12 confirmed cases in the U.S. Kasowski said while the epidemic has demonstrated the virus can spread quickly between people, and has caused the deaths of 564 people in China so far, the CDC believes aggressive action will prevent further spread here. "We're in a unique situation right now with this virus because we recognized it very early in the epidemic," he said, "and we still think the quarantine action will be useful." UNMC Chancellor Jeff Gold said researchers in Omaha are working on an antiviral therapy that could treat the symptoms of the coronavirus as it prepares to serve the needs of another infectious disease outbreak. "Days like this make me incredibly proud to be a Nebraskan," he said. And Gov. Pete Ricketts said Nebraskans were ready to demonstrate the same grit and willingness to serve these U.S. citizens as they showed to each other during the 2019 flooding, the costliest natural disaster in the state's history. "Of anybody in the world, we have the expertise and facilities to be able to handle this," he said. "We have a duty to our fellow Americans to be able to help these rescued folks." Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com. On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS The Election Commission on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his alleged 'biryani for terrorist' remarks. The poll panel has asked him to respond to the notice before 5 pm on Friday. The EC said that prima facie, by making such remarks the senior BJP leader has violated provisions of the Model Code of Conduct enforced for the February 8 Delhi assembly polls. Adityanath had made this remark during a speech here on February 1. The notice reminded the chief minister of a provision of the poll code which asks politicians to avoid making unverified allegations and restrict their criticism to policies and programmes of rivals. It also said no comments should be made on the private lives of political rivals during electioneering. According to the notice, Adityanath had said that "today biryani is not being served ... the habit of feeding biryani was with the Congress in Kashmir or is with Kejriwal for Shaheen Bagh like incidents. (The habit of feeding biyrani ) is not of the BJP." During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections the EC had "strongly condemned" Adityanath for his communal remarks and had barred him from campaigning for 72 hours. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A woman who was worried after noticing her neighbour in the window opposite hadn't moved for hours told of her relief after discovering the figure was actually a cardboard cut out of Dame Judi Dench. Amy Macdonald, from Scotland, took to Twitter to explain how her friend was in work when she spotted the static woman in one of the flats opposite. Sharing the post with her 123, 000 followers, she continued: 'She didnt really think anything of it and thought it was just a woman enjoying a coffee whilst looking out the window.' 'She started to get a bit worried when hours had passed and this woman had not moved. She went to get a better view. Och, just a cardboard cutout of Judi Dench.' Amy Macdonald, from Scotland, took to Twitter to explain how her friend was worried after noticing her neighbour opposite hadn't moved in a while The musician revealed that after further investigation, the neighbour in question turned out to be a cardboard cutout of Judi Dench (pictured) Amy penned: 'My mate was in work and she noticed a woman standing at the window in one of the flats opposite' The musician went on to address the person who lives in the flat, thanking them for giving her 'the best laugh.' And many were quick to take to the comments section with similar stories of their own. 'For years, someone down in west end of Greenock had a pair of full size mannequins of Laurel and Hardy, bowler hats an all, in each side of their bay window overlooking the main coast road at Battery Park..real freaky stuff,' commented one. A second penned: 'Haha my friend has one of these in his house. I can't remember why they got it, but usually it's just in random places around the house. Makes me laugh every time!' Amy thanks the person who lived in the flat opposite, adding it had given her 'the best laugh' (pictured) Meanwhile, a third added: 'I had the same story near the flat I used to live in in Glasgow.' 'Thought this lady was watching me as I walked home everyday until one day after several paranoid weeks I realised she was cardboard.' Others commented on the randomness of having a cardboard cutout of the Academy Award-winning British actress/ 'All good homes need a Dame Judi cardboard cut-out,' joked one, while a second penned: 'Utter belter! My mum had a full size Julio Englesia in her bedroom for 15 years.' Another added: 'I always leave my cardboard cut out of Judy Dench in the strangest places,' while a fourth commented: 'I watch too many true crime docs. I immediately suspected some sort of gruesome murder. Standing corpse at the window.' There is a possibility that foreign governments are funding insurgents in the country, Babajimi Benson, Chairman, House Committee on Defense said on Wednesday after a closed-door meeting held with service chiefs. Last week, amidst growing concerns of insecurity in the country, the House of Representatives called for the resignation of the military chiefs, but had at first summoned them. The resulting meeting was a joint one by the committees on Army, Navy, Airforce, Defence and National Intelligence. Briefing journalists on what transpired during the meeting, Mr Benson told them there could be some truth in the insinuation that foreign powers are throwing their weight behind insurgents in the country. Although he said details of that are not for public consumption, he hinted that there is probably an international dimension to what we see. There is ISIS, there is ISWAP. These are things that we need to discuss in a very classified manner. But what we want Nigerians to know is that we are committed to them, 100 per cent, to see that we assist the military and the armed forces and ensuring that this matter is put to an end within the shortest possible time. We were to a large extent satisfied with what they said. Like I said, we are also going to table what they said before parliament. We are going to discuss; we are going to have a very robust discussion on how to assist, to end this war. It is Nigeria that is at war. Told the latest stance of the House is a deviation from the resolution made the previous week, Mr Benson maintained that theirs is to suggest, the decision lies with the executive. It is not a U-turn but the most important thing that Nigerians want is the security of their lives and for their properties to be protected. Sacking the service chiefs is what we can suggest, but it is a function of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces; the buck stops at his table, he said. Meanwhile, before journalists were excused for a closed-door meeting, the speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila said the security heads were summoned to discuss how our constituentsare dying callously in ways that you can just imagine if theres no security. In a hushed tone, different from that with which the lawmakers earlier called for the resignation of the service chiefs, Mr Gbajabiamila said his colleagues reaction was natural, an indication that the chiefs must do more in the quest to secure the country. This is one of those meetings which, like I said, is going to be continuous and to find out exactly what is going on, what the issues are and what the problems are. I hope to get some commitments from you, Im sure moving forward things are going to get better, Mr Gbajabiamila said. We know what the basic problems are, he added. Theres the issue of equipment, personnel and other things that would be said off-camera. We know our committees are capable of handling these issues. He explained that because the stakes are high, security is the Houses priority. Therefore, solutions to insecurity in the country must be thought of outside the box by taking the fight to these criminals, he said. Kamel Eddine Chikhi, Chief of state-owned energy firm Sonatrach, was sacked Wednesday only three months into the job. A presidential decree, relayed by state-run television ENTV, said Toufik Hakkar will take the helm of the energy company, which witnessed a cut into revenues last year and is in search of investors. Hakkar was before his appointment Vice-President of Business Development and Marketing department of the company. The latest appointment underlined the instability at the top of the companys leadership. Hakkar is the 11th Sonatrach head to be appointed since 2000. The gas-rich African country who depends on hydrocarbons for 60 per cent of its budget revenues is in the lookout for investments to boost production. It adopted in December a new law in favor of foreign companies though the latter are barred from owning majority shares. Hakkar was part of the commission tasked to draft the new law, which was rubber-stamped by Abdelkader Bensalah, the interim President who replaced Abdelaziz Bouteflika, forced to step down in early April last year. Thailand's health ministry has reportedly said that the first person who was tested positive for the novel coronavirus has been completely cured and is now discharged from the hospital. The death toll of the 2019-nCoV soared to 560 with nearly 27,300 confirmed cases in China. The 50-year-old taxi driver who carried Chinese tourists was one of the nine confirmed cases of the coronavirus amid the unprecedented outbreak. But now he has been cured in Thailand. Read - AP: District Authorities Organise Free Medical Camp For Coronavirus Awareness Remaining patients to cure soon Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul had said at a press conference on February 5 in Nonthaburi that the remaining patients of the novel virus are recovering and are likely to be declared to be cured in the near future. He further added that all the people who were in contact with the infected taxi driver were not affected. Deputy Health Miniter Sathit Pitutecha has also said that the six out of 138 Thai nationals were repatriated from the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, the Chinese city of Wuhan on February 4 and all of them reported high fever. The very next day, only four of them were suffering from high fever and they were treated at Queen Sirikit Hospital in Sattahip district, Chon Buri. Read - Coronavirus Outbreak: Death Toll Soars To 560 In China, 27,300 People Infected The epidemic which has now spread globally was also declared as a Global Health Emergency by the World Health Organisation. Belgium recently also confirmed the first case of coronavirus and WHO has also developed a global strategic preparedness and response plan to outline the measures that the international community can provide to support all countries. The organisation is also working with the travel industry to discuss its risks and precautionary measures. WHO is working with the travel and tourism industry to discuss real and perceived risks experienced in the industry, measures put in place for customers and employees, and challenges faced due to the #2019nCoV WHO Situation Report 5 February 2020 https://t.co/K6x3dHedI9 pic.twitter.com/aHTxbOeYUP World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) February 5, 2020 Meanwhile, an official in Wuhan has also warned on February 5 that despite Chinese authorities constructing two hospitals from scratch in a matter of a few days, there is still a lack of beds in the region. There was also a shortage of equipment and materials, he told reporters, adding that officials were looking to convert the hotels and schools in the city into treatment centres to provide immediate medical assistance. Read - Chinese Bride's Family Misses Wedding In WB's East Midnapore Due To Coronavirus Measures Read - Latest Amul Topical Trickier Than Most; Captures India's Wuhan Evacuation Amid Coronavirus (With ANI inputs) TusharK Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Pune Posts: 3,875 Thanked: 34,336 Times 2nd-Gen Hyundai Creta @ Auto Expo 2020. Edit: Launched at 9.99 lakhs Mod Note: Our Hyundai Creta Review has been taken live at this link. Please continue the discussion over on the new thread. Thanks! Big shoutout to Rehaan for shooting these pictures & his coverage of the Auto Expo. Thanks for sharing, man! The Hyundai stand was abuzz with activity when it was time to unveil the second generation Creta. This is the scene after the car was unveiled. Another reason for the huge crowd was the presence of Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan, who was there for the unveiling. The India-spec Creta has a Cascade grille with four horizontal slats. The trapezoidal headlamp pods and the U-shaped LED daytime running lights are similar to those on the Chinese version. The C-pillar and roof are partially painted in silver to add contrast. The body cladding along the door sills also has a silver insert. Also, note that the car has disc brakes on both axles. Trapezoidal tail lamps and C-shaped brake lights are identical to the China-spec Creta. However, the Indian version does not get the light bar. It is replaced with a high-mounted stop lamp, which is actually positioned quite low. A closer look at the headlamp cluster reveals three separate LED lights. The fog lamps are placed on the front bumper. A zoomed-in view of the LED tail light. ORVMs have integrated turn indicators. Chrome door handle with keyless entry button. Hyundai logo and Creta lettering on the tail gate. Panoramic sunroof and silver roof rails. The rear bumper has a silver insert. It is flanked by reverse lights. 17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels on this SX variant. The Hyundai stand was abuzz with activity when it was time to unveil the second generation Creta.This is the scene after the car was unveiled. Another reason for the huge crowd was the presence of Bollywood actor Shahrukh Khan, who was there for the unveiling.The India-spec Creta has a Cascade grille with four horizontal slats. The trapezoidal headlamp pods and the U-shaped LED daytime running lights are similar to those on the Chinese version.The C-pillar and roof are partially painted in silver to add contrast. The body cladding along the door sills also has a silver insert. Also, note that the car has disc brakes on both axles.Trapezoidal tail lamps and C-shaped brake lights are identical to the China-spec Creta. However, the Indian version does not get the light bar. It is replaced with a high-mounted stop lamp, which is actually positioned quite low.A closer look at the headlamp cluster reveals three separate LED lights. The fog lamps are placed on the front bumper.A zoomed-in view of the LED tail light.ORVMs have integrated turn indicators.Chrome door handle with keyless entry button.Hyundai logo and Creta lettering on the tail gate.Panoramic sunroof and silver roof rails.The rear bumper has a silver insert. It is flanked by reverse lights.17-inch dual-tone alloy wheels on this SX variant. Last edited by Aditya : 17th September 2020 at 11:08 . Reason: Adding review link Shirley: Josephine Deckers psychological drama, starring Elisabeth Moss as Shirley Jackson, is far more caustic and compelling than anything that would typically be categorized as a biopic. Decker (Madelines Madeline) tells the tale mainly from the perspective of a young woman named Rose (Odessa Young) who has come with her aspiring-professor husband (Logan Lerman) to stay with the author of The Lottery and her husband (Michael Stuhlbarg). They arent the most cheerful of hosts. Roses increasing intimacy with the brilliant but acerbic and unhinged Jackson grows steadily more dangerous until it mixing threads of gender roles and the creation of art turns into something more like a warning, or a prophecy. Moss fury-filled performance is a standout. But the film, executive produced by Martin Scorsese, is foremost further proof of Deckers commanding talent. MANILA, Philippines Another batch of distressed Filipinos repatriated from Lebanon has arrived in the country on Wednesday, February 5, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said. The latest batch, which includes 31 female adults and 15 minors, was welcomed by the DFA-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA) and the Inter-agency council against Trafficking and its member agencies when they landed in Manila. The DFA said the total number of repatriated Filipinos from Lebanon has now reached 163 since the voluntary mass repatriation program at the Philippine Embassy in Beirut started in December 2019. Under the program, the DFA shouldered the repatriates airfare to Manila and the transportation to their respective provinces. The department also secured their exit visas and provided them shelter while their cases were being resolved at the Lebanese Immigration Office. The Philippine government on January 9, 2020, raised the crisis alert in Lebanon to level 2, which means restriction phase, in view of the economic crisis being faced by the country. The DFA said the alert level was also raised in order to strengthen the enforcement of the ban on the deployment of new workers to Lebanon. The post Over 40 distressed Filipinos from Lebanon back in PH DFA appeared first on UNTV News. Beijing, Feb 6 : Xiaomi VP and Redmi brand General Manager Lu Weibing turned to Weibo to tease one of the company's upcoming phones that purportedly show impressive zoom range. Having been the harbinger of crushed hopes for the last few weeks, the Xiaomi VP finally shared some news that's bound to get fans excited about the Chinese giant's upcoming phones. It was apparently snowing in Beijing and Weibing decided to share the moment with his followers on Weibo, Android Central reported on Wednesday. Reports suggest that it is probably the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro. It could also possibly be the non-Pro version. Notably, Xiaomi is expected to unveil the new Mi 10 models on February 14 and this comes at a significant time. The Redmi K30 Pro may be announced this month as well. Knowing the company, we'll get a lot of teasers and official details over the next few days for its upcoming phones, according to GSMArena. An otherwise happy occurrence in 2008 had set the alarm ringing for Indian intelligence agencies. Gulf remittances to Kerala via legal channels showed a 135 percent growth from $38 billion in 2003 to $90 billion in 2008. Money transferred through hawala is believed to be many times that. Around the same time, the Kerala government, too, observed a strange pattern in land and property holdings in several districts. Around 70 percent of the land being bought was by Muslims, a massive portion of it by religious institutions and their proxies. Perhaps for the first time, governments started waking up to Kerala being used as a massive gateway of jihad funding for India, routing money from zakat and other shadowy donations from the Middle East and Pakistan. A realisation that would prove critical many years later when the largest number of Indian recruits for the Islamic State were found to be from Kerala. And right till this moment, when the Enforcement Directorate, Intelligence Bureau and other agencies brought to the spotlight the most sinister plot to divide India, allegedly funded and carried out through by a Muslim institution based in Kerala. From Murshidabad train and bus burnings to the Jamia Millia Islamia unrest and from the Jawaharlal Nehru University fracas to Shaheen Bagh protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Islamic fundamentalists behind the secular veil are slowly revealing themselves as a much larger plan against this nation. A plot in which our secular intelligentsia, media, film industry and even students are being used as mere pawns. Follow the money The Enforcement Directorate has submitted a report to the Ministry of Home Affairs which reportedly shows that Rs 120 crore was deposited in 73 bank accounts of 15 different banks related to the Popular Front of India (PFI), a radical Muslim organisation long on the agencies radar, and the Rehab India Foundation. Transactions ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 49,000 were used to deposit money via cash and Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) in those accounts. The report also states that Congress and Aam Aadmi Party leaders were in touch with the PFI chief during the nationwide anti-CAA agitation and the ongoing Shaheen Bagh protests. The PFI has got so emboldened that a recent intel note urged the Karnataka police to provide Z-category security to Supreme Court judge S Abdul Nazeer and his family Justice Nazeer was part of the bench that delivered the Ayodhya judgment in view of a threat from the PFI and other quarters. Assam, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have asked for a complete ban on PFI, so has the National Investigation Agency. Even chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan of Left Front-ruled Kerala has raised serious concerns about PFI and its political offshoot, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). However, he later rejected reports claiming the same. The main source of Islamist funding is apparently zakaat money from the Gulf and industrial-scale cattle smuggling from Bengal. In India, these funds are used not just to push the overt Islamist agenda but also for violent and disruptive far-Left terrorism and protests. For a moment, just step back and think. If ED could track Rs 120 crore routed officially through PFI, the actual amount coming in through hawala channels must be well over Rs 1,000 crore. It raises a number of grave questions. Where is this money coming from? Who is really funding the anti-CAA, anti-NRC protests? How big a hand does the Pakistani establishment and ISI have, given that it has been obsessed about somehow harming India since its nose was rubbed in the sand after the Balakot airstrikes and scrapping of Article 370 in Kashmir? Why did George Soros, the Hungarian billionaire known to meddle with democracies and political systems worldwide, openly announce his plans to fund trouble in India over CAA? Would such massive amounts of money be spent just to reverse an act of Parliament which doesnt even concern Indian Muslims? Is the ulterior motive to divide India so deeply and create so much anarchy that the ground for another Partition is created? Is the greater plan to break India, where rising nationalism, growing Hindu awakening and steps to reverse the further demographic takeover have caused great worry to its enemies? Do the faces of the protest know who are funding this agitation? Which individuals, organisations approach them? Have sleeper cells infiltrated our media, Bollywood and intelligentsia, recruiting popular overground faces for their terrible underground cause? Are the events like Bhima-Koregaon, IAS officers resignations, award wapsi, anti-India lobby getting activated in Europe and the US over J&K trifurcation and CAA, Shaheen Bagh protests, hijacking of the Mumbai LGBTQIA Pride Marchall inter-related, part of the same dark calendar? These are questions every Indian must ask, whether he or she agrees with the Narendra Modi government or not. Because governments will come and go, but we as a nation will have to remain sovereign and strong. By Azernews By Abdul Kerimkhanov Nagorno-Karabakhs Azerbaijani Community has called on the regions Armenian community to vote in the upcoming snap parliamentary election to be held in Azerbaijan on February 9. "As an Azerbaijani community of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region, we appeal to the Armenian voters who belong to the occupied Khankendi and Shusha, Aghdam, Khojaly and Khojavand constituencies and urge them to choose among the candidates registered in the relevant constituencies in the snap elections to Parliament and to express their views on the candidates for the parliament," the community said in the statement made on February 6. The community reminded that under the Azerbaijani conditions, all conditions have been provided for all citizens residing in Azerbaijan to express their will freely in the elections. The Community said that each candidate carries out his / her campaign using the equal opportunities created in accordance with the electoral legislation of Azerbaijan. Every candidate's campaign on social media can be watched from anywhere in the world. "Unfortunately, Armenia's military aggression against our country, the occupation of our lands, and the ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis have also deprived Armenian citizens of the right to vote in these elections directly," the statement reads. It was also added that as a result of the military aggression of Armenia, the territory of seven constituencies of Azerbaijan is completely occupied and part of the territory of three constituencies is under occupation. Note that 2431 people have appealed to participate in the parliamentary elections to be held on 9 February 2020 in Azerbaijan. As of February 6, number of candidates is 1321. Baku strengthens the role of Karabakhs Azerbaijani community and wants to ensure equal access to negotiations of the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities in the region. The Azerbaijani community, which as a result of ethnic cleansing was forced to leave their homes, has the legal right to participate in determining the future legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Without the recognition of this right, a comprehensive and fair settlement of the conflict cannot be achieved. Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijans breakaway region which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions. On the campaign trail there's only one direction: forward. Despite a disastrous Iowa caucus where a winner had not been declared two days later, Democratic presidential candidates pushed ahead into New Hampshire. They spoke in opera houses and community colleges, trying to convince voters that they alone had the best chance to beat President Trump. At a ballroom in Somersworth, N.H., former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. made the case for his candidacy. When I worked in London, she said, people made it sound like Manchester was some tiny little office where no-one did anything. When I moved up here, I realised it is the biggest insurance sector outside of London. When she came to Manchester, Perris knew nobody, but a chance encounter with John Batty, former regional chairman for BIBA in the Greater Manchester region, led to Perris being offered the opportunity to become the young broker ambassador for Manchester. Upon joining the committee, Perris highlighted the ways in which BIBA could promote the work done by brokers and give the wider public a greater understanding of what this job entails. Her role when it came to the young broker platform, Perris said, involved not just looking at how to attract young talent but also how to retain it. There is a precedent of people joining an insurance graduate scheme, she said, only to be picked up by another segment of the financial services after a few years of training. The solution to this, she said, was looking to the development of a greater social community in Manchester for young brokers, and also creating a more even keel when it comes to broker training in this region. Previously working for JLT, Perris said, if she wanted to attend a training session, she could simply get a train to London and charge it to the company but, for smaller companies, the resources to do this are simply not available. I asked why? she said. If weve got all these brokerages and all these insurers, why are we not hosting our own CPD training sessions for free? From this question has sprung the Manchester young broker committee which now has 13 members who are each responsible for hosting a CPD or networking event. This committee, Perris stated, gathers together different brokerages, knowledge and expertise, and is aimed at ensuring that all younger brokers receive the same training that any of the major brokerages would be able to offer. This has been well-received and well supported, Perris said, and she detailed the contributions of multiple brokers and insurers to these events: from Lockton who sent a networking specialist to Manchester to give 25 young brokers a half-day session on how best to professionally network, to Marsh carrying out a professional development planning session with 30 brokers. For the year 2020, weve got about 13 CPD sessions booked in around a whole host of things and put on by a whole range of different insurers and brokers, she said. People have been so generous with their time. Going forward, Perris outlined, the committee is looking for opportunities to serve the non-commercial insurance market as previous events have often been quite commercially centric. Throughout 2020, more professional development events, showcasing management techniques and how to create a good client portfolio will be an emphasis, she said, as people are looking for sessions and information that is more general in outlook. Insurers have been doing some great work with the committee throughout Manchester, she said, but it has been great to see that most of the events have focused on broker-to-broker training. This has included companies training young brokers from rival firms, she said. Perris highlighted the role of the community within the insurance sector of Manchester as essential to this but also noted that, because insurance is an industry where people tend to move around a lot, there is an understanding from companies that they might be training their own future employees and co-workers. Perris, who won the Markerstudy broker of the year at Insurance Businesss 2019 Women in Insurance Conference, said she has embraced her role as young broker ambassador, not for the recognition or the awards that it has brought, but because she had been in the position of requiring the same services she has helped create in this region. She is modest about her role in the work that has been done in the sector and said that the success of the committee in creating a network for young brokers shows that if the resources are there, someone just needs to light a fire under it and see what happens. Indeed he has, but not the lessons that Ms. Collins seemed to think. Listen to Rudy Giuliani, the presidents personal lawyer and Ukraine whisperer. Absolutely; 100 percent, Mr. Giuliani told NPR when asked whether Mr. Trump would continue to push for more foreign investigations into Joe Biden, a Democratic front-runner. I would have no problem with him doing it. In fact, Id have a problem with him not doing it. Even before the acquittal, the State of the Union address made clear that Mr. Trump enabled, as in his business life, by his exceptional shamelessness intends to deploy every power available to a president in pursuit of his re-election. If there remained any doubts on that score, they were dispelled when Melania Trump hung the Presidential Medal of Freedom around Rush Limbaughs neck. The speech also demonstrated that Mr. Trump, unlike the Democratic Party, has a simple, powerful message: In three short years, he has brought America back from the disaster he claimed it was in and set it on a path to a glorious new future. From the American carnage he spoke of in his Inaugural Address, now, Americas future is blazing bright. Given the dishonesty, if not downright absurdity, of some passages in the speech, it was perhaps a human reaction on the part of the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, to tear it to shreds. It was still disappointing to see her stoop to the kind of stunt the president himself would pull, and, as she certainly knows as well as anyone, a gesture like that wont defeat the presidents argument. So what will? Not the incoherent, if not to say chaotic, display the Democratic Party has mustered to date. A series of overcrowded debates has failed to clarify the choices confronting voters. The decision to stage the first vote in monochromatic Iowa was a bad idea even before the Iowa Democratic Party had a meltdown on live television. A recent poll found that 45 percent of the supporters of the leading progressive candidate, Senator Bernie Sanders, said they werent sure theyd vote for any other Democratic nominee. Meanwhile, over in the partys centrist camp, Michael Bloomberg appears to be trying to buy the nomination. Given the stakes, anxiety is rightly running high. Yes, the Democratic voters can and should narrow the field over the next several weeks. But the fact that theyll eventually pick a nominee isnt enough. It matters how they get there. The 2016 election is a cautionary tale too many Democrats felt so little allegiance to the nominee that they chose to vote for a third-party candidate, or not to vote at all. The task ahead for party leaders is ensuring that voters appreciate that the best chance to beat Mr. Trump is a unity of effort from political tribes that share far more in common than what divides them. Thats important, because the November election is a critical opportunity to defend the Republic through the straightforward expedient of voting Mr. Trump from office and thereby issuing an essential rebuke to the leaders of todays Republican Party. Republican officials in Washington and across the country have for years refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of political opponents, and have thus justified taking any and all measures to keep them out of power, or to nullify their power when they hold it. Phuket remains coronavirus-free, report officials PHUKET: Vice Governor Pichet Panapong today (Feb 6) confirmed that there have been no confirmed cases of people infected with the Wuhan coronavirus in Phuket. healthCoronavirusCOVID-19 By Khunanya Wanchanwet Thursday 6 February 2020, 05:33PM Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong at the press briefing today today (Feb 6). Photo: PR Dept Speaking at the daily update press conference at Emergency Operation Center (EOC) at the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO), Vice Governor Pichet explained that officials were still checking passengers on international and domestic flights arriving and departing Phuket International Airport, and continuing their awareness campaign to inform the public about the virus. Phukets Public Health doctors confirm that at this time there is still no new strain of the coronavirus in Phuket, Vice Governor Pichet said. SILENT TREATMENT Today marked one week since any of the daily update meetings provided any information about the virus situation in Phuket. Instead, the daily reports have repeated the efforts by officials to prevent the virus from spreading if it arrives at all. At last report, on Jan 30, Vachira Phuket Hospital Director Dr Chalermpong Sukontapol confirmed that three more tourists in Phuket were suspected of carrying the Wuhan coronavirus and were now in isolation at Vachira Phuket Hospital. The new cases brought to 23 the total number of people held in isolation in Phuket on suspicion that they may be infected with the virus since officials started screening tourists on Jan 5, Dr Chalermpong said. Of the 23 patients under investigation, 13 had been already discharged from hospital, with the remaining 10 still in hospital care: six at Vachira Phuket Hospital, one at Patong Hospital, one at Thalang Hospital and two in care at one private hospital, Dr Chalermpong explained. (See story here.) Since then, however, no reports by officials have clarified when the remaining 10 were discharged from hospital care, or if they still remain under observation, or if any new suspected cases have been identified in Phuket despite national Department of Disease Control Deputy Chief Dr Preecha Prempree in Phuket on Jan 27 ordering every provincial public relations offices in the country to provide daily updates on the virus situation in their respective provinces. (See story here.) Both PPHO Chief Thanit Sermkaew and Busaya Jaipiam, Chief of the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department, today told The Phuket News that they were not authorised to give any such updates on the state of new cases or patients well-being in Phuket. We must follow the reports from the Ministry of Public Health only, Ms Busaya said. Chief Thanit independently explained the same restrictions. It was an order from the Ministry of Public Health, and we must follow the reports posted on the Ministry of Public Health website or call the Department of Disease Control hotline 1422, he said. The staffer who answered the Department of Disease Control hotline (1422) told The Phuket News that she also was unable to provide any information. The information must be provided by the executives, and you must follow the reports on the website, the hotline operator said. In addition, I cant give any contact numbers to anyone, she added. The Public Relations division of the Department of Disease Control told The Phuket News to send questions by email. They will present those questions to management and contact us back, they said. CAMPAIGN AFOOT Meanwhile, Vice Governor Pichet today repeated that officials were continuing their campaign to educate the public about the virus. This is so the public knows how to protect themselves and their family members correctly, he said. Public health officers are to hold lectures to teach transport operators, drivers, service staff, and hotel association representatives and anyone else who work closely with tourists about the how to protect themselves from contracting the coronavirus. The Phuket Provincial Education Office will hold training sessions to provide knowledge on prevention measures to students and the public to give these groups the knowledge to take care of themselves in the right manner to prevent catching or spreading the disease, he said. Public awareness signs will be installed at all piers, the airport, service centres, shopping centres and other establishments to educate guests, and hand-washing gel will be available in many places to build confidence and a good image of Phuket so that people know we are coping with the situation, he added. At the close of the meeting, Vice Govenor Pichet handed over face masks and hand sanitiser donated by Kiatisak Panrangsri, the president of Phuket Community Pharmacist Club, to the PPHO to distribute to the public. In this approach, Mr. Sanders wins a smashing victory in the satellite caucuses reporting so far. He wins 21.8 state delegates to a mere 1.2 for Mr. Buttigieg, narrowing Mr. Buttigiegs lead by a full percentage point. But the Iowa Delegate Selection Plan to the Democratic National Committee, the exhaustive and official 78-page rule book that The New York Times used for its election night forecasting model, appears to allot state delegates by satellite caucus differently. The delegate selection plan first awards state delegates to the satellite caucuses as a whole, but does not apportion them to individual precincts. In a subsequent section, it then appears to allocate state delegates to individual precincts based on county delegates: The relative strength of each viable preference group within an in-person satellite caucus will be used to determine the allocation of in-person satellite caucus delegates to the district and state conventions. To determine relative strength, each satellite caucus will be allocated county delegate equivalents. These are not elected delegate positions, but rather used to determine the allocation of district/state delegates. This passage is not especially clear on its own. One could interpret it to affect only the number of state delegates per candidate at a caucus, and has no bearing on how many state delegates a caucus has to award. But the most straightforward interpretation is that the number of state delegates per caucus is based on the number of county convention delegates. It is worth noting that this is the way it works in typical (nonsatellite) precincts: The number of state delegate equivalents is directly proportionate to county delegates. And while the number of county convention delegates at each satellite caucus is based on the turnout, it is not directly proportionate. For instance, a satellite precinct with 1 to 20 people gets four delegates, while a caucus with 21 to 40 caucusgoers gets five delegates. Most important, it limits the influence of any one precinct: A caucus cant get more than nine county delegates, regardless of how many caucusgoers attend. The appendix of the delegate selection plan appears to confirm this interpretation. In the example given, the number of state delegate equivalents awarded to each satellite caucus is directly proportional to the number of county convention delegates, even though they have varying turnout. In the example, a nursing home with 37 people receives five county delegate equivalents; a group home has 12 people, and it receives four delegate equivalents. A subsequent table shows the number of state delegate equivalents is directly proportional to county delegates, regardless of turnout by satellite caucus. (CNN) The US Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump on two articles of impeachment Wednesday, marking the inevitable and historic end to a bitterly fought, divisive impeachment trial that will reverberate into the 2020 election and shape Trump's presidential legacy. But the final day of the Senate's impeachment trial was not without suspense: Sen. Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican, found the President guilty of abuse of power, becoming the first senator in US history to vote to remove from office a president from the same party. The third Senate impeachment trial of a sitting president in US history concluded Wednesday afternoon with votes finding the President not guilty of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, the impeachment articles the House charged Trump with in December. Romney was the sole Republican to vote to convict the President on the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, joining with all Senate Democrats in a 52-48 not guilty vote. Romney voted with Republicans against the obstruction of Congress charge, which fell along straight party lines, 53-47 for acquittal. The acquittal verdict was the final act of a four-month impeachment process that inflamed the partisan tensions simmering throughout the course of the Trump administration, friction that boiled over during the State of the Union even though Trump left impeachment out of his speech. While Wednesday's vote marks the end of the formal impeachment process, Trump and his Democratic detractors are sure to take up the fight over the ultimate significance of the President's impeachment as the presidential campaign heats up. Though Trump is likely to claim victory and vindication with the Senate's vote he tweeted he would be speaking "VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax" Thursday, Romney's vote denies him a purely partisan outcome on impeachment. Every Democrat, including fence-sitters like Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, voted to convict the President, meaning the acquittal vote was not bipartisan like it was in the House. Press secretary Stephanie Grisham dismissed Romney as "one failed Republican presidential candidate" in the White House statement on the vote. "Today, the sham impeachment attempt concocted by Democrats ended in the full vindication and exoneration of President Donald J. Trump," Grisham said. In his Senate floor speech announcing his vote, Romney choked up while explaining how his faith helped guide him to what he described as "the most difficult decision I have ever faced." "Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath of office that I can imagine," Romney said in explaining his vote. After the Senate acquitted Trump of both charges, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would not say at a press conference whether he thought what Trump did was wrong, or if he agreed with some Republican colleagues it was inappropriate for a president to ask a foreign power to probe a political rival. "Listen, we voted," McConnell said. "it's time to move on ... as far as I'm concerned it's in the rearview mirror." The Pelosi-Trump relationship House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose icy exchanges with Trump during the State of the Union only underscored the acrimony of the impeachment process, has been quick to remind Trump he's now been "impeached for life" by the House. Democrats have dismissed the Senate trial as a cover-up for the President after Senate Republicans refused to consider new and important evidence. McConnell at his news conference knocked Pelosi's now-infamous moment where she ripped up a copy of Trump's State of the Union address. "The speaker of the House says that she refuses to accept this acquittal," McConnell said. "Whatever that means. Perhaps she will tear up the verdict like she tore up the State of the Union address. So I would ask my distinguished colleagues across the aisle, is this really, really where you want to go?" The ultimate impact of Trump's impeachment will remain murky until November, when voters will have their say on whether an impeached President will receive a second term. The groundwork for the third impeachment of a US president began in September when Pelosi announced an impeachment inquiry following an anonymous whistleblower complaint alleging Trump sought election help from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a July 2019 phone call. The House's whirlwind investigation that followed uncovered a months-long effort, in which, Trump and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani pressured Ukraine to announce investigations into the President's political rivals while $400 million in US security aid to Ukraine and a White House meeting were withheld. The House voted to impeach the President on two articles in December, backed by all but two Democrats. Republican-turned independent Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan also voted in favor. Every Republican voted against it, and one of the Democrats who joined them in opposition, Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, switched parties soon after. Senate trial focused on witnesses In the Senate, Democrats knew the votes were never there to remove the President. So they focused their efforts on pushing for the trial to include testimony from witnesses and subpoenaing documents that the White House blocked during the House's impeachment inquiry. The witness vote would be closely contested, and McConnell included a request from his moderates in the trial rules to have a vote whether witnesses should be called after opening arguments and senator questions. The week of the vote, a bomb was dropped on Republicans working to defeat the witness vote new revelations from the draft book manuscript of former national security adviser John Bolton alleging the President told Bolton US aid was conditioned on Ukraine announcing investigations into Democrats. The revelations upended the Republican efforts to lock up votes to defeat the motion for witnesses, and Democrats argued that Bolton's claims and willingness to testify required the Senate to hear from him. McConnell urged his caucus to "take a deep breath." Republicans warned that calling Bolton could spark unintended consequences and an indefinite extension of the trial that had ground the Senate to a halt, while the President's attorneys told senators that what Bolton alleged, if true, still did not constitute an impeachable offense. Two Republicans, Romney and Susan Collins of Maine, signaled they would support witnesses. A third, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, was on the fence. But the potential key swing vote, Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, was convinced by the Republican argument, concluding the House proved its case but it didn't warrant impeachment. "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," Alexander said Wednesday explaining his vote. Murkowski also sided with Alexander, leading to a 49-51 vote against witnesses on Friday. She said she believed that all sides failed in the impeachment process: the House, the Senate and the President. After the failed witness vote, the trial was headed to a quick end, and the two sides reached their only agreement of the trial: the trial would break for the weekend and the final vote would come Wednesday after closing arguments and three days of senator speeches to explain their votes. 'For all of history' In closing arguments on Monday, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the lead impeachment manager, urged senators to consider history as they cast votes of guilty and not guilty. The outcome may have been certain but not every vote had been accounted for. "If you find that the House has proved its case and still vote to acquit, your name will be tied to his with a cord of steel and for all of history," Schiff said. "But if you find the courage to stand up to him, to speak the awful truth to his rank falsehood, your place will be among the Davids who took on Goliath. If only you will say enough." One by one, however, the Republicans who may have been on the fence about voting to convict the President said they would render a verdict of not guilty until Romney's announcement on Wednesday. "Were I to ignore the evidence that has been presented, and disregard what I believe my oath and the Constitution demands of me for the sake of a partisan end, it would, I fear, expose my character to history's rebuke and the censure of my own conscience," Romney said. Democrats praised Romney for standing up to his party, but the backlash was swift in Republican circles. Romney's GOP Senate colleagues said they were disappointed, downplaying the significance of his vote, while the President's son Donald Trump Jr. called for Romney to be expelled from the Republican Party. Among Democrats, the impeachment managers' case convinced any wavering senators that Trump's actions did not warrant removal. The biggest Democratic wildcard was Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who said all week he was struggling with the decision. But both Manchin and Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, the most vulnerable Senate Democrat up for reelection in 2020, said they reluctantly voted guilty. "I cannot and will not shrink from my duty to defend the constitution and to do impartial justice," Jones said. This story has been updated with additional developments Wednesday This story was first published on CNN.com "Trump acquitted at end of months long impeachment process, found not guilty of two articles" An emergency 119 staff member sprays disinfectant on himself after driving the country's 22nd confirmed coronavirus patient to Chosun University Hospital in Gwangju, Thursday. / Yonhap By Kim Se-jeong Korea will continue to grapple with new cases of coronavirus infection in the coming weeks, if not months, as more people than previously estimated have come into contact with infected patients, according to medical experts, Thursday. "The third and sixth patients from last week traveled around the country without knowing they had been infected. The number of people they came into contact with surpassed 1,000 before they began showing symptoms and later were confirmed to be infected. That's why there were many confirmed patients earlier," Kim Woo-joo from the Korea University Guro Hospital said Thursday. "From the viewpoint of infectious diseases, this is an anticipated event, so anticipate more to come." Kim noted the coronavirus outbreak is now spreading to small communities, putting everyone in the country at risk. Four additional cases were confirmed here, Thursday, pushing the total to 23. Three of these the 20th, 21st and 22nd were infected by already confirmed patients, while the last, a Chinese tourist, is suspected of being infected in their home country. S. Korea reports 4 more cases of novel coronavirus, total now at 23 Life or death: A glimpse into North Korea shivering with coronavirus fears [PHOTOS] China can bring coronavirus under control 'in 10 days,' Chinese envoy says Korea toughens monitoring against hoarding of protective masks The 19th patient who was confirmed Wednesday evening was a colleague of the 17th patient, and both attended a conference in Singapore together. Korean Medical Association spokesman Park Jong-hyuk criticized the government's current approach to finding confirmed patients. "The government's main task is finding suspected patients quickly and sending them to special clinics where they can be diagnosed and treated separately from other people. But I feel like the government is failing them." Acknowledging the spread to local communities, the Ministry of Health and Welfare called on people to pay extra attention to personal hygiene and coming into contact with others. "We call for extra attention because the coronavirus seems to be spreading rapidly," said Vice Minister Kim Gang-lip during a press conference. "We are working to tighten quarantine measures, especially at the local government level." Kim also said wearing a mask was becoming critical and the government would ensure an adequate supply at affordable prices. People found guilty of monopolizing sales of masks can face a prison term of up to two years. The government also said it would revise its definition of suspected patients from those who have visited China to anyone with symptoms and a letter from a doctor advising further testing. This will allow anyone to be tested at the coronavirus special public medical clinics. This comes after the 16th patient, who had traveled to Thailand, visited such a clinic and asked to be tested but was refused because she hadn't visited China. The 20th patient is a family member of the 15th patient who visited The Place shopping mall in Wuhan in January. The 21st patient was infected after meeting the 6th patient. The 22nd patient is a family member of the 16th patient. The 23rd patient is a Chinese tourist who came to Korea on Jan. 23 with a group of other Chinese visitors. She is the first to be confirmed among Chinese tourists to Korea. INDIA - 2019/08/30: In this photo illustration a popular wireless communication application Verizon logo seen displayed on a smartphone. (Photo Illustration by Other firms, including some of Huawei's rivals, will need to use the patented technology for telecommunications networks. Thousands of elements of that intellectual property (IP) will be "standard essential patents," which are technologies critical for mobile networks including 3G, 4G and now 5G. Even though Huawei has a tiny presence in the U.S., American companies like Verizon will still use patented technology from Huawei. That's because the Chinese firm holds over 87,000 patents globally with 11,000 of those being in the U.S. Huawei has filed two lawsuits against Verizon alleging the U.S. carrier infringed patents held by the Chinese telecoms giant. Huawei claims it has been trying to negotiate royalty payments with Verizon "for a significant period of time" but were "unable to reach an agreement on license terms." CNBC reported last year that Huawei was in discussion with Verizon over royalty payments. Verizon was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC. "For years now we have successfully negotiated patent license agreements with many companies. Unfortunately, when no agreement can be reached, we have no choice but to seek a legal remedy," Song Liuping, chief legal officer at Huawei, told CNBC. "This is the common practice in the industry. Huawei is simply asking that Verizon respect Huawei's investment in research and development by either paying for the use of our patents, or refraining from using them in its products and services." Huawei says the alleged infringements relate to 12 patents in areas from computer networking to video communications claiming that Verizon has "greatly profited" from the use of these. In its lawsuit, Huawei pointed to the fact that Verizon made $29.8 billion revenue in 2018 for its wireline division which includes its fiber-optic communications network. Huawei has been under pressure from the U.S. which has accused it of being a national security threat, claiming its networking gear could be used by Beijing to spy on Americans. Huawei has repeatedly denied these allegations. The Chinese firm has been put on a U.S. blacklist which restricts its access to U.S. technology. Huawei has used legal means to try to fight back against U.S pressure. Last year, it sued the U.S. over a law that bans government agencies from buying its equipment, claiming the legislation is unconstitutional. Patents could be a way for Huawei to go after U.S. firms. Last year, the company's founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei signaled Huawei could look to extract more royalties from companies. "Over the past years, we were not aggressive seeking IPR (intellectual property rights) royalties to companies that use our IPR that's because we were busy pursuing our business growth. Once we have more time off, we may try to get some money from those companies who use our IPR," Ren said, adding that patents would not be used as a "weapon to hinder the development of human society." China's Juneyao Airlines has opted to postpone the March 29 launch of its service from Dublin to Shanghai amid the ongoing concerns over the coronavirus. The route - announced in late November - was a major coup for Dublin Airport following the decision by Chinese carrier Hainan Airlines to axe its six-month-old route to Shenzhen last August, and put its Dublin-Beijing service on ice until this year. A spokesman for Juneyao, meanwhile, said the Shanghai-headquartered carrier was "just rescheduling the start date ... due to operational reasons". He told the Irish Independent the airline "expects the new date will be in late April", adding: "The safety of our passengers and employees is always our highest priority. "Due to the situation in China regarding the coronavirus, Juneyao Air will continue to monitor the situation in close dialogue with authorities." The airline will be operating the route using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, offering 29 seats in business class and stopping over in Helsinki to and from China's biggest financial centre. The airline is also keen to grab a slice of the valuable cargo market from this country to the Asian giant's major port. Another knock-on is connectivity from Shanghai to the wider region. The new service also boasts onward connections to 40 other Chinese destinations, six cities in Japan and 10 other Asia-Pacific destinations. Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific, which put its four-weekly Dublin-Hong Kong service on hold during the winter, is due to resume services on March 29. However, the carrier could not confirm the current outlook at the time of writing. Hainan, meanwhile, could not be contacted for a confirmation date on its resumed service from Ireland to China's capital. It's a worrying situation for the business sector, given the scale of trade between the two countries - with Enterprise Ireland client exports alone at a record 1.03bn, representing just over half of the total Asia-Pacific market. And in 2018 alone, an estimated 100,000 Chinese visited this country for leisure purposes, with China the world's biggest outbound market. Despite hitting the 32.5 million passenger mark last year, Ireland's biggest airport said traffic to Asia, the Middle East and Africa was "flat" at just over one million passengers - with the withdrawal of services a major factor. While Wang Junjin, Juneyao Air's chairman, said last year that "we see strong demand for travel between Ireland and Shanghai", much of the heavy lifting is being done by the hub carriers: Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways via their respective hubs. For now, the business market is dead in the water. Turkish Airlines halted services to Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Xi'an from Istanbul on January 29 until at least February 29. Qatar stopped all services to China from Doha from February 3, with no end date specified. Etihad suspended flights to Shanghai and Chengdu on February 5, but Beijing is operating for now. Meanwhile, Emirates - which had a coronavirus false alarm in Dublin this week - halted flights from Dubai to Shanghai and Guangzhou from February 5, while it is maintaining the Beijing route. So far, so gloomy for the corporate travel sector. But there may yet be an upside - coming from the travel industry itself. UK-based Chinese entrepreneur Wendy Wu operates the biggest inbound leisure travel operation to China in key markets, including the UK, Australia and New Zealand, carrying tens of thousands of tourists each year. Wu, who has good access in Chinese circles, has been kept updated on the coronavirus situation by the team handling the outbreak - Dr Zhong Nanshan and colleague Dr Li Lanjuan. Zhong is confident that the virus is near to its peak and that immunisation programmes will come soon. And he has expertise in this area. The epidemiologist and pulmonologist earned international fame for managing the Sars outbreak, while Li was the first expert to propose the lockdown of Wuhan, epicentre of the coronavirus, which was accepted by the Chinese government. "He is the genius behind the elimination of Sars and he is the leading doctor on the coronavirus taskforce," Wu said of Zhong. "He gives all the advice to the government on what needs to be done. His latest update was on Tuesday," Wu told the Irish Independent. "They expect this coronavirus to peak around the eighth of February, after which the threat will subside. That is also being supported by the evidence of the last three days - newly confirmed cases of people having the virus are still increasing, however the recovery rate of patients being released for the last three consecutive days has passed fatalities." She added: "Another positive thing is the total accumulated fatality number is far less than those who have recovered." She attributes much of the speed to the Chinese team publishing the structure of the virus on January 10 and releasing that to medical experts globally, which in turn led to a team in Australia developing the virus in what has been described as a 'game-changer'. Wu said the team in China is now "confident there will be full immunisation in weeks, not months". The bells of Westminster Abbey will still ring out to celebrate the Duke of York's 60th birthday, despite his involvement in the ongoing investigation into paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Prince Andrew, who stepped down from royal duties over his friendship with the convicted sex offender, will turn 60 on February 19. The policy of flying Union flags on royal birthdays is now being re-examined after councils were ordered to do so for Andrew, sparking outrage. Downing Street said it is now being looked into after critics branded the reminder 'crass and offensive'. Certain royal birthdays, including the Duke's, are traditionally marked by the ringing of bells at the Abbey. The bells of Westminster Abbey will still ring out to celebrate the Duke of York's 60th birthday. He is pictured arriving at church with the Queen in King's Lynn, Norfolk on January 19 A spokeswoman for the central London church said today: 'Westminster Abbey is a Royal Peculiar and the bells are rung for the birthdays of HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh; their children; and TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children. There are no plans to change these arrangements.' The Abbey, where the Queen was married and crowned, is also where Andrew wed Sarah Ferguson, now Sarah, Duchess of York, in 1986. An email, seen by The Sun, has been sent to councils by Matt Stevenson, private secretary to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government permanent secretary Dame Melanie Dawes, reminding them to fly the flag for Andrew's 60th. But critics said the order should be scrapped because of allegations that Andrew slept with Virginia Giuffre, who claims she was trafficked by Epstein. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's official spokesman said: 'This was an administrative email about long-standing policy. 'I understand DCMS (Department of Culture, Media and Sport) and the Royal Household are considering how the policy applies in changing circumstances such as when members of the royal family step back from their duties.' A spokesman for the DCMS added: 'This was an administrative email about a long standing policy. 'We are working with the Royal Household to consider how flag flying policy can be applied in changing circumstances, such as when a member of the Royal Family steps back from public duties.' Critics said the order to fly the Union Jack should be scrapped because of allegations that Prince Andrew slept with Virginia Giuffre Roberts (pictured), who claims she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson said that Liverpool City Council will not be obeying any such requests from the Government because it would not be 'appropriate'. Mr Anderson told the Liverpool Echo: 'No, we won't be doing that, I don't think that would be appropriate. 'This isn't to do with being anti-royal, we have flown the flag for the Queen before. 'But Prince Andrew isn't a major royal, he's not a significant member of the royal family.' Prince Andrew faces increasing pressure to answer the FBI's questions regarding his friend Jeffrey Epstein (mugshot pictured) Mr Anderson added: 'When you look at his behaviour, it wouldn't be appropriate for us to mark his birthday.' Andrew stepped down from public life in November after the fallout from his disastrous Newsnight appearance. He was accused of showing a lack of empathy for Epstein's victims and of failing to show regret over his friendship with the disgraced financier. Ms Giuffre, previously known as Virginia Roberts, says she and the duke slept together on three separate occasions, including when she was 17, still a minor under US law. Andrew, who strenuously denies the allegations, is facing calls to talk to the FBI and US prosecutors. The re-examination of the flag-flying policy will not affect the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are also quitting royal duties amid the Megxit crisis. Harry and Meghan's birthdays are not marked with flags on UK Government buildings, because the duke is not the child of a monarch, and the pair are not a future king and queen. Republic, a campaign to replace the monarchy with an elected head of state, said councils had better things to worry about than 'daft royal protocols'. Chief executive Graham Smith said: 'This is crass and offensive, and even at the best of times it's nonsense to be flying flags for Andrew's or anyone else's birthday. Pictured: Westminster Abbey, where the bells will ring to mark Prince Andrew's 60th birthday 'Councils are struggling to provide core services, they have better things to worry about than daft royal protocols. 'And to think we should be celebrating a man who has serious accusations of sexual assault hanging over his head is particularly appalling. It's time we ended the whole nonsense of flying flags for royal birthdays. 'It's inappropriate in a democracy and the public aren't interested. I think we'd all rather see councils spend their time and money getting services delivered.' The Local Government Association said councils will decide locally when to fly flags. A spokesman for the LGA said: 'Councils have their own flag-raising guidelines or protocols and will decide locally how to respond to any requests to fly particular flags on specific occasions.' A United Airlines passenger is accused of attacking a flight attendant by hitting them in the face, grabbing them by the tie and throwing them to the ground while yelling 'I will kill you.' The incident caused Flight 32 to divert to the Anchorage International Airport during it's trip from Los Angeles, California, to Narita, Japan, according to court documents. Seksan Kumtong allegedly broke federal law by interfering with the flights crew and attendants during the nearly 12 hours flight on February 2. United Airlines flight 32 was diverted to Anchorage International Airport during its trip from Los Angeles, California, to Narita, Japan Before the violent altercation, Kumtong was shouting and acting 'unruly' by banging on the plane's occupied bathroom doors. Crew members said Kumtong attempted to push other passengers out of the way and forcibly vacate them from the lavatory. A flight attendant proceeded to show Kumtong a different bathroom before he tried to shove the attendant, but missed. He was told to stop yelling and not to touch the flight attendant. After Kumtong consumed at least one alcoholic beverage, the flight crew decided to no longer serve him drinks as his behavioral problems continued. Kumtong then fell asleep in his seat for a period of time, but later woke up and became agitated when a crew member refused to serve him more alcoholic beverages. He then became loud and yelled at the flight attendant, prompting them to request help from a lead flight attendant. The lead flight attendant asked Kumtong to slow down on the alcoholic beverages and to stop yelling. Then, Kumtong reportedly became physically aggressive with the lead flight attendant. 'The lead flight attendant was then struck in the face by Kumtong. Kumtong grabbed the lead flight attendant by the neck and tie and attempted to push the lead flight attendant to the floor,' documents say. Pictured: the United Airline's flight map on February 2 that show Flight 32 taking off from Los Angeles, California and later flying right to Anchorage, Alaska 'While doing this, Kumtong yelled obscenities and "I will kill you" to the lead flight attendant.' Several passengers rushed to the flight attendant's aid after hearing a female calling for help. Meanwhile, Kumtong continued to swear, shout and act violently towards people while both passengers and crew members restrained him. Because of Kumtong's outburst, Flight 32 diverted midway through its flight and abruptly landed in Anchorage, Alaska at 4.45pm. Kumtong was met by airport police Customs and Border Protection, TSA Federal Air Marshal and the FBI. He is currently in federal custody at the Anchorage Correctional Center and appeared in court on Wednesday. An upcoming hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, February 11, at 1.30pm. His defender wanted more time with Kumtong because he needed a translator. Passengers and crew members were placed in a hotel before continuing their flight the next day. What just happened? Its safe to say that smartwatches arent the fad some people thought they would be. In fact, the most popular of these devicesthe Apple Watchsold more units in 2019 than the entire Swiss watch industry. Apple doesnt report official sales figures for the Apple Watch, so Strategy Analytics collates data from retail partners and vendors to come up with estimates. It states that the wearable shipped 31 million units worldwide in 2019, 10 million more than all combined Swiss watch brands, which include Swatch, Tissot, and Tag Heuer. Its estimated that the Apple Watch saw 36 percent growth last year compared to 2018 when 22.5 million units were shipped. The Swiss watch industry, by contrast, declined 13 percent in 2019, falling from 24.2 million to 21.1 million. Neil Mawston, executive director at Strategy Analytics, writes that while analog wristwatches remain popular among older consumers, younger buyers prefer smartwatches. Some Swiss watch brands have entered the smartwatch market, most notably Tag Heuer with its Connected and Connected Modular 41, and Montblanc with its Summit 2, but theyre all double or treble the price of the Apple Watch, and cant match the device when it comes to software and features. Things have come a long way since 2017 when just 14 percent of executives in the Swiss watch industry considered smartwatches to be a threat to sales, while 72 said theyd have no effect at all. The remaining 14 percent saw the wearables as an opportunity. Last month, a study from the Pew Research Center showed that around one in five (21 percent) of Americans now regularly wear a smartwatch or fitness tracker. The Yankees hoped their injury nightmare would end with the new year. Nope. Instead, it got even worse, with a key pitcher getting hurt before the start of spring training. Lefty starting pitcher James Paxton could be out as long as four months after he underwent a microscopic lumbar discectomy with removal of a peridiscal cyst, or lower back surgery, on Wednesday. Dr. Andrew Dossett performed the surgery in in Dallas. Here are the immediate ramifications of losing Paxton for the Yankees: Huge loss to the rotation: Paxton is arguably the Yankees second-best starting pitcher, behind the newly signed Gerrit Cole and either neck-and-neck or just ahead of Luis Severino. In his first season in the Bronx, Paxton went 15-6 with a 3.82 ERA in 29 starts. But he looked like ace material over his final 11 starts, winning 10 of them with a 2.51 ERA while striking out 69 hitters in 61 innings. He had a rough time in his first two postseason starts, but he stepped up big-time in Game 5 of the ALCS, holding the Astros to one run over six innings. What does the rotation look like now? Subtract Paxton, and its probably something like this: Cole at No. 1, Severino at No. 2 and Masahiro Tanaka at No. 3. J.A. Happ would likely serve as the No. 4 starter with lefty Jordan Montgomery, who missed almost all of last year recovering from Tommy John surgery, as the fifth starter. Prospects Mike King, Deivi Garci and Clarke Schmidt could battle for starts, too. Jonathan Loaisigia might also get looks to start if the Yankees dont move him to the bullpen full-time due to his injury history and diminutive frame. Should the Yankees have been more proactive? According to the New York Posts Joel Sherman, general manager Brian Cashman said doctors recommended a conservative approach to treating Paxton when the injury was diagnosed in the last week of the regular season. But then it got worse as the offseason progressed. Some will say the Yankees should have had Paxton undergo surgery immediately, but think about this: Youre hurt. A doctor tells you that you could recover from the injury without surgery ... or you could immediately go under the knife. What would you choose? Buy Yankees tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek, PrimeSport Should the Yankees trade for more pitching? The answer to should a team add more pitching is always yes, but the Yankees top three starters are very good, and if Happ can look like he did toward the end of last season, hes a more-than-capable No. 4. Same deal with Montgomery, a tall lefty with a funky delivery who surprised in 2017 and 2018, until he got hurt. More of the same: The Yankees had 30 injured list stints last year, beating the previous record of 28 the Dodgers set in 2016. Brendan Kuty may be reached at bkuty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook. People of County Louth, brace yourselves this weekend, as it's going to get very windy and very wet! Met Eireann has this afternoon issued two weather warnings for Louth. A Status Yellow Wind warning for the county comes into effect in the wee hours off Saturday morning. Met Eireann say we can expect "southerly winds (which) will strengthen during Saturday reaching mean speeds of 50-65km/h with gusts reaching 90-110km/h. On Sunday, Storm Ciara (named by the UK Met Office) will produce very strong winds over Ireland on Sunday with a risk of damaging gusts. The warning valid until Sunday at midnight. Met Eireann add: "Over the weekend the combination of Spring Tides and high seas as well as stormy conditions will result in an elevated risk of coastal flooding especially along southern, western and northwestern coasts." Meanwhile, at the same time, a Status Yellow Rainfall warning comes into effect for the Wee County. According to met.ie, we can expect "a spell of heavy rain will spread eastwards across the country on Saturday with 20-40mm expected, highest in the west and northwest. The following day, brace yourselves for "another spell of heavy rain on Sunday will clear to squally wintry showers. Another 20-40mm likely." The warning valid until Sunday at midnight. There is also a risk of localised flooding this weekend. Following repeat errors and continued delays in the release of the vote counts from 2020's Iowa caucus, a leading Democratic Party official is calling for a "recanvass" of the state. Tom Perez, chair of the Democratic National Committee, announced that "enough is enough" despite 3 per cent of the total count still missing from the final results from the nation's first round of voting in the Democratic presidential primary to determine who earns the party's nomination to face Donald Trump in November. He said on Twitter: "In light of the problems that have emerged in the implementation of the delegate selection plan and in order to assure public confidence in the results, I am calling on the Iowa Democratic Party to immediately begin a recanvass." A recanvass typically involves a precinct-by-precinct recount of paper votes. Party officials in Iowa are currently reviewing votes and entering them manually after an app's failure prevented precincts from uploading their results in the first place. Mr Perez says a recanvass in Iowa would review the worksheets from each caucus site "to ensure accuracy". The results from each precinct would be checked against the figures recorded by the state party. 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 The call from Mr Perez follows a sharp uptick in caucus results supporting Bernie Sanders, edging closer to Democratic rival Pete Buttiegieg with 97 per cent of the votes in. The Vermont senator and former South Bend, Indiana mayor are nearly tied in state delegate equivalent counts, though Mr Sanders received more than 6,000 votes more than his opponent in the 12-candidate spread, earning the popular vote. According to CNN, the DNC is concerned how Iowa assigned state delegate equivalents from satellite caucus results which were recently entered, adding to Mr Sanders' surge. In a statement, Iowa Democratic Party Chair Troy Price pushed back at the DNC's demand and said the party owes it to the "thousands of Iowa Democratic volunteers and caucusgoers to remain focused on collecting and reviewing incoming results". He cited party rules that only a campaign can request an audit. Mr Price said: "This caucus opened new opportunities for accessibility that were never able before including over 1,500 caucusgoers attending satellite caucuses in senior living centres, Mosques, and overseas, and first-of-their-kind Spanish language and hand sign sites. This process will not be complete until we honour them." A New York Times review of 100 precincts found results that are inconsistent with the official counts or missing data entirely, noting that those discrepancies could make a significant difference in the final results when margins remain razor-thin. Mr Buttiegieg appeared to declare himself the victor after voting closed, despite no reported results, saying: "Iowa, you have shocked the nation, because by all indications, we are going on to New Hampshire victorious." During a press conference in New Hampshire on Thursday, Mr Sanders said his campaign earned a "very strong victory" by turning out more voters for his campaign. "From where I come, if you got 6,000 more votes, that's generally regarded to be the winner", he said. The senator leads the first and second alignment votes among caucusgoers, and is currently just three or .1 per cent state delegate equivalent votes behind Mr Buttiegieg. Mr Sanders attributed his potential victory to "the unprecedented grassroots effort of our campaign", which included 1,700 volunteers and 10,000 door-knocking shifts to rally support for the candidate. "Thousands of volunteers knocked on hundreds of thousands of doors in the cold and snow", he said on Twitter. "I want to thank each and every volunteer who participated in that effort." BALTIMORE, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Virus Network (GVN), representing 53 Centers of Excellence and 9 Affiliates in 32 countries comprising foremost experts in every class of virus causing disease in humans and some animals, is holding regular strategic discussions with its members regarding the growing novel coronavirus, known as 2019-nCoV, which originated in Wuhan, China this past December. The GVN has identified areas to support its Centers and work with international organizations addressing the growing epidemic. "GVN Centers of Excellence and Affiliates, with strong working relationships among them, are poised to engage in any outbreak situation by providing the world's only network of top basic virologists from around the globe covering all classes of human viral threats," said Christian Brechot, MD, PhD, President of the GVN, and a Professor at the University of South Florida. "Many members of the GVN are initiating various projects regarding diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics to combat this rapidly expanding, novel, outbreak. However, there are still resource needs and information gaps that need to be filled, and GVN is helping to serve as that important resource. In particular, we have engaged GVN Africa to foster collaborations on diagnostics and other important resource needs." "We are organizing a workshop for the diagnosis of 2019-nCoV in Dakar for 15 countries in a joint partnership with Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in collaboration with the World Health Regional Office for Africa and the West African Health Organization before the epidemic arrives," said Amadou Alpha Sall, PhD, General Administrator, Institut Pasteur in Dakar, the region's top biomedical research facility, and Member, Global Virus Network (GVN). "We are contributing to build 'the Africa We Want' in 2063 Africa agenda, while making sure that we anticipate the threat rather than reacting to it. This is a new model of work for Africa under the leadership of Africa CDC catalyzed by Ebola and other outbreaks that may change the public health practice in Africa in the coming years." 2019-nCoV has spread to other global regions, including Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Australia, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, The Republic of Korea, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and Vietnam. As of Thursday morning, February 6, there are over 28,000 infected and more than 560 dead, while the rest of the world reports more than 260 confirmed cases and two deaths outside of mainland China. The numbers are likely higher. On January 29, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity (Doherty Institute), a GVN Center of Excellence, in Melbourne announced that, for the first time outside of China, they successfully grew 2019-nCoV from a patient sample in the laboratory and were the first to share the virus with public health laboratories globally and the World Health Organization (WHO). This provides those laboratories, including those within the GVN, with crucial information to help combat the virus. Mike Catton, PhD, Deputy Director of the Doherty Institute and Member of the GVN, said that possession of a virus isolate extended what could be achieved with molecular technology in the fight against this virus. The Doherty Institute-grown virus is expected to be used to generate an antibody test, among other uses, which allows detection of the virus in patients who haven't displayed symptoms and were therefore unaware they had the virus. "An antibody test will enable us to retrospectively test suspected patients so we can gather a more accurate picture of how widespread the virus is, and consequently, among other things, the true mortality rate," said Dr. Catton. On January 23, after Chinese researchers published the sequence of 2019-nCoV, a GVN partner, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), announced that it will fund three vaccine initiatives with $12.5 million, including GVN Center of Excellence, the Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centere at the University of Queensland (UQ). Further, on February 3, CEPI and GSK announced that GSK will make its established pandemic vaccine adjuvant platform technology available to enhance the development of an effective vaccine against 2019-nCoV. Adjuvants are added to a vaccine to boost the immune response to produce more antibodies and longer-lasting immunity, thus minimizing the dose of antigen needed. "The University of Queensland's 'molecular clamp technology' provides stability to the viral protein that is the primary target for our immune defense," said Paul Young, PhD, Head of the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences at UQ, Australia and Member of the GVN. "The technology has been designed as a platform approach to generate vaccines against a range of human and animal viruses and has shown promising results in the laboratory targeting viruses such as influenza, Ebola, Nipah and MERS coronavirus. The availability of the GSK adjuvant will enable us to carry out important pre-clinical experiments designed to assess vaccine effectiveness." Other GVN researchers are sourcing their MERS and SARS coronavirus expertise to advance vaccine development for this new outbreak. "With our experience and novel contributions to the MERS and SARS outbreaks as well as the deadly zoonosis influenza viruses, H7N7 and H5N1, we are working to develop a vaccine against this new, novel coronavirus," said Ab Osterhaus, PhD, DVM, Director of the The Research Center for Emerging Infections and Zoonosis (RIZ) at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Hannover, Germany, a Center Director of the GVN, and CEO of Artemis One Health Foundation, Germany. "Specifically, we are poised to study T-Cell and IgM antibody response using our expertise in animal models." Linfa Wang, PhD, Director of the Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases at Duke-NUS Medical School and a Center Director of the GVN, Singapore, is developing diagnostics for 2019-nCoV with collaborators in China. Dr. Wang, who sequenced and named Australia's bat-borne Hendra virus more than 25 years ago, has obtained multiple isolates of the virus, and is focused on studying serology and cross-reactivity and contamination on diagnostics. Dr. Wang believes the deadly new coronavirus "appears to be more infectious than the 2003 SARS coronavirus." Further he warns, "Despite the possibility for criticisms of an overreaction, it is imperative that we act quickly and effectively, as the alternative of an underreaction could potentially lead to more deaths worldwide." "We are funneling resources towards this new novel virus research on animal infection, transmission and reservoirs," said Joaquim Segales, DVM, PhD, Researcher from the Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Spain and a Center Director of the GVN. "We also have a number of reagents against MERS available, and are waiting to receive isolates of the virus, hopefully from our GVN colleagues." "Our GVN colleagues in Melbourne at the Doherty Institute are shipping a sample of this new novel virus as we speak," said Johan Neyts, PhD, Professor of Virology, Rega Institute for Medical Research at the University of Leuven and a Center Director of the GVN. "We are researching a potential vaccine, based upon our Plasmid Launched Live Attenuated Virus (PLAV) technology based upon other viruses, including yellow fever, Lassa and rabies. Further, we are a leading research center developing antiviral compounds and will apply our research to develop therapeutics for 2019-nCoV." "The GVN wishes to help and collaborate with other scientists globally, and especially to include the China GVN and China CDC, whose scientists, under the leadership of Dr. George F. Gao, have made important initial contributions to the genomic characterization and epidemiology of this deadly virus," said Robert Gallo, MD, Co-Founder and Chairman of the International Scientific Leadership Board of the GVN. Dr. Gallo is also The Homer & Martha Gudelsky Distinguished Professor in Medicine and Director, Institute of Human Virology (IHV) at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, a GVN Center of Excellence. SOURCE Global Virus Network (GVN) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Hitting out at Pakistan as well as opposition parties for misleading Muslims on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the Act will not harm "any Indian" as well as the "minority" and instigating such protests could lead to "anarchy". Addressing the Lok Sabha while speaking on the motion of thanks to President Ram Nath Kovind's address to the joint session of Parliament on January 31; day one of the Budget session, Modi rejected allegations of various political parties that the current government led by BJP wanted to make India a Hindu nation. The Prime Minister said Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, had also used "Pakistan's minority" word and in November 9, 1950, he had said that who had come to India should be given citizenship and if needed there should be changes in the law. "Did Nehru want to make India a Hindu Nation?" "This Act will not harm any Indian citizens. It will not harm any minority," Modi said in his over 100-minute speech. The Prime Minister said that it is just "vote bank politics" and asked if Congress has forgotten the 1984 Sikh riots when "our Sikh brothers and sisters were set ablaze". "Did they not belong to a minority community? Why did they have to wait for over three decades for getting justice? Why did Congress give chief ministerial post to a person who was involved in Sikh riots? Do they have two different yardsticks for the term minority?" Hitting out at the Congress, the Prime Minister said it is the "misfortune" of the country that it has found such an opposition which has drifted to a "wrong path". The Prime Minister said the Congress and its "ecosystem" is creating turmoil on CAA, a legislation which grants citizenship to six-non Muslim minorities - Hindu, Sikh, Parsi, Jain, Christian and Buddhist which migrated to India on or before December 31, 2014 from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. "They (opposition) have used full power to instil an imaginary fear in the minds of people against CAA. Pakistan also speaks the same language. Pakistan played every game to mislead Indian Muslims. But that country's attempts have failed...A Muslim is only a Muslim for the Congress, but we see him as an Indian." The Prime Minister said that minorities in Pakistan are being harassed since the Partition. However, demonstrations are being instigated in India if "we try to give citizenship rights to those minorities through CAA". Boris Johnson has reportedly nominated Philip Hammond and Ken Clarke for peerages as the Prime Minister extends an olive branch to two of his most vociferous Brexit critics. Both Mr Hammond and Mr Clarke - both former Tory chancellors - lost the Conservative whip last year after voting against the government on Brexit. But they are believed to be on Downing Street's list of nominations for people who will be elevated to the House of Lords. Meanwhile, Ruth Davidson, the former Scottish Tory leader, is also apparently set to be offered a place in the upper chamber. Philip Hammond, pictured in Downing Street in July last year, is set to be nominated for a peerage, according to reports Ken Clark, pictured in Westminster in September last year, is also due to be elevated to the upper chamber by Number 10 The move by Boris Johnson to extend an olive branch to two of his biggest Brexit critics will take many by surprise in Westminster The revelation published by the BBC that Mr Hammond and Mr Clarke are in line to receive peerages will come as a surprise to many in Westminster given the nature of their exit from Parliament as MPs. Both decided not to stand at the 2019 general election after they were suspended by the Tories for siding with pro-Remain rebels on crunch Brexit votes. A number of other Tories who were kicked out for rebelling over the UK's departure from the EU were subsequently allowed back in and contested the election as Conservative candidates. But Mr Hammond and Mr Clarke were not offered a way back, leaving them with the choice between running as an independent MP candidate or quitting. Former chancellors are by convention usually offered a peerage after they have stepped down as MPs. But it is perhaps a surprise that the current government intends to abide by that convention given the brutal rows of last year and due to the fact that Mr Hammond and Mr Clarke remain highly critical of Mr Johnson's approach. They are believed to have been joined on Number 10's list of nominations by Ms Davidson who stepped down as Scottish Tory leader last year. Ruth Davidson, pictured in Edinburgh in December last year, quit as Scottish Tory leader in 2019 but is likely to be put forward by Number 10 for a peerage Meanwhile, the PM has also reportedly nominated two former Labour MPs for peerages in what will be seen as a shot at Jeremy Corbyn. Ian Austin and John Woodcock both quit Labour and campaigned at the general election to keep Mr Corbyn out of Number 10. Mr Johnson is expected to offer them seats in the upper chamber where they will be able to sit as non-aligned peers. The nominations put forward by Downing Street will be vetted by the House of Lords Appointments Commission. How is this for a great job: recording a dolphin's whistle? And not just one whistle, but hundreds, because each endangered Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin has its own "signature whistle" among many repeated whistles. Sasha Dines, a zoologist with South African NGO Sea Search who is investigating the species in Mozambique's Ponta do Ouro marine reserve, says being able to tell those whistles apart will be a vital step forward in the effort to find out more about these elusive dolphins -- and ultimately help conserve them. A dolphins signature whistle is a sonic name tag developed in its first year. Dolphins draw on the whistles of their mothers and peers, adapting them to create their own unique sound. Listing individual dolphins helps scientists to build up as accurate a picture of a wild population as possible: how many there are; where they spend their time; how far they travel. Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphins, named for the hump-like fatty deposits beneath their dorsal fins, have a vast geographical range that extends from the tip of South Africa to the west coast of India. But their populations are fragmented and in decline. Not many people are aware of these dolphins' existence and even less their endangered status, Dines told RFI. Dolohin's under threat There are only an estimated 500 humpback dolphins in South Africa, and an unknown number in Mozambique. Coastal development, tourism and pollution all pose threats to the species, said Dines. Chemical pollution in coastal areas has been a huge threat," she said, adding that humpback dolphins contain the highest concentrations of pesticides known as organochlorines "of any other marine mammal in South Africa. We just dont know enough about the species (in Mozambique) to adequately describe how these threats will affect their population, she said. Initially, Dines and her team will focus on the Ponta do Ouro, south of the capital Maputo. Story continues The area, a species-rich trans-frontier conservation reserve with neighbouring South Africa, has plenty of bottlenose dolphins and a resident humpback dolphin, though the team expects to find more, and to include more study sites throughout the year. There has already been signature whistle research among bottlenose dolphins. Indeed it has been going on for decades. In 2014, researchers identified and described 28 signature whistles from a wild population of bottlenose dolphins in Namibia's Walvis Bay, the first study of its kind in Africa. We still have a way to go to investigate how humpback dolphin signature whistles are similar or dissimilar (to those of bottlenose dolphins), said Dines. Conserving dolphins This project aims to collect additional data such as video recordings of the individuals to align with our acoustic recordings to confirm whistle owners. The research in Mozambique will build on pilot studies done in South Africa through the SouSA Consortium, a network of scientists and conservationists researching the species. Dines, who is conducting the Mozambican study as part of her PhD research, said her interest in humpback dolphins began four years ago while working with a conservation NGO in Mossel Bay, South Africa. I hope my research can make a difference in the conservation of humpback dolphins, she said. In southern Africa the news is dominated by humpback whales and white sharks. But these little guys really deserve and need our attention. BEIJING, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- China's Long March-5B carrier rocket arrived at the launch site in southern China's Hainan Province Wednesday after a week of ocean and rail transport, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The rocket will take part in a joint rehearsal with the prototype of the Chinese space station's core module at the Wenchang Space Launch Center. It is scheduled to make its maiden flight and launch the prototype of China's new manned spaceship in April. The Long March-5B is a modified version of Long March-5 rocket and will be China's first 1.5-stage large carrier rocket, according to Wang Jue, chief commander of the Long March-5 rocket. The rocket is 53.7 meters long, with a diameter of five meters and a liftoff weight of 849 tonnes. It uses pollution-free propellant including liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen and kerosene. It has a carrying capacity of more than 22 tonnes in low-Earth orbit. It has the largest carrying capacity in low-Earth orbit among all Chinese rockets. A plane carrying Canadian citizens home from the centre of the global novel coronavirus outbreak has landed in Vancouver. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Summer Wu and her one-year-old son Felix wait on a plane destined for Canada to leave the Wuhan Tianhe International Airport early in the morning on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020 in this handout photo provided by Wu's husband Michael Schellenberg. Michael is in Wuhan in Hubei province with his wife Summer Wu and their one-year-old son Felix. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Michael Schellenberg *MANDATORY CREDIT* A plane carrying Canadian citizens home from the centre of the global novel coronavirus outbreak has landed in Vancouver. The evacuation flight organized by the federal government departed from Wuhan, the Chinese city where the outbreak originated. The plane was originally due to take off on Wednesday, but was delayed due to bad weather. Several dozen more Canadian passengers left China on board a United States government flight that departed a few hours later. All evacuees from Wuhan will spend 14 days under quarantine at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, where they will be monitored to see if they have contracted the virus. Canadian officials have documented five cases of coronavirus in the country so far and say the quarantine is necessary to ensure the virus doesn't spread further. More Coming Index designed to advance equality in America launched on Oct. 30, 2019 with an opening value of 1,807.85 WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LGBTQ Loyalty Holdings, Inc. (U.S.: OTC stock symbol LFAP) today announced that the LGBTQ100 ESG Index (Ticker: LGBTQ100) reached an intra-day high of 2,009.02 and closed at 2,006.96 for the first time since inception on October 30, 2019. Designed to advance equality throughout corporate America, the Index tracks the top 100 companies within the U.S. that rank high on environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics and support the cause for diversity and equality across the nation. Im thrilled that our LGBTQ100 ESG Index, which screens for ESG compliance in addition to advancing equality, has outperformed the S&P 500 in its first 90 days, said Bobby Blair, CEO of LGBTQ Loyalty Holdings, Inc. Our community has direct input into the selection of these top 100 equality-driven corporations, which ultimately furthers our collective mission to deliver an Index that supports and aligns with the LGBTQ community. The Index went live on Oct. 30, 2019, with an opening value of 1,807.85. Since launch, the Index has outperformed the S&P 500 by 1.21%. "This outperformance is consistent with what we saw during the rigorous design phase of the Index," commented Partha Sen, CEO of Fuzzy Logix, the company powering the Index analytics. "During historical back-testing, the Index demonstrated excess returns over the S&P 500 of nearly 4.7% annually." For more information about the LGBTQ100 ESG Index, please visit www.lgbtq100.com . About LGBTQ Loyalty Holdings, Inc. LGBTQ Loyalty is a financial methodology and media company that quantifies corporate equality alignment with the LGBTQ community and its supporters. The Company has benchmarked the first-ever U.S. Loyalty Preference Index, which the Company believes will empower the LGBTQ community to express their preferences for the nation's high-performing corporations most dedicated to advancing equality. The Loyalty Preference Index, which is an environmental, social and governance ("ESG") Index, will also offer an added perspective for those seeking to align with equality-driven, ESG-responsible corporations. LGBTQ Loyalty's leadership includes seasoned authorities in the financial industry and LGBTQ community. About Fuzzy Logix We accelerate analytics. We use it to deliver high-impact business outcomes in Banking, Finance and Healthcare. Our state-of-the-art tool FastINDX allows 10-100x faster creation and turnkey management of Indexes and alpha-seeking Portfolios using a global database of 100K+ financial instruments. You can find us at www.fuzzylogix.com and www.fastindx.com . Contact: When a dog dies, he said, does he go to heaven? Why should we think were so special that we cannot just die? No, you only go around once and just hope you get the brass ring. The rest is ego. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 03:41:04|Editor: Shi Yinglun Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese UN envoy on Wednesday said that political settlement of conflict is the key to controlling the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons (SALWs). "The settlement of disputes through political and diplomatic means and maintenance of international and regional peace and stability is the key to eliminating the illicit trade of SALWs," Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said at a Security Council meeting on small arms. The international community should intensify peacekeeping and post-conflict rebuilding effort to assist the concerned countries in achieving economic prosperity and sustainable development, he said. Moreover, the Chinese envoy said, governments bear the primary responsibility for combating the illicit trade of SALWs and they should establish and improve laws and regulations, and strengthen their enforcement. Governments should also strictly implement Security Council resolutions on arms embargo, not transfer weapons to non-state actors, and prevent the trafficking of legitimate weapons to illicit channels, Wu said. Emphasizing the leadership of the UN in this regard, he said that states should carry out their international obligations, support the secretary-general and UN agencies in playing their positive role, and push forward the multilateral process of countering illicit trade of SALWs. In light of the needs of developing countries, the international community should increase its assistance in institutional and capacity-building, funding contributions, technology transfer and personnel training, he said. The Chinese government consistently opposes the illicit trade of small arms and light weapons, and actively participates in international and regional cooperation in combatting such illicit trade, Wu said. China has started legal procedures for the accession to Arms Trade Treaty, he said, adding the move has fully shown China's determination and sincerity in adhering to multilateralism, in actively participating in global governance of arms trade, and in building a community with a shared future for mankind. Before Wu spoke, UN Undersecretary-General of Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu warned that the destabilizing accumulation, illicit transfer and misuse of small arms and light weapons continue to initiate, sustain and exacerbate armed conflict and pervasive crime. She told the Security Council that small arms and light weapons are "the weapons of choice" in intra-state conflicts and for terrorism, organized crime and gang warfare. Currently, nine UN peacekeeping and political missions across the globe address conventional weapons-related issues, including small arms and light weapons control and weapons and ammunition management, she said. With regard to the source of illicit weapons, Nakamitsu said diversion remains a major source of weapons and their ammunition for gangs, criminal organizations and terrorist groups. She explained that those weapons and their ammunition originate from poorly-managed state-owned stockpiles and battlefield capture or loss following state collapse. (Bloomberg) -- With two words and a question mark, Elon Musk dropped a hint Tesla Inc. may build another U.S. factory, days after President Donald Trump suggested the chief executive officer owed the country another manufacturing plant. Musk posted Giga Texas? and started a Twitter poll late Tuesday, using shorthand for gigafactory, a term he coined years ago to describe a big plant. As of 2 p.m. New York time Wednesday, 80% of roughly 260,000 respondents voted Hell yeah. The remainder clicked Nope. The euphoria that preceded Musks post -- Tesla closed Tuesday at $887.06, up 112% from where it started the year -- has given way to record sell-off. The stock plummeted as much as 21% Wednesday, its biggest intraday decline. The downward move followed several Wall Street analysts issuing cautious reports on the shares. Trump weighed in on the hype around Tesla last month, calling the South Africa-born CEO one of our great geniuses and comparing him with Thomas Edison and the inventor of the wheel. Musk, 48, became a U.S. citizen in 2002, the year before Tesla was founded. Hes going to be building a very big plant in the United States, Trump told CNBC in the Jan. 22 interview from Davos, Switzerland. He has to, because we help him, so he has to help us. Tesla just completed construction of its newest plant in China and started delivering locally assembled Model 3 sedans to consumers in January. Its also planning a factory near Berlin and targeting 2021 for the start of production. In 2014, Tesla announced plans to build a massive battery manufacturing plant, setting off fierce competition for what was then one of the countrys biggest economic-development prizes. The company narrowed the finalists to five states -- Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas -- and Nevada prevailed. The Texas Enterprise Fund, created by the states legislature under former Governor Rick Perry, has become one of the largest payers of economic-development incentives in the nation. Texas offered $2.3 million to entice SpaceX, the rocket company Musk founded and runs, to locate a launch facility in Brownsville, on the Gulf Coast near the Mexican border. Teslas chip team is based both in Palo Alto, California, where Tesla is headquartered, and in Austin. The press office for Texas Governor Greg Abbott hasnt responded to inquiries following Trumps comments and Musks tweet. Teslas sole auto-assembly plant in the U.S. is in Fremont, California, where the company makes the Model S, X and 3 and is about to start producing the Model Y. Musk unveiled another upcoming model, the Cybertruck, in November, and hasnt yet said where it will be built. Texas is the top state for pickup sales in the country and home to General Motors Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. truck factories. Musk must seek pre-approval from a Tesla lawyer for sending certain tweets about the company as part of an amended settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission related to his August 2018 gambit to take Tesla private. The agency accused him of running afoul of the accord a year ago, leading to a revised deal that made clearer what he can and cant post without running the information by an attorney. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. 3 1 of 3 Matthew Brown / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Matthew Brown / Hearst Connecticut Media Show More Show Less 3 of 3 STAMFORD - City representatives Monday voted unanimously for Democrat David Mannis to fill a vacant seat on the Board of Finance and for Republican Rebecca Hamman to take an open slot on the Board of Education. Mannis is replacing Democrat David Kooris, who stepped down from the finance board in January to become the new president of the Downtown Special Services District. Keeping his finance board seat would have presented too many possible conflicts of interest, Kooris has said. Lucknow Airbus India and Adani Defence and Aerospace signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at DefExpo 2020 to leverage synergies in aerospace and civil aviation sector. The pact was signed by Anand Stanley, president and MD, Airbus India and South Asia and Ashish Rajvanshi, head of Adani Defence and Aerospace. Airbus and Adani will explore opportunities for collaboration in the area of aircraft services for Indian and South Asian market. Airbus Global Services forecast envisages the Indian aircraft services market to grow to US $6.3bn by 2025. Airbus is not only the worlds leading civil aviation company but is also the gold standard in providing aircraft services. This MoU demonstrates our commitment to support the development of India as a world-class services hub for aerospace products, said Anand Stanley. Adani Defence & Aerospace has established a comprehensive aerospace and defence ecosystem in India. With Adanis recent foray into airports, this potential collaboration will leverage the synergies between the product and services excellence of Airbus and infrastructure, engineering and mega project execution capabilities of Adani. CIS showcases tactical fiber optic solutions Citadel Intelligent Systems Ltd (CIS), a customised optical fibre connectivity manufacturer from Bangalore, showcased its state-of-the-art tactical fiber optic solutions exclusively designed for the defence sector at DefExpo 2020. KK Shetty, MD, CIS said, We are excited to be part of Indias largest defence event and showcase our distinct products. Today, alike other industries, defence is going through a rapid technology change where optic fibre solution is integral part of it. With our composed manufacturing ecosystem incubated with right talented engineering and developing team, we have been consistently able to deliver quality and reliable products to our customers from the defence domain, he said. Delhi legislator and BSP candidate Narayan Dutt Sharma, who was earlier with the AAP, was allegedly attacked with batons by three unidentified people in the early hours of Thursday, police said. Sharma, who is the legislator from Badarpur and is seeking re-election to the Delhi assembly as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate, received minor injuries. "The attack on Narayan Dutt Sharma is condemnable and shameful," BSP chief Mayawati said on Twitter. The incident took place around 1 am when he was returning to his home in Badarpur after a party meeting. Three men stopped his car and beat him up, a senior police official said. The three accused are yet to be caught, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Technical meeting drags on as OPEC+ tries to figure out how to respond to ebbing oil demand in face of outbreak. A committee meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) is set to extend into a third day as the gathering debates how to effectively respond to waning oil demand triggered by the coronavirus. Four sources familiar with the talks told Reuters news agency that the meeting on Wednesday ended with no concrete recommendation. One source said Russia is not supportive of a deeper oil output cut and is suggesting an extention to the output cut that was agreed upon in December and that is set to last until the end of March. Russia prefers an extension. They are not supporting [a cut], the source said. The Joint Technical Committee advises OPEC members and the cartels allies led by Russia, a grouping known as OPEC+. On Monday, the Wall Street Journal and Reuters News Agency citing OPEC and industry sources reported that the oil cartels kingpin, Saudi Arabia, is pushing for a deep, short-term oil production cut of 500,000 barrels per day (bpd). Another scenario would see the kingdom implement a temporary cut of one million barrels a day to jar oil prices, said the Wall Street Journal, citing OPEC officials. It is not uncommon for Russia to signal disagreement with OPECs preferred strategy before ultimately agreeing on policy during formal meetings. Oil prices have fallen by more than $11 a barrel this year to $55, alarming producers. OPEC+ is weighing further output cuts, extending the duration of existing curbs and possibly moving up a planned policy meeting to February from March 5-6. Two other OPEC sources told Reuters that the OPEC+ meeting date was unlikely to be brought forward unless there is general agreement on the need to reduce output further. If there is only an extension [to current cuts], then we will meet in March as agreed before, one of the OPEC sources said. OPEC+ has been reducing oil supply to support prices, agreeing in December to cut output by 1.7 million bpd through March. While OPEC countries such as Iraq have voiced support for any agreement that would stabilise the market, Russian Minister of Energy Alexander Novak said on Tuesday that he could not say for sure whether it was time to tighten output curbs. Estimates of how deeply the coronavirus could dent oil demand vary widely. China is the worlds biggest consumer of oil and the epicentre of the outbreak. BP Chief Financial Officer Brian Gilvary said on Tuesday that the economic slowdown resulting from the virus outbreak is expected to reduce 2020 global demand growth by 300,000-500,000 bpd, or roughly 0.5 percent of global demand. Oil jumped by more than three percent on Wednesday on media reports that scientists had developed an effective drug against the coronavirus, raising hopes that its impact would be limited. But the World Health Organization played down those reports. Saudi Arabias economy remains reliant on hydrocarbon revenue despite plans to diversify. The kingdom needs prices of around $80 per barrel to balance its state budget, while Russia needs much lower prices of around $42. Reminder: If you want to PayPal or Venmo some cash to someone without any hitches, do not put the word Iran in the memo field. On Wednesday, Jewish Currents got an annoying reminder of this rather blunt policy. The magazine tweeted that nine payments to its staff and contributors had been held up by PayPal because the transaction descriptions included the term Iran in reference to a piece that the magazine published. Nine paychecks of JC staff and contributors are currently being held by PayPal. The reason: we used the word "Iran" in reference to @DavidKlion's piece published last week. pic.twitter.com/zwgaM2EH7u Jewish Currents (@JewishCurrents) February 5, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement PayPal, along with its subsidiary Venmo, uses a system that automatically flags keywords in the payment memo field that could indicate a violation of U.S. sanctions. Upon detecting a suspicious transaction, PayPal sends an email to both the sender and receiver reading, To comply with government regulations, PayPal is required to review certain transactions. The payment you sent is currently being reviewed and we will complete this process within 72 hours. So if, say, you try to send a friend money for drinks at Cuba Libre, youll quickly learn how dense PayPals system can be when it comes to context clues. This longstanding PayPal policy has caused numerous headaches in the past. Users have run into trouble sending payments reading Persian Nowruza New Years holidaybecause of the term Persian and making donations to Syrian refugees because of the term Syrian. Advertisement Advertisement When asked about Jewish Currents conundrum, PayPal told Slate in a statement, PayPal takes its regulatory and compliance obligations seriously, including U.S. economic and trade sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Our goal is to deliver as seamless of a payments experience as possible while we do our job in making sure payments made on our platforms comply with applicable law. We realize any delay in making or receiving a payment can be frustrating, and we appreciate our customers patience as we comply with our regulatory obligations. Jacob Plitman, the publisher of Jewish Currents, told Slate that the payment specifically referring to Iran eventually went through, but that the eight others that came after are still under review. PayPal said those remaining delays are related to standard bank transfer times for eCheck payments. Advertisement Advertisement PayPal mainly relies on lists of embargoed countries, organizations, and individuals that the Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control has compiled to determine what payments require further review. Yet this leaves out a good number of illicit activities that the payment service could be facilitatingleaving the impression of a rather arbitrary flagging system. To get a better sense of what PayPal does and doesnt deem suspicious, I sent my editor dozens of 1 cent transactions with different memo descriptions, which are listed below. Its worth noting that this list is nowhere near complete, and PayPal has a number of other mechanisms to check for illegal behavior, such as fraud-prevention technology that uses machine learning. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As you can see, PayPals flagging has a fairly eager trigger finger when it comes to anything having to do with foreign sanctions and a laissez-faire stance toward weapons, drugs, human and animal trafficking, prostitution, and hate groups. It also seems that proper nouns referring to specific entities are under more scrutiny than general descriptions of criminal activity, which are perhaps more likely to be a joke. In fairness, its unlikely that someone actually in the market to blow something up would write bomb in the payment description, but then again a person trying to send funds to the Islamic State isnt likely to attach the flagged term ISIS to their donation either. Words and phrases that were flagged Iran Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement ISIS Persian North Korea Kim Jong-un Bashar al-Assad Qasem Soleimani Real Irish Republican Army Cuba Cubano sandwich Syria Syrian refugee Al-Qaeda Sinaloa Cartel Los Zetas Shining Path Words and phrases that were not flagged Bomb Car bomb Weapons of mass destruction Assassination Hitman Kidnapping Terrorist Cartel Anthrax Ricin Sarin gas AK-47 Glock 43 Dog fight Nazis Stormfront Atomwaffen Unite the Right Proud Boys KKK Klansmen David Duke Prostitutes Handjob Blowjob Revenge porn Snuff film Human trafficking Slave Fetus Stem cells Kidney harvest Napalm Coyote Marijuana MDMA Ecstasy LSD Meth Black tar heroin Ketamine Cocaine Fake ID Wire fraud Little Women bootleg DVD Fake Yeezys Rhino horn Elephant tusk Pangolin Shark fin Irish Republican Army MS-13 Iraq Sudan Yemen Hezbollah Venezuela Somalia Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. More than four months after House Democrats launched an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump's conduct, the Senate on Wednesday voted along near party lines to acquit the president of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The widely expected outcome likely will have far-reaching implications for the government and political system, many experts agree. Here are five important takeaways: Unprecedented partisanship may have made it virtually impossible to remove future presidents from office It never was going to be easy to impeach and convict a president. The U.S. Constitution sets a very high threshold for removing a misbehaving president from office a majority vote of the House and a two-thirds vote of the Senate after conducting a trial. Only three American presidents Andrew Johnson, Bill Clinton and now Trump have been impeached, but none has been convicted. Yet in the current period of deep national ideological and political divisions, it may have become all but impossible to oust a president. As long as the presidents party stands by him and controls the Senate, critics say, he can feel safe from the threat of removal, no matter how egregious his conduct. Party fidelity was on full display throughout the Trump impeachment. Not a single Republican joined in the House vote to impeach the president. The Senate acquittal vote was just as divided, with the exception of Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah casting the lone Republican vote to convict Trump of abuse of office. In the 1970s, when Congress considered impeaching Richard Nixon over the Watergate scandal, the ideological divide between the two parties was nowhere near as rigid. There were liberal Republicans and conservative Democrats in Congress. Although Nixon ultimately resigned to avoid impeachment, six Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee crossed party lines to recommend articles of impeachment. The 2020 presidential election outcome may validate the wisdom of impeachment or not When Trump was impeached, some wondered if impeachment was going to become the new normal in American politics. Republicans warned that the bar for presidential impeachments had been lowered to the point where Congress could impeach a president over mere policy disagreements. The jury is still out on whether the proceeding against Trump will usher in a new era of perpetual partisan impeachment. A clue to how it plays out could come as early as the November U.S. presidential election, said Peter Shane, a constitutional law professor at Ohio State University. If Trump wins re-election, it could likely blunt congressional appetite for impeachment, he said. On the other hand, a Democratic victory could vindicate the House Democrats' pushing for impeachment. "If it turns out that Democrats seem to do better in the fall because theyve gone through this experience, maybe the lesson for future Houses of Representatives is, keep at it, even if you dont get to remove the president, Shane said. Trumps acquittal raises the bar for abuse of power as an impeachable offense The first of two articles of impeachment accused Trump of abuse of power in connection with his efforts to persuade the Ukrainian president to announce an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son. Republicans acquitted Trump of the charge because they believed the alleged abuse of power did not rise to the level of an impeachable offense. Critics say that's likely to raise the bar for just how serious an abuse a president has to commit in order to face impeachment. The balance of power has swung in favor of the executive branch The constitutional principle of separation of powers was front and center during the impeachment trial. Independent Sen. Angus King of Maine warned last week that acquitting Trump of obstruction could shift the balance of power between Congress and the executive branch. It would be the largest transfer of power from Congress to the executive in the history of the country, King warned. Designed to prevent the concentration of power in any one branch of government, separation of powers is the reason America is such a free country, the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia once famously said. During the Senate trial, much of the debate over the second article of impeachment obstruction of Congress and its oversight revolved around separation of powers. While House impeachment prosecutors warned that acquitting the president of obstructing Congress would lead to an imperial presidency, the presidents lawyers insisted that it would undermine executive power. The extent to which the acquittal will affect the balance of power between Congress and the executive is an open question. In recent decades, the balance has swung in favor of the executive, as presidential powers on domestic and foreign affairs have steadily increased. The acquittal will certainly increase the temptation for future presidents to resist congressional oversight in the way that Trump has because he will, in a sense, have gotten away with it, Shane said. It may be that other presidents will feel that intermixing their personal goals with national security goals is OK." In the long run, however, what constrains this whole process is how the people in power think their political fortunes are going to be affected by the public at large, Shane said. A trial without witnesses may have set precedent For the first time in more than 200 years, the Senate conducted an impeachment trial without witnesses, despite a dogged Democratic push for testimony. Deriding the break with tradition as a mockery of justice, Democrats warned it would set a dangerous precedent. Republicans countered that they, too, did not wish to set a precedent of sorts by calling witnesses that the House should have summoned in the first place. A precedent has been nonetheless set, experts say, one that will likely influence how Congress in the future approaches impeachment proceedings. Residents in the Western Region, especially those around the Ghana La Cote dIvoire border and the galamsey prone areas have expressed fear over the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus after it was recently declared global by the World Health Organization (WHO). According to them, "there is a suspected case of the disease in neighbouring La Cote dIvoire and Ethiopia another African country "and coupled with the highly populated nature of the region, there was the need for swift and intensive action to tackle the disease should it hit Ghana. They lamented that the outbreak of the infection had implications for the nations health system, economy and issues of women and children and urged the Ghana Health Service to liaise with the districts around the various border towns in the region to organize a lot of education on the disease. The residents gave their grievances in an interview with the Ghana News Agency when it went to town to ascertain whether people were aware of the disease and what they could do to prevent the infection should there be a case in Ghana. Mr. Simon Anwubo, a businessman who plies his business between Ghana and La Cote dIvoire argued that contrary to a directive issued by the Ministry of Health directing all Regional Directors to designate treatment centres in their respective regions to deal with cases if they arise, the Western Region was yet to see such centers. He bemoaned the little knowledge on the disease and suggested the provision of funds to the radio stations to intensify public education on the virus, in addition to beefing up health facilities to cater for the disease should it come to Ghana. Mr. Anwubo further called on the regional health directorate to make room for adequate surveillance, logistics and resources to prevent the spread of the disease to 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 Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Nuhu Ribadu, says a statement alleging that Nigerian Ruler Muhammadu Buhari recruited bandits to oust former President Goodluck Jonathan is not from him. The statement, which is spreading across social media and purportedly credited to Ribadu, gave an unverified account of the origin of banditry in the country. It alleged that Buhari sought the services of the mercenaries, who were recruited from neighbouring countries, to claim power for the Fulani group in case he loses the 2015 presidential election. The statement said the services of the bandits were no longer needed after Buhari won the election, forcing them to invade peoples homes for food and other basic needs. It all started in April 2014 when Mohammadu Buhari assembled his ardent supporters, promoters and strategists to determine how to remove President Jonathan Goodluck. Prominent amongst them were El-Rufai, Gen Danbazo (Rtd), the fictitious statement read. A decision was reached to consult Miyatti Allah cattle breeders association for assistance to boot Jonathan Goodluck out of office. Consequently, the National Chairman of Miyatti Allah was engaged to bring in foreign mercenaries. Within a month, 2,000 Fulani fighters were brought in from Mali, Senegal, Niger Republic, Chad, Libya to name but a few. Further 4,000 fighters were stationed in Niger and Chad on standby. On arrival, they were assembled in Kaduna under the sponsorship of El Rufai and were addressed by various Northern Leaders including the Sultan of Sokoto, Gen Buhari (Rtd) etc. Specifically, Gen Buhari in his address told the fighters that the British handed Nigeria over to us the Fulanis at independence. The land (Nigeria) belongs to us. We must reclaim what belongs to us.He added that at the event that Jonathan Goodluck worn the election, the Fulani machinery must fight until they regain control of the country. He assured them that the Nigerian Army was behind them. It was also alleged that Godwin Emefiele, governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), raised N100 billion for the settlement of the bandits as a condition for his re-appointment, but nothing changed. Reacting in a statement on Thursday, Ribadu dissociated himself from the report, saying the statement is not from him. He said the statement was first shared in June 2019, and that he released a disclaimer via his Twitter account on July 17. The former EFCC chairman asked security agencies to investigate the origin of the message and prosecute those behind it. He also asked the public to disregard the message, which he described as clear inanity and cheap blackmail. But to my chagrin, over six months after the initial rebuttal, the manufacturers of the hateful message and their co-travelers, those who peddle whatever is capable of creating disaffection are back at it, he said. For the avoidance of doubt, I have never at any time wrote or said those words being attributed to me. I have no knowledge of the details contained in the disjointed propaganda message in circulation and I urge the public to disregard it. I also appeal to concerned security agencies to investigate the genesis of the fake message and fish out the perpetrators. Purveyors of fake news, more so one that is clearly a threat to national security should not be allowed to thrive. When Stacey Richters husband recently landed in a New Jersey emergency room, fearing a heart attack, she had an additional reason for alarm: a potential big bill from the hospital if the E.R. wasnt in his insurers network. So she took an unusual step. Instead of simply signing the hospitals financial and treatment consent form, Ms. Richter first crossed out sections calling for her to pay whatever amount the hospital charged. She wrote in her own payment rate of a maximum of two times what the federal government would pay under Medicare, which is in the ballpark, experts said, of what hospitals might consider an acceptable rate. And then I signed it, took a picture of it and handed it back to them, said Ms. Richter, co-president of the consultancy Aventria Health Group. Advocates say such consent-form alterations could provide some protection from surprise bills, though there are several major caveats to this largely untested idea. HILLIARD, Ohio A high school teacher is facing a misdemeanor criminal charge after being accused of inappropriately touching a student. Shawn Parsell, 46, who teaches at Hilliard Davidson High School, already was on administrative leave after he was accused of posted an inappropriate link on the schools online course system, WBNS Channel 10 reports. The inappropriate touching is a separate incident. ABC 6 reports that court documents show that a 15-year-old student was standing in the schools hallway in October 2019. The student was talking with friends when Parsell reportedly touched the back of the students thigh while walking by. In a letter sent to parents, Hilliard Davidson Principal Aaron Cookson said new allegations emerged after Parsell was placed on leave in December because of the inappropriate link. Parsell has been charged with sexual imposition, a third-degree misdemeanor, WBNS reports. We now know that criminal charges have been filed about this new matter, and we are taking this very seriously, as we do all such allegations, Cookson says in the letter to parents. At Hilliard City Schools, student safety is always our highest priority, and we share your concerns about this isolated situation. Reports say Parsell has been placed on leave by the school district three times since 2017. To comment on this story, visit Wednesdays crime and courts comment section. More crime-related content on cleveland.com: Man robs Akron Little Caesars at drive-thru window DNA leads to arrest in South Akron burglary, police say Man charged in fifth armed robbery in Cleveland since 1978 Reward increased to $100,000 for tips on unsolved double homicide in Rocky River Reservation Woman stomped, stripped and robbed in Cleveland, police say Delhi election 2020: The campaign for the Delhi polls ended on Thursday, February 6 at 5 pm. Now, the candidates and political parties won't be allowed to woo the voters or promote themselves. Delhi Election 2020: The deadline for campaigning for the Delhi assembly election has come to an end, 48 hours ahead of the polling day. On the last day of campaigning, political partiesthe AAP, the BJP and the Congressput thier best of the efforts to reach the maximum number of voters and convince them. The campaign witnessed door to door promotions, rallies, roadshows, bad language, personal attacks and polarization of voters. For which, many heavyweight leaders were punished or banned by the Election Commission of India (ECI). During the election campaign, political parties deployed thier star campaigners and popular leaders to attract the voters. BJP had deployed around 270 ministers including the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers and Union Ministers. On the last day, Union Home Minister Amit Shah held rallies in Delhis Seemapuri, Hari Nagar and Madipur, while BJP president JP Nadda was in Mundka and Sultanpur Majra to ask people to elect the saffron front. The BJP has been seeking votes in the name of nationalism, CAA, NRC and against Shaheen Bagh throughout their campaign. While contrary to that, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders have been asking people to elect them on the basis of thier work in the last 5 years. Schools with better infrastructure and quality education, hospitals with free health schemes, subsidised electricity and water, free bus rides to women etc. are a few key issues that AAP leaders have been keeping in front and asking people for another term. The grand old party, Congress, which led the Capital for 15 years under the leadership of late former CM Shiela Dikshit, has been counting on the development done in its erstwhile governments. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App As a result of internal strife, 106,305 people have lived in IDP camps since 2011. Caritas is currently boosting its actions to prevent the spread of the virus to the facilities. For its national director, the countrys Catholic community is ready to mobilise in case of need. Yangon (AsiaNews) In Kachin, a state on the north-eastern border with China, Caritas is closely involved with the government, rebel groups and international organisations to prevent the spread of coronavirus to the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps set up as a result of internal strife, this according to Richard Win Tun Kyi, national director of the Karuna Mission Social Solidarity (KMSS), the local branch of Caritas Internationalis, who spoke to AsiaNews. According to the latest data from the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 97,455 people still live in 139 camps in Kachin. Some 57,951 are in 120 government-run camps, whilst another 39,504 are in 19 camps under the control of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). Another 8,850 people have found refuge further south, in 32 camps set up by Myanmar authorities in Shan State. In Kachin and Shan, the Church has a strong presence, due to the high number of Christians (Catholics and Baptists). In Myanmar, local authorities have not yet reported any case of 2019-nCoV infection in the country despite the rapid spread of the virus worldwide, In the border areas, KMSS and local partners have responded to the health crisis, but at present there are no suspicious cases, said Win Tun Kyi. Kachin State is one of the most important access points to the country on the border with the Chinese province of Yunnan, where the Chinese authorities have already reported several cases of infection. For this reason, people are on high alert. A few days ago, Caritas stepped up its work to prevent the spread of the virus to IDP camps. We are especially training people to take precautions in terms of hygiene and sanitation, like washing their hands frequently and wearing protective masks, said the KMSS director. It is essential that any suspected case be reported to the medical staff and officials in charge of reception facilities. In the meantime, we are in close contact with UN organisations based in Yangon (in the south of the country), with whom we are discussing what to do in the event of an emergency. The next meeting is scheduled for tomorrow. Our volunteers are also working with the Department of Health of the Kachin Independence Organisation, he added. Although no case has been declared yet, the outbreak has already changed the daily life in Kachin State. The border crossings are closed. Goods face obstacles in moving from one country to another. This is having an impact on the economy in the areas closest to the border. The most immediate effect is the increase in prices of consumer goods. For now, this hasnt interfered with our operations. However, we are prepared to act if the situation gets worse. We will shortly meet our backers and donors with whom well work out a 'plan B'. We are working according to our capabilities. The Catholic Bishops Conference of Myanmar (CBCM) is monitoring the situation closely through Kachin bishops, Win Tun Kyi explained. In case we need something, the countrys Catholic community is ready to mobilise. (PF) Krishnapuram onions are not used in kitchen due to their size and pungency. The onions are imported by Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Singapore. New Delhi: The government on Thursday allowed exports of Krishnapuram onions, a variety of Andhra Pradesh, up to a quantity of 10,000 tonnes with certain conditions. The Commerce Ministry's Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said that the export is allowed only through Chennai port and the outbound shipment of the commodity should be completed by 31 March this year. "Export of Krishnapuram onions, up to a quantity of 10,000 tonnes has been allowed for the period upto 31 March 2020, with immediate effect," the DGFT said in a notification. Krishnapuram onions are not used in kitchen due to their size and pungency. The onions are imported by Thailand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Singapore. The notification said that an exporter shall have to get a certificate from horticulture department of the Andhra Pradesh government certifying the quantity of the onions for export purpose. The certificate shall be registered by the exporter at the zonal office of DGFT at Chennai. The Chennai DGFT office will also monitor the total quantity being allowed for export and issue registration certificates based on the quantity. Further, customs authorities at the Chennai port will allow export on the basis of certificate from Andhra Pradesh's horticulture department and registration certificate from Chennai's DGFT office. The export of other varieties of onions is banned. In September 2019, the government banned export of onion to increase availability of the commodity in the domestic market and contain rising prices. The government had also imposed stock limits on traders. Retail onion prices had skyrocketed in Delhi and other parts of the country due to supply disruption from flood-affected growing states like Maharashtra. Onion prices in the national capital are currently hovering at around Rs 60 per kg from the peak of Rs 160 per kg in December 2019. Onion production is estimated to have declined by around 25 percent in Kharif and late-Kharif season of 2019-20 crop year as compared to the previous year due to late monsoon and then excess rains in the major producing states. The ban on export of Krishnapuram onions has impacted farmers as they cannot sell the edible bulb in the domestic market. YSRCP members have raised the issue of ban in Parliament, urging the government to lift export ban on this variety of onions. The former JNUSU president escaped unhurt but his driver sustained injuries in the attack that happened in presence of policemen, reports M I Khan from Patna. IMAGE: A vehicle in CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar's convoy that was attacked by pro-CAA/NRC protesters in Sapaul district of Bihar on Wednesday. Photograph: Kind courtesy @kanhaiyakumar/Twitter The convoy of Communist Party of India leader Kanhaiya Kumar, who is on a tour of Bihar -- campaigning against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, National Population Register and National Register of Citizens -- was attacked in Supaul district on Wednesday evening. The former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president escaped unhurt in the attack by a group of youths who were shouting pro-CAA/NRC slogans. This is the second attack on Kanhaiya's 'Jana Gana Mana Yatra' within a week in the state. Last week, his convoy was attacked in Chhapra of Saran district. An activist who is part of the yatra said, "Youngsters shouting slogans attacked vehicles, pelted stones and tried to stop us near a busy market, not far away from the residence of district magistrate in Supaul town." The driver of Kanhaiya's vehicle sustained a head injury and was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Two other people were also injured in the attack. "Three vehicles were damaged by attackers and three members have sustained injuries," Chandra Kanta of Samvidhan Bachao Morcha said. "The convoy has left for its next destination. Investigation is on to identify and nab the culprits," Sudhir Kumar Porika, Superintendent of the Special Task Force, who is holding the additional charge of Supaul, said about the attack. The yatra was earlier attacked on February 1 near Kopa police station in Chhapra. IMAGE: Kanhaiya Kumar addressing a huge gathering in Muzaffarpur during his state-wide yatra. Photograph: Kind courtesy @kanhaiyakumar/Twitter "Glasses of five vehicles were damaged in that attack and some people sustained injuries," Kanta said. Kanhaiya was then on way to Chhapra from Siwan to address a public meeting. The yatra was attacked in presence of local policemen who were supposed to provide security to the same. The 'Jan Gan Man Yatra', which began on January 30, had a rough start when Kanhaiya was told by the police in West Champaran district that permission for his first scheduled rally was withdrawn at the eleventh hour. Congress MLA Shakil Ahmad Khan, who has been accompanying the CPI leader since the commencement of the tour, blamed 'negligence on part of the police and the administration' for Wednesday's incident. "It is a small town. The spot where the attack took place is less than a kilometer from the collector's residence. Police personnel and officials of the district administration were deployed. "Still the miscreants hurled stones, raised slogans and managed to flee taking advantage of the dark," Khan alleged. "I have telephoned the director general of police seeking intervention from the highest level. Our yatra is to continue for the next few weeks. "Already we are on the move, having left Supaul for Saharsa where Kanhaiya's next rally is scheduled on Thursday. We hope the law and order machinery would rise to the occasion," the MLA added. CPI state secretary Satya Narayan Singh issued a statement in Patna, strongly condemning the incident and demanding stern action against the culprits and 'guilty police officials'. The state-wide tour is being conducted under the banner of 'Joint Forum Against NPR/NRC/CAA'. It is scheduled to conclude with a rally at Gandhi Maidan in Patna later this month. -- with inputs from PTI On February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made a Budget speech that will be remembered for its length and sobriety. It lasted for almost three hours - the longest in the history of Indian Parliament - and lacked the number games that are often associated with Budget announcements. No claims of astronomical increases in budgetary allocations, no unrealistic revenue projections. What the minister did was to present a string of measures that are expected to improve the financial health of agrarian and rural India, leave some money in hands of taxpaying citizens and improve investment opportunities for private enterprises, both foreign and domestic. The immediate response of stock markets - the BSE Sensex ended the day down by 988 points, the steepest Budget day fall in a decade - suggests the announcements didn't match expectations, at least that of stock investors. It, though, partially recovered on January 3 by rising 136 points. But nobody expected miracles. The country has been going through an economic slowdown. Of the four growth engines, only one, government expenditure, has been pushing growth for six quarters now. Private investment has hit a seven-year low while exports have been flat since 2013. The deceleration got worse when private consumption, including money spent by individuals on durables, automobiles, FMCG and housing, crashed six quarters ago due to reasons starting from the twin shocks of DeMo and GST and covering aspects such as liquidity crisis in banking and NBFC sectors and rampant job losses. Exports, the fourth engine, have not grown since 2013 due to reasons beyond our control. Trade skirmishes between the world's largest economies, the US and China, geopolitical issues in West Asia and moves like Britain exiting the European Union have all made export growth uncertain. Given the fiscal constraints - reduction in tax revenues, massive shortfall in disinvestment receipts and a large chunk of the Budget already taken by committed expenditure, the only areas where government intervention, both in terms of policy push as well as resource allocation, could have helped were improving spending capacity of people and encouraging domestic and foreign enterprises to invest. And that is precisely what Sitharaman's Budget has attempted to do. Consumption Push The foremost intervention has been in the agriculture and rural economy, which employs over 50 per cent of India's population and contributes over 16 per cent to the gross domestic product. Sitharaman listed out 16 short, medium and long term measures to increase incomes of rural, agricultural households, with a cumulative Budget allocation of Rs 2.83 lakh crore for 2020/21, about 12 per cent higher than the previous year's Rs 2.49 lakh crore. Most of these schemes are not new but the government has succeeded in synchronising them to develop a farmer friendly ecosystem - from village-level mechanism to store agriculture produce to taluk-level warehouses to supply chain logistics, including air-conditioned express freight trains and krishi udan (aircraft to carry agricultural produce) - to double their income. There is the One Product One District Scheme to push horticulture production and marketing, another one to double milk processing capacity from 53.5 million MT to 108 million MT by 2025. The agriculture credit target for 2020/21 has been set at Rs 15 lakh crore, and all eligible beneficiaries of the PM-KISAN income support scheme (8.81 crore got the first instalment) will be covered under the Kisan Credit Card scheme. "The Budget allocation will aid in enhancing productivity and improving income of farmers with access to markets that will eventually help in reducing farm distress, helping the sector achieve the aspirational growth rate," says Simon George, President, Cargill India. Yet another scheme expected to encourage consumption is an income tax regime where individual taxpayers can opt for reduced tax rates after forgoing most deductions and exemptions. Sitharaman said it could lead to a loss of Rs 40,000 crore for the Centre. Since only 9 per cent taxpayers use all exemptions, 91 per cent out of 5.5 crore taxpayers will find the scheme attractive. So, it will be money transferred to the tax payer. "The optional personal tax regime is aimed at simplification, while proposals to de-criminalise civil offences, introduce a Taxpayers' Charter and introduce an income tax dispute resolution scheme are aimed at building trust and reducing litigation," says Gautam Mehra, Leader Tax & Regulatory, PwC India. Sitharaman has extended the last date of availing the additional tax deduction benefit of up to Rs 1,50,000 for interest paid on loans on affordable houses from March 31, 2020, by another year. The tax holiday on profits earned by developers of affordable housing projects approved by March 31, 2020, announced in the last Budget, has been extended by one more year. The moves will push house sales, key for cement, steel, tile, electrical and construction sectors, and employment. For start-ups, the Budget has proposed deferring the tax payment on Employee Stock Option Plans, a popular way adopted by start-ups to attract and retain talent. Employees can now defer tax payment by five years or till they leave the company or when they sell their shares, whichever is earliest. This is expected to have a direct impact on consumption. Ease of compliance is another area which can provide relief to a significant section of India's small and medium enterprises. The Budget proposes raising the turnover threshold for compulsory tax audit from Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore. "It will come as a welcome relief for a large number of traders," says Anil Bhardwaj, Secretary General, Federation of Indian Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises. Social security through enhanced pension and insurance penetration, and schemes like employment guarantee programme, are meant to spread thin government resources to benefit huge sections of the society. Some, like Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, have got extra allocation too. Private Investment The protectionist sharp hike in import duties takes India back to the pre-reforms era that created a high cost economy with poor quality products for which consumers paid through their nose. But for the moment, it will strengthen balance sheets of industries hurt by cheap imports in the hope that they will create new capacities and jobs. The Budget has raised import duties to encourage investments in local manufacturing. Import duty on trucks and buses has risen from 25 per cent to 40 per cent; auto components (15 per cent to 30 per cent); footwear (25 per cent to 35 per cent), mobile phone components (10 per cent to 20 per cent); fans, water heaters, ovens, insect repellents (10 per cent to 20 per cent); and toys (20 per cent to 60 per cent). The apex exporters' body, Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), says the measures can help exports also in the medium to long term. "The focus on standards and quality will facilitate export of quality products, enabling Indian manufacturers meet technical standards and cross barriers erected by many trading partners, while also stemming cheap quality imports, protecting the domestic industry," says Sharad Kumar Saraf, President, FIEO. Another big step is an amnesty scheme to unlock huge resources stuck in tax litigation with the government and bringing certainty to financial deals and transactions for firms and individuals. Modeled on the lines of its predecessor, the Sabka Vishwas Scheme, of Budget 2019 for indirect taxes, the Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme, announced this Budget, is an offer to settle 4,83,000 direct cases pending in various appellate forums, i.e., Commissioner (Appeals), ITAT, high courts and Supreme Court, involving a massive Rs 9.41 lakh crore. Last year's scheme had resulted in settling of over 1,89,000 cases, and if the Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme can help settle even a fraction of the Rs 9.41 lakh crore, that money would flow into the economy for fresh economic activity, capacity creation and jobs. The new scheme to promote electronics, including mobile, semi-conductors and electronic equipment, and the NIRVIK (Niryat Rin Vikas Yojana) Scheme to ease lending process and enhance availability of credit to exporters, will encourage local production. All eyes are now on the proposed National Logistics Policy to remove infrastructure bottlenecks that affect the supply side for manufacturing. Smoothening investor sentiment has been the second area. Abolishing dividend distribution tax (DDT), impetus to start-ups, creating an enabling environment for foreign investors and sovereign wealth funds, the list is long, says Vikas Vasal, Partner & Leader-Tax, Grant Thornton India. Industry chambers CII and FICCI share the view. The proposal to transfer the incidence of DDT from corporates to individuals has been a long-standing demand. The move to allow FDI and External Commercial Borrowings in education will incentivise investment in higher education. "Given the constraints the finance minister was facing, this has been a comprehensive statement. We expect more money will be left in the hands of people that will spur consumption and industrial growth. Much of this money will go towards capital expenditure in infrastructure and agriculture - two areas that can have the maximum growth enhancing impact," says Sangita Reddy, President, FICCI. A total of 100 new airports and 100 per cent tax exemption on all types of income in case of major FDI investments in infrastructure projects before 2024 could boost investments in infrastructure. Neeraj Akhoury, Vice President, Cement Manufacturers Association and CEO & Managing Director, ACC, says special emphasis on infrastructure development that the government has given over the past few months has been strengthened in the Budget. "The focus on project preparation facilities for infra projects and the national logistics policy that will be released soon should boost infrastructure. Priorities given to households, roads, railways, economic corridors, solar power and accelerated development of highways should boost development and wealth creation," he points out. Execution Blues "The government has chosen to provide fiscal stimulus through higher spending in parts of the economy, reduction in personal income taxes and abolition of DDT. However, we are unsure if there will be any meaningful impact from the proposed alternative personal taxation regime (lower tax rates without exemptions) as individuals may opt to continue with the current regime (higher rates with exemption) or abolishment of DDT as companies may choose to simply pay higher dividends rather than reinvest in their business; most high dividend companies do not need to invest. The government has allocated Rs 4.1 lakh crore (18 per cent growth over FY20RE) for capital expenditure in FY21 but a significant portion of that pertains to capital investment in government telecom companies." The pessimistic observation made by Kotak Insitutional Equities explains both the government's approach and the stock market response on Budget day. Several experts say they are waiting to see the level of implementation. For the time being, the government remains focused on efforts in keeping the only engine, public expenditure, on which it has complete control, kicking. The revenue projections may be subdued but budgetary allocations have not dipped for key sectors. Transport infrastructure as a whole gets Rs 1.69 lakh crore, not a huge jump from the previous year's Rs 1.58 lakh crore, nevertheless, a jump. The allocation for the energy sector has also been increased; it's Rs 40,740 crore for 2020/21, up from Rs 38,127 crore in 2019/20. Extra-budgetary resources, government bonds, etc, are also going to be utilised more in 2020/21. For now, a lot depends on whether the current effort to revive the two growth engines - consumption and private investment - succeeds, and to what extent. And that's not just dependent on the government. Individuals need to see value in the new income tax scheme and have the confidence to spend; and industry will need to see value in the amnesty scheme and in the public expenditure push. But to the extent that there is finally an acknowledgement of the need to kick-start consumption before prodding industry to invest despite low capacity utilisation (as was being attempted in the previous two Budgets) the Budget 2020 may just do the trick. @joecmathew Rush Limbaugh reacts after first lady Melania Trump presented him with the the Presidential Medal of Freedom as President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 4, 2020. (Patrick Semansky/AP) "I'm definitely going to get on to this Rob Rogers," said Jenny Blake, referring to the Deputy Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service. Mr Rogers ordered local brigades in December not to crowdsource firefighting equipment. Ms Blake, who became acquainted with one of the state's larger bushfires when it threatened her parents' property at Tumbarumba, is compiling a list of equipment the RFS might consider in its next budget: full-face respirators, 3-inch quick fill trash pumps, satellite phones and head torches. The Blake property was spared on New Year's Eve when the wind changed and the fire did a 90-degree turn on the fenceline. At that moment the family also pivoted - from a position of defence to one of support. "We didn't get burnt out but everyone around us was and we had to do something," Ms Blake said. Volunteer Jenny Blake of Courabyra RFS organised much of the recovery effort around her family's home and surrounding suburbs. Credit:James Brickwood Shared trauma can change a place. It can tear a community apart or herd people together. Since fire came to the western foothills of the Snowy Mountains, the people surrounding Tumbarumba have leaned inwards. Initially, they had no choice. The Criminal Court of Appeal, chaired by Judge Armen Danielyan, upheld the complaint of the prosecutor's office in the case of the Armenian second president Robert Kocharyan. The ruling was published on the morning of February 6. It can be appealed in 15 days. Thus, the Court of Appeal quashed the ruling of the trial court. The lawyers were denied the full materials of the case on March 1, 2008. As reported earlier, the prosecutor's office filed an appeal against the ruling of the court of first instance to provide protection of the materials of the March 1, 2008 case. The prosecutor's office considers that publishing and even acquainting lawyers could harm the interests of others. Robert Kocharyan's lawyers argue the materials of the part of the case set aside in separate proceedings against the ex-president and others were randomly selected, with the purpose of confirming the charge. Lawyers believe there may be materials in the case and in the interests of their client, familiarization with the materials can be carried out under a non-disclosure subscription, and if lawyers find it necessary to consider them ar court closed session. The arguments of the prosecution the law prohibits the publication of the case materials, which is being investigated, the lawyers counteract by asking for materials from the part, the investigation of which has already been completed. The Universal Peace Federation (UPF) has been the architect behind these talks with industry heavy hitters for the past 14 years. UPF is an NGO in General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Founded in 2005 by Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, it is a global network of individuals and organizations dedicated to building a world of peace centered on universal spiritual and moral values. More than 2,000 national and 5,000 regional representatives of governments, parliaments, religions, media, academia, the private sector and civil society, representing 171 nations, discussed how to be better custodians of our world and advocates for peaceful solutions to the many problems we face. In his opening plenary, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon commended UPF for its many inclusive programs and activities that bring together people of diverse backgrounds and faiths and encourages peaceful resolutions to the world's complex challenges. Newt Gingrich, former U.S. Speaker of the House, acknowledged the uniqueness of the occasion. "It is a reminder of how connected we all are. We are all bound together out of a common concern. The recent coronavirus outbreak and the wildfires in Australia are a reminder of why we need a movement of people working together in a peaceful way." Dr. Moon said in her Founder's address that the first step towards peace "is to understand God's essence and follow His will." She continued, "The way to solve the world's critical problems is by becoming true filial sons and daughters to God, our Heavenly Parent." Other esteemed speakers included the current prime minister of Cambodia Hun Sen, the vice president of the Philippines, current Deputy Speaker of Korea's National Assembly Hon. Lee Joo Young, Leni Robredo, former heads of state and government Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria, Stephen Harper of Canada, Chuichi Date of Japan, Felipe Gonzalez of Spain, Dominique de Villepin of France, Carl Bildt of Sweden, Enda Kenny of Ireland, Enrico Letta of Italy and Jose Manuel Barroso of Portugal. "Without Mother Moon's vision, leadership and her absolute commitmenther love for God, her love for humanityUPF's work would not be possible," said Dr. Thomas Walsh, Chairman of UPF International. Extra precautions were taken to ensure the safety and health of all participants. For further information visit www.upf.org SOURCE Universal Peace Federation Related Links http://www.upf.org Designers of hotel spaces have traditionally tended to favor either theatrical flair (baroque finishes and opulent flourishes) or the opposite: a low-key insouciance consisting of neutral, contemporary furniture and acres of beige-ness. Thats changing. Now, many designers are looking to the cities and neighborhoods where hotels are located for decorating inspiration. The vibe inside is skewed more ``living room than ``lobby. And in the rooms, gallery walls are supplanting generic landscape prints, and there might be the kinds of objets dart, reading materials and soft furnishings one would have at home. LETS ALL GO TO THE LOBBY Weve heard from our showrooms and exhibitors that theyre seeing an uptick in softer-style solutions for spaces like hotel lobbies, says Byron Morton, vice president of leasing for NeoCon, the commercial design industry exhibition held annually in Chicago. The lobby is increasingly a communal meeting and amenity space rather than just a pass-through. Tom Parker, co-founder of the design group Fettle, which has offices in London and Los Angeles, says changes in how business travelers work have impacted both the public and private spaces in a hotel. New technology has paved the way for the gig economy and freelancing. People are now working flexible hours from locations that suit them. In any given city, the lobby is now the heartbeat of the public areas, filled with people working on their laptops, Parker says. Fettle blends elements from midcentury, art deco, industrial and British design. People want break-out lounge furniture and meeting tables, but when evening rolls around and the laptops are tucked away, the lobby transforms, Parker says. The companys design for the lobby of the Hoxton Hotel in Portland, Oregon, for example, has a communal work table and a comfortable lounge seating around a fireplace. The public areas were situated in an old, converted movie theater. Tailored but comfy mohair and leather seating and warm wood side tables blend with distressed rugs and displays of ceramics, plants and books. Refurbished timber and concrete beams frame the spaces. And theres a story about the reception areas wood paneling. Story continues We used a lot of local suppliers and material for this project, Parker says. The area around Portland is a big producer of Maraschino cherries; the visible face of the wall is made from the outside of reclaimed cherry vats. If you look closely you can even see the imprints where the metal belts that hold the huge vats together were pressed against the wood. In many hotels, Parker notes, ``Its not just hotel guests who are using them, but the locals who come to work in these spaces. Paul Makovsky, editor in chief for Contract, a magazine focused on commercial interior design and architecture, says this mix of workspace and hospitality is being called corporatality. Hotel chain CitizenM on Manhattans Lower East Side uses the tagline, You may not be a New York native, but you can feel like one here. Colorful lounge chairs face a soaring shelf wall filled with eclectic curios, art and books. In Scotland, Glasgows Motel One is next to the main railway station, which takes passengers into the Scottish Highlands. The hotel commissioned oversize images from photographers Louise Scullion and Matthew Dalziel, who rode the route shooting atmospheric, romantic pictures of scenery, shaggy cows and travelers. The chains interior designer Katharina Schmidt used the photos in both private and public spaces, adding wooly sheep stools, tartan-covered modern chairs, displays of vintage hatboxes and trains, and pendant lights evoking crystal-cut whiskey glasses. At Motel Ones property in Zurich, Switzerland, brown and tan leather furniture and padded wallcoverings suggest luscious Swiss chocolates, while the lake outdoors is evoked with brass boat propellers, porthole mirrors and wallpaper printed with puffy white clouds. In Manchester England, the areas history as a yarn and textile marketplace informed Motel Ones design; Schmidt commissioned artist Andy Singleton to create sculptures inspired by spools of yarn and fabric. Ceiling lights by Arturo Alvarez resemble cotton bolls. At the 1 Hotel in West Hollywood, California, RCH Studios extended the interior space to an ``outdoor lobby. Hiking trails next to the hotel were the inspiration; guests can explore a granite pathway that meanders through native greenery. Log seating and timber planters were made from salvaged, fallen trees. ROOMS AT THE INN High-speed internet has become more important than a work desk in todays hotel rooms, says Parker. With lighter, thinner tech, we can work in different positions. So, theres more lounge furniture and fewer desks, along with charging capabilities in table and sofa bases. Some hotels are also responding to the self-care trend, says Makovsky. Equinoxs hotel rooms in New York, L.A. and Chicago feature dark, moody atmospheres with soothing acoustics, proprietary mattresses, and relaxation and sleep programs. Marriotts Stay Well rooms have enhanced air and water filtration, natural-materials mattresses and vitamin C-infused showers. As in many lobbies, theres homey decor touches in rooms, too. At the State Hotel in Seattle, artist Kate Blairstones wallpaper pays homage to the citys produce, flowers and seafood, while in the rooms her custom portraits of local residents adorn the walls. In their Bowery property in New York City, CitizenM commissioned graffiti artists to provide custom works for the stairwells, creating the Museum of Street Art for guests and neighbors to enjoy. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Thursday that Japan has decided to refuse entry to noncitizen passengers on board a luxury cruise ship that is set to arrive in the country later this week as some are suspected to be infected with the new coronavirus. The 82,000-ton ship in question is the Westerdam, which departed Hong Hong earlier this month and expected to arrive at a port in Okinawa on Saturday. The cruise ship carries several Japanese nationals, government sources said. The decision came as concern grew earlier in the day over the plight of over 3,700 people on board the Diamond Princess quarantined off Yokohama as 10 more cases of the new coronavirus were detected, raising the possibility of a nightmare scenario of a mass infection of people in a confined space. The latest figure brings the total number of confirmed infections in Japan to 45, including the 20 people who have now tested positive on the cruise ship. Of the 3,711 passengers and crew members, the health ministry has tested 273 people for the new virus, and is considering whether to test more. Hiroko Otsubo, deputy director-general at the health ministry, said all of the 10 people verified to have the disease Thursday are passengers and all are showing symptoms. They were taken to hospitals in Kanagawa Prefecture. aWeall continue quarantine procedures as we ask passengers to stay inside the ship for a necessary period, to take precautionary actions to prevent infection and stay inside their rooms,a Otsubo said. Among the 10 passengers, four are Japanese, two are American, two are Canadian, one is Taiwanese and one is a New Zealander. Their ages range from their 50s to their 70s. She declined to specify their conditions but none required special assistance when being transported. On Wednesday, nine passengers and one crew member were found to be infected with the coronavirus. All were hospitalized. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Saudi Arabia on Thursday barred its citizens and residents of the kingdom from travelling to China amid the new virus outbreak. The kingdoms General Directorate of Passports said the measure was in response to the new virus believed to have stemmed from central China. It warned that any residents of the kingdom who violate this order will not be allowed to return to Saudi Arabia. It also said that regulatory provisions on travel documents would be applied to citizens who violate the travel ban, without further elaboration. The statement was carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency. On Sunday, Saudi Arabias flagship national carrier, Saudia, joined other major airlines in suspending flights to China. Also on Sunday, 10 Saudi students were evacuated from the Chinese city Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, and quarantined upon arrival to Riyadh for two weeks. The virus has not yet been detected in Saudi Arabia, but five cases among them a family of four from Wuhan have been confirmed in neighbouring United Arab Emirates. Other nations, like the United States, have also taken drastic steps. The U.S. is temporarily barring entry to foreign nationals, other than immediate family of U.S. citizens and permanent residents, who have travelled in China within the last 14 days. The viral outbreak that began in China has infected more than 28,200 people globally. China has had over 560 deaths and a death has also occurred in the Philippines. More than 50 million people are under virtual quarantine in Wuhan, where the outbreak began in December and where the vast majority of the deaths have been recorded. Throughout China, cities, towns and villages have enacted varying levels of restrictions and foreign countries have severely restricted travel to and from the country. The virus, believed to have originated in wild animals sold at a food market in Wuhan, is part of a family of coronaviruses, including MERS and SARS, and causes fever, cough and shortness of breath. It is particularly deadly among people over 60 and those with preexisting illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 17:31:29|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- A new virus detection lab has been put into trial operation in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, to speed up the testing of novel coronavirus infection, according to the People's Daily Thursday. The lab named "Huoyan" was jointly constructed by the local government and other institutions. It has a floor area of about 2,000 square meters and is designed to test 10,000 samples per day. The lab will help provide Wuhan and its surrounding cities with sufficient testing capabilities, according to the report. UP: 70-year-old woman raped by drunk man in Fatehpur district, rape attempt made on 98-year-old in Ballia 14-year-old minor girl abducted and raped in Pune; 8 including six auto drivers, two Railways employees held 46-year-old Thailand national raped in Kerala, two held India oi-PTI Kochi, Feb 06: A 46-year-old Thailand national was allegedly raped by two men here, following which they were arrested, police said on Thursday. The accused hailing from a north Kerala district have been arrested on the basis of a complaint lodged by the woman. Police said the accused-- Mohammed Insaf and his friend Ansaruddin from Kondotty in Malappuram district were arrested after recording the statement of the victim. The woman from Thailand had been a Facebook friend of Insaf for the last seven months after she enrolled her child in a school in Malappuram district. The woman who came from Bangkok recently to visit her child and was staying in a hotel here. Maha atrocity against women: Man throws inflammable liquid on a woman for rape complaint When Insaf came to meet the woman, he was accompanied by his friend Ansaruddin and both allegedly raped the woman at the hotel room, police said. All formalities including medical examination of the woman were completed, police said. The accused will be produced before the court on Thursday, they added. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 6, 2020, 12:12 [IST] Headed by the Chief Executive Officer of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), Nader Al Moayyed, the Manama Souq Development Committee held its eighth meeting yesterday at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre. The agenda of the meeting covered several topics including the approval of the previous meeting minutes and reviewing the latest developments of the Manama Souq project. The project aims to maintain and preserve the authentic and traditional identity of the market, but ensuring it is maintained up to a modern standard, this includes changing the signage and shopfronts. Once completed, the revamped Souq will also facilitate the flow of traffic. The edifice works include the revamping of the facades of dilapidated buildings, renovating the signage and storefronts of 275 shops located on four main streets in the Souq, which include Bab Al Bahrain Avenue, Sheikh Abdulla Avenue, Al Tijjar Avenue as well as the Crown Prince Avenue. BTEA is closely following the progress and development of the Manama Souq project to ensure that it continues to be implemented in a seamless manner and being carried out to the highest international standards. The work includes unifying the design of storefronts and the maintenance of the buildings to maintain their traditional style. "All of these efforts are aimed at preserving the old Souq given its importance as an authentic tourist destination and historical landmark in the Kingdom of Bahrain, commented the Chief Executive Officer of BTEA, Nader Al Moayed. The meetings are held on a periodic basis, and involve all concerned parties, in order to discuss the latest developments of this pioneering project, which aims to revitalise the tourism sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain and increase its contribution to the national economy. The Manama Souq Development Committee comprises of representatives from the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, Urban Planning and Development Authority, Economic Development Board, Capital Municipality, Capital Secretariat Council as well as a number of Manama Souq traders. BTEA is working closely with the government entities and private authorities involved in the development of the Manama Souq project, which comes in line with BTEAs efforts to enhance one of the most popular Souqs in the Kingdom with the aim of providing a renewed experience for visitors touring this vital landmark. Photo : Attendees during the eighth Manama Souq Development Committee meeting. Wisconsin teacher, Travis Sarandos (pictured), has been placed on leave for reportedly calling Rush Limbaugh's cancer 'awesome' in a tweet A Wisconsin teacher has been placed on leave for reportedly calling Rush Limbaugh's cancer 'awesome' in a tweet. Travis Sarandos, who teaches English at Milwaukee High School of the Arts, shared his thoughts about Limbaugh's cancer diagnosis on Twitter. Though his Twitter account has since been deleted, according to USA Today, Sarandos wrote: 'Limbaugh absolutely should have to suffer from cancer. it's awesome that he's dying, and hopefully it is as quick as it is painful.' His comment drew even more attention when it was published in conservative radio host Mark Belling's blog. When Milwaukee Public Schools were made aware of the tweet, the district confirmed that Sarandos was placed on leave pending an investigation. Limbaugh, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday during President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, announced that he had cancer earlier this week. The radio host told listeners on Monday that he had been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. He has been a nemesis of the American left since the launch of his pioneering show in 1985 during the Republican revolution of President Ronald Reagan. Scroll down for video Sarandos wrote: 'Limbaugh absolutely should have to suffer from cancer. it's awesome that he's dying, and hopefully it is as quick as it is painful' When Milwaukee Public Schools were made aware of the tweet, the district confirmed that Sarandos was placed on leave pending an investigation. Sarandos teaches English at Milwaukee High School of the Arts (pictured) For years Limbaugh has helped to shape the party's agenda in the media. Much of Limbaugh's appeal has been ascribed to his brash, colorful style and his delight in baiting liberals. Addressing an emotional Limbaugh, who was sitting next to first lady Melania Trump in the House of Representatives chamber, Trump said he was awarding the presidential Medal of Freedom 'in recognition of all you have done for our nation'. Some Democratic lawmakers were heard groaning 'oh no' in response to the award for Limbaugh, a leading voice of the political right who for decades has been at the center of the country's culture wars. The Republican president did not wait to place the medal himself around Limbaugh's neck, part of a White House tradition, and instead had Melania do the honors while Republican lawmakers applauded and cheered. Though Sarandos was placed on leave for expressing himself on social media, he wasn't the only person who shared their thoughts about the host's diagnosis. First Lady Melania Trump presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh (left and right) during the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington on Tuesday Rush Limbaugh announced Monday that he has been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer Several people took to social media to share their delight that the 'racist' and 'hateful' man could soon die. Film producer Tariq Nasheed tweeted: 'Rush Limbaugh has spend decades spewing dangerous anti-Black racism. Now he has cancer... I know we shouldn't celebrate one's misfortunes... but #PartyOverHere.' Comedian Johnny McNulty tweeted: 'It's not cool to joke about Rush Limbaugh having cancer. You might jinx it.' Writer Jon Tayler said: 'Rush Limbaugh is, without a doubt, one of the most hateful, awful people of the last century, and one who had one of the most negative impacts possible on this country. It's only fitting that this cancer upon the world should be stricken by it. He added: 'If this kills Rush, then give him a state funeral so that every willing American can have a chance to pay their respects by kicking his corpse as hard as they can.' Russian oil major Rosneft inked a pact with India's largest fuel retailer Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) on Wednesday for importing 2 million tonnes of Urals grade crude oil during the year 2020. This is the first-ever term contract reached between a Russian oil supplier and an Indian state-owned oil company. The pact was signed in the presence of Indian Petroleum Minister minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Rosneft CEO and Chairman Igor Sechin. The supply arrangement between IOC and Rosneft is expected to be followed by similar crude oil supply arrangement being worked out by other government-owned companies, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL). The two have already indicated this earlier. The signing ceremony was followed by bilateral meeting Sechin and Pradhan where a host of issues including sale of BPCL was discussed. The Rosneft CEO expressed his company's interest in acquiring BPCL, a news report said. Rosneft has already gained a foothold in the Indian market with the $12.9 acquisition of Essar Oil (now Nayara Energy) in August 2017. BPCL may fit into its scheme of things as it would help it grab a larger share of the fuel retail market in India and significantly improve its financial performance. The Petroleum Ministry has held roadshows for BPCL disinvestment late last year but has not received very encouraging response from investors so far. It is looking at big global oil companies to pick up its entire 53 per cent equity in the company and in this regard, some initial talks has also taken place with world's largest oil company Saudi Aramco. At current prices, the government's stake in BPCL is worth Rs 60,000 crore. "An important subject of talks between Sechin and Pradhan was the issue of providing Indian consumers with quality crude and petroleum-based products, including the increase in Russian oil supplies to India. During the meeting, the parties discussed the ongoing joint projects of Rosneft and Indian companies, including Sakhalin-1, Taas-Yuryakh, the Vankor cluster (a consortium of Indian companies owns 49 per cent in the Vankor cluster field), Far East LNG, and Nayara Energy," Rosneft said in a statement. Sourcing of Russian crude oil through long term contracts is a part of India's strategy for diversifying the country's crude oil supplies from non-OPEC countries, and a part of the five-year roadmap for bilateral cooperation in the hydrocarbons sector that was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Vladivostok last September. The addition of Russia as a new source for crude oil imports by India's largest refiner will go a long way in mitigating the risks arising out of geo-political disruptions. The new arrangement would also usher in price stability and energy security for India, which is witnessing robust growth in demand for petroleum products. A government statement after the event said that both sides agreed to take forward mutually aligned priorities, including preparing a roadmap for Indian investments in the Eastern Cluster projects of Russia. It was noted that the four Indian oil and gas Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) have already submitted the Expression of Interest to Rosneft to participate in the project. In order to negotiate the terms of Indian companies entering Vostok Oil in the shortest time possible, it was agreed to create a working group of representatives of Russian and Indian companies. During the meeting, both leaders also reviewed the ongoing investments between Indian oil and gas PSUs and Rosneft, and discussed further enhancing energy cooperation and strengthening hydrocarbons engagement, both on investment front as well as sourcing natural gas and crude oil. The crude oil, being sourced under the contract, will be loaded in Suezmax vessels at Novorossiysk port of Russia and will come to India, bypassing Straits of Hormuz. Skeena Sells Assets for C$8 Million Posted by Publisher Internet Skeena Resources Limited (TSX.V: SKE, OTCQX: SKREF) (?Skeena? or the ?Company? https://www.commodity-tv.com/play/skeena-resources-infill-drilling-at-eskay-creek-to-increase-resource-possible-sale-of-project/ ) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a purchase and sale agreement to sell the Company?s 100% interest in the GJ Copper-Gold Property (the ?GJ Property?) to Newcrest Red Chris Mining Limited (?Newcrest?) for $7.5 million of cash. In addition, Skeena sold its wholly owned subsidiary, Sona Resources Corp., including the Blackdome-Elizabeth property, to Tempus Resources Ltd. for $500,000 of cash. Walter Coles, Skeena?s CEO commented, ?Advancing the Eskay Creek project is Skeena?s primary focus. Therefore, we are divesting the GJ Property and the Blackdome-Elizabeth property as a way to raise funds for Eskay while incurring the least amount of equity dilution possible to our shareholders.? Under the terms of the purchase and sale agreement with Newcrest, dated February 3, 2020, Skeena will sell 100% of Skeena?s interest in the GJ Property in consideration for: A cash payment of $7,500,000 to Skeena; and The assumption by Newcrest of future payment obligations and royalties on GJ Property, including those outlined in the Company?s October 6, 2015 news release. It is anticipated that closing of the transaction with Newcrest will occur prior to May 3, 2020. The transaction is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary consents and approvals, including the acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. The sale of Sona Resources to Tempus Resources Ltd. has already closed. About Skeena Skeena Resources Limited is a junior Canadian mining exploration company focused on developing prospective precious metal properties in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company?s primary activities are the exploration and development of the past-producing Eskay Creek mine and Snip mine. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited, Walter Coles Jr. President & CEO In Europe: Swiss Resource Capital AG Jochen Staiger info@resource-capital.ch www.resource-capital.ch Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements Certain statements made and information contained herein may constitute ?forward looking information? and ?forward looking statements? within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to the Company and there is no assurance that actual results will meet management?s expectations.? Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as ?anticipates?, ?believes?, ?targets?, ?estimates?, ?plans?, ?expects?, ?may?, ?will?, ?could? or ?would?.? Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters.? While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or information except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. by Rob Williams , February 6, 2020 The Department of Justice has asked several publishers, including Conde Nast, Gannett, News Corp, The New York Times and Nexstar, about how Google operates in the digital advertising market as part of a broader antitrust probe, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. Investigators are trying to determine whether Google has abused its market power to undercut other media platforms, according to the WSJ, which confirmed some of the details from a story last month by Bloomberg News. The authorities are most interested in Google's recent actions that may have helped to solidify its market dominance in digital media. Google in 2016 started requiring advertisers to use its software to buy ad space on YouTube, the video platform with more than 2.26 billion users worldwide. advertisement advertisement Google also integrated its ad server, a popular tool that website publishers use to sell ad space, with its ad exchange, the world's biggest digital ad marketplace. The company's ad-tech platforms have the power to control the monetization of digital content, a claim that Google has refuted. Regulators may compel the company to undo its 2008 acquisition of DoubleClick, which had developed the technology to bring publishers and media buyers together in online auctions of ad space.< That business may be less meaningful to Google, which this week revealed that its YouTube revenue jumped 36% to $15.1 billion last year, a significant growth engine for the company, as audiences shift their video consumption to digital media.< If Google is required to divest the DoubleClick business, publishers will still have to push for more transparency in how their ad space is auctioned through online exchanges. The process of selling ads through "waterfalling" can hurt publishers' ability to sell their ad inventories for the best price. Header bidding offers the possibility of improvement, but only if Google isn't tipping the scales in its favor. Senior US diplomat Alice Wells on Friday welcomed Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India's new Ambassador to the United States and said that his experience will strengthen the partnership between the two countries. "Extending my warmest welcome to Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India's new Ambassador to the US. A strong champion of US-India ties, Ambassador Sandhu's proven record and deep experience augurs well for the future of our partnership. Welcome back to Washington! AGW," Alice Wells, US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary wrote on Twitter. India's new envoy, Taranjit Singh Sandhu is slated to present his credentials to US President Donald Trump at the formal ceremony in the Oval Office at the White House. Sandhu assumed charge as the Indian Ambassador to the United States on Monday. He is one of the most experienced Indian diplomats on US affairs, having served in the Indian Mission in Washington DC twice earlier. He was Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India in Washington DC from July 2013 to January 2017. Earlier, he was the First Secretary (Political) at the Embassy of India, Washington DC, responsible for liaison with the United States Congress from 1997 to 2000. Sandhu comes to Washington from Sri Lanka where he had a remarkably successful tenure as the High Commissioner from January 2017 to January 2020. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) I want to first and foremost apologize to the good people of Manhyia South Constituency for this attempt of mine to discuss their MP. It is not their fault that their MP has grown into a Minister with that level of notoriety in government today. You people only voted for him as an MP but never appointed him as a Minister. The first time I heard his name as the minister-designate for education, I shrugged, but I still wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. His arrogance and pride are inbuilt and are always on his face, on his tongue, his body language and even the way he walks. Such a hard-headed, arrogant and reckless person doesnt fit to manage such a sensitive ministry. Well, maybe his stake in this government is so critical that he cant be touched just like Kennedy Agyapong. Mr Minister of Education, I, Issifu Seidu Kudus Gbeadese is one of the pioneers of the Diploma in Basic Education program. The results I sent to this school was the same results I used for my Bachelors Degree in KNUST. In fact, I sat for same program with your spokesperson, Ekow Vincent, in KNUST. I can also say same for many other colleagues of mine. I have a friend by name Hardi Adam, this guy gained an unsolicited admission into KNUST after our completion. He opted to go to BATCO same year with me and finally became a teacher. If anybody deceived you that teachers who went/goes through training to become Diploma holders only got admitted with weak grades, then the person has done you a great disservice as a Minister. A cabinet Minister without basic information such as this is clear indication that the glaring challenges the sector is facing today is self-inflicted. People especially in my part of the world opt for training colleges for several reasons including but not limited to geography, limited access to tertiary institutions (universities, etc). Do I blame Napo? I dont think I shouldnt , because his party foot soldiers who are even trainee teachers now will come out to defend him. In fact, the government and President will pretend they didnt hear him make such reckless comments about Diploma teachers and teacher trainees. So he will call the bluff of all of us once his boss, the President sees nothing wrong with his public commentary over the period that hes being in the Ministry. This is a Minister who opts to communicate public policy statements on private radio stations and not at any forum in the presence of key stakeholders in the education sub-sector for scrutiny and adoption. Today, part of the reasons why the FSHS policy is facing this hydra-headed challenges is because of the posture and the denial of Napo. In reality, parents are paying more than what they would have paid if secondary education were not free. This might not be the intention of government but if the minister denies the existence of such challenges and its ultimate effect on the system, there cant be any better solution to them. He thinks he knows it all. He has in the beginning of January 2019 indicated that the double track system will be stopped before the beginning of the new academic year in September same year. We are experiencing the worse form of it today with students having to spend 4 weeks in school and three months at home. Is that the best the minister can offer? This is a Minister who has problems with almost all the stakeholders in the education sub-sector. He has problems with teachers and teacher unions. He goes about to misrepresent them on occasions when negations ended in stalemates. At a point he was even accused of forging signatures of some union leaders in an attempt to implicate and misrepresent them. He has problems with school heads and school managements, but because his government is powerful and vindictive, non of these bodies dare speak against his exploits. In fact, Napo has problems with parents and their wards as well. On the 7th of December 2019, he was quoted to have accused and insulted teacher unions of letting themselves to be used by the opposition NDC to cause disaffection for the Nana Addo led government. Three teacher unions; CCT, NAGRAT and GNAT were all accused of being in bed with the NDC, which was why they went on strike in demand of arrears that were due them. This same Napo unilaterally went to purchase a new software for the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) which has been running a successful software for the past ten years. He and his newly recruited officials didnt test-run the software for its potency before using it to place students in the 2019/2020 academic year. Again, he was running a parallel manual placement system for protocol admissions with the new system and this caused the link failure and the system jammed up. In the midst of these self-inflicted challenges, a solution Centre was set up at the Black Star Square in Accra to do manual placement. When frustrated parents/guardians and their wards massed up at the Centre to secure placements when school had even reopened, there was a stampede where some 7 people including a pregnant woman collapsed. A livid Napo who should be apologizing and sympathizing with these frustrated Ghanaians rather went to Asempa FM where he usually announces his policy statements, and told the whole world that those collapsing were feigning their exhaustion. He went ahead to say that the NDC had paid those people some GHC 20 to stage their frustration just to cause anger and panic amongst Ghanaians. This is a Minister whos put in charge and paid with our taxes to solve problems and hes amongst the men Nana Addo said he has. God save Ghana! A Minister who cant produce a policy document to the very key policies and programs his ministry is adopting and executing can at least be forgiven for his reckless communication style. Today, local suppliers of foodstuffs to all Senior High Schools have been chased out of business because the supply of even milk to these schools has been centralized by this same Napo and his other colleague ministers in this government. School heads and administrators are gagged to a point that almost all of them have thrown their hands up in despair. The center (buffer stock) brings rice meanwhile the schools need tomatoes, but they are forced to take the rice just to save their jobs. What type of Minister is this? I am angry if all Diploma teachers and teacher trainees aint. From Issifu Seidu Kudus Gbeadese 1 (0244198031) The presidents defense team provided the Republican senators with a convenient out, saying that even if he did it, it was not an impeachable act. But the real reason for voting against witnesses and for acquittal was they were afraid of the presidents wrath and that of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. McConnell controls the purse strings to the millions of dollars that these senators need to support their reelection. And where do these dollars come from? Dark money from super political action committees donated by a few very wealthy people. Without this source of funding, they might not be reelected. Hence the pressure on them not to vote their conscience was too great. Hong Kong to Place in Quarantine Everyone Coming From Mainland China Report Sputnik News 02:38 GMT 06.02.2020 MOSCOW (Sputnik) Hong Kong will introduce on Saturday a two-week quarantine for all people arriving from mainland China over an outbreak of a new coronavirus, media reported on Thursday. The measures will apply to residents of mainland China, Hong Kong, as well as foreigners coming to the special administrative region, the RTHK broadcaster reported. On Thursday, Hong Kong confirmed three new cases of the new coronavirus, with the total number of infected persons in the region having reached 21. According to Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, the situation in the region is deteriorating. The new strain of coronavirus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan, located in the province of Hubei, in December and has since spread to more than 25 countries. The epidemic has already left over 28,000 people infected in China and 563 people dead. Last week, the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency in light of the outbreak. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address OTTAWA - The mayors of Canadas biggest cities are pressing the federal government for immediate money to address climate change, as well as a promise of predictable transit funding down the tracks. Finance Minister Bill Morneau, who met with the mayors Thursday, has billed the coming federal budget as one with an environmental focus. Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson, who chairs the big city mayors caucus of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, said thats why the mayors are prioritizing budget requests that fit the environmental lens and match promises the Liberals made during the recent federal election. The mayors are asking for help to fund zero-emission transit fleets and a top-up to the popular disaster mitigation and adaptation fund that helps municipalities deal with things like severe flooding. In meetings with other architects of this years budget and opposition MPs whose support is needed to pass a budget bill mayors say they have come away with a belief the Liberals will honour a campaign promise to make transit funding permanent when current funding programs sunset near the end of the decade. I think they intend to follow through on that, Iveson said. We really want to nail that down in the budget because that helps us turn back to a conversation about provinces. Funding from federal infrastructure programs, valued at more than $180 billion, cant flow to cities until provinces officially green-light them for Ottawas approval. Speaking to the big city mayors on Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said some challenges had arisen concerning co-ordination with the provinces over the last few years, and he asked the group to lean on premiers. The Liberals plan to force provinces to identify projects for long-term funding and submit lists by the end of 2021, or Ottawa will send the money directly to cities for their use. Discussion of changes to the annual $2-billion federal gas-tax program, which sends money directly to cities, will wait for another round of budget talks, but may take on more prominence if provinces continue to put up roadblocks, Iveson said. We really think its important that there be a consequence to not playing ball in Confederation, Iveson said. However, the lost opportunity in the meantime is an economic loss and a loss of a public benefit. During closed-door meetings with Trudeau and senior ministers, mayors heard promises of getting infrastructure money out the door faster to them, speedier delivery of housing programs targeting high-density rental projects, a possible new bucket of funds in this coming budget, and redirecting existing cash for priority projects like electric transit vehicles. Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna, who met with mayors one-on-one this week and Thursday as a group, has a mandate to make transit funding permanent post-2027. It would bring predictability to our planning process because ... these major projects take years and years to get a shovel in the ground, said Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, whose city is in the early stages of planning an extension to its light-rail system. Langley Mayor Jack Froese said Metro Vancouver mayors are hoping for money more quickly for zero-emission transit vehicles set to roll out this fall, while pushing for longer-term funding for a planned extension to the SkyTrain transit system, which connects B.C.s Lower Mainland. Whether its Montreal or Toronto or Metro Vancouver, we all have a big ask, Froese said in an interview. Theres only so much money to go around. We would like to impress upon the federal government that we have shovel-ready projects that are ready to go. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 6, 2020. Follow @jpress on Twitter Bashar Al-Assad's swift military advance through Idlib province, backed by Russian air strikes, has caused an exodus of civilians towards Turkey's border in the past two weeks Syrian government forces battled rebels and weathered Turkish artillery barrages on Thursday as they tried to seize Saraqeb town in northwestern Idlib province in a new push to recapture the last rebel stronghold, witnesses and a war monitor said. President Bashar al-Assad's swift military advance through Idlib province, backed by Russian air strikes, has caused an exodus of civilians towards Turkey's border in the past two weeks, risking a military confrontation with Turkey, whose leader has threatened to drive back the Syrian forces. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday that Ankara expected Russia to immediately stop the government attacks, which killed eight Turkish military personnel on Monday and prompted Turkish forces to strike back. "We conveyed our determination to our Russian counterparts," he said, adding that Ankara was determined to stem the "humanitarian drama" in Idlib which Turkey says has displaced nearly 1 million people. Syrian forces backed by air strikes had on Wednesday encircled and entered Saraqeb, 15 km (9 miles) east of Idlib city, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights had said in a report corroborated by witnesses. The town lies at the junction of two main roads that Assad seeks to fully control under the campaign to regain Idlib province, the last rebel bastion in the nearly nine-year-long civil war. Rebel fighters "managed to push back government forces from most of Saraqeb in an attack from the northern part of the town that coincided with Turkish shelling against advancing government forces," the Observatory said. Witnesses said government forces came under shelling from Turkish observation posts in the area. The fighting, taking place despite a Jan. 12 ceasefire deal between Turkey and Russia, disrupted a fragile cooperation between the two countries that back opposing sides in the conflict, raising concerns over future collaboration. The Kremlin said on Thursday that militants in Turkey's "zone of responsibility" in Idlib province were continuing to attack Syrian government forces and Russian military infrastructure. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there were no plans currently for President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to meet to reduce tensions in Idlib but that such a meeting could be quickly organised if needed. Russia also said some of its troops had been killed in the militant attacks - its first confirmation of casualties in the current round of fighting. ISRAELI AIRSTRIKES The battle for Idlib marks a crucial stage of a war that has killed hundreds of thousands of combatants and civilians, made millions refugees in their own country or overseas, and fractured the wider Middle East since it broke out amid the Arab Spring in 2011. The forces arrayed against Assad, Syria's ruler for nearly 20 years, have failed to dislodge him but he now presides over a devastated country. The escalation in Idlib also comes at a time of heightened tension between the United States and Iran, Assad's other main military ally, after the killing last month in a U.S. strike of an Iranian general who was the architect of Tehran's military operations in the region and an important figure in Syria's war. Russian and Iranian support has helped Assad win back nearly all the territory lost to rebels. The threat of direct confrontation between arch-enemies Israel and Iran has also long simmered in Syria, where the Iranian military has built a presence early in the civil war. Early on Thursday, Syrian air defences intercepted Israeli missiles over Damascus that were fired at military targets in southern Syria including near the capital, the Syrian defence ministry said. The attacks by Israeli warplanes were launched in two waves, one near Damascus and another near Deraa and Quneitra provinces, it said. The Syrian air defences downed a large number of missiles but the attacks had caused material damage and injured eight "fighters", it said, without specifying their nationality. The Israeli military declined to comment. Israel has repeatedly bombed Iranian-backed militia targets in Syria, saying its goal was to end Tehran's military presence there. Search Keywords: Short link: The Congress may spring a surprise in Delhi like it did in the elections in neighbouring Haryana last year, senior party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala claimed as campaigning for the February 8 polls here closed on Thursday. "Some channels were giving us just two seats in Haryana but we won 31. It is going to happen again," he told a press conference. Terming the BJP, which is in power at the Centre, and the ruling AAP in Delhi as "Jhoothon ki Sarkar aur Jhoothon ke Sardar", Surjewala accused them of failing in areas of health, pollution mitigation, education, clean drinking water supply and public transport in the national capital. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has "panicked" as he feels that this time the BJP may not win more that the three seats it had won in the 2015 Delhi assembly polls, the Congress leader said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) D onald Trump unleashed his fury against those who tried to remove him from office in a rambling victory speech after he was acquitted in his impeachment trial. The US president, speaking to a room full of supporters at the White House, declared the impeachment proceedings a "disgrace" and portrayed himself as a victim rather than a leader accused of serious corruption. He triumphantly waved a newspaper front page with the words "Trump acquitted" and attacked his political foes. "It was evil, it was corrupt," he declared. "This should never ever happen to another president, ever." President Donald Trump holds a copy of The Washington Post with the headline 'Trump acquitted' / Getty Images "We went through hell, unfairly. We did nothing wrong," he added. Mr Trump attacked the "vicious and mean" people he felt had wronged him, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff and former FBI Director James Comey. He referred to Ms Pelosi as a horrible person, adding she says she prays but I doubt she prays at all." President Donald Trump speaks as first lady Melania watches on / AP We first went through Russia, Russia, Russia. It was all bulls***, he said. "They knew in the first two days that we were totally innocent but they kept it going forever because they wanted to inflict political pain to someone who just won an election. And it was one of the greatest wins of all time. He then revelled in the verdict delivered by the GOP-controlled Senate the day before. Mr Trump hugs his daughter Ivanka / AFP via Getty Images "Now we have that gorgeous word. I never thought it would sound so good," Mr Trump said. "Its called 'total acquittal." He called the meeting a "celebration" and said: "This is what the end result is", holding up Thursday's Washington Post front page. Among his supporters in the White House East Room were Republican senators who cast some of the votes to acquit him, majority leader Mitch McConnell and Rep Chuck Grassley, several Cabinet members including Attorney General William Barr and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, and staunch House allies including Reps Jim Jordan, Devin Nunes and minority leader Kevin McCarthy. President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks in the East Room of the White House / AP Going one by one, Mr Trump then spent nearly a half hour in rambling remarks saluting GOP lawmakers who backed him both in the Capitol and on television. He declared that the Republican Party has never been more unified and that the momentum from the acquittal would carry him to re-election this November. But he also predicted that he may have to fend off another impeachment challenge, perhaps for something as trivial as jaywalking. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has likened climate change deniers within the Liberal Party to "terrorists", and argued for a "green new deal" to shift the economy off fossil fuels. Speaking in Sydney at an event hosted by the Coalition for Conservation, Mr Turnbull and his wife Lucy said Australia should use the "black spring and black summer" of huge bushfires as a "turning point" to take serious climate action. Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull have spoken out about the need to act on climate change during an address in Sydney to the Coalition for Conservation. Credit:60 Minutes/Channel Nine "If ever Australians were under any illusion that the consequences of a hotter and drier climate were not real, harsh and dangerous, those illusions have been shattered this summer. These bushfires are utterly without precedent in our history," Mr Turnbull said. The Turnbulls, who were in south-east Asia during some of the peak of the bushfires, said the effect on Australia's image abroad had been profound. SANTA FE Legislators tightened the scope of a proposed law Wednesday that would allow for the temporary seizure of firearms from New Mexicans deemed an imminent danger to themselves or others. Only law enforcement officers, not household or family members, would be allowed to petition the court for an extreme risk order under a version of the legislation introduced Wednesday. The amended proposal narrowly cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee late Wednesday on a 6-5 vote. Its next stop is the Senate floor where supporters and opponents alike are preparing for an incredibly close vote. Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, a Democrat, would break a tie. Democratic Sen. Joseph Cervantes, a Las Cruces attorney and co-sponsor of the bill, said the new version of the legislation is intended to address criticism leveled by sheriffs and other opponents of the bill. In particular, he said, the provision requiring a law enforcement officer to petition the court rather than allowing someone else to do it was aimed at preventing abuse by, say, an ex-spouse seeking retaliation. Household members could request the filing of a petition, but it would be up to a law enforcement officer to determine whether theres probable cause to seek the order in court. We believe weve struck the proper balance, Cervantes said in a packed committee room at the Capitol. Opponents of the bill said Wednesday that the changes dont go far enough. They still have concerns about whether the bill adequately gives someone a chance to contest an order to surrender their firearms. Theres gun confiscation before theres a hearing, Sierra County Sheriff Glenn Hamilton told lawmakers. The proposal, Senate Bill 5, would create an Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Act, sometimes called a red flag law. Seventeen states have enacted similar laws. Under the bill, a law enforcement officer would seek court approval for an extreme risk order if they have credible information provided by a household member or relative giving them probable cause to believe someone poses a significant danger of causing imminent personal injury to self or others. A court could order the immediate, temporary seizure of the persons firearms for up to 10 days, until a hearing can be held. After a hearing, the ban on having firearms could be extended one year. The person wouldnt be subject to a search warrant unless they refuse to surrender their firearms. There are also provisions that would allow for the order to be terminated early or to be extended another year. The proceeding would happen in the District Court where the respondent lives. Senate Bill 5 has emerged as one of the most emotionally charged debates of the session. Supporters have testified about loved ones who died by suicide, and opponents have carried semiautomatic rifles and other firearms during visits to the Capitol. The legislation is backed by Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who added it to the agenda this session. Sponsoring the bill are Cervantes and Democratic Reps. Daymon Ely of Corrales and Joy Garratt of Albuquerque. Democrats hold a 26-16 edge in the Senate, though some Democrats have joined Republicans to oppose firearms legislation. In last years session, for example, a background checks bill barely passed the Senate, on a 22-20 vote. The House is expected to be friendlier ground for the proposed Extreme Risk Firearm Protection Order Act, if it makes it that far. A similar bill passed the House 39-30 last year. Wednesdays 6-5 vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee fell mostly along party lines, with Democrats in favor and Republicans opposed. Democratic Sen. Richard Martinez of Ojo Caliente was the lone legislator to cross party lines, voting against the bill. Ive been abused and threatened by both sides, Martinez said. He noted that he had successfully sponsored last years background checks legislation for firearm sales. But he said he wasnt convinced this years bill would improve public safety the way supporters say. Gladwin County Sheriffs deputies are continuing to investigate a Tuesday hit-and-run crash that left a horse dead and a 20-year-old man severely injured. Two callers called 911 saying there was a dead horse blocking part of Bard Road around 7:15 p.m. The second caller added there was a man and a smashed buggy in the same area of the horse located in the ditch. The man and buggy were both in the ditch. The victim was taken to MidMichigan Medical Center Gladwin and later flown to the MidMichigan Medical Center Midland to their trauma center for life-threatening injuries. His condition is unknown. The buggy was reportedly traveling north on South Bard Road when it was struck from behind. Gladwin County Sheriff Mike Shea said the vehicle then fled the scene. Shea said deputies located the suspected vehicle, a 1999 Dodge Ram 2500 at a Gladwin residence. Investigators identified a 30-year-old Alger man who was allegedly driving on a denied and revoked drivers license. The suspects name is being withheld pending criminal charges. As of Thursday, no charges have been filed and the suspect is not in custody, said Gladwin County Sheriffs detective James Cuddie. Once the report is complete, it will go to the prosecutor for review on any possible charges. By Tracy Rucinski, Reuters | Feb. 06, 2020 United Airlines Holdings Inc announced on Wednesday an agreement to purchase a flight training academy in Phoenix in a move aimed at bolstering its pilot pipeline as the industry faces a global shortage. To address a tight U.S. labor market created by years of slow pilot hiring, a wave of pending retirements and new rules that in 2013 increased the number of required training hours, U.S. airlines have been taking steps to attract young aviators. Chicago-based United, which is looking to hire more than 10,000 pilots by 2029, will be the first major U.S. carrier to run its own academy. "We think this program will alleviate any shortage we would have had and that's its purpose," Curtis Brunjes, United's managing director of pilot strategy, told reporters. The school, currently operating as Westwind School of Aeronautics, will be renamed United Aviate Academy in September. United expects approximately 300 graduates in 2021 and wants to expand capacity to accommodate 500 graduates per year, Brunjes said, noting that the academy is among the airline's most aggressive steps on pilot hiring since the 1960s. One area of focus at the school will be training for loss of control incidents, a leading cause of plane disasters, that goes beyond the current U.S. Federal Aviation Administration requirements. Some of the enrollees will come from Aviate, a recruitment program that United launched last year offering students and pilots from 15 schools and regional carriers a path to a job at the major. American Airlines Group Inc and Delta Air lines Inc have similar career programs. United - which plans to design the academy's curriculum in concert with the Air Line Pilots Association, International - is offering financing options for training and will also launch a scholarship program focused on women and minorities. It did not disclose financial details of the purchase, with Brunjes saying only that the company paid "more than asset value, but not hugely more." The financial benefit down the line will be ensuring that regional carriers, which operate a significant amount of U.S. airlines' domestic capacity at a lower cost, have enough pilots to fly the routes that United wants to contract. In recent years, regional carriers have had to double salaries and offer sign-on bonuses to attract pilots to the field, driving up costs. Boeing Co expects 800,000 new pilots will be needed over the next 20 years to meet growing demand for air travel. Narendra Modi quoted statements made by Ram Manohar Lohia and Lal Bahadur Shastri on supporting minorities facing persecution in Pakistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, castigated the Opposition for its stance on the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Population Register, and said that it is opposing the two policies due to "vote-bank politics." Earlier in the day, he spoke in the Lok Sabha and touched upon the same issues. Replying to the debate in the Rajya Sabha on a motion thanking the president for his address to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament, he quoted statements made by Ram Manohar Lohia and Lal Bahadur Shastri on supporting minorities facing persecution in Pakistan. Attacking the Opposition, especially the Samajwadi Party for taking a stand against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Modi recalled that Lohia had said, "I reject the notion that we should not care about the Hindus of Pakistan since they are Pakistani citizens. Irrespective of the citizenship of Pakistan's Hindus, it is our duty to protect them like we protect Indian Muslims and Hindus." Modi further said, "Is it okay to misguide and misinform the nation? Can anybody be a part of a campaign that does the same? The path being taken on CAA by many Opposition parties is unfortunate.". He said the Kerala chief minister has warned about extremists being involved in anti-citizenship law protests in the state but Left party members were supporting similar protests in the national capital. The prime minister alleged there was an attempt to cover undemocratic activity under the garb of protests against the law. He went on to say that no one is going to get political benefit out of the protests. Instead of scaring people on the law, right information needs to be provided, he said. Amid loud protests from the Opposition benches, Modi also spoke on the Census and NPR, saying that they are basic exercises that have happened in the past as well. "But when votebank politics is a necessity then those who carried out NPR earlier,spread misinformation about it now. You (Opposition) disapprove of the NPR that you yourself introduced." The prime minister recalled, "The home minister during the UPA regime had said during the inauguration of the NPR exercise that everyone should be a part of this exercise. He had even appealed to the media to disseminate information about it." Questions asked in the NPR are purely governance-related, he said citing the example of asking citizens of the language spoken by them and their parents are deeply linked to the schools that need to be set up in that particular area. Some states have expressed objections over the National Population Register (NPR) form having columns on date and place of birth of parents. The Congress has demanded the deletion of these questions. Modi said on Thursday, "We have a record of your NPR, no citizen was persecuted based on that record of NPR." 'Decisions on J&K taken after detailed discussions' During his speech, the prime minister also spoke in detail about development measures taken in Jammu and Kashmir and responded to accusations of repressive measures in Jammu and Kashmir. "One MP said the decisions on Jammu and Kashmir (abrogation of Article 370 and creation of Union Territories) were taken without any discussion. This observation is not correct. The entire nation has seen the detailed discussions on the subject," he added. The prime minister said the people of Jammu and Kashmir got benefits of reservation for the first time in decades. "There were Block Development Council polls. RERA came into being there. For the first time, Jammu and Kashmir got a comprehensive start-up, trade and logistics policy. The anti-corruption bureau was set up there," he said. In August last year, the Central government abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two Union Territories. Attacking the Congress, the Prime Minister said: "People do not forget things easily. I want to remind the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha about the manner in which proceedings regarding the creation of Telangana took place. Doors were closed and live telecast was prohibited. "Did our former prime minister Dr Manmohan Sigh not remark that democracy is being harmed due to protests on the Telangana issue? Atalji created not one but three states. The entire process was done in an amicable manner, unlike what happened during the creation of Telangana," he said. With inputs from agencies Shabnam Nasimi: We changed the law to deal with Stephen Lawrences murderers. We must do the same for terrorist threats. Shabnam Nasimi is a Third Sector Consultant. She is the founder and Chairman of the Conservative Friends of Afghanistan. On Sunday, Britain faced its second terrorist attack in a matter of months by a radical Islamist and as always we are thankful for the speedy intervention of the police and MI5. However, it will not always be possible to respond in such a way and so the long list of terrorism cases needs to be shortened. For two years, I was a Prevent Coordinator at Lewisham Council, leading the Home Office Counter-Terrorism Prevent Strategy, and while at the heart of terrorism lies many characteristics of a violent crime, the main difference that sets it apart from other forms of crime is the ideology behind it. Yes, the role of the police and security forces is to protect the public, but lets be clear that they will only be able to control terrorist threats not deal with the ideology or theology that underpins it. It is now time to ask some serious questions on whether legislation against terrorist offences in the UK is fit for purpose and what needs to change? Firstly, banning ideologically violent material that falls in the hands of terrorists like Sudesh Amman who, like many, was radicalised as a teenager. Whilst the governments Prevent strategy identified and safeguards many vulnerable individuals who are at risk of radicalisation but work to counter the ideology is weaker. The amount of disturbing and horrific extremist material online would shock member of the public, yet only a handful is prosecutable by the current terrorist and hate crime laws. It is concerning that gaps in legislation have made it difficult to act against possessing and viewing this ghastly online material. A renewed effort should be pursued based on Counter Extremism Commission Sara Khans recommendation for a focus on hateful extremism. Many have expressed concerns over the victims inquests last year, re-iterated by the Chief Coroner that there was no offence in possessing terrorist and extremist material and recommended the introduction of a new law that would ban materials of the most offensive and shocking character, putting it on a par with indecent images of children. Secondly, recently and over the next few years, many dangerous terrorists will return to the streets of Britain from prison. I strongly believe that when the police and security services put a terrorist in prison, it is crucial to keep them separate from other vulnerable inmates who can be at risk of radicalisation. We need better resourced and supported de-radicalisation programmes to be implemented, providing terrorists who come out of prison the rehabilitation they need to turn their lives around when they leave prison. Thirdly, however, while we dont want to be a country that metes out harsh sentences, for radical Islamists there is little alternative. The government has shown determination to introduce emergency legislation to remove automatic early release for terrorists and to carry out risk assessments, but this needs to target all forms of terrorist offences, including offenders who possess and disseminate terrorist material. As was shown in the Streatham incident, Amman was clearly indoctrinated by a violent extremist ideology, yet no offence exists to ensure that the government can monitor or charge violent extremists, even when no one was harmed. There is a very little difference between possessing terrorist documents and disseminating terrorist publications and turning that into violence. Last December, 74 terrorist offenders had been released from prison early and in the coming months even more are set to be released. The government is now planning to change the law to stop this and if we were able to change the law to enable the retrial and conviction of the Stephen Lawrence murderers, cant we take the same approach to deal with urgent national security threats? Whilst Britain has an effective counter-terrorism machine of integrated police and MI5 teams three terrorist incidents within the space of a few months is proof enough that we need longer sentences of terrorist offenders. The bottom line is that we urgently need to deal with the root causes of radicalisation by interventional providers who are adept at countering the Islamist ideology, a justice system that reforms willing offenders and controls those with rooted extremist ideology. When you think of "camouflage," there's a good chance the first image that comes to mind is the woodland pattern on the Battle Dress Uniform. From 1981 until the early 2000s, this was the one uniform that firmly identified a member of the U.S. military. It didn't matter in which branch they served, that woodland camouflage commanded respect. All of the most famous advertisements for joining the armed forces featured this uniform. Despite being in service for so long, the uniform went mostly unchanged for 20-plus years. The Pentagon eventually issued summer-weight versions; the button waist adjusters gave way to an easier sliding tab; and the lapels on the BDU blouse were shortened. The 470th Military Intelligence Brigade in Panama during Operation Just Cause (U.S. Army) It seemed like the perfect working uniform -- until commanders started demanding improvements. They began with demanding trouser-like creases in the pant legs. Then came creases in the arm sleeve. These all eventually became regulations. American troops then did what they do best: trying to outdo one another in the quest to look as "sharp" as possible. By the end of its time in service, between 2005 and 2012, depending on the service branch, the BDU had suffered a stream of adjustments that would either make troops' lives easier or so much harder, depending on what they tried. These adjustments were by no means universal, but they happened. A lot. We got a little carried away. 5. Intense Levels of Starch Two sets of my BDUs were the same ones issued to me in basic training, a stunning tribute to the durability of the uniform. When preparing them for an inspection day or some other event where people would care how sharp my creases were, I unloaded an entire can of starch into them. Twelve years later, these uniforms are still so crisp, they literally stand up on their own. If anyone took their BDUs to the base laundry or an on-base dry cleaner, they would likely receive the same treatment. There were entire businesses dedicated to this practice, right outside most gates. You can't get "laser creases" into this nylon-cotton blend without the use of performance-enhancing substances. After treating them with starch, they needed only a simple iron now and then to renew the creases, which kept my effort minimal, along with my washes. These babies are razor thin, even after a decade of being in a bin somewhere. Just like god intended. I wasn't going to "break starch" (put on a new uniform) for no reason. And when I touched up, my BDUs glowed with the flash that only superheated starch on cotton BDUs could bring. 4. Sewing Creases into Arms and Legs Maybe you needed laser creases but didn't want to put the effort into your everyday wear. Maybe you wanted to avoid "summer creases" (summer here, summer there, creases everywhere). Either way, starch wasn't your thing. The simple solution was to go to that same off-base dry cleaner and see whether they had an alterations service to put a seam right where the regulations said that crease should be. They usually did. Because, again, they were near the base for a reason. And they knew every word of whatever regulation governed your branch's uniform wear. Some airmen would put plastic fishing line in the crease of their BDU sleeves and iron over it to melt the line into the crease, creating an instant, permanent crease. Either way, you could easily walk into work every day, looking like you at least tried to touch up those creases, even if you just rolled out of bed. 3. Gluing Down Pocket Flaps With BDUs, it wasn't only hands that didn't belong in your pockets. Using any of the pockets on the BDU blouse was a faux pas that would cause any onlooking officer to metaphorically clutch their pearls. While it was perfectly acceptable to use the waist pockets on the BDU pants (for any purpose except keeping your hands warm), using the side leg pockets would cause equal amounts of confusion and alarm, as they poofed out with use. The solution American troops found to this issue was to literally glue or sew those pockets flaps shut and either sew the inner pockets down or remove them entirely. You can't use pockets you don't actually have. If you needed those pockets for combat, you probably weren't deploying with that uniform anyway. 2. Using Weights Inside Pant Legs Not only did those pants need to be creased and clean, if you were going to take them to the next level, they needed to be straight-legged too. There's no better way to keep pants looking like they've never been worn even when you're currently wearing them than installing heavy rubber weights in the area you also just bloused. Grown adults would blouse their BDU pants as usual, but instead of allowing the material to naturally flow over the tops of their expertly-shined combat boots, they would control how they looked -- by force. Very large, very heavy rubber cuffs were placed at the bottom of the bloused pant area so the wearer could smooth the fabric flowing over his or her boots over and around the heavy rubber cuff. The end result made it look like the wearers' pants weren't bloused work pants, but instead were doggedly-starched camouflage pattern dress pants. 1. Cutting Off Sleeves It gets super hot in many of the places American troops are based or deployed. In those instances, BDU-wearing soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines would be allowed to roll their sleeves to a predetermined area on their arm. The Navy and Marine Corps wore their rolled BDU sleeves with the lighter-colored material facing out, while the Army and Air Force wore rolled sleeved mostly rolled this way, but with the outer cuff facing outwardly. As if anyone else wore rolled sleeves like that anywhere, ever. Rolling our sleeves the way literally no one else would. (U.S. Air Force photo) If stationed somewhere that gets continually hot and required rolled sleeves day-after-day, some airmen and soldiers would simplify the rolling process. Normally, they would have to keep the roll perfectly flat and get the outer cuff on top, then have to restarch and iron the sleeves once they came down. Or they could just cut off most of the sleeve and sew the cuff to the predetermined place on the short sleeve, to make a perfect short-sleeved BDU blouse, one they'd have to change immediately if a VIP showed up. No problem, though. A regular pressed, heavy-starched replacement was probably somewhere close at hand. -- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. Want to Learn More About Military Life? Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for post-military careers or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox. " " MIT researchers have designed a system that can 3-D print the basic structure of an entire building. The system consists of a tracked vehicle that carries a large industrial robotic arm, which has a smaller, precision-motion robotic arm at its end. Steven Keating, Julian Leland, Levi Cai, and Neri Oxman/Mediated Matter Group Compared to other industries that have been transformed by technology, construction has been lagging behind, with builders relying on methods and materials that have been around for decades or centuries, even. But that could change in a hurry, thanks to the advent of sophisticated robotics and 3-D printers that rapidly can fabricate objects layer by layer. We're already seeing an increasing number of examples of builders using 3-D printing to make big pieces out of concrete and then assembling them to create structures. In 2016, for example, architecture firm Gensler partnered with engineering firms Syska Kennessy and Thornton Tomasetti to erect the world's first 3-D printed office building in Dubai, using components printed in Shanghai on Chinese company WinSun Global's massive building-sized 3-D printer. Madrid now has the world's first 3-D printed concrete footbridge, and a Dutch company plans to build a 3-D printed steel bridge in Amsterdam. Advertisement Now, Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers have come up with a 3-D printing technology that they say makes it possible to print not just big pieces, but the basic structure of an entire building. The Digital Construction Platform (DCP), described in a new article in the journal Science Robotics, includes a vehicle on a track that carries a big robotic arm, with a smaller, more precise arm mounted on its end. The smaller arm can be used to direct different nozzles that apply various types of construction materials, such a concrete or insulation. In addition to guiding additive manufacturing, the arm also can guide cutting tools such as a milling head. Unlike most 3-D printing systems, which are limited to building objects that can fit inside their enclosed structure, the DCP is free-moving. That means that, theoretically, there are no limits to how big of an object it can fabricate. The researchers already have used a prototype to fashion the framework for a dome measuring 12 feet (3.7 meters) tall and 50 feet (15.2 meters) in diameter. And it did the job in less than 14 hours. In the future, such a 3D-printing construction system might be used to rapidly build shelters in extreme environments where construction is difficult including, possibly, places on other worlds. As MIT researcher Steven Keating says in a press release, the ultimate goal is "to have something totally autonomous, that you could send to the moon or Mars or Antarctica, and it would just go out and make these buildings for years." Now That's Interesting Komatsu, a Japanese company that is the world's second-largest construction outfit, is developing what it calls smart construction to do earthmoving work for construction sites. The system uses robotic bulldozers and excavators guided by cameras, lasers and 3-D data transmitted from aerial drones hovering above them. You might have got the impression from recent news reports that higher tariff rates and a potential easing of AGR repayment terms have left Vodafone Idea and its UK parent more relaxed about the Indian operators future. You would be wrong. Vodafone Group CEO Nick Read has again entered the fray. He indicated, during a recent earnings call, that Vodafone Idea has sought a waiver of interest and penalties on the billions of dollars of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues demanded after Octobers Supreme Court decision widened the definition of AGR. Vodafone Idea also wants to pay the principal over 10 years with a two-year moratorium. The lowering of licence fees and taxes, and the setting of a floor price to eliminate predatory pricing are also part of the Indian operators wishlist to the government. But thats not all. Read also referred to a potential cash injection for Vodafone Idea from selling its stake in the merged Indus Towers-Bharti Infratel deal. This will not be forthcoming without government approval of the merger. That approval has been delayed more than once. Whatever happens, Read indicated, no more fresh capital will be put into the troubled Indian operator. For good measure, he again described the situation in India as critical. The government has so far refused to provide relief on the AGR dues unless directed by the Supreme Court. However, a modification petition, asking the Supreme Court to allow negotiations with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on timelines for payment, has yet to be heard. Read's concerns have received at least some support from one of Vodafone Ideas rivals. Bharti Airtel chief executive Gopal Vittal has argued that Vodafone Ideas survival is critical and that India needs to remain a three-player market. While the potential hit, in terms of investment, job losses and reputation, of a major players exit would be likely to worry the government, for now all parties will probably have to wait for the Supreme Court ruling. Intuiface Unveils BrightSign Support for Interactive Content Delivery Intuiface offers a unique value proposition that is well-positioned to address an underserved need among the BrightSign install base interactive content delivery. Intuiface the only no-code platform dedicated to the creation, deployment, and analysis of interactive digital experiences for physical spaces is excited to announce the addition of BrightSign to its list of supported platforms. This integration enables users of the markets most popular digital signage media player to easily transition from scheduled, playlist-based, non-interactive signage to personalized, immersive, customer- and data-driven content, critical for on-premises engagement between a brand and their target audience. Intuiface pioneered the no-code approach to interactive content delivery. Agencies, integrators, and enterprises can choose from multiple interactive approaches touch, voice, sensor, camera, web triggers, and more to create experiences reactive to user input and other real-time events. Template-free, drag-and-drop authoring with virtually unlimited media support enables the realization of any design idea, everything from classic signage and sales pitches to information kiosks, retail point-of-sale terminals, and curated exhibits. Additional capabilities permit no-code integration with third-party API-driven data sources, business logic, and IoT devices such as Nexmosphere sensors and actuators, ensuring experiences contain relevant, up-to-the-minute content in context. With this announcement, Intuiface now supports experience distribution and analytics on BrightSign digital signage media players. Fully interactive experiences can be deployed to any number of BrightSign players, located anywhere in the world, using a simple web-based console. Each installation independently collects specified usage and contextual data such as item(s) selected, location, weather, other environmental influences and uploads them to a centralized, cloud-hosted repository. This data can then be crafted into charts and dashboards, using Intuiface Analytics, to identify trends and uncover insight in support of project KPIs. Intuiface specializes in enabling the digital transformation of the physical space, and BrightSign is the market-leading player for on-premises digital content. We couldnt think of a better match, says Vincent Encontre, Intuifaces COO. Were excited to show BrightSigns install base how easy it is to create data-rich, personalized, interactive digital experiences without high outsourcing costs or custom development. Intuiface offers a unique value proposition that is well-positioned to address an underserved need among our install base interactive content delivery, says Jeff Hastings, BrightSignss CEO. Our customers will be thrilled to discover Intuiface's no-code approach to building complex, interactive and dynamic projects, and its ability to turn interactivity into a rich resource for analytics. The Intuiface runtime, Player, is supported on BrightSign Models XT3 and XT4 and easily provisioned using BSN.cloud Control Cloud. Once installed, Player can be monitored remotely through the Intuiface web-based Share & Deploy Console with support for remote software update and experience deployment. In addition, with licensed Intuiface Players, BrightSign devices can be taken offline to accommodate environments with no or unreliable Internet access. Intuiface will demonstrate Intuiface for BrightSign in its booth at Integrated Systems Europe 2020, Booth # 8-C353. ISE 2020 takes place from February 11-14 at the Amsterdam RAI. General availability of Intuiface for BrightSign will follow shortly after ISE. For more information, contact Intuiface at https://www.intuiface.com/contact or BrightSign at http://www.brightsign.biz/company/contact-us About Intuiface Intuiface is the markets only no-code platform dedicated to the creation, integration, deployment, and analysis of interactive digital experiences for physical spaces. Over 1,600 companies across 70+ countries are connecting people to place using interactive options such as touch, RFID/NFC, beacons, Web APIs, Internet of Things, and much more. For any industry including retail, hospitality, real estate, tourism, education and for any intent from digital signs to self-service kiosks and assisted selling. For more information, visit http://www.intuiface.com. Follow Intuiface at http://twitter.com/intuiface. About BrightSign BrightSign LLC, the global market leader in digital signage media players, is headquartered in Los Gatos, California, with offices in Europe and Asia. BrightSign manufactures media players and provides free software and networking solutions for the commercial digital signage market worldwide, serving all vertical segments of the digital signage marketplace. From entry-level BrightSign LS players to BrightSign XT players offering state-of-the-art technology and unsurpassed performance, BrightSigns products are known for their signature reliability, affordability, ease-of-use and market-leading technology. For more information, visit http://www.brightsign.biz. Follow BrightSign at http://twitter.com/brightsign and http://www.facebook.com/BrightSignLLC. New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has slammed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for failing to speak in one voice over Kashmir as Saudi Arabia continues to show reluctance to accept Islamabads request for an immediate meeting on the issue. Indirectly chiding Saudi Arabia and UAE for diluting Pakistans stand, Khan said: The reason is that we have no voice and there is a total division amongst [us]. We cant even come together as a whole on the OIC meeting on Kashmir. He was speaking at a think-tank during his visit to Malaysia, where he has gone to drum up support from Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad after failing to get the sufficient backing within the OIC. There is a growing frustration in Islamabad as it had sought an urgent meeting of OICs Council of Foreign Ministers (CFM) to discuss the Kashmir issue, but Saudi Arabia has not been amenable to the request, Pakistans Dawn News reported. Support from Riyadh is considered a must for any move at the OIC, which is dominated by Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries from the Gulf. The 57-member bloc of Muslim countries will hold the Senior Officials Meeting in Jeddah on Feb 9. Pakistan had been relentlessly pushing for a meeting of the CFM, with foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi recently asserting that it was needed to send a clear message from Ummah on the Kashmir issue. Saudi Arabia had made several proposals to Pakistan to avoid the CFM, including giving the option of holding of a parliamentary forum or speakers conference from Muslim countries. A joint meeting on Palestine and Kashmir issues was also proposed, Dawn reported. Pakistan has so far persisted with its proposal as it was concerned that clubbing the Kashmir dispute with Palestine at a meeting would effectively put the Kashmir issue on the backburner. Khan had also received a lukewarm response from Malaysias Mahathir on the Kashmir issue as the joint statement of the two premiers refrained from mentioning it. The statement merely recorded that the Pakistan PM had raised the issue, and not whether the two countries agreed on it. It could signal that Mahathir is mellowing his stance after taking a strident position against Indias moves to revoke Kashmirs special status and later pass the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act. This comes after New Delhi hit Malaysia with a virtual ban of palm oil imports. Every time Esmeralda Sebastian Benitez looks down, she sees the colors of the rainbow. That's probably because the North High School student uses her knees as a palette for her paints. "My parents complain that I always have dried paint stuck on my clothes and in my hair," Esmeralda said, showing off paint splashed on the exposed parts of holey jeans. "Guess I'm getting it on my skin as well." Esmeralda doesn't seem to mind. After all, a mosaic that she made was good enough to take home second place for the Martin Luther King Jr. Art Contest, sponsored by the Sioux City Community School District and coordinated by fine arts and community outreach program coordinator Pat Toben. Esmeralda and eight other winners will be recognized at the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) annual Freedom Fund Banquet, to be held Feb. 15 in Sioux City. While Esmeralda finished second in the high school art category, her classmate Casandra Tounjian had art that got the top spot. "My art shows a little girl surrounded by the quotes of Martin Luther King Jr." Casandra, a North 11th-grader, said. "The flower the girl is holding, represents her bright future." Teacher Sarah Pautsch said her students have participated in the art contest, dedicated to the slain civil rights leader, for many years. "The kids like it because it represents a challenge," she said. "Judges aren't interested in a poster with Martin Luther King Jr.'s face on it. You have to dig deeper. You have to show more of your personality." That wasn't easy for Youla Tricia Onayan, a North 10th-grader whose art earned her a third place finish. A native of the Philippines, Youla only knew about MLK from what she read in textbooks. "There is really only one race in the Philippines and that's Asian," she said. "America is much more of a melting pot." This is why Youla's art showcased a white face, an Asian face and an African-American face, surrounded by the words "live in harmony for we are all related." In addition to high schoolers, the art contest also awarded elementary and middle school artists. Jaci Bowder, of Spalding Park, received a first place finish in the elementary school category, while Mina Philavanh, of Unity, and Kaitlynn Miller, of Spalding Park, took home second and third place honors, respectively. West Middle School dominated the middle school category. Moises Alferez Cruz and Angie Amaya Hildalgo were selected second and third place finishers, while classmate Mya Comstock, a West Middle sixth-grader, received top honors. "My mom freaked out when she found out I came in first place," Mya said, describing her art as representing hands of different colors surrounded by one red heart. In a family where she is one of seven siblings, Mya uses her art as a creative outlet. However, she wants to pursue a career in medicine when she grows up. It is something she shares in common with Youla, who wants to study nursing in college. Like Youla, Casandra loves science as well as art. In fact, she'd like to teach high school science. Esmeralda, on the other hand, is adamant about following her artistic aspirations. "I want to study art in Sweden, spend time in Italy and see as much of the rest of the world that I can," she said. 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. Government tweaks mask rationing plan to include all foreign nationals ROC Central News Agency 02/05/2020 11:00 PM Taipei, Feb. 5 (CNA) Foreign nationals living in Taiwan will be able to use their national health insurance (NHI) cards or other forms of ID to obtain surgical face masks under a new rationing system that takes effect Thursday at 9 a.m., the National Health Insurance Administration (NHIA) said Wednesday. Foreign nationals who do not have an NHI card can present a valid Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) or entry permit to purchase the masks, the health agency said. In a press release, the NHIA offered clarification on its policy toward the roughly 50,000 foreign nationals in Taiwan who do not have NHI cards, a matter that was not addressed when the government announced the initial version of its rationing plan Monday. On Tuesday, the Health and Welfare Ministry told CNA that a plan was still being worked out for foreign nationals without NHI coverage. According to the NHIA, under the new rationing system, Taiwanese and foreign nationals will be allowed to buy two masks per week at drugstores and pharmacies, with sales staggered based on the last digit of the ID number on the NHI card, ARC or entry permit. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, masks will be sold to people whose ID numbers end with an odd digit, while Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays will be for those with even-digit last numbers on their ID, the NHIA said. On Sundays, anyone will be able to buy the masks, which will cost NT$5 (US$0.16) the NHIA said. Starting Thursday, the masks will go on sale at 6,000 NHI contracted drugstores and pharmacies, which are identifiable by the NHI logo on the storefront, the agency said. In Taiwan, the 50,000 foreign nationals who, for one reason or another, do not have NHI coverage include students and other foreign residents who have been in Taiwan for less than six months; migrant workers who have not yet cleared the mandatory health check to obtain their Alien Resident Certificates (ARCs); Chinese students, who are not eligible for NHI coverage; and some foreign diplomats who have not enrolled in the NHI system, according to government officials. The rationing program is the government's latest effort to guarantee the domestic supply of the masks, amid rising fears over a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak that has infected over 24,500 people, including 11 in Taiwan, and killed 494, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The vast majority of the cases and deaths have occurred in China, the WHO data shows. (By Chen Wei-ting and Matthew Mazzetta) Enditem/pc NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address This has been an extraordinarily bizarre Iowa caucus process, the kind that I dont think anybody who has participated in presidential politics has ever seen before. Youve probably heard we dont know the results. Very, very frustrating. And when those results are announced Get them straight. This state has just been frozen in uncertainty. Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg both seem to have had a pretty good night. And not so much for Joe Biden. Lets hear it for the Biden people. You guys look good. But there was nobody there sort of holding a trophy over their head in the way the candidates go in expecting to be able to do. Anybody with an S to Z last name? L to R. L to R. Anybody want a sign? [Whistle] So the winner of Iowa is supposed to be able to go out on the night of the caucuses and in national prime time give a soaring victory speech that introduces themselves to a larger swath of the country, and claim a burst of energy and momentum that carries them forward into the next round of primaries and caucuses. 55, 56, 57, 58 But the end result was so deeply unsatisfying to virtually everybody involved. There is no name on it. O.K., I need his name and his number. And then this is actually Bernie Sanders card. I dont know why the card ended up Biden. Some of the issues included technical problems with an app that was supposed to help caucus precinct leaders report the results, failure of a back-up system that was supposed to step in if the app failed, inconsistencies in the data that the app did produce, and sort of a technical understanding gap with some of the precinct leaders who tend to be on the older side. After a significant delay, we have some results in Iowa. Welcome, Mayor Pete. Pete Buttigieg staked essentially his entire campaign on Iowa. He poured resources and time into this state. And his polling numbers gradually rose here, even as they stayed pretty modest nationally. So he has needed a win here and a jolt of momentum early in the process. The biggest risk we could take is to try to recycle the same Washington playbook and mindset and fights that got us to this point, and expect a different result. Hes arguing that hes a unifier of both the progressive and moderate wings of the party. Lets not choose between boldness and unity. For Pete Buttigieg, Iowa means that hes going to be a real player in this race. And it means that hell stay in through to Super Tuesday, which had been a question in his campaign. Bernie doing well in Iowa means that he is in a really strong position going into New Hampshire. Today marks the beginning of the end for Donald Trump. Bernies had the same message for about 50 years. Rich are getting richer. The most unfair distribution of wealth Two percent of the population that owns one-third of the entire wealth of America The fact that Bernie has had the same positions and talked about them the same way is what appeals to a lot, a lot of people. And almost all new income and wealth goes to the top 1 percent. Bernie doing well in Iowa may also catapult him into the other early states. Im thinking Nevada and after that, California. Let us transform this country. Thank you all very much. [Cheering] Hello, Des Moines, Iowa. [Cheering] Hello, Warren Democrats. Elizabeth Warren has not been able to overcome the squeeze from the Bernie Sanders left and the Buttigieg moderate wing. Are we ready to do New Hampshire? Elizabeth Warren finished probably about where we thought she would. This is a candidate who over the summer and the fall looked like she could become the runaway favorite in Iowa. That did not happen. Yes! Elizabeth Warrens argument has been about corruption. End lobbying as we know it. And, of course, plans and policy. And I got a plan for that. Big structural change. Were hearing a lot about unity. We have one job. Right? Number one job, and that is beat Donald Trump. Are you in on that? When we go outside of Iowa, her numbers dont look as great. Shes not doing as great in South Carolina. Shes not doing as great as her rivals in Nevada. But maybe thats old-fashioned. Hi, how are you? So my grandmother has a huge crush on you. Joe Biden doing poorly in Iowa means renewed questions about whether the candidate who has spent so much time focused on this question of electability ... If I can unify the country the character of the nation ... is, in fact, able to win. We need a president who can bring the country together. Biden made the argument that before any kind of progressive change could be made, first Democrats have to beat Trump, and that he is the candidate who stands the best chance. Theyre trying to smear me to try to stop me, because they know if Im the nominee, I will beat Donald Trump. Iowa has presented a number of challenges for Joe Biden. This question of enthusiasm. That was the message from voters, that they like Joe Biden, they respected Joe Biden, but this was not a candidate who excited them. For Iowa Democrats, this has been nothing short of a humiliation. There is no question that Iowas status as the first-in-the-nation caucus state is in mortal jeopardy. If you talk to any senior Democrat in the country right now, they will tell you, never again. Never again certainly to a caucus in Iowa. And maybe never again to Iowa starting a presidential process, period. How do I feel? On to New Hampshire! [Laughter] By Cho Hae-min Korean actress Koo Hye-sun has revealed her feelings about the nasty divorce case with actor Ahn Jae-hyun. Appearing on the SBS TV program on Wednesday, she said: "I didn't have anyone to rely on and share my personal stories with, so I've started to rely on the public." But she said she feels sorry for the trouble she caused fans. Koo said there wasn't any fight between the two, so she thought Ahn was joking when he told her he wanted a divorce. She also revealed that much of her feelings for him disappeared after a few years of marriage but she just couldn't get a divorce over it. Koo and Ahn met through 2015 KBS2 drama "Blood." They married in May 2016. Ahn filed a divorce lawsuit against Koo in September last year. The case is ongoing. Koo uploaded a post to her Instagram on Feb. 2 announcing that she will go to England to study. Scotland's finance minister has resigned, hours before he was due to deliver his annual budget, after he reportedly sent hundreds of messages to a 16-year-old boy on social media. Derek Mackay quit on Thursday, saying he had "behaved foolishly". The Scottish Sun newspaper reported that 42-year-old Mackay sent the teen more than 270 messages on Facebook and Instagram, telling the boy he was "cute" and offering to take him to a rugby match and to dinner. Mackay is not accused of breaking the law. "Serving in government has been a huge privilege and I am sorry to have let colleagues and supporters down," Mackay said in a statement. Mackay was a rising star in the Scottish National Party, which runs Scotland's semi-autonomous Edinburgh-based administration. He had been seen as a potential successor to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as leader of the SNP, which advocates independence from the United Kingdom for the nation of 5.5 million. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Virgin Australia has emerged as the first international airline to completely withdraw all its services between Australia and Hong Kong amid the coronavirus outbreak, citing that the route was no longer commercially viable. The performance of the route had declined following the anti-government protests that began in June 2019, and is expected to be further impacted by the growing uncertainty caused by the coronavirus crisis, the airline said. The company said it had undertaken a comprehensive review of the routes, and on Thursday confirmed it would halt service on the Sydney-Hong Kong route on March 2. November, the airline proposed the suspension of the Melbourne-Hong Kong route due to financial losses, and on Thursday confirmed the last flight would take place on February 11. Hong Kong has continued to be a challenging market. With a decline in demand following ongoing civil unrest, and growing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak in the wider region, we have made the decision to withdraw services, Virgin Australia Group chief commercial officer John MacLeod said. While the decision to withdraw from the Hong Kong market has been a difficult one, it demonstrates our strong focus on driving greater financial discipline through our network. Current circumstances demonstrate that Hong Kong is no longer a commercially viable route for Virgin Australia to continue operating, however international tourism remains an important part of our strategy through our other international routes and partner airlines. The airline said it would make alternative arrangements for customers already booked on affected flights. On Tuesday, United Airlines said that it will suspend all flights to and from Hong Kong, meaning no US carriers will be flying passenger flights to Hong Kong after this week. The decision follows a similar announcement by American Airlines, who have suspended all flights to Hong Kong from Los Angeles and Dallas for about two weeks, citing a lack of demand, amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak. Story continues Overall more than 30 global airlines have halted flights to and from mainland China as coronavirus infections continue to soar, and although most flights to Hong Kong have not been affected, some countries and airlines have introduced bans. Italy suspended all flights from China, including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, until April 28. The Philippines widened a travel ban previously imposed on visitors from Hubei province, centre of the outbreak, to cover all of China, including Hong Kong and Macau, while prohibiting Filipinos from travelling to those areas. AirAsia Philippines said it was no longer offering flights to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau and that the measure would be in place until March 1. Air India will suspend its New Delhi-Hong Kong service from Saturday after it earlier halted flights to Shanghai. The World Health Organisation has so far said that such limits on trade and travel are not needed to control the spread of the virus. Less than three years ago, Virgin launched its new Hong Kong routes with some fanfare, arriving with airline brands founder, the billionaire Richard Branson, wooing guests and the media with a glittering reception at the luxury five-star Peninsula hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui. John Borghetti, the then CEO of Virgin Australia Group, told the South China Morning Post at the time: Hong Kong and Greater China is a key pillar of our international strategy. Richard Branson helped launch the Hong Kong routes at the Peninsula hotel in Tsim Sha Tsui in July 2017. Photo: Nora Tam On top of the launch, debt-distressed HNA Group took a 20 per cent stake, and the Chinese conglomerates Hong Kong Airlines teamed up with Virgin both seeking to compete against chief rivals, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, in their own backyard. From the outset Virgin was elbowing its way into a crowded market dominated by Qantas and Cathay Pacific. Virgin found its Hong Kong routes were never heavily patronised, and the Chinese connections through Hong Kong Airlines never took off, said David Flynn, editor of Australia-based frequent flyer website, Executive Traveller. The ongoing unrest in Hong Kong, coupled with Chinas coronavirus epidemic and related travel clampdowns and quarantines by the Australian government, proved to be a knockout blow. Faced with its own problems, Virgin Australia announced in August that it was planning to cut 750 jobs as part of a restructuring programme under new CEO Paul Scurrah after racking up a loss of A$315.4 million (US$213 million) for the financial year 2018-2019, the airlines seventh consecutive annual loss. As part of the business overhaul, loss-making routes were cut, including suspending the Melbourne-Hong Kong route. Virgin subsequently shifted its attention to new business opportunities in Japan working with All Nippon Airways (ANA). On Thursday, ANA announced that it was suspending services on some China and Hong Kong routes due to the coronavirus. Singapore-based Jetstar Asia, which operated a daily service to Hong Kong, said last week it was suspending its flights indefinitely, citing commercial factors. The budget carrier has seen demand weaken amid protests and the spread of the coronavirus. Cathay Pacific is set to reduce its flights to Australia as part of its own measures to deal with the financial cost of the coronavirus, however, Qantas has said its Hong Kong flights remain unaffected and will fly as normal. This article Virgin Australia permanently cancels Hong Kong routes amid coronavirus outbreak, anti-government protests first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Vietnams northern border province of Lang Son presented 350,000 medical face masks to the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China on February 6 to join hands in the fight against the 2019 novel coronavirus (nCoV). Officials of Lang Son province and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China at the handover event on February 6 At the presentation event at the Huu Nghi International Border Gate, Secretary of the Lang Son Party Committee Lam Thi Phuong Thanh said her province sympathises with the difficulties that China, including the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is facing in the combat against the nCoV-caused acute respiratory disease. She affirmed that Lang Son, and Vietnam as well, always stands side by side with Chinese forces and localities to synchronously and drastically carry out solutions to control the epidemic. Thanh also called on both sides to keep close coordination to boost communications to raise their peoples awareness of the disease while maintaining trading activities. For his part, Vice Chairman of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Yang Jinbai appreciated the precious material and spiritual support from Lang Son and Vietnam amid complex developments of the disease. He said thanks to this assistance, Guangxi in particular and China in general will have more momentum to successfully curb the epidemic. Earlier, Lang Son had also provided the Chinese side with 265,000 face masks, 500 bottles of isopropyl alcohol, 800 protective suits, along with many other medical facilities./.VNA Vietnam offers China US$500,000 aid for fighting coronavirus Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has stated that Vietnam is willing to coordinate efforts with China in fighting the new coronavirus epidemic. Beef exports to Canada, the fourth-largest U.S. export market, are down 11.3% this year, while imports of beef from Canada are up 8%. Canada, the No. 1 foreign supplier of beef to the U.S., stands at 27.7% of Americas total beef imports. Mexico is the third-largest foreign supplier of beef to the United States. U.S. beef exports to Mexico are down 3.5% while imports of beef from Mexico are up 14%. Mexico exported 1.3 million feeder cattle to the U.S. the largest number in 14 years. Mexican feeders sold for $200 less than U.S.-sourced feeders. This is especially important to Missouri cattle producers as Missouri is the No. 2 state for cow/calf production. The profit per pair was $438 in 2015, and this year, profit is projected to drop below $138. Because the new North American free trade agreement involves the two countries that caused Congress to repeal country-of-origin labeling, American negotiators should have taken the opportunity to raise that subject anew. Mandatory country-of-origin labeling was implemented in 2009 and led to a steady increase in feedlot cattle until its repeal in 2015. The repeal saw a 34% drop in feedlot cattle prices in one year. Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks about the Apple Watch during Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California, June 3, 2019. REUTERS/Mason Trinca The Apple Watch outsold the entire Swiss watch industry in 2019, according to a new report. Market research firm Strategy Analytics estimates that Apple shipped 30.7 million units worldwide of its smartwatch last year, compared to 21.1 million for all Swiss watch brands combined. "Analog wristwatches remain popular among older consumers, but younger buyers are tipping toward smartwatches and computerized wristwear," Strategy Analytics said in its report. "Traditional Swiss watch makers, like Swatch and Tissot, are losing the smartwatch wars." Apple's wearable category which includes the Apple Watch and AirPods wireless headphones, has been growing strongly. In the December quarter, that division brought in over $10 billion in net sales, a near 27% year-on-year increase. Swiss Watch exports meanwhile totaled 20.6 million for 2019, according to data from the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry. These do not include shipments inside Switzerland which is why Strategy Analytics' numbers for the industry are higher. Swiss watch exports fell 13% year-on-year in 2019. Apple unveiled its first smartwatch in 2014. Six years on it has become a major product for the company. Over the past few years, there have been warnings about the threat to the Swiss watch industry. "The window for Swiss watch brands to make an impact in smartwatches is closing. Time may be running out for Swatch, Tissot, TAG Heuer, and others," Strategy Analytics said. In another case, a private hospital jumped the gun and sent samples collected from a patient to Gandhi General Hospital for testing but in the process flouting government guidelines regarding the suspected infection. Hyderabad: Fear of the novel coronavirus has begun taking its toll in the city, as 20 more persons were admitted to hospital to test for the infection. In one curious case, two Chinese nationals employed by a private company here were not allowed back at work after they returned from a holiday in China. In another case, a private hospital jumped the gun and sent samples collected from a patient to Gandhi General Hospital for testing but in the process flouting government guidelines regarding the suspected infection. Officials said 11 persons were admitted to Gandhi and nine others to Fever Hospital on Thursday for check-ups and testing for coronavirus. The results are expected on Friday. So far, tests on 37 patients have returned negative. In a case that highlights the fear over the disease, two Chinese nationals retu-rned to Hyderabad from China in early January. They were tested, but still the employer prevented them from joining work. They were back at Gandhi General Hospital for a second round of tests. The results of the first test we conducted were negative, Gandhi Hospital superintendent Dr Shravan said on Thursday evening. But their employer is reported to insist they be tested again. We have collected their samples and the results will be available tomorrow. He added: They are in a miserable situation. They are asymptomatic. They are not even from Wuhan, the epicentre of the disease outbreak. They come from a village about 1,200 km away from Wuhan. We will do everything we can to help them. Gandhi Hospital also saw unexpected action on Thursday when a popular private hospital, in contravention of the laid-down procedures with respect to testing or treating of a possible coronavirus case, sent samples from a patient it suspected of having the disease for testing. There is a laid-down protocol for these procedures, Dr Shravan said. No private hospital is allowed to collect samples as this procedure has to be done as per the Central governments guidelines. They cannot collect samples and send them for testing. What the private hospital should have done is to refer the patient to us for further investigations and possible treatment. The samples were rejected. The private hospital was advised to refer the patient to Gandhi Hospital. Till around 7 pm on Thursday, the patient did not arrive. It is believed that the private hospital did not refer the patient as advised. The altercation revolved around a debt for marijuana, but neither Garcia nor the victim was a direct party to the debt. The victims friend had given the marijuana to a friend of Garcia, but had not received payment, authorities said. The friend, seeking payment, had sent some threatening text messages to Garcias friends, and Garcia and his group went to the Glendale Heights address in response. Avaya Holdings has added new capabilities to Avaya Spaces that embrace a multi-experience approach by centralizing voice, video, messaging, chat and task management in one place to improve productivity and increase employee satisfaction. Avaya Spaces is a cost-effective cloud meeting and team collaboration app that effortlessly integrates voice, video, tasks, sharing and more into one app that can be accessed from any endpoint device. Avaya Spaces is easy-to-use, integrating web meetings and team collaboration and allowing users to create cloud work spaces where they can message, meet, share content and manage tasks from a browser or mobile device, and provides a simple, secure and effective way to get work done in the cloud. Over the next decade, analysts predict that the user experience for digital workers will undergo a significant shift, adapting new ways to interact, perceive and communicate, moving to a model that connects people with more nuanced information as well as each other, regardless of location, device or communication platform. The way teams interact with data, technology and their colleagues is evolving into a richer environment of converged digital channels and modes of communication. Gartner forecasts that by 2023, fewer than one-third of digital workers will choose the office as their preferred place to work. Organizations need to empower teams to work in more effective and productive ways with their preferred channels and touchpoints, wherever they may be and using whatever devices and platforms they choose. Vishal Agrawal, Managing Director, Avaya India & SAARC said, Spaces is the much required stepping stone into the evolution of the Digital Experience Economy. This would bring in the required Always Connected Experience into all our transactions presented through Rich Media. In my personal opinion, Spaces from Avaya with the features that it has; makes it the true Multiple-Experience enabler. Karen Hardy, VP Product Marketing, Avaya, said, The expectations of employees and customers and how they want to engage is driving the shift towards a blended communications model of interactions across a variety of channels, devices and touchpoints, requiring solutions that provide an effortless way to enjoy a uniform experience. With the new capabilities of Avaya Spaces, we are facilitating this through an easy-to-use app that helps foster enhanced collaboration and communication. Avaya Spaces underscores the companys commitment to delivering a multi-experience environment that is blending unified communications, contact center and collaborations capabilities to empower teams and improve customer engagement. Avaya Spaces enables users to create a workspace or digital work hub where they can collaborate via messaging, meetings and share content. It offers a converged environment of meetings and team collaboration for a simple, economical, and secure way to communicate and work through a multitude of channels. Enhancements to Avaya Spaces include: Available now in over 60 countries, Avaya Spaces provides cloud communications features to collaborate more quickly and effectively in todays work environment. Persistent cloud spaces for messaging and meetings, file sharing, and task management. Economical HD video meetings for up to 500 participants with recording and content sharing. Connectivity with Avaya IX Collaboration Unit CU360 huddle and SIP-based video room systems. Browser and mobile app access along with Google,Slack, Microsoft Office 365, Outlook, and Teams integrations. Administration of users through Avaya Aura and Avaya IP Office for seamless management. Avaya Spaces is now available via a flexible, subscription-based pricing model that makes it easy for customers to scale their consumption based on their specific and evolving needs. Monthly or annual payment includes upgrades to the latest releases, Avaya support, and the ability to flex to 20% over the number of subscribed users at no additional charge. By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 06, 2020 | 02:53 PM | CARLISLE COUNTY On Wednesday deputies were called to the scene of a collision on KY 408. Once on the scene, deputies found a truck lodged in a ditch. After speaking with the driver, 41-year-old Robert Huffstutter, deputies say it was apparent he was under the influence of alcohol. After a search of his vehicle, deputies reportedly found one gram of cocaine and several empty bottles of alcohol. Deputies say he had also fired 10 rounds from a handgun through his window. Huffstutter was charged with first offense DUI, possession of a controlled substance first degree, first degree wanton endangerment, possession of an alcoholic beverage in a vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia, and the discharge of a firearm across a public road. A Union City Tennessee man is facing numerous charges after an accident in Carlisle County. Why it matters: Another tech giant is feeling the effects of the coronavirus outbreak. This time, its Nintendo thats been hit. The gaming giant has announced that shipments of Switch consoles bound for Japan are being delayed. Nintendo writes that the coronavirus has affected production of Switch consoles, Joy-Cons, and other peripherals that are sold in Japan. The Verge reports that the Animal Crossing-themed variant of the console that was announced last week has had its preorder availability delayed from Saturday to an unspecified date. Additionally, shipments of Ring Fit Adventure, the exercising action-RPG that uses Nintendos ring-style controller, will also be delayed in Japan. Theres no word on if shipments to the US will also be affected. We would like to offer our deepest apology to our customers for any trouble this is causing, Nintendo wrote. Most Switches are said to be built by Foxconn, which has stopped almost all of its production in China until February 10 at the earliest due to the coronavirus. In addition to hitting Switch production, the closure is affecting iPhone manufacture, which Tim Cook says will be reflected in the companys revenue projections for the upcoming quarter. There have been almost 30,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and over 550 deaths so far. Its impact has been felt across the tech industry, from LG pulling out of Mobile World Congress, to Facebook and Razer restricting employees travel to China, and Huawei canceling its developer conference. We've also heard reports that NAND and DRAM supplies wont be hit, though that could always change. Parvez Sultan By Express News Service Lok Sabha MP and Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari is confident of his party ending its 21-year exile from the national capital in the ensuing Assembly elections. In a free-wheeling conversation with Parvez Sultan, Tiwari opens up on the BJPs poll strategy and the protests against CAA, while condemning the provocative slogans and statements by party colleagues Weve seen top BJP leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party president JP Nadda campaigning rigorously in Delhi. How has that helped boost the partys campaign? Amit Shahjis strategy to hold street corner meetings has proved to be a super hit, as it has helped us connect with voters. He himself went door to door, injecting new zeal into our grassroots-level workers. Our top leaders raised a range of topics pollution, water, unauthorised colonies and houses for all during their public interactions. The people heard them live and understood the politics being played by the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party on these issues. With just three days to go for the polls, how do you rate your partys chances? The public response to our campaign has been overwhelming. Even people, who were silent till a few days back, are vocal against the government. Our party leadership does a review of our campaign every day, and, based on the feedback that we have received, I can say with confidence that the BJP will get 50-plus seats. Were on a strong footing and will win all the seats comfortably. You said the people were sitting silent. What does it mean? The AAP had managed to build a fake narrative through television and newspaper advertisements. They put up giant hoardings with misleading claims, leaving the people baffled. While not a single individual was getting the desired benefits of government schemes, he was lulled into the belief that his neighbour probably was. It was senior leaders, including Amit Shah and JP Nadda, who managed to dispel the myth. They unmasked the AAP government. A reality check of AAPs performance by the media also helped us bust the fraud being played on the people. The last nail in their coffin was the protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act at Shaheen Bagh, as it bared their conspiracy. The AAP and Congress had conspired (against the Centre) in the name of anti-CAA protest. Ive been interacting with a large section of the (minority) community. They (Muslims) were surprised and shocked to learn of the machinations of the AAP and Congress and want to teach them a lesson in the elections. They have realised that the AAP and the Congress were using them as pawns for votes. Bringing this conspiracy to the forefront underlines the success story of the campaign strategy devised by the home minister and our party president. However, a section of people is still not ready or willing to accept the truth about Shaheen Bagh. Where do you stand on the Shaheen Bagh protest? Two fellow BJP leaders have made provocative statements against the demonstrators. Some anti-social elements are hiding in the crowd of protesters at Shaheen Bagh. They are the conspirators, who are peddling lies and creating confusion among the people. A few of them are professionals in the job. A sting video has shown how they are getting Rs 600-Rs 700 per day or food in return for what they are doing. What started as a protest has turned into a celebration. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the Shaheeh Bagh protest an experiment. They (protesters) are putting their children on the forefront knowing full well that Modis police wont hurt women and children. Shaheen Bagh has earned notoriety because of these anti-social elements. They raised anti-national slogans and even chanted death to the PM and the home minister. Despite all this, I will say that theyve a right to protest. But they should go to Jantar Mantar, instead of blocking the road (at Shaheen Bagh). They may be confused (about the CAA) but they shouldnt mislead others. Over 10 lakh people are suffering because of them every day. The AAP and Congress played this dirty trick on the people by making it an issue that pits the Hindus against Muslims. It led to the firing incident. An inflammatory slogan was raised and the people responded saying, goli maron (shoot them). Our party condemns such slogans. There are appropriate laws to deal with traitors. The AAP and Congress want to disturb harmony. People shouldnt fall into their trap. I appeal to them to refrain from raising such slogans. What was this experiment and what was it intended to achieve? This was an experiment aimed at dividing the society. AAP handed out cheques to rioters (protesting CAA). The intention was clear. The Congress and AAP were rattled after the nation gave an overwhelming majority to Modiji in the Lok Sabha elections. They now want to exact revenge by distorting the countrys image. The conspiracy was hatched in Delhi. The plot was devised by the Congress and the AAP later joined hands, sensing they were trailing us. They put all their might into it. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said he was with Shaheen Bagh and those who raised such slogans. Sharjeel Imam (who talked of carving out Assam from the rest of the country at Shaheen Bagh) stood with Amanatullah Khan. It is now clear that the AAP is involved in such activities. But the conspiracy has backfired on them. Do you think the BJPs manifesto will be the poll-clincher? Weve said all subsidies will continue. Well give plenty more than what the AAP has offered. I believe free bicycles to school-going girls and electric scooters for college-goers will make a difference. The AAP has stopped pension to the elderly. If elected, well not only restore but also raise the amount. We have proposed to set up Unauthorsied Colony Development Board for re-development of illegal colonies. Well also give two-room flats to slum dwellers. Work on the redevelopment of slum clusters on land owned by the Delhi Development Authority has already begun. Weve also promised job guarantee to contractual employees upto 58 years of age. Now that President Donald Trump has been "acquitted" in a sham trial by the Republican-controlled Senate and given unfettered license to act as he pleases, is there a real danger that he will become a dictator? According to Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and one of the impeachment managers, the president already was a dictator, even before his unshackling by the Senate's spineless discharge. From here in Chile, a country that suffered 17 years under the boot of Gen. Augusto Pinochet, Nadler's accusation seems far-fetched and perhaps even absurd. Trump has not, as Pinochet did, engaged in widespread human rights violations. He has not jailed and tortured dissidents, exiled opponents or caused them to disappear, closed Congress, persecuted professors and students or censored and closed adversarial media outlets. It is true that the American president has caused grievous harm to his country and the world through policies that target the environment and the rights of workers, women, minorities and immigrants. He has waged a war on science, truth and civil discourse, used his office corruptly to enrich himself and his family, and carried out reckless foreign misadventures. One could also argue that his policies at the border (sending asylum seekers to countries where they are endangered and separating migrant families seeking safety in the United States) constitute serious abuses of human rights, and they have been condemned by many international organizations as contrary to existing treaties. None of that, however, qualifies as dictatorial. But there is one aspect of Nadler's indictment that recognizably resonates in Chile and signals further perils ahead. Trump shares with Pinochet an overriding sense of impunity: the belief that he is above the law. So many other strongmen that the president appears to admire - Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines, Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi and President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil - have this warped form of confidence, too. Authoritarians such as Trump or Pinochet cannot imagine a future where they will be held accountable. They proceed as if in a void, as if their critics don't exist or, worse still, as if any dissident voice should be crushed. Pinochet, like Trump, would go on narcissistic and paranoid rampages, projecting himself as the savior of humanity (remember when Trump said he was "the chosen one"?), the last bulwark of Western civilization, someone singled out for malicious attacks by "elites" and "intellectuals." And Trump, like Pinochet, thinks that executive power is not subject to checks and balances or the typical norms and standards of democracy: He believes that he can pardon himself, that the Constitution gives him the right "to do whatever I want," that he can illegally withhold funds that Congress has appropriated for a foreign country and obstruct any investigation into possible wrongdoings by denying access to documents and testimony. So Trump may not be a dictator, but he certainly acts like somebody who feels that he can do whatever he wants. This attitude predated Trump's presidency, of course. He had already grown used to avoiding the consequences of repeated misconduct, undeterred by bankruptcies and allegations of sexual assaults, shady deals and scandals. If Trump's life experience - confirmed during his tenure in the White House - is that he can repeatedly misbehave and get away with it, what will his unbridled conduct look like in the near future? How can you restrain and contain someone who, now given free rein, falsely considers himself vindicated? Could his joke that he would not lose support if he shot someone on Fifth Avenue come terrifyingly true? From here in Chile, though, there's a little bit of good news hidden in that parallel. Dictators - and would-be dictators - often prepare their own collapse. They fall in love with themselves and their presumed omnipotence and, infected with impunity, tend to overreach and make mistakes. Because Pinochet had unmitigated license to visit whatever wild outrages he wanted on his opponents, he could not tolerate any voice that did not murmur endless praise. Confusing his totalitarian ascendancy with total popularity, he ended up calling a plebiscite that he was certain he would win, 15 years after the 1973 U.S.-backed coup that put him in power, that would have kept him in office for another eight years. And why not call a vote: Did he not control all of the organs of state and all the instruments of fear? In October 1988, nevertheless, he lost resoundingly, and by 1990, he was no longer president. His pernicious legacy still persists, though, and it has triggered a massive popular rebellion that is trying, 30 years later, to confront and overcome how he twisted and ravaged the country. One can only pray that Trump, whose assault on American institutions hasn't lasted as long or been as grievous as Pinochet's reign of terror in Chile, may not cast as long a shadow. Chileans were able to defeat the dictator and his delusions of grandeur because of what I called at the time the "Rabbit Strategy of Resistance." This admittedly bizarre name for an assault on a tyrant came from a children's story, "La Rebelion de los Conejos Magicos," that I wrote over 40 years ago while I was in exile from Pinochet's Chile. In that fable, a megalomaniac and egocentric Wolf-King conquers the land of the rabbits and decrees that the former inhabitants no longer exist. Despite an unrelenting repression against these creatures, the rabbits keep invading the realm of the bombastic, incompetent, thuggish autocrat, entering the photos taken by a timorous monkey photographer, until his Wolfhood's throne is thunderously brought down by nibbling and incessant teeth. From the distance of my banishment in Holland, I prophesied that the spirit of the Chilean people could not be eternally suppressed, that they would emerge from the shadows and bring down the despot who was thwarting their dreams. The tale of those rabbits circulated clandestinely in Chile and, I hope, had some effect on those who read it as they refused to submit to tyranny. Can the same story, conceived by an outcast emigre so many years ago and made true by the sacrifice and determination of the citizens of Chile to take their fate into their own hands, find an echo in the United States today? As it foreshadowed Pinochet's ouster, could it also eerily predict the eventual downfall of Trump, who may be blind to how ultimately weak he really is and engage in ever more outrageous and illegal criminal acts? Whether Trump will be defeated like the Wolf-King, like Pinochet, like so many authoritarian leaders who thought they were invincible and invulnerable, depends on the people of the United States. Will they be accomplices of a man who scandalously destroys their country, shreds their Constitution, imperils the future of the planet? Or will the citizens rebel like the rabbits and the fearless men and women of Chile and, in November, resoundingly dethrone this man - and teach him that the most powerful man on Earth must answer to the more powerful majority of we the people? _ _ _ Dorfman is the author of "Death and the Maiden." His latest books are a novel, "Cautivos," and "The Rabbits' Rebellion," a story for children and adults. He lives with his wife in Santiago, Chile, and Durham, N.C., where he is a distinguished emeritus professor at Duke University. GRANTS PASS, Ore. A three-day "sweep" of Josephine County by multiple law enforcement agencies found more than 160 registered sex offenders who were out of compliance, according to a statement from the Sheriff's Office. "The goals of this mission were to locate and bring into compliance all non-compliant sex offenders in Josephine County, reduce crime, locate and apprehend wanted fugitives, and investigate potential federal charges of failure to register under the Adam Walsh Act," the agency said. The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act was signed into law in 2006. It mandated that state sex offender registry systems be integrated to share information, helping law enforcement to track the movement of sex offenders, and made it public information. It also strengthened federal punishments for crimes against children, and authorized law enforcement to create regional "internet crimes against children" task forces. Officers conducted the sweep between January 28 and 30, according to the Sheriff's Office. There were about 687 registered sex offenders living in Josephine County at the time of the sweep 163 of those were found to be out of compliance with their sex offender registration. "Out of these 163 non-compliant sex offenders, 66 were found registering and residing in other states around the country and 15 non-compliant sex offenders were located locally and brought into compliance by the issuance of a citation, apprehension, or warning followed by completing the Sex Offender Registration Form," the Sheriff's Office said. Those not counted as living out of state or found locally were either "deceased, incarcerated, deported" or are still being sought by law enforcement. The U.S. Marshals will pursue federal charges for violations of the Adam Walsh Act, the Josephine County Sheriff's Office said. The sweep was conducted by a multi-agency partnership between the Sheriff's Office, U.S. Marshals, Grants Pass Department of Public Safety, Josephine County Parole and Probation, and Oregon State Police. In particular, the U.S. Marshals Oregon Fugitive Task Force is supported through the Oregon High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program, of which Josephine County is part. That task force combines law enforcement agencies and other authorities around the state. "The Josephine County Sheriffs Office wishes to extend its gratitude for the three day collaborative effort to ensure all resident sex offenders are held in compliance with both state and federal mandates/laws," the agency said. A few days ago, President Trump called Bernie Sanders a "communist." Some of my friends said the president was overreaching. Maybe so, but it's hard to argue with President Trump when we see what Sanders said in the past about Latin America. Check out the Washington Post: Another potential area of vulnerability concerns Sanderss relationship with socialist governments in Latin America. In 1985, Sanders, as mayor of Burlington, traveled to Nicaragua to meet with then-President Daniel Ortega, the leader of the Sandinista movement, which was aligned with the Soviet-backed Cuban regime of Fidel Castro. The Sandinista government was accused of widespread human rights abuses. The Reagan administration supported the contras, who were also accused of widespread abuses. According to a newly revealed document from the archive, when Burlington resident Edward Pike wrote to Sanders in November 1985 to complain about his support for the Ortega regime, Sanders responded by defending Ortegas clampdown on human rights, blaming the United States for funding Ortegas opposition and comparing Ortegas actions to the U.S. governments internment of Japanese Americans during World War II. In 1989, Sanders traveled to Cuba with his wife in hopes of meeting Castro, and came back defending elements of their communist system. He has remained consistent, opposing U.S. interventions in Latin America and defending socialist regimes in the region to this day. How did someone like this even make it to the Democrat Party primaries? Once upon a time, a man like Sanders would have been given the directions to the Socialist or Communist Party offices. Well, I guess Sanders can kiss Florida goodbye in November. Too many Cubans and Venezuelans know that Sanders is full of crap. PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 10:26:41|Editor: ZD Video Player Close CANBERRA, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- A team from Australia's national science body has developed a method to pull harmful carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere for use in carbonated beverages. The Airthena technology from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) captures carbon dioxide (CO2) directly from the air using tiny sponges. Project lead Aaron Thornton said in a media release that the captured CO2 could have broad applications across various industries. Carbon dioxide is used to produce carbonated beverages and in food production. Despite CO2 levels in the atmosphere rising, there has been a shortage in industrial supplies. "As it requires just air and electricity to work, Airthena offers a cost-effective, efficient, and environmentally-friendly option to recycle CO2 for use on-site, on-demand," Thornton said. "It also provides a more reliable source of CO2 for use in small-scale applications ranging from beverage carbonation to controlling pH in swimming pools, and industrial cleaning." Amid the shortage, industries have resorted to burning natural gas to generate CO2 -- a practice that Thornton said can be expensive dependent on price and supply fluctuations. He said that Airthena is currently capable of producing two tonnes of CO2 a year -- enough for small-scale applications -- but could be scaled up. However, it is unlikely that the technology will ever be able to make an impact reducing CO2 emissions. "We are now exploring options for taking Airthena to market, which include reducing the cost of the unit for small-scale applications and having it tested to ensure it meets food quality standards, or working with the food production industry to scale up the technology for larger applications," Thornton said. Israeli troops were the target of a car-ramming that wounded 14 people in central Jerusalem on Thursday, the army said, adding that 12 of the casualties were soldiers. "During the incident, a terrorist sped his car towards (Israeli) soldiers who marched adjacent to the First Station in Jerusalem as part of a military activity," the army statement said. First Station includes an area with bars, shops and restaurants as well as a meeting point often used by Israel's army. One soldier was "severely injured" in the attack, while 11 others had light injuries, the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON - Democrats find themselves at a crossroads after Wednesday's acquittal of President Donald Trump, torn between continuing investigations into a president they call a danger to democracy and a desire to concentrate on health care and other issues more likely to resonate with voters. The party seized control of the House in 2018 in part on a promise to hold Trump accountable. But in the past year, Trump has emerged unscathed from former special counsel Robert Mueller's probe into 2016 election interference and a nearly five-month impeachment inquiry. The latest polls show Trump attaining the highest approval ratings of his presidency. Democrats, by contrast, face a muddled presidential primary field, with no obvious front-runner to take on Trump in November. And the party was embarrassed this week when chaotic caucuses in Iowa failed to produce a clear winner. Hours before Trump's acquittal, House Democrats gathered in a private meeting in the Capitol to vent their frustrations while others fretted about the need for a new election-year strategy. One of the first decisions they face is whether to subpoena Trump's former national security adviser John Bolton, who details in a forthcoming book that Trump told him that he withheld military aid to Ukraine to force that country to pursue investigations of a political rival, former vice president Joe Biden and his son Hunter - the charges at the heart of the impeachment inquiry. On Wednesday, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., suggested that it was a matter of time before the chamber would call Bolton. "When you have a lawless president, you have to bring that to the fore. You have to spotlight that," Nadler told reporters. "You have to protect the Constitution, whatever the political consequences." But other Democrats cautioned that no decision has been made about Bolton and expressed a desire to move on. "We also have to have our own idea and vision. We can't win the next election just being against Trump," said Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J. "We have to be for something." Republicans, meanwhile, were in soaring spirits. While Democrats have accused the GOP of a coverup in ending the impeachment trial without calling witnesses, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., seemed unconcerned. Shortly after the acquittal vote, he told reporters that swing-state polls indicate Democrats' decision to impeach Trump is backfiring. "Right now, this is a political loser for them," McConnell declared minutes after Trump's acquittal. "They initiated it. They thought this was a great idea. And at least for the short term, it has been a colossal political mistake." The party's frustration with their predicament was on clear display Wednesday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., vented to her colleagues in the private caucus meeting that Trump's Tuesday night State of the Union address was a "pack of lies." Democrats, including Pelosi, often say they can both investigate and legislate. But they're also vexed by a reality that investigations of Trump overshadow other accomplishments, drowning out work on trade and prescription drugs that is vital to keeping their majority and winning the White House. Privately, some Democrats fear that if they continue investigating Trump in such a public fashion, it could backfire and embolden him further before the election. "We need to be better prepared, better ready to take on the attack-and-smear machine, less inclined to quarrel amongst ourselves and more eyes on the prize than we have been," said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. The soul-searching for Democrats comes as Trump has experienced perhaps one of the best weeks of his presidency, highlighted by a prime-time address to the nation that was largely well-received by Republicans with surprising reality TV moments. House Democrats, meanwhile, were still angry about Trump's State of the Union address, in which the president claimed some of their policies as his own - though his administration has pursued the opposite. Trump, for example, vowed that he would protect Americans with preexisting health conditions - a promise at direct odds with his administration's legal efforts to gut the Affordable Care Act, which includes the guarantee that patients can't be denied that coverage. Pelosi, in a dramatic gesture after Trump finished his address to Congress on Tuesday evening, shredded a copy of his words while standing on the dais behind him. On Wednesday morning, a visibly irritated Pelosi told her colleagues that she was looking for "one page I could spare that didn't have a lie on it" and couldn't find it - and that she had no regrets about what she did. "He disrespected the chamber he was in . . . to use it as a backdrop for a reality show . . . to give a speech that had no connection with reality," she said, according to Democratic officials in the room, speaking on the condition of anonymity to talk frankly. "It was a pack of lies. . . . About a quarter through it I thought: 'You know - he's selling a bill of goods like a snake oil salesman. We cannot let this - we cannot let this stand.' " Pelosi's fury resonated with her members, who gave her a standing ovation in the private caucus meeting. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., argued after the meeting that the State of the Union was no venue for a "political campaign" and that the award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh was "nutty." Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., agreed that Democrats "need to remind people what [Trump's] record is, and the fact that he just is a pathological liar." "Her instinct for where the caucus is at is unerring. It did capture the way people are feeling," said Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich., of Pelosi ripping up the document. Pelosi's leadership team has signaled a desire to focus on policy in the coming months. House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries of New York and Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., used a weekly news conference Wednesday to discuss a host of legislative proposals that have been stalled in the GOP-controlled Senate. And the Democratic response to the State of the Union barely mentioned impeachment, focusing instead on issues such as gun control, income inequity and infrastructure. And yet some impeachment investigators say they also have a duty to keep digging on Trump, probing his financial interests, allegations that he used his office for self-enrichment and that he obstructed justice. As he left the caucus, Nadler, for example, argued to reporters that Democrats needed to continue investigating the Ukraine matter and the broader probe into the 2016 campaign despite the pending Senate acquittal. Between investigating and legislating, Democrats appear genuinely torn. And the Democratic split was on full display within 30 seconds in a news conference that Pelosi's lieutenants held after the morning caucus. "As far as I'm concerned, the shredder wasn't available and so she did what she needed to do," Jeffries said of Pelosi ripping apart Trump's speech. A few breaths later he pledged to keep working with the president. "We are going to work with President Trump whenever and wherever we can on behalf of the American people, but disagree when we must," he said, suggesting the president's values would "decimate the middle class." - - - The Washington Post's Mike DeBonis contributed to this report. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 19:33:46|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will hold a meeting in Baghdad in September to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the organization's foundation, authorities said Thursday. The Iraqi Oil Ministry has formed committees to prepare for the occasion, as the OPEC will hold a celebration with the participation of the organizations' oil ministers, state-run al-Sabah newspaper quoted Asim Jihad, spokesman of the ministry, as saying. Part of the event will be devoted to recall Iraq's role in establishing the organization in 1960 and the holding of its first meeting in Baghdad, Jihad said. Minister of Culture Abdul Amir al-Hamdani said in an interview with al-Sabah that the Culture Ministry has agreed with the Oil Ministry's State Organization for Marketing of Oil to renovate al-Shaab Hall, or People's Hall, in Maidan neighborhood, downtown Baghdad, where OPEC's first meeting was held in 1960. OPEC is an intergovernmental organization of 14 nations. Over the past decades, the organization has been seeking stability in the market, and enhancing its dialogue and cooperation with consumers and non-OPEC producers. The former Nigerian Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Adoke Bello, has been moved to an Abuja hospital after his health condition worsened while in the custody of the EFCC, his lawyer said. Other sources familiar with the matter confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES on Thursday that Mr Adoke was moved from the custody of the anti-corruption agency to the Federal Medical Centre in the Jabi district of Abuja. The current state of the former ministers condition is not yet clear as he is on admission at a private wing. He (Adoke) was moved away from the custody of the Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after his conditions deteriorated, one source said. He was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre on Wednesday, where he is on admission. His aliment is not clear. Two police officers attached to the EFCC are currently with him as a guard. His health condition is not clear, but the doctors have been running various kinds of medical tests on him. When PREMIUM TIMES contacted the acting spokesperson to the EFCC, Tony Orilade, he said he was unaware of the matter. He promised to get back to our reporter as soon as he had information on the development. A member of Mr Adokes legal team, Mike Ozekhome, told this paper that Mr Adoke is on admission at the Federal Medical Centre. READ ALSO: He also promised to issue a press statement concerning the matter. Adokes long road to trail PREMIUM TIMES last week reported how the anti-graft agency kept Mr Adoke in detention after a court order had granted him a N50million bail. Mr Adoke is currently facing multiple corruption charges filed by the EFCC, on money laundering, denying Nigeria taxes and an alleged N300 million bribe. The charges include a seven-count charge before the Federal High Court in Abuja and a 12-count charge before the FCT High Court. The charges were later amended to 42 from the initial 12. In the charge before the FCT high court, the EFCC accused Mr Adoke of accepting gratification to facilitate and negotiate the OPL 245 resolution agreement with Shell, Eni, and their Nigerian subsidiaries. The EFCC also alleges Mr Adoke received N300 million from Abubakar Aliyu in 2013. The agency alleged that was his share of the Malabu windfall. Shell, Eni, and their officials are already being prosecuted in Italy for the scandal. Mr Adoke has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. He said the actions taken in respect of the transfer of the bloc were based on the instructions of his boss, Mr Jonathan and in the best interest of Nigeria. UPDATE: Mom and kids were stabbed to death, husband hanged himself, cops say The woman and two children found dead in a Salem County apartment on Wednesday have been identified by family and authorities as a 30-year-old mother, her 5-year-old daughter and 2-year-old son who had moved to South Jersey about a year ago. Police discovered the bodies of Ruth Reyes, her daughter, Eurianny, and son, Eury, after they found the body of Reyes 54-year-old husband, Eugenio Severino, in a wooded area near the couples Penns Grove apartment. Police said the man died by suicide and officers checking his home later found the young family dead. She was nice to everybody, smiled at everybody. She was like my little sister, a teary Johnny Solano said Wednesday evening. Solano is a distant cousin of Severinos and the owner of La Cuchara Restaurant in a Carneys Point Township truck stop and travel center off Interstate 295 and close to the New Jersey Turnpike. Solano said Reyes was a server in his restaurant and he had helped Severino get a job washing vehicles at the truck stop when the couple moved to the area seeking work. Solano closed La Cuchara Wednesday after learning of their deaths to help the grieving family. Solano was the godfather to the children. This is never going to be the same, she was the life of that place, Solano said of Reyes. 13 Police investigate the discovery of 4 bodies in Salem County Penns Grove Police Chief Patrick Riley confirmed a restraining order had been filed against Severino. Solano said the couple had been married in the Dominican Republic and he was aware they were having recent marital problems, which worsened about two weeks ago. Severino threatened to kill Reyes and she kicked him out of their apartment, Solano said. She went to court and obtained a restraining order. I told him to just take a couple days off and think about it, Solano said, adding he believed Severino was in North Jersey on Tuesday and returned to the apartment late that night. Police have not said how the mother and children were killed. Elibeth Ortiz, who lives next door to the family, recalled Reyes as a great mother. She said Reyes recently talked to her about issues with Severino. Lately, she had told me she was having problems with her husband," Ortiz told NJ Advance Media on Thursday morning. "She had to kick him out. He was a little too possessive. I think at one point he had called her and had threatened to kill her. She ended up having to get a restraining order. The family seemed happy when they moved in about a year ago, she said. I noticed that once she kicked him out and told him to leave she would go to work, come home and lock herself in the house," Ortiz said. Ortiz said she didnt hear anything around the time the woman and children were killed. Once before when they argued I heard it and I went to check up on her," Ortiz said. "She was like, Im OK, everythings fine. Just a little argument. Ortiz said she was stunned by the killings. Its sad. I still cant believe it. Im in shock. Its sad that it went down like this," Ortiz said. She was a great mom. She made sure her kids always had what they need. She always had them with her. Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Agustinus Hari (The Jakarta Post) Manado, South Sulawesi Thu, February 6, 2020 07:14 705 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062cd370 1 National North-Sulawesi,Muslim-Christian-relations,Muslim,Christian,National-Police Free The North Sulawesi Police have named eight people suspects for vandalizing a meeting hall for Muslims in the predominantly Christian Agape housing complex in Tumaluntung village, North Minahasa regency, North Sulawesi. Authorities initially arrested three suspects, two men and a woman, on Thursday last week, before making two additional arrests on Sunday, North Sulawesi Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Julest Abraham Abastin said. On Tuesday we arrested three more [suspects], a 44-year old woman who was in charge of provoking a mass, and two men, a 35-year-old and a 27-year-old, who destroyed the building, Julest said on Tuesday. Read also: Vandalized building in North Sulawesi not mosque, authorities say The suspects were currently being detained at the North Sulawesi Police headquarters, he said, adding that the police might arrest more suspects in the future. Just wait for the case to develop, he said. The legal process for the suspects allegedly involved in the vandalism would move forward and the condition of the housing complex, where the incident took place last week, had been restored, the police said. The incident went viral after Twitter user @MohCipto1 uploaded a video on Jan. 30 showing a group of people taking apart furniture and fixtures while wearing shoes and sandals inside the building. They appear to be followed by onlookers who record the incident on their smartphones. The footage also briefly shows a banner put up 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. Read also: Videos surface purportedly showing vandalization of N. Sulawesi 'mosque' The building was identified on Google as Al-Hidayah Mosque, which has been the subject of controversy among local residents in recent years. A local military commander, however, said last week following the incident that the building was not a mosque, but a public meeting hall. According to the police, the Muslim community used the hall to pray together and gather on Saturday evening. Julest said the suspects faced charges under Article 170 of the Criminal Code concerning violence toward human beings and goods, which carries a maximum punishment of five years imprisonment. (hol) Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed, on Wednesday, the continuing development of relations between his country and Morocco and highlighted the achievements made by the two countries cooperation in the political field as well as in the sectors of agriculture and economy. President Putin made the remarks while receiving in the Kremlin Moroccos new ambassador to Moscow Lotfi Bouchaara, who handed him his credentials. We have all the instruments to give a multidimensional impetus to these relations, said President Putin, recalling the distinguished historical ties between the two countries. The ambassador told MAP after the audience that Morocco and Russia, two ancient nations, which are both proud of their identity and their civilization, are bound by a deep strategic partnership. He noted that the visit of King Mohammed VI to Moscow in 2016 gave a decisive impetus to bilateral relations and that economic exchanges are steadily increasing. We must continue this work and give concrete substance to this partnership by deepening relations between our two countries, said the diplomat. The new ambassador called for diversifying this partnership by developing cultural, scientific, technological and tourist relations. New Features Include Data Quality Insights, Enhanced Asset Management, and API-based Connections BOSTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 6, 2020 / Akeneo, a global leader in Product Experience Management (PXM) solutions for corporate brands and retailers, today announced the launch of Akeneo PIM 4.0 at the annual Akeneo Product Information Management (PIM) Summit, the global gathering of Akeneo customers and partners in Paris, France. Akeneo PIM 4.0 introduces new product experience features and facilitates third-party connectivity and integration. Akeneo PIM 4.0 is the next evolution of Akeneo's trusted PXM solutions, which are already used by global brands including Midland Scientific, Sephora, Fossil, and Franklin Electric to scale and customize their omnichannel and cross-border commerce initiatives. New and improved features in Akeneo PIM 4.0 include: Asset Manager, a central hub where enterprise users can organize and enrich all types of product-related digital assets. PIM users can visually manage and transform digital assets to deliver robust, channel-specific product experiences, and link assets to product catalogs through enhanced API-level integration with existing DAM (Digital Asset Management) systems. Data Quality Insights functionality that assesses product data accuracy and quality, automatically flags spelling mistakes and incorrect formatting, and displays data-quality grades in a color-coded dashboard. Users get automatic suggestions to improve product data, rapidly fix errors, and ensure product data accuracy and consistency. Attribute Mapping in Franklin Insights, a new feature that uses machine learning and AI to automatically suggest product attributes for customers' product catalogs based on Franklin's library of best-in-class product information. Marketers can then review and accept Franklin's suggestions with a single click, ensuring a streamlined path to product data enrichment. A new connections module that dramatically simplifies connection management by using efficient API-based integration to allow users to easily establish and manage third-party connectors from a single panel. This new feature includes a dashboard to easily monitor data flows into and out of the PIM, allowing effortless security management among applications. In keeping with Akeneo's commitment to continuous improvement, Akeneo PIM 4.0 delivers a game-changing performance boost allowing customers to benefit from faster imports and exports, an accelerated time to market, and better scalability for expanding product catalogs. "Our recent IDC MarketScape on PIM applications for commerce recognized Akeneo for its open-source strategy, customer satisfaction, strong community of developers, and efficiency in catalog management," said Jordan Jewell, IDC's Research Manager for Digital Commerce. "Customers that we interviewed rated Akeneo above average across nearly all criteria we surveyed. Akeneo's product enhancement with its PIM 4.0 release should enable customers to deliver more consistent and high-quality omnichannel product information for both B2C and B2B organizations of all sizes." The launch of Akeneo PIM 4.0 comes as a new survey conducted by Akeneo and Accenture highlights the urgent need for effective PXM tools. According to the survey, 80% of shoppers have abandoned a purchase and 40% have returned a product because of missing or inaccurate product information. Nearly a third of consumers say they would pay more for a product if provided with complete product information, and more than a third of shoppers are prepared to pay more for an outstanding product experience. "Akeneo is proud to have spearheaded the industry-wide shift from PIM to PXM, which is now a key driver of success for both B2B and B2C brands in today's omnichannel experience economy," said Fred de Gombert, CEO and co-founder of Akeneo. "Our 4.0 product is a uniquely connected PXM platform with a vast partner ecosystem and powerful AI-powered product data intelligence capabilities. No other PXM provider lets retailers and brands harness the full strength of the flourishing omnichannel commerce stack." About Us About Akeneo: Akeneo is a global leader in Product Experience Management (PXM) solutions that help merchants and brands deliver a compelling customer experience across all sales channels, including eCommerce, mobile, print, and retail points of sale. Akeneo's open-source enterprise PIM, and product data intelligence solutions, dramatically improve product data quality and accuracy while simplifying and accelerating product catalog management. Leading global brands, including Sephora, Fossil, Shop.com, and Auchan trust Akeneo's solutions to scale and customize their omnichannel and cross-border commerce initiatives. Using Akeneo, brands and retailers can improve customer experience, increase sales, reduce time to market, go global, and boost team productivity. Contacts: David Wamsley 415-259-9104 dave@rosebudpr.io Links https://www.akeneo.com/ SOURCE: Akeneo View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/574871/Akeneo-PIM-40-Delivers-New-Product-Experience-Management-Platform Paris, February 6th, 2020 - WALLIX (Euronext - ALLIX), European cybersecurity software editor and expert in privileged access management (PAM) presents its new 2020 product strategy. Three new product lines join the WALLIX Bastion solution to enable the company to develop in the sectors of Endpoint Protection Management (EPM), Identity Management (IdaaS) and cybersecurity of industrial systems. Bastion product expanded to protect access to applications and workstations As part of the Ambition 21 strategic plan, WALLIX continues its progress towards becoming a European leader in cybersecurity with a global offer positioned on the protection of corporate identities, access and data in a digital world. With its recognized expertise in Privileged Access Management (PAM), WALLIX is expanding its offer to present a portfolio comprising: WALLIX Bastion, the PAM solution recognized in Gartner's Magic Quadrant, the Forrester Wave, and Kuppinger Cole, and distributed worldwide. WALLIX BestSafe, a new endpoint protection solution intended to protect office and business users against ransomware, malware and cryptoviruses. WALLIX Trustelem (IDaaS), which simplifies and controls user access to applications, whether administrators or simple users. This solution is available in service mode (SaaS) and is particularly suitable for medium-sized companies and subsidiaries of large groups. Didier Cohen, CPO (Chief Product Officer): "With the Bastion, WALLIX offers a first-rate, accessible privilege access management solution, and has now enriched it with a privilege elevation and delegation management (PEDM) function which allows much finer control of administrator access. In 2020, we will empower our customers to secure user access users to all their applications, whether inside IT infrastructures, in industrial environments (OT), or in cloud services. What's more, we will help them secure their workstations with innovative technologies that complement traditional solutions to enable them to thwart viral attacks capable of threatening business activity. " This new software suite is the result of significant investments made in the WALLIX product lines in 2019, notably with the acquisition and integration of SIMARKS (a Spanish-based startup specializing in End Point Protection Management) and TRUSTELEM (a French startup in the IdaaS market) which are now fully part of the group. It is also the result of the creation of a new R&D center in Rennes dedicated to the security of applications in the Cloud. WALL4iOT an offer dedicated to the protection of companies' industrial assets Initially specialized in securing IT resources, WALLIX Group is increasingly positioning itself as a specialist in cybersecurity for industrial environments, PLCs and factories thanks to its WALL4iOT solution. This solution is specifically designed to support companies in their secure digital transformation towards Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things (IoT). With a dual approach, IT and OT, WALLIX thus offers a range of software solutions which extends the editor's expertise in the management and control of access to privileged accounts to all users of the organization, access to sensitive infrastructure, and to all industrial equipment (robots, automata, SCADA or connected objects) to extend security to new uses. Jean-Noel de Galzain, CEO adds "With 1000 customers of all sizes, in more than 50 countries and all sectors, the WALLIX roadmap is increasingly inspired by our customers' use cases and business requirements in terms of protection and compliance, with the ambition of increasing both the level of security as well as the user experience. Our solutions aim to use access, identity, and data security to transform our customers' organizations in environments where mobility and the cloud are challenges to the security and resilience of their information systems or their factories on a daily basis. Through a trusted, multi-use cybersecurity offer, we want to build a lasting and solid relationship with our CIOs, CISOs, IT infrastructure managers, and industrial owners, and support them in their most significant digital challenges, because these challenges are also our own." About WALLIX WALLIX is a cybersecurity software vendor dedicated to defending and fostering organizations' success and renown against the cyberthreats they are facing. For over a decade, WALLIX has strived to protect companies, public organizations, as well as service providers' most critical IT and strategic assets against data breaches. Founded in 2003, WALLIX is the first European cybersecurity software vendor to be publicly traded in 2015 (EuroNext ALLIX code). WALLIX accompanies more than 1 000 worldwide companies and organizations on a day-to-day basis. WALLIX is being named among the PAM leaders in the Product categories of the KuppingerCole 2018 Leadership Compass report. In 2017 and 2018, WALLIX was included in Forbes France's Futur40 ranking of fastest-growing listed companies. For more information, visit the WALLIX website at: www.wallix.com www.wallix.com | info@wallix.com ACTUS Finance & Communication Investor Relations Theo MARTIN Tel. 01 53 67 36 75 / wallix@actus.fr Press Relations Finance Nicolas BOUCHEZ - Tel. 01 53 67 36 74 / nbouchez@actus.fr Agence MCC Martine Camilotti Tel. 06 60 38 20 02 / martine.camilotti@agencemcc.com ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: mGidlZVoamjInZ9slMppb2dmm2pnlpadZWSdmmRsasiZbW+Wl2piZ8XJZm9jlW1v - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-62089-cp-product-line-vuk.pdf A man whose colon cancer spread to one of his testicles reportedly ended up in the bizarre situation because of a traumatic kick to his groin 20 years earlier. The 53-year-old, who has not been named, had to have his testicle surgically removed while having chemotherapy for his bowel cancer. Doctors in Iowa City found the mass during scans after the patient reported a lump on his scrotum. The lump had been there ever since the man was kicked by the mule at the age of 33, but he said it had grown rapidly in the past year. Surgeons found the tumour was mostly on the man's epididymis the tube that transports sperm out of the testes. It is 'normal' for colon cancer, also known as bowel cancer, to spread around the body through lymphatic vessels, parts of the immune system which run throughout the body. Extremely 'unusual' cases of the cancer spreading like this have only been reported five times in medical literature. An unidentified man's colon cancer spread to his testicle after a traumatic kick to the scrotum 20 years prior. Pictured, the scan in August 2018 which showed a suspicious mass of abnormal tissue in his right testicle Writing in the medical journal BMJ Case Reports, urologist Dr Moshe Wald at University of Iowa said the man's particular case was 'unique'. He had gone to a clinic in June 2018 concerned about a lump on in his right scrotum which had got bigger in the past year. It had been there for almost 20 years without causing any pain or problems, the man said. Scans showed a 1.1cm (0.4ins) tumour at the base of his testicle during scans, but it was at first believed to be benign (non-cancerous). WHAT ARE THE MEDICAL IMPLICATIONS OF LOSING A TESTICLE? Rob Cornes, a male cancer nurse at the cancer charity Orchid, previously told MailOnline of the dangers. He wrote: 'Around 90 per cent of the male sex hormone testosterone, is produced by the testicles. 'Testosterone is the hormone responsible for secondary male characteristics such as muscle, bone growth, hair pattern, deep voice and a general feeling of well-being in men. 'It is also responsible for sperm growth. Having one testicle removed should not affect the overall testosterone levels, sex drive or ability to have an erection or fertility. 'Providing that the remaining testicle is healthy, it should do the job of both. 'If it is performed for testicular cancer and subsequent chemotherapy is needed, men will be advised to bank sperm as chemotherapy may cause temporary infertility. 'Men who lose both testicles are likely to have erection problems due to the reduced levels of testosterone. They will also be unable to father a child naturally. 'When testosterone levels are minimal men will often experience a loss of libido, well-being and may experience lethargy, low mood and depression, weight gain and sometimes breast swelling. 'In this situation testosterone replacement therapy will be needed. This can be administered in the form of injections, gels or patches but may take some weeks for levels to normalise.' Advertisement However, at a check-up three months later, a scan of the insides of his testes showed abnormal tissue was growing. It became clear it was either an infection or cancer. A physical examination revealed that the lump was on the epididymis and the spermatic cord The epididymis is a thumb-shaped tube with a head and tail. It stores sperm as they mature and before they are sent to the penis. The spermatic cord is a bundle of fibres with several jobs including taking the sperm of out the testicles. After extensive talks, the patient finally agreed to let the doctors look more closely with surgery in between chemotherapy sessions. They took a biopsy of the mass, which confirmed adenocarcinoma, a cancer that forms in mucus-secreting glands. Based on the results, the man had to have his right testicle removed. Dr Wald said the cancer had spread from the bowel, which, although extremely rare, is not unheard of. Previously cancer has been reported to spread to the testes from the stomach and other digestive organs, too. Dr Wald said post-traumatic changes after the mule kick are possible, particularly to the lymphatic system. The system runs throughout the body and is made of lymph nodes and lymph vessels. Its job is to drain fluid in the body. If there was a dysfunction in the vessels around the testicle following the kick, it may have caused an 'unusual spread' of cancer, with cancer cells being transported through the tubes and building up elsewhere. Spreading of colon cancer via the lymphatic vessels is fairly normal, Dr Wald said, although rarely affects the testicles or penis. Dr Wald said: 'The patient recovered well from surgery and is continuing treatment of his metastatic colon cancer per the medical oncology team.' The Mass Action Committee (MAC), a civil society organization, has stated that the need for a new biometric voters register is no longer an option, but an "urgent necessity." The civil society organization, which is made up of people from different walks of national life including academia, entrepreneurs, political and social activists, traders, farmers among others, asserts that the decision by the Electoral Commission (EC) to compile a new voter register is both appropriate and timely. The organization, which has been in existence since 2013 explained that, its support for the EC is guided by technical viability concerns of the present Biometric Voter Management System and financial considerations. Speaking at a press conference in Accra, spokesperson for the group, Atik Mohammed, outlined several reason why the country needs a new voters register ahead of the 2020 election. As you are aware, current system used by the EC is beleaguered with many challenges. We begin with the challenges associated with the Biometric Verification Registration (BVR) Kits. Ladies and gentlemen, the BVRs were procured in 2011 and have been in use since then. The last time the EC purchased these kits was in 2013 (they bought 500 pieces). This implies that, the BVRs are technically nine years old. They have therefore become obsolete, he said. He further said there are other non-technical issues that justify the need for a new register and that it is beyond dispute that, there are still NHIS card holders on the electoral register. This implies that, the audit of 2015 could not clean the register of these illegal names. The presence of these names on the electoral roll call into question the reliability of the register. And our best shot at eliminating these people from the register is by doing a new register, Mr. Atik added. According to them group, it is also a fact that, riding the electoral register of dead people is an uphill task explaining, By compiling a new register, we are afforded an opportunity to reduce the number of ghosts on our register to the barest minimum at least for the 2020 general election whiles exploring the possibility of closer cooperation with the births and deaths registry in future". The Mass Action Committee debunked the assertion in some quarters that compiling a new register will be a drain on the economy. One of the arguments that have been vociferously articulated by those opposed to the production of a new register is that, the process will be costly. The fact is that, the reverse is true. Compared to the quotations that the previous EC agreed to on 28th June, 2018 from the last vendor, procurement of new equipment will result in savings of $18,364,500.00 equivalent to GHS 104,677,650.00, the spokesperson of the group clarified. The group also seized the opportunity to dispel the misleading notion that, the final register will be ready only by 8th November, 2020. This deliberate falsity is simply intended to court public anger and to paint a picture of ill-preparedness towards the planned 18th April registration exercise. Based on the arguments advanced, the group said, it is clear that for the country to have a reliable and sustainable electoral register, there is the urgent need for a new electoral roll. We must all endeavor to go out in our numbers and register so that, we can exercise our franchise when the time comes, Atik Mohammed added. 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 [February 06, 2020] The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz Announces Investigation on Behalf of Sasol Limited Investors (SSL) The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz announces an investigation on behalf of Sasol Limited ("Sasol" or the "Company") (NYSE: SSL) 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 October 27, 2014, Sasol announced the construction of an $8.1 billion ethane cracker and derivatives complex called the Lake Charles Chemicals Project ("LCCP"). On June 6, 2016, Sasol reported "that the expected total capital expenditure for the [LCCP] could increase up to US $11 billion, including site infrastructure and utility improvements." Moreover, the Company disclosed that "the estimated LCCP capital cost and extended schedule will reduce the expected project returns by approximately the same amount as the Company's lower long-term pice assumptions." On this news, Sasol's American depositary receipt ("ADR") price fell $3.53 per share, or approximately 11%, to close at $28.60 per share on June 6, 2016, thereby injuring investors. On May 22, 2019, during pre-market hours, Sasol revealed that "the cost estimate for the LCCP has been revised to a range of $12.6 to $12.9 billion which includes a contingency of $300 million." On this news, Sasol's ADR price fell $4.50 per share, or nearly 15%, to close at $25.64 per share on May 22, 2019, thereby injuring investors further. On August 16, 2019, during pre-market hours, Sasol postponed its full year 2019 financial results because of "possible LCCP control weaknesses." On this news, Sasol's ADR price fell $0.74 per share, or over 4%, to close at $17.67 per share on August 16, 2019, thereby injuring investors further. On October 28, 2019, Sasol disclosed that there were "errors, omissions, and inaccuracies in the [LCCP] cost estimate" and that the highest level of management had engaged in a number of unethical and improper reporting activities. Sasol also announced the resignation of, inter alia, its Joint Presidents and Chief Executive Officers ("CEOs") and Senior Vice Presidents and others previously in charge of the LCCP. On January 14, 2020, Sasol confirmed "an explosion and fire at its LCCP low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit." Sasol stated that "[t]he unit was in the final stages of commissioning and startup when the incident occurred." On this news, Sasol's ADR price fell $1.70 per share, or nearly 8%, over the following two trading days to close at $19.99 per share on January 15, 2020, thereby injuring investors further. Follow us for updates on Twitter (News - Alert): twitter.com/FRC_LAW. If you purchased Sasol 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 Frank R. Cruz, of The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-914-5007, by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.frankcruzlaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number, and 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/20200206005716/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] From health apps that record blood sugar or air quality, to drones that deliver vaccines, technology is increasingly shaping nearly every aspect of our lives. The potential for technology to transform health care is tremendous, especially for poor, hard-to-reach, and marginalized communities. But advances in digital health can bring privacy and data security challenges that threaten human rights and exacerbate inequalities. When developing countries have technology, it can be deployed to address longstanding health challenges. In Guinea-Bissau, health workers record malaria data by hand and then send it by public transport for analysis, a process which can take up to three weeks. This makes it difficult to track where outbreaks are occurring or make informed, timely decisions about where to direct resources. UNDP, the Global Fund, and the World Bank are working with the government to disseminate mobile tablets to health facilities across the country, allowing health workers to monitor malaria data electronically. This has contributed to a 16 percent decrease in the number of malaria-related deaths since 2017. Marginalized groups However, technological advances arent necessarily reaching those with the greatest need. Well over half the worlds population still dont have the internet, and they are overwhelmingly from marginalized groups such as women, the elderly, people with disabilities and those who live in poor, remote or rural areas. Where digital technologies are reaching these communities, security and privacy issues can exacerbate stigma and discrimination. Between 2016 and 2017, there were over 1,300 recorded incidents of protected health information data breaches in 27 countries. Leaking this type of information can threaten the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable groups, such as people living with HIV, especially in the 75 countries around the world that criminalize HIV non-disclosure. Even if data is collected for altruistic purposes, it can be misused or shared with others who may use it for other than what was intended. Data-sharing agreements can give governments personal information that could be used to target or monitor marginalized groups. This can lead to a breach of trust in the confidential doctor-patient relationship and discourage vulnerable people from seeking care. Pushing back for privacy In some places there is push back against these potential breaches of patient privacy. Kenyan civil society opposed the health authorities plan to use biometric data, such as fingerprints or eye scans, in a study on HIV. They argued that this data could be used by police to target groups such as sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender persons and people who inject drugs, for arrest and prosecution. Other countries are following suit. The Supreme Courts of India, Jamaica and Mauritius all affirmed the need for strong safeguards when collecting biometric data to ensure privacy. Countries must take action to enable vulnerable communities to benefit from advances in digital health while respecting their privacy. First, all peoplenot just a select privileged fewshould be able to enjoy the benefits of innovation and technology. The goal of digital health must universal health coverage which reduces inequalities, rather than deepens them. Second, strong rights-based legal and ethical frameworks are critical for digital health. They must be accompanied by laws and policies that protect the privacy and dignity of patients, particularly those who risk further stigmatization and discrimination. Equal distribution Finally, greater efforts are needed to ensure advances in technology are distributed equally, so that communities most in need can benefit. Partnerships across sectors can help accelerate the introduction of new technologies in poor, marginalized or remote communities. Technology offers new opportunities to tackle some of the worlds most challenging diseases, and ultimately, save lives. The digital health revolution has happened. Its time to close the digital divide and for global and national governance, laws and safeguards to catch up. This article was originally published here. Peabody (NYSE: BTU) announced today (2/5) that it will appoint several new members to the company's Board of Directors in conjunction with the February Board meeting, including Elliott Management Equity Partner Dave Miller, Elliott Management Portfolio Manager Samantha Algaze and tenured coal industry executive Darren Yeates. Peabody and Elliott have also agreed to add a fourth independent director with extensive mining operations experience, to be jointly identified by Peabody and Elliott. The company will also nominate each of the new directors, along with all current directors, for a full one-year term at the company's upcoming annual meeting of shareholders in May. Peabody and Elliott, the company's largest shareholder, also have entered into a cooperation agreement outlining the relationship between the two companies. Elliott has agreed to certain customary standstill, voting and other provisions. A copy of the agreement is being included in a Peabody Form 8-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission to be filed today. "We're pleased to welcome these skilled and experienced professionals to our board," said Peabody Chairman Bob Malone. "Together they will bring a broad range of financial, portfolio and operational expertise that complements the strong skill sets and diverse perspectives already represented in our directors." "We welcome this closer relationship with Elliott, which has been a substantial investor in Peabody's capital structure for more than four years," said Peabody President and Chief Executive Officer Glenn Kellow. "We are aligned in our objectives of maximizing value creation and shareholder returns. We look forward to benefitting from the contributions of these new directors." "We are convinced that Peabody has significant unrealized potential," said Dave Miller. "Elliott has built a strong relationship with the team at Peabody in recent years, and we look forward to helping the company create substantial long-term value for all investors." Dave Miller is Equity Partner, Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of U.S. Restructuring for Elliott Management, and a member of the Management Committee. Mr. Miller joined Elliott in 2003 after working in M&A and financing advisory roles at Peter J. Solomon Company. Mr. Miller is also currently a director of Acosta, a leading full-service sales and marketing agency; the Brazilian American Automotive Group, Inc., one of the largest automotive dealership groups in Latin America; and Arconic, a company specializing in lightweight metals engineering and manufacturing. Mr. Miller received a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University. Samantha Algaze is a Portfolio Manager at Elliott Management Corporation where she works on investments spanning multiple industries. She joined Elliott in 2013 after working at H.I.G. Capital in the Private Equity division. Prior to that, she was an analyst in Deutsche Bank's Real Estate, Gaming, Lodging & Leisure Investment Banking Group. Ms. Algaze is also currently serving as Chairman of the Board of Managers of Claire's Holdings LLC. Ms. Algaze received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. Darren Yeates currently serves as a director and principal of Yeates Advisory Services Pty Ltd, a consulting firm he co-founded in November 2016. Mr. Yeates has over 35 years of mining industry experience, most recently as COO of MACH Energy Australia, a developer and supplier of thermal coal to both the Australian domestic and Asian export markets, from May 2018 to December 2019. He was previously CEO of GVK Hancock Coal from January 2014 until June 2016. Prior to that, Mr. Yeates spent over 22 years with Rio Tinto, including as Acting Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer for Coal Australia, General Manager Ports and Infrastructure for Pilbara Iron and General Manager Tarong Coal. He began his mining career at BHP in coal operations and metalliferous exploration. Mr. Yeates has served as a director of Emeco Holdings Limited, an Australian mining services company, since April 2017, and WorkPac Pty Ltd, a diversified employment recruiter, since January 2018. He also served as a director at Stanmore Coal Limited, an Australian coal company, from May 2019 until February 2020. Mr. Yeates is currently CEO of WorkPac in an interim capacity as the Board searches for a permanent CEO. He has a Bachelor of Engineering (Mining) from University of Queensland, a Graduate Diploma in Management from the University of Central Queensland and a Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and Investment from the Securities Institute of Australia. He has an Executive MBA from the Monash Mt Eliza Business School and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. This press release is not a proxy statement or a solicitation of proxies from the holders of Peabody common stock. A solicitation of proxies in connection with the 2020 Annual Meeting will be made only by Peabody's definitive proxy statement that will be mailed to all shareholders of record on the record date of March 12, 2020. Peabody will be filing a definitive proxy statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Shareholders are urged to read the proxy statement and any other relevant documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC when they become available because they will contain important information. Shareholders will be able to receive the proxy statement and other relevant documents free of charge at the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov or through the company's own website at https://www.peabodyenergy.com/Investor-Info/Shareholder-Information/Annual-Report. The directors, nominees for election as director, executive officers and certain other members of management and employees of the company may be deemed "participants" in the solicitation of proxies from stockholders of the company in connection with the matters to be considered at the 2020 Annual Meeting. Information regarding the persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be considered participants in the solicitation of the stockholders of the company in connection with such matters will be set forth in the definitive proxy statement for the 2020 Annual Meeting to be filed with the SEC. In addition, information about the company's executive officers and directors may be found in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, when available, and in its definitive proxy statement filed with the SEC on March 27, 2019. Peabody (NYSE: BTU) is the leading global pure-play coal company and a member of the Fortune 500, serving power and steel customers in more than 25 countries on six continents. The company offers significant scale, high-quality assets, and diversity in geography and products. Peabody is guided by seven core values: safety, customer focus, leadership, people, excellence, integrity and sustainability. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the securities laws. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words or variation of words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "projects," "forecasts," "targets," "would," "will," "should," "goal," "could" or "may" or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements provide management's current expectations or predictions of future conditions, events or results. All statements that address operating performance, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will occur in the future are forward-looking statements. They may include estimates of revenues, income, earnings per share, cost savings, capital expenditures, dividends, share repurchases, liquidity, capital structure, market share, industry volume, or other financial items, descriptions of management's plans or objectives for future operations, or descriptions of assumptions underlying any of the above. All forward- looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and reflect the company's good faith beliefs, assumptions and expectations, but they are not guarantees of future performance or events. Furthermore, the company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, a variety of economic, competitive and regulatory factors, many of which are beyond the company's control, that are described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2018 and most recent quarterly report on Form 10-Q, as well as additional factors we may describe from time to time in other filings with the SEC. You should understand that it is not possible to predict or identify all such factors and, consequently, you should not consider any such list to be a complete set of all potential risks or uncertainties. Contact: Vic Svec 314.342.7768 This Monday, Aug. 31, 2017, file photo shows a Barnes & Noble Booksellers store in Pittsburgh. Barnes & Noble is withdrawing a planned line of famous literature reissued with multicultural cover images that has drawn widespread criticism on social media. Read more Tweets were calling it faux diversity and literary blackface," a major marketing blowback during Black History Month. Diverse Editions a rerelease of classic titles including Romeo and Juliet, The Wizard of Oz, and Peter Pan, each with five new covers representing different ethnic groups was set to launch Wednesday evening at Barnes & Nobles Fifth Avenue location in New York City. But hours before, not only was the launch canceled but Barnes & Noble announced the initiative would be suspended. The covers are not a substitute for black voices or writers of color, whose work and voices deserve to be heard," said a statement issued by Barnes & Noble. The booksellers who championed this initiative did so convinced it would help drive engagement with these classic titles. The project, created in part to raise awareness and discussion during Black History Month in partnership with TBWA\Chiat\Day and Penguin Random House, printed 42 covers across 12 classics recasting lead characters as people of color. The backlash started Tuesday evening after initial tweets posted by Barnes & Noble What if your favorite literary characters reflected the Diversity of America? landed with a thud. By slapping a brown or black face on the cover, its more white imperialism, David Bowles, a Mexican American author and professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, said in an interview Wednesday. It gives the illusion of diversity without the real diversity." Penguin Random House did not respond to a request for comment. Terri N. Watson, an associate professor of educational leadership at City College of New York, is African American and a former middle-school English teacher. She said it is important for all young people to read timeless books from beginning to end. But she said it is a mistake to assume that only the current literary canon is classic literature. There are authors [of color] they could have highlighted, but theyve simply put a new cover on an old book thats part of the canon, which is a problem because [the canon] lacks diversity," Watson said. The illustrations themselves were also criticized as being stereotypical: On the Wizard of Oz cover, Bowles said, the Native American girl wears war paint on her face and a feather in her hair. Edith Campbell, a librarian at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, who is African American, called the Diverse Editions line hurtful, a slapdash way to accomplish diversity. Diversity is not about having more black and brown faces, but about decentering whiteness in stories. Campbell, who once worked in high schools, said a young person of color would immediately know that the book is not about them. They want books that have meaning to them. A candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives lamented the line on Twitter on Wednesday. So rather than promote you know actual diverse authors for #BlackHistoryMonth, Barnes & Noble chose to re-imagine books by white authors w/Black face & Brown face characters, said Qasim Rashid, who is running for Congress in Virginia. Bowles, also a critic of American Dirt, a novel about migrants perilous flight to the United States by a non-Mexican American woman, noted the Diverse Editions was, literally, a cheap way to capitalize from Black History Month because the titles are in the public domain. The authors dont need to be paid. Critics on Twitter offered parodies of how a Diverse Editions novel would differ from the original. "White Dorothy: welcomed to Oz with a song and dance. Black Dorothy: shows up in Oz and a bevy of Munchkins ask her if they can help her find anything and then offer to hold her bag for her. #DiverseEditions VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EXMceuticals Inc. ( CSE: EXM ) ( FSE: A2PAW2 ) (the Company or EXM), a producer of high-grade cannabis extracted ingredients for the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, therapeutical and cosmetic industries, is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Kinley CPA,CA to the position of Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Kinley, a former partner with KPMG, has been the President of Winslow Associates Management & Communications Inc. since 1993, a private consulting firm which provides professional services to junior public companies. Mr. Kinley is a Chartered Professional Account and has served as an officer and director for several public companies over the past thirty years. His appointment is effective immediately. Jonathan Summers, CEO and Chairman of the Board said: Mr. Kinley brings with him extensive experience in the regulatory market and has a long history of leading junior companies. Mr. Kinley is a great addition to the EXM management team, and he frankly impressed us from our first conversation. I am pleased to welcome Michael as permanent CFO and I am looking forward to working with him on executing our strategy in becoming a leading low-cost producer of high-quality cannabis and hemp ingredients for the European and North American markets. Additionally, EXM and the minority shareholders of EXMceuticals Portugal, Lda (EXM Portugal), have signed an agreement, under the terms of which EXM has acquired the minority stake (30% of EXM Portugal) for its nominal value. As a result of the acquisition of EXM Portugal at the present date, EXM holds, directly and indirectly, 100% of the share capital of EXM Portugal. EXM Portugal is the entity that holds a licence for cannabis research and development issued by INFARMED, the Portuguese National Authority of Medicines and Health Products. This license authorizes the Company to import, research and refine cannabinoids and cannabis by-products in Portugal. EXM Portugal operates a state-of-the-art pilot-scale refinery in Portugal for the transformation of cannabis-based ingredients on a R&D environment and conditions. EXM also owns 100% of the share capital of EXMceuticals Portugal II Lda (EXM Portugal II), which is the industrial company currently finalising the internal design and equipment plans for the factory building located in Setubal, just south of Lisbon. The EXM Portugal II facility will consist of both extraction and refining installations, be designed and operated to GMP standards, and once licensed will distribute pure cannabinoids to commercial buyers. The Company also announces that it has granted incentive stock options to a director of the Company to purchase up to an aggregate of 466,931 common shares of the Company pursuant to the Companys Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan (the Plan). The stock options are exercisable at a price of $2.00 per share for a period of 10 years from the date of grant. The Company has also issued an aggregate of 2,250,000 restricted share units (RSUs) under the Plan to executive officers of the Company. The RSUs have a deemed price of $0.50 per unit and entitle the holder to receive one share of the Company per RSU, subject to vesting in equal annual instalments over a three-year period. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF EXMCEUTICALS INC. Jonathan Summers, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer For further information contact: Investor Relations Email: investors@exmceuticals.com Media Enquiries: Email: media@exmceuticals.com Melanie Guillemette: +1 819 668 2734 FOR MORE UPDATES ON THE COMPANY Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EXMceuticals Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/exmceuticalsinc/ ABOUT EXMCEUTICALS EXM is targeting the wellness and medical applications of cannabis. EXMs activities are focused on the sustainable cultivation of cannabis and hemp, and the production of high-grade cannabis and hemp ingredients for the pharmaceutical, therapeutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic industries. The Company proposes to sell the produced ingredients to international markets. EXM is not a recreational cannabis company. EXM was recently granted the required authorizations and permits in Portugal for its existing laboratory and pilot refinery for cannabis research. EXM has previously completed research projects with its university partners, Universidade Nova de Lisboa and Universidade Lusofona as well as applying for P2020 research grants. Following receipt of these unique Portuguese cannabis authorizations and permits, EXM is proceeding with its planned R&D program, lab work and testing. In addition to this more scientific mandate, EXM is now projecting and building a significantly larger refining facility in Portugal which once complete and licensed will be used by EXM as its base for distribution of cannabis ingredients in the EU and North America. EXM has also submitted applications and undertaken negotiations with local governments and partners in Ethiopia, Malawi, Zambia, Eswatini and Burundi, in order to obtain licences to permit the cultivation of cannabis and hemp, as well as the processing, transformation and export of psychotropic and non-psychotropic cannabinoid ingredients. In Ethiopia, EXM is in its final stage of negotiation with the government for an agro-industrial park, of 4,000 hectares (9,880 acres) encompassing a free trade zone, for which EXM has already obtained land rights over 2,000 hectares (4,940 acres) in the Amhara region. CSE: EXM | FSE : A2PAW2 Neither the CSE nor the FSE has approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor the FSE accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Certain information contained herein may constitute forward-looking information under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, will be, expected, proposes, intends or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results will occur. Forward-looking statements regarding the Companys business operations, including the cultivation of cannabis in Ethiopia and elsewhere, the extraction of cannabis ingredients and the exportation of the extracts, the results of testing at our facilities established for the European market, future laws and regulations governing the sale of our products in Europe and elsewhere, and the potential to generate sales, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of EXM to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information. 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 forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. EXM will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. H ome buyers seeking better value and more space often extend their search a few stops further along a Tube line out of central London. However, while heading for the furthest location on each line may nab you a seat in the morning rush, its not a guarantee of affordability. Only nine of 32 last stations on the network boast house prices below the London average of 472,232, new Savills research reveals. The two ends of each line can also vary in price. Travelling from Chesham to Baker Street takes five minutes longer than travelling from Amersham on the Metropolitan line but average house prices in the area are 190,000 lower. There are a whole range of factors that affect the average house price within a kilometre of the last stop at each end of all the Underground lines such as property types, standard of local schools, green space and frequency of trains, says Lawrence Bowles of Savills. Homes & Property takes a closer look at two of Londons final destinations. Homes along the Bakerloo line: Harrow & Wealdstone vs Elephant & Castle Two different scenes are presented by Harrow, the suburban outer London town, and Elephant & Castle in Zone 1. Average house price in Harrow & Wealdstone: 332,767 Average house price in Elephant & Castle: 520,734 Travelcards Harrow & Wealdstone to Oxford Street, Zone 1-5 monthly, 237.00 Elephant & Castle to Oxford Street, Zone 1 monthly, 138.70 Harrow & Wealdstone, Zone 5 Harrow-on-the-Hill's 300-acre estate / Daniel Lynch Harrow on the Hill is dominated by 500-year-old Harrow public school and its 300-acre estate. The average price tag around Harrow station is 332,767 and it takes 40 minutes on the Tube to Oxford Circus. The schools sold the area to banker Dipin Divakaran and his wife Aswathy. The couple, in their forties, have bought a three-bedroom home for 540,000 in Eastman Village, the redevelopment by Barratt London of the old Kodak factory site in Harrow. We wanted to buy new and were delighted by the green space and amenities, says Dipin. Eastman Village is in the catchment area for two outstanding schools our children start in the next couple of years. Dipin Divakaranand his wife Aswathybought at Eastman Village in Harrow When completed, the village will deliver 2,000 homes, restaurants, offices and parkland. One-bedroom flats start from 309,000 with Help to Buy. Call 0330 127 7586. Elephant & Castle, Zone 1 Elephant & Castle is being turned into a new town of modern tower blocks / Daniel Lynch The average Elephant & Castle house price has reached 520,734. Its one of inner Londons most controversial regeneration projects. Campaigners lost their High Court battle to save Elephant & Castles run-down shopping centre. This was the last blockage to developer Delanceys plans to build a new town centre, with a new London College of Communication campus and 979 apartments. Lendlease is delivering Elephant Park, a new neighbourhood that will provide 2,500 new homes. Two-bedroom flats start at 784,400 and three-bedroom flats are priced from 1.2 million. Call 020 3675 9955. New homes have launched this month in Manor Place Depot off Walworth Road, by Notting Hill Genesis. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Eat Beyond Global Investment Fund (Eat Beyond) is pleased to announce its launch; the company is specialized in identifying and investing in opportunities in the alternative food sector. The first fund of its kind in Canada, Eat Beyond was created to provide retail investors with the opportunity to participate in the growth of the alternative food sector. The company plans to list on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) in the second quarter of 2020. $17 billion has been invested in the plant-based food industry to date, and 2018 saw a 39% increase in the number of deals completed compared to the previous year, according to a report from The Good Food Institute. The unprecedented success of Beyond Meat and similar companies has shone a spotlight on the industry. This is clearly a growing sector, and we noticed that there werent many opportunities for the retail investor to participate - so we created one ourselves. We spent over a year reaching out to over 100 companies worldwide, and the innovation that we saw blew us away, said Patrick Morris, CEO of Eat Global. I expected to see 100 different types of vegan burger patties - but we found companies creating everything imaginable, and have decided to focus our efforts on alternatives in four key areas: meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy. Eat Beyond has assembled an investment committee of industry-leading experts to assist with vetting the companies and their potential. The committee includes: Lloyd Lockhart: Co-founder of Choices Market with 46 years of grocery retail experience Diane Jang: Consumer packaged goods industry veteran with 29 years of experience with companies such as Sunrise Soya Foods, Earths Own Food Co Inc., Hempco Food and Fiber Inc. Alan Linder: Food distribution expert with over 30 years of experience managing food distribution across both North America and Asia, including 25 years with United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) Eat Beyond is actively researching new groundbreaking opportunities in the space. We are truly passionate about supporting innovation in the plant-based food movement. The positive impact that these products can have on peoples health, as well as the environment, are immeasurable, added Morris. About Eat Beyond Global Investment Fund The Eat Beyond Global Investment Fund (Eat Beyond) identifies and invests in global companies that are developing and commercializing innovative food products including alternatives to meat, seafood, eggs, and dairy. Led by a team of food industry experts, Eat Beyond is the first fund of its kind in Canada, providing retail investors with the unique opportunity to participate in the growth of the alternative food sector and access to the companies that are leading the charge toward a smarter, more secure food supply. Learn more: https://eatbeyondglobal.com/ Media Contact: Exvera Communications Inc. Brittany Whitmore Mobile: 1-778-238-6096 Email: Brittany@Exvera.com Anantapur: The Andhra Pradesh government on Thursday refuted reports that Kia Motors India is intending to move its manufacturing facility in Penukonda in Anantapur district to Tamil Nadu. Rajat Bhargava, special chief secretary in the Andhra Pradesh industries department said in a statement, We strongly condemn the news that there is a proposal to move the Kia unit out of Andhra Pradesh. KIA and the government of AP are working together. A top official of Kia, speaking on the condition of anonymity, that manufacturing would continue in Penukonda. We have invested more than Rs 13,000 crore in the Penukonda facility and have been producing cars within two years of setting up the unit. Where is need to shift an established unit from AP? Earlier, report by Reuter from New Delhi had stated that the auto company was in talks with Tamil Nadu over the possibility of moving its USD 1.1 billion plant out of Andhra Pradesh only months after it fully opened, due to policy changes last year. Kia inaugurated the Andhra plant, its first in the worlds fifth-largest car market, in December 2019 after two years of construction. It has an annual capacity of some 300,000 units and created 12,000 direct and indirect jobs. Holyoke Community College President Christina Royal has been selected for a prestigious national fellowship. Administered by the Aspen Institute of Washington, D.C., The Aspen New Presidents Fellowship is a new initiative designed to support community college presidents in the early years of their tenure to accelerate transformational change on behalf of students. First-time college presidents are eligible. Royal, who lives in Northampton, and Luis G. Pedraja of Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester were the only two community college presidents chosen from Massachusetts. They are part of the inaugural group of 25 Aspen fellows selected from more than 100 applicants nationwide. The leaders, all of whom are in their first five years as a college president, will engage in a seven-month fellowship beginning in June 2020. The Aspen Institute has a reputation for excellence, and I am honored to be selected as part of the inaugural group alongside President Pedraja, said Royal, who started working at HCC in January 2017, after three years as provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Inver Hills Community College in Minnesota. Higher education is experiencing a lot of disruption as the world changes. We are being challenged in greater ways to alter the ways we educate and provide support for students as demographics shift and their needs and preferences change,'' Royal said. "It is an exciting opportunity to be in the company of other scholars and community college presidents who want to grow and learn in an intense environment that exposes us to new models of thinking. The fellows were selected for their commitment to student success and equity, willingness to take risks to improve outcomes, understanding of the importance of community partnerships, and ability to lead change. We know more than ever before about how community colleges can improve outcomes for students, both in and after college, said Josh Wyner, executive director of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program. And the urgency for them to do so only increases, especially for students of color and low-income students. These fellows have shown they are fully, urgently committed to excellence and equity, and we look forward to working alongside them. Nearly 80 percent of community college presidents nationwide plan to retire in the next decade. Through this fellowship and its other leadership programs, Aspen is committed to helping to replace those exiting the presidency with a capable and highly diverse talent pool. According to the American Council on Education, only 36 percent of community college presidents are female, and 20 percent are people of color. The incoming class of Aspen fellows is 48 percent female, and 40 percent persons of color. Their institutions span 15 states and vary widely, from a rural college with fewer than 2,000 students to a statewide system that educates more than 150,000. The 7th Day Congregation of Theocracy has held a three day seminar for its members and the general public at the Girls Guide Training Center, Achimota, from 24th 26th December 2019 under the theme; Is Building of National Shrine Lawful? The Construction of the National Cathedral for Christianity is just about to begin at the East Ridge, a prime area, near the state House in Accra. Scores of ancient and modern villas which housed the judges and some high government officials had been pulled down to give way for the Cathedral. This has brought about a public debate why a National Cathedral should be built as our economy is not strong enough to take such projects. Just as the debate rages on, the Traditional Religion Practitioners have also come out with a demand for a National Shrine to be for built for them by the government. This has also generated heated public debate that is BUILDING OF NATIONAL SHRINE LAWFUL? An eminent religious leader, the founder of the 7th Day Congregation, an anti-homosexuality and lesbianism Advocate and a philanthropist, Apostle, Dr. Kadmiel Agbalenyoh, has added his voice to the debate and explains that, without Cultural Anthropological controversy, the Traditional Religious System is the oldest Religious Beliefs and Practices after the flood. It was founded by Nimrod the grandson of Patriarch Noah in the land Shinar, now called Asia Minor or Middle East. The religion is a Religious and Political Worship Genesis 10:8-12. Messianic Religion It was practised by the family of Patriarch Abraham's parents from which Patriarch Abraham was divinely called Joshua 24:1-3. The Almighty God separated Patriarch Abraham from the Traditional Religious System. He established another Traditional Religious Order, a Messianic Religious Tradition through Patriarch Abraham Genesis 12:1-3; 18:17-19, Exodus 3:15 Apostle Kadiemel said, The God of creation gave to Abraham and his posterity the kingdom of Nimrod, which became the Land of Israel Genesis 15:17-21, Exodus 3:7-12, Nehemiah 9:13-14. Leviticus 26: 46; Acts 7:37-38 and Romans 9:4-5. At Mount Sinai, the Almighty God of the Hebrews forbade the worship of the gods of the nations. In course of history, the children of Israel disobeyed their God and worshipped other gods beside the God who brought them from Egypt, bestowed to them the kingdom of Nimrod. Exodus 20:1-11; Exodus 23:23-24, Deut 7:1-6. The children of Israel had forced Aaron to make a god for the Exodus Exodus 32:1-6. King Solomon was the first king of the United Israel who worshipped pagan gods and built their shrines 1 Kings 11:1-11. King Jeroboam who ruled the Northern Israel established the worship of another god to replace the Lord God of Israel -1 Kings 12:25-31. It therefore became the Traditional Religious worship in the Israeli Northern Kingdom during the reign of King Zimri, King Omri and King Ahab 1 Kings 16:15-33. The Lord of God Apostle Kadiemel said, according to Prophet Micah, the Nations have their own gods while the Kingdom of the Hebrews worships the Lord God who created the whole world (Micah 4:5). In view of this, the religion of Nimrod has gained root on earth. Non-prophetic and prophetic kingdoms, such as Amalikites, Ammonites, Moabites, Philistines, Assyrians, Egyptians, Babylonians, Persians, Grecians, and Romans have their own traditional gods. (Babylon > Dan 1:1-4; 3:1-6; Persia > Esther 3:7-10, Grecians > 1 Macc. 1:41-43; 6:1-6; Romans > Pageant of World History, page 74, Rev 2:12-14 Emperor Constantine reformed the Roman Traditional Religion, calling it Roman Christian Religion AD 313; 325 and 336, which King Theodosius has declared Roman State Religion (AD 392). These Arabian gods is the Black Stone, which Prophet Muhammad sanctified, to become the symbol of the Islamic Religion. "Muhammad's teaching was new to Arabs, most of whom practiced polytheism. They had many Shrines or special places where they worshipped their gods. A very important Shrine, the Kaaba (Kah-bah), was in Mecca" World history, page 356. "The Blackstone of Mecca was (and still is) embedded within the wall of a Shrine called Kaaba (Kah-uh-buh), which in Arabian means "cube" Besides the Black Stone, the Kaaba contained idols representing 360 gods, including one deity called Allah" World History (D.C. Heath), page186. 2nd Word War He further explained that, immediately after the Second World War, world leaders replaced the Law of God with the Universal Law, also called UN Human Rights in AD 1948. Under this Universal Law, all forms of Religious tradition are recognized and protected (Rev 16:12 14) the Roman Christian Religious System at the Vatican Council II, recognized the traditional Religious System (Vatican Council II, page 739). In fact, any Traditional Religious Nations, which embraced Western European Democracy, becomes a secular State, even Israel, Vatican City and Islamic states became secular States. Thus Ghana, which had independence from British rule in 1957, and member of United Nations, and befriended United States of America, European Union and strong member of the British Commonwealth of Nations, has become a secular State since independence, and has sacrificed her Christianity. National Shrine Apostle Dr. Agbalanyoh concluded that, the State of Ghana, which is secular and democratic, allows pluralism of cultures and religions. It is therefore unconstitutional for any religious organization to prevent the Government from recognizing any other religion (Christian Religion, Islamic Religion, Tradition Religion and others). If the Government accepts to build National Cathedral for Christianity and National Mosque for Islam, why not also the National Shrine for Traditional Religion? We should understand that the traditional worship has existed before the advent of Christianity and Islam. It is therefore Constitutional should the Government of Ghana, through the Parliament and Council of State consider to build a National Shrine for the Traditional Religion and Chieftaincy. Unknown to most religion, especially Christianity is that traditional rulers are the custodians of the Traditional Religious System in Ghana. Source: The Punch Newspaper Email:[email protected] Photosensitizers are molecules that absorb sunlight and pass that energy along to generate electricity or drive chemical reactions. They're generally based on rare, expensive metals; so the discovery that iron carbenes, with plain old iron at their cores, can do this, too, triggered a wave of research over the past few years. But while ever more efficient iron carbenes are being discovered, scientists need to understand exactly how these molecules work at an atomic level in order to engineer them for top performance. Now researchers have used an X-ray laser at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to watch what happens when light hits an iron carbene. They discovered that it can respond in two competing ways, only one of which allows electrons to flow into the devices or reactions where they're needed. In this case, the molecule took the energy-producing path about 60% of the time. The team published their results January 31 in Nature Communications. In a solar cell, an iron carbene attaches to the semiconductor film on the surface of the cell with its iron atom sticking up. Sunlight hits the iron atom and liberates electrons, which flow into the carbene attachments. If they remain on those attachments long enough - 10 trillionths of a second or more - they can then move into the solar cell and boost its efficiency. In chemistry, the energy boost that photosensitizers provide helps drive chemical reactions, but requires even longer residence times for the electrons on the carbene attachments. To pin down how this works, an international team led by researchers from the Stanford PULSE Institute at SLAC examined samples of iron carbene with X-ray laser pulses from the lab's Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). They simultaneously measured two separate signals that reveal how the molecule's atomic nuclei move and how its electrons travel in and out of the iron-carbene bonds. The results showed that electrons were stored in the carbene attachments long enough to do useful work about 60% of the time; the rest of the time they returned to the iron atom too soon, accomplishing nothing. PULSE's Kelly Gaffney said the long-term goal of this research is to get close to 100 percent of the electrons to stay on carbenes much longer, so the energy from light can be used to drive chemical reactions. To do that, scientists need to find design principles for tailoring iron carbene molecules to carry out particular jobs with maximum efficiency. ### PULSE postdoctoral researcher Kristjan Kunnus led the analysis for this study, which was carried out at LCLS and at SLAC's Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL), both DOE Office of Science user facilities. Researchers from Lund University in Sweden prepared the samples for analysis, and scientists from Uppsala University in Sweden, Technical University of Denmark, Copenhagen University, Wigner Research Centre for Physics and ELI-ALPS, ELI-HU Non-Profit Ltd. in Hungary, and Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) in Germany also contributed to the research. Major funding came from the DOE Office of Science. Citation: Kristjan Kunnus et al., Nature Communications, 31 January 2020 (10.1038/s41467-020-14468-w) SLAC is a vibrant multiprogram laboratory that explores how the universe works at the biggest, smallest and fastest scales and invents powerful tools used by scientists around the globe. With research spanning particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology, materials, chemistry, bio- and energy sciences and scientific computing, we help solve real-world problems and advance the interests of the nation. SLAC is operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. Jakarta: In the 10 years since Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono addressed a joint sitting of Federal Parliament, relations between Australia and Indonesia have been to hell and back, several times. A decade ago: Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono addressing Parliament in in 2010. Credit:Getty Live exports, presidential phone hacking, boat turn-backs, the execution of Bali Nine members Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran and the possible move of Australia's embassy in Israel to Jerusalem have been major flash points. Both Prime Minister Scott Morrison and President Joko Widodo will be hoping the latter's address to Parliament on Monday - following the long-awaited ratification of a bilateral free trade deal on Thursday - will underscore how relations between the two nations have strengthened in the past decade, despite the tumult along the way. The President, widely known as Jokowi, will find it difficult to match Yudhoyono's widely-praised speech when he becomes the second Indonesian leader to address Australia's parliament. He is not as relaxed on the world stage as his predecessor, nor as gifted a public speaker. Here's your chance to beam out and avoid spoilers for episode 3 of "Star Trek: Picard." When "Star Trek: Picard" episode 3 arrived on CBS All Access today (Feb. 6), we hoped to see more of Raffi Musiker's (Michelle Hurd) backstory and that's exactly where we start in the episode, entitled "The End is the Beginning." We start with a flashback to 14 years ago, just like we did last week, but unlike the previous episode, this is not long after the synthetic attack on the Utopia Planitia shipyards on Mars. Admiral Picard (Patrick Stewart) and Raffi meet outside Starfleet HQ where Picard has been trying to convince Starfleet to continue the Romulan evacuation efforts, despite the recent loss of so many ships. In spite of his best efforts to counter every excuse that Starfleet has not enough ships, not enough manpower they're not interested. Mars is burning and billions in the Beta Quadrant are in the burst radius of an imminent supernova. The uniforms of 2399 are really nice and we see that Raffi was a lieutenant commander although while the uniforms have changed in design, the Starfleet insignia/communicator hasn't yet. Interestingly, she already suggests that the Tal Shiar the Romulan secret police might be involved. Clearly, she's had her suspicions for some time. Related: More: What 'Star Trek' to watch before 'Star Trek: Picard': Our epic guide Picard on the bridge of the La Sirena. That outfit looks a lot more comfortable than those old, skin-tight Starfleet uniforms. (Image credit: CBS All Access) It's a nice pre-credit scene; Picard explains that he told Starfleet to either accept his revised evacuation plan or his resignation. They chose the latter. At which point Raffi receives a message from the Starfleet CNC who wants to see her. She suspects it's to "fire her" but that's unlikely since Starfleet operates like the Navy. After the opening credits, we're back at the beautiful Vasquez Rocks Natural Park (a "Star Trek" staple) at Raffi's 24th century equivalent of an Airstream caravan. We learn that she did indeed leave Starfleet, but whether she was "punished" in some way for her support of Picard or had her career "destroyed" and was reassigned to Vagra II for instance, but instead chose to resign, is unclear. Either way, this needs to be explained further and she blames Picard regardless. Was Raffis career deliberately destroyed by Starfleet because she supported Picards evacuation plan? (Image credit: CBS All Access) Raffi is understandably upset and we learn that she's endured a lot during the last 14 years, also that not once did Picard try and get in touch with her. Of course, if she held a grudge because she was punished for supporting Picard, who was just trying to do the right thing then maybe she should've contacted him, but this age old chestnut is about as clear-cut as the chicken-egg quandary. In fact, Picard soaks all this up with offering any retort; he wouldn't have had it easy either. If she had tried to contact him and he ignored her, that would be a different story, but no mention of anything like this made. Related: 'Star Trek: Section 31' to start filming when 'Discovery' season 3 wraps We cut to another long tracking shot that takes us deep inside the Borg cube. These have been used to great effect so far and are very reminiscent of the "Picard eye" zoom out used at the beginning of "Star Trek: First Contact." We get to see Hugh (Jonathan Del Arco) once again, the first time since the "The Next Generation" episode "Descent" parts 1 & 2 (S06, E26 & S07, E01). It seems Hugh is an executive director of the Borg cube reclamation project. It's a delight to see Hugh and see what he has become. Del Arco is certainly being given more opportunity to show range in new Hugh Mk II. Hugh Mk II is now an executive director of the Borg reclamation project and could be an interesting character. (Image credit: CBS All Access) He's intrigued by the work of Dr. Soji Asher (Isa Briones) and grants her permission to speak to an individual named Ramdha (Rebecca Wisocky). Meanwhile, Picard and Raffi are still having it out. Apparently, she has evidence, concrete evidence, that a high-ranking Starfleet official allowed the Mars attacks to go forward to put an end to the rescue mission. She's like dialed-down version of Woody Harrelson's conspiracy theory fanatic, Charlie Frost, in "2012." She tells Picard to leave, but not before she says she has a pilot for him, a man named Rios. Next up we're at the Daystrom Institute in Okinawa, Japan. Dr. Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill) appears to be having her lunch when she's approached by Starfleet's director of security Commodore Oh (Tamlyn Tomita) who wants to know all about Jurati's recent meeting with Jean-Luc Picard. Then we're back on the Borg cube for the set-up of an interesting scene that comes later. Hugh leads Soji into a secure room with about 20-or so reclaimed Romulan Borg drones. It seems all the "disordered" are Romulans and as far as Hugh knows, these are the only Romulans ever assimilated. Soji seeks out patient 4822/2, or Ramdha. Video: Patrick Stewart and Isa Briones Talk Trek with Space.com! But before that scene can develop we're back to Raffi's place briefly and then just as abruptly in orbit around the Earth. The editing in "Picard" seems to favor the approach of simultaneously setting up significant scenes by gradually introducing them in bite-sized chunks. We see for the first time the La Sirena, the unregistered starship that belongs to Cristobal Rios (Santiago Cabrera). It translates to "The Siren," but in Spanish and Italian, it also translates to "Mermaid." It's unlike any traditional starship and the design is very angular, which seems to be all the rage in "Star Trek" at the moment just look at the USS Discovery. It's more than likely that the idea here is to create a ship with personality, just like the Rocinante, from "The Expanse" and possibly even the Serenity from "Firefly." Related: The 25 greatest spaceships of science fiction But what's really peculiar is the Rios has an Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH) that looks just like him. In fact, it's also played by Santiago Cabrera. Moreover, Rios seems to have more than one Emergency Hologrambut they all still look like him. One has an English accent and the other an Irish accent. He actually calls the Irish one an Emergency Navigation Hologram (ENH). Perhaps he's created them this way to represent different elements of his own personality. The Irish one could easily be his conscious for instance. Maybe it's just the ultimate extension of actually "talking to yourself." No doubt this slightly weird decision will be explained at a later date, but the use of various types of holograms is probably how he operates without a regular full crew. We've seen Jean-Luc wearing a very cool jacket with the insignia of La Sirena on it: a beautiful badge showing the outline of a mermaid-like figure. (Image credit: CBS All Access) We learn that he was formally the executive officer of the heavy cruiser USS ibn Majid, named after Ahmad ibn Majid, an Arabian navigator and cartographer circa mid-15th century. (He is purported to have helped Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama complete the first trade route over water between Europe and India by using an Arabian map that was unknown to European sailors.) However, for some reason Starfleet has erased all records of the ibn Majid's existence, again, hopefully we'll find out more about that in a later episode. Picard sizes Rios up and warms to him immediately. The cigar-smoking, shot-drinking former Federation flyboy looks like he's going to add a little Capt. Malcolm Reynolds to "Trek" and why not. Raffi meanwhile has managed to locate Maddox. He's somewhere called "Freecloud." Could this be a lawless gambling planet, like Carillon from the 1978 "Battlestar Galactica"? A David Bowie reference perhaps? Or maybe it's a service where users can store and synchronize digital content across multiple platforms. Who knows. Despite her 14-year grudge, once Picard has Raffi intrigued, he pretty much knows she'll jump on board. (Image credit: CBS All Access) And now we get to the first of our two favorite scenes in this episode. Back at the Picard chateau Laris (Orla Brady) and Zhaban (Jamie McShane) are helping Jean-Luc ready himself. Standing outside, looking up at the night sky, Laris and Picard share a moment and together as he admits he's always had one eye on the stars, despite trying to settle down at the vineyard. She knows him pretty well, it seems. Then suddenly, from nowhere, a Tal Shiar spec ops team assaults the chateau. This has been skillfully set up and catches you totally by surprise. Moreover, the combat is well choreographed as Laris steals the show. She ducks, dives and dodges incoming fire, while simultaneously, single-handedly, taking out half the squad. Picard and Zhaban do their bit too, but Laris is in her element. A beautiful extra touch is that a handphaser is secretly hidden under almost every desk and table in the lounge; someone probably Laris is clearly a firm believer in being prepared. Related: The 10 best 'Star Trek' episodes ever Once it's all over, everyone checks to see if everyone else is alright and one more Tal Shiar operator appears from nowhere only to be shot in the backby Dr. Jurati who just stopped by to warn Picard that Commodore Oh came to see her. They tie an injured Tal Shiar operator to a chair and attempt to question him. Picard asks why they killed Dahj and the soldier tells them, Shes not what you think she is! She is the destroyer! Laris punches him in the face and he coughs up that nasty green Romulan phlegm and disintegrates. Our second favorite scene in this weeks episode is with Soji and Ramdha on the Borg cube and both this and the attack at the chateau are woven together, cutting from one scene to the other to escalate tension and create a dramatic crescendo. Ramdha considers the reading of the cards as news; she clearly sees destiny in the cards. (Image credit: CBS All Access) Soji is watching Ramdha lay down a Romulan equivalent of tarot cards or a Mandala. We gain a fascinating glimpse into historic Romulan culture and Soji is honorable and courteous to Ramdha, respecting her and waiting to be allowed to sit with her. Hugh is suitably impressed. Soji is intrigued that Ramdha considers the reading of the cards as news; she clearly sees destiny in the cards. Ramdha looks up at Soji and whispers, I know you I remember you from tomorrow " Soji tells Ramdha she was on the very last ship that was assimilated by the Borg cube currently under reclamation. Even Hugh doesnt know this. Soji explains that Ramdha was on the imperial scout ship Shanor, with 25 other passengers, they were all assimilated, but then something went wrong. Soji grasps Ramdha's hand, and asks, "What happened? What caused the sub-matrix collapse?!" Ramdha turns over a card that appears to have twins on it and, with tears in her eyes, her hands trembling, she asks Soji, "Which one are you? Which sister are you?! The one who dies or the one who lives?!" Ramdha grabs a guard's disrupter points it at Soji and screams, I know who you are! You are the destroyer!" She points the disrupter to her own head, but Soji manages to grab it in time (it seems to take an age to charge up). Phew. And thankfully everyone is OK. Watching Picard on the bridge of a starship once again is guaranteed to get every Star Trek fan blubbing. (Image credit: CBS All Access) Unsurprisingly, Soji is pretty shaken up and she calls her Mumwhich sends her to sleep. We already suspected that whoever Mum was, she was programming both Soji and Dahj and now its confirmed. Our money is on Maddox being behind this method of control. In a darkened, isolated corridor on the Borg reclamation site, Narek (Harry Treadaway) meets up with his sister who has been posing as Starfleet officer Lt. Rizzo (Peyton List). Theyre all over each other in a creepy, brother/sister incestuous plotting kind of way and sadly, this is so 2014, its practically a cliche now. Related: 6 'Star Trek' captains, ranked from worst to best Finally, Dr. Jurati pleads with Picard to let her come along and they beam up to the La Sirena where Raffi is already waiting for them. She tells Picard that shes found Maddox and hes on Freecloud, to which Picard replies, Of course, like that makes perfect sense. As Rios sets course we zoom in on Jean-Luc who stares straight into the camera and says, Engage, as those all-important first few notes of the infamous Star Trek theme play in the background. Its enough to fill your eyes with water and make your bottom lip quiver uncontrollably. Incidentally, we reached out to Brian Brophy, the actor who played Cyberneticist Cmdr. Bruce Maddox in the "The Next Generation" episode "The Measure of a Man" (S02, E09). He seems to have retired from acting and is now Director of Theater Arts at the California Institute of Technology. In his somewhat cryptic email reply he mentions that Melinda Snodgrass, who wrote "The Measure of a Man," was humbled and flattered that the character of Maddox was featuring so heavily in "Picard" and added, "Maybe Ill have more information to share with yall." Judging from all the activity on various Star Trek fan pages and discussion groups, it seems quite a lot of people have reached out to him about this. Im both flattered and humbled to discover that the Star Trek TV series Picard is building off my Next Generation Episode The Measure of a Man. Bit disappointed to discover that Commander Maddox didnt actually learn anything from the experience. #PicardJanuary 24, 2020 See more Fancy cocktail on Omicron Delta Phasers hidden under almost every table and desk at the chateau Picard. Super-fan gush moment when Picard says "engage" at the end. Hugh seems to have a very interesting personality, more of Hugh please! Ramdha is like a crazy cat lady and we love her, more of Ramdha please! The cutting between the two biggest scenes built tension and worked well Flat beer on Nimbus III How does Raffi get fired from Starfleet? Navy officers can't get fired. That Picard doesn't contact Raffi for 14 years seems a little out of character . When Starfleet cancelled the evacuation, even the Vulcans agreed?! Having an EMH that looks almost identical to yourself is a little creepy. Narek and his sister having an almost incestuous relationship. Rating: 7.5/10 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 four arriving on Thursday 13 February 2020. 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. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. The National Assembly of Armenia declined at the 1st reading the bill on Constitutional amendments, which suggested suspending the powers of the President of the Constitutional Court Hrayr Tovmasyan and members of the Constitutional Court. ARMENPRESS reports 36 MPs voted against the bill and 87 abstained. Before the voting, Vice Speaker of the National Assembly Alen Simonyan said that My step bloc will abstain. The crisis over the Constitutional Court must be solved through referendum, he said. Head of My step parliamentary faction Lilit Makunts and member of the faction Vahagn Hovhakimyan announced earlier that their political force wants to put the issue of the Constitutional amendments to national referendum. The power in Armenia belongs to the people. The people implements its power through free elections, referendums, Makunts had said, adding that putting the issue of suspending the powers of key bodies of the country to referendum can significantly decrease undue tensions and keep the country away from shocks. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan Yes, you can make Japanese food at homejust start with a bowl of miso soup. Thats the advice of Japanese-American cooking teacher and author Sonoko Sakai, who begins every morning with the nourishing broth, long considered a kind of everyday elixir. More specifically, start with dashi, the fragrant, umami-packed stock that forms the base of miso soupas well as the foundation of Japanese cuisine as a whole. Its essential to hundreds of other dishes, from noodle soups and simmered stews to chilled salads and pan-fried okonomiyaki. And yet the most popular version, bonito and kombu dashi, takes only three ingredients (one being water) and 15 minutes on the stovetop to make. Its the easiest, and youll appreciate it forever, Sakai said. Thats why dashi is the first lesson in her new cookbook, Japanese Home Cooking: Simple Meals, Authentic Flavors. The book is a deep-dive into fundamental ingredients, techniques, and recipes of Japanese cooking, especially aimed at demystifying it for a Western audience. Essentially, as Sakai illustrates, if you can steep tea, you can make dashi. And if you can make dashi, youre well on your way to unlocking the delicious world of Japanese home cooking. Ingredients for dashi. (Rick Poon) Simplicity and Balance For American home cooks, Sakai, who is based in Los Angeles, has found that Japanese cooking is often shrouded in a veil of misunderstanding or myth. It conjures images of complicated restaurant-style fareperfect, gleaming bites of nigiri, or the intricate, artwork-in-miniature courses of a kaiseki meala realm limited to professional chefs with years of training. But few Japanese families are recreating such dishes at home. Instead, they might be grilling a piece of fresh salmon to serve with vinegared pickles, tossing a medley of vegetables and tofu into a clay donabe for a one-pot meal, or simmering together a comforting stovetop curry to drape over steamed rice. Such are the kinds of simple, everyday dishes that Sakai champions, and always finds herself coming back to in her own kitchen. Her reasoning is also simple: It just makes me feel better. Japanese food is so healthy and natural, and its not too fussy and its not heavy, Sakai said. Above all, it emphasizes fresh, high-quality, seasonal ingredients, whether rice or a pristine piece of fish, treated with respect and seasoned with restraint. Its especially about balance, and it has variety, Sakai continued, qualities that she traces back to the theory of five elements, one of many ancient Chinese ideas woven into Japanese culture. The theory is a way of viewing the interactions and relationships in our world in groups of interconnected fives. From the planets to our internal organs to the food we eat, youre not looking at just one thing, but a group of things to find harmony, Sakai explained. Applied to cooking, that translates into the idea that a well-balanced meal is made by grouping together different ingredients and dishes, so as to include five flavors, five colors, and five methods of preparationall to be cooked and eaten using all five senses. A good illustration is the traditional Japanese set meal of ichiju sansai, meaning literally one soup, three dishes. It consists of one soup; typically one protein and two vegetable dishes; a bowl of steamed rice; and a small plate of seasonal picklesa variety of complementary parts, coming together in harmony. Your homemade Japanese meal need not follow that template exactly, but Sakai encourages home cooks to keep the underlying principle in the back of their minds. A meal should be like a symphony, she writes, with all elements in harmony and working together to form a beautiful whole. Sonoko Sakai, author and cooking teacher, makes fresh soba noodles. (Rick Poon) Back to Basics Composing that symphony starts with understanding the instruments. Sakai thus points to the first chapter of her book, The Japanese Pantrywhich takes up a good third of its pagesas the most important. There, with patience and painstaking detail, she walks through staples like rice, the heart of most Japanese meals; dried goods like kombu (edible kelp) and bonito flakes (wispy shavings of dried, fermented, and smoked skipjack tuna), the umami-rich duo behind that fundamental dashi; and a host of fermented seasonings, like soy sauce, sake, mirin, and miso, that form the backbone of Japanese flavors, from simple to complex. She also includes recipes for from-scratch versions of more commonly store-bought staples: soba noodles, drawing from her apprenticeship with a master in Tokyo; instant curry blocks, made from a mix of 12 different spices; and even miso paste, which will take you six months to ferment from soybeans. Its Sakais way of honoring Japans storied food-making traditions, and pushing back against the convenience food that has just taken over, she said. Even homemade dashi, so core to the cuisine, has become less common in Japanese households, replaced by packages of instant powdermany of which contain added chemicals. When you have processed foods, that means there are so many additives and preservatives and you dont really know how fresh it is, you dont know what youre getting, Sakai said. She fondly recalls living in Kamakura, Japan, with her grandmother while growing up, when they would go together to the coast at dawn to buy fish fresh from the fishermans net. On the way back, they mightve picked up just-milled rice from the neighborhood rice miller, or just-pressed tofu from the town tofu maker. Those were magical times, because artisans were part of my life, she said. As an adult, Sakai continued to meet and learn from inspiring food artisans across California and Japan, from wild seaweed harvesters to the ninth-generation owner of a traditional Japanese grocery shop. Many of their stories and lessons are sprinkled throughout her book. Japanese Home Cooking: Simple Meals, Authentic Flavors by Sonoko Sakai (Roost Books, $40). Im trying to go back in time, to try to restore that practice of cooking from scratch, because I think its really important, Sakai said. She sees hope in the growing wave of young people attending her cooking workshops, which have covered topics such as homemade soba, tofu, and even hoshigaki, dried persimmons painstakingly made over weeks or months of air-drying and regular hand-massaging. I think theres kind of an awakening, a recognition that maybe we need to slow down a little bit, and try not to be so fast and greedy, Sakai said. The antidote to the stresses of our rushed, spread-too-thin modern lives? Spend a little more time in the kitchen, is what I say. That can start with just 15 extra minutes, a fresh pot of dashi, and a bowl of miso soup. RECIPE: Bonito and Kombu Dashi RECIPE: Shoyu Tare (Soy Sauce-Based Seasoning) RECIPE: Soba Noodles Octapharma had a prominent role as a Sponsor of the 13th Annual Congress of the European Association for Haemophilia and Allied Disorders (EAHAD) Congress this week, which takes place in The Hague, The Netherlands, from February 5-7, 2020. Octapharma's activities at the Congress included a scientific symposium that focused on addressing the needs of patients with haemophilia A. The symposium "Unravelling the challenges of haemophilia A: Efficacy, immunogenicity and inhibitor management with Nuwiq (simoctocog alfa)" discussed the latest developments with Nuwiq, a recombinant FVIII (rFVIII) of human cell line origin, as well as new approaches to improve understanding of the optimal treatment approach for each individual with haemophilia A. The symposium was chaired by Maria Elisa Mancuso (Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy). Leading experts presented key data on the efficacy and immunogenicity of Nuwiq. John Pasi (The Royal London Hospital, London, UK) described the outcomes of patients who followed a different prophylaxis regimen based on individual pharmacokinetic (PK) assessment in the NuPreviq study. The large majority (90%) of the 40 patients remained free from spontaneous bleeds during personalised prophylaxis with Nuwiq, and 85% (34/40) of patients were treated twice weekly or less, demonstrating the value of personalised prophylaxis with Nuwiqfor identifying patients who can benefit from less frequent dosing while maintaining effective bleed protection. The Nuwiq Summary of Product Characteristics was revised in 2019 to include these data. John Pasi also shared updates on tools for population-based PK analysis to guide prophylaxis. For previously untreated patients (PUPs), the risk of inhibitor development remains a concern. Ri Liesner (Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK) presented the final results of NuProtect, the largest prospective study of a single FVIII product (Nuwiq) in true PUPs. The cumulative incidence of inhibitors and of high-titre inhibitors in 105 PUPs receiving Nuwiq was 27.9% and 17.6%, respectively. Dr Liesner also highlighted that no PUPs with non-null F8 mutations developed inhibitors in the NuProtect study. These data suggest that Nuwiq exhibits an immunogenicity profile more similar to that of plasma-derived FVIII containing von Willebrand factor (VWF) than that of rFVIII products derived from hamster cell lines analysed in the SIPPET study 1,2 The symposium continued with an informative overview by Carmen Escuriola (Haemophilia Centre Rhein Main, Morfelden-Walldorf, Germany) of ongoing strategies to understand the impact of different treatment approaches for patients with haemophilia A and inhibitors. Increased understanding of factors impacting induction of immune tolerance and the impact of treatment strategies on long-term outcomes, including joint health, will help to inform treatment decisions for inhibitor patients. To complete the symposium, Sander Botter, a scientist from the Balgrist Campus AG, Zurich, Switzerland, discussed the roles of FVIII within and beyond haemostasis and the wider importance of FVIII in the context of treating haemophilia A. Dr Botter highlighted the evidence that FVIII may be critical for joint and bone health, and presented new studies that hope to characterise the impact of treatment choice on bone and joint health in people with haemophilia A. "We are proud to be able to continue to share excellent data with Nuwiq that demonstrate its value for meeting the needs of each individual with haemophilia A, from the first treatment to long-term protection", said Dr Larisa Belyanskaya, Head of IBU Haematology at Octapharma. Olaf Walter, Board Member at Octapharma, added that "This symposium truly demonstrates our commitment at Octapharma to improving the lives of people with bleeding disorders. We are proud to be able to continue to share the benefits of Nuwiq, which we believe reflect the success of our approach to develop a recombinant FVIII of human cell line origin" About Haemophilia A Haemophilia A is an X-linked hereditary bleeding disorder caused by a deficiency of factor VIII (FVIII) which, if left untreated, may lead to haemorrhages in muscles and joints and consequently to arthropathy and severe morbidity. The disorder affects around one in every 10,000 males worldwide. Prophylaxis with replacement FVIII therapy reduces the number of bleeding episodes and the risk of permanent joint damage. About Nuwiq Nuwiq (simoctocog alfa) is a 4th generation recombinant factor VIII (rFVIII) protein, produced in a human cell line without chemical modification or fusion with any other protein3. It is cultured without additives of human or animal origin, is devoid of antigenic non-human protein epitopesand has a high affinity for von Willebrand factor3. Nuwiq treatment has been assessed in seven completed clinical trials which included 201 previously treated patients (PTPs;190 individuals) with severe haemophilia A, including 59 children3. Treatment of previously untreated patients (PUPs) with Nuwiq was assessed in the NuProtect study. Nuwiq is available in 250 IU, 500 IU, 1000 IU, 2000 IU, 2500 IU, 3000 IU and 4000 IU presentations4. Nuwiq is approved in 61 countries for use in the treatment and prophylaxis of bleeding in patients with haemophilia A (congenital FVIII deficiency) across all age groups5 About Octapharma The vision of Octapharma is: "Our passion drives us to provide new health solutions advancing human life". Headquartered in Lachen, Switzerland, Octapharma is one of the largest human protein manufacturers in the world, developing and producing human proteins from human plasma and human cell lines. As a family-owned company, Octapharma believes in investing to make a difference in people's lives and has been doing so since 1983; because it's in our blood. Our company values are Ownership, Integrity, Leadership, Sustainability and Entrepreneurship. Octapharma employs 8,314 people worldwide to support the treatment of patients in 115 countries with products across three therapeutic areas: Haematology (coagulation disorders) Immunotherapy (immune disorders) Critical care (bleeding management and functional volume replacement) Octapharma has seven R&D sites and six state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Austria, France, Germany, Mexico and Sweden. 1 Peyvandi F et al. N Engl J Med 2016; 374:2054-64. 2 Liesner RJ et al Blood. 2018; 13 March (e-letter). 3 Lissitchkov T et al. Ther Adv Hematol 2019; doi: 10.1177/2040620719858471. 4 Nuwiq Summary of Product Characteristics. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005356/en/ Contacts: Octapharma AG International Business Unit Haematology Olaf Walter Olaf.Walter@octapharma.com Larisa Belyanskaya Larisa.Belyanskaya@octapharma.com Tel: +41 55 4512121 Ivana Spotakova Communications Manager ivana.spotakova@octapharma.com Tel.: +41793474607 Azerbaijan will not comply with the requirements of the Council of Europe, said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Azerbaijani media reported. According to him, during this period the Council of Europe is undergoing a process of degradation, this organization is losing its significance at the international level, it cannot influence the processes taking place in the world. The influence of the organization is at a low level, and the main reason for this is pretense, double standards and injustice, he said. According to the president, the Azerbaijani people have long lost hope of this organization. Ilham Aliyev added for 20 years this organization has been fulfilling various political orders and Azerbaijan has been chosen as a target, lies and slander are spreading about Azerbaijan. They represent Azerbaijan as a backward country, do not note the positive processes taking place in Azerbaijan, he said adding that they try to gloss over Azerbaijan only with black paint, as if obstacles to democratic processes are being put in Azerbaijan. All this is a lie, there are no political prisoners in Azerbaijan, the president said adding that those countries where there are political prisoners remain out of focus. Aliyev referred to Armenian. According to him, the former president of Armenia has been arrested for over a year. This president, after he declared that he would be involved in politics, was arrested and has been in prison for over a year. A criminal case has been instituted against him and, according to information circulated by the media, his case has been referred to court. And the main reason for all this is criticism from the former president of the current government. But not one of these facts was noted by the Council of Europe, he added. The last resolution adopted in connection with Azerbaijan does not represent any value, and its price is not higher than a piece of paper, the president added. China scrambled to find bed space for thousands of newly infected patients on Thursday, as the death toll from the novel coronavirus soared to 563. More than 28,000 people are now known to be infected nationwide in the outbreak that has spiralled into a global health emergency. Two dozen countries now have confirmed cases of the coronavirus that emerged from a market selling exotic animals at the end of last year. The Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center has been converted into a makeshift hospital to care for patients with mild symptoms of the coronavirus, which has now infected more than 28,000 people in China Coronavirus: What we know so far What is this virus? The 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 563 people have so far died after testing positive for the virus. What are the symptoms? Some people who catch the Wuhan coronavirus 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 in Asia have stepped up airport surveillance. They include Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines. Australia and the US are also screening patients for a high temperature, and the UK announced it will screen passengers returning from Wuhan. 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. Advertisement On Thursday, thousands of people were stranded aboard two cruise ships in Asia, with tests finding that 20 people had contracted the virus in one of the vessels. At the Chinese epicentre of the epidemic in Hubei province, the locked-down city of Wuhan was due to open a second field hospital, offering 1,600 beds. The first hospital, with 1,000 beds, opened earlier this week, and authorities said they were converting public buildings into temporary medical facilities to deal with the influx of sick people. The city of 11 million is facing a 'severe' lack of beds, said Hu Lishan, a senior official in Wuhan, noting that there were 8,182 patients admitted to 28 hospitals that have a total of 8,254 beds. There is also a shortage of equipment and materials, Hu told reporters. The central government has announced measures intended to ensure the supply of vital medical resources, with tax breaks for manufacturers of equipment needed to fight the epidemic. 'We must make all-out efforts across the country to meet the need for essential medical supplies and medical professionals in Hubei Province,' Premier Li Keqiang said, according to the official Xinhua news agency. BGI Group, a genome sequencing company based in southern China, said it opened on Wednesday a lab in Wuhan able to test up to 10,000 people per day for the virus. Cities hunker down Tens of millions of people in Hubei and surrounding provinces are now facing swingeing restrictions on their movement as authorities try to slow the spread of the virus. They include residents of Hangzhou, a city just 175 kilometres (110 miles) from Shanghai, where fences block streets and loudspeakers tell people: 'Don't go out!' In some cities, even in the far north of the country, inhabitants are being offered cash rewards to inform on people who come from Hubei. In Beijing - where streets remain eerily quiet and businesses are shuttered - restaurants have been barred from accepting reservations for parties. In Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi province which borders Hubei, pharmacists must send reports to the authorities on anyone buying fever or cough medicine. The city has also limited the number of outings per family. Cruise ship infections While the death toll continues to rise, and now includes two people outside mainland China, health experts have stressed that at two percent, 2019-nCoV is far less deadly than the SARS pathogen, which is from the same coronavirus family and killed around 10 percent of the people it infected during a 2002-3 outbreak. But panic has risen worldwide with countries barring arrivals from China and governments warning against travel to the country, while airlines have halted flights. At least 20 people on one cruise ship off the Japanese coast have tested positive for the new coronavirus, with thousands more staring at a two-week seaborne isolation. The Diamond Princess cruise ship has been quarantined off the port of Yokohoma, Japan. There are a confirmed 20 passengers on board who have infected by the virus out of the 3,700 people on-board Passengers who are quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise ship look out from a balcony. Japanese authorities are continuing to screen people on-board. Japan has had 45 confirmed cases of the virus so far. In Hong Kong, 3,600 passengers and crew spent the night marooned on the cruise ship World Dream as authorities conducted health checks after three former passengers tested positive for the virus. Italy announced that passengers on every international flight would be scanned for fever. The World Health Organization, which has declared a global health emergency, has called for $675 million to fight the novel coronavirus. 'Our message to the international community is invest today or pay more later,' WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, adding that the funding appeal was 'much less than the bill we will have to pay if we do not invest in preparedness now'. Olectra Greentech on Thursday said it plans to add over 700 electric buses this year that will be deployed in the country across various cities like Indore, Surat and Dehradun. The company, which has a strategic partnership with China's BYD, the world's largest electric vehicle maker, currently has over 270 buses running on Indian roads. It supplies electric buses to various state transport undertakings (STUs) and municipalities. "By the end of this year, we are going to have 735 new buses deployed in India across various locations. Currently, we have over 270 buses," Olectra Greentech Executive Director Naga Satyam told PTI. He added that 200 buses will be added in Madhya Pradesh (Indore, Jabalpur, Ujjain and Bhopal), 150 each in Surat and Nasik and, 50 buses in Goa. Olectra has a manufacturing unit near Hyderabad. "We have been spearheading the electric vehicle adoption in the country with a focus not only to Make in India' but also Made for India'. We have covered significant ground in meeting the requirements of several states in the country and being the partners of choice for the EV revolution in the country for Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Himachal Pradesh, Hyderabad and Kerala where our eBuses are already plying," he said. Talking about the C9 - which is slated to be unveiled later on Thursday by Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari - Satyam said the vehicle is the company's first intercity electric bus. "We have now taken this initiative to the intercity routes also which will address the concerns of the distance covered by ebuses. C-9 can cover up to 300 km on a single charge which makes it an apt zero-emission travel option for the intercity travel operators leading to savings in the longer run," he added. The bus is equipped with various safety features including EU standard FDSS System with TUV certification, ADAS System (Driver Fatigue System) and ITS System as per Indian Regulatory requirement. To handle any crisis, it offers a Panic Alarm System and Emergency lighting system in case of an accident. The Defroster fitted on the bus enables the driving in foggy conditions due to better visibility. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) He added: 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. Every impeachment of an American president has had its own dramatic arc. Andrew Johnson, impeached in the aftershocks of the Civil War, acquitted by a single vote. Bill Clinton's slow entanglement in adultery and lies. Richard Nixon, impeached in spirit though not law, forced to resign his office as his coverup imploded. President Donald Trump's impeachment story began last fall in medias res, at the climax of excitement, when almost every day brought some new evidence, witness or allegation that he misused foreign aid funds to help his re-election. But like a badly written thriller, the story had nowhere to go from that beginning except to drift toward an exhausted end. Revelations that at first seemed fatally poisonous to the presidency gradually ossified in Washington's atmosphere. Republicans rationalized Trump's behavior, reduced it to talking points and spoke of acquittal as a fait accompli. Democrats - mostly powerless once the Senate trial began - could only repeat the original charges over and over, day after day, until words like "quid pro quo," "extortion" and "abuse of power" became a meaningless soundtrack for cable TV. The drama ebbed, the plot normalized, the opinion polls all flatlined weeks ago. Time and politics drained all anxiety and excitement from Trump's impeachment trial, until the final hour before the final vote. Demonstrators had called to #StormTheSenate on the afternoon Republicans planned to acquit Trump of all charges. But shortly before 3 p.m. on Wednesday, only three people in "Arrest Trump" attire occupied the Hart Senate Office Building. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., led a high school tour unmolested through the atrium as the protesters sat on a bench. Across the street, the enormous plaza in front of the Capitol was almost empty. "I was incredibly disappointed," said Derric Atzrott, 26, who had packed a first aid kit and left his lawyer's phone number with his roommate in Brunswick, Maryland, before taking the third train of the morning to Washington. Now he stood in front of the Capitol steps in a frigid drizzle with his sign and a dozen other demonstrators. "It's the fatigue," he reckoned. "You can only stay angry so long." On the other side of a thick wall, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, walked the foyer of the Senate chamber, doing his best to inoculate reporters against any conceivable excitement for the vote to come. "We always have one or two senators who go their own way," he said. "We seem to survive." Hours earlier, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, had delivered a speech in the Senate chamber, declaring that "what the president did was wrong, grievously wrong" and making himself the only Republican senator to find Trump guilty. That was probably the emotional highlight of the day. Now, minutes before the final vote, Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., was delivering a passionate denunciation of the president to a room full of empty desks and water glasses. "It is often said that history is watching, and I suspect that's true," Leahy said. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., was the only other senator who watched him say it, while waiting his turn to make his own speech to the air. Still, in the end, 100 indispensable senators arrived to vote. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., stepped off a subway car into the Senate basement at 3:22 p.m., having just flown in from the campaign trail in New Hampshire. "It's not a good day for the American people," he said as he walked toward the chamber. "It's a sad day." At 4:05 p.m., Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. opened the last phase of the third impeachment trial in American history. Two teenage pages held the chamber's main doors shut. Republican senators sat silently at mostly empty desks. Their Democratic colleagues had covered their desks in notes and binders, but there was nothing left to write. The clerk read aloud the articles of impeachment one last time: abuse of power, obstruction of Congress. The alleged extortion of the government of Ukraine and an illegal coverup - terrible charges rendered tedious by repetition. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., who had shepherded impeachment through the Democratic-controlled House and spent two weeks arguing its merits at the trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, sat at the front of the chamber and listened to the votes roll in. He swiveled his head to meet each "guilty" and "not guilty" - all his efforts reduced to a few syllables on either end of the room. Outside the chamber doors, a dozen photographers waited for the thing to end. They speculated on which senators would exit first and staked out angles to memorialize each face. At half past 4, they listened to the muffled applause of Republicans waft through the glass and knew the votes had been tallied. No one bothered to ask what the verdict was. Delhi legislator and BSP candidate Narayan Dutt Sharma, who was earlier with the AAP, was allegedly attacked with batons by three unidentified people in the early hours of Thursday, police said. Sharma, who is the legislator from Badarpur and is seeking re-election to the Delhi assembly as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate, suffered minor injuries. "The attack on Narayan Dutt Sharma is condemnable and shameful," BSP chief Mayawati said on Twitter. The incident took place around 1 am when he was returning home in Badarpur after attending a party meeting. Three men stopped his car, vandalised his vehicle and beat him up, a senior police official said. He said a case under relevant sections of the India Penal Code has been registered. The three men are yet to be caught, the officer said. Police are analysing CCTV camera footage to ascertain their identity, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Malawian President Peter Mutharika on Wednesday condemned a decision by the constitutional court to annul his re-election and said he would take part in the fresh poll ordered by judges despite his decision to appeal the verdict. The southern African nation made history on Monday when the court ruled in favour of an opposition bid to cancel May presidential election results over fraud allegations. After six months of hearings broadcast on public radio, the judges deemed that Mutharika was "not duly elected". They cited widespread irregularities such as the use of correction fluid on ballot sheets and ordered a fresh poll within 150 days. Mutharika, who has pledged to challenge the court's decision, described the judgement as a "serious subversion of justice" marking the "death of Malawi's democracy". "We are not appealing to stop the next election," said Mutharika on Wednesday during an address to the nation in the capital Lilongwe. The court said only 23 percent of the results sheets were verified and it "finds this to be a serious malpractice that undermined the elections". By PATRICK MEINHARDT (AFP/File) "We are ready to campaign and win as we have always done." The president added that he was appealing to correct "fundamental errors in the judgement" and to "seek justice". "Let us not be carried away by this court ruling because it is not the end of everything," he added. Mutharika, 79, has six weeks to submit the challenge to Malawi's Supreme Court. His lawyer Frank Mbeta confirmed to AFP they were preparing the appeal papers but did not have a submission date. 'Democracy has won' It is the first time a presidential election has been challenged on legal grounds in Malawi since independence from Britain in 1964, and only the second African vote result to be cancelled after the 2017 Kenya presidential vote. Lazarus Chakwera, the leader of the main opposition Malawi Congress Party, who came a close second to Mutharika, hailed the landmark verdict. "It is democracy that has won. It is Malawi that has won. It is Africa that has won. And now justice has been served," he told more than 10,000 jubilant supporters who thronged his party's Lilongwe headquarters on Tuesday. Mutharika was declared the winner of the May 21 election with 38.5 percent of the vote, with Chakwera losing by just 159,000 votes. Malawi. By Jean Michel CORNU (AFP) Chakwera said he was robbed of victory and went to court to challenge the result. He was backed in the legal challenge by the former vice president Saulos Chilima, who fell out with Mutharika and contested the election on an opposition ticket. The constitutional court judges concurred that "the irregularities and anomalies have been so widespread, systematic and grave... that the integrity of the results has been seriously compromised." The court said only 23 percent of the results sheets had been able to be verified, and that the outcome announced by the electoral commission "cannot be trusted as a true reflection of the will of the voters". 'Not the end' Allegations of vote-rigging sparked protests across the normally peaceful country last year shortly after results were announced. Several of the demonstrations turned violent. Mutharika condemned the violence and called on all Malawians to "keep calm". He added that Malawi was a "lawful nation" and said the judgement was not the end of "litigation in the May 21 elections case". Opposition supporters celebrated in the capital Lilongwe and other major cities. By AMOS GUMULIRA (AFP) Chilima, the third runner-up, told a news conference Wednesday that Mutharika was within his rights. "People have got their rights to appeal," he said. But he was not kind to the electoral commission, calling for its immediate resignation. "They simply must go. The court has found them incompetent. They have no place in... Malawi," he said, castigating the commission's "cavalier and reckless attitude". In the town of Salima, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) east of Lilongwe, dozens of opposition supporters on Tuesday paraded a coffin draped with the blue campaign cloth of Mutharika's Democratic Progressive Party. "Dad is dead," they chanted in the local Chichewa language as they marched through the streets. Further south in Zomba, the former colonial capital and now fourth-largest city, opposition supporters sang and danced in the streets on Tuesday, calling on Mutharika to step down following the historic ruling. Mutharika will remain president until the new election, the court ruled, with Chilima as his deputy. The Budget brought more clarity on the fiscal deficit side by pegging the deficit figures at 3.8% of the GDP for FY 2019-20 and 3.5% for FY 2020-21, showing a deviation of 0.5% from the fiscal glide path. The Union Budge 2020-21 has put to rest the speculation among economists and commentators that the slump in GDP growth in the past few quarters would lead the economy reverting to the Hindu Rate of Growth (3.5 percent GDP growth prevailed before liberalisation) trajectory. Going through the Budget arithmetic diligently, one could confidently say that the worst seems to be behind and the economy will see a rebound from here on. Though a nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 10 percent looks a little ambitious at this juncture, a more realistic 6.5 percent growth is definitely achievable provided the government spares no efforts in implementing Budget proposals in their letter and spirit and achieves the targets on both receipts and spending sides through expenditure switch favouring capital expenditure. An enhanced government spending on productive segments will do the trick of heavy lifting of the economy and once the public capex cycle moves up private investment is bound to perk up. The Budget also brought more clarity on the fiscal deficit side by pegging the deficit figures at 3.8 percent of the GDP for FY 2019-20 and 3.5 percent for FY 2020-21, showing a deviation of 0.5 percent from the fiscal glide path. Such a deviation need not worry investors since what matters is the quality of debt than the size of the debt itself. Fresh borrowings factored in the fiscal deficit figures for FY 2020-21 will, in fact, lead to crowding in private investment since the government will mostly use it to fund public investment. The governments infrastructure spend with a budget of Rs 1.7 lakh crore may well play out as the silver bullet to revive economic growth since it is expected to pump-prime the economy. At a time when private investment remains subdued due to weak sentiments sending capacity utilisation to multi-year lows a bump in infrastructure investment with its high forward and backward linkages will jump-start economic growth with private investment in the toe. The deep cut in personal income tax rate with its old and new regimes seems to have not gone down well with the targeted segment. However, in the long-term, it will lead to a more transparent and simplified tax regime with fewer exemptions and deductions. It will also increase the purchasing power of the taxpaying middle-class population boosting overall consumption. Strategic share sales in large public sector enterprises like Life Insurance Corporation (LIC), Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) and IDBI are all steps in the right direction. But the government should make public a strict time table for the divestment in these PSUs to avoid uncertainties and delays since the proposed sale of Air India remains a lingering issue despite the government sweetening the deal for potential buyers. This is of paramount importance for achieving the fiscal deficit target for 2020-21. The doing away of dividend distribution tax (DDT) should cheer the markets while deferring tax on ESOPs by five years would light up the startup space. By increasing the cap on deposit insurance guarantee to Rs 5 lakh will boost the customers confidence in the banking sector, especially of small depositors. However, markets were spooked since the Budget did not hit the bull's eye with fresh big bang reforms as expected and discounted the well-meaning initiatives for investment-led growth. But the finance minister could have done better by addressing the concerns of the financial sector by setting up a stressed asset relief fund like the US Troubled Asset Relief Fund. And there are no tangible steps to mitigate the non-banking finance company (NBFC) stress though reduced eligibility limits for debt recovery is the right move. The new scheme to provide subordinate debt with quasi-equity features for entrepreneurs of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by banks increases lenders options to take exposure to the MSME sector. The proposal to extend MSME debt restructuring by RBI till March 2021 may not have any immediate impact. On balance, though, the Budget 2020-21 is a bit like the curate's eggpart in good and part in not so goodit has not led to any exuberance leave alone irrational exuberance in the market. Again to be fair to the Budget it is just the annual account of receipts and expenditure of the government. It has now become a new normal for the government to come out with big bank reforms outside the Budget, as it has done many a time in the past like the deep cut in the corporate tax cut. (The writer is Public Interest Director, MCX) Follow full coverage of Union Budget 2020-21 here CHICAGO - A 29-year-old man who was knocked unconscious when a Chicago police officer body slammed him onto a street curb sued the city and the officer on Thursday, saying the officer should have known the manoeuvr was dangerous because he is trained in martial arts. The officer detained Bernard Kersh at a South Side bus stop on Thanksgiving for drinking alcohol in public. During the arrest which was videoed by a bystander and captured on a police body camera the officers actions left Kersh with serious head, neck and shoulder injuries, according to the 14-page filing in Cook County Circuit Court. Prosecutors later filed aggravated battery and other charges against Kersh, accusing him of spitting into Officer Jerald Williams face. During a December hearing, prosecutors said a substantial amount of spit got in the officers eye and some into his mouth. The officer is a mixed martial arts fighter, known in fighting circles by the nickname Bacon and Eggs Williams, the lawsuit says. Kershs Chicago-based lead attorney, Andrew M. Stroth, said Williams martial-arts training made the body-slam manoeuvr potentially deadly. His body is a lethal weapon, Stroth said, referring to the officers martial arts training. The bystander video released by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability shows the officer suddenly lifting Kersh high off his feet, then slamming his body hard onto the pavement. The back of Kershs head appears to strike the curb and he is immediately motionless. The officer also threw a forearm strike to Kershs head after he passed out, the lawsuit says. The body slam and officers response to it, raise doubts about the Police Departments commitment to a court-monitored plan to overhaul how officers do their jobs, Stroth said. A plan approved by a federal judge last year highlights years of excessive force by officers, especially in minority communities. Chicagos law department, which would represent the city and the officer in the litigation, declined comment on the lawsuit. Kevin Graham, the Chicago police unions president, defended the officer in a December statement, saying his actions were well within department use-of-force guidelines. Mayor Lori Lightfoot has also said the investigation of the incident by COPA would be comprehensive. As is standard procedure, the officer was stripped of his police powers while COPA reviewed the case. Recently released police body-cam video shows officers picking up Kershs limp body and placing him in a squad car. One unidentified officer is heard saying emergency responders heading to the scene should slow down because nobodys hurt. Another says an ambulance was called for the officer who was spit on, not for Kersh. Kersh was hospitalized after the body slam but discharged hours later. The lawsuit says an examination determined the severity of his injuries. Kershs lawyers say their client has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and, in a condition he had before the body slam, is blind in one eye. Kersh had been charged at least 25 times previously, mostly for theft, but once for punching an officer and once for spitting at an officer. The two-count civil complaint asks for more than $100,000 in damages and other payments, but it doesnt specify an amount. ___ Follow Michael Tarm on Twitter at https://twitter.com/mtarm Why the focus on cabernet franc? It was an early sign of Mr. Schneiders confidence in his talent for identifying what might not be an obvious winner, but one that could pay off in the long run. Such assurance comes from a family background in wine. Mr. Schneider, a boyish-looking 50, grew up in Springfield, N.J., the grandson of a bootlegger and the son of a wine-and-spirits distributor. Winemakers from around the world passed through the household, Mr. Schneider recalled, with plenty of stories to tell. Something clicked, and for a high school work-study program, with help from his family, he interned in Burgundy, where he learned from Becky Wasserman, the noted American wine broker; Chartron & Trebuchet, a producer; and Francois Mikulski, then a recent wine school graduate who has gone on to establish his own Burgundy domaine. It gave me an appreciation for making something from the land, Mr. Schneider said. He went on to Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied history. He got a job working for the New York State Democratic Party in Manhattan by day, taking wine classes by night. Through his political work he met Ms. Baker as well as Carol Gristina, a party board member who also happened to own a North Fork wine estate, Gristina Vineyards. In 1992, he and Ms. Baker visited Gristina and a few other North Fork wineries. The most interesting wine they tasted, he said, was a 1988 cabernet franc from Hargrave Vineyards. Back then, cabernet franc on Long Island was typically used as a blending wine, supplementing merlot or cabernet sauvignon. Almost nobody bottled it as a varietal wine. But 88 was a generous vintage, and Hargrave had more cab franc than it needed. So it bottled the excess wine, and Mr. Schneider found lifelong inspiration. That was the beginning of the idea for Schneider Vineyards, he said. Back in New York City, he quit politics for wine, first working in public relations and at Garnet, a wine retailer on the Upper East Side. There, he met David Lillie, a wine buyer who introduced him to cabernet francs from the Loire Valley. Mr. Lillie went on to open Chambers Street Wines with a partner, Jamie Wolff. It has become a top New York shop and a leading source for great Loire wines. DUBLIN, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "North America Diesel Supply and Demand Outlook to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. North America Diesel Supply and Demand Outlook to 2028 is a comprehensive research on the country-wise Diesel markets in the region. Across the North America, 3 countries are analyzed in the research, presenting the outlook of supply and demand annually. The forecast period is from 2008 to 2028. In addition, the North American Diesel market trends, drivers and restraints are analyzed. The competitive scenario of Diesel in the region is also included in the research. Further, the refining industry in the region is also assessed in detail including refining infrastructure, companies, capacity, and planned projects. The report also details information on the leading North America refiners and also presents in-detail business profiles of three leading North America Diesel companies with details of business description, SWOT analysis, and financial analysis. The latest market developments in the North America and their impact on companies and markets are also detailed in the research work. The report scope includes: Yearly forecasts of country wise Diesel supply and Diesel demand from 2008 to 2028 3 Diesel markets across the North America are analyzed including Canada , US and Mexico are analyzed including , US and Refining, coking, FCC, and Hydrocracking capacity outlook for each of the refining markets in the North America are provided from 2015 to 2023 are provided from 2015 to 2023 Market trends, drivers and restraints of investing in the North America Diesel markets CAPEX, commencement, location, company and capacity details of all planned and proposed refining projects in the North America Business profiles of three leading Diesel companies in the North America Major recent North America Diesel news and deals The report enables users to: Formulate new growth strategies based on detailed annual Diesel forecasts Gain a clear understanding of the short term and long term outlook of each of the Diesel markets Assess the feasibility of the development of new projects driving the Diesel demand/supply Stay ahead of the competition through detailed insights on Diesel trends, drivers and challenges Get clues from leading companies through detailed business profiles of market leaders Key Topics Covered 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction to North America Diesel Markets 2.1 Market Snapshot, 2020 2.2 North America Diesel Market Size Outlook, 2018-2028 2.2.1 Share of North America in Global Diesel Market Size Outlook, 2018-2028 2.3 North America Diesel Supply-Demand Outlook 2.3.1 North America Diesel Production Outlook, 2008-2028 2.3.2 North America Diesel Demand Outlook, 2008-2028 2.4 North America Refining Capacity Outlook, 2008-2023 2.5 Leading Diesel Companies in North America 3 Canada Diesel Market Overview 3.1 Canada Diesel Market Snapshot, 2020 3.2 Canada Diesel Production Outlook, 2008-2028 3.3 Canada Diesel Demand Outlook, 2008-2028 3.4 Canada Diesel Companies 3.5 Canada Refining Analysis-Current and Upcoming Projects 3.6 Canada Diesel Market Developments 4 US Diesel Market Overview 4.1 US Diesel Market Snapshot, 2020 4.2 US Diesel Production Outlook, 2008-2028 4.3 US Diesel Demand Outlook, 2008-2028 4.4 US Diesel Companies 4.5 US Refining Analysis-Current and Upcoming Projects 4.6 US Diesel Market Developments 5 Mexico Diesel Market Overview 5.1 Mexico Diesel Market Snapshot, 2020 5.2 Mexico Diesel Production Outlook, 2008-2028 5.3 Mexico Diesel Demand Outlook, 2008-2028 5.4 Mexico Diesel Companies 5.5 Mexico Refining Analysis-Current and Upcoming Projects 5.6 Mexico Diesel Market Developments 6 Leading Diesel Company Profiles 6.1 Business Description 6.2 SWOT Analysis 6.3 Financial Analysis 7 North America Diesel Market News and Deals For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/6v5e68 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 He and his supporters can now feel comfortable in their argument that every black person who wants to achieve success can obtain it. They can hold McGee, who was among the airmen assigned to the all-black squad after being rejected from white units because of their race, as an example of why racism is a cop-out. Shocking footage of a schoolgirl being struck by a car while running across a Melbourne street has sparked an online debate over who was in the wrong. The young girl can be seen darting in between two cars as they are stopped in traffic reportedly on Kalinda Road in Ringwood. As she nears the shoulder of the suburban road, a small blue sedan appears out of nowhere and slams into the girls leg, causing her to fall on the ground. The driver can be seen opening the door to help the shocked schoolgirl as she holds her leg. The young girl is pictured being hit by a blue car. Source: Dash Cam Owners Australia via Nine News Others who witnessed the accident also rush to her aid. The video, which was posted to Dash Cam Owners Australia Facebook page, attracted plenty of attention online, with some viewers split over who was in the wrong. Most defended the young girl, saying shes just a child and the driver on the inside was not using an actual lane. Others said the girl should have used a pedestrian crossing instead of trying to cross traffic. Victoria Police told Yahoo News Australia the incident was not reported to police. Officers said they are aware of the video and are making enquiries. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play. Loren BirdRattler, who is the Montana State University Katz Endowed Chair in Native American Studies , will speak about an MSU initiative that is building mutually beneficial research collaborations between MSU and tribal communities at the 2020 Berger Lecture. The lecture is set for 5 p.m. Tuesday, February 11, in Norm Asbjornson Halls Inspiration Hall. BirdRattlers lecture, Increasing Mutually Beneficial Collaborations with Tribal Nations Through an Indigenous Research Initiative, is free and open to the public. It will be preceded by a reception beginning at 4 p.m. As the Katz Endowed Chair in the Department of Native American Studies,/a> in the College of Letters and Science , BirdRattler is helping to lead a groundbreaking Indigenous Research Initiative at MSU. The initiative will examine best practices for establishing and maintaining equitable partnerships between MSU and tribes for research conducted within tribal nations. A member of the Blackfeet Nation, BirdRattler was named MSUs fourth Katz Endowed Chair in Native American Studies last fall. BirdRattler has more than two decades experience as a strategic planner, policy developer, project manager and organizational developer in Washington, D.C., and in Indian Country. Recently, BirdRattler led a community development planning effort creating the Blackfeet Agriculture Resource Management Plan, the first in-house indigenous agricultural plan in the country. In 2018, BirdRattler addressed the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues about the Blackfeet ARMP, a presentation that was so successful he was invited to return to address the U.N. General Assembly. The annual Berger Memorial Lecture honors the memory of MSU benefactor Phyllis Berger. It is offered each year at MSU by a nationally recognized Native American, Alaskan Native or Native Hawaiian scholar, artist or leader speaking on Native history, cultures or contemporary issues of interest and importance to both Indian and non-Indian people. For more information, call the Department of Native American Studies at 994-3881. MSU News Service shares stories about Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, and the accomplishments of its students, faculty, alumni and staff. Follow on Facebook and Twitter Join the Conversation Related Stories BEREA, Ohio -- At the Jan. 27 Berea High School Alumni Association meeting, Roy Miller, 94, urged members to save a 50-year-old Nigerian artifacts collection currently on display inside the Berea-Midpark High School library. The current high school will be razed after the new high school opens later this year. Miller donated more than 80 pieces of unique African art and textiles in 2012. His job required him to reside in Nigeria, Africa's most populated country, while starting a Greyhound bus line there in 1970. A Berea resident for 40 years, Miller now lives in Middleburg Heights. The idea was to go over there, establish a bus system and get some transportation rolling, Miller recalled, noting Greyhounds headquarters was in Cleveland at that time. While I was there, there were peddlers, mostly barefoot, that came up to me on foot and asked me to buy stuff. That is what this collection is. Enclosed in a large, glass display case are carved tribal figures, musical instruments, uniforms, a brass bell and goatskin hassock covers. Miller said he has even more items not yet donated to the district. Im looking for your influence and persuasion, because all of this is going to have to go somewhere, he said. Somebody has to do something to save and salvage this collection, to find room in the new location for this sort of thing. "Busloads of kids have been brought in to see some of these exhibits, and I'd hate to see it all thrown into the trash bin," Miller added. "Kids have been enthralled with what they've seen and learned." BHS Alumni Association President Dennis Kushlak said he will put the Nigerian collection on the group's list of priorities for preservation efforts related to the old high school's demolition. Read more stories from the News Sun. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a cabinet reshuffle with Nationals MPs named to new posts, including the key mining and resources ministry going to Queenslander Keith Pitt amid internal Coalition disputes on coal and climate change. Mr Pitt will enter cabinet with responsibility for coal and gas exports as well as the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Fund at a time when the government is hitting back at calls from climate activists to halt the exports over time. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has announced a new-look ministry. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen As expected, incoming Nationals deputy David Littleproud will take the agriculture portfolio in a return to a ministry he has held in the past, replacing former deputy Bridget McKenzie. Mr Littleproud will keep responsibility for drought and emergency management, a role he has held throughout the summer bushfire emergency. Whether in major motion pictures or made-for-TV movies, Douglas worked with many of the best-known stars and directors of his generation. His work covered a range of genres, from westerns and epic dramas to romances and action adventures. In Douglass earliest movies, The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946) and Out of the Past (1947), he was cast in the unlikely role of smarmy weakling. His breakout role came in 1949 when he played a self-absorbed boxer in Champion, based on a Ring Lardner story of a restless young man who alienates those closest to him as he pursues a prizefighting career. The son of a rag collector, Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch Demsky on December 9, 1916, in Amsterdam, New York, where he was the youngest child and only son in a family of seven children. On a wrestling scholarship, he entered St Lawrence University in Canton, New York, and worked as a janitor to help with tuition. After graduating in 1938, he studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and made his Broadway debut as a singing Western Union boy in Spring Again (1941). At the start of World War II, he enlisted in the navy and served as a communications officer with an anti-submarine unit. Before he could be sent to combat duty, a bout with amoebic dysentery led to an honorable discharge in 1944. After a brief return to the New York acting scene, he won the attention of Hollywood producer Hal Wallis on the recommendation of Lauren Bacall, a former classmate at the academy. Kirk Douglas in the 1955 film Man Without a Star. In The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, Douglas played Barbara Stanwycks alcoholic and scheming husband, followed by a role as a gangster outfoxed by Robert Mitchum in Out of the Past. Unsure about his career prospects, Douglas said later that he could easily identify with his character in Champion as someone ultimately struggling for respectability. Reading the script, I thought, what other actor can say the lines, I dont want to be a Hey you all my life, he wrote in his 1997 memoir, Climbing the Mountain. I want to hear people call me Mister. That role was made for me a chance to express the turbulent feelings inside me, Douglas said. Kirk Douglas as a boxer opposite Arthur Kennedy in the 1949 movie Champion. He added that his agent did not want him to appear in Champion because it was a small film made by a then-obscure independent film company headed by then-unknown producer Stanley Kramer and screenwriter Carl Foreman. His agency had lined up Douglas for a better-paying supporting role in MGMs The Great Sinner, starring Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner. But Douglas so longed to play the antihero lead in Champion that when he met with Kramer and Foreman he ripped off his shirt to show his chest muscles and cried out, I can do it! You know I can do it! He got the part, his first starring role. The small-budget independent movie emerged as a surprise hit, receiving six Academy Award nominations, including a best actor nod for Douglas. Douglas and his wife Anne at the premier of Fiddler on the Roof in Los Angeles in 1971. Credit:AP Douglas went on to establish himself as an actor with a prowess for roles requiring great physicality and unsympathetic characters driven by self-interest. The 1950s proved to be a banner decade for Douglas, who received two more best actor Oscar nominations while establishing a film-production company, Bryna Productions, named after his mother, Bryna Sanglel, a Russian Jewish immigrant. His nominations were for The Bad and the Beautiful and Lust for Life, the second, in which he played Vincent van Gogh, was a stark departure from the strong macho parts coveted by Hollywoods leading men in the post-World War II era. Douglas and Burt Lancaster developed a close friendship after the filming of Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, in which Lancaster played the lawman Wyatt Earp. The two reunited in Tough Guys (1986), about old-time gangsters released after 30 years in prison who attempt another heist. At a tribute for Douglas at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Lancaster poked fun at Douglass reputation as a demanding actor. Kirk would be the first person to tell you hes a very difficult man, Lancaster told the crowd. And I would be the second. Douglas on the set of Spartacus, directed by Stanley Kubrick. Credit:Getty Douglas rejected the idea that he was difficult to work with on a movie set. He considered himself a thinking mans actor who suggested script changes when he thought a story line was weak or refused to film scenes he believed were too dangerous. In later interviews, he said his proudest professional achievement was his contribution to ending the Hollywood blacklist. That came about when Douglas, as executive producer of the big-budget epic Spartacus (1960), publicly credited Dalton Trumbo as the author of the screenplay. Trumbo was one of 10 prominent screenwriters and directors who had been blacklisted for refusing to co-operate with the House Un-American Activities Committee during the late 1940s and early 1950s. Until Spartacus, Trumbo had been forced to write under pseudonyms. Loading Spartacus, which starred Douglas in the title role as the leader of a Roman slave revolt and received four Oscars, led to Trumbos reinstatement as a member of the Writers Guild. Douglass lone Oscar came in 1996 when he was given a lifetime achievement award for his influence as a creative and moral force in the motion picture community. Theres a single thread drawing all his characters together, the director Steven Spielberg said when the Oscar was presented. Its called conscience. Every person he ever played had one . . . Kirk Douglas never made his characters simple. No good guys or bad guys. He shaded heroics with self-doubt and shaped his villainy with compassion. Douglas dedicated the Oscar to his wife, Anne, in his acceptance speech. He spoke in slurred speech, demonstrating the effects of the stroke a few months earlier. About that time, he fell into a severe depression and considered ending his life, a heart-wrenching period he wrote about in his book My Stroke of Luck (2002). Kirk Douglas and his wife Anne in front of their son Michael, his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones and their children, Carys and Dylan, at Kirk's 100th birthday party at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 2016. Credit:AP He came close, placing a loaded a gun the same one he used in Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in his mouth. But when he smacked his teeth with the pistols barrel, the pain was so excruciating, he removed the gun and began chuckling, he recalled in his book. Douglas became an advocate for stroke survivors, relaying his own struggles and triumphs, as a way to raise public awareness about stroke symptoms, treatment and rehabilitation. Haiti - Turks and Caicos Islands : 2 illegal Haitian migrants sentenced to more than 2 years in prison Two men of Haitian origin Roberto Carlo and Ronal Jvoril, who had already been arrested for the first time in an irregular migration situation, in the Turks and Caicos Islands and sentenced to 6 months in prison and then deported to Haiti, attempted for the second time enter the territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands illegally, in violation of migration laws and were arrested again with another illegal Haitian. They appeared last week before the magistrate who sentenced them to a much harsher sentence due to recidivism. They will each have to serve a sentence of 2 years and 5 months in prison before being deported to Haiti again. Another Haitian national, Gustave Charles, also appeared in court, accused of illegal entry into the territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands and sentenced to 9 months in prison before being returned to Haiti. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29940-haiti-exodus-243-haitian-boat-people-intercepted-in-48-hours-in-the-turks-and-caicos-islands.html S/ HaitiLibre Three Taiwanese in China confirmed as having coronavirus infection ROC Central News Agency 02/05/2020 01:08 PM Beijing, Feb. 5 (CNA) Three Taiwanese in China have been confirmed as infected with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), with a further two suspected cases, a Chinese official said Wednesday. China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Ma Xiaoguang () said the three confirmed cases were reported in Wuhan City (2) and Guangdong Province (1), while the two suspected cases are in Wuhan. All five individuals have been hospitalized. The Chinese side has provided regular updates on the outbreak to Taiwan and vice versa, Ma was quoted as saying in the press release. As of Tuesday, China has presented outbreak updates to Taiwan 36 times while Taiwan has reported on its situation to China 15 times, he added. Ma made the comments a day after a first group of 247 Taiwanese in China's Hubei Province, most from the provincial capital Wuhan, returned to Taiwan Monday night on a Chinese charter flight. Currently there remain more than 200 Taiwanese in Hubei Province, waiting to return to Taiwan. (By Lin Ke-lun and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Kryklii has invited U.S. companies to join concession projects in Ukraine, according to the ministrys press service. He said this during a meeting with U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Ukraine Kristina Kvien and Counselor to the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, Caleb McCarry. The use of concession mechanism will allow the state to attract significant private investments to modernize and increase the efficiency of use of infrastructural objects such as sea and river ports, highways, airports, as well as other state-owned objects, which will allow Ukraine to realize its transit potential and give a new quality of transport services. We invite U.S. companies to join concession projects in Ukraine, said Kryklii. The Ukrainian minister has stressed that the first concession competitions in the port industry have been already completed, while the development of concession projects in the seaports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, Mariupol, Berdiansk is underway. He has also added that the projects on concession roads of Lviv-Stryi and Lviv-Ternopil, as well as regional airports and train stations are being worked out. U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Ukraine Kristina Kvien praised the cooperation between Ukraine and the United States and said she hopes for the further development of mutually beneficial relations between the countries. iy WASHINGTON - Long before Donald Trumps impeachment landed in the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had one piece of advice for the president: Focus on the House. Gin it up. Use maximum effort. Make sure Republicans are united. And leave the Senate to him. The Republican leader encouraged the president not to turn attention on wayward GOP senators, like Mitt Romney, who were troubled by Trumps actions toward Ukraine, but to stir the partisan passions of the House. It was the GOP leaders central strategy to produce as partisan an impeachment as possible -- too polarizing for any centrists to touch -- to secure Republican acquittal in the Senate. He understood right from the start, this was crooked politics, said Trump, singling McConnell out for praise Thursday at the White House. You did a fantastic job. In the aftermath of only the third presidential impeachment trial in U.S. history, McConnells power over the Senate is now without doubt. His approach reflects the times of the Trump era, but also is shaping them. Even before the senators even took the oath to uphold impartial justice, it was all but over. The Senate would have nowhere near the two-thirds majority needed to convict the president. McConnell announced he was not an impartial juror, but one working closely with the White House, and few strayed from his plan for speedy acquittal. The Kentucky Republican may be less Master of the Senate, as historian Robert Caro indelibly labeled Lyndon B. Johnson, than master of a Senate that is being transformed in the age of Trump. McConnells political brand centres on being an institutionalist, a keeper of traditions of the Senate he yearned to join since young adulthood. Yet in leading the majority, he is breaking old norms, introducing new ones and capitalizing on Trumps hold over the party. Much like the way he rewrote the Senate rules to ensure confirmation of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court on largely party-line votes, McConnell became the architect of a presidential impeachment trial that drifted from precedent. It was first without new witnesses or Senate deliberations, a shift for the chamber long heralded as the worlds greatest deliberative body. Far from preserving the Senates historic role, McConnell is demonstrably changing it. Mitch McConnell, from the beginning, sided with the president in conceiving the entire impeachment process as illegitimate, said Timothy Naftali, a clinical professor of history at New York University, and co-author of a book on impeachment. The Senate is often referred to as a cooling saucer, tempering the House heat. McConnell drew on that tradition to impress on senators their historic role in cooling the Houses partisan passions. House Democrats may have descended into pure factionalism, but the United States Senate must not, he said on the eve of the trial. The Senate was designed to stabilize our institutions. To break partisan fevers. To stop short-term passions from destroying our long-term future, McConnell told them. After McConnell encouraged the president to fire-up partisan fervour in the House to ensure a party-line impeachment vote in December, the Senate followed suit, delivering the first party-line presidential acquittal in the nations history. The passions that he should have been cooling in the Senate were the Republican partisan passions of the House, Naftali said. Romney was the only Republican to cross party lines to convict. Ahead of the trial, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said he tried three times to engage McConnell on terms before the Houses articles of impeachment were transmitted to the Senate. But he says he was rebuffed. I said, Mitch, whenever yourre ready, I want to sit down and talk, Schumer told The Associated Press. I got no bites. When McConnell presented GOP senators with his own plan for organizing the trial, he found little dissent. He had been discussing it privately with them for months. The main objection was his proposed 12-hour sessions, so a hand-scribbled change allowed for shorter days. It was an easy fix. By the time the trial was ready to begin, Hes already finished, said Josh Holmes, a former McConnell aide. Its the hallmark of his career. It wasnt all McConnells doing that brought Republicans in line. Trump maintains an extraordinary hold on his party. And Democrats own partisan passions against the president made it easier for Republicans to defend him. The House approved the articles of impeachment in December on Speaker Nancy Pelosis disciplined timeline, resulting in in the quickest, most partisan impeachment vote in history. Once the trial began, GOP senators soured on the first day when Schumer protested McConnells refusal to allow more witnesses, forcing a series of midnight votes that some Republicans saw as overtly partisan. When Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., asked Chief Justice John Roberts during the trial if he would cast a tie-breaking vote, one key centrist, GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, was done. Enough, she said later, announcing she would not vote to convict, blaming all sides for what she viewed as a new partisan low. Trent Lott, the Republican Senate leader during then-President Bill Clintons impeachment two decades ago, acknowledges times are different than when his party joined with Democrats to acquit the president of charges stemming from a sex scandal at the White House. One thing thats different we had a centre, Lott said in an interview. The centre has just disappeared. What McConnell rarely did, though, throughout the months long impeachment inquiry, was publicly dispute the facts of the case against Trump. Democrats say Trump pressured a fragile ally, Ukraine, to conduct political investigations of Democratic rival Joe Biden, or risk losing its U.S. military aid. He then obstructed Congress as it probed a whistleblowers complaint about it. A half-dozen Republican senators spoke of their unease with the presidents actions. Wrong, said Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander. Shameful, said Murkowski. Susan Collins, Marco Rubio, Rob Portman and others called his behaviour inappropriate. But they also said the charges didnt rise to impeachable offences and it would be better to let the voters in the 2020 election decide. McConnell and Trump both face re-election in fall. Ahead of Wednesdays vote, McConnell told his colleagues, The United States Senate was made for moments like this. Then, without further debate, the Senate voted to acquit. In brief: There are many methods out there for people to manipulate images and video, so Google is preparing for the worst by releasing tools that make it easier to spot doctored online content. Wether or not it's doing enough is a question that's on everyone's lips, but the company believes its efforts will kickstart the fight against misinformation campaigns. As we get closer to the 2020 elections, tech giants are looking for different ways they can fight the spread of fake news, misinformation, and deep fake videos on big social and search platforms. For example, Facebook will outright ban deepfakes while allowing political ads to run wild. In the case of Google, it has been preparing its defenses to tackle the waves of fake news. But through its Jigsaw subsidiary, the search giant wants to take a more proactive approach, which uses a recently released platform called Assembler to help fact-checkers and journalists verify images quickly, before they have a chance of spreading online. The tools are free, and while they're admittedly part of an "early stage experimental platform," they're a good starting point that includes contributions from academics at the University of California, Berkeley, University Federico II of Naples, and the University of Maryland. The way Assembler works is by combining several machine learning algorithms that are good at finding color and noise patterns, inconsistencies in noise patterns, and looking at the properties of pixels in various images. In layman terms, it's really good at detecting the most common manipulation techniques used in images, such as playing with brightness or copying and pasting textures or objects to mask something or someone. It comes up with a score that represents the probability that a picture may have been doctored or otherwise altered in any way, similar to Adobe's About Face AI. Another ambition of the project is to fine-tune tools that can spot deepfakes created using StyleGAN, an algorithm capable of producing convincing imaginary faces. Manipulated images are relatively hard to verify, which is why even Adobe will at most promise to be able to check images against manipulation methods used in its own tools. This means that Jigsaw has to fight an uphill battle against a myriad of techniques and tools, and that doesn't even take deep fake videos into account. Jigsaw CEO Jared Cohen explained in a blog post that the company "observed an evolution in how disinformation was being used to manipulate elections, wage war and disrupt civil society." This realization led to the decision of advancing the technologies used to stop these attempts. As of writing, Assembler has seven different tools that journalists and other people can use to spot faked images. However, Jigsaw researchers Santiago Andrigo and Andrew Gully told The New York Times that Assembler is not a panacea, and as an ecosystem it will need to develop and improve quickly over time. That's why Jigsaw also announced a web publication called "The Current," which will serve as a constant showcase of ongoing research in the fight to detect misinformation campaigns. Cohen says, "our main motivation was creating a place where people can access the work of many experts and independent researchers and organizations that are on the front lines of dealing with this problem." (Bloomberg) -- Want to receive this post in your inbox every day? Sign up for the Balance of Power newsletter, and follow Bloomberg Politics on Twitter and Facebook for more. Keen to preserve social stability, and with it the Communist Partys control, Chinas leaders have moved swiftly at home to change the narrative on the coronavirus from slow to respond to we are fighting this together. Rallying songs are populating state media. Officials speak in terms of a great battle and Chinas history of triumphing over adversity. Theyve cordoned off a chunk of the country to contain the virus (nearly 25,000 confirmed cases, 490 deaths), building hospitals from scratch and sending in vast medical crews. Its not just the internal politics that China has to get on top of. Theres defusing the narrative overseas that its early reactions were slow, suspicious, and lacking transparency. Because it must limit the damage to its economy. While China needs to keep large parts of itself closed, it needs the rest of the world to stay somewhat open. It has been leaning on smaller states to limit their travel bans and keep goods moving. We see Indonesia hastily scrapping a plan to halt Chinese food imports. Pakistan cancels but then quickly resumes flights to China. Hong Kong is keeping some border traffic open despite big protests. And Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is going today to China, investment from which has benefited his country. He even wanted to visit Wuhan (Beijing politely pointed out that would be too risky). Even so, Beijing has struggled to get bigger Western economies to ease travel curbs. Convincing the public at home may be easier than convincing skeptical governments abroad. Global Headlines No love lost | Donald Trump struck a triumphant tone in his State of the Union address ahead of his inevitable Senate acquittal today on impeachment charges. Tensions with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also stood out: As he took to the dais, Trump turned his back on Pelosis extended hand. When he finished, Pelosi was seen directly behind the president, ripping up a copy of his speech. Story continues Click here for more on Trumps plans to limit the power of federal regulators to go after companies accused of wrongdoing. More takeaways from the speech. Iowa results | Pete Buttigieg kept his lead in the Iowa Democratic caucuses as more results were released last night, cementing his rise from little-known mayor to the top tier of the presidential race. With 71% of precincts reporting, Bernie Sanders was a close second. Its a blow to Joe Biden, in fourth place behind Elizabeth Warren. We feel really terrible, says the CEO of the company whose app threw the caucuses into disarray. Click here for a play-by-play of how the technological meltdown happened. Erdogans warning | President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said if forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad dont end their siege of some Turkish military outposts in northwestern Idlib province, Ankara will do it ourselves. Erdogan said agreements with Russia and the U.S. to keep militants from Turkeys border arent working, adding Mondays attack on his soldiers by Syrian forces was a turning point for his policies in the area. Appeasing Paris | The European Commission is due to propose a revamp of its accession process today that will pay lip service to French President Emmanuel Macrons demand for tighter controls to stop candidate nations backsliding on democratic reforms. Officials in Brussels are hoping they can persuade Macron to drop his opposition to Albania and North Macedonia starting membership talks. Procurement protectionism | The Trump administration is mulling a plan to pull out of a global agreement worth $1.7 trillion in state contracts designed to open procurement markets to foreign competition and make public purchasing more transparent. A withdrawal would threaten chaos for foreign companies that bid for access to the U.S.s $837 billion public procurement market and complicate trade talks with the U.K. and European Union. What to Watch Romanias minority government faces a no-confidence vote today and will benefit from whatever the result, as the ruling Liberal Party can use a loss to start the process of calling elections it would probably win. Sudan appeared to back away from a rapid normalization of ties with Israel, less than two days after the military leader of the power-sharing government held a historic meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu. Singapores High Court today dismissed an appeal against the use of correction notices over alleged falsehoods posted online by an opposition party, in what was the first legal challenge to the government's fake news law. Tell us how were doing or what were missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net. And finally ... A bipartisan group of prominent U.S. lawmakers has nominated Hong Kongs pro-democracy protesters for the Nobel Peace Prize. Their support for the protesters, who have clashed with riot police for more than seven months over Beijing's tightening grip on the financial capital, could spur new Chinese accusations of foreign interference. --With assistance from Kathleen Hunter, Michael Winfrey, Ruth Pollard and Ben Sills. To contact the author of this story: Rosalind Mathieson in London at rmathieson3@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Karl Maier at kmaier2@bloomberg.net 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-based chipmaker Qualcomm warned that the global phone industry will be affected by the virus outbreak in China. As businesses and factories remain closed in China to help curb the spread of a deadly coronavirus outbreak, the mobile phone industry is warning of its negative effects on output and profits. Taiwans Foxconn aims to gradually restart operations at factories in China next week but it could take one to two weeks from then to resume full production due to the coronavirus outbreak, a person with direct knowledge of the matter told the Reuters news agency. Foxconn, which makes smartphones for global vendors including Apple, has filed requests to reopen factories with Chinese authorities, the source said, adding that a full resumption was not possible until late February due to travel restrictions imposed to curb the virus. A delay in the resumption of operations could affect the global technology supply chain and shipments to Foxconns customers, including Apple. Roads are closed in some parts of the country. Nobody knows for sure if some workers could get back in time, said the source, who described a chaotic situation in the companys top management as it scrambles to meet different requirements for the resumption of operations set by various local governments across China. A full resumption will take at least one to two weeks from February 10. In some cities, authorities are asking companies to put workers returning from other provinces under a three-day quarantine, which is a challenge for big companies like Foxconn, the source said. How is it possible to quarantine tens of thousands of people in one neighbourhood for three days? the person said. The factory halt is set to hit Foxconns profit for 2020 but it was still evaluating the likely effects, the person said. Profit is definitely going to be hit, but as to how big the impact will be, were still calculating, the person said. Foxconn said it does not comment on specific production practices but the company has measures in place to ensure that we can continue to meet all global manufacturing obligations. Our facilities in China are following government holiday schedules and will continue to do so until all businesses have resumed standard operating hours, it said in a statement, adding that the company is able to address the needs of employees and customers, citing its experience in dealing with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in 2003. Foxconn, the worlds largest contract electronics manufacturer, was making plans to ensure the health and safety of its hundreds of thousands of workers. The company will use local workers as much as possible while allowing time off for those who can not travel long distances to get back to work, according to an internal document reviewed by Reuters. Foxconns factories are dependent to a great extent on migrant workers from poorer regions of China. We will be very glad if the return rate could hit 30 percent (on February 10), the source said. Shares of Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai, have dropped more than 10 percent since the share market reopened last week following the Lunar New Year holiday. Significant uncertainty United States chipmaker Qualcomm Inc also warned about the potential threat posed by the coronavirus outbreak to the mobile phone industry, with possible effects to manufacturing and sales. The comments by Qualcomm, the worlds biggest supplier of modem chips that connect mobile phones and other devices to wireless data networks, dragged down chip stock shares despite signs that an industry downturn was ending. Qualcomms chief financial officer, Akash Palkhiwala, on a conference call with investors following the release of quarterly results, said the company expects significant uncertainty around the impact from the coronavirus on handset demand and supply chain. Qualcomm shares fell as much as 3.75 percent in after-hours trade. Although the chip supplier forecast higher revenue for its second quarter in the range of $4.9bn and $5.7bn, which was above Wall Street estimates, the forecast was wider than usual because of the outbreak in China, which has killed hundreds so far. The company lowered the bottom end of its earnings-per-share guidance by five cents to account for possible disruptions, Palkhiwala said. On the conference call, Qualcomm officials tried to calm analysts concerns over the virus, saying that the biggest markets for advanced 5G mobile phone networks this year are expected to be in the US, Korea and Japan and that the company could weather disruptions. If we have an issue, a supply chain issue or demand issue in China, we tend to have the ability to have other regions to back it up, Chief Executive Steve Mollenkopf said. So we tend to look at the business in terms of our planning. We want to make sure that we maintain that strength across different markets. LONDON From the start, Irish voters were less beguiled than the rest of the world by the novelty of having a young, openly gay, half-Indian man lead their government. Now, as they go to the polls on Saturday, these voters are poised to turn their trail-blazing prime minister, Leo Varadkar, out of power. As was the case when Mr. Varadkar rose to be prime minister, or taoiseach, in June 2017, his declining political fortunes have had relatively little to do with his ethnicity or sexual identity. He leads a party, Fine Gael, that has been in power since 2011, and with voters frustrated over Irelands housing crisis, Mr. Varadkar, 41, is facing every politicians curse of being a status quo figure in a change election. That has outweighed the credit he got for his sure-footed performance in negotiating with Prime Minister Boris Johnson over the status of Northern Ireland after Brexit. Mr. Varadkar was able to extract a deal that avoided a hard border between the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland by aligning the north with the European Union more closely than the rest of the United Kingdom. New Delhi The recent locust outbreak along the India-Pakistan border may have been driven by the longer-than-usual monsoon rains across the region, and frequent cyclones in the Indian Ocean, scientists say. In India, the outbreak -- the biggest in 26 years -- began late last year in Gujarat and Rajasthan states, and recently Punjab was also affected. In Pakistan, the government declared national emergency last week to eliminate the attacking swarms of desert locusts, which were destroying crops on a large scale in the country's Punjab province. "The current locust outbreak is the biggest in 25 years in Ethiopia and Somalia, 26 years in India, 70 years in Kenya," Keith Cressman, locust forecasting officer at the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) told PTI. "The outbreak started after heavy amounts of rains over east Africa and the Arabian Peninsula," Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) in Pune added. According to the FAO, locusts are the oldest migratory pests in the world. These insects differ from ordinary grasshoppers in their ability to change behaviour, and form swarms that can migrate over large distances. The most devastating of all locust species is the Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria), according to FAO. The locusts, which are considered to be among the most dangerous pests known to humanity, reproduce fast -- 20-fold within three months, the FAO experts noted. An adult locust can eat quantity equal to its weight daily, and just a single square kilometer of swarm can contain up to 80 million adults, they said. Koll noted the heavy rains which drove the locust outbreak occurred due to intense storm activity sourced from the Arabian Sea during the last two seasons. "Heavy rain triggers growth of vegetation in arid areas where desert locusts can then grow and breed, he said. Koll explained that recently climate change accentuated the phenomenon called the "Indian Ocean Dipole", with warmer than usual waters to its west, and cooler waters to its east. "On top of that, the rising temperatures due to global warming made the Western Indian Ocean particularly warm, he said. Cressman added that the current locust invasion in India by an unprecedented number of swarms originated in southern Iran from their breeding in spring last year. "Summer breeding along both sides of the Indo-Pakistan border was much higher than normal due to the swarm invasion and the monsoon rains lasting one month longer than normal, allowing up to three generations of breeding," Cressman said. The outbreak originated from two cyclones (May and Oct 2018) that allowed three generations of breeding - from June 2018 to March 2019 -- in the Arabian Peninsula, and caused an 8,000-fold increase in locust numbers, he added. According to Cressman, this was followed by further breeding after unusually heavy rains in Iran and Yemen, and finally another cyclone in the Horn of Africa in early December 2019. "Generally enhanced convection (cloud formation and rains) and cyclone activity follows the warm waters as they derive the energy and moisture from the ocean, Koll explained. As a result, he said, regions surrounding the warm western Indian Ocean -- such as East Africa, Arabian Peninsula and Indian subcontinent received a lot of rains during the last two seasons. "Along with that, the cyclone activity over the western Indian Ocean was also exceptional -- we saw the largest number, and the strongest cyclones this year -- releasing more rains. This might have triggered the locust outbreak," he said. India has not witnessed any full-blown locust cycles after 1962, however, the experts said, large-scale upsurges were observed during 1978 and 1993. Globally, Cressman said, the current generation of swarms formed shortly after last season's crops were harvested, but there has been considerable damage to pastures -- a primary livelihood in the Horn of Africa. "It is not only warm temperatures that favour locusts but also rainfall. The latter is not expected to occur is sufficient quantities until the start of the summer monsoon in Rajasthan which is usually in July, therefore, breeding now is not very likely in India," he said. "Climate models do show that the number and intensity of Indian Ocean Dipole events -- like the one we saw in 2019 -- are going to increase further in the future, Koll added. (Image: AP) As the sitution becomes grim over the novel-Coronavirus outbreak, the Bureau of Immigration has said that foreign national who have visited China on or before January 15 will not be allowed entry into India. The move follows similar decision by Australia, Singapore, US and a few other countries as China imposes travel ban. According to the bureau, foreigners who visited China on or after January 15 will not be allowed by air, sea or through land borders. Airline crew however are exempted from this rule. Chinese citizens and foreigners living in China have already been restricted ... Kathmandu, February 6 A few days after Nepal Police SSP Saurabh Rana surrendered to police after being accused of rape, a woman in Mahankal rural municipality of Lalitpur district has filed a complaint against a former DSP of the national police organisation. The 21-year-old lady filed the first information report against the then DSP Raj Kumar Khiuju on Wednesday, according to the Metropolitan Police Range in Lalitpur. Khiuju had resigned from his position around one-and-a-half months ago citing domestic reasons, but the sources say he quit after the alleged victim approached senior police officials demanding action against him. She has also filed another complaint against journalist Raju Basnet, accusing him of threatening to settle the case. The woman says Khiuju, who was stationed at the Metropolitan Police Circle, Chapagaun, then raped her inside his office while she was there to acquire a police report. He abused me taking the advantage of my loneliness, she has said in her complaint, When I told him that he had given me injustice, he threatened that he would kill me. Telstra has confirmed it will axe another 282 jobs on top of the 570 announced last October as chief executive Andy Penn pushes ahead with plans to cut $2.5 billion from the telecommunications giant's cost base. The telco in 2018 announced plans to cut 8,000 jobs from its workforce over four years as part of its 'T22' strategy, with 6,000 of those jobs shed last financial year. It has also slashed thousands of contactor positions from its indirect workforce. Telstra CEO Andy Penn. Credit:Tash Sorensen A Telstra spokesman confirmed the plan to cut 282 jobs was announced internally this week. Mr Penn on Thursday addressed the media in a keynote at an American Chamber of Commerce lunch in Melbourne, where he called for urgent climate action. Mr Penn also addressed a recent controversy over "supply chain financing", with Telstra recently pledging to speed up payment terms for smaller suppliers. He also spoke briefly about T22, but did not focus on staff cuts. A Qantas worker has been stood down after spreading their concerns over the safety of boarding planes that had come from China. The man, who worked as a health and safety advisor for Qantas, told other employees they could strike if they had concerns working on planes that had come from Beijing or Shanghai. The employee, who was also a union delegate from the Transport Workers Union, was stood down on Sunday after his claims were dismissed by Qantas. The airline said employees and passengers who boarded planes from China were at a 'very low' risk of contracting the virus. A union delegate from the Transport Workers Union (TWU) told other Qantas employees that it was unsafe to board any planes that had come from Beijing or Shanghai and was let go by Qantas over the weekend On Alan Jones' Breakfast show on 2GB on Thursday, the broadcaster read a letter from Qantas warning two cleaners they could be fired for refusing to board a plane. '(The employees) refused to board an aircraft and perform your duties. You advised this was due to your concerns of the risk of contracting coronavirus,' Mr Jones said while reading the letter. 'You were advised at the time that the risk of that occurring was negligible. In these circumstances and with the information available to you, you can not reasonably be concerned that working on an aircraft originating from China would expose you to a serious risk to your health or safety.' 'If you fail to comply with this direction it may result in disciplinary action taken against you up to and including termination of your employment.' The worker was telling other staff it was unsafe to board Qantas planes from Shanghai and Beijing due to the risk of contracting coronavirus Dr Russell Brown, who works in Qantas' Medical team, said the risk of contracting the virus was very low. 'We would never ask our employees to work in unsafe conditions,' Dr Russell said in a statement. 'The TWU knows full well that the risk of aviation workers contracting coronavirus as a result of working on an aircraft originating from China is very low. I briefed them on the situation last week. 'Our medical team is in regular contact with health authorities and is receiving the latest advice from Australia's Chief Medical Officer and the World Health Organisation. 'Additional protective measures are being put in place on flights from China to further reduce the risk of our employees contracting coronavirus and we are providing them with regular updates on the latest health advice.' But TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine defended the union delegate who was let go, saying their concerns were reasonable. Passengers in Auckland airport wearing face masks amid the new arrivals from the epicentre of coronavirus 'We rightly lauded the actions of Qantas in sending in a rescue mission and we support the brave volunteers on that flight but there's a double standard here isn't there,' Mr Kaine said on 2GB Radio. 'These workers know that these planes have come in from the epicentre of the virus, they have to go home to their families at night thinking that they may be potentially infected. 'It's a reasonable concern, people are dying left right and centre. How is it unreasonable to be concerned about your health and safety? You can imagine there's a level of anxiety that goes with it.' On Monday a Qantas flight from the Chinese province of Wuhan landed in Western Australia carrying hundreds of Australian evacuees. Evacuees have since been flown to Christmas Island where they are to be quarantined for two weeks. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 16:03:15|Editor: mingmei Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus epidemic, capital markets in China and other countries have seen notable fluctuations. But there's no need to panic. For the Chinese economy, the impact of the disease is only temporary. The recent ups and downs -- results of short-term herd behavior -- will neither swing the Chinese economy's growth expectations nor reduce its resilience and potential in the long run. After experiencing an initial decline, the value of some relevant Chinese assets has rebounded; shares in Chinese companies listed in the U.S. stock markets have gone up; offshore and onshore RMB exchange rates have come back to the mark of 1 to 7 against the U.S. dollar; domestic shares have also begun to stabilize and post gains. These developments can be taken as a signal that the market has moved away from panic and has started to come to its senses. Various international organizations have also voiced their confidence in China's ability to overcome the virus shock, as they believe that the long-term competitiveness, potential for expansion, and resilience of China's economy will not change, in spite of the epidemic challenge. The World Bank tweeted on Monday, "The Chinese authorities have policy space to respond & have announced a sizeable injection of liquidity, which should help mitigate the costs to economic growth." "We are confident that China's economy remains resilient," the International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said in a statement posted on both Twitter and Weibo. The Chinese economy is resilient, and will remain so because of a cluster of fiscal, monetary, and financial measures Beijing has taken. The central bank and several other departments have said that China will work to maintain reasonable and sufficient liquidity, while beefing up financial support for the anti-virus campaign. Another reason to believe in the strength of the Chinese economy is that the country has the largest middle-income group of populations in the world, a massive market and huge potential for demand. The epidemic may stem market demand, but only temporarily, with a bounce well anticipated afterwards. The confidence in a resilient Chinese economy also comes from the country's role in global supply chains. China is the only country in the world to host all industrial categories of the United Nations industry classification system, with a notable edge in productivity and infrastructure. As China continues to reform, restructure its economy, and upgrade its industries, it has been climbing up the global industrial, supply, and value chains. The ongoing epidemic cannot change that. "China's long-term trends of moving toward a more consumption-oriented economy of rising services share in the overall economy and technological upgrade should continue as well," global financial services company UBS said in a research note on Monday. All in all, China's economic strength and material foundation have enabled the country to secure long-term economic development in the midst of the current public health emergency. With the raft of measures China has taken to fight off the disease, along with the efforts of the international community, the epidemic will ultimately be defeated and its impact minimized. Pennington County has been awarded $1.2 million more in grant money aimed at reducing its jail population and racial disparities in the criminal justice system, local leaders announced Wednesday. The new two-year grant means the sheriff's office and 7th Circuit Court have now been awarded $3.55 million since 2015 from the MacArthur Foundation's Safety and Justice Challenge. "This 1.2-million continuance speaks to the confidence that MacArthur has in what we've been doing here in Pennington County," Craig Pfeifle, presiding circuit judge, said during a news conference at the Public Safety Building in Rapid City. "We're not just trying to reduce the jail population, we're trying to do so in a way that is a better outcome for the offender and the community," said Pennington County State's Attorney Mark Vargo. "So it truly is about both safety and justice, and we've proven that we're moving in that direction." Pennington County was one of five jurisdictions to receive renewed funding, according to a news release from the Safety and Justice Challenge. The challenge has invested $217 million in 51 jurisdictions in 32 states to reduce over-incarceration, address racial disparities in local criminal justice systems, and change the way the U.S. thinks about and uses jails. Local leaders have used its grant money to create multiple programs, including an algorithm that helps judges determine bond, alternatives to incarceration including cultural-based programming and a community work program, warrant resolution outreach in Pennington County and nearby reservations, and a jail review team that meets to see who can safely be released from jail. The money has also been used to expand diversion programs and Safe Solutions, a space in the Care Campus where intoxicated people can sleep. Sheriff Kevin Thom said the most significant impact of the grant and these programs has been the reduction in the amount of people jailed for misdemeanors. The number of people referred to jail charged only with misdemeanors decreased 74 percent between September 2017 and September 2019, according to a news release from the local agencies. People also had shorter jail stays. Diverting people to the Care Campus or letting them out of jail while awaiting trial "stops people from churning through the system," Thom told the Journal. But the grant has not resulted in the county reaching the goal it set in 2015 to reduce the average daily population (ADP) of the jail by 20 percent. In fact, the population has increased. The ADP grew by less than 30 people between 2016 and 2019, according to grant manager Liz Hassett. Data previously provided to the Journal shows that the ADP increased from 479 in 2015 to 614 in 2018. And Native Americans were jailed at a rate 16 times higher than the countys white population, according to a March 2016 Journal article. Hassett did not provide the 2019 ADP or a racial breakdown of the yearly ADPs. "What's driving our jail population is possession of a controlled substance and that's largely driven by methamphetamine," Thom said, echoing previous comments he's made. Rapid City drug arrests hit an all-time high in 2019 and have more than doubled since 2012, according to data from the police department. Most people in jail are being detained pre-trial, rather than serving sentences, said Eric Whitcher, director of the public defender's office. While most are there for alleged drug offenses, others are booked into jail after failing the 24/7 Program, a pre-trial and probation drug and alcohol testing program. Other jurisdictions including Philadelphia County, New Orleans, St. Louis County, Cook County (where Chicago is located) and New York City, have reduced their jail populations by more than 25 percent according to the Safety and Justice news release. Pennington County will use the new money to expand its current programs and focus on pre-arrest and pre-trial diversion, alternatives to incarceration, outreach to neighboring tribes, enhanced mental health and substance abuse treatment, and better data collection and reporting, according to its news release. The sheriff's office and court will do this by working with the Rapid City Police Department, corrections officials, judges, community groups, and the state's attorney and public defender offices. Contact Arielle Zionts at arielle.zionts@rapidcityjournal.com. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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. Iraqi officials said the group had not had a presence in Kirkuk Province in years. The only time it was active there, they said, was in 2014 during the early days of the fight against the Islamic State. Muhammad Muhi, the spokesman for Khataib Hezbollah, denied that the militia was responsible for the attack on K-1. The group was only in Kirkuk Province for 80 days in 2014, he said in an interview. If the Americans had proof that Khataib Hezbollah carried out the attack, he said, they should share it. American officials said that the group has operated throughout Iraq, and has routinely conducted attacks in Sunni territory. The American attacks on Khataib Hezbollah on Jan. 2 and the drone attack that killed the Iranian and Iraqi military leaders at the Baghdad airport the next day led to widespread anger against the American presence in Iraq and a vote in Iraqs Parliament to expel all American forces. The United States has about 5,000 troops in Iraq, whose primary mission is fighting the Islamic State and training the Iraqi military. The Iraqi government has not yet formally asked the Americans to leave but officials on both sides report that relations have been strained. Iraqi officials say many unanswered questions remain about who was responsible for the K-1 attack. The identity still has not been confirmed, said Abdul Hussain al-Hunain, an aide to Mr. Abdul Mahdi who served as prime minister until Saturday. There are certain suspicions and I do not claim to know everything, but it be could ISIS or the Baath Party, he said, referring to disgruntled remnants of the Sunni establishment that held sway over Iraq before the American invasion of 2003. The situation is complicated in Iraq. Julian E. Barnes and Eric Schmitt contributed reporting from Washington, and Falih Hassan from Baghdad. Nigerian actress, Iyabo Ojo has taken to Instagram to speak on her fight with colleague, Fathia Balogun. Information Nigeria recalls Ojo blasted Balogun mercilessly, calling her a witch for snitching about her surgery. Popular Instagram blogger, Gistlover decided to carry out an investigation on the issue and she revealed both actresses were fighting over man, who took them to Turkey. Reacting to the post, the actress shared a photo of herself with the words; The Last thing i Alice Iyabo Ojo will ever ever do is fight any woman bcos of any married or single man . ko Jor. God forbid gistlover o por ooooo . worst scenario I will just ignore you ni What goes on in our industry is beyond all that gist you write oooo, is beyond what you can ever comprehend hmmmmm o deep gan, o dark gan, o spiritual gan ni ooo, o dey tun loud gan ni ooo. it has been in the days of pa Ogunde & it will remain forever & you can never be prepared. . But as e dey hot I dey ready. Read Also: Whats Your Feb 14 Going To Be Like?, Eniola Badmus Asks See the post below: WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ZorAbility, an advisory and investment-strategy firm, announced Thursday it has completed its full-scale rebrand of the gourmet fry restaurant myfrii. Formerly known as GetFried, myfrii is an elevated fast casual franchise reengineered to diversify its build-out options, refine its site-selection efforts and enhance its menu offerings. "We've spent a significant amount of time, thought and resources in restructuring the myfrii brand to ensure the franchise can achieve responsible, sustainable success and avoid common pitfalls emerging concepts often fall victim to," said ZorAbility CEO Sam Ballas. "The changes we made were crucial toward those goals, and the result is a meticulous, data-driven approach franchisees both current and prospective can tangibly see and have confidence in." Part of the brand's transformation involved retooling the franchise's footprint to optimize space and create multiple concept models. Once confined to just a kiosk-based model, myfrii's redesign produced three store prototypes ranging from 1,040-1,680 square feet in size (with exception of non-traditional locations). Additionally, the versatility of its store prototypes allows for myfrii to populate high-density markets, brick-and-mortar storefronts and non-traditional restaurant spaces like airports, hotels and universities. While the ordering experience guests gravitated toward will remain the same choosing a base fry and customizing with a bevy of protein, veggie and sauce options myfrii is adding a More Eats menu with boneless wings and a handful of award-winning sauces from East Coast Wings + Grill. The ECW+G offerings are made possible through a non-exclusive licensing agreement. The franchise will also work with renowned chef Sammy G to introduce signature items. In an effort to go green, myfrii will be getting rid of plastic baskets and paper liners in favor of sustainable small trays. The myfrii menu changes resulted from months of extensive consumer research, both domestically and internationally. "Next steps are validating our research as we begin to open our first few corporate locations in 2020," said Ballas. "We'll adjust as needed and award a dozen franchise agreements with experienced franchise buyers once ready. Our first locations will be in North Carolina, and we'll use our strategic site-selection process to test the different-sized prototypes and new brand philosophies." The first trade show that will debut the myfrii franchise opportunity will be at the 2020 International Franchise Expo in New York, N.Y., May 28-30. ABOUT ZORABILITY, INC. ZorAbility, based in Winston-Salem, was founded by Sam Ballas in 2016 as a vehicle to advise emerging franchise brands. Longtime franchise industry veterans Mark Lyso, Tom Scalese and Sammy Gianopoulos all with ZorAbility and Brad Fishman joined as investors in 2019 as the company began to acquire growing franchise concepts. ABOUT myfrii myfrii is an emerging fast-casual franchise and gourmet fry restaurant. The menu provides delicious, on-the-go menu options including signature items and More Eats options, while offering a variety of fry types and toppings to choose from. Formerly founded as GetFried in 2015, the quick-service restaurant chain was acquired by ZorAbility in June 2019. Through the acquisition, myfrii has undergone a full-scale rebrand to optimize square footage, leverage new site-development opportunities and elevate menu offerings. Media Contact: Angelic Venegas, Fishman PR, (847) 945-1300 x. 230, [email protected] SOURCE myfrii A Canadian woman of Egyptian descent is suing Royal Bank of Canada and the Peel Regional Police for violating her Charter rights after she was detained and labelled a criminal while trying to withdraw money from one of her own bank accounts, according to her statement of claim. Peel Police confirmed the lawsuit but a spokesperson said the police would not comment on the matter as it was before the courts. The lawsuit filed Jan. 24 at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice alleges the bank and the police treated Dana Ramadan, 31, differently solely because she was a Muslim, Middle Eastern POC (Person of Colour) and accuses them of inflicting mental distress. It also accuses the bank of slander for allegedly telling the police she was a criminal. It further accuses the bank employees of holding a discriminatory belief based on Ramadans identity that she was potentially engaging in a terrorist activity. RBC denies those allegations. In a statement to the Star an RBC spokesperson said, We understand this has been a difficult situation and we apologized to Ms. Ramadan for any inconvenience our extra due diligence caused her. We take any allegations of discrimination seriously and our actions were intended to protect our client from potential fraud. The allegations have not been proven in court. RBC filed a statement of defence Feb. 5. Peel Police have not yet filed one. Ramadan is a Toronto businesswoman who had two business accounts at RBC; one a solo account for her financial consulting company, the other a joint account with a partner for their mortgage brokerage firm. Ramadan told the Star she went to an RBC branch the morning of Feb. 14, 2019 to withdraw $10,000 from her solo business account. It was not unusual for Ramadan to withdraw sums in the thousands of dollars from her accounts with RBC in years past, she said. When she got there, she said, she was told the branch didnt have that amount of cash but that she could withdraw $4,000. She was asked for ID. She showed her Quebec licence, which she carried because she used to go back and forth between Montreal and Toronto. But because the address on it didnt match the Toronto business address the bank had on file, the teller asked for a secondary ID. Ramadan showed her Canadian passport. All was well. She withdrew the money. Later that day, around 4.20 p.m., she went to another RBC branch, this one in Mississauga where her office is, to withdraw the remaining $6,000. This is when things began to unravel. She said she took her debit card and the same passport, left her purse in her car and went in. There, according to Ramadans statement of claim, the teller told her a manager override was required for that sum. Ten minutes later the teller came back with a manager. When the manager asked for her ID, Ramadan handed over her passport. It lists her birthplace as Egypt. The manager took the passport and came back five minutes later and told Ramadan she would be getting the money. I waited for what I thought were the funds, Ramadan told the Star, Im just sitting there and all of a sudden, next thing I know a police officer puts a hand on my shoulder. I was so shocked, like what the hell is going on. Someone from the bank had called the police asking them to detain a person impersonating an RBC account holder, who was using a false passport to commit a fraud, according to the claim. If the bank had been suspicious they could have asked other security questions or for other IDs, Ramadan said, but they didnt. The bank says it did. We followed our established procedures to verify her identity, its statement to the Star said. When asked for supporting ID, she provided her passport. After she was unable to answer questions about the details on her accounts, security questions and provide further identification, we were concerned someone was attempting to defraud our client. After carefully reviewing the situation, we alerted the authorities to protect our client from fraud. Her identity was eventually verified and the transaction was processed. Ramadan flatly denied this in an email. RBC did not ask me any security questions about my account. Had they done so, I would have answered them all accurately, as they were my OWN (capitals hers) accounts that I set up. By February 2019 I had been an RBC customer for approximately 15 years. At no point was I asked for any further identification by any of the bank employees. This makes absolutely no sense. I had several other valid IDs in my purse which was in the car. I would have easily been able to go out for a minute and grab all of the IDs they wanted if they asked me, she said. According to the claim, the police refused to let Ramadan go to her car to produce secondary ID. A police officer took one look at the passport and says it looks fake, she told the Star on the phone. I thought that l was in the twilight zone. I dont know till this day why would he say the passport was fake. Peel police have not commented on this case. She was escorted to a managers office in front of everyone, Ramadan said. Another unidentified police officer guarded the door to prevent the plaintiff from leaving, her claim alleges. I was humiliated, she said. After another 10 minutes, she says the officer told her, I cant verify the passport. Im getting anxious. Am I going to be arrested? And Im, like, What do you mean? Im sure you can call some agency. During this time, someone from the bank called her business partner in the mortgage brokerage and told him an impersonator was trying to access their joint account, her claim says. The bank denies this, saying they simply told the partner they needed to verify Ramadans identity. The bank says the partner said, the true Ms. Ramadan would not have a Quebec drivers licence. Ramadans claim says the partner asked if he could speak to her to verify her identity but the bank refused. It alleges her partner ended his business relationship with her after this. At the bank, Ramadan said, police asked her many questions. It was only after she correctly answered questions about past traffic violations that the police began to believe her. They released her after a 25-minute detention. The bank then gave her the $6,000 from her account and she went home. Rattled and upset, I was treated like a criminal, she said, but at least she was free. After all that torture, it was all over. Not so fast. Ramadans account of what happened up to now is the basis for her allegations of slander, false imprisonment and Charter violations (of unlawfully seizing her passport and searching it, arbitrarily detaining her, not telling her she had a right to a lawyer and discriminating based on race, ethnicity etc.). What she said followed next was the reason the word terrorist was used in Ramadans lawsuit. The next morning, she logged into her account to make an e-transfer. But her account was frozen. Even more strange, she said, the $6,000 transaction was not recorded. That meant she had $6,000 in hand as well as $6,000 in the bank. Right away I called the banks customer service. I wondered if I was being set up for something. I was getting paranoid. The transaction never went missing, RBCs statement to the Star says. It was put on hold as a precaution during the interaction with the client. Due to a system limitation, the transaction had to be manually reconciled with bank records the following day and the hold was removed. But Ramadan told the Star she made two e-transfers from that same bank account the night of the interaction with the bank. How would I be able to do that? The phone conversation when someone from the branch called Ramadan back, which she recorded, didnt help, she said. The employee asked her at least twice why she withdrew $6,000 in cash. RBC policies and procedures did not require clients to explain the purposes for withdrawing cash, her claim states. RBCs ongoing suspicion of the Plaintiff was grounded solely upon the Plaintiff being of Middle Eastern descent and being a POC. The bank denies the allegations. In my opinion, had I, a white Christian male presented a valid Canadian passport as ID, RBC wouldnt have phoned the police, frozen my account, and questioned me the following day about what the money was for, said Ramadans lawyer Christopher Murphy. In its statement of defence RBC said it was Ramadans own actions that led its employees to believe she was committing identity theft. It says she did not order the cash in advance and was disrespectful and unco-operative at the first bank; when asked for her local address, she told the employee she didnt have to give it to the bank, that it was private. It says she was asked to leave after that first transaction and told her behaviour was not acceptable. The banks statement characterizes its actions as due diligence to protect its clients from fraud, but Murphy disagrees. Distilled into its essence, RBCs defence is that Dana a person of colour became uppity when questioned about her valid ID, so RBC was justified in reporting her to the police, Murphy said. Rather than apologizing for their reprehensible conduct, RBC continues to blame Ms. Ramadan for the banks mistreatment of her. RBCs lack of insight into their practices should concern all people of colour who bank at RBC. Ramadan is seeking $170,000 in damages plus loss of income and legal costs. She is also seeking aggravated and punitive damages from the bank employees and police officers involved, in order to deter the defendants, or those similarly situated, from taking such wrongful actions in the future. This case comes on the heels of another incident in the public eye where Maxwell Johnson, a Heiltsuk Nation man and his granddaughter were handcuffed and detained at a BMO branch in Vancouver when they went to open an account. In that case, BMO maintains there were problems with their ID that included an Indian status card and birth certificate. It accepts that the bank should never have called police, but that bank, too, denies racism was a factor in that decision. In mid-January, B.C.s police complaint commissioner ordered a probe into the police handling of the incident. Read more about: Southcross Energy Dallas pipeline operator Southcross Energy is moving to Houston and is emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy focused on the Eagle Ford Shale of South Texas. In a Monday statement, Southcross said it is emerging from bankruptcy in a net cash-positive position and a restructured balance sheet that provides financial flexibility. PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-06 13:00:21 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 769 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 6, 2020 / TerraX Minerals Inc. (TSX-V:TXR; Frankfurt:TX0; OTC Pink:TRXXF) ("TerraX" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on the 2020 winter drilling program. As of the end of January, TerraX had drilled 1916 metres in 7 drill holes. Drilling is being done in an effort to expand the NI 43-101 inferred mineral resource estimate at Sam Otto which was reported on November 4, 2019.David Suda, President and CEO, stated, "We are excited to have intersected wide shear zones at Sam Otto South with 3 holes containing quartz veins showing visible gold with potential to repeat the success of hole TSO-035. We believe these preliminary results could aid significantly in achieving our goal of expanding the resource at Sam Otto. We very much look forward to the assay results." Five holes totalling 1497 metres have been drilled on strike and below hole TSO18-035 (line 3100N) which intersected 2.16 g/t Au over 27.12m (March 9, 2018). The five holes have been drilled on a 50m spacing laterally, and 100m vertically near the previous hole TSO18-035, (see map). Typically the Sam Otto zone consists of a wide shear zone (30-100m wide) and 1-2 g/t gold mineralization associated with disseminated sulphides such as pyrite, pyrrhotite and trace of arsenopyrite (Py-Po-Asp). The previous hole TSO18-035 contained significant quartz veins with some visible gold that brought the average zone to above 2.0 g/t gold. All five holes from winter 2020 have intersected wide zones of shearing, alteration and sulphide mineralization, ranging up to 160 metres wide with same mineralization style. The first three holes (53, 54 and 58) have all intersected visible gold in quartz veins similar to the discovery hole TSO18-35 (see photo below).In addition to the drilling on Sam Otto South, two holes have been completed in the Sam Otto Connector' zone on line 4250N which is one kilometre north (see map). This area is between the Sam Otto Main Zone and the Sam Otto South Zone. Previous mapping and surface sampling has indicated a continuation of these zones to connect as one. Both holes have intersected alteration, shearing and sulphide mineralization (Py, Po, Asp) over +/- 80 metre widths.Drilling continues and TerraX is currently logging and sampling core. Initial assay results from the first holes are expected in the coming weeks.The technical information contained in this news release has been approved by Joseph Campbell, the Chief Operating Officer of the Company, who is a Qualified Person as defined in "National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects." Hole TSO20-054 - Visible Gold in quartz-albite-biotite vein, with stringer and disseminated pyriteAbout TerraXThrough a series of acquisitions, TerraX owns a 100% interest in the Yellowknife City Gold ("YCG") Project, encompassing 790 sq km of contiguous land within 12 kilometres of the city of Yellowknife. The Project is located in the prolific Yellowknife greenstone belt, covering 70 kilometres of strike length along the main mineralized break in proximity to the former high-grade Con and Giant gold mines which have produced over 14 million ounces of gold. The YCG Project is close to vital infrastructure, including all-season roads, air transportation, service providers, hydro-electric power and skilled tradespeople.For more information on the YCG project, please visit our web site at www.terraxminerals.com On behalf of the Board of Directors,"DAVID SUDA"David SudaPresident and CEOFor more information, please contact:Samuel VellaManager of Corporate CommunicationsPhone: 604-689-1749 / Toll-Free: 1-855-737-2684svella@ terraxminerals.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.This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation. Important factors - including the results of drilling, expectations of and potential for additional resources, expectations regarding initial assay results and the results of exploration activities - that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time on SEDAR, including the Company's amended and restated annual information form dated December 10, 2019 (see www.sedar.com) . Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise.SOURCE: TerraX Minerals Inc. Transforming from a legislative body to a court of impeachment required senators, aides and journalists to adapt to a new status quo, with new hours usually beginning at 1 p.m. and stretching as late as 2 a.m. and new rules. For senators, that meant being stranded without their phones and in sitting silence for hours at a time on the Senate floor, an endeavor they struggled against by doodling, fidget-spinning and whispering or surrendered to sleepily. For journalists, it meant cramming into crowded pens instead of enjoying the usual free-roaming access to lawmakers. Television cameras and photographers were not allowed inside the chamber, save for one operated by the government, limiting what the public could see and hear. Among those most inconvenienced by the trial, however, were the Senate Democrats running for president, who found themselves wondering when they would be able to return to Iowa before the nations crucial first nominating contest. While Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont made his annoyance clear, most tried to take it in stride. I dont know how many days this is going to last, Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota said. I just know that I have a constitutional duty to do my job. TORONTO, Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tanzanian Gold Corporation (TSX:TNX) (NYSE American:TRX) (the Company) announces that the Appellate Division, First Judicial Department, Supreme Court of the State of New York has affirmed the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York granting of summary judgment to Crede CG III, LTD under a Securities Purchase Agreement entered into on September 1, 2016 between Crede and the Company. The Company is currently reviewing its rights including the right to appeal. The Appellate Divisions decision does not affect the Companys federal claim against Crede for market manipulation, among other claims. Respectfully Submitted, James E. Sinclair James E. Sinclair Executive Chairman For further information, please contact Michael Martin, Investor Relations, via email at m.martin@tangoldcorp.com , direct line 860-248-0999, or visit the Company website at www.tangoldcorp.com The Toronto Stock Exchange and NYSE MKT LLC have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements Certain of the statements made herein may contain forward-looking statements or information within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. Often, but not always, forward- looking statements and forward-looking information can be identified using words such as plans, expects, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates, or believes or the negatives thereof or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, ,occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements or information herein include, but are not limited whether or not the Company will appeal the Appellate Courts decision and its rights under the federal claim. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. We have made certain assumptions about the forward-looking statements and information and even though our management believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking statement or information will prove to be accurate. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, the following:, gold price volatility; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries; mining operational and development risk; litigation risks; regulatory restrictions, including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability; risks of sovereign investment; currency fluctuations; speculative nature of gold exploration; global economic climate; dilution; share price volatility; competition; loss of key employees; additional funding requirements; and defective title to mineral claims or property, as well as those factors discussed in the sections entitled Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors in the Companys Form 20-F Annual Report for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2019 as filed with the SEC on December 2, 2019. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements or information contained herein. Except as required by law, we do not expect to update forward- looking statements and information continually as conditions change and you are referred to the full discussion of the Companys business contained in the Companys reports filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and the U.S. AUSTIN Sure, Matt Altschul was happy that The Wirecutter had named his companys new smartphone case the best wallet replacement model back in 2015, but he wasnt satisfied. A case from a competitor had won the coveted Best iPhone Case for Most People designation, but Altschul wasnt impressed with the pick. I knew we could do better, he said. His company, which at the time was called Silk, designed and manufactured a case it dubbed the Base Grip with the specific intention of taking away the crown. And Silk succeeded. Starting with the iPhone 7, the case since renamed the Kung Fu Grip has won the Wirecutters top iPhone case recommendation. Silk is now known as Smartish and has 13 employees that work in its offices in a trendy block just east of I-35 near downtown Austin. Theyre tiny, a little chaotic, with the definite feel of a startup even though the company has been around under three different names for 10 years. REVIEW: Cameras are the reason to buy the iPhone 11 Pro Max Unlike a lot of other case makers, you can only buy its wares online, and the only real marketing it has done up to now has been chasing good reviews in online tech publications. In fact, Smartish didnt even have a marketing manager until last September. The smartphone case business is a crowded one, which analysts say has three tiers, based on market reach. Theres the top echelon, with recognizable names: Apple, Incipio, Speck, Otterbox, Tech21 and more. Smartish falls in a middle tier, along with Caseology, Spigen and Amazons own cases, among others. Then theres the bottom bunch, which is full of companies that buy generic cases from Asia and slap their brands on them, Altschul said. Minding the details Nick Guy, who writes Wirecutters smartphone case reviews and who has kept Smartishs product at the top of the list, called the Kung Fu Grip a super simple case with small details that are executed well. Cases are a very personal thing, he said, adding theyve essentially become fashion accessories. The Kung Fu Grip is a good, protective case that doesnt cost a ton, with slim, grippy edges. Youre not as likely to drop it, Guy said. JUST IN CASE: iPhone case roundup from Dr. Mac Dwight Silverman / Houston Chronicle Still, Guy said he was skeptical when Altschul first submitted the case and said it was designed to win the top recommendation. I thought he was just blowing smoke a little bit, he said. But sure enough, the case made the cut. Altschul got his start in consumer electronics in Los Angeles as vice president of operations for V-Moda, a Japanese headphone maker. He started what became Smartish by designing protective cases for Nintendo Wii controllers, then pivoted the business to smartphone cases. The Smartish name evolved as the company sought a distinct identity. Originally called CM4, it moved to the Silk brand as its Wallet Slayer case the product that won the first Wirecutter recommendation and then Smartish. Altschul said the name is meant to be playful, as well as show some humility. We didnt want to (call the company) Smart, that sounds like, you know, a smart refrigerator or something, he said. Were Smart-ish just a little smart. He has never taken any investment money - the company was bootstrapped with his own cash and loans from friends and family, he said. The companys marketing is infused with a sense of place; its not hesitant to flaunt its Austin roots. For example, the name Kung Fu Grip comes from a famous piece of graffiti adorning a railroad bridge over Lady Bird Lake in Austin that reads Ive got Ninja Style Kung Fu Grip (which is a reference to a feature on a 1970s GI Joe doll). Its similar to Houstons Be Someone landmark over Interstate 45 near downtown. Anna Donlan, Contributor / Getty Images Apple focus The bulk of Smartishs line, which now includes many different styles of cases, is designed for iPhones. (They also make cases for Samsungs Galaxy S phones.) As a result, much of the companys business comes once Apple has launched its latest models in the fall, continuing through the end of the year. Because of that, its important for Smartish to have cases ready to go once Apple has unveiled its lineup, typically in mid-September. But design and preparation begins well before that, Altschul said, because there must be enough stock in place to satisfy the huge demand that comes as early adopters who usually buy their cases online place orders. We rely on the leaks from component suppliers of new iPhones and start designing once those seem solid, he said. Its a risky game, because if the slightest thing is wrong if a button is a millimeter off then Smartish has to trash its stock and start over. Release Notes: Get Dwight Silvermans weekly tech newsletter in your inbox each Monday That has never happened, Altschul said. At this point, our sources are pretty good. Designs are finalized in June, production begins in Chinese facilities in July and stock is available in August. A lone employee in China acts as liaison between Smartish in Austin and the factories. Dwight Silverman / Houston Chronicle Smartish is growing both by adding new categories of products wireless charging pads and stands are coming soon and by offering personalization on its existing lines. You can add images on the back of most of Smartishs cases, using either ones offered by the company or uploading your own. In one of Smartishs offices are two big custom printers that can apply a different image to dozens of cases at a time. The machines allow Smartish to turn around a custom case in a fraction of the time and at a lower cost than competitors, Altschul said. Mark Vena, a senior analyst with Austin-based Moor Insight & Strategy, said Smartish is smart to move into personalization. That whole category is really big business, Vena said, giving companies that do it a way to differentiate themselves. The case business is a very low-margin business. They need to do what they can to stand out. (A version of this story originally ran in Dwight Silvermans weekly Release Notes newsletter. Sign up to receive it at houstonchronicle.com/releasenotes.) dwight.silverman@chron.com twitter.com/dsilverman houstonchronicle.com/techburger Three high-ranking Houston ISD administrators have been temporarily relieved of their duties amid an investigation into allegations that staff members were not appropriately dressed and behaved in a manner that lacked decorum during an on-campus faculty holiday party. The reassigned administrators include Madison High School Principal Carlotta Brown, who received national attention last spring after she implemented a dress code for parents visiting the southside campus. Memos obtained through a public records request show the administrators temporarily were placed on home duty, with pay, in mid-January as district officials launched an investigation into an event at Madison. District officials ordered the administrators to remain available by phone from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each school day. The documents do not provide any additional details about the event, which is described in the memos as a faculty fashion show. Video clips purporting to show part of the after-school event circulated online several weeks ago, showing two adults dancing while wearing provocative, Christmas-themed outfits. No children were seen in the clips. The administrators under scrutiny are Felicia Adams, an area superintendent responsible for leading the districts $20 million campus turnaround plan known as Achieve 180; Dana Arreola, a school support officer who monitors implementation of campuses under Achieve 180; and Brown, who took over as Madisons principal in early 2019. Based on the seriousness of this allegation, we believe it is in your best interest and that of the Houston Independent School District that you be temporarily relieved of your duties until a decision is reached as to how the matter will be resolved, the memos stated. No other HISD employees have been notified that they are under investigation in connection with the incident. The allegations of inappropriately dressed staff come less than a year after Browns move to institute a parent dress code drew a strong backlash. The rules mandated that parents wearing bonnets, pajamas, hair rollers or leggings, among other clothing items, would be turned away from campus. Brown defended the dress code, which remains in place, arguing that parents should set an example for their children by wearing clothing considered appropriate in professional and public settings. She enforced a similar dress code during her 13-year tenure at Peck Elementary School, receiving no significant attention for the move. Some community members, however, said the dress code contained discriminatory language targeted at black, lower-income and female parents. National news outlets, including the New York Times and Washington Post, wrote about the outcry. Adams has helped lead the Achieve 180 initiative since its inception in 2017. She previously served as principal of Lanier Middle School and Lockhart Elementary School. Arreola, a 20-year veteran of Houston-area public schools, rejoined HISD as a school support officer in 2017 following a two-year stint as principal of Clark Intermediate School in Spring ISD. Efforts to reach Adams, Arreola and Brown were unsuccessful Thursday morning. The trio rank among the highest-paid employees in the district, with annual salaries ranging from $132,600 to $176,382, according to district payroll records. Three clips totaling about 75 seconds purportedly taken at the party were posted online by Gerry Monroe, an outspoken community activist. Monroe was banned from HISD premises for several months following instances of belligerent behavior, including the repeated use of vulgarities and racial epithets directed at Arreola during a meeting last April. The premises ban expired in January. jacob.carpenter@chron.com (@ChaudhryMAli88) Moldova's efforts in foreign policy are focused on resuming dialogue with Russia at the same time as carrying out reforms prescribed by the association agreement with the European Union, Foreign Minister Aureliu Ciocoi said at a press conference on Thursday CHISINAU (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 06th February, 2020) Moldova's efforts in foreign policy are focused on resuming dialogue with Russia at the same time as carrying out reforms prescribed by the association agreement with the European Union, Foreign Minister Aureliu Ciocoi said at a press conference on Thursday. "Our primal foreign political goals are to carry out reforms in line with the association agreement with the EU, to achieve European standards both at the political and economic levels, and to resume a pragmatic dialogue with Russia and Eastern countries," Ciocoi said. The foreign minister's opinion is that Moldova can achieve European life standards in 10-15 years. He said thinking about submitting an EU membership application before then would be premature. The Russia-Moldova relations deteriorated in 2015, when the Moldovan government ratified the Association Agreement with the European Union. As it provides for Moldova to open its market for the EU goods, Russia issued a temporary import moratorium on certain Moldovan goods, fearing that Chisinau might become a wormhole route for EU goods, banned under sanctions in Russia, to the CIS and Customs Union markets. The ban was lifted last year. President Donald Trump speaks at his Keep America Great campaign rally in Wildwood, NJ on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), who switched over to the Republican Party, joined him at the rally. Read more President Donald Trump came and went from Wildwood in a matter of hours last week, singing the praises of newly minted Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew, while drawing crowds of supporters and protesters to the dormant winter Shore town. But long after the president left town, remnants of the rally remained, and city employees spent two long nights cleaning up garbage, beach chairs, signs, and blankets from outside the Wildwoods Convention Center. A week later, Wildwood is still tabulating the costs for extra policing and cleanup, and Mayor Pete Byron says he just wants his citys money back. We dont have a huge budget here," Byron said. "We had people out from the public works department. Probably every policeman was expected to work those days. ... We want to be sure we get all our costs reimbursed. Who pays when a candidate comes to town? Wildwood is hardly the first, or likely the last, city to encounter billing trouble when a presidential candidate comes to town. Across the country and party lines, candidates have racked up unpaid tabs an issue bound to plague Pennsylvania ahead of the 2020 election as politicians flock to the swing state. So who pays when a presidential candidate comes to town? The answer is complicated, said William L. Rosenberg, a professor of political science at Drexel University. And when it comes to the sitting president, he said, the lines between political and presidential visits are blurred," making reimbursement even more difficult for the hosting city. What generally happens is they dont make full restitution, Rosenberg said. "Whoever receives the visit ends up bearing varying degrees of the expense. Byron, a registered Democrat, emphasized that his request for reimbursement for Wildwood, with a year-round population of 5,000, has nothing to do with party affiliation, and everything to do with the tourist towns finances. The Trump campaign paid the Wildwoods Convention Center a standard rental hall fee of $7,500 for its visit, and will also be billed by the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Authority a private organization within the next week for ancillary charges related to the rally, a spokesperson said. A Trump campaign official referred all billing questions to the U.S. Secret Service. A Secret Service spokesperson said that the agency cannot speak to the conditions surrounding the mechanisms in place for reimbursement to local law enforcement but that the Secret Service does not pay for police overtime associated with protective visits. Its pretty difficult to submit an invoice for this," Rosenberg said. "First, theres the question of who are you going to submit it to. Theres a whole lot of slippage that goes on. Large bills, little recourse When it comes to billing candidates, policies vary among cities. Some, like Philadelphia, dont bother with charging candidates for police overtime. Under Philadelphias permit policy, rallies and demonstrations are not charged for costs associated with public safety, a city spokesperson said. Candidates rallying in Philadelphia are later billed for city hours not related to public safety, like sanitation services, placement of barricades, or staging on city grounds. But municipalities have little recourse when it comes to enforcing those bills. According to an analysis by the Center for Public Integrity, leading up to the 2016 election, presidential candidates racked up hundreds of thousands of dollars in outstanding bills related to campaign events in cities across the country. Even now, with the next presidential election cycle underway, a $2,678 invoice for non-public safety services related to Hillary Clintons 2016 pre-Pennsylvania primary rally at Philadelphia City Hall remains unpaid, as does a $35,129 public safety bill for a Trump 2016 campaign stop in Erie. At this point, we dont believe [reimbursement] is likely, said Erie chief of staff Renee Lamis. When officials in Upper Providence Township took Sen. Bernie Sanders to task over a $25,620 public safety bill related to a 2016 campaign stop, the parties settled on the campaign paying $2,250 to the Delaware County police department rather than taking Sanders to court, the Center for Public Integrity reported. Who wants to get bogged down in that? Police Chief Mark Toomey asked. When Trump rallied in Derry Township near Hershey in December, local officials opted to absorb the costs of security, prompting outcry from residents. Former GOP gubernatorial nominee Scott Wagner later offered to pay up to $20,000 of the municipalitys tab. Meanwhile, in Wisconsin, another swing state, police are attempting to combat the mounting unpaid security bills by charging candidates up front for local security during 2020 campaign stops. An economic shot in the arm Regardless of the cost, the national exposure can prove to be a big plus, Rosenberg said. In the long term, he said, people all over the world heard about Wildwood, and that publicity can bolster tourism and civic pride, as well as an immediate economic boost for area hotels and restaurants. Despite uncertainty around his citys reimbursement, Byron said hes grateful Trump chose to come to Wildwood, bringing an estimated crowd of 15,000 to the Shore town during a slow winter month. It was an economic shot in the arm for us, not to mention the national exposure its brought us," Byron said. "Any president who calls is welcome in Wildwood. Artificial intelligence is being used to interpret various medical imaging products, but the technology can error prone. (Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock) A Reality Check on Artificial Intelligence: Are Health Care Claims Overblown? The FDA has eased market-entry requirements for some tech companies but that poses health risks for patients Health products powered by artificial intelligence, or AI, are streaming into our lives, from virtual doctor apps to wearable sensors and drugstore chatbots. IBM boasted that its AI could outthink cancer. Others say computer systems that read X-rays will make radiologists obsolete. Theres nothing that Ive seen in my 30-plus years studying medicine that could be as impactful and transformative as AI, said Dr. Eric Topol, a cardiologist and executive vice president of Scripps Research in La Jolla, Calif. AI can help doctors interpret MRIs of the heart, CT scans of the head, and photographs of the back of the eye, and could potentially take over many mundane medical chores, freeing doctors to spend more time talking to patients, Topol said. Even the Food and Drug Administrationwhich has approved more than 40 AI products in the past five yearssays the potential of digital health is nothing short of revolutionary. Yet many health industry experts fear AI-based products wont be able to match the hype. Many doctors and consumer advocates fear that the tech industry, which lives by the mantra fail fast and fix it later, is putting patients at riskand that regulators arent doing enough to keep consumers safe. Early experiments in AI provide a reason for caution, said Mildred Cho, a professor of pediatrics at Stanfords Center for Biomedical Ethics. Systems developed in one hospital often flop when deployed in a different facility, Cho said. Software used in the care of millions of Americans has been shown to discriminate against minorities. And AI systems sometimes learn to make predictions based on factors that have less to do with disease than the brand of MRI machine used, the time a blood test is taken, or whether a patient was visited by a chaplain. In one case, AI software incorrectly concluded that people with pneumonia were less likely to die if they had asthmaan error that could have led doctors to deprive asthma patients of the extra care they need. Its only a matter of time before something like this leads to a serious health problem, said Dr. Steven Nissen, chairman of cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic. Medical AI, which pulled in $1.6 billion in venture capital funding in the third quarter alone, is nearly at the peak of inflated expectations, concluded a July report from the research company Gartner. As the reality gets tested, there will likely be a rough slide into the trough of disillusionment. That reality check could come in the form of disappointing results when AI products are ushered into the real world. Even Topol, the author of Deep Medicine: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Healthcare Human Again, acknowledges that many AI products are little more than hot air. Its a mixed bag, he said. Experts such as Dr. Bob Kocher, a partner at the venture capital firm Venrock, are blunter. Most AI products have little evidence to support them, Kocher said. Some risks wont become apparent until an AI system has been used by large numbers of patients. Were going to keep discovering a whole bunch of risks and unintended consequences of using AI on medical data, Kocher said. None of the AI products sold in the U.S. have been tested in randomized clinical trials, the strongest source of medical evidence, Topol said. The first and only randomized trial of an AI systemwhich found that colonoscopy with computer-aided diagnosis found more small polyps than standard colonoscopywas published online in October. Few tech startups publish their research in peer-reviewed journals, which allow other scientists to scrutinize their work, according to a January article in the European Journal of Clinical Investigation. Such stealth researchdescribed only in press releases or promotional eventsoften overstates a companys accomplishments. And although software developers may boast about the accuracy of their AI devices, experts note that AI models are mostly tested on computers, not in hospitals or other medical facilities. Using unproven software may make patients into unwitting guinea pigs, said Dr. Ron Li, medical informatics director for AI clinical integration at Stanford Health Care. AI systems that learn to recognize patterns in data are often described as black boxes because even their developers dont know how they have reached their conclusions. Given that AI is so newand many of its risks unknownthe field needs careful oversight, said Pilar Ossorio, a professor of law and bioethics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Yet the majority of AI devices dont require FDA approval. None of the companies that I have invested in are covered by the FDA regulations, Kocher said. Legislation passed by Congress in 2016and championed by the tech industryexempts many types of medical software from federal review, including certain fitness apps, electronic health records, and tools that help doctors make medical decisions. Theres been little research on whether the 320,000 medical apps now in use actually improve health, according to a report on AI published Dec. 17 by the National Academy of Medicine. Almost none of the [AI] stuff marketed to patients really works, said Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, professor of medical ethics and health policy in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The FDA has long focused its attention on devices that pose the greatest threat to patients. And consumer advocates acknowledge that some devices, such as ones that help people count their daily steps, need less scrutiny than ones that diagnose or treat disease. Some software developers dont bother to apply for FDA clearance or authorization, even when legally required, according to a 2018 study in Annals of Internal Medicine. Industry analysts say that AI developers have little interest in conducting expensive and time-consuming trials. Its not the main concern of these firms to submit themselves to rigorous evaluation that would be published in a peer-reviewed journal, said Joachim Roski, a principal at Booz Allen Hamilton, a technology consulting firm, and co-author of the National Academys report. Thats not how the U.S. economy works. But Oren Etzioni, chief executive officer at the Allen Institute for AI in Seattle, said AI developers have a financial incentive to make sure their medical products are safe. If failing fast means a whole bunch of people will die, I dont think we want to fail fast, Etzioni said. Nobody is going to be happy, including investors, if people die or are severely hurt. Relaxing Standards at the FDA The FDA has come under fire in recent years for allowing the sale of dangerous medical devices, which have been linked by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists to 80,000 deaths and 1.7 million injuries over the past decade. Many of these devices were cleared for use through a controversial process called the 510(k) pathway, which allows companies to market moderate-risk products with no clinical testing as long as theyre deemed similar to existing devices. In 2011, a committee of the National Academy of Medicine concluded the 510(k) process is so fundamentally flawed that the FDA should throw it out and start over. Instead, the FDA is using the process to greenlight AI devices. Of the 14 AI products authorized by the FDA in 2017 and 2018, 11 were cleared through the 510(k) process, according to a November article in JAMA. None of these appear to have had new clinical testing, the study said. The FDA cleared an AI device designed to help diagnose liver and lung cancer in 2018 based on its similarity to imaging software approved 20 years earlier. That software had itself been cleared because it was deemed substantially equivalent to products marketed before 1976. AI products cleared by the FDA today are largely locked, so that their calculations and results will not change after they enter the market, said Bakul Patel, director for digital health at the FDAs Center for Devices and Radiological Health. The FDA has not yet authorized unlocked AI devices, whose results could vary from month to month in ways that developers cannot predict. To deal with the flood of AI products, the FDA is testing a radically different approach to digital device regulation, focusing on evaluating companies, not products. The FDAs pilot pre-certification program, launched in 2017, is designed to reduce the time and cost of market entry for software developers, imposing the least burdensome system possible. FDA officials say they want to keep pace with AI software developers, who update their products much more frequently than makers of traditional devices, such as X-ray machines. Scott Gottlieb said in 2017 while he was FDA commissioner that government regulators need to make sure its approach to innovative products is efficient and that it fosters, not impedes, innovation. Under the plan, the FDA would pre-certify companies that demonstrate a culture of quality and organizational excellence, which would allow them to provide less upfront data about devices. Pre-certified companies could then release devices with a streamlined reviewor no FDA review at all. Once products are on the market, companies will be responsible for monitoring their own products safety and reporting back to the FDA. Nine companies have been selected for the pilot: Apple, FitBit, Samsung, Johnson & Johnson, Pear Therapeutics, Phosphorus, Roche, Tidepool, and Verily Life Sciences. High-risk products, such as software used in pacemakers, will still get a comprehensive FDA evaluation. We definitely dont want patients to be hurt, said Patel, who noted that devices cleared through pre-certification can be recalled if needed. There are a lot of guardrails still in place. But research shows that even low- and moderate-risk devices have been recalled due to serious risks to patients, said Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research. People could be harmed because something wasnt required to be proven accurate or safe before it is widely used. Johnson & Johnson, for example, has recalled hip implants and surgical mesh. In a series of letters to the FDA, the American Medical Association and others have questioned the wisdom of allowing companies to monitor their own performance and product safety. The honor system is not a regulatory regime, said Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, who chairs the physician groups board of trustees. In an October letter to the FDA, Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) questioned the agencys ability to ensure company safety reports are accurate, timely and based on all available information. When Good Algorithms Go Bad Some AI devices are more carefully tested than others. An AI-powered screening tool for diabetic eye disease was studied in 900 patients at 10 primary care offices before being approved in 2018. The manufacturer, IDx Technologies, worked with the FDA for eight years to get the product right, said Dr. Michael Abramoff, the companys founder and executive chairman. The test, sold as IDx-DR, screens patients for diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness, and refers high-risk patients to eye specialists, who make a definitive diagnosis. IDx-DR is the first autonomous AI productone that can make a screening decision without a doctor. The company is now installing it in primary care clinics and grocery stores, where it can be operated by employees with a high school diploma. Abramoffs company has taken the unusual step of buying liability insurance to cover any patient injuries. Yet some AI-based innovations intended to improve care have had the opposite effect. A Canadian company, for example, developed AI software to predict a persons risk of Alzheimers based on their speech. Predictions were more accurate for some patients than others. Difficulty finding the right word may be due to unfamiliarity with English, rather than to cognitive impairment, said co-author Frank Rudzicz, an associate professor of computer science at the University of Toronto. Doctors at New Yorks Mount Sinai Hospital hoped AI could help them use chest X-rays to predict which patients were at high risk of pneumonia. Although the system made accurate predictions from X-rays shot at Mount Sinai, the technology flopped when tested on images taken at other hospitals. Eventually, researchers realized the computer had merely learned to tell the difference between that hospitals portable chest X-rays, taken at a patients bedside, with those taken in the radiology department. Doctors tend to use portable chest X-rays for patients too sick to leave their room, so its not surprising that these patients had a greater risk of lung infection. DeepMind, a company owned by Google, has created an AI-based mobile app that can predict which hospitalized patients will develop acute kidney failure up to 48 hours in advance. A blog post on the DeepMind website described the system, used at a London hospital, as a game-changer. But the AI system also produced two false alarms for every correct result, according to a July study in Nature. That may explain why patients kidney function didnt improve, said Dr. Saurabh Jha, associate professor of radiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Any benefit from early detection of serious kidney problems may have been diluted by a high rate of overdiagnosis, in which the AI system flagged borderline kidney issues that didnt need treatment, Jha said. Google had no comment in response to Jhas conclusions. False positives can harm patients by prompting doctors to order unnecessary tests or withhold recommended treatments, Jha said. For example, a doctor worried about a patients kidneys might stop prescribing ibuprofen, a generally safe pain reliever that poses a small risk to kidney function, in favor of an opioid, which carries a serious risk of addiction. As these studies show, software with impressive results in a computer lab can flounder when tested in real-time, Stanfords Cho said. Thats because diseases are more complexand the health care system far more dysfunctionalthan many computer scientists anticipate. Many AI developers cull electronic health records because they hold huge amounts of detailed data, Cho said. But those developers often arent aware that theyre building atop a deeply broken system. Electronic health records were developed for billing, not patient care, and are filled with mistakes or missing data. A KHN investigation published last March found sometimes life-threatening errors in patients medication lists, lab tests, and allergies. In view of the risks involved, doctors need to step in to protect their patients interests, said Dr. Vikas Saini, a cardiologist, and president of the nonprofit Lown Institute, which advocates for wider access to health care. While it is the job of entrepreneurs to think big and take risks, Saini said, it is the job of doctors to protect their patients. Liz Szabo is a senior correspondent focusing on acute care and end-of-life issues for Kaiser Health News, which originally published this article. KHNs coverage of these topics is supported by The John A. Hartford Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and The SCAN Foundation. Open to the public by reservation from Feb. 22 through March 1, the Breakfast Bungalow brings together soft and fluffy King's Hawaiian breads with the culinary talent of Chef Jaime Young, whose celebrated menu at New York hotspot Sunday in Brooklyn includes some of the city's favorite breakfast and brunch dishes. Visitors can work up an appetite by exploring several uniquely King's Hawaiian experiences throughout the restaurant, ranging from an ocean-inspired ball pit where visitors can take a quick "swim" to a mountain top swing in the clouds. "We are excited to welcome New Yorkers into our Ohana by bringing them our Breakfast Bungalow when they need it most the heart of winter," said Chad Donvito, Chief Marketing Officer at King's Hawaiian. "We hope our interactive restaurant provides them with irresistibly delicious ideas to start their day and inspires new ways to enjoy breakfast in bread all year long thanks to King's Hawaiian." Chef Young's signature Breakfast Bungalow dishes include: Coconut S'mores French Toast French Toast made with King's Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Round Bread, served with a Coconut Maple Glaze and topped with Toasted Meringue and Shaved Dark Chocolate Spam-Egg-and-Shoestring-Potatoes Sandwich Spam, Scrambled Eggs, Provolone, Crispy Shoestring Potatoes and Hot Sauce Aioli stacked on a King's Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Roll Hawaiian Chicken Fried Steak Katsu Sandwich Chicken Fried Steak Katsu with Miso Hollandaise, Scrambled Eggs and Crispy Shallots on King's Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Sliced Bread "I've been a fan of King's Hawaiian since the first time I tried their Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls and I'm excited to partner with them to bring a taste of Hawaii to New Yorkers," said Chef Young. "The menu I've curated fuses melt-in-your-mouth King's Hawaiian bread with my passion for great food including next level breakfast so whether you're craving something sweet or savory, you won't be leaving hungry." In addition to the exclusive menu items created by Chef Young, guests can enjoy the option to build a custom creation that's all their own using King's Hawaiian products, including Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls, Original Hawaiian Sweet Sliced Bread or Original Hawaiian Sweet Round Bread, and more than 50 toppings and sauces. Please visit www.BreakfastBungalow.com for additional details on the experience, prices and hours, and to purchase tickets, which include both the experiences and food. For more information about King's Hawaiian, please visit www.KingsHawaiian.com or find the company on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. About KING'S HAWAIIAN Founded more than 60 years ago in Hilo, Hawaii, by Robert R. Taira, KING'S HAWAIIAN is a family-owned business that for three generations has been dedicated to providing irresistible, original recipe Hawaiian foods made with Aloha Spirit. A priority for the company is sharing the Hawaiian Way a uniquely Hawaiian approach to hospitality based on graciousness, generosity, and a commitment to making everyone feel a part of the KING'S HAWAIIAN 'ohana' (extended family). KING'S HAWAIIAN makes the #1 branded dinner roll in the United States, along with other great Hawaiian foods including hamburger buns, hot dog buns, sandwich bread and more. The company operates baking facilities in Torrance, California, and Oakwood, Georgia. For more information, visit the company's website at www.KingsHawaiian.com, or find KING'S HAWAIIAN on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. About Chef Jaime Young Jaime Young grew up in Long Island, New York. He started his culinary career at Johnson & Wales University where he received a Bachelor's degree in culinary nutrition. After graduation, Jaime pushed into fine dining where he worked at celebrated restaurants such as Eleven Madison Park and Atera in New York City. Today, Jaime is the Executive Chef and Partner of Sunday Hospitality, which includes Sunday In Brooklyn in Williamsburg and Rule Of Thirds in Greenpoint (opening in 2020), as well as Sibling Rival and Pilot at The Hoxton in Downtown Los Angeles. SOURCE King's Hawaiian This is a real clear sign of an escalation," said Whitney Hu, 28, of Sunset Park ICE Watch. "I think we are seeing ICE change their tactics and get more sneaky in their masking as NYPD, and we see they are not afraid to escalate with unarmed men. I would love to see NYPD align themselves with New Yorkers and push back on ICE for being here so that people can see them not as working with ICE but as defending a sanctuary city. We have a really strong community and we will do our best to make sure our neighbors are not scared. ALLEGAN COUNTY, MI -- The U.S. 131 interchange to the Gun Lake Casino will be rebuilt. Preliminary work on the rebuild of U.S. 131 interchange at M-179 will begin in fall 2020. The majority of the project will take place in 2021. About 95 percent of the project costs, estimated in full at between $20 and $25 million, is being paid for by the Gun Lake Tribe, according to Michigan Department of Transportation officials. MDOT officials, as well as Gun Lake Tribal leaders, are hosting a public meeting next week on the construction. The Thursday, Feb. 13, meeting runs from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Gun Lake Tribal Administration Building, 2872 Mission Drive in Shelbyville. The meeting takes place in the administration buildings multipurpose room. Even though the interchange was built in 1959, it remains in good condition, said MDOT spokesperson John Richard. MDOT was approached about the rebuild by the tribe. Were very thankful that this is happening, Richard said. Read more on MLive: Mother, 3 sons identified in deadly fire Family and friends gather at vigil for mom, 3 kids killed in house fire Police find remains, possible connection to 1980s cold case Iranian American Civic Engagement Forum: February 22, 2020 at Stanford University 02/06/20 Source: Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) PAAIA's first Iranian American Civic Engagement Forum of 2020 is being held on February 22nd at Stanford University, in collaboration with the Hamid & Christina Moghadam Program in Iranian Studies at Stanford University and PARS Equality Center. Find more information and register at: Iranian American Civic Engagement Forum of 2020 The Stanford Forum will bring together influential speakers including former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Mike McFaul, Washington state Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib, Director of Iranian Studies at Stanford University Dr. Abbas Milani, and other prominent Iranian American public figures, journalists, and actors for a series of keynote talks, panels, and trainings. In addition to keynote conversations, the Stanford Forum will feature two panels including one focusing on Iranian Americans as a culture and identity, and what that identity brings to the table in various careers in America, and a second panel which will focus on how experts in technology are using those skills for the benefit of society at large! Finally, we will host a training session regarding the upcoming 2020 Census with PARS Equality Center's Legal Director Paris Etemadi Scott. PAAIA is excited to include a discounted student ticket as well for admission so that all Iranian American youth can come and gain valuable insight into how to become civically active. Space is limited, so save the date and reserve your ticket today! What is PAAIA's Civic Engagement Initiative? PAAIA's Civic Engagement Initiative is a new program committed to encouraging and enabling Iranian Americans to get involved as concerned members of their communities, both nationally and locally. We aim to highlight the success stories of Iranian Americans actively involved in public service and to encourage other Iranian Americans to participate in this space. PAAIA's ultimate objective is to increase the number of Iranian Americans involved in civic engagement. Elements and objectives of this initiative include: hosting an annual Civic Engagement Forum, including 2-4 regional events per year; organizing a network of elected officials, Iranian Americans that work in politics or public service, are civically engaged, or have a demonstrated interest in pursuing such a career path; inspiring and empowering Iranian Americans to run for or be appointed to public office; and building a database of Iranian Americans interested in running for office and connect them with mentors, training programs, and support. About PAAIA: The Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans (PAAIA) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, nonsectarian organization that serves the interests of Iranian Americans and represents the community before U.S. policymakers and the American public at large. We work to expand opportunities for the active participation of Iranian Americans in the democratic process at all levels of government and in public debate, provide opportunities for advancement for our next generation, educate the American public and policymakers on the Iranian American community and their opinions, and foster greater understanding between the people of Iran and the United States. The Continuity IRA plotted to blow up a lorry due to cross the Irish Sea for Scotland on Brexit day, police revealed today. Officers are investigating a link to a ferry crossing to Scotland on January 31 and a bomb found on a heavy goods vehicle at the Silverwood Industrial Estate in Lurgan, Co Armagh. It is understood that the bomb was discovered on the trailer unit of a lorry owned by a haulage company that specialises in transporting frozen goods across the UK, Ireland and Europe. Police said today that dissident republicans, believed to be the Continuity IRA, 'deliberately and recklessly attached an explosive device to a heavy goods vehicle'. It said they did so 'in the full knowledge and expectation that it would put the driver of that vehicle, road users and the wider public at serious risk of injury and possible death.' Detectives received a report, first made to a media outlet, that an explosive device was on a lorry in Belfast docks last Friday, the day the UK left the EU. PSNI officers pictured at Silverwood Industrial Estate in Lurgan today, where bomb was found The report received by police claimed the ferry was due to travel to Scotland. An intensive search was carried out but nothing was found, and the ferry sailed as planned. But three days later, on Monday, officers received a further report that a device was attached to a lorry belonging to a 'named haulage company.' After a two-day operation, which involved the search of 400 vehicles, an explosive device was found attached to a heavy goods vehicle in the industrial estate. It was made safe by Army bomb disposal officers. PSNI temporary assistant chief constable George Clarke has said a bomb left on a lorry in Belfast on the night of Brexit was a 'viable device'. 'It could have caused death and very serious injury and harm to members of the public. A two-day operation, which involved the search of 400 vehicles, an explosive device was found attached to a heavy goods vehicle in the industrial estate. It was made safe by Army bomb disposal officers 'Those who planted this device were reckless or indeed to cause that level of harm.' Mr Clarke said those who created the device 'did intend that the device would explode at around the time the UK left the EU'. Mr Clarke said warning calls were made to media outlets indicating a device had been left in a trailer. He said: 'On Friday evening a warning or a call was made to a media outlet indicating a device had been left in a trailer on Belfast docks. It is very important to note that information was exceptionally sparse and limited. PSNI Assistant Chief Constable George Clarke speaking at Police Headquarters today 'Subsequently to that call, a further call was received by a media outlet. That call contained substantially more detail. It gave us more detail of a commercial haulage company.' 'The calls were made to the same media outlet.' He added: 'These bombs are made by terrorists. They are made to a standard that cannot guarantee any form of safety.' Mr Clarke added: 'If the device was planted on a Friday, it was between Friday and Monday before they gave us the information that enables us to locate this (device). 'During that period of time, a viable bomb is in a commercial yard posing a significant risk to anyone who comes within range of it.' He described the planting of the device in a public place as 'an incredibly reckless activity'. Mr Clarke said the device was believed to have been planted by the Continuity IRA. He said the lorry had not left the commercial yard where it had been parked at the time the bomb was planted. A map showing the location of the Silverwood Industrial estate and the M1 motorway to Belfast Police have appealed for anyone who saw anything suspicious on the estate between 4pm and 10pm on Brexit Day to come forward. Detective Superintendent Sean Wright, from the Police Service of Northern Ireland's Terrorism Investigation Unit, said: 'Had this vehicle travelled and the device had exploded at any point along the M1, across the Westlink (link road through Belfast) or into the Harbour estate, the risks posed do not bear thinking about. Who are the Continuity IRA? The Provisional IRA (PIRA) emerged in 1969 and was an Irish republican paramilitary organisation, that wanted to end British rule in Northern Ireland and facilitate the reunification of Ireland. The Continuity IRA (CIRA) emerged from a split in the Provisional IRA in in 1986 but did not become active until the Provisional IRA ceasefire in 1994. It is an illegal organisation in the Republic of Ireland and is a terrorist organisation in the UK. Since 1994, CIRA has waged a campaign against the British Army and the PSNI. In March 2009 it claimed responsibility for shooting dead of PSNI Constable Stephen Carroll, who was shot as he responded to an emergency call in Craigavon. He was the first police officer to be killed since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. In July and August 2019 the CIRA carried out attempted bomb attacks on the PSNI in Craigavon, County Armagh and Wattlebridge, County Fermanagh. Advertisement 'The only conclusion that we can draw is that, once again, dissident republicans have shown a total disregard for the community, for businesses and for wider society.' PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne gave members of his oversight body - the NI Policing Board - an outline brief on the incident at their monthly meeting in Belfast on Thursday afternoon. Afterwards, Sinn Fein's policing spokesman, Gerry Kelly, said there could have been 'catastrophic loss of life' if the device had detonated on board a ferry. 'The fact is this could have ended up on a ferry,' he said. 'If it had exploded, you are talking about catastrophic loss of life, and whoever planted this bomb needs to know that.' Asked if he believed the attack was timed to coincide with Brexit, Mr Kelly said: 'From the detail we have here that's a possibility, but, whatever the reason, there is no logic around it except to cause death and destruction. 'And to what purpose? There is no purpose and they need to desist and go off the stage and move away from any such actions.' Ulster Unionist policing spokesman Doug Beattie called on the UK Government to take robust action against the dissidents. 'This was no minor device, this was a very deliberate attempt to cause an explosion on a ferry, and, given the inherent instability of these devices, it could easily have detonated in the lorry's yard, on the M1, in the middle of Belfast or on a ferry itself in the middle of the Irish Sea,' he said. 'Without a doubt it was an attempt to isolate Northern Ireland from the rest of Great Britain by creating a threat to on-board ferry traffic. 'Had it exploded on the ferry, it could have created a fireball that would have taken the route of least resistance and spread through open spaces, walkways and corridors to engulf anyone in its path, be they men, women or children. 'Had this been on a ferry from Dover to Calais, the UK Government would be mobilising every asset possible to track down the perpetrators - I call on them to do so with this, and treat it as the national security threat which it is. 'We are dealing with people here who do not give a damn about the safety of anyone else. These are the type of fascists who bombed Omagh and who have taken their cue from those (the IRA) who organised the Bloody Friday, La Mon and Enniskillen bombings. 'It is clear that violent republicans do not care for the people of Northern Ireland, regardless of what community they come from. They are sadistic, career terrorists who need to be locked up for a very long time.' The explosive device was discovered attached to an HGV inside the Silverwood Industrial Estate in Lurgan, Co Armagh (pictured) Mr Wright said he wanted to hear from anyone who noticed any suspicious activity in the industrial estate between 4pm and 10pm on January 31. 'In addition, I ask that anyone who was driving in the area and who would have dash-cam footage around these same times that they contact police, as a matter of urgency,' he added. International firefighters have spent the past four weeks in Australia battling the blazes along the South Coast, but they have finally been able to get out and enjoy a slice of "paradise". As a way to thank US and Canadian firefighters and officers from a number of state agencies for protecting his town, Narooma Charters owner Norm Ingersole took them on a free tour around Montague Island, which they were able to explore, and to snorkel with seals. Narooma Charters owner Norm Ingersole (third from left) took international firefighters and inter-agency officers for a tour of Montague Island to thank them for their efforts. "They [the firefighters] are away from loved ones and are doing us this great service. I wanted to give something back to let them know they are appreciated," he said. "How can you do enough to thank them for saving the town? You really cant," he said. Canadian firefighter Mike May has been in Australia since January 4 and said the season had been "challenging and rewarding". The 4,300 square foot establishment will open next door to Johnny Brown's in the heart of downtown Delray and will specialize in serving sea and farm-to-table fare complemented by an expansive wine and craft beer selection along with innovative cocktails. The restaurant will encompass 100 seats inside with another 20 dedicated to exterior patio seating. And yes, lionfish, the beautiful, ravenous species threatening our oceans and coral reefs will absolutely be a highlight delicacy of the menu for locals to feast on in a variety of appetizers and entrees. "Coming from San Diego and having grown up with a love for all things ocean, we immediately felt drawn to Delray and all the town has to offer. We see a lot of similarities in the city and the landscape and wanted to create a community restaurant that would resonate deeply. Lionfish will be your community hangout, your intimate dining space to escape the hustle of the Avenue, gather with friends, and socialize over outrageous quality seafood and shared plate offerings. Our atmosphere and menu have been thoughtfully designed with the guest experience top of mind. We strive for the ultimate in hospitality and are truly looking forward to serving the neighborhood," says Masi. The acclaimed restaurateur also went so far as to build a second headquarters in Delray Beach overlooking Atlantic Avenue, relocating several members of his Clique Hospitality team to become Delray locals. Interior-wise, Lionfish Delray will set an alluring tone for coastal tranquility and approachable, unfussy casualness with whitewashed brick walls throughout with soft wood tones and exposed concrete flooring contrasted by color pillow accents. A captain's table at the far end of the restaurant will serve as the main attraction with a central dining space anchored by a large ceiling cove that features a custom mural inspired by "all things Delray". Suspended from the center of the cove will be a large cluster of woven rattan pendants casting shadows on the intimate dining tables below. A row of comfortable banquettes along the walls will provide a "see and be seen" vibe. Opposite walls will feature a western style, with reclaimed antique pine bar circa 1880 fully restored and complemented by the contemporary style and the addition of shelving on both sides. Dark green marble countertops will accompany the lightly distressed wood of Lionfish's reclaimed bar. High top tables around Lionfish's bar will feature the same dark green marble as the bar top. A beautifully balanced lighting scheme will evoke a relaxed and festive atmosphere. Lionfish Delray's Executive Chef will be Johnny Demartini, formerly of Death or Glory, Max's Harvest, Max's Social House and The Cooper. Demartini will accompany Lionfish Executive Chef/Partner JoJo Ruiz who has earned glowing national acclaim for the innovation of the menu. "With South Florida being such a coastal community, and so many boaters and boat owners in the area, we're really looking forward to locals enjoying the flavorful dishes and familiar atmosphere that we'll be creating with Lionfish Delray," adds Ruiz. About Clique Hospitality Clique Hospitality, founded by Andy Masi, is a collaboration of talented food and beverage professionals who have helped shape the dining and nightlife landscape of Las Vegas since 2001. Masi has dedicated his life to making guests feel that a simple night out was more than just a memory, but also an experience. Clique is a boutique hospitality and marketing company with operations in Las Vegas, NV, San Diego, CA and Delray Beach, FL. Clique specializes in approachable dining that sets trends, rather than following them. In its partnerships with many of the country's most prestigious hospitality corporations, including MGM Resorts International, Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, Pendry Hotels, Montage Resorts, and Red Rock Resorts, Clique is transcending hospitality through service, quality, and trendsetting design. Media Contact: Michelle Soudry The Gab Group 561.750.3500 [email protected] SOURCE Clique Hospitality Related Links https://cliquehospitality.com Acids may be the last thing you'd consider applying to your skin, but they are in fact miracle tools. Used correctly as part of your skincare routine, they can fight acne, wrinkles, age spots, scarring and uneven skin tone the list is endless. There are a handful of acids that appear regularly within our favourite complexion products, some of which you may have cast your eye on before, including lactic, hyaluronic and salicylic acid. But do you understand their benefits? Ahead, we share five acid-based products and explain how they will take your skincare regime to the next level. Best for acne prone and oily skin types, Salicylic acid is a chemical exfoliator that penetrates deep into the skin, helping to unclog and minimise pores. The beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) doesn't only fight blemishes and acne, it also reduces pore size, smooths the skin and calms inflammation. We recommend: Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant This highly effective liquid exfoliant from US skincare brand Paula's Choice is laced with 2 per cent salicylic acid. Suitable for all skin types, especially normal, oily or combination, the leave-on exfoliant doesn't just gently deep clean pores to help eliminate acne. It also helps to fade lingering acne scars while promoting a brighter, smoother and even texture for a more clarified complexion. Buy now on Amazon If you're looking to diminish the appearance of fine lines, sun damage and hyperpigmentation while also making the skin more radiant, Gycolic acid is a versatile alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) that will do all the above. Plus, it will shrink pores. We recommend: Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel Try Dr Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta Peel once a week to avoid irritation. The first step pad contains five acids; glycolic, lactic, malic, citric and salicyclis. The second contains retinol, along with all its anti-ageing benefits. Targeted at those with oily skin, imperfections, uneven tone, texture, wrinkles or enlarged pores, the chemical exfoliator by Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare penetrates deep into the skin. It breaks down the 'glue' that keeps dead skin cells stuck to the skin's surface to lift them away, along with excess oil and impurities, while improving uneven tone and texture. The peels deliver excellent results. Buy now on Amazon Hyaluronic acid (HA) is famed for its ability to retain over 1,000 times its weight in water within skin cells, making it ideal for those with dry skin concerns. It's a must-have for improving the appearance of fine lines and maintaining hydrated, plump and glowing skin. We recommend: L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Intensive Hyaluronic Acid Serum Listen up skincare lovers. Revitalift Intensive Hyaluronic Acid Serum by L'Oreal Paris, which sells one every minute in the US, has finally launched in the UK. Its popularity is no surprise as the serum houses a potent blend of 1.5 per cent hyaluronic acid for an affordable price of just 24.99. Formulated with two types of hyaluronic acid (macro and micro forms of HA), the serum works to plump skin from beneath and at the surface. It immediately replenishes hydration while working to plump skin over time. Hello supple, youthful skin! Buy now on Boots Think of lactic acid (AHA) as a moisturising exfoliant. It works similarly to glycolic acid, but lactic acid is derived from milk and tolerated by most skin types thanks to its mild formulation. It's often used in body products to help smooth limbs and tackle skin conditions such as keratosis pilaris (aka chicken skin) by gently loosening dead skin cells. We recommend: Sunday Riley Good Genes Glycolic Acid Treatment This cult-favourite lactic acid treatment from Sunday Riley has been formulated with lactic acid salt, prickly pear, glycolic acid and lemongrass extract. This combination of ingredients will smooth, refine, clarify, and brighten while improving your skin's thickness and elasticity. It's truly game-changing. Buy now on Cult Beauty Ferulic acid is a powerful antioxidant that helps fight free radicals and the signs of aging. It tends to be blended with over-active ingredients such as ascorbic acid, vitamin C or E. Those with sensitive skin should use it with caution. We recommend: SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum contains a potent blend of 15 per cent pure vitamin C, one per cent vitamin E and 0.5 per cent ferulic acid to reduce hyperpigmentation, firm skin, brighten and neutralise free radicals. The serum, which costs a whopping 135, is highly rated among skincare experts, beauty editors and celebrities such as Sienna Miller and Hailey Bieber, who rave about the serum's ability to brighten and soothe skin. Buy now on Lookfantastic Check out our discount section for today's top deals and offers. MailOnline may earn commission on sales from the links on this page. If you already know the breadth and depth of visual arts activity in Buffalo and Western New York, hats off to you. If you dont, what are you waiting for?! The national press and other observers have certainly taken notice; accolades keep pouring in. Here, then is our list. Well-curated, of course. 1. Buffalos museum mile Buffalos museum mile (or, more accurately, quarter-mile) is made up of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery (modern/contemporary art), the Burchfield Penney Art Center (Charles E. Burchfield/regional art), and the Buffalo History Museum (regional history). You can experience at least a taste of all three in one day, and still have time for lunch. In addition to hosting art exhibits and educational programming, the Burchfield Penney frequently presents films, panel discussions and other kinds of performance to fulfill its mission of representing the region through a diversity of arts mediums. The History Museums buildingconstructed for the 1901 Pan American Expositionis a true architectural and historical treasure. The world-renowned Albright-Knox Art Gallery is closed for major renovations over the next couple of years. It will emerge with a new name; Buffalo AKG Art Museum. Now, instead of gallery, the G will stand for Gundlach, as in Jeffrey, a Buffalo ex-pat bond trader, whose generous gifts (over $52 million so far) are helping to make this development and expansion project possible. (In the meantime, Albright-Knox Northland, a project space a mile or so east, at 612 Northland Avenue, will present art installations, programming, and a variety of performances and events.) 2. Allentown First Friday Gallery Walk Historic Allentown has been a cultural and arts hotspot forever. The Gallery Walkwhere between 10 and 20 galleries, shops and boutiques fling open their doors to all (and generally offer some form of refreshment, aka wine)is a great way to experience work by diverse artists. Rub shoulders with the crowd, which is sure to include artists, art appreciators, and those seeking free cheese. Make sure to belly up to one of the many local bars, apres-art. 3. Gerald Mead Gerald Mead is Buffalo art: he makes, curates, collects, donates, writes and educates about it. The Gerald Mead Collection ought to be emblazoned on his car door. Mead plumbs his personal holdings to present exhibits, at no financial profit to himself. His focus is on artists with a Buffalo connection. He also shows his own worksmall, themed, meticulous collages and assemblages made from objects and imagery. Hes got no website, no cell phone, and believes in old-fashioned manners. Despite all this, the man gets things done. 4. University at Buffalo Art Galleries The UB Art Galleries curators have great resources, both in the might of the university and the concomitant access to artists and collections. The exhibit spaces include several on the schools North Campus, plus the impressive Anderson Gallery. The freestanding, off-campus venue somehow still manages to remain off the radar for the public at large. All are free and open to the public. The Anderson Gallery was donated to UB by prominent gallerist and collector David Anderson (1935-2009), son of internationally renowned New York modern art gallerist Martha Jackson (1907-1969), who was a Buffalo native. Local philanthropist and collector Annette Cravens (1923-2017) gifted the University a multi-million dollar, 1,100-piece group of archeological and ethnographic works; much of it is on display at the Anderson Gallery. 5. Artist-run galleries: Hallwalls, CEPA/Big Orbit Project Space, Squeaky Wheel, Sugar City These institutions vary in size and focus, but share a bootstrap energy that has kept them all rolling. They are artist-run forums for exhibition, exchange and education, in general known for innovation and collaboration. Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center is where Cindy Sherman and Robert Longo, as Buffalo State students, among others, started their careers. Hallwalls and CEPA Gallery were both founded in 1974. Squeaky Wheel Film & Media Art Center continues its legacy of innovation in media arts, envisioning a community that uses electronic media and film to celebrate freedom of expression and diversity of voice. A community-based venue, Sugar City encourages people to use their own creative energy to book their exhibits, events, and performances. 6. Architectural depth You cant really tout Buffalo arts without mentioning architecture. A days touring gives you an opportunity to marvel at the extant 19th and 20th century work by iconic designers, like H.H. Richardson, E.B. Green, Lewis Sullivan, the Saarinens, and of course, Frank Lloyd Wright. The recently renovated Richardson complexs Hotel Henry (also located within the museum mile adjacent to the Burchfield Penney) is an actual art destination, where work by local artists adorns the walls. The contemporary art is selected by local galleries and approved by Hotel Henrys curatorial team. 7. Public art Propelled by the unique initiative co-funded by the city of Buffalo, Erie County, and the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the gallery hired its first ever curator of public art in 2013. Public art, and particularly murals, have become a community-wide initiative. New murals and sculptures are popping up around Western New York, created by international and local artists and design firms. They provide a vibrant, colorful, and highly Instagrammable background to the citys continued resurgence. Keep your eyes peeled while driving, walking, or biking around Buffalo. 8. Buffalo/Niagara outlying venues: Castellani Art Museum of Niagara University (Lewiston), Kenan Center (Lockport), Carnegie Art Center (North Tonawanda), East Aurora The Castellani bears the name of the family who generously endowed it with both a fine collection and a building to hold it all. The Kenan Center, an all-round cultural resource, has its galleries within a stately 1800s Victorian mansion. The Carnegie Center, named after Andrew Carnegie, the buildings original funder, has a rakish feel, presenting a mix of under-the-radar artists and exhibitions. Nearby East Aurora holds rich repositories of art, galleries, artists, architecture, and history. 9. Active community of working artists, history of arts/artists, collectors Artists are necessarily a part of the fabric. Current working artists who are making a living mainly through their art (many while also teaching at area colleges) include Brendan Bannon, Millie Chen, A.J. Fries, Dennis Maher, Julian Montague, and Shasti OLeary Soudant. In addition, over 30 artists have space at Tri-Main Centers Buffalo Arts Studio, where theres also a hip gallery that offers high-quality shows and events. Buffalos 20th-century status as an industrial and financial hub enabled the arts to be an early priority. Collectors throughout the region have amassed works by notable regional artists who lived, worked and/or taught here. Favorites include Robert Blair, Harvey Breverman, Charles Burchfield, Virginia Cuthbert, Alexander Levy, Martha Vissert Hooft, and James Vullo. A show at the Burchfield Penney Art Center, In The Fullness Of Time, Painting In Buffalo, 1832-1972 highlights the rich history of artists who have lived and worked in Western New York; catch it if you can: Its up until March 1, 2020. 10. Commercial galleries Eleven Twenty Projects/Argus Gallery, Indigo Art, Nina Freudenheim Gallery, and artist collective Pine Apple Company are just a few of the more prominent galleries. In Buffalo, art action is so rife that some days you cant swing a cat without hitting at least three openings. And, on any given Friday night, its become almost a sport to see how many one person can get to in a night. Why dont you give it a try? READ MORE 14 great places for a romantic dinner in Buffalo Best small- to medium-sized live music venues in Buffalo Grape places to sip: Buffalo wine bars and restaurants Mike Shatzels Buffalo restaurant empire of good eats, good spirits More things to do in Upstate NY below Bucket List: 50 Places to visit in Upstate NY in 2020 These Upstate NY girls weekend getaways are squad goals Help the National Comedy Center win USA Todays travel award Hidden Gems of CNY: A grill in the middle of freakin nowhere thats worth the trip Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday defended the citizenship law enacted by his government to protect religious minorities from neighbouring countries but also launched a sharp attack at the Congress and its ecosystem that were spreading imaginary fears that the law would snatch citizenship from Indians. No Indian - whether Hindus, Muslims, Jains, Sikhs, Christians... - will lose their citizenship because of this law, he told the Lok Sabha in his reply to the discussion on the motion of thanks to President Ram Nath Kovind for his address to the joint session of Parliament. PM Modi, who dealt with the opposition attacks over the contentious Citizenship Amendment Bill towards the end of his 100-minute reply, urged the opposition to review its stand and warned that the protests and refusal of people to comply with laws would throw the country on the path to anarchy. If the Rajasthan assembly enacts a law and no one accepts it, what will be the situation? If the Madhya Pradesh assembly decides something and people come out on the streets against it, can you run a country like this. This will be the path to anarchy, he said. Also Watch | If we worked like them: PM raises Ram temple, Article 370 in Lok Sabha The thrust of PM Modis reply to criticism over the citizenship law was to attack the Congress-led opposition - he said the same set of people who have no qualms getting photographed with people who want to split the country (tukde tukde gang) - that was spreading lies and rumours about the law to mislead people. He launched a stinging counter-attack at the Congress too, saying it was one party where people should talk about saving the constitution, particularly given the number of occasions when it had violated the constitutions spirit. There has been talk of save constitution. I agree, Congress should say this 100 times in a day. Maybe they will realize their past mistakes. Did you forget this slogan during Emergency? When elected governments were dismissed? When cabinet resolutions were torn? he said. Or when he navigated the topic to the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 when thousands of Sikhs were killed, some burnt alive. And yet, the Congress had appointed a leader accused of involvement in the riots as chief minister of a state. He also quoted from a letter written by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to the then Chief Minister of Assam Gopinath Bordoloi before the Nehru Liaqat Pact to protect minorities in either countries was inked. This is for those who accuse us of Hindu-Muslim. Nehru said in this letter, You must make a difference between Hindu refugees and Muslim immigrants and the country must take responsibility of the refugees, PM Modi said. After the Nehru-Liaqat pact, PM Modi said, Nehru told the Lok Sabha on 5 November 1950 that there was no doubt that the affected people who have come to India should be given citizenship and if the law does not permit, the law should be changed. I want to ask the Congress. Was Pandit Nehru communal? Did he want a Hindu Rashtra? PM Modi said, playing back the charges that have been levelled at his government and party for pushing ahead with the citizenship law. Shares of Ajanta Pharma jumped 7.84% to Rs 1,288 after consolidated net profit soared 61.1% to Rs 107.76 crore in Q3 December 2019 (Q3 FY20) as against Rs 66.90 crore reported in Q3 December 2018 (Q3 FY19). Net sales advanced 34.2% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 651.21 crore in Q3 FY20. The result was announced after market hours yesterday. Profit before Tax jumped 88.4% to Rs 175.10 crore in Q3 FY20 as against Rs 92.96 crore posted in Q3 FY19. Current tax expenses, for the quarter, surged 171.1% to Rs 63.44 crore YoY. EBITDA grew 73.83% to Rs 186 crore in Q3 FY20 from Rs 107 crore in Q3 FY19. EBITDA margin fell to 28% in Q3 FY20 from 31% in Q3 FY19. Sales in India recorded a 12% growth to Rs 195 crore in Q3 FY20 as against Rs 174 crore in Q3 FY19. The total export sales jumped 47% to Rs 448 crore in Q3 FY20 as compared to Rs 304 crore in Q3 FY19. As per Iqvia MAT December 2019, the firm posted healthy growth of 13% in Cardiology (segment growth of 11%), 17% in Ophthalmology (segment growth of 10%), 9% in Dermatology (segment growth of 9%) and 17% in Pain Management (segment growth of 12%). From March 2019 to December 2019, Ajanta Pharma received 7 ANDA final approvals, 1 tentative approval and filed 8 ANDAs (Abbreviated New Drug Applications) with USFDA (United States Food & Drug Administration) in the US. Out of 31 final ANDA approvals, it has commercialized 28 products. At present, the firm holds 1 tentative approval while 23 ANDAs await USFDA approval. Ajanta Pharma plans to file 10-12 ANDAs during this financial year. During Q3 FY20, R&D expenses were Rs. 35 crore, (Q3 FY19 Rs 45 crore) which is 5% of operating revenue. During 9 months FY20, R&D expenses were Rs 114 crore, (9 Months FY19 Rs 136 crore) which is 6% of operating revenue. Ajanta Pharma is a specialty pharmaceutical company engaged in developing, producing and marketing a range of branded and generic formulations. Its business includes branded generics in emerging markets of Asia and Africa, generics in the developed markets of the United States and Institutional sales. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ryanair being accused of greenwashing after getting rapped over the knuckles for claims made in its ads? It probably doesnt count as the days biggest surprise. The airline has a history of sailing close to the line, and sometimes crossing it. It has butted heads with regulators on repeated occasions and will no doubt do so again. The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) is one of them, having previously raised issues over claims the airline has made about its prices. Theres also been the occasional tussle over taste and decency. You may recall the companys history with calendars featuring scantily clad cabin crew (since scrapped). But while it might not seem that way at first, there are actually some positives you could wring from the latest, climate focussed ding dong. The renowned China-based hot pot chain Haidilao Hotpot will open its first Texas location in Katy at the Katy Grand Development, adding to the area's expanding list of top-rated international restaurants. The global chain has nearly 600 locations worldwide and is known for its Sichuan-style hot pot dishes that offer a blend of authentic, traditional Chinese food with modern flavors. The company leased 6,295 square feet in phase two of Katy Grand located at 23330 Grand Circle Boulevard in Katy, the Houston Chronicle reported. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 6) Eagle Cement Corporation denied operating under the control of San Miguel Corporation (SMC), after a competition body flagged a potential industry monopoly due to a pending merger. Eagle made the clarification in a statement to the Philippine Stock Exchange following competition concerns raised by the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), the governments antitrust body. The company denied any involvement in SMC's plan to acquire Holcim Philippines, Inc., the countrys leading cement maker, for $2.15 billion (about 127 billion). The regulator flagged the deal last week, saying it could lead to a "monopoly, increased market power, and potential collusion" in the sector. "Eagle Cement wishes to clarify that the company is not owned and controlled by the Top Frontier Group and San Miguel Corporation. Eagle is not involved in the SMC-Holcim merger deal," the listed firm said in a disclosure Wednesday. San Miguel unit First Stronghold Cement Industries, Inc. first revealed the acquisition plan in May 2019, which will give the firm a controlling 85.73 percent stake in Holcim. READ: DTI to impose higher duties on imported cement Eagle Cement said it is the fourth largest player in the local cement industry in terms of sales, and is owned by businessman Ramon Ang who is also president and chief operating officer of SMC and chief executive officer of its umbrella company, Top Frontier. But Eagle Cement said it is not part of the conglomerate. The PCC 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. It added that Top Frontier and its subsidiary Northern Cement Corporation use "coordinated marketing strategies" and exert influence on the board of directors of each other, which will leave the industry to a lone major player if the merger pushes through. The competition watchdog also said it considers Northern Cement and Eagle Cement as sister firms "under common control." Based on its 2018 annual report, Far East Cement Corporation owns 60 percent of Eagle Cement while Ang has a 26 percent stake. The remaining shares are owned by 18 individual stockholders, among them Ang's children. SMC issued a statement last week saying it is committed to "achieving a favorable outcome of the review process," but said it believes that acquiring Holcim would be "beneficial" to consumers and to the cement industry. Eagle Cement operates two cement sites in Bulacan and four in Cebu. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said on Wednesday that the omnibus bill would contain a mechanism to ensure that digital companies fulfilled their tax obligations without changing existing tax provisions, such as a new requirement on value-added tax. The omnibus bill on taxation is to include a digital tax policy that taxes all digital companies doing business in Indonesia, even if they do not have a physical presence in the country. Speaking during a panel discussion at the Mandiri Investment Forum in Jakarta, the minister explained that the bill needed to address digital taxation because of the significant development of the digital economy and tax laws that had yet to catch up with the new business model. 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 The Smart Refrigerator Market size is poised to be worth around US$ 6.2 Bn by 2026 and growing at a CAGR of around 13.1% during forecast period 2019 to 2026 LOS ANGELES, Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Acumen Research and Consulting, a global provider of market research studies, in a recently published report titled Smart Refrigerator Market (By Door Type: Single, Double, Side by Side, French; By Distribution Channel: Online, Offline; By End-user: Commercial, Residential) Global Industry Analysis, Market Size, Opportunities and Forecast, 2019 - 2026. Free Download Sample Report Pages for Better understanding@ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/request-sample/1735 The global smart refrigerator market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. The North America accounted for the largest share of the market in 2018. High domestic income, major presence of urban population and nuclear families, rapid technological development & adoption by people to make home smart are the key factors that responsible for the dominance of North America across the world. The Asia Pacific is anticipated to observe the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Increasing demand of smart refrigerators from the Asia Pacific countries such as China, South Korea, Japan, and India due to growing domestic income and availability of innovative products by multinational companies are some of the factors that fuel the market growth. Based on door type, the market has been segmented into single, double, side by side, and French. In 2018, the double door smart refrigerator held the largest share of the market. This refrigerator is featured with a compact inbuilt freezer on the top. Affordability for household application, the energy efficiency of the double door refrigerator, and the introduction of various type double door refrigerators by companies are the key factors responsible for the dominance of this segment. For instance, recently in January 2020, Samsung and LG showcased their AI-powered smart refrigerator at the CES 2020 show. Story continues View Detail Information with Complete TOC@ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/smart-refrigerator-market Based on the distribution channel, the market is segmented into online and offline. Offline stores accounted for the maximum share of the market in 2018 and the segment is anticipated to observe the fastest growth during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the high preference of buyers. Large appliances need a check and scanning before buying and hence customer prefers offline channel for smart refrigerators. Based on the end-user of the smart refrigerator, the market is divided into residential and commercial. The residential segment held the largest share of the market and is expected to maintain its share during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the rise in the digitalization in the products, increasing the purchasing power of consumers, and the rising demand for fresh & safe food. Food & beverages, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and healthcare providers such as hospitals & laboratories are the key industries that require reliable and more precise refrigeration technologies to store sensitive products. Explore More Related Reports, Click Here@ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/industry-categories/semiconductor-and-electronics Key players operating in the smart refrigerator market are Hisense Co. Ltd, Liebherr Group, Electrolux AB, LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd, Midea Group, Siemens AG, Haier Group Corporation, GE Appliance, Whirlpool Corporation, Bosch Group, and Panasonic Corporation. The introduction of innovative products by the addition of various smart functions and partnerships for the development and distribution of products are some of the key strategies adopted by market players to enhance their market share. Some of the key observations regarding the smart refrigerator industry include: In January 2020, Samsung and LG showcased their artificial intelligence capabilities refrigerator at CES 2020 and are anticipated to launch in the same year for consumers. The latest edition of Samsungs Family Hub refrigerator and LGs second-generation InstaViewThinQrefrigerator both tout AI-equipped cameras that can identify food. These cameras can scan inside and let users know what items theyre short on. In December 2019, Yunmi Internet Smart Refrigerator launched by Xiaomi. The refrigerator comes with the three-door design and has a 21-inch display to control the settings. It can also be used to learn new recipes, check the weather, or order groceries. With the launch of a smart refrigerator, Xiaomitried to expand its portfolio beyond smartphones and smart TVs. In November 2018, Electrolux together with Karma, a Sweden born startup, introduced a smart refrigerator for grocery stores to reduce food waste. A refrigerator, beta, integrated with the Karmas app and is expected to reduce food waste at grocery stores. The partnership helps to combine Electroluxs expertise on food preservation with Karmas knowledge of technology and food waste. In August 2017, Samsung Electronics announced to expand the smart feature, voice recognition function of the Family Hub refrigerator in European countries by the second half of this year. Samsung already applied cloud-based voice features to the Family Hub in the U.S. and Korea, and in 2017, the company is aiming to add European languages on a phased basis, starting with British English, French, German, and Italian. In January 2017, LG introduced a smart refrigerator embedded with Amazon Alexa virtual assistance technology. This feature allows users to purchase groceries through Amazon Prime by speaking their orders to the appliance. Request for Customization@ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/request-customization/1735 The report is readily available and can be dispatched immediately after payment confirmation. Buy this premium research report@ https://www.acumenresearchandconsulting.com/buy-now/0/1735 If you would like to place an order or have any questions, please feel free to contact at sales@acumenresearchandconsulting.com | +1 407 915 4157 OR +1 408 900 9135 For Latest Update Follow Us: https://twitter.com/AcumenRC https://www.facebook.com/acumenresearchandconsulting As the deadly coronavirus spreads beyond China, the ensuing panic is inflaming bigotry against people of Asian descent around the world. One venue where thats playing out is in the back seats of Uber and Lyft cars. In interviews and online, customers and drivers of Asian descent reported a raft of complaints, including inappropriate comments or cancellations due to their appearance or name. An Asian American driver said the number of jobs available to her plummeted recently, and a customer said she was initially rejected for an airport pickup until a white friend explained to the driver they werent travelling from China. In online forums, the virus is a main topic of conversation among drivers. The ride-hailing apps show drivers and riders the first name, usually accompanied by a picture, of the person theyre connected with before pickup. The companies have said the feature is designed for safety and ease of use, but it has for years been singled out as a method for discrimination. Racial profiling was a problem in taxis long before Uber existed. And today, the coronavirus outbreak is fuelling claims of discrimination against Chinese people at schools in Europe and restaurants in South Korea. More than 25,000 infections and nearly 500 deaths have been reported in about two dozen countries since the first case last month. The airborne virus is easily transmitted, and the risk is especially high in densely populated, confined environments, such as airplanes and ride-hailing vehicles. Uber Technologies Inc. recently used its platform to try to contain the spread of the virus. Uber said last week that a person in Mexico suspected of carrying the virus came in contact with two drivers. The company temporarily suspended the accounts of the infected customer, his drivers and about 240 passengers who rode in their cars afterward. Uber said it hasnt received additional reports of infection since then. Uber and Lyft Inc. said they have anti-discrimination policies and would remove a rider or driver from the system who was found to be in violation. They declined to comment on individual cases or disclose the number of discrimination claims filed with the companies. Critics contend the companies arent doing enough to address discrimination. Caitlin Pascua, an Uber driver of Asian American descent in the Los Angeles area, said that since the outbreak, shes getting frequent cancellations, lower ratings and fewer tips from customers. Pascua said her earnings from food deliveries are less than half of what she was making before, and shes often left with meals that have already been paid for but that customers refuse to receive. On the way to the drop-off, theyll show a profile picture of me, so they know who will be delivering their food, Pascua said. I guess thats enough for people to judge. Dozens of posts on Twitter from Uber and Lyft customers contain allegations of discrimination. Lilian Wang, a tech industry employee, said on Sunday that a Lyft driver at San Francisco International airport wouldnt unlock his car door until her friend approached. The driver asked if wed arrived from China and noted that he had refused a ride to someone with an Asian-sounding name. She described her experience on Twitter and in an interview with CNBC. Posts on a private Facebook group popular with drivers describes precautions some are taking against the coronavirus. They include stocking cars with hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. Harry Campbell, author of the Rideshare Guy blog, said he suspects many drivers are bypassing people based on their ethnicity over fears of infection: The feedback were getting from drivers is that their safety is paramount to a riders feelings and any potentially discriminatory issues. A midwife is facing life in prison and being charged with an astounding 95 felonies for delivering babies against government regulations in the state of New York. The case has serious ramifications for religious freedom as well, since midwife Elizabeth Catlin is a Mennonite and provides birthing services for people who share her religious beliefs. These women need resources, they need help, Melissa Carman said to Yahoo News. Carman is the President of NY CPM, a non-profit that works to change New York laws to more readily allow the certification of midwives in the state. Carman believes that Caitlins case is an indicator that the heart of midwifery the compassionate care that was given, the relationships built and the trust in a provider is gone. Caitlin is even being charged with criminally negligent homicide, an allegation that she finds to be the most devastating. What theyre trying to do, I guess, is make some kind of crazy example of this person for what, Im not exactly sure, said Vicki Hedley, president of the Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA). The fact that she is being indicted for negligent homicide is way over the top, since the baby died six hours after being in her care, she added. Criminalizing women for helping other women have babies tells us all that women still are not free to make our own health care decisions even about something so extremely personal, said Cristen Pascucci, founder of the organization Birth Monopoly. Nevertheless, the prosecutors defend their behavior and claim they even went easy on the charges made against Caitlin. Nicki Minaj and her ex-boyfriend Meek Mill got caught in a vicious and deeply personal Twitter war on Wednesday night. The Anaconda hitmaker, 37, found herself caught in an exchange with the rapper, 32, after he liked a photo that made reference to her new husband Kenneth Petty. Nicki posted a shot of the rapper staring at a cellphone, writing, 'Trigger fingers turn to #TwitterFingers bad built face a** obsessed with the Queen.' The latest: Nicki Minaj and her ex-boyfriend Meek Mill got caught in a vicious and deeply personal Twitter war on Wednesday night (L-R) The Queens, New York native then said that Meek was preoccupied with her life, and that his actions were humiliating his girlfriend, fashion designer Milan. While Meek went on to announce that his girlfriend Milan Harris is pregnant in a now-deleted tweet during the Twitter war. 'N**** been tweeting bout my man for a year now,' Minaj said. 'Talking bout he went to my page to see him but he was blocked. My n****, move on. I know ya b**** embarrassed.' Pregnant: In one of his final tweets, the rapper, 32, announced: 'My girl is with me pregnant watching me tweet about my ex is very clownish... Ima exit,' yet the artist quickly deleted the post (Milan pictured in January) War: The Anaconda hitmaker, 37, found herself caught in an exchange with the rapper, 32, after he liked a photo that made reference to her new husband Kenneth Petty (pictured in 2016) She made reference to an incident in which Meek 's****ed' himself in a West Hollywood store when he was 'pressed' by Petty, according to The Daily Beast. Things only escalated from there, as Meek referred to Minaj's brother Jelani Maraj, who last month was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison a New York prison after he repeatedly raped an 11-year-old child while her mother was at work. The 41-year-old was found guilty of 'predatory sexual assault against a child and endangering the welfare of a child' in 2017 and Nassau County Supreme Court Judge, Robert McDonald, refused to give him a soft sentence. 'You sad you willing to crash your man because you losing now and everybody in the industry know you a bad person!' Meek said. 'You been knew your brother was raping that little girl that's why I got away from you!' It begins: Nicki posted a shot of the rapper staring at a cellphone, writing, 'Trigger fingers turn to #TwitterFingers bad built face a** obsessed with the Queen.' Sentenced: Things only escalated from there, as Meek referred to Minaj's brother Jelani Maraj, who last month was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison a New York prison after he repeatedly raped an 11-year-old child while her mother was at work (Jelani and Nicki pictured) Minaj launched her own salvo back at Meek, boldly claiming he was physically abusive with her and other women in the past: 'You beat your own sister and taped it. Spit on her & taped it. Kicked me in front your mother and sent her to the hospital.' She implied that Meek was feeling bold amid his friendship with Drake, adding, 'S***ing drake d**k made u feel tough again. Move on.' Minaj then criticised Meek for mentioning the issue involving her brother, saying, 'Imagine talking about an alleged rape of a child to hurt someone who wasn't involved just so ppl can dislike me.' Hitting back: Minaj then criticised Meek for mentioning the issue involving her brother Bold: The rapper launched her own salvo back at Meek, boldly claiming he was physically abusive with her and other women in the past Response: Mill denied that he's abusive to women and returned the animosity She continued: 'You can never stand on your own. You won't tell ppl the mother is on tape asking me for $20 million to make the charge go away tho. U was around. U know. See u soon.' Meek denied Minaj's claims of physical abuse, telling his 9.1 million followers that he's looking to avoid talking about Minaj in the near future. 'For clarification I don't hit women and I won't let my interviews be filled with question about her or any situation to do with her when I come out to do press for my new album!' he wrote, adding 'No devils tricks.' Nicki and Meek had been friends for years, they started officially dating in 2015 and split two years later in 2017. Denial: Meek denied Minaj's claims of physical abuse, telling his 9.1 million followers that he's looking to avoid talking about Minaj in the near future President Donald holds up an executive order on combating human trafficking, next to Ivanka Trump (2R) in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Jan. 31, 2020. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images) Trump Administration Ramps up Fight Against Human Trafficking Experts, a former victim, and some anti-trafficking groups said they are encouraged by the administrations executive order aimed at eliminating human trafficking, describing it as a historical collaboration between federal agencies, and one of the more comprehensive actions taken by the White House to date. The directive, signed into law by President Donald Trump on Jan. 31, sets into motion a wide range of actions. The order on combating human trafficking and online child exploitation in the United States broadly prioritizes resources to vigorously prosecute offenders, to assist victims, and to provide prevention education to combat human trafficking and online sexual exploitation of children. Much of the order is broken down into prosecution, protection, and prevention, a senior administration official said in a Jan. 31 conference call with reporters. Prosecuting traffickers and buyers as well as cracking down on child pornography are both highlighted as key points of the directive. In interviews with The Epoch Times, four anti-trafficking groups and other experts, some who attended the White House summit last week and who have worked with the administration on combating the problem, said the order rightly tackles a number of key areas needed to combat trafficking, as they relate to primary prevention methods. Many described trafficking as a business operation utilizing supply and demand, and said buyers should also be held accountable for contributing to the problem. One of the major orders was the creation of a new White House position dedicated solely to combating trafficking. That position will be part of the Domestic Policy Council, and the candidate would work with the Executive Office of the President, including the Office of Economic Initiatives and the National Security Council. A White House spokesperson declined to comment to The Epoch Times about whether a short list for the role has been created. Kevin Malone, president of the United States Institute Against Human Trafficking and a member of Trumps Public-Private Partnership Advisory Council to End Human Trafficking, said his organization has worked with the administration since April 2017, and helped advocate for the new anti-trafficking position to be opened up. Were probably looking at a couple of months before that position is filled, Malone told The Epoch Times, noting that he doesnt have direct knowledge of any internal White House decisions. This position that the president has created will be a major game-changer in the fight against domestic human trafficking. Other major actions in the directive include the expansion of housing options for victims of trafficking, increasing prevention education programs for the countrys youth within the applicable laws, and improving the detection of real-time sharing of child sexual abuse material on the internet. At the signing, Trump declared his administration as 100 percent committed to eradicating human trafficking from the earth. Samantha Vardaman, vice president of Shared Hope International, a nonprofit anti-trafficking organization, was one of many other groups attending the summit last week. She said the mood at the event was very positive and that she was encouraged to see that one of the focuses was targeting online material. The focus on online exploitation is absolutely essential, she told The Epoch Times. Were drowning in online child sex abuse images. When the technology companies wont voluntarily self-regulate them, we need government to do something. Vardaman said the time to take action against abuse on the internet is now, citing the threat of end-to-end encryption that major technology companies are moving toward. In addition, Attorney General William Barr, in collaboration with the Secretary of Labor and the Secretary of Homeland Security, will improve interagency coordination with respect to targeting traffickers, determining threat assessments, and sharing law enforcement intelligence to build on the administrations commitment to the continued success of ongoing anti-trafficking enforcement initiatives. Trump has often spoken publicly about combating human trafficking. He signed the order upon the conclusion of a White House summit on the issue while surrounded by officials, members of Congress, and trafficking survivors. According to the White House, 24.9 million people around the world and in the United States, both adults and children, are trapped in some form of human trafficking. About 1 in 800 people in the United States are living in modern slavery, according to 2018 data by the Walk Free Foundation. The phrase is a broad term used to describe victims of forced labor, sexual exploitation or servitude, and forced marriages, among numerous other abuses. Darrin Giglio, a former Marine who has also worked for the U.S. Secret Service, told The Epoch Times that one of the noteworthy factors of the White House event was the announcement by Ivanka Trump of an additional $42 million in funding dedicated to prosecuting traffickers and supporting victims in 2021. Human trafficking syndicates often operate on a global level, and its very costly to cast a net that large, said Giglio, who is now the chief investigator at North American Investigations, a licensed New York private investigation agency. The additional resources will be very helpful and should lead to an increase in prosecutions. Ivanka Trump confirmed the additional funding in her remarks at the summit. The president is expected to announce the proposed budget increase for 2021 sometime this month. In fiscal 2016, there were 531 human trafficking prosecutions, Giglio added via email. In fiscal 2019, there were 343. This order should help get that number back up, he said. Vardaman said traffickers are often willing to take a risk because the risk of getting caught is low. We dont have the resources that we need to make it a higher-risk crime, she said. Theres a real need for that money, both to investigate and prosecute, but also to help to restore and provide the long-term services that victims need. The administrations more aggressive prosecutorial approach is vital in tackling the root cause of the problem, by reducing demand and prosecuting obscenity, according to Jake Roberson, director of communications for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. Theres just so much evidence that obscenity and hardcore pornography is a huge part of the demand element, Roberson told The Epoch Times. Weve seen this explosion since the Department of Justice began rolling back obscenity prosecutions during the Clinton administration. Weve seen a huge core correlation with the rise of obscenity and then the rise from that of child sexual abuse material and the proliferation there. It spills over into the rise and the hidden problem that weve got with human trafficking. Heads of executive departments and appropriate agencies, including Barr and the Secretary of Homeland Security, were also tasked to propose to Trump, within 180 days, legislative and executive actions that would overcome information-sharing challenges and improve law enforcements capabilities to eliminate child pornography. The State Department is also tasked with creating a website containing resources to combat, identify, and report instances of human trafficking, as well as to protect and support victims. A senior administration official said the site will be a central government website, describing it as a one-stop shop for the public to be able to go and see all of the federal governments resources on human trafficking, including public outreach and training. The administration is also creating a working group to find better ways to locate missing children, such as children in foster care that tend to be vulnerable to human trafficking and child exploitation, the official said. The director of faith-based anti-trafficking group One More Childwhich meets the needs of foster and trafficked children, as well as struggling familiessaid the expansion of housing options for survivors was monumental and praised the approach of bringing together governmental agencies, along with nonprofits and direct service providers. For survivors, it aids recidivism when theres a lack of housing, Christa Lynn, the executive director of the group, told The Epoch Times. I love that theyre addressing the need to more aggressively prosecute traffickers, and again, that theyre doing it through the collaborative approach is very important. The Secretary of Health and Human Services, with the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, was tasked with creating an internal working group that would strategize ways for faith-based and other community organizations to expand housing options for victims of human trafficking, as well as involving other levels of government. Meanwhile, some anti-trafficking groups boycotted the White House trafficking event last week, saying the administration hasnt done enough to help immigrant trafficking victims. Power of Faith Lynn herself is a former victim of sex-trafficking, who gained freedom from the industry and is now a certified clinical trauma professional. Her mother was also a victim of trafficking, and Lynn said she grew up living a life of vulnerability and poverty. She said she saw her parents abuse drugs, and there was domestic violence at times. You take all of these childhood vulnerabilities, and its no surprise that at 13, I would be raped for the first time, she said. By 15, I had already been bouncing around in non-familial placements, and ended up a few weeks homeless here and there. At another time in her life, Lynn said a trafficker posed as a boyfriend and convinced her to come to his house to be safe and live there. She said the day she arrived, he took everything I owned and held me. She was held captive in the mans house for about two and half months. During other instances, Lynn said she was also a victim of labor trafficking for a couple of weeks. Her vulnerable childhood, she said, led her to develop a severe drug addiction. Through the drug addiction at 24, I would be trafficked for another, like, two to three days again, I was highly on drugs, she said. At 27 years old, Lynn had a daughter, which she said sparked the first hope. At 29, she wound up in prison, and it was there she first found her faith. She said learning about God gave her new hope she had never felt before in her life. As time went on, she found mentors and joined a Christian community, obtained an education, and learned how to be a mother, before she joined the faith-based group One More Child. She said that due to her experience, she knows how important it is to target traffickers and buyers. Amid the ongoing protests against the CAA, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday called upon Sangh functionaries to reach out to people to dispel misinformation about the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and drum up support for the controversial legislation. He gave the call at a meeting of RSS functionaries from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, both ruled by the Congress, here, sources in the organisation said. The media was not allowed to cover the meet. The RSS chief categorically told the functionaries to remove the impression prevailing in certain quarters that the new citizenship law is against the Constitution, they added. Bhagwat's suggestion was based on feedback that Dalits are being misled by vested interest with arguments that the CAA is an attack on Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the chief architect of the Constitution, the sources added. With this, the RSS sarsanghchalak wrapped up his four- -day-long visit to the city where he held a series of meetings with pracharaks (full-time volunteers) from Chhattisgarh and MP and functionaries of more than 35 Sangh affiliates at Sharda Vihar, a residential school, they said. With the meetings over, pracharaks and functionaries of Sangh affiliates like the ABVP, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, the Hindu Jagran Manch, the Sewa Bharti, the Vidya Bharti and the Gram Bharti will start fanning out among people, especially in rural areas, to dispel misinformation about the CAA-NRC, an RSS insider said. The campaign will be carried out on a war-footing as vested interests are dividing the Hindu society over the CAA and the proposed NRC with arguments that the measures are against the Constitution, he said. Progress and impact of the outreach programme, which is especially focused on youths, will be reviewed periodically at different levels, the RSS insider added. An attempt is on to divide the Hindu society with misinformation that the CAA and NRC are against Ambedkars views and spirit of the Constitution drafted by him, he said. Followers of Ambedkar are being swayed by anti-CAA protesters, he added. Bhagwat ji asked functionaries to work for social harmony (samajik samrasta), the RSS insider added. According to another Sangh insider, some functionaries apprised Bhagwat about the exodus of Muslims office-bearers from the Madhya Pradesh BJP's minority cell in protest against the CAA-NRC. He said Bhagwat told them they should win over these minority community members and convince them that the CAA was not against Indian Muslims. During his visit, Bhagwat held talks with more than 100 pracharaks from MP and Chhattisgarh on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, he held interaction with functionaries of more than 35 Sangh affiliates. Bhagwat received feedback from them on different issues, including the CAA and the NRC, the sources said. Union ministers Prahlad Patel, Faggan Singh Kulaste, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh, MP BJP president Rakesh Singh, among others, met Bhagwat here. Meanwhile, an RSS release said Bhagwat asked functionaries to build a strong cadre to take on social challenges and removes vices from the society. The CAA seeks to fast-track Indian citizenship for non -Muslim who fled Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan because of religious persecution. CAA's critics say the law is discriminatory and violates the core values of the Constitution. Its enactment in December triggered widespread protests in the country. The NRC (National Register of Citizens) seeks to create a record of bonafide Indian citizens in the country and identify illegal residents. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) - M3 Metals Corp. (TSXV: MT) (FSE: X0VP) ("M3 Metals" or the "Company"). Effective immediately, Marco Montecinos has been appointed to the Company's Board of Directors as an independent director. Mr. Montecinos has extensive knowledge of Nevada and Arizona operations and will leverage his experience to help the Company advance the Mohave Mine Gold Project (the "Project"). Mr. Montecinos is a respected mining professional with over 35 years experience in exploration projects and resource development in the Americas. Mr. Montecinos worked as a Senior Consultant to Intrepid Mines Ltd. in the Americas and in Australia and was Vice President of Exploration for Montana Gold. From 1983 to 1997 he worked in various capacities with numerous junior, intermediate and senior companies including Francisco Gold, Phelps Dodge, Placer Dome, Billiton, Alta Gold and Nerco Minerals. Marco was instrumental in the discovery of the Marlin Deposit in Guatemala and other gold deposits in Nevada, Mexico, and Central America. Adrian Smith, President of M3 Metals comments "We are grateful to Mr. Montecinos for offering his extensive knowledge and experience which we believe will be very relevant to our Mohave Mine Gold Project. Mr. Montecinos' experience will be key to completing a successful exploration campaign and allowing the Company to leverage the extensive historic data available to complete a up-to-date 43-101 resource estimate on the project." The Company also wishes to announce the resignation of Simon Clarke as a Director. M3 Metals thanks Mr. Clarke for his efforts and contributions to date and wishes him the best in his future endeavors. The Project area covers numerous historic underground past-producing gold mines in the Weaver mining district, Mohave County, Arizona, USA. Three main areas on the Project include the Dixie Area, Klondyke Area and Golden Door Area. The Company intends to complete an extensive drilling campaign to expand on the over 500 historic drill holes located on the Project. Currently the Company is utilizing the extensive historic database preserved from the previous operators who began development of the project in the 1990's. The Company continues to digitize the extensive historic database including underground mine workings, geological mapping, historic drill logs and assay sheets from over 500 historic drill holes, and the abundant surface soil and rock data to prioritize drill targets for the planned drilling program. The Company has secured an option to acquire the mineral rights to all the historic mines falling within the Project area and believes they may be related to a property wide gold system. M3 Metals has the right to acquire a 100 percent right, title and interest in the Mohave Mine Gold Project comprised of a total of 160 lode and mill-site claims. Additional information is available on the Mohave Project page at www.m3metalscorp.com. Disclaimer Adrian Smith, P.Geo., acts as the Qualified Person, as that term is defined by National Instrument 43-101, for the above-mentioned project. The QP is a member in good standing of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEGBC) as a registered Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.). Mr. Smith has reviewed and approved the technical information disclosed above. ABOUT M3 METALS CORP. M3 Metals Corp. is a Canadian listed Company, focused on creating shareholder value through discoveries and strategic development of mineral properties in North America. For additional information please visit the Company's website at www.m3metalscorp.com. You may also email info@m3metalscorp.com or call investor relations at (604) 669-2279. M3 METALS CORP. "Adrian Smith" Adrian Smith President NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When or if used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals (both federal and state), the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, currency risks including the exchange rate of US$ for CDN$, changes in exploration costs and government royalties or taxes in Canada, the United States (including Nevada) or other jurisdictions and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affections such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52159 SPRINGFIELD Illinois Medicaid recipients considering clinical trials for cancer treatment would no longer face possible rejection of coverage for care under legislation sponsorfed by by state Senator Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, that advanced out of the Senate Human Services Committee on Wednesday. Access to the latest, most advanced cancer treatments can mean the difference between life and death for patients, Manar said. I take issue with the fact that some people are granted that access and others arent, simply depending on which insurance plan they have. This legislation solves that. An initiative of the American Cancer Society, Senate Bill 2499 requires Medicaid to cover routine care costs incurred for an approved clinical trial involving the prevention, detection, or treatment of cancer or any other life-threatening disease, as long as Medicaid would normally cover those same routine care costs for a non-clinical procedure. Because Medicaid beneficiaries tend to be lower income and more diverse, ensuring their participation in clinical trials makes it more likely that new therapies will be tested in a representative population, said Shana Crews, the Illinois Government Relations Director for the American Cancer Society. With this bill, the legislature has an opportunity to ensure the viability of new cancer research in our state and to allow an additional one in five Illinois residents to have access to these new, potentially lifesaving treatments and therapies. More than 20% of Illinoisans are covered by Medicaid, making it the second largest type of insurance behind Medicare. Medicare and private insurance carriers are already required to provide coverage for routine care costs in clinical trial participation. SB 2499 would align Medicaid coverage for clinical trials with coverage under those insurance plans. If passed, SB 2499 would make Illinois the 14th state Medicaid program including the District of Columbia to cover clinical trials for Medicaid beneficiaries. Because routine costs would be paid for by Medicaid if the patient were not on a clinical trial, there is minimal cost differential for Medicaid to cover these costs within a clinical trial. SB 2499 will now move to the Senate floor for consideration. Dear Answer Man: We've been told that there are 313 fewer dairy farms. The dairy output is from cows, not farms, so what we need to know is how many cows existed in the state prior the reduction of farms and how many cows exist today. Be assured that the number of animals supposedly "lost" have been purchased or replaced by existing farms. So, Mr. Answer Man, can you ferret out the real bottom line has the amount of milk produced in the state been reduced? Signed "Muchas Preguntas" Dear Senior Many Questions: First, don't try to trip up the wise Answer Man with your Spanish moniker. Answer Man speaks many languages, or at least knows how to use Google Translate. As for your "pregunta de leche," I assume your numbers come from a recent report from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture that said the state saw the closing of 315 (from 2,763 to 2,448) dairies in 2019. That's no drop in the milk pail. That's some serious spilled milk. To help answer your question, I reached out to Lucas Sjostrum with Minnesota Milk, who gave me a lot of information. I'll try to grab the cream off the top. First, a report from Hoard's Dairyman, an industry numbers cruncher, noted that in December, milk production in Minnesota was down 0.4 percent. However, Sjostrom noted that looking at either monthly or even yearly changes can be misleading. A cold winter, a hot summer, the quality of silage can all impact production. ADVERTISEMENT However, the U.S. and Canada are the only nations on the planet that have increased overall milk production while decreasing overall dairy-related greenhouse gas emissions over the past 15 years. Why? Dairy practices help produce more milk per cow. And the idea that all those cows found nice new homes is not accurate. To put that in perspective, the 2017 Census of Agriculture noted that from 2012 to 2017 Minnesota lost 1,102 dairies, representing 23 percent of all dairies in the state. During the same period, the number of cows plying their milky trade in Minnesota dropped from 463,312 to 457,801, a total of "only" 5,511 cows. However, anecdotal evidence suggests the next census will show a bigger loss in cows unless larger dairies start replacing the many small dairies that are closing. As for the amount of milk, despite losing 5,511 cows from 2012 to 2017, milk production actually increased 5.6 percent in Minnesota during the same period. Again, you can thank the dairy farming practices and improved genetics of the animals. As for those 5,511 cows lost, most came from one spot in Southeast Minnesota. Want to take a guess which county? If you picked the one with the hard cap of 1,500 animal units per feedlot (Winona County), you'd win a free ice cream cone. Except dairy owners are still struggling, so you'll need to pay for your lactose these days. In fact, as dairies close, small towns overall are struggling. The impact of each cow lost, according to a study by the Plainview Ag Center News, represents $34,000 in economic activity, most of that local as cows require feed, veterinarian services and other support from local agribusinesses. So, should we cry over the loss of these dairies? Well, I'd bet each one represents a family business that closed its barn doors. ADVERTISEMENT Does it represent a loss of dairy cows? Quite simply, yes. Fortunately, the U.S. farmer has thus far kept the milk flowing. The BJP's message is that the past must be reinvented as creatively as imagination allows, states Sunanda K Datta-Ray. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com Since West Bengal's governor is a scholar with evidence of Ram's historical existence, he may also have heard of Oscar Wilde. He may even be aware of the Wildean bon mot, 'Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery' whose less-quoted conclusion is 'that mediocrity can pay to greatness'. Not that Jagdeep Dhankhar would dream of demeaning himself as 'mediocrity'. But, undoubtedly, he reveres Narendra Damodardas Modi as 'greatness' epitomised, and repeats -- perhaps even tries to improve upon -- the prime minister's brave assertions about the mythic achievements of ancient Hindus. Bharatiya Janata Party loyalists are most stridently devoted in states that -- high-decibel propaganda notwithstanding -- they don't have a cat in hell's chance of capturing. When not using his professional suffix 'Yogi', Ajay Singh Bisht or Ajay Mohan Bisht (Google records both unfamiliar names), aka Adityanath, might say outrageous things and do worse. But does he really shoot critics 'like dogs' (are even dogs indiscriminately shot?) and 'drag them away'? When Dilip Ghosh, West Bengal's BJP chief, says this is standard practice for BJP chief ministers, he is probably only fantasising about what he would like to do if ever his soaring ambition lands him in Writers's Building. Or, perhaps, he is savouring what should be done to 'a female demon, a Lankini', as another BJP legislator, Surendra Singh, calls Mamata Banerjee. If Assam's chief minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, whom Mr Ghosh also mentioned, is guilty of such criminal murderousness, it must be attributed to his difficulty in reconciling the Citizenship (Amendment) Act with a lifetime of hostility to Bengalis, especially from East Bengal. Little does Mr Ghosh realise that his reckless utterances confirm that with friends like him, the BJP needs no enemies in West Bengal. He has also warned the Centre (inadvertently, of course) that if it at all wishes to earn the country's respect for responsible governance and upholding the law, it must invoke Article 356 in Uttar Pradesh, Assam and wherever else saffron rule permits men and women to indulge in such murderousness. Indian politics being the art of the impossible, West Bengal's governor is heir to several such conflicting and contradictory traditions. He has travelled a long way, possibly longer than the road from the Vadnagar tea stall in Gujarat's Mehsana district to the newly renamed 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. Starting out from Kithana village in Rajasthan, Mr Dhankar finds himself in the grandeur of a palace built for British viceroys modelled on Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire, stately seat of the Curzon family, where liveried lackeys disregard Jawaharlal Nehru's advice and call governors 'Excellency' and their spouse 'lady governor' or even 'governess'. Anyone who scales such dizzy heights must keep eyes and ears open for every rustle of change in how the wind blows, trimming sails and turning coats accordingly. Mr Modi's announcement in Kolkata's Old Currency Building the other day that nation-building means 'preserving' India's heritage and history sent aspiring listeners scuttling around to demonstrate their inventive zeal by renaming Calcutta port trust after the Jana Sangh founder and proclaiming Mr Modi the new Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. His further complaint that shallow post-Independence historians overlook important aspects of the past was a clear reminder that it's not enough to be content with the stem cells and plastic surgery to which he himself famously drew attention, ignoring the mirth of realists. The BJP's message is that since the past can't be checked, it must be reinvented as creatively as imagination allows. Rising manfully to the challenge, Mr Dhankhar first trotted out that ancient Hindus piloted their own uran khatola or flying machines. When listeners murmured this was old hat like Ganesh's transplanted head, he broke new ground (as he thought) with Arjun's nuclear-tipped arrows. That should earn Mr Modi's gratitude. He can now demand that instead of being harassed with NPTs and CTBTs, India, as the nuclear pioneer, should be the sole inter-galactic authority for licensing nuclear weapons. Bengal grandees like Maharajadhiraja Bahadur Sir Bijay Chand Mahtab of Burdwan and Nawab Sir Khwaja Salimullah Bahadur of Dacca who sniffed that Marwari stood for 'more-worry' would have been impressed by Mr Dhankar's virtuosity. Having prostrated themselves before the British Crown to be appointed Knight Grand Commander of The Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire and Knight Commander of The Most Exalted Order of the Star of India they knew all about public service and private profit. Then as now, political life bristles with careerists who may start out to do good, but stay on to do well. The Department of Homeland Security said it will no longer accept applications from New Yorkers to programs like Global Entry, citing the states law that allows undocumented immigrants to apply for a drivers license, according a letter from DHS. On Wednesday, Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of homeland security, sent a letter stating that New Yorkers would no longer be able to apply for programs like Global Entry, which make getting through customs a much faster and streamlined process, because of the Green Light Law. The letter mentions programs like Global Entry, NEXUS, and SENTRI, but does not mention the Transportation Security Administration's PreCheck program. The Green Light Law allows people in New York to apply for a driver's license using an expanded list of documents, including foreign passports and foreign driver's licenses, according to CNN. The law also requires that records cant be turned over to any agency that primarily enforces immigration law without a court order or warrant or unless required for federal ID purposes. The ban of applications comes as the Trump administration has gone after New York Citys so-called sanctuary city designation and policy not to honor every ICE detainer request. On Tuesday, during his State of the Union address, Trump took aim at the city by talking about the attack of a 92-year-old woman by an immigrant man. %image1 Although DHS would prefer to continue our long-standing cooperative relationship with New York on a variety of these critical homeland security initiatives, this [law] and the corresponding lack of security cooperation from the New York DMV requires DHS to take immediate action to ensure DHS' s efforts to protect the Homeland are not compromised, Wolf wrote in the letter addressed to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, which was posted by The New York Times. Wolf stated on Fox News on Wednesday, that New Yorkers as a whole cant enroll or re-enroll in Trusted Traveler Programs because we no longer have access to make sure that they meet those program requirements, so we need to do our job." The law was signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in June and went into effect in December. Rich Azzopardi, a senior adviser to the governor, told The New York Times that the directive was obviously political retaliation by the federal government, and were going to review our legal options. Police in Northern Ireland are investigating a potential dissident republican plot to blow up a lorry due to cross the Irish Sea on Brexit day. Officers are investigating a link to a ferry crossing to Scotland on January 31 and a bomb found on a heavy goods vehicle in Co Armagh earlier this week. Police received a report that an explosive device was on a lorry in Belfast docks last Friday, the day the UK left the EU. The report received by police claimed the ferry was due to travel to Scotland. The only conclusion that we can draw is that once again dissident republicans have shown a total disregard for the community, for businesses and for wider society An intensive search was carried out but nothing was found, and the ferry sailed as planned. But three days later, on Monday, officers received a further report that a device was attached to a lorry belonging to a named haulage company. After a two-day operation, which involved the search of 400 vehicles, an explosive device was found attached to a heavy goods vehicle in the Silverwood Industrial Estate in Lurgan, Co Armagh. It was made safe by Army bomb disposal officers. Officers have appealed for anyone who saw anything suspicious in the estate between 4pm and 10pm on Brexit day to come forward. Detective superintendent Sean Wright is appealing for anyone who noticed anuthing suspicious to come forward (Rebecca Black/PA) Had this vehicle travelled and the device had exploded at any point along the M1, across the Westlink (link road through Belfast) or into the Harbour estate the risks posed do not bear thinking about. The only conclusion that we can draw is that once again dissident republicans have shown a total disregard for the community, for businesses and for wider society. Detective Superintendent Wright said he wanted to hear from anyone who noticed any suspicious activity in the industrial estate between 4pm and 10pm on January 31. In addition I ask that anyone who was driving in the area and who would have dash-cam footage around these same times that they contact police, as a matter of urgency, he said. A Delhi court Thursday dismissed the bail application of former independent MLA in Jammu and Kashmir, Sheikh Abdul Rashid, arrested in a case related to terror-funding activities in the Valley. Popularly known as Rashid Engineer, he was a legislator from the Langate Assembly seat in north Kashmir and is the first mainstream politician to have been arrested by the NIA in the case. Special Judge Praveen Kumar rejected the application saying the prosecution has successfully established that "there exists reasonable grounds to believe the accusations against the accused are prima facie true". Rashid was arrested on August 9 last year, since he was unable to give any convincing answers to the questions, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said. His name had cropped up during the interrogation of businessman Zahoor Watali, who was arrested by the NIA for allegedly supplying money to terror groups and separatists in the Valley. While dismissing the bail application, the court said, "The accused had received unaccounted funds from Zahoor Ahmad Watali (a co-accused in the case) against whom there has already been found to be reasonable grounds of existence of prima facie case under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act." "The applicant had incited, encouraged and helped stone pelters. Accused, through his video, as discussed above, had tried to foment dissatisfaction in J-K police against the army. He had issued veiled threats to the police personnel of J-K," it said. The NIA had registered the case against separatist and secessionist leaders, including unidentified members of the Hurriyat Conference, who have allegedly been acting in connivance with active militants of proscribed terrorist organisations Hizbul Mujahideen, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and other outfits and gangs, the officials said. The case was registered for raising, receiving and collecting funds through various illegal means, including hawala, for funding separatist and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir and for causing disruption in the Valley by way of pelting stones on the security forces, burning schools, damaging public property and waging war against India, the probe agency said in the FIR. Hafiz Saeed has also been named in the FIR as an accused. The FIR also names organisations such as the two factions of the Hurriyat, one led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and the other by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Dukhtaran-e-Millat, an all-women outfit of separatists. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An acupuncturist with practices in Springfield and New York City has been convicted of sexually assaulting a patient about two years ago, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay Ruotolo announced Wednesday. Edward Raskin, 57, of Chatham Township, was also found guilty of fourth-degree sexual contact. Raskin sexually assaulted an adult victim during an appointment at Spirit Acupuncture on Dec. 30, 2017, according to Assistant Prosecutor Caroline Lawlor. The voice mailbox for Spirit Acupuncture is set up with a message that says the caller has reached Raskin. The company and Raskins attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Raskin waived his right to be tried by a jury, so his case proceeded to a bench trial before Superior Court Judge Lara DiFabrizio, in Union County. DiFabrizio found Raskin guilty following a two-week trial, the prosecutors office said. Raskin now faces anywhere from five to 10 years in state prison. Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @BeccaPanico. Karen National Union soldiers march during a drill in southeastern Myanmar's Kayin state in an undated photo. An ethnic Karen armed group has accused the Myanmar military of using drones to surveil its headquarters in contested areas of southeastern Myanmars Kayin state despite an official complaint about the activities, further straining relations between the two forces. Relations between the regional command of the Karen National Union (KNU), Myanmars oldest ethnic rebel group, and a national military front-line battalion suffered a blow after the killing of a Myanmar officer by a landmine explosion in late January in an area where the KNUs 5th Brigade is active. Myanmar forces blamed the attack on the KNU, one of 10 ethnic armed groups that have signed Myanmars nationwide cease-fire agreement (NCA) to end decades of conflict that have stymied the countrys political development. The KNU signed the peace pact in 2015. The NCA prevents military deployment, surveillance activities, reinforcements, armed fighting, the use of landmines and violence, and the damage of physical properties in all cease-fire territories. We are objecting to these surveillance activities because they can damage the trust between the two parties, KNU vice chairman Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win told RFAs Myanmar Service. It means they are watching our daily activities, he said. The peace should be built upon trust. Conducting suspicious activities like these can ruin the peace process. The KNUs 5th Brigade sent a letter of protest about the drones to the military on Feb. 1, the same day an unmanned aerial vehicle was seen flying over Daepuno village near KNU headquarters, according to a Karen-language news agency report. Padoh Saw Kwe Htoo Win said the KNU would respond accordingly if the Myanmar military continued the surveillance activities, but did not mention actions the Karen force might take. Myanmar military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun told RFA on Jan. 2 that soldiers were conducting drone activities in the area to survey the ground for road construction. Responding to the KNUs accusation, he said that the military still was unable to precisely define territorial boundaries. The problems arose in this poorly defined area, he said. We hope there will be discussion and negotiation over the [drone] matter with the concerned party. Letter of protest Myanmar forces sent an official letter of protest letter to the KNU, which denied responsibility for the officer's death in the landmine blast, and to the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Committee, which monitors cease-fires in accordance with the NCA. We have plans to negotiate, said committee secretary Shwe Khar from the Chin National Front, an ethnic Chin nationalist political organization. One of the agreements [in the NCA] is avoiding surveillance activities on each others cease-fire territories. But the cease-fire territories have not yet been clearly defined, he said, adding that in one or two months, Myanmar military officials would meet with their counterparts from ethnic armed organizations to define which lands are cease-fire territories and which are controlled territories. When these territories have been defined, these rules from the NCA agreement will be more applicable, Shwe Khar said. So far, both parties unofficially have agreed to meet. Myanmar political analyst Maung Maung Soe said the current tensions began when the national army started building a road through territory controlled by the KNUs 5th Brigade. At first, they agreed to allow the road construction, [but] later a lieutenant colonel from the military was killed, he said, referring to the Myanmar Army officer who died in the landmine explosion. When the military accused the KNU of killing the officer, the KNU said that the blast could have occurred because the soldiers did not adhere to the agreed upon route for the roadwork, Maung Manu Soe said. The conflict should be resolved through the JMC as soon as possible, he added. Disputes between the Myanmars armed forces and ethnic armed groups over territories are frequent because controlled areas are not precisely defined. Reported by Thant Zin Oo for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, seemingly knows no limits in his quest to quash critical media coverage of the kingdom. Most famously (infamously, really) was the brazen, brutal kidnapping, killing and dismemberment of dissident and journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was a U.S. resident writing for the Washington Post at the time of his murder. Five Saudis were sentenced to death (likely by beheading) and three to prison, while the man most experts, including the CIA and a U.N. panel, believe was behind the killing rules with impunity. Now comes the news that even before the Khashoggi killing the crown prince may have been directly involved in hacking the cellphone of Jeff Bezos, the owner of the Washington Post and the founder of Amazon, with the intent to "influence, if not silence" criticism, according to two U.N. human-rights experts. The allegations are relevant to the "ongoing evaluation of claims about the crown prince's involvement" in the Khashoggi case, Agnes Callamard, who led the U.N. analysis of the journalist's killing, said in a statement. Media freedom organizations have similarly sounded the alarm. The Committee to Protect Journalists, pointing out that Saudi Arabia is the world's third-worst jailer of journalists, echoed the U.N. experts' call for an investigation. Others, including U.S. business and government officials, are at risk of similar digital intrusions. And that in turn exposes Saudi Arabia to economic and geopolitical risk that might undermine the kingdom's quest to modernize its economy although not necessarily its society. Disappointingly, President Donald Trump has not agreed with the bipartisan congressional consensus condemning Saudi Arabia for the Khashoggi killing and for its complicity in the war in Yemen, which has devolved into the world's worst humanitarian crisis. A new administration, Congress or both may challenge that dynamic, however. But it shouldn't take a new president to press the kingdom. Trump should reassess the relationship with the crown prince and join Congress in a concerted effort to hold him accountable. Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Barnaby Joyce has issued a warning to the prime minister over the promotion of only those who backed Nationals leader Michael McCormack in the recent attempted coup, it has been reported. Mr Joyce told Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday that such a move was not smart and there would be a corner of his supporters in federal parliament's lower house who were aware they held the balance of power, The Australian reports. Fellow National MPs George Christensen and Llew O'Brien are prepared to vote against government legislation as payback for Mr McCormack's opponents being left out of the cabinet. Barnaby Joyce (pictured with his girlfriend Vikki Campion and their son Sebastian) has issued a warning to the prime minister over the promotion of only those who backed Nationals leader Michael McCormack Mr Joyce failed to overthrow Mr McCormack (pictured) on Tuesday after a spill triggered a vote during a meeting in Canberra 'You can't take my vote for granted... I'll be looking at everything,' Mr O'Brien told the newspaper. Mr Joyce failed to overthrow Mr McCormack on Tuesday after a spill triggered a vote during a meeting in Canberra. Former resources minister Matt Canavan quit the cabinet to back Mr Joyce and has not been returned. Key allies of Mr McCormack were promoted, including Mark Coulton and Andrew Gee. Mr Joyce also spoke out against a bid to change National Party rules to prevent leaders being knifed by requiring two-thirds of the party room's agreement to allow a leadership spill. 'I am fervently opposed to the mooted change to diminish access to senators and members determining their leader,' he wrote in an opinion piece for The Australian. 'I am against it because its purpose is to curtail access to a vote, which is obviously a removal of a democratic attribute of our party.' Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured, left) greeted embattled Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack (right) at an Ecumenical Mass after the leadership spill on Tuesday She's tapped into full relaxation mode as she holidays on a 'cleansing' break in Mexico. But Demi Rose appeared to pine for her recent trip to Jordan as she shared a sizzling snap on Instagram on Thursday. The glamour model, 24, went braless underneath a slinky black mini-dress by Fashion Nova as she posed up a storm by mountains in the Middle Eastern country. Bombshell: Demi Rose appeared to pine for her recent trip to Jordan as she shared a sizzling Instagram snap on Thursday, wearing a slinky black mini-dress by Fashion Nova Highlighting her famously curvaceous figure, the Instagram sensation looked sensational in the barely-there number, which came complete with an open back feature. The bombshell added even more glamour to her appearance with studded ankle stiletto boots, while shielding her eyes from the sun in ski-inspired shades. Matte foundation and dark brown lipstick were included in Demi's make-up look, while her glossy locks were dressed into water waves. Kicking back: The glamour model, 24, has tapped into full relaxation mode as she holidays on a 'cleansing' break in Mexico Busty display: The social media sensation kept her fans updated when she visited the Middle Eastern country in December (pictured) Earlier in the month, the brunette updated her followers with her latest getaway in Mexico, as she shared a smouldering snap of herself posing in her hotel bathroom. She showcased her jaw-dropping figure in a tiny swimsuit, which put her ample assets on full display. Demi's swimwear boasted a subtle print and featured black outlining around her bust, while she teamed the look with a gold snake-style necklace. Over her shoulders she draped a yellow and pink scarf, which was completely adorned in a swirling white beaded pattern all over. The Birmingham native opted for a glamorous coat of make-up in neutral tones and wore her brunette tresses in a sleek, loose style. In a further snap, Demi showcased her curly locks as she swept her hair up into a top knot while leaving strands to frame her pretty features. VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amended Loan Agreement with MyCare MedTech Inc. Premier Diversified Holdings Inc. ("Premier" or the "Company") (TSXV: PDH) entered into an amended and restated loan agreement with MyCare MedTech Inc. ("MMI") on January 29, 2020. The agreement amended the previous secured loan made to MMI by increasing the principal amount which may be loaned by Premier to MMI from $400,000 to up to $450,000 (the "MMI Loan"). The MMI Loan matures 12 months from the date of the amended agreement and bears interest at a rate of 9% per annum. The MMI Loan is secured with all of the present and after-acquired property of MMI. MMI is not issuing any securities, or paying any bonus, commission or finder's fees on the Loan to Premier. The MMI Loan is repayable by MMI at any time without penalty. MMI has recently entered into an agreement with a large Canadian brokerage which provides extended health benefits. Pursuant to this agreement, MMI will charge the brokerage a flat rate fee for each beneficiary that uses MMI's SmartExam platform for virtual medical care. MMI anticipates that it will have recurring monthly revenue from this agreement and intends to use the proceeds to, among other things, repay the loan to Premier at the respective maturity date. Premier is a control person of MMI, and the MMI Loan constitutes a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101. The MMI Loan has been determined to be exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation or minority shareholder approval on the basis of sections 5.5(b) and 5.7(1)(a) of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 as the fair market value of the transaction is not more than 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The MMI Loan is subject to review and acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange. About Premier Diversified Holdings Inc. Premier Diversified Holdings Inc. participates in diversified industries through its acquisitions of securities and/or assets of public and private entities which it believes have potential for significant returns. It may act as a holding company (either directly or through a subsidiary) and may participate in management of subsidiary entities to varying degrees. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Sanjeev Parsad" Sanjeev Parsad President, CEO and Director Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdictions in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Any offering made will be pursuant to available prospectus exemptions and restricted to persons to whom the securities may be sold in accordance with the laws of such jurisdictions, and by persons permitted to sell the securities in accordance with the laws of such jurisdictions. Further information regarding the Company can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Not for dissemination in the United States of America. Legal Notice Regarding Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are indicated expectations or intentions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include that MMI will have revenue as disclosed in the news release, and that it will use that revenue to repay the MMI Loan. Factors that could cause actual results to be materially different include but are not limited to the following: that the revenue which MMI earns will be insufficient to repay the MMI Loan or that the management or board of MMI may use the funds for other purposes. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking statements. It is not our policy to update forward looking statements. Bernalillo County officials on Wednesday acknowledged that the county was the victim of an online scam that dinged it for $447,000. We are the unfortunate victims of our own willingness to be a totally transparent government body, County Manager Julie Morgas Baca said in a statement. Our efforts to be a very user-friendly county opened the door for someone to take advantage of our accessible and open business nature. Using the transparency portal on the Bernco.gov website, the scammers accessed a list of vendors who do business with the county, county spokesman Tom Thorpe said. There are currently 1,472 registered county vendors. Only one was compromised. They set up a bogus account at a bank in Texas, submitted a change for one of our vendors from payment by check to an ACA (Automated Clearing House), like a direct deposit, and they submitted fraudulent paperwork and a forged voided check with the vendor companys name on it. The county then entered the updated information into the accounts payable system and processed nine separate invoices between Oct. 21 and Dec. 5, 2019, transferring more than $447,000 into the Texas bank account, Thorpe said. The scam was discovered when the vendor, who provides information technology-related services to the county, contacted county officials because they werent receiving their checks and they wanted to know why, he said. We determined that there was a problem and began an investigation, and learned the account was fraudulent. County officials informed the Sheriffs Office, which in turn contacted the FBI because the crime involved interstate fraud and the internet. We have not been notified that the FBI has finished its investigation into this and were unaware if anybody has been arrested, Thorpe said. The Office of the State Auditor and the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General were also made aware of the theft. Two subsequent online attempts to swindle the county out of money were thwarted, Thorpe said. As a result of this, the county has changed some of its internal procedures and the transparency portal is no longer quite as transparent. Contracts will still be visible, but a list of vendor names has been removed, as has the ACH form. Vendors will now have to contact the county directly for changes to their profiles, he said. A more stringent verification process has also been instituted for transactions among the county, vendors and banks, and county employees have received training on identifying fraudulent transactions, emails and other documents. Becoming a victim of fraudulent activity has an impact on both the county and taxpayers, said county Procurement and Business Services Director Dinah Esquivel. Protecting our vendors and the funds entrusted to us by the citizens is our top priority. We are a better agency today. The countys Risk Management Department is currently working with the countys insurance carrier to recoup the loss, Thorpe said. Premier Daniel Andrews has urged tourists to bushfire-affected towns to be spenders rather than just "stickybeaks" as the road into Mallacoota reopens. The road into Mallacoota completely reopened on Thursday, more than a month after residents and holidaymakers had to abandon their belongings and flee bushfires in the town. Mr Andrews said Victorians should take the opportunity to "holiday at home" and put money in the towns, but urged them to take care as locals grieve and rebuild. "Don't be going rubbernecking, don't be stickybeaking in these communities. Go and visit and spend," Mr Andrews said on Thursday. https://www.aish.com/sp/so/Kirk-Douglas-7-Jewish-Facts.html The legendary actor embraced his Jewish identity later on in life. Kirk Douglas has died at the age of 103. He was one of the last of the stars of Hollywoods Golden Age. Here are seven Jewish facts about Douglas and his star-studded career. Jewish Childhood Kirk Douglas was born with the name Issur Danielovitch. His parents Herschel and Byrna immigrated from Russia to the United States, in part so that Douglas father could escape forced servitude in the Czars army. The family settled in the small town of Amsterdam in upstate New York, near Albany. Douglas was one of seven children and the only boy, born December 9, 1916. He and his sisters grew up speaking Yiddish at home. Textile mills were the towns main employers, but they refused to hire Jews. Douglas father worked as a ragman, buying and selling scraps of cloth. Even on Eagle Street, in the poorest part of town, where all the families were struggling, Douglas later recalled, the ragman was on the lowest rung on the ladder And I was the ragmans son. Despite his familys poverty, Douglas recalled that they always tried to help those in need. Sometimes we didnt have enough to eat, but very often there would be a knock at the door and it would be hobo wanting food, and my mother always gave them something, he recalled. My mother said to me, You must take care of other people. That stayed with me. Douglas picked up spare jobs while he was still in school; he estimated that he probably worked about 40 jobs before going away to college. Anti-Semitism was a constant threat. Kids on every street corner beat you up, he remembered. He was so bright that members of Amsterdams small and impoverished Jewish community considered pooling their resources to send Douglas to rabbinical school, but Douglas refused. I wanted to be an actor ever since I was a kid in the second grade Douglas later explained. First Jewish Student Body President After high school, Douglas hitchhiked to Canton, New York, where he took out a loan to attend St. Lawrence College. Douglas discovered acting in college, working in regional theatre. During the school year, he was a star wrestler but was rejected by college fraternities because he was Jewish. Douglas eventually became Student Body President, the first time a Jew held that position at Sarah Lawrence College. Byrna Productions Douglas soon found fame in Hollywood. His first big break was the 1946 classic The Strange Love of Martha Ivers, in which he played a weakling who witnesses a murder. In his heyday, Douglas appeared in up to three movies a year, often with some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Douglas in Paths of Glory In 1955, he set up his own production company, naming it Byrna Productions after his mother. Byrna Productions produced some of Douglas most well-received movies, including Paths of Glory (1957), Spartacus (1960) and Seven Days in May (1964). When I think of my mother, who couldnt read or write, a legal peasant from Russia, Douglas later mused to a Hollywood Reporter journalist before breaking into a grin and sharing a fond memory, I took her in a limousine to Times Square, and I stopped the car, and I said (gesturing towards a massive billboard above), See Ma? BYRNA PRESENTS THE VIKINGS! And my mother said, America such a wonderful land! Leading Philanthropist Douglas and his second wife Anne became one of Hollywoods leading philanthropic couples, establishing the Douglas Foundation, and donating a total of about $100 million to charitable causes. Beneficiaries include playgrounds in poor areas of Los Angeles and Jerusalem, synagogues, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre at Aish HaTorah in Jerusalem, which provides visitors to the holy city with educational films about Jews and Judaism. Embracing Jewish Study For much of his life, Douglas was not religiously observant. Neither his first wife Diana Dill nor his second wife Anne Buydens were Jewish, and for many years Douglas seemed not to ponder his Jewish identity though he did always make a point to fast on Yom Kippur each year. That changed in 1991, when he was seriously injured in a helicopter crash. Two younger men died and Douglas was left with serious back injuries: his spine was compressed three inches in the trauma. As he lay in terrible pain in the hospital, Douglas began to think about what his life was all about. The meaning he was searching for, he thought, seemed to be in Judaism. I came to believe that I was spared because I had never come to grips with what it means to be Jewish he later explained. Douglas began studying Torah, and even held a second celebration of his bar mitzvah at the age of 83. Jewish Author In addition to his stellar acting career, Douglas also worked as an author, penning twelve books (one co-authored with his wife Anne), including some on Jewish themes. In 1997, Douglas published The Broken Mirror, a novel about the Holocaust aimed at younger readers. He followed that up in 1999 with Young Heroes of the Bible, which re-tells stories from the Five Books of Moses for children. Son Rediscovering Jewish Heritage Kirk Douglas son Michael has publicly spoken out about his connection with his Jewish heritage. In 2015, he wrote about a terrible experience his son Dylan had while on vacation in Spain: a fellow hotel guest, spying the Jewish star that Dylan was wearing, started yelling at the boy. Michael confronted the man, pointing out why it was wrong to attack a child sporting a Jewish symbol. Afterward, he recalled, I sat down with my son and said: Dylan, you just had your first taste of anti-Semitism. Kirk Douglas with Rabbi Noah Weinberg, dedicating the Kirk Douglas Theater in Jerusalem With little knowledge of what it means to be a Jew, Michael wrote about himself when he was a child, I found myself passionately defending the Jewish people. Now...I have to defend my son. Anti-Semitism, Ive seen, is like a disease that goes dormant, flaring up with the next political trigger. In 2015, Michael Douglas was awarded the Genesis Prize in Jerusalem. Sometimes called the Jewish Nobel Prize, the award came with a cash prize, which Michael donated to the Jewish Funders Network and to Hillel International, the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life. As he accepted the award, Michael referred to his father Kirk, then 97, sitting in the audience. Speaking of his love of his Jewish heritage, Michael noted that it is as deep as my genes from his beloved father. After Kirk Douglas death was announced on February 5, 2020, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke for many when he said Israel mourns the loss of Kirk Douglas, a legendary actor, a proud Jew and a great friend of the Jewish state. The entire Jewish world mourns Douglas, a talented actor who wasnt afraid to begin exploring what it meant to be Jewish, even later on in life. Donald Trump has promoted a conspiracy theory that Mitt Romney is a secret asset of the Democratic Party just hours after the Republican senator voted to convict the US president in his impeachment trial of abuse of power. Mr Romney, a former Republican presidential nominee, delivered a damning speech to the Senate, accusing Mr Trump of an appalling abuse of public trust in attempting to pressure Ukraine to open investigations into a political rival in exchange for military aid. Despite Mr Romney contributing to the bipartisan vote to convict Mr Trump, every other Republican senator sided with the president, meaning he was acquitted on the abuse of power charge by 52 votes to 48. Following the acquittal on Wednesday, Mr Trump tweeted a video in which a voiceover condemns slick, slippery, stealthy Mr Romney for trying to infiltrate the Trump administration by posing as a Republican. Now his covers blown exposed by news reports as a Democrat secret asset, the voiceover falsely claims. There is no evidence Mr Romney is a Democrat. 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 footage shows Mr Romney thanking Mr Trump for an endorsement of his successful 2018 Senate campaign in Utah, before going on to show news reports of his 2012 presidential election loss to Barack Obama. It concludes with footage of Mr Trump winning the 2016 presidential election. Mr Trump later tweeted: Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election. Mr Trump previously twice posted a shortened version of the video, which omitted the reference to Mr Romney as a secret asset. The first came after Mr Romney said he was sickened by Mr Trumps conduct outlined in the Mueller report, the second time late last year when the senator expressed concern over a phone call with the Ukrainian president. Mr Trumps son, Donald Trump Jr, had earlier called for Mr Romney to be expelled from the Republican Party in a tweet falsely claiming he was switching parties. Mitt Romney is forever bitter that he will never be POTUS. He was too weak to beat the Democrats then so hes joining them now, he said. Hes now officially a member of the resistance & should be expelled from the @GOP. During his speech from the Senate floor, Mr Romney at times appeared close to tears as he outlined his reasons for sanctioning the removal of Mr Trump. He said he would vote to convict the president for the abuse of power charge, but acquit him on an obstruction of Congress charge. In doing so, he became the first senator in US history to vote for the removal of a president of his own party in an impeachment trial. "The president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust," Mr Romney said during the speech, in which he invoked his sense of duty to argue that the Senate vote will be in-turn judged by history and the American people. "What he did was not perfect," he continued, referencing the president's claims that his actions were flawless. "No, it was a flagrant assault on our electoral rights, our national security, and our fundamental values. Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath of office that I can imagine." [February 06, 2020] 1955 Capital and Andrew Chung Victorious in Arbitration Ruling Last week, a U.S. federal court judge in Northern California confirmed an arbitration ruling in favor of 1955 Capital against China Fortune Land Development ("CFLD", 600340.SS) and its subsidiary Global Industrial Investment Ltd. (GIIL). The judge upheld an arbitrator's ruling that CFLD and GIIL's commitment to invest $200 million into 1955 Capital's funds constitutes a valid and ongoing contractual obligation. CFLD's attempts to obtain a return of its initial deposit of $80 million were rejected, and the funds are secure and continue to be available to 1955 Capital for investment. The arbitrator also awarded the venture capital firm more than $9.3 million in attorneys' fees and costs as the prevailing party, which GIIL has not paid to date. "Judicial confirmation of the arbitrator's carefully reasoned 140-page award is an important victory, but was exactly what I think everyone expected," said Robert Varian of Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, who represents the funds. "The award that the court confirmed rejected a myriad of unfounded attacks that had been made in an attempt to invalidate the underlying contracts. The validity of the investment agreements, and the limited partners' obligations under them, were reaffirmed." The judge upheld the arbitrator's ruling - that CFLD and GIIL, Chinese investors in 1955 Capital's funds, had breached their contracts with 1955 Capital and acted in bad faith. The arbitrator rejected a series of false accusations and meritless legal claims that were asserted by CFLD and GIIL in a failed attempt to evade their obligations and invalidate the investment contracts. He confirmed that the contracts between 1955 Capital and GIIL are binding on both GIIL and on CFLD, GIIL's corporate parent. "We will continue as active partners with our portfolio compnies, which are achieving great things, and aim to make more promising investments," said Andrew Chung. "Our portfolio companies have progressed well, and despite all of CFLD's efforts to frustrate our operations, we expect the funds' performance to be strong. Because we called a significant portion of investor capital into escrow upfront, we have ample funds with which to move forward. We remain steadfast toward our original goal of inventing a new global future with 1955 Capital, and we are grateful to everyone who continues to stand by us." 1955 Capital has asserted counterclaims against CFLD and GIIL in a second arbitration for, among other things, CFLD's continued bad faith conduct in attempting to thwart the purpose of the Funds, for violation of CFLD's confidentiality obligations by disclosing confidential information related to the Funds, and for damages arising from CFLD's interference with 1955 Capital's relationships with existing and prospective portfolio companies. Claims made by GIIL in this second arbitration related to 1955's investment mandate are baseless and refuted by CFLD's own public shareholder notices and communications with 1955. "Recent accusations made publicly by CFLD after they lost the initial arbitration are categorically false. It is a renewed attempt to escape their contractual obligations by either repeating very narrow claims that were already litigated or continuing to fabricate new ones. The key dispute was resolved with the victory from the first arbitration, and we expect to prevail on any future claims," said Andrew Chung. The arbitration ruling affirming the validity of the investment contracts, and the ongoing contractual obligations that CFLD and GIIL have under them, has been converted to a federal court judgment. More information is available at www.1955.capital/litigationfaqs. About 1955 Capital 1955 Capital was founded by Andrew Chung to invest in companies that can address the developing world's most pressing challenges related to energy, healthcare, food, agriculture, education and sustainable manufacturing. With over a decade of experience investing in these sectors at leading global firms like Khosla Ventures and Lightspeed Ventures, Chung has experience in identifying technologies with significant impact potential in developing countries and supporting entrepreneurs in developing mutually productive partnerships. The firm is based in San Mateo, California. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005988/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Teen Mom alum, Farrah Abraham is certainly no stranger to rumors. But, this time the rumor mill is rife with accusations that are more egregious than usual. Over the weekend, rumors swirled that Child Protective Services (or CPS) was called on the former reality star for allegedly abandoning her 10-year-old daughter, Sophia. But just how did this rumor start, and what did Abraham have to say about it? Farrah Abraham and Sophia Abraham | Araya Diaz/Getty Images for Mashup LA Farrah Abraham was in Mexico with her rumored boyfriend This past weekend, Abrahams daughter posted a video to the popular app TikTok. This is pretty usual behavior for the 10-year-old, who is active across a myriad of social media platforms. However, this particular video alarmed fans because Sophia appeared to be home alone. Sources reported that Abraham was allegedly in Mexico with her rumored boyfriend, Daniel Ishag. Things really began spiraling out of control when a screenshot, that claimed CPS had been called, was released to the public and sent to Abrahams mom, Debra Danielsen. Abrahams mom denies the Child Protective Services rumors Farrah abandoned Sophia home alone in their apartment to fly to Mexico to celebrate this boy toy, Daniel Ishags, birthday. Police have been notified and CPS is investigating, the screenshot read. As the rumors began gaining traction, the TikTok that Abrahams daughter posted was swiftly deleted. Danielsen eventually came out and said that the rumors were fabricated. She maintained that her granddaughter was safe with family. Furthermore, she shared that the TikTok was posted by a stalker who is obsessed with Abraham. She alleged that they had turned it over to the police for investigation. Sophia wasnt even on her phone. She wasnt alone, never made a post and was swimming, Danielsen claimed. Farrah has not done anything wrong here, she continued, maintaining her daughters innocence. The Teen Mom alum responds to the news on IG But despite the claims that the rumors were fake, fans were still in disbelief. They began to express concern for Sophias safety and bashed Abraham for not properly caring for her daughter. The rumors got so bad that the Teen Mom alum felt compelled to address them herself. On February 4, 2020, Abraham took to her Instagram to post a video of her attempting to meditate and a statement. #LinkInBio Heres the TRUTH on Child Protective Services being called on me regarding Sophia. Im DONE staying silent. This is the one and only time I will speak on this bullshit. Haters, stay jealous. , the 28-year-old wrote. Is a stalker truly to blame for the rumors In the statement published by Champion Daily, Abraham doubled down on the story that Danielsen released, putting the fault on stalkers. Since I have had continued harassment, stalkers, and haters from the Teen Mom show continue to call Police on me after being hated on the show, I have taken extensive precautions against those who sell stories, lies, and harass my family. Sophia is protected from the evil people and its sad people are jealous of my dating life, and try to affect my family in a negative way. We live a great life and are not affected by harassment of any sort and I will not tolerate unsafe illegal actions by others lying, stalking, or harassing my family, Abraham shared. Abraham denies that her underage daughter was left home alone The former reality tv star concluded by saying that she needed to take a step back from social media to protect herself and her daughter. She also assured people that Sophia was always taken care of. I see I need to post less on social media since cyberbullying and hate still has not been filtered out on social media. My father and family always watch Sophia when Im away, as sadly nannies have proven to not be trustworthy, Abraham concluded. While the story doesnt completely add up, were pleased to hear that Abraham will be posting to Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube less frequently. As she and her daughter receive a lot of hate through those platforms, it certainly cant hurt to ease up on them. Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov held a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to Ukraine Teymuraz Sharashenidze and supported the initiative to intensify and expand cooperation between the NSDC of Ukraine and the National Security Council of Georgia. "We should translate cooperation between our agencies into practices," Danilov said, the NSDC press service reports. The parties also exchanged views on the current security situation in Europe and the world. The NSDC Secretary expressed his gratitude to Georgia for the support of Ukraine in difficult times of war and struggle for the restoration of territorial integrity. "Our friendship has been there for many years, and our current struggle against external aggression is similar. I am convinced that our relations, friendship, trade should develop further," Danilov noted. According to the NSDC Secretary, Ukraine and Georgia should intensify cooperation in the field of Euro-Atlantic integration. "NATO membership is a strategic goal of Ukraine, enshrined in the Constitution, and we should work together with Georgia in this direction," Danilov pointed out adding that cyber security cooperation is promising in this context. In his turn, Ambassador Sharashenidze assured of Georgia's unwavering stance on the restoration of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity over the annexed Crimea and the temporarily occupied territories of Donbas. He also called for enhancing bilateral cooperation: "Our cooperation should move to a new level, particularly in matters of relations with NATO, de-occupation, and strengthening of democratic institutions." ol Just after midnight on a grand stage in Iowa, Pete Buttigieg went for it. By all indications, the Democratic presidential candidate and former mayor of South Bend, Ind., declared, we are going on to New Hampshire victorious! Supporters chanted, I-O-W-A, Mayor Pete all the way! as Buttigieg gave a soaring speech about unity and change, boasting of a new American majority that could beat President Donald Trump. The spectacle was a bit surreal, and not only because the campaign could barely fill an Iowa coffee shop a year ago. Buttigieg had not officially won anything yet. While his staffers had compiled internal numbers suggesting a win, official results from the Iowa Democratic Party had yet to arrive because of glitches with a smartphone app and other issues that delayed final election results from Iowas more than 1,700 caucus precincts well into the week. But as the count came in over the ensuing, Buttigieg appeared to be right. With more than three-quarters of the caucus vote tallied as of Feb. 5, he was projected to edge Senator Bernie Sanders in the official metric for victory, state delegates. Sanders was projected to have won the raw first-round vote in the quirky multistage caucus system Iowa clings to, allowing the Vermont liberal to claim a measure of victory as well. The split decision in Iowa was a stumbling start to what is now likely to become a long, hard-fought slog to the Democrats convention in Milwaukee. For a year now, a record-breaking and well-credentialed field of Democratic candidates, packed with governors, Senators, businessmen and a former Vice President, has spent tens of millions of dollars and untold hours crisscrossing Iowas frozen cornfields, industrial cities and college towns, sparring over competing visions for the party and seeking to persuade voters that they were best positioned to topple Trump. For a gay 38-year-old former mayor of a midsize city and a 78-year-old democratic socialist to emerge on top in Des Moines is a sign of how far the party has to go to settle the battle for its future. Story continues Iowa traditionally winnows the primary field, codifying voter preferences and persuading low-polling candidates to give up. This time, not a single candidate dropped out, and the Democrats flew out of Des Moines with the picture more muddled than ever. Rather than moving toward a consensus nominee, Democrats appear more fractured and uncertain than before. Its as if the partys collective anxiety about November has paralyzed it, rendering it unable to make a decision. Sanders, who appears better positioned than Buttigieg in the upcoming contests in New Hampshire and beyond, is now the closest thing the party has to a front runner. Bernie is definitely in the drivers seat for the entire primary, says Ian Sams, former spokesman for Kamala Harris and a veteran of Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign. The Democratic nomination is as likely as not to go to an avowed enemy of its establishment who is not even a member of the party. Lagging Sanders and Buttigieg was Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts Senator whose ambitious liberal policy proposals rocketed her to the top of the field before voters began to fret that Trump would wield them against her. Former Vice President Joe Biden, long the national polling leader, hobbled to a distant fourth-place finish. If the results were a surprise, the bigger shock was how long they took to arrive. The caucuses were marred by technological and logistical problems that undermined confidence in the result, though there was no evidence of irregularities in the count itself. Turnout was lower than many expected, projected not to exceed the caucuses of 2016, which also ended in procedural chaos. Sanders addresses supporters at a rally in Ames on Jan. 26 | Photograph by September Dawn Bottoms for TIME Trump and his allies took the occasion to gloat over the Democrats misfortune. On the eve of his impeachment acquittal, the incumbents approval rating hit a career high. And Mike Bloomberg, the billionaire former New York City mayor whos gaining in national polls after pumping some $300 million into what once appeared to be a quixotic effort, announced he would ratchet up his massive national staff and advertising push, casting himself as the savior who will rescue the party from its early-state confusion. Biden seemed relieved to have left Iowa behind. Im not gonna sugarcoat it, we took a gut punch, he said on Feb. 5 in Somersworth, N.H. His weak showing hurts his central argument, that hes the candidate most likely to defeat Trump, and it amplified concerns about his ability to go the distance in the primary. The campaign tried to project confidence, but just a week earlier, Biden himself had said it would be difficult for a candidate who finished more than 7 percentage points behind the winner to survive; the preliminary results showed him 11 points behind Buttigieg in the delegate race. Bidens senior hands argued he would get another look from the partys center thanks to Sanders surge. But theres only so long a campaign can survive without results. Bidens fundraising already was lackluster; Iowa wasnt going to help. Warrens third-place showing left her in a tough spot, a distant second to Sanders among liberals, with little apparent success adding moderate voters. Warren had invested heavily in Iowa, building a field operation even rival campaigns hailed as the best in the state. But her conditional embrace of a Medicare for All health plan that would upend Americas existing insurance system turned off moderates without winning over Sanders supporters. In the final days in Iowa, Warren tried to position herself as a unity candidate, arguing her populist proposals would draw crossover votes in the general election. She pointed to women candidates success in the 2018 midterms to argue that a female nominee would be the best matchup against Trump. As she prepared to leave Iowa, Warren touted her campaign as built for the long haul, noting it has staff in 31 states. The path to progress runs through courage, not fear, she told her supporters. Biden at a town hall in Des Moines on Feb. 2 | Photograph by September Dawn Bottoms for TIME The primary beneficiary of Bidens slide and Warrens strategic missteps was Buttigieg. Pete has been making a fresh-start, new-generation electability argument, says Democratic strategist Bryan DeAngelis, who is neutral in the race. Its a different electability argument than Bidens, and it is appealing to a large bloc of Democrats. A hyperdisciplined intellectual who may be the partys most polished performer since Barack Obama, Buttigieg leaned on the power of storytelling, betting that voters who are tired of partisan division are eager for reassurance about the future. In the weeks before the caucuses, he spent much of his time in rural counties that swung from Obama to Trump, promising to put the chaos behind us and recruiting former Republicans alienated by the President. Like Obama, he pitched a vision of hope and unity, arguing that America is flawed but forgivable, that her sins are venial but not mortal, and that bigotry can be melted by love. Our message about belonging is designed to make everyone feel welcome, and my own search for belonging of course partly has to do with being different because Im gay, he tells TIME. Buttigieg hoped his Iowa showing would translate to new traction in New Hampshire. The idea of electability has to be centered somewhat around who can bring people together and who can build a big-tent Democratic Party, Lis Smith, a senior Buttigieg adviser, said at a roundtable hosted by Bloomberg News. We are the only campaign thats actively aware of that and actively pursuing that. For his part, Sanders has sought to expand beyond the zealous coalition that powered his upstart challenge to Clinton in 2016. This time, Sanders built a ground game that his campaign says knocked on 500,000 doors in Iowa in the month before the caucuses and courted Latinos with a blizzard of bilingual mailers, a variety of Spanish-language ad buys and 22 paid Latino staffers in the state. Chuck Rocha, a top Sanders adviser, estimates the campaign spent $1.5 million in bilingual outreach in Iowa alone. The Sanders surrogate machine sustained him while he was stuck in Washington for impeachment. Its so important that we just keep our noses down and keep organizing and keep phone banking and knocking on doors and doing what we can, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tells TIME, because this thing is not over until the nomination is secured. Warren holds a meet-and-greet at a pub in Cedar Rapids on Jan. 26 | Photograph by September Dawn Bottoms for TIME The prospect that Sanders could triumph in Milwaukee freaks out the partys pooh-bahs, who fear his far-left positions will alienate swing voters. The Democratic Party has been asleep at the switch, says Jonathan Cowan, president of the centrist think tank Third Way, who is actively trying to stop Sanders. Its not too late to stop him, Cowan says, but Democrats have to treat him like a front runner and consolidate their support behind a single moderate candidate quickly. If you wait until April or May, he says, it will be too late. Mingled with the angst, however, is a fear that attacks on Sanders will only make him stronger, as many of his supporters thrive on antiestablishment fervor. The Iowa caucus confusion fed a related vein of conspiratorial thinking, as liberals on social media pointed to the failed apps connections to the Democratic establishment as well as to the Buttigieg campaign as evidence of some anti-Sanders plot. The coming states appear to favor Sanders. The Vermonter won New Hampshire by 22 points in 2016 and is polling well ahead of the Feb. 11 primary. Then its on to the Nevada caucuses on Feb. 22, where the Democratic electorate is heavily working class and Latino. In the past it has been strongly influenced by momentum from the first two states, making it potentially another Sanders stronghold. One key factor will be the powerful Culinary Workers Union, which represents the hotel and casino workers of the Las Vegas Strip and operates a formidable turnout machine, but has not yet endorsed a candidate. South Carolinas primary on Feb. 29 is dominated by African-American voters, and polls have strongly favored Biden. The Vice Presidents campaign has regarded the state as a backstop. Black voters were a major weakness for Sanders four years ago, but his campaign has spent the intervening years making a major push for African-American votes and has made inroads, particularly with younger black voters. With Super Tuesday, the delegate fight gets serious. The four early states are important for narrowing the field and establishing narratives, but only 4% of the partys total delegates will be awarded in February. On March 3, when 14 states are scheduled to hold primaries, a staggering one-third of the total delegates will be awarded in a single day. By the time March is over, two-thirds of all delegates will be spoken for. When we get to Super Tuesday after the first four states, we will be in a strong position, says Symone Sanders, a senior Biden adviser. But its here that Bloomberg is making his stand, a billionaire gate crasher loathed by the left who is blanketing the airwaves with ads that bash Trump and cast the candidate as a pragmatic, results-oriented leader. His strategy of skipping the first four contests is unprecedented but beginning to look prescient. After the Iowa mess, Bloombergs campaign said it would double its massive TV effort and boost its field staff to more than 2,000. And while populists like Warren charge hes trying to buy the nomination, theres evidence Bloombergs millions are making an impression on voters: hes now polling in double digits nationally. All the campaigns are girding for a delegate fight. The perennial nightmare scenario of an undecided race going into the convention appears likelier than it has been in recent memory. It all adds up to a party racked with anxiety on the eve of an election many consider the most consequential of their lifetimes. The angst is so intense, says John Norris, a Warren backer and former chair of the Iowa Democratic Party. We are so concerned about getting it right. We feel an intense responsibility, were all talking about it. But theres no definition of what it means to get it right. With reporting by Charlotte Alter, Philip Elliott and Abby Vesoulis/Des Moines Kirk Douglas, one of the last icons of Hollywood's golden age, died this week at age 103. Before he became one of the most successful actors in Hollywood history, Douglas served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a communications officer in anti-submarine warfare. He was born Issur Danielovitch Demsky, the son of Russian Jewish immigrants. He completed college and was studying acting in New York City when he enlisted after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. After the war, his career took off immediately, and he became one of the studios' go-to actors when they were looking for a virile tough guy. Of course, that meant Douglas made more than his share of war movies. Here are six of his best. 1. Spartacus (1960) Douglas plays a slave who leads a revolt against Rome in director Stanley Kubrick's film, best remembered for its epic battle scenes. The actor was one of the first stars to run his own production company, and he developed "Spartacus" after he lost the lead role in "Ben-Hur" to Charlton Heston. Douglas hired the blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo and got the writer his first screen credit in 15 years (though Trumbo had actually won two Oscars during that time with work that was credited to other men acting as his front). This movie, about resistance against an unjust ruler, was the film that broke the blacklist for good. "Spartacus" is available on Blu-ray and DVD. You can also rent or buy it from all the usual online Digital stores. 2. In Harm's Way (1965) "In Harm's Way" is director Otto Preminger's fabulously soapy World War II drama set in Hawaii in the days after Pearl Harbor. John Wayne plays Capt. Rock Torrey, a maverick-y Navy man who loses command of his heavy cruiser for ignoring orders that would have prevented his ship from getting torpedoed by a Japanese submarine. Douglas plays Wayne's XO Paul Eddington, whose career is on the verge of getting derailed because he's distracted by his wife Liz's escapades with Jody. Wayne has a difficult relationship with his son from his previous marriage now serving in the Navy (a plot twist familiar to fans of the 1976 "Midway") and has a torrid affair with Navy nurse Maggie Haynes (Patricia Neal). Wayne returns to sea but not before Douglas is given command of his own ship. Douglas' character then rapes Wayne's son's fiancee and tries to redeem himself by commandeering a plane and going on a solo kamikaze mission. Douglas (and his cleft chin and gritted teeth) somehow sell a story that's both morally dubious and over-the-top ridiculous. Everyone remembers his character's flaws but appreciates his sacrifice. Things turn out better for John Wayne, but they always do. "In Harm's Way" is available on DVD. You can also rent or buy it from all the usual online Digital stores. It also turns up pretty regularly on the FX Movies channel if you want to set your DVR. 3. Seven Days in May (1964) Ah, the Cold War. Director John Frankenheimer's "Seven Days in May" is based on a best-selling novel about a Pentagon plot to overthrow a president who's getting close to an arms deal with the Soviet Union in 1974. Douglas plays Marine Corps Col. Martin "Jiggs" Casey, the ONE MAN who realizes that the Joint Chiefs of Staff is plotting a coup. Burt Lancaster is Air Force Gen. James Mattoon Scott, chairman of the Joint Chiefs and leader of the cabal. Ava Gardner plays Scott's mistress, and Frederic March is President Jordan Lyman. It's a thriller, so no spoilers here. But you get the drift: It's May 1974, and Jiggs Casey has only a week to save the Republic. Tick, tick, tick. "Seven Days in May" is available on Blu-ray and DVD. You can also rent or buy it from all the usual online Digital stores. 4. "Paths of Glory" (1957) If you think "1917" is the greatest World War I movie, you need to see Stanley Kubrick's class "Paths of Glory." Kirk Douglas stars as French Army commander Col. Dax, whose men refuse orders to undertake a suicidal attack. Dax must later defend his men in a court-martial proceeding. The entire point here is that the French command is decadent and corrupt and considers its ground troops to be expendable. Of course, the savagery of WWI combat is on trial here, as it is in every movie about the era. Kirk is a brave man of principle, in sharp contrast to the cowardly, scheming careerists around him. He does his best for the troops he honors and stoically faces the reality of the carnage to come. "Paths of Glory" is available on Blu-ray and DVD. You can also rent or buy it from all the usual online Digital stores. 5. The Hook (1963) Douglas loved to play men who struggled with their consciences, and director George Seaton's Korean War thriller "The Hook" gave the actor one of his most challenging dilemmas. Douglas is Sgt. Briscoe, on board a ship with troops who capture the pilot of an enemy plane that's been shot down. Ordered by headquarters to execute their prisoner, Briscoe and his men delay before realizing that they have to carry out orders or face charges themselves. But, wait! The armistice is signed just in time to stop the execution. The prisoner is released, and you can guess what happens next. If it's not obvious to you, then you can watch this one and actually get a big surprise at the end. "The Hook" is available on DVD. You can also rent or buy it from all the usual online Digital stores. 6. Cast a Giant Shadow (1966) Douglas' Jewish identity was always a big part of his public profile, and he never got a better chance to put it to use than in "Cast a Giant Shadow." He plays Col. Mickey Marcus, a real-life American World War II veteran who goes to the new state of Israel to help set up the nation's Israel Defense Force. His men are a motley assortment of refugees, and he's tasked with whipping them into battle shape to defend against what seem like certain Arab attacks. Because it was made in the '60s, it's melodramatic and epic and 2 hours long. Douglas sets his jaw and powers through every resistance and incompetence he must face. "Cast a Giant Shadow" is available on Blu-ray and DVD. You can also rent or buy it from all the usual online Digital stores. Bonus If you're really into Kirk Douglas at this point, there are two more films that aren't streaming and are available only on DVD that you might want to check out. Town Without Pity (1961) "Town Without Pity" (1961) is a particularly bleak story of the military justice system. In the days after WWII, four American servicemen rape a local German girl. The incident is terrifying on its face but almost equally disturbing is how the movie presents it as something that just happens during a military occupation. Douglas plays Maj. Steve Garrett, assigned to defend the four troops played by Frank Sutton (Gunny Vince Carter from "Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C." in a terrifying role), Robert Blake (the "Baretta" guy who was later tried for allegedly killing his wife), Richard Jaeckel (Sgt. Bowren in "The Dirty Dozen") and Mal Sondock (a guy with a short career that you've never heard of). Douglas tries to get the men a long term of hard labor instead of the death penalty and is forced to attack the victim even as he knows what he's doing is morally despicable -- but also required in his job as a defense attorney. There's no happy ending in a "Town Without Pity," but Gene Pitney's recording of the Oscar-nominated title song was a huge hit. The Heroes of Telemark (1965) "The Heroes of Telemark" (1965) is director Anthony Mann's WWII drama about the Norwegian resistance to Nazi occupation. The Vemork Norsk Hydro plant was manufacturing the heavy water that Germany needed to complete its development of the atomic bomb. Douglas plays a Norwegian physics professor who's dragged into the fight against the Nazis and becomes a leader of the crew determined to blow up the plant. Since this story was based on real-life events, the actual tale is a bit more complicated than the heist movie plot might suggest. Still, the movie remains the greatest tribute to one of WWII's most undertold stories. Of course, Douglas starred in dozens of other outstanding non-military movies. Vincente Minnelli's "The Bad and the Beautiful" (1952), Billy Wilder's "Ace in the Hole" (1951), Brian De Palma's "The Fury" (1978), David Miller's "Lonely Are the Brave" (1962), Richard Fleischer's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954) and Jacques Tourneur's "Out of the Past" (1947) are some of the greatest movies ever made, and Douglas played a key role in every one. New Delhi/Islamabad, Feb 6 : In yet another setback to Islamabad, Saudi Arabia has once again declined Pakistan's request for an urgent meeting of the council of foreign ministers on Kashmir at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Aarti Tikoo Singh New Delhi/Islamabad, Feb 6 (IANS) In yet another setback to Islamabad, Saudi Arabia has once again declined Pakistan's request for an urgent meeting of the council of foreign ministers on Kashmir at the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). In December, Pakistan had trumpeted that it secured a diplomatic win by prevailing on Saudi Arabia to hold a special session on Kashmir at the OIC. However, officials in New Delhi had expressed skepticism about the news, saying that the OIC did not make any official announcement or issue any confirmation of the meeting. On Thursday, Pakistani media reported that Prime Minister Imran Khan's plea for a discussion on Kashmir has been rejected by Saudi Arabia. The OIC is holding its senior officials' meeting in Jeddah on February 9 to make arrangements for the council of foreign ministers. Khan has been campaigning around the world against India ever since the Narendra Modi-led government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August last year. Recently, Khan was forced by Saudi Crown Prince Mohamad Bin Salman to cancel his trip to Malaysia where he intended to slam India over Kashmir at the Islamic Summit hosted by the Mahathir Mohamad government in Malaysia. Riyadh took serious offence to the summit where it was not invited and perceived it as a challenge to its leadership in the Muslim world by Turkey, Malaysia and Pakistan. The Saudi Kingdom threatened to withdraw its massive aid to Pakistan, already reeling under an economic crisis. "Islamabad's feeling of unease with the OIC on its failure to get the CFM's meeting appears to be growing. Prime Minister Imran Khan voiced frustration over the OIC's silence on Kashmir while speaking at a think-tank during his visit to Malaysia," the Dawn reported. The newspaper quoted Khan as saying: "The reason is that we have no voice and there is a total division amongst (us). We can't even come together as a whole on the OIC meeting on Kashmir." Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Riyadh in October last year, the second time since 2016, and met the Crown Prince five times. The outcome of the meetings has been strategic partnership pact between the two countries, making India fourth country after France, the UK and China to earn such a significant status in Riyadh. India is a major importer of oil from Saudi Arabia. Queensland scientists are urgently working to find out whether native Australian bees could pick up the slack of commercial honey production, if the existing industry is hit by an external threat. Apart from the general decline of bee populations worldwide, believed to be due to a loss of habitat and pesticides, biosecurity authorities are keeping a close eye out for any incursion into Australia by the dangerous bee parasite the Varroa mite. The mites devastate hives of European honey bees, which are widely used for honey production and agricultural pollination, however they do not appear to affect native bees. Australian native stingless bees don't produce as much honey as European bees but they could be key to safeguarding Australia's food supply. Credit: A research team, led by Professor Helen Wallace, from Griffiths Environmental Futures Research Institute, is investigating whether those native bees could fill any gap in the commercial chain if the Varroa mite does make an incursion. The fallout over a controversial alignment of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats with the right-wing AfD now shifts to Berlin after the politician at the center of the crisis became the first victim. Just one day after a shock vote in Thuringia sparked outrage, the Free Democrats' Thomas Kemmerich said he will step down as the state's premier and seek new elections. Christian Lindner, his party's chairman, is in the firing line and called an emergency leadership meeting on Friday in the German capital to decide whether he should remain in charge. CDU leadership will also convene on Friday to determine a way forward after the local state chapter defied orders from Berlin. That heaps pressure on Chairwoman Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who was already struggling to sustain her position as Merkel's heir. German politics was upended on Wednesday when for the first time a state premier was appointed with the far right's help. The surprise move involved the CDU and the Free Democrats deposing the incumbent leader in the state of Thuringia with the backing of the Alternative for Germany party. The move broke a taboo among established parties, which had all vowed not to work with the AfD. "There can be no question, Thuringia needs a new beginning," Paul Ziemiak, general secretary of the Christian Democrats, told reporters Thursday in Berlin. "For the CDU, this new beginning can only take place on the basis of the decisions of our party conference." The turmoil reflects the tense state of German politics as the AfD makes inroads and Merkel prepares to retire from politics at the end of her term in 2021 at the latest. During a state visit to South Africa, Merkel weighed in, calling the action of her party's state chapter "unforgivable" and said it should be reversed. In a five-minute press conference in Thuringia's capital of Erfurt, Kemmerich reiterated that his party won't cooperate with the AfD, even after the anti-immigration party helped him into office. The FDP barely garnered enough votes to enter the state legislature and needed the unprecedented alliance to narrowly beat Bodo Ramelow from the Left party. "We want to hold a new election to remove the stain of the AfD's support," Kemmerich said. Asked whether he'd made a mistake by accepting the post, he responded: "No." While Kemmerich's move opens the door to elections, the motion would still need to find support in parliament, where the FDP only has five members in the fragmented 90-seat body. The Left has the most seats with 29, and the AfD is second with 22. Merkel's coalition partners scheduled a crisis meeting for Saturday to talk about the consequences of the events in Thuringia. The issue provides an opening for the Social Democrats, the reluctant junior partner, to gain political capital. "The CDU leader must show that she has her party under control," SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil told Spiegel. If she can't control the Thuringian branch, then "she's a queen without a country. We'll hold her to that standard." The AfD, which switched support from its own candidate to back Kemmerich, sent shockwaves across the political spectrum and sent thousands of protesters onto the streets in Erfurt and in cites including Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne. Bjoern Hoecke, the AfD's controversial state leader, was the mastermind behind the shock move. A notorious figure from the hard-right nationalist wing, he has made headlines by assailing Germany's guilt complex, referring to the Holocaust memorial in Berlin as a "monument of shame." A German court ruled in September that he could be legally called a "fascist." In a post on Twitter after losing the vote, Ramelow alluded to the fact that the Nazis were first part of a state government in Thuringia, with the success there used as a model for their national power grab. The post included a photo of Hoecke congratulating Kemmerich below a picture of Adolf Hitler shaking hands with then President Paul von Hindenburg. "Den groten Erfolg erzielten wir in Thuringen. Dort sind wir heute wirklich die ausschlaggebende Partei.[...] Die Parteien in Thuringen, die bisher die Regierung bildeten, vermogen ohne unsere Mitwirkung keine Majoritat aufzubringen." A. HitIer, 02.02.1930 pic.twitter.com/icDXFSKzC7 - Bodo Ramelow (@bodoramelow) February 5, 2020 Thirty years after reunification, Thuringia -- like most of the former communist states -- still struggles with lower wages, an exodus of young people and the sense of being second-class to the more affluent West. The AfD has exploited these shortcomings in state elections in the region this fall. The anti-establishment party, which has swept into national parliament and all 16 state assemblies in recent years, came in second place in Thuringia last October. Its inroads meant that Ramelow's anti-capitalist Left no longer had a majority to lead a coalition with the SPD and the Greens. The state of 2.2 million people borders Bavaria to its south and is home to some of Germany's most valuable cultural heritage, including its literary capital in Weimar and Wartburg Castle near Eisenach, where Martin Luther translated the New Testament into German. The emotion of the political rupture was evident after the vote. With Kemmerich receiving congratulations, Left's caucus leader in Thuringia tossed a bouquet of flowers at his feet and walked off without shaking his hand. LONGMEADOW State police, stopping a vehicle in the southbound lanes of Interstate 91 late Monday night, arrested a Springfield man and seized a stolen handgun, heroin and crack cocaine. The suspect, 21-year-old Haner Nunez, faces cocaine trafficking and other charges, according to a state police press release. The incident began when Trooper Patrick Dolan, on patrol shortly before midnight, saw a black Acura sedan speeding at approximately 90 mph, state police said. Dolan, catching up to the vehicle, noted that its registration was revoked. The trooper activated his emergency lights and stopped the Acura less than a mile from the Connecticut line. Dolan asked Nunez and his passenger to exit the vehicle so it could be towed due to the revoked registration. During a tow inventory, Dolan found a Bersa Thunder .380-caliber pistol, fully loaded with a round in the chamber, police said. The suspect does not possess a license to carry firearms and an electronic inquiry revealed the firearm was stolen, state police said. Dolan also found individually wrapped baggies of a substance believed to be crack cocaine and multiple wax packets of a substance believed to be heroin. Trooper Dane Jobst arrived on scene to assist Dolan in arresting Nunez. A search of the suspect revealed he was carrying over $1,900 in cash along with two cellphones. The total amount of narcotics seized was 23 grams of crack cocaine and 40 small packets of heroin, according to state police. The troopers, while on scene, determined the passenger was unaware of the gun and drugs and that person was released. Nunez was also charged with carrying a loaded firearm, possession of a firearm while in commission of a felony, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of ammunition without a firearm identification card, operating a motor vehicle with a revoked registration, receiving stolen property and speeding. This grant funds research to help break down barriers to successful lung cancer treatment and to identify new treatments. A 2019 partnership between ALK Positive and the GO 2 Foundation raised the funds for this grant. Patients with ALK+ lung cancer benefit from targeted therapy medications but drug resistance ultimately limits this benefit: most patients develop progressive disease within one to three years of treatment. Dr. Trever Bivona, associate professor of medicine at the University of California San Francisco, and Dr. Christine Lovly, associate professor of medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, are receiving the grant for their project, "Transforming ALK+ lung cancer into a chronic or curable condition by combating drug resistance." Drs. Bivona and Lovly are recognized lung cancer experts. The study will explore if new combinations of targeted therapies can delay or prevent treatment resistance. "ALK Positive is grateful to GO 2 Foundation for their efforts in coordinating this partnership. The fundraising efforts of the ALK Positive members and their supporters have been extraordinary, and we are hopeful this project will make significant strides in accomplishing our mission to 'improve the life expectancy and quality of life for all ALK-positive patients worldwide'," said Gina Hollenbeck, the group's president. "One of the greatest barriers to surviving lung cancer is treatment resistance. This grant will help overcome this significant obstacle, give patients hope, and help to achieve the goal of making lung cancer a chronically-managed disease," said Bonnie J. Addario, co-founder and board chair of the GO 2 Foundation. "Lung cancer is truly leading the way to make research personal. This is an example of how patients, advocates and researchers are putting their heads together to create new, game-changing research." "I am honored to work alongside the ALK Positive community on this effort to accelerate our understanding of resistance and to find new ways to fight it," said Bivona. "At a time when we are making great strides in the treatment of lung cancer, yet research funding is lacking, we are deeply appreciative of this funding from members of ALK Positive," said Lovly. About ALK Positive ALK Positive - a group of highly motivated, passionate, and dedicated ALK-positive patients and their caregivers - wants to drive change in the ALK lung cancer space. ALK Positive members are committed to raising funds for research to increase ALK-positive lung cancer patients' survivorship. The three tenets by which they live are information, support, and empathy. ALK Positive members uphold these by providing information about ALK-positive lung cancer to each other; supporting one another around the globe to improve members' physical and emotional well-being; and having empathy with each other because they share their lung cancer journey. For more information about ALK Positive, or to make a donation to help fund the ALK Positive Lung Cancer Transformational Research Awards, please visit www.alkpositive.org About GO 2 Foundation for Lung Cancer Founded by patients and survivors, GO 2 Foundation for Lung Cancer (formerly the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation and Lung Cancer Alliance), transforms survivorship as the world's leading organization dedicated to saving, extending, and improving the lives of those vulnerable, at risk, and diagnosed with lung cancer. We work to change the reality of living with lung cancer by ending stigma, increasing public and private research funding, and ensuring access to care. SOURCE GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer Related Links https://go2foundation.org The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. Santee Cooper is prepared to end a legal battle with the former contractor at the failed V.C. Summer nuclear project and sell off the remaining material left at the abandoned construction site. The state-owned utility's board of directors voted Thursday on the basic terms of a settlement with Westinghouse Electric, which was initially responsible for designing, engineering and building the two unfinished reactors in Fairfield County. Mark Bonsall, Santee Cooper's CEO since July, will now be in charge of hashing out the specifics of that deal, which will end a months-long lawsuit in federal court. Dan Ray, acting chairman of Santee Cooper's board, said it took a lot of work to get the legal settlement to where it is today. The negotiation was "technical and complicated," he said. Both Santee Cooper and Westinghouse claimed ownership of the leftover parts. Westinghouse filed for bankruptcy prior to the nuclear project's cancellation in July 2017. The pending agreement, Bonsall said, will free Santee Cooper up to cash in on the leftover material and nuclear equipment, which has remained at the construction site for nearly three years. Westinghouse is also expected to make some money off the deal, Bonsall said. Santee Cooper purchased the vital nuclear components for the reactors during construction, Bonsall said, but Westinghouse retained the intellectual property rights to those specialized pieces of equipment. That gave Westinghouse leverage to bring Santee Cooper to the negotiating table. The Moncks Corner-based utility would not have been able to resell some of the more expensive nuclear components at a decent price without Westinghouse's cooperation. The basic idea is that Westinghouse and Santee Cooper will share the proceeds from any parts that are sold. The utility will cash in on the remaining rebar, wiring, piping other material by itself. "Right, wrong or indifferent, they have a valid point that the other equipment has no value without the intellectual property that goes along with it," Bonsall said following the board meeting. "You can't use it in a nuclear installation without their consent." Westinghouse did not return a call seeking comment. Last year, Santee Cooper estimated the remaining parts and material at V.C. Summer station could fetch up to $425 million at sale. Bonsall said he still expects Santee Cooper to get roughly the same price, even as it shares part of the proceeds with Westinghouse. Santee Cooper's leadership hopes to use the money gained from the leftover parts to help pay down the $3.6 billion in bond debt it owes for the abandoned reactors. That extra income could help Santee Cooper make their case to the S.C. Legislature as state lawmakers prepare to vote this year on whether to sell the 86-year-old public utility. The 170 lawmakers in the House and Senate are particularly worried about Santee Cooper's current debt load and what that could mean for the monthly electricity bills for the utility's direct customers and the members of the 20 electric cooperatives it supplies with power. The recent past has been worrisome for the Muslims since those with vested interest especially some of those wearing the sacred robe are aiming the crosshair at the Muslims. by Mass L. Usuf To comprehend the context of this column, it is necessary to understand what is meant to be conveyed by the word, sheepish. Several dictionaries provide the standard explanations and definitions. For example, sheepish means: Resembling a sheep, affected by or showing embarrassment caused by consciousness of a fault, embarrassed, stupid, meek. Collins dictionary had the precise meaning that was meant to be communicated. It said: Timid, resembling a sheep in timidity or lack of initiative. Timid people are those considered to be shy and have no courage or confidence in themselves. Collins explaining timid states as follows, If you describe someone's attitudes or actions as timid, you are criticizing them for being too cautious or slow to act, because they are nervous about the possible consequences of their actions (emphasis mine). If the character of the Muslim community is to be described in one or two words, the choices would be sheepish and/or timid. This does not imply that they are not courageous or deficient in self-confidence but, typically, they are not prone towards the characteristics of aggression, domineering, defiance etc. They have proven themselves to be more circumspect and as peace loving citizens throughout the centuries excepting a few incidents far in between. Dosa Kade It was the same with the Tamil community prior to the creation of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The Tamil community was meek and timid. They were a people who minded their own business and were trying to eke out a living as any other. Toiling to educate their children and struggling to establish themselves in life. They would rarely pick a fight. Even if one erupts due to the intransigence of the other, they would try to walk away without complicating the situation. In many instances, the disdainful manner in which the humble waiter in a Dosa Kade was treated those days comes to mind. Every community has the Il buono, ilbrutto, ilcattivo, (the good, the bad and the ugly). This was a 1966, Italian Western movie starring Clint Eastwood as "the Good", Lee Van Cleef as "the Bad", and Eli Wallach as "the Ugly". The Tamil community too had its share of the trio like the Sinhala and Muslim communities. However, the majority of them were not inclined towards violence, vengeance, hatred or hostility. Since casteism was prevalent in the communities of the Sinhala and Tamil people internal prejudices were socially and culturally acceptable to those belonging to the respective groups. Fortunately, in Islam there is no caste system, therefore, the Muslims were free from this type of social stratification. Radicalisation Process No people can continuously be dominated or discriminated upon and consequently be oppressed. The meek and mild who are marginalised, alienated and racial profiled will gradually gravitate towards radicalisation and violence. We understand that oppression occurs when individuals are systematically subjected to political, economic, cultural, or social degradation because they belong to a certain social groupthis result from structures of domination and subordination and, correspondingly, ideologies of superiority and inferiority. (Introduction to Community Psychology). Researchers on radicalisation have identified various avenues that lead even the normal civic minded citizen to the perceptibly inevitable option of violence. The loss of ones significance as a person/community or the ominously diminishing identity of a person/community within the greater social spectrum are considered to play a vital role in this regard. According to Kruglanski et al. (2009a, 2014) there are three events that can trigger the quest for significance: (1) the loss of significance (e.g., humiliation, social alienation); (2) the perception of threat to the significance (e.g., the possibility of being rejected); and (3) the opportunity to gain considerable significance (e.g., becoming a hero, a martyr). This perspective suggests that the quest for personal significance may encourage radicalization under certain conditions. For the radicalization process to take place, three elements are necessary (Kruglanski et al., 2014): (1) the quest for significance to be activated; (2) violence to be identified as a means to achieve significance; and (3) the commitment to use violence to achieve significance and become dominant and incompatible with other possible sources of significance. Creating Extremism Little wonder that the LTTE emerged as a militant force and was augmented further by the indiscriminate carnage of the Tamil people in 1983. This triggered to turn upside down and destroy the sensitive equilibrium of sanity, civility, and morality that held the Sinhalese and the Tamils together. Presently, the war worn Tamils are no more meek, timid, shy and would not walk away without responding to any event that challenges their existence. The recent past has been worrisome for the Muslims since those with vested interest especially some of those wearing the sacred robe are aiming the crosshair at the Muslims. This is a dangerous game that is being played by these elements. They are engaged in this exercise either intentionally to destabilise the country by fuelling extremism or dictated by overwhelming selfishness to achieve personal glory. Whatever is their agenda, they are certainly not the good Samaritans of this country. On the contrary, they are the enemies working to create chaos and anarchy and by this contributing to weaken and compromise national security. Past experience has shown that there are lessons to be learnt from the one time meek, timid and submissive Tamil people. Anyone who is marginalised, targeted, alienated, racially profiled, discriminated and oppressed will fight back to regain his losing identity and his significance as a person/community. Studies on radicalisation have concluded as such. The psychological outcome will be the same for any human - be it Muslim, Tamil, Sinhala, Arab, Persian, White or Black. This is the reality and any act even remotely leading to such aggravation need to be stemmed at the very beginning itself. Venerable Senior Monks The consistent disinhibited behaviour of some monks in the recent past is very disturbing. Shrouding themselves pretentiously with the noble robe, they conduct themselves and speak in a manner totally unbecoming of a monk. According to Wikipedia, disinhibited behaviours are actions which seem tactless, rude or even offensive. They occur when people don't follow the usual social rules about what or where to say or do something. These were monks who were insignificant some years ago. They were not even known to anyone and without question were obscured from limelight. Such unknown persons of yesterday have been given the opportunity to become television heroes overnight. These masquerade as the saviours of the nation. They effectively use a concoction of truth, lies, misinterpretation, deception and, trick the public by the perceptive reverence of the saffron robe. Fortunately, the venerable elders among the monks who are decent, worthy of respect and reverence have voiced their opinions as to the misdemeanour of these deviant monks. They have even gone to the extent of counselling mainstream political parties not to facilitate bhikkhus to contest the upcoming general elections. Very wisely, the venerable senior monks have also called upon the people not to even cast their votes in the event a monk desires to contest as an independent candidate. Ironically, it is not any other who will destroy the great universal philosophy of Dhamma but these rogue monks who pretend to be the protectors of the Dhamma. It becomes the duty of all those who love the dhamma to ensure that these types of monks are not encouraged and applauded. This duty should weigh heavily on the shoulders of those who devoutly follow Buddhas dhamma. The media which provides airtime to sensationalise and make them celebrities should also be more introspective if they call themselves as truly Buddhists. The end. 06.02.2020 LISTEN Indigenes of Salem, a suburb in Nyinahin are still counting their loses as raging fire destroyed an entire house and killing a 4yr old boy in the process. The fire which started around 10pm on Wednesday destroyed properties worth thousands of Ghana Cedis on that fateful night. With the Fire Service yet to reveal what was the cause of the inferno, it is believed the doom started when all and sundry were asleep but one, Mrs. Marie Osei a tutor of Nyinahin Catholic Senior High School who was at her church when the fires started lost his son, Kobby in the process. Eye witness put it that, in the heat of outright pandemonium, the 10-year-old elder brother of the deceased was able to rescue his immediate sibling from their room only to return to see the fires preventing him from assisting his junior sibling to get out of the conflagration; hence the inevitable. To compound the misery of the affected tenants, the District fire tender that was speeding to the scene to rescue or ameliorate the situation had their car run into the gutters of the ongoing road construction by the Sinohydro Company blocking the only accessible route for the Fire tender called from Bibiani to help. This scenario caused the fires to consume the entire house while onlookers stand aloof helplessly. The charred body of little Kobby was whisked to the Cemetery as Police and the Fire service investigate what caused the fires. More photos below: Rancor over Democrats proposed climate change policy was on vivid display in Salem on Thursday as a convoy of log trucks, tractors and pickups encircled the Capitol and blasted their air horns for hours as more than a thousand opponents gathered to protest the cap and trade bill. It was a repeat performance of sorts from last June, when the newly formed rural advocacy group Timber Unity organized a similar rally to protest an earlier version of the policy and support for Republican legislators stand against it. Opponents are hopeful of an encore this year, and their protest turned into something of a campaign rally. A parade of Republican legislators took to the steps of the Capitol to denigrate the new version of the legislation, Senate Bill 1530, and criticize Gov. Kate Brown and the urban elites behind it. It was a starkly partisan, us-versus-them message that mimics much of the national political dialogue. Lawmakers exhorted the crowd of Oregon patriots to fight for their freedom and liberty and take your state back. They referenced gun control, abortion, and the social problems that have plagued rural Oregon with the decline in the natural resources economy. They suggested that urban Oregonians care little about the rest of the state. And they urged the crowd to remember the party standard bearers, Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan. You must build the army to fight those who would take away your way of life, said Senate Republican Leader Herman Baertschiger of Grants Pass. We bought you the time. You bring the army to change the makeup of this building. The Timber Unity rally at State Capitol in Salem, February 6, 2020 Beth Nakamura/Staff Timber Unity, which claims 54,000 members, handed out awards to a variety of lawmakers, including one Democrat, Sen. Betsy Johnson of Scappoose, an outspoken opponent of the bill. This was a bad bill last session. Its a bad bill this session, Johnson told the crowd, thanking them for reminding legislators that what they do in Capitol has real consequences. Sen. Kim Thatcher, R-Keizer, used the rally as an opportunity to announce her candidacy for Secretary of State and her hope to follow the late legislator and Secretary of State Dennis Richardson as the only Republican to hold statewide office in the previous 16 years. "I cant watch as Oregon goes down the tubes, Thatcher said. She was followed to the microphone by Jeff Gudman, a Lake Oswego City Councilor and Republican running for state Treasurer. The lawmakers, candidates and other speakers were met by big trucks draped in massive signs, hundreds of protesters carrying flags and placards with Timber Unity messages, and others who found a way to incorporate their other controversial issues into the climate debate, such as The only vaccine Oregon needs is one to prevent Cap and Trade. The Timber Unity rally at State Capitol in Salem, February 6, 2020 Beth Nakamura/Staff The crowd was heavily represented by loggers, farmers, truck drivers, miners, fishermen, but also average citizens of all walks from throughout the state. They expressed a variety of their own objections to SB 1530, including the potential economic hit from increased fuel prices; the futility of regulating carbon in Oregon when other states and countries arent; public records exemptions in the bill that reduce transparency; and the emergency clause that would have it take effect immediately on passage. One main theme was that Democrats are simply interested in raising new taxes, and the climate policy gives them another chance. Greg Schmitz, a logger from Silverton who is currently president of Associated Oregon Loggers, called it a rush-rush bill that is still something being shoved down our throats. The main thing for me is its going to create poverty, said Steve Wick, a retired high-tech worker from Gales Creek in Washington County. He pointed out that Democratic lawmakers overwhelmingly represent districts with the highest per capita incomes in the state, and Republicans the lowest. He was doubtful that any of the steps that backers say theyve taken to lessen the impact of the bill would really help the middle class and retirees. Lets send this to the voters rather than trying to shove it through a short session, said Wick, a Democrat. Let the voters decide." The Timber Unity rally at State Capitol in Salem, February 6, 2020 Beth Nakamura/Staff Organizers even invited Chuck Wiese, an airline pilot, meteorologist and climate change denier, to address the crowd. CO2 does not cause the climate to change, he claimed. It has no ability to do that. Climate change denial wasnt a consistent theme, per se. Timber Unity representatives said they met with Gov. Kate Brown Thursday morning and delivered a four-point plan to tackle the issue. Those include using tax incentives to encourage businesses and consumers to invest in cleaner production and transportation technology; using the states existing rights of way to plant trees and sequester more carbon dioxide; using the states purchasing power to buy local and decrease its carbon footprint; and increasing recycling infrastructure in the state. Timber Unity members protested Democrats' proposed climate change policy, Senate Bill 1530, in Salem on Thursday. Ted Sickinger/Staff For backers of the carbon bill, thats too little, too late. They see a global crisis that needs to be acted on locally now. And the carbon pricing program from last years House Bill 2020, known as the Clean Energy Jobs bill, remains largely intact. The bill still establishes a gradually more stringent cap on statewide carbon dioxide emissions and requires polluters from the transportation fuels, utility and industrial sectors to acquire emissions allowances to cover every metric ton of their emissions. As the supply of those allowances declines over time, the theory goes, the price of allowances will go up and force polluters to clean up by electrifying transportation, building more wind and solar farms or adopting more efficient production technology. Supporters say they listened to critics concerns and have made significant changes to lessen its impact on fuel prices for rural Oregonians and the cost of compliance for large industrial firms two sources of loud opposition to last years unsuccessful bill. At the same time, they argue the new proposal will maintain the programs environmental integrity and a commitment to reduce greenhouse gases 45% below 1990 levels by 2035 and 80% below that level by 2050. Backers of the bill held their own youth rally in Portland on Thursday. My name is Rhylie Woodley, and Im here to declare a climate emergency of behalf of my generation, said one speaker at the rally, a 17-year-old Grant High School senior and aspiring politician. Im almost 18, and for the first time Ill cast my ballot this November. There are thousands of us ready to vote for the first time and one of the biggest issues on our mind is stopping the climate crisis. Meanwhile, proponents of the bill draped a variety of giant banners on highway overpasses on Interstate 5 Thursday, urging travelers to and from Salem not to burn up our childrens future. Backers of the legislation were also on hand in Salem Thursday to testify at a public meeting on SB 1530 at the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee. They made the case that Timber Unity doesnt represent all of rural Oregon. Mimi Casteel, a farm owner and winemaker from outside Salem, is one of 250 farmers, ranchers and forestland owners who signed a letter supporting SB 1530. She told lawmakers that climate change is an immediate threat to her business and Oregons wine industry in general, which has built a worldwide reputation for its cool climate pinot noirs and other wines. In an interview, she said her farm has adopted climate-smart practices, from irrigation to soil health, and seen increased profitability and resilience even as the state has witnessed its 10 hottest growing seasons on record. The bill directs 25% of the proceeds generated for the climate investment fund as much as $36 million annually into natural and working lands. Ive read the bill, and Ive worked in forest and farms pretty much my whole life, she said. All these things could be realized across this state if we start investing in this right now. I want to see that go to out farmers and ranchers and see them realize the benefits weve already realized. Oregon lawmakers returned to Salem on Monday for the 35-day session. And already, they appear on the brink of another national headline-grabbing shutdown. Republicans in both the House and Senate say they plan to walk out if needed to block a carbon cap-and-trade bill, just as Senate Republicans did in 2019. Baertschiger recently told The Oregonian/OregonLive that Republican polling in Republican-held districts leaves him feeling as if his party is "gonna be fine. He said the biggest message from constituents -- even in swing districts in south Salem and Bend -- is Stop cap-and-trade, by far. Tasha Webb, a Timber Unity member and miner, echoed that sentiment when she spoke to the crowd on Thursday. Any gold miners here? she asked, and was answered with much cheering. Were an endangered species now. Theyve over-regulated us to near extinction. Miners arent here today because of timber, were here because of unity." If they vote yes on this climate tax, they better be scared, she said of Democrats. No amount of campaign financing will get them reelected. Well knock on doors, well write initiatives and well sign every damn petition. Not everyone in the crowd at Thursdays Salem Rally was buying into the message offered. Carl Smith, a Woodburn businessman who sells agricultural equipment for a living, was standing well outside the main crowd. He said hed come to the rally in support of a friend, a logger, but was turned off by all the us-versus-them rhetoric. I just dont think any of thats helpful, he said. Its not really helping these folks. From Smiths perspective, the fact that humans, and the capitalist system in general, are changing the climate is dreadfully obvious. I know and appreciate all these people. I interact in both worlds, he said. This is a mistake on both sides. They dont know each other anymore. We have to come together and find a solution and show the people we can move forward. Minutes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a lambasting attack on the Congress party on Thursday while responding on the President's Motion of Thanks in the Parliament, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi spoke to reporters. Maintaining that the PM has no answers to the job losses in the country, the former Congress president accused the Prime Minister of diverting attention. Rahul Gandhi said: "The most important thing is about the economy and the problem of jobs. I want to ask the Prime Minister that he has given a speech for two hours, you could have told the youth about job creation. You tell them what has the government done to create jobs? And you all witnessed PM was unable to give a reply. He has not told a word on it. Even Finance Minister was unable to reply. He is distracting, he will talk about Congress, Jawaharlal Nehru, Pakistan, Bangladesh. It is his style to distract the nation. Where is 2 crore jobs? he is unable to utter a word." PM Modi fires scorching reply to Rahul Gandhi's 'Danda' attack; says he's 'gaali-proof' PM's response on "Danda" remark Addressing the Lok Sabha on Thursday, PM Modi gave a befitting response to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "Danda remark." He said: "I was hearing the remark made by one of the Congress leaders that I will be lathi-charged within few months. I have been "Gaali proof" after hearing so much abuse. Now, I will do Surya Namaskar for six months and toughen myself up to bear the blows. I am humbled that they have announced it beforehand so now I will exercise and make myself fit for it." 'Danda-fight' EXPLODES in Parliament: Watch what Rahul Gandhi said & what Modi replied Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made the contentious remark in his campaign rally for the Delhi Assembly election on Wednesday. He claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not be able to step out of his house after some months as the young people of the country were extremely angry with him. Furthermore, he predicted that the youths would beat the PM with sticks and make him understand the importance of providing jobs. PM Modi takes a jibe at Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, thanks him for promoting 'Fit India' INSURANCE company FBD has been accused of ripping off its customers after it said it expects to report a doubling of profits. The company, which only domestic insurer, said it expects to report profits before tax of 100m for last year. This is a massive jump on the 50m in profit earned in 2018. FBD has a strong presence in the farming community and has a large market share in rural areas. In a brief note ahead of its financial returns on 27 February, FBD said the performance was mainly due to a strong positive prior year reserve development plus weather and investments. FBD reported profits of 50m in 2018, the same in 2017, and 11m in 2016. Headed up by soon-to-depart Fiona Muldoon, the company drew the ire of the Alliance for Insurance Reform and business group Isme when it told the stock exchange it expects to report bumper profits for 2019. Asked if it was ripping off its customers, an FBD spokesman said the firm had no comment. The Alliance for Insurance Reform said: This trading update from FBD only confirms what report after report have already confirmed that motorists, small businesses and voluntary groups are being ripped off by insurers and lawyers and held to ransom on the back of their relentless drive for profitability. Peter Boland of the Alliance said policyholders were the big losers, with insurers and lawyers winning from the insurance crisis. We have seen laid bare over the last year the scale of the greed that has driven the current insurance crisis, enriching insurance companies and lawyers at the expense of whole sectors of Irish society struggling to make ends meet. Mr Boland said the Government had been too slow to react to the crisis and too weak to take on the big vested interests in order to make a difference. Business group Isme called for the cutting of premiums. Firms and community groups are under huge pressure from rising premiums, with the situation exacerbated by the departure of a number of insurers from this market. Chief executive of Isme Neill McDonnell said: The increasing profitability of insurers in Ireland suggests they will have plenty of scope to reduce premia in 2020, which our members eagerly look forward to. And he was highly critical of lawyers for extracting huge fees from personal injury insurance claims. He said a recent Central Bank report found that, on personal injuries claims below 100,000, legal costs amount to an average of 63pc of the damages awarded. The same Central Bank report found that insurers were making average profit margins of 9pc up to 2018, with insurers expected to be even more profitable last year. Six central banks are planning to discuss issuing digital currencies (Photo: Bank of Japan) Central banks in Japan, Europe, and Canada are taking a joint look into issuing digital currencies in their home jurisdictions, hoping to offer a convenient and safe alternative to Facebook's Libra or the digital yuan. Six central banks and the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) will discuss introducing their own digital currencies in the upcoming meeting in April. Accordingly, the central banks of the UK, Switzerland, Sweden, Canada, and Japan, as well as the European Central Bank formed a working group with the BIS in January for joint research on central bank digital currencies, Nikkei Asian Review reported. It is believed that the entrance of digital currencies, such as Libra from Facebook or the digital yuan China is planning, into international settlements will undermine the influence of existing currencies such as the British pound, Japanese yen or European euro. The draft standards and procedures are expected to be discussed at first, together with how digital currencies are used to make international payments between the banks. Security measures will be another key topic. As this group researches digital currencies, "It is quite natural to consider how to make international transactions more convenient," said Masazumi Wakatabe, deputy governor of the Bank of Japan, an area that is currently notorious for its high fees. According to Nikkei, senior representatives of the banks, such as deputy governors and directors, along with working-level officials, will prepare their findings before the leaders meet on the sidelines of an international conference in Washington. The group intends to issue an interim report in June and a final report in the autumn. The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) is still not part of this framework since there are no future plans to launch digital currencies in Vietnam Currently, the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) is not part of this framework since there are no future plans to launch digital currencies in Vietnam. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said in November the US central bank has not yet followed any digital currency proposals. Doing so would be difficult in the US, with Americans remaining more committed to cash than other nations, he said. Advertisement The number of infected people aboard the coronavirus-stricken cruise liner moored off Yokohama doubled to 20 overnight but despite the deadly contagion passengers were seen chatting across their balconies today. Ten more people tested positive for the deadly virus on the Diamond Princess on Thursday after the same number were rushed off the moored vessel to hospitals on the Japanese mainland on Wednesday. But despite some of the ship's 3,700 passengers complaining of 'prison-like' quarantine conditions they were seen gallivanting on the colossal vessel's galleries today within arms reach of their neighbours. Japanese authorities have tested 273 people among the passengers and crew after a man who got off the boat last month in Hong Kong tested positive for the new strain. Among the passengers in Yokohama Bay, near Tokyo, are 78 Britons including David Abel, 74, and his wife Sally, who has described having to rely on Facebook to communicate with his fellow passengers. The cruise operator, Princess Cruises, said the infected passengers include three Americans, two Australians, seven Japanese, one from Taiwan, two Canadians, one New Zealander and three Hong Kong citizens, as well as one Filipino crew member. The new cases were reported as the Diamond Princess, which has been ordered to remain at port for 14 days, docked to allow resupply and the removal of sick passengers this morning. Despite some of the ship's 3,700 passengers complaining of 'prison' like quarantine conditions they were seen gallivanting on the colossal ship's galleries on Thursday within arms reach of their neighbours An ambulance and Japan Coast Guard members in protective outfit prepare for the arrival of infected passengers that were onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship, at Yokohama port on Wednesday when another ten were rushed off to hospitals on the Japanese mainland Ten more people have tested positive for the deadly virus on the Diamond Princess after the same number were rushed off the moored vessel to hospitals on the Japanese mainland on Wednesday (pictured: passengers gaze out to port on Thursday as the ship returned to port to collect supplies) The Diamond Princess cruise ship with some 3,700 people on board arrives at Yokohama port on Thursday to resupply. People on board have described confusion and boredom after being confined to cabins following the decision by Japanese authorities to quarantine the vessel. At the port, officials could be seen dressed in white hazmat suits, complete with face masks and helmets. An extendable white-tented passageway was wheeled to a door on the side of the massive cruise ship, apparently to protect the identity of people being evacuated from the boat. As the massive cruise ship docked, passengers who have been told they will have to stay aboard days even if they test negative for the virus, came out onto balconies, some waving to assembled media or taking pictures. On Wednesday, 'we received 31 test results, of which 10 were positive', Health Minister Katsunobu Kato told parliament. For breakfast, quarantined cruisers yesterday were served a measly fruit salad, pastries (both sweet and savoury), a Fru Fru yoghurt and a glass of apple juice Pictured: Lunch for the quarantined cruisers yesterday at the port of Yokohama included stir-fried tofu and vegetables 'Now we have 71 more test results, of which 10 are positive for the new coronavirus,' he added. 'I don't have immediate information about the current situation, but those who tested positive will be sent to hospitals.' People on board have described confusion and boredom after being confined to cabins following the decision by Japanese authorities to quarantine the vessel. Among those stuck on the Diamond Princess are Mr and Mrs Abel from Woodford Halse, Northamptonshire. @daxa_tw (On board the Diamond Princess) tweeted a picture of an empty lounge with the caption 'Another lounge. Bingo competition venue. I've never been here before but it's quite wide' after all of the passengers were confined to their rooms on board Another dinner option aboard the quarantined cruise ship yesterday was chicken and rice with a selection of meat and cheese For breakfast yesterday, the coronavirus-stricken cruise ship served eggs, coffee, fruit muesli, a muffin and a croissant Another tweet from @daxa_tw (On board the Diamond Princess) says: 'I called you. It seems nothing can be done at the moment. I told you the room number where you can hear a cough. I'm scared' Lunch - consisting of a sandwich, another roll and some crisps - arrived late yesterday aboard the Diamond Princess currently quarantined at a port in Yokohama Mr Abel told BBC Radio 4's World At One that they were similar to 'being prisoners' as they are not allowed to leave their cabin. He later added in a video this morning that food standards had improved but maintained that conditions are still strict. 'One lady hadn't had an evening meal last night, by nine o'clock and she went outside to try and say, "Where's our food" and she was shouted at and told, "Get back in your room", so its really being enforced.' Mr Abel said on a Facebook Live. 'There are people on every floor to make sure that people do not wander outside of their cabins.' Mr Abel, who is diabetic, said he had a very pleasant phone conversation with the ship's doctor yesterday after the huge social media reaction to his video to ensure that he had enough insulin. He also described how the ship had been out at sea throughout last night before docking again on Thursday morning. A woman waves Australian flags as she stands on her cabin's balcony on the colossal vessel. Despite passengers complaining about the draconian quarantine conditions it appears they can chat to each other on the gallery Passengers aboard the Diamond Princess wave to those on the shore as the media assembled to take photographs at Yokohama port Workers wearing protective gear prepare to load supplies on to the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where 10 people on the ship had tested positive for coronavirus yesterday, after it arrived at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama A port worker speaks with a crew member after the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where 10 people on the ship had tested positive for coronavirus yesterday and another ten cases were reported today Among those stranded on board are 233 Australians, including Olivia Capodicasa, from Melbourne, who was on the final night of her cruise with her grandmother when the ship was locked down. She described the conditions as being like 'hell' and said she had been watching movies to pass the time. 'It has been a hell of a 24 hours stuck in here', she told Sunrise on Thursday morning. 'I think it is really starting to hit me now that this is the reality and I'm not going home anytime soon'. Olivia Capodicasa (pictured) was on the final night of her cruise with her grandmother when the ship was locked down More than 20 countries have confirmed cases of the virus, which has infected more than 28,000 in mainland China and killed more than 560 people. The outbreak has prompted the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency, several governments to impose travel restrictions, and airlines to suspend flights to and from China. Japan has now confirmed 25 cases of the new coronavirus - excluding the cruise ship infections - among them citizens returning from Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak. Health workers in protective suits put up hoardings on Wednesday as passengers who were diagnosed with the virus are moved Officers in protective gear carry luggage cases after people who were transferred from cruise ship Diamond Princess on Wednesday when the first 10 people were taken off, another 10 were confirmed to have the virus today Tokyo has evacuated more than 500 Japanese citizens from Wuhan, and attracted some criticism for its relatively loose quarantine approach. There have been several incidences of apparent person-to-person transmission in Japan, including a tour guide and bus driver who contracted the virus after coming into contact with visitors from Wuhan. Neither had visited China in recent months. Trees were downed and buildings damaged as severe weather ripped through South Carolina and surrounding states on February 6, local media reported. A variety of severe weather warnings were issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) for South Carolina, including a tornado warning and flash flood warning. Tornado warnings were also issued for North Carolina and Georgia. Strong winds overturned semi-trucks, knocked down power lines, and split trees throughout Spartanburg, a city in northern South Carolina, local media reported. This video shows fallen trees and overturned outdoor furniture near a cafe in Spartanburg. Credit: @elenashpakovskaya via Storyful To say George Papageorgiou was a rolling stone is an understatement. A Greece-born Lothario driven by the allure of women, his travels across America left a trail of broken hearts, unfulfilled promises and fatherless children. But with just one-click of an online DNA testing link made nearly two decades after his death, the ashes of Papageorgious scattered sins rose as a Phoenix, connecting the nine pieces of a fractured familys heart. My aunt said to me, Demetre, its not like your father killed anybody. He just had sex with a lot of women, says Demetre Papageorgiou, 46, Georges second youngest son and the co-director of documentary short "9 Degrees. The doc, a Tribeca Studios film set to premiere at the New Jersey Film Festival on Saturday, tells the story of five brothers and four sisters, separated by distance and decades, coming together for the first time thanks to 23andMe.com. Demetre Papageorgiou, one of nine children fathered by George Papageorgiou, was inspired to help create the documentary '9 Degrees' after learning her had siblings he had never met. My mom kept calling me, Demetre remembers, harkening back to the day in February 2017 that changed his life forever. When I finally called her back she tells me, This guy named Chris Bone from Dallas, Texas, called and said, I know this crazy, but I think your dead husband is my father. Though shaken by the news, Cynthia Papageorgiou, Georges long-suffering widow, was not altogether surprised to learn of her unfaithful husbands extramarital child. Escaping the abusive father who ripped him from his 12-year-old mothers arms at birth, a 22-year-old George jumped a merchant Navy vessel out of Poulitsa, Greece landing him in Elizabeth in 1958. After marrying his first wife, Mary Lou, and having four kids with her between 1960 and 1963 one of which was given up for adoption as a baby due to financial issues George abandoned his family for the nomadic life of traveling salesmen. It wasnt until 1972, after welcoming at least three more children with as many women during brief dalliances, that George met and married Cynthia in Chicago. The couple welcomed sons Demetre and Charles Papageorgiou in 1973 and 1975, respectively, with the fragile nuclear family bouncing from home to home throughout the Midwest. Georges cheating never stopped. His incessant adultery not only strained his marriage, but also caused an irreparable rift between him and Demetre. Their relationship remained troubled until George died of cancer at 65 in 2001. Though initially indifferent to having a face-to-face with his dads alleged son, Demetre, at the urging of his younger brother Charles, agreed to join him in meeting Chris and another half-brother hed connected with through 23AndMe.com, retired Mt. Olive police officer Sgt. Mike Pocquat. At first sight, the four men knew they were family. Me and (Charles) go to a Marriott to go meet (Chris Bone and Mike Pocquat). We walk through the door and we see two guys walking towards us, Demetre recalls of the moment he first laid eyes on the men claiming to be his dads sons in March 2017. My brother goes, Thats not them is it? and Im like, Oh yeah, thats them. Immediately, Demetre saw the late George Papageorgious physical features, mannerisms, and even the way he walked perfectly mirrored by two men whod never met his father. He was sure Chris and Mike were his brothers. I knew right away. It was undeniable. From there, Chris who spent most of his life in desperate search for a dad he never knew spearheaded a siblings meet-up with Georges three children from his first marriage, his oldest son George and two daughters Denise and Darlene Papageorgiou, all living in Florida at the time. Mike, the fourth child of George and Mary Lou Papageorgiou, was the baby given up for adoption. As the seven siblings begin bonding, Chris discovers two more sisters, Shelley Dunlap of Phoenix and Angela Smart of Culver City, California, through online DNA testing. Within months of Georges nine kids all learning of each others existence, Mike invites his newfound relatives to his home in New Jersey for a first-ever siblings meet-up. It was overwhelming, Demetre who tapped longtime friend and fellow filmmaker Kalim Armstrong to video document the broods big reunion says of being under the same roof with all eight of his brothers and sisters in July 2018. Theres an immediate sibling connection. Like youve known these people, but youre still conscious of the fact that theyre strangers. But they dont feel like strangers, Demetre recollects. Everyone was just kind of open to it all and into it, which is one of the things thats so unique about our story. Filmmaker Kalim Armstrong working on '9 Degrees.' As chance would have it, Kalim co-founder of production company Vacationland Studios in Brooklyn just so happened to be sharing an office space with two award-winning documentary filmmakers working on video projects for 23AndMe.com When I first started discussing doing a documentary with Kalim I learned most stories of long-lost DNA relatives (reconnecting) are not like ours. Most of these stories are not happy stories because a family is fractured ... and usually, theres an unhappy (event that caused it). After hearing the sordid tale George Papageorgiou and the Papageorgiou nine, the 9 Degrees documentary came to life, seeing cameras capture everything from the tribes introductory interactions to their emotional family pilgrimage to Georges small hometown in Greece. This is the single greatest thing thats ever happened to me, Demetre rejoices of his newly conjoined clan. Its completely changed my life in every way. For all of us it has. Though the Papageorgiou pack isnt sure whether their infamous and long-departed daddy is responsible for any other left behind little ones, the nine siblings almost all of whom have one or more online DNA testing profiles are happy to welcome more of their biological brothers and sisters into the fold. I used to joke that the only thing I got from my dad were these incredible genes that help me look 20 years younger than I actually am, laughs Demetre. But it turns out I was wrong because I have this incredible family as a result of it all. The New Jersey Film Festival is being held at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. With the final gavel banging down Wednesday on impeachment, President Donald Trump and supporters looked back at the process and claimed victory. One day after Trump avoided talk of impeachment in his State of the Union address and argued that he had delivered on his 2016 campaign promises, the president already was moving to use impeachment as a 2020 rallying cry. Republican senators voted almost unanimously to acquit Trump. Trump tweeted after the vote that he would mark his acquittal with a statement at noon Thursday to discuss our Countrys VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax! The president and his allies sent giddy tweets needling his accusers and Democrats. In his first message once the trial closed, Trump posted an animated video using a Time magazine cover to suggest he would remain in office "4EVA." House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., released a video of him tearing up the impeachment articles. And White House social media director Dan Scavino tweeted an animated GIF of Trump dancing. Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and a senior White House aide, said in a post: "This factional fever and incoherent, ill-conceived process has finally ended and the President has rightfully been acquitted. It is time for our Country to move forward. Together. Many people across the country remarked that the process was a waste of time and taxpayers' money. Others called it a witch hunt. Video: McConnell says it's 'time to move on' after acquittal Throughout the impeachment process, Trump drew satisfaction as Republican senators, many of whom opposed his long-shot candidacy and still dismiss him in private, overwhelmingly defended him and defied convention, tradition and public opinion polling in the process. Scott Jennings, a longtime Republican political adviser, said the Senate impeachment trial strengthened Trumps hand within the party, especially with his core conservative base. It actually endears him to his most committed supporters. If Trump is a disrupter, it makes all the sense in the world for the insiders to try to get rid of him. It hands Trump a real messaging point, Jennings said. I see no weaknesses in Trump now. While Trump is among the least popular presidents in modern history, he has nonetheless maintained wide support among Republicans, with 83% approving of his job performance in a January poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center. Taking their cues from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, with whom Trump has a respectful, if not particularly close relationship, GOP senators fell in line to block new witnesses and documents in the trial. The final vote Wednesday was no different: Only one Republican, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, a longtime Trump critic, voted for removal. Romney seemed to anticipate retribution, telling Fox News, I have broad enough shoulders to bear the consequences." With the impeachment trial behind him, Trump loses a reliable foil. But he will soon gain a replacement with a general election foe. Donald Trump is in the best political position of his presidency, in part due to his opponents miscalculations, said GOP consultant Terry Sullivan. Hes at his best when he has a clear opponent, because hes terrible at playing defense but his political offensive game is second to none. I predict the next nine months will only get better for him as it becomes a two-person race that allows him to define it as a choice between he and his opponent. The president told confidants during the trial that he was impressed not just by the robust defense offered by his lawyers, but by the TV interviews offered by GOP senators outside the chamber, according to three White House aides and Republicans close to the West Wing were not authorized to discuss private conversations and spoke on condition of anonymity. He crowed to advisers about the loyalty being shown to him and predicted the show of force bodes well for party enthusiasm in Novembers election, the people said. I have never seen the Republican Party as Strong and as Unified as it is right now. Thank you!" Trump tweeted during the trial. Trump has benefited from a new class of Republicans in Congress who have proved to be more partisan than their predecessors. Party members also know that Trump rains retribution on those who cross him. For all of Trumps talk about how Democrats stick together, hes got the Republicans in his fist. Trumps sky-high approval ratings within his own party acted as a deterrent that kept nearly all Republicans from breaking ranks. The fear was palpable among GOP senators worried not just about being the target of an angry tweet but about a Trump-backed primary challenger or a revolt among strong Republican supporters. Still personally stung by impeachment, Trump is betting that he can sell his acquittal to the American people as a vindication, that he can activate his supporters and mollify even his skeptics in the center. Democrats are left with the more challenging task of explaining the details of the Ukraine case to the American people, and the White House believes Trump's less complicated message will prevail. College Readiness Professional Panel Sponsored by the Border View Family YMCA and Winward Academy Support San Ysidro Youth For the YMCA and Winward Academy, college readiness as a means to combat poverty is a cause worth fighting for. On Saturday February 8 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Winward Academy and the Border View Family YMCA will host hundreds of San Ysidro teens for a college readiness workshop in the Performing Arts Center at San Ysidro High School (SYHS). Many students attending SYHS will be the first in their families to go to college, which research suggests will place them with additional challenges in applying to, accessing and completing postsecondary education. In the San Ysidro community, only 15.3% of residents ages 25 and older have a Bachelors degree, compared with 37% at the county level. To create equitable opportunities for accessing college, college readiness support is crucial, said Border View Family YMCA Executive Director Gaby Millan. Our Y is committed to fulfilling this community need, and were thankful for our partnership with Winward Academy to fill these gaps. The college readiness workshop will be led by Dr. Jennifer Winward, the founder and CEO of Winward Academy. Students will review the differences between the ACT and SAT, learn test taking strategies and tips for success and complete practice questions in the most frequently tested English and Math concepts. Winward Academy is thrilled to support San Ysidro High School students to provide critical information about college and career readiness, shared Dr. Winward. The reality is that students in northern and central San Diego have access to resources like Winward Academy that arent likely available to families in southeast San Diego, shared Marko Gutierrez, a SYHS teacher. It means a lot that Winward Academy is making sure all teens in our community have access to critical information that shapes their decision making and opens doors for their futures. For the YMCA and Winward Academy, college readiness as a means to combat poverty is a cause worth fighting for. Youth in this area need support with college readiness as a means to lift them out of poverty and help them achieve their full potential, Millan added. To learn more about the YMCA of San Diego Countys efforts to promote college access and college readiness in the community, please contact Gaby Millan at (619) 428-9622. ### About the YMCA of San Diego County The YMCA of San Diego County is the largest Y Association in the nation serving nearly 500,000 San Diego County residents and employing more than 5,500 people. Through a variety of programs and services focused on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y unites men, women and children - regardless of age, income or background - to nurture the potential of children and teens, improve the nations health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. The YMCA of San Diego County is dedicated to improving the quality of human life and to helping all people realize their fullest potential as children of God through the development of the spirit, mind and body. Visit http://www.ymcasd.org to find your local YMCA or call (858) 292-YMCA (9622). About Winward Academy Test success, college success, and life success they all begin at Winward Academy, a research-based, student-centered learning platform for the ACT, SAT, math class, and college applications. Winward Academy applies a scientific approach to customize learning for each student, enabling growth for students of all levels and learning styles. Winward Academy is a team of passionate adolescent learning researchers committed to thoughtfully developing curriculum that improves learning, retention, and test performance building confidence for life. Winward Academy curriculum is used by students at home, by teachers in the classroom, and by charities in after-school and summer programs. For more information on Winward Academy, see winwardacademy.com or follow the company on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. A WEBSITE set up by a politics lecturer at University of Limerick has seen a spike in traffic in recent days as the country prepares to go to the polls. Whichcandidate.ie aims to help voters make a decision on polling day in the general election this Saturday, February 8. It is the brainchild of Dr Rory Costello, a lecturer in the Politics and Public Administration department at UL, who specialises in electoral and legislative politics. The web-based, not-for-profit Voting Advice Application (VAA) aims to inform voters about the policy positions of candidates. Dr Costello explained that it is a tool thats designed to try and help voters make an informed decision. Some voters already know who theyre going to vote for, they might be aligned with a particular party. But for many younger voters in particular, or people that might be voting in their first election, they often find it hard to decide and to make up their minds about who they should be voting for, said Dr Costello. What I am trying to do is to provide relevant information that can help people to decide. We send out questionnaires to all of the political parties and all of the candidates and their responses are available on our site. You, as a voter, can simply go onto our site and answer the same questions and you can see who you agree with and who you disagree with on each of those issues, he added. A range of issues are covered, including taxation and spending, housing, welfare and health, immigration and European integration. Hopefully people can find questions in there that they care about and then when they give their views of those questions, they can see which candidates share those views and also which parties share those views. That is relevant information when it comes to making up your mind on election day, said Dr Costello. The website was piloted for the 2014 local elections locally in Limerick and then nationally for the 2016 general election, when it was used by over 100,000 voters. It ran again last year for the European elections across all constituencies in Ireland. The website has been up and running for the past week for the 2020 general election and has had 66,000 sessions already. Dr Costello anticipates it could hit 200,000 sessions by polling day. It is national and covers all of the constituencies, all of the parties, candidates and voters right around the country can use it and they are using it. We are getting around 15,000 users every day and growing, so its quite popular and getting quite a lot of traffic, he explained. Today people are paying more attention to party policies than they used to and I think this is particularly true for younger voters. They want to know what the partys position is on issues that they care about, it might be climate change or it might be housing. Issues have always been important but they play an ever more important role in how people vote. It is not only issues, also image, personality, all of that also plays an increasingly important role in shaping how people vote. The key thing is people are less attached to parties, their vote is up for grabs, they are deciding later, they are more likely to change how they vote from one election to the next, were seeing a lot more flux and a lot more volatility in elections in recent years, he added. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Michael Andrew (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 12:27 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062e70ef 1 World virus,Indonesia,health,PNG,border,diplomacy Free The Indonesian consul in Vainamo, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Abraham Lebelauw is stranded in Jayapura after he was barred entry at the land border because of measures being taken against the Wuhan coronavirus. Papua New Guineas Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Patric Pruaitch told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday that the consul was denied entry at the Wutung border post, which has been temporarily closed to prevent the spread of the virus. He said officials are in talks with the Indonesian ambassador to allow Lebelauw to return to the consulate in Vainamo, a PNG town 40 kilometers from the border, to continue his work. We are following measures to ensure that his entry [into PNG] is facilitated, According to PNG newspaper The National, Lebelauw was disappointed that he was not allowed to enter under his diplomatic immunity. He said thermal coronavirus detection scanners were available at the border but were not used. There are no reported cases yet in Indonesia and I clearly am not coming from Wuhan, he told The National. He said that border authorities in Indonesia were not properly advised before the border was closed. As a neighboring country with a good relationship with Papua New Guinea, it is wise to talk, discuss and work together to solve the problem, as we already did when combating a polio outbreak some time ago. I hope that when we talk about borders, we can sit and talk together first, since any decision that we make will have implications for many people and sectors, especially when it comes to borders between PNG and Indonesia. PNG citizens were reportedly stranded on the Indonesian side of the border after it was closed last week. A number of PNG nationals in Wuhan the epicenter of the coronavirus left China with other evacuees on an Air New Zealand flight, which landed in Auckland today. Included on the flight were 17 citizens of Timor Leste and a number of other Pacific nation citizens. All the evacuees are to be placed in quarantine in Auckland for the next 14 days. The writer is an intern under the ACICIS program Topics : virus Indonesia health PNG border diplomacy Hillary Rodham Clinton, former first lady, in New York City on Nov. 6, 2019. (Michael Cohen/Getty Images for The New York Times) Hillary Clinton Comments on Potentially Joining Democratic Ticket as VP Nominee Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton downplayed the possibility that she would be asked to serve as a running mate for a Democratic presidential nominee. Well, thats not going to happen, but no, Clinton told Ellen DeGeneres on Thursday. The former first lady added that she was flabbergasted when former President Barack Obama asked her to become secretary of state during his first term in office, coming after a contentious 2008 Democratic primary race between the two. I was shocked. I had no idea he was going to ask me, and I turned him down twice. He said, Look the economy is in free fall, its a catastrophe. Ive got to focus on that. Weve got problems around the world; you go focus on that. And I said, No, no, Im happy where I am, you get somebody else. Im sure theres good people around,' she said. However, in the same interview, she said that you never say never to a request to be a vice-presidential candidate. And later, she called on Democratic voters to cast their ballots in November for the person that you believe can actually win in November. Look at the candidates, and clearly, youll like someone better than others, Clinton said. And then analyze that persons positions and their message. Can that person win? She added: Youve got to be very clear-minded about who can win. It comes after Clinton offered critical comments towards top Democratic candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Sanders last month responded to her remarks. Im sorry for what Secretary Clinton had to say. I know she said that nobody likes me, right. I mean, this is not the kind of rhetoric that we need right now when we are trying to bring the Democratic Party together to defeat the most dangerous president in American history, he said at the time. MARION Williamson County Board called a special meeting Wednesday to discuss a possible county building permit ordinance after several residents contacted commissioners with questions. The board is considering an ordinance to require building permits for new construction in unincorporated county areas after unchecked construction created complications in flood plains. Supervisor of Assessments Jeffery Robinson told those gathered that Williamson County passed a Flood Plain Ordinance on July 21, 2008. A flood plain ordinance is required for residents to access FEMA funding during a disaster, as well as to qualify for the National Flood Insurance Program. Any structure 70 square feet or larger that is built in unincorporated areas of the county must adhere to the flood plain requirements. The problem we are starting to run into is once we find them (construction sites), the building is already up, Robinson said. At that point, buildings located in a flood plain must undergo renovation to meet requirements of the flood plain ordinance, which is often more costly than incorporating those requirements during initial construction. Another problem is that sometimes buildings escape being added to property tax rolls. If they are going to build in unincorporated areas, they should be on the tax rolls, Commissioner Brent Gentry said. As we grow, we want to make sure we do it properly, Robinson said. Ron Deedrick, local government affairs director for Illinois Realtors, asked if the county was modeling the building permit ordinance after another countys ordinance. Board President Jim Marlo said they used Union Countys ordinance and Massac Countys, with some changes. The main difference is the fee. Many counties based the fee for a building permit on the size of the structure. Williamson will have a flat fee of $50 per building permit. Its just a minimal fee to make sure we adopt this, Marlo said. Right now, the best way we have is to discover it (new structures) is by accident, a neighbor calls it in, a flooding problem or an aerial photo, Robinson said. Weve been discussing this a long time. We know it wont go over well because were telling people what they can or cannot do with their own property, Commissioner Ron Ellis said. Several members of Williamson County Farm Bureau, including President Tom Miller, had questions about how the ordinance would work in relation to farms. Structures built on working farms will not be required to have a building permit. If you live in the middle of 10 acres and dont farm it, we can require a building permit, Assistant States Attorney Philip Maddox said. If you are farming, we cannot require a permit for your house. If you can file a Schedule F, you are a farmer, Ellis said. Even though the county cannot require building permits, farm structures, including barns and homes, must comply with the flood plain ordinance. The first violation of the building permit will result in a ticket being added to your file in the assessors office. The second violation carries a fine of $250, with $500 for the third offense and each day after day three. To make sure residents know about the new building permits, plans are to include an announcement in property tax bills, as well as through news releases. The board still must finalize wording of the ordinance before it can be called for a vote. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 2 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. Chesapeake Energy Corp. and three oilfield service firms were sued by the daughter of a worker who suffered fatal injuries when a Texas oil well exploded in flames in late January. The wrongful death suit seeks at least $1 million from Chesapeake Energy, Forbes Energy Services, Eagle Pressure Control and Halliburton Co. It was filed this week in Harris County District Court by Madison Hendrix, whose father, Brad Hendrix, died in a hospital days after the blast. Hendrix alleged that Chesapeake, the well owner, and the oilfield service companies were negligent, failed to provide a safe work environment or adequate medical care to the workers. Chesapeake declined to comment and Eagle Pressure Control did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Forbes Energy Services said it was beyond saddened that three fatalities have been confirmed and offered its deepest sympathy and condolences to families affected by the incident. Attorneys representing Hendrix did not respond to a request for comment. Halliburton said it was not performing any services on the rig when the well control incident occurred. Its well control unit, Boots & Coots, was hired to handle the post-incident well intervention work, a spokeswoman for the company said. Brad Hendrix was a well intervention technical adviser at Eagle Pressure Control, according to his LinkedIn profile. He was one of three workers fatally injured in the Jan. 29 explosion near Deanville, Texas. A second Eagle Pressure Control employee, Windell Beddingfield, died on the day of the accident, according to an attorney for the family. His mother last week sought a temporary restraining order against Chesapeake to require it to preserve evidence from the blast. A third victim, identified by local media as Brian Maldonado of San Diego, Texas, died in a hospital over the weekend. A fourth worker was airlifted to a hospital and has not been identified. The companies and local officials have not officially released the names of victims from the incident. Employees of Chesapeake, Eagle Pressure Control and Forbes Energy Services were on the site when natural gas leaked from a well during a workover operation and exploded near Deanville, about 75 miles (120 km) east off Austin. WildHorse Resource Development Corp, which Chesapeake acquired last year, also was named in the lawsuit. (Reporting by Liz Hampton in Houston; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Peter Cooney) Related: Topics Lawsuits Texas Energy Oil Gas Technavio has been monitoring the single-use bioprocessing system market and it is poised to grow by USD 2.91 bn during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of 11% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005460/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global single-use bioprocessing system market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Substantial use of single-use technology to achieve lower costs and higher productivity has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, validation issues while selecting suppliers and integrators might hamper market growth. Request a free sample report Single-use Bioprocessing System Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Single-use Bioprocessing System Market is segmented as below: Product Bags and Mixers Bioreactors and Fermenters Filtration Devices and Sampling Systems Bioprocess Containers Other Products Application MAb Production Vaccine Production Plant Cell Cultivation PSCTs Other Applications End-user Pharmaceutical Companies CROs And CMOs Biotechnology Companies Academic and Research Institutions Geographic segmentation North America Europe Asia ROW To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR40062 Single-use Bioprocessing System Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our single-use bioprocessing system market report covers the following areas: Single-use Bioprocessing System Market size Single-use Bioprocessing System Market trends Single-use Bioprocessing System Market industry analysis This study identifies growing product advancements and automation as one of the prime reasons driving the single-use bioprocessing system market growth during the next few years. Single-use Bioprocessing System Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the single-use bioprocessing system market, including some of the vendors such as C3M Co., Avantor Inc., Compagnie de Saint-Gobain SA, Danaher Corp., Eppendorf AG, General Electric Co., Merck KGaA, Sartorius AG, Solaris Biotechnology Srl. and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the single-use bioprocessing system market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Single-use Bioprocessing System Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist single-use bioprocessing system market growth during the next five years Estimation of the single-use bioprocessing system market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the single-use bioprocessing system market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of single-use bioprocessing system market vendors About Us 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/20200206005460/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ General Secretary of the Progressive People's Party [PPP], Mr. Murtala Ahmed Mohammed, has declared that there is no credible submission made beyond the ECs reasons for compiling a new voters register. According to him, no political party in the country or any pressure group or demonstrations can direct the EC on what to do at a particular time, when their decisions are purely based on their constitutional duty. He said all they can do is to suggest or advice the EC but not to force them to comply by it. No party has the right to tell Electoral Commission [EC] what to do, the EC of Ghana is responsible for elections in this country and they are responsible for any mishap it comes with, so as a political party, you have said what you want to tell the EC leave the rest for them to decide. The PPP is not in support of what they are doing, however the constitution that is mandating the EC to do its work cannot be stopped, he heatedly lamented on UTVs Adekye Nsroma political discussion segment. Explaining further, the PPP Communicator advised citizens not to allow themselves to be convinced by a particular political party just because they want to be in power and have their political interest met. The Progressive Peoples Party [PPP] is unhappy with the organizers of the anti-new register, Inter- Party Resistance Against the New Voters Register for unlawfully using the partys logo.The party in a statement copied to Peacefmonline.com has strongly warned the group to desist from using its logo in any form of protest now or in future.The group has logos of the Peoples National Convention [PNC], National Democratic Congress [NDC], All peoples Party [APC], United Peoples Party [UPP] and the PPP on its banners and placards during their demonstration in Accra.But PPPs National Secretary, Murtala Ahmed Mohammed said his party is not interested in the move, hence, they should be excluded 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 Shaza Hotels announced its expansion plan for the Turkish market at the Tourism Investment Forum 2020 (TIF) organised by the Turkish Tourism Investors Association TTYD in Istanbul last week. The exclusive conference brought together leading international investors, financial institutions, banks and real estate developers to discuss opportunities to shape the future of tourism in the country. Chris Nader, vice president, Shaza Hotels, said: Shaza represents the cultures of the Silk Route, and Turkey is a strategic market for our story and expansion plans. We spent the last few years growing our brands in the Middle East and have now established an office in Istanbul to actively pursue opportunities in Turkey and surrounding markets. The country is ready to welcome new and fresh brands, and our unique brand proposition fits perfectly the needs of investors and travellers, both from a concept standpoint and investment criteria standpoint. As members of the Global Hotel Alliance, luxury brand Shaza and its upscale brand Mysk by Shaza are the only international hotel brands that manage exclusively alcohol-free hotels. Nader stressed, Historically, investors and operators have focussed primarily on two markets: Istanbul and Bodrum. We would of course like to manage properties in these two highly performing cities; however, we also see immense potential in secondary cities and remote destinations. Turkey has so much richness in terms of culture, heritage and nature outside the main cities, and the country needs to promote these locations by developing quality hotels, resorts and retreats to attract the new generation of travellers. This is what we want to achieve. Shaza Hotels is currently in discussion for various projects in Turkey, including wellness resorts, nature and thermal retreats, and historical palaces connected to heritage and cultural sites. The Turkish Tourism Investors Association strives to achieve robust, resilient, sustainable, innovative and high-quality nation-wide growth in tourism. The governments 11th development plan has identified tourism as one of the strategic industries, which is to receive special incentives and support, especially outside primary cities. It was recently announced that Turkey has the potential to attract more than 75 million foreign tourists and generate $65 billion in tourism revenues by 2023. - TradeArabia News Service A Kendall massage therapist has spent a week in jail after being charged with two counts of sexual battery. Jorge Luis Espinosa, 54, also was charged for practicing massage without a license online records say it expired Aug. 31 after being active since Dec. 17, 2009 and online records say he had a warrant out for knowingly driving without a license. Espinosas bond is set at $16,000. A 23-year-old woman and a 60-year-old woman told Miami-Dade police that Espinosa sexually assaulted them during full-body massages at Miami Lotus Massage on Dec. 27. According to an arrest report, one of the women said he violated her with his finger or fingers, then asked her if she reached orgasm. Espinosa, the report said, denied any sexual battery, but admitted he knew he shouldnt be performing massages with an expired license. Miami-Dade police said they want to find anyone else who maybe have been inappropriately touched or assaulted by Espinosa. Espinosas Miami-Dade criminal court experience before this starts and ends with a charge of massage without a license. That was dismissed eight days before Espinosa got his license. Miami Lotus Massages website says he graduated from Educating Hands School of Massage and does Swedish massage and deep tissue massage. The website gives Miami Lotus Massages address as 10109 SW 72nd St. But Miami-Dade police say the assaults happened when Miami Lotus was operating at 8900 SW 107th Ave., an office building with a Regions Bank and Barry Universitys School of Professional and Career Education. And Miami Lotus Jan. 21 company reinstatement filed with the state of Florida puts the business address at 10700 SW 108th Ave., C208. A Saudi cargo ship on a suspected mission to collect weapons for use in the war in Yemen arrived in the French port of Cherbourg on Thursday. The Bahri Yanbu arrived at around 5 pm (1600 GMT) in Cherbourg, where dozens of activists held a protest over the sale of arms to Riyadh given its involvement in the brutal Yemeni conflict. The activists held aloft placards with slogans such as "Stop illegal arms sales" and "War crimes in Yemen - 230,000 lives". In a statement 19 NGOs and left-wing parties, including Amnesty International and Oxfam France, accused Saudi Arabia of "waging a merciless war on the people of Yemen" and "perpetrating unspeakable atrocities against a defenceless people". "We cannot accept that the port of Cherbourg be used to serve this conflict, in the name of the interests of arms dealers and their clients," they said. NGOs had succeeded in preventing the ship from docking in France last May, when it was set to receive a weapons shipment for Riyadh that sparked a similar outcry. The nearly five-year war in Yemen has claimed tens of thousands of lives, most of them civilians, according to nongovernmental groups. The UN has classified the conflict as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Saudi Arabia intervened in its southern neighbour to support the government against Iran-backed Huthi rebels. NGOs have called on France to identify what will be loaded onto the Bahri Yanbu, which they say has an exclusive contract with the Saudi defence ministry. If the load is weapons, the NGOs demand "the guarantees France has that they will not be used illegally against Yemeni civilians." There has been no official comment on the ship from the French government. Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest purchasers of French military equipment. Rahway, New Jersey--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) - Spectacular Solar, Inc. (OTC Pink: SPSO), is pleased to announce that CEO Doug Heck has signed a contract to install a solar package at the historic Chelsea Pub in Atlantic City, NJ, with the first phase of the venture being a 90-kilowatt project. Zach and Spiro Trupos, who took over the century and a half old establishment in 2017, have confidently entrusted Spectacular Solar to engineer a solar system that will respect the age and history of the building. "We were not just going to hand this contract over to the first solar company that knocked on our door," Zach Trupos noted. "We met with Doug and his people a number of times and each time they had well thought out answers to our questions and concerns. I feel like he truly respects what we have here in the Chelsea Pub." Spiro Trupos was equally as impressed with Heck and the portfolio of work Spectacular Solar has for a resume. "After speaking with a couple of other Spectacular Solar's clients, we knew he and his crew would provide extreme care in handling our little piece of history," Spiro Trupos said. "He did admit to me that this was the coolest project he has ever done and that he can't wait to see what the finished project looks like. That's the type of enthusiasm I like to see in companies we do business with." Project euphoria aside, Heck knows that there are challenges and difficulties associated with working on older buildings. "This is now in engineering and my guys already recognize the precision required to complete the project in the least invasive manner possible," Heck said. "I appreciate the trust that the Trupos' have placed in our firm and we look forward to delivering an efficient as well as an aesthetic product." While Heck knows that contracts like these are driving the company forward, he has a place in his heart for some of the smaller contracts that come across his desk. Heck referred to three such contracts in his letter to shareholders on Monday and each is a small, independently owned business. "There is no question that high-dollar contracts like the Chelsea Pub are sexy, make for good headlines and excite investors," Heck said. "But small businesses are the backbone of our great country. Our company is not that far removed from when I was the only employee of the company, and I was recruiting inexpensive labor, courtesy of my family and friends, so I could complete projects and still have a little money left after paying bills. I get their struggles." Heck continued, "I remember what it was like to stress about paying bills and honestly, other than the rent, the power bill stung the most. That is why I will always reach out to smaller businesses like the hair salons, furniture shops, restaurants, diners, repair shops, etc., because I know our solar systems can ease some of their monthly financial burdens." For more information: please visit http://www.spectacularsolar.com and please follow us on Twitter: @SPECTACULARSOL1 Investor Relations/Media Contact: Gregg Boehmer: laynemichaelpr@gmail.com Wyndham Hotel Project Video: https://youtu.be/BPLKjgdFaOw About Spectacular Solar, Inc.: Spectacular Solar is a diversified company involved in solar system installations, investment fund management, and roofing contracting through its subsidiaries. Spectacular Solar designs and installs state-of-the-art solar conversions for home and business owners. Star Power Services is a bonded and licensed roofing contracting company with expertise in new roof installation, repairs, and maintenance. The Solar Energy Investors Fund contributes to the ongoing insurance expenses directly associated with installation of solar systems. In return, the fund receives a share of tax benefits and ongoing revenue generated from electricity sales. Safe Harbor Statement This release contains forward-looking statements that relate to future events or performance. These statements reflect the company's current expectations and are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The company doesn't undertake to update or revise these forward-looking statements, even if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results, expressed or implied, in this or other company statements will not be realized. Readers are cautioned that these statements involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to, the acceptance of our products, lack of revenue growth, failure to realize profitability, inability to raise capital and market conditions that negatively affect the market price of our common stock. The Company disclaims any responsibility to update any forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52210 Deirdre Morley and husband Andrew McGinley with children Conor (9), Darragh (7) and three-year-old Carla A mother charged with murdering her three children, who were found dead in their home in Dublin, was unable to attend a court hearing yesterday. The bodies of Conor (9), Darragh (7) and three-year-old Carla McGinley were found in their home at Parson's Court, Newcastle, just before 8pm on January 24. Deirdre Morley was remanded in custody last week, with an order that she would receive a psychiatric assessment while in prison, after she was charged with three counts of murder. Ms Morley (43) was due to appear again before Judge Ann Ryan at Dublin District Court yesterday. Adjournment A sick note was produced by the Prison Service and furnished to the court. Defence solicitor Jonathan Dunphy said he was aware, and there was consent to a four-week adjournment. Judge Ryan consented to a defence application to request continuing medical and psychiatric assessment as deemed appropriate. Mr Dunphy said there was an issue in relation to Ms Morley's fitness to face court. Directions from the DPP were not yet available. Ms Morley was further remanded in custody in her absence to appear again at the same court on March 4. "She made no reply in response to each of the charges and was handed a copy of charge," Det Sgt Dara Kenny had said at the first hearing. While the BJP blamed the Kamal Nath government for the lynching of a man in Mahdya Pradesh's Dhar, the ruling Congress released an image of one of the accused, a sarpanch, with former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan The arrest of a village sarpanch, with links to the BJP, for allegedly inciting violence prior to the lynching of a man in Dhar has led to a political tussle between the BJP and Congress. While the BJP blamed the Kamal Nath government for the violence, the ruling Congress responded by releasing an image of the sarpanch with former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and accused the party of politicising the issue. A 35-year-old man, Ganesh Patel, was lynched while six of his friends were seriously injured on Wednesday when a group of local residents attacked them amid rumours that a gang of child-lifters was on the prowl in Baroli village, around 60 kilometres from Dhar town, police have said. Three persons, including a village sarpanch, were arrested in connection with the mob attack and charged with murder, police said. They were identified by the police only as Ramesh, Satya and Galyan. Chief Minister Kamal Nath's media coordinator Narendra Singh Saluja claimed Ramesh, the sarpanch of Junapani village, is a BJP worker. However, the police have not yet confirmed this. The two others arrested in the case are residents of Bhutia village, Dhar district's superintendent of police (SP) Aditya Pratap Singh said. Six policemen the Manawar police station in-charge, a sub-inspector, an assistant sub-inspector and three constables were suspended on charges of negligence in duty, he said. A special investigative team (SIT), headed by additional superintendent of police Devendra Patidar, has been constituted to probe the matter and the arrested accused have been booked for murder, the SP said. Meanwhile, Saluja claimed the opposition BJP is politicising the issue despite the fact that its own party worker had "incited" people to attack the victims. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath termed the incident as "very unfortunate" and added that such things cannot be tolerated. Nath directed the administration to thoroughly probe the incident and take stern action against the culprits. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from all quarters with former BJP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleging that the Nath-led Congress government had made the state "Talibani". "People are being beaten and stoned to death. The incident is unfortunate as those killed had given prior information to the police that they are going to recover their money in the village, as they faced threat over there, but police remained asleep," he claimed. Speaking to reporters, state BJP president Rakesh Singh said, "If anyone is responsible for this incident, it is the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh." Asked about the Congress claim that one of the accused is a BJP worker, Singh said, "Crime is a crime. A criminal can't be spared even if he belongs to a particular political party. But the Congress cannot shirk its responsibility by pointing out one person from a mob of 500. Will this end crime?" On Wednesday, the victims, farmers hailing from Indore and Ujjain, had gone to Baroli village, around 60km from Dhar town, in two cars to recover money from some local farm labourers when they were attacked. The farm labourers had spread rumours that the seven men were child-lifters to avoid returning the money they had taken as advance from one of the victims, police have said. POE: VFA REVIEW IS SENATE'S POWER AND CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY Sen. Grace Poe has registered her strong adherence to the Senate's constitutional mandate and power to review treaties being entered into by the government. Poe made her position clear during the hearing on Thursday of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, chaired by Sen. Aquilino "Koko"Pimentel III, to review the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States. "It is our Constitutional duty to uphold the principle of separation of powers especially checks and balances which gave rise to the need for Senate action on treaties. Hindi natin ito pribilehiyo lang. Tungkulin nating busisiin ang mga treaty na pinapasok at inaalisan ng Pilipinas," Poe said. Poe said the VFA should be assessed based on its own merit and beyond political noise. "Sa loob ng mahigit dalawang dekada ng VFA, nakabuti ba sa atin ito?" Poe said. "If we are to withdraw from any bilateral agreement, let it be with basis. If we are to concur in any executive action, let it be ultimately for the interest of the people," Poe stressed. By Trend In accordance with the Annual Plan approved by the Azerbaijani minister of defense, a familiarization visit to the Military Lyceum named after Jamshid Nakhchivanski was organized for military attaches of foreign countries accredited in the country, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. Sixteen representatives of the military attaches apparatus of thirteen states were presented a general briefing on the history of establishment and activity of the military lyceum. They also got acquainted with the educational process at the Lyceum. The military attaches expressed gratitude to the leadership of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Defense for organizing the visit at a high level. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Budi Sutrisno (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 18:50 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063022db 1 World China,coronavirus,outbreak,international-assistance Free China has responded to the international communitys assistance amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, by saying that while China has mostly relied on its own strength, the help it has received enhances its international friendship. In the face of the epidemic, China mainly relies on its own strength to tackle the challenge. At the same time, we welcome and thank the sincere and friendly understanding, support and help from the international community, Chinas Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying said in a daily briefing on the ministrys website. She added that the governments of 21 countries and the United Nations children's agency UNICEF had donated epidemic prevention and control supplies to China as of Wednesday. The countries are the Republic of Korea, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Hungary, Belarus, Turkey, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Egypt, Australia, New Zealand and Trinidad and Tobago. Read also: China sees more patients recover from novel coronavirus infection The donations speak volumes of their deep compassion. A friend in need is a friend indeed. Id like to thank them all, Hua added. She went on to say that China would continue to share information and strengthen cooperation with other countries in an open, transparent and highly responsible manner to safeguard the life and health of the Chinese people and contribute to regional and global public health security. The new coronavirus that appeared late December has claimed 563 lives, infected more than 28,000 people in mainland China and spread to more than 20 countries. The My Step faction of the National Assembly of Armenia is proposing to hold a pan-national referendum. This is what author of the bill on constitutional amendments Vahagn Hovakimyan declared during a discussion on the bill on making amendments to the Constitution held as part of the special parliamentary session today. He stated that the My Step faction wont adopt the bill in the first reading, but will propose to hold a referendum for the bill, in accordance with point 3 of Article 202 of the Constitution. According to him, this is exactly what direct democracy is all about. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 6 By Ilkin Seyfaddini Trend: The Uzbek Energy Ministry held a meeting with a delegation from Kazakhstan led by Magzum Mirzagaliyev, Minister of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources, Trend reports citing Uzbek media. During the meeting the sides discussed in detail the issues related to the development of bilateral relations in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy, the report says. The sides also discussed the cooperation in development of joint efforts in information sphere and environmental impact assessment, as well as ecology. Detailed information was provided on the progress in implementing the project on constructing a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan, measures taken to implement the state nuclear energy program as a whole and create nuclear infrastructure, as well as implementation of international legal instruments in the field of nuclear safety. In addition, it is reported that, in accordance with IAEA international standards and requirements, public discussions on the environmental impact of Uzbek nuclear power plant operation are expected in Uzbekistan and neighboring countries, including Kazakhstan. The Kazakhstan side appreciates the measures taken by Uzbekistan, and proposed close cooperation in this area in the future. China on Thursday struggled to find bed space for patients infected by the deadly coronavirus in the country. As per media reports, a senior official said that Wuhan is struggling to accommodate patients infected by the virus as the city of 11 million people has only 8,254 beds in 28 hospitals in which 8,182 are already admitted. Wuhan is the epicentre of the contagious virus that has claimed more than 560 lives in China since the outbreak of the disease in December last year. Read: BIG: All 645 Evacuated From Wuhan By India Test Negative For Coronavirus, Says Centre Chinese authorities had earlier issued a quarantine in 12 cities across the country to prevent the spread of the virus, 11 of which were in the Hubei province. The quarantine is restricting people from travelling to other areas for medical treatment. China, however, is handling the situation quite effectively as just recently the country built a hospital in a record time of just eight days to house the patients affected by the disease. According to Chinese state media, another hospital is being built in the Wuhan with a capacity of an estimated 1,600 beds. Read: Couple Attends Wedding Reception Via Video Conferencing Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Coronavirus outbreak Thousands of people are reportedly stranded in Asian waters after two cruise ships reported cases of coronavirus on Wednesday. Cruise ships near Japan and Hong Kong were left anchored on the shores after their countries of origin placed a quarantine on the passengers and the crew members. Read: 640 Indians Evacuated From Coronavirus-hit China In Complex Operation: MEA As per the US' Center for Disease Control and Prevention, so far confirmed cases of the virus have been reported in 27 other countries. The disease is believed to have originated in a seafood market in Hubei's Wuhan city, where animals were being traded illegally. As per reports, countries like the United States and Saudi Arabia have taken drastic steps to prevent the spread of the virus in their country. Washington has restricted entry of foreign nationals coming from China, while the Saudi has barred its citizens and residents from travelling to the east-Asian country. Read: Coronavirus Scare Hits Kerala's Tourism Sector, Triggers Wave Of Cancellations (Image credit: AP) The United States on Thursday warned Venezuela's leftist regime of consequences if opposition leader Juan Guaido is not allowed to return safely from a visit to Washington. "We hope that the regime makes the calculation, particularly after this trip, that the support for Guaido is strong and that the counter-reaction to any move against him would make it a mistake for the regime," Elliott Abrams, the US pointman on Venezuela, told reporters. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The discovery of a 10,000-year-old skeleton in an underwater cave in Mexico provides new evidence humans did not first arrive in the Americas as a single population as traditional theory holds, but came from various areas, researchers claim. The well-preserved remains belonged to a 30-year-old Paleoindian woman and were found in a cave called Chan Hol near the city of Tulum on Mexicos Yucatan Peninsula. Researchers said the find suggests multiple groups of early settlers were arriving from different geographical points of origin. The skeleton has been named Chan Hol 3 and scientists say the shape and structure of the skull is different to other skeletons found and which come from a similar time period, indicating at least two morphologically different Paleoindian populations. Paleoindians were the first peoples to arrive, and subsequently inhabit, the Americas. Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Show all 16 1 /16 Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Triceratops A ceratopsian, meaning 'horned face', the triceratops lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton was found in Montana, USA and is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany Christian Voigt / SWNS Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Tyrannosaurus rex This large carnivore lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton, known as Tristan Otto, is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History and is one of the best preserved T-rex skeletons in the world. Of the 300 bones that make up the display, 170 are genuine fossils Christian Voigt / SWNS Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Stegosaurus This armoured herbivore lived between 155-145 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. This fossil was found in Bone Cabin Quarry in Wyoming, USA and is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany Christian Voigt / SWNS Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Triceratops A ceratopsian, meaning 'horned face', the triceratops lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton was found in Montana, USA and is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany Christian Voigt / SWNS Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Pterodactyl The most well-known of the pterosaurs lived between 150-148 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. The pictured skeleton is the largest ever found and is on display at the Altmuhltal Museum in Germany Christian Voigt / SWNS Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Tyrannosaurus rex This large carnivore lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton, known as Tristan Otto, is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History and is one of the best preserved T-rex skeletons in the world. Of the 300 bones that make up the display, 170 are genuine fossils Christian Voigt / SWNS Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Sabre-toothed tiger Known officially as a smilodon, the sabre-toothed tiger was a dominant predator between 2.5 million - 10,000 years ago in the Pleistocene era. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany Christian Voigt / SWNS Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Elaphrosaurus The 'fleet lizard' lived between 154-151 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. This skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History Christian Voigt / SWNS Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Mastodon The American mastodon lived between around 5 million - 10,000 years ago. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History Christian Voigt / SWNS Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Gomphotherium This prehistoric elephant lived between 15 and 5 million years ago. The Gomphotherium is remarkably similar to an elephant, with the most obvious difference being the lower tusk that protruded from the bottom jaw of this beast. This particular skeleton is on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany Christian Voigt / SWNS Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Kentrosaurus This armoured herbivore lived between 155-150 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History Christian Voigt / SWNS Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Tyrannosaurus rex This large carnivore lived between 68-66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton, known as Tristan Otto, is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History and is one of the best preserved T-rex skeletons in the world. Of the 300 bones that make up the display, 170 are genuine fossils Christian Voigt / SWNS Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Dysalotosaurus This herbivore lived around 152 million years ago in the late Jurassic period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History Christian Voigt / SWNS Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Mantellisaurus This herbivore lived around 152 million years ago in the early Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Natural History Museum in London Christian Voigt / SWNS Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Stygimoloch It's name meaning 'devil from hell', the stygimoloch lived around 66 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. The pictured skeleton is on display at the Berlin Museum of Natural History Christian Voigt / SWNS Dinosaur skeletons captured in stunning detail Euoplocephalus This herbivore lived between 76-70 million years ago in the late Cretaceous period. This particular skeleton - on display at the Senckenberg museum in Germany - was found in Alberta, Canada, which is also where the first Euoplocephalus fossil was found in 1897 Christian Voigt / SWNS It is believed they journeyed across an ancient land bridge connecting Asia to North America, known as Beringia, during the last Ice Age more than 12,000 years ago, before migrating to the Patagonian region in South America. Dr Silvia Gonzalez, a professor of quaternary geology and geoarchaeology at Liverpool John Moores University, and one of the study authors, told the PA news agency: The new results are important because they question the traditional model for the peopling of the Americas with one single and homogeneous Paleoindian population migrating very fast from Beringia to Patagonia after 12,000 years ago. Our results indicate that at least two morphologically different Paleoindian populations were coexisting in Mexico between 12,000 to 8,000 years ago, one in Central Mexico and the other in the Yucatan Peninsula. Professor Silvia Gonzalez (left) and Dr Sam Rennie with the Chan Hol 3 skeleton found in an underwater cave near the eastern Mexico town of Tulum (PA) The team, led by Professor Wolfgang Stinnesbeck, an earth scientist at Heidelberg University, dated the skeletal remains using mineral deposits called flowstone which covered some finger bones. They believe Chan Hol 3 to be at least 9,900 years old, if not older. Structural analysis revealed Chan Hol 3 had a round head with broad cheekbones and a flat forehead, resembling three other skulls from the Tulum caves. But according to the researchers, her cranial characteristics are different to the long-headed Paleoindian skeletons found in the region. Dr Gonzalez said: The Tulum skeletons may indicate that either more than one group of humans originally reached the American continent from different geographical points of origin, or that there was sufficient time for a small group of early settlers living in isolation on the Yucatan Peninsula, to develop a different skull morphology. In either case, the early settlement history of the Americas appears to be more complicated and may date back thousands of years earlier than commonly believed, according to the new human morphology data. The findings are described in the journal PloS One. Additional reporting by PA Schools in Saigon and Hanoi are turning to online classes to mitigate the risk posed by the coronavirus outbreak. Nguyen Minh Tuan did not leave for school on Monday morning as he normally does. Instead, the Hanoi junior high student stayed at home and turned on one of his family members' laptops to attend classes and do homework. "This is the first time I am attending online classes and find it quite interesting," he says. Tuan spent Monday night doing homework like he normally does, and his homeroom teacher sent out homework assigned by other teachers by mail. Tuan is one of many students in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City getting online lectures amid the rising fear of the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The outbreak has prompted authorities to close schools for a week in Hanoi and Saigon. Besides, 15 cities and provinces around the country have announced plans to extend the Lunar New Year (Tet) break for students by at least two days, including Vinh Phuc, Thanh Hoa and Khanh Hoa, which have confirmed infection cases. Dozens of universities and colleges have also postponed and rescheduled their classes. Hanois Newton, which has from elementary to high school, sent out online lectures and homework to its students after informing parents it would be closed from February 3 to 9. This would ensure students do not fall behind after the extended break and are rushed to catch up. Parents of elementary school students have to send teachers pictures of their children completing homework. For junior and high school students, the school posts new lessons online in subjects like literature, math, English, physics, and chemistry. The teachers also send out reference materials and assignments for each subject. Once homework is completed, students have to upload their work on the schools portal. Teachers are also required to hold daily discussion sessions to answer students' questions. Tran Thi My Dieu, principal of Van Lang University, says the school has set up lectures for all subjects on its online system, and students need to log in using their own accounts to download them. Ho Thanh Phong, principal of Hong Bang International University, says the school requires each department to produce distance learning materials and keep in close contact with their students. Meanwhile, some teachers have turned to social media apps like Facebook and Zalo to assign lessons to students. Pham Pham Tung, a physics teacher at Ernst Thalmann High School in Saigon's District 1, says: "I am preparing an exam study guide for my students. I will record videos and upload them on YouTube. Teachers and students communicate with each other using Facebook groups just like we normally do." Nguyen Ly Thuy, a math teacher at the Vietnam - Australia International School, says: "I assigned homework to students through the Office 365 software. Some students also replied with questions. In some cases, I called students to be able to answer them directly." But online courses appear to be more effective for high school and college students since they are able to learn new materials themselves. Nguyen Thi Dan Thanh says her seventh grader daughter, Nguyen Phuong Linh, studies in the Vietnam - Australia International School and her homeroom teacher uses Zalo to communicate and encourage her to prevent her from falling behind. "I understand and support online tuitions. But I hope the outbreak will soon end, so that children can go back to school to actually learn and be able to fully understand the materials." Su Viet Cuong, father of twin girls attending ninth grade in Le Quy Don High School in Saigon's District 3, says offering online courses amid the outbreak is the right decision. "Though my kids have to learn the materials themselves, it is better for them to at least have something to do during the extended break. I would rather they absorb 50-60 percent of their lessons than playing with smartphones and ipads all day." If the outbreak continues, he is fine with the school continuing online, he says. "For my children's safety, I am okay if the school extends the break to one month or offers summer classes." As of Thursday afternoon Vietnam had 10 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection. The government declared the novel coronavirus outbreak an epidemic last Saturday. The global death toll from the epidemic has reached 565, with 563 dying in mainland China, one in the Philippines and one in Hong Kong. Apples AirPods and AirPods Pro are so popular that stores often have a problem maintaining stocks. We had seen how AirPods Pro was being resold for a premium during the holiday season. Now the spread of Coronavirus is likely to impact AirPods production and cause supply shortages. Nikkie has published a new report which mentions all of the AirPods major suppliers including Luxshare-ICT, Goertek, and Inventec have shut down due to Coronavirus. In fact, a majority of production facilities in mainland China are yet to open after the Lunar New Year holidays. There could be a shortage of components that will, in turn, affect production capacity. The report also mentions that three major suppliers have at most two weeks worth of materials and components required for AirPods assembly. In other words, they need to wait for components from different suppliers in China so as to resume the assembly operations. A person well acquainted with the situation says One of the big concerns is whether other parts suppliers in China can smoothly resume work to produce enough parts for final assembly. He further adds, We really have to wait and see how things play out next week. If the assemblers could not get enough supply of parts in two weeks, it will be a big problem. Our Take Production facilities have responded to coronavirus breakout in many ways. Foxconn has quarantined iPhone workers for 14 days while other suppliers aim to restart production by February 10 despite the breakout. Speaking about the impact, famed Apple analyst Kuo claims that the coronavirus outbreak will lead to a decline of 10% in iPhone sales. Apple was keen on shifting AirPods production sites outside of China. However, the trade war tensions between the U.S and China seem to be easing and Apple might take its own sweet time to shift production outside China. [via Nikkei A flagship Government database to keep track of rogue landlords has registered just 21 names in the nearly two years since its launch, This is Money can reveal. Data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act to the Ministry of Housing revealed that 21 rogue landlords or property agents had been submitted by 15 local authorities since the database's launch in April 2018. This is despite government estimates that as many as 10,500 rogue landlords are still letting homes to tenants across the UK. When the Government launched the database it claimed there were up to 10,500 rogue landlords operating in the UK (stock photo) At the time of its launch the database was heralded as a key weapon in the fight against serious criminal landlords. Despite this there are currently just 22 entries on the database covering 21 landlords or property agents. The 22 entries on the database cover 38 offences, submitted by a total of 15 local authorities. There are three entries on the database for banning orders, 15 entries for criminal convictions for banning order offences, and four entries for individuals with two or more civil penalties within 12 months. The Ministry of Housing said: 'The database is targeted at only the very worst and persistent offenders, those who have committed banning order offences. It takes time to secure convictions or civil penalty notices for offences that may be recorded on the database. 'The offence must have been committed after 6 April 2018, the landlord or agent must have been prosecuted and convicted, and the appeals process must be complete. The local authority can then apply to the First-tier tribunal for a banning order and a hearing must be scheduled. 'When a banning order has been imposed, the local authority must record it on the database.' The derisory figures will come as a blow to the Housing Ministry, which is currently deciding whether to open up its register to the general public for the first time. When this was announced the then-Secretary of State for Housing James Brokenshire said: 'This database has the potential to ensure that the worst landlords are banned and it is right that we unlock this crucial information for new tenants.' Last year the Housing Ministry consulted on whether to widen the scope of the register to include less serious offenders. It explored whether offences such as engaging in a prohibited unfair commercial practice, charging tenants an unfair fee, failing to belong to a redress scheme, or failing to deal with pests such as mice or rats, should warrant a listing on the register. The consultation closed in October and the Government says it is currently analysing feedback. Matt took the call, he gave life-saving instructions to the caller, Sorensen told an audience at City Hall on Feb. 3. Try to teach [CPR] over the phone to someone who has never done it, maybe never even learned it, and is so stressed because the person you are asking them to do CPR on is their family. Its really a difficult thing to do. And this is what they do at RED Center all the time. Thousands of people were stranded aboard two cruise ships in Asia on Thursday, quarantined by officials desperate to stem the spread of a deadly virus that has killed hundreds in China and spread panic worldwide. At least 20 people on board one ocean liner off the Japanese coast have tested positive for the new coronavirus, with thousands more staring at a two-week sea-borne isolation. The outbreak on the vessel, whose 3,700 passengers and crew hail from over 50 countries, is the latest development in a snowballing global health emergency that has left more than 560 people dead, most of them in China. Tens of thousands of people have been infected, including a few hundred in around two dozen countries. The World Health Organisation, which has declared the outbreak a global health emergency, on Wednesday appealed for USD 675 million to fight the virus. In Japan, more than 3,700 people were stuck on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which has been held off the port city of Yokohama since Monday night. Authorities decided to quarantine the ship and test hundreds on board after a former passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong last month tested positive for the virus. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato told parliament on Thursday that results for 102 people had now come in, with 20 testing positive for the new strain. In all, 273 people on board were tested, including those who had close contact with the former passenger and others displaying potential symptoms. The first 10 people diagnosed with the new virus have already been removed from the ship, which on Thursday docked in Yokohama to resupply for a quarantine that could last until February 19. Ambulances arrived at the port, where officials could be seen dressed in white full-body protective suits, complete with face masks and helmets, to remove the additional 10 people who have tested positive. An extendable white-tented passageway was wheeled to a door on the side of the massive cruise ship, apparently to protect the identity of people being evacuated from the boat. "We are confined here full time," British passenger David Abel said in a Facebook Live video. "The meals have completely changed. We are definitely not on a luxury cruise!... It's going to be like a floating prison." In Hong Kong, 3,600 passengers and crew spent the night marooned on board the cruise ship World Dream as authorities conducted health checks after three former passengers tested positive for the virus. City health officials said passengers would only be allowed off after tests were completed, with crew checked first and passengers to be screened on Thursday. Two dozen countries now have confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus that emerged from a Wuhan market selling exotic animals at the end of last year. China is struggling with a shortage of hospital beds, equipment and materials to treat those infected, despite building two hospitals from scratch and converting public buildings to house patients. Tens of millions of people, from the eastern industrial heartlands to near the northern border with Russia, have been told to stay indoors as authorities battle to curb the outbreak. In parts of Hangzhou, 175 kilometres (110 miles) from Shanghai, new restrictions allow only one person per household to go outside every two days. Several governments have imposed travel restrictions over the virus, while major airlines have suspended flights to and from China. Italy announced that passengers on every international flight would be scanned for fever and on Thursday Taiwan banned all international cruise ships from docking. Health experts note that the mortality rate of the new virus, at around two per cent, is well below that of SARS, which killed 800 people in 2002-2003, around 10 per cent of those infected. Two fatalities have been reported outside the mainland, in Hong Kong and the Philippines. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Seventy-three years ago, Blaine Briggs parachuted from a burning B-24 bomber, broke his shoulder in a hard landing in the Italian Alps, was nearly shot to death by his German captor and then spent more than six months starving half to death in a prison camp. Yet for all the hardship he endured and the millions of lives lost during the years-long conflict, the 92-year-old Briggs said he believes the war experience shaped him into the man he became. His time in the military and the camaraderie of the prisoners in the camp taught him lessons in courage, self-reliance, teamwork and trust. In short, he calls it the greatest educational experience of his life. Every person should have the same opportunity I had to train and work and help my fellow man. I wouldnt trade it, he said. Blaine Briggs and his wife of 70 years, LaVerne, pose for photos at their home in Carlsbad, California. (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune ) Advertisement Now retired with his wife of 70 years, LaVerne, Briggs lives in a hilltop home inside the La Costa Glen retirement community in Carlsbad. Two years ago, the couple was honored by The Patriots Initiative with the inaugural Lifetime Patriot Award. The award honored both his service in the military and the couples lifetime of philanthropic service to military veterans and others. Born in 1924, Briggs was the son of a Methodist minister who moved from congregation to congregation, so his family lived in a number of Midwestern towns before settling in Des Moines, Iowa, when he was 16. On Dec. 7, 1941, he and his family were enjoying lunch at home after Sunday morning services when news of the Pearl Harbor attack came on the radio. He couldnt wait to join the Army, but at 17 was too young to apply. Eight months later, on his 18th birthday, he enlisted. His two older brothers also signed up, one joined the Marines and became a correspondent in China, the other served in the Navy on a battleship. All three returned home safely. A 1944 Telegram sent to the family of Blaine Briggs, who was a navigator on a B-24 plane in World War II. His plane was shot down and he was captured by the German army. His family didnt know he was alive for several weeks. (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune ) Because Briggs was a college student when he signed up, he was eligible for officers school. After two years of training in Texas as a navigator for the Army Air Corps, 2nd Lt. Briggs and his B-24 crew shipped out on June, 3, 1944, to join the 451st Bombardment Group in Europe. Together, they flew 26 successful bombing missions over Germany, but their 27th mission was star-crossed from the start. On Oct. 16, 1944, their plane was assigned to lead the 15th Air Force on a bombing raid but their plane wasnt cooperating. After they took off, the planes nose wheel wouldnt retract and the bomb bay doors didnt open properly. German ground guns shot out one engine, but they were able to manually open the bomb doors and drop their payload before a second barrage of gunfire took out their second engine and set the plane on fire in the foothills of the Italian Alps. When the captain gave the order to abandon the plane, we were happy to do it, he said. My main thoughts at the moment was to get the hell out of that plane. The navigators seat was at the front of the plane below the cockpit, just a few feet from where the broken nose wheels bay was wide open, so Briggs dropped through the hole at an altitude of 11,000 feet and fell like a stone with the orders to open his chute as close to the ground as possible to avoid detection by German search crews. He pulled the cord at 2,000 feet and broke his shoulder when he hit the ground. Over the next two days, he made his way alone down the mountain in the hopes of escaping into Italy. He came upon a German village where two homes had Christian creches in their front yard. As a ministers son, he considered asking the families for sanctuary but worried that the villagers would pay too steep a price from their government for showing mercy, so he moved on. Eventually he was caught by a German officer and private on foot patrol. The private put a gun to Briggs forehead and prepared to shoot, but the officer stopped him. During two interrogations by Gestapo officers, Briggs learned that 10 of his fellow B-24 crew members survived. The flight engineer, whose hands became frozen while trying to save the plane, is believed to have died in the crash. Photo of a German document obtained by Blaine Briggs that details his capture as a POW during World War II. (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune ) The men were taken to Germanys Stalag 3 prison camp just four months after an infamous mass escape of more than 50 British POWs that was later chronicled in the book The Great Escape. Most of those escapees were shot dead, but Briggs said he and the American officers he was imprisoned with were treated well. In fact, at a reunion some 20 years after the war, the prisoners invited their German guard to join them because they thought he treated them fairly. By November it was obvious Germany was losing the war. The Russians were closing in from the east, so the prisoners were marched 100 miles to another camp near Munich. Food was so scarce, the prisoners survived on bread made with sawdust and watery stew with little meat. Briggs dropped 40 pounds before the camp was liberated by U.S. troops in May 1945. He and a buddy walked to an abandoned Germany air base and stole a Jeep that they drove to Frankfurt and caught a transport plane to Paris on the very day the citys electricity was restored. That was the night the lights came back on in Paris, Briggs said. Ive never kissed so many girls in one night in my life. Briggs returned to the U.S. on a freight ship that dropped its gangplank on June 3, 1945, exactly one year to the day since he left for Europe. He was greeted with a heros welcome in Des Moines and returned to his political science studies at Drake University, where he soon met LaVerne at a local roadhouse. This beautiful woman came in and she was carrying a fifth of whiskey, he said. I went over and talked to her and fell in love in 30 minutes. When I got back to my table I told my friends thats the girl Im going to marry. A 1948 photo of Blaine and LaVerne Briggs on a trip in Colorado Springs visiting family. They married in 1946 and have been married nearly 71 years. (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune ) And they did, a year later, and had two sons. Their youngest, Jim, died at age 16 from leukemia but their oldest son, Bob, now 66, is a Memphis pilot who once set a Guinness World Record for being certified to fly 104 different aircraft. After the war, the Briggses ran a suburban newspaper for a few years, then a large printing operation until the 1960s, where all of their male employees were veterans or active servicemen. Later they ran one of the nations largest medical records businesses. They retired to Rancho Santa Fe in 1980 and moved into La Costa Glen nine years ago. Since retiring, the Briggses have underwritten a rehabilitation clinic at Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas, served on several charitable foundations and support La Costa Glens boxes overseas program for deployed military. It was these efforts that earned them the Lifetime Patriot Award. Briggs said his war experiences positively shaped the man that he would later become and he owes a great debt to his country. He said the America he returned to in June 1945 was far different from todays troubled world, which makes him especially appreciative of his time in uniform. Were not very political but we do have great concern for where the world may be going in the next 20 years, he said. Were blessed that we spent our lives the way we did. pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com Thousands of demonstrators attended "Reject the Cover-Up" protests across the United States on Wednesday evening, after the Senate impeachment trial ended with President Trump's acquittal. Trump was impeached by the House in December on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Hundreds gathered outside of the Capitol, where Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) declared, "I will focus my ire on Senate Republicans. Shame on you, Mitch McConnell." About 50 people held a sit-in inside the building, chanting, "Trump is guilty!" One demonstrator, Sara Anzalone, told USA Today she believes "getting a foreign power to interfere with our country is just completely against the Constitution and completely out of his power. And I really think that he should be held responsible, and it really kind of makes me pissed off that he could have been held accountable today." In Boston, protesters praised Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), the former governor of Massachusetts. He was the only Republican to vote "guilty" on the abuse of power charge, and one protester carried a sign that read, "Thanks, Mitt! Now let's censure." More stories from theweek.com Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel contextualize Trump's unholy prayer breakfast 'pity party' Report: White House considering dismissing Vindman from National Security Council How history will view Trump's impeachment BSP candidate Narayan Dutt Sharma, who is the legislator from Badarpur and is seeking re-election to the Delhi assembly New Delhi: Delhi legislator and BSP candidate Narayan Dutt Sharma, who was earlier with the AAP, was allegedly attacked with batons by three unidentified people in the early hours of Thursday, police said. Sharma, who is the legislator from Badarpur and is seeking re-election to the Delhi assembly as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate, suffered minor injuries. "The attack on Narayan Dutt Sharma is condemnable and shameful," BSP chief Mayawati said on Twitter. The incident took place around 1 am when he was returning home in Badarpur after attending a party meeting. Three men stopped his car, vandalised his vehicle and beat him up, a senior police official said. He said a case under relevant sections of the India Penal Code has been registered. The three men are yet to be caught, the officer said. Police are analysing CCTV camera footage to ascertain their identity, he said. President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said, despite the rising insecurity and attacks by Boko Haram, the successes achieved by his government against the group has restored the pride of Nigeria. You will agree with me that the successes we have achieved so far have restored our pride and honor in the world over, he said Thursday. The president said this during his induction speech on Thursday at Eagle Square, Abuja, where he commissioned three attack helicopters. Insecurity in Nigeria In January alone, PREMIUM TIMES reported that data from newspaper reports and available records have shown that at least 245 people were killed across Nigeria. Expat Insider Survey of 2019 by Internations lists Nigeria as the third most dangerous country in the world as a result of both corruption and insecurity. The House of Representatives last week lamented on the scale of insecurity in the country. They, alongside Nigerian senators, urged Mr Buhari to change his service chiefs in order to address the spate of killings across Nigeria. Mr Buhari has ignored the call. The South-west governors, in concern, recently set up a regional security outfit, Amotekun, to address rising criminality and killings in the region. A United Nations rapporteur, Agnes Callamard, in September 2019 said that Nigeria is a pressure cooker of internal conflict and pretending that there is no crises will be a major crises. Unperturbed The presidency, in response to the outcry of Nigerians concerning the insecurity in the nation said the security situation now is better than it was before Mr Buhari assumed office, hence, Nigerians have reasons to be grateful. READ ALSO: We know what the situation was as at 2015 and we know what it is today, despite the reversals in security, it is still not as bad as it used to be in this country, the presidents spokesperson, Femi Adesina, said. Meanwhile, an elated Mr Buhari, while commissioning the new helicopters commended the Air Forces efforts towards internal security, peacekeeping, and humanitarian operations in places like The Gambia, Guinea Conakry, Mozambique, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Guinea Bissau, and Cameroun. He added that their service is a source of pride to Nigeria and has also projected us as a reliable regional power. He said that he promised to put an end to Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping and other forms of criminalities that have bedeviled our country during his inaugural speech as president. You will agree with me that the successes we have achieved so far have restored our pride and honor in the world over, he said. The president also appreciated Nigerians for their belief in his administration in spite of occasional outrages, coming together as a nation, irrespective of political, religious and ethnic affiliations, in our strive to bring this menace to an end. He finally said the purchase of the helicopters further demonstrates the administrations commitment to bringing the security challenges in the country under control. Muslim litigants of the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case in Ayodhya expressed dissatisfaction over the location of the site granted for building a mosque to replace the demolished Babri Masjid, saying it is too far from the city centre. The Uttar Pradesh government has given the allotment letter to the Sunni Waqf board for the land in Dhannipur village in Sohawal tehsil in Ayodhya on the Lucknow highway, about 18 km from the district headquarters, state government spokesperson Shrikant Sharma told reporters on Wednesday. Speaking to PTI on Thursday, litigant Mohammad Umar said the site was not a prominent place. "The Supreme Court directed that land should be allotted at any prominent place in Ayodhya, but the allotted land is 25 kilometers away in a village and off the road, so this is not prominent place," he said. Another litigant, Hasbullah Badshah Khan, said, "The 1994 Supreme Court judgment in the Ismail Faruqi case clearly mentioned that the mosque and temple will be inside the 67-acre precinct. According to the November 2019 SC judgment, land for the mosque was to be given at an important place in Ayodhya. "The plot identified is under Raunahi police station and in Sohawal tehsil, it is not even in Ayodhya." Reacting to the allotment of the land by the Uttar Pradesh government, Zafaryab Jilani, executive member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board, said renaming a town and extending its municipal limits does not mean that the land offered is still in Ayodhya. "The Uttar Pradesh government had renamed Faizabad district as Ayodhya during Diwali celebrations last year. In all court documents part of the litigation all this while, Ayodhya was a small town, a town of Faizabad. "This Ayodhya cannot be equated to the new district created by the government now," he said. "Merely renaming a town and extending its municipal limits do not mean the land offered is still in Ayodhya," Jilani said. He claimed that though the land was being given to the Sunni Waqf Board, Muslim organisations, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, as also the Muslim community, have denounced accepting the alternate land for Babri Masjid. The Supreme Court in a historic verdict on November 9 last year in the politically sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case backed the construction of a Ram temple by a government trust at the disputed site in Ayodhya, and ruled that an alternative five-acre plot must be found for a mosque in the Hindu holy town. Based on this verdict, the Centre had asked the Uttar Pradesh government to allocate 5 acres of land to the Sunni Waqf Board. The dispute over the site of Babri Masjid, a three-domed mosque built by or at the behest of Moghul emperor Babur, dates back centuries with Hindus contending that the invading Muslim armies had razed an existing Ram temple to erect the mosque. However, it turned into a legal dispute in 1885 when a mahant went to court seeking permission to build a canopy outside the mosque. The plea was dismissed. In December 1949, unidentified miscreants spirited an idol of Lord Ram into the mosque. The structure was destroyed by a large mob of kar sevaks on December 6, 1992. The demolition triggered nationwide Hindu-Muslim riots, more so in north India and Mumbai, which left many hundreds dead. Subsequently, Muslim extremists angered by the demolition and the riots, carried out a series of bombings in Mumbai on March 12, 1993, which left hundreds dead. A cruel couple adopted a 'lovable' dog from an animal shelter - then bludgeoned it to death and cooked it for dinner. The 'respectable' couple convinced staff at the shelter they had 'fallen in love' with stray mongrel Nika and took him home to live with them on Sakhalin, an island off Russia's east coast. The 'friendly and affectionate' dog had run up to them as soon as they came in to look for a stray to adopt. Nika, a stray mongrel, was described as 'friendly and affectionate' by staff at the animal shelter He was adopted by the couple from a dog and cat shelter run by Irina Savitskaya (pictured) Nika's new owner admitted bludgeoning him to death with this iron bar and then frying him The couple convinced staff they had 'fallen in love' with Nika (pictured) before adopting him But his horrific fate came to light when shelter staff called in at the new owners' home to check on him. Volunteer Ekaterina Valyus said she could smell cooked meat the moment she arrived at their home. Ms Valyus said: 'When I arrived I smelled fried meat.' Then she saw hair and remains of the dog in the porch. 'The rest was on their stove,' she said. Nika's new owner, named only as Galina (pictured), admitted killing and eating the dog Nika's horrific fate was discovered by volunteer Ekaterina Valyus (right) when she visited the couple. Animal shelter director Irina Savitskaya (left) says cruel couple have 'no shame' The couple, a woman named only as Galina and her unidentified husband, had appeared to be dog lovers when they had agreed to adopt the stray. Ms Valyus said Galina initially denied that the dog had been butchered, but she later admitted it to police. Nika had been bludgeoned to death with an iron rod, local media reported. Dog shelter director Irina Savitskaya is demanding a prison sentence over the shocking incident. She said Nika had been rescued from the streets by her volunteers and described Galina as having 'no shame'. When Galina and her husband came to the shelter, Nika had run up to them and they seemed to fall in love with the dog. Ms Savitskaya said: 'She gave me her passport details, made a contract, took the dog, and ate her new pet that very evening.' She added: 'She has admitted that she had butchered the dog and ate it. 'She just says, "no-one will put me in jail over a dog".' President Trump put a Celebrity Apprentice spin on his State of the Union address on Tuesday, seeding the 78-minute broadcast with surprise reveals and viral moments: a tear-stained reunion of a military family, a snubbed handshake and an impromptu bestowing of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to a guest star, the radio host Rush Limbaugh. It was the kind of camera-ready spectacle that can translate into big ratings for afternoon talk-show hosts and prime-time reality shows. This time, though, the Nielsen numbers did not come through. Roughly 37.2 million Americans tuned in for Mr. Trumps speech, Nielsen said on Wednesday, the smallest live-TV audience for a presidential address to Congress since Barack Obamas valedictory State of the Union in 2016. The viewership on Tuesday was a 20 percent decline from Mr. Trumps State of the Union last year, and well below the audience for his speeches in 2017 and 2018. Peel police have made two arrests after a fatal early morning stabbing in Mississauga on Tuesday. Shayan Syed, a 21-year-old man from Mississauga, was charged with second-degree murder, police said Wednesday. Police also charged Ayah Boutari, a 20-year-old woman from Mississauga, with accessory after the fact to murder. The incident took place at around 2:20 a.m. in Erin Mills near Eglinton Avenue and Ridgway Drive. In a news release, police allege 24-year-old Christopher Birrell of no fixed address and a man were walking along Sebastian Drive before getting into an altercationg with each other. Birrell fell to the ground and the man fled. When police arrived, they found Birrell with stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene. TY Tom Yun is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @thetomyun Read more about: Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: While the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board (UPSCWB) has decided to convene a meeting on February 24 to decide if it would accept five-acre land allocated to it in Raunahi by UP government, some of the Muslim litigants in Ayodhya have expressed their displeasure and discontent over the location of the land. They have even decided to move the Supreme Court to seek justice. Notably, Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Wednesday had approved a proposal to allocate five-acre land to UPSCWB in Dhannipur village under Sohawal tehsil in Raunahi town, 20 km from Ayodhya on Lucknow- Ayodha highway in compliance of Supreme Courts November 9, 2019 order over the issue. ALSO READ | Yogi govt allots 5 acres of land for mosque 20 kilometres from Ayodhya Besides All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), the Muslim litigants including Haji Mehboob and Iqbal Ansari of Ayodhya reasoned it out by saying that the land allocated for mosque in Raunahi was around 25 km from Ramkot, the area of Ram Janmabhoomi, and it was too far for Muslims of Ayodhya to go there and offer namaz. It may be recalled that the apex court had made it clear in its historic order delivered on November 9, 2019, that 67-acre land around Ram janmbhoomi Sthan would be handed over to the central government which would set up a trust to facilitate temple construction. The centre was asked to transfer the same finally to the trust. The court had also made it clear that Muslim should be given five-acre land for mosque elsewhere in Ayodhya. While speaking to this correspondent on Thursday, Iqbal Ansari, one of the main litigants welcomed the trust formation but claimed that justice was not done to the Muslims of Ayodhya as the land allocated for the mosque was too far. I had suggested a piece of land near Bijli Shaheed Masjid within the periphery of Ayodhya. Earlier, a mosque used to exist there and it would have been an undisputed piece. But the state government identified the land 20 km away from Ayodhya, said Ansari. ALSO READ | Sunnis' acceptance of five acres does not represent decision of all Muslims of India: AIMPLB Similarly, Haji Mehboob, another litigant in the title suit, also echoed the same sentiment. He said Muslims would not accept the land allocated by the state government. I had suggested the authorities to allocate land out of the panch-kosi and 14-kosi periphery in Chakrateerth area but the government paid no heed to it. Now the only way is to move SC to seek justice for Muslims, said Haji Mehboob. Why was Dhannipur village in Raunahi chosen The factors like sites proximity to the highway, population mix of the nearby Raunahi town and communal harmony in the area have played a major role in the selection of Dhannipur village for allocation of five-acre agricultural land to Muslim side. As per the local sources, the state government might have met the demand by some Ayodhya saints that the mosque should be situated outside the main parikrama routes in the temple town. The state government had initially selected three spots on highways near Ayodhya before the central government finalised Dhannipur site near Raunahi town, said an official. He added that Ayodhya district administration had shortlisted land on highways crossing the temple town, including Lucknow- Ayodhya highway, Ayodhya-Gonda, Faizabad- Azamgarh, Ayodhya-Basti and Faizabad- Sultanpur highway. The first two spots were near the parikrama route, so the government zeroed in on Dhannipur, the officer said. Raunahis population has a huge 60 per cent chunk of Muslims. The land has been allotted near the mazar of Sufi saint Shahgada Shah. Moreover, Al-Jame-atul- Islamia, a noted Islamic seminary of the Sunni Barelvi sect with respectable influence among the Muslims across the country, is also located at Raunahi. Thomas Kemmerich, Thuringia's newly elected minister president has quit 24 hours after winning vote through the support of the far-right AfD party. Photo: Martin Schutt/dpa-Zentralbild/DPA/Getty Thomas Kemmerich, the premier of the state of Thuringia resigned on Thursday after a country-wide outcry over the fact that he was elected through the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party on Wednesday. Kemmerich said today in Erfurt that his resignation was unavoidable and he wanted to clear the way for a fresh election. "Yesterday, the AfD tried a perfidious trick to damage democracy, he said. "Democrats need democratic majorities. Obviously they cannot be created in this parliament." Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the eastern state of Thuringia and various other places across the country on Thursday to protest against the alliance between Germanys ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and the AfD, who teamed up to back Free Democrat candidate Kemmerich for the role. READ MORE: Uproar in Germany as Merkels party allies with far-right in state vote Politicians from Germanys main parties, including Merkels junior coalition partner the Social Democrats, expressed their outrage that the AfD was playing the role of kingmaker and concerns that Kemmerich would be beholden to them. Politicians and the German media described the election as a black day for democracy, and a national shame. Earlier on Thursday, chancellor Angela Merkel said her party cooperating with the AfD in Thuringia was unforgivable and called for the vote to be reversed. READ MORE: Merkel calls her partys alliance with far-right unforgivable The AfD made huge gains in the wake of the refugee influx in 2016, entering the German parliament for the first time after the general election in 2017. Bjorn Hocke, party head in the state of Thuringia, is one of AfDs most extremist leaders. He has been compared with Adolf Hitler over his Nazi-like rhetoric and has repeatedly called for an end to Germanys commitment to atoning for the atrocities of the Nazi era. The rise of the right-wing extremism and anti-semitism in the past few years has provoked major concerns in Germany. In October last year, a German gunman attacked a synagogue with worshippers inside, and shot two pedestrians outside after failing to gain entry into the building. President Donald Trump, whom the House of Representatives impeached in December, was acquitted by a divided Senate on Wednesday, with all but one Republican saying the presidents months-long push for a foreign government to investigate a political rival did not meet the constitutional threshold for removal from office. Democrats fell well short of the 67 votes they needed to convict the president. In a pair of votes, on the impeachment charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress, the Senate voted 52-48 and 53-47, respectively. The acquittal handed a remarkable victory to a president whos faced threats of impeachment since taking office in 2017. Several Republican senators, including Susan Collins of Maine and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, said the presidents pressure campaign on Ukraine including delaying $391 in military aid while seeking investigations of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was improper behavior for a U.S. president. Only Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah, however, joined Democrats in convicting Trump, saying that the president committed perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of oath of office that I can imagine. The acquittal also marks a win for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who successfully blocked the Senate from hearing more witnesses in the case, including former National Security Adviser John Bolton, despite a push from Democrats and a handful of Republicans. The response to losing one election cannot be to attack the office of the Presidency, McConnell said on Wednesday. We simply cannot let factional fever break our institutions. Trumps acquittal also comes a day after State of the Union speech in which he touted a great American comeback and a blue collar boom as he heads full swing into a 2020 election season amid frustration and confusion over the results in the Democratic Iowa caucuses. Iowa is a complete disaster for the Dems," the president tweeted Wednesday morning. The Democrats want to run a Country, and they cant run a Caucus. Brad Blakeman @FoxNews Iowa is a complete disaster for the Dems. They should bring in Mini Mike Bloomberg ASAP! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2020 Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the House Intelligence Committee chairman who led the impeachment case against Trump, said Tuesday that the presidents defense essentially argued that, Hes guilty as sin, but the voters should clean up this mess. We must ask ourselves: Can we trust the President will not continue to try to cheat in that very election?" Schiff tweeted. "The sad and incontestable answer is: No, we cant. Monique Diaz spent the better part of a day in Bexar Countys Central Jury Room, but not because it was her turn in the monthly rotation to be supervising judge. Instead, Diaz was among the hundreds that began showing up Tuesday in the basement of the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center, where they waited for a number to be called so they could fulfill their civic responsibility: jury duty. It isnt unusual for a judge, lawyer or anyone who works at the justice center to be called for jury duty. What made Diazs situation special was that she should have been greeting and instructing the potential jurors that day. Ive never seen it happen in 25 years, so this is a first, said Judge Peter Sakai, who presides over the 225th Civil District Court. Honestly, considering the way the computer generates the rotation lists, she just hit it. She cant be judge and jury, Diaz laughed. As a member of the judiciary, she could have claimed an exemption, but Diaz chose to report for duty so she could see how the process is done. Her colleague, Civil District Judge Michael E. Mery, subbed in for her in the jury room. Diaz, presiding judge of the 150th Civil District Court since January 2019, hears mostly personal injury cases that are decided by jurors. She also is a co-chair of the Commission on Collaborative Strategies to Prevent, Combat and Respond to Domestic Violence. She said that when she received her summons, she was curious and excited. I tell the jurors how jealous I am because I have never served, she said. I am pleased to see this part of the justice process. Diaz began her day about 7:30 a.m., in front of the Paul Elizondo Tower. A half-hour early, she didnt face the long lines that at times spill along the sidewalk in front of the Elizondo building, the Bexar County Courthouse and the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center when jurors arrive. The judge documented her experience on social media. Diaz greeted her Facebook followers via video shot by her chief of staff, Noah Fuentes, and posted in English and Spanish on Twitter. She also sported the white, round button with the county seal that says: JUROR. Wanting the full experience, she ditched her usual parking space for one at the countys garage. Diaz said she speaks with her jury panels upon the completion of a trial to see if she can improve theexperience. Seeing it from the front end, though, gave her perspective, she said. Its a struggle for working-class people and families, she said, but touted the American justice system as the best in the world. The United States and Texas Constitutions guarantee everyone the right to a trial by an impartial jury of their peers whether it is a criminal or civil case. Serving on a jury often is described as one of the most important duties that a citizen can perform. Prospective jurors are pulled randomly from voter and drivers registrations, according to the countys Jury Services web page. Once they arrive, they are instructed to fill out a section on the summons that ultimately will be used by attorneys on both sides of the case to screen the potential panelist. The form also has information about exemptions to service. For example, people older than 70 do not have to serve. People who care for children or the elderly also may be released from duty. The system is set up to call people about every three years. Shirley Resler, 59, disagreed, stating it seems she gets called all the time. They say its luck of the draw, but I dont know about that, she said, shortly after she was released at noon. My husband got called one time and was released before he got to the court, she laughed. A former educator, Resler once served as a juror on a drug case. It went on for about four days, she said. To me, that was forever. Despite the inconvenience, waiting and potential to get chosen again, Resler compared jury duty to voting as a right many fought to have. She said she believes in the system, and if she were ever party to a case, Id want the jury to show up. People who ignore their summons are subject to a contempt action and may be fined from $100 to $1,000, according to the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. Julieta Schulze, chief central jury bailiff for Bexar County, said her department sends out about 5,000 summons per week for county and district court juries for criminal and civil cases. On Monday, Schulze said she had 650 people and expected to see as many as 580 on Tuesday. Not everyone shows up, but from our projected amount, we get pretty close to 95 percent to 98 percent, she said. Juries for capital murder trials in which the death penalty is considered are different. As many as 1,000 people may be called for just for one case, and it can take weeks to seat a panel of 12 with two alternates. After about seven hours, Diaz was released a little after 3 p.m. Sadly, this little piece of paper in front of me means that I was released without getting picked. So, I will have to wait three years before I can be considered to serve again as a juror here in Bexar County. Diaz still can be summoned on the federal, justice of the peace or grand jury levels. Five panels ended up being sent to courtrooms, Diaz said, with two ultimately going on to jury selection, known as voir dire. Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts in San Antonio. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 OTTAWAToronto Mayor John Tory made a personal appeal to federal cabinet ministers Wednesday to make good on pledges to fund community programs needed to help reduce gun violence in Canadas biggest city. Tory is in Ottawa for two days of meetings ahead of the federal budget that he hopes will give Toronto a share of the Liberals campaign vow to spend $250 million over five years on efforts to tackle shootings, including community programming. The city, which is grappling with a spate of gun violence, has complained that its been shortchanged of federal funding, a message that Tory said he conveyed to Torontos Liberal MPs in an early-morning meeting Wednesday. I said frankly I was disappointed, Tory said, adding that the federal government knew Torontos problem with gun violence was more acute and yet the city didnt get the funds it expected. I think they got the message ... I said, Look, we need more, Tory told the Star during a break between meetings with federal politicians. Hopefully its a priority in this budget and not a budget three years from now. On Monday, Tory promised the city would spend $6 million this year on youth violence prevention and intervention programs. He said making that commitment just days before his Ottawa visit was intended to highlight that the issue is a priority for the city. It allows me to come up here with my conscience totally clear that weve made a very significant additional investment, Tory said. Public Safety Minister Bill Blair, a former Toronto police chief, said that getting funding directly to Toronto would be a priority in the coming budget in hopes of it being available in time for the summer. I share the mayors urgency, Blair said Wednesday, adding the caution that the funding hinges on budget decisions he said will be made in the next several weeks. Im very hopeful that once that decision has been made, whatever money is available, we can move it out the door as quickly as possible because the faster we start making investments in communities, the more effect it will have for the city of Toronto and cities right across the country. I want to make sure weve done everything possible to keep this summer safe, said Blair, who had his own meeting with Tory on Wednesday afternoon. The frustration over funding for the community safety programs is the one discordant note in what Tory says is otherwise an excellent relationship with Ottawa. Tory had separate meetings Wednesday with Catherine McKenna, minister of infrastructure and communities, Marco Mendicino, minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship, and Ahmed Hussen, minister of families, children and social development, to ensure the city remains a focal point of investment. That includes federal funding for housing $6 billion for 40,000 affordable rental and supportive homes over 10 years and billions more for subway trains, buses and streetcars. Tory acknowledges its a staggering list, but said the city is still playing catch-up. The fact is that the city is so big and its growing so fast relative to anywhere else in the country and theres so much of an accumulated deficit on things like transit and housing that were having to do more to catch up and keep up, he said. These investments have to be made because, say on the transit, for decades we just built none. In the Commons Wednesday, Conservative MP Peter Kent (Thornhill) pressed the Liberals on their support for the proposed Ontario Line in Toronto, which would run from the Exhibition GO station to Don Mills. Shovels are ready, Ontario is ready, Toronto is ready. When will the PM deliver? Kent said during question period. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau replied that hes had many excellent conversations with Tory about plans for transit expansion, adding that every step of the way the federal government has been a partner. I certainly hope that (Ontario Premier Doug) Ford will move forward enthusiastically with us. The money is there. We want to invest it. We just need the plans to be concrete so we can do it, he said. Trudeau himself will get a chance to hear firsthand about urban priorities Thursday when he attends a meeting of the countrys big city mayors. The meeting, organized by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, is expected to flag housing, transit and climate change as key issues the large urban centres. Read more about: Karnataka: As many as ten former JD(S)-Congress MLAs, who toppled the HD Kumaraswamy-led government last July, have been inducted into the cabinet-led by Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa. This comes two months after bye-elections for the 15 assembly segments in Karnataka. Karnataka: Two months after bye-elections for the 15 Karnataka Assembly seats, a total of 10 BJP MLAs on Thursday took oath as ministers. Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala administered the oath to the former JD(S) and Congress legislators at Raj Bhavan. Several top BJP leaders and the families of new ministers were present during the oath-taking ceremony. The MLAs, who took oath as the ministers are: Ramesh Jarkiholi, Anand Singh, ST Somasekhar, Byrathi Basavaraj, Shivaram Hebbar, K Sudhakar, K Gopalaiah, Shrimanth Patil, BC Patil, and KC Narayan Gowda. This came after several days of discussions over the new ministerial berths within the party-fold. With the induction of these 10 leaders, the number of cabinet ministers has risen to 28. Yediruppa-led cabinet has a total strength of 34 members. As many as six positions are still vacant. It is still unclear who others will make it to the cabinet. Also read: Karnataka crisis: 12 rebel MLAs leave for Mumbai Karnataka CM has maintained that former Congress leader Mahesh Kumathalli, who defected to the saffron party, will be given, what he described as a big responsibility in the government. Another senior MLA Umesh Katti, according to the CM, will be inducted in the cabinet later. Also read: Delhi Elections 2020: CM Arvind Kejriwal dares Amit Shah to debate as BJP hasnt announced CM candidate The Opposition Congress was quick to take a dig at former leaders who were not inducted in the cabinet. Priyank Kharge, the Chitapur MLA, congratulated all the new ministers. He also congratulated to, what he said as the BJP MLAs of Kalyana Karnataka for failing to convince their high command to get inducted in the cabinet. According to Chief Minister Yediyurappa, the central party leadership said that only ten lawmakers should take the oath and the fate of rest former JD(S) and Congress rebels will be decided later. He also said that he would be meeting the top party brass in the national capital regarding the fate of others. Earlier in July last year, these 10 MLAs were instrumental in toppling the HD Kumaraswamy-led JD(S)-Congress government. For all the latest National News, download NewsX App In the perennial clash between man and microbe, ultraviolet light has emerged as one of mans powerful tools against many pathogens. Although ultraviolet light can wipe out several germs, the exact mechanisms that orchestrate the radiations damaging action have long been elusive. In the September issue of PNAS, Texas A&M University researchers reported that ultraviolet radiation creates holes in the microbes outer protective sheath by dislodging tryptophan a molecule that is an important component of the bacterias outer covering. The researchers said that these holes provide gateways for ultraviolet radiation to go into the bacteria and disrupt its DNA, which then stops the microbes from replicating. Our study provides the science behind the germicidal action of ultraviolet light, said Dr. Peter Rentzepis, TEES Eminent Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Wed like to use this knowledge to develop better ways to monitor bacteria inactivation in various settings, including the food industry and health care. Ultraviolet light is a highly energetic beam of radiation that has been harnessed for a variety of applications ranging from food contamination prevention to infection control. Although ultraviolet radiation has been used for over five decades to kill bacteria, the means by which it enters microorganisms and then accesses their genetic material has not been clear. To reach the interior of the bacterium, where the DNA-containing nucleus is located, ultraviolet radiation must pass through an outer layer surrounding the microbe, called the cell membrane. Attached to this membrane are tryptophan molecules. Although tryptophan is popularly known for its sleep-promoting effects in humans, in bacteria, tryptophan anchors proteins made within the microbes onto the cell membrane. Consequently, the bacterial outer covering is studded with tryptophan molecules. By Abdul Kerimkhanov Azerbaijani citizens of Armenian origin living in Nagorno-Karabakh have the right to cast their votes during elections in Azerbaijan. This was said in a statement issued by Azerbaijans Central Election Commission (CEC) in connection with the snap parliamentary election to be held on February 9. As noted in the statement, Azerbaijani citizens of Armenian origin living in Nagorno-Karabakh have the right to cast their votes during elections in Azerbaijan. "More than one million Azerbaijanis have become refugees and IDPs as a result of Armenia's ethnic cleansing policy, which occupies Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions," the statement reads. As a result of the Armenian occupation, the Armenian community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which is a citizen of Azerbaijan, was deprived of other constitutional rights, as well as electoral rights. "Armenia has repeatedly attempted to set up fake elections in these territories. Since the Constitution and the Election Code are the basis of the conduct of elections in Azerbaijan, these elections are illegal and are not recognized by the international community," the statement reads. As a result of Armenian military aggression, seven out of 125 constituencies in the country are completely occupied and part of the three constituencies are under occupation. In addition, there are also forced relocation localities in the area of the other four constituencies. Some 523 polling stations have been created to allow Azerbaijani IDPs to exercise their constitutional rights in the upcoming Parliament elections. Like other polling stations operating in the country, these polling stations are fully prepared for the election day. Despite the fact that the IDPs displacement has made it difficult to organize their voting, great efforts and extensive opportunities have been created to ensure the full voting rights of Azerbaijani citizens. "Noting that the election rights of Azerbaijani citizens expelled from their native lands as a result of Armenia's aggression in the elections and referendums held in our country have been ensured, and no differences have been made between citizens based on their nationality, Azerbaijans Central Election Commission declares that Azerbaijani citizens of Armenian origin in the Nagorno-Karabakh region can enjoy their voting rights free and unencumbered, like other citizens, and are ready to take all steps in accordance with the requirements of the legislation of Azerbaijan," the statement concluded. The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied around 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions. During the battles, more than 20,000 people were killed, more than 50,000 people were wounded and maimed. Over one million people, victims of the policy of genocide and ethnic cleansing carried out by Armenia against Azerbaijan, live in the situation of refugees and IDPs, are deprived of basic human rights. Despite the demands expressed in UN Security Council resolutions on the need to recognize the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the release of the occupied territories of Azerbaijan without preconditions, Armenia continues to pursue its aggressive policy. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz New Delhi, Feb 6 : Remaining firm on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the National Population Register (NPR) was a general administrative exercise and would help in delivery of government services. Replying to debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, Modi said in the Rajya Sabha the opposition was protesting against the NPR for their narrow political gains. All state governments had given their approvals through gazette notifications, but some of them were now making U-turns, he said. After the Prime Minister's speech and before the House adopted the Motion, the opposition parties staged a walkout. Quoting former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and Samajwadi leader Ram Manohar Lohia, the Prime Minister attacked the opposition, especially the Congress. He also read out part of a 1947 Congress resolution to remind that it was opposing something that it supported then. Modi said the Congress had earlier favoured citizenship to minorities from Pakistan and emphasised the resolution passed with the aim to grant citizenship to Hindus travelling to India from Pakistan used the word non-Muslims. He asked the Opposition to not "misguide and misinform" on the citizenship law and expressed reservations over resolutions passed by some states. Mentioning Kerala, he said the Chief Minister was on one hand talking about extremist elements infiltrating anti-CAA stirs, on the other his party was extending support to them in Delhi. He said the wrong path taken by many opposition parties on the CAA was unfortunate. On the Opposition charge that they were not being consulted and the government didn't believe in consensus building, Modi said the citizenship law or abrogation of Article 370 had been debated and discussed in the House before being passed. He also reminded the Opposition how the Bill to create Telangana was rushed through Parliament during the UPA rule. "The whole country saw how doors were closed and the TV cameras were shut," he said. In his almost 75-minute address, the Prime Minister dismissed the Opposition charges on a range of issues. As many as 45 MPs had taken part in the discussion on the motion. Recounting his government's achievements, he said India's economic fundamentals were strong and the roadblocks in the way of the Goods and Services Tax were removed and the GST was implemented. He said as the Gujarat Chief Minister he had flagged several issues related to the GST and resolved them when he became the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister stated that tier-II and III towns were contributing to the growth and their issues must be addressed, and mentioned about the UDAN scheme that provided air-connectivity to these towns. Targeting Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, he said in the past 18 months several schemes, many of them first for the state, had been implemented in J&K. Under the PM Awas Yojana, against 3,500 houses built earlier, in less than two years over 24,000 houses were built in J&K. He also mentioned other steps, like reservation to the poor, providing electricity and building roads in the past 18 months. Speaking on the Motion on Wednesday, Azad had compared several social indices of the erstwhile J&K state and questioned the government's decision to split the state into two Union Territories (UTs). Making light of the Congress leader's remark that the Northeast was burning, Modi said had the situation been that bad, the Opposition would have sent delegations and held press conferences. He highlighted the government move to settle the Bru refugees's issue, saying despite being in power at the Centre and in N-E states the Congress never cared to solve them. Chinese multinational conglomerate holding company Tencent has allegedly published "real" data on the novel coronavirus deaths, with briefly listing death toll as 24,589 -- way too higher than over 500 deaths China has officially announced to date. According to Taiwan News, "Tencent... seems to have inadvertently released what is potentially the actual number of infections and deaths, which were astronomically higher than official figures". Tencent, on its webpage titled "Epidemic Situation Tracker," showed confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in China as standing at 154,023 - over 10 times the official figure given to the world on February 1. It listed the number of suspected cases as 79,808, four times the official figure. "The number of cured cases was only 269, well below the official number that day of 300. Most ominously, the death toll listed was 24,589, vastly higher than the 300 officially listed that day". Once people noticed this, Tencent immediately updated the numbers to reflect the government's "official" numbers. "Netizens noticed that Tencent has on at least three occasions posted extremely high numbers, only to quickly lower them to government-approved statistics," said the report. Some people speculated a coding problem may be behind the real "internal" data but others believe that someone is actually trying to reveal the real numbers. Tencent was yet to officially comment on these reports. "According to multiple sources in Wuhan, many coronavirus patients are unable to receive treatment and die outside of hospitals." There have been multiple reports of Wuhan officials cremating deceased coronavirus victims before they could be added to the official death toll. The Wall Street Journal reported that the coronavirus numbers coming out of China are "fishy". If the numbers from the alleged Tencent leak are accurate, it would put coronavirus' mortality rate at almost 16 per cent. By comparison, SARS' mortality rate was 9.6 per cent, reports CCN. Caijing, an independent magazine based in Beijing that covers societal, political, and economic issues, has also claimed that the Communist Party of China (CCP) is underreporting the extent of the coronavirus outbreak. Caijing's article on Coronavirus that detailed how Wuhan officials are not reporting real figures was censored in China. As of Thursday, the official death toll in China rose to 563, with 28,018 confirmed cases. Vikita Poindexter CEO, Poindexter Consulting Group I didnt know how to do it , and I had people who helped me. So its my responsibility to help that next person. In a recent video interview on Todays Women, one of Business Insights newest Roku programs, Vikita Poindexter, a Dallas Cowboys fan tells her clients that as employers, they have to understand their employees are their best assets. But unlike the NFL, there is no concussion protocol for employers who take a big hit for failing to comply with something. To watch Vikita's full Interview or that of other female business leaders, click here. During the interview Vikita the CEO of Temecula-based Poindexter Consulting Group talks about the HR minefields California employers face in 2020, as well as the challenges of being a woman business owner. There are a lot of changes coming down the pipeline in 2020 of which Assembly Bill 5 is the most contentious. Poindexter called it the biggest employment nightmare in California right now. AB 5 imposes stricter requirements for employee classifications. It creates a three-part test to determine whether an employee can be classified as an independent contractor rather than an employee entitled to greater labor protections, such as minimum wage laws, sick leave and other benefits. The new law, effective January 1, 2020, has triggered a great deal of criticism and several lawsuits seeking exemptions by employers and independent contractors alike. The ones that want to be independent contractors are just as livid as employers, Poindexter said. Now many frustrated employers are scrambling to determine where they stand with the new regulations. Poindexter advises them to not fight it, and go with the flow instead. Its California. Nothing surprises me when it comes to employment law in California, she said. The goal is, it is what it is. What do we need to do to work around it. What do we need to do to be compliant with the law, and still be able to do what you need to do. For frustrated independent contractors, such as truckers or hairstylists, she advises them to set themselves up as a legitimate business to reduce their liability. AB 5 is just one landmine for employers to navigate past. Poindexter rattled off a list of other pending issues in California in 2020, including an increase in the minimum wage and an increase in paid sick leave. The list went on. Employment law in California is a little challenging because California is an employee-friendly state, she said. Its not employer-friendly. Most midsize and small employers cant keep up with the constant changes and additions to Californias employment laws. In California, its not what you didnt know. Its what you should have known, Poindexter said. They dont give you any grace if you didnt know you were supposed to be compliant with something. As a result, Poindexters services are in high demand, especially among business owners who dont have an HR department. Well come in and evaluate the business. Sometimes we restructure the entire business. We will look at their policies, procedures, and their corporate structure, She said. We are the HR department. We just dont have an office on sight. Her mission is to help these employers build a culture of compliance. Happy employees dont sue. If you take care of the employees, your employees will take care of the business. If you dont, they have the potential to shut it down. When Poindexter isnt consulting employers, shes often helping others in her community, particularly other women in business. Poindexter, a recipient of the 2019 Spirit of the Entrepreneur Awards and president of the Inland Empire National Association of Women Business Owners, said she believes she has an obligation to help pull other professional woman up and over the cliffs edge. She understands what they need to do. As a single mom with a chronically ill child, Poindexter said she had to learn how to manage a business while being at her sons bedside in the intensive care unit. I didnt know how to do it , and I had people who helped me. So its my responsibility to help that next person. She encourages women to take advantage of help offered by such organizations as the NAWBO. Its the only premiere organization for women that deals with advocacy, she said. Were not a networking group. We advocate on behalf of women business owners. The trick, she said, is to find a niche. For Poindexter, she found her niche in providing outsourced HR services to companies with less than 100 employees. She said its a target market for which she is ideally suited partly because she is a woman; moreover, a woman of color. I dont know a woman who hasnt been harassed in the work place; a woman that hasnt been discriminated against, she said. So for me, whats been beneficial in my business is when I go in and have a conversation with a business owner, who better can help you navigate through some of those issues than somebody as myself. She tells other women who aspire to master a piece of the business world to just go out and do it. So many times we let fear stop us from taking that leap of faith. I tell women, dont be afraid to try, Poindexter said. Failure is in not trying. You cant fail if you try. "Today's Woman" can be view on Roku just search for "Business Insight". Contact information: Poindexter Consulting Group 951-926-9069 http://www.pcghr.net Inland Empire National Association of Women Business Owners 951-703-2266 nawbo-ie.org Bernie Sanders raised $25m (19.3m) for his presidential campaign in January, giving him a significant advantage at a crucial moment in the Democratic primary. The figure, which is more than any Democratic candidate raised in the last three months of 2019, came as Mr Sanders rivals in the race showed signs of financial strain in recent days. Former vice president Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, have both taken time out from the campaign trail to raise money just days before the New Hampshire primary, according to The New York Times. On Wednesday, senator Elizabeth Warren told reporters her campaign wanted to be careful about how we spend our money after cancelling advertising reservations in Nevada and South Carolina. Mr Sanders came out of the Iowa caucus, the first contest of the Democratic primary, on Monday just behind Mr Buttigieg in terms of state delegate equivalents (SDEs) the traditional measure for success in the state with most of the ballots counted. Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Show all 18 1 /18 Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Jessica Canicosa, a precinct captain for Bernie Sanders, waits to greet caucus voters at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Hotel workers at the Bellagio in Las Vegas get to grips with voting papers during the Nevada caucuses AFP via Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A caricature of Bernie Sanders is projected on to a tree during a rally in Las Vegas EPA Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A woman waits to have a photo taken with Elizabeth Warren during a town hall meeting in Las Vegas REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures The threat of coronavirus and other germ-borne illnesses was on some voters' minds at the Democratic caucuses in Henderson, Nevada Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Former vice-president Joe Biden takes a selfie with a voter in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucuses REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Amy Klobuchar changes her shoes backstage after giving a speech in Exeter, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A warmly-wrapped-up dog attends an Elizabeth Warren event at Amherst Elementary School in Nashua, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Bernie Sanders, who romped to victory in New Hampshire against Hillary Clinton in 2016, talks to the media in Manchester Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden was hoping to improve on his poor showing in Iowa in the New Hampshire primary Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren, renowned for giving time to supporters for selfies, works the crowd at the University of New Hampshire in Durham Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden takes a selfie with a supporter and his child outside a campaign event in Somersworth, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders quarrel after a confrontation in a TV debate in which Sanders claimed that Warren was not telling the truth about a conversation in which she claimed he had said a woman could not win the presidency on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Supporter Pat Provencher listens to Pete Buttigieg in Laconia, New Hampshire on 4 February Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire while awaiting the results of the Iowa caucus Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren is presented with a balloon effigy of herself at a campaign event in Nashua, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A Trump supporter rides past a rally for Amy Klobuchar in Des Moines, Iowa on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A man holds up a sign criticising billionaires in the presidential race in front of Michael Bloomberg in Compton, Califronia. The former New York mayor skipped the first caucus in Iowa and instead campaigned in California on 3 February Reuters With 97 per cent of precincts in Iowa reporting, Mr Buttigieg narrowly led Mr Sanders by 550 SDEs to 547, although Mr Sanders led in terms of the public vote (by 26.5 per cent to 25 per cent). Delays to the release of Iowas results has meant a clear winner has not yet emerged from the first contest, which has often been influential in establishing the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. The Vermont senators $25m haul was his best in a single month of this campaign and follows a year in which he raised $96m, more than any other Democratic candidate. Mr Sanders campaign has announced it has sent more staff to the 14 states which are due to vote on 3 March, commonly known as Super Tuesday. Working-class Americans giving $18 at a time are putting our campaign in a strong position to compete in states all over the map, Faiz Shakir, Mr Sanders' campaign manager, said in a statement on the fundraising haul. More than $5.5m will be spent on television and digital advertising in 10 of the Super Tuesday states, including the key battlegrounds of California and Texas, his campaign has said. The statement did not say how many staff members would be deployed to these states. A strong fundraising operation will be important for whichever Democratic candidate takes on Donald Trump, who raised a total of $143m in 2019, in the November election. The other 10 Democrats running for president have not yet announced their January fundraising figures. However, billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg, who is funding his campaign from his personal fortune, said on Tuesday he would increase his staff to 2,100 people and double TV ad spending after the Iowa caucus. Mr Bloomberg, who only declared his candidacy in November and has opted to skip early voting states, has already spent more than a quarter of a billion dollars on advertising which has mainly targeting Super Tuesday states. Additional reporting by Reuters Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. Introducing Mike Geary Certified Fitness SpecialistThe person behind this body fat burning program is Mike Geary. Exactly what osrs gold Mike set to do was give individuals a body fat burning program they may follow efficiently, whatever their background so that they can melt away that belly body fat and get their very own group of 6 pack abs which were concealing underneath individuals layers of existing body fat on their own body.Details of the Program Truth about AbsTo begin with, this book is remarkable. This hybrid mastery is proficient in dealing both physical and magical based damage by laying traps, throwing grenades, and putting any kind of pyrotechnics into its attacks.26PC GamesMinecraft Parody The 21 Best Minecraft Song Parodiesby Samuel Franklin 19 months agoDo you have a favourite Minecraft parody? Or are you looking to discover more great Minecraft parodies? Thanks to Minecraft's popularity there are no shortage of song parodies available.Minecraft has some of the best song parodies I have ever.Grim Dawn: Oathkeeper Build Guides for Beginnersby Arc Sosangyo 2 months agoDepending on your preferred path build, Oathkeeper is like Holy Knight or Dark Knight character class that excels in using shield and spells.Most skills of this mastery specialized on shield and retaliation. Heather, did you see the interview with Joshua? Did you get the part where he denies, several times, that the violent video games had anything to do with him killing his parents? The whole idea of the interview was that he was pointing out that the real issue here is untreated mental health. We need a MUCH better mental health treatment system in this country. That is where our focus need to be, not in disarming the general population and not in attacking the video game or music industry or the media. Source: A Current AffairSource:Channel 9Initially, the medication worked. Seren behaviour calmed down, and simple tasks suddenly became doable.But it wasn long before old behaviours came back, and the girl anxiety once again began to flare. At the same time, she received a further diagnosis of oppositional defiance disorder. She was given Prozac, an antidepressant, to treat it, and her thoughts soon turned dark and she began isolating herself from her parents.They again sought the concerns of professionals, only to have them dismissed.A paediatrician then introduced a new medication into the mix. Mel I can only agree. I cannot understand why Morgan keep asking the opinion of Donald Chump, the living mental disease on important issues. Shaking the hand of those that have different views could have positive results in the long run and surely kissing a world leader or their wives is a definite positive. As to bowing when shaking hands is so untrue. If you have to bend to reach the hand or show deference isn such a bad thing, it just may undo some of the ugly American aspect. President Obama is one of the greatest Presidents America has had and could have been much greater if the Koch john birch society roots and the fellow billionaires had not aligned themselves against all he has tried to do by paying off so many in congress, the supreme court, and local governments while financing 42 grass roots organizations including the tea party. By the way I am a Republican, but not a stupid Republican. Happy Valentine's Day! Welcome to enjoy RSorder 6% off (code "RVD6") for OSRS Gold, RuneScape Gold and more for everyone and double Loyalty Points (every 100 loyal points can be used as $1) for RSorder members from Feb.8 to Feb.16, 2020! Besides, 5% off code "RSYK5" is also offered for Osrs gold / Runescape 3 Gold and all other products. Buy from https://www.rsorder.com/ at anytime. There's something awfully appealing about having a livable shed in your backyard. These free-standing structuresalso known as she sheds or prefab shedsgive homeowners the opportunity to dream big and create their ultimate chill zone. Sheds and other types of detached additions are a relatively easy way to add usable living space to the property says Dan DiClerico, a home expert at Home Advisor. But livable sheds have the potential to frustrate their owners, or to cost a pretty pennysometimes unnecessarily. Why? Let's take a look at some of the blunders that can arise while building a livable shed in your backyard. Failing to tailor it to your needs Photo by A Place To Grow Ask yourself what the livable shed will be used for. Is it a quiet, comfortable place where you can have your favorite cup of coffee and catch up on your reading? If so, youll probably need a small counter area to make your coffee, says Derek Stearns, an outdoor design expert who served as a host on Indoors Out on the DIY Network. Other amenities like a refrigerator and a sink can help ensure you don't have to run back and forth between the shed and the house. Ultimately, your livable shed should be tailored to you and your interests. If you've always wanted pink walls and the family vetoed it, this is the time to pull out the fuchsia," says Rebecca Chambliss, creative director at Curated Design in Los Angeles and a real estate associate at Compass. Not pulling the proper paperwork DiClerico says in most municipalities youll need to secure a building permit, especially if you plan to include electricity and running water in your shed. If youre working with a contractor, have them pull the permit. Theyll be familiar with the working of the building department," he says. But permits arent all youll needa date with the local zoning board might also be in your future. Typical restrictions include building within 15 feet of the rear property line and within 7.5 feet of the side, DiClerico explains. So if you dont pull all of the necessary paperwork, you may encounter problems when selling your home, he explains. In a worst-case scenario, you might actually have to remove the shed if its found to be violating any local building codes. Picking a bad location There are location decisions that youll need to make, too, and missteps in this area could cause big problems. Its important to choose a location that will stay relatively dry, ideally a high point on the property, says DiClerico. Putting the shed at the bottom of a hill is a huge mistake, since the ground will often be wet, compromising the foundation and causing mildew and rot on any wood parts of the structure. Failing to consider resale value If you build the shed correctly, it could add value to your home. However, if it clashes or has structural issues, a real estate agent might suggest tearing it down to preserve the overall look and feel of the home, says Courtney Keene, director of operations at MyRoofingPal. Skipping the foundation Photo by Redwood Builders Does a livable shed really need a foundation? Absolutely! Without a foundation, DiClerico says, your shed runs the risk of settling unevenly into the ground, which could lead to crooked floors and walls and overall instability. We recommend a floating slab foundation for sheds, which typically involves a 6-inch slab or reinforced concrete that sits directly on top of the ground, creating a firm, stable platform for the shed, he says. Grading is also an important step to direct the flow of runoff water. If not, when it rains, you may have to walk through puddles to get to the she shed, says Gordon Jones, owner of G.I. Jones Home Inspection, in San Antonio, TX. Make sure the grading is appropriate around the shed so that it wont have a moat around it. Neglecting lighting If your livable shed is going to be your haven to hunker down in and dive in to a good book, you'd better believe you need good lighting. Denise Morrison of Denise Morrison Interiors, in Newport Beach, CA, suggests adding recessed ceiling lights or a stylish pendant light and plenty of lamps. If your she shed has existing garage doors, Id consider replacing them with large glass and iron doors to flood your space with natural light, Morrison says. Securing the livable shed Regardless of the location, dont forget that you need to be able to keep your shed safe. If its visible from the street, it might pique a potential burglars interest. But even if it's completely hidden by your house, you'll want to secure it just like you would your main abode, with locks on the door and windows. The post How to Build a Livable Shed in Your Backyard Without Going Nuts appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. The Trump administration expects to kick "roughly 175,000 New Yorkers" out of Global Entry and other Trusted Traveler programs by the end of this year, and bar other New Yorkers from joining, in retaliation for a state law that limits immigration agents' access to the state's driver's license data, a senior official said Thursday. The administration also threatened to take action against other states that push to limit immigration agents' access to state-level data. The New York action appears to be one of the Trump administration's most significant retaliatory moves against "sanctuary" cities and states that limit local cooperation with immigration enforcement. President Donald Trump this week blasted sanctuary jurisdictions during his State of the Union address and pledged to encourage efforts against such "deadly practices," which he blamed for the murders of U.S. citizens and others and said allow unauthorized immigrants to avoid deportation. New York's "Green Light Law," which went into effect in December, allows undocumented immigrants - who do not have Social Security Numbers - to obtain valid state driver's licenses. The law limits the state from sharing data related to the licenses with federal immigration authorities. The New York licenses provided to undocumented immigrants also do not meet federal REAL ID standards - unlike the state's standard drivers' licenses - and cannot be used to board domestic airline flights in any case. Department of Homeland Security Acting Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli on Thursday accused New York state's Democratic lawmakers of imperiling residents' safety with its sanctuary policy and said the administration could go after other states with similar consequences if they seek to limit immigration agents' access to driver's license data. I know that the state of Washington is looking at a law like New York's 'Green Light Law,'" Cuccinelli said. "They should know that their citizens are going to lose the convenience of entering these Trusted Traveler Programs, just as New York's did." Participation in Global Entry and other Trusted Traveler programs, which are administered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, allows for expedited processing upon arrival into the United States, and it is limited to international travelers with valid passports and proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residency. Applicants must also submit to fingerprinting, an interview and a "rigorous background check," according to CBP. They also are required to provide vehicle information if they intend to drive across the border with Mexico. But a driver's license is not required to apply in many cases. Cuccinelli said CBP officials need access to state Department of Motor Vehicles' license data to properly vet applicants. "It's the barring of access by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles to our ability to see, for instance, 'Do you have a fugitive warrant? What's your criminal record?'" Cuccinelli said. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announced the policy change during a Wednesday night appearance on Fox News. Wolf told host Tucker Carlson that he sent a letter to the New York State DMV informing the agency that the state's new limits on information-sharing with CBP made it impossible for DHS to properly vet applicants for the Trusted Traveler programs. "Although DHS would prefer to continue our long-standing cooperative relationship with New York on a variety of these critical homeland security initiatives, this Act and the corresponding lack of security cooperation from the New York DMV requires DHS to take immediate action to ensure DHS's efforts to protect the Homeland are not compromised," Wolf wrote. In addition to major international airports, New York also has busy border crossings with Canada, where drivers and pedestrians who cross frequently use the nation's traveler security programs. DHS officials rely on DMV data to obtain criminal records, corroborate addresses and physical characteristics, and obtain vehicle and property data, Wolf's letter said. By prohibiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials from obtaining license plate data, even for suspects with violent criminal records, the sanctuary laws are placing federal officers at greater risk, he wrote. Wolf also told the New York DMV that vehicle exports from the state will face significant delays because the sanctuary policies do not allow the government to verify the ownership of used vehicles being shipped abroad. Cuccinelli told reporters Thursday that checks on vehicle exports would no longer occur automatically, and that New York would now have to do things "the old fashioned way." U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., who chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security, blasted the administration's move as "purely punitive," and said "it has nothing to do with security." "It is clearly a blatant attempt by the White House to score political points and perpetuate a partisan fight with New York elected officials," Thompson said in a statement Thursday, noting that the administration announced it on Fox News before notifying New York state officials and other government agencies of the move. The Trusted Traveler programs exist to "improve security and travel efficiency," Thompson said. "Congress needs to respond to this abuse of power - we will not stand by while this Administration repeatedly plays politics with our homeland security." Tom Reed, a Republican congressman from New York, voiced his support for the administration, urging his state to repeal the Green Light Law "before the federal government is forced to take further action." Numerous Democratic-led cities, counties and states have adopted varying degrees of "sanctuary" status during the past decade, but activists and Democratic lawmakers say the Trump administration's aggressive policies to jail and deport undocumented immigrants, particularly those with no prior criminal records, has lent urgency to the policies' passage. And New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, speaking Thursday on WAMC Northeast Public Radio, accused the administration of reacting to its policy with "unbounded arrogance" and "disrespect of the rule of law." Sanctuary rules typically bar local law enforcement from detaining people beyond the end of their criminal sentence or the terms of their bond; sanctuary supporters see such detention, which is not mandated by law, as an act of assistance to immigration agents who wish to take the person into custody directly from the jail for the purpose of deportation. Some cities and counties have been found liable in federal court for violating a plaintiff's constitutional rights in such cases and have been compelled to pay damages. Trump administration officials say local authorities' refusal to comply with ICE requests - known as detainers - mean that local authorities are willfully releasing dangerous felons and that ICE operations become more dangerous when agents are forced to apprehend people "in the field. An ICE agent in Brooklyn shot a 26-year-old man in the face on Thursday while trying to take his mother's boyfriend into custody for deportation, ABC News Channel 7 reported. The ICE agent got into a "scuffle" with Eric Diaz, before shooting him in the face, the channel reported. Diaz suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Trump in his State of the Union address invoked the recent murder of an elderly woman by an undocumented immigrant who had twice been subject to detainer requests in New York. "If the city had honored ICE's detainer request, his victim would still be alive today," Trump said. Authorities in sanctuary jurisdictions such as New York, Washington and California say their law enforcement agents will detain an individual on ICE's behalf only if the agency presents a warrant signed by a judge. Officials in those jurisdictions also have countered Trump's claims that the policies endanger the public, noting that existing research has demonstrated no link between illegal immigration and crime, and arguing that community trust in law enforcement is more valuable to public safety than cooperation with ICE. More expansive sanctuary rules in some jurisdictions - like the Green Light Law - have limited information-sharing and other communications with immigration officials, for fear that the information could be exploited to target immigrants. China's ambassador to the UK today accused the British government of 'over-reacting' to the coronavirus outbreak as he suggested ministers had unnecessarily sparked public 'panic'. Liu Xiaoming criticised the government after earlier this week it suggested all 30,000 UK nationals in China should leave the country if they are able to. Mr Liu said that while the UK had been helpful in official talks with Beijing he believed the country's 'words do not match with the deeds'. He also appeared to confirm that Boris Johnson is yet to speak or send a message to Chinese premier Xi Jinping about the deadly epidemic. Today it was revealed that China had complained to Boris Johnson's father about the Prime Minister's response to the coronavirus outbreak - according to emails accidentally made public by Stanley Johnson himself. China's ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming today accused Britain and other nations of 'over-reacting' to the coronavirus outbreak Mr Liu also appeared to suggest that Boris Johnson, pictured in Downing Street yesterday, is yet to speak to Xi Jinping about the crisis Stanley Johnson met the Chinese Ambassador for environment talks on Tuesday this week The Foreign Office has actively urged Britons to leave China in a bid to protect their health amid fears the coronavirus crisis could worsen. Numerous countries around the world, including the US and Australia, have barred foreign travellers from China but the UK is still permitting arrivals. Mr Liu told a press conference in London that Beijing believed many countries had 'over-reacted' to the outbreak. He said: 'It is understandable that there are concerns in the UK and the rest of the world about the epidemic. Some people are worried that it might have a negative effect on Chinas economy or even the world economy. There are also over reactions by individual countries, panic among the public and even insulting and discriminatory remarks and behaviour targeting the overseas Chinese community. He added: It is our hope that the governments of all countries including the UK should understand and support Chinas efforts, respect the professional advice of WHO, avoid overreaction, avoid creating panic and ensure the normal cooperation and exchanges between countries. Mr Liu said China had cautioned the UK against issuing the updated travel advice for Britons to leave the country because it believes the coronavirus outbreak is now under control. The ambassador suggested the UK's official communications with China did not tally with its actions as he said he would 'like to see their words... meet their actions'. His address to the media came after it emerged that China had complained to Mr Johnson's father, Stanley, about the lack of contact from the PM to Mr Jinping. Stanley Johnson met Mr Liu on Tuesday to discuss environmental issues but the former subsequently sent an email to environment minister Lord Goldsmith to inform him that the ambassador had expressed concerns that the PM had not sent a personal message of support to Beijing. The email was made public after Stanley Johnson accidentally copied in the BBC to the exchange. Mr Liu told a press conference in London today that the actions of countries like the UK had sparked unnecessary 'panic' over the outbreak Mr Liu was asked today if he was unhappy with Mr Johnson's response to the outbreak. The ambassador appeared to suggest that the PM was yet to speak to his counterpart about the crisis. He said: With regard to whether I am satisfied or not satisfied with the British government response, I would say we are very pleased and thankful to British government. Since the outbreak the two governments maintain very close contact. Secretary Raab and Cabinet Secretary Sedwill have had telephone conversations with their counterparts. The British side spoke highly of the prevention and control measures put in by China and also offered to help and we appreciate that. There is no such issue with regard to disappointment, displeasure, discontent with regard to British governments response.' Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 19:16:43|Editor: Wang Yamei Video Player Close TOKYO, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Toyota Motor Corp. on Thursday said it had raised its group net profit forecast for the current business year on hopes that the yen remains comparatively weak against its major counterparts. The Aichi Prefecture-based automaker said it now expects a group net profit of 2.35 trillion yen (21.39 billion U.S. dollars) in the year ending March 31. This compares to a previous estimate of 2.15 trillion yen (19.58 billion U.S. dollars). The maker of the ubiquitous Prius models of hybrid car also upwardly revised its group operating profit forecast to 2.50 trillion yen (22.76 billion U.S. dollars), up from a previous projection of 2.40 trillion yen (21.85 billion U.S. dollars), it said. Its estimated sales target was left unchanged, however, at 29.50 trillion yen (268.65 billion U.S. dollars), Toyota said. Toyota, which has seen solid sales of its vehicles in its North American market, particularly of its crossovers and compact SUVs like the RAV4 and C-HR, said it expects the yen to remain comparatively low versus its counterparts for the rest of the year, which will help bolster its profits made overseas when repatriated. Recent industry data showed that Toyota booked the second-highest amount in global auto sales in 2019, overtaking the three-way alliance between Nissan Motor Co., Renault SA and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. Toyota, Japan's biggest automaker, sold 1.4 percent more vehicles in 2019 than a year earlier, shifting a record 10.74 million units globally to book the second spot behind Volkswagen AG. According to the data, solid sales in its North American market helped the automaker's overall global sales in the recording period. In terms of models, Toyota attributed its climb to solid sales of its luxury Lexus-brand cars as well as its SUVs, with the total sales also comprising those of its Daihatsu Motor Co. mini-vehicles and Hino Motors Ltd. trucks. Toyota said looking ahead, it expects to sell 10.73 million vehicles worldwide in the current fiscal year, which is 30,000 units more than auto giant's previous projection. A Lithuanian tourist has been murdered and his partner allegedly raped at a rented residence on a remote beach in Brazil, police have said. The body of Adam Zindul, 37, was found by police following an attack in Praia do Sono, near the popular seaside city of Rio de Janeiro, on Thursday. Mr Zindul's wife, who was taken to Paraty Municipal Hospital, told Brazilian police that she had been raped during the attack and is currently being kept under observation. Following the attack, police confirmed that a 37-year-old suspect, who is a resident of Paraty, had been arrested. Lithuanian tourist Adam Zindul, 37, was found dead by Brazilian police following an attack in Praia do Sono, near Rio de Janeiro, on Thursday Mr Zindul and his partner had been staying at Praia do Sono, near the city of Rio de Janeiro. Pictured: GV of Praia do Sono Authorities did not comment on a possible motive for the attack, or provide other details. According to Brazilian TV news channel Globo, Mr Zindul and his Brazilian wife had rented a house in the remote beach of Praia do Sono, on the Green Coast of Rio de Janeiro, which can only be accessed by boat or trail through the jungle. The news channel said the tourist was found by police with his arms and legs tied to a chair and several wound marks on his body. He had been gagged, beaten and killed by the attacker on Wednesday night. A police report has now been opened by the Paraty Civil Police and an investigation is underway. The attack took place in Praia do Sono, which sits on the Green Coast of Rio de Janeiro After investigations are completed at the crime scene, Mr Zindul's body will be taken to the Legal Medical Institute. Praia do Sono is 26 kilometers (16 miles) from Paraty, a picturesque town with cobbled streets and colonial-style houses. The beach, which can only be accessed by foot or boat, is popular among tourists and residents of Rio de Janeiro, a few hours drive away, and has a number of houses for rent and camping areas. By Marafeale Mohloboli MASERU (Reuters) - The wife of Lesotho's prime minister was freed on bail overnight ahead of her trial for the murder of his previous wife, her lawyer said on Thursday, and police said they feared she could flee justice if allowed to travel abroad for medical reasons. Maesaiah Thabane was detained and charged this week for the murder of Prime Minister Thomas Thabane's estranged wife Lipolelo, who was shot dead near her home in Lesotho's capital, Maseru, on June 14, 2017, aged 58. Maesaiah Thabane, who is now 42, denies any guilt in the case. The prime minister has yet to speak about it publicly. Thomas Thabane, now 80, took office two days after the killing, then married Maesaiah two months later. The case has stunned citizens of Lesotho, an independent kingdom lying in the middle of a South African mountain range. The trial is scheduled for Feb. 18, but her lawyer Rethabile Setlojoane said Maesaiah Thabane would travel to South Africa on Thursday for a medical examination. "My client is entitled to bail. She is still innocent until proven guilty by the courts of law. She is not a flight risk," Setlojoane told Reuters by phone. Setlojoane said she would not comment on the allegations against her client as she had yet to enter a plea. POLICE FEARS The deputy police commissioner, Paseka Mokete, said police feared the suspect could now evade justice. "Had we been allowed to oppose the bail, we would have raised the possibility of her escape," he told Reuters, noting she had disappeared when police first tried to question her. "We are of the view that should she skip the country, it will be very easy for her (to escape)," he said, adding that if she failed to turn up police would seek assistance from South African authorities to seize her. In a sign the murder case could drag in other political figures, on Thursday police arrested the prime minister's spokesman Relebohile Moyeye on suspicion of helping Maesaiah to evade police questioning and go to South Africa last month. Story continues Thomas Thabane was going through an acrimonious divorce with Lipolelo at the time of her killing. Mokete said police believe Maesaiah Thabane had hired eight assassins to kill Lipolelo and had not actually been present at the shooting herself. Mokete said police had tried in December to question the prime minister after it was found that his phone had been used to call one of the assassins shortly after the killing. "We are yet to determine whether or not he is a suspect," Mokete said. (Writing and additional reporting by Tim Cocks in Johannesburg; Editing by Gareth Jones and Peter Graff) PM Modi defends NPR, CAA in Rajya Sabha, slams Opposition for spreading misinformation India pti-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Feb 06: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a strong defence of the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Population Register (NPR), and slammed Opposition for stirring 'undemocratic activities', spreading misinformation and 'fooling' people for vote bank politics. In Rajya Sabha, he said the NPR was first done in 2010 and later updated in 2015. He said census and NPR are "usual administrative" processes which have been carried out previously as well but have now suddenly become contentious. Questions asked in the NPR are purely governance-related, he said citing the example of asking citizens of the language spoken by them and their parents are deeply linked to the schools that need to be set up in that particular area. "Don't try to mislead people," he said, asking opposition parties to not politicise the issue for narrow political gains. "They are opposing (NPR) for narrow and frivolous political narrative. This is anti-poor," he said, adding his government had made productive use of the data collected by previous NPR to give benefits of the schemes to the poor. "We have record of your NPR, no citizen was persecuted based on that record of NPR," he said, citing the statement of the home minister of the Congress-led UPA government appealing to citizens to enrol in the exercise. In his almost 75-minute address, Modi said in Rajya Sabha,'' Is it ok to misguide and misinform the nation? Can anybody be a part of a campaign that does the same? The path being taken on CAA by many Opposition parties is unfortunate." Slamming the CPM-led Left government in Kerala for supporting the protests, PM Modi said, "There is a protest in name of anti-CAA. Undemocratic activities are being justified as protests. I can understand Congress's desperation. But how could Left, which has warned of extremist groups using CAA protests in Kerala, back any such groups in Delhi." The Centre added new fields in the NPR form like language spoke by parents of the citizen claiming that it was necessary for people migrating from one state to another. No CM, ministers from other states; AAP invites only Delhi residents for swearing-in ceremony Explained: What do AAP, BJP and Congress manifestos mean for Delhi? India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Feb 06: As the election fever grips Delhi, political parties are trying to woo voters with their manifesto's, election rallies, taking pot-shots at opponents. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) released its party manifesto and followed it up with as many as four public meetings by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. BJP heavy weights Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath held a series of rallies for the party, which is trying to win the elections in Delhi after more than two decades, while Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led-the rallies for the grand-old party. Battle for Delhi: How AAP has shown that BJP has neither issues nor a face to fight polls However, local issues like 'bijli, sadak, paani' have found its way into the manifestos released by all the three major political parties. The other issues that have been featured in the manifestos are the full statehood for Delhi and the Citizenship Amendment Act. While the statehood demand, has found a mention in AAP manifesto, the Congress was the only party to mention CAA in its manifesto. As the electioneering enters the crucial phase of voting on February 8, we take a look at the key promises made by the ruling AAP, the BJP and the Congress. Electricity and water The ruling AAP has promised clean water and 24-hour electricity to Delhiites if voted to power again. Under the AAP-led Delhi's government power subsidy scheme, those consuming less than 200 units a month get a zero electricity bill. Those using between 201 and 400 units per month get a 50% subsidy. BJP has said it won't meddle in AAP government's subsidy schemes for power and water and the party will continue the scheme, if it is voted to power. The party has also promised clean drinking water for every household. Taking a clue from the Aam Aadmi Party's power subsidy scheme, the Congress has promised to provide subsidised electricity up to 600 units, with free electricity for those consuming up to 300 units. Explained: In capitals poll race, how auto drivers will play a crucial role "We will make electricity free till 300 units. From 300-400 units, we will give a discount of 50%, for 400-500 units it will be 30%, and for 500-600 units, there will be a 25% discount," DPCC chief Subhash Chopra said. Environment AAP has promised to reduce air pollution by one-third of the existing level by planting 2 crore trees. Along with reviving the Yamuna river, the AAP promises to work with the Central Government to develop a beautiful riverside along the banks of the Yamuna. This will play a big role in maintaining the Yamuna eco-system and in creating a new tourist destination for Delhi," read the manifesto. BJP has promised the induction of 10,000 'green' buses. Setting up of a 'Yamuna Development Board' to ensure clean water in the river and guarantee development around the floodplains also features in the manifesto. Congress also released a green manifesto, dedicated entirely to environmental issues, which promised to allocate 25 per cent of the budget towards combating pollution and make Delhi India's first electric vehicle city. Education AAP has pledged to include "Deskbhakti Curriculum" in government schools in the national capital from the next academic year to inculcate in the students love for the country and make them aware of their responsibilities. The BJP manifesto promises to build 10 new colleges and 200 new schools in Delhi besides one library each in 280 wards of Delhi. Cycles and scooties for girl students as well as a 10 per cent increase in the health and education budget annually. The Congress has proposed a "Rajiv Gandhi Internship Program" to offer opportunities to young graduates. The grand old party has also promised free education for girls in government institutions from nursery to Phd. 4. Infrastructure and transport AAP has promised promises world class roads, extension of Metro network up to 500 km. "Our vision for the next five years is to take Delhi to the next level by making it a 21st century Capital, highly advanced and progressive Capital of a developed nation so that the entire nation is proud of it. BJP has also promised to complete the Delhi-Mumbai highway in the next three years. It will cut short the road distance between the two metro cities to just 12 hours, the party has claimed. Explained: Will Shaheen Bagh help BJP in the Delhi polls Congress has promised to build 10 super-specialty hospitals in Delhi in the next five years. Jobs and miscellaneous AAP: The manifesto promises doorstep delivery of ration, free pilgrimage to 10 lakh senior citizens and Rs 1 crore compensation to kin of a safai karamchari if he dies on duty. The party said it would pursue with the Centre for Bhojpuri language to be included in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India. BJP: The party has also promised good quality wheat flour for Rs 2 per kilogram for the poor in its 'Delhi Sankalp Patra', along with jobs to one child each of victims of 1984 riots. Congress: The party has promised a Yuva Swabhiman Yojana or unemployment allowance for graduates at Rs 5,000 per month and Rs 7,500 per month for postgraduates. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Thursday, February 6, 2020, 10:37 [IST] Air India mistakenly cancelled the ticket of a Boston-based man, namesake of comedian Kunal Kamra, on its Jaipur-Mumbai flight of February 3, according to senior officials. However, he was reissued the ticket and allowed to board the flight once the airline staff at the Jaipur airport realised that he is not the comedian who is on the no-fly list of four airlines, including Air India, the officials said. The comedian was banned by IndiGo, SpiceJet, GoAir and Air India for six months on January 28 for allegedly heckling journalist Arnab Goswami on an IndiGos Mumbai-Lucknow flight. Boston-based Kamra, who was in Jaipur to meet his family, said he was shocked when the airline staff at the check-in counter denied him a boarding pass as he was blacklisted by the airline. I was at the airport for two-and-a-half hours before the flight departure time and was informed about the cancellation of my ticket only when I approached the check-in counter. I had to show multiple identity cards to prove that I wasnt the person who they thought I was, said the flier, adding that it was an unpleasant experience, but the airline staff was helpful. Kamra, who is to return to Boston over the weekend, said, I fail to understand how my PNR, which is unique to a passenger, be cancelled for having the same name as that of a blacklisted passenger. Air India issued a statement clarifying what transpired at Jaipur airport on Wednesday. Comedian Kunal Kamra is banned from boarding Air India. Its mentioned in our system and thats why his name was automatically rejected. But after verification of all the credentials of the passenger, we allowed him to board, said Dhananjay Kumar, Air India spokesperson. Comedian Kunal Kamra, too, reacted to the incident on Twitter and called it collateral damage. Children and families in Montgomery County have been dealing with hate in schools for years, said Mark Eckstein, a member of the countys parent-teacher association and advocate for the LGBTQ community. School officials in November found swastikas scrawled on a desk and inside a bathroom at Silver Creek Middle and Bethesda-Chevy Chase High schools. Last spring, two ninth-grade students at Walt Whitman High School posted an image of themselves in blackface on social media and used a racist epithet as they described the photo. KYODO NEWS - Feb 7, 2020 - 00:10 | All, Japan [NurPhoto/Getty/Kyodo] TOKYO - Kobe Steel Ltd. and satellite data provider Pasco Corp. have come under cyberattacks, the latest in a series of confirmed cases of attacks on Japanese defense-related companies, the Defense Ministry said Thursday. The ministry, however, said it has not confirmed a leakage of classified information from the two companies. Kobe Steel and Pasco found some of their intracompany network terminals were infected with a computer virus, likely from unauthorized outside access in August 2016 and May 2018, respectively, according to the ministry. Kobe Steel said a total of 250 files -- including information on the ministry, as well as personal data -- might have been leaked. The company has taken measures to beef up cybersecurity. A Pasco official quoted a third party as saying the attacker may have links to China. Kobe Steel has been a supplier of submarine parts for the Self-Defense Forces, while Pasco has provided the SDF with satellite data. The news of the hacking came after Mitsubishi Electric Corp. and NEC Corp., key players in Japan's defense and infrastructure industries, acknowledged last month that they have come under major cyberattacks in the past few years. No highly classified defense secrets are believed to have been leaked. Last week, Defense Minister Taro Kono said that aside from Mitsubishi Electric and NEC, two other defense contractors have come under cyberattacks, but did not identify them. Mitsubishi Electric has said it identified suspicious activity on its server last June, and that among the potentially leaked information were email exchanges with the Defense Ministry, as well as documents related to projects with private companies, including utilities, railway operators, communications companies and automakers. NEC said information such as technical proposals it has made to the SDF on submarine sonar might have been leaked due to unauthorized access to 27,445 files over several years through 2018, according to sources close to the matter. The sources said Chinese cybercrime groups are suspected of carrying out unauthorized access to the two Japanese electric giants. Related coverage: NEC comes under major cyberattacks, defense data possibly breached Data of over 8,000 at M'bishi Electric feared leaked in cyberattack Huawei denies spying but fears linger about links with communists South Korea confirmed four more cases of novel coronavirus infections Thursday, bringing the total here to 23, with one case being a person who initially tested negative for the illness but was found to be infected later in a check-up. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said of the four new cases, three are believed to be person-to-person transmissions involving South Korean nationals, with the other one being a Chinese woman who arrived in the country on Jan. 23. The public health agency called for more attention to be paid to people who have already been screened. The agency said the 20th patient -- a 41-year-old woman who is a relative of a Korean man who was confirmed to have been infected Sunday -- initially tested negative for the virus, but when she was tested again when she started feeling unwell, she turned out to have been infected. Her relative is the 15th person to be diagnosed with the virus. He had traveled to Wuhan, the epicenter of the current outbreak, last month. The 21st case is a 59-year-old woman who came into contact with the country's sixth patient, who in turn got the illness from a person who recently visited China. This person also infected his wife and son. The 22nd person is a family member of the 16th patient who had visited Thailand recently. The KCDC said that all three South Koreans had been in self-quarantine before being diagnosed with the virus. All the newly confirmed cases have been moved to proper quarantine hospitals so they can be monitored and treated. It also said that all of the 22 people presently in quarantine after having been confirmed to have contracted the virus are in stable condition. One patient was discharged from a hospital after he was determined to be cured, with a second patient to be discharged later in the day. The second person to be released is a 35-year-old Chinese woman who had come from Wuhan. She was diagnosed with the novel virus on Jan. 20, becoming the first confirmed case of the illness in South Korea. She was treated for pneumonia but has since made a full recovery. Of the confirmed cases, four are Chinese nationals diagnosed with the coronavirus in South Korea, eight are South Koreans confirmed to be infected after returning from China, two are South Koreans who contracted the virus after visiting Singapore, one is a Korean confirmed to be infected after touring Thailand and the remaining eight are people who were contaminated in the country. The public health agency said it is tracing the steps of the latest confirmed cases. More details on the four cases will be made available as soon as possible. Since Jan. 3, the public health agency has screened 885 people and quarantined over 169 people for detailed check-ups for the novel coronavirus. Currently, there are 1,234 people who may have come in contact with infected people in self-quarantine, and they are being monitored carefully for signs of the illness. (Yonhap) Brokers warned that the new rules would simply increase what tenants pay in monthly rent, since many landlords will likely pass on the cost of a brokers fee to their residents in higher rent. What was the intended purpose of this? said Jared Antin, director of sales at Elegran. If its to minimize the cost to the tenant, it just changes when the cost is due. Instead of upfront, they will pay it monthly. But state laws limit how much rents can be raised in New York Citys roughly 1 million rent-regulated apartments. There are more than 900,000 market-rate apartments that are not regulated. Tenant advocates cheered the new broker fee rule, saying it helps tilt an uneven real estate playing field. These are important tenant protections and its about time we had them, said Michael McKee, treasurer of the Tenants PAC. Real estate brokers have been able to get away with a lot for a long time so its about time they got reined in. Newcomers to New York City have long been mystified and frustrated about having to pay a brokers fee even when they found an apartment online. But unlike most cities in the United States, landlords often choose not to work directly with renters or market their units on their own. Instead, they hire a broker. For months, real estate insiders had privately feared this particular interpretation of the new rent laws, which emboldened Democratic lawmakers passed last year after regaining control of the Legislature for the first time in a decade. [February 06, 2020] Everee Appoints Former Pluralsight Exec Brett Barlow as Chief Executive Officer Everee, an intelligent payroll platform for small and medium sized businesses, announced today it has appointed Brett Barlow as chief executive officer. Barlow has over 25 years of business experience and most recently served as chief brand officer at Utah tech company Pluralsight. He also held senior leadership roles at Skullcandy and Hewlett-Packard (News - Alert). As CEO, Barlow will focus on the overall business vision and performance, go-to-market planning, growth strategies, product development, partnerships and company culture. "I'm thrilled to be joining Everee. We're giving people access to the money they've earned more quickly, so they can avoid devastating payday loans and exorbitant credit card rates," said Barlow. "There's no reason in 2020 to be paying people the same way we have for the last 70 years. Everee's platform simplifies payroll for our customers and eases employees' financial stress by empowering them to choose when they get paid. We're disrupting an industry that's lacked innovation for too lon." Barlow joins Everee co-founder Ron Ross, who serves as president and chief operating officer and has more than a decade of experience working in financial and accounting roles. Ross created Everee after realizing a two-week pay cycle meant his daughter couldn't cover her expenses when they were due, even though she was making enough money. "We're changing the way people think about payday, and with Brett's leadership, we're going to help businesses everywhere improve the experience for their employees," said Ross. "Brett's experience taking two companies from startup stage to IPO, and his expertise building best-in-class go-to-market strategies and brands people love, will be invaluable as we grow." Everee also announced Greg Woodward has joined its board of directors. Woodward has more than 20 years of financial leadership and merger and acquisition experience. He was most recently chief financial officer at Sorenson Media and Pluralsight. Woodward was formerly a senior vice president for HGGC, a middle-market private equity firm based in the Bay Area. "I joined Everee's board because I'm confident in its leadership team and deeply believe in its mission," said Woodward. "I've seen first-hand how an archaic pay cycle doesn't work for all employees. It's broken, and with Brett at the helm of the company, Everee is poised to fix it." About Everee Everee is an intelligent payroll platform for small and medium sized businesses. Started in 2018 by financial leaders who were tired of outdated payroll software, Everee's platform includes an embedded timeclock, mobile app, automated payroll runs and simplified manager verifications. Its Pay Your Way feature boosts employee happiness and retention by allowing people to choose to get paid daily, weekly or on-demand when they need it. https://www.everee.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005043/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Yet Harris is a fighter, and just as he has been battling his illness, so has he been struggling to make music. He may have a reduced supply of air with which to create and shape sound, he may not be able to muster the exuberant rhythmic swing of old, but the desire to play rages as fervently within him as ever. WASHINGTON Upset by what's been viewed as repeated slights to President Donald Trump, at least one ranking Republican in Louisiana is calling for Utah Sen. Mitt Romney to be censured. Louisiana GOP Secretary Mike Bayham said his resolution isn't a direct response to Romney's vote with Democrats on Wednesday to impeach Trump over allegations that he leveraged aid to Ukraine for personal political gain. Trump was acquitted in separate 52-48 and 53-47 votes. But the Louisiana Republican State Central Committee will consider a resolution during its regular meeting Saturday to condemn Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, over perceived insults to Trump. Weve got a guy who had the honor and privilege of being a nominee of the party hes trying to tear Trump down as a candidate and a president, Bayham said. I dont know if its a personal issue, vanity or whether its that Trump succeeded where he failed. A draft of Bayham's symbolic resolution that the state's party leaders will consider cites Romneys high-profile personal attack of Trump, his efforts to sabotage the 2016 Republican Trump-Pence ticket and other belligerent statements and comments about President Trump. Impeachment is just the latest example, Bayham said. The scoop on state politics in your inbox Get the Louisiana politics insider details once a week from us. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Bayham said he traveled to Wisconsin and Colorado to campaign for Romney in 2012. He just doesnt care about the party," Bayham said. The nomination was something that he took for granted. Romney spoke from the Senate floor before casting the only GOP "guilty" vote in the impeachment trial and said he expected backlash from some Republicans. "I am aware that there are people in my party and in my state who will strenuously disapprove of my decision, and in some quarters, I will be vehemently denounced," he said. "I am sure to hear abuse from the President and his supporters." Trump released a video through Twitter after the vote calling Romney a "Democrat secret asset." Chinese in informal work are struggling to make ends meet as coronavirus empties streets and shuts down businesses. Beijing, China On Tuesday morning, Lanying Guo began work at her small dumpling restaurant in a Beijing alleyway just as she had for the previous seven days. With people advised to stay indoors to minimise the spread of the coronavirus, Guo had earned a pittance the previous week. But she was hoping for more customers on Tuesday as more people were supposed to be back at work after the Lunar New Year holiday. But the alley remained eerily quiet. To control the transmission of the virus, municipal officials in Beijing extended the Lunar New Year holiday and told employees to work from home, as was the case in many other Chinese provinces and municipalities. In order to further ensure the containment of the novel coronavirus outbreak, all employees, excluding essential personnel supporting the government services, are expected to return to work on February 10th, the statement from the Beijing municipality government read. But that meant hardly any customers for Guo. I havent really earned any money for almost two weeks now, and I dont know how long I can last, she said as she wept. I want to live. Many Chinese live a precarious existence with informal work that provides little protection during emergencies like the coronavirus outbreak [File: Roman Pilipey/EPA] Guo is in the last stage of kidney failure and has been on dialysis for four years. A divorcee without any children, she has to be entirely self-sufficient but she still needs to go to hospital three days a week for treatment. Without daily earnings to pay for her doctors visits, she would not live long. They see us as viruses The coronavirus is expected to take a substantial toll on Chinas economy, but for low-income, informal workers such as Guo, the loss of income can be far more devastating. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), 54.5 percent of Chinese workers such as couriers and construction workers are employed in informal sectors. Others are self-employed. Without a stable income or contractual insurance, these workers are the first to be hit in any economic downturn. There is this constant struggle between maximising the effort to contain the outbreak and minimising the economic impact whatever measures we take will have on both the macroeconomy and ordinary peoples lives, said Shaoan Huang, a professor of economics at Chinas Central University of Finance and Economics. In Jun Xiangs case, the governments virus containment efforts affect not just him, but his entire family. Before the outbreak began, he worked in Wuhan as a construction worker but returned to his hometown in Hunan province for the Lunar New Year. Then Wuhan was sealed off. Now he worries about finding enough money to feed his family and keeping his daughter in school. I helped building the Wuhans Greenland Centre, Xiang said proudly over the phone, referring to an as-yet-unfinished skyscraper in Wuhan. Construction workers normally get paid by the hour or by the day. If they do not work, they are not paid. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates about 54.5 percent of Chinese work in informal industries such as running food stalls or small restaurants or on construction sites. They have been hard-hit by the shutdowns, travel restrictions and advice to stay indoors because of the coronavirus outbreak [File: Claro Cortes IV/Reuters] Honestly, if I could go back, I would, because my daughter needs to go to school, he said, sighing. Nobody would hire me here in Hunan, either. They all see us as viruses. Xiang is the familys sole breadwinner. If he remains stuck in Hunan without being able to find work, his whole family would starve, he said. Subsidy proposal Guo and Xiang are just two among the hundreds of millions of people who live on the economic margins in China. Analysts have proposed that the authorities subsidise low-income groups and provide sweeteners for people to stay at home as the lockdown continues. The government should ensure low-income groups and jobless people enjoy a stable level of livelihood without being impacted by the outbreak, said Hongze Ren, director of Tsinghua Universitys Hengda Economy Research Institute. Its also the governments responsibility to prepare for the possible social instability as a result of the economic hardships. According to the latest data released by Chinas Bureau of Statistics, the average annual disposable income among all people in China was 22,832 Yuan ($3,262) in 2019, but more than 60 percent of the population has less than that. Ren said no matter how the government planned to mitigate the harm done to susceptible groups, it needed to act fast. As the policies are being debated, peoples lives dont get put on pause, he said. As the number of people in China affected by the coronavirus continues to rise, workers such as Guo or Xiang might find it hard to obey government edicts to stay home. People say that I am irresponsible if I dont stay at home, I get it, Guo said, as she recounted the gossip she had heard from her neighbours. But maybe they dont understand what money means to me it means life. Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa will visit India from February 13-16 during which he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the progress in bilateral ties in key sectors, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. This will be President Marcelo's first visit to India. The last visit by a Portuguese President to India was in 2007. "The visit will provide an opportunity for the two sides to review progress in various sectors of bilateral relations and pursue new avenues of cooperation and exchange view on international issues of common interest," the MEA said in a statement. Sousa will be accompanied by Portugal's Minister of State and Foreign Affairs Augusto Santos Silva, Secretary of State for Internationalization Eurico Brilhante Dias and Secretary of State for National Defense Jorge Seguro Sanches. During the visit, Sousa will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan on February 14, 2020 followed by a visit to Rajghat. The delegation-level talks will be held with Prime Minister Modi at Hyderabad House followed by a lunch, the MEA said. President Ram Nath Kovind will meet the visiting President on February 14 and host a banquet in the honour of the visiting President. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu will also call on the visiting President. Sousa will also travel to the states of Maharashtra and Goa during his visit. India's relations with Portugal are marked by warmth and friendship and have assumed dynamism in recent years, the MEA said. The two countries have active and growing cooperation in the field of economy and business, science, culture and education. They also share considerable convergences on international issues, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (Newser) President Trump celebrated his acquittal in his impeachment trial Wednesday by suggesting that he could remain president for more than 90,000 yearslong beyond the limits set by both the human lifespan and the US Constitution. Trump tweeted a video based on a Time magazine cover from last year that shows campaign signs up to "Trump 2048," the Hill reports. The video, which the president has shared before, shows the sign number ticking upward until it reaches "Trump 90,000," followed by "Trump 4EVA." Trump allies including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, meanwhile, tweeted about Trump being "acquitted for life," the Week reports. story continues below In another tweet, Trump slammed "failed presidential candidate" Sen. Mitt Romney, the only Republican senator to vote for convictionand the only senator to vote to convict a member of his own party in any of the three presidential impeachment trials in US history. Had Romney "devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election," said Trump, who also tweeted a video that claimed Romney was a "secret Democrat asset." The president said he would make a statement at noon Thursday from the White House to "discuss our Countrys VICTORY on the Impeachment Hoax!" (Read more President Trump stories.) South Korea is set to discharge its second coronavirus patient from a hospital as she has made a full recovery and shows no symptoms of the illness, health authorities said Thursday. The 35-year-old Chinese woman who came to the country from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak is the first confirmed case of the illness in South Korea, said the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She was diagnosed with the virus on Jan. 20 and was treated for pneumonia but has since made a full recovery. (Yonhap) Representative image Tea exports have marginally dipped in 2019 -- from 256.06 million kilogramme (mkg) the year before to 248.29 mkg -- a fall of three per cent, according to Tea Board data. Value realization during the last calendar year, however, stood at Rs 5,610.65 crore, around Rs 275 crore more than what it was in 2018. Sources at the Tea Board said the decline could be attributed to the overall dip in exports growth in the country. The major export destinations for Indian tea were the CIS countries, which imported 59.13 mkg of the brew last year, down from 63 mkg the year before, the data showed. Exports to UK, at 11.74 mkg, saw a fall in 2019, as compared to 15.71 mkg in 2018. Pakistan, too, imported just about 6.23 mkg tea in 2019, down from 15.84 mkg in the previous calendar year. Iran, however, emerged as the saviour for India, having imported 53.45 mkg, mostly of orthodox variety, up from 30.78 mkg the year before. With China being the biggest tea-drinking nation in the world, exports to the country also increased from 10.31 mkg to 13.45 mkg. Sources said the industry should further push for exports to the CIS block at a lower rate to compete with two major tea-producing countries -- Kenya and Sri Lanka. The January effect hypothesis proved to be true when the Vietnamese stock market saw stock prices increasing in the last 12 out of 19 years in the month of January. January effect refers to the increase of securities' prices. The research works by some experts such as Rozeff and Kinney, Banz and Donald Keim found that stock prices increased more sharply than in any other month. The VN Index perfomance The January effect mostly affects small caps rather than mid or large caps. Observers noted that the January effect also works in the Vietnams stock market. In 2010-2019, the index increased in eight out 10 years. The profitability rate was the best in 2013 (up by 16 percent) and the worst in 2016 (down by 6 percent). According to Tran Truong Manh Hieu from KIS Vietnam, the data about Vietnams market is limited, which makes it difficult to verify the January effect in a scientific way. There is not much evidence to show if the January effect worked in Vietnam in the last decade, but statistics show that the stock prices increased in January. There is not much evidence to show if the January effect worked in Vietnam in the last decade, but statistics show that the stock prices increased in January. There are many different explanations about the effect. However, according to Hieu, the theory about transactional behaviors by institutional investors is the most logical one. Fund management institutions tend to assess the investment efficiency at the end of every year to report to investors. During the process, they restructure their portfolios to polish investment results by selling stocks which dont bring high profits or bring high risks. The action causes the market to decline in the last months of year. Meanwhile, they begin the disbursement for caps with high potential in January to begin a new investment period, thereby, causing high demand in the market and affecting the stock market index. Hieu said investors can make investments based on the January effect by supervising thoroughly stocks with small capitalization value because of good profitability. However, the liquidity of the caps is not attractive, so investors have to accept risks. Meanwhile, Nguyen Trung Du from VN Direct Securities commented that once the Vietnamese stock market becomes more professional, the January effect can only serve as a factor for reference. In fact, the profitability will depend largely on the stock portfolio. In the last two years, many caps still saw prices increasing despite the ups and downs of the VN Index. Investors, therefore, should pay attention to the health and business performance of listed companies instead of expecting good luck. Linh Ha Stock market remains anxious amid coronavirus outbreak The outbreak of the acute respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus has hit Vietnams stock exchange over recent days as shares hit a three-year low. The Thursday session was closed at 19:30 Kyiv time. The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, has considered 184 out of over 4,000 amendments to the draft law on the farmland market submitted for the second reading and will continue work on the document on Friday, February 7. The Thursday session was closed at 19:30 Kyiv time by First Deputy Chairman of the Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk, according to an UNIAN correspondent. Read alsoUkrainian MPs clash in Rada over land market bill (Video) Ukrainian lawmakers on Thursday adopted one amendment, No. 48, which obliges owners and users of farmland plots of all forms of ownership to grant the right of easement for passage to other owners and users of land in their territory. This motion was backed by 296 Members of Parliament with the required minimum being 226 votes. Other amendments were rejected. They were tabled mainly by two parties the Opposition Platform For Life and Batkivshchyna. In particular, the Rada failed to secure enough votes to approve amendments to provisions regarding a national referendum to open the land market; a ban on change in the purpose of an agricultural land plot and a ban on such transfer, as well as on a change in the conditions and safeguards for acquiring rights of ownership of farmland by legal entities; and the impossibility of transferring a land plot of agricultural purpose or part of it by a lessee to sublease for seven years from the date of acquisition of the right to lease the plot. Chairman of the parliament's agrarian and land policy committee Mykola Solsky explained that the proposed amendments were either identical or were already included in other legislative acts. As UNIAN reported earlier, the draft law amending certain legislative acts concerning farmland turnover (No. 2178-10), which introduces the farmland market in Ukraine from October 1, 2020, passed its first reading on November 13, 2019. Ukrainian lawmakers on February 6 started considering the draft law on the farmland market in the second reading with more than 4,000 submitted proposals. Technavio has been monitoring the maritime patrol naval vessels market and it is poised to grow by USD 14.37 bn during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of 9% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200206005442/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global maritime patrol naval vessels market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Increasing transnational maritime crimes has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, high costs associated with patrol naval vessels might hamper market growth. Request a free sample report Maritime Patrol Naval Vessels Market 2020-2024: Segmentation Maritime Patrol Naval Vessels Market is segmented as below: Type Manned Maritime Patrol Vessels Unmanned Maritime Patrol Vessels Geographic segmentation North America APAC Europe South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR40050 Maritime Patrol Naval Vessels Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our maritime patrol naval vessels market report covers the following areas: Maritime Patrol Naval Vessels Market size Maritime Patrol Naval Vessels Market trends Maritime Patrol Naval Vessels Market industry analysis This study identifies adoption of innovative approaches in procuring patrol naval vessels as one of the prime reasons driving the maritime patrol naval vessels market growth during the next few years. Maritime Patrol Naval Vessels Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the maritime patrol naval vessels market, including some of the vendors such as Austal Ltd., BAE Systems Plc, Damen Shipyards Group NV, Fincantieri Spa, Fr. Fassmer GmbH Co. KG, Fr. Lurssen Werft GmbH Co. KG, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd., Naval Group SA, NAVANTIA SA and Saab AB Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the maritime patrol naval vessels market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Maritime Patrol Naval Vessels Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist maritime patrol naval vessels market growth during the next five years Estimation of the maritime patrol naval vessels market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the maritime patrol naval vessels market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of maritime patrol naval vessels market vendors About Us 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/20200206005442/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ A person wears a protective mask as he walks down an empty street in Wuhan, the epicenter of the new coronavirus, on Feb. 3, 2020. (Getty Images) Stories From Wuhan and Hubei The Epoch Times spoke to many residents in the city of Wuhan and in Hubei Province to learn about the situation on the ground in recent weeks. Below are some of their stories. A Very Long Wait Yang Yang is a resident of the Hanyang district of Wuhan. His father started having difficulty breathing. Because local hospitals were crowded, his father was never hospitalized and wasnt tested for the coronavirus. When he died from respiratory failure on Jan. 29, his death wasnt tallied as part of the outbreak death toll by local officials. Yang and his 61-year-old mother recently developed symptoms similar to those caused by the virus, including fever, cough, and chest pain. While he says his priority is to get his mother to a hospital bed so she can be treated, he worries that the wait could be very long. No Hospital Beds Left Xu, a graduate student in Xiaogan City, Hubei Province, said his father, a high school teacher, began feeling feverish on Jan. 13. But officials delayed conducting diagnostic tests until his symptoms became severe. On Jan. 17, he was transferred to the Tongji hospital in Wuhan, one of the facilities designated for treating the coronavirus. By the time the results came back positive for coronavirus, his father had died, on Jan. 31. Xu says he and his mother are exhibiting symptoms now. There are no hospital beds left [in Tongji hospital]. Theres only one room left for people to be hospitalized. The other patients are all mixed together, and can easily infect others, he said. Cover-up A Wuhan resident surnamed Wang says officials in his city are covering up cases of the coronavirus. His father died after exhibiting symptoms of the virus. He and his mother are now also showing symptoms, such as coughing constantly. Wang said that authorities in his district have set a daily maximum of three suspected cases that are allowed to be reported. Any additional cases wont be acknowledged. Wang said that people arent allowed to mention the coronavirus on the popular social media platform WeChat, or else their accounts may be deleted. He added that health workers in Wuhan are subject to a gag order that forbids them to talk to anyone about the situation at their workplaces. A Living Hell Sun, a resident of the Wuchang district of Wuhan, said he wishes to send away his 9-year-old child, since he worries about what could happen to his child if he were to become infected and quarantined. He also expressed concerns about his parents. If they were to fall ill while hes not with them, Sun said, they wouldnt be able to get to a hospital themselves, since theres no public transportation available. Its fitting to describe Wuhan as a living hell, Sun said. Pinnacle Logistics, a Fort Worth, Texas-based ground handling and trucking business, plans to lay off 1,374 workers and close its operations at Rockford International Airport. Pinnacle was a supplier to Amazons Prime Air cargo fleet, and Amazon will take over those operations. The layoffs will start May 12. Our team is dedicated to finding and telling you more about the products and deals we love. If you love them too and decide to purchase through the links below, we may receive a commission. Pricing and availability are subject to change. Skincare is a forever-evolving industry, so it's not surprising when a new "ingredient of the moment" is being raved about by product-lovers. While this makes it difficult to differentiate the fab from the fluff, a different picture is painted when shoppers' testimonials exceed the blanket praise, further proving that the ingredient may actually be worth the hype. This all appears to be the case for one of skincare's trendiest and most customer-favorited ingredient: snail mucin. Chances are, though, you've probably heard about this in some capacity over the past year or so. If your understanding of it is still a bit cloudy, we've done some investigating to provide you with some clarity! What is snail mucin? Snails have been promoted from being considered simple garden dwellers to the key providers of skincare "gold." According to New York Magazine, their mucin (or slime, in layman's terms), contains natural forms of some of today's most common and effective skincare powerhouses, including hyaluronic acid, glycoproteins and glycolic acid. The complex ingredient is believed to have been initially made popular through the widely advanced Korean beauty industry which launched tons of products featuring it as its star ingredient. It was eventually proven, however, that Chileans were the first to incorporate snail mucin into their skincare routines after noticing how alarmingly soft their hands were from handling snails. Through this discovery, the Chilean snail cream Elicina was made. Credit: Getty Dermatologist Ted Lain, MD, pointed out, though, that contrary to popular belief, snail mucin is not an excretion that is produced whenever the snail moves, but rather is a substance that is excreted when the snail is under stress. Story continues Why should you use it? While no single product is "one size fits all," skincare products that feature snail mucin as their operative ingredient seem to be highly praised by shoppers especially those who have sensitive skin. Among its several proven benefits include locking moisture into the skin while locking out and soothing irritants from the environment, stimulating the production of collagen (which maintains the skin's tightness and elasticity) and delivering essential vitamins and minerals including zinc and manganese, which are both ideal for soothing skin inflammation and healing scars, respectively. Dr. Lain also further explained that snail mucin can be used alone or combined with antioxidant-rich products, retinol, vitamin C products, glycolic acid and other moisturizing ingredients. It should be noted that since this product is derived from an animal, vegans should pass on using it. What snail mucin-infused product do shoppers believe to be most effective? If you're curious about how your skin reacts to this viral skincare ingredient, licensed estheticians and skincare aficionados have raved about the CosRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. CosRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence Dubbed as a "sensitive skin savior" by one shopper, this K-beauty staple is made with 96 percent snail mucin and is marketed to help hydrate and repair the skin. Reviewers praise this $18.99-priced product for its benefits with acne and its fast-acting transformative results. "Best product ever. Not only it helped me with my acne it also helps with my pores too. It lasted a long time," one shopper wrote, with another adding that she saw a "noticeable difference in one week." Now that you've been downloaded on just about everything there is to know about snail mucin, you should be more well-equipped with the knowledge to know if this may be fitting to incorporate into your skincare routine. The last air link from the Bay Area to China will end Feb. 16 when China Southern Airlines halts its route from San Francisco International Airport to the city of Guangzhou. There are currently no flights to mainland China scheduled from any Bay Area airport from mid-February to the end of March because of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 560 people and infected more than 28,000 people, mostly in China. SFO usually sees around 90 roundtrip flights a week to China and Hong Kong in the month of February. That schedule will be reduced after Feb. 16 by 68% to 28 flights per week. The impact on the airport will be noticeable. Though the reduction will mean a 1.4% drop in total flights, the number of seats on planes in and out of SFO will drop by 2.5%, since the long-haul planes across the Pacific are often larger. SFO spokesman Doug Yakel said Thursday the situation is constantly changing - and its possible airlines could cancel selected flights or end service on routes sooner. United, which accounts for 40% of SFOs flights, canceled all its flights to China Thursday through March 28. When the first coronavirus death was reported in Hong Kong Tuesday, it also canceled its remaining flight there starting Wednesday until at least Feb. 20. Air China, which ran a daily flight to Beijing, will stop its route Friday through the end of March. China Eastern is doing the same, with flights to Shanghai set to resume on March 29 and to Qingdao on March 31. China Southern, which had a flight that went from Guangzhou to Wuhan and then SFO immediately halted the Wuhan leg when the coronavirus outbreak originated there, instead flying nonstop to and from Guangzhou. It now plans to stop that route on Feb. 16 until March 27, Yakel said. One flight by Hainan Airlines from Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport to Beijing stopped service Monday and wont restart until the end of March, the airport said. There are still flights from SFO to Hong Kong by Singapore and Cathay Pacific airlines, Yakel said. But Cathay Pacific, which is headquartered in Hong Kong, has asked its employees to take leave without pay as it slashes global flight schedules, the airline said Wednesday. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Although SFO is one of 11 airports in the U.S. equipped with a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quarantine area to screen passengers coming from China for the coronavirus, the airport will soon see next to no one arriving. Thats not only because flights are scarce but because the White House put in place travel restrictions Sunday that bar entry to foreign nationals (with permanent residents and close family members exempt) who were in China in the last two weeks. Anyone eligible to travel to the U.S. who was in Hubei province, where the virus originated in the city of Wuhan, is subject to a two-week mandatory quarantine on arrival. Other air hubs for China travel like Hong Kong and Singapore have put their own travel restrictions in place, meaning those looking to leave China and come back to the U.S. will have a hard time transiting through another country. Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter:@mallorymoench A curry house chef who murdered his two young daughters and wife because she refused to help him renew his visa was today jailed for at least 40 years. Mohammed Abdul Shakur, 47, killed Juli Begum, 26, along with daughters Anika, five, and Thanha, six, on 1 January 2007 after arguing with his wife about his immigration status. He then had sex with his wife one last time before he smothered her with a pillow and strangled Anika with a white sock and fractured Thanha's skull, before fleeing for Bangladesh on the next available flight. Mohammed Abdul Shakur, 47, (left) killed Juli Begum, 26, along with daughters Anika, five, and Thanha, six, (right) on 1 January 2007 after arguing with his wife about his immigration status Back in his home country he confessed his crimes to his sister-in-law, warning her: 'If you tell the police I will murder you and your children.' He later moved to India, illegally, and went to ground for several years before his whereabouts became known. Shakur denied three counts of murder but declined to give evidence in his trial. The jury deliberated for two days to find him guilty of all the charges. Sentencing Shakur at the Old Bailey, Judge Richard Marks QC said: 'This was a wicked, vicious and sustained attack on two little girls, and on your wife who at 4ft and 8in was a tiny woman. 'By contrast, at around 6ft tall and well built, you were no match for her whatsoever. It is difficult to imagine three more vulnerable and defenceless victims. 'You, to this day, have not shown one iota of remorse for what you did. The tenor of your defence is that these killings were not done by you - a defence the jury saw through.' The judge sentenced him to a 40-year jail term, minus the six years, six months and six days spent in custody in India and the UK. The court heard Shakur had since 'accepted' the jury's findings and he showed little emotion as the judge returned the sentence. Police went to the family home in East Ham, east London, on January 10, 2007 after concerns from Ms Begum's relatives. The body of 4ft 8in Ms Begum was discovered beneath a bedcover with Anika laid across her and Thanha nearby. Shakur had sex with his wife Julia one last time before he smothered her with a pillow By the end of the week, Shakur had fled to Bangladesh on a 340 flight after telling associates his father was gravely ill, but was eventually arrested in India in May 2013 before being extradited in April 2019. The couple had an arranged marriage in Bangladesh when Ms Begum was 19, but Shakur had repeatedly been violent towards his wife and did not like their children much because they were not boys, the court heard. Jurors were not told of Ms Begum's further claim that he had raped her three or four times around the end of 2000. While working in the Ancient Raj Indian restaurant in Frimley, Surrey, Shakur was paid 130 a day cash in hand and was allowed to live above his work, jurors heard. He sent money to his family in Bangladesh while Ms Begum received child benefits, the court heard. The couple had rowed over his immigration status and financial contribution to the household in the run-up to the massacre, jurors were told. Junior prosecutor Kerry Broome broke down in tears during a previous hearing as she read out how the murder impacted the victims' distraught family. As members of the jury burst into tears junior prosecutor Kerry Broome faltered as she read Ms Begun's sister Sheli's statement and a police officer had to take over. It read: 'Juli was not just my sister. She was also my best friend. We spoke all the time on the phone. She was a person I used to share everything with and I was the same for her. 'My nieces were like daughters to me. I feel the pain as much today as if it was yesterday that they died. I feel the loss of the women my nieces never got to become. 'They used to talk non-stop. Anika used to love to play dress-up. Thanha was always reading a book. You would always find her with a book; she was very bright. 'It upsets me so much to think about what they might have witnessed.' Sheli also described how their mother, Karful Nessa, 'would cry in the middle of the night' and was so depressed family members would have to sit with her. Ms Begum said: 'She (Ms Nessa) suffered from depression and it affected her health. 'She used to cry all the time, she told me all the time she couldn't concentrate and couldn't sleep. 'She said she could hear Thanha and Anika crying out to her.' As members of the Old Bailey jury burst into tears junior prosecutor Kerry Broome faltered as she read Ms Begun's sister Sheli's statement and a police officer had to take over Ms Begum added: 'I see them in my mind. The only thing I can think of is them, not my husband or my own children. 'It has destroyed my life - I cannot watch the television or see a film without something triggering back to what happened. It will be with us for the rest of our lives.' David Spens, QC, prosecuting, said Ms Begum 'never had visitors' and lived an insular 'friendless' life. Mother-of-four Mary Banweyana said Ms Begum visited her house twice and their daughters would play. Ms Banweyana described her as 'always smiling and happy' and would stop to talk to her. She said: 'The last time I saw Juli's children was when they finished school for the Christmas holidays. The children seemed fine and very happy.' She last saw Ms Begum when she was washing her husband's car, on December 28, and they would talk unlike Shakur who 'never spoke' or would say hello. Ms Begum kept 22 carat gold necklaces, earrings and bangles worth 15,000 in her bedroom, together with a gold wedding set which has never been traced. "I'm excited for the opportunity to help build out service lines here at Jones|Carter," Mike said. "I look forward to putting my wealth of transportation and TxDOT knowledge to work for this company." Mike is also adept in schematic and PS&E for tollway projects, interstate reconstruction, rural multi-lane widenings and rehabilitations. Drawing from his experience in the industry, Mike sets a direction that aligns with the company's mission and vision. About Jones|Carter For the past 40 years, Jones|Carter has provided engineering and surveying services to the public and private sectors. The Texas-based civil engineering firm was established in Houston in 1976. Since then, J|C has grown to nine locations throughout Texas. Jones|Carter is an Engineering News-Record Top 500 National Firm and has consistently been voted a Top Workplace. Media Contact: Christina Nichols 713.777.5337 [email protected] SOURCE Jones|Carter Related Links www.jonescarter.com On this weeks episode of How To!, Charles Duhigg spoke with Elisabeth Rosenthal, a health journalist and physician, about the new coronavirus from China. Rosenthal reported on the 2003 SARS outbreak in China for the New York Times and is now editor in chief of Kaiser Health News. This transcript of their conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. Charles Duhigg: How does it start? What are the early warning signs that somethings going on? Elisabeth Rosenthal: Well, in China, the early warning signs tend to be rumors, because theres not a vibrant independent press. So you hear that theres a new disease circulating, you hear that people are dying, and thats what makes it scary. Then you have to kind of roll back and figure out, well, how is it spreading, and how lethal is it, really? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement As a journalist, its really wild, because youre trying to get around a country where quarantines are being imposed. We wanted to go to the hospital where SARS patients had been kept. So you do these trips, and you have to be careful. So as a journalist and as a doctor, you have one perspective, but you were there with your kids and your husband, right? How old were your kids when you were there? Well, at the time of SARS, they would have been 8 and 10. My kids were at the international school in Beijing, and I would say probably half to two-thirds of the kids families chose to leave, or the whole families left. Advertisement Leave the country altogether? They left Beijing. There are various reasons why people make that choice. You worry that whats going to happen is what were seeing now, that you wont be able to get out if you wait too long, so better get out of dodge while we still can. As a physician, I felt like [my kids] were in a pretty safe space that I could control. And one of the high-risk areas for transmitting disease is on airplanes or in airports. Theyre very crowded, theres recirculated air, and in fact, at our school, we had a mom get sick on a famous flight from Hong Kong to Beijing where 17 people, I believe, got infected from one person who had SARS. Those enclosed spaces can be very high-risk if you have a very sick person on board, which apparently was the case in that flight. But the more information comes out and the more you understand about the virus, the less scared you get. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But also, when theres too much half-baked information, fear and panic spreads. As I watch the reporting on the coronavirus now that Im not doing it, it bothers me a little bit that people keep calling it the deadly coronavirus because, by all indications, its not nearly as deadly as SARS. Do we say the deadly influenza virus? Yes, people can die from a whole lot of viruses, but we really have to keep things in perspective. I can tell you: A world where everyone walks around with masks and is paranoid about everyone else, as was the case when SARS was a full-blown problem in Beijing, is really not a fun world to live in. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yeah. Remind me, how contagious and fatal was SARS? SARS killed about 10 percent of people who were infected, so pretty high mortality rate. It killed young people as well as old people. Thats a little different than what were seeing with the coronavirus. Most of the people whove died in the coronavirus have been old or had other conditions, which means theyre kind of weakened anyway. We all see these photos from China of everyone wearing masks on the street. Its really hard to get any infectious disease when youre outdoors. Its in these tight, enclosed spaces that you have to worry. Advertisement Advertisement Its interesting. Here in New York, I ride the subway system, and Ive noticed Ive seen more people with masks on. I feel terrible about this, but theres almost this suspicious response, to think, Are they wearing a mask because theyre sick? Or are they suspicious of all the people around them and theyre worried that someone else is sick? Advertisement So I was on a plane really at the height of the SARS epidemic or outbreak, where it was mostly me and epidemiologists from the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], and we all started wearing our masks because we knew at that point planes were a high-risk environment. Then the beverage cart came, and we were like, OK, masks off. Now, I probably would have kept it on if the guy next to me or the woman next to me was coughing their brains out. So what would you guys do every day, day to day, that was different? What were the protections you guys put in place? What was really important was what happened at the school for my kids. They said, Do not send your kid to school with any sickness at all, and then they would do this hand-washing thingthey both probably can still sing the hand-washing song. So they would wash their hands many, many times a day at school, and that was really important. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What surprised meand Id known about good sanitation, all that, for years as a doctorbut during those months of SARS, no kid who stayed at that school got sick with anything. It was like a miracle. No stomach bugs, no sniffles, because everyone was really conscious of sanitary stuff. So let me ask this for folks who are listening who arent in China. Theyre reading in the paper every day about coronavirus. Theyre trying to put the risk in perspective, and the hallways of hospitals are jampacked. They have 45 cranes to try and build a hospital in 10 days to take care of the sick. Its hard to just say, Im going to trust that things are going to be OK. How should listeners put this into context, and what should they do? Advertisement Can I do the Im a doctor thing? Yeah, please do. Please do. Im a doctor, and you should wash your hands and not panic, because you have to understand that a lot of the reactions at the center of an outbreak have nothing to do with us here, 3,000 to 6,000 miles away. Some of the interventions you see going on, in fact probably many of them, are just officials wanting to show that theyre doing something. You do what you can. I think for those of us in the U.S. right now, just remember the flu is your problem, not the coronavirus in Wuhan. To listen to the entire episode, click the player below or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. A tip from a viewer has lead to the arrest of a fugitive featured on the Investigation Discovery series In Pursuit With John Walsh, the network announced on Feb. 5. William Stanson was arrested in Mexico not long after the Jan. 29 episode featuring him aired. This is the 12th time the program has aided in the arrest of a fugitive, Investigation Discovery says. A viewer phoned in a tip after seeing the episode John Walsh | Thos Robinson/Getty Images for The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis Stanson, an alleged sexual predator from Berrien County, Mich., was arrested by local authorities in Baja, Mexico, after a viewer who saw him on In Pursuit With John Walsh called the shows hotline. He has been extradited to the United States, where he will likely face charges of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, criminal sexual conduct in the first degree, and failure to appear for sentencing on the original charge of accosting a minor. Stanson marks the 12th fugitive featured on In Pursuit With John Walsh to now be in custody, and we are thrilled that our ID audience has helped lead to the arrest William Stanson, hopefully closing a dark chapter for his victims, Henry Schleiff, Group President, Investigation Discovery, Travel Channel, American Heroes Channel and Destination America, said in a statement. Stanson has been on the run for years Great news! Thanks for all of the tips that led to this arrest. https://t.co/VS3yNeU4e7 Michigan State Police (@MichStatePolice) February 5, 2020 In 2014, several teenage girls came forward and said Stanson had molested them at a sleepover. He pleaded guilty and registered as a sex offender. A year later, Stansons daughter revealed that she was another one of his victims. He was charged with first degree sexual assault of a minor and accosting a minor in 2015. Before he could be arrested, he fled. Tips came in hours after the show aired that directly led to the location and arrest of Stanson, the Michigan State Police said in a press release. Several other law enforcement agencies also cooperated with the hunt for Stanson, including the FBI, U.S. Marshals, the Bridgman Police Department, and the Guardia Estatal de Seguridad of Baja California. This isnt the first time an In Pursuit viewer tip has led to an arrest Stanson is the 12th fugitive featured on In Pursuit With John Walsh to be arrested. The show has also help locate one missing child. In February 2019, a call from a viewer led authorities to Luis Frias, who had been charged with murdering his wife in 2013. Leroy Headley, a Vermont man accused of shooting his partner Anako Annette Lumumba to death, was profiled on the show in January. He was arrested in Jamaica soon after the episode aired. In Pursuit With John Walsh airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on Investigation Discovery. If you have information on a fugitive featured on In Pursuit, you can submit your tip on the shows website or call (833) 3-PURSUE. How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. Check out Showbiz Cheat Sheet on Facebook! Zeta Jones married Douglas' son Michael in 2000 and shared a touching black and white image of herself kissing him on the cheek, writing: "I shall love you for the rest of my life. I miss you already. Sleep tight..." She regularly posted touching messages to Douglas on social media. Douglas' death in Beverley Hills on Wednesday was announced by Michael, a two-time Oscar winner and screen great in his own right. Michael described him as a humanitarian whose commitment to justice and the causes he believed in set a standard for all of us to aspire to. He added: To me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband. Other Hollywood stars also saluted the iconic Hollywood figure. Star Wars actor Mark Hamill called him "one of the biggest stars of all time & a brilliant actor with an unforgettable, blazing charisma, adding: "He will also be remembered for putting his career on the line by defying the Hollywood Blacklist, hiring writer Dalton Trumbo for the classic Spartacus. Revered director Steven Spielberg said Douglas left behind a "breathtaking body of work". "Kirk retained his movie star charisma right to the end of his wonderful life and I'm honoured to have been a small part of his last 45 years," Spielberg said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter. Hollywood veteran Kirk Douglas dies aged 103 "I will miss his handwritten notes, letters and fatherly advice, and his wisdom and courage - even beyond such a breathtaking body of work - are enough to inspire me for the rest of mine." Rob Reiner, the celebrated director of films such as A Few Good Men, called Douglas an icon. "Kirk Douglas will always be an icon in the pantheon of Hollywood," he tweeted. "He put himself on the line to break the blacklist. My love goes out to my friend Michael and the whole family." Mitzi Gaynor, who starred alongside Douglas in the 1963 film For Love or Money reflected on their time working together: "Bravo Kirk Douglas on an incredible life. Thank you for so generously sharing your amazing talent with all of us. The film we made together will always hold a special place in my heart. My love to Anne & your beautiful family." Seinfeld actor Jason Alexander tweeted: "Heartbroken. Kirk Douglas was a friend and an absolute legend of a star and human. He got better with every passing day. So honored to have known him. My love to his family. We could use a true Spartacus." Star Trek actor William Shatner paid his respects to Douglas' family. "Condolences to the family of Kirk Douglas. What an incredible icon he was in this industry!," Shatner said. Actor Danny DeVito was upbeat in his reflection of Douglas' career, tweeting: "Kirk Douglas. The inspirational Scalawag. 103 years on this earth. That's got a nice ring to it! Great hanging with you man." The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences tweeted a picture of Douglas from his best-known film Spartacus alongside his quote: "I wanted to be an actor ever since I was a kid in the second grade. I did a play, and my mother made a black apron, and I played a shoemaker. After the performance, [my father] gave me my first Oscar: an ice cream cone." They followed up with the message: "Goodbye to a Hollywood legend." As he shared family photos of his father on Instagram, Douglass son Michael also paid tribute, saying: To me and my brothers Joel and Peter he was simply Dad, to Catherine, a wonderful father-in-law, to his grandchildren and great grandchild their loving grandfather, and to his wife Anne, a wonderful husband. Douglas tried to discourage his children from following him into acting. Still, Michael became a superstar and a successful producer, Joel and Peter also were producers and Eric was an actor until his 2004 death from a drug overdose. Douglas was born in New York in 1916 and rose to fame during Hollywood's "Golden Age". He received critical acclaim for his role in the 1960 classic Spartacus and was later nominated for a Best Actor Oscar in 1959 for Champion. The acting legend also earned two Oscar nominations for producing The Bad and the Beautiful in 1953 and Lust for Life in 1957. But he wait almost 50 years before receiving the golden statuette, which he picked up for lifetime achievement. Douglas also starred in a number of Westerns, including Along The Great Divide (1951) and Lonely Are The Brave (1962), as well as early Stanley Kubrick film Paths Of Glory in 1957. The most recent film he appeared in was 2004s Illusion, about an ailing movie director, and in 2008 he featured in TV movie Empire State Building Murders. Concluding his emotional tribute, Michael said: "Let me end with the words I told him on his last birthday and which will always remain true. Dad - I love you so much and I am so proud to be your son." Listen to today's episode of The Leader: Shipments of the Switch console are being delayed by coronavirus, Nintendo has said. The company is just the latest to announce setbacks in manufacturing and supply amid the health crisis. It told customers in Japan that the availability of both the console and accessories will be affected by the spread of the disease. Production of the hardware had been hit by an "inevitable" delay, it said as it apologised to customers. The Switch and its accessories are made in China, where the virus is thought to have originated. As of Thursday morning, China has reported the death toll from the coronavirus to have risen by 73 to 563, with the number of confirmed cases jumping by 3,694 to 28,018. 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 its note to customers, Nintendo said it expects delays to the production and shipment of Switch consoles and Joy-Con controllers, as well as the Ring Fit Adventure accessories. In a separate notice, Nintendo also confirmed that the new version of the Switch based on popular game Animal Crossing, which was only announced last week, has had its pre-order date postponed to an unspecified date. The company did not say if it expected shipments to other countries to be affected. Other companies including Apple have suggested that hardware availability could be limited as the disease continues to spread. The Nintendo Switch console has been a huge commercial success for Nintendo since its launch in 2017. Its unique set-up as a device which can be used as both a home console and a mobile gaming device also helped it win critical acclaim. Last month, figures showed that it has sold more than 50 million units and the Switch had become the third most successful console in the company's history. Additional reporting by agencies The Ashanti Regional Chief Imam, Sheik Abdul Mumin Harun, has stated that arguments advanced by the Interparty Resistance Against New Register (IPRAN) against the Electoral Commissions decision to compile new voters register are not cogent enough to force the EC to back down on its decision. According to the Chief Imam, it appears the Inter-Party Resistance Against New Register is on a mission to enforce their will on the Electoral Commission which he opined is not right. Sheikh Abdul Mumin said that it is about time that Ghanaians rise up and rebuke politicians without fear or favour if they are going wayward. Speaking at the 11th Annual Ashanti Regional Conference of Federation of Muslim Women Association in Kumasi over the weekend, Sheikh Abdul Mumin stressed, "if politicians are going wayward, we will tell them to their face that what they are doing can harm the nation. The Chief Imam cannot understand why there has been fierce opposition to the ECs decision to compile a new voters register after establishing some infractions with the current register which he believes can mar the smooth administration of elections in the country. He is, therefore, calling on the NDC, PNC and other political parties opposing the new register to back down on their resistance in order for the EC to roll out measures they believe can ensure free and fair elections. Somebody has been given a job and has realized the tools and equipment used in the line of duty are faulty and wont help them in their work, if the person has decided to change the machines, let the person do it. That entrenched position that the Commission wont be allowed to change the register but must be forced to use the faulty machines {is not right}. If the EC uses the faulty machines and they affect the elections, it will be a more serious issue, Sheikh Abdul Mumin Harun told the gathering. He continued that the EC must be allowed to compile a new register and procure new machines so that the outcome of the elections will be acceptable to all. Those who are forcing their will on the EC by opposing the EC, wont help with the peace of the country. Source: abcnewsgh.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 We have been held hostage by the provincial government since the last election, when they said they would have Uber or Lyft by that December. Then our own local government said it was the province's fault. Well, now it's not, so let's put some heat on our local politicians to get this into play. This is a tourist area, and it's cost-prohibitive for most to pay $100 from Vernon to Kelowna. Black Mountain to downtown Kelowna, $60-plus. Wine country? Really? Where is MADD on this issue? Ride-hailing is a win-win for all, including the taxis. More people would use both going forward. Look at the stats from Austin, Texas, or even closer, Calgary. I use Uber all the time when I travel. Carla Lundman District officials of Tripura and Bangladesh held a meeting on Thursday in Udaipur and discussed measures to tackle cross-border smuggling and women trafficking. The meeting was attended by district magistrates of Gomati and South Tripura on the Indian side, and district collectors of Comilla, Chittagong, Feni and Khagracherri in Bangladesh. Superintendents of police of all the districts and officials of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) were also present in the meeting. "Problems related to trafficking of women, drugs and smuggling of goods were discussed. As Tripura and Bangladesh share a long border, we have decided to exchange information for effective crime control," said Debapriya Bardhan, district magistrate of South Tripura. Tripura shares an 856-km-long border with Bangladesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A n American astronaut safely returned to Earth today after breaking the record for the longest spaceflight by a woman. Nasa scientist Christina Koch spent 328 days on the International Space Station before touching down on the steppes of Kazakhstan at 9.12am GMT. The previous female record of 289 days was set by another American, Peggy Whitson, last year. Ms Kochs stay in orbit was only 12 days short of the all-time US record set by Scott Kelly in 2016. She completed 5,248 orbits and travelled 139 million miles, also joining the first all-woman spacewalk with fellow US astronaut Jessica Meir in October last year. She returned to earth on a Russian Soyuz capsule with two other crew members, Italian European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Skvortsov. Astronaut Christina Koch: Images from Space 1 /18 Astronaut Christina Koch: Images from Space NASA astronaut Christina Koch (C) giving a thumbs-up as she emerges from the Soyuz spacecraft that carried her home from a record-setting 328-day mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), neaer Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, 06 February 2020. She and her Expedition 61 crewmates, Soyuz Commander Alexander Skvortsov of Roscosmos and Luca Parmitano of ESA (European Space Agency), landed at 4:12 a.m. EST in Kazakhstan, southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan NASA Northern Lights and Shooting stars @Astro_Christina Commander Luca Parmitano and astronaut Christina Koch with milk and cookies in space PA Mount Everest @Astro_Christina The exquisite beauty of both the planet Earth and this marvel that its amazing people created. @Astro_Christina Sunset on yesterdays Northern Hemisphere Winter Solstice and Southern Hemisphere Summer Solstice @Astro_Christina Birds eye views of Southern Patagonia. Science through the lens as we monitor glaciers with photography from the @Space_Station @Astro_Christina The edge of Space ... @Astro_Christina Taal Volcano @Astro_Christina What it looks like from @Space_Station when your best friend achieves her lifelong dream to go to space. Caught the second stage in progress! We cant wait to welcome you on board, crew of Soyuz 61! @Astro_Christina Australia bushfires @Astro_Christina New York 9/11 Tribute in lights @Astro_Christina First moonrise seen from the @Space_Station in the decade we go back @Astro_Christina NASA astronaut Christina Koch gestures shortly after landing in a remote area outside the town of Dzhezkazgan (Zhezkazgan), Kazakhstan AFP via Getty Images In a live interview from the ISS earlier this week, she said: For me, its all about the honour I feel to follow in the footsteps of my heroes. With the 100-year anniversary of CZS approaching next year and family pulling him westward, Strahl said he thought it was the right time for transition. He has grandkids and a vacation home of his own in Montana, he said, and he decided, if I had to choose between flying to Bozeman and visiting my grandkids and driving a couple of hours from my cabin Id choose the latter. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ghina Ghaliya and Made Anthony Iswara (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 20:16 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063068a7 1 Business Indonesia,Australia,IA-CEPA,trade-agreement,exports,imports,ratification Free Lawmakers have officially ratified the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA), marking a new chapter of cooperation between the neighbors. At least 374 House of Representative members agreed to the bilateral pact during a plenary session on Thursday. This agreement should really boost Indonesias export performance so that it could positively affect the countrys trade balance, House of Representatives Commission VI chairman Martin Manurung said. The IA-CEPA could bring significant tariff cuts on commodity exports between the two countries and offer various investment privileges, as Indonesia strives to boost exports and attract foreign investment to help spur its sluggish economic growth. Indonesia recorded a trade deficit of US$3.2 billion last year, marking a significant improvement over the $8.7 billion recorded in 2018. Meanwhile, the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) has set an investment realization target of Rp 886 trillion ($64.9 billion), 9.4 percent higher than the recorded investment realization of Rp 809.6 trillion last year. President Joko Jokowi Widodo will meet Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Australia this weekend to discuss the agreement, among other matters, Foreign Ministry acting spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah told reporters on Thursday. At the meeting, the two countries are set to launch a plan of action for the 2020 to 2024 period as the reference for the implementation of the IA-CEPA, he added. The ratification is one thing that we have been waiting for. Australia has already completed it, while Indonesia is in the final stage, he said. Hopefully, once it is all completed, we can begin working on what we call the low-hanging fruit so that we can implement the agreement. A 50-year old Dalit woman, who was set onfire by a man after she resisted his move to enter her house here in Maharashtra, has died, hospital authorities said on Thursday. The woman, who suffered about 95 per cent burns in the incident that took place in Andhari village of Sillod tehsil on Sunday midnight, was undergoing treatment at the government medical college and hospital in Aurangabad city. "She died on Wednesday night," the hospital's medical superintendent Suresh Harbade told PTI. The accused, Santosh Mohite (50), who was a neighbour of the woman in Andhari village, was arrested on Tuesday, a police official said. Meanwhile, Lok Sabha member from Aurangabad Imtiaz Jaleel demanded that the case be tried in a fast-track court for ensuring justice to the victim and her family. The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader said he has demanded in Parliament that hearing be conducted in fast-track courts in this case and that of burning of a woman in Wardha district. In a similar incident, a 25-year-old lecturer was set ablaze by a stalker in Wardha on Monday, leaving her critically injured. In the Aurangabad case, the accused set the victim on fire after forcibly entering her residence, the police said. As per the woman's statement given to police before death, she tried to push Mohite out of her house, but in vain. They had a quarrel following which Mohite set her ablaze, Sillod (rural) police station's inspector Kiran Bidve said. The accused later locked the door from outside and ran away, the police said. On hearing the woman's screams, some of her relatives staying in the vicinity rushed to the place and took her to a local hospital, from where she was referred to the government hospital in Aurangabad city. "The woman suffered 95 per cent burns. She was kept on oxygen support," Harbade earlier said. The accused has been remanded in police custody till February 10 and booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dissidents Sentenced to Prison for "Insulting" Supreme Leader Facing Additional Charges 02/06/20 Source: CHRI Dissidents who were sentenced to prison in Iran after calling for the resignation of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei are facing additional charges, an attorney representing some of them told the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI). Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei "They are also facing the charges of 'disturbing public order and peace' by holding a gathering in front of the judicial building [in Mashhad in August 2019] to protest the detention of [university professor] Dr. Kamal Jafari Tabrizi, 'spreading falsehoods with the intention to disturb public opinion' and 'insulting the supreme leader' through publications," said attorney Mohammad Hossein Aghasi in an interview with CHRI on February 3, 2020. "They will be prosecuted for those three charges... in a public court," he added. "In other words, the current sentences are just a portion of their case. They could face more punishment." On February 2, 2020, Judge Hadi Mansouri of Branch 4 of the Revolutionary Court in Mashhad, Khorasan Razavi Province, sentenced eight people to prison terms ranging from 1-26 years on the charges of "forming an illegal organization" against the country's security and "propaganda against the state." Abdolrasoul Mortazavi , 26 years in prison , 26 years in prison Hashem Khastar , 16 years in prison and three years in exile in Nikshahr, Sistan and Baluchistan Province, plus a three-year ban on traveling abroad , 16 years in prison and three years in exile in Nikshahr, Sistan and Baluchistan Province, plus a three-year ban on traveling abroad Mohammad Nourizad , 15 years in prison, three years in exile in Izeh, Khuzestan Province, and a three-year ban on traveling abroad , 15 years in prison, three years in exile in Izeh, Khuzestan Province, and a three-year ban on traveling abroad Mohammad Hossein Sepehri , six years in prison , six years in prison Fatemeh Sepehri , six years in prison , six years in prison Hashem Rajaie, Gholamali Hosseinpour Gonabadi and Morteza Ghasemi, one year in prison each "The truth is that my clients did not form any group or organization," said Aghasi, referring to the existing sentences. "Requesting a resignation is not a crime. If you conduct propaganda with the intention to disturb the country's security, that's a crime. But I do not see any indication that my clients engaged in propaganda to endanger security. There was no danger to security. They did not commit any crime." "I am not denying that my clients did something," he added. "They did, but it was not a crime. If unbiased judges with no ties to the state had listened to the prosecution, all the accused would have been acquitted. In this country judges are very attached to the state and that prevents them from issuing fair verdicts." The defendants were among 14 dissidents who signed a letter on June 11, 2019, calling on Khamenei to step down. "The time has come for the people, thinkers, and caring individuals to lead a national movement by setting aside conciliatory tendencies that have facilitated the destruction of our culture, civilization and national wealth and with all honesty step into the ring and demand fundamental changes to the Constitution and the resignation of the Leader who is unjustly extending his authority on a daily basis," the letter stated. According to Aghasi, "The law states that it would be a crime to make a raucous and disturb public peace and order in a way that negatively affects people's routine. But my clients were a few individuals who held signs next to a wall [in front of the judicial building in Mashhad in August 2019]. They did not disturb order and peace. There are even photos of them in the case file showing their protest. The charges against them are unfounded." Aghasi said the dissidents were charged with violating Articles 498 and 500 of the Islamic Penal Code regarding the formation of illegal opposition groups and propaganda against the state. Read this article in Persian. Gretchen Whitmer, the Democratic governor of Michigan, focused on health care and American workers when she delivered the party's response to President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday, putting a spotlight on the bread-and-butter issues that Democrats hope will resonate with the American public in the wake of impeachment. "Democrats are trying to make your health care better. Republicans in Washington are trying to take it away," Whitmer said in her speech. She spoke about health care in personal terms, describing how she had fought against an insurance company after her mother was "wrongly denied her coverage for chemotherapy." Whitmer also made an economic appeal, saying, "American workers are hurting. ... Wages have stagnated, while CEO pay has skyrocketed." White House officials had said Trump would stress a strong US economy in his remarks Tuesday night. Taking on the President directly, Whitmer said, "It doesn't matter what the President says about the stock market. What matters is that millions of people struggle to get by or don't have enough money at the end of the month after paying for transportation, student loans, or prescription drugs." The rebuttal put a spotlight on Whitmer, whom the Democratic Party chose to elevate by giving the speech, as well as Michigan itself, a state that Democrats lost to Trump in the 2016 election and that had previously been part of the Democratic Party's so-called "blue wall." Michigan will be fought over as a battleground state in the 2020 election. Whitmer was elected governor in 2018 after campaigning on a promise to "fix the damn roads," and her speech served as a way for Democrats to refocus the national political conversation on issues and policies they want to prioritize following the State of the Union and gave the party a chance to draw contrasts with the President. "All across the country, Democratic leaders are rebuilding bridges, fixing roads, expanding broadband and cleaning up drinking water," Whitmer said in her speech, before taking a swipe at the President by saying, "Bullying people on Twitter doesn't fix bridges -- it burns them. Our energy should be used to solve problems." Whitmer also addressed the Senate impeachment trial, which is on track to culminate in a final vote on Wednesday. "As we witness the impeachment process in Washington there are some things each of us, no matter our party, should demand," she said. "The truth matters. Facts matter. And no one should be above the law. It's not what those senators say tomorrow, it's what they do that matters." "Remember: Listen to what people say, but watch what they do," she said. "It's time for action." The Michigan governor gave her speech from East Lansing High School in East Lansing, Michigan. Whitmer wasn't the only Democrat to deliver a response to the President's address. Democratic Rep. Veronica Escobar of Texas was tapped to deliver the Spanish-language response at a family health center in El Paso, Texas. Escobar similarly kept the focus on health care and the economy. According to a transcript of her speech as prepared for delivery and translated into English, Escobar said, "Republicans across the nation are actively fighting to dismantle benefits that save lives, working in the courts to eliminate every last protection of the Affordable Care Act, including protections for the 130 million people with pre-existing conditions. Democrats are fighting back." And she said, "Democrats also know that too many families are struggling to get by in our economy. President Trump's economic policies have created inequality that is creating two Americas: one where the wealthiest 1% benefit and one that leaves too many farmers, businesses, and working families behind." Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley also gave a rebuttal of her own on behalf of the progressive Working Families Party. Pressley, who has endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren in the Democratic primary, told CNN last week that she considered her speech "a love letter to the activists and the foot soldiers who have made (progressive) victories possible and who will continue to make victories possible." Pressley made the case for progressive touchstone policies like "Medicare for All" and the Green New Deal, while also directly addressing the President. "Tonight I want to remind Donald J. Trump that I see right through him," Pressley said. "The American people see right through him. Tonight we reject short sighted policies that work for the wealthy and powerful few but leave the worker and the immigrant behind." Pressley acknowledged the impeachment trial, but argued that the President presents a threat to the fabric of the country that goes beyond the alleged high crimes and misdemeanors at the center of those proceedings. "Since he was sworn into office more than three years ago, Donald Trump and his administration have attacked our communities with racist, xenophobic, hateful rhetoric, and even more bigoted, destructive policy," Pressley said. "For Donald J. Trump, the cruelty is the point." Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, will be delivering a State of the Union rebuttal of his own from Manchester, New Hampshire, ahead of next week's primary in the state. This story has been updated with additional developments Tuesday. It is a tax snuck in via a single line on the last page of a bill in the waning hours of the 1990 legislative session, with no public comment, as a way to pay for state programs. And since then, New Mexico has unfairly taxed Social Security benefits money recipients already pay state and federal taxes on when they earn it. Only 13 states tax Social Security, and New Mexico has one of the heaviest hands when it comes to snatching that hard-earned money from its retirees. According to Santa Fe-based think tank Think New Mexico, eliminating the states income tax on Social Security benefits would save the average senior citizen nearly $700 a year. There are at least six bills making their way through the Roundhouse that would repeal or reduce the tax on Social Security. The Journal has received numerous letters from some of the states estimated 120,000 residents 65 and older on the topic many say its unfair double taxation because they paid income taxes on the money they put into Social Security. Some say it was a factor in their decision to retire elsewhere. Eliminating the income tax on Social Security could better position New Mexico as a retirement mecca, boosting the states population, stimulating the economy and raising GRT and other revenues. That would help offset the estimated $75 million in tax revenue lost by a repeal. Moreover, the state is projected to rake in an additional $797 million this year due to the oil boom. While the boom wont last forever, restoring equity to the tax system and saving seniors a months rent, several grocery bills or car payments, even a trip to see loved ones is a legacy worth seizing during good economic times. 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. A Montgomery middle school teacher was arrested after he allegedly sexually abused a 12-year-old student , according to Montgomery Public Schools and a published report. Michael Bradley, who was just hired in early January, allegedly committed the abuse against the female student Jan. 23 on the grounds of Floyd Middle Magnet School, according to WSFA. The school district told AL.com it immediately referred the allegations to the Alabama Department of Human Resources and placed Bradley on leave Jan. 24 pending a full report by the agency. Montgomery police could not immediately be reached for comment on Bradleys arrest, but WSFA reported the middle school teacher is being held in the Montgomery County Jail on $8,000 bond. Reuters Taiwan's Foxconn aims to gradually restart operations at factories in China next week but it could take one to two weeks from then to resume full production due to the coronavirus outbreak, a person with direct knowledge of the matter said. Taiwan's Foxconn, which makes smartphones for global vendors including Apple , has filed requests to reopen factories with Chinese authorities, the source said, adding that a full resumption was not possible until late February due to various travel restrictions imposed to curb the virus. A delay in the resumption of operations could have an impact on the global technology supply chain and shipments to Foxconn's customers, including Apple. "Roads are closed in some parts of the country. Nobody knows for sure if some workers could get back in time," said the source, who described a "chaotic" situation in the company's top management as it scrambles to meet different requirements for the resumption of operations set by various local governments across China. "A full resumption will take at least one to two weeks from 10 Feb." In some cities, authorities are asking companies to put workers returning from other provinces under a three-day quarantine, which was a challenge for big companies like Foxconn, the source said. "How is it possible to quarantine tens of thousands of people in one neighbourhood for three days?" the person said. The factory halt is set to hit Foxconn's profit for 2020 but it was still evaluating the likely impact, the person said. "Profit is definitely going to be hit, but as to how big the impact will be, we're still calculating," the person said. Foxconn said it does not comment on specific production practices but the company has "measures in place to ensure that we can continue to meet all global manufacturing obligations." "Our facilities in China are following government holiday schedules and will continue to do so until all businesses have resumed standard operating hours," it said in a statement, adding that the company is able to address the needs of both employees and customers, citing its experience in dealing with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome outbreak in 2003. The outbreak of the coronavirus, which the World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency, threatens to disrupt swathes of Chinese manufacturing and will force policymakers to ready measures to stabilise the economy. Companies in China, closed for the Lunar New Year holiday, were told to stay shut for an extra week, until as late as Feb. 10, including those in the southern manufacturing hub of Dongguan in export-oriented Guangdong province, where some iPhone plants are located. Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics manufacturer, was making plans to ensure the health and safety of its hundreds of thousands of workers, including scanning a QR code on employees' mobile phones for health screening. The company will use local workers as much as possible while allowing time off for those who can not travel long distances to get back to work, according to an internal document reviewed by Reuters. Foxconn's factories are dependent to a great extent on migrant workers from poorer regions. "We will be very glad if the return rate could hit 30 percent (on 10 Feb)," the source said. Shares of Foxconn, formally known as Hon Hai, have dropped more than 10 percent since the market reopened last week following the Lunar New Year holiday. JET Jitendra New EV Tech is all set to make its presence in the Electric Motor-Cycle category after the successful launch of the scooters Jet 250 and JMT 1000 HS. The company was incorporated in 2016 and had its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Nashik; The Jet 250 a low-speed electric scooter was approved by ARAI and had the Fame 1 subsidy. The JMT 1000 HS has the Fame 2 subsidy. The company has significant plans to export to the African sub-continent. They have already signed an MOU for Kenya and Nigeria. At the auto expo, Jitendra New EV Tech is all set to unveil two new products, a motor-cycle Klasoo and a scooter Yunik. As the brand name suggests, it will be a class apart and will be a unique proposition altogether. They will be available in three colour options. Highlights of Klasoo' motor-cycle * The Klasoo is equipped with a mid-drive electric motor. * The lithium-ion battery has a 3-year/50,000 km warranty. * It has a smart cluster with touch screen features * 0 to 60 in less than 4.5 seconds * Gradeability of 26 per cent * Range per charge 100 km (practically tested in Indian roads with 150 kg payload) * Top speed 130 Kmph (WOW) * It will have two portable batteries. Highlights of YUNIK, Scooter * The Yunik is equipped with a 1.5 KW electric motor. * The lithium-ion battery has a three year/50,000 km warranty. * It has a smart cluster * 0 to 60 in less than six seconds * Gradeability of 30 per cent * Range per charge 120 km (practically tested in Indian roads with 150 kg payload) * Fault detection and indication on The cluster assembly * It has a side stand position sensor * Smart safety feature to start the vehicle to avoid default start. The sales of Klasoo and Yunik will initially begin in all major cities. The vehicles are scheduled to launch in April 2020. The R & D Team worked for 27 months. The company also manufactures three-wheelers, namely the passenger, the loader, the garbage vehicle and have their eyes set to launch the three-wheelers L5 category auto rickshaw. The company is a closely-held entity within the Shah family and is debt-free. The company is looking for dealers and distributors to have a 100 per cent pan India presence. This story is provided by NewsVoir. 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.) Thats good. Yet, while the debacle in Iowa from a problematic app to the archaic caucusing system itself got some rightful scorn, this kind of disorder and delay is a regular occurrence for black and brown voters across the nation. Nearly every photo of a voting line wrapped around the block has black faces in it. It is communities of color that often have to wait in the sweltering sun for seven hours to cast their ballots or that find out their votes were miscounted. Some days were harder than others. I was the first to get the details about a mass shooting in Robbins, but only because I slipped off the porch of a family members house into a snow bank. The occupants rushed to my aid and then shared their pain. Afterward I sat in my car and cried because I was cold and couldnt stop shaking long enough to write on my phone. But, mostly, because a family had been destroyed. A Pakistan court has ruled that men can marry underage girls as long as they have had their first period. The ruling was made by the Sindh High Court in Karachi on Monday during a hearing into the alleged abduction, forced conversion and marriage of Huma Younus to Abdul Jabbar. The Catholic teen was taken from her home on 10 October 2019. Her parents say that she was born on 22 May 2015 and have provided a baptismal certificate and school testimony as evidence that she is 14, Aid to the Church in Need reports. They argue that the marriage is invalid under the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, which forbids marriage below the age of 18. At the hearing, judges Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Irshad Ali Shah ruled that under Sharia law, the marriage between Younus and Jabbar stands because she has already had her first menstrual cycle. Her mother, Nagheena Younus, told ACN of her frustration at the ruling. "Once again, justice has been defeated and, once again, our state has shown itself unable to treat Christians as Pakistani citizens," she said. Her lawyer, Tabassum Yousaf, suggested that the passing of the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act in 2014 was merely a front to preserve Pakistan's trade relations with European countries. "We hope that the law could have been applied for the first time in this case," she said. "But evidently in Pakistan these laws are formulated and approved only to improve the image of the country in front of the international community, ask for development funds, and freely trade Pakistani products on the European market." Ms Yousaf has asked for a medical examination to confirm Younus' age but said she fears that the results will be falsified. "But we keep hoping that the girl being underage will be proven so that she could be placed in women's shelter, and removed from her rapist," she said. The next hearing in the case will be held on March 4. Dateline: Pennsylvania An animal rights activist group suggested that the world's most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, be replaced by a robot for his yearly ceremony to determine whether spring will come early or late. According to WJAC in Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil takes part in a nationally televised ceremony wherein he looks for his shadow upon exiting his underground burrow on Feb. 2. According to tradition, if Phil sees his shadow, it means there will be six more weeks of winter. The ceremony has been held in Punxsutawney, Penn. for over a century. But last week, the president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) wrote a letter asking the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club to allow Phil to retire before last Sunday's ceremony and be replaced by an animatronic stand-in. According to the letter, groundhogs are prey species who are uncomfortable around humans. The letter suggested allowing Phil to return to the wild. Bill Deeley, president of the Groundhog Club, responded to the letter, stating that the club treated Phil well and inviting PETA leaders to come meet the groundhog and see for themselves. The request was denied. Phil reportedly went through with the ceremony and subsequently failed to see his shadow, predicting an early spring. Dateline: Czech Republic A YouTuber tricked an inflammatory news commentator into flying to Prague to accept a fake award last week. Insider reports that United Kingdom media personality Katie Hopkins was invited to Prague on behalf of the Capetown Collective for the Freedom of Speecha fake group invented by YouTuber Josh Pieters. Hopkins is a former columnist and contestant on The Apprentice who has made a number of inflammatory remarks against feminists, homosexuals, people of color, Muslims and other groups. Last week, Twitter suspended her account for violating its anti-hate policy. Pieters, who runs a popular YouTube channel, convinced the outrageous commentator to fly to Prague and accept a lifetime achievement award that purportedly highlighted her efforts to champion free speech. In a video published last week, Pieters documented the hiring of actors and venue setup before presenting the Campaign to Unify the Nation Trophythe initials of which spell out an offensive wordto Hopkins. Before handing the smiling commentator the trophy, Pieters gave a speech. We need freedom of speechfrom politicians to journalists, campaign groups to creators, YouTubers to you in this room. Without being able to say what we think, without being able to mock other people, without being able to attack people, we are not free The tide is changing. The intellectual battle against the Woke Brigade is being won. The snowflakes are melting, and Katie Hopkins should take a great deal of credit. For the ice caps of political correctness are starting to collapse. While accepting the award to cheers from hired actors, Campaign to Unify the Nation Trophy was displayed on a screen behind her, with the first letter of each word greatly enlarged. After receiving the award, Hopkins said, It's strange to hear nice things being said about yourself. She then went on to say disparaging remarks about Asians, Muslims, Greta Thunberg and those suffering from epilepsy. She has freedom of speech, and so have I, Pieters told reporters. We just let her dig her own grave. Dateline: California A course in adulting offered by the University of California Berkeley is so popular that students had to be turned away. Los Angeles Times reports that UC Berkeley is now offering a pass-or-no pass course that teaches students adulting. The course focuses on life skills like time management, budgeting, fitness and nutrition and relationships. Each 90-minute session is led by Jenny Zhou and Belle Laujuniors majoring in molecular and cell biology and integrative biology, respectivelyand featuring a guest expert who gives specialized lectures. Zhou and Lau say students have expressed concerns about facing adult life and have questioned why their parents didn't better prepare them for the future. Laus mother, Allie Wu, says that parents dont trust their kids enough to do things on their own, adding that when theyre at home their parents pretty much take care of everything for them. Lau was less critical of parents. We dont want to blame our parents for us being naive or ignorant, she said. Its our responsibility as college students to know that if were struggling in some aspect, there are resources out there for us. According to KTVU in California, the course has become so popular that 200 applicants were turned away this year. There are 80 adults in training currently enrolled in the class. Dateline: United Kingdom Animal rescuers say an owl thought to be injured was just too fat to fly. According to BBC News, a landowner rescued the owl from a ditch and brought it to Suffolk Owl Sanctuary, believing it to be injured. But staff examined the bird and discovered that it hadn't suffered any injuries at allit was simply extremely obese and unable to fly effectively. According to staff, the owl weighed 245 gramsa full third heavier than was healthy. The sanctuary said it was extremely unusual for wild birds to get into this condition naturally. They believe her high weight could be due to an increase in food availability thanks to a mild winter. After weeks of carefully monitoring her food intake, staff reported that the owl lost between 20 and 30 grams. The owl was released back into the wild. A veteran Nessie watcher who claims to have seen the Loch Ness Monster four times last year has recorded the first official sighting of the decade. Irish hospital clerk Eoin O'Faodhagain, 55, claims to have seen the legendary creature swimming and splashing about in Urquhart Bay on January 18. He submitted two clips obtained from a live webcam to the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register, which show a dark object moving. The sighting was 'confirmed' this week, making it not just the first sighting since last October 29, but the first official sighting of the 2020s. Veteran Nessie watcher Eoin, of Drumdoit, Co Donegal, has estimated the object he watched last month to be around 4ft wide and 10ft long. Eoin O'Faodhagain (pictured) claims to have seen the legendary creature splashing about in Urquhart Bay on January 18 He has now spotted Nessie six times in total, four of them last year alone. Eoin said: 'It's great to get the very first sighting of the Loch Ness Monster for the decade. There has been a lot of speculation that this creature is migratory in nature. 'Well I think a sighting on the 18th of January disproves this theory. 'Nessie in my opinion goes no further than the Loch itself. 'When you see it once again, you are shocked to say the least. I just wish I was standing actually at the Loch edge and not watching it on live cam.' He added: 'There were no boats or birds to see at the time of the sighting. Eoin submitted two clips obtained from a live webcam to the Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register, which show a dark object moving There were more sightings of the Loch Ness Monster last year - 18 in total - than at any time since 1983, when 'Nessie-mania' was at its peak 'The object was at least 4ft wide and maybe 10ft long. It was a shame the Cam quality was not great at the time of sighting.' The Official Loch Ness Monster Sightings Register told MailOnline: 'This is the first [sighting] of 2020 and we're delighted that one has been logged so early in the year. 'We also had another report in January but we were able to identify it as a wave pattern so Eoin's is the first and only sighting so far this year. 'It also keeps up the great run of sightings that carried on throughout 2019.' The sighting was 'confirmed' this week, making it not just the first sighting since last October 29, but the first official sighting of the 2020s Fact or fiction?: The strange modern obsession with Nessie The 1934 'surgeon's photograph' (pictured) claims to be the first depiction of the Loch Ness Monster. Supposedly taken by Robert Wilson, its authenticity is much disputed Modern obsession with 'discovering' the beast are thought to stem from a 1933 article in The Inverness Courier, which reported that a businessman had gone for a stroll along the loch when a 'body resembling a whale' appeared. The search for the long-necked ancient dinosaur-type marine creature has continued unabated ever since, causing wishful thinkers to 'see' Nessie. Generally the scientific community regards the Loch Ness Monster as a phenomenon without biological basis, chalking so-called 'sightings' up to hoaxes, or the simple misidentification of mundane objects. Advertisement Nessie was last officially seen by five-year-old Zachary White, while he was searching for the creature with binoculars, a compass, and a magnifying glass. There were more sightings of the Loch Ness Monster last year - 18 in total - than at any time since 1983, when 'Nessie-mania' was at its peak. Last September, researchers from New Zealand claimed that the Loch Ness Monster could be a large eel, extracting DNA from water samples to test for this. Research carried out in 2018 revealed that the mythical creature is worth 41million a year to the Scottish economy. China will halve tariffs on some $75 billion of imports from the US later this month, reciprocating a US action and likely satisfying part of the interim trade deal. The cut will be effective from 1.01 pm. on February 14 in Beijing, according to a Ministry of Finance statement on Thursday, the same time as when the US will implement reductions in tariffs on Chinese products. Punitive Chinese duties on American goods that were adopted from September 1 last year will be lowered, with the rate on some dropping to 5 per cent from 10 per cent, and the others to 2.5 per cent from 5 per ... California Attorney General Xavier Becerra speaks outside the US Supreme Court in Washington on Nov. 12, 2019. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images) California Ranchers Sue to Avoid Warrantless Searches A multi-purpose cattle ranch in coastal California with private beachfront property is suing the state over a new law that gives state officials sweeping powers to conduct warrantless searches and inspections of the property in hopes of gaining public access to its beaches in the future. The lawsuit, cited as Hollister Ranch Owners Association v. Becerra, was filed last month in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Because he enforces the laws of the state, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, is named as a defendant. We will decline to comment for now, Becerra spokeswoman Sarah Lovenheim said in an email. According to Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), Hollister Ranch, in Santa Barbara County, has been a working cattle ranch for 150 years and today produces around 1 million pounds of beef per year. PLF is a public interest law firm headquartered in Sacramento, California. The gated community consists of about 136 privately owned parcels, some of which have houses on them, spread out over 14,400 acres. There are about 100 homes in total on large, subdivided parcels of agriculturally zoned land. Ranch management says it has carefully restricted development on the property over the years to protect the existing environment and traditional rural western lifestyle and culture while fostering strategic public, educational, and scientific access, according to the complaint. The ranch also includes about 8.5 miles on the Pacific coast, consisting of largely untouched beaches, rocky shorelines, creeks, steep bluffs, and rolling hillsides. Because human activity on the shore is kept to a minimum, tide pools on the shoreline are said to be among the least disturbed of any in southern California, according to the complaint. But ranch management and property owners are angered by AB 1680, a California law that took effect Jan. 1, that gives state agencies unrestricted authority to enter and search the ranch, including employee houses, barns, and other structures, at will with a view to making the private land available to the public. The state law declares that officials and agents of the California Coastal Commission and three other state agencies shall have access to all common areas within the Ranch for the purpose of searching for resources and potential ways for the public to traverse Plaintiffs land, according to the complaint. Anyone who tries to delay or impede officials may face fines that max out at $22,500 per violation per day, even though the statute does not define what constitutes a prohibited action that impedes, delays, or obstructs the implementation of a Ranch public access program. PLF argues in the lawsuit that government cannot authorize unwarranted property invasion and searches, property takings without compensation, and stiff financial penalties, and that AB 1680 violates the U.S. Constitution three different ways. Attorney J. David Breemer, of Pacific Legal Foundation, told The Epoch Times that his clients are exasperated by the sheer vagueness and wide sweep of AB 1680. Is it a violation to continue to stop someone at the gate house to check their identification? Breemer said. No one knows. Is it a violation to video officials as they walk around? No one knows what behavior is allowed or not allowed? Filing a lawsuit: Is that a violation? The ranch, he adds, is not challenging the public access goal but is challenging the means to get to the goal as unreasonable and overreaching. The state has decided to use a heavy-handed approach to getting what it wants at the ranch without respecting the owners property rights, views, and their way of life, Breemer said. Those at the ranch have preserved this place in a pristine state, so it is a slap in the face for the state to come in and say were coming in and bringing the public with us. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont raised $25 million in January, his campaign said on Thursday, a staggering sum that gives him an enviable financial advantage at a crucial moment in the Democratic primary race. He plans to use the windfall to immediately buy $5.5 million in television and digital ads across 10 states, at a time when some of his rivals are shifting or cutting their existing ad reservations. The $25 million haul is more money than any other candidate raised in any full quarter during 2019, including several presidential hopefuls who hold the big-dollar fund-raisers that Mr. Sanders forgoes. The announcement is the latest sign of an epochal change in money in politics, with candidates now able to finance a top-tier national campaign fueled by masses of donors giving a steady stream of small amounts. For Mr. Sanderss top rivals, the news is likely to be unsettling: Their campaigns are all showing signs of financial strain. Former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., has briefly left the campaign trail to raise money, and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. is taking time next week for a new batch of fund-raisers. Nine more North Carolinians have died during the current flu season, raising the total to 63, the N.C. Division of Public Health reported Thursday. Five deaths were reported for the week that ended Feb. 1, along with four deaths from previous weeks. Of the additional deaths, six were for individuals ages 65 and older, along with three ages 50 to 64. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services cautions the weekly report count does not represent all flu-associated deaths in the state because many go undiagnosed or unreported. The division does not release a victims hometown, county, age or gender for privacy reasons. Of the 63 who have died in this season to date, 37 were 65 or older, 15 were ages 50 to 64, 10 were ages 25 to 49 and one was ages 5 to 17. North Carolina has not been listed among the 19 states, including Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, considered as reporting high levels of flu. GS HomeShopping has temporarily closed its headquarter in western Seoul, Thursday, amid confirmation of an employee being infected with the new coronavirus Wednesday evening. / Yonhap By Kim Jae-heun GS HomeShopping suspended operations, Thursday, following confirmation that a staff member was infected with the new coronavirus. The company will not air its live shows until 6:00 a.m., Saturday. The infected employee is a family member of another patient, the 15th victim of the epidemic here who was diagnosed Sunday. The home shopping employee had been attending the office until last Friday but was told to work from home from the next day. The employee tested positive for the virus Wednesday evening. Despite confirmation of the employee's coronavirus infection, GS HomeShopping told other employees to come to work. It also continued to run the nursery operating within its headquarters until Thursday morning. Furthermore, the company failed to notify its staff of the news. Strong pressure rose internally as well as from outside the company to shut down operations before the afternoon on the same day. Following the shutdown, GS HomeShopping ordered the infected employee's colleague in the same team to work from home for two weeks. Only people necessary for re-runs will work onsite as the company decided to cancel all live broadcasts. The company will carry out disinfection operations for two days while checking if there are other employees suspected to have contracted the coronavirus. GS HomeShopping's case has caused alarm for other home shopping companies. Hyundai HomeShopping has ordered all employees to wear face masks at all times, while banning visitors who refuse to wear one. "We have restricted elevator operations in our building to the underground parking lot. We are operating a thermal imaging camera to check our employees' body temperatures at all times and those who are suspected of having the virus will be sent home to work under quarantine" Hyundai HomeShopping official said. Also, it recommended employees not to meet their counterparts at partner companies and instead to communicate by phone. Those who work with GS HomeShopping will be restricted from entering the Hyundai HomeShopping building. CJ O Shopping has also banned its partner companies' staff from entering its building in a preventive measure to prevent the spread of the virus. Employees' overseas trips have all been postponed and those who have recently returned are going through health checks twice a day. CJ O Shopping said it is also checking the health of television show guests appearing on home shopping programs. "Our staff are checking their body temperature frequently to make sure no one showing symptoms of the coronavirus are coming into contact with our employees," CJ O Shopping official said. Lotte HomeShopping said it is taking the same preventive measures as others. "We had recommended our employees wear face masks until today but now it is mandatory to do so. We have installed thermal imaging cameras in the building as well to consistently check the temperatures of staff. We will carry out disinfection work over the weekend too," a Lotte HomeShopping official said. SEATTLE, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- macro-eyes announced today that it has received milestone funding via a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to bring the Connected Health AI Network (CHAIN) to Tanzania and Mozambique. CHAIN is supply chain [artificial] intelligence that makes the delivery of healthcare predictive and efficient, enabling governments to reach more people in need with the same resources. CHAIN builds on the successful design and testing of a core predictive engine for vaccine consumption in three regions across Tanzania. In 2018, macro-eyes machine learning technology was trained and tested using routinely collected data to predict vaccine utilization in Tanzania. Historical vaccine utilization data was pulled from the Tanzania Immunization Registry (TImR) from more than 700 sites of care. The resulting machine learning system can predict utilization with 70% greater accuracy than the best performing approach on the market today. Increasing forecasting accuracy by 70% would mean cutting stock-outs and a dramatic reduction in the number of vaccines required to increase vaccination coverage. Cost of vaccine programs would be lowered, and resources would reach far more children. This groundbreaking work is being done in collaboration with the Ministries of Health in Tanzania and Mozambique, PATH, and VillageReach. The consortium engages a breadth and depth of sectoral and geographic expertise to make the delivery of care predictive. The body of work is comprised of four distinct components: Build for interoperability: Design and build system-to-system interfaces to enable the Predictive Supply Chain for Vaccines (PSCV) to be seamlessly integrated in Tanzania. macro-eyes will construct application program interfaces (APIs) to seamlessly integrate with existing health system and supply chain software. The PSCV will generate intelligence, designed to engage the right stakeholders and enable informed decision making for the delivery of vaccines. The PATH Better Immunization Data (BID) Initiative team and the Ministry of Health of Tanzania will provide local expertise and system access for supply chain software and routinely collected data. Build for scale: Design incentive structures, natural language processing models, and data aggregation models for "Human in the Loop" (HIL) machine learning to gain insight and rare information from frontline health workers: the world's foremost experts on the populations they serve and the context for care. In order to improve access to real time insight macro-eyes will design and deploy HIL machine learning. The most valuable insight into the supply chain and context for care is rarely shared outside communities of frontline health workers. Frontline health workers bear the brunt of data work, but see little reward. They deserve better. They deserve to be treated as experts. macro-eyes will work closely with the Ministry of Health in Mozambique and VillageReach to deploy cutting edge HIL machine learning to collect insights in real time from on the ground experts. Insight from the frontlines, accessed in real-time, will complement routinely collected health data and make it possible to bring AI to make the delivery of care predictive to environments where there's limited historical data, enabling systems to anticipate change on the ground and intervene early to avoid stockouts, increasing opportunities for immunization. Auditability: Build machine learning models and mobile application to collect mOPV and family planning stock images and generate accurate stock levels at facilities, pharmacies, and storage sites. Auditing stock is time-intensive and costly. Current practices often generate inaccurate results and consume valuable time from those at the front lines of care. macro-eyes is working with VillageReach in Mozambique and PATH in India to build a mobile application that can generate highly accurate counts of utilized mOPV vaccines and family planning commodity. Health workers will be able to generate stock counts by simply pointing a phone camera at where vaccines are stored. The technology will lower the time burden for data entry, help to ensure that every product is accounted for, and make it possible to measure stock accurately in real-time. Accurate, reliable counts improve forecasting, decreasing the cost of care and increasing access to health commodities. Understand Demand: Design and build a comprehensive, predictive model for vaccine demand. There is growing consensus that ensuring adequate supply is not enough to reach and then vaccinate every child. macro-eyes will use a rich array of data to understand what drives demand for vaccination services for every type of caregivers. Core to this work is building multidimensional phenotypes that describe each type of caregiver in detail that extends from the geographic specifics of the environment in which they live to how they access care to socio-economics. Phenotyping is a way to segment large populations into smaller, self-similar groups that can tell us much about why and how and when a family member chooses to vaccinate a child. When we understand the elements that predict whether a given group is more or less likely to vaccinate their children, partners on the ground can then much more precisely intervene to drive demand. CHAIN Each body of work forms part of the Connected Health AI Network (CHAIN), an overarching technology to frame the supply chain as the central nervous system of a new way to delivery healthcare, to make the delivery of care predictive. Insight into demand and the ability to predict utilization are ground-truthed with real-time information on stock. New, rare insight shared by frontline health workers the world's foremost experts on the context for care in their communities brings valuable, real time insight into the health system. These components combine to build efficiency and accuracy into the supply chain, which can then become an engine for equity and efficiency. Contact [email protected] SOURCE macro-eyes Related Links https://www.macro-eyes.com/ For the second straight year, Durham has been named one of the best places in the country for women working in technology jobs, according to a study from personal finance website SmartAsset. The Bull City continues to stand out, the study shows, because of the high percentage of women in the workforce here, with 30% of tech jobs filled by women, which was the 10th highest percentage of all cities in the study. Nationally, 26.1% of tech jobs were filled by women, an increase of 0.4 percentage points from the previous year. Additionally, Durhams female tech workers have average annual earnings of about $57,500 after deducting costs for housing, and the gender pay gaps sits at 86%. The national average for those measurements is $55,745 and 83%. The study looked at data for cities with populations of at least 200,000, with the most recent numbers coming from the Census Bureaus 2018 American Community Survey. The study ranked cities by their gender pay gap, income after housing costs, tech jobs held by women and four-year employment growth. Durham outpaced other large cities in North Carolina, with Charlotte tied for 20th on the list and Raleigh at No. 55. Raleighs gender pay gap stood at 72% of the median earnings of men, and the citys tech workforce was 25.6% female. Charlottes pay gap was 85%, and that citys tech workforce was 24.5% female. The Women Who Code local chapter meets at least twice a month. Overall, the entire state of North Carolina lags behind much of the country when it comes to representation of minorities and people of color in the tech industry, The News & Observer reported last year. However, there were some bright spots in the state when it came to representation. The state ranked No. 2 in the percentage of women work in the technology field, according to one study from the N.C. Technology Association, trailing only Washington, D.C. (D.C. ranked second in the SmartAsset study). N.C. Tech used employment data from a private analytics firm, so it would be hard to compare the two studys findings. However, N.C. Techs findings found women made up 35.5% of the states tech workforce. Story continues But just because Durham, and North Carolina, usually rank high in female representation doesnt mean there isnt still a lot of ground to be made up. Being the best-of among mediocre performers is not something to brag about, Brooks Raiford, president and CEO of N.C. Tech told the N&O last year. Everyone is doing not great. CS4NC hopes to raise $5 million in the next year. The group thinks that will be adequate to train enough teachers across the state, so that every middle school and high school in North Carolina can offer a computer science course by 2023. One answer to increasing representation could be found in funding more computer science classes in public middle and high schools, a new advocacy group called CS4NC argues. Founded earlier this year, CS4NC is trying to raise enough money to train 3,200 computer science teachers in North Carolina by 2023. Their argument is that earlier exposure to computer science in middle and high school could spark more of an interest in later studying computer science in college. The group frequently cites a study that found female students are 6.5 times more likely to take the AP Computer Science Exam if their schools had computer science teachers. Locally, there has also been a proliferation of organizations that seek to help women get into the tech industry, like Carolina Women in Tech and Women Who Code. One startup in Durham, InHerSight, has grown steadily by creating a platform for women to comment on and review different workplaces. The companys platform has found that women in North Carolina most often are disappointed by their companys female representation in leadership and their management opportunities for women, the companys founder Ursula Mead told the N&O last year. Women dont have the same access to opportunity as men in the office, she said in an interview last year. The perception of equal opportunity is a huge driver of your happiness at work. Here are the 10 best cities for women in tech, according to SmartAsset: Baltimore Washington, D.C. Arlington, Va. Chesapeake, Va. Albuquerque, N.M. Houston Long Beach, Calif. Chandler, Ariz. Philadelphia Durham To stay up to date on the latest tech and business news in the Triangle, sign up for The News & Observers new Innovation and Technology newsletter here. This story was produced with financial support from a coalition of partners led by Innovate Raleigh as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work. Learn more; go to bit.ly/newsinnovate Anti-CAA protestors here on Thursday sought heightened security at Jamia Millia Islamia and Shaheen Bagh, following the recent firing incidents at these sites. The protestors alleged that more such incidents might happen on the February 8 Delhi Assembly elections. Three firing incidents have taken place in Jamia Nagar area in a week. On January 30, a minor fired at anti-CAA protesters preparing to march from Jamia towards the Rajghat, injuring a student. Two days later, a 25-year-old fired two rounds in air at Shaheen Bagh, where a protest against the new citizenship law has been going on. No one was hurt in the incident. Thousands of people, including women and children, have been protesting since December 15 at Shaheen Bagh and nearby Jamia Millia Islamia against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens. Jamia student Mohd Hafeez Azmi told PTI, "The students at Jamia Millia and women at Shaheen Bagh have sought tight security with armed policemen at Jamia University and Shaheen Bagh. Till now, the disturbing forces were sending men with pistols to shoot and instigate us and disturb protests but on the day of polling they might trigger a bigger attack." The Jamia students stated that since the protest at Shaheen Bagh has been an all-women one, the security at the spot is essential. Areefa Ahmed, a Shaheen Bagh protestor, said, "The pro-CAA citizens have already maligned us, accused us and even abused us for carrying out these protests. Neither that deterred our spirits nor did firing. However, we don't want a miscreant to get inside and create chaos leading to a blame-game later where protestors are accused of disturbing law and order." Delhi Police officials said they have categorised 3,141 'critical booths' and 144 'vulnerable booths' out of the total 13,750 polling booths. Two-hundred polling booths have been categorised as 'critical' and 90 as 'vulnerable' in North Delhi's Okhla (including Jamia Nagar and Seelampur). The officials said 60,000 security personnel, including 38,400 police personnel, 19,000 home guards and the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). In addition to that, the police will use drones and social media monitoring for the polling day vigil. Police have already started motorcycle and foot patrolling in sensitive areas, whereas paramilitary forces have been deployed in sensitive booths across the city. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A Yosemite visitor who took a photo of a couple getting engaged in front of a roaring waterfall more than 10 years ago is hoping to find the pair to share the memory. Kentucky native Melanie Jackson Stinson had been hiking in the park in June 2009 when she came upon a young man down on one knee balancing on a fallen tree trunk. The man popped the question to his girlfriend also on the trunk, she said yes and Stinson snapped the shot. "It was such a nice background, and it was really sweet, and I took a picture," Stinson told MSN Insider. Stinson took the man's email address and said she would send him the image after she downloaded it from her point-and-shoot camera. But when she returned home, she couldn't find the note. Nor could she remember the couple's names. Recently, while sorting through photos on her old laptop in order to clear space, she found the engagement picture and decided she would try to get in touch with the couple and share the photo. She concedes that the couple, assuming they are still together, might not want publicity. "I kind of invaded on someone's private moment, but I'm hoping now that they might be glad I did," Stinson told Insider. RELATED: Photographer captures majestic Yosemite engagement photo but can't find the couple It's not the first time a photographer has turned detective to find a couple who got betrothed in front of their camera at Yosemite. In October 2018, Matthew Dippel shot a candid photo of a man dropping to one knee at the park's scenic Taft Point to ask his sweetheart to marry him. He was unable to talk to them at the time, so he turned to social media in an effort to reach them. Eventually, he was able to make contact with the couple, but they declined to be identified. --- Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate Singapore-based Southeast Asia Disaster Risk Insurance Facility will handle the frameworks administrative aspects, while the Japanese and Singaporean governments will provide support. The World Bank will help calculate payouts, and will utilise satellite photos and other tools to evaluate damage, acting as a failsafe, in case local communication networks go down due to the disaster. The framework targets low-income countries with few options for insurance from the private sector. It may eventually be extended to middle-income countries in the region. Several countries in that category, namely Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia, have signified interest in joining. The insurance will also help foreign businesses that operate in the region, as many have factories and other facilities that could be drastically affected by natural disasters, especially if public infrastructure suffers critical damage. The systems meet international standards introduced by the International Atomic Energy Agency after the Fukushima accident of 2011, a ROSTOM official said Up to 60 percent of the total cost allocated for Egypt's El-Dabaa nuclear power plant is dedicated to the safety systems, Alexander Voronkov, the regional manager of the Russian company ROSTOM, which is in charge of the project, said on Thursday. In an interview with Al-Ahrams business and economy magazine, Voronkov underscored that modern self-regulation and monitoring systems are an integral part of modern nuclear power plants. The system has the ability to automatically correct any error that could be made by human workers. The systems used in the project all meet international standards introduced by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after the Fukushima accident in 2011, and are considered the only guarantee against technical malfunctions or potential accidents," Voronkov said. ROSTOM's regional manager asserted that every dollar invested in constructing nuclear plants based on Russian technical systems is expected to provide revenues of nearly $2 for the local companies, about $1.5 for tax, and some $4 for the national GDP. "The long-term use of nuclear technologies creates opportunities that improve quality of life as these technologies can be used not only in the nuclear energy sector, but also in medicine and agriculture," he added. The plant consists of four state-of-the-art VVER-1,200 nuclear reactors, which have been successfully used in two Russian nuclear power plants, Novovoronezh and Leningradskaya, Voronkov explained. The Russian expert affirmed that the deal signed between Egypt and Russia pays remarkable attention to the involvement of the Egyptian companies in the project, saying the localisation process will be applied gradually through 4 stages. "Under specific tenders, the Egyptian companies will participate in design, the import of equipment, and construction the participation percentage will start with 20 percent and is set to hit 35 percent," he added. "Two Egyptian companies, Arab Contractors and Hassan Allam, won two open tenders last year, and will thereby participate in building a logistic base and conducting vertical planning for the construction site. Another four tenders are scheduled to be organised in the current year," Voronkov explained. In December 2017, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and Russia's President Vladimir Putin signed a deal to build the first-ever Egyptian nuclear plant. Al-Dabaa, which is to be constructed over seven years, is planned to be built in Matrouh governorate on the Mediterranean coast, 250km west of Alexandria. Construction on the plant is expected to start in 2020. The project, which is owned and operated by Egypt's Nuclear Power Plant Authority, will be developed by ROSATOM. Search Keywords: Short link: OTTAWA The federal government is throwing its support behind a project to link Manitoba Hydro to western Nunavut, securing private-sector interest for a transmission line and fibre-optic connection. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/2/2020 (705 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA The federal government is throwing its support behind a project to link Manitoba Hydro to western Nunavut, securing private-sector interest for a transmission line and fibre-optic connection. "It's very important, and certainly leveraging a great, natural asset that Manitoba has," said Pierre Lavallee, the head of the Canada Infrastructure Bank, which announced Wednesday an agreement to support the proposed project with external financing. "That has got benefits for Manitoba Hydro, and the people of Manitoba more generally," Lavallee said. For years, the Inuit of western Nunavut have been pushing to get a 1,200-kilometre transmission line built from Gillam north through Churchill to five hamlets and a handful of mines, alongside a fibre-optic cable. The Kivalliq Inuit Association argues this would wean their part of the territory off shipped-in diesel, as petroleum currently powers all of Nunavut. The fibre-optic link would take households with dial-up speeds to broadband standard. KIA president Kono Tattuinee told reporters that should boost Inuit access to tele-health and online education. "Weve felt isolated," he said. "We are going to get clean energy; we're going to get connected to the rest of Canada." His group has partnered with the American energy company Anbaric, as well as the Ontario Teachers Pension Plan and the local Sakku Investments Group. The CIB played a key role in helping the Inuit find those partners, and structure their financing. "That's the expertise that we're bringing to bear, and that we're injecting into this partnership," Lavallee said. Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Head of the Canada Infrastructure Bank Pierre Lavallee. Anbaric transmission head Clarke Bruno said the project is pegged around $1.6 billion, with a goal of getting electricity and Internet to Rankin Inlet by 2026, followed by communities north of that large hamlet. This marks the CIBs ninth project since the Liberals launched the agency in 2017, and the first with a presence in the Prairies. Manitoba Hydro said its still in talks with the proponent, which Lavallee said would tap into the province's abundance of power. That would help the Crown corporation finance its projects. The Pallister government has argued that its predecessors invested too heavily in Hydro projects, leading to costly projects that require ramping up exports to pay off. The Nunavut project would require upgrading Hydros infrastructure north of Gillam, as the line to Churchill isnt adequate to carry the 230-kilovolt connection. A year ago, Ottawa gave $1.6 million for a feasibility study that is set to wrap up next month. It will likely take a few more years of analysis and approvals before construction would get underway. 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. A 2015 engineering study found the project would eventually pay for itself by reducing energy costs and supporting mines, though Bruno cautioned that the scope of the project has been expanded and is under study. Wednesdays signing of a memorandum of understanding took place at the annual Northern Lights development conference in Ottawa, where escalator decals and large posters were promoting the project. Northern Affairs Minister Dan Vandal was not available for an interview Wednesday, but has called the project a win-win for Manitoba and Nunavut. He told the conference that his top priority is supporting locally led infrastructure projects in the north. "Its not enough for northerners to merely survive; northerners need to thrive," Vandal said. "We need to close these gaps." dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As the nation gets ready for a presidential election, the Democratic Party is in total turmoil. Their 2020 presidential candidates are not exciting voters. There is a very large field of candidates, but none of them seem able to defeat President Donald Trump in the upcoming general election. Among the candidates, no one has the charisma of Bill Clinton or Barack Obama. While each of the major candidates has supporters and is raising millions of dollars, the only candidate to create true devotion is U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), practically an octogenarian. The polls show Sanders leading in Iowa and New Hampshire and he has just overtaken former Vice President Joe Biden in the latest national Democratic presidential nomination poll conducted by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal. He is leading in fundraising and has the type of dedicated volunteers not found in the other Democrat campaigns. In the latest general election poll conducted by Investors Business Daily, Trump leads Sanders by two points. This confirms what most political analysts believe which is that Sanders cannot win a general election against the President. One of the major reasons is that Sanders is an avowed Democratic-Socialist, who has far left positions on healthcare, the economy, climate change and an array of other issues. While Sanders is far to the political left, the United States of America is usually described as a center-right nation. Clearly, Democratic Party leaders understand that Sanders is too liberal to win a general election. This is why he is being discriminated against once again. In 2016, the Democratic National Committee worked with Hillary Clinton to rig the nomination process and prevent Sanders from winning. In this election, the attacks on Sanders are intensifying. U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) claimed that Sanders expressed a view in a private 2018 meeting that a woman could not win the presidency. Even though Sanders denied making the statement, anchors and reporters on CNN and other networks sided with Warren. In recent days, Hillary Clinton jumped into the fray and made a disparaging comment about Sanders that will appear in a new documentary. In reference to Sanders, Clinton claimed that nobody likes him, nobody wants to work with him, he got nothing done. This attack exposes the division between the establishment wing of the Democratic Party and the more progressive wing that is affiliated with Sanders. These groups disagree on policy, but agree on one thing, their hatred of President Donald Trump. Democrats bet everything on the impeachment and conviction of President Trump. Now that it has failed, the American people are likely to blame Democrats for ignoring the problems of the country and focusing on the constant harassing of the President. Certainly, the Presidents core support is not fading away. For the past few months, his support has been steady with an approval rating averaging in the mid to high 40s. The impeachment debacle has not harmed the President politically at all. In fact, his supporters seem more energized than ever. This week, he held a raucous rally in the deep blue state of New Jersey. People started camping out in front of the arena two days before the event. In an arena that held less than 8,000 people, there was an incredible demand for tickets with over 175,000 requests. The Democratic presidential candidates are lucky to draw a few dozen people to their events. Thus, the contrast cannot be starker between the two parties. The last three incumbent Presidents to lose re-election, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and George H. W. Bush, all faced tough economic conditions. Usually, Americans vote their pocketbook, and will re-elect a President who is presiding over good economic times. Currently, the American economy is the envy of the world. With historically low unemployment, positive economic growth and record stock market gains, Americans are enjoying the best economic conditions in 50 years. This week, President Trump signed the new USMCA trade agreement which will spur economic growth even more. He has also made tremendous progress on a new trade deal with China. In response, Democrats are offering impeachment and socialism, not very attractive alternatives in good economic times. The best way for Democrats to win was for President Trump to be convicted and removed from office by the U.S. Senate. They tried and failed to force additional witnesses to be allowed in the impeachment trial. This would have extended the trial, giving Democrats more time to uncover evidence damning to the President. It was the same formula used in the Supreme Court hearings of Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh. Democrats lost those battles, and have failed once again with their latest obsession to remove President Trump from office. Fortunately, while the Democratic Party has lost, the American people have won a major victory. On April Fool's Day, Dustin came home from work dressed in his green flight suit. He told me to sit down. In fact, he brought a kitchen chair into the bathroom for me to use. "Trust me, you'll need to sit for this one," he said. We were living in Pensacola, Fla. Six weeks earlier, Dustin had called me in the middle of the day and said, "The detailer gave me 13 options for my next assignment. He wants us to pick our top six." In the Navy, detailers are the people responsible for choosing a servicemember's new zip code. Yes, I said "choosing." And, yes, even though the detailer gave Dustin "options," the word "options" is smoke and mirrors. What really happens: The detailer puts on a blindfold and throws darts at a map. Also, the detailer probably didn't include me in the conversation. As in, he didn't say, "Go home and talk about this with your wife and pick your top six." "Us" and "our" were Dustin's special touches to soften the blow. In any case, I took the task of choosing our top six seriously. Dustin gave me a folded paper map of the United States, and I promptly marked an enormous X over three-fourths of the country. "I want to go to Virginia," I said. Dustin frowned. "It's not one of the options," he said. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Washington state -- those were some of the options. For the next several weeks, Dustin and I worked on a rough draft of our "top six." This was like choosing a baby name. We each had a finite amount of vetoes as we scratched off and rearranged cities on the list. All the while, of course, I knew the detailer's dart and map would ultimately pick our next place to live. In late March, I was washing our van in the driveway. You'll find this hard to believe, but it was so hot the soap suds sizzled on the concrete. Sweat poured down my cheeks and the back of my neck. Dustin pulled into the driveway and got out of his car like nothing was wrong. When he passed by me, he said casually, "Oh, the detailer added Bangor, Maine, as a fourteenth option." I laughed. "Ha! So that's not going in our top six." Dustin stopped mid-step. "Actually, I added it as number seven." "On a list of six?" I turned around and started cleaning the car again. "Well, we can remove that before you turn in the final draft." Dustin bit his lip. "I kind of turned in the list today." "You what?" What followed was several hours of me crying and Dustin following me through the house pleading, "They'll never sent me to Bangor, Sarah. I put it seventh on a list of six!" He slept on the couch that night. Over and over again, through our closed bedroom door, he said, "Think about it; it's not even in our top six. It's number seven. There's no way." Eventually, I started to believe him. Sending us to our -- excuse me, his -- seventh option would be ridiculous. Why tell a family to choose their top six and then send them to the surprise seventh? Then, on April Fool's Day, Dustin came into the bathroom with a kitchen chair and told me to sit down. "We're moving to Bangor, Maine," he said. He had no explanation for how it could have happened, except that he was likely the only person who even listed Bangor, Maine, and the detailer had to send someone. So what can we learn from this? Detailers don't care. Husbands cannot be trusted with a "rough draft." Detailers don't care. "Options" mean different things to different people. Detailers don't care. The military still hasn't issued wives for a reason. Detailers don't care. April Fool's Day is an awful time to tell your wife "bad" news. Detailers don't care. Never underestimate the military's ability to surprise and confuse. As it turned out, this April Fool's joke was on the detailer and military. Maine has been our best duty station yet. We fell in love with the state almost as quickly as the Department of Defense pulled every active-duty station out of the area. And therefore, I consider our move to Maine as one of the greatest gifts Uncle Sam ever gave me. So, put that in your dart and throw it, Detailer! The U.S. trade deficit fell for the first time in six years in 2019 as President Donald Trump hammered China with import taxes. The Commerce Department said on Feb. 5 that the gap between what the United States sells and what it buys abroad fell 1.7 percent last year to $616.8 billion. U.S. exports fell 0.1 percent to $2.5 trillion. But imports fell more, slipping 0.4 percent to $3.1 trillion. Imports of crude oil plunged 19.3 percent to $126.6 billion. The deficit in the trade of goods with China narrowed last year by 17.6 percent to $345.6 billion. Trump has imposed tariffs on $360 billion worth of Chinese imports in a battle over Beijings aggressive drive to challenge American technological dominance. The worlds two biggest economies reached an interim trade deal last month, and Trump dropped plans to extend the tariffs to another $160 billion in Chinese goods. But goods trade gap with Mexico rose 26.2 percent last year to a record $101.8 billion. The goods deficit with the European Union also hit a record, $177.9 billionup 5.5 percent from 2018. Overall, the United States posted a $866 billion deficit in the trade of goods such as cars and appliances, down from $887.3 billion in 2018. But it ran a $249.2 billion surplus in the trade of services such as tourism and banking, down from $260 billion in 2018. Trump campaigned on a promise to reduce Americas massive and persistent trade deficits, which he sees as a sign of economic weakness and the result of lopsided trade deals that put U.S. exporters at a disadvantage. He has negotiated a new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico that he says will bring more balance to trade in North America. Mainstream economists argue that trade deficits are largely the result of a big economic reality that doesnt respond much to changes in trade policy: Americans spend more than they produce, and imports fill the gap. In December, the overall trade gap widened 11.9 percent to $48.9 billion as exports rose 0.8 percent to $209.6 billion and imports climbed 2.7 percent to $258.5 billion. By Paul Wiseman More than 7,300 people are being quarantined on two cruise ships off Hong Kong and Japan amid concerns passengers and crew were inadvertently exposed to the Wuhan coronavirus by infected passengers. People aboard both ships are being given health screenings, and those with suspicious symptoms are being tested for the virus that has quickly spread throughout mainland China and beyond. Concerns about potential infection among thousands of passengers at sea exposes the vulnerability of cruise ships to viral illnesses, like the coronavirus. The threat also raises questions about the durability of Asia's booming leisure cruise industry, which counts the elderly as among its most loyal customers. Older people are especially susceptible to the Wuhan coronavirus -- China's National Health Commission said Tuesday that 80% of all fatalities in mainland China were over the age of 60. The Diamond Princess is anchored off the coast of Yokohama, near Tokyo, with 1,045 crew and 2,666 passengers -- including 428 Americans -- on board. The second ship, the World Dream, is docked at Hong Kong's Kai Tak Cruise Terminal with more than 3,600 passengers and crew members on board, the city's Department of Health said Wednesday. As of Wednesday evening, 33 people working on board the ship claimed to have developed symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections. Three had fevers and were sent to the hospital 'for isolation and management.' Tests for 32 of the crew members came back negative, and the last one is still pending, authorities said. The coronavirus outbreak has killed more than 560 people and infected over 28,000 -- the vast majority in China. Outside mainland China, it has spread to over 25 countries and territories, and killed two people. Cruise companies worldwide have vowed to enact extra measures to protect their customers from infection, with several barring passengers who have been to mainland China in the past 14 days. Royal Caribbean has canceled eight cruises out of China through early March and will 'deny boarding to any individual who has traveled from, to or through mainland China or Hong Kong in the past 15 days.' It will offer those people full refunds, the company said in a statement. It will also conduct health screenings for all China or Hong Kong passport holders as well as on guests who report feeling unwell or demonstrate any flu-like symptoms. 14 days on board Japan's Health Ministry said that 20 people on board the Diamond Princess had been infected. The cruise operator, Princess Cruises, said the infected passengers include three Americans, two Australians, seven Japanese, one from Taiwan, two Canadians, one New Zealander and three Hong Kong citizens. One Filipino crew member is also ill, the statement said. The rest of the passengers on board will remain under quarantine for at least 14 days, 'as required by the Ministry of Health,' the cruise company's statement added. The cases were detected after medical officials went room-to-room to check each guest's temperature and condition, Japan's health ministry said in a statement. Those who showed symptoms were subject to further testing. More passengers than expected needed to be temporarily quarantined while being tested, the statement said. More than 100 test results are still pending, it added. The company also said the first phase of screening of all the passengers on board has been completed. Spencer Fehrenbacher, a traveler on the ship, told CNN he was tested because he complained about a sore throat and fever last week. He said swabs were taken from the left and right side of his throat. Fehrenbacher, a US citizen living in Tianjin, China, and studying for a master's degree there, said he was in good spirits. He is on the cruise with his roommate from Tianjin and two other friends. 'The Princess crew has been incredible in their support and communication up to this point,' he said. 'They're providing complimentary internet to everyone on board to ensure that everyone is able to communicate with family and friends.' Ships are considered particularly at risk from outbreaks, due to the close-living quarters of passengers and crew. Researchers are still unsure exactly how the coronavirus spreads and how infectious it is. Chinese officials had previously said that patients can be infectious even if they are not presenting symptoms. An early study on asymptomatic transmission of the virus published last week in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine appeared to confirm Chinese health officials' assessment. But public health officials now say the report may be flawed. Interviews with the Chinese patient at the center of the study revealed she may have actually had mild, nonspecific symptoms. An important factor yet to be determined is whether the Wuhan coronavirus spreads via the fecal-oral route, like norovirus and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), according to Dr. John Nicholls, a clinical professor in pathology at the University of Hong Kong. Norovirus is a contagious stomach bug that causes vomiting and diarrhea that is notorious for infecting cruise passengers. Viruses like norovirus spread so quickly on cruises because 'you've got so many people in a crowded area and people are sharing areas, touching places,' Nicholls said. Waiting in Victoria Harbour The World Dream is being held in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour as a precautionary measure, after three former passengers who took a World Dream cruise from January 19 to 24 to Vietnam were found to have tested positive for the coronavirus, the ship's operator, Dream Cruises, said in a statement. The more than 4,000 passengers on that journey disembarked at two stops -- in Nansha in southern China and in Hong Kong -- on January 24 after the cruise to Vietnam, the Hong Kong Department of Health said at a news conference Wednesday. Dream Cruises said it was attempting to contact all the passengers who had been on the January 19 to 24 cruise 'to inform them of the situation and to remind them to seek professional medical assistance at their local Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or health authorities should any symptoms arise or if they have any questions.' The crew from that voyage, however, stayed on and the World Dream then picked up a different set of passengers before arriving in Hong Kong Wednesday morning, Hong Kong authorities said. The current group of passengers got on for another itinerary, but the exact stops are unclear. Dream Cruises and its parent company, Genting Hong Kong, did not reply to CNN's phone calls and emails seeking clarification. There are currently more than 1,800 passengers and 1,800 crew on board, Hong Kong authorities said. Hong Kong's Health Department said Wednesday some 30 members of the crew reported feeling sick, but all are in stable condition. Three who reported fevers are in isolation in a Hong Kong hospital for further testing. A person of interest in William Tyrrell's disappearance frequently talked to himself inside his own home and was caught on police surveillance saying to his dead wife "make sure you don't tell anyone love, they're right after me", a court has been told. Paul Savage, 75, was for a time suspected of being involved in the abduction of William, 3, who vanished while visiting his foster-grandmother's home at Kendall on the NSW Mid North Coast on September 12, 2014. Paul Savage outside Taree Courthouse after giving evidence at the inquest into William Tyrrell's disappearance. Credit: Janie Barrett Mr Savage was investigated by former homicide detective Gary Jubelin, who is facing a hearing in Downing Centre Local Court accused of illegally recording four conversations with him. Mr Jubelin has pleaded not guilty and says the recordings were made for a legitimate operational purpose. On Thursday, Detective Sergeant Laura Beacroft who was on the strike force investigating William's disappearance for more than two years said Mr Savage was at one stage an active person of interest in the case but now, to her knowledge, he is not. Health Minister Victor Costache and British ambassador in Bucharest Andrew Noble met on Thursday to discuss the latest legislative changes in healthcare, the development of primary medicine, as well as changes in the quarterly contribution for medicine suppliers, the Health Ministry said in a release. According to the cited source, the British ambassador expressed support for the reform of Romania's medical sector and for the efforts of the current team of the Health Ministry to improve patients' access to "correct, efficient and timely" treatments, in order to contribute to "improving the health status of the population, by the model of the other EU states".The two officials also set a future calendar of meetings, the release informs. AGERPRES File photo Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will undertake a four-day state visit to India and hold talks on a number of key areas including trade, defence and maritime security cooperation, his office announced here on Thursday. The visit, beginning February 7, will be the Rajapaksa senior's first overseas visit since his brother Gotabaya was elected President in November. He will have meetings with President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. "The scheduled meetings will build on the strong relationship that already exists between the two countries," Mahinda's office said in a statement. Mahinda hopes to finalise the implementation of the USD 450 million line of credit pledged by Prime Minister Modi to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa during his visit to New Delhi in November, according to the statement. "With the aim of enhancing engagement in sub-regional maritime security cooperation, the two delegations are expected to discuss key areas under the defence and maritime security initiatives that include the Sri Lanka-India annual defence dialogue and the trilateral maritime security cooperation with India and the Maldives," it said. Rajapaksa also intends to visit the religious sites of Varanasi, Sarnath, Bodhgaya and Tirupathi, it said. Two Tamil ministers in the Rajapaksa government -- Douglas Devananda from the north and Armugam Thondaman from the central tea plantation districts -- are expected to be in the 10-member delegation, the statement added. Lesotho's first lady was released on bail on Wednesday after she was detained overnight and charged with murder over the killing of her husband's estranged wife. Maesaiah Thabane, 42, had been placed in custody after turning herself in on Tuesday, ending a weeks-long disappearance. She was charged after police quizzed her on the brutal murder of Prime Minister Thomas Thabane's wife two days before his inauguration in June 2017. The couple had been embroiled in bitter divorce proceedings when Lipolelo Thabane was gunned down in front of her home in the capital Maseru. Thomas Thabane agreed to step down last month after police linked his mobile number to communication records from the day of the crime. He has not yet given a timeline for his resignation. His wife made a first appearance before Lesotho's magistrate court on Wednesday after spending the night in jail. The magistrate court freed her on a 1,000 maloti (61 euros) bail. In court, Maesaiah Thabane stood in a traditional pink dress before a roomful of opponents and sympathisers, listening as the magistrate read out her rights. Her husband did not attend the hearing. The first lady is suspected of orchestrating the shooting. Police have also charged her for the attempted murder of Lipolelo Thabane's friend Thato Sibolla, who was wounded at the scene. She has yet to comment on the allegations. The murder of the 48-year old future first lady shocked the tiny mountainous kingdom of Lesotho, which is entirely surrounded by South Africa. Senior members of the ruling All Basotho Convention (ABC) have accused the prime minister of hampering investigations into the killing and pressured him to resign. He showed up for questioning last month -- shortly after his wife was summoned by the police and went into hiding. str-sch/sn/ri WINNIPEG Mayor Brian Bowman is off to Ottawa for todays meeting of the Big City Mayors Caucus. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 6/2/2020 (704 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. WINNIPEG Mayor Brian Bowman is off to Ottawa for todays meeting of the Big City Mayors Caucus. "Cities across Canada need help from other levels of government on public transit, affordable housing and climate action and these will be areas of focus during this weeks meetings," said Bowman in a press release. The group, comprised of mayors from major cities represented by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, meets two or three times a year. Mayors attending this meeting are due to receive updates on issues including the opioid crisis, mental health and addictions, infrastructure and international trade, said the press release. Bowman will also pay a visit to Gatineau, Que., for a meeting of the Urban Project, a caucus sub-group "that leverages expertise amongst government, private sector and academia to tackle the big challenges facing growing cities." This week, the group will discuss road safety, active transportation and public transit. When President Vladimir Putin dropped his bombshell announcement calling for changing Russia's constitution, the immediate focus was on what it meant for his future. Several amendments he submitted to parliament days after his January 15 national speech called for rearranging Russia's power structure. They also give him options should he seek to retain power after 2024, when he is barred from running for reelection. Those proposals were quickly taken up by a 75-member commission, which was established to draft amendments, and given preliminary approval by the State Duma, the lower house of parliament. But other proposals have floated through Kremlin halls and elsewhere in Moscow. More than 300, in fact, some of which will presumably make it into the biggest update yet of the post-Soviet constitution that Russia adopted in 1993. Not all of them are known to the public, and some are unusual from the standpoint of constitutional law. Depending on how many are approved, it could result in a constitution that is enormously complex, addressing issues as wide-ranging as who can marry whom and how to address Moscow's role in the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. A crucial second vote in the Duma which is scheduled for February 11 but may be postponed for weeks should provide more clarity as to what is actually under final consideration. Here's a look at some of the other proposals that have bubbled to the surface since the first vote in the Duma. Victorious Power The Soviet role in the defeat of Nazi Germany has long been a hallowed moment in Russian history; no other country suffered the human or industrial loss that the Soviet Union did. But reverence for what's called the Great Patriotic War has taken on increasingly political hues in the eight years since Putin returned to the presidency and particularly since 2014, when Russia seized Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. The Culture Ministry has funded lavish war epics airbrushing parts of wartime history. The Kremlin has bristled at any suggestion that Josef Stalin's Soviet Union shares equal blame with Adolf Hitler's Germany for the outbreak of the war. Russian officials have also tried to cast the notorious Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact -- which dismantled Poland and carved up Eastern Europe between Berlin and Moscow -- as a triumph of Soviet diplomacy. And Moscow has also sought to counter criticism of the decades of postwar Soviet police-state dominance that succeeded Nazi control over Eastern Europe. Aleksei Pushkov, a member of the upper house of parliament and a vocal critic of the West, has proposed rewriting the constitution's preamble to include the words "victorious power." "I would note in one way or another our victory in World War II, our status as a victorious power, because this defines our existence: both domestic and international," Pushkov said. It's not clear what writing those words into the preamble would in fact do from a legal standpoint. But proposals that would criminalize the denial of the Soviet role in the war have been circulating for more than a decade. In 2014, the country's Criminal Code was even amended to include this clause. The "victorious power" proposal also fits into the tone the Kremlin is setting for the 75th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. Russian officials are planning elaborate ceremonies for the May 9 events in Moscow. Supreme Leader Snarky Star Wars references aside, the proposal to include the phrase "supreme leader" in the constitution could hint at a shift in the fulcrum of Russian political power away from the presidency -- right around the time Putin has to prepare to leave that post. Pavel Krasheninnikov, chairman of the Duma committee that oversees the drafting of legislation, told the official government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta that the scores of proposals received included one to create an official post of "supreme leader." It's not without precedent. During the chaotic period after the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution and the Russian Civil War, Aleksandr Kolchak, a Russian naval admiral, briefly held the title of "supreme leader" as he led an anti-Bolshevik government in Siberia. After being captured and turned over to Bolshevik forces, he was executed in 1920. Despite holding near absolute power at the peak of his leadership of the Soviet Union, Stalin was never granted the title of supreme leader, though he was called generalissimus. In 2014, following Russia's takeover of Crimea, flamboyant nationalist lawmaker Vladimir Zhirinovsky called for giving Putin the title supreme leader. The idea went nowhere. Writing the title "supreme leader" into the constitution would lay the groundwork for a position whose authority exceeds that of the president. And that could dovetail with the ongoing discussions about what role Putin may have at the conclusion of his current six-year term in 2024. This time, the origin of the proposal has not been revealed. Asked if Putin had an opinion on it, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to say, choosing to cast it as one of many ideas being offered up for discussion. God (And The Constitution) The Russian Orthodox Church has made a resounding comeback after decades of neglect and persecution under Soviet atheism. Putin has embraced the church, in part because its willingness to provide moral or spiritual justification for social policies. On February 1, the head of the church, Patriarch Kirill, called for writing the word "God" into the constitution. "Let us pray, let us work hard so that our founding law includes mention of God," he said. "Because most Russian citizens believe in God." "I am not talking only about the Orthodox [Christians]. I am also talking about Muslims and many, many others. If the words 'God's storied native land' can be in the national anthem, why can this not be said in our constitution?" he said. While a growing number of Russians consider themselves Orthodox Christians, and church attendance is increasing though still relatively small this change would likely cause alarm among citizens who fear that the Russian Orthodox Church is gaining too much clout. The existing constitution says outright that Russia is a secular state and that "no religion may be established as a state or obligatory one." So, including an explicit mention of "God" would be a major change. Putin, who has pointed to the Russian church as a source of moral guidance for Russians and is shown on state TV at church on major holidays like Christmas and Easter, made no mention of the issue in his speech. Konstantin Remchukov, a journalist and commentator on the Moscow radio station Ekho Moskvy, offered what seemed to be a tongue-in-cheek counterproposal. "The [constitution] should include everything that has a place in our lives," he said. "If we have a place for both God and the Devil, then we should write: there is a God and Devil." Indexed Pensions Shortly after Putin was elected to his current term in 2018, parliament, with the Kremlin's blessing, pushed through substantive reforms to the pension system. The system retains many of the Soviet-era elements, including a relatively low working age for qualifying, something that experts had warned was a coming fiscal train wreck. The reforms sparked nationwide protests, and eroded Putin's popularity. Putin seems to have gotten the hint. In his state-of-the-nation speech, Putin proposed writing into the constitution the "regular indexation of pensions" and ensuring the national minimum wage always exceeds the poverty line. To be sure, both of these things are more or less already codified in existing Russian law, so including them in the constitution has been seen as more of a political display. And the current constitution already includes explicit mention of some social welfare policy, including a guaranteed minimum wage, state support for families, for the disabled, for the elderly, and other things. From a fiscal perspective, most experts consider it unwise, in any constitution anywhere, to set in stone a policy that could cause budget problems in the event of recession or something similar. Traditional Marriage Russian gays and lesbians have had faced growing problems, particularly since Putin signed a law in 2013 that was officially called "For The Purpose Of Protecting Children From Information Advocating For A Denial Of Traditional Family Values" -- known informally as the "gay propaganda law." The Center for Independent Social Research, a St. Petersburg-based organization, said that violent crimes targeting gays, lesbians, bisexual, transgender had increased markedly. Putin himself has insisted Russia tolerates gays and lesbians, but he has also supported measures that would ban adoptions by gay and lesbian couples. Since 2013, conservative lawmakers, with vocal support from the Russian Orthodox Church, have vocally criticized gay and lesbian groups, and tried to push similar restrictive measures. Same-sex marriage is not legal under Russian law. Pyotr Tolstoi, a conservative Duma lawmaker who recently became a vice-president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) , called for adding a stipulation to the constitution that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. "We can and should address the fact that family and marriage are relations between a man and a woman," Tolstoi said. "If it is fixed at the constitutional level, this will remove a number of questions that they are trying to ask us in the European Union." That's a reference to frequent criticism voiced in several European capitals about Russian discrimination against gays and lesbians. Tolstoi wasn't the first lawmaker to float the idea: Andrei Klishas, a member of the upper chamber, endorsed the idea a few days earlier, as did Konstantin Malofeyev, a billionaire businessman known for his advocacy of conservative and Orthodox ideals. Still, it appears unlikely that the "marriage-is-between-a-man-and-a-woman" proposal will make into a final amendment. "I don't think it's necessary," Krasheninnikov said on February 4. Oil, Science, Jobs, And More Other proposals that have been put forth include: By Matt Platkin What happened last week in Washington was reckless and wrong. But this is not just a problem for Washington. It matters in our backyard, too. As special counsel to Senator Cory Booker during the impeachment trial, I witnessed firsthand a fundamental breakdown in our democratic norms. For the first time in our nations history, senators sitting for an impeachment trial refused to hear evidence from witnesses with direct knowledge of the presidents conduct. This was the 16th impeachment trial held in the United States Senate, and the third involving a president. But it was the first trial in which no witnesses were heard. Republican senators ignored precedent, ignored the publics calls for a fair trial, and even ignored a request from the presidents National Security Advisor, John Bolton, to testify about the presidents direct role in the Ukraine scheme. During the trial, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff warned that a vote to acquit the president without a fair trial will just further a cynicism that is corrosive to this institution and to our democracy. His warning was not hyperbole. Having fled tyranny in England, the Founders were principally concerned with protecting our fledgling government from the corrosive impact of corruption. Impeachment was created to be the last resort to protect the American public from a corrupt regime. As it was for the Founders, fighting corruption is the most pressing issue of our time. Transparency International recently rated America as more corrupt than the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay. Studies have found that corruption is the most important issue to American voters more salient than healthcare, the economy, or national security. It is no surprise that the overwhelming majority of Americans 75% wanted the Senate to call witnesses in the impeachment trial. President Trumps attempt to strong-arm a foreign nation into interfering in our elections for his own benefit is only the latest instance in which the President put his own interests ahead of ours. But corruption is not a problem unique to President Trump. By denying America a fair trial, the Republicans in the Senate confirmed the cynicism that has seeped into our nations psyche, as Americans no longer trust that our government works for them. While we may not be able to change events in Washington, we can control what happens at home. New Jersey, like Washington, is no stranger to corruption. We have had our share of unflattering headlines. But unlike what we just saw in the Senate, there is a growing movement in our state demanding transparency and accountability in our state and local government. We must heed this movements call. To that end, Gov. Phil Murphy has made tackling corruption a central focus of his administration. He has appointed an independent Attorney General and a Comptroller with mandates to root out corruption. And he has fought for tax fairness so that the wealthiest among us pay their fair share. In New Jersey, we can reject Washingtons cynicism and lead the fight to restore confidence in our democracy. We can expand access to the ballot through commonsense voting rights reforms. We can enact ethics reforms to increase transparency in our statehouse. And we can strengthen our campaign finance laws to ensure that our elected officials work for you, and not the wealthy and well-connected. While President Trump was on trial over the past few weeks, so, too, were our democratic values. Institutions and norms that have been built up over centuries can be eviscerated in a moments notice if we let them. We must stand up and fight for our democracy. As Congressman Schiff said so poignantly: shes worth it. Matt Platkin is chief counsel to Gov. Phil Murphy. He served as special counsel to Senator Cory Booker during the impeachment proceedings of President Trump. 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. The Civil Aviation Administration of Vietnam announced that it has asked its relevant authorities to grant licenses to a number of flights to bring Vietnamese citizens in China and Chinese citizens in Vietnam back to their respective countries. The granting of the licenses is to implement the directive by the Prime Minister at a meeting on February 4. For the flights to bring the Chinese in Vietnam back to China, those on the return leg will be empty. Meanwhile, those to bring the Vietnamese in China back to Vietnam will land at one of the three designated airports, with the first priority being the Van Don in Quang Ninh province, followed by the Can Tho in the Mekong Delta city of the same name and the Phu Cat in the central province of Binh Dinh. Besides, the administration will also grant licenses to a number of special all-cargo flights between Vietnam and China. All the planes, equipment, passengers and staff are subject to sterilisation steps against the acute respiratory disease caused by the novel corona virus./. On Wednesday, that is, February 5, 2020, student unions like Telugu Nadu Students Federation (TNSF) and Dalit Hakkula Vedika (DHV) staged a protest in front of Acharya Nagarjuna University's (ANU) campus and were demanding the resignation of ANU's Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor P Rajasekhar. The students alleged that the VC was supporting the YSRCP government's decision of decentralisation of administration via making three capitals. The police took the agitators into custody and shifted them to Pedakakani police station. The students staged protested outside while the university officials were conducting a seminar on 'Three Capitals of Andhra Pradesh for Decentralisation of Development and Administration' in the campus. State president of TNSF N Bramham Chowdary, Chairperson of DHV A Rajesh and others raised slogans against the VC. Bramham alleged that VC Rajasekhar tarnished the image of the university by conducting a seminar on decentralisation while the students were expressing displeasure in the campus. "The VC is working as a party member by participating in the YSR Congress Party programmes which is severely objectionable. He deployed police in order to create fear among students.," he said. Rajesh alleged that the police arrested agitators while the students were protesting in a democratic way demanding continuation of capital at Amaravati. He lamented that it was unfortunate that the VC was trying to impose police rule in the campus. Mala Madiga Students Union State president Rayapudi Kiran, Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi leaders M Ramabramham, M Saratchandra, Hemanth, Ramana, P Nani, Lokesh and others participated. Babatunde Fashola Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has said he is in support of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olus decision to ban motorcycles and tricycles in Lagos state. Fashola, who is a two-time Governor of the state, insisted that okada was not part of the plan for the state. While speaking at a public lecture organised by the United Action for Change (UAC) in Lagos on Thursday, he also urged Lagos residents to back Sanwo-Olu. If you care about security, you should back your governor on okada ban. As a centre of excellence, okada cannot be part of the plan. Ive always held this position. Motorcycle has always been a conduit pipe for the opioid crisis among youths. We must act to eliminate anonymity. I was robbed in my home, in fact on my bed in 1999. Organised crime is dynamic, criminals are aware that people dont keep money at home again, now they diversified into kidnapping people for ransom. We must have data to identify people. You have SIM cards on your phone. Its called subscriber identity module which can be tracked everywhere in the world. The attorney-general of each state and legislators should act. In those days, we used to have licence for bicycles, Fashola said. 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 U.S team. All times below are in Beijing time. 9:30 pm: Britain confirms third case of the coronavirus A third person in the U.K. has tested positive for the coronavirus, England's chief medical officer (CMO) said on Thursday. The patient, who did not acquire the deadly pneumonia-like virus in the U.K., is being transferred to a specialist National Health Service (NHS) center, Chris Whitty of CMO England said in a statement. "The NHS is well prepared to manage these cases and we are now working quickly to identify any contacts the patient has had," he added. Tweet 1 9:20 pm: Vietnam confirms two new cases of the coronavirus, bringing total to 12 Vietnam confirmed two new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, bringing the country's total to 12. The two new cases are both Vietnamese nationals from the northern province of Vinh Phuc, the health ministry said in a statement. 9:10 pm: Russia reportedly rejects OPEC's proposal to impose further output cuts Russia is thought to be standing in the way of further OPEC-led production cuts, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday, citing unnamed cartel delegates. The Saudi-led producer group has been unable to reach a consensus over its response to China's coronavirus outbreak. It comes after delegates representing OPEC and non-OPEC allies, sometimes referred to as OPEC+, met for three days to debate whether further output cuts would be necessary in order to offset falling demand for crude. Earlier in the day, an OPEC+ technical panel recommended a provisional cut of 600,000 barrels per day, Reuters reported, citing two sources. International benchmark Brent crude traded at $55.07 on Thursday, down around 0.4%, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) stood at $50.85, around 0.2% higher. 7:30 pm: Tesla temporarily closes China stores amid coronavirus fears Tesla has temporarily closed its stores in mainland China as of Sunday, Feb. 2, according to an online post from a company sales employee on that date. The move comes as more than half of China has shut down in an effort to limit the spread of a new coronavirus that has killed more than 500 people in the country. The electric automaker's China communications office did not respond to a CNBC request for comment during business hours on Thursday Beijing time. 7:20 pm: Organizers of Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games set up task force to tackle coronavirus outbreak The organizers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have set up a task force in an attempt to counter intensifying fears about the coronavirus outbreak. Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto told reporters gathered at a press briefing on Thursday that he had chaired the newly-created Novel Coronavirus Countermeasures Task Force, Reuters reported. The group held its first meeting on Tuesday, Muto said, and a second briefing could take place as soon as Friday. The Olympic Games are set to take place from July 24 to August 9, with the Paralympic Games scheduled to run from August 25 through to September 6. 6:50 pm: Air France and KLM airlines extend a ban on flights to China Air France announced on Thursday it has extended a suspension of flights to and from mainland China for much of March, citing worries about the coronavirus outbreak. Dutch carrier KLM also confirmed it would extend a ban on flights to China as a result of the virus outbreak. In an online statement, KLM said it would prolong the suspension of its flights to Beijing and Shanghai "up to and including 15 March." Earlier in the day, (see 12:55 p.m. update) Japan Airlines and ANA both announced reduced international flights to China. 6:10 pm: US urges WHO to 'engage directly' with Taiwan, prompting China to hit back The U.S. pushed for the World Health Organization (WHO) to "engage directly" with Taiwan in the fight against the coronavirus on Thursday, prompting a swift rebuke from Beijing's ambassador to the United Nations health agency. Andrew Bremberg, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said it is a "technical imperative that WHO present visible public health data on Taiwan as an affected area and engage directly with Taiwan public health authorities on actions," Reuters reported. In response, China's delegation expressed "strong dissatisfaction" that some countries had raised the issue of Taiwan's participation at WHO. A woman wearing a protective mask prays at the Lungshan temple during the fourth day of the Lunar New year of the Rat in Taipei in January 28, 2020. Sam Yeh | AFP | Getty Images Taiwan is not a member of the WHO due to China's objections. Beijing considers self-governing Taiwan a wayward province to be brought under its control. Separately, Taiwan's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Joanne Ou, slammed China and the WHO for providing inaccurate information about the number of coronavirus cases in Taiwan. The WHO reported Tuesday that the island had 13 cases, when there were only 10 at that time. Taiwan has temporarily suspended entry for all Chinese citizens who live in mainland China. 5:20 pm: Philippine central bank cuts rates, warns coronavirus could have an 'adverse impact' on economic activity The Philippine central bank said Thursday that it had lowered the rate on its overnight reverse repurchase facility by 25 basis points to 3.75%, adding it was prepared to trim rates further if necessary to protect economic growth. The interest rates on the overnight lending and deposit facilities were reduced to 4.25% and 3.25%, respectively, the central bank said. In a statement published Thursday, the central bank said the spread of the coronavirus "could have an adverse impact on economic activity and market sentiment in the coming months." 4:08 pm: China confirms 19 foreign nationals have been infected China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that data from a "competent authority" confirmed, as of noon Thursday, 19 foreign nationals have contracted the new coronavirus. Two of them had been cured and discharged from the hospital while 17 are undergoing treatment in isolation, the ministry said. "China attaches high importance to addressing the concerns and demands of foreign nationals in China, especially those in Wuhan, Hubei Province," spokeswoman Hua Chunying said, according to an official translation. She added that along with local governments, the ministry holds outbreak-related briefings for foreign embassies and consulates. Hua did not specify the nationalities of the infected foreign nationals. Cheng 3:03 pm: Nintendo apologizes, says coronavirus outbreak may affect some game consoles Japanese gamemaker Nintendo apologized on Thursday and said it expects an inevitable delay in production and shipment of some of its products. Those include the Nintendo Switch hybrid gaming console and the Joy-Con controllers that are manufactured in China for the Japanese market. Nintendo said in its earnings report last month that by the end of 2019, it sold more than 52 million units of the Switch console since it was first released three years ago. Character of Nintendo's franchise Mario is seen at a promotional booth for the video game "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020" during the Tokyo Game Show in Makuhari, Chiba Prefecture on September 12, 2019. Charly Triballeau | AFP | Getty Images 2:09 pm: Taiwan bans international cruise ships from calling at its ports Taiwan's health ministry said Thursday it will prohibit all international cruise ships from its ports. Earlier in the day, Japan said a Taiwanese person onboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise in Yokohama was one of ten new people diagnosed with the virus. Taiwan said Thursday there are currently 13 confirmed cases on the island. 1:40 pm: China may delay its annual meeting of parliament due to the coronavirus China is considering delaying the annual meeting of the National People's Congress, made up of around 3,000 delegates, in March, Reuters reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. The meeting that is scheduled for Mar. 5 is used to pass laws and unveil China's economic targets for the year. 12:55 pm: Japan Airlines, ANA to reduce international flights to China Japan Airlines said it would suspend some flights to Beijing and Shanghai routes starting Thursday until Feb. 16, 2020. From Feb. 17, more flights will be suspended until Mar. 28 (Mar. 29 for certain flights). Meanwhile, flight frequency on routes from Tokyo to Guangzhou and Dalian would be reduced. The carrier said it had seen a decrease in travel demand as more countries are implementing travel restrictions on people who have visited China during specific periods. Competitor ANA also said it will temporarily decrease or suspend operations to and from selected cities starting Feb. 10, including Beijing and Shanghai. Flights to and from Tokyo's Narita International Airport to Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus was first detected, were suspended on Jan. 23. ANA's reductions and suspensions are slated to continue until Mar. 28. 11:54 am: Oil prices jump more than 1% during Asian hours U.S. crude prices were up around 2.01% to $51.77 a barrel while global benchmark Brent rose 1.54% to $56.13. Overnight, energy was the top-performing sector on the S&P 500. Oil prices have struggled in recent weeks, with U.S. crude down more than 16% for the year and Brent also lower by almost 16%. The worry from market participants is that the coronavirus outbreak could significantly curb demand for oil, especially from China. Some experts said that could lead to OPEC and its allies cutting production to bolster prices. A technical committee comprising OPEC members and its partners extended a two-day meeting this week into Thursday to find a consensus on whether the oil producers need to make emergency production cuts. OPEC and its allies, which include Russia, are currently holding back 1.8 million barrels a day, with Saudi Arabia reducing its output the most. 10:35 am: Japan reveals more information about infected people on cruise ship Japan's health ministry disclosed in a press briefing more details about the ten additional people it said tested positive for the virus on board a cruise ship. According to NBC News, Japan said the newly infected people came from: Japan: 4 (one woman in her 60s, two women in their 70s, one man in his 70s) U.S.: 2 (one woman in her 60s, another woman in her 70s) Canada: 2 (one woman in her 60s, a man in his 70s) New Zealand: 1 (a man in his 50s) Taiwan: 1 (a woman in her 70s) The ministry declined to comment on their conditions and said that they would like to wait for the diagnosis from the medical facilities. 10:21 am: Australia PM: Economic impact is going to be 'very significant' Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Sydney's 2GB radio on Thursday that he expects the economic impact from the new coronavirus to be "very significant," owing to the country's increased exposure to China, in terms of the number of Chinese visitors and students it receives. China is Australia's largest trading partner. "We can't pretend there's no impact to a global virus like this, and we can't pretend that we can make it like the day it was before the virus struck," Morrison said, pointing out in previous instances of viral outbreaks, tourism in Australia dented in one quarter before bouncing back in the next. As of Thursday morning, Australia's health ministry said there have been 14 confirmed cases in the country. 9:45 am: Beijing city bans group meals The city of Beijing said on Wednesday that caterers and individuals are not allowed to organize group gatherings, and that previous arrangement should be canceled or postponed. Rural collectives are also prohibited from organizing banquets, whether for festivals, birthdays or school promotions. As of Sunday night, Beijing had more than 200 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, with more than half due to group gatherings, according to state media. Hotels and catering services contributed 11.11 billion yuan ($1.6 billion) to Beijing's GDP in the first quarter of 2019, or 20% of the total for the year, according to official data accessed through Wind Information. Cheng Chinese men wear protective masks as they walk in a nearly empty shopping street on February 2, 2020 in Beijing, China. Kevin Frayer | Getty Images 9:32 am: Qualcomm sees 'significant uncertainty' around the impact of coronavirus on supply chain Chipmaker Qualcomm said the virus outbreak, which put most of China under an extended shutdown, could potentially affect the mobile phone industry. "There is significant uncertainty around the impact from the coronavirus on handset demand and supply chain," CFO Akash Palkhiwala told investors on the company's latest earnings call. Qualcomm stock dropped about 4% in extended trading after it beat analysts' estimates on the top and bottom lines, reporting first-quarter earnings of 99 cents a share on revenue of $5.06 billion. 8:51 am: Millions of chickens in China could be wiped out Hundreds of millions of chickens in China are at risk of being wiped out as the shutdowns have hit supply chains. Transport restrictions are preventing much-needed animal feed such as soybean meal from getting delivered to poultry farms, according to analysts and Chinese state media. There are over 300 million chickens in the virus epicenter of Hubei alone putting farmers in a dire situation, a local poultry association said. Tan 8:12 am: 10 more coronavirus cases aboard quarantined cruise ship in Japan Japan's health ministry said ten more people on board the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship have tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 20. The ship is docked at Yokohama port. Princess Cruises, the company that operates the ship, previously said it had placed 3,700 passengers and crew under mandatory quarantine for two weeks after 10 people on board tested positive for the infection. A previous guest, who did not have any symptoms while onboard, tested positive for the virus on Saturday, six days after leaving the cruise ship. 7:33 am: China reports 563 total deaths, and 28,018 confirmed cases China's National Health Commission said that as of Wednesday night, a total of 28,018 cases have been confirmed and 563 people have died in the country. There were 3,694 new confirmed cases. There were 73 additional deaths, with most of them in Hubei province. 7:04 am: Hubei reports an additional 70 deaths China's Hubei province reported an additional 70 deaths and 2,987 new confirmed cases related to the fast-spreading coronavirus as of the end of Wednesday. The Hubei Provincial Health Committee said that 549 people have died in the region and a total of 19,665 cases have been confirmed thus far. The province, where the pneumonia-like virus was first detected, has accounted for most of the deaths related to the new coronavirus. The view of the Wuhan Keting in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province. Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province started converting three existing venues, including a gymnasium and an exhibition center, into hospitals to receive patients infected with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), the headquarters for the epidemic control said late Monday. Getty Images All times below are in Eastern time. 5:10 pm: Yum China temporarily closes 30% of China stores, could see losses Yum China Holdings, which operates Pizza Hut and KFC in China, has temporarily closed more than 30% of its stores there. Same-store sales for the locations that stayed open plunged by up to 50% since the Chinese New Year holiday, the company said, adding that it can't say when its locations may reopen or whether it will need to close more. "Looking into 2020, the coronavirus outbreak is a major public health situation in China," CEO Joey Wat said in a statement, adding that the safety of employees and customers was a priority. The outbreak will have a "material impact" on its 2020 sales and profit possibly even see a quarterly or annual loss, depending on the course of the outbreak, the company said. Rogers 4:07 pm: New York City tests 5 people for potential coronavirus A man alleged to have punched his wife in the face, attempted to stuff a blanket in her mouth and then forced her to sign letters allowing him to take his son to a different country, has been denied bail. The man was brought before Bandon District Court for an alleged breach of a safety order earlier today, during which it was also alleged that he had threatened to kill his wife. Judge James McNulty heard that the man had previously told the court he was leaving Ireland and that he had done so, but had returned late last week. Garda John O'Shea of Bantry Garda Station said he arrested the man at 11.30am today for the alleged breach of the safety order. When the charge was put to the man he replied: "I will speak to my solicitor." Garda O'Shea said the alleged incident at his wife's property was understood to have occurred after 10am today. "He had just left [the house]. I saw him just outside," Garda O'Shea said. The woman was upset and also in front of the house and was on the phone when gardai arrived, he said. Garda O'Shea said he was objecting to the man's release on bail as there had been two previous alleged breaches of a safety order, both of which were before the court, and secondly he alleged there had been an assault on the woman during today's incident. In what he said was a violent attack, Garda O'Shea told the judge that she had been hit in the face and the man had forced a blanket over her head and then tried to force it into her mouth. She had then been dragged upstairs where she was forced to sign two letters, one consenting to the man taking their son out of the country and the other allowing him to stay in the house with their son. Garda O'Shea also alleged the man had told the woman that when the gardai were finished with him he would her kill and then go to prison. The court heard gardai had taken possession of the two letters and that the man had previously left the jurisdiction but had returned last Friday. On his return he had attended at a garda station and had been advised not to return to the house. Giving evidence, the man claimed that he had left the country but had then returned as, he claimed, the woman was "beating up" his son. He claimed he also missed the child. It's understood the family had previously only been in Ireland a short time. Judge McNulty refused bail for the man and remanded him in custody to appear in court again next week in Bantry District Court. Aboriginal drivers are issued with more on-the-spot fines than other West Australians in a "clearly disturbing" and "uncomfortable" trend that has indigenous advocates concerned racism is a factor. According to a WA Police Force report, Aboriginal drivers received 3.2 times more fines from being pulled over than non-indigenous people but when infringements were issued by traffic camera statistics were almost even. The report has been labelled "disturbing". Credit:Louie Douvis An Aboriginal person incurs 19.2 times more penalties for seatbelt offences than non-indigenous drivers and accumulates 6.2 times more unpaid fines. The report, from February last year, found a "notable ethnic disparity in police-initiated traffic enforcement" but there was no conclusive evidence of deliberate bias. GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Three children killed in a Wednesday house fire with their mother were current or former Grand Rapids Public Schools students, prompting the district to call in its crisis response team. Counselors will be available for students and staff. The names of the victims of the overnight fire in the 2900 block of Dawes Avenue SE have not been released. The three boys were ages 15, 14, and 10 and their mother was 35. The fire was reported around 12:30 a.m. One of the boys was a student at Sherwood Park Global Studies Academy, one was a former Sherwood Park student, and the other was a former C.A. Frost Environmental Science Academy, according to the Wednesday, Feb. 5 letters school principals sent home to parents. "Our crisis team has been made available for staff and students who may need extra support,'' according to Sherwood Park Principal Sherrie Ross and C.A. Frost Principal Brad Lundvick. Firefighters carried all four family members unconscious and not breathing out of the house at 2902 Dawes Ave. SE. The brothers were revived by firefighters but eventually died at the hospital. The mother died at the scene. Her husband was at work at the time. Related: Neighbor tried desperately to save mother and her kids in fatal fire When an unexpected death occurs, there are always several emotions and feelings we can expect to see in our students. They include anger, guilt, confusion, fear, blame, disbelief, and even indifference. These are normal reactions, and students may experience several of them over the weeks to come. We need to give them permission to feel whatever emotion they have and support them as they go through the grieving process," according to the GRPS parent letter. "Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this tragedy.'' It was not immediately known what school or schools the two boys that attended GRPS last semester were now attending. Read more on MLive: The Cottage Bar, one of Grand Rapids oldest restaurants, is being sold Schedule unveiled to get municipal water to PFAS-contaminated areas Economic development group unveils job creation, investment goals for West Michigan February 5, 2020 Release Defense Secretary Esper Meets With Israeli Minister of Defense Bennett Department of Defense Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Jonathan R. Hoffman provided the following readout: Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper met with Israeli Minister of Defense Naftali Bennett at the Pentagon on February 4. The visit marked the first meeting between the two leaders, and focused on reaffirming the longstanding defense relationship between the United States and Israel. The two discussed a broad range of defense-related issues to include regional threats, shared interests, and the importance of maintaining a strong military-to-military partnership moving forward. Minister Bennett thanked Secretary Esper for his continued support for Israel's inherent right to self-defense and the United States reiterated a strong commitment towards ensuring Israel's Qualitative Military Edge. https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/2074604/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has arrived in Russias Black Sea resort of Sochi, state news agency BelTA reported, for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin that are expected to focus on disagreements over tariffs for Russian oil. The talks, set for February 7, come at a crucial time in relations between the two neighbors. Lukashenka has accused Moscow of pressuring his country to merge with Russia, something the Belarusian leader has vowed to not let happen while Washington is seeking closer ties with Minsk. Ahead of his meeting with Putin, Lukashenka complained that Russia last month supplied only a quarter of the oil it promised Belarus. We were given firm assurances," Lukashenka said at a cabinet meeting on February 6. This year, Russia promised on the government level to ship 24 million tons of oil to Belarus -- 2 million tons a month. In January, 500,000 tons were supplied. Belarusian Prime Minister Syarhey Rumas said the country had lost $300 million in 2019 after Russia cut energy subsidies and raised prices. Lukashenka instructed the cabinet to create mechanisms to compensate for the losses." Russia's dominance over Belarus, which is heavily reliant on Moscow for cheap oil and billions in annual subsidies to prop up its Soviet-era economy, has exacerbated tensions between the two and sparked protests on the streets of Minsk. The two countries signed an agreement in 1999 to form a unified state, but little progress has since been made. Meetings between Lukashenka and Putin last year failed to bring the two sides together as the Belarusian president noted he was merely seeking "equal" terms. Belarus was hit by rare public demonstrations in December, with protesters expressing anger over the perceived secrecy of the talks and objecting to closer ties to Russia. The Kremlin, in defending higher energy prices and lower subsidies for Belarus, argues that Minsk should accept greater economic integration if it wants to continue receiving energy resources at Russian domestic prices. During a visit to Minsk on February 1, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said U.S. "energy producers stand ready to deliver 100 percent of the oil you need at competitive prices." Belarus was a Soviet republic until the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991. With reporting by BelTA, AP, and RFE/RLs Belarus Service [February 06, 2020] Prodapt Announces Key Leadership Changes for the Next Phase of its Growth NEW YORK, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Prodapt, a leading consulting & managed services provider to the digital service provider (DSP) industry, announced changes to its executive leadership. Rajesh Rathod, currently serving as Chief Operating Officer (COO), has been promoted to Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Prodapt. In this role, he will assist the CEO & the Board in building strategic growth drivers focused on next-generation technology and capability development. As CTO, Rajesh will focus on scaling Prodapt labs, building next-gen technology offerings and IP frameworks to boost future growth, in addition to driving the M&A technology strategy. He will also oversee the learning & development function to prepare Prodaptians for the next phase of growth. "Rajesh has built a robust technology delivery platform for Prodapt and has worked closely with the Board over the last ten years growing Prodapt. In his role as CTO, Prodapt will build IP and next-generation technology capabilities that position DSPs for the future," said Vedant Jhaver, CEO, Prodapt. The company also announced the appointment of Sriram Natarajanas Executive Vice President & Head of Client Delivery. In this role, Sriram will lead global delivery & operations, which was managed by Rajesh Rathod thus far. Sriram comes with 25+ years of experience managing client delivery across multiple business units & service lines. Before Prodapt, he was a business unit head at Cognizant, prior to which he led delivery for several verticals at Infosys. He was instrumental in the conversion and execution of large deals worth upwards of $1 Billion in TCV, including the largest bespoke business transformation project at Infosys. "We're thrilled to have Sriram at Prodapt, his depth of experience in executing large transformation programs makes him a terrific asset," said Harsha Kumar, President, Prodapt. "Sriram's passion for people development will strengthen our delivery leadership and propel us towards being the preferred partner for DSPs worldwide." About Prodapt: www.prodapt.com Prodapt is a consulting & managed services provider singularly focused on the telecom/DSP (digital service provider) industry. It helps clients transform their IT, products, operations, and networks to meet their strategic objectives. Prodapt provides end-to-end IT/software architecture consulting, application development, systems integration, testing, maintenance & support. Prodapt provides insights and thought leadership-led transformation services leveraging next-gen technologies such as RPA (robotic process automation), AI/ML (artificial intelligence/machine learning), SDN-NFV (software-defined networking/network function virtualization) and next-gen OSS/BSS systems. It's business consulting team provides Six Sigma process improvement and automation/RPA consulting services to telco operations teams. Prodapt has specific frameworks and solution accelerators that accelerate time-to-benefit for clients. Headquartered in Chennai, Prodapt has delivery centers in Americas, Europe, India, and Africa and is an ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013, SSAE18 / ISAE, and GDPR Compliant organization. Prodapt is part of a 120-year-old business conglomerate, The Jhaver Group, which employs over 16,500 people across 64+ global locations. Media Contact: Krishna Kumar N [email protected] +91-95000-86008 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/682943/Prodapt_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] BRASILIA, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday he is prepared to eliminate federal fuel taxes if state governors eliminate the 'ICMS' state tax on gasoline and diesel. ICMS is a tax on sales and services and applies to the movement of goods, transportation, communication services and other supplies. Earlier this week, Bolsonaro said the government would send a bill to Congress to change the ICMS tax on fuel, saying recent price cuts at oil refineries by Petrobras had not been reflected at the pumps. "I'll eliminate it federally if they do the same with the ICMS. That's the challenge," Bolsonaro told reporters in Brasilia, responding to them reminding him that, according to state governors, most fuel tax is at the federal level. Bolsonaro this week said state governments were to blame for fuel prices at the pump not coming down. He said in a post on Twitter that "governors charge an average ICMS rate of 30% on the average price of gas at the pumps" to boost state revenues. This week, 23 state governors out of 27 signed a letter rejecting Bolsonaro's bill proposal, saying the issue needs to be dealt with in a "responsible" manner and in the appropriate forums, and noting that consumption taxes were not set at the federal level. (Reporting by Lisandra Paraguassu Writing by Jamie McGeever; Editing by Bernadette Baum) People Onboard Quarantined Cruise Ship Test Positive For Coronavirus By RFE/RL February 05, 2020 At least 10 people on board a cruise ship docked in the Japanese port of Yokohama have tested positive for China's coronavirus, Japan's authorities say. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said on February 5 that all of the 3,700 people onboard the Diamond Princess will be quarantined on the vessel for up to 14 days. Japan's Foreign Ministry has informed Russia's Embassy in Tokyo that 24 Russian nationals were onboard, Russian news agencies reported. A man on the ship told RFE/RL that there were also at least 20 Ukrainian citizens. The number of infected on the Diamond Princess could rise as checks are ongoing. Some 3,600 people on a second cruise ship docked in Hong Kong are also being tested for the coronavirus, as Chinese health authorities are stepping up efforts to control the outbreak. The virus has killed nearly 500 people in mainland China, with more than 24,300 confirmed cases. Millions of Chinese have been ordered to not leave their homes and much of Hubei Province, home to more than 50 million people, is subject to quarantine measures. Some two dozen countries have reported more than 175 confirmed cases of the pathogen and there are cases of human transmission between people who have not visited China recently. The outbreak has prompted several governments, including Russia and the United States, to institute travel restrictions and airlines to suspend flights to and from China. On February 5, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said the government was banning transit flights from China to keep foreigners from landing in Russia. Moscow had already restricted direct flights to China and has said it may deport foreigners who test positive for coronavirus. The Russian Embassy in Bejing on February 5 reported that 128 Russian nationals have been evacuated from Hubei. Uzbekistan's Health Ministry said that it has repatriated 84 Uzbek nationals from Wuhan. The Uzbek Health Ministry said in a statement on February 5 that the majority of those repatriated were students studying in China, and that "none of them is suspected of having the new coronavirus." The epidemic, which has been designated a global health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO), is believed to have emerged in December at a wildlife market in the Hubei provincial capital of Wuhan. "While 99 percent of cases are in China, in the rest of the world we only have 176 cases," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on February 4. "That doesn't mean that it won't get worse. But for sure we have a window of opportunity to act." China's leadership on February 3 admitted "shortcomings" in the country's response to the virus outbreak. The elite Politburo Standing Committee called for market supervision to be strengthened and said a "crack down" on illegal wildlife markets was necessary. With reporting by AFP, dpa, TASS, Reuters, Interfax, and RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/people-onboard- quarantined-cruise-ship-test-positive-for -coronavirus/30418960.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 Four Palestinians have been killed and over a dozen Israeli soldiers wounded during a 24-hour surge in violence just days after Donald Trump revealed his divisive peace plan for the region. The Israeli parliament called a special session for Monday to discuss the recent wave of attacks while the countrys army said it was deploying additional combat troops in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian presidency meanwhile blamed the environment [of] tension on a dangerous escalation by Israel as well as Mr Trumps deal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to find those responsible for the violence, adding terrorism will not defeat us, we will win. Last Tuesday, flanked by Mr Netanyahu, Mr Trump unveiled his deal of the century that analysts have called the most pro-Israel solution to the decades-old conflict to come out of the White House. The 181-page proposal allows Israel to annex swathes of territory in the occupied West Bank as well as Jerusalem, land which the Palestinian had hoped would make their future state. It was roundly rejected by the Palestinian leadership and has triggered tensions across the region. On Thursday Israeli police said they shot dead an Arab citizen of Israel who opened fire at forces near Lions Gate Jerusalem's Old City, lightly wounding an officer. Earlier in the day also in Jerusalem, a Palestinian motorist slammed his car into a group of Israeli soldiers, wounding 12 including one severely, before fleeing the scene, according to the Israeli military. Meanwhile the occupied West Bank, an assailant opened fire on an Israeli soldier lightly injuring him near Qalqilya. In Jenin, a Palestinian police officer Tarek Badwan, 25, died after being critically injured by Israeli army gunfire, the Palestinian ministry of health reported. Also on Thursday, Israeli soldiers shot dead a 19-year-old during a protest against the Israeli demolition of the home of a Palestinian who was involved in the 2018 killing of a Jewish settler. An Israeli military spokesman said the young man was throwing rocks. Just the day before, Israeli troops killed a 17-year-old Palestinian also in the West Bank, saying he had thrown a fire-bomb at them during a separate violent rally against Trump's plan. He was the first fatality since the plan was announced. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas blamed the Israelis and the deal for the troubles saying they were both trying to impose fake facts on the ground." Mr Netanyahu vowed to punish any perpetrators behind the attacks, adding it was " just a matter of time" until they find the person responsible for the car-ramming incident. Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, the military spokesman, said Israeli forces are "not trying to escalate the situation while understanding the complexity and sensitivity of the situation." He stopped short of linking the violence to Trump's plan. The long-awaited proposal, largely authored by Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, has been met with mounting criticism with many expressing fears it gives Israel a green-light to begin annexing Palestinian land even before it is signed. A manhunt was underway for the driver in the car-ramming, who fled the scene in central west Jerusalem after the attack, which took place shortly before 2:00 am (Photo by MUSA AL SHAER/AFP via Getty Images) Israel has backed the plan, alongside some European states such as Hungary and the UK. However, the European Union has rejected parts of it alongside the Arab League and the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, including Saudi Arabia. Tensions have soared after Mr Netanyahu promised to speed ahead with annexing the strategic Jordan Valley. However, facing some pressure from the US administration, the Israeli premier appears to be holding off until after March elections. It has also triggered a flare-up of hostilities between Israel and the blockaded Gaza enclave. Over the last few days, Palestinian militants have launched mortar fire, rockets and balloon-borne explosives into Israel, causing panic but no serious casualties. Israel has carried out nightly strikes against sites belonging to Gaza's ruling Hamas Islamists. On Thursday Hamas welcomed the violence in the West Bank. "The spreading resistance and clashes by our people in the West Bank and their resistance in the heart of occupied Jerusalem is an active response against the destructive Trump deal," Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said. WASHINGTON The Trump administration on Thursday finalized plans to allow mining and energy drilling on nearly a million acres of land in southern Utah that had once been protected as part of a major national monument. The Interior Departments release of a formal land-use blueprint for the approximately 861,974 acres of land will allow oil, gas and coal companies to complete the legal process for leasing mines and wells on land that had once been part of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, established by President Bill Clinton. In December 2017, President Trump cut the monuments acreage about in half, aiming to open the newly unprotected land for drilling and development. At the same time, he removed about a million acres from another Utah monument, Bears Ears. Together, the moves were the largest rollback of public lands protection in United States history. From February 5 to March 1, the State Museum of Oriental Art will host the exhibition "Echo of Soviet Azerbaijan. Carpet. Embroidery. Poster." Several decades ago, they were an effective tool for political propaganda and now perceived as a distant past. Ideology is seen as a sign of a bygone era, embodied in traditional crafts. "Each of these exhibits recalls the past to the older generation, but for those who are young, this is a story about the country and its people, their work and live. The most important thing is that the exhibition is life-affirming," the museums director generals adviser Tatyana Metaksa said. Pieces of art, made in the 1920-1970s by Azerkhalchas masters were brought to Moscow from Baku. The production association was created in 1927 and continued the tradition of the Tabriz palace weavers by attracting professional artists to the carpet manufacturing process. Propaganda images were created based on centuries-old traditions of classical Azerbaijani carpets with their characteristic ornaments and color. (See: Shirin Melikova: "Throughout our people's history, Azerbaijani carpet has been mirror of its era) The entire collection of propaganda textiles, carpets, embroideries and sketches from the State Museum of Oriental Art is exhibited for the first time. The carpets were made by students of the applied arts department of the Art College, opened in 1923. Craftswomen were taught not only the art of wielding a needle but also drawing, painting and the history of ornament. The carpets reflect the signs of that time: the leader of the proletariat ... ... pioneers ... ... and women who first looked at the world with an open face. In the East, removing the veil is a very important issue that was actively promoted precisely in the 1920s. One may say, burning burqas and veils was a kind of performance. People gathered in the squares, women threw their veils into the fire, thus acquiring a new status , Maria Filatova, curator of the exhibition, said. Posters from the Mardjani Foundation collection, made in Baku in the 1920-1930s, organically fit into the exposition. The posters we have provided are precisely revolutionary. They call for joining the Red Army or following the Soviet regime. But the language of art is oriental, it has many quite traditional features borrowed from the satirical magazine Molla Nasruddin, the president of the Marjani Foundation, Rustam Suleymanov, explained. The same name catalog was prepared for the exhibition opening. The vernissage was opened by the director-general of the State Museum of Oriental Art, Alexander Belov. It is amazing how political and ideological motives are reflected in folk art. We tried to show this in the exhibition. I hope you see that most of these things are real masterpieces, he said. The cultural attache of the Azerbaijani Embassy in Moscow Nigar Akhundova highly appreciated the presented project: "I am very grateful that the organizers of the exhibition arranged such a magnificent feast for our eyes, soul, emotions and mood. All of this is present here." New Delhi: Passengers who were evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, arrive at the IGI airport in New Delhi on Feb 2, 2020. National carrier Air India's second special flight to Wuhan, landed at th Image Source: IANS News WUHAN, Feb. 5, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Patients infected with the novel coronavirus are seen at a makeshift hospital converted from an exhibition center in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 5, 2020. The first makeshift hospital converted from an e Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Feb 6 : Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation on Thursday announced that it will immediately commit up to $100 million for the global response to the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The funding will help strengthen detection, isolation and treatment efforts; protect at-risk populations; and develop vaccines, treatments and diagnostics. "Multilateral organisations, national governments, the private sector and philanthropies must work together to slow the pace of the outbreak, help countries protect their most vulnerable citizens and accelerate the development of the tools to bring this epidemic under control," said Mark Suzman, CEO, Gates Foundation. "Our hope is that these resources will help catalyze a rapid and effective international response. This response should be guided by science, not fear, and it should build on the steps that the World Health Organisation has taken to date," Suzman added. The foundation will immediately commit up to $20 million to accelerate the detection, isolation and treatment of people diagnosed with the virus with the goal of interrupting transmission and containing the disease. This funding will be directed to multilateral organisations such as WHO and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Support will also be directed to national public health authorities in China and other countries that have reported confirmed cases. The foundation will provide up to $20 million to help public health authorities in these regions strengthen their emergency operations centers, implement effective disease surveillance efforts and improve their capacity to safely isolate and treat confirmed cases. The foundation will commit up to $60 million to accelerate the discovery, development and testing of vaccines, treatments and diagnostics for 2019-nCoV. If 2019-nCoV transmission continues for several months or more, safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics will be needed to help sustain long-term approaches to disease control and to prevent severe disease and deaths. As of Thursday, the death toll in China has increased to 563, while the number of confirmed cases also rose to 28,018. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) By Abdul Kerimkhanov Nagorno-Karabakhs Azerbaijani Community has called on the regions Armenian community to vote in the upcoming snap parliamentary election to be held in Azerbaijan on February 9. "As an Azerbaijani community of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region, we appeal to the Armenian voters who belong to the occupied Khankendi and Shusha, Aghdam, Khojaly and Khojavand constituencies and urge them to choose among the candidates registered in the relevant constituencies in the snap elections to Parliament and to express their views on the candidates for the parliament," the community said in the statement made on February 6. The community reminded that under the Azerbaijani conditions, all conditions have been provided for all citizens residing in Azerbaijan to express their will freely in the elections. The Community said that each candidate carries out his / her campaign using the equal opportunities created in accordance with the electoral legislation of Azerbaijan. Every candidate's campaign on social media can be watched from anywhere in the world. "Unfortunately, Armenia's military aggression against our country, the occupation of our lands, and the ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis have also deprived Armenian citizens of the right to vote in these elections directly," the statement reads. It was also added that as a result of the military aggression of Armenia, the territory of seven constituencies of Azerbaijan is completely occupied and part of the territory of three constituencies is under occupation. Note that 2431 people have appealed to participate in the parliamentary elections to be held on 9 February 2020 in Azerbaijan. As of February 6, number of candidates is 1321. Baku strengthens the role of Karabakhs Azerbaijani community and wants to ensure equal access to negotiations of the Armenian and Azerbaijani communities in the region. The Azerbaijani community, which as a result of ethnic cleansing was forced to leave their homes, has the legal right to participate in determining the future legal status of Nagorno-Karabakh. Without the recognition of this right, a comprehensive and fair settlement of the conflict cannot be achieved. Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijans breakaway region which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. More than 20,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and around one million were displaced as a result of the large-scale hostilities. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. To this day, Armenia has not implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding regions. Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Live Oak's IKEA store is turning a year old this month and is celebrating with a first-ever Fiesta medal, giveaways and events. The highly anticipated San Antonio-area IKEA location opened on Feb. 13, 2019, with massive crowds and long lines. Fans of the furniture store were clearly excited they would no longer have to make a road trip to Round Rock the next closest location to shop and eat Swedish meatballs. IKEA is marking the milestone on Feb. 15 and 16. Additionally, IKEA will embrace the culture surrounding its 49th location by releasing a Fiesta medal during the celebration. The first 500 IKEA Family members in line each day will be the first to receive the medal. Guests must show their IKEA Family Card to get the commemorative trinket. Joining the store's "Family" club is free, and profiles can be created online. These members will also get a "mystery envelope." Enclosed in the package will be a coupon for a redeemable prize, which could be one of IKEA's FRAKTA bags, a signature POANG chair, a $250 gift card or more. IKEA Family members can start lining up as early as 6 a.m. each day. Workshops, games and other events will be hosted in the massive store on both days. RELATED: H-E-B is awarding a lifetime of free groceries There's also a kids-only birthday party in the store's "Smaland" from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 13. Parents must register their small shoppers by Feb. 12. Spots are limited. "We want to celebrate our birthday with out future customers," the store says online. Those who miss the 500-person cutoff or can't make the event will be able to purchase the inaugural medal at the Fiesta Store for $10 starting Feb. 17. All of the proceeds will benefit Child Advocates of San Antonio. Relive the excitement of the grand opening in the gallery above. Madalyn Mendoza 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 | mmendoza@mysa.com | @MaddySkye Beijing, Feb 6 : After report of ZTE cancelling a press conference at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2020 in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, the Chinese tech major clarified that it will still have booth space at the show and that its participation in the event will go "as planned". "With the theme of 'Towards 5G Business Success', ZTE will participate in MWC20 Barcelona as planned, showcasing comprehensive #5G end-to-end solutions and a wide variety of 5G devices," ZTE said in a statement late on Wednesday. ZTE's booth at MWC Barcelona is in 3F30, Hall 3, FIRA GRAN VIA, the company said. Earlier, The Verge reported that ZTE was cancelling its press conference at MWC partly due to practical issues like travel and visa delays and also because "(we) tend to be an overly courteous company, and simply don't want to make people uncomfortable". Asserting that it has always put the health of its employees and customers on priority, ZTE said that it has adopted a series of strong prevention, control and safeguard measures as per the guidelines of the Chinese health department and WHO. "ZTE will ensure that all employees from mainland China, including non-Chinese nationals, have no symptoms two weeks before departure and arrival in the MWC. Additionally, all employees are required to undergo two weeks of self-isolation to ensure the health and safety of all our staff," the company said. The company also committed that it will ensure that all senior company executives participating in the high-level meetings will self-isolate themselves in Europe for at least two weeks prior to the MWC. "ZTE will ensure that the exhibition stand and equipment are disinfected daily," the company said, adding that it will ensure that its booth presentation staff are all from countries outside China, and mainly from Europe. Meanwhile, LG Electronics has confirmed its decision to withdraw from the world's largest mobile trade show in Barcelona this month. The death toll due to the fast-spreading novel coronavirus in China has so far increased to 563, authorities said on Thursday, while the number of confirmed cases rose to 28,018. Defence minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that New Delhi looked forward to deepening cooperation with African nations, especially in combating terrorism, extremism, and for strengthening maritime security. Addressing the first India- Africa Defence Ministers Conclave held as part of the DefExpo- 2020 in Lucknow, Singh said India was interested in taking its defence engagements with African countries to the next level. He recalled how this years African Union theme was in sync with Prime Minister Narendra Modis SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision for the India Pacific region. Spurred by Prime Ministers SAGAR vision, India in recent years has enhanced maritime cooperation with the Indian Ocean littoral states in Africa. Indian Navy has been actively engaged in anti-piracy operations, he said. Singhs African counterparts also thanked India for taking the initiative in organising the first Indo-African Defence Ministers Conclave and both India and African nations decided to hold such interactions frequently. A vaping additive linked to lung injuries and death would be banned in Michigan under legislation passed in the Michigan House Thursday. Lawmakers approved three bills that would ban the processing and sale of any marijuana or tobacco products that contains vitamin E acetate, making it a misdemeanor punishable by fines of up to $10,000. The legislation passed with a wide majority, clearing the House chamber in 102-2 votes. House Bills 5159, 5160 and 5161 are now before the Senate for further review. The legislation would need to pass the Senate and be signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to become law. Sponsored by state Reps. Abdullah Hammoud, D-Dearborn, Frank Liberati, D-Allen Park, and Joseph Bellino, R-Monroe, the legislation would build off of recent actions taken by state officials to recall marijuana products containing the substance. On the House floor, Hammoud said the bills were vital to ensure deaths related to the substance will not happen again," noting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently found vitamin E acetate can interfere with normal lung functioning when inhaled. Late last year, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency halted marijuana vaping sales until they could be tested for the presence of vitamin E acetate. In December, the state recalled thousands of marijuana vaping products that tested positive for the additive. Vitamin E acetate, which can be purchased legally online, is safely consumed in food and applied to the skin in cosmetic products. When it comes to vaping, Vitamin E acetate can be used as a filler added to THC vaping cartridges - its a cheaper substance that dilutes potency. During committee testimony, Hammoud and Marijuana Regulatory Agency officials recommended expanding the bill to include other unapproved additives in the ban, noting it could help protect against any future public health crises as the industry continues to evolve. Committee members ultimately opted to stick with the legislations original focus on vitamin E acetate. One of the two no votes on the bills came from Rep. Beau LaFave, R-Iron Mountain. He said he supported the concept but remains concerned about the ongoing effort from Gov. Gretchen Whitmers administration to ban flavored vaping products, which he said should not be conflated with the health risks posed by vaping products containing vitamin E acetate. There have been 65 reported cases of vaping-related lung injury in Michigan, three of which have resulted in death, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Nationally, there have been 2,602 cases and 57 deaths, per the Centers for Disease Control. MDHHS recommends people not use THC vaping products, particularly from informal sources like friends or online sellers. Related: Michigan recalls 9,380 marijuana vaping products over vitamin E acetate concerns Michigan bills banning vitamin E acetate in vapes clear House committee Michigan House bills would ban additive linked to vaping-related injuries in tobacco, marijuana products Michigan flavored vape van takes effect today: 6 things to know Video: Michigan governor on banning flavored e-cigarettes Vape advocates say Michigans e-cigarette ban will hurt adults trying to quit tobacco Trump considers ending sale of flavored e-cigarettes days after Michigans ban Why is vaping so bad for teenagers? Vaping pervasive among Michigan high schoolers, particularly in rural areas New Covid curbs in UP: Government and private employees to work at 50 per cent capacity Night curfew in Andhra Pradesh: Know timings, guidelines, rules; What is allowed, what is not allowed Contacts of confirmed cases don't need to get tested unless identified as high risk: Govt Chinese bride's kin misses wedding in Bengal due to Coronavirus travel ban India oi-Mousumi Dash Kolkata, Feb 06: The outbreak of the noble coronavirus keeps away the family of a bride, her kins were unable to travel, the Chinese woman married an Indian man in East Midnapore, West Bengal on Wednesday. Reportedly, due to outbreak of the coronavirus the bride's family who reside in China were unable to come to India hence the couple, who met seven years ago during a business deal in China, got married in a ceremony at the groom's home in Bengal. The newly wedded bride Jiaqi, told news agency ANI, "My family is happy and well but they couldn't attend my wedding due to the virus scare. Flights between India and China have been suspended." Coronavirus: US temporarily suspend flights to Hong Kong She also added that they will go back to China but do not know when. When everything is done, they will go back to China and complete the registry and other rituals of the marriage. The groom, Pintu said they will have a ceremony in China too. He added, "We wanted to get married here. We will have another function later in China." Turkey says it expects Moscow to put an end to the Syrian government forces' attacks in the northwestern province of Idlib immediately. Speaking on February 6 in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey needs to work with Russia to resolve problems in Idlib, the last rebel stronghold in Syria. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to push back Syrian government forces in Idlib unless they withdraw from the region by the end of the month, after an attack by Syrian forces killed eight Turkish military personnel there on February 3. Russia, along with Iran, has provided crucial support for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government in a civil war that has killed more than 400,000 people and displaced millions since it began with a crackdown on anti-government protesters in March 2011. Russia and Ankara, which supports rebel groups in Syria, have agreed to work toward de-escalating the fighting in Idlib and creating a demilitarized zone. Cavusoglu said that a Russian delegation would travel to Turkey to discuss Idlib and that Erdogan may meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin if necessary. Meanwhile, a war monitor said that Syrian government forces battling rebels in Idlib were hit by Turkish artillery fire as they tried to seize the town of Saraqeb. The previous day, government forces backed by air strikes had encircled and entered Saraqeb, 15 kilometers east of Idlib city, according to the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Russia's Foreign Ministry on February 6 said that Russian and Turkish "military specialists" were killed by militants who staged more than 1,000 attacks in the last two weeks of January in the de-escalation zone in Idlib. "There has recently been a dangerous increase in tension and a surge of violence in Idlib," according to the ministry, which said Russia continues to closely coordinate with Turkey and Iran on the ground in Syria. On February 5 in Washington, James Jeffrey, the U.S. special envoy for Syria, said the United States was "very, very worried" about the Russia-backed assault on Idlib. "This is a dangerous conflict. It needs to be brought to an end. Russia needs to change its policies," Jeffrey said. Also, Syrian state media reported on February 6 that Israeli warplanes had fired missiles at targets near Syria's capital, Damascus. However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian Army positions and those of Iran-backed militias were hit near Damascus and in the southern province of Daraa, killing 23 fighters. Israel, which has acknowledged carrying out hundreds of strikes in Syria in recent years to stop Iranian "military entrenchment," did not comment on the missile attack in Damascus. With reporting by Reuters, Interfax, the BBC, and AFP ATHENS, Greece, Feb. 06, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TOP Ships Inc. (the Company), an international owner and operator of modern, fuel efficient "ECO" tanker vessels, announced today that it has entered into agreements to sell, to unaffiliated third parties, two MR2 Product Tankers, the M/T Stena Weco Elegance and the M/T Eco Palm Desert. The sales are subject to customary closing conditions and are anticipated to be concluded within the first quarter of 2020. About TOP Ships Inc. TOP Ships Inc. is an international ship-owning company. For more information about TOP Ships Inc., visit its website: www.topships.org. Forward-Looking Statements Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words believe, anticipate, intends, estimate, forecast, project, plan, potential, may, should, expect pending and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, our management's examination of historical operating trends, data contained in our records and other data available from third parties. Although we believe that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond our control, we cannot assure you that we will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. Contacts: Alexandros Tsirikos Chief Financial Officer TOP Ships Inc. Tel: +30 210 812 8107 Email: atsirikos@topships.org Iranian President's Chief-of-Staff Mahmoud Vaezi on Wednesday said the administration has been informed of the death toll of the November protests but the announcement has to be made by the Coroner's Office and the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces. Speaking at the sideline of a cabinet meeting Vaezi said the administration has the information but is not responsible for its announcement. "It has been decided that the Coroners office and Joint Staff [of the Armed Forces] make thorough investigations and announce [the death toll] in a way that it is completely clear for the people," Vaezi said. "The numbers that are stated are not correct in any way. At the moment, the Coroners Office and the Joint Staff are making thorough investigations because precise figures should be announced to the public. For instance, how many of the [killed protesters] were ordinary people or how many men and women," the President's Chief-of-Staff said. More than two months after the crackdown on protests that engulfed Iran in mid-November, Iranian authorities have not yet announced the death toll and there is a huge variance in the unofficial reports of the media and human rights organizations. They have so far refused to announce the number of detainees. Radio Farda estimates more than 8,000 citizens were arrested. A Reuters report on December 23, which cited three unnamed sources close to Khamenei's office, said the Supreme Leader had personally authorized the use of force to quell the unrest. According to the report, security forces and police killed about 1,500 protesters including 400 women and at least 17 teenagers. Iranian officials have unanimously refuted this figure, saying the death toll was much lower. The U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook on December 5 stated that Iranian government forces killed more than 1,000 protesters but other officials have on several occasions cited the Reuters' figure in their comments. Kalemeh website, close to Mir-Hossein Mousavi, a reformist leader under house arrest since 2011, in a report on January 2 said based on "classified bulletins" 631 protesters were killed in the protests. Human rights groups have compiled an online list of nearly 550 confirmed victims so far. VALPARAISO A Valparaiso native was chosen as the 2019 District 10 Indiana Conservation Officer of the Year by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Indiana Conservation Officer Tyler Brock, who serves Porter County, has been a conservation officer for eight years. On top of patrolling Porter County parks, Brock is a public information officer, field training officer and remotely-operated vehicle operator. Brock, who now lives in Kouts, said one of his favorite things about his work is educating hunters and fishers on safe and lawful practices. Growing up in Valparaiso, Brock said he spent a lot of time outdoors. I like meeting different people out in the field, Brock said. I grew up hunting and fishing and I also had an interest in law enforcement growing up. This spring Brock will have a chance at receiving the Pitzer Award, which is given to the top conservation officer in Indiana among all district award winners. District 10 includes LaPorte, Jasper, Lake, Newton, Porter, Pulaski and Starke counties. Beijing, Feb 6 : China's civil aviation regulator on Thursday urged all the country's airlines to maintain their international routes amid the coronavirus outbreak, that has killed 563 people in the Asian country so far. Many Chinese airlines were trying their best to find ways to overcome difficulties, Xinhua news agency quoted Yu Biao, an official with the Civil Aviation Administration of China, as saying in response to reports that many foreign airlines have suspended their flights to China. Yu took Air China as an example, noting that the carrier was applying to open international multi-stop flights to pick up more passengers, which could be a good choice at such a hard time. The administration also worked with the Foreign Ministry to send out a notice to the civil aviation regulators of over 70 countries to introduce China's prevention and control measures on outbound flights, customs and quarantine, Yu said. "We hope this could eliminate unnecessary worries of those countries," Yu added. Yu said the authorities in some countries and regions have expressed their trust that the measures are safe and effective and responded positively to the resumption of flights. The development comes after more than 30 global airlines have halted flights to and from mainland China as coronavirus infections continue to increase at an accelerated rate. Italy suspended all flights from China, including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, until April 28, said the South China Morning Post in a report. AirAsia Philippines said it was no longer offering flights to Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Macau and that the measure would be in place until March 1. Air India will suspend its New Delhi-Hong Kong service from Saturday after it earlier halted flights to Shanghai. On Thursday, Japan's ANA announced that it was suspending services on some China and Hong Kong routes due to the coronavirus. But the World Health Organization has said that such limits on trade and travel were not needed to control the spread of the virus. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) A fire prompted an evacuation at a North Portland motel early Thursday, firefighters say. Firefighters arrived at the Oregon Motel to find one room on fire and another beginning to burn, according to Portland Fire & Rescue. The blaze got into part of the buildings attic, according to the agency, but firefighters kept the fire from destroying the structure. No one was hurt, but 11 were displaced. Investigators are working to determine the cause. Authorities were dispatched to the motel on North Lombard Avenue about 4:40 a.m. -- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015 Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. Chinese tourists in Australia are scrambling to extend their visas to avoid heading home where coronavirus has killed 563 people. Migration agents say they have been inundated with inquiries from holidaymakers desperate to stay Down Under. Tourist visas usually last three months but can be extended for up to a year upon request. Chinese tourists in Australia are scrambling to extend their visas to avoid heading home where coronavirus has killed around 563 people Legal experts say Chinese visitors will have a good case to extend their visas if travel restrictions due to the coronavirus outbreak make their journeys home difficult. Jennifer Zhu, a Sydney migration lawyer, said she has been working overtime to deal with a high volume of applications. 'A lot of them are very urgent due to the remaining days on their visas,' she told the ABC. 'Some of them might only have a few more days before they must leave and they need professional advice instantly.' Jinfeng Wang and Xikun Zhang, who left China to visit their daughter in Melbourne before the outbreak, are among those who want to extend their tourist visas. 'I'm really worried. If we return to China there is a high risk of getting infected,' Ms Wang told the ABC. It comes as Virgin Australia cancels flights from Sydney to Hong Kong from 2 March. The company the move to save money because not enough customers were booking flights as coronavirus spreads around the world. The airline decided to axe some international routes and cut 750 jobs after it lost $350million in 2019. In November it announced its service from Melbourne to Hong Kong will stop on 11 February - and it also slashed several domestic routes. Patients infected by the coronavirus rest at a makeshift hospital at Wuhan International Convention and Exhibition Center in Wuhan City Virgin Australia Group Chief Commercial Officer John MacLeod said the spread of the coronavirus and recent protests played a part in the decision to also cancel the Sydney route. He said in a statement: 'Hong Kong has continued to be a challenging market. 'With a decline in demand following ongoing civil unrest, and growing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak in the wider region, we have made the decision to withdraw services. 'While the decision to withdraw from the Hong Kong market has been a difficult one, it demonstrates our strong focus on driving greater financial discipline through our network. 'Current circumstances demonstrate that Hong Kong is no longer a commercially viable route for Virgin Australia to continue operating, however international tourism remains an important part of our strategy through our other international routes and partner airlines.' Last month several airlines cancelled flights in and out of China as the coronavirus spread from Wuhan - but only Virgin has cancelled flights to Hong Kong. DFAT's advice for Australians travelling to Hong Kong is to 'exercise a high degree of caution'. All passengers entering or connecting in the city will have their temperatures checked and will not be allowed to board if they have a fever. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners L.P. BIP is set to release fourth-quarter and 2019 results on Feb 10, before the opening bell. The partnership has trailing four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 2.41%, on average. Lets see how things are placed ahead of the upcoming quarterly announcement. Factors to Consider Brookfield Infrastructure is making substantial investment to expand its business. Continuous acquisitions and divestments are likely to have contributed to partnerships fourth-quarter performance as well. Moreover, the partnership has signed several agreements that are likely to have driven the companys fourth-quarter performance. For instance, in December, it completed the acquisition of Genesee & Wyoming, which in turn is expected to have partially benefited Brookfield Infrastructures results in the soon-to-be-reported. In addition, fourth-quarter earnings are expected to have benefited from strong organic growth. Further, the partnership agreed to acquire 100% stake in a telecom tower company in India from Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited, in December. We may expect further updates on this deal once the partnership releases its results on Feb 10. 4Q Expectations The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter earnings per share is pegged at 84 cents per share, which indicates a surge of 1300% from the year-ago quarters figure. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP Price and EPS Surprise Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP Price and EPS Surprise Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP price-eps-surprise | Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP Quote Earnings Whispers Our proven model doesnt conclusively predict an earnings beat for Brookfield Infrastructure this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. But thats not the case here.You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Earnings ESP: The companys Earnings ESP is 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Brookfield Infrastructure carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). Stocks to Consider Investors can consider the following players from the same industry that have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in the to-be-reported quarter. Duke Energy Corporation DUK is slated to release fourth-quarter 2019 results on Feb 20. It has an Earnings ESP of +0.38% and a Zacks Rank #3. Ameren Corporation AEE is set to release fourth-quarter 2019 numbers on Feb 13. It has an Earnings ESP of +2.73% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. CenterPoint Energy, Inc. CNP is scheduled to release fourth-quarter 2019 results on Feb 27. It has an Earnings ESP of +1.09% and a Zacks Rank #3. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> 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 Brookfield Infrastructure Partners LP (BIP) : Free Stock Analysis Report CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP) : Free Stock Analysis Report Duke Energy Corporation (DUK) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ameren Corporation (AEE) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz Announces Investigation on Behalf of Plantronics, Inc. Investors (PLT) The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz is investigating potential claims against the board of directors of Plantronics (News - Alert), Inc. ("Plantronics" or the "Company") (NYSE: PLT) concerning whether the board breached its fiduciary duties to shareholders. If you are a shareholder, click here to participate. On November 5, 2019, after the market closed, the Company announced disappointing second quarter 2020 results, slashed earnings guidance, and disclosed that it would reduce channel inventory by $65 million. Our investigation concerns whether the Company's board of directors breached its fiduciary duties to shareholders and/or grossly mismanaged the Company in connection with the foregoing accounting issues. Follow us for updates on Twitter (News - Alert): twitter.com/FRC_LAW. If you own Plantronics shares and wish to discuss this matter with us, or have any questions concerning your rights and interests with regards to this matter, please contact Frank R. Cruz, of The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-914-5007, by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.frankcruzlaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number and 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/20200205005900/en/ (Refiling to restore dropped word "hurt" in 10th paragraph) By Devika Krishna Kumar and Olga Yagova NEW YORK/MOSCOW, Feb 6 (Reuters) - U.S. crude flows to Europe are set to increase over the coming month as demand from Asia has plummeted due to the coronavirus outbreak, traders and shipbrokers said. Activity to charter Aframax vessels, which can carry about 600,000 barrels of crude, are busy for the Transatlantic route, two shipbrokers familiar with the matter said. Petrochina, Trafigura, Vitol, Lukoil and Exxon Mobil Corp are among those looking to ship cargoes from the U.S. Gulf Coast to Europe, one source said. "The U.S. has to divert barrels away from China and are now dumping everything to Europe," one trader said. The rapidly spreading coronavirus has killed hundreds and sapped fuel demand in China, where thousands of flights have been canceled and the city of Wuhan remains under quarantine. Asia's largest refiner, China's Sinopec Corp, is cutting throughput this month by around 600,000 barrels per day, sources told Reuters. Those cuts are the steepest in over a decade and come as independent refiners also reduce runs by 30%-50%. Consultancy Wood Mackenzie cut its global oil demand forecast for the first quarter by nearly 900,000 bpd to 98.8 million bpd, noting that the effect on demand remains uncertain. Flows are headed towards Europe even though the spread between U.S. crude futures and international benchmark Brent has narrowed, which typically makes U.S. crude less attractive to foreign buyers. The narrowed spread has been offset by tumbling freight rates for tankers. Rates for VLCC vessels traveling eastward plunged to near their lowest levels since September. Supplies in the Atlantic Basin are rising due to reduced buying from Asia. That may hurt European and Mediterranean oil grades due to heightened competition, one trader in the European market said. Sellers of Latin American crude grades have also been affected, two traders with European majors said. "There are big discounts for selling Latin American heavy grades to Chinese refiners right now," one trader said. "Countries with exports that are not so diversified are feeling the pain." Chartering activity for VLCCs, which can transport about 2 million barrels of crude, to ship U.S. crude to Asia several weeks from now are currently steady, the sources said. That's an indication that shippers believe the hit to demand for the broader region may not be prolonged. Story continues Occidental Petroleum Corp, Mercuria, Vitol and Trafigura are among the companies looking to charter vessels for the U.S.-to-Asia route, one source said. Chevron Corp and Trafigura were seeking to charter vessels to load U.S. crude to Asia in early March, the source said. Shipments to South Korea, Taiwan and Japan, among the top destinations for U.S. crude exports to Asia, should continue, said Andy Lipow, president of Lipow Oil Associates in Houston. (Reporting by Devika Krishna Kumar in New York and Olga Yagova in Moscow; Additional reporting by Laila Kearney in New York, Marianna Parraga in Mexico City and Dmitry Zhdannikov and Julia Payne in London; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) Because heres a fact about mourning when someone close to you dies, even if its expected, its like a bomb has gone off. And you and your family are wandering around in the rubble, shivering in the wind. You dont know what day it is, and you keep forgetting why you went into a room. Eyeglasses are lost and appointments forgotten as you try to deal with the fact that this person who was so essential is somehow, incredibly no longer on this Earth. This fact keeps hitting you, like the shock waves after an explosion. As Emily Dickinson wrote, After great pain, a formal feeling comes / The Nerves sit ceremonious, like tombs ... The Election Commission on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath for his alleged 'biryani for terrorist' remarks. IMAGE: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath addresses an election rally for the upcoming Delhi assembly elections in New Delhi. Photograph: PTI Photo The poll panel has asked him to respond to the notice before 5 pm on Friday. The EC said that prima facie, by making such remarks the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader has violated provisions of the Model Code of Conduct enforced for the February 8 Delhi assembly polls. Adityanath had made this remark during a speech in New Delhi on February 1. The notice reminded the chief minister of a provision of the poll code which asks politicians to avoid making unverified allegations and restrict their criticism to policies and programmes of rivals. It also said no comments should be made on the private lives of political rivals during electioneering. According to the notice, Adityanath had said that "today biryani is not being served ... the habit of feeding biryani was with the Congress in Kashmir or is with Kejriwal for Shaheen Bagh like incidents. (The habit of feeding biyrani ) is not of the BJP." During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections the EC had "strongly condemned" Adityanath for his communal remarks and had barred him from campaigning for 72 hours. An avalanche has slammed into a mountain road in eastern Turkey, wiping out a huge team of rescue workers sent to find people missing in an earlier avalanche. Officials said 33 emergency workers were killed, 53 were injured and others are still buried under the snow. Wednesdays avalanche increased the overall death toll from the disaster to 38. Some 300 emergency service workers were called to a road near the mountain-surrounded town of Bahcesaray in Van province, which borders Iran, after an avalanche struck late on Tuesday. That snow slide killed five people and left two missing. At around noon on Wednesday, the team was struck by the second avalanche. Turkeys emergency and disaster management agency AFAD said 33 bodies were recovered from the mass of snow on the steep slope. Earlier, governor Mehmet Emin Bilmez said the dead included eight military police officers, three government-paid village guards, three firefighters and nine volunteers. Emergency teams were still searching for other colleagues under the snow, Mr Bilmez said. Emergency service members dig in the snow around overturned vehicles (DHA via AP) He did not provide a figure of how many more could be missing. Some 30 emergency workers were either pulled out of the heap of snow or escaped themselves and were taken to hospital, the Interior Ministry said. Video from the scene showed at least three overturned vehicles at the bottom of a hill during a snowstorm. Some rescuers were struggling to climb out of a steep incline while others dug frantically into the snow with shovels and pickaxes. Fog, heavy snow and strong winds were hampering the rescue efforts. The head of AFADs operations in Van province, Osman Ucar, was among those injured. Speaking from his hospital bed, he said he was dragged along with an excavator that was toppled by the sliding snow. Rescue efforts have been hampered by fog, heavy snow and strong winds (DHA via AP) I was half-buried, he said, adding that he escaped on his own. The first avalanche buried a snow-clearing vehicle and a minibus. The vehicles operator and seven passengers escaped alive. The state-run Anadolu Agency said the driver, Bahattin Karagulle, was trapped beneath the snow for 25 minutes before he managed to break a window and escape. He walked towards a village to get help before being picked up by a passing vehicle. LANSING, MI -- Every leading Democratic presidential hopeful has called Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for advice on how to win Michigan, she said in an interview with MLive Wednesday. With absentee voting already underway and only a month left until Michigans primary, Whitmer encouraged all of the candidates to visit the state soon. The first-term governor, elected to represent a critical presidential battleground after the state narrowly flipped for President Donald Trump in 2016, said Democrats should keep their focus on kitchen-table issues like health care, infrastructure and clean water. I do think that whats happening here in Michigan, what we talk about every single day, what we are focused on, resonates across the country and presidential candidates would be better off if they focus on these fundamentals, Whitmer said. Whitmer said nearly all of the Democrats running for president have reached out to her, including former Vice President Joe Biden; former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg; former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.; Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and businessman Tom Steyer. The governor said shes given them all the same message. Spend some time in Michigan, listen to people, Whitmer said. I think its hard to get distracted by things that dont matter if youre actually talking to people and listening to them. Its how you stay tethered to the issues that people care about. Their struggles, their fears, their concerns. Whitmer said its unlikely that she will endorse any candidate before the primary is finished, but she also hasnt fully made up her mind. I havent taken it totally off the table, Whitmer said. Who knows when were going to find out what happened in Iowa, right? This race is fluid, I think a lot could change, and I dont really expect to endorse in the primary, but well see. Regardless of who Democrats choose to be their nominee, Whitmer said she is willing to work with them to build a winning coalition in Michigan. Whitmer said shes looking for a good partner for Michigan to help with funding infrastructure projects and Great Lakes funding. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tapped Whitmer to address the nation as the face of the Democratic response to Trumps State of the Union speech this week, demonstrating Whitmers rising national profile and Michigans importance in the 2020 election. Some pundits mused that Democrats may have given Whitmer the national spotlight to audition for vice president. John Sellek, CEO of Harbor Strategic Public Affairs, said Whitmers ability to win over suburban voters in a battleground state put her in the sweet spot for consideration. However, Whitmer said she isnt interested in jumping into the race. There have been different opportunities to run for federal office, and Ive been recruited, and Ive never seriously thought about any of it because going to Washington D.C. does not appeal to me," Whitmer said. "I love the state. My family is here. And so, you know, its flattering. With it comes all sorts of scrutiny and speculation. Im not feeding into it. Im not interested in doing that. Ive got a lot of work to do. Trump was the first Republican to claim Michigan since 1988, taking all but eight counties in the state and winning by a narrow 10,700-vote margin. The president campaigned heavily on the economy in the Great Lakes state in 2016, telling voters he would improve conditions for the middle class and revitalize the manufacturing industry. The president used his third State of the Union address to commemorate the great American comeback realized since he took office, saying the economy is the best it has ever been. Whitmer questioned who is benefitting from the economic gains in her 10-minute rebuttal, saying the wealthiest Americans are reaping rewards from tax cuts they dont need. While Trump president did not specifically mention the middle class during his speech, Whitmer said Democrats are fighting for them. Michigan invented the middle class, so we know: if the economy doesnt work for working people, it just doesnt work, she said Tuesday. In an interview Wednesday, the governor said Democrats need to keep their focus on countering Trumps claims about health care. Competing plans for how to expand coverage to all Americans is one of the main dividing lines in the Democratic primary. Whitmer said Democrats are trying to improve health care while Republicans want to take it away. Trump pledged to "always protect patients with preexisting conditions but also joined a lawsuit to scrap the Affordable Care Act. Every Democrat is working to increase access for affordable quality healthcare, Whitmer said Wednesday. Every single one of them has endorsed protections for people with pre-existing conditions, but Republicans in Washington from day one have been in court trying to rip that away. And its that simple. My brothers and sisters in the Democratic Party and independents who simply want government to work and to work well and Republicans who are feeling disconnected from the man in the White House right now; we need to remember these things. Read more: 5 things to know about Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as she takes the national stage Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer hits back on Trumps economic message in State of the Union response Michigan Trump supporters celebrate victories at State of the Union theater viewing Bloomberg tells Detroit hes their best chance to beat Trump Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer praised for State of the Union response Students at University Coll-ege Dublin (UCD) have reacted with fury to the decision to increase campus rents by 4pc for the next three years. The university, which has some of the most expensive on-campus accommodation in the country, announced the decision on Tuesday without any consultation with student representatives. The 4pc increase translates to rent per week for on-campus residences for the academic year 2020-2021 of between 162 and 229, depending on the residence. Crippling UCD Students' Union president Joanna Siewierska is calling for an immediate reversal of the decision. "It is shocking to see Ireland's largest public university use student accommodation to make a profit and do nothing to help students manage the crippling rents in Dublin," she said. "Students are already being locked out of education by the housing crisis. We are seeing fewer and fewer students from outside of Dublin choosing to study in UCD, and little or no increase in students from lower socio-economic backgrounds coming to our university. "This decision by UCD management shows they don't care about this reality." UCD made 27.5m in rental income from student accommodation in 2017. This was around 10.3m more than it made in 2014. Third-level institutions in the capital have increased their rents by 11.5pc ahead of the 2019/2020 academic year. In response, a spokesperson for UCD said the rent increase was implemented to secure adequate funding for the maintenance of existing on-campus student accommodation and the provision of 3,000 new beds, 924 to come on stream in September. He added that the university is conscious that while the new legislation allows reductions or discount rents, increases are capped at 4pc a year. "Consequently, in light of its commitment to providing on-campus accommodation, the university has announced the 4pc increase for the next three years, after which it will review the rents and reduce the increases or even freeze them, if financially possible," he said. "The university is currently constructing new residences and a student village. This development is costing in the region of 500m and is funded largely through bank loans. "These new residences will command a higher rent averaging 257 per week for 38 weeks. UCD points out that it funds specific services to support students living on campus." Thecondition of the 25-year-old woman lecturer who was set ablaze in Maharashtra's Wardha district continued to remain "critical but stable", hospital authorities said on Thursday. Victim Ankita Pisudde (25), resident of Hinganghat town in Wardha, has been undergoing treatment at the Orange City Hospital in Nagpur. She was set ablaze by a stalker, Vikesh Nagrale (27), in Hinganghat on Monday while she was on way to the college where she taught. She suffered 40 per cent burns. In a medical bulletin issued on Thursday, the hospital said, "No setbacks have occurred till now, although her condition remains critical. Her vitals are being maintained with oxygen supply. She is responding to commands. Her condition does remain critical." Specialists treating the womanwere keeping an eye on anticipated complications like infection and respiratory deterioration, the hospital said. She underwent two sessions of debridement, dressings and upper limbs multiple fasciotomy, it added. Debridement is a medical procedure to remove dead, damaged or infected tissue. Fasciotomy is a surgical procedure where the fascia (tissue) is cut to relieve tension or pressure commonly to treat the resulting loss of circulation to an area of tissue or muscle. The state government on Tuesday flew Navi Mumbai-based National Burns Centre director Sunil Keswani to Nagpur to supervise the woman's treatment. State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who visited the hospital on Tuesday evening, announced that the trial of the accused would be fast-tracked, and well-known lawyer Ujjwal Nikam would be appointed as special prosecutor as per the request of the woman's relatives. Wardha Police on Wednesday said a special team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Trupti Jadhav will probe the case and collect all related evidence to file a charge sheet. Nagrale was harassing Pisudde for quite some time, they said. After the incident on Monday, the accused tried to escape but he was nabbed at Butibori industrial suburb in Nagpur within four hours, a police official earlier said. The accused has been booked under Indian Penal Code Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 326-A (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid, etc) and sent in police custody till Friday, he said. Police were recording statements of various people, including eye-witnesses, and parents of the victim and the accused, he added. According to the police, Nagrale and the woman were friends till two years ago when she severed ties with him due to his "irrational behaviour". "Nagrale is a married man and has a seven-month-old son. He works in a firm in Balharshah. He used to stalk the woman. He had even tried to commit suicide last year," a police official said. The victim's cousin Shubham Pisudde told PTI that Nagrale had been harassing her for the last many years despite repeated warnings. "Her marriage (engagement) was broken last year due to Nagrale," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A war hero's proud brother has insisted he's made of the 'same stuff' as his sibling after completing his training to join the Parachute Regiment, 12 years after the late soldier died in Afghanistan. Fin Doherty, 18, from Warwickshire, was formally handed his older brother's beret after completing his 19-week training course at Catterick Garrison in North Yorkshire in December last year. Pte Doherty was just six when Jeff Doherty, known as JJ, was killed in a Taliban ambush in 2008, two days after his 20th birthday. He appeared on Lorraine today, with his mother Joyce to speak about his decision to become a paratrooper. Joyce told how despite trying 'absolutely everything' to encourage Fin to take a different path, her son was 'determined' to follow in the footsteps of his idol. Fin Doherty, 18, from Warwickshire has insisted he's made of the 'same stuff' as his sibling, war hero Jeff Doherty. He is pictured on Lorraine with his mother Joyce Fin was was formally handed the beret of his older brother JJ (pictured) after completing a gruelling 19 week training course last year Speaking of the moment he teared up upon receiving his beret, Fin said: 'I was lucky enough to be given my brothers beret, I knew it was his straight away. 'When I put it on, the reason I cried, is the first thing that went through my head, is "We're made from the same stuff", and nobody can take that away from me.' His mother Joyce went on to explain: 'Nothing was ever going to sway him in the other direction 'We tried! We tried absolutely everything to make him do anything but this but, what determination.' Jeff Doherty, known as JJ (right) was killed in a Taliban ambush in 2008 just two days after his 20th birthday Pte Fin Doherty (pictured with his brother) was just six when JJ died, and says 'nothing could have changed his mind' about following in his brother's footsteps Fin first passed out of the Army Foundation College in Harrogate aged 17 - after being crowned Best Recruit, and told how there was never 'anything that could change his mind' about joining the army. He said: 'From when JJ used to come home, he would let the house know he was a paratrooper. 'Just never shook the dream, I've always said it's what I wanted to do, I was never gonna change my mind.' However despite his mother being 'really happy' and proud of her son's determination, she admitted she is 'terrified' of her son joining the army. Fin first passed out of the Army Foundation College in Harrogate aged 17 - after being crowned Best Recruit. He is pictured proudly wearing his beret after completing a gruelling 19 week training course at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire She spoke of her late son JJ, and remembered how he would 'boost morale' anywhere he went and 'loved life', while insisting that being a paratrooper was 'really important' to him. The mother told: 'We're so proud of him obviously, everything he's achieved and he's done it with such determination. 'I'm really happy he's done as well as he has. But it's also really sad and we're all a bit terrified.' Speaking of her late son, she said: 'JJ was the life and soul, he really was. He was the best morale boost ever. Fin insisted that while he he was inspired by his late older brother, he wanted his place in the regiment just as his sibling did She spoke of her late son JJ, and remembered how he would 'boost moral' anywhere he went and 'loved life', while insisting that being a paratrooper was 'really important' to him 'No matter where he was, in the army, at home, he was really happy. He loved life and loved being a paratrooper, it was really important to him.' Fin insisted that while he he was inspired by his late older brother, he wanted his place in the regiment just as his sibling did. He said: 'I wanted it for myself as much as he did when he was in my shoes and I really wanted it. If he was still here I would still be doing what I was doing.' India is considered one of the preferred destinations for outsourcing and key back office functions. Apart from IT, jobs in sectors like HR and payroll management, digital marketing, and SEO are being increasingly outsourced to India. India is expected to be a global delivery center for artificial intelligence in the near future. Foreign companies, especially those headquartered in the US, frequently outsource services to workers in other countries to reduce labor costs and improve organizational efficiency. India has been the preferred back office for much of the past decade and is considered a leading outsourcing destination for the IT, business, and knowledge process outsourcing sectors. According to NASSCOM, in 2017, the IT-BPO industry alone earned India a revenue of about US$154 billion. However, in the last five years, India has also cemented its position as an outsourcing leader for mobile app development, digital marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and HR and payroll management. With a population of over 1.3 billion people, and over 3.1 million skilled graduates being added to the workforce every year, India is expected to dominate the outsourcing market for a long time. In this article we discuss Indias outsourcing market, sector-wise assessment of outsourcing in India, and emerging sectors that may provide potential outsourcing opportunities in the future. Why India is a preferred outsourcing destination Low labor cost is one of the major reasons why India has remained a preferred outsourcing destination among foreign companies. For example, the website PayScale notes the average salary of a software developer in Gurgaon, a prominent IT hub in India, is around INR 6,19,000 (US$8,653) per annum. Meanwhile, the average salary of a software developer in the US is around US$85,000 per annum. Lately, the gig economy in India has picked up pace with over 15 million skilled professionals working as freelancers or contract employees. Their hourly rates are significantly lower than those freelancing in the international market. So, foreign companies are increasingly employing skilled labor in India on short term contracts and saving costs on salary, health insurance, provident fund, and bonus. India is also the second largest English-speaking country in the world. Therefore, there is no communication barrier between the employer and the employee, or between the client and the employee. Apart from cost cutting and access to English-speaking employees, employing outsourced workers also help companies expand globally, and work with diverse employees with different viewpoints. This experience can help create a holistic culture at the organization. These are some of the reasons why major multinational companies, such as Deloitte, Facebook, Microsoft, Nokia, Sony, Pepsi Co, Amazon, Citibank, and Google have established multiple regional headquarters and satellite offices across India. Companies who want to establish their corporate presence in India without investing in real sector or save costs are opting to rent office space in coworking hubs such as WeWork and Innov8. Information technology (IT) Indias success as an outsourcing destination can be attributed to the countrys well-established software industry. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, in 2016 India had 2.6 million STEM graduates while the US universities produced 568,000 STEM graduates during the same year. After China, India is second on the list of countries with the most STEM graduates. Due to the presence of skilled IT professionals, cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Gurgaon, and Noida are home to the countrys largest IT hubs. Even tier-2 cities like Jaipur, Lucknow, and Kochi are developing rapidly as IT hubs, with several multinationals setting up offices in these cities. Traditional jobs in this sector like software developers, engineers, and IT support staff are still in demand. However, according to the professional social network LinkedIn, jobs such as JavaScript developer, blockchain developer, mobile app developer, back-end developer, and cybersecurity specialist are among the top emerging jobs in India for 2020. As India continues to produce qualified candidates, particularly in the field of information technology, companies will have no hassle in finding talent. Human resources (HR) HR is relatively a newer sector for outsourcing. In the last three years HR functions, such as recruitment, payroll, logistics management, employee benefits administration, attendance, telemarketing, and database management have been outsourced to India. This enables small or mid-size firms abroad to grow without hiring local additional staff to manage the basic functions of HR. Furthermore, with day-to-day functions outsourced, these firms are able to focus on hiring specialized staff that work on creating mentorship, training, and leadership opportunities, especially for women and monitories, and finding ways to support the upskilling of employees. Large organizations often outsource their HR services to concentrate on their core competencies; it is also an effective way to cut overhead costs. Further, if HR is outsourced to India, then the organization avoids turnover troubles. In case an HR manager quits, the outsourced company already has an employee ready to take over the responsibilities. Search engine optimization (SEO) and digital marketing According to PayScale, the average salary of an SEO manager in India is INR 516,000 (US$7,208) per year compared to US$68,450 in the US. According to a 2016 report from Borrell Associates, companies in the US are expected to spend US$80 billion on SEO marketing by 2020. Despite the huge spending, small and mid-size firms usually want to limit their digital marketing expenditure, but high salaries might prevent them from doing so. Companies have realized that to run a profitable business, they must spend on digital marketing especially on optimizing their website. SEO helps the companys website to increase its visibility, user traffic, and conversion rate. Most importantly, SEO brings consistent traffic to the website for a longer period of time, improves the websites position in search results, and is considered a good way to generate brand awareness. India boasts of several companies that exclusively work on SEO, digital marketing, online reputation management, pay per click management, and social media marketing. In the last five years, SEO outsourcing companies have continued to increase. These companies have provided services to hundreds of clients and are experienced to work for organizations of any size. Apart from cost cutting and English proficiency, India also has the second largest number of internet users in the world, and young professionals are well versed with every aspect of social media. Emerging sector artificial intelligence (AI) The Global Talent Competitiveness Index (GTCI) 2020 released at the World Economic Forum in Davis this month anticipates India becoming an AI delivery center in the near future. The report said, As India did in the late 1990s becoming a global offshoring base for IT services AI may provide opportunities for countries to become global delivery centers for AI applications. Artificial intelligence specialist is also featured among LinkedIns top 15 emerging jobs in India. LinkedIn ranked India among the top three countries to lead the world in AI skills with robotic process automation, compliance, and integration as the fastest growing skills. As AI develops in India, it is expected that the country will emerge as a leading outsourcing player, just like it did for the IT sector. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. On February 6, in accordance with the arrangement reached with the authorities of the Republic of Artsakh, the OSCE Mission conducted a planned monitoring of the ceasefire regime on the Line of Contact between the armed forces of Artsakh and Azerbaijan, in the east of Talish village of the Martakert region, the Artsakh foreign ministry told Armenpress. From the positions of the Defense Army of the Republic of Artsakh, the monitoring was conducted by Field Assistants to the Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (CiO) Ognjen Jovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Ghenadie Petrica (Moldova), as well as Personal Assistant to the CiO Personal Representative Simon Tiller (Great Britain). From the opposite side of the Line of Contact, the monitoring was conducted by Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ambassador Andrzej Kasprzyk, his Field Assistant Mihail Olaru (Moldova) and staff member of the Office of the CiO Personal Representative Martin Schuster (Germany). The monitoring passed in accordance with the agreed schedule. However, the Azerbaijani side did not lead the OSCE mission to its frontline positions. From the Artsakh side, the monitoring mission was accompanied by representatives of the Republic of Artsakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defense. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-06 16:55:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close China built Leishenshan Hospital, one of the makeshift hospitals in Wuhan to combat #coronavirus, in less than two weeks. The hospital is expected to be delivered and put into use soon. Check out more details #pneumonia The IAB Bookmark Awards, an IAB SA initiative, celebrates its 12th year of rewarding excellence in digital and recognising the powerful impact interactive has on the overall marketing mix. The Bookmark Awards sets the benchmark for tech, digital and leading-edge innovation. The award-winning work inspires and educates the industry about the power to build brands through creative and high-impact digital executions that deliver measurable results. 2020 Bookmark jury chairs. Marketing panel Molefi Thulo, ECD, Ogilvy South Africa Builders panel Robyn Campbell, MD, HelloFCB+ Publisher panel Chris Louw, head of content, Hive Digital Performance marketing panel Clare Trafankowska, head of digital, Absa South Africa from Carat South Africa Gamers panel Gabriel Ramokotjo, CEO, Ekasi Esports Social, community and digital influencer marketing panel Kalliebree Keynerd, head of social, Joe Public Connect Special honours panel Charlene Beukes, GM, 24.com Innovative engineers panel Dee Chetty, lead: Accenture Interactive - Africa Congratulations on being selected as one of the 2020 Bookmarks jury chairs. What does this recognition and opportunity mean to you? From very early on in my career I saw the Bookmarks as the premiere body setting the standard for digital excellence in South Africa and one of the most important acknowledgements within our local industry. Being offered this opportunity was very unexpected and quite serendipitous. Comment on the importance of celebrating digital creative work in 2020. With our global and local economy struggling, our duty is to drive and celebrate a thriving digital economy. If we can succeed at that, it will allow for so many opportunities to grow businesses, jobs, skills development and talent retention in South Africa. The digital industry has come so far. Remember when we used to say that digital marketing was the future. Well, the future is now and it literally is all eyes and all budget (if youre forward-thinking) on us. Now, more than ever, our industry is being called upon to solve and inform business problems and not just to create ads to sell stuff. Share some pointers on your personal judging process and what youre looking for from your jury panel. Understanding the objectives or business problems in the work is key to really weighing up the purpose and success of that build or piece of creative. Im big on high craft as well as smart, efficient experiences that make me question, Why didnt I think of that?. Ill be leaning on the Jury Panel to bring their expertise, experience and industry nous to really dig into the entries and celebrate those winning gems. Tell us a bit more about the categories your panel is judging and what is important to look at when judging these entries. Was it effective in achieving a meaningful objective for the business? Did it connect with the consumer in an emotional way to elicit an authentic and proactive engagement on the part of the consumer or public? Did the campaign have a broader purpose than just driving profits, did it also solve or put the spotlight on a legitimate problem or social issue? From a social communities and community management perspective, has the brand allowed the community to flourish organically and have direct community insights been used to foster two-way communication? Does the community reflect the personality and values of the brand beyond a customer care centre? When it comes to Influencer Marketing Category, were your influencers advocates or was it quite obvious they were paid to punt a product? Is it a long-term relationship that tells a story or once-off? What are you most looking forward to? Getting dressed up and having champagne of course! But seriously, Im looking forward to reviewing all the work and awarding the best of the best for the first-ever panel on Social, Community and Digital Influencer Marketing. I cant wait to see pride and delight on peoples faces as they are rewarded for a job well done. Its such a privilege to have a hand in that process of recognising and building others in the industry. Heading up the Bookmark categories during this years judging process are:Here, they share with us some behind-the-scenes judging insights leading up to the 2020 Bookmark Awards with round one judging in play and round two commencing on 28 February.It means a great deal indeed. As an industry we are always striving for more innovative work, and the opportunity to be part of one of the award shows that are pushing the digital agenda is great. Outstanding work deserves to be recognised and Im proud to be on a panel thats entrusted with that task. This is also a chance to engage in constructive debates on how we can make more effective work for all our clients, where the results are measurable.Thank you! Ive always been a big advocate of the Bookmarks and how this awards platform has driven more progressive work in our industry. Being given the opportunity to chair the jury allows me to drive more in-depth and challenging dialogue around the work being judged. Its rare to have so many bright minds in one room, so Im planning on really getting into the work with them and judging how well the industry is solving business problems by building the right solutions.It truly is a special privilege to be part of the Bookmarks for the third year in a row. Every year the standards improve vastly. Tracking this progress has been encouraging and the constant innovation in the digital sphere is exceptionally exciting.Thank you for affording me this prestigious opportunity for a second year running. It truly is an honour as it enables me to participate in an elevated level of discussion with a panel of peers that I deeply respect. It is also a privilege to be entrusted with the responsibility of guiding the Performance Panel and ensuring a fair yet favourable result.This recognition and opportunity affords me a huge opportunity to learn and grow. Also, I am really excited to share a panel with leaders in the creative industry.I am honoured and excited to have the opportunity to take part in the Bookmarks judging process. To be on the first-ever Social, Community and Digital Influencer Marketing Panel really is the cherry on top.So, needless to say, when I saw the email come into my inbox I didnt believe it! I called my bestie immediately and we celebrated over the phone. It didnt take me long to reply with an over-eager YES!!! When do we start!. Im looking forward to playing my part along with my fellow judges in shaping the standard on how we judge social media-specific work.I feel so grateful to be part of such a collaborative and creative process. We really produce world-class work in South Africa.This is where its all heading. We all need to embrace digital, especially mobile marketing. There was once a fear of digital, but the more we celebrate the great work thats coming out, the more people see the possibilities that come from doing digital work digital allows us to give consumers a personalised experience with a brand.Over the years weve been watching digital creative mature into the rich, diverse landscape we now see every day on our watches, laptops and phones. By raising the bar year on year, we can celebrate the work that works.This will allow us to drive more effective digital creative that not only delivers to consumers needs but that will also provide a return on investment for brands and publishers.The constantly changing digital landscape can often be hard to pin down, in terms of quality and excellence. The South African landscape is still young and innovative ideas are all around us. Celebrating the organisations and people that continue to create innovative, groundbreaking work is more important now than ever. As the digital industry grows, the excellence in our industry not only lays a foundation for future digital innovators and creators but also grows our industry and inspires future generations to be part of this exciting time in media.Award such as these expose a broader audience to the quality of work being produced, as well as provide the industry with an opportunity to benchmark themselves and their own work against this as a standard. It drives competitive innovation as well as sets the tone for future innovation and effectiveness.Discussions around awards entries provide for open and honest conversations, as well as some healthy debate around the various merits (or not) of each entry. It is also an opportunity for us to take a step back and critically analyse the momentum gained over the last 12 months and with the hopes of seeing improvements in how we are validating the work that were putting out.Personally, I believe that more than ever digital work that breaks the creative boundaries has to be celebrated and the Bookmarks provides such a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the hard work of individuals and organisations that continuously create digital campaigns that connect emotionally with their consumers.It is creativity that will move the digital industry forward. Creativity in strategy, media, design and thinking.Of course originality is vital and should always come first. But another thing that I look out for is how that work makes me feel as a judge does that work 'leap' from the page or screen and cause a reaction? Before getting into the technical stuff, the work needs to resonate first. I would also encourage the panel to look for work that truly honours the category it has been entered into.Judges look at hundreds of entries. Keep your information short, to the point, and ensure that you always follow the brief closely. Entries are quickly discarded when the brief has not been met and too much needless information is included. Triple check every detail. Mistakes happen, but entrants need to make sure every effort has been made to hand in great work.I will be focusing on those entries where incremental gains to business results are clearly linked to media outputs, as well as the campaign efficacy. I am going to rely on the jury panel being more critical of results achieved, especially with the creative work. After all, without proof, whos to say it was effective?With such a diverse panel, I expect there to be some healthy debate around the perception of performance and results. With broad category coverage amongst the jury, I suspect that each will have an alternate take on the definition of success.What strikes me most when applying my process, when given the opportunity to judge, are entries that exhibit a combination of innovation, creativity, execution, but also, importantly, that showcase sustainable business models. From the panel, I am looking for fairness, integrity in the judging process and that which eliminates any bias from the judging process.My fellow judges are all people Ive admired and learned from throughout the course of my career. Im looking forward to hearing everyones perspective while wrestling with what is the best decision. I thrive on collaboration and healthy debate and that is what Im hoping for.Proactive listening, respectful communication, constructive disagreements, inclusive thinking/behaviour, and please can we have some fun!For me, it's about the brief, the objectives of the campaign and how the entrants worked towards that in a way that pushes the boundaries, but still talks to the end goal.Our panel will be responsible for awarding excellence in categories such as Innovative Use of Media, Digital Strategy, Campaign Microsites, Mobile, Direct & Inbound Marketing, Craft Excellence, Online Video, Podcasts & Audio Streaming, Integrated Mixed Media, Digital Integrated Campaigns and Native Advertising, etc. As you can tell from the list, it will be quite an exciting challenge. We will be searching for interesting use of the mediums to tell compelling stories, where the digital elements arent an afterthought.Our Builders Panel will judge a number of categories this year, ranging from E-Commerce Sites, Interface Design, UX Craft and Customer Experience Design, all the way through to Online Video Series. Its an exciting space that has shown rapid growth and improvement during the last few years in South Africa.Our focus will be around the user experience and how technology has been harnessed to make every online interaction a pleasure for consumers. We will interrogate how strategic the choices have been and how effortless is it for the consumer to engage and ultimately meet the objectives set out for the piece of technology.The Publisher Category takes a broad look at all aspects of publishers in SA. The judging panel will look at publisher websites, as well as specially created sites for news events, such as Elections. Other categories also include Mobile Content, which takes a close look at content created specifically for mobiles, which is very relevant in our current market. Furthermore, the panel will also judge awards related to newsletters, online news video and data stories. We are very excited about the spectrum of entries we have received in the various categories.Performance criteria on within our categories is critical as well as the definition of each. Brilliant basics whilst vital are not a true reflection of superior performance.Our panel will be judging the Gaming Category and we understand that the Bookmarks are about recognising creative brilliance. As such, our entries will be judged on fundamentals of a successful product design, i.e. creativity, innovation, user experience, adoption and scalability. Also products that connect and inspire with its targeted consumers. As Maya Angelou said: People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.These are some of the questions I will be asking in relation to the categories I will be judging:I am part of the special honours panel and will focus on business impact and creativity.South African creativity is up there with the best in the world. So every time I am given the privilege of judging, I always look forward to being inspired and Im never disappointed. I also look forward to seeing how we are using digital to tell new, riveting narratives for brands.The inspiration. Seeing all the incredible work that our industry is producing and allowing myself to be swept away by the possibilities to create better, smarter and more innovative solutions myself.I am most looking forward to seeing newer and smaller entrants, as well as the ongoing improvements in entries year on year.Personally, I am hoping to see a broader spectrum of entrants. This is applicable not only to the brands involved but more so to the agencies that are entering the awards. Some players have greater capacity and capability when it comes to the entries process, having geared up from creative inception. I would love to see a greater number of bespoke agencies demonstrating the brilliant work being developed, as I truly believe that nobody knows youre doing great work until you tell me. That truly is the benefit of awards platforms. Bring creative and performance excellence to the forefront again.I am really looking forward to the exchange of ideas and meeting some of the people who work in this industry.Proving to ourselves once again that we are just as good if not better than the rest of the world.Be sure to click through to our IAB Bookmarks and Digital Summit special section for all the latest updates. You can also follow the IAB SA on Twitter and Facebook and visit the Bookmarks website for more information. After a four-year investigation by the OPPs corruption squad, which led to criminal charges, former Vaughan mayor Michael DiBiase pleaded guilty to a Municipal Act offence. On Feb. 3, in Newmarket courts austere triage courtroom 202, a frail-looking DiBiase stood alongside attorney Marie Henein to accept a $5,000 fine for violating the Municipal Act. The criminal charges, including breach of trust and municipal corruption, were dropped. According to the agreed statement of facts, he only benefited $8,100 over eight years, from 2006 to 2014. It was in June 2005 while serving as Vaughans mayor, the document outlines, that DiBiase purchased a property on Orr Lake, in Springwater Township. The property is on the same lake as a cottage owned by Joe Maio, president of Maystar General Contractors, a company that has been paid more than $150 million by the City of Vaughan after working on a number of high-profile buildings including: Vaughan City Hall, Father Ermanno Bulfon Community Centre, Thornhill Woods/Pleasant Ridge Library, Pierre Burton Library and the Vaughan fire station on Dufferin Street. In 2012, when he began building his cottage, DiBiase asked Emilio Manzo, co-owner and partner at Maystar, for help. Following this, DiBiase used Manzo or Maystar employees working under Manzos direction to benefit the companys services, including consultation, advice and quotes from third parties in respect of a helical pile (screw in, ground anchoring) foundation. Not only did DiBiase not pay Maystar or Manzo for the services, he further neglected to declare conflicts of interest when voting on whether Maystar would get city contracts he was assessing, voting on and potentially awarding. At a meeting about the Thornhill Woods library branch, in January 2013, DiBiase moved the meeting in-camera and told the Vaughan Public Library Board, of which he was the trustee, to give the job to Maystar despite Maystars official rejection as a potential bidder because it was suing the city at the time. DiBiase subsequently voted in favour of settling the citys lawsuit with Maystar, a unanimous vote. When Maystar could once again bid on the project, DiBiase, as trustee, moved that Maystar be awarded the Thornhill Woods project and then, as councillor, seconded that Maystar be awarded the $2.8-million project. Henein said the 72-year-old pleaded out at the first possible opportunity, citing a number of health concerns, including a recent heart attack, Type 2 diabetes and kidney issues. (This has been) profoundly distressing to him and his family that he finds himself here, she said. (The) stress of this investigation and laying of criminal charges had profound effect on his health. His attorney further noted the extensive media coverage of the investigation and case also had adverse effects on his health. As part of the agreement, DiBiase also made a donation of $20,000 to two Vaughan charities a food bank and an assisted living charity. Henein told the court this was not only an appropriate resolution, but also a correct exercise of the Crowns discretion. I am confident that Mr. DiBiase will not talk in this court again, she added. In 2015, DiBiase was docked three months pay, or $21,000, after an integrity commissioner found he breached the citys code of conduct. DiBiase, who has served on council in a number of capacities, including councillor, mayor, deputy mayor and regional councillor over some 24 years, resigned from council in 2017 after a city employee reportedly recorded a conversation between the two, where she indicated he touched her breast, tried to kiss her and put his tongue in her mouth. The OPP anti-rackets began its investigation in 2015 after DiBiases longtime political rival and local activist Richard Lorello began looking into his behaviour. Its disappointing, he said. They are sending a message that this can be done and all you get is a fine. (This fine is) equivalent to a parking ticket. The penalty doesnt fit the crime. DiBiase spoke to the judge and the court briefly, thanking his lawyer and suggesting he was happy to have the case over with. I would just like to put it to bed, he said. Justice Christine Pirraglia said DiBiase has paid dearly for his lack of discretion in contravening the act and not disclosing work with Maystar, suggesting hes been left humiliated. JG Jeremy Grimaldi is a crime and justice reporter for YorkRegion.com and its sister papers. Reach him via email: jgrimaldi@yrmg.com Read more about: Georgia Love and fiance Lee Elliott got engaged in September last year. And this week, the former Bachelorette spoke about planning their big day. The journalist, 31, revealed that the pair want a destination wedding and said that working out what to spend money on is 'tricky'. 'Spending the money is tricky!' Bachelorette star Georgia Love (pictured) talked about planning her big day with fiance Lee Elliott this week Speaking to Now to Love, Georgia said: 'It's not stressful. It's spending the money that's tricky.' The pair want to hold their nuptials overseas, but said they haven't booked a venue. 'We want to do something smaller and travel is really important to both of us, so we really wanted to have a destination wedding,' she said. Wedding bells! The couple announced their engagement in September last year The couple announced their engagement in September last year, after three years together. Plumber Lee popped the question with a stunning diamond ring at the Hawkesbury River in NSW. 'If you're not busy for the next 50 or 60 years....', Georgia captioned the snap, adding, '#YES!!' How romantic: Plumber Lee popped the question with a stunning diamond ring at the Hawkesbury River in NSW Lee shared a similar photo, his own captioned: 'I liked it so I put a ring on it. #feyonce'. The engagement took place at Lilypad, Palm Beach, in Sydney's Northern Beaches and costs between $2600-$3700 per weekend stay. They first found love on The Bachelorette back in 2016. States mishaps are re-energising the debate over whether the US should look elsewhere to kick off the primary season. Ames, Iowa After a spirited evening of caucusing on Monday, United States Democratic presidential candidates left Iowa not knowing who had won. After the Iowa party leadership announced that results were delayed due to quality control, candidates gave speeches to their supporters and closed out the night. On Tuesday, with more information about a poorly planned and executed collection system and still no final results calls across the country to rethink Iowas first-in-the-nation status have intensified. Twitter was filled with journalists and spectators weighing in, some calling for reforms. Others made light of the complicated system that involves people having to consider choosing a second choice candidate if their first one does not garner enough votes in a first round. BREAKING: The Iowa caucus, tweeted Washington Post newspaper reporter Matt Viser. BREAKING: The Iowa caucus. Matt Viser (@mviser) February 4, 2020 Among others who shared their displeasure as the news and the announcements of delay in results rolled in, Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro tweeted: This is a total mess. I respect the people of Iowa, theyve been great but its become very clear that our democracy has been misserved by a broken system. This is a total mess. I respect the people of Iowa, theyve been greatbut its become very clear that our democracy has been misserved by a broken system. #IACaucus Julian Castro (@JulianCastro) February 4, 2020 The former Democratic hopeful dropped out earlier this year. Just months earlier he criticised the Democratic party for continuing to start our nominating contest in two states, that even though they take their role seriously, hardly have any people of colour. Castro has since supported Senator Elizabeth Warren. Castro has not been alone in his criticism of Iowa. For years Iowa, has been criticised for going first, despite having a populace that does not reflect the wide diversity of the country. Precinct captain Carl Voss of Des Moines displays the Iowa Democratic Party caucus reporting app on his phone outside of the Iowa Democratic Party headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa [Nati Harnik/AP Photo] While plenty of residents in Iowa have defended the right for the state to keep going first, others have already been questioning the system, particularly whether to keep it as a caucus. Under pressure from the national leadership, the Iowa caucuses, which require people to be present to cast their preference, expanded to include satellite locations in a few other places around the country and three in other countries. In at least one precinct, caucus-goers successfully petitioned to be able to caucus early, as they had to work in the evening. Would you like to hear something controversial? Ive been doing this all my life. I would like to see us not caucus, said Charlotte Weisenhorn of West Des Moines, above the roar of caucus-goers entering the room and chatting last night. You want everybody to have a voice? This is not the way to do it. If you have small children at home, youre not here. If the weather is bad, youre not here, If you work at night, youre not here. If you dont have three hours, youre not here. I know why we do it. But thats not what we want. Following Castros comments last autumn, the Cedar Rapids-based The Gazette newspaper columnist Lyz Lenz, wrote that she and the newspaper she worked for benefitted from Iowas first-in-the-nation status, but that: Letting Iowa keep its first-in-the-nation status is unconscionable and undemocratic. Dianne Bystrom, director emerita of the Carrie Chapman Catt Center at Iowa State University, has observed caucuses for years but never participated. Due to the very public nature of the event anyones neighbours, customers, certainly the media, can see which party and what candidate that person selected. For Bystrom, she didnt want that knowledge to colour peoples perceptions of her research and opinions on Iowa politics. Based on research actually, I favour a primary system over a caucus system. I just think its more democratic. You can early vote, Bystrom said. An Iowa Caucus precinct worker documents with her phone as workers count paper ballots after a Democratic presidential caucus at West Des Moines Christian Church in West Des Moines, Iowa [Jim Bourg/Reuters] She said while there is a lot of frustration, including from herself, over the fact that the final results have not yet been released, Bystrom said the media rushed to criticise the process. Bystrom expects the final number when released will be more accurate than in the past. For the first time, paper ballots were used, not just a show of hands in each precinct. She pointed to a lot of inaccuracies in the 2012 Republican caucuses, which later reversed its initial result and decision and gave the win to former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum over eventual Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Since then, Iowa has hosted two more rounds of first-in-the-nation caucuses. As to whether Iowa might see its position removed once the dust settles, Bystrom said its too early to tell. While Iowa does not always choose the eventual winner in the Democratic or Republican conventions, the state usually serves as a good indication that one of the top-performing candidates in the caucuses will go on to win. Every four years people say on panels that this could be the last year, said Bystrom. If one of the [top performing candidates] take the Democratic nominations and then essentially wins the presidency, there wont be a lot of reasons to change that process. As to which state would replace Iowa if the state lost its starter position is up for debate. New Hampshire, whose population is about 94 percent according to the 2010 census, will follow Iowa next week. But unlike the midwestern state, New Hampshire will host a primary, run by state election officials, not a caucus run by the Democratic party a key difference many pointed to after Mondays chaos. But New Hampshire, too, is criticised for not being representative of the country. A combined cyber attack on important banks could trigger financial instability, the head of the European Central Bank has warned. Christine Lagarde, the ECBs president, said that a report by the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) estimates the global cost of cyber attacks at between $45bn and $654bn. As an operator of critical infrastructures, the ECB obviously takes such threats very seriously, she said in France on Wednesday evening. She said there were several plausible channels through which a cyber attack could morph into a serious financial crisis. Ms Lagarde said an operational outage that destroyed or encrypted the balance accounts of a major financial institution could trigger a liquidity crisis. History shows that liquidity crises can quickly become systemic crises, she said. The ECB is well aware that it has a duty to be prepared and to act pre-emptively. The report by the ESRB, which was set up by the European Commission, will look how a cyber incident could, under certain circumstances, rapidly escalate from an operational outage to a liquidity crisis. 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 It will say that in common with historical financial crises this liquidity crisis could, in certain circumstances, lead to a systemic crisis. At its most recent board meeting the ESRB revealed that it had identified cyber warfare as a source of risk to the financial system. Last year, the G7 announced a joint cross-border crisis management exercise on a cyber incident affecting the financial system that it carried out in June 2019, saying that cyber risks were increasing and posed a genuine and growing threat to the stability and integrity of the financial sector. It was the first exercise of its kind to be organised by finance ministries, central banks, regulators and financial market authorities. It did not reveal the results but the G7 asked its Cyber Experts Group to review financial regulation, and to look at whether the impacts could be measured better. The Trump administration is expected to take up the issue when it assumes the G7 presidency this year. Neither the ECB not the ESRD wanted to comment further on Ms Lagardes remarks. In her speech, the ECBs president also said it needed to look the risks and opportunities of issuing central bank digital currencies to respond to changing consumer demand and to strengthen Europes place in the world. Last month, the Bank of England announced it would work with the ECB and the central banks of Canada, Japan, Sweden and Switzerland to share experiences as they assess the potential cases for central bank digital currency (CBDC). Central banks have accelerated their work on digital currencies after Facebook unveiled plans to introduce its Libra cryptocurrency and China said it was developing a digital currency. Earlier this week US Federal Reserve board member Lael Brainard said the design of any central bank digital currency needed to address important questions surrounding financial stability. Amid anti-CAA protests in the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday accused the Congress and the Left of inciting people at protest sites while making it clear that the Act will neither impact any Indian citizen nor harm minority interests. Replying to a debate on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in Lok Sabha, Modi also attacked the Congress for its in the last seven decades, saying the party's of last 70 years has been such that no Congress leader can be self-sufficient. "I want to clearly state that with the CAA coming, there will be no impact on any citizen of India, practising any faith. CAA does not affect any Indian, it doesn't harm minority interests," he said in his more than 90-minute long reply. The motion was later passed by the voice vote. The prime minister said much has been said about the CAA, ironically by those who love getting photographed with the group of people who want 'Tukde Tukde of India. "Those who have been removed from office by the people of India are now doing the unthinkable. They see citizens on the basis of their faith. We are different. We see everyone as an Indian," he said. Attacking the Congress, Modi said a person who was associated with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots was made as chief minister. "Does a party that keeps talking about secularism not remember 1984 and the anti-Sikh violence. It was shameful. In addition, they did not make efforts to punish the guilty," he said. Defending the CAA, the prime minister said the Congress is having problems when "our govt is taking decisions on wishes of the country's founding fathers". Slamming former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah for their remarks on abrogation of Article 370, Modi said Kashmir's identity was buried on January 19, 1990, when Kashmiri Pandits started leaving the Valley due to militancy. "Who made Kashmir only about land grabbing? Who made Kashmir's identity only about bombs and guns? Can anyone forget that dark night of January? In reality, Kashmiri identity is closely linked with harmony," he said. Elaborating on his government's achievements, the prime minister said the people of the country have seen his government's work between 2014 and 2019 and gave a bigger mandate in 2019. "The people of India saw our work for five years. They once again blessed us, so that we work even faster," he said. Modi said India can no longer wait for problems to remain unsolved, and, rightfully so. "That is why, our aim is speed and scale, determination and decisiveness, sensitivity and solutions". "The people of India have not only changed the Sarkar (government). They want the 'Sarokar' (conduct) to be changed as well. If we had worked according to the old ways and thought processes: Article 370 would never have been history. Muslim women would have kept suffering due to Triple Talaq," he said. The prime minister said if his government worked as per the old ways, the Ram Janmabhoomi issue would have remained unsolved, Kartarpur Sahib corridor would not be a reality, there would be no India-Bangladesh land agreement. Modi said the Congress did not remember to save the Constitution during Emergency and the 'Save Constitution' mantra is must "for those who dismissed several state governments". Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi said, "I heard an Opposition MP saying- we will beat Modi with sticks in 6 months. I have also decided I will do more 'Surya Namaskar'. This will make my back even stronger to face abuses. In any case, I have been abused so much for the last 2 decades that their negativity hardly matters". On the economy, the prime minister said the government has kept the fiscal deficit in check, price rise is also under check and there is macro-economic stability. Modi said the agriculture budget, which was earlier Rs 27,000 crore, has now been increased by five times to about Rs 1.5 lakh crore. The agriculture budget has risen 5 times during the tenure of the NDA Government. The prime minister said driven by politics, some states are not allowing farmers to benefit from the PM-Kisan Scheme. "I appeal to them- let there be no in farmer welfare. We all have to work together for the prosperity of farmers of India," he said. He said the PM-KISAN Samman Yojana is transforming the lives of many farmers. Several farmers have benefited due to this. In this scheme there are no middlemen and no extra file work. Modi said the FDI in April-Sept 2018 stood at USD 22 billion, while in April-Sept 2019 it increased to USD 26 billion. This reflects confidence of foreign investors in India, he said. Referring to the Northeast, Modi said for years, distance became a reason to ignore this region. Things have changed now and the region is becoming a growth engine as great work has been done in so many sectors and ministers and officials are regularly visiting the Northeast. "Despite many efforts, the issue was unsolved for years. Whatever was done earlier was for meeting political ends, remained confined to papers. "The Bodo Accord signed now is special because it has brought all stakeholders together and we are moving towards a more peaceful era," he said. At the beginning of his speech, some Congress MPs raised slogans hailing Mahatma Gandhi with party leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury saying, "it is just a trailer". At this Modi shot back: "Mahatma Gandhi may be trailer for you, but he is life for us". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) People tend to follow trends set by their peers. [Photo: Getty] Weve all heard of the theory that if you surround yourself with positive people you will feel more positive as a result. According to new research, the same can be said for your eating habits. If the people you follow on social media regularly post photos of healthy foods, Aston Universitys School of Life and Health Sciences discovered that youre more likely to follow suit. It works both ways, too. If your friends are snapping photos of junk food, youll be more likely to drive to the nearest fast food chain. READ MORE: Four in five adolescents arent exercising enough The research found that participants would eat an extra fifth of a portion of fruit and vegetables for every portion they thought their peers were eating. In theory, that means that if you think your social media friends are getting their five a day, you will have an extra portion of fruit to compensate. On the flip side, if Facebook users thought their friends were eating junk food, theyd eat around a third more junk food as a result. READ MORE: Should schools ban packed lunches? The research is the first of its kind to suggest our online social circles could be influencing our eating habits. Companies have quickly seen the value of influencer marketing which sees individuals with a big following advertising for brands. But, what about on a more local level? This could open up a whole new platform to encourage healthy eating. The study of 369 university students was published in the scientific journal, Appetite. It asked participants to estimate how much fruit, vegetables, energy-dense snacks and sugary drinks their Facebook friends consumed daily. Those who thought their social circles approved of eating junk food were a lot more likely to readily consume it themselves. READ MORE: New report says obesity isnt a choice The most recent figures from the NHS's Health Survey for England showed that in 2018 only 28% of adults were eating the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. That was the highest rate across the UK, with Northern Ireland coming in lowest at 20%. Story continues Children and young people have an even lower overall consumption. Aston University health psychology PhD student Lily Hawkins, who led the study alongside supervisor Dr Jason Thomas, said: This study suggests we may be influenced by our social peers more than we realise when choosing certain foods. We seem to be subconsciously accounting for how others behave when making our own food choices. So if we believe our friends are eating plenty of fruit and veg we're more likely to eat fruit and veg ourselves. On the other hand, if we feel they're happy to consume lots of snacks and sugary drinks, it can give us a 'licence to overeat' foods that are bad for our health. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo Style UK: A handful of prominent San Francisco political operatives are seeking to gut a ballot measure voters overwhelmingly passed last year that pulls back the curtain on whos paying for campaign advertisements. In a federal lawsuit filed last week, a group sued the city to neuter the key provisions of Proposition F, which its supporters named the Sunlight on Dark Money Initiative. Prop. F, which passed with 77% of the vote and took effect in December, forces political campaigns to disclose their top three contributors of $5,000 or more in their advertising materials, along with exactly how much they gave. That threshold was previously $10,000. If one of a campaigns top three contributors is another political group a common technique that can be used to obscure the sources of donations the advertisements must also disclose that umbrella groups top two contributors and the size of their donations. Among other provisions, the measure placed strict limits on contributions made by people or companies that have major real estate matters worth $5 million or more before the city. The group that filed the lawsuit contends that so much mandated financial disclosure will crowd out the political messages campaigns are trying to convey through television, radio, print and online ads. The group argues that the constraints placed on political ads by Prop. F violate their free speech rights. The additional disclosure requirements strike me as being illegal, said Todd David, the groups principal officer and executive director of the Housing Action Coalition, an organization closely aligned with the mayors office. Im very concerned that this limits the ability of campaigns, particularly small campaigns to communicate. A twist in the lawsuit is that the group suing, led by David, was ostensibly formed to support and raise money for the upcoming earthquake safety bond on the March ballot. Another political committee, run by the San Francisco firefighters union, is the primary funnel for money aimed at supporting the earthquake measure and appears to be complying with Prop. Fs mandates. The lawsuit has drawn support from two additional veteran campaign consultants with deep roots in San Francisco and Bay Area politics: Maggie Muir and Nicole Derse. Muir is a political strategist and campaign manager for Mayor London Breed, among other candidates and causes. Derse, the principal and cofounder of 50 + 1 Strategies, has run many local campaigns, most recently for former district attorney candidate Suzy Loftus. Muir and Derse are not plaintiffs in the suit, but filed declarations with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California supporting a motion to block the city from enforcing Prop. F. Proposition F makes it more difficult for voters to hear a campaigns message, from any side, Derse said in a statement. Online ads are a cost-effective way for even the lowest budget campaigns to reach voters; as the law stands now, their entire 15-second ad could be a disclaimer. Thats just not fair to either campaigns or voters. Muir said in a statement: The disclosure of campaign funders is critical to ensuring transparency for voters and the reason why San Francisco has robust disclaimer rules in place. The expanded disclaimers required under Prop. F renders useless many communication tools, particularly those used by smaller, less well-funded campaigns. In a 15-second digital ad, the spoken and written disclaimers will cover the entire ad. In smaller newspaper ads, the disclaimer will fill the space of the entire ad. Jon Golinger, who co-authored Prop. F, called the suit an attempt by business-friendly political consultants to obscure whos behind the donations flowing to the candidates and causes they work for. This lawsuit is designed to keep voters in the dark so that secretive Super PACs can hide the real agenda behind their campaign ads, he said in a statement. In a brief, the group bringing the lawsuit argues that the disclosures mandated by Prop. F had forced the committee to make tough choices regarding from whom it seeks funding. The group, for instance, decided not to seek money from the San Francisco Association of Realtors because its commonly associated with pro-development and pro-business interests, which could turn off voters. But Davids group has taken money from San Franciscos United Democratic Club, which itself has taken contributions from the Realtors Association. That means the association would still have to be identified as a donor for the earthquake measure. Wanting to hide unpopular donors is not a valid reason to deprive voters of information. We hope that the city attorney vigorously defends this law and the will of the voters in court, Golinger said. John Cote, a spokesman for the city attorneys office, confirmed the city attorney is defending this ballot measure consistent with First Amendment law. Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dominicfracassa By Jeremy Herb, CNN (CNN) -- The Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump on two articles of impeachment Wednesday, marking the inevitable and historic end to a bitterly fought, divisive impeachment trial that will reverberate into the 2020 election and shape Trump's presidential legacy. BREAKING: Pres. Donald Trump has been acquitted by the Senate on both articles of impeachment. https://t.co/pZ46hjTyU1 ABC News (@ABC) February 5, 2020 Chief Justice Roberts: "It is therefore ordered and adjudged that the said Donald John Trump be, and he is hereby, acquitted of the charges in said articles." pic.twitter.com/61M9Ugs72K CSPAN (@cspan) February 5, 2020 But the final day of the Senate's impeachment trial was not without suspense: Sen. Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican, found the President guilty of abuse of power, becoming the first senator in US history to vote to remove from office a president from the same party. The third Senate impeachment trial of a sitting president in US history concluded Wednesday afternoon with votes finding the President not guilty of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, the impeachment articles the House charged Trump with in December. Romney was the sole Republican to vote to convict the President on the first article of impeachment, abuse of power, joining with all Senate Democrats in a 52-48 not guilty vote. Romney voted with Republican against the obstruction of Congress charge, which fell along straight party lines, 53-47 for acquittal. The acquittal verdict was the final act of a four-month impeachment that inflamed the partisan tensions simmering throughout the course of the Trump administration, tensions that boiled over during the State of the Union even though Trump left impeachment out of his speech. While Wednesday's vote marks the end of the formal impeachment process, Trump and his Democratic detractors are sure to take up the fight over the ultimate significance of the President's impeachment as the presidential campaign heats up. Though Trump is likely to claim victory and vindication with the Senate's vote, Romney's vote denies him a purely partisan outcome on impeachment. Every Democrat, including fence-sitters like Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, voted to convict the President, meaning the acquittal vote was not bipartisan like it was in the House. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose icy exchanges with Trump during the State of the Union only underscored the acrimony of the impeachment process, has been quick to remind Trump he's now been "impeached for life" by the House. Democrats have dismissed the Senate trial as a cover-up for the President after Senate Republicans refused to consider new and important evidence. The ultimate impact of Trump's impeachment will remain murky until November, when voters will have their say on whether an impeached President will receive a second term. In his Senate floor speech announcing his vote, Romney choked up while explaining how his faith helped guide him to what he described as "the most difficult decision I have ever faced." "Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath of office that I can imagine," Romney said in explaining his vote. The groundwork for the third impeachment of a US president began in September when Pelosi announced an impeachment inquiry following an anonymous whistleblower complaint alleging Trump sought election help from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a July 2019 phone call. The House's whirlwind investigation that followed uncovered a months-long effort in which Trump and his personal attorney Rudy Giuliani pressured Ukraine to announce investigations into the President's political rivals while $400 million in US security aid to Ukraine and a White House meeting were withheld. The House voted to impeach the President on two articles in December, backed by all but two Democrats. Republican-turned independent Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan also voted in favor. Every Republican voted against it, and one of the Democrats who joined them in opposition, Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, switched parties soon after. Senate trial focused on witnesses In the Senate, Democrats knew the votes were never there to remove the President. So they focused their efforts on pushing for the trial to include testimony from witnesses and subpoenaing documents that the White House blocked during the House's impeachment inquiry. The witness vote would be closely contested, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell included a request from his moderates in the trial rules to have a vote whether witnesses should be called after opening arguments and senator questions. The week of the vote, a bomb was dropped on Republicans working to defeat the witness vote new revelations from the draft book manuscript of former national security adviser John Bolton alleging the President told Bolton US aid was conditioned on Ukraine announcing investigations into Democrats. The revelations upended the Republican efforts to lock up votes to defeat the motion for witnesses, and Democrats argued that Bolton's claims and willingness to testify required the Senate to hear from him. McConnell urged his caucus to "take a deep breath." Republicans warned that calling Bolton could spark unintended consequences and an indefinite extension of the trial that had ground the Senate to a halt, while the President's attorneys told senators that what Bolton alleged, if true, still did not constitute an impeachable offense. Two Republicans, Romney and Susan Collins of Maine, signaled they would support witnesses. A third, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, was on the fence. But the potential key swing vote, Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, was convinced by the Republican argument, concluding the House proved its case but it didn't warrant impeachment. "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," Alexander said Wednesday explaining his vote. Murkowski also sided with Alexander, leading to a 49-51 vote against witnesses on Friday. She said she believed that all sides failed in the impeachment process: the House, the Senate and the President. After the failed witness vote, the trial was headed to a quick end, and the two sides reached their only agreement of the trial: the trial would break for the weekend and the final vote would come Wednesday after closing arguments and three days of senator speeches to explain their votes. 'For all of history' In closing arguments on Monday, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the lead impeachment manager, urged senators to consider history as they cast votes of guilty and not guilty. The outcome may have been certain but not every vote had been accounted for. "If you find that the House has proved its case and still vote to acquit, your name will be tied to his with a cord of steel and for all of history," Schiff said. "But if you find the courage to stand up to him, to speak the awful truth to his rank falsehood, your place will be among the Davids who took on Goliath. If only you will say enough." One by one, however, the Republicans who may have been on the fence about voting to convict the President said they would render a verdict of not guilty until Romney's announcement on Wednesday. "Were I to ignore the evidence that has been presented, and disregard what I believe my oath and the Constitution demands of me for the sake of a partisan end, it would, I fear, expose my character to history's rebuke and the censure of my own conscience," Romney said. Democrats praised Romney for standing up to his party, but the backlash was swift in Republican circles. Romney's GOP Senate colleagues said they were disappointed, downplaying the significance of his vote, while the President's son Donald Trump Jr. called for Romney to be expelled from the Republican Party. Among Democrats, the impeachment managers' case convinced any wavering senators that Trump's actions did not warrant removal. The biggest Democratic wildcard was Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who said all week he was struggling with the decision. But both Manchin and Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama, the most vulnerable Senate Democrat up for reelection in 2020, said they reluctantly voted guilty. "I cannot and will not shrink from my duty to defend the constitution and to do impartial justice," Jones said. This story has been updated with additional developments Wednesday. Parents of some of the African students trapped in China amid the deadly coronavirus outbreak have urged Zambian authorities to bring back their children. But Zambia says an evacuation is premature. "Are they waiting for our children to die? And then they'll think about evacuating?" Asks Eleanor Mwukaila Nkole, whose daughter is currently stranded in Shanxi province, some 900 km from Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak. Nkole and other parents were dismayed to learn that Zambian authorities have ruled out repatriating citizens, on the basis that a evacuation would be premature. "I don't understand what that means, because this virus is moving quickly," she told RFI. The pneumonia-like virus has so far killed almost 500 people and infected tens of thousands more, with cases reported in at least 24 countries worldwide. Many countries are evacuating or planning to evacuate citizens from parts of China hit by the coronavirus. Zambia's Education Minister Brian Mushimba however, insisted students are better off in Beijing, where medical facilities are more advanced. Resources gap "You can't just put your people in other people's hands," reckons Nkole. "If my child is in the next town with a friend and my child gets sick, I cannot say that because my friend has more money than me that my child should stay there." Earlier this week, Senegal's President Macky Sall admitted that African countries like Senegal lacked the means to evacuate their nationals. "They should have something to cater for a disaster like this," comments Nkole. "What would they do if the virus started in Senegal? They can't just leave our children and other nationals there." Some 4,000 Zambian nationals are among the thousands of African students stranded in Beijing, facing dwindling food supplies and limited information. Nkole's daughter, Taonga--which means 'thank you' in Chewa, one of Zambia's 72 languages--is one of the few remaining students at Shanxi medical university. Story continues "Most people have left, and my daughter is scared and she's stressed." Student support While authorities in Zambia have vowed to facilitate students through food and medical supplies, Nkole says her daughter has yet to receive any help. "Some of the children are not receiving the food they promised. Shops are closed. Where will our children buy food? Some of them don't have water. And even the masks, my daughter as far as I know, has not received anything." Zambia is Africa's second largest copper producer after the Democratic Republic of Congo, but economic growth and massive Chinese investment have failed to improve the lives of most Zambians. Parents like Nkole, who lives in Zambia's rich CopperBelt province, look to their children for help. "Those children when they come back into this country, they contribute directly to the economy of Zambia. Right now, they feel abandoned." Nkole is urging authorities to set up quarantine centres for returning nationals. "Make centres available where they can be quarantined for two weeks and then let them get back to their normal lives. It's not fair to keep them there." For Immediate Release Chicago, IL February 6, 2020 Zacks.com announces the list of stocks featured in the Analyst Blog. Every day the Zacks Equity Research analysts discuss the latest news and events impacting stocks and the financial markets. Stocks recently featured in the blog include GoDaddy Inc. GDDY, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. GLDD, LPL Financial Holdings Inc. LPLA and Pacira BioSciences, Inc. PCRX. Here are highlights from Wednesdays Analyst Blog: 4 Top Growth Stocks to Buy as Coronavirus Fears Subside Investor fears about the deadly coronavirus and its subsequent impact on the global economy seem to be easing. The virus has so far affected more than 20,000 people in China and has claimed 465 lives, per Chinas National Health Commission. The United States had earlier declared the coronavirus a public health emergency while the WHO recognized the impact of the virus to be widespread, affecting countries with weaker health systems. However, recent actions by Beijing to combat the virus impact on the economy and consequently stocks have been encouraging. The Peoples Bank of China offered funds in the overnight market to the tune of $71 billion for the second successive day to alleviate the economic stress of containing the outbreak. The central bank particularly wanted to encourage lending to struggling business houses. Adding to the positive note, fresh data shows that the domestic economy continues to be in good shape, thanks to a rebound in manufacturing activities. According to the Institute of Supply Management, its manufacturing index climbed to 50.9 in January from an upwardly revised 47.8 in December. The index scaled beyond the 50 mark, which separates expansion from contraction. Analysts, by the way, were expecting a reading of 48.5. Strength in new orders, production and employment supported the gains. The gauge of new orders increased 4.4 points to 52 in January, the highest since July. One of the ISM survey respondents said that our business is starting 2020 stronger than we finished 2019, as we saw a dramatic downturn in orders over the last four months of 2019. Productions also turned positive, while employment in the manufacturing sector increased. The employment index hit 46.6 last month compared with 45.2 in the prior month. Story continues Coming back to the coronavirus issue, let us admit that its concerns are overblown. This is because experts are pretty confident about containing the outbreak. Medical experts at Johns Hopkin have downplayed the threat from this particular type of coronavirus or the 2019-nCoV. Gabor Kelen, a medical doctor and director of the Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response, recently said that the immediate health risk from 2019-nCoV to the general public in the United States is thought to be low at this time. Moreover, coronavirus isnt as deadly and contagious as Ebola, SARS and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome. All the previous outbreaks could have had disastrous effects on the global economy. However, they were contained before serious damage was done. 4 of the Best Growth Stocks to Buy Right Away With the economic impact of the coronavirus expected to be short lived, the broader market is poised to gain in the long run. Thus, to outdo market returns as well as take advantage of the aforesaid factors, we have used the Zacks Stock Screener to narrow down on stocks with solid prospects, sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) along with Growth Score of A. GoDaddy Inc. designs and develops cloud-based technology products for small businesses, Web design professionals, and individuals in the United States. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has moved up 31.7% over the past 90 days. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 25.4% versus the Internet - Delivery Services industrys expected decline of 19.6%. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. provides dredging services in the United States. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has moved up 5.4% over the past 60 days. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 358.8% compared with the Building Products - Heavy Construction industrys expected increase of 3.2%. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. LPL Financial Holdings Inc. provides an integrated platform of brokerage and investment advisory services. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has risen 5.3% over the past 60 days. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 5.4% against the Financial - Investment Bank industrys expected decline of 4.8%. Pacira BioSciences, Inc. provides non-opioid pain management and regenerative health solutions for health care practitioners and their patients in the United States. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current-year earnings has climbed 2.6% over the past 60 days. The companys expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 49% compared with the Medical - Drugs industrys expected increase of 10.4%. Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a Generation Be among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, its expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity. A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks just-released special report reveals 8 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time. See 8 breakthrough stocks now>> Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates. Media Contact Zacks Investment Research 800-767-3771 ext. 9339 support@zacks.com https://www.zacks.com 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 GoDaddy Inc. (GDDY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (GLDD) : Free Stock Analysis Report LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (LPLA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (PCRX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Thu, February 6, 2020 15:45 704 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2062f9044 1 National Bali-Governor-Wayan-Koster,traditional,Arak-Bali,gubernatorial-decree,liquor,alcohol Free Bali Governor Wayan Koster has issued a gubernatorial decree regulating the province's traditional liquors in a bid to preserve and promote the drinks in the region. Wayan said that the decree on traditional Balinese fermented and distilled drinks, ratified on Jan 29, would promote local liquors such as arak, tuak - both distilled from coconut palm flowers - and brem, a traditional rice wine, as part of the regions many unique cultural traits. I also hope that with this regulation, traditional Balinese fermented drinks can be part of our new economic power based on local people and local wisdom, he said on Wednesday, as quoted by Antara news agency. Koster said the new regulation would require Balinese traditional liquor producers to hold licenses and pass food safety tests from the Indonesian Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) to ensure that they met quality and hygiene standards. This way, our traditional drinks can be served in hotels, sold at airports and served during dinner receptions at the governors official residence, he said. He also encouraged the provincial research and innovation agency to safeguard farmers' intellectual rights over the products. He added that he had also suggested to the Customs and Excise Office that the drinks receive tax incentives and even be excluded from export fees to support the industrys development. Koster added that the new regulation could act as a way out from the governments negative investment list that bars foreign investment in alcoholic drink manufacturing as it would regulate the promotion, branding and funding for the liquors' production. Besides promoting and preserving the local drinks, the regulation also details the administrative sanctions for producers and sellers who violate its provisions. We prohibit selling to underage children, Koster said, adding that the administration also banned liquor sales among street vendors, on camping sites, around worship sites, schools, government offices and hospitals. (ris) SPRINGFIELD Worried the acquittal of President Donald Trump is an attack on the countrys democracy, Diane Darin said she felt she had to make her concerns known. So an hour after the U.S. Senate voted largely along party lines Wednesday afternoon not to remove Trump from office on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, Darin stood on the steps of City Hall with about 35 other people to protest. She held a large sign reading, Checks and balances are not just there to look pretty. Wednesdays rally was one of hundreds of Reject the Cover-Up events held across the country to protest the Senates vote in Trumps impeachment trial. As part of the movement, about 50 protesters were arrested at the Capitol in Washington as they staged a sit-in. Im protesting the sham of a trial, Darin said at the Springfield event. Not to have witnesses or documents, that isnt a trial. Darin, of Springfield, argued that multiple senators agreed Trumps behavior was wrong and they admitted the investigation revealed Trump had sought foreign interference from Ukraine for the 2020 election. But those senators said they did not feel it was an impeachable offense. He is a believer of dictatorship, Darin said of Trump. He worships dictators like (North Korean leader) Kim Jong-un. He is obsessed with power. The protest was organized by Rise Up Western Mass, the local chapter of the national grassroots progressive effort Indivisible. People held signs and chanted, Hear our voice, hear our votes and The GOP has got to go. One man yelled several times, Down with the tyrant king. Dissatisfaction with Trump and the impeachment outcome should help Democrats running in the 2020 election, said Jackie Neiman, of Longmeadow, an organizer for Rise Up Western Mass. Our voices are loud, but our voices will be louder in November, she said. But not everyone agreed with the sign-holders. One man walked by taunting the group by yelling Democrats are losers and telling the protesters that three years later they still cannot accept that Trump was elected president. Holding a sign reading Keep your tiny hands of 2020 Sara Ostrom, of Easthampton, said she wanted to show solidarity with protesters across the country and that she doesnt agree with the Senate verdict. We are angry and we just want to show that, she said. AAP convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal waves from an open vehicle during a roadshow before filing his nomination for the Assembly polls in New Delhi-Jan 20, 2020 (PTI) Ahead of the forthcoming Delhi assembly polls, even as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) announced candidates for all 70 seats, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress began announcing their own lists in batches but hesitated in naming a candidate from the New Delhi constituency. That did not come as a surprise. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is contesting from the seat, and putting up a candidate against an incumbent CM who is largely tipped to win again is, according to a Congress leader in Delhi, a matter of "balancing act". "See, putting up a strong face against a strong candidate is a task, because for one thing, a senior leader would not agree to contest from a seat like New Delhi, where the scales are tipped against him. If someone does agree and then he or she loses, it becomes a matter of career," the leader said. "On the other hand, putting up a weak candidate is not good for optics either. It's all about what message goes out," the leader added. This time around, both BJP and Congress have opted to go with first-timers from the constituency. While the BJP has fielded Sunil Yadav, the party's Yuva Morcha president for Delhi, Congress has fielded Romesh Sabharwal, an old Congress hand who is also associated with the party's student unit. Reports suggest that Yadav has pitched the New Delhi contest as a battle between him, a "local boy" and Kejriwal, a "high-profile politician" and he says he will win the election by a margin of 25,000 votes. On his part, Sabhrawal claimed that Kejriwal has done nothing for the constituency and that "he may be the CM of Delhi, but I am a local". "... (I am) a son of a government servant and an honest taxpayer who understands the need of the residents of the constituency," Sabhrawal said, according to India Today. Be that as it may, carved out of Gole Market and Sarojini Nagar constituencies in 2008, the New Delhi seat has had a history of being represented by Chief Ministers. In the past 10 years, it has been represented by former Delhi CM, the late Sheila Dikshit, in 2008 and then by Kejriwal from 2013 to 2015. In 2013, New Delhi had become the focal point of the elections because it was Kejriwal fresh out of the anti-corruption agitation challenging the might of Dikshit, a former CM. In 2015, Kejriwal was re-elected, something that he hopes will happen this time as well. The constituency is also important because among its voters is a mix of government employees, the trading community and lower income groups. While it was a Congress bastion once, reports suggest that the AAP has carved New Delhi as its own fortress over the course of past seven years. Predicting the weather in Ireland is a tricky enough past-time. Winds change without warning and, instead of waking up to a clear, calm day, we are bracing ourselves for an onrushing storm. Predicting how Irish people will vote in a general election is an equally difficult endeavour. Some get the wind firmly in their political sails and they will ride that wave as far as they possibly can. Others find themselves in calm waters and navigate a slow and steady course to avoid all storms that may unexpectedly appear on the horizon. The unlucky ones find themselves in choppy waters, surrounded by dark clouds and have to work frantically just to keep their once buoyant boat afloat. Whatever the weather brings this Saturday, and it looks like Storm Ciara will begin to hit with polling stations still open, the storm in South Offaly will ultimately decide the final seat in the Laois/Offaly constituency. And ultimately the seat might be filled further north than some might think. Political pundits and bookmakers alike all agree that four of the five seats in Laois/Offaly will be filled by outgoing TDs. Sinn Fein's Brian Stanley, Fianna Fail's Barry Cowen and Sean Fleming and Fine Gael's Charlie Flangan will most likely be returned to Leinster House. This of course is not a foregone conclusion but, barring a major surprise, this quartet should be relatively safe. If there is to be a surprise, it could be for Charlie Flanagan who previously lost his seat to Tom Parlon in 2002. Which brings us to Offaly and a unique situation where four experienced politicians are battling against each other in a relatively small and less well populated part of the constituency. It is rare that one area is loaded with such a collection of strong candidates. There are two outgoing TDs and two councillors who were each elected on the first count in last year's local elections. After first getting elected to the Dail in 2011, Fine Gael's Marcella Corcoran Kennedy comfortably held her seat in 2016 when Offaly was hived off from Laois for the first and only time. Carol Nolan, then of Sinn Fein but now Independent, took the third seat in Offaly in 2016 holding off the challenge of Fianna Fail's Eddie Fitzpatrick. John Leahy has twice run in the general election garnering a significant vote each time. In 2016 he was only 208 votes behind Carol Nolan after the first count but proved not to be as transfer friendly and eventually ended up fifth in the three seater constituency. Last year, however, he topped the poll in the Birr electoral area with a massive 2,277 votes, the largest of any candidate in the county. Fianna Fail's Peter Ormond, the only newcomer to a national election, was also elected on the first count in the Birr electoral area last year with 1,729 votes. While significantly behind John Leahy, it was the second largest vote gained by any candidate in the county. So, you ask, where does all this leave the battle for the fifth seat? Your guess is probably as good as ours. READ NEXT: Who will Edenderry vote for? The mystery that could decide Laois-Offaly While each candidate is a proven vote-getter, they each have their own hurdles to overcome. Marcella Corcoran Kennedy is part of a government party that is slipping in opinion polls and the impending Bord na Mona job losses in her own back yard will not help her re-election bid. She does however have the benefit of being the only Fine Gael candidate in Offaly. That might yet be her trump card. Carol Nolan was elected for Sinn Fein in 2016 but left the party in 2018 over the party's support for the abortion referendum and is thus shorn of that political machine and the county wide reach such a machine generates. She has been very active on the ground since her election and that involvement will stand to her when votes are cast on Saturday. Similarly John Leahy, once leader of Renua, is plotting an independent course this time around. He has done so before in 2011, where he also performed strongly, but he has to reach the electorate across Offaly and even parts of Laois if he is to turn a very solid base into a winning foundation. For Peter Ormond, his challenge is to turn local success into a national seat and the challenge for his party is to manage the Fianna Fail vote better than it has in recent elections. In 2016 in Offaly, the party got 36% of the vote in Offaly but only filled one of the three seats with Eddie Fitzpatrick ultimately losing out by just 170 votes. Better management of that vote would have seen the Portarlington man join Barry Cowen in Leinster House. If Fianna Fail can avoid a 28% to 8% spilt, like was the case in 2016, they are in with a chance. If that repeats, Ormond will likely have too much ground to make up when the transfer battle begins. So again you ask, where does this leave the battle for the fifth seat. Again we say, who knows? It really is too close too call and there is no guarantee that one of this quartet will get the final seat even though their battle against each other will decide the outcome. The scenario could arise where each of the four polls relatively well and none gets elected. If this happens, it opens the door for others. While South Offaly is over served with candidates, North Offaly is markedly under served yet again. Green Party Senator Pippa Hackett is the only candidate based north or east of Tullamore. If she can maximise her vote in her area, there is a possibility the quartet in South Offaly could effectively hold each other back by splitting the available votes four ways. While there doesn't seem to be the same massive ground swell behind the Green Party as there was in 2019, Pippa Hackett proved to be very transfer friendly in last year's local elections and a repeat of that could see her over the line and into the Dail. An outsider with cross border appeal is Ken Smollen of the Irish Democratic Party. His Ken Smollen Food Appeal is widely known across both Laois and Offaly and he got over 1,000 first preference votes in last year's local election in Tullamore. A fractured field to his south could benefit him greatly. While there are knowns and unknowns, possibles and probables, one thing that is certain is that a second Offaly candidate will emerge from the pack to take the fifth seat. Ultimately it will be decided on Saturday when the votes are cast right across the country. The Crimean pines suffered the most. Occupying authorities in Crimea have logged hundreds of thousands of trees and bushes to clear way for the construction of the new Tavrida highway. Plants were cut down both to lay new sections and expand the existing motorway, reports RFE/RL's media project Krym/Realii. According to a local blogger, it is unlikely that anyone will take up on restoring the forest belt along the highway. "It will be like in Krasnodar a bare steppe along the highway," he said, adding the trees had been planted there back in the middle of the last century. Read alsoZelensky's envoy comments on manipulation over resumption of water supplies to Crimea Ecologist Marharyta Lytvynenko said the trees and bushes from the Red List of Threatened Plants had also been cut down. "The gravest damage was near the city of Sevastopol where 20,000 trees were destroyed," she said, adding the Crimean pines suffered the most. The local road service said it had paid compensation for deforestation, namely RUB 209 million. The invaders claim they are planning to plant forest belts in the Pervomaisky district, far from the highway. [February 06, 2020] Clearblue Launches #Conceivinghood, a Campaign to Empower Women to Talk More Openly About the Pre-Pregnancy Phase GENEVA, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Clearblue has launched the 'Conceivinghood' campaign, which is designed to de-stigmatize the pre-pregnancy phase by putting control and confidence back in women's hands during this significant time. Society talks openly about 'womanhood' and 'motherhood', yet there is a blind spot when it comes to the delicate phase of trying for a baby: 'Conceivinghood', which is a time that can hold a lot of tension for women and their partners. For example, up to 90% of women want to achieve their personal goals before getting pregnant1, so many women are delaying starting a family until later in life, when their fertility is declining. Consequently, the average age of becoming a mother for the first time has increased drastically in the last 30 years. For one in five couples it takes more than 12 months to get pregnant2 and for up to 40% of women it can take more time than expected to conceive3. With 'Conceivinghood' (uk.clearblue.com/conceivinghood) Clearblue wants to promote the importance of this pre-pregnancy phase by sharing 'facts and faces'. Women will be able to take part in a survey about where they are on their 'Conceivinghood journey' and compare their results to women around the world. At the same time, they can watch the very personal 'Conceivinghood' experiences from other women and choose to share their own story. At its heart, the campaign features the 'Conceivinghood' video depicting the emotional rollercoaster for women trying to conceive and celebrates the introduction of 'Conceivinghood' as a means to empower women on their journey to getting pregnant. The campaign was created by Leo Burnett Milan and the video was developed in collaboration with Adolescent Content, a production company, led by award-winning director Ramaa Mosley. osley selected an all-female troupe of young up-and-coming directors in seven different countries. Each director captured footage of real women around the world embarking on their own fertility journeys. Adolescent Content handled all production through post for the ambitious project and Casta Diva was the Executive Producer. Giulia Zanzi, Head of Marketing, Fertility at Clearblue, commented "We are very proud to launch this campaign. Women's reproductive health rights deserve to be back in the global spotlight. When we speak to women, many think that the difficult part is deciding that now's the time they want a baby, but actually what we're hearing is that the journey to get pregnant can be an unexpected emotional rollercoaster. We're providing both facts and stories from real women, so that others can understand more about their fertility and not feel so alone during their journey." Alice Rose, from Cat + Alice, (www.catandalice.com), an infertility support initiative, commented "This new campaign is a ground-breaking, exciting move from Clearblue. Representing the huge community of women experiencing fertility issues (including secondary infertility, miscarriage and any difficult path to bringing home a baby) really means the world to us. Feeling seen and acknowledged will go such a long way to changing the social narrative and will help those going through it feel comforted, validated and less alone. We're so glad to have supported Clearblue with their campaign and will continue to help them connect with the community we are part of ourselves and do our best to represent." Clearblue presents: #Conceivinghood let's talk about it! About Clearblue The Clearblue range of diagnostic products are manufactured by SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH. Clearblue is the world's No. 1 selling brand in home pregnancy and fertility tests*. Consumers trust the Clearblue brand because it delivers the accurate information they want. The Clearblue product range is built on a strong foundation of peer-reviewed science and consumer understanding. Clearblue is supported by over 35 years of expertise, quality and innovation in consumer diagnostics. Clearblue ovulation tests are 99% accurate at detecting the luteinising hormone surge, used to identify the most fertile days in a cycle, and are proven to help you get pregnant4. *Based on international sales compiled using independent market research data (data on file). About Cat + Alice After almost 10 years of fertility and baby loss between them, Cat and Alice met through Instagram in 2018 where they were both using their experience to offer peer support for the highly engaged 'TTC' (trying to conceive) digital community. Now they work together to host sell-out live events as well as consulting and creating content for brands like the BBC (for BBC Radio 2 and Radio 5 Live's recent Fertility Week), Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Clearblue, myLotus and Kinetic. Both also host successful podcasts (Fertility Life Raft and Finally Pregnant). References: Prior E, et al. Human Fertility. (2018) 18. Australian women aged 1830 years NICE Clinical Guideline CG146. (2013). Available at: nice.org.uk/CG156 Study of 5000 women in USA, UK, Germany , Spain and China (2018) Product data on file Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1086841/Clearblue_Logo.jpg For more information on 'Conceivinghood' or Clearblue visit: uk.clearblue.com/conceivinghood [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] When people call 911, they dont want excuses. They dont want to hear ambulance response times are slower these days because theres been a big increase in demand without an increase in funding to buy more ambulances. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 5/2/2020 (705 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. When people call 911, they dont want excuses. They dont want to hear ambulance response times are slower these days because theres been a big increase in demand without an increase in funding to buy more ambulances. In a medical emergency, people want a trained professional to arrive, and every minute matters. Unlike Winnipeg, many jurisdictions meet this need for speed by dispatching a single paramedic who travels to calls in a vehicle equipped with the apparatus necessary to begin treatment for emergencies such as cardiac arrest, bleeding, epileptic seizures or broken bones. Delegating some emergencies to single paramedics would be a big change for Winnipeg. For the past two decades, emergency medical calls have typically been answered by fire trucks staffed by firefighter paramedics, followed shortly thereafter by an ambulance and crew. Increased demand has put a strain on Winnipegs ambulance service. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files) The use of single-response paramedics should be investigated as an option for Winnipegs emergency services, whose current state could fairly be categorized as "code red." Statistics provided this week show the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responded to 73,420 calls for emergency medical services in 2019, an increase of 31 per cent in annual calls since 2015. The upsurge is blamed partly on the so-called grey tsunami, the term used for the increasing number of baby boomers whose advancing age is accompanied by an accumulation of health problems. Population growth and the citys escalating methamphetamine crisis have undoubtedly also contributed to the strain. It has also been suggested that the provinces move last year to cut ambulance fees in half the fulfilment of an election promise by Premier Brian Pallister might be a factor in increased demand for emergency-vehicle service. Alarmingly, the situation too many patients, not enough ambulances is so serious that, as was reported this week, there were more than seven hours in December when all available ambulances were busy and Winnipeg did not have a single ambulance free to respond to emergencies. The use of single-response paramedics should be investigated as an option for Winnipegs emergency services. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press files) At least six more ambulances are needed to augment the 28 ambulances currently in service, said WFPS deputy chief Christian Schmidt. 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. The problem, of course, is the price tag. Each new ambulance would cost $2.2 million for staff, training and overhead. Thats money government is not inclined to spend. Funding for paramedic services in Winnipeg has been frozen since 2016 when a service agreement between the city and the province expired. The challenge is how to answer more ambulance calls without buying more ambulances. A possible answer was provided by Ryan Woiden, president of the paramedics union, who noted other cities often send just one paramedic to some types of emergency calls. These single-response units are typically dispatched to patients whose medical emergencies are not life-threatening. These vehicles dont have stretchers and cant transport patients, but the paramedic is qualified to judge whether the patient should be transported to hospital or, as often is the case, can be stabilized by the paramedics treatment so an ambulance is not required. When hospitalization is required, these paramedics dont have to go along, freeing them up to attend to other calls. In a medical emergency, time is critical. The response time is Winnipeg averages about 13 minutes, which exceeds the national standard of approximately nine minutes. Civic administration should be tasked to study how single-response units have helped emergency services in other cities, and how they might be integrated here. What matters to a patient in crisis is that an emergency medical professional arrives as quickly as possible. It matters less whether that crucial help arrives in a fire truck or an ambulance. An accused fled after locals attacked an Uttarakhand police team that came to the village to arrest him in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district, police said. Dharmender Sharma, who is an accused in connection with a case under the Excise Act, escaped from Mandla village under Purkazi police station in the district on Wednesday. According to Purkazi SHO Pankej Tyagi, a police team from Uttarakhand had gone to the village to arrest the absconding accused. The villagers assaulted the police team when Dharmender was being taken into custody, he said. Meanwhile, local police registered a case against Dharmender along with four others Mohit Sharma, Budhu, Mange Ram and Pupu. Dharmender is wanted in a case in Uttarakhand's Devprayag town for which the police team had come from the neighbouring state to arrest him, the SHO said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former vice president Joe Biden has selected seven prominent Democrats from Central New York to serve as delegates for his 2020 presidential campaign and represent him at the Democratic National Convention in July. Biden, a 1968 graduate of Syracuse Universitys law school, filed his full slate of delegates with the New York Board of Elections this week in advance of the states April 28 presidential primary election. New York is a key state in the Democratic presidential race because it has been allotted 278 delegates to the national convention in Milwaukee, the second highest total of any state. California will have 415 delegates. The delegates will be awarded based on the number of votes presidential candidates receive in each of New Yorks 27 congressional districts. The 24th Congressional District in Central New York will be represented by seven delegates. The Biden slate includes Democrats who are serving or served in elected office, union leaders and longtime Democratic party activists. Heres a closer look at the delegates: Peggy Chase Chase, 72, of Syracuse, is serving her fourth term as a Democratic member of the Onondaga County Legislature. She is a registered nurse with a doctorate in education administration. Chase also serves on the New York Education Department Board for Nursing. Chase worked on Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign as a grassroots organizer and fundraiser. Bernard B. Washington, Jr. Washington, 58, of Syracuses Valley neighborhood, is fourth vice president of the Syracuse Teachers Association. Hes a former food service worker who serves as the union representative for food service employees and other support staff who work for the Syracuse City School District. Washington has been a political action committee coordinator for New York State United Teachers for the past three years. Diane Dwire Dwire, 73, of Camillus, is the first woman to have chaired the Onondaga County Democratic Committee, serving in that post from 2006 to 2010. Dwire also served three terms on the Camillus Town Board from 2001 to 2007. She now chairs the Camillus Democratic Committee. She is a veteran of the Army Nurse Corps. Dwire served six years of active duty and 18 years in the reserves. William Scott Jr. Scott, 51, of Fayetteville, is president of the Syracuse Teachers Association. He has worked as a social worker in the Syracuse area for more than 20 years. Scotts experience includes 10 years as a school social worker in the Syracuse City School District. He was elected in May to lead the 3,100-member Syracuse teachers union. Dia Carabajal Carabajal, of Auburn, is a professor of mathematics and computer science at Cayuga Community College. She was previously elected to the Auburn City Council and served two terms on the Auburn Board of Education. In November, Carabajal lost her bid for a second four-year term on the Auburn City Council. Bruce Conner Conner, 70, of Syracuse, is a retired Syracuse firefighter and a former chair of the Syracuse Housing Authority Board. Conner has worked for former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner's political campaigns, helping to attract minority voters and serving as a liaison with community groups. Conner was selected by Hillary Clinton to serve as one of her New York presidential delegates in 2016. Daniel T. Farfaglia Farfaglia, of Fulton, is a former Oswego County legislator. In 2011, he became the first Democrat to be elected to the 24th District seat in the Oswego County Legislature. He became the legislatures minority leader in 2016. In Novembers election, Farfaglia lost his bid to be elected mayor of Fulton. Farfaglia also was selected to serve as a delegate for Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign. Read more Meet the Bernie Sanders 2020 delegates from Central New York Joe Bidens poor showing in Iowa caucus shakes establishment support Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 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. A British tourist has become an an unlikely celebrity by providing cheerful daily updates from on board a quarantined cruise liner in Japan. David Abel has kept the world informed from his ninth-deck cabin on the Diamond Princess after the ship was locked down over coronavirus fears. The 74-year-old's upbeat Facebook videos, in which he embraces the two-week quarantine and pleads with staff for a daily banana and a glass of whisky, have earned him a wave of positive messages online. The videos have made him a valuable source of information for the world's media but Mr Abel says he would most like to be interviewed by ITV's Holly Willoughby. British tourist David Abel, pictured today in an ITV interview with his wife Sally, has provided daily updates from on board the Diamond Princess David Abel is one of more than 2,600 passengers on board the Diamond Princess (pictured) who are facing a two-week lockdown over coronavirus fears The British tourist, who is travelling with his wife Sally, is one of more than 2,600 passengers facing a two-week quarantine aboard the ship. Speaking to ITV's Good Morning Britain today he said: 'It's been a two-week luxury cruise, 15 days, now it's a very different atmosphere indeed. 'Every passenger is confined to their cabins, no room service and can't go into the dining room for meals, so we have very little choice.' The Facebook videos have also helped him address a more serious concern after Mr Abel, a diabetic, voiced fears that a lack of food would cause him to fall into a coma. The British tourist said that many of his online followers had made contact with Princess Cruises to raise the issue after seeing his videos. Since then, crew members have called him about his medical condition and staff in face masks have brought so much food to his cabin that some of it has been turned away. 'I hadn't eaten for 16, 17 hours, that was a major concern for me, so I couldn't take my insulin, if i did, I would be comatose, most likely,' he told GMB today. 'So that was a major problem. It's now been resolved, we are getting meals regularly, we are getting glasses of water given to us regularly, we only get one hot drink a day, I'd love to have more than that but that's it. 'It's a horrible situation for most passengers onboard, being stuck here, confined to the cabin. We are not allowed outside the room.' In one of his videos he added: 'One lady hadn't had an evening meal served last night and she went outside of her cabin door to try and find somebody, and she was literally shouted at and told get back in your room.' One of the cabins on board the Diamond Princess, where passengers have been told to stay in their rooms and are banned from even going into the corridor Ambulances wait to transfer patients who tested positive for the new coronavirus from the Diamond Princess cruise ship at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama today A passenger in a face mask looks out from a balcony on board the Diamond Princess today In one of his recent Facebook videos Mr Abel light-heartedly asked the ship's captain to arrange a glass of whisky for him. 'I know that room service are also getting these messages... so can I just give you a message... could someone on room service just bring me a fresh banana, every day? Just one banana, that's all I'm asking,' he pleaded. 'If the captain is listening to this: you needn't get involved on the banana - the room service will sort that, I'm sure - but it would be really good to have a glass of whisky to wash it down. 'I take Talisker, 10-year-old single malt, no ice, no water. It would be fantastic if that could be arranged,' he laughed. In some of his videos he has pleaded for an interview with ITV presenter Holly Willoughby, after receiving a wave of requests from the media. Mr Abel has also offered his sympathies to passengers who do not have a balcony, leaving them stuck indoors. 'It must be almost unbearable for them,' he said. 'No natural light. No fresh air. Thank goodness we do have a balcony. Without fresh air, some people were developing cough from the air conditioning and then becoming terrified it was an early symptom of the coronavirus, he said. He added tongue-in-cheek: 'They've learned a lesson from this, pay a bit extra to have a balcony. Oh wow, it's so worth it.' Health workers in protective suits put up hoardings yesterday as passengers who were diagnosed with the virus are moved Mr Abel's upbeat demeanour and positive messages have won him an outpouring of support on Facebook. 'Come on folks, have a wonderful day wherever you are in the world. Keep smiling, make the best of every circumstance. Don't live under the circumstances, live above them. Make the most of whatever life throws at you,' he said. 'When we get an announcement from the captain, which we must anytime soon - I guess it will be when he personally delivers the glass of Talisker, 10-year-old without water, without ice, neat. I guess when he brings that to the cabin, I'll have some really fresh news for you.' The quarantined ship has been shuttling between Yokohama Bay and the open sea, where it is collecting seawater to be converted for use in showers and drinking water. At least 20 people on board the ocean liner have tested positive for the new coronavirus after all 3,711 passengers and crew were screened by medics. Cruise ship Diamond Princess is off the shore of Yokohama today where passengers are facing a two-week virus lockdown A patient who confirmed positive for new coronavirus is transferred from cruise ship Diamond Princess for treatment on the mainland in Japan yesterday Japan imposed the quarantine after an 80-year-old passenger who left the ship in Hong Kong last month was found to have the virus. Some 273 people on board were selected further tests, including those who had close contact with the former passenger and others displaying potential symptoms. Health Minister Katsunobu Kato told parliament on Thursday that results for 102 people had now come in, with 20 testing positive. Ambulances arrived at the port, where officials could be seen dressed in white protective suits, to remove the ten latest infected people today. Two dozen countries now have confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus that emerged from a Wuhan market selling exotic animals at the end of last year. The global health emergency has left more than 560 people dead, most of them in mainland China. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Modern living standards indoor lighting, affordable food, heat in the winter, an internet connection require energy. And every energy source has its drawbacks. Its easy to point out the downsides of a given energy source and call for it to be banned. But if were not careful about weighing costs against benefits, were liable to end up with something even worse. This is becoming painfully evident in the case of Japan. In 2011, a nuclear power plant in northeast Japan's Fukushima prefecture was damaged by a huge tsunami and had multiple meltdowns. The radioactive contamination is still being dealt with and will be a major drain on government resources for decades to come. The accident also forced the evacuation of a large, densely populated area near the plant, causing a domestic refugee crisis. That catastrophe, combined with the political scandal surrounding the mismanagement of old plants, forced the shutdown of almost all nuclear power in the country. But total electricity consumption dipped only slightly. Where did Japan make up the difference? Fossil fuels. These went from 62% of Japans electricity production before the disaster to about 80% after: Even worse, it looks as if this is the new normal for Japan, at least for the next decade. A government push for green energy and rising public concerns about climate change have forced the cancellation of a few coal plants in favor of renewable sources. But the country is still on track to add more than 20 coal plants in the next five years. These plants are expected to emit as much carbon as all the passenger cars in the U.S. Part of this is problem is unique to Japan. The country has unusually high solar costs because of high land costs and limited sunshine. In most countries, the shift to solar will be faster. But Japans experience is still a cautionary tale for other countries. Shutting off nuclear power is unlikely to lead to faster adoption of renewable energy; many countries already are (or should be) trying to shift to solar and wind to replace fossil fuels as fast as they can. Instead, the loss of nuclear will lead to either electricity shortages and reduced living standards something that could cause popular anger and a backlash against environmental policy or a slower decline in coal and gas use. The latter is the most likely outcome. Story continues The U.S. is confronting exactly this choice. As part of his Green New Deal climate plan, presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has proposed not only to ban new nuclear plants but to close existing ones. If expansion of fossil fuel use is also banned, customers in states that use lots of nuclear will simply have to use less power. And not by a little, either: Lower-income residents, as usual, will be hit hardest. If the heaters and the lights start going off in Illinois, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, voters will revolt. At that point, ambitious Green New Dealers will face a choice: allow a temporary shift to easy, convenient, fossil-fuel generation and send emissions soaring again, or try to persuade citizens to suck it up for the good of the nation. The much easier solution is simply not to close nuclear plants in the first place. Yes, nuclear plants pose risks, but those can be managed. As long as plants arent built in earthquake zones or along low-lying coastlines vulnerable to a tsunami, natural disasters will have a hard time taking down a U.S. nuclear power facility the way Fukushima was. A freak tornado might do it, but a direct hit by a hurricane probably poses only a minor danger because plants are generally able to shut down safely before a storm strikes. A major terrorist attack is also a threat, but officials know this and security measures are very tight. Dealing with nuclear waste is also a big and continuing challenge. Of course, guarding against all of these threats and managing nuclear waste safely are expensive, meaning that without major technological advances nuclear isn't going to get cheaper any time soon. So whether leaders manage to ban it or not, construction of new nuclear plants the dream of many futurists and technologists is unlikely. Meanwhile, the waste problem means that in the long term a transition away from nuclear will be desirable. So nuclear wont be the thing that saves us from climate change; that task will fall to solar. But shuttering existing nuclear plants in the next decade would be a mistake. Despite the risks, the world isn't ready for an abrupt transition away from nuclear. Getting rid of fossil fuels needs to be the top priority, and existing nuclear plants will remain a very important stopgap until solar really ramps up. To contact the author of this story: Noah Smith at nsmith150@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Greiff at jgreiff@bloomberg.net This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Noah Smith is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He was an assistant professor of finance at Stony Brook University, and he blogs at Noahpinion. 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. (Photo : Bigstock) International money transfer. Girl sends money to mother through online bank. Electronic wallet, digital transaction vector illustration. Send money, payment transfer financial Cross-border payments shouldn't be hard, says Eyal Nachum, Bruc Bond's resident fintech guru and board member. Sadly, for many businesses, they too often are, creating unnecessary stresses for already strained small enterprises. We all know how it goes. You walk into your bank or the nearest Western Union, maybe you go on your bank's website or open their app, you issue instructions to send a certain amount to a particular person or company, and that's it, someone takes care of the rest for you. Several minutes to days pass, and the money arrives at the other end. For most of us, all payments work pretty similar to this, whether sending money domestically or abroad. Simple, as it should be. However, when dealing with business transfers, things can get quite complicated very quickly. And that is doubly true for cross-border payments, says Eyal Nachum. Business owners and finance officers the world over know that banking and payments come in two flavours, and the two don't mix. One for private individuals, where processes and procedures are streamlined, where the convenience of customers is paramount, and, crucially, transfers are relatively small and safe. When they don their business hats, however, these same private individuals suddenly come face to face with the other flavour, that of business. In business banking, due to the size of transfers and their frequency, the risks for banks and financial institutions are far greater. Anti-money laundering and other regulations specify quite clearly what exactly financial institutions need to know about each transfer, including proofs of purpose such as invoices, contracts and the like. When you throw into the mix the issue of crossing borders and entering differing jurisdictions, demands grow more rigorous as different institutions along the chain add their own stipulations to performing the transfer. That chain of financial institutions, says Eyal Nachum, is the source of many of the difficulties businesses are faced with when transferring money abroad. Direct transfers from one account to another are incredibly uncommon. If two companies have accounts at the same bank, then the task is as straightforward as it can be. The bank already has all the information it needs on its records. It is equally as simple to engage a specialist like Bruc Bond to handle the transfer. Typically, however, accounts will be held at two banks in separate jurisdictions that have no direct means of transferring funds between them. In these cases, banks will transfer monies through intermediaries, which are usually far larger banks who have similar agreements with hundreds of financial institutions worldwide. These large banks facilitating transfers between smaller financial institutions around the world are called correspondent banks, and, more than any other involved party, they lay down the law when it comes to remittances and cross-border transfers. A majority of them are based in the US, which means that the law they are laying down is American, regardless of where senders or receivers operate. Unless you are engaging a banking specialist like Bruc Bond, it could be very well true that your bank simply lacks the experience with correspondent banks' different demands and stipulations. Then, the process can stretch out for weeks or months, while floundering bank officials try to figure out how to deal with multiple jurisdictions and unspoken demands from banks and regulators on the other side of the globe. Surely, says Eyal Nachum, this is a recipe for slowness and delays. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. 06.02.2020 LISTEN The National Chairman of the United Progressive Party (UPP) Mr. Kenneth Nana Kwame Asamoah believes the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) is taking the people of Ashanti region for a ride. He said, the notion that Kumasi is the stronghold of the NPP and irrespective of how angry the people are, they will surely vote for the party is the reason for the neglect. He said it's about time Asanteman rose "against the NPP and their wicked leadership" indicating that "without the Asanteman, NPP can never win any election in this country." He revealed that since NPP came to power Asanteman cannot boast of a single developmental project. He called on Asanteman to learn lessons from the posture of the NPP government since the party has nothing good to offer them. "NPP usually plays on the intelligence of Asanteman anytime they want to win power." The potential flagbearer made this known when he was speaking to party members in the Asokwa Constituency in the Ashanti region. Mr. Kwame Asamoah noted that the contribution of Asanteman to the development of Ghana cannot be underestimated but get less in the distribution of the national cake. He called on party members not to rely on the government for employment but rather acquire vocational skills that will aid them to fit well in the society. According to him, the UPP is poised to train the youth in the country with vocational skills, this he believes will help cut down unemployment in the country. Source: The Punch Newspaper Email: [email protected] Community groups, political parties and the government in Cameroon have been appealing to women to vote in elections on Sunday. They are telling the women not to fear threats made by separatist groups. The separatists claim they will stop the local and parliamentary elections. Female candidates and women who campaigned for other candidates fear their efforts may lead to nothing at all if women do not come out to vote. Representatives of non-governmental organizations and government ministries joined political parties at campaign events in the capital city, Yaounde. They say they did this as part of a special campaign for women to perform their civic duties. Alvine Yinda is a candidate of the Cameroon People Democratic Movement. She told VOA she likes the appeal to women because if they fail to vote on Election Day, men hold an unfair advantage. Yinda said that her partys female candidates decided to urge all women who are registered to come out to vote on February 9. She says they are working with all the political parties to make sure women take part in the decision-making process. Mumah Bih Yvonne is national coordinator of the non-governmental organization Cameroon Women's Peace Movement. She says its goal is for women to support lists that have a majority of female candidates. Women have a different way of looking at governance. But if we are not there to influence policies, how do we get that level playing ground that we (women) are looking for," she asked. Women historically underrepresented The president of Cameroon, Paul Biya, called the elections last November. Before then, groups of women led by the NGO More Women in Politics visited towns and villages asking women to compete for political office. Traditionally, many women do not vote because their husband or their communities limit their participation. Some women fail to vote because they are unable to read or write. This year, some observers fear the number of female voters will decrease because of a separatist conflict in Cameroon's Northwest and Southwest. Armed groups are fighting to separate English-speaking areas from the French-speaking majority country. At least 3,000 have died in the fighting. Most voters in the Northwest and Southwest have moved to safer areas. The election commission says it has taken special measures to make sure they can vote on Sunday. Within the past week, two political parties reported that the separatists attacked four campaign teams and kidnapped at least 20 people. More than 40 percent of Cameroon's nearly nine million voters are female. Women make up about 52 percent of the population. But just 31 percent of the 180 lawmakers at the National Assembly and 21 percent of the senators are women. Im Susan Shand. VOAs Moki Edwin Kindzeka reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story civic adj. relating to citizenship or being a citizen advantage n. a gain or lead that puts one in a better position coordinator n. one who organizes events and people participation n. the action of taking part in something The mother of IRA murder victim Paul Quinn has said that Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy is "unfit for office" and should resign. Breege Quinn welcomed the Finance Minister's apology for branding her son a smuggler and a criminal after his brutal killing in 2007. But she said it was unacceptable that he had "maintained an untruth for 13 years". Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald said there was "no question" of Mr Murphy stepping down. The Ulster Unionists and the TUV have called on him to resign, but the DUP has declined to do so. On Wednesday night Mrs Quinn told the Belfast Telegraph that Mr Murphy's words blackening her son's name had torn her family apart. "We are glad that Paul's name has finally been cleared by Sinn Fein," she added. "We knew that he wasn't a criminal. Conor Murphy knew that too. He knew in his heart and soul that what he said wasn't true, but he never retracted it. "We've asked him to do that since 2007, and Conor and Sinn Fein ignored us. The party changed its tune because it was caught in a corner with the Dail election. I welcome Conor's apology but I think that he must stand down. "If he branded Paul a criminal in the spur of the moment, he should have retracted in the days after. He chose not to. It took an election 13 years later for him to withdraw his words blackening my son. That makes him unfit for office." I very much regret comments I made in the aftermath of Paul's murder which have added to the grief felt by the Quinn family Paul Quinn was beaten to death by an IRA gang in a barn in Oram, Co Monaghan. Mr Murphy previously denied calling the 21-year-old victim a criminal. But he apologised yesterday after footage was uncovered of him making the slur in a BBC NI Spotlight interview. Speaking to RTE, Mr Murphy said he had "consistently and unreservedly condemned the murder of Paul Quinn". He said those responsible were criminals and should be brought to justice. He also appealed to anyone with information on the murder to go to the gardai or PSNI. "I very much regret comments I made in the aftermath of Paul's murder which have added to the grief felt by the Quinn family," Mr Murphy said. "I apologise for those remarks and I unreservedly withdraw them. "Once again, I offer to meet the Quinn family at a time and place of their convenience." The Quinns said they would consider Mr Murphy's offer to meet them over the next few days. Ms McDonald said she would not be asking him to resign. "Absolutely not. We just got power-sharing up and running and I believe that everyone concerned is determined to make a success of it," she added. "Conor has clarified the fact that he is withdrawing his statement. (These were) comments he made over a decade ago and he has apologised for them. That's the right thing to do. It's the decent thing to do. "I know that he will be hoping to meet with the Quinn family to talk to them. "That family have been through a horrible ordeal. "I mean, I can't even imagine... to lose their son in such a brutal way." Asked if she was happy to continue working with Mr Murphy, First Minister Arlene Foster said Executive appointments were made by individual parties, so his future as Finance Minister was "a matter for Sinn Fein". She added: "Wherever possible, if mistakes are made we should reflect. "I haven't heard Conor's apology, but I think it is right that should happen. "I'm sure Mr and Mrs Quinn would want above all to have justice for their son." However, Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken called for the Finance Minister's resignation. "In any normal society, a senior minister who disparaged the victim of a callous murder, (that) would result in their resignation or sacking," he said. Ulster Unionist MLA Doug Beattie added: "Every day he remains in office is an insult to the Quinn family and anyone who respects the rule of law and democratic politics. "Sinn Fein appointed Conor Murphy as a minister and they can remove him." He should resign. In any system other than Stormont he would be gone SDLP leader Colum Eastwood raised the matter with Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the House of Commons. He said Mrs Quinn's "fearless pursuit of those responsible for the horrific murder of her son stands in stark contrast to the cowardice of those involved and those who have sought to damage his character and blacken his name". He added: "They broke every bone in Paul's body. "And for 13 years they have tried to break his family's resolve." TUV leader Jim Allister called on Mr Murphy to resign. He said the Executive could not ignore the magnitude of what had happened. "The issue is not something to be swept under the carpet. The Finance Minister has been irredeemably exposed as unfit for office," Mr Allister said. "He should resign. In any system other than Stormont he would be gone." Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry said: "While a public apology is the correct thing to do, it is disappointing it did not happen at any point since Conor Murphy's comments but rather was left until the wake of a major election in which Sinn Fein are coming under pressure. "Anyone with information on those who carried out the brutal killing of Paul Quinn need to cooperate fully with the police investigation." Omron's new MicroHAWK V/F400 and V/F300 Series Smart Cameras simplify inspection with ultra-small footprints. Omron's powerful yet compact MicroHAWK V/F400 and V/F300 Series Smart Cameras simplify applications by combining code reading and vision inspection into a single, highly compact device. Theres a new solution available for manufacturers who are concerned that their product inspections are becoming too complex. The powerful yet compact MicroHAWK V/F400 and V/F300 Series Smart Cameras simplify applications by combining code reading and vision inspection into a single, highly compact device. By bundling multiple capabilities in one, the V/F400 and V/F300 Series lower hardware costs and minimize the work required for commissioning and maintenance. Powerful technologies such as liquid lens autofocus and a high-resolution 5-megapixel color camera ensure exceptional precision while promoting greater flexibility in production line layouts. The cutting-edge autofocus technology ensures that the camera can reliably inspect products that vary in size, shape, or desired inspection type. In addition, Omrons advanced X-Mode algorithms can read any code on any surface, including curved, shiny or otherwise textured materials, minimizing downtime and keeping production moving smoothly. The compact size of the V/F400 and V/F300 Series makes it easy to embed them within space-constrained equipment or mount them on small robots. Their wide variety of supported communication interfaces include Ethernet/IP and PROFINET for added flexibility. Industry professionals interested in replacing multiple purpose cameras and code readers with a single device are encouraged to visit the MicroHAWK V/F400 and V/F300 Series product page on Omrons website. About Omron Automation Omron Automation is an industrial automation partner that creates, sells and services fully integrated automation solutions that include sensing, control, safety, vision, motion, robotics and more. Established in 1933 and currently headed by President Yoshihito Yamada, Omrons 36,000 employees help businesses solve problems with creativity in more than 110 countries. Learn more at automation.omron.com. UPDATE: Michael Pagel charged with first-degree murder in 2006 killing of estranged wife Renee Pagel KENT COUNTY, MI Nearly 14 years after Renee Pagel was killed, police and prosecutors expect to announce a significant development in the cold-case investigation. Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker and Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young will update the investigation Thursday afternoon, Feb. 6. The Sheriff and Prosecutor will be providing a significant update in the 2006 Renee Pagel homicide investigation, sheriffs Sgt. Joel Roon said in a statement. Pagel was fatally stabbed on Aug. 5, 2006, in her Courtland Township home. She was recovering after she donated a kidney to the father of a student she had taught at Kent Technical Career Center. Her estranged husband, Michael Pagel, was considered a person of interest. The couple, who had three children, were finalizing an acrimonious divorce when she was killed. Michel Pagel eventually left West Michigan with the children. Through his attorney, he has denied involvement. A cold-case team was assigned to investigate the killing. Who Killed Renee Pagel? featured on Crime Watch Daily Mother, 3 sons identified in deadly fire Police 'beating themselves up after 911 caller found dead hours later UPDATE: Lafayette College student, hospitalized Feb. 3, does not have new Chinese coronavirus, doctor says INITIAL POST: A Lafayette College student is hospitalized and being tested for the coronavirus from China after displaying very minor symptoms of a respiratory virus, the Easton school announced Wednesday in an update to the college community. The message didnt say if the student being tested had visited China. It does say several members of the college community recently traveled to China. They are students who went home for winter break to Hubei Province, which is the epicenter of the virus outbreak, a college spokesman said. They were contacted before returning and asked to visit the college health center, the spokesman said. They were screened for the virus when they got back for the spring semester, according to the email sent to students and staff from the head of Health Services. They are being monitored during the incubation period to ensure they remain healthy, the email says. They are not being isolated, the spokesman said. The initial message was provided to lehighvalleylive.com upon request by college President Alison Byerly, but it is posted on the Bailey Health Center page on colleges website and available to the public, the spokesman explained Thursday morning. The respiratory illness caused by the virus was first reported in late December in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The new virus is a member of the coronavirus family thats a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. It spreads person to person, according to the Centers for Disease Control. As of Thursday, 563 people had died from the virus, up from 490 people the day before, and there were 28,018 confirmed cases of infection, according to the New York Times. There were 11 confirmed cases as of Thursday in the United States with 76 cases still pending test results, the CDC said. Fever, cough and shortness of breath are the main symptoms and they may appear within two to 14 days of exposure, the CDC said. On Monday, the Lafayette student was admitted for a comprehensive evaluation of a respiratory virus. As part of that evaluation, they will be testing for" the new virus, according to the email from Dr. Jeffrey Goldstein. The email says Lafayette College consulted the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the head of epidemiology and infection control at Lehigh Valley Hospital. The student being tested is in very good condition," Goldstein writes. Based on a careful assessment of reported interaction between the student and other members of our community, public health authorities have indicated that there is a low risk to the campus," Goldstein writes. He says it will likely be several days until test results are available and at that time he will share the information with the college community. We are working closely with the PA Department of Health and in the event of a positive test result we will coordinate with the DOH to assess any additional risk for individual exposures in the community, Goldstein writes. Our decisions and actions are based on the most up to date guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Pennsylvania Department of Health. The email suggests members of the college community should read the frequently asked questions about the virus from the CDC. Members of the college community should wash their hands with soap and water, cover their mouths with tissues or a sleeve when coughing or sneezing, clean frequently touched surfaces with germicidal wipes, stay out of public they are sick and should not touch their eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, according to the information from the college. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 6, 2020) - The Yield Growth Corp. (CSE: BOSS) (OTCQB: BOSQF) (FSE: YG3) announces its subsidiary Flourish Mushroom Labs Inc. has completed an acquisition of approximately 18% of the outstanding shares of Translational Life Sciences Inc. ("TLS"). Flourish Mushroom Labs Completes Acquisition of Founding Interest in Translational Life Sciences Inc. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6377/52168_yg.jpg TLS is a biotechnology company focused on developing proprietary formulations that contain restricted substances such as psilocybin and cannabis to serve unmet medical needs in the market. This includes opioid dependence, psychotic illness, pain management and traumatic brain injuries such as concussions. The company also offers services to design and oversee clinical trials of restricted substances for third parties. The TLS team is comprised of physicians and scientists who are recognized thought leaders in the fields of Neurology, Pharmacology, Pain Management, Addiction and Biochemistry and have significant experience in the clinical application of cannabinoid compounds. The company's principal medical team includes Dr. William Honer: Head, Scientific Advisory Board at TLS and an Internationally recognized translational scientist and physician. He is a Psychiatrist and the previous Head of the Department at UBC. He is Fellowship trained at Columbia University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He has published over 300 peer-reviewed manuscripts including primary clinical trial authorship works in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Caroline MacCallum is the Chief Medical Officer of TLS. She is a pharmacist and internal medicine physician with deep expertise in complex pain and medical cannabis. She is a medical director of a Vancouver- based private cannabis clinic and an internationally sought after speaker and world recognized leader in cannabis education, policy, clinical guideline development and research. Dr. William Panenka, MD, MSc, FRCPC (Neurology and Psychiatry). The founder of TLS, Dr. Panenka, is a dually boarded Neurologist and Psychiatrist and a Canadian Institute of Health Research funded academic faculty member at the University of British Columbia. He did a post doctoral fellowship at UBC and Harvard University. He maintains an internationally recognized research program in brain injury, mental health and addictions. Yield Growth subsidiary Flourish Mushroom Labs issued 15,000,000 units of Flourish, consisting of 15,000,000 shares (approximately 10% of Flourish outstanding shares) and 15,000,000 warrants to acquire additional Flourish shares at $0.50 per share, and in consideration Flourish acquired approximately 18% of the TLS outstanding stock, at a deemed cost of $750,000. No shares or warrants in Yield Growth were issued as part of the transaction. "As a founder in TLS, we will now work with TLS to increase the value of our investment by helping it build out its management team, raise additional capital and complete its plans to develop intellectual property in plant based medicine," says Yield Growth and Flourish CEO Penny White. "We believe our alliance with TLS will help establish us a leader in the emerging industry of psychedelic medicine." Psychedelic medicine involves research and investigations into mind-altering substances to treat illnesses. On January 13, 2020 COMPASS Pathways, a mental health care company, announced that it had been granted a US Patent relating to methods of treating drug-resistant depression with a psilocybin formulation. According to CNBC, German company ATAI Life Sciences, a major investor in COMPASS, announced in March 2019 that it has raised more than $40 million in new financing, valuing the company at $240 million. ATAI is also targeting a potential initial public offering, for which, according to Bloomberg, ATAI provided a valuation target figure of $800 million to COMPASS. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that the total "economic burden" of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and criminal justice involvement. About Flourish Mushroom Labs Inc. Flourish Mushroom Labs aims to legally and safely commercialize psilocybin (magic) mushrooms. Flourish Mushroom Labs is planning to build a psilocybin mushroom laboratory in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and is conducting research into potential therapeutic benefits of compounds found in magic mushrooms. It has filed a U.S. patent application for the use of psilocybin to aid in weight loss and treat obesity, diabetes and to help prevent heart disease. Flourish also plans to be a leader in the fast-growing medicinal mushrooms market-and improve life by offering high-quality mushroom-infused products. Flourish Mushroom Labs is a majority owned subsidiary of The Yield Growth Corp. About The Yield Growth Corp. The Yield Growth Corp. develops and manufactures plant-based products and conducts research for plant-based therapeutics in what the Global Wellness Institute reports is a $4.2 trillion-dollar global wellness market. It owns the cannabis wellness brands Urban Juve, Wright & Well and Jack n Jane. The Yield Growth management team has deep experience with global brands including Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Skechers and Aritzia. Its all natural hemp skincare brand, Urban Juve, has signed agreements for distribution in Canada, Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Argentina, El Salvador, Ecuador, Peru, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia. Yield Growth's Wright & Well brands have manufactured a THC/CBD line of topical and edible products in Oregon. Through its subsidiaries, Yield Growth has over 200 proprietary beauty, wellness, edibles and beverage formulas for commercialization. It has filed 13 patents to protect its extraction method and other intellectual property. Yield Growth earns revenue through multiple streams including licensing, services and product sales. For more information about Yield Growth, visit www.yieldgrowth.com or follow @yieldgrowth on Instagram. Visit www.urbanjuve.com and findyourjuve across social platforms to learn, engage and shop. Investor Relations Contacts: Penny White, President & CEO Kristina Pillon, Investor Relations invest@yieldgrowth.com 1-833-514-BOSS 1-833-514-2677 1-833-515-BOSS 1-833-515-2677 The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking information and statements (collectively, "forward looking statements") under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates, forecasts, beliefs and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, but are not limited to: risks related to the development, testing, licensing, intellectual property protection, the potential for not acquiring any rights as a result of the patent application and any products making use of the intellectual property may be ineffective or the company may be unsuccessful in commercializing them; and other approvals will be required before commercial exploitation of the intellectual property can happen. The laws around cultivating, selling and using psychedelic mushrooms would need to change in most jurisdictions in order for the use of psychedelic products to be legal and sale of, and demand for, Urban Juve, Wright & Well, Flourish Mushroom Labs, Jack n Jane and UJ Beverages products, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, delay or failure to receive board or regulatory approvals where applicable, and the state of the capital markets. Yield Growth cautions readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements provided by Yield Growth, as such forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future results or performance and actual results may differ materially. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Yield Growth expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements containing any forward-looking information, or the factors or assumptions underlying them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52168 Deputy Head of the President's Office of Ukraine Yulia Kovaliv has discussed expanding cooperation with the representatives of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) led by Counselor to the Chief Executive Officer Caleb McCarry. According to the official website of the Ukrainian head of state, participants in the meeting discussed the possibility of establishing effective cooperation and attracting investment in Ukraine in such areas as infrastructure, energy, healthcare and agriculture, technology and financial services. "Ukraine is waiting for big investments. And now the whole team of authorities is focusing its efforts to create the most comfortable conditions for the investor," Kovaliv noted. In addition, she outlined the main areas that need investment and may be of interest to American partners: the privatization of state-owned enterprises, infrastructure modernization, healthcare, the agro-industrial complex, as well as technology. "We are opening the land market, holding concession tenders, introducing state online services. These are the prerequisites that will make Ukraine more attractive for investors," she said. DFC representatives, for their part, emphasized their willingness to intensify cooperation and special interest that international investors now have in Ukraine. In addition, they expressed interest in expanding areas of cooperation with our country, the report said. Not to give too many spoilers, but the stories from Carissa and Jac, women plumbers, are not to be missed. Carissa was installing a urinal in a bar when a customer approached her for a date. Theres another story about a collection of condoms clogging a toilet, which leads to the client accusing Carissa of being a home-wrecker. Jac fixed a restaurants toilet pro bono and offered her advice and card to an employee to give to the business owner. When asked why the owner didnt call her, the employees response was: I showed him your card. When he saw you were a woman, he did not believe anything you said. By PTI ISLAMABAD: In his fresh anti-India rhetoric, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Thursday that his country's battle-hardened army will teach India a "hard lesson" in case of "any misadventure" by New Delhi. Addressing a rally in Mirpur in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on the 'Kashmir Solidarity Day', Khan asked the Indian leadership to avoid threats of attacks. "Narendra Modi, the statement you gave on this country, and the Indian army chief, this is my message to you both: You have already made a mistake on August 5," Khan said, referring to the abrogation of Article 370 that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Khan said that more than "200 million people of Pakistan and its battle-hardened army will teach India a hard lesson", state-run Radio Pakistan reported. "If you are under the false impression that you will take any action against Pakistan to strengthen your Hindu voter base, it will be the last mistake you make," said Khan. He was referring to Prime Minister Modi's address to the National Cadet Corps in New Delhi last month where he said the Indian armed forces won't take more than a week to ten days to make Pakistan bite the dust. "He (Modi) thought he would end the issue of Kashmir altogether but the way the issue has been internationalised, there is talk of Kashmir where it was never before discussed," Khan said, adding that Pakistan would always stand by the people of Kashmir and fight alongside them. Pakistan's military top brass also termed the recent statements by India as "irresponsible" and said they would thwart any attack by the Indian Army. Army spokesman said that the 229th Corps Commanders Conference held a meeting chaired by Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Thursday during which they reviewed geo-strategic environment, with special focus on internal security and situation on borders. "Provocative statements of Indian leadership are irresponsible rhetoric with implications for region. Pakistan Armed Forces are forces of order and peace and fully prepared to thwart any misadventure, whatever the cost," the spokesman quoted the commanders saying in the meeting. Meanwhile, Foreign Office spokesperson Aisha Farooqui said on Thursday that Kashmir was the core issue of Pakistan's foreign policy. "We take the cause of Jammu and Kashmir very seriously. It is the core issue of Pakistan's foreign policy. The observation that the Foreign Office is not taking it seriously is not accurate," she said at the weekly press briefing, dismissing the criticism within the country over its handling of the issue. Farooqui said that Pakistan took the case of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to all international fora including at the UN Security Council, UN General Assembly, Human Rights Council, OIC, Global Refugee Forum and World Economic Forum. "Pakistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have never been shy or negligent towards this core issue of our foreign policy. We are dedicated in taking it forward," she asserted. To a question, she said that Pakistan took the issue of a protest outside its embassy in Kabul with the Afghan authorities. She said the venue of the 'Kashmir Day' event was changed in Kabul due to the protest and "the matter was officially taken up with the Afghan authorities". She also said Pakistan was closely following the developments regarding the US-Taliban peace talks. To another question, she said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan would as visit Pakistan next week as per schedule agreed by both the sides. Responding to a question about the coronavirus outbreak in China, she said the Chinese government was providing all the necessary support and treatment not only to Pakistani students and citizens but all in Wuhan city and other parts of the country. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, ARMENPRESS. A passerby childs joyful and surprise hug has left Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan touched with what he described as a very big and valuable event in his life. Yesterday evening, when the PM was leaving the government headquarters in Republic Square to head for a meeting, a passerby child who was walking with parents was so excited to see the PM in person that the kid ran at him with open arms for a hug. Pashinyan is seen embracing and hugging his little fan in the video. The heartwarming moment was caught on CCTV footage, and Pashinyan himself shared it online. I was leaving from the main entrance of the government building and this passerby child proved with this behaviour that everything is going to be all right. I know, many will consider this PR, even cheap PR, but when I found out that the security cameras have caught this moment on tape, I wanted to share it here as a very big and valuable moment that took place in my life, Pashinyan said on Facebook. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan Will always be with you to fight injustice: Rahul Gandhi to media Nehru and Pakistan are Modis tools of distraction: Rahul Gandhi India oi-Deepika S New Delhi, Feb 06: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for invoking references to Pakistan and Jawaharlal Nehru, distracting from the "real" issues. "PM Modi's style is to distract the country from the core issues. He talks of Congress, of Jawaharlal Nehru, of Pakistan, etc but not of core issues," said Gandhi. The Congress leader said that the biggest issue before the country is of unemployment and economy, on which the PM did not speak. "All youngsters of this country want that after studies - school, college university - is employment. We asked the Prime Minister repeatedly that you have given a one and a half-hour speech and if for 2 minutes you can tell the youth about employment and what your government has done about it," he said. "You would have seen, youngsters saw, that the PM could not give a reply," the former Congress president said while speaking to reporters outside Parliament. Many tubelights are like these: PM Modis dig at Rahul Gandhi Earlier, the government used to talk about the economy, Make in India, USD 5 trillion, but the Prime Minister now does not talk about the biggest issue facing the country and is distracting the people by talking about other things, ranging from the Congress and Nehru to Pakistan and Bangladesh. NEWS AT 3 PM, 6th, FEBRUARY 2020 Both the Prime Minister and Fiance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman have failed to reply on issues like providing employment to youth and putting the economy on the right track, said Gandhi. Guadalupe Garcia McCall started writing her first book nearly two decades ago. The George Fox University professor recalls publishers telling her they couldnt connect with the voice. She received rejection letters that didnt even include her name. Instead, they were addressed to Dear writer. That didnt make me feel very dear, McCall said. In truth, it made me feel invisible. Ten years after she began writing Under the Mesquite, a novel that follows a young Mexican American girls journey to care for her family in the wake of her mothers cancer diagnosis, McCall inked a deal with an independent publisher that specializes in stories by authors from traditionally underrepresented groups. But the agreement didnt include a seven-figure advance. Nor did her debut novels depiction of the struggles of a young Latina in the United States draw praise from the likes of Oprah or Stephen King. McCalls experience presents a sharp contrast with the controversial rollout of American Dirt, the much-hyped novel about a Mexican womans migration that Latino critics took to task for its many stereotypes, clumsy Spanish translations and poor timing. Author Jeanine Cummins, who declared I am white in a 2016 New York Times column, and publisher Flatiron Books were widely criticized for selling a romantic adventure as a seminal novel on the modern plight of Mexican and Central American immigrants. But McCalls struggles as a Latina navigating the publishing world arent unique. And even though her first novel was published before she moved to Oregon, the barriers she faced mirror those of other Latino writers and journalists who tried to make it in the whitest major city in the U.S. Guadalupe Garcia McCall is a published author and professor of English at George Fox University in Newberg.Photo courtesy Guadalupe Garcia McCall Ive felt shut out of traditional journalism, said Emilly Prado, a freelancer whose work has appeared in Street Roots, the Portland Mercury and Bitch Magazine. She has also written several stories for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Prados most recent project explored the ways changing U.S. immigration laws affected generations of a family living near the Oregon-Idaho border. Prado secured funding to chase the story via a fellowship that pooled the resources of Oregon Humanities, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Pulitzer Prizes. Prados done that kind of work before, most notably a Street Roots series on rural housing issues she produced with the help of longtime collaborator and photographer Celeste Noche. But despite her portfolio, Prado felt the Oregon Humanities story in 2018 got short shrift from Portland media writ large. Heres this story that spans decades of time comparing these families experiences with changing immigration law, Prado said. But when I reported on that, it just went out and that was it. There wasnt really a life beyond people who subscribe to Oregon Humanities. Juan Diego Ramirez, a producer for the James Beard Award-nominated Racist Sandwich podcast, said he felt local media showed a similar disinterest in stories about issues faced by agricultural workers in Washington County. He spent years working as a home consultant for the Hillsboro School Districts migrant education program, a position Ramirez said he saw through a reporters eyes. "It sounds to many people like noise, but it's not," says Rodrigo Sanchez of the guitar duo @rodgab. Hear all about the extreme fandom for heavy metal music in Latin America on this week's @LatinoUSA. https://t.co/2e12tO7tXy NPR's Latino USA (@LatinoUSA) December 19, 2019 Every so often, Ramirez would pitch local editors on stories about the population he worked with. He heard stories about families that faced language barriers as the children communicated in English while parents stuck with their native Spanish. He also heard about pay inequities and how some migrant workers were preyed upon because of their hesitance to report crimes. But local outlets wouldnt bite, dismissing Ramirez because he didnt hold a college degree despite an internship at Oregon Public Broadcasting and his work on Racist Sandwich. Ramirez said editors showed a preference for reporters with newsroom experience rather than writers who can connect with sources that dont traditionally receive mainstream media coverage. Were not experts because were brown. Were just victims who have these experiences, he said. Ramirez dreams of a Portland media ecosystem thats more responsive to Latino stories. According to the U.S. Census 2018 American Communities survey, Latinos are the citys second largest minority population at 9.3%. Asians make up 11% of the citys residents. In Washington County, about 16.5% of residents identify as Hispanic or Latino. Juan Diego Ramirez produces and is a co-host for the James Beard Award-nominated Racist Sandwich podcast. He found it difficult to pitch Portland-area editors on Latino stories during his time in the city.Photo courtesy of Juan Diego Ramirez If there was a venue to tell these kinds of stories, thatd be amazing, Ramirez said. There are only so many avenues for Latino voices to reach mainstream audiences in Portland. The area boasts a handful of Spanish-language radio stations. Univision also operates a bureau in the city. But Latinos make up a small percentage of staffers working for local newspapers. And aside from the Spanish-language Latino De Hoy, no major print news outlet has a top editor whos Latino. As a freelancer, Prado said shes pitched stories to maybe one editor of color. One of the drawbacks of having so few people of color in editor positions, Prado said, is in the number of gaffes even well-intentioned pieces can contain. During her time reporting in eastern Oregon, Prado learned that most vulnerable populations are hard to reach through means most modern journalists employ like phone calls and emails. You have to meet them where they are, she said. If youre going to write about a community that isnt yours, you have to do it with caution, take a lot of time, Prado said. Like Ramirez, Prado found it difficult to pitch her work to Portland newspapers because of a lack of newsroom experience. She often felt her work was dismissed because of her status as a freelancer. For some reason, our work is not seen as rigorous or as serious as working in a newsroom full-time, Prado said. But theres hope. Over the last few years, local media organizations have produced opportunities for underrepresented populations to get their foot in the door. The Portland Tribunes parent company, Pamplin Media Group, partnered with regional government Metro to offer a paid internship for local high school students of color. The Portland chapters of the Asian American Journalists Association and Society of Professional Journalists have recently launched an internship program aimed at college students of color. The Oregonian/OregonLive has also long operated a weeklong journalism program for high school students from traditionally underrepresented communities. Such programs can diversify the experiences and viewpoints among the ranks of working journalists, something that can help newsrooms assess their own biases when reporting on vulnerable populations, Prado said. Its our job to then question our bias but I dont know that that always happens, she said. In the time since her last major journalistic endeavor, the immigration project for Oregon Humanities, Prado has taken a job as interim youth programs director at Literary Arts. She and Noche have also maintained a database of writers and artists of color to help them find work. Prado also published a series of biographical essays in a journal that mimics a mixtape called Funeral for Flaca. Shes not sure if shell pursue a career in journalism but isnt ruling it out. Ramirez took a few classes at Portland Community College and transferred to Baruch College in New York City, where hes since picked up another prestigious internship: this time at Latino USA. He still produces and co-hosts the Racist Sandwich podcast. Ramirez said he hopes a college degree will make it easier to return to journalism and may possibly return to Portland. There wont be that excuse in the future, he said. But American Dirt has now been largely rejected by the very Mexicans and Mexican Americans it was meant to foreground, the faceless brown mass Ms. Cummins who has a Puerto Rican grandmother and identifies as white sought to humanize. https://t.co/VSvWigKy5I Guadalupe Garcia McCall (@ggmccall) January 28, 2020 Ramirez, Prado and McCall, the George Fox professor, hope the controversy over American Dirt leads to more introspection by people who hold power in publishing and journalism. Prado said she takes issue with assertions from the books author and publisher that their intent was to give a voice to the voiceless. We all have voices. I dont need outlets to amplify my voice or pretend my voice didnt exist until a publication took interest, she said. In the days since the controversy erupted, Flatiron has announced it will actively court more Latino authors and editors to avert such disastrous rollouts in the future. The publishing industry needs to open the doors, step aside and welcome our brown faces as we walk in and sit at the table, McCall said. They need to sit beside us, listen and learn what is needed to feed the minds of our children and heal the souls of our community. Students at the University of Edinburgh have voted to ban beef at the institution in order to save the planet after a group of agricultural students were told to leave a meeting debating the decision to remove the meat from menus at its eateries. Undergraduates took part in a fierce debate after a motion was raised by the student union and students from Scottish Rural College also turned up to debate the motion. The Rural College students argued most meat on offer at the University was in fact Scottish and urged others to back the nation's beef industry. A petition was set up by student Elly Silverstein and gathered 570 signatures. The University of Edinburgh students voted to stop beef products being given out as freebies. The University of Edinburgh (above) is now set to remove any dishes containing it from its menus in cafes and restaurants During the debate the agricultural students were asked to leave by the Union on the grounds that they were only matriculated to Scotland's Rural College and not the University. When they refused to leave, they were then told they had to vacate the room due to health and safety concerns amid overcrowding, students said. The motion was then passed with a 51 per cent approval with 76 votes in favour, 73.5 votes against, and five abstentions. However, Sarah Whitelaw, a student from the School of Veterinary Studies, said: 'Personally I think it's ridiculous that motions voted for during this meeting, directly affected them and they were denied to even listen as they were deemed 'intimidating'.' Above is the petition which was launched to end the sale of beef products at the university John McCulloch, a student at the SRC branded the result of the debate 'an absolute joke.' He said: 'As students the first thing we are told is not to rely on statistics from the media when making a case but that is exactly what happened. 'It is very worrying that the motion was passed to move onto the next stage which is an online ballot of all students.' The motion from the students at the University of Edinburgh comes after a cancer charity was criticised for promoting another 'meat free month'. Macmillan had asked its supporters to take part in a meat-free March event as it also urged people to consider ditching other animal products. Cancer charity Macmillan abandons meat-free month fundraiser after backlash from furious farmers who called it a 'kick in teeth' A cancer charity stopped promoting a meat-free fundraiser after a backlash from furious farmers who branded it a 'kick in the teeth'. Macmillan had asked its supporters to take part in a meat-free March event as it also urged people to consider ditching other animal products. It said: 'Every meat-free moment matters, whether you go meat-free or ditch dairy as well how you take part in Meat-Free March is up to you.' However, the charity claimed it hadn't stopped promoting the event because of the comments, and said it was due to the fact the event had not received a large volume of registrations. Macmillan had urged people to consider giving up meat for a month but farmers hit back at the charity, even threatening to withhold donations (file image) But farmers called it a 'kick in the teeth' and demanded the charity support British agriculture instead of starting a second vegan month, following 'Veganuary' in January. The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers told the Daily Telegraph that the campaign was 'totally disgraceul'. A spokesperson said: 'The farming community is a big supporter of cancer charities but maybe it'll now think twice and perhaps just support a local hospice or more worthy charities.' Sarah Brookes, a farmer from near Swindon, tweeted the charity threatening to pull any support. She said: 'Sorry but if you do not intend to support British farming then I will not long be supporting Macmillan with my donations.' Bob Carruth, of the National Farmers' Union, said: 'If they'd had a campaign around healthy eating, local produce or eating five-a-day then those who produce meat and dairy, eggs, cereals, vegetables and soft fruit would gladly have come in behind them.' In a statement, a spokesperson for Macmillian said: 'Our supporters want a range of different and exciting ways to raise money for us so we are constantly testing different campaigns and products to help people do this. 'However, if we believe its not the most effective use of our resources then we will always take the decision to stop an activity or event. For example, last year we trialled fundraising campaigns Up All Night and Milestone Moments but decided not to continue with them as they did not meet the targets we set. Meat Free March was first trialled at a small scale in 2019 and it yielded positive results for us so we decided to repeat it in 2020. However, it has not brought in the number of registrations and wont reach the projected income we expected so we have decided to stop actively promoting the event.' Advertisement It said: 'Every meat-free moment matters, whether you go meat-free or ditch dairy as well how you take part in Meat-Free March is up to you.' But farmers called it a 'kick in the teeth' and demanded the charity support British agriculture instead of starting a second vegan month, following 'Veganuary' in January. The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers told the Daily Telegraph that the campaign was 'totally disgraceul'. But Macmillan said they had stopped promoting the event due to a lack of registrations. In a statement, a spokesperson for the charity said: 'Our supporters want a range of different and exciting ways to raise money for us so we are constantly testing different campaigns and products to help people do this. 'However, if we believe its not the most effective use of our resources then we will always take the decision to stop an activity or event. For example, last year we trialled fundraising campaigns Up All Night and Milestone Moments but decided not to continue with them as they did not meet the targets we set. Meat Free March was first trialled at a small scale in 2019 and it yielded positive results for us so we decided to repeat it in 2020. However, it has not brought in the number of registrations and wont reach the projected income we expected so we have decided to stop actively promoting the event.' In 2015 study by the University of East Anglia which revealed that eating a small steak every day could be as good for you as stopping smoking. The study revealed that people who eat lots of protein-rich food were found to have lower blood pressure and more healthy arteries, significantly lowering the risk of heart attack and stroke. Scientists say the benefit is down to amino acids - the building blocks of proteins - which help strengthen the cells, tissues and muscles in our body. Lead researcher Dr Amy Jennings, from UEA's Norwich Medical School, said: 'This research shows a protective effect of several amino acids on cardiovascular health. 'Increasing intake from protein-rich foods such as meat, fish, dairy produce, beans, lentils, broccoli and spinach could be an important and readily achievable way to reduce people's risk of cardiovascular disease. ''Beneficial daily amounts equate to a 75g portion of steak, a 100g salmon fillet or a 500ml glass of skimmed milk.' The environmental consequences of beef production are well documented, with recent research published in the journal Science finding that beef produces 105kg of greenhouse gases per 100g of meat. By comparison, tofu results in less than 3.5kg. In response to the concerns, Andrew Wilson, president of the Students' Association which held Thursday's meeting said only enrolled Edinburgh University students have the right to attend, vote and submit policy proposals at student council meetings. Mr Wilson added non-members are allowed to attend meetings if space is available but Thursday's was full to capacity. THE Green Party is set to perform a u-turn on its stance on the Special Criminal Court (SCC) used for the trials of terrorist and gangland suspects if it enters government. In recent years both of the party's TDs Eamon Ryan and Catherine Martin have voted against renewing the law which legislates for the SCC. At various times since 2016 they have opposed the Offences Against the State Act due to concerns over civil liberties in the non-jury courts it provides for. Now Party leader Mr Ryan has signalled that his TDs will vote in favour of that law due to concern over the Drogheda gang feud. And he said he would expect all of his TDs, including Mayo candidate Saoirse McHugh to vote with the party on the issue. Ms McHugh said today that she wants to see the SCC abolished saying "it's the right thing to do" and suggesting "we can find alternatives that aren't war-time hangovers." The SCC has been a controversial issue in the election as Sinn Fein came under pressure to defend its policy of opposing the court which was used to convict Provisional IRA terrorists. Sinn Fein now say they want the court reviewed. Mr Ryan said Ms McHugh isn't alone in her concerns about the SCC and said others like Amnesty International, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and the UN have made similar points. He said the Green Party don't want a system where there are non-jury courts. However he also said there are "last resort exemptions" in cases where witnesses or jurors face intimidation. Mr Ryan said that the way Green Party TDs have voted on the Offences Against the State Act over the years due to "real concerns" with the way the SCC works. He said it should be reformed and suggested that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) should decide which cases could be compromised by intimidation and "special provisions" would be in place for those trials. Mr Ryan confirmed that the Green Party have "voted both ways" on the Offences Against the State Act, supporting its renewal when it was in government with Fianna Fail. He pointed to the Limerick gang war that was raging at the time as the reason for this. Asked if all of his TDs will vote in favour of the law if they are in government after the election, Mr Ryan indicated that they would due to the Drogheda gang feud. He said: "There is an air of fear on the streets... fundamentally the first thing in my mind is us standing up for the State and protecting people from intimidation. That cannot be allowed." Mr Ryan said that if the DPP has concerns about raising a jury in such cases, the Green Party should vote to allow the current arrangements to continue. Meanwhile, Mr Ryan hit out at Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein for climate action policies he argued either weren't ambitious enough, or dont offer detail on how they will be achieved. He claimed other parties have gone "back to old ways promising tax cuts and spending increases". He warned that Ireland is facing 7bn in fines if Ireland's climate targets are not met which would "throw all their promises out the window". Mr Ryan said his party's plan is "about investing in public services for the future" citing plans to invest in walking, cycling and public transport. He claimed the election marks a change for the Greens arguing: "we are no longer a small party" and adding that theyre running in every constituency. Mr Ryan said he thinks the party's candidate Cleo Murphy has a chance of winning a seat in Kerry and others can "sweep right through the country" Saying "I hope I'm not going to be shot now for this", he highlighted candidates he described as "'our Wild Atlantic Women'", including Ms Murphy and Ms McHugh in their ranks. He said: "I think we're going to surprise people. I think we're going to win in constituencies no one reckons we're going to win." NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana began a working visit to Washington, D.C. on Thursday (6 February 2020), meeting with Vice President Mike Pence. While in Washington, Ambassador Geoana is also meeting with a number of other senior officials, including Deputy National Security Adviser Matt Pottinger, Deputy Secretary of State Steve Beigun, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy John Rood, and members of the US Congress. In his meetings, the Deputy Secretary General welcomed the strong trend toward fairer burden-sharing across the Alliance, with five consecutive years of rising defence spending across European Allies and Canada. He also stressed the importance of NATOs training efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, which are helping local forces to suppress international terrorism. On Friday, the Deputy Secretary General will deliver remarks and take questions at the Hudson Institute, in a public event titled NATO and the New Decade: Assessing the Transatlantic Alliance. Prime Minister on Thursday took repeated digs at opposition leaders, including of the Congress whom he dubbed as "tubelight" saying that it took him 30-40 minutes to respond to his speech in Without naming Rahul Gandhi, Modi in his reply to the discussion on the presidential address referred to the Congress leader's comments he had reportedly made about "youth beating Modi with sticks over the lack of jobs", and said he would increase the number of Surya Namaskars (a yoga exercise) so that his back can bear the sticks. "In 70 years, no Congress leader has ever become self- sufficient. I heard one leader's manifesto yesterday. He said 'we will beat Modi with a stick in six months'. I can imagine that it is a difficult prospect, so it will take six months to prepare. "In these six months, I will do more surya namaskar so that my back is ready for the beating...I have been subjected to abuses in the past 20 years, I will make myself gaali-proof (abuse-proof) and also danda-proof (stick-proof)," Modi said. When got up from his sit and questioned Modi on the issue of unemployement, Modi said he was waiting for the Congress leader's reactoin but it took him 30-40 minutes. "I have been speaking for 30-40 minutes but it took this long for the current to reach. Many tubelights are like this," Modi said prompting ruling NDA members to burst into laugh. Modi, who was in a witty mood, took several digs at Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for frequently rising from his seat and interrupting him, saying that he is publicising 'Fit India' campaign of his government in Parliament. Responding to Chowdhury on the issue unemployement, Modi said he will resolve unemplyement in the country but not his and of his party's. As soon as Prime Minister Modi entered the premises he was welcomed by the BJP members by raising slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram' to which Congress responded by 'Mahatama Gandhi Zindabad' and 'Mahatama Gandhi Amar Rahe'. Responding to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's criticism of the government, Modi suggested that Tharoor should have some soft corner for Kashmir, afterall he was "son-in-law" of the region, referring to his late wife Sunanda Pushkar. The Phnom Penh Municipal Court spent all of Thursday morning reviewing and documenting 51 pieces of evidence submitted by opposition leader Kem Sokhas legal team, despite some of this evidence already being used during cross examination. The eighth day of Kem Sokhas treason trial, marking one month of hearings, was adjourned Thursday afternoon. There was no discussion in court on the treason charge, no cross examination of witnesses or consideration of new evidence and Kem Sokha did not say a single word in court. The hearing commenced with the council of judges playing videos and listing out documents and photographs submitted by the defense as evidence. While 16 of the 51 pieces of defense evidence were submitted on Tuesday and needed to be reviewed before being considered in the trial, the other 35 pieces of evidence had been submitted in January and had already been accepted by the council of judges. It was not clear why this verification process was undertaken. Some of the videos, photos and documents, such as the registration papers for the Cambodian Center for Human Rights and the Human Rights Party, have already used in court when it was reviewing Kem Sokhas activities from 1993 to 2007. The judges only said that there was some clarification needed in the documents. The prosecution and government lawyers also took objection with eight photographs submitted by the defense this week, as part of the second submission of evidence. They asked for additional details such as a description of the event photographed, a more precise date of the event and the location. These photos were of the Cambodian Peoples Party and Cambodia National Rescue Party attending a workshop organized by the National Democratic Institute, Kem Sokha with then-NDI country director John Cavanaugh and a photo of National Assembly President Heng Samrin with John Cavanaugh. When you submit evidence, we suggest that some of the evidence be clarified, said Ky Tech, the governments lawyer. If the evidence is fake then it is a problem. However, when defense lawyer Chan Chen raised a similar objection to the prosecution using unverified evidence from a Facebook account called Kon Khmer, prosecutor Plang Sophal said it had been admitted as evidence by the investigating judge and any objections should have been raised during the investigation period. This is not related to the charge, Chan Chen said referring to the controversial Facebook account. This is from a ghost account. Did you bring your point during the investigation period? judge Kuy Sao said. I dont want to speak about this again. The prosecution has not responded to questions about the veracity of the evidence sourced from Kon Khmer. The government lawyers have said that it was submitted by the Anti-Cross Border Crimes Department and accepted by the investigating judge. Going back to the prosecutions request for clarification on the newly introduced photographic evidence, prosecutor Plang Sophal held up a photo submitted by the defense, apparently showing Kem Sokha seated with two foreigners. The photographic evidence is not clearly displayed to the gallery, with lawyers on all sides only holding up A4-size copies of the photos. Plang Sophal surprisingly suggested that if the defense did not give him an explanation for the photograph he could say that the photo was evidence of Kem Sokha participating in or plotting a conspiracy with foreigners. I can say this is a conspiracy with foreigners, he said, addressing the gallery. Defense lawyer Meng Sopheary shot back that he could not make up an accusation without providing evidence to support it. The prosecutor has said that this is an instance of conspiracy, Meng Sopheary said. If you want to make this accusation then you have to give evidence to show it was part of the conspiracy, such as an audio recording of the meeting. The hearing ended with the council of judges accepting all of the defenses evidence, but asked the defense to provide additional information about the photographic evidence. Judge Kuy Sao added that the court will look into Kem Sokha career from 2012 to just before his arrest in 2017, dividing it into three sections of questioning. These are: the formation and internal structure of the CNRP, the 2013 general election and events that occurred after the 2013 national ballot. Accra 5th February 2020 - Standard Chartered has announced the opening of a new 24hour Self Service Digital Hub in Westlands, Accra. Yvonne Gyebi, Acting Head Retail Bank, Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited said, Banking is now a lifestyle and clients expect total convenience, security as well as responsiveness. The Digital Hub will provide an opportunity for our clients in their communities to perform seamless banking and access information on banking and financial trends The Digital Hub is a fully self-service digital offering, equipped with state-of-the-art digital banking devices including intelligent Automated Teller Machines (ATM) for cash withdrawals and Cash Deposit Machines (CDM) for cash deposits, Card-less services, Credit Card payments as well as internet-enabled banking terminals to cater for in-branch services like bill payment, investments, and funds transfer. Additionally, the digital hub has installed phone services for clients to engage directly with the Client Care Centre. In 2019, Standard Chartered launched a fully digital bank on mobile SC Mobile App. With a range of up to 70 in-branch service requests. The App is mobile money enabled and has other features such as funds transfer (local and International), bill payments and many more. You can download the SC Mobile App via Google Playstore or AppStore. Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited Standard Chartered Bank Ghana Limited is Ghanas premier bank established in 1896. We are part of a leading international banking group, with a presence in more than 60 of the worlds most dynamic markets. Our purpose is to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity. Our heritage and values are expressed in our brand promise, Here for good. The Bank is listed on the Ghana Stock Exchange and has been one of the leading stocks over a sustained period. Standard Chartered PLC is listed on the London and Hong Kong Stock Exchanges as well as the Bombay and National Stock Exchanges in India. The talks at the Vatican Secretariat of State centred on the main commitments of the six-month presidency of Croatia of the Council of the European Union and various international and regional issues. Vatican News Pope Francis on Thursday received in audience Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic of Croatia, who subsequently met Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher. In a press release, the Holy See Press Office said that during the cordial talks in the Secretariat of State, both sides expressed appreciation for the good bilateral relations that exist and the intention to further develop collaboration in areas of mutual interest. They also touched upon the main commitments of the Croatian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the coming six months, with particular reference to the challenges facing the future of Europe. Finally, several international and regional issues were discussed, including the situation of the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, migration and peace and security, the Vatican statement said. (Newser) An Air Force veteran who'd worked for the Florida Highway Patrol for nearly two decades was shot dead Wednesday morning while assisting a driver on a stretch of highway near Palm City in Martin County. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles announced that Joseph Bullock, 42, was "fatally wounded in the line of duty" while helping a motorist on Interstate 95, TCPalm.com reports. FHP Director Col. Gene Spaulding says Bullock had been with the motorist near the I-95 rest area for a few minutes before the shooting, which took place around 10:15am, per Fox News. Although an earlier FHP release had stated the shooter took his own life after gunning down Bullock, Spaulding now says the suspect was shot and killed by a Riviera Beach officer who was passing by, per WCTV. Police haven't yet speculated about a motive. story continues below Spaulding notes potential perils for police officers along highways like this. "People don't realize when you approach a car, even a disabled vehicle or a car on a traffic stop, you are worried about not only what is inside that car and what danger is waiting for you, you are also worried about the 80,000-pound tractor-trailers that are barreling down the highway behind you," he says, adding that Bullock is the 49th Florida trooper in the agency's history to die on the job. "The entire Florida Highway Patrol and FLHSMV family mourns today for the loss of one of our own," the FLHSMV posted online Wednesday. "Please keep his family and his team members in your prayers." Spaulding says Bullock is survived by his parents and two sisters. (Read more police shooting stories.) Man Arrested For Child Rape In Hamilton County Is Suspect In Many Other States Police Blotter: Lady Thinks Neighbor's Car Hit Her House; Woman Suspects Housekeeping Stole Her $80 Shoes Hamilton County Health Department Reports 44 More COVID-19 Deaths But 2 Are Recent, 491 New Cases; 209 Hospitalized With COVID The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) and the Chattanooga Police Department (CPD) arrested Ryan Andrew Meyung in December, on three counts of child rape, two counts of aggravated kidnapping ... (click for more) A woman on Austin Drive said someone backed into her house. Officers observed skid marks in the grass and damage to the side of the house. The woman said she was told by a neighbor the people ... (click for more) FILE PHOTO: Logo of BP is seen at a petrol station in Kloten By Ron Bousso and Dmitry Zhdannikov LONDON (Reuters) - BP is seeking buyers for its stake in a major Algerian gas plant deep in the Sahara desert after recent talks on a sale to Russian oil giant Rosneft failed, three industry sources told Reuters. BP hopes to raise around $2 billion from the sale of its 45.89% stake in the In Amenas natural gas plant that was the target of a deadly attack by Islamist militants in 2013. The sale is part of a $15 billion disposal programme BP is targeting by the middle of 2021, two of the sources said. The approval of a sale of the Algerian assets will be one of the first major decisions for Chief Executive Bernard Looney who took office on Wednesday after his predecessor Bob Dudley stepped down following a decade at the helm. The sale is politically sensitive for BP and its partners, Norway's Equinor and Algerian state-owned Sonatrach, in the wake of the January 2013 attacks when gunmen raided the site and 40 employees died after a four-day siege. A BP spokesman declined to comment. Equinor and Sonatrach declined to comment. Rosneft did not immediately respond to a request for comment. BP has in recent months contacted a number of major international oil and gas companies to test the appetite for the stake after talks with Rosneft failed last year, the sources said. The collapse in the discussions with Rosneft, in which BP itself holds a 19.75% stake, were partly a result of Equinor's reluctance to partner with the Russian company, which faces U.S. sanctions, the sources who were close to the discussions said. BP and Equinor in December 2017 signed a five-year extension agreement for the In Amenas production sharing agreement with Sonatrach which was ratified in April 2018. Equinor holds a 45.9% stake and Sonatrach has the remaining 8.21% of the In Amenas plant, which has a production capacity is 9 billion cubic meters per year. The plant produced around 46,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2018. Security at Algeria's southern oil and gas facilities has improved in recent years due to a boosted military presence. Story continues In 2016, BP and Equinor temporarily withdrew staff from the In Amenas and In Salah gas plants after an attack on In Salah. An investigation carried out in 2013 by Equinor, known then as Statoil, concluded that the operators of the In Amenas site did not have the necessary security measures. BP has sold nearly $10 billion of oil and gas assets around the world since the start of 2019 and expects to announce an additional $5 billion by the middle of 2021, it said on Tuesday. The disposals follow BP's $10.5 billion acquisition of BHP's U.S. shale oil and gas assets and are part of a drive to focus BP's operations on higher profit assets in regions such as the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil. (Additional reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis in Oslo, Lamine Chikhi in Algiers and Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow; editing by David Evans) Voting in the General Election in Tipperary will go ahead on Saturday. Last night, Minister Eoghan Murphy signed a "special difficulty order" to allow the vote take place in the five-seat constituency at the same time as the rest of the country. It had been deferred following the death of Independent candidate Marese Skehan this week. Under the law, an election in a constituency has to be deferred if a candidate dies. The deferral would have delayed the first sitting of the Dail in a fortnight's time. However, the Attorney General's office provided advice to the Department of Housing and Local Government allowing the vote to proceed. "The minister is satisfied that this order is necessary to address a special difficulty that occurred this week in relation to the holding of an election in the constituency of Tipperary," a statement from the department said. Mr Murphy expressed his "sincere sympathies" to the family and friends of Marese Skehan. Candidates in Tipperary had already been told the vote is going ahead and the count centre in Thurles was gearing up for this weekend. Exclusive: HSBC considering exit from Turkey - sources FILE PHOTO: A Turkish flag flies at the HSBC headquarters in Istanbul By Saeed Azhar, Clara Denina and Lawrence White DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) - HSBC is considering selling its Turkey business amid concerns about the country's volatile currency and economic outlook, sources familiar with the matter said. As part of broader cost-cutting measures under interim Chief Executive Noel Quinn, the bank is also seeking to sell or shrink its business in some other markets, the sources said. These include countries where it has small-scale operations that struggle to compete with local players, including Armenia, Greece and Oman, they said. A spokeswoman for HSBC declined to comment. HSBC will seek to sell its banking business in Turkey if it can find a local buyer, the sources said, adding that no final decision has yet been taken. The bank's retreat from Turkey, where it has operated since 1990, would be one of the biggest exits from a country it has made in recent years as it shrinks its once globe-spanning empire. HSBC has already shrunk its presence from some 315 branches and around 6,000 staff in 2013 to around 80 branches and 2,000 staff as of September last year, according to data from the Banks Association of Turkey. Turkey has been a problem country for HSBC in recent years as volatility in the lira and economic problems have hit its returns, with the bank flagging rising expected loan losses there in its 2018 annual report. A currency crisis in 2018 cut the lira's value by nearly 30%, brought on a brief but sharp recession, and prompted Ankara to clamp down on the financial sector with a series of new rules aimed at stabilizing the currency and kick-starting economic growth. The lender previously attempted to sell its business in Turkey in 2015, Reuters reported at the time, with Dutch lender ING among the interested parties. But the sale never went through, and the lender instead pursued branch closures and job cuts that saw it swing from a loss in 2014 and 2015 to a profit of 456 million lira ($77.02 million) in the first nine months of 2019. Story continues Despite that improved performance, the risks from currency volatility and the economic situation mean HSBC still wants to exit, the sources said. Interim CEO Quinn is expected to announce his cost-cutting measures when the bank reports annual results and its new strategy on Feb. 18. Quinn is auditioning for the full-time CEO role under chairman Mark Tucker. He is tipped by insiders at the bank to get the job, although it could yet go to a surprise external candidate. The bank is also shedding around 100 roles in its equities business as it scales back in continental Europe, Reuters reported earlier this month. (Reporting By Saeed Azhar, Clara Denina and Lawrence White; Additional reporting by Ebru Tuncay in Istanbul; Editing by Jan Harvey) Valentines Day actually started as a religious celebration. The holiday commemorated the line of Christian saints under the name Valentinus. The most significant St. Valentine was beheaded by the Roman emperor Claudius. The emperor had banned marriage in order to help his soldiers focus, but St Valentine continued to marry couples in secret, as marriage was an important ritual for Christians. When St Valentine refused to embrace paganism, Claudius had him executed around 269 AD. It is said that while he was in prison, St Valentine developed feelings for his jailers blind daughter. Legend says that his love for her was so great that he healed her sight. This is the origin of the phrase, From your Valentine, as St Valentine signed a letter to her this way before his execution. The holiday was further developed when Pope Gelasius attempted to rid of a pagan festival celebrated in February. Previously, young Roman men celebrated the spring festival of fertility by drawing a name of a female from the box, who would be their partner for the following year. The pope decided that this was not in accordance with Christian values, and changed the ritual to where the young Roman men would draw the name of a saint, who they were supposed to aspire to be like for the rest of the year. The pope replaced the pagan god associated with the festival, Lupercus, with St. Valentine. As the change in practice was not very popular with the young Romans, the men used St Valentines romantic themes to write letters to young women, often invoking the name of St Valentine to communicate affection. These letters became the norm for Valentines Day sweethearts as the practice of courting developed during the Middle Ages. The practice of giving other gifts arrived in 18th century England. In contemporary times, these have almost completely been replaced by commercial greeting cards. Geoffrey Chaucer was instrumental in developing the holiday of Valentines Day. His poem, Parlement of Foules, from 1382, commemorated the engagement of Richard II and Anne of Bohemia with romantic themes and mention of Valentines Day. Although it is believed that Chaucer was actually referring to a different St. Valentine than the one associated with Valentines Day, its interpretation led to the romantic tradition of celebrating the holiday. This also started a tradition of birds as a Valentines symbol. Flu closes another Niskayuna school NISKAYUNA Glencliff Elementary School in Rexford was closed Wednesday as the Niskayuna School District confronts another outbreak of influenza. In a letter posted on the district's website, school officials said significant absences due to the flu prompted the decision to close. The district said it was following through on a recommendation from Saratoga County Public Health Department. It's the second time this winter that the district closed a school because of illness. Birchwood Elementary School was closed on Jan. 24 because of widespread illness, including the flu. As in that case, Niskayuna officials said the closure of the school would allow the janitorial staff time to carry out a thorough cleaning of the school. Watervliet census meeting planned WATERVLIET The city of Watervliet and the Robert A. Fahr Watervliet Public Library announce the creation of a Watervliet 2020 Census Complete Count Committee. Community members interested in participating on the committee can attend an informational meeting, 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the library, 1501 Broadway. Clearwater to honor musician Chapin GARRISON Hudson River Sloop Clearwater honors folk musician Tom Chapin with the Spirit of the Hudson award at Clearwater's annual gala, 3 p.m. March 1, at The Garrison, in Garrison. Chapin will be recognized for his commitment to the Hudson River through four decades of activism and inspiration through song. Tickets are available at www.clearwater.org or by calling (845) 265-8080 ext. 7119. Proceeds benefit Hudson River Sloop Clearwater. Red Cross gala co-chairs selected ALBANY Tracy L. Metzger, president of TL Metzger & Associates, and Richard P. Sleasman, president/managing director of CBRE-Albany, will be honorary co-chairs of the 22nd annual Fire + Ice Gala on April 25, the American Red Cross of Northeastern New York announced. The gala will be held at Albany Capital Center on NewsChannel 13. Anchor Benita Zahn will be master of ceremonies. Proceeds support local Red Cross programs and services. For details, visit redcross.org/NENYgala or call (518) 458-8111, ext. 5104. Staff reports A Forte Oil retail station is the last of such service facility to Nigerias Illela, Sokoto State border with Niger Republic. The station is now closed following a custom policy banning the supply of petroleum products to stations within 20 kilometres of Nigerias land borders. Nevertheless, it is a hub of activity, serving an inverted purpose. One January morning, dry and cold, packs of Bigi juice were being arranged in tens in sacks, and 20-litre cans containing petrol were there also. Despite the official closure of Nigerias land borders, these goods would be transported for higher margins to Kwani in Niger Republic following irregular routes. PREMIUM TIMES investigation shows that smugglers are still able to engage their illicit transborder trade relying on okada riders and compromised customs and immigration officers who take bribes to allow passage through illegal routes. The customs in November commenced a controversial cut of petroleum products supplies to stations within 20 kilometres of international borders. The step was to stop the smuggling of petroleum products to Nigerias neighbours where illicit dealers could make higher margins after selling subsidised products meant for the local market. It was an extension of the wider border closure policy in place since August 2019 when Nigeria took steps explained as necessary to safeguard her economy and security. Authorities have said the border policy has led to a reduction in the fuel consumption statistics, implying that the volume of products sold illegally across the borders fed into Nigerias consumption data. But while the policy on restriction of petroleum supply to border towns is effective, smuggling still continues, PREMIUM TIMES found in the northwestern borders. The petroleum products were brought from outside the border towns. For Illela, it could be from as far away as Marmona or Gwadabawa. The okada riders who operate the illegal routes told this reporter posing as a smuggler who wanted to take petrol to the Niger Republic that they could carry up to 12 cans and each would cost N500. This is because there are three checkpoints to bribe (Immigration and Customs) officers, one rider said, speaking Hausa. We will go through the bush. Illicit trade The illicit trade seems a routine flow as the Illela Forte Oil retail station has become a hub for okada riders to arrange the goods for sale across the border. In Katsina, where Nigeria also shares border with Niger Republic, the situation is barely different. Okada riders, stationed about 30 metres to the base of the immigration and customs operatives at Kongolam, about 18 kilometres to President Muhammadu Buharis hometown of Daura, would haggle price with clients transporting goods to Niger. One of the routes used by okada riders for illegal movement to Niger captured from far distance. A rider returns Niger Republic after an illegal movement of goods. They also follow illicit routes. Two okada riders, Mutari and Shefiu, said they could help smuggle petrol to neighbouring towns through bush paths for N300 per can. That is if you have many cans like up to 10, said Mutari, with Shefiu further explaining that normally a can is carried for N500 if its just one or two. Dont worry, well settle the officers who would allow us to pass, Mutari added. In Niger, the okada riders said, a litre of petrol is sold for N250, much higher than the N143 price in Nigeria. It is this high margin that motivates the smuggling of the products to neighbouring countries. Nigeria-Niger border, Illela Sokoto State. A customs unit leader in Illela, who only identified himself as Mukaila, said the border closure policy was effective. He, however, admitted that smuggling could still be taking place. There is no perfection, he said. If you are lucky, you are free, but if you are caught, it is 21 years in prison. Meanwhile, the impact of the petrol restriction policy is not considered significant in the border towns. Shefiu Mohammed, who sells petroleum products in bottles at Illela, said since the ban in November, he has been selling a litre of petrol at N200. It used to be N150 and N143 at stations. Advertisements Goods being arranged in sacks at now shut Forte Oil station, Illela, Sokoto State, for export to Niger through illegal route. He said he now sources the products from Gwadabawa, 50 kilometres away, and even farther towns such as Marnona. The unceasing illegal transborder trade is not limited to the countrys northwestern borders, PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported. However, in other border towns, the petrol supply cut has exposed residents and visitors to exploitation from security operatives and hardship, our week-long investigation showed. We cant claim of 100% effectiveness Customs Joseph Attah, spokesperson for customs and joint border operations involving other agencies, said people involved in smuggling would still devise strategies to beat border security measures despite the closure. We cant even claim 100 per cent effectiveness, Mr Attah told PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday night. If we have 99 per cent, the remaining 1 per cent can be exploited by smugglers because we are talking about a criminal act and human beings. Nigerian Customs Officials He blamed sabotage, stating that, some Nigerians serve as informants to the smugglers. They will be watching movements of customs and be calling smugglers they have gone that way, quickly cross now. These are people whom we are acting for their security and benefit. There is isolated case (of smuggling) here and there. We cant claim 100 per cent and thats why there is law and security agencies to deal with crimes. Telehealth Market Research, Report 2020, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Industry Analysis by Component (Hardware, Software and Services), by Mode of Delivery (Web/Cloud-Based and On-Premise), by Application (Radiology, Cardiology, Primary Care, Neurophysiology and others), by End User (Hospitals and Clinics, Diagnostic Centers, Home Care and others) and by Region (Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa) Global Forecast till 2024 Telehealth Market Overview: Global telehealth market is on a path to score a CAGR of 22.74% and surpass a valuation of USD 16,173.8 Million by 2024. Market Research Future (MRFR) marks 2019 to 2024 as the forecast period. The telehealth sector is expected to thrive on the core concept it offers of sharing information using a digital platform to improve communication. It enables several functions like electronic consultations, video conferencing, remote monitoring, and wireless communications. Growing demand for easy access to various healthcare services, cost-effective and systematic procedure, hike in investment, better research & development facilities, improved IT sector, and others are factors that ensure growth for the market. But the possibility of information leakage through hacking can prevent the market from having easy growth. Telehealth Market Competitive Analysis: Telehealth market is witnessing a strong ingress of new entrants who are impacting the market with their latest innovations. This is also making the market competitive as established players are trying to capitalize on the opportunities available and increase their profit margin. MRFR listed a few to ensure a better understanding of the market and it includes companies like Siemens (Germany) Boston Scientific Corporation (US) AMD Global Telemedicine Inc. (US) Right Health (Canada) American Well (US) Allscripts Healthcare Solutions (US) Honeywell International Inc. (US) GlobalMed (US) Care Innovations LLC (US) Philips Healthcare (Netherlands) InTouch Technologies Inc. (US) Medtronic PLC (Ireland) Maple (Canada) Cisco Systems Inc. (US) Cerner Corporation (US) Dialogue (Canada) Livecare Health (Canada) Get a FREE Sample Copy of Report with Complete TOC @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/900 Telehealth Market Segmentation Component, application, mode of delivery, and end user are four definite segments that have been discussed in the global market report on the telehealth sector. MRFR included these segments to provide better insights regarding various intricacies of the market. Global Telehealth Market, by Component Services Remote Monitoring Real-Time Interactions Store-and-Forward Consultations Hardware Monitoring Devices Stationary Wearable Medical Peripherals Blood Pressure Monitors ECG Monitors Pulse Oximeters Blood Glucose Meters Peak Flow Meters Otoscopes Others Others Software Integrated Software Standalone Software Global Telehealth Market, by Mode of Delivery Web/Cloud-Based On-Premise Global Telehealth Market, by Application Radiology Cardiology Primary Care Neurophysiology Others Telehealth Market Regional Analysis Basic requirements and the advanced ones for the growth of the telehealth market are widely available in Europe and the Americas. Of these two regions, the Americas are all set to score big in the coming years as countries like the US and Canada are going to ensure that the market gains better profit. Improved IT sector, better investment plans, growing digitalization, huge budget expenditure, and others are several sectors that can make sure that the market gains better prospects. In Europe, this market would benefit from the growing demand to monitor the steps of healthcare procedures. Italy has emerged as one of the leading countries by having control over almost 12.4% of the Western telehealth market in 2018. France, Germany, and the UK can also make sure that their growth in the sector goes up considerably. The Asia Pacific market has a massive population that can trigger growth for the telehealth market. Increasing the inclusion of technologies to support better growth for the telehealth market. For the Middle East & Africa, poor economy and lack of infrastructure can hold back the growth rate and deter permeation of the sector. Telehealth Industry News In January 2020, Walmart announced that they have started a collaboration Doctor on Demand to support its own staff and ensure that they get proper treatment using the telehealth services. In January 2019, American Well launched the American Well 760 Cart, which allows acute care teams at health systems to bring remote specialists into the room. The new cart was designed for health systems running telehealth on American Wells software or an existing Cisco infrastructure In November 2018, Boston Childrens Hospital, a part of Boston Scientific Corporation and 2nd.MD, a telehealth startup, initiated a strategic partnership focused on pediatric telemedicine. The alliance relied on 2nd.MDs technology and employer and health plan network to give patients virtual access to doctors In January 2018, Allscripts signed a definitive agreement and acquired Practice Fusion Get More Information on Telehealth Market Research Report Global Forecast till 2024 @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/telehealth-market-900 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by 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. In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members. Contact: Akash Anand Market Research Future +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com When it comes to livestock, no other animal in the United States is slaughtered for food more often than pigs. Market hogs 5 to 6 months old and uniform in size represent about 75 percent of all slaughtered livestock, well behind cattle, which represents 39 percent, and goats and sheep, which round out the remainder, industry records show. About one-quarter of U.S. pork is exported. (The USDA does not consider chickens and turkeys to be livestock.) By PTI LONDON: British mercenary pilots helped Indian troops in their battle against the Liberation Tigers for Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels in Sri Lanka in the 1980s, a new book reveals for the first time. The Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) received air support from these for-hire British pilots despite Indian diplomats publicly condemning the presence of UK mercenaries in Sri Lanka, according to the book, 'Keenie Meenie: The British Mercenaries Who Got Away With War Crimes', authored by UK-based investigative journalist Phil Miller. "Despite India publicly opposing the presence of British mercenaries in Sri Lanka, my research reveals that by 1987 the Indian military were using white pilots to provide air cover for their operations in Jaffna in what appears to have been a case of my enemy's enemy is my friend," said Miller. India's secret use of British mercenaries lasted for four months after the Indo-Lanka accord was signed between former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and then Sri Lankan president Junius Jayewardene in 1987. The book also traces the involvement of British mercenaries in atrocities against Tamil civilians that occurred prior to the arrival of the IPKF. 'Keenie Meenie', from the title of the book, is thought to be a Arabic slang for covert activities and was run by a retired colonel, Jim Johnson, a former Special Air Services (SAS) commander who had conducted secret missions in Yemen and Oman. Johnson's counter-insurgency experience came to the attention of Jayewardene at the start of Sri Lanka's civil war in 1983, when the Anglophile leader was looking for British aid to defeat the Tamil Tigers. Britain refused to officially send troops to help Jayewardene, fearing it would have jeopardised "substantial commercial and defence" deals with India, who initially supported the Tamil separatists, notes the account. Former prime minister Indira Gandhi's personal envoy to Sri Lanka, Gopalaswami Parthasarathy, warned Britain's most senior diplomat Sir Antony Acland that "UK training of Sri Lankan security forces would not be helpful". Instead, declassified documents reveal, Britain allowed retired UK soldiers to work in Sri Lanka under the control of Keenie Meenie Services (KMS). Britain's high commissioner in Colombo, David Gladstone, noted in a telegram: "(Colonel) Johnson confirmed that KMS pilots were flying SLAF (Sri Lankan Air Force) helicopters in support of IPKF operations in the Jaffna peninsula until 27th November (1987), when the last pilot was withdrawn. IPKF will miss the support provided by their pilots." Gladstone added: "The Indians may, after all, come to regret the reduction in the KMS presence here. In the circumstances, it is not surprising we have heard no recent criticism from Indian sources of KMS activities." By 1985, Britain's Foreign Office believed that "only KMS pilots are currently capable of flying armed helicopter assault operations in Sri Lanka". Miller's book, published by Pluto Press and formally launched in London last week, cites declassified cables that show British diplomats expected there would be "very hard words from India" if a KMS pilot was shot down by the Tamil militants. India's then foreign secretary, Romesh Bhandari, described the situation in Sri Lanka as "genocide" and warned that the role of the British pilots was "unhelpful". However, India's attitudes gradually began to shift and the envoy to Colombo, Jyotindra Nath Dixit, said New Delhi had to publicly deplore the use of UK mercenaries in Sri Lanka but privately he accepted there was "a large pool of ex-military personnel" in Europe and North America who wanted to "market these skills" and if it was not KMS then it would be another "cowboy" outfit involved. The KMS came into being in the 1970s with battle-hardened British veterans and, according to the book based on previously classified accounts, were active in controversial operations around the world with the UK governments of the time unable to fully control them. A 23-year-old man, Michael Ohkide, is currently on the run after allegedly stabbing his parents, Barr. Clement Okhide and Toyin, to death on Tuesday. The incident, it was gathered, happened at their apartment located on Afeez Gbadamosi Street, Ejigbo, Lagos state. Michaels sister, Mary, who was found in a pool of her blood, was immediately taken to the hospital where doctors are still battling to save her. Although the exact reason for the act could not be immediately ascertained but the Police said they were still on his trail. Residents, however, said it may not be unconnected with his uncontrollable urge to get some of the illicit drugs at all costs. One of the residents, who described the 60-year-old late lawyer as a no-nonsense man, said; He had been warning his son against taking illicit drugs but he wouldnt listen. There had been an altercation between them several times. Michael is the first child. The couple had three children. He had gone to three private universities but could not complete his education because of illicit drugs. At a point, he said that his family hated, even when his parents did all they could to make him useful. A member of the deceaseds family also said, It is unfortunate that my brother and his wife lost their lives in the process of trying to ensure he turned a new leaf. Michael has been a thorn in the entire familys flesh. If you cautioned him, he would snap at you and warn you to mind your business Read Also: American Man Shoots Nigerian Dead For Urinating In Front Of His House It was gathered that the assailant was also responsible for stabbing his sister, Mary, in the stomach and hand. Efforts are being made towards the arresting the suspected killer who is currently at large. Ahead of his visit to Assam to participate in celebrations of Bodo Accord signing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday termed the agreement 'special' and said whatever happened earlier regarding the issue, was done keeping in mind. "Despite many efforts, the issue was unsolved for years. The Bodo Accord signed now is special because it has brought all stakeholders together and we are moving towards a more peaceful era," Prime Minister Modi said in Lok Sabha. "It was said about the Bodo issue that it hasn't happened for the first time. We haven't also said it happened for the first time. There have been many attempts, some are still underway but whatever happened (earlier), happened keeping in mind," he said. Modi's visit to Kokrajhar, Assam on Friday comes days after the Assam government signed a tripartite agreement with representatives of all factions of the banned Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in New Delhi on January 27. It will be the first visit of Prime Minister Modi since the state witnessed anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests. Over four lakh people from the Bodoland Territorial Area District (BTAD) districts and all over Assam are expected to attend the programme, a government release said. The Bodo groups have been demanding a separate state of Bodoland for the last 50 years. The movement has resulted in extensive violence and loss of hundreds of lives over the years. The Assam government will organise a cultural programme of ethnic groups of the state to showcase the diversity of the region. The Prime Minister will also address the gathering to hail the historic Bodo Agreement signed in January this year, by including the leading stakeholders under one framework. He had said that the agreement is inspired by the mantra of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, and Sabka Vishwas' and the spirit of 'Ek Bharat, Shresth Bharat'. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Bleak House | Blackwells Bookshop, Oxford | Monday, February 3 WHERE better to stage a dramatisation of one of the greatest Victorian novels than in a great bookshop? Blackwells in Oxford is the venue for Creation Theatres new version of Bleak House by Charles Dickens, performed by a troupe of three women and two men. Yes, thats right, five actors to encompass a 900-page book containing countless characters, and multiple plots and sub-plots. To make things even trickier the writer-adapter Olivia Mace has added a medley of music and songs to the unfolding drama. Each player takes on up to half a dozen parts, switching hats, coats, gender and accents. Though a glancing knowledge of the book helps, the action and characterisation stay clear throughout. The scene shifts from the Chancery Court in London, where the interminable Jarndyce case has dominated and ruined so many lives, to the Dedlocks grand estate in Lincolnshire to the Bleak House of the title. On the way we visit junk shops, lawyers offices, slums and cemeteries. Stepladders and packing-cases furnish the stage. The London fog is suggested by sheets of paper scattered through the air, sheets which then become the paper which fuels the law courts. Open books waved in the air double as the flapping wings of birds. The ingenuity of the staging is matched by the versatility of the players. Joanna Holden ranges from the remote Lady Dedlock, who has a scandalous secret to keep, to the crazed Miss Flite. Newcomer Sophie Jacob plays Esther, the moral centre of the story, as well as a clutch of lesser characters, while Eleanor House does a nice turn as the hapless Mr Guppy and a murderously comic French maid. Morgan Philpott is an authority figure, imposing or warm depending on his role, and Bart Lambert travels the spectrum from an illiterate street-sweeper to the do-gooding Mrs Pardiggle cue for a faintly Gilbert & Sullivan-style number to a lawyer determined to uncover Lady Dedlocks mysterious secret. Bleak House is in part a mystery story. Its about England as it was in the early Victorian period but, as writer Olivia Mace points out in the programme, its also about our world now, with its inequalities of wealth, social status and gender. Under the direction of Deborah Newbold, this show is true to Charles Dickenss vision but it fleshes out the mammoth bones of his tale with colour, wit and style. Until March 7. Philip Gooden Katherine Feser / Houston Chronicle Stewart Information Services Corp., the Houston-based title company that began reorganizing last year after a failed merger, did not record a profit during the last three months of 2019, compared with net income of $11.4 million during the same period a year earlier. Fourth-quarter revenue was $506 million, up 11 percent from the same period a year earlier. CEO Fred Eppinger said the companys title operations had a good end to the year, but more work had to be done to improve financial performance. It's pretty much customary in the Android world for carriers to come out with deals on old flagships right around the time successors are made official. The companies cut the prices in order to get more sales before the new models steal the spotlight. This seems to be what the three Korean carriers had in mind for the Galaxy Fold, but Samsung is having none of it. Apparently the carriers wanted to make the foldable device KRW 399,300 cheaper - that's a price cut of $337 or 306 at the current exchange rates. The rationale has to do with the imminent launch of the Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung's second foldable smartphone, which is getting official on February 11. However, the device maker feels like such a move isn't appropriate, considering the "symbolism" of the Galaxy Fold as the first foldable smartphone on the market and its flagship innards. It also helps to remember that the Galaxy Z Flip is not in any way a successor to the Galaxy Fold, as its form factor is entirely different. The only thing they have in common is that the screen folds. The Galaxy Fold 2 is expected to be announced in the second quarter of 2020. So Samsung may have a point here. It's also likely that the company doesn't want to upset the customers who already bought a Fold full price. After all, it wasn't a small price by any stretch of the imagination - and those early adopters (around 400,000 to 500,000 of them) may not be the best set of people to 'betray' with such a move. The carriers insist that it's their right to do this, but apparently there are still negotiations going on with Samsung, albeit these have been prolonged more than anyone expected. Source (in Korean) Former vice president Joe Biden was supposed to be the favorite among Democrats who think Medicare-for-all is too extreme. But in Iowa, Pete Buttigieg seized those voters. The former South Bend, Indiana, mayor is at the front of the Democratic pack after his surprisingly robust finish in the Iowa caucuses. While the results still aren't complete, Buttigieg essentially tied with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., showing he's a viable candidate who could pick up more momentum in next Tuesday's New Hampshire primary. Buttigieg didn't do it as the Medicare-for-all candidate. He did it as the "Medicare-for-all-who-want-it" candidate. Sanders was the clear favorite among Iowa caucuses-goers who prefer a single-payer health-care system. But Buttigieg nabbed the largest share of voters who are leery of replacing all private plans with government coverage. That addition of three key words to the description of Buttigieg's health plan - "who-want-it" - represented a strategic pivot for Buttigieg when he started using the phrase early last year. It was almost as though the Democrat anticipated the tricky questions Sanders and other Medicare-for-all candidates would face about paying for such a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. health-care system and whether people would lose their workplace coverage. Buttigieg staffers insist they were focused solely on policy while writing the proposal - regardless of any positive side effects of saving Buttigieg from the political potholes into which Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., have stumbled on the issue. "When we were writing his plan, we didn't read any polls," the campaign's policy director, Sonal Shah, told me yesterday. "We were focused on how do we get to quality coverage. " But Buttigieg has qualified his position since then. He entered the presidential primary race in January 2019 saying he favored the Medicare-for-all-style system originally envisioned by Sanders. Eleven months prior, he tweeted that he "most affirmatively and indubitably" supports Medicare-for-all. Buttigieg soon started speaking about health care in a more nuanced way, stressing he didn't want to eliminate private plans Americans might like and want to keep.Polls show that while a majority of voters like the idea of a national health plan, support declines if they're told it would end private coverage options. -In February, Buttigieg told ABC News's George Stephanopoulos the country should start with "Medicare-for-all-who-want-it" by making a government plan available in the individual marketplaces. "You can try before you buy, so to speak, as a country," Buttigieg said. -By the first presidential debate in June, Buttigieg was regularly contrasting his "Medicare-for-all-who-want-it" approach with the single-payer system espoused by his opponents. "You take something like Medicare, a flavor of that, you make it available on the exchanges, people can buy in," Buttigieg said. "And then if people like us are right, that that will be not only a more inclusive plan, but a more efficient plan than any of the corporate answers out there, then it will be a very natural glide path to the single-payer environment." By staking out this position so early in the campaign season, Buttigieg didn't fall prey to some of the accusations of flip-flopping that have plagued Warren. Warren, who says she wants Medicare-for-all, qualified her position last fall by saying she wouldn't push for it until the third year of her presidency. "I think it was so early people didn't know who he was and he wasn't defined as doing any kind of flip-flopping," said Chris Jennings, a longtime Democratic adviser and health-policy expert. "He was able to tell people what his policy was before people could frame it differently." Under Buttigieg's plan, which he detailed in September, anyone would be allowed to buy a government-backed "public option" plan on the individual marketplaces with benefits at least as generous as the private plans sold there. This public option would probably be cheaper than private plans because the government would have more leverage to pay doctors and hospitals lower rates. Buttigieg also wants to make private marketplace plans more affordable. He has proposed providing more generous federal subsidies by pegging them to the cost of more generous "gold" plans instead of less-generous "silver" plans under the Affordable Care Act. He would also cap premiums at 8.5 percent of income, regardless of how much an enrollee earns. The proposal is similar to Biden's own - so similar, in fact, that hehas accusedButtigieg of stealing his idea. Biden appeared agitated yesterday, acknowledging his presidential campaign received a "gut punch" in the caucuses. "I am not going to sugarcoat it," he told a crowd at a VFW hall in New Hampshire, the Washington Post reported. "We took a gut punch in Iowa. The whole process took a gut punch. But look, this isn't the first time in my life I've been knocked down." Buttigieg appears to have been the second-choice candidate of Iowans whose first choice in the caucuses failed to meet the threshold qualifying them during the first round of those contests. Warren supporters forced to make a second choice were as likely to move to Buttigieg as to Sanders, according to an analysis by the Post's Philip Bump. Supporters of Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., went mostly to Biden and Buttigieg. Biden supporters went mostly to Buttigieg. "Over and over, Buttigieg was the second choice of choice, so to speak," Philip rites. "Tallying losses and gains across the field, Buttigieg gained the most support as a second pick, followed by Klobuchar. Yang saw the biggest erosion of support - and didn't gain much support as a second pick." Y A popular and controversial Iranian rapper living in Turkey has been arrested by the immigration police and is feared to be in danger of being deported back to Iran. In his Instagram story on Tuesday Amir-Hossein Maqsoudlou (Maghsouldloo) who is better known by his stage name Amir Tataloo, posted photos and videos which showed him handcuffed inside a police car and said Turkish immigration police had detained him and were sending him back to Iran on a request by the Islamic Republic. In his latest message, Tataloo who appears to be still in detention in an unspecified location in Turkey said he had been allowed to keep his mobile "because he is an artist". This message appears to have been posted around 14:00 GMT on January 28. In another part of his Instagram story, Tataloo who had recently received his British visa said he was leaving for London today but at around 6:00 GMT he posted photos and videos showing him in handcuffs in a police car. According to the artist's own Instagram messages, the Turkish Police arrested him because "Iran wants him back and has issued a warrant to the Interpol". His name, however, does not appear on the Interpol wanted lists. Tataloo had in recent weeks posted several other messages which might have been the reason Iran wants him back. In one of these messages posted after General Qassem Soleimani's death, he implies that Soleimani had in some way behaved in a cowardly fashion toward him after he did favors or services for the powerful general. Tataloo did not elaborate what were these favors. "I forgive him, I even forgive the intelligence guys who tortured me when I was held in solitary confinement. I forgive the country that made me escape", he said. In another Instagram message, he appeared to be deriding the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Tataloo left Iran in 2017 and after living in Georgia for a while went to Turkey where he held several concerts. He was leaving for London when he was arrested by the Turkish police. Iran Police Spokesman General Ahmad Nourian has confirmed Tataloo's arrest and said he was arrested by the Turkish Police by the request of the Iranian Police and "currently the procedure for his transfer to Iran is underway." In 2017 Tataloo met with Ebrahim Raeesi, President Hassan Rouhani's rival in the presidential election, reportedly under pressure. The meeting of the high ranking cleric with the tattooed rapper, which probably meant to attract the votes of his several million young fans, raised many eyebrows. Wednesdays operation came days after District officials cleared a large homeless encampment at the K Street NE underpass in the NoMa neighborhood near Union Station, removing tents from sidewalks while trying to find shelter space for displaced residents. In that case, authorities posted notices of the cleanup, which the mayors office said was necessary to clear space for pedestrians and remove a public health hazard. By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 05, 2020 | 06:03 PM | MAYFIELD Mayfield Police came to the 700 block of North 13th Street after learning that a man and woman were yelling and screaming in the street. Officers spoke to 20-year-old Shauntres Tyler and 26-year-old Hannah Terry, both of Mayfield, but they refused to cooperate with an investigation into what had occurred. Through witness interviews, police determined an altercation had taken place regarding marijuana and a phone. Officers say they found a small bucket of marijuana in the street, along with paraphernalia consistent with trafficking drugs. Police say they also found marijuana on Tyler, so he was arrested for trafficking in marijuana (less than 8 ounces) 1st offense, domestic violence assault with minor injury, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was also charged with violation of conditions of release from a prior assault against Terry. Terry was arrested for trafficking in marijuana (less than 8 ounces) 1st offense. Both suspects were taken to Graves County Jail. Two people were arrested Tuesday after a reported disturbance in Mayfield. The Delhi Police on Thursday refuted reports that it has requested the state government to convert a stadium in Kanjhawala into a temporary prison. This comes amid reports in some sections of media today which claimed that such a request had been sent to the Delhi government. "Some media sections are running a story regarding a letter written by Delhi Police asking Delhi Govt to convert a stadium in Kanjhawala into a temporary prison. It is to clarify that no such letter has been written in recent times. The news is devoid of facts," a Delhi Police official said. It is to be noted that on January 29, the Police department had written a letter to the state government for permission to set up a temporary jail, keeping in mind the protests scheduled for January 30 against the amended Citizenship Act. However, no new request has been made to the state government. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) London: The Westminster magistrates court cleared on Thursday the extradition of Jabir Motiwala, a close aide of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, to the United States, where he faces charges of money-laundering, extortion and drug trafficking. Dawood Ibrahim is wanted in India for his alleged role in the 1993 Mumbai bombings which claimed lives of more than 200 people. Motiwala is accused of laundering around US $1.4 million. The charges against him date back to 2011 and 2012 and could carry a sentence of around 25 years behind bars in the US. Pronouncing the judgment, Judge John Zani rejected grounds such as abuse of process and risk to human rights, saying that Motiwalas extradition complied with human rights legislation. I also find that there are no bars to this extradition as would intervene to prevent extradition, he added. The matter has now been referred to home secretary Priti Patel. However, once Patel signs the extradition order, Motiwala is likley to seek permission to appeal in the high court of England and Wales. According to the information set out in the (extradition) request, JM (Jabir Motiwala) is said to be an important member of an international criminal organisation called `D Company`, based in Pakistan, India and UAE....the judged noted. Motiwala, who appeared in court via a videolink from Wandsworth prison in south-west London, was arrested by Scotland Yards Extradition Unit in August 2018. Motiwalas defence team had raised the prospect of he being tried for terrorism offences, once he extradited to the US, and noted that doing so would breach the condition of specialty in the extradition laws, but Judge Zani ruled that he was satisfied with the assurances given by US authorities. The judgement quotes a statement from US authorities as stating that the mere mentioning in the indictment that Mr Motiwala was part of an organisation which had connections to a terror organisation would not in and of itself cause a terrorism enhancement to apply. It continues: The defendant has not been charged with a felony that involved a federal crime of terrorism. Nor is the Government aware of evidence that the charged crimes were intended to promote a federal crime of terrorism. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Several Arab and Muslim countries have condemned the so-called deal of the century put forward by US President Donald Trump Jan. 28. Trump called the deal a win-win peace plan to solve a complex conflict that commenced in 1948, when an Arab-Israeli war broke out, initiating an era of tension and violence, particularly in Palestine. The seed of the Palestine-Israel conflict was laid in 1917 by British Foreign Minister Arthur Balfour, who declared a Jewish home in Palestine. Trumps peace proposal is incapable of resolving such historical complexities. Instead, the proposal has sent waves of widespread resentment across the Muslim and Arab world. While the deal-makers think they have attained justice for the Palestinians, the global community that supports Palestine sees it as an absolute injustice and disregard for human rights. Protests denouncing the deal broke out in several Arab and Muslim countries. This peace proposal is a provocative step, provoking ire in Palestine and beyond. Among the countries reacting to the plan is Yemen. Even in the midst of a civil war, political schisms and economic woes, Yemenis have responded to Trump's plan. Thousands of people in Houthi-controlled Sanaa and Saada protested Jan. 31 against Trump's Middle East peace plan. The protesters raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans against the United States and Israel. Amar Saleh, a 28-year-old resident of Sanaa, took part in a protest on al-Matar street in the capital. He said protesting was the least he could do for Palestine. We cannot and we will not forget the Palestinian issue," he said. "I believe the Palestinian cause is the core issue of all Arabs and Muslims. Personally, if I abandon thinking about the aggression committed against Palestine, it amounts to abandoning my faith. This will not happen. He added, I know about this issue since my school days. I studied history books at school and I know about the Balfour Declaration. If this generation cannot support and help liberate Palestine now, the next generation will. Senior Houthi officials delivered remarks at the protest in Sanaa, stating that support for Palestine is a sacred duty. Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, said, We do not want any favor from our Palestinian brothers because our support for Palestine is a religious duty and we do not gloat over it. He also called for an Arab-Islamic summit to develop a practical program with regard to the Palestinian issue. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam tweeted, Aggressively, arrogantly and stubbornly, Trump announces his losing deal to perpetuate the Israeli occupation in a failed attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause in the name of achieving the alleged peace. Although the Houthis and the internationally recognized government have been locked in deadly fighting since 2015, they share similar stances on the US plan. A statement from the Foreign Affairs Ministry said Yemens support to Palestine is unchanging. The ministry tweeted: Our position in the Republic of Yemen is consistent, firm and supportive of the Palestinian cause and the inalienable rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. The Yemeni people will always remain with the Palestinian people and with their right to their land and state, and we will not change [this position]. Yemenis and their government have long supported Palestine. Prior to the eruption of the popular uprising in 2011, Yemenis regularly collected donations for Palestine. In 2010, Yemeni lawmakers were part of the humanitarian flotilla to Gaza, an initiative intended to mitigate the severity of the Israeli siege on Gaza. However, Israeli commandos intercepted the flotilla and killed nine activists. The Yemeni participants were arrested, and the Yemeni government and the opposition displayed a united stance. Thousands of Yemenis took to the streets, calling for severing relations with Israel. Yemens thinkers have also reacted with unanimous disapproval to Trumps deal. Khaled al-Rowaishan, a Yemeni writer and former government minister, tweeted, Trump dubbed it the deal of the century and declared it today a peace deal in the presence of [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu], as if they shamelessly wrote it together. The first item of Trumps deal is that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. And you can imagine the remaining items of the deal. Mohammed Abdu, a Yemeni political journalist, said Palestine is the issue that unites all Yemenis. He told Al-Monitor, Despite the huge rifts between the warring sides in Yemen, they agree to support Palestine and they have shown unequivocal rejection to Trumps deal. Siding with Palestine has been ingrained in the Yemeni culture for decades, and I do not expect Yemen will one day consider the Israeli occupation a minor issue. He added, Whether the political elites have staged protests or declared statements with regard to this matter, they all intend to oppose any peace deal that violates the human rights of Palestinians or legalize the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Abdu reckoned that Yemenis deep love for Palestine will not die down, irrespective of the circumstances Yemen is undergoing. The impetus to support Palestine is not solely religious but also humanitarian and moral. There is nothing harsher than being removed from your country and being rendered stateless, he said. The New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) announced that it has served a statement of charges against the National Rifle Association (NRA). The Department alleges that the NRA, which does not have a license to conduct insurance business in New York, violated various New York State Insurance Laws, among other things, by acting as an insurance producer without a license in endorsing and marketing insurance programs, including Carry Guard. DFS also alleges that the NRA engaged in misleading marketing practices, deceiving its members. The department is seeking civil monetary penalties, as well as injunctive and other appropriate relief. In the statement of charges, DFS alleges that since 2000, the NRA has worked with the Kansas City Series of Lockton Companies LLC to offer a variety of insurance products to NRA members, their families and affiliated businesses. According to the statement of charges, the NRA endorsed the programs as well as marketed them to its members through NRA-affiliated websites and email marketing, despite the fact that the NRA does not hold an insurance producer license from DFS. In return, the NRA received substantial compensation, including royalties based on a percentage of the insurance premiums paid by its members. An entity is required to be licensed by DFS to engage in these activities related to the sale and marketing of insurance products in New York State. The statement of charges alleges that in 2016, the NRA partnered with Lockton to create what would become the Carry Guard insurance program. Between about April 1, 2017, and November 17, 2017, Carry Guard was marketed and sold throughout the U.S., with about 680 policies unlawfully issued to New York residents. It also alleges the NRA engaged in substantial marketing and solicitation in connection with the Carry Guard program, including directing the NRAs primary marketing vendor, Ackerman McQueen, to create and place television commercials promoting the Carry Guard program, sending promotional emails from the NRA CEO, and operating the NRA Carry Guard website. In May 2018, DFS fined Lockton $7 million for serving as the administrator of the NRA-branded Carry Guard insurance program. The charges further allege that the Carry Guard program was primarily offered to firearms owners, in particular those with concealed carry permits, to provide insurance coverage that is unlawful in New York State. In particular, Carry Guard offered coverage for losses and costs associated with the aftermath of the purposeful use of a firearm, including defense costs in a criminal prosecution. Under New York law, such intentional acts cannot be insured. The charges are not confined to the Carry Guard program. DFS alleges that the NRA participated in soliciting its members with respect to many other insurance products, going back to approximately 2000. For example, the charges allege that the NRA participated in offering its members insurance products involving coverage for firearms instructors, gun collectors, gun clubs, gun shows, federal firearms dealers, and other aspects involving firearms, as well as life, health, and property offerings for their members. The charges allege that the NRA participated in the generation of more than 28,000 such policies for New York consumers and that the NRA unlawfully received royalties of about $1.8 million between 2000 and 2018 from Lockton on such policies in New York. In addition, DFS alleges that the NRA misrepresented that the insurance offerings to its members was at the lowest cost possible, when the NRA was taking for itself substantial royalties, sometimes more than 20 percent of the premiums paid. Under the relevant insurance laws, the NRA faces civil monetary penalties of up to $500 for each of the 28,000 policies with respect to each of the three charges that carry such penalties. A hearing will be held at the office of the New York State Department of Financial Services on April 6, 2020. Source: New York State Department of Financial Services Related: Topics Abuse Molestation New York Lockton State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman Rajnish Kumar has said the outstanding bank credit need to be doubled from current Rs 95 lakh crore in the next five years if India wants to achieve $5 trillion GDP size. He was speaking at the Indian Banks Association's (IBA) high power CEO panel discussion. G Rajkiran Rai, MD & CEO of Union Bank of India added that the $5 trillion economy meant an average credit growth of 15 per cent per annum. The credit growth is currently struggling because of lower demand and capacity utilisation and asset quality issues. "The banking industry has to improve its lending model by the use of technology," said Rai, while adding that infra financing would play a key role in achieving 15 per cent credit growth target. The high credit growth is something the Indian economy achieved during 2005-2008 period. "We have achieved this kind of high growth in the past and we can achieve it," says Kumar. Also read: Snub more people to make India $5 trillion economy: Chidambaram on Piyush Goyal's 'no favour' jibe at Jeff Bezos According to the SBI chief, the other enablers or preconditions for banks to achieve higher growth is to continue making profits; availability of capital; improvement in governance; and credit risk framework. He also listed out the role of other players like states, in supporting the economic growth. CHSS Mallikarjuna Rao, MD & CEO of Punjab National Bank, said the government's decision to consolidate PSBs to create larger banks would help in contributing to the $5 trillion economy. "The bigger merged entities would be in a better position to create a better compliance culture and also risk governing framework by using technology," said Rao. Also read: 'Modi govt's aim of $5 trillion economy by 2024 'unimaginably ambitious',' says economist R Nagaraj Sunil Mehta, Chief Executive of Indian Banks Association (IBA), said the bankruptcy code had created a new culture and discipline in the lending market. "This is one law which has been amended quite a few times to make it workable," says Mehta. Mrutyunjay Mahapatra, MD& CEO of Syndicate Bank, talked about technology's role in banking. "The digital banking and technological tools have become more of a basic hygiene in banking globally." Rai of Union Bank said payments through UPI or Unified Payments Interface were already expanding as customer adoption due to its user friendliness was fast. "Fintechs are also playing a role in the banking industry. They can add value," says Rai. Madhav Kalyan, CEO at JP Morgan Chase Bank, said the domestic savings won't be able to support a growth of 11-12 per cent to achieve the $5 trillion economy. The government is already encouraging foreign capital, he said. "We will need a sound infrastructure like seamless clearing and settlement system, fraud filters, cyber security, payment systems like blockchain, etc," he added. PNB's Rao said the country should focus on domestic consumption requirements rather than consuming through imports. Also read: RBI Monetary Policy: Your interest rate on home, car loans won't reduce anytime soon Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf has banned New York residents from applying for trusted traveler programs in response to a new state law that gives illegal immigrants driving licenses The Trump Administration has banned New York state residents from applying to or renewing their membership to Global Entry and many other Trusted Traveler Programs in response to a new law that gives illegal immigrants driving licenses. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announced the immediate freeze on applicants wanting faster border crossings after President Trump slammed 'left-wing states' that 'release dangerous criminal aliens to prey upon the public' in his State of the Union address. The Green Light Law is a sanctuary policy that allows undocumented migrants to apply for a license using a passport from their home country rather than a US document. It also bars the DMV from sharing that information with ICE and Border Protection, meaning illegal immigrants are safeguarded from deportation - even if they have a criminal record. Wolf revealed the sweeping policy change in a letter to the New York state government that was obtained by Fox News. The Trusted Traveler Programs - or TTPs - include Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST. If you currently have access to one of the programs, you will not be able to reapply under the strict guidelines. Wolf has ruled that nobody from the state can apply for programs that expedite entry into the United States from abroad because authorities cannot properly vet them. 'In New York alone, last year ICE arrested 149 child predators, identified or rescued 105 victims of exploitation and human trafficking, arrested 230 gang members, and seized 6,487 pounds of illegal narcotics, including fentanyl and opioids. The Trusted Traveler Programs - or TTPs - include Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST. Wolf has ruled that nobody from the state can apply for programs that expedite entry into the United States from abroad because authorities cannot properly vet them 'In the vast majority of these cases, ICE relied on New York DMV records to fulfill its mission,' he added. The letter says the ban - which affects the Global Entry scheme, NEXUS, Sentri, and FAST - comes into effect immediately and is dated February 5. The ban will also affect those who need to re-apply for membership of a traveler program when it expires after five years. 'Because the act prevents DHS from accessing New York DMV records in order to determine whether a TTP (trusted traveler program) applicant or re-applicant meets program eligibility requirements, New York residents will no longer be eligible to enroll or re-enroll,' Wolf wrote. As soon as the Green Light law was signed in December 2016, immigrants were seen lining up at DMVs around New York to get their hands on licenses. The move came just a day after Trump attacked so-called sanctuary cities in his State of the Union address, singling out New York for particular criticism. Trump highlighted the case of Reeaz Khan, 21, an illegal migrant from Guyana accused of raping and murdering 92-year-old Maria Fuertes in Queens. ICE has accused New York authorities of denying a detainment request they placed on Khan because of his immigration status after he was arrested six weeks earlier for assaulting his father with a broken coffee mug. ICE argued the state's sanctuary policies were to blame for the release. Trump used his address to call on Congress to pass the Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act, which would allow victims of crimes committed by illegal migrants to sue sanctuary cities. Wolf argued that, since ICE and CBP cannot properly vet New Yorkers for trusted traveler programs, nobody will be allowed to access them. As soon as the Green Light law was signed in December 2016, immigrants were seen lining up at DMVs around New York to get their hands on licenses (above) The move came just a day after Trump attacked so-called sanctuary cities in his State of the Union address, singling out New York for particular criticism He added: 'The United States of America should be a sanctuary for law-abiding Americans - not criminal aliens.' Wolf made his announcement about the traveler programs in a letter to New York authorities the following day. He also noted that exporting vehicles that are registered in New York 'will be significantly delayed and could also be costlier' as a result of the DMV limiting access to its records. Rich Azzopardi, adviser to New York governor Andrew Cuomo, told CNN that the letter is being reviewed by the state. 'This is obviously political retaliation by the federal government and we're going to review our legal options,' he said. JERUSALEM - Twelve Israeli soldiers were injured over the night between Wednesday and Thursday in central Jerusalem when a car rammed into a popular nightclub there. Reports were from the Israeli army, which noted that one of them had been ''seriously injured and taken to hospital''. The other 11 suffered only minor injuries. Security forces are trying to track down the attacker, who fled the scene. Hamas said that the attack was a reaction to the 'peace plan' proposed by US president Donald Trump for Israel and Palestine. ''The operation by the resistance in Occupied Jerusalem,'' Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said, according to international media, ''is a tangible response by our people to Trump's plan of destruction.'' On Wednesday, Hamas had called for Palestinians to ''increase confrontation with the occupation and its settlers''. ''It is only a matter of time, and not even that much, before we catch the attacker. Terrorism will not defeat us. We will be the ones to win,'' Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), praised the perpetual advancement of Bahraini women, describing it as a landmark feature of the Kingdoms prosperity under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. She also lauded active participation of public and private institutions, non-government organisations as well as individuals in supporting this progress and promoting the kingdoms status as a regional and international model to emulate. HRH Princess Sabeeka was speaking during a ceremony to announce the winners of the sixth edition of her Award for the Empowerment of Bahraini Women which was held at Isa Cultural Centre. She praised practices adopted by institutions and individuals to support Bahraini women, stressing that they deserve to be promoted internationally through various mass media. She affirmed that those models are worth of every respect and appreciation, stressing the role of the award in boosting the status of Bahraini women as an active player in development. HRH Princess Sabeeka underlined the role of the award in supporting the institutional and individual efforts to adopt policies aimed at achieving active partnership and gender balance in various sectors. She noted that the growing interest in the award puts a responsibility on SCW to develop the awards criteria and ascertain they cope with womens development. In this context, she commended the efforts of the awards committee and its keenness to develop scientific and objective criteria to prepare an organisational and administrative environment for tapping on Bahraini womens potentials. HRH Princess Sabeeka honoured the winners. The first place in the public institutions category was clinched by the Education and Training Quality Authority while the award in the official institutions category went to the Shura Council and Economic Development Board. Meanwhile, the first place in the private sector institutions category was grabbed by Zain Bahrain and in the NGOs category, the award went to Bahrain Investment Professionals Society. In the individual category, it was granted to Aisha Khalifa Matar who was nominated by Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities. Shura Council Chairman Ali Al Saleh praised the great support accorded to Bahraini women by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW). He lauded their achievements and advanced status at the regional and international level, commending the ambitious initiatives and quality programmes aimed at boosting womens role and success. The Shura Council Chairman was speaking as he received yesterday, alongside the councils Secretary-General Chancellor Osama Ahmed Al Asfoor, HRH Princess Sabeeka Bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa Award for Bahraini Women Empowerment. The Shura Council won first place in the awards sixth edition. Mr Al Saleh pointed out the importance of holding competitions in highlighting the continuous efforts of official institutions to boost womens development. The Election Commission on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his alleged 'biryani for terrorist' remarks. The poll panel has asked him to respond to the notice before 5 pm on Friday. The EC said, prima facie, by making such remarks the senior BJP leader has violated provisions of the model code of conduct enforced for the February 8 Delhi assembly polls. Adityanath had made this remark during a speech here on February 1. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) GARDNER, Mass., Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Precision Optics Corporation, Inc. (OTCQB: PEYE) (the "Company") today announced that it has scheduled a conference call to discuss second quarter of fiscal 2020 financial results on Thursday, February 13, 2020 at 5:00pm ET. The Company intends to release its financial results and to file its 10-Q after the close of the market on February 13, 2020 followed by the conference call. Conference Call Details Date and Time: Thursday, February 13, 2020 at 5:00pm ET Call-in Information: Interested parties can access the conference call by dialing (844) 735-3662 or (412) 317-5705. Live Webcast Information: Interested parties can access the conference call via a live Internet webcast, which is available at https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2109/33075. Replay: A teleconference replay of the call will be available until February 20, 2020 at (877) 344-7529 or (412) 317-0088, confirmation #10139141. A webcast replay will be available at https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2109/33075. About Precision Optics Corporation Precision Optics Corporation has been a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced optical instruments since 1982. Using proprietary optical technologies, the Company designs and produces next generation medical instruments, Microprecision micro-optics with characteristic dimensions less than 1 millimeter, and other advanced optical systems for a broad range of customers including some of the largest global medical device companies. The Company's innovative medical instrumentation line includes state-of-the-art endoscopes and endocouplers as well as custom illumination and imaging products for use in minimally invasive surgical procedures. The Company believes that current advances in its proprietary micro-optics and 3D imaging technologies present significant opportunities for expanding applications to numerous potential medical products and procedures. The Company's website is www.poci.com. Investors can find Real-Time Quotes and market information for the Company on www.otcmarkets.com/stock/PEYE/quote. About Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements that express the Company's intentions, beliefs, expectations, strategies, predictions or any other statements related to the Company's future activities or future events or conditions. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company's business based, in part, on assumptions made by the Company's management. These statements are not guarantees of future performances and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements due to numerous factors, including those risks discussed in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K and in other documents that we file from time to time with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this report, except as required by law. Company Contact: PRECISION OPTICS CORPORATION 22 East Broadway Gardner, Massachusetts 01440-3338 Telephone: 978-630-1800 Investor Contact: LYTHAM PARTNERS, LLC Robert Blum Phoenix | New York Telephone: 602-889-9700 [email protected] SOURCE Precision Optics Corporation During a freewheeling speech from the White House on Thursday, which included the occasional expletive, President Donald Trump took some time to shout-out his family for sticking with him throughout his impeachment over the Ukraine scandal. Trump, 73, apologized to his children and to First Lady Melania Trump while claiming his impeachment was all b-. In his hour-long remarks which he described as less a formal address than a celebration, with pauses to take a number of campaign rally-like standing ovations from Republican allies in attendance Trump acknowledged that the shadow of his impeachment in recent months had not been part of the deal for his wife and kids, who joined him in politics. I just want to thank my family for sticking through it this was not part of the deal, Trump said. That wasnt the deal, but they stuck with me. Trump called up daughter Ivanka Trump, a senior aide, for an embrace. The first lady received her own standing ovation. I want to apologize to my family for having them have to go through a phony, rotten deal by some very evil and sick people, Trump said. He said something similar last fall, while he was under investigation before being officially impeached. Impeachment to me is a dirty word, he said at a November rally. Its been very hard on my family, he said, later adding another very hard to his description. Me? Trump wondered to the crowd. Feh. My whole life is crazy what a life I lead! You think this is fun, dont you? But its been hard on my family. Very, very hard. On Wednesday, he was acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate: by a 52-48 vote on an allegation of abuse of power and by a 53-47 vote on an allegation of obstruction of Congress. Trump was impeached in mid-December on those same charges after a House of Representatives investigation found he had withheld nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine while pressuring the country to dig up political dirt on former Vice President Joe Biden, a political rival. Story continues RELATED: Donald Trump Insists the Impeachment Investigation Has Been Very Hard on My Family From left: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the White House on Thursday | Evan Vucci/AP/Shutterstock From left: Ivanka Trump and President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday | NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty The presidents acquittal had long been expected because of the Republican majority in the Senate. Conservatives mounted a shifting series of defenses for Trumps behavior as he insisted all along he did nothing wrong, despite the House investigation and they said they were reluctant to participate in what they called a revenge scheme by liberals. Senate Democrats had failed to push Republicans to join them in calling for additional witnesses at the impeachment trial. Still, some Democratic lawmakers suggested Wednesday that their efforts to investigate Trumps relationship with Ukraine werent over. Rep. Jerry Nadler, who was a leading lawmaker in the impeachment investigation as the House Judiciary Committee chairman, said earlier this week he would likely subpoena former National Security Advisor John Bolton a Trump official who has reportedly claimed to corroborate the Democrats case. I think its likely, yes, Nadler told reporters Wednesday when asked if he would subpoena Bolton. When you have a lawless president, you have to bring that to the fore, you have to spotlight that, you have to protect the Constitution despite the political consequences. Dont lose hope, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in his closing remarks in the Senate. There is justice in the world, and truth, and right. RELATED: Trump Relishes Acquittal and Curses During Celebration News Conference as Pelosi Slams Classless Comments I direct my final message of this trial to the American people: Don't lose hope. There is justice in the world, and truth, and right. There have been dark periods in our history, but we always overcome. pic.twitter.com/clzHpgEEqV Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 5, 2020 Republican Sen. Mitt Romney echoed that sentiment Wednesday in explaining why he was breaking ranks with his party to vote to convict Trump and remove him from office. I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty to the best of my ability, believing that my country expected it of me, Romney said in a speech, announcing that he would vote Trump guilty on the charge of abuse of power. The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor. Yes, he did, Romney said. Trumps children reacted to his acquittal on Wednesday celebrating their father while also bashing Romney and Democrats who led the case against the president. Mitt Romney is forever bitter that he will never be POTUS, Donald Trump Jr, the presidents eldest son, wrote on Twitter. He was too weak to beat the Democrats then so hes joining them now. Hes now officially a member of the resistance & should be expelled from the @GOP. The issue of quality, safety and hygiene of food delivered via eCommerce platforms was raised in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, with Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan saying his ministry will look into the matter. During Zero Hour, CPI-M leader K Somaprasad said, "There is every chance of adulteration and that badly affects the interest of customers. Sir, urgent interference of the government is inevitable." Online food supply should be regulated and should be brought under the food safety regulator FSSAI, he said and again urged the government to take "adequate measures to ensure fair price, quality and food safety on all online food delivery service platforms." Stating that the issue concerns the general public, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu asked the Consumer Affairs Minister to take note of the matter. "It is not related to one state but the entire country. On one side, you cannot stop it as this is a facility for people, on the other side, some regulation has to be there," Naidu said. To which, Paswan said he will call a meeting on Friday and discuss the matter with the CPI-M leader as well as with officials. Earlier the CPI-M member said eCommerce business in India was growing at a fast rate. Online food ordering and delivery services have witnessed spurt and this business is expected to reach USD 2.7 billion this year. "The changing lifestyle, increasing affinity of families to dine out and quick house deliver model has accelerated the online food delivery. But this sector is facing several issues," he said. Neither online food delivery service companies nor restaurants are ready to assume the responsibility related to quality, safety or hygiene standards of food, he said, adding this is a very serious issue. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) She revealed that she's not officially in a relationship with Connor Durman, after reuniting with him following her ousting from Love Island. And Sophie Piper, 21, is showing exactly why she had her would-be suitor mesmerised from the moment they met eyes on the ITV2 dating show, as she's posed for a sizzling new lingerie shoot. In images obtained exclusively by MailOnline, the Essex girl looks sensational as she strikes a series of sizzling poses in a black lacy bra and matching briefs, while she also goes braless under a tailored blazer. Setting pulses racing: Love Island star Sophie Piper has posed for a sizzling lingerie shoot A source close to Sophie told MailOnline: 'Sophie's in talks with top fashion brands and US modelling agencies after having her profile raised on Love Island. 'There's been a lot of interest in her since she left the villa, including from global fashion companies. 'She's currently busy negotiating possible opportunities with her modelling agency but the future is certainly looking prosperous for Sophie.' As well as posing in lingerie, Sophie is also seen stepping before the camera in a denim jacket and matching jeans, as well as a form-fitting black suit. Standing tall in a pair of strappy clear heels, her striking features are complemented with a palette of impeccably applied makeup, while her raven tresses are styled in voluminous curls. Sensational: In images obtained exclusively by MailOnline, the Essex girl looks sensational as she goes braless under a tailored blazer New horizons: Showing her readiness to embrace the influencer lifestyle likely awaiting her, Sophie stares confidently into the lens as she proudly displays her enviably toned physique The unveiling of Sophie's shoot comes after the star insisted she is not in a relationship with her reality TV beau Connor. The pair were thrown together in an awkward reunion on spin-off show Aftersun on Monday night, after Sophie was flown back to London from South after having being dumped from the villa. Connor, who was coupled up with Sophie after taking her back from Connagh Howard, had been booted off the show a week prior. And during a radio interview on Capital XTRA with Will Njobvu alongside fellow evictee Leanne Amaning, Sophie was sure to clear up the relationship status. Strike a pose: The TV personality wows as she poses in a black lacy bra and matching briefs 'No we are not together at all!' Sophie declared. 'We are just seeing each other! It's a situation-ship. I will get to know him, go on dates with him.' She added: 'He's met both of my sisters at Aftersun the other day. I've met his sister. They think he's lovely. They approve.' One of Sophie's sisters is presenter Rochelle Humes - although this was not referenced onscreen during her time in the villa. Sophie also has an identical twin sister called Lili. Rochelle had remained tight-lipped about her younger sibling's onscreen romance throughout her stint on the show. Denim: In another look, she goes braless under a denim jacket, paired with high-waisted jeans Relationship: She recently revealed that she's not yet officially in a relationship with Connor Durman, after reuniting with him following her ousting from Love Island But the 30-year-old called Connor 'lovely' and gave her sisterly seal of approval on Tuesday. Sophie and Conner couldn't contain their delight at seeing each other again and giggled their way through the interview with show host Laura Whitmore, 34, on Monday's Aftersun. Despite the palpable air of amour, Sophie told The Sun that after the show the pair slept in different hotel rooms and are still waiting to enjoy their first date. 'Obviously we've both been so busy, but he's coming back down to London tomorrow so hopefully I'll see him again then,' she said. Stylish: She is also seen donning a tailored black pantsuit, under which she also goes braless Striking beauty: Her striking features are complemented with a palette of impeccably applied makeup, while her raven tresses are styled in voluminous curls Rochelle was reunited with Sophie and twin Lili at a Christmas party two years ago following two decades of estrangement after father Mark Piper walked out of the family home when she was three years old and never returned. In a twist of fate, Love Island winner Kem Cetinay, a close friend of Sophie's, helped bring the siblings together at the festive bash after a chance meeting with Rochelle at an industry party. Clearly a protective big sister, Rochelle has avoided getting embroiled in the online commentary about Sophie's island experience, but made sure to meet her new beau as soon as possible. Sophie has had her fair share of drama during her South African stay, most notably fending off the advances of Mike Boateng, 24, after love rival Connor was booted off the island. Recoupled: Sophie recently revealed her This Morning presenter sister Rochelle Humes has already met 'lovely' Connor Durman (pictured) and given her seal of approval Cute: Sophie's identical twin sister Lili Piper took to Instagram to share a video of the pair cosying up following their reunion on Love Island's Aftersun on Monday Samsungs Galaxy S series is ever-evolving. The new Galaxy S20 Over The Horizon theme is also evolving from last years take. Galaxy S20 Over The Horizon theme arrives closer to nature Samsungs Over The Horizon theme has been on all Galaxy S and Galaxy Note phones since the Galaxy S2 back in 2011. Each year, Samsung provides a new perspective on the theme. This years theme arrives closer to nature. It replaces the symphonic orchestral sound for a more natural one. To pull it off, Samsung uses a rotor and pulley-based device (in the shape of a flame). The device plays Samsungs chord theme at various places throughout the video. The plucking strings give a more natural sound than violin strings. You can see a clear case on the back of the rotor-and-pulley that with a string inside that slides down when a note plays. Advertisement To add to the soothing instrument, Samsung provides a video of outdoor sights such as calm water, churning water, trees in the forest. Smoke blows in the wind, plants toss and turn, birds chirp. The fields are ripe with stalks. And in the midst of the field stand the four rotor-pulley devices. The birds fly east, in harmony, in the same direction. The day begins and the clouds hang over the mountain peaks. And then, the sun emerges from the clouds, making everything brighter and better. Samsung has not only provided a symphonic orchestral perspective, but has even given its trademark theme a few pop, rock, and jazz rhythms here and there. Samsung updates its theme to show that it, like the Galaxy phone series, is changing. Nothing stays the same in life, and companies that dont evolve in the market become extinct. Digital unplugging: Samsungs new Horizon theme echoes new tech trend Samsungs decision to do this concerns relaxation and the need to unwind. A number of tech journalists, websites, and everyday phone users say that theres a greater need to unwind from mobile devices. Its all too easy today to consume oneself with the touchscreen, to the exclusion of the world around it. Then, theres virtual reality, blurring the lines between virtual and real. Technology is advancing at an alarming rate. One can find it nearly impossible to appreciate the world outside the phone screen. Advertisement This desire to unplug and unwind from the digital world finds its chant even among the tech world nowadays. Android owner Google offers its Digital WellBeing apps to help users unplug even more. The search engine giant introduced the new digital unplugging program back in 2018 but has improved it with the recent Android 10 release. Family Link allows parents to set time boundaries for their children to prevent them from digital addiction. Samsung wants to find its way to encourage its users digital wellbeing with a song that has stood the test of time over the years. Theres not a Galaxy phone user that isnt familiar with Samsungs theme, whether they love it or hate it. Universal Language: Samsung harnesses its marketing prowess The emphasis on digital wellbeing (in general, not just Googles platform) merges with Samsungs own marketing prowess. The Android giant knows the power of marketing. With all Samsungs commercials over the years, its easy to see how Samsung uses music to sell its devices. Samsung understands that music is a universal language, a way to communicate with everyone. If it taps into this universal language, it can sell any product with virtually little to no effort. Advertisement What better way then, to promote digital wellbeing than to revise its recognizable theme song that remains after 9 years? Samsungs marketing approach is no different than many successful TV commercials. Remember McDonalds Have you had your break today jingle? Daytime soaps such as Young And The Restless have their music theme that makes Mary J. Bliges No More Drama an instant hit. There are many others, but these show that successful brands with successful products have a successful phrase or song. Music is in Samsungs DNA, and they bring it to their products to connect with TV watchers and mobile users. Hopefully, along with Samsungs natural Over the Horizon theme, Galaxy S20 owners will see the water ripple effect return to on-screen swipes and gestures as part of the return to nature. Upcoming political events in the Bay Area: FRIDAY Watch party: For the Democratic presidential candidates debate. $10. 6 p.m., Mannys, 3092 16th St., San Francisco. More information is here. Eyewitness Venezuela: A report from the World Anti-Imperialist Meeting held last month in Caracas, Venezuela, from Party for Socialism and Liberation presidential candidate Gloria La Riva. $3-$10. 7 p.m., 2969 Mission St., San Francisco. More information is here. SATURDAY Rock the Primary: Performances by bands including the Basementals, the Robs, Matt Jaffe, Amalgamation, Splat! and Edens Lost. Nonprofit and political clubs will discuss issues, candidates and upcoming ballot initiatives. Free. 3-11:30 p.m., Ferment.Drink.Repeat Brewing Company, 2636 San Bruno Ave., San Francisco. More information is here. SUNDAY Race and 2020 elections: A daylong workshop on race and the 2020 elections, hosted by the Catalyst Project and Bay Resistance. Sliding scale donation. 9 a.m., Oakstop17 1721 Broadway, No. 201, Oakland. More information is here. CCSF: Rick Baum, Marcos Cruz and Harry Bernstein from City College of San Francisco discuss recent changes, how they particularly hurt people of color and whats being done to defend against them. 9:30 a.m. Unitarian Universalist Society of San Francisco, 1187 Franklin St., San Francisco. More information is here. Spanish for activists: A session on canvassing among the Latinx community, sponsored by Democracy Action. Intended for intermediate and advanced Spanish speakers. Bring a laptop and phone. Free. 10:30 a.m., 80 Liberty Ship Way, Suite 20, Sausalito. More information is here. Combatants for peace: The Jewish/ Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Group at Mannys. Free. 2 p.m., 3092 16th St., San Francisco. More information is here. MONDAY Climate politics: A meetup on climate politics to plan for the March 3 California primary and other elections. Speakers include Susan Bolle of Democracy Action Marin and Susan Morgan of Indivisible Marin. 6 p.m., Good Earth Natural Foods, 201 Flamingo Road, Mill Valley. More information is here. TUESDAY Watch party: For the New Hampshire primary returns. Free. 4 p.m., Mannys, 3092 16th St., San Francisco. More information is here. Socialist feminism: A reading group focused on Gloria Martins Socialist Feminism: The First Decade, recording the formation of theirst Marxist socialist feminist party, the Freedom Socialist Party. First of two sessions hosted by Freedom Socialist Party; second session is at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 12. $3-$5 donation. 7 p.m., New Valencia Hall, 747 Polk St., San Francisco. More information is here. WEDNESDAY All the Presidents Women: Monique El-Faizy, co-author of new book on the history of President Trumps relationship with women, in conversation with California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis. Free. 6 p.m., Book Passage bookstore, Ferry Building, San Francisco. More information is here. THURSDAY Responsible conservatism: Political analyst William Kristol on whether American conservatism has a future. Free. 7 p.m., Cubberley Auditorium, 485 Lasuen Mall, Stanford University. More information is here. FEB. 15 Rep. Pramila Jayapal: Washington state congresswoman and Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair in conversation at the Commonwealth Club. $30 for nommembers, $10 for students. 1 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here. FEB. 16 Rep. Pramila Jayapal: Washington state congresswoman and Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair in conversation at Mannys. $15. 2 p.m., 3092 16th St., San Francisco. More information is here. Fighting climate change: Muriel MacDonald, community mobilizer and Sunrise Movement leadership team member, shares her experiences of fighting for systemic change. Sponsored by KindSF. Free. 6 p.m., The Center SF, 548 Fillmore St., San Francisco. More information is here. FEB. 17 Conor Dougherty: Author reads from his new book, Golden Gates: Fighting for Housing in America, and talks with journalist Nellie Bowles. Free. 7 p.m., East Bay Booksellers, 5433 College Ave., Oakland. More information is here. FEB. 19 Iran Reframed: A Talk by Narges Bajoghli, assistant professor of Middle East studies at Johns Hopkins University and an anthropologist, filmmaker and writer. Free. 4 p.m., Room 587, Humanities Building, San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Ave., San Francisco. More information is here. Watch party: For the Democratic presidential debate, hosted by TechEquity Collaborative. Free. 5 p.m., Starline Social Club, 2236 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. More information is here. Watch party: For the Democratic presidential debate. $10. 5 p.m., Mannys, 3092 16th St., San Francisco. More information is here. FEB. 20 Primary ballot explainer: An overview and conversation of key housing and workforce and labor ballot measures on the March 3 primary ballot, hosted by TechEquity Collaborative. Free. Online, 344 Thomas L. Berkley Way, Oakland. More information is here. Disinformation and democracy: A forum on the threats to democratic elections from digital disinformation. Panelists include Irina Raicu, director of internet ethics at Markkula Center; Alex Stamos, former chief security officer at Facebook and director of the Stanford Internet Observatory; and Subramaniam Vincent, director of journalism and media ethics at Markkula Center. $10. 6 p.m., Computer History Museum, 1401 North Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View. More information is here. Polarization and the Constitution: Is the Constitution part of the problem in political polarization rather than the solution, and if it is, what can we do about it? A conversation with Paul Pierson, political science professor at UC Berkeley. Free. 6:30 p.m., Salesforce Tower, 415 Mission St., San Francisco. More information is here. FEB. 22 Oscar Lopez Rivera: Puerto Rican independence activist, long imprisoned by the U.S. government for alleged connection to paramilitary actions, discusses his organizing activities as the island tries to recover from 2018 hurricanes. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. 5:30 p.m., La Pena Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley. More information is here. Compassion in divisive times: A talk with Dr. Pilar Jennings, psychoanalyst and Buddhist teacher, on practicing the healing arts of Buddhist psychology during a time of social, racial and political divisiveness. $5. 5:30 p.m., S.F. Zen Center Conference Center, 308 Page St., San Francisco. More information is here. FEB. 23 Dismantling racism: Screening of the documentary film When They See Us, followed by discussion groups focused on building bridges for the purpose of dismantling white supremacy and racism. Hosted by San Francisco Black and Jewish Unity Group. Free. 1 p.m., Calvary Presbyterian Church, 2515 Fillmore St., San Francisco. More information is here. Oscar Lopez Rivera: Puerto Rican independence activist, long imprisoned by the U.S. government for alleged connection to paramilitary actions, discusses his organizing activities as the island tries to recover from 2018 hurricanes. $20. 1 p.m., Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts, 2868 Mission St., San Francisco. More information is here. FEB. 25 Watch party: For the Democratic presidential debate. $10. 5 p.m., Mannys, 3092 16th St., San Francisco. More information is here. On Common Ground: KQED-FMs Sasha Khokha leads a discussion about how we find common ground in an age of extreme disunity. Panelists include emotional education expert Michele Borba; social psychologist Heike Winterheld and artist Shawn Lani, co-curators of the Exploratoriums Middle Ground exhibition; Make America Dinner Again co-founder Tria Chang; and Stanford political scientist Jonathan Rodden. Free. 7 p.m., Pier 15, the Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here. FEB. 26 W. Kamau Bell: Political comedian teams up with Mother Jones to talk about the 2020 election. $15. 7 p.m., Berkeley Repertory Theater, 2015 Addison St., Berkeley. More information is here. FEB. 27 E.J. Dionne Jr.: Washington Post columnist on how progressives and moderates can unite to win 2020 elections. $25 for non-Commonwealth Club members, $10 for students. Noon, 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here. Second event, a benefit for KPFA-FM, at 7:30 p.m. $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Berkeley Hillside Club, 2286 Cedar St., Berkeley. More information is here. MARCH 1 Rep. Jackie Speier: Peninsula Democrat in conversation for KQED-FMs Live on Stage With Michael Krasny. $25. 5 p.m., Osher Marin Jewish Community Center, Hoytt Theater, 200 North San Pedro Road, San Rafael. More information is here. MARCH 3 Super Tuesday watch party: For primary returns from California and 13 other states. Free. 5 p.m., IGS Library, 109 Moses Hall, UC Berkeley. More information is here. MARCH 4 Gender issues and political identity: Rose McDermott, international relations professor at Brown University, discusses gender issues and leaders emotional manipulation of political identity. $5. 7 p.m., 518 Valencia St., San Francisco. More information is here. MARCH 5 Rahm Emanuel: Former Chicago mayor and Barack Obama adviser on how mayors run the world. $40 for non-Commonwealth Club members, $15 for students. 6:30 p.m., 110 Embarcadero, San Francisco. More information is here. MARCH 6 Facebook: Author Steve Levy discusses his new book, Facebook: The Inside Story. Benefit for KPFA-FM. $12 advance, $15 at the door. 7:30 p.m., First Presbyterian Church, 2407 Dana St., Berkeley. More information is here. MARCH 17 American Jews and Israel: Former Knesset member Yossi Beilin, chairman of the Geneva Initiative, on the relationship between Israelis and American Jews today and where we go from here. Hosted by Center for Jewish Peoplehood. $18 in advance, $25 at the door. 7 p.m., Osher Marin JCCs Hoytt Theater, 200 North San Pedro Road, San Rafael. More information is here. Dan Pfeiffer: Pod Save America podcast co-host on A Plan to Make America a Democracy Again. $27 for non-Commonwealth Club members, $8 for students. 7 p.m., Oshman Family JCCs Schultz Cultural Hall, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto. More information is here. MARCH 21 Noam Chomsky: Political activist and social critic on What Hope for Palestine-and Beyond? The World After 2020. Introduced by Daniel Ellsberg; musical performance by Naima Shalhoub and Excentrik. $29-$99. 7:30 p.m., Sidney Goldstein Theatre, 275 Hayes St., San Francisco. More information is here. To list an event, please email Politics Editor Trapper Byrne at tbyrne@sfchronicle.com. New Delhi, Feb 6 : After the formation of the Manifesto Implementation Committee in the Congress-ruled states, the first review meet was held on Thursday for Chhattisgarh in which Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel briefed about the work done by his government. The meeting was chaired by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The Chief Minister, in the about 45-minute interaction, informed the Committee about the work done in the state in compliance with the manifesto, said sources. The Congress is developing Chhattisgarh as a model to counter the Gujarat Model. The Chief Minister said that the government has waived the farm loans in the state, which was their first promise. As per the promise, the Congress-led government is also procuring paddy at Rs 2,500 per quintal, he said. The Congress set up manifesto implementation committees on January 21 in states ruled by it and leaders have been assigned the duty to monitor the situation. In this regard, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Kumari Selja will monitor the situation in Punjab, Chhattisgarh Minister Tamradhwaj Sahu in Rajasthan and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Arjun Modwadia will supervise the situation in Madhya Pradesh. These apart, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Singh Surjewala have been deputed in Chhattisgarh to oversee manifesto implementation and in Puducherry, M. Veerappa Moily and M. Raghavan will oversee the work. Burma Former Labor Attache on Trial for Corruption Attacks Irrawaddy Photographer Myanmar Labor Attache U San Maung Oo talks to Myanmar workers in Thailand. / Myanmar Labor Attache Office - Thailand / Facebook YANGONFormer Myanmar labor attache U San Maung Oo, currently facing a lawsuit for corruption, attacked an Irrawaddy photographer as he was being escorted by police and relatives from a hearing at Yangon Regional Court on Wednesday. The Irrawaddys photographer, Ko Htet Wai, was kicked in his hand by U San Maung Oo as he tried to take a photo of the labor attache in a public area outside the Yangon Regional Courthouse. U San Maung Oo was wearing a full mask and covered by an umbrella on Wednesday as he was taken out of the court by his relatives and a police guard. He was then transported to prison in a Toyota Alphard minivan. Most detainees are taken to prison in a prisoner transport vehicle. I understand that we have the right to take photos in the public area. He is the subject of a high-profile corruption case, said Ko Htet Wai. The incident was captured on a local TV news broadcast, in which the former labor attache can be seen kicking someone in front of him as he walks from the court house to the vehicle. Ko Htet Wai said that he sustained only a minor injury to his hand, though the photographer noted that the police escort had failed to prevent the detainee attacking him. The photographer verbally reported the incident to the Yangon Regional Court and the Myanmar Press Council. At a court hearing on Dec. 24, 2019, the former labor attache angrily scolded Irrawaddy reporter Ma Lei Lei, telling her that reporters are not allowed to report news in the court, despite the fact that she was there with the permission of the court. The wife of the labor attache also told Ma Lei Lei that reporters are not allowed to write stories based on their observations in court. The mother of the labor attache also targeted a reporter for a local media outlet at a court hearing on Jan. 21. We want to urge all courts and those concerned to protect the right to information according to the laws for reporters, said U Ye Ni, editor of The Irrawaddy Burmese Edition. Ko Zayar Hlaing of the Myanmar Press Council told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday that the organizations and people responsible for rules and regulations, such as the police, should prevent this kind of lawless behavior. He added that journalists are doing their job by providing news to the public and are exercising their right to information. U San Maung Oo was charged by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Myanmar in November 2019 over claims he took thousands of bribes. He has been accused of asking for about 4.4 million Thai baht (US$144,000) from 28 Myanmar overseas employment agencies in exchange for approving labor demand letters and for sending workers to recruitment agencies in Thailand. U San Maung Oo collected 100 baht from agencies for each worker he sent to the agencies and also took bribes from the employment agencies through his assistants, U Than Htike Soe and U Saw Pyae Nyein, while he worked as leader of the Myanmar labor attache office in Bangkok from December 2017 until August 2019. U San Maung Oo and his assistants were sued by the ACC under Article 46 of the Anti-Corruption Act after more than 20 Myanmar overseas employment agencies reported the issues to the ACC, the Myanmar Presidents Office, the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population and the parliamentary committee on labor affairs in mid-2019. Anyone convicted under Article 46 of the Anti-Corruption Act faces up to 10 years in prison or a fine. The two assistants to the former labor attache have fled the charges and evaded arrest. Employment agencies told the media in May 2019 that the Bangkok-based Labor Attache Office was delaying documentation for workers until the agencies paid the bribes. At that time, U San Maung Oo told the media that he had already explained the situation to the governments inspectors and he was ready to accept any official inspection. While he was head of the office, up to 20,000 Myanmar workers were recruited by agencies to work in Thailand each month. The plaintiff for the ACC said at a court hearing on Jan. 28 that the former labor attache and his wife opened more than 50 bank accounts in Myanmar and Thailand and may have been transferring money between them. Video: Irrawaddy photographer Htet Wai being kicked by former labor attache U San Maung Oo outside of the Yangon Regional Courthouse on Feb. 5, 2020. You may also like these stories: Workers and Farmers to Run in Myanmars 2020 Election to Promote Rights Karen Rebel-Backed Firm, Govt to Study Industrial Estate Proposal in Myanmars Deep South Teacher in Rakhine Injured by Myanmar Military Shelling Scott Nix and his whale watching companions were treated to an astounding triple humpback whale breach on January 25, while on a trip out of Lahaina, Hawaii. Nixs video captures the groups incredulous response as three huge whales breach in quick succession. A fourth joins the party several seconds later. Nix, who lives in Hawaii, told Storyful that it was an amazing event to watch, and even more special because it happened on my birthday. Toni Colombo, of Ultimate Whale Watch, the company that was running the trip, described the spectacle as a once in a lifetime sight. Credit: Scott Nix via Storyful Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf sent a letter to New York State Wednesday informing officials that New Yorkers would not be eligible for DHSs Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP) because of the states law allowing illegal-immigrants to receive state drivers licenses. The Green Light law, which went into effect in December, also blocks federal agencies like ICE and CBP from accessing the states DMV records without a court order. Although DHS would prefer to continue our long-standing cooperative relationship with New York on a variety of these critical homeland security initiatives, this Act and the corresponding lack of security cooperation from the New York DMV requires DHS to take immediate action to ensure DHSs efforts to protect the Homeland are not compromised, the letter reads. Wolf, speaking with Tucker Carlson Wednesday night, called the law disappointing. They cant enroll or reenroll in these Trusted Traveler Programs that Customs and Border Protection offers because we no longer have access to make sure that they meet those program requirements, he explained. In response, a senior adviser to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told the Associated Press that the move amounted to political retaliation. This is obviously political retaliation by the federal government, and were going to review our legal options, said Rich Azzopardi. While the letter specifies that the international travel programs under the TTP will be curtailed, it is unclear whether the move will affect Transportation Security Administrations pre-check program, which also falls under TTP. President Trump singled out sanctuary-city policies during his State of the Union address on Tuesday, stating that my administration is restoring the rule of law and reasserting the culture of American freedom. Tragically, there are many cities in America where radical politicians have chosen to provide sanctuary for these criminal illegal aliens. In sanctuary cities, local officials order police to release dangerous criminal aliens to prey upon the public, instead of handing them over to ICE to be safely removed, he said. More from National Review Mumbai, Feb 6 : RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday ruled out any step by RBI to bail out the government from fiscal deficit expansion by printing more currency or monetize the deficit. "There is no plan to monetise the government's fiscal deficit," Das said during the post-policy conference. The government has already crossed the fiscal deficit at 132 per cent of the estimate as of December-end and in the Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the use of 'escape' clause in the FRBM Act to expand the fiscal deficit to 3.8% in current fiscal (from 3 per cent announced in July Budget) and to 3.5% in the next fiscal (up from 3.3 per cent projected in the previous budget). This is the third consecutive year that the government has revised its fiscal deficit target. For FY21, government will borrow a record Rs 8.1 trillion . But for the current fiscal, the Finance Ministry will not raise any extra borrowing. Instead, the government has said it will raise Rs 2.4 trillion through small savings certificates for the current fiscal, against Rs 1.3 trillion estimated in the July Budget. Since the small savings target for the current fiscal year is very ambitious which, if not met, raises threat of extra borrowings, therefore RBI monetising government on this was anticipated, but RBI has now ruled it out. Small savings mobilisation till December has been only Rs 1.21 trillion, according to data from the Controller General of Accounts. The government is expecting that in the remaining three months, it will be able to raise the balance Rs 1.19 trillion from small savings which is an impossible task, according to experts. The government has utilised "escape clause" under the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management (FRBM) Act which provides it a 50 bps leeway for relaxation of fiscal deficit roadmap during times of stress. Accordingly, it has budgeted a net borrowing Rs 5.45 lakh crore from the market in FY21. The central bank decided to keep the benchmark lending rates or the repo rates unchanged at 5.15%. The reverse repo rate remains unchanged at 4.90% A statement issued by the bank said, "RBI will continue with its accommodative stance as long as it takes." It further stated that the economy continues to be weak and the output gap remains negative as it announced its Monetary Policy Statement on Thursday. Ulster Bank is creating over 100 new jobs at its Belfast Customer Contact Centre. The centre is set to relocate to a new officer in the bank's city centre headquarters at Donegall Square East. The new jobs are customer service representative roles across web, social media and telephone. Successful applicants will provide support to UIster Bank customers in Northern Ireland as well as to customers within the wider RBS Group. This includes customers of Royal Bank, NatWest and Ulster Bank in the Republic of Ireland. Recruitment for the positions is already underway, and the bank expects the roles to be filled by the end of April 2020. Once completed it will bring Ulster Bank's contact centre employees to over 500. A 'Centre of Excellence' is set to be created at Ulster Bank headquarters as a base for the customer contact centre team. Staff currently based at the bank's Danesfort offices in south Belfast will relocate to the new premises in the summer. Customer Experience Lead for Royal Bank & Ulster Bank Joanne Wilson said the new roles would help deliver "outstanding service to customers". "The jobs will also provide a fantastic opportunity for a wide range of people to join an award-winning Customer Contact Centre team, based in the city centre in a modern, vibrant new office environment," she said. Head of Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland Mark Crimmins said the investment demonstrated the bank's commitment to Northern Ireland. We are making a very significant investment in the centre of Belfast which will upgrade office space for our team, help us create new employment locally, and bring hundreds more people into the city centre of Belfast," he said. "So, this is a very positive development for Ulster Bank as well as for the city and Northern Ireland. The decision by RBS to locate customer service jobs for the wider bank in Belfast is also recognition of the continuing excellent standards being set by our Belfast team. Replying to the Presidents address in Lok Sabha on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed the Congress party for dealing with the issues of the North East in a superficial manner. Contending that the agreements signed during the previous regimes remained only on paper, the PM hailed the recently inked pact with the Bodo militant groups. He highlighted how his government had tried its best to provide electricity, airports, Railways, mobile connectivity to the region. Thereafter, he asked the opposition to change their perspective so that it could witness a positive change in the North East. Read: PM Modi Takes A Jibe At Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Thanks Him For Promoting 'Fit India' Problem was not resolved The issue of Bodos was discussed here. It was said that this didnt happen for the first time. We too never said that this happened for the first time. There were many attempts. But what happened in the past was from the political prism. Whatever was done was with half-hearted intention. Therefore, the agreements were on paper. The photos were clicked as well. There was applause too. But, the problem of the Bodo issue was not resolved even after so many years of inking agreements on paper. Read: 'Danda-fight' EXPLODES In Parliament: Watch What Rahul Gandhi Said & What Modi Replied Characteristic of Bodo agreement More than 4,000 innocent people were killed. This time, the agreement that has been inked sends a message to the peace-loving people of the country. The characteristic of this agreement is that all armed groups have come together and surrendered. Read: VIRAL: 'I'll Never Let Anything Happen To Your Unemployment,' Says PM Modi To Opposition Development in the North East For us, the North East is not a region to be used for votes. In the last 5 years, Delhi has gone to the footsteps of the North East. Regularly, the Ministers continue to visit this region. Whether it is providing electricity, Railways, airports, mobile connectivity, we have tried to do it. What is the Bodo Accord? On January 27, 2020, the Centre reached an agreement with all three factions of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). Thereafter, approximately 1,615 NDFB members surrendered recently. The Bodo Accord celebrations will take place on February 7 in Kokrajhar, Assam. The Assam government has declared a public holiday in Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa, and Udalguri districts on this day. Additionally, PM Modi is likely to be present on the occasion. Read: Modi Does Not Want Employment For Youth As It Acts Like Oxygen For His Politics: Rahul Workers continue to build Wuhan Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan City, China on Feb. 2, 2020. Built in response to the coronavirus outbreak and with the capacity of 1,000 beds, the hospital plans to be completed on time. (Getty Images) Coronavirus Patients at Wuhans Quarantine Hotels Left to Die on Their Own Several hotels in Wuhan have been designated as quarantine sites for severely ill patients infected with the novel coronavirus. A family member of one of these patients revealed that they are left unattended and dont receive proper medical care. Another patient in a different hotel, who realized that people were left there to die, managed to escape. No Medical Care Ms. Yang spoke to the Chinese-language Epoch Times on Feb. 5, saying her mother started to show symptoms of the coronavirus on Jan. 20 and died seven days later. Her father developed similar symptoms around that time and then went to the quarantine hotel. It all happened too quickly, Yang said about her mothers death. The CT scan showed infection and opacity in both her lungs, and the test results for all her blood work were also very bad. However, her symptoms were never confirmed through diagnostic testing and she didnt receive timely treatment due to shortage of hospital beds, Yang said. Her mother was finally admitted into a hospital the day before she passed away. Yangs father developed a fever on Jan. 23, and was sent to a quarantine hotel on Jan. 29. However, Yang learned from her father that no one was taking care of the patients there. She said her father continued to have a fever in the past several days; his highest temperature had been 104F. The community staff helped arrange a diagnostic test for him on Jan. 30. But as they waited for the final result, her fathers condition got worse. On Feb. 3, her father felt very sick and got permission from the quarantine hotel to visit a hospital. He used all his strength to walk 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital in Wuhan, Yang said. Doctors at the hospital did a CT scan and blood tests for him. Based on CT image, they said they were quite sure that the infection is caused by the coronavirus, she said. Her father begged the doctors to admit him into the hospital, but was told there were no beds available. So he had to go back to the quarantine hotel. Yang said she can only communicate with her father using the video chat function on WeChat. She is not allowed to enter the quarantine site. Her father is very weak, out of breath, and has chest tightness, but no one is taking care of him, she said. Please help us. I already lost my mom, I cannot afford to lose my dad! she said, as she broke into tears. Workers set up beds at a Fangcang hospital in Wuhan, China on Feb. 4, 2020. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Escape From the Quarantine Hotel Another patient named Wang Xiangkai was also sent to a quarantine hotel. But he managed to escape when he realized that patients were left there to die on their own. Wangs daughter shared his story with the Chinese-language Epoch Times. Wang and his older brother Wang Xiangyou both had developed a fever and cough on Jan. 23. They went to a community hospital on Jan. 28 and were given CT scans which showed they both had ground glass opacity in their lungs. A doctor told them it was very likely that they had contracted the coronavirus, but they had no diagnosis kits to confirm it. The Wang brothers were then told to self-quarantine at home. Wang Xiangyous condition got worse on Jan. 29. When the two brothers went to seek treatment again at a local hospital, they were given an intravenous drip. The next day, Wang Xiangyou had difficulty breathing but the hospital wouldnt admit him because there were no beds available. However, after Wang Xiangyous wife and relatives argued with the staff, they were told that a room would become available in the afternoon for quarantine and monitoring if they wanted it. The family thought it was great news and agreed. The brothers were then taken to the quarantine room in the afternoon. However, when Ms. Wang talked to her father on the phone later that day, she learned that it was not a quarantine room in the hospital, but in a hotel. Many patients with a fever were kept there, but no one ever came to check on them. There is no treatment whatsoever. Confirmed patients and suspected patients are placed together at the quarantine site. Basically they are left to die on their own, Ms. Wang said. When my father went to check on my uncle in the early morning of Jan. 31, he found that my uncle had already passed away. Ms. Wang said her father decided that he needed to go back home and find a different treatment. Patients are not allowed to leave the quarantine site unless they get special permission to do so, but he somehow managed to escapeMs. Wang did not give details. The staff at their community office told the family that they were not allowed to see Wang Xiangyous remains. They had to pay 800 yuan ($115) for the cremation and were told they could pick up the ashes in 15 days. Ms. Wang said that now her aunt [Wang Xiangyous wife], her mother, and her brother all developed symptoms of the coronavirus one after another. I feel helpless. I cannot handle such tragedy. They all need treatment. I have to seek help through public channels. Please help! Wang pleaded. 2003 SARS Quarantine Measures Revisited Many Chinese netizens wonder how China treated SARS patients back in 2003 after the Chinese regime finally admitted that it had previously lied about the severity of the SARS outbreak. When Beijing News published an article in 2013 as a retrospect of the SARS epidemic, it revealed a photo which shocked its readers. The photo showed a suspected SARS patient being dragged away by three policemen in protective suits after he tried to escape from a quarantine site. Many readers were appalled as the photo implied that patients or suspected patients of SARS were treated inhumanely. It was until then that Chinese citizens realized that possibly it was the Chinese soldiers and policemen, not Chinese doctors, who wiped out the SARS virus. According to a 2003 report from U.S.-based Chinese media The Peoples News, insiders revealed that when SARS patients were sent to designated quarantine hospitals, they were intentionally left unattended. In other words, they did not receive any treatment, as the purpose of the quarantine was to let them die quickly so that SARS would be wiped out. The Chinese authorities also placed suspected SARS patients under quarantine in the same sites, as they sought to eliminate the SARS virus thoroughly. According to one of the insiders, a high-ranking official, in many places in Guangdong, Sichuan, Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang provinces, Chinese soldiers sealed off entire villages to stop SARS from further spreading. They first cut off phone lines and prohibited locals from leaving. Then they waited until everyone in the village had died, after which they had professionals go in to disinfect the whole village. This official also revealed that in northeastern China alone, about 10,000 people died either from SARS or village lockdowns by June 2003. Chinese authorities strictly blocked the flow of information. Chinas Central Propaganda Department ordered all the state-run media to republish articles that only came from Xinhua News Agency on the topic of SARS. The latest news of mass emergency medical and quarantine facilities set up in Wuhan and other Chinese cities is further evidence that the coronavirus outbreak is spreading out of control, and that forced quarantine containment is the only method Chinese authorities consider viable at this time. Dozens of makeshift treatment centers are being set up in places like stadiums, crowded with rows after rows of closely placed beds. But with a lack of medical supplies, such as protective suits and diagnosis kits, there is no medical treatment as these are merely containment camps where cross-contamination can occur, experts warn. Epoch Times reporters Luo Ya and Li Yi contributed to this report. [February 06, 2020] Avocor Increases Investment and Focus in Europe Avocor announces team growth and channel expansion across Europe to grow its interactive display business in this key region. WILSONVILLE, Oregon, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Avocor , the fastest-growing global collaboration display company, today announces their European strategy designed to both grow Avocor's market share in Europe as well as build internal and external infrastructure to support customers in the region, helping them reach their collaboration goals. Building upon the success of the brand in the UK, Avocor's strategy for expanding into mainland Europe includes investing in a dedicated team of experts as well as working closely with key distributors in and across Europe to serve the AV/IT/UC resellers that are focused on collaboration solutions for Enterprise, Education and Government. To that end, Avocor named Glenn Wastyn as VP EMEA in late 2019 and is continuing to build the team to include dedicated and experienced regional resources, including Johan Smidebrant, who joins Avocor to assume responsibility for sales in the Nordic region. Located in Sweden, Smidebrant has a significant background developing the region for Amesto, OP5 and Cactus, including selling Microsoft 365 and Azure solutions. Smidebrandt joins colleague Felix Grardel who manages sales in France, Spain, Portugal and Italy. Additional infrastructure to support the BeNeLux and DACH regions is also planned for 2020. In addition to growing the Avocor team to better serve customers throughout Europe, Avocor is building a European Service and Logistics Centre, to complement its service and logistics location in the UK. Managed by long-time Pro AV expert Till Gotterbarm, who has product and management tenure with InFocus, ASK/Proxima and Agile, this localized service center will enable reduced service time as well as convenient access hours and native speakers to assist Avoor reseller partners in providing exemplary service and minimal downtime for customers. Working with the territory managers in Europe are the recently established relationships with experienced distributors, including: Tech Data Europe, Avitus, Avcom, ModultIT Solutions, EVIG, Novia and Luxion. Each brings a valuable understanding and full suite of UC hardware and software solutions, as well as the reach and skillset to support key retailers in their regions. These retailers provide customers with an understanding of UC solutions as well as provide access to a full suite of UC hardware and software solutions. Some of the retail relationships where Avocor has also created partnerships include AVEX, AVI SPL, Datavision, Dekom, Discorp, FotoPhono Audio Visual AB, GMS Global Media Services, Impianti, InfomationsTeknik, Inloc, ITM Meeting Solutions, Mansveld, Play AV, RJ Collaboration, Rebsamen, Solutors, Usera, VIDCO, Wipple and Xylos. "Along with our UK headquarters and team, our growing number of partnerships and second European Service Centre establish Avocor as a truly global brand, staffed by experienced, local professionals, who, along with our channel partners, are growing the Avocor brand throughout all of EMEA," said Scott Hix, CEO, Avocor. "We continue to add further capacity and scalability in response to European demand and will look to add more investment and infrastructure in this important region that's on-par with market demand and growth." Avocor will showcase its latest collaboration display solutions and strategic partner solutions for Microsoft Teams Rooms, Zoom Rooms and Quicklaunch with Logitech, as well as with Lenovo and Crestron at Integrated Systems Europe in Amsterdam from the 11th to the 14th February in Hall 13, C110. Avocor's complete line of collaboration displays and solutions are available via a trusted and experienced global network of distribution and reseller partners, including those named in this release. To learn more about how to get started with Avocor, visit www.avocor.com and follow news and updates from Avocor on social, via Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook , Instagram and YouTube . About Avocor Avocor is an award-winning global provider of collaboration technology that brings teams together to increase productivity and get more done. Designed with the latest in display technology and to fit the way modern workspaces, huddle rooms, classrooms and meeting spaces work together, Avocor displays offer a premium, flexible user-experience that is easily replicated across the Enterprise. Avocor's industry partnership ecosystem includes some of the most well-known and trusted collaboration technology leaders in the market today, providing a seamless user experience for every meeting. Headquartered in the U.S. with global offices, Avocor is dedicated to delivering collaboration solutions on a global scale through an extensive and experienced partner network. Learn more at www.avocor.com . Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1086978/Avocor_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Oil, trade, security and Afghanistan are topics that were discussed during the visit of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, as well as at the C5 + 1 ministerial meeting in Tashkent. The meeting ended with the adoption of a joint statement reflecting the priority issues of the regional agenda. Experts believe that the United States is strengthening its position in Central Asia against the background of strengthening in the region the positions of China and Russia in economic and military-political terms. Uzbekistan is the last country on a Eurasian tour by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Here, not only a meeting of the C5 + 1 ministerial group (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan plus the USA) took place, but also negotiations were held at the highest level. In Nur-Sultan, Pompeo met with President Kasym-Zhomart Tokaev and Elbasy (the leader of the nation), the head of the Security Council Nursultan Nazarbayev. Apparently, Pompeo was interested in the specifics of the transit of power in Kazakhstan, where both leaders are de facto at the helm. At each of the meetings, Pompeo conveyed greetings from US President Donadld Trump and did not skimp on compliments. Tokaev, after taking up the presidency, visited Moscow and Beijing, but has not yet been noted in the United States. Tokayev said that he was ready to meet with Trump anywhere in the world, but it is preferable that this be Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan for the USA has traditionally been the main partner in terms of investing US investments, mainly in the energy sector. As Nursultan Nazarbayev noted, 410 joint ventures operate in the country. US investment exceeds $ 45 billion. Therefore, according to Pompeo, Kazakhstan should continue to develop partnerships with American companies. Nur-Sultan was interested in the question of how to avoid the influence of American sanctions imposed on Russia and Iran on the economy of the republic. "We discussed the economic growth of Kazakhstan in the context of the US sanctions policy. According to him, the state department continues to support the Kazakh side in order to avoid the imposition of sanctions on our legal entities and individuals," Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi said at a press conference in Nur Sultan . He stressed that attracting the United States to the implementation of projects in Central Asia will positively affect investment in the region. This topic was continued at a meeting of the C5 + 1 ministerial group in Tashkent, where Tleuberdi proposed using the site of the Astana International Financial Center as a partner of the American agency for attracting investments in the region. In general, the meeting of the C5 + 1 ministerial group was held in working order, without a breakthrough. The presentation of the announced new US strategy for Central Asia did not take place. The United States reaffirmed its continued support for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of the countries of the region, as well as a firm commitment to expand multifaceted regional cooperation in all areas of mutual interest. The ministers adopted a joint statement reflecting the priorities of the region, such as strengthening mutual trust, interaction and constructive cooperation; encouraging coordinated regional projects aimed at promoting trade, transport, logistics and infrastructure ties, promoting entrepreneurship, as well as expanding business and investment contacts between business circles of the states of the region and the USA; development of interaction between the countries of the region in the energy field, including the sphere of renewable energy sources, and in support of national plans for adaptation to climate change and others. The issues of border security, the joint fight against terrorism and cooperation on Afghanistan were also discussed. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan proposed to strengthen regional cooperation in this format with an emphasis on trade and economic cooperation, both between the countries of Central Asia and in their relations with the United States. He also discussed with the US Secretary of State the reasons why the United States included Kyrgyzstan in the list of countries whose citizens are subject to restrictions on obtaining immigrant visas and green cards in the United States. According to the director of the Risk Assessment Group Dosym Satpayev, formally this is due to Washington's discontent over the lack of biometric passports among Kyrgyz citizens, which reduces the degree of protection of documents. At the same time, some experts attribute the US decision to the fact that among the perpetrators of the attacks in different countries of the world were citizens of Kyrgyzstan. Although, according to this logic, the same Uzbekistan or other Central Asian countries, whose citizens also committed terrorist acts outside their own countries, should have got into this American black list. But that did not happen. Kyrgyzstan was also not helped by the fact that in the Index of Democracy of The Economist Intelligence Unit the republic was classified as a hybrid regime, where democratic processes are combined with individual manifestations of authoritarianism, while all other countries of Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, were included into a group of authoritarian states. It turns out that for the Donald Trump administration, the formula "security above democracy", as well as the point-based "struggle for justice", remains relevant, and, therefore, all this can calm the authoritarian regimes of those countries that consider themselves partners of the United States, "the Caucasian Herald told "Dosym Satpayev. Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov informed the head of US diplomacy "about the promotion of TAPI gas pipeline projects from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan to India, the power transmission line and fiber-optic lines along the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan route, and the railways from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan. More productive were the meetings of US Secretary of State Mike Pomeo with President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Tashkent has always been the focus of US attention in Central Asia, despite the fact that the republic does not have such oil fields as America, for example, that are of interest to America and its companies. According to the director of the Center for Research Initiatives "Mano" Bakhtiyer Ergashev, Uzbekistan is interesting as a "key state", bordering all countries of the region. So wrote in his book "The Great Chessboard" Zbigniew Brzezinski. The key geostrategic position of Uzbekistan has always attracted the United States. But they began to show special interest in the republic after the start of the campaign in Afghanistan. Gradually, Uzbekistan, along with Pakistan, became two key countries through which logistics and support for coalition forces in Afghanistan went, and after 2011, when the withdrawal of coalition troops began, Uzbekistan became one of the main corridors through the northern supply chain, along which American troops and their equipment and equipment came out of there. In addition, the United States sees Tashkent as a serious partner in the Afghan settlement. Uzbekistan has its own interests in Afghanistan, associated with the development of transport communications, and, accordingly, the development of economic ties. Therefore, Tashkent is interested in resolving the situation in Afghanistan. The interests of the United States and Uzbekistan in the Afghan direction coincide. This is one of the most important issues that were discussed, and will be discussed between the leaders of the countries. Recall that the issue of the peaceful settlement of Afghanistan was discussed in May 2018 during the official visit of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Washington. In addition to security issues, economic cooperation between Uzbekistan and the United States is developing. As Pompeo noted, trade between the two countries doubled, and promising projects in various sectors of the economy of Uzbekistan are being implemented with the participation of leading American companies. The total volume of US investment exceeded $ 1 billion. He noted that today in the republic there are ample opportunities for business initiatives that will allow tens of times to increase the scale of trade and economic cooperation and promised full assistance in accelerating the process of Uzbekistan's entry into the World Trade Organization. Reuters Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is leading a multistate investigation into Alphabet Inc's Google unit, said on Wednesday he has not taken any possible punishment off the table, including breaking up the search and advertising giant. Google along with Facebook Inc , Amazon.com Inc and Apple Inc are under a series of probes into allegations that the tech behemoths use their clout to defend their market share or expand into adjacent markets. "I'm literally open to doing what works. I would look at any remedy as a possible solution," said Paxton. "I'm not going to say I prefer one remedy over another when I don't even know fully what the problem is. I want this to benefit the most number of consumers." Paxton was among several attorneys general at the Justice Department on Tuesday to meet officials at the agency to coordinate federal and state efforts. Asked if a potential breakup was in the cards, Paxton said: "Everything is on the table. It's kind of up to them to take stuff off the table." "Most people are just not aware of Google's dominance. Everyone thinks that the internet's free," he added. "The pricing reflects the fact that there's only one player." Paxton's team is fighting Google in court over hiring conditions for two consultants that Texas wants on its team. Google wants them to be barred from working for the company's rivals for a year after their work with Texas ends. Paxton said he would like the probe to end quickly. Asked how Google could make that happen, he said, "Cooperate? Tell their story? Tell a story that makes sense?" Google has been cooperating, the company said in a statement. "We have been working constructively with the Texas attorney general and have produced a substantial volume of information in response to his inquiry even as we seek assurances that our confidential business information won't be shared with competitors or vocal complainants."The Justice Department said in late July it was opening a broad antitrust investigation of the big digital firms. Attorney General Bill Barr has since said he would like the probe completed by the end of the year. The companies have come under fire from both ends of the political spectrum. US President Donald Trump has criticized the companies and Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders have called for the break-up of Amazon and Facebook. 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 The prison workforce development program run by Televerde, an Arizona-based sales, marketing, and tech company, delivers significant economic and cultural value, concludes a study recently conducted at Arizona State Universitys Seidman Research Institute. Televerde trains and employs women incarcerated in Arizona and Indiana, and it offers many of them employment when they leave prison. Televerde CSRO Michelle Cirocco Michelle Cirocco, Televerdes chief social responsibility officer, spoke with the E-Commerce Times about the study and about the long-term benefits of Televerdes program for the company, for the economy, and for the women involved in the program. E-Commerce Times: What are some of the key findings of the ASU study, The Economic, Social and Fiscal Impact of Televerdes Prison Partnership Program? Michelle Cirocco: It provided validation for a lot of the things that we knew or suspected. The purpose of the study was to get unbiased, third-party validation. It wasnt just Televerde standing on the stage; it was having someone else come in, evaluate the data, do the research, and give us the facts about the impact were having. One of the key things it validated was the reduction of recidivism. The women who work for Televerde have a 5.4 percent recidivism rate within three years, and that was the biggest and the most important finding. The women who participate in the program are, essentially, less likely to go back to prison than other inmates. The other key things that really stood out are that 94.1 percent of the women who participate in the program are in paid employment five years after their release, compared to a national average of 49.8 percent, and their earning potentials are higher than other formerly incarcerated individuals. The impact its having on the individual women is significant. The benefit for their children is also something weve always suspected, but we didnt have the specific statistics to validate that. The children are more likely to graduate from high school and less likely to go prison themselves than children of other incarcerated mothers. When we can actually have generational impact on families when we break those cycles we can make a big difference in the long-term health and wellness of the family and the community. Theres evidence in the study about how the relationships between the women and their families have improved as well. A D V E R T I S E M E N T And finally, theres also an impact on the state and the economy. The program provides a (US)$13.3 million a year annual savings to the state of Arizona through the reduction of recidivism and through the amount of money the women contribute, their increased employment, and the reduction of entitlement programs and foster programs. ECT: What effects do you think the study will have? Cirocco: From a business standpoint, were happy to have validation of the positive impact were having, and this validation enables us to support our expansion. We have a goal of providing 10,000 people with life-changing opportunities over the next decade, and with this study, we can show the positive impact were having. From a community standpoint, this idea of building a prison-to-workforce pipeline opens peoples eyes and raises awareness about how we develop marketing skills, rather than relegating people to low-wage, low-skill jobs during and after prison. The study shows that we are having a positive impact on the whole criminal justice system. ECT: What is the key to the success of Televerdes program? Cirocco: Its really about training, education, experience and opportunity. We provide incarcerated women with the training, skills and business acumen they need to be successful, and we provide them with real work opportunities both in prison and after prison. All of that together allows them to be successful. ECT: Why is workforce development for those with criminal backgrounds so important? A D V E R T I S E M E N T Cirocco: I think that if we send people to prison, we have a responsibility to help them become productive members of society. The problem with prisons is that were No. 1 in the world in incarcerating people. Were spending billions of dollars a year incarcerating people, but its not solving the problem, since so many them will go back to prison after they get out. The No. 1 factor for recidivism is joblessness. If we release them from prison and havent done anything to allow them to become more productive members of society, it reinforces that cycle. If people are not able to get employment, they will go back to prison. One of the misperceptions is that people with a criminal record are incapable of or not deserving of anything. The reality, however, is that theyre intelligent and entrepreneurial. They might just not have had the same opportunities as others. If people get out and cant get jobs, theyll find a way to provide for themselves and their families. They have a misguided sense of entrepreneurial spirit. Our program is a way to empower people to learn marketable skills, join the workforce, and have a meaningful career. ECT: What kinds of skills do people learn through Televerdes program? Cirocco: We have people in all kinds of areas. They often start out by learning sales and marketing. They learn business, communication, and sales skills, as well as project management skills and account management skills. We have people doing data analysis, designing marketing campaigns, and doing deep-dive analytics and marketing analysis. We have people doing training and development, writing content, blogs, brochures. If you think about any job that you can have in a company, were training women in these types of skills. And we provide them with opportunities to work at our corporate office or one of our clients after theyre released. ECT: Whats in the future for Televerdes prison partnership program? How is it changing and evolving? Cirocco: Currently we are in Arizona, with the womens correctional facility, and in our corporate office after theyre released. Weve expanded into Indiana in the womens correctional facility, and were expanding into Florida later this year, as well as the UK. Were also looking to expand into areas other than corrections, to allow people in other disempowered populations to build careers. ECT: Can Televerdes program be a model for what other companies might do? Cirocco: If other companies would get involved in building a prison-to-workforce pipeline, we could go a long way toward solving the growing skills gap, building a pipeline of workers for the future, and providing opportunities for people. There are many opportunities for companies to build this kind of workforce for today and for the future. Weve got this growing skills gap in this country. Theres just not enough talent. Companies are having a difficult time finding the talent they need, but if they invest in disempowered populations, they can help solve that talent gap. Actor Kim Nam-gil plays exorcist Kyung-hoon in new horror drama "The Closet." Courtesy of CJENM By Lee Gyu-lee Actor Kim Nam-gill/ Courtesy of CJ ENM "I wanted my character to be different from those in other occult movies," the actor said during an interview with The Korea Times, Friday, in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. "Although he works as an exorcist, I wanted him to be depicted as a normal person." Directed by rookie Kim Kwang-bin, The Closet is a mixture of various genres supernatural occult horror, drama, mystery, and a bit of comedy and revolves around an architect called Sang-won (Ha Jung-woo), an uncaring single father living with his daughter, Yi-na (Heo Yool). One day after they move into a new house, Yi-na vanishes without a trace. Sang-hoon is left clueless until exorcist Kyung-hoon (Kim) shows up on the doorstep telling him Yi-na has been taken by spirits that entered through the closet and that he can help to bring her back. Actor Kim Nam-gill is known for his portrayal of a diverse range of characters, such as a jaded cop in 2014 romance "The Shameless," and a hot-tempered priest in 2019 comedy TV series "Fiery Priest." This time, in the new mystery drama "The Closet," he puts on another multi-layered performance as an unconventional exorcist."I wanted my character to be different from those in other occult movies," the actor said during an interview with The Korea Times, Friday, in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. "Although he works as an exorcist, I wanted him to be depicted as a normal person."Directed by rookie Kim Kwang-bin, The Closet is a mixture of various genres supernatural occult horror, drama, mystery, and a bit of comedy and revolves around an architect called Sang-won (Ha Jung-woo), an uncaring single father living with his daughter, Yi-na (Heo Yool).One day after they move into a new house, Yi-na vanishes without a trace. Sang-hoon is left clueless until exorcist Kyung-hoon (Kim) shows up on the doorstep telling him Yi-na has been taken by spirits that entered through the closet and that he can help to bring her back. Poster for new mystery horror "The Closet," which revolves around the concept of an exorcist helping a man get his daughter back from the spirits that abducted her/ Courtesy of CJ ENM Unlike previous exorcist figures usually portrayed as serious Kyung-hoon goofs around and throws out funny one-liners in the horror-thriller. Yet, he also manages to bring the suspense associated with his unusual profession. "I wanted (the audiences) to have a moment to breathe through my character. I actually wanted it to be more comical but thought it might not be appropriate with overall tone of this film," he said. "My purpose was to show the normal side (of exorcists) because they probably wouldn't stay stiff and suspenseful all the time." Another characteristic that makes Kyung-hoon unique is that he practices shamanism, rather than Christianity, and he utilizes high-tech equipment to detect paranormal activity. Kim expressed that he might not have taken the role if the film had added overt religious practices and sentiment to the exorcism. "If the story featured an exorcist priest, I wouldn't have found it interesting because there have been so many movies about that," he said. "But with this film, it's a fusion I felt that I could show a different take on such a practice and topic." Kim revealed that he usually avoids watching a horror movies because he believes in ghosts. Courtesy of CJENM To avoid any religious prayers or phrases, Kim noted that he spent weeks looking for appropriate words for his ritual scenes. "It was so difficult to find non-religious words. We tried to eliminate any phrases that might offend any culture or audience," he said. The film has been sold to over 56 countries, including Germany, Brazil, and Spain. Although Kim's character fights off evil spirits for a living, the actor revealed that he's actually scared of ghosts and can't watch horror movies. "I watched 'The Omen' when I was young, but I still can't stand in the middle of elevators," he said, referring to a killing scene from 1978 horror film "Damien: Omen II." When asked what made him choose a genre that he normally avoids, he said he was yearning for diversity in film genres and this film suited his needs with its refreshing plot. "Not every film should have a message, but I liked how this film ends on a straight line," he said. A scene from the film/ Courtesy of CJENM Global fintech lending, or the alternative loans industry will hit a $312.6 billion transaction value this year, growing by 17 per cent year-on-year, according to a report by LearnBonds.com, a global leader in financial news. The rising trend, highlighted by peer-to-peer firms Lending club in the US or Funding Circle in the UK, is set to continue, with the entire market reaching $390.5 billion value by 2023, the report added. Consumer and business loans in the Fintech space are mostly offered through lending platforms, connecting borrowers to lenders, without the need for a high street bank. Sophisticated computer algorithms make lending decisions in minutes instead of days, and the lean company structure of fintechs means they can offer lower rates to borrowers as well as higher rates to lenders. These platforms have grown in popularity in developed countries. However, emerging markets with low access to formal financial services are also expected to experience rising demand for business and consumer peer-to-peer loans. Around 1.7 billion people from all over the world still don`t have access to the bank account, according to the World Bank, with many living in developing countries such as India, Mexico, and Bangladesh. The lack of traditional banking products in these countries also brings enormous problems for businesses. India, for example, has nearly 50 million small and medium-sized companies that have no access to formal credit, according to a World Bank survey. The growing number of fintech firms in emerging countries is expected to drive market competition, by forcing traditional banks to adapt their services and meet the needs of tech-savvy consumers. Volume of fintech loans to hit 87 million by 2023 In 2017, the global Fintech lending was worth $181.2 billion, revealed the Statista Alternative Lending Market Outlook. This had jumped in market value by more than 30 per cent to $267.1 billion in 2019. The overall market is forecast to grow at a steady 7.7 per cent over the next three years. The volume of business and consumer peer-to-peer loans increased by 30 per cent since 2017 and is expected to hit 72.8 million in 2020, growing by 11.2 per cent year-on-year. In the next three years, it is forecast to peak at 87 million globally. Business peer-to-peer lending is the most significant part of the market, with a 70 per cent market share expected to be worth $219.1 billion in 2020. The number of loans to small and medium-sized companies is forecast to jump to $290.1 billion by 2023. Consumer peer-to-peer lending lags behind business loans, with $93.5 billion a transaction value expected this year. By 2023, consumer peer-to-peer loans are set to edge up to $100.4 billion worth, almost three times less than business lending. China and the US make up 95 per cent of the fintech lending market Regionally, China is the largest alternative lending market globally with a 90 per cent market share and a $265.7 billion transaction value expected in 2020. The country has been hugely affected by increased government regulation in recent years, which led to an enormous drop in the number of landing platforms and loans. However, the Statista survey shows the Chinese market will top $341.2 billion over the next three years. With $33.5 billion market value in 2020, the US is the second-largest alternative lending market in the world, home to large players such as Lending Club, Prosper and SoFi. Together, China and the US hold 95 per cent of the overall market. However, the consumer lending model in China is different from the US model. Chinese companies typically operate an online-to-offline model. This means investors are found online, but borrowers are served offline through partnerships with the non-bank financial institutions or their agents. In the US and across Europe, alternative lending is almost entirely based on an online model. Far behind the two leading markets, the UK ranked as the third-largest alternative lending market, expected to peak at a value of $4.8 billion this year. However, Switzerland, Denmark, and Spain are expected to see the highest growth rates over the coming years, rising by 27.4 per cent, 23.7 per cent, and 22.9 per cent respectively year-on-year. Canada is forecast to show the lowest negative growth with a compound annual growth rate of -5.1 per cent by 2023. TradeArabia News Service Princess Beatrice and fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi have set a date for their wedding, People magazine has reported. The couple will tie the knot on 29 May after an eight-month engagement, according to the publication. Beatrice, 31, the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York, and Italian property developer Edoardo - known as 'Edo' - will reportedly host their reception at Buckingham Palace at the invitation of the Queen. Beatrice, 31, the eldest daughter of Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York, and Italian property developer Edoardo - known as 'Edo' will tie the knot on 29 May, it is reported The venue for the service has yet to be confirmed. People suggests it could be held at the Royal Military Chapel, known as the Guards Chapel, which is just a short stroll from the palace. Other suggested venues include St Paul's Cathedral, where Prince Charles and Princess Diana married. An announcement on details of the wedding will be made in the coming days, the magazine reported. However it is understood the couple want their nuptials to be 'low key' and without the fanfare that surrounded the wedding of Beatrice's sister Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank. Beatrice and Edo had been together for 11 months at the time they announced their engagement in September last year. Father-of-one Edo proposed with a ring estimated to have cost 100,000, while the pair were holidaying in Italy. The planning has been somewhat overshadowed by the ongoing scandal surrounding Prince Andrew's friendship with deceased paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The couple will reportedly host their reception at Buckingham Palace (pictured) at the invitation of the Queen. It is the first royal wedding at the palace since the Cambridges' in 2011 However it is believed Princess Beatrice will still be walked down the aisle by her father, with whom she shares a close relationship, and that her sister Eugenie will play a role in the wedding. It was reported last week that the Queen has offered to hold the wedding reception at Buckingham Palace in a 'morale boost' for her granddaughter. One friend said: 'Bea was delighted and very grateful to accept. It was a really special gesture as it will be the first wedding celebration at Buckingham Palace since William and Catherine's in 2011.' All three subsequent royal weddings have been in Windsor. Beatrice's sister Princess Eugenie tied the knot in 2018 at St George's Chapel, with a reception at the castle. Beatrice and Edo had been together for 11 months at the time they announced their engagement in September last year. Pictured, one of the photos announcing the engagement Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had exchanged vows there earlier that year. The York sisters are reportedly set to step forward and take on more responsibility within the royal family in the wake of their father's retirement and the Sussexes' departure. The scandal surrounding Prince Andrew's friendship with Epstein intensified in December after a second woman who was allegedly abused by billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein claimed she had sex with the duke. This came after the prince denied sleeping with 17-year-old Virginia Roberts at the Belgravia home of Ghislaine Maxwell - who is accused of trafficking in young women for Epstein. Prince Andrew (left) has strenuously denied sleeping with 17-year-old Virginia Roberts (pictured centre) at the Belgravia home of Ghislaine Maxwell (right) - who is accused of trafficking in young women for Epstein Earlier this week one of Epstein's victims blamed Prince Andrew for failing to stop the convicted sex offender from abusing women before he sexually assaulted her. She called on the duke to cooperate with the FBI in their investigation, after US lawyer Geoffrey Berman, who is leading the Epstein sex trafficking inquiry, said the duke has 'provided zero co-operation', claiming his lawyers had been contacted by prosecutors and the FBI as part of the investigation. Andrew was reported to be 'angry and bewildered' at the claims, with sources telling the Daily Telegraph he was more than happy to talk to the FBI but had not been approached. When the monarch's second son quit royal duties, he said he was willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency. His resignation followed a car crash interview with BBC Newsnight's Emily Maitlis, after which he was lambasted by critics for failing to show regret or empathy for Epstein's victims. Princess Beatrice's charity, The Big Change, recently announced a series of new projects and partnerships, adding weight to the belief that the sisters will soon have a more high-profile role. The Big Change identifies and supports charitable projects throughout the UK which will improve the lives of young people. CARLISLE - Negotiations will enter a fourth day Thursday at Dickinson College between student demonstrators protesting for reforms in how the school handles complaints in sexual harassment and assault cases. Protest leader Rose McAvoy said Wednesday night she and her negotiating committee are holding out both for further movement on their list of 17 demands for change, plus a document that memorializes all of the colleges commitments in writing. McAvoy said the need for a written document stems from a similar series of protests at Dickinson in 2011 when students felt that promises made by Dickinson administrators at the time were not institutionalized. Ensign and her senior staff have made some movement on almost every one of 17 initial demands from the ad hoc student protestors, according to email updates shared with the larger campus community. The only true exception is on a request for the college to provide access to lawyers both accusers and defendants in a sexual assault case moving through the colleges Title IX office, which Ensign said would put the college at risk of conflict-of-interest problems, as well as divert funds from other initiatives the students have demanded. Ensign also refused to install additional emergency call boxes around the campus, noting the reality is these boxes are rarely used and a cursory review of our records reflect that we have not received any calls on them in several years. In lieu of that, however, the president pledged to look for cell-phone applications or other technologies that could enhance emergency reporting at Dickinson. But McAvoy, speaking Wednesday from her base of operations in the Holland Union Building, said students are still trying to iron out details on a number of other fronts. Some of the steps the college has already offered - if not entirely agreed to by the students - include: The establishment of an automatic expulsion for any student found responsible for rape, or multiple incidents of any kind of sexual assault. Ensign, has said, however, that requests for a minimum punishment of semester suspension on any founded sexual assault will require more specific definitions of the range of actions deemed assault. A commitment to resolving all Title IX investigations within 60 working days. If more investigative time is needed in a specific case, updates will be provided to all parties explaining the delay. Going forward, written permission will be required from both parties before a college no contact order, sort of the on-campus equivalent of a protection-from-abuse order, is lifted. All future proposed changes to the schools sexual harassment and misconduct policy will be presented to the Student Senate, which will coordinate a 60-day student comment period. The current protest was triggered last week after McAvoy, a senior from the Orlando, Florida area, wrote a column in the student newspaper about her own disgust with the way her case was handled when she filed a sexual misconduct charge against another student in 2017. The sit-in kicked off with participation by a full 10 percent of the Dickinson student body, or 260 students, Monday morning. The crowd at the Holland Union Building had thinned considerably by Wednesday night, but McAvoy said that was in part because student leaders have given their peers the green light to do what they needed to do to take care of themselves. Other remaining sticking points in the talks include a desire for the college to have trauma counselors to support survivors with specific training in the needs experienced by people of color or gay, lesbian or transgender students; automatic interim suspensions during the course of a pending investigation of any persons in a position of power if a credible complaint has been lodged against them; fuller reporting on the outcome of cases; and a third-party review of the colleges annual safety reports before they are published. A 40-year-old woman set herself on fire on Thursday allegedly over a personal enmity with neighbours in Nangla Hukm Singh village in Rabupura area. The woman, Samudri Devi, wife of Kishan Singh, was admitted to Jewar Kailash Hospital from where she was referred to a government hospital in Delhi. Rajesh Kumar Singh, DCP, Greater Noida, said Kishan Singh had a dispute with his neighbour Karamveer. Karamveer was building a house in the village and Kishan Singh and his family were against him having a road facing door. On Thursday evening, the two families had an argument over the issue. Kishan Singhs wife doused herself with kerosene oil and set herself on fire. A police team soon reached the spot and rushed the victim to a private hospital, Singh said. Police said they have not received any complaint in this regard. Local residents said the woman took the step to frame the opposite party, but the latter shot a video in their mobile phone and distanced themselves from the incident. The victim has suffered 20% burn injuries, police said. A U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York has denied a defendants motion to preclude expert testimony regarding the results of a DNA analysis produced by using STRmix sophisticated forensic software used to resolve mixed DNA profiles. Noting that courts have overwhelmingly admitted expert testimony based on STRmix results, District Court Judge Sterling Johnson, Jr. rejected defense concerns over the DNA analysis of a hat and bandana allegedly worn by the perpetrator of an attempted robbery in Eastern District of New York v. Tambhia Tucker (18 CR 0119 (SJ)). The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for New York City determined with a high degree of support that the defendant was included as a contributor to the DNA recovered from both the hat and the bandana. In denying the motion to preclude, Judge Johnson pointed out that STRmix is currently in use in over 40 states and federal laboratories in the United States and in at least 13 other countries. The order went on to state, The software and its underlying principles have been peer-reviewed in more than 90 articles, while knowledgeable bodies, such as the DNA Subcommittee of the New York State Commission on Forensic Science, have evaluated the software and approved its use. While the court recognized there may be gaps in the understanding of the full reliability of STRmix and probabilistic genotyping more broadly, it concluded, In recent years, confidence in the reliability of STRmix has only grown. The defense motion relied largely on a September 2016 report by the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) which highlighted shortcomings in the field of forensic science, including DNA testing. The court, however, noted that the PCAST reports concerns over DNA testing applied to DNA mixtures from three or more contributors. Mixtures in the current case came from only two contributors. Since its introduction in 2012, STRmix has been used to interpret DNA evidence in more than 120,000 cases around the world. It is now being used regularly in 53 forensic labs throughout the U.S., while more than 60 other U.S. organizations are in various stages of STRmix installation, validation, and training. Forensic labs are turning to STRmix because of its success in producing usable, admissible DNA evidence in a wide range of criminal cases, says John Buckleton DSc, FRSNZ, Forensic Scientist at the New Zealand Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) and one of the developers of STRmix. Dr. Buckleton notes that labs using STRmix are reporting an increase of interpretable DNA in gun cases from about 40% to more than 70%. STRmix is also delivering a significantly higher rate of interpretable results in sexual assault cases. A new version of STRmix, STRmix v2.7, was introduced in late 2019. STRmix v2.7 includes several new features in response to improvements recommended by forensic labs to better address the on-the-job needs they regularly encounter. DBLR, an application used with STRmix, was also introduced last year. DBLR allows users to undertake superfast database searches, visualize the value of their DNA mixture evidence, and carry out mixture to mixture matches. For more information about STRmix visit http://www.strmix.com. LONDON, Feb. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Algeco Group, the leading modular space leasing business in Europe and Asia Pacific, is pleased to announce that Mark Higson has joined the group as its new Chief Executive Officer. Mark was most recently the Managing Director of Wolseley UK, a leading plumbing, heating and cooling trade specialist merchant with 550 branches across the UK. Before joining Wolseley in March 2018, Mark was Managing Director at the Royal Mail from 2007 to 2014, where he managed the operational turnaround of the letters and parcels business. Prior to this, Mark was a Director of BPB plc, the building materials group, where he held a variety of senior leadership positions in businesses in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. He has also worked with Advent International, advising on a variety of the private equity firm's portfolio businesses. Under Mark's leadership, Algeco will continue to focus on its clear priorities for driving profitability across the business through effective capital investment, a focus on optimising sales and granular management of branch level performance, an efficient cost base, and a targeted acquisition strategy. Mike Smith, Chairman of Algeco, commented: "I am delighted that Mark has now started with us as our new CEO. Mark is a highly experienced operational leader with a proven track record, having spent much of his career running a range of large UK and international branch-based businesses. He has demonstrated strong management skills and the strategic insights that we believe will build on the strengths of our business today and lead Algeco through its next phase of growth." Mark Higson said: "Algeco is a great company with very exciting prospects. I am working with people in the business to rapidly develop my knowledge of the group and very much look forward to delivering value for customers, returns to investors and great opportunities for our people." Algeco has also today announced that Bruce Melizan, Chief Operating Officer, left the business on 31 January 2020. The responsibilities of the Chief Operating Officer will be assumed by other members of the executive team during the transition period. Mike Smith, Chairman, said: "Bruce has co-led a period of major change at Algeco which has seen significant growth in our 360 service penetration, a refocus on our branch performance and been responsible for driving a step change in our HSE culture. I would like to thank him for his significant contribution and wish him all the very best in the future." About Algeco Algeco is Europe and Asia Pacific's leading business services company specialising in modular space. We create smart places for people to live, work and learn. We deliver for our customers, wherever, whatever and whenever the need. We are: Available: wherever the project, big or small, we can deliver anywhere. Adaptable: whatever the customers need - space, furniture, equipment, connectivity - we provide turnkey solutions. Reliable: whenever we are required we have the expertise to get it right first time. Headquartered in London, Algeco has operations in 23 countries with approximately 250,000 modular space and portable storage units and 3,400 remote accommodation rooms. The company operates as Algeco in Europe, Elliott in the United Kingdom, BUKO Huisvesting and BUKO Bouw & Winkels in The Netherlands, Malthus Uniteam in Norway, Ausco in Australia, Portacom in New Zealand and Algeco Chengdong in China. For further information: Investor relations Phil Vellacott, investor.relations@algeco.com, +44(0)7841-563541 Media enquiries Tulchan Communications, algeco@tulchangroup.com, +44(0)207-353-4200 More than 880 swine have died in Bali, Indonesia of possible African swine fever The director of animal health at the Ministry of Agriculture said authorities are investigating if African swine fever (ASF) is the cause of more than 880 swine deaths since December 2019 on the island, reported Reuters. FadjarSumpingTjaturRassa, the director of animal health said the authorities are conducting operational standards for infectious animal diseases (such as hog cholera and ASF), while investigations are in progress to confirm if the swine were killed by ASF. The government has already quarantined part of North Sumatra, where an ASF outbreak has killed more than 43,000 swine. Meat or meat products are prohibited from leaving North Sumatra affected areas, and bio-security screenings have been enforced on people in contact with affected animals. China, which has been managing an ASF outbreak since August 2019 that has decimated more than 40% of its own herds, has already imposed an import ban on swine and related products from Indonesia. - Reuters GPS has received the College Boards AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award for achieving high female representation in AP Computer Science A during the 2018-19 school year. The only other Tennessee schools to receive this award for 2018-19 are also girls schoolsHarpeth Hall School (Nashville) and Hutchison School (Memphis). Girls Preparatory School is empowering young women to see themselves as creators, innovators, and problem solvers, said Stefanie Sanford, College Board Global Policy chief. We hope to see even more high schools inspire female students to harness the potential of an AP computer science education. GPS began offering computer science classes shortly after the school launched the laptop program in 1998. Currently all sixth- and seventh-graders take computer science classesDiscover Computer Science 6 and Design & Discovery 7and can choose to take a host of additional classes in grades 8-12. By beginning students exposure to computer science in sixth grade, GPS helps girls build confidence while providing a safe space in which to take risks, said officials. When a girl takes AP Computer Science A at GPS, she is in a class with all girls; whereas at other Chattanooga schools, she is likely to be one of only a few in a class with mostly boys, says Jill Pala Piertiz 97, who taught the class last year. By offering computer science classes, we work to break the stereotypes around computer science and give our students a chance to thrive in the supportive environment of all-girls education, Ms. Pieritz adds. This is where girls are able to build their confidence and skills before stepping into a STEM environment in college, where they will often find themselves in the minority. Providing female students with access to computer science courses is necessary for ensuring gender parity in high-paying technology jobs and to drive innovation, creativity, and competition. A recent Google study found that women are more likely to pursue computer science if they are given the opportunity to explore it in high school. I am proud that we continue to receive recognition for our computer science program, Ms. Pieritz says. Enrollment in AP Computer Science A grew significantly at GPS around 2010, with GPS representing 40 percent of the female AP CS A test-takers in Tennessee in 2013. The class continues to prepare girls to perform well on the AP exam. National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is happy that finally the 'actual' reason for setting up a committee to help stop illegal mining in the country has been exposed. According to him, on the surface, 'the committee' (Inter-Ministerial Committee) was to fight galamsey; as it is locally called but behind the scenes, it was just 'handed over to party members' to engage in and share the profits. "We have been saying this for a long time but...now you have been exposed. The so-called fight against galamsey was a sham;419the secret is out and we now know the galamsey campaign was for the NPP to take over the galamsey business and make money for themselves" he claimed on Peace FMs morning show 'Kokrokoo'. He was reacting to a recently leaked video where the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong Boateng and Central Regional Vice-Chairman of the NPP, Horace Ekow Ewusi were reportedly making some damning statements. Watch his submission in the video below This leaked video comes weeks after reports emerged that about 500 excavators are missing after they were seized by the Operation Vanguard; an operational team made up of various security personnel purposely set up to clamp down on illegal mining.Prof Frimpong Boateng who is also the Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), disclosed that most of the excavators that were seized from illegal miners had vanished.He subsequently issued a letter directing the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to arrest and interrogate Ekow Ewusi after learning that he reportedly sold some of the confiscated items from illegal miners. 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 As Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted a young aspiring actor in a Beverly Hills hotel in 2013, he said, This is what all the actresses do to make it, she told the jury at his trial on Wednesday. Within minutes of meeting Lauren Young, who was eager to pitch him on a screenplay about her life, Weinstein used it as a ruse to trap her in his room, Young testified. I was in shock, she told the panel in New York state court in lower Manhattan. Im saying, No, no, no, and hes just carrying on a normal conversation. Young told the jurors he said, How do I know you can act? Young, 30, is the latest witness to describe a gruesome encounter with the former Hollywood power broker, who is on trial for rape and predatory sexual assault involving two women. She is the last of three other women whom prosecutors have called to establish a pattern of predation. Weinstein, 67, maintains that the encounters were all consensual and the relationships mutually beneficial. Lauren Young clutches a tissue as she is questioned by Assistant District Attorney Meghan Hast during film producer Harvey Weinstein's sexual assault trial at New York Criminal Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City. (REUTERS) Young told the jury she had befriended a woman at an Oscars party in February 2012. A year later the woman, a friend of Weinstein, invited her to meet with him at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills. Shed been working on her script, Young told the court, and was excited about pitching the famous producer. I got ready and put on my best dress, she said. Young told the court Weinstein came down to join her and his friend at the hotel bar and proposed his own idea for her next career move. He said what about Americas Next Top Model? she testified. Young said she declined. I was trying to transition into acting, and reality TV just wasnt what I wanted, she said. Weinstein appeared distracted, told the women he needed to make an awards presentation involving the director Quentin Tarantino and invited them to follow him to his room, Young said. Lauren Young is shown a dress by attorney Damon Cheronis on cross examination during film producer Harvey Weinstein's sexual assault trial at New York Criminal Court. (REUTERS) He was looking down at his phone, she said. I was so excited to talk to him, but he wasnt really paying attention to me. He said, Lets finish this conversation and follow me upstairs. I have to get ready to present an award. Young said she followed Weinstein to his hotel room, with the friend behind her, and unwittingly entered a bathroom, only to realize the door had been shut behind her, trapping her inside with the producer. I was wearing a white dress, lace with a slip underneath it, she said. He unzipped it and started pulling it down and turned me around. Weinstein pulled the dress down to her elbows to constrict her arms as he began to assault her, Young told the jury. My hands were down to my sides because my dress was pulling them down, and my breasts were out, Young said. She said she was trapped by the seams of the dress, but my hands were blocking him. Film producer Harvey Weinstein attends his sexual assault trial at New York Criminal Court. (REUTERS) Through the bathroom door, which had a frosted-glass panel, Young could see the silhouette of Weinsteins friend as she stood in the bedroom, she testified. Assistant District Attorney Meghan Hast asked Young to describe Weinstein naked, perhaps to confirm characteristics of his body described by some of the other witnesses. Young said she immediately drove to Venice Beach to tell friends what had happened. Hast asked why she didnt call the police. No, because hes powerful, Young responded. I didnt know what kind of power, and I was scared. Young told the jury she contacted law enforcement only in 2017. The day after the alleged assault, Young went to a meeting the producer had already scheduled at The Weinstein Co., she testified, saying she wanted to confront him. He wasnt there. Young said she never saw Weinstein again, nor did she accept the companys offer for her to appear on the reality show. Follow @htshowbiz for more ANN ARBOR, MI Ann Arbor has agreed to continue leasing 18 parking spaces at Riverside Park to the University of Michigan for employee parking. City Councils 8-3 decision came after a fair amount of debate Monday night, Feb. 3. Some council members suggested the lease deal is inconsistent with the citys carbon-neutrality goals, raising concerns about a lack of electric vehicle parking. Its like were pimping our parks out, said Council Member Jeff Hayner, D-1st Ward, who was opposed. I dont like it. I dont think were getting enough for it, and especially now I dont think its an appropriate use. Council Member Julie Grand, D-3rd Ward, took offense. Im not even going to repeat what Council Member Hayner said about what were doing to our parks, she said. Its problematic to characterize the creative use of a city asset a partnership with UM that brings revenue into the park system that way, Grand said. The 18 parking spaces at Riverside Park along the Huron River that Ann Arbor leases to the University of Michigan.City of Ann Arbor The new two-year lease, which includes another two-year renewal option in 2022, continues an arrangement that was expiring this month, with similar terms. UM will pay the city $13,305 the first year, about $739 per spot, and $13,704 the second year, about $761 per spot. The money helps fund city parks. UM employees with Gold Permits have access to the spaces 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Outside those times, theyre available to park users. The city has a separate lease agreement that gives UM employees access to hundreds of parking spaces at Fuller Park and thats up for renewal later this year. Hayner, who lives in the area, noted the city recently declared a climate emergency, setting a 2030 goal to make the community carbon-neutral. We need to be looking at every action the city takes through this lens of this climate emergency that we all agreed was upon us, he said. And so if we have an opportunity to sublease some of our property for a certain use, we should make sure that use doesnt bring 18 carbon cars into our city every day. Hayner characterized the parking lease as one of the few opportunities we have to lean on the university to uphold their end." He proposed allowing only zero-emissions vehicles under the new lease. Im happy to welcome 18 zero-emissions vehicles into these parking spots, he said. Otherwise I dont think we should do it. Its bad enough that theyre putting over 1,000 (UM parking spaces) in two parking structures in our in that same neighborhood. Council Member Ali Ramlawi, D-5th Ward, said he appreciated Hayners proposal, but he questioned if theres truly a zero-emissions automobile, as electric cars still use electricity produced with carbon, unfortunately. In a 9-2 vote, Zachary Ackerman, D-3rd Ward, was the only council member to support Hayners proposal. Ackerman and other council members noted it could require installing EV charging stations. Hayner said he wasnt proposing any new EV infrastructure. Im simply saying Im tired of having cars come down into our neighborhood when were in the middle of a climate emergency, he said. Its terrible for the air. Its terrible for the climate. Its terrible for our carbon counting. He suggested posting a sign for UM users, saying only zero-emission or low-emission vehicles would be allowed. That wouldnt apply to park users, Hayner said. If we cant push on the university to do this in this tiny way, what was the point of declaring a climate emergency? he said. Council Member Elizabeth Nelson, D-4th Ward, said she didnt think UM would bother with leasing the 18 spaces if the city imposed those restrictions. Other council members suggested trying to negotiate terms encouraging more EV use in future leases with UM. As we look at other situations, particularly surface parking lots where theres opportunity to also develop solar in conjunction with EV charging stations, I think we need to pursue some of that language in some of those agreements, said Council Member Chip Smith, D-5th Ward. There is a deficit of EV parking, with only 14 charging stations on UMs campus, Smith said, arguing UM should add more charging stations at its own parking facilities. There are 30 more EV charging stations in the citys public parking system. UM spokeswoman Kim Broekhuizen confirmed in an email that UM has 14 EV charging stations but otherwise did not offer comment. Aside from concerns about the lack of EV parking, Ramlawi said he couldnt support the lease Monday night because the city wasnt getting enough money from UM. With the university charging employees close to $1,900 per year for a Gold Permit, and the city charging UM only a fraction of that, its a bad business deal, he said. City staff recommended approval of the lease, saying UM is only using the parking spaces 33% of the week -- counting all 24 hours in a day -- and the per-space rate the city is charging UM is more than one-third the price of a Gold Permit. Ramlawi argued UM is really getting use of the lot, well over 50% of the time since the park is closed after 10 p.m. He suggested staff go back and negotiate for more money and perhaps some EV charging stations. Other council members said they thought the lease deal was fair and a win-win for the city and UM. Without it, there might be UM employees parking there anyway, Grand said. In an 8-3 vote, the council members in favor of postponing to try to negotiate better terms were Anne Bannister, Kathy Griswold and Ramlawi. Council then voted 8-3 to approve the lease as originally proposed, with Hayner, Ramlawi and Smith against it. I just think were inconsistent with the message and the policy that were setting, said Ramlawi. Again, we declared a climate emergency, but were not following up with the incremental, organic measures that need to take place in order to achieve those goals. Bannister, D-1st Ward, said shed like to see more UM employees use park-and-ride lots and zip into town on possibly an electric bus, and have UM build workforce housing for employees on land it owns in the city. MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS: Plan to make Michigan Avenue mobility testing corridor between Ann Arbor and Detroit in the works Ann Arbor OKs nearly $4M for water system upgrades, some PFAS-related Ann Arbor officials hopeful after meeting with judge in Gelman plume case Germany trip sends wrong message during climate crisis, Ann Arbor official says Ann Arbor renames bridges after late Congressman John Dingell Just moments after a divided U.S. Senate handed President Donald Trump an acquittal on impeachment charges, the president took to his favorite social media site to bring back a controversial tweet showing a never-ending political campaign. The tweet features a doctored video of a TIME Magazine cover with a series of campaign yard signs with escalating years, from Trump 2024 to 2028, 2032 and eventually the year 90,000 and 4EVA." The video, which HuffPost reported was created by a pro-Trump meme maker following a 2018 TIME story on Trumpism outlasting the president, evokes fictional President Frank Underwood of Netflixs House of Cards," who once told the First Lady, 2016, 2020, 2024, 2028, 2032, 2036. One nation, Underwood. According to the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice." The American people don't know what's best for them... I do. May 30. pic.twitter.com/EhGUKb8eOb House of Cards (@HouseofCards) May 1, 2017 The first time the president shared the video, in June 2019, TIME magazine responded by posting the original. The animation you shared is a manipulated version of the Oct. 22, 2018, cover of TIME. Here's the real one pic.twitter.com/P0WF2nSeNH TIME (@TIME) June 21, 2019 At the time, U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, who led the impeachment case against the president, said on Twitter that the presidents joke of being president for life was, just like his last fake Time Magazine cover ... a fantasy. Voters will make him a one-term president. I guess the "joke" here is that Trump is president for life. And, just like his last fake Time Magazine cover, it's a fantasy. Voters will make him a one-term president. https://t.co/ioewaCj0gk Adam Schiff (@AdamSchiff) June 21, 2019 Brad Parscale, Trumps 2020 re-election campaign manager, quickly turned the acquittal into an opportunity to declare the president totally vindicated and to drum up support against Democrats. This terrible ordeal was always a campaign tactic to invalidate the 2016 votes of 63 million Americans and was a transparent effort to interfere with the 2020 election only nine months away, Parscale tweeted. Donald Trump slammed Nancy Pelosi and Mitt Romney for using their faith to justify their actions in the impeachment process during his remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday morning. He did not mention the two by name but his meaning was clear. 'I don't like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong. Nor do I like people who say I pray for you when they know that's not so. So many people have been hurt, and we can't let that go on. I will be discussing that a little bit later at the White House,' he said. Romney was the lone Republican to find Trump guilty on one article of impeachment: abuse of power. He said in his remarks on the Senate floor Wednesday that it was his faith Romney is a devout Mormon that led him to that decision. Pelosi, a devout Catholic, has repeatedly said she prays for the president. She was seated at the head table during Trump's remarks and shook her head at one point during them. She pursed her lips a few times as he spoke. The speaker launched the impeachment inquiry into the president in September. The president admitted he was having trouble liking his political enemies now that his impeachment trial is over. ''We are grateful to the people of this room for the lovely show to religion, not one religion, but many religions. They are brave, they are brilliant, they are fighters, they like people and sometimes they hate people. I'm sorry. I apologize. I am trying to learn. Not easy. It's not easy. When they impeach you for nothing, and you're supposed to like them, it's not easy, folks. I do my best,' he said. Donald Trump slammed Nancy Pelosi and Mitt Romney for using their faith to justify their actions in the impeachment trial and inquiry Speaker Nancy Pelosi sat on the opposite of the head table from President Trump Speaker Pelosi sat grimed during President Trump's remarks President Trump addressed impeachment at the top of his remarks Trump was acquitted on both articles of impeachment by the Senate on Wednesday, bringing to a close the fourth month, contentious process that led to a new level of bitter relations between the White House and congressional Democrats. Harvard professor Arthur Brooks, in his key note address at the breakfast, urged those present not to hold political enemies in contempt, but to do as Jesus preached and 'love your enemies.' 'I don't know if I agree with you,' Trump said to Brooks when it was his turn to speak. And then he proceeded to launch his attacks on Pelosi and Romney. The president addressed the impeachment inquiry at the top of his remarks and, earlier, had triumphantly held up newspaper headlines announcing his acquittal. The audience cheered his move. 'My family, our great country and your president has been put through a terrible ordeal by some very dishonest and corrupt people. They have done everything possible to destroy us and by so doing, very badly hurt our nation,' Trump said. 'They know what they are doing is wrong but they put themselves far ahead of our great country. Weeks ago and again yesterday, courageous Republican politicians and leaders had the wisdom, fortitude, and strength to do what everyone knows was right,' he added. The president and the speaker were meeting for the first time since the impeachment verdict at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday morning. Trump walked to the head table to applause and held up the front pages of USA Today and The Washington Post with their oversized headlines proclaiming his acquittal by the Senate. 'Acquitted' read USA Today. 'Trump Acquitted' was the Washington Post's headline. Pelosi stood and clapped as President Trump entered the room. She simply looked on as he displayed the newspapers declaring him acquitted. President Trump waved around a USA Today headline proclaiming his acquittal on impeachment He also waved the Washington Post front page Speaker Pelosi spoke before President Trump at the breakfast Speaker Pelosi led a prayer for the poor Both the president and the speaker were seated at the head table but on opposite sides of the podium. They did not interact. Trump shook hands with his side of the head table when he entered the 68th Annual National Prayer Breakfast and did not walk over to the other side of the podium, where the vice president and the speaker were seated. Pelosi spoke first, leading a prayer for the poor. The president head bowed during her prayer. He did not applaud when she was done. Vice President Mike Pence, when he arrived ahead of the president, shook hands with the speaker and sat a few chairs down from her. Several members of Congress and members of the president's Cabinet attended the annual breakfast. 'The lord works in mysterious ways. I do not think he could have picked a better day to bring us all together,' House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy said in his prayer. The president thanked McCarthy and the breakfast hosts in his opening remarks. Mitt Romney cited his faith as the reason for his guilty vote on Trump Trump went after Romney in the wake of the Wednesday's impeachment vote. He tweeted a video accusing the Utah senator of being a 'Democrat secret asset' and criticized him for his failed 2008 presidential campaign. 'Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election,' the president tweeted. Romney cited his faith as one of the reasons for his guilty vote. He voted to acquit the president on the second charge: obstruction of Congress. 'The allegations made in the articles of impeachment are very serious. As a senator juror, I swore an oath before god to exercise impartial justice. I am profoundly religious. My faith is at the heart of who I am. I take an oath before god as enormously consequential. I knew from the outset that being tasked with judging the president, the leader of my own party would be the most difficult decision I have ever faced,' Romney said. And the Republican senator from Utah acknowledged he expected to feel the president's wrath for his decision. I'm aware that there are people in my party and in my state who will strenuously disapprove of my decision, and in some quarters I will be vehemently denounced. I'm sure to hear abuse from the president and his supporters. Does anyone seriously believe that I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before god demanded it of me?, he said. It was also the first time Trump and Pelosi met since Tuesday's State of the Union address when Trump refused to shake her hand at its beginning and she ripped up the text of his remarks at its conclusion. After the president finished giving his annual address Tuesday night, Pelosi stood up and ripped the pages in half, dropping them on her desk. She defended her actions Tuesday night after the speech: 'It was the courteous thing to do considering the alternatives. It was such a dirty speech.' The extraordinary clash between the two started when with Trump snubbed Pelosi's outstretched hand after he came into the House chamber. Trump handed Pelosi a copy of his speech when he reached the speaker's dais the same place she presided over his impeachment vote two months ago but simply turned away as the Speaker took her copy of his speech, then stood in front of a chamber which echoed with cries of 'four more years' from Republicans - and where Democrats sat stone-faced. Pelosi was visibly taken aback after Trump turned away from her offer. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped apart her copy of President Trump's State of the Union address after he finished speaking on Tuesday night Earlier, Trump delivered an astonishing snub to Nancy Pelosi as he started his State of the Union speech Tuesday, ignoring her as she offered him a handshake After the Senate acquitted the president on Wednesday, Pelosi said after the vote that the president remains a 'threat' that the House will continue to combat through its lawsuits against the administration and with the public. 'Sadly, because of the Republican Senate's betrayal of the Constitution, the President remains an ongoing threat to American democracy, with his insistence that he is above the law and that he can corrupt the elections if he wants to. The House will continue to protect and defend the checks and balances in the Constitution that safeguard our Republic, both in the courts of law and in the court of public opinion,' she said in a statement.